was one of those who then upon his conversion had his iniquities forgiven and his sins covered yet he said Wo be to him if he preacht not the Gospel 1 Cor. 9.16 Whereby he sheweth he must yield his obedience or else vengeance would overtake him Heb. 10.30 And also after that Abraham had been obedient in leaving his Countery and his kindred the Lord again appeared to him Gen. 17.1 and said I am the Almighty God walk before me and be thou perfect The which shews God requires our continuance in our obedience to him The which in being sincere therein is man's perfection And after God further tryed and proved Abraham whether he would obey in all things even to that in which the desire of his Soul was set upon which was in the offering up of his Son Isaac And that God commanded him to do without a promise of reward but afterwards for his willingness to be obedient therein God redoubled his promise to him For God's promises are generally attain'd and retain'd in the way of our love and obedience And St. Paul saith Rom. 6.16 Know ye not that to whom ye yield your selves Servants to obey his Servants ye are to whom ye obey whether of sin unto death or of obedience unto righteousness By these words the Apostle puts it out of all dispute clearly shewing that we are his Servants to whom we do yield our selves Servants to obey And the Apostle saith to the Church in the following verse That they were the Servants of sin but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of Doctrine which was delivered you Now the form of Doctrine was that they should observe all things whatsoever Christ had commanded This being the last charge Christ left with his Disciples promising such as did accordingly obey that he would be with them to the end of the world Matth. 28.20 Rom. 4.2 If Abraham were justified by works be hath whereof to glory but not before God That is not before God as tho' he had by his good works merited all those great blessings that God had promised him No this is quite contrary to truth and contrary to the understanding that still remains in us that he or we by our poor endeavours when at the best should for them deserve an everlasting inheritance and an eternal weight of glory and that procured by the Sacrifice of the Son of his love No so to think is an offence to God And also the Lord Christ saith When ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you say ye are unprofitable Servants Luk. 17.10 For God needed not us for his eternal blessedness would not have been diminished if we had eternally perished For he would have remained eternally blessed without us altho' we should have remained eternally miserable without him For a poor Soul before God has no more reason to glory than a poor condemned Malefactor that a great Prince had taken pity of therefore paid his ransome taken him into his Service withal promising him as long as he kept to the Rule or way that he had set him and did not wilfully depart from it he would be with him to carry him through all difficulties and that if he so continued to do he would not leave him nor forsake him and that for the short time that he should set him if he therein was found faithful to his service he then would adopt him his Son and give him an inheritance as a Son of his Now should this Servant boast and glory before his Prince and say I think for the small time of service that thou requirest of me I deserve all that thou hast done or hath promised to do for me this would immediately disinherit him of his Princes favour But on the contrary if this Servant's heart is drawn out in love and obedience to his Prince for the great kindness received and for the future promises made to him he having a sense how infinitely above any thing that his deservings could be his Prince had promised to reward him And therefore he resolving to do his utmost endeavour that he might be found faithful in his service he having strong confidence and faith in his Prince that if he was found diligent in his Service his Lord would not only be willing but had power according to his promise to reward him His Prince also giving him orders that he should come to him upon all occasions for fresh supplies whereby he might be enabled to do him service This Servant observing diligently all the orders his Lord gave him therefore at the appointed time receives the promised reward But not as tho' he had merited these great things but that his great benefactor had promised such great rewards to all his Servants that should be found faithful in his Service So Christ of his free grace and mercy hath paid the ransom for sinners for all that will yield to him their love and sincere obedience And at the time he takes them into his Service he then clears them of all their past sins and for the time to come promises his assistance whilst they keep the way which he hath set them and do not willingly depart from it And if they should be overtaken in a fault against their wills they then shall not be utterly cast down for Christ remains an Advocate for them And if they accordingly continue faithful to the death hath promised then to give them the Crown of life but not as tho' their service had merited so great a reward but that of his great mercy and rich grace he hath promised such great rewards to all that are faithful in his Service Accordingly God said to Abraham That he would be his exceeding great reward Gen. 15.1 Thereby shewing that God would reward him for what he did and exceedingly above what he deserved So Christ is said to be the Author of Eternal Salvation to all them that obey him Heb. 5.9 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory honour and immortality eternal life Rom. 2.7 Now tho' Abraham or any other cannot have whereof to glory before God yet they may rejoyce in that they have walked in sincere obedience to him whereby they at last become accepted of him as to have the reward of the Crown of life For whosoever renders their sincere obedience to God and Christ comes in as an heir to the promise of life For he shall have the righteousness of Christ imputed to him for his justification Acts 10.35 whilst others thro' their unwary walking go out of the way that God hath set them whereby they fall away and so lose that Crown which otherwise they might have had Rev. 3.11 and 2.10 And those that by their wary walking have kept the way tho' they have not to glory before God yet for their so doing they shall have praise of God 1 Cor. 4.5 And tho' St. Paul saith in the 7. v. Who maketh thee to differ
You might that is hereafter say to this Sycamine Tree be thou removed for at that time the working of Miracles was not given This also was spoken of to the Apostles And in that he saith to them that if ye have Faith as a grain of Mustard-seed the which was to exclude Judas for he had not the least of that saving Faith which worketh the Heart in Love with Christ and so was not to be partakers of the gifts of the Holy Ghost and the working of Miracles with the rest of the Apostles And by the want of this grain was to signify to us that Judas was an instrument of Satan all along according to which is said in John 6.70 Jesus answered them have not I chosen you twelve and one of you is a Devil Therefore not one grain of Faith and Love in him to the Lord Jesus But God requireth of us the whole Heart and the whole Soul And Christ saith Matt. 10.37 He that loveth Father or â—…other more than me is not worthy of me he that loveth Son or Daughter more than me is not worthy of me 38. He that taketh not his Cross and followeth after me is not worthy of me 39. He that findeth his Life shall loose it and he that looseth his Life for my sake shall find it That is whosoever looseth the Pleasures Advantages and Profits of this World for Christ shall find Life everlasting And Christ saith in Luke 17 10. When ye shall have done all those things which are Commanded you say we are unprofitable servants we have done that which was our duty to do But whosoever doth their Duty in their Service God ordereth them Wages And he saith of his they do not serve me for nought as in Mal. 1.10 And God told Abraham that he was his exceeding great reward Gen. 15.1 And it is said Heb. 5.9 Christ is become the Author of Eternal Salvation to all them that obey him And Christ saith Rev. 2.7 To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of Life which is in the midst of the Paradice of God And we ought to look to the recompence of reward as Moses did Heb. 11.26 For he had respect to the recompence of reward And it is an Article of our Faith to believe that God is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek him as in Heb. 11.6 For without Faith it is impossible to please God for he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him God would not have us think that he is beholden to us for our Service but that we are ingaged to him for accepting of us for his Servants And if we are his Servants we are sure of a Reward And whereas the Man came to Christ with his Son as in Matth. 