my outward state I began to mend still in my inward I was much troubled and wished that God had taken me away by my former afflictions these inward were so great and a troubled spirit who can bear But afterward I was much comforted again In these wars I was stripped by the Rebels being abroad and came home so thorough sad tempests and since have gone thorough great troubles and very many A while after I heard my Husband was killed by the Rebels which I feared was by my sins and so my troubles were renewed and then the enemies came upon us the Cannon-bullets flew over my head and in few days I was turned out of doors with my childe in my arms I cannot express what God hath done for me in saving my life and my Husbands in hearing my prayers and tears and now in satisfying my soul with himself I have received much sweet satisfaction by Mr. R. and have now the testimony within me of Gods love to me which makes me so unfainedly to love him and his ways and desire to be a member with his people in his Church Experience of Mary Turrant I Lived till my Twenty third year and knew not God but after that I came to religious people and received some good and soon after was brought to the sight of my self and then I despaired of mercy and thought I was damned and none of Gods a great while but was at last comforted by good Ministers and the Word of God but I was in such a place and condition that for seven years I do not know that I 〈◊〉 so much as a Religious man My children were murthered by the Rebels and I lost my Husband by the sickness and yet the Lord hath spared me in mine old age and now I see why That I may enjoy this great mercy which I never looked for to comfort me in my old age I have received great comforts indeed by Master Rogers and I must needs say That I serve my God with a chearful heart c. Experience of Elizabeth Marrow I Have heard at Cork-house from the Governor and often from Mr. Brisco at precious truths and have been much affected with them and told my Husband that I have heard of Christ. But after that the sickness came into my house which drew me much to God Doctor Sibbils did me much good speaking of every one that had a darling sin which they loved By which I was put upon the inquiry and search and was so troubled and afflicted in my minde for a time until it pleased God to satisfie within by his holy Spirit and to reveal to me That he was my Father of which I have a full assurance and the witness is within me 30. Experience of Rebecca Rich. I Was wont by Gods providence to hear Mr. Cradock by whose Ministry the Lord wrought much upon me and I thought I was the person that he particularly spoke to and I lay long afflicted under the sense of my naturall condition and under the burthen of a wounded spirit and after that whilest I lived nigh London I lived much upon a forme till God was pleased to come in by his Spirit and then all was nothing but Christ was all and the best of all and ever since I have received Christ I have loved his wayes and desired the society of his society I was much comforted and confirmed even the last night in Michaels publique place by that Ordinance of prophecying one by one which the Church kept so sweetly and I was very much convinced of your walking together in love and unity of spirit 31. Experience of Mary Burrill I Have been infinitely troubled by my marriage to my second husband and have been afflicted in Conscience about it much til the Lord gave me comfort within that my sins were forgiven mee I was as prone to sin as any until my God wrought very much by the means of my constant hearing M. R. ever since his coming over to us God hath made him the chief Instrument of doing my soule good for which I thank my God through Jesus Christ. I have had in my dreams two terrible conflicts with Satan by all which I have been much assured of Gods love for that I alwayes had the better the victory O I love the Saints of God! his Word and all his wayes and I rest on Christ Jesus alone and on nothing of self and I doe desire your prayers to God for me◠to grow in grace c. 32. Experience of Mary Barker I Have great experiences of God though at present I am not able to expresse them I have been much afflicted for many years together in my relations which for my sins have been taken from me but the Lord who hath laid his hand heavy upon me hath made me very sensible of my sins and I have long layn under the burthen of them but the evidence of my pardon is that the Lord hath removed the burthen and brought in the roome his grace and given me a heart to him-ward and I have received much benefit by preaching and praying and reading in private and publique and by the preaching of Mr. Rogers I have received infinite good and found great comforts by his showing how we might know Christ is in us of a truth and by prayer which the Lord brought me earnestly into the Lord made those means so usefull to me that I am much satisfied in the love of God to me in Christ in me who is all in all and I doe rest alone on Jesus Christ for pardon and Salvation by his bloud 33. Experience of Margaret Fanshaw I Was a long time under trouble and temptation being perswaded to hear none a great while because I could not tell they were Christs Ministers a twelve moneth agone we came over hither and yet I heard none a while after a while I heard a little boy and then I heard Mr. Fowler but yet I received but little benefit by any untill Mr. R. came over and after I had heard him four or five Sermons I began to see my sin negligence c. which lay a heavy burthen upon me and Oh! I am yet grieved much that I denyed the meanes so and since by Mr. R. I have beene comforted with the offers of Christ and all the promises in him whom I have heartily accepted and am now perswaded by Gods Spirit I shall never run into those sins again but I find his Spirit putting me forward to hear and to follow the means now with all greedinesse and love to God and all his ways 34. Experience of Ann Hanly I Have alwayes had a great desire to walk with God but was very ignorant and in the dark till I heard Mr. Rogers by whom I have had conviction of my ignorance and sin in neglecting the means and Christ offered by the means I have
up my accounts Heb. 13.17 and say Lord I have preached prayed catechized expounded conferred for above this five years at Purleigh to such a people and they have not beleeved nor obeyed thy word but many of them are as ignorant arrogant bitter prophane still ungodly and opposers of Christ and his Gospel still as ever O sad what comfort can I have of this Is not the thriving of the flocke the glory of the Shepherd and their losse his griefe Blessed bee God whom I serve that some of you are my joy and my crowne which I shall wear with me to heaven Phil. 4.1 But yet the most of you with much griefe of heart I must say it have rejected the Gospel and the tenders of love and the warme bowels and â—eeking blood of Jesus Christ and oh heavy shal I say the Day of your salvation O deare souls precious hearts for whom I weep in secret what will yee doe in the day of the Lord where will you hide your selves from the wrath of the Lamb O O! how is it that you bring forth nothing but briars and thorns what are yee accursed ground Heb. 6.7 10.28 Hos. 6.5 Matth. 12.41 Ier. 11.6 Ezek. 34.13.33 c. Let me aske you Is it not lamentable to see a poor father wringing his hands and weeping over a stubborn childe wishing he had never been borne saying I have tryed him so many weeks and months and yeers and yet he is worse and worse would you not pity the poor man and say of this stubborne wretch Well you have a good father God will never blesse you you cannot thrive you will come to nothing Oh! so is it grievous to my heart as it was to Ieremiah and Elijah to complaine to God of the stubbornnesse of the people Ah! it is too notoriously knowne that I have taken much pains to little purpose amongst you And yet O! what plottings and conspiracies there were against me what lies and libels were invented what scandals raised what scoffes and scornes I continually met with what huge taxes and troubles you cast upon me what backbitings and railings every day what variety of designes were hatched in the midst of you to afflict me yea with plotted and premeditated malice menacings to undo me what work you made to render me contemptible to all the Country before Magistrates Ministers people all yea the children and servants set upon mee to abuse me yea to stone me yea to swear to take away my life from me all which forced me to bee much absent from you And oh friends do ye think God will not visit you for these things have yee not suffered your servants and children to laugh and sport in the publick places openly in the sight of all the people whilst the word hath been preaching and when I have mildly reproved them to make mowes and mocks at me in the open Church yea to lay dog-whips and what not on the Pulpit cushion when I was to preach What kinde of injury and abuses have you not returned to me for all my love and pains and care and continual prayers for you hath there one poor soule of us in Church-communion escap'd your malice and menacing and your diligence to raise ill-reports and to cause wrongs to befall them have yee not vowed not to leave us til you had rooted all of us from you and not left a Round-head or Independent to dwell nigh you have yee not consulted with all the Malignants about how to bring to passe these designs yet in the midst of all these troubles and every day new trials and wrongs from some or other of you yet the Lord will one day witnesse what a care I had of you when I could not be with you or durst not how I provided for you and how ye were the travel as well as the trouble of my soul. Yet when you had not worried mee away with all this how often did many of you designe to starve me from you And though like a Bird kept in a Cage without meat yet I must doe my duty and sing though the thorne were ever at my breast Still I followed you with love patience pity to your poor miserable soules O that yee knew it and with sweat and swinke praying preaching and expounding in season and out of season But as I have heard of the Seminary in Lancashire riding disguised that lost his glove one that found it rode gallopping after him to restore it but the Seminary fearing he was a Pursevant put spurs to horse and flew from him as fast as he could and for fear he should be overtaken hee makes his horse take a hedge and suddenly skipping over fell full into a desperate deep pit wherein he was drowned presently O! so Sirs the faster I have followed you to doe good to recover you to help to save you why alas the faster you fled away into sinne after sinne rejecting all offers and opportunities almost refusing to come to hear the word on the week-day and many of you not coming above once on the Lords-day Oh alas for the Lords sake hear make not such post-haste in sin to the ruine of your soule body and all but O remember the Pit is but on the other side yee may soon be in it but have a care lest you perish Have I not spent out my owne bowels and like a candle consumed my selfe even out to give you light have I thought my life too deare for your souls O no! but you would not regard it some pretended I was young to keep them off but alas this was but a colour did not young Solomon give good counsel young Daniel discerne much young Joseph fill the Granary with plenty and excell all the Grandees and Gravities in Pharoahs Court for wisdome and judgement Did not young Christ put the Doctors to silence and young Timothy preach the Gospel powerfully and profitably But indeed the maine offence you know was my zeal for God for silence is the basest tenure a Minister can hold his living by I could not be silent but tell Israel of his sins and Jacob of his transgressions Though many feed their Ministers as the Theef doth his Dog porrigit panem ut sileat he gives him bread to be quiet and not to bark lest he discover him but the truth is benevolence could not tongue-tye the truth and 't will bee sad for you to have a Minister who can suffer you and see you live in sinne and yet let you alone the City is in danger when the Alarm-bell is tyed up and so is the Parish I have read of a Law made in a certain Town that none should bring a Rumor of the enemies coming upon pain of death this was because they had before some false Alarms but alas at last the enemy came suddenly and destroyed them all so that it was a Proverb Here stands a Town destroyed by silence God grant it be not true of
Lord is tryed I can tell it by experience and I know that he is a buckler to all that trust in him And David Psal. 51. promises that as soon as his broken bones were healed and the joy of his salvation was restored to him Verse 12.13 that he would presently preach it and teach even sinners Gods wayes to give them warning of uncleannesse sinne c. and to tell them what it is to lye in hell horror to have a wounded spirit an accusing conscience and the judgements of an angry frowning God Thus also 2 Cor. 5.11 Wee knowing the terror of the Lord that is by terrible things which would make a man tremble and his heart ake we perswade men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we tell them the condition we were in and now how wee are out on purpose to perswade them to beleeve in God and to get out of their carnal condition for presidents sometimes doe prevaile before precepts so that this is no novelty to declare the condition which we have been in and are in Taste and see the mercy grace and love of God in Christ in the Gospel by pardon peace reconciliation assurance or whatsoever is to be tasted as Dr. Ames observes on 1 Pet. 2.3 if so be ye have tasted how gracious the Lord is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not onely taken grace for so many do but tasted grace per metonymiam effecti and found experimentally feelingly feedingly how it tastes O then you will say O it is good O this is sweet and say to others Come and taste The Israelites when they had tasted the manna they called it Angels food but before they sleighted it What is this Thus Psal. 119.103 but why should we taste it and tell it to others There be divers Reasons both with reference to God the Church and those Saints themselves that doe enjoy them why they should declare them to the Church First It is a bearing the best outward testimony to God reason 1 and his Attributes that can be when we can say by experience that God is gracious loving slow to anger ready to forgive that he is true and faithful for we have tryed him and therefore know it Psal. 18.30 But on the other side it is the want of this that makes us call his care and his truth and his mercy and love so often into question especially in times of trials as Sibbs sayes in his soule-conflicts chap. 18. in Joh. 15.27 and ye shall beare witnesse sayes Christ because ye have been wâ—tâ— to mee from the beginning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ye shall witnesse upon your owne knowledge the word is not from hear-say but have-say from your own experiences yee shall testifie even before the Judge in the eye and ears of all the people that I am full of grace light life and salvation You shall know it by experience and witnesse to his truth faithfulnesse righteousnesse justice mercy c. And though a thousand should deny it a child of God that can say by experience that God is a good God the word is a true word his love is a most soul-ravishing and never-ending love and the like and his hand helped me his blood cleansed cured comforted me his owne good will restored me Oh such a one opens the mouths of many to praise the Lord Psal. 35.18.27 and to beleeve in the Lord Joh. 17.21.23 Jo. 11.48 Act. 3.9 Luke 18.43 reason 2 Secondly It is needful for the Churches benefit too to set upon this duty to declare experiences of Gods worke on the soule and that for these several Reasons which follow As 1 To know so far as may be judged by the effects who are the Elect of God 1 Thess. 1.4 beloved of God that is by the judgement of charity not of infallibility for none can say for certainty thou art a Saint or elect but so far as we judge and beleeve in Vers 5. the proof of Election lyes in Vocation and ye know what manner of men we were sayes he so that the Church was endued with a spirit of discerning 1 Cor. 12.10 Now such as the Church beleeves to be called of God she beleeves to be of the election of grace Rom. 11.5 and such she must admit Now to make Election sure as 2 Pet. 1.10 and cleare we must make our Vocation sure and Calling clear 2 Tim. 1.9 where it is called a Holy calling that is from sin to grace Tit. 2.11 12. from darknesse to light 1 Pet. 2.9 from former sins and lusts to holy life 1 Pet. 1.14 15. and by this our election is knowne To open which note know that Election it selfe is secret and mysterious as it lyes in the decree it is from all Eternity Now poor man must needs bee lost to look what was done from all Eternity in the secret conclave and councell of Heaven a Being that is spanned by time cannot reach to it his Decrees are kept close under locke and key till it is time to open them wherefore I finde it not praise-worthy in them that so distract themselves and others by their curious disquisitions and nice disputations in this point For our way to have the fruit of it is not to dig deep and to search to the root but to reach to the boughs and branches thereof So look out and take hold on the Holy calling For the head of Nilus cannot be found out but the many sweet issues and Springs of that hidden head are found out and known So though the Head is secret and kept hid yet the Springs break out in our vocations and holy obedience and conversation as Adams on Peter P. 210. hath it for a River may runne a great while and a great way under ground but in time and in some place it breaks out and runs openly So the Decree may bee hid and secret for a while but the streams break out in Vocations which is the way from Predestination to Glorification Rom. 8.30 This cuts off that absurd sottish and soule-overwhelming opinion of many poor wretches who say if I am decreed to bee saved then I may live as I list for I am sure I shall be saved if it be decreed but if it be decreed I shall be damned why I shall bee damned doe what I can and my best way is to live in pleasure loving and serving my selfe here for I am sure all my care cannot alter Gods counsel Oh alas how subtil is the Devil but does the Word say thus no! but the Word sayes If God have decreed thy salvation as elect why then thou shalt walke in the way of salvation and then thou art decreed to be called as well as saved from sin to grace to a holy life from all uncleannesse 1 Thess. 4.7 to sanctification Origen makes mention of one sicke who was perswaded by a friend not to send for a Physitian for
make them Now we all concur Schoolmen Ministers and all That where there is true grace experienced Saints know it sweeter then the drops from the honey comb and qui accipit gratiam per quandam experientiam dulcedinis novit se illam habere quam non experitur ille qui non accipit as we have amply before mentioned Such men must needs know the love of God is sweet who have tasted and digested it They can comfortably use Laban's words in Gen. 30.27 I have learned by experience that the Lord hath blessed me Jehovah hath raised me and increased me I have experience of it by comparing my former condition with my present So the Saints do tell by experience how Jehovah hath helped them and blessed them even with spiritual blessings in heavenly places Some of which though not so perfectly as they were delivered yet as well as I can collect them out of the Notes which I took of them from their own mouths when they were admitted into the Church I shall present as a sweet posie of some of the chiefest flowers that I have met with this spring-time in the Garden of the Lord the Church of Christ which is growing apace up to an Eden from flowers to fruits from Plants to Trees of Righteousness planted by Rivers of Water Examples of Experiences OR Discourses and Discoveries of the dead hearing the voice of the Son of God and now living As they were delivered in Dublin by divers Members admitted into the Church Being a clear account to the judgement of charity of the work of Grace upon their hearts in divers ways and sundry manners converted some extraordinarily and some ordinarily When where and how with the effects But before I begin I shall premise this for the godly Readers sake that I must contract much their experiences as they were taken least they be too voluminous And although in the choicest and most extraordinary ones I shall gather the stalk longer least I hurt the beauty and hide the excellency of those flowers yet without hurt to the rest in those which are ordinary I shall be very short being prevented by others in that little Treatise of Experiences newly put out I shall gather out the flowers onely and give you the sum of what they said and so tie them up together for a conclusion of the whole matter The most of these are mens and some womens and a very great many more I might adde to them which I have met with in England Essex and London and in Ireland and at Chester Holly-Head in Wales and in my travels but that I say I am I hope seasonably though unexpectedly prevented although many more do lie prepared by me But to the business as coming last from Dublin to declare some of those precious ones and which are the greatest treasure that I brought with me from thence The savor of which I hope will be attractive and encourage others over into Ireland where the Lord hath his Garden enclosed and full of Spices with the Mandrakes laid up for the Beloved against his coming which is looked for every day there as well as here and there the â—ride saith O! come Lord Jesus come quickly The Testimony of Tho. Huggins Preacher of the Gospel given in at the publick place Octob. 8. 1651. of Brides in Dublin IT is my joy to see willingness in Gods people to walk together in fellowship with the Father and the Son and such I desire to have fellowship with where Christ the King in his beauty appears most I do acknowledge as you have heard that account of faith before made by our Brother R. and do experimentally know and therefore must acknowledge that glorious Being of one God in his three distinct relations of Father and Creator Son and Redeemer and Spirit and Sanctifier and I finde in me by his Spirit and the several operations of this his Agent these things I believe the Scriptures Old and New Testament to be the very minde of God and do heartily desire my soul may be turned into the nature of those truths therein declared but to that which is expected from me most I come viz. to my conversation I was but yong when I began to be warmed yea within being under a zealous Ministry and much put upon duty I did use to read the Scriptures every night and to repeat Sermons often and so spent the first scene of my youth till I came to be sent by my friends to London and there I lived for a year or two but in that time as often as I saw any Minister I could not but weep and always wished that I might be one to be able to preach too After this I was sent to one of the Vniversities there but being wilde with youthful company I was soon after sent hither to this Colledge of Dublin where I am well known and here I continued till the Rebellion brake out at which time I left it and went for England into the North-parts and about Liverpool where I preached till now I returned hither But all this while I was but formal and as the yong-man that said he had kept all these from his youth So was I from my youth religious well-given loving the means following of them and seeking to serve God But alas yet all this while was I in darkness and did not know it but afterwards I saw that I was blinde and but carnal For about the year 1645. I began to be in great doubts and troubles and very much clouded in my spirit and was exceedingly bound and tyed up for a time under the sence of my formal holiness and sins till the Lord was pleased to give me light Once as I was walking all alone sadly upon the Mountains he immediately powred his Spirit upon me and satisfied my soul in Jesus Christ and filled my heart with heavenly joy and peace and with most ravishing contemplations which continued without a cloud for six weeks together which gave me full assurance of Gods love and ever since I have lived in the righteousness of the Lord Jesus though I have met with many clouds and storms since yet such as have passed away and cannot hinder me as long as Christ mine is above them Being thus translated from the form into the power I do heartily propose my self to be one with the members of Christ in his Church And although before I was not free in England or elsewhere to joyn thus it being so in controversie and disputable yet now I am fully satisfied and do see God building up his Jerusalem apace and am confident of what he is doing to Nations yea I joy to see that you all seek to unite by one Spirit and all to be one in Spirit if not all in one Form and so do I not doubting but this Ministration will be most to edification A further Testimony added to the truth by the experience
one Brother or Sister be afflicted c. fellow-feelingly to be afflicted with that Brother or Sister and in all Christian wayes we can to counsell comfort or assist and to pray hard for such a Member 1 Cor. 12.26 2 Thes. 3.2 Rom. 12.15 Act. 12.15 Freely to contribute and communicate of things temporall and spirituall according to our abilities out of our aboundance both to particular members in want and also into the Publique-Treasury or Chuâ—ch-stock 1 Joh. 3.17 18. 1 Cor. 16.1 2. 2 Cor. 9.5 6 7. Rom. 12.13 1 Tim. 6.17 c. Vigilantly to watch over each others conversation so as to counsell comfort or correct according to Christs rules in such cases provoking one another to love and good workes with brotherly bowels and affections 1 Thes. 5.4.14 Heb. 3.12 13. Heb. 10.24 Heb. 12.13 15 17. Rom. 15.14 Carefully walking together in all holinesse godlinesse and humility of minde to our uttermost every day and often and orderly meeting together to the edifying of the body for the glory of the Gospell credit of the Church convincing of our adversaries and them that are without Mat. 5.16.20 Mal. 3.16 17. 2 Tim. 2.19 2 Cor. 7.1 1 Pet. 3.12 Heb. 12.14 Praying continually for the prosperity of this Church for Gods presence in it and protection of it against all the gates of Hell Phil. 1.4 5. Rom. 1.9 Ephes. 6.18 Col. 4.12 Psal. 122.6 Isa. 62.6 7. c. And lastly because differences have formerly arose about a Pastor we doe freely declare to embrace and owne our brother for our Pastor according to the order of the Gospel to submit with all ready obedience in the Lord to Christs Ordinances dispensed by him Ephes. 4.11 1 Cor. 4.1 2 Cor. 5.18 19. Heb. 13.7.17 2 Thes. 3.14 to pray for assistance from the Lord in the administration to him committed Ephes. 6.18 19. Col. 4.3 2 Thes. 3.1 2. and to esteem of him as the Lord requires 1 Cor. 4.1 1 Thes. 5.12 13. 1 Tim. 5.17 and to adhere and cleave to him in the Lord 2 Tim. 4.6 2 Tim. 1.16.18 c. All which we doe in the sincerity of our soules declare promise purpose and engage to as our God shall enable us by his own gracious Spirit Per me W. H. Such like are the formes of the Church-Covenant which are according to the rules of prudence and piety to be altered taken up or laid aside for love peace and orders sake and are all alwayes left to Christian liberty For the necessary combination consolation and confederation of Saints together is spirituall but the indifferent is this Bernard tels us de triplici necessario of three wayes that a thing is necessary and this formall Covenanting is none of them I am sure necessarium aut stabile aut inviolabile aut incommutabile viz. that which is stable and standeth sure and though the formall Covenant will not appeare necessary in this yet for this one reason the spirituall obligation is necessary for that is the bond of perfection Col. 3.14 as well as the bond of Peace Ephes. 4.3 And 2. that which is inviolable and cannot be broken is necessary which is this spirituall engagement not the decree of the hand but of the heart whilest the formall Covenant is oft broken to pieces and to powder But 3. the necessary is unchangeable without alteration or cessation so is not the formall kinde of Covenant Wherefore I cannot account so of the Church-covenant as that it must be to make up the true form of the Church as a thing essentiall and constitutive to it and of the true Church as most doe affirm or as if without this there could be no true Church but all harlots Oh fearfull doating upon the form For as one says It is not possible that these things which are knit together by outward bands and sinews should hold longer then their bands hold But spirituall bands are everlasting and the two staves viz. Beauty and Bands are the unity of the Spirit in the band of Peace and both hold together and both broke together by unbelief as appeares Zach. 11. Wherefore I am much affected with that prophesie in Ezek. 20.38 to confirm this Covenant and spirituall Obligation which lies upon us as a stable inviolable and unchangeable tye upon our spirits where the Lord promises to make his people passe under the rod and then to bring them into the band of the Covenant that is saith Polanus in loc the Lord will bring the godly under affliction and whip them into obedience as they are bound But sayes Calvin thus the rod is meant a shepheards crooke by which the Lord gathers in the strayers to keep them within the fold and not suffering his to Apostatize or fall away wherefore this cannot be meant the formall covenant but I had rather read it with the vulgar that the Lord will subject them to his Scepter i. e. to be swayed and ruled by himself the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies a Scepter I will cause them by my Word and Spirit to come under my Rod that is my Scepter to rule them and then it followes I will i. e. by the same power and Spirit bring them into the band of the Covenant that is by this means I shall oblige them to mee to keep Covenant with me or to cleave close to the Lord as Act. 11.23 Wherefore to conclude in what Congregation so ever thou art Reader thâ—u wilt doe well enough who art united to Christ the Head for the Spirit of Christ obliges thee then which obligation is absolutely necessary and must be and the other kinde of Covenant if need be may be but in congregatione bene vivis si vivis ordinabiliter sociabiliter humiliter saith Bernard Serm. 1 de Apost Pet. Paulo thou wilt doe well to walk 1. orderly avoiding sin and scandall and all appearances of evill and holily as one called 1 Pet. 1.15 1 Thes. 4.7 from all manner of sin to all manner of holy conversation and 2. sociably or in Saint-like fellowship in love peace and good will to all the brethren in watching over them comforting counselling and assisting of them all that thou can'st in love and 3. walk humbly look not on others at a distance be not puff'd up with conceit keep continually low before the Lord for he measures the valleys and gathers the violets that hang their heads continually by self-deniall O learne hard to be nothing in thine own eyes The humble he will teach in his wayes Psal. 25. The first of these nelates to thy self tibi the second to thy brother proximo and the third to thy God Deo who accepts of all But thus for this Chapter CHAP. VIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pupilla That in the Church all the Members even Sisters as well as Brothers have a right to all Church-affairs and may not onely implicitely but
