of God the Father and the unspeakable and sweet comforts of the holy Ghost and that in a spiritual way in all the ordinances they do not nor cannot lean upon the outside of any ordinance A true Beleever sees within the vail and sees the most holy of all Mine eyes saith old Simeon have seen thy salvation O Lord Luk. 2.29 30. A Saint sees Christ in the Spirit though he be vailed with flesh A true Beleever sits down at the table with Christ who is the King of this banquet and there is friendly discourse between Christ and a poor soul A poor soul sits down under the shadow of Christ with great delight and the graces of Christ are sweet to my tast saith the poor foul Cant. 2.3 4 5 6. Now Christ answers the poor soul again and saith Thy graces smel sweeter that I have given thee then the ointments of all spices Cant. 4.8 9 10. Now a beleeving soul is married to God and Christ and doth confess all her sufficiency is from God and from Christ While the King siteth at his table saith the poor soul my spikenard sendeth forth the smel thereof that is while Christ is in the soul to act those graces that he hath given into the soul so long those graces send forth a pleasant sinel Cant. 1.12 13. Now Christ being once in the soul is for ever in the soul and with the poor soul for to help it in all its wants and loves it to the end that is for evermore Joh. 13.1 And Christ promises That he wil never leave the poor soul nor forsake it in its greatest wants Heb. 13.5 6. Now a poor soul begins to be strong in the Lord because Jesus Christ hath taught it to cal God Father Mat. 6.9 And Christ himself cals the poor soul his brother and his sister and tels them he wil pray his Father and their Father for to send his love-token into their hearts that is the sweet Spirit of God for to uphold them in the hour of temptation and to comfort them in their greatest distress and to teach them to have communion and fellowship with God and with Jesus Christ and this is the food that a true beleeving soul feeds upon in all the ordinances of God and in all the promises and providences of God in this world and this is that which a Saint leans upon even upon the very bosome of God and of Jesus Christ as that beloved Disciple did lean upon the brest of Christ at Supper Joh. 21.20 Sect. 3 Now by this means a true beleeving soul begins to be without slavish fear and without bastard-like fear because God hath said Fear thou not for I am with thee be not dismayed for I am thy God I wil strengthen thee yea I wil help thee O thou poor weary soul yea I wil uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness Isa 41.10 Now this is that which holds up the head of a beleeving man or woman in this troublesom world for they see a way made by the blood of Jesus a new and living way and by the hand of faith they can take spiritual food out of that new and living way and feed upon that when worldly food seemeth to decay Heb. 10.19 20. And so likewise a beleeving man by the eye of faith doth see himself secure in this new and living way though the world should be turned upside down What saith the Prophet Habakkuk Although saith he the fields should yeeld no meat and the flocks were cut off from the fold and there should be no herd in the stals Mark the condition of a true beleeving man Yet saith he I wil rejoyce in the Lord and I wil joy in the God of my salvation Habak 3.17 18. I wil lift up mine eyes saith the beleeving man unto the hils from whence cometh my help My help cometh from the Lord which made heaven and earth Psa 121.1 2 3. Now in the next place to lean upon Church-fellowship this wil not profit us But there is a fellowship which the Apostle speaks of which wil profit us Truly saith the Apostle we and all that do truly beleeve our fellowship saith he is with God and with Jesus Christ read 1 Joh. 1.3 4 and this fellowship is by way of union I in them and thou in me saith Christ that they may be made perfect in one Joh. 17.23 24. I shal now speak a word to those that are in external Church-fellowship Sect. 4 who hold it not fit for to have communion with one in some ordinances nay almost in all if one be not in fellowship with them but count of one as to be without or to be men of the world or almost as bad as Heathens in that condition But the Foundation or Being of the Saints is built upon the eternal good wil and good pleasure of God which he had purposed in himself before the world was and hath chosen us with an unchangeable love in him that is in Christ Jesus before the foundation of the world That we should be holy and without blame before him in love read Eph. 1.4 9. 2 Tim. 1.9 Here you may see the original of the Saints from whence they are They come forth from God and they go with Jesus Christ to God their Father again For their life is hid with Christ in God read Col. 3.3 4. Joh. 14.19 20. For at that day saith Christ to the Saints ye shal know that I am in my Father and you in me and I in you and because I live ye shal live also And where I am there shal you be also and you shal behold my glory saith Christ to the poor souls of men and rejoyce in that and you shal see my Fathers love in me and it shal be in you and I wil be in you read Ioh. 17.23 24 26. Here you may see from whence the Saints are and upon what fellowship they lean They lean upon the unchangable love of God and they lean upon their friend Jesus Christ and they lean upon the coming forth of the sweet Spirit from God and from Jesus Christ into their hearts and that sweet Spirit wil shew them things to come as Christ tels them and that blessed Spirit wil teach them to profit and he wil make Jesus Christ beautiful in their eyes for he shal receive from God and from Jesus Christ and shal shew it unto them as Christ himself speaks read Ioh. 16.13 14 15. Isa 33.16 17. Here you may see what heavenly provision and what a sure place of rest the holy one of Israel hath prepared for every true beleeving soul and here you may see what fellowship God and Jesus Christ have with every true beleeving man or woman And wil you that are called Anabaptists have no fellowship with those that God and Christ and the holy Spirit of God have fellowship withall except they be baptized your way You say to be baptized young availeth nothing I ask
Ministers do fall in with these two and make up their conclusion with the Jews in the ninth of the Romans But as it were by the works of the Law Together with thy help O Christ we look for a blessing and for heaven and for what we have Rom. 9.30 31 32. Now for want of Preaching of Free-grace Sect. 5 A Simile we know not where the strength of Sampsâ—n lyes I mean Christ and so we begin to set up our selves as it were to be partners with Christ and thus the people are at a loss Now on the other side Free-grace teaches a man for to deny himself and to give God in Christ the preeminence alone and to say it is no more I but the Lord is my light and my life and my strength and in this will I be confident and this Free-grace causeth to grow Psal 27.1 3 5. Now he that hath tasted of the sweetness of Free-grace cannot but speak of it because it is the onely means for to break a hard heart and the onely cordial for to comfort a sick soul 1 Pet. 2.3 7. Psal 45.1 2. 1 Tim. 1.12 13 14 15 16 17. Psal 27.13 14. Now on the other side he that hath not tasted of Free-grace but speaks of it by hear-say though he be never so learned a man yet he will be but a fumbler in speaking of Free-grace or a bungler as we use for to speak And to deal plainly I conceive that the most of our Ministers want both will and skill for to speak of the Free-grace of God in and through Christ for they speak but little of it and that is the reason that the most people are so ignorant of it and live so much in sin read Tit. 2.11 12. When grace doth appear sin vanishes away O the glorious truths of grace that lye under that black cloud of Antinomianism That reproachful name which causeth the people for to sin in speaking evil of that which they know not Now I shall reflect back Sect. 6 and speak a word of the souls being taken by Christ into the banqueting house where Christ doth acquaint the soul what the pardon of sin is and that its sins are done away both past present and to come of this I spake before Now Jesus Christ doth acquaint the soul that it shall have the evidences of his Spirit for to comfort it in time of distress when temptation doth come upon it and when the world doth trouble it and when worldly men do oppose it and if it doth begin to sink or to droup then it shall call but not for the pardon of sin for that is sure in God for it but it shall say with Peter help Lord send the evidences of thy Spirit to acquaint me of the sure mercies of David and thus the soul doth acquaint Christ with its wants and then the soul doth find the left hand of Christ to be under its head when it is in communion with Christ in the banqueting house which house is Christ himself and there the right hand of Christ doth imbrance me saith the soul Now these embraces that Christ gives the soul they are the sweet gayls of the Spirit which put all things out of doubt in the soul Cant. 2.4 5 6. Now it pleaseth Jesus Christ Christ like a mother draws a curtain sometimes to draw a curtain between himself and the soul as a mother doth sometimes in love to her child and then the child cries after her and thus the poor soul cries after the Spirit of Christ in all occasions to come and comfort it Make hast my beloved saith the soul to Christ and be thou like to a Roe or to a young Hart upon the mountains of spices Flee away make haste do not stay by the way saith the soul that longs after Christ No comfort like unto thine O my Love No love like unto thine O my Joy Cause me to hear thy voyce quickly that I faint not O my dear I hearken to thy voyce O sweet Spirit of Christ let me hear it and it sufficeth me though I dye and come to thee which is best of all For in thy presence is fulness of joy and at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore Cant. 8.13 14. Psa 16.11 And thus he whose Name is Love 1 Joh. 4.8 doth descend and come down into the hearts of his people to manifest himself unto them and in them 1 John 4.8 9 10. John 17.6 And thus the blessed God doth manifest himself and make known things unspeakable and ful of glory and doth let into the soul high manifestations of his love which is the original of the pardon of sin Now if there come a black cloud at any time between the soul and the Sun of righteousness who is God blessed for ever yet the soul in this case can say as Peter said I am sure that my sun is in the living God and he wil speak words of eternal life unto me Iohn 6.68 69. For the Spirit of the Lord put his Word in my mouth saith David and hath made with me an everlasting Covenant which is sure I know and though my sun doth not always shine yet in him wil I be confident read 2 Sam. 23.2 4 5. Psa 27.1 3. Now here comes in the work of the Sect. 7 third Person in the blessed Trinity which is according to the promise of Christ Iohn 15.26 Now here follows the souls desires that hath tasted how gracious the Lord is first That it may dwel in the house of the Lord which house is Christ and there to behold the beauty of the Lord and to have it made out in his holy Temple which Temple is Jesus Christ Psa 27.4 5. And here to have the light of his fatherly countenance and the sweet smiles of his holy Spirit constantly upon its soul and to have the high manifestations of the love of God in Christ as the Apostle prays for Eph. 3.16 17 18 19. and to have the evidences kept close unto its soul Now Christ answers the soul Answ my Spirit shal come into thee and shal keep thee guide thee and shew thee things to come concerning me and he shal make me beautiful in thine eyes and he shal shed his love into thy soul which wil cause thee to love me Rom. 5.5 And thou shalt have all thy treasure in me saith Christ to the soul for all things that the Father hath are mine and I and my Father are one and thou shalt be one with us in my union and with me shalt thou have communion Iohn 16 13 14 15. 17.21 to 26. Answ Now here is the souls answer unto Christ O blessed God the fountain of Israel O my God thou hast turned all my prayers that I made for the pardon of my sin into praises or praising of thee O my God who hast forgiven all my sins Bless the Lord O my soul saith David and forget not to praise him for all
is Emmanucl Mat. 1.23 Now every new born child of God and every Christ-like man doth live and walk and talk in the Son of God who is the fountain of life and light and is the divine Sun of righteousness who doth shine into the hearts of true Beleevers Now as I spake before of the new born children or true beleevers to be in the Sun of righteousness the fountain of life and light and that God is in them it doth not follow that they are so many Gods or so many Christs no there is but one God who is Christ Hear O Israel the Lord our God is one Lord Deut. 6.4 And there is but one Lord Christ Who is God blessed for ever Luk. 2.26 Yet though these be not Gods nor Christs which have been spoken of yet they are shining Stars in the Heaven of God and they are Kings with crowns of glory in the hand of the Lord A true beleeving man is as a shining star and a royal diadem in the hand of Christ and a royal diadem in the hand of Christ who is the hand of God and thy God Isa 62.3 Nay more they are as streams flowing from the fountain of life and as rivers run back again into the sea from whence they came even so do the Saints return into God in Christ from whence they came and there they solace themselves in the ocean sea of divine pleasures and they are abundantly satisfied with the drink of that river for there they stand admiring of God and praising of God and rejoycing in God Now as the men of this world do walk up and down in the light of the natural Sun in the Firmament Sect. 7.3 even so do the Saints in light walk up and down in the light of the blessed God who is the spiritual Sun that shines into their souls And in his light they see light for there is a fulness of light read Psa 36.7 8 9. Ioh. 1.4 5. And every Saint or true Beleever hath his part or portion which is a fulness to him and in him yet every true beleeving soul is apart from God and doth behold his face in righteousness Psa Saints are not Gods nor Christs but sparks of the divinenature 17.15 And though a true beleeving soul be in so neer a union with God and so close a communion with Christ and such an unsupparableness of oneness between God and the Saints as you may read Ioh. 17.21 yet they are not Gods and Christs unto themselves nor unto others as you did object and say that I seemed to make them so but they all say as the Apostle said Though there be many that are called gods yet say they to us that beleeve there is but one God the Father of whom are all things and we in him and for him and to us there is but one Lord Jesus Christ by whom are all things and we by him and in him 1 Cor. 8.5 6. Now this is the poor souls rest that all things are done by the hands of Christs for its good and this is the weary souls great comfort that Christ is a City of rest for it to be in and this is the great joy of an oppressed soul that Christ is the King of that City to whom it wil run together with an innumerable company of the first born which are inrolled in heaven and these run to God as a bride prepared and adorned for her husband Now these poor jeered ones and hared for Christs sake and separated from their company are