is done to the Figtree but also if ye shall say unto this Mountain be thou removed and be thou cast into the Sea and it shall be done 22. And all things whatsoever ye shall ask in Prayer believing ye shall receive This Christ spake to his Disciples unto whom he afterward gave as great power to as that of the removing of Mountains when he sent upon them the Holy Ghost and the Power of working Miracles and there is no doubt but if they had said to the Mountain be thou removed into the Sea but it should have been done as well as when Elijah called for Fire to come down from Heaven But these promises belong not to us but those that find they have Power to do these Miracles may believe they do belong to them Now here is some difference betvven vvhat is said in these Verses and vvhat is said in the former for there it is said that they shall say to this Mountain be thou removed and it shall be done but in these last Verses it is said if you shall say to this Mountain be you removed and it shall be so In the former there should be nothing impossible for them to do But in these vvhatsoever they should ask believingly they should receive Now as St. Paul saith 1 Cor. 13,2 And tho I have the gift of Prophecy and understand all Misteries and all knowledg And tho I have all Faith so that I could remove Mountains and have no Charity I am nothing 3. Altho I bestow all my goods to feed the Poor and tho I give my hody to be burned and have not Charity it profiteth me nothing Now these Mountains that St. Paul here speaks of doth appear to be some inbred Corruption which a man might find some inconvenience in And so for fear of Hell he becomes terrified and therefore no longer willing to live in them having all Faith as to believe the whole Revealed Will of God in his Word And therefore when he finds that he in his own strength was not able to overcome them then he goes to fetch strength from the the Lord in making his Addresses to him for his Assistance and having thereby gain'd power to remove these Mountains yet if his Heart is not drawn out in the Love of God and Christ thereby he is still nothing for it is our Love that God requireth and it is that which will launch with us into the World that is to come As to that word which in these new Translations is termed Charity is in the old Translation Love as in the Original For by Love vve extend our selves to God as vvell as to our fellovv Creatures vvhich by Charity vve cannot do Now as for those places of Scriptvre vvhere Christ and his Apostles saith he that believeth in me or he that believeth in Christ shall be saved is only in short to remember them of the Lord 's Revealed Will in his Word vvhich if they do so believe in the Lord as to make his Commands and Precepts the rule of their Lives to live according thereunto they shall be saved The vvhich is a clear demonstration that the Lord hath by himself and his Apostles left us Instructions vvhich vve are to believe by vvhich Salvation is attainable The vvhich St. Paul's vvords does farther clear 1 Cor. 15.1 Moreover Brethren I declare unto you the Gospel which I preached unto you which also ye have received and wherein ye stand By which also ye are saved if ye keep in memory what I Preached unto you unless ye have believed in vain And St. Peter faith 1 Pet. 1.21,22 Who by him do believe in God that raised him up from the Dead and gave him Glory that your Faith and Hope might be in God Seeing ye have purified your Souls in obeying the Truth through the Spirit see that ye Love one another with a pure Heart fervently We here see this Faith purifieth the Soul and extendeth it self in Love for God is Love And St. Peter saith in Acts 15.9 That God put no difference between us and them purifying their Hearts by Faith By vvhich vve see if vve have a saving faith it vvill vvork the same effect in us This is spoken of the Election 〈…〉 and 〈◊〉 of those that were Christ's standing witnesses thro' the World of whom the Lord faith in John 10.27,28 That none can pluck them out of his hand Concerning the Indwelling of Christ in us NOW as to Christ's being in us and as to the indwelling of the Spirit with us I shall here set down what St. Paul saith 2 Cor. 13.5 Examine your selves whether ye be in the Faith prove your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be roprobates Now we are to take notice what he here saith in the former part of the verse the which was that we should examin our selves whether we are in the Faith and that we should prove our selves as much as to say that is the way to know whether Christ is in us or no And in the Ephesians he tells us plainly how it is Christ is said to dwell in us where he saith in Ephes 3.17 That Christ may dwell in your Hearts by Faith that ye being rooted and grounded in Love By which we may clearly see it is by Faith and Love that Christ is said to dwell in our Hearts And therefore St. Paul saith in 1 Cor. 16.22 If any Man love not the Lord Jesus Christ let him him be Anathema Maranatha The which is let him be Accursed and if accursed besure he is a Reprobate Now if the indwellings of Christ in us is by Faith and Love then the best way to know whether Christ hath such an Indwelling in us or no is by our Obedience to him in our close walking with him according to his Revealed Will in his Word And if so we shall have the Spirit which is the Comforter more or less bearing Witness with our Spirits that we are the Children of God And St. Paul here speaks of the Works of the Flesh where he saith Rom. 8.5 to the 10. v. They that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit For to be carnally minded is Death but to be spiritually minded is Life and Peace Because the carnal mind is entirely against God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God But ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his And if Christ be in you the Body is dead because of sin but the Spirit is Life because of righteousness We see that the Spirit here spoken of is no other but a Spirit of Complaiscency to God and Christ in that their Wills are brought over into the Love
ye be led by the Spirit ye are not under the Law That is not under the condemning power of the Law For such as be led by the Spirit yield their sincere obedience to the Moral Law Accordingly he saith Rom. 2.13 For not the hearers of the Law are just before God but the doers of the Law shall be justified And also 1 Cor. 7.19 Circumcision is nothing and Uncircumcision is nothing but the keeping the Commands of God And St. John saith chap. 5.3 For this is the love of God that we keep his Commandments and his Commandments are not grievous And Christ saith Matth. 19.17 If thou wilt enter into life keep the Commandments And also in John 14.15 If ye love me keep my Commandments By all this we see we are as much obliged to keep the Moral Law as ever Israel was But whereas the Apostle saith By the deeds of the Law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight for by the Law is the knowledge of sin That is by the Law we are all sensible that we do not live up to it as thereby to become justified by it and therefore by it all have knowledge that they sin for hone can live up to that perfection as to become justified by it without the merits of Christ But when Israel did walk blamelesly in it according to the capacity in which God had put them the Righteousness of Christ was imputed for their Justification And of Zechariah and Elizabeth it is said Luke 1.6 They were both righteous before God walking in all the Commands and Ordinances of the Lord blameless So if we render our sincere obedience to all God's Commands and Precepts we may then look to Christ with boldness for our Justification For tho' the Churches that first trusted in Christ were saved without the deeds of the Law or visible works of Righteousness yet not without an inward work which was in the change of their wills and affections as being the foundation to all good works which afterward they accordingly walked in all that remained stedfast in the Faith And also the Apostle Paul gives charge that they should be rich in good works 1 Tim. 6.18,19 That they do good that they be rich in good works ready to distribute willing to communicate laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come that they may lay hold on eternal life By these words he fully declareth that good works are a foundation for us to build our hopes of Salvation upon as well as the merits of Christ for it is a conditional Covenant And also from these words of the Apostle we are to take notice there is another time to come before Eternity in which the Saints will be blessed And he saith Heb. 11.6 Without faith it is impossible to please him for he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him This is the Faith that stirs us up to all good works whereby we come in as Heirs to the promised mercy For Christ is the Author of eternal Salvation to all them that obey him Heb. 5.9 Who will render to every man according to his deeds To them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory honour immortality eternal life But unto them that are contentious and do not obey the Truth but obey unrighteousness indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish upon every Soul of man that doth evil of the Jew first and also of the Gentile But glory honour and peace to every man that worketh good to the Jew first and also to the Gentile Rom. 2.6,7,8,9,10 For we must all appear before the Judgment-Seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or had 2 Cor. 5.10 For not the hearers of the Law are just before God but the doers of the Law shall be justified Rom. 2.13 And God hath ingaged himself by his promise to be the rewarder of good works Prov. 19.17 Matth. 10.39,40,41,42 Matth. 5.7 The merciful shall obtain mercy And the Lord saith Rev. 22.12 Behold I come quickly and my reward is with me to give to every man according as his work shall be Therefore upon the promise of God St. Paul saith God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love which ye have shewed towards his Name in that ye have ministred to the Saints and do minister Heb. 6.10 And whereas the Apostle saith If he had all Faith 1 Cor. 13.23 That is Faith in God and in the Righteousness of Christ with a belief also that good works are required and he knowing God And therefore if he did them not in love to God and love to his Neighbour it would profit him nothing for it is we have turned this Word into Charity which in the Original is Love But this he speaks to shew that God requires our Love in all our actions And accordingly he saith It is a faith that worketh by love which is required Gal. 5.6 And there is no such obedience as that wherein the heart is concerned But as for them that know not God and therefore love him not they shall also be judged according to their works So the Believers will be judged according to their actions done with their affections For it is not only our believing in the Righteousness of Christ for our justification will stand us in stead but how we have believed in Christ as to obey the Doctrine of Christ which will make us blessed in that day Whereby we see that tho' the Gentiles were at first called in and justified by his grace yet afterwards all that were not immediately after their Conversion taken away by death were to be judged according to their deeds done in the body from the time of Conversion For Saint Peter saith to the Church If ye call ou the Father who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work pass the time of your sojourning here in fear 1 Pet. 1.17 That is the Believers will be judged according to their deeds from the time they were brought into the true knowledge of God and others how they have improved their day and season of grace in refraining that which is evil and in ordering their conversation according to the Gospel So all will be judged according to their deeds done in their body whether they have been good or evil For though we can do nothing of our selves without God's assistance yet it is required of us to improve the advantages and seasons of grace which he giveth us and to take to the Way and Rule that he hath set before us in which way he hath promised his assistance and it is such will be blessed Chap. IX What we ought to fear and what we ought not to fear Jude v. 12. These are spots in your Feasts of Charity when they feast with you feeding
themselves without fear Clouds they are without water That is for any to feed themselves without fear the Apostle terms them Clouds without water But for Believers to be timerously fearful of themselves because of their own weakness lest they should offend that fear is pleasing in the sight of God because it keeps them in a diligent watchfulness And were there not great cause of fear the Apostle would not have so forewarned the Saints of that roaring Lion that walks about seeking whom he may devour 1 Pet. 5.8 And of such as fear it is said The Lord will deliver them who through fear of death were all their life-time subject to bondage Heb. 2.15 Here we see there is comfort for them that so fear But as for such as are mistrustfully fearful of the faithfulness and power of God that he will not perform his promise according to his word and therefore they will not venture the loss of the delights and advantages of this World so as to obey his Commands and Precepts of such fearful and unbelieving it is of whom the Lord saith They shall have their part in the Lake which burneth with fire and brimstone Rev. 21.8 Therefore St. Paul saith to the Saints Heb. 10.35 Cast not away therefore your confidence which hath great recompence of reward That is confidence in the power and faithfulness of God for as we believe that God is so we must believe that he is the rewarder of them that diligently seek him Heb. 11. v. 6. And that the Crown of Life according to the promise of the Lord will be given to them that continue faithful to the death Rev. 2.10 Therefore St. Paul saith For ye have need of patience that after ye have done the will of God ye might receive the promise Heb. 10.36 For whosoever doeth the will of God comes in as Heirs to the promise And accordingly St. Paul saith 1 Cor. 9.26 I therefore so run not as uncertainly so sight I not as one that beateth the Air. This being the Apostle's faith his confidence in the faithfulness of the promiser which made him thus run and fight for in so doing he knew that he was not at an uncertainty And this is the faith or belief which is to the saving of the Soul For verily there is a reward for the righteous Psal 58.11 For God doth never justifie the ungodly by the imputation of the Righteousness of Christ but when they turn from sin unto God for God will no otherwise clear the guilty 1 John 4.18 He saith Perfect love casteth out fear That is where perfect love is it casteth out all slavish fear but not a filial Child-like fear but it is not every sincere-hearted Christian can be thus assured they are made perfect in love and those that are so are not thereby assured that their love will so remain For the Lord saith of the Church of Ephesus That she was fallen from her first love for which she was threatned to be removed out of his favour if she did not repent and do her first works Rev. 2.4,5 Chap. X. Christ the Author of Faith HEB. 12.2 Looking unto Jesus the Author and finisher of Faith For had not God promised Christ and by him everlasting Life to all them that should keep his Covenant there had been no ground for Faith or hope of Salvation Therefore of this Faith Christ is the Author the which faith or hope caused all those Worthies of old to undergo all those difficulties mentioned in the foregoing chapter which are as a Cloud of Witnesses to incourage us to suffer and to follow the Lord Jesus thro' all difficulties Who for the joy that was set before him endured the Cross despising the shame and is set down at the right hand of the Throne of God ch 12. v. 2. The which if we accordingly deny our selves in obedience to him Christ will then compleatly finish our faith in giving the Crown of Life to them who have continued faithful to the death Chap. XI What it is to be born of God and to overcome the World 1 JOHN 5.1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him Now we must always look to the words that go before and to those that follow after if we would come to a right understanding of the word For in that he saith They that love God they likewise love Christ that is begotten of him or else they cannot be born of God For if they or we are not by our believing that Christ is the Son of God brought off from the delights of this World we cannot be born of God For it is such a belief in us that Christ is the Son of God which draws out our heart to love and obey him as God or else our belief in him is not such as makes us to be born of God Therefore he saith in verse 2. By this we know that we love the Children of God when we love God keep his Commandments For by the Commandments of God we are commanded to love the Children of God and by keeping the commands of God it is we know that we love God therefore the Apostle saith in v. 3. This is the love of God that we keep his Commandments and his Commandments are not grievous By which we see our love to God and Christ is in keeping their Commands And he saith in verse 4. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the World and this is the victory that overcometh the World even our faith What meaneth the Apostle here in saying that by faith they overcame the World He meaneth all the vain fleshly and covetous desires of any thing relating to the World which by their faith they overcame Which faith set them on work looking for the reward promised which is the Crown of Life But notwithstanding some have again been overcome by the World and so made shipwrack of faith and a good conscience 1 Tim. 1.19 and others as in 2 Pet. 2.18,19 They allure thro' the lust of the flesh thro' much wantonness those that were clean escaped from them who live in errour While they promise them liberty they themselves are the servants of corruption for of whom a man is overcome of the same is he brought in bondage By which nothing can be more plain than that those that have had the New Birth wrought in them and have overcome the World may again be overcome by the World and brought into bondage and so the latter end is worse with them than the beginning as in ver 20,21 Now the man that is born of God is brought off from the World and whilst he so continues new-born or brought off from the World he sinneth not because he doth not wilfully commit sin For the sins that are not wilfully committed will not be imputed for Christ remains their Advocate John 5.16 If any man see his
