Now whereas those that would bring in our evangelical obedience and intrest that in the business of justification do it because they suppose the Doctrine of justification by their imputed righteousness alone is Antinomian and tends to the making void the Law Paul spakes of such an objection as this doe we make void the Law through faith no we establish the Law It may be better askt of such Do ye not make void Christ to your selves by establishing your own righteousness and so from a vain fear of Antinomianisme run to Antichristianisme sure the Orthodox believer who holds fast the faith which was once delivered to the Saints may say to such as Paul did to the Galatians Chap. 1.6 I marvel that you are so soon removed to another Gospel from him that called you into the grace of Christ which is not another Gospel save that there be some that trouble you and would pervert the Gospel of Christ But if after so much ado to discover this New way to attain to justification Our English R. B. had concluded as the Romish R. B. did with a Tutissimum est c. this had been ingenious 3. The righteousness we should have is the righteousness of Faith but that which is by the faith of Christ not that which is by the love of Christ not that which is by the sincere serving of Christ but that which is by the faith of Christ Most true it is that where there is faith there will be love and obedience Faith that is unfeigned and love that is sincere can no more be parted than Fire and heat and nothing provokes more to love nothing doth more vigorously promote evangelical obedience than a true lively faith who will love most said Christ to Simon He that had most forgiven said Simon and Christ said thou hast rightly judged Faith will purify the heart and reforme the Life In the business of sanctification and holy living Faith workes by love but in the matter of justification love doth not work by faith to the compleating of it 4. The righteousness which is of God by faith is that alone which we must have for our justification An imputed righteousness which was the gift of the Father was fulfilled by the son of which the Spirit doth convince and is received and applyed by Faith this is that which we must have if we would be justified Rom. 5.18 19. By the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men for the justification of Life And by the Obedience of one shall many be made righteous Christ was obedient in his Life and obedient in his Death he was obedient in doing and in dying the Law said do this and live The Man that doth them shall live in them Gal. 3 12. Do and do all do and do perfectly do and continue to do Man stood bound to this that by such doing he might glorifie the sovereignty of God and honor him as his Creator Now Christ putting himself in mans stead this he did and most highly glorified the sovereignty of God when he being in the forme of God and equal with God humbled himself and took the form of a Servant Again the Law said not doing thou must die In the day thou eatest thou shalt die the Death Now Christ became obedient to Death whereby all that doe believe are delivered from and need not be in bondage through fear of Death consider then what the Law sayeth and what Christ hath done and bring both together and be found trusting in him and in what he hath done so shall you be found in a justified state and so in peace 2. A sanctified state is a state of Peace There is no peace sayth my God to the Wicked Isa 48.22 But he spaketh peace to his Saints Psa 85.8 The pure in heart shall see God Except a Man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God in which is peace and the joys of the holy Ghost In Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing nor un-circumcision but the New Creature the New Creature the Man made after God who hath concerning the former conversation put off the Old Man is in a state of peace 2. Be diligent that ye may be found of him in a peaceable frame A peaceable State and a peaceable frame goe together when God is at peace with men they shall be at peace with him who ever can look to Christ in Heaven as their peace they have the Spirit destroying that enmity which is in their Hearts against God Be at peace with the sovereignty of God Say not as those enemies we will not have this Man to reign over us but as Thomas my Lord and my God Not as Pharaoh who is the Lord that I should obey him but as Joshua As for me and my house we will serve the Lord. Be at peace with the Commands of God say as David O how doe I love thy Law As Paul I delight in the Law of God after the inner Man Be at peace with all the Truths of God receive them in the light and love of them in the Life and power of them so as to obey the truth and be found walking in it Be at peace with all the dispensations of God even with such wherein evil comes as well as with those wherein good comes Be at peace with all the people of God Love those whom God loves whom Chrst hath redeemed and the spirit hath sanctified Thus much of the first Branch of the Exhortation 2. Be diligent that ye may be found of him without spot Q. But who is or can be in this life without spot Noah had his spot Lot had