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<DATE>2013-12-16</DATE>
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<NAME>Simon Charles</NAME>
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<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
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<P>FAITH IN GODS PROMISES, THE Saints be&s;t Weapon: OR, The great U&s;e and Availablene&s;s of Faith, both for the &s;upport and growth of Saints in times mo&s;t perilous. Plainly di&s;covering that the want of Faith in the way of Gods Promi&s;es, is the great cau&s;e of the want of Gods Pre&s;ence. With &s;everal Con&s;iderations for the encrea&s;e of Faith, that henceforth the Saints may by Faith&punc; &s;o draw nigh unto God, and in Faith &s;o wait upon God, as with <HI REND="blackletterType">certainty</HI> of receiving from him. Whereunto is added &s;omething concerning the great Errour and Mi&s;take of many men concerning the True Chri&s;t, and how he is &s;aid to be in his People; with other things very nece&s;&s;ary to be known in order to Saints re&s;i&s;ting the Temptation of the pre&s;ent Times.</P>
<P>Set forth as (u&s;eful for all People, but) e&s;pecially intended for the good of &s;uch as are returned to the Good Old Way of the Lord, By MATTHEW CAFFYN of <HI>Hor&s;ham</HI> in <HI>Su&s;&s;ex.</HI></P>
<Q><P>And it is of Faith, that it might be by Grace, <BIBL>Rom. 4.16.</BIBL></P></Q>
<P>LONDON, Printed by <HI>S. Dover,</HI> for <HI>F. Smith,</HI> at the <HI>Eleph<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">nt</HI> and <HI>Ca&s;tle,</HI> without <HI>Temple-Bar.</HI></P>
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<DIV1 TYPE="to the reader">
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<HEAD>THE EPISTLE TO THE READER.</HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>Chri&s;tian Reader,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>_FOra&s;much as there are many among the number of Profe&s;|&s;ors, that have &s;omewhat con&s;iderably laid out them|&s;elves in a Holy pur&s;uit after the more excellent degrees of Chri&s;tianity, hoth frequently and fervently, &s;eeking the Lord in order thereunto, who neverthele&s;s yet remain &s;hort thereof; and much below the de&s;ired e&s;tate, to their great di&s;&s;atisfaction, even, &s;ometimes tending to the begetting &s;uch temptations as are of a very dangerous con&s;equence: The&s;e things therefore write I unto you, whereby you may (as &s;ome already have) come to &s;ee that there is one thing yet much lacking, even Faith, to believe that God is a gracious Rewarder of them that &s;eek him; without which, 'tis impo&s;&s;ible to plea&s;e God. For though it be true that men have alwayes &s;po|ken of, and readily acknowledged, Faith to be that, which great|ly engages Gods grace and goodne&s;s for their help; yet Oh! how far have men been from living by Faith indeed, &s;o as to e&s;teem Gods Promi&s;es their ALL in every condition, and at all times? Whereupon the&s;e al&s;o are to direct you unto &s;uch enlargedne&s;&s;e of heart in believing Gods Promi&s;es, as may with certainty reach the prayed-for Ble&s;&s;ings from God; that &s;o having &s;weet experi|ence of Gods Faithfulne&s;s to your Souls, you may be encouraged
<PB REF="3" MS="y"> for the future, and made able to &s;ay (with the Saints of old) I <HI>love the Lord, becau&s;e he hath heard my Supplications; therefore will I call upon him as long as I live,</HI> P&s;al. 116.1,2.</P>
<P>But as there are &s;ome who have diligently &s;ought the Lord, that, for want of believing him to be a faithful Rewarder of &s;uch, have notwith&s;tanding been much without the things &s;ought for; &s;o al&s;o there are &s;ome, yea, very many that are apt to &s;ay (with <HI>I&s;rael</HI> of old) <HI>that no evil &s;hall come unto them;</HI> and very confident, <HI>that the Lord is among them,</HI> that have indeed no real ground to depend upon the Lord; &s;uch and &s;o great are their mi&s;carriages to God-ward, as that their &s;eeming Faith and Confidence is ren|dred thereby to be meer imaginations, groundle&s;s per&s;wa&s;ions, and &s;o they found &s;uch as <HI>think them&s;elves to be what they are not, and &s;o are deceived:</HI> The&s;e are therefore al&s;o to di&s;cover and lay open their great mi&s;carriages and corruptions, even in &s;uch perfor|mances of theirs, as are &s;uppo&s;ed by them to be the be&s;t of their a|ctions, that henceforth they may upon better terms draw nigh unto God, even &s;o as that they may enjoy Gods drawing nigh unto them, which is the onely real cau&s;e of Soul-&s;atisfaction.</P>
<P>True it is, that the dayes wherein we live are perilous, and much more may be; yet &s;ure may you be, that no condition may po&s;&s;ibly befal you, wherein you may not by Faith &s;o lay hold of Gods Promi&s;es, as neverthele&s;s to be greatly &s;upported, and in|wardly comforted: Wherefore above all things take the &s;hield of Faith, and in every condition let the gracious Promi&s;es of God be the ground of your hopes, and no longer vi&s;ible things; that the pre&s;ence of the invi&s;ible God may be (with all certainty) experien|ced by your Souls: Which, that you may, is, and &s;hall be, the Prayers of,</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Your Brother in the Lord, MATTHEW CAFFYN.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
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<HEAD>FAITH IN GODS PROMISES, The Saints be&s;t Weapon.</HEAD>
<P>_IN the beginning when God made the Heavens and the Earth, it &s;eemed good in his &s;ight, to make and or|dain Mankind to be head over all other his Crea|tures; to whom he freely gave the glory of Paradi&s;e (a pre&s;ent po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of happine&s;s) which he (during his innocency) enjoyed, not as an inheritance fir&s;t obtained upon con|ditional terms, but as a free gift, given him of God, without any con|dition required of him in order to his fir&s;t entrance thereinto, <HI>Gen.</HI> 2.8,15,16. Which po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion when he had lo&s;t by his tra<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1+ letters">|gre&s;&s;ion, and thereby made him&s;elf and all his po&s;terity &s;ub<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1+ letters"> the fir&s;t death; &s;uch was the Fathers love, as that he freely gave his Son (in due time) to dye for the world, that is, <HI>for every man,</HI> Heb. 2.9. By means whereof was procured a Re|&s;urrection of all men from the fir&s;t death, with the gift of Eter|nal life, and glory, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 15.22. <HI>Mat.</HI> 19.14. Which gift of eternal (and more excellent) life, was as freely given to Man|kind, now &s;ince his fall, as was that fir&s;t life of happine&s;s in Paradi&s;e, before his fall; not upon terms or conditions, nor any fore-&s;een Faith in, or works of Righteou&s;ne&s;s done by the Crea|ture; but meerly, and alone the goodne&s;s, and richne&s;s of grace dwelling in God him&s;elf, moving him thereunto: which life of glo|ry all mankind have right to, and are in &s;ure capacity thereof, du|ring their infancy (wherefore, <HI>of &s;uch,</HI> &s;aith Chri&s;t, <HI>Mat.</HI> 19.14. <HI>is the Kingdom of God</HI>) till by their own per&s;onal tran&s;gre&s;&s;ions they procure to them&s;elves the &s;everity of Gods wrath; that is, the &s;e|cond death, which is Eternal, <HI>John</HI> 3.19. <HI>Rev.</HI> 20.14. Under the de&s;ert of which death, all per&s;ons quickly come; all goes out of the way, following the lu&s;ts and de&s;ires of the fle&s;h, which draws, and vehemently inclines to its fir&s;t e&s;tate of pre&s;ent plea&s;ure, ea&s;e, and delight, which mankind enjoyed (while he &s;tood in his fir&s;t
<PB N="6" REF="4"> created e&s;tate) without tho&s;e many bodily mi&s;eries which now at|tends them, which fle&s;h and blood would fain be freed from; and &s;o it comes to pa&s;s that in all men, in one mea&s;ure or other (accor|ding to every mans experience) there ari&s;eth &s;uch natural lu&s;ts, and de&s;ires in the fle&s;h, as greatly provokes them to follow after the&s;e pre&s;ent things, and too too often prevails with them to break the known Laws of God, that &s;omething (like to their fir&s;t enjoyments) might be attained: but to follow the pre&s;ent glory of this life, &s;o as to delight in, and love the &s;ame (though once lawful for <HI>Adam</HI> in Paradi&s;e, who undoubtedly might then as well love, delight, and take plea&s;ure therein, as Saints may take plea&s;ure, and delight in the heavenly glory, when in the real po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion thereof, though then lawful, yet (I &s;ay) is not now lawful for the po&s;terity of <HI>Adam,</HI> becau&s;e God hath <HI REND="blackletterType">now</HI> commanded (as in very rea&s;on 'twas meet) that mankind, having lo&s;t (by &s;in) the glory of pre&s;ent enjoyments (once enjoyable in Paradi&s;e) and Chri&s;t having freely purcha&s;ed a more excellent, even, a Heavenly and Eternal glory; (I &s;ay) God hath <HI REND="blackletterType">now</HI> commanded that mankind &s;hould <HI REND="blackletterType">deny them&s;elves</HI> and <HI REND="blackletterType">take up a Cro&s;s:</HI> that is to &s;ay, that men &s;hould not <HI REND="blackletterType">now</HI> follow their own natural lu&s;ts, which &s;o greatly inclines to this pre&s;ent world, but &s;hould <HI REND="blackletterType">deny and cro&s;s them,</HI> and &s;ettle their affections and delights upon the more excellent e&s;tate of glory, purcha&s;ed by the Lord Je|&s;us, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 5.15. <HI>Col.</HI> 3.2. And therefore the &s;ons of men <HI REND="blackletterType">now</HI> following the natural lu&s;ts of the fle&s;h, become by nature the chil|dren of wrath; led by the Prince of the power of the Air, who al&s;o &s;tirs up them to follow their own lu&s;ts and hearts de&s;ires, with endeavours (by deceit) to enlarge the &s;ame; and thus all men go out of the way, <HI>there is none Righteous, no not one.</HI></P>
<P>But &s;uch, and &s;o great was the Fathers love to the world, con&s;i|dered thus mi&s;erable, lying under the burthen of their own per&s;onal tran&s;gre&s;&s;ions, as that he willed, and accordingly commanded (by the Lord Je&s;us) that the Go&s;pel &s;hould be preached to <HI REND="blackletterType">every Crea|ture</HI> thereof, <HI>Mark</HI> 16.15. that is, The Glad-tydings of the Par|don, and Remi&s;&s;ion of their &s;ins, &s;o as that who&s;oever of the world (thus mi&s;erable by rea&s;on of &s;in, now repenteth of the &s;ame) <HI>be|lieveth and is Baptized, &s;hall be &s;aved,</HI> Ver. 16. But this purpo&s;e of God concerning Election (that is in Engli&s;h, choo&s;ing out) all &s;uch as believe to life Everla&s;ting, was not in the lea&s;t ari&s;ing from, or begotten in God, by, or becau&s;e of any fore-&s;een Faith in, or works of Righteou&s;ne&s;s done by the Creature; but meerly, and alone from the purpo&s;e of his own gracious Will, nothing in man
<PB N="7" REF="4"> fir&s;t, or la&s;t, moving him thereunto; for <HI>the purpo&s;e of God according to Election is</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">not of works, but</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">of him that calleth;</HI> I (with the A|po&s;tle) bear Witne&s;s, <HI>Rom.</HI> 9.11.</P>
<P>And whereas the glory and excellency of Gods pre&s;ence, is &s;uch, as cannot admit of any unholy or unclean thing; for that <HI REND="blackletterType">Cau&s;e</HI> his Decree of Election or Prede&s;tination, reaches the holy Ones, or the number of Believers onely; and not becau&s;e God &s;aw any worth or excellency in mens Faith, or Holine&s;s, whereby to provoke him thus graciou&s;ly to decree, but according to the <HI REND="blackletterType">good plea&s;ure of his Will</HI> (&s;aith the Apo&s;tle) <HI>hath he Prede&s;tinated us,</HI> (that is in Engli&s;h) <HI>fore-appointed us unto the Adoption of Children,</HI> Ephe&s;. 1.5.</P>
<P>Now who&s;oever of you (that bear the name of Saints) hearing this &s;o gracious Go&s;pel of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, did in your hearts acknow|ledge the truth thereof, verily believing, that there was remi&s;&s;ion of &s;ins to be had in Chri&s;t; And that Chri&s;t therefore (being the Ju|&s;tifier, and &s;o the mo&s;t amiable&s;t Object in the World) was mo&s;t worthy your affections, and Soul-de&s;ires, and thereupon re&s;olved (with godly &s;orrow for the &s;ins pa&s;t) for the time to come to &s;erve him with all affections and faithfulne&s;s, and no longer your &s;elves; and &s;o committed your &s;elves to his grace, confidently depending upon him, for that which you verily believed was to be had in him, even the remi&s;&s;ion of your &s;ins, and eternal life; who&s;oever of you have <HI REND="blackletterType">So</HI> believed in Chri&s;t (publickly profe&s;&s;ing the &s;ame by being Baptized, that is in Engli&s;h, Dipped in his Name) by Faith you were ju&s;tified from all your &s;ins (pa&s;t;) and being thus reconciled, the gift of eternal life, freely purcha&s;ed by Chri&s;t Je&s;us for you, with|out any re&s;pect of Faith fore-&s;een in you, or any condition required of you in order thereunto; I &s;ay, the gift of eternal life remained your portion.</P>
<P>This Faith being profe&s;&s;ed by you, next thereunto (O Friends) you may remember, that you with others, and others with you, and for you, made application to the gracious God by Prayer and Suppli|cation, with the Laying on their Hands (according to the Scriptures &s;peaking in that ca&s;e, <HI>Heb.</HI> 6.12. <HI>Acts</HI> 8.15,17.) That you might receive the holy Spirit, by the gracious &s;upplies of which, you might be both furni&s;hed to continue the Faith profe&s;&s;ed, and al&s;o to bear much fruit therein to the honour of him, who had called you out of darkne&s;s into his marvellous light.</P>
<P>But &s;ince 'tis the receiving of the holy Spirit, and not the bare ask|ing of him, nor the much talk of him, that makes men thus happy, and the more and more receiving of him that makes men, men in|deed,
<PB N="8" REF="5"> even &s;trong in the Faith; it remains a work (none of the lea&s;t) for all &s;uch who have &s;o believed, and &s;o practi&s;ed, well to con&s;ider what they have received from God, and how they may come to re|ceive more from him; for it were a lamentable weakne&s;s (even greatly tending to the provoking of God) for men practi&s;ing as a|fore&s;aid, to re&s;t, and lye &s;till &s;ecure, as if all were well, barely be|cau&s;e they have called upon the Lord for his holy Spirit, when (for a long time) they know him not received; nothing of this work upon their own heatts, whereby they can declare to others, what the Lord hath done for <HI REND="blackletterType">their Souls. David</HI> (that heavenly pattern) being in the profe&s;&s;ion of the Law of God, re&s;ted not in that, but <HI>followed</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">hard after the Lord therein,</HI> P&s;al. 63.8. to whom having diligently &s;ought, and Prayed often, he abode waiting upon him, till the Lord gave him ground to &s;ay to his Soul; <HI>Return unto</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">thy re&s;t, O my Soul, for the Lord</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">hath dealt bountifully with thee,</HI> P&s;al. 116.7. and as el&s;ewhere he &s;aith, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 63.8. <HI REND="blackletterType">Thy right hand upholdeth me.</HI> How good a thing were it for Profe&s;&s;ors in this day, to take pattern here|by, &s;o as henceforth not to content them&s;elves, in that formerly they have prayed (with &s;ubjection to the Laying on of Hands) for the gift of Gods Spirit; nor in that they continue (&s;ometimes) yet to pray for the &s;ame, for mo&s;t &s;urely 'tis the <HI REND="blackletterType">known hand of God</HI> upon the Soul, that onely can give real cau&s;e of &s;atisfaction, the certain experience of Gods bountifulne&s;s renders poor Souls (otherwi&s;e re&s;t|le&s;s) to be at re&s;t and true peace: And then how boldly may &s;uch &s;peak of Gods goodne&s;s to others, having them&s;elves &s;weet experi|ence of his goodne&s;s to their <HI REND="blackletterType">own Souls?</HI> And how boldly may &s;uch &s;tand up and exhort others to keep under, and mortifie the deeds of the body; they in the mean while knowing the deeds of the Body mortified <HI REND="blackletterType">in them&s;elves,</HI> through the operation of Gods Spirit upon their Souls? Yea, and how boldly al&s;o may &s;uch reprove them, that &s;hall notwith&s;tanding live after the fle&s;h? whereas otherwi&s;e the re|proof of the reprover, reflects and &s;ticks fa&s;t on him&s;elf; and not onely &s;o, but there is this mi&s;chief al&s;o attending, even that thereby the fle&s;hly part in the reproved, hath occa&s;ion given it to follow its lu&s;ts; and &s;o how great are the retortings and reflections of &s;uch up|on the reprover?</P>
<P>Sure I am that for men to have, long after the practice of Gods Ordinances, no other plea nor ground, to contend for the &s;ame be|fore Adver&s;aries, but barely becau&s;e &s;uch Ordinances are &s;poken of in the Scriptures, is that which verily tends to di&s;couragement, and Soul-faintings therein; yea at length to &s;ay, (with tho&s;e carele&s;s ones
<PB N="9" REF="5"> of old) What profit is it that we have kept his Ordinances? <HI>Mal.</HI> 3.14. When as men hearing the Go&s;pel of Chri&s;t, which promi|&s;eth re&s;t and peace to the Soul, through the Remi&s;&s;ion of &s;ins, with the gift of Gods Spirit; have thereupon &s;ubjected to the Go&s;pel with &s;uch a renewed mind, as would not be &s;atisfied with hearing of the good things thereof, till they were able to &s;ay, that as they had heard, <HI REND="blackletterType">&s;o they have &s;een;</HI> that which was promi&s;ed, <HI REND="blackletterType">our Souls have ta&s;ted;</HI> re&s;t and peace we know, the fruits of Gods Spirit we experience, &amp;c. Whenas (I &s;ay) men, thus following hard after the Lord, have this knowledge of Gods goodne&s;s and powerful pre|&s;ence in his Way, as a great Argument, together with Scripture Ar|guments, to embolden them to contend for the Way, and to e&s;ta|bli&s;h them again&s;t all oppo&s;itions.</P>
