Iaphet brought forth but also that cursed condition of Cham and Canaan so that Noah in this drunkennesse ceaseth from all carnall argumentation in the things of God even as a man drunk with Wine is bereaved of the use of naturall reason and common sense Noah therefore according to Gods intent and meaning is drunk in that sense of the Apostle where he saith be not drunk with Wine wherein is excesse but be filled with the spirit or as the word is be drunk in the spirit Ephes 5. 18. that is as Iohn is said to be in the spirit on the Lords day Rev. 1. 10. even as a man being in drink it hath dominion over his senses carrying him beyond the common operations of them therefore it is said that a man sâ—outeth because of wine Psal 78. 6â— Even so a man being in the spirit it carries him beyond all naturall reason common sense and humane argumentation to resolve conclude and determine of things according to the wisdom power and glory of God and not of the Creature therefore it is that the Spouse in the Canticles saith Eat O friends drink abundantly or as the word is drink and be drunke O well-beloved Canticles 5. 1. The truth is that the argument or wisdome of a Saint encouraging him to stand in opposition unto all the world which he cannot but do though there were not another to stand by him in the cause of God is to carnall reason liker to a man bereaved of his senses than one in his right mind and thence it is that C ham the youngest son of Noah or the least son being so diminished in point of Sonship that he comes not within the compasse of inheriting any part of his fathers blessing because he looking upon his father as being uncovered of all the ornaments of mans power and wisdome and so asleep or dead to them all whom Cham declares to his brethren as the shame of his father looking upon him with that unclean spirit of the Raven but Sem and Iaphet beheld not any shame in that nakednesse but know it to be the only capacity of their father to be clothed with those honourable robes of righteousnesse which they bear upon their shoulders as the Levites carry the Ark of God and go backwards unto their father a quite contrary way than Cham doth therefore Noah awaking unto God or being alive unto the spirit as really as dead to the flesh exercising himself in the wisdom of the spirit knows what his sons have done through this his sleep and drunkennesse ministring unto them according to their deed and therefore denounceth a curse against Canaan not naming Cham but Canaan his son wherein a deep mystery is couched namely that the curse doth not in the least arise out of the Ark wherein salvation is but out of a spirit propagated and ingendred by concluding that the glory of salvation consists in that which it doth not namely in the glory of the Creature and not in that glory which is immediately of God even as C ham lookt at the blasting of mans glory through the power of the holy spirit of God to be the shame of his father and not the true glory Neither doth the curse arise and spring out of any proper work or operation of God in any particular but from a false construction and interpretation made of that good work of God therefore the act of ingendring Canaan as accursed merchandizing as his name signifies by a false construction concerning our deliverance given by Cham comes between Noah and the blessing distributed to his sons and however Cham be not named in denouncing the curse yet he is included else the curse were not full in originall and off-spring even as the blessing is pronounced upon the root and originall of blessing and therefore he saith blessed be the Lord God of Shem but Shem the true off spring is included and so it is full in the root and branch also So is the curse denounced upon Canaan but Cham is included also else the curse were not full in root and off-spring and as Noah here in this place is not the immediate root of Canaan the accursed no more is the Lord of all the Earth the immediate root of any particular in the curse That spirit therefore that stands for mediate Ordinances and offices of God it stands for and upholds the proper propagation of the curse and as the curse goeth out unto Canaan the son of perdition including Cham the father of lies so Christ here denounceth desolation upon the Mother Ierusalem including all false Interpreters her Children in the Scribes and Pharisees as her proper off-spring and thus comes the curse to be propagated in all the men of the World and the orders thereof constituted and established if we may call it order established in all the Cities of the Iebusites namely by preferring the wisdome power authority and glory of man before the wisdome power authority and glory of God maintaining the wayes and operations of the Creature in the vilifying of the operations of the spirit of God as a shamefull thing in that way of the crosse of Christ and in this stands all those mother like conceptions in the orders of the World to produce and bring forth a brood and generation of false Interpreters as the orders of Ierusalem had brought forth these Scribes and Pharisees as her children ingendred by that bond woman or spirit of bondage For the orders constituted and established in the world beget false Interpreters as naturally as every Creature begets and conceivs its own kind for according to the form of order established in any nation Kingdom or jurisdiction such is the officer it brings forth for he must be produced and established according to that law or else he is a Usurper so that the immediate call and invisible vertue of the Spirit of God is thereby to be rejected in whomsoever it appears for the Officer must be a child of that order and law wherin he exerciseth of what order and constitution soever it be which this City order of Iebus or Ierusolem hath ordained and erected and herein she becomes murtherous and diabolicall in her self and in her children or the children are such in the mother and the mother is such in the children in that they reject all immediate revelation of Christ and his Spirit putting it off by their law to a time past or to come or to both and so kill it in the present time as these Interpreters did and as the City ordains and appoints such laws to bring forth children by so the children are bound to promote maintain and justifie that law and order by which they are brought forth Even as children do their Parents whilst they stand in that relation of children for when they are once betrothed they become a root in themselves and these two taken spiriritually according to the intent of Scripture are never separated whether in the mystery of
Iewes and Grecians Christ is the power of God and the wisdome of God 1 Cor. 1. 24. and thence it is that our faith stands not in the wisdome of men or any thing that they can transfuse or instill but in the power of God 1. Cor. 2. 5. which is one and the same in whomsoever it appears 4 Fourthly the Hen hovereth upon her Chickens for their nourishment and increase that they may attain to her stature and ability Even so doth the wisdome God brood upon his saints that they may come unto a perfect man unto the measure of the age of the fulnesse of Christ Ephes 4. 13. Therefore it is said that the Saints increase with the increasinâ—s of God Collos 2. 19. Now wee know that the Holy One dwells not it temples made with hands for the heavens of heavens cannot contain him 2 Chro. 6 18. No more is he subject to increase or diminution therefore perfected at once and for ever in all his demensions and operations whatsoever his increasings are that bountiful flowing forth and issuing out of his Spirit in the variety of his operations and revelations springing from that inexhaustible Fountain in Christ that Store-house and Treasury of them all 5 Fiftly the Hen broods upon her Chickens to save them from harm of storm and tempest or birds of prey which otherwise they are Lyable unto Even so the wisdome of God hovers upon his Saints to save them from danger Isaiah 45. 6. Psal 91. 1. even the cruell stormes and tempestuous gusts of the Devil who goeth about like a roaring Lyon seeking whom hee may devour 1 Peter 5. 8. who though he come in against the Saints as a flood yet shall this spirit and wisdome of the Lord lift up a standard aganst him to chase him away Isay 59. 19. And this is the onely safety of the Saints who otherwise are in continuall danger even as a Sparrow upon the house top Psal 102. 7. who watcheth alone for if shee fall upon the earth there is the Fowlers snare and if she abide upon the rooff of the house she is subjct to birds of pray So are the saints of God if it were not for this wisdom and Word of God rightly interpreted that watcheth over them for it they look down to the inferiour and more grosse things of this life there is a snare hid in every thing to catch us with vain hopes and expectations to be inriched and exalted by them in case we can but heap them up together and make the best of them and if wee look up at the principalities and powers of the world we are ready to be devoured and swallowed up by them if this wisdome move not upon us as the spirit brooded upon the waters in the beginning to preserve them in purity that they corrupt not as we see they are in motion unto this day for that purpose in their ebbings and flowings Nay if we look down to mans sin fall from God and imperction in all things we are ready to bee insnared with doubts and feares and discontentments with our own condition and if we look up unto that happie and blessed estate of man in Christ we are Ready to wax proud arrogant and wanton in the things of God if this wisdom of God do not brood and flutter upon us and watch over us that his power may prevent all inconveniences that otherwise would fall upon us Psal 77. 10. This wisdom and Word of God is our onely strength and help in the true interpretation thereof and without that there is no proper power or help of God at all as is formerly noted therefore it is said thou hast advanced thy Word over all thy Name or upon all thy Name or Authority and power Psalm 138. 2. So it is said that the mercy of the Lord is over all his works Psalm 145. 9. or upon all his works That is there is not a work of God in Heaven or in Earth but there is a stamp and impression of the mercy of God upon it with respect unto the Saints of God yea every work of God is a Monument or Remembrancer of Gods mercy unto them See an epitomee or breviary hereof Psalm 136. 1 -26 where the Spirit of God impresseth the mercy of God upon his works six and twenty severall times Even So the Lord hath magnified his Word upon all his Name or his authority and power that is there is no power and authority of God but that which his Word in the true interpretation thereof invests into it is that and that onely which sets up and maintaines Gods Name and Authority in all things whatsoever and without the true interpretation of the Word of God his Name is not magnificall in the heart of any man likewise there is nothing whereby the power of Satan is advanced in the world but onely the false interpretation of the Word of God neither is there any contention among the sons of men besides that contending for the common salvation by faith once given unto the Saints Jude 3. But it ariseth from a mistake and false interpreting of the Word of God for it is at unity with it self where in whomsoever it is truly acknowledged We Conclude then that it is Word of God which is the wisdome of God that is the proper wing of God under which the Saints are gathered which false interpreters refuse to come under 5 Which is the fift point in order And that is their unnaturall deniall but ye would not Not that the wickednesse and destruction of man depends onely upon the will of a creature simply considered but it depends upon the law of the flesh or the word of a carnall commandment that is the word of God falsly interpreted Neither doth Salvation depend upon the meer will of an Eternall God simply considered but it depends upon the Law of the spirit of life which is in Christ Iesus which is that word or wisdome of God rightly opened and interpreted else doth not Salvation consist only in Christ Iesus who is God and Man as the wisdome of God affirms it doth Acts 4. 11 12. And this is the Stone cast aside by you builders which is become the head of the Corner Neither is there Salvation in any other for among men there is given none other name under heaven whereby we must be saved Mat. 1. 21. 1 This denyall of being gathered into unity by Christ therefore is the voice of a law which wicked men are under in way of Hagar the bond woman which speaks effectually in way of negation to every point expressed in the metaphor taken from the Hen and her Nest or Chickens that is we will not have the Nest to bee one in originall and off-spring that is God and man making one inâ—ire Condition in all and every Saint of God in the point of time place and individuall subsistence for the Spirit of God in the soul of man in every operation of a
to any of their principles our faith depends not upon any of their principles our love embraceth not upon any of their principles our hope expects not upon any of their principles nor doth our power and sufficiencie stand upon any of their principles And therefore as brute beasts are unto them so are they to us in the things of God and we are unto them as men bereaved of their wits for they cannot but discern a certain power of argument in us beyond all brutish cogitations whatsoever yea such as transcends and over-tops what is in themselves for the Wisdom of God though a meek and descended Wisdom yea foolishness in the worlds estimation yet it over-powers and over-tops the highest Cedars standing in the worlds Lebanon and is bottomed and founded upon grounds and undeniable reason and true argument in Gods Wisdom yea argumentation for conviction and confirmation infinitely surpassing and transcending all Logical and artificial argument coming within the compass of human device and learning therefore we conclude that the Wisdom of God though become foolishness unto the world yet doth it contain sufficiencie of power in argument to over-top any Council Synod Synedrion or Assembly composed by humane art and learning And that makes them so fearfull and of such care to guard themselves from the apparition therof For as it is in that way of the devil to propose his temptations from the Letter of the Scriptures thinking to win or subdue Christ thereby So is there sufficiencie of spirit and wisdom in the true interpretation thereof to confound and bring them in the party proposing them to nought And whereas you say There is a thing underneath which cannot be satisfied vvith the divings into the mystery of the Scriptures of truth which phrase as it seems to import cannot be a â—ruth for the mystery of the Gospel is described to be Christ in you the hope of Glory Now this Christ the Son of the Eternal comprehends all things really and eternally good so that there is nothing so low but it is raised up in him nor any thing so high but it is descended in him and so becomes a plain path wheron our God passeth in the wilderness so that dive into him as to lay open this Mystery of the Word of Truth and there is nothing so low underneath nor any thing so high and above that can possibly faile or come short of satisfaction which appertains unto the Saints and Sonnes of God now that hee ascended what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth he that descended is also the same that ascended up far above all heavens that he might fill all things therefore discover the mysterie of the Word and it fills all things to satisfaction for no man hath ascended up to heaven but hee that came down from heaven even the Son of Man which is in heaven So that as you cannot goe above him who is height it self nor below that which is depth it selfe so you cannot hide any thing above or beneath but the mysterie of the Word is the light which finds it out and brings satisfaction therewith for the life the light are one ever in conjunction with Christ from whom nothing is hid Therefore we honour that phrase in the true intent thereof that when you are clouded you vvait and vvhen moved you journey for we know the cloud to be the glory of Israel in the Wilderness that wayless place in point of any of the Nations who cannot take a step therein but onely to the fall of their carkasses yea even of carnal Israel For this cloud is a cloud of witness presenting unto us a record and testimony of the acts and deeds of all the Saints of God Therefore as a pillar remains and abides with us day and night and is a cover in the day not to darken that light and leading of the Angel of his face but to over-shadow us as we are the Virgin of Israel than none of those scorching beams or rayes of that Sun-shine or light of the Nations takes place upon us nor contributes no more to our being than Ioseph that just man according to the law or letter did unto the conception of Mary And in its stay and abode upon our Tabernacle we so wait on God as in exercise in uncovering the Ark of his presence ordering the instruments and glories thereof according to appointment and with Moses turn in unto the Lord without either vale or covering which abides on the heart of carnal Israel when Moses is read unto this day when we with open face behold the glory of the Lord as in a mirrour and are changed into the same image from all that glory of the Ministry of condemnation consisting in the letter unto that exceeding glory of the Spirit wherein we stand with Moses conversing with God face to face as a man talks with his friend And this state and manner of waiting upon God he hath perpetuated in our host wherein according to the prayer of Moses the Lord returns unto the many thousands of Israel for we have the record of them all in this cloud and their order and exercise about the Ark. The Lord hath not left us without the testimony of the motion of the cloud also which he hath in like sort perpetuated unto us and that in the dissipation and scattering of the Nations who are Enemies unto God And we daily find that praier of Moses in use and fulfilling it selfe in us and about us viz. Arise O Lord and let thine enemies be scattered let them also that hate thee fly before thee For we daily have to doe with that people of that spirit amongst whom you now are yea and from the floud unto the worlds end by a spirit of Praier and Prophecie which all the world can never bound nor Herods Stone Seal nor Watch keep in the grave But as it goes before the Disciples into Galilee so it rebukes the Nations and brings the mad people to nought else had you not seen those lye dead before you on the shore in your approach so evidently as now you doe in point of any life or light of Iesus Christ And in this dismal and darksom night which is now upon the world this Cloud is a most firm and stately pillar of fire to give light unto us and according to its motion either by night or by day we advance unto the vanquishing and vexation of the world For the spirit of a Christian knows how to grasp and gripe in the Nations so as to cut off the spirit of Princes and to be a terrour to the Kings of the earth so as Herod and all Israel after the flesh in all their Iewish institutions shall be in trouble A Christian becomes a fool in point of Serpents wisdom in Herods Wisemen and Pharoahs Magicians is a comprehensive thing no less than the proper continent of an omnipotent power who is able to
