deceived with the false miracles of Mahâ—â—â—â— wherein he hath deluded them to this present day through the devill and his instruments together with their false miracles wherein they are kept in blindnesse as also the Pope with the Latin Church deceiving the world and themselves with their false miracles which they much boast of whereby they judge their way to be right because the Devill and the Pope work miracles to confirme their way which indeed the Scriptures did foretel that the Latin Beast would deceive the world with his false miracles Revel 13. 13 14. But these spirits are the spirits of devils deceiving the Kings of the earth and the whole world Revel 16. 14. But the Lord will take that beastly worship of the Beast together with the Beast and the false Prophet with his lying spirit that wrought miracles to deceive the people and will cast them into the lake of his wraâ—h forever and ever Revel 19. â— Now there is some objections to be answered as Joel 2. where the Lord doth foretell that young men shall see visions and old men shall dream dreams and that that prophesie is in part to be fulfilled To the which I do reply with the words of Peter who had a more spirituall discerning then any in these dayes to discerne the truth of prophesies that that prophesie was fulfilled upon them when the visions of the Lord did appear unto them in Acts 2 1 2 3. who were the Lords young men who were to declare the minde of God to the whole earth and that being such a publick prophesie it was publickly fulfilled to perfect a publick work to the admiration of the beholders who were very desirous to know what was the meaning of those strange works and the Apostle flies to the prophesie of Joel for their refuge and tels them it was no more then what was prophesied of them and that they might now see that prophesie fulfilled Acts 2. 16. 17 18. and that those were the dayes that were spoken of before being glorious gospel-Gospel-times in which the Lord was to accomplish his promise that there might be nothing wanting to ratifie confirm the truth of the Gospell so that this prophesie being extraordinary 〈◊〉 doth appeare by the Apostlâ—â— words if any do pretend in these dayes the like revelations they must also shew the like effects which I think they cannot 10. I shall speake a word or two of Gospell-visions whereby it will appear that that there are no such visions in these dayes and first those visions did appeare in aâ—visible manner to the sight of the beholders Luke 3. and Acts 2. and then secondly they were able to confirme what was revealed in the vision to them by a visible signe or wonder and thirdly they were able to speak in an extraordinary manner to convince the gain-sayers and fourthly those visions were for the truth and not against it so that from hence I conclude that the cause is taken away because the effect ceaseth for if they prove the like visions they must also prove the like visible manifestations or else they are false visions And as for the dreamers there spoken of you may see that was fully fulfilled in those dayes in the Scribes and Pharisees those old and ancient Doctours of those times who stood dreaming as men amazed when they beheld the Lord Christ and his Apostles the mirrour of the world to preach such glorious doctrine accompanied with such glorious miracles and their doctrine being so strange and rare and so unanswerable preaching with such authority and so mightily convincing the gain-sayers the Doctors also themselves being so wonderfully confuted that we may truly say That they were in a dream or trance whereby the prophesie was truly fulfilled 2. Object is in Marke 16. These signes shall follow those that do believe So that hence they do inferre That there is no true Gospel-Preachers but such as work miracles which if this be true then there is no faith in England because no true Ministry for faith comes by hearing Rom. 10. 17. even by hearing the word preached and how shall he preach except he be sent so that if there be no Preachers there is no faith then there is no salvatioÌ„ for if the Ministry of faith cease then faith must cease which if so then to what purpose do your Ministers teach seeing they work no miracles so that by this Tenent both you and your Ministers are in a false way And further if our salvation depend upon miracles would God have been wanting think you ever since the Apostles time to have sent them into the world to have perfected their salvation to the full for certainly if we could not have been saved without them God would never have been wanting to have sent them But God had so fully before confirmed the Gospel with such Ministers and Miracles which is sufficient to confirm the truth in all Ages 3. Objection But we have been in a great confusion for many hundred of years together ard in a great confusion amongst us to know the truth and how shall we know without a miracle to confirm it to us To the which I reply and how shall we know the truth by a Miracle seeing a pretender may do the like and so you may take a false Miracle for a true or how will you prove that your Miracle to be true if not by the word or else it may be false for ought you know must not the word try your miracle whether it be true or false and therefore to the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to that they are in a false way Isaiah 8. for the word of the Lord is powerfull and sharper then a two-edged Sword Heb. 4. 12. to pierce through all the false wayes of men and to cut in peeces all false worships whatsoever and it is a searcher of the heart and a tryer of the raines to search into all the hearts of men and their actions to judge them according to their works 2. Who must end all contentions must not the word which is able to satisfie all doubts and to direct us in all our wayes and what need we fear having so glorious a Guide as the Gospel is can you find a better Rule to walk by or a better Guide to lead you which is the Resolver of all doubts for if the word cannot satisfie you who can And now I shall speak a word or two for the word of my God for where will you find a Christ but in the word and where will you find the promises of Christ but in the Word doth not the Word hold forth Christ to you and holds forth the promise to you doth not the word shew you the way of life if you would know what Doctrine is right doth not the word shew you what Doctrine and what worship you ought to observe doth not the word hold forth unto you holiness and unholiness life and
gloriously the Lord wil come to prepare a place for Judgement and how mighty and spacious it wil be even a mighty Valley which is not able to be expressed so spacious and so large that it might be fit to entertaine such a number that no man knowes but himselfe and thither shal all Nations be gathered to be judged as the Scripture seemes to hold forth saying Proclaime ye among the Gentiles prepare watre wake up the mighty men and let all the men of war come neare let them come up and here the Prophet shewes you what the Lord Christ wil say at that day saying Beate your Flow-shares into Swords and your Pruning-bookes into Speares let the weake say I am strong wherein Christ shews all Nations their weaknesses when they shal come before him to Judgement assemble your selves and come all ye Heathen and gather your selves together round about thither wilt thou cause thy mighty ones to come downe O Lord and thus the Prophet in this Verse holds forth the glorious appearing of Christ with all his Host and then shal all the Heathen be wakened and come to the valley of Iehoshaphat or the valley of threshing for there wil the Lord sit to judge all the Heathen round about for all their wickednesse is at the full Ioel 3. 9 10 11 12 13. for there wil the Lord â—â—ster â—p hiâ— great Army for his campe is very great and multitudes multitudes shal be in the valley of threshing for then the day of the Lord is neare in the valley of division or threshing and then shall the Sun and the Moone be darkned and the Starres shall with-draw their shining for the glory of Christ and his Angels shall darken the Host of Heaven and then shall the Lord the great Judge of Heaven and Earth roare out of Zion and shall utter his voyce from Jerusalem and the Heavens and the Earth shall shake for the Lord will number all his forces and then there will be the noyse of a multitude in the Mountaines a tumultuous noyse of the Nations gathered together and the Lord of Hosts himselfe mustereth the Host to see if there be any wanting for he will not misse a man being able to call them all by their names and then shall the Lord at that day sit downe in Judgement and all the Prisoners be shut up together as in a Prison and a wall of fire being round about them with that mighty guard of Angels to attend the Prisoners and after many dayes they shall be visited or found wanting being judged in order after their Ages and Generations and then shall the Moone be confounded and the Sun ashamed at the glory of the Lord his glory darkning all the Host of Heaven when the Lord of Hosts shall reigne in mount Zion and before his ancients gloriously 12. And lastly the question wil be how long this Judgement shal last and how long this great Judge wil be in judging all the world Now some conceive that it shal be in the twinckling of an eye but that is very unlikely to be for then how can Christ be said to sit upon the Throne and to sit in Judgement there can be but a little sitting in the twinckling of an eye Secondly some thinke it to be a naturall day that Christ shal sit in Judgement but that is but a small sitting to sit a naturall day for such a great worke as to judge all the world wil his glory no longer appeare in Judgement then for a day Shall not the great Judge of heaven and earth surmount all the Judges in the world in the time of his Judgement who can counter-pane him in Judgement for the time of his sitting he is no hired Judge he sits at his owne cost and charges and all his mighty company he cannot want any thing in the time of his sitting for all is his and therefore I conceive hee wil sit a longer time for one day with the Lord is as a thousand yeares and a thousand yeares as one day and therefore I conceive the Judgement shal be longer then some suppose even for a thousand yeares and for the proofe of the same I shal give you my Reasons 1. Because one day with the Lord is as a thousand yeares and a thousand yeares as one day 2 Pet. 3. and therefore the Judgement may be for a thousand yeares 2 Because it is called a great and notable day more gloriously noted then other dayes as wel in respect of time as in the great works of it and therefore by this day must be meant a longer time then a naturall day being called the judgement of the great day and the great day of his wrath for if the day was lengthened in the time of Joshua much more shal it be lengthened in the day of Christ Act. 2. 