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
Supper I find therein is Comfort for the Poor for when those that were bidden were not found worthy through their own neglect and so was detain'd from coming through the Love they had to this present World as in Matt. 22.8 Then said the King to his Servants the Wedding is ready but they that were bidden were not worthy 9. Go ye therefore into the High-ways and as many as ye shall find bid to the Marriage 10. So those Servants went into the high-ways and gathered together all as many as they could find both good and bad and the Wedding was furnished with guests 11. And when the King came in to see the guests he saw there a man which had not a Wedding Garment 12. And he said unto him friend how camest thou in hither not having a wedding Garment and he was speechless 13. Then said the King to the Servants bind him hand and foot and take him away and cast him into utter darkness there shall be weeping and gnashing of Teeth We see that although the poor in great number at the last day will be called in to be made partakers of that blessedness which then shall be revealed yet we see by this one that has been mentioned that some of them will be cast out and that there will be something found in them which will unfit them for mercy That is their Lives more estranged from God and their tempers more united to Satan like to this Man in the Parable which might like the Glory of the Saints yet not their Sanctity or they sound guilty of some of those crying sins unrepented of And whereas the Lord saith in the 14. v. For many are called but few are chosen That is they are called so as to be brought into the knowledg of God and his ways as to know what he requires of us But by reason they will not use their utmost endeavour to make their Calling and Election sure therefore they will not be chosen in the great day of the Lord the which the foregoing words doth make it so out that they did neglect the tender and offer of mercy by his Messengers in or of the Gospel being not willing to forego this present World and therefore are not sound ready when the Lord comes so as then to be chosen by him And also if we neglect the tender of mercy all our Life time I can find no hopes that such should be chosen upon a Death-Bed As for the Thief upon the Cross he was not brought into the knowledg of the Lord before that time And the Lord saith in Luke 14.21,22,23 When those that were bidden came not then the Master of the House being angry said to his Servants go out quickly into the Streets and Lanes of the City and bring in hither the poor and the maimed and the halt and the blind And the servant said Lord it is done as thou commanded and yet there is room And the Lord said to the servant go out into the high-ways and hedges and compel them to come in that my house may be full Now as to the meaning of these Parables of the Lord in which they are bidden to Supper is his Invitation to us by the Gospel which remains good from the time of his being on Earth till his second coming at which time he not finding those that were bidden prepared for his coming therefore in the 24. v. saith That none of those men that were bidden shall tast of my Supper That is those that are not found prepared And in Luke 18.8 Where the Lord saith When he cometh shall he find faith on Earth That is the generality of the Christians will be more prophane and wicked than ever they were and therefore none of them that are so shall have any part of his Supper when he cometh Now that the justice and mercy of God might be both evident as the Psalmist and St. Paul saith in Rom. 3.4 Where he speaking of God saith in Ps 51.4 That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings and mightest overcome when thou art judged Therefore God looking on the poor that here have known nothing but misery and thereby made uncapable of shewing mercy in giving relief to others and also through poverty had not the due education as to bring them up in the knowledge of the Lord of which some of them which will be brought in at the coming of the Lord is said to be lame halt and blind To be sure some of them will not be only outwardly so but also there will be those that are inwardly so The first that were brought in are said to be fetcht out of the streets and lanes of the City And the Servants of the Lord said yet there is room Then were they Commanded to go into the high waies and hedges and to compel them to come in Here by all this we have no reason to believe that these were all sound ready at his coming but that they then are called in to sill up their places that have neglected his mercy And Isaiah Prophesieth of the time to come in which the Lord shall be judge that the lame also shall take the prey Whereas he saith in Chap. 33.22 v. The Lord is our Judge the Lord ic our Lawgiver the Lord is our King he will save us 23. v. Thy tackling are loosed they could not well strengthen their Mast they could not spread the Sail then is the prey of a great spoile divided the lame take the prey You may plainly see by these words that they have only reference to the time when the Lord again comes And in the 14 Chap. 1. v. For the Lord will have mercy on Jacob and will yet chuse Israel and set them in their own Land and strangers shall be joyned with them and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob. By which we see that there will be strangers called in at that time when Israel is And the Psalmist where he saith Psal 9.17,18,19 The wicked shall be turned into Hell and all the Nations that forget God Then it is in the following verse The needy shall not alway be forgotten the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever Arise O Lord let not man prevail let the Heathen be judged in thy sight We see here when it is that the Poor and Needy is thus to be remembred It is when the Lord riseth to judgment at which time he renders punishments to the Wicked and Comfort to the Afflicted And it is said in Psal 37.7 Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him fret not thy self because of him who prospereth in his way because of the man who bringeth wicked devises to pass 8. Cease from anger and forsake wrath fret not thy self in any wise to do evil 9. For evil doers shall be cut off but those that wait upon the Lord they shall inherit the Earth 10. For yet a little while and the wicked shall not be 11. But the meek
shall inherit the Earth and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace 12. The wicked plotteth against the just and gnasheth upon him with his Teeth 13. The Lord shall laugh at him for he seeth that his day is coming 22. For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the Earth and they that are cursed of him shall be cut off Therefore it is said He that giveth to the Poor lendeth to the Lord. And the Lord calleth the Poor his Brethren And the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 1.27 God hath chosen the foolish things of the World to confound the Wise and God hath chosen the weak things af the world to confound the things that are mighty 28. And the base things of the World and the things that are despised hath God chosen yea and things which are not to bring to nought things that are You see in these last words of the verse that St. Paul had a reference for the time to come And as the Lord at his first coming did chuse the mean and low things of the Earth So at the Lord's second coming it does appear that he will then chuse them also as part of his Elect when he again comes 29. That no flesh should glory in his presence That is It is not their Wisdom Grandeur or Greatness that made them acceptable with God Of which Hanath Prophesieth in 1 Sam. 2.8 He raised up the Poor out of the dust and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghil to set them among Princes and to make them inherit the Throne of Glory for the Pillars of the Earth are the Lords and he hath set the World upon them 9. He will keep the feet of his Saints and the wicked shall be silent in darkness for by strength shall nâ— man prevail 10. The Adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces out of Heaven shall he thunder upon them the Lord shall judg the ends of the Earth and he shall give strength unto his King and exalt the Horn of his Anointed And therefore he saith in 1 Cor. 1.30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us Wisdom and Righteousness and Sanctification and Redemption 31. That according as it is written he that glorieth let him glory in the Lord. And Jeremiah saith Jer. 9.23,24 Thus saith the Lord let not the wise man glory in his wisdom neither let the mighty man glory in his might let not the rich man glory in his riches But let him that glorieth glory in this that he understandeth and knoweth me that I am the Lord which exercise loving Kindness Judgment and Righteousness in the Earth for in these things I delight saith the Lord. This Chapter as well as the forementioned to the Corinthians has a reference to the second Coming of Christ at which time he will exercise Loving Kindness Judgment and Righteousness in the Earth Now it does fully appear by Scripture who are the Elect that will be received into mercy when the Lord again comes That it is the Antient People of God the Jews with part of those people or nations which Isaiah makes mention of in the 60. c. 6. 7. v. And the poor which have not uncapacitated themselves for Mercy There is also then a Blessing promised to the Meek Psal 37.11 They shall inherit the Earth and shall delight themselves in the abundance of Peace which cannot be till the Lord again comes That is those meek that have not had the Opportunity of more knowledg And the Merciful that have shewed mercy to Gods Elect if they have not been guilty of the evils against which the Lord hath pronounc'd that dreadful sentence Rev. 21.8 That they shall have their part in the Lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second Death But I hope God of his infinite mercy hath here caused the true meaning of his Word to break forth to be the means of saving of thousands of poor Papists and Turks And I hope it will awaken thousands of our Nations that are asleep in security before they sleep that sleep of Eternal Death But as for them that are willfully ignorant there remains for them no hopes of Mercy For God saith Prov. 1.24,25,26,27,28 Because I have called and ye refused I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded 25. v. But ye have set at nought all my Counsel and would none of my Reproof 26. v. I will also laugh at your Calamity I will mock when your Fear cometh 27. v. When your Fear cometh as Desolation and your destruction cometh as a Whirlwind when distress and anguish cometh upon you 28. v. Then shall they call upon me but I will not answer they shall seek me early but they shall not find me According to the saying of the Lord in St. Luke That they shall then strive to enter in but shall not be able That is as soon as the Lord appeareth they will be seeking to him for Mercy for this Scripture doth particularly relate to the latter Day but then it will be too late Prov. 1.29 For that they hated Knowledge and did not chuse the Fear of the Lord. Whilst the door of Mercy is open to us whereby to make our Calling and Election sure For when the Lord comes to Judgment we must then give an account of our Stewardship and as we are found so will our Sentence be whether for Blessedness or Misery Now the Lord Christ with the Apostles speaks in the same method as God aforetime spake by his Prophets in that they do mention those things which are to come as though they were already done And also in that they mention or joyn those things together which are done or shortly to be done with those things which are of a long continuance before they will be accomplisht And having proved it in several places before I shall here make mention but of Two The first is the foregoing words of the Apostle wherein he makes mention of those call'd in at Christs first coming with the promised Elect which shall be received into mercy at his second coming And also Christ himself mentioneth the destruction of Jerusalem with that of the destruction of the world as tho they were to have been at one and the same time That thereby we might the better understand the writings of the Prophets and Moses as to their joyning things together which admits of great distance of time between For as to the Covenant that God made with Israel the Christians were included therein also As being Ahrahams seed by Christ And therefore when Moses speaks of Israels Land he there speaks of what will become of the Christians Land That is the Land where the pretended head of the Church is who walk with Israel according to the imagination of their own hearts Which woe is pronounced to that Land that it shall become brimstone and salt and burning Also those Prophesies of Christs first coming are joyn'd with his second coming and
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