as to become obedient unto him And the Lord speaking of the Signs of his Coming saith Luke 21.28 And when these things begin to come to pass then look up and lift up your Heads for your Redemption draweth nigh Heb. 9.28 And unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation That is looketh for him with a true longing desire after him For the Lover is with him accepted For the Lord saith John 14.21 He that hath my commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and will manifest my self unto him And God hath also promised in Jeremiah Jer. 29.13 Ye shall seek me and find me when ye shall search for me with all your heart And now whosoever comes to Christ by Repentance Love and New Obedience he will in no wise cast out But when he comes to Judgment it will be too late for us Christians But I know to them that are unwilling to leave their Old Sins these glad Tidings will prove but unwelcome News as Christ's first Coming was to Herod and to the wicked Jews with him For when they heard thereof it is said they were troubled Mat. 2.2 For they thinking they were well enough as they were and their Consciences telling them they must reform their ways they desired him not and so as they desired him not so they knew him not who he was to their own destruction And so whosoever now hears of the Lord 's Coming and think with themselves that they will see a little farther first before they will amend their Lives there remains no Hope for them but that they will be left of God to Hardness of Heart and Blindness of Mind and so either be carried off this world by the Judgments that are now sent upon the Earth just before his Coming or otherwise reserved for those intolerable Judgments that are spoken of in the Revelations the which all the greatest of them will be poured forth upon the Earth after the Lord comes And then shall men desire to die but Death shall fly from them till such time that they have endured the Torments that God hath on the Earth allotted them For upon the wicked Psal 11.6 God shall rain Snares Fire and Brimstone and an horrible Tempest this shall be the portion of their Cup As in Esdras 2 Esd 13.37,38 For when the Son of God shall come to rebuke the wicked Inventions of those Natious which for their wicked Life are fallen into the Tempest and shall lay before them their evil Thoughts and the Torments wherewith they shall begin to be tormented which are like unto a Flame and he shall destroy them without Labour by the Law which is like unto Fire For as the fire refineth the mettal from the Dross so shall the Lord do at his Coming as it is in Malachy Mal. 3.2,3,4 For he shall come saith the Lord of Hosts but who may abide the day of his coming and who shall stand when he appeareth For he is like a Refiner's Fire and like Fullers Soap And he shall purifie the Sons of Levi and purge them as Gold and Silver that they may offer unto the Lord an Offering in Righteousness Then shall the Offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord. This is spoken of the Natural Seed of Jacob whom the Lord shall purifie at his Coming And St. Jude saith Jude v. 15. The Lord cometh with ten thousands of his Saints to execute Judgment upon all and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodlily committed and of all their hard Speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him And St. Peter tells us 2 Pet 3.3,4,5,6 That in the last days there shall come Scoffers waking after their own Lust saying Where is the promise of his coming for since the Fathers fell asleep all things continue as they were from the beginning of the Creation For he there tells us That this they are willingly ignorant of That by the word of God the Heavens were of old and the Earth standing out of the water and in the water whereby the world that then was being overflowed with water perished But by St. Peter's words we are fully given to understand what that world was which then perished it being neither the material Heavens nor Earth which then perished but the people of the world which perished But he saith in 2 Pet. 3.7 The Heavens and the Earth which are now by the same word are kept in store reserved unto fire against the day of Judgment and perdition of ungodly men But you may say why doth St. Peter here make mention of the Heavens and Earth that are now if â—e means the people The which words do make it plainly appear he had a figurative meaning in it for we know that there was then the same Heavens and Earth which are now therefore there is this Reason that he here mentions the Heavens and the Earth and not the world as he did before for we read of no Principalities nor Powers no more Soveraignty than was from the Parents to their Children and as from the Elder Brother to the Younger the which their Sons and Daughters had as much command over their children as their Parents had over them And as to what the Lord doth say in Isa 13.13 doth enlighten us herein for God there speaking of the destruction of the Old Babylon which also hath a reference to that which now is the Lord there saith in the 13th Verse Therefore I will shake the Heavens and the Earth shall remove out of her place in the wrath of the Lord of Host and in the day of his fierce anger Now what was the shaking of the Heavens in this place but the destruction of the King of Babylon by the Medes And pray consider what was the Earth that then was removed but the destruction of the Babylonians most of them being destroyed â—p the Sword and the Remnant that was left made Captives The Relation of which is set down in the same Chapter ver 15.16,17,18,19 Every one that is found shall be thrust through and every one that is joyned unto them shall fall by the Sword Their children also shall be dash'd to peices before their eyes their Houses shall be spoiled and their Wives ravished Behold I will stir up the Mece against them which shall not regard silver and as for Gold they shall have no delight in it Their Bows also shall dash the young men in peices and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb their Eyes shall not spart children And Babylon the Glory of Kingdoms the Beauty of the Caldeans Excellency shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah Here you see that God terms the Babylonians to the Heavens and Earth and also in Isa 1.
hath given him Authority to execute judgment also because he is the Son of God We see all along here that the Lord speaks of his power and judgment when he again comes And again he saith Marvel not at this for the hour is coming in which all that are in their graves shall hear his voice And shall come forth they that have done good unto the resurrection of life and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation Here the Lord speaks in the Scripture way of speaking in that he so nearly joyns his coming to judge the World with that last judgment like that of his joyning the destruction of Jerusalem and of the World together according to which all the Scripture is so joyn'd Now these two judgments are clearly to distinct things for in the first it is said the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and it was those that did hear did live therefore this is at the first resurrection when the Lord again comes at which time all the promiss'd Elect shall be call'd in whom he hath promised mercy and with the dead Bodies of the Saints shall hear the voice of the Son of God and live And the other is the eternal judgment which is spoken of in the Revelations where it is said the Sea and Death and Hell delivered up the dead As to what the Lord saith in John 5. from the 20. v. to the 29. v. The Lord there speaks of the two judgments as I have elsewhere proved to you and therefore what he saith in the 24. v. is concerning them that are believers at his coming that they have everlasting life and that they shall not come into condemnation but where the Lord saith John 6.47 Verily verily I say unto you he that believeth on me hath everlasting life And the Apostle also saith 1 John 5.11,12,13 This is the record that God hath given us eternal life and this life is in his Son He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God that ye may know that ye have eternal life That is God hath renewed us in Christ and given us eternal life by him if we are true Believers and what that belief is that is required of us I have elsewhere proved to you But the everlasting life that is given the Believer is as it was given Adam in Paradise the which was as long as he continued in his obedience And so it is with us the which the words of the Lord doth fully explain where he saith John 8.51 Verily verily I say unto you if a man keep my sayings he shall never see death And Christ saith again John 15.9,10,11,12 As the Father hath loved me so have I loved you continue ye in my love If ye keep my commandments ye shall abide in my love even as I kept my Fathers commandments and abide in his love These things have I spoken unto you that my joy might remain in you and that your joy might be full This is my commandment that ye love one another as I have loved you By all this we plainly see that the eternal life given the Believer is theirs no longer than they persist in their obedience So Adam's eternal life that he had given him in Paradise was lost by his offending for had he persisted in his obedience he had never dyed And as I have already proved to you that if we are regenerated so as our wills are brought over into an intire resignation of our selves to God and Christ then we are accepted of him and then is the righteousness of Christ imputed to us but it is afterward there comes a day of trial either by temptation or affliction or a cloudy dark day may overtake us and therefore it is best for every true Christian to arm themselves for the worst that they may be able to stand in the evil day so whilst we continue in our obedience the perfect righteousness of Christ is imputed to us and then as the Apostle saith are we complete in him and afterward what sins are not willfully committed will not destroy us because Christ is our Advocate with the Father 1 Joh. 2.1 but let him that standeth take heed lest he fall And St. John saith 1 John 3.6,7,8 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not whosoever sinneth hath not seen him That is they give themselves no liberty to sin and what is not willingly committed is not imputed Little Children let no man deceive you he that doeth righteousness is righteous even as he is righteous That is if we continue in well-doing as I before shewed we have the perfect righteousness of Christ imputed to us for it is said we are complete in him He that committeth sin is of the Devil for the Devil sinned from the beginning for this purpose the Son of God was manifest that be might destroy the works of the Devil That is he that willfully committeth sin is of the Devil for the Devil committeth no sin but what he committeth willfully And the Apostle saith 1 John 1.6,7,8,9 If we say we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness we lye and do not the truth But if we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin This is that which makes us appear clean and white in the sight of God But he saith again If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us For we cannot live without sin as sins of infirmity and sins of ignorance and too often overtaken in the sins of Negligence and sometimes overtaken with the Sins of Surprisal Therefore he saith in the 9. v. If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteouness That is all our unrighteousnesses upon our Conversion are forgiven if we seek to God by Confession and Contrition And whereas the Lord saith in Mat. 5.46,47,48 For if ye love them which love you what reward have ye do not even the Publicans the same and if ye salute your Brethren only what do ye more than others do not even the Publicans so Be ye therefore perfect even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect That is be you perfect or sincere in your Love to others as God was sincere or perfect in his Love to you in that he gave the Son of his Love for you according to his Promise And in Luke 17.5,6 And the Apostles said unto the Lord increase our Faith And the Lord said if ye had Faith as a grain of Mustard-seed you might say to this Sycamine Tree be thou pluck up by the Root and be thou planted in the Sea and it should obey you