varietate unity in verity though in variety of formes and ceremonies yet true unity stood well with the differences and varieties of formes c. because it was in the Spirit Psal. 45.13 the Church was all glorious within though without her outward cloathing was wrought with variety and diversity of needle-work Thirdly One Faith in all therefore Vnity is urged seeing all Saints in all ages Moses David Daniel Apostles and we now and all that were are and are to come under all forms live in one and the same mystery and truth of Faith 2. Cor. 4.13 apprehending the same Christ applying the same Salvation so are all the Churches Independent Baptized c. in one Faith though not in one Forme they live not by forme whether you call it a Conformity with the Prelates or Vniformity with the Rhemists or either with the Presbyterians or neither with us but they live by faith Not on this or that forme or worship so as to think our selves therefore good and others evill this is contrary to our life of faith which is all on Christ. This onenesse of faith est una eadem totius Ecclesiae Zanch. which is one and the same in every particular Church and throughout the whole agrees very well with the diversity of gifts parts formes c. so in and through all one and the same Christ be apprehended Therefore Vnity may well stand with it in all the Churches Fourthly he calls for Vnity from all that are called into one hope of their calling all that are called by the inward and effectuall voice of God into one and the same hope All hope for the same thing none for better or greater then another Unit as consist it in hoc quod una eademque sit omnibus spes una eademque omnibus proposita haeraditas coelestis Zanch. For 1. Cor. 1.9 God is faithfull by whom ye were all alike called into the fellowship of his son Jesus Christ our Lord. All the Churches doe a like expect the appearances of Christ the day of his comming the effusion of his spirit the restauration of Zion the reigne of Christ and the inheritance of the Saints Ergo Vnity for it is for such as differ in their hopes to differ in their love and waies Fifthly One Lord no more Lords but Jesus Christ nor no other Lawgiver in and to all the Churches therfore all should come under one Lord. For 't is divers Lords and masters that make divers Lawes and minds and wills and ends Hence a rise divisions indeed but one Lord and one Law one master and one mind should be in all the Churches Besides he is Lord to all alike as much to one as to another Ergo Vnity Sixthly One Baptisme with which all Churches are Baptized 1. Cor. 12.13 For by one spirit wee are all baptized into one body This is not the signe which hath beene often altered but the substance which will never be altered not the powring on of water but the powring on of the Holy Ghost in gifts and graces which is in all Christs Churches and the Baptisme of Christ indeed All that are thus Baptized with the spirit are Baptized into Vnity into one Body wherefore the Welsh Curat with his Welsh Crue would doe well to learne better English seeing he would insinuate that he is a Welshman of Cardiff yet is the Apostle of the English as he saith as Paul a Jew of Tarsus was yet the Apostle of the Gentiles then to asperse and despise those Churches of Christ that are under the administration and baptisme of the spirit He professes openly and in Print proclaims himselfe to have Pauls spirit he might have sayd Sauls spirit not to build up but to destroy so I thought the Churches For many of them are indeed such seducing dangerous spirits which cause division which I confesse I feare are many of them crept into some Churches Now as fiâ—e with fire and water with water agrees well enough so will all the Saints till there come in an Antipathy of spirit amongst them and as fire with water cannot agree together but make a â—â—ge nâ—yse quarrell and fight together and oppose one another violently with thundring threatnings till one destroy another unlesse one be thrown from the other So is it with such contrary spirits as are crept into the Churches till they be out againe fire with fire agrees because being of one and the same principle and spirit it addes to and edifies one another so the Saints with Saints c. but water and fire cannot because the water is of another principle and spirit and seeks to destroy the fire so it seems the Ranters spirits are Christ-Crucifying and Church destroying spirits by their owne confessions and in Antipathy to the Churches and Saints in fellowship that seek to build up and edifie one another and all in Christ but when this spirit comes the Welsh Curate tells us 't will doe all that may be to destroy us O that the Churches would then have a care in the admission Of such who as in Rev. 2.2 say they are Apostles but are not for they are Apostats And the Church of Ephesus was highly commended for their strict triall of them and for finding them liars seducers and false Teachers so let us doe and let us all march on to the Land of Promise under one and the same hope of our calling whereunto we are called and as baptized by one spirit into one body Seventhly Vnity is urged among all the Churches for that they have one God and Father of all One Father without respect of one more then another God and Father to all alike all alike deare to him 2. Cor. 6.17.18 who delights in all alike and walks in the midst of the seven golden Candlesticks without respect more to one then to another as that one is better meâ—tall then another seeing all are alike borne of God and all alike in one Covenant and in one Jesus Christ Mediator and Head of the Covenant therefore he calls for Vnity for that we are all a Kingdome of Brethren Mal. 2.10 one God and Father of us all 2. Above all We are not one above another but one aequall with another but only our God and Father in Christ is above us all Mat. 23.8.9 we are all his children and all alike live in his Will he alone commands and blesseth us all alike therefore we should be all in unity Psal. 133.1 O sweet for Brethren to live together in unity 3. Through all All alike professe him possesse of his nature and he through all the Churches and Ordinances appeares abroad too Isay 2.3 Micah 4.2 Ergo unity amongst all 4. And in you all He dwels in all the Churches 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Cor. 6.16 Jo. 14.23 his presence is in this body of Christ mysticall as it was it was in Christs body when
hath a few Friends and tryed Subjects but such Craterus's are rare too wherefore let all the faithfull friends of Christ of what judgement soever that are under his Command and Lordship come and enter into these Gospel-wayes of Worship into Christs order and path ordinance and Discipline for the Lord of the Mannour I meane the God of this world will take up all wefts and straies that are out of this way and empound them wherefore for shame friends make haste Hye out of Babylon flye into Sion into the Fellowship and Church-way of the Gospel wherein Christ is King and Lord and where this Sunne is highest brightest and swiftest in his ascendent motions wherein Christ appeares in his richest perfection and fulnesse For as Nature who hath drawne with her Pencill a perfect Grasse-greene in the Emerald as Pliny sayes a skie-colour in the Saphire a fire colour in the Carbuncle a sanguine in the Rubie and a starry in the Diamond hath also drawne all these together in one viz. the Ophal so hath Christ by his Spirit in his Church for there is one gift and grace in one Saint another gift in another and other graces in others and blessings in the Gospell and power in the Word and sweetnesse in the Ordinances and all in one viz. the Church Some excell in one thing some in another but the Church is the summary of all all excellencies are there in one viz. in one Christ who is in every Church the fulnesse and perfection of all Christ sayes Bernard De advent serm 2. is the Bee which flew into the City of Nazareth which is interpreted Flower and there he alighted on the sweetest flower of Virginity that ever the earth bore and so doth Christ now in the Churches finde sweet flowers who hath Et mel aculeum sayes Doctor Rawlinjon on 's Mercy to a Beast p. 13. both Mercy and Judgement yea he is both Love and Law in all his Churches yea the Law of Love and the Lord grant we may finde it so in these dayes Heare O Ireland heare the Lord run into his Courts live in his Sanctuary for in a special manner I speake to you from the Lord for whose sake I dare not bury these truthes as dead or in silence which doe so much concerne you and seeing I am now with you I wish from my soule that most of your Professors prove not Moone-sicke I meane Lunaticks that sometimes fall or plunge into the water and sometimes into the fire of persecuting the Saints that wil not over head and eares with them in the waters yee know what I meane for I shrewdly feare this wherefore I say forsake not Aegypt to fall into Babylon nor Babylon to fall into the forme againe and to make a Church of forme meerly and to drive in or draw in poore hearts through ignorance and folly into a formall Discipline by urging the forme or tying others to such a judgement with you for this is clearly against God's designe and Christs Gospel-Discipline which is to be in the Spirit and in truth and therefore I have many precious and pregnant truthes to hand forth and handle to you as they are hearted in me from the Fathers bosome of light in this ensuing Treatise especially in Lib. 2. but in the meane time make haste into Sion into a pure orderly Gospel Spirituall way of Worship and the Lord be with you and speed you But if before I have done some doe say Why then we shall be persecuted by Presbyterians or some call'd Independants or the bitter ones of the Anabaptists or the like as well as by Malignants and open enemies I say that they shall be but like Sampsons Foxes who were themselves burnt amongst the Corne which they fired but the Land brought Corne againe and the ground was made the better by it and the fruitfullâ—r but the Foxes came up no more so be yee sure that such will by their persecutions burne up themselves but better the true Churches though it may be some members may suffer in the fire first yet take us the Foxes the little Foxes saith the Lord Cant. 1. he will not suffer them to escape scot-free Phil. 1.28 for it is to them a token of perdition sayes Paul but to you of salvation the true Churches shall maugre all their might and malice appeare again and triumph the more and be yet the more glorious and fruitful but these persecuting Foxes can never come up againe but must lye buried in the field which they have fired and so be the Authours of their owne end Wherefore feare not my Friends their frownes nor crownes but as Alexander was wont to say to his Souldiers when they were in danger or went on any designe Sed habebis Alexandrum my brave Blades you shall have Alexander with you so say I you shall have Christ with you in the midst of you and engaged for you feare not and then you shall no more be termed desolate or forsaken but be called the Lord's Hephzibah and Beulah but thus for the second chapter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Midbar CHAP. III. That the Churches full deliverance drawes nigh and is upon entrance at first gradually her Discipline shall be restored as at first First proved by parallel from the Wildernesse wherein she hath been long lost as to true Discipline and Doctrine TO proceed the Call continues to hast us out of Babylon It is Historied of Darius's Generall that when he had Orders from Darius his King to revenge the wrongs done him by the Athenians that he commanded his Servants every day at every dish of meat they brought in to the Table to say Sir remember the Athenians Now Christ hath sent to us and calls upon us every foote to Remember the ruine of Babylon and the rising of Sion for Babylon must fall and Sion must fill and grow up apace to perfection-ward but although this is graduall at first yet the restauration shall be universall at last In the interim we heare how long and how lamentably the poore despised Church hath been in the Wildernesse wofully bewayling but now followes what hopes we finde of her deliverance now Mr. Brightman the brightest man of his age that I have met with lends his Light to this Age out of Revel 12.14 where we read the Church was to continue in the Wildernesse for a time times and halfe a time besides the thousand two hundred and threescore dayes in ver 6. which is all one with that in Rev. 11.2 of forty and two months for at thirty dayes to the moneth it comes to one thousand two hundred and sixty dayes which if we account from Christ's time was to begin one thousand sixe hundred and ten dayes viz. three hundred and fifty and one thousand two hundred and sixty and the thirty three yeares that Christ lived makes it one
us ride post in a Victory of Patience and in the Triumph of Innocency And as Anaxarchus said to the Tyrant Tundis vasculum Anaxarchi sed non Anaxarchum So they may hurt us but not hinder us trouble us but not triumph over us CHAP. IX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Zebi A further Demonstration of the Discipline of the Church of Christ objective or upon the account of the Churches object and what that is WE have handled through the grace and goodnesse of our God the Forme I hope fully of Church-discipline and Gospel-fellowship wherein I trust the Lovers of the truth will not take mee to bee too tedious although in the following-chapters I wish I could promise to be compendious especially in this first Lib. seeing what is to come as I take it is lesse controversal I shall next insist upon the object of this Church-state whereby it becomes so amiable unto the Saints viz. the Presence of God giving out of himselfe more in grace and glory to such Saints then to any others according to Psal. 87.23 which point lyes apparent Psal. 84.1 2 7 10 11. So Psal. 63.1 2. O God thou art my God my soule thirsteth for thee my flesh longeth for thee c. to see thy power and thy glory so as I have seen thee in thy Sanctuary verse 5. My soule shall be satisfied as with marrow c. that is abundantly more then in other places which thing is promised us as in Exod. 20.24 In all places where I record my name I will come and blesse c. i. e. I will come in a speciall manner and blesse them with speciall blessings of grace so is the type Exod. 25.8 so in Isa. 4.5 6. He is upon all the assemblies of Zion not elsewhere a cloud and smoake by day and a flame of fire by night and upon all the glory a defence c. Isa. 25.6 there the Saints in the Lords house this mountaine of holinesse shall bee feasted with fat things Psal. 36.8 and shall say as in verse 9. Lo this is our God we have waited for him this is the Lord we have waited for him we will rejoyce and be glad in his salvation c. that is we have waited for these appearances and this his presence in grace and of glory c. Thus in Isa. 33.17 there thy eye shall see the King in his beauty an amiable object indeed and in verse 21. there the glorious Lord will be a place of broad Rivers and streams c. There is the loveliest heart-ravishing and soule-enamouring object that the Saint can set his organ or eye upon here is the beloved white and ruddy and more then all other beloveds Cant. 5.10 c besides this soule-enamouring presence is promised to the end of the world among Saints in such communion Matth. 18.20 Joh. 14.22 23 26. Matth. 28.20 Joel 2.27 Zeph. 3.16.17 This lovely object beyond all others Saints embodied as before have had the happinesse to see and enjoy or to have the fruitive discovery of which all the true Churches of Christ have experienced to the purpose and their profit in all ages Act. 2.28 Act. 4.33 So 2 Cor 3.18 2 Cor. 6.16 Yee are the Temple of the Lord as God hath said I will dwell in them i. e. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will in the nighest communion of love and grace be present and so as he hath promised yee who are his Temples have experienced Eph. 2.19.20 21. Hebr. 2.12 and in such societies the Saints have found him to delight to be and to walke there Rev. 2.1 2 Cor. 6.6 Psal. 132.13 14. and to take his repose Psal. 72.2 and 26.8 and repast there Cant. 1.7 and 6.2 and 4.16 and to impart his most intimate loves in the midst of them as Cant. 7.12 c. by all which lies apparently before us the beauty of the object Vse On which account how eagerly Saints should bee set upon such a worke will obviously appeare out of Psal. 84.1 2. for if beauty blessednesse love life light grace glory or any good thing be object enough to win upon a people all and more then all may be had here in Psal. 27.4 One thing have I desired of the Lord c. what is that that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the dayes of my life why so to behold the beauty of the Lord. O there there is the excellency of the Lord the lovelinesse of his countenance the comelinesse of his favour the beauty of his face above all places in the midst of the assemblies of the Saints thus united into a body Now Parishes have not this amiable and peculiar presence of the Lord they want the beauty of this object and this object of beauty abundantly For but little of God is to bee seen in their constitutions and Churches Now where most of Gods presence of love light grace and glory c. is promised and appears there is the Church of Christ but that most of this sweet presence appears in and is promised to the Saints associated as before I refer you to the pregnant Scriptures produced for proofe Wherefore deare friends how forward would you bee for this Discipline did you but discerne the excellency and beauty of these his amiable Tabernacles This made that eminent man Dr. Ames Professour of Friezeland leave all his honours estate esteem c. and all to become a member of such a Church at Rotterdam choosing rather to sit on the Threshold in the Lords house Psal. 84.10 then to enjoy all the world without it and pleasures for a season blessing God upon his death-bed that he had lived so long as to be first of such a body of Christ before hee dyed and when he was ready with good old Simeon to depart in peace hee beseeched Mr. Peters the then Pastor and others not to be discouraged or daunted though they must suffer much saying If there were a visible way of worship in the world that God did owne honour and manifest his Excellencies and himselfe in that it was this of the Congregationall now called Independent Discipline The ignorance of the object indeed makes men no more in love with it then they are ignoti nulla cupido but if the beauty of it be but in the Frontispeece then every eye is upon it O how does beauty shine in goodnesse like the Sun in a cleare Skie O glorious It is a Tradition that Noah being in the Arke and having closed up all the windowes had a most excellent Carbuncle or precious stone which gave them light all within But it is a truth that Christ gives a most orient radient lustre light and beauty to the object of every eye in the Churches of Christ So that the beauty of his Tabernacles is most amiable whilest beauty and naughtinesse blended together doe shew like a Leprosie the whiter the fouler But
cancelled Col. 2.14 and his Lordship is good by Law Rom. 14.9 3. He is Lord by conquest too Heb. 2.9 10 14. he hath won us out of our enemies hands Joh. 16.30 Revel 17.14 from world sin death law hell devil all of us are his prize goods by the best and justest martial law for he hath led captivity captive Eph. 4.8 and we are freed 4 He is Lord by gift Psal. 2.8 Joh. 17.2 6 7 8 9. Thus hath his Father made him Heir and given him possession of all in Heaven and Earth This gift as from God is a gift that takes in the bounty bonity justice and mercy of God manifested in giving us to Christ as his rightful possession 5. He is Lord too by election and choice Psa. 78.70 Isa. 22.20 21 c. with reference to God the anointed and chosen one above all Matth. 12.18 Luke 23.35 1 Pet. 2.4 So in Christ he hath chosen us to Christ Eph. 1.4 1 Pet. 2.9 And he is chosen with reference to us too Isai. 26.13 Cant. 5.10 16. John 20.13 28. so Matth. 22.44 My Lord which particular appropriation implies the choice which is made of Christ for their Lord so do all the Saints as Col. 2.6 7. receive Christ for their Lord i. e. A ruling Christ as well as a Saving Christ Jesus the Lord 2 Cor. 4.5 Now election is the proper act of free-will whereby we would chuse one above all others Cant. 6.3 to which there must be a concurrence of knowledge and desire by the first we judge him to be fit preferred above all and in himself to excel all and by the latter we are made to long after him above all and to choose him before all both these are expressed by Paul Phil. 3.8 saying Jesus my Lord though we grant that the principal point of this choice lies in the appetite and thirsting faculty of the soul But all these ways Christ is Lord. 2. In what manner is Christ called Lord what kinde of Lord is he First He is an Independent Lord for he depends upon none answer 1 but all depend on him Psal 89.27 Dan. 2.21 He is Lord Paramount over all and above all Phil. 2 9. Eph. 4.6 Secondly He is a Spiriâ—ual Lord reigns within as well as without in the hearts and consciences of men 1 Cor. 12.3 2 Cor. 3.17 Matth. 22.43 Thirdly He is a most excellent Lord excelling all in their own excellencies of wisdom power prowess prudence valor virtue beauty righteousness Jer. 23.6 Heb. 1.8 And in whatsoever a Lord should have or be Psal 148.13 Fourthly He is an universal Lord over all the world Dan. 7.14 Matth. 21.3 living and dead Rom. 14.9 Over all his Church Eph. 4 5. And yet a peculiar Lord to every Church and Soul as appears before by choice Fifthly He is an alone Lord Mat. 23 8.10 Psal. 148.13 Isa. 63.3 and Isa. 2.11.17 without any other Vice-Roy or Lord-deputy and he will not allow any to usurpe his place or power or to arrogate this over any of his Saints in his Church Mat. 23.10 James 3.4 for hee alone is Lord Chiefe-Justice Joh. 5.27 and his Lordship is Royall-Prerogative for brethren are all equall it is the evill servant that lords it over his fellow and beats him and takes hold on his throat but Christ will issue out his warrants against him with a Habeas Corpus c. Sixthly Hee is an Eternall Lord and cannot be displaced or degraded Isa. 9.7 Heb. 12.27 yea all changes alterations and downfals of other Lords doe rather ratifie and set him up surer then damnifie or weaken his Dominion hee shall reigne for ever And thus wee see what manner of Lord hee is vse 1 Vse 1 Well then if this Lord be thus Lord Then let us see the Churches and Saints happinesse they have not many but one onely Lord so all Saints are fellowâ—subjects to this one Lord Had wee many Lords wee could not misse many miseries and slaveries for divers Lords have divers Laws and divers Lusts divers Minds divers Wils and divers Ends and all would breed divisions and distraction and destruction but this one Lord hath but one Law which is a Law of love the new Command as wee shall shew in the third Lib. which breeds peace joy grace and union O happy are the servants of this typified Solomon 1 King 10.8 2 Chron. 9.7 who are at peace in liberty and joy whilst all others poor soules have hard Lords to serve in a most miserable Babylonish bondage and Antichristian slavery Vse 2 The honour of the Saints and glory of the Church is Eph. 5.27 to have Christ their Lord and Ruler if it were an honour to be servants to Solomon 1 King 10. then a greater then Solomon is here See Isa. 43.4 Acts 13 40. John 5.44 they have their honour from above which is ad se ab aliis more then a praise which consists in words yea more then a Glory which consists in the good opinion of them and yet Christs is a praise and a glory to them but he is more and yet hee is our honour Joh. 12.26 and advances us and all his Saints and servants to the dignity of Kings and Princes and Crowns Glory Rev. 1.6 hee cannot want preferment that serves in Christs-Court and Kingdome 2 Pet. 1.17 Whilst it is most ignoble and basely dishonourable to serve the Beast Thirdly By this Lordship of Christ Saints are let out at large in their duties to God and men so far are they from being embondaged that they are loose and at Liberty within the Kingdome of Christ but not beyond those bounds hereby what a bond of unity is this as appeares Eph 4.3.5 to make the Saints one though they be of severall measures statures judgements heights enjoyments c. yet when they remember they have all but one Lord equally and the same How doth this whet their zeal and strengthen their hands and hearts for the truth when they come to contest together Jude 3. and against opposers to be unanimous Phil. 1.27 considering they all serve one Lord and Master what delight will they have in one another how they will encourage one another to be faithfull and industrious in serving of their Lord how ready will they be to vindicate one another and honestly and justly to take one anothers part against Opposers remembring they bee all fellow-servants how earnestly will they set upon a fellow-servant with arguments and reasons Scripture-proofes and reproofes and in the power of the Spirit speak home to such as are ready to be lead away with lusts and enter into the service of other Lords whether of Pope Prelate Councels Classâ—s or whatsoever that would rob Christ of his right yea how seriously and assiduously do they demonstrate to others that are not yet in this service â—he singular soule-advantages
no person but the sin for in forsaking Ordinances Assemblies Christian-duties c. They run a desperate hazard Heb. 10.23 24 25. which some say is the Prodromus or Harbinger of that pardonless pitiless sin of the Holy Ghost Vers. 26 27 28 29. and of ruine V. 39. But this I have offered on the first part of this use to show a necessity of being well-grounded upon this Rock Christ and Secondly To be well-united in and to this Rock Christ by communion as 1 Cor. 1.9 God is faithful by whom ye are called unto the communion of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord This is the voice of all the Oracles sayes Mr. Ainsworth to raise men into communion with Christ the Rock and then with one another 1 John 1.3 7. Hence it is that there be such variety of similitudes to resemble this communion and to illustrate it as Christ the Head we the Members and all by due joynts arteries and sinews united to the Head receiving life motion and government in all actions and affairs from the Head and yet by the same arteries sinews joynts and spirits united one to another so Christ is the Vine we the branches i. e. One with the vine the stock the root all participating of the same juice fatness sap sweetness and yet one branch deriving from another refreshed by another growing to another and one with another So Christ is the foundation we are the building Eph. 2.21 1 Cor. 3.9 all fastned knit and united to the foundation Christ although one may differ from another in form shape order place c. And although some be of a courser and some of a finer substance and appearance in this building although some be greater and some lesser some in one fashion and some in another yet all alike do depend upon and are set upon Christ the foundation all are rooted in him Col. 2.7 Eph. 3.17 grounded and built upon him and pinned fastned and united to him and yet are so to one another in faith and love as if they could not live or stand one without the other for they be many in particulars and some are under one form and some under another yet all are coupled together tacked and nailed together so that they grow together up unto an holy temple in the Lord. Now if we lie loosely and not firmly fastned as I said before we shall slip aside and fall out 1 Joh. 2.19 20. and thereby bring danger to the whole building This communion makes us in unity without which is neither comfort nor continuance in a Church-state neither am I of opinion with some that they must be all of one judgement and under one form and of one opinion in one body or society c. that hold together in love and faith For I finde no building no body no Church that ever was or will be without different forms opinions appearances c. according to the nature of the Members and Matter they are made up of There be many Members and particular parcels of several shape and use and yet by the wisdom of God all are so well-united and set together that there appears so admirable a decorum so goodly a frame and lovely a proportion and symmetry of the whole I say of the whole that not the least Member though the most differing from others in form or fashion could be spared for the Lord hath use of all his people under what dispensation soever to build up his house withal as I shall if the Lord please shew in the second Book Wherefore I am perswaded those Churches that consist so much in and subsist so much of and upon an uniformity will fall for they are not of Gods building but those the Lord builds as before though many Members be in them that differ in opinions forms or the like yet all shall be very useful and necessary in the place the Lord hath put them in by his holy Spirit and shall be so far from making fractions or divisions that they shall promote the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace being all are borne up by one foundation upon whom all are built one as well as another and that foundation which is the strength of the building is as able and fit to keep up one as another so fastened in him bee hee of what judgement soever and under what shape soever hee appeares to others so he be but good matter Now those Churches are of the Lords building doubtlesse that doe agree in Spirit though differ in forme and though they have in them of sundry Nations natures languages judgements or opinions yet are all one in Christ the foundation and are firmly cemented and united one to another in Christ by his own and the same spirit which enlivens enlightens quickens comprehends acts inables moves and governs all though under diversity of gifts and administrations And these are they that shall stand by his wisdome though not in the wisdome of flesh and blood or of the world Well in a word Sion thus governed thus grounded and thus united as before must be the delight of the whole earth beautifull for scituation not onely in a faire air lovely climate and good land but lying on a fair full and sure foundation which shall never bee removed but which he will establish for ever Psal. 48.2.8 SELAH Wherefore thus saith the Lord of hosts let your hands be strong ye that heare in the day the foundation of the Lords house is laid Christ being for that purpose preached that the Temple might be built For the building is all in vaine that is not laid upon this Foundation And to conclude The Lord make our Builders wise in laying the Foundation first I feare too many and I desire to deale home with my owne naughty deceitfull heart herein that have sought more their owne fame then others felicity more to glorifie themselves then God in gathering the godly into Fellowships and so they have gotten a good many and those great ones too and made themselves some body then they Christen their Churches into their owne names The Lord shame us for it whom he findes guilty Constantine the Great called Trajane who was a Great Builder the wal-flower for that his name was engraven on so many walls So indeed are many mens names most shamefully if not impudently ingraven on your Churches This was not in Primitive times we never read of any Churches called by mens names then as St. Pauls Church or Peters Church but all called the Churches of Christ for they were built upon him for a foundation upon this Rocke which Eagles flye up to but the Ostridges have their nests in Sand. So that all true Churches and Saints have one and the same substantiall Foundation For as Rhetoricke is said to be a Fist extended and displayed into an open hand but Logick a hand contracted into a close Fist
upon a hill let none be offended but if they be I pass not a pin For as Theodorus of Cyrene answered Lysimachus when he threatned to crucifie him O Sir said he Let your Courtiers and Favorites fear that for I had as lieve rot in the air as on the Earth I could I hope willingly save men an inquisition after me in such a case and say to them I come of my own accord Here I am What will ye for I remember the Duke of Burgundy who was sirnamed Carolus Audax was son to that Duke who was sirnamed Bonus for Conscience and Confidence are near a kin Wherefore of whom should I be afraid Psal. 27.1 2. for the Lord is my light and my salvation c. I must be as ready to write print preach and pray against the sins of great men as of the meanest and I will make no more on it though I suffer for it Or though they deal with this as the old Senate did that burned up Numa his Books for mentioning the secrets of their Religion I have heard that if the Crocodiles which besiege the banks of Nilus and way-lay the Travellers into Egypt were but pricked with the quill of the Bird Ibis they will be so weak and stupified therewith that they will not be able to stir or hurt any more O that this course were taken with our English Crocodiles Those wicked Lawyers that way-lay oppress tear and torment so many persons and families of this Nation Did every one arm himself with a quill and make it a good pen with a hard nib and write but as long as that would last what they know of them i. e. and touch them therewith but to the quick as well as they were able I am certain we should finde them stupified and stingless and unable to way-lay us hurt us and oppress us as they do But I shall say no more of them here expecting a more perfect Character of them ere long in a Book by it self The next thing Reader that this Treatise most of all intends is the Description of the Church wherein I expect Antagonists tag and rag of the ridged ones of all judgements especially of the Presbyterians and Anabaptists but I hope to be armed for them with the armor of light The frothy agitations of some unquiet heads and busie brains may cast away cost and twist straws I mean their labor may be worth a pound but their matter or stuffe not worth a penny But before hand I shall pray them to forbear passion and the pride of a Prelate For a foolish sentence dropped upon Paper will set pride and folly upon a Hill Memnon the General of Darius his Army hearing a mercenary Soldier with vile language revile Alexander and exclaim against him he struck him with a Lance saying He hired him to fight against him not to rail upon him Clamors against a very Enemy requires rather reproof then praise and I think there was no man much commended but much condemned that poor empty wide-mouthed Libeller of Garlick-hithe for his Pamphlet he put out lately whereby he hath brought himself into the report and reproof of all that hear his name which may be eminently up and famous ere long in London as it is in Cheshire and other places I had I confess a full Character of him indeed by Master Manwaring one that knew him well in Cheshire at my Lord Bradshawes Table lately whilest Sir William Brereton with an eminent Minister that knows him highly too was by and gave so good account of him That I cannot but wonder how he could end in one lying impudent Pamphlet and like a Squib too dry it seems flash all out at once But if he or any other will leave railing and fall to writing what tends to edification I shall be for him and heartily embrace both it and them so far as I finde a Christian Spirit with them And indeed as the Athenians dashed out of their Calender a day in May when Neptune and Minerva were at oddes and in a bitter fray So from my heart I wish all our bitter frayes may be ended and their dayes blotted out And O! that the Lord would pour out his Spirit according to his promise in these latter dayes upon all flesh which will make us all one in love and holiness and power of godliness and equal worship To conclude Christian Reader if thou comest to drink of the pure streams sweep away the froth for that is mine with thy hand of faith and take up of what is spiritual and pretious for that is the Lords and make not too much stir least you raise the mud for that will make it worst of all Caius Lucillius a Learned man was wont to say That he wished the things that he had written might neither be read of the altogether unlearned nor yet of the highly Learned For that the one would understand nothing and the others would understand more then himself But I wish the quite contrary for that the unlearned might learn something of me and the more learned might teach something to me So that I hope this will stir up some to read and some to write which will be the worse for the Worms and may hap to keep their Libraries from being eat up But I wish they be the Learned of the Father for such learning is the Golden Shield which defends the truth But when Golden Shields were gone Rehoboam was fain to do the deed with Brazen Shields So I know where this true Learning is wanting some Wilde Heads will supply the room with rage boldness and impudence I shall keep thee no longer good Reader in the outward Court or Common Chamber but I pray thee go further and enter into his Chamber of Presence where put up one Petition for him who desires to live and die the Lords And yours And all in Christ and nothing in himself But JOHN ROGERS From my Study at Thomas Apostles 1. Moneth 25. 1653. An Epistle to the Parish of Purleigh in ESSEX nigh Malden wherein the Author was setled Minister till of late Dear Friends I Call you dear not onely that I found you at a dear rate but I am forced to leave you so yet some of you are very dear to me and in my heart and whom I can freely bear in my bosom to the Father But because the Death or departure of a Minister from his people should be his last Sermon I must therefore say in general to you this That my greatest grief for most of you is That like the Cypresse the more you were watered the more you withered Would it not grieve you Husbandmen to see your good seed every year to be lost and to lie and rot under huge hard clods and never to bring forth fruits or to come up So how can it but be my complaints before my Lord and Master when I give