20. Iud. 6. Revel 6. 7. 3. Because the glorious comming of Christ shal darken the Sun and Moone and all the Host of Heaven for what is the light of the Sunne to the light of Christ from whence all light doth proceed and by this it doth appeare that Christ shal sit a longer time then some suppose and shal enlighten the earth with his glory and that all his enemies may see the glory and excellency of his person to the admiration of all the earth 4. Because he is said to sit in the Judgement and on the throne of his Majesty for the ancient of dayes shal sit and execute judgement as doth appeare for saith Daniel I beheld till the thrones were cast downe even all the glory of the wicked when the ancient of dayes did sit whose garment was white as snow and the baire of his head like pure wooll his throne was like the fiery flame and his wheels were like the burning flame a fiery streame issued and came forth before him thousand thousands ministred unto him and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him and the Bookes were opened and I saw in the night Visions and behold one like the Son of Man came with the clouds of heaven and came to the ancient of dayes and they brought him neare before him and there was given him dominion and glory and a Kingdom that all Nations and Languages should serve him an everlasting dominion which shall not passe away Dan. 7. 13 14. for thus saith the Lord Let the Heathen be awakened and come to the valley of Jehoshaphat for there wil I sit to judge all the heathen round about Joel 3. 12. and many Scriptures more I might bring to shew you that the great Judge must sit in Judgement to shew unto us that it is a larger time then some conceive by his sitting 5. The comming of Christ being so glorious that it shal darken all the Host of Heaven for the Sun and the Moone shal not give forth light being so glorious a light in place but shal be at a stand as amazed and confounded in themselves and all their light being but
as darknesse in respect of the great Judge for the Judge himselfe shall be their everlasting Light being indeed the great Court of Heaven more cleare then the Sunne for the light thereof doth darken the light of the Sunne and Moone which makes it appeare that this glorious Judge and this glorious Court of Heaven will not be so soone removed 6. The Bookes are to be opened and every man is to be judged according to those things that are written in those Bookes and there must be a time to open the Bookes and a time to judge and examine every matter and every person particularly according to his deeds whereby it doth appeare that the great Court of Heaven will not be so soone removed 7. The pleading of the Prisoners at the Bar doth make it appeare that the Court shall not be removed for the Prisoners at the Bar of Justice will plead and say Lord in thy name we have Prophesied and cast out Devills and done many wonderfull workes And when saw we thee in Prison or in sicknesse or hungry or naked or the like whereby it doth appeare that the pleading of Prisoners and the answerings of the Judge doth hold forth a longer time to us then we suppose to sit in judgement 8. If every Person should not be called to account in particular there might be some excuse in the Creature for then they might say I nor I was not judged but the Iudge will not passe over things so lightly for they are matters upon Life and Death 〈◊〉 upon eternall life and death and therefore â—â—oth appeare that the great Iudge will examine every man to the full with every particular thing and with so many Millions of thousands to be judged in particular doth make it appeare that the great Iudge cannot be so soon removed 9. Christ saith that the Apostles shall sit upon twelve Thrones and shall judge the twelve Tribes of Israel even such as are revolted from Iesus Christ and have rejected grace and mercy offered them in the Sonne and have shed the blood of the Prophets and Apostles through their wickednesse and therefore it doth appeare that Christ will make his twelve Apostles to sit downe upon twelve Thrones and they shall be the great Iury-men of Christ to give in their verdict for life or death and what they doe shall be approved of by Christ for the Iewes being a most wise and subtill people shall have the more able Iudges to deale with them and who are more fit for that worke then the Apostles who shall be the grand Iudges or the grand Iury to give in their evidences to the chiefe Judge against them and the Judge also consenting to their judgement For whose sinnes they remit they shall be remitted and whose sinnes they retaine they shall be retained And this being so it doth appear that the Court shal not be so soon removed Mat. 19. 28. Luk. 22. 30. 10. The Apostles shall judge the Angels and give judgement against them and when will that be but at the great day for they are reserved in chaines of darknesse untill the great day and then shall they appear before the Grand Jury who shall give their Judgement against them and deliver them to the chiefe Judge who shall passe sentence upon them for ever to be cast into the anger and wrath of the Almighty for this is the great day of judgement which hath been spoken of so long before which will not be ended in a small time 11. It is said that the Saints shall judge the world and that cannot be in a small time seeing there is so many millions of thousands to be judged with the examination of every particular action and yet they will not be idle all the time nor rejourne the Court like idle Judges for it shall be no night all the time of the judgement neither will they stir untill they have accomplished that great workâ— for I conceive there will be as much hastening of the worke as may be even round about the Throne and the twelve Patriarchs judging those before the Flood with the twelve Apostles judging those under the Law and the Ministers of the Gospel judging those under the Gospel for it is said The Saints shal judge the world 1 Cor. 6. 2. And al these great things cannot be done in a small time for all the Prisoners pleading at the Bar on the one side the Judges giving sentence on the other side with their examining of all causes doth make it appear that this great Court will not be so soon removed as some think 12. The Scripture doth declare that after the new heavens and earth are made that the Saints shall reign with Christ in abundance of glory which I conceive must be all the time of the judgement for it will not be before the new heavens and earth as the Scripture seems to hold forth but after the new heavens and earth and then will the Lord Jesus come and all the Saints with him and then shall the Saints reigne in glory even all the time of the sitting of the great Judge which I beleeve will be the account of a thousand yeares and about Jerusalem shall be the Throne of their glory and they shall be filled with the fulnesse of delight in all that time and then will the dwelling of God be with men and they shall be the new Jerusalem being cloathed with their house from heaven and God shall wipe away all teares from their eyes For there shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying nor any paine for all their former troubles being passed away for Jerusalem will be more glorious then ever it was in the world before with her gates and wals most glorious and such a glorious City it will be as never yet was seen the glory of which place will enlighten both heaven and earth and shall darken all the host of heaven being a place for the Saints of the most High where they shall rest all the time of the sitting of the great Judge for this will be a new Jerusalem indeed a place of glory untill the great Judge hath finished his worke upon the earth and in this new Jerusalem of the Saints there shall be no Temple nor any worship injoyned for this will be all their work to offer up praises unto him that shall sit upon the Throne for the Father and the Son are the Temple of this glorious City and this City wil have no need of Sun or Moon for the Father and the Son will be the light thereof and all the Nations which shall be saved shall walk in the light of this City and there shal their glory be for the Gates of this City shal not be shut at all by day for there shal be no night and this wil be a glorious rest for the Saints all the fitting of the great Judge Re. 22. And then shall the Lord roar out of Zion and utter his voyce from Jerusalem