17.15 Lord have mercy upon my son for he is Lunatick and sore vexed for oft times he falleth into the Fire and oft into the water 16. And I brought him to thy Disciples and they could not cure him 17. Then Jesus answered and said O faithless and perverse Generation how long shall I be with you how long shall I suffer you bring him hither to me 18. And Jesus rebuked the Devil and he departed out of him and the Child was cured from that very hour And whereas Christ said unto his Disciples O faithless and perverse Generation how long shall I be with you The which words was without doubt to reprove them for their unbelief of his Power in that they brought not the Possessed to him to be healed And in the 19. v. Then came the Disciples to Jesus apart and said why could not we cast him out 20. And Jesus said unto them because of your unbelief for verily I say unto you if ye have Faith as a grain of Mustard-seed ye shall say unto this Mountain remove hence to yonder place and it shall remove and nothing shall be impossible unto you Now whereas Jesus said unto them because of your unbelief that was there was then an unbeliever amongst the Apostles But Christ did also let them understand that as many of the Apostles as had Faith as a grain of Mustard seed then that they should hereafter do as great Miracles as the removing of the Mountains to yonder place For he farther tells them that nothing shall be impossible unto them But by the following words of the Lord he did declare that this Power was not then given them as in the 21. v. How beit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting That is then they had no other power given them but what the earnest Prayers and Fastings of the Church may produce But after Christ's Ascension the Apostles were given the Holy Ghost and the Working of Miracles and in so wonderful a manner that on whom they laid their Hands they did receive the Holy Ghost Yet notwithstanding these wonderful Miracles this promise also may have some reference to the time when the Lord again comes For it is a question but that some things might be impossible for them to do after they had received the gifts of the Holy Ghost and the Working of miracles But when they shall sit on Thrones Judging the twelve Tribes of Israel then nothing shall be impossible under their head Christ for them to do And they may say to that very mountain remove hence to yonder place and it shall be so For the Lord with Peter James and John did but just come down from the mountain where was revealed that glorious Vision And we have reason to believe it was on Mount Olivet because the glory will be there Revealed and the mountain cleaving when the Lord descends so low as his feet to stand upon it may be so determined by the Lord that by the word of the Apostles that that Mountain shall remove toward the North and tovvard the South as in Zac. 14.4 Now the Reason that Christ made mention of so small a quantity of Faith was that thereby his Disciples and Servants afterwards might understand That Judas had never any grain of Faith to make his Heart have any love to Christ And by the word Grain of Faith was Judas Excluded from having any share in those Promises And those promises that were made to particular persons we are not to challenge a share in for they belong not to us no more than the sitting upon twelve Thrones to Judg the twelve Tribes of Israel belongs to us And in Matt. 21.19 And when the Lord saw a Figtree in the way he came to it and found nothing thereon but Leaves only and said unto it let no fruit grow on thee hence forward for ever And presently the Figtree withered away 20. And when the Disciples saw it they marvelled saying how soon is the figtree withered away 21. Jesus answered and said unto them verily verily I say unto you if ye have Faith and doubt not ye shall not only do this which
Well-doing and to take to the Rules that he has set before us that we may so do According to which Christ saith in John 8.51 Verâ—…y verily I say unto you if a man keep my saying he shall never see death That is he shall never see Hell And the Lord saith John 10.14,15,16 I am the good Shepherd and know my Sheep and am known of mine Here the Lord seems in a more especial manner to signifie the very Elect. And in the following Words the Lord includes all the Sheep as in the 15. v. As the Father knoweth me even so know I the Father and I lay down my Life for the Sheep Here is all the Sheep included And the Lord saith in the 16. v. And other Sheep I have which are not of this Fold them also must I bring and they shall hear any Voice and there shall be one Fold and one Shepherd Here the Lord plainly declares to us that he hath two sorts of Sheep and that they are not now of one fold That is the one does not now stand so securely in him as the other does but he saith He must bring them into one fold at which time they shall hear his Voice And then it is there shall be one fold and one shepherd And this will be when the Lord comes again to Mount Sion at which time the Lord will make the promised New Covenant with the House of Israel And then all Israel will be so fixed in him that they shall never more fall away For God saith Isa 40.17 Ezek. 36.24,25,26,27,28 For I will take you from among the Heathen and gather you out of all Countries and I will bring you into your own land Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you and ye shall be clean from all your filthiness and from all your Idols will I cleanse you A new Heart also will I give you a new Spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony Heart out of your flesh and I will give you an Heart of Flesh And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my Statutes and ye shall keep my Judgments and do them And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your Fathers and ye shall be my people and I will be your God So it is said Ezek. 11.19,20 and in Jer. 32.37 Behold I will gather them out of the Conntries whither I have driven them in mine anger and in my fury and in great wrath and I will bring them again into this place and will cause them to dwell safely And they shall be my People and I will be their God And I will give them one heart and one way that they may fear me for ever for the good of them and of their Children after them And I will make an everlasting Covenant with them I will not turn away from them to do them good but I will put my fear in their Hearts that they shall not depart from me Yea I will rejoyce over them to do them good I will plant them in this land assuredly with my whole Heart and with my whole Soul And the Lord saith Jer. 31.33.34 But this shall be the Covenant that I will make with the House of Israel after those days saith the Lord I will put my Laws in their inward Parts and write it in their Hearts and I will be their God and they shall be my People They shall teach no more every man his Neighbour and every man his Brother saying