ye be led by the Spirit ye are not under the Law That is not under the condemning power of the Law For such as be led by the Spirit yield their sincere obedience to the Moral Law Accordingly he saith Rom. 2.13 For not the hearers of the Law are just before God but the doers of the Law shall be justified And also 1 Cor. 7.19 Circumcision is nothing and Uncircumcision is nothing but the keeping the Commands of God And St. John saith chap. 5.3 For this is the love of God that we keep his Commandments and his Commandments are not grievous And Christ saith Matth. 19.17 If thou wilt enter into life keep the Commandments And also in John 14.15 If ye love me keep my Commandments By all this we see we are as much obliged to keep the Moral Law as ever Israel was But whereas the Apostle saith By the deeds of the Law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight for by the Law is the knowledge of sin That is by the Law we are all sensible that we do not live up to it as thereby to become justified by it and therefore by it all have knowledge that they sin for hone can live up to that perfection as to become justified by it without the merits of Christ But when Israel did walk blamelesly in it according to the capacity in which God had put them the Righteousness of Christ was imputed for their Justification And of Zechariah and Elizabeth it is said Luke 1.6 They were both righteous before God walking in all the Commands and Ordinances of the Lord blameless So if we render our sincere obedience to all God's Commands and Precepts we may then look to Christ with boldness for our Justification For tho' the Churches that first trusted in Christ were saved without the deeds of the Law or visible works of Righteousness yet not without an inward work which was in the change of their wills and affections as being the foundation to all good works which afterward they accordingly walked in all that remained stedfast in the Faith And also the Apostle Paul gives charge that they should be rich in good works 1 Tim. 6.18,19 That they do good that they be rich in good works ready to distribute willing to communicate laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come that they may lay hold on eternal life By these words he fully declareth that good works are a foundation for us to build our hopes of Salvation upon as well as the merits of Christ for it is a conditional Covenant And also from these words of the Apostle we are to take notice there is another time to come before Eternity in which the Saints will be blessed And he saith Heb. 11.6 Without faith it is impossible to please him for he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him This is the Faith that stirs us up to all good works whereby we come in as Heirs to the promised mercy For Christ is the Author of eternal Salvation to all them that obey him Heb. 5.9 Who will render to every man according to his deeds To them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory honour immortality eternal life But unto them that are contentious and do not obey the Truth but obey unrighteousness indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish upon every Soul of man that doth evil of the Jew first and also of the Gentile But glory honour and peace to every man that worketh good to the Jew first and also to the Gentile Rom. 2.6,7,8,9,10 For we must all appear before the Judgment-Seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or had 2 Cor. 5.10 For not the hearers of the Law are just before God but the doers of the Law shall be justified Rom. 2.13 And God hath ingaged himself by his promise to be the rewarder of good works Prov. 19.17 Matth. 10.39,40,41,42 Matth. 5.7 The merciful shall obtain mercy And the Lord saith Rev. 22.12 Behold I come quickly and my reward is with me to give to every man according as his work shall be Therefore upon the promise of God St. Paul saith God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love which ye have shewed towards his Name in that ye have ministred to the Saints and do minister Heb. 6.10 And whereas the Apostle saith If he had all Faith 1 Cor. 13.23 That is Faith in God and in the Righteousness of Christ with a belief also that good works are required and he knowing God And therefore if he did them not in love to God and love to his Neighbour it would profit him nothing for it is we have turned this Word into Charity which in the Original is Love But this he speaks to shew that God requires our Love in all our actions And accordingly he saith It is a faith that worketh by love which is required Gal. 5.6 And there is no such obedience as that wherein the heart is concerned But as for them that know not God and therefore love him not they shall also be judged according to their works So the Believers will be judged according to their actions done with their affections For it is not only our believing in the Righteousness of Christ for our justification will stand us in stead but how we have believed in Christ as to obey the Doctrine of Christ which will make us blessed in that day Whereby we see that tho' the Gentiles were at first called in and justified by his grace yet afterwards all that were not immediately after their Conversion taken away by death were to be judged according to their deeds done in the body from the time of Conversion For Saint Peter saith to the Church If ye call ou the Father who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work pass the time of your sojourning here in fear 1 Pet. 1.17 That is the Believers will be judged according to their deeds from the time they were brought into the true knowledge of God and others how they have improved their day and season of grace in refraining that which is evil and in ordering their conversation according to the Gospel So all will be judged according to their deeds done in their body whether they have been good or evil For though we can do nothing of our selves without God's assistance yet it is required of us to improve the advantages and seasons of grace which he giveth us and to take to the Way and Rule that he hath set before us in which way he hath promised his assistance and it is such will be blessed Chap. IX What we ought to fear and what we ought not to fear Jude v. 12. These are spots in your Feasts of Charity when they feast with you feeding
1.7,8,9,10 Heb. 9.28 but unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation and so come Lord Jesus Amen A Definition of a true Soul-saving Faith according to the Rule of God's Word which the Lord requireth of us to interest us in himself is this FIrst that all those that come to God must believe that God is and that he is such as he hath declared himself to be in his Holy Word three Persons Father Son and Holy Spirit these Three to be but one God from everlasting to everlasting Isa 40.27,28 Isa 40.23,24 Jer. 23.24 1 Joh. 5.7 Psal 90.2 Rev. 1.8 Psal 90.2 Ps 41.13 John 10.38 of one Will one Mind one Power and one Glory and dwelleth in that light that no mortal Eye is able to approach unto and beyond the Apprehension of Man to comprehend the height of his glorious Excellency this is that God blessed for ever from all Eternity to all Eternity and he is a rewarder of all them that diligently seek him and that through the alone Merit and meritorious Satisfaction and Intercession of the Lord Christ Jesus Heb. 11.6 2 Cor. 5.18,19 Rev. 1.5 1 Pet. 1.18,19,20,21 Mark here what the Apostle saith It is he that diligently seeketh the Lord is promised the reward and he that confesseth and forsaketh his sins shall find mercy Heb. 11.6 Prov. 28.13 1 Joh. 3.3 Heb. 9.14 2 Cor. 5.17 this is the Faith which the Apostle saith purifieth the Conscience from dead Works to serve the living God for he that is in Christ must become a new Creature and walk as he himself walked as much as in us lies 1 Joh. 2.6 Mat. 7.17 Luk. 6.44 Gal. 5.6 2 Tim. 1.10 1 Joh. 4.18 for the Tree is known by its fruit saving Faith worketh by Love and draweth out our hearts and affections after the Lord in the apprehensions of his bringing us to life and immortality which removeth from us the slavish Fear and the Lord hath bidden us take hold of his strength for of our selves we are not able to overcome the Evil of sin the Snares of the World the Wiles of the Devil nor the Treachery of our own Hearts Isa 27.5 Joh. 15.5 Therefore the Lord hath invited all them that are weary and heavy laden to come unto him and he will give them rest Matt. 11.28 Isa 41.3 promising that he will not break the bruised reed nor quench the smoking flax therefore in and through Christ we have boldness to the throne of grace through that new and living way the Blood of the everlasting Covenant Heb. 4.16 Heb. 10.29 Heb. 12.24 Heb. 13.20 Col. 1.10 whereby the Lord hath made reconciliation in nailing our sins to his Cross and justifying us if we have an interest in him with his righteousness Isai 53.4.5.12 1 Pet. 3.18 2 Cor. 13.5 but be sure let us take the advice of St. Paul with us in that he bids us examine our selves and prove ourselves whether we have the fruits of the Spirit as love joy peace long-suffering temperance meekness gentleness brotherly-kindness charity being easie to be intreated full of mercy and good fruits doing to others as we would they should do unto us for he that is joyned unto the Lord is one Spirit and therefore whether you have given up your will to the will of God in sincerity to be guided thus by him and to order your course of life thus for him for it is the love and the heart God requireth and if he has that he will never leave us nor forsake us when we leave all this World it is our love will lanch with us into eternal happiness and bring us into the injoyment of that God beloved of us and there we shall be put into a capacity never to offend him and ever to sing Hallelujah to him Gal. 5.22.23 2 Pet. 1.5,6,7 Jam. 1.22,25,26,27 Jam. 3.17 Jam. 4.7,8 Mal. 7.12 1 Cor. 6.17 1 Cor. 19.20 1 Cor. 8.3 Mat. 10.37 Luk. 10.27 2 Cor. 4.14 Joh. 14.21 Joh. 12.26 Joh. 14.2 Rev. 14.13 Rev. 3.12 Rev. 22.7.12 A Covenant made with God MOst great and glorious Lord my God in all thy attributes infinitely above what I am able to apprehend or comprehend of thee who art glorious in holiness rich in grace transcendent in loving kindness and mercy although a severe judge to the incorrigible sinner but unto the repenting sinner that loves and fears thee Lord thou hast promised to shew thy salvation and therefore in the sence of my own unworthiness and misery I lay hold on the offer of thy mercy according as Lord thou hast tendred it in thy Gospel which is by faith and repentance love and new obedience and accordingly thereunto I here unfeignedly resign up to thee my whole heart with its will and affections my Lord and God to be guided and governed by thee begging Lord that thou wilt graciously accept me and make my heart thy habitation by the indwelling of thy Spirit in me so as I may be enabled by thee to love all that thy Majesty loveth and hate all that thou my Lord hatest and also desiring more strength of thee whereby I may be enabled by thee O my God to walk more suitably to thee in all things so putting my whole trust and confidence in thy mercy herein resting upon thy word that Lord thou wilt not forsake the Soul that puts her trust in thee therefore my God leave me not nor forsake me neither leave me so as to forsake thee the fountain and foundation of my eternal happiness but as I here in truth and sincerity do resign up my self my God to thee to be thy servant and spouse in the way of thy Gospel covenant let this Lord be registred in Heaven with thee so as I may be washed in thy Blood from all my filthiness and that I may be covered over with the garment of thy righteousness and here fully regenerated by thy Spirit so as I may find eternal acceptance with thee my God through thy beloved and that my interest in thee my Lord may be more and more clear'd up to me day by day so as I may be brought more into the knowledge of thy love which passeth knowledge and enabled by thee my Lord to live in the flames of love with thee who wilt be glorified in thy Saints and admired in those that do believe and O my God that thou wilt uphold me by the right hand of thy righteousness through this valley and shadow of tears and keep me in or from the hour of temptation and give me a part with thee in the first resurrection O my God be not angry with me for the largeness of this my request since thou hast bidden us open our mouths wide and thou wilt fill them therefore my Lord and God say Amen to these Petitions of thy Unworthy Servant Of a false Faith and Instructions as to the true one THere is a new found
You might that is hereafter say to this Sycamine Tree be thou removed for at that time the working of Miracles was not given This also was spoken of to the Apostles And in that he saith to them that if ye have Faith as a grain of Mustard-seed the which was to exclude Judas for he had not the least of that saving Faith which worketh the Heart in Love with Christ and so was not to be partakers of the gifts of the Holy Ghost and the working of Miracles with the rest of the Apostles And by the want of this grain was to signify to us that Judas was an instrument of Satan all along according to which is said in John 6.70 Jesus answered them have not I chosen you twelve and one of you is a Devil Therefore not one grain of Faith and Love in him to the Lord Jesus But God requireth of us the whole Heart and the whole Soul And Christ saith Matt. 10.37 He that loveth Father or â—…other more than me is not worthy of me he that loveth Son or Daughter more than me is not worthy of me 38. He that taketh not his Cross and followeth after me is not worthy of me 39. He that findeth his Life shall loose it and he that looseth his Life for my sake shall find it That is whosoever looseth the Pleasures Advantages and Profits of this World for Christ shall find Life everlasting And Christ saith in Luke 17 10. When ye shall have done all those things which are Commanded you say we are unprofitable servants we have done that which was our duty to do But whosoever doth their Duty in their Service God ordereth them Wages And he saith of his they do not serve me for nought as in Mal. 1.10 And God told Abraham that he was his exceeding great reward Gen. 15.1 And it is said Heb. 5.9 Christ is become the Author of Eternal Salvation to all them that obey him And Christ saith Rev. 2.7 To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of Life which is in the midst of the Paradice of God And we ought to look to the recompence of reward as Moses did Heb. 11.26 For he had respect to the recompence of reward And it is an Article of our Faith to believe that God is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek him as in Heb. 11.6 For without Faith it is impossible to please God for he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him God would not have us think that he is beholden to us for our Service but that we are ingaged to him for accepting of us for his Servants And if we are his Servants we are sure of a Reward And whereas the Man came to Christ with his Son as in Matth. 17.15 Lord have mercy upon my son for he is Lunatick and sore vexed for oft times he falleth into the Fire and oft into the water 16. And I brought him to thy Disciples and they could not cure him 17. Then Jesus answered and said O faithless and perverse Generation how long shall I be with you how long shall I suffer you bring him hither to me 18. And Jesus rebuked the Devil and he departed out of him and the Child was cured from that very hour And whereas Christ said unto his Disciples O faithless and perverse Generation how long shall I be with you The which words was without doubt to reprove them for their unbelief of his Power in that they brought not the Possessed to him to be healed And in the 19. v. Then came the Disciples to Jesus apart and said why could not we cast him out 20. And Jesus said unto them because of your unbelief for verily I say unto you if ye have Faith as a grain of Mustard-seed ye shall say unto this Mountain remove hence to yonder place and it shall remove and nothing shall be impossible unto you Now whereas Jesus said unto them because of your unbelief that was there was then an unbeliever amongst the Apostles But Christ did also let them understand that as many of the Apostles as had Faith as a grain of Mustard seed then that they should hereafter do as great Miracles as the removing of the Mountains to yonder place For he farther tells them that nothing shall be impossible unto them But by the following words of the Lord he did declare that this Power was not then given them as in the 21. v. How beit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting That is then they had no other power given them but what the earnest Prayers and Fastings of the Church may produce But after Christ's Ascension the Apostles were given the Holy Ghost and the Working of Miracles and in so wonderful a manner that on whom they laid their Hands they did receive the Holy Ghost Yet notwithstanding these wonderful Miracles this promise also may have some reference to the time when the Lord again comes For it is a question but that some things might be impossible for them to do after they had received the gifts of the Holy Ghost and the Working of miracles But when they shall sit on Thrones Judging the twelve Tribes of Israel then nothing shall be impossible under their head Christ for them to do And they may say to that very mountain remove hence to yonder place and it shall be so For the Lord with Peter James and John did but just come down from the mountain where was revealed that glorious Vision And we have reason to believe it was on Mount Olivet because the glory will be there Revealed and the mountain cleaving when the Lord descends so low as his feet to stand upon it may be so determined by the Lord that by the word of the Apostles that that Mountain shall remove toward the North and tovvard the South as in Zac. 14.4 Now the Reason that Christ made mention of so small a quantity of Faith was that thereby his Disciples and Servants afterwards might understand That Judas had never any grain of Faith to make his Heart have any love to Christ And by the word Grain of Faith was Judas Excluded from having any share in those Promises And those promises that were made to particular persons we are not to challenge a share in for they belong not to us no more than the sitting upon twelve Thrones to Judg the twelve Tribes of Israel belongs to us And in Matt. 21.19 And when the Lord saw a Figtree in the way he came to it and found nothing thereon but Leaves only and said unto it let no fruit grow on thee hence forward for ever And presently the Figtree withered away 20. And when the Disciples saw it they marvelled saying how soon is the figtree withered away 21. Jesus answered and said unto them verily verily I say unto you if ye have Faith and doubt not ye shall not only do this which