his spot David had his spot and Peter had his spot A. None in this life are altogether without spot 't was Christ alone who was absolutely without spot Heb. 9.14 He offered himself without spot to God and he was a lamb without spot and blemish 1 Pet. 1.19 2. Be such now as that you may comfornably hope to be without spot and to be made perfect in Holiness when your Souls shall be separated from your Bodies and that you may appear so at the Judgment If now you are regenerated If now you have faith working by love If now you have repentance unto life if Christ be yours and you Christ's then you shall be at last altogether without spot 3. Take the right course to be Without all spots of guilt and to have an unspotted Justification To this an unspotted righteousness is necessary personal righteousness is not so As Christ is the Lamb without spot as he offered himself without spot to God so therefore his Sacrifice was the Sacrifice without spot his righteousness which he fulfilled was the righteousness without spot and if this be imputed to us and trusted in by us we shall obtain a justification without spot whereas mens personal righteousness hath its spots their Holy things have iniquity in them and if our personal righteousness must be
and alienated from the life of God but then he believed that he should return to Judea the Land of the Living which is so called Ezek. 32.23 Judgments are threatned to the Jews Enemies because they caused terrour in the Land of the Living The Woman being in the Wilderness her hope and confidence is to see the goodness of the Lord in a Canaan And the dead Witnesses shall be in the Land of the living 3. The knowledge of these Truths will be matter of encouragement to the People of God to stand it out in an evil day When 't is known what Plagues are ready to come upon Babylon men will take the more heed that they partake not in her sins and that they be not found within the Confines of it If the great Truth of the first Resurrection were well improved what power would it have to keep men upright in apostatizing times Heb. 11.35 The Believers of old did not accept of deliverance that they might obtain a better Resurrection If the hope of a Resurrection at so great a distance was such a support how much more should it be so now being much nearer This expression of a better Resurrection in Hope did intimate that they might have had a present one then their Enemies that cast them down would have given them a Resurrection if they would have accepted it on their terms Even so the Beast that casts them down will give a Resurrection to the Witnesses of Christ if when risen they will fall down and worship him Now what will better encourage the Witnesses to endure to the end than the hope of a better Resurrection Two great Resurrections are spoken of in Scripture 1. That of the slain witnesses Rev. 11.11 After three days and a half the Spirit of Life from God entred into them and they stood upon their feet and after ascended to Heaven and their Enemies beheld them and that 's all they do they cannot kill them again If any in such time accept of a Resurrection from the Beast they must soon fall with him But let them keep the Commandments of God and the Testimony of Jesus Christ so shall they stand with the Lamb on Mount Sion 2. That of the dead Saints at the coming of Christ they shall live and reign with Christ Here are two things much for the comfort of Saints 1. The godly shall be raised and be with Christ long before the wicked shall be raised and they shall be the Sheep at Christ's right Hand and after the wicked shall be raised and be the Goats at Christ's left Hand The godly and wicked dye alike and Worms devour their bodies Eccl. 2.16 How dieth the wise Man As the Fool. How dyeth the godly Man As the wicked But though they dye alike yet they shall not arise alike but Saints first and they shall be long in glory and at last the wicked shall be raised to shame and everlasting contempt 2. The Saints when raised shall have glorious Bodies the Wicked shall have immortal Bodies capable of everlasting torments but not glorious Bodies For their vile Bodies shall be raised vile and remain vile for ever Their Bodies are vile whilst they live more vile when they dye and shall be most vile when raised again For as the Souls so the Bodies of the godly and wicked shall be in a contrary State If then the Saints shall have glorious Bodies in the Resurrection the wicked shall have vile Bodies and according to the degree of glory which the Saints Bodies shall have will be the degree of vileness in wicked Mens Bodies What encouragement is this to follow the Lamb withersoever he goes that so you may have assurance of living and reigning with Christ 7. The conclusion of all in some Counsels and Directions 1. Receive Christ now and when he comes he will receive you to himself Open to him and he will open to you Receive him for Life and to be your Lord and then you may say when Christ who is our life shall appear we shall also appear with him in Glory Live in him and live to him so may you hope to live and reign with him If to you to live be Christ then to dye will be great gain and