reproached by zealous men and their names cast out as evil yet these persecuted ones in this storm have great cause to rejoyce for their rest is in heaven Luk. 6.22 23. And they as loyal subjects run unto their King Jesus for protection and this King is their loving friend and he is the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne of grace before whom they stand with boldness and much confidence as you may read at large Heb. 12.22 23 24. Rev. 5.4 5 6 7 13. Now I shal make two Uses of Comfort which wil be useful unto a poor soul in every sad condition And the first Use is this Christ is the life of the oppressed soul First Use of comfort and the actings movings of the soul if the soul be spiritually sensible it saith thus Though I live it is Christ that lives in me and moveth me and acteth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God Col. 3.4 Gal. 2.20 Now the Faith of the Son of God it is Christ God-man who is the substance of our effectual faith Now a poor soul having the substance of faith within it self the effects follow as in the case of Mary towards Lazarus even so a poor soul in its sadest conditions hath its head lifted up until Christ speak in the soul and then the soul is quickly upon the wing and riseth hastily up to meet Jesus Christ its Lord as Mary did and then the poor sad soul saith Lord if thou hadst been here my brother my husband my child had not dyed nor my estate which is so neer unto me and so comfortable unto me had not wasted nor been taken from me and I left in such a sad condition Now Christ seeing the soul in this sad condition why Christ himself groans in the Spirit and is troubled with the poor soul and weeps and again groaning in himself he troubled himself and labors to bring into the sad souls divine consolation to refresh it Sect. 8 And whereas some soul doth object and say If Christ had been with it its brother or its comfort had not died Now Christ answers the soul again as he answered Nathaniel The soul is weak in faith when it saith Christ is far from it When thou wast under the fig-tree I saw thee O thou poor soul when thou wast under such a sad burden then I saw thee and when thou wast in such a sad condition then I was with thee and when thou wast so much dejected and cast down even then I was with thee and held thee up that thou shouldst not faint I was never absent from thee O poor soul and the many tribulations which thou hast been under it is not as punishment unto thee but for a tryal of thy faith and for the exercise of thy graces Fear not O thou poor soul for sin shall not condemn thee for it is I thy Christ thy Jesus that died for thee yea rather that is risen again and is in God ever speaking good of thee and for thee O thou poor soul and my Father heareth me always Rom. 8.33 34 35. And I and my Father will send a comforting spirit into thee for to cheer thee up and at that day thou shalt know that I am in my Father and that thou art in me and that I am in thee Joh. 15.26 Joh. 14.19 20. Now this soft
Doth your baptizing old men or women avail any thing I indeed baptize you onely with water saith Iohn Mat. 3.11 Joh. 1.26 And this you do and mightily lean upon this weak shadow or figure and it is to be feared that many amongst you are like unto those in the Acts where Paul asked them If they had received the holy Ghost and they said unto him we have not so much as heard whether there be any holy Ghost Acts 19.2 3. Are not you carnally minded about the ordinances of God for the most part of you as the Apostle speaks in 1 Cor. 3.1 2 3 4 5 6 7. Doth not the most part of you rest in outsides of Religion being but very little acquainted with the truth and power of Religion as it is in the Spirit What difference is there between parishes and you from which you dissent They for the most part rest in a meer outside form of godliness read 2 Tim. 3.2 3 4 5. and think they were baptized when they were young and if they hear Sermons then they may be admitted to the Sacrament as they think by the Minister or Elders and if there be no more but this it is a meer outside shew and a form that wil not profit and is it not so with many of you that are called Anabaptists If you be but admited by those that say they wil baptize you then you lean much upon this and say now you are within the door but beware for many go in at this door and return out again with litle profit mistake me not I prize the ordinances of God and therefore I speak of the formality that most use in and about them I shal ask one question Are you acquainted experimentally with the Baptism of Jesus Christ upon your spirits even the sprinkling of clean water upon you and this wil purge your corrupt natures Ezek. 36.25 And this water wil refresh thy parched soul Isa 44.3 And this water wil be as a Wel of Living Water for to comfort thee in all thy straits Joh. 7.37 38 39. He saith John shal baptize you with the holy Ghost meaning Jesus Christ Mark 1.8 Now you that are called Anabaptists and you Presbyterians if you were acquainted with the Baptism of Jesus Christ that would clear up your judgments which I conceive are very dark for God is Love and if you were acquainted with this Baptism it would teach you to love one another read 1 Joh. 3.18 19 20 21 22 23 24. But one of you prays against the other which is not wel One word more to you that are rigid Anabaptists for you make a division in the body of Christ for Christ and his members are one 1 Cor. 12.12 13 14. And those that are one with Jesus Christ you judg not fit to be members or one with you if they be not of your judgment or opinion But we being many are one bread and one body for we are all partakers of that one bread 1 Cor. 10.17 And by one Spirit saith the Apostle we are all baptized into one body 1 Cor. 12.13 And those that are joyned to the Lord are one spirit with the Lord 1 Cor. 6.17 And wil you slight those or separate your self from those that God hath joyned to himself This is not wel judg not according to externals be not over rigid in censuring Cease to be legal learn to be spiritual and then you wil love one another for salvation doth not depend upon diping or sprinkling or plunging or washing read Gal. 6.15 Sect. 5 One word to you that are moderate Anabaptists Do not the publick professors of this Kingdom both Ministers and people for the most part rest in an outside and a visible form of Religion I know you wil answer Yes I ask is it not so with the most part of those that are of your opinion Do they not rest too much in the form and shadow not being acquainted with Christ crucified who is the power of God and the wisdom of God and the salvation that God gives to men 1 Cor. 1.13 14.23 24. The Baptism of water for profession is nigh at hand and both young and old receive it But the Baptism of the Spirit is far off and few there be that have it but those that have it do not go back again to the shadow because Christ the Sun doth shine who is the Substance Mary Magdalen after she had seen Christ was risen from the grave she did not return back again to look Christ in the grave Joh. 20.11.16 17 18. Now you that lean so much upon the Baptism of water if you have no more that wil profit but little But moderate and Christian friend the Baptism of the Spirit of Christ wil teach us to profit in all conditions It wil teach us to know the world to be passing away and all the glory of it to be but as grass It wil teach us to dye to the world with Christ upon the Cross Gal. 6.14 15. It wil teach us to go down with Christ from the Cross into the Grave and there to see sin the devil the world the grave and the old man conquered and subdued and Jesus Christ triumphing from the Cross to the grave and in the grave and this is the Christians dayly work if they have faith read Col. 2.12 13 14 15. And so this blessed Spirit wil baptize every true Beleever every day more and more into the resurrection of Iesus Christ 1 Pet. 3.21 Now a true Beleever being raised up from the grave together with Jesus Christ is made to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Iesus Eph. 2.5 6. And this is the Baptism that wil profit us and answer all our doubts and fil our hearts ful of the joy of the Lord that is Christ the bridegroom of the soul and the soul standeth to hear the voyce of Christ and greatly rejoyceth in that Jesus Christ is the spiritual Loadstone that draws up the soul to himself in whom the soul centers and finds its rest and in him the soul spiritually injoys all the ordinances and with Jesus Christ comes down again to all external ordinances and becomes weak to the weak that he may gain some and so likewise Iohn Baptist did rejoyce in Christs Ministry for he saw that to be glorious and said Christ should increase and the glory of his Ministry should run up into Christs Ministry He must increase saith John but I must decrease Joh. 3.29 30. Now you that rest so much upon water the Baptism of an outward profession and slight all those that are not of your opinion and you contend much for the time when and the manner how this ordinance of God must be administred Not to young children you say but to men and women of years because a young child cannot make a verbal Confession of Faith it is true indeed but a man or a woman in years may learn by education to make a verbal Confession of
concerning hell as it is a prison for sin and sinners and so ariseth a false fear or a slavish fear and so no true knowledg of God nor of Jesus Christ who is the Law of God and he makes sin to become exceeding sinful Romans 7. verses 12 13 14 22. None but Christ can forgive sin nor none but the Spirit of Christ can convince of sin John 16.7 8 9. Our learned make large confessions of sin and so almost all other men do or may do for to make a confession of sin by roat and in a customary way and so to think by confession of sin they have done enough to get the pardon of sin and this the Papists do but this will not profit neither them nor us And do not the most of men do this Mistake me not I speak not against confession of sin to God for a right confession of sin to God turns to the praise of his free-grace who hath forgiven our sins before we confess them and hath blotted out our sins for ever from before his face and will not bear them in his minde any more Read that remarkable story of David Psalm 103. read the whole Psalm and so Rom. 5.8 Isai 43.25 The end of my speech is against the formality that is in the confession of sin by the most of our learned and others and how few there be that make a right confession of sin as from the cross of Jesus Christ believing the blotting out of their sin and Christ taking it out of the way and nailing it to his cross Colos 2.13 14 15. The unbelieving men Ministers as well as others may make a very specious confession of sin for matter of form and yet have neither faith in God nor love to God nor joy in the holy Ghost But the believing men Ministers as well as others they are the most able men for to make confession of sin because they have faith towards God and love to God and joy in the holy Ghost As for instance Though I have lien among the pots saith the believing man yet I shall be as white as snow in Salmon I beleeve this therefore have I spoken Psalm 68.13 14. 2 Cor. 4.13 I am black saith the believing man or woman but yet comely through that comeliness which Christ hath put upon me therefore my soul is in love with Jesus Christ Cant. 1.3 5. Ezek. 16.14 So likewise the true believing Christian can make a confession of sin rejoycingly and with great joy seeing the victory and the spoiling of the powres of sin and darkness by the divine nature of Jesus Christ read 2 Peter 1.3 4. Which threw down the humane nature of Christ and bruised it nay it pleased the Lord and he put it to greif and pain and made it an offering for sin that he might see his seed by the travel of his soul and he is fully satisfied and the pleasure of the Lord is in him and upon all those which are his seed and grow up in him read Isai 53.6 10 11. And this Christ as God did and does crucifie sin and the old man every day triumphing over them is it or in himself Colos 2.15 And is not this matter of great joy to a pooâ— soul that carries about in his body every day the dying of the Lord Jesus 2 Cor. 4.10 O thou poor soul thou must lose thy self and be taken up by the power of God and thou shal be found in Jesus Christ Phil. 3.8 9 10. Ephes 1.18 19 20 21. Be of gooâ— cheer O thou poor soul for if thou be dead with Christ thou shalt live in eternal glory with Christ and if thou suffer persecution either from the tongue or from the hand with Christ or for Christ thou shalt reign with Christ 2 Tim. 2.11 12. O thou poor soul if Christ hath inabled thee for to make such a confession of sin in faith thou hast cause to walk rejoycingly Now here will arise two objections The first is this Sect. 8 You will object and say Object there needs no confession of sin now by your discourse and so we shall forget that we are sinners and continue in our sins and live as we list for there is one that hath done all for us we need to do nothing I answer Sol. It is not a vain repeating of sin as the Pharisee and the Heathen do Matth. 6.7 and as most people do but it is a forsaking of sin as the man in Christ does 2 Tim. 2.19 It is not a bare confession of sin in words but it is a turning from sin to God and this is the work of Christ onely and none of thine O man Turn me O Lord saith Ephraim for I cannot turn my self Jere. 31.18 We that are dead to sin saith the Apostle and risen again with Christ we cannot live any longer therein because grace doth abound Rom. 6.1 2. Now you will ask in the next place Object what those must do that are said to make a confession of sin with great joy nay rejoycingly which is a thing that you seldom hear of in our days for we are taught to mourn and to shed tears as it were to wash away our sin that is in part Romans 9.32 I shall answer your question Sol. and tell you what those do that make a confession of sin rejoycingly they fight against sin and they fight against Antichrist which is very much amongst us and they fight against the world and I will tell you with what weapons they fight with all the first weapon is the sheild of Faith by which they are able for to quench all the fiery darts of the devil and wicked men the second weapon is the helmet of salvation which shall cover men in the day of battel the third weapon is the sword of the spirit and that is Jesus Christ the living Word of God which will subdue all things unto himself And is not this matter of great joy Read those two remarkable Scriptures Ephes 6.13 14 15 16 17. 2 Cor. 10.4 5. But you will object and say Object that I exclude all outward sorrow for sin But I say no by no means Sol. if it be godly sorrow for godly sorrow proceedeth from a right apprehension of the love of God in slaying of sin with the sword of his mouth and this sword is Jesus Christ the living Word of God Read Revel 19.13 14 15 16 20 21. Heb. 4.12 13. The goodness of God leadeth men to repentance and makes a man flie from sin How shall I saith Joseph do this sin against my good God Rom. 2.4 Gen. 39.8 9. Now this is the root that godly sorrow grows upon and is not to be repented of but fleshly and carnal sorrow causeth or worketh death but godly sorrow causeth hatred against sin and love to God and is not this a great cause for to walk rejoycingly Read that remarkable Scripture 2 Cor. 7.8 9 10 11. One word more and so conclude It is
