another He shewed not respect to Herod the King but spake contemptuously of him as men would account it Go saith he and tell that Fox He did not shew respect to the reverend and grave Doctors of the Law nay nor to the High Priest himself Nay he did not shew respect to his own Disciples but said to Peter when he mildly and affectionately desired his death might be avoided Get thee behind me Satan How harsh and rough a reply might this seem If Peter had erred through his affection and tenderness to his Master a meek spirit would gently have informed him but to call him Devil and say get thee behind me what kind of spirit doth this favour of would that professing Jew say who knoweth not the true meekness but seeks after a fleshly meekness which is a servant to the fleshly wisdome and prudence but not true born Nay he did not speak respectively to his own Mother as mans spirit by its rule of respect would judge and condemn him but said Woman what have I to do with thee John 2.4 and in a manner denied all his relations Mat. 12.48 Lastly to instance no more at his harsh censures of all the Professors of that age which observed the Law of Moses and Israels Statutes with all their laborious and godly Teachers justifying none but himself and what he taught and a few of his followers He told them that they had not the love of God in them John 5.42 Did not this think ye seem to them a very harsh charge And why not the love of God because they did not follow him and his new Doctrine yea would they be ready to say they did love God and kept his Commandements Sabbaths and Ordinances which he transgressed He laid this also to their charge that they did not believe Moses John 5.46 What an unjust charge might this seem when they were so zealous for Moses and their very dislike of him and controversie against him was for the sake of the Law and Ordinances of Moses Another charge he laid to them was that they were not the children of Abraham or of God but of the Devil John 8. ver. 39 42 44. What a rash censorious man might they account him thus to speak of them who were the human seed of Abraham who were such strict observers of Gods Laws and Ordinances which is the property of his children and such enemies to the Devil that they would not be drawn from the truths and way of worship taught by Moses and the Prophets no not by all the Miracles he could work He called them a faithless and perverse Generation Ma 1 t. 17.17 He told them that they did not know God though they said with confidence that he was their God John 12.54 55. How could they bear this They had been studying the law and Prophets and had a great stock of knowledge from thence and were strict and exact in worship some of them as well as Paul might be according to the Law blameless and now to be told they did not know God Nay he that aboundeth in knowledge devotion and worship yet being not in the life and pure Power of the Spirit hath not one dram of the true knowledge He told them that they should dye in their sins John 8.21 O hard word and severe judgement And yet he had told them a little before that he judged no man ver. 15. yea they did think themselves exceedingly wronged by him and thought that no man that had any thing of God in him could speak such things but only one that was an enemy to the people of God and led by the spirit of Satan To this effect they expresse themselves verse 48. of that Chap. Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan and hath a Devil Yea when Christ charged them with going about to kill him they seemed to themselves so clear in their own consciences that they answered thou hast a Devil who goes about to kill thee John 7.29 how easily might they closeup the controversie and by this very thing conclude him to be a false Prophet He sayes we went about to till him when God knows there was not such a thing in our hearts Can this man be a true Prophet yet Christ knew the prefessing Jews to be the Murtherer and in and for his Religion sake still seeking to slay him And there is no such murtherer of Christ the life upon the earth as the zealous Professor and worshipper out of the life He that is in the life cannot persecute any man he that is out of the life cannot but persecute him that is in the life Hereby the true and false christian may be discrened by the weakest simple and single eye And then for their teachers and expounders of the law how exceeding bitter did be seem against them and how heavy things was he continually laying to their charge He called them blind Guids Hypocrites painted Sepulchres Graves which appears not and pronounced woe upon woe against them Read that one place Mat. 23.33 Ye Serpents ye Generation of Vipers how can ye escape the damnation of Hell What speak thus of our zealous Teachers who study the Law are strict in practising of the Ordinances and take such pains to ininstruct us in the mind of God from Moses and the Prophets was such a man as this fit to live Nay and he does not shew a Gospel spirit mark how sharp and bitter his words came from him for indeed a sharper speech with greater vehemency and indignation of spirit can hardly be spoken and they might seem to aggravate this sharp condemnation of his from his own confession he himself had confessed that they sate in Moses chair now he might have shewn some honour to Moses chair and to their office which was of God and doubtless good and not have gone about to make them thus odious in the eyes of the people Nay he himself had bid men do as they said but in ver. 3. of that Chap. Now was it likely that ever men should mind what they said or observe their doctrine when he had thus represented them as oppressors of the conscience ver. 4. as devourers of widdows houses and making long prayers in Hypocrisie ver. 15. as making their proselytes more the children of hell then themselves ver. 15. as neglecters of the weightier matters of the Law Judgement Mercy and Faith ver. 2.3 as appearing righteous to men but full of Hypocrisie and iniquity ver. 28. as of the same generation that killed the Prophets ver. 31.32 as dâ—ceivers as such as led into the ditch and bid men beware of their leaven were not these good kind of incouragements for People to hear them Yea he charged them with shutting up the Kingdome of heaven against men and not going in themselves nor suffering men to enter that were going in ver. 13. How could they observe what they taught without hearing them and would Christ wish any to hear such men as