know ye the Lord for they shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest of them saith the Lord for I will forgive their iniquity and I will remember their sin no more And God saith Jer. 30.9 But they shall serve the Lord their God and David their King whom I will raise up unto them And Ezek. 34.22 Therefore I will save my flock and they shall no more be a prey and I will judg between cattle and cattle And I will set up one Shepherd over them and he shall feed them even my servant David he shall feed them and he shall be their Shepherd And I the Lord will be their God and my servant David a Prince among them I the Lord have spoken it And I will make with them a Covenant of Peace and will cause the Evil Beasts to cease out of the Land and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods And the Lord in John having fully declared to us that he hath two sorts of Sheep And that they are not now of one Fold with those that are the very Elect but that he must bring them into one Fold and then there shall be but one Fold at that time when there is but one Shepherd And that will be when the Lord maketh the Promised New Covenant with the House of Israel Now when this New Covenant is made with Israel we see by the oft repeated words of God that then Israel will be so secured as the very Elect are now whom God hath set as his standing Witness in this World So as it remaâ—ns a thing impossible to deceive them And then sâ—all Israel no more fall into sin arâ—er this New Covenant is made with them And as for us we now stand on the same terms as Israel did the which is we have a promise of Everlasting Life if we concinue in well doing Heb. 5.9 For he is become the Author of Eternal Salvation to all them that obey him And as it is said in Rom. 2.7 And to them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory and honour and immortality and eternal Life So it is by our continuance in well-doing after conversion that we shall be made partakers of Eternal Life Or if otherwise we shall be cut off For the Apostle saith Rom. 2.9,10 Tribulation and Anguish upon every Soul of Man that doeth evil of the Jew first and also of the Gentile 10. v. But glory honour and peace to every man that worketh good to the Jew first and also to the Gentile That is as many of the Christians as are brought in by the Lion of the Tribe of Judah and so became the seed of Abraham For it is said Gal. 3.29 and Gal. 3.9 If ye be Christs chen are ye Abrahams Seed and heirs according to the promise So when this promised New Covenant is made with the Natural and with the Adopted Seed of Abraham And although the rest of the Elect that are to be called in at the coming of the Lord have not that Everlasting New Covenant made with them as to secure their Off-spring so as they shall never more fall away yet they will stand secure whilst the Eminent Glory is among them and Satan bound up from them and the glorious Tabernacle in their View then they will all be of One Fold so as none for that time shall fall off according to which is the saying of the Lord
was the Devil Perfect And whereas the Lord saith in St. Matthew Be ye perfect even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect And it is said in 2 Cor. 10.5 Casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God and bringing into Captivity every thought to the Obedience of Christ If we so do then Christ will impute his perfect Righteousness to us And so as it is said in Col. 2.10 We shall be compleat in him And if so then perfect in Christ Jesus through his righteousness put upon us And whereas St. Paul saith in Phil. 3.8,9,10 Yea doubtless I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but dung that I may win Christ And be found in him not having mine own righteousness which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousness which is of God by Faith That I may know him and the power of his Resurrection and the fellowship of his Sufferings being made conformable unto his death By which we see if we are made partakers of the Righteousness of Christ we must be brought into a holy Conformity to Christ as being dead to the sinful Pleasures of this World that we might live to him that died for us And St. Paul in Phil. 3.11,12 tells us wherefore he was thus conformable which was If by any means I might attain unto the Resurrection of the dead Not as though I had already attained either were already perfect But I follow after if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus Now by what is here said we may clearly understand that though Paul was regenerated and born again yet he saith he was not come to the Resurrection of the dead And whereas he saith Not as though I had already attained either were already perfect Now he had those Qualifications whereby the Saints are made partakers of the imputed Righteousness of Christ so as to be accounted perfect or compleat in him Yet he here saith he was not perfect Therefore the Righteousness he here speaks of was not of an Imputed Perfect Righteousness but of an Inherent Perfect Righteousness which is only attainable for the Righteous at the Resurrection from the Dead and then it is that he shall fully apprehend that Infinite Love and Mercy by which he was apprehended of Christ Jesus And whereas he saith Phil. 3.14,15 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus Let us therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded Here he speaks of the perfection of the Will in which consists their sincere Obedience to Christ by which they become partakers of the perfect Righteousness purchased by Christ And whereas he saith in the latter part of the same verse If in any thing ye be otherwise minded God shall reveal this unto you This he said to them that were perfect in sincerity in their obedience to Christ that if they had not attained to that clear knowledg of God in their mind as he had yet God would Reveal the same unto them by enlightning their understanding in what he had taught them ALL THE CHIEF POINTS Contained in the CHRISTIAN Religion And those GREAT TRUTHS in the word which we have not had a Right Apprehension of for almost Thirteen Hundred Years never since the Rise of the Beast Are now discovered by the FINGER of GOD. The whole here Collected into Short Heads that thereby they might the better sink down into the Understanding and be Registred in our Memories which Truths are now proved and Published By M. M. LONDON Printed and are to be Sold by J. Clark at the Bible in the Old Change at the upper end of Cheapside E. Whitlock in Stationers-Court in Amen-Corner and W. Reddish ni Griffiths Buildings near the Royal Cook-pit Westminster 1697. The Scriptures being now Rightly Understood are made to agree in a Holy Harmony so as Justice Mercy and Truth go hand in hand together which before we came to have a right Underderstanding in the Word we made to contradict it self which has caus'd so much Dissention amonst us Some there are that term the word a dead letter but all them that believe the scriptures to be the word of God and take to the way directed therein such the scriptures are able to make wise unto salvation 2. Tim. 3.15,16 18. for by them we come to have faith in Christ Jesus as to believe that he will perform his promise according to the condition he hath made in the word Mat. 11.29 And therefore Christ is said to be the Author and Finisher of Faith because he will give the hoped for promised Reward to them that are found in their Obedience for the word our is not in the Hebrew Tongue And in the Scriptures is the Wisdom of God and the power of God and such as walk according to that Holy rule blessed are they Gal. 6.10 2. Cor. 4.4 And the word being Rightly understood God doth not swear and declare to do one thing and absolutely decree to do quite the contrary for all the scriptures agree in one the same thing And they that speak not according to the Law and to the Testimony it is because there is no Light in them Isa 8.20 Isa 62.8 