great ones and the eyes of the priests and people lest they should obey the glorious Gospel of Christ 2 Cor. 4. 4. and for this cause there is so few that imbrace the Gospell because men love the praise of men more then the praise of God 4 Reason Is because there is so few of the great ones believe the Gospell and this was the plea of the Scribes and Pharisees against Christ Have any of the rulers believed on him John 7. 48. The Pharisees knowing this that the multitude would follow the great ones whether right or wrong whether their way were true or false and this is as true in our dayes for if the great ones would believe and follow the Gospell then would the inferiour ones and if the Priests would imbrace the Gospell then would the people and so as Christ saith The blind lead the blind and so they both fall into the ditch for as the Apostle saith ye see your calling brethren how that not many mighty not many noble not many learned but the poore receive the Gospell 1 Cor. 1. the contemptible ones of the worâ—â— the great ones â—allowing in their fleshly felicity and worldly glory and therefore it â—â— that so few imbrace the Gospel of Christ 5 Reason Is the high esteem of the persons of some and the dis-esteem of the persons of others and thus did the Scribes and Pharisees vilifie the Person of Christ in their saying Is not this the Carpenters son Marke 6. 3. 4. being offended at him and declaring against him saying Art thou greater then our father Abraham and the Prophets John 8. 53. and thus they undervalued the Person of Christ to make his doctrine contemptible in abasing his Person that thereby they might set up themselves saying We are Abrahams children John 8. 39. but for this fellow we know not whence he is John 9. 29. and thus did the proud Scribes and Pharisees of those times contemne Christ and his Apostles as if they were the basest men in the world and thus they do in these dayes highly esteem of the persons of so me if he be an University man and have learned the spirit as they conceive at the University with the knowledge of the humane tongues and have received his humane degrees then they admire his Person and esteem him some great man or divine person having bought the spirit at the University as the people conceive and that which he hath bought at the Schools he sels it for spirit though indeed it be nothing but a Tract of Fathers and Authors which he hath got by art compacting a Sermon out of Fathers and Authours and the like and preaches but the judgements of other men and those mens persons are esteemed as the only men in the world and all other men rejected though never so able and godly because they come not in by the doore of humane inventions their persons are despised as contemptible and so their doctrine is despised being never so holy and true because their persons are contemptible which is a main cause and reason wherefore so few imbrace the Gospell of Christ 6 Reason Wherefore so few imbrace the Gospell is this because the Lord hath been pleased in all Ages to reveale his truth to a company of contemptible ones in the worlds eye as you may see both under the Law and Gospell as under the Law the Lord called Moses a shepheard to feed his flock who was feeding the sheep of his father Exod. 3. And the Lord called him to feed his people Israel and also David a shepheard who was tending of his fathers flock And the Lord called him 〈◊〉 the ewes and made him a shepheard in Is 〈…〉 and then there was Elisha a plow-man and Amos a heards-man Amos 1. And thus you see under the Law how the Lord did reveale his truth and under the Gospell you have Christ and his Disciples who were poor contemptible men in the world and as Matthew a Publican and Peter James and John fisher-men with Paul a Tent-maker And thus you see that the Lord did reveale his truth by a company of trades-men which the Apostle Paul doth so gloriously confirm 1 Cor. 1. against the proud Rabbies of those times and justifies his poor brethren in the Ministry saying you see your calling brethren how that not many wise mighty or noble are called to the Ministry but God hath called the foolish to confound the wise and the weake to confound the mighty and things that are not in the worlds â—ye as any thing hath God chosen to bring to â—aught things that are esteemed in the world And this the Lord doth that no flesh should boast or glory in his presence and therefore the Apostle saith Where is the wise where is the Scribe and disputer of this world for the Lord hath made foolish the wisdome of this world 1 Cor. 1. 20. And therefore behold saith the Lord I will do a work in your dayes saith the Lord that you will not believe though 〈◊〉 declared unto you for the wisdome of your wise men shall perish and I will make the deviners mad Esa 29. 14. Act. 23. Oh behold and wonder ye Ministers of England and ye Rabbies and Doctors ye have been exalted up to Heaven but you shall be brought down for you have sought your selves more then Jesus Christ and your own honour more then his you have sought to set up your selves and to abace Christ and have been ashamed to tonfess his Gospel before men for fear of losing your earthly honours and preferments and have denied the holy one of Israel in perverting his wayes and changing his Ordinances and have been time-servers and served your selves and not Christ and therefore the Lord hath a quarrel against you and wil confound your wisdom and make you to be despised before the people and will shake off your fleshly glorying that you may glory in the Lord and this the Lord will do by raysing up men to preach the Gospel and you shall be cast out as a contemptible thing because you have been a hinderance and not a furtherance to the Gospel of Christ for the Idolizing of your persons is a reason wherefore so few believe and obey the Gospel of Christ 7. Reason Wherefore so few imbrace and obey the Gospel is because the wayes of the Gospel are persecuted wayes for no sooner Christ the great Minister of God came to preach the Gospel to the People but the high Priest and Doctors sought to destroy him Mat 2. and how was he persecuted of the Learned Rabbies and was forst to flee from one place to another and was persecuted wheresoever he came and had not where to hide his head while the great Doctors were slourishing in their earthly glory and pompe rejoycing at the troubles of the Sonne of God and like Foxes lay lurking in their holes to watch for his ruin and nothing would serve them but his death crying his blood be upon us
mouth speaketh for thou shewest by thy words what is within for as thy heart is so are thy words but it is a signe there is no worship in thy heart because there is none in thy words or else thou dost dissemble with thy selfe Why ought we not as well to serve God in our Bodies as in our Soules Will the worship of God hinder us and why cannot we know as much in a visible way as thou dost out Dost thou thinke that the Worship of the Gospell and the Lawes and Ordinances thereof doth hinder us from knowing the minde of God sure this is but the doctrine of the Serpent for our obedience to the Commands of Jesus Christ doth not hinder us but further us to know his minde For the humble he will teach and he rejecteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble Our living in the Commands of Christ will not hinder us but helpe us to know the minde of God for the Promise is to such as walke in his way and that he that doth his Will shall know his minde and therefore it doth appeare that the Commands of Christ doth not hinder us from knowing the Mysteries of God thou wouldest take us off of our obedience from serving of God to serve the Devill for the Devill hath deceived thee and thou wouldest deceive as thou wouldest bring us out of order into confusion to walke in confusion like thy selfe thou art of no Religion and yet thou canst be of any and thy Religion changes as oft as thy thoughts thou art restlesse in thy thoughts and restlesse in thy life and also as restlesse in thy comforts for thou art in Babilon and the height of confusion for thou livest a confused life thou lyest in confusion and there thou livest how long wilt thou walke in confusion wilt thou not returne into order lest thou dye in confusion and fall into the wrath and anger of Jehovah FINIS A Postscript to a Party called Seekers or those that call themselves Mad-men which deny the Bible to be Scripture or the Word of GOD. THE Devill hath alwayes in all Ages sought to blinde the eyes of the people for he can fit himselfe for all Ages and he is more subtill in this Age then in other Ages and the reason I conceive is this because people are come to see further then they have done in former times into the word of God and his worship and therefore it is the subtilty of Sathan in these dayes to seeke to take us off all worship and to deny the Bible to be the word of God and so teaches men to deny that there is any rule to walke by but that every man may walke according to the dictates of his owne heart and as it seemeth good in his owne eyes and this is a pleasing bait to take the world with and here the old Serpent doth prevaile and snares the sonnes of men for this is the day he lookes for if he can take men off the word that thereby they may deny all Scriptures and all Visible Worship then they will be his owne children of the tribe of disobedience begotten by the seed of the Serpent and travelling towards the land of confusion that they may arrive at the anger of God and because the word is made so contemptible in these dayes I shall endeavour for the strengthning of some and the confirming of others to give you some reasons wherefore the things contained in the Bible are the word of God And first by the workes of Creation it doth appear that this is a truth for if the Lord hath taken so much care of the workes of Creation to preserve them doe you think that his care will bee lesse to preserve his Word Doth not hee magnifie his Name and his word above all things Psal 138. 2. And hath he not more care of his word with the letters and sillables thereof then of the Starres of heaven for if his care bee so great to preserve the workes of Creation how much more shall his care be to preserve his Word whereby his Name and Power might be known to all Nations 2 If the Letter and Word of the Old Testament were not true then what priviledge had the Jews which the Apostle speaks of in Rom. 3. 1. 2. That unto them were committed the Oracles of God now what praise is to the Jewes if their Oracles were not true then they had little priviledge above the Gentiles which is so much spoken of for if the Letter and Word be corrupted then what was their priviledge above other Nations 3 These sixteene hundred yeares and more since the Jewes have beene cast off from being the Church of God and have been scattered for their sinnes upon the face of the whole earth and have been the greatest enemies to the Gospell of any people and yet for all this it cannot be proved that they have corrupted the Scripture but that the Hebrew Text remaineth as it was in the Apostles dayes and shall wee thinke that they were lesse carefull in former times when they were the Church of God for they have been these many yeares so carefull that if any fault escaped the Scribe that Book was not allowed to bee read in their Synagogue untill it were corrected for they have these rules that if the Booke of the Law want but a letter or if the forme of any letter be not perfect it was for children and not for Church Maim in Sepher Torah C. 10. 4 What is 70 yeares to corrupt all Copies when as a Copy written on Parchment as their manner was will indure many 70 years intire Jeremiah with some Jews remained a while in the Land and Ezekiel Daniel with many godly men that were in Babylon with Ezra that learned Priest and Scribe came with the people out of Babylon and they had also other Prophets amongst them as Haggai Zachariah and Malachi and how doe you thinke that the Word should be corrupted having such a glorious company both of Prophets Scribes and wise men whereby it doth appeare that the Scripture is not corrupted but doth remaine the Word of God 5 Doth not Christ reprove the Priests and Scribes with the Pharisees for corrupting the Law by wrong interpretation as you may see Matth. 5. 15. and 23 Now it doth appeare if they had violated and falsified the Scriptures that Christ would have reproved them for it would not Christ have told them saying you have falsified the Scripture but he doth not and therefore it doth appeare that the Scriptures are true 6 If the Scriptures of the Old Testament had been false would Christ have exhorted them to have read the Scriptures Luke 16 Iohn 5. 2 Pet. 1 If they had beene wrong would not Christ and his Apostles have left a perfect Canon of the word to the Church and to all the world but we see that Christ doth confirme the Law in every point Mat. 5. 18. And therefore it doth appeare that