is done to the Figtree but also if ye shall say unto this Mountain be thou removed and be thou cast into the Sea and it shall be done 22. And all things whatsoever ye shall ask in Prayer believing ye shall receive This Christ spake to his Disciples unto whom he afterward gave as great power to as that of the removing of Mountains when he sent upon them the Holy Ghost and the Power of working Miracles and there is no doubt but if they had said to the Mountain be thou removed into the Sea but it should have been done as well as when Elijah called for Fire to come down from Heaven But these promises belong not to us but those that find they have Power to do these Miracles may believe they do belong to them Now here is some difference betvven vvhat is said in these Verses and vvhat is said in the former for there it is said that they shall say to this Mountain be thou removed and it shall be done but in these last Verses it is said if you shall say to this Mountain be you removed and it shall be so In the former there should be nothing impossible for them to do But in these vvhatsoever they should ask believingly they should receive Now as St. Paul saith 1 Cor. 13,2 And tho I have the gift of Prophecy and understand all Misteries and all knowledg And tho I have all Faith so that I could remove Mountains and have no Charity I am nothing 3. Altho I bestow all my goods to feed the Poor and tho I give my hody to be burned and have not Charity it profiteth me nothing Now these Mountains that St. Paul here speaks of doth appear to be some inbred Corruption which a man might find some inconvenience in And so for fear of Hell he becomes terrified and therefore no longer willing to live in them having all Faith as to believe the whole Revealed Will of God in his Word And therefore when he finds that he in his own strength was not able to overcome them then he goes to fetch strength from the the Lord in making his Addresses to him for his Assistance and having thereby gain'd power to remove these Mountains yet if his Heart is not drawn out in the Love of God and Christ thereby he is still nothing for it is our Love that God requireth and it is that which will launch with us into the World that is to come As to that word which in these new Translations is termed Charity is in the old Translation Love as in the Original For by Love vve extend our selves to God as vvell as to our fellovv Creatures vvhich by Charity vve cannot do Now as for those places of Scriptvre vvhere Christ and his Apostles saith he that believeth in me or he that believeth in Christ shall be saved is only in short to remember them of the Lord 's Revealed Will in his Word vvhich if they do so believe in the Lord as to make his Commands and Precepts the rule of their Lives to live according thereunto they shall be saved The vvhich is a clear demonstration that the Lord hath by himself and his Apostles left us Instructions vvhich vve are to believe by vvhich Salvation is attainable The vvhich St. Paul's vvords does farther clear 1 Cor. 15.1 Moreover Brethren I declare unto you the Gospel which I preached unto you which also ye have received and wherein ye stand By which also ye are saved if ye keep in memory what I Preached unto you unless ye have believed in vain And St. Peter faith 1 Pet. 1.21,22 Who by him do believe in God that raised him up from the Dead and gave him Glory that your Faith and Hope might be in God Seeing ye have purified your Souls in obeying the Truth through the Spirit see that ye Love one another with a pure Heart fervently We here see this Faith purifieth the Soul and extendeth it self in Love for God is Love And St. Peter saith in Acts 15.9 That God put no difference between us and them purifying their Hearts by Faith By vvhich vve see if vve have a saving faith it vvill vvork the same effect in us This is spoken of the Election 〈…〉 and 〈◊〉 of those that were Christ's standing witnesses thro' the World of whom the Lord faith in John 10.27,28 That none can pluck them out of his hand Concerning the Indwelling of Christ in us NOW as to Christ's being in us and as to the indwelling of the Spirit with us I shall here set down what St. Paul saith 2 Cor. 13.5 Examine your selves whether ye be in the Faith prove your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be roprobates Now we are to take notice what he here saith in the former part of the verse the which was that we should examin our selves whether we are in the Faith and that we should prove our selves as much as to say that is the way to know whether Christ is in us or no And in the Ephesians he tells us plainly how it is Christ is said to dwell in us where he saith in Ephes 3.17 That Christ may dwell in your Hearts by Faith that ye being rooted and grounded in Love By which we may clearly see it is by Faith and Love that Christ is said to dwell in our Hearts And therefore St. Paul saith in 1 Cor. 16.22 If any Man love not the Lord Jesus Christ let him him be Anathema Maranatha The which is let him be Accursed and if accursed besure he is a Reprobate Now if the indwellings of Christ in us is by Faith and Love then the best way to know whether Christ hath such an Indwelling in us or no is by our Obedience to him in our close walking with him according to his Revealed Will in his Word And if so we shall have the Spirit which is the Comforter more or less bearing Witness with our Spirits that we are the Children of God And St. Paul here speaks of the Works of the Flesh where he saith Rom. 8.5 to the 10. v. They that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit For to be carnally minded is Death but to be spiritually minded is Life and Peace Because the carnal mind is entirely against God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God But ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his And if Christ be in you the Body is dead because of sin but the Spirit is Life because of righteousness We see that the Spirit here spoken of is no other but a Spirit of Complaiscency to God and Christ in that their Wills are brought over into the Love
from another and what James saith c. 1. v. 17. Every good and perfect gift cometh from above Yet by the words of Christ in the parable it is plain that some improved the Talents they had received and some improved not their Talent Matth. 25. And Israel was cast off of God for their not improving their day of grace Matthew 23.37 Rom. 4.11,12,13 And he received the Sign of circumcision a seal of the righteousness of faith which he had yet being uncircumcised that he might be the father of all them that believe tho' they be not circumcised that righteousness might be imputed unto them also And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the Circumcision only but also walk in the steps of that faith of our Father Abraham which he had being yet uncircumcised For the promise that he should be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed thro' the Law but thro' the righteousness of Faith Now what was the steps of that Faith that our Father Abraham walkt in being uncircumcised It was that he staggered not at the promise of God but believed that he should have it according to the word of the Lord in the way of his obedience that he thereby should be made the Father of many Nations and heir of the world which carried him thro' all difficulties and caused him to tread in the steps of Righteousness according as the Lord required of him Gen. 17,1,2 I am the Almighty God walk before me and be thou perfect And I will make my Covenant between me and thee and will multiply thee exceedingly These words shew that God required of Abraham his sincere obedience that thereby he might be the heir of this promise Accordingly St. Paul saith verse 13. For the promise that he shoulld be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the Law but through the righteousness of faith Which was through the righteousness which this his faith produc'd the which Circumcision was afterward given him as a Seal of this his righteousness by faith And whether circumcised or uncircumcised whosoever treads in the steps of our Father Abraham in looking for the performance of the promise in the way of their obedience shall also become heirs of life Rom 4.14,15,16 For if they which are of the Law be heirs faith is made void and the promise made of none effect because the Law worketh wrath for where no Law is there is no transgression Therefore it is of faith that it might be of grace to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed not to that only which is of the Law but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham who is the Father of us all Now the Law expected the perfect performance of the thing required before they could become justified by it but then under the Law through mercy they that did render their sincere obedience thereunto it was accepted of them so as they had the Righteousness of Christ imputed to them for their Justification But hereby it sheweth that Justification was not to be attained by the Law but that Justification and Righteousness is to be attained by Faith that draws out the heart in love to God and Christ with an assent to yield obedience to him Such are made partakers of his grace and so by the Righteousness of Christ become justified And where this complying frame of spirit is it was and is the seed to whom the promise belongs whether under the Law or Gospel and unto such as these that tread in Abraham's steps he is a Father For all are his servants to whom ye yield your selves servants to obey whether of sin unto death or of obedience unto righteousness Rom. 6.16 Rom. 4.21,22 And he being fully persuaded that what God hath promised he was able to perform And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness That is Abraham was fully persuaded that God was able to perform what he had promised him which drew out his heart to yield that obedience which God required of him He thus believing it was imputed to him for righteousness And whereas the Apostle saith verse 23,24,25 Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him but for us also to whom it shall be imputed if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead who was delivered for our offences and was raised again for our justification That is if we believe in him that raised up our Lord from the dead that the purchased Salvation by Christ is to be imputed according as he in his Word hath declared and so accordingly we lay hold of the promise of Life then Christ was delivered for our offences as well as for theirs and likewise rose again for our Justification as well as theirs if we according as these Romans had done to whom he wrote have obeyed from the heart the Doctrine of the Gospel then also we by Christ are made free from the condemning power of sin and are become the servants of Righteousness Rom. 6.17,18 But we are no sooner set clear from the condemning power of sin by the free grace of God purchased by the Blood of his Son but we are immediately thereupon listed Souldiers of Christ to fight under his Banner against the World the Flesh and the Devil and all our corrupt Affections and Inclinations and bringing down every thought to the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10.5 Chap. III. The Election of the first Churches EPhes 2.8,9,10 For by Grace are ye saved thro' Faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God Not of works lest any man should boast For we are his Workmanship Created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them By these words the Apostle also clearly sheweth that by good works standing alone without the merits of Christ no man can be justified in his sight And therefore all boasting is taken away from man in the sight of God But whereas he saith in v. 10. For we are his Workmanship Created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them Here the Apostle hath his peculiar reference to the first Churches who were brought out of darkness sin and errour And as he saith in verse 12. Ye were without Christ being aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel and strangers to the Covenant of Promise having no hope and without God in the World Now at that time God did not only abound in his mercy towards them of the first Churches in all wisdom and prudence Ephes 5.8 in shewing his mighty power in them and in calling them as the Apostle saith out of darkness into his marvelous light 1 Pet. 2.9 and thereby bringing over the consent of their wills to his Laws he did then freely justifie them by his grace but also when God had done this
I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God Now we are to take notice that this Man was one that truly feared God and in that he then believed that Christ was the Son of God which he no sooner believed but he knew that he must render to him the like obedience as he had done unto God The which he believing was baptized And also the Text saith that Philip Preached to him Jesus and in so doing he taught him the conditions upon which Christ had offered life and salvation to which he must yield if he would become justified by him Chap. VII Abolishing the Ceremonial Law the Yoke taken off of the Neck of the Disciples ACts 15.6,7,8 And the Apostles and Elders came together for to consider of this matter And when there had been much disputing Peter rose up and said unto them Men and Brethren ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the Gospel and believe And God which knoweth the hearts bare them witness giving them the Holy Ghost even as he did unto us Now whereas he saith God which knoweth the hearts bare them witness giving them the Holy Ghost even as he did unto us That is God bare them witness that this belief in them was according to the tenour of the Gospel and therefore God gave to the first Gentile-Churches the Holy Ghost as he did to the believing Jews And therefore he saith in the 9th verse And put no difference between us and them purifying their hearts by Faith Here we see that by this Faith their hearts were purified in their believing the mercy was not to be received nor retained without a complying frame of spirit to the will of God in yielding their obedience to the Gospel which requires our love to God and his Commands Whereas he saith in verse 10. Now therefore why tempt ye God to put a Yoke upon the neck of the Disciples which neither our Fathers nor we were able to bear This Yoke which he here speaks of was Circumcision Sacrifices and often Washings and Purifications which were very burdensom and not profitable for they could no ways make the comers thereunto perfect But Faith in Jesus Christ begets a holy life For in the believing that Christ is become the Author of eternal Salvation to all that obey him Heb. 5.9 The belief of this makes Faith a purifying Faith But whereas the Apostle saith Acts 15.11 But we believe that through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved even as they That is the Believers of the Jews that were Circumcised which had yielded their obedience unto Christ did alike believe that through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ they should be saved even as the Believers of the Gentiles that had embraced the Faith in yielding their consent to be obedient to the Gospel For as the Believers of the Gentiles were saved through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ without Circumcision and the Ceremonial Law So the Believers of the Jews did also believe that they might be saved without them as well as the Gentiles But as for the Moral Law we are as much obliged to keep it as ever Israel was Rom. 2.13 For not the hearers of the Law are just before God but the doers of the Law shall be justified By these words Saint Paul declares that the Moral Law was in as full force as ever it was But as for the Ceremonial Law which afterwards was termed the Law of Moses about which was this Contention it being then to be abolished This is further treated of Acts 21.21 They are informed of thee that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses saying that they ought not to Circumcise their Children neither to walk after their Customs And so in v. 23,24 of the same chapter it is to the like effect Chap. VIII Of things strangled and Blood NOW as to the things forbidden in the Ceremonial Law which we are still to refrain he singles out and writes concerning them Acts 15.28,29 For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things that ye abstain from Meats offered to Idols and from Blood and from things strangled acd from Fornication These things not being forbidden in the Moral Law it was thought good by the Holy Ghost and by them to leave a Command that those things should still be refrained But as for the Doctrine of the Gospel in which is included the Moral Law the Apostles had before well instructed the Church in In which Gospel there is required obedience to all God's Commands and Precepts with a Promise of the Everlasting Inheritance to them that obey Rev. 2.10 This their Faith in believing the Promise carried them out into all good works even to suffering and to death Chap. IX What is required of a Christian to be a Christian indeed shewing that he is also obliged to keep the Moral Law SAINT Paul exhorteth Timothy To fight the good fight of Faith 1 Tim. 6.12 In which Faith we see there is included a Battle to be fought And St. Paul saith The World was crucified to him and he to the World Gal. 6.14 And that he that is in Christ must become a new Creature 2 Cor. 5.17 Rom. 12.1,2 And That ye present your bodies a living Sacrifice holy acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service And be not conformed to this World but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God And in Ephes 4.22,23,24 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts And be renewed in the spirit of your mind And that ye put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness Wherefore putting away lying speak every man truth to his neighbour Gal. 6.7,8,9 Be not deceived God is not mocked for whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap For he that soweth to the flesh shall of the slesh reap corruption but he that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reap life everlasting Let us not be weary in well-doing for in due season we shall reap if we faint not As we have therefore opportunity let us do good unto all especially unto them who are of the houshold of Faith Gal. 5.22,23,24 The fruits of the Spirit is love joy peace long-suffering gentleness goodness faith meekness temperance against such there is no Law And they that are in Christ have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts Now tho' there was no Law to condemn such yet there was the Law of God to guide them And of such as these the Apostle spake when he said They were not under the Law but under Grace The like he saith Gal. 5.18 But if
