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<DATE>2012-01-27</DATE>
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<NAME>Jayanthi Reddy</NAME>
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<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>A SYNOPSIS, Or &s;hort view of ESSENTIAL CHRISTIANITY In Part, <HI>In which the fir&s;t Fruits unto God, (or Saints) in the Apo&s;tles dayes lived. According to the Doctrine of Chri&s;t, and his Holy Apo&s;tles, beginning at the very foundation thereof.</HI></P>
<P>With &s;ome <HI>Explications</HI> or <HI>En|largements</HI> thereupon.</P>
<P>Tending to the Edification, Comfort, and refre&s;hing of all &s;orts of People that fear God, and love Righteou&s;ne&s;s, without re&s;pect to any one particular Form; and yet not excluding all Form: And which may tend al&s;o to the encouraging of others that as yet regard not God, to turne to him in Submi&s;&s;ion, and the obe|dience of Faith.</P>
<P>By WILLIAM TOMLINSON.</P>
<P><HI>A lover of all that are of a humble Heart, and that live the life of Righteou&s;ne&s;s, in what&s;oever form they are.</HI></P>
<P><HI>London,</HI> Printed for <HI>B. Harris,</HI> at the Stationers Armes, under the Piazza of the Royal Exchange. 1684.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="preface">
<PB REF="2" MS="y">
<PB REF="2" MS="y">
<HEAD>The Explayning of the Title.</HEAD>
<P><HI>I</HI> Call that <HI>E&s;&s;ential Chri&s;tianity</HI> in which the Heart is truely turned from &s;in to God: In which &s;tate there be various degrees. <HI>Some</HI> are but as <HI>&s;mok|ing Flax,</HI> where no flame of righteou&s;|ne&s;s as yet appears, yet have they a love to Righteou&s;ne&s;s, and to God, the&s;e our Lord will not quench. <HI>Others</HI> are as <HI>brui&s;ed Reeds,</HI> wounded and brui|&s;ed and bowed down under their tran&s;|gre&s;&s;ion, and therefore are poor in Spi|rit, mourning under the body of Sin which they are made &s;en&s;ible of; and hungring and thir&s;ting after Righteou&s;|ne&s;s, which their Hearts long after: the&s;e holding on &s;hall be filled. <HI>Some</HI> are not farr from the Kingdom of God but near it: <HI>Others</HI> are in the King|dom, which con&s;i&s;ts i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> Righteou&s;ne&s;s, and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">r Holy Gho&s;t; who have received the Spirit of Adoption, and are in the Son|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">hip, walking in fellow&s;hip with the Father and the Son: and in all the&s;e <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">tates there be various degrees al&s;o. Now I call that <HI>e&s;&s;ential</HI> in which <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">he&s;e have their life, to di&s;tingui&s;h&punc;
<PB REF="3"> from that which is outward and cir+cum&s;tantial, and may be taken up b<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> tho&s;e that love wickedne&s;s, and hav<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> a Spirit of enmity in them again&s;t tru<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> holines.</P>
<P>For there is no Form of Godline&s;s <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> of Religion, but a wicked man, and lover of unrighteou&s;ne&s;s may take it u<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> and that as well now, as under the m<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">+ni&s;tration of the Law, or as in t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> Apo&s;tles dayes, when &s;ome had a for<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> of Godline&s;s and yet denyed the Pow<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters"> thereof.</P>
<P>But take notice, that I doe not c<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters"> the&s;e things contained in this Book <HI>E<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">+&s;ential</HI> in oppo&s;ition to all things th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> are outward or circum&s;tantial; but di&s;tinction from tho&s;e things that wicked man may take upon him: whi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters"> things neverthele&s;s may in due place<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> ob&s;erved by the truly righteous. The <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> of the Title needs no explication. N<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> what is here offered is but in part: <HI>we know but in part, and Prop<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">+cy but in part;</HI> and he in whom <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> fullne&s;s dwells, gives out of his full<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> as it plea&s;eth him, to whom be <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> Glory of all his gifts.</P>
</DIV1>
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<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="text">
<PB N="5" REF="3" MS="y">
<HEAD>A SYNOPSIS Or &s;hort view of ESSENTIAL CHRISTIANITY, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></HEAD>
<P N="1">1. GOD &s;o loved the World, that he gave his only be|gotten Son, that who&s;oever be|lieveth in him &s;hould not peri&s;h but &s;hould have eternal life. For God &s;ent not his Son into the World to condemn the World: but that the World through him might be &s;aved. <HI>Joh.</HI> 3.16, 17.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>The Son of God, Chri&s;t Je&s;us our Lord, &s;o loved the World al&s;o, that he gave up him&s;elf a Sacrifice for our Sinnes (according to the good will of God) thereby to make attone|ment for us, and to reconcile us to God.</HI> He bare our Sins in his own body on the Tree. 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2.24. <HI>Thus the love of God is manife&s;ted and the love of the Son of God,
<PB REF="4">
<PB REF="5">
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<PB N="5" REF="5" MS="y">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB N="6" REF="6"> Chri&s;t Je&s;us our Lord.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. He who&s;e under&s;tanding an Heart is rightly opened to be+lieve this love of God in Chri&s;t he receives it. He receives th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> joyfull tydings, or Go&s;pel: H<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> receives the Te&s;timony of Chri&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> and &s;ets to his Seal that God <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> true; yea he receives Chri&s;t him+&s;elf, and with him power to b<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">+come a Son of God. <HI>Joh.</HI> 1.1<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> He &s;hall receive remi&s;&s;ion of Si<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> <HI>Act.</HI> 10.43. He &s;hall be made pa<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">+taker of the Holy Spirit. <HI>Ro.</HI> 8.<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> <HI>Gal.</HI> 3.2. And &s;uch a faith as th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> is the right Evangelical faith.</P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>This true Faith in Chri&s;t Je&s;us or Evangelical faith, wherein the things are received, hath al&s;o the Fruits and concomitants atte<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">+ding it.</HI></P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>It brings Peace and con&s;olatio<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> or rejoycing.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>It works by love.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>It purifyes the Heart, turni<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters"> it from unrighteou&s;ne&s;s, and teache<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> to deny ungodline&s;s and Worldly lu&s;ts
<PB N="7" REF="6"> and to live righteou&s;ly and &s;oberly and Godly in this pre&s;ent World.</HI></P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>It excludes boa&s;ting, and exal|tation of our &s;elves.</HI></P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>It drawes the Heart after Chri&s;t, after Sanctification, and after Hea|venly trea&s;ures, and fellow&s;hip with God.</HI></P>
<P N="6">6. <HI>It is accompanyed with an</HI> Un|ction <HI>from the Holy one, which in|lightens the under&s;tanding, and in|clines the Heart to good, and gives a &s;en&s;e or feeling of the will of God, and being kept to, it leadeth into all truth, and is a continual teacher.</HI> And this is the new Covenant, not written in Tables of Stone <HI>(as the fir&s;t was)</HI> but in the Fle&s;hly Tables of the heart; 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 3.3.</P>
<P N="7">7. This true Go&s;pel faith begets Hope: <HI>that is, it rai&s;es the heart in|to an expectation of good things to come, and &s;o bears up the head under all the afflictions and tribulations which it meets with all in this life. For if in this life only we had hope, we were of all men mo&s;t mi&s;erable, And &s;o it
<PB N="8" REF="7"> hath a &s;ecret dependency upon the righ|teous judgment of God at the la&s;t day&punc; when he &s;hall bring everything to light and render to every one according <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> their deeds done in the body.</HI></P>
<P>This &s;hort view of Chri&s;tiani|ty is comprehended un|der the&s;e 4 heads:</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>The Love of God to man.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>The Love of Chri&s;t Je&s;us ou<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> Lord, the Fir&s;t-borne of every Crea|ture; and the expre&s;&s;e image of the in|vi&s;ible God.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>The Go&s;pel Faith, which re+cei es Love of God in Chri&s;t Je&s;u<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> our Lord.</HI></P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>The Fruits of this faith, where+by it is known, and di&s;tingui&s;hed from all fal&s;e faiths.</HI></P>
<P>Of all which a little more at large by way of Explication as they &s;hall be opened to mee.</P>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="9" REF="7">
<HEAD>Explication.</HEAD>