<P>'Tis common among&s;t men to look upon them&s;elves, di&s;charged from duty of love to &s;uch Beggars, who after their asking for Almes, &s;hall pre&s;ently turn their backs, and mind other matters of trifle, more than their rea&s;onable waiting to receive what they have asked for. Now may any &s;o much as once think, that God will turn his face (in love) to &s;uch, who &s;ometimes &s;hall ask of him Spiritual Almes, but pre&s;ently are found (as it were) turning their backs to the Throne of Grace, and not waiting there; as if their receiving of Grace were little minded by them (which is <HI REND="blackletterType">onely</HI> the Chri&s;tian mans life) but rather other things more, meer trifles, compared to what they have asked for of God; their hearts (may be) running af|ter covetou&s;ne&s;s, as the hearts of I&s;rael were, who neverthele&s;&s;e would be &s;preading forth their hands before God, <HI>but they flattered him with their lips, and lied before him with their tongues, and he re|garded them not,</HI> P&s;al. 78.36. May any (I &s;ay) once think that God will turn his face (in love) to, and not rather withdraw him|&s;elf <HI REND="blackletterType">far</HI> from &s;uch, as per&s;ons greatly unworthy of his benevolence to whom he is no wayes engaged by promi&s;e to do any thing for them, &s;ince they come not up to the terms of his goodne&s;s? Sure|ly, delay to con&s;ider the&s;e things is very dangerous, even nigh to, an irrecoverable e&s;tate.</P>
<P>There hath been indeed much contending for this Principle of Laying on of Hands, and great pains taken both by &s;peaking and wri|ting for the &s;ame; and <HI>I bear them record, that they therein have had zeal for the Truth</HI> (for &s;o I do, and hope ever &s;hall, believe it to be) <HI>but</HI> (alas!) <HI>their zeal hath not been according to true know|ledge;</HI> if they have not as well, yea, and much more too, in the mean time, endeavoured that the great end of this Ordinance might be
<PB N="10" REF="6"> obtained, to wit, the &s;anctification, &s;trengthning &amp; guidance of their Souls in the Truth of God; without which both their &s;ubjection to the Doctrine thereof, and al&s;o their much pleadings for the &s;ame, would be of no effect.</P>
<P>But I hope better things (at lea&s;twi&s;e of many) though I thus &s;peak, being per&s;waded that there are &s;uch who (knowing them|&s;elves in a ju&s;tified E&s;tate through faith in Chri&s;t) have a clear &s;ight and <HI REND="blackletterType">deep &s;ence</HI> of their &s;ouls wants, as not knowing how to live, nor to work in Gods &s;ervices, without the gracious &s;upplies of Gods Spirit: (which &s;ight and deep &s;ence of want is &s;een through their great (Heaven-born) de&s;ires to honour God, which de&s;ires &s;prings from their Souls great love to God, which love in them to God-ward, is begotten by Gods great love <HI REND="blackletterType">fir&s;t to them,</HI> 1 John 4.19.</P>
<P>And that the&s;e hereupon have a very high e&s;teem of Gods &s;piritual pre&s;ence (being the true Bread from above, which onely will &s;atis|fie their Souls born from above) valuing it far above the pre&s;ence of all things what&s;oever, &s;eeing more worth and excellency therein, than in any thing of the world. True it is, that mo&s;t Profe&s;&s;ors confe&s;&s;e and talk of &s;uch things, but the&s;e experienceth the &s;ame in <HI REND="blackletterType">their Souls,</HI> and &s;o their Righteou&s;ne&s;s exceedeth the Righteou&s;|ne&s;s of tho&s;e many lifele&s;s and &s;en&s;ele&s;s Profe&s;&s;ors, who as much as others talks of the&s;e things, but knows it not in them&s;elves.</P>
<P>And that the&s;e hereupon do greatly de&s;ire the pre&s;ence of Gods Spirit; and &s;o both frequently and fervently are found praying for the &s;ame, <HI>lifting up holy hands to the Lord,</HI> and (being in <HI>Davids</HI> &s;ence) with all earne&s;tne&s;s (<HI>David</HI>-like) be&s;eech the Lord <HI>to make ha&s;t for their help, and to make</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">no tarrying,</HI> P&s;al. 40.17.</P>
<P>And that the&s;e, till the Lord doth vi&s;it them with the &s;pecial Graces of his Holy Spirit, are found mourning before the Lord, and greatly complaining again&s;t them&s;elves, as being wonderfully &s;hort and low in their own apprehen&s;ions, as to what God requires, and which they know is due to his Name: Wherefore their &s;ouls (like <HI>David,</HI> P&s;al. 77.2.) <HI REND="blackletterType">refu&s;eth to be comforted</HI> with any thing, though the very chiefe&s;t of this worlds enjoyments; they looking upon them&s;elves as &s;uch who want all things, while the &s;upplies of Grace is wanting.</P>
<P>And that the&s;e, during the time that the Lord withholds the vi&s;i|tations of his Grace, are not onely continuing in Prayer, but <HI REND="blackletterType">walking</HI> therein, <HI>communing with their own hearts, and</HI> (like <HI>Da|vid</HI> in &s;uch a ca&s;e, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 77.) <HI>making diligent &s;earch,</HI> fearing lea&s;t there &s;hould be &s;ome &s;ecret &s;in, for which cau&s;e the Lord may for|bear to draw nigh to their Souls.</P>
<PB REF="6">
<P>And that the&s;e (while in this capacity) think it not much, but ra|ther delight to &s;pend dayes in the Clo&s;et, there to humble them&s;elves with <HI REND="blackletterType">Fa&s;ting</HI> and <HI REND="blackletterType">Prayer</HI> before the Lord, not as Phari&s;ees do, to be &s;een of men, neither as &s;luggards do, becau&s;e they read that Saints formerly did, and now &s;ometimes doth &s;o; but purely and zealou&s;|ly are led out thereunto, from that <HI REND="blackletterType">vehemency of de&s;ires and Soul-affections</HI> which they experience in them&s;elves, after the more ex|cellent e&s;tate; for as God hath graciou&s;ly opened their under&s;tand|ings, to know that there is an excellent e&s;tate attainable; their &s;a|tisfaction is not in the knowledge thereof, nor in the much talk thereabouts, nor in the ready Confe&s;&s;ion, that the &s;ame is excellent, and of a &s;pecial goodne&s;s (as is too much the &s;atisfaction of &s;ome) but rather in <HI REND="blackletterType">living the life thereof,</HI> even, that <HI REND="blackletterType">their Souls</HI> may be &s;piritually framed, nnd wonderfully &s;trengthened with might, both to the pure doing what is &s;piritually good, and al&s;o to the <HI>renouncing of the</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">hidden things of di&s;hone&s;ty,</HI> 2 Cor. 4.2.</P>
<P>Now fora&s;much as there are &s;uch that are found (to &s;ome con&s;ide|rable degree) thus prizing, and &s;o following hard after &s;piritual Ble&s;&s;ings, that thereby they (having &s;o far ta&s;ted of the Lords good|ne&s;&s;e, as to know them&s;elves in a ju&s;tified e&s;tate from &s;in by his Grace) might now for the time to come bear much fruit to the ho|nour of his Name; who notwith&s;tanding yet come &s;hort, and are much below that more excellent e&s;tate, which they have longed for, and which is certainly to be attained: The&s;e are therefore to inform (or remind) all &s;uch, that there is yet one thing much lacking, namely, <HI REND="blackletterType">Faith,</HI> or the &s;tedfa&s;t believing Gods Promi&s;es, graciou&s;ly made in order thereunto; for they that come to God, <HI>mu&s;t believe, not onely that God is, or that he is diligently to be &s;ought unto; but al&s;o that he is a Rewarder of &s;uch as thus &s;eek him,</HI> (mark) <HI>you</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">mu&s;t believe</HI> (&s;aith the Apo&s;tle, <HI>Heb.</HI> 11.6.) &s;hewing plainly, that notwith&s;tan|ding what mea&s;ure &s;oever of holine&s;&s;e in point of conver&s;ation, dili|gency of &s;eeking, or importunity of praying there is, unle&s;&s;e it be accompanied with faith in the Soul, that God will reward, accord|ing as he hath Promi&s;ed, all other virtues found in the Creature will not reach the de&s;ired Ble&s;&s;ings from God; For without <HI REND="blackletterType">Faith 'tis impo&s;&s;ible to plea&s;e God.</HI></P>
<P>To which al&s;o agrees the Advi&s;e of the Apo&s;tle, &s;aying, let us <HI>draw near with a true heart,</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">in full a&s;&s;urance of Faith, &amp;c.</HI> Heb. 10.22 Moreover, <HI>I will,</HI> (&s;aith the Apo&s;tle) <HI>that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">doubting,</HI> 1 Tim. 2.8. Shewing that it is not enough for men to lift up holy hands to God, though
<PB REF="7"> attended al&s;o with Charity, &s;o as to be without wrath (both which are very &s;pecial things) unle&s;&s;e attended al&s;o with that (more &s;pecial) vertue of Faith, &s;o as to be <HI REND="blackletterType">without doubting;</HI> not enough (I &s;ay) whereby to reach the prayed-for Ble&s;&s;ings from God: for as 'tis the duty of Saints alwayes to be ready to do Gods Commandements, thereby to acknowledge and declare him to be the Supream, and Almighty God; &s;o al&s;o 'tis their duty al|wayes to be ready to believe Gods Promi&s;es, thereby to acknow|ledge and declare him to be a ju&s;t and faithful God; <HI>for they that receive his Te&s;timony, &s;ets to their &s;eals that God</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">is true,</HI> John 3.33. Both which being experienced by the Prophet <HI>David,</HI> cau&s;ed him boldly to pray, and confidently to conclude, that he &s;hould not &s;lide, &s;aying, <HI>Judge me, O Lord, for I have walked in mine</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">integrity, I have</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">al&s;o tru&s;ted in the Lord;</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">therefore I &s;hall not &s;lide,</HI> P&s;al. 26.1. Both which al&s;o being found in the Prophet <HI>Daniel,</HI> did (as it were) fetch from God an extraordinary power for the &s;topping the Lyons mouths, &s;o as that he had not (though among them) the lea&s;t hurt? And why? <HI>Becau&s;e of his</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">innocency towards God and man,</HI> Dan. 6.22. and <HI REND="blackletterType">becau&s;e he believed in his God,</HI> ver. 23.</P>
<P>True it is, that God hath promi&s;ed his Spirit to them that ask him; but 'tis worthy all ob&s;ervation (and I pray you to mark) what kind of asking it is, which the Promi&s;e is made to; which you may ob&s;erve from Chri&s;ts own words, where he &s;aith, <HI>What things &s;oever ye de&s;ire, when ye pray,</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">believe that ye receive them,</HI> and <HI REND="blackletterType">ye &s;hall have them,</HI> Mark 11.24. To which agrees <HI>Pauls</HI> Te&s;timony, to wit, <HI>That we might receive the promi&s;e of the Holy Spirit,</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">through Faith,</HI> Gal. 3.14. Plainly di&s;covering what kind of Prayer it is, Gods ears are open unto, which I wi&s;h all your hearts may be open to con&s;ider, even that it is the <HI REND="blackletterType">Prayer of Faith,</HI> that reaches the Ble&s;&s;ing from God, whereby to &s;trengthen the weak and &s;ickly Soul: for when Gods Pro|mi&s;es &s;hall be &s;o magnified in the heart, as that (like <HI>Abraham</HI>) there &s;hall not be &s;o much as a con&s;idering the deadne&s;s of its own body, (that is to &s;ay, its own weakne&s;s and inability to bring forth fruit to God) but &s;hall confidently relye upon his Promi&s;es, con&s;idering that he is both able and willing to cau&s;e the barren womb to bear (even, the unlikelie&s;t of men, the ba&s;e things of the world, things that are not, to confound the things that are, even, the Wi&s;e and Prudent of the World) &s;urely, Gods ears are open to hear the Prayers of &s;uch, they &s;hall not go empty away; but rather (as 'tis written) <HI>&s;hall be like the Tree planted by the waters, that &s;hall not &s;ee when heat cometh, who&s;e leaf &s;hall be green, and &s;hall not be careful in the year</HI>
<PB N="13" REF="7"> <HI>of drought, neither &s;hall cea&s;e from yielding fruit,</HI> Jer. 17.7,.8</P>
<P>When <HI>I&s;rael</HI> of old di&s;tru&s;ted the help of the Lord, and &s;o went <HI>down into Egypt for help,</HI> the Lord &s;pake unto them, &s;aying, <HI REND="blackletterType">In quietne&s;s and confidence &s;hall be your &s;trength,</HI> I&s;a. 30.2,3,15. Shew|ing, that if <HI>I&s;rael</HI> had been quiet, &s;o as not to have &s;tirred for <HI>Egypts</HI> help, but in confidence (or Faith) &s;tayed upon the Lord, he (even the Lord) would have been their &s;trength and Salvation, &s;o as that they needed not to have feared, <HI>though an Ho&s;t had ri&s;en up again&s;t them;</HI> but (alas!) <HI REND="blackletterType">becau&s;e of their unbelief, God could do no mighty work of deliverance for them;</HI> for, &s;aid they, <HI>We will flee upon Hor&s;es, and ride upon the &s;wift;</HI> and therefore God (in his wrath and great di&s;plea&s;ure again&s;t them) &s;aid, <HI>That tho&s;e that &s;hould pur&s;ue them &s;hould be &s;wift, a thou&s;and (of them) &s;hould flye at the rebuke of</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">one, and the &s;hadow of Egypt &s;hould be their &s;hame,</HI> ver. 3, 16, 17. <HI>and he would wait that he might be gracious,</HI> ver. 18. If peradventure, when they had ta&s;ted of his Judgements, they would thenceforth believe in him, and confidently relye upon him, that &s;o he might be their &s;trength.</P>
<P>So much to do hath Faith with the powerful Vertue of the Lord, (it being the Lords plea&s;ure that it &s;hould) as that when the Wo|man, that had an i&s;&s;ue of blood twelve years, was cured by means of the Vertue that was in Chri&s;t, he ca&s;ts her Cure upon her Faith, &s;aying, <HI>Daughter</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">thy Faith hath made the whole,</HI> Mark 5.34. So likewi&s;e the Sanctification or Clean&s;ing of the heart, is a&s;cribed un|to <HI REND="blackletterType">Faith,</HI> Acts 26.18. Yet not in the lea&s;t, as if Faith <HI REND="blackletterType">of it &s;elf,</HI> or in its <HI REND="blackletterType">own &s;trength,</HI> could &s;anctifie or clean&s;e any heart (or cure any mans body) for that is the proper work of that &s;piritual Vertue and Power which is in the Lord: but ina&s;much as the good plea&s;ure of his good Will is, that the &s;ame powerful vertue &s;hall &s;erve for the cure of none, but &s;uch as &s;hall touch him <HI REND="blackletterType">by Faith,</HI> whereby to draw the Soul-healing Vertue from him; therefore 'tis &s;aid, that <HI>through Faith men are &s;anctified; and kept by the Power of God through Faith to Salvation.</HI> So tha notwith&s;tanding the readine&s;s, and great willingne&s;s that there is in God, to cure the di&s;tempered and di&s;ea|&s;ed Souls (as his many Promi&s;es and gracious Prote&s;tations in order thereunto plainly declares) yet unle&s;s they &s;hall make &s;elious and <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1+ letters">arty Applications unto him, together with a holy dependance up|on him, and a &s;erious waiting in Faith for the &s;ame; they may ne|verthele&s;s remain very much out of frame, and greatly unhealthful in their Souls; there being not ground otherwi&s;e for the Lord (the great Curer of Souls) to &s;ay, <HI>Sons and Daughters,</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">your Faith hath <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">ade you whole.</HI></P>
<PB N="14" REF="8">
<P>When the Church of the <HI>Hebrews</HI> were likely to faint in their Minds, the Apo&s;tle (being greatly de&s;irous of their holding out) could find no better way (it appears) then mightily to pre&s;&s;e them to a clo&s;e dependance upon God by Faith; and therefore he begins his account from <HI>Abel,</HI> who <HI>through faith obtained witne&s;&s;e that he was Righteous, and being dead, yet &s;peaketh;</HI> and &s;o down to <HI>Enoch, A|braham,</HI> and the re&s;t of the Fathers and Prophets, who through Faith obtained a good report, wrought Righteou&s;ne&s;s, obtained Pro|mi&s;es; mentioning many other al&s;o, as well extraordinary as ordi|nary deliverances obtained by Faith, and yet he mentions not all he could touching the Power of Faith; for him&s;elf &s;aith, <HI>That the time would fail him to tell thereof,</HI> Heb. 11. Now what le&s;s is there to be learned, by this &s;o large an account of the Apo&s;tle touching Faith, then that Faith is &s;omewhat more concerned in the receiving &s;piritual Power and Divine Light from God, in order to their &s;tand|ing and thriving in his way, than any other thing (on the Creatures part) what&s;oever? As el&s;ewhere, the Apo&s;tle mentioning divers pieces of Armour, wherewith Chri&s;tians are to be attired (not one of which but that is of &s;pecial concernment) yet (&s;aith the Apo&s;tle, <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 6.16.) <HI REND="blackletterType">Above all things take the &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1+ letters">ld of Faith, wherewith you &s;hall be able</HI> (through the Grace handed to the Soul by Faith) <HI>to quench</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">all the</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">fiery Darts of the wicked; for none of them that tru|&s;teth in the Lord &s;hall be left de&s;olate,</HI> &s;aith the Prophet, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 34.22. So much doth Faith carry the &s;ence and &s;cope of the Go&s;pel-Cove|nant, as that &s;ometimes the Apo&s;tles called it, <HI REND="blackletterType">the Faith,</HI> as you may read, <HI>Jude</HI> 3. <HI>Act.</HI> 6.7. <HI>Gal.</HI> 3.23. <HI>And it is of Faith</HI> (mark it I pray) <HI>that it might be</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">by Grace,</HI> Rom. 4.16.</P>
<P>Now then if it be &s;o, that mens prayers to God, though never &s;o many or largely performed, renders them not happy; but that their happine&s;&s;e con&s;i&s;ts in their receivings from God what they have prayed for; and that the way (propo&s;ed by God) wherein per&s;ons may come to receive from him, is not onely for them <HI>to lift up Holy hands to God,</HI> but that al&s;o they be <HI REND="blackletterType">without doubting;</HI> that is to &s;ay, &s;uch as believe that they &s;hall receive what they have &s;ought for; it remains a weighry work for every Go&s;pel-profe&s;&s;ing Soul, well to con&s;ider of what nature and kind their applications have been, which they have made to God; con&s;idering that his grace and good|ne&s;s is no otherwi&s;e engaged for their Souls help, but as they &s;hall rely and depend on him, to receive the &s;ame by Faith: which con|&s;idered, and believed as true, may well remove all doubts and &s;u|&s;picions concerning the way of God, which &s;ometimes ari&s;e in the
<PB N="15" REF="8"> Profe&s;&s;ors thereof, upon the account of &s;o little received from God; for undoubtedly the Lords hand is not &s;hortned, his way he hath not left, his Promi&s;es thereunto are Yea, and Amen, in the Lord; but alas! How &s;hort have men been in coming up to the terms of his goodne&s;s? That part of Gods Word which con&s;i&s;ts of Command|ments, men indeed have been &s;omewhat bu&s;ied about; but as for that part which con&s;i&s;teth of Promi&s;es, Oh how little hath it been minded! they have been indeed often read of, and &s;ometimes tal|ked of; But how are they that have &s;eriou&s;ly pondred them, and in their hearts magnified them, &s;o as to wait in, and live upon them, counting them <HI REND="blackletterType">all things</HI> to them, in every condition?</P>
