whereby he gives out himselfe to be knowne after a sort for my eternall happinesse and the happinesse of all his people Chap. IV. Sheweth what we are to understand by God in Christ and what Christ is and what the Father Son and Spirit are GOD is in the Creation but dwels in the Lord Jesus Christ is God dwels in the Lord Christ Gods habitation for in him dwels the fulnesse of the God-Head bodily the fulnesse of Grace and Truth In the Creation he is a God over us in Christ a loving Father to us But seeing this is the great Mystery of Godlinesse viz God manifest in the flesh justified 1 Tim. 3. 16. in the spirit seene of Angels preached unto the Gentiles beleived on in the world and received up into glory Which mystery is hid from the eyes of the world and mans vaine imagination fancyes such vaine understanding of it I shall endeavour to speake more plainely and particularly of it and shall observe this order 1. To shew what we are to understand by God in Christ 2. How God in Christ unvailes himselfe to the sons of men That we may know what we are to understand by God in Christ these three things are to be considered and that from the word Christ which signifies one Anointed wherein consider 1. The Anointer 2. The Anointed 3. The Ointment it selfe wherewith he his anointed Of these in order 1. The Anointer giver dispenser or pourer forth of the ointment who is the Anointer 't is the Father is the Father God in all over all and above all for whom are all things and by whom are all things t is that infinite that incomprehensible majesty that eternall substance which I have already proved to be incomprehensible The Scriptures abound in this doctrine The spirit of the Lord God is upon me saith Christ he Isa 61. 1. hath anointed me God proclaimes it from heaven saying I have found my servant David which is the Lord Christ with my holy oile I have anointed him Againe singeth the sweet Psalmist of Israel in the Song that his heart endited or bubled or boyled forth concerning the King God thy God hath anointed thee This was prefigured shadowed pointed at and typed forth in the Law by Moses anointing Aaron This is the Fathers worke Secondly The subject Anointed is the humane nature in which The subject Anointed is the humane nature God was manifested for he was manifested in the flesh It was that particular body of Christ that the word dwelt in which was made flesh and dwelt amongst us and therefore saith the Scripture he hath Anointed his holy childe Jesus even Jesus of Nazareth the son of Mary of Acts 4. 27. a Virgin the Son of David the Son of Abraham the Son of Man who is called The man Christ Jesus It was that particular person who was the subject of this anointing Now the humane nature is nothing else but a fleshly body and humane soul united in one which humanity is proper to all men yet so that every man hath the whole humane nature in himself and so was this person this man Christ this humane nature consisting of body and spirit in one person was the Subject of the Anointing Thirdly The Ointment it self remains to be declared which is Theointment is the Spirit that holy Oyle with which our Jesus is Anointed which Ointment hath severall names in Scripture to declare its worth and nature It is the Spirit of God therefore saith Christ The Spirit of the Lord is upon Psal 98. 20. me he hath anointed me With my holy Oyle saith the Lord I have anointed him which is the Oyle of joy and gladnesse the holy Ghost and power Which Oyle is sweetly tipified forth to us by the holy Oyle mentioned by Moses whose composition consists of principall spices Ex. 30. 25. 30. as pure Mirrbe sweet Calamus sweet Cynnamon Cassia and Oyle olive wherein though misteriously yet very excellently is deciphered the very nature of the Sprtit of the Lord Jesus for the nature of that composition is such that it is of singuler vertue being soveraign for the brain comfortable for the heart and wholsome for the liver the three natural fountains and springs of the naturall bodies life purging from evil humors mollifying and softning the body enabling the body to performe its naturall vitall and animall faculties Which is abundantly yea superlatively true of the Spirit that gives to a Saint being wisdome understanding light life power love and increase to a Saint softning the hardest heart moistening and relenting the most flinty spirit purging and scouring away effectually all drossy cholerick passionate idle melancholy earthly and evill humors of sin and corruption fitting and enabling the soule to runne the waies of Gods commands preserving the soule from sins venome and poison keeping it from corruption or putrefaction And wheras none was permitted to make any after the likenesse of that composition It declares and proclaimes aloud the contrariety of the true Spirit to all pretences of it or counterfeitings of it which are the powers signes and lying wonders of the man of sinne which Christ through the brightnesse of his coming will destroy Thus briefly have I handled the three essential things to be considered in the true knowledge of God in Christ Now know this That neither of these three abstracted from the other is the Lords Christ t is the composition or conjunction of these three in one person that makes this Christ therefore is it said The word was with GOD and was GOD and yet was made flesh which leads us to the consideration of the various manifestations of God as they are one in Christ Jesus There are three that beare Record in heaven the Father Sonne and holy Ghost or Spirit and these three are one viz One God and one in the man Jesus Christ These three are not three Gods but one God is made manifest What the Father Son and Spirit are after three manner of wayes that is to say God the Father conceived his word in his owne minde which is his sonne eternally brought up with him his wisedome daily his delight it is his light whereby he knowes himselfe and brings forth every thing by himselfe For by his word that is to say himselfe in a way of activity or doing or wisedome made the worlds the word was in himselfe producing every thing below himselfe and the spirit is the mutuall kindnesse each of other which is actively eternall The spirit is sometimes taken for the power of God susteining all things producing all things sometimes for the influence of the Fathers love shed abroad in the heart and this is the Spirit of God the Comforter in the Gospell so that all these are one agree in one and what may be attributed to the one doth agree to the other So that these three are not three distinct substances or persons in the common and most knowne
owne bloud which is called the bloud of sprinkling which Christ poured forth when he suffered without the gate even his owne precious bloud which is the bloud of God This is he that came by water and bloud even Jesus Christ This was part of that new Song the 24 Elders sang when they fell downe before the Lambe saying Thou wast slaine and hast redeemed us by thy bloud even his bloud whose vesture was dipt in bloud Therefore Christs bloud is called the bloud of the Covenant of the everlasting Covenant But peradventure some will be ready to say who seeme to be very Object spirituall That that bloud that washes us is not the bloud poured forth upon the Crosse for that was spilt upon the ground but it is a spirituall bloud and therefore saith Christ He that eateth my body and drinketh my bloud shall never dye which seemes to imply some other bloud To which I answer 1. By the bloud of Christ we are to understand not onely the Sol. bloud sned forth from his side as a naturall eye might see it but the same bloud in the virtue of it which bloud is the sacrifice So he that drinketh Christs bloud partakes of the excellent benefit that redounds through Christs bloud which in due time I shall shew you more fully 2. By this word Bloud we must know the death of Christ to be concluded and his body included All Christs suffering center in one word namely his Bloud which holds forth all his sufferings upon the Crosse And therefore in the next place the Scripture declares this sacrifice 3. To be the offering up of his body Christ gave up his body to death to suffer all the wrath of man and to become an offering for sinne therefore It is his body Heb. 10. 10. 1 Pet. 2. 24. Col. 1. 22. Isa 33. 10. John 10. 15. Acts 8. 53. 1 John 13. 16. Matth. 20. 28. it is called the offering of the body of Christ. So saith Peter he bare our sinnes in his owne body even in the body of his flesh By which body we are to understand himselfe his bloud for every one of these words are wound interchangably each in other Thus Christ gives his body to be eaten that is to say the fruit of the offering up his body he gives his body for us that the fruit of that body might redound to us 4. It is said He made his soule an offering for sinne The Lord Christ It is his soule offered up offered up the whole man body and spirit he loved not his life but poured forth his soule and underwent the whole curse wrath and vengeance of the most High in body and spirit 5. Christ sayes he layes downe his life for us yea he gave his life a It is the laying downe his life Rom. 5. 10. Col. 1. 22. Heb. 2. 9. 14. Heb. 9. 15. 1 Pet. 13. 18. 18. ransome for many In this word all the other are contained Therefore it is so often said in the Scriptures we are saved by his death and by his sufferings So that all these tearmes of Christ giving himselfe pouring forth his bloud giving his owne body making his soule an offering for sin laying downe his life dying and suffering for us are all one sacrifice one is diffused into all and all center in every one Chap. VIII Sheweth how often this Sacrifice was offered the place where and the time when it was offered THUS through the power and virtue of this sacrifice having declared what it is we come now to consider 1. How often this sacrifice was offered The Priests under the Law How often this Sacrifice was offered Heb. 9. 26. 28. Heb. 10. 10. 12. 14. 18. went into the holy place every year they offered sacrifice continually But our Jesus by one sacrifice hath done away sinne The multiplicity of the legall sacrifices argued their imperfection for those Priests daily ministring offered sometimes the same sacrifice which could never take away sinne but this Man saith the Spirit after he had offered one sacrifice for sinnes for ever sate downe on the right hand of God holding forth the worke was done that Christ might sit still needing no more offering And whereas it is said He sat down on Gods right hand it declares he had done his worke and the Father accepted it or else he should never have beene placed in the throne of victory at his Fathers right hand Christ was once and but once offered to beare the sinnes of many Many talke of Christs dying still in us and the like but indeed instead of exalting Christ as they pretend to do they ranke him onely in the Leviticall Priesthood and instead of holding forth his perfection they render him imperfect and quite contradict the aforenamed Scriptures 3. The place where Christ was offered deserves our consideration for it is not said in vaine that he suffered without the gate upon the The place where this sacrifice was offered Heb. 13. 12. Crosse and that betweene two theeves it shewes the descension of our Saviour into the lowest vilest contemptiblest estate and condition that could be Christ died at Jerusalem a City not in the heart but in Judea in the world I mind this the rather because some think the death of Christ at Jerusalem not at all to concerne them but they look for Christs death within them whereas in the Scriptures nothing is more cleare then this that Christs death at Jerusalem is the offering for sin not Christs death in any ones heart The Scriptures warrant no such kinde of language I confesse I know thus much that though Christ died at Jerusalem if the power virtue and efficacy of this death be not seated revealed and enjoyed in the heart a poore soule can take no comfort in it notwithstanding this is as certaine he that enjoyes not Christ in him as a fruit of that one offering at Ierusalem enjoyes him not at all The Scriptures often speake of our being dead with Christ that is to say being implanted into the likenesse of his death by being dead to sinne and to iniquity but no where speake of Christ being dead in us as the sacrifice by which we are saved If Christ be in us the body is dead not Christ because of sin and the spirit is alive because of righteousnesse Christs death hath a virtue in us namely destroying sinne and becoming a quickning spirit 4. Concerning the time of this sacrifice being offered In the fulnesse of time saith the Lord God sent forth his Son it was in the last The time when this sacrifice was offered dayes so called in respect of dispensation for now all under Moses and the Prophets vanished that Christ might come in and continue God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past unto the Fathers by the Prophets hath in these last dayes spoken unto us by his Son who once in the end of the world appeared to put away sin
pointed at Secondly Of Terrour to the wicked and to them it is a sentence of eternall punishment Depart from mee yee cursed t is the terrour of the Lord to them perdition and destruction yea eternall fire t is hell kindled by the wrath of God If any one aske me what hell is I answer t is the eternall wrath What hell is of God kindled in body and soule an absence of all good a presence of all misery t is a fire that never goeth out t is a stringing worme that never dyeth t is a consuming consumption a dying death a consumption alwaies consuming and yet never ceases to consume a continuall dying that never dies t is the second death that endures for ever Lastly The time when this judgement shall be In this I shall propose these two things First That of that day and houre if Christ be worthy of beliefe The time when the judgment day is knowes no man no not the Angels in heaven no not the Son of man himselfe as he was the Son of man it comes as a theefe in the night unawares to the world Secondly T is not till the resurrection of the body therefore is it called The last day the dispensation of Christ untill the resurrection is called The last daies but the last day in respect of Christs judgement is onely appropriated to that judgement t is not till the time of sentence that shall be pronounced upon all men good and bad But say so me The day of judgement is come already for Christ judges Object now in the hearts of the Saints which is the true day of judgement To this I answer That the word Judgement admits of a various Sol. consideration it is taken either for discerning or pronouncing sentence or condemning and to speake plainly t is true Jesus Christ doth judge that is to say declare against sinne and pronounce condemnation as belonging to sinners which is while we are in the flesh but this is no where called the judgement of the last day but this judgement that I speake of is the execution of sentence of the righteous Judge for the absolving and rewarding his Saints and condemning and punishing the world Now this is not in this life in the naturall body Let me freely ask thee whether now the wicked be punished Whether they be condemned now Surely thou wilt not say they are in eternall fire and have all the torment they shall have now is the time of their jollity mirth and merriment the Saints are now in trouble and the wicked rejoyce but hearken man what the Lord saith He knoweth how to deliver the righteous to reserve the unjust to the day of condemnation They are now reserved till then the righteous who are the children of the resurrection are kept in their graves as in a sweet and quiet sleepe till the resurrection and then saith Christ to them Come yee blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world though not enjoyed till now but the wicked that sport out the time of this life must die for it is appointed for all men once to dye and they in death are kept in their graves as in a prison and are raised up not as a priviledge to them as some conceive for better were it for them never to rise againe to condemnation for after death comes judgement To whom Christ saith Goe yee cursed of my Father into everlasting fire prepared for the Devill and his Angels who are likewise kept in chaines to the destruction of that day wherein all secrets of all hearts are judged which I am sure is not in this life Thus have I finished according to the grace given me of God the three-fold office of Christ who is a Kingly Priest and a Priestly King who is a Propheticall and Kingly Priest and a Priestly and Propheticall King as I may so say What may be attributed to any one office of Christ all concurre in it for in every worke of Christ all his offices have a joint operation Now in Christ is God seene in the most lively appearances of himselfe to the Saints Gods mercy and justice both reconciled in Christ his wisedome and power dwell in him his brightnesse and glory live in him In a word whatever the Lord is to a soule he is it Christ and it is richly fully and compleatly in him who of God is made unto us wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption Chap. XVIII Sheweth wherein the Worship of God consists with the true power and manner of divine Worship as it consists onely in the Inward man HAving through the goodnesse of God finished my discourse The worship of God as in the inward man consists of the true knowledge of God without which nothing is performed well unto God I am now come to shew wherein the worship of that God consists which is in the subjection of the spirit unto God to the will of the Lord which consists in five particulars As 1. Faith By believing in God is God glorified therefore is it In Faith and what true faith is Rom. 4. 20. said We give glory to God in believing which faith is either a relying or dependance upon the Lord Jesus for salvation according to the will of God or a giving credit to the words of God So is faith the evidence of things not seene and the substance of things hoped for that is to say it layes hold on the substance hoped for and brings it nigh to the soule The effects of which faith are peace with God victory over the world and life eternall The duration of the life of faith glorifying God is till Christ come the second time without sin to salvation for he that shall come will come and will not tarry Now the just shall live by faith Now that is till Christ comes 2. In Prayer This is a part of spirituall worship which prayer In Prayer what true prayer is is a powring out the soule to God in the name and power of the Lord Jesus by the spirit for the supplying of our wants which prayers acknowledge our relation to God and Gods soveraignty over us The true prayer of the spirit is not a composed forme of mans invention but the breathing of the soule by the spirit after the good things of God this is to worship God when we seeke to him 3. In feare reverence and honour If I be Master saith God where In feare and reverence and what it is is my feare If I be a Father where is my honour Therefore must we serve the Lord with feare and rejoice before him with trembling The true fear of God is the reverent high and honourable thoughts and apprehensions a soule hath of God as his Lord Father and Creator wrought in him by the spirit Therefore we are commanded to Feare the Lord and his goodnesse Which feare is no slavish posture but a Son-like temper whereby