<P N="1">1. <HI>GOD &s;o loved the World that he gave his only be|gotten Son, that who&s;oe|ver believeth in him, &s;hould not pe|ri&s;h, but have everla&s;ting life.</HI> Joh. 3.16. <HI>For God &s;ent him not into the World to condemn the World, but that the World through him might be &s;aved.</HI> ver. 17. Here's the Fountaine, or rather Ocean from whence all good doth come: even from the Love of God, or from God who is love, yea an unfathomable Ocean of love: Therefore the beloved Di&s;ciple who leaned on the bo&s;om of our Lord, de&s;cribes him thus, <HI>God is Love: and he that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him.</HI> 1 <HI>Joh.</HI> 4.16. And this love is an ex|ten&s;ive love, reaching to all: there|fore &s;aith he, <HI>God &s;o loved the World,</HI> he &s;aith not, God &s;o loved this or that Nation, or this or that &s;ort of men, but <HI>God &s;o loved the World,
<PB N="10" REF="8"> that he gave his only begotten Son.</HI> A<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> the Sun in the Firmament &s;hine<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> upon all good and bad, and as th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> raine falls upon all both ju&s;t and un|ju&s;t; &s;o the love of God reaches t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> all in &s;ending his Son. Therefor<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> the Angel that brought the glad ty|dings of the birth of Chri&s;t to th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> Sheepherds, &s;aid to them, <HI>Fea<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> not, for behold I bring you good ty+dings of great joy which &s;hall be to a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> People Luk.</HI> 2.10. And likewi&s;e tha<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> multitude of the Heavenly Ho&s;t which appeared &s;uddenly with th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> Angel prai&s;ed God, &s;aying, <HI>Glor<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> to God in the highe&s;t, and on Ear<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> peace, good will towards men, ver.</HI> 1 <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> towards men, or towards ma<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> kinde in the general, and not onl<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> towards this Sect or that Sect: o<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> this form or that form but toward<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> all men: namely that creatur<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> which was made in his own imag<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> to bear a repre&s;entation of him i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> the Creation. To this creature <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> the love of God thus &s;ignified fo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> his re&s;toration to that purity, Ma+je&s;ty
<PB N="11" REF="8"> and dignity in which he was created, and to an eternal felicity in that &s;tation, with God.</P>
<P>So then, <HI>This is the condemnation, that light is come into the World, and men love darkne&s;s rather then light be|cau&s;e their deeds are evill, Joh.</HI> 3.19. What light is this thats come into the World, that was not in the World before? Verely the light of the love of God; or of Salvation freely by grace, which hath a glo|ry in it, that di&s;covers and de|&s;troyes evill works: and therefore where men love their evil works, they love to cleave to the darkne&s;s in which they may enjoy their evil deeds, and continue therein. This is the condemnation, <HI>not becau&s;e they have done evil, but becau&s;e they chu&s;e to continue therein.</HI> For the love of God hath manife&s;ted it &s;elf unto all in &s;ending his Son as a Sacrifice for all, <HI>a Lamb without blemi&s;h to take away the Sin of the World, Joh.</HI> 1. <HI>ver.</HI> 29.</P>
<P N="2">2. As the Father hath manife&s;ted
<PB N="12" REF="9"> his love to man; &s;o the Son like|wi&s;e, who is the only begotten Son of God, the fir&s;t born of every creature, and the expre&s;&s;e image of the Father, he hath &s;hined forth in the glory of the &s;ame love: <HI>We beheld his glory</HI> (&s;aith the Apo&s;tle, wherein? Even in this that he was) <HI>full of grace, and full of truth.</HI> Grace is free gift, bounty, good will and this is glorious, <HI>this we beheld in the Son of God,</HI> &s;aith the Apo&s;tle <HI>What love like this? Or what favour like this? To lay down ones life for another. This our Lord hath done for us.</HI> 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 2.6. <HI>He gave him&s;elf <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> ran&s;ome for all</HI> (&s;aith the Apo&s;tle and this is to be a Te&s;timony i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> due time for &s;o the words &s;ignify <GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>He offered up him&s;elf a Sacrifice for us according to the will of God, that h<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> might put away our &s;in, by the Sacri+fice of him&s;elf. Heb.</HI> 9.26. and tha<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> was the will of God, <HI>who layed o<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> him the iniquity of us all.</HI> And this h<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> willingly underwent for us: fo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">
<PB N="13" REF="9"> when burnt offerings and Sacrifices of the Law for &s;in could not purge the con&s;cience &s;o as to make the commers thereunto perfect as per|taining to the con&s;cience, (and therefore God took no plea&s;ure in them,) then &s;aid the Son, <HI>Loe I come to doe thy will O God, Heb.</HI> 10. That &s;o a way might be made for reconciling our Hearts to God, by laying a ground for faith in us. <HI>He bare our &s;ins in his own body on the Tree.</HI> 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2.24. Here's the ground for faith; and a foundation layd for mans returning towards the Lord in Love: for we cannot love him till we be made &s;en&s;ible of his love to us, and under&s;tand that he loveth us. And when this under|&s;tanding and beliefe ari&s;es in our Hearts, it drawes our Hearts to him in love again. <HI>We love him be|cau&s;e he fir&s;t loved us,</HI> &s;aith the be|loved Di&s;ciple. 1 <HI>Joh.</HI> 4.19. <HI>He loved us and wa&s;hed us from our &s;ins in his own blood. Rev.</HI> 1.5. His love goes before our wa&s;hing: <HI>He loved
<PB N="14" REF="10"> us and wa&s;hed us. I &s;aid unto the when thou wa&s;t in thy blood live Ezek.</HI> 16.6.</P>
<P>He that hath his Heart opene<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> to believe this Te&s;timony of th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> Love of God in Chri&s;t Je&s;us ou<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> Lord, he &s;hall finde the incomes o<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> the Spirit of Chri&s;t in &s;ome mea+&s;ure; as they did who believe<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> the&s;e joyfull tydings at the foundin<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> forth of our Salvation by the bloo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> of Chri&s;t, in the primitive time&punc; when the Go&s;pel was fir&s;t preached to them.</P>
<P>And this now is faith, even to receive the Te&s;timony of the So<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> of God, concerning the love of God, and to believe in him for Salvation&punc; <HI>Look unto me and be ye &s;aved, all the ends of the Earth. I&s;a.</HI> 45.22. As <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> lifted up the Serpent in the Wilderne&s;s, &s;o the Son of man was lifted up; <HI>that who&s;oever believeth in him &s;hould not peri&s;h, but have ever|la&s;ting life: For God &s;o loved the World, that he gave his only begotten Son, that who&s;oever believeth in him,
<PB N="15" REF="10"> &s;hould not peri&s;h, but have everla&s;ting life, Joh.</HI> 3.14, 15, 16. The words are doubled to confirm the certain|ty thereof. And therefore &s;eeing we have Salvation in him and by him, and by no other, he is cal|led, <HI>The Lord our Righteou&s;ne&s;s, Jer.</HI> 23.6. For <HI>he is made of God unto us, Wi&s;dome, and Righteou&s;ne&s;s, and Sanctification, and redemption, that according as it is written, he that gloryeth, let him glory in the Lord,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 1.30, 31. Let him glory in the Lord, not in his own works, for all glorying therein is ca&s;t out. Therefore &s;hall men &s;ay, <HI>in the Lord have I righteou&s;ne&s;s and &s;trength. I&s;a.</HI> 45.24.</P>
<P>He that believeth this love of God in Chri&s;t, therewith receiveth Chri&s;t, and with him power to be|come a Son of God. <HI>Joh.</HI> 1.12. <HI>As many as received him to them gave he power to become the Sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.</HI> To believe on his name is to receive him, and to receive him is to be|lieve
<PB N="16" REF="11"> on his name: So that by fai<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters"> Chri&s;t is received. <HI>And by faith a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> the Spirit of Chri&s;t is received, Gal.</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> 2, <HI>and</HI> 5. <HI>This only would I learn <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> you: received ye the Spirit, by t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> works of the Law or by the hearing <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> faith,</HI> (that is of Salvation by fait<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> <HI>ver.</HI> 5. <HI>He therefore that ministre<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> to you the Spirit &mdash; doth he it the works of the Law or by the heari<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> of faith?</HI> The Scripture many tim<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> layes that down by way of que&s;tio<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> which is undenyable, as it do<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> here; as much as to &s;ay, <HI>I'ts by fai<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> that the Spirit is received:</HI> for he<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> by the hearing of faith, we mu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> under&s;tand &s;uch a hearing as is a r<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">+ceiving or obeying the Go&s;pel: a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters"> in this the Spirit is received.</P>
<P><HI>And &s;o by faith al&s;o we receive r<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">+mi&s;&s;ion of &s;ins. To him give all the Pr<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">+phets witne&s;&s;e, that through his nam<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> who&s;oever believeth in him &s;hall recei<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters"> remi&s;&s;ion of &s;inns. Act.</HI> 10.43. A<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters"> this was the Doctrine that <HI>Peter</HI> w<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters"> preaching to <HI>Cornelius</HI> and the that were with him when the Ho<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">
<PB N="17" REF="11"> Gho&s;t fell on all them that heard <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">e word. <HI>ver.</HI> 44. Now where <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">hri&s;t and his Spirit</HI> is received, it <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">rnes the Heart from &s;in, and turns <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> to righteou&s;ne&s;s. And this tur|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ing of the minde and Heart from <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">n to righteou&s;ne&s;s is repentance. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> is not a little remor&s;e or &s;orrow <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">or &s;ins pa&s;t only, and yet conti|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">uing therein: but turning from <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">t toward righteou&s;ne&s;s, that's re|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">entance. So all the&s;e things ac|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ompany the mini&s;tery of the Go&s;|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">el, or the true preaching of Chri&s;t, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">nd receiving of him, it opens the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">yes to &s;ee the love of God, and <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">is mercyfull kindne&s;s in Chri&s;t Je|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">us, <HI>and this turns them from dark|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">e&s;s to light, and &s;o from the power of Satan unto God</HI> (this is true repen|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ance) <HI>that &s;o they may receive remi&s;|&s;ion of &s;ins, and inheritance among <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">hem which are &s;anctifyed by faith in Chri&s;t Je&s;us. Act.</HI> 26.18. The Spi|rit of Chri&s;t entring into the Heart by faith, or in believing, turns it or converts it from &s;in to God, by
<PB N="18" REF="12"> renewing of it, and &s;o wa&s;hes <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> from its filthines <HI>by the blood <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> Chri&s;t,</HI> and Sanctifyes it. There+fore &s;aid Chri&s;t, <HI>except I wa&s;h the<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> thou ha&s;t no part in mee.</HI> Here's th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> wa&s;hing and &s;prinkling by th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> blood; here's the being born agai<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> of Water and of the Spirit witho<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters"> which one cannot enter into th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> Kingdome of God: here's the wor<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> of regeneration, without whic<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> one cannot &s;ee the Kingdom <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> God. <HI>Joh.</HI> 3. <HI>So now all things a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters"> become new and the Stream turne<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"></HI> The <HI>Stream</HI> of that mans Heart <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> which was downward towards th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> Earth, and towards evil, is no<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> turned upwards towards God, an<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> towards things that are good: Long+ing after a participation of Go<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> Heavenly nature, and Holyne&s;s&punc; which it hath received a ta&s;te <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> and as a new born Babe he now de+&s;ires and longs after the &s;ince<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> Milk of the word, that he ma<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> grow thereby, and feel more an<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> more fellow&s;hip with the Heaven<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">
<PB N="19" REF="12"> nature. Flouri&s;hes of wit, and elo|quence which plea&s;e the itching Ear, will not &s;atisfy this hungring Babe, but the &s;incere uncorrupted Milk of the word, which adds &s;trength and growth. Thus I &s;ay God lets in &s;omething of him&s;elf and Heavenly nature by faith into the Hearts of the Sons of men, that they ta&s;ting of that Heavenly na|ture may pre&s;&s;e after a further en|joyment thereof, and to be more and more filled therewith.</P>
<P>And thus faith is an inward work wrought by the power of God ope|ning the Heart to receive the love of God, whereby a new work is wrought in the Heart, renewing it, or regenerating it again to God, and forming a new Creation in the Heart, which makes a man a new Creature. And there is a going on in this work from faith to faith, and &s;o a following on in the rege|neration. And this is the great available thing with the Lord, as the Apo&s;tle te&s;tifyed &s;aying, <HI>neither
<PB N="20" REF="13"> circumci&s;ion availeth any thing wit<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> the Lord, nor uncircumci&s;ion but <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> new creature, or new creation, Gal<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"></HI> 6.15. which he otherwi&s;e expre&s;+&s;es thus, <HI>chap.</HI> 5.6. <HI>Neither circum+ci&s;ion availeth any thing with th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> Lord nor uncircumci&s;ion, but fait<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> which worketh by love.</HI> No outwar<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> thing, no outward profe&s;&s;ion, i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> the available thing, but faith whic<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> worketh by love, and which re+newes the creature, or makes <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> man a new creature. This is tha<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> which the Lord accepts: becau&s;e now a man begins to live to God&punc; and to be a Ve&s;&s;el &s;anctifyed for th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> Ma&s;ters u&s;e. This work rai&s;es him up, and &s;ets him upon his feet, a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> a man rai&s;ed up from the dead&punc; and now it is the delight of thi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> new man to doe the will of God&punc; and to be found in his work. An<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> now he begins to warr and &s;igh<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> the good fight of faith, &s;triving again&s;t &s;in, that he may keep hi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> con&s;cience pure and clear befor<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> the Lord. For the my&s;tery of fait<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">
<PB N="21" REF="13"> is thereby pre&s;erved. <HI>The my&s;tery of faith is held in a pure con&s;cience,</HI> 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 3.9. Faithfulne&s;s to God pre|&s;erves and nouri&s;hes faith. That is, Faithfulne&s;s to what the con&s;cience knows to be the will of God, this pre&s;erves peace and faith in God. But in ca&s;e of being overcome by the Enemy, the Lord calls for re|pentance; that is, turning from the evil with all our Hearts, and turning again to him, and looking to his mercy and forgivene&s;s, with a &s;tedfa&s;t purpo&s;e to cleave to him in fear and trembling, con&s;idering our own weakne&s;s; and &s;o waiting upon him for help to overcome: and in his due time he purges the con&s;cience again from the evil, and purifies it by the blood of &s;prin|kling, even by the blood of Chri&s;t: and thus our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t wa&s;hes us in his <HI>own blood by the Spi|rit,</HI> renewing his love in the Heart, and remitting the tran&s;gre&s;&s;ion. And &s;o faith is re&s;tored in a true Heart; though it hath been over|taked
<PB N="22" REF="14"> by the &s;ubtilty of the Ene|my. For indeed <HI>the failings of the true Seed, or truely converted,</HI> are not from a life had in the evil, bu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> rather from being &s;urpri&s;ed, and overtaken: therefore it cau&s;es grie<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> and angui&s;h, and a crying unto the Lord for deliverance. Whereas he that hath a life in the Evil, he re&s;ts in it. While the &s;trong man keeps the Hou&s;e all things are at quiet: But when a &s;tronger then he is come, he di&s;turbes that quietne&s;s in the evil; ther's no re&s;t there&punc; For what fellow&s;hip can the true &s;eed have with fal&s;ehood? What Communion can Chri&s;t the true Spirit have with the works of the evil Spirit in us? Therefore he ca&s;ts out the deceiver and his works. Therefore that Faith that is under the ble&s;&s;ing mu&s;t needs warr again&s;t the deceiver to ca&s;t him out: other|wi&s;e it is not right. For Faith in Truth begets an hone&s;t and true Heart, which works again&s;t deceit and the deceiver. True Faith fir&s;t
<PB N="23" REF="14"> begets an hone&s;t and true Heart, and then is therein retained, as in a fit Ve&s;&s;el. And the departing from Truth and hone&s;ty and uprightne&s;s makes Shipwrack of Faith.</P>
<P>To open this my&s;tery of Faith more plainly, whereby the Truth thereof may be known, and it may be di&s;cerned in &s;ome mea&s;ure from all fal&s;e appearances thereof, I &s;hall come to &s;ome particulars, that we may know it by the Fruits of it, as Chri&s;t our Lord hath taught us to know Prophets, of what &s;ort they are. <HI>Yee &s;hall know them by their Fruits.</HI></P>
<P>Fir&s;t, <HI>This Faith purifyes the Heart, Act.</HI> 15.9. That &s;o that which flowes out of the Heart may be pure. Out of the Heart un&s;ancti|fyed proceeds evil thoughts, Mur|thers, Adulteries, Thefts, Bla&s;|phemies (or &s;peaking evil of Holy|ne&s;s, and of Holy men, as well as of God) envy, malice, revenge, pride, &s;cornfulne&s;s, ambition, coveteou&s;ne&s;s and &s;uch like, which
<PB N="24" REF="15"> keep a man from entring into the Kingdom of God. For &s;uch &s;hall not inherit the Kingdom of God, Its the Apo&s;tles Te&s;timony 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 6.9. <HI>Eph.</HI> 5.5, 6. Therefore <HI>faith is like a Refiners fire to the&s;e things to con&s;ume and burn them up, and to purifie the Heart from &s;uch filth. Purifying their Hearts by faith,</HI> &s;aith the Scripture. And this thing the Servants of the Lord witne&s;&s;ed as to their own condition, as well as others. <HI>We our &s;elves</HI> (&s;aith the Apo&s;tle <HI>Tit.</HI> 3.3, 4, 5.) <HI>were &s;ometimes fooli&s;h, di&s;obedient, deceived, &s;erving divers lu&s;ts and plea&s;ures, living in malice and envy, hatefull, and hating one another.</HI> This was their &s;tate before the kindne&s;s and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared to them: but after that appeared to them (which is the very ground of Faith) then came the wa&s;hing from the&s;e things, and Salvation. <HI>But after that the kindne&s;s and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, not by works of right|ou&s;ne&s;s which we have done, but ac|cording to his mercy he &s;aved us, by
<PB N="25" REF="15"> the wa&s;hing of regeneration, and re|newing of the Holy Gho&s;t</HI> (or Holy Spirit) <HI>which he &s;hed on us abundant|ly through Je&s;us Chri&s;t our Saviour.</HI> Here <HI>Faith</HI> is plainly implyed in this work: For the kindne&s;s and love of God appearing is received: (and thats Faith) and in this recei|ving of the love and kindne&s;s of God comes the wa&s;hing of regene|ration (<HI>without which wa&s;hing we have no part in Chri&s;t, Joh.</HI> 13.8.) And &s;o here comes the <HI>renewing of our Hearts by the Holy Spirit,</HI> which the Apo&s;tle calls, <HI>the renewing of the Holy Gho&s;t, or Holy Spirit.</HI> That is, the renewing of our Hearts by him, who is let in by Faith, for its we <HI>that want renewing; not the Holy Spirit.</HI> So here the new Crea|ture is begot by the Spirit, which is created <HI>in Chri&s;t Je&s;us unto good works.</HI> Mark! In Chri&s;t Je&s;us, that is in the mini&s;tration of the Go&s;pel, or of the kindne&s;s and love of God: whereof Chri&s;t Je&s;us is the Mini&s;ter, not in <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> or in the mini&s;tery of
<PB N="26" REF="16"> the <HI>Law which con&s;i&s;ts in works:</HI> But in Chri&s;t Je&s;us, who&s;e mini&s;tery is in Faith, in this is the Creation unto good works, that we &s;hould live in them, and no longer to &s;erve the evil and impure lu&s;ts of the Fle&s;h. <HI>For if we live after the Fle&s;h we &s;hall dye, but if we through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body we &s;hall live. Rom.</HI> 8.13.</P>
<P>Now the Heart thus wa&s;hed and renewed, that which proceeds out of the Heart &s;avours of cleannes, and purity. Out of the aboundance of the Heart, the mouth &s;peaks&punc; and &s;o better language is hereby learn't. <HI>Corrupt language</HI> comes un|der judgment, being felt inwardly to be contrary, or a burthen to th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> Spirit of life now in mea&s;ure recei|ved. And thus the Lord fulfills hi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> promi&s;e to his People, <HI>in turning to them a pure language.</HI> The lea<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters"> grain of Faith, though it be but a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> a grain of Mu&s;tard&s;eed inclines th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> Heart thus after righteou&s;ne&s;s, an<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> Holyne&s;s. And if through tempta|tion
<PB N="27" REF="16"> the Heart be &s;ometimes over|taken with evil, yet it hath not re&s;t there, but it turnes again in pur|&s;uite of righteou&s;ne&s;s, until it get Victory over the World and the lu&s;ts thereof: and in Faith is the victory. 1 <HI>Joh.</HI> 5.4. <HI>And here's the Heart that hungers and thir&s;ts after righteou&s;ne&s;s which it hath received a ta&s;te of, by the Holy Spirit &s;hed abroad upon it.</HI> And this is one in&s;eparable Fruit of true Faith, thus to work again&s;t &s;in, and to thir&s;t after right|ou&s;ne&s;s, from the &s;eed of Sanctifi|cation &s;own in the Heart, which &s;prings up to eternal life.</P>
<P><HI>Second<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">y,</HI> Another in&s;eparable Fruit of true Faith is Love. <HI>Gal.</HI> 5.6. <HI>For in Chri&s;t Je&s;us neither cir|cumci&s;ion availeth any thing, nor un|circumci&s;ion, but Faith which worketh by love.</HI> Neither circumci&s;ion nor uncircumci&s;ion: no outward badge or character is now available with God, but Faith which worketh by love. No outward di&s;tinction, nor every Faith neither is available with
<PB N="28" REF="17"> God, but that Faith which works by love. Such a Faith as is of the true &s;tamp, which hath the nature of Chri&s;t Je&s;us in it, which is love. This is that Faith which plea&s;es the Lord. And this therefore di&s;covers all killing and de&s;troying Faiths, all per&s;ecuting and hurtfull Faiths, to be ungrounded and fal&s;e Faiths They are not right: they bear not a re&s;emblance with the Faith of the Apo&s;tles and ancient believers. But &s;uch a Faith is a Heterodox Anti-chri&s;tian Faith. Its not of a right birth: but &s;purious, begot by <HI>th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> Law of works,</HI> or from the evil one and not from the kindne&s;s and love of God in Chri&s;t Je&s;us. Its a <HI>kin</HI> to the faith of <HI>Devils:</HI> The Devils believe and tremble, but remain Murderers: So the&s;e that believe and remain Mutherers and per&s;ecu|ters, &s;tand as yet ingrafted into the murthering and per&s;ecuting Spirit. The works of their Fathe<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> they doe who was a Murderer from the beginning. But he that come
<PB N="29" REF="17"> to the true Faith, he works accor|ding to the nature of that Spirit that begets his Faith, and that is to &s;ave life, to doe good and not to de&s;troy, The de&s;troying Faith is of <HI>Apollyon</HI> (that is a de&s;troyer) but the &s;aving Faith is of him that came to &s;ave mens lives, and not to de&s;troy. That Faith that &s;aves us, teaches us to &s;ave or pre&s;erve others, not to &s;eek their de&s;tru|ction. It matters not <HI>how zealous men be</HI> for their Faith, if it carry the de&s;troying nature in it, its not right in the &s;ight of God: it &s;prings but from works at be&s;t, not from grace, nor is it according to know|ledge. The per&s;ecuting Jews had a Zeal of God but not according to knowledge; and &s;o may fal&s;e Faiths have: and hereby they are di&s;co|vered to the true &s;eed, that they are not according to true know|ledge. This is the &s;econd Character of true Faith, it works by love.</P>
<P><HI>Thirdly,</HI> It brings peace and con&s;olation. <HI>Rom.</HI> 5.1. <HI>Therefore
<PB N="30" REF="18"> being ju&s;tifyed by Faith we have peace with God through our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t:</HI> Therefore &s;aith the Apo|&s;tle, <HI>the God of hope, fill you with all joy and peace in believing. Rom.</HI> 15.13. It mu&s;t needs follow that he that &s;en&s;ibly believes this love of God in Chri&s;t Je&s;us to all men, and to him in particular: It mu&s;t needs be I &s;ay that peace will &s;pring up in his Heart thereby. And &s;o here's the entrance into the Kingdom of God by Faith. The Kingdom of God is within; and it con&s;i&s;ts in righteou&s;|ne&s;s and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. And into this Kingdom or Heavenly <HI>Canaan</HI> we enter by Faith. While unbelief and fears lye upon us and &s;hut up our Spirits, we are &s;hort yet of our po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of the Kingdom. There are &s;ome to whom the Kingdom of Heaven belongs, who are not fully entred into the po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of it, as an inheritance may belong to an Heir, before the time come that he po&s;&s;e&s;&s;eth it: &s;uch are the <HI>poor in Spirit,</HI> who go
<PB N="31" REF="18"> mourning under the &s;en&s;e of the bo|dy of &s;in <HI>not yet &s;haken off,</HI> and who go hungring and thir&s;ting after righteou&s;ne&s;s, which they have not yet attained unto as their Souls de&s;ire. Such I &s;ay, are under a ble&s;|&s;ing, and have right to the King|dom of God, though as yet they go mourning. For Chri&s;t Je&s;us our Lord applyes the right of the King|dom to them. <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed are the poor in Spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.</HI> And <HI>ble&s;&s;ed are they that mourn, for they &s;hall be comforted, Matt.</HI> 5.3, 4. Their mourning is while they are in travel: but when they have brought forth then there is rejoycing, when Faith hath over|come, then joy and gladne&s;s. And this is in &s;ome &s;ooner, in &s;ome la|ter. In the primitive times of the Apo&s;tles, when the my&s;tery of the Go&s;pel or glad tydings was holden forth with open face, as I may &s;ay, and without a vail or my&s;t, many that received tho&s;e tydings by Faith were immediatly filled with peace
<PB N="32" REF="19"> and con&s;olation. How quickly was the <HI>Jaylor</HI> that came in trembling and fell down before <HI>Paul</HI> and <HI>Silas,</HI> crying out, <HI>Syr's what mu&s;t I doe to be &s;aved?</HI> How quickly I &s;ay was he rai&s;ed up into peace and con&s;ola|tion, after he had heard the joyfull tydings of Salvation by Chri&s;t Je&s;us plainly preached to him in few words, and by Faith received it? <HI>Act.</HI> 16.31, 32, 33, 34. <HI>And they &s;aid, Believe on the Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, and thou &s;halt be &s;aved, and thy Hou&s;e. And they &s;pake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his Hou&s;e. And he took them the &s;ame hour of the night</HI> (it was not a work of many hours but the &s;ame hour) <HI>and wa&s;hed their &s;tripes and was Baptized, he and all his &s;traight way. And when he had brought them into his Hou&s;e, he &s;et meat before them, and rejoyced, believing in God with all his Hou&s;e.</HI> See how love and joy accompanied his Faith, believing in God he re|joyced. Therefore the Go&s;pel is called, <HI>glad tyding of great joy.</HI> For
<PB N="33" REF="19"> who can believe that his &s;ins are done away in Chri&s;t Je&s;us, and that freely by grace, (or in love,) the Lord accepteth him in Chri&s;t Je&s;us, and not therein rejoyce. <HI>The Preach|ing of the Go&s;pel, is preaching peace by Je&s;us Chri&s;t, Act.</HI> 10.26. <HI>Eph.</HI> 2.17. And therefore its call'd, <HI>the Go&s;pel of Peace. How beautifull are the feet of them that preach the Go&s;pel of peace, and bring glad tydings of good things,</HI> Rom. 10.15. <HI>The</HI> Eunuch <HI>to whom</HI> Philip <HI>preached Chri&s;t, and opened to him the way of Salvation by Chri&s;t, and he by Faith had received this love of God in Chri&s;t, the &s;ame day he was filled with joy, and after</HI> Philip <HI>was caught away from him, he went on his way rejoycing. Act.</HI> 8.39. So at <HI>Sa|mari<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">, Philip</HI> having preached Chri&s;t unto them and working Mi|racles in his name, <HI>there was great joy in that City. Act.</HI> 8.8. So like|wi&s;e that great multitude that was converted at <HI>Peters</HI> preaching the Go&s;pel to them, <HI>Act.</HI> 2. be&s;ides tho&s;e eminent Fruits of love which
<PB N="34" REF="20"> &s;prang up in them in an extraordi|nary manner, they al&s;o were filled with great joy and con&s;olation, which made them to eat their meat with gladne&s;s and &s;inglenes of prai&s;ing God.</P>
<P>This true Faith in Chri&s;t Je&s;us brings peace and con&s;olation upon two principal accounts. Fir&s;t, be|cau&s;e it receives the glad tydings of remi&s;&s;ion or forgivene&s;s of &s;ins by Je&s;us Chri&s;t. The guilt of &s;in, or <HI>con&s;cience of &s;in</HI> binds a man under the fear of condemnation, and cau|&s;es him to cry out in the bitterne&s;s of his Soul, <HI>what &s;hall I doe?</HI> As it did the&s;e here in the 2d of the Acts when they were &s;truck with a &s;en&s;e of their &s;in, they cryed out, <HI>Men and Brethren what &s;hall we doe?</HI> And &s;o the <HI>Jaylor, what &s;hall I doe to be &s;aved?</HI> And this &s;tate the Apo&s;tle <HI>Paul</HI> per&s;onates, <HI>Rom.</HI> 7.24. <HI>O wretched Man that I am, who &s;hall deliver me from the body of this death?</HI> Now what can be more joyfull at &s;uch a time, and to &s;uch a condi|tion,
<PB N="35" REF="20"> then to be &s;atisfyed that their &s;ins are forgiven them, and that Chri&s;t Je&s;us the Lamb of God, that taketh away the Sin of the World, <HI>hath borne their &s;in in his own body on the Tree:</HI> And &s;o to have their con|&s;cience &s;prinkled by his blood from an evil con&s;cience, and to be made clean by that blood of &s;prinkling. Here's cau&s;e indeed of rejoycing by Faith in him. For now the chaine of darkne&s;s is unloo&s;ed, and the li|berty of the Sons of God begins to appear, and he is tran&s;lated out of darkne&s;s into marvellous light. <HI>Even the light of life.</HI> 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2.9. And then &s;econdly in this faith there is al&s;o a mea&s;ure of the Spirit received, which is the comforter, and brings his Te&s;timony with him, which is beyond all words for giving con&s;o|lation and peace. The Spirit wit|ne&s;&s;ing with our Spirits, that we are accepted into Son&s;hip with God. And therefore the joy received in believing is called, <HI>the joy of the Holy Gho&s;t, or Holy Spirit.</HI> 1 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI>
<PB N="36" REF="21"> 1.6. <HI>And ye became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, and joy of the Holy Gho&s;t.</HI> That is, joy which the Holy Gho&s;t or Holy Spirit mini|&s;tred in their receiving the word. There's joy in Heaven over one &s;in|ner that truely repents, and he al&s;o is made partaker of that joy. Thus the Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace to that man that receives the Te&s;timony of the love of God in Chri&s;t Je&s;us: and al&s;o it begets the &s;ame in that man towards others. It begets love in him towards others, and joy in their returning to God, and makes him a man of Peace in the World.</P>
<P>Obj. <HI>It may be &s;ome may &s;ay how can this be, &s;eeing Chri&s;t &s;aid,</HI> I came not to &s;end peace on Earth, but a Sword: <HI>And to &s;et one man at va|riance again&s;t another?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> That is occa&s;ionally, be|cau&s;e the Earthly Spirit, will be oppo&s;ing and per&s;ecuting the right|ous &s;eed: although the righteous
<PB N="37" REF="21"> &s;eed be a &s;eed of peace and quiet|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">e&s;s in it &s;elf, and to others.</P>
<P>Obj. <HI>Again &s;ome may &s;ay, Chri&s;t <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ells of mourning,</HI> ye &s;hall mourn, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">nd the World &s;hall rejoyce, &amp;c. <HI>How then doth this &s;tand with that <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">y, which thou &s;peaks of?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> A Woman while &s;he is in <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ravel hath &s;orrow but when &s;he hath brought forth &s;he rejoyceth for joy that a man Childe is brought forth into the World: &s;o it is here. And then again &s;aith Chri&s;t Je&s;us, <HI>In the World ye &s;hall have tribulation, but in me ye &s;hall have peace, Joh.</HI> 16.33.</P>
<P><HI>Forthly,</HI> I come now to another Fruit or concomitant of this Faith, and that is this, <HI>it excludes boa&s;t|ing: It cuts down vainglory. Where is boa&s;ting then? It is excluded: By what Law? Of Works? Nay; but by the Law of Faith. Rom.</HI> 3.27. For what hath that man to glory in, in re&s;pect of him&s;elf, that &s;ees him|&s;elf wholy a receiver at the hands of the Lord? When he rightly &s;ees
<PB N="38" REF="22"> him&s;elf ju&s;tifyed freely by grace&punc; and the &s;uperaboundant mercy o<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> God; who hath revealed him&s;elf to him in Chri&s;t Je&s;us: (That is, hath revealed his love to him in Chri&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> Je&s;us; for God is love.) And hath let him &s;ee, that he is accepted freely in Chri&s;t Je&s;us. He that hath the right &s;ence of this upon his Spi|rit, it draws his Heart into the ad|miration of the infinite love and mercy of God, in deep humility&punc; And the more fully this is revealed to him or in him, the greater is his admiration &s;till of the glory of God in this his mercy, and the deeper is his humility, and lowlines of minde Minde but the writings of the Holy Apo&s;tles of Chri&s;t Je&s;us, and you will finde it &s;o, that &s;till they are harping upon this &s;tring, &s;ounding forth the mercies of the Lord in Chri&s;t Je&s;us, and his love in revealing his Son to them. Yea ob&s;erve but that high &s;tate of the Elders, &s;poken of in the Book of the Revelations, who were &s;et
<PB N="39" REF="22"> upon &s;eats round about the Throne, and cloathed in white Raiment, and Crowned. The &s;ub&s;tance of their &s;ong was this; <HI>Thou art worthy to take the Book, and to open the Seals thereof.</HI> (Now mark why;) <HI>For thou was &s;lain and ha&s;t redeemed us to God, by thy Blood, out of every kin|red, and Tongue, and People and Nation.</HI> (Mark!) Not a word of their own righteou&s;ne&s;s, not a word of their works, how good &s;o|ever they were, which doubtles were excellent, but yet not a word there|of, the riches of the mercy of God in Chri&s;t Je&s;us puts all that out of &s;ight, and layes them low at his Foot&s;tool, for they are &s;aid to fall down before the Lamb, and &s;ing this Song. <HI>Now what are the&s;e El|ders, but repre&s;entatives of all the Elect &s;eed of God from all parts of the Earth?</HI> Seeing it is contained in their Song, that they were redee|med by his Blood <HI>out of every kinred, and Tongue, and People, and Nation.</HI> Now there be many more <HI>kinreds,
<PB N="40" REF="23"> and Tongues and Nations</HI> then four and twenty: but all repre&s;ented by the&s;e four and twenty.</P>
<P>Well then you &s;ee their faith in Chri&s;t is not like the Faith of the <HI>Phari&s;ees,</HI> in which they &s;tand ju&s;ti|fying them&s;elves in their own works, and exalting, them&s;elves thereby over poor Publicans. But all their admiration and glorying is in the mercy of God. And &s;o we finde the Apo&s;tles &s;ounding forth the &s;ame things in their Epi&s;tles. <HI>Eph.</HI> 2.4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. <HI>But God who is rich in mercy, for his great love where|with he loved us; even when we were dead in &s;ins, hath quickned us together with Chri&s;t (by grace ye are &s;aved.) And hath rai&s;ed us up together, and made us &s;it together in Heavenly places in Chri&s;t Je&s;us: that in ages to come he might &s;hew the exceeding riches of his grace, in his kindne&s;s towards us, through Chri&s;t Je&s;us. For by grace ye are &s;aved, through Faith, and that not of your &s;elves it is the gift of God: Not of works, le&s;t any man &s;hould
<PB N="41" REF="23"> boa&s;t.</HI> Thus all boa&s;ting is excluded by true Faith. And as I have &s;hewed before, the right Faith works by love: and that love is not of an exalting nature. But as the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, <HI>it vaunteth not it &s;elf, is not puffed up.</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 13.4. Thus the true and right Faith &s;huts out boa&s;t|ing, and cuts down vainglory, and makes humble. Therefore &s;aith our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, <HI>Verely I &s;ay unto you, except ye be converted, and be|come as little Children, ye &s;hall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Who&s;oever therefore &s;hall humble him|&s;elf as this little Childe, the &s;ame is greate&s;t in the Kingdom of Heaven. Matth.</HI> 18.3, 4.</P>
<P><HI>Fifthly,</HI> To proceed, this true Faith is accompanyed with an <HI>&V;n|ction,</HI> or an <HI>Anointing from the holy one. John</HI> writing to tho&s;e he calls little Children, who&s;e &s;ins are for|given for his names &s;ake, &s;aith thus, <HI>But ye have an &V;nction from the holy one, and ye know all things.</HI> 1 <HI>Joh.</HI> 2.20. All things, that is, that
<PB N="42" REF="24"> appertained to life and godline&s;s. Why? For this Unction or Anoin|ting taught them all things that ap|pertained thereto, that &s;o walking according to the teaching thereof, they might abide in Chri&s;t. Now this Unction is the Spirit, which gives a &s;en&s;e and feeling of the will of God what he would have us to doe, and what he would have us to forbear&punc; And we need not that any ma<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> &s;hould teach us beyond the teaching<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> of that, to amu&s;e us with high no+tions and my&s;teries which the Un+ction gives us no openings of. An<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> &s;o keeping to that, keept us wi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> to &s;obriety; minding to doe th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> will of God which the Unction in+clines our Hearts to, rather the<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> to fill the brain with knowledge <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> things which add not to our com+fort, and profiting and grouth i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> Chri&s;t. Now that this Unction <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> the Spirit appears by compearin<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> this Scripture with another. Tha<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> is, compare this 1 <HI>Joh.</HI> 2.20, 2<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> with <HI>Ioh.</HI> 14.16, 17. Where it <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word">
<PB N="43" REF="24"> expre&s;&s;ed by the name of the Spirit. <HI>I will pray the Father, and he &s;hall give you another comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 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> This is that abideing Un|ction which abides with the Faith|full for ever. The Unction is a con|&s;tant abiding thing, and &s;o is the Spirit, abiding for ever. Thus the Lord fulfills his promi&s;e of old, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 44.3. and <HI>chap.</HI> 59.21. <HI>I will pour Water upon him that is thir&s;ty: and floods upon the dry ground.</HI> (Thir|&s;ty and dry, the&s;e are &s;uch as hun|ger and thir&s;t, and fit to receive the Heavenly rain) but he expre&s;&s;es <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">t more plainly in the following words; thus, <HI>I will pour my Spirit upon thy &s;eed, and my ble&s;&s;ing upon <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">hine Off-&s;pring.</HI> Then in <HI>ch.</HI> 59.21. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">he promi&s;es the con&s;tancy of this Spirit with the &s;eed of Chri&s;t; in <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">he&s;e words. <HI>As for me this is my
<PB N="44" REF="25"> Covenant with them, &s;aith the Lord. My Spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy Mouth, &s;hall not depart out of thy Mouth, nor out of the Mouth of thy Seed, nor out of the Mouth of thy Seeds Seed, &s;aith the Lord, from henceforth and for ever.</HI> So that this is a promi&s;e to all the Seed, and that for ever: which promi&s;e is fulfilled to all faithfull believers in Chri&s;t Je&s;us. There|fore &s;aith the Apo&s;tle, <HI>if any ma<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter"> have not the Spirit of Chri&s;t, he i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter"> none of his. Rom.</HI> 8.9. And herein th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter"> Son-&s;hip is e&s;tabli&s;hed even in thi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter"> Spirit, or abiding Unction, o<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter"> Anointing: As the Apo&s;tle witne&s;|&s;eth. <HI>ver.</HI> 14. <HI>For as many as are le<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter"> by the Spirit of God, they are the Son<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter"> of God.</HI> Thus the Anointing wit<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter"> the Spirit, (typifyed by the pre+cious Ointment that was poure<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter"> upon <HI>Aarons</HI> head, and ran dow<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> to the Skirts of his Garment,) thi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter"> Anointing with the Spirit run<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter"> down from our High-Prie&s;t to th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter"> lowe&s;t of his Servants. <HI>He wa<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">
<PB N="45" REF="25"> anointed with the Oyl of gladne&s;s above his fellows, but we all of his fullne&s;s receive every one a mea&s;ure of his Spi|rit:</HI> and &s;o are hereby &s;tated, by this Spirit of Adoption, into Son|&s;hip and Heir-&s;hip with him. <HI>If Children, then Heirs, Heirs of God, and joynt-heirs with Chri&s;t,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>Rom.</HI> 8.17. And this &s;tate or Spiritual condition carryes its own evidence in it &s;elf: for, <HI>the Spirit it &s;elf, beareth witne&s;s with our Spirit, that we are the Children of God. ver.</HI> 16. And as this Spirit or Unction is a guide to the Children of light, lead|ing them into all Truth; and as it is a witne&s;s to the Children of God, witne&s;&s;ing with their Spirits, and admini&s;tring comfort, and Heavenly food to the Soul: So al&s;o he admini&s;ters words and mat|ter to Chri&s;ts little ones, when they are called before Rulers and Magi|&s;trates for his names &s;ake. And Chri&s;t Je&s;us our Lord taught his to depend hereupon, and not to per|plex them&s;elves with thinking be|fore
<PB N="46" REF="26"> hand what to &s;ay to them. <HI>Matt.</HI> 10.19, 20. <HI>But when they de|liver you up, take no thought how or what ye &s;hall &s;peak: for it &s;hall be given you in that &s;ame hour, what ye &s;hall &s;peak. For it is not ye that &s;peak, but the Spirit of your Father that &s;pea|keth in you.</HI> Hence it is that &s;ome|times Women and unletter'd Per|&s;ons, have been enabled to con|found great learned men, <HI>for the Lord by his Spirit gives a mouth and wi&s;dome which their Adver&s;aries ar<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> not able to gain&s;ay nor to re&s;i&s;t.</HI></P>
<P>This is that Spirit which beget|teth earnings and longings in our Hearts after the Lord: and which helpeth our infirmities, when we know not how to utter our minds to the Lord: for then he maketh in|terce&s;&s;ion for us, with groanings which cannot be uttered: and the&s;e groanings being according to the will of God, he hears them: for he knoweth what is the minde of the Spirit. <HI>Rom.</HI> 8.26, 27.</P>
<P>There be many Spirits gone
<PB N="47" REF="26"> forth into the World, which are not this Unction, but work con|trary to it, and lead out from Chri&s;t into the World: therefore the Apo&s;tle bids us, <HI>try the Spirits, whe|ther they are of God.</HI> 1 <HI>Joh.</HI> 4.2. Well but how &s;hall we try them? He tells us how to know them in the next ver&s;es following. <HI>Hereby know ye the Spirit of God. Every Spirit that con|fe&s;&s;eth Je&s;us Chri&s;t come in the Fle&s;h is of God. And every Spirit that con|fe&s;&s;eth not Je&s;us Chri&s;t come in the Fle&s;h, is not of God.</HI> For &s;o the words run more truely according to the Greek, then to render them thus; <HI>Every Spirit that confe&s;&s;eth that Je&s;us Chri&s;t is come in the Fle&s;h,</HI> &amp;c. For this confe&s;&s;ion is &s;uch a confe&s;|&s;ion as owns an intere&s;t in him, or profe&s;&s;es a relation to him, by Faith in him, and by love and obedience to him. <HI>The evil Spirits did verbally confe&s;&s;e him; Mar.</HI> 1.24. and &s;o evil men may verbally confe&s;&s;e him: tho they neither truely believe in him, nor love, nor obey him. But this
<PB N="48" REF="27"> true confe&s;&s;ion of him hath the&s;e things nece&s;&s;arily conjoyned there|with. 1. Faith. <HI>Iohn</HI> 3.18, 36. For that Spirit that wants that, is un|der condemnation and wrath: as this Scripture te&s;tifyes. 2. Love. 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 16.24. <HI>If any man love not the Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, let him be</HI> Ana|thema Maranatha. 3. Obedience to him. And therefore &s;aith <HI>John, he that &s;aith I know him, and keepeth not his Commandements is a lyar, and the Truth is not in him.</HI> So then eve|ry Spirit that confe&s;&s;es that Je&s;us Chri&s;t that &s;uffered for our &s;ins, i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> Faith, and in Love and Obedience to him, that Spirit is of God. But otherwi&s;e evil Spirits may confe&s;&s;e him: and Children of the evil one may confe&s;&s;e him. Al&s;o the Apo&s;tle draweth this down to him&s;elf, and others who were in the pure and li|ving faith, and innocent life in whom Chri&s;t appeared. <HI>ver.</HI> 6. o<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> the &s;ame Chapter. <HI>We are of God&punc; he that knoweth God heareth us: <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> that is not of God heareth not us: here|by
<PB N="49" REF="27"> know we the Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of error.</HI> So here you &s;ee he places the mark to know Spirits by upon their owning or not owning of Chri&s;t him&s;elf, come in Fle&s;h, and of him appearing in others: For they that know him not in his Children where he appears, but deny his appearance there, they are not of his Spirit them&s;elves. But then how &s;hall we know his Chil|dren, from the Children of the De|vil? The Apo&s;tle tells us, <HI>this is manife&s;t by their works.</HI> 1 <HI>Joh.</HI> 3.10. He doth not &s;ay, its manife&s;t by any <HI>particular forme,</HI> but by their works: <HI>In this the Children of God are manife&s;t, and the Children of the Devil: Who&s;oever doth not righte|ou&s;ne&s;s is not of God, neither he that loveth not his Brother.</HI> So then let men pretend what they will, if their works be evil, they are not of God. So that by their works fal&s;e Spirits and fal&s;e Prophets are known: and by them they &s;hall be judged at the la&s;t day. Though they
<PB N="50" REF="28"> &s;hall &s;ay, <HI>we have Prophecyed in thy name,</HI> yet it &s;hall be &s;aid to them, <HI>Depart from me, I know you not ye workers of Iniquity.</HI> Now the&s;e mu&s;t needs own his comming, that Pro|phecy in his name. And that they may doe, and yet not own hi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> where he is come and appears i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> Fle&s;h. And &s;o they may confe&s;&s;e hi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> comming; and yet not confe&s;&s;e him|&s;elf where he is come. As the <HI>Iew</HI> owned <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> and the Prophets wh<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> were come and gone: but yet per+&s;ecuted them that came in their Spi+rit: they owned and confe&s;&s;ed <HI>A+braham,</HI> but owned not, nor con+fe&s;&s;ed the true &s;eed of <HI>Abraham</HI>&punc; and &s;o were not of <HI>Abraham</HI> thoug<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> they confe&s;&s;ed him. In like manne<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> many now confe&s;&s;e that Chri&s;t cam<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> in the Fle&s;h, but per&s;ecute the<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> that come in his Spirit, that is per+&s;ecute him in them, for &s;o he wil<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> charge it upon them. Becau&s;e what done to his little ones, is done upo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> this account, that he is in them&punc; who hath no fellow&s;hip with th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">
<PB N="51" REF="28"> unfruitfull works of darkne&s;s in which they are who per&s;ecute them. For if he were not in them who hath not fellow&s;hip with unfruitfull works of darkne&s;s, they would not hate them: but would love them. The World loves its own, and tho&s;e of its own Spirit. <HI>If you were of the World, the World would love his own, but becau&s;e ye are not of the World, but I have cho&s;en you out of the World, therefore the World ha|teth you. Joh.</HI> 15.19.</P>
<P>A little further &s;till for the ma|nife&s;tation of this true Unction, or Anointing, to di&s;tingui&s;h it from other Spirits; not only from evil Spirits, but even from &s;ome ope|rations of the true Spirit. Con&s;ider that this Holy Unction is an abi|ding thing keeping the Heart in the fear and love of God, making that the maine care of him in whom it is, to keep in obedience to the will of God, and &s;o in fellow&s;hip with God: for thats the Kingdom into which we are tran&s;lated: and what|&s;oever
<PB N="52" REF="29"> interpo&s;eth between us, and that fellow&s;hip with God who i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> love, that wounds and &s;layes: And we are then like one bani&s;hed hi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> native Kingdom, and like an Exile until we be e&s;tabli&s;hed in it again and then there's re&s;t, and care and fear le&s;t we grief the Spirit again&punc; And thus the promi&s;e to the true &s;eed is fulfilled which &s;aith, <HI>I wil<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> put my fear in their Hearts and they &s;hall not depart from me. Jer.</HI> 32.40&punc; Now other Spirits which give no<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> this fellow&s;hip in the love of God, may doe great things, whereby the per&s;on may be admired; but they doe not keep the heart low, watch|ing to doe the will of God. <HI>Balaam</HI> had an eminent Prophecy given him, by the Spirit of the Lord, which al&s;o &s;trove with him to keep him back from the error of his wayes: but he had not this Holy abideing Unction. And &s;o may others have the gift of Prophecy; and under|&s;tand many my&s;teries, &amp;c. and yet be de&s;titute of this Anointing: as
<PB N="53" REF="29"> its plain from the Scriptures. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 68.18. <HI>Mat.</HI> 7.22. 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 13. But I am &s;paring of &s;peaking of the&s;e things, becau&s;e the &s;ame gifts may accompany the true Anointing: and the&s;e gifts are &s;erviceable for the edifying of the Babes of Chri&s;t. Therefore let none think that I would undervalue &s;uch precious gifts, or teach others to de&s;pi&s;e Prophecying: that is not my pur|po&s;e, but only to give the right under&s;tanding of that which is e&s;|&s;ential to Chri&s;tianity and a Hea|venly life, in which true believers walk with God. Who doe not al|wayes bear the greate&s;t &s;how in their profe&s;&s;ion, by &s;uch gifts, nor bear forth them&s;elves the highe&s;t among their Brethren, but yet their lives are <HI>mo&s;t innocent</HI> in the World. I have &s;een in &s;everal profe&s;&s;ions of Religion, this humble &s;eed, this plain hearted, this true hearted <HI>Jacob</HI> bowing under his rough Bro|ther <HI>E&s;au:</HI> and like a little &s;hrub under tall Cedars, which flouri&s;h
<PB N="54" REF="30"> and &s;pread forth them&s;elves over his head: for their inclination is to exalt them&s;elves, his care to keep out of vain-glory, and to walk humbly with his God. Thus in &s;ome mea&s;ure the Children of light, who are the fir&s;t Fruits unto God, are di&s;tingui&s;hed from the Children of darkne&s;s, who are of the World, and therefore love the World, and the things that are of the World, namely, <HI>the lu&s;ts of the Fle&s;h, the lu&s;t of the Eyes, and the pride of life. I doe not mean</HI> that here|by they are made &s;o di&s;tinct one from another that they may certain|ly and fully be known in the World: but my endeavour is &s;o to di&s;cover the e&s;&s;ential life of Chri&s;tianity to them&s;elves, that they may not re&s;t in a formal and circum&s;tantial pro|fe&s;&s;ion of Chri&s;tianity, without the true life and power thereof, where|in true peace and fellow&s;hip with God is enjoyed and lived in; which indeed is the Kingdom of God. Which at fir&s;t may be but like a
<PB N="55" REF="30"> grain of Mu&s;tard&s;eed, but it is of a growing nature. Therefore many may for a time in an outward pro|fe&s;&s;ion <HI>out&s;hine</HI> tho&s;e that are entring yea and entred into the Kingdom: But the&s;e la&s;t will become fir&s;t, and tho&s;e fir&s;t will become la&s;t. For the &s;eed of the free Woman, or new Covenant, born by promi&s;e, and begot by Faith, will become Heir, when the &s;eed of the bond Woman borne after the Fle&s;h mu&s;t be ca&s;t forth.</P>
<P>The&s;e things here written are no new things, but according to the current of the Doctrine of Chri&s;t and his Holy Apo&s;tles left upon Re|cord. But it may be &s;ome Objections may be made again&s;t them, by &s;ome. For Truth doth u&s;ually meete with Oppo&s;ition.</P>
<P>Obj. <HI>Perhaps &s;ome will &s;ay, the&s;e things &s;peak of the Kingdom of God here in this life: but we look for the Kingdom of God after this life.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> True, the Kingdom of God is here &s;poken of, to be en|tred
<PB N="56" REF="31"> into, in this life: but not in oppo&s;ition to the Kingdom of God, or Kingdom of Heaven hereafter: but as an entrance into the ever|la&s;ting Kingdome which &s;hall have no end. For the Kingdom of Hea|ven is begun here, and entred into by faith which works by love, and purifyes the Heart. And therefore when Chri&s;t Je&s;us our Lord &s;ent forth his Di&s;ciples to preach and to heal the &s;ick, he bid them preach, &s;aying, <HI>The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand:</HI> And he told the Jews, that the Kingdom of God commeth not with outward ob&s;ervation, but that the Kingdom of God was within: And the Apo&s;tle tells us wherein it doth con&s;i&s;t, namely, <HI>in righteou&s;|ne&s;s and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. For the Spirit, that comforter admini&s;ters that joy.</HI> And this is the earne&s;t of the everla&s;ting inheri|tance, and it is the beginning of his Kingdome; into which the Saints witne&s;&s;ed an entrance for|merly. <HI>Col.</HI> 1.13. &mdash; <HI>who hath
<PB N="57" REF="31"> delivered us from the power of dark|ne&s;s; and hath tran&s;lated us into the Kingdome of his dear Son.</HI> And the Apo&s;tle <HI>Peter</HI> tells us, <HI>how an en|trance &s;hall be mini&s;tred unto us abun|dantly into the everla&s;ting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</HI> 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1. A place of Scripture wor|thy to be Printed in every ones Heart, &s;eeing it teaches an abun|dant entrance into the Kingdom of God: In which things there writ|ten the Saints then living were found walking: and yet being of &s;o great importance, the Apo&s;tles care was to put them &s;till in minde of them, that after his decea&s;e they might alwayes have them in remem|brance. I &s;hall give you &s;ome of the words, and leave you to read the re&s;t in your Books. Peter <HI>writing to tho&s;e believers who had obtained like precious Faith with him and other A|po&s;tles, through the righteou&s;ne&s;s of God, and our Saviour Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> (note, not through their own right|ou&s;ne&s;s, but through the righte|ou&s;ne&s;s
<PB N="58" REF="32"> of God and our Saviour Je|&s;us Chri&s;t) <HI>he exhorts them to give all diligence to add to this Faith, vertue; and to vertue, knowledge; and to knowledge, temperance; and to tem|perance, patience; and to patience, Godline&s;s; and to Godline&s;s, Bro|therly kindne&s;s; and to Brotherly kind|ne&s;s, love. For if the&s;e things be in you and abound, they make you, that ye &s;hall not be barren (argues</HI> &s;lothfull) <HI>nor unfruitfull to the knowledge of our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t. But he that lac|keth the&s;e things is blinde, and can|not &s;ee far off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old &s;ins. Wherefore the rather, Brethren, give diligence to make your calling and ele|ction &s;ure: for if ye doe the&s;e things, ye &s;hall never fall, For &s;o an entrance &s;hall be mini&s;tred unto you abundantly into the everla&s;ting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</HI> Now take notice, that it is not the knowing of the&s;e things, but the walking in them, that gives an abundant entrance into the King|dom.
