remembrance let us plead together Declare thou that thou mayest be justified as if the Lord had said If thou canst declare any thing why thou doest not come that lyeth in thy way I will remove it and thou shalt be accepted Ier. 2.5 Thus saith the Lord What iniquity have your Fathers found in me that they are gone farre from me Vers 31. Have I been a barren wildernesse to Israel Ezek. 18.25 Hear now ô house of Israel are not my ways equall are not your waies unequall as if the Lord had said doe you think in your conscience that these wayes that you walk in are right Is this equall that sinners should go on their dayes and passe their time in sin and when they can sin no longer then to plead for mercy Is this equall If this will not doe the Lord will say Conscience let him alone So conscience may be quiet but the Lord hath left pleading with him 15. Again the Lord hath many times brake forth into tears to see the stubbornesse of mâ—ns hearts O Jerusalem thou that killest the Prophets c. if thou hadst known in this thy day the things that make for thy peace Now suppose that Christ should come and weep over a company of poore sinners as he did over Jerusalem saying ô thou sinfull soule hadst thou known in this thy day the things that belong to thy peace and suppose thou shouldest see one tear trickling down after another and he should say Oh that this people did but know the things that belong unto their peace If thou hadst a heart of stone it could not but melt 16. The Lord doth foresee what a little honour hee shall have of this sinner when he hath brought him home he seeth still that thou wilt have abundance of corruption in thy heart and that thou wilt grieve his holy Spirit and walk very offensively dishonour the way of Religion and open the mouths of the enemies as David I say God doth foresee that after he hath taken all this pains to bring thee unto himself what a little honour he shall have by thee and yet he doth perswade thee to come This also doth note his willingnesse to save thee Lastly consider that after the Lord our tender Father hath used all these means and many more to bring in sinners yet he is contented to waite a long time upon sinners and to take advantages to win them Isa 30.18 The Lord doth waite that he may be gracious unto you O how many years hath the Lord waited upon me and thee and other sinners How long hath he knocked and yet we let him stand at the doore O Jerusalem wilt thou not be made clean when shall it once be Isa 51.17 18. I smote him and he went on frowardly but I have seen his waies and will heal him and restore comfort to him and to his mourners Though he went on frowardly I will restore comfort to him Now put all this together and see how infinitely willing God is to save thee ô thou drowping sinner Quest If any should ask a reason why God is so importunate and desirous to draw up sinners to himself Answ 1. The ground of this love is in himself and I can give no reason of it but the same that he hath left upon record Exod. 33.19 I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy 2. He doth this because mercy pleaseth him Micah 7.18 I will pardon because mercie pleaseth mee saith the Lord Now then that that doth please a man he is ever desirous after The scripture saith He doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men but hee sheweth mercy willingly because he delighteth in it 3. The blood of Christ his onely sonne doth cry aloud in the ears of the Lord for mercy and that obedience of Christ wherewith the Lord is satisfied is so well pleasing to him that whatsoever this blood doth plead for God must needs grant Now the blood of Christ cryeth mercy mercy Lord for sinners the blood of Abel cryed vengeance vengeance but the blood of Christ speaketh better things and cryeth pardon pardon Nothing in the world can stop the current of Gods mercy to a people when it doth come to the blood of Christ Then saith the father of mercies open all the flood-gates now and let mercy be shewed in the highest degree seeing the blood of my sonne cryeth for this though this be wonderfull mercy to pardon such a great sinner there is not a drop onely but a Sea of mercy to cleanse thee throughly Come saith the Lord let us reason together though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as Snow Isa 1 18. I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for my own name sake and will not remember thy sins Isa 43 25. Put me in remembrance saith the Lord put me in remembrance of this my promise and let us plead together saith the Lord Declare these words with thy mouth that I have put into thy heart that thou mayest be justified Isa 43.26 O thou troubled sinner for to thee I speak I mean thee to whom sin is a but then See how our tender father hath dealt with our brother prodigall Luke 15 28. He arose and came to his Father but when he was yet a great way of his Father saw him and had compassion on him and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him 1. Take notice his father sees him before he sees his Father No sooner doth a sinner think of looking toward heaven but the Lord spyes him and pities him 2. He saw him whiles he was a great way off he was but in the beginning of his way to come his father might have let him alone till he had been come quite home to his house and it had been singular mercy to have bid him welcome then but it is done whiles he is a great way off So thou art at a great distance from the mercy of God in thy apprehension that is thou canst not believe nor scarce hope in his mercy yet he will draw nigh to thee 3. The scripture saith his father had compassion on him I see the Lords bowels yearn work and stir within him at the sight of his son Jer. 3.20 Therefore my bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord. Jer. 9.24 I delight in loving kindnes Mich. 7.18 He pardoneth because mercy pleaseth him 4. It is said that his father ran How rich abundant mercy had it been in his father though he had stood still till his son had come to him But what mercy is this he will go towards him and give him a meeting O mercy that his father ran not from him but what mercy call you this that he runs to him Why would it not have served if he would needs go meet him to have walked toward him with a soft and grave pace No no
joy upon their heads They shall obtain joy and gladnes and sorrows and sighing shall flie away Doest thou believe the Lord will heal all our backslidings all our distractions and compose all our differences and give all his people one heart and one way Jer. 32.39 Read understandingly that 11. Isa 6.7 8 9 The Woolfe also shaell dwell with the Lambe and the Leopard shall lie down with the Kid and the Calf and the young Lion and the fatling together and the Cow and the Beare shall feed their young and lie down together And the Lion shall eate straw like the Oxe and the sucking childe shall play on the hole of the Aspe and the weaned childe shall put his hand on the Cockatrice den They shall not hurt nor destroy in all mine holy mountain for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the Sea Light is sown for the righteous and gladnes for the upright in heart Isa 79 11.12 Therefore rejoyce in the Lord yee righteous and give thanks at the remembrance of his holines These and many scriptures more which for brevity I omit doe shew thee ô most noble overcomming Saint that glorious times are comming wherefore gird up the loins of thy minde be sober and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto thee at the revelation of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 1.13 And when he is revealed amongst many mercies which thou shalt receive I will onely mention two First he shall appear without sin and thou shalt appear so in him Hebr. 9 the last Secondly Thou shalt be like him for thou shalt see him as he is 1 John 3.2 c. Then when thy soule apprehends this it will even break forth into praises and songs of deliverance as once David God let in a light whereby he saw his sins pardoned Psal 103. 1 2 3 4. Blesse the Lord O my soul and all that is within me blesse his holy name Blesse the Lord O my soule and forget not all his benefits Who forgiveth all thine iniquities who healeth all thy diseases Who redeemeth thy life from death who crowneth thee with loving kindnes and tender mercies If thou ask why I doe ciâ—e so many scriptures and not explain them I answer Remember to whom I speak that is to the chosen generation to the Saints enlightened and they have the sum of them opened to them already or at reast they have the spirit of God in them which is the truest Key to unfold or unlock the mysterie of them unto them Object 2. But I suppose that many of these forementioned promises were made unto particular Saints as to the Jews or the like And so have been fulfilled to them And if so Then what matter of comfort can they administer unto me Answer Suppose it were so That they bee fulfilled already which I know most doe say yet in some measure through Gods goodnes I doe know the contrary they are wholly or for the greatest part yet to be fulfilled as I could prove by scripture but I forbear because I would not be tedious But suppose they were made to some particular Saints and fulfilled to them yet they are in whole or in part appliable to thee as to instance in one scripture for all Josh 1.5 The Lord promised Joshua that he would never leave him nor forsake him And the Apostle in Heb. 13.5 presseth the Saints to make use of and to lay hold on that promise as made to them though it was made to Joshua many hundred yeares before Object 3. If they be yet to bee fulfilled it is a great question whether I shall live to see any of them fulfilled and then what comfort doe they hold forth to mee Answ If thou doest not live to see them fulfilled with thy bodily eyes yet with the eye of Faith which is the evidence of things not seen with naturall eyes Heb. 11.1 Thou mayest see them fulfilled to thee as the Saints Hebr. 11.13 They all dyed in the Faith not having received the promises but having seen them a farre off and were perswaded of them and embraced them that is They lived in the enjoyment of them in the Spirit Again 1 Thess 4.16.17 There are promises made one That the dead in Christ shall rise first and another That we shall ever be with the Lord. And in the 18. vers He commands the Saints that they should comfort one another with these words Then in one word this is the summe to be learned from hence that we should not onely rejoyce in the present enjoyments but live in a full expectation of and comfort in what wee shall shortly enjoy and comfort one another with these words Is not that time drawing neare which is prophesied of Rev. 11.15 And the seventh Angel sounded and there were great voyces in Heaven saying the Kingdomes of this world are become the Kingdomes of our Lord and of his Sonne Christ and hee shall reigne for evermore Wherefore most noble over-comming Saints Servants of the most high and mighty God looke for great alterations and mighty changes See what desolations God will make in the earth when he hath accomplished his worke upon mount Sion then hee will Judge the Mountaine of Esau that is when God hath fully brought up his people to enjoy nothing but himselfe then he will declare himselfe to be a God taking vengeance on his and our enemies Wherefore rejoyce O you Saints for the time of your singing is come The day of our redemption is appearing Howle oh Babylon Mourne oh thou proud opposer of Christ thy pride is falling thy end is comming Who will mourne for thee Then shall all thy lovers stand a farre off for feare of thy torments they stand farre off they will not come neare to comfort thee Bee silent then oh all flesh for the Lord is risen out of his holy habitation Then wilt thou break forth as in Isa 25.9 And it shall be said in that day This is our God wee have waited for him This is our Lord wee have waited for him we will bee glad and rejoyce in his salvation Then by this glorious appearing hee will destroy the face of the covering cast over all people and the vaile that is spread over all nations and hee will swallow up death in victory and the Lord God will wipe away teares from off all faces and the rebuke of his people shall be taken away from off all the earth for the Lord hath spoken it Isa 25.7 8. Oh Saints lift up your heads your redemption draws nigh and now will our God make good to us that which is written Zephe 3.9 I will turne to the people of pure Language and they shall serve me with one consent This pure Language is the Language of the Spirit Is appointed by God to put an end to these divisions not till then shall the envy of Ephraim depart and the enemies of Judah be cut off Ephraim not