Wherefore because they sought it not by faith but as it were by the works of the law for they stumbled at that stumbling stone That is they sought it by the righteousness of the works of the ceremonial Law which consisted in sacrifices washings and often purifications Of which the Apostle saith Heb. 10.1,2 For the law having a shadow of good things to come and not the very image of the things can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect For then would they have ceased to be offered because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sin Now this was the Law to which Israel trusted to take away their sin Of which Law or Statutes God saith Ezek. 20.25 they were not good Because as it is said in the Hebrews they were but a shadow of the good things to come and therefore could not make the comers thereunto perfect But had Israel employed their utmost diligence in their obedience to the moral Law they had not been left to stumble at that stumbling stone as God by the Prophets hath declared And also Christ himself saith Matth. 23.23,24 Wo unto you Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin and have omitted the weightier matters of the law judgment mercy and faith these ought ye to have done and not to leave the other undone Ye blind guides which strain at a gnat and swallow a camel And again he saith Matth. 19.16,17 One came and said unto him good Master what good thing shall I do that I may inherit eternal life And the Lord said unto him if thou wilt enter into life keep the Commandments And again Luke 10.25,26,27,28 Another came unto the Lord saying Master what shall I do to inherit eternal life He said unto him What is written in the Law how readest thou And he answering said thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul and with all thy strength and with all thy mind and thy neighbour as thy self And he said unto him Thou hast answered right this do and thou shalt live And St. Paul saith Rom. 10.6,7,8,9,10,11 The righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise Say not in thine heart who shall ascend into heaven that is to bring Christ down from above or who shall descend into the deep that is to bring up Christ again from the dead But what saith it the word is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart that is the word of faith which we preach that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto Salvation For the Scripture saith whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed The which word of faith mentioned in the 8. v. comprehends all that is contained in the Gospel relating to man's salvation Wherein is declared Christ coming from Heaven his rising again from the dead with the conditions on which Christ and Salvation is offered The knowledge of which he saith was in their mouth and in their heart it being that which he had preached to them And whereas he saith in the 9. v. Rom. 10.9 If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved Now this verse as they have parted the words is a contradiction to all the Scripture but the words that go before and the verse that follows after explain the Apostles meaning Where he saith in the 10. v. Rom. 10.10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness The which we no sooner are converted but we resign up our selves to him desiring in all things to walk suitably to him the which if we so do we may believe that the righteousness of Christ is imputed to us For it is only the sincerity of the heart as to the truth of their belief which will produce a holy life according to the will of God For it is said Heb. 11.12,14 Without holiness no man shall see the Lord. Now what the Apostle here said in the 9. v. was to the Church that he had before instructed and of whom he had had proof of their sincerity and therefore incouraged them to go on in the open acknowledging and confessing of the Lord although they were but a few People amongst a multitude of Heathens And that their faith might not flag as to God's raising Christ from the dead he lets them understand it was a great point of their Salvation according to what he saith 1 Cor. 15.14,16,17 If Christ be not risen then is our preaching vain and your faith is also vain For if the dead rise not then is not Christ raised and if Christ be not raised your faith is vain ye are yet in your sins By which we see it is one of the material points of our Salvation And St. Paul saith Rom. 10.12,13,14 There is no difference between the Jew and the Greek for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed Here we see in these verses he speaks in general to all but in the 9. v. he speaks to a particular People or Persons to whom he wrote Now in the 12. v. Whereas he saith there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek That is salvation was alike common to all that did alike call upon him And whereas he saith in the 13. v. Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved I hope that you do not here apprehend that it was only with a vocal voice that if they so call that they shall be saved No it is the voice of the heart that there may be a suitable frame of Spirit whereby we may call upon God as is required for it is the tongue that expresseth but the meaning or voice of the heart and the tongue is not the man but a small member of him And had we no tongue to express our desires yet the sincerity of our heart in our affections towards God and being sensible of our own unworthiness is that voice which the Lord will hear And like unto this was the voice of the Malefactor that was crucified with Christ who in the sence of his own unworthiness and of Christ's righteousness called on the Lord for mercy Luk. 23.40,41,42,43 faith in him being strong when the Lord was most afflicted and eclipsed which made his believing on him at that time more wonderful but it was the Lord look'd in upon his heart he not before
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
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
upon the Foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Jesus Christ himself being the chief Corner-stone In whom all the Building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy Temple in the Lord In whom you also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit Whereas he hete speaks of growing is to shew us that the building is not yet compleated which Temple or Building will be compleated when the New Jerusalem from Heaven shall be revealed as in Rev. 3.12 the Lord saith Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the Temple of my God and he shall go no more out and I will write upon him the Name of the City of my God which is the New Jerusalem which cometh down out of Heaven from my God and I will write upon him my New Name Now St. Paul saith Ephes 2.6,7 That God hath raised them up together and made them sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus Now it is certain they were not at that time set with Christ in Heavenly Places therefore spoken for time to come as his words in the following verse make out where he saith verse 7. That in the Ages to come he might shew the exceeding Riches of his Grace in his kindness towards us through Jesus Christ Here St. Paul doth absolutely declare that God will shew forth the Riches of his Grace in his kindness towards them in the Ages to come Now it is evident that there has not been such exceeding kindness shewed forth to them in the Ages that are past St. Peter saith that Christ came in the last times Therefore it is as Balaam said of Israel According to this time it shall be said of Jacob what hath God wrought That is when Israel shall again be restored and the Glory of the Saints be revealed in that Tabernacle which the Lord shall pitch and not Man Then it is that the exceeding riches of his Grace will be manifested to those Ages that are now to come And that is the time when Christ again comes of which St. Paul saith Whom he did foreknow them he also called That then the Lord will call them of whom he had a foreknowledge of as by a promise from the Father And then it is that will be made good which Moses said of God to Israel in Deut. 7.9 Know therefore that the Lord thy God he is God the faithful God which keepeth Covenant and Mercy with them that love him and keep his Commandments to a Thousand Generations Here Moses saith God will keep Covenant and Mercy to a Thousand Generations with them that love him And as yet we cannot well reckon up an Hundred Generations from the first Creation of Mankind for from Adam to Christ St. Luke reckons up about sixty Generations Therefore this keeping Covenant and Mercy hath its Extent to the other World which is the New World or New Earth of people which is to come in whom as St. Peter saith will dwell Righteousness and here as Moses hath it will love God and keep his Commandments the meaning of which is both one and the same thing And what Moses saith makes it farther clear that it is when the Lord again comes at which time he saith verse 10. the Lord will repay them that hate him to their Face to destroy them he will not be slack to him that hateth him he will repay him to his Face That is when the Lord cometh then will be their visible destruction for he will then repay them to their Face according to what the Psalmist saith Psal 58.10 And St. Paul speaking of the Glory which the then Church should receive at the coming of the Lord saith to the Ephesians Chap. 1.12 That we should be to the praise of his Glory who first trusted in Christ V. 13. In whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the word of Truth the Gospel of your Salvation In whom also after that ye believe ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of Promise Now if they were Sealed when they received that Holy Spirit of Promise then was their Calling and Election confirm'd to them and this Holy Spirit of Promise was the giving the Holy Ghost the which was also for the Establishing of the first Christian Churches and to confirm the truth of the Gospel But he saith in v. 14. The Spirit is the earnest of their Inheritance until the Redemption if the purchased possession unto the praise of his Glory By which we see although the Debt and Purchase was paid yet the Redemption or Purchase was not yet in possession of him by whom it was purchased And St. Peter saith in c. 2.9,10 They were a chosen Generation or Royal Priesthood an Holy Nation a peculiar people that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light V. 10. Which in time past were not a people but are now the People of God which had not obtained Mercy but now have obtained mercy The which words of St. Peter does make it plainly appear that they were not chosen before the foundation of this material Earth was laid for then it could not have been said they had not received Mercy if they were predestinated to it before the First Creation And therefore the forementioned words of St. Paul must have its reference to the New Heavens and Earth and the foundation of that World to come of which World they are already chosen to be the Kings and Priests of in that Glorious Tabernacle and to be of the New Jerusalem which comes down from Heaven and then will they reign over that New World and the Foundation of it is Israel from whom will arise many Generations and continue for ever and then as it 's said in Dan. 7.27 The Kingdom and the greatness of the Kingdom under the whole Heaven shall be given to the people of the Saints of the most high whose Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom and all Dominions shall serve and obey him Now whereas St. Peter saith in the 2. c. 9. v. They were a chosen Generation a Royal Priesthood an holy Nation You may be sure that they are chosen so for time to come and that this speaking of his is after the Scripture way of speaking in that he mentions things that are so come as tho they were already done and the Saints which are in Heaven in Rev. 5.10 say Thou hast made us unto God Kings and Priests and we shall reign on the Earth Here the Saints speak according to our method in that they neither say they did Reign or do Reign on the Earth but that they shall Reign on the Earth the which will be in the World to come then are they to be Kings and Priests of it for which they were chosen before the World was that is now to come for the same Apostle tells us Heb. 2.5 That unto the Angels hath God not put into subjection the World to come whereof we speak And
Glory even us whom he hath called not of the Jews only but also of the Gentiles That was from their first Conversion the Spirit of the Lord was working with their Spirit so as to make them Vessels of Mercy prepared unto Glory the which Glory will be revealed when the Lord again comes Therefore St. Paul saith a little before his Death 2 Tim. 4.6,7,8 For I am now ready to be offered and the time of my departure is at hand I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the Faith Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day and not to me only but unto all them also that love his appearing Now here is two things to be considered in these words which is to whom these Crowns are to be given and when they are to be given He tells us they shall be given to all them that love his appearing That is has a longing desire for his appearing And he also tells us they are to be given in that day in which the Lord appeareth Now in the Vision that St. John saw Rev. 4.1,4,6 In which it is said The Vision was for hereafter at which time there was a door opened in Heaven And in the 4. v. it is said There was four and twenty seats And upon the seats four and twenty Elders sitting cloathed in white Raiment and they had on their heads Crowns of Gold And in the 6th v. it is said before the Throne there was a Sea of Glass By which it does appear this Vision which was for time to come does signifie the time when the glorious Tabernacle should descend by reason he mentions there was a door opened in Heaven And by the measure of the City upward and the glory of it Which is mentioned in the 21st and 22d chapters of the Revelations it does seem that the Heavens will remain open over the glorious Tabernacle from the Throne of God And by the Sea of Glass it doth signify as much At which time it is said the Elders were Crowned Which is according to what St. Paul Saith that they shall receive their Crowns in that day when the Lord appeareth at which time the Glory will be manifested Now as to what St. Paul saith in Rom. 9.25 Where he mentions what was said by the Prophet Hosea I will call them my people which were not my people and her beloved which was not beloved 26. And it shall come to pass that in the place where it was said unto them ye are not my people there shall they be called the Children of the living God By the rehearsal of these words it makes it also plainly appear that St. Paul had his â—eference wholly to the time when the Lord again comes In that he Saith where it was said unto them ye are not my people there shall they be called the children of the living God Now to whom was this spoken it was to Israel in the Land of Canan Unto which at the restitution they shall be again restored And there shall they be called the children of the living God As in Hos 9.10 Then said God call his name Loammi for ye are not my people and I will not be your God Yet the number of the Children of Israel shall be as the Sand of the Sea which cannot be measured nor numbred And it shall come to pass that in the place where it was said unto them ye are not my people there it shall be said unto them ye are the Sons of the living God 11. Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together and appoint themselves one head and they shall come up out of the Land for great shall be the day of Jezreel Whereas it is said they shall choose themselves one head the which will be the head whom God hath appointed them And God saith in Hos 2.18,19,20 And in that day I will make a Covenant for them with the beast of the field and with the fowls of heaven and with the creeping things of the ground and I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the Earth and I will make them lie down safely 19. And I will betroth thee unto me for ever yea I will betroth thee unto me in Righteousness and in Judgment and in loving kindness and in mercy 20. I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness and thou shalt know the Lord. Which words argue there was a time in which Israel did not know the Lord. And the Lord saith 23. V. And I will sow her unto me in the Earth and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy and I will say to them which were not my people thou art my people and they shall say thou art my God By these quotations of St. Paul we may also clearly see that what he said was for the time to come And he saith in Rom. 8.28,29 We know that all things work together for good to them that love God to them who are called according to his purpose That is called now for his purpose hereafter for it 29. V. For whom he did forknow he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son that he might be the first born among many brethren Now whereas he saith whom he did foreknow that is whom Christ had the knowledge of in this life to be conformable to him as was the Apostles and the Churches that first trusted in Christ They were then chosen for to be made partakers of the Glory that shall be Revealed when the Lord again comes according to what he saith in Phil. 3.20 For our conversation is in Heaven from whence also we look for a Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ 21. Who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body according to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself Now these words may comprehend the time that is to come that they should be conformable to the Image not only of the mind of Christ but to the person of Christ intime to come And whereas he saith Rom. 8.30 Moreover whom he did Predestinate them he also called and whom he called then he also Justified and whom he Justified them he also glorious Here we see he speaks in the usual Scripture way of speaking in that he mentions what is to come as tho it were already done For it is Evident that they were not then glorified By which it does appear that this calling here mentioned is when the Dead shall hear the Voice of the Son of God and Live which is at the first Resurrection which is the Resurrection of the lust at which time the Promised Elect shall find mercy And wheras he saith in Rom. 8.32 He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with