AN ANTIDOTE Against the Common Plague Of the WORLD OR An Answer to a small Treatise as in water face answereth to face intituled Saltmarsh returned from the dead And by transplacing the letters of his name this is Smartlash Ascend into the throne of equity for the Araignment of false Interpretours of the word of God Summoned out of all ages to appear under the penalty of death challenging the consent or forbidding to gainsay the common approved pâ—iesthood of this age What hast thou done the voice of thy brothers blood cries unto me from the ground Gen 4 10. LONDON Printed by J. M. for A Crook and are to be sold at his shop at the sign of the Green Dragon in Pauls Church-yard 1657. To His Highness OLIVER Lord PROTECTOR Of ENGLAND SCOTLAND and IRELAND with the Dominions thereto belonging I Am in a strait in this mine attempt in daring to dedicate this small piece unto your Highness the spirit of man standing alwayes in such readiness naturally as a croking frog in those Magicians of Egypt to procure the favour of and gain interest in the most publick and eminent men only for private ends and self-respects But the simplicity and singleness of my proper intent is such in this designe together with the freedome of my spirit to prostrate my humble disires in publick view after the prosperity of your Highness in eternal things that I am born up and incouraged hereunto For God hath shewed me what all terrene and temporary affairs amount unto yea even of the greatest men not being used to promote the honour of that one only and eternally anointed For though a man may be but of a low stature even as a shrub in his age in the view and account of men yet if he run well with Zacheus and be take himself to the top of the Sycomore tree he may come to take a just and joyful view of him who is Lord over all though otherwise the press of such as are taller then he may seem to hinder him from coming nearer but if he know the way wherein the Lord passeth along he may take a direct and fruitful view of him notwithstanding the crowd I know not but that God hath made your Highness the mirrour of this age as a so exemplary for that to come wherein the greatest glories of this world in the men thereof may take a true view of their deformed faces and that in the several feitures and figures thereof For I could never learn that you have pursued the honour thereof but only have been constrained through the urgency of a mighty hand of God pursuing your self to yield your self over thereunto when necessitie hath clothed you upon and adorned you therewith Which is a thing rare to be found in this generation or in any age and therefore a myrrour to be looked into and admired with respect unto the best of men also No man can deny but that God hath made you an instrument whereby to work wonderful changes and that in high though transitory affairs making you a terrour to your enemies and in a covert from the storm un o such as profess friendship unto the cause of Christ I must confess that the reports which I have heard the things which I have seen that have proceeded from your own lips as also what I have sensibly felt and tasted of though in a remote corner of the earth have so dissolved my heart to take the impressions thereof that I cannot but perswade my self that your spirit profoundly looks into and is in honourable and skilful motion activity and atchievements in and about that only weighty and great change which concerns the life and death humiliation and raign of the Son of God a change of state carrying in it kingdom power and glory infinitely transcending the rule and protection of England Scotland and Ireland with the dominions thereto belonging For this hath in it reallity of all kingdones in their severall and variouâ— distinctions of glory and power not exempting one of all them which the common adversary the devil proposed unto Christ but the wisdome whereby he presents them would have falsified them unto Christ in point of that whe ein the reallity of power and glory is properly terminated and for ever stands which being truly erected and rightly ordered never departs from you no more then the glory of the conquest and victory together with his strength wisdome and skill to raigne departs from the son of God but abide upon him for ever I durst not presume this small piece to your Highness which was bu briefly uttered according to our poore accustomed indeavours in our dayly exercise without either Library or time to make use of any such things in this rude incumbring and way-less wilderness But that I think it hath in it those two mites which that poor widow cast into the treasury which proved of more worth in Christs acceptation then the offerings of Scribes Pharises and Elders and all the wealthy of the world for she gave out all her living which consisted in two mites the word mite is such a diminative as that it procures and gains all increase for she gives away the wealth and glory of her husband unto diminution which is the riches and glory of the creature in which tender gift or diminution doth consist the Cross of Christ in his death to all carnal and transient things proper to the life and law of the flesh And she throws in all the miseries of mankind which might arise and grow out of her widow-hood and loss of all her former suppl es and excellencies in the loss and diminution whereof the Son of God makes manifest his own riches and power and these are mites or diminutives yea they are individuals we cannot give part of either of them into the treasury according to the nature of an acceptable offering but we must give them all for he hath all our glory humane so as to consume and diminish it upon the altar and he hath all the miseries of man thus offered to diminish it also in the bearing of it away as upon the head of that scape-goat into the wilderness or land of Shiner to set it there upon its proper base Which twain namely temporary ransient glory and misery are all that man lives upon viz. upon his own bodily or humane exercise and doings thinking thereby to obtain the favour of God or else upon his own transient and humane sufferings whereby he hopes to escape the displeasure of God which twain make but one farthing or quadril that is one state or condition of man considered naturally and originally as springing from the earth or that first Adam consisting thereof But being thus cast into the treasury or storehouse of the Son of God it is that one state and condition of Jesus Christ in whose approbation we are received as that widow of threescore yeares of age or above into that house and temple of
never a true account of Stewardship brought in by any imployd about the things of God Thus much through infinite favour and grace God hath revealed unto us that wheresoever that spirit resides not which first framed the mind of the Son of God according to the eternal wisdom to judge of all things as God judgeth the love of God was never shed abroad in that heart for the spirit of faith works by love and where the love of God is not there is the love of this world which is of that wicked ones and the love of the world is enmity with God and the spirit of envy never makes good construction of the expressions of him it doth repugn therefore where the Spirit of Christ resides not there can never be good construction given of the words of Christ for he hath a name given him that none can read but himself and he is called the word of God therefore all other readers are false interpreters and that is the only in let and progress of sin and death in the world unto this day There be many who arogate a Call to interpret the word of God Some holding themselves set a part from the common affairs of this life in such sort as they are not to intermeddle with any temporary occasions but to have all things brought in unto them that concerns this present life by the labours of and means of others who stand not in that relation neither to God nor men which themselves do being men whose Calling is spiritual and therefore not to be imployed about any carnal things assuming Scripture for that purpose not only from the equity of that Law given concerning Levy but also as the Stand in the room of Christ who is of greater deserts to be maintained then Levy was There is one Scripture looks earnestly upon me concerning this Point which such men make great use of to prove their Apostolical Authority to require Tythes Stipends and Contributions together with the honour of the upermost Seats where they come with respect unto the dignity of their Calling and Office above others of the Saints of God in which regard say they all others are become debtors unto them to contribute both wealth and honour for which they aledge as one special ground for such supply as having divine Authority on their side 1 Cor. Cap. 9. Which form of words they deal with as they do with all other expressions in the word of God using it to mans ends and intents and not according to the mind and intent of the Son of God For that which they go about to prove their Calling by to be spiritual and heavenly is a direct Declaration given out by the Spirit of God to prove their Ministry to be carnal and earthly give me leave therefore as briefly as I can to declare from that Scripture what God seems as by his eye to direct and guide unto Our Apostle in the former Chapter sheweth the difference between Knowledge and Knowledge the one in way of the fall of man from God the other in the way of Resurrection and Ascension to God the one puffeth up as an empty blader filled only with wind above others the other is filled with love to edification which ever prostrates it self to the party known where or in whatsoever he appeareth the one sitting at meat or communicating in the Idols Temple the other refusing to eat carnally so long as the world stands rather then to offend the Brother-hood And having concluded that an Idol or an Idolathite for there is a generation of them is nothing in the world and that there is but one God in truth and verity though many do assume the names and titles of that one God yet an Idolathite is nothing in the world though they so assume and arogate the tearms because the Son of God who is the Maker of all things never contributed any thing unto the form thereof no more then it can be said that the holy Son of God did ever give out any thing to the being of the uncleanness of that unclean spirit namely the Devil which an Idol is concluded to be by the Spirit of God for whatsoever the Son of God gives being unto is a work of Creation but an Idol the Devils is that Abaddon and Apollion that is destruction which is nothing of the work of God in Heaven or in earth and so is nothing in the world Therefore but one God or power of Creation of all things for an Idol is the ruin and destruction of Gods proper creating vertue where it is erected which erection of an Idol is to terminate the scope true and proper intent of any part of Gods word in any thing whatsoever besides Jesus Christ and him crucified besides which our Apostle acknowledgeth he desires to know nothing For all other knowledge besides that or without that is thus explained by our Apostle viz. If any man or any thing see thee that hast knowledge or see thee knowledge or thee that art knowledge for such as mans wisdom or knowledge is such is the man for as it gives man his being above all other creatures so it gives distinctions of men among themselves Sit at meat in the Idols Temple that is continue and abide communicating in the word and worship of God as terminating any part of or thing in the Temple or Pallace in any carnal and fading matter or thing Shall not the conscience or shall not that knowing together in thee for there is a unity in Idols worship as certainly as there is in the worship of the true God in spirit and truth Of the weak that is of such as are sick or dead being without and destitute of that healthful Spirit of grace and life in Christ Be imboldned to eat things sacrificed to Idols that is what ever is in thee or belonging unto that assembly of evil doers shall be encouraged to yeild up it self to the Rule of such knowledge for all things in man are governed by wisdom and a spirit of teaching therefore all things concerning the sons of men make their addresses to the light set up in the mind of man of what nature or mind soever it be to take their form receive commission as also instruction for their progress in execution therefore thou Idolatrous knowledg set up in the Idols Temple art become the Authour of destruction for there was never any destroyed since the world was but by this thy knowledge which puffs up with pride as an empty bladder filled with nothing but with the wind of Satannical delusion where the substantiality of the Son of God never was nor never will be Therefore he saith Through thy Knowledge or through this knowledge for the party and property to know are never separated for man is not man but by ability to know and that with respect to a God to be communicated with and worshipped Shall thy weak brother perish for whom Christ dyed that is thou
in way of humane genealogies O fools and blind shall we think that the genealogy and off-spring of the Son of God ended and was cut off in the Virgin Mary or that it was more carnal and bodily in onr forefathers then it is in our dayes is not the flesh of Christ though never a carnal and fleshly Christ conserved in his off-spring until now shall we think this word hath not eternity in it and is made good in his mystical body whereever any member thereof appears viz. My flesh is meat indeed and my blood is drink indeed and he that eateth not my flesh and drinketh not my blood hath no life in him or is this speech worn out so as that it comprehends not the whole body viz. My heart and my flesh rejoyces in the living God Is there no more mention to be made of this word My soul thirsteth for thee my flesh longeth greatly after thee is a land of drought Such as lay these things aside and count it blasphemy to say Christ is compleatly present in his Saints in these dayes in the reallity of whatsoever his body consists of and will but afford him only some certain spirit or rather rayes and influences thereof to be resident in his Saints to this end that the world may not want power to do what they please with their bodies these men are of that spirit of Antichrist which deny the coming of Christ in the flesh as the Spirit of God in his Apostle averreth for if it were salvation to confess Christ come in the flesh as born of the Virgin Mary in such an age of the world only then would that wicked sea and lake of Rome have as much salvation in it as thy people at this day extant who profess and describe him in that respect by so many abominable signs and Images for our Apostle affirms that that spirit which confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God But this spirit which confesses Christ upon the same principles that Rome and the rest of the rabble of the world do who read the writings of the Apostles they do not acknowledge the insufficiency of man in that alsufficiency of the Son of God nor that disability of the creature in point of all humane help to be born up and carried out in that strength and desire proper only to the spirit of God In case therefore of the Jews in their strictness about genealogies and pedegrees I am as a Jew in all such matters and it is the only doctrine I teach whereby I find an ear in them to hear but it is to confound and bring to nought all carnal vain genealogies tribes kindreds and families as having respect unto God that the family and race of the Son of God only may take place of them all that so I may gain them all unto him or vanquish and subdue them all under him that the reality of them all may only be found in him as they are of any truth holiness honour or of any acceptation unto or in any respect with God at all and that all other are but vain and endless genealogies as our Apostle calls them Ignorance of this point in that obcaecoâ—n and pro-caxiouse spirit in the ministry of the world is the cause of that carnal conceit that a member of a church ordered composed and cast into a form by men and the children born in the confines of a church so framed are the true seed and off-spring of Christ and that all others are without any visible ensign of the true Religion and worship of God Again ignorance in this point of the true and compleat proceed of Christ whenever he appears really in any particular person or office is the very ground of that diabollical conceit that the Spirit of God operates in man here on the earth for a time and at his death man as a creature returns unto the earth both in regard of soul and body and is dissolved into the elements whereof natural bodies are made and composed and that nothing but simply God as an increated being is saved or returns to his ancient center these two opinions seem to be far distant but are both alike diabolical denying the truth and reallity of the Son of God and are deceivers of mankind causing them to be inamored with and dore upon the wayes of death and destruction in the villification and rejection of that salvation which is by Christ To them that are under the law as under the law that is to such as are under that Ceremonial bond and ingagement of being tied in the wayes of their worships to persons places times and terms of humane relations as necessary parts thereof instituting of churches creating of officers setting up seals signs services of time which in time will vanish away to these I declare my self to be under as strict bonds and ingagements as themselves be so as I move not in heart nor by hand utterance in tongue or gestures and demeanure in carriage But with respect unto this my ingagement which is the bond of the spirit binding me over unto God by freeing me from all ingagements and things whatsoever inferiour to himself in his Son Christ and not the spirit of bondage which ingageth unto the creature as being set in the place of the Creatour which is ever accompanied with trembling and fear because of the conscience of the insufficiency and uncertainty thereof And by taking up these their bonds and transitory ingagements whereabout as servants of sin they spend their time imploy their studies exercise their zeal in binding heavy burdens upon themselves and others seeking rest by the imployment of that unclean spirit but find none busying themselves in picking at the bark rinde husk or shell and never come to taste of the pith marrow or kernell and by opening of these rudiments and declaring what they be in their strictest injunctions which being followed to the uttermost of their intent in what they drive at and lead unto which is no less nor fall they short of an impossibility to please God thereby I do by these things bring out the reallity of the law of the Spirit of life which is in Christ Jesus our Lord which is the only freedome from this law of sin and death Which law of God hath all its relations operations and respects only in Christ and out of him it neither binds by any bond nor layes it any burden but hath in it in every respect the liberty freedome and authority of the Son of God And by this means I gain the truth and verity of all law bonds and ingagements to have their subsistance and being only in the Son of God being of the same degree power and continuation which himself is and ever will be which is the onely freedome and therefore the Saints of God are not bound unto but transcend and are far above all humane and transitory things from which God hath freed