worldly honour and power earthly riches will they preach if their profit invite them not Doe they reckon themselves rewarded if they receive not money Is not their cry great and their labour extream for Mammon judge you But these Ministers are made such in a way of imitation They say they follow the pattern of the Apostles But is it so The Apostles had a glorious Spirit of light and power poured out upon them mightily manifested in them so that they were in a holy extasie seeming as men drunk filled not with Wine but the Spirit that they plainly saw the promises and prophesies fulfilled in them and the world also might see and say that God was in them because of the works that were done by them They professed and declared that they had not their doctrine of man nor by man but by God they were not instructed through or by means of the fleshly Organs or faculties of their bodies or any fleshly or outward forme But say they the Gospel of God is revealed in us from Faith to Faith the Spirit of God doth reveale it to us we have tasted and seen and felt of the Word of Life The things of God knows no man but the Spirit of God but we have the Spirit c. And now are the pourings out of the Spirit upon all flesh heretofore prophesied and promised c. By all which and other expressions of scripture which are many and abundant it is apparent that the Apostles had a ministration of light life power and efficacie in them which went forth by them in marveilous operations Now they could with great boldnes and clearnes declare and Preach the mysteries of the Gospel because they had a clearnesse of sight of them by a proper demonstration and immediate manifestation the Spirit of God dwelt in them taught them plainly and they certainly knew that he taught them they had sure experience as wee by our bodily sight have experience or knowledge that the Sun shineth But amongst all these pretenders to the ministry and that appropriate to themselves that function so distinct as being the true and singular Apostle-imatators or as if they were thereunto anointed and sanctified above the rest of Christians their brethren where is he that God hath made so distinct by any guifts or endowments which either are comparable to those of the primitive Christians or doe competently inable him to declare the mystery of the Gospel which as spirituall so deepe and mysterious Or wherein is he a Minister more than an ordinary Christian Nay I will be bold to say that if they that are called the Ministers had but so much true light of the Gospell revealed in them as many private weake Children of God it would cause them absolutely to be ashamed to be termed Ministers so unlike are they to and untruly counted such Can their humane wisedome their schoole-learning and arts which are flesh and of the world unfold unto them the mystery of Godlinesse so great If so then the Apostle said not truly That God hath hid the things of his Spirit from the wise and prudent of the world and revealed them to babes And then also may the naturall man perceive the things of God though Paul saith he cannot And now if all your worldly and fleshly wisedome be no more to be accompted of what then is your ministry What is your complaint and murmuring against the Authority of the Nation What are they pulling down Apostles of Christ or imposters of Antichrist Shepherds that feed the Sheep or Wolves that devoure them do they pull downe their feeders or else their fleecers Are they pulling downe leaders or seducers May I not say to you in this case as our blessed Lord said to Nicodemus in another case John 3.10 Are you Masters in Israel and know not these things Indeed they are pulling downe such a ministry as is spoken of by the Prophet Micah Micah 3.5 Thus saith the Lord concerning the Prophets that make my people erre that bite with their teeth and yet cry peace and he that putteth not into their mouths they even prepare warre against him And in the next verse you may reade their judgement at large Well then will you be offended with Parliament and Army for pulling downe such a magistracie and ministry as this let me beseech you Give over with speed least you fall with them Againe My friends I doe admire that you complaine of the badnesse of these times surely you doe but dreame for if you doe awake you shall plainly see that they are the best times with us in England that ever we had to live by faith what Hath the Lord with the Besome of destruction swept away the head of the enemies of truth And yet sad times What Doth hee take Princes and Lords which were so high and bring their Heads so low as the Blocke And yet sad times What Have the Saints in obedience to the command of their Father given them to drink of the bitter that they have given you so long And yet sad times What Is the Lord making inquisition for blood and meeting the same measure to his enemies as they have meeted to his people And yet sad times What Is the Lord magnifying the attribute of his Justice upon his and our implacable enemies And yet sad times What Is the Lord pulling downe the powers of the world and the Kingdomes of men and setting up or at least making way to set up the Kingdome of his owne deare Son And yet sad times Hath the Lord prospered our Armies and given us so many Victories over them that would have devoured us And yet sad times My Brethren I am afraid you did not mourne with Jerusalem because you doe not now râ—joce with her It is true unto some the times are sad but to whom Answ To the deceivers of our nation for these times doe discover them and plainly it is a bad time for false Prophets and corrupt Judges for God hath threatned their ruine it is bad times for Babylon and all her brats for the day of her destruction is dawning and the houre of her plagues is comming when Kings and Princes Nobles and Merchants shall all lye howling weeping and wailing crying alas alas And all the Saints shall stand before the presence of their tender Father singing rejoycing and praising the Lord for his judgements upon their enemies Againe You Ministers of the Presbiterian Congregations methinks you have lost your beauty I doe not see you in the affections of the Heires of promise the Sonnes of Sion as formerly the cause of this must be in the people or in your selves and I have spent a little time and made diligent search for to finde where the cause lyes and have with an impartiall heart weighed the Saints in one ballance and you in another And I finde you not them to light I meane I finde the cause of your being sleighted to be in your selves wherefore let me
time in speaking evill of almost all other Christians that walke not by your rules and hold not to your errours you back-bite and reproach them with that bitternesse of spirit as is more suitable to the principles of Heathens than of Christians I will forbeare to speake the one halfe of what I have beene an eye witnesse unto of this kinde in that little time when I was among you You spend your time to spye a Mote in your Brothers eye but when will you pull the Beame out of your owne eyes Againe You hold that a man may fall from Christ or Grace you have often affirmed that a man may bee a childe of God to day and a limbe of Satan to morrow that he stands by obedience and not by grace When he doth well he is accepted When he doth ill be is rejected And so by your errours our salvation seemeth to depend upon workes and so the free grace of God is nullified and the obedience of Christ made of none effect and in effect you plainly deny Christ In a word You hold more foolish sottish unsound unwarrantable and uncomfortable points than any Sect And your conversation is just answerable to your principles so joyne both together and behold their ill shapen forme and fruit 1. By them both you dishonour God 2. You grieve his people 3. You delude the world 4. You cause the way of truth to be evill spoken of Remember therefore from whence you are fallen and repent or else the Lord will come unto you quickly and fight against you A word to the new upstart Wantons that deny Gods Ordainances or New NOTIONISTS full of Whimsies MY Freinds I have spent a few dayes and made diligent search to finde something in you worthy of commendation that so I might speake to you as I have to other Churches taking notice of your Good and of your evill but my Friends I cannot finde any thing among you but blasphemy and heresie and trusting in lying vanities Therefore as John said in another case 1 Iohn 1.3 I shall say to you in this case That which I have seene and heard declare I unto you and what I shall now charge you with I have beene an eye and care witnes of in conversing with you and being among you Our Lord Christ speaking to the seven Churches of Asia by John discovereth in each of them something worthy of commendation but when he comes to the seventh Church the Laodiceans there was not so much as one graine of goodnesse to be found in her And yet this Church looketh upon her selfe as the only excellent Church transcending all the rest Rev. 3.17 I am rich and encreased with Goods saith she and have need of nothing and knowest not that thou art wretched and poore miserable blinde and naked Here is thy state to a haires breadth oh thou New Notionist thou lookest upon thy selfe as one gone beyond all others in high enjoyments and that can live upon God without use of ordinances and worship God without formes You say the Scriptures are not the word of God Some of you have said the Scriptures will teach you to lye and steale you say God cannot be dishonoured by any Action you doe And some of you have said the reason why they will not be drunk is because they would not waste their money and cause others to laugh at them and because it is hurtfull to their bodies not for any dishonour to God You say That the Scriptures