Glory even us whom he hath called not of the Jews only but also of the Gentiles That was from their first Conversion the Spirit of the Lord was working with their Spirit so as to make them Vessels of Mercy prepared unto Glory the which Glory will be revealed when the Lord again comes Therefore St. Paul saith a little before his Death 2 Tim. 4.6,7,8 For I am now ready to be offered and the time of my departure is at hand I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the Faith Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day and not to me only but unto all them also that love his appearing Now here is two things to be considered in these words which is to whom these Crowns are to be given and when they are to be given He tells us they shall be given to all them that love his appearing That is has a longing desire for his appearing And he also tells us they are to be given in that day in which the Lord appeareth Now in the Vision that St. John saw Rev. 4.1,4,6 In which it is said The Vision was for hereafter at which time there was a door opened in Heaven And in the 4. v. it is said There was four and twenty seats And upon the seats four and twenty Elders sitting cloathed in white Raiment and they had on their heads Crowns of Gold And in the 6th v. it is said before the Throne there was a Sea of Glass By which it does appear this Vision which was for time to come does signifie the time when the glorious Tabernacle should descend by reason he mentions there was a door opened in Heaven And by the measure of the City upward and the glory of it Which is mentioned in the 21st and 22d chapters of the Revelations it does seem that the Heavens will remain open over the glorious Tabernacle from the Throne of God And by the Sea of Glass it doth signify as much At which time it is said the Elders were Crowned Which is according to what St. Paul Saith that they shall receive their Crowns in that day when the Lord appeareth at which time the Glory will be manifested Now as to what St. Paul saith in Rom. 9.25 Where he mentions what was said by the Prophet Hosea I will call them my people which were not my people and her beloved which was not beloved 26. And it shall come to pass that in the place where it was said unto them ye are not my people there shall they be called the Children of the living God By the rehearsal of these words it makes it also plainly appear that St. Paul had his â—eference wholly to the time when the Lord again comes In that he Saith where it was said unto them ye are not my people there shall they be called the children of the living God Now to whom was this spoken it was to Israel in the Land of Canan Unto which at the restitution they shall be again restored And there shall they be called the children of the living God As in Hos 9.10 Then said God call his name Loammi for ye are not my people and I will not be your God Yet the number of the Children of Israel shall be as the Sand of the Sea which cannot be measured nor numbred And it shall come to pass that in the place where it was said unto them ye are not my people there it shall be said unto them ye are the Sons of the living God 11. Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together and appoint themselves one head and they shall come up out of the Land for great shall be the day of Jezreel Whereas it is said they shall choose themselves one head the which will be the head whom God hath appointed them And God saith in Hos 2.18,19,20 And in that day I will make a Covenant for them with the beast of the field and with the fowls of heaven and with the creeping things of the ground and I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the Earth and I will make them lie down safely 19. And I will betroth thee unto me for ever yea I will betroth thee unto me in Righteousness and in Judgment and in loving kindness and in mercy 20. I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness and thou shalt know the Lord. Which words argue there was a time in which Israel did not know the Lord. And the Lord saith 23. V. And I will sow her unto me in the Earth and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy and I will say to them which were not my people thou art my people and they shall say thou art my God By these quotations of St. Paul we may also clearly see that what he said was for the time to come And he saith in Rom. 8.28,29 We know that all things work together for good to them that love God to them who are called according to his purpose That is called now for his purpose hereafter for it 29. V. For whom he did forknow he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son that he might be the first born among many brethren Now whereas he saith whom he did foreknow that is whom Christ had the knowledge of in this life to be conformable to him as was the Apostles and the Churches that first trusted in Christ They were then chosen for to be made partakers of the Glory that shall be Revealed when the Lord again comes according to what he saith in Phil. 3.20 For our conversation is in Heaven from whence also we look for a Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ 21. Who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body according to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself Now these words may comprehend the time that is to come that they should be conformable to the Image not only of the mind of Christ but to the person of Christ intime to come And whereas he saith Rom. 8.30 Moreover whom he did Predestinate them he also called and whom he called then he also Justified and whom he Justified them he also glorious Here we see he speaks in the usual Scripture way of speaking in that he mentions what is to come as tho it were already done For it is Evident that they were not then glorified By which it does appear that this calling here mentioned is when the Dead shall hear the Voice of the Son of God and Live which is at the first Resurrection which is the Resurrection of the lust at which time the Promised Elect shall find mercy And wheras he saith in Rom. 8.32 He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with
the words of the Apostles make out But I shall here only mention the words of St. Paul what he saith in Heb. 6.4,5,6 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightned and have tasted of the heavenly Gift and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost and have tasted the good Word of God and the Powers of the world to come if they shall fall away to renue them again by repentance seeing they crucifie to themselves the Son of God afresh and put him to an open shame By these words of the Apostle it is fully evident although they were thus sealed with the Spirit of Promise which is the Holy Ghost yet it was not impossible for them to fall off again And therefore he useth all those Admonitions and Exhortations to them that they might persevere in Holiness and in the fear of the Lord. And whereas St. Paul saith Rom. 11.29 The gifts and calling of God are without repentance Now these words were in a more particular mannet spoken of Israel when the Lord again comes as in Rom. 11.25,26,27,28,29 where he saith For I would not Brethren that you should be ignorant of this mystery lest ye should be wise in your own conceits that blindness in part is happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in 26. And so all Israel shall be saved as it is writteu there shall come out of Sion the deliverer and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob. 27. For this is my covenant unto them when I shall take away their sins 28. As concerning the Gospel they are enemies for your sakes but as touching the Election they are beloved for their Fathers sakes 29. For the Gifts and calling of God are without Repentance This blindness we see happened to Israel not from any Decree in God before their own default occasioned it for the word happened makes it appear it was not designed for them These Words are concerning the wonderful Promises made to the Fathers concerning 〈◊〉 which will be made good to them whe◠〈◊〉 Lord again come at which time he will give them a New Heart and a Now Spirit so as they shall not sin against him and then 〈◊〉 â—hat he shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob. So as it is said that then he will not be angry with them nor rebuke them any more Now as to what reference the gifts and calling of God has to us or chiefly to the first Christian Churches was in giving Christ and the Holy Ghost and in calling the then Churches out of the Darkness of Heathenism and in forgiving them all their past sins and that through the imputed righteousness of Christ they were accepted as perfectly righteous in the sight of God as it is said he not imputing their iniquities And after they or we are regenerated the sins that are not wilfully committed are not imputed Therefore St. Paul faith That if he did that he would not then it was no more he that did it but sin that dwelleth in him Now the then gifts and callings of God to them and us did exrend no farther then thus renewing us again as to set them and us upright Therefore the Apostle wisely cautions them and us that he that standeth must take heed lest he fall But the first Churches being thus regenerated and renewed by the Holy Ghost the Apostle might well say that they were chosen to salvation since God had put them into such a Capacity and made them fit for it if they did not again fall away the choice being absolute in God But because the frail or sinful nature of man was not removed therefore there remained a defect in them and our selves and therefore we are continually to go to God to beg renewed strength from him And if we take to the rules that he hath set before us he will perfect â—he work that he hath begun in us according to the saying of the Psalmist Psa 84.11 The Lord will give grace and glory No good thing will he withold from them that walk uprightly For God doth not withdraw from his people on purpose to damn them For the Apostle Peter saith 2 Pet. 2.9 The Lord is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance The like St. Paul saith in Timothy 2 Tim. 2.2,3.4 But it may be said how is it then that all are not saved The reason why Christ himself tells us Mat. 13.25 There is several sorts of ground Thereby giving us to understand that we are not naturally all alike For by the words of the Lord it appears that he had done alike for all which is the generality of all but that we cannot bring forth fruit alike according to what the Lord saith in Mat. 13.18.19 Hear ye therefore the parable of the Sower 19. V. When any one heareth the word of the Kingdom and understandeth not then cometh the wicked one and catcheth away that which was Sown in his heart This is he which received the Seed by the way side We see this sort of ground or people were wanting to themselves by reason they did not consider their ways to be wise And therefore are destroyed for lack of knowledge And whereas the Lord saith in Mat. 13.20,21,22,23 But he that received the Seed in stony places the same is he that heareth the word and anon with joy received it yet hath he not root in himself but dureth for a while for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word by and by he is offended Here is great defect in the ground or Man himself And he saith in 22. V. He also that received the Seed among the Thorns is he that heareth the word And the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word and he becometh unfruitful Here the diligent husbandman might root out most part of these Thorns which makes his ground unfruitful or his heart barren of faith and love to God And the Lord saith in 23. V. But he that received the Seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word and understandeth it which also beareth fruit and bringeth forth some an hundred fold some sixty some thirty By this we may clearly see it was the ground which the Lord here declares did differ for as it is said the Lord dyed for all and the promises are made to all that will receive him according to the Tenor of the Gospel But we see they cannot all alike receive him For we read that the same Seed was Sown but the ground could not bear alike but in that they brought forth no fruit was because they were wanting to themselves But although God may give to some more and to some less yet he requireth of all an improvement according to what he hath given them As witness to whom he gave the Talents Now me thinks of all the ground the stony seems to be in the worst condition being that in which man can be least helpful
forsaken of him For the new Heart and the new Spirit which God requireth we should make us is that they should desire Holiness and Righteousness as they did heretofore sin and wickedness and also to use their utmost diligence for attaining unto an Holy Life desiring God's Assistance for he will never leave us nor forsake us if we so do for God withdraws not the good motions of his Spirit from any of his People till such time as they fall away from him And this new Heart and new Spirit in the Capacity he hath put us and by the means set before us we are able to make us by his promised assistance but this is not the new heart which he hath promised to give Isa 45.19 By which we may see it is our slothfulness and slugishness and also in our giving way to Temptations and to our own inclinations and affections whereby Satan for our want of bridling them hurries the Soul which way he pleaseth and so for want of watchfulness diligence and labour in the service of the Lord They lose the promised blessing which is Eternal Life and so come to have their Portion in Hell it self but if we are found in the ways of God as St. Paul tells us God doth not forget our Work and Labour of Love And twice in this foregoing Chapter of Ezekiel God saith I have no pleasure in the Death of him that dieth Now after the fall of Man the decree was that the entrances into life should be made strait so as those that will not wrestle for the blessing cannot have it And whereas St. Paul saith in Rom. 11.13 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief that he might have mercy upon all That is Israel also being sinful and therefore God left them to blindness of mind and so concluding them all in unbelief that is the greater part of them that they might taste the fruit of their own doings in the weight of his displeasure and that afterward he might make some of all sharers of his mercy And the Lord saith in Amos 3.6 Shall a Trumpet be blown in the City and the people not afraid Shall there be evil in the City and the Lord hath not done it This is spoken of the Evil of Punishment as all the Chapter makes appear For as man is the committer of the Evil of sin so God is the inflictor of the Evil of punishment And also the like is said in Isaiah 42.24 And St. Peter speaking of Christ saith in Acts 2.23,24 Him being delivered by the determined Counsel and fore-knowledge of God ye have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slain Whom God hath raised up having loosed the pains of Death because it was not possible that he should be holden of it This being most certain that the Jews could have had no power to crucifie the Lord of Life had it not been done by the determined Counsel and Foreknowledge of God But by these words there is not one syllable from whence we may gather that this Counsel was before the material Heavens and Earth but rather the contrary in that he mentions them not And as to what St. Peter saith Acts 4.27,28 For of a truth against thy Holy Child Jesus whom thou hast anointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the people of Israel were gathered together 28. For to do whatsoever thy Hand and thy Counsel determined before to be done Now God eclipsing the Glory of Christ and Christ taking upon him the Form of a Servant and he speaking against their Wicked Ways the which the Jews could not bear and thereupon Satan made them his Instruments to accomplish his Hellish Design by which he thought to have conquered the Lord of Life but he thereby wrought his own eternal perdition and thereby the determined Counfel of God was brought to pass in Satan's Overthrow and man's salvation Now whereas it is said by the Angel where he mentions the Beast and the Kings Rev. 17.17 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will and to agree and give their Kingdom unto the Beast until the words of God shall be fullfilled Now we may say Wherefore was it the Will of God to put in the Hearts of these Kings to agree in giving their Power to the Beast until his Word should be fullfilled The Reason is this There was a Foreknowledge in God of their miscarriage And upon that foreknowledg of their miscarriage God did determine to leave them to delusion till such time his Words should be fullfilled according to which St. Paul saith 2 Thes 2.9,10 where he speaks of the Beast Even him whose coming is after the working of Satan with all Power and Signs and Lying Wonders 10. v. And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish because they received not the love of the Truth that they might be saved We see this was so determined of God by reason God foreseeing they would have no delight in his Ways nor receive the Truth in the Love thereof Therefore they were given up by God to follow the delâ—sions of the Beast and the Devil Now whereas it is said in Acts 13.46,47,48 Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold and said it was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you but seeing ye put it from you and judg your selves unworthy of everlasting life lo we turn to the Gentiles for so hath the Lord commanded us saying I have set thee to be a light to the Gentiles that thou shouldest be for Salvation unto the ends of the Earth And when the Gentiles heard this they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord and as many as were ordained to eternal Life believed Now by the Ordaining here spoken of if we take it for granted that there was a certain number of the Gentiles as there was of the Jews so absolutely given to Christ as they should never fall away and that they were here so chosen at Antioch where St. Paul spake this for Antioch was an eminent place for Believers insomuch that they were first there called Christians Yet however this does no way prove that all believers are so Ordained to Everlasting Life so as they shall never finally fall away for by the word of God it is absolutely the contrary as I have here proved But as to the Ordaining here spoken of when explained according to the Tenor of the Gospel it does appear to be no such thing for the Believer upon his believing that Christ is the Author of Eternal Salvation to all them that obey him Heb. 5.9 by which his Heart is drawn out in thankfulness love and obedience to Christ Gal. 5.6 for it is a Faith that worketh by Love is required the which the sinner no sooner so believeth but that all his past Sins are then forgiven him and the Righteousness of Christ imputed to him so as the Believer becomes compleat in him for God by