the soule acknowledges all he hath to be from the Lord and so lyes low in his owne apprehension that God may be exalted 4. In Love This is that which God commands of us to love In Love and what true love is him to delight in him which love to God is the streaming forth of the affections unto God in which there are these severall ingredients First A true knowledge of God of which before Secondly A setting a high price of God valuing him above all things in the world Thirdly A giving up the soule to God the understanding to know God the will to desire him the affections to embrace him Fourthly The union of his spirit with God the glory of love is union love affects union and is not satisfied with any thing till he is united with it Some say love passes or emits or sends forth the spirit of the lover into the beloved I am sure t is true in divine love which sends forth the spirit into God the perfection of which love is when the soule hath nothing enjoyes nothing but what he hath and enjoyeth from God when he willeth nothing but what God willeth when he can truly say Thy will and not mine be done 5. This worship consists in praise and songs of joy when wee In Praise and what true praise in the spirit is would honour men we set forth there excellency a soule that truly honours God rejoices in him and praises him Now this praise of God is the soules spirituall acknowledging God to be praife-worthy preferring God in his thoughts in all and above all singing in his heart making melody to the Lord. I doe but touch on these things because I shall have occasion What the power of inward worship is on to speake of them as they be the principles or foundation of more visible appearances of the worship of God A word or two of the power of this worship that is spirituall likewise for t is the power of God t is not of the first creation but of the second t is not of generation but of regeneration not of mans will nor of mans activity but of God that sheweth mercy wee are all dead in sinne as void as naturally in the first Adam of power truly to serve God as a dead man is to eate and drinke therefore is Christ the power of God unto us who worketh irresistibly in us What the true manner of inward worship is As the power of divine worship is spirituall so must the manner be the heart must be in a spirituall frame united to God that is to say in a way of relation unto God whereby he becomes a servant a souldier a friend and Son of God it must be performed in faith love feare and reverence all these are faithfull and inseparable companions If a man prayes or praises God he must do it in faith love and feare But to put a period to the first part of this discourse all this service must be performed to God as in Christ he that prayes to God must seeke him as he is to be found in Christ For t is in him in whom onely the Father is well pleased God in Christ is a Saints rest delight fulnesse and glory a Saint by Christ goes to God fals downe before him rejoyces in him and lives sweetly and contentedly in meeknesse and humility yet triumphantly in the presence of the Lord for evermore Here a soule lives with God by faith crying out Holy Holy Holy How long shall it be Come Lord Jesus come quickly Longing for the appearance of the day of God who will render tribulation to every soule that obeyes not the Gospell of God but eternall life to them that are faithfull to the death Thus much concerning the true worship of God as it consists onely in the spirit in the inward man hid from all men or Saints having a sweet entercourse with God after an invisible manner in the spirit THE VISIBLE WORSHIP OF GOD. Chap. I. Sheweth what the Visible Worship of Christ is and a discovery of what the true Gospell to be preached to the world is with the true Messengers or Ministers of the Gospell IN the former part of this Discourse I have held forth the worship that is due unto the Lord as it consists onely in the inward man and am now come to speake of the worship of God as it is visible Now the visible worship of God is the subjection What Visible Worship is 1 Cor. 6. 20. of body and soule to the Lord according to the words of the Apostle saying Glorifie God in your body and spirit which visible worship shall be handled under a two-fold consideration 1. As it consists in the visible administration of the Gospell and commands of the Lord Jesus 2. As it consists in conformity to the Gospell and commands of Christ of both which in order as the Lord shall enable me Concerning the first of these viz the administration of the Gospell and the doctrine thereof it is two-fold either to the world or to Saints but I shall first discourse of it as it is to be administred to the world and herein shall shew First What the Gospell is which is to be preached to sinners Secondly Who are those that are to administer dispence or preach this Gospell Thirdly The manner how they are to dispense this Gospell Fourthly To whom they are to administer or preach this Gosspell 1. The Gospell is glad tydings good and joyfull newes to Jewes What the Gospell is that is to be preached to the world Luke 2. 10 11. Isaiah 40 9. 61 11. and Gentiles to sinners by Jesus Christ Who was born in the City of David and is come in the flesh dead and risen againe therefore saith Paul We preach Christ crucified or fastned or nailed to the Crosse to them that are called Christ the power of God and the wisedome of God Therefore is it called the Ministry of reconciliation the grace of God revealed Salvation is onely in a crucified Jesus eternall life is in him that is the good newes that is to be divulged to poore sinners even Christ dying to make attonement for sinne to open the way to come to God and that Whosoever believes in this Christ shall be saved and be raised up at the last day This the Apostles preached which was glad tydings to the sinfull soule to Publicanes Harlots the worst of sinners good newes to a spirit enslaved in sin good newes to the body the naturall body the resurrection of which Paul preached as good newes by Christ though he was called in question for it this is the onely Gospell the everlasting Gospell promised to Adam shadowed under the law revealed now for grace and immortality are brought to light by Jesus Christ And of this Paul saith Though I Paul or an Angel from Heaven should bring any other Gospell then that I have already preached and yee have received let him
him whereby is cleerly demonstrated that to be baptized inthe name is into the profession of their union with Christ whereby they are visibly cloathed with Christ it is the sole act of the Father to wash their souls bodies with the Spirit of regeneration but the disciples may and did baptize or dip their bodies in water But they are commanded to baptize into the Name of Father Son and Spirit which was not that baptisme of water the Apostles practised for that is Object said to be only in the Name of the Lord Jesus therfore for you to baptize with water in the Name of Father Son and Spirit is contrary to the Apostles practise To this I say to baptize in the Name of Father Son and Spirit is to Baptize in the Name of the Lord Jesus and to Baptize in the Name of Sol. the Lord Jesus is to Baptize in the Name of the Father Son and Spirit for the Father and Spirit dwell in Christ and are not knowne without him therefore when Philip said unto Christ Shew us the Father Iesus answered and said have I beene so long time with you and yet hast thou not known me Philip He that hath seene me hath seen the Father and how sayest thou shew us the Father I am in the Father and the Father in me Iohn 14. 8. 9. 10. Whereby is fully demonstrated that to doe any thing in the name of Christ is to doe it in the name of the Father and so it is also of the Spirit which dwels unmeasurably in the Lord Iesus therefore saith Christ Though I goe away I will come to you and I will send the Spirit the Comforter I tell you plainly Christ is not but as the Father and Spirit are in him So that no man can baptize into the name of the Lord Iesus but he doth it into the name of the Father Son Spirit but if you say the Apostles used not that form of words in baptism viz. I Baptize in the name of the Father Son and holy Ghost I say also no man is bound to use them but ought to baptize it in that name expressing what he doth either in those or other words But Christ saith not Goe Baptize with water but only Baptize now for Object any one to say he meant with water is to adde a consequence of their own for Scripture and to speak that which Christ intends not Thou that thus objectest I pray thee tell me seriously whither Sol. thou thinkest thy objection hath any bottome if thou sayest it hath I likewise affirme for you to say he meanes the Spirit is by the same reason altogether groundlesse for he saith not be baptized with the Spirit but know thou this God hath given us understanding to know his Will by his Words surely when he saith baptize he would have us know what he meanes so that we must expresse with what or confesse our own ignorance I have already proved this Baptisme is the Baptisme of Water And I say again to Baptize properly signifies to dip in the water and where it is otherwise used as in affliction and the Spirit it is figuratively so used and not properly for in those there is a plunging or overwhelming the soule or body as there is of the body in water The Scriptures say Eph. 4. 5. There is but one Lord one Faith one Baptisme which Baptisme is a Baptisme of the Spirit therefore for you to say Object Christ hath a Baptisme of water is to make two Baptismes whereof one of them is of your own invention for to say Christ hath two Baptisms is to give the Scriptures the ly If we shall say there is two baptismes the word of truth will Sol. warrant us for Heb. 6. 2. We finde the doctrine of baptismes spoken of which surely are more then one for the word is in the plurall number and I have proved the baptism of water to be the Baptisme of Christ and for ought I can understand by any man to the contrary the Apostle meanes the baptisme of water in this Scripture for he mentions not the Spirit nor Water so that I might as well retort this objection and say there is but one Baptisme which is of Water therfore for any to say there is a Baptism of the Spirit they give this Scripture the ly which manner of argument be it far from me for the meaning of the Apostle there is to draw the Saints into unity from the consideration of the unity of truth There is one Faith saith he yet notwithstanding it is easily proved that there was then severall sorts of faith as of miracles which all had not of the Gospel which every Saint had yet one faith so one baptisme yet there was a baptisme of water of the the Spirit and of afflictions which in one respect are divers yet in another they are one that is to say in unity the one not destroying the other water Spirit and afflictions accompany Saints Spirit gives them a being in life water manifests this being afflictions are sent from the Father to exercise them in this being yea further the holy Ghost and fire and the Baptisme of Water are one as centring in one head the Lord Christ tending to unity viz. the advancement of the Gospel therefore though in a sense there are severall sorts of Baptisme yet all agree in one the Water the Spirit and blood the three Witnesses in earth agree in one yet further there is but one true baptisme of Water not several kinds of which I judge he here speaks so that from this Scripture we cannot prove the baptisme of Water not to have being more then we may prove the baptisme of the Spirit not to be But say others what say you to that of Paul he thanks God he had baptized Object none of them but few families and saith he was not sent to baptize but to preach the Gospell now if Christ had given a Commission to them so to doe Paul very ill observed it that baptized so few but certainly no such Commission was given for if there had how could Paul truly say I was not sent to baptize which surely will not easily be answered 1 Cor. 1. I doe confesse at the first sight this argument appears with much Sol. strength from which I fear many honest hearts take advantage to strengthen them in their apprehensions against this Ordinance but the Scripture being truly weighed in the ballance of the sanctuary this objection will be found light the truth whereof that it may appear consider the persons to whom Paul spake the ground of his speaking and the end of his speech First The Persons to whom he wrote were the Corinths therefore he saith I thank God I Baptized none of you from whence we may not conclude he baptised no others 2. The ground whereupon he wrote these Words was the carnall owning of themselves after men one saying he was of Paul another of Apollos those Persons who
vertue of that authority whereby we exhort each other to Sol. live sutable to the Gospell in civill things how shall wee see the power of the doctrine preached except in their conversation and how shall we know that except we be conversant with them or enquire of them Paul tels us A Bishop must be no striker c. which qualities must be knowne to the Church or else how can they choose him Paul tooke notice of mans idlenesse and of others disobedience which makes him urgent in these relations to presse conformity to the Law of the Lord Jesus I say the Church ought to strengthen build up and edifie each other in love I am now come to speak of the spirituall gifts given to this Church Of the duty of the Church A word of Wisedome which are divers First A word of Wisedome now a word of Wisedome is a gift whereby a soule is made able not onely to behold the great mysteries of the Lord but is also able to bring them forth seasonably orderly advantageously for the whole t is a word that is able wel to rule order mannage and dispose of the things of the Church for the edification of the whole Secondly A word of Knowledge Knowledge is that gift whereby A word of Knowledge we understand the truth of God there are many sayings darke in the Scripture now the word of knowledge makes them cleare and evident resolveth doubts and teacheth the ignorant knowledge and wisedome differ as I judge onely in this that the true ordering and wise disposing of knowledge it selfe for the benefit of the whole is attributed to wisedome Thirdly Discerning of spirits Here must be knowledge in Discerning of spirits this also for this is that by which we are enabled to try spirits by their doctrine for this is the very way that the Lord prescribes for the tryall of spirits viz by their doctrine 1 John 4. 1 2 3. This discerning of spirits is not as many conceive that we should immediately know whether their spirits be right or no any otherwaies then by their doctrine and conversation which gift is not given to all but to those who by reason of spirituall use have their senses exercised to discerne betweene good and evill Fourthly Prophesy Which Prophesy is two-fold either a foretelling of things to come as Philips daughters Agabus did or else it Prophesy is a speaking in the Church to edification exhortation consolation 1 Cor. 14. 3. Thus may all prophesy one by one and the rest judg This prophesy is an excellent gift whereby the Church is edefied the Lord glorified and Satan put to flight I shall in this shew you the true ground and power of prophesy the persons who are to prophesy and the true use and of prophesy The true ground of propesy is the true knowledge of the testimony The true ground of prophesy of Jesus which is the doctrine of Christ except a soule be led through the inspiration of God in the light of God he cannot truly prophesy the power enabling to it is the power in the new creation We believe and therefore we speake Many conceive Saints are not to prophesy till they have such an immediate power seizing upon them which may force them to speake whether they will or no which for my part for these two reasons I judge contrary to Scripture 1. Because we are commanded Not to quench the spirit nor despise prophesying Now if prophesy did so move in a man who could quench the spirit of it surely it would worke irresistibly A second reason why I so judge is because it is said The spirits of the Prophets are subject to the Prophets Now herein are they subject that One must stay till the other holds his peace and the rest must judge what is delivered Now I say these two things would be frustrate was it by such a power some pleade for for what need any to be judge if it comes with such a power And how could they stay one for another or keepe silence one for another if such a power was in them But this I say there is or ought to be such a power as may enable them To speak to edification exhortation comfort that by course that there be no confusion and this is prophesy upon a good ground I shall onely to this particular adde this word that wee are no where commanded to judge the principle of a brothers actings neither his acting by his principle but his principle by his actions Secondly The persons who may so prophesy are all the brethren who may prophesy all the Prophets Therefore saith Paul Yee may all prophesy this all he interprets to be the Prophets saying Let the Prophets speake two or three and let the rest judge 1 Cor. 14. 29. May not women prophesy in the Church Surely it is said a woman praying Object or prophesying which implyes shee may prophesy as well as others In answer to this consider the same Apostle that saith Let the Sol. Prophets prophesy in the same Chapter also saith Let your women keep Whether a woman may speak in the Church 1 Tim. 2. 11. 12. silence in the Churches for it is not permitted unto them to speake from whence and from that in Timothy Let the woman learne in silence with all subjection But I suffer not a woman to teach nor to usurpe authority I conclude a woman may not so prophesy as the brethren may in the 14 of Cor. and that for these reasons 1. Because she was first in the transgression through her forwardnes to teach and aspiring above her place she was first deceived and did deceive her husband 2. She is more subject to temptation and to be deluded by reason of the weaknesse of her nature Now God will have her learne in silence she that taught the man to his fall must now be taught by him and be in subjection 3. That hereby she may manifest her humility in willingly becoming subject who subjected her husband through her enticement to so much misery But yet notwithstanding when I consider the reason of their being commanded silence to be taken from the Law and yet under the Law Miriam and Deborah were Prophetesses And when I minde that God made a promise That his sonnes and daughters should prophesy And that Philip had foure daughters which did prophesy Acts 21. 9. And when I weigh Pauls saying A woman praying or prophesying with her head covered it makes me believe that a woman may prophesy and that in the Church also So that I say wee must necessarily consider the manner of her speaking to be here forbidden she may prophesy as prophesy is considered an immediate gift from heaven for the revelation of some great secret or mystery that the brethren are ignorant of or for the foretelling of things to come she may speake being carried out thereunto by a power from the Lord yet in this