and the light of the Law which is in no wise grievous read Prov. 6.23 1 Ioh. 5.3 And Christ is the love-token of his Father read Rom. 5.8 And thus those that are counted loathsom Antinomians do imbrace him as the effect of his Fathers love which is the efficient cause of taking away sin from men read 1 Ioh. 4.9 10. And so they account the blood of Jesus Christ God-man to be the meritorious cause that hath and doth cleanse us from all sin past present and to come 1 Iohn 1.7 2.1 2. And so likewise Christ is the rule of a Christian and the Law of God which a Christian doth walk by And so likewise Christ is a Christian School-master for to bring him to God Gal. 6.15 16. Psa 1.2 Eph. 4.20 21. Iohn 14.6 O sweet God Sect. 7 and everlasting Father Isa 9.6 A Prayer from the Scripture to the Father Son holy Spirit opening that Mystery Thou art a sure foundation and a sure dwelling place Psa 90.1 2. O sweet Jesus thou that art built in and upon this foundation 1 Pet. 2.5 6. 2 Pet. 1.3 4. And thy sons and thy daughters being in thee thou proceedest forth and comest forth from God and bringest thy sons and thy daughters along with thee Eph. 1.3 4 5. Iohn 8.42 Isa 8.18 O sweet and holy and blessed Spirit of God which cometh from the Father Iohn 15.26 and from the Son and is sent by the Son into the hearts of his sons and daughters for to make Christ who is God-man glorious in their eyes Iohn 16.13 14 15. Isa 32.15 O sweet and blessed Spirit which art one of three and yet undividable thou art but one God blessed for evermore and not three Gods read 1 Cor. 8.5 6. But out of thy love and wisdom O sweet God thou hast made a distinction of thy self in the first Creation when thou saidst Let us make man in our image after our likeness Gen. 1.26 And thou hast made it good again in the second Creation when thou saidst Go and make new Schollars or new Disciples Then thy power O blessed Father Son and holy Spirit goes along and makes a new Creature in Christ or for Christ Old things are past away behold all things are become new read Matth. 28.18 19. 2 Cor. 5.17 A natural Tree growing up out of the earth An excellent Si mile having his roots therein and by the mighty power of God in his Creation there goes effectual power from the earth into the roots and so up into the body of the Tree and so up into every branch and causeth leaves and Fruit for the use of man which Tree hath its Seed in its self Gen. 1.11 12 29. Heb. 1.2 3. Now our Friend Jesus Christ is the Spiritual Tree of Life which grows in the midst of the paradise of God Revel 2.7 Gen. 2.9 Now God the Father is the paradise and the onely sweet Divine Garden Revel 2.7 And Christ his Son is the only sweet Flower in the Garden and he is daily his Fathers delight and in him onely God takes his pleasure read these two Scriptures Prov. 8.22 30. Matth. 17.5 Now the fulness of the Godhead is the infinite Fountain of Divinty in which Christ is a root or rooted and so grows up in that and so Christ cometh out of God and from God Col. 2.9 Psa 68.26 Isa 11.1 10. John 14.10 11. 17.8 21. 1.18 And so Christ is Gods King upon his holy Hill of Sion and God hath given him to be the Head over all things to the Church which is his Body now the true Church of God is the fulness of Christ and the true Church is most compleat in Jesus Christ Psal 2.6 Ephes 1.22 23. Colos 2.10 Psal 45.13 Now this is matter of great comfort unto a perticular poor soul for to have the blessed and infinite God anointing Jesus Christ our Head with his fulness that we might receive of his fulness even grace for grace in Christ Jesus Heb. 1.9 John 1.16 And so likewise it is an inlivening comfort to a poor fainting panting and thirsty soul for God to pour out his precious ointment upon the Head of thy Aaron that is Jesus Christ And so from him as thy Head this ointment runs down upon thy Beard nay it runs into thy heart into every corner of thy heart and it runs down to the skirts of his garments that is to every poor member of his and he fills and refreshes them with his Grace which is as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion for there the Lord gives a blessing even life for evermore read Psa 133.2 3. Now this is the River the streams whereof shall make glad the City of God Now the heart of a right Christian and a true believing man or woman is the City of God and the holy place of the Tabernacles of the most High and the infinite Divine Consolations of the Spirit which is God blessed for evermore runs thorow this City and maketh it glad when the world is turned upside down read Psa 46.4 5 6. Now you that stand for Fruits Sect. 8 and for Notes and Signes consider well what Tree they grow upon for a natural tree may bring forth excellent Fruit to the natural sight and if you take this natural Fruit for to be Notes and Signes spiritual you will deceive your selves as the most of the world do to this day because the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God neither can he know them and if he hear of them by the hearing of the ear he makes a jest of them for they are foolishness unto him 1 Cor. 2.14 But if you grow in the Tree of Life as the Branch doth in the Vine which Tree and Branch Zech. 6.12 is Jesus Christ then you shall live and receive of his life and bring forth fruit by his strength for in him and with him and by him you shal be able to do all things and without him you can do nothing to please God John 15.4 5. Phil. 4.13 Heb. 11.6 O sweet and blessed Spirit of God which workest all our works in us and for us Isa 26.12 And as a natural tree whose seed is in it self and having its roots in the earth and so receiving nourishment in at the roots without which it could not live But that nourishment which the roots do receive in runs up the body of the tree into every branch of the tree and causeth a fruitful flourishing of green leaves and fruit for the use of men and this turns to the praise of God and the good of men and all this is the work of the sweet Spirit of God through the whole course of nature But in a supernatural way of grace it is unspeakable and ful of glory Christ is the spiritual tree of life which is rooted in God Isa 11.1 10. John 1.18 John 17.23 24. Now the sweet Spirit of God which is only
hand of the Gospel moveth the heart of a man to a godly sorrow The goodness and the kindness and mercy of God applyed to the hearts of men that leadeth men forth to a true repentance and a right breaking of heart Now when the love of Jehovah doth break into the heart of a man or woman then the soul doth cry out and say the loving kindness and the goodness of God hath conquered my soul and the Lord draws my soul after him with the cords of love and how then shal I return again to folly seeing Jehovah hath taken hold of my soul with his love Now the rough hand of the Law as it is unskilfully handled by the most of our learned Men that know not Christ handle the law roughly rather hardens the hearts of men and sears them up in their sins then it mollifies and softens the heart because the Law is a strict rule holy jvst and good not given for men to do and live thereby Now the strict rule of the Law in the letter meeting with a crooked siner these two fal to variance as Cain did with Abel Now this carnal siner looks upon the Law as too strict that if he offend in one point he is guilty of all and so lies lyable to a curse for not continuing in all things which are in the book of the Law to do them Now this siner looking upon the Law out of the hand of Christ his heart begins to harden against God and he becomes an enemy against God and is not subject to the Law of God Rom. 8.7 And if it were possible this carnal minded man would destroy both God and his Law for the very same reason that Cain slew his brother 1 Joh. 3.12 And thus a man comes to be seared up in his sins when both he and his minister look upon the Law carnally and not in the hands of Christ as we in our days have many pretenders for the Law and many that rest in the Law and not in Christ and yet make their boast of God and seem to be Teachers of others and yet not able to teach themselves and yet make their boast of the Law and remain carnal in the Gospel and can hardly tel how to speak any thing of Christ Sect. 9 Now these rough handlers of the Law are like unto Esau cuning men of the field men that love red pottage and see no beauty in Jacobs heritage but despise it How can these men apply savory meat unto a poor hungry thirsty soul whom they hate for the blessing wherewith it is blessed in Christ And Esau said in his heart Now Esaus heart being ful of the seed of the serpent he said he would slay his brother Jacob as Herod would have done Christ Now by savory meat I mean the sweetnesses and the refreshings of Christ unto a poor weary soul which these men by experience know not as you may take an instance of the Jews and Pharisees Instance great zealous talkers of the Law of God and the Worship of God Nay they made their boast of God and yet they did not know Jesus Christ though he was present amongst them but dealt roughly with him according as they did see the Law as you may read at large Rom. 2.17 21 23. Gen. 25.27 30 34. 27.41 Iohn 9.13 14 15 16 29. Have not we many now in our days which hold forth the Law as the chief Priests and Pharisees did that is quite out of the hands of Christ and they tel the people they know not the Law but they must beleeve it as they hold it out unto them for the chief Priests and Pharisees told the people in Christs time That the people who know not the Law are cursed And thus the Law did seem to be rough by their unskilful handling of it out of the hands of Christ as we also may do at this day Iohn 7.45 48 49. How the Law in the hand of Christ turns to be Gospel Christ is the living law of God and the onely rule for a Christian and doth the greatest work as for instance Saul in his height of malice when he was going to Damascus the light of Christ did shine round about him and changed his evil heart He did not hear the voyce of thundering and lightning at Mount Sinai but a gentle hand and a soft sweet voyce speaking unto him and saying Saul Saul why persecutest thou me in my members Now Saul was not afrighted out of his wits but said Who art thou Lord and the Lord said I am Iesus whom thou persecutest but thou shalt do so no more for I will make thee a Minister of grace and though Saul trembled yet his heart was possest with love to the Lord and to those that he had persecuted for saith he Lord what wilt thou have me to do for thee and for them that I have so wronged Now this is a Gospel-change Acts 9.3 4 5 6. 26.16 Sect. 10 Now if this work of the Gospel had been wrought in the hearts of those that might have prevented bloodshed or in those that were so exceeding mad to shed the blood that was shed in Guildhal-yard but it seems they were of Sauls minde Men in our times like unto Saul and the chief Priests and Pharisees thinking that they might do many things nay any thing against a man or a woman under the name of Independents or Sectaries that is to put Christ and his members out of their Synagogues and City nay further even to kill Christ in his members or Christ and his members together and in so doing To think that they do God service These things are done and the cause is they neither know God nor Christ these are Christs own words as you may read Acts 26.9 10 11. John 16.2 3. But I am of Stevens minde and shall say Lord lay not this sin to the charge of this City Acts 7.58 59 60. Now the Law being in the hands of Christ and the Spirit of Christ who is the onely blessed God and the efficient cause in changing of that which we call Law into Gospel Thus God in Christ saith unto every soul I am the Lord thy God thou shalt have no other Gods before me Exod. 20.2 3. Now this Law is brought by the Spirit of Christ Christ makes way for himself in the hearts of men into the heart of a man or a woman and there it is planted and ingraven Jere. 31.33 34. and Christ puts in the finger of his sweet Spirit in at the hole of the door of the heart in at the hole of the lock as it were and his Spirit is the key that opens the heart and Christ with his finger puts back all the barrs and bolts that stand between him and the soul and Christ looks into the soul and takes away all drousie distempers and waters the soul and refreshes it with his sweet graces Christ is a sweet Law
What is an hours discourse though never so learned if God do not teach the Minister to speak spiritually God is come into the hearts of men with large and spiritual appearances I hope neither the learned nor the unlearned wil jeer me for using these expressions For by the light of these appearances God wil dis-throne Antichrist which is very much amongst us and this light wil expel all that which seems to be light and is but darkness and God wil set up his own true Christ which is himself and God alone wil be the light of men The Lord is my light saith David Psa 27.1 Sect. 7 Now the worldly wise men are much displeased with these spiritual appearances for it throws down their wisdom because it is fleshly and carnal The wisdom of the flesh charges the wisdom of God with folly and madness and saith it doth infect the world and therefore they take no delight in it they see no beauty in it why they should desire it But when the Spirit comes into the heart of a man and maketh his appearances then this sweet Spirit which is God who is Alpha and Omega and comes and doth the office of the third person and so he is the first and the last and so the poor soul is even at rest in the bosom of God Rev. 1.10 11 12. And there it is taught all truths by the Spirit who is God and the Spirit shews the soul glorious things to come and the Spirit makes Jesus Christ very glorious in the eyes of the soul and here the soul sees Christ and the Spirit and God the Father One and all that the Father hath is Christs and all that Christ hath is a Christians and Christ and a Christian are Gods Iohn 16.13 14 15. 