the words of the Apostles make out But I shall here only mention the words of St. Paul what he saith in Heb. 6.4,5,6 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightned and have tasted of the heavenly Gift and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost and have tasted the good Word of God and the Powers of the world to come if they shall fall away to renue them again by repentance seeing they crucifie to themselves the Son of God afresh and put him to an open shame By these words of the Apostle it is fully evident although they were thus sealed with the Spirit of Promise which is the Holy Ghost yet it was not impossible for them to fall off again And therefore he useth all those Admonitions and Exhortations to them that they might persevere in Holiness and in the fear of the Lord. And whereas St. Paul saith Rom. 11.29 The gifts and calling of God are without repentance Now these words were in a more particular mannet spoken of Israel when the Lord again comes as in Rom. 11.25,26,27,28,29 where he saith For I would not Brethren that you should be ignorant of this mystery lest ye should be wise in your own conceits that blindness in part is happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in 26. And so all Israel shall be saved as it is writteu there shall come out of Sion the deliverer and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob. 27. For this is my covenant unto them when I shall take away their sins 28. As concerning the Gospel they are enemies for your sakes but as touching the Election they are beloved for their Fathers sakes 29. For the Gifts and calling of God are without Repentance This blindness we see happened to Israel not from any Decree in God before their own default occasioned it for the word happened makes it appear it was not designed for them These Words are concerning the wonderful Promises made to the Fathers concerning 〈◊〉 which will be made good to them whe◠〈◊〉 Lord again come at which time he will give them a New Heart and a Now Spirit so as they shall not sin against him and then 〈◊〉 â—hat he shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob. So as it is said that then he will not be angry with them nor rebuke them any more Now as to what reference the gifts and calling of God has to us or chiefly to the first Christian Churches was in giving Christ and the Holy Ghost and in calling the then Churches out of the Darkness of Heathenism and in forgiving them all their past sins and that through the imputed righteousness of Christ they were accepted as perfectly righteous in the sight of God as it is said he not imputing their iniquities And after they or we are regenerated the sins that are not wilfully committed are not imputed Therefore St. Paul faith That if he did that he would not then it was no more he that did it but sin that dwelleth in him Now the then gifts and callings of God to them and us did exrend no farther then thus renewing us again as to set them and us upright Therefore the Apostle wisely cautions them and us that he that standeth must take heed lest he fall But the first Churches being thus regenerated and renewed by the Holy Ghost the Apostle might well say that they were chosen to salvation since God had put them into such a Capacity and made them fit for it if they did not again fall away the choice being absolute in God But because the frail or sinful nature of man was not removed therefore there remained a defect in them and our selves and therefore we are continually to go to God to beg renewed strength from him And if we take to the rules that he hath set before us he will perfect â—he work that he hath begun in us according to the saying of the Psalmist Psa 84.11 The Lord will give grace and glory No good thing will he withold from them that walk uprightly For God doth not withdraw from his people on purpose to damn them For the Apostle Peter saith 2 Pet. 2.9 The Lord is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance The like St. Paul saith in Timothy 2 Tim. 2.2,3.4 But it may be said how is it then that all are not saved The reason why Christ himself tells us Mat. 13.25 There is several sorts of ground Thereby giving us to understand that we are not naturally all alike For by the words of the Lord it appears that he had done alike for all which is the generality of all but that we cannot bring forth fruit alike according to what the Lord saith in Mat. 13.18.19 Hear ye therefore the parable of the Sower 19. V. When any one heareth the word of the Kingdom and understandeth not then cometh the wicked one and catcheth away that which was Sown in his heart This is he which received the Seed by the way side We see this sort of ground or people were wanting to themselves by reason they did not consider their ways to be wise And therefore are destroyed for lack of knowledge And whereas the Lord saith in Mat. 13.20,21,22,23 But he that received the Seed in stony places the same is he that heareth the word and anon with joy received it yet hath he not root in himself but dureth for a while for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word by and by he is offended Here is great defect in the ground or Man himself And he saith in 22. V. He also that received the Seed among the Thorns is he that heareth the word And the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word and he becometh unfruitful Here the diligent husbandman might root out most part of these Thorns which makes his ground unfruitful or his heart barren of faith and love to God And the Lord saith in 23. V. But he that received the Seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word and understandeth it which also beareth fruit and bringeth forth some an hundred fold some sixty some thirty By this we may clearly see it was the ground which the Lord here declares did differ for as it is said the Lord dyed for all and the promises are made to all that will receive him according to the Tenor of the Gospel But we see they cannot all alike receive him For we read that the same Seed was Sown but the ground could not bear alike but in that they brought forth no fruit was because they were wanting to themselves But although God may give to some more and to some less yet he requireth of all an improvement according to what he hath given them As witness to whom he gave the Talents Now me thinks of all the ground the stony seems to be in the worst condition being that in which man can be least helpful
forsaken of him For the new Heart and the new Spirit which God requireth we should make us is that they should desire Holiness and Righteousness as they did heretofore sin and wickedness and also to use their utmost diligence for attaining unto an Holy Life desiring God's Assistance for he will never leave us nor forsake us if we so do for God withdraws not the good motions of his Spirit from any of his People till such time as they fall away from him And this new Heart and new Spirit in the Capacity he hath put us and by the means set before us we are able to make us by his promised assistance but this is not the new heart which he hath promised to give Isa 45.19 By which we may see it is our slothfulness and slugishness and also in our giving way to Temptations and to our own inclinations and affections whereby Satan for our want of bridling them hurries the Soul which way he pleaseth and so for want of watchfulness diligence and labour in the service of the Lord They lose the promised blessing which is Eternal Life and so come to have their Portion in Hell it self but if we are found in the ways of God as St. Paul tells us God doth not forget our Work and Labour of Love And twice in this foregoing Chapter of Ezekiel God saith I have no pleasure in the Death of him that dieth Now after the fall of Man the decree was that the entrances into life should be made strait so as those that will not wrestle for the blessing cannot have it And whereas St. Paul saith in Rom. 11.13 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief that he might have mercy upon all That is Israel also being sinful and therefore God left them to blindness of mind and so concluding them all in unbelief that is the greater part of them that they might taste the fruit of their own doings in the weight of his displeasure and that afterward he might make some of all sharers of his mercy And the Lord saith in Amos 3.6 Shall a Trumpet be blown in the City and the people not afraid Shall there be evil in the City and the Lord hath not done it This is spoken of the Evil of Punishment as all the Chapter makes appear For as man is the committer of the Evil of sin so God is the inflictor of the Evil of punishment And also the like is said in Isaiah 42.24 And St. Peter speaking of Christ saith in Acts 2.23,24 Him being delivered by the determined Counsel and fore-knowledge of God ye have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slain Whom God hath raised up having loosed the pains of Death because it was not possible that he should be holden of it This being most certain that the Jews could have had no power to crucifie the Lord of Life had it not been done by the determined Counsel and Foreknowledge of God But by these words there is not one syllable from whence we may gather that this Counsel was before the material Heavens and Earth but rather the contrary in that he mentions them not And as to what St. Peter saith Acts 4.27,28 For of a truth against thy Holy Child Jesus whom thou hast anointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the people of Israel were gathered together 28. For to do whatsoever thy Hand and thy Counsel determined before to be done Now God eclipsing the Glory of Christ and Christ taking upon him the Form of a Servant and he speaking against their Wicked Ways the which the Jews could not bear and thereupon Satan made them his Instruments to accomplish his Hellish Design by which he thought to have conquered the Lord of Life but he thereby wrought his own eternal perdition and thereby the determined Counfel of God was brought to pass in Satan's Overthrow and man's salvation Now whereas it is said by the Angel where he mentions the Beast and the Kings Rev. 17.17 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will and to agree and give their Kingdom unto the Beast until the words of God shall be fullfilled Now we may say Wherefore was it the Will of God to put in the Hearts of these Kings to agree in giving their Power to the Beast until his Word should be fullfilled The Reason is this There was a Foreknowledge in God of their miscarriage And upon that foreknowledg of their miscarriage God did determine to leave them to delusion till such time his Words should be fullfilled according to which St. Paul saith 2 Thes 2.9,10 where he speaks of the Beast Even him whose coming is after the working of Satan with all Power and Signs and Lying Wonders 10. v. And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish because they received not the love of the Truth that they might be saved We see this was so determined of God by reason God foreseeing they would have no delight in his Ways nor receive the Truth in the Love thereof Therefore they were given up by God to follow the delâ—sions of the Beast and the Devil Now whereas it is said in Acts 13.46,47,48 Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold and said it was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you but seeing ye put it from you and judg your selves unworthy of everlasting life lo we turn to the Gentiles for so hath the Lord commanded us saying I have set thee to be a light to the Gentiles that thou shouldest be for Salvation unto the ends of the Earth And when the Gentiles heard this they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord and as many as were ordained to eternal Life believed Now by the Ordaining here spoken of if we take it for granted that there was a certain number of the Gentiles as there was of the Jews so absolutely given to Christ as they should never fall away and that they were here so chosen at Antioch where St. Paul spake this for Antioch was an eminent place for Believers insomuch that they were first there called Christians Yet however this does no way prove that all believers are so Ordained to Everlasting Life so as they shall never finally fall away for by the word of God it is absolutely the contrary as I have here proved But as to the Ordaining here spoken of when explained according to the Tenor of the Gospel it does appear to be no such thing for the Believer upon his believing that Christ is the Author of Eternal Salvation to all them that obey him Heb. 5.9 by which his Heart is drawn out in thankfulness love and obedience to Christ Gal. 5.6 for it is a Faith that worketh by Love is required the which the sinner no sooner so believeth but that all his past Sins are then forgiven him and the Righteousness of Christ imputed to him so as the Believer becomes compleat in him for God by
then Farther confirmed the blessing to him as in Gen. 22. And at the time appointed according to his Promise God did appear to deliver his Seed out of the Land of Egypt and when he brought them into the Wilderness he is said to prove them there And God kept Moses in the Mount with him but forty days and Israel was all fallen off to Idolatry for which the Lord would have destroyed them all as in Exod. 32.10,11,12 Where God saith now therefore let me alone that my wrath may wax hot against them and that I may consume them and I will make of thee a great Nation But thro' the Prayers of Moses as in the 11. v. the Fierce Anger of the Lord was asswaged The which gives us to understand that there was no such absolute Election at that time But rather from that time God might give Christ a certain number whose names might then be written in the Book of Life that they should be as a standing witness through this World if in case the Devil should at any time draw off the rest yet still there should remain a standing Witness the which should own the Truth by which means those that did desire the ways of Holiness might be recovered out of Darkness again by coming to have the knowledg of the Truth and following their Example Now St. Stephen saith in Acts 7.34 That it was Christ that was in the Church in the Wilderness And Israel then being chosen for the foundation of the World to come it does thereby fully appear that their Names were then put into the Book of Life who should be a standing witness through the World and so secured in Christ as they should not fall away Of whom St. Paul speaketh in the Romans after he had spoken of the wilful miscarriage of Israel whom God hath put into a capacity of Obedience as in Rom. 10.21 But to Israel he saith all the day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying People But he afterward speaking of the Special Elect he saith Rom. 11.2 God hath not cast away his People which he foreknew That is foreknew of the Church by their close walking with him and also in especial manner he doth here mean the very Elect whose Names were written in Heaven from the Foundation of the World Of whom he saith in Rom. 11.5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the Election of Grace Now in the foregoing verse he there tells them that God reserved to himself seven Thousand who had not bowed the Knee to the Image of Baal So as there was then so there was when Christ came a Number according to the Election of Grace the which were as a gift from the Father to Christ And of these Christ speaks in John 10.27,28,29,30 My sheep hear my Voice and I know them and they follow me And I give unto them Eternal Life and they shall never perish neither shall any pluck them out of my hand My Father which gave them me is greater than all and none is able to pluck them out of my Fathers hand I and my Father are one Here we see Christ does own these as a gift from the Father and that they are so absolutely given as they can never fall away Now of his other Sheep the Lord speaketh after another manner to let them know they stand not so securely For he saith John 15.2,5,6,9,10,12,14 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away And he saith I am the Vine ye are the branches 〈◊〉 he that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit for without me ye can do nothing 6. If a man abide not in me he is cast forth as a branch and is withered and men gather them and cast them into the fire and they are burned 9. As the Father hath loved me so have I loved you continue ye in my love 10 If ye keep my Commandments ye shall abide in my love even as I keep my Fathers Commandments and abide in his love 12. This is my Commandment that you love one another as I have loved you 14. Ye are my Friends if ye do whatsoever I command you Here we see our standing is but upon Conditions and the Conditions is the continuance in our Obedience the which if we do not perfist in though we were ingrafted into Christ we shall be broken off and cast into the fire And although we are in the love of Christ yet we may through our own default not continue in it whilst the other sheep are so absolutely fixed in Christ that they cannot fall away And in John 6.35,37 And Jesus said unto them I am the Bread of Life he that cometh to me shall never hunger and he that believeth on me shall never thirst This includes their continuance in believing the which belief is a practical belief as I have elsewhere proved where I have spoken of it And Christ saith John 6.37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out Now this was spoken to the Jews that believed not therefore Christ told them That all that the Father had given him should come to him because from them were a certain number of the special Elect And Christ encourages all to come to him for he saith he that cometh to him he will in no wise cast out So as none need fear being left of God if they do not first forsake him And that we may not forsake him let us never trust our selves with our selves but continually beg strength and grace of him whereby we may be enabled to live unto him and if we so do we shall find a continual support from him And to be sure none of the Jews was left of God to blindness of mind that had in sincerity lived in Obedience but the blindness fell on them that had leaves only That is an Outward shew of Godliness but denying the Power thereof Acts 13.26 And the Lord saith in John 6.39,40 And this is the Fathers will which sent me that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing but should raise it up at the last day This also includes the special Elect and by the Last Day is meant the Last Day of this World But the Lord saith in 40 v. And this is the will of him that sen◠me that every one which seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day Here this includes all believers shewing That if they do believe it is then the Will of God that they should so continue that they might have everlasting Life By which it is very clear That God doth not withdraw from any that believe because that he would damn them but it is they first forsake him and so fall away For it is the Will of God our continuance in