that St. Paul might have his special reference to the promise made to Abraham which was before the Foundation of the World to come which afterward was laid in his Seed For God saith in Gen. 17.7 And I will establish my Covenant between me and thee and thy Seed after thee in their Generatione for an everlasting Covenant to be a God to thee and to thy Seed after thee And St. Paul saith in Ephes 1.21 That God hath set Christ far above all Principality and Power and Might and Dominion and every Name that is named not only in this World but also in that which is to come And he also saith Heb. 2.5 For unto the Angels hath be not put in subjection the world to come whereof we speak By which we may plainly see that all along what he saith was tending to that World which is to come and of those that are chosen and are designed to be chosen for that World Now as to what Christ saith in Mat. 22.14 many are called but few are chosen That is there is many called but there are few that have used all their diligence to make their Calling and Election sure and therefore the Lord will not chuse them For although the calling in of the Gentiles was not because of their Works but according to the Riches of his Grace they not having had the tender of Mercy But as to Israel that had before the knowledge of God they were excluded from Mercy because there was not good Works found in them as God by his Prophets and Christ himself saith And as it was with the Jews so it will be much worse with the Christians when the Lord again comes if we do not walk in Obedience to his revealed Will in his Word and so be found ready As for Example by the Parable the Lord put forth concerning those that were bid to the Wedding Supper as in Luke 14.16,17,18,19,20,21 where they all make Excuses For they being not willing to forego this present World and to wrestle for the blessing therefore at his coming they will be excluded his Mercy in that they shall not taste of his Supper Now whereas St. Paul saith Acts 16.6,7 They were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia 7. After they were come to Mysia they assayed to go into Bithynia but the Spirit suffered them not Now although they were not at that time suffered to go into Asia yet God did not withhold the Gospel from them for in Rev. 1.4 the Lord biddeth St. John write to the seven Churches in Asia And St. Paul saith the Gospel had been Preached to all People Col. 1.23 Altho they did not alike receive it for the ground was not in it self alike capable to bear the Seed of God's word as the Lord in the Parable hath declared it And also when they had received the Seed they could not alike retain it because some of their Natures were more estranged from God And the major part of Israel and Judah was then Excluded the mercy by Christ by reason of their sin And also it is said Nehe. 13.1,2 That an Ammonite and a Moabite should not come into the Congregation of God for ever 2. v. Because they met not tha Children of Israel with bread and water but hired Balaam against them that he should curse them howbeit our God turned the Curse into a Blessing By which we see what was the reason God excluded them from his Congregation for ever The meaning of ever includes this present World by all which we see what was the cause they could not all alike receive Christ which was not that they were Reprobated before the foundation of the Material Heavens and Earth But as St. Paul saith of Israel it happened to them the which was after they had sinned And so it was with Moab and Ammon after they had sinned And also the Seed of Ham became accursed First from the mockery of his Father Afterwards from the building of Babel And last of all for their Destroying of Jerusalem Now Satan having twisted himself more into the Natures of these therefore they became more abhorred of God And also this root of gall and wormwood which the Apostle terms the Root of Bitterness He also brings in a false Seed with him according to the Parable of the Lord that there would an Enemy come and sow Tares with the Wheat which is the false seed which God also speaks of in Isa 57.3 But draw near hither ye Sons of the Sorcerers the seed of the Adulterer and the Whore The which is but a Viperous Brood and a false Seed God saith they are unprofitable Children And in Deut. 23.2 A bastard shall not enter into the Congregation of the Lord even to the Tenth Generation And the Lord also saith in Ezek. 18.20 The Soul that sinneth it shall die The Son shall not bear the iniquity of the Father neither shall the Father bear the iniquity of the Son the righteousness of the Righteous shall be upon him and the wickedness of the Wicked shall be upon him Now the Bastard is more begotten in Sin And the Patriark Ruben saith in his last Testament that Lust is one of the Spirits of the Devil 's giving and being begot in the breach of the command of God they are more estranged from God and thereby Satan may have a freer entrance into his Heart as to draw them into the ways of Sin But if he does see all the evil of Sin and live a very Holy Life there is hopes of Mercy for him altho it doth not appear that he shall have a part in the first Resurrection Now the Pope allowing all these things brings in a false Seed among them which by the word is more estranged from God for both Spiritual Adultery and Bodily Adultery are both abhorred of the Lord. Now the old World consisted of three sorts of People First They that sprang from Kain for Kain wilfully sinning and maliciously Murdering his Brother which was one fall farther from God then that he was fallen in Adam for which he became accursed of God as in Gen. 4.11 And so his Seed became all along more estranged from God he bringing forth a Viperous Brood like himself And from Seth sprang another Seed which he not falling as Kain did but keeping his ground in which God had set him by the promised Christ because he did not wilfully corrupt himself his Seed was termed the Sons of God as in Gen. 6.2 And also there was other Children proceeded from Adam the which was another Seed which we do not read of their miscarriage whilst they and the Children of Seth did not Marry with the Children of Kain which were the twice fallen Children of Man but then when they did the Mass of Mankind became wholly Corrupted so as the imagination of Mans Heart was only evil as in Gen. 6.5 And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the Earth and that every
their eyes shall consume away in their holes and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth Of certain this is the Battle that is to be fought after Satan is loosed for it is after Christ appears upon Mount Olivet after the Mountain cleaved in the midst for a Receptacle for them that are saved whilst the Earth is renewing after the wicked are destroyed and after Jerusalem is again built After which it is said in the 11th verse There shall be no more utter destruction but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited because none shall make any attempt against them till after the Thousand Years After which Gog and Magog whom the Devil will gather together will come up against Jerusalem whom God will destroy as in the 38th Chapter of Ezekiel and in Rev. 20.9,10 and them that escape the Fire and Hail that comes from Heaven shall pine away as in Zachariah Now having fully proved how some became to be more estranged from God than other some the which was as St. Paul said of Israel that it hapned to them so may it be said of these that it hapned unto them first through the subtle Insinuations of the Devil to them and secondly by their own willful miscarriage when they were again restored to mercy by Christ and again renewed in him And in that Israel will have the preheminence it also was through the Faithfulness of Abraham in his service and in the patient waiting for his promise after the Lord had chosen him And also in that Abraham did offer up his Only Son Isaac for the doing of which the Lord did inlarge his promised blessing to Abraham which was That in him and his Seed all the Families of the Earth should be blessed Gen. 22.17 And had Israel walked in the steps of Abraham according to the Capacity God had put them in their Kingdom had never been destroyed Isa 48.18,19 Jer. 25.5 But God foreseeing they would be wanting to themselves in not keeping his Covenant therefore their destruction was foretold by the Prophets And also because David patiently waited upon the Lord till it was his time to bring him to the Kingdom bearing all his Afflictions till it was the Lord's time to bring him out of them And when he was on the Throne he persisted in his desire of Advancing the Glory of the Lord therefore God made that great Promise to him and his seed as in 2 Sam. 7.14 Now God likewise chose Jeroboam and Jehu to be Kings but they acting contrary to his Commands therefore they were Accursed of him And also they that suffer for God in well doing shall in time to come receive the greater Glory as those that have been most wicked shall receive the greater Punishment And whereas God saith Ezek. 33.13 When I shall say to the Righteous that he shall surely Live If he trust to his own Righteousness and commit Iniquity all his Righteousness shall not be remembred but for his iniquity that he hath committed he shall die for it Now God here saith when he shall say to the Righteous That he shall surely live yet if he upon the promise of God for Life and for his past Obedience does take a Liberty to do iniquity his past Righteousness shall not be remembred but for his iniquity he shall die And so is our Callings and Elections to Life and Salvation that are absolutely promised to us by God Yet if we are wanting to our selves they prove of no effect to us And the case stands so with the wicked For the Lord saith in the 14. v. Again when I say unto the wicked thou shalt surely die If he turn from his sin and do that which is Lawful and Right 15. v. If the wicked restore the Pledg give again that he hath robbed walk in Statutes of Life without committing iniquity he shall surely Live he shall not die That is without wilfully committing iniquity By this we also see that if God doth say to the wicked Thou shalt surely die Yet that threatning was not of force no longer than the Man remained sinful of which the Lord in Jer. 36.3 It may be that the House of Judah will hear all the Evil which I purpose to do unto them that they may return every man from his evil way that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin And also the Lord saith in Jer. 25. from the 3. to the 9. v. But as for those sinners who by their continued custom in sin God has left to hardness of Heart and blindness of mind they cannot come to amendment of Life And God saith in Ezek. 18.21 to the 31. v. But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed and keep all my Statutes and do that which is lawful and right he shall surely live he shall not die 23. Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked shall die saith the Lord God and not that he should return from his ways and live Now while the Lord calls to a sinner to Repentance there is power in the sinner to turn from his ways and to seek to God that he may live 25. v. Yet ye say the way of the Lord is not equal Here now O House of Israel is not my way equal are not your ways unequal 30. v. Therefore I will judg you O House of Israel every one according to his ways saith the Lord God repent and turn your selves from all your Transgressions so iniquity shall not be your ruin 33. v. Cast away from you all your Trangressions whereby ye have Transgressed and make you a new Heart and a new Spirit for why will ye die O House of Israel 32. v. For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth saith the Lord wherefore turn your selves and live ye Now whilst God calls to a People to come to Repentance there is a door open to them for Mercy and then they are not left of God to hardness of Heart and blind ness of mind so as if they do but use their utmost diligence in indeavouring to forsake their sins and go to God by Prayer they shall not want his assistance Now whereas the Apostle saith Eph. 4.28 Let him that stole steal no more So for all other sins there remains a power in us to withstand and make resistance against till such time that through the often refusing obedience to his word and resisting the good motions of his Spirit God leaves them to hardness of Heart and blindness of Mind Now whilst the door of Mercy is open we may cast away all our Transgressions That is take up Resolutions against them and continually beg of God for his Assistance in our Performance And Cant. 1.4 cry out with the Church Lord draw me we will run after thee God hath left us a sure rule if we will take to the means therefore let us walk in the ways of God and keep to our constant duty in Praying and we shall never be