Purleigh for the want of a carefull and faithfull Minister neither could I please your itching humors as to give you the Sacraments in the condition you are in or the like which others may hap will doe without fear or wit warrant or order For as a Painter of old being asked who taught him his Art answered The people for that he was forced to study how to please their fancies So may some Ministers say But this I can say from my soule that I sought all meanes to make you sure of Christ. And as the Angel stirred the waters of the Pool but thrust no man in because it was a worke to bee performed by themselves so I have stirred but ah alas how few of you have stepped in onely a few of the poorer sort As when an Angler laies in he hath many small ones and that was my hap but few great ones that were struck ut puncti compuncti Act. 2.37 Yet this is my comfort I have not lost all my labour and my reward is with my God As an Advocate that hath his reward let the cause goe how it will And though Flowers grew though none gathered them and Springs run though none dranke them yet there may come a sore drought when you will wish for those well-heads that were opened to you but you regarded not The good Lord lay this in mercy upon your spirits And now let me leave one word with you never to be forgot viz. to prize the Gospel which is Gods book of Canticles and begins and ends with love as I have formerly laid it before you in the Exposition of Canticles it begins with a Kisse and ends with Spices The manna comes downe in the dews of the Gospel Prize Gospel-Discipline and Doctrine and to enjoy Christ in both is like to the Sun which not onely delights us with contemplation but warms and enlivens us by his Application Wherefore beware the world steals not away your hearts the Bird that is limed is held fast and so art thou O then have a care I have read that when Honorius was told that Rome was lost he cryed out Ah! Alas thinking it had been a Hen that he called by that name but when he heard it was his Imperial City of Rome that was lost and sacked by Alaricus the Goth his spirits were revived again that his losse was no worse so O! how few of you are halfe so much troubled to hear you have lost your souls as to heare you have lost your Cattle corne money or such like things as belong to the world And without the Lord awaken you yee are undone Julius Caesar had a paper given him of the Conspirators that were ready to murther him but alas not minding the paper but regarding other things of lesse concernment he lost his life for it And so will you unlesse yee arise and repent O heare the voice with Jerome saying Arise yee dead and come to judgement Arise yee dead and come to judgement Arise yee dead and come to judgement O be warned lest the many warnings which yee have had by me and others be at last regarded And all of them knit together like the many beams of the Sunne in a burning-glasse may I hope serve to kindle a fire and flame in your hearts after I am gone from you and to be no more seen among you Heare the Watch-man hark hee gives you warning Sirs by the word of God as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beware of an invasion Sathan is mustering up against your soules the enemy is nigh that will destroy you Up up make haste Arme Arme Arme but if you will not yet I shall have comfort Isa. 49.5 and yee shall know to your cost that there was a Prophet sent to warne you whom yee have despised Ezek. 33.33 Jer. 28.9 Gods vengeance sleeps not but like a pragmatical Promoter is searching your houses for ill gotten goods i.e. gotten by theft robbing God of his time and honour when you should be at Church hearing the word you were in the fields telling your Cattel counting your estate laying up for many years with the Fool in the Gospel Luke 12.19 20. Now the searcher is coming who will apprehend yee all for fellons and so bring ye before the great Judge and what follows but the sentence Demosthenes was asked the first the second and the third time what were the parts of Oratory who answered Every time Pronunciatio Pronunciatio Pronunciatio and so should I say the next part is the Pronunciation of the sentence O what will yee doe in that day Isa. 10.3 whither will yee flye O I feare it though you will not see it for as Caesar said of the Scythians difficilius est invenire quam interficere so I thinke may be said of your sinnes Sirs which you will not see but ye shall see and be ashamed Isa. 26. yet I say I feare it that many of you are as men that goe to a Lottery with heads ful of hopes but returne with hearts full of blanks and the greatest blanke of all will bee this that the world hath so filled your hearts that Christ could finde no room like the Reubenites Num. 32.4 5. you are content to stay on this side Iordan because it is a place fit for Cattel And like Spiders O what pains ye take how yee toyle even to eviscerate your selves and spend your own bowels with working and what comes on 't Hah onely a web to catch a flye in and which the least besome from above will sweep downe into the dust in one night Luke 12.20 O! it is this that made them in Luke 14.18 19. with one consent to reject the offers of grace and the Call And it is this worldlinesse that makes you like Tumblers stand upon your heads and kick at heaven with your heels It is this that made you to persecute the Saints and to expell us your coasts O take heed God hath planted his Artillery against you and without a parley if you make not your peace with God and forsake the world to follow Christ from the Lord I am to tell you it that God is ingaged against you with his armies of judgements Matth. 22.7 and there is no hopes of you And the world like a bullet shot from a peece of Ordnance whilst it runs up and down and danceth you think before you on the ground shall deceive you for you shall be like the ignorant souldiers that thinkes to take it up with your hands but it dasheth out your brains which example shall warn others and make them wiser that succeed you by seeing the Lords vengeance on you Thus having stood Sentinel all this while among you though I must be justled aside now from you I have given you WARNING and
Fourthly A true and full perswasion in the way of Christ makes thee most ready to run into it but orderly and very obsequious Gal. 5.6 Heb. 11.8 Rom. 16.26 O then how readily desirous and thankfully observant art thou to do the will of God to please him in his way of worship and to be obedient to his command of coming out of Babel confusion into Zion Fifthly A true and full perswasion of the way of Christ makes thee see an emptinesse and a worthlesnesse in all other wayes and an excellency and usefulnâ—sse of this way which is Christs that all others fall short of Thus David seeing an amiablenesse in the Lords Tabernacles above all others had rather be there one day then a thousand in any other tents Psal. 84.1 2.10 and saith Psal. 86.8 There is none like thee No wayes like thy wayes c. Sixthly A true full perswasion makes thee exceedingly fond of and longing and labouring after these wayes of Sion O! how dost thou thirst to be in them Psal. 84 2. Psal 63.1.2 and enjoy the benefit of them Psal. 42.2 Cant. 8.1 Cant. 7.10 11. Rev. 22.20 and though he that beleeves makes not haste as before yet in this sense he hath fullest perswasions and most faith makes most haste of all and cannot but make haste but regularly Seventhly True and full perswasion makes thee very confident but with a holy confidence and bold but with an humble boldnesse having the testimony of a good conscience to bear thee out against all adversaries or oppositions whatsoever therefore in Heb. 10.22 Heb. 4.16 Eph. 3.12 It is not a sawcy impudent boldnesse which strangers that intrude may have and carry a boldnesse whilst their hearts tell them they goe beyond good manners but this is a sweet humble and friendly familiar boldnesse upon invitation and calls from Christ grounded upon Gods free love warranted by the word not swelling at all with selfe-confidence or conceit but alleadging meerly love and grace from above such a confidence in Christ makes them humbly bold and ready to approach his Court and Sanctuary audaces sunt promptiores Eighthly This full perswasion puts thee upon others to perswade them by the Word and Spirit that they may also participate with thee in this Church-way Cant. 6.1 Mal. 3.16 Eph. 4.29 Col. 4.5 6. Heb. 3.13 Thus Andrew called Peter in and Philip Nathaniel and Paul young Timothy and Titus and many others We cannot be idle to others then especially those whom we love those we would faine get in Prov. 11.30 By these few notes from the true rise and effects of the true and sound perswasion ye may examine before yee enter I have been the longer on this Point because many people run hudling on headlong in and they scarce know how nor care how so they get in but this may be had for a lamentation And poor souls what comfort can they finde in this way without faith who stagger through unbeleef and cannot tell being full of doubts whether they are right or no! alas for them the Ordinances are nothing to speak of sweet to them whilst they think to do this or to bee in this way which it may be they think pleases God and it may be it displeased him and this drives them often-times into despaire and alwayes into error This makes so many run into strange opinions and errors that run so rashly into this way of fellowship which is the Churches Threnodia and deep sorrow at this day O then that men would be more carefull for as the Sun saies Erasm. Roterod. in Simil. the more directly he bears upon us with his beams the lesse shadow he makes but the more obliquely the greater So a wise man that understands himselfe and is informed and fully perswaded by the divine light of the word the beams of Christ the Son of righteousnesse the more this Sonne hath shined upon him and he is satisfied with the truth the lesse fancy imagination or foolish opinions he hath and the lesse he runs into errours but the more obliquely he enters into the Lords way and the lesse he is by this divine light from above informed and fully perswaded the more he runs into errours and the longer shadows he makes But to conclude I beseech ye beware O beware how yee enter into this way of worship let serious and due consideration be had that yee come in due order otherwise yee will meet with a breach instead of a blessing 1 Chron. 15.23 and this Church-state instead of Peniel may be called Perez-uzza or Perez-nephesh i. e. the breach of thy soule so see Mat 22.12 13. what befel the friend that came in and not in a right order Besides the Lord doth not make them welcome Mal. 1.10 for they are a provocation to him in Numb 14.11 Psal. 78.21 22. and the Ordinances of Christ are not so effectual to them Heb. 4.12 13. this want of faith and full perswasion that they are in the Lords way in Christs Gospel Church-state doing the Lords will doth enervate enfeeble and deforce the efficacie and excellency vertue and operation and spirituall advantages which beleevers finde in it As thou hast believed so be it Matth. 8.13 and chap. 9.29 See Mark 6.5 6. one such a doubting member doth much mischiefe in a Church and is a great hindrance to it But dear friends if ye have faith and doubt not Mat. 21.21 and are but fully perswaded in your souls that this is the way of Christ you are entring into then welcome expect great blessings and mighty works and energy in the midst of you Eph. 1.19 CHAP. II. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nahar Sahhish Those that are thus satisfied and fully perswaded as before must by a voluntary consent unite and knit together in one body THis comes in order next of which in the former Booke Chap. 11. and 13. you may read at large but let this be brought into the ballance of the Sanctuary too and let every soule see to it how he enters into this way of Fellowship that it be by a voluntary and freeâ—motion without a coaction No earthly power can compell a man into this Church of Christ for the Father must draw him Joh. 6.44 that is with his spiritual armes the Word and the Spirit which are the Lords hands and his two armes reached out all the day long Rom. 10.21 None are to bee constrained into this communion unlesse it be by the Word and the Spirit thus the Lord is said to adde to the Church Act. 2.47 and by his power makes them a willing people Psal. 100.3 and so Cant. 6.12 when the will is set upon the Chariots or wheels a man must needs run Cant. 1.3 hence a man is often-times said to be according to his will a volunteer or not which is as the great Wheele that sets all others a going Now it should necessarily follow that such
therefore what is good in the understanding nonex veritate rei is said to be the proper object of the will A moral principle looks on a moral good a natural on a natural good a civil on a civil good a spiritual on a spiritual good we doe not say things right or wrong true or false for they are as they are in the mind objecta intellectus but things apprehended good in agreement with the moving principle Mat. 7.11 in that verse there is a different good according to the principle that moves them either natural or spiritual And hence it is that the appetitive faculties of the soule or the longing affections are distinguished according to the apprehensive faculties of the soule for the more thou apprehendest this way to bee for thy good or this thing to be for thy good the more thou desirest it and willest it with longings but the lesse thou seest it to be for thy good the lesse are thy affections towards it for though a thing bee most excellently good and desirable yet it moves the affections and will no further then it is apprehended so to be Prov. 19.8 He that keepeth understanding shall finde good David doth most earnestly desire to dwell with the Lord and to draw nigh to him because he apprehended it to be good for him so to do Psal. 73.28 So it is good for us to be here Mat. 17.4 therefore Lord let us build Tabernacles Now this is another Reason why men should come voluntary into Church fellowship because of the good the universal reason 4 good the spiritual good and heavenly advantages to bee had hereby and such as are suitable to the principles by which we are to be made a willing people What makes men so desirous of eating but the meat that is or is to be and so is in their apprehension set before them to be good what makes men run in a race as if they were mad but the rewards which they set before them And why doe the Apostles so presse the practise of Christs commands but because of the good which is set before us Tit. 3.8 Heb. 13.9 Now if bonum universale which is originale an universal good i. e. a good for all times in all conditions in all places upon all occasions c. if such a good be thy object and draws thee as the Loadstone doubtlesse God alone is this good Mat. 19 16.17 and then he alone his love which is better then wine his presence which is better then life can fill thy Will and sufficiently move it as the only able and effectual object No one good like unto this can move the will and make thee a compleat and thorough Volunteer when Moses prayed to see his glory Exod. 33.18 he said Verse 19. and I will make all my good to passe before thee But consider Fifthly The operation of the will which is velle bonum what is it else but a strong and undeniable inclination and resolution of the person willing into the thing willed or into the object of the will Now from this sweet working of the will into the thing reason 5 willed or into God this universal good another Reason might bee taken to confirme this truth That those who would enter into Christs Church-way must come by a voluntary consent being earnestly carried out into God this universal good which is that they run for Hence saith Aug. de dono persever C. 13. Nos volumus sed Deus operatur in nobis velle nos operamur sed Deus operatur in nobis operari c. We will indeed but it is God that works in us that will also both to will and to do saith the Apostle we worke but it is God who worketh in us that working of good also He is in us the principle to us the object and for us the end of all Eph. 4.6 Consider Sixâ—hly The Instruments which propound and offer this object to the will and the means by which the man is perswaded and prevailed with to be free and spontaneous and voluntary to enter into this way of Christ or Gospel-order which are the Word and the Spirit First The outward instrument is his Word this is the Sword of Christs Kingdome to conquer with and his Scepter to govern by So Act. 2.41 All that were received into the Church gladly received the word as Ainsworth observes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is willingly and voluntarily without any compulsion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they imbraced it cum approbationes with welcome joyfully with hearty entertainment as to the dearest friend or best guest that could come now such as received the Gospel so were made members of the Church The Church did all according to Christs word and Gospel whether in binding or loosing taking in or casting out still the Statute-book Christs Word and Gospel was by them in all So that nothing was to bee done by the Decrees Lawes or Canons of men or by their Votes and Orders in Classical Provincial or National Assemblies no no such thing was heard of nor yet were any cuffed in or staved in by Magistrates powers I am of Mr. Dels judgement in His way of peace Psal. 63.64 c. who sayes Who so ever affirms that the Lawes Decrees or Canons of men Rabbies Bishops Assemblies or Councels are fitter and better to order the Church by then the pure and naked word of the Gospel by the ministration of the Spirit speaks in my judgement very blasphemously Luther sayes in Epist. ad Carolum Ducem Subaudiae Tom 7 foâ— 483. Christiani eo verbo non alio regi debent quo Christiani i. e. liberi a peccatis fiunt sine additionibus conciliorum Doctorum Patrum c. that all Christians are to be ordered by the Word of God the Gospel of Christ whereby they became Christians that is set at liberty from sin and this without the addition of Councels Doctors Fathers or the like for what is it to governe and guide Christians by their Councels Decrees or Words which they may keep and yet neither become Christians nor continue such Nay many times they cease to be such by those means and wee lose the truth for their Traditions the Scriptures for their Scribbles the Bible for their Babel yea Christ for the creatures images which the intellect hath taken up and the doctrines of Christ for the Devices Decrees and Ordinances of men Moreover for such as are not yet called suppose they bee not Christians they are not to be tampered with or restrained by the ordinances or traditions of men but to be let alone as Paul saith Col. 2.20.22 Neither is the Magistrate to meddle with them by his Secular powers so as to force them into the house of God none can be compelled by iron weapons to joyne to a Church of Christ against their wills as
hath been largely handled in the former leaves Chap. 11. and 13. which I shall adde now little to but this because as Luther sayes in the fore-cited Epistle Christians are all to be so spontaneously onely as they are perswaded by the Word of Christ convinced and lead by the Spirit of God Joh. 16.8 Rom. 8. So are they by the same means to bee brought in members of the Church of Christ Quae ergo insania est spontanee bonos urgere legibus malorum and yet there be some rough spirits abroad that spit nothing but fire and blood and speake of nothing but imprisonments and punishments for such as are not yet convinced inlightned or come up to their opinion Some imagine men must be brought in by the Magstrates sword and that the Gospel is to be promoted and propagated by weapons blows and cuffes It is true as Mr. Hooker in the third part of Church-discipline chap. 1. asserts That the Civil power may as a thing Civil require them to come under the tenders and call of Christ which is vox significativa but cannot compel their consciences and that Power is very uncivil that intermeddles with Church-matters but Magistrates must leave the Church to follow the rule of Christ in receiving such as have gladly received the Word and whom the Lord hath by his Word and Spirit perswaded and prevailed with and so whom the Lord addes unto the Church and not whom men Magistrates or any other by any indirect means soever shall adde It is known to many in Dublin that I durst not but bear testimony to this truth though to no little persecution of my self and others in name and persons as is well known to the Church-gathered with whom I walked for the time I was there who have also had their share of sufferings by some and also have added their testimony to mine I say although the reproof reached great persons that invited many in by indirect means more proper for Seducers then Saints whether by promising expressions of preferment or by commanding words to such as they had power over which were under their commands or by going to houses to make proselytes by their power or the like if their purposes might be good yet the effects were very bad I am sure for hereby many Hypocrites crept in amongst us being byassed with by-ends and who afterwards proved incendiaries and so disturbers of our peace they should have let the Lord alone to bring into his Church whom he pleased and the word alone to have perswaded them by the Spirit and not have sought the inlargement of the Church to get up to great numbers which men eye too much by any other means then the Word and Spirit When great men are Members of a Church that Church must have the greater care of receiving least any should enter or crowd in more out of love to or fear of those great ones or out of any ends of getting a benefit by having great men their Brethren or the like I say more then out of love to the Lords Courts and Assemblies as being inlightned by the Word and enlivened by the Spirit and fully perswaded in their own hearts that they must enter into these ways as the ways of holiness which the Lord hath left here for believers to walk in together wherefore our experiences produce this Caution to others for want of which we have sufficiently suffered to give others warning It was Boniface the third that I first read of that used his Volumus Mandamus Statuimus c. as the means of bringing in Members and ever since hath the Church wanted peace and been persecuted by such commanding powers for till Antichrists time we finde none Members of Christs Church but such as were made willing by the word and power of Christ. Christs words are works when his Word and Spirit go together Psal. 33.9 He spake and it was done In verbo Christi factiva est ratio He said Let there be light and it was light he said to the Damsel Tabitha cumi and she arose he bid Lazarus come forth and he did so John 11. there is so much vertue in his voice verbum Christi est expressivum operativum that it is called the power of God Rom. 1.10 And the arm of the Lord Isa. 53.1 To save assist deliver draw out and to gather into his fold This arm does all this and is the only outward instrument whereby Christ does draw them in and then they run after him Cant. 1.3 and leave Father Friends and all to follow him and his commands or call they stand not disputing it but immediately obey his call Matth 4.20 22. and come away Secondly The inward working Instrument is the Spirit of Christ whose work is to convince us of the truth John 16.8 and to lead us into the truth Joh. 16.13 14.17 26. or guide us that is not to drag us whether we will or no But it implies a willingness in us being informed by the Word that this is the way and that we must walk in it that we must follow the Spirit as a guide a skilful guide a counselling guide a comforting guide that will go before us and make way for us And if we be in suspence and hang off why then it is his work to convince us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it were by undeniable Arguments and Reasons and so as that we shall not have a word to say but that we shall heartily and willingly yeeld to his motions and perswasions and finde him both a protection and direction Quest. How shall I know I have Christs Spirit Answ. By his efficacy and power in doing his office A painted fire will not warm nor a painted Sun give light now by their effectual operations you know which is the true fire and the true Sun Besides the true Sun will discover false painted suns and the true fire will burn up the false so will the true Spirit of Christ discover judge and condemn all other false spirits But Quest. How doth this Spirit of Christ convince and bring in and then keep in the way Answ. 1. Mouendo by inlightning our intellect informing our mindes with his counsel and admonitions he leads us with open eyes Psal. 32.8 And the wisemans eyes are in his head Christ This is the first work of the Spirits illumination Eph. 1.18 He makes us to see an amiableness in the Lords Tabernacles above all other tents Thus our understanding is filled with light Col. 1.9 So as that we see the object which moves the will and affections that we spake before of to be the attractivum bonum the best good and then 2. Movendo the Spirit inclines our hearts moves our wills and makes us resolved in this way of Christ before the Spirit took us up as upon Mount Pisgah that is by divine contemplation to
extra-essential and left to liberty according to what is requisite to the constitution and condition of the Church and other things are essential and positively relate as well to the being as well-being of the Church ita ordo dicitur respectu principii and may by no means be omitted but of this latter we have been large before and for the former respecting ritual decency and order we must grant that men must not be tyed to such things as of necessity but they are left free whether to observe them or change them as often as there is cause for the use and excellency of the Church I could not omit to premise thus much before I proceed and shall say with Luther What if any one Church will not imitate another in things indifferent and doubtfull outward and circumstantial ritual and formal Yet what need is there of compulsion by Powers Decrees of Councels or the like which are presently converted into snares and laws and as he saith to the Church at Wittembergs about the form of celebrating the Supper in quibus omnibus cavendum ne legem ex libertate faciamus c. Be sure that our liberty be not made a Law by men and a snare to souls such a warning I will give the Reader ere I go on that he confine not his light opinion judgement or perswasion to mine here or any other mans in those things which are left to liberty I am not about establishing a set Form of Discipline or making a Directory as necessary for others to walke by or to ensnare any soules or trouble any consciences but to set before you as is given me from above and that by measure the pattern of Gods house and as for this Form of embodying together by a solemn order which I am now treating of in this Chapter as we have promised else where you have our experiences of it and proofs for it and may follow it if you please it being in our judgement the most orderly and heavenly manner we have met with and most Scriptural and consonant to rule both of Reason and Religion Now premising thus much and promising this more that I shall heartily imbrace and willingly give way to the unction from on high in better teachings about this order and be ready to receive from any whatsoever shall be offered as more useful and profitable in this forme of uniting I shall proceed In order to a communion of Saints in a Gospel-Church-state those who are godly do often meet together as in Mal. 3.16.17 when all that feared the Lord and thought on his name and his worship conferred often together and this is a duty deeply incumbent to the Saints to do so first of all and to speak often together to pray together to make mention of the Lord with savoury speeches tending to edification Eph. 4.29 and 5.3 4. Heb. 3.13 Jude 20. Act. 18.23 and this as often as there is an opportunity and then you shall finde Mal. 3.17 after this the Lord promises to set upon gathering his people then saith the Lord will I make up my 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 peculium my jewels picked out and binde them up together And this day wherein I will doe this shall be a day of distinction and separation betwixt the precious and the vile the sheep and the goats the righteous and the wicked and then Verse 18. shall ye discerne between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not Now I say in order to this the people of God must first meet and that often together to try and have knowledge and experience of one another to inquire after one another and all together by their joynt prayers and offerings to contribute their best towards the building up of this Tabernacle Then let all vaine communication be kept out Eph. 5.4 and let your words bee savoury and seasoned with that salt of the word that hath not lost its savour and be ready to answer any objection or question that shall be made Col. 4.6 exhorting and provoking one another to duty Heb. 3.13 and 10.24 25. and declaring to one another their clear satisfaction and full perswasion of the way of Christ and their manifesting of longing fond affections for these Courts of the Lord and to be in his amiable Tabernacles Psal. 84.1 2. saying one to another Come let us goe up to this mountaine of the Lord the house of the God of Jacob and he will teach us his wayes and we will walke in his pathes Isa. 2.2 3. and asking the way to Zion with your faces thitherward saying Come and let us joyne our selves unto the Lord c. Now this is preparatory to the worke of embodying which follows and yet these godly are left to liberty to joyne in what society seems best to them and are not tyed to one place therefore did the Apostles gather people together in several Cities where they dwelt and so established many Churches in one County as the seven Churches in the lesser Asia Rev. 1.4.10 the Churches of Galatia Syria and Cilicia 1 Cor. 16.1 Act. 15.41 Corinth and yet Cenchrea Rom. 16.1 in the Suburbs of Corinth that the Saints might enter where was most convenient After this Those that are clearly convinced of the order and well satisfied with the worke it selfe and one with another as before being affectionately desirous to walke together in this way and having agreed it Amos 3.3 they doe write and give up their names together for that purpose which they propose as being the best way to intimate their desires and seeming most to be in practise in former times Act. 1.15 Nehem. 7.5.38 which thing they doe to one whom they appoint to receive them and to call them as occasion serves In the mean time they most unanimously desire and appoint a solemne day of humiliation or more to bee set apart and to seek the Lords presence and his promises of direction and guidance in so great a duty which else they dare not undertake Isa. 58.11 Jo. 14.26 and 15.26 and 16.13 on which day they lye low before the Lord and licke the dust Nehem. 1.11 and Nehem. 9.1 2. 2 Chron. 30.18 19 20. Act. 14.23 this they doe by themselves separate from others Nehem. 9.2 and it is usually a most humbling heart-breaking day whilst they come before the Lord with feare and trembling wondring at his love to pitch upon them for so great a mercy to pick them out and leave so many behinde to visit them with light and refreshings from on high Act. 3. Oh! how doth a thousand of these considerations melt them before the Lord and yet make them with teares to lay hold on all the promises made to them in this case and pressing him with Moses Exod. 33.15.16 to be with them and to goe before them in this work for wherein say they shall it be knowne that we and