1 Cor. 3.22 23. Now when God doth make these glorious appearances in our flesh then he doth teach us to justifie him in his spiritual appearances and to see him as wel as the Angels for we see by Faith the mystery of Christ and his Church which things the Angels desire to look into 1 Pet. 1.11 12 13. And we speak of this mystery unto men and it is beleeved by some men in the world and as Christ is received up into glory so he wil bring down his glorious wisdom and holiness into the hearts of his people And as Christ is wisdom even so he makes his children wise that they may justifie him who is wisdom it self for wisdom is justified of her children 1 Tim. 3.16 Luke 7.34 35. Now it is plain to prove that there is but one God and Father of all in all his appearances and through all the appearances which have been spoken of as Jesus Christ our Lord therefore we shal be inabled to keep the unity of the Spirit and to be at peace with God for there is but one body and one Spirit one Lord Iesus Christ who is the one God and he is first and last the beginning and the ending of all things saith the Lord Which is and which was and which is to come the Almighty Rev. 1.7 8. And there is but one true Faith which is in him and by him and from him which is the blessed God Acts 26.18 And there is but one true Baptism which is from him and by him and of him who is the only wise God and our good God Now this one Baptism made Iohn rejoyce and his joy was exceeding ful because of Christ which is the souls bridegroom Luke 3.16 17. Iohn 3.29 30. Sect. 8 Now this one sweet and blessed God is the Father of all and every thing that is good doth proceed and come out from him He is the original of all good He is the first cause of all good to the creature He is all in himself and to himself He is all to the soul and he is all in the poor soul He is all in all his appearances He is the Father of all and above all and through all and in you all read Eph. 4.3 4 5 6. Now it is as plain to prove that this one God did and doth come under all these appearances To us a Child is born to us a Son is given and the government shal be upon his shoulders and his name shal be called wonderful counsellor the mighty God the everlasting Father the Prince of peace God wil renew the heart of a man or woman make it as a chaste Virgin to bear Christ in the spirit as wel as the Virgin Mary did bear Christ in the flesh Now here is one and all and all and yet but one read Isa 9.6 And so likewise Behold a Virgin shal be with Child and shal bring forth a Son Now it is meant thy heart O man or woman shal be a Virgin to bear this Child as wel as the Virgin Mary And when God doth appear as the holy Child Iesus in a man then man doth begin to be happy and the name of this Child shal be called Emmanuel which being spiritually interpreted is God with us or God in us Mat. 1.20 21 22 23. Isa 7.14 Who is like unto the Lord our God who dwelleth on high who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven and in the earth God comes down into every low condition to comfort a poor soul in high places and in low places Our God comes down into every low condition Is not this a great comfort for the poor souls of men He raiseth up the poor out of the dust and lifteth the needy out of the dunghil This is the good wil of our good God He leaves no contemptible place unsought to find out his people though it be in a dunghil He was with Iob upon the dunghil that he might set him and all his poor despised people as Princes even with the Princes of his people Psa 113.5 6 7 8. O the wonderful greatness of our God that hath made his Christ and given him to be the head over all things to the Church O the wonderful wisdom and endless mercy of our God who hath fited his Church to be his own body in Christ Christ being the head O what a sweet harmony and agreement there is between the head Christ and his members O poor drouping soul Sect. 9 lift up thine eyes A note of great comfort to a poor soul and behold thy God who is thy head from which all the body by joynts and bands having nourishment ministred and knit together increaseth with the increase of God Col. 2.19 And now poor soul thou art so fitly framed together and so compleat in Christ that thou art become an holy Temple in the Lord In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit Eph. 2.21 22. Col. 2.9 10. Now when God doth teach a poor soul to live upon this it wil be as the lifting up the head above all waters above all temptations above all reproaches of men and above all
he wil hang upon every thing to save himself so the Iews for the most part did hang upon their own performances and so the Pharisees in Christs time and so to this very very day as for instance in Isa 58.3 Wherefore have we fasted and done so much say they and thou seest not wherefore have we afflicted our soul and thou takest no knowledg of us Now the Lords answer is this These be but your bodily exercises and wil profit you but little It is not a form of godliness but the powerfulness of Gods Spirit in you and that must teach you to profit Isa 48.17 Now in the next place you have the Lords description of these outside professors in these words Yet they seek me dayly and delight to know my ways they ask of me the ordinances of justice they take delight in approaching to God Isa 58.2 Now they reply from this in these words Wherefore have we humbled our selves and prayed why saith the Lord your performances which you have woven are but as the spiders web which shal not be garments to cover you for you are like unto the spider that leans upon his house but it shal not stand neither shal you cover your selves with your own works Isa 59.6 compared with Iob 8.13 14 15. To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me saith the Lord when you have not faith and love in your inward parts I delight not in your vain repetitions and luke-warm discourse it is an abomination unto me saith the Lord because they are your Idols or a false Christ of your own making if Christ the Son of God be not all in all in the heart of a man or woman then the heart is ful of Idols and false Christs Isa 44.16 17. So the most part of the world are ful of heart Idolatry and false Christs Beware of Covetousness Sect. 3 which is Idolatry Eph. 5.5 And I wil say to my soul soul thou hast much goods take thy rest Luk. 12.19 now here is a false Christ For there is no rest but in Christ Psa 116.7 Now it is a good thing to throw down outward Idolatry and Superstition but in the mean time if our hearts be as Temples ful of Idols and of false Christs what have we done Is not this that which the Lord complains of and cals it an abomination unto him and saith he is weary of their performances because they bring them and their prayers and their civil walking and their good meaning unto him and leave Christ behind them Therefore saith the Lord When ye spread forth your hands I wil hide mine eyes from you yea when ye make many prayers I wil not hear you that is I wil not regard you Isa 1.11 12 13 14 15. CHAP. III. The Spiritual Opening and Application of these Scriptures VIZ. Lev. 10.1 2. Rev. 8.3 4. Prov. 15.8 Mark 11.13 Rev. 22.2 Gen. 3.7 Ezek. 16.8 Mark 15.16 24. Joh. 6.63 Ezek. 36.22 Rom. 8.26 Mark 10.17 18 19 20 21. Joh. 14.6 Joh. 4.23 24. Joh. 1.4 5. Rev. 3.7 2 Tim. 3.15 16 17. 2 Cor. 3.6 Jam. 3.10 13 14 15 16. Gal. 5.22 23. 2 Tim. 1.7 Joh. 5.39 40 41 42 43 44. compared with Joh. 12.42 43. Psa 50.19 20 21 22. Mat. 5.17 Mat. 9.3 4. Luk. 7.33 34. Mat. 12.24 25. Joh. 5.16 18. Joh. 9.16 Joh. 18.30 Joh. 11.47 48. Joh. 12.19 Joh. 15.18 19 20. Joh. 18.30 31. Mark 15.8 9 10 11 12 13. Joh. 19.14 15 16. Joh. 5.39 46 47. Jer. 23.21 Jer. 14.12 13 14. Acts 24.2 5 6. Acts 19.23 24 25 26. Acts 17.18 19 20. Gen. 9.22 23 24 25. Acts 22.22 23 24 25. Revelation 17.7 9 12 13 14 15. 2 Thessalonians 2.3 4 7 8 9 10 11. Zachariah 2.7 Zachariah 1.19 20 21. Acts 26.11.22.3 4 5. Acts 22.3 4 5. Acts 26.9 10 11. Acts 8.3 4. Exod. 7.10 11 12. 1 Kings 18.21 22 23 24 25.38 Leviticus 9.24 Ieremiah 14.12 13 14 15 16. Ezekiel 13.10 11. Ier. 6.13 14. Zach. 10.2 3. Jer. 23.28 31 32. Mat. 24.24 2 Tim. 3.2 3 4 5. Phil. 1.15 16. Act. 4.20 2 Cor. 4.13 Phil. 3.2 18 19. 3 Joh. 9 10 11. Psa 15.3 Luk. 11.35 NOw to give you the reason of what hath been said of the Pharisee or outside professor Sect. 1 is this God the Father wil not accept of any thing out of Christ his Son or besides Christ instance in Nadab and Abihu which took fire but not from the Altar and so offered strange fire And there went out fire from the Lord and devoured them and they dyed before the Lord Lev. 10.1 2. Secondly Christ is that golden Censer in which the prayers of the Saints are Thirdly Christ as God is that golden Altar upon which the prayers of the Saints are offered Fourthly Christ is the first and the only accepted with God and hath in himself much incense and in him are all the prayers of the Saints acceptable and sweet before God and by him alone are all the prayers of the Saints offered up to God as a sweet smelling savor Rev. 8.3 4. Now it is otherwise with a Pharisee or an outside Christian for they come to God alone by themselves and bring their prayers and performances and good meanings to God without Christ and leave Iesus Christ behind them and so they offer strange fire as Nadab and Abihu did And so likewise they have no golden censer for their prayers nor sweet incense to offer with their prayers nor any to offer their prayers upon the golden Altar but themselves for they know not Iesus Christ whose place it is to offer up prayers to God for he is the only accepted of God and if they seem to know him yet they wil not give him the preeminence in all things instance in those Iews Rom. 9.31 32. But as it were by the works of the Law that is partly by Christ and partly by their own works They would come to God but to come to God without Iesus Christ is as if the stubble should come to the flaming fire to be agreed and to come to God with a half Christ or to be halfes with Christ is plain Popery for it is to deny Iesus Christ the preeminence in all things as you may read in Col. 1.15 16 17 18 19. And thus they foolishly strive to be something of themselves with Christ in all things that they do and Christ not to be all in all things for them but themselves as it were to do something of themselves and so their prayers become as vain babling as Christ speaks Mat. 6.7 for Christ wil be all in all things to a man or else he wil be nothing at all to a man and then as Solomon saith The prayers of such a man and all things that he doth are an abomination to the Lord but the prayers of the upright are his delight Prov. 15.8 because he sees the Son of his delight to be all in them Sect. 2 Now I shal make
Faith in a customary way as the most of you do and almost all the kingdom besides Much may be said of faith in word and in tongue but very little said in faith in deed and in truth 1 John 3.18 Much may be said in formality but very little said in spirituality and is not this discernable to be in men and women of yeers and of several opinions which are like unto children taught of men for to read a form of letters and to turn them into words and so they speak like children in understanding 1 Corinth 14.20 One word concerning young children Sect. 6 Christ shews his good will unto them and takes them up in his arms and blesseth them Mark 10.16 and makes a promise unto them Acts 2.39 and this promise begets faith in them Heb. 12.2 Now the God of all grace and power is not beholding to the strength of natural parts or the number of days and yeers to make a believing soul for a childe in the womb or newly born out of the womb is a fit subject for God Almighty and for Jesus Christ to ingraft faith and all other graces in their tender souls and why then will not you admit them to the ordinance of baptism I know you will say because they cannot make a confession of their faith I aâ—k have you the gift of discerning for to know whether or no your men and women in yeers make a confession in faith or not You will say you cannot look into their hearts I ask how know you then whether they speak truth or no You will say you ought to have charity towards them I pray you in like manner have charity towards young children for they are object of Gods love in Christ As for instance Jacob have I loved in the womb Rom. 9.11 12 13. Mal. 1.2 And so likewise Christ is the object of his childes love though it be in the womb Instance The babe leaped in my womb saith Elizabeth for joy or with joy in Christ Luk. 1.43 44. John 3.29 And so instance in Jerem. 1.5 And so in that remarkable instance of Moses where you may see the tender eye of God ever over them for to preserve them in all straits and dangers in the womb and at their mothers brest and in their grown age read Exod. 2.3 4 6 7 8. Loving and Christian friends I have made bold to speak a word or two unto you but with submission to better judgments one word more and I shall conclude Friends in love I conceive you are very dark in the spirituality of the Gospel the Presbyterians are against you and call you Anabaptists and you are against the Presbyterians but I shall make bold to tell you both what my judgment is of you both I conceive for the greatest part of you both Ministers and people That the Scriptures are to the learned as a book that is sealed and the unlearned say they cannot read this book but are taught the fear of the Lord by the precept of men Isai 29.11 12 13. Yet they have the letter of this book in a form but want the spiritual part of it which is Light and Love and for want of this we are in a wilderness of war and in a red sea of blood Is Jesus Christ and the Scriptures become a pillar of a cloud that is dark unto you Anabaptists and to you Presbyterians especially such angry ones and rigged ones as Master Edwards is in his Gangraena who would set up a form of Religion and all that cannot sit down in that form must be of no esteem among men Nay we will proceed against them as Sectaries and thrust them out of the Kingdom as the Egyptians did the Israelites Exod. 12.33 39. But stay a while The angel of God Jesus Christ will go in a pillar of fire and in the pillar of the cloud for to be a light unto the despised ones but no new light Mark this you that jeer at new light but in a pillar of a cloud that is dark to you that are despisers of your brethren the Scriptures are as a cloud that gives light to Israel but they are a cloud and darkness to the Egyptians so that they could not see for to come to the Israelites for to do them any harm at all because the angel of God which went before Israel removed and went behinde them in the pillar of the cloud and that part of the cloud that was towards Israel gave them light in the night but that part of the cloud which was towards the Egyptians was darkness to them Exod. 14.19 20. A word in next place Sect. 7 concerning verbal confession before Elders or others and so of an outside profession before men Now to lean upon this as most do it will not profit us Outward piety without inward purity of heart is like unto a painted sepulchre full of dead mens bones Wherefore saith the outside Christian have I fasted and prayed and wherefore have I afflicted my soul and thou takest no notice of me Mark the Argument Isai 58.3 Not for my works saith the true believing man nor for my prayers and performances but thy goodness O Lord moved thee to look upon me read Titus 3.4 5 6. For my righteousness saith the outside Professor The Lord will open heaven to me and I most do something with Christ for life that God may bless me on earth Deuter. 9.4 5. But the true believing Christian saith My righteousnesses are as filthy rags and I am as an unclean thing but I am pure and clean in Jesus Christ and I shall be clothed in fine linnen clean and white which linnen is the righteousness of Christ for Saints Isai 64.6 Revel 19.8 I have done saith the carnal Professor many works in thy name O Jesus I have preached and I have been baptized and I receive the Sacrament and I gave alms to the poor and I am a member of a Church and will not all this deserve heaven O Jesus together with thy help No saith Christ I will be all in all things to men or else I will be nothing at all to men therefore you that will do something with me in that I will not own you depart from me for this is a work of iniquity Mat. 7.22.23 25.11 12. But the true believing man or woman says Though they live and move and act yet not they but Christ liveth in them the life which we now live it is from Jesus Christ and by his strength we do all that we do and he shall have all the praise for he works all our works for us and in us Gal. 2.20 Isai 26.12 There hath been and is now much ado about confession of sin but most men mistake in the doing of this thing for to receive a report of sin by tradition from the learned or others in a customary way this is soon slighted over without love to God without any dislike to sin with a fancy