Ezek. 33.11 And if we take to the way therein directed God hath promised his assistance and by so doing we shall be brought off from the World and so born again by having a complying frame of Spirit to the will of God if we are to the utmost of our power sincere in our endeavour GREAT TRUTHS in the Word are now Discovered by the Finger of GOD c. THE Mighty God according to his Promise that at Evening time it should be Light Zech. 14.7 hath now at the appointed time discovered the true meaning of his word the which we lost the right apprehension of by our Predecessors who were involv'd in darkness of Popery whereby we are now in great mistakes The Truths which have not been rightly understood are these that follow I. That the Eternal Purpose only reacheth forward to the Eternity that lies before us as is proved like as Christ in time became the Author of Eternal Salvation and as God in time promised Eternal Life II. That after Adam fell the decree was made for the entrance into Life to be made strait and how that straitness doth consist is proved III. That being of old ordained to this condemnation hath another meaning than what we have hitherto apprehended IV. In Scripture there is mention made of Three Worlds and therefore Three Foundations whereby it is clearly proved there was none chosen before or at the Foundation of the Material Heavens and Earth and that these Three Worlds spoken of in Scripture are Three Worlds of People First
they that Seek him shall find him if they search for him with the whole heart Christ saith VVhosoever will let him come And tho we can do nothing without Gods assistance for in him we live moâ—e have our being it is he that hath laid the Spiritual meat before us Hosea 11.4 whereby to guide our feet into the way of peace hath promised that whilst they 〈◊〉 the way he will be with them And the Prodigal that knew that he had wandered from his fathers House first lookt home before his father lookt on him and tho God may some times go out of his ordinary way of working and pluck as it were a brand out of the burning yet he no longer securely stands then he is found in his obedience for it is those that will fall under the condemnation that will not choose the fear of the Lord Prov 1.29 but for those that thro long continuance in sin have seared their Conscience whereby they become left of God to a stupid sense it is such cannot learn to do well no more then the Ethiopian can change his Skin c. but whilst we have a sense to see the evil inclinations which our natures are prone to we may continually pray Lord turn thou us and we shall be turned And if man does his endeavour God will never be wanting to such And if we resist the devil he will flee from us And if we draw nigh to God he will draw nigh to us James 4.7,8 But whereas the Lord saith No man can come to me except the Father draw him And the drawings of God are the tenders of his Grace with the good motions of his Spirit and checks of Conscience the which the old World and Israel had till they resisted for which they were condemned Gen. 6.3 Acts 7.51 And whereas the Lord saith Except a Man be born again he cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven This was spoken to Nicodemus who had embraced this present World and therefore came to Jesus by Night as being ashamed to own him and such are to be born again or brought off from the World or they cannot enter into the kingdom of Heaven as is more fully proved in the book where the Faith of Abraham is fully explained and also there in is made appear what is meant by the Wind blowing where it listeth and likewise therein is shewed Who they are that are not under the condemning power of the Law for their past sins Rom. 3.25 but under Grace that they are such as will and do walk in Newness of Life and if we will enter into Life we must keep the Commandments Mat. 19.17 For all are his servants to whom ye obey whether of sin unto death or of Obedience unto Righteousness Rom. 6 16. And whereas it is said It is not for the works of Righteousness that we have done but of his Mercy he saved 〈◊〉 This was spoken of the Elect who wâ—… then brought out of Idolatry and has no reference to us as is proved XXII Whereas the Apostle said Ye are saved by Grace not of works that is Man could not perform good works to that perfection as to become justified by them without the Merits of Christ and therefore saved by Grace but there is none that live in the performance of good works but shall be rewarded according to their works Rev. 22.12 The Eternal Life that is now in this time given the Believer excepting the very elect which is the standing witness is no otherwise given then it was to Adam and Eve in Paradise for had they never sinned they should never have dyed so the true Believer that believes salvation is to be had in the way of his obedience according to the word of the Lord he shall never be cast off but the Man that Departs from the Lord by wilful committing Iniquity he is no longer a Believer according to the Gospel as is proved XXIII Whereas the Lord said when he sent his Disciples forth to preach the Gospel to all the World He that believeth shall be saved and he that believeth not shall be damned Mark 16.15,16,17 That is He that believeth the Doctrine that he sent them forth to Teach and the Mercy and Condemnation was to them that accordingly Believed or refused Believing the same as not to obey the truth Mat. 28.19,20 For the Lord speaks by the Law and Gospel but to them that hears it as proved But whereas Christ said He that Believeth not is condemned already This the Lord spake to the Jews who had heard him but believed not and therefore were condemned and thereby it also sheweth that more of Israel might have been saved had they been willing to take hold of the offered Mercy I here gather so many heads together that thro' the misinterpretation of the Scriptures Satan might not beguile so many of their Souls for if we take a text of Scripture as it stands alone without weighing how it is spoken and what the whole scope of the Scripture tends to we may raise as falce Doctrine as God is True O God who of thy great Mercy hath made thy word plain in those things we have been mistaken in give more of thy Assisting Grace for to improve the knowledge of the Truth These things which are here but hinted with the other disputable places and also the signs of the Times with the near approach of the coming of the Lord are now fully explained and proved in about four small Treatises The Books contain so many several heads that I have not here room to incert them but by them the word is so plain that none need any longer remain in mistakes that are willing to understand the Truth I shall only here mention the chief Title of each Book First The Explaination of the Faith of Abraham Price bound 10. d. bound up with the Christian Belief which has the Eexplanation of the Trinity Price 1 s. 2 d. The signs of the times and coming of the Lord bound up with the Prophesie of Moses that foretold the firing of the Mountains Price bound 10 d. all three bound up togather Price 1 s. 6 d. The book that Proveth there Worlds and three Foundations with the Tree of knowledge of good and evil Price bound 1 s. And are to be Sold at the places before mentioned in the Title The book of the Figurative Speeches is not yet out My aim is at the good of Souls and therefore that they that understand not the word may be convinced of the Truth I Refer my Books to the Lord Bishops who I believe are men of that integrity that will not oppose the Truth to whom I shall by Gods assistance give further satisfaction if required and when God had inlightned my understanding in his word I did dare do no other then leave and venture the little concern I had and come above a Hundred Miles to acquaint the Nation what God is a going about to do this being the little time that is given the Christianâ— to prepare God make this Nation a Light to Christian 〈◊〉 FINIS