these Yet for all this without doubt they were not without their justifications against Christ in these respects and also had their charges on the other hand ready against him Now how did they shut up the Kingdome of Heaven against men Did not they teach the Law and direct men to the Ordinances of God and open the Prophets words to them was this shutting up the Kindome of heaven And would not they suffer men to enter Why their work was to win people to their profession they would compass Sea and Land to make a proselyte How stifly might the Jews have pleaded against Christ that he did slander their godly Ministers who were very painful and zealous in opening the Scriptures and teaching the way of God nay he himself could not deny but they taught well for he himself saith whatsoever they bid you observe that observe and do Mat. 23.3 But mark now that ye may understand the thing it is thus Any teaching or expounding of Scriptures out of the life shuts up the Kingdome for the Life is the Kingdome and words from the life yeild the savour of the Kingdome but words out of it though never so good and true reach not to the life in another but only build up a knowledge in the contrary wisdome and teach to hold the truth in the unrighteousness where Satans Kingdome stands and where he hath the dominion over all that is brought thither And so this kind of teaching and knowledg shuts up the door and way of life and must be lost before the Kingdome can be found They shut up the true Kingdome but they opened another Kingdome they opened the Kingdome another way which was in truth shutting of it and they had Disciples and Children of the Kingdome whom they tickled with the hope of life and fed with promises and comforts but these the Lord would shut out Many shall come from the East and West and shall sit down with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdome of Heaven but the Children of the Kingdome shall be cast out into utter darkness Mat. 8.11 12. This is as true at this day in this present dispensation as it was then in that dispensation though men make it a great accusation against us charging us that we say none are the people of God but our selves and as if all were damned but we These are mens harsh and unsavory expressions we use not to speak after this manner but soberly open the state of the thing as it stands in the truth and as it hath been revealed unto us by him who is true and cannot lie which is thus That through which men are saved is the dispensation of truth in their age The measure of light which God gives forth in every age that is the means and proper way of Salvation in that age and what ever men get or profess of the knowledg of truth declared in former ages yet making use of that to withstand the present dispensation of truth in their age they cannot thereby be saved but may thereby be hardened against that which should save them And this we are assured of from the Lord that as the Jews could not be saved by the Law of Moses making use of it in opposition to the shining of the light of God in the Prophets in their present ages nor afterwards could be saved by magnifiing and observing both the words of Moses and the Prophets and their belief from thence of a Messiah to come making use of these things to oppose that appearance of Christ in the flesh which was the dispensation of their day then No more can any Professors be saved now by belief of a Christ come or any thing which they can learn or practise from the Scriptures making use thereof to oppose the dispensation of this day which dispensation is the immediate and powerful breaking forth of the light of the Spitit in the hearts of Gods people who have earnestly sought and in much sorrow and perplexity of Spirit longed and waited for him after this long dark night of the Antichristian apostacy There remain yet some other exceptions against him about the time of his suffering death with his hard usage which would not wholly be passed over As first his disrespective or irreverend answering of the high Priest as it seemed to them when he asked him of his Doctrine John 18. vers. 19. His answer was that he spake openly in the World not in secret why askest thou me ask them that heard me whereupon one of the Officers struck him saying Answerest thou the high Priest so vers. 22. The plainness and simplicity of the life which bows to God and cannot regard man in the transgression seems rude and unmannerly to the lofty Spirit of the world 2. His silence at the Testimonies brought against him and to the high Priest when he questioned him Mark 14.60 61. Indeed either the speaking or silence in the life is offensive to the carnal professor who knoweth not the Law of the life in this particular but can either speak or be silent according to his own will This is the difference between the true and the false Christian The false Christian his knowledg and Religion stands in his own will in his own understanding he speaks in his own time both which are crucified in him that is born of the Spirit 3. When he did speak the truth of himself the high Priest rent his cloaths and charged him with blasphemy Mat. 26.64 And those that were by fell in with the high Priest and said he was guilty of death vers. 66. Then they spet on his face and buffetted him and smote him and mocked him and blindfolded him and struck him on the face bidding him prophesie who smote him Mat. 26.67 68. and Luke 22.63 64. When they brought him to Pilate they would have Pilate take it for granted that he was an evil doer and worthy of death for when Pilate asked for their accusation against him they answer if he were not a Malefactor we would not have delivered him up unto thee John 18.29 30. Pilate refusing so to proceed in judgment vers. 31. they begin to bring in their charges we found this fellow perverting the Nation and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar saying that he himself is Christ a King Luke 23.2 Pilate examines him herein but professes he can find no fault in him at all John 18.38 Then the chief Priests accused him of many other things Mark 15.3 and were more fierce saying he stirreth up the people teaching throughout all Jury beginning from Galilee to this place This indeed was his great offence he taught with the authority of the Spirit and not as the Scribes Then Pilate sent him to Herod where the chief Priests and Scribes stood vehemently accusing him who questioned him much but he answered him nothing And Herod with his men of War set him at naught and mocked him and arayed him in a gorgeous robe and sent