Synod of Clergy-men of Rome they sit and make Laws for men to walk by and they lock up the Scriptures from the lay people and teach them for to observe the traditions of the Elders And thus Antichrist is crept in amongst all the world and so far as Antichrist doth creep in amongst us now in our days so far we shall be corrupted and drawn from the simplicity of the truth as it is in Iesus And thus far Antichrist hath crept in amongst us he hath crept into our Almanacks nay into our Ordinances nay into mens hearts and they dance after his pipe in the observing of days and times in a formal way of Religion As the keeping of Christmas in a confused remembrance of our Saviour and the keeping of Candlemas out of love to the Virgin Mary and the holy time of Lent for observation and Good Friday as you call it for dolor and Easter day when Christ is risen for Recreation and so likewise the most people amongst us observe a day for superficial holiness as for to be more holy upon a Sabbath day then upon other days mistake me not and so upon Fasting days and so likewise upon Sacrament days as when they receive at a Cathedral Church as Pauls and the like and so upon Easter day in other places All this is like unto a childe that says his verbal prayers in a morning and afterward grows wanton all the day after But we are to be holy unto the Lord every day as well as upon set days and he that knows the Lords day is so And thus foolish are we in our external devotion as those silly women that went for to be churched in white Vails and that devoutly in the Prelats time and so likewise we have many amongst us that think if they have not prayers said over their dead when they bury them that they are like unto heathens that know not God Now the great business that makes all to be Christians as we think and all in Parishes strive after is this Some will have their children to be baptized though it be with the signe of the Cross and Godfathers for to witness it because it is the old way and some will have their children for to be baptized to make them Christian souls and this is the reason that they give And so likewise men and women of yeers they must have the Eucharist given them I mean the Sacrament or else they will fall out with their Minister though they be no more able for to give a good reason of the Lords Supper then a young childe is for to give a reason of his faith And some again are able naturally for to give a strong reason of what shall be demanded of them by the Eldership and to have words in abundance even for to silence an Elder and yet these men may be but Orators like unto Tertullus that disputed against Paul Acts 24.1 2 3 4 5. Though these men be naturally able for to speak fine words it may be Yet as natural men they cannot perceive the things of God because they are spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2.14 How much need have we then of discerning Elders for if they be not able for to discern then they may cast out a lamb that is dumb before them and receive in a wolf that will tear them in time or else jeer them It will be a difficult thing for to get right Cedars in most Parishes for to build a Church on The condition of most men and women is such That if they hear the Word preached and receive the Sacrament they think this is enough for to Christianize them though they be but as Heathenized for Christ hath no room with them but in the stable or in the High Priests hall yet customarily they will go to the Church and do as their neighbors do Now to come to the last act of Christianity Our English Protestants Religion explained for the most part They will have their dead buried like unto Christians that is to say As the reading Priest hath used to say Thou hast taken to thy self the soul of our dear brother here departed This they would say Though he lived and died a blasphemer of God and an enemy to Jesus Christ and hath a heathen amongst men and yet he will call him a Christian brother and so commit his body to the earth saying Earth to earth ashes to ashes in sure and certain hope of resurrection And thus with Mass and Mattins and saying Prayers over the dead we make up our outside Christianity And this is the common profession of the most of our Protestants in all Parishes Mistake me not I do not say all in all Parishes neither conceive of me as though I did slight the Ordinances of God or any decent way that is of good report or praise-worthy But I speak of the formality and gross ignorance that is amongst us which is like unto the Papists Be not angry with me I pray you for I speak not to provoke you to anger but to inform you of your gross ignorance in the substance of Religion and being too like the Pharisees in resting and glorying onely in the outside of Religion Now I conceive the blinde and ignorant Priests are a great cause of the gross ignorance that is amongst the people mark for the most part Like priest like people as you may read Isai 56.10 11 12. Jere. 5.30 31. Micah 3.5 11. Ezek. 34.2 3 4. Phil. 3.2 18 19. Now he that will not marry with the Ring and Christen with the Cross and say Prayers over the dead and say over the Ten Commandments and the Creed for a prayer together with the Letany and Epistles and Gospels upon holy days and so conclude with the Lords prayer in a form of words but when they come to that Petition Thy Kingdom come Matth. 6.9 10. Then they become like unto those that Saint James speaks of Jam. 3.9 They seem to pray thy Kingdom come but they indeed with the same tongue revile and reproach those into whose heart the Kingdom of Grace is come Now he that will not do this that hath been spoke of he shall not be the Parson of a Parish by the most peoples consent though he were an Angel from Heaven but he that will do these things he is the onely man with the most people and such a man may tumble amongst his Tithes Geese Hens Ducks and Lambs and sometimes a fat Calf and so when he dies it may be he will order a Cross for to be set upon his Grave-stone as the Bishops of late memory had their Crosses and Crucifixes Their memory was so weak that they could not remember Christ except they saw him upon the Cross And do not we and our preaching Elders and our lay Elders in a great measure for the most part resemble the Papists but more is the pity that we should answer the Papists as face answers face in a glass as
zeal and piety they endeavor to make honest godly men seem odious to the world Instance in Mr Edwards read his first Gangraena pag. 61. 172. and there you may find him reproaching of honest godly men under the name of Sectaries and he draws them up into ten heads And the first is looseness of life and liberty of conscience The second is Covetousness and Self-seeking The third is policy and subversion The fourth is seeming activity in the prosecution of that way And the fifth is Tumultuousness Disorder and Confusion The sixth is Destruction of Government The seventh is Insolent Pride and Arrogance The eighth is Unhumane incivility or to that effect And the ninth is to have power to carry on all before them and throw down all that stands in their way But me thinks this is a beam that sticks fast in Mr Edwards own eye and a thing that he strives hard after himself And the tenth thing is what they do saith he they do it in hypocrisie under pretences of piety and holiness And this is a garment that M. Edwards would have all men to be clothed in that do not look like himself or tread in his steps THE LOVE of GOD AND THE Blood of Jesus Christ Are a soveraign medicine to take away sin past present and to come 1 JOHN 1.7 9 10. Christ is the Rule of a Christian or the Law he walks by Gal. 6.15 16. Psa 1.2 J Cannot but speak a word or two of the glorious Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ which is a Gospel of free grace and the alone means to break a hard heart and the only means to melt a frozen soul and the only cordial to comfort a sick soul and the only staff of love to stay up a drooping spirit O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self but in me is thine help saith the Lord Hosea 13.9 I wil heal thy backsliding I wil love thee freely saith the Lord The Lords free love unto al his people Hosea 14.4 I even I am he that bloteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake saith the God of Love and I wil forgive thy iniquity and I wil remember thy sins no more Isa 43.25 Jer. 31.33 34. Now he that knows the Lord for his own good knows the Lord after this manner and beleeves the report that God in Christ hath made of himself That he is a God that delighteth in mercy and that he hath cast all the sins of his people behind his back and he hath cast all the sins of his beloved people into the depths of the sea of his Sons blood which is able to quench the fears and the flames of hel in any mans soul 2 Cor. 5.19 Mich 7.18 19. Exodus 34.6 7. Isa 38.17 The learned world knoweth not this manner of Gods love 1 John 3.1 Neither do they know that fit man the one Mediator between God and men the man Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 2.5 Who hath carried all their sins into a Land of forgetfulness a Land not inhabited this is a fit man of the Lords sending out Levit. 16.21 22. This is a ransom that the Lord hath found and he wil be gracious through him Job 33.23 24. And this Messenger is sent to bind up the broken hearted and to proclaim liberty to the captives Isa 61.1 Luk. 4.18 and the opening of the prison to them that are bound Now in these days and in this time saith the Lord The iniquity of Israel shal be sought for and there shal be none and the sins of Judah and they shal not be found any more Jer. 50.20 For the Lord hath laid all our sins upon the back of Christ Isa 53.6 7. And Christ hath nailed them to his cross and buried them in his grave and we are compleat in him Col. 2.13 14 15. And sin shal not condemn those that beleeve for Christ is risen again to save and sanctifie and glorifie those that are one in him Rom. 8.33 34. and he hath made them clean every whit Joh. 13.10 But if I speak after this manner Sect. 5 I shall be cloathed with that reproachfull name of Antinomian of which name our Pulpits have rung of late time and by this means some people have got a habit of a proud and a high look and a scornfull eye against their neighbours and with disdain they will turn away from them as from one that had a plague sore upon him if it be their lot for to meet in the streets this I my self and others have experience of For under the name of an Antinomian that will have no Law of God to walk by as they say and live as they list and pray for no pardon of sin under this name which is a false one many honest godly men seem odious to those they live by I shall instance onely in five men which they say have and do preach Freegrace which is an occasion to open a gap to all licentiousness And the first man is Doctor Crisp a man that was famous and eminent for vertue and an able Minister of the Gospel of Grace and one that made the Law of Faith and Love his rule for to walk by 1 Joh. 3.23 24. Now this man was brought upon the stage for an Antinomian and Master Burges at Lawrence Church did dispute learnedly against him but to little purpose as one that would take up the weapons of a dead man to fight with him when he was dead The second man is young Master Simpson a man unblameable in his conversation and a man eminent in the work of the Lord but counted an Antinomian and so looked upon as contemptible The third man is Master Peter Sterry such a man as there are but a few in respect of the great number that are called the Ministers of England yet this man lyes under two reproachful names as Antinomian or Familist or else jeered at by some for a Free-grace Preacher This Peter Sterry is a man approved to be an Evangelical Heavenly Divine Preacher of the Mystery of the everlasting Gospel Now no ministery but such a ministery can be a soul-comforting ministery because it is full of Light and Life Peace and Joy in the holy Ghost But no new light as some cry out but an old light of Jesus Christ John 1.1 2 3 4 5. which was before the foundations of the earth were laid read Prov. 8.22 23. Now the fourth man is one like unto Mr Stirrey and that is Mr Saltmarsh a man eminent to declare the King in his beauty and that is Jesus Christ who is the rose of Sharon and the lilly of the valleys And as an apple tree among the trees of the wood is excellent even so is Christ among his sons and Christ is the pearl in the field and as a shadow of a great rock in a weary land and all this Christ is to them that know him and such can tel how to speak to his praise The fifth man that I shal speak
one God Eph. 4.6 cometh down from heaven into Christ not by measure but in the fulness of God to dwel in the body of the tree of life which tree is Jesus Christ John 1.32 33 34. Joh. 3.34 Col. 2 9. 1.19 Now the sweet Spirit of God is the head and life of this tree and this tree is the head and life of the branches which are surely graffed into this tree Now God is the head of Christ and his life and Christ is the head of the Church and their life Col. 3. â— 4. Now Jesus Christ being man united unto God and God dwelling in this man Christ now Christ being man and so weak saith this of himself I saith he can of mine own self do nothing as I hear I judg and I seek not mine own wil but the honor of the Father which hath sent me John 5.30 And thus Christ reasons with Philip that he might lead Philip through himself unto the Father that he might give God the Father the honor of his love for Christ thus Christ seeks the honor of his Father Now Christ being the spiritual tree of life and Philip a branch of this tree the spirit of life runs through this tree into all the branches and causeth the branches to bring forth the fruit of praise to God And thus Christ and his members do seek to advance the glory of the Spirit of life which is God as you may see by these words Have I been so long with you saith Christ to Philip and yet hast thou not not known me He that hath seen me hath seen the Father And how sayst thou then Shew us the Father Beleevest not thou that I am in the Father and the Father in me The words that I speak unto you I speak not of my self Mark this But the Father that dwelleth in me he speaketh the words and he doth the works Beleeve me Philip saith Christ that I am in the Father and the Father in me Joh. 14.8 9 10 11. And thus Christ the tree of life bears and brings forth honor to his Father and thus the branches of this tree bring forth fruit and give the honor of it wholly unto God instance in Paul The life saith he that now I live it is not I but it is God in Christ that lives in me Gal. 2.20 And thus the sweet Spirit of God cometh down into the head of the body which head is Christ and so down into the branches which are the body of Christ and the Church of Christ which Church is created in Christ Jesus Eph. 2.10 God is a Spirit John 4.24 If I be lifted up from the earth saith Christ I wil draw all men unto me Joh. 12.32 that is Christ who is God in the Spirit shal draw men with the Spirit up into Christ and they shal be all taught of God the Father who is a Spirit and learn of him spiritually to come to Christ John 6.44 45 46. And thus you may see that a Christian in deed and in truth is not in Jesus Christ or for Jesus Christ after a carnal manner or after the rudiments of the world or after the laws of mens making Col. 2.8 18 19 20. But as the Apostle Paul saith We saith he worship God in the spirit and we rejoyce with the spirit in Christ Iesus and have no confidence in the flesh or