was one of those who then upon his conversion had his iniquities forgiven and his sins covered yet he said Wo be to him if he preacht not the Gospel 1 Cor. 9.16 Whereby he sheweth he must yield his obedience or else vengeance would overtake him Heb. 10.30 And also after that Abraham had been obedient in leaving his Countery and his kindred the Lord again appeared to him Gen. 17.1 and said I am the Almighty God walk before me and be thou perfect The which shews God requires our continuance in our obedience to him The which in being sincere therein is man's perfection And after God further tryed and proved Abraham whether he would obey in all things even to that in which the desire of his Soul was set upon which was in the offering up of his Son Isaac And that God commanded him to do without a promise of reward but afterwards for his willingness to be obedient therein God redoubled his promise to him For God's promises are generally attain'd and retain'd in the way of our love and obedience And St. Paul saith Rom. 6.16 Know ye not that to whom ye yield your selves Servants to obey his Servants ye are to whom ye obey whether of sin unto death or of obedience unto righteousness By these words the Apostle puts it out of all dispute clearly shewing that we are his Servants to whom we do yield our selves Servants to obey And the Apostle saith to the Church in the following verse That they were the Servants of sin but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of Doctrine which was delivered you Now the form of Doctrine was that they should observe all things whatsoever Christ had commanded This being the last charge Christ left with his Disciples promising such as did accordingly obey that he would be with them to the end of the world Matth. 28.20 Rom. 4.2 If Abraham were justified by works be hath whereof to glory but not before God That is not before God as tho' he had by his good works merited all those great blessings that God had promised him No this is quite contrary to truth and contrary to the understanding that still remains in us that he or we by our poor endeavours when at the best should for them deserve an everlasting inheritance and an eternal weight of glory and that procured by the Sacrifice of the Son of his love No so to think is an offence to God And also the Lord Christ saith When ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you say ye are unprofitable Servants Luk. 17.10 For God needed not us for his eternal blessedness would not have been diminished if we had eternally perished For he would have remained eternally blessed without us altho' we should have remained eternally miserable without him For a poor Soul before God has no more reason to glory than a poor condemned Malefactor that a great Prince had taken pity of therefore paid his ransome taken him into his Service withal promising him as long as he kept to the Rule or way that he had set him and did not wilfully depart from it he would be with him to carry him through all difficulties and that if he so continued to do he would not leave him nor forsake him and that for the short time that he should set him if he therein was found faithful to his service he then would adopt him his Son and give him an inheritance as a Son of his Now should this Servant boast and glory before his Prince and say I think for the small time of service that thou requirest of me I deserve all that thou hast done or hath promised to do for me this would immediately disinherit him of his Princes favour But on the contrary if this Servant's heart is drawn out in love and obedience to his Prince for the great kindness received and for the future promises made to him he having a sense how infinitely above any thing that his deservings could be his Prince had promised to reward him And therefore he resolving to do his utmost endeavour that he might be found faithful in his service he having strong confidence and faith in his Prince that if he was found diligent in his Service his Lord would not only be willing but had power according to his promise to reward him His Prince also giving him orders that he should come to him upon all occasions for fresh supplies whereby he might be enabled to do him service This Servant observing diligently all the orders his Lord gave him therefore at the appointed time receives the promised reward But not as tho' he had merited these great things but that his great benefactor had promised such great rewards to all his Servants that should be found faithful in his Service So Christ of his free grace and mercy hath paid the ransom for sinners for all that will yield to him their love and sincere obedience And at the time he takes them into his Service he then clears them of all their past sins and for the time to come promises his assistance whilst they keep the way which he hath set them and do not willingly depart from it And if they should be overtaken in a fault against their wills they then shall not be utterly cast down for Christ remains an Advocate for them And if they accordingly continue faithful to the death hath promised then to give them the Crown of life but not as tho' their service had merited so great a reward but that of his great mercy and rich grace he hath promised such great rewards to all that are faithful in his Service Accordingly God said to Abraham That he would be his exceeding great reward Gen. 15.1 Thereby shewing that God would reward him for what he did and exceedingly above what he deserved So Christ is said to be the Author of Eternal Salvation to all them that obey him Heb. 5.9 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory honour and immortality eternal life Rom. 2.7 Now tho' Abraham or any other cannot have whereof to glory before God yet they may rejoyce in that they have walked in sincere obedience to him whereby they at last become accepted of him as to have the reward of the Crown of life For whosoever renders their sincere obedience to God and Christ comes in as an heir to the promise of life For he shall have the righteousness of Christ imputed to him for his justification Acts 10.35 whilst others thro' their unwary walking go out of the way that God hath set them whereby they fall away and so lose that Crown which otherwise they might have had Rev. 3.11 and 2.10 And those that by their wary walking have kept the way tho' they have not to glory before God yet for their so doing they shall have praise of God 1 Cor. 4.5 And tho' St. Paul saith in the 7. v. Who maketh thee to differ
from another and what James saith c. 1. v. 17. Every good and perfect gift cometh from above Yet by the words of Christ in the parable it is plain that some improved the Talents they had received and some improved not their Talent Matth. 25. And Israel was cast off of God for their not improving their day of grace Matthew 23.37 Rom. 4.11,12,13 And he received the Sign of circumcision a seal of the righteousness of faith which he had yet being uncircumcised that he might be the father of all them that believe tho' they be not circumcised that righteousness might be imputed unto them also And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the Circumcision only but also walk in the steps of that faith of our Father Abraham which he had being yet uncircumcised For the promise that he should be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed thro' the Law but thro' the righteousness of Faith Now what was the steps of that Faith that our Father Abraham walkt in being uncircumcised It was that he staggered not at the promise of God but believed that he should have it according to the word of the Lord in the way of his obedience that he thereby should be made the Father of many Nations and heir of the world which carried him thro' all difficulties and caused him to tread in the steps of Righteousness according as the Lord required of him Gen. 17,1,2 I am the Almighty God walk before me and be thou perfect And I will make my Covenant between me and thee and will multiply thee exceedingly These words shew that God required of Abraham his sincere obedience that thereby he might be the heir of this promise Accordingly St. Paul saith verse 13. For the promise that he shoulld be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the Law but through the righteousness of faith Which was through the righteousness which this his faith produc'd the which Circumcision was afterward given him as a Seal of this his righteousness by faith And whether circumcised or uncircumcised whosoever treads in the steps of our Father Abraham in looking for the performance of the promise in the way of their obedience shall also become heirs of life Rom 4.14,15,16 For if they which are of the Law be heirs faith is made void and the promise made of none effect because the Law worketh wrath for where no Law is there is no transgression Therefore it is of faith that it might be of grace to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed not to that only which is of the Law but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham who is the Father of us all Now the Law expected the perfect performance of the thing required before they could become justified by it but then under the Law through mercy they that did render their sincere obedience thereunto it was accepted of them so as they had the Righteousness of Christ imputed to them for their Justification But hereby it sheweth that Justification was not to be attained by the Law but that Justification and Righteousness is to be attained by Faith that draws out the heart in love to God and Christ with an assent to yield obedience to him Such are made partakers of his grace and so by the Righteousness of Christ become justified And where this complying frame of spirit is it was and is the seed to whom the promise belongs whether under the Law or Gospel and unto such as these that tread in Abraham's steps he is a Father For all are his servants to whom ye yield your selves servants to obey whether of sin unto death or of obedience unto righteousness Rom. 6.16 Rom. 4.21,22 And he being fully persuaded that what God hath promised he was able to perform And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness That is Abraham was fully persuaded that God was able to perform what he had promised him which drew out his heart to yield that obedience which God required of him He thus believing it was imputed to him for righteousness And whereas the Apostle saith verse 23,24,25 Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him but for us also to whom it shall be imputed if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead who was delivered for our offences and was raised again for our justification That is if we believe in him that raised up our Lord from the dead that the purchased Salvation by Christ is to be imputed according as he in his Word hath declared and so accordingly we lay hold of the promise of Life then Christ was delivered for our offences as well as for theirs and likewise rose again for our Justification as well as theirs if we according as these Romans had done to whom he wrote have obeyed from the heart the Doctrine of the Gospel then also we by Christ are made free from the condemning power of sin and are become the servants of Righteousness Rom. 6.17,18 But we are no sooner set clear from the condemning power of sin by the free grace of God purchased by the Blood of his Son but we are immediately thereupon listed Souldiers of Christ to fight under his Banner against the World the Flesh and the Devil and all our corrupt Affections and Inclinations and bringing down every thought to the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10.5 Chap. III. The Election of the first Churches EPhes 2.8,9,10 For by Grace are ye saved thro' Faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God Not of works lest any man should boast For we are his Workmanship Created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them By these words the Apostle also clearly sheweth that by good works standing alone without the merits of Christ no man can be justified in his sight And therefore all boasting is taken away from man in the sight of God But whereas he saith in v. 10. For we are his Workmanship Created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them Here the Apostle hath his peculiar reference to the first Churches who were brought out of darkness sin and errour And as he saith in verse 12. Ye were without Christ being aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel and strangers to the Covenant of Promise having no hope and without God in the World Now at that time God did not only abound in his mercy towards them of the first Churches in all wisdom and prudence Ephes 5.8 in shewing his mighty power in them and in calling them as the Apostle saith out of darkness into his marvelous light 1 Pet. 2.9 and thereby bringing over the consent of their wills to his Laws he did then freely justifie them by his grace but also when God had done this
I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God Now we are to take notice that this Man was one that truly feared God and in that he then believed that Christ was the Son of God which he no sooner believed but he knew that he must render to him the like obedience as he had done unto God The which he believing was baptized And also the Text saith that Philip Preached to him Jesus and in so doing he taught him the conditions upon which Christ had offered life and salvation to which he must yield if he would become justified by him Chap. VII Abolishing the Ceremonial Law the Yoke taken off of the Neck of the Disciples ACts 15.6,7,8 And the Apostles and Elders came together for to consider of this matter And when there had been much disputing Peter rose up and said unto them Men and Brethren ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the Gospel and believe And God which knoweth the hearts bare them witness giving them the Holy Ghost even as he did unto us Now whereas he saith God which knoweth the hearts bare them witness giving them the Holy Ghost even as he did unto us That is God bare them witness that this belief in them was according to the tenour of the Gospel and therefore God gave to the first Gentile-Churches the Holy Ghost as he did to the believing Jews And therefore he saith in the 9th verse And put no difference between us and them purifying their hearts by Faith Here we see that by this Faith their hearts were purified in their believing the mercy was not to be received nor retained without a complying frame of spirit to the will of God in yielding their obedience to the Gospel which requires our love to God and his Commands Whereas he saith in verse 10. Now therefore why tempt ye God to put a Yoke upon the neck of the Disciples which neither our Fathers nor we were able to bear This Yoke which he here speaks of was Circumcision Sacrifices and often Washings and Purifications which were very burdensom and not profitable for they could no ways make the comers thereunto perfect But Faith in Jesus Christ begets a holy life For in the believing that Christ is become the Author of eternal Salvation to all that obey him Heb. 5.9 The belief of this makes Faith a purifying Faith But whereas the Apostle saith Acts 15.11 But we believe that through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved even as they That is the Believers of the Jews that were Circumcised which had yielded their obedience unto Christ did alike believe that through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ they should be saved even as the Believers of the Gentiles that had embraced the Faith in yielding their consent to be obedient to the Gospel For as the Believers of the Gentiles were saved through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ without Circumcision and the Ceremonial Law So the Believers of the