Gospel-Glory PROCLAIMED BEFORE THE SONNES OF MEN In the Visible and Invisible Worship of GOD. WHEREIN THE MYSTERY of God in Christ and his royall spirituall Government over the soules and bodies of his Saints is clearly discovered plainly asserted and faithfully vindicated against the Deceiver and his Servants who endeavour the Cessation thereof upon what pretence soever By EDWARD DRAPES an unworthy Servant in the Gospell of Christ I am he that liveth was dead behold I am alive for evermore Amen and have the keyes of hell and death Rev. 1. 18. Take heed brethren lest there be in any of you an evill heart of unbeliefe in departing from the Living God But exhort one another daily while it is called to day lest any of you be hardned through the deceitfulnesse of sinne Heb. 3. 12 13. London Printed for Francis Tyton and are to be sold at his shop at the three Daggers nigh the Inner Temple Gate Fleetstreet 1649. TO THE CHVRCHES OF CHRIST in London and in all other places who worship the Lord in Spirit and Truth according to the Commandements of the everlasting God especially to that particular Society of whom I am a Member Grace mercy truth and peace be multiplyed from the Lord Jesus Precious and dearly beloved Brethren IN these perillous times when ungodlinesse ranges from place to place and blasphemy against the God of Truth and Children of righteousnesse spreads it selfe like an overflowing streame or contagious disease whereby Truth seemes to be fallen in the street and many who formerly esteemed it their glory to be professors therof According to the prophesyes which went before of them have departed from it and abandoned the profession of it my spirit was exceedingly moved within me to publish this Discourse as to the consideration of these who have already shooke of Christs easy yo ake from their shoulders that they may see From whence they are fallen repent and doe their first works So especially to your view who through grace Have followed the Lamb in all his righteous paths that You may continue to the end that no man may take your Crown from you My owne infirmities and many sinister Considerations did strongly importune my silence yet notwithstanding them all and those lying prophesies which some ignorantly divulged of my renouncing or disclaiming this worke before it came to light through the sufficiency of the Lord Jesus I have now made it publicke being well assured The gates of hel shal never prevail against the truth herein contained I do professe had I seen the Lord carrying forth any of my brethren whose abilities in judgment and clearness of expression far exceed mine to have undertaken a work of this nature I should have rejoyced in my owne silence But hitherto have I not known any to stand up in this cause and surely if all should be silent The Stones would speake The daily objections and loud out-cryes against the truth of Jesus which God directs us to walk in as if a compleat victory was gained against the commands of the Lord extraordinarily moved my spirit To cast my mite into the Treasury To expose my talent for your service which I have according to the measure given me performed Not with entising words of mans wisedome to please itching ears but with plainnesse and simplicity of spirit and words to the understanding of the meanest capacities And wherever you find any words you understand not which I am perswaded will not be many necessity not my owne desire enforced their use lest any seeming materiall objections that I have yet heard of should passe unanswered What through pretence to God Spirit Mystery power light revelations and perfection and the crying down of the plain simple and righteous commands of a crucified and yet exalted Jesus as legall beggarly fleshly formall traditionall carnall The power of godlinesse is trampled under foot Delusions notions and impostures being lifted up to the subversion of many souls who forsake Christs easy yoake light burthen and strait paths for Antichrists dangerous licentiousnesse carnall security and broad destructive roads who like the man that was possessed with a Legion of Devils that dwelt among the tombes whom no bands nor fetters could hold but he brake them all and was driven of the Devil into the wildernes wil not endure Christs laws but break them all neither Scriptures nor Ordinances can hold them who often times cry out with him What have we to doe with thee O Jesus A wildernesse of unconstancy barrennesse and unprofitable shrubs will be their portion the Tombes the painted outsides of things will be their habitation till Jesus the true Son of God command this uncleane spirit to depart from them And then shal we again see them who before in truth were naked to be cloathed and in their right minds Let not mens boastings or shoutings Lo here is Christ and there is Christ subvert you for know assuredly those who now say in their hearts They will ascend into heaven and exalt their Throne above the Stars of God and will sit upon the mount of the Congregation and ascend above the heights of the Clouds and be like the Most High Yet they shall be brought down to hel to the sides of the pit be cast forth as an abhominable branch And you precious ones Who by patient continuance in wel doing seek for glory honor and immortality shall be crowned with eternall life their mountains shall be abased and your valleys exalted Behold in this ensuing Treatise Power Light Mystery God Christ and Perfection unveiled and advanced Ordinances duties and visible worship in their proper places and spheres also established Christ is here represented to you as your King Priest and Prophet purchasing your happiness commanding your obedience discovering your duty rewarding your faithfulnesse to death with a crown of life I did intend in this Treatise to have presented to you a discovery of the wiles snares stratagems and devices of the man of sin whereby he subtilly attaines to to a high degree of Lordlinesse over his poore Captives whom he takes alive at his pleasure and wherewith he invades the Tents Tabernacles of the Saints of the most High God and likewise to have laid open the severall officers and offices in the true Church of Christ with their nature use end but fearing the Reader through its tediousnes should be wearied or by the greatnesse of its price the world abounding with so many Bookes already be discouraged I purposely deferred that work till the Lord shall vouchsafe me another opportunity Whoever shall peruse this Booke and finde in the words or sense mis-pointing or other faults escaped in the printing I desire they would in love amend them the most materiall being already corrected to their hands at the end of the Booke and that they would seriously reade what is contained in it before they censure and then Let them judge righteous judgement To you my brethren and fellow companions
in the Gospell of Christ doe I recommend this Treatise beseeching you in the bowels of the loves of the Lord Jesus That you stand fast quit your selves like men contending for the faith not with carnall but with spirituall weapons once delivered to the Saints and forsake not the assembling of your selves together as the manner of some is who draw back without mercy snatch them as brands out of the fire to perdition Let me beg your prayers that God would make these poore weake endeavours of mine strong and successefull and that the Lord would give me wisdom and knowledge that I may receive the truth in the love thereof and may be transformed into the glory of it Which glory that all you and I may enjoy as our eternall portion is uncessantly desired by Your poore unworthy Brother Companion and Servant in the Gospell for Christs sake Edward Drapes To all scattered Saints who through Satans subtilty are become sicke of their former faith and love to the Lord Jesus POORE Brethren You are in the following Treatise invited to returne to your Fathers family You are bought with a price be no longer the servants of men You are redeemed by the Lamb oh let not Satan ensnare you at his pleasure It hath ever been the policy of that subtill deceiver to husband his devices for the best advantage His snares are alwayes fuited to the constitutions of the subjects be seeketh after If Eve be found in an innocent posture he must over-candy her apple with the sugred glory of being like unto God c. Gen. 3. 5. Since her miscarriage lower allurements have beene sufficient to beguile her depraved off-spring This present world his silver hooke haited with a Haec tibi dabo Math. 4. 9. doth draw in more by thousands then do the Drag-nets of the Disciples unto the Lord Jesus If men begin to hearken after an everlasting inheritance and present themselves in worship before the presence of the Almighty behold Satan cometh likewise Job 1. 6. If the world blind not wholly to subvert be sure he will endeavour to sophisticate their worship If Baptisme singing of Psalmes Church-fellowship c. may not be wholly abolished but every capacity would discover an intervall he begets a blind obedience to Babish sprinkling and confused shouting in Babilonish societies and so obtaines double advantage both by disobedience to the true and conformity to an Antichristian worship And yet further as the day of our redemption drawes nigh and that the Dragon must also draw down the third part of the starrs from heaven after him not lesse then the similitude of an Angel of light can serve againe to effect his enterprise For innocency again begins to invade him and whilest the righteous expect him only in open appearances behold he ensnares them secretly in the forme of innocency in the similitude of that their poore soules thirst after And now no lesse then Holy Holy is the language of the East likewise Perfection charity spirit power mistery and above the Scriptures Christ and his Ordinances is the common lure of this lyar and his followers 1 Joh. 2. 4. And from this Pinacle be flings many a poor soule into the bottomlesse gulfe of fleshly fancy and strong imagination embracing for perfection all manner of impiety carnall carelesnesse instead of Christian charity the power of the Aire ruling in a mystery of grosse darknesse and emptynesse baptizing every lying divination with glorious Titles Of the Tree of Life or The Leavs therof The Lord saith it the Lord saith it is now the Serpents and every false Prophets Language whilst promising others liberty themselvs are become the servants of bondage and whilest the great mystery of God manifested in the flesh hid from Ages but now revealed as the alone Redeemer of all that looke for salvation in Israel allowed of God and precious is rejected by these builders as too low and his bloud accounted an unholy thing But you precious soules who have beene a long time wildernized in these wanton wayes of calling Common and Vncleane what God hath sanctified allowed and called precious You who have scornfully said of your Redeemer Is not this the Carpenters Son And like Naaman in your wrath proudly rejected against your selves the counsell of the Most High as too carnall 2 Kings 5. 11. Who being vainly pufft up in your own carnal minds hold not the head Christ Jesus but have beene sicke of weake in and at last dead to his Ordinances because you discerned not his body in them Awake now thou that sleepest arise from the dead he whom thou contemnest can onely give thee life call no more his commandements carnall his pleasure alone is that which makes any thing to thee spirituall Yea confounded be the language of those who are lifted up above him in their owne conceits esteeming themselves Gods and above all that are called God But they that trust in the Lord Jesus shall never be ashamed nor confounded Truly Friends when I behold the blasphemies that abound in these daies and the fleshlinesse of many having a forme of Godlinesse talking much of the spirit but having not the power thereof ruling in them to obedience adjudging the true Christ and his Commandements low and carnall their owne carnall conformities to every thing their owne hearts devises to be height mystery and spirituall liberty When I saw how the Serpent had here deceived thousands and bitten the heele of the very elect also And when through grace by the strong hand of my God I had escaped this snare being once miserably entangled therein and beholding many simple ones turning aside from their stedfastnesse I bewailed greatly and sorrowed within me because I saw no Reproover I was desirous to speake but my insufficiency overswayed me But having met with and read over the ensuing Treatise with rejoycing for and consent to the same I accounted it my part priviledge to annex this visible testimony to the truth and seasonablenesse thereof And though many expressions therein may be perverted by those who also pervert the more perfect Scriptures to their owne destruction yet it shall be mighty through God to the pulling downe of strong holds casting downe imaginations and every high thought to the obedience of Christ in those who have pleasure in his second appearance unto imortality and glory which that it may be a meanes to accomplish I trust is the Authors chiefe end And that it may instruct the sonnes of Sion that are led aside through the wiles of Satan to come out of the wildernesse leaning upon their beloved the true Christ and eternall life keeping themselves from Idols 1 John 5. 21. and doing whatsoever he commandeth them is the great desire of him who would greatly delight to see every scattered Saint established in the perfect peace which the bloud of Jesus alone speaketh and walking in the path wherever the Lamb leadeth wherein he desireth to be kept unto the end and be improved
A faithfull Servant to the weakest Member of our Lord Jesus John Vernon The Contents of the severall matters contained in this Booke Ch. 1. p. 3. OF the severall significations of the word Worship and what the true worship of God is pag. 3. Ch. 2. p. 5. Of Light and Love the principles of the worship of God which light discovers what may be knowne of God viz. that God is but cannot be defined p. 6. That he is incomprehensible immutable eternall wherein is shewed what time is and that God is Invisible p. 7. Of the soveraignty wisedome justice and mercy of the Lord p. 9. Of the relation God hath to his Creatures who is all in all yet but one God everliving and present in all places p. 10 11. Ch. 3. p. 11. Of the manifestation of God in the Creation which shewes the Godhead p. 12. That there is but one God p. 13. That he is Almighty p. 14 15. That he cannot be comprehended by the naturall or spirituall man p. 15 16 17. It declareth his wisedome and love wherein is shewed what it is to be created in Gods Image p. 17 18. Ch. 4. p. 19. Of God in Christ who is the anointed of the Lord wherein is shewed that the Father anointed him p. 19. That the humane nature with a description what it is is the subject anointed and that the Spirit is the Ointment p. 20. With a briefe description of what Father Son and Spirit are and whether three persons p. 21 22. Ch. 5. p. 22. Of the manifestation of God in Christ as a Priest wherein is showne what the Priesthood of Christ is and that the Lord Jesus is the Saints High Priest consecrated with an oath p. 23. And by the pouring on of oyle p. 24. Where also is shewed the ability he hath of mannaging the Priesthood being the first begotten the eldest brother being related to God and man having a great interest in them both all things concurring in him to the work he being without spot and blemish p. 25 26. Ch. 7. p. 26. Of the sacrifice of Christ exprest by five particulars 1. By Christ himself p. 26. 2ly By his bloud and what that bloud is with an answer to an objection concerning it p. 27. 3ly By the offering up of his body 4ly By making his soule an offering for sinne 5ly By laying downe his life p. 28. Ch. 8. p. 28. Sheweth 1. How often Christ suffered and whether he may now be said to dye in us p. 29. 2ly The place where Christ died which is at Jerusalem and what that Jerusalem is 3ly The time when he suffered p. 29. And how Christ is said to be a Lamb slain from the foundation of the world p. 30. Ch. 9. p. 31. Of the manner how Christ offered up himselfe viz. by the spirit and in the body of his flesh p. 31. Of the true nature of Christs sacrifice wherein is showne that it is a pure sacrifice p. 32. A free perfect spirituall and acceptable sacrifice p. 25. 43. Ch. 10. p. 34. Of the true subjects of Christs sacrifice who are onely his sheep and children beloved with an everlasting love who shall be saved p. 34 35. Wherein is handled universall redemption with an answ to 13. Object brought to stablish it wherein is shewed what Gospel it is that is to be preached to the world p. 37. That it is a dangerous thing to fall from profession of true Religion p. 39. Wherein likewise is declared what the fall of man the tree of knowledge of good and evill the tree of life and the serpent are p. 43. With 2. Arg. against universall redemption p. 43 44. That this sacrifice was offered to an angry God and what anger and fury in God is p. 44. Ch. 11. p. 44. Of the vertue of this sacrifice interposing mediating betweene God and man satisfying the Father p. 44 45. Wherein is shewed what it is for God not to see nor remember sin in his children p. 46. Ch. 12. p. 47. Of the pardon of sin and justification by the bloud of Christ by faith and by works with their unity p. 47 48. Wherein is an answer to these 2. Quest 1. Whether all sins to a believer are pardoned past present and to come p. 48 49 50 51. 2ly Whether a believer having received the spirit may feare againe p. 51 52. With 3. Arg. to prove all sins to a believer are pardoned at once p. 52. Ch. 13. p. 53. Of believers freedome from the law p. 53. Wherein is handled the law written in Adams heart the Covenant of workes the law of Moses and of Christ p. 53 54 55. Shewing severall dispensations thereof p. 55 56. With an answer to 2. Quest 1. Whether the law be a rule of life to a believer 2ly Whether God punishes his people for sinne wherein appeares the difference betweene punishing and chastising p. 56 57. Ch. 14. p. 58. Of the breaking downe the partition wall fulfilling all types and shadowes and obtaining of all happinesse for the Saints by Christs death p. 58 59. Ch. 15. p. 59. Of the dignity Christ hath attained to by dying of his resurrection ascension sitting at the right hand of God making intercession for us p. 59 60 61. Ch. 16. Of the Propheticall office of Christ wherein is shewne 1. The matter he revealeth which is mans sinfulnesse mans happinesse all things to be believed and obedience to all his commands p. 61 62 63. 2ly The light discovering which is the spirit and what it is to be taught by God by Christ and by the spirit 3ly The rule of discovery wherein of the truth and authority of the Scriptures p. 64 65 66. 4ly The manner of discovery which is plainly p. 66. wherein is shewne what we may judge of those who delight to speake in a language above the capacity of those to whom they speake infallibly 5. The subsects to whom truth is discovered are either such as receive the truth in the love of it or to those that receive it only in the notion as Balaam and Judas p. 67. 68. Chap. 17. p. 68. Of the Kingly Office of Christ who is King by his inheritance by appointment of the Father by conquest excellently qualified of his Kingdome over the world of grace p. 69. of glory p. 70. Of Christs Lawes civill and spirituall p. 70. Of his officers wherein is the true Power and bounds of the Magistracy and whither he be a Church Officer p. 71. Of the resigning up the Kingdome to the Father p. 72. Whether it be yet p. 73. Of Christs enemies Satan sin and wicked men p. 73 74. Of Christs victories over our understandings wils and affections p. 74 75. Of the Doctrine of free will p. 75. Three reasons why all Christs enemies are not yet punished p. 76. Of Christs Soldiers which are Angels Saints the World the whole creation p. 77. Of his weapons viz. his death his Word his Spirit p. 77 78. Of his rewards