upon me wondred and asked me how I did I told them well at which they wondred more not thinking it possible but rather that I knew not what I said and telling them I was going forth though they thought me more mad then wise yet away I went to the Church who were yet praying and that hard blessed be the Lord that heard them and drew out their hearts on my behalfe My comming amongst them to tell the mercies of God was much like Peter in Act. 12. verse 16. at which they were astonished but as he Verse 17. Verse 13 14 16. So I did declare unto them how the Lord had brought me out of prison my bed my sicknesse so that this renewed pledge to us did throw us altogether upon praises and thankful returnes being so sweet and seasonable an experience that I hope it will never be forgot whereby the Church as it now is was exceedingly satisfied and ratified to this day that God was with us yet of a truth as much as before from which day as well as ever before I dare assuredly say the name of this Church may be The Lord is there Ezek. 48.35 as Mat 28.20 These things I have added to this fifth Reason whereby we were abundantly obliged for future to trust in the Lord so that experiences declared do much advantage others to relye upon him and to beleeve in him Ps. 37 40. and to plead with him the experience that others have had of him at such a time in such a need and extremity of trouble and sicknesse And as waters run strongest in narrowest passages so doth Gods Power and Providences appear most and greatest in greatest straits But thus for the second sort of Reasons Reason 3. Relates to themselves that doe declare their experiences for it is not enough to heare them but to have them as it is Joh. 4.42 First Hereby they try their owne satisfaction examine their assurance and plerophory by bringing all to light as the honest Draper doth his cloath to give any leave to object what they can against the goodnesse of it so Hall sayes in his Contemp. 4. part P. 120. Now a man that owes twenty shillings may as wel pay in silver as in gold and have as good a discharge given him but if he paies it in gold then it is discharged in one piece without telling or further trouble but if in silver then it is in many pieces and requires the pains to tell it over before he be sure that it be right so is it here the Saints have assurance of all discharged and payed and themselves set at large the Creditor reconciled the Law at an end c. and all this by the immediate testimony of the Spirit which is with more speed and lesse trouble as Eph. 4.30 or else by the markes and effects in many peeces which will aske much paines to examine and tell over And thus in the experiences by several peeces of good coine stamped with Gods image you have their assurance or pleonasmes of joy and love and light and all brought out so that they being openly attested and approved the Saints are thereby often advantaged for future attempts and troubles and suits in Law so that there is great reason the Assurance be brought out to light yet we must beware that mens applauding or approving of us or our assurance deceive us not wherefore let us a little call to account how a Saint knows that his assurance is real substantial and not shadowy counterfeit false To answer this we have Twin-testimonies and Single-testimonies to know it by the Twin-born testimonies are surest omni exceptione majores and such are infallible but the others are not so these are of two sorts The Spirit with our spirits bearing witnesse Rom. 8.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 co-witnesses so Rom. 9.1 so sayes Paul My conscience bearing witnesse by the Holy Ghost both goe together as honest Sibs hath it like a paire of Indentures one answers another and that the Holy Spirits witnesse is a clear testimony see 1 Joh. 3.24 he assures the soule by powerful application as Culverwel in his White stone well observes for the Father chuseth us and hath decreed it the Sonne executeth it to the full and the Spirit applies it and witnesses our interest in it and sets strong and vigorous apprehensions of love and mercy upon our heart they be sweet and secret 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 soule-whisperings and spirit-breathing by which the soul and spirit converses together secret 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and have silent entercourse one with another which is not an enthusiastical fancy or illusion but a reall truth which every Saint hath a taste of being inspirations then the Spirit assures or cleares by a pleasant irradiation or brightnesse beaming upon the soule whereby he sees the assurance reall and genuine see 1 Cor. 2 12. We have received the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things which are freely given us of God So Verse 9.10 by this Divine light what a glorious glosse a rich orjency a lively lustre and an excelling Exposition is upon thy assurance so that although from the flesh thou doubtest from the Spirit thou seest and art assured For seeing is beleeving as we say and you know this witnesse from a fancy to be true by its own convincing nature and efficacy as you know light by light and so you know the Word by the Word and are able to judge all other words false and all other lights painted and all other Suns shadows So you know the Spirit by the Spirit Joh. 16.8 by its owne conviction which it carries with it as true fire carries its owne evidences to declare that it is fire but false fire painted does not doe so The light of a Ranting presumptuous Spirit is but like a blazing Comet presaging his preposterous spirit or preparing a venemous malign and pestilential influence and portending his ruine and the light of an Hypocrite is but a transcient coruscation and flash for a sudden and is put ou◠but the Spirit displayes himselfe to the soul and gives a glistering manifestation of his presence in that heart of his motion in that horoscope and horison and by his owne beams as the Sun is to be seen and paraphrased upon himself and witnesses to himself that he is there so that as one sayes a man may sooner take the glo-worm for the Sunne then an experienced Saint can take a false light and delusion for the light of the Spirit And who would be further satisfied may see Sibs his Fountain sealed Page 169.170 c. The other Twin-testimony is taken from the Word and the Spirit the Law and the Testimony together Isa. 8.20 Deut. 1◠18 Mat. 22.29 the Scripture and the power of God which are to goe both together to give assurance else yee
their honor as well as for Christs then if they had sat still for Moses had more honour by his veyl then by his face The Scriptures are very full of this we find Mat. 25.37 the righteous there had learned it and so have all the Saints as you see by their experiences that they have nothing to boast of of themselves but of the Lord and his love all the day long Psal. 44.8 Rom. 2.17 and the more they tell reason 3 of him they are humbled before him Thirdly Why we should declare them because by them we are best taught the worth and excellency of the love of God in Christ as the Queen of Sheba said of Solomon It was true all the report that she heard of him 1 King 10.6.7 Howbeit she beleeved not the words till she came and saw with her eyes what she heard with her ears and then she said Behold the halfe was not told me Now behold a greater then Solomon is here and such as have left all to follow him and are gone out of their owne Country Psal. 45.11 by self-denial to prove this spiritual Solomon with questions petitions cases c. hard to be answered and have received satisfaction from him must needs say Although they have heard much of Christ by his Ministers Servants Scriptures Ordinances of his worth and excellency above all and more then they have beleeved yet now they have experienced him they beleeve more then they have heard and the halfe of his worth wisdome beauty fulnesse c. cannot be told no not by the very Angels of heaven O then they see it a happinesse to bee his servants to dwell in his house to sit at his table to enjoy his presence indeed when once they have had experience of him and of the fulnesse of his grace As in some precious stone or Pearle is some occult qualities and excellencies which make it of more worth and none can tell it but those that finde it by wearing it so in Christ this precious pearle there be many hidden vertues and properties and excellencies that men and Angels cannot express that the world knows not of that neither word nor letter nor language is able to utter and they are best knowne by enjoying him those that have experience of the worth of Christ can say it is not possible for all the ablest Ministers alive to set forth halfe so much of Christs excellency and worth as their soules finde by experience And as I remember I have read of Dyonisius a Stoick who wrote a book that paine was nothing but a fancy and an imagination but falling fearfully ill of the stone not long after and feeling the torture of it then he roars out Oh! all that he had written was false all was false for now he found paine more then a fancy and so surely experience teaches ingenuously and truly And such as know Christ and the love of God by experience can say their former conceptions and apprehensions of him as an aâ—steer Master to please exacting duties and a severe Judge hasty to condemn and that he damns thousands c. I say they will say these were all false and foul conceptions and aspersions and that God is gracious merciful ready to forgive slow to wrath passing by iniquity transgression and sins c. that his bowels are open to embrace and receive even the worst of sinners of whom we are chief and that all the Ministers Ordinances Books Scriptures that ever were or will be cannot tell or utter half of his love grace pity and good will in Christ c. but onely the back-parts of his glory not the face or fore-side Now as a Physitian findes those secrets and oftentimes excellent things by his practise and experience which hee could never attain unto by all his reading or search or study out of books or out of others mouth so I say many sweet Christians by experience finde and feed on that sweetnesse and excellency of the love of God in Christ which the greatest Rabbies or learnedst alive cannot acquire or attaine by reading books Scriptures or the like so that experience teaches more and better then all A blinde man though from his birth he hath heard the Theory of the Sunne read to him yet he can never conceive of halfe of its glory and beauty or take the hundreth part of that sweet delight in it which they doe that see it nor can any thing we heare of Christ worke halfe so much as what we have of him and of the promises c. And one that hath tasted honey and fed on it knowes better the sweetnesse of it then one that never tasted it but onely can tell it is sweet by reading not by eating and so I say such precious soules must needs better know the sweetnesse of free-grace the worth of Gods love the excellency of a warme Christ in their soules and the use of his most precious blood brought hot to their hearts then such as never enjoyed him nor tasted how gracious the Lord is 1 Pet. 2.3 notwithstanding they may have read much many Books all the Scriptures and heard the most precious Ministers that are or ever were though Apostles every day for they cannot teach so much in a yeare of sweet Jesus as spiritual experience will in a day nay an houre sometimes to some Saints But so much for the third Reason Fourthly Experiences embolden them that have them and reason 4 others too and strengthen them for the future as the Experience which David had of deliverance from and destroying of the Lyon and the Bear he makes a running and round argument against the uncircumcised Philistim 1 Sam. 17.36 and when Saul questioned him in Verse 23. for his audacity and presumption expecting it to be no work for him telling him he was but a boy and came but now from keeping sheep not having any experience of warfare as yet and that this great Goliah was a stout Champion and valiant Souldier from his youth Ah but sayes David for all that I shall tell thee my experience which makes me so confident and couragious at this time it is but tother day since I killed a Lion and a Beare and saved but a poor Lamb by it and shall I not finde now as full a power as fresh an experience and kill this proud Philocompos of Gath goe to fear not I shall save now more then a Lamb even Israel from this Lyon this day for the Lord will deliver him to me Now it is true a fresh-water Souldier as Dr. Tailor sayes Ps. 32. p. â—67 is afraid of a Gun looks aside the danger and the noise is a terror to him he fears it will cost him his life alas poor heart but now an experienced Souldier fears no colors looks full face on danger frights his foes with frownâ— and every perillous opposition and
hostile blow beats but an alarm to his undaunted courage and valour such Souldiers are all experienced Christians neither was David such a fresh-water souldier but hee could gather courage upon his former experiences and as they are thus emboldened against their adversaries and for future troubles and temptations so are they by their experiences the more emboldened to deal with God Like to the experience that a poor-man hath had of some special friend of his who helped him at such a time in such a strait when else he had beene utterly undone the remembrance of this revives him much gives him good hopes and great confidence and boldnesse to come to him again yet with an humble boldnesse and hee assures himselfe hee shall finde him the same still Certes so it is with us that have found and felt the bounty of Gods love and grace O we grow the bolder and yet the humbler and dare confidently beleeve hee will not nay that he cannot faile us at another time when we need him cum lateres duplicantur See the Psalmists courage and confidence Psal. 23.1 I shall not want why what makes him so confident See Vers. 2.3 He is my shepherd he makes me lye downe in green pastures he leads me he restores my soul c. I have had all experiences thus he hath done and thus he yet doth for me therefore Verse 4. I will not feare no! not though I goe thorough the very shadow nay the very valley from whence all might thinke I should never more ascend and never more be seen of the shadow of death yet I fear not So Psal. 27.1 whom should I fear Why the Lord is my light and my strength and my salvation of whom or of what should I be afraid as some men say Why such a great man or Lord is my friend what care I I feare not So say the Saints this emboldens us why the Lord is our Friend and a tried Friend too that never failed us what need we fear then Oh! these experiences are singular good helps to us against future troubles and temptations in what kinde soever they are to come we need not care as long as we have so sure a Friend the Lord to come to so that troubles and temptations cannot soon captivate such soules For as the breathed Deer are not so quickly caught as others neither are the breathed hearts that have been long hunted with the blood-hounds of Hell and dogg'd by the black-mouthed Cerberusses of their own lusts these experienced Christians are not so soon catched as others or entangled with the subtle gins of Sathan laid under the loveliest Roses of the worlds pleasures or treasures but they run the faster and flye the swifter and the safer from them all Fifthly Spiritual Experiences declared out of the reason 5 heart Mat. 12.35 are like a store-house opened whence a man fetcheth forth things for use and need both new and old Mat. 13 52. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 extrudit copiose alacriter hee throws them out tumbling saies the Text without spare non libro sed labro So Can. 7.13 So the Spouse hath such a store-house or experiences laid up for afterward new and old which I have laid up sayes he even Mandrakes in Heb Dudaim not from Dodim loves pâ—ma mandragorae sunt blandimenta amoris in the Belgick called Doelappelen they are very sweet lovely and pleasant to refresh the weary and languishing faint spirits so are the choisest experiences And as they were dedicated to Lovers so are these to Christ and his Church such an antipathy have Toads Snakes and such like venemous creatures to the Mandrake that they will not come near them but they drive all such serpentine poysonous creatures away from them Vide Lemnius de Mandragor so do these experiences of Saints which sinners cannot abide but are driven away by them as having an antipathy to them besides as they be exceeding Physical and for singular use to the sickest Patients being odoriferous and somniferous and so certainly are all faire full fresh-gathered experiences to sick souls like Mandrake-apples of love and at our gates all manner of pleasant fruits new and old which I have laid up that is at home but before this the Mandrakes were abroad in publike and private far and near at home and abroad the Saints are full of sweet precious odoriferous soul-refreshing experiences new and old i. e. of all sorts sizes seasons day and night in an abundant measure to be bestowed and communicated and with which they welcome Christ their beloved to therefore they must be declared and brought forth yea and laid up too for future time of need there will be need of them when thou art a Patient Psal 63.7 Hee that shoots his arrows at a But or Mark puts them up again into his quiver for another and another and another shoot yet so the people of God though they give out their experiences to others yet they gather them up again they lose them not but lay them up for future use and advantage and such especially as have been successeful and are sweet and they will not they cannot forget them Thus Christ recruits the memories and mindes of his Disciples When I sent ye out without scrip or shoe or mony in your purse c. Lacked ye any thing and they said No! O then treasure up for afterwards and so in Matth. 16.9 10. Do ye not remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets ye took up nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many baskets ye took up Why then reason ye thus or do ye so dialogize have yee not laid up these experiences to furnish you for future for a time of need in adversity and want wherefore the Saints should lay up this Ammunition and provision for a Siege-time seeing the enemy is making ready every day against us therefore learn of the Ant sayes Solomon who hath a Store-house in the Summer to lay up for the Winter and then you will not be surprised by any sudden incursion or abruption of any raging storm or lust whatsoever Sixthly True experiences put the soul upon longing for reason 6 more and looking out for and lingring after further manifestations of his presence and love which is better then wine Psal. 4.7 and 42.1 2 3. and 63.1 2. and 84.12 Psal. 119.174 Cant. 1.3 Cant. 5.4 Cum multis aliis When the child hath once tasted of the breast then it cryes and nothing but the breast can content it 1 Pet. 2.2 3. when the Israelites had once tasted of the Mannah then they longed after it and then they cryed for more and more of it which till they tasted of they wondred at and desired it not ignoti nulla cupido but said What is this as Mark 1.27 the Jews said What thing is this What new
doctrine Why for they never yet tasted it and so Act. 17.19 they thinke it cannot be good and therefore doe not yet desire it till they taste it and then O how they prize the Ordinances Ministers means administrations and manifestations of the love of God! The horse that hath fed on Provender will look and neigh and with a wanton laughing eye turne about and about and long for it whilst the Jade that eats no oats but feeds onely on hay in the racke requires no more so such Saints as have fed upon the bread of life and tasted of the lâ—ve of God in Christ cannot but look after it and long for it and stir about and about till they enjoy more of it whilst such as never tasted it but onely heard of it are content with their common fare of hearing and formal worshipping according to what is before them in the racke and what the Parish Ministers appoint them and that is all when alas experienced Saints long for lustier food and provision A man it may be that should newly come out some deep dark Dungeon who never before saw the Sunne noâ— ever so much as heard of it when he sees the Sim go down set and gone is in a great perplexity and peradventure thinks it is quite lost but experience now teaches others otherwise and that it will the next day arise again and give us fresh light therefore they are content to wait for it and they wish it with expectation and so doe all experienced Saints with assured confidence call for more of Christ and more of grace and of the love of God which they have experienced and they wish for more with expectation of more as John that looked still for more visions and revelations yet the Saints prize them at their hearts that they have already So the Spouse Cant. 3.2 loses him but Verse 4. findes him again and then she holds him and would not let him go Seventhly Experiences declared doe oblige them that have them more in obedience to God for by them thou reason 7 knowest thou obeyest a dear a gracious God indeed and a Father Now you shall a finde a child if a stranger bid him do this or that he will not obey him but if a Father bids him then he obeys and runs strait so dost thou willingly and runing readily obey the Lord when thou knowest by experience hee is thy Father and lookest not on him as a stranger and then thy obedience is full of life and spirit indeed as Joh. 4.24 for thou canst not be dull in his service that art full of experience because thou art then full of love and life 2 Cor. 5.14 1 Joh 5.3 Exod. 21.5 Take a glasse and knock it with thy finger if it sound dull surely thou wilt say there is some flaw in it so a dull obedience is but cracked but a filial obedience which flows from love is shril sounds well and is full of spirit and life Phil. 1.11 it is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 9.7 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Col. 3.23 Rom. 6.17 Now their experiences prompt them up to it Psal. 40.8 and are directory as well as consolatory in a time of darknesse and trouble even in the shadow of death as well as in a time of light and peace to serve the Lord so Phil. 2.8 even with a Daniel in the Den as well as with a David on the Throne See a man that is used to walk in the night as well as in the day fears no more one then the other and as some man can better finde the way in the darke to which he hath been used and which he knows by often going it then another that never went it it may be can do by the best instructions can be given him by others so such as have experiences have the best instructions and directions in their obedience and are better and more orderly walkers in the dark then others in the day in trouble then others in peace in afflictions then others in joyes in any manner of adversity then others in any manner of prosperity and they will keep within their bounds in obedience which others cannot and therefore are in greater danger then experienced Christians As the Dear that is leapt over the Pale and is gotten out of the Park is in greater danger then the rest and every dog is at his heels Such as have most experience of the love of God seek themselves least and therefore are the best in obedience to God But we see as the Hunter that crosseth the high-way and keeps it not is but following his own game all this while for the way is not there So the Hypocrite crosseth the high-way that you read off Isai. 40.3 and runs out of Gods road whilest the seeks his own game and serves himself more then God But the Saints of God are guided by the Spirit of God and have the Pillar of fire by night to direct them as well as a cloud by day And whither it be night or day adversity or prosperity still they can see to follow Christ and as Donn sayes in his Serm. in fol. p. 139. You shall see a man that is reading in the Evening he hath read a pretty while before all in one and the same Book and on the same Subject now night comes in twilight is on he can hardly see a Letter Yet let him alone he will see to read longer in that Book and on that Subject which he hath been on all the while then if he took a new book or new subject to read on So we that have been all the day-long doing Gods service and in the Sun-shine of peace and prosperity about our duties and obedience We I say shall the better do them that have been used to them and experienced in them Now darkness surprises us and adversity comes upon us and in a time of darkness when we see no light yet we shall obey the Lord and hear his voice having continual experiences to direct us Isai. 50.10 11. And yet we shall walk though in darkness without the immediate light of Gods love and countenance seen yea without the former evidences and comfort of graces in a stormy night without light or star Acts 27.20 But to be in doubt what will become of us and to be stumbling at all our comforts and to be filled with great fears and terrors yet I say we shall continue walking and serving God hearing and obeying his voice which is an argument of a stout experienced Christian indeed Experiences conducing very much hereto But thus for this and all the Reasons which I shall gather to ratifie this undeniable Truth We have sufficiently I suppose proved the assertion of the use of Experiences declared in the Church being much for the honor and glory of God the advantage of the Church and themselves that
made me I could not tell what to say until once that I had a sweet dream which hath done my soul good to this day and in my dream I was told that Gods love was free in Christ Jesus I need not fear for his grace was granted in Christ and he puts none by that comes This proved to me a sure comfort in Christ that I was one of them that could not be put by but reâ—â—ived to mercy to this day but afterward I went into New-England and had much comfort from them and their Ministers and was affected with their way but by reason I could not before bring my Wife and Family over thither with me I came home again hither to my Wife and Family whom I found I thank God all well and living and ever since I have been here but walking alone and very desolate for want of such a society as this and I shall now much rejoyce if I may be one with you in this onenesse of love and spirit which I perceive you are in Experience of Francis Bishop MY earnest desire is that I may be worthy to have fellowship with you in Christ as for my Experiences they are many more then I can tell you in a long time My first main worke upon my spirit was suddenly and it was upon an Alarme given whilst I was in the Troop which took such successe that I lay all under an apprehension of Gods wrath upon me and was much cast down so that though I prayed and prayed yet I could not look up and had no confidence but confusion was before my face Presently after I came to Town here and was impeached upon an Article of War for to lose my life and I was imprisoned for the breach of it by all which I was in the apprehension of Hell about me and could doe nothing but weep and moan and pray sometimes and I counted my life as lost and yet was more troubled under the wrath of God then the wrath of man but it pleased God to give me great comfort even whilst I was thus in despaire and moaning one night in my bed of a sudden the room was all alight and I saw my selfe as in a lightning and being terrified I looked till I saw it written in these words Thy sinnes are pardoned and thy life is bid with Christ in God this comforted me much in that extraordinary trouble and despair which I was in but yet for want of faith this comfort did not continue with me for I thought after that that I saw God with a wrathful countenance and I could not dare to look upon him and the next news that I heard was that I was condemned to be shot to death O then I cannot expresâ— the terrours that I was in my woful misery was such that neither the reading of the Scriptures nor prayers nor the promises would do me any good for I could not beleeve I had a right to them I could not lay hold on them and in this woful misery I lay a condemned man both in soule and body and so lay lamenting When I turned open the Bible in Joel 2.13 and saw it thus written Turn to the Lord YOUR GOD for your God is gracious c. merciful slow to anger and of great kindnesse and repenteth him of the evill with that pondering a while upon it said I and is he such a God well then he is my God and with that I gave my selfe up into his hands to doe what he would with me yet he should be my God and so I resolved and was setled and satisfied but after this I was set free out of prison and though I thought this had been enough yet for all this I found much opposition afterwards in me against God which I did not thinke could have been but I was grievously wounded for it and could have no quiet but went to Mr. W. about it and he told me I had fallen from my first works I must repent which rent my heart and I had no rest I returned from him and applied to prayer and kept that course continually to pray and by little and little I was recovered out of that condition and I praise God since I have seen him smile and looke kindly on me and know that he loves mee and I am sure of my pardon in Jesus Christ on whose merits I relye in whose righteousnesse I rest and by his grace I am now set free to serve him Experience in Mihil made out by John Jecock Captain I Can say something and shall give out some account of Gods working upon me at the first when I was in a wretched state and without God in the world Once as I was walking alone by my selfe God did call to me and began to open and reveal himselfe to me but my heart was hardened and I refusing mercy at that time the Law laid hold upon me very fiercely and I was so terrified in my spirit and my conscience did so reprove me that I was afraid even of every bush and tree that I met with in the darke still I could have no rest nor quiet having refused mercy when it was lovingly tendered to me which I thought was so great a sin that it could not be forgiven me but yet I continued praying alwaies almost and heard the means and one time being in this affliction hard praying and with fervency of spirit seeking God there came and shone such light round about me and in such a way that I could not hold but my heart was full and all admiring I most wondered how the Lord should set his love so on me on such a one as I after this I was full of refreshment and have been by faith wonderfully carried out and I can see God doing great things in mee and for me Truly at sometimes I have had some sweet refreshments after troubles since and I find some enlightments in me oftentimes but nothing to the first which was so sweet that it was extreme glorious After that I was made ever more cautious of company and conversation and ever since that sweet manifestation of love as often as I offended God though but a little it strucke home to my heart and I was very sensible of it ever since and very carefull in my walkings Experience of John Cooper I Have longed to enter into this fellowship ever since January 4. last being the Lords day in the night time after prayers and many troubles I had earnestly praying to be confirmed in faith and fully perswaded for some way or other to walk in which the Lord was best pleased with and after prayer I slept and so continued in one sleep untill about five a clock in the morning having had this Dream that I now give in for I presently upon my waking made hast to write it down lest I should have forgotten it again or any