death and shall not the word judge you at the last day for every idle word and is not this the word of Christ John 12. 48. Consider therefore all you that forget God will not his word find you one day and accuse you at the bar of justice for all your contempt and then what answer will you make will you say his word was false or true will you condemn your judge that shall judge you the Lord give to consider that you may prevent the judgements of this Judge CHAP. 2. The Reasons wherefore so few believe and imbrace the Gospel IN the next place I shall endeavour to shew you the Reason wherefore so few believe the â—ospel for Christ saith many are called and few are chosen Mat. 22. 14. And so there is no fault in Christ if he call them and they come not the fault is theirs and not his Christ tells us also That 〈◊〉 is the gate and narrow is the way that leads to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 few there are that find it Mat. 7. â—4 And 〈◊〉 sure Christ doth not hinder them from finding the way for if he did he would not condemn them for not finding it but sure he 〈◊〉 intend to give them life because he proâ—â—â—â— it to them or else he did dissemble with 〈◊〉 which I believe he did not Also the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 as like 〈◊〉 a King that made â—â—â—â—riage for his 〈◊〉 Mat. 22. 2 3 4. Now this King is God who did intend to marry his Sonne to all that imbrace his grace and first he invited the Jewes as Christ himself saith I was not sent but to the lost sheepe of the House of Israel Mat. 10. 6. But the proud Scribes and Pharisees rejected the grace and mercy offered them and respected the pleasures of this world above the riches of Christ and he came unto his own but his own received him not John 1. 11. And therefore the Children of the Kingdom were cast out Mat. 8. 12. And therefore Paul saith it was necessary that the Gospel should be first preached to the Jewes but seeing you reject the Gospel loe we turn to the Gentiles Acts 13. 46. And thus you see they were called but they refused to come and therefore the fault was theirs and not his for Christ saith A sower went forth to sow and some seed fell upon good ground and some fell upon bad ground and some ground brought forth fruit and some brought forth none Now the sower is Christ and the seed is the word of grace and the ground is the World Now it doth appear that the fault was not in the sower for he sowed good seed as you may see Mat. 13. 34. And the same seed was sowen upon the bad ground as upon the good but you may say how came the ground to be bad I reply by the Devil and themselves for God made the ground good as you may see Gen. 2. and so saith the wise Solomon Eccles 7. 29. God made man good but they found out many inventions so that you may see the fault was in the ground and not in the sower nor the seed so that the fault is not in Christ because so few receive the Gospel but in the Creature who is condemned for rejecting the Gospel And now I shall come to Reasons to shew you wherefore so few imbrace the Gospel 1. Because the promises of the Gospel are spiritual and promises of another life and therefore so few receive it for if the Gospel promised to make men rich men and great men in the World then all would be Gospel-Professors because they would be rich and great men in the World and to be honoured of men and to injoy all the glory of the flesh for to have the prayse of men and to have the World on their side but because the Gospel holds forth no such thing but contrariwise those that imbrace the Gospel loose the savour and esteeme of the World and are hated of all men as contemptible men of another World as not worthy 〈◊〉 upon the face of the Earth and therefore there are so few that imbrace the Gospel the wayes of the Gospel being despised and contemptible in the eyes of the World Mat. 10. 22. And this is the Reason wherefore so few imbrace the Gospel of Christ as you may see John 15. 19. 2. Reason Is because the Gospel holds forth a self-denying Creature that a man must deny himself in the honours riches and pleasures of this life and love Christ above all for he that loves Father or Mother Wife and Children or Brother and Sister or any thing in the world more then Christ is not worthy of him and he that doth not denie himself and take up his Crosse and follow Christ cannot be his Disciple Mat. 10. 34. Luke 14. 26. For he that seekes to save his life in the riches honours of this life he shall loose the riches honours in Christ and he that is ashamed to professe the truth of Christ before men Christ will deny him the comforts of the Gospel before his Father which is in Heaven and therefore it is that so few do believe and obey the Gospel even because they love the honours riches and pleasures of this life more then they do Christ Nay rather then they will lose the honour of this world they will 〈◊〉 Christ like Judas for a peece of money 〈◊〉 deny their Master with Peter and forsake Christ with Demas to imbrace this present world so hard a thing is self-deniall to be brought off our own bottoms to imbrace the Gospell that I may say with the Prophet Esay 53. Lord who hath believed our report so many seek themselves and so few the things of Christ that rather then they will deny themselves they deny the Lord that bought them 2 Pet. 2. 1 3 Reason Wherefore so few imbrace the Gospell is because men love the praise of men more then the praise of God for thus it was in the dayes of Christ there were many of the Rulers believed on him but they did not confesse his name and Gospell openly because of the Priests of those times who were enemies to Christ and his truth and for fear of the Priests of those times they â—urst not imbrace the Gospell lest they should lose their favour and be shut out of the synagogue John 12. 42 they will deny Christ for the Text saith That those chiefe Rulers loved the praise of men more then the praise of God ver 43. And thus it is now in our dayes there are many of the chiefe Rulers believe and are perswaded of the truth of Christ but they will not confesse him and 〈◊〉 truth openly because they will not displease the Priests and least they should out themselves out of the fleshly Church of England and that covetous fleshly Ministry and because they love the praise of men more then the praise of God the god of this world having blinded the eyes of the
is declared to be righteous and just and the justifier of all that believe in him Rom. 8. 25 26. so that as by the offence of one many were made sinners even so by the righteousnesse of Christ shall many be made righteous Rom. 5. 19. And for this work of his God hath highly exalted him and hath made him Heir of all things Heb. 1. 2. And thus you see that Christ hath done the work of the first Covenant and so is the end thereof Thirdly Christ takes away the first by establishing the second for finding fault with the first he saith Behold the dayes come saith the Lord that I will make or establish a new Covenant and so he takes away the first that he may establish the second Heb. 10. 9. and so Christ is become a Minister of a better Covenant established upon better promises Heb. 8. 6. For if the first had been found faultlesse there had been no place found for the second but finding fault with the first he saith Behold the dayes come saith the Lord that I will make a new Covenant and in that he saith a new Covenant he hath made the first old and that which is old is ready to vanish away Heb. 8. 7. 8. 13. And thus you see the first was but a typicall Covenant and was but to continue untill a better came which is a better Covenant a better way then the former was Aud thus I have spoken a word or two of the first Covenant and now I shall speak a word or two of the second And first I shall shew you how the Covenant of grace is established and that is these three waies First by promise for no sooner there was a wound by the first Covenant but there was a promise of healing in the second saying the seed of the Woman shall break the Serpents head as you may see Gen. 3. 15. and this was also promised to Noah Gen 6. 18. and more fully manifested to Abraham in many promises made unto him at divers sundry times Gen. 12. 3. and the 17. 7. and a more plainer promise was made to Moses as you may see Deut. 18. 18. where the Lord sheweth that he would send the great Prophet or Angell of his Covenant and would put his words into his mouth that he might speak all that the Father should command him ver 18. 19. And thus yon see all along how the Covenant was established by the promise of the Father Secondly The Covenant was established by prophecy as you may see Isa 42. 6. ch 49 6. as also in Jer. 31. 31. And it shall come to passe in the last daies that I will make a new Covenant with the House of Israel and with the house of Judah not according to the Covenant I made with their Fathers in the day that I tooke them by the hand to bring them out of Egypt which Covenant they brake though I was a husband unto them saith the Lord but this shall be the Covenant that I will make with them saith the Lord And thus you see that it was established by Prophecy Thirdly It was established by the bloud of the Testatour for a covenant is ratified by bloud as also the first covenant was for when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the Law he took the bloud of calves and of goats and sprinkled both the book and the people saying This is the bloud of the covenant which God hath enjoyned unto you for without bloud there is no remission Heb 9. 