good works they stoned him They reply very confidently for a good work we stone thee not but for Blasphemy and because thou being a man makest thy self God vers. 32 33. And when he said If a man keep my saying he shall never see death John 8.51 Then said the Jews unto him now we know that thou hast a Devil Abraham is dead and the Prophets are dead who makest thou thy self vers. 53. Were not Abraham and the Prophets holy men had not they the sayings of God and did not they keep the sayings of God yet they are dead Such a kind of speech as this must needs be from the Devil Now thou makest manifest from what Spirit thou speakest Now know we that thou hast a Devil And indeed how could the professors of that age digest such things being so contrary to what appeared to them to be certain truth in the Scriptures And there were many other things as hard to them though the exceptions which might or did arise in their minds are not particularly mentioned as when he saith I am the door of the Sheep All that came before me are thieves and robbers but the Sheep did not hear them John 10.7 8. How offensive must this Doctrine needs have been to them going carnally to understand and reason about it What were all the Prophets and holy men before thee thieves and robbers did the truth never come till thou broughtst it What became of our Fore-fathers in former ages were they none of them Gods Sheep did none of them find the door for thou saist thou art the door and thou hast been but of late And whereas thou saist the Sheep did not hear them that 's utterly false for they did hear Moses and they did hear the Prophets and we have their writings and will keep to them for all thee let who will be thy Sheep When he said that he came not to send peace but division Mat. 10.25 How readily might they reply that his own mouth discovered him not to be the Messiah the Saviour the peace-maker but the worker of divisions the causer of breaches in families setting three against two and two against three Luke 21.51 When he said whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin John 8.34 Might not they well except against this as condemning the whole generation of the righteous and making null the way of sacrifices which God had appointed for sins committed at any time by his people which could not but presuppose their commission of sin did not Abraham Isaac David Moses the rest of the Prophets all commit sin and were they servants of sin He taught also that the children of the Kingdom should be cast into utter darkness Mat. 8.12 Oh how harsh would this sound in the ears of the zealous professing Jew who was waiting and hoping for the Kingdome So in his Doctrine there seemed many contradictions to the fleshly understanding for one while he said I Judge no man for I came not to condemn the World and yet was he not continually judging and condemning the Scribes the Pharisees the Priests the Lawyers and that whole generation of professors So again he came to seek and save that which was lost to preach the Gospel of peace and yet another while he saith he came not to send peace but a sword and to kindle a fire and to set men at variance c. Again one while he said I and my Father are one another time my Father is greater than I one while he bid men do as the Scribes and Pharisees taught another while he bid men beware of the Leaven or Doctrine of the Prarisees and Saduces Mat. 16.12 But to what purpose should I heap up any more instances O thou that readest this wait to know in thy self the ear that cannot hear Christs Doctrin and while thou condemnest the Jews do not run into the same error of unbelief and gain-saying but wait to know the voice of Christ in this day and to receive the ear that can hear it for though thou shouldest be willing to hear yet thou canst not till thy ear be opened Nicodemus who could acknowledge Christ a teacher come from God yet could not receive the doctrine of the new birth from him John 3.4 and there were many things the disciples themselves were not able to bear for when at a certain time he spake of giving his flesh to eat not only the Jews John 6.52 but they also stumbled ver. 61. and who is there among professors that can now bear it or receive Christs own interpretation of it who saith that the flesh which they understood profiteth nothing but the flesh which he meant was spirit and life ver. 63. 5. At his practises and conversation How is it that he eateth and drinketh with Publicans and sinners Mark 2.16 Behold a gluttenous man and a wine bibber a friend of Publicans and sinners Luke 7.14 This man if he were a Prophet would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him for she is a sinner Luke 7.39 At the Publicans and sinners drawing nigh to hear him the Pharisees and Scribes were offended and murmured saying This man receiveth sinners and eateth with them Luke 15.1 2. and when he went to Zacheus house they all murmured saying that he was gone to be Guest with a man that is a sinner Luke 19.7 Again because he healed on the Sabbath and justified his disciples in plucking of ears of corn on the Sabbath they were filled with madness and communed what they might do to him Luke 6. ver. 3. and ver. 10 11. and took counsell how they might destroy him Mark 3.5 6. Another time the Ruler of the Synagogue spake with indignation about it Luke 13.14 Yea the Jews did persecute Jesus and sought to slay him because he had healed a man and bid him take up his bed and walkon the Sabbath day John 5. ver. 8 16. and some of them made it a strong argument against him this man is not of God because he keepeth not the Sabbath day John 9.16 What come from God and be a breaker of his Ordinances Can these two stand together Read and consider what more strict Ordinance of God under the Law than the Sabbath What one Ordinance more conducing to the honour and worship of God Did not their whole religion and worship much depend upon it How could this possibly but be a great offence to them in that Spirit and Litteral Wisdome from the Scriptures wherein they stood Yet Christ in his fleshly appearance was Lord of the Sabbath and in his spiritual appearance he doth not lose his dominion Again they excepted against him that he did not teach his disciples to fast and pray as John did Luke 5.33 but could suffer them to transgress the traditions of the Elders Mat. 15.2 he was not strict after the Jewish way of devotion not strict after Johns way neither but against the traditions of the godly Elders of the