I thought was the Devil at which I waked with screeks and cries and such frights as for three weeks I thought I should have gone distracted for I found this was sent to raise me out of my sins which were after set so before me so that I was a long time afflicted and so as I could scarce walk about the streets for feebleness But it pleased God to comfort me since by Mr. Fowler and some others and in private meetings and in prayers So that I am sure I am pardoned in Christ and that God hath accepted of him as an offering for me I was zealous before for Forms but now I desire to be built up by the Spirit and to live by the Spirit in Christ whom I make my all And for that end I desire to joyn with you as you do with the Father and the Son Experience given in by Humphry Mills MY Father was a Gentleman of a fair estate had many children eleven Sons of us he was High-Sheriff and when he died we were all the Family of us broken in confusion and dispersed Two of us were brought up within five miles of Glocester in England but I was placed in London an Apprentice after and by this means my sorrow and troubles began to be great first out of consideration of this change and it continued so a while till I was about the seventeenth year of my age and then my sorrow was turned into another kinde of sorrow and trouble for sin I was for three years together wounded for sins and under a sense of my corruptions which were many and I followed Sermons pursuing the means and was constant in duties and doing looking for Heaven that way And then I was so precise for outward formalities That I censured all to be reprobates that wore their hair any thing long and not short above their ears or that wore great Ruffs and Gorgets or Fashions and Follies But yet I was distracted in my mind wounded in conscience and wept often and bitterly and prayed earnestly but yet had no comfort till I heard that sweet Saint now in Heaven Doctor Sibbs by whose means and Ministry I was brought to peace and joy in my spirit His sweet soul-melting Gospel-Sermons won my heart and refreshed me much for by him I saw and had much of God and was confident in Christ and could over-look the World and then I did not care for it and was not afraid of afflictions and yet sometimes I was under a spirit of bondage again unto fear But nevertheless my heart held firm and resolved and my desires all Heaven-ward I heard Funeral Sermons much but Doctor Sibbs most by whom I was most effectually wrought upon and satisfied with comforts After this I married a precious Christian full of Christ and a great comfort to me My Trade was in Whole-sale and since those times I have lost in England and Ireland Fourteen hundred pounds I did not think to have lived here when I came over first and brought wares but I found God to deal very graciously with me And being much refreshed by your Meetings and Members I desire to be one with you in Christ. Experience of Ruth Emerson as it came out of her own mouth in the Church at Dublin THe Lord hath exercised me much and to passe by all outward troubles which have been very many I shall declare what the Lord did for me when I was young I was called out once to hear one some four miles off where I lived who was counted a very good man and I went with others to hear him not knowing well what I went about but I got leave to goe and he was on that subject Thy testimonies are sure holinesse becommeth thy house for ever The Minister preached exceeding well and I began to be affected therewith and after that my mind ran much on what he said and I was carried much after the Word and went often five miles off to hear Mr. Archer whom I followed by whom I came to see that I was lost and left by Adam in a woful condition yet still I heard him one Sermon after another but was all this while in great woe and misery and so continued a long time under the sense of my undone condition and damnation untill Mr. Archer perceiving my condition offered me Christ freely onely upon thirstiness and weariness which he proved was as much as was required on our part to come to Christ upon and to tender him as he did I made many objections which would be long to tell now but he answered them all out of the Word so fully that I could not tell what to say more but was so wrapped in that I could not but resign my self up to this Saviour Jesus Christ and that I would rowl my soul upon him and leave my selfe so with him Yet afterwards not finding my selfe so gifted and graced nor having so much of Gods Spirit as I saw others had I was in great doubt for a while of my estate and was much troubled againe especially when I thought I heard how the damned roared in hell and blasphemed God to his face O this this cut me to the very heart to think I should be one of those that should blaspheme God this wounded me more then hell But after this hearing the Word constantly Christ was offered to me time after time till I was fully called to Christ and to hang upon him as I do at this day with confidence and assurance of grace and mercy And seeing God hath done thus for me and hath given me this beginning to let me see his everlasting love now surely I will relye upon him though I be in darkness and see no light Yet I confesse I walk not according to the mercies received but I find back-slidings yet I remember Gods everlasting love in Christ Jesus and whom he loves he loves to the end wherefore I relye on him and know that by his grace I shall stand and do much desire to walk with you that I may be watched over by you Experience of Anne Hewson wife to Col. Hewson as it was taken in the Church I Lived in London and was a frequent lover of good men and especially of one Mr. Culverwel a very able godly Minister and I received much comfort by him he preached the love of God so sweetly that my heart melted to hear him and hereby he first shewed me my miserable condition in shewing what the love of God had done for me and after I saw my misery in my selfe I came to see no happiness but in Christ alone and I was very much troubled because for a long time I could finde nothing but the legal worke upon my spirit and I feared that the worke was not yet perfect therefore I followed and heard the most searching Ministers I could and was still tormented in my minde but Mr. Culverwel
man about thirteen years agoe who worked much upon me I heard Sermons and followed Ministers much after that I was wont to hear in London Mr. Cradock and Mr. Simpson Mr. Cradock wrought much upon me being upon that saying in Isa. Woe is me I am an unclean creature c. And truly I could finde it in me as if he had spoken to me onely what he said so that I was thereby wrought upon I was much afflicted for a time and gave my selfe much to prayer and did love the truth and all the Saints and so I continue now and I have found and doe yet those things true in me which were spoken by Mr. Rogers of that onenesse of love and unity of the Spirit which ought to be among all Saints which hath much wrought upon me and affected me I have seen my sad condition by nature and now I shall see it in grace and now O! how I love the wayes of God and holinesse and duties and means of grace which before I did not but such things of God as before I loathed I now love and long after Jesus Christ alone Experience of Edward Hoar Captain I Shall declare something of God upon my spirit It is some twelve years since before which I understood not the happinesse of enjoying Christ that I began to say What shall I doe to be saved I followed the Ministers frequented the means and did too much depend upon my doings and rest on works and what I heard from the Ministers I tooke for granted truths because they said so without searching or examining the Scriptures and the minde of God I tryed the Scriptures by men not men by the Scriptures but at last I saw them to be subject to errors as well or worse as others and then I saw that humane Learning could not get beyond humane And what Peter said in 2 Pet. 3 16. Which they that are unlearned wrest as they doe also the other Scriptures to their own destruction could not be meant of humane Learning Peter himselfe not being so but of Spiritual So that ever since I could not looke on men as infallible and thence forward I beleeved not things to be so because they said so but because God sayd so and his Word But now I live in Christ and I can positively say I have faith and am sure in Christ to be saved and looke upon none else and I was darknesse yet now I am light in the Lord. And so I propose my selfe to you I had opportunity in other places before now to have been of a society but I was not free in my spirit for that I found them to live too much in formes and not in the Spirit but hearing of so much love and freedome of the Spirit in this Society I desire to be one with you in the Lord and one with another Experience of John Spilman Captaine BEing a member of the Church at Yarmouth in England of which Mr. Bridges is Pastor I have given there an account of my faith and life onely shall say thus much more that once in a carnall condition as I was I did slight the Ministers of Christ especially your long Preachers and could not abide that any should preach long but at last I was catched by one and hee was on Heb. 8.8.10 the new Covenant made in Christ which was applied to me very home and touched me to the heart and made me to inquire into my condition hearing the danger of being out of that Covenant as it was to bee out of Noah's Arke and I asked my heart about it whither I belonged to it or no! but alas I lay long in great affliction and had no satisfaction nor assurance so that I knew not what to doe being under many temptations sometimes I would heare and sometimes affected the Ordinances and sometimes not and so I continued a while untill those promises comforted me much in Hosea 14 4. I will heal their back-slidings and love them freely for mine anger is turned away from him And Heb. 8.12 For I will be mercifull to their unrighteousnesse and their sinnes and iniquities will I remember no more And that in Rom. 5.6 In due time Christ dyed for the ungodly And verse 8. While we were yet sinners And some other places besides but yet I questioned whether he dyed for me or no and that was answered yes for me for I was one of the number of sinners and ungodly that needed Christ but being in fears I went to Mr. Bridges told him how I was and indeed he satisfied me very much for the time but I fell into great trouble after all this and had a sentence of death within me and thought I was damned and utterly lost for all this still wanting faith and looking upon my owne actings and graces till the Lord laid these sayings of Paul to Corinth home close to my heart Covet the best things and I tell you yet a more excellent way and I thought there was yet a better way but I was a great while troubled for I was well enough untill I had some sweet enjoyments of Jesus Christ and then I discovered the most excellent way which is Christ and nothing but Christ and then I grew confident and full of courage and assurance and loved Christ in all and all that was Christs and Christ more then all Experience of William Walker I Have much reason to know a great worke of God upon my heart in delivering me wonderfully from severall destroying sinnes which once I thought â—leight but so great that I can scarce utter them I was very extravagant even here in Ireland but was brought very low in body and minde together and then was sensible of disobeying my Parents from what the Word sayes of men they shall be lovers of themselves heady and disobeying parents which cast me down afflicted my conscience and troubled me so that I cannot utter it and I lay thus a long time till I heard once Christ freely offered even to the worst of sinners and then I began to looke up a little with hopes of comfort and applied these offers to me as needing him and so I began to be satisfied with peace and rest and I followed the Word and rejoyced in it and loved the godly to have company with them and yet for all this I was under much temptation and too much I was given to drinking till Mr. Strong told me Brother I hear strange things of you that you are given to drinking c. which so smit me with the abuses I received abroad by the prophane sort who said O this is one of Fowlers followers that I was wounded in my spirit a long time that I should bring such a scandal upon the Gospel and a blemish For two months I was tormented in my minde till the Lord recovered me and gave me resolution and power against the sin which
seen my sins and been much troubled and have earnestly sought pardon and I am by the Spirit of Christ confident of it and I trust in Christ that I shall be established and do beleive it and I doe finde dayly a great change in me and now I long to hear of Christ and I love the Word and Ordinances of Christ and am sure that Christ hath paid the ransome for my sins and I am resolved in the power of the Lord to walk in his his wayes and to doe his will 35. Experience of Sarah Barn-well IT hath pleased God to exercise me with much afflictions and his love was all which drew me to himself and nothing else but first I lay long under a legall sorrow and grief for sin and I was then put upon works and duties hard for heaven but I saw I could not get it that way and in this great Plague-time in this City I was carried further from the notion to the Power and to spirituall holinesse and higher into Christ yet I used the means much as praying preaching reading meditating c. and by the Word I was struck home when Mr. Dunstable teached on the sad condition of some even Professors that were in Hell howling Oh! this sad doctrine struck deep to the heart and I lay long wounded in my spirit upon it But it hath pleased God to work upon me in divers wayes and by his Spirit he hath set me free from this bondage which mercy I obtained first from the consideration of Gods great love in Christ and hereby I was brought to this assurance which I have 36. Experience of Jeremy Heyward THE Lord hath opened my eyes to see sin and showne me my self and I lay under his wrath half a year and so long as I sought to make out my own righteousnesse I lay thus and yet this while I followed the meanes heard the Word and I saw at length nothing but Christ would serve me and till then I could have no comfort wherefore one first day of the week I fell to prayer I prayed thrice and at the third time I heard him say Loe my grace is sufficient for thee whereby I was much satisfied ere since rowling my self on Christ and living in him alone and I finde so great a change that I can say whereas I was blinde now I am sure I see 37. Experience of John Megson I Have often been in danger yea of losing my life and then have desired to live and to amend in many great afflictions I have been in in my youth time I was very ignâ—rant but now I am earnest for more light that I may be in the wayes of God That Scripture of Christ in Revel 3.20 Standing at the doore and knocking did work upon me and then I understood Christ must come in and all evill be put out and then I did desire Christ and seek out after him and so I doe yet and shall doe though I dare not presume of any thing of my owne but all on Christ and therefore I desire to be of this Church for God shall adde such as shall be saved 38. Experience of Ann Megson I Have been long time troubled in minde but yet I dare not despair for Come unto me and I will ease you saith the Lord. The Lord did let me be long where there was but small goodnesse to be learnt But at London-stone I heard a good man out of Isay 53.6 like sheep we have gone astray and he showed how the Shepheard had a Dog when any run out of the flock to fetch him in again and so the Lord did by his Word fetch in us that went astray and thus the Lord wrought upon me and made me see my sins and my self and I was long afflicted and I thought if I were the Lords I should not be in this trouble but then I remembred that Daniel was in the Den and Jeremy and Hezekiah were afflicted and these were the Lords and that the Lord delivered them and so that he would me in due time and I bless God he did deliver me out of them all O that he would give me the heart to praise him I was lewd but now am changed by his grace and goodnesse and I love the Lord and I wish there were such an heart in me that I may ever live for his honor and glory I doe long after Jesus Christ and love to be here in the wayes of Christ and I praise my God that he hath brought us so much out of darknesse as now to see his wayes Many more experiences I might insert but being of the same nature with these I have omitted them and shall keep them by me for another occasion There were others in Dublin that did declare many excellent passages of Gods workings in them and upon them as Captain Jones since Major whose being imperfect I purposely let alone lest he should take offence and William Holme Giles Mee Randall Lester William Fanshaw Elizabeth Holm Anne Bell Joice Latherd Elinor Meeke Robert Barnwell Elizabeth Gardner Robert Glover with many others And I doe earnestly desire pardon where offence is thought to be given especially of such dear friends whose testimonies I have brought into publique view to bear witnesse to the world of the workings of Gods Spirit in these dayes to the facilitating of which I doe to all the world call God who is righteous to bear me witnesse herein That 1. In the first place I have aimed herein at the honor and glory of God in the setting out his rich love to the lost sons of men and declaring the variety of his dispensations in grace and the sundry wayes of working both ordinarily and extraordinarily yea in these days to the fulfilling of his promises made us 2. I have dealt faithfully with all as I finde them in my Notes as near as I can to a tittle taken out of their owne mouths without respect of persons excepting some of the most ordinary sort which I have taken summarily as I promised at the first 3. I think I have done my duty herein and wish it might incite others to doe thus viz. to gather out the flowers of their garden to present to the Saints in other places and though some appear in their weaknesse as wel as in strength this doth the more magnifie free grace and all those variety of notes concur to make up the tune of the song of the Lamb that one song of Moses and of the Lamb So that the variety of the flowers and of the colors and of the natures and of the formalities of them gathered together into one give a glorious lustre and like the Rain-bow of many colours signifie fair weather for Ireland And I am in good hopes no good man can have the heart to blame me for my good will and worke before any take offence let him
seriously ponder upon it and summon his heart in sincerity and say For what am I angry if the proud flesh and puff-past-heart say O sad I am seen in my nakednesse and known in my weaknesse Art thou says the Spirit and 't is fit thou shouldst that it may be known who cloathed thee and that thou mayest have nothing to boast of And was not Christ so too for your sins besides sayes the Apostle my strength was made perfect in weaknesse 2 Cor. 12.9 most gladly therefore will I glory in my infirmities and vers 10. when I am weak then am I strong God hath a way of himself as Nazianzen sayes to make himself the more admired 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and he doth most of his workes as Luther said in mediis contrariis by contrary meanes in contrary wayes which makes him the more glorious Be not then offended at your weaknesse for the waters had better run though muddily and thick then not at all and so you in your infirmities and weaknesses better be seen to run into the Ocean of love then to lye still or stand like a stinking poole Neither be ashamed in what the Lord is honoured to be seen in your weaknesses for the roomes of the house that are greater lighter larger colder c. have the same foundation with the other and thus saith the Lord Joel 3.10 Let the weak say I am strong strong in the Lord But lest any should cry Crucifie and should follow me with the â—louds of the red Dragons humors let such spirits know what they doe before they spit fire at me or throw wild fire about my ears or plant their Morter pieces against me Two things are requisite to a right grounded knowledge viz. the apprehension first and then the judgement Now doe but read these lines by the same spirit they were writ and dextrously discern the purpose of the Spirit speaking hereby and I will abide your worst who ere you be but I confesse first to judge as the fashion is and then to apprehend is irregular and unsound For if your understanding deal amisse your judgement will I am sure and so the sentence will be false and full of sin and so already by righteous ones I have been judged But I fairly leave you yet not the thing that I treat upon for I shall speak more fully to it hereafter onely offer two or three experiences more in the mean time which are full variety in unity 39. Another testimony to the Truth or further Experience of John Rogers Preacher of the Gospel and given in to two Churches in England and Ireland TO give a formall account from year to year of my life would make me too tedious to you and my self and I fear somewhat offensive to such as are to follow though I may safely say in every year since I can remember I have been inriched with so many and such remarkable experiences as might make some of you rather admire then belieeve but I hope we shall have opportunities hereafter to open our selves in this kinde one to another In the mean time to tell you some few for the present I shall cite some of the most remarkable passages which to my present remembrance I have met with in former years to this day to doe their duty and homage before you And first when I was a School-boy at Malden in Essex I began to be rowsed up by two men viz. Mr. Fenner and Mr. Marshall The first of these about the tenth year of mine age as I take it for what I was before I know not a meer I know not what although I was kept continually in good order as to read every day and be Catechised and the like yet then hearing Mr. William Fenner full of zeal stirring about and thundring and beating the Pulpit I was amazed and thought he was mad I wondred what he meant and whilest I was gazing upon him I was struck and saw it was we that were mad which made him so O sayes he you knotty rugged proud piece of flesh you stony rocky flinty hard heart what wilt thou doe when thou art roaring in Hell amongst the damned c. this made me at first amazed which run often in my mind after and I began now to be troubled being scared and frighted and out of fear of Hell I fell to duties hear Sermons read the Scriptures though I knew not what I read but only thought the bare reading was enough morning and evening and learn'd to pray at first out of Books and all the Graces so called that I could get and besides Family prayers I was afraid every night lest the Devill shouâ—d carry me away to Hell if I did not first to my self whilest my brother my Bed-fellow was fast asleep say my prayers and my Our Father and I believe in God c. and the ten Commandements and my little Catechism Dr. Hall's which I had learnt and this I did every night duely before I durst sleep and I made as much of them as of a charm to keep me well that night which else I conceited the Devils would tear me a pieces and yet sometimes when I was sleepy to make the more hast I should say some of them at least to be in a forwardnesse in the Chimney corner whilest I was unbuttoning me or untying my hose or the like preparing to goe to bed thinking all was well enough so 't was but done onely sometimes though I was unwilling to it yet out of fear I remember of the Devill or some mischief being ready to fancy any thing to be the Devil I should say my Prayers or Commandements or Catechism or all twice over suspecting I said them not well enough before but often too fast hurrying over before and skipping somewhat and sometimes if I said some things confusedly and too hastily I would recover them again or else remember them when I had done al to say them again better but thus as the Apostle sayes when I was a child I did childish things and I thought this was very well and very oftentimes would I be talking with some boy or other getting him from all the rest to walk with mee and I would tell him of Hell and sin and such like things for it ran alwayes in my mind and I lived under a desperate fear but for all this Mr. Marshall a while after in the same Pulpit took me napping whilest I was I know not how bewitched to nod and began to sleep but his powerfull voice thundring against such as are drouzy and sleep and slumber away their salvation was at that time pickt out for mee and very prevalent I started up with an aking heart and was frighted at his words which he yet pursued and wounded me to the heart when he told us how that when time was lost we could not call it again and he knew no other way for
up of my joy when I shall give an account to their comfort at the great day And since that I have been sent forth as a Pastor and publique Teacher by the Church and I know my Ministeriall commission and authority to be from the Lord and notwithstanding the divers temptations that I meet with yet finding my heart full of corruption and my life a continuall warfare of flesh against spirit yet I blesse God who hath delivered me in diverse wayes which I have not yet declared from the fraudulent gins and snares of the Devill and who hath called me out of darknesse into light that his power is stronger in me then any that hath been against me and I am the better provided against Satan for that I live now by faith in the Son of God above the letter in the life above the form in the power above self in an higher self altogether where I have my abode so that I am not I but by the grace of God it is that I am what I am as the Apostle said Why weep ye for me for I am ready not onely to be bound but to dye so I say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have provision within me seeing Christ is in me the hope of glory I am assured of Salvation in Christ Jesus my head my Lord my elder brother and the first fruits of all them that rise again And although I meet with daily troubles at home and abroad within and without yet am I all the way ascending heaven though descending hell the same way with Christ who hath through the vail consecrated a new and living way for me into the Holy of Holies I can comfortably drink after Christ out of his own cup and in eating his meat and drinking his drink take gall and vinegar as wel as wine and honey I prefer Christ before Salvation and had if I know my heart yet not I but my spirituall self had rather goe to Hell with Christ in my armes if 't were possible then to heaven without him accounting the enjoyment of him to be the enjoyment of all the excellencies and happinesse in heaven and earth Super omnia Christum I am very confident Christ can't be perfect without me nor I without him but that I shall appear perfect for all Eternity in Christs righteousnesse and am pardoned by his death purged by his bloud sanctified by his Spirit and saved by his power and this I am as sure of to be glorified as he is glorified and shall see him as he is I could say much more and have many more experiences but I fear I offend others I shall cut off in an Apocope but pray pray for me that Gods power may appear more in my weaknesse and whilest I live and breath I hope and resolve it shall be with him and for him as well as by him and that I shall not desire to live one minute longer then to his honour and glory and for his service which the Lord make me fit for and faithfull in and prepare me for that glory which is to be revealed But these things I have spoken in the fear of God wherein you hear what I was what I am and what I shall be I know no more yet to trouble you with but according to the accreasings of the holy one in me and effusions of the unctions upon me I shall speak more hereafter for your advantage I were a wicked wretch should I smother any of the appearances of God which I meet with 40. An eminent Experience or relation of John Osborne member of the Church at Purleigh of the which Mr. R. was Pastor as was taken out of the Church Register word for word JOhn Osborne a poore labouring man was admitted a Member of this Church April 16. 1650. his visible carriage in word and deed seeming holy and his outward conversation such as he was well approved of after his confession of Christ and resolution to cleave close to the Lord in this way nemine contradicente but it seemes this man was much unsound and not yet fit matter within whatsoever he seemed without and it being best known to God and himself Gods designe was to work out the discovery of him out of himself he began to manifest much grief and gall within him by his outward colour and complexion but kept it close to all the Church that his ill life was the cause of his ill looks yet he followed the means frequented the Communion used the Ordinances at home and abroad in publique and private so that nothing could be gathered in the Churches apprehension but godlinesse in him He would presse an exact walking Gospell duties and in discourse cast in his mite of knowledge and measure of light So that some tooke much content in him much comfort of him but for all this his heavy countenance did discover that there was somewhat in him lay undiscovered and not yet brought to light But Gods time was near to doe his Church good and to give them some reall testimony and tasts of the first fruit of his love towards them by making him known to them whom they thought they knew but indeed did not know for what God saw in him that was naught was not visible to the Church but what was visible was good but that which was invisible to us was the rottennesse and unsound part of the man But mark how God met with him who upon the 28. day of April 1650. was after Sermons being the Lords day struck by a sudden distemper which in the night produced dangerous fits which continued at times for two or three dayes the Pastor of the Church J. R. he did visit him but at that time being Wednesday May 1. following he discovered no discomfort discontent or burthen within him at all but he had good expressions and motions yet was once or twice in his fits very fearfully but after he was recovered the Pastor with prayers for him and directions given him departed home The next day being the Lecture day after Sermon was ended it was moved in the Church to contribute unto him who did it freely and largely and that very night the Pastor J. R. was sent for again to him but first the Church made prayers for him And it is observable that this Osborne being in very strange fits as ever were seen like one possessed he groveling and foaming and his hands feet eyes mouth were most gastlike drawn out into a Convulsion-manner but much worse at that very hower that the Church made prayers for him and not ceasing till God were prevailed with those strange kinde of fits and distempers left him to the amazement of all that knew it so that after that not one fit more had he though they continued upon him so thick and for so long a time before that no Doctor could help him but all gave him over for a dead man without
alive upon the Earth But his wife said that once leaping up as in an infinite torment he bit his tongue quite through and through and on another time he run a pin quite through his lip and rung of a peece on it this being all in the time of these two dayes But to proceede to his story For these questions were asked at the Conclusion After these Serpents had fed upon my flesh sayes he for so long a time I saw a Rowle as of Parchment lying before me and upon it God had written that he would take Justice and my Master writ that hee would have mercy upon me and the Lord writ again that he would take vengeance and my Master writ again Lord let it be enough if he repents let it be enough now c. and I heard sayes he the words as they were writing then the Pastor so said to the Church that it was so after a day or two that he indeed desired the Lord to let it be enough if he did repent and unfeignedly promised amendment and that he would remove his hand and this he did both in publique upon the Lords dey and in his owne study he thus prayed not knowing all this while but that Osborne was as he left him on Thursday night and in despair And as men reported him to be drawing on So my Master would not leave the Lord says he till the Lord said well he would try me and so the Rowle vanished away and flew upward and God commanded the Serpents to withdraw so the little Serpents went into the great Serpents belly And by little and little sayes he the great Serpent did goe back and back till at last he went away downe as might bee at my Beds feet which I was mightily joyed at because I thought that he would have tormented me so for ever not knowing but that I was in Hell After that I heard the Church plainly to pray for me and I beheld the Lord not as before in his anger but smiling upon me as it were and there were before mee all the joyes that could be desired and Rivers ran before me as Crystall full of gold so as I had liberty to have taken what I would thinking I saw a Paradise Thus I continued till I awaked when I wondered where I was and could scarce think I was alive not knowing so much and he found his heart filled with gladnesse and hee said he fain would have come to the Pastors house but neighbours restrained him But now being night the Church-Society must disperse wherefore not being satisfied with such extraordinary things as he spake of he was held off Communion for a time being necessary that the Church should see a visible change in him by whom were such visible offences given I shall not tye this story to your Faith any further then as hee related it himself to the Society it is indeed wonderfull by God's wayes are wondrous these dayes This man cannot read a letter However the result of all this made much for the Churches good and to the strengthening and establishing of others and to the searching and examining of all which we looked upon as a speciall note of Gods approbation of us and love to us who are from the rootes of the heart given up freely and sincerely to be his servants And I shall only adde this more thereto that I have taken this story verbatim out of the Church Booke which registers up such eminent passages at Purleigh in Essex I shall tire the Reader with no more experiences These examples are sufficient and some of them are very eminent We are sweetly led by the hand manuducimur to drinke of these Brookes before we passe Some are deep but most shallow and all clear as Crystall streams unlesse at such times when Satan by temptations put in his cloven-foot Those which are the most extraordinary of them are uttered in Dream Trance Voice or Vision and Vision is taken two wayes either first actually by the senses of the body and so in some visible bodily shape or else 2. potentially thus that although the soul ut forma is joined to the body yet ut materia above the body And yet it uses not any bodily senses for such a service but sequesters all externals and the outward senses are as 't were dead or asleep not at all intervening to interrupt the soule but when the soule is soared up in any high exigency or excellency to see great things or is intent upon any rich discoveries as by Visions Revelations or the like all the bodily senses lye as 't were in a trance and all exterior motions are quieted and quash'd and flesh is silent whilest the Lord appeares out of his holy habitation Zach. 2. ult and some such speciall and spirirituall fruits I have presented the Saints with from secundum naturam to supra naturam whilest some of them were as in an Externination to selfe transported from darknesse into his most marvailous light by some extraordinary medium and prevalent inspirations and visions or the like which were taken up and arrested by the intellectuall and cognoscitive faculties of their soules And indeed dear friends the redoubled experiences which my soule hath had of a sweet Father who was found of me sometimes when I gave over seeking him as in some measure lies manifest in my testimony these facilitate my language and felicitate my lines to breath out somewhat for others of those involving rapsodicall visions and Love-discoveries And indeed many matchlesse manifestations I have taken from others in other parts where I have travell'd so alike and akin to these but many more Sun-like and excellent that I cannot omit to tell you that you have heard but stutterings and stammerings to what are to come and have seen but a jelly and imperfect embryon to that degree and measure which the Saints shall shortly meet with which will afford us matter of wordlesse worth and too high too for any language to delineate But in the meane time I have presented these to all precious saints as a fresh posie gathered for that purpose wherein they may have variety of colours and conditions and all sweet and lovely and they may finde in this posie the Rose of Sharon the pure Lilly of the Valleys the sweet Violets of humility Tyme and Winter-savory with a great deale of Hearts-ease all tyed up together with a thread of Scarlet Cant 4.3 But many experiences of inferior glory and lower appearance I have purposely omitted yet I must tell you in these their Dreams voices and cries they were not to be observed in themselves as in the effects the effects of them As for those which are the ordinary ones of them which are call'd home by such means as preaching praying reading writings or such like In and by them if you observe you shall find a Call twofold Legal and