doe not concerne you that it is onely a declaration of the Administrations that others have formerly beene under and worshiped God in you say there are one hundred and fifty lyes in it You deny the resurrection and the judgement and say that there is no sinne in the world but that all actions are alike You say that the highest enjoyment and perfection that a Christian shall have is in this life You make your owne wils your rule and when you are carryed forth by them you say you are carryed forth by the Spirit of God You say there are neither Angels nor Devils but an administration of life and an admistration of death or one of light and another of darknesse When you come together you spend your time for the most part in jesting stories and Carnal merryment and if any reprove you for it you say you are carryed forth to it You speake evill of others that waite upon God in the use of means you call them Legallists Formallists c. Most of you despise to heare any Minister preach though never so excellent a teacher Some of you say that you can make better Bibles your selves than that which is made already saying this Bible is but the opinions of men You call Prayer and all other Ordinances bondage You say if one man kill another it is God that doth it yea you can use deceipt in your particular Callings and say you do no evill You care not for the weak how you offend them nor for the strong if you grieve them And you above all other Sects in the world cause the way of truth to be evill spoken off most of the offences are come by you wee be unto you as saith the Scripture The Presbyterians heare of your blasphemies errours and abhominable things that you hold and because some of you were heretofore Independents and some Anabaptists It makes the Presbyterian cry out so bitterly against the Independents and Anabaptists thinking them to be all such as you are when I must needs bear witnes for them both they doe hate your principles and practices as they do the Devil the father of them In a word you have turned with the Dog to the Vomite and with the Sow to the wallowing in the mire Wherefore If there by any sparks of grace remaining in you If there be any consolation in Christ any comfort of love if any fellowship of the Spirit if any bowels of mercies then oh then remember from whence you are faln and repent Learne of the Prodigall Son and come back again to your Father for you have fed a long time upon husks and your companions have been the Swine You have back-slidden from your God return to him again It may be he will receive you Seek meeknes seek righteousnesse it may be you may be hid in the day of the Lords anger Wash you make you clean put away the evill of your doings cease to doe evill learn to doe well There is also another sort of people called Millenarians who hold that Christ shall come and Reign a thousand years upon earth personally But seeing the number of these is but few and their errours for the most part but in circumstantials not in substantials I shall at present omit to say any thing to them A Word to another sort of People that are under none of those Forms THere are also a quarter part if not more of the People of England that are not under any of the aforesaid
a duty well becoming the Saints to endeavour as instruments in Gods hands to comfort others with the same comforts wherewith the Lord hath comforted them Come saith David I will tell thee what the Lord hath done for my soule Againe Oh thou drooping sinner listen a little unto the voyce of Christ and thou shalt heare him calling to thee and saying Come come unto mee all yee that bee weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest Hee cals thee hee invites thee hee entreates thee hee beseecheth thee to come in and to bee reconciled unto the Lord thy God See and consider well that Scripture 2. Cor. 5 20. Now then wee are ambassadours for Christ as though God did beseech you by us wee pray you in Christ stead bee you reconciled unto God you see hee is willing to have sinners reconciled to him and that hee doth manifest by many demonstrations or evidences First His patience towards thee all this while he is long suffering not willing that any should perish 2 Pet. 3 9. Rom. 2.4 The goodnesse of God or the patience of God doth or should lead thee to repentance Secondly Hee doth manifest his willingnesse in that hee hath made this the master-piece of all his works to provide a Saviour for us in sending his Son and making him a curse for us in this great worke the Lord doth proclaime to all the world Oh all you people of the world if I had not beene willing to bee reconciled to you or rather to have you reconciled to mee as I have for ever beene I would never have sent my dearest Sonne from the bosome of my love to die for you So that this is the greatest worke all my other workes are subordinate to this In this was the love of God manifested to us that he sent his onely begotten Sonne into the world that we should live through him 1 Joh. 4.9 Thirdly The Lord doth professe this to the people That there is no one thing wherein hee doth more glory than to shew mercy to poore sinners yea to his enemies Micah 7.18 Hee delighteh in mercy Exod. 34. The Lords glory passed by and what was that The Lord the Lord most mercifull and gratious long suffering c. Pardoning iniquity transgressions and sinne Here is my glory Hence it is exprest Isa 30.18 Therefore will the Lord waite that hee may bee gratious and therefore will hee bee exalted that hee may have mercy upon you So then the Lord doth accompt himselfe an exalted God when hee hath brought in a sinner to accept of mercy Fourthly The Lord doth expresse his willingnesse even with a sigh as it were which doth much denote his willingnesse Deut. 5.29 Oh that there were such an heart in them that they would feare my Name and keepe my Commands and that for one good too for so the words follow that it might be well with them and with their children for ever Now these people had said before whatsoever the Lord hath spoken wee will doe Oh that there were such an heart in them saith the Lord. Fifthly The Lord doth expresse his willingnesse with an oath too and that the greatest that ever hee tooke That sinners shall not dye Ezek. 33.10 11. As I live saith the Lord God I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turne from his way and live Turne yee turne yee from your evill wayes for why will you die oh house of Israell c. Sixthly God doth manifest his willingnesse in this that above all other workes this worke of beleeving on him is most pleasing to him and our not beleeving is the greatest offence that wee can give to God Joh. 6.29 This is the worke of God that you beleeve on him whom he hath sent as if the Lord had said This doth please mee better than any other worke Let a poore soule come in and rowle himselfe upon the love of God in Christ for reconciliation This is a more glorious worke than the conquering of a whole world If you give all your goods to the poore and your bodies to be burnt all is nothing if this be wanting Joh. 3.19 This is condemnation that light is come unto the world and men love darknesse more then light In a word binde all your sinnes together in a bundle except this sin of unbeliefe and put them in a ballance together And put this sin of unbeliefe in the other ballance you shall finde that unbeliefe will weigh downe all the rest and from this unbeliefe as the roote springs all other evils as the branches Seventhly Consider further God doth seeke to sinners first Therefore it is said The Lord Christ came to seeke and to save them that were lost Isa 45.22 Looke unto me and be you saved all yee ends of the earth the Spirit and the Bride say come and let him that is a thirst come and take of the waters of life freely Eightly Consider the Lord sends forth his grace to allure thee and to entice thee a sinner to come to him Hee doth with cords of love draw the heart to come Hee sends forth his mercy to stand before the soule and tender its service as it were to the sinfull soule Hosea 2.14 Therefore will I allure them saith the Lord. There was a great breach betweene this people and God as you may see at large in this chapter And yet saith the Lord I will allure them Hosea 11.4 I will draw them with the cords of men with the bands of love Ninthly The Lord is so yeelding unto his creatures thâ—t to keepe his owne honour and glory he cannot yeeld further At first wee are all going astray the Lord cals us backe 2. Wee were going to prison The Lord steps in saying I will provide a surety The Covenant of workes requires satisfaction saith the Lord I am contented to take this in a surety Wee are like a Beggar begging an almes of one that passeth by to whom it is answered I will give thee oh Beggar that which thou desirest but thou must come and fetch it I cannot come saith the Beggar I want legs I will give thee legs saith the giver that thou mayest come But saith the Beggar when I am come I have no hands to receive that which you will give me I will give thee hands also Oh! But I want wisedome to make use of that gift I will give thee wisedome saith the Lord. Oh that ever so glorious a God should so farre stoope and yeeld to his poore creatures as to answer all questions cleare all doubts and take away all scruples Tenthly He yet comes nearer to a sinner as it were and doth professe that the greatest sins that ever they have committed against him shall not hinder them from comming to him nor him from pardoning them Isa 1.18 Come now and let us reason together saith the Lord. though your sins be as Scarlet they shal be as white as Snow Oh here the Lord