not having in it real and substantial things or matter wherewith to fill it there the aire takes place and is the fulness of it even so whereever and in what heart the real and substantial things of the Son of God are not there doth the devil take place and is the fulness of that heart whatever it be in the judgement of men So that the true acknowledgement of weakness I am one with as it is the only capacity of the fulness of the spirit of God in the exercise of its virtues and manifestation of the power of God and not of man And by this I gain weakness in the true acknowledgement thereof to consist only in Christ the alsufficient strength of God and is not elsewhere to be found where all insufficiency must of necessity flie away and there only is all true and proper motion in way of holyness and honour whereby the power and glory of God and not of the creature comes to move upon mankind and manifest it self in all his virtues and excellencies whatsoever and by this means of becoming weak I gain all weakness or weakness to become that alsufficiency and strength of the Son of God who is able to subdue all things unto himself this weakness being the proper receptacle and place of the abode and hiding of his power So as none but himself can find out how to communicate or participate therein where only he is known in all his particular virtues goodness and love in the exercise and injoyment thereof forever I am made all things in all men or thus I am made all men in all things that is there is not any thing wherein the mind of man naturally moves with respect to God or with respect to any of the works of God or wherein any of the creatures are in motion towards mankind or among themselves but I make my self a companion therewith or a suting thereunto in point of all operations relations and respects and that to this end that by opening and disclosing of my self what I am in any such operation relation or respect in point of the reality substantiality and continuation thereof in the truth and verity of the thing as countable and of worth in the records of God I may thereby disanul and abolish and bring to nought as things of no truth and of no virtue in whatsoever the natural heart of man moves towards God and the creature and also in whatsoever man naturally contains or receives from the motions of God or the creatures towards himself and make good that all such things come within the confines of that law of the carnal commandement consisting in ordinances which are against us and therefore are nailed unto the cross of Christ and forever made sure and intailed only to that carnal and fleshly spirit of the Jew which ever crucifies the Lord of glory according to the Spirit putting him to open shame or making a mock of him and therefore in the disanulling and abrogating of all these carnal things nailed unto the cross of Christ I make it plain and manifestly to appear that the solid truth and reality of all things consist and have their proper and only being in Christ and out of whom all things are vain and empty only filled with that spirit of cruelty and persecuting Jew And by this means I strip the world lay it waste and make it vacant of all things whatsoever that turn to any account or reckoning in the records of God or that is found written in that book of life wherein all living and acceptable things are written and the rest are such as are written in the earth So that the world hath nothing left to take hold of for any stay or support in which can be any hope or confidence to trust unto for there is nothing to be found of such nature or quality that is not involved within that proper state and real condition of Jesus Christ the Son of the blessed That I may by all means save some that is that I may by the true controverting of all things make it apparent and plain that salvation doth consist in every thing according to that which Gods wisdome hath ordered and appointed all things to be and appear in Christ either as he is given as a ransome and so as lost or given up unto death in all things that are holy and spiritual in the men of the world in whom nothing of his divine and proper virtue doth appear or is in being and exercised in which estate the reality of all things appertaining to death are for ever in their heighth of operation Or else as he is the ransomed from death in his chosen and elect ones in whom all things of life righteousness and peace are in their proper being virtue and exercise thereof and so in Christ as dead or alive are all real things of death and life only found and thus by becoming all things I save some or as the word imports I save all that is as all things universally became death and destruction as Satan orders them in putting Christ to death in all spiritual respects Even so all things universally become resurrection and life as the wisdome of God orders them in the mortification and death of all carnal and sensual things in Christ whereby the life of God is revived in the son of man in all spiritual and eternal respects and thus all things are destroyed and brought to nought by Satan or by man in his defection from God which is a universal fall of mankind from his Creatour forever And it is as true that all things universally are saved and confirmed in a state of excellency and perfection by the resurrection and ascention of the Son of man through that wisdome of God into the life and reign of and in all things that are proper to God eternally And observe that this death unto all spiritual things proper to the infinite and eternal Son of God must needs be of universal comprehension and being alive unto all the things proper to the same Son of God must needs be of the same universal extent yet it is impossible that these twain should reside in one and the same individual substance and being and therefore a universal estate of death and also a universal estate and condition of life is found in the sons of men of one and the same extent because it is of the Son of God in way of his death and of his life that gives latitude and longitude to them both and therefore a two fold state and condition standing in due opposition is found in mankind and shall be forever Vers 23. And this I do for the gospels sake that is that I may give all honour and estimation unto the gospel or unto the Son of God so that whatsoever hath in it any worth or dignity utility or excellency it is only substantiated and eternized in the subject matter of the gospel and not elsewhere to
be found according to the true and real intent of the word of God And therefore all things which cannot be snmmed up within the account and reckoning of the gospel as being the matter and substance thereof or else used by the wisdome of the spirit thereof so as to conduce to the promoting of the gospel I say that all things not of this nature and used to this end namely to advance and set up as the only and alone thing to be had in honour and esteemation the gospel speech and triumphant act of mans salvation by Christ all things without the compass of this account of what other nature they may be or of what other nature they may be or of what other use they may seem to serve unto they are left under just rebuke shame reproach and ignominy whatever they may seem to be in the estimation of the sons of men For to become all things for the advances or for the sake or cause of one thing is no less then to make that thing the all in them all without which they are vain and empty not coming within the account of real and substantial things Thence it is that Christ saith for their sakes sanctifie I my self that they also may be sanctified it is for the elects sake that the Son of God makes himself holy that all the Saints may partake of that holyness now the Son of God is not made â—oly but in mankind therefore man is the thing in estimation with God as not being content with an increated holyness in himself as God simply considered but is made holyness whereby it becomes communicable to all the Saints they therefore are the only thing in Gods esteem and â—o he is made holy for their sakes and the Son of God promoted in the gospel is the only thing esteemed by a true Saint and therefore he becomes all things to commend the dignity of the gospel yea Christ prefers his flock before his own life for he layes down life eternally to the wicked that his sheep belonging to that one sheepfold may live eternally in himself in whom they die to all carnal and transitory things for the conservation and exercise of the life of the Son of God which is spiritual and not carnal eternal and not transitory Hence it is that Daniel prayeth that the Lord will do and not defer for his own sak preferring the name and authority of God before all things even as our Apostle here makes himself all things that he may terminate all in the gospel the result whereof follows namely That I may be partaker of the gospel with you or in you and you in me as he saith in another place ye are our epistle written in our hearts as if he should say we record nothing upon you but that which we can reade upon our own spirit therefore an enterchangeable act if you express your selves we read you in our selves and if we express our selves you may read us upon your own hearts such mutual agreement there is in the epistle or writings of Christ So here that I may be the co-partners or companions with you in the gospel or that we may be that unity and substantial fellowship of the gospel The meaning is that we considered together as one mystical or spiritual body may become thereby the subject matter of the gospel or of all good sayings between God and man in Christ For none can deny but the Son of God is the subject matter of the gospel ever was and ever will be and it is not Christ as one particular holy one of God only born of the Virgin Mary in such an age of the world But it is Christ considered in his mystical body that as it is said of the mysterie of the gospel where it is described to be Christ in you the hope of glory so that it may as truly be said here in this case Christ in us the subject matter of the gospel so that if we describe and delineate a Christian really according to his nature and form we preach the gospel and in case we preach the gospel in the true manner and form thereof we do neither more nor less but only set forth and describe a Christian And therefore the Spirit of God makes it a thing indifferent to take a Saint of God either as the authour or the product of the gospel as where it is said in Christ Jesus have I begotten you through the gospel in which words Christians are brought in as the proper fruit and product of the gospel And again our Apostle saith God shall judge you according to my gospel where the Apostle brings in himself as authour of the gospel and again If our gospel be hid it is hiâ— to them that are lost and again our word towards you was not yea and nay but yea in which sayings the Spirit of God brings in the Saints as Authours of the word and gospel of God So that as it is said the children being partakers of flesh and blood he himself took part with them that is he became one state and condition with them even so it is here that I may be partaker of the gospel with or in you that is to say that we together may become and appear to be that compleat state matter and substance of the gospel even that gladsome and triumphant state of salvation Whereas it is translated with you the word you is not in the text to shew unto us the liberty and scope the Spirit of God gives unto our minds in the viewing and perusing the word of God either to apply it more particularly or extend it more universally giving us freedome and anthority either to apply it to our selves and such as we immediately converse with and so with you or unto such as have been before or shall be hereafter together with such as are and so with them in either respect or with him that is with God as God and man in Christ being that compleat glorious and substantial estate And it is usual in Scripture to leave out words or take them into the text for such honourable and fruitful uses and respects as where one evangelist saith Go shew to the high priest another saith go shew thy self to the high priest again where one saith of the five loaves and two fishes he blessed and brake more generally another saith he blessed them and brake and where one saith more generally he will gather the wheat into the garner another saith he will gather the wheat into his garner and many such like God giving liberty to have an eye to the universality of a matter or cause as also particularly to such whom it may concern either as interest in or excluded the same Vers 24. Know ye not that they that run in a race run all that is you do know it is taken for granted that all men know what it is to run in a race for it is a thing written in
conversant in as well as man these persons are such of what rank soever they may be as do debase undervalue and have in contempt the grand principles and main pillars of that law of the Spirit of life which is in Christ Jesus and prefer things which perish in the use before the things of duration wherein the grace of salvation doth only consist 3. The third point therefore declares wherein this grace and weighty matters of the law doth consist and that is 1. In judgement that is ability to discern and authority to give sentence of all things according to the nature and end of them designing them to their proper use not villifying or exalting not shortning or extending any thing above or below the proper nature and end thereof 2. These weighty matters of the law consists in mercy now this word mercy by conference of the Scriptures is of large comprehension the Hebrew word Châ—seâ— signifies a sacred affection of mercy piety grace piety grace benignity and bountiful good will to any without respect of person or reward sometimes it is taken for bountious and liberal exercise of mercy in giving sometimes for the mercy or bounty received for clemency commiseration compassion tenderness and love gracious kindness or glorious grace called in Greek sometimes Doxa glory 1 Pet. 1. 24. Sometimes Eleos mercy which are used indifferently one for the other as appears by comparing Hosea 6. 6. with 9. 13. and hence it is that a godly man is called in Hebrew Chasid that is gracious or merciful Psalme 4. 3. In the former they neglect and despise the law as it is concerned in the true and strict view and sentence of things as a righteous Judge and in the second they villifie and contemn the law as it comprehends all that tender care compassions givings and forgivings of a gracious and merciful father Of such like consequence is that mint-like washing in outward and bodily baptisme that cummin-like eating and drinking in that humane frame of the Sacrament of the supper that Annis-like gathering together a temporary congregation which men call a Church and that Rew-like sensure of excommunication out of such a corruptible incorporation with all the green herbs of such like nature which may be food for the beast as well as at the use and service of the son of man 3 The third thing wherein the weight of the law consists and that is fidelity which is ready seasonable equal just and fruitful disposure of whatsoever is committed to any in trust now God hath committed his word and law unto man to be interpreted wherein he alone himself is expressed and made manifest therefore mankind only expresseth and welleth out that Image and ingraven form of his subsistance Hebr. 1. 3. And to falsifie this word and law terminating it in trivial temporary and transient things and bodily exercises is to falsifie the Son of God in whose heart only the law is and is the very frame and form thereof Hebr. 10. 5. 10. Psalme 40. 6 7 8. which is no less then to disallow of the whole workmanship of God and to charge his Royal intention concerning the son of man to be that which it never was which is no less then to give that which is truth it self the lie Rom. 1. 25. but let God be true and all such interpretours shall be found liers Rom. 3. 4. 1 Iohn 1. 10. No man can deny but that the whole word and so the whole work of God is committed to every one of the sons of men for the management thereof even as certainly as the whole kingdome of Israels and not a part was committed unto Saul in point of government and it was the whole kingdome which was rent from Saul and given unto David 1 Sam. 15. 26 29. for the ordering and government thereof for it is the difference of unction that breeds the difference of kingdomes in point of acceptation before God Therefore it is that David desires that the head o l or the oyl of the head come not upon him as the words ought to be rendred Psalme 141. 5. that is that chief and principal ointment which is the headship of Sâ—ul my potent enemy Psal 140. 9 namely that wisdome humane in the glory of the flesh set forth in the sparing of Agag so honourable a Captive subjected unto him for glory and the beasts to offer in sacrifices to God as mans wisdome being as far from attaining the things of God according to his judgement that is the judgement of God as a beast is from attaining the things of man So that Saul hath the management of the whole kingdome turned into a kingdome of darkness by disposing of it by that oyly supplement of mans wisdome the headship thereof But as it translated unto David it is managed by the wisdome of God that unction which teacheth all things preferring the things of God in the villification of things humane things eternal not seen by the reason of man villifying things which are seen and transitory obvious to carnal sence 2 Cor. 4. 17 18. and upon Saul the anointed David will not lay his hand that it may appear unto all men that there is in that way of Rule sufficient matter of destruction in point of handling that sword of the Spirit which is the word of God Ephes 6. 17. turning it upon his own brest for his own voluntary ruine 1 Sam. 31. 4. 5. but when David cut off a lap of Sauls garment as a testimony that the honourable ornaments and robe of the kingdome was translated unto him through that holy unction of the Spirit he was touched in heart that is felt and was really sensible through that Spirit of God of that weight of the glory of God put upon him for the governing and ordering of all the things of the house and kingdome of God 1 Sam. 24. 5. as all the Saints of God are which partake of the same Spirit Phil. 1. 27. though the spirit of Saul think so meanly of Davids hold or cave that he makes it a place wherein to uncover his feet which base and mean spirit of Saul ends in the justification of Davids innocency and vindication of his glory and the just condemnation and shame of his enemy in the guilt of his own conscience 1 Sam. 24. read the whole chapter To conclude this point the whole word of God is committed to every man in trust for the interpretation of the whole as really as in any part for the law is full in one word as in all words Gal. 5. 14. and there is a vacuity and breach in all if in any one Iames 2. 10. He that interprets therefore by the rules of humane wisdome which education and bringing up in the Schools may attain unto he falsifies the word of God not only in point but in all and every particular that concerns the glory of God in mans salvation by Christ and whosoever interprets according to the wisdome