to rise will be greater 2. Look for and love the appearing of Christ To them that look for him he shall appear and give a Crown of righteousness to them that love his appearing If you deny your selves and take up the Cross of righteousness and follow Christ then you shall have the Crown of righteousness 3. Have your Conversations in Heaven mind heavenly things and drive a trade in Heaven buy Gold white Rayment and Eye-salve of Christ Get the Powders of the heavenly Merchant wherewith the Spouse is perfumed Walk by a heavenly Rule imitate an heavenly Pattern and aim at an heavenly End and so look for a Saviour from Heaven 4. Be of the number of wise Virgins be Virgins pure incorrupt espoused to Christ Take him as the Chiefest of ten thousand and altogether lovely and be wise Virgins in getting Oyle for your Vessels Let there be true faith joining you to Christ that you may receive of his fulness grace for grace Rest not in a Form but see that there be the Power of Godliness Thus shall you go in with the Bridegroom to the Marriage 5. Have a righteousness exceeding the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees For without this you cannot enter into the Kingdom of God Mat. 5.20 This must be First The righteousness of Faith which is the righteousness of God laid hold on by Faith This the Pharisees would not submit to but went about to establish their own righteousness You can't be righteous before God but in the righteousness of God even of Christ God-Man Secondly A righteousness in your works which must exceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees in these two respects 1. You must be Servants to righteousness Rom. 6.18 Being made free from sin ye became the Servants of righteousness The Pharisees made their reighteousness a Servant to them in that they sought their own praise thereby Let yours exceed theirs in being Servants of righteousness 2. You must love righteousness and be Servants to it out of love Baalam loved the wages of unrighteousness the Pharisees loved the ways of righteousness but Christ loved righteousness Heb. 1.9 and so do those that are Christ's and therein they exceed the Scribes and Pharisees And if you have this righteousness exceeding theirs consider what Promises are made to you Isa 33.24 Who among us shall dwell with devouring Fire Who among us shall dwell with everlasting Burnings He that walketh in righteousness and speaketh uprightness Interpreters look no farther than Hezekiahs time for a sense of this place as if this and what follows had its accomplishment when Jerusalem was besieged and Sennachrib's Army destroyed which may be part of the sense and somewhat that was typical But doubtless Isaiah looks to the last
days here as well as in many other of his Prophecies even to the time when Jerusalem shall be a quiet Habitation a Tabernacle that shall not be taken down v. 20. Q. What then shall we understand by this Fire A. It is such a Fire as the Righteous shall dwell with and not be hurt by and therfore not Hell-Fire so they shall not dwell with it Why should not the Fire which Peter speakes of be here meant That Fire to which the World that now is in Being is reserved called everlasting Burnings because as to the wicked which will be consumed by them they will be the beginnings of everlasting burnings For the ungodly ones who shall perish by them shall never be out of the Fire afterwards Now who shall dwell with those burnings who shall live when God doth this and when this dreadful Conflagration shall be who shall be like Moses on the Mount that burned and not be consumed The Answer is He that walketh righteously and speaketh uprightly And 't is farther promised Thine Eyes shall see the King in his beauty That is Hezekiah say Interpreters who as in the time of the Siege he did rend his cloaths and covered himself with Sackloth so when that great Deliverance was wrought he was seen in his beauty again but the Chaldee Paraphrase gives a better sense which in Latine is thus rendered Gloriam Majestatis regisâ— seculorum in decore suo videbunt oculi tui Thine Eyes shall see the King eternal as he is called 1 Tim. 1.17 in the glory of his Majesty Even that King spoken of v. 22. The Lord is our Judge the Lord is our Law-giver the Lord is our King And 't is farther promised They shall behold the Land that is very far off That is say some Senacheribs Siege shall be raised and then the Jews shall go abroad in the Land again But what reason was there to call any part of Judea the Land very far off from Jeurusalem Surely somewhat else seems hinted and why may we not think it to be meant of a Land very far off in respect of the time of its being For as we read of times afar off so there was a Land far off in regard of the time of its existence even the new Earth which is to be created in which Righteousness shall dwell and upon which the Saints shall reign with Christ This was in Isaiah's time The Land very far off but now very near which they that walk in Righteousness shall behold 6. Pray earnestly that this Kingdom may come God delights much in such Prayers We may see what a large Commission is given for praying for these things Isa 45.11 