that will not serve the Lords turn if a sinner will but go towards the Lord mercy will not go a foot-pace but runs to meet him yea mercy draws him and puts him upon comming at first-step The sonnes pace is he arose and came he came walking towards his father this is the fathers pace he ran the sonne most needed to have run his belly was pinched with hunger yet hee onely walkes but his father runs bowels full of mercy out-pace bowels pinched with hunger 5. I see him falling upon his necke that is he hugg'd and embraced him How fall on his necke Who would not have beene loath to have touched him yea to come neare him Is he not in his loathsome stinking rags Smels he not of the Swine hee kept Could a man come neare him without stopping his Nose Would not a man bee ready to cast up his Stomach upon such an embracement Mercy is not nice and dainty will God thus embrace a Prodigall in his loathsome rags Oh sinner be encouraged to draw neare to God for the worst of all wickednesse and basenesse in the world cannot make him rejct thee Ezekiel 16.4 5 6. 6. But yet behold a greater wonder than all the rest I see him kissing his Sorne who could have brooked to have imbraced a person in so futhy a pickle Much lesse would any one kisse such a one what kisse those lips that had beene so lately lapping in the Hogs-Trough Those lips that had so often kiss'd those base and beggerly Harlots Kisse him A man would rather have thought he would have kick'd him and yet his Father kisseth him There is a passage somewhat like this Gen. 33.4 And Esau ran to meet him and embraced him and fell on his Neck and kissed him A strang and wonderfull thing that hee that had threatned to kill him and came now upon that errand to kill him and all his That his heart should bee so strangely altered by God that killing should bee turned into kissing It was very strange that Esau should kisse Jacoh but it is more strange here that this Father should kisse this Prodigall Read and consider well these Scriptures Joh. 1.29 Behold the Lambe of God that taketh away the sins of the World Luke 2.10.11 Behold I bring you good tydings of great joy that shall bee to all people That is That unto you is borne this day in the City of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord. John 3.16 God so loved the World that he gave his onely begotten Son to this end that all that beleeve in him should not perish but have life everlasting John 3.17 God sent not his Son into the world to condemne the world but that the world through him might be saved 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a true saying that Christ came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chiefe Heb. 13.12 Jesus that he might sanctifie the people with his own blood suffered without the Gate 1 John 2.1 2. If any man sinne wee have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and hee is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours onely but also the sinnes of the whole world Rev. 5.8 Thou wast killed and hast redeemed us to God out of every kindred tongue and people Psalm 145.19 Hee will fulfill the desire of them that feare him Zach. 13.1 The Lord hath opened a Fountaine for sinne and for uncleannesse He every one that thirsteth come then Isaiah 55.1 Blessed are they that bunger and thirst for they shall be filled Math. 5.6 If any man thirst let him come unto mee and drinke John 7. ver 37 38. And hee that commeth to me I will in no wise cast off oh marke I will in no wise cast him off John 6.37 that is there is no corruption in thee nor all thy enemies without thee that shall so farre prevaile with mee as that I shall forsake thee Oh then come unto mee come unto mee all you that are heavy laden and I will undoubtedly give you rest 1. Consider Hee that hath made these promises is able to make them good 2. Hee is not onely able to doe it but hee is willing to doe it hee delights in it 3. Hee is not only able and willing but he is faithfull too in keeping promise In so much that not one title shall faile of all that he hath promised He never saith Seeke yee me in vaine 1. Take notice the Lord keepes open house Rev. 22.17 Let him that will come and take of the water of life freely 2. Because of our backwardnesse to come he invites Isa 55.1 He every one that thirsteth come 3. Hee answereth objections and taketh away all excuses in these words come without money and without price though thou hast not righteousnesse to commend thee to mee yet come without money and without price 4. He assures thee thou shalt be welcome John 6.37 Him that commeth to me I will in no wise cast off 5. Hee tels thee that if thou come thou shalt not loose thy labour He will give thee rest Mat. 11.28 Hee will give thee rest from thine owne righteousnesse that thou shalt see thy acceptance in the righteousnesse of another and so cease from thine owne Hee will give thee rest that is hee will still those troubles that arise in thine heart and take off those veiles from thine eyes and the bondage that lay upon thy heart and shew thee that he hath set the free from hell death law sinne past present and to come and so gives thee faith which is the evidence of things not seene which will evidence this to thy soule Thy soule no sooner apprehends this but presently it wil be ready to break forth in these words of Mary Luke 1.46 47 48. My Soule doth magnifie the Lord my Spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaid c. And now to draw to a conclusion for as I said in the beginning I have but a Word to the World 1 He gives free liberty to come 2. Hee invites thee 3. He will bid thee welcome 4. He will case thee of all thy troubles Object But thou wilt say Heare are indeed sweet rules and blessed promises amongst these things that you have layd downe But I have no abillity to walke in the one nor heart to embrace or beleeve the other and I finde it written Jer. 10.23 The way of man is not in himselfe It is not in man that walketh to direct his steps Answ But consider hee requires nothing of thee but what he hath promised hee will inable thee to doe For instance Isa 1.16 He requires thee and saith wash thee and make thee cleane put away the evill of thy doings cease to doe evill Learne to doe well Here is his precept and thy duty Now turne from this precept to that promise Jer. 3â— 8 I will cleanse them from all their iniquities whereby they have sinned against mee Now
it shall melt with fervent heat then if the rocks and mountains might fall on thee thou wouldest think it a favour to hide thee from the face of him that sitteth on the Throne and from the wrath of the Lambe for the great day of his wrath is come and who shall abide it Rev. 6.16 17 c. Then shalt thou hear that dreadfull sentence passe on thee Matth. 25.41 Depart from me yee Cursed into Everlasting fire prepared for the Devill and his Angels Consider a little this dolefull sentence 1. Thou must depart from the presence of the Lord. 2. Thou departest not blessed but a cursed wretch Depart from me yee cursed 3. Not onely into fire but into everlasting fire no hope of returning 4. The companions that thou shalt have there are the Devill and his Angels Depart from me yee cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devill and his Angels And this dreadfull day will come as a thiefe in the night 2 Pet. 3.10 In which the heavens shall passe away with a great noise and the element shall melt with fervent heat and the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burnt up c. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved 2 Pet. 3.11 What manner of persons ought you to be in all holy conversation and godlinesse Oh! then take heed Watch and pray for you know not how near the time is Mark 13.33 The day of the Lord commeth as a thiefe in the night 1 Thess 5.2 Wherefore beloved seeing that you look for such things be diligent that you may be found of him in peace without spot and blamelesse 2. Pet. 3.14 Thirdly consider if it should be a few moneths or years before this great and terrible day come yet it may not for ought that thou knowest be many dayes no not so much as many houres or minutes before thy particular end come in which thou shalt be gasping for life and breathing out thy last breath If then thou look up God will appear as an angry Judge if thou look down the bottomlesse Pit will strike terrour into thee on thy right hand thy sins stand accusing thee on thy left hand the Devill is ready to execute Gods eternall sentence upon thee within thee thy conscience gnawing without thee thy friends bewailing So that look which way thou wilt above thee beneath thee within thee without thee every object will adde to thy miserie Therefore Oh remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth before these evill daies come Eccles 12.1 Intreat the Lord as David did Psal 39.4 Lord make mee to know mine end and the measure of my daies what it is That I may know how fraile I am And wilt thou know how fraile thou art oh vaine man then consider One scripture saith of thy dayes it is as water spilt upon the ground 2 Sam. 14.14 Another scripture saith Our dayes are like a shaddow Psal 102.11 And as if that were too long Job saith Job 7.7 My life is but a winde Psal 102.3 Our daies consume like smoak Wee all doe fade as a leafe Isa 64 6. All flesh is grasse and all the glory of man as the flower of the grasse the grasse withereth and the flower thereof falleth away 1 Pet. 1.24 And as if all these resemblances signified too much length to hold forth the shortnes of our life the holy Ghost doth contract it shorter Psal 39 5. Thou hast made my dayes as an hand breadth And as if that resemblance also were too long he saith in the same verse Mine age is as nothing Well then doth the scripture in many places say We are like a buble of the brooke a tale that is told or a dream Oh how should the serious consideration hereof teach thee so to number thy dayes that thou mightest apply thine heart to true and perfect wisdome Or as the wise man saith Eccles 12.6 Remember thy creator before the silver cord be loosed or the golden bowle be broken for as death leaves thee so Judgement will finde thee c. In a word it is a point of high wisdome to be often thinking and meditating of out latter end for the Lord himself faith Deut. 32.29 That they were wise that they understood this to consider their latter end So he that made thee teach and perfect thee Two Words to those chosen out of the World NOw I shall come to speak two words to those that are chosen out of the World First Generally to all the Saints Secondly More particularly to the Saints under those titles or forms by which they are most commonly known 1 The word in generall To all that are truly godly for now to you I speak even to you my fellow members and brethren in Christ Awake awake Put on tâ—y strength O Sion put on thy beautifull garments O Ierusalem thou holy City Isa 52.1 Arise my beloved and come away 2 Can. 10.13 For the day is dawning and the day-star arising in your hearts 2 Pet. 1.19 Oh Saints Consider a little upon what ground you stand upon what foundation you are built doest thou believe there was such a Christ as the scriptures mention Doest thou believe that this Christ took thy nature and also thy sins Doest thou believe that in this thy nature he fulfilled the law took it away nailed it to the Crosse and so is become the end of the law to all that believe also freed thee from sin past present and to come and so from death the wages thereof doest thou conceive that God will make good his gracious promises in particular these Isa 25.7 8 c. He will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people and the vaile that is spread over all nations He will swallow up death in victory And the Lord God will wipe away tears from of all faces And the rebuke of his people shall bee taken away from off all the earth Doest thou believe that the knowledge of the Lord shall cover the earth as the waters the Sea and that We shall all know him from the greatest to the least Jer. 31.34 Doest thou believe those words which the Lord spake to Daniel chap. 7.27 And the kingdome and the dominion and the greatnes of the kingdome under the whole heavens mark this word under the whole heavens shall be given to the people of the Saints for their kingdome is an everlasting kingdome and all dominions shall serve and obey them Doest thou believe those words Isa 30.26 Moreover the light of the Moone shall be as the light of the Sun and the light of the Sun shall be sevenfold Doest thou believe that the Lord will wipe away all tears from off all faces and that there shall be no more sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more pain Revel 21.4 Doest thou believe what the Lord saith in Isa 35.10 And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Sion with songs and everlasting