saying The Gods are come Acts 14. downe to us calling Paul Jupiter and Barnabas Mercurius the names of their heathen Gods And the Apostles could scarcely restraine the Priests from sacrificing to them From this blind conceipt arises as blind a sacrifice sometimes men women children beasts and birds have beene offered by them as well-pleasing sacrifices to their Gods From this ignorance of the true GOD and his worship hath sprung that Ataxy Confusion and disorder that is in the world hence comes murders rebellions treasons witchcrafts sorceries uneleanesse contentions persecutions self-exaltation and all abhominations in the world This deluge of darknesse hath not only drowned some families Townes Cities Countries Kingdomes and generations but hath overwhelmed the whole world in all ages Man no sooner steps into the world but darknesse is his dwelling place Nature once was adorned with this glory of knowing GOD the Creator in the true light of the first Creation but now through transgression are all shut up and concluded under sinne wrath and darknesse That it might be made manifest that salvation is onely in that Arke that swims above all these waters viz in the free grace mercy and goodnesse of the Lord in Jesus Christ by revealing himselfe to the sons of men and giving them a righteous law to worship him by that so they might not ignorantly forge a God in and by their owne understandings to themselves and fall downe and worship their owne Creature instead of the Creator of Heaven and Earth but might see GOD in his owne light For in thy light O GOD doe thy Saints see light even the true light the Lord Jesus As that light hath discovered him to me and the onely acceptable service and worship of him this ensuing Treatise declares Chap. I. Explaineth the word Worship shewing its severall acceptations in the Scriptures and what the true Worship of God is THE word Worship in the Scripture signifies to bow downe fall What the word Worship signifies Psal 92. 6. 1 Sam. 1. 3. Luk. 4. 7 8. Humane worship what it is Rom. 1. 22 23. Coloss 2. 23. Matth. 15. 9. Devilish worship what it is 1 Cor. 10. 20. Deut. 32. 17. Rev. 9. 20. Civill worship what it is Matth. 20. 20. Divine spirituall worship what it is downe before Sacrifice to serve reverence respect feare honour or be subject to one of which worship or service we may minde these foure sorts 1. Humane Worship which is a service of mans own invention that hath a forme of the true worship of God but is will-worship vain worship not commanded by the Lord. 2. Devillish Worship that is When Devils or dumbe Idols are worshipped these two kindes being altogether vaine carnall and antichristian I shall have no occasion to speake of them except in a way of reproofe as unprofitable workes of darknesse 3. Civill Worship Which is an outward expression of reverence and respect to men of Authority or eminency * this being in its own sphere lawfull being bounded by the law of God I shall have little occasion to speake of it 4. Divine or Spirituall Worship that is When the true God is worshipped after a true manner which worship we may fitly describe to be The subjection of the whole man unto God in every thing commanded by God from a true understanding of God by the power of God with singular spirituality faith reverence feare and love in obedience unto God in Christ In this description there are severall things to be minded as necessarily required in all true worshippers of God As 1. A Spirituall principle whereby we come to a true understanding First of God the object of divine worship The inscription of the Saints Altar is not to an unknowne God but to him whom they understand Secondly wherein the worship of God doth consist Every worship will not serve the Lord blind obedience is the sacrifice of fooles but that which God approves his owne light reveales which discovers it to consist in subjection unto God where there is true worship there must be preheminence where there is inferiority there is superiority from whence springs subjection 2. A Spirituall power it is not every strength that is able to build this house that which Gods light reveales his power produces and effects 3. The manner how the worship of God is to be performed must be regarded every way of offering the Lord accepts not but he will be worshipped First with singular spirituality as the object principle and power are all spirituall so must the heart be offering up Sacrifices in a spirituall manner it is the spirit in all performances that makes them truly lovely Secondly in faith a soule that worships God must beleive God and give credit to the words of God Thirdly in feare and reverence the Majesty of God commands reverence in all that come before his Throne That infinitenesse and unspeakablenesse of glory that is in the Lord causes a soule to fall downe before him even at his feet adoring him crying out with Isaiah I am undone Fourthly in love no service without love is acceptable if the distance was onely minded it would strike such amazement and terrour that none would dare to come to God Therefore the Lord sends from the brightnesse of his Majesty comfortable beames and raies of love to gather up the soule to himself through the power of which the soule is fired with love and flaming in this chariot mounts up to God accounting the hardest enterprise he can atcheive for God to be his greatest honour Lastly Divine Worship in all its going forth to God makes its addresses in the Lord Jesus Spirituall and Gospell-Worshippers receive all from God in Christ returne all to God in him who is that way in which God and the Soule meet embracing each other who is that Ladder on which God descends to him and he ascends to God he loves feares serves and lives to God in Christ and in him alone This true worship of God appeares in a twofold consideration 1. Invisibly which is onely in the inward man in the spirit which no man sees or knowes but he in whom it dwels 2. Visibly which others may take notice of whereby an invisible enjoyment and filiall affections are clearely demonstrated I shall handle the first of these in the first part of this discourse namely the invisible worship of God and the last viz the visible in the last part Chap. II. Sheweth what the Spirituall principle in true worshipping is whereby we come to know God and what of God may be knowne to the Saints PRinciples are so requisite to all manner of actions that nothing can be done regularly or honourably without them A true principle is that which crownes every act if a man be unsound in his principles all his building will prove but rotten By this spirituall principle I meane a sure ground or originall What the spirituall principle is seated in the heart by the Lord whereby
corruptible things by himselfe for he is without beginning or end of dayes 13. God is a living God he is not a dumbe or deafe Idoll but one that lives for ever Time moulders all Idols in the dust but God is a living God God is not subject to time this infinite being cannot dye that is to say be subject to dissolution or corruption 14. Lastly God is present every where he cannot be circumscribed God is present in all places for he is an infinite one thou canst not say God is not here for he is every where knowing all thoughts searching all hearts if thou canst tell me where God ceases to be there will I prove to thee God is bounded limited and finite which in no sense can be said of the infinite being his spirit and presence are every where where ever God is there he imprints an appearance of himselfe to be there if thou goest into heaven that is to say into the highest place of glory the Psalmist will tell thee God is there Yea if thou makest thy bed in hell God is there There exercising his wrath justice and indignation If thou thinkest to hide thy selfe in darknesse the darknesse is as light to the Lord the darknesse and the light are alike unto God that is to say his power knowledge and wisedome cannot be separated from any place or from the understanding of any thing There is such darknesse in us that we cannot see but there is no darknesse in God that seeth our darknesse by his own light Psalme 139. Thus having according to my measure brought forth my understanding of what of God may be knowne viz. his power wisedome light love justice presence and the like all which tearms the Lord uses to expresse what he is to us in a way of relation to his creatures in tearmes that his servants are after some small measure capable to understand I shall proceed in the next place to shew wherein this excellency of the Lord Jehovab our God doth appeare Chap. III. Sheweth wherein that which may be knowne of God to us is made manifest viz. in the Creation and in the Lord Jesus and how it appeares in the Creation THat God is and that he is immutable incomprehensible mercifull wise c. he hath given us a very lively testimony to seal the truth of it God being unwilling to hide himselfe and his great glory decreed to bring it forth which we shall see clearly 1. In the Creation 2. In the Lord Jesus Both these are made manifest in the Scriptures These are the Golden pipes which empty forth the Golden uncorruptible Oyle of joy gladnesse and righteousnesse amongst the Candlesticks into the Lamps of the Sanctuary even into the hearts and spirits of the Church of the first borne whose names are written in the Lambs book of life These are the two great Ordinances which are displayed by the eternall word of God according to the Scriptures which are those Conduite-pipes which carry in them al that may be seen known understood or enjoyed of God by the Sonnes of men I shall speak of The Creation holds forth God both but in the first place of the Creation which is a glorious book in which hee that runs may reade and understand the excellency of the Lord which is which was and which is to come The meanest most naturall capacity may read God in every line of the Creation which shewes First That there is a God The invisible things of him from the Creation The Creation shews the God-head of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternall power and God-head Rom. 1. 20. That is to say though God is invisible yet that which may be known of him is clearly seen that is understood by things that are visible Now the thing that may be known is this viz. his Power and God-head That there is a Divine Eternall God is apparent if we consider that there is not the least little thing in the whole creation or great thing which leadeth us not Step by Step into a GOD-HEAD In this World there are four degrees of things viz which have being which have life which have sense and which have reason some things have all four some againe only one yet every one preach forth this God The Earth Sea and Aire are very spacious bearing and sustaining all things that have life sense and reason and yet are themselves void of life sense or reason they are the nearest to not-being to annihilation The Plants besides being have life and draw nourishment and refreshment from the earth and aire The Beasts have being life and sense and seeke their food from the earth and plants Man hath all being life sense and reason he enjoyeth the Elements feedeth on beasts and plants and commandeth other creatures and discourseth of all things above and below Loe here this wonderfull order One thing serving another nothing is for it selfe From whence comes this distribution one thing serving another Who distributes things in this order From whence had they all their Originall Whether had they it from themselves or from another If from them selves either they had it alwaies or in time Alwaies they had it not for we know we our selves that now are once were not and if we had our originall in time How come we to have it since there was a time when we were not at all Surely we must conclude the author original distributer and proportioner of all these things in such an order and degree is one that was before us is above us which can be no other then God Himself Let us descend into particulars and consider the Elements of which things are compounded as fire earth aire and water Fire and water are contary so is the dry to the moist the nature of contraries is to destroy one another none of these two can be coupled without a higher power Surely this leads us to consider that great judge and wise disposer that orders things after such a strange manner We see very beautifull buildings stately palaces and our mindes presently without pausing upon it saith surely here hath bin some gallant work-man Thou seest a watch and presently viewest the ballance then the wheels and so at the last comest to the spring and seest that moving the watch but yet thou askest presently who made this spring and so comest to the watch-maker and beholdest motion in the watch while he that made it moves not at all thou seest the Sun move and must needs conclude it hath a first mover and that is none but God a begining-lesse and end-lesse Beer which must needs be the very God-head 2. So likewise as the world shewes there is a God it shews there is but one God for all things in the world point at unity Earth The Creation shews that there is but one God water aire fire are all for to make up on body all
acceptation of the word viz a particular and individuall substance or being distinct from another In this sense I say there are not three persons in God for this is to make three Gods but because the Scriptures no where saith there are three persons I hope the word invented by mans wisedome shall not be imposed on any as a snare let us more look to things then words I say according to the Scriptures there are three that beare Record in Heaven the Father viz the infinite being the begetter of the Son and the Son viz the expresse image of God the reflection or likenesse of himselfe which is the word begotten of the Father and the spirit the mutuall kindnesse love and communication of the Father and the Son for God is love all agree in one in one man Christ Jesus the Father is in him the Word is in him for it was made flesh and dwelt among us and the Spirit is in him viz the eternall love of the Father the sweet and heavenly influences thereof it is given to him without measure So that God manifested in the flesh in a way of union is Christ for all that may be knowne or understood or enjoyed of God is in the Lord Jesus Nay further what ever God is to a Saint he is it in Christ Jesus for the fulnesse of the God-head dwelt in him bodily that is to say God in his highest manifestation of himselfe in power grace and truth c. For he was full of grace and truth The sum of what I have said or can say in this particular which notwithstanding I must confesse comes infinitely short of the height of its glory is that the conjunction of Father Son and Spirit after a spiritual and wonderfull manner in the man Jesus Christ is the Lords Christ So that God in Christ is God the Father dwelling in and uniting the humane nature after a wonderfull and unspeakable manner to himselfe and therefore is Christ called God and Man and because of this union Christ sometimes speaks as he is man and so dies sometimes as the Word which is God in him and so he raiseth himself from the dead sometimes in a way of union and so he is the Mediator between God and Man the Man Christ Jesus Chap. V. Sheweth how God in Christ unvailes himself to the sonnes of men wherein is shewn that Christ is our Priest and the manner of his Consecration and fitnesse for his Office HAving shewed what we are to understand by God in Christ and what the Lords Christ is I am come now to shew that Christ was not anointed for himself only but that he might communicate of his fulnesse to others which appeares in these two considerations First in that Christ was designed by the Father or set apart or â—â—secrated to a glorious work Secondly in that Christ is made fit capable and able effectually to performe whatever worke was imposed on him which his being anointed holds forth to us Of these in order In Christ's designation to a worke there are two things to be observed 1. What the worke is that Christ is consecrated to 2. The manner of his consecration Concerning the worke it selfe it is a three-fold office or ministry viz a Priestly Propheticall and Kingly office wherein all the appearance of the love wisedome or power of God are clearly made manifest I shall speake of these in order Now the Priesthood of Christ is that order or office that Christ What the Priesthood of Christ is hath from his Father in a way of relation to God and Man offering up sacrifices to the Lord. Wherein are two things considerable First The Priest Secondly The Sacrifice be offers For he is not a Priest but in reference to his offering of Sacrifice The Priest is Jesus Christ even the man Christ whom I have already Christ is the Saints highest Priest discovered to be the anointed of the Father even this man that that an unchangable Priesthood who is the Son of God according to the divine nature and humane nature it is he that is our Heb. 9. 11. High Priest But now seeing no man takes this honour to himselfe but he that is called The manner of Christs consecration Heb. 5. 5. of God as was Aaron So also Christ glorified not himselfe to be made an High Priest but he did it that said unto him Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee The Father anointed him as I have showne more at large before and now shall shew you the manner of his consecration Which was 1. With an oath saith the Psalmist The Lord hath sworne and will not Christ consecrated by an Oath repent Thou art a Priest for ever after the Order of Melchisedeck needs must we conclude the matter is of great concernment that is mannaged with so much solemnity That God should with an oath confirme it it hath much weight in it An oath amongst men puts an end of strife and seales up the matter in question Men in all ages as I have said before being convicted in their consciences that God is displeased and must be pacified have had their Priests to accomplish that service Nay the Lord appointed many Priests to offer Sacrifice to himself But now that he might make it appear that none of these were his eternal Priests that he might put all out of doubt and clearly reveal his own mind and the immutability of his counsell sweares by himselfe there being none greater then himselfe to sweare by that he had made established and consecrated the Lord Christ to be the everlasting Priest upon whom he had conferred his everlasting Priesthood The Priests of old were made without an oath but Christ with an oath by him that said unto him Thou art a Priest for ever As if God should have said Son its true there have beene many Priests that I have made but they are dying Priests and their Priesthood is but a shadow or type of thine which I commit to thee for thou art my well-beloved and shalt not dye of thy Priesthood there shall be no end for I have said yea I have sworne it and cannot lye The Priests of old were consecrated by the powring Oyle on their heads and the putting on of the holy garments so our High Priest Christ consecarted by the powring on of oile was set a part for this office by that holy Oyntment even the power and Spirit of the most high by the voice from the most excellent glory that gave this Record of him This is my well-beloved Son in whom I am well pleased The Lord Christ ministers in the Sanctuary with the oyle of joy gladnesse and acceptation powred on him with the garments of righteousnesse and salvation Aaron and his Sons had garments yea holy garments for glory and for beauty which garments were most exquisitely made for workmanship Exod. 28. 2. 3. wise-hearted men filled with wisedome by the Lord being onely