Ask me of things to come concerning my Sons I have spoken much of them and do you ask me of them Ask and you shall know much of them Ask and they shall come ask me of them and you shall have a share in them when they come And concerning the works of my hands command ye me 1. Command ye me God hath put himself under a Law by his gracious Promise Covenant and Oath He that Commands all yields to be Commanded by the Prayer of his People 2. Concerning the works of my hands command ye me Which may either look back to works already wrought or forward to works to be wrought First to works already wrought My Sons are the works of my hands created to good works and formed for my praise Now do you command me concerning them and then I will command their Enemies to let them go free I will say to the North give up to the South keep not back bring my Sons from far and my Daughters from the ends of the Earth Secondly to works to be wrought I will create Jerusalem a rejoycing and her People a joy I will make the new Heavens and the new Earth and concerning these works which my hands shall make command ye me Those that would at last reign must now overcome First within there is an Old Man to be overcome and you must get the Rule of your own Spirits which is better than to rule a City Let Grace reign over Corruption Spirit over Flesh Let Faith Love and the Fear of God rule in patience possess your Souls Let there be a Kingdom of Patience and then shall there be at last a Kingdom of Power Secondly you must overcome without There is a World to be overcome and that both the good and the evil of it The good thus All things are lawful but I will not be under the power of any Covetous Men are under the power of Riches let it not be so with you do you through Grace rule them and use them as you ought and let not them rule you And as for the evil things of the World meddle not with them but keep your selves unspotted of the World Save your selves from the Sins and so shall you from the Plagues of an untoward Generation There is a Satan also to be overcome 1 John 5.18 He that is born of God keepeth himself and that evil One toucheth him not Tactu qualitativo that is by a touch altering the Nature he shall not destroy the Divine Nature or Seed of God in the Regenerate He touched Adam and he died but he can't so touch a true Saint There is lastly a Beast to be overcome There is a twofold overcoming the Beast First In his temptations and endeavours to subject the Hearts and Consciences of all to him So Saints choosing to suffer from him rather than to serve him do overcome There is a Victory gotten over his Mark and over the Number of his Name when many do adore him and reverence and honour his Name as a Name above every Name as exalting himself above all that is called God they have his Name in greatest contempt when some call him the Vicar of Christ the Head of the Church and when he shews himself that he is God The faithful Witnesses overcome all these high Titles and great Names and call him by his right Names the Antichrist the Man of Sin and Son of Perdition Secondly In his Power and Kingdom Overcome him in the first sense and 't will not be long before the Saints shall see him overcome in this latter sense Great Promises are made to Overcomers in the Second and Third Chapters of the Revelations and they look to the Day of Christ's Personal Reign as the special time for their accomplishment Not but that the Spirits of Just Men have the substance of them in Heaven but when their Bodies shall be raised then will be the eminent time of fulfilling them For then shall they rule the Nations with a Rod of Iron and sit with Christ upon his Throne Be Overcomers then and you shall be able to say at last as Joshua did Not one thing hath failed of all the good Word which the Lord hath spoken Written by William Alleine Minister of the Gospel FINIS Some Discovery OF THE NEVV
Kingdom which he should have even all Liars but in the end the word came And next 't is said The word of the Lord tryed him The tarrying Word is a trying word It tries Faith and Love and other Graces which holding out and enduring the trial are found unto praise And the word having had its work in trying him Then the King sent And loosed him even the ruler of the People and let him go free He made him Lord of his house and ruler of all his substance to bind his Princes at his pleasure and to teach his senators wisdom 3. The worse the bondage grows the nearer the Sons of God are to Glorious Liberty Isa 9.1 At first he lightly Afflicted the land of Zebulon and Napthali afterwards more grievously such is the Lords dealing with his People first more lightly 't is that he afflicts them at last more grievously The Churches last trouble is thus set forth in Scripture such trouble as never was since there was a Nation Now that the hope of this Glorious Liberty may be the more confirmed 1. Have an Eye to the All-sufficiency of God When God made Promises to Abraham that he should have a Son and that his Seed should be multiplyed and that Kings should come out of him these things being hard to be believed God sets himself forth in his All-sufficiency Gen. 17.1 