formes neither Presbyterians Independents Anabaptists Free-willers nor those up-start men of vanitie and emptie notions last mentioned I say They walk not nor keep company with any of these but a distance And these are of two sorts The first is a precious sweet moderate sort of men and women looking after and enquiring into the power and glory of truth and godlinesse more than the forme They clearly see all those to whom I have spoken before to be in extreams either towards the right hand or towards the left and for the most part knowing Christ after the flesh yet this sort not under forms look on those that are under forms for many of them to be as indeed they are members of the same bodie whereof Christ is the head These men desire to know no man after the flesh they love not any man because he is a Presbyterian neither do they hate another because he is an Independent They desire to have their moderation known unto all men seeing the Lord is at hand As these mens hearts are tender to all so their Purses are open to all They desire to be good more than to be thought of others to be so and esteem the power of godlinesse more than the form But secondly there are another company and these are the greatest part that are under none of the aforesaid forms who look upon all the rest and count it strange that they run not with them to the same excesse of ryot speaking evill of them all The greatest piece of these mens Religon is to watch for the haltings of the rest These men and women spend their time for the most part in gaming drinking back-biting railing at all others that will not doe as they doe These will not joyn themselves with the Presbyterians because they will not love them They will not come among the Independents because there they shall meet with reproof they esteem their liberty more than their Religion therefore they keep company with those where they may have their liberty A few Words by way of Prophesie of the downfall of Presbyterie Independence Anabaptisme Antinominisme Free-Willers Vain-Notionists and all other Sects now extant in England A word in generall to all the Saints who are under any of the aforesaid Forms OH all you servants of the most high and mighty God heires of Promise and Sons of Sion look for great alterations and mighty changes see what desolations God will make in the earth and looke for nothing but the Lord to be revealed from Heaven which will be mighty in his dispensation and exceeding glorious in revelation strong and powerfull in operation He will bring to passe his determination that is he will destroy in this Mountaine the face of this covering cast over all people and the vaile that is spread over all Nations Isa 25.7 If you aske what this vaile is that shall be taken away I answer There are many vailes whereof this is one thy knowing of Christ and Christians after the flesh As soone as ever the Lord tooke this vaile of our deare brother Pauls eyes see what a change it wrought immediately upon him 2 Cor. 5.16 Henceforth know Ino man after the flesh yea though I have knowne Christ after the flesh yet henceforth know I him so no more Our looking upon men and loving them because they are under this or that forme is a knowing them after the flesh Presbyterians looke upon others of the same judgement worshiping God in the same forme and therefore love them But let these speake never so little against their forme and presently they cast them out of their affections and also the Independents they know men after the flesh much after the same manner And likewise the Anabaptists and Free-willers they are vailed with the same vaile And therefore what I say to one Sect I say to you all you shall speedily receive a totall rout You have gathered your selves together but you shall be seattered yea you shall be broken in peices Lo here is Christ the Presbyterian saith in the publique ordinances therefore highly esteeme the publique preaching and frequent the publique assemblies Then comes in the Independent and taking a strict view of the Presbyteriall Way sees many disorders amongst them and so seperates himselfe from them and joynes himselfe to those oâ— his owne judgement and so meet in private saying in effect Lo here is Christ Lo here is Christ Then stands up the Anabaptist in opposition to both and saith Christ is not with you in publique nor with the Independent in private But Christ is with us in the baptisme of John Lo lo here is Christ Then comes in he that holds generall redemption and free-will and saith Christ is among none of you all for you doe eclipse his free-grace and limit his unlimited mercie for he dyed for all but you say it was but for some 2. The Gospel is to be preached to all but yon say though he preached it to all yet he intended it only to some 3. Whereas we hold that all should beleeve the remission of their sins you say none can beleeve but a few that are elected But we hold that as in the first Adam all dyed so in the second Adam all are made alive So that if any perish let him thanke himselfe for upon his obedience or disobedience depends his weale or woe and so God doth neither elect one nor reprobate another before he hath done good or evill Lo here is Christ here is Christ say the Free-willers And so all other Sects Lo here is Christ saith one Lo there is Christ saith another wherefore if they shall say unto you Behold he is in the Desart Goe not forth Behold he is in the secret Chambers Beleeve it not You all have built your outward house of externall discipline upon the sand and it must fall because it is not grounded upon the rock Christ you have made your communion the ground of your union and that must fall because it is not the Lords but mans building Quest But how doe you know that Presbytery must downe and Independency Anabaptisme and the rest of the Sects must downe Answ I answer Christ told the Jewes John 8.56 that Abraham saw his day and was glade Now if Abraham by faith did see the day of Christ comming in the flesh many yeares before he came why may not I and others see the day of christ comming in the Spirit to destroy all fleshly formes some few yeares before it be finished But if thou askest How shall I know that thou prophesiest true concerning the downfall of all these I answer thee in this case as the Lord himselfe answered his people in another case Deut. 18.21.22 If thou shalt say in thine heart How shall we know the word that the Lord hath spoken from the word that he hath not spoken The Lord there answereth When a Prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord if the thing come to passe it is
and seest it too hard a thing for thee yet consider that nothing is too hard for God who hath undertaken to work it Ob. It I could see a promise wherein God had promised to work it that were something Quest What art thou A Jew or a Gentile Scythian or Barbarian Ans I am a Gentile a sinner Chr. Thou these are promises for thee see Matt. 12.21 Rom. 15.12 In him shall the Gentiles trust in him shall the Gentiles trust Sin But all Gentiles doe not neither shall they believe therefore if I could see my name written in Scripture and a promise made to me in reference to that name then there were hope indeed Chr. Thou art just like Thomas Joh. 20.25 Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nailes and thrust my hand into his side I will not believe Well saith Christ thou shalt see the print of the nailes reach hither thine hand c. Wilt thou see thy name inscripture indeed Sin Yea with all my heart But I fear it is not there Chr. Why dost thou doubt all things are possible to him that believes wilt thou see thy name Then what is thy state How is it with thee Sin My state is miserable I am full of blindenes and ignorance and can understand nothing in a spirituall way Chr. Here is thy name then recorded Isa 50.10 Who so walketh in darknes and seeth no light let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon God Sin But I am dead almost my heart and my flesh do faile me Chr. Why canst thou read the beginning of the verse with David and not the latter end of it and God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever Psal 7◠26 Sin But I am weak faith another poore soule where is my name Chr. The weak shall be as David there is thy name Sin But saith another distressed soule I am quite dead where is my name Chr. Ephes 5.14 Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead and Christ shall give thee light There is thy name Sin But I have not ears to hear Christ voice nor strength to arise if I could hear Chr. But Christ can give strength with his voice as to Lazarus come forth and he came forth Sin Here is comfort for these indeed But oh that you could shew me my name in scripture and God speaking to me by name Then I should believe and rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory Chr. Well What is thy name Sin Rebell That is my name for I have rebelled against the Lord ever since I was born I have lived in a continuall breach of every command Chr. Yet behold thy name Psal 68.18 Christ hath received gifts for men yea for the rebellious that the Lord God might dwell among them Read thy name in every promise endeavour to see thy name enrolled in the book of Life where all the Devils in Hell and all the wicked men in the world can never blot it out Sin Oh! saith another poore distressed soule I have no minde nor heart to seek after God Where is my name Chr. Isa 65.1 I am found of them that sought me not There is thy name though thou wilt not seek for him yet he will seek and finde thee Sin But I cannot believe Where is my name saith another Chr. 2 Tim. 2 13. If we believe not yet he abideth faithfull he cannot deny himself Sin But I have called and cryed for mercy and that often yet God would not answer me Where is my name 2. Saith another others have prayed for me and the Lord gave them an answer he was not sent to save me Where is my name 3. A third poore soul steps in and saith I spake with the Lord as it were and he told me I was a Dog and that Dogs have nothing to doe with Childrens bread oh where is my name Chr. Will you see all your three names together Sin Oh that it might be so faith the troubled soule Chr. Then read and well consider that 15. Matt. 22 23 24 25 26 27 28. And behold a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts and cryed unto him saying have mercy on me O Lord thou son of David But he answered her not a word There was the first step of his deniall Secondly His Disciples came and besought him saying send her away for she cryeth after us But he answered and said I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house Israel There is the second branch of his deniall Thirdly Then came shee and worshipped him saying Lord help me But he answered and said it is not meet to take the childrens bread and cast it to dogs There is the third branch of his deniall And she said truth Lord yet the dogs eat of the crumbs that fall from their Masters table Then Jesus answered and said unto her ô woman great is thy faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt Oh the unsearchable love of a tender father to a prodigall Son To summe up all in a word Search diligently in what state thou standest examine well thy present condition what it is and when thou hast found out the true temper of thy soul that thou canst truly say thus and thus it is with me Then search the Scriptures for they were written for thy learning and thou shalt finde upon serious consideration that some one or other of the Saints gone before the hath been in the same condition and yet hath found mercy Then thou wilt break forth with Paul and say There is no tentation hath befaln me but such as is common to all men and the Lord will deliver mee 1 Cor. 10 13. c. Are thy sins so many that thou canst not look up so it was with that pretious saint David Psal 40.12 Psal 38.4 Deare friend who ever thou art that readest these words let me tell thee I speak by experience I have been in so sad a condition even as it were in despaire And when I have read or heard these words that such and such of the Lords own children were in the same condition my heart hath begun to revive and say well The Lord hath dealt no otherwise with me than he hath with such a Saint left upon record now I see I am not alone in this heavines I cannot now say Was ever sorrow like unto my sorrow Lam. 1.12 But I can now say with Ieremiah Lam. 3 32. Though he cause griefe yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies I remember that sweet place of Scripture 2 Cor. 1 3 4. Blessed be God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort who comforteth us in all our tribulations that saith he we may be able to comfort them that be in trouble by the comfort wherewith wee our selves are comforted of God Here by the way wee may take notice that it is