Jews did also believe that they might be saved without them as well as the Gentiles But as for the Moral Law we are as much obliged to keep it as ever Israel was Rom. 2.13 For not the hearers of the Law are just before God but the doers of the Law shall be justified By these words Saint Paul declares that the Moral Law was in as full force as ever it was But as for the Ceremonial Law which afterwards was termed the Law of Moses about which was this Contention it being then to be abolished This is further treated of Acts 21.21 They are informed of thee that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses saying that they ought not to Circumcise their Children neither to walk after their Customs And so in v. 23,24 of the same chapter it is to the like effect Chap. VIII Of things strangled and Blood NOW as to the things forbidden in the Ceremonial Law which we are still to refrain he singles out and writes concerning them Acts 15.28,29 For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things that ye abstain from Meats offered to Idols and from Blood and from things strangled acd from Fornication These things not being forbidden in the Moral Law it was thought good by the Holy Ghost and by them to leave a Command that those things should still be refrained But as for the Doctrine of the Gospel in which is included the Moral Law the Apostles had before well instructed the Church in In which Gospel there is required obedience to all God's Commands and Precepts with a Promise of the Everlasting Inheritance to them that obey Rev. 2.10 This their Faith in believing the Promise carried them out into all good works even to suffering and to death Chap. IX What is required of a Christian to be a Christian indeed shewing that he is also obliged to keep the Moral Law SAINT Paul exhorteth Timothy To fight the good fight of Faith 1 Tim. 6.12 In which Faith we see there is included a Battle to be fought And St. Paul saith The World was crucified to him and he to the World Gal. 6.14 And that he that is in Christ must become a new Creature 2 Cor. 5.17 Rom. 12.1,2 And That ye present your bodies a living Sacrifice holy acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service And be not conformed to this World but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God And in Ephes 4.22,23,24 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts And be renewed in the spirit of your mind And that ye put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness Wherefore putting away lying speak every man truth to his neighbour Gal. 6.7,8,9 Be not deceived God is not mocked for whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap For he that soweth to the flesh shall of the slesh reap corruption but he that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reap life everlasting Let us not be weary in well-doing for in due season we shall reap if we faint not As we have therefore opportunity let us do good unto all especially unto them who are of the houshold of Faith Gal. 5.22,23,24 The fruits of the Spirit is love joy peace long-suffering gentleness goodness faith meekness temperance against such there is no Law And they that are in Christ have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts Now tho' there was no Law to condemn such yet there was the Law of God to guide them And of such as these the Apostle spake when he said They were not under the Law but under Grace The like he saith Gal. 5.18 But if
method of Salvation which if accordingly be lieved they should be saved Therefore Christ saith to the Church Rev. 3.3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard and hold fast and repent If therefore thou shalt not watch I will come on thee as a thief and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee Here we see the Lord calls upon them to put in practice what they have heard Which if they do not he will come upon them at an hour they are not aware of And as the Thief comes to destroy so the Lord will come to the destruction of them that have his word and will not according thereunto wait for him with a prepared heart in love to receive him For he saith If ye keep my Commandments ye shall abide in my love John 15.10 and in the 14. v. Ye are my Friends if ye do whatsoever I command you And also the Lord saith John 8.31 If ye continue in my word then are ye my Disciples indeed And the offer of mercy by Christ is to all that will take his Yoke upon them Matth. 11.29 And the Lord saith Mark 8.34,35,36 Whosoever will come after me let him deny himself and take up his Cross and follow me For whosoever will save his life shall lose it but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the Gospel the same shall save it For what shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own Soul This losing of the life for Christ is to be taken under a twofold head Not only when we are called to lay down our life for the defence of the Gospel but also in denying our selves the pleasures delights and advantages of this world for this is spoken in general to all that will save their lives to life eternal According to this the Lord saith John 12.25 He that loveth his life shall lose it and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal And Christ saith Matth. 7.21 Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in Heaven Matth. 7.24 Christ saith Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine and doth them is like to a wise man that built his house upon a rock So if we lay hold upon the promise of life according to the conditions offered by Christ we build upon that rock that will never fail us So as when the greatest storm ariseth that man will securely stand because he is faithful that hath promised But if we believe in Christ for justification yet walk according to our own imaginations and not according to his Commands it is building upon a sandy foundation for which they will have damnation According to the word of the Lord when he sent his Disciples to teach the Doctrine of the Gospel which was the conditions of the Covenant of grace He then said He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned Mark 16.15,16 That is it was the Gospel which then Christ sent forth his disciples to teach which they that heard were to believe Accordingly the Lord saith Matth. 28.19,20 Go ye therefore and teach all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I command you and lo I am with you to the end of the world That is with the race of the Disciples which is of the remnant he will be with to the end of the World for they are those that none can pluck out of his hand And of whom it is said they follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth And also he will never forsake any whilst they keep his way in observing to do whatsoever he Commands them Now the Belief in Christ that is saving is to be grounded upon the words of Christ that his righteousness is to be applied for the justification of the sinner according to the conditions as it is tendred by him which is in the observing to do whatsoever he commanded them For tho' at the first receiving of the Gospel by his free grace they were saved from their sins by yielding to the conditions that Christ required Yet all of them that were not immediately taken away by death were to be judged according to the performance of those conditions before they could be thought meet to partake of the Crown of life And in every believer is required the faith of God's Elect that in the way of their love and obedience they shall become Heirs to the promise Zacheus desired to be a Disciple of the Lord and he knew in being so his Obedience was required Therefore he said Lord half of my goods I give to the poor and if I have taken any thing from any by false accusation I will restore him fourfold Luke 19.8 But many of us like the Jews of old by their Tradition made the Commands of God of no effect So many with us by their half-faith or believing but half way in that they leave out the conditions upon which life and salvation is offered by Christ have made their faith in Christ of none effect to the saving of their Souls because the promise of life is upon condition of our Obedience In which whosoever remains faithful to the death shall have the Crown of life But for any to think that Christ dyed to give them a liberty to sin it is of such God saith Thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one as thy self but I will reprove thee and set them in order before thine eyes Now consider this ye that forget God lest I tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver Psal 50.21,22 This forgetting God is forgetting their duty as to yield Obedience unto his Commands But for our having Faith in the righteousness of Christ separate from good works is dead standing alone James 2.20,21,22 But wilt thou know vain man that faith without works is dead Was not Abraham our Father justified by works when he had offered Isaac his Son upon the Altar Seest thou how faith wrought with his work and by works was faith made perfect Thereby shewing that a lively and perfect Faith always includs good works As first the inward work upon the will and affections and afterwards good works put in practise Therefore he saith in the 26 verse For as the body without the Spirit is dead so faith without works is dead also And Chap 1. v. 25. But whoso looketh into the perfect Law of Liberty and continueth therein he being not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work this man shall be blessed in his deed Now why is it term'd the Law of Liberty Because such as walk in obedience thereunto are by Christ set free from the condemning power of sin and death 26. v. If any man among you seem to be religious and bridleth
that Christ spake this of the then time and of them that should believe in him through the Word of the Disciples as received from their mouth For this Christ spake of the remnant and first Churches unto whom the Holy Ghost was given to be in them and of whom St John saith Ye need not that any man teach you but as the same anointing teacheth you all things and is true and is no lie 1 John 2.27 This the Apostle speaks of them who had the Holy Ghost given to be in them they needed no other teaching but as the same anointing taught them But some not obeying the Spirits teaching went out from them that was not of that remnant as in the 19v But the Holy Ghost was not given to any till they were first brought home by the Call of the Word to yield their consent to the tender of his Grace as to turn from every evil way For the Holy Ghost could not be received into an unclean Heart And the Holy Ghost was then given that thereby the world might believe that God had sent Christ And also St. Paul of the then time saith That God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself not imputing to them their Trespasses 2 Cor. 5.19 That is not laying their past sins to the charge of them that laid hold of the tender of his Grace So as none need fear if they are not Elected they shall not be accepted And after the Nations of the World had embraced the Faith the Lord continued a standing Witness amongst them always to bear their Testimony to the Truth of the Gospel And they are they that lie in the street of the Great City And when the Gentile Nations fell away as Israel did they remained to bear their Testimony to the truth against all the fury of the Antichristian Enemy And when we come rightly to understand who were the Servants to whom Christ delivered the Talents none will then think that the Fountain of all Wisdom and Reason carries on his works according to the Council of his own Will guided with out Reason All these things that I have now hinted will by God's assistance be fully and clearly proved in a short time And let us not deceive our selves by a false Faith or an imaginary Election For the Elect that lie in the Street of the great City and cry day and night unto God by reason of the Oppression of the Enemy we are not And as for the Elect that are to be gathered from the four Winds we have not apprehended who they are and they will appear to be them that we are little aware of as will be proved in the next Treatise In which will be the signs of the times The coming of the Lord The Calling in of Israel The Destruction of Babylon And the Restitution of all things clearly made evident by the word Therefore we had need look to it how we stand as believers lest we should have believed in vain for the Lord is at hand who will judge us according to our deeds and according as our Works have been Now the Lord of his mercy causing the true meaning of his Word to break forth for the vindication of his Justice and for the exaltation of his mercy let us therefore prepare for his coming and unite to serve the Lord with one consent and be found of him in peace St. Paul saith upon the first publication of the Gospel How shall they hear without a Preacher And how shall they preach except they be sent Rom. 10.14,15 For the first Publishers of the Gospel were sent forth by the Lord and instructed by him what to teach But when the Gospel was establisht then the Apostle said Gal. 6.16 And as many as walk according to this Rule peace be on them and mercy and upon the Israel of God And then they were not to wait for new Calls but to walk according to the Rule that was set before them lest they should be cast off again as Israel was For God by his word continually calls upon us to walk in obedience to him But such as refuse to obey are the ground bearing Thorns and Briers which is rejected and is nigh unto cursing whose end is to be burned Heb. 6. verse 8. Mat. 16.24,25,26,27 Mat. 3.10 But the offer of mercy is to whomsoever will that they may come and take the waters of life freely Rev. 22.17 That is If they are willing to yield subjection to his laws then they may freely come For every one that thirsteth are invited to the waters and they that have no money may buy and eat without money and without price Isa 55.1 So as the poor are not excluded for want of money nor the Gentile sinners upon the publication of the Gospel were not excluded for want of Righteousness if they did thirst after it For the Righteousness of Christ was imputed for the Justification of any that were willing for the future to render their sincere obedience to him For it was their past sins that were committed before their conversion which were remitted Rom. 3.25 But as the Psalmist saith let them not turn again to folly Ps 85.8 And tho' the remnant and first Churches were not fore chosen for their willing and running Yet the Crown of Life was to be attained by their willing and running And so it is by all that will lay hold on it But when the Gentile Nations cme to have no love to the truth then God left them to strong delusions that they might be damned 2 Thes 2.10,11,12 And Oh! that this may be a warning to us that we may receive the knowledge of the truth in the love thereof that our Souls may be saved in the day of the Lord. For we are not only to believe in him but also to suffer for his sake Phil. 1.29 For this was the determined counsel of God that seeing he was to part with the Son of his love to suffer for sinners that such as would not in this time deny themselves for him should in time to come suffer by him Mar. 8.34,35,36,37,38 Luke 19.27 But we having lost the ancient way of Scripture speaking and the right apprehension of the Kingdom that is to come and mistakingly taking all that was said to the first Churches and all that was said as relating to Israel at the time of the Restitution of all things as tho' they now belong'd to us by reason of which weare involved in great and dangerous mistakes GOD Bless King William and in these times make him more blessed in Conquering of Hearts than Nations by the incouraging and promoting the Knowledge of the truth For the door of mercy is open to all that will lay hold of the tender of his Grace So as none need fear that if they are not elected they shall not be accepted For Christ saith Rev. 22.17 Whosoever will let him Come And we may with confidence rely uon his Word for he is faithful