from another and what James saith c. 1. v. 17. Every good and perfect gift cometh from above Yet by the words of Christ in the parable it is plain that some improved the Talents they had received and some improved not their Talent Matth. 25. And Israel was cast off of God for their not improving their day of grace Matthew 23.37 Rom. 4.11,12,13 And he received the Sign of circumcision a seal of the righteousness of faith which he had yet being uncircumcised that he might be the father of all them that believe tho' they be not circumcised that righteousness might be imputed unto them also And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the Circumcision only but also walk in the steps of that faith of our Father Abraham which he had being yet uncircumcised For the promise that he should be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed thro' the Law but thro' the righteousness of Faith Now what was the steps of that Faith that our Father Abraham walkt in being uncircumcised It was that he staggered not at the promise of God but believed that he should have it according to the word of the Lord in the way of his obedience that he thereby should be made the Father of many Nations and heir of the world which carried him thro' all difficulties and caused him to tread in the steps of Righteousness according as the Lord required of him Gen. 17,1,2 I am the Almighty God walk before me and be thou perfect And I will make my Covenant between me and thee and will multiply thee exceedingly These words shew that God required of Abraham his sincere obedience that thereby he might be the heir of this promise Accordingly St. Paul saith verse 13. For the promise that he shoulld be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the Law but through the righteousness of faith Which was through the righteousness which this his faith produc'd the which Circumcision was afterward given him as a Seal of this his righteousness by faith And whether circumcised or uncircumcised whosoever treads in the steps of our Father Abraham in looking for the performance of the promise in the way of their obedience shall also become heirs of life Rom 4.14,15,16 For if they which are of the Law be heirs faith is made void and the promise made of none effect because the Law worketh wrath for where no Law is there is no transgression Therefore it is of faith that it might be of grace to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed not to that only which is of the Law but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham who is the Father of us all Now the Law expected the perfect performance of the thing required before they could become justified by it but then under the Law through mercy they that did render their sincere obedience thereunto it was accepted of them so as they had the Righteousness of Christ imputed to them for their Justification But hereby it sheweth that Justification was not to be attained by the Law but that Justification and Righteousness is to be attained by Faith that draws out the heart in love to God and Christ with an assent to yield obedience to him Such are made partakers of his grace and so by the Righteousness of Christ become justified And where this complying frame of spirit is it was and is the seed to whom the promise belongs whether under the Law or Gospel and unto such as these that tread in Abraham's steps he is a Father For all are his servants to whom ye yield your selves servants to obey whether of sin unto death or of obedience unto righteousness Rom. 6.16 Rom. 4.21,22 And he being fully persuaded that what God hath promised he was able to perform And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness That is Abraham was fully persuaded that God was able to perform what he had promised him which drew out his heart to yield that obedience which God required of him He thus believing it was imputed to him for righteousness And whereas the Apostle saith verse 23,24,25 Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him but for us also to whom it shall be imputed if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead who was delivered for our offences and was raised again for our justification That is if we believe in him that raised up our Lord from the dead that the purchased Salvation by Christ is to be imputed according as he in his Word hath declared and so accordingly we lay hold of the promise of Life then Christ was delivered for our offences as well as for theirs and likewise rose again for our Justification as well as theirs if we according as these Romans had done to whom he wrote have obeyed from the heart the Doctrine of the Gospel then also we by Christ are made free from the condemning power of sin and are become the servants of Righteousness Rom. 6.17,18 But we are no sooner set clear from the condemning power of sin by the free grace of God purchased by the Blood of his Son but we are immediately thereupon listed Souldiers of Christ to fight under his Banner against the World the Flesh and the Devil and all our corrupt Affections and Inclinations and bringing down every thought to the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10.5 Chap. III. The Election of the first Churches EPhes 2.8,9,10 For by Grace are ye saved thro' Faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God Not of works lest any man should boast For we are his Workmanship Created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them By these words the Apostle also clearly sheweth that by good works standing alone without the merits of Christ no man can be justified in his sight And therefore all boasting is taken away from man in the sight of God But whereas he saith in v. 10. For we are his Workmanship Created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them Here the Apostle hath his peculiar reference to the first Churches who were brought out of darkness sin and errour And as he saith in verse 12. Ye were without Christ being aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel and strangers to the Covenant of Promise having no hope and without God in the World Now at that time God did not only abound in his mercy towards them of the first Churches in all wisdom and prudence Ephes 5.8 in shewing his mighty power in them and in calling them as the Apostle saith out of darkness into his marvelous light 1 Pet. 2.9 and thereby bringing over the consent of their wills to his Laws he did then freely justifie them by his grace but also when God had done this
having slighted his mercy Therefore this is no incouragement to us that live under the call of the Gospel to deferr repentance For the day of grace and the day of life have not one and the same date For if we will go on frowardly in the ways of our own hearts God will leave us to blindness of mind and hardness of heart Now God said that David was a Man after his own heart and why because his heart immediatly answered the call of God by his Word or Messengers as the Psalmist saith Psal 27.8 When thou saidst Seek ye my face my heart answered unto thee thy face Lord will I seek This is the voice which God requires of us The which he found not in Israel As saith St. Paul Rom. 10.21 To Israel he saith all the day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying People And also in Proverbs Prov. 1.24,26 Because I have called and ye refused I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded I also will laugh at your calamity I will mock when your fear cometh By this we may plainly see God complain'd of them because they were wanting to themselves in not improving the season of grace which he had put into their hands Therefore God saith in the 32. v. Prov. 1.32,33 The turning away of the simple shall slay them and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them But whosoever shall hearken unto me shall dwell safely and be quiet from fear of evil What is here spoken is to the foolish and wise Christians and of the near approaching time to come Now