separate as such who are select and depart out of the midst of them Act. 19.8 9. For this the Papists account Protestants to be Hereticks and Schismaticks Bellarm de Eccles. cap. 9. 10. lib. 4. saying they are fallen away from the Church So doe the Presbyterians succeed them in the same language and invective against us saying that we are Schismaticks Hereticks Separatists and the like and that wee have fallen from the Church meaning a declining from their Antichristian discipline and orders and saying that we separate from the true Church of England c. now this is ex falso supposito false for they cannot prove nor any alive a National Church of Gospel institution and till that be done we dare boldly recriminate and can easily demonstrate them to be but in Babylon but whereas they object our gathering Churches is not out of Infidels but of men already converted and so it is without warrant or example of the Word and is a gathering Churches out of Churches Grant it were so did not John Baptist Christ himself yea and after him his Apostles did not all of them goe about and gather Christian Churches out of the Jewish Church particular Churches out of Nationall and may we not call out of Babylon and gather out from Antichristian Churches then Yes doubtlesse without the guilt of Schism Heresie or the like unlesse it be from the sentence of such as Tertullus who was the Jews Advocate against Paul Act. 25.5 and charged him for a pestilent fellow a mover of sedition c. yea a heretick vers 14. c. and so doe the Presbyterians we thank them deal with us and so do their advocates and Atturneys But we shall answer them as the Pâ—otestants did the Papists vide Zanchy in Hosea 2.8 9. Nos rediimus ad priorem maritum desertis fornicatoribus i. e. idolis deserta etiam lena i. e. Ecclesia eorum c. This is a commendable and a commanded separation to goe out of false ways and worship and to return to our first husband again to doe the duty of a good wife to leave that lustfull Bawd and beast with all her Idol-worship and humane invention and to disclaim those Popish Babylonian garments and golden wedges which false worshippers serve for panis vinum lana linum the tithes and fatlings of the flocks and now to return and cleave close to our first husband viz. Christ as the Churches found him to be to them in primitive times at first that so we may finde him in love and presence with us Oh this is a sweet and happy separation so shall blessings be upon their heads Deut. 33.16 else judgements Hosea 7.8 But for the second part 2. In into Zion a visible aggregation or gathering together into one Body which makes up the Form as ch 7. lib. 1. Forma Ecclesiae est unio this onenesse is twofold 1. of the members with the head and 2. one with another As the Commonwealth is formed from the peace and tranquillity which the Subjects have by union with the Governnours and then by their union one with another The union of the members with the Head Christ is 1 Joh. 1.3.7 a communion with Christ whereby every member receives influence and virtue from Christ the head Heb. 2.17 This union is threefold either of his substance or office or influence 1. The Saints his members are in union with Christ their Head in substance in himself Ex convenientia essentiae identitate carnis Christi cum nostra c. whence all communion flowes between Christ and them therefore it is necessary this Head be both God and man and it behoved him to be like unto us Heb. 2. for all our comforts come from him as God through him as man 2. Furthermore the members Saints have union with Christ their Head in his offices of King Priest and Prophet quadam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whence they are all called Kings and called Priests and called Prophets by participation of these threefold gifts of Christ or of Christ in these threefold offices and also by a certain semblance and analogy for they as Priests offer themselves to God Rom. 12.1 as living sacrifices mortifying and slaying the flesh binding it to the Altar and offering the calves of their lips and the like 1 Pet. 2.9 all this by virtue from Christ and so they are Prophets to teach instruct comfort confesse Christ before the world and the like being enabled by union with the Head Christ thus saith Vrsin in 's Catech. Q. 32. 3. As Kings they rule over their lusts and reign over their own flesh and by faith overcome the world Joh. 16.33 1 Joh. 5.4 and all this by virtue of Union with Christ their Head Mat. 19.18 1 Cor. 6.2 But then 3. The members have union with Christ their Head in his virtues and excellencies and spirituall properties of righteousnesse and holinesse light and love and whatsoever is excellent in life or grace Joh. 15.5.7 And in all these are the Saints the members in Union with Christ their Head which Union can't be in false Churches that have other lords to reign over them or between the members of such heads of brasse or iron as the Papists and Presbyterians strike out for together but they both fall short of and fall out with us for this form 2. Union of members one with another which depends upon the union of the members with the Head Christ as before Now this Union consists not then in the Form or outward ceremonies or rites but in the Spirit quo cum capite inter se membra omnia uniuntur now although they are not all one in some forms yet being all one in spirit every member by one and the same spirit 1 Cor. 12.4 5 6 c. distributes and dispences according to his divers gifts suavissima Symmetria in a most sweet and orderly symmetry and decorum to serve the head to serve one another and to serve the whole Now although we grant that the Presbyterians have a form yet not this form of the Church and so have the Papists Bellarm. cap. 9. a form like this but simile non est idem not the same For as a dead carkasse that wears the garment of a living man is not a living man though he look never so like him so the false Church though they are in union and love and linck'd together and ever so alike the form of a true Church of Christ yet they are not the true Churches It is one mark which the Papist makes of his Romish Harlot for the true Spouse viz. their unity vide Synopsis Papismi 2. Controv. Q. 3. Now know that their forme consists in uniformity but ours in unanimity so the Presbyterians in their unity of the forme but we say it is to be in the
in justification which altogether consists in the righteousnesse of Christ which is ours by imputation And to make this more distinct and clear the imputative righteousnesse of Christ is taken into three parts for besides his essential righteousnesse or personal which we account not communicable to us yet there is first an habitual righteousnesse of Christ in our hearts and 2. his actual righteousnesse in doing the Law and 3. his passive in suffering the punishment all which three are imputed to us But 3. As the Jesuites and Papists of old to instance in Bellar. lib. 5. de Justif c. 5. initio were not ashamed to slander Protestants of old for enemies to the Law as that Moses with with his Decalogue they should say belonged not to them and that they pleaded for Christian liberty from obedience and subjection to the Law So now the red-hot spirited men and Ministers of our age the rigid Presbyters pursue the same invectives against us and in their Pulpits and Pamphlets exclaim against us for Antinomians and would explode out the sweet doctrine of free grace as tending to libertinism and that we are against the Law and enemies to Moses therefore Antinomians c. In which they with the Papists of old will be found to fight sometimes with their owne shadows of their own make and at other times with God against grace With their own shade whilest our God will witnesse for us when they shall be ashamed Isa. 66.5 that we deny not the Law but that Christ came to fulfill it Matth. 5.17 for us and in us and we in Christ doe it and not deny it Mr. Bolton speaks for us in his Bounds of true Christan freedome pag. 74. when he sayes wee are freed from the Law the letter that killeth as given by Moses and are tyed to the Law of life that quickneth as given by Christ and from Christs hands c. we are free from Antinomianism then unlesse Dr. Preston were one who affirmed that the Law cannot convert on 's New Covenant p. 347. and saies he should I preach to you the ten Commandements again and again it would be long enough ere you could keep them therefore Gal. 3.2 It is not by them that thou wilt come to be a new creature but by the Covenant of grace Heb. 8.14 that New Covenant made in Christ that I must preach to sinners So that those enemies that fight against this doctrine of free grace will be found fighters against God and Christ and the sweetest and safest doctrine of Salvation so sayes Dr. Sibs in his Excellency of the Gospel above the Law pag. 241. wherefore let us vindicate this doctrine sayes he and not fear the reproaches of men and to impose a period to this hear what Mr. Gataker sayes in his Book called Gods Eye c. to the Reader pag. 10. Note sayes he that men of learning and sound judgement doe not cry out O Antinomianism upon the Doctrine of free grace but doe acknowledge it Though many do as the proud Pharisees cry out away with him he 's a friend to Publicans and sinners and he sayes that Harlots and Adulterers shall inherit the Kingdome of God before them 4. The Papists affirm and therefore preach and presse workes duties c. for fear of hell and for hope of heaven Rhemist on Heb. 11.26 and on p. 4. Sect. 6. so many poore purblind Ministers would put the people on duties madly without fear or wit so they be doing and urge these on the paines of Hell for fear of damnation roaring out with fire and lightning about their eares to fright them and scare them and there to leave them O! this is sad For suppose a man in the Thames were almost drowned and having his head yet above water but ready to sink cryed out for help if a man that might help him with an Oar or so should brain him and roughly knock him down and drown him quite would we not say that this were accursed cruelty and I pray what doe they lesse that can cay little else but Hell and damnation to such as are afflicted despairing sinking c. but to brain them quite We finde David to destroy the Amalekite in 2 Sam. 1. that slew Saul though Saul was in danger of his life and little hopes of his escape and his enemies were upon him and required the man to kill him and was in deadly anguish yet David did give order to one of his young men to kill him and why but because the Amalekite should not have kil'd him right out though hee was wounded and in danger and not like to escape yet hee should have done his devoire and best to have comforted Saul and to have encouraged and recovered him and to have bound up his wounds and blowne up his hopes and have helped him what he could So ought Ministers with poor wounded souls though sadly afflicted and have little hopes of their recovery yet must they use the meanes to binde up the broken to pour in wine and Oile into the wounds comfort them with the promises on the account of free grace to apply Scriptures to hold out Jesus of Nazareth even a crucified blessed Christ to their soules and not to make so quick a dispatch of them as to throw them quite into the gulfe of despair and if they should recover them by that meanes onely Why what would this doe but to make them serve God for fear of Hell and damnation meerly and what doth this but make men Hypocrites Now we grant a filial fear Prov. 3.7 but this is a servile and slavish feare of Hell and damnation and Augustine on Pâ—al 127. sayes it differs from true fear as the adulterous wife does from the chast they both fear their husbands sed casta timet ne vir discedat sed adultera ne veniat but the chast wife is afraid lest her husband should depart but the adulteresse is afraid lest he should come c. Yea moreover we grant the terror of the Law to be usefull to uncalled hard-hearted insolent sinners but not to tender broken hearted sinners wounded spirits or the like but the promises and comforts are for them and not to bring them to serve God or the like for fear of Hell for as Origen sayes on Matt. tract 33. Matth. 25.24 I knew thou wast an hard man and therefore I was afraid This fear is not good nor delivers us from punishment so said Mr. Tyndall Martyr Fox pag. 1253. The people of Christ do willingly hear and follow him not for fear of the Law but they are led by love and allured by liberty of grace c. Neither is it out of love to heaven as some Ministers presse workes popishly for we ought principally to eye the glory of God above our own salvation 1 Pet. 2.9 for as Mr. Tyndall sayes p. 1255. they that for
sweet unity love and harmony was among the Puritans and Professors when they were under persecution how they priz'd one another and so it will be again and much more Secondly This Vnity of the Churches will be honoured from Heaven with a large effusion and powring out of the spirit upon them for in that day they shall know the Lord to be their God and as one people they shall acknowledge and never be ashamed and then shall it come to passe that he wil powr out of his spirit upon all Joel 2.27.28 And by this they will bee yet more one then ever before as appears Act. 2.17 and 4.31.32 when those that were filled with the holy Ghost were of one heart and one mind and of one soule neither sayd any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own and then great Grace was upon them all Great grace then indeed Having favour with all people Act. 2.47 This blessed day is hard by us when Jerusalem shall be a praise in the whole Earth round about us but we must be purged first In Ezek. 37.7 as the bones there came together by the shaking bone to bone so will the Churches by the shaking before mentioned in the time of triall cling and come up closer together then ever before Church to Church and all as one Though they were before as the bones scattered so in their affections and far asunder they shall bee shaked together beleeve it and then they shall receive life and breath from God more then ever before v. 9.10 Yea they shall not only be shaked together but tied together with sinewes and cords and lawes of Love that shall never break and this is to be before the full winde from all 4. parts blow upon them and fill them with breath and life So I am assured from the Lord and the Churches shall find it that they must be united together with strong ties and lawes of Love even with the liveliest sinews and strength of affections before they shall enjoy that great and notable effusion of the spirit which is the winde that blowes where it lists in such a measure as from all parts in all gifts graces and admirable administrations as from all quarters to enliven them and multiply them for in that day they will be as an exceeding great army Eze. 37.10 Lastly consider the great and notable day of the Lord is then the next that comes upon us Ioel 2.31 and Zion shall be glorious In the mean time as the lines of a circumference the nigher they come to the center the more they are united and the nigher they are one to another So for certain Sirs the nigher we are to that time the more we are united and the nigher we are one to another So that we shall see every yeare the Churches more and more united and that in the spirit untill the dispensation of the fulnesse of times when all things shall be in one Ephes. 110. The Lord hasten these happy daies I was pressed in my spirit to acquaint the Churches thus much and to call upon them to unity that the enemies might not have such advantages against us as they doe take for our defect in this duty and that our unity consist not in formes but in the spirit as for practicall rules heerto I shall refer the Reader to the following book But thus I have shewn wherein the Presbyterians and Papists agree and are alike in Discipline Doctrine Ordinances and Practises In Discipline for the Church Catholike Head of the Church matter of it force of it foundation of it and in laying their foundation and about the Keyes and Synods and in Officers to all which we have declared our dissent and abhorrance and so for Doctrine and Practises in all in neere fifty particulars wherein I have clearly instanced the Lord make his people in England wise enough to avoyd such Popish tenets and doctrines and give our Brethren that power and will to cry Down with Antichrist Down with Babylon as we do that hear the voice lest pertaking of her sins they pertake of her plagues Rev 18.4 And let them not think me their enemy for telling them the Truth Gal. 4.16 But to the 3. Consid. The 3 Consideration to come to a Conclusion is that the consideration 3 Gospel Order in the Congregationall Church-way which wee have treated of restored to its primitive purity and beauty is one of the great promises of these latter dayes and the spirituall glory of it sparkles in sight of the saints out of many promises prophesies and varietie of the richest types and is to stand apparently distinct by its selfe from all other orders wayes worships or Churches whatsoever as the visible Kingdome of Jesus Christ for his subjects to walk in That it is one of the great promises to bee accomplished in these latter dayes appears Isa. 2.2.3 Micah 4.1 Isa. 35.1 8 9.10 Isa. 30.21 Psal. 110.3 Ps. 46.2.3.4.5 and 48. P. 3. Malach. 3.17.18 Isa. 51.3.4 Dan. 2.32.33.34 Act. 3.21 Dan. 8.3 The higher is last the best wine at last and the glory of the latter house shall be greater then the former Hag. 2.6.7.9.21.22.23 For further Explication though I have beene full in former Chapters yet to conclude this I shall name these 6. speciall Heads which ensue to prove this Generall Assertions without exception The Prophesies and mproises are full for Christs reigne as Head and alone Ruler in his Church especially and most visibly in these latter dayes He alone shall reign over them in Zion and for ever Micah 2 17. Psal. 99.1.2 Isai 9.2.7 and 22.23 Psa. 2.6 And is set up King in Sion He will be greatest in Zion· Rev. 2.26 Yea and rule the nations to Rev. 11.15.17.18 Zach. 14.9 Therefore all power is given him in heaven and earth Church and State Mat. 28.18 to rule all as being more excellent then the mountains of prey Ps. 76.4 till all be under him 1. Cor. 15.25 Thus he â—ides in our dayes conquering and to conquer But to speak to his Headship In his Zion his most speciall habitation and Kingdome Hee is the alone Head of whom all members aptly joyned receive life and growth And this he is to us as he is one with the Father Jo. 17.21 From whom we have life and grace In especiall maner hee is to bee manifested such a Head in these dayes of restauration Hosea 1.11 the children of Judah and Israel though they differ as to form as Independents and Anabaptists c. shall be gathered together and appoint to themselves one Head and come up out of the Land for great shall be the day of Jezreel So the Churches of Christ shall be all one as we said before in Vnity under one Head viz. Jesus Christ. For although the Churches have stood off hitherto one from another as the 10. Tribes did from Iudah and
and Members and Ordinances of the Churches of Christ in the latter dayes which lies to me open out of Isay. 61.3 That they in Zion the Churches may be called trees of righteousnesse the planting of the Lord. So in Cant. 2.3 As the Apple tree among the trees of the Forrest so is my beloved Câ—rist among the Sons of God the Saints in fellowship So Ezek. 47.7.12 So Rev. 7.1 and 8.7 with Rev. 9.4 So Matt. 3.10 and 7.17 and 12.33 So in Psal. 92.12.13 Those trees that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish and Psal. 52.8 I am a green Olive-tree in the house of the Lord and in Psal. 13. Trees planted by rivers of water bringing forth fruits in due season Many other Scriptures prove this besides the ensuing Parallels but to the Particulars 1. That as every Tree in Paradise so shall every Member and Ordinance of the Church be grounded and rooted in Jesus Christ Ephes. 3.17.18 Col. 2.6 Job 8.17 and folded into and wrapped about Jesus Christ. 2. Every Tree in Paradise was of the Lords making so should every Ordinance and so should every Member of a Church of Christ being created a new thereto as the Lords Workmanship in Christ Jesus Ephes. 2.10 3. The Trees in Paradise the Lord caused to grow v. 9 Gen. 2. So the Lord by his Grace and giving of spirituall Sap and Life to the Members of the Churches makes them growing Christians spreading and flourishing Members of and Ornaments to his Garden inclosed 2 Pet. 3.18 and 2.2 Job 8.16.17 Psal. 80.9.10 and this is an especiall promise of ours for the Churches in Hosea 14.5.6 I sayes the Lord I by my Doctrine dropping as the rain Deut. 32.2 and by my spirit as the neather Springs and Streams from Lebanon Cant. 4.13 I will be as the dew unto Israell and he shall grow as the Lilly and cast forth his roots thick and threefold as Lebanon his branches shall spread 4. Most fruitfull trees of all the earth besides and this is expected of the Churches and their members to bring forth fruits not common fruits but Garden fruits not ordinary Garden fruits neither but Eden Garden fruits i. e. the fruits of the Lords own planting grafting growing the choysest fruits Jehovahs fruits of the spirit spirituall faith spirituall love spirituall holinesse spirituall obedience spirituall knowledge spirituall prayers preachings c. all of the spirits putting forth and blooming and setting increasing and ripening Jer. 17.8 then they 'le bring forth in a time of drought when all other trees are withered and burnt up as Rev. 8.7 and when the third part of the trees must be burnt up And why because they are so well rooted and the Lord causes them to grow Prov. 12.12 these bring forth the fruits of holinesse and righteousnesse which are in Christ Phil. 1.11 so that ye shall know them by their fruits for 5. They are pleasant for sight Gen. 2.9 so must the Saints and all Church-members ev'n to the world and in the eies of them without and shine as lights and by their conversations attract them Acts 2.47 Zeph. 3.20 I will make you a name and praise among all people of the Earth this will be as I have said before when the Saints shall be a sweet savour to all 2 cor 2.14 15. and amiable in the eyes of all 6. And their fruits good for food Gen. 2.9 So will it be again they shall feed the strong and the weake with such fruits of love faith holinesse obedience graces gifts prayers prophesies interpretations and exhortations and such like day by day as shal administer grace to the hearers Ephes. 4.29 Col. 4.6 and be full of refreshings and juice and sap and sweetnesse yea as Apples both meat and drinke to many poor hungry soules O sweet dayes when these fruits shall be ripe and gathered and given out in due season So that it appears the Lord hath promised us in these restitution of times the most precious fruits of imparadised Saints suaves ad visum ad vescendum so excellent as shall satisfie all the senses delightfull to heare of sweet to smell of most admirable to feele of most pleasant to the sight and exceedingly sweet savory and soule-satisfying to the taste Lord hasten these happy dayes Then the day of Jezreel will be great indeed thâ—n the Churches shall be Paradise when their members bring forth such dainty and diversity of fruits and that for all sorts of people that such as will not taste them may touch them or such as will not touch them may scent them or such as will not scent resent nor smell the Spices they bring forth Cant. 4 16. may see them amiable in their eyes as such as will not see them may and so they shall heare of them O precious precious days Come running Lord like the Roe 7. In Gen. 2.9 the Lord made every sort of good trees to grow in Paradise and so will he in these latter dayes for there shall not be a confining of a Garden or Church to one sort of trees onely and no more unlesse here and there one by chance so to one sort of Judgements or Opinions or People O no! but of every sort of trees and fruits of Persons Professions and Opinions that the Lord makes to grow and to bring forth shall be in Paradise Oh then will there be a glorious day for Sion indeed and Eden shall be the Garden of the Lord and the Saints shall feed upon all those sorts of fruits judgements gifts graces or whatever they be 8. The tree of life shall stand in the midst of other trees Gen. 2.9 as also the tree of knowledge in every Church or Garden of the Lord. The tree of life may be understood two wayes 1. as living and then 2. as life giving and in this sence I take it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for that it was to give life but what kinde of life I conceive that in Gen. it may bee life to the body as our food does by maintaining the natuâ—all heat radicall moysture and animall spirits c. but I thinke it most of all intends some quickning power and vital strength if I may so say which was given by this fruit to the Eater above all other that he could not be sicke nor wax oâ—â— nor weake nor infirme nor dye but should live in perpetuall health and strength and vigor of spririt But however as that tree of life stood in the midst of the rest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and was more worth then all the rest Cant. 2.3 So does Christ in the midst of his Saints in the midst Rev. 1.13 and 2.1 of the seven golden Candlesticks in the midst of his Brethren Hebr. 2.12 his fellow trees in the midst of the Brethren in the midst of the Church will I give praises sayes Christ so is his Promise to be in
Knowledge Phil. 3.8 Jo. 7.3 and learning as the taught of God Isay. 29.11 and Isay. 50.4 John 6 45. Rev. 14 3. Rev. 5.5.6 and excelling all in the truest purest fullest sweetest and profitablest originall tongues and languages Dan. 1.17 Jo. 7.15 Viz. the language of Canaan the tongue of the spirit the purest originall Wherefore let not Sathan deceive us with his fair sides of Gifts and Parts so as to make us eat of them and chuse them before the tree of life And yet God forbid but that we should have gifts and parts and learning and languages in the Churches too for the service of the Church and to be under the spirit so that there is great reason that the tree of Knowledge should stand there though the Serpent do make it his Den and Tree of Temptation 10. It was the sixth day that man was put into Paradise by God and now a day is as a thousand years so that we live in the sixth day since the Creation and now God is restoring Paradise apace and he hath gathered some Churches his Garden is enclosed and he hath caused trees to grow there and the River to run there now it remaines that he by his own spirit do put man in we live in this day wherein he will do it as Ezek 36.33.35.36.37 Jer. 32.37 And I will gather them and I will bring them againe into this place Micah 7.9 He will bring me forth to light and I shall behold his righteousnesse Zach. 8.8 I will bring them and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem and they shall be my People and I will be their God in truth and righteousnesse the Lord undertakes it himselfe by his owne hand to put men into his Churches and to bring in the sons of strangers and the outcasts of Israel Isay 56.6.7.8 and he will plant them Jerem 32.40.41 and bring all the good that he hath promised in his word upon them Jer. 32.42 and cause them to walk by Rivers of waters Jerem 31.9 Ezek. 34.13 c. 11. But to conclude the Type Paradise is the place wherein God did most familiarly appeare and acquaint himselfe to Man and manifest his love and glory Three wayes we read of by which God spake to men by dreams by visions or else face to face and in this manner whereby his Love and wherin his Glory did most appeare viz. face to face did the Lord manifest himselfe in Paradise although his face was seen but as in a Glasse 2 Cor. 3.18 under the similitude of an Angel or some other bodily appearance This signifies the singular appearances and presence of God which the Churches shall enjoy above all the world besides in these last dayes his presence is especially promised to appeare and his Love and Glory to be manifested in the Churches 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Such a speciall manifestation as is mentioned in John 14.21 which is promised in these last dayes shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the brightnesse of his glory Heb. 1.2.3 Jo. 2.11 Eph. 3.3.4 so is it in Psal. 102.16 when the Lord shall build up Zion then he shall appeare in his glory So Habak 2.14 Then shall they bee filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord. So Zach. 2.5 Rev. 21.11.23 The glory of God shall lighten the New Jerusalem viz. the glorious presence of God in it Then the Saints in the Churches shall have the most familiar presence of God discourses with him discoveries of him walking in the Garden as Cant. 8.13 and Cant. 7.11 So Cant. 6.2 my beloved is gone down into his Garden to the beds of spices particular Churches to feed in the Gardens to gather lillies There is Christ most and best to be found So Cant. 4.16 and 5.1 c. Psal. 63.2 and Psal. 27.4 yea the Angel of his presence shall be there Isay 63.9 and the name of them from that day shall be Jehovah Shammah the Lord is there Ezek. 48.35 Thus we have done with these Types that foretell the happy state of Saints in Gospel-fellowship and the Glory of the Churches of Christ in these latter dayes sparkling through many more Types then I have mention'd but these are sufficient for present proofe though every day will bring forth more and more excellent matter of praises and rejoycings whilst the Church comes out of the Wildernesse leaning on her beloved persumed with mirrh and frankinsence and the Saints shal have beauty for ashes and be called trees of righteousnesse the Lords own planting that he might be glorified Isay 61.3 But lastly that the Churches of Christ are to stand apparantly distinct from all others we have already prov'd it Chap. 6. lib. 1. c. besides severall Prophesies and Types we might bring forth but that 't is time to conclude and rest me as Numb 239. Lo they shall not be reckoned among the Nations and Rev. 18.4 Johu 15.19 Hosea 4.15 and 14 8. Ephraim shall say what have I to do any more with Idols yea so as an apparent difference shall bee known and own'd betwixt them and others Mal. 3.16.17 Jer. 15.16 for the Lord hath made the difference as from the first s Gen. 1.4 God saw the light was good and therefore divided the light from darknesse to be distinct 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Sept. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. by an apparent difference to bee knowne by all and so will he make the Churches of Light distinct from them of darknesse so as it appeares in the Chaldee Paraphrase and tongue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so in the Samaritan tongue that God made a manifest and bounded separation between them And this distinct separation or division of Gods make must stand It is then no new thing to be distinct from Parishes and all false Antichristian Churches wherein there is a mixture 2 Cor. 6.1415 and is not so distinct a separation as is and ought to be in all true Churches from false wayes and worships We find this too typified by Israel separated from all others Numb 16.9 and they were not to joyn in Religion and worship with the other Nations 1 King 11.3 Joshua 2.3 Exod 23.16 Deut. 10.8 and 32.8 but separated from the mixed multitude Nehem. 13.3 Ezra 10.16 yea in Deut. 23.1 2.3 c. you will read who might and who might not enter into the Church which much concerns us now v. 1. not such as cannot retaine the seed of the word as it is in Heb. Shophcah which sheds and loses that precious seed how can they beget others to the faith that lose the seed such are not to be received into the Congregation of the Lord O precious promises which will produce and procreate a most excellent distinction in the latter dayes when the Lord shall adde to his Churches such as have a fulnesse of his seed 1 Pet. 1.23 1 Io. 3.9 remaining in them and then as v. 2.