Light of the Heaven as the Sun and Moon And as for the Elements we know that man's body is made up of the Four Elements Now St. Peter in his way of speaking doth make it a figurative Speech as to the burning the Heavens and Earth And when we can bring several places out of holy Writ to prove it to be so and places of Scripture to prove our assertion then we go upon good grounds but when we make figurative Speeches or Allegories where there is none and where there is for them to make an Assertion of that which they cannot bring good Proof for out of the Word is of very dangerous consequence and as the Apostle saith 2 Pet. 3.16 wrest the Scripture to their own destruction But this of St. Peter is easily proved a figurative Speech not only by his own manner of speaking but also by the Three Evangelists wherein our Lord makes no mention of the burning of the Heavens and Earth when he comes to judge the World Nor St. John in Rev. 6.14 mentions not any such thing as to the burning of them Neither in any of the Epistles of St. Paul is there any mention made of their being destroy'd at the coming of the Lord Nor doth any other place of the Bible speak of their being burnt but St. Peter And whereas the Apostle Peter makes mention of fire it is to set forth the fierce Anger of the Lord against sinners For as there is nothing so terrible to our Natures as fire so there can be nothing so insupportable as the Anger of the Almighty Lord and therefore he is said in 2 Thes 1.8 to come in flaming fire to take Vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ The weight of Whose Anger being more intolerable than we are able to imagine it Therefore God saith Jer. 23.29 Is not my Word like as a fire saith the Lord and like a Hammer that breaketh the Rocks in peices And therefore it is a usual Phrase in Scripture to express the Anger of the Almighty God by Fire Zeph. 1.18 where God himself saith with the Fire of my Jealousie And it is said of God Deut. 4.24 That he is a consuming Fire That is he is an unresistable Power Heb. 12.23 And as the Thorns cannot resist the Powerful Flames neither can we his ireful Judgments when he doth inflict them on the sinner And here had St. Peter in the plain Letter of the Word pronounc'd those Judgments against the Powers and People the then present Age could not have born it neither indeed the succeeding Generations And as for the Beast or Pope he found so much in the Scriptures against himself and his Crew that he made it Death for the Laity to read them that thereby his Falshood and Villany might remain undiscovered to the people Now the Pope did not rise till several hundred years after the Apostles And St. Paul in 2 Thes 2,3 Declareth that the day of the Lord shall not come except there come a falling away first and that man of sin be revealed the son of perdition v. 4. Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped so that he is as God sitting in the Temple of God shewing himself that he is God v. 9,10,11,12 Even him whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonder v. 10. And with all deceiveableness of unrighteousness in them that perish because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved 11. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusions that they should believe a lit 12. That they all might be damned who believe not the truth but have pleasure in Vnrighteousness By which we may plainly see that God never leaves a people till such time as they forsake him by taking pleasure in Unrighteousness And therefore as to what hath been said of the Beast and the seven hill'd City and of the Reign of the Beast has been in a figurative way For the Pope's Design with his Crew being wholly to deceive the Will of God is that they might be deceived And it is said in Rev. 13.2 when the Beast arose The Dragon gave him his power and his Seat and great Authority And now as the Apostle saith 2 Thes 2.4 he opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped So that he is as God sitting in the Temple of God shewing himself that he is God And now he sitting in the Temple of God and takes the Power of a God to him in that he saith the revealed will of God is no farther to be accounted of than to what he approves of in it And also he with his pretended Keys le ts into Heaven those whom God by his Word shuts out and them out of Heaven whom God by his Word permits in Thus they are filling up their Iniquity that they may come to their deserved end And little better success must no Sect or Church expect that has used the Word of God deceitfully nor their hypocritical Hearers As for this Babylon and Countries adjoyning to it is figured our to us in the former Idumea or Edom For Esau looking on himself as the Elder brother therefore his Envy was always towards Israel although he sinfully and foolishly did sell his Birthright unto shis Brother in the time he was distressed being faint for want of Food he then said if I die for hunger what good then will this birth right do me And so not regarding the promises of God and therefore in the day of tryal parted with his birthright for a mess of pottage And almost all this world being like unto him that in the day of tryal either for some lust or some profit or to deliver themselves out of some trouble they part with the blessing which God in Christ has promis'd which is eternal salvation if they walk according to the rule God has set before them And so for these uncertain momentary injoyments like Esau embrace this present world And when the time comes for the righteous to inherit the blessing these worldlings will then like Esau be rejected although they may then seek the blessing earnestly with tears as he did yet was rejected But as it is in our days the more emptiness and want of knowledge the more pride and malice So was it with the seed of Esau for it is said of him in Obed. 1. v. 3.4,8,10 The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee Thou that dwellest in the clefts of the Rock whose habitation is high that saith in his heart who shall bring me down to the ground 4. Tho thou exalt thy self as the Eagle and the thou set thy nest among the Stats thence will I bring thee down saith the Lord. Verse 8. Shall I not in that day saith the Lord even destroy the wise men out of Edom and understanding out
1.7,8,9,10 Heb. 9.28 but unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation and so come Lord Jesus Amen A Definition of a true Soul-saving Faith according to the Rule of God's Word which the Lord requireth of us to interest us in himself is this FIrst that all those that come to God must believe that God is and that he is such as he hath declared himself to be in his Holy Word three Persons Father Son and Holy Spirit these Three to be but one God from everlasting to everlasting Isa 40.27,28 Isa 40.23,24 Jer. 23.24 1 Joh. 5.7 Psal 90.2 Rev. 1.8 Psal 90.2 Ps 41.13 John 10.38 of one Will one Mind one Power and one Glory and dwelleth in that light that no mortal Eye is able to approach unto and beyond the Apprehension of Man to comprehend the height of his glorious Excellency this is that God blessed for ever from all Eternity to all Eternity and he is a rewarder of all them that diligently seek him and that through the alone Merit and meritorious Satisfaction and Intercession of the Lord Christ Jesus Heb. 11.6 2 Cor. 5.18,19 Rev. 1.5 1 Pet. 1.18,19,20,21 Mark here what the Apostle saith It is he that diligently seeketh the Lord is promised the reward and he that confesseth and forsaketh his sins shall find mercy Heb. 11.6 Prov. 28.13 1 Joh. 3.3 Heb. 9.14 2 Cor. 5.17 this is the Faith which the Apostle saith purifieth the Conscience from dead Works to serve the living God for he that is in Christ must become a new Creature and walk as he himself walked as much as in us lies 1 Joh. 2.6 Mat. 7.17 Luk. 6.44 Gal. 5.6 2 Tim. 1.10 1 Joh. 4.18 for the Tree is known by its fruit saving Faith worketh by Love and draweth out our hearts and affections after the Lord in the apprehensions of his bringing us to life and immortality which removeth from us the slavish Fear and the Lord hath bidden us take hold of his strength for of our selves we are not able to overcome the Evil of sin the Snares of the World the Wiles of the Devil nor the Treachery of our own Hearts Isa 27.5 Joh. 15.5 Therefore the Lord hath invited all them that are weary and heavy laden to come unto him and he will give them rest Matt. 11.28 Isa 41.3 promising that he will not break the bruised reed nor quench the smoking flax therefore in and through Christ we have boldness to the throne of grace through that new and living way the Blood of the everlasting Covenant Heb. 4.16 Heb. 10.29 Heb. 12.24 Heb. 13.20 Col. 1.10 whereby the Lord hath made reconciliation in nailing our sins to his Cross and justifying us if we have an interest in him with his righteousness Isai 53.4.5.12 1 Pet. 3.18 2 Cor. 13.5 but be sure let us take the advice of St. Paul with us in that he bids us examine our selves and prove ourselves whether we have the fruits of the Spirit as love joy peace long-suffering temperance meekness gentleness brotherly-kindness charity being easie to be intreated full of mercy and good fruits doing to others as we would they should do unto us for he that is joyned unto the Lord is one Spirit and therefore whether you have given up your will to the will of God in sincerity to be guided thus by him and to order your course of life thus for him for it is the love and the heart God requireth and if he has that he will never leave us nor forsake us when we leave all this World it is our love will lanch with us into eternal happiness and bring us into the injoyment of that God beloved of us and there we shall be put into a capacity never to offend him and ever to sing Hallelujah to him Gal. 5.22.23 2 Pet. 1.5,6,7 Jam. 1.22,25,26,27 Jam. 3.17 Jam. 4.7,8 Mal. 7.12 1 Cor. 6.17 1 Cor. 19.20 1 Cor. 8.3 Mat. 10.37 Luk. 10.27 2 Cor. 4.14 Joh. 14.21 Joh. 12.26 Joh. 14.2 Rev. 14.13 Rev. 3.12 Rev. 22.7.12 A Covenant made with God MOst great and glorious Lord my God in all thy attributes infinitely above what I am able to apprehend or comprehend of thee who art glorious in holiness rich in grace transcendent in loving kindness and mercy although a severe judge to the incorrigible sinner but unto the repenting sinner that loves and fears thee Lord thou hast promised to shew thy salvation and therefore in the sence of my own unworthiness and misery I lay hold on the offer of thy mercy according as Lord thou hast tendred it in thy Gospel which is by faith and repentance love and new obedience and accordingly thereunto I here unfeignedly resign up to thee my whole heart with its will and affections my Lord and God to be guided and governed by thee begging Lord that thou wilt graciously accept me and make my heart thy habitation by the indwelling of thy Spirit in me so as I may be enabled by thee to love all that thy Majesty loveth and hate all that thou my Lord hatest and also desiring more strength of thee whereby I may be enabled by thee O my God to walk more suitably to thee in all things so putting my whole trust and confidence in thy mercy herein resting upon thy word that Lord thou wilt not forsake the Soul that puts her trust in thee therefore my God leave me not nor forsake me neither leave me so as to forsake thee the fountain and foundation of my eternal happiness but as I here in truth and sincerity do resign up my self my God to thee to be thy servant and spouse in the way of thy Gospel covenant let this Lord be registred in Heaven with thee so as I may be washed in thy Blood from all my filthiness and that I may be covered over with the garment of thy righteousness and here fully regenerated by thy Spirit so as I may find eternal acceptance with thee my God through thy beloved and that my interest in thee my Lord may be more and more clear'd up to me day by day so as I may be brought more into the knowledge of thy love which passeth knowledge and enabled by thee my Lord to live in the flames of love with thee who wilt be glorified in thy Saints and admired in those that do believe and O my God that thou wilt uphold me by the right hand of thy righteousness through this valley and shadow of tears and keep me in or from the hour of temptation and give me a part with thee in the first resurrection O my God be not angry with me for the largeness of this my request since thou hast bidden us open our mouths wide and thou wilt fill them therefore my Lord and God say Amen to these Petitions of thy Unworthy Servant Of a false Faith and Instructions as to the true one THere is a new found
Faith which some take up with now-a-days which is no other than of the Devils coining and his Accomplices in that they say he that believeth through the merits of Christ that he shall be saved therefore they shall be saved If they do but also confess their sins leaving out repenting and forsaking them Which is contrary to the holy Word of God And as St. Peter saith they wrest the Scriptures to their own destruction 2 Pet. 3.10 I hope the Prince of Darkness hath not so blinded their minds but that they will own that those did believe that they should be saved when they said to the Lord Christ in Matth. 22. vers Mat. 7.22.23 Have we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name cast out Devils and in thy name done many wonderful works Then will the Lord profess unto them that he never knew them depart from me ye that work iniquity And also that the foolish Virgins did believe they should be saved when they say in Matth. Mat. 25.11,12 Lord Lord open to us But he shall answer and say verily I say unto you I know you not And whereas the Lord saith in John 47. v. Joh. 6.47 Verily verily I say unto you he that believeth on me hath everlasting life And whereas St. John saith vers 12. 1 John 5.12 He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life And also the Lord saith in John 6.40 Joh. 6.40 And this is the will of him that sent me that every one which seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day I hope upon serious considerations none will say they believe in Christ for Salvation when they will not believe what the Lord saith concerning the conditions upon which Salvation is tendred by him the which conditions are repentance love and new obedience And the Lord saith in John 8.31 v. To the Jews which believed on him John 8.31,47,51 If ye continue in my word then are ye my Disciples indeed And again in the 47. vers He that is of God heareth Gods word ye therefore hear them not because ye are not of God And the Lord saith in the 51. vers Verily verily I say unto you if a man keep my sayings he shall never see death That is he shall never see Hell in Esdras Esd 2.39 And the Lord also saith in John 21. vers John 14.21,24 He that hath my commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and will manifest my self unto him And again in the 24. v. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings and the word which you hear is not mine but the Fathers which sent me And Christ saith in the Gospel of John Joh. 15.10 If ye keep my conmandments ye shall abide in my love even as I have kept my Fathers commandments and abide in his love And again the Lord saith Joh. 12.48 He that rejecteth me and receiveth not my words hath one that judgeth him the word that I have spoken the same shall judge him in the last day And he saith in the 25. v. Joh. 12.25,26 He that loveth his life shall lose it and he that hateth his life in this World shall keep it unto life Eternal If any man serve me let him follow me and where I am there shall also my servant be if any man serve me him will my Father honor And the Lord saith to the Jews 34. v. Joh. 8.34,44 Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin And in the 44. v. he saith to them ye are of your Father the Devil and the lusts of your Father ye will do But the Lord saith to them that would have an interest in him in the 34. v. Mark 8.34,35,36,37,38 Whosoever will come after me let him deny himself and take up his Cross and follow me For whosoever will save his life shall lose it but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the Gospels the same shall save it For what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own Soul or what shall a man give in exchange for his Soul whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy Angels We here see by all this that it is a belief in Christ and his Word that is required of us unto which we are to shew our love and obedience and St. John saith 1 Joh. 4.15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God God dwelleth in him and he in God and he farther saith in the 5. c. and 5. v. Joh. 5.5.13 Who is he that overcometh the World but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God And again in the 13. These things have I written to you that believe on the name of the Son of God that ye may know that ye have eternal life and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God Can they think it is here meant only a verbal confession with their mouths is required when in their works and practice they deny him No it is the confessing of him always is required as in our words and actions wills and affections in suffering unto death it self By which we see this word confessing him hath a larger extent than some People are aware of Who like unto the Jews that thought Adultery was only in the action but the Lord gave them to understand that it had a far larger extent when he said to them in Matth. Mat. 5.18 that every one that looketh on a Woman to lustafter her hath committed adultery already with her in his heart And whereas it is said to believe on the name of the Son of God That is to believe that he is that Seed that shall bruise the Serpents Head and make reconciliation for all that should with love and thankfulness receive him For although all are freely invited by Christ in the call of the Gospel to come to him but it is none but them whose wills are brought over to him as to become obedient can receive him or the Blessing purchased by him Now all are willing to receive the benefit but all are not willing to perform the conditions whereby they might be made partakers of the Blessing but like Balaam say O that I might die the Death of the Righteous they being unwilling to forego this present evil World Of whom the Lord saith in Isai 13. v. Isa 29.13 This People draweth near me with their mouth and with their lips do honour me but have removed their heart far from me and their fear towards me is taught by the