the Epistle to the Romans St. Paul sent presently after their conversion when as dayly there were new converts brought over to the Church for their comfort to let them understand that if they should immediatly after their conversion be taken away by a natural death or a violent one upon the account of their faith that they should no ways be startled or dismayed because they had not time after their conversion to do any good action even so much time as to be baptized but only believed as the Thief did and thereupon called upon the Lord for mercy and so departed this life yet they should be saved upon which occasion they were baptized for the dead as the ancients say and of which St. Paul speaketh 1 Cor. 15.29 What shall they do which are baptized for the dead if the dead rise not at all why are they then baptized for the dead Now that they that call upon God so as to have salvation his following words make out where the Apostle saith Rom. 10.14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed By which we see their calling is insignificant without believing and if they savingly believe it must be according to the tenor of the Gospel Which requires of us repentance from dead works and love to and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and if we live amendment of life for he that is in Christ must become a new Creature and walk as he himself walked 1 Joh. 2.6 And as St. Paul to the Romans saith Rom. 8.1,8 There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit 6. v. For to be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace By which we may plainly see St. Paul's meaning was not that they might remain in their own natural state and so call upon God and be saved but that his meaning was as I before shewed you for what is set down here and what is set down in the 10. Ch. was writ at one and the same time being one and the same Epistle And the Jews wisely tell us that we must look to the words which go before and the words that follow after if we intend to come to a right understanding of the Scripture Now God by the Prophet Jeremiah makes mention of the miscarriage of Judah and how she did but feignedly call upon him as in the 10. v. Jer. 3.10 And yet for all this her treacherous Sister Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart but feignedly saith the Lord. And the Apostle saith Rom. 6.16,17,18 Know ye not that to whom ye yield your selves servants to obey his servants ye are to whom ye obey whether of sin unto death or obedience unto righteousness But God be thanked that you were the servants of sin but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you Being then made free from sin ye became the Servants of righteousness The which is an evident token that we have no share in Christ's righteousness if we our selves walk not in the ways of righteousness And also we sin our sins over again if we do but delightfully think on them And the Apostle relates to Titus what they were before they were converted Titus 3.3,4,5,6,7,8 For we our selves also were sometimes foolish disobedient deceived serving divers lusts and pleasures living in malice and envy hateful and hating one another But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared Not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour That being justified by his grace should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life This is a faithful saying and these things I will that you affirm constantly that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works The Apostle having here set down what they were before the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared And whereas he said Not by the works of righteousness which they had done but according to his mercy he saved them by the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost Here we see was an inward change wrought in them from whence did arise their hopes of salvation And whereas he said that the Spirit was shed on them abundantly it was for the establishing the Gospel And as to what he saith as to their being justified by his grace they should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life That is as I before told you upon their first conversion and resigning themselves up to Christ to be wholly guided and governed by him according to the rule of his word then it is the righteousness of Christ is imputed to them whereby they become justified in sight of God And whereas he saith I will that they affirm constantly that they that have believed in God might be carefull to maintain good works The which he said to let them understand that if they did not persevere in a holy life they might be cast off According to what the Lord saith Joh. 15.2.6,8,9,10,14 Every
the Blood agree in one for at our first beginning after God had Created Man God breathed into him the Breath of Life and thereby man became a Living Soul God did not first give him a Natural Life and then breath into him the Breath of Life so as he became a Living Soul but it was that Living Soul that quickned his Natural Body and did intermix it self with the Water and the Blood as to agree in one and so it runneth through the whole Body of Man not the least Finger nor the most remote part of man but the blood hath therein its Circulation And the Spirit being intermixt with the Water and Blood whereby we may suppose that the Soul of Man vvhen distinct from the Body may bear the figure of a Man for vvhich Opinion our Lord did no vvay reprove his Disciples for thinking he had been a Spirit vvhen he appeared to them in his own likeness after he arose but said Handle me and see for a spirit hath not Flesh and Bones as ye see me have as in Luke 24.39 This I speak not as an Article of Faith but being not reproved by the Lord therefore 't is most likely THIS TREATISE Proving Three WORLDS FOUDATIONS Mentioned in Scripture Whereby it is clearly made apparent that none were Elected before the Foundation of the Material Heavens and Earth And likewise that the Eternal Purpose only reacheth forward to the Eternity that is before us That the Decree for entring into Life was made strait after Adam fell Two sorts of Elections proved by the Word with the Day of Grace or an Offer of Mercy to all that will upon the Conditions take hold of it which all Israel had till they forfeited it by their not yielding Obedience There are also several Controversal places answered The Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge explained LONDON Printed for M. M. and to be sold by Tho. Fabian the lower End of Cheapside in Mercers Chapel And Henry Nelme at the Leg and Star in Cornhill And divers other Booksellers about London 1696. THE CONTENTS THE several sorts of Election As The Election of the first Churches and their Children being in Covenant page 303 The meaning of being Chosen in him before the Foundation of the world p. 305 The Decree was made after the fall of Adam p. 316 Israel was put into a capacity of obedience p. 320 That the Christians were put into the like capacity p. 323 When it is God beholdeth not iniquity in Jacob. p. 326 327 The meaning of Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated p. 337 What God hardened Pharaoh in it being neither in sin nor cruelty p. 343 The root of bitterness which is the Beast p. 347 God shewing mercy to whom he will have mercy p. 349 God gave a day of Grace or an offer of mercy to Babylon p. 351 That we may withstand our mercies p. 362 A three-fold hardness of heart p. 363 Of old ordained to condemnation explained p. 368 The meaning of chosen from the beginning p. 375 The meaning of the eternal purpose p. 380 Who they are that are chosen to the praise of his glory with the general offer of mercy p. 382 What were the worlds that were made p. 394 Concerning the Illegitimate p. 399 How there came to be several Seeds in the world p. 400 Concerning the Righteous and the VVicked p. 407 The foreknowledge of God p. 411 All shall be judged according to their deeds p. 422 The