19. 20. 22. and therefore the second covenant was established and ratified with bloud even by the bloud of the Son of God Heb. 9. 14. For where a covenant is there must also be of necessity the death of the Testator ver 16. and therefore the bloud of Christ is called the bloud of the covenant Heb. 10. 29. chap. 12. 24. chap. 13. 20. And thus the Covenant is ratified and confirmed by the bloud of Christ which is the bloud of the everlasting covenant And thus I have shewed you in a word or two how the Covenant was established and now I shall speak a word or two of the Covenant it selfe now the essence or being of the Covenant is God who out of his 〈◊〉 love and unexpressible mercy and tender compassion was pleased to give a being to the Covenant to manifest to all men that he was not in anger but in love that though his anger lay in the Covenant of the flesh yet his love lay in the Covenant of the spirit for he seemed to shew anger in the type and shadow but his great love doth appear in the substance and truth in the Covenant of grace to manifest his great love to all men and thus much for the being of the Covenant and now for the matter of it Now the matter of the Covenant is the mind of God consisting of promises of love and mercy unto all men as you may see Luke 2. 10. 14. upon condition of obedience unto the Lawes and Ordinances of that Covenant proceeding from the minde of God from whence all the teaching of the Gospell and ordinances thereof do proceed as you see Deut. 18. 17 18. For the Son doth nothing of himselfe but what he hath received of the Father in being taught of the Father what to teach John 8. 20. 29. And so being to toach the mind of the Father both for promises and commands to the world from the minde of God and thus much for the matter of the Covenant consisting of Promises and Ordinances proceeding from the minde of the Father and now of the matter it selfe Now the Covenant of grace is called a testament or will being indeed the will of the Father revealed to the Son and by the Son revealed to the world to manifest the Fathers love unto the sonnes and daughters of men and testified to the world that what he declared was the minde of God and sealed it with his bloud and so his bloud is called the bloud of God or the bloud of the testament or will Heb. 10. 19. chap. 13. 20. Secondly It is called a new Covenant because it makes the first old and takes away the old bondage of the first that there might be Gospel-freedome in the second that so we may see how far the one doth exceed the other Thirdly It is called a new Covenant because it doth not wax old as the other did but is to continue for ever and is an everlasting Covenant which is to continue until the consummation of all things Mat. 28. Fourthly It is called a new Covenant because it is new in every age and to every generation it is a new covenant bringing new covenants in every age which are green and â—â—urishing afresh in all generations to manifest the glory of the Gospell beyond the glory of the first the glory of the one decreasing and the glory of the other growng and increasing and thus much of the
prepared of old and all the wicked and ungodly shall go down to Hell and Christ shall say Go you cursed into a place prepared That there is a condemnation doth appear for these Reasons 1. From the essence or being of God himself who is so pure and glorious in his nature that he abhorrs the very thoughts of sinne being as opposite as light and darknesse that as he loves nothing more then goodnesse so nothing is so odious in his sight as sinne and wickednesse So that being so opposite to the essence and being of God as not to enjoy his presence therefore there must be a deprivation or separation between God and sin and so there is a condemnation 2. Because God hath opposed sinne at all times as the greatest enemy to all goodnesse and hath been an enemy to sin ever since he was in being and hath proclam'd it to be his greatest enemy under all his Dominions and hath shewed his displeasure against it from the beginning in setting all his heavenly host against it and proclaiming open war against it for ever as never to enjoy his presence but to abide his displeasure for ever and therefore there is a condemnation 3. All that is opposite to God shall at last be condemned what is more opposite to God then sin and sinners in opposing his power and goodnesse rejecting and despising his holinesse and seeks to make God and his wayes contemptible and therefore God will condemne sin and the punishment of sinne shall extend as far as the wickednesse of it and that a condemnation for ever and ever 4. Sinne is an open enâ—â—â—â— against God in destroying his works and reviling and blaspheming his great name and seeks to rob him of his honour to over-throw his truth and people and doth abhorr all the wayes of God being a continuall enemy against him and his goodnesse teaching people to deny him to be God and to deny his name greatnesse and hath sought to destroy and rob God of his being and therefore God doth declare that he will punish sin for ever and condemn it from his presence for evermore 5. God hath declared that he will condemn sinners as well as sin and therefore there is a condemnation even the Angells that fell are reserved in chaines of darknesse till the great day and shall never be delivered from the wrath to come which makes them fear and tremble and how darest thou then proud man say there is no Hell doth not the Devil delude thee that thou mayest at last lye under the same condemnation 6. If there be no condemnation then the condition of the wicked is better then the condition of the people of God then in vaine do they serve God if the wicked who walke in all the wayes of wickednesse and commit sin with greedinesse and accomplish all their wicked desires if they shall not be condemned then all our holy walkings are in vaine but what can be more contrary to GOD then this Doth not GOD abhorre such thoughts as these and declared that he will put a difference betweene those that serve him and those that serve him not Malachi 3. 18. and therefore there is a condemnation 7. If there be no condemnation to what purpose are the Scriptures set forth if they shall be saved that disobey them as well as those that obey them then the Scripture is of little use but the Scripture will tell you at the last day that it is in force to condemn you 8. If there be no condemnation then the Devills shall be saved and then wickednesse shall be asmuch honoured as goodnesse and then it would be best to walke after our own wayes and take all the pleasure we could in this life if there be no condemnation but neither sinne nor sinners shall escape the judgement of GOD and therefore there is a condemnation 10. The Prophets do declare that there is a condemnation that all the wicked and all Nations that forget God shal go down to hell Psal 9. 17. and the wicked shall perish Psal 37. 20. and the hope of the wicked shall perish Prov. and Tophet is prepared of old for the King as for the begger Esay 30. 33. for there is no peace to the wicked saith our God Esay 48. 22. there is no peace saith my God to the wicked Esay 54. 21. and those that will not obey I will utterly destroy Jer. 12. 17. For I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings saith the Lord Jerem. 21. 14. and I will bring an everlasting reproach upon you and a perpetuall shame which shall never be forgotten Jerem. 23. 40. And behold the whirlewind of the Lord goeth forth with fury a continuing whirlewinde it shall fall with pain upon the head of the wicked the fierce anger of the Lord shall not return untill he have done it and untill he have performed the intents of his heart in the latter dayes ye shall consider it Jerem. 30. 23. 24. And the day cometh that shall burne as an oven and all the proud and all that do wickedly shall be burnt up saith the Lord of hosts Mal. 4. 4. And what need I bring more Scriptures seeing all the Prophets are full in this to shew that there is a condemnation 11. Christ and his Apostles will tell you that there is a condemnation doth not Christ say this is the condemnation that light is come into the world and they love darknesse rather then light John 3. 17 And he that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed on the Son of God ver 18. And the word that I have spoken shall judge you at the last day John 12. And when he shall say to those on his left hand Go ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devill and his angels Mat. 25. 41. And that they shall go into everlasting punishment vers 46. And that many are called and few are chosen And the Apostle saith Tribulation and anguish upon every soul that doth wickedly Rom. 2. 3. And that God shall judge all men by the Gospel and that Christ shall come in flaming fire to render vengeance to all that obey not the Gospell who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord 2 Thes 1. 8. 9. And many places more might be brought to prove that there is a condemnation 12 Doth not your conscience tell you there is a Hell doth it not accuse you for all your actions will it not be as a thousand witnesses against you how will you satisfie conscience for if our conscience condemne us God is greater then our conscience Doth not conscience register up all your actions will it not tell you one day you must be brought to an account and judged according to your deeds for Solomon saith A wounded conscience who can bear When it comes to accuse you at your death and sets your sins in order before you it wil tel you there