by the Sacrifice of himself that is to say in these last daies Christ appeared and offered up himselfe to put an end to all other offerings and to put away sin This Christ did in the daies of Pontius Pilate and Caiaphas the High-priest which was many yeares since But I know some are ready to object and say How can this be For Object he was a Lambe slaine before the foundation of the World which if true how is it that he was slain in time at Jerusalem except he was often slaine I Answer It is very true that Christ was slain but once according Sol. to the Scriptures and that in time in the end of the world and yet as true if truely understood that hee was slaine before the foundation of the World Which I shall demonstrate clearly from the Scriptures To see the truth clearly Wee must consider Christ Jesus in his 1 Pet. 1 20. death 1. In the decree of God and so he was fore-ordained before the Christ slain by the decree of God foundation of the World And all things were present before the Lord before they had being in reference to us they were in the decree councel and purpose of the Lord so was the Lord Christ in Gods decree and councel before the World He calleth things that are not as though they were What are only actually alone with us in time were truely present with him before all time who is not included in any time 2. In the vertue of his death and so he was slain before the foundation The vertue of Christs death was before the foundation of the World of the world Christs death had an influence into the times past as well as times to come therefore called The blood of the Covenant Now we must know that there was a Covenant made between God and Christ wherein it was agreed that Christ should die in time and the vertue of that death which was from eternity in the Eye of the Father should speak for all his generation in all ages therefore the Fathers of old believed not in a Christ already then come but to come even in the flesh and therefore God led them by the hand to look to a Christ to come through many Types and Sacrifices which when Christ came all ceased Christs death was that price that was laid down for all his generation in all ages and this is Christ the same yesterday and to day and for ever 3. We are to consider Christs actuall death which was accomplisht Christ actually died in time by the Jewes therefore saith the Apostle The same Jesus whom ye have crucified hath GOD Raised up and thus was Christ manifest in the last times Jerusalem was not actually alwaies Pilate not alwaies for we know that State City and those persons had a begining and ending no more did Christ die actually before the World was that he might dye hee took upon him flesh and was made like to us which is only done in time for we first are in the Wombe then brought forth encrease and dye so did he yet notwithstanding the vertue of Christs death through the will of God is as great as if hee had actually suffered before the World was which he did not but only once in the end of the World And yet is Christ a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedeck Christ died once and dyed no more yet the benefit remaines for ever So that as the Sacrifice is fully accepted by the Father who views it since it was offered so it was accepted by him that saw it before it was offered for all things that God doth before us in time which time the Scriptures tels abondantly himselfe hath made ordered and disposed which time is that space wherein things are done successively hee saw liked ordered and decreed should be before time was Chap. IX Wherein is shewne how Christ offered up himself and the true nature of that Offering 5 I am now to proceed and shew you how Christ offered up himselfe How Christ offered up himself unto GOD which I shall demonstrate these two waies First By the power of the eternall Spirit This Sacrifice was no Christ offered up himself by the Spirit ordinary one it was his owne body therefore the power must be sutable which was the Spirit of God that did sustaine him enable him to dye and raised him from the dead therefore saith Christ I 1 Tim. 3. 16. 1 Pet. 3. 18. lay down my life and I have power to take it up againe therefore is he said to be justified in the Spirit and quickned by the spirit That Eternall Spirit that dwelt in him suffered him not to lye in the grave For it was impossible he should bee held of death that was filled with the fulnesse of GOD in whom the Eternall Spirit was Secondly Christ died in the body of his flesh It was impossible the Christ died in simple Word of God die therefore the word was made flesh For as the body of his flesh much as the Children were pertakers of flesh and blood Christ himselfe tooke part of the same that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death so he in the flesh abolished the enmity therefore it is said God was manifest in the flesh in reference to his death and justified in the Spirit in reference to his resurrection Therefore saith Peter Christ Eph. 2. 16. Col. 1. 22. 1 Tim. 3. 16. 1 Pet. 3. 18. 4. 1. suffered for sins the just for the unjust being put to death in the flesh A fleshly body was prepared by God for Christ to suffer in and so he gives them his flesh a sacrifice for sin 6. Thus through the guidance of God I am now come to speak of the nature of this Sacrifice which I have discovered to be the Lord Jesus his flesh body and blood offered upon the Crosse at Jerusalem in the end of the world by the eternall Spirit for sin The excellency of its nature by a six fold demonstration First From the purity of it Under the Law their offerings A pure Sacrifice Levit. 1. 3. 10. Mal. 1. 7 8 9. must be without blemish therefore the Lord reproves the People for that they brought that which was torne and the lame and the sick saying thus Ye brought an offering should I accept this of your hands saith the Lord which is as much as if he should have said I the Lord delight not in but abhorre lame blinde imperfect offerings I must have one without blemish But now seeing all these unblemishable Lambs c. under the Law could not take away sin either a Sacrifice without spot and blemish must be found who is sufficient to take 10. Joh. 1. 29. 36. Heb. 9. 14. 1 Pet. 1. 19. away sin or else sin must remain therefore the Lord Christ steps in Wherefore when he cometh into the World he saith Sacrifice and Offerings
all the happinesse we Christ by death hath purchased all our happines are spiritually borne to As First Our union with GOD But more of this in the Kingly office Secondly He hath purchased for us the redemption of our bodies from the grave But more of this in the Kingly office Lastly He hath purchased for us life eternall even perfection Of which more particularly in his Kingly office 10. By his death he hath conquered all our enemies Of which likewise in his Kingly office Chap. XV. Sheweth the dignity Christ hath attained through his death and that in foure particulars THAT we may see the excellency of the death of Christ let us consider it under these considerations 1. That by death he hath conquered death and the devill for By death Christ hath conqueted death and the Devill it was impossible that he should be held of death Therefore is it said He should see Corruption The gallant Conquerors of the Kingdomes of the world when they dye they cease to conquer any more but our Jesus in dying slew death and him that had the power of death that is to say the Devill 2. He by death rose from the dead For he the selfe-same that By death he rose from the dead ascended first descended into the lowest part of the earth for he rose from the dead Which resurrection of his hath many glorious effects I shall onely instance in two First It was the manifestation that he was none other but the The virtue of Christs resurrection the true Messiah the Son of God This made the Rulers acknowledge of a truth that he was the Son of God Secondly It was the assurance to the Saints that he had finished his worke and therefore is it said He was raised justification Had he died and not risen from the dead our faith preaching writing and the like all had beene in vaine had he not rose from the dead death had conquerd him Now the true ground of our believing is his death that could not be held of death by his rising he evidently declared himselfe to be the Lords Christ Even the same body that died rose from the dead who said Behold my hands and my feet 3. By death he ascended into heaven For he descended that he Christs ascension into heaven and the virtue thereof might ascend He ascended from the state of infamy shame and contempt farre above all heavens into the state of glory of the highest glory of God The fruits of whose ascension are First The leading Captivity Captive the triumphing over all our enemies Even as a Generall that hath conquered his enemies should carry them openly at his Chariot wheeles so doth our Jesus carry all his and our enemies in open triumph Secondly When he ascended up on high He gave gifts unto men that he might fill all things that is to say that all his might be filled with himselfe with the new Wine of his spirit Time would faile me to enlarge my selfe herein 4. By death he sits at the right hand of God By the right hand Christ sits at the right hand of God and the benefit we enjoy thereby of God we are not to understand as the ignorant sort doe that God hath a right and left hand as we have but by his right hand is meant Gods greatest glory power and dignity Sit thou on my right hand saith the Lord till I make thine enemies thy footstoole The effects of which are First The ruling over the world and all in it of which in his Kingly office Secondly The rest of himselfe having done his worke for he having finished his worke is entred into his rest Thirdly The assurance that we shall enter into ours for as he hath conquered and is set downe so shall we be 5. Lastly By death he makes intercession for us The intercession of Christ is his pleading or continually for us to his Father which pleading we may not by any meanes Christ makes intercession for us what is the virtue thereof dreame is a speaking vocally as we doe one to another but a voice in his bloud For his bloud speaketh better things then the bloud of Abel Now the bloud of Abel we know cryed to heaven for vengeance But that we may briefly see the excellency of Christs intercession let us minde First That his bloud is alwaies present before the Lord speaking for us as Gods remembrancer it is our Advocate that is alwayes pleading our cause Secondly It pleades satisfaction to be given to the Judge of all by which we live in continuall security So that the summe of the dignity Christ in dying arises to is his Propheticall and Kingly office which he executes with much love and fidelity That he hath obtained all this by death I will onely give you this demonstration of it That all this is but the perfection of our Jesus Now he was made perfect through sufferings for the suffering of death he was crowned with glory Heb. 2. Phil. 2. and honour And because he humbled himselfe therefore hath God exalted him and given him a name above every name that at or in his name or power every knce should bow Chap. XVI Sheweth what the Propheticall Office of Christ is and the excellency thereof HAving thus finished through divine assistance the first part of the three-fold office of Christ viz his Priestly office I am now come to speake of his Propheticall office which I shall finish with much brevity There being two things for the explication of this office to be minded 1. The Prophet himselfe 2. The office or worke of this Prophet First Concerning the Prophet It is the Lord Jesus that was anointed to become the Teacher of his people The Prophets under the Law were anointed with oile Our great Prophet the Lord Jesus with the Spirit he was made full of grace and truth and God the Father raised him up as it was foretold by Moses and furnished him with sufficient abilities to discharge his trust For the fulnesse of wisedome was in him therefore is he called the Councellor the same man that was anointed to be a Priest was anointed to be a Prophet who was a Priestly Prophet and a Propheticall Priest Secondly The office of the Prophet is next to be spoken to which is an office given to him of the Father for the revelation or discovering of the great mysteries of the Fathers Kingdome in which office there are five things to be knowne 1. The matter discovered 2. The light discovering 3. The rule of discovery 4. The manner of discovery or teaching 5. The persons taught The matter discovered by this Prophet in generall is this Whatever The matter discovered is may be knowne or enjoyed of God by the Creature and whatever the Creature is and shall be in relation unto God Christ by his sacrifice hath obtained for us all that is to be desired and as a Prophet he comes to tell us
what he hath done for us what wee shall enjoy by him what we have done against him and what we ought to returne to him I shall draw forth this to thy view in severall particulars As First Christ is a Prophet discovering to us our sinfulnesse and Mans sinfulnesse misery by nature our nakednesse and emptinesse our blindnesse and vanity for 't is he that convinces of sinne Alas Wee see not our wretched estate by sinne till Christ comes to us and shewes us the danger of it Secondly Christ discovers to his people their happinesse by Mans happinesse grace that though their sinnes are great the Fathers love is greater Poore man lies in a dark dungeon till Christ come with his light in a comfortlesse estate till his eternall state in love be ascertained him he it is that reveales to the soule the Gospell or good newes of salvation he comes to the soule and tels him his sinnes are forgiven him By the sight of this love the soule is taught the greatnesse of his sinne and the infinitenesse of his offence the riches of Gods grace is made to shine more clearly for he convinces the world of righteousnesse Thirdly This Prophet teaches the soules all things to be believed All things to be believed even the resurrection of the body and everlasting life yea the Fathers love to him from eternity yea this teaches him what God is and what Christ is and to believe what he reveales and what shall be hereafter for he convinces the world of judgement Lastly Because I must hasten He teaches the soule obedience to Obedience to all the commands of God observe all the commands of Christ the least as well as the greatest visible as well as invisible things to be done in earth as well as to be enjoyed in heaven he teaches how to behave our selves while strangers here as well as what we shall enjoy when we attaine to the City which we now seek which obedience consists in two things 1. Love to God Love to God is that which Christ preaches to every soule whom he loves and in teaching him to love God he teaches him to love God above all and in all and all things for his sake and to deny all things and account them as losse and dung in comparison of his God 2. Love to his Neighbour Love is the fulfilling of the whole Law but more of this as God gives further opportunity I proceed now to speake of the light discovering which is the The light discovering is the Spirit spirit of God in Christ Therefore saith the Lord Jesus When I goe away viz in the flesh I will send you the Spirit and be shall take of mine and shew it to you he will guide you into all truth Therefore saith the Psalmist Oh that thou wouldest send forth thy light and thy truth let them leade mee this Spirit is the Spirit the Comforter Christ saith I am the light and I will teach you And it is said Obj. That he reveales the mysteries of the Father how then say you 't is the Spirit In answer to this I desire you would consider these three Sol. things 1. That we are taught by God and therefore saith the Scripture Yee shall be all taught of God 2. That we are all taught by Christ therefore Christ saith I am the true light 3. We are taught by the Spirit therefore is it said Yee have an unction that teacheth you all things Now these three are not three severall distinct lights but one true light which Christs owne words sweetly hold forth saying All that the Father hath is mine and the Spirit shall take of mine and shew it unto you Which holds forth this truth that the Father teacheth by his Sonne For the fulnesse of the Father dwels in him and the Sonne now teacheth onely by his Spirit therefore the Spirit takes of Christ to give to them that are his children So that it remaines cleare there is but one true light namely the light of the Father and the Sonne made manifest by the Spirit The third thing I propounded is the rule of discovery and that The rule of discovery the Scriptures is the truth of God revealed in the Scriptures The Scriptures doe declare all that was that is and that shall be practised or enjoyed by any To the Law and to the Testimony was a sure guide or rule of old insomuch that if any spake not according to them it was because there was no light in them So likewise is it a sure rule now even the Law and Testimony given by the Lord Jesus the Son of God who hath spoken in the last daies his will to us Now the will of God which is our rule to walke by is the command of God the Law of God Where there is no Law there is nothing but disorder Christ hath given us a standing Law to walk by which is the Scriptures of truth The holy Scriptures which the Apostle affirmes Are able to make the man of God perfect unto salvation through faith in Jesus Many men now adaies are grown so wanton that they may sinne without controule deny the Scriptures to be the words or Law of God But to such soules let me say the Heathens will convince them of Atheisme for when they once come to deny that they deny likewise the worke of God written in the heart by the Creation But how can you prove the Scriptures to be the words of the Lord. Object Sol. Besides the Testimony they beare of themselves which some though carnally and sensually judge to be false I shall propound these few considerations to you First Whatever is written in the heart by nature is found plainly and fully described in the Scriptures By nature man knowes there is a God that this God is to be worshipped and that he ought to live righteously and his conscience flyes in his face being convicted of his sinne against God whereupon he is put upon a way of thinking how he may please God these things through his ignorance are but confusedly in him but looke to the Scriptures all these things are handled plainly and distinctly which is an undeniable argument except to them that are so scared that they can also deny there is a God that the Scriptures are the very words of God that thy heart in nature mindes thee God in his word plainly unfolds to thee Nay further I will appeale to any man and challenge the wisest subtilest most ingenuous man in the world to tell mee what is good or excellent to be followed or avoided which may not be clearly demonstrated from the Scripture Another reason which may serve to silence thy vaine thoughts is this that all men that write of God or the worship of God are forced to make recourse to these Scriptures to decide the controversies among them Doe not the greatest Heretiques seeme to father their blasphemies upon the Scripture which is a good Argument