Children of Believers dying in their infancy are in Covenant p. 424 The very Elect or standing witness p. 426 The promise made to David Solomon and Christ p. 444 The Battle of Gog and Magog p. 448 The Sinagainst the Holy Ghost p. 453 The Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. p. 456 Of Perfection p. 458 TO THE READER Christian Reader IN this Treatise is discovered those great Truths which we have not understood The which hath much occasioned those great and dangerous mistakes that we are in at this day But God having compassion on them that are unwillingly out of the way therefore hath accordingly now brought the true meaning of the word to light that his justice might be magnified and also that man might not bottom on a wrong Foundation so as to think that God from all eternity elected some to everlasting Life and left all the rest under a necessity of Damnation For now the places of Scripture that have caused our mistakes as to these things are by the word clearly proved to have no such meaning as we have hitherto apprehended But this Book being done in hast both by the Author and Printer for which cause it was not so well done by either as it should have been For my intentions were to have had it published the latter end of the last year But I afterward finding there were several other things in dispute in the New Testament which I did not then so clearly understand made me deferr it till such time as by prayer and further search into the word God might enable me to answer them The which accordingly by Gods assistance I have now perform'd in a small Treatise or two Wherein also the Election of the first Churches is more clearly explained Likewise shewing that their Children were taken into Covenant and those difficult places mentioned in the Table of this Book are here by the word made plain And Oh! that we would improve the Knowledge of these things And since God hath not excluded any from his mercy that are willing to accept it upon the conditions as it is tendred let us not by sin exclude our selves that we may not exclude our selves is the earnest prayer of your Servant well-wisher in Christ M.M. Advertisement This being the part of a book which containeth three several Subjects which I thought good to divide that the price being small it might the easier be attained by all As touching the several sorts of Election and the several ways whereby Christ bringeth his Elect or Sheep into his Fold is here set down FOR although there is but one way of coming to God and that one way is only 〈◊〉 and through Christ for our Lord saith John 14.6 I am the way the truth and the Life no man cometh unto the Father but by me And he farther saith John 10.1 Verily verily I say unto you he that entreth not by the door into the Sheepfold but climbeth up some other way the same is a thief and a robber And the Lord also tells them that he is the Door wherein he saith V. 9 I am the Door By me if any man enter in he shall be saved And it is said Act. 4.12 â—either is there salvation in any other for there is no other name under Heaven given among men whereby we must be saved By these Scriptures is fully manifested there is no way for the elect to come unto God but in and through Christ
were clothed in white robes therefore the four Beasts there spoken of do appear to be the raised Saints and also they are there said to be round about the Throne and in the midst of the Throne and they are said to have Wings which shews they are exalted above the Earth But in the 7th Chap. the Beasts are not there said to have Wings neither to be round about the Throne nor in the midst of the Throne but they are there said to Worship before the Throne that is before the glorious Tabernacle where the Throne of God will be Rev. 21.21 And the Pavement of the glorious Tabernacle will be like Rev. 4.6 a Sea of glass as clear as Cristial so that his People that are then left upon the Earth may through the Sea of Glass behold the infinite Glory of the Lord and the Glory of the Angels and raised Saints that are with him Now that the Lord doth term the People of this World beasts is evident by what the Angel said Esd 11.39 Art not thou it that remaineth of the Beasts whom I made to reign in my Woold â—hat the end of their times might come through them Now these Beasts spoken of here are the wicked of the World which have had the Government and the end of these evil times will come through them But the Beasts spoken of in the two forementioned Chapters of the Revelations in the 4th Chap. the beasts are the raised Saints And in the 7th chap. the Beasts are those Saints that are left upon the Earth And St. John saith Râ—… 14.1,2,3 I looked and lo a Lamb stood on Mount Sion and with him an hundred forty and four thousand having his Fathers Name written in their Foreheads And I heard a Voice from Heaven as the voice of many Waters and as the Voice of a great Thunder And I heard the Voice of Harpers Harping with their Harps And they Sung as it were a new Song before the Throne and before the four Beasts and the Elders and no man could learn that Song but the hundred and forty and four thousand which were Redeemed from the Earth By the hundred forty and four thousand is meant the very Elect. The which certain number of Israel doth appear to be found in Christ at his coming although we have not known them And this Song which they sung which no man could learn it might be because they were taken away from the Earth and therefore from among Men for the raised Saints are not called Men. And it is said of them in Rev. 14.4,5 These are they which were not defiled with Women for these are Virgins These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth These were redeemed from among men being the first fruits unto God and the Lamb. Now in Heaven we are not to think there is distinction of Age or Sex and therefore it being said they were not defiled with Women when they were upon the Earth was that they were not guilty of Idolatrous Worship for Idolatry in Scripture is often termed Fornication and Adultery So these not only having kep themselves from Idolatry but in all other things they had lived Exemplary Lives as in Rev. 14.5 In their mouth was found no guile for they are without fault before the Throne of God And Esdras saith in 2 Esdras 2.42,43,44,45,46,47 I Esdras saw upon Mount Sion a great people whom I could not number and they all praised the Lord with Songs 43. v. And in the midst of them there was a young man of bigh stature taller than all the rest and upon every one of their heads he set Crowns and was more exalted which I marvelled at greatly 44. v. So I asked the Angel and said Sir what are those 45. He answered and said unto me these be they that have put off mortal cloathing and put on the immortal and have confessed the Name of God Now are they crowned and receive Palms 46. v. Then said I to the Angel What young person is it that crowneth them and giveth them Palms in their hands 47. v. So he answered and said unto me it is the Son of God whom they have confessed in the World Then began I greatly to commend them that stood so stiffly for the Name of the Lord. Novv this Mount Sion is the Glorious Tabernacle which shall be Revealed when the Lord again cometh and where the raised Saints and those Saints which are changed from mortal to immortal shall be Crowned Now as to the word of the Lord which Nathan brought to David is in the 2 Sam. 7.8 Now therefore so shall thou say unto my servant David thus saith the Lord of hosts I took thee from the Sheep-cote from following the sheep to be ruler over my people over Israel 9. And I was with thee whithersoever thou wentest and have cut off all thine Enemies out of thy sight and have made thee a great name like unto the name of the great men that are in the Earth 10. Moreover I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them that they may dwell in a place of their own and move no more neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more