and spirit of God if he justifie the Son of God in any one point of the Gospel he is a fulfiller of the whole law even as John and Jesus considered in that one act of baptisme original and ministerial the baptized and the baptizer do therein fulfil all righteousness Matth 3. 15. Wo be to him therefore that neglects this weighty matter of the law namely fidelity in this trust of the word of God committed unto him the first stands in judging and deserning of all things the second in the bounty and goodness of all things and the third in the safe custody and right distribution of all things which Luke comprehends in two that is judgement and the love of God Luke 11. 42. to shew that the love of God opposed to the love of the world Iames 4. 4. is the very original and fountain of all bounty benignity goodness and mercy out of which love there is none to be found but every man seeks himself or his own things and none the things of Jesus Christ Phil. 2. 21. Again the love of God is the proper cause and fountain of all trust and confidence for true custody and conservation and right distribution and laying out of all things without which there is none from whom we may expect mercy nor in whom we may repose trust or have any affiance in at all 4. The fourth point observed wherein the doctrine of these scribes together with their practice ought to appear and that is in doing these weighty matters of the law and not leaving the other undone wherein is contained two points First that the matter of true information and light breaking forth from the word of God hath in it as real reproof and conviction to the wicked as it hath true justification and acquaintance therein unto the godly The splendour and shining forth of the light in the beams of the Gospel is the only way and means of condemnation to the enemies of Christ and that makes the friends of antichrist and lims of Satan so fearful of that day which springs from an high and so diligent to guard the world by humane orders left it should visit the same Luke 1. 78 Psalme 2. 1 2 3. Acts 4. 26 27. Secondly the due observation of the prime weighty and chief things in the law of God is the only way and means of regulating and bringing into orderly practice all inferiour things whatsoever whereas the preferring of mean and transitory matters is the devastation and ruine of the whole order and full intent of the law and work of God And whereas men think the invalliding of all earthly things is the inlet of all disorder it is nothing so but it hath the order of God in it as he is the God of order and not of confusion 1 Cor. 14. 33. For as God in creating of all things which are inferiour to his Son had respect unto him in them all not terminating his love and delight in all or any of them but only in his Son Prov. 8 30. all the rest of the creatures being as so many significant or Hieroglâ—phical intimations to point us with the finger to the Son of God even as the Star a night light directed the wise men of the East to Christ Matth. 2. For they are all of such nature that according to the eye which beholds them they either lead men to turn in to Herod to get intelligence as though Christ were of such off-spring and so to lean upon the bare letter of the Scripture which can never give satisfaction from his priests scribes and pharises therefore he commands the wise men to bring him word or else notwithstanding Herods command they direct as the wise men were as in a dream to turn from Herod and his priests and go another way And when man hath attained to the end of all things which is Christ he judgeth of all things not by mans day or light 1 Cor. 4 3. but according to the light or judgement of God not only of his own estate in Christ bnt of all things inferiour and subordinate unto that according to their nature end and use and is possessed with a disposition and heart to order and dispose of them all accordingly being freed from those bonds and injunctions which lie upon that spirit of the world in the exaltation or villification of them therefore neither monopolizeth nor dissipateth beyond bounds but can say with Agur Give me neither poverty no riches but feed me with food câ—nve ient for me Prov. 30 8. and therefore is disposest of that Spirit of contention about them that sore plague of vexation in the world 1 Cor. 6 1 7. Matth. 5. 39 40 41. which by setting their hearts upon that which is not every man becomes a vexation and tormenter of his brother yea man becomes a tâ—ouble and vexation unto himself and all is about means to accomplish their ends But whoever attains to the end of the law which is Christ he is the end of the law for or in righteousness in every one that believeth Rom. 10. 4. he also attains to the means to bring about that end for the proper end of the Lord in all and the means to bring about that end are all really and substantially founded reside and are in being and exercise in the state of Christ so that the beauty worth and dignity of and contention about all things is blasted unto him and are become as the flower of grass Isaia 4. 6 7. save only that state of the Son of God where all things are realized and eternized both in point of an end and means to bring about that end For Christ is the end finishing and topping up of all righteousness for he is that righteousness of God higher then which none can ever ascend Rom. 3. 21 22. Christ is also the means to bring unto this end for he is that law of righteousness which bindeth over thereunto Rom. 9 30 31. and so Christ is made unto us Righteousness 1 Cor. 1. 30 by whom all the seed of the promise do become righteous Secondly the end of the commandment is love 1 Cor. 1. 30. and God is love that is the Son of God is love who consists of twain without which love is not perfect nor can it be in exercise Christ also is the means to attain to love for it is the love of Christ that constraineth 2 Cor. 5. 14 and is the means to carry us on in all things for love suffereth all things it believeth all things it hopeth all things it indvreth all things 1 Cor. 13. 7. it never falls away rejoyceth in the truth 1 Cor. 13. 6 8. Thirdly Christ is that contract and covenant given for the people Isaia 42. 6. Set forth unto us in that marriage of Solomon and Pharaohs daughter Psalme 45. and he is also that means to bring about that covenant and contract as appears in all those solicitations invitations commendations and
but that they dissemble the same in point of any present being of them Thus these Hypocrites in expounding of the word of God dissemble the Fall of man as a thing that was and is not the Concepcion Birth Life Death Resurrection and Ascencion of Christ as things past and now are not but only in Records and Histories These Stage players do not only pick the purses of their brethren but pick out their eys in beholding vain Idols not knowing the wisdom and power of God that hath appointed his Kingdom in Christ to bee alike present of like glory power peace and plenty and of like noble acts and operacions in all ages of the world where ever and in whomsoever the mystery of God in Christ appears and is made manifest Col. 1. 26. 29. otherwise let us only hear that Christ prayed but never pray in our selves and so in all things that Christ did or sayd for such is their doctrin The third particular noted in the Text is the Ground and Reason of this their wo wherein observe these particulars 1 First their act what they do and that is twofould 1 They build the Tombs of the Prophets 2 They garnish the Sepulchers of the righteous 2 Secondly observe their speech what they say that is If we had been in the dayes of our fathers we would not have partaken with them in the blood of the Prophets wherein observe 1 First they confesse blood or murder to be a capitall sin 2 Secondly that they have washed and reformed themselves and are become better than their fathers 3 Thirdly they translate and remove the cause or act of blood-guiltinesse from themselves unto their fathers 3 In the third place note what they are in point of their condicion or office in these words wherefore ye be witnesses unto your selves that ye are the children of them that killed the Prophets 4 Fourthly observe the extent of the thing witnessed unto in these words Fill yee up then the measure of your fathers The first is their act being twofould and first they are said to build the Tombs of the Prophets Wee have heard before that a Tomb is a Monument or Memoriall of that which is not in present and reall being and by Tomb in this place is meant the Historicall Narracions or Literall Form of the word of God as it utters it selfe in tearms comming within the capacities of the naturall and racionall conjectures of mans heart or words which mans wisdom teacheth 1 Cor. 2. 4. So that these men assume the word of God according to the literall form and verball expressions of the Prophets and therby build and erect monuments of Constituted Churches Offices therein Governments Orders and painted Excellencies in the world beginning and ending in Time not compatible to the Son of God thereby expelling the proper intent and minde of the Spirit which is the soul or life of the Scriptures and so set up a dead karkasse and livelesse memoriall void of the life and spirit of our great and only Prophet Iesus Christ Deut. 18. 15. For there is nothing wherein the heart of man expresseth it selfe by bringing forth som what wherein to employ himselfe for a time in this world being temporary But it is a grave wherein Christ is buried if the angell or messenger of God roul not away the stone or take away the difficulty guard props and defence thereof and sit upon it as an inferiour and subjected thing Mat. 28. 2. making it the footstool of his feet 1 Cor. 15. 24 25. Yea the Ordinance of humane Marriages is a grave to bury Christ in that he appear not in his espousall when the conjugall ty of the word of God is terminated there For it is in that point as it was at that Marriage in Canah of Galilee performed according to the Iewish Rites or the Dictates and naturall Ceremonies of mans heart where Christ came to declare that the proper power of the word of God consists not in such things no more than that water filling up those six water pots according to the purification of the Iewes was like unto that wine which Christ commanded to be drawn out of the same for when his mother taken according to the flesh offered to terminate the businesse of the day wherefore Christ was bid thither in that temporary feast or marriage teling him there wanted wine to have his power and presence to honour that his answer is woman what have I to do with thee my hour is not yet that is my time and authority consists not in these things But when his mother who brought him forth submitted to his will saying unto the servants whatsoever hee commands that do yee then Christ commands those weak and water-like Ordinances of the Iewes or of the sons of men to bee drawn out having the vigour and vertu of new and strong wine to admiracion Iohn 2. 1. declaring thereby that transcendent power and glory that is in the time and presence of Christ in all his Commands and Appointments beyond all the Ordinances and Appointments of the sons of men the naturall Dictates of whose hearts lead them unto such Orders in all temporary Institucions as naturally as in that of Feastivity or Marriage however the hypocriticall Pharises solemnize them with the intent of the word of God The Tomb of the Prophets erected in these things in the departure of the soul and spirit stands upon four pillars which enervate the sift and the sixt Commandements 1 First in point of Superiority 2 Secondly in point of Inferiority 3 Thirdly in Equality which is the sum of the fift Commandement and first with promise Ephes 6. 2 3. 4 The fourth is our demeanour and carriage towards friends and enemies in killing and preserving life which is the sum of the sixt Commandement First in point of Superiority Rule false interpreters cannot finde any visible power upon the Earth but in Fathers according to the extent of the phrase in the Commandement which phrase of Father and Mother include all exercise of Authority Neither can they utter any Glory of Submission and Obedience but as Children are there to be extended that is to all wayes of yeeldings of obedience and these they resolve to be exercised between man and man creature and creature which is no better than a Tomb wherein the great Prophet is buried yea the tru spirit of all the Prophets is thence departed and the mysticall body of the Son of God corrupted by such Doctrin For the truth of relacion in point of Authority and Submission Command and Obedience stands properly according to that reall intent of the word of God in the relacion and respect that is between God and man in the faith and subsistance of Christ Where the Spirit of God is the proper supply of the party in both respects that is in the exercise of obedience as well as in the power of Command and may as truly be found and exercised in one
man as in twaine or as in a multitude For superiority is not worthy that name bur in the sence which the Apostle speakes when he saith There are that be called gods for there are gods many and lords many unlesse it be such a superiority that hath power over the Angel so as to prevail as a Prince with God when as the Angel or Elohim wept and made supplicacion which is to be applied to the Angell when he peticioned our father Jacob to let him go Gen. 32. 24. 28. Hosea 12. 4. Such authority as hath power with God is that which the Word of God intends and in that sence the Apostle saith that the spirit of the Prophets is subject to the Prophets 1 Cor. 14. 32. that is when the Spirit of God in any of the servants of Christ do rightly interpret and unfold the Wisdom of God in Christ in the glory and power of it the same Spirit of God in all true interpreters of the Word of God yeeld submission and are obedient unto that wisdom appearing in its power and glory for this authority hath rule in such a spirit of obedience as hath Eternity in it which is onely found in the Son of God otherwise it is not worthy the name of superiority in the Language of Gods Kingdome as it is said of the mercies of the wicked that they are cruell Pro. 12 10. So Rule Destitute of this is Cruelty Neither is the way of submission worthy to be called obedience unlesse it yeeld it self over unto that superiority peculiar to the Son God in whom alone there is an everlas ing Dominion for his Kingdom is without end Daniel 7. 13 14. Out of which kingdom there is no obedience but arising from fear which hath painfulnesse either fear of Correction or of falling short of Favour to attain private and base ends or else the losse of favour when it is or seemes to be obtained But perfect love onely which it not found but in Christ casts out seat 1 Iohn 4. 18. and there is a reciprocall love on both sides of the Covenant in what termes of relation soever expressed springing from the Spirit of God as in that state oâ— the Faith of Christ and the compleat Covenant is to be struck and in exercise perpetually in every individuall heart or else Christ it not formed therein which is the onely message and end of the Gospel Gal. 4. 19. Upon these two pillars of Rule and Subjection or Command and Obedience do false Interpreters set the Tombes of the Prophets falsifying the spirit of the Scriptures in stating them between man and man 3 The thrid pillar is equality lodging the Word of God in this point in men of like honour in the world of like riches of like age of like office trade ocupation art learning and the like which is but a dumb shew and lifelesse karkase of the Prophet his spirit is departed and gone it is not in such ministration For they know not how to equalize things in Christ the true end of the Law and so of all Relations take this one instance for all to shew their ignorance in this point of equality they knew not how to make the state of Christ as in the wombe of the Virgin to be of like power and glory as set upon the Throne at the right hand of the power Mat. 26. 64. for they know not what is taught unto us in that the Holy Ghost over shadowed the Virgin namely to shield the Conception of Christ that no Rey or Glimse of the Wisdom Will Power or any sufficiency arising from the creature should contribute in the least to the being or form of the Son of God in that holy and God like Consistence of God and Man in one undivided state which is the Son of God Luk 1. 35. And in this Act the glory of the Son of God is made manifest in that he is shadowed and shielded from all staine or guilt of sin from all power and subtilty of Satan which are never separated yea from any evill or discommodious thing touching Him which is as glorious a thing and full of power in point of freedome and release as his sitting on the right hand of God in the exercise of all glory grace vertue which twain never were nor shall be separated from the state of Christ And thus might we equalize all things in Christ which seem to be unequall unto carnall mindes according to the Letter and Histories of the Scriptures which equality in Christ is that which the Scripture properly intends in all things and when it speakes of equality in point of friendship or brotherhood it intends not a brotherhood compassed within any term or time but an eternall off-spring equall in all points with respect to the right of the first born and not as any one son being preferred before another for there is but one intire son-ship of God for wee are born of God 1 Iohn 5. 1. 18. as being conceived by the Holy-ghost Luke 1. 35. we also are begotten of God for of his own will begat he us by the word of truth Iames 1. 18. so that we are not only begotten of God but also born of God nothing but the wisdom of God in that work of Christ is in conjunction in the uttering and conceiving in the forming of him and bringing of him forth as the first begotten the first born to be the first fruits of the Creacion without which nothing is clean unto us And this twofould parentage as father and mother uttered in the Commandement are they or that which we honour as being the only off-spring of both made one in Christ and hereby our dayes are prolonged in the Land which God hath given us for herein consists the length of dayes even eternall Life and are under the first Commandement with promise for there was never Law before that Ephes 6. 1. 2. For God made the promise of Eternall Life before the world began Titus 1. 2. so that the Saints are equall in being first born of immortall seed equall in possessing the first Land or inheritance even the Land of Emanuel that is God with us Mat. 1. 23. equall in being under the first Law even the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Iesus Rom. 8. 2. and equall in having the first promise annexed for it was made unto us before the world began Titus 1. 2. The true Equality then intended in the word of God is to make all the Saints of God Kings and Priests of the same Honour Holinesse Power and Authority which is only of God therefore a royall kingdom of Priests and priest-hood kingly a chosen generacion not one more choyce than another a peculiar people one not having lesse or more intrest in God than another a purchased possession the same price payd for and worth set upon one that is upon and for another Exodus 19. 6. 1 Pet. 2. 9 1 Cor. 6. 20. 1 Pet. 1.