be Christs enemy and Christ such a mighty and just King Object how comes it to passe he lets them remaine so long unpunished I shall propound onely these three reasons Sol. 1. Because he is unwilling that any should perish but that all should come to repentance And because he would have all to be saved that is to say if God should have cut off Adam when he sinned or should destroy all sinners now what would become of all the chosen ones of God that shall be begotten of their loynes Had Adam sinned the great designe of God in bringing forth the man Jesus had been frustrate for he was the Sonne of Adam God would rather the ungodly should be here a long time then any one of his should perish So that I say Gods being unwilling that any should perish is meant onely of any of those whom he hath ordained life for which is the ground why he suffers the wicked to have a being and to continue so long and not because Christs death was a sacrifice offered for their sinnes as some ignorantly surmise 2. Because God would exercise the faith and patience of his Saints therefore is it said when God had foretold the warre Anti-Christ should make with the Saints and that he should at length be ledde into Captivity Here is the patience and the faith of the Saints 3. God through the enmity of the world advances his mercy in his Sonne and his justice in the worlds ruine Were not there great enemies the conquests of our King would not appeare so glorious Thus have I briefly showne the victories of our King Vnder whose feet the Father hath put all things Heb. 2. 8. If all things be put in subjection under Christs feet how is it said he must Object reigne till he hath subdued them for the first assertion seemes to imply he hath nothing at all to conquer I answer Christ is said to have all put under him in that he Sol. is Lord of all and all power in heaven and earth is given to him Yet saith the Scriptures Wee see not all things put under him that is to say though God hath made him Lord of all yet we doe not see his enemies fully destroyed Wee see sinne and death which being put under him must be subdued to him Therefore saith the Lord to our Lord Jesus Sit thou on my right hand till I make thine enemies thy footstole Christs enemies are his captives whom as they all banded against his person he destroyed yet still rebell against him as in his members whom he must destroy for he must reigne till all his enemies of all sorts be subdued unto him 7. I am now come to speake of his souldiers and they are fourefold Christs souldiers are The Angels 1. All the Angels of God they are ministring spirits at the commands of Christ therefore saith Christ to Peter Thinkest not thou that I can pray to my Father and he shall give me more then twelve Legions or hands of Angels for they doe homage to Christ When the first begotten of God was brought into the world saith God Let all the Angels of God worship him Therefore we heare so much of Gods sending his Angels to destroy his enemies and to encampe about his servants T is they that excell in strength and doe the commands of God Therefore are they called Christs Ministers Math. 13. 41. Which powre out the vials of Gods wrath Revel 14. 19. 2. The Saints they are made more then Conquerours through The Saints him that loves them An excellent description of this King and this Army of Saints you may see in the 19th of Rev. 11. to the end of the Chapter 3. The World God sanctifies or sets apart Cyrus to doe his The world pleasure God makes his enemies to serve him in the ruine one of another Rev. 16. It is said the ten hornes which be interpreted ten Kings shall hate the Whore and make her desolate God many times makes use of one Oppressor or Idolater to destroy another 4. And lastly The whole Creation is Gods hoast therefore The whole Creation it is said The Starres in their course fought against Sisera God makes use of Sunne Moone and Starres for the accomplishment of his Victories Therefore are these called the hoast of God Christs weapons 8. His weapons he uses bespeak him to be wonderfull none other but the mighty God I shall onely instance these three 1. His death 2. His word 3. His Spirit Weapons of another nature then the world dreames of 1. His death therefore is it said By meanes of death he overcame His death and by his death he shew all his enemies as Sampson when he died killed many at his death so our Conquerour by dying kils slayes and crucifies his enemies And these are the weapons that Christ armes his Church with for by their sufferings the truth is advanced And herein holds that saying true that the bloud of the Martyrs is the seed of the Church His Word 2. By his word Christ when he goeth forth to battell effects his ends obtaines victory by the words that proceede out of his mouth If Christ sayes to the Figge tree Wither thou behold immediately it dryes up His word is a sharpe sword able to divide between the marrow and the bones With which he smites the Nations which Rev. 19. 15. word is Christs command for the accomplishment of his minde and Every word that proceedeth out of his mouth returneth not till it hath accomplished that whereto it was sent 3. By his Spirit Our weapons saith the Apostle are not carnell His Spirit but spirituall mighty to throw downe strong holds Which serves sufficiently to detect the falsity of that doctrine that shrowds it selfe under and propagates it selfe by secular or civill authority The wed of the Lord which indeed is spirit and life hath a sufficiency in it selfe to defend it selfe and propagate it selfe from one family Towne City County or Kingdome to another which spirit is the powerfull operation of the word of God the spirit of truth Oh what is so strong as truth It is true Christ makes the weapons of the world to serve him but the weapons he hath approved and ownes and hath put into his souldiers hands to fight withall for the mannaging of the affaires and the subduing of the enemies of his spirituall Kingdome are on ly spirituall and not at all carnall Which we may see lively set forth where is said Christ sits on a white horse judging and making warre in righteousnesse who is cloathed with a Vesture dipt in bloud and his name is called the Word of God 9. The Lord Jesus is righteous in his warfare he is faithfull in rewarding Now by the rewards of Christ we must not understand Christs rewards that there is any excellency in the Creature as his owne which deserved these rewards but the reward is of grace of him that
Galath 1. 8 9. be accursed Therefore saith he againe He that denies Christ to come in the flesh is Anti-Christ Which coming in the flesh is not a coming in our particular bodies of the flesh for I can or another may say Christ is not so come to thousands and never be judged Anti-Christs for so saying except we may be so called for speaking truth but he is come in the flesh that is to say in that particular forme of flesh he tooke of the Virgin Mary which was of the same nature of our flesh but yet as distinct a body from ours as any of ours is one from another This Gospell is a Mystery made manifest that was hid in God hid from Ages yet now made manifest being hidden onely to them that are lost whose mindes the God of this Ephes 3. 9. Coloss 1. 26. 2 Cor. 4. 3. World hath blinded T is not to be revealed any otherwise then Paul preached it For God made manifest in the flesh is good newes and a great mystery yet revealed to the Saints Thus much for the Gospel it selfe 2. I come next to speake of the Administrator or Preacher of Who are the true Ministers of the Gospel this Gospell and herein I will minde you that the Gospell was preached by Apostles by Evangelists by members of particular Churches and by scattered brethren First By Disciples Math. 10. The twelve are there called Disciples Disciples which he sent forth to preach the Gospell who had a Commission from him while with them in the flesh So the Seventy afterwards were sent out by Christ Luk. 10. Which Disciples did baptize John 4. 2. Secondly By Apostles These Disciples Christ afterwards cals Apostles Apostles to whom he gave a Commission before his death and after his resurrection upon whom the spirit was given in the forme of fire and cloven tongues whose worke was now to beare witnesse of the resurrection of Jesus Christ and that not onely to the Jewes as they were before his death but their Commission was enlarged to all the world Jewes and Gentiles Therefore saith Peter Must one be ordained to be a witnesse of his resurrection Now of the Apostles some received a Commission by word of mouth from Christ in the flesh and afterward from him as risen from the dead immediately But Mathias first being chosen by the Church God by lots called him Paul was immediatly called from heaven who received not the Gospell of man nor by man but from heaven These in a speciall manner were sent forth to plant the Gospell to plant Churches to lay the foundation therefore is it said The Saints are built upon the foundation of the Apostles Eph. 2. 20. And Paul saith I have laid the foundation Thirdly By Evangelists God hath set in his Church some Apostles Evangelists some Prophets some Evangelists Philip was an Evangelist that is to say a Preacher of glad tydings who was endued with the Spirit Act. 21. 10. Philip went up and downe preaching the Gospell of Christ baptizing both men and women Acts 8. 5. 12. Now the office of an Evangelist was not to be exercised in a particular Church but was to be exercised in the preaching of the Gospel in severall places And thus did Timothy who is commanded to doe the worke of an Evangelist accompany Paul preaching the Gospell And so Titus Tychicus and others went from place to place preaching the Gospell of whom wee reade not that they had such a particular call by a voice from heaven as the Apostles had but they were filled with the Spirit Members of particular Churches Fourthly By Members of particular Churches As for instance Stephen who was also a Deacon by which office he was not to preach to the world Acts 6. 8 9 10. Whose Commission was this That he was full of the spirit and power And so Philip who was at first a Member of a particular Church then a Deacon being the same Philip as I conceive is called an Evangelist Acts 21. 10. He preached the Gospell and did baptize Yea Barnabas went from Jerusalem to Antioch being sent thither by the Church where he preached And afterwards the same Barnabas was by the Church through the revelation of the spirit separated from them for to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles who was also in reference to this sending by the Church called an Apostle Fifthly and Lastly The Gospell was preached by scattered brethren Scattered brethren preach the Gospell to the world Acts 8. 4. They that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word who preached both to Jewes and Gentiles whose Commission I finde onely to be this That the power of God carried them forth to it His presence accompanied them and his blessing upon their labours pointed from heaven from whence they came as it is said And the hand of the Lord was with them viz those scattered brethren which were scattered upon the persecution of Stephen and a great number believed and turned to the Lord. These scattered brethren say some may be some of the Apostles Object Sol. It cannot be so for they were not scattered at that time for they tarried at Jerusalem as it is said Acts 8. 1. They were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria except the Apostles Thus may wee see clearly that one Gospell was committed to severall sorts of Christians to preach it to the world who were all sent of God being called of God according to the working of his owne spirit We confesse say some that you say true these did preach the Gospell but Object all these are ceased the Apostles dead Evangelists dead and the brethren who were then gifted and enabled to preach So that we would now know whether there be any such Ministers of the Gospell in our daies and if there be how we may know them In answer to this I grant that they are dead yet I say the faith Sol. which was required in the Gospell they preached was not confined to their persons but to their doctrine Therefore saith Christ I pray not for these onely but for all them which shall believe in thy name through their word And though those persons are asleepe yet their doctrine is the same there is but one faith one Lord one Gospell that which Paul and the rest preached and the power is the same still that is to say the spirit so that there be Ministers of the Gospell in our dayes that preach glad tydings who have the same spirit and power that they had which to me is manifest where it is said Christ gave gifts unto men and he gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the worke of the Ministry till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the
you Which doctrine is to be preached to believers Who may be considered under a two-fold consideration Either as added to the Church walking in visible or Church-fellowship Or as not yet added to the Church To both which sorts I shall endeavour to lay open their duty that so they may be conformable to their great Law-giver the Lord Jesus I shall speake of them in order But first to such as are not in a true visible Church fellowship The commands of Christ to them are these two in an especiall manner First That they should be baptized Secondly That being baptized they should be added or joined to the Church In the first of these I shall handle severall particulars 1. That Baptisme was commanded to be preached and practised 2. That Saints were baptized 3. The severall sorts of Baptisme spoken of in the Scriptures 4. That Baptisme of water was preached by the Disciples and commanded to be practised by the Saints 5. Who was the Author and Institutor of water Baptisme 6. What the true nature use and end of Baptisme with water is 7. Who was and is a true Administrator or Dispenser of it 8. Who be the true and proper subjects of water Baptisme 9. The true manner of the administration of it 10. The principle by which a Saint ought to be moved to subjection unto it 11. The power enabling to performe it or submit to it 12. How long the Ordinance of Baptisme was and is to continue I shall presume to be more large in this point of Baptisme then in others First Because this lyeth most hid and many Christians are enquiring after it Secondly Because this being cleared up the Controversies about Ordinances and Church visible fellowship would soone bee reconciled In this Chapter I shall speake of the first foure particulars 1. That Baptisme was commanded to be preached is evident Math. 28. 19 20. Where Christ saith Goe yee therefore and teach all Nations baptizing them teaching them to observe all things which I have Baptisme was commanded to be preached and practised commanded you Now Christ taught them to baptize and then to observe it as Christs command Againe saith Christ Marke 16. 15 16. Goe preach the Gospell to every Creature he that believeth and is baptized c. This was commanded to be preached Which commission the Apostle Peter executed faithfully Acts 2. 38. Commanding every one of them to repent and be baptized So Acts 10. 48. He declared it as their duty and commanded their subjection to it The truth of this is so unquestionable that I shall passe to the second That as it was commanded so it was practised is manifest Acts The Saints were baptized 2. 41. They that gladly received the word preached by Peter were baptized And many in Samaria which believed both men and women were baptized Acts 8. 12. The Eunuch the Gaoler Lydia Crispus and many Corinthians were baptized Acts 18. 8. I thinke it altogether needlesse to insist longer on this particular well knowing no man will deny this but he that denies the Scriptures likewise 3. The Scriptures speake of severall sorts of Baptisme which There are severall sorts of Baptisme spoen of in the Scriptures I shall unfold to you with their agreement and difference Now Baptisme in the Scriptures admits of a three-fold consideration First As it is a Baptisme of water Secondly As it is a Baptisme of the Spirit Thirdly As it is a Baptisme of afflictions 1. The Baptisme of water we finde mentioned in divers e Baptisme water places as John 1. 21. Acts 8. 38. Now this Baptisme of water was with materiall water 2. The Baptisme of the Scriptures prophesied of by John called e Baptisme the Holy â—â—st and 2. 28 29. The Baptisme of the Holy Ghost and fire Math. 3. 11. promised by God in Joel by Christ Acts 1. 5. Yee shall be baptized saith Christ with the Holy Ghost not many daies hence Which was fulfilled Acts 2. There appeared cloven tongues like as of fire and they sate upon each of them and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues as the spirit gave them utterance This Baptisme is called the Baptism of the spirit because it was the onely worke of the spirit with which they were filled called the Baptisme of fire because of the operation of the spirit which like fire was a light to them that sate in darknesse like fire because of its refining nature burning up that chaffe and drosse that was in them and making them more pure a Baptisme of fire in respect of its consuming nature destroying the man of sinne t is a fire that goeth out of the mouth of the Lord Jesus that burnes up consumes and destroyes the stubble and chaffe of Antichrist Yea of this Baptisme it is said There sate cloven tongues like fire upon the heads of the Apostles Which visibly demonstrated the power of the spirit in giving them the gift of tongues or languages whereby they could speake to all men in their severall languages wherein they were naturally borne Acts 2. 8. Now this was a visible glorious spirituall Baptisme the proper nature end and use of this was to crowne the doctrine of Jesus with a Crowne of glory to confirme spread abroad to all Nations and exalt the Gospell of Jesus and Christ in his Gospell This was that which amused the world yea to heare the Apostles speake with tongues they were confounded amazed and mervailed Acts 2. 6. 7. greatly 3. There is likewise a Baptisme of afflictions or sufferings A Baptism of affliction Therefore saith Christ I have a Baptisme to be baptized withall and how am I streigthned in my spirit till that be accomplished This was the Baptisme of his death into which death we are baptized Now this Baptisme holds forth to us our descending into misery as if wee were overwhelmed with misery and our ascending from it into glory Wee as Christ did when he was in the world must take up his Crosse and follow him in afflictions for We beare about in our bodies the dyings of the Lord Jesus I might here shew you the sweet unity consent and harmony that is in these Baptismes and wherein they differ but you will see this more fully if you consider what ensues But some may say T is true there is a Baptisme of water of the spirit and Qu. fire and of afflictions but is there not a Baptisme of the spirit besides that Baptisme of the Holy Ghost and fire which you say consists in new tongues and miraculous visible appearances of the spirit which Baptisme of the spirit is the worke of Gods spirit upon the heart in believing and the like according to that in Titus We are saved by the washing of regeneration c. Tit. 3. 4. To this I answer Yielding That we are saved by the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost which hee Answ shed on