is a condemnation and you shal then find there is a condemnation and I shall shew you the judgements of this condemnation First One judgement of this condemnation is hell which is a hidden place of Gods anger and wrath for as the joyes of heaven are hidden joyes so also the torments of hell are hid for no man is able to apprehend how terrible the torments of hell are which makes the divels to tremble for saith the Lord An anger is kindled in my wrath which shall burn to the lowest hell Deut. 32. 22. And all the wicked and all nations that forget God shall go own to bell Psal 9. 17. and Tophet is prepared of old for the King as well as the begger you may see Esay 30. 33. And when Christ shall say to the wicked Go ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devill and his angels Mat. 25. 41. And the wicked shall go into everlasting punishment ver 46. When Christ shall come in flaming fire with his migty Angels to render vengeance to those that know not God and obey not the Gospel of Christ who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power 2 Thes 1. 7. 8. 9. and this is one judgement of this condemnation The second judgemeâ—◠〈◊〉 the fire of hell which is the fire of Gods 〈◊〉 and is the wrath and anger of God which shall burn and consume for ever for if our materiall fire which was made to warm to comfort and refresh the creature be so terrible what do you think the fire of hell is that is made for tormenâ— when God himselfe doth invent torment how terrible will it be for the wrath of the Lord like a river of brimstone doth kindle the fire of hell Esay 30. 33. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodlinesse of men that withhold the truth in unrighteousnesse Rom. 1. 18 And the fire of the wrath is everlasting and never goes out Mat. 25. 41. Thirdly The worme never dies and this worme I conceive to be an accusing conscience judging and accusing a sinfull and wicked creature for all his abominations that he hath committed in rejecting the love of God and the grace and mercy offered in Jesus Christ whereby he might have been freed from that wrath to come had he imbraced the grace and mercy offered but now he is lost for ever through his own default and hath lost the glory that he might have had and must abide the wrath of God for ever and thus the worme never dies Marke 9. 25. Fourthly There shall be weeping gnashing of teeth for now there will be a wonderfull change for those that formerly have lived in all pleasure and delight and have been haters of God and contemners of all good and rejoycing in their pleasures and delights and have glutted themselves with the pleasures of this world with their scorns and jears and rejoycings against the troubles of the people of God and mocking at their troubles and rejoycing at their calamity with their injoying all the pleasures of this life taking their fill in the eyes of this world but now comes their woe their rejoycing will be turned to mourning for woe be to you that laugh now in your wickedness for you shall weep Oh what a change will there be when all their joy will be turned into weeping for there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth they that have glutted themselves with their made joy shal now have enought of weeping they shall now weep houle bewaile their condition with weeping for ever and this is another judgement of this condemnation Mat. 13. 42. 50. chap. 24. 51. chap. 25. 30. 5. They shall be cast into utter darkness for they have done the works of darkness and their reward shall be that they shall be cast into utter darkness it would be a hell for a man to live all his lifetime in some dark place where he should never see the light all his life-time How terrible was the darkness in Egypt that might be felt Exod. 10. 23. that no man rose from his place for three dayes it was so dark and they were so amazed with darkness but what will the darkness of Hell be think you it is utter darkness where they shal be deprived of the light for ever from the light of God of Christ and from the light of grace and glory and never more to see the light Mat. 8. 12. chap. 12. 13. ch 25. 30. 6. The consideration of the losse of their time what they are and what they might have been had they improved that precious time that was afforded them whereby they might have been precious Saints in Heaven and to have enjoyed the presence of God and of Christ of Saints and Angels to have been in glory with Abraham Isaac and Jacob and with all the Saints in glory had they improved that pretious time which the Lord did afford them who was waiting upon them to do them good by tendering grace to them day by day and they rejecting all the motions of his spirit and despised his grace and mercy offered them and so may blame themselves not him O how wil this strike to their hearts think you when they consider their losse and themselves the cause there of and now are lost Creatures for ever how will this aggravate their woe O consider this all you that forget God before it is too late while you have time and while it is called to day harden not your hearts least you fall into the anger of God â—â—id so 〈◊〉 you up in his wrath into that terrible condemnation for our God is a consuming fire Seventhly They shall receive every one according to their deeds and their wickednes then those that have been most vile shall receive according to their vileness the proud shall receive according to their pride for terrible is that God that judgeth them so much covetousnesse so much wrath so much drunkennesse so much of the anger of God shall be powred upon them so much swearing so much payment for oaths so much whoring so much torment so much pleasure in the world so much displeasure and sorrow so much honour in the world so much dishonour with God and look how much they have been persecutors of the Saints and people of God so much they shall be persecuted for thus saith the Lord I will measure unto them according to their works Now will the Lord call all their wickednesse into remembrance which have been forgotten so many hundred of years but now are called to remembrance for though he suffered them long yet now he will pay them home at last and this will be an aggravation of their condemnation Eighthly Their worm â—hall neveâ— die nor the fire of Gods wrath shall never be put out for he suffered them for a moment to delight themselves in sinne but he will punish them for ever
mouth of God in all their Doctrine speaking of the Resurrection and the day of judgement and preaching the judgements of God against wicked men which was a great part of their Doctrine in all their preaching and whether do not those that deny the Resurrection question all the rest of their Doctrine to be false by this their Tenet of denying the Resurrection for if their Doctrine of the Resurrection be false then why may not you also question all the rest of their Doctrine to be false for deny the Doctrine of the Resurrection and you may as well deny all the rest but how vile and wicked this Tenet is let all wise men try and judge 15. Whether is not this a most Atheisticall Tenet to deny the Resurrection and whether is not this the same that the Atheists hold in 2 Pet. 3. 4. saying Where is the promise of his comming for since the Fathers fell asleep all things continue as they were from the beginning of the Creation and being ignorantly willing of this their wicked Tenet not knowing that One day with the Lord is as a thousand yeares and a thousand yeares as one day for the Lord is not slack of his comming as some count slacknesse but is long suffering to us ward not willing or consulting that any should perish but that all men should come to a change Ver. 8. 9. And thus you see there were such Atheists in the Apostles times who were wilfully ignorant of the Resurrection and the comming of Christ but this shal be the perdition of ungodly men to their utter destruction and now I shall further prove that there is a Resurrection 1. Christ will tell thee that there is a Resurrection when he saith I am the resurrection and the life Joh. 11. 25. that is he is an infallible testimony of the Resurrection in being risen from the dead and hath trampled death under his feet and hath shewed us that as he rose from the dead so also shal we be raised up by the same power and when he was asked a question concerning Marriage he told them they erred not knowing the Scripture and the power of God for in the Resurrection they neither married nor were given in marriage but were like unto the Angels of God in heaven Mat. 22. 29 30. And as touching the Resurrection have you not heard in the Prophets what God spake saying I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob now God is not the God of the dead but of the living and that the Saints shal be recompenced at the resurrection of the just Luke 14. 14. and that they that shall be accounted wâ—â—thy to obtaine that world and the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage neither can they doe any more for they are equall with the Angels and are the children of God being the children of the Resurrection Luk. 20. 34 35 36. and Moses shewed you at the Bush of the Resurrection ver 37. And Christ saith further Marvell not at this for the houre is comming when all that are in the Graves shall heare his voyce and shall come forth they that have done good to the resurrection of life and they that have done evill to the resurrection of condemnation Joh. 5. 28 29. and thus you see the words of Christ which are sufficient to satisfie any reasonable man that there is a Resurrection 2. Christs Apostles will tell thee that there is a Resurrection of which they are witnesses Act. 1. 22. Preaching through Jesus the resurrection of the dead Acts 4. 2. and for which Doctrine Paul was called in question for preaching the resurrection Act. 24. 22. For since by man came death by man also came the resurrection of the dead 1 Cor. 15. 22. and therefore the Apostle pressed forward that he might be made partaker of the glory of this resurrection Phil. 3. 10. 11. and this was a principle of the Gospell that they taught as you may see Heb. 6. 2. And in the 11 Heb. the Apostle sheweth you an epitome of the glorious Acts of the Saints of former times what they under-went that they might obtaine the glory of a better Resurrection Heb. 11. 35. And so we are begoâ—ten to a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 1. 3. For God hath hath raised up the Lord Christ and will also raise up us by his owne power 1 Cor. 6. 14. And knowing that God the Father which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Iesus and shall present us with you 2 Cor. 4. 14. and thus the Apostles cleare the truth of this Doctrine that there is a resurrection 3. The day of Judgement will tell thee that there is a Resurrection and thus saith the wise Solomon For God shall bring every work into judgement with every secret thing whether it be good or evill Eccles 12. 14. And therefore Christ saith It shall be more tolerable for Sodome and Gomorrah in the day of judgement then for those that reject the Gospel Mat. 10. 