the Glory of God in that it did so much Eclipse his Justice and Mercy in making of him so partial a Judg and also hurls the Soul into a sleeping Lethargy of security whilst they fancy themselves thus Elected and makes them unmindful of the knowledg of the coming of the Lord although he has told us if he comes upon us in an hour that we are not aware of he will give us our Portion with Hypocrites and Unbelievers Now having all along shewed you what was the Election or Calling of the first Christian Churches the which was after they were ingrafted in Christ they were to fight to keep their ground Heb. 6.4,5 so as to make their calling and Election sure for else as I have proved the very Sealings of the Spirit might be cancelled to them And although the Names of the Children of the Church are written in Heaven yet they may be blotted out thence For God said to Moses Exod. 32.33 Whosoever hath sinned against me him will I blot out of my Book And after God had espoused Israel he is said to give her a Bill of Divorce Isa 50.1,2 And the Lord to the Church of Philadelphia saith hold fast that thou hast that no man take they Crown And Christ also saith Rev. 22.19 If any man take away from the words of the Book of this Prophesy God shall take away his part out of the Book of Life and out of the Holy City and from the things that are written in this Book We see that this was spoken to them that had a share in the Book of Life to let them know that if they did wickedly their part therein would be lost that is taken from them Of the Election of Children NOW as to the Election of the Children of the Church the which every sincere Hearted Christian is a Member If any of their Children dye in their Infancy before they have been guilty of actual Sin they are taken into Mercy as being in Covenant Acts 2.29 For the promise is unto you and to your Children and to all that are afar off even as many as the Lord our God shall call And also the Covenant was made with their little ones Deut. 29.11 And St. Paul saith 1 Cor. 7.14 The unbelieving Husband is Sanctified by the Wife and the unbelieving Wife is Sanctified by the Husband Else were your Children unclean but now are they holy Then if they are Holy they are fit for Heaven if taken away before they commit sin And the Lord saith in Esdras 2.29 My hands shall cover thee so that thy Children shall not see Hell By what is here said it is certain that all the Children of true Believers that are begotten after their Parents are Regenerated are holy and if they die in their Infancy will be blessed Now the Children of Believing Parents being from their Birth in Covenant with God they are by their Parents to be brought up in the strict ways of Holiness that they may grow in Knowledg and the fear of the Lord and not look in for a New Call but to walk with all diligence in the ways of God that they may be made partakers of Eternal Life which God hath promised to them that obey him for God requireth fruit of us as he did of Israel we being the Children of the Visible Church which if he finds not we shall likewise also be cut off And God wonderfully commendeth Abraham where he saith Gen. 18.19 I know him that he will command his Children and his Houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do justice and judgment that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him But we have not followed the Example of Abraham But O that we would consider our ways to be Wise and cry out mightily to him that is able to save us for he hath said They that seek me shall find me if they search for me with the whole heart So if we are not wanting to our selves God will be found of us But gray Hares are upon us altho we know it not O that we were well awakend out of this sleeping Lethargy of sloth and security so as to take hold of the Covenant of God and Mercy as it is offered by Christ and to give our selves wholly up to him beging strength of him that we may be inabled to live unto him and perform the Conditions that â—e requireth of us Now as to the special Elect. The which the Lord terms the very Elect where he saith Mat. 24.24 If it were possible they should deceive the very Elect. And also of whom the Angel makes mention of where he saith in Rev. 17.8 And they that dwell on the Earth shall wonder whose names were not written in the Book of Life from the Foundation of the World The which Foundation is as I have already proved to you which Foundation of the World was laid in Israel when the Lord fixt them in the Land of Canaan For Israel was chosen to be the Foundation of the World of people which is now to come And at which Foundation Christ was figuratively slain in the Paschal Lamb. And the Lord foreseeing the miscarriage of Israel it doth appear that God would have a certain number so secured as they should not fall away but to remain as standing witnesses through the World Whilst the rest were but put in a Capacity of obedience Now at the destruction of the old World it is said Gen. 6.8 Noah found grace in the Eyes of the Lord. And it is said in the 9. v. Noah was a just man and perfect in his Generations and Noah walked with God That is had walked in obedience to God and had improved the Talent which God had given him Whilst the other had wholly corrupted their ways As in the 12. v. And God looked upon the Earth and behold it was corrupt for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the Earth But God finding Noah in the Capacity that he had put him in that he had not corrupted his way but had improved the Talent which he had given him therefore was blessed of him By which we may plainly see that there was no absolute election through the first World And it doth appear when God had again renewed the World in Noah As in Gen. 9.1 And God blessed Noah and his Sons and said unto them be fruitful and multiply and replenish the Earth And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every Beast of the Earth and upon every Fowl of the Air upon all that moveth upon the Earth and upon all the Fish of the Sea into your hand are they delivered Now although after the floud God had restored to man his power again and put them all into a fresh Capacity of obedience yet notwithstanding they did almost all backslide again Then God chose Abraham and blessed him As in Gen. 12.1 And afterward he proved him Gen. 2. And
rewarder of them that diligently seek him Heb. 11.6 And to shew the immutability of God Therefore it is said of God That whom he loves he loves to the end for he is unchangeable in himself for according to his promise whether Condition aâ—or Absolute he never first with-draws from any And therefore Châ—…st saith If ye keep my Commandments ye shall abide 〈◊〉 my live Joh 15.10 ERRATA Page the â—4 is wâ—…ting in the last â—re hest thou that thou diâ—st not receive And p. 75. l. 25. Psa 90.23 Chap. I. This is to prove when and at what time the Believer is justified by Faith without the deeds of the Law THAT it is at the Believer's first Resignation of himself to Christ in a willingness to take his Yoke upon him so as to render his sincere Obedience to him then is Christ's Righteousness imputed to him for his Justification This being according to what St. Paul saith concerning the Churches at their first Reception they being brought out of sin darkness and errour Therefore he saith of them Rom. 3.24 Being justified freely by his grace through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his Righteousness for the remission of sins that are past In these words he fully shews it was their sins which were committed before conversion which upon their conversion and resignation of themselves to Christ they received remission for those past sins Rom. 3.28 Gal. 2.16 Therefore the Apostle concludes that a man was justified by faith without the deeds of the Law Gal. 2.16 that is as before said at his first resignation of himself to Christ to yield him his love and sincere obedience he is then justified by Christ without the deeds of the Law from all his past sins Therefore he saith Rom. 8.33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's Elect it is God that justifieth for upon their conversion they received remission so as none of their past sins should be laid to their charge for God had then justified them by the imputation of Christ's Righteousness and therefore he saith Rom. 10 4. Christ is the end of the Law for Righteousness to every one that believeth the which belief must be in Christ and his VVord in which he requires our love and sincere obedience in all things as in Mat. 28. v. 20. and then is Christ the end fulfilling or comâ—…eating of the Law for their Justification for they are no sooner thus justified by Christ but they must live unto Christ and then he will persist to fulfil and compleat the end of the Law in them who continue to walk in sincere obedience to him And so the Apostle clearly explains these words where he saith Rom 8 4. That the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit Here he shews what us these are to whom the Law is thus fulfilled That it was to as many of them as walk not after the flesh but after the spirit And he also saith verse 6. For to be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace v. 7. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God For it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be Now tho' the carnal mind is at enmity against God yet the Man is no longer at enmity against â—…od than he retains that carnal mind So neither is the believer any longer a believer than he retains a mind and will in Subjection to the Law of God For he saith Chap 6.16 His Servants ye are to whom ye obey whether of Sin unto Death or of Obedience unto Righteousness Now whereas the Apostle saith to the Church of Ephesus Eph. 2.10 We are his Workmanship Created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God had afore ordain'd that we should walk in them VVhich shews they were no sooner justified and set clear from the guilt of sin by the imputation of Christ's Righteousness but it was also fore-ordained of God that they should live in Good works and therefore Christ saith The Tree is known by its fruit Mat. 7.17,20 And whereas St. Paul saith Rom. 10.9,10 That if thou confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved For with the heart man believeth unto Righteousness and with the Mouth confession is made unto Salvation VVhich shews if the belief in us does not produce a Righteous life then it is altogether unavailable And whereas St. Paul saith Tit. 3.5 It is not by works of Righteousness which they had done but according to his mercy he saved them by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost This also shews when they were thus saved from their Sins That it was at their first conversion and resignation of themselves to Christ And he further shews how they were saved That it was by the washing of Regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost which was shed on them abundantly This was only at the establishing of the first Christian Churches for it is evident that there was no such abundant pourings forth of Spirit upon believers afterwards Therefore these places of Scripture are not fitly applicable to us who are born Children of the visible Church and have the Call of the Gospel from whom is expected an improvement of the season of Grace that God hath put into our hands For altho' the Gentiles that had not the knowledge of God were taken into mercy without works of Righteousness yet the Jews who had the knowledge of God were then excluded his mercy because there was not good works found in them as God by all the Prophets and Christ himself declareth Matth. 23.23,24,25,26,27 Wo unto you Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites for ye pay Tithe of Mint and Anise and Cummin and have omitted the weightier matters of the Law judgment mercy and faith these ought ye to have done and not to leave the other undone Here these that had the knowledge of God and the Law the Practical part was first requir'd of them as justice and mercy before any ground for a true faith to take place And whereas the Apostle saith in Galatians c. 3. v. 21,22,23,24,25 Is the Law against the promises of God God forbid for if there had been a Law given which could have given life verily Righteousness should have been by the Law But the Scripture hath concluded all under sin that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe But before faith came we were kept under the Law shut up unto the Faith which should afterwards be revealed Wherefore the Law was our School-master to bring us unto Christ that we might be justified by faith But after that faith is come we are no longer under a School-master Now whereas he saith the Law was their
evidently manifest at the giving of the Law so the abundant pourings forth of the Spirit with signs and wonders was given for to confirm the Truth of the Gospel And as Israel and their Children were to retain the Laws of God which once they had received so the Gentiles and their Children were to retain the Doctrine of the Gospel that had been once so powerfully delivered which by the call of the Word and the good motions of the Spirit of God if they with diligence improved it would make them wise unto Salvation This Israel had and resisted for which they were condemned Acts 7.51 For as St. James saith c. 1. v. 25. Whosoever 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 And why is it called the perfect Law of Liberty Because it is an upright Rule in which is required Man's sincere obedience which when he sincerely yields himself to obey he is then by Christ's Righteousness set free from the condemning power of sin and death And whereas Christ saith No man can come to me except the Father draw him John 6.44 And this is the drawing of God his Word and his Spirit which we must be accountable for how we have improved our day and season of grace which so many thro' their sloth and negligence misimprove therefore 't is said Many are called but few chosen Mat. 20.16 But as to those of whom St. Paul speaks that were called Rom. 9.23,24 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy which he had afore prepared unto glory even us whom he hath called not of the Jews only but also of the Gentiles These were they that were called according to the fore-determined Counsel of God for the greater grace and sufferings here the greater glory hereafter for these that he here saith were called of the Jews he speaks of that remnant that were called according to the election of grace which was to remain a standing Witness through the World and them that are here said to be called of the Gentiles were those of them that first bore their Testimony to the Gospel which were the Churches that first trusted in Christ these being prepared unto the glory which afterwards should be revealed which preparation was for the receiving of the Holy Ghost These are those of whom St. Paul saith Rom. 9.16 It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy That is in that God chose a remnant from among Israel to be his Witnesses through the World And also fore-appointed the first Churches according to the determined purpose of his own will that they should be made partakers of the Holy Ghost thereby to bear their Testimony for the confirmation of the Truth of the Gospel to the World and succeeding Generations So these being chosen according to the will of God for the greater grace and suffering here and the greater glory hereafter Ephes 1.12 That we should be to the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ And again he saith of the first Churches Ephes 2.7 That in the Ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness towards us through Christ Jesus And St. Peter saith to the first Churches 1 Pet. 4.12 Beloved think it not strange concerning the fiery Tryal which is to try you as though some strange thing happened unto you Now tho' these were not afore chosen of God for their fore-seen willing and running yet when they were called in they were to will and run for the prize and so must all that will lay hold of the Crown of Life whether Elect or not Elect. For St. Paul saith So run that ye may obtain And let us not be weary in well doing for in due season we shall reap if we faint not Gal. 6.9 For though the standing Witness or Remnant were so secured in Christ as none should pluck them out of his hand for they are those which are said to follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth Rev. 14.4 yet the other Elect did not so securely stand Therefore St. Paul warns all Heb. 6.4,5,6 Heb. 10.26,29 2 Pet. 2 20. So likewise Prov. 21.16 But the man that wandreth out of the way of understanding shall remain in the Congregation of the dead That is as St. Paul saith such as have tasted the good Word of God and then wilfully depart from him shall remain in the Congregation of the dead But in that Solomon was forgiven it was for the Promise God made to David his Father concerning him which has now no reference to us as I have clearly proved in another Book where the standing Witness is treated of but hath another meaning than what hitherto we have apprehended of it St. Paul saith Acts 13.32,33 And we declare unto you glad tydings how that the promise which was made unto the Fathers God hath fulfilled the same to us their Children in that he hath raised up Jesus again as it is written in the second Psalm Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee That is if Christ had not again been raised from the dead the Promise could never have been fulfilled And whereas he saith in verse 34. And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead no more to return to corruption he said on this wise I will give you the sure mercies of David Here the Apostle only repeats the words of Isaiah in that he saith God will give them the sure mercies of David not that the sure mercies of David were then given to all that did embrace the Faith but it is according as they hold out to the end they shall be made partakers of those sure mercies But at the Death and Resurrection of Christ was the price of that Redemption paid which was before promised of which the first Churches had then a pledge or fore-tast as the earnest of their Inheritance in that they had the renewing of the Holy Ghost shed on them abundantly Titus 3.5,6 whereby they generally stood and in Scripture the major part is reckoned for the whole and also amongst these Hebrews was the standing Witness and the Spirit was thus wonderfully given for the more security of their standing thereby to confirm the Truth of the Gospel These were they that were in a more peculiar manner ordained to Eternal Life being chosen of God according to the purpose he had before determined for them therefore had a particular calling And as they had the more Talents given them so they had the greater work to do and the greater difficulties to encounter with which they likewise were to perform that were to bear their Testimony to the Truth against all the Power of the Enemy But when the Gospel was established those that followed after had the call of the Word with the good motions of
contrary Gen. 6.5,6 Jer. 18.8,9,10 Ezek. 18.22,23,24,25 And whereas St Paul saith Titus 1.2 In hopes of eternal life which God that cannot lie promised before the world began His meaning here was no other than that God promised eternal life before the world began in which they were to receive it Which world is the world to come in which all they that obey him are promised eternal life I have also fully proved by the word in another Treatise that is to come forth that it was after the fall of Adam that the decree was made that the entrance into life should be made strait and how that straitness doth consist Chap. XX Chosen from the foundation and before the foundation explained I Have in the fore-mentioned Book by the word fully proved what is meant by being Chosen from the foundation of the world And also proved that in the word there is mention made of three evers three times three generations three worlds and that there was none chosen before the foundation of the material Heavens and Earth That these three worlds spoken of in Scripture are three worlds of people First that which sprang from Adam Secondly that which sprang from the Seed of Noah And thirdly That the foundation of the world to come was laid in the seed of Abraham when God brought them out of Aegypt and laid them for the foundation of the world to come For all that comes in Heirs to that world comes in as the Seed of Abraham from the foundation of which world was Christ figuratively slain in the Paschal Lamb. And from that foundation of the world was the works of those unbelieving Jews finished when they thro' their unbelief refused to go to fight for the land of Canaan therefore were condemned to die in the wilderness from 20 years old and upward save Caleb and Joshua And then after this miscarriage God elected and secured a remnant in Christ of that foundation which was then a laying in Israel for the world to come But for Israel's miscarriage God did likewise elect and make choice of the first Gentile Churches to partake of the Holy Ghost and God chose them before the body of Israel which were the foundation of the world to come And therefore the Apostle Paul saith They were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world That is before the body of Israel who were the foundation of the World to come And this not as to matter of time but as to matter of choice and liking in God rather to appoint and make choice of them that ignorantly offend him to call them in by a particular calling and give to them with the remnant the Holy Ghost that they thereby might bear their testimony to the world of the truth of the Gospel rather than those of Israel that did wilfully rebel and would not be a light to the world All these things are fully and clearly proved in the other Treatise with the hardning of Pharaoh's heart And what it was God hardned him in Shewing that it was not in sin and cruelty but for his sin and cruelty God hardened him in unbelief so as he should not believe the miracles done by Moses to come from God And therefore he followed them into the Red Sea where he and his Army were destroyed And therein also is shewed what is the meaning of being before of old ordained to this condemnation Now there was none of the Apostles that were Scholars but St. Paul And to understand some part of his Epistles has been more difficult than all the writings of the rest of the Apostles And according to the saying of St. Peter many poor Souls have wrested them to their own Destruction Chap. XXI The Call to the Eternal Inheritance explained ST Paul saith Heb. 9.15,16 That they which are called might receive the promise of the eternal Inheritance This he does not only speak of them that had the peculiar calling as the remnant chosen from among Israel and of the first Gentile Churches which were likewise chosen to bear their Testimony to the truth But these words had also a reference to all Israel who were all called and unto whom the promises belong'd and to their Children So the promises belonged to them that were called of the Gentile Churches and their Children And unto all to whom the word of God shall come accompanied with the good motions of the Spirit of God to them likewise does the promise of the Eternal Inheritance belong if they according to the condition as it is tendred will lay hold of it And whosoever continues faithful shall at the end have the fruition of the eternal inheritance that was promised upon those conditions Acts 10.35 For in every Nation he that feareth God and worketh Righteousness is accepted with him And it was the Gentile Nations that Abraham had the promise from God to be Father to Rom. 4.17 And when the Gentile Nations were called in it was then God made good his word to Abraham and then did the promise belong to them and their Children as it did to Israel and their Children So as they might receive the promise of the Eternal Inheritance upon the conditions offered Now the first Gentile Churches were not only called that they might receive the promise of the Eternal Inheritance but they had also the Holy Ghost given to them as the earnest of that Inheritance which afterwards they should receive if they did not disinherit themselves And to their Children that followed after them did the promise of the Eternal Inheritance belong But at the time that any Nation or people have not the Gospel at that time they have not the call At which time the promise of Eternal Inheritance belongs not to them Yet they are not excluded all mercy But where the word of God is as the call thereof is rightly understood there it is where the eternal Life may be laid hold on But such as by often sinning have caused God to withdraw the good motions of his Spirit from them they are thereby left to blindness of mind And as God was with the natural Seed of Abraham till they by often sinning caused him to withdraw from them So God was with the Nations of the adopted Seed of Abraham till such time as by often sinning they caused God to with-draw from them and leave them to strong delusions to believe lies 2 Thess 2.10,11,12 Chap. XXII The Gifts and Callings of God explained ST Paul saith Rom. 11.29 The Gifts and Callings of God are without Repentance That is according to the conditions upon which God calls them they are without Repentance from him But by the disobedience of many that have been called the call has proved uneffectual to them to the saving of their Souls Therefore St. Paul saith He kept under his body lest that by any means when he had preached to others he himself should be a cast-away 1 Cor. 9.27 And he never declared himself to be sure
is according to their willing and running they shall find acceptance with him and accordingly be rewarded by him And the people are condemned not because they knew not God but because they had no will to obey him as in Prov. 1.30,31 They would have none of my counsel they despised all my reproof Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way and be filled with their own devices And the Lord saith to the Jews John 5.40 Ye will not come to me that ye might have life Thereby shewing the door of mercy was wider open to them of Israel than they were willing to embrace and improve the opportunity And oh that we would not as they were be found alike guilty and so be made partakers of the more severer vengeance But on the contrary that we would turn from all our evil ways and seek the Lord while he may be found and call upon him while he is near Isa 55.6,7 begging his assistance that we may be able to withstand all our corrupt affections and inclinations and if we are sincere therein God will not be wanting to us But if we have no love to his ways 2 Thes 2.10 nor will not obey him Prov. 1.30 and will not chuse his fear verse 29. then for such there remains no hope For we shall stand or fall according as we chuse or refuse obedience to his will Now we through the mistaking of some of the sayings of St. Paul have made the Oath of God and the general Call and Offer of mercy by Christ to all that will according as it is tendred lay hold of it to be of no effect Notwithstanding St. Peter fairly warns us that in St. Paul's Epistles were some things hard to be understood which some did wrest to their own destruction 2 Pet. 2.16 And could we no otherwise have understood the meaning of St. Paul than in the contradiction of the God of Truth it had been a far less errour to have thought St. Paul might have erred than to have made the Oath of God and the general offer of mercy by Christ void by the misapprehending the words of St. Paul so as to think that none but the Elect could be saved But as the Prophet for believing the old Prophet in the contradiction of what God himself had said therefore was destroyed for a Lion met him and slew him 1 Kings 13.17,18,19,23,24 This being set down for a warning to us that we might not be alike guilty Chap. XIV What the Sign is when God for Sin intends to leave a Nation People or Person And the Kingdom of God in this time and the Kingdom of God in time to come explained VVHen God because of Sin determines to leave a People Nation or Person to destruction he then leaves them to delusion and to blindness of mind like as Pharaoh Exod. 7.13 Ahab 1 Kings 22.20,21 and Israel Psal 81.11,12 And Christ spake to Israel in Parables That by hearing they should hear and not understand and seeing they should see and not perceive Matth. 13.14 For the Jews were then in expectation of the coming of the glorious Kingdom of God which was foretold them by the mouth of all the Prophets and therefore a Pharisee demanded of Christ when the Kingdom of God should come And he answered him and said The Kingdom of God cometh not with observation but more rightly exprest as it is set down in the Margin of your Bibles not with shew neither shall they say lo here or lo there for behold the Kingdom of God is within you Luke 17 20,21 Christ by these words sheweth that in this time he was but to have his ruling-power in the hearts of his People And by this it is clear it is those that he rules in that are his And this being the only visible Kingdom that God has in the time of this World which Kingdom or People is not in shew of this World's greatness and grandeur This answer of the Lord was quite contrary to what the Pharisee expected for he only apprehended the Lord was to come to Reign and restore all things and not that he was first to come to suffer and this proved a stumbling-block to Israel But the Lord said in the following verses to his Disciples of his second coming v. 23,24,25 For as the lightning that lightneth out of the one part under Heaven shineth unto the other part under Heaven so shall also the Son of Man be in his day For the glory of that day will be such as St. Paul terms the then time but night to that approaching day Rom. 13.12,13 And Christ concerning the Parable of his second coming and Kingdom saith Matth. c. 13. v. 41,42,43 The Son of Man shall send forth his Angels and they shall gather out of his Kingdom all things that offend and them that do iniquity And shall cast them into a Furnace of Fire there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth Then shall the righteous shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdom of their Father Here the Lord declareth the time of the end of this World will be when he cometh at which time the Power of this World will be taken from them by his coming and sending his Angels to gather out of his Kingdom all things that offend and them that do iniquity By these words nothing can be more plain than that the Kingdom which will then be Christ's is this material World from which those that offend and do iniquity will then be cast out Now from these words also the Lord leaves himself scope to take in those that are given him of his Father at his second coming the which also will be his Elect which is Israel Rom. 11.28 and other Nations mentioned in the Word which will then be saved and then will the way of the Kings of the East be prepared Rev. 16.12 And the forementioned Book sheweth whom the Lord hath said shall likewise be spared and all these will be brought to a sense of their own unworthiness and so lay hold of mercy before the wicked is destroyed and therefore then they will not be offenders when the wicked are cast out so as the Lord may take in whom he will of the Heathen and God will as well keep faithful to his promise at Christ's second coming in calling in the Jews and others with them Isa 56.8 as he did perform his promise to Christ when he first came in calling in and justifying the sinners of the Gentiles And in that Christ saith to his Disciples in the 43th verse Then shall the righteous shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdom of their Father Here Christ doth not say all the righteous therefore he hath his reference to the raised Saints and the Witnesses that will be caught up in the clouds into those glorious Mansions or Tabernacles which the Lord pitcheth and not Man Isa 4.5,6 Rev. 21.21 From which they shall shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdom of
foundation of the World to come for all that come in as Heirs to that World come in as the Seed of Abraham and from that foundation Christ was figuratively slain in the Paschal Lamb and from that foundation were the works of those unbelieving Jews finished that fell in the Wilderness when they refused to go to fight for the Land of Canaan And because of Israel's miscarriage the first Gentile Churches were chosen to partake of the Holy Ghost and to bear their Testimony to the Truth the which are said to be chosen before the foundation of the World which foundation was Israel the which choice was not before them as to matter of time but as to matter of choice and liking in God rather to make choice of them that should ignorantly offend him than them that had wilfully disobeyed him And I also have proved that the Eternal Purpose has only a relation to the Eternity that lies before us that the being chosen from the beginning was no other than from the beginning of the Preaching of the Gospel And I have also proved that the Decree was made that the Entrances into Life should be made strait after Adam fell and how that straitness doth consist And what is meant by being of old ordained to this condemnation And also I have proved in the Book in which the Faith of Abraham is explained that them of the World embraced the Faith in the Apostles time and brought forth fruit as it did in the Elect Churches All these things I have made clear which hitherto we have not rightly understood which makes me the oftener recite them These things being proved it makes it evident that there was none Elected from the foundation but the remnant And also the first Gentile Churches that were afterward Elected were long departed this life before the Beast arose so as there was none of them then to be deceived by him Now there is also a twofold way of being in the Book of Life First They that have their names there Secondly Those that have a part therein and it is those that have their names there that are Elected and fore-chosen And after the first Gentile Churches were called in their Children were taken into Covenant and a Door of Mercy set open to all such as would take hold of the offer of Life according as it is tendered by Christ Now if these have not their names put into the Book of Life when they are taken into Covenant yet they have their part in the Book of Life in performing the conditions upon which Life is offered by Christ for those he will justifie by his Righteousness Heb. 5.9 The which name or part in the Book of Life may not only be lost through negligence and prophaneness but by adding or diminishing from the Word Rev. 22.19 Deut. 4.2 And there are others also that have a part in the Book of Life which will find Redemption in the World to come for they were such as received not the Truth in the love of it but took pleasure in unrighteousness that the Apostle saith should be damned 2 Thes 2.12 And they were such as heard the Truth and would not believe to obey it that the Lord gave Sentence against But those that have had a longing desire after the Truth and such as have not taken pleasure in unrighteousness such will find Redemption in the World to come And no young Children can take pleasure in iniquity Therefore when all come to be judged according to their works such will be cleared Rom. 2.14,15 Rev. 20.12 But I shall not here insist upon this Subject because I intend hereafter fully to prove it But by what the Lord saith it is of dangerous consequence to take from the Word as well as to add unto it Now the Gentile Christians when they came to have no love to the Truth whereby they might be saved but on the contrary took pleasure in iniquity God gave them up to worship the Beast for when they would not be bound with the Cords of his Laws and follow him in Love Patience and Humility in expectation of the reward of the Crown of Life when the Lord again shall come then it was God permitted the Prince of Darkness to set up his pretended Kingdom by which delusion they also lost the apprehension of the glorious Kingdom of Christ which is now to come and is very nigh at hand which Kingdom has been foretold by all the Prophets sworn to by God himself Psal 89.2 declared by the Apostles And because the Lord Christ spake but in dark Sentences and Parables when he was upon the Earth because that Israel being sinful thereby might be blinded Therefore he declared in Vision to St. John how he would come and of the glory of the New Jerusalem that should come down from Heaven and of his reigning Power here upon the Earth Also annexing those great threatnings mentioned Rev. 22.18,19 to any that should add or diminish to the words of this Prophecy Now all the Gentile Christians thus falling into delusion so as when any of them come out of that darkness by the knowledge of the Word it was evident to them they could not be of that remnant that should never be deceived by reason themselves knew that they or their Predecessors had been deceived by the Beast but as to that Remnant Church or People that the Word does thus bear witness to I shall not here speak further of but hereafter by God's assistance I shall declare who the Two Witnesses are and then I shall make appear who this Church and People and Remnant are to whom the Word doth thus bear witness to and they to the Word Whilst on the contrary the Apostate Church or great Harlot bear not witness to the Word nor the Word to her any otherwise than to her condemnation And our Predecessors being all involved in that darkness whereby we have lost the true sentiments of the Word and so mistakingly taking all that was said to the first Churches and to Israel at the restitution of all things as tho' they now belonged to us the which is of dangerous consequence and whereby many like Ephraim have a care they fall not into the snare as Israel did for when the Lord first came he coming not of a Person of Dignity but of one of no Estate in this World This proved a snare to Israel Let us take warning by them and not neglect the owning of the truth for if we do we shall be taken in the snare as they were for the day of the Lord will come as a snare upon all them that will not prepare for him and take the warning given by him by the signs and the opening of the word as he hath declared and now made them manifest to the world Chap. XVI The difference between the State of the Elect in this time and of that which is to come NOW when God does Elect or fore-chuse any Person or persons
Siria and others that are of this Elder World shall serve the younger of which I have given a more full Account in the foregoing Part. Not only so but the younger sort of them whose Parents are now Enemies to the Church yet their Children that has not been guilty shall be spared and not cut off with the rest of the wicked For in Joel 3. where it speaks of the Judgment of this World the Lord saith in the 8th Verse I will sell your Sous and Daughters into the hand of the Children of Judah and they shall sell them to the Sabeans to a people far off for the Lord hath spoken it Sheba being part of the Elect that will be called in at the coming of the Lord. As it is said in Isaiah 60.6 And also the Lord said 2 Esdras 6.18,19 to 28. Behold the days come that I will begin to draw nigh and to visit them that dwell upon the Earth And I will begin to make inquisition of them what they be that have hurt unjustly with their unrighteousness and when the afflictions of Sion shall be fulfilled And when the world that shall begin to vanish away shall be finished then will I shew these tokens The books shall be opened before the firmament and they shall see altogether And the Children of a year old shall speak with their voices the women with Child shall bring forth untimely Children of three or four months old and they shall live and be raised up And suddenly shall the sound places appear unsound the full store-houses shall suddenly appear empty And the Trumpet shall give a sound which when every man heareth they shall be afraid At that time shall friends fight one against another like enemies and the Earth shall stand in fear with those that dwell therein the Springs of the Fountains shall stand still and in three hours they shall not run Whosoever remaineth from all these that I have told thee shall escape and see my salvation and the end of your world And the men that are received shall see it who have not tasted Death from their Birth and the heart of the inhabitants shall be changed and turned into another meaning For evil shall be put out deceit shall be quenched As for faith it shall flourish corruption shall be overcome and the truth which hath been so long without fruit shall be declared Rom. 9.8 This is the Seed which St. Paul speaks of in V. 8. Where he saith the Children of the promise are counted for the Seed And also the Lord by Esdras has given us to understand that the innocent children shall not be taken away in the Judgment with their parents And the Lord also in V. 9. of this Chap. saith 2 Esdras 6.9 Esau is the end of this world and Jacob the begining of it that followeth Now as to what the Lord said to Rebecca concerning these two brothers before they had done good or evil was no other then that the Elder should serve the younger for God did not then say that he loved Jacob and hated Esau Therefore the Apostle makes a stop and begins again wherein he saith in V. 13. As it is written Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated Which words of the Lord are said in Mal. 2.3 After Esau was wicked and the world with him But these words of the Lord in Mal. hath also a prophetical reference as to the glorious time to come in which time Jacob will appear the beloved and Esau the hated That is the figurative Esau by which is signified the wicked of the world but in more especial manner that Esau which is Term'd the degenerate root by reason the Lord saith he hath laid his mountains and heritage wast for the Dragons of the Wilderness For this curse is only pronounc'd to them that their land shall be inhabited with fearful Creatures And it is the usual way of the Lord to speak of things that are to come as tho they were already done For when these words of the Lord were spoken to Malachy Esau was more flourishing then Jacob. For at that time Israel had displeased the Lord and for his Sins his Mountains were laid wast before those of Esau's And when those Mountains of Esau were laid wast they were not made partâ—kers of those Judgments And St. Paul knowing that those words of the Lord in Malachy had reference for the time that is now to come therefore he here mentions them as treating of that time also And after he had here rehearsed the word of the Lord in saying Rom. 9.14,15 Jacob have I Loved and Esau have I hated He saith in v. 14. What shall we say then is there unrighteousness with God God forbid V. 15. For he saith to Moses I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion The which words were said to Moses by the Lord in the time that the Lord chose Israel to set them above the rest of the Nations At which time he brought them out of the Land of Egypt with signs and wonders to fix them on the midst of the Earth for the Exalting of their Glory and to allure thereby the World that they might be brought into the Knowledg of God Of which the Patriarch Levy said in his last Will and Testament If you should be over-darkned with Error what shall all the Heathen do But Israel falling into sin and error was cast off and the Heathen for a time taken in in their room But for the Oaths sake God made with their Fathers they shall be again taken in and made partakers of that everlasting blessedness promised to them And whereas St. Paul saith in the 16th verse So then it is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth Mercy These words admit of a two sold meaning The one is that we are so far fallen that of our selves we can neither will nor run but it is God that sheweth Mercy in calling us renewing and inlightning us in the knowledg of himself whereby we are put into a Capacity to will and run The which if we so do and continue to do we shall undoubtedly find mercy for it is through our own default if once enlightned we again fall off And therefore St. Paul saith who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the Truth The which can be no other than our own corrupt Affections the subtil Instigations of Satan or pressing Afflictions Against all which we must daily go to God by servent Prayer for his support and assistance and if we so do he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee But as to what was said here in the 16th verse I chiefly apprehend it is spoken of the time when the Lord again comes that then they will be seeking and running to enter into Life but then their willing and running will not be available having neglected the offer
of Mercy when the door was open to them for the Mercy will then be distributed according to the Election of Grace which with the Believers is the Promised Elect which will be called in at his coming And whereas St. Paul saith Rom. 9.17,18 For the Scripture saith Vnto Pharaoh even for this same purpose have I raised thee up that I might shew my Power in thee and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardneth Now as I before told you St. Paul hath here his reference to the time to come And the Scripture makes mention that as the Children of Israel was at first delivered by Signs and Wonders so will their deliverance again be with Signs and Wonders The which Signs and Wonders will be before the coming of the Lord who will be their great deliverer And therefore what God said to Moses I will here set down as touching the hardning of Pharaohs heart The which is in Exodus 4.21 Where God saith I will harden Pharaohs heart that he shall not let the People go Not that then God had hardned the heart of Phaaaoh but that it was then to do as from the Lord. For his Cruelty to the Children of Israel proceeded from his own wicked Nature being stirred up thereto by the Devil who is always an Enemy to the Children of God And in the fifth chap. it does appear that God would further prove Pharoah as touching his Cruelty to the Children of Israel before it is said he hardned his heart For in the fifth Chapter of Exodus ver 1,2,6,7,8,9,12,13,14,15,16,17,18 Moses and Aaron went in and told Pharoah Thus saith the Lord God of Israel let my people go that they may hold a feast unto me in the Wilderness Verse 2. And Pharoah said who is the Lord that I should obey his voice to let Israel go I know not the Lord neither will I let Israel go Verse 6. And Pharaoh commanded the same day the Taskmasters of the people and their Officers saying Verse 7. Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick as heretofore let them go and gather straw for themselves Verse 8. And the tale of the bricks which they did make heretofore you shall lay upon them you shall not diminish ought thereof for they be idle therefore they cry saying Let us go and sacrifice to our God Verse 9. Let there be more work laid upon the men that they may labour therein and let them not regard vain Words Verse 12. So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the Land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw Verse 13. And the Taskmasters hasted them saying Fullfil your Works your daily Task as when there was straw Verse 14. And the Officers of the children of Israel which Pharaohs Taskmasters had set over them were beaten and demanded Wherefore have ye not fullfilled your Task both yesterday and to day as heretofore Verse 15. Then the Officers of the children of Israel came and cryed to Pharaoh saying Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy Servants Verse 16. There is no straw given to thy Servants and they say to us make brick and behold thy Servants are beaten but the fault is in thine own people Verse 17. But he said Ye are idle ye are idle therefere ye say let us go and do sacrifice to the Lord. Verse 18. Go therefore now and work for there shall no straw be given you yet shall you deliver the Tale if your Bricks This horrible Cruelty and inhuman Slavery was he stirred up to by his own evil Heart and the Devils and not by God For that which God did harden him in was in his unbelief by reason of his Cruelty therefore God hardened him in unbelief that he might accomplish his fierce Anger upon him which unbelief was That he regarded not the Miracles done by Moses And the Lord is not said to harden him till the 13th verse of the 7th chap. For in the 3d verse of the same chap. The Lord again repeateth the words and saith he will harden him by which we may plainly see that his hardning was not then by his blessed Majesty for in the 2d verse of the 7th chap. the Lord said unto Moses Thou shalt speak all that I command thee and Aaron thy Brother shall speak unto Pharoah that he send the Children of Israel out of his Land V. 3. And I will harden Pharoah's Heart and multiply my signs and my wonders in the Land of Egypt V. 4. But Pharoah shall not hearken unto you that I may lay my hand upon Egypt and bring forth mine Armies and my People the Children of Israel out of the Land of Egypt by great Judgments Now in the 10th v. Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh and they did as the Lord had commanded In shewing the signs and wonders that he had appointed them And Aaron cast down his Rod before Pharaoh and before his Servants and it became a Serpent V. 11. Then Pharaoh also called the wise Men and the Sorcerers Now the Magicians of Egypt they also did in like manner with their inchantments V. 12. For they cast down every man his Rod and they became Serpents but Aaron's Rod swallowed up their Rods. And then it is in the 13th v. And he hardened Pharaoh's Heart that he hearkned not unto them as the Lord had said V. 14. And the Lord said unto Moses Pharaoh's Heart is hardned he refuseth to let the People go Here is the first time wherein it is said that God hardned Pharaoh's Heart The which we may plainly see That as to what God hardned him in was in his unbelief that he should not believe the Miracles done by Moses and Aaron And also that God did suffer the Magicians to go so far was to carry on the Council of God in that they should be a means to help on the delusion of Pharoah That these Conjurations and Inchantments whereto he trusted should be a means to help forward the accomplishment of his destruction the which for his sin and cruelty was determined of God for him For when Man is wicked God chuseth his delusions by that which he is most prone unto As for Example When God would make good his wordby the Prophet Elijah 1 Kings 22.20,21,22 against Ahab for his Cruelty and Abominable Idolatry the Will of God was That he should be deluded to his Destruction by those Prophets in whom he trusted for they were the Men that perswaded him to go up to Ramoth Gilead to Battle where he was slain and the word of the Lord fulfilled on him Now as to what God said unto Moses concerning the utter Destruction of Pharaoh is in the 9th chap. begining at the 13th verse And the Lord said unto Moses rise up early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh and say unto him thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews let my people go that
me and saw my works forty years 10. Wherefore I was grieved with that generation and said they do always err in their Heart and they have not known my ways 11. So I sware in my wrath they shall not enter into my rest By these words we again see when it was that the Lord sware that they should not enter into his rest That it was when they sinned in the Wilderness at which time they provoked him to wrath Whereof also it is said in the 17. v. But with whom was he grieved forty years Was it not with them that had sinned whose carcases fell in the Wilderness 18. And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest but to them that believed not By which we may see that some of them were excluded the Promise above thirty years before their Natural Life was ended And St. Paul speaking of David Rom. 11.9 where he saith Let their Table be made a snare and a trap and a stumbling block and a recompence unto them 10. Let their Eyes be darkned that they may not see and how down their back alway Now it may be said wherefore did David curse them To which I answer David was a tipe of Christ and a Prophet and by the Prophetical Spirit he foresaw the Sufferings of his blessed Lord and that it would be the Jews from whom he should receive his Afflictions and therefore as his own Afflictions he did express them that were done to the Almighty Lord which was the reason that he thus Curst those that should be the Afflictors of the Lord Christ as in Psal 69.6,9,28 v. wherein David intermixes his Sufferings with those of the Sufferings of Christ wherein it does seem in a more especial manner to signify the sufferings of the Lord Christ and as to what related to his Enemies For in the 21. v. he saith They gave me also Gall for my meat and in my thirst they gave me Vinegar to drink Which thing was done to the Lord Christ as in Mark 15.23 having before spoken of the Sufferings of the Lord he closes with this which was done to him on the Cross After which David proceeds to Curse them as is before set down And St. Paul says Rom. 11.11 I say then have they stumbled that they should fall God forbid But rather through the fall Salvation is come to the Gentiles for to provoke them to jealousie Here St. Paul starts the question in that he saith Have they stumbled because they should fall He fearing lest they should fall under that dangerous mistake to which he answers himself God forbid as much as to say it is not so and have a care you think not so And also we see that the Scripture doth fully make it appear to the contrary in shewing us how they first fell And after which God said He would lay in Sion a stumbling stone So as that which should have been for their welfare became a Trap. At which stone they stumbled as they then mist of the Salvation purchased by him And Christ saith Matt. 21.44 That whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken but on whomsoever it shall fall it will grind him to powder Now it was the Jews that fell upon the Lord which was this Stone but they did it ignorantly through unbelief and their ignorance was occasioned by their sinfulness and for want of a desire to him when they heard of his coming the which had they had a longing after him the extent of his mercy would have been larger amongst them But it is said Matt. 2.23 When the wise men came to inquire saying where is he that is born King of the Jews for we have seen his Star in the East and are come to Worship him 3. When Herod the King had heard these things he was troubled and all Jerusalem with him We here see that they desired not the coming of Christ And Christ did not manifest himself unto them So if we desire not the coming of the Lord it is a sign that we shall have no share in him and to desire his coming without preparing our Hearts for him there is no hopes of mercy for us But as the Jews fell on that stone and so were broken to pieces So when Christ again comes who is this Stone it is the relapsed Christians that he will fall upon so as to grind them to Powder Now whereas St. Peter saith of the wicked c. 2. v. 11,12 Whereas Angels are greater in power and might bring not a railing accusation against them before the Lord but these as natural brute Beasts made to be taken and destroyed speak evil of the things they understand not and shall utterly perish in their own Corruption and shall receive the reward of unrighteousness as they that counted pleasure to riot in the day time spots they are and blemishes sporting themselves with their own deceivings That is as natural brute beasts which are made to be taken and destroyed understand not how to give honour neither to God nor man and so these speak evil of the things they understand not but are sporting themselves with their own deceiving whereby they came to be destroyed And whereas St. Jude saith 4. v. For there are certain men crept in unawares who were before of old ordained to this condemnation ungodly men turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness and denying the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ Now whereas he saith they were before of old ordained to this Condemnation That is there was in old time a decree ordained that such and the like offenders should fall under the condemnation which then was determined for them but not that there was before Ordain'd of God that there should be such and the like offenders on purpose because that they should fall under the Condemnation that was of old determined No but as our Kings knowing that there will be offenders therefore make Laws for their punishment And whereas St. Paul saith Rom. 9.22,23,24 That God might make known the Riches of his Glory on the Vessels of mercy which he had afore prepared unto Glory 24. Even us whom he hath called not of the Jews only but also of the Gentiles Whereas St. Paul saith That God might make known the Riches of his Glory on the Vessels of Mercy By which words we may plainly understand that then the Glory of God was not manifested on them And also St. Paul in another place saith that they were made the Off-scouring of all things And whereas he saith Vessels of Mercy which God had prepared unto Glory Heâ—e he lets us understand that it is God that fits the Saints for Glory But in the foregoing words of the same Chapter he did not say it was God that fitted Man for destruction And God himself saith thy destruction is of thy self O Man And that he delights not in the death of a sinner And whereas he saith which he had afore prepared unto
to himself Herein is not comprehended how God doth deal with some particular persons but to the general carrying on of the Church in the World Now whereas St. Paul saith in Rom. 3,9 For we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles that they are all under sin 10. v. As it is written there is none Righteous no not one And he faith in Eph. 2.3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in time past in the lust of the Flesh fulfilling the desires of the Flesh and of the mind and were by Nature the Children of wrath even as others Tho through sin both Jews and Gentiles are all of them fallen under the Curse and so the wrath of God yet our natures are not alike estrang'd from God Now in Acts 18.9,10 Spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a Vision be not afraid but speak and hold not thy peace 10. v. For I am with thee and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee for I have much people in this City That is People or much ground capable to receive Seed so as to bring forth Fruit. And as there is several sorts of ground so the Lord tells us there is two sorts of Seed But not that God did Reprobate Man before the Foundation of the material heavens and Earth to Damnation but that the Devil hath since so twisted himself into the Nature of great part of Mankind that he is as it were become one with them Therefore the Lord put forth Matt. 13.24 Another Parable unto them saying the Kingdom of Heaven is likned unto a Man which sowed good Seed in his Field 25. v. But while men slept his Enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way 26. v. But when the blade was sprung up and brought forth fruit then appeared the Tares also 27. v. So the Servants of the Housholder came and said unto him Sir didst not thou sow good seed in thy Field from whence then hath it Tares 28. v. He said unto them an enemy hath done this The Servants said unto him wilt thou then that we go and gather them up 29. v. But he said nay lest while ye gather up the tares ye root up also the wheat with them 30. v. Let both grow together until the Harvest and in time of Harvest I will say to the Reapers gather ye together first the Tares and bind them into bundles to burn them but gather the wheat into my barn Here is a clear demonstration that the Tares are a false Seed of the Devils sowing And the Lord speaks of them in Isa 57.3 But draw near hither ye Sons of the Sorcerers the Seed of the Adulterer and the Whore 4. v. Against whom do ye sport your selves against whom make ye a wide mouth and draw out the tongue are ye not Children of Transgression a seed of Falshood Here we see that a false Seed comes in much this way and what is here spoken of by the Lord has a more particular reference to the Christians who are guilty of these things and in especial manner to the Romans by whom all those abominable wickednesses are allowed and that this was spoken to the Christians it doth appear in the foregoing Chapter Isa 56. from the 7. v. to the end by reason God speaketh of the gathering of the out cast of Israel and that he then will gather others with them and it is evident Israel hath never since been gathered And at that time it is said That all the Beasts of the Field and Forrest should come to devour And that could not be to Devour Israel for it is said they are then to be restored and it is made farther evident in that it is said The Watchmen are all blind and so treating of the same effect in the next Chapter as I have set down in the 3. and 4. v. Now as to what St. Paul saith 1 Cor. 4.7 For who maketh thee to differ from another and what hast thou that thou didst not receive now if thou didst receive it why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it That is the good ground before it receiveth Seed will bring forth Weeds as the other doth Thorns but when the good ground does receive Seed there is presently a difference in the growth of the Fruit in that of the good ground from that of the Thorny yet nothing to be boasted of because all that is good in them came from that hand that gave the Seed or else they might for ever have remained the Children of wrath as well as others Therefore the lower we set in our own Estimation the higher we rise in God's Now whereas Christ saith in John 6.44 No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him That is at first God must draw the Heart to Christ that the Soul might be convinc'd that he was the Christ And in the Apostles time there was given the Holy Ghost to bear witness to the World the truth thereof Neither can any now come to Christ except the Father draw him And in the visible Church of Christ there is a three-fold drawing of God First By the Invitation of his word and by way of Reproof Instruction and Exhortation Secondly There is the reproof of the Spirit of God which we commonly call the checks of Conscience Thirdly There is the good Motions of the Spirit of God all these being the drawings of God to bring us home to him through Christ to Repentance This being the ordinary way of God's Working in his Church And Israel having these drawings of God therefore he calls out to them by his Prophets for to come to Repentance because â—e had put them in a capacity so to do giving them power to do that part for themselves but when through their continual resisting the good Spirit of God and in refusing to be obedient to his word And then it is God leaves them And therefore St. Stephen said to them Acts 7.51 Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears ye do always resist the Holy Ghost as your Fathers did so do ye And then it is as it is said they that are accustomed to do evil cannot learn to do well That is when through their own resisting they weary out the good Spirit of God so as he leaves them to themselves But whilst God calls Israel to come to Repentance there was a door of Mercy open to them Therefore God saith in Ezekiel 33.11 Say unto them as I live saith the Lord God I have no pleasure in the Death of the wicked but that the wicked turn from his way and live Turn ye turn ye from your evil ways for why will ye die O house of Israel Here it is evident by the Word of God that when he thus invited them there was a door of Mercy open to them but when God would not shew Mercy to his people Israel then doth God neither call on them to Repentance
saith That they were then made the ofi-scouring of all things Now from among the scattered Church was God's special Elect which were so secured in Christ that they could not fall away and therefore in time to come will be a chosen Generation a Royal Priesthood an Holy Nation who were at that time but a scattered People Now whereas St. Paul saith 2 Tim. 2.11,12 It is a faithful saying For if we be dead with him we shall also live with him If we suffer we shall also reign with him if we deny him he also will deny us That is Dead to all the â—inful pleasures and injoyments of this World In the 15. v. of the same Chapter he saith Study to shew thy self approved unto God a workman that needeth not to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth Here the Apostle lets us understand the word is so joyn'd as there must be skill in the Dividing of it And the Apostle speaking of Hymeneus and Philetus saith in the 2. chap. and the 18. v. Who concerning the Truth have erred saying that the Resurrection is past already and overthrew the Faith of some 19. Nevertheless the Foundation of God standeth sure having this Seal the Lord knoweth them that are his And let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from Iniquity Now in the 18. v. he saith That the Faith of some was overtheown and that by the false Brethren But in this verse he saith The foundation of God standeth sure The which foundation is those which are so absolutely given to Christ as they should not fall away Whilst the other Elect were but called renewed and put into a capacity of Obedience Now whereas he saith in the 20 verse But in a great House there are not only Vessels of Gold and of Silver but also wood and earth some to honour and some to dishonour if a man therefore purge himself from these he shall be a Vessel unto honour Sanctified and meet for the Masters use and prepared unto every good work That is the Gold and Silver are those that are more absolutely chosen of God but the wood and stone if they improve the benefits that God gives them and purge themselves from an evil Conversation they shall become meet for the Master's use shewing that there is a power in our selves to reform and amend till such time that by often resisting they exclude themselves from his mercy And by the words of Christ we may receive certain Confirmation of this by what he saith to the Church of Ephesus in Rev. 2.3,4,5 And hast born and hast patience and for my sake hast laboured and hast not fainted Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee because thou hast left thy first Love Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen and repent and do the first works or else I will come unto thee quickly and will remove thy candlestick out of his place except thou repent This shews that their Candlestick was in the right place but if they did not Repent and do their first works then Christ said he would remove their Candlestick out of his place And also the Lord saith to the Church of Sardis Rev. 3.1,2,3 I know thy works that thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead Be watchful and strengthen the things that remain that are ready to die for I have not found thy works perfect before God 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 Now this doth shew that one part of the Church was become dead through sin and so become forsaken of God and therefore left off to hardness of Heart and blindness of Mind but to the other part that was ready to die the Lord calls to them to come to Repentance whereby we may know that when we have had the knowledg of God and his ways and he hath not withdrawn the good motions of his Spirit from us There is a Power in us to come to Repentance and amendment of Life For God calls not the People to come to Repentance after they have no Power in their Hand to do it but then he saith let them alone Hos 4.17 When he will no farther shew mercy to them Now in this Church there was three sorts one part Dead another part ready to die and another part alive and well as it is said Rev. 3.4,5 Thou hast a few Names in Sardis which have not defiled their Garments and they shall walk with me in white for they are worthy He that overcometh the same shall be clothed in white Raiment and I will not blot his name out of the Book of Life but I will confess his Name before my Father and before his Angels From which words it remains certain that some names are blotted out of the Book of Life And St. James saith James 4.8,9,10 Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you cleanse your Hands ye sinners and purify your Hearts ye double minded Be afflicted and mourn and weep let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy into Heaviness Humble your selves in the Sight of the Lord and he shall lift you up And St. John saith Matt. 3.8 Bring forth therefore Fruits meet for repentance For we shall all be judged according to our works and God doth not require of us that which he hath not put us in a Capacity to do Rom. 2.12 And the Heathen that have not the Law shall not be judged by the Law As to what Moses saith in his Song That their Feet shall slide in due time hath a quite contrary meaning to what we have apprehended it the which is fully explained where I speak of the Covenant and Song As for the Promise made to David mentioned in Psal 99. is Answered where the special Election is Treated of Now all these Controversal Points being fully opened to the bottom whereby we may plainly see that the words of the Apostles had no such meaning as hitherto we have apprehended them to have and having the Oath and Word of God again and again to assure us the contrary And also Christ hath told us that whosoever comes to him he will in no wise cast out so that we need not fear to be forsaken of God if we do not forsake him and that God does not withdraw from the Soul on purpose to leave them to fall into Sin that he might Damn them but God does try all his to see if they will follow him and if they so do he is their exceeding great Reward Now if any would have greater assurance than the Words and Oath of God and the Word of Christ must look to have it in their last Punishment I bless the Eternal God by his opening his Word unto me he hath brought me out of that dangerous mistake the which did so take off from
they that Seek him shall find him if they search for him with the whole heart Christ saith VVhosoever will let him come And tho we can do nothing without Gods assistance for in him we live moâ—e have our being it is he that hath laid the Spiritual meat before us Hosea 11.4 whereby to guide our feet into the way of peace hath promised that whilst they 〈◊〉 the way he will be with them And the Prodigal that knew that he had wandered from his fathers House first lookt home before his father lookt on him and tho God may some times go out of his ordinary way of working and pluck as it were a brand out of the burning yet he no longer securely stands then he is found in his obedience for it is those that will fall under the condemnation that will not choose the fear of the Lord Prov 1.29 but for those that thro long continuance in sin have seared their Conscience whereby they become left of God to a stupid sense it is such cannot learn to do well no more then the Ethiopian can change his Skin c. but whilst we have a sense to see the evil inclinations which our natures are prone to we may continually pray Lord turn thou us and we shall be turned And if man does his endeavour God will never be wanting to such And if we resist the devil he will flee from us And if we draw nigh to God he will draw nigh to us James 4.7,8 But whereas the Lord saith No man can come to me except the Father draw him And the drawings of God are the tenders of his Grace with the good motions of his Spirit and checks of Conscience the which the old World and Israel had till they resisted for which they were condemned Gen. 6.3 Acts 7.51 And whereas the Lord saith Except a Man be born again he cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven This was spoken to Nicodemus who had embraced this present World and therefore came to Jesus by Night as being ashamed to own him and such are to be born again or brought off from the World or they cannot enter into the kingdom of Heaven as is more fully proved in the book where the Faith of Abraham is fully explained and also there in is made appear what is meant by the Wind blowing where it listeth and likewise therein is shewed Who they are that are not under the condemning power of the Law for their past sins Rom. 3.25 but under Grace that they are such as will and do walk in Newness of Life and if we will enter into Life we must keep the Commandments Mat. 19.17 For all are his servants to whom ye obey whether of sin unto death or of Obedience unto Righteousness Rom. 6 16. And whereas it is said It is not for the works of Righteousness that we have done but of his Mercy he saved 〈◊〉 This was spoken of the Elect who wâ—… then brought out of Idolatry and has no reference to us as is proved XXII Whereas the Apostle said Ye are saved by Grace not of works that is Man could not perform good works to that perfection as to become justified by them without the Merits of Christ and therefore saved by Grace but there is none that live in the performance of good works but shall be rewarded according to their works Rev. 22.12 The Eternal Life that is now in this time given the Believer excepting the very elect which is the standing witness is no otherwise given then it was to Adam and Eve in Paradise for had they never sinned they should never have dyed so the true Believer that believes salvation is to be had in the way of his obedience according to the word of the Lord he shall never be cast off but the Man that Departs from the Lord by wilful committing Iniquity he is no longer a Believer according to the Gospel as is proved XXIII Whereas the Lord said when he sent his Disciples forth to preach the Gospel to all the World He that believeth shall be saved and he that believeth not shall be damned Mark 16.15,16,17 That is He that believeth the Doctrine that he sent them forth to Teach and the Mercy and Condemnation was to them that accordingly Believed or refused Believing the same as not to obey the truth Mat. 28.19,20 For the Lord speaks by the Law and Gospel but to them that hears it as proved But whereas Christ said He that Believeth not is condemned already This the Lord spake to the Jews who had heard him but believed not and therefore were condemned and thereby it also sheweth that more of Israel might have been saved had they been willing to take hold of the offered Mercy I here gather so many heads together that thro' the misinterpretation of the Scriptures Satan might not beguile so many of their Souls for if we take a text of Scripture as it stands alone without weighing how it is spoken and what the whole scope of the Scripture tends to we may raise as falce Doctrine as God is True O God who of thy great Mercy hath made thy word plain in those things we have been mistaken in give more of thy Assisting Grace for to improve the knowledge of the Truth These things which are here but hinted with the other disputable places and also the signs of the Times with the near approach of the coming of the Lord are now fully explained and proved in about four small Treatises The Books contain so many several heads that I have not here room to incert them but by them the word is so plain that none need any longer remain in mistakes that are willing to understand the Truth I shall only here mention the chief Title of each Book First The Explaination of the Faith of Abraham Price bound 10. d. bound up with the Christian Belief which has the Eexplanation of the Trinity Price 1 s. 2 d. The signs of the times and coming of the Lord bound up with the Prophesie of Moses that foretold the firing of the Mountains Price bound 10 d. all three bound up togather Price 1 s. 6 d. The book that Proveth there Worlds and three Foundations with the Tree of knowledge of good and evil Price bound 1 s. And are to be Sold at the places before mentioned in the Title The book of the Figurative Speeches is not yet out My aim is at the good of Souls and therefore that they that understand not the word may be convinced of the Truth I Refer my Books to the Lord Bishops who I believe are men of that integrity that will not oppose the Truth to whom I shall by Gods assistance give further satisfaction if required and when God had inlightned my understanding in his word I did dare do no other then leave and venture the little concern I had and come above a Hundred Miles to acquaint the Nation what God is a going about to do this being the little time that is given the Christianâ— to prepare God make this Nation a Light to Christian 〈◊〉 FINIS