did Paul with the Church of Corinth 1 Corin. 1.4 and so to the 15. verse So dealt Christ with the Church of Ephesus Rev 2. from the first veâ—se to the end of the fift And in the same manner he spake to the Church of Pergamus Revel 2. from the 12. verse to the end of the 16. And so when he wrote to the Church of Thyatira Revel 2.18 19. I know thy works and charitie and service and faith and thy patience and how thou growest for thy last works be more than thy first So having taken notice of the things commendable and praised them for that verse 20. in the next place not the first he reproves their evill saying Neverthelesse I have a few things against thee c. In this order or method I shall at present speak not in opposition to or deniall of any way now in practice amongst the godly and warranted by the Scriptures A Word to those that have taken to themselves the name of PRESBYTERIANS My Brethren MY hearts desire and prayer to God is that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of glory may give unto each of you the Spirit of Wisdome and Revelation in the knowledge of him That you may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and height depth to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge that you might be filled with all the fulnesse of God I thank my God on your behalf for the grace of God that is in some measure given to many of you already by Jesus Christ God hath made some of you instrumentall for the conversion of souls by the preaching of his Word And I my self must acknowledge to the glory of God and to your praise that I have had many sweet and heavenly refreshments by your teachings and solid discourses both in publique and private In some things God hath enlightened me by you and in some other things I have been convinced by you and in some other things I have been confirmed by you These things I speak by experience and besides I have heard from some others that they have also received the like benefits from the Lord by you Again Many of you are men of tender consciences In so much that when you see but the very appearance of evill you will abstain from it And the Charitie of many of you to the Poore is very large as appears by the relation of many poore Souls whose bowels you have refreshed and appears also by your stirring up others to the performance of that duty By my Brethren there are faults amongst you therefore I have a few things against you 1. Why do you so frequently complain against this present Parliament and Army saying they be pulling down Magistracy and Ministry are they pulling down any such Magistracy or Ministry as Christ hath set up Or else such as Anti-christ hath set up and acted his designs by Let him that is spirituall judge if you examine our present Magistracy and Ministry by the word of Truth you shall easily see that they are not according to Christ but to Anti-christ First Touching the Magistrate I appeal to your Consciences Hath he been the Magistrate of God for good to thee in countenancing them that do well and punishing of evill doers or rather Hath he not continually for a long time punished those that doe well and countenanced those that do ill Herein I will appeal to the sons of Sion to judge Have they not banished imprisoned reproached persecuted despised and contemned and that to the highest pitch of their power all those in whom the fruits of the Spirit of Christ have appeared in any measure And is this a lawfull authority which we ought to obey Then let us never accompt it blasphemy to say that the most wicked of actions are lawfull and just For is any thing lesse from the will of God or more contrary to his commands than this Is not one unrighteousnes as absolute a transgression as another It is worth you pains to examin what lawfull authority is and let us consider It is said Rom. 13.1 The powers that bee are ordained of God There is no power that is lawfull but it is of God for this is most true that the most high God is to reigne in the kingdome of men and whosoever are his instruments in governing they must derive their power from him and act purely the command of God and no more nor no lesse but even so as it is recorded of the children of Israel Exod. 39.42 43. They had done the worke of the Tabernacle as the Lord had commanded even so they had done it And therefore it follows Moses blessed them Wherefore were they blessed Sure you see not for their own inventions but for their obedience so purely and exactly after the command of God And Paul saith Be not the servants of men that is doe not you observe the things that men doe command unlesse God hath commanded them But you will ask How may we know the true power from the false Oh that you were so teachable Then The Scripture will tell you that the lawfull powers are of God both of his Commandements and bearing his image holy as he is holy being a terrour not to good works but to evill And whosoever doth resist this power onely this he resisteth the Ordiâ—ance of God and shall receive judgement to himself But the Parliament and Army do not resist this power spoken of by Paul to be obeyed But they doe resist and I admire that you the Seers doe not see it that they do resist that power spoken of by Micha Mic. 3.11 The heads thereof that doe judge for reward and that establish iniquity by a law the Priests thereof that teach for hire and the Prophets thereof that divine for money and yet lean upon the Lord and say is not the Lord amongst us No evill can come upon us That the powers of this nation that have been resisted have been and are such their late actions are proofes than which nothing can be more full or plaine to men of reason 2. For the Ministry that are said to be pulling down what are they Apostles from Christ or from our Universities who hath taught them God or man How are they constituted Ministers By God or man a power internall or externall By the hand and power of Gods Spirit upon their souls and in them or the hands of flesh upon their heads of flesh without them They fast and pray for them but is it therefore certain that God doth hear and grant that particular thing What is their principle The Spirit and living power of God Of the naturall and carnall Spirits of men What is their knowledge Of Faith or of reason meerly humane Is it of the Type or Truth Letter or Spirit Forme or Power have they received it by Revelation or Tradition And what is the end of most of them Is it not
intreat you to take a word of advice from me for I assure you I have taken advise from you and I hope shall againe though you looke upon me as onely worthy to be your servant or scholler and not your teacher yet I pray you minde what Job saith He will not despise the counsell of his Servant And if you will indeed heare with your eares treasure up in your hearts and practise in your lives these ensuing things you shall soone grow in favour both with God and man Then there be foure things that you must lay aside and forsake and there be five things that you must immediately doe First Lay aside or leave of charging your hearers for breach of the Scotch Covenant untill you have repented of your owne breach of that Covenant for how can you preach thou shalt not steale and steale your selves How can you boldly reprove another for sin when you your selves are guilty of the same How can you pull out thâ— moat that is in your brothers eye untill you have pulled out thâ— beam that is in your own eye I will appeal to your very Conscience then whether you be not breakers of covenant in the highest nature For saith the Covenant You must bring to condigne punishment all delinquents and you have often declared in the faces of your Congregations besides in your private discourses that the King was a delinquent in the highest nature and yet almost all of you were against the bringing him to condigne punishment Shall not many of the Army which never took the Covenant and yet had their hands in bringing malignants to punishment rise up in judgement against you which took a covenant to doe it and yet above all men were against it If this be not breach of Covenant I do not know what is a breach Again you covenanted to endeavour in your places the reformation of Religion according to the scriptures but if you examine your Church-discipline by those rules there held forth and you shall see you have broken the Covenant in this also And more I could shew you but a word to the wise is enough O my dear friends doe not you be like the Tribe of Levi in the dayes of Isaiah Isa 28 7. They erre in vision they stumble in judgement I say do not you be like them in their sin least the Lord make you like them in their punishment and so speak to his people as Isa 28.11 With a stammering lip and another tongue will he speak to his people and you that a little before were cryed up of many as the onely Ministers of the Gospel now are made like to those prophesied of Micah 6 7. Therefore night shall be unto you that yee shall not have a vision and it shall be dark unto you that yee shall not divine and the Sun shall go over the Prophets and the day shall be dark over them Then shall the Seers be ashamed and the Diviners confounded yea they shall all cover their faces for there is no answer of God 2. Lay a side or leave off that cold lukewarm letter-preaching which seems to be onely in the notion received from tradition having a form but not the power Remember how it was with Paul he compared spirituall things with spirituall and most of you for I speak not of all compare letter with letter and so come up with a voice of words so cold that some of your hearers begin to sleep and others to withdraw from your Congregations Those that doe indeed attend to what you speak are profitted very little by it O come then in the fulnesse