<P>Ha&s;t thou then (O thou that out-&s;trippe&s;t &s;ome others in thy zeal after &s;piritual things) ha&s;t thou (I &s;ay) often vi&s;ited the Throne of Grace (as a work mo&s;t plea&s;ant to thy Soul) be&s;eeching the Lord to draw nigh to thee, in the large givings forth of his Grace to thy Soul (well knowing that without it all thy drawings nigh to him is nothing) and ha&s;t thou there waited in the &s;ight of the worth and excellency thereof, and &s;o in the &s;ence of thy great need of the &s;ame; <HI>thy Soul</HI> (as it were <HI>fainting, and thine eyes</HI> (like the Pro|phets) <HI>failing for the Word of God;</HI> that is, the Word of his Pro|mi&s;e to be fulfilled to thy Soul, &s;aying (with him in thy Soul-long|ings after the de&s;ired Bread from above, to refre&s;h and &s;trengthen thy Soul, born anew from above) <HI>when, Lord, wilt thou comfort me?</HI> P&s;al. 119.81,82. (I &s;ay) ha&s;t thou thus waited upon God, and art thou yet often with God in thy mo&s;t &s;olemn and &s;erious Medita|tions? O do but now give the Lord, (<HI>who waiteth to be gracious,</HI> being as willing to do good, as thou art de&s;irous of good) give the Lord (I &s;ay) ground to &s;ay to thee (as once the Woman of <HI>Canaan,</HI> Matth. 15.28.) O man, <HI REND="blackletterType">great is thy Faith;</HI> and then, O then will the Lord readily &s;ay to thee, <HI REND="blackletterType">Be it unto thee, even as thou wilt: according to thy faith be it unto thee.</HI> But if otherwi&s;e, the account will be a &s;ad and doleful account, even, that the Lord <HI REND="blackletterType">could do</HI> no mighty work of love for thee, <HI REND="blackletterType">becau&s;e of thy unbelief,</HI> Matth. 13.58. Mark 6.5,6. O that all were wi&s;e (that bear the name of Saints) even with the Wi&s;dom which is from above: So that the bare knowledge of the&s;e things, or the much talk (or preach|ing) of them to others, might not be their &s;atisfaction, but that all would rather carefully and &s;peedily endeavour to know, and be &s;atis|fied, that they them&s;elves <HI REND="blackletterType">doth &s;o</HI> wait upon God by Faith, and con|&s;equently <HI REND="blackletterType">doth &s;o</HI> receive from him, which to know, and experience within, is real cau&s;e and ground of peace, and Soul-&s;atisfaction.</P>
<PB N="16" REF="9">
<P>In order whereunto, even, that Faith may grow and flouri&s;h in your Souls, con&s;ider (O Friends) whether we are not to believe that a Son &s;hall be given, when God hath promi&s;ed it, without gi|ving the lea&s;t heed, to what the deadne&s;s of body on either hand may &s;ay? <HI>Rom.</HI> 4.19,20.</P>
<P>Are we not to believe that the promi&s;ed Seed &s;hall be <HI>as the Stars for multitude,</HI> when God hath &s;poken it? <HI>Gen.</HI> 15.5,6. notwith&s;tan|ding all the fle&s;hly oppo&s;ition ari&s;ing from the Commandement to &s;lay <HI>I&s;aac,</HI> the onely promi&s;ed Seed, from whence the multitude &s;hould come forth.</P>
<P>Are we not to believe that the <HI>I&s;rael</HI> of God &s;hall be brought into the good Land, flowing with Milk and Honey, when God (that cannot lye) hath &s;poken it, notwith&s;tanding all the gain-&s;ayings of the red Sea before, and the <HI>Egyptian</HI> Ho&s;t behind?</P>
<P>Are we not to believe and confidently to expect a great plenty, even, <HI>a mea&s;ure of fine Flower for a &s;hekel, and two mea&s;ures of Bar|ly for a &s;hekel, and that &s;o &s;oon as to morrow,</HI> when the Lord God hath &s;poken it, 2 <HI>Kings</HI> 7.1. notwith&s;tanding the many and great oppo&s;itions and contrary &s;peakings of this dayes poverty, even, <HI>that an A&s;&s;es head is &s;old for four&s;core pieces of Silver, and the fourth part of a Cab of Doves dung for five pieces of Silver?</HI> Chap. 6.25. And was not unbelief in this Promi&s;e the cau&s;e of &s;udden Judgement ta|king hold upon the mighty man, upon whom the King leaned? <HI>Chap.</HI> 7.2,19,20.</P>
<P>Are we not to believe that the mighty Ho&s;ts of the <HI>Midianites,</HI> and <HI>Amalekites,</HI> who for multitude <HI>are as Gra&s;hoppers, and their Camels as the &s;and by the Sea-&s;hore,</HI> &s;hall be put to flight, when the Lord of Ho&s;ts hath &s;poken it, notwith&s;tanding all the &s;trong rea&s;onings of fle&s;h and blood (that is for walking by &s;ight) becau&s;e there is no more than three hundred men allowed by God to do it? <HI>Judg.</HI> 7.</P>
<P>Are we not to believe that the Meal in the Barrel, and the Oyl in the Cru&s;e &s;hall not wa&s;te nor fail, when the faithful God hath &s;poken it, though never &s;o much contradicted by the nature of fle&s;h and blood, becau&s;e that at pre&s;ent it is but a <HI REND="blackletterType">handful</HI> of Meal in a Barrel, and but a <HI REND="blackletterType">little</HI> Oyl in a Cru&s;e? 1 <HI>Kings</HI> 17.</P>
<P>Are we not to believe that the great Walls of <HI>Jericho</HI> &s;hall fall down flat, there being a Promi&s;e of God that they &s;hall, without giving any heed to the many fle&s;hly gain-&s;ayings, becau&s;e of their height, or great &s;trength, or becau&s;e of the low means (<HI>as blowing in Rams-horns</HI>) appointed of God in order thereunto? Jo&s;h. 6.</P>
<P>The &s;um of all which is, whether &s;uch as have attained to a &s;tate
<PB N="17" REF="9"> of Ju&s;tification from their old &s;ins by Faith in Chri&s;t, are not in Faith and full a&s;&s;urance to wait for the gift of the Holy Spirit, whereby to carry on, and work through the work begun (which other|wi&s;e will never be fini&s;hed) there being a plain and mo&s;t certain pro|mi&s;e of God <HI>to pour out the &s;ame,</HI> John 2.28,29. Act. 2.38. With|out the lea&s;t hearkning to fle&s;hly gain-&s;ayings, or yielding to fle&s;hly dulne&s;s or any mi&s;tru&s;t, becau&s;e of the low means (as Impo&s;ition of Hands, <HI>Heb.</HI> 6.1.2. <HI>Act.</HI> 8.12,15,17.) appointed of God in order thereunto, or what&s;oever el&s;e &s;hall attempt the making his word of Promi&s;e of no effect? Yea, and not onely a Promi&s;e of God, but al&s;o very &s;trong provocations whereby to believe the &s;ame, being a&s;&s;ured from the Lord Je&s;us, that he doth not onely <HI REND="blackletterType">as readily</HI> as Fa|thers that are evil, give to their Children, but <HI REND="blackletterType">how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him,</HI> Luke 11.13.</P>
<P>That is, the Scriptures compared, the Lords good plea&s;ure and great freene&s;s is to give his Holy Spirit to them that ask him, <HI>with lifting up of Holy hands unto him,</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">in Faith,</HI> that they &s;hall receive from him, <HI>Mal.</HI> 21.22. And &s;o waiting with opportunity, till they do receive him, <HI>Luke</HI> 11.8,9. &s;o as to know his Power, and enjoy his Comfort and Light in their Souls: that as <HI>uncleanne&s;s, wrath, &s;trife,</HI> with many other &s;uch manife&s;t fruits of the fle&s;h, heretofore reigned in them; now <HI>love, joy, peace, gentlene&s;s, goodne&s;s,</HI> with many other &s;uch like Vertues, the manife&s;t fruits of the Spirit, may ap|pear in them, <HI>Gal.</HI> 6. for where &s;uch things are de&s;igned by the Soul, &s;o as that all other enjoyments of the world gives no &s;atisfa|ction to it, while this &s;piritual frame is wanting, which it de&s;ires of any thing, yea, above all things that the world can afford, and there|upon have diligently &s;ought the Lord for it, and now &s;etting to its &s;eal that God is True, by believing that he is a Rewarder of them that &s;o &s;eek him: where (I &s;ay) &s;piritual things are thus de&s;igned, Gods ears are open to hear their Prayers, he will be nigh unto them in all conditions.</P>
<P>Moreover, for the growing and flouri&s;hing of Faith, con&s;ider that the Lord &s;ought after you, when you &s;ought not after him, and &s;aid to you when you were in your blood, <HI REND="blackletterType">turn, turn, for why will ye dye? Turn at my reproof, and I will pour out my Spirit unto you,</HI> Pro. 1.23. And all this before you &s;aw any beauty or excellency in the Holy Spirit, and &s;o had no de&s;ire after him, and therefore &s;ought not God for him; and yet even then God thus magnified the riches of his Grace in the kind tenders thereof to you, <HI REND="blackletterType">while &s;uch;</HI> And will
<PB N="18" REF="10"> he not now <HI REND="blackletterType">much more</HI> take care for you, and po&s;&s;e&s;s you with that, which he before tendered unto you, even, the comfortable pre&s;ence of his Holy Spirit? Since you are now turned unto him, and be|come his &s;ervants, not &s;eeking the honour of the world as before, but his Holy Spirit, whereby to do him &s;ervice for the honour of his Name; Will he not much more (I &s;ay) tender &s;uch? Will he with-hold his good Spirit from &s;uch, He, the Lord the Righteous God, that hath &s;aid, <HI>He will with-hold</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">no good thing from &s;uch as walk uprightly?</HI> P&s;al. 84.11. <HI REND="blackletterType">Surely no;</HI> Hath God begot by his Word of Truth, brought to the birth, cau&s;ed the Man-child (the New-creature) to be born into the world, to whom he &s;aith, <HI REND="blackletterType">Open thy mouth wide, and I will</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">fill it,</HI> P&s;al. 81.10. and may you judge, and not de&s;perately &s;in through unbelief, that God will now &s;tarve this New-creature of his own begetting, and bringing forth, that he will with-hold the &s;piritual Bread, which onely will &s;atisfie it, and &s;o fami&s;h his own adopted Children, as &s;tarve they mu&s;t, and &s;tarve they will, if God give not his Holy Spirit unto them? No, <HI REND="blackletterType">&s;ure|ly no;</HI> carnal men will not &s;tarve, but nouri&s;h and cheri&s;h their Children; And will not God, who is rich in mercy, and deligh|teth in mercy, nouri&s;h his? Yea, <HI>how</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">much more will your Hea|venly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him</HI> (as above&s;aid.) Moreover, con&s;ider that God having promi&s;ed his Holy Spirit to &s;uch as &s;eek him with Faith to receive the &s;ame, both his <HI REND="blackletterType">Faithful|ne&s;s and Righteou&s;ne&s;s is engaged</HI> for them that &s;o &s;eek him, which the holy and believing man fears not to make mention before the Lord, &s;aying (with <HI>David</HI>) <HI>Hear me O Lord in thy Faithfulne&s;s, and in thy Righteou&s;ne&s;s,</HI> P&s;al. 143.1.</P>
<P>Moreover, for men highly to e&s;teem Gods Promi&s;es, and &s;o to mag|nifie them in their hearts, as that all pleading of Fle&s;h, World, or Devil, becau&s;e of, the deadne&s;s of body, or barrenne&s;s of the womb, &s;hall be utterly rejected, as not worthy to be con&s;idered, when God hath &s;poken: (I &s;ay) for men thus to e&s;teem Gods Pro|mi&s;es (there being every whit as much rea&s;on for them &s;o to do, as to e&s;teem and keep his Commandments) is not onely the way leading to their Happine&s;s, but al&s;o that which mightily <HI REND="blackletterType">gives glory</HI> to God. <HI>Abraham &s;taggered not at the Promi&s;e of God through unbelief, but was &s;trong in Faith,</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">giving glory to God,</HI> Rom. 4.20.</P>
<P>The&s;e things write I unto you (O Friends) that henceforth your &s;ences might be much exerci&s;ed, and your minds more and more bu|&s;ied in the con&s;ideration of the&s;e (and &s;uch like) things, that the know|ledge which you have of Gods Promi&s;es, may be a word &s;o <HI REND="blackletterType">planted</HI>
<PB N="19" REF="10"> in your under&s;tandings by Faith, as that all fle&s;hly &s;taggerings and carnal oppo&s;itions may fall down before it, and by &s;uch endeavours on your part, you &s;hal appear to be &s;uch who are obedient to the whol|&s;om Coun&s;el of the Apo&s;tle, who exhorted <HI>Timothy to follow after Godline&s;s, Righteou&s;ne&s;s, Charity,</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">Faith, Meekne&s;s, Patience,</HI> 1 Tim. 6.11. Who que&s;tionle&s;s knew how Faith was to be obtained, as well as any of tho&s;e that &s;peak &s;o much of Faith's being the gift of God; who being almo&s;t, if not altogether, &s;ilent concerning mens following after Faith, have thereby (I greatly fear) been a means to freeze up the de&s;ires of men, and wholly to &s;top their endea|vours, after Faith, which (if &s;o) I could wi&s;h that henceforth they would hearken unto the Apo&s;tle, who puts men upon <HI REND="blackletterType">following after Faith,</HI> equally (ob&s;erve it) as he puts them to follow after Meekne&s;s, or Patience, &amp;c. Which con&s;idered, may be a means to thaw them out of that benummed and frozen e&s;tate, even unto due con&s;iderations and &s;erious &s;tirrings on their parts, in order unto the growth and en|crea&s;e of Faith.</P>
<P>And withal be &s;ure that your Prayers and Supplications be not wanting to the Lord, that he would be plea&s;ed <HI>to encrea&s;e your Faith,</HI> and &s;o &s;hall you in due time come to experience the being of Faith in you, after &s;pecial degrees, wrought there by the operation of Gods Spirit, according to <HI>Pauls</HI> words to the <HI>Galatians,</HI> Chap. 6.22. while you diligently &s;ought, and carefully <HI>followed after Faith, ac|cording to his words to Timothy,</HI> Chap. 6.11.</P>
<P>Together with the&s;e things, let it not be thought a needle&s;s work, or be&s;ides the bu&s;ine&s;s in hand, to con&s;ider whether Saints are not now (in the&s;e latter dayes wherein 'tis evil, as appears by the Apo|&s;tle, to depart from the Faith profe&s;&s;ed in former Apo&s;tolical dayes, 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 4.1.) whether Saints (I &s;ay) are not now to &s;eek for, and in Faith to wait whereby to receive the Spirit, with the &s;ame parti|cular gifts and operations which Saints formerly enjoyed, in order to their carrying on the great Work of the Go&s;pel, both among them|&s;elves and others? Since God in his making Promi&s;e of <HI>pouring out the Spirit upon his People,</HI> (which Promi&s;e we in the&s;e latter dayes flye unto as the ground of our Faith) makes mention al&s;o of &s;everal gifts of the &s;ame Spirit, <HI>John</HI> 2.28,29. And withal con&s;idering, that the Apo&s;tles exhorted the Churches <HI>earne&s;tly to covet, and follow after the &s;everal gifts of the Spirit,</HI> 1 Cor. 12.28,29,30,31. 14.1,39. Which exhortations, if they reach us, and &s;peak to us&punc; <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 word"> much as any other Scripture-exhortations (which for any to deny is hard) then, Oh then! great need have all to pray, <HI REND="blackletterType">Lord, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 span"> Faith.</HI></P>
<PB N="20" REF="11">
<P>But in reference to the fore-mentioned drawing nigh unto God by Faith, I &s;uppo&s;e that which is a very general hinderance thereof, is the great unworthine&s;s that per&s;ons find in them&s;elves by rea&s;on of &s;in, by means whereof they are (as it were) afraid to draw near un|to God; or however if they do, 'tis very coldly, having little or no hopes of acceptance with the Lord; and &s;o being not in a ju&s;tified e&s;tate from &s;in, are without Faith in reference to the &s;pecial Graces of Gods Spirit: but among the&s;e there are &s;ome, much more wor|thy than others, who by rea&s;on of the &s;trength and &s;ubtilty of temp|tations, &s;ometimes (as well as others) tran&s;gre&s;s the Laws of God, but not as &s;uch who <HI REND="blackletterType">overtake &s;in,</HI> but rather are <HI>overtaken</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">with &s;in,</HI> Gal. 6.1. Not allowing them&s;elves therein, as their great trouble, and Soul-heavine&s;s, with daily complaints becau&s;e thereof, plainly declares; and yet the&s;e for want of a right under&s;tanding Gods Way to ju&s;tifie &s;inners, and his readine&s;s to ju&s;tifie them; alas! even the&s;e go mourning all the day long, rather decaying than flou|ri&s;hing in the Way of God. You, even you in particular (the beloved of my Soul) do I hereby exhort:</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, That ye alwayes abide watchful, and abundantly careful <HI>that ye &s;in not: But,</HI></P>
<P>Secondly, <HI>If any man &s;in, that you remember there is an Advocate with the Father, Je&s;us Chri&s;t the Righteous, who is a propitiation for our &s;ins,</HI> by whom way is made for you <HI REND="blackletterType">boldly to come to the Throne of Grace, that you may find mercy;</HI> that is to &s;ay, for all you that having &s;inned, feels the &s;troke of &s;in, and forgets it not (as Sluggards do) and &s;o in the &s;ence and godly &s;orrow for &s;in (in particular) attended with holy Re&s;olutions, with humble and hearty Confe&s;&s;ion of the &s;ame, with fervent de&s;ires, leading unto earne&s;t Prayer to God for the Remi&s;|&s;ion of the &s;ame, <HI>you forgiving them that have tre&s;pa&s;&s;ed again&s;t you;</HI> and not onely this, for one thing is yet lacking, even, that you <HI REND="blackletterType">in Faith</HI> al&s;o commit your &s;elves to his Grace, <HI REND="blackletterType">Believing</HI> that as he hath in mercy promi&s;ed, &s;o in faithfulne&s;s he will perform what he hath promi&s;ed, even, the Remi&s;&s;ion of &s;ins; <HI>for what things &s;oever ye de|&s;ire when ye pray</HI> (&s;aith Chri&s;t) <HI REND="blackletterType">believe that ye receive them, and ye</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">&s;hall have them,</HI> Mark 11.24. <HI>And who then can lay any thing to your charge? It is God that ju&s;tifieth</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">&s;uch; Who, (or what) is there then that condemneth? It is Chri&s;t that hath died? yea, rather that he is ri&s;en again, who al&s;o maketh interce&s;&s;ion for you</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">through Faith in his blood,</HI> Rom 3.25.</P>
<P>Thus you being very &s;erious and diligent in your Applications to God, <HI REND="blackletterType">laying hold</HI> on his Promi&s;es of Pardon and Remi&s;&s;ion of &s;in
<PB N="21" REF="11"> by Faith, and &s;o &s;tanding alwayes ju&s;tified by Faith, quitted and freed from all your &s;ins through Grace; have (&s;o con&s;idered) no ground or plea, becau&s;e of your unworthine&s;s (being now made wor|thy in the Beloved, the Lord Je&s;us) any longer to mi&s;tru&s;t or que|&s;tion the good Will and Plea&s;ure of God, in reference to your re|ceiving from him the more &s;pecial Di&s;coveries and Operations of his Spirit, but may now boldly go to the Throne of Grace for the &s;ame, being &s;uch whom God waiteth to be gracious unto, you having that Faith which his plea&s;ure is <HI>to account unto you,</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">for Righteou&s;ne&s;s.</HI></P>