fleshly ordinances Phil. 3.3 Carnal reason and fleshly wisdom may and do handle those things which we cal the ordinances of God and it may be very learnedly and with a seeming shew of zeal and piety and yet for all this be but carnal and fleshly and like the grave where Mary stood weeping An allusion because she could not find her Lord Christ there now Christ was risen and gone and she sought the living among the dead John 20.11 12 13. Luk. 24.5 And so a poor soul stands by the ordinances that most men handle Observe weeping because it finds them dul and cold and dark And if one ask the poor soul why it weeps it answers as Mary did I weep because I cannot find my Christ here These men cannot tel me of my beloved Lord whom my soul loveth Let me advise thee a little An Advice O thou poor soul thou must go a little beyond these dark and dul watchmen I was saith the Church but a little passed from these watchmen but I found him whom my soul loveth I held him and would not let him go such is the love of the soul unto Jesus Christ that it cannot be satisfied without Christ read Cant. 3.3 4. Such a man is the only man for a sick soul that beleeves what he speaks A true preacher and speaks what he hath seen and learned of Christ read 2 Cor. 4.13 Eph. 4.21 Now the man in Christ Sect. 9 with the spirit of Christ speaks spiritually of God in Christ and the Spirit of Christ is the Saints rest or resting place for unto that the Saints flee as a cloud and as the doves to their windows for shelter and for food Isa 60.8 The Spirit of God is the original good The Spirit of God and the only sweet good unto the spirits of men The Lord Iesus Christ saith the Apostle be with thy spirit 2 Tim. 4.22 Thus the sweet Spirit of God comes down into the tree of life which is Christ and so into the branches that grow in this tree of life Christ is the tree out of which these branches grow and come forth Iames 1.17 18. The Saints life Every true beleeving man and woman is a branch in Christ the tree of life and the sweet Spirit of God is their life that they live by and move by and act by Acts 17.28 And it pleaseth the sweet Spirit of God to give this title to the branches in Christ That they might be called trees of righteousness the planting of the Lord by the rivers of his sweet Spirit that he may bring forth fruit in his season read and compare Isa 61.3 9 10 11. and Psa 1.3 together And thus the sweet Spirit of God works all the Saints works in them and for them Isa 26.12 13 19 20. And thus the holy Spirit of God doth write his Law in their hearts even the Law of Faith and Love which they account of great use Secondly They live not as they list but as the Law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus doth constrain them and so in its love it doth direct them read Isa 30.21 Thirdly We are to do nothing for Christ as the most people in the world do to this day for this were to go down to Egypt the flesh for strength to get Christ but this wil be to no purpose or vain labor Now in this case Our strength is to sit stil saith the Prophet read Isa 30.7 Christ is a gift of God John 4.10 and not for us to get of God or from God We are not to work for
life but we are to work from a principle of life which is in Christ Jesus A right knowledg of this and the exceeding great and precious promises and the in-comes and the in-dwelling of the Divine Nature in our nature and in our hearts Now this is the seed in the tree of life which wil cause us to â—ease from our selves whose breath is in our nostrils and we shal cease from our own doings For wherein are we to be accounted of Now in this day and at this time The loftiness and the haughtiness of men shal be made low and the Lord alone shal be exalted in that day read and compare 2 Pet. 1.3 4. Isa 2.17 20 21 22. together Now when the grace of God in Christ doth abound in your hearts saith the Apostle That wil make you that ye shal neither be barren nor unfruitful in the works of the Lord nor in the knowledg of our Lord Jesus Christ read 2 Pet. 1.5 6 7 8. Now this wil stop the mouths of your adversaries that say that you say Christ hath done all for you and you need to do nothing Now I know you wil answer and say as Christ said to Philip The words that you speak The Saints defence and the works that you do it is not you that do them but it is Christ who is God that dwelleth in you that doth all in you and for you and by the strength of Christ you do what you do and Christ shal have all the praise Ioh. 14.10 Fourthly You are accused of saying That you need not pray for the pardon of sin Of the pardon of Sin Now the Love of God and the Blood of Jesus are the pardon of sin and the pardon for sin and the sweet Spirit of God is the Messenger that brings the Manifestations of this pardon unto the soul nay into the soul and makes it glad In my love I have bloted out thy sins as a thick cloud saith the Lord. Isa 44.22 And with my Sons blood I have writen a pardon Rom. 5.8 9 10 11. Heb. 9.22 28. Now this pardon lies in the Covenant ordered in all things and made everlastingly sure though I do not as yet beleeve it or at sometimes I do not so clearly see it or feel it in my soul Read and consider 2 Sam. 23.4 5. Hebr. 10.16 17 18 19. Now in time of Trouble The time of Temptation or in time of Ignorance when men do not beleeve or in time of Desertion when God doth withdraw himself or hide his face or in the time of men being weak in faith then they are apt to think that there is no pardon or that there must be one got made for them but there is one ready for them before they pray for it or cal for it Isa 42.6 7. Now the love of God and the blood of this man saith the Apostle meaning Christ who offered one sacrifice for sins from the foundation of the world 1 John 4.9 Heb. 10.12 14. Rev. 13.8 Now this is the pardon that is ever ready for poor siners to come unto and it is able to save them to the uttermost Hebrews 7.24 25 26. Now we are not so much to ask for the pardon for that is sure and stedfast in the heaven of God but we are to ask much more for the manifestations of this pardon in our own souls and that by the Spirit of God and this wil make the lame man leap as an Hart Isa 35.5 How the soul is refreshed 6 7. and make the sick man wel and heal all our doubts and expel our fears and make us holy and heavenly before God as for instance saith Ieremiah The Comforter that should relieve my soul is far from me Lam. 1.16 And so in David Lord saith he I know my pardon is sure but there is a cloud before me and it Lord saith he take this cloud away Davids prayer Ps 51. opened and cause me to hear the joy and gladness that I had wont to have in and with the Spirit of Christ O Lord restore this joy and let me have thy free Spirit to comfort me and uphold me O Lord let thy holy Spirit be constantly in my brest or in my heart that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce The absence of thy Spirit O God is as the breaking of bones and the presence of thy Spirit O God is as marrow and fatness and as wine upon the lees And thus it was in David Psa 51.8 9 10 11 12. And thus it was between the Church and the Spirit of Christ in her union and communion with the Spirit of Christ I am thine and thou art mine saith the soul to Christ I am my beloveds and my beloved is mine And this we know saith the Apostle by the Spirit of God which he hath freely given unto us Cant. 6.3 1 Cor. 2.12 13. Now the question is not whether there be a pardon or not a pardon but whether I saith a poor soul have any interest in this pardon or no The perplexities of a poor soul wanting assurance I know not And if I had saith a poor soul or if I could but get saith another poor soul the assurance of the pardon of my sins then I should tread the world under my feet I know saith another poor soul that there is a pardon but whether it be for me or no it is not as yet revealed unto me but if it were revealed in my soul then it would be as a crown of life to me as David said Lord saith he thou hast crowned me with loving kindness and with tender mercies Psa 103.4 10 11 12. Now the word Pardon which is so much spoke of amongst us and prayed for by us it is apparently known to be and to be generally held forth unto all men for Christ hath spread as large a plaister as Adam made the sore Rom. 5.18 1 Tim. 2.4 5 6. And life and death good and evil blessing and cursing are set before men therefore chuse life O men for why wil ye dye O ye sons of men Deut. 30.13 14 15 19. Ezek. 18.31 Now you wil say I am for general Redemption and for free wil. I answer An Objectionmade and answered I am for that which God is for It is not in faln man to direct his steps to God Jer. 10.23 All men in Adam went out of the way from God and are to be found in a way of sin Rom. 3.11 12 18. Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the Leopard his spots No it is their nature we have a proverb That custom is a second nature Man at the first falling into sin sin is become a custom and so is become a second nature and so men drink in sin as a fish drinks in water John 8.44 The Ethiopian cannot change his skin no more can a man change himself that is accustomed to sin Ier. 13.23 A man in his sins is dead
94.7 8 9 10 11. Gen. 1.31 1 Iohn 3.8 Rom. 8.28 Psal 103.14 15. Hosea 13.9 Psal 30.5 Isai 27.4 Hosea 14.4 Gen. 3.8 Tit. 3.4 5 6. Psal 110.3 Revel 22.2 4 5 16. 1 Iohn 3.9 Matth. 12.28 29. 2 Cor. 7.1 Luke 18.9 Rom. 7.18 Colos 2.14 Gal. 6.14 Col. 1.27 29. Gal. 6.14 Rom. 7.15 Rom. 7.25 Iere. 23.21 30 to the end 1 King 22.11 12. 2 Pet. 2.1 Matth. 24.24 25. Phil. 3.20 Ephes 2.20 21. Iohn 14.2 Isai 33.17 Phil. 3.20 Gen. 5.24 Heb. 11.5 Psal 9.10 1 Iohn 4.1 2 3. Isai 1.11 12. Isai 58.2 3. Iere. 7.4 8 14. Iere. 5.30 31. Phil. 3.4 5 6 7 8. 1 Corinth 1.18 19 to the end 1 Corinth 13.4 5 6 7 8. 1 Iohn 3.11 12 13. Iames 4.1 Mark 7.21 22. Revel 12.1 Gen. 2.2 3. Heb. 4.9 10. Matth. 17.5 Iohn 17.23 24. Hebr. 2.11 12 13. I Shall speak a word of the freeness of the pardon which is in general Sect. 1 held forth unto all men Isai 55.1 2 7. This is the ground I confess of every ones coming that comes aright If the pardon be free to every one then I am within the number Now this pardon of sin which we pray for it is not to be made now for it was in God with Christ before the foundation of the world Rev. 13.8 Eph. 1.4 5. Rom. 5.8 Psa 68.18 Rom. 8.3 Heb. 9.22 28. And so much in general of the pardon of sin Now I shall speak a word of this pardon in particular And here lyes a scruple and here lyes everlasting comfort I know Object says some this pardon is held forth to all But yet for all this I cannot beleeve that it is for me I answer Sol. If you know it by the hearing of the ear naturally and earnally and by the seeing of the eye sensually and according to your natural sense and no more then you cannot know it nor beleeve it by these for your good because it is spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2.14 Secondly I answer A man may have a true knowledg of the pardon of his sin and yet have the comfortableness of it withdrawn for a time Now here comes in a right panting and breathing and praying not for the pardon of sin for that is sure in God but here is a praying for a comfortable evidence and the sweet manifestations of the Spirit of God to my soul or in my soul O Lord saith David pardon my sin Psalm 25.11 Now David at this time did know that his sins were pardoned You will ask how I know that Quest He himself said Answ That God had made with him an everlasting pardon or covenant ordered in all things and sure and this is all my salvation and all my desire although he make it not to grow saith he 2 Sam. 23.5 And I know the Lord changeth not for he hath said it Mal. 3.6 Now David was a strong man in the Lord and yet he was up one while and down another while Up when the Spirit of God did act the grace of Faith in him then he did flourish like a green bay-tree and then his mountain was strong but when the sweet Spirit of God did withdraw it self then David was troubled Psal 30.7 Now a poor soul in its winter season when its fruits are in its roots Sect. 2 is kept by the power of God as in the secret chamber of God and lives upon a word of promise when it doth not see the spirits fruits at that time it beleeves that God is faithful though he doth not shine upon it and cause it to grow 1 Pet. 1.5 7. Isai 43.1 2 5. Now a poor soul not having the heat and sunshine of the Spirit is discontented though it may have its eye fixed upon its pardon which is sure and stedfast O saith Mary Magdalen they have taken away my Lord And so saith the poor soul Iohn 20.13 O Lord saith David let the light of thy Spirit shiâ—e into my soul and that will make me more glad then corn and wine increased Psal 4.6 7 8. One smile from thy fatherly countenance O Lord one beam or glance of the refreshings of thy sweet Spirit O let me hear of spiritual joy and gladness and then I shall follow thee all the day long My soul panteth for thee the living God I cannot live but in thy light restore my wonted joys My heart and my flesh fail me But God is my rock and my well-spring of joy and he never faileth and this is all my joy Psal 51.8 12. 73.25 26. 36.8 9. The poor soul once being possessed of this spiritual dew it begins to speak of the excellency of Christ while the Spirit of grace sitteth as king in my soul and hath spred his table full of divine Graces upon which my soul doth feed and while the King sitteth upon his throne in my soul saith the Church my graces send forth a pleasant smell While the king lodgeth within my brest saith the poor soul he his sweet as a bundle of myrrhe to my soul And the king saith I am fair and there is no spot in me because of the comeliness which he hath put upon me and he saith that I am fair and have doves eyes read Cant. 1.3 12 13. Eze. 16.14 Cant. 4.1 Now a poor soul being brought by the king into the banqueting house on the day of the Lord nay in the day of the Lord and upon the Lords day I mean Christ who is the Lords day Psalm 118.22 23 24. Now Christ is the king of this day and the day it self in which every true believing soul doth abide for ever any Christ himself is the house into which the poor soul is brought and Christ himself holds his banner of love over a poor soul and makes it glad in himself Cant. 2.4 Now Christ and the soul have sweet communion together Sect. 3 and Jesus Christ tells the soul of his Fathers great love unto it before the foundation of the world and that he hath chosen it in him and blessed it with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in himself And Christ tells the soul that it shall stand in him for ever before God and be holy and without blame before him in love Ephes 1.3 4. And Christ tells the soul that he came out of the bosom of the Father to be its ransom and to pay its debts to the law and to sin and to hell and the devil and the grave John 1.16 17 18. Isai 53. read the whole Chapter Hosea 13.14 1 Cor. 15.54 55 56 57 58. Heb. 2.14 15. And so likewise Christ tells the soul he will inable it to beleeve all this Heb. 12.2 And so Christ tells the soul he will make it fruitful in good works before God and men that they may glorifie God on their behalf Eph. 2.10 Matth. 5.15 16. And Christ tells the soul he hath done all for it that it stands in need of and that he is all unto it that it wants