18. 19. Therefore to terminate Equality in temporary relacions as the meaning of the word of God is a strong pillar to bear up and establish the Tomb of the Prophet And in these three points of Supportacion of the Tombs of the Prophets wherin their spirit is departed stands the enervating and disanulling of the fift Commandement and he that is guilty of one hee is guilty of all James 2. 10. 4 The fourth pillar supporting the Tombs of the Prophets for the expunging of their spirit out of the world that men may send gifts and gratifications one to another rejoyceing in the glory of the flesh by abandoning the deeds of the spirit Revel 11. 7. 8. 9. 10. stand in the abrogacion of the sixt Commandement Thou shalt not kill but shalt preserve life wherin all meanes of offence and defence are strictly given in charge for the effecting whereof how many are the terms relacions and respects of Honour contrived and composed in Military affaires and Disciplin according to the differing peoples and Nacions wherein it is exercised with their severall Engines and Instruments to attayn their ends and that from the Law of the carnall Commandement as it is written in all mens hearts Rom. 2. 14. 15. And when the word of God is expounded so as to consist in any thing as is naturally brought forth in the heart of man destitute of the spirit of Christ that is a meer karkasse of the Scripture voyd of the spirit of true prophesy so that to place the word of God in warlike affaires attayning its end in gaining or recovering temporary interests of honour riches lands places offices revenues safety or destruction of body goods and the like this may be done as a karkasse of the Law voyd of the spirit and life of it and so no more but a Tomb wherein the Prophet lies buried And the parties thus teaching and submiting to such Doctrin by working accordingly may and are destitute of the current of the Law how it runs wherein the proper plea stands and what is the tru point of issue For the Law is spirituall but the mind of man never so much refined by humane Learning gives a carnall construction therof Rom. 7. 14. But true Martiall Discipline that is of God must have Eternity in it elce it is not of God And all warlike affaires temporarily managed without the spirit of Christ is an unclean thing yea the Tombes of the Prophets and all the strength manifested therein is but as dead mens bones accompanied with rottennesse and filthinesse For the Military affaires intended by the word of God calling him The Lord of Hosts or of Armies Psalm 46. 7. Psalm 48. 8. is to be followers of the Lamb upon mount Zion as an Army of an hundred forty and four thousand every one of the twelve Tribes being multiplied into twelve thousands to signify unto all men that in whom soever Christ Iesus becomes a Root in Israel whether the Root in David Revel 5. 5. or a Root in Iesse Isay â—1 10. or the Root in Ephraim or any of the Tribes Judges 5. 12. 13. 14. 15. he multiplies himselfe into a compleat and triumphant Host for the conquering of whatsoever opposeth him who have their fathers name as the Motto in their Ensigne written in their foreheads that is the authority and power of God alone openly chearfully and boldly professed and maintayned amongst them Revel 14. 1 And for the Harnesse wherewith the spirit of the Prophet strengthens and animates it selfe it is the whole armour of God for a good souldier of Christ hath his loynes girt about with truth and hath the breast-plate of righteousnesse the helmet of salvacion the shield of faith his feet shod with the preparacion of the Gospell of peace the sword of the spirit which is the word of God and therefore a spirituall war praying with all supplication in the spirit watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all Saints Ephes 6. 14 -18 And for their Onsets and Assaults it is to resist the Devill in the stedfastnesse of Faith 1 Pet. 5. 9. to quench the fiery darts of Satan Ephes 6. 16. and war a good warfare according to the Prophesies that are gone before of every son of God 1 Tim. 1. 18. centring themselves in each of them as their proper intent in whom they are fulfilled and made good by which wee are made able to war a good warfare For the weapons of our warfare are not carnall but spirituall mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds casting down imaginacions and every high thing that exalts it self against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10. 4. 5. And so much for the four Pillars upon which the Tombs of the Prophets are erected and are every one of them a compleat grave wherein Christ is buried that he appears not in the world but in a sensuall respect 1 For the Superiority and Authority of the world is a grave wherein Christ as King is covered with that dust or earth and men walk over it and perceive it not Luke 11. 44. 2 The Inferiority and temporary Subjection of the world is a grave wherein the High-priest of our profession lies hid and covered mens eyes being directed unto that Monument that they perceive not the Subjection of the Son of God who humbled himselfe and became obedient unto death even the death of the Crosse 1 Phil. 2. 8. Hebr. 3. 1. 3 The Doctrin of Equals in the world is a Monument to cover Christ as he is the First-born of God when they state Equals in King and King earthly in Priest and Priest made by men in Captain and Captain only for the slaughter or preservacion of an earthly body or corporacion these things in Equality being made the scope of their Doctrin do fill the eys of men as a Monument set upon a grave and so hide the state of the first-bornship that is in Christ Iesus where every one hath equall Dignity for every Saint and Son of God is the first prime and chief act of God for the tru form of Christ Gal. 4. 19. is the principall and chiefe work that ever God did and all other things whatsoever are subservient thereunto Rom. 11. 36. P ov 16. 4. No direct nor tru Equality can bee found therefore out of the Son of God which is hid and buried by false interpretacions of the Word of God 4 The fourth particular is a grave to bury Christ as he is the Captain of our Salvacion Hebr. 2. 10. whilst men set up a Hearse of temporary Conquest over the bodies of men to be the end and accomplishment of the word of God for which their prayse is to be returned which hath not Eternity in it for they dare not lay prayses upon the Altar for that they have thrust mens souls down to Hell therefore a temporary act that mens eyes must be held
the breach of every law under the breach of every one Jam. 2. 10. And the multiplyed and innumerable manifestation of distinct laws and punishments for the breach of them is to declare how unreckonable the wayes are wherein that one holy mind and will of God in Christ may be contradicted and violated with the variety of plagues and punishments appertaining and annexed thereunto but every one of them of an infinite and eternal nature which cannot admit of any conteinment limitation or bounds of restraint even as it is with one Son of God to have such infinite wayes of the legal and orderly expressing of himselfe and to every one of them an eternal peace and satisfaction in God annexed To terminate the word of God therefore in the distinctions of these humane laws and institutions together with their penalties or rewards annexed is nothing else but to garnish the burying place of that righteous and equal one declaring to all the world that his spirit is ceased therein and departed therefrom so that all manner of dissimulation and cruelty is to e expected in all the wayes of their administration indevouring only to uphold the throne of iniquity by establishing the wisdome and glory of the flesh in the pulling down and demolishing that righteous Reign and Scepter of the Son of God Psal 94. 20. 23. Heb. 1. 8. Keeping him in the grave as dead and buried in regard of any of his life vertues-wisdome justice or righteousnesse appearing in such way of interpretation and administration For God as he hath formed himself in Christ is not in all their thoughts Psal 10. 4 5. Psal 56. 5. For he that forms another law to himselfe besides the law of the spirit in Christ as under the bond of the word oâ— God that man frames another God to himself besides the true God and lies under the breach and guilt of the law of God expressed in the first Commandement Exod. 20. 2 3 2 The second point in the order proposed in the Text stands in what these false Interpreters say that is in what they teach for it is their doctrine wherby they build the Tombs of the Prophets and garnish the Sepulchers of the righteous therefore where one Evangelist saith he said unto them another saith he said unto them in his doctrine Compare Mat. 13. 3. with Mark 4. 2. so that it is matter of doctrin whereby both the Kingdom of God and the Kingdome of Satan are erected and maintained 1 And first they conclude their Progenitors to be Murtherers in that they took away the lives of the Prophets by which we see that it is a maxime written in all mens hearts that the cessation of the spirit of prophefie which is done by falsifying and counterfeiting of the Scope and intent of the word of God is a grosse and capital sin which is to extort and violently to take away the life of any one that is innocent Q. But if it be a sin to take away by violence the life of the innocent is it not a sin to lay down and part with an innocent life if there be power to retain it as Christ is said to lay down his life Iohn 10. 11 12. Answ The Answer to this is twofold first it is not against law to suffer as an innocent for it is the gift of God to suffer as well as to beleeve Phil 1. 29. And it is a blessed thing to suffer for righteousnesse sake 1 Pet. 3. 14. but it is against law to take away the life of the innocent for God never made law to take away the life of his Son as the world do violently extort and take it away for then he should institute a law against himself and that eternal life for the Father and the Son are one Iohn 10. 30 Secondly we answer that Christ layes down his life properly with respect unto his death unto all the motions of sin operations of the flesh in all things which is his proper quickning and reviving in the spirit and living eternally unto God which death iâ— nothing else but his Resurrection and possession of everlasting life therefore a righteous and glorious act in the Son of God thus to lay down his life being an innocent act to crucifie all the affections and lusts of the flesh to the quickning and reviving of all the operations of the spirit of God Gal. 5. 24. Ephes 2. 16. 2 The second point in the order of the text stands in what they say in way of excusing and clearing of themselves in these words if we had been in the dayes of our Fathers we would not have taken parts with them in the blood of the Prophets wherein they acknowledge their Fathers to be murtherers â—â—t themselves reformed and become in better state and condition than their fathers were wherein they professe a better condition and a worse in the same Line Posterity Generation and Ofspring of Father and Son as though there were a better state and a worse where God is the Father and Fountain and his sons and offspring Iohn 1. 12. and a better and worse condition also where Satan is the Father and Fountain and his offspring and Children Iohn 8. 44. 1 Iohn 3. 8. This is the doctrine of all false and hypocritical Interpreters at this day who say that Satan is in a worse condition than mankind though never so wicked because the Devil sinned voluntarily without a tempter but man sinned being tempted drawn aside by another plainly declaring thereby that they know not what the Devil is who is so often in their mouths and hearts also nor what mans fall from God is nor wherein consists that great though secret inlet of sin into the world Neither can they truly teach what Christ is what his resurrection from the dead is nor wherein consists that great though secret and hidden inlet of Gods righteousnesse into the sons of men Again they teach that in the way of God there is a better and an inferiour condition as that one son of God is nearer to the father and in greater favour and dignity than another whereas they reall first-born Heb. 12. 23. or else they cannot be an acceptable gift nor are they to be consecrated unto the Lord unlesse they be the opening or emission of the womb Exod. 13. 1 2. Luk. 1. 13. therfore they are called in Hebrew Coach the first of Gods might or able strength or the beginning ofstrengths so the first-born is named Deut. 21. 17. Gen. 49. which Christ complains to be dryed up personating himselfe in those wicked Iews his persecutors Psal 22. 15. These men teach also that the Fathers who served in their generations before us were more remote from God under dark semblances and shadows the light of salvation not so appearing nor the approach and appearing of Christ so neer and perspicuous as it is to us at this day and such Fathers as were in favour with God also for we know that
teachers Phil. â— 19. For they move not but to satisfie their carnall appetite with honour wealth friendship outward peace and prosperity to be strengthned in the arm of flesh and leave plenty of such things unto their posterity Oh ye Serpents that move not but upon the cause of your belly to satisfie your corporeall body and life and when you attain to any preferment herein your religion either becomes a slavish underling or else withers quite away as the Serpent casts his withered slough or skin in the heare of Summer Yea he goes upon his belly breast or heart as the word imports that is their principal part signified by breast or heart cleaves unto the earth that is unto carnal and terrene things their mind understanding wisdom will affections and conscience yea all their learning is carnal earthly in the very prime and height thereof so that their principal aptitudes as breast or heart move not but upon the earth other creatures tread upon the earth as a thing mean and base put under their feet the Serpent moves not but layes it to his heart and bosom Oh Serpents the original of the curse of God but for false interpretation there had never been curse in the world nor wrath of God upon mankind which consists in going upon the belly or breast that is in carnalizing the word of God going upon it as upon the words of mâ—ns wisdom and principles not according to the wisdom and power of God 1 Cor. 2. 5. And in the words of mans wisdome and principles the letter of the Scriptures doth properly consist as is apparent to all that are not wilfully blind by the histories thereof proverbs parables relations offices buildings battels journeyings genealogies life and death of the Saints with the nature and operations of all Creatures in the heavens and on the earth which we see come in some sort within the confines of humane capacity which is the common doctrine of the world only adorning it as with God or making it as their God which is that which the Hebrews call Cashaph of which the Greeks have formed their word â—a caino and the Latins Fascino which is to bewitch and is the changing of the glory of the incorruptible God into thè image of a corruptible man and into birds and four-footed beasts and creeping things Rom. 1. 23. Which is nothing else but to place the glory of God to consist in conformity with the letter of the Scripture which is naturally written in every mans heart else the word of God could not expresse it selfe in all men that is in such as unto whom the spirit of God is not given also such as never had the written word of God could not lie under the breach of any known law of God and therefore their consciences could not accuse or excuse which is the portion of all men Rom. 2. 15. for doubtlesse the sound of the Scriptures is gone into all the earth and their words unto the end of the world Rom. 10. 18. 3 Thirdly the Serpent is known by his food dust shalt thou eat saith God Gen. 3. 14. to declare the basenesse of his proper sustentation to be such as all creatures decline dry dust can bring forth nothing that is good to perfection Isaia 65. 