16 17. So that if they did baptize in the name of the Lord Jesus and yet could not give the Holy Ghost but prayed afterwards for them that they might receive it it is very manifest that baptizing in the name of the Lord Jesus and the gifts of the Holy Ghost or spirit are distinct so that indeed all that we finde the Apostles doing is something visible or externall they pray they preach they lay on hands and baptize all these as performed by them are onely outward acts For Paul planteth and Apollo watereth but God gives the blessing Yet notwithstanding though the acts of these be outward yet the spirit principle and power are all spirituall And indeed as divine a power of the Spirit is required in the true baptizing or being truly baptized with water according to the Gospell as there is in preaching believing or praying But it may be the Baptisme of the spirit in the second sense viz of regeneration Sol. or renovation according to that in Titus 3. 4. which is meant in Mathew and Marke before mentioned I answer to this It cannot be meant of that because that is the Obj. ground of the Baptisme of water and included in the words saying He that believeth For no man can truly believe but he that hath the spirit of God for the fruit of the spirit is faith and by faith are we renewed So that if it had beene meant so the words should have beene rendred thus He that believeth by the spirit and is a believer by the spirit shall be saved which is a fruitlesse needlesse and uselesse repetition of one and the same thing So that indeed it cannot truly be interpreted of any other Baptisme then a Baptisme of materiall water And againe What I have said of the incapacity of the Disciples giving the gifts of the Holy Ghost is as true here they could not neither did they give this spirit at all either in regeneration or miraculous appearances but did baptize But may some yet say You speake of another Baptisme viz of afflictions Object and though it may not be meant of any of the former yet it may be of this That it cannot be meant of this is apparent for it was such a Sol. ministration of Baptisme that the Disciples of Christ were to bee Administrators thereof Now we know the Ministers of the Gospel preached not bonds but liberty peace and joy full of glory the world and the Devill are the authors administrators and actors of troubles persecutions and afflictions and so are not the Apostles of Christ who acted in this baptizing divers but never persecuting any But though it may not be understood of internall afflictions yet it may be of Object Conformity to Christs death We are conformable to Christs death in believing for wee Sol. through faith become dead to the world in believing there is the similitude of Christs death and resurrection in the spirit but this Baptisme followes believing as I have shewed before But if what I have said from this prove not satisfactory to thee goe along with me a little further and let us consider Acts 2. 38. Then Peter said unto them Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sinnes and yee shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost He first bids them repent which is the work onely of the spirit in the new birth or regeneration And what then And be baptized with what Baptisme With the Baptisme of water and yee shall receive the Holy Ghost He saith not your Baptisme is the receiving the Holy Ghost but being baptized you shall receive the gifts of the Holy Ghost that is to say of tongues or miracles There is another Scripture yet deserves our consideration which is Acts 8. 12 13. When they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the Kingdome of God and the name of Jesus Christ they were baptized both men and women Then Simon himselfe believed also and when he was baptized he continued with Philip. Now would I know what Baptisme it is that Simon was baptized withall Surely you will not say it was the Baptisme of the Holy Ghost if you shall consider verse 16. The Holy Ghost was then fallen on none of them for they were onely baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus and afterwards they received the Holy Ghost Anst if any say it was the spirit of regeneration that cannot be for Simon that was baptized was in the gall of bitternesse and bond of iniquity whose heart was not right in the sight of God verse 22 33. So that I say it was a Baptisme of materiall water a visible externall Baptisme upon the profession of his faith But notwithstanding all this may some say These are but arguments where Object doth the Scripture speake of Baptisme with water either commanded or practised in the name of the Lord Jesus We are not destitute of Scriptures to evince this if their authority Sol. may be prevalent Philip and the Eunuch came unto a certaine water and the Eunuch said here is water what hindereth but I may be baptized Acts 8. 36. 38. To whom Philip answered If thou believest with all thy heart thou mayst And so they went both into the water and Philip baptized him Which water is materiall water and not metaphoricall or mysterious as some may conceive for Philip required faith to be in the Eunuch and so the spirit before he would baptize him with water Yet to put all out of controversy consider Cornelius and the Gentiles having received the Baptisme of the Holy Ghost Peter concludes from thence assuredly none ought to forbid them and makes a challenge to any one if they could to shew cause that they should be denied the Baptisme of water and Commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Which Baptisme of water was not the Baptisme of the Holy Ghost but was dispensed upon them after they had received that Acts 10. latter end Surely you need not to spend so much time or paper in the proofe of a thing Object that is so evident Had I not knowne it to be so confidently gainsayed I should not Sol. have done it so that I hope if thou knowest it already it will confirme thee and silence if the Lord shall vouchsafe to speake by it them that oppose it Chap. III. Sheweth that Christ is the author and institutor of water Baptisme with the true nature use and end of the Baptisme of water The Lord Jesus is the author and ordainer of the Baptisme of water I Shall in the next place shew you who is the Author of this Baptisme of water I have beene speaking of which was him that I have already proved commanded the Apostles to preach faith and Baptisme to baptize them that were taught Therefore saith Christ All power in heaven and earth is given to mee Goe yee therefore preach and baptize the Lord Christ from heaven is the
author of it he instituted and appointed it But some may say The Baptisme of water is Johns Baptisme for John Object saith I baptize you with water but he that cometh after me shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and fire So that water Baptisme is onely Johns and not Christs as spirit Baptisme is onely Christs and not Johns In answer to this I will shew you clearly the Baptisme of water Sol. Of the unity of Johns and Christs Baptism being one In the outward element of water was Christs as well as Johns and that by nnfolding to you the true nature of Johnes Baptisme and the true nature of Christs Baptisme wherein their unity and difference will appeare their unity is manifest 1. In that the element of both was the same materiall water it is said John baptized with water and I have already proved to you the Saints were baptized into the name of Jesus with water also Cornelius and the rest were baptized with water 2. The Baptisme of water both of Christs and Johns came from heaven Christ tels us Johns is from heaven Math. 21. 25. The Both from heaven word of God came to John in the wildernesse He is said To be sent from God also So the Baptisme of water administred by Christs Disciples is like wise from heaven Therefore saith Christ All power is given to me in heaven and earth Goe yee therefore teach and baptize It was the power of heaven conferred upon Christ which commanded and enabled the Disciples to preach and practise the Ordinance of Baptisme 3. Both Johns and Christs Baptisme pointed at Christ though Both held forth Christ The difference between Christs and Johns baptisme under a various consideration Thus for their agreement now I will shew wherein they differ As First That the Baptisme of water administred by Christs command after his resurrection was not administred upon the same ground as Johns 1. Johns doctrine upon which his administration depended was They were not administred upon the same grounds not the same with that the Apostles preached for John held forth a Christ to come to dye to suffer to take away sinne but now the doctrine of the Gospell is That Christ is come dead risen ascended up to heaven and sitteth at Gods right hand 2. John baptized persons believing in a Christ to come after him but now he that shall baptize into a Christ as not come denies the faith For this is the Antichrist that denies Christ to be come in the flesh dead and risen againe They preached the Lord crucified and baptized them that believed in him who was then dead and risen from the dead Johns Baptisme pointed at remission of sinnes to be by Jesus Christ but the Baptisme of water administred by the Disciples of Christ held forth remission of sinnes already and they were to be baptized to manifest their sinnes being pardoned 3. The subjects of Johns Baptisme were onely Jewes it is said of him All Judea and Jerusalem came out to be baptized in Jordan But Christs are Go preach the Gospell to every Creature viz. Jewes and Gentiles baptizing them Thus was the Gentiles with Cornelius baptized with water 4. That was a preparation to the Baptisme of the Holy Ghost for he prepared the way of the Lord but this followes after as in Cornelius and if by Baptisme of the spirit you meane regeneration the Baptisme of water alwaies followed that at-least the profession of it which is the true ground of visible administrations 5. The Commissions by which the Baptisme of water was dispensed were divers the one by God to John in the wildernesse the other from Christ to the Saints being risen from the dead 6. And Lastly The Baptisme of Iohn is alwaies called the Baptisme of Iohn and no where the Baptisme of Christ and therefore we shall finde a distinction betweene them and the Disciples are said to baptize in the name of Jesus Christ A second difference is this That the Baptisme of water administred by Iohn ceased for he saith of himselfe I must decrease that is They have not the like continuance to say my person my office my ministry must all stoope to Christ who must encrease Iohns doctrine ceased in Christ so his Baptism for Christ being come dead and risen Iohn was not any longer by his ministry to prepare his way and truly if you take away the doctrine upon which any thing is administred you likewise take away the administration but now Christs Baptisme endures being established upon a more strong foundation Christ humbled and exalted dead and risen therefore are the believers who were filled by the Holy Ghost baptized with the Baptisme of water in the name of the Lord Jesus The continuation whereof I shall prove afterwards Thus is it manifest that the Baptisme of water was as well commanded by Christ as by Iohn and was not onely Iohns baptisme as many suppose And whereas Iohn saith I baptize you with water but Christ shall baptize you with the spirit and fire It proves not that Christ did not command his Disciples to continue baptizing with water but this it proves that Christs baptisme was greater then Iohns Iohns was onely water but Christs water and the spirit too I say this expression of Iohns proves no more that Christ hath not a baptisme of water then Pauls words saying that Paul planteth and Apollo watereth but it is God that gives the blessing proves that God plants not nor waters which would be strange to affirme To conclude this likewise I shall onely desire you to minde this if the baptisme of water was onely Iohns and to endure only till soules were baptized with the Holy Ghost as those that say water baptisme is onely Iohns affirme then demand I how comes it to passe that being baptized with the Holy Ghost is used by Peter as an undeniable argument that Cornelius should be baptized with water Sure this is an undoubted truth that that dispensation which is the onely ground of putting an end to Baptisme of water as they say the baptisme of the spirit is cannot be a true ground to continue it but Peter uses it as an argument for its continuance from whence without wresting the Scriptures perverting the truth dazling mens eyes with the bare notions of mystery spirit life or substance we may safely conclude that baptisme of water is Christs baptisme as well as Iohns and was preached and practised by the Disciples of the Lord Jesus But lest we should be cheated or beguiled through the false representations of the carnality of this Baptisme I will in the next particular discover its great glory 6. The way being now something more cleare I desire to proceed The true nature use and end of water Baptisme and shew you the true nature use and end of this ordinance or baptisme wherein the true glory of it will appeare notwithstanding the endeavours of men or Devils to staine it it
Scripture is most strangely perverted from whence many soules take advantage to propagate their owne delusions That we may a little manifest the truth of this Scripture wee are to consider what it is to know Christ after the flesh if you say to know Christ after the flesh is to know him as dying at Jerusalem I say thus we are alwaies to know him neither doe we know him at all truly except we so know him and if you meane the knowledge of him in any Ordinance of the New Testament that is to know him according to the spirit But to know Christ after the flesh is to know him after a carnall manner in a way of distinction or outward priviledge by a fleshly relation for thus Paul once knew himselfe According to the flesh to be an Israelite circumcised the eight day and not a sinner of the Gentiles Thus did they know Christ to be of the natural seed of Abraham that went forth preaching peculiarly to the Jewes Who said Salvation is of the Jewes but now they knew him not after those fleshly distinctions for now there is neither Jew nor Gentile bond nor free Barbarian nor Scythian Male nor female but all are one in Christ Iesus therefore saith Paul verse 17. If any man be in Christ he is a new Creature old things are past away that is to say the priviledges the Iewes have by birth and that old administration therefore saith Paul We serve God not in the oldnesse of the letter but in the newnesse of the spirit not in a fleshly manner but spiritually so that this Scripture doth not in the least speak against baptisme or breaking of bread but against the fleshly priviledges that many Iewes boasted of which were done away in Christ But the Scripture saith If yee be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world why as though living in the world are yee subject to ordinances Object Touch not tast not handle not which all are to perish with the using after the commandements and doctrines of men which directly speakes against Ordinances how then can you plead for the ordinance of water Baptisme or any other outward Ordinance Col. 2. 21. If thou didst but consider what Ordinances he speakes against Sol. thou wouldest have spared this objection he forbids the rudiments of the world the doctrines and commands of men in the things of God these are not by Saints to be tasted touched nor handled for they perish in the using that is to say we reape no benefit by them but we suffer losse in the use of them but I hope no man will say we are not to touch the doctrines ordinances and commandements of Christ if they shall not onely Baptisme but faith and spirituall worship must not be touched for these are the doctrines of Christ and the same Apostle that forbids these earthly sinfull commands himselfe praises the Corinths For keeping the Ordinances he delivered to them 1 Cor. 11. 2. which he received of Christ It is true the Apostles did practise Baptisme of water but they did it Object only as an outward Ceremony of Johns baptisme which was not easily layd down and so they practised Circumcision That the Apostles and Disciples did practise baptisme I have already Sol. proved and not upon Johns but Christs accompt And I say again they did it as a command from Christ for if they had done it only as a Ceremony how comes it to passe Peter commands the Gentiles to be baptized who were ignorant of Iohns baptisme and how comes it in the Disciples Commission as I have more largely before proved it to be Again if it was only practised as a Ceremony I desire thou wouldest shew me where how or when this Ceremony ended surely 't was not by fire baptisme as is most evident from Acts. 10. Yea this is evident all Ceremonies that pointed at a Christ to come ceased in Christ but baptisme as I have before proved hath its institution from Christ as risen from the dead but for a more clear and distinct answer I say it is true that the Apostle did circumcise Timothy in the Gospel yet notwithstanding the ground or accompt whereupon he circumcised is farre different from the ground of the administration of baptisme for if you consider it you will finde that Paul did not circumcise Timothy but upon the desire of the Elders of Jerusalem for the satisfaction of the Jewes Paul being to goe to them that he might have the more advantage to gaine upon them did this for if you observe it Timothy's mother was a Jew and so of right he ought to be circumcised Paul had the greater care to doe it least they should have refused to admit him into their company But oh how far different was the administration of baptisme performed by virtue of Christs command as I have plainly proved before not to please any but in obedience to Christ Again this was only once and only to one that we read of practised For afterward when they would have Titus to be circumcised Paul would not give way to it no not at all when the Galathians pleaded for it he expresly told them if they were circumcised Christ should Profit them nothing Now doe I demand of thee to shew me where the Scripture saith that baptism was administred to please man or where you finde the Lord by the Scripture forbidding the use of it or disannulling the practise of it So that for any one to conclude baptism was used because it was a ceremony that ought but could not easily be laid down is but a bare affirmation which hath no colour of truth or proofe and if any one shall affirme it is so I pray him in love to give me the grounds and reasons from the Scriptures for such an assertion to which I here promise in the strength of the Lord to returne a further answer But some other object from Matth. 28. That the disciples are there commanded Object to baptize into the name not in the Name of the Father c. that is into the virtue of the Father or into the Father himself which is only true in the baptism of the spirit so that that baptism cannot be meant a baptism of water I have already proved that the Apostles did not by any act of Sol. theirs give the Spirit for they did only publish to the eare it was the Lord spake to the heart they baptized with water but Christ with the holy Ghost and fire it was the work of Paul to plant and Apollo to water but only of the Lord to give the blessing So that the true understanding of these words are that the disciples were commanded to preach the Lord Jesus and his name and to baptize them into that name that is to say to dip them into his profession to seperate them unto the Lord and therefore Paul saith were you baptized into the name of Paul that you so much boast your selves to be of