and the soul follows him in delight and then the bowels of the soul were moved after its Christ and rose up to open to it s beloved and its hands dropped with myrrhe and my fingers dropped with sweet smelling myrrhe ' which Christ had left for me upon the handles of the lock which he handled Cant. 5.4 5. Now Christ is the Law of God and the Rule of a Christian and he alone opens the heart and plants himself therein and then the soul doth begin to wait upon Christ and attend to hear what Christ speaks as it is plain in the case of Lydia Now she being baptized with the baptism of the holy Ghost she begins to love the servants of Christ and to constrain them in love to abide in her house Psal 40.7 8 9. Acts 16.14 15. Now this is a good president for all you that are rigged Presbyterians and endeavor under the name of Independents or Sectaries to out the servants of Christ out of their own houses nay out of the City if it were possible and it is much ado for a man and his wife to live together if they be not both of one opinion but as for parents and children there must be a separation between them for their opinion and as for the poor hired sersant some men in a Parish it may be out of zeal doth come into his or her Master and Mistriss and solicite them for to turn away their servant because of their opinion it may be for not coming unto their Parish Church or the like My Brethren these things out not so to be for it is believed that these are the servants of Christ which you labor for to put so far from you This is not to be like unto Lydia to constrain them to abide in your houses but like Gaderens to thrust them out of your coasts and so to adde trouble and grief unto a poor soul But now let me speak a word Sect. 11 by way of a second Use unto thee Vse 2 O man or woman that art thus troubled The servant must be as the Lord is it was even so with Christ but comfort thy self with this O thou poor soul The Lord knows how to deliver thee and before thou call the Lord will answer thee even the secret pantings and the inward struglings and the lifting up of thy heart unto God and as Christ said so mayest thou say Father I thank thee that thou hearest my inward groanings and complaints I know that thou hearest me always and seest me and art ever present with me Iohn 11.41 42. Now some will object and say Object That they are under great temptations A sad complaint of a troubled soul and extream heavy burdens and mighty difficulties and in many wants sorrows griefs and pains do possess them day and night And the light of Gods countenance is hid from them and they want the assurance of his love and favor and new troubles do arise every day and overtake them and they are dejected in themselves and either forsaken or forgotten of God and rejected of the world and as for their part they cannot say as Christ said Father I thank thee that thou hearest me I know that thou hearest me always Christ indeed said so And as for my part in my troubles I call upon God and I know that he hears me and sees me and stands by me and looks upon me in all my miseries but yet he doth not deliver me out of my troubles but lets them lye heavy upon me still And I see likewise That all things come alike to all there is one event to the righteous and to the wicked to the good and the clean and to the unclean to him that sacrificeth and to him that sacrificeth not as is the good so is the sinner and he that sweareth as he that feareth an oath Yet for all this I do not say It is in vain to serve God or what profit is it that I have to keep his ordinances Though I see they that tempt God are even delivered Mal. 3.14 15. But as for my part I am not let alone so long as to have time for to swallow down my spittle but one trouble is in the neck of another upon me Job 7.19 And God stands by me The reasoning of a troubled soul with God and looks upon me in all my miseries and I know that he is a pitiful heavenly Father Now this is that which I wonder at and am astonished to see a natural earthly Father as soon as he sees his poor childe in misery he indeavors to help him out of it presently Now I know that God is a tender-hearted Father and is able for to help his poor children out of all their troubles in a moment but he suffers them to lye among the grimy pots and the thorns a long time it may be all their life time Psal 68.13 So that I may say as Job said Why hast thou set me as a mark to be shot against so that I am a burden to my self Job 7.20 Alass poor soul I shall answer thee Thou speakest out of the anguish of thy own spirit and out of the bitterness of thy own soul as Job did Job 7.11 Sect. 12 Now I shall answer these objections Answ which thou hast made four several ways and the first is by a comfortable perswasion Alass poor soul thou hast made a pitiful complaint not knowing the minde and love of thy heavenly Father in his dealings towards thee thou judgest according to thy sense and so indeed thy outward miseries seem grievous And this was the Churches fault in the Prophet Isaiahs time And Zion said The Lord hath forsaken me and my Lord hath forgotten me Isai 49.14 Hearken now Christs is neer in troubles to help his that they faint not O poor soul and behold thy God in Christ bids thee break forth into singing for he hath graven thee upon the palms of his hands and thou art continually in his eye and his mercy is round about thee when thou art afflicted he stands but behinde the curtain though thou think he is far off yet he is there to be thy protector Isai 49.13 15 16. And he will step into thee and acquaint thee with his minde and dealings towards thee and when this is thou shalt be a delightsome land or as a fragrant Garden full of sweet smells unto thy God Mal. 3.12 Now it is Gods minde and will that thou shalt suffer for Christ sakes as well as to beleeve on him that thou mayest be like unto him Phil. 1.29 For he doth teach his Disciples to pray Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven Matth. 6.10 And it was his own practice O father saith he if thou be willing remove this cup from me nevertheless not my will but thine be done Luke 22.42 But for this cause came I unto this hour Father glorifie thy Name John 12.27 28. Now let me tell thee
be as a book sealed or as a box that hath far more precious ointment in it then that of Mary Magdalen as you may read Mark 14.3 But such men want a key to open this box A literal reading of preaching Minister doth but speak empty words in the ears of people or they want heavenly art to break this box that the sweet smels of Jesus Christ may come forth into the world amongst men Such men can speak of the letter of the Word which is as a Cabinet but they can speak little or nothing of Christ in the Spirit which is the Pearl in this Cabinet and this is one reason why your hearers are so ignorant and there is so little love to God in the world and love unto our neighbors Now I shal give your hearers one Caution Sect. 4 which is this It is not enough to cal Lord Lord but to have the grace of Christ to inable them to do his wil read Luk. 6.45 46. It is not the hearing of the Common Prayer Book read nor the verbal reading of it your self A form of Prayer only taught by men doth but beat the ayr that wil profit you It may be you may hear it read and be zealous in that and pray and yet remain ignorant in what you hear and in what you pray and your understandings ful of darkness But the Apostle saith He wil pray with the light of the Spirit and that light wil enlighten his understanding that he may edifie others 1 Cor. 14.14 15. And so likewise you may learn to say over the prayers in that book The definition of prayer viz. nay it maybe say over many prayers without the book but this is not prayer herein you are mistaken for prayer consists not in length of words nor in strength of words A true and a comfortable prayer comes from the spirit of grace returns to the spirit again but in the breathings of the Spirit of God into the soul and the souls breathings back again unto God And this is that which the Apostle saith The Spirit it self maketh intercession for us or in us with groanings which cannot be uttered And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit Rom. 8.26 27. because he maketh intercession for the Saints according to the wil of God Now this grace of Christ in prayer comforts every soul that hath it and makes them able in the publick for the Kingdom and it makes them able for their families in private This grace of Christ makes those that are the Ministers of his Gospel sufficient and able in the newness of the Spirit to bring forth fruit unto God Rom. 7.4 6. Now I know that you that are readers and hearers of the Common Prayer Book and of those imitating preaching Ministers which can preach but little or nothing at all of the mystery of Christ and of the unsearchable riches of the sweet grace of Jesus Christ but they can speak pleasingly of the history of Christ and of the letter only I know now that you wil plead liberty of conscience to hear and to have this manner of reading and preaching And for my part you should have the liberty of your conscience A people delighting in a litter alministry are sotishly ignorant for the most part of them and ful of segality but I am sorry that your understandings are so dark that you are not able to discern the natural artificialness that is in some mens reading and preaching and I am grieved to see that you are not able to discern between the naturalness and the spiritualness of Ministers Some by the principles of nature can preach elegantly and use plausible words and this pleases you wel and this you cry up and magnifie But the spiritualness which some Ministers have from the Spirit of God this you cry down and say it is new light or new wine and with mockings say these men are ful of new light or with a jeer as Festus did to Paul saying Too much of this learning makes men mad And thus natural parts are advanced and true Ministers of the Gospel discountenanced as you may read Acts 2.13 15 16 17. Acts 26.24 25. 1 King 22.26 27. Mat. 27.63 Sect. 5 Now I shal speak a word in the behalf of those Ministers which are made able by the grace of the Gospel of God as Paul was such Ministers have the mystery of God manifest in the flesh revealed unto them by the spirit of God They are ful likewise of knowledg of the mystery of Christ in God and God in Christ and Christ who is God and the new man dwelling in the Saints now this is a glorious mystery read John 17.21 23 24. Eph. 4.23 24. 2 Cor. 6.16 Now such Ministers are made able by the gift of grace and the effectual working of the power of God that they may preach the unsearchable riches of Jesus Christ unto a poor soul A ministry built on Christ doth administer grace to the hearts of the people now such Ministers have the secrets of the Lord revealed unto them Psa 25.14 And they do declare unto all the world the mystery which hath been hid in God from the begining of the world but now in these last times it shal be made known by the Church of Christ the manifold wisdom and love of God in his eternal purpose in Christ Jesus our Lord in whom we have boldness and access with confidence that we shal be filled with all the fulness of God And thus the true Ministers of Christ are furnished from God to speak the things of God Evangelically and to speak spiritually what they hear and see of Jesus Christ and this you may read at large Eph. 3.3 the whole Chapter And so likewise every poor member of Christ is compleat in Christ For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the God-head bodily and of his fulness have all we received and grace for grace Col. 2.9 10. Joh. 1.16 17. Now if the Lord would be pleased to let this grace come down from above as an overflowing stream of love into our Land it would heal our breaches it would move the Kings heart to be easie to be intreated by the Parliament for the good and peace of his subjects that they might enjoy their own with quietness and the freedom of free subjects though he as a King lost something which is his own to purchase peace for his people and then he would be as a nursing Father unto his people which I desire to see all this a tender-hearted father doth for the good of his child he wil part with much of his own because he loves his child And this grace must move the Parliament if they be like unto a tender-hearted father Now those that are like unto a tender father If they see any one lie under a burden though it be but light they go speedily they make no delays in taking off
the false doctrines of the men of the world And now I wil cal thee a ful soul in the close of all that I shal say unto thee God hath fitted thee with a fulness of himself so that thou art a compleat body The fulness of him that filleth all in all Now this is a wonder and a great mystery to the world That the Church should be the fulness of God in Christ That a poor soul should be the fulness of Christ which filleth all in all All the rivers run into the sea yet the sea it self is not ful Eccles 1.7 All the rivers of grace and glory come from God who is the fountain and the great sea into which these rivers run again and yet God who is the fountain is not capable of being filled the fuller The Church which is the Body of Christ which is filled with all the fulness of God and is the fulness of him which filleth all in all Eph. 3.17 18 19. 1.22 23. Now this is a great mystery but I have spoken concerning Christ and his Church read Eph. 5.32 I have in much weakness received a little strength and I have in much dimness received a little sight to see faln man the old man the corrupt man brought to the Cross of Christ and there to dye and then from the Cross into the grave and there to lie and put off the old man the corrupt grave clothes of the soul and then to rise the third day which is the Lords day which day is Christ But first we must suffer and be crucified with Christ and then we shal rise with Christ and be glorified together with Christ read Rom. 8.17 And then we shal know the power of the resurrection of Iesus Christ read Phil. 3.10 11. And this is a Christians glory to be made a new creature in Iesus Christ Gal. 6.14 15. Now to conclude Sect. 10 I have taken notice of many things which by some are called Error and Heresie Antinomianism Familism and then Sectaries But under these reproachful names there may and do lie hid many glorious truths And I have observed that there are many which wil charge a man with Error and Heresie when he speaks the Truth and so make a man an offender for a word and say he is in an Error Isa 29.20 21. As it was said of that eminent and truly religious man Dr Crisp by name and many others besides him But after the way which some cal Heresie so saith the Apostle worship a the God of my fathers beleeving all things which are written in the Law and the Prophets Acts 24.13 14. We have an old Proverb amongst us That the blind eat flies Now if the blind feed the blind they are both likely to eat hay stubble and chaff in steaâ— of manna By manna I mean Christ and by hay stubble and chaff I mean a natural gravity in years and an artificial form of holiness before the eyes of men and a feeding upon mans own actings workings good meanings and good endevors This is an Error and much in use And this is an earthly Christ which most men lean upon It is not the being old in years that makes a Minister of Christ though never so learned but to be grave in grace and in the knowledg of Christ Now those that know not Christ wil take up any to be their guide or Minister and say they understand them Now I wonder that the ministry of Christ is so little understood amongst most men but the Spirit of God wil shew the reason Read these Scriptures Matthew 23.24 and Chap. 15.14 The first Epistle to the Corinthians Chap. 3. Vers 12. Revel 3.17 Matthew 19.20 21. Jeremiah 5.31 The first Epistle to the Corinthians Chap. 2. Verses 6 7. NOw the occasion of all Errors amongst us is because most men know not the true Christ and if men know not the true Christ then they wil make unto themselves many falâ—e Christs such as their good medning is and their prayers and fastings and their alms-deeds and their own good endevors to please God as the Pharisee did Luke 18.11 12. And if men know not the true Christ then they cannot know the true Ministry of Christ for the Ministry of Christ is an able spiritual Ministry of the New Testament 2 Cor. 3.6 Now for the proof of this Ministry The ministry of Christ proved Christ his ministry always together Christ and this Ministry are always together and that in your hearts always teaching you saith the Apostle except you have not as yet heard of Christ nor as yet known Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 13.3 4 5. Now if men know not the Ministry of Jesus Christ then they are subject to take the wisdom of men for their Ministry and to take humane learning for their Ministry 1 Cor. 2.4 5. And thus Antichrist is crept into the world But it is not every learned man that comes up into a Pulpit and saith Lord Lord that makes a Minister of Christ yet such a man may prophecy and preach of Christ and do many things in his name and yet for all this not know Christ False Christs are within a man as wel as without a man 1 Tim. 6 9 10. Luk. 12 20 21. Mat. 24.24 nor have any acquaintance with him neither doth Christ approve of him and if Christ approve not of him God will root him up as you may read Matth. 