having slighted his mercy Therefore this is no incouragement to us that live under the call of the Gospel to deferr repentance For the day of grace and the day of life have not one and the same date For if we will go on frowardly in the ways of our own hearts God will leave us to blindness of mind and hardness of heart Now God said that David was a Man after his own heart and why because his heart immediatly answered the call of God by his Word or Messengers as the Psalmist saith Psal 27.8 When thou saidst Seek ye my face my heart answered unto thee thy face Lord will I seek This is the voice which God requires of us The which he found not in Israel As saith St. Paul Rom. 10.21 To Israel he saith all the day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying People And also in Proverbs Prov. 1.24,26 Because I have called and ye refused I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded I also will laugh at your calamity I will mock when your fear cometh By this we may plainly see God complain'd of them because they were wanting to themselves in not improving the season of grace which he had put into their hands Therefore God saith in the 32. v. Prov. 1.32,33 The turning away of the simple shall slay them and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them But whosoever shall hearken unto me shall dwell safely and be quiet from fear of evil What is here spoken is to the foolish and wise Christians and of the near approaching time to come Now the Epistle to the Romans St. Paul sent presently after their conversion when as dayly there were new converts brought over to the Church for their comfort to let them understand that if they should immediatly after their conversion be taken away by a natural death or a violent one upon the account of their faith that they should no ways be startled or dismayed because they had not time after their conversion to do any good action even so much time as to be baptized but only believed as the Thief did and thereupon called upon the Lord for mercy and so departed this life yet they should be saved upon which occasion they were baptized for the dead as the ancients say and of which St. Paul speaketh 1 Cor. 15.29 What shall they do which are baptized for the dead if the dead rise not at all why are they then baptized for the dead Now that they that call upon God so as to have salvation his following words make out where the Apostle saith Rom. 10.14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed By which we see their calling is insignificant without believing and if they savingly believe it must be according to the tenor of the Gospel Which requires of us repentance from dead works and love to and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and if we live amendment of life for he that is in Christ must become a new Creature and walk as he himself walked 1 Joh. 2.6 And as St. Paul to the Romans saith Rom. 8.1,8 There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit 6. v. For to be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace By which we may plainly see St. Paul's meaning was not that they might remain in their own natural state and so call upon God and be saved but that his meaning was as I before shewed you for what is set down here and what is set down in the 10. Ch. was writ at one and the same time being one and the same Epistle And the Jews wisely tell us that we must look to the words which go before and the words that follow after if we intend to come to a right understanding of the Scripture Now God by the Prophet Jeremiah makes mention of the miscarriage of Judah and how she did but feignedly call upon him as in the 10. v. Jer. 3.10 And yet for all this her treacherous Sister Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart but feignedly saith the Lord. And the Apostle saith Rom. 6.16,17,18 Know ye not that to whom ye yield your selves servants to obey his servants ye are to whom ye obey whether of sin unto death or obedience unto righteousness But God be thanked that you were the servants of sin but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you Being then made free from sin ye became the Servants of righteousness The which is an evident token that we have no share in Christ's righteousness if we our selves walk not in the ways of righteousness And also we sin our sins over again if we do but delightfully think on them And the Apostle relates to Titus what they were before they were converted Titus 3.3,4,5,6,7,8 For we our selves also were sometimes foolish disobedient deceived serving divers lusts and pleasures living in malice and envy hateful and hating one another But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared Not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour That being justified by his grace should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life This is a faithful saying and these things I will that you affirm constantly that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works The Apostle having here set down what they were before the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared And whereas he said Not by the works of righteousness which they had done but according to his mercy he saved them by the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost Here we see was an inward change wrought in them from whence did arise their hopes of salvation And whereas he said that the Spirit was shed on them abundantly it was for the establishing the Gospel And as to what he saith as to their being justified by his grace they should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life That is as I before told you upon their first conversion and resigning themselves up to Christ to be wholly guided and governed by him according to the rule of his word then it is the righteousness of Christ is imputed to them whereby they become justified in sight of God And whereas he saith I will that they affirm constantly that they that have believed in God might be carefull to maintain good works The which he said to let them understand that if they did not persevere in a holy life they might be cast off According to what the Lord saith Joh. 15.2.6,8,9,10,14 Every
had brought down his will into subjection to Christ in hopes to obtain eternal salvation by him and his love a full satisfaction Therefore he saith after he had spoken of the righteousness of Abraham Gal. 3.7,8 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith the same are the Children of Abraham And the Scripture foreseeing that God would justifie the heathen through faith preached before the Gospel unto Abraham saying in thee shall all the nations be blessed This is as I before told you was upon the publication of the Gospel that all that were converted thereby so as to be brought into the fold of Christ they no sooner so believed but that all original and actual sins that they had aforetime committed were done away and they accepted as perfectly righteous in and through the imputed righteousness of Christ by faith in him And so they were excluded from the curse oâ— the law for all their past sins before conversion done by them Gal. 3.9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham That is if they continue faithful as he did And St. Paul farther saith Gal. 3.13,14 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us for 〈◊〉 is written cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ that we might receive the promise of the spirit through faith That is if we have not our spirits brought over into a conformity and suitableness to the spirit of Christ then are we not of this faith and so not delivered from the curse of the law And it is further said Rom. 8.6 For to be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace And St. Paul also saith Rom. 3.20,21,22 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight for by the law is the knowledge of sin That is we cannot fulfill the law to that perfection as to become justified thereby But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested being witnessed by the law and the prophets That is by the law with the paschal Lamb and the bloody Sacrifices by the Prophets in that they did all along Prophesie of him Rom. 3.23,24,25 Even the righteousness of God which is by â—aith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all â—hem that believe for there is no difference 〈◊〉 all have sinned and come short of the â—…ry of God Being justified freely by his â—ace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ Whom God hath set forth to â—e a propitiation through faith in his blood 〈◊〉 declare his righteousness for the remission 〈◊〉 sins that are past through the forbearance 〈◊〉 God Here he tells them when their â—ns are to be forgiven that it was their â—ast sins before they were brought into â—e faith of Christ that upon their conâ—ersion were all forgiven them As the â—postle saith Rom. 3.26 To declare I say at this â—ne his righteousness that he might be â—ct and the justifier of him which belieâ—…th in Jesus Whereas he saith that â—e might be just which was in that he â—…t the Son of his love according to his â—…omise and so justified them that belieâ—ed in Jesus which belief is as I beâ—…e proved to you for we are no sooner 〈◊〉 Christ but we must become new Creaâ—…res 2 Cor. 5.17 And he saith Rom. 3.27,28 Where is boasting â—en it is excluded by what law of works â—y but by the law of faith Therefore we â—nclude that a man is justified by faith â—ithout the deeds of the law Here Paul â—akes this conclusion that a man is juâ—…fied by faith without the deeds of the law For he here wrot to the Gentiles that had been given to all sin and idolatry to let them understand how they became justified that it was by faith which faith has as large an extent as I have before shewed you and that it must be a faith like Abrahams And in the 25. v. before-mentioned He there tells them when their sins are forgiven so as they become justified without the works of the law Rom. 3.25 that it is upon their conversion that then their forepast sins shall be forgiven them and that they are then justified by faith without the deeds of the law so that iâ— they are suddenly after taken away by death they shall be accepted through the righteousness of Christ And St. Paul saith Rom. 3.29,30 Is he the God of the Jews only is he not also of the Gentiles Yes of the Gentiles also Seeing it is one God which shaâ—… justifie the circumcision by faith and the uncircumcision through faith Now Stepheâ— saith to the Jews Acts 7.51 they were uncircumcifed in heart and ears although they were circumcised in the flesh Now the Gentiles were not circumcised yet they aâ—… said to be circumcised by faith then thaâ— must be in heart and ear by which wâ— may also see that this justifying faith 〈◊〉 such as doth produce a holy life Anâ— the Apostle saith Rom. 3.31 Do we then make voâ—… the law through faith God forbid ye 〈◊〉 establish the law That is none can obey the law with that sincerity delight and desire as those that are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands And St. Paul saith of the outward circumcision Gal. 5.6,7,8 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but faith which worketh by love Ye did run well who did hinder you that you should not obey the truth This perswasion cometh not of him that calleth you We also here see that saving faith worketh by love and there is no such obedience as that wherein the heart is engaged And he here tells the Galatians that they did run well who did hinder them that they should not obey the truth And before he told them that they had begun in the Spirit by which it was certainly sure they were in the right And he farther lets them understand that it was not of him that called them that this delusion or perswasion came therefore it was by the wiles of Satan and his Instruments that they foolishly were insnared But St. Paul saith Rom. 2.7,8,9,10,11,12,13 To them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory and honour and immortality eternal life But unto them that are contentious and do not obey the truth but obey unrighteousness indignation and wrath Tribulation and anguish upon every Soul of man that doeth evil of the Jew first and also of the Gentile But glory honour and peace to every man that worketh good to the Jew first and also to the Gentile For there is no respect of Persons with God For as many as have sinned without the law shall also perish without the law and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law For not