First For being a Heretike Now if any one aske me what a Heretike Ans is I answer he is one that preaches a doctrine which denies What a Heretike is the faith Of which sort were they that denied the resurrection Christ come in the flesh dying at Jerusalem for our sinnes and the like Secondly For open scandalous wickednesse as adultery idolatry theft lying drunkennesse swearing or the like Thirdly For refusing to heare the Church as Christ saith If any man refuse to heare the Church let him be to thee as a Heathen and a Publican And againe If any man among you walke disorderly have no company with him that he may be ashamed But what if there should any one fall into some open sinne and should manifest Qu. his repentance to the Church before he be cast out ought the Church to cast him forth No verily For if the Church can judge their repentance to bee Ans true they may not doe it for the end of the Ordinance is if the Lord see it good for their repentance Now if the Lord makes them repent without it to what purpose wilt thou doe it This appeares to me cleare from Pauls words 2 Cor. 12. 21. Who saith He is afraid he shall be humbled among the Corinths and bewaile them which have sinned already and have not repented of their uncleannesse and fornication which they have committed Which words I say intimate to me they ought to have repented of their evill deeds and if they had done so Paul need not have bewailed them but their not repenting made him to be afraid 5. They have power to receive in members who were cast out The Church may receive members who were cast out if they repent upon their repentance Consider 2 Cor. 2. 6 7 8 9. Wee may there see Paul writing to them to forgive a wicked person lest he should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow and confirme their loves towards him Now if this repentance be true it causeth the soule to be humbled for his sinne to acknowledge it before the Church to mourne for it and to desire again to be received by them for if in truth he seeth his evill he will desire to be entertained againe by that people that cast him forth that they may have cause of joy in him as well as once they had of sorrow But this is not the whole Church that hath this power but the representative Church viz the Officers in the Church so that when Christ saith tell it to the Church he meanes the Elders To this I briefly answer That the Church viz the whole Church hath this power as is evident in the casting forth of the incestuous person Paul writes to the Church bids them Purge out the old leaven he doth not write to the officers of the Church only but to the whole Church So Acts 15. when the whole Church at Antioch sent to the Church at Jerusalem to advise concerning a difference The whole Church came together and gave their advise It is said The Apostles Elders and Brethren send greeting verse 23. Some bring this place to prove a Nationall Synod but if it should prove such a thing behold the whole Nation must be this Synod for the whole multitude were there viz of the Church with the Apostles and Elders where every brother had his liberty to speake But the Apostle Paul cast out Hymeneus and Alexander and delivered them Object to Satan so that excommunication is to be performed by an officer Behold a thing here considerable that which Paul did in his Sol. owne person by himselfe is likewise done by a Church with his consent therefore saith he I have judged already as though I were present concerning him that hath done this deed In the name of the Lord Jesus when you are gathered together and my spirit That you deliver such a one unto Satan 1 Cor. 5. 4 5. Pauls spirit is his will approbation or consent so that what the Apostle might doe in person they might do by the same power and spirit that was in him and them so that this is no argument at all to prove any such thing Now the end of this power given to the Church is not for destruction but edification Chap. X. Sheweth the duty and gifts of the Church HAving thus finished the nature and power of the Church I The duty of the Church come to shew them their duty and that under a three-fold consideration First Of members to members their duty is to watch over each Of members to members other Under the Law God placed watchmen over his people at whose hands the bloud of them that miscarried through the watchmens negligence was required Ezech. 33. 16. Christ hath set the Saints in one body to be carefull of each other to watch over their words and actions at home and abroad wherever they have opportunity They ought also to cover the infirmities one of another there is a great fault among Christians this day who delight to spread abroad the infirmities of their brethren If thy brother offend thee t is thy duty oh man to tell him of it first betweene thee and him if he heares thee thou hast gained him thou oughtest to forgive him If he refuses to heare thee take two or three more with thee and if he refuse to heare them and not before as thou expectest to be freed from the charge of a violater of the command of the Lord Jesus Tell it to the Church and if he refuse to heare them let him be unto thee as a Heathen and a Publican Yet further t is the duty of every member to assist exhort advise counsell and helpe his fellow member to relieve his necessities t is our duty to study to please one another in the Lord. This watch should be over one another in all things in all places at all times in all relations Secondly The duty of the Saints in the Church is to frequent Of the members duty to the Church their assemblyes not to leave them not to burthen or trouble or offend them to contribute their utmost assistance to them to help forward the building to warne the Church of any thing may endanger it Thirdly The duty of the whole is to looke to each member to The duty of the Church toward its members enquire how it is with them in soule and body to administer to their wants to reprove rebuke admonish receive in cast out this watch of theirs ought to have an eye into all relations many may live well in the Church but we must enquire after every one concerning their behaviour towards wives or husbands parents or children masters or servants for many may at home be passionate carelesse give ill examples be idle or the like which cannot be discerned in the Church but this ought we to looke after By vertue os what authority have you to do to meddle with one another in civill Object things By
her head her owne honour and glory must be covered without controversy when paul saith He permits not a woman to speake in the Church he forbids not all manner of speaking for then if the Church should demand any question of her she might not answer which certainly she may So that I say this speaking that she is debarred of is teaching as the brethren who are prophets may all doe one by one she must not so teach in the Church to dishonour her head But if God hath given greater gifts to them then to the brethren How women ought to improve their gifts I shall shew them how they ought to improve them viz. by taking a brother home to their houses as Priscilla did Apollos and there instructing him in the way of the Lord more perfectly or by teaching one another modesty sobriety meeknesse humility love and holinesse this I am sure is their duty therefore saith Paul to Titus The aged women must be teachers of good things teaching the young women to be sober to love their husbands to love their children to be discreet chast keepers at home good obedient to their husbands that the word of God be not blasphemed Tit. 2. 3 4 5. Thirdly The end of prophesy it serves for the Church for building up in faith knowledge feare and love for exhortation from sinne to righteousnesse for comfort in feares doubts terrours temptations the end of that as of all other Ordinances is to glorifie God and serve our spirituall generation Our City is built on Mount Sion compact within it selfe Fiftly The gift of being a helper in the Gospel of Christ Aquila Gift of helps ' what and Vrbane and many more were Pauls helpers in Christ this is a gift whereby Saints are made able to be helpfull either in accompanying of the ministers of the Gospel in preaching to the world or in any service of the church Sixtly Governments this is a speciall gift given to some persons Gift of Government what in the Church for the ordering its affairs in due order without confusion whereby they are able to know when the members in the church are confused and to rectifie them I say this gift is usefull in any church of Christ this gift is called ruling Roman 12. 8. wherein they are inabled to rule the church of God as a well disciplined family there are other gifts spoken of in the Scripture as faith charity prayer prayse and the like some of which I shall speak of by and by But there was in the Apostles dayes other gifts then these viz. tongues Obj. miracles heating interpretation and surely if there be a true church there must be the same gifts now That is a great mistake 't is not required that all these severall Sol. gifts should be in every particular church but these are gifts distributed as the Lord seeth good we have gifts differing according to the grace given us The Lord is the dispenser of gifts to every man severally as he will to one one thing to another another and though we say it is needlesse for every church to have all the gifts they had in the Corinths yet we are not without sufficient gifts for the being of a true church the manifestation of the Spirit being given to every one to profit withal in his own place and order there is a gift of wisdom of knowledge of discerning spirits of prophecy of helps of governments of charity of teaching included in knowledge wisdome and prophecy so that we will not murmure for what we have not but blesse God for what we have and pray for more to him who giveth liberally and upbraideth not Chap. XI Of the Ordinances Order Ministry and Communion of the Church THe Ordinances of this Church I shall now speak of having The Ordinances of the Church viz. Prayer spoken already of prophesie which is a gift and an Ordinance to be practised are these following First Prayer all things are to be sanctified by the Word of God and prayer this was practised in the Church with an audible voice Act. 4. 24. so Paul kneeled down prayed with the disciples Act. 20. 26. Now prayer is the pouring out of the soul to God by way of supplication for the supply of ourwants by Jesus Christ which prayer is or ought to be the continnall posture of Saints spirits according to that of Paul pray continually therefore we shall find the church continuing in prayer Acts. 2. 42. this is a speciall part of divine worship whereby we acknowledge Gods preheminency our relation subjection and obedience unto God I might here shew you the prevalency of the prayers of Saints with God had I time but I shal conclude this with these three things which I desire may alwayes accompany prayer First Faith beleeving that God is that he heares us and is gracious and mercifull and will answer Secondly Watchfulnesse watch unto prayer watch and pray watch over thy heart thy corruptions to suppresse and subdue them Thirdly Constancy continue in praying for he will in due time answer cast not away thy prayers but expect their returne loaden with blessings Secondly Praise Praise is that the Lord takes delight in and Praise yet hath in himself no addition of honour by it the true praise of God is the acknowledgement of the glory and excellency of the Lord 't is the declaration of the goodnesse of the Almighty this praise is to be in the mighty congregation I will give thee thanks saith David in the great congregation I will praise thee among much people Psalm 35. 18. 145. 1. Christ and the Saints both sing praises in the church together unto God the Father this true praising of God from the power of the Spirit did the Psalmes sung upon musicall instruments under the law point at the gift of singing Psalms is not a composition of Davids Psalms into Meter through Of finging Psalmes a naturall faculty which Psalms the Priest or the Clarke names and all the people must fing together this begets a confusion and is a meer tradition for such a practise hath no more bottom then Organs or Choristers or Singing men and women in the Church of the Gospel which surely we will not plead for now The melody of Psalmes is not in the ear but in the heart to the Lord. Eph. 5. 19. To sing Psalmes in the Gospel is a speciall gift given to some particular member in the church whereby he doth blesse praise or magnifie the Lord through the mighty operation of the Spirit Ep. 5. 18 19. which is to beperformed I say by one alone at one time to the edification one of another and therefore it is an Ordinance flowing from a cheerfull heart if any be merry let him sing Psalmes that is to say let him blesse God that all should sing together is denied by Paul who saith how is it brethren when yee come together every one of you hath a Psalme they
must speak orderly one after another for God is not the author of confusion but of peace in all the Churches of Christ Thirdly Fasting now true fasting flowes from the apprehension Fasting of some great want whereby the soul is ingaged to give up himself to seek the Lord separating himselfe from his outward imployments from meat and drink so farre as nature will permit that he may wholly without distraction be earnest with the Lord by prayer for the obtaining of his request the true nature of this will appear evident if you consider Acts 13. 2 3. 14. 23. 1 Cor. 7. 5. Fourthly Charity which is more acceptable then hope or faith Charity 1 Cor. 13. 13. this is that virtue without which al other gifts are nothing it is a grace which is rooted in the heart and is a true spirituall love and endeared affection towards his Lord Jesus and all his Saints poor and rich which composeth the Spirit in a right temper subduing covetousnesse trampling under foot vauntings loving another as himself the prayse of which read 1 Cor. 13. 3 4 5 6 7 8. verses It suffereth long is kinde envieth not vaunteth not it self is not puffed up doth not behave it self unseemly seeketh not her own is not easily provoked thinks no evill rejoyceth not in iniquity but in the truth beareth all things c. but I shall only mind it here as it That the outward necessities of the Saints must be relieved shewes it selfe forth in the relief of the Saints outward necessities It is an Ordinance of God to relieve the poor Saints It is the duty of the Church to see that no member in it do want or lack any thing necessary 't is not enought to say be warmed but they must administer to the supply of their wants according to the ability God hath given them 1 Cor. 16. 2. But all Saints are to have all things common so that there must be no difference Object between them as it was in the dayes of the Apostles Mistake not the Scriptures it is no where commanded it is true Sol. there was a time when all things were common yet so that every man had but accoridng to his need Act. 2. 45. 4. 34. 35. And wheras they sold their possessions they then testified their great charity and thus far it is a president for Saints to imitate that if they have possessions and their brethren be in want and they cannot to be relieved without selling their possessions they ought to sell them yet not so as to destroy their naturall relations for he that provideth not for his family is worse then an infidell But this was not their constant practise for afterward they had gatherings as God prospered them 1 Cor. 16. 2. and indeed had that been always commanded to be therepractise wherin could there have been a ground to presse to charity and to reprove for covetousnesse there alwayes hath been and yet wil be a difference among men in this world there was an elect Lady one of reputation though few noble are called who lived accordingly abounding in hospitality yet we are alwayes to mind this that we ought not to have the faith in respect of persons Lastly Breaking of bread now I wil shew you very briefly four Breaking of bread or the Lords supper Christ the author of it things considerable in this First who was the author of it that is the Lord Jesus that said to his disciples doe this in remembrance of me What doth that speech concerne us being spoken only to his disciples before his death It was not a command only to them but to others also therefore saith Paul that which I have received of the Lord Jesus I deliver to you doe you eat thereof 1 Cor. 11. 23 24. Secondly The persons for whom he ordained it and they are Church members the subjects of it The nature of this Ordinance visible beleevers in Church fellowship such as could examine themselves such as could discern the Lords body Thirdly The true nature of this Ordinance which is spirituall holding forth Christs death unto one another for it is not an Ordinance for the world but the Church and likewise it holds forth our union with Christ for the bread we break is the Body of Christ and the Cup is his blood the blood of the Covenant and it manifests our union one with another for we being many are one bread it is a visible seal to us of our interest in the Lord Jesus which is to be performed in knowledge faith discerning Christs Body that is to say seeing Christ to be the true bread and only food of a Saint he that performs it not so doth it not truly some say we are not to doe it till we see our selves above it and live in the cleere apprehensions of light and life being onely to hold forth Christs death to others and not an ordinance wherein we feed on Christ but to me its cleer we are to doe it when we see our selves most barren and empty for then are Ordinances fittest for us so that we by faith see Christ to have all fulnesse in him and by faith meet him in that Ordinance in a way of subjection for it is an Ordinance appointed for our souls refreshing as well as the holding forth his death one to another Lastly The duration or continuance of this Ordinance which The continuance of this Ordinance is till Christ comes doe this in remembrance of me and as often as you doe this saith Paul you shew forth the Lords death till he come But say some we are only to use that till Christ come in the Spirit so that Obj. he being already come in the Spirit we are not any longer to use it The Apostles meaning is not till Christ come in the Spirit but till Christs second comming without sin to salvation when he shall reward both Sol. good and bad for if you observe it Christ was come to Panl and to the Corinths in the Spirit yet they used it and he that truly conformes to that Ordinance must have the Spirit for he must discerne the Lords body that is to say the fulnesse love excellency and virtue of Christ which he cannot do without the Spirit so that for any to say Christs comming in the Spirit puts an end to it he saith more then Christ or the Apostles ever said And if what such men say should be true then this would unavoydably follow that that dispensation which only gives a true being to an Ordinance and without which an Ordinance cannot be rightly imbraced must be that which puts an end to it which is contrary to religion and right reason For I say again the dispensation of Christ in the Spirit is that which only gives a true right to it and inables spiritually to conform to it and receive virtue from Christ in it As for those objections against this which plead it to be a knowing Christ