of the Gospel of Christ and as you have received the gift not studied so administer the same See what Paul saith Rom. 15. v. 8. I will not dare to speak of those things which Christ hath not wrought in mee to make the Gentiles obedient by word and deed Again 2 Cor. 10.15 16. Wee will not saith the Apostle boast of things without our measure that is of other mens labours Wee will preach the Gospel and not boast in another mans line of things made ready to our hands Let me then appeal to your consciences whether this be your practice Again Why do you tye your selves to preach onely so long and not sometimes longer or shorter did ever the Prophets or Apostles doe so Why do you tye your selves to speak onely from one text in one Sermon did ever the Prophets and Apostles tie themselves constantly as you do your selves to this But think not that I write against preaching an houre or speaking from or to a particular text for I am not against it but onely this your making ties where God doth not tie you and cry up forms more then the power of godlinesse 3. Leave off the Idolizing of humane learning and use it onely in its place then you will look upon it as convenient but not of absolute necessitie it will inable you with expressions but not with spirituall interpretations Never think that you know more of the minde of Christ than others because you know more of of the tongues than they Alas take all the learning arts parts in the whole world and give them together into one man yet this man by all his parts wit and arts in Logick tongues and phylosophie is unable to give a true spiritual sence of one of the easiest and plainest scriptures The spirituall mysterie is so high he cannot reach it so deep that he cannot fathom it so long he cannot measure it and so broad that he cannot comprehend it Hence it is that many in our daies are great schollers in humanitie and meer ignorants is divinitie Was not Paul a great scholler as he testifieth of himself and yet ignorant of Christ knowing nothing of the spirituall sence of scriptures O you schollers have you been so long at Oxford and Cambridge the two eyes of our land and can you not see without Spectacles have you been at the fountain and must the streams teach you Doe you not know that there is a spirituall learning as well as a humane If you do know it why do you give a false interpretation of most scriptures taking them in the litterall when they are to be understood in the spirituall sence To instance in one for all 2 Pet. 3.16 There are somethings hard to be understood which they that are unlearned wrest as they doe also other scriptures to their own destruction Now the question is of those things in Pauls Epistles which Peter here speaks of as hard to be understood and which the ignorant did wrest the question is What is meant here by unlearned Doth hee mean unlearned in humane or unlearned in spirituall things Answ Mee thinks the Apostle in the same verse resolves the scruple 1. For first it is said Paul wrote these things according to the wisdome given unto him which is not meant wisdome of the world for God doth accompt that but foolishnesse saith the scripture
us and pitty is departed from us Oh deare friends Are there all these sad cryes and teares and yet doe your vaine pleasures bewitch you to bee deafe Awake awake for now your Lord commands goe heare what those my and your poore membes say see why they weepe Lord they cry for want Chr. What want And thou stand by with such rich stores of mine Oh most unfaithfull Most unkinde Doest thou love me and doe I hunger in my members and wilt not feede me with mine owne but imbessell those my stores to such base Harlots as thy fleshly fancies Ah unfaithfull wretch get hence thou shalt not stay with me nor see my face these many dayes I desire you to consider whether Christ doth not speake thus to your Spirits But I have digressed and now I returne 4 This is also a fault among you that you doe not pitty the poore blinde world and endeavour to bring them into the knowledge of the truth by laying before them the free love of God through Jesus Christ all your studies are how to build up Saints therefore to them you doe altogether speake Nay I have heard Sermon after Sermon in publique besides your practice in private and you speake onely to Saints enlightened though most of the people to whom you speake are yet in the old man and have neede of such a Sermon as Christ preached to Nicodemus And so you are blame-worthy as the Presbyterians are yea more than they for many of them doe teach the practicall part of divinity before the doctrinall and you tell of great enjoyments before your hearers are truly principled he that doth truly preach the Gospell must preach to sinners to convince them as well as to Saints to confirme them If you will indeed be followers of Christ you must not content your selves to preach a piece of the Gospell for Christ when he came among sinners he was intreating and perswading them and calling them to come to him that they might have life He often encouraged them to come to him telling them he came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance He bids come unto him all you that are weary and heavy laden and he will give you rest And saith They that come to me I will in no wise cast off And when he gave his Commission to his Disciples he told them they must preach the Gospell to every creature Oh then pitty the world pray for the world rebuke instruct exhort perswade and beseech them to be reconciled to God your father lets the Sun shine and the Rain fall upon them and bids you learn of him to love them Doe they revile thee Then with Paul blesse them 1 Cor. 4.12 Doe they persecute thee Then with him suffer it 1 Cor. 4.12 Do they take away thy cloak give them thy coat Doe they smite thee on the one cheek offer the other Do they curse thee as Shimei did David Then as David let them alone It may be the Lord hath bid them doe it To you it is given in the behalf of Christ not onely to believe but also to suffer for his sake And how knowest thou but that he will reward thee good for all their evill If thou wer'st of the world the world would love thee but because he hath chosen thee out of the world therefore the world doth hate thee A Word to those that goe under the name and title of ANABAPTISTS MY Brethren there are these things worthy of commendation among you You meet often together and when you come together as good Stewards of the manifold grace of God as every one hath received the gift so he doth administer the same you exceed in some sort all other Churches namely in this That you doe administer a right ordinance to right objects you will doe God work in Gods way I mean you Baptise those to whom Baptisme belongs you do that which is required and as it is required And in some measure you doe according to the command of Christ 1 Thess 5.14 You warn them that are unruly you doe comfort the feeble minded support the weake and in some measure yee endeavour to have patience towards all men And when men begin to deny or sleight Gods ordinances you withdraw your selves from such and this also is found in you for which I commend you You look upon the scripture as written for your learning and therefore you often read and meditate of it you cannot bear with those that slight it and speak reproach fully of it you have experience that God doth teach you by his word mediately more than by immediate revelations But my Brethren there are faults among you therefore I have a few things against you wherefore bear with me if I deale plainly with you first the Scripture bids you speak evill of no man why then doe you imagine in your hearts and speak evill of the Independent because he will not be rebaptized Why doe you so judge the Presbyterian for Baptizing children to whom it doth not belong They doo not see by your eies therefore they cannot walk by your ruks are they in darknesse in this so once wast thou Doest thou out-strip them in this it may be nay I am sure they do go beyond thee in other particulars of obedience Doe they neglect the ordinance of Baptisme that is their evill but thou doest rest upon it and this is thy evill do they sin in sleighting Baptisme thou sinnest in idolizing of it Oh then be sparing to censure and judge thy Brother Here is another branch of your miscarriage you suffer no man though never so well gifted to speak among you no though he be able to teach you all unlesse he be joyned to you by the ordinance of Baptisme with water and though he be baptized with the Baptisme of the Spirit without which that of water is nothing you hear him not Again you often take Scripture in the literall when you should take it in the spirituall sense When Christ speaks of the baptisme of the Spirit you understand it to be of Water In a word You live much under the administration of John who tels you that he must decrease but not so much under the administration of Christ who shall encrease Again you make Baptisme the ground of your communion and so disorder what God hath ordered for the ground of communion should arise first from that union you have with Christ your head and secondly from that near relation you have each to other as being one in the same spirit In a word your knowledge that you have one of another is after the flesh when will you be of Pauls minde 2 Cor. 5.16 to know no man after the flesh I may truly say of you as once it was said of Apollos Acts 18.25 that he was instructed in the way of the Lord knowing onely Johns Baptisme of water and surely you have great need as once he had to have Aquilla and Priscilla to