rewarder of them that diligently seek him Heb. 11.6 And to shew the immutability of God Therefore it is said of God That whom he loves he loves to the end for he is unchangeable in himself for according to his promise whether Condition aâ—or Absolute he never first with-draws from any And therefore Châ—…st saith If ye keep my Commandments ye shall abide 〈◊〉 my live Joh 15.10 ERRATA Page the â—4 is wâ—…ting in the last â—re hest thou that thou diâ—st not receive And p. 75. l. 25. Psa 90.23 Chap. I. This is to prove when and at what time the Believer is justified by Faith without the deeds of the Law THAT it is at the Believer's first Resignation of himself to Christ in a willingness to take his Yoke upon him so as to render his sincere Obedience to him then is Christ's Righteousness imputed to him for his Justification This being according to what St. Paul saith concerning the Churches at their first Reception they being brought out of sin darkness and errour Therefore he saith of them Rom. 3.24 Being justified freely by his grace through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his Righteousness for the remission of sins that are past In these words he fully shews it was their sins which were committed before conversion which upon their conversion and resignation of themselves to Christ they received remission for those past sins Rom. 3.28 Gal. 2.16 Therefore the Apostle concludes that a man was justified by faith without the deeds of the Law Gal. 2.16 that is as before said at his first resignation of himself to Christ to yield him his love and sincere obedience he is then justified by Christ without the deeds of the Law from all his past sins Therefore he saith Rom. 8.33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's Elect it is God that justifieth for upon their conversion they received remission so as none of their past sins should be laid to their charge for God had then justified them by the imputation of Christ's Righteousness and therefore he saith Rom. 10 4. Christ is the end of the Law for Righteousness to every one that believeth the which belief must be in Christ and his VVord in which he requires our love and sincere obedience in all things as in Mat. 28. v. 20. and then is Christ the end fulfilling or comâ—…eating of the Law for their Justification for they are no sooner thus justified by Christ but they must live unto Christ and then he will persist to fulfil and compleat the end of the Law in them who continue to walk in sincere obedience to him And so the Apostle clearly explains these words where he saith Rom 8 4. That the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit Here he shews what us these are to whom the Law is thus fulfilled That it was to as many of them as walk not after the flesh but after the spirit And he also saith verse 6. For to be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace v. 7. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God For it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be Now tho' the carnal mind is at enmity against God yet the Man is no longer at enmity against â—…od than he retains that carnal mind So neither is the believer any longer a believer than he retains a mind and will in Subjection to the Law of God For he saith Chap 6.16 His Servants ye are to whom ye obey whether of Sin unto Death or of Obedience unto Righteousness Now whereas the Apostle saith to the Church of Ephesus Eph. 2.10 We are his Workmanship Created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God had afore ordain'd that we should walk in them VVhich shews they were no sooner justified and set clear from the guilt of sin by the imputation of Christ's Righteousness but it was also fore-ordained of God that they should live in Good works and therefore Christ saith The Tree is known by its fruit Mat. 7.17,20 And whereas St. Paul saith Rom. 10.9,10 That if thou confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved For with the heart man believeth unto Righteousness and with the Mouth confession is made unto Salvation VVhich shews if the belief in us does not produce a Righteous life then it is altogether unavailable And whereas St. Paul saith Tit. 3.5 It is not by works of Righteousness which they had done but according to his mercy he saved them by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost This also shews when they were thus saved from their Sins That it was at their first conversion and resignation of themselves to Christ And he further shews how they were saved That it was by the washing of Regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost which was shed on them abundantly This was only at the establishing of the first Christian Churches for it is evident that there was no such abundant pourings forth of Spirit upon believers afterwards Therefore these places of Scripture are not fitly applicable to us who are born Children of the visible Church and have the Call of the Gospel from whom is expected an improvement of the season of Grace that God hath put into our hands For altho' the Gentiles that had not the knowledge of God were taken into mercy without works of Righteousness yet the Jews who had the knowledge of God were then excluded his mercy because there was not good works found in them as God by all the Prophets and Christ himself declareth Matth. 23.23,24,25,26,27 Wo unto you Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites for ye pay Tithe of Mint and Anise and Cummin and have omitted the weightier matters of the Law judgment mercy and faith these ought ye to have done and not to leave the other undone Here these that had the knowledge of God and the Law the Practical part was first requir'd of them as justice and mercy before any ground for a true faith to take place And whereas the Apostle saith in Galatians c. 3. v. 21,22,23,24,25 Is the Law against the promises of God God forbid for if there had been a Law given which could have given life verily Righteousness should have been by the Law But the Scripture hath concluded all under sin that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe But before faith came we were kept under the Law shut up unto the Faith which should afterwards be revealed Wherefore the Law was our School-master to bring us unto Christ that we might be justified by faith But after that faith is come we are no longer under a School-master Now whereas he saith the Law was their
the Spirit of God and the checks of Conscience all which improved is able to make wise unto Salvation But as the Lord saith Some hear the Word and with joy receive it and believe for a while yet in time of temptation fall away Luke 8.13 This is a sufficient proof that some may practically believe and yet afterwards fall away And others there are that have lived a loose life which afterwards may fall under the terrours of Conscience by which they may be frighted from their evil practices after which some build their faith in Christ and hopes of Salvation upon this their Conversion But resting there without further improving the advantage that God puts into their hands in turning the strong man out of possession therefore the old Inhabitant again returns and finding them or him empty of true love to God and to the ways of Holiness and only the house or person finely garnished with an outward shew of Profession then he again takes possession of his old Habitation with more corrupt inclinations than before and so the latter end is much worse with such than their beginning Luke 11.21,22,24,25,26 But such will be blessed whether they fall under a terrour or not that keep to a close walking with God in a Child-like frame of spirit in love and obedience to him For he that walketh uprightly walketh surely Prov. 10.9 And the Lord saith God is a spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth And it is only such as hold out to the end that have the sure word of promise to receive the Crown of life But as for the very Elect which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth and cry day and night unto him by reason of the oppression of the Adversary and never were deceived by the Beast or false Prophet Matth. 24.24 Rev. 14.4 Luke 18.7 of which number we cannot be because all our predecessors came out of Popery neither are we of that Remnant But these are they of whom it is said the foundation standeth sure And of whom Christ saith none shall pluck them out of his hand And it was to his Disciples that were of that remnant to whom he promised to be with them to the end of the World And also that he will forsake none whilst they keep to the Rule that he hath set before them but the Remnant were to remain his Witnesses all the time of this World against the power of this Enemy by whom they have been often driven nto Dens and Caves of the Earth Chap. IIII. Believers justified by Christ which they could not be by the Law of Moses SAINT Paul saith Acts 13.37,38,39 Be it known unto you therefore Men and Brethren that thro' this Man is preach'd unto you the forgiveness of sins And by him all that believe are justified from all things from which they could not be justified by the Law of Moses This may be taken under a two-fold head 1. That none can perform the moral Law to that perfection as thereby to become justified by it without the Merits of Christ But the Apostle hath here his reference to the Ceremonial Law in that he terms it the Law of Moses which in this Book in several places he treats of the abolishing of For those things therein contain'd in keeping them could no ways purifie the Conscience but keeping the Commands of God does purifie the Conscience and thereby produces a holy life so as we may with boldness look by the eye of Faith to Christ for acceptance and justification thro' the imputation of his perfect Righteousness For St. Paul saith Acts 13.26 Whosoever among you feareth God to you is the Word of this Salvation sent And he saith Heb. 11.6 He that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him For which promise sake he also saith Acts 26.7 Our twelve Tribes instantly serving God day and night hope to come Whereby we see there was some of every Tribe then converted to the Christian Faith And these were they unto whom St. James wrote James 1.1 To the twelve Tribes which are scatered abroad greeting These are they that are said to follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth Rev. 14.4 And of these it is said of every Tribe are to be sealed twelve thousand Rev. 7. And all along in the word all are incouraged to run the race for the hope 's sake set before them And that they shall reap that faint not Gal. Ch. 4. v. 9. 2. St. Paul relating how he was sent of the Lord to preach the Gospel Acts 26.16 And what should be the effects of his preaching as in the 18. verse To open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God that they may receive forgiveness of Sins and an inheritance among them which are sanctified by Faith that is in me These words shew that until they were turned from darkness unto light and from the power of Satan unto God so as Satan must wholly lose his ruling power in the heart before they could receive remission of their sins as to be sanctified by Faith in Christ Jesus And St. Paul saith Rom. 9.30 What shall we say then that the Gentiles which followed not after righteousness have attained to righteousness even the righteousness which is of Faith That is the first Churches being brought out of sin and darkness by a belief in the Gospel and a willingness to yield their obedience thereunto thereby they became justified thro' the imputation of Christ's righteousness For a Soul-saving Faith is of a purifying quality as knowing by the belief of the Gospel they are his Servants to whom they yield themselves to obey whether of sin unto death or of obedience unto Righteousness Rom. 6.16 And also Saint Peter saith of the first Gentile Churches that God purified their hearts by faith Acts 15.9 For having a faith or belief in the Doctrine of the Gospel they were therein commanded to be holy in all manner of conversation 1 Pet. 1.15 And St. Paul saith Rom. 9.31 But Israel which followed after the Law of righteousness has not attained to the Law of righteousness wherefore because they sought it not by faith but as it were by the works of the law for they stumbled at that stumbling stone Now the Question is what was the Law of righteousness which Israel followed after and what was the works of the Law they trusted in The Law of righteousness and works of the Law which they trusted in was the Ceremonial Law with the Tithing of Mint Anise and Cummin but they left the weightier matters of the Law undone as judgment mercy and faith Mat. 23.23,24,25,26,27 For which their evil practices they were termed a Generation of Vipers Mat. 3.7,8,9 But whereas Christ saith of them they had not Faith was not only because they believed not in him but also because they believed the word
of God by halves as to the threatnings and mercy which is contained in the word which is the promise of Salvation to the obedient and likewise punishments to the disobedient But they like us believing the word of God by halves performed the lesser matters of the Law but left the weight ier undone for which Christ was laid in Zion as a stumbling stone so as they should not believe in him but this their disobedience was appointed them for their former rebellion and the stroke fell upon their Children that were alike partakers with them in iniquity Now the Faith that had been so long wanting in them was that which Christ in a more particular manner spake to In that they believed the word of God by halves is clear by the parable which he put forth concerning Lazarus and the rich Man in his request to Abraham that he would send Lazarus to his Brethren to warn them that they might escape that place of torment but Abraham said They have Moses and the prophets let them hear them but he still persisted Saying If one went to them from the dead they would repent But Abraham said If they hear not Moses and the Prophets neither will they be persuaded tho' one rose from the dead Luke 16.27 c. Whereby it clearly shews that they did not believe Moses and the Prophets as they should have done so as to have lived a holy life Saint Peter saith of Christ Acts 10.43 To him give all the Prophets witness that thro' his Name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins That is such as believe in him according to the tenour of his Word and Gospel in which he requires our observing to do whatsoever he commands us Matth. 28.20 And upon the will 's consenting to these conditions they received remission of sins And whereas it is said in the following verse While Peter spake these words the holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word Now these that at this time heard the word on whom the Holy Ghost thus suddenly sell were before proselytes of the Gentiles who truly feared God wrought righteousness as in ver 34. and 35. But others that believed of the first Churches which had before lived in sin were to repent and be haptized before they could receive the Holy Ghost Chap. V. Such as have Believed may afterwards fall away SAINT Peter saith Acts 3.19 Repent ye therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out when the time of refreshing shall come from the persence of the Lord. By these words he sheweth that upon Repentance and Resignation of themselves to Christ for him to have the ruling power in the heart at which time it is that such receive the remission of their sins Yet their sins according to the text are not blotted out until the time of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. So as if they again wilfully yield to Sin their former trespasses will again be required of them The like the Lord saith in the parable concerning the Servant that owed ten thousand Talents who besought his Lord for Pardon and his Lord forgave him the debt But for the Cruel usage of his Fellow-Servant his Lord again required his former debt for which he delivered him to the tormentors for that debt which he had before forgiven him Matth. 