7.21 22 23. 15.13 14. For such a man is but a blind leader of the people though the people think that he sees Luke 6.39 40. CHAP. XIV The Spiritual Opening and Application of these Scriptures VIZ. Psal 27.4 5. Luke 10.42 John 4.10 14 32. Rev. 4.6 7 8. Acts 22.24 25. Heb. 5.11 12 13 14. Jerem. 5.30 31. 4.22 Isai 6.1 2 3. Rev. 1.10 13 19. 4.6 7 8. John 20.11 12 13 14 15 16. Iohn 7.37 38 39. Acts 7.55 56. Heb. 12.22 23 24. Psal 45.9 2 Tim. 3.12 Mat. 10.36 1 Pet. 4.16 17 18 19. Psa 73.25 26 28. 1 Iohn 1.3 4. Iohn 16.32 33. Gal. 6.1 2. 2 Sam. 23.3 Isai 49.23 Psal 78.70 71 72. 1 Tim. 2.1 2. 2 Sam. 23.3 Ruth 2.7 8 9. Ruth 2.18 1 Iohn 2.20 21. Iohn 3.8 Psal 45.1 Cant. 2.3 4.16 Matth. 10.19 20. Joh. 17.23 Joh. 14.10 Mat. 10.20 Act. 3.6 Psal 66.16 Ruth 2.15 16. Psalm 103.1 Rev. 5.13 14. Christ is the best thing in the worst times No man can give him and no man can take him away Christ is the only good thing he wil make a man wise and rich and ful of all good things in time of need which no man can take away Christ is the free gift of God and not for men to get as some men teach NOw the best thing in troublesom times is to have one good thing nay the only good thing which heaven and earth can afford for which one needs not to be beholding to either King Parliament Army Synod or
City for they can neither give this good thing nor hinder the one thing needful nor take away this free gift of God which wil make a man free in troublesom times An Use of sweet comfort Now Christ is the good thing and the one thing needful and the free gift of God and the substance of Religion within a man and by his Spirit he wil be a Wel of living water springing up into everlasting life within the soul and spirit of a man And this wil be meat and drink spiritual which the world knows not of This wil refresh a man in the time of greatest troubles and the world cannot take this sweet food away Psal 27.4 5. Luke 10.42 John 4.10 14 32. And though men of all sorts be striving now for externals in matters of Religion meer circumstances shadows that wil flie away Yet amongst these men there are two sorts of men which may be divided into four sorts of men and these four sorts of men may be all the servants of Christ as those four beasts were which you may read of Rev. 4.6 7 8. And these four sorts of men may be divided into two parts comparatively as Presbyterians and Independents Now if you wil divide the Presbyterians into two parts you shal find them acting like unto those two first beasts which I before spake of And the first beast is like a Lion and the second beast like a Calf and the third beast had a face as a man and the fourth beast was like a flying Eagle Now the first part of the Presbyterians did not they begin to move Lion-like with majesty speed and roughness and did not some of them say as the chief Captain said of Paul Let him be brought into the Castle and be examined by scourging only they wanted power read Acts 22.24 25. The second part of the Presbyterians moves like a Calf that is more slowly more moderately and with less harm Now divide the Independents into two parts and the first of them moves and hath a face like a man that is more rational more temperate more condescending in the worship of God to do as he would be done by Now the second part of the Independents moves like an Eagle that is flying high even unto the third Heaven where Christ is where they see things unutterable and ful of glory and for this they depend only upon God and herein they are not Independents as some cal them But now the Lion-like and the Calf-like and he that had the face like a man begin to raise troubles and jealousies against him that is Eagle-like because say they he flies too high we cannot discern him nor agree with him But shal I now Sect. 2 as a friend give you a reason why you cannot discern him that is like an Eagle it is because you are dul of hearing and are unskilful in the word of righteousnes for ye are as babes for strong meat belongeth to them that are of ful age even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil as you may read heb 5.11 12 13 14. And thus our dul-headed Prelatical Clergy for the most part were wont to cal those that were Eagle-like Puritans and now at this time they cal them Roundheads and others there are that cal them Familists and Sectaries Now here are three that are striving in the world and make a great deal of stir about circumstances and things which wil change And the first is the Presbytery and they are striving for preeminence and for a form to sit easie on Now the second is the Independents which would fain have their own way but they shal suffer for it if some had but power Now while these two are striving the third party which is the Episcopal or the Prelatical party or Priests comes in with their long black gowns coats A ministry not coming out from Christ is not Christian but Antichristian that loves not the flock for they cannot feed the flock Mar. 13.21 22 23 1 Joh. 4.1 2 3. John 21.15 16 17. skarfs and girdles with roses at them as though they were singular above all other men and they bring in their easie common Service Book and an old Homily or a Sermon preached over and over and it may be never the better a piece of art which they for the most part study and this art doth consist of Rhetorick that is to be elegant and to speak plausible words though it may be they are but little acquainted with the lively part of divine Theology but only the Theorick they are fine Theoricians that is they can speak much of that which they can practise little or nothing of and with this the most people in this Kingdom are wel pleased Take an Instance Jere. 5.30 31. 4.22 And thus these three are striving for external things meer outsides circumstances fig leaves And thus these three feed upon low mean food but some of them I hope do feed upon true food though like babes weakly But for the most part of these three which I have spoken of they feed upon low earthly food as outside forms with little or no love in them or as it were A ministry that hath Christ in possession witnesseth a good profession of Christ in Faith Verity 1 Tim. 6.11 12 13. with gilded fig leaves and the like But now the Eagle-like or the man that is like the flying Eagle he is about the throne of God and feeds upon Angels food Isai 6.1 2 3. Now such a man doth the work of Angels because he is in the Spirit as John was on the Lords day which day is Jesus Christ Rev. 1.10 13 19. 4.6 7 8. Now such a man feeds upon delicate spiritual food in the heaven of God Sect. 3 which heaven is Christ Now such a beleeving man or woman takes no delight in the box except the pearl be therein It is not the beautiful box that such a soul takes delight in but it is the pearl Christ or Christ the pearl that the soul is fixed upon as you may instance in Mary It was not the two glorious Angels sitting in white that gave Mary content but she remains weeping and enquiring for her Lord Christ and when Christ began to speak to her he so spake to her heart that her soul ecchoed again to him and she said Master O Master thou art he whom my soul loveth John 20.11 12 13 14 15 16. Now the only good thing in troublesom times and in the hour of distress and in sad temptations is to have rivers of living Water living comforting water of life which Christ gives Now this water is the Spirit the Spirit of comforts or the gracious comforting Spirit read John 7.37 38 39. Now this sweet water of life is comfortable in sickly times but especially upon the sick bed when a man comes to lie upon his dying pillow then to have this sweet Spirit
labor toiling nor by industry they are not got by studying in a great Library but they are the incomes of God into the souls of men that in a moment 1 Tim. 3.16 Mat. 10.19.20 Joh. 7.38 39. 16.13 14 15. And this shal be to the praise of my good God as David doth express Psa 45.1 And I sat under the healing of Christs wings with great delight Cant. 2.3 And the North wind did blow that is the Spirit did blow in or upon my garden or heart and then the spices and the graces and the flowers did grow out and then my soul with Christ did feed upon his pleasant fruits which were very sweet to my taste Cant. 4.16 And now beloved Christian I have gathered a posie of sweet flowers out of the living Word of God for you to smel upon And yet I neither labored nor toyled for them nor wrought for them neither did I get them by my study but they were given me freely and that in a moment for they were brought into my hand or heart and droped down one by one and I was inabled and taught the same hour to gather them up with great delight Mat. 10.19 20. Now I shal conclude and give all honor glory and praise unto God my Father as my sweet Savior Christ did and that by way of union for every true Beleever is in the Father read John 17.23 and the Father is in every true Beleever and the words which they speak they speak not of themselves but the Father that dweleth in them he speaketh the words read John 14.10 Mat. 10.20 Come beloved Christian and I wil declare Beloved Christians silver and gold have I none but such as my God hath given me such I give unto you for the honor of Christ my Lord and your Lord Acts 3.6 to the glory and praise of the Lord my good God what he hath done for me and by me Psa 66.16 how bountifully he hath dealt with me even as Boaz did with Ruth Let her glean saith he even among the sheaves and reproach her not and let fal also some of the handfuls of purpose for her and leave them that she may glean them and rebuke her not Ruth 2.15 16. Even so bountifully hath the sweet Spirit of God dealt with me he hath brought me in amongst the sheaves to glean nay he hath let handfuls fal of purpose for me to take up this is the good wil of my God He doth open the mouth of the soul wide and then he doth feed it with spiritual food God like a mother doth open the mouth of the soul and then he doth feed it with his divine sweetnesses then the soul saith Bless the Lord. He doth all for the soul and he doth all in the soul and he is all unto the soul Therefore bless the Lord O my soul as David said and all that is within me bless his holy Name Psa 103.1 Rev. 5.13 14. And to this every Christ-baptized soul wil answer and say Amen So be it IF Christ thou truly know thou art not poor He that hath Christ hath all though in the worlds eye he seem to have nothing He wil suffice thee though thou hast no more If Christ be hid from thee thou art not wise All other knowledg is not truth but lyes THE CONTENTS Of this BOOK Directing to the Chapters Sections and Pages where they are spoken to CHAP. I. THe Scriptures insisted on set down Page 1 2. The difference betwixt freedom without and freedom within P. 2 3. Sect. 1. The leaven of the Pharisees ancient and modern opened and advised against Pag. 3 4. § 2. The danger of zeal without knowledg P. 4. § 3. Many deal with Christ as Ziba with his Master divide or make bargains with him P. 5. S. ib. A sweet thing to stand on Christ alone P. ib. § 4. Self-righteousness and Christs weighed together in the ballance Page 6 7. § 5. Confidence in the flesh a cloud that darkens the sun of righteousnes in men P. 7 8. S. 6. There 's a poor rich man and a rich poor man P. 9. S. ib. The speech of Christ upon his coming down from heaven P. ib. S. ib. Why the testimony of Christ is not received P. 10. S. 7. The Pharisee thrusts out Christ of his prayer and wil be heard for his own sake P. 11 12. S. ib. To be something in our selves a principle of corrupt nature but to be nothing a principle of divine grace P. 13. S. ib. A Pharisee hangs upon every thing he doth P. 14. CHAP. II. THe Scriptures insisted on set down Page 15. Sect. 1. Who represent the chief Priests and Pharisees in these times 15 16 S. ib. Christ the Law and the life of the Law P. 17. The followers of Christ suffer from the stricter sort P. 17. Where men bite and devour one another as in these times Christ is not P. 18. S. 2. All 's but a shadow where Christ is not P. 18. The different arguing with God betwixt a beleever and an unbeleever P. 19. Christ the way of God to man and of man to God P. 21. As the spider the Pharisee leans upon his own building P. 23. S. 3. Men have pulld down outward but have set up inward Idolatry in these times P. 24. CHAP. III. THe Scriptures insisted on set down P. 24 25 Sect. 1. God wil not accept of any thing besides Christ P. 26. Christ the golden censer in the which the prayers of the Saints are P. ib. What 't is to come to God with strange fire as Nadab and Abihu did P. 27 § 2. How the Pharisees cloath themselves and how God cloaths his people P. 29. The outside Christian discovered by the figtree that had leaves only P. ib. Men strive about ordinances but have Christ in contempt they are like the soldiers that put him to death but strove about his rayment P. 30. Ordinances without Christ are as clothes about dead men P. 31. An expression in the morning exercise London modestly reprehended P. 31. § 3. The Pharisee like the hen having done his duty tels all about him P. 32. § 4. The Pharisee Papist and outside Christian all alike P. 33 34 Who are enabled of the Father to worship him P. 34. How men become idolaters even with the Scriptures themselves P. 34 35. A mercy to have the Word but a greater to have the Spirit of the Word among us P. 35. § 5. That the Spirit of Christ is scarce to be found amongst us P. 36 Not to be of one faction or another is offence enough in these days Page 37. A large debate with and about Mr Edwards touching his writings P. 37 38 39 40. That the Jews said as much against Christ as M. Edwards doth against his members P. 40 41 42. § 6. The course the world take to have a fling at the truth P. 42. It s to be feared Mr Edwards had but the letter not