<P>This being con&s;idered, how <HI REND="blackletterType">&s;peedily</HI> &s;hould every Soul (not as a thing by the by, but) as their <HI REND="blackletterType">greate&s;t</HI> work, when at any time overtaken with &s;in, to draw nigh unto God, and that in the <HI REND="blackletterType">&s;ence</HI> of every known &s;in, with godly &s;orrow for the &s;ame: not daring to de|lay, (heaping up &s;in like the wantons) there being every way as much cau&s;e of Repentance and Faith for the latter &s;ins, as there was for the many former &s;ins committed in ignorance; which though per&s;ons are ready to acknowledge, yet are (I fear) too apt to neglect the &s;ame, upon the account that they have renounced their former wayes, and their now being in the Way of God, and that Chri&s;t is now a Mediator for them, and the like; not con&s;idering that the Soul-&s;a|tisfying benefit of Chri&s;ts Media or&s;hip is enjoyed according to mens Applications unto the Father by him: But O what comfort can a Soul have in any thing, or with what boldne&s;s &s;hall he walk, talk, or com|mit him&s;elf to his Bed, that having &s;inned again&s;t his God, hath not as yee been with him, and &s;o by Faith received a Pardon from him? True it is, that &s;uch, while they neglect the great Soul-&s;earching work, and are to&s;&s;ed up and down with the cumbrances of this life, may have an <HI REND="blackletterType">imagined Peace and &s;uppo&s;ed Comfort,</HI> and &s;o may go on (&s;omewhat cheerfully) in their thoughts and thinkings, as if all were theirs; but alas! the&s;e (though they may talk of Gods Love and Mercy) are not able to &s;ay, upon &s;ure experience (with the Prophet) that <HI>the Lord hath</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">crowned them with loving kindne&s;s, and tender mer|cies,</HI> P&s;al. 103.4.</P>
<P>O let him then that readeth under&s;tand, that every Soul that comes by Faith to be ju&s;tified from their old &s;ins, have a great work to do, requiring much watchfulne&s;s, care and circum&s;pection, in order to their maintaining and keeping them&s;elves in a ju&s;tified e&s;tate.</P>
<P>But moreover, let men con&s;ider, whether they do not (while wanting in their Applications to God for the Pardon of &s;in) ignorantly go on in a way very dangerous, while the true Fountain of Grace is neglected; 'tis greatly to be feared, that they have <HI>hewed to them&s;elves broken</HI>
<PB N="22" REF="12"> <HI>Ci&s;terns that will not,</HI> yea, cannot an&s;wer their expectations; that is to &s;ay, per&s;ons being made &s;en&s;ible that they have &s;inned again&s;t God, have thereupon re&s;olved for the time to come to be more watchful, and to walk more wi&s;ely before God; and then, having a little while in mea&s;ure reformed them&s;elves, have <HI REND="blackletterType">thereby</HI> &s;poken peace to them&s;elves, thinking all is well: And why? <HI REND="blackletterType">Becau&s;e</HI> they are reformed: And thus do they, as it were, make their own works of Reformation, the ground of their peace and &s;atisfaction. True it is, that works of Reformation in &s;uch that have &s;inned, is good, for the Lord calls for it; yet &s;ure I am (and I pray you to con&s;ider it) that 'tis not that, no nor any work of Righteou&s;ne&s;s that they can do; yea, though they &s;hould for ever afterwards &s;o exactly walk, both in words, thoughts and actions, as not again to &s;in; yet I &s;ay, and confidently conclude, that 'tis not in the lea&s;t that, which can ju&s;tifie or clean&s;e them from the &s;in already committed: And therefore it remains a work, none of the lea&s;t, for per&s;ons that have &s;inned again&s;t God, &s;peedily to draw nigh unto him, that by humi|liation (attended with holy re&s;olutions) and Faith, they may reach his promi&s;ed Grace and Mercy, the onely &s;ure ground of peace and &s;atisfaction; which who&s;oever attains, may under&s;tandingly (with the Prophet) &s;ay, <HI>Return unto thy re&s;t, O my Soul, for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee:</HI> And &s;o then (as per&s;ons ju&s;tified and quitted from &s;in) are to endeavour (with calling upon God for his Grace to help them) &s;ome real and thorow Reformation, an&s;wering to their former re&s;olutions, (far exceeding what is, or can be in &s;uch who neglect the true means of Ju&s;tification) in which Reformation of theirs they may rejoyce, but not as imagining peace from thence, but rather upon the account that God is thereby more honoured, even, God who hath ju&s;tified them from all their &s;ins.</P>
<P>Now fora&s;much as 'tis Saints great work to keep them&s;elves in the way of Gods Grace and Mercy, that they may alwayes &s;tand quitted and ju&s;tified from &s;in, without which they cannot go to the Throne of Grace with confidence to receive the &s;pecial pre&s;ence of Gods Spirit; I would pray all &s;uch (who are in the godly &s;orrow, becau&s;e of their &s;in) to weigh the&s;e following con&s;iderations, that henceforth there may be a more apt and ready clo&s;ing in with Gods Promi&s;es, in re|ference to Pardon and Forgivene&s;s of &s;ins.</P>
<P>Namely, that the Lord, the Lord God again&s;t whom ye have &s;in|ned, <HI>is a gracious God, abundant in goodne&s;s, keeping mercy for thou|&s;ands, forgiving iniquity, tran&s;gre&s;&s;ion and &s;in, plenteous in mercy, rich in mercy, abundant in mercy, that will abundantly pardon;</HI> all which the Scriptures witne&s;&s;eth.</P>
<PB N="23" REF="12">
<P>Con&s;ider al&s;o, That God <HI REND="blackletterType">delighteth in mercy,</HI> Mic. 7.18. and <HI REND="blackletterType">taketh plea&s;ure in &s;uch as hope in his mercy,</HI> P&s;al. 147.11. and is <HI REND="blackletterType">full of compa&s;&s;ion,</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">ready to forgive,</HI> Nehem. 7.19. but <HI REND="blackletterType">&s;low to anger,</HI> P&s;al. 145.8.</P>
<P>Con&s;ider al&s;o, That <HI>Gods mercies endureth for ever, and is from E|verla&s;ting to Everlasting, to &s;uch as keep his Covenant, reaching over all his Works, as the Heaven is high above the Earth,</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">&s;o great is his mercy:</HI> even al&s;o as <HI>a Father pitieth his Children;</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">&s;o the Lord pitieth them that fear him,</HI> P&s;al. 103.11,13,17. P&s;al. 145.9.</P>
<P>Con&s;ider al&s;o, That God who <HI>&s;pared not his own Son, but deli|vered him up for us all, will with him</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">freely give us all things,</HI> Rom. 8.32. <HI>For if when we were</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son;</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">much more &s;hall we be &s;aved,</HI> (and ju&s;tified from &s;in) <HI>by his being alive for evermore, making interce&s;&s;ion for us,</HI> Rom. 5.10.</P>
<P>Con&s;ider al&s;o, That notwith&s;tanding the great back&s;lidings of <HI>I&s;|rael,</HI> even <HI>playing the harlot with many lovers, upon every high Moun|tain, and under every green Tree,</HI> and that <HI REND="blackletterType">after</HI> God had drawn near unto them in much mercy and love; yet even to them <HI>after they had done all the&s;e abominations, &s;aith the Lord, the gracious God,</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">turn thou unto me,</HI> Jerem. 3.1,6,7. And that in a day when they cal|led not for mercy, even then &s;aid the Lord, <HI REND="blackletterType">return O back&s;liding I&s;|rael, for I will be merciful, and not keep anger for ever,</HI> v. 12. Much more therefore will God extend his mercies unto &s;uch who mourn in the &s;ence of their &s;ins, and call upon him for mercy whereby to be healed.</P>
<P>Con&s;ider al&s;o, That to believe the Record of God touching the forgivene&s;s of &s;ins, is <HI>a &s;etting to our &s;eals that</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">God is true,</HI> John 3.33. But contrariwi&s;e, not to believe, <HI>is</HI> (as much as in us lyes) <HI>a making</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">God a lyar,</HI> 1 John 5.10,11.</P>
<P>Con&s;ider al&s;o, That <HI>if we confe&s;s our &s;ins, God is ju&s;t and faithful to forgive us our &s;ins,</HI> 1 John 1.9. Shewing that we may as well que&s;tion the ju&s;tne&s;s and faithfulne&s;s of God, as que&s;tion his readi|ne&s;s to forgive the &s;ins of &s;uch as confe&s;s the &s;ame: (but let none que&s;tion the nece&s;&s;ity of Faith in order to the forgivene&s;s of &s;ins, becau&s;e the Apo&s;tle here a&s;&s;ures it to &s;uch as confe&s;s their &s;ins, with|out the lea&s;t word concerning Faith; let none (I &s;ay) que&s;tion it upon that account, for by the &s;ame rea&s;on they may que&s;tion the ne|ce&s;&s;ity of <HI REND="blackletterType">Prayer,</HI> for that neither is mentioned in this place: To this therefore I &s;ay (as in many other ca&s;es mu&s;t be concluded) that it is &s;uch that &s;hall find mercy that are qualified, not only as &s;aith
<PB N="24" REF="13"> one Scripture, but as &s;aith the Scriptures <HI REND="blackletterType">compared together.</HI></P>
<P>Con&s;ider al&s;o, That we have an <HI>High Prie&s;t, pa&s;&s;ed into the Hea|vens, &s;itting at the right hand of God,</HI> for that very end to &s;hew mer|cy, even <HI>to &s;ave to the</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">uttermo&s;t, by making interce&s;&s;ion with his blood,</HI> Heb. 7.25. <HI>That &s;peaketh far better things than that of Abel,</HI> not for vengeance, but for mercy, for all &s;uch as have <HI REND="blackletterType">Faith in his blood;</HI> and therefore (&s;aith the Apo&s;tle) <HI>Let us come</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">boldly to the Throne of Grace, that we may obtain</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">mercy.</HI></P>
<P>Con&s;ider al&s;o, That we have not &s;uch an <HI>High Prie&s;t, which can|not be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like we,</HI> Heb. 4.15. <HI>and being tempted, he is able to &s;uccour them that are tempted, for he is a</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">merciful High Prie&s;t, to make re|conciliation for the</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">&s;ins of the People,</HI> Heb. 2.17,18. <HI>God knoweth our frame, he remembreth that we are du&s;t,</HI> P&s;al. 103.14.</P>
<P>Con&s;ider al&s;o, That in thy de&s;iring of God the ble&s;&s;ing of Remi&s;&s;ion of &s;ins, thou de&s;ire&s;t not more of him, than what he did freely for thee, <HI REND="blackletterType">before</HI> thou de&s;ired&s;t it of him; yea, when thou wa&s;t an enemy to him.</P>
<P>And with the&s;e Con&s;iderations con&s;ider, That if you &s;hall di&s;tru&s;t his mercy, it renders you altogether uncapable to plea&s;e God; <HI>For without</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">Faith 'tis impo&s;&s;ible to plea&s;e God, for he that cometh to God,</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">mu&s;t believe that he is, and that he is a Rewarder of them that diligently &s;eek him.</HI></P>
<P>From the&s;e and &s;uch like con&s;iderations, how may you be encou|raged to throw your &s;elves upon Gods Grace, rejecting all fle&s;hly &s;taggerings at the Promi&s;es of God through unbelief, that you may receive what is promi&s;ed by Faith in the Promi&s;es, even the &s;ure and certain Pardon of all your &s;ins; that the hands which have hung down by rea&s;on of &s;in laying upon the Soul, may be lift up with prai|&s;es to God, and the feeble knees now made &s;trong and lively, in the true &s;ence of the Fathers love &s;hining to the Soul; and then, Oh! then, with what boldne&s;s, courage and confidence may you go to God for the manifold Operations and Di&s;coveries of his Holy Spirit, your &s;ins being pardoned, and your iniquities wa&s;hed away by Faith in Chri&s;t? What &s;tate or condition is there, that po&s;&s;ibly you can fall into through the utmo&s;t rage, either of the world or Satan, or both, wherein there is not a Promi&s;e of God, either to be delivered out of it, or wonderfully to be &s;upported and comforted in it? All which Promi&s;es lyes before, as tendred to &s;uch that by Faith are ju&s;ti|fied from &s;in, whereon they by Faith, may <HI REND="blackletterType">take hold,</HI> and &s;o therein rejoyce for evermore, in all conditions.</P>
<PB N="25" REF="13">
<P>If at any time the believing man fall into calamity and great tri|bulation, he pre&s;ently con&s;iders where his Refuge is, and believes in God, who hath &s;aid, that <HI>he will be with his People in all their troubles;</HI> and &s;o (during his continuance in the tribulation) he ex|periences the truth of that <HI REND="blackletterType">within him&s;elf,</HI> which he hath read was in others, even, <HI>tribulation working patience</HI> (in him) <HI>and patience, experience</HI> (in him) <HI>and experience, hope</HI> (in him) <HI>which makes him</HI> (bold, and) <HI>not a&s;hamed,</HI> before all tho&s;e that trouble him, <HI>Rom.</HI> 5. and at length (po&s;&s;ibly) is delivered from all his troubles, and &s;o made able to &s;ay (with the Prophet) <HI>I tru&s;ted in the Lord, and he hath delivered me.</HI></P>
<P>If at any time the believing man, through the unexpected events of things, come to be clouded with many piercing cares, and Soul-vexations: he con&s;iders that 'tis written, we &s;hould <HI>ca&s;t all our care</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">upon God, for he careth for us,</HI> 1 Pet. 5.7. And through Faith he receives this word (and &s;o it becomes to him an <HI>engrafted word,</HI> planted in his under&s;tanding) concluding that he, having on his &s;ide a word from God to care for him, hath more on his &s;ide to free him from tho&s;e piercing cares, than if all the world were joyned toge|ther for his freedom; &s;o mightily doth he magnifie Gods Word in his heart: Thus he believingly commits all, and ca&s;ts all his cares upon God; and while others onely talk, and read of being careful for nothing, this <HI REND="blackletterType">believing man experiences the condition,</HI> being &s;upported in his &s;erious con&s;ideration, that God who hath declared him&s;elf willing to care for his People, is every way more able to care for them, than they for them&s;elves: And al&s;o how un&s;afe it is for them to tru&s;t to, or lean upon their own under&s;tandings, as for|mer experiences &s;ufficiently declare; therefore this man believing in God is delivered, and cared for by God, and &s;o made able to &s;ay <HI>what the Lord hath done for his Soul.</HI></P>
<P>If at any time, by rea&s;on of Wars, and rumours of Wars, or the great frowns of great men, many fears &s;hall a&s;&s;ault the believing man, he well remembers that the&s;e things mu&s;t fir&s;t be before the po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of the Kingdom, and he (while others that are not in <HI>Davids</HI> integrity, and &s;o not in his Faith, yet talks much of his words, but out of his life:) I &s;ay he, even the believing man truly in both <HI>Davids</HI> Integrity and Faith, in <HI>Davids</HI> words boldly &s;aith, <HI>The Lord is my Light, my Strength, and my Salvation, of whom &s;hall I be afraid? though an Ho&s;t &s;hould encamp again&s;t me, my heart &s;hall not fear, though War &s;hould ri&s;e again&s;t me,</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">in this will I be confident,</HI> P&s;al. 27.1,2,3.</P>
<PB N="26" REF="14">
<P>If the believing man at any time fall into reproaches &amp; per&s;ecution for Chri&s;ts &s;ake, by Faith he takes hold of the good and powerful hand of God to &s;upport him, and in the greate&s;t of afflictions to comfort him: Faith &s;o acquaints the Soul with the un&s;peakable riches and glory of Chri&s;t, in the time of his &s;uffering for him, as that (<HI>Mo&s;es</HI>-like) <HI>he e&s;teems the reproaches of him greater riches than the plea&s;ure of &s;in for a &s;ea&s;on;</HI> &s;o he endures the per&s;ecution <HI>by Faith, &s;eeing him</HI> (and his glory which he hath promi&s;ed) <HI>even him who is invi&s;ible.</HI></P>
<P>If the believing man fall into temptation, he remembers how 'tis written, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 10.13. that <HI>God is faithful,</HI> and &s;o <HI>will not &s;uffer his People to be tempted above what they are able to bear:</HI> Which word (while among others onely talked of) this man embraces, often con&s;iders, upon it leans, and in it is comforted: not &s;uffering the violence of the temptation, nor any unlikeline&s;s of deliverance by other means, to take the lea&s;t place in his heart (which is not an <HI REND="blackletterType">evil heart in departing from the living God,</HI> Heb. 3.12. <HI>but a</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">true heart, drawing nigh unto God,</HI> Heb. 10.22.) whereby that &s;hould make the word of Promi&s;e of no effect, but rather con&s;iders, that <HI>God knows how to deliver the godly,</HI> (and that he is every way able to de|liver them) <HI>out of temptations.</HI></P>
<P>If at any time Trading fail, or lo&s;s of Goods come, or Lands and Livings be taken away, and he that is the believing man there|by come to be indebted; yet he con&s;iders that Gods Promi&s;es fail not, though all the&s;e things &s;omewhat frown upon him, and there|fore he &s;helters him&s;elf in Gods mo&s;t holy Word, and waites patient|ly by Faith, yea, though he may &s;ee little or nothing in &s;ight, yea, and no wayes able to conceive how he &s;hall be in a capacity to live for the future, which more than a little will trouble fle&s;h and blood, (which would live by <HI REND="blackletterType">&s;ight</HI>) all which makes not him &s;tagger, or if &s;tagger he do, yet he falls not, but keeps clo&s;e to Gods Word, mag|nifies it greatly in his heart, knowing no rea&s;on why he &s;hould more e&s;teem Gods Commandements, than his Promi&s;es; he therefore pri&s;es them above Gold, yea, fine Gold, concluding that they are a more <HI REND="blackletterType">&s;urer maintenance,</HI> than the po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ing of Kingdoms; and &s;o &s;peaks peace and much &s;atisfaction to him&s;elf through believing, taking joyfully the lo&s;s or &s;poiling of goods, rejoycing that he hath a merciful God on his &s;ide, that knows all his wants; yea, and that is able to make that little Pot of Oyl, which yet onely remains, &s;o wonderfully to encrea&s;e, as that he therewith may be able both <HI>to pay his debts, and to live comfortably on the re&s;t,</HI> 2 Kings 4.2,7.