15. And I say unto you that for every idle word that men shal speak they shall give account thereof in the day of judgement for by thy words thou shalt be justified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned Mat. 12. 36 37. And saith Christ The words that I have spoken shall judge you at the last day Joh. 12. 48. And therefore Christ is ordained of God to be a judge of the quicke and the dead Act. 20. 42. For God hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousnesse by the man Christ whom he hath appointed Act. 17. 31 And the disobedient or wicked treasure up wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgement of God Rom. 2. 5. And when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my Gospel Rom. 2. 16. And we shall all stand before the judgement seat of Christ Rom. 14. 10. For to this end Christ hath dyed and rose againe that he might be the Lord both of the dead and living vers 9. For we must all appeare before the judgement seat of Christ that every man may receive according to that he hath done in the body whether it be good or bad 2 Cor. 5. 10. And it is appointed for all men once to dye and after that commeth judgement Heb. 9. 27. And Enoch the seventh from Adam prophesied of this saying Behold the Lord commeth with ten thousand of his Saints to execute judgement upon all Jude 14 15. For the Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation and to reserve the unjust to the day of judgement to be punished 2 Pet. 29. And the Angels are reserved in chaines of darknesse untill the judgement of the great day Jude 6. And thus I have shewed that there is a Judgement For it is appointed for all men once to dye and after
that commeth judgement and therefore it is cleare that there is a Resurrection 4. Thy conscience will tell thee O vain man that there is a Resurrection for doth not thy conscience tell thee that thou must one day give account for all thy vaine thoughts words and actions and that thou must appear before the great Judge examine thy conscience and it will tell thee and bee as a thousand witnesses against thee thou hast the testimony within thee that will testifie against thee that there is a Resurrection and judge thee one day if thou continuest in that wicked opinion thy conscience will tell thee at thy death there is a Resurrection thou canst not one day stop the mouth of conscience when it shall come and witnesse against thee for all thy wicked acts And thus you see it is clear that there is a Resurrection and now I shall speak a word or two when it shall be 1. But now for the set day or houre of this Resurrection or Judgement it is too high for a finite creature to know For it is not for us to know the times or seasons that the Father hath put in his owne power Act. 1. 7. For of that day nor houre knoweth no man no not the Angels nor the Son himselfe till it be revealed to him Mat. 24. 36. And therefore I shall not dare as some have foolishly done to prescribe or set forth the day of this Resurrection or Judgement 2. The Fathers and learned Doctors of the times in former ages have conceived this day of the Resurrection or Judgement to be at the end of six thousand yeares but this is but their judgement and I shal also under the favour of the Learned give my judgement as desiring to see further because God hath promised to manifest more light in the latter dayes and also because I stand upon the shoulders of my fore-fathers and therefore may see further Now I conceive that as God was six dayes finishing the workes of Creation and the seventh day was a Sabbath of rest that there is a glorious spirituall meaning in all this or else God could as well have finished his workes in one day as in six and therefore there must be some other meaning in all this which I conceive to be this That as God the Father was six dayes labouring in the workes of Creation and finished his workes in six dayes and rested the seventh day it holds forth thus much That the sonnes and daughters of men with the creatures also should bee in commotion and hard labour for six thousand yeares and that in these six thousand yeares he will end all war and strife and that within these yeares he will shake all Nations Hag. 2. 7 8. and will overthrow the pride and vain-glory and false confidence of all Nations and will shake them off their fleshly glorying and beat downe all their strong holds and every fenced wal Esa 2. and all Nations shall lye open and naked and shall have their fill of fighting and shal see their vanity and shall desire to be at rest and shall beat all their weapons of war in peeces and there shall be a spirit of love and union established in all Nations neither shall they learn warre any more but every man shall sit under his own vine and under his own fig-tree and none shall make them afraid for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Esa 2. Mic. 4. and then shall the fulnesse of the Gentiles come in and the Jews shall be called and the glory of the people of Israel shall be set up and they shall injoy their former inheritances to wit the Land of Canaan and all the glory thereof and the Lord will end the hard labour and travell of all Nations and all Nations shall sit downe at rest And this I beleeve the Lord will doe in the six thousand yeares for he hath seen the sore labour and travell of all Nations and of every creature and he doth intend to give them a Jubile or Sabbath of rest and the seventh day or seventh thousand yeares will bee a rest to all Nations and to every creature from that sore labour and travell and all pride and covetousnesse shall be done away in those daies and the desire of all Nations shall come to seek the Lord and to seek the wayes of Sion and the Lord will extend peace to all Nations like a mighty River Esa last Revel 21. v. 22. And the Lord shall speake to the heaven above and to the earth below and all fruits of the earth shall come in abundance and there shall be a fulnesse of all the fruits of the earth for the Winter shall be like the Summer and fulnesse shall be upon all the earth for it is the Lords Jubile or Sabbath of rest to all Nations 3. This Resurrection shall bee at the last day in the last age or generation when the number of Gods account is up and the last generation shall be brought up for that is the number of Gods account when the last generation is on foot For the Gospell must bee preached to all the world for a witnesse to all Nations and then shall the end come Mat. 24. 14. For it doth not appeare that Christ shall not come untill the restauration of all things that are written in the Law and the Prophets and that there shall be a new heaven and a new earth and a refining of all things before his glorious appearing with that glorious company and heavenly host whom the heavens must containe untill that time till all things be refined as you may see Act. 3. 20 21. For it doth appeare that the Resurrection shall not be untill the new heavens and new earth and that they shall be refined and come forth of the new earth and that we shall not rise before doth appeare by Scripture which saith That man lyeth downe and riseth not till the heavens be no more or dissolved they shall not awake nor be raised out of their sleep Job 14. 22. And of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth and the heavens are the work of thy hands and they shall perish but thou shalt stand and they shall all of them wax old as a garment and as a vesture shalt thou change them and they shall be changed as you may see Psal 102. 25 26. For the stars of heaven and constellations thereof shall not give their light the Sun shall be darkned in his going forth and the Moon shall not cause her light to shine Esa 13. 10. For the windows from on high are open and the foundations of the earth do shake the earth is utterly broken downe the earth is cleane dissolved the earth is moved exceedingly the earth shall reel too and fro like a drunken man and shall be removed like a cottage and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it and it shall fall and not rise againe Esa 24. 18 19 20. And all the
men and to this I shall adde Scripture Job saith I know that my â—edeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth and though the wormes destroy this body yet in my flesh I shall see God whom I shall behold for my selfe and mine eyes shall â—ebol 〈…〉 and not â—â—ther eyes though my reines be cons 〈…〉 in me Job 19. 25 26 27. And David doth declare That his flesh did rest in hope for that great and glorious day to wit the redemption of his body Psal 16. And the Apostle saith We shall be judged according to those things that we have done in this body whether good or bad For another body shall not be judged but the same body nor another body shall not be punished but the same body for the same body shall be punished that hath acted wickednesse and this the Apostle doth cleare in the 1 Cor. 15. shewing us that there is divers kindes of flesh but he will give to every body his owne flesh and to every seed his own body to shew us that the same flesh shall be raised up again and not another and so I shall conclude with the words of the Prophet saying Thy dead men shall live together with my dead body shall they arise Awake and sing ye that dwell in the dust for thy dew is as the dew of herbs and the earth shall cast out the dead Esa 26. 19. 7. They shall appear in the same form and likenesse and fashion as they were in upon earth and shall have the same body and the same stature and proportion with the same likenesse and complexion for their rising shall not change their proportion no way but rather adde to it to make them more like themselves then ever they were before and every man shal be knowne in the same body and proportion as he was upon the earth Adam in his owne likenesse and Abraham Moses Solomon and David in their owne likenesse and every man and woman in their owne likenesse as they were upon earth and so they shal be known every man and woman as they were upon the earth only they shal appeare more glorious but their glorious appearance wil not take away the being of their likenesse and proportion but rather adde to it as the glory and excellency of a man doth not take away his leaving to be a man but rather adds to it and even so the glory of our appearing doth not take away the likenesse of our being but rather adds to it and so makes our likenesse the more glorious 8 The wicked shal also be raised up for Christ shal judge both the quicke and the dead and we shal all appear before the Judgement Seat of Christ to give an account for those things that we have done in the flesh whether good or evil for Christ shal sit upon the throne of his glory and all Nations shal be gathered together before him Mat. 25. 