as before-time In this last verse here is that which is very remarkable in it in that the Lord saith Moreover I will appoint a place for my People Israel and in that God said that they may dwell in a place of their own and move no more neither should the Children of wickedness Afflict them Now at that time were they in Canaan settled and Conquerers over all their Enemies round about yet at this time the Lord esteems it not a place of their own because for their sins they should be removed thence but God terms it a place of their own when that time is come in which they shall remove no more And as to what the Prophet saith concerning Solomon 2 Sam. 7.13 He shall build an house for my Name and I will establish the Throne of his Kingdom for ever 14. I will be his Father and he shall be my Son If he commit iniquity I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the stripes of the Children of men 15. But my mercy shall not depart away from him as I took it from Saul whom I put away before thee And thine house and thy Kingdom shall be established for ever before thee thy throne shall be established for ever This promise we here see that it hath its Reference to David and Solomon in that they were not cast off upon their Offending as Saul was and so to Christ in time to come at which time his Throne shall be established forever which ever is the ever of the World to come This being according to what the Angel told Mary Luke 1.32 He shall be great and shall he called the Son of the highest and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his Father David 33. And he shall
by-end or other neither out of hatred to good but to attain that which they have desired And that through the fervent Prayers of the Faithful God hath made the Devil to Resign up their bond again the which Faustus thought to do but in the end he was miserably deceived And whereas St. John saith 1 John 2.1,2 My little Children these things write I unto you that ye sin not And if any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous He is the propitiation for our sins And he farther saith in 1 John 5.16,17 If any man see his Brother sin a sin which is not unto Death he shall ask and he shall give him Life for them that sin not unto Death There is a sin unto Death I do not say that he shall pray for it All unrighteousness is sin and there is a sin not unto Death And the Lord saith Mat. 12.31,32 All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men but the Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven unto men And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man it shall be forgiven but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven him neither in this world neither in the World to come That is whosoever ignorantly speaks against the Son of Man which is Christ it shall be forgiven him But if he speaks against the Son of Man Christ Knowingly so as the Spirit of God doth bear Witness to them that he is the Son of God then there appears to be no forgiveness for them in this World nor in the World to come And although all these sins and Blasphemies are to be forgiven unto men except the sin against the Holy Ghost The which forgiveness is before Conversion upon Repentance but after they are Regenerated there is no such Pardon for such crying sins as the words of St. Paul makes clearly Evident as in Heb. 6.4,5,6 and in Heb. 10.26,27,28,29 2 Pet. 20.21 and Christ himself saith in Mat. 10.33 Whosoever shall deny me before men him will I also deny before my Father which is in Heaven Now the sins in the Saints consists of three sorts First sins of Ignorance Secondly sins of Infirmity Thirdly sins of Surprisal The which if we so fall it is said in Psal 37.24 He shall not utterly be cast down for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand Now Peter is no example to us for the Lord withdrew from him for having any confidence in himself and to admonish us that we might not trust ourselves but go to God for strength Of the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledg both of good and evil When God Created Man he so far Created them as he did the Angels in that he gave them Eternal Life so if they had never sinned they had never died and also in that God made Man perfectly Righteous and gave them a freedom of will so as they might have chosen the Good and refused the Evil but there being then in Paradice an opposite to God and all Good God forewarned Man of it underneath the Name or by the representation of the Tree of Knowledg of Good and Evil for all was of God made Good but by the Devils departure from him he became Evil and so thereby he became as the Tree of Knowledg of Good and Evil. Now where the Trees are spoken of Gen. 2.9 And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every Tree that is pleasant to the Sight and good for Food the Tree of Life also in the midst of the Garden and the Tree of Knowledg of Good and Evil. Whereas it is said That out of the Ground the Lord made to grow every Tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for Food after which it is said the Tree of Life also in the midst of the Garden and the Tree of Knowledg of Good and Evil. Now it is not plainly said that these two Trees grew out of the Ground but by the words that go before we have taken it to be so But by what Esdras saith it appears but as a Vail put on that word but however it is certain that the Tree of Life was the representative of Christ and the Tree of Knowledg of Good and Evil was the representative of the Devil And had Man first taken and eaten of the Tree of Life without doubt he had then been past the power of Satan's delusion so that he should in no wise have adheard to him which in Scripture is term'd eating as in John 6.57 As the living Father hath sent me and as I live by the Father So he that eateth me even he shall live by me So Adam eating of the contrary Tree it became Death in him for they had no sooner eaten of that Tree but the whole mass of mankind was corrupted and then they found their Natures and Inclinations changed whereby the shame of their Nakedness did appear and by which way Satan got an entrance into the Soul so as to suggest what he pleaseth and also to sute his temptations according to our inclinations but when the time of restitution cometh as the bodies of the Saints are raised and Israel again restored then in paradice also is the Tree of Life but then the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil is not there but seal'd up from them as in Esd 8.51 But understand thou for thy self and seek out the Glory for such as be like thee 52. v. For unto you Paradice is opened the Tree of Life is planted the time to come is prepar'd plenteousness is made ready a City is builded rest is allowed the perfect goodness and wisdom 53. v. The Root of evil is sealed up from from you weakness and the moth is hid from you and corruption is fled into Hell to be forgotten Here the Lord saith the evil root shall be sealed up And in Revelations it is shewed who this evil root is that will be sealed up As in the Rev. 20.1 And I saw an Angel come down from Heaven having the Key of the Bottomless Pit and a great Chain in his hand 2. v. And he laid hold on the Dragon that Old Serpent which is the Devil and Satan and bound him a thousand years 3. v. And Cast him into the Bottomless Pit and shut him up and set a seal upon him that he should not deceive the Nations no more till the thousand years be fulfilled And after that he must be loosed a little Season Here it is clearly shewed who this evil root is that shall be sealed up and although it said he shall be loosed for a little season yet never after to deceive them of the Glorious Tabernacle nor Israel And in Rev. 22.2 There is made mention of the Tree of Life but no mention of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil Therefore by all these places it is sufficiently proved that the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil