School-master to bring them to Christ That is the Law shewed them their insufficiency for none being able to fulfil the moral Law to that perfection as to become justified by it therefore it was as a School-master to bring them to look for justification from another And also the Ceremonial law was as a School master to them whereby that great Sacrifice was typified out to them which only could make attonement for our sins And no sooner was the Lord of life Crucified which was that great Sacrifice which had been all along pointed at but their Sacrifices for sin were abolished And the Believers that by faith in Christ Jesus took hold of the Offer of mercy according as it was offered by Christ which is that all should have the free pardon of their sins upon condition of their future sincere obedience And so they then became justified without the deeds of the Law through the imputation of Christ's Righteousness and their willingness for the future to render their sincere obedience to all Christ's commands and precepts For he that cometh after me Christ saith must deny himself and take up his Cross and follow me Matth. 16.24 And whereas the Apostle saith Gal. 3.26 For ye are all the Children of God by faith in Christ Jesus This he speaks of them that had embraced the faith and had received the Spirit And those of us that have taken Christ to have the ruling power in their hearts in hopes of Eternal Salvation are all the Children of God through Faith in Christ Jesus And whereas he saith v. 27. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ This he chiefly speaks of the inward baptism of those that have so put on Christ as to have brought their thoughts and wills into subjection unto Christ Therefore he saith to the Church To as many of them as have so done have put him on And he saith Heb. 11.6 For he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him Chap. II. The Faith of Abraham Rom. 4.3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 For what saith the Scripture Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for Righteousness Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of Grace but of debt But to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for Righteousness Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works Saying Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin Cometh this blessedness then upon the Circumcision only or upon the uncircumcision also For we say that Faith was reckoned to Abraham for Righteousness How was it then reckoned when he was in Circumcision or in uncircumcision not in circumcision but in uncircumcision By these words it doth appear that when Abraham was received into mercy he might have no works of Righteousness of his own to represent him acceptable with God But as the first Churches were brought out of darkness Heathenism and Error and had not good works of their own but they believing the promise that upon confessing and forsaking their sins they should find mercy by the imputed righteousness of Christ Who according thereunto did thus justifie the ungodly And as Abraham was accepted without the deeds of the Law so Israel and all that were willing to joyn themselves with them were accepted without the deeds of the Law when God brought them out of the Land of Aegypt So the first Gentile Churches for the promise made to Abraham and Christ at their first reception were accepted without works of righteousness or the deeds of the Law And the Angel said of Christ that he should be a light to lighten the Gentiles before he said he should be the glory of his people Israeâ— Luke 2.32 Therefore accordingly there was a great number of the Gentiles called in by the assistance of his Spirit with the tender of his grace Therefore St. Paul speaking of the then times saith in Rom. 3.26 To declare I say at this time his Righteousness That he might be just and the justifier of him who believeth in Jesus God is here said to be just in performing his promise to Abraham and Christ concerning the calling in of the Gentiles and in thus justifying them that believed on Jesus which according to the conditions of the tender of his grace took hold of his mercy So we see there was a three-fold day of grace without the deeds of the Law First to Abraham then to his natural seed then to his adopted seed For God carries on all his works in a three-fold way And as under the Law there was a door of mercy set open to all that would take hold of his Covenant So under the Gospel there is a door of mercy set open to all that will take hold of the promise of life according as it is offered by Christ of his free grace which is in the free pardon of all their past sins upon the conditions of their love and sincere obedience for time to come For neither Abraham nor his Natural Seed nor his adopted Seed can any longer have a share in the promises than they persist in their obedience it being the condition of the tender of his grace that for the eternal life promised'd we should yield him obedience For Christ saith Mat 16.24 If any man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his Cross daily and follow me For whosoever will save his life shall lose it but whosoever will lose his for my sake the same shall save it Luke 9.23,24,25,26 And it is the Faith of Abraham that is required And what was the Faith of Abraham The Faith of Abraham was that he believed God and that was imputed to him for Righteousness And what was that which Abraham believed That which Abraham believed was that God would in the way of his Obedience make of him a great Nation and that in him all the Families of the Earth should be blessed Therefore God calls on him to obey and saith Gen. 12.1 Get thee out of thy country and from thy kindred and from thy Father's house And I will make of thee a great Nation Here we see he was to put in practice his obedience or else he could not have been heir to the promise Heb. 11.8 By Faith Abraham when he was called to go out into a place which he should afterward receive for an inheritance obeyed and he went out not knowing whither he went So the Lord calls on us to come out of sin self and the eager pursuit of this world and to follow him and we shall find rest to our Souls and he will give us the Crown of Life And if we will not yield to these conditions we must not expect a share in these promises And tho' St. Paul
that time all the wicked will be cut off from the Face of the Earth for he that liveth to that time being blessed signifies that there will be none living but what will then be blessed And that we may be made partakers of this blessedness here is a short Account of the Faith we are to believe For Faith in Christ is to believe that he is become the Author of Eternal Salvation to all them that obey him And those that would be made partakers of this blessedness must go to God by daily and servent Prayer and imploy their Diligence in his service Jam. 2.20,22 For Faith without works is Dead and by works is Faith made perfect And without Holiness no man shall see the Lord. Heb. 12.14 And in Ephes 2.3 to the 10. v. For we are his workmanship Created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before Ordained that we should walk in them It is of the great mercy and rich Grace of God in that he gave the Son his Love a ransome to make satisfaction and Reconciliation for as many as shall come unto God by him and therefore it is of Grace that any is saved and we no sooner Repent and believe if done in sincerity but we are excepted of Christ and then his Righteousness and good Works is imputed to us as though we had been Created so Notwithstanding we had been before great sinners But after we are received into Mercy God hath fore-ordain'd that we should walk in good Works which if we will not we shall have neither part nor lot in this Portion and the Apostle saith It is of Faith that worketh by Love is required and there is no such obedience as that in which the Heart is concern'd A Belief Now to believe in Christ for Salvation is to believe his word for it and if we believe his word for it we believe that Salvation is attainable according to his Word the which we no sooner believe but weare by his word put into his Vineyard to work therein and then begins the Race that we are to run and the Armor is prepared for us to put on in which we are to maintain a continual Combat with the World the Flesh and the Devil and that unto our Lives end we must continue in and hold out and overcome if we ever intend to have the Crown For altho some of these Enemies may get the Advantage at some time yet besure keep so good a guard that when you find any breaking in of the Enemy go to the Lord with Submission Contrition and Acknowledgment begging new Strength from him that you may be able to Conquer these your Enemies and that you may have grace of him so to withstand them as they may not break in upon you And as for our saying that God is merciful and we trust in God yet walk according to our own imaginations and fancies is but to trust God to destroy us for although God is exceeding Merciful yet his Mercies will be distributed according as he hath declared in his word And whereas the Lord saith in Luke 13.24 Strive to enter in at the steight Gate for many I say unto you will seek to enter in and shall not be able This hath a special reference to the time of the Lord 's Coming to Judg the World but what reference it hath to the present time is to those that either strive in a false way or else go out in their own strength with a resolution to serve the Lord and amend their Lives When withal they should go to God to beg strength of him to fulfil these their Resolutions and also for his continual Assistance in this their Pilgrimage and if so he hath said he will never leave us nor forsake us for if we do not so in Temptations and Afflictions we shall fall away for the best of men are not able in their own strength to grapple with the World the Flesh and the Devil And for our Example St. Peter putting too much confidence in himself therefore so fouly fell as to deny his Master and how often have some of us known those that have made Vows and Protestations for their amendment but putting confidence in themselves thinking they had Power to perform it without seeking to God for his continual assistance in their performance of these their Resolutions and for want of so doing how soon hath all these Vows and Protestations been Vanquisht But if we take to the means and go in the way then unto them the Lord saith He that asketh receiveth and he that seeketh findeth and unto him that knocketh it shall be opened And whereas the Lord saith Many are called but few are chosen That is after they were called so as to be brought into the knowledg of the Truth which afterwards they not imploying their utmost endeavour to make their calling an Election sure in improving the Talent that he hath given them therefore they will not be chosen of him All these controversal points being clearly Answered where I spoke of Election And whereas it is said Revel 21.7.8 He that overcometh shall inherit all things and I will be his God and he shall be my Son but the fearful and unbelieving and the abominable and Murderers and Whoremongers and Sorcerers and Idolaters and all Liers shall have their part in the Lake which burneth with Fire and Brimstone which is the second Death Now whereas he here saith the fearful That is those that are mistrustingly fearful of the Promises Power or Providences of God and therefore throw themselves out of the way of his Mercy either by Dispair or presumptiously running into all excess of Riot Now as a mistrustful fear in God shall be punished with Hell Fire so on the contrary them that are fearful by reason of their own weakness least they should miscarry they are promised by the Lord deliverance as in Heb. 2.15 And deliver them who through fear of Death were all their life time subject to bondage Now whereas God saith by Moses Dan. 32.40 that he lives for ever And also it is said of the material Earth Heb. 7.14 that it abideth for ever Yet ever cannot comprehend what is here expressed Psal 104.5,6 But God may sometimes use this method in speaking as to himself and other things by such words as do fall short of expressing the full meaning of that is signified to us by them because he hath a secret in his word which nothing but Prayer Self-Resignation and Meditation can give us a light therein as to the understanding of it and as to the Prophesies time has much explained if we in the forementioned way consider it And we also are to take notice that altho ever is attributed to that which cannot be comprehended by it yet Eternity or Everlasting is never attributed to that which cannot reach it But God is termed Isa 6.9 The Eternal God and the Everlasting Father And it is said Heb. 5.9 Christ is
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
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
ye be led by the Spirit ye are not under the Law That is not under the condemning power of the Law For such as be led by the Spirit yield their sincere obedience to the Moral Law Accordingly he saith Rom. 2.13 For not the hearers of the Law are just before God but the doers of the Law shall be justified And also 1 Cor. 7.19 Circumcision is nothing and Uncircumcision is nothing but the keeping the Commands of God And St. John saith chap. 5.3 For this is the love of God that we keep his Commandments and his Commandments are not grievous And Christ saith Matth. 19.17 If thou wilt enter into life keep the Commandments And also in John 14.15 If ye love me keep my Commandments By all this we see we are as much obliged to keep the Moral Law as ever Israel was But whereas the Apostle saith By the deeds of the Law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight for by the Law is the knowledge of sin That is by the Law we are all sensible that we do not live up to it as thereby to become justified by it and therefore by it all have knowledge that they sin for hone can live up to that perfection as to become justified by it without the merits of Christ But when Israel did walk blamelesly in it according to the capacity in which God had put them the Righteousness of Christ was imputed for their Justification And of Zechariah and Elizabeth it is said Luke 1.6 They were both righteous before God walking in all the Commands and Ordinances of the Lord blameless So if we render our sincere obedience to all God's Commands and Precepts we may then look to Christ with boldness for our Justification For tho' the Churches that first trusted in Christ were saved without the deeds of the Law or visible works of Righteousness yet not without an inward work which was in the change of their wills and affections as being the foundation to all good works which afterward they accordingly walked in all that remained stedfast in the Faith And also the Apostle Paul gives charge that they should be rich in good works 1 Tim. 6.18,19 That they do good that they be rich in good works ready to distribute willing to communicate laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come that they may lay hold on eternal life By these words he fully declareth that good works are a foundation for us to build our hopes of Salvation upon as well as the merits of Christ for it is a conditional Covenant And also from these words of the Apostle we are to take notice there is another time to come before Eternity in which the Saints will be blessed And he saith Heb. 11.6 Without faith it is impossible to please him for he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him This is the Faith that stirs us up to all good works whereby we come in as Heirs to the promised mercy For Christ is the Author of eternal Salvation to all them that obey him Heb. 5.9 Who will render to every man according to his deeds To them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory honour immortality eternal life But unto them that are contentious and do not obey the Truth but obey unrighteousness indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish upon every Soul of man that doth evil of the Jew first and also of the Gentile But glory honour and peace to every man that worketh good to the Jew first and also to the Gentile Rom. 2.6,7,8,9,10 For we must all appear before the Judgment-Seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or had 2 Cor. 5.10 For not the hearers of the Law are just before God but the doers of the Law shall be justified Rom. 2.13 And God hath ingaged himself by his promise to be the rewarder of good works Prov. 19.17 Matth. 10.39,40,41,42 Matth. 5.7 The merciful shall obtain mercy And the Lord saith Rev. 22.12 Behold I come quickly and my reward is with me to give to every man according as his work shall be Therefore upon the promise of God St. Paul saith God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love which ye have shewed towards his Name in that ye have ministred to the Saints and do minister Heb. 6.10 And whereas the Apostle saith If he had all Faith 1 Cor. 13.23 That is Faith in God and in the Righteousness of Christ with a belief also that good works are required and he knowing God And therefore if he did them not in love to God and love to his Neighbour it would profit him nothing for it is we have turned this Word into Charity which in the Original is Love But this he speaks to shew that God requires our Love in all our actions And accordingly he saith It is a faith that worketh by love which is required Gal. 5.6 And there is no such obedience as that wherein the heart is concerned But as for them that know not God and therefore love him not they shall also be judged according to their works So the Believers will be judged according to their actions done with their affections For it is not only our believing in the Righteousness of Christ for our justification will stand us in stead but how we have believed in Christ as to obey the Doctrine of Christ which will make us blessed in that day Whereby we see that tho' the Gentiles were at first called in and justified by his grace yet afterwards all that were not immediately after their Conversion taken away by death were to be judged according to their deeds done in the body from the time of Conversion For Saint Peter saith to the Church If ye call ou the Father who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work pass the time of your sojourning here in fear 1 Pet. 1.17 That is the Believers will be judged according to their deeds from the time they were brought into the true knowledge of God and others how they have improved their day and season of grace in refraining that which is evil and in ordering their conversation according to the Gospel So all will be judged according to their deeds done in their body whether they have been good or evil For though we can do nothing of our selves without God's assistance yet it is required of us to improve the advantages and seasons of grace which he giveth us and to take to the Way and Rule that he hath set before us in which way he hath promised his assistance and it is such will be blessed Chap. IX What we ought to fear and what we ought not to fear Jude v. 12. These are spots in your Feasts of Charity when they feast with you feeding
precepts of men Is not this like building on the Sand of which the Lord speaks in Matth. Where he saith in the 26. v. Mat. 7.26,27 Every one that heareth these sayings of mine and doth them not shall be likened unto a foolish man which built his house upon the sand and whom the Lord forewarns that their building shall not stand in the day of trial And the Lord also saith in 21. v. Mat. 1.21 Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in Heaven And also St. James saith Jam. 1.22 But be ye doers of the word and not hearers only deceiving your own selves And he farther saith Jam. 2.20,21,22 But wilt thou know O vain Man that faith without works is dead was not Abraham our Father justified by works when he had offered Isaac his Son upon the Altar seest thou how faith wrought with his works and by works was faith made perfect So the Lord saith unto Esdras in the 7. v. 2 Esd 9.7,8 And every one that shall be saved and shall be able to escape by his works and by faith whereby ye have believed shall be preserved from the said perils and shall see my salvation in my land and within my borders And in Matth. 20. Mat. 20.2,4,6,7 The Lord did not call any into his Vineyard without putting them to work therein And in Matth. 26.41 The Lord bids them watch and pray that they enter not into temptation And St. Peter bids us 1 Pet. 5.8 Be sober be vigilant because your adversary the devil as a roaring lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour Therefore we had need watch continually over our own hearts thoughts words and works For the evil one in all our ways does lay traps nets and gins to insnare us Therefore St. Paul bids us Eph. 6.11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18 Put on the whole armour of God that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil For we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities against powers against the rulers of the darkness of this world against spiritual wickedness in high places Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all to stand Stand therefore having your loyns girt about with truth and having on the breast-plate of righteousness and your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace Above all taking the shield of faith wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit which is the word of God Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints Praying always that is praying dayly Which is as if any one gives us our dayly food as long as we live we say that they continually give us our food Praying all Prayer That is upon all occasions for our selves and for the Saints and for all Men that have not excluded themselves from his mercy And St. John tells us 1 John 2.4,5 He that saith I know him and keepeth not his commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him But whoso keepeth his word in him verily is the love of God perfected hereby know we that we are in him That is if our wills are brought over to be truly obedient and if so there will not want an earnest endeavour to persevere in a holy life Which is unlike those that Paul to Titus speaks of That Tit. 1.16 profess that they know God but in works they deny him being abominable and disobedient and unto every good work reprobate How think you it will then prove with such in the great day For St. Paul saith 2 Thes 1.7,8,9 When the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power I hope this dreadful sentence will awaken many sleeping Christians before it is too late Therefore to day whilst it is called to day harden not your hearts but make preparation for the Bridegroom of your Souls Now as to what St. Paul saith Rom. 9.30 What shall we say then that the Gentiles which followed not after righteousness have attained to righteousness even the righteousness which is of faith That is the Gentiles that were first brought home to Christ by the call of the Gospel no sooner savingly believed in the Lord Jesus as to accept him as he is tendred in the Gospel but the righteousness of Christ is imputed to them as though they had never sinned For St. Paul saith That Col. 2.10,11 ye are complete in him which is the head of all principality and power In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands in putting off the body of the â—…ns of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ. And again he saith Eph. 2.10 For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them Now whereas he â—aith that they were created in Christ Jesus to good works That is they are â—o sooner taken into mercy but that the â—ghteousness of Christ is imputed to â—hem whereby they appear in the sight â—f God as though they had never sinned â—…om their Creation But when he told â—hem they were created in Christ Jesus to good works you see also in the same ver he tells them that God had ordained that they should walk in them And he saith likewise Col. 2.6,7 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk ye in him rooted and built up in him and established in the faith as ye have been taught abounding therein with thanksgiving And he saith farther Col. 3.1,2,3,4,5,6 If ye then be risen with Christ seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God Set your affections on things above and not on things on the earth For ye are dead and your life is had with Christ in God When Christ who is your life shall appear then shall ye also appear with him in glory Mortifie therefore your members which are upon the earth fornication uncleanness inordinate affection evil concupiscence and covetousness which is Idolatry For which things sake the wrath of God cometh on the Children of disobedience For we are not only to shun the doing evil but we must also learn to do well And whereas the Apostle saith Rom. 9.31,32 But Israel which followed after the law of righteousness hath not attained to the law of righteousness
shall further prove in a Treatise concerning forgiveness in the world to come But as for those Gentiles of old spoken of by St. Paul Rom. 2.14,15,16 Which having not the Law do by Nature the things contained in the Law these having not the Law are a Law unto themselves Which shew the work of the Law written in their hearts their conscience also bearing witness and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my Gospel And the Gospel saith that all shall be judged according to their deeds Now Conscience is a true witness which God hath set up in the Soul therefore whom that excuseth in judgment those will find mercy as by the Apostles foregoing words he doth fully make appear But as for all the Heathen whom we have mistakenly thought went to everlasting fire by the example of St. Paul we have not been permitted to judge them but to leave them to the judgment of the all-wise God 1 Cor. 5.12,13 For God hath secret places for Souls in that great pit which we know not of And some goes to the water and some to the fire and some to prison-houses As will be proved But to him that ordereth his conversation aright God hath promised to shew his Salvation Psal 350.2 And the Lord also saith Blessed are the poor in Spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy c. Mat. 5.3,4,5,6,7,8,9 And God hath promised he will give grace and glory to them that walk uprightly Ps 84.11 And the like God saith Isa 33.15,16 Ps 15. and Ps 24.3,4,5 Who shall ascend into the Hill of the Lord and who shall stand in his Holy place He that hath clean hands and a pure heart who hath not lift up his soul to vanity nor sworn deceitfully He shall receive the blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his Salvation This is the man that is sure to have the perfect Righteousness of Christ imputed to him from the God of his Salvation And by an upright conversation in complyance to a chief good the Noble Heathen gropt after Christ in the dark And when all are judged according to their works they then of a certain shall have their Reward Rev. 22.12 Behold I come quickly and my reward is with me to give to every man according as his work shall be and ch 20.12,13 ch 2.23,26 Matth. 7.21 Matth. 25.35 Rom. 2.6,13,14,15 James 1.22 1 Pet. 1.17 1 Tim. 6.18,19 Psalm 58.11 Pro. 11.18 c. 25.22 Mat 5.12 Now when we find in appearance an absolute contradiction in the Word then it is certain we do not rightly understand the true meaning of it For when rightly understood it all agrees in a holy harmony one with the other by which mercy Truth and Justice kiss each other Chap. XVIII The Eternal purpose explained I Shall here further speak concerning those places we have mistaken Saint Paul in And first of the eternal purpose fully proving that the Apostle spake only of the eternity that was to come Eph. 3.11 According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Here he doth not say that God had from all eternity a purpose in Christ But the word is only according to the eternal purpose as looking forward to the eternity that lies before us In which in and thro' Christ after the fall of man there was a purpose in God as to man's Salvation According to this St. Paul again saith Heb. 5.9 Christ is become the Author of eternal Salvation to all them that obey him That is looking forward to the eternal Salvation that lies before us the which in time Christ became the Author of Chap. XIX God's working all things after the Councel of his own will explained SAINT Paul saith Eph. 1.11 In whom we also have obtained an Inheritance being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will That we should be to the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ Now whereas St. Paul saith God worketh all things after the Counsel of his own will That is he here speaks as to all the great works that God worketh that he worketh those things after the counsel of his own will According to which St. James saith Known unto God are all his works Acts 15.18 Here both the Apostles speak concerning the method and way of God's carrying on of man's Salvation with the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow shewing that the first Churches were predestinated according to the will or purpose of God that they should be to the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ and therefore they were sealed with the holy Spirit of promise for the establishing of the gospel and for the more security of their standing that God might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness towards them in the ages to come Eph. 2.7 and also set a door of mercy open to all that should believe in him according to his word with the determined punishments to them that should remain in their disobedience and the intended glory that should follow to the righteous These being God's works which he worketh according to the counsel of his own Will And St. Paul had no other meaning for the word all in Scripture doth not include the whole And St. Paul speaks also in the like manner in that he saith Every man when it doth but include a very small number as in the 1 Cor. 4.5 He saith when the Lord comes he will make manifest the counsels of the heart and then shall every man have praise of God This all or every man does but signifie those whose counsels of their hearts are agreeable to the will of God And I fear they will be but a small number that will receive this praise of God compared with the whole I could here recite many places but having already proved in another book I shall not insist much upon it But we not rightly understanding the way of Scripture-speaking therefore did not rightly apprehend the meaning of St. Paul So as we have taken his words to the contradiction of that God that cannot lie And who hath said and sworn that he delighteth not in the death of a sinner but rather that he should return and live Yet notwithstanding we have so mistakenly believed St. Paul as to think that by afore-sight in God of Adam's miscarriage he did predestinate a few to Salvation and left all the rest under a necessity of damnation decreeing them Reprobates before they were created or the world in which they offended And these opinions we have taken up with through the mistake of the words of St. Paul Notwithstanding the Oath and word and all the declarations of God to the
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
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
we have in our new Translation turned into Charity which in the old is Love for Charity will not sufficiently explain the meaning of the word Therefore it is said in the 3. v. Though I bestow all my Goods to feed the poor and though I give my body to be burned and have not Charity it profiteth me nothing That is if we have not Love for Love cannot be without Charity but Charity may be without Love for we may be Charitable by the way of Merit thinking to purchase Heaven by it and that will not do But if we are without Charity in the way of our Duty and Love in the fellow feeling of one anothers sufferings then is not the Love of God in us For St. John saith in the 3. chap. 17. v. But whosoever hath this world's goods and seeth his Brother have need and shutteth up his bowels of Compassion from him how dwelleth the love of God in him 18. v. My little Children let us not Love in word neither in tongue but in deed and in truth And St. James saith in the 1.17 Pure Religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this to visit the Fatherless and Widows in their Afflictions and to keep himself unspotted from the World And he saith in the 2. c. 13. v. For he shall have judgment without mercy that hath shewed no mercy and mercy rejoyceth against Judgment 14. v. For what doth it profit my brethren tho a man say he hath Faith and have not Works can Faith save him 15. v. If a Brother or sister be naked and destitute of daily Food 16. v. And one of you say unto them depart in Peace be you warmed and filled Notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the Body what doth it profit 17. v. Even so Faith if it hath not works is dead being alone We are not here now to wait for new Calls but to improve the Talent that God hath given us in that we have his word the good motions of his Spirit and the Checks of Conscience the which Talents well improved will bring us to Eternal Blessedness for if we take to the rule which he hath set before us and according thereunto beg his continual Assistance God will then never be wanting to us And St. Paul saith of the Scriptures 2 Tim. 3.15 That from a Child thou hast known the Scriptures which is able to make thee wise to Salvation through Faith which is in Christ Jesus By which the Promise is obtainable for as there is an absolute Election of whom it is said their Names was Written in Heaven from the Foundation So there is a conditional Election and us a Day of Grace Therefore as the Apostle saith having a promise of entring into his Rest let us fear lest we should fall short of it Therefore let us up and be doing that thereby we may make our Calling and Election sure for we are not of that number that are chose to be his standing Witnesses thro' the World and therefore may fall away the which I have clearly proved by the word where I have spoken of Election Of Baptism AND whereas St. Paul saith Gal. 3.27 For as many of you as have been baptised into Christ have put on Christ The which is meant 〈◊〉 the Spiritual Baptism whereby they become conformable to Christ as in Rom. 8.9,10 Ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you Now if any Man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his And if Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin but the Spirit is Life because of Righteousness But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the Dead dwell in you he that raised up Christ from the Dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you The which indwelling of his Spirit is this Spiritual Baptism Now with the Spiritual Baptism there is joyned a sign or Seal the which is the outward Baptism of Washing or Plunging So as to be buried under the Water and therefore said buried with him in Baptism for as Christ was underneath the Earth so we should be plunged under the Water the which doth also signify to us that we should be Spiritually Dead to the World as having no delight in it or to it Now the Children of believing Parents are said to be Holy therefore fit to receive this sign of Baptism and they also being in Covenant as well as their Parents And by the Blood of Christ it is that both are made partakers of the Promises but to any that are of Maturity and not Believers the which Belief is such as brings our Wills over into a conformity to the will of God then Christ dwells in us by his Spirit and then are we Spiritually Baptised And if the outward sign and Seal is fixt on them that within them is not sound the thing signified It is but like a Seal to a blank Bond For St. Paul saith Rom. 2.28 For he is not a Jew which is one outwardly neither is that Circumcision which is outward in the Flesh 29. But he is a Jew which is one inwardly and Circumcision is that of the Heart in the Spirit and not in the Letter whose praise is not of Men but of God Now Children are innocent as to any actual Sin and if they come of believing Parents are said to be Holy and so fit to be Baptised and the Covenant of God made by Moses was as well made with Children as with those of Maturity Of the Trinity THe meaning of the Trinity is this That the Infinite God consists of three Glorious Beings or Persons as God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost and these three to be one God being of one Will one Mind one Power one Glory this being the Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity which was from all Eternity and so continues to all Eternity the only true God blessed for ever more Amen Heb. 1.3,8 John 5.21,22,23 1 John 5.20 Col. 1.15,16,17 John 1.3 Acts 5.3,4 Wisd 7.24,25,26,27 Let us all learn to know God in Christ Christ in Faith by an Holy reliance upon him and a self Resignation of our Wills and affections to him and to know our Faith by good works and so to know the Will of God as to do it and before the knowledg of all other things we should learn to know our selves Whereas it is said in 1 John 5.7,8 that the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost are One so it is said the Spirit the Water and the Blood a gree in one as to the renewing of a sinner the Spirit of the Lord doth again Renew us the Water in Baptism washeth us and the Blood of Christ 't is that Justifies us if we take hold of the tender of his Grace according to the condition as it is offered And again the Spirit the Water and
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
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
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