<PB N="27" REF="14"> Wherefore he makes it his great work, <HI>to &s;eek fir&s;t the Kingdom of God, and the righteou&s;ne&s;s thereof,</HI> being that which is required on his part, in the doing of which he believingly waits for the fulfilling of that promi&s;ed on Gods part; namely, that <HI>he will add all &s;uch things:</HI> being al&s;o encouraged in this his confidence with tho&s;e weighty con&s;i|derations publi&s;hed by the Lord Je&s;us, for that very end, to beget Faith in his Di&s;ciples; namely, that <HI>God doth feed the Sparrows, and richly cloath the Lillies of the Field;</HI> and therefore &s;urely will much more take care for tho&s;e that are his adopted children, for whom he &s;pared not his own Son to do them good; and therefore (as the Apo|&s;tle rea&s;oneth) mo&s;t &s;urely will with him (the mercy of mercies) freely give all other good things: Al&s;o this believing man con&s;iders, that if he &s;hould care and carp, doing what po&s;&s;ibly can be done, yet cannot add <HI>one cubit to his &s;tature,</HI> as Chri&s;t witne&s;&s;eth; as his own former experiences witne&s;&s;eth; and as the apparent event and i&s;&s;ues of mens carping cares and intemperate thoughts witne&s;&s;eth; therefore he with all &s;eriou&s;ne&s;s and readine&s;s of mind commits his condition to the gracious God, who hath promi&s;ed never to leave nor for&s;ake his People; &s;o that he boldly prayes to God for his daily bread, and as confidently expects it of him, yea, and as certainly receives from him, which he receives with thank&s;giving, being one of them that believes and knows the truth.</P>
<P>And thus while others depend upon vi&s;ible things, and &s;o have them (to wit, Lands, Livings, Tradings, Relations, Powers) often in their minds &amp; affections, and con&s;equently under many piercing cares, and Soul-vexations while depending thereupon; while others (I &s;ay) are thus, the believing man (who&s;e dependance is not up|on things that are &s;een, but upon the Lord) contrariwi&s;e hath the Lord often, and much in his mind (for men are apt to mind that which is their con&s;tant help) and &s;o this man having the Lord much in his mind, is thereby wrought into his fear, kept tender of his glo|ry, and greatly affected with, and much de&s;irous of the much-wan|ted pre&s;ence of his good Spirit; and thus his mind, and the Medi|tations of his heart is much in Heaven with God, in Faith praying unto him for the &s;ame, and much there expecting what in Faith he hath prayed for, and having received, much there al&s;o in pray&s;ing his Name therefore; by all which he is become much heavenly-minded, &s;piritually framed, able to &s;ay (as they of old) <HI REND="blackletterType">My con|ver&s;ation is in Heaven,</HI> (when others onely reads of it, and talks of it, but knows it not in them&s;elves) O therefore, how much more ble&s;&s;ed is it to live <HI REND="blackletterType">by Faith</HI> than <HI REND="blackletterType">by &s;ight!</HI> it being both a
<PB N="28" REF="15">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB N="29" REF="15">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB N="28" REF="16"> <HI REND="blackletterType">God exalting, and a Creature-comforting</HI> &s;tate and condition.</P>
<P>But why do I &s;peak the&s;e things? Not becau&s;e I think that any will &s;ay in words, that 'tis better to live by &s;ight than by Faith. But alas! What is it for men to acknowledge what is be&s;t, and yet &s;till abide in what is wor&s;t? For I would pray you to con&s;ider, whe|ther or no it be not &s;ome vi&s;ible thing in pre&s;ent being that gives you your hopes of daily bread, rather than the &s;ure Promi&s;es of God? Is it not both your words, and in your inward thoughts, that you hope to live comfortably, and to bring the year well about, in that you have either Lands in po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion as your own, or a good Farm, or good Trading; or good Friends, or the like? If not &s;o, I would know what means then the u&s;ual complaints, di&s;contents, great fears and vexations of &s;pirit, when at any time the&s;e outward things fail, or begin to fail? If your hopes did ari&s;e from the onely pure foun|tain, to wit, Gods gracious Promi&s;es; Why then &s;hould you be &s;o di&s;quieted? For the decaying or failing (in mea&s;ure) of the&s;e outward things, doth not make Gods Promi&s;es to be no Promi&s;es, he abideth faithful, <HI>and all his Promi&s;es are</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">Yea and Amen in Chri&s;t:</HI> You indeed may &s;ometimes in the time of need, and in the day of trouble, pray unto God that he would give you daily bread, and that he would deliver you out of trouble (it being generally known that Saints &s;hould do &s;o) and from hence conclude that your dependance is upon God, and po&s;&s;ibly you may be a telling others that you de&s;ire; and Oh! how good a thing it is, to tru&s;t in God, and rely upon him in all conditions, &amp;c. When alas! (and for the Lords &s;ake con&s;i|der it) you all that while may be far from tru&s;ting in God indeed; and even &s;uch who <HI>draw nigh to God with your mouths, when your hearts may be far from God,</HI> even depending upon, and tru&s;ting in things vi&s;ible, in&s;tead of a heatty believing in God whom you pray unto, with a &s;erious and con&s;tant waiting upon him for to receive that which you have asked of him.</P>
<P>Contrariwi&s;e, as the Faith of the Faithful, renders them happy, and in all conditions comfortable; &s;o the Unbelief of the Unbelie|ver, renders him mi&s;erable, and in all conditions comfortle&s;s; it be|ing a mo&s;t bitter root from whence &s;prings many, yea, a very great multitude of corrupt branches, the fruit whereof hath &s;o mightily corrupted the earth; for the purging of which there is but little hopes, till &s;uch time the bitter root (to wit, Unbelief) be plucked up out of the hearts of the Sons and Daughters of men; which re|maining in the hearts of the Children of <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> kept them out of the promi&s;ed Land; for although their &s;ins were many, bearing divers
<PB N="29" REF="16"> names, yet by the Apo&s;tle, <HI>Heb.</HI> 3.19. 'tis &s;aid, <HI>They entred not <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 word">, becau&s;e of their unbelief;</HI> as if that were the root or cau&s;e of all, (or mo&s;t) of the re&s;t: And again, tho&s;e that did enter in, in after|times were <HI>broken off, becau&s;e of unbelief,</HI> Rom. 11.20. In &s;ome certain places <HI>Chri&s;t did not do many mighty works, becau&s;e of their unbelief,</HI> Mark 6.5. Mat. 13.58. <HI>He that believeth not is condemned already, becau&s;e he believeth not in the onely begotten Son of God,</HI> John 3.18.</P>
<P>For what (con&s;ider I pray you) is the cau&s;e of mens &s;o di&s;honou|ring God by tran&s;gre&s;&s;ion? <HI>Hath not I&s;rael heard, doth not I&s;rael know? Yes verily,</HI> they have both heard and known, <HI>but the Word preached doth not profit them, not being mixed with Faith in them that hear it,</HI> Heb. 4.2. They well know that they &s;hould improve their time to the be&s;t advantage, &s;ometimes in the Clo&s;et in &s;erious and &s;ober Meditations, &s;ometimes in &s;olemn Prayer and Supplications to <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">od, and &s;ometimes in Praying with Fa&s;ting; but alas! Un|belief ri&s;eth up, and too much keeps under the Light of Truth in their Souls, filling them with di&s;tru&s;tful thoughts, even, how then they &s;hall live and maintain their Families, <HI>Wherewith to eat, and wherewith to put on,</HI> if thus they &s;hould &s;pend their time: And &s;o it comes to pa&s;s, that men too too much are found dwelling, as it were &s;atisfied, in their own cealed hou&s;es, while the Hou&s;e of God wants perfecting, and much of its original Ornaments.</P>
<P>'Tis well known, that Saints &s;hould be <HI>rich in Good Works, willing to communicate, and ready to di&s;tribute:</HI> But Oh! How doth Un|belief choak the inward movings hereunto, po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ing Souls with many fears, touching what may happen in the time to come, though at pre&s;ent they enjoy all fulne&s;s? and &s;o <HI>the bowels of compa&s;&s;ion are too much &s;hut up.</HI></P>
<P>'Tis well known, that Righteou&s;ne&s;s and Ju&s;t-dealing is comman|ded of the Lord; but &s;aith the unbelieving Steward, <HI>I cannot dig, to beg I am a&s;hamed, and what then &s;hall I eat, or what &s;hall I put on?</HI> (being di&s;charged of my place) Wherefore Unbelief drives him un|righteou&s;ly to account with his Lord, even fifty, for that which was (in Righteou&s;ne&s;s) a hundred mea&s;ures, <HI>Luke</HI> 16.</P>
<P>But I forbear in&s;tancing in Particulars, concluding that as living by Faith, is a God-honouring, and Creature-comforting &s;tate and condi|tion; &s;o not to live by Faith, but by &s;ight, is a God-di&s;honouring, and Creature-di&s;comforting &s;tate and condition.</P>
<P>But having &s;poke &s;omething touching the great u&s;e of Faith, with provocations thereunto, which probably may be for advantage to
<PB N="30" REF="17"> &s;ome: yet very po&s;&s;ibly for di&s;advantge to other &s;ome, for want of a wi&s;e under&s;tanding every thing in its place: Therefore in the next place, I do hereby warn, and &s;trictly charge all &s;uch, who are carnally minded, who have &s;o embraced this pre&s;ent world, as that the growing in the knowledge of Je&s;us, is little minded by them, or regarded: and yet are apt to lean upon the Lord, and &s;eem to be very confident, and (with <HI>I&s;rael</HI>) ready to &s;ay, <HI>Is not the Lord a|mong&s;t us?</HI> being as it were offended with tho&s;e that &s;hall que&s;tion their condition, they think it &s;o good, and therefore are ready to conclude (as &s;ome of old have done) <HI>that no evil &s;hall come unto them;</HI> when alas! they are poor and mi&s;erable; And all &s;uch I ex|clude as being none of them (while &s;uch) whom I hereby per&s;wade to lean and &s;tay upon God by Faith: Therefore, O ye &s;luggards and carnal-minded men, think not to &s;ay within your &s;elves, becau&s;e you profe&s;s, and have practi&s;ed &s;ome of the Ordinances of Chri&s;t, and &s;till do own them, that therefore you have ground to believe that Gods Promi&s;es reaches you, for this did <HI>I&s;rael</HI> do, and the Church of <HI>Laodecea,</HI> who neverthele&s;s were mi&s;erable, and their leaning upon the Lord rendred of no effect, becau&s;e of their unworthy walking in other things.</P>
<P>Neither think to &s;ay within your &s;elves, becau&s;e you do (as well as others) acknowledge that it is not enough to come into the Pro|fe&s;&s;ion of Ordinances, and Church-fellow&s;hip, with a heavenly and &s;piritual walking therein to the glory of God, that therefore you have ground to believe the Promi&s;es of God reaches you; for alas! though you in words deny &s;uch a condition, yet your conver&s;ation plainly declares to others (and to your &s;elves al&s;o, if you would &s;eriou&s;ly heed it) that you own it: 'tis not mens &s;aying, that there mu&s;t be, nor their much talking of, a heavenly and &s;piritual walking in the Profe&s;&s;ion, that proves them to be &s;uch, even, heavenly-minded men, or &s;piritual walkers; to talk of Life, Light, Spirit and Power of Godline&s;s, is now become a <HI REND="blackletterType">meer Form</HI> among men, ma|ny getting the words, but have not the thing it &s;elf; and &s;uch are mo&s;t apt to declare again&s;t others, even to &s;light and di&s;dain <HI>little ones that believe in Chri&s;t,</HI> calling them carnal, literal and low profe&s;&s;ors; Yea, &s;ome of this &s;ort in the Apo&s;tles dayes, were grown up to &s;uch height of &s;piritual pride and arrogancy, as that they thought <HI>Paul</HI> and the re&s;t of the Mini&s;ters of Chri&s;t, did <HI>walk after the fle&s;h,</HI> 2 Cor. 10.2. and &s;o they looked upon their <HI>bodily pre&s;ence weak, and their &s;peech contemptible,</HI> ver. 10.</P>
<P>Neither think to &s;ay within your &s;elves, becau&s;e you walk hone&s;tly
<PB N="31" REF="17"> among men, &s;o as to ab&s;tain from gro&s;s and publick evils, that there|fore the Promi&s;es of God reaches you; for all this you may do, and continue &s;o, and yet go to Hell among the <HI REND="blackletterType">unprofitable &s;ervants, that have not gained by trading with the Talent committed unto them:</HI> this kind of common hone&s;ty you have po&s;&s;ibly for a long time manife&s;ted in your conver&s;ations; But where are the <HI REND="blackletterType">fruits</HI> that God ju&s;tly looks for to be brought forth in the Power and Light of his Grace? If you know the&s;e things, and can talk of them; happy &s;hall you be if warned by them.</P>
<P>Neither think to &s;ay within your &s;elves, becau&s;e you a&s;&s;emble with the Saints at their meetings, that therefore you have ground to believe the Promi&s;es of God reaches you; for &s;o did <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> yea, they &s;eemed <HI>to take delight in approaching before God, to tread his Courts,</HI> I&s;. 58. Who&s;e practi&s;es neverthele&s;s was not regarded by God; neither may yours, being (po&s;&s;ibly) to prevent the reproof of men, more than Gods; or at be&s;t to remove trouble of Con&s;cience, which &s;ometimes po&s;&s;ibly you have undergone for neglect of meetings, but now frequenting them, you <HI REND="blackletterType">thereby</HI> &s;peak peace to your Souls, though for years you experience no advantage, or Soul-profit reaped thereby (which is the true end of meeting) a true Te&s;timony (O ye) that your &s;atisfaction is not in the right thing.</P>
<P>Neither think to &s;ay within your &s;elves, becau&s;e you confe&s;s your &s;ins and iniquities before the Lord, that therefore the Promi&s;es of God reaches you; for you may in words confe&s;s &s;in, having at that time little or no &s;ence, either what &s;in you have committed, or when committed; and &s;o your words of confe&s;&s;ion may proceed rather from a notion that &s;uch a thing is &s;poken of in the Scriptures, and that others do &s;o, than from a &s;pirit wounded with the &s;troke of &s;in, and broken in the <HI REND="blackletterType">deep &s;ence</HI> of &s;in, from whence the words &s;hould flow; and &s;o having made confe&s;&s;ion of &s;in, pre&s;ently imagine that all is well, &s;peaking peace to your &s;elves, barely becau&s;e you have &s;poken words as Saints did formerly, and now do; but alas! are far from ha|ving any real ground to &s;ay (with the Prophet) <HI>Ble&s;s the Lord, O my Soul, for the Lord</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">hath forgiven thee all thine iniquities,</HI> P&s;al. 103.2,3.</P>
<P>Neither think to &s;ay within your &s;elves, becau&s;e you pray &s;ome|times, both publick and private, that therefore you have ground to believe the Promi&s;es of God reaches you; for many and long Prayers were found among the Children of <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> who neverthele&s;s were <HI>a &s;inful Nation, laden with iniquity,</HI> I&s;a. 1.15,4. And &s;o may you be notwith&s;tanding your many Prayers, and that not onely upon the account of your unworthine&s;s in other things, but al&s;o upon the
<PB N="32" REF="18"> account of imperfection (or rather corruptions) that may be in the&s;e your prayers (&s;uppo&s;ed by you the be&s;t of your performances) for in|&s;tead of &s;peaking words of Prayer, proceeding from a &s;erious &s;ence of the want of Grace, which flowes from a great de&s;ire to honour God, becau&s;e of its love to God; I &s;ay, in&s;tead of this kind of &s;en&s;ible praying to God, which is alwayes attended with (as its con&s;tant com|panion) a &s;erious and con&s;tant waiting to receive from God, what is prayed for; alas! there may be by you words uttered proceeding from a meer notion, which may be exerci&s;ed (as upon narrow &s;earch may be &s;een) <HI REND="blackletterType">to find out words and expre&s;&s;ions,</HI> and <HI REND="blackletterType">to utter them</HI> in &s;uch a way &amp; manner, as may to the eyes and ears of men render <HI REND="blackletterType">you fervent and zealou&s;ly affected</HI> after the things prayed for, rather than from any real and internal &s;ence begotten in you of God, leading you up nearer to God; your words (may be) importing more longings after Grace, than really is in you, and greater de&s;ires, and larger affections after the Wi&s;dom and Power of God, than (indeed and in truth) is in you; your words (may be) importing al&s;o more dete|&s;tation of &s;in and tran&s;gre&s;&s;ion, than may be true from your hearts; and if &s;o, What &s;hall I &s;ay of this? Is it an acceptable &s;ervice in the &s;ight of God? Nay, it is in truth, a &s;peaking lyes before the Throne of Grace; a dead work timely to be repented of.</P>
<P>Moreover, when you for &s;ome time neglect Prayer, probably are &s;omewhat troubled; but then coming to a more frequent practice thereof, you <HI REND="blackletterType">thereupon</HI> put the trouble from you, and &s;eem to be &s;atis|fied, though for a long time you experience no an&s;wer to your Prayers; which proves that your &s;atisfaction is not in that which is bread in|deed: Yea, doth it not prove, that either yet you have not attained un|to the New Birth; or if you have, that it is now even langui&s;hing, and almo&s;t &s;encele&s;s? for that (if in health) will not be &s;atisfied with asking for the bread which is from above, unle&s;s it al&s;o receive it: no more than the birth which is after the fle&s;h, will be &s;atisfied with asking for outward bread, unle&s;s it be al&s;o received, and enjoyed within.</P>
<P>Moreover, when you joyn with others Praying in publick, it may be a &s;mall occa&s;ion, as a per&s;ons coming in, or going out, or the like trifles, pre&s;ently cau&s;es the ear to li&s;ten, and the eyes to gaze up and down; which if &s;o, account not that an acceptable approach|ing to God: What, no more reverence in &s;peaking to the Almigh|ty? No more &s;ence of your conditions, and of the nece&s;&s;ity of re|ceiving from God, to keep your minds more clo&s;e to God? In the true fear of God con&s;ider the&s;e things.</P>
<P>Neither think to &s;ay within your &s;elves, becau&s;e you &s;ometimes
<PB N="33" REF="18"> prai&s;e God, and give thanks unto his Name; that therefore you have ground to believe the Promi&s;es of God reaches you; for this may you do (as <HI>I&s;rael</HI> did) and yet far from that kind of prai&s;ing God, which God accepts of, and which glorifies his Name: which proceeds from a true knowledge and &s;ence of mercies received, and &s;o hearty de&s;ires thereupon to &s;et forth his prai&s;e: you being (it may be) onely led forth to &s;peak words of prai&s;e (po&s;&s;ibly the very &s;ame, which the &s;en&s;ible man doth) from a naked apprehen&s;ion that &s;uch a thing is &s;poken of in the Scriptures, and that others do &s;o; and therefore you cannot quiet Con&s;cience, unle&s;s you do &s;o too: and it may be herein al&s;o utter expre&s;&s;ions importing a greater and larger receiving from God, than indeed and in truth you have received; which to do, is hypocri&s;ie and iniquity.</P>
<P>Neither think to &s;ay within your &s;elves, becau&s;e you &s;ometimes read the Holy Scriptures, that therefore (with what is above &s;aid) you have ground to believe the Promi&s;es reaches you; for &s;o did the &s;inful Jews do, yea, &amp; thought that they had in the Scriptures Eternal Life; who neverthele&s;s were &s;uch to whom Chri&s;t &s;aid, <HI>How can ye believe, that receive honour one of another?</HI> John 5.39,44. And may I not &s;ay to you touching this your practice, as touching the re&s;t of your performances? That is to &s;ay, when you read not, then are you di&s;quieted; but when you &s;ometimes read; then the trouble is re|moved and you at quiet, though little or no experience of profit rea|ped thereby, which is the proper end thereof: &s;hould you not (even as your principal care) when you read Commandements, have an eye open within to &s;ee whether you have obeyed them, and kept clo&s;e to them, yea, or nay? And when you read Promi&s;es, to con&s;ider whether you have or &s;till do believe them with all the heart, yea, or nay? Mo&s;t &s;urely this becometh &s;uch as wait for the real &s;ub&s;tance of things.</P>