31 32. For the time is comming that all that are in the graves shall heare the voyce of the Son of Man and shall comâ—forth they that have done good to the resurrection of life and they that have done evill to the resurrection of condemnation Joh. 5. 28 29. For it is appointed for all men once to dye and after that commeth judgement Now the wicked I conceive shal not rise like the Saints but every one according to his nature for the Saints shal rise with the nature of Christ upon them for their vile bodies shal be fashioned like unto his glorious body and be cloathed with their house which is from heaven but the wicked shal rise in their corrupt nature and shal be cloathed with their sinne and as the Saints shal be cloathed with their obedience even so shal the wicked be cloathed with their disobedience and this I conceive shal be the distinguishing badge whereby the righteous shal be knowne from the wicked for the Saints shal rise with the cloathing or livery of Christ upon them and the other shal rise with the cloathing or livery of the Devil upon them whereby they shal be known whose servants they are and yet I conceive the Lord wil doe his part for he wil raise them up a pure nature for they shal be most pure and glorious in their nature until they shal be cloathed with their sinne which shal darken their nature for they wil come forth of the new earth and so their natures shal â—e Spirituall incorruptible and immortall whereby they wil be more capable of Sin and Judgement and the more capable of all their sorrow and misery and now I shal speake a word or two where this Judgement shal be 9. Where this Judgement shal be is a great question for some thinke it shal be in the Aire but me thinkes that is but an airie argument for there is no good reason can be given wherefore it should be in the Aire and others thinke it shal be in heaven but that is not likely wherefore it should be in heaven because Christ comes downe to judge and therefore it doth appeare it shal be on the earth for what should the wicked doe in heaven and therefore Christ comes downe upon earth to Judge them for it is most fit that where they have done their wickednesse that there they should be judged and that is upon the earth now the place of Judgement I conceive wil be at Jerusalem about the valley of Iehoshaphat which is the middle part of the earth for there Christ was put to death and had all the dishonour and there he wil vindicate himselfe in that place and have all the honour for in the place where he ascended up into heaven it is likely in the same place he wil discend with his mighty Angels and that is upon the Mount Oliveâ— or the Mount of Olives for thus it is Prophesied of him when the Lord shal come forth of his holy place for behold the Lord commeth forth out of his place and will come downe and will tread upon the high places of the earth and the Mountains shal be molten under him and the Vallies shal be cleft as Wax before the fire and as the waters that are poured down a steep place Mich. 1. 3 4. and at that day his feete shall stand upon the Mount of Olives that is before Jerusalem on the East and the Mount of Olives shal cleave in the midst towards the East and towards the West and there shal be a very great Valley and half of the Mountaine shal remove towards the North and halfe of it towards the South and yee shall fly to the Valley of my Mountaines for the Valley of the Mountaines shal reach unto Azal and those that are there at that day fhal fly as they fled before the Earth-quake in the dayes of Vzzah King of Judah and the Lord my God shal come and all the Saints with him Zach. 14. 3 4 5. and thus you may see how
and the heavens and the earth shall shake but the Lord will be the harbour of his people and there shall we know that he is the Lord dwelling in Zion his holy mountaine then shall Jerusalem be holy nor there shall no strangers passe through her any more and it shall come to passe at that day that the mountaines shall drop downs new wine and the bils shall flow with milke and all the Rivers of Judah shall flow with waters and a fountaine shall come forth from the house of the Lord and shall water the valley of Shittim Joel 3. 17 18. For in the middest of this City new Jerusalem shal proceed from the Throne of God and of the Lamb a 〈◊〉 River of water of life in the midst of the street of it and on the other side of the River there shal be a tree of life which shal have twelve manner of fruits and yeelding her fruit every month and the leaves of the tree shal be for healing the Nations of all their spiritual griefe for there shal be no more cryes amongst the Saints but the Throne of God and of the Lamb◠shall be in this glorious City and they shal serve him and there they shal see his face and presence and his name shal be in their foreheads the honour of their glorious profession and in that City there shal be no night and there the Saints shal reign in a glorious manner for it is the great day of the great Judge in which there shal be no darknesse And thus wil the Lord Christ prepare a glorious place for the Saints such a glorious City as cannot be expressed where they shal gloriously reigne in all spiritual pleasure and delight which is not able to be expressed for there wil the great Court of heaven be while the great Judge is upon the earth to shew forth his wonderful glory while he sits in judgement until the great Court shal be broken up for Jesus Christ shal sit upon his glorious Throne and al Nations shal be gathered together before him and he shal seperate the good from the bad and wil set the sheep on his right hand and goats on his left hand and when the great Trial and Judgement is passed upon all the wicked then shall he send them to their place saying Goe ye wicked and cursed ones depart from me into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his angels and then shall they goe into everlasting punishment for ever and ever where the worme never dyes nor the fire never goes out Mat. 25. 41 46. And when Christ hath done his work upon the earth then shall that glorious Court be broken up with glorious triumph and glory which is not able to be exprest and then shal they al return unto the place prepared for them far above all heavens for then shall the great Judge of heaven and earth returne from whence he came with all his glorious heavenly host far above all heavens into the heaven of heavens there to remaine for ever and ever and so the whole Creation shall injoy the footstool Rom. 8. 19 20 21 22 and the Saints shall injoy the Throne for ever and ever And thus I have spoken a word or two as my time would permit me of the Resurrection CHAP. X. Of Visible Worship THe wise Solomon saith That the full stomach loatheth the hony comb his saying is made good in this Age for never was the word of God more plentifull nor never more contemptible then it is in these dayes but what brings a loathing but a fulnesse and what brings contempt but plenty are not many fatted up in these dayes to the day of slaughter they are full but not of goodnesse for that would make them see their wants who is more proud of grace then he that hath least and who is more humble then he that hath most how many in these dayes are rapt up in spirituall pride and boast of more then they have and yet improve not that they have many say they are full that are empty and yet they boast as if they were full who is worse then he that thinkes he is best he saith he knoweth when he is ignorant he saith he seeth when he is blinde he saith he is full when he is an hungry and he saith he wanteth nothing when he wanteth all things he saith he is rich when he is poore And this is the condition of a spirituall proud man It was spirituall pride that brought the Devills from heaven to hell and there is many in these dayes that are sicke of this disease when all the Devills snares faile yet here he takes the Bird the Devill is more subtill then man and yet he makes man more wicked then himselfe for the Devils durst not deny the Scripture but he begets a worse childe then himselfe and when he hath done so he laughs at his folly he talkes of high attainments if they breake the Command they shall be as Gods but he knows when they doe transgresse they shall be as Devils he tells men when they disobey they shall be highest but he knoweth when they disobey they shall be lowest he tells them if they will obey him they shall see but he knows if they doe obey him they shall be blinde he tells them that obedience is nothing but he knows disobedience is something he saith obedience will not save thee but he knows that disobedience will damne thee he saith the Scripture is not true but he knows he is a liar he saies thou needest not serve God but he knows thou shalt be damned if thou dost not he saith thou needest not shew any visible obedience but he knows if thou dost not thou wilt shew a visible disobedience he tells thee that Christ hath done all for thee thou needest not doe any thing but he knows thou shalt not be saved except thou doe something he tells thee thou needs not keep al the Commands but he knows if thou break one thou art guilty of all he tels thee that some Ordinances are carnall but he knows that thou art carnall he tells thee it is nothing to breake some Commands but he knows it is something to breake any Command he tells thee thou art higher then obedience but he knows thou art in the highest disobedience he tels thee that all shall be saved but he knows that the greatest part shall be damned he tels thee there is no glory but in this life but he knows thou shalt finde punishment in another he tels thee there is no heaven but he knows thou shalt find a hell he tels thee there is no Resurrection but he knows thou shalt finde a Judgement he tels thee there is no Judgement but he knows thou shalt finde a punishment he tels thee that God acts all thy actions but he knows thou art a liar he tels thee that God acts all thy good acts and yet he knows thou shalt be condemned for not