I am the Almighty God and therefore able to make good my Promises Isa 49.23 They shall bring thy Sons in their arms Kings shall be thy Nursing-fathers and Queens thy Nursing-mothers they shall bow Down to thee with their faces to the Earth and lick up the dust of thy Feet But v. 24. a doubt is raised shall the Prey be taken from the mighty or the Lawful Captive delivered rather as in the Magin shall the Captivity of the just be delivered Is this any way likely But thus saith the Lord even the Captives of the mighty shall be taken away and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered for I will contend with him that Contendeth with thee and will save thy Children and I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh and they shall be drunken with their own bloud as with sweet wine and all flesh shall know that I am thy Saviour and thy redeemer the mighty one of Jacob. Though Satan be mighty and Antichrist be mighty yet all flesh shall know that the Lord is more Mighty and therefore the prey shall be taken from the mighty and the Lord will turn the captivity of the just as the streams in the South 2. Have an Eye to the Faithfulness of God for he is faithful who hath Promised God hath spoken by the mouth of all his Prophets of these thing Acts. 3.21 And is not this enough to stop all contradicting Mouths who ask where is the promise of these things The Scripture is most copious and abundant in foretelling and declaring these things Paul in all his Epistles hath spoken of these things and all the Prophets have spoken of them So then great ground there is for Faith in this that glorious liberty shall come And 't is observable that these Promises are not barely propounded and held forth but they have a Sealing and confirming Word added to them As Rev. 19. After the prophecy of the Lambs Marriage 't is farther said These are the true sayings of God and John was commanded to write that is for the Generations to come Rev. 21.5 He that sate upon the Throne said Behold I make all things New and he said unto me Write Doth God give a Command that this be written for our learning and shall not we read and then 't is again added These words are true and faithful Rev. 22.6 The Angel said to John after some promises given These sayings are faithful and true and the Lord God sent his Angel to shew to his Servants the things which must shortly be done Should not then all the Servants of God endeavour to know and wait for these things v. 16. I Jesus have sent mine Angels to testify these things in the Churches Is it not then the duty of Churches and all believers in them to know these things and to set their Seals to them that they are true and should not these things be taught among the Churches thus Daniel having foretold the destruction of the four Monarchies in his interpretation of Nebuchadnezzars dream concludes all thus The dream is certain and the intepretation thereof sure 3. The Sons of God even because they are Sons shall have this Glorious Liberty Exod 4.23 Let my Sons go that they may serve me Isa 43.6 I will say to the North give up to the South keep not back bring my Sons from far and my Daughters from the Ends of the Earth Jer. 31.20 Is Ephraim my dear Son I earnestly remember him still I will surely have mercy on him Now by this which hath been thus briefly Layed down concerning the New Heavens and New Earth somewhat of the glory of them doth appear which is well worth the waiting for and the glory being so great so desirable there is reason sufficient that we should be ready to do and contented to suffer what the Will of the Lord is in order to our sharing in the happiness and glory of that blessed time and state A right to enter into that City is incomparably better than all the riches and glory of this world which is to perish And when we hear these glad-tidings of great joy to come why should it not be with us according to that of Solomon Prov. 25.25 As cold waters to a thirsty Soul so is good News from a far Countrey As cold waters to a thirsty Soul so should the good News be of this better Countrey and World to come This may be a Well for the Sons of God to refresh themselves at when they are going through the valley of Baca. But let two things be considered that none may be ashamed of their Hope of these things 1. Gracious Liberty is the way to Glorious Liberty Liberty from bondage to the flesh to our own Wills and lusts to Satan and the World and the having of a heart inlarged toward God and his Commands is absolutely necessary to this that we may have a Lot in these things Except a Man be born again he shall not see the Kingdom ef God As not the Kingdom of God in Heaven so not that which shall be when Christ comes from Heaven 2. We must be ready to take up a Cross and to chuse sufferings for the sake of Gracious Liberty to serve God so are we in the way to Glorious Liberty This was Moses his choice for himself and the Israelites Exod. 8.27 We will go into the Wilderness to sacrifice to the Lord our God as he hath commanded us They went into the Wilderness to have Gracious Liberty to serve God and God led them through the Wilderness into Canaan where they had as