<P>Neither think to &s;ay within your &s;elves, Becau&s;e when you at any time &s;in again&s;t God, you can remember that there was &s;omething within you that te&s;tified again&s;t the &s;in, and oppo&s;ed it; and &s;o judge your &s;elves in <HI>Pauls</HI> condition, <HI>Who did that which he would not;</HI> that therefore you have ground to believe the Promi&s;es of God reaches you, as well as they did <HI>Paul;</HI> for alas! how great may be your mi&s;take herein, the ground of your confidence, of be|ing in <HI>Pauls</HI> condition, it may be no more than what the Drunkard may have to &s;ay, that he is in <HI>Pauls</HI> condition, who purpo&s;ing to go to a merry meeting, is warned by his Friend not to go, who neverthe|le&s;s with full purpo&s;e of heart goes, and is drunk with the drunken;
<PB N="34" REF="19"> yet may he &s;ay, and truly too, that he was warned not to go, and that his friend oppo&s;ed it; which (may be) is all you can &s;ay, even that the Word of God in your hearts, te&s;tified again&s;t the &s;in which you were tempted unto; who neverthele&s;s with full purpo&s;e of heart committed the &s;in, without the drawings back, and contradictions of any regene|rate part in you, but onely the knowledge you have that &s;uch and &s;uch things are &s;in and evil, contradicted it; which even the wicked and abominable in &s;ome mea&s;ure have: Which if &s;o, you are not able to &s;ay with <HI>Paul,</HI> from &s;ure experience, that <HI>your inward man</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">delighted in the Law of God, Rom,</HI> 7.22. <HI>And that you were</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">carried captive to the evil, by the Law in the members,</HI> ver. 23. <HI>And that you were over|taken</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">with &s;in, Gal.</HI> 6.1. And not that <HI REND="blackletterType">you</HI> overtook &s;in; though po&s;&s;i|bly you may have the&s;e words in your mouths; but alas, if they are not true as to your condition, you do but deceive your &s;elves thereby, <HI>thinking your &s;elves to be what you are not.</HI></P>
<P>Neither think to &s;ay within your &s;elves, Becau&s;e you do nothing but that you are able to &s;hew &s;ome &s;eeming ground and rea&s;on for your &s;o doing; that therefore you have ground to believe Gods Promi&s;es rea|ches you; for that you may be able to do (as could <HI>Saul</HI> and the people with him for their &s;paring the be&s;t of the Sheep and Oxen) and yet neverthele&s;s <HI>live after the fle&s;h;</HI> the which who&s;oever doth, &s;hall die eternally. My meaning in many ca&s;es of this nature, more clearly you &s;hall under&s;tand by this one in&s;tance; namely, A certain carnal man, beholding a very new and curious fa&s;hion in matter of Apparel, pre&s;ently falls in love with it, enters into Bed, and commits Adul|tery therewith; but having received &s;ome Light from the Word, that Saints &s;hould not fa&s;hion them&s;elves according to their former lu&s;ts, and al&s;o living (po&s;&s;ibly) among a people that are ready to reprove &s;uch fa&s;hions: Hereupon is led forth by the hand of the old corrupt man, to &s;earch for &s;ome rea&s;onable account that may be given, both to him&s;elf (a little troubled through the Word bearing te&s;timony again&s;t it) and al&s;o unto others; and while &s;earching with this corrupt mind (Satan being not wanting) he findes that in &s;ome re&s;pect this new fa&s;hion may be profitable (whereat he is glad) and &s;o ha&s;tily ca&s;ts out all former que&s;tions, and &s;o procures it (though it co&s;t him a great deal more, than at any time he is willing to be&s;tow on the poor) and then with a loud voice, and much carnal di&s;putings, he &s;tands to plead for it, for (&s;aith he) 'tis thus and thus profitable, which po&s;&s;ibly may be true in &s;ome &s;mall &s;en&s;e: But alas he con&s;iders not how <HI>the lu&s;t fir&s;t</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">conceived in him,</HI> by his a&s;&s;ent with love and delight there|unto: He con&s;iders not, that though there be &s;ome &s;mall profit there|in,
<PB N="35" REF="19"> that 'twas not <HI REND="blackletterType">that which lead</HI> him to get it; for 'twas the love, and heart-delight which he had to it, as being a fa&s;hion plea&s;ing the eye of fle&s;h, and whereby he might &s;eem to others to be thus and thus; that fir&s;t moved him thereunto. The worldly man will &s;ay, that he mu&s;t &s;pend much time, and take a great deal of care, to get this Worlds goods, that he may have &s;omewhat con&s;iderably to give to the poor; but he lies in his heart before God and men.</P>
<P>Neither think to &s;ay within your &s;elves, Becau&s;e you &s;ometimes di|&s;tribute &s;omething to the poor Saints, that therefore Gods Promi&s;es reaches you; for alas, &s;ometimes that may be onely a matter of <HI REND="blackletterType">con|&s;traint,</HI> and not willingly, and &s;o not rewardable: I mean by con|&s;traint, &s;o as that you may rather than you will publickly oppo&s;e &s;uch and &s;uch works of Charity, whereby you may think that people will &s;peak hardly of you, and you thereby come to have an ill name; rather than this, you may be con&s;trained to give &s;omething, though little or no heart to it otherwi&s;e: and &s;ometimes upon the account, that con&s;cience with &s;uch a loud voyce calls for works of Charity, you may be per&s;waded to part with &s;omething to quiet con&s;cience, having all that while but little real and hearty love and compa&s;&s;ion on the poor Saints; as appears (among &s;ome:) Fir&s;t by their being quiet|ed, and altogether &s;atisfied, in that they have di&s;tributed &s;omething; never con&s;idering whether they have done what is their duties to do, whether the poor Saints have food and raiment &s;ufficient, yea, or nay. Secondly, As appears by their much more diligent eye over &s;uch as are poor, than over others; whereby to find &s;ome kind of flaw or other in their walkings, that &s;o they may quiet con&s;cience thereby, while they admini&s;ter not to them; this &s;avours of much carnality where ever it is, for &s;hould you not <HI>be merciful, even as your Heaven|ly Father is merciful?</HI></P>
<P>Neither think to &s;ay within your &s;elves (&s;ome of you,) Becau&s;e you are more kind, milde, and more meek than others, that therefore the Promi&s;es of God reaches you: For although the&s;e things be good qualifications, yet may be no certain te&s;timony to you of your &s;tri|ving, and labouring in the grace of God, whereby the&s;e qualifications in you may be truly &s;aid to be the fruits of the Spirit; though they be|ing found in others may be &s;o, yet (I &s;ay) not in you, becau&s;e it is but the &s;ame which was alwayes in you naturally; and you in the mean while may be far from it, and a great &s;tranger unto any experi|ences of Conque&s;t, and victory (through Divine help) over tho&s;e other Pa&s;&s;ions that have reigned in you, to the great di&s;honour of God. Oh that you would remember Chri&s;ts words, as thus, <HI>Every</HI>
<PB N="36" REF="20"> <HI>Branch in me that beareth not fruit, God</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">taketh away.</HI></P>
<P>Neither think to &s;ay within your &s;elves (&s;ome of you,) Becau&s;e you are able to preach, and to di&s;pute for Truth, that therefore you have ground to believe the Promi&s;es of God reaches you; for all this may you do, (<HI>as &s;ome of the Jews that were become Teachers of others, but were not taught them&s;elves</HI>) and yet at la&s;t may be inexcu&s;able, (as they were) while the life of Godline&s;s preached to others, is not li|ved up to by your &s;elves: For alas, what availeth it men to Preach unto others, that they mu&s;t be new Creatures, if in the mean while they them&s;elves have not put off <HI>the old Man with his Deeds?</HI> And with what comfort or boldne&s;s can men Preach to others, that they <HI>&s;hould Repent, Believe, and be Baptized for the Remi&s;&s;ion of &s;ins, and &s;o &s;hall receive the gift of the holy Spirit;</HI> if in the mean while they know not their own &s;ins remitted, nor the gift of the holy Spirit received? Or with what comfort can any Preach the Go&s;pel of the Kingdom of Chri&s;t to others, if they in the mean while know not them&s;elves out of the Kingdom of Darkne&s;s, and &s;o have them&s;elves (by faith) inte|re&s;t in the Kingdom of Chri&s;t? What, men talk, talk of life and eter|nal glory, and in the mean while, do the works that leads unavoid|ably to eternal death? Oh horrible blindne&s;s! Oh what a lamentable condition is this! How great is the di&s;proportion betwixt it, and the condition of the Go&s;pel-Preachers in dayes of old, who per&s;waded others to have fellow&s;hip with them (&s;aying) <HI REND="blackletterType">Truly our fellow&s;hip is with the Father, and with his Son Ie&s;us Chri&s;t?</HI> 1 <HI>John</HI> 1.3. And &s;o were &s;uch as were able to tell others <HI>what the Lord had done for their &s;ouls; how God had comforted them in all their tribulations, and &s;o were made able to comfort them which were in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith them&s;elves were comforted of God.</HI> 2 Cor. 1.4.</P>
<P>The&s;e things write I unto you, not becau&s;e I &s;light you, (under what name or Title &s;oever you are, on whom the&s;e words may take hold) neither for your de&s;truction do I thus &s;peak; but rather de&s;ire you, and (with the holy Spirit &s;peaking to the Churches) do I hereby exhort you (O <HI>Laodiceans</HI>) timely <HI>to repent, and be zealous,</HI> that <HI REND="blackletterType">&s;o</HI> Gods Promi&s;es may reach you, as well as any other; (for the Lord is not willing that any of you &s;hould peri&s;h) and that &s;o his people may with all freene&s;s have fellow&s;hip with you.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="37" REF="20">
<HEAD>The great Errour and mi&s;take of the <HI>Quakers,</HI> concerning the true Chri&s;t; and how he is &s;aid to be in his People: And con|cerning the Rule of Man-kind.</HEAD>
<P>MOreover, Since 'tis not the Talker, nor ready Di&s;puter, nor the Bu&s;ie Preacher of this World; but the &s;ingle-hearted doer of what is Preached, Di&s;puted, or Talked of, that &s;hall enter into the Kingdom: It remains a work very great, for every Profe&s;&s;ing Soul to abide very circum&s;pect and watchful, together with a con&s;tant tru&s;ting in, and dependance upon the Lord, (who waits to be gracious) that thereby they may be more and more wrought up unto <HI>a well-plea&s;ing the Lord in all things.</HI> But le&s;t any &s;oul &s;hould be deceived by the &s;ubtilty of the evil One, <HI>of who&s;e devi&s;es</HI> (through grace) <HI>I am not altogether ignorant:</HI> I hereby al&s;o pre&s;ent before you the experiences of &s;ome men, as thus:</P>
<P>Certain men being &s;omewhat troubled about their pre&s;ent conditi|ons, and thereupon following after a more excellent e&s;tate, (though po&s;&s;ibly not with that care and watchfulne&s;s, as was meet &s;hould be) have on a &s;udden been greatly carryed forth with inward Power and Zeal, and wonderful quicknings after <HI REND="blackletterType">&s;ome</HI> matters of holine&s;s, &s;o as &s;carce able to bear with the lea&s;t appearance of Pride, Covetou&s;ne&s;s (or the like) in others, without reproof; yea, &s;carce content without a leaving their Callings in order to the reproving others; who at length (while in this &s;tate) have been &s;ecretly informed, That the powerful workings within them, was Chri&s;t come in them the &s;econd time to &s;al|vation; he being a Spirit, and not man, and &s;o no other coming to be looked for but within; and that the Scriptures was not the Rule; and that the Ordinances of Chri&s;t were cea&s;ed, being impo&s;ed onely till the time of Reformation, which time was come; and &s;uch like.</P>
<P>But being &s;omewhat fearful of delu&s;ions, did thereupon give up them&s;elves diligently to pray unto the Lord, who at length graciou&s;ly delivered them from the &s;trong delu&s;ion: I &s;ay, the &s;trong delu&s;ion; for is it not &s;o indeed, when an evil &s;pirit &s;hall carry forth per&s;ons zea|lou&s;ly, to <HI REND="blackletterType">&s;ome</HI> things that is Ju&s;t, Holy, and Good, (though he no lo|ver of Holine&s;s or any Goodne&s;s; but that being really an Angel of Darkne&s;s, he may &s;eemingly appear to be <HI>an Angel of Light,</HI> 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 11.14.) thereby to <HI REND="blackletterType">gain their affections?</HI> That then having got the affections, he may the better drop into their under&s;tandings, Princi|ples of Errour in matters of Faith, with likeline&s;s of acceptance.</P>
<PB N="38" REF="21">
<P>Whereupon (dear Brethren) as I have here briefly propo&s;ed to you the ready and plain Way in order to the Life of godline&s;s, without which, all profe&s;&s;ion thereof is little; together therewith I hereby al&s;o coun&s;el you (in the words of <HI>John</HI>) <HI>not to believe</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">every &s;pirit, for there are many fal&s;e &s;pirits gone out into the world;</HI> the one and true Spirit of God, being plainly to be known by his guiding and mo|ving the Saints, not onely to be Ju&s;t, Holy and Zealous in point of con|ver&s;ation; but al&s;o to be &s;tedfa&s;t in the Principles of Faith, yea, and as <HI REND="blackletterType">zealou&s;ly</HI> to contend for the &s;ame, as for any other things: as was the Apo&s;tles of Chri&s;t, in whom the true Spirit of Light was, as ap|pears by their Writings, for that a great part of it con&s;i&s;ts of matter tending to the in&s;truction and regulation of the Saints, concerning their Faith, as in reading is ob&s;ervable: Wherefore, for the remo|ving all doubts and &s;cruples which (through the &s;ubtilty of the de|ceived <HI>Quaker</HI>) po&s;&s;ibly may ari&s;e, or already is ri&s;en in the hearts of any well-minded people, I here next offer a little of that much, which might be &s;aid, touching Principles of Faith, the errour where|of is abundantly dangerous.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, Whereas 'tis owned by the <HI>Quakers,</HI> (and as to me hath plainly been declared) that the Eternal Spirit of Light and Power which dwelt in the Man whom the Jews Crucified, is the Chri&s;t, the Saviour of the world; and not the Man that was Crucified, that was &s;een with vi&s;ible or carnal eyes; according to which you may ob&s;erve the words of <HI>Wolrich</HI> (the <HI>Quaker</HI>) in his Book, entituled, <HI>A De|claration to the Bapti&s;ts,</HI> pag. 13. &s;aying, That Chri&s;t was <HI REND="blackletterType">never &s;een with any carnal eye, nor his voice heard with any carnal ear.</HI> And in the Book, entituled, <HI>Sauls Errand to Dama&s;cus,</HI> pag. 14. (the words of <HI>George Fox</HI> the elder, I &s;uppo&s;e) 'tis &s;aid, That the <HI REND="blackletterType">fle&s;h</HI> of Chri&s;t is a <HI REND="blackletterType">figure.</HI> And <HI>Jo&s;eph Fuce</HI> (in his Book entituled, <HI>The fall of a great vi&s;ible Idol,</HI> pag. 14.) &s;aith (by way of reproof to us) the&s;e words, The Bapti&s;ts (&s;aith he) make fle&s;h their Arm, and therefore look with|out to know Chri&s;t after the fle&s;h; although the Apo&s;tle &s;aid, <HI>They were to know him &s;o no more:</HI> (mark) <HI>thus &s;aith the Lord,</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">Cur&s;ed be the man that tru&s;teth in man, and maketh fle&s;h his Arm,</HI> Jerem. 17.5. (as if they were a cur&s;ed people that tru&s;t in the man Chri&s;t.) Where|as (I &s;ay) this is a&s;&s;erted by them, I here offer &s;everal grounds from the Holy Scriptures, whereby to prove, that the Eternal Spirit which dwelt in the Man, whom the Jews Crucified; which Spirit the Apo|&s;tles afterwards received in them, is not the Chri&s;t, the Saviour of the world; but the vi&s;ible man, to whom the Spirit was given, <HI>John</HI> 3.34. The offering it &s;elf, (no figure, but the &s;ub&s;tance of figures) is the Chri&s;t of God.</P>
<PB N="39" REF="21">
<P>Fir&s;t, Becau&s;e that the Eternal Spirit <HI REND="blackletterType">never died,</HI> when nothing is more plain than that Je&s;us Chri&s;t died, as appears by a Cloud of Witne&s;&s;es.</P>
<P>Secondly, Becau&s;e the Apo&s;tles (with one con&s;ent) declare that <HI>the Jews Crucified</HI> (that is fa&s;tned to a cro&s;s) <HI>the Lord Je&s;us, the Lord of Glory,</HI> Act. 2.36. 1 Cor. 2.8. <HI>and killed the Prince of Life,</HI> Act. 3.15. Whom they crucified not, nor killed, if the Eternal Spi|rit that dwelt in the vi&s;ible man, be the Chri&s;t: and &s;o the <HI>Quakers</HI> by this their opinion do as much as in them lyes, declare the Holy Apo&s;tles to bear fal&s;e witne&s;s to the world concerning Chri&s;t: <HI>but let them be true, and every one of the&s;e men lyars,</HI> in the judgements of the Wi&s;e: But to evade this, &s;ometimes they will &s;ay (whereby to deceive) that the Jews did crucifie Chri&s;t, that was, they oppo&s;ed and re&s;i&s;ted the Spirit of Light <HI REND="blackletterType">within them,</HI> which they call Chri&s;t: and withal will &s;ay (whereby to deceive) that the Jews did Crucifie a man without; I &s;ay to deceive, becau&s;e that in their confe&s;&s;ion of this, (which &s;eems &s;ometimes to the Hearers to be &s;ufficient) they intend not the Truth, namely, that that vi&s;ible man whom the Jews crucified without, was the Chri&s;t; as appears by their own words above &s;igned.</P>
<P>Thirdly, Becau&s;e that not onely the Apo&s;tles, but al&s;o Chri&s;t him|&s;elf by his In&s;titution of tho&s;e two Ordinances, Bapti&s;m, and the Lords Supper, hath plainly declared Gods Way, graciou&s;ly provided for mans Redemption and Ju&s;tification contrariwi&s;e, even, by a <HI REND="blackletterType">bro|ken, blood-&s;hedding, dead, buried and ri&s;en Chri&s;t,</HI> as &s;aith the proper &s;ignification of the&s;e Ordinances: neither of which is either proper or true in relation to the Eternal Spirit, who was (all may know) neither dead nor buried, and &s;o not ri&s;en again, nor broken, nor at any time &s;hed blood; all which the&s;e Ordinances te&s;tifie concerning the true Chri&s;t: and &s;o the <HI>Quakers</HI> by this their opinion are found al&s;o &s;uch, who in effect do &s;ay, that the&s;e Ordinances of the Lord (which once they &s;ay were in being) were <HI REND="blackletterType">lying Ordinances,</HI> bearing fal&s;e witne&s;s to the Saints, touching the Lord Je&s;us; but to all &s;uch as fear the Lord, <HI>Let them be true, and every one of the&s;e lyars.</HI></P>
<P>Fourthly, Becau&s;e not onely the Apo&s;tles, Chri&s;t the Son, but al&s;o God the Father him&s;elf, mo&s;t plainly declared from of old by his Commandement, for the killing and &s;laying tho&s;e many Sacrifices, and &s;prinkling the blood thereof, that Je&s;us Chri&s;t &s;hould be &s;lain, and his blood &s;hed, as the glorious &s;ub&s;tance thereof: all which part of the Fathers Law, was, and is of no effect; God thereby bearing fal&s;e witne&s;s to the world; if the Eternal Spirt, which dwelt in the vi&s;ible
<PB N="40" REF="22"> Man, and which the Apo&s;tles afterwards received in them, be the Chri&s;t, which Spirit never was &s;lain, nor never had blood to &s;hed: <HI>but let</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">God be true, and all the&s;e men lyars.</HI></P>
<P>Fifthly, Becau&s;e he mo&s;t plainly is &s;aid to be the Chri&s;t, <HI>Ordained of God to be Judge of quick and dead, to whom</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">all the Prophets gave witne&s;s,</HI> he (I &s;ay) with whom the Apo&s;tles did <HI REND="blackletterType">eat and drink,</HI> and that <HI REND="blackletterType">after his Re&s;urrection from the dead,</HI> Act. 10.38,41,42,43. which mu&s;t needs re&s;pect the vi&s;ible Man.</P>
<P>Sixthly, Becau&s;e the true Chri&s;t blamed his Di&s;ciples when they &s;uppo&s;ed him to be a Spirit, &s;aying to them, <HI REND="blackletterType">Handle me, and &s;ee, for a &s;pirit hath not fle&s;h and bones,</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">as ye &s;ee me have,</HI> Luke 24.37,38,39.</P>
<P>Seventhly, Becau&s;e the true Chri&s;t was &s;een with vi&s;ible and carnal (that is fle&s;hly) eyes; for 'tis written, <HI>the eyes of all them that were in the Synagogue were fa&s;tned on him,</HI> (to wit, Chri&s;t) and &s;ure I am that the <HI>Quaker</HI> cannot imagine (from any &s;how in the Scriptures) that the&s;e had any other eyes, as invi&s;ible and &s;piritual eyes, be|cau&s;e 'tis &s;aid al&s;o, that <HI>all they in the Synagogue were</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">filled with wrath, and thru&s;t him out of the City,</HI> Luke 4.20,28,29.</P>