25. This is the food of all false Interpreters they carnallize and corrupt the word of God in all things for as dust is void of moisture which makes the earth fruitful so do they bereave the word of God of all that moisture and oyly intent of the Spirit or else it s no acceptable food for them to sustain the works of the slesh in terrene glory and beauty Oh Serpents that feed on nothing but basenesse by the verdict of God for to cast the word of God into a transitory form is nothing else but that unclean Spirit of the Devil which Christ here as his manner is rebukes for though there be an acknowledgement of Christ to be the Son of the most high God yet in that they professe Christ to be another thing than themselves are for they are affraid of being tormented by him therefore reckon themselves to be another thing for Christ doth not torment himselfe no man hates his own flesh Ephes 5. 19. In this they appear to have that unclean Spirit for it is and ever was the very form of the Devil so to do as really as it is the form of the Son of God to make himselfe one with the Father Iohn 10. 30. Iohn 14. 9. Therefore Christ rebukes such as unclean spirits yea that spirit of Satan as such as hath no interest in them that are his Mark 5. 7. 8. Oh Serpents who feed so basely as upon the husk the shell the barke and rinde of the word of God whereby the curse is formed and maintained in the world forsake the â—eed of immortality the kernel the sap the pith and the marrow of all things which is the scope intent and spirit of all things recorded and registred in the word and works of God 4 Fourthly the Serpent is known by his hearing for his custome is to stop his ear though the Charmer charm never so wisely Psalm 58. 5. he will not hear now we know that to charm a thing is to utter the same tune note speech or language which that uttereth which we are about to charm with an interposition or infinuation of something whereby to take with guile in the motion or coming forth of the thing as the Apostle useth the word guile in a good sense 2 Cor. 12. 16. But this Serpent in false Interpretation stops the ear let the good Charmer charm never so wisely it will not hear that is let the Son of God in tru interpretation opening of the word of God sound forth speak in the very same note tune which mans heart is known by naturally according to the history proverb parable and progresse of the word of God in way of ushering it into the heart of man or bringing forth the thoughts of mans heart to symbolize and agree therwith as it is propounded in the figure similitude metaphor allegory and dialogiums thereof yet when the truth of the thing appears which the spirit of God intends and is properly taken with against that doth the Serpent and false and subtle interpreter stop his ear even as it is said of the Serpent that he layes one ear to the ground and stops the other with his tayle wherein his life and motion properly resides for some Serpents after their head be cut off will live and move many hours which life and motion appears properly in the tayl So these false Interpreters when truth appears stop their ear in one respect with an earthly conjecture and conception of the word of God and in another respect with that lively aptitude which naturally they have to move and act in such carnal and sensuall wayes and respects which resides in the tail or in
that inferiour part or place of the sting of sin and curse of God Rev. 9. 10. made manifest in his word 1 Cor. 15 56. Oh Serpents this your false and carnall interpretation hath stopped the ear of man from the beginning that he will not hear the voice of the Son of God though he useth all his skil for the opening of it it is carnall and earthly interpretation in all ages that hath stoped the ear from hearing entertaining and approving the good word of God and by other means was the word of life never hindred from making entrance into the heart of man in any age of the world nor among any people or nation And it is only words of spirit and life Iohn 6. 63. that boar the ear and open it to hear the voice of the Son of God Psalm 40. 6. Iohn 5. 25. that they may live it is that which incorporates into the house and family of God so as never to depart thence for he is tyed thereby unto the door post even by that sound of the word in his soul that he can never depart from it even as the Servant that had served his Master seven years and would have no other freedome but what was found in that house and service was brought to the door post and boared thorow the ear entring into covenant therby to serve him for ever Exo. 21. 6. For there may be a Covenant struck by the ear as well as by the hand Heb. 8. 9. Therefore the Psalmist proclames Oh blessed is that people that know the joyful sound for they shall walk on in the light of thy face Oh Lord in thy name shall they be glad all the day and in thy righteousnesse shall they be exalted Psalm 89. 15. 16. alluding to the sound of the Silver Trumpet at the Wars Assemblies Solemn Feasts Iourneys and over the Sacrifices of Israel Psalm 81. 3. Numb 10. 3. 9. 10. Joel 2. 1. 15. The ear listning to true interpretation binds over to God incorporates into that mystical body of Christ and keeps from ever departing thence any more knowing the shrill sound of the trump of God which is the dictate of the spirit of God it preserves in the Camp for ever 5 Fifthly The Serpent is known by his act that is he crusheth the heel of Christ as the seed of the woman breaketh or crusheth his head so he breaks bruiseth or crusheth the heel or foot-soal of the seed of the woman that is of Christ Gen. 3. 15. For as Christ bruiseth the head of the serpent crusheth or squeezeth out the headship and power of the Devil so that nothing of his wisdom subtilty cruelty hypocrisie and authority appearâ— in the Saints of God in any of their wayes even so doth the Serpent by false interpretation bruise and crush the heel or soot soal of Christ or the print of the soot as the word imports that is whereas the Son of God in the Character letter or historical records of the word written in mans heart hath therein secretly and mystically involved his proper and saving intent which the Saints of God know how to take â—ut as their only and meet help Gen. 2. 18. for the propagation of their kind as they are the workmanship of God in Christ and his off spring Ephes 2. 10. Act. 17. 29. Even as the Lord tooke aâ— rib out of the side of the first man that great and original Character of mankind and made a woman of it Gen. 2. 21. for the multiplication of man upon the face of the earth Gen. 2. 28. So false interpreters they take out the letter and history of the word from the intent and mind of God and by that means bruise and squeeze out the life and spirit of Scripture that not a print of Christs proper footsteps which he hath truly taken therein can appear being they have carnallized them by closing up the flesh instead therof as though the glory power consisted only therein and as though no defect were upon man in the departure of the rib or bone the life and spirit of the word wherein all true power and glory doth consist which they by this means of spoyling the proper print of Christs footstep which he hath set upon all things in heaven and in earth terminating the form thereof in transient things which is the arm of flesh and so with the Serpent are accursed Jerem. 17. 5. Oh Serpents who by the bruising and disfiguring of the prints of Christs footsteps which he hath set upon all things rightly considered to make his way known to the sons of men according to the Spirit in closing up the flesh instead thereof to be the glory have thereby deluded and destroyed the world unto this day Rev. 9. 10. But these men cry out against such as stand for the scope intent life and spirit of the Scriptures which Christ saith his words are Iohn 6. 63 that they turn the Scriptures into an Allegory whilst in the mean time themselves are the only persons that so do for they will have all to consist in the proper allegory metaphor history outward form of parable proverb journeys buildings sacrifices and ceremonies and therefore in the laying down of one form and figure they take up another or else they would lose all their Religion as they must needs do at the time of their death for they have nothing to do when they come to heaven according to their own doctrine which they do hear no not to love God himselfe which they say only continues not understanding the speech of the Apostle concerning faith hope and love 1 Cor. 13. 13. for by their owne doctrine they deny to love God in Heaven as they do now here in this world for now they professe they love him mediately in another but then they will love him immediately in himself These are the allegorizers upon the word of God for they turn all into the proper figure Allegory Metaphor and misse of the truth and substance in all things 6 Sixthly The Serpent is known by his names and they are many whereof one is Pithon coming of the Hebrew word Pethen a Spirit of delusion that followed the Apostle Paul thereby to maintain and uphold the way of its delusion this is a certain effeminate Spirit oâ— divination that for gaine fi nds out a way by subtilty to prostrate it selfe to any forme of doctrine and that which seemes to prevail and be in honour with the most that it takes up with great applauding of the same together with the Publishers thereof Act. 16. 16. 17. And that this Sepent sets upon his own principles which are carnall and diabolicall which principles by that means he covertly and cunningly insinuates into the world by transforming himself into an Angel of light 2 Cor. 11. 13. for the upholding of the glory power riches and outward prosperity thereof as though the way of Iesus Christ were promoted and propagated therein Oh ye
the sight of all good men making it clear and manifest unto whom they belong and of what brood and off-spring they are 5 The fifth conclusion is that the word of God is of like concernment in all men and takes hold of them with like force whether it be laid in the way of the blessing or of the curse for it is of like concernment to maintain and uphold the principles of the Creature that it is to maintain and uphold the principles peculiar to God for if the principles of the Creature were not upheld to their height which argue themselves into the place office and seat of God 2 Thes 2. 3. 4. then there were no place for the curse and then the redemption of Christ were without vertue in that it delivered from no wretched nor cursed condition and then praise-worthinesse due unto God should cease having no matter nor cause from which to take place Again if mans principles were not maintained as well as the principles peculiar to God the word and work of God should faile and be extinct for the word of God never uttered it self nor did the work of God exist but in order to Gods wisdom framing the Son of man into its own likenesse making him in conformity with it selfe which is the state of the Son of God Iesus Christ as also the wisdom of man framing the Son of God into its own similitude and likenesse conforming him into the proportion of naturall and earthly principles which is the state of Antichrist that son of perdition and if either of these should fail the word and work of God should faile which are as durable as God himself Psal 119. 89. 90. The word of God therefore takes hold of all men yea of whole mankind with like authority and force both in way of the curse as also in the way of blessednesse for each maintains its own proper principles as upon life and death for in case mans principles and reasonings should take place and beare sway in a Saint the life and spirit of God should be extinct and if the wisdom and argument of the Son of God should take place and bear sway in any wicked man then the spirit of Satan whereby he lives would be extinct so that each of them hath the foâ—ce and authority of life and death upon them than the which a greater bond cannot be for if the force and authority of the word of God were not of like power in point of wrath in the way of the curse as to hold proportion with the word of blessing and peace then could not the word of God hold proportion with it selfe which must of necessity be in all things of an infinite and illimited force and authority 6 In the sixth place we conclude that the word of God hath ordained necessitated it self to come unto all men in way of interpretation and that in all its expressions and intimations whatsoever because it speaks and utters it self in mankind from divers principles and therefore the word must be interpreted or translated â—ut of one into another that is out of one proper speech or language into another and the very formings and fashionings of the heart is the proper speech or language of man therefore the abundance of the heart is that which he speaks Mat. 12 34 Now God hath taken up all things of man as he hath respect to all Creatures to utter and reveal his secret wisdom and counsel by in Christ the spirit of God therefore in the Saints takes out the minde and meaning of God from that originall Copy naturally written in the Tables of stone in all mens hearts and translates it according to that wisdom of God in Christ into the fleshy Tables of the heart fitted to receive the impressions of God by the removal of those stony strong and earthly apprehensions and conclusions which man naturally conceivs and concludes within himselfe from the word of God so that Gods true intent according to the dictate of his spirit being taken out of that husk or shell wherein it is expressed is no more the language of the flesh but of the spirit and this is of necessity to be done in the conservation of the Spirit and life of Iesus Christ the Son of God Again the spirit of errour and false interpretation takes out of that originall copy of the wisdom of G d that law of the spirit of life in Christ and translates it into principles and conclusions humane proper to the thoughts device and invention of a Creature terminating the mind and will of God in things limited by time place and person things transitory which cannot hold proportion with the Son of God and by means of this translation it is no more the language of the spirit but the language of the flesh and so the dictates of the Serpent the mind and will of Satan who captivates man by the lusts of his own heart 2 Tim. 2. 26. Furthermore the word of God is not the word of life without interpretation as it is translated out of death into life therfore he saith Thou wilt not leave my soul in Hell neither wilt thou suffer thy holy one to see Corruption Psalm 16. 10. Neither is the spirit of God a spirit of Revelation nor hath the honour of opening the mind of the father in any without this grace of interpretation whereby man is conformed unto the image and similitude of the Son of God Add further that man cannot lay claime to his proper being and prerogative as he is wicked namely to be wiser than the beasts of the field or to have dominion over the inferiour Creatures but as he translates the excellencies of God into his own humane principles and thereby exalts himself as Lord over all the works of Gods hand and by this his translation he interprets the word of God in direct opposition unto Gods true intent and proper meaning in that originall Copy of Gods wisdome in Christ presented unto the world and hereby are the principles of humane wisdom set up to bear sway in the world in the vilifying of the wisdom of God in Christ by which means the life of Satan is continued in the sons of mortall men And this interpretation is by translating one tongue and language into another which cannot be done but by presenting the originall Copy which by this means is cast aside and vilified as to be no more imbraced nor accepted and in this presentation of the original Copy of the wisdom of God which cannot but be acknowledged by all men ought to be magnified and submitted unto by all doth the answer of the question propounded consist for in this representation of the wisdom of God unto mankinde contained in such yea the same expressions written upon every mans heart herein doth the spirit of the Prophet the Wise-men and Scribes visit all the wicked of the world yea there where never good man bodily appeared a d in their rejection