18.24,26,27,30,34 And the Lord saith Ezek 33.13,14,15 When I shall say to the Righteous that he shall surely live if he trust to his own Righteousness and commit iniquity all his righteousness shall not be remembred but for his iniquity that he hath committed he shall die for it Again when I say to the wicked thou shalt surely die if he turn from his sin and do that which is lawful and right he shall surely live he shall not die Here we see that the promise of life is no longer to the righteous man than he continues to do righteously Neither is the threatned death to the wicked any longer than he continues to do wickedly So likewise neither is the eternal life promised the believer of any longer continuance than he persists believing that Salvation is to be had according to the tenour of the Gospel In which Gospel is required our love and sincere obedience Matth. 10.37 Christ saith He that loveth Father or Mother more than me is not worthy of me And he also saith Mark 8.34,35 Whosoever will come after me let him deny himself and take up his Cross and follow me For whosoever will save his life shall lose it but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the Gospel the same shall save it Whereby it clearly shews that we must part with the delights advantages and pleasures of this world for Christ as well as life it self when call'd for And Christ saith of some that they receive the word with Joy and for a while believe and in time of temptation fall away Luke 8.13 Whereby the Lord fully declares the promise is no longer to the believer than he remains believing in him and his word Which word requires our practical obedience The which if we perform then are we his Disciples indeed For not the hearers of the Law are just before God but the doers of the Law shall be justified Rom. 2.13 But the first Churches being in a particular manner chosen and called unto whom the holy Ghost was given whereby they generally stood tho' some fell away by making shipwrack of Faith and a good Conscience 1 Tim. 1.19 but to the succeeding generations of the Gentile-Churches that came in by the call of the Gospel with the assistance of the good motions of the Spirit of God of whom Christ saith Many are called but few are chosen because of their not improving of their day of grace which God had put into their hands Matth. 20.16 Chap. VI. The Conversion of the Jaylor COncerning the Jaylor Acts 16.30,31,32,33 when after he was awakned by the Miracle he saw he then said Sirs VVhat must I do to be saved And they said Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and thy house And they spake unto him the words of the Lord and to all that were in his house The which words of the Lord was that which he commanded his Disciples to teach Which was the condition upon which Christ had offered Salvation Mat. 28.20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you The which upon their wills consenting to yield their love and obedience in a belief that Christ was able to save them they were baptized And concerning Philip and the Eunuch Acts 8.35,36,37 Then Philip opened his mouth and began at the same Scripture and preached unto him JESUS And as they went on their way they came to a certain water and the Eunuch said See here is water what doth hinder me to be baptized And Philip said If thou believest with all thine heart thou mayest and he answered and said
themselves without fear Clouds they are without water That is for any to feed themselves without fear the Apostle terms them Clouds without water But for Believers to be timerously fearful of themselves because of their own weakness lest they should offend that fear is pleasing in the sight of God because it keeps them in a diligent watchfulness And were there not great cause of fear the Apostle would not have so forewarned the Saints of that roaring Lion that walks about seeking whom he may devour 1 Pet. 5.8 And of such as fear it is said The Lord will deliver them who through fear of death were all their life-time subject to bondage Heb. 2.15 Here we see there is comfort for them that so fear But as for such as are mistrustfully fearful of the faithfulness and power of God that he will not perform his promise according to his word and therefore they will not venture the loss of the delights and advantages of this World so as to obey his Commands and Precepts of such fearful and unbelieving it is of whom the Lord saith They shall have their part in the Lake which burneth with fire and brimstone Rev. 21.8 Therefore St. Paul saith to the Saints Heb. 10.35 Cast not away therefore your confidence which hath great recompence of reward That is confidence in the power and faithfulness of God for as we believe that God is so we must believe that he is the rewarder of them that diligently seek him Heb. 11. v. 6. And that the Crown of Life according to the promise of the Lord will be given to them that continue faithful to the death Rev. 2.10 Therefore St. Paul saith For ye have need of patience that after ye have done the will of God ye might receive the promise Heb. 10.36 For whosoever doeth the will of God comes in as Heirs to the promise And accordingly St. Paul saith 1 Cor. 9.26 I therefore so run not as uncertainly so sight I not as one that beateth the Air. This being the Apostle's faith his confidence in the faithfulness of the promiser which made him thus run and fight for in so doing he knew that he was not at an uncertainty And this is the faith or belief which is to the saving of the Soul For verily there is a reward for the righteous Psal 58.11 For God doth never justifie the ungodly by the imputation of the Righteousness of Christ but when they turn from sin unto God for God will no otherwise clear the guilty 1 John 4.18 He saith Perfect love casteth out fear That is where perfect love is it casteth out all slavish fear but not a filial Child-like fear but it is not every sincere-hearted Christian can be thus assured they are made perfect in love and those that are so are not thereby assured that their love will so remain For the Lord saith of the Church of Ephesus That she was fallen from her first love for which she was threatned to be removed out of his favour if she did not repent and do her first works Rev. 2.4,5 Chap. X. Christ the Author of Faith HEB. 12.2 Looking unto Jesus the Author and finisher of Faith For had not God promised Christ and by him everlasting Life to all them that should keep his Covenant there had been no ground for Faith or hope of Salvation Therefore of this Faith Christ is the Author the which faith or hope caused all those Worthies of old to undergo all those difficulties mentioned in the foregoing chapter which are as a Cloud of Witnesses to incourage us to suffer and to follow the Lord Jesus thro' all difficulties Who for the joy that was set before him endured the Cross despising the shame and is set down at the right hand of the Throne of God ch 12. v. 2. The which if we accordingly deny our selves in obedience to him Christ will then compleatly finish our faith in giving the Crown of Life to them who have continued faithful to the death Chap. XI What it is to be born of God and to overcome the World 1 JOHN 5.1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him Now we must always look to the words that go before and to those that follow after if we would come to a right understanding of the word For in that he saith They that love God they likewise love Christ that is begotten of him or else they cannot be born of God For if they or we are not by our believing that Christ is the Son of God brought off from the delights of this World we cannot be born of God For it is such a belief in us that Christ is the Son of God which draws out our heart to love and obey him as God or else our belief in him is not such as makes us to be born of God Therefore he saith in verse 2. By this we know that we love the Children of God when we love God keep his Commandments For by the Commandments of God we are commanded to love the Children of God and by keeping the commands of God it is we know that we love God therefore the Apostle saith in v. 3. This is the love of God that we keep his Commandments and his Commandments are not grievous By which we see our love to God and Christ is in keeping their Commands And he saith in verse 4. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the World and this is the victory that overcometh the World even our faith What meaneth the Apostle here in saying that by faith they overcame the World He meaneth all the vain fleshly and covetous desires of any thing relating to the World which by their faith they overcame Which faith set them on work looking for the reward promised which is the Crown of Life But notwithstanding some have again been overcome by the World and so made shipwrack of faith and a good conscience 1 Tim. 1.19 and others as in 2 Pet. 2.18,19 They allure thro' the lust of the flesh thro' much wantonness those that were clean escaped from them who live in errour While they promise them liberty they themselves are the servants of corruption for of whom a man is overcome of the same is he brought in bondage By which nothing can be more plain than that those that have had the New Birth wrought in them and have overcome the World may again be overcome by the World and brought into bondage and so the latter end is worse with them than the beginning as in ver 20,21 Now the man that is born of God is brought off from the World and whilst he so continues new-born or brought off from the World he sinneth not because he doth not wilfully commit sin For the sins that are not wilfully committed will not be imputed for Christ remains their Advocate John 5.16 If any man see his
method of Salvation which if accordingly be lieved they should be saved Therefore Christ saith to the Church Rev. 3.3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard and hold fast and repent If therefore thou shalt not watch I will come on thee as a thief and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee Here we see the Lord calls upon them to put in practice what they have heard Which if they do not he will come upon them at an hour they are not aware of And as the Thief comes to destroy so the Lord will come to the destruction of them that have his word and will not according thereunto wait for him with a prepared heart in love to receive him For he saith If ye keep my Commandments ye shall abide in my love John 15.10 and in the 14. v. Ye are my Friends if ye do whatsoever I command you And also the Lord saith John 8.31 If ye continue in my word then are ye my Disciples indeed And the offer of mercy by Christ is to all that will take his Yoke upon them Matth. 11.29 And the Lord saith Mark 8.34,35,36 Whosoever will come after me let him deny himself and take up his Cross and follow me For whosoever will save his life shall lose it but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the Gospel the same shall save it For what shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own Soul This losing of the life for Christ is to be taken under a twofold head Not only when we are called to lay down our life for the defence of the Gospel but also in denying our selves the pleasures delights and advantages of this world for this is spoken in general to all that will save their lives to life eternal According to this the Lord saith John 12.25 He that loveth his life shall lose it and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal And Christ saith Matth. 7.21 Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in Heaven Matth. 7.24 Christ saith Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine and doth them is like to a wise man that built his house upon a rock So if we lay hold upon the promise of life according to the conditions offered by Christ we build upon that rock that will never fail us So as when the greatest storm ariseth that man will securely stand because he is faithful that hath promised But if we believe in Christ for justification yet walk according to our own imaginations and not according to his Commands it is building upon a sandy foundation for which they will have damnation According to the word of the Lord when he sent his Disciples to teach the Doctrine of the Gospel which was the conditions of the Covenant of grace He then said He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned Mark 16.15,16 That is it was the Gospel which then Christ sent forth his disciples to teach which they that heard were to believe Accordingly the Lord saith Matth. 28.19,20 Go ye therefore and teach all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I command you and lo I am with you to the end of the world That is with the race of the Disciples which is of the remnant he will be with to the end of the World for they are those that none can pluck out of his hand And of whom it is said they follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth And also he will never forsake any whilst they keep his way in observing to do whatsoever he Commands them Now the Belief in Christ that is saving is to be grounded upon the words of Christ that his righteousness is to be applied for the justification of the sinner according to the conditions as it is tendred by him which is in the observing to do whatsoever he commanded them For tho' at the first receiving of the Gospel by his free grace they were saved from their sins by yielding to the conditions that Christ required Yet all of them that were not immediately taken away by death were to be judged according to the performance of those conditions before they could be thought meet to partake of the Crown of life And in every believer is required the faith of God's Elect that in the way of their love and obedience they shall become Heirs to the promise Zacheus desired to be a Disciple of the Lord and he knew in being so his Obedience was required Therefore he said Lord half of my goods I give to the poor and if I have taken any thing from any by false accusation I will restore him fourfold Luke 19.8 But many of us like the Jews of old by their Tradition made the Commands of God of no effect So many with us by their half-faith or believing but half way in that they leave out the conditions upon which life and salvation is offered by Christ have made their faith in Christ of none effect to the saving of their Souls because the promise of life is upon condition of our Obedience In which whosoever remains faithful to the death shall have the Crown of life But for any to think that Christ dyed to give them a liberty to sin it is of such God saith Thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one as thy self but I will reprove thee and set them in order before thine eyes Now consider this ye that forget God lest I tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver Psal 50.21,22 This forgetting God is forgetting their duty as to yield Obedience unto his Commands But for our having Faith in the righteousness of Christ separate from good works is dead standing alone James 2.20,21,22 But wilt thou know vain man that faith without works is dead Was not Abraham our Father justified by works when he had offered Isaac his Son upon the Altar Seest thou how faith wrought with his work and by works was faith made perfect Thereby shewing that a lively and perfect Faith always includs good works As first the inward work upon the will and affections and afterwards good works put in practise Therefore he saith in the 26 verse For as the body without the Spirit is dead so faith without works is dead also And Chap 1. v. 25. But whoso looketh into the perfect Law of Liberty and continueth therein he being not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work this man shall be blessed in his deed Now why is it term'd the Law of Liberty Because such as walk in obedience thereunto are by Christ set free from the condemning power of sin and death 26. v. If any man among you seem to be religious and bridleth