take you aside and teach you the way of God more perfectly c. A Word to those that hold Free-Will and General-Redemption MY Friends some things I have observed from you by my being among you which I desire to learn of you and for which I commend you I have seen you bearing one anothers burthens relieving one anothers necessities according to your abilities often visiting one another with many outward expressions of that inward love which you bear one to another these things ought to be done and there are other things which you ought not to leave undone as also to love those that are not under your form These Principles also do you hold First That Jesus Christ gave himself a ransome for all and you prove it by Scriptures 1 Tim. 2. v. 6. 1 John 29. 1 John 2. v. 2. 2 Cor. 1.15 Secondly That remission of Sins ought to be preached to every creature which proves the first that Christ gave himself a ransom for all and therefore remission of sins must be preacht to all and that you prove by these and the like Scriptures Luke 24.47 Mark 16.15 Luke 10.5 Isa 45.22 Thirdly That every one is to believe the forgivenesse of his sins for if Christ died for all and the Gospel ought to believe and that all are called upon to believe you bring these and the like Scriptures John 1.7 John 17.21 Now if your principles drawn from these or the like Scriptures be according to the spirituall sence of them you doe well So much for the things worthy of commendation in you But my friends there are many faults among you for which I have at present a few things against you The first is your abuse of Scriptures first in taking them in a literall sence secondly looking into and speaking of onely those scriptures that seemingly in the letter doe confirm your principles Whereas if you rightly understood them you would finde the sence of one scripture to stand with the sence of another As to instance a little in the forenamed things First you say That Jesus Christ gave himselfe a ransome for all and remission of sins is to be preached to all Now compare those scriptures with Rom. 8.30 where he speakes of particular not of generall predestination So when he speakes of election to the Ephesians he points at a particular not at a generall election And when Christ prayes John 17. hee prayes not for the world but onely for those whom the Lord had given him out of the world And Joh. 6.44 There can none come to him but whom the father draweth Read and well consider that one Scripture which all of you are not able to answer Acts 13.48 And as many as were ordayned to eternall life believed I know what false glosse you put upon this text through your ignorance you say the originall saith thus As many as believed were ordayned to eternall life And with this false sence you deceived me for a few dayes but when I searched the originall I found you lyars for that word is truly translated and I have spoken with many poore soules that you have deluded with these and the like things You say election depends upon qualifications and bring these or the like Scriptures The Lord chooseth to himselfe the man that is righteous never minding that other text which saith there is none righteous no not one So then if he chooseth none but the righteous and there are no righteous not one then he chooseth none Oh you simple ones how long will you love simplicity Scorners delight in scorning and Fooles hate knowledge If this text doth speak to any such in England this day It speaks to and concerns you chiefly Did you never reade with understanding that text which saith that wee and all the Nations of the World are in the hands or God as clay in the hands of the potter who maketh one vessell to honour another to dishonour as he pleaseth And if there bee any man so impudent to say as I have heard some of you say that then God is partiall See how Paul checks such Rom. 9.19.20 Oh man who are thou that replyest against God shall the thing formed say to him that formed it why hast thou made me thus If thou wilt know a reason why the Lord doth elect some to life and to passe by others he is pleased to give thee no other accompt than this Exod. 33.19 I will be gratious to whom I will be gratious and I will shew mercy to whom I will shew mercy and whom he will he hardeneth If thou wilt also know a reason why he will cast some into the pit of destruction and give to others life everlasting I answer God hath no rule to act by but his owne will so that for him to doe what he willeth is just and it is just for no other reason nor upon any other ground but this viz. because it is his will to doe it and this is the justnes of mans actions to doe what God hath commanded or declared that he will have man to doe Now I say this is the reason why he will cast some to destruction viz. to magnifie his justice or perform his will determined upon such as doe transgresse the law given them and for this cause is such destruction just because it is that which the eternall will or decree hath appointed to follow upon transgression And after the very same sort doth he exalt the attribute of his mercy in the salvation of others Reade the 9. of the Romans and thou wilt finde most of that chapter spent in disputing this very thing Another grosse error that you hold contrary to the scripture is this That the soule is mortall as well as the body Againe you hold and teach That if God commanded the Gospel to be preached to all and Christ dyed onely for some then God commands a lye to be preached to the most part of men and that is blasphemy to say that God commands a lye to be preached Againe You ground your owne particular faith upon that generall redemption and if your ground be false your faith must needes be so for no good fruit proceeds from a corrupt tree and wherein doth such faith exceede that of the Devils that beleive and tremble You say there is a power in every man to doe whatsoever is commanded a power to choose and a power to refuse you cite that of Joshuah and the like scriptures Behold I have set before you this day life and death choose you whether c. Ergo say you the people have power to choose and to refuse You say also that upon your doing or not doing depends your eternall blessing or everlasting cursing and yet unlesse it be in some few things which I have fore-spoken in your commendation you are the most unfruitfull people that ever I came amongst except our new upstart wantons or new Notionists to whom I shall speake next You spend the most of your
from the Lord if it come not to passe it is not from the Lord. Againe I have by faith seene all these opinions fallen and I have heard from many others that they have seene them fallen also Therefore that which I have heard and seene declare I unto you that you might have fellowship with the Father and the Sonne in the spirit for then and not till then you will give over saying as in effect you doe I am of Paul I am of Appollo I am of Cephas Then you will not so much crye up a forme but endeavour the power of godlinesse Deliver thy selfe then oh Zion that dwellest with the daughter of Babilon Zecha 2.7 For the Lord shall slay Babylon and call his Servants by a new name Isa 65.15 A short description of a true Church-state or communion of Saints that shall stand against al opposers PAul writing to the Church of Corinth beseecheth them in the name of Christ that they would endeavour a perfect joyning together in one minde and one judgement and good reason he had for so doing for he well knew that all joynings whatsoever that were imperfect were not of God and so could not stand In opposition to all such imperfect unitings or unsound communions he disswades this Church of Christ from pleading or standing for patties and from saying I am of Paul I am of Apollos c. He doth in effect tell them they must cease from knowing Christ and Christians after the flesh for that must vanish He doth perswade them not to build upon the sand for that will fall The Spirit of Christ doth exhort you to give over saying lo here is Christ lo there is Christ for that is unsound and cannot stand That communion of Saints that shall stand against which the gates of hell shall not prevaile let the winde blow the raine descend and the floods come and beate upon it it will not fall for it is founded on a rocke That communion then is this A communion that doth arise or flow from union I say It is a communion of Saints arising from a cleare apprehension of their union with Saints 1 Cor. 12.13 14. For by one Spirit are we all baptised into one body whether we be Jewes or Gentiles bond or free And have beene all made to drinke into one spirit for the bodâ—â—s not one member but many verse 20. For now are they many members yet but one body Now when a Saint comes to see that every one in whom the Lord Jesus appeareth though in the least measure is a member together with him in the same body whereof Christ is the head then his heart longeth to joyne himselfe in fellowship with such who have fellowship with the father and the son in spirit whether in ordinances or otherwise He considers that he and all the faithfull under the whole Heavens have all one father all one mother all one elder Brother all one calling all one hope of their calling all cloathed with the same robe all inclined to the same worke all united by the same spirit all ruled by the same word and so he honours them all as the body of Christ and nourisheth and cherisheth them all as his owne body Oh who can breake the linkes of this golden chaine Who can throw downe this spirituall building No no The gates of hell cannot prevaile against it Reade and well consider that in the 1 Pet. 2.5 Yee also as lively stones are built up a spirituall house an holy Priesthood to offer up spirituall sacrifice acceptable to God by Jesus Christ c. or as it is in the margin be you built up a spirituall house Goe now through all the Shires and Cities of England and enquire nay make diligent search among all sorts of people professing and pretending to Christ for such a Congregation that of lively stones hath built up such a spirituall house and note that Church It shall never fall Oh where is such an assembly of Saints to be found as is spoken of Ephes. 2.22 that are built together for an holy habitation of God through the spirit Shall I appeale now to thy very conscience and aske thee oh thou zealous Presbyterian Is your building which is so much cried up in England such a building Shall I appeale now to thy conscience oh thou Independent and aske thee Art thou built up for an habitation of God through â—he spirit Doest thou indeed offer up a spirituall sacrifice Me thinks there is so much truth in both the Presbyterian and the Independent as to answer in the negative Well then Hence it is you love one Saint and hate another because you are not perfectly joyned together You yet know Christ and Christians after the flesh you have been joyned together in one forme but not united together in one spirit But the day is dawning before you and the day star is rising in you at the appearance of which your communion shall be in the spirit as well as in the forme and your love shall be to all as well as to some and when you are absent in body as Paul you will be present in spirit joying and beholding their spirituall order Now there are many reasons why the Saints ought to bee thus joyned together Take two 1. Because they are commanded to stand fast in one spirit Phil. 1. 27. And how can they stand fast in the Spirit if they be not joyned in the Spirit 2. Because that worship wherewith they must worship God must be a spirituall worship John 4.23.24 1 Pet. 2.5 And untill Saints are thus joyned together they are not fitly joyned according to that Ephes. 4.16 Neither untill they be thus united in one spirit can they be said to have any fellowship of the Spirit according to that Phil. 2.1 Againe untill they be thus united in one spirit how can they yeeld obedience to that command Ephes. 4 3. Endeavouring to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace And that they might keepe the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace see what powerfull convincing arguments hee brings Ephes. 4.4 5 6. There is one body saith he and one spirit even as yee are called in one hope of your calling One Lord one Faith one Baptisme One God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in you all Mark then I beseech you the Lord by Paul doth here lay downe 1. The union thou hast with him 2. The union thou hast with his people and from both these as from the ground he puts his people upon a sweet communion and fellowship both with himselfe and his people Upon this rocke hath Christ built his Church and the gates of hell shall not prevaile against a Church thus stated But I have beene in communion with all sorts of Professors now extant in England and waded out of one forme into another and at the last I have clearly found that much of their building hath beene upon