<P>Eightly, Becau&s;e he is declared in the Holy Scriptures, to be Je|&s;us Chri&s;t, who was <HI REND="blackletterType">Circumci&s;ed;</HI> which were al&s;o a fal&s;e account, if the <HI>Quakers</HI> opinion were true, namely, That the Eternal Spirit in the Man, and not the Man, was the Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>Ninthly, Becau&s;e the Eternal Spirit which dwelt in the Man Chri&s;t, which afterwards the Apo&s;tles received in them, is called <HI REND="blackletterType">another Comforter,</HI> and that by Chri&s;t him&s;elf, which would not come unto the Apo&s;tles, unle&s;s he (the true Chri&s;t) <HI REND="blackletterType">went away,</HI> John 14.16,17. 16.7.</P>
<P>Tenthly, Becau&s;e 'tis &s;aid, <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t lift up his</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">eyes to Heaven, and</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">Prayed to God his Father,</HI> John 17. Both the action and the manner thereof &s;hewing, that the vi&s;ible Man is the Chri&s;t: And be&s;ides, if the <HI>Quaker</HI> &s;hall &s;uppo&s;e that 'twas the Eternal Spirit in the vi&s;ible Man Chri&s;t that prayed, and that the &s;ame Eternal Spirit is one e&s;&s;ence or being with God the Father, and Chri&s;t his Son, without di&s;tinctions; I then would demand of them two things; fir&s;t, Who it was that the Spirit <HI REND="blackletterType">Prayed unto?</HI> And &s;econdly, <HI REND="blackletterType">For what</HI> he prayed, or what he &s;tood in need of?</P>
<P>Elevently, The Eternal Spirit which was given to, and received by the vi&s;ible man, cannot be the Chri&s;t, that is in Engli&s;h <HI REND="blackletterType">Anoin|ted,</HI> becau&s;e he is &s;aid by the Apo&s;tle to be the <HI REND="blackletterType">Anointing with which</HI> the Saviour was anointed: as 'tis written, <HI>how God anointed Je&s;us,</HI>
<PB N="41" REF="22"> (that is, the Saviour) <HI>of Nazareth</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">with the Holy Spirit,</HI> Act. 10.38. If the Eternal Spirit, as Spirit, was anointed, I would know with what, and wherefore?</P>
<P>Twelfthly, Becau&s;e the true Chri&s;t, even <HI>Sions</HI> King, is &s;aid to come <HI REND="blackletterType">&s;itting and riding upon an A&s;s, meek and lowly;</HI> who al&s;o in lowline&s;s <HI REND="blackletterType">wa&s;hed the Di&s;ciples feet:</HI> all which proves that the vi&s;ible man is the true Chri&s;t, <HI>Zecha.</HI> 9.9. Mat. 21.5. John 13.14.</P>
<P>Object. <HI>Henceforth know we no man after the fle&s;h, yea, though we have known Chri&s;t after the fle&s;h, yet now henceforth know we him</HI> (&s;o) <HI>no more.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> What <HI>Paul</HI> intends by the&s;e words I verily believe, but that Chri&s;t is departed from and without that outward body of fle&s;h, which once was vi&s;ible on Earth, and &s;o not to be known after the fle&s;h; that is, not now having that body of fle&s;h, this indeed I believe not.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, Becau&s;e that then, and upon the very &s;ame ground, we are to know henceforth none among&s;t men to be the Children of God, but &s;uch onely as are departed from, and without their outward bo|dies of fle&s;h; and where tho&s;e men are, or what kind of men they are, I verily know not: I thus &s;peak, becau&s;e in like manner as the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, <HI>Henceforth we know Chri&s;t no more after the fle&s;h;</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">&s;o al&s;o</HI> he &s;aith, even, in the &s;ame words, that <HI>henceforth know we</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">no man after the fle&s;h;</HI> if true in one, then in both: but that it is untrue in one, you have hereby a weight of rea&s;on forbidding; that the other is al&s;o untrue, con&s;ider the Scriptures forbidding it: As,</P>
<P>Secondly, Becau&s;e tho&s;e that were of the number of Gods Elect in Ages pa&s;t, <HI>Waited for the Son of God from Heaven, who was</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">rai|&s;ed from the dead,</HI> 1 The&s;. 1.4,10. Now &s;ure I am, that 'twas the vi&s;ible body of fle&s;h which was dead, and &s;o rai&s;ed from the dead, that which was rai&s;ed from the dead, the Saints of God waited for; and therefore they cea&s;ed not to know Chri&s;t as having the body of fle&s;h, which once he had, though both they and we believe that 'tis glorified.</P>
<P>Thirdly, Becau&s;e the &s;ame Apo&s;tle that &s;peaks the&s;e words, is &s;o far from &s;uch an opinion of undervaluing the fle&s;hly body of Chri&s;t, as that he tells the Church, <HI>they were reconciled to God in the</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">body of his fle&s;h through death,</HI> Col. 1.21,22. And &s;urely, neither <HI>Paul</HI> nor the Church was at any time to cea&s;e knowing or honouring, that through which they were reconciled to God, <HI>His fle&s;h is meat indeed, and his blood drink indeed;</HI> and although in one &s;ence it profited nothing; yet &s;uch is it in another &s;ence, as that <HI>who&s;oever eateth and</HI>
<PB N="42" REF="23"> <HI>drinketh the &s;ame</HI> (<HI>that is, believeth in the Lord,</HI> John 6.35.) <HI>&s;hall never hunger nor thir&s;t;</HI> And therefore for the con&s;tant remembrance thereof, we have that Ordinance of Breaking Bread, which &s;urely was never in&s;tituted to hold forth an <HI REND="blackletterType">unprofitable thing.</HI></P>
<P>But true it is, That neither Chri&s;t nor men, are to be known after the fle&s;h; and how once men were known after the fle&s;h, is plain from the &s;ame Apo&s;tles words, as thus, <HI>We are the Circumci&s;ion which wor&s;hip God in Spirit, and have no confidence in the fle&s;h, wherein if any might tru&s;t, I more</HI> (&s;aith <HI>Paul:</HI>) Now what he means by this, is manife&s;t, to wit, <HI>being Circumci&s;ed, of the Stock of I&s;rael, of the Tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews,</HI> &amp;c. Phil. 3.3,4,5. But he well knowing that the Mini&s;tration of the Law (under which per&s;ons were thus known after the fle&s;h) then done away, and a more glorious Mini&s;tration in being, which forbids men to plead, <HI>we have Abraham to our Father,</HI> we are his Children after the fle&s;h, of the Stock of <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> of this or that Tribe; and therefore let us be Baptized and known among you (according as you may read the Phari&s;ees did, <HI>Mat.</HI> 3.7,8,9.) <HI>Paul,</HI> I &s;ay, well knowing this, declared that he had no confidence in the fle&s;h, as in reference to him&s;elf; neither henceforth would he know any other man after the fle&s;h, as once during the time of the Law men were known and ac|counted, even, the Children of Promi&s;e (in re&s;pect of temporal enjoyments) being &s;uch as de&s;cended from that fle&s;hly, birth-privi|ledged Seed of <HI>Abraham:</HI> Therefore (&s;aith he) <HI>If any man be in Chri&s;t, he is a New Creature, the Seed of Abraham, according to the Faith of Abraham, either Jews or Gentiles:</HI> In like manner as there was a time when Chri&s;t was e&s;teemed and known, upon the account, or becau&s;e of his being born of the Tribe of Judah, and of the birth-priviledged Seed of <HI>Abraham;</HI> yet now henceforth (&s;aith the Apo&s;tle) know we him (&s;o) no more; that is, as to e&s;teem him upon that account, or for that rea&s;on <HI REND="blackletterType">meritoriou&s;ly</HI> the Saviour of the world, but rather upon the account of his coming down from Hea|ven, his being the Son of God reconciling the world unto him&s;elf, in the body of his fle&s;h through death.</P>
<P>Object. <HI>The fir&s;t man Adam was made a living Soul, the la&s;t Adam was made a quickning Spirit.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> True it is, that the Apo&s;tle thus &s;peaketh; but con&s;ider how he is, or can be called the <HI REND="blackletterType">la&s;t Adam,</HI> or the <HI REND="blackletterType">&s;econd Man</HI> (as afterwards he is called) if Chri&s;t be &s;o a quickning Spirit, con&s;ide|red as he was before the world was: for if the Spirit (as Spirit) be the la&s;t, or &s;econd <HI>Adam,</HI> then it follows that the fir&s;t man <HI>Adam, who</HI>
<PB N="43" REF="23"> <HI>was of the earth, earthy,</HI> was <HI REND="blackletterType">fir&s;t, and before the Eternal quickning Spirit;</HI> which were very ab&s;urd to think: and therefore Chri&s;t of nece&s;&s;ity mu&s;t be under&s;tood to be the la&s;t <HI>Adam,</HI> upon the account of his being become vi&s;ible man, a condition that he was not alwayes in, but &s;ince the creation and fall of the fir&s;t man <HI>Adam,</HI> and &s;o is truly and very properly the <HI REND="blackletterType">la&s;t or &s;econd man, made a quickning Spi|rit:</HI> yet not &s;o a &s;pirit in the Apo&s;tles &s;ence, but that he is al&s;o <HI REND="blackletterType">&s;piritual</HI> (ver. 46.) and al&s;o the <HI REND="blackletterType">man, by whom came the Re&s;urre|ction from the dead</HI> (ver. 21.) <HI>and al&s;o the Chri&s;t that</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">died, was bu|ried, and ro&s;e again</HI> (ver. 3, 4.) and therefore not &s;o a quickning Spirit, as in the <HI>Quakers</HI> &s;ence: for the Spirit con&s;idered as from Eternity was not man, and &s;o was never dead, and &s;o not buried, and &s;o not rai&s;ed again: all which <HI>Paul</HI> te&s;tifies in that very Chapter concer|ning him, whom he calls a quickning Spirit, (in reference to his now being a <HI REND="blackletterType">&s;piritual glorified man</HI>) which con&s;idered, it remains, <HI>that all the Hou&s;e of I&s;rael know a&s;&s;uredly that God hath made that &s;ame Je&s;us, whom the Jews Crucified, both</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">Lord and Chri&s;t.</HI></P>
<P>Moreover, as the <HI>Quaker</HI> holds, That the Spirit which was in the vi&s;ible man (and not the man) was the Chri&s;t: So al&s;o he holds, and indeed it leads him to hold, that the &s;econd coming of Chri&s;t is in men, and not otherwi&s;e; and therefore <HI>Humphrey Smith</HI> in his Book, entituled, A <HI>true and everla&s;ting Rule,</HI> pag. 19, 20. com|pares &s;uch, who look after the body of Chri&s;t, to tho&s;e young men that &s;ought in vain the body of <HI>Elijah,</HI> and plainly &s;aith, that &s;uch (whom he calls wandring &s;tars) &s;hall <HI REND="blackletterType">never find the body</HI> they look &s;o much after: he al&s;o &s;peaking of Chri&s;t, pag. 30. &s;aith, That he is come, whom we long waited for, and we <HI REND="blackletterType">do not look for any other;</HI> who <HI REND="blackletterType">now</HI> (&s;aith he) appears the <HI REND="blackletterType">&s;econd time</HI> without &s;in, to the &s;a|ving that which was lo&s;t; and &s;o (&s;aith he) we confe&s;s Chri&s;t come in the fle&s;h, and <HI REND="blackletterType">do not look for another,</HI> pag. 32.</P>
<P>Now as their per&s;wa&s;ions concerning Chri&s;t being a Spirit, and not man, leads them to expect the coming of Chri&s;t in them: &s;o con|trariwi&s;e our Faith and full per&s;wa&s;ions, that Chri&s;t is a vi&s;ible glori|fied man, leads us to expect his &s;econd coming as a di&s;tinct appea|rance from, and not in, his People; whereupon I forbear to urge tho&s;e many Scripture-grounds which with all plainne&s;s ane loud|ne&s;s of voice reproves the&s;e mens <HI>&s;welling words of vanity,</HI> and &s;hall onely &s;peak &s;omething touching tho&s;e Scriptures, which &s;peaks of Chri&s;ts being in his People, whereat &s;ome, for want of under&s;tanding, may po&s;&s;ibly &s;tumble.</P>
<P>True it is, That the Apo&s;tle tells the Church of the <HI>Colo&s;&s;ians,</HI>
<PB N="44" REF="24"> <HI>that Cri&s;t was in them, the hope of Glory,</HI> Col. 1.27. Yet not &s;o in them, but that he could al&s;o &s;ay, and that at the &s;ame time, to the &s;ame Church, that <HI REND="blackletterType">when Christ who is our Life</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">&s;hall appear, then ye &s;hall appear with him in Glory,</HI> even, in the po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of that Glory which then they had hopes of, ver. 3, 4. The Apo&s;tle al&s;o declares <HI>Chri&s;t to be in the Corinthians, except they were Reprobates:</HI> Yet not &s;o in them, but that <HI>they were al&s;o</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">waiting for the coming of Chri&s;t,</HI> 1 Cor. 1.7. Yea, at that time when <HI>they were &s;anctified in Chri&s;t,</HI> ver. 2. <HI>and in</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">every thing enriched by him, coming behind</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">in no gift,</HI> ver. 5, 7. <HI>Paul</HI> al&s;o te&s;tifies concerning him&s;elf, <HI>That Chri&s;t lived in him;</HI> yet not &s;o, but that he <HI REND="blackletterType">looked al&s;o for the ap|pearing of Chri&s;t,</HI> Tit. 2.13. Yea, and at that time when <HI>he had fini&s;hed his cour&s;e, and the time of his departure</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">at hand,</HI> he &s;peaks to <HI>Timothy</HI> of a Crown of Righteou&s;ne&s;s, <HI>which the Righteous Judge</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI REND="blackletterType">&s;hall give me at that day, even, at</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">his appearing,</HI> 2 Tim. 4.1,6,7,8. The Apo&s;tle <HI>John</HI> &s;aith, <HI>Chri&s;t is come;</HI> that is, the <HI REND="blackletterType">fir&s;t time;</HI> which <HI>John</HI> might well &s;ay, for he had <HI>&s;een him with his eyes, and handled him with his hands,</HI> 1 John 1.1. But Chri&s;t afterwards a&s;cended, from whom <HI>John</HI> received great things, yea, much of the &s;pecial pre&s;ence of Gods Spirit mightily working with him; yet did he not &s;ay, that Chri&s;t was come the <HI REND="blackletterType">&s;econd time,</HI> for him&s;elf (after tho&s;e many Vi&s;ions and Revelations we read of was di&s;covered to him) readily prayed, <HI>even &s;o,</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">come Lord Ie&s;us,</HI> Rev. 22.20. <HI>Stephen</HI> a man <HI REND="blackletterType">full of the Spirit, yet looking</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">up into Heaven, te&s;tified that he &s;aw</HI> (in Heaven) <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t &s;tanding at the right hand of God;</HI> and the truth of this, he &s;ealed with his blood, <HI>Act.</HI> 7.55,56,58.</P>
<P>Moreover, as <HI>Paul</HI> bears witne&s;s of Chri&s;ts dwelling in the Saints; &s;o al&s;o he declares, that the Saints were in him, <HI>even, as it is meet</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>for me to think this of you all, becau&s;e I have you</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">in my heart,</HI> Phil. 1.7. And el&s;ewhere &s;aith, that <HI>you are</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">in our hearts, to dye and live with you,</HI> 2 Cor. 7.3. Now 'tis out of que&s;tion, that the &s;everal per&s;ons of the Churches were not in the Apo&s;tles heart, but onely they were deep in his affections, and much in the Thoughts and Meditations of his heart, even, <HI>&s;o as to dye and live with them</HI> (he believing them to be the beloved of God) So the Saints, having Chri&s;t deep in their affections, much and often in their Thoughts and Meditations, (believing him to be their mo&s;t precious Redee|mer, <HI>Who is gone into Heaven to prepare a place for them,</HI> John 14.2.) So, I &s;ay, Chri&s;t dwelleth in his People, <HI>or in the hearts of his Peo|ple by Faith:</HI> And this kind of Language is both proper and common
<PB N="45" REF="24"> to this day, for per&s;ons that are deep in each others affections, in their per&s;onal ab&s;ence one from another, to &s;ay that &s;uch are in their hearts, or that &s;uch are often in their mindes, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>Moreover, as 'tis &s;aid, that Chri&s;t is in his Saints, &s;o likewi&s;e 'tis &s;aid, and that more frequently in the Scriptures, That the Saints are <HI REND="blackletterType">in Chri&s;t, and in God;</HI> as thus, <HI>Paul an Apo&s;tle of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, unto the Saints, and faithfull Brethren</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">in Chri&s;t that are at Colo&s;&s;e,</HI> ch. 1. v. 2. <HI>&V;nto the Church of the The&s;&s;alonians, which is</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">in God, the Father, and</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">in the Lord Ie&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> ch. 1.1. <HI>Unto all the Saints</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">in Chri&s;t Ie&s;us which are at Philippi,</HI> ch. 1.1. <HI>Unto the Saints and faithfull</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">in Chri&s;t, which are at Ephe&s;us,</HI> ch. 1.1. Now, that the Saints are <HI REND="blackletterType">in Chri&s;t,</HI> after the manner that the&s;e men plead for Chri&s;ts being <HI REND="blackletterType">in the Saints,</HI> judge ye that fear the Lord and &s;erve him with uprightne&s;s of heart; remembring that he is the true Chri&s;t, who was <HI REND="blackletterType">dead,</HI> but is alive for evermore, a Mediator betwixt God and Men, <HI REND="blackletterType">the man Chri&s;t Ie&s;us.</HI></P>
<P>Moreover, hear what the Lord Chri&s;t &s;aith, as a mo&s;t clear re&s;olve to this ca&s;e, as thus, <HI>John</HI> 17.21,23. <HI>Thou Father art</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">in me, and I</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">in thee, that they al&s;o may be one</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">in us. I</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">in them, and Thou</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">in me, that they may be made perfect in one;</HI> compared with the&s;e his words, <HI>John</HI> 15.10. <HI>If ye keep my Commandements, ye &s;hall abide</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">in my love, as I have kept my Fathers Commandements, and abide</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">in his love.</HI> Mo&s;t clearly &s;hewing, that Chri&s;ts being <HI REND="blackletterType">in the Father,</HI> is meant, <HI REND="blackletterType">in the Fathers love,</HI> as him&s;elf witne&s;&s;eth: and &s;o the Fathers being <HI REND="blackletterType">in the Son,</HI> is meant, <HI REND="blackletterType">in the Sons love:</HI> &s;o likewi&s;e our being in the Eather, and in the Son, is meant, <HI REND="blackletterType">in their love:</HI> So, even &s;o Chri&s;ts dwelling in the Saints, is meant, his dwelling <HI REND="blackletterType">in their love, in their affections</HI> (as hath been &s;aid.) Now, whereas the Son was in the Fathers love, there was given unto the Son, from the Father, the Holy Spitit, (without mea&s;ure) working <HI REND="blackletterType">in him,</HI> whereby he did <HI>the works that no man ever did,</HI> to the glory of the Father: So in like manner the Saints being in Chri&s;t, in his love and affections; there is al&s;o given to the Saints, (through Chri&s;t) the Holy Spirit (in mea&s;ure) working <HI REND="blackletterType">in them,</HI> whereby <HI>the deeds of the body are to be mortified,</HI> Rom. 8.13. and the fruits of Righteou&s;ne&s;s brought forth to the Glory and Prai&s;e of God, by Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</P>
<P><HI>Obj.</HI> From the&s;e words of Chri&s;t, <HI>John</HI> 14.16,17. <HI>I will pray the Father, and he &s;hall give you</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">another Comforter, even the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive, becau&s;e it &s;eeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him, for he dwelleth with you, and &s;hall be in you.</HI> From the&s;e words (I &s;ay) 'tis conceived, and declared by the <HI>Quakers,</HI> that Chri&s;t that was then with the Di&s;ciples, &s;hould afterwards be in them, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<PB N="46" REF="25">