Element 2 These are too censorious Unchristian and uncharitable to Chriâ—â— in seeking to break his Church The element to us is as it were passed away Christians of all judgements should be one in spirit All Saints of all judgements to be admitted 1. Proved by rules of Christ. Expos. Rom 14. expounded Vers. 1. All believers admitted ☞ Par. Though out of conscience they differ in judgement opinions and practises about things indifferent Vers. 2 3. Expos. Ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Qaest Answ. Things â—ndâ—fferent what 2. Things indifferent Things doubtful Indifferent not indifferent Paraeus When Ceremonies and such like indifferent things died and gave up the ghost and were buried Augustine Sim. ☜ Dangerous to meddle wirh them now after they are buried Adiâ—phora considerantur vel in â—e Vel ratione principii sui All this ratifies the point God hath received such Expos. ☞ Argument Calvin Expos. Verse 4. They may see they are the Lords nighest family servants for all they differ in opinion God will establish them as well as the strongest to hold out Christian liberty in things doubtful and indifferent Sim. ☞ Saints of all judgements answer the one and the same end of Church fellowship Argument They servâ— one Lord. ☜ ☜ 6 Such bâ— then alike ☜ All are one ho◠☞ Day of judgement ☞ Some usurp Christs throne and how Pareus ☜ ☜ Anselme Much scandal arises else Offence what Sim. ☜ Scandal whâ—t How this is a sâ—andal Vide Pareus Par in loc Aquin. 22 43.1 Jerom in 15. Mat. 1 To brethren so dâ—spised That occasiâ—ns them to fal off Sim. ☞ Sim. 1 This makâ— brethren fall someâ—imâ—s fâ—wâ—y Ranters and erroneous ☞ What kinde of scandal 1 Scandal with reference to brethren ☜ ☜ 2 A scandal with reference to Christ. 3 Scandal with reference to brethren and the Gospel way its sâ—lfe Olevian Ambros. in loc Vide Burtons Vindication p 44. Prin. 12.9 of 12 serious Questions Bernard All indifferent things lawful in themselves What is sin in indifferent things What is miserable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beza Kingdome of God consists not in outward things But in things necessary The Kingdom 1 Of glory 2 Of grace Both of one kinde ☜ Sad diffeâ—ences about things unnecessary For want of putting a right difference All Saints Christs servants Pareus Calvin Nazianzen Else disorders and strife in the Church the body noâ— rightly built up it is for Churches peace Not as the world hath peace And for her order As a Family A building A Kingdome City Psal. 122. Body Difference necessary ☜ Things of a middle nature must be let alone rather then offend a brother ☞ Christian liberty to be kept Par. Gregor ☞ ☞ Abstain from pressing things indifferent Proved further by Prophesie Expos. Iew and Gentile bond and free Gualther One body all Such as halt between two made one One flock all Expos. That serve one God Expos. Expos. Sim. Expos. God is hastening to bring AL into ONE Precepts Expos. Expos. Christ would have have his babes tenderly taken in Practise of primitive Church In Apostles dayes After them in vol. 1. pag 72. Anno 157. Polycarpus Anâ—cetus Fox Church admitted Saints of different opinions and of different observations 157. and after Irenaeus Victor Bishop of Rome Til â—an 200 in Victor's dâ—yes Bishop of Rome he went about to cast out and not take in them that â—iffered in opinion Which Irenaeus writes against in a letter to him Uniformity began an 200. Thâ—n Saints judged Schismaticks and Hereticks and to be excommunicated that differed in opinion Euseb. l. â— c. 26. Not so till Victors time proved by Irenaeus 1 Whâ—t is not commanded is left to the liberty and light of Saints ☜ Ever since Antichrist climbed up to this what difference are there and breach of opinion is breach of affection All should love Aug. Vincentio Contra Donat. Rogat de vi Coâ—rig Epist. 48. A good lesson for Anabaptists especially them in Dublin Waterford Melancthon Ali Saints though differing in opinion must be one in heart and love Bucer 1 Consid. Saints children of light Expos. ☜ In armour of light to defend truth ☜ Sim. When they are in the dark 1 Disconsolat 2 They cannot see 3 They cannot walk in it well 4 They are in fear of it 5 Liable to fall from it or else to fall in it which is worse 6 Makes them too bold and fiery Sim. As at this day we finde among Presbyterians and others c. The golden rule conscience 2 Consider The beauty of Zion iâ— all in one The Church here looks like her above Amama in Corâ—nide Here a shadow of what is to come here â—fâ—ter Sim. Expos. So are all Ordinances Baptisme Word Singing Sabbath Christ is the substance or body of all How a shadow here What a shadow is ☞ ☞ Variety in unity God is hastening it Expos. All Saintâ— in all ages of all opinions one Christ prayed for it It will be the Churches glory in every age more and more And her beauty Sim. Nigher Christ the more all is one and her perfection Sim. 3 Consider the rule of admission is prudent and charitable Vide Noyes Temple p 63. Where there is the least degree of true grace and faith in Christ. Calvin ☞ Dangerous to oppose Saints of Christ. Oftentimes comes to fight against God With a false zeal Goodwin And with a rash judgement Anselme ☜ Reproves such as put a necessary use of such forms as are leâ—â— indifferent ☜ Formâ— childish things 1 Cor. 13. Must all passe away Man of foâ—me most enemy 〈◊〉 Christ. Church of forme the Aegypt in which Châ—ist is crucifiâ—d Expos. How it is an Aegypâ— They deale subtilly against the Sainâ—s Stephen By policy To make Christ in the spirit odious and would keep him up onely in the forâ— and lettâ—r ☞ Hard Task-masters ☜ Will not let Israel goe out from them And are troubled that Israel multiples and are afraid of it ☜ All forms must dye Sim. Uuntimely death of forms when they are made Idols is a warning to the formal Anabaptists ☜ Austin Christ in the form of his flesh and in the form of his Church-way run parallel how Christ crucified glorified living dying in flesh and spirit Christ risen ☞ Gerson Forms are not to be enforced but left to liberty ☜ Gods forms laid aside for peace and union much more must ours ☞ Like Turks when forms must not be questioned Many Professors Idolaters Perkins Act. 12.22 Forms Idols Sim. Featly Serm. p. 491. Sim. The occasion of Formâ— 1 Not altogether to despise or throw by forms for they are useful 2 To receive all Saints that are in the same faith Sim. Sim. Why men and Churches are so formal Sim. All that are found in faith must be admitted for all their judgements in things indifferent 1 Cor. 8.5 6. Joh 8 17 18 19. 1 Iohn 5.5 6 7 8 9. Matth. 28.19 20. Rom 1.19 20.
names of dayes months c. Synops. We dissent Fulke Hierom. ☜ 4. They agree 1. That in the Churches God is most to be met with We differ Dr. Willet Proofes ☞ Origen ☞ Origen Witnessed by Martyrs Tindall ☜ 2. Too nigh one another about Churches as dedicated to Saints We differ Euseb. Lib. 4. devit Constant. Lambert ☞ Presbyterians 〈◊〉 truth out of dooâ—s Gospel-propagation by this means Churches how to be dedicated to Saints ☞ 6. Agree against us They alike do take advantages at our râ—nts differences schismes c. Bradford Latimer in epist. ad D. Baynton Hierome Cotton Austin ☞ Sim. Exhortation to unity to all the Churches Expos. Note ☜ How al Churches differing in forms are to be one vide chap. 5. Unity urged 1. Because all one body 2. One Head which is first in ordine Dell. Bullinger 3. Unity can stand well with variety 4. Unity is equality Zanchy 5. Each contented with their place 6. Sympathy 7. By the strings of love which one is drawn by to another 8 Unity is urg'd from the duty of one to another and to the whole Unity urged 1. That one spirits acts all 2. One spirit unites all things under different forms ☞ 3. Acts severally in all and yet but one and the same What breaks the peace of the Church and what not Zanchy Differing in circumstances in Austin's time Buccer For this vide ch 5. lib. 2. at large 3 Vnity urg'd for all that are in one faith ☜ Zanâ—h ☜ 4. Vnity because all alike in hope Zanch. ☜ 5 Because but one Lord 6. One Baptisme idest of the spirit ☞ The Welsh Curate his Rantisme in his Booke so stiled ☞ Sim. Caution to the Churches of that Church-destroying spirits for so they say of themselves 7 Vnity for that all have one God and Father alike of all Above all Through all In all The Churches â—it in unity is a great adâ—antage to Sathan Sim. Vt impâ—ret Dividâ—t is his 〈◊〉 In unity the greatest terrouâ— that can be to Christs enemies Sim. ☞ No feares if we want not in Vnity Sim. ☜ Sim. Three things expected â— an houre of Triall short but shaâ—pe to the Churches ☜ 1 Proph. The Churches more one then ever Sim. ☞ 2. Proph. The spirit poured out upon all Then unity most of all Expos. Sim. ☜ When ☜ 3. Proph. 3. The great dayâ— the Lord the nigher it is the more Churches will be united in every yeare ☜ This Gospel way is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. The great promise of these later dayes 1. Christ shal reign over all in these latter dayes ☞ Especially as Head in his Church or Churches Expos. ☜ Christ a King how and to whom And a Head how Zanch. Expos. A word to the Churches ☞ 2. The precious Saints the matter of these latter dayes Expos. Proph. Jaspers who Agates who Tremel Carbuncles who Most precious Stones ☜ Expos. ☜ A word to the Churches When they shall excell ☞ ☜ ☞ 1. Who are Jaspers In what properties they â—xcell 2. Who are Saphiâ—es In what properties they excell ☞ 3. Who are the Chalcedonie's In what pâ—operties they excell Zanch. In what properties they excell Ignatius 4. Who are the Emeralds In what properties they excell ☜ 5. Who are the Sardonyx Ainsw ☜ 6. Who are the Sardius Paraeus In what properties they excell ☞ ☞ 7. Who are Chrysolites In what properties they excell 8. Who are the Berylls In what properties they excell 9. Who are the Topaz In what properties they excell ☞ 10. Who are the Chrysoprasus In what properties they excell 11. Who are the Hyacinths or Jacinths In what properties they excell 12. Who are Amethists In what properties they excell A mystery of the excellency of Church-members in the later daies Precious stones Gathered out of all parts of the world Proph. ☞ Variety in their excellency ☜ When high-priz'd Propâ—◠☜ When Jewes expected to be most precious Church matter ☜ A word to Churches and members ☜ 3. The forme of the Church promised in these last days ☞ How all enter in 4. The end of it largely promised Zanch. Two-fold Brightman ☞ 5. Spiritual unity and order of Churches promised in last daies Expos. Christs prayer 6. The Spirit poured out on the Churches and Saints in a larger measure By six Heads appeare the Gospel-Ordâ—r in Churches is a great promise Expos. The foundation of all this is layd Comfort to us our day is comming ☞ ☜ Et redirâ— in principium 2. The Types promise the fall of false worship and he glorious rising of the true Gospell spirituall worship ☜ Antichrist â—â—yâ—â—fied by Aegypt Expos. ☜ Sodome ☜ Babylon Expos. Pro Antiochus Epiphanes a figure of the Pope ☞ Polanus Brightman ☞ Types of the Churches Palaces of Sion Tabernacles Particular Churches Dr. Sibs ☜ ☜ Jerusalem a Type The Sun Christ must rule the Dâ—y that comes though the Moon hath ruled the Night till now Solomons Temple a type of the whole Church when all Tabernacles shall bee joyn'd ☞ Vid. 5. Zanch. lib. 1. de Hom. creatione v. 15. Pâ—radise and Eden excellent full types of the Church of Christ in these last dayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Churches â—ypified The Garden was Gods own plantation The excellency of it beiâ—g his work ☜ 2. His protection of them ☞ 3. The name of them which takes in of all languages Zanch. ☞ ☞ 4. The Seat of them in all the World where the Rivers run Pareus ☜ 5. The East of them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Suidas Lactantius ☜ The later days promise in the East whence the Sun shall rise to all the world Jo. 1.1.2 ☜ 2. The members and ordinances typified by trees of Paradise Odinances Church members trees how 1. Rooted 2. of the Lords making 3. The Lord causes them to grow and flourish ☞ ☜ 4. They are to bee the most fruitful of all the Earth ☜ 5. Lovely to the sight Colloquia congregationes gratiam spirent Bernard de Ecc. cap. 412. 6. Excellent to feed upon For all sorts and Senses ☞ ☞ 7. All sorts of trees that the Lord makes fruitfull must grow there 8. The â—râ—e of life in the midst of them Tree of life two wayes ☞ ☜ Diodate The two Sacraments within the Church kept And not to be carried out ☜ ☜ 9. The tree of life and other trees alike ☞ 3. The Spirit and Word typified by Rivers streams 1. From whence the Rivers came aborigine viz. from the East ☜ Two parts of the East 1. Knowne 2. Hidden but only the River runs from it ☜ ☜ 2. For Churches to what end ☞ 3. The River divided into foure heads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Diodate Habes Paradi sum conclusuÌ„ Paradisum e mâ—ssum Beru de Serm. Cant. 35. To take in many Nations ☞ ☞ Where Gods great worke first begins as in the pouring out of the spirit The last discovery of the Type 1. No place for Beasts 2. It is not for meer naturall men For none but whom the Lord addes brings in These Churches must be purged ☜ 3. Of the greatest Use as Universities for others to resort unto and to learn in and to goe from to teach others ☞ Universities of what sort in the latter days 4. Such as are placed in this restored Paradise are under the strictest Lawes of the spirit The Law in love The Churches have their law from the Lord Oâ—hers from the Churches ☜ We have first Life and then Law first a Principle and then a Precept ☜ 5. Those therin are never to be idle but every day dressing and keeping it Zanch. What labours are accursed what not 6 Such as are sinners though in the Church must be cast out ☞ 7. Such as are therein may eat freely yea must of every tree ☜ Ripe fruits 8. Such forbid the Tree of Knowledge before the tree of Life ☞ ☞ Expos. An use of humane Wisdome Learning and knowledge in the Churches But not to be preferred first ☜ ☜ 9. The Serpent got in and tempted by the fruits of the tree of knowledge ☜ He tempts the weakest with Gifts Parts c. Churches beyond Universities Saints are the most and best learned ones ☞ 10. Man put in on the sixth day By the Lords own hand 11. Gods speciall presence there Justin Irenaeus Terâ—ullian Eusebius Ambrose alii in lec 3. The Churches of Christ distinct from all others And shal be so apparently to aâ—l Expos. Not Enemies Who Nor Bastardâ— Who ☜ Nor Ammon nor Moab shal enter in But the Edomits shall or the Jews ☜ Exhort To strive against Nationall and parochiall Churchâ—â— and why Expos. Zanch. A word to England Ireland and Scotland about Naâ—ionâ—ll and Pâ—rochiall Churches The standing impudence of Pâ—râ—sh Church Members ☞ Cawdrey p. 83. Sim. About the Sacraments They are guilty of Treason Felony and Whoredome ☜ ☜ ☜ How the Lord will strip them naked 1. Take away all their Ornaments and leave them naked 2. Show them in their blood and fâ—â—th 3. In their imbecillity 4. With a loud cry ☞ 5. Little 6. In utter darknesse Parish Churches the Children of the Whore shall fall without mercy ☞ Churches and Parishes differ much Flaccus Illiricus vide Bernardus Cant. Beda Serm. 14. Sim. But out of the Churches are great things to be done these latter dayes Sim. ☜ A good caution ☜ ☜ Sim. ☞ A Church is not so intire without Officers and Organs Psal. 48.12.13 The Authours resolve to go the rounds and to make a further and fuller search of Sion Peter
defend it by arguments out of Scriptures that art not convinced of it by the Word and Spirit and perswaded in thy very heart that thou art in the right yea though all the world yea the Angels of Heaven should say against it be fully perswaded your good meanings and mindes will not serve turn nor yet the gray Colliar-like implicite faith of Papists which believe as the Church believe they say And this is the most you have from your Irish Catholicks at this hour and yet ask them what the Church believes why they will say as we believe and what do ye believe why as the Church believes and that is they know not what But such a simplex conversio is all we can get from most of them talk a day together with them But a Christian must be able to maintain his doctrine and to warrant his opinion and judgement whether in doctrine or discipline by the Word Isa. 8 20. Or else saith the Prophet there is no light in them That is else they want understanding which ought to be rightly informed and inlightned as a beginning imperant saith Par upon Rom. 14. and they want the will too well sanctified and made pliant as a beginning obsequent and eâ—cequent and then ere you are aware your soul will be set on the chariots of Amminadib as we may show in the next Chapter For conscience carries thee out sweetly and with a sure testimony within thee that white stone when by good arguments out of the Word thou art assured That thou art in the Lords way of worship when thou canst comfortably and cordially say as Rom. 14.14 I know and am perswaded by the Lord Jesus Not I think or it is very likely but I am sure upon certain and infallible Scriptures and I do stedfastly believe it in my heart O then thou wilt prove a stout Champion for the truth indeed and darest stand for it when thou knowest thou art right Thou knowest it first for thy faith and perswasion is in a sense subjective seated in thy knowledge and understanding as in the subject thy opinion or perswasion is according to thy apprehension and understanding wherefore in order to your full perswasion of and satisfaction in this way of Christ or Gospel-fellowship you shall do well 1. To examine your knowledge of the Scriptures concerning this way 2 Pet. 1.19 have ye searched the Scriptures and do you finde them to bear a clear testimony to this truth doth the Word in your judgement and understanding warrant and witness to this way of worship as the way of Christ And to this Gospel-fellowship as the Gospel order then you will well do to walk in it fear not yet discouragements or troubles you must meet with in it let them not daunt yee do you your duty and let God alone to defend ye and to do ye your good When our Saviour bad Peter with the rest throw their nets in for a draught of fish why they had many discouragements for all night long they had thrown in and lost their labors Nevertheless at thy word saith Peter I will let down the net So should we say though our friends will be offended our persons hated our names traduced our injuries great our enemies many and multitudes of discouragements that we must be sure and look for it aforehand though the skies are very calm at this present that we shall meet with yet for all that At thy Word O Lord we will enter into this way so we have but Christs word and warrant for it we may be confident and couragious and fully satisfied But to further this direction those that would enter into this way must 1. Be well instructed and informed of the order of the Gospel in primitive times what manner of fellowship they finde the Word to hold forth in the Apostles days and some hundred yeers after them that is before the Church was deflowred and defiled with humane inventions dregs and devices whilest the pattern was in the Mount and the institution of Christ was the onely Canon-law and liberty As the Apostle would 1 Cor. 11.24 25. bring them to consider the first institution so doth Christ about divorcement bring them to the beginning and first institution and that divorces were not lawful Christ proves that they were not so from the first Matth. 19.4 7 8. So in great and rich promises the Lord is pleased to foretel the restauration of his people as at first Jer. 33.7 11. so Acts 3.19 21. To teach us what we are to look for that is things as at first holiness fellowship doctrine discipline as at first and we should ask after Jer 6.16 The good old way quam primum verum optimum that is the true way for truth is older then error and error is nothing but the excrement and corruption of truth The Primitive practise and order of Christs Church is to be sâ—t before us for our satisfaction because it is as a pattern to all succeeding ages 2. Be also well informed of the order and practise of our Churches now in these days Sit down sayes Mr. Bartlet and compare our present stations with the first order of the Gospel and see wherein we fall short and blush and be ashamed Ezek. 43.11 12. and then come out of Babylon But for this I refer the Reader to the former Book Thirdly Then when ye have found out in your judgements and beleefe a Church-society in Gospel-order and are fully perswaded of it and doe finde it in your heart that you are prepared and ordered for it doe not delay entring into it but be sure first it be into such a society and Church-communion of Saints as you see and that upon Scripture grounds you judge to come up nighest to Rule and closest to the Primitive patterne and practise which yee shall do well very diligently to look out for And fourthly observe the motions of the spheres and all the particular becks of providence how things joyne together and so fittly concur for your admittance into this Church-way for as holy Sibs saith fitting occasions and suiting of things well together doe intimate Gods will and Gods time And indeed all Providences have their language to Gods people and they minde their Call cleare when Providence makes the way for them For indeed Gods Providence runs along like waters in a Brook where every little peble hath a language in it therefore wee shall doe well to understand them For as wrong reading spoyles the sense so will the not reading of Gods Providences to a full period and stop But thus far for the first Direction Secondly Be sure ye have no confidence in the flesh Phil. 3.3 neither in your selfe i. e. your own wit parts gifts or the like thereupon to run rashly into this way rather upon a presumption out of pride vain-glory self-selfe-love or curiosity then upon well-grounded
perswasion nor yet have any dependance upon any others whosoever they bee for then the Lord will reject both you and your carnall confidences Jer. 2.37 Thirdly Be not byassed one way or other as by imaginations taken from your owne senses which are very shallow and unsound for by such spirits full of spight came Christs way to be evill spoken of in Act. 28.22 and so 2 Cor. 10.5 Sathan hath strong-holds in such mens hearts to keep out Christ and Gospel wherefore let your judgement master your affections lest false conclusions bee ushered in by carnall reason fancy and conceit For the wisdome which is from above is without partiality Jam. 3.17 that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or mis-judging i. e. either out of love to one way or out of prejudice being prepossessed with hard conceits and opinions of any other way We wrong a man much by prejudice when we take up prejudicate opinions of him without grounds so suffer our conceits of him to be envenomed against him by unjust suspicions whereby we deprive our selves of the good which we might have by him So the Pharisees were set against Christ and the Jewes against the Gospel yea this prejudice made Nathaniels question in Joh. 1.46 Canany good come out of Nazareth wherefore bee impartial without any conceit or deceit when thou searchest the Scriptures hearest the word enquirest out for the Truth O then then let the Lord cast the scales and this is the way to be sweetly satisfied in your own breasts and to have a heart full of perswasion according to the word of God When yee have attained to this sweet and swelling Plerophory yee may yea must move accordingly and that upon a certainty which certitude or assurance being the highest part of your perswasion that yee are in Christs way is to bee considered First Ex causa certitudinis from the verity of the word and certainty of the divine truths which do so perswade and assure you and thus yee conclude seeing the word of Christ is sure and true c. the perswasion which it begets must bee so too and sound And then Ex parte subjecti from your own capacities and qualifications according to your knowledge and judgements thâ—nce yee gather up this conclusion that yee are the persons called into this way of Christ by his Word and Spirit and that ye stand in great need of this way and that for divers reasons being fully perswaded of it that yee are appointed and prepared for it and it for you hence arises a full perswasion to enter into it and a clear satisfaction about it which is given by the Word and Spirit and which is so necessary for all that would enter into it and continue in it and have the comforts of it that they should not dare to venture or enter one foot without it For what is not of faith is sinne Now as it will doe well that every one of us bee fully perswaded that it is the very visible way of worship that Jesus Christ hath brought out of his Fathers bosome the Tabernacles that came downe from above and when he ascended on high Eph. 4.10 11 12. that he left behinde him for all beleevers to dwell and be perfected in so also will it be necessary for every one to bring his perswasion to the triall and touchstone that they may be sure else as Dike saith upon Faith you may be left in the lurch gulled and cheated in this point too for in 1 King 22.20 21 22. you read of a lying false spirit that perswades and prevails Now as Clement lib. 5. Recognitionum sayes What is more obnoxious and hurtfull to the Church of Christ then for a man who beleeves he knows what he knows not and sees what he sees not to maintaine that a thing is what it is not being but to him what he imagines tooth and nail he strikes at truth for falsehood and falsehood for truth Like a drunken fellow that thinks himselfe sober he doth all things goes all wayes like a Drunkard and yet is perswaded he doth and goes as well as any sober man whatsoever and would have all others to thinke so too and yet perhaps his giddy braines and fancies make him beleeve that it is others that stagger who goe stedfastly and that he goes steadily whilst he staggers such whimsical perswasions are of dangerous consequence It concerns us then to know whence our full perswasion arises and whither it reaches or what it brings forth But to the first First A true and full perswasion flows from the word of Christ without Thess. 2.13 as we have said before and the Spirit of Christ within us Joh. 16.8 Joh. 14.16 1 Job 2.20.27 1 Joh. 5.6 these have convinced our judgements inlightened our understandings conformed our wills and perswaded our hearts with undeniable arguments and proofs Secondly If it be true it waits upon the Lord with patience for his concurring Providences and for the accomplishing his promises as David did for his Kingdome Abraham for his Son Israel for Canaan runs not rashly without feare or wit as we use to say before God He that beleeves makes not haste Isa. 28. not too much haste or more haste then good speed but he waits to go along with God with his presence by his Providence as is said before into this way of Gospel-fellowship Thirdly It will meet with many trials and assaults but yet will get the better and abide firme So Act. 19.23 What a stir there was about the way of the Gospel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 contra viam Domini or as some read it against the Gospel-way this way of the Lord which Paul preached at Ephesus and yet it gained the ground So 2 Cor. 7.5 they have no rest but threats and fears and troubles and oppositions yet this faith and full perswasion stayes the soul quiets and satisfies the spirits establishes the heart 2 Chron. 20.20 ie staies the inward man in much peace and assurance in the midst of multitudes of troubles and trials As the ship that lyes at anchor though something tossed with wind and weather and with the swelling threatning Surges of the Sea rising thick one on another and boysterous beating about the ship yet remains safe unmoved being firme and fastened and cannot bee carried away So art thou able to undergo all oppositions threats swelling surging waves or the like if thou rest resolved established and fully perswaded by the word of God so that stil thou wilt stand by faith and grow stronger and stronger as the house of David did 2 Sam. 3.1 in the midst of his dangerous conflicts and trucelesse troubles with the house of Saul and as Israel the more afflicted the more multiplied Exod. 1. for true faith will have the conquest and triumph at last 1 Joh. 5.4 1 Pet. 5.8 Heb. 11.33 34. Eph. 6.16