War with the remnant of her Seed which kept the Commandments of God and the Testimony of Jesus Christ Now by the Wings of a great Eagle is meant Support and Assistance and by Waters is comprehended Afflictions and the Men that are the Afflictors by what the Prophet David faith in Psal 18.4 The Floods of ungodly men made me afraid From these Waters the Earth helped the Woman for the Earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up That is takes them away by Death yet still the Devil Persists in his Malice for he goes to make War with the Remnant of her Seed By all this it is made clearly to appear that Christ's Church was a suffering Church is a suffering Church and so will continue to the end of this World and the Lord to incourage us tells the Church in Rev. 3.10 That if they keep the word of his Patience he also will keep them from the hour of Temptation which shall come upon all the World to try them that dwell upon the earth Here we see is a general Tryal and the Lord to comfort us saith in the 11. v. Behold I come quickly hold that fast which thou hast that no man take thy Crown Here we may plainly see that the Glory will be prepared for them that Love him when he comes the second time for the Glory is not now in this our World for Christ's Church And when we Pray for Christ to have here in this World a Glorious Church we Pray against the determined will of God But whereas St. Paul saith Ephes 5.25 Christ loved his Church and gave himself for it 26. That he might Sanctify it and cleanse it with the washing of Water 〈◊〉 the Word This part is to be perform'd in this sinful World But whereas he saith in the 27. v. That he might present it to himself a Glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be Holy and without blemish Now we must take notice of the words of the Apostle which tells us that he might present it to himself a Glorious Church without spot or wrinkle or any such thing Not that he hath so presented it or that it is so presented but the word is That he may present it a glorious Church without having spot or wrinkle Then the question is here when it shall be to which I Answer it will be at the great Weding Supper of the Lamb the which will be when the Lord comes Now as to his coming that we might not be mistaken therein the Lord saith Matt. 24.25 Behold I have told you before 26. Wherefore if they shall say unto you behold he is in the desert go not forth Behold he is in the secret Chambers believe it not 27. v. For as the Lightning cometh out of the East and shineth 〈◊〉 to the West so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be 28. For wheresoever the Carcass is there will the Eagles begathered together By which we see the Lord did not tell them they should be gathered into Heaven at the time of his coming But the Lord after he arose expounded to them the Scriptures Luk. 24.27 Begining at Moses and all the Prophets he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself Now the Scriptures do not only speak of his Sufferings but also of his Reigning on Mount Sion in Jerusalem Gloriously And then as to what the New Heavens and Earth will be will then be made manifest Whereas the Lord saith in Mat. 24.29 Immediately after the Tribulation of those days shall the Sun be darkned and the Moon shall not give her light and the Stars shall fall from Heaven and the Powers of Heaven shall be shaken By these that is the Sun Moon and Stars and the Powers of Heaven being shaken hath its reference of certain as to what I before shewed you But these words may admit of a two fold meaning and not only comprehend the Popish Ministery and others that have been negligent in their places and the wicked powers but also when the Lord cometh there may be a great Eclipse of the Sun and the Moon may change her Colour and those wandring Stars fall from Heaven which Satan has influence on as to carry on the darkness of this World by And as St. Jude saith in the 13. v. Where he compareth the wicked to the raging Waves of the Sea foaming â—ut their own shame And likewise he compares them to wandring Stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever Now as there is the real Waves of the Sea we see here that the Wicked are the Figurative Waves of the Sea And as there is real wandring Stars that Satan has Influence on to help him in the carrying on the darkness of this World So there is Figurative Wandering Stars the which do darken the light of the Word and so the World that is the people is darkned thereby For which both the real and figurative Stars are reserved the blackness of darkness for ever For by these words we see that in the Restoration the Stars will not be left to influence man to Iniquity Now whereas St. John saith John 2.8 The darkness is past and the true light now shineth Which was the true Light then broke forth in the Church as to Knowledg and Love but as to the latter it hath a more particular reference for he so explains himself in the 9. v. in that he saith He that hateth his Brother is in darkness And in the 10. v. he saith He that loveth his Brother abideth in the Light 〈…〉 St. Paul saith 〈…〉 Rom. 13.12,13 The night is far spent the day is at hand let us therefore cast off the works of Darkness and let us put on the Armour of Light Let us walk honestly as in the day not in rioting drunkenness not in chambering and wantonness not in strife and envy Here the Apostle fully declares that it was then night but that he would have them walk as the Children of the day in which day there will be no such thing committed at which time according to the saying of the Psalmist That all the Families of the Earth shall be blessed of the Lord and also in Ezek. 48.31 Zach. 14.11 Jer. 31.40 Now as to what the Lord saith in Luke 21. c. 24. That Israel shall fall by the edge of the Sword and shall be led away captive into all Nations and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles be fullfilled Which is as I before told you not until the Gentile Power is quite vanquished the which will be when the Lord comes and then will Jerusalem be gloriously built never more to be destroyed as it is written 25. v. And there shall be signs in the Sun and in the Moon and in the Stars and upon the Earth distress of Nations with perplexity the Sea and the Waves roaring 26. v. Mens
that time all the wicked will be cut off from the Face of the Earth for he that liveth to that time being blessed signifies that there will be none living but what will then be blessed And that we may be made partakers of this blessedness here is a short Account of the Faith we are to believe For Faith in Christ is to believe that he is become the Author of Eternal Salvation to all them that obey him And those that would be made partakers of this blessedness must go to God by daily and servent Prayer and imploy their Diligence in his service Jam. 2.20,22 For Faith without works is Dead and by works is Faith made perfect And without Holiness no man shall see the Lord. Heb. 12.14 And in Ephes 2.3 to the 10. v. For we are his workmanship Created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before Ordained that we should walk in them It is of the great mercy and rich Grace of God in that he gave the Son his Love a ransome to make satisfaction and Reconciliation for as many as shall come unto God by him and therefore it is of Grace that any is saved and we no sooner Repent and believe if done in sincerity but we are excepted of Christ and then his Righteousness and good Works is imputed to us as though we had been Created so Notwithstanding we had been before great sinners But after we are received into Mercy God hath fore-ordain'd that we should walk in good Works which if we will not we shall have neither part nor lot in this Portion and the Apostle saith It is of Faith that worketh by Love is required and there is no such obedience as that in which the Heart is concern'd A Belief Now to believe in Christ for Salvation is to believe his word for it and if we believe his word for it we believe that Salvation is attainable according to his Word the which we no sooner believe but weare by his word put into his Vineyard to work therein and then begins the Race that we are to run and the Armor is prepared for us to put on in which we are to maintain a continual Combat with the World the Flesh and the Devil and that unto our Lives end we must continue in and hold out and overcome if we ever intend to have the Crown For altho some of these Enemies may get the Advantage at some time yet besure keep so good a guard that when you find any breaking in of the Enemy go to the Lord with Submission Contrition and Acknowledgment begging new Strength from him that you may be able to Conquer these your Enemies and that you may have grace of him so to withstand them as they may not break in upon you And as for our saying that God is merciful and we trust in God yet walk according to our own imaginations and fancies is but to trust God to destroy us for although God is exceeding Merciful yet his Mercies will be distributed according as he hath declared in his word And whereas the Lord saith in Luke 13.24 Strive to enter in at the steight Gate for many I say unto you will seek to enter in and shall not be able This hath a special reference to the time of the Lord 's Coming to Judg the World but what reference it hath to the present time is to those that either strive in a false way or else go out in their own strength with a resolution to serve the Lord and amend their Lives When withal they should go to God to beg strength of him to fulfil these their Resolutions and also for his continual Assistance in this their Pilgrimage and if so he hath said he will never leave us nor forsake us for if we do not so in Temptations and Afflictions we shall fall away for the best of men are not able in their own strength to grapple with the World the Flesh and the Devil And for our Example St. Peter putting too much confidence in himself therefore so fouly fell as to deny his Master and how often have some of us known those that have made Vows and Protestations for their amendment but putting confidence in themselves thinking they had Power to perform it without seeking to God for his continual assistance in their performance of these their Resolutions and for want of so doing how soon hath all these Vows and Protestations been Vanquisht But if we take to the means and go in the way then unto them the Lord saith He that asketh receiveth and he that seeketh findeth and unto him that knocketh it shall be opened And whereas the Lord saith Many are called but few are chosen That is after they were called so as to be brought into the knowledg of the Truth which afterwards they not imploying their utmost endeavour to make their calling an Election sure in improving the Talent that he hath given them therefore they will not be chosen of him All these controversal points being clearly Answered where I spoke of Election And whereas it is said Revel 21.7.8 He that overcometh shall inherit all things and I will be his God and he shall be my Son but the fearful and unbelieving and the abominable and Murderers and Whoremongers and Sorcerers and Idolaters and all Liers shall have their part in the Lake which burneth with Fire and Brimstone which is the second Death Now whereas he here saith the fearful That is those that are mistrustingly fearful of the Promises Power or Providences of God and therefore throw themselves out of the way of his Mercy either by Dispair or presumptiously running into all excess of Riot Now as a mistrustful fear in God shall be punished with Hell Fire so on the contrary them that are fearful by reason of their own weakness least they should miscarry they are promised by the Lord deliverance as in Heb. 2.15 And deliver them who through fear of Death were all their life time subject to bondage Now whereas God saith by Moses Dan. 32.40 that he lives for ever And also it is said of the material Earth Heb. 7.14 that it abideth for ever Yet ever cannot comprehend what is here expressed Psal 104.5,6 But God may sometimes use this method in speaking as to himself and other things by such words as do fall short of expressing the full meaning of that is signified to us by them because he hath a secret in his word which nothing but Prayer Self-Resignation and Meditation can give us a light therein as to the understanding of it and as to the Prophesies time has much explained if we in the forementioned way consider it And we also are to take notice that altho ever is attributed to that which cannot be comprehended by it yet Eternity or Everlasting is never attributed to that which cannot reach it But God is termed Isa 6.9 The Eternal God and the Everlasting Father And it is said Heb. 5.9 Christ is
Maker 〈◊〉 Heaven and Earth and all things â—…rein contained whether visible or inâ—…ble and that out of the Gen. 2.7 dust of the â—…und God created Man and breathed inâ—… him the breath of life and thereby â—…n became a Gen. 28. living Soul and was plac'd 〈◊〉 God in Gen. 1.26,27 Eden the Garden of God in â—…oly happy blessed State and God â—…ve them Power over the Fish of the 〈◊〉 the Fowl of the Air and the Beast 〈◊〉 the Field and over all the Earth and over every thing that creepeth on the Earth And Man should have so continued in this blessed and happy State Gen. 2.17 never to have known decay sickness forrow or death had he not there sinned against his great Creator and his most liberal Benefactor Gen. 3.4,5 in that they did adhere to the Enemy of God which is the Devil and believed what he said and did not believe the God of Truth for which they were turn'd out of Paradise Gen. 3.23 and became more vile and miserable than all Creatures that have their Being upon Earth and so 't would have succeeded to his unborn Posterity Job 14.4 Psal 51.5 Job 4.8 for now their Natures became corrupt so as Righteousness and Holiness and Wisdom which was the Image of God stampt upon them now had left thâ—m and was quite defaced in them and they became 〈◊〉 like the Prince of Darkness which is â—…e Devil who for his Pride and Rebelâ—â—n against God he and his Adherents were cast out of Heaven and from glorious Angels became Devils in Hell and are kept in Chains of Darkness unto the Judgment of the Great Day of God who are to be punished eternally in Hell-fire Joh. 3.44 Joh. 3.8 Jude 6. 2 Pet. 2.4 But God looking on Mankind in their forlorn and miserable Condition with an eye of pity and compassion gave them a word of Comfort which was That the Gen. 3.15 Seed of the Woman should bruise the Serpent's head which is the Devil and God said that he would put enmity between the seed of the Woman and the seed of the Serpent And in that God had compassion on Mankind rather than upon the fallen Angels so as to send them a Saviour Luk. 2.11 Mat. 1.21 There was this reason the fallen Angels were the principal and alone Causes of their own Rebellion but Mankind was stirr'd up to it through the subtil Insinuations and Lyes of the Devil Gen. 3.1 and therefore Mankind had a Tender of Grace offered them if we receive it according to the condition as it is offered us which is with Repentance towards God and Faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ with Love and Obedience to him to whom all the Prophets bear witness â—…aring he should be born of a Virgin 〈◊〉 speaking of his Sufferings and of his Death and of his Rising again Act. 20.21 Act. 4.12 Act. 3.23,26 Isa 7.14 Isa 53. Ps 16.10 Act. 2.24 13.34 I believe in this Lord Jesus Christ â—hat he is the onely begotten Son of God who gave himself to satisfie Divine Justice and to make Reconciliation for poor â—ost and undone Creatures which were dead in Trespasses and Sins through that â—f Adam's Transgression Joh. 1.14 Joh. 10.15,18 Eph. 2.1 Heb. 9.14 2 Cor. 3.5 Gen. 6.5 Rev. 3.17 Rom. 7.15 Job 4.20 Isa 30.33 2 Pet. 2.4,5 whereby our Nature became so corrupt that we have â—est us neither Strength to stand 〈◊〉 Willâ—… striâ—… nor 〈…〉 〈…〉 in which woful condition we should have spent some few Days here and after which been plunged into Hell it self for ever and there to have been tormented with the Devil and damned Spirits Luk. 16.32 Jud. 7. Isa 5.15 Deut. 32.22 Joh. 1.1,2,3 without any redress had not the Son of God the second Person in the Trinity who to fulfil his Fathers promise and for the wonderful Love he bare to his Creatures he left the Throne of his Fathers Glory where he had been from all Eternity and did vouchsafe to take upon him the means of our Flesh and therein was conceived by the Power of the Holy Ghost in the Womb of the Virgin Mary Matt. 1.20,21 Luk. 1.30,31,32 but born of her without sin and when he came into the World he then suffered the Miseries of this Life the Wrath of God and the cursed Death of the Cross that through Death he might destroy him that had the Power of Death which is the Devil and deliver them who through the fear of Death were all their Life-time subject to bondage Luk. 23.35,36 Luk. 23.33 and 44 45 46. Heb. 2.14,15 and the Lord of Life was buried descended into Hell and continued under the Power of Death till the third Day Luk. 24.6,7 in which he rose again from the Dead as a triumphant Victor over Sin Death and Hell and after his Resurrection he was seen oâ— all his Apostles 1 Cor. 15.5,6 and of above 500 Brethreâ— at once and remained upon the Earth for the space of forty Days and then he went to Mount Olivet with his Disciples and more Witnesses Act. 1.3.9,10,11,12 and from thence he ascended up into Heaven and now sitteth at the Right-hand of God the Father and there maketh intercession for the Saints according to the Mind of God Heb. 1.3 Joh. 12.41 Rom. 8.34 Heb. 6.7.25 I believe also that assuredly there is Life and Salvation to be had through our Lord Jesus Christ if we come to him by faith and repentance so as to confess and forsake our sins and believe in him and his word so that we unfeignedly love and fear to offend him we shall be beloved of him and made eternally blessed by him through his perfect Righteousness which shall be imputed to us who is able to preserve us in time and in Eternity I believe in the Holy Ghost that he is the Sanctifier of our Natures whereby our Wills are renewed so as to desire to serve the living God in truth and in sincerity and also in time of trouble he doth often administer comfort and consolation to the Saints Acts 20.21 and 3.19 John 14.21 Joh. 8.31 Jer. 23.6 Rom. 8.14 1 Cor. 3.15 Gal. 5.16 1 Cor. 1.22 Joh. 5.26 I believe there is a Holy Catholick Church a member of which is every sincere hearted Christian throughout the World that worships the Lord in spirit and truth for our blessed Lord saith John 4.23,24 that the Father seeketh such to worship him I believe there will be the Resurrection of the Body and Life everlasting for the Righteous and eternal Damnation for them that go on in their wicked Ways I believe also that the Lord will come in the last Day in the Clouds of Heaven to render vengeance to his Adversaries and those that know not God and will not obey the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 15.21,22 Joh. 5.28,29 Col. 1.18 Matt. 25.46 John 11.24 Acts 1.11 2 Thess