You might that is hereafter say to this Sycamine Tree be thou removed for at that time the working of Miracles was not given This also was spoken of to the Apostles And in that he saith to them that if ye have Faith as a grain of Mustard-seed the which was to exclude Judas for he had not the least of that saving Faith which worketh the Heart in Love with Christ and so was not to be partakers of the gifts of the Holy Ghost and the working of Miracles with the rest of the Apostles And by the want of this grain was to signify to us that Judas was an instrument of Satan all along according to which is said in John 6.70 Jesus answered them have not I chosen you twelve and one of you is a Devil Therefore not one grain of Faith and Love in him to the Lord Jesus But God requireth of us the whole Heart and the whole Soul And Christ saith Matt. 10.37 He that loveth Father or â—…other more than me is not worthy of me he that loveth Son or Daughter more than me is not worthy of me 38. He that taketh not his Cross and followeth after me is not worthy of me 39. He that findeth his Life shall loose it and he that looseth his Life for my sake shall find it That is whosoever looseth the Pleasures Advantages and Profits of this World for Christ shall find Life everlasting And Christ saith in Luke 17 10. When ye shall have done all those things which are Commanded you say we are unprofitable servants we have done that which was our duty to do But whosoever doth their Duty in their Service God ordereth them Wages And he saith of his they do not serve me for nought as in Mal. 1.10 And God told Abraham that he was his exceeding great reward Gen. 15.1 And it is said Heb. 5.9 Christ is become the Author of Eternal Salvation to all them that obey him And Christ saith Rev. 2.7 To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of Life which is in the midst of the Paradice of God And we ought to look to the recompence of reward as Moses did Heb. 11.26 For he had respect to the recompence of reward And it is an Article of our Faith to believe that God is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek him as in Heb. 11.6 For without Faith it is impossible to please God for he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him God would not have us think that he is beholden to us for our Service but that we are ingaged to him for accepting of us for his Servants And if we are his Servants we are sure of a Reward And whereas the Man came to Christ with his Son as in Matth. 17.15 Lord have mercy upon my son for he is Lunatick and sore vexed for oft times he falleth into the Fire and oft into the water 16. And I brought him to thy Disciples and they could not cure him 17. Then Jesus answered and said O faithless and perverse Generation how long shall I be with you how long shall I suffer you bring him hither to me 18. And Jesus rebuked the Devil and he departed out of him and the Child was cured from that very hour And whereas Christ said unto his Disciples O faithless and perverse Generation how long shall I be with you The which words was without doubt to reprove them for their unbelief of his Power in that they brought not the Possessed to him to be healed And in the 19. v. Then came the Disciples to Jesus apart and said why could not we cast him out 20. And Jesus said unto them because of your unbelief for verily I say unto you if ye have Faith as a grain of Mustard-seed ye shall say unto this Mountain remove hence to yonder place and it shall remove and nothing shall be impossible unto you Now whereas Jesus said unto them because of your unbelief that was there was then an unbeliever amongst the Apostles But Christ did also let them understand that as many of the Apostles as had Faith as a grain of Mustard seed then that they should hereafter do as great Miracles as the removing of the Mountains to yonder place For he farther tells them that nothing shall be impossible unto them But by the following words of the Lord he did declare that this Power was not then given them as in the 21. v. How beit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting That is then they had no other power given them but what the earnest Prayers and Fastings of the Church may produce But after Christ's Ascension the Apostles were given the Holy Ghost and the Working of Miracles and in so wonderful a manner that on whom they laid their Hands they did receive the Holy Ghost Yet notwithstanding these wonderful Miracles this promise also may have some reference to the time when the Lord again comes For it is a question but that some things might be impossible for them to do after they had received the gifts of the Holy Ghost and the Working of miracles But when they shall sit on Thrones Judging the twelve Tribes of Israel then nothing shall be impossible under their head Christ for them to do And they may say to that very mountain remove hence to yonder place and it shall be so For the Lord with Peter James and John did but just come down from the mountain where was revealed that glorious Vision And we have reason to believe it was on Mount Olivet because the glory will be there Revealed and the mountain cleaving when the Lord descends so low as his feet to stand upon it may be so determined by the Lord that by the word of the Apostles that that Mountain shall remove toward the North and tovvard the South as in Zac. 14.4 Now the Reason that Christ made mention of so small a quantity of Faith was that thereby his Disciples and Servants afterwards might understand That Judas had never any grain of Faith to make his Heart have any love to Christ And by the word Grain of Faith was Judas Excluded from having any share in those Promises And those promises that were made to particular persons we are not to challenge a share in for they belong not to us no more than the sitting upon twelve Thrones to Judg the twelve Tribes of Israel belongs to us And in Matt. 21.19 And when the Lord saw a Figtree in the way he came to it and found nothing thereon but Leaves only and said unto it let no fruit grow on thee hence forward for ever And presently the Figtree withered away 20. And when the Disciples saw it they marvelled saying how soon is the figtree withered away 21. Jesus answered and said unto them verily verily I say unto you if ye have Faith and doubt not ye shall not only do this which
we have in our new Translation turned into Charity which in the old is Love for Charity will not sufficiently explain the meaning of the word Therefore it is said in the 3. v. Though I bestow all my Goods to feed the poor and though I give my body to be burned and have not Charity it profiteth me nothing That is if we have not Love for Love cannot be without Charity but Charity may be without Love for we may be Charitable by the way of Merit thinking to purchase Heaven by it and that will not do But if we are without Charity in the way of our Duty and Love in the fellow feeling of one anothers sufferings then is not the Love of God in us For St. John saith in the 3. chap. 17. v. But whosoever hath this world's goods and seeth his Brother have need and shutteth up his bowels of Compassion from him how dwelleth the love of God in him 18. v. My little Children let us not Love in word neither in tongue but in deed and in truth And St. James saith in the 1.17 Pure Religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this to visit the Fatherless and Widows in their Afflictions and to keep himself unspotted from the World And he saith in the 2. c. 13. v. For he shall have judgment without mercy that hath shewed no mercy and mercy rejoyceth against Judgment 14. v. For what doth it profit my brethren tho a man say he hath Faith and have not Works can Faith save him 15. v. If a Brother or sister be naked and destitute of daily Food 16. v. And one of you say unto them depart in Peace be you warmed and filled Notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the Body what doth it profit 17. v. Even so Faith if it hath not works is dead being alone We are not here now to wait for new Calls but to improve the Talent that God hath given us in that we have his word the good motions of his Spirit and the Checks of Conscience the which Talents well improved will bring us to Eternal Blessedness for if we take to the rule which he hath set before us and according thereunto beg his continual Assistance God will then never be wanting to us And St. Paul saith of the Scriptures 2 Tim. 3.15 That from a Child thou hast known the Scriptures which is able to make thee wise to Salvation through Faith which is in Christ Jesus By which the Promise is obtainable for as there is an absolute Election of whom it is said their Names was Written in Heaven from the Foundation So there is a conditional Election and us a Day of Grace Therefore as the Apostle saith having a promise of entring into his Rest let us fear lest we should fall short of it Therefore let us up and be doing that thereby we may make our Calling and Election sure for we are not of that number that are chose to be his standing Witnesses thro' the World and therefore may fall away the which I have clearly proved by the word where I have spoken of Election Of Baptism AND whereas St. Paul saith Gal. 3.27 For as many of you as have been baptised into Christ have put on Christ The which is meant 〈◊〉 the Spiritual Baptism whereby they become conformable to Christ as in Rom. 8.9,10 Ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you Now if any Man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his And if Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin but the Spirit is Life because of Righteousness But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the Dead dwell in you he that raised up Christ from the Dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you The which indwelling of his Spirit is this Spiritual Baptism Now with the Spiritual Baptism there is joyned a sign or Seal the which is the outward Baptism of Washing or Plunging So as to be buried under the Water and therefore said buried with him in Baptism for as Christ was underneath the Earth so we should be plunged under the Water the which doth also signify to us that we should be Spiritually Dead to the World as having no delight in it or to it Now the Children of believing Parents are said to be Holy therefore fit to receive this sign of Baptism and they also being in Covenant as well as their Parents And by the Blood of Christ it is that both are made partakers of the Promises but to any that are of Maturity and not Believers the which Belief is such as brings our Wills over into a conformity to the will of God then Christ dwells in us by his Spirit and then are we Spiritually Baptised And if the outward sign and Seal is fixt on them that within them is not sound the thing signified It is but like a Seal to a blank Bond For St. Paul saith Rom. 2.28 For he is not a Jew which is one outwardly neither is that Circumcision which is outward in the Flesh 29. But he is a Jew which is one inwardly and Circumcision is that of the Heart in the Spirit and not in the Letter whose praise is not of Men but of God Now Children are innocent as to any actual Sin and if they come of believing Parents are said to be Holy and so fit to be Baptised and the Covenant of God made by Moses was as well made with Children as with those of Maturity Of the Trinity THe meaning of the Trinity is this That the Infinite God consists of three Glorious Beings or Persons as God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost and these three to be one God being of one Will one Mind one Power one Glory this being the Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity which was from all Eternity and so continues to all Eternity the only true God blessed for ever more Amen Heb. 1.3,8 John 5.21,22,23 1 John 5.20 Col. 1.15,16,17 John 1.3 Acts 5.3,4 Wisd 7.24,25,26,27 Let us all learn to know God in Christ Christ in Faith by an Holy reliance upon him and a self Resignation of our Wills and affections to him and to know our Faith by good works and so to know the Will of God as to do it and before the knowledg of all other things we should learn to know our selves Whereas it is said in 1 John 5.7,8 that the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost are One so it is said the Spirit the Water and the Blood a gree in one as to the renewing of a sinner the Spirit of the Lord doth again Renew us the Water in Baptism washeth us and the Blood of Christ 't is that Justifies us if we take hold of the tender of his Grace according to the condition as it is offered And again the Spirit the Water and
him also freely give us all things That is God will freely give us all things if we will receive it according to the tender of his Grace in his Word and with patience wait for it as these did And whereas he saith in 33. v. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's Elect it is God that Justifieth 33. Who is he that condemneth it is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again who is even at the Right hand of God who also maketh interessione for us That is as I elsewhere said that we are no sooner converted and brought into an holy Resignation of our selves unto God but we are accepted of God through the satisfaction made by the Death of Christ who now lives to make intercession for such And as to what we were before we were Converted those sins will not be laid to our charge But this is no incouragement to us to sin and defer Repentance for those Romans never had the knowledg of the truth before But we are born Children of the visible Church and if we defer Repentance and check the good motions of the Spirit and refuse to be obedient to the word thinking it will be time enough hereafter to look after Heaven In so doing we tempt God to leave us to hardness of Heart and blindness of mind therefore the Apostle doth so earnestly exhort the Hebrews To day whilst it is called to day not to harden their Hearts That is not to put off Repentance till to morrow And when we are brought home to Christ by Repentance and resigning up our selves to him we are then no sooner in him but we must walk in newness of Life Of which St. Jude puts in remembrance Jude 6.7 Of the Angels which kept not their first estate but left their own habitations he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the Judgment of the great day Even as Sodom and Gomorrha and the Cities about them in like manner giving themselves over to fornication and going after strange Flesh are set forth for an Example suffering the vengeance of eternal Fire By which we see if we give our selves a liberty to sin God does with hold his restraining Grace from us and so through sin we become subjects of God's wrath And whereas St. Paul saith Rom. 8.35 Who shall separate us from the Love of Christ shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword 36. As it is written for thy sake we are killed all the day long we are accounted as Sheep for the Slaughter 37. Nay in all these things we are more than Conquerers through him that lovedus 38. For I am perswaded that neither Death nor Life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come 39. Nor height nor depth nor any other Creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. By these words we see that St. Paul was of this perswasion That they being once in Christ that it was not any nor all of these forementioned things should be able to separate them from the Love of God through Christ By which we see there is nothing but wilful sin that can separate the Soul from the Love of God in Christ if once accepted And whereas St. Paul saith 2 Thes 2.13.14 We are bound to give thanks alway to God for you Brethren beloved of the Lord because God hath from the beginning chosen you to Salvation thro' Sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth whereunto he called you by our Gospel to the obtaining of the gloey of our Lord Jesus Christ Now whereas St. Paul saith That God from the beginning chose the Thessalonians to Salvation Now were these words to be taken as hitherto we have done there is a contradiction in the Apostles own words For in the Ephesians he there saith that they were chosen in Christ before the Foundation of the World And here in the Thessalonians he saith from the beginning Now were they chosen from the beginning of the material Heavens and Earth or from the beginning of the first world of People which was in the seed of Cain and Seth. Then were they not chosen before the foundation of the World but at the foundation of the World therefore these words admit of a contradiction And from the beginning here spoken of could not reach to God and Eternity for there is neither beginning nor end therefore his words here and in the Ephesians admit of two meanings The first is as I before proved to you That the Churches that first trusted in Christ was made choice of for the glorious Tabernacle and so will appear to the praise of his Glory as being approv'd of of God as to matter of choice or liking in God for the glorious Tabernacle sooner then Israel or before Israel which is the foundation of the world here spoken of as I have already clearly proved Now whereas he saith that the Thessalonians were chosen from the begining to Salvation is no other then from the begining of the preaching of the Gospel The which begining I shall make clear to you by the words of our blessed Lord and St. John First what the Lord saith to his Disciples in John 15.27 And ye shall also bear witness because ye have been with me from the begining And St. John saith 1 John 2.24 Let that therefore abide in you which ye have heard from the begining If that which ye have heard from the begining shall remain in you ye also shall continue in the Son and in the Father By what is here said it is evident that the Apostle had no other meaning then from the begining of the publishing of the Gospel by reason Christ and the Apostles did express themselves so And the Apostles own words are to the like effect in Phil. 1.5 For your fellowship in the Gospel from the first day until now which is no other then from the first day they heard the word Now the Thessalonians their being chosen to salvation was not so absolute but that they might through their own neglect fall short of salvation as St. Pauls own words make appear Because he saith in the 2 Thes 1.11 Wherefore also we pray alwaies for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness and the work of faith with power By what is here said it doth appear that the Thessalonians being chosen to salvation was like that of the children of Israel who was chosen of the Lord for the Land of Canan for God brought them out of the Land of Egypt That was God by his own out stretched arm brought them out of Egypt and through the red Sea This being that which lay not in their power to do But when he brought them into the Wilderness they were to fight for the Land of Canan or else they were never to