indifferent Quia Christi adventu lex ceremonialis obligare desiit Now such Ceremonies remained amongst the Jews as yet saith Paraeus upon the place in use because Christian liberty was not openly up and risen in their room Now with Christs death and resurrection they lost their life and gave up the ghost Col. 2.14 15. Quasi animam exhalarunt and breathed out their last but as yet they lay a while unburied and above ground which ought to have a religious and solemn sepulchre and which they had soon after in that solemn Church Assembly Acts 15. Where all such legal ritual observations were seriously and solemnly laid in their grave as being now but dead Corps and ready to stink and corrupt and too heavy to be longer borne above ground but before this their burial they were used as indifferent This Augustine declares in his 19. Ep. ad Hieron as Paraeus observes by an elegant similitude A mans friend dies he doth not so soon as breath is out of his body whilest his body is yet warm take him by the heels and drag him to the grave but he keeps him a while whilest he is yet sweet and wraps him up with fair cloaths and so with honor in due time accompanies him to his grave and thereby he avoides scandal suspition and contention which else might arise by giving sufficient content to all even to his best friends and mourners for him So it is here these Ceremonies were alive till Christ they died with Christ Now the Apostles did not presently drag them to the dunghil and cast them out ut faetida cadavera whilest they were yet warm no! but to avoid all scandal and doubt of their death they shew in the Acts that they were dead and to be buried which was done in a decent honorable maner as Acts 15.10 24. whilst they themselves accompanied them to the very grave Now that is the reason that Paul in this Chapter for so long a time did allow liberty to them as things indifferent but after they were buried their indifferency ceased and now they were absolutely forbidden Before their burial saith one they were mortuae dead but now after their burial they are mortiferae deadly and dangerous And now after this if a man raises them up again and rakes them out of the grave and digs them up again he endangers a many by their unwholsom stench Et non esset pius funeris deductor sed impius sepulturae violator Hence you read the reason of Pauls writing to the Church of Galatia Coloss and others against them now and after this burial of them he would not circumcise Titus though he did Timothy before but preaches their funeral Sermon and sayes it is dangerous to keep them above ground any longer Col. 2.20 21. and Gal. 5.2 4. tells them then Christ would profit them nothing and it would be to deny the effect of Christs death We shall finde Paul opposed Peter and that openly Gal. 2.11 to his face for urging these Ceremonies and pressing the Gentiles to Judaize But here in this Chapter the Apostle forbids the Gentiles to judge the Jews for their liberty in these things which might be used or not used as yet being things indifferent and left free which the Greeks call Adiaphora which things are to be considered either as they are in themselves and so they are said quoad substantiam operis to have an indifferency of doing or omitting as we said before or else as they are in the intention of that principle by which they are done or omitted and in that sense no action is said to bee indifferent taken with its circumstances but it is said to bee good or evill Prout ex mala vel bona intentione procedit for as much as it flowes from a principle intending good or evill hereby But thus I have done with the direction and rules and have opened the name and nature of things indifferent and do now reach the reasons which the Apostle renders to ratifie his and my assertion of accepting and receiving such as differ in judgement from us in things indifferent And first reason 1 The first Reason for God hath received him therefore you are to receive him and lovingly to take him in for God hath received him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is ut suus as his owne a member of Christ to grace an adopted one into his owne family how then darest thou deny him or despise him or not admit of him or the like for thus runs the Argument whom God hath received into his Family you ought not to despise or put by but him that eateth that is is of this opinion and him that eateth not that is is of that opinion God hath received therefore you ought not to put him by that is be he of this opinion or of that opinion but to receive him and admit of him as one that belongs to the Lord. This Reason runs a pari statu utriusque partis coram Deo from the common benefit of adoption which them of both opinions do equally partake of and as if he should say Such outward things as these do neither justifie nor unjustifie commend nor discommend before God they neither help to nor hinder from the Kingdome of God therefore they should neither helpe nor hinder any in the Church of God here below For such whom the Father receives the Son receives and who are admitted in heaven should be admitted in the earth but all Saints of all opinions are admitted in heaven and received of God ergo c. God regards here sayes one no more the manner time or such like circumstances then hee does the manner time or such like circumstances of eating drinking marrying c. being left to wisdome and discretion for order peace and unities sake without ties Now if thou seest one enlightened and livened by the Spirit of God thou seest enough sayes Calvin in loc Satis testimonii habes c. wherefore despise not contemn not refuse not condemne not one whom God hath received The second Reason or Argument is taken a jure gentium reason 2 from common right or equity which is that every man hath the rule and ordering of his owne family and none ought to be so polypragmatical as to meddle with other mens servants Who art thou that judgest another mans servant here is an objurgatory Apostrophe Who art thou how darest thou do it why for he is the Lords own servant whom thou thus puttest by for all his opinion as before the word is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a hired servant or a day-labourer but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a houshold servant one of the Lords owne Family who alwayes is waiting upon the Lord his Master in such services as are nearest his person and in his presence This makes the Apostle then whom none was more full of the bowels of love pitifull
or tender yet this makes him question with much indignation and heat how you dare to deny them admission who are the Lords servants and that of his owne houshold and the nighest to him in his Family Besides the Argument see the Amplification in verse 4. which shewes that thou art not to judge harshly of him for he standeth or falleth to his owne Master that is whether he doth well or ill pleases or displeases it belongs to the Master Stare vel eâ—dere est recte vel secus agere therefore prevent not the Lordâ— judgement who himselfe will take account of his servants and that strictly Mat. 18.23 Mat. 25.19 Reason 3. For God is able to make him stand Vers. 4. This reason 3 Argument is taken a spe profectus from the possibility and probability of their establishment in the faith he shall stand for God is able to make him but if you say it is an unsound conclusion or an absurd collection to argue a posse ad esse as the Papists doe in Transubstantiation we answer True if we bee not certaine of Gods will withall but his will with his power appears here for God hath received him Now if such a one be weake and of a differing opinion from you the Lord hath promised grace to him whereby he shall stand as well as you and as firme in the true faith and as fast in the truth and by his power be preserved from falling therefore receive such for the Lord will engage for him as Hezekiah said Lord undertake for me Reason 4. In Vers. 5. Let every man be fully perswaded in his reason 4 own minde this argument is gotten from the qualification of a member and the nature of his qualification which is the plerophory and full perswasion spoken of in Chap. 2. of this Book One man sayes the Apostle is of this minde and esteems this and another man is of that minde and esteeme that most this is the case Now the remedy is Let every one walke as he thinks best reject neither but he must be sure it be with a full perswasion in his owne minde that he be full and clear in his owne sense and opinion Quisquis suo sensu abundet Not so to abound in ones owne sense to give way to an unlimited liberty but to a Christian-liberty limited by the Lawes of Christ to be fully perswaded that it is on good grounds and by good arguments flowing from the Word and Spirit together Mark 12.24.27 Joh. 16.8 1 Thess. 2.13 and as Rom. 14.14 Isa. 8.20 A horse in a pasture hath liberty to run at randome range and friske but not when his Rider is upon his backe but then he is checked and curbed and kept in so must our apprehensions and perswasions therefore let every one look to his owne conscience and not look what others hold or doe but that what he holds he well grounded and warrantable in the word which the Scripture mentions in matters of faith though not alwayes in matters of fact who hath this plerophory and clear perswasion is to be received whether his reason 5 opinion be thus or thus in things indifferent Reason 5. Vers. 6.7 He that regardeth this regardeth it to the Lord and he that regards it not regards it not to the Lord c. This argument runs ab intentione generale fidelium or a bono fine utriusque partis from the unity and brevity of the end which the Saints of all opinions aime at and which is one and the same for all aime at the honour and glory of God Those of this opinion and those of that have the same end viz. to glorifie God 1 Cor. 10.31 Col. 3.17 to give God praise 1 Pet. 2.9 the summe of this then is to cease despising denying or rejecting such as aime at the same end with you viz. the praise and glory of God therefore receive them though of a differing opinion from you The Apostle hath it thus Those that do all to the glory of God are to be received of you but those of this opinion and those of that opinion aime all at the glory and praise of God ergo c. and this he proves 1 Ab adjuncto in Vers. 6. 2. He proves it V. 7. a toto ad partes thus who wholy lives and dyes to the Lord doth eat or not eat do or not do this or that thing use or not use this or that Christian liberty to the Lord and ab illatis V. 8. whether we live or dye we are the Lords Et a relatis we are the Lords servants having necessary relation to him wee are under his subjection and tuition and by all this hee teaches us to receive them as such who are the Lords in the Lords service and aiming at his honour and glory being perswaded from the word their opinion is to his praise and then as one sayes it is better to follow an erring conscience when it cannot be yet better informed and corrected then to doe against conscience so that though they are such as cannot in conscience come up to or unto our opinions in things indifferent yet we must not dare to put them by or therefore to deny them Reason 6. Vers. 10. Why dost thou judge thy brother c. This argument is taken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad utramque partem from the relation the one stands in unto the other Art thou strong the weak one is thy brother c. And so on the other side though not by naturall generation yet by supernatural regeneration Have we not all one Father Mal. 2.10 all alike borne of God all alike beloved of God in one Christ Jesus God is to Saints of all opinions one Father without respect of persons or opinions Now the true Church of Christ is a Kingdome of brethren and it is an ill part for brethren to contend despise reject or shut doors against one another It was ABRAHAMS argument to Lot for peace and our Spiritual JOSEPH bids us not to fall out by the way which yet we doe and that for trifles too This is the new Commandement to love all Saints Eph. 1.15 Joh. 13.35 and 15.12.17 1 Joh. 4.21 not all Saints of such or such a judgement but all Saints being all one in the original love of God all one in Christ all one in the Covenant of grace all one in one and the same Spirit having all one and the same priviledges joy and glory therefore we should bee all one in our love and acceptance knowing no distinction but Saintship as Tichborn well notes on Job 13.35 Now it is our living too much in the flesh and forme as wee shall shew by and by which makes us mind so much such men as are of our judgement above others and to put a difference This will be cause of pale countenance one day that we should so fall out by the way whilst we are
from thence divided severall wayes abroad so will the spirit as with one mighty rushing Sea into the Churches and from them be divided about and spread abroad But Secondly for what end to water the Garden So the Churches will be abundantly more fructifying and fresh when this spirit is poured out than now they are Cant. 4.15 And they shall be like a watered Garden whose waters faile not Isay. 58.11 they can't faile Heb. 2.14 they are already green and growing and shall no more be like a parched Wildernesse Thirdly a word more about the Division of this River v. 10. From thence it parted into four Heads From thence inde Hebr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 de ibi it is a question among some where this Division is made whether before it came into the Garden and after it went out or in Paradise now it appears to me although it came into the Garden uno influxo as by one stream yet it went out by four in v. 10.11.12 13. c. So that the Division was within the Garden and by this Division every part of the Garden was watered So the spirit though it is one and the same as from Christ yet in the Church it flows severall wayes in severall Gifts Graces and Administrations 1 Cor. 12.4 So that every part of the Church may be watered and every one have according to his measure some more and some lesse And from the Church it flows abroad to the World and this foretels us the spirit shall come flowing in such an ample manner into the Churches in these last dayes and that it shall flow from them and out of them run out to others several wayes in severall streams yea four Heads into the four Parts of the World East West North and South and as the foure Heads encompassed and took in many Lands v. 11.12.13.14 as Arabia Syria Chaldea Chus Aethiopia Aegypt c. So shall the spirit that goes out of the Churches in that Great Day of the flowing of it in and pouring of it on them I say that spirit shall go out of the Churches round about severall wayes into all Parts of the World to fetch in and to compasse about and to gather up of many Nations and Tongues and Languages and Lands to the Lord and his Christ who is the East Yea and many pretious stones and gold of Havilah shall be fetched in too as fit matter for the Lords house in those his latter Golden Dayes So that the great and glorious Work that God hath to do by his spirit in these dayes is in the Churches and then by the Churches abroad many wayes in the world but thus far for the second speciall Priviledges of the Churches typified by Paradise in the Rivers that shall run in the midst of their streets and run from them to others See Zach. 14.8 And in that day shall living water go out of Jerusalem the halfe of them one way and the halfe another c. Now we come to the last Description of the Type which is so full for these latter dayes and which relates so eminently and evidently to the Churches and that is in ver 15.16.17 The Lord God tooke the Man and put him into the Garden c. 1. The Man to shew that it was no place for Beasts the Lord hath promised no ravenous beasts shall enter into this earthly Paradise that is to come in these last Ages Isay. 35 9.10 2. The Lord tooke him tulit Jehovah Elohim to shew that he came not thither by nature and was not born to it or created in it but translated into it by the spirit of the Lord the Lord put him in so none are to be in the Churches as Members that be in their meer naturall Condition or as if born to it or born in it O no! only such as are brought in by Grace whom the Lord hath brought in and fitted for Church-Communion by his spirit that must be Members such as the Lord adds and he adds none but such as shall be saved Acts 2.47 Too too many naturall carnall men have crept into the Churches and have added themselves or else others have added them but the Lord will out them and rout them ere long he hath not added them And therefore the fiery tryall will purge them off and over with a powder And that Day will burn up the third part of the trees Rev. 8.7 with Zach. 13.9 and after that there shall be no more the Cananite in the Lords house Zach. 14.21 3. The Paradise was of use in mans innocency as an Academy or the Vniversity sayes Pareus to which men from all Parts might resort to praise the Lord and to learn of him and to behold his most excellent workes and to feed of the best fruits And from thence others might be sent abroad as the Rivers went to give knowledge to the people and of such excellent use will the Churches of Christ be in these latter dayes for all sorts of Saints to resort to them to praise the Lord in them to be instructed by him to be acquainted with his most gracious workings in us and for us and to feed upon the best priviledges and choisest fruits of restored Paradise and to be sent out thence to go abroad all along with the Rivers I mean with the rich measures of the spirit to teach the World to instruct them without that are ignorant of the truth mysteries of the Gospel as they are revealed to the Saints in fellowship Such Churches wil prove the usefullest Vniversities in the World to stock and store the Nation with able Spiritual Teachers and such as shall speake the things they heare and see being all taught of the Lord by the Anointing from on high so to doe and this is promised at large in these latter Dayes Jerem. 32.40 Isay. 46.13 and 54.13.14 For his Law shall go forth from Zion Isay. 22. Micha 4.8 4. God would not have man no not in his innocency to live no not in Paradise without Law but he kept him under strict Law v. 16. the Lord God commanded the man praecepto singulari obstrinxit the Hebrew notes the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the Proposition or Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to signifie more then simply to command viz. to command with an Interdiction and Prohibition as follows in v. 17. thus is the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vajesau read in Scripture and this is very significant for God doth not promise us a lawlesse liberty or licentious dayes in these latter dayes but that we shall be under his Lawes and Ordinances which he hath appoynted in the Church The Saints shall be exact walkers up to the rule of perfect righteousnesse in Christ Jesus not destroying but fulfilling the Law and that in Love which is the bond of perfection only this obedience shal be
more in and by the spirit of the Lord John 4.25.24 But God is very exact as appears by the strictnesse of the woâ—d to have his Saints the Churches and Members thereof subject to his Laws even in Paradise even in the best reformed restored dayes Heb. 8.10 Ezek. 43.11 and 44.5.24 Yea the Royal Law James 2.8 And Law of truth Mal. 2.6 Yea the Law to go forth out of Zion to others Mich. 4.2 And seale the Law among my Disciples Isay. 8.16 So that God especially looks for it from them for they have more reason to live under the Order and Law of God then any others for they are to be Examples to others as lights on a hill and as the Salt to season others that are without They have it first that are in Churches most excellently as from the Lord and others as from them Micah 4.2 Adam had the Law first in Paradise as from the Lord most excellently of all and Eve afterwards as from him Besides the Majesty Authority of God is promised hereby especially in the Churches as Paul said 1 Cor. 11.23 For I have received of the Lord that which I delivered unto you c. so it shal be especially in the last days as Micah 5.4 He Christ shall stand and feed and rule in the strength of the Lord in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God and they the Churches shall abide For now after this shall he Christ be great unto the end of the Earth But yet marke this that the Man was first made and then commanded he had first a Principle and then a Precept the first is to the adesse and then the other to the bene esse So that to the singular Comfort of Saints and all Church Members here is much promised that he will first create and then command that he will first give them a power to do it and then give them a Precept to do it And then they shall be upon the Chariots of Aminadab First he 'l write his Law in them and then receive his Law of them i. e. that which is written in them in these latter days so that the Churches Saints shal not be yea caÌ„not be without Law nor without liberty nor without the perfect Law of liberty Jam. 1.25 5. Man though in Paradise must not be idle therefore v. 15. God put him in to dresse it and to keep it viz. it Garden for the word is hortus which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Feminine Gender with this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 affixed and it is not without signification to all the Churches and Saints for as Zanchy sayes Paradisuâ— illa typus fuit Ecclesiae ergo qui in Ecclesiam positi sunt discaâ—t se non esse hîc positos ut otiosi vivant sed ut pro suâ quisque virili colat Ecclesiam camque custodiat Paradise was a Type of the Church and it concerns every Member of the Church to remember he must not be idle but up and about to work in the Vineyard to dresse and keep it for the manifestation of the spirit is given to every one to profit withall 1 Cor. 12.7 To doe something or other to the edifying of the Church 1 Cor. 14.12 Rom. 14.19 to instruct exhort build up and dresse it Ephes. 4.29 1 Thes. 5.11 Jude 20. Heb. 10.24.25 Yea and to keep it too from the Foxes of the Field and the Wild Bores of the Wood yea to keep out all Beasts and such as would hurt this Paradise and to keep in good Orders the Fences and Hedges the Lawes and Liberties of the Church Jude 3. Gal. 5.1 Heb. 12.3.4 Ephes. 4.3.4 Phil. 2.1.2.3 1 Cor. 1.10 2 Cor. 13.11 This Care lies upon all the Churches and Members thereof the Lord make them good Husband-men carefull and watchfull and painfull as he hath promised for the benefit of the Church and the good keeping of this Typified Paradise as Hosea 10.11.12 Obj. But Labour and Worke was poena peccati a Curse Gen. 3.17 and a Bondage Ans. Not every Labour and Worke but anxious vexatious grievous pains and labours but not to labour in Paradise in the Lords Garden or Vineyard to such as the Lord hath set therein his Yoke is easie and his Service is sweet to them Prov. 3.17 The Wayes of wisdome are pleasantnesse to their Souls they delight to be doing for the Lord for Christ for the edifying of his Church Psal. 1.2 and 16.3 and 40.8 Psal. 119.16.24.35.47.70.77.174 Duties are a Delight and Ordinances a Delight to them Cant. 2.3 Isay. 58.13.14 6. Man though in Paradise yet upon open Breach of Gods Law he was cast out and excommunicated Gen. 3.23.24 Therfore the Lord sent him out from the Garden of Eden to till the ground from whence he was taken and he drove out the man or expelled cast and shut him out which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a hard word and a clear Excommunication whilst the former word he sent out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is but a kind of command to him to pack away but now he 's thrust out and banish'd Paradise for indeed his offence was the greater that it was in Paradise after he was so blessed and had tasted the fruits of it c. So must Offenders though Members of the Church 1 Cor. 5.45 be dealt with their sins are of the greater aggravation by how much the longer they have been Members and by how much the more they have tasted of the Fruits and found of the Benefits of being inclosed and in the Garden of the Lord viz. Church-fellowship wherefore let Members beware of the forbidden Fruits and they may live diu die long and happily in the Churches of Christ in these last dayes 7. Man in Paradise might eat of every tree v. 16. of every tree of the Garden thou mayest freely eat that is of the Fruit of every Tree 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ex quavis arbore except as v. 17. of the tree of knowledge thou must eat freely is an excellent Hebraisme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 eat and eat again yea comedendo comedes you may eat by eating there be some that say under these words lye a Command upon the Man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he must eat of the Fruits of every Tree without making difference of clean and unclean c. This shows the great advantage and priviledges of Saints and Members of the Churches in these last dayes they feed upon the Fruits of every Tree in the Garden not out of the Garden of every Ordinance of every Administration of every Gift Grace of every Saint or Member not putting of Differences making Distinctions or having of the Faith with respect of Persons or Opinions Micah 4.5 And they shall sit every one under his own Vine and they shall walke every one in the name of his God c. Yea then as every Tree