had brought down his will into subjection to Christ in hopes to obtain eternal salvation by him and his love a full satisfaction Therefore he saith after he had spoken of the righteousness of Abraham Gal. 3.7,8 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith the same are the Children of Abraham And the Scripture foreseeing that God would justifie the heathen through faith preached before the Gospel unto Abraham saying in thee shall all the nations be blessed This is as I before told you was upon the publication of the Gospel that all that were converted thereby so as to be brought into the fold of Christ they no sooner so believed but that all original and actual sins that they had aforetime committed were done away and they accepted as perfectly righteous in and through the imputed righteousness of Christ by faith in him And so they were excluded from the curse oâ— the law for all their past sins before conversion done by them Gal. 3.9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham That is if they continue faithful as he did And St. Paul farther saith Gal. 3.13,14 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us for 〈◊〉 is written cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ that we might receive the promise of the spirit through faith That is if we have not our spirits brought over into a conformity and suitableness to the spirit of Christ then are we not of this faith and so not delivered from the curse of the law And it is further said Rom. 8.6 For to be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace And St. Paul also saith Rom. 3.20,21,22 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight for by the law is the knowledge of sin That is we cannot fulfill the law to that perfection as to become justified thereby But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested being witnessed by the law and the prophets That is by the law with the paschal Lamb and the bloody Sacrifices by the Prophets in that they did all along Prophesie of him Rom. 3.23,24,25 Even the righteousness of God which is by â—aith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all â—hem that believe for there is no difference 〈◊〉 all have sinned and come short of the â—…ry of God Being justified freely by his â—ace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ Whom God hath set forth to â—e a propitiation through faith in his blood 〈◊〉 declare his righteousness for the remission 〈◊〉 sins that are past through the forbearance 〈◊〉 God Here he tells them when their â—ns are to be forgiven that it was their â—ast sins before they were brought into â—e faith of Christ that upon their conâ—ersion were all forgiven them As the â—postle saith Rom. 3.26 To declare I say at this â—ne his righteousness that he might be â—ct and the justifier of him which belieâ—…th in Jesus Whereas he saith that â—e might be just which was in that he â—…t the Son of his love according to his â—…omise and so justified them that belieâ—ed in Jesus which belief is as I beâ—…e proved to you for we are no sooner 〈◊〉 Christ but we must become new Creaâ—…res 2 Cor. 5.17 And he saith Rom. 3.27,28 Where is boasting â—en it is excluded by what law of works â—y but by the law of faith Therefore we â—nclude that a man is justified by faith â—ithout the deeds of the law Here Paul â—akes this conclusion that a man is juâ—…fied by faith without the deeds of the law For he here wrot to the Gentiles that had been given to all sin and idolatry to let them understand how they became justified that it was by faith which faith has as large an extent as I have before shewed you and that it must be a faith like Abrahams And in the 25. v. before-mentioned He there tells them when their sins are forgiven so as they become justified without the works of the law Rom. 3.25 that it is upon their conversion that then their forepast sins shall be forgiven them and that they are then justified by faith without the deeds of the law so that iâ— they are suddenly after taken away by death they shall be accepted through the righteousness of Christ And St. Paul saith Rom. 3.29,30 Is he the God of the Jews only is he not also of the Gentiles Yes of the Gentiles also Seeing it is one God which shaâ—… justifie the circumcision by faith and the uncircumcision through faith Now Stepheâ— saith to the Jews Acts 7.51 they were uncircumcifed in heart and ears although they were circumcised in the flesh Now the Gentiles were not circumcised yet they aâ—… said to be circumcised by faith then thaâ— must be in heart and ear by which wâ— may also see that this justifying faith 〈◊〉 such as doth produce a holy life Anâ— the Apostle saith Rom. 3.31 Do we then make voâ—… the law through faith God forbid ye 〈◊〉 establish the law That is none can obey the law with that sincerity delight and desire as those that are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands And St. Paul saith of the outward circumcision Gal. 5.6,7,8 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but faith which worketh by love Ye did run well who did hinder you that you should not obey the truth This perswasion cometh not of him that calleth you We also here see that saving faith worketh by love and there is no such obedience as that wherein the heart is engaged And he here tells the Galatians that they did run well who did hinder them that they should not obey the truth And before he told them that they had begun in the Spirit by which it was certainly sure they were in the right And he farther lets them understand that it was not of him that called them that this delusion or perswasion came therefore it was by the wiles of Satan and his Instruments that they foolishly were insnared But St. Paul saith Rom. 2.7,8,9,10,11,12,13 To them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory and honour and immortality eternal life But unto them that are contentious and do not obey the truth but obey unrighteousness indignation and wrath Tribulation and anguish upon every Soul of man that doeth evil of the Jew first and also of the Gentile But glory honour and peace to every man that worketh good to the Jew first and also to the Gentile For there is no respect of Persons with God For as many as have sinned without the law shall also perish without the law and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law For not
hath given him Authority to execute judgment also because he is the Son of God We see all along here that the Lord speaks of his power and judgment when he again comes And again he saith Marvel not at this for the hour is coming in which all that are in their graves shall hear his voice And shall come forth they that have done good unto the resurrection of life and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation Here the Lord speaks in the Scripture way of speaking in that he so nearly joyns his coming to judge the World with that last judgment like that of his joyning the destruction of Jerusalem and of the World together according to which all the Scripture is so joyn'd Now these two judgments are clearly to distinct things for in the first it is said the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and it was those that did hear did live therefore this is at the first resurrection when the Lord again comes at which time all the promiss'd Elect shall be call'd in whom he hath promised mercy and with the dead Bodies of the Saints shall hear the voice of the Son of God and live And the other is the eternal judgment which is spoken of in the Revelations where it is said the Sea and Death and Hell delivered up the dead As to what the Lord saith in John 5. from the 20. v. to the 29. v. The Lord there speaks of the two judgments as I have elsewhere proved to you and therefore what he saith in the 24. v. is concerning them that are believers at his coming that they have everlasting life and that they shall not come into condemnation but where the Lord saith John 6.47 Verily verily I say unto you he that believeth on me hath everlasting life And the Apostle also saith 1 John 5.11,12,13 This is the record that God hath given us eternal life and this life is in his Son He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God that ye may know that ye have eternal life That is God hath renewed us in Christ and given us eternal life by him if we are true Believers and what that belief is that is required of us I have elsewhere proved to you But the everlasting life that is given the Believer is as it was given Adam in Paradise the which was as long as he continued in his obedience And so it is with us the which the words of the Lord doth fully explain where he saith John 8.51 Verily verily I say unto you if a man keep my sayings he shall never see death And Christ saith again John 15.9,10,11,12 As the Father hath loved me so have I loved you continue ye in my love If ye keep my commandments ye shall abide in my love even as I kept my Fathers commandments and abide in his love These things have I spoken unto you that my joy might remain in you and that your joy might be full This is my commandment that ye love one another as I have loved you By all this we plainly see that the eternal life given the Believer is theirs no longer than they persist in their obedience So Adam's eternal life that he had given him in Paradise was lost by his offending for had he persisted in his obedience he had never dyed And as I have already proved to you that if we are regenerated so as our wills are brought over into an intire resignation of our selves to God and Christ then we are accepted of him and then is the righteousness of Christ imputed to us but it is afterward there comes a day of trial either by temptation or affliction or a cloudy dark day may overtake us and therefore it is best for every true Christian to arm themselves for the worst that they may be able to stand in the evil day so whilst we continue in our obedience the perfect righteousness of Christ is imputed to us and then as the Apostle saith are we complete in him and afterward what sins are not willfully committed will not destroy us because Christ is our Advocate with the Father 1 Joh. 2.1 but let him that standeth take heed lest he fall And St. John saith 1 John 3.6,7,8 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not whosoever sinneth hath not seen him That is they give themselves no liberty to sin and what is not willingly committed is not imputed Little Children let no man deceive you he that doeth righteousness is righteous even as he is righteous That is if we continue in well-doing as I before shewed we have the perfect righteousness of Christ imputed to us for it is said we are complete in him He that committeth sin is of the Devil for the Devil sinned from the beginning for this purpose the Son of God was manifest that be might destroy the works of the Devil That is he that willfully committeth sin is of the Devil for the Devil committeth no sin but what he committeth willfully And the Apostle saith 1 John 1.6,7,8,9 If we say we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness we lye and do not the truth But if we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin This is that which makes us appear clean and white in the sight of God But he saith again If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us For we cannot live without sin as sins of infirmity and sins of ignorance and too often overtaken in the sins of Negligence and sometimes overtaken with the Sins of Surprisal Therefore he saith in the 9. v. If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteouness That is all our unrighteousnesses upon our Conversion are forgiven if we seek to God by Confession and Contrition And whereas the Lord saith in Mat. 5.46,47,48 For if ye love them which love you what reward have ye do not even the Publicans the same and if ye salute your Brethren only what do ye more than others do not even the Publicans so Be ye therefore perfect even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect That is be you perfect or sincere in your Love to others as God was sincere or perfect in his Love to you in that he gave the Son of his Love for you according to his Promise And in Luke 17.5,6 And the Apostles said unto the Lord increase our Faith And the Lord said if ye had Faith as a grain of Mustard-seed you might say to this Sycamine Tree be thou pluck up by the Root and be thou planted in the Sea and it should obey you
beginning For this purpose the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the Devil That is He that wilfully committeth sin is of the Devil for we shall stand or fall according to the integrity or uprightness of our wills the which if that is not right the man cannot be without sin And the which sin makes them the Children of the Devil And of whom God saith in Prov. 1.25,26 They set at nought all his Councel and would none of his reproof Therefore he saith I will laugh at your calamity I will mock when your fear cometh And whereas it is said for this purpose the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the Devil Here St. John doth not speak in the ordinary Scripture way of mentioning things that are to come as though they were already done But in our plain way of speaking in that he saith that he might destroy the works of the Devil whereby we know that it is not yet done but that he hath already paid the Ransome for that which he shall have in possession at that time of Restitution and then shall he destroy the works of the Devil For Christ himself saith in John 14.30 Hereafter I will not talk much with you for the Prince of this World cometh and hath nothing in me Now it is Evident if the Devil be the Prince of this World Christ hath not yet destroyed the works of the Devil And as to what St. John saith in the 9. v. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin for his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God Now in the former Verse he makes mention of himself and the Church and also saith they are called the Sons of God but in 1 John 3.9 he neither makes mention of himself or the Church but saith Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin for his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God Here we see that those that are thus born of God cannot wilfully sin But he writ not so to the Church to whom he directed this Epistle although they received the special Anointing For he saith to them in 1 John 2.24,28 Let that therefore abide in you which ye have heard from the beginning If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you ye also shall continue in the Son And he saith in the 28. v. And now little Children abide in him that when he shall appear we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming By which cautions we see that tho they had received the anointings of the Spirit yet through negligence they might fall off That some are so absolutely chosen or otherwise termed the very Elect or as in Matt. 13.8 The good ground the Lord speaketh of which bringeth forth Fruit so as they cannot wilfully sin and therefore cannot fall away whilst the other had a season of Grace and the anointing of the Spirit and renewings of the Holy Ghost in which benefits they must use their utmost diligence to make their Calling and Election sure and to persevere in an holy Life as they may become the Sons of God Of which St. John saith 1 John 2.29 If ye know that he is Righteous ye know that every one that doth Righteousness is born of him Now that the Righteousness that St. John here speaks of is no other than the uprightness of our wills accompanied with our utmost endeavours to persevere in an Holy Life by which we like Children shew forth our Love and Obedience to God and Christ and if so the Righteousness of Christ is imputed to us so as we become perfectly Righteous in the sight of God through the Righteousness of Christ put upon us the which his own words makes fully evident by reason in his first Chapter of the said Book he informs them fully how the case stood with them where he saith in 1 John 1.6,7,8,9,10 If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in Darkness we lie and do not the truth But if we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin If we say that we have no sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness If we say that we have not sinned we make him a liar and his word is not in us St. John in the first of these verses tells us That if we say we have fellowship with God and walk in darkness that we are lyars And he saith in the following verse If we walk in the light as he is in the light that is as God is in the Light then have we fellowship one with another that is with God according to what he saith in the 3 v. of the same chap. Now our walking in the light as he is in the Light is to have perfection always in our Eyes and aims so as to make it our daily endeavour to persevere man Holy Life and then the Blood of Christ cleanseth us from all sin And in the 8. v. he wholly takes us off of that blind conceit as to think that we have no sin For he saith if we say that we have no sin we deceive our selves and that the truth is not in us But he lets us understand in the following verse That if we confess our sins he is Faithful and Just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness We must not here think that this Confession is to be without contrition and repenting of the evil confessed For if it is our Confession will avail us nothing for the Lord will not hear it to cleanse us from our iniquity And St. John in his whole Epistle makes it evident he had no such meaning for them to confess their sins and not amend their lives as the 4. v. in the 2d Chapter of the Epistle of John He that saith I know him and keepeth not his Commandments is a lier and the truth is not in him 5. But whosoever keepeth his word in him verily is the love of God perfected hereby know we that we are in him 6. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk even as he walked And he saith in 3. c. at 7. and 8. v. Beloved let us love one another for love is of God and every one that loveth is born of God and knoweth God for God is love 9. In this was manifested the love of God towards us because that God sent his only begotten Son into the World that we might live through him Now Love is the great Commandment both of the Old and New Testament And Love is placed in the fore-front of all the Graces as in Cor. 13.1 Where