of the wisdom of God and imbracing the wisdom of the flesh they kill the spirit of the Prophets persecute and evilly intreat them to their own destruction and finall overthrow So that the word of God in way of the curse as it utters it selfe in the principles proper to a creature cannot take account of it selfe in the conservation of those principles and aptitudes but as it terminates the mind of the spirit of God in them which is an utter cessation of the proper language of the Son of God and killing of the spirit of the Prophets of which spirit and state of the Son of God there is not one Prophet wise man or Scribe in Gods esteem and account suffered to live in the world for the son of God reckons and accounts of himselfe only according to that wisdom which eternizeth all things in his estate and condition for though the Son of God be a Creature as well as a Creator yet his estate through that unity of both is an eternall estate and condition so that the spirit of the word of God is sent unto and presents it self to all men whatsoever in the very same things themselves speak as that the most Excellent is to have the preheminence who is the Author of all things and the end of them also and if this be but granted which no man can deny for Pharaoh in his sober mood will acknowledg Gods preheminency of what worth or of what excellent use then shall any temporary thing be accounted or appear to be if God have preheminence in wisdom power authority riches peace plenty friendship and the like every thing in him is full and compleat in whomsoever he communicates the same where then is there a vacuum found for or a necessary use of the glory wisdom power authority friendship riches and prosperity of the world to make the Saints of God more honourable prosperous or excellent than that wherein their proper being doth consist which the world cannot give neither can they take it away nor work a diminution thereof in the least Note hence that in regard the glory of the Creature is of no use but altogether blasted and withered as grasse wheresoever the spirit of God breaths as a North wind and as the South wind upon the garden of God that the Spices thereof may flow out when the beloved comes to eat his pleasant fruit Isaia 40. 6. 7. 8. Iames 1. 10. 1 Pet. 1. 24. Cant. 4. 16. Therefore it is that the wisdom of the Creature to exalt flesh in preferring it before the life and spirit of the Lord Iesus who lives for ever terminates the word of God in carnal and terrene things according to its own principles whereby it preserves a carnal and sensual life in its selfe contradictory to the life and spirit of the son of God and the spirit and life of all true prophesie or found interpretation of the word of God and so quencheth the spirit and despiseth prophesie 1 Thes 5. 19. 20. pursuing carnal doctrine and bodily exercises upon the life and death of his spirit being engaged and bound over thereunto by the carnall Commandement Customs and Traditions of men and thereby expungeth and evacuateth the life and spirit of the Scripture which is the life and spirit of the son of God who is the only Prophet of the Church singularly considered and all the Prophets of the Church in a true and real distribution and plural acceptation according to the minde of the Scriptures Canticles 1. 3. We conclude then in order to the question that no man can carnalize the word of God out of the Characters written in his own heart Rom. 2. 13. 14. 15. 16. in which expressions the spirit is involved but his heart is touched with a higher thing than himselfe can form in his present act therefore Christ is still to come or hath been here but is departed in the judgment or doctrine of a carnall Iew or Gentile and takes not a perfect and real form in any thing they do or say but something is of a higher nature which these steps are ascending unto shall we think that men constituting a Church of a company of people who were no such thing the other day and in a few years following it shall come to nothing are not touched with something of a higher more excellent eminent and durable nature which this is only a help or step to attain unto shall we think that men exercised in ordaining officers for their defence safety honour and instruction are not touched with higher things which these lead unto shall men be exercised in bread and wine and water chewed with the teeth taken into the naturall stomack washing and dipping the naturall body which food perisheth which water slideth away are not these men touched with matters of higher concernment then any of these things are or ever can be These touches and intimations therefore are the visitations of the spirit of the true Prophet sent unto these wicked hypocritical and dissembling Scribes and Pharisees the blind guides of the world whose vilification of the spirit in preferring carnall Rites and Ordinances is the rejection persecution and killing of the spirit of the true Prophet maintaining nothing but a dead carkasse of Religion or dead bulk or body of the Scriptures in the world for their own gaine honour cruelty and contriving of means and making of engines and instruments to exercise their enmity upon the spirit of true prophesie and interpretation in the person of whomsoever it appears in the world and herein consists the very root and rise the seed and off-spring of the Serpent which is the Devil and Satan in his operations in the men of the world as at this day Observe further in this point that the word of God as it utters it selfe according to Gods wisdom upon principles proper to the eternall Son of God cannot take an account of it selfe in the conservation and maintaining of them nor can it speak its own proper language but as the originall copy out of which it is translated presents it selfe which is the letter of the Scripture the characters written upon mans heart the very engine and instrument of Satan whereby he exalts himselfe whereupon the spirit of revelation is necessitated unto interpretation taking out the mind of God in rejection of the will and wiles of Satan and so becomes an interpreter one of a thousand to declare unto man his righteousuesse to be such as becomes the only begotten Son of God Iob 33. 23. 24. translating the language of the Creature into the proper wisdom and speech of the Son of God in whom the proper language which man naturally speakes with respect to the word of God hath no place nor do humane principles bear any sway in him at all therefore when the Mother of Christ according to the flesh would have had his glory to have appeared at the marriage feast in Canaan of Gallilee to the end
to lift up such relations he saith Woman what have I to do with thee my hour is not yet Iohn 2. 1. 2. 3. 4. that is my glory consists not in any of these things nor never shall therefore cals her woman as not acknowledging naturall relations as coming within the account of his proper time and oration Humane principles therefore in the intent and extent proper unto them have no place in Christ no more than the Devill himselfe hath who hath no part in him Iohn 14. â—0 But there is an utter cessation of them both in respect of their proper progenitor and off spring and are cancelled as that hand-writing of Ordinances which is against us being nailed unto the Crosse of Christ Colos 2. 14. which otherwise are that partition wall set up and interposing themselves between the sons of men and all that power glory comfort and vertue proper unto the son of the living God Ephes â— 14. and in this translation or in e pretation of the letter of the Scripture into words of spirit and life doth consist the very root and rise seed and off spring of that blessed sonship which is of faith in the Son of God which is not done without the presentation of that language or copy out of which it is translated or that state from which it is delivered which originall language or condition in them of its own proper house thus presented unto the son of God hath in it the power of darknesse the gates of hell subtilty and wyles of the Devill Eph s 6 12. Colos 1. 13. Mat. 16. 18. Ephes 6. 11. having a sufficient power to subdue and overcâ—me being it is exercised towards a man who by nature in that respect as he cometh from the Earth hath the same principles whereby Satan exalts himselfe and wherein he exerciseth all his subtilty power and authority in the hearts of men But it is presented also to him who hath the wisdom power and spirit of God by which he overcomes the wiles of the Devill quencheth the fiery dâ—rts of Satan suppressing the gates of Hell and ruinaâ—â—s the powers of darknesse without which wisdome power and spirit of God it were impossible to escape Mat. â—4 2â— And thus the Devill tempted Christ in the wildernesse where no man but only wilde beasts are said to be present with him Mark 1. 13. And yet no temptation of Satan can appear but as God and man are both concerned therein for the letter of the word which is the proper language of man is never taken up by the Devill or by an Idolathite for they are one 1 Cor. 10. 19. 20. but by or in the expunging of the spirit and proper intent whereby God and man become one according to carnall and humane principles which is Satan or that son of perdition as really as man being made one with God according to the divine and godlike principles is that holy son of God Now the conquest of Christ consists only in the translation or interpretation of such carnall principles and argumentations so alledged in the language of â—he Devill and urged against the man Christ for his overthrow into those spirituall and eternall principles proper to the Son of God productions proper to he intent of the spirit of God and that whereby that mystical body of Christ doth eternally consist which is the proper and only way and means of conquest in all the Saints of God of whom and not else it doth consist who are one body and one spirit one mind and heart speaking the same thing knit together in one judgment Ephes 4. 4. Colos 2. 2. Phil. 1. 27 1 Cor. 1. â—0 Againe the spirit of the Scripture never utters it self but as one with man out of which consistence it never speaks in which it brings mans wisdome and proper principles to nought 1 â—or 2. 6. 8. and according to this consistence it utters it selfe in its solicitations of the wicked in all the world for reason cannot give it selfe a being conservation and continuation but in order to an infinite and allmighty power and therefore the word of God as iâ— presents it selfe unto wicked men in all ages of the world hath in it self sufficient power and authority to subdue and win them unto God because it speaks to them in whom God is as really aâ— man is in Christ who is by nature of a gracious propense and yeilding spirit unto his own voice even as it is said that the spirit of the Prophets is subject unto the Prophets 1 Cor. 14. 32. and therefore it is an allmighty power of darknesse and that infinite force of the curse of God changing the glory of God into a corruptible thing through this false interpretation to the extinguishing in themselves the spirit of Iesus that spirit of grace and word of life and salvation which hinders the good and happy successe of this solicitation given by God Rom 1. 23. Psalm 106. 19. 20. So that God is in the wicked who is by nature ever in readinesse to yeeld himself to his own voice and to be taken with the solicitations of his own spirit yet in the wicked it is rejected by the power of the God of this world who blinds the minds of the infidels lest the power oâ— the glorious Gospell of Christ should shine in them 2 Cor. 4. 4. So in like manner man is in that state of Christ tempted by the Devil who by nature in respect of his own naturall propensity is as readily won and yeilding unto Satan as the sons of the coal are apt to fly upward Iob 5. 7 but by that allmighty power and wisdom of that spirit proper to the Son of God they are rejected vanquished and overcome unto perpetuall victory and triumph Hos 13. 14. 1 Cor. 15. 55. 5â— 57. And in the one and in the other of these visitations the one unto life the other unto death the blessing and the curse of God are reserved and kept in motion and exercise for ever And in one of these namely the true translation and interpretation of the word of God which renders unto God his proper due and right in all things as being of him and for him and to him the exaltation and exercise of Christ as the only begotten of God and heir of all things doth consist And in the other namely the falâ—e translation and interpretation of the word of God doth consist the imployment and downfall of the devill who cannot abide the truth who is that son of perdition and destruction and by this means becomes that deaf Adder who will not hear no though the Charmer charm never so wisely that is though the word of God be presented unto him as a sweet and melodious song of salvation speaking the very same thing which man utters in his own heart and it is that which unites and ties all Creatures to consort together namely uttering the same voice being of the same language and thence it is
of the Scriptures in what soever they expresse themselves therefore it is that Christ saith before Abraham was I am Iohn 8. 58. and the gift of Prophecy which went before of Timothy is to be in exercise in his present ministry 1 Tim. â— 14. As also by this spirit of wisdom the man of God knowes how to cause the acts of eternity with respect to things to come joyfully to face about and swiftly to countermarch to our present station and to exercise themselves in the present postures and operations wherein we are conversant Ezek. 12. 27. 28. Therefore it is that Luke differeth the phrase abridging them into Prophets and Apostles Now we know that Apostles are Leaders to usher in the death resurrection and ascension of Christ as eye witnesses thereof now an eye-witnesse gives a real presence to the things testified because his eye doth communicate in the things else is there no ground of certainty for judgement to passe either in order to absolution or of condemnation Also a Prophet foretel ing things to come must likewise bring and state them in present act and being for he cannot be known to be a true Prophet unlesse the thing foretold become to passe Ier. 28. 8. 9. And the reason of all this is because the work of God is an infinite eternall and undivided act as himselfe is which illustrates and conserves it selfe inpleasure and delight in the Creature for ever through the variety of operations infinitely comprehended in that one simple and intire act so that no time nor place power nor deâ—ect can ever weave any thing thereinto bearing another nature or working to another end than that which this simple and eternal act hath infinitely framed and disposed it selfe unto Psalm 33. 9. 10. 11. And hence Christ brings in that perpetuated act of false interpreters of the word of God in point of their entertainment of these Prophets and Apostles who are thus uncessantly sent unto them that is Of them ye shall kill and crucifie and of them shall ye scourge in your Synagogues and persecute from City to City 1 they kill or murder them as the word imports that is extort and take away without or against law the life and spirit of the prophecies and doctrines contained in the word of God of which Christ thus affirms The words that I speak they are spirit and they are life Iohn 6. 63. and where the spirit and proper intent of the Scriptures is taken away and extinct there the life of the Prophet is never found but a dead carkasse of the law of works so that a false Interpreter will not afford the word of God its proper place of breathing for the spirit of the Scriptures is the proper life of Christ which is in motion where-ever that is kept pure and preserved even from everlasting to everlasting but these men stifle the word of God by confining it to times as thus such parts of the word of God had their lively hood and operations in the world which is now past and therfore not to be acted now but only a speculative or tipical use to be made thereof in our dayes this is to murder the Prophet also such Scriptures are for our proper use to move act by in these dayes which were not in times past nor hereafter shall be of such use this is to murther the Prophet Again such Scriptures shal be in act herafter as many things in the revelation of Iohn which are not now to be practised by us in our dayes this is to kil the Prophets Again they stifle the word oâ— God by peece-mealing and confining it to persons as that some places or parts of the word of God are to be acted by some persons in place and office but not by others of the People of God wheras Christ gives like liberty and like restraint to all that are his for as they are all first-born of God and Kings and Priests unto God so are they all Subjects and Servants of God and one to another Rom. 12. 