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> He that hath an ear to hear, may ea&s;ily under&s;tand, that he, who is &s;aid to be with the Di&s;ciples, and &s;hould afterwards be in them, was not the Chri&s;t, but <HI REND="blackletterType">another Comforter,</HI> whom the Chri&s;t would pray to the Father for, even, <HI>the Spirit of Truth, whom the world could not receive, becau&s;e they &s;aw him not,</HI> nor knew him to be the Spirit of Truth, from God, (though through him was done &s;uch works as no man ever did,) yea, they were ready to &s;ay, that he had a Devil (in him) but the Di&s;ciples knew him to be the Spirit of Truth, and acknowleged the mighty works to be done through the Spirit of God <HI REND="blackletterType">in him;</HI> therefore &s;aith Chri&s;t, <HI>Ye know him, for he (the Spirit of truth, another Comforter,) dwelleth with you;</HI> (that is&punc; the Spirit, being in Chri&s;t, and &s;o <HI REND="blackletterType">with</HI> the Di&s;ciples, for he was not then given to them, as he was afterwards, <HI>Joh.</HI> 7.37.) <HI>and &s;hall be in you,</HI> that is, the Spirit of Truth, <HI REND="blackletterType">another Comforter;</HI> which, when Chri&s;t was exalted, <HI>having received of the Father the Promi&s;e of the Holy Spirit,</HI> he made good to his Di&s;ciples, by &s;ending his Holy Spirit in them, which before was with them, being in Chri&s;t that was with them.</P>
<P>The&s;e men &s;ay, Chri&s;t is come in them the &s;econd time, and they <HI REND="blackletterType">look not for any other;</HI> and withall have <HI>good words and fair &s;peeches,</HI> crying, Grace, grace, Light, light. But let all a&s;&s;uredly know, that they them&s;elves are not in the True Light, nor Grace of God that brings Salvation, wherein the Saints of old walked; for they thereby were <HI>taught to deny ungodline&s;s and worldly lu&s;ts, and to</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">look for the glorious appearing of Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> Tit. 2.11,12,13. But &s;aith <HI>Humphrey Smith,</HI> Chri&s;t is come, and <HI REND="blackletterType">we look not for any other,</HI> another voice from another Spirit.</P>
<P>Moreover, the <HI>Quaker</HI> utterly denyes (as mo&s;t men I &s;uppo&s;e knows) the Holy Scriptures to be a Rule: whereunto <HI>Humphry Smith,</HI> in his Book intitlued, <HI>A true and everla&s;ting Rule,</HI> pa. 29. in the face of men and Devils affirmeth, That there is <HI REND="blackletterType">no other Rule, Wayes, Means, or Name,</HI> by which man &s;hall ever come to walk with God, but by that which is manife&s;t of God <HI REND="blackletterType">in him,</HI> which (&s;ay they) is &s;ufficient to guide in all the wayes of God without Scripture, or any other outward means.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> The time was, (and that not long &s;ince in our Nation) when it was no le&s;&s;e then ridiculous, and a matter of contempt, for men and women to go to the publick Place of their Wor&s;hip, with the Bible under their Armes, whereby <HI>to &s;earch whether tho&s;e things they heard were &s;o or no:</HI> &s;uch and &s;o great was the Romi&s;h cloud of darkne&s;s then &s;pread over the faces of the multitude, they being informed by their blind Guides, that Ignorance was the Mother of Devotion: But Satans device <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 word"> di&s;covered in this, and the Scriptures very generally &s;earched into,
<PB N="47" REF="25"> he hath now found out another way, whereby to produce a low e&s;teem to the Holy Scriptures, even by his manifold endeavours to per&s;wade people that there is a Light placed in them, which is to be their Rule, and is &s;ufficient without the Scriptures, or any other outward means, to guide them in all the wayes of God; which being believed unavoidably leads people to have a low and &s;lender e&s;teem of the Scriptures; and by this means it is become again a very rare thing to &s;ee (among the&s;e people called <HI>Quakers,</HI> when they are a&s;&s;embled together (the Book of the Holy Scriptures diligently &s;earched, whether tho&s;e things &s;poken be agreeable thereunto, yea or nay: and thus the Mini&s;ters of the&s;e people are hereby put into a capacity greatly to deceive their Hearers while in their preaching up their manifold Errours, they make u&s;e of (with their own) &s;ome Scripture Expre&s;&s;ions al&s;o, &s;eemingly favouring their Opinions, (but not really) as to in&s;tance; Say they in their Doctrine, Ordinances, to wit, Bapti&s;m in water, and the Lords Supper, are now cea&s;ed, for <HI>Chri&s;t hath blotted out the hand-writing of Ordinances that was again&s;t us, and nailed them to his Cro&s;s,</HI> Col. 2.14. which being heard by the People, they remember well that they have read &s;uch kind of words, and for the tryal thereof they (according as they have been taught) begin to look within them, to &s;ee what Te&s;timony is there; now the Devil being a Spirit, and &s;o working within, being al&s;o an Enemy to Chri&s;t and his Ordinances, he, even he bears te&s;timony within them, that what they have heard is true, even that the Ordinances are cea&s;ed, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> whenas tho&s;e that &s;earch the Scriptures according to the commandment of Chri&s;t, quickly &s;ee, that 'tis the Ordinances of the Old Te&s;tament, and not of the New, that Chri&s;t <HI>nailed to his Cro&s;s:</HI> Now if you ob&s;erve the&s;e men, being fir&s;t deceived concerning the Rule, thereby are greatly disinabled to de&s;cern the Evil &s;pirit &s;peaking within them; for by what &s;hould he be tryed, if the Scriptures be not a Rule? and &s;o the&s;e (alas poor creatures!) finding &s;uch and &s;uch per&s;wa&s;ions within them, greatly fear to contradict or gain-&s;ay it; it being no le&s;&s;e to them then to contradict or gain-&s;ay the mind of the Lord Je&s;us, they believing that it is Chri&s;t the Light that &s;peaketh within them; yea although their inward per&s;wa&s;ions never &s;o much contradict the Scriptures, yet they adhere to them, not daring to que&s;tion the Light (as they call it) within them, but pre&s;ently concludes that they have under&s;tood the Scriptures, and &s;o perverts the plain meaning thereof into &s;ome kind of (imagined) My&s;tery, that &s;o they may one way or other cau&s;e the Scriptures without to &s;peak agreeable to that they call Light within them: And that I wrong not the&s;e men hereby, con&s;ider one thing of many that might be in&s;tanced, namely, touching Women, who in all plainne&s;s are forbidden (by the
<PB N="48" REF="26"> Scriptures) to teach in the Church: but &s;ince the Spirit in the&s;e men &s;ayes, that women may teach, they adhere thereunto, and perverts the plain Scripture into a My&s;tery, and &s;o declares, that the woman which is forbidden to teach (1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 2.12,13.) is the wi&s;dom of the fle&s;h either in man or woman, and not the Female kind, as you may read in <HI>Farnworths</HI> Book, intituled, <HI>A Woman forbidden to &s;peak in the Church,</HI> page 3.</P>
<P>But that there is no &s;uch Light in every man, as afore&s;aid, appears in that Chri&s;t gave commandment to his Apo&s;tles, to <HI>go into all the world, and teach all Nations, to ob&s;erve all things what&s;oever he had commanded them,</HI> Marke 16.15. Mat. 28.19,20. And <HI>Paul</HI> witne&s;&s;eth, that he had declared <HI>all the Coun&s;el of God,</HI> Acts. 20.27. whereupon 'tis required, that men <HI>incline their ear, and hear, that their Souls may live,</HI> I&s;ai. 55.3. and <HI>&s;uch as turn away</HI> their eares <HI>from the truth</HI> are re|proved, 2 Tim 4.4. All which were empty and u&s;ele&s;s things, both Chri&s;ts Command, That all things what&s;oever &s;hould be taught the Nations, the Apo&s;tles obedience to that Command in Preaching all things, and al&s;o the Nations lending their ears to hear what is preached to them; if it were true that there were &s;uch a Light in every man of the Nations, as were &s;ufficient to guide in all the wayes of God, and were placed in the Nations for that very purpo&s;e, and that no other Rule, or Means could lead to God, (which <HI>Humphery Smith</HI> affirmeth) 'Tis indeed &s;aid by the Prophet, that Chri&s;t &s;hould be given <HI>a Light to the Gentiles,</HI> from whence the&s;e men plead, That Chri&s;t is a Light in every one of the Gentiles, without any other outward means: But <HI>Paul</HI> and <HI>Barnabas</HI> (well under&s;tanding the Scriptures) pleaded another thing from thence, directly contrary, namely thus, <HI>Lo, we turn to the Gentiles, for &s;o hath the Lord commanded us, &s;aying, I have &s;et thee to be a Light of the Gentiles,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>Acts</HI> 13.46,47. becau&s;e 'twas &s;aid, Chri&s;t was &s;et to be a Light of the Gentiles, therefore they would go and preach to the Gentiles: And what were they to preach to them? not that one thing of turning to (a Light) their Teacher within, but <HI>ALL THINGS WHATSOEVER,</HI> Mat. 28.19,20. <HI>all the Coun&s;el of God,</HI> Act. 20.27. I then (with the Apo&s;tle) conclude thus, <HI>How &s;hall they believe in him, of whom they have not heard? and how &s;hall they hear without a Preacher? and how &s;hall</HI> they <HI>preach except</HI> they <HI>be &s;ent? How beautifull therefore are the feet of them that preach the Go&s;pel! So then, Faith cometh by</HI> hearing, <HI>and hearing by the Word of God,</HI> Rom. 10.</P>
<P>Among many things contradicting this Opinion, That every mans Rule is within him, and that there is no other Rule, Means, or Wayes that leads to God: this is none of the lea&s;t, namely, Becau&s;e when there was asfair occa&s;ions given, (as well can be conceived) for the Doctrine
<PB N="49" REF="26"> of turning to a Light within, to be preached; as fair occa&s;ions I &s;ay, as well can be conceived, through the many enquiries of men, even <HI>what they &s;hould do;</HI> that then 'twas not preached, neither by God, Chri&s;t, Angel, nor men; as to in&s;tance,</P>
<P><HI>In the dayes of the Prophet Zechariah, Sherezer and Regem-melech were &s;ent by the Children of I&s;rael to enquire of the Prie&s;ts and Propets which were in the Hou&s;e of God, whether they &s;hould weep in the fifth Month, &s;eparating them&s;elves as they had done many years before?</HI></P>
<P>Turn to the Light within (&s;aith the <HI>Quaker.</HI>)</P>
<P>But God &s;peaks by the Prophet, &s;aying, <HI>Should you not hear the</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">Words which the Lord hath cryed</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">by the former Prophets, when Jeru&s;alem was inhabited, and in pro&s;perity,</HI> Zech. 7.2,3,7.</P>
<P>Al&s;o <HI>John</HI> the Bapti&s;t, who is declared to be a burning and a &s;hining Light, &s;ent two of his Di&s;ciples unto Je&s;us, &s;aying by them, <HI>Art thou he that &s;hould come, or do we look for another?</HI></P>
<P>Turn to the Light within (&s;aith the <HI>Quaker.</HI>)</P>
<P>But (&s;aith the man Chri&s;t) <HI>Go, and tell</HI> John <HI>what things you have heard and &s;een, how that the blinde &s;ee, the lame walk, the Lepers are clen&s;ed,</HI> &amp;c. &s;uch outward means was returned by Chri&s;t, the true Light, for <HI>Johns</HI> &s;atisfaction, <HI>Luke</HI> 7.19,20,21,22.</P>
<P>In the Dayes of <HI>John</HI> came the people unto him, &s;aying, <HI>What &s;hall we do? al&s;o the Publicans, &s;aying, Ma&s;ter, what &s;hall we do? al&s;o the Souldiers demanded of him, &s;aying, What &s;hall we do?</HI></P>
<P>Turn to the Light within (&s;aith the <HI>Quaker.</HI>)</P>
<P>But &s;aith <HI>John</HI> (having another Spirit) <HI>He that hath two coats let him impart to him that hath none, exact no more then that which is appointed you, do violence to no man, neither accu&s;e fal&s;ly, but be content with your wages,</HI> Luke 3.10,11,12,13,14.</P>
<P>Al&s;o a certain Young man came to Chri&s;t, &s;aying, <HI>What good thing &s;hall I do, that I may have eternal life?</HI></P>
<P>Turn to the Light within (&s;aith the <HI>Quaker.</HI>)</P>
<P>But &s;aith Chri&s;t, <HI>Keep the Commandements, and &s;ell that which thou ha&s;t, and give to the poor,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>Matth.</HI> 19.16,17,21.</P>
<P>Again the Jews demanded of Chri&s;t, &s;aying, <HI>What &s;hall we do, that we might work the works of God?</HI></P>
<P>Turn to the Light within (&s;aith the <HI>Quaker.</HI>)</P>
<P>But &s;aith Chri&s;t, <HI>This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath &s;ent,</HI> that was Chri&s;t him&s;elf that talked with them, and was not <HI REND="blackletterType">in them,</HI> that afterwards dyed for the &s;ins of the World, <HI>John</HI> 6.28,29. <HI>Lord, What wilt thou have me to do,</HI> &s;aith <HI>Saul?</HI></P>
<PB N="50" REF="27">
<P>Turn to the Light within (&s;aith the <HI>Quaker.</HI>)</P>
<P>But &s;aith the Lord Chri&s;t, (and this after his A&s;cen&s;ion) <HI>Ari&s;e, and go into Dama&s;cus, and there it &s;hall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do,</HI> and that not by a Light within him; for when he was come to <HI>Dama&s;cus, Ananias</HI> (a certain Di&s;ciple) told him many things, as you may read; and &s;aid, <HI>Why tarryest thou? Ari&s;e and be baptized, and wa&s;h away thy &s;ins, calling upon the name of the Lord,</HI> Act. 22.10,11,12,13,14,15,16.</P>
<P>Moreover, when Peter had preached many things to the People at <HI>Ieru&s;alem,</HI> 'tis &s;aid, <HI>when they heard</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">this, they were pricked in their hearts, and &s;aid unto Peter, and to the re&s;t of the Apo&s;tles, What &s;hall we do?</HI> and (&s;aith the Jalour) <HI>What mu&s;t I do to be &s;aved?</HI></P>
<P>Turn to the Light within (&s;aith the <HI>Quaker.</HI>)</P>
<P>But &s;aith <HI>Peter, Paul,</HI> and <HI>Silas,</HI> (being led with the Spirit of Light indeed) <HI>Repent, Believe on the Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, and be baptized every one of you in his Name for the Remi&s;&s;ion of Sins; and ye &s;hall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit,</HI> Act. 2.37,38. Act. 16.30,31.</P>
<P>In like manner when the Angel of God appeared in a vi&s;ion unto <HI>Cornelius,</HI> he &s;aid, <HI>What is it Lord?</HI></P>
<P>Turn to the Light within (&s;aith the <HI>Quaker.</HI>)</P>
<P>But &s;aith the Angel of Light, <HI>Send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, who is &s;urnamed Peter, he &s;hall tell thee what thou oughte&s;t to do;</HI> and when <HI>Peter</HI> was come, he preached unto him Chri&s;t, whom the Jews &s;lew, and hanged on a tree, with whom they had eat and drank, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> and at length &s;aid, <HI>Can any man forbid water, that the&s;e &s;hould not be baptized, and he commanded them to be baptized,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>Act.</HI> 10.4,5,6,38,39,41,47,48.</P>
<P>Object. <HI>John</HI> &s;aith, That <HI>the anointing which ye have received, abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Con&s;ider, The Churches unto whom the Apo&s;tles wrote their Epi&s;tles, were gifted with the Holy Spirit, the anointing, as them&s;elves acknowledge in their Writings; yet neverthele&s;s, they &s;aw need for them to write: but it appears that this Church, or Churches, to whom <HI>John</HI> &s;peaks the&s;e words, were &s;o enriched with &s;piritual gifts, &s;o many gifted Brethren among them&s;elves, in whom the anointing &s;o mightily wrought, as that <HI>Iohn</HI> doth as it were &s;ay, that <HI>the&s;e things I have written indeed unto you concerning them that &s;educe you,</HI> but I look upon you &s;o furni&s;hed with the gifts of Wi&s;dom and &s;piritual Under&s;tanding, as that there was no ab&s;olute nece&s;&s;ity for any man, either I <HI>Iohn, Peter,</HI> or <HI>Paul</HI> in remote places,
<PB N="51" REF="27"> to write unto you, whereby to in&s;truct and teach you: Furthermore, the anointing abode indeed in them, <HI>Iohn</HI> &s;aith, but that <HI REND="blackletterType">every</HI> par|ticular per&s;on had the anointing <HI REND="blackletterType">&s;o</HI> in them, as that not any of them needed to be taught, <HI>Iohn</HI> &s;aith not: the anointing Spirit abode in them (in the Body, the Church) &s;o as that there was (it &s;eems) &s;everal able (through the anointing) to teach and in&s;truct the re&s;t, which is the Will and Mind of the Lord, even for &s;piritual men &s;o to do, <HI>Col.</HI> 3.16. 1 <HI>The&s;.</HI> 5.11.</P>
<P>Object. 'Tis &s;aid, That <HI>ye &s;hall not teach every man his Brother, &s;aying, know the Lord, for all &s;hall know me from the lea&s;t to the grea|te&s;t,</HI> Heb. 8.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> 'Tis to be ob&s;erved, that tho&s;e whom the Lord &s;ayes, <HI>&s;hall not teach every man his Neighbour,</HI> are &s;uch onely as have their &s;ins forgiven them, (by Faith in Chri&s;t) and not all men in the world what|&s;oever (which is the fence of the&s;e men) I &s;ay, onely &s;uch, becau&s;e in that very place 'tis &s;aid as from the Lord, even, <HI>that all &s;hall know me from the lea&s;t to the greate&s;t; for I will be merciful to their unrigh|teou&s;ne&s;s, and their &s;ins and iniquities will I remember no more,</HI> Heb. 8.12. And this pardon I am &s;ure (and I think none oppo&s;es) reaches not every particular man in the world: Therefore all tho&s;e that have &s;o repented of their &s;ins, believed and obeyed the Lord Je&s;us, as to know this gracious pardon reaching them, they indeed <HI>need not teach one another, &s;aying, know the Lord,</HI> (as the Children of the old Covenant had need to do, they being Children thereof by generation.) The&s;e, I &s;ay, that are Children of the new Covenant by regeneration, have no need <HI REND="blackletterType">&s;o</HI> to teach one another, &s;aying, know the Lord, as if they knew not the Lord to be their Lord and Sa|viour; for 'tis mo&s;t certain, that he is the Lord and Saviour of all &s;uch who&s;e <HI>&s;ins and iniquities he remembreth no more;</HI> but though the&s;e have no need to &s;ay to one another, know the Lord, upon the account afore&s;aid; yet even the&s;e have need to be builded up in the knowledge of the Lord, and that by outward means; for <HI>Timothy</HI> knew the Lord as his Saviour, and &s;o needed not to be taught to know the Lord, in that &s;ence; yet <HI>Paul</HI> &s;ends Scripture unto him, <HI>That he</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">might know how to behave him&s;elf in the Church of God,</HI> 1 Tim. 3.14,15. And <HI>Peter</HI> &s;aith to them that knew the Lord, 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1.3. <HI>Grow in Grace, and in the knowledge of the Lord,</HI> Chap. 3.18. Therefore you that &s;erve the Lord in &s;implicity of heart, and fear to offend him, receive the Word of Exhortation, even, <HI>That you &s;tand fast, and hold the Traditions which you have been taught, whether</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">by Word or our Epi&s;tle;</HI> (heed it well, 2 The&s;. 2.
<PB N="52" REF="28"> 15.) And as for &s;uch who will not hear <HI REND="blackletterType">Mo&s;es and the Prophets,</HI> you may be &s;ure will not be per&s;waded, <HI>though one ro&s;e from the dead,</HI> Luke 16.31.</P>
<P>But withal, let each Soul take good heed, that while they be care|ful to avoid this extream concerning the Light within, the <HI>Quakers</HI> &s;ence, they do not run out into another extream, al&s;o dangerous, even, little to mind, or wholly to neglect walking up to the Light they have received within their Souls, according to the Scripture &s;ence, or Go&s;pel way of enlightning men; for alas! 'tis not enough for men to know and talk of what is good, what are &s;piritual things; but to do good, and to be &s;piritual: Oh how much more excellent is that! there is the peace known, that others onely hear of, even, the Peace of God <HI>which pa&s;&s;eth under&s;tanding.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Above all things take the &s;hield of Faith, whereby ye &s;hall be able to quench all the fiery darts of Satan, and</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">to open the Windows (in your &s;ervice to God) as afore-time,</HI> Dan. 6.10. <HI>For &s;hould</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">&s;uch a man as I flee? I will not go in,</HI> &s;aith <HI>Nehemiah,</HI> Chap. 6.10,11,13.</P>
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<CLOSER><SIGNED>MATTHEW CAFFYN.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
<TRAILER>THE END.</TRAILER>
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