the promises The which is if we find that our hearts are sprinkled from an evil conscience and our Bodies washed with pure Water the Water of Baptism Then it is he saith in Heb. 10.23 Let us hold fast the profession of our Faith without wavering for he is faithful that hath promised V. 24. And let us consider one another to provoke unto Love and good Works For if we do not these things the profession of our Faith will little avail us For he saith in the 26th verse If we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledg of the Truth there remaineth no more Sacrifice for sins V. 27. But a certain fearful looking for of Judgment and â—…ery Indignation which shall devour the Adversaries V. 28. He that despised Moses's Law dyed without mercy under two or three Witnesses V. 29. Of how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy who hath trodden under foot the Son of God and hath counted the Blood of the Covenant wherewith he was Sanctified an unholy thing and hath done despight unto the Spirit of Grace V. 30 For we know him that saith Vengeance belongeth unto me I will recompence saith the Lord. And again the Lord shall judg his People Now whereas he saith If we sin wilfully after we have received the Knowledg of the Truth Here by these words you see he includes himself and the then gathered Church that he wrote unto That if he or any of them should sin wilfully after they have received the knowledg of the Truth there remains no more Sacrifice for sin but a certain fearful looking for of Judgment Now these were the Called the Elected and the Chosen to whom he gives all this warning to let them understand there was a possibility of their falling off and to let them understand that their Calling and Election was such as brought them into the knowledg of Christ and themselves so far Renewed and Enlightned as to put them into a Capacity of obedience in which capacity they must use their utmost indeavour to make their Calling and Election sure For after God has Illuminated us that is enlightned us then he tries us to prove ouâ— obedience either by Prosperity or Adversity or whatever other Affliction he shall see meet to lay upon us even to the withdrawing of his comfortable Presence from us to see whether our belief in him is such as to take to the Rules that he hath set before us as to be found doing our utmost endeavour in maintaining a warfare and making a continual Resistance for the doing of which we must still seek to God by Prayer for his Assistance then with confidence we may rely on his Promise who hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee And S. James saith in c. 4.7,8 Submit your selves therefore to God resist the Devil and he will flee from you Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you And St. Paul still incouraging them to hold out bids them v. 33. Call to remembrance the formsr days in which after they were illuminated ye endured a great fight of Affliction But when God in the Wilderness did prove Israel they did not stand in the day of Tryal For which all that was numbred of them from 20 years old and upwards that came out of Egypt died in the Wilderness save Caleb and Joshua Num. 23.21 Now whereas Balaam saith God hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob neither hath he seen perversness in Israel In which words he had reference to the time to come and so speaks in the Scripture way of speaking and not that those words did appertain to them at that time but in the time to come when God shall take away their sins For he is of purer Eyes than to behold inipuity and let it go unpunished But it is then he sees no iniquity in Jacob when he hath removed all iniquity from them which the Lord hath promised to do at the time when he again comes For at that time when they were in the Wilderness all those heavy Judgments came upon them because of their Iniquity And also it is further Evident that he intended not those words to them that were then left of Israel For afterward in Numb 25.3,9 they again sinned in committing Whoredom and Idolatry with Moab as in the 3d. v. And Israel joyned himself to Baal Peor and the Anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel so as there dyed for that Transgression 24 thousand as it is said in the 9th verse Now it is farther evident when Balaam was at that time with Balak he speake to him of the second coming of Christ for in Numb 24.17,18 He saith of Christ I shall see him but not now I shall behold him but not nigh there shall come a Star out of Jacob and a Scepter shall rise out of Israel and shall smite the corners of Moab and destroy all the Children of Seth. Which in antient Writings is said to be the Children of ease and quiet and without doubt meant of her that saith I sit as a Queen and am no Widow nor shall see no sorrow but her destruction at the coming of the Lord shall be at an instant suddenly as here it is said when the Septer shall rise out of Jacob and destroy all the Children of Seth. And in Numb 23.23 It is also said Sureâ—y there is no enchantment against Jacob neither any Divination against Israel according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel what hath God wrought That was then there could be no Enchantment against Jacob nor any Divination against Israel when they were not committing Sin But by woful experience we know that when Israel had transgressed by sinning then God suffered the Enchantments of the King of Babylon to be successful for to accomplish his threatned Judgments against Israel as it is said in Ezek. 21.21 For the King of Babylon stood at the parting of the way at the head of the two ways to use Divination He made his Arrows bright he consulted with images he looked in the liver v. 22. At his Right-hand was the Divination for Jerusalem by which we see this Prophesy of Balaam doth particularly appertain to the time to come and then there shall be no Inchantment against Jacob nor Divination against Israel for evermore And the latter part of this Verse doth make it farther appear his meaning was for the time to come wherein he saith according to this time which Argues that there should be another time according to what was then in which it should be said what hath God wrought And also the last Testimony of Ruben gives us an Account of the great Afflictions and Repentance that he had for that sin of his when weeping he said Hearken ye my Brethren and you my Children give Ear to the words of your Father Râ—ber mark what I give in charge behold I command you this day before the God of Heaten
then Farther confirmed the blessing to him as in Gen. 22. And at the time appointed according to his Promise God did appear to deliver his Seed out of the Land of Egypt and when he brought them into the Wilderness he is said to prove them there And God kept Moses in the Mount with him but forty days and Israel was all fallen off to Idolatry for which the Lord would have destroyed them all as in Exod. 32.10,11,12 Where God saith now therefore let me alone that my wrath may wax hot against them and that I may consume them and I will make of thee a great Nation But thro' the Prayers of Moses as in the 11. v. the Fierce Anger of the Lord was asswaged The which gives us to understand that there was no such absolute Election at that time But rather from that time God might give Christ a certain number whose names might then be written in the Book of Life that they should be as a standing witness through this World if in case the Devil should at any time draw off the rest yet still there should remain a standing Witness the which should own the Truth by which means those that did desire the ways of Holiness might be recovered out of Darkness again by coming to have the knowledg of the Truth and following their Example Now St. Stephen saith in Acts 7.34 That it was Christ that was in the Church in the Wilderness And Israel then being chosen for the foundation of the World to come it does thereby fully appear that their Names were then put into the Book of Life who should be a standing witness through the World and so secured in Christ as they should not fall away Of whom St. Paul speaketh in the Romans after he had spoken of the wilful miscarriage of Israel whom God hath put into a capacity of Obedience as in Rom. 10.21 But to Israel he saith all the day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying People But he afterward speaking of the Special Elect he saith Rom. 11.2 God hath not cast away his People which he foreknew That is foreknew of the Church by their close walking with him and also in especial manner he doth here mean the very Elect whose Names were written in Heaven from the Foundation of the World Of whom he saith in Rom. 11.5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the Election of Grace Now in the foregoing verse he there tells them that God reserved to himself seven Thousand who had not bowed the Knee to the Image of Baal So as there was then so there was when Christ came a Number according to the Election of Grace the which were as a gift from the Father to Christ And of these Christ speaks in John 10.27,28,29,30 My sheep hear my Voice and I know them and they follow me And I give unto them Eternal Life and they shall never perish neither shall any pluck them out of my hand My Father which gave them me is greater than all and none is able to pluck them out of my Fathers hand I and my Father are one Here we see Christ does own these as a gift from the Father and that they are so absolutely given as they can never fall away Now of his other Sheep the Lord speaketh after another manner to let them know they stand not so securely For he saith John 15.2,5,6,9,10,12,14 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away And he saith I am the Vine ye are the branches 〈◊〉 he that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit for without me ye can do nothing 6. If a man abide not in me he is cast forth as a branch and is withered and men gather them and cast them into the fire and they are burned 9. As the Father hath loved me so have I loved you continue ye in my love 10 If ye keep my Commandments ye shall abide in my love even as I keep my Fathers Commandments and abide in his love 12. This is my Commandment that you love one another as I have loved you 14. Ye are my Friends if ye do whatsoever I command you Here we see our standing is but upon Conditions and the Conditions is the continuance in our Obedience the which if we do not perfist in though we were ingrafted into Christ we shall be broken off and cast into the fire And although we are in the love of Christ yet we may through our own default not continue in it whilst the other sheep are so absolutely fixed in Christ that they cannot fall away And in John 6.35,37 And Jesus said unto them I am the Bread of Life he that cometh to me shall never hunger and he that believeth on me shall never thirst This includes their continuance in believing the which belief is a practical belief as I have elsewhere proved where I have spoken of it And Christ saith John 6.37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out Now this was spoken to the Jews that believed not therefore Christ told them That all that the Father had given him should come to him because from them were a certain number of the special Elect And Christ encourages all to come to him for he saith he that cometh to him he will in no wise cast out So as none need fear being left of God if they do not first forsake him And that we may not forsake him let us never trust our selves with our selves but continually beg strength and grace of him whereby we may be enabled to live unto him and if we so do we shall find a continual support from him And to be sure none of the Jews was left of God to blindness of mind that had in sincerity lived in Obedience but the blindness fell on them that had leaves only That is an Outward shew of Godliness but denying the Power thereof Acts 13.26 And the Lord saith in John 6.39,40 And this is the Fathers will which sent me that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing but should raise it up at the last day This also includes the special Elect and by the Last Day is meant the Last Day of this World But the Lord saith in 40 v. And this is the will of him that sen◠me that every one which seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day Here this includes all believers shewing That if they do believe it is then the Will of God that they should so continue that they might have everlasting Life By which it is very clear That God doth not withdraw from any that believe because that he would damn them but it is they first forsake him and so fall away For it is the Will of God our continuance in
branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away and every branch that beareth fruit he purgeth it that it may bring forth more fruit If a man abide not in me he is cast forth as a branch and is withered and men gather them and cast them into the fire and they are burned Herein is my father glorified that ye bear much fruit so shall ye be my disciples As the father hath loved me so have I loved you continue in my love If ye keep my commandments ye shall abide in my love even as I have kept my fathers commandments and abide in his love Ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you By all these words of the Lord it is fully evident that although we were grafted in him and beloved of him yet if we bear not fruit and keep not his commandments we shall neither remain in him nor be beloved of him Now St. Paul saith to the Galatians Gal. 1.6,8 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another Gospel And he saith in the 8. v. But though we or an angel from heaven preach another Gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed Now by the words of St. Paul there was deceivers got in among the Church of Galatia which would have brought them to circumcision and made them also to observe the ceremonial law Therefore he saith Gal. 5.2 I Paul say unto you that if you be circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing And again he saith Gal. 2.16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by the faith of Jesus Christ even we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the faith of Christ and not by the works of the law for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified Now whereas he saith no man is justified by the works of the law That is man is not able to fulfil all the works of the law in that perfection as is required of him Neither can it take away original sin so as a man cannot become justified by it yet they were so far able to fulfill the law as to walk blamelesly in it as in Luke 1.6 And in the Old Testament time accepted of God for it through the then promised Messiah And whereas he saith not by the works of the law but by the faith of Jesus Christ That is by the faith that Jesus Christ requires of us And he saith we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the faith of Christ Now whereas he saith they had believed in Christ that includes a belief in his whole revealed will in his word And in his word he tells us if we will enter into life we must keep the commandments Therefore St. Paul by what he here saith hath no intention to take them off the moral law for they cannot be saved if after they are received into the Church of Christ they will not walk in obedience to it But it is the ceremonial law which some false Brethren would have brought in to have burthened the Church withal whereby they would have made the sufferings of Christ of none effect for man's salvation and justification Therefore he saith Gal. 3.1,2,3,4,5,6 O foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the truth before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth crucified among you This only would I learn of you receive ye the Spirit by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith Are ye so foolish having begun in the Spirit are ye now made perfect in the flesh Have ye suffered so many things in vain if it be yet in vain Here we see that these Galatians had upon the preaching of the Gospel received the Spirit and that they had suffered many things as the Church of Christ Yet St. Paul was here afraid of their final falling off by reason of deceivers that were got in among them which would have had them trusted to Circumcision Purifications and Sacrifices for Justification and not unto Christ Which Laws were all abolished at the death of Christ he being that only Sacrifice that could make satisfaction to take away sin and all other Sacrifices were but to figure out him who was alone able to make that great atonement with God Therefore St. Paul reproves them sharply that having begun in the Spirit they should think to be made perfect by the flesh And he saith to them in the 5. v. He therefore that ministreth to you the spirit and worketh miracles among you doth he it by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith 6. v. Even as Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness Faith or belief in us toward God and Christ consists of three distinct parts first a belief in and a practical consent to the conditions upon which life and salvation is offered by God! the second is a belief in the power and faithfulness of the promiser for the thing promised The third is an intire affection with real thankfulness to the promiser for the thing promised Now these three things were found in the belief of faithful Abraham for he left his own Country to follow the Lord and gave himself wholly up to love and obey him as witness the offering of his Son and also judging him faithful that had promised him the Blessing And St. Paul saith to the like effect of himself in the foregoing Chap. Gal. 2.19,20 For I through the law am dead to the law that I might live unto God That is dead to the ceremonial law not to the moral law for he as well as Abraham was conformable to the law of the Lord to do justice and judgment for which the Lord did confirm his promise to Abraham As in the 19. v. Gen. 18.19 God said I know him that he will command his children and his houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do justice and judgment that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him And St. Paul saith in the 20. v. Gal. 2.20 I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me We see here St. Paul saith he was crucified with Christ That is he was dead to the World and to the pleasures thereof yet he said that he lived yet he says again not I but Christ liveth in me That is he had so wholly given himself up to Christ and brought down his thoughts into subjection unto him so as Christ had the reigning power in him so as the life which he then lived was by faith in the Son of God Which faith was he