5 Moreover they confine the word of God to places as in such places it is not now heard of but in such places the report of it is whereas the Apostle affirms that with out all doubt or controversie the sound thereof is gone through the Earth and their words unto the ends of the world Rom. 10. 18. These are the wayes of strangling and murthering the Prophets by expelling the true spirit and spacious intent of the word of God in which life only doth consist and ever did in respect of the true being motion and conservation of the same and to deny the word of God its proper and continued operation and manner of being in the Saints of God is all one as to deny the Son of God to be ever the same which iâ— to crosse and thwart the verdict of the wisdome and spirit of God Heb. 13. 8. and not to give Christ the extent of his life in the simplicity and integrity thereof in his operations in all times and ages yea from everlasting to everlasting Psal 90 1. 2. is to kill and take away the life of the Son of God by measuring him according to the dimensions of a creature and not according to God for he is made of God unto us or in us that is God is in the consistence and the fulnesse of God gives being to that state of the Son and not the things of the creature so that he is made in us wisdom righteousnesse Sanctification and redemption 1 Cor. 1. 30. and that of God not of the Creature it is the righteousnesse of God and not a righteousnesse of a Creature it is the wisdom of God and not of a Creature it is the holinesse of God and not any thing proper to a meer Creature and so it is the Redemption of the Son of God and not of one of lesse worth from all bondage captivity and slavery that he that â—loryeth may glory in the Lord 1 Cor. 1. 31. or as the word is that he that praiseth himselfe may praise himself in the Lord that is we are to praise our selves or commend our selves in the things of God and not of man in the wisdom power riches righteousnesse life peace truth and holinesse roper unto all mighty God and not in any thing proper unto any or all the Creatures For the word of God in the true and native signification thereof was never expressed but by the Spirit of God for that only knows the mind of the Lord and searcheth the deep things of God which none else ever did neither can do 1 Cor. 2. 9. 10. â—1 12. neither was the word of God ever resident or rightly conceived according to Gods intent but as in the minde of that Son of man the man Christ and if his spirit and life be not extended and maintained according to that form and comprehension of his mystical body and otherwise he is not taught a spiritual but a
ruine and overthrow unresistably even as the spirit of God departing from Saul an evil spirit from the Lord troubles him and nevers gives him â—est till he had brought him to destruction 1 Sam. 16. 14. 1 Chron. 10. 4. 5. 6. false interpretation is a transformation of the spirit of the Lord into a spirit of trouble and torment as really as it transforms the truth of God into a lye Rom. 1. 25. and therefore it is said of the Lord I will be unto them as a Lion as a Leopard by the way will I observe them I will 〈◊〉 them as a Bear that is bereaved of her Welps and will rent the caul of their heart and there will I devour them like a Lion the wilde beast shall tear them Hos 13. 7. 8. So that it is a reall truth that God destroyes the wicked with a mighty and unresistable power in that way of Antichrist aâ—d unbelief though otherwise a God of salvation and deliverance Psalm 68. 20. even as it is a reall truth that man in that way of Christ saves the chosen of God though otherwise a worm and no man and as a beast before the Lord Psalm â—2 6. Psalm 73. 22. and thus much for the first point namely the guilt that cleaves to false Interpreters the second is the manner of their Progresse in which observe these things 1 First A discription of the parties on whom this cruelty is exercised and they are described first by their Names that is Abel and Zacharias Secondly by an adjunct in the one and by the ancestor of the other Abel the righteous and Zachariah the Son of Barachiah 2 Observe the manner of the Fact which doth greatly agravate or extenuate a matter that is said here to be from blood to blood from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zachariah 3 The Application of the Fact done so long before unto the â—arties then present in these words whom ye slew 4 The place where the Fact is done that is between the Temple and the Altar 5 A serious asseveration or an affirmation of a just and proportionable recompence to come upon the Murtherers in these words verily I say unto you all these things shall come upon this generation 1. And first they are described by their names upon whom this cruelty is exercised the first being Abel as Luke hath it from the blood of Abel but Matthew addes righteous Abel whence observe that we are not to take up a name or to use it uponany occasion title or epithite given in the word of God but as we consider the nature of the thing therin included otherwise we use the name in vaine it is an empty and fruitlesse title unto us without truth and substance and carrieth not in it as conveying unto us the weight of Gods purpose and appointment unto his people Therefore when we use the word Lord as speaking from the Lord unto others if there arise not in our hearts a royal courage and authority as having dominion over whatever might oppose his truth with confidence of prosperous successe to accomplish his holy ends otherwise we participate not in the nature of the name used in that respect and God never gave name without the nature accompanying the same therefore every Creature in the beginning had its name according to its nature if the name of God therefore be called upon us or we called by his name Jer. 14. 9. we have the nature of it also or else it is an empty and vain title which the wisdom of God never gives to any Again if we use the name Lord as speaking to God in Prayer or Thanksgiving then there is annexed unto it in our hearts a ready willing chearfull and voluntary submission and obedience unto his will in all things otherwise it is but an empty and fruitlesse title Likewise if we use the title or tearm Father as we exercise the place of gravity beseeching men in Christs stead to be reconciled unto God 2 Cor. 5. 20 then are our hearts possessed and replenished with a spirit of tendernesse and bowels of compassion earn within us Hosea 11. 8. or else we take that name of God in vain in that respect it is an empty title unto us and God will not hold him guiltlesse that takes his name up as a bare and empty term Exod. 20 7. Also if we use the name Father as we appeal unto God for instruction protection and supply then doth the disposition of a Child fill our hearts as though we stood in no other relation but of a Child to a tender and compassionate father for the Spirit of God is full in all its operations Adde further but that which might be added in this point is infinite if we take up the name or title of King we must bring in therewith the true nature of eternity and immortality the only wise God who reigns in peace is glorious and hath everlasting life Psalm 93. 1. Heb. 7. 1. 2. 1 Tim. 1. 17. unto whom all glory doth appertain and belong and to none else what ever he be where that Princely spirit is not found otherwise we measure and account of our selves according to transient titles offices and actions a rule wherby the Son of God never took form unto himself nor doth he account of any thing in his condition and Kingdome according to the worth or dignity of any momentany thing whatsoever but only takes them up as Gideons souldiers did the water out of the Brook with their hands not to lodge and lie down by the River but took up that contained in the River as a furtherance and helpe to their proper intent and design and those that lie down by them by lodging the word of God in them they may turne back into Egypt from whence they came for they are no souldiers of our Lord Iesus Christ they do but take up his name in vaine without the nature annexed to the same Iudg. 7. 5. 6. 7. 8. Note further in this name together with the adjunct Abel the righteous according to the Etymologie of the name Abel it signifies vanity or emptinesse or a soon vanishing vapour such is every mans life said to be Iames 4. 14. and here the spirit of God annexeth righteousnesse unto it saying Righteous Abel whence we observe that there is a righteousnesse in vanity which being rightly considered it is a vanity or emptinesse wherein all things are contained both good and evill and so the righteousnesse of Condemnation and the righteousnesse of Absolution are adjoyned and annexed thereunto for there is a vanity and emptinesse to be found in all unbeleevers and also in all the elect or chosen of God and that Christ Iesus is personated in Abel is most evident for in Abel he is said to be a Lamb slain from the beginning Rev. 13. 8. even as Satan in that wicked act of Cain in staying his brother is said to be a Murtherer from the beginning Iohn 8. 44.
thing thereby wherein men have put alike excellency Further if the law of carnall Jerusalem did not deiâ—ie marriages of man and woman by terminating the word of God in them so as men expect a certain Heaven in fulfilling thereof otherwise would they run into adulteries but only that they find not their hope at home but resolve it is to be found else where and thus it is in point of honour outward peace great friends and allies which Ierusalem after the flesh hath set up as Gods in the world for men to adore and worship and spare nothing for the obtaining and maintaining the same Moreover this carnall Ierusalem makes gods of terrour or rather Devils to be avoyded of temporary things as poverty idlenesse fornication drunkenness pride in gay apparel want of obedience to Parents Ministers Majestrates terminating the word of God as its proper errand to mankind in these things in all their prohibitions curses and comminations which fils some with terrour and fear it may be despaire and madnesse in their coming short of perfection in their abstaining from such things and others are filled with itching desires to taste of them apprehending some strange and uncouth thing to be in that which is so prohibited whereas if the Law of God were rightly exhibited and set forth it would moderate mens hearts in the pursute of any earthly excellency seeing the vanity of it and quell all fears of wants and miseries arising from the want of the glory of it knowing that God hath given commission to all things to work for the good of every one of his Rom. 8. 28 -35 Christ therefore directs his speech against Ierusalem as that mother City law or order that brings forth Scribes and Pharisees who by their law stone the Prophets of God and such laying claime unto the law is the reall deniall of the law as bad as those whom they call Antiscripturians a term soon found out to make men odious But it were better to fill their ears with arguments to the stifling of all such ignorant spirits as deny the present power and authority of the word of God Though these men think themselves such as are flown beyond and above others and therefore wait either for a new word never yet recorded from the mouth of Christ when he comes to reign on Earth as a Monarch or else for such a spirit as yet never breathed in the sons of men and so look at the word of God recorded as a thing now out of date according as they judge of the Ceremonies of the Law These are false Interpreters of the word and are under a law of this carnall Jerusalem that Christ thus chargeth in that they make the eternall word of God which is the same with God himself and lives alike together with himself in the Saints in all ages these persons therefore that deny the â—â—esent power and vertue of the word of God are as really these deceitfull and hypocriticall Expounders as those Scribes and Pharisees were to whom Christ speakes and arise from Hagar the bond-woman as really as those descended of that Ierusalem who is in bondage with her children declaring themselves to be no children of the free-woman and so no heirs of promise For they may as well professe the eternall word that Son of God and Saviour of the world to be void of vertue and have no operation in or upon the Saints of God whether living upon the Earth or departed this life who is he that upholds all thingt by his power Heb. 1. 3. and saith of himself by the Psalmist the foundations of the Earth are weake I bear up the Pillars thereof Selah Psalm 75. as to affirm that the word of God recorded in Scripture is either out of date and not of present use or destitute of any vertue and power which once it had For if these men will have the Characters of the word of God void and out of date as records of no use they deal not truly with themselves unlesse they make the whole work of God in the creation of this visible world to be out of date yea their own bodies and souls with all the operations and imaginations of their hands and hearts for the Letter and Character of the Scripture is engraven in them all therefore it is that all things are called upon by the Psalmist to utter and set forth the high praises of the Lord Psalm 148. as all his Angels all his Hosts all high places yea praise him Sun and Moon and all Stars of Light the Heavens of Heavens and Waters that be above the Heavens yea things from the Earth Dragons and all Deepes Fire Hail Snow and Vapour stormy Wind and Tempest doing his will Mountains and all Hils fruitfull Trees and Cedars the wilde Beasts and all Cattell creeping things and feathered fowls Kings of the Earth and all People Princes and all Iudges of the Earth young Men and also Maidens old Men with Children if men will have the Records of Scripture the Characters of the Word of God out of date let them professe all these to be out of date and void of that vertue relation motion and operation which God at the first placed in them and gave unto them Yea let them professe that their places offices and stations they stand in to be out of date and of no use a marrying and giving in marriage procreation of Children or of any Creature with their eating drinking sleeping labour and rest let all these be dead out of date unto them if the Characters of the word be out of use yea their own thoughts and motions of their minds for the word of God as spoken of all men saith the word is nigh unto thee even in thy heart and in thy mouth Rom. 10. 8. and saith the Apostle this is the word of saith which we preach that is our Ministry is nothing else but an opening of that Husk or Character written upon your own thoughts and words that you may participate of the strength life and substance contained therein which otherwise is a dead and killing letter yea the savour of death unto death 2 Cor. 3. 6. 2 Cor. 2. 16. 2 Cor. 3. 7 -11 Those therefore that deny a like vertue and power to be in the letter of the Scripture or Character of the word of God that ever was at any time from the beginning such men are false Interpreters of the word of God and alike adversaries to Christ and his salvation as these against whom all these woes are denounced and do appertain unto them as their proper right and justly purchased inheritance for the word of God in the letter of it is more firmly imprinted than in being blotted with Ink upon Paper therefore our Apostle affirms that it is graven upon stony Tables of the heart as well as the Law of the spirit is upon the flâ—shy Tables of the heart for they are both to remain in their proper places 2 Cor.