<PB N="59" REF="32"> <HI>If ye doe the&s;e things,</HI> &s;aith the Apo&s;tle.</P>
<P>Obj. <HI>Doubtles, It is a happy thing to walk and live in the&s;e Admonitions of the Apo&s;tle, may &s;ome &s;ay; But who is there, that do &s;o? We know but few, if any, that do &s;o, then how few enter into the Kingdom, if &s;o great and high things are to be lived in?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> For an&s;wer hereunto con|&s;ider the&s;e things following.</P>
<P N="1">1. That there be various &s;tations in Religion, and &s;o &s;ome are nea|rer, and &s;ome further off from the Kingdom of God. Some are &s;eeking it with their faces thitherward, as its &s;aid of <HI>Sion:</HI> &s;ome are weeping and mourning, and hungring, and thir&s;ting after Gods Righteou&s;ne&s;s. The&s;e if they hold on are under a ble&s;&s;ing and promi&s;e to be an&s;we|red and filled, and though they be poor in Spirit, yet theirs is the Kingdome, and in due time they &s;hall po&s;&s;e&s;&s;e it, and enter into it. Some are near the Kingdom, as that
<PB N="60" REF="33"> young man was, who had keept the precepts of the Law from his youth, which Chri&s;t looked upon and lo|ved, though he was not yet able to enter into the Kingdom, becau&s;e of his riches. Others are &s;et down in the Kingdom, of righteou&s;ne&s;s, and peace, and joy in Chri&s;t Je&s;us. As the Apo&s;tles, and many belie|vers or Saints were in the primitive times. For which they magnifyed the Lord for his rich mercy towards them in rai&s;ing them up, and ma|king them &s;it together in Heavenly places (or Heavenly things) in Chri&s;t Je&s;us. <HI>Eph.</HI> 2.6.</P>
<P N="2">2. Now con&s;ider further, that the&s;e who in earne&s;t &s;eek the King|dom of God, or are already entred into it, doe not alwayes make the greate&s;t <HI>&s;hew</HI> or <HI>appearance</HI> in the World. They are like that Mer|cant man that having found trea&s;ure hid in a Field, goeth and hideth it, le&s;t he &s;hould be robbed thereof, and for joy thereof he goeth and &s;elleth all he hath and buyeth that
<PB N="61" REF="33"> Field. He boa&s;teth not of his trea|&s;ure, but carefully purcha&s;eth it. So it is with many that are &s;eekers and po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ors of the Kingdome of God; And therefore are not made &s;o vi&s;ible in the World, though they live in the World. Nay many times the World looks upon them as fooles or conceited People, not &s;eeing the Heavenly trea&s;ure which they pur&s;ue, or po&s;&s;e&s;&s;e; but af|terwards &s;hall be made to &s;ee it to their amazement. Read Wi&s;dom of <HI>Solomon,</HI> chapter the 5th which &s;heweth how the wicked &s;hall won|der at the &s;trangene&s;s of the Salva|tion of the righteous, beyond all that they looked for. Some may be without that in their Books, it be|ing in the <HI>Apocrypha,</HI> therefore I &s;hall here give you part of it, be|ginning at the la&s;t ver&s;e of the 4th chap. to the 10th ver&s;e of the 5th. where <HI>Solomon</HI> &s;hews the different end of the righteous and wicked. <HI>And when they ca&s;t up the accouts of their &s;ins, they &s;hall come with fear:
<PB N="62" REF="34"> and their own iniquities &s;hall convince them to their face. Then &s;hall the right|ous man &s;tand in great boldne&s;s, be|fore the face of &s;uch as have afflicted him, and made no account of his la|bours. When they &s;ee it they &s;hall be troubled with terrible fear, and &s;hall be amazed, at the &s;trangene&s;s of his Salvation, &s;o far beyond all that they looked for. And they repenting, and groaning for angui&s;h of Spirit, &s;hall &s;ay within them&s;elves, this was he whom we had &s;ometimes in deri&s;ion, and a proverbe of reproach. We fools ac|counted his life madne&s;s, and his end to be without Honour. How is he num|bred among the Children of God, and his lot is among the Saints? Therefore have we erred from the way of Truth; and the light of righteou&s;ne&s;s hath not &s;hined unto us. We wearied our &s;elves in the way of wickedne&s;s and de&s;tru|ction: yea we have gone thorow de|&s;erts, when there lay no way, but as for the way of the Lord, we have not known it. What hath pride profitted us? Or what good hath riches with our
<PB N="63" REF="34"> vaunting brought us? All tho&s;e things are pa&s;&s;ed away like a &s;haddow, and as a Po&s;t that ha&s;teth by.</HI> &amp;c. Hence you may &s;ee how little they are ta|ken notice of in the World who are Heirs of the Kingdom of God, and how little they are di&s;cerned to be what they are. And le&s;t you &s;hould think that becau&s;e the&s;e words are quoted out of the <HI>Apocrypha,</HI> they have not weight in them, hear <HI>Paul</HI> &s;peaking to the &s;ame purpo&s;e. 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 1.26. &amp;c. <HI>For ye &s;ee your cal|ling, Brethren, how that not many wi&s;e men after the Fle&s;h, not many mighty, not many Noble are called. But God hath cho&s;en the fooli&s;h things of the World, to confound the wi&s;e: and God hath cho&s;en the weak things of the World, to confound the things that are mighty, and ba&s;e things of the World, and things which are de|&s;pi&s;ed, hath God cho&s;en, yea and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are; that no Fle&s;h &s;hould glory in his pre&s;ence.</HI> Thus the Lord will confound the thoughts of men,
<PB N="64" REF="35"> and make that la&s;t which was fir&s;t, and that fir&s;t which was la&s;t: and that highly e&s;teemed which was de|&s;pi&s;ed and that de&s;pi&s;ed which was highly e&s;teemed. And though the Heirs of his Kingdom be &s;carcely di&s;cerned in the World, yet will he finde out a numberle&s;s Number out of all Nations, Kinreds, Peo|ple and Tongues: that &s;hall inhe|rit it: &s;uch as the World takes little notice of, they being a People comming out of great tribulation, in which they have lived, in the World. Therefore let non &s;ay, <HI>Where &s;hall we finde &s;uch a People as live in the Kingdom of God: but let them de&s;ire of the Lord that he would open their Eyes, to &s;ee them, whom he ownes, and admits into his King|dom.</HI> Read <HI>Revel.</HI> the 7th. <HI>ver.</HI> 9. to the end. The Lord doth put the trea&s;ures of his Kingdom into Ear|then Ve&s;&s;els which not being <HI>beau|tifull</HI> to the outward Eye, are there|fore overlooked and not &s;een by the curious Eye. As it was &s;aid of our
<PB N="65" REF="35"> Lord and Ma&s;ter, <HI>there is no beauty in him that we &s;hould de&s;ire him,</HI> the &s;ame al&s;o may be &s;aid of his followers. <HI>But wi&s;dom is ju&s;ti|fyed of her Children.</HI> Look upon the rough and <HI>withered</HI> or deadlike coat of the Vine, &s;pecially in Winter, and one would think it good for little, except to be con&s;umed by the fire; So are the branches of the true Vine many times to the outward Eye, and therefore not regarded by the World as the &s;trong Oakes and Trees of the forre&s;t are, or as the lo&s;ty <HI>Cedars</HI> of <HI>Libanon</HI> which are &s;een a far off. The Lord had re&s;erved to him&s;elf 7 thou&s;and who had not wor&s;hipped <HI>Baal,</HI> even in the great Apo&s;tacy of <HI>I&s;rael</HI> in <HI>Ahabs</HI> time, whom <HI>Elijah</HI> the Prophet could not &s;ee. So in the great Apo&s;tacy of Profe&s;&s;ed Chri&s;tianity, the Lord hath a numberle&s;s Number who are &s;ealed, who &s;tand before the Throne, and before the Lamb, cloathed with white Robes, and Palmes in their hands, glorifying God, and <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;cribing all Salvation to our God which &s;it|eth upon the Throne, and unto the Lamb. As you read in that 7th of <HI>Revel.</HI> Thou that <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">an&s;t not &s;ee a People fit for the Kingdom of God, can&s;t thou &s;ee a People that work <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ighteou&s;ne&s;s? The Apo&s;tle tells us, <HI>that eve|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">yone that doth righteou&s;ne&s;s is born of God.</HI> 1 <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">oh.</HI> 2.29. <HI>Do&s;t thou &s;ee any People dwelling <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> a Spirit of love?</HI> The &s;ame Apo&s;tle tells <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">s, <HI>that every one that loveth is born of God,</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> <HI>Joh.</HI> 4.7. Another Apo&s;tle tells us, <HI>that <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> every Nation he that feareth God and wor|keth
<PB N="66" REF="36"> righteou&s;ne&s;s is accepted of him. Act.</HI> 10.35. The Apo&s;tle doth not tell us that eve|ry one that can magnify them&s;elves in a form of Religion are accepted, but he that worketh righteou&s;ne&s;s only. There is a Phari&s;aical Eye which can &s;ee none righte|ous but &s;uch as are in their <HI>own form:</HI> But God &s;eeth not as man &s;eeth. There is al&s;o a prophane and hatefull Eye, which hates the appearance of righteou&s;ne&s;s and holine&s;s, becau&s;e it is a chain to their loo&s;e prophanes and wickedne&s;s, the&s;e al&s;o through the my&s;t of enmity and hatred cannot &s;ee the Servants of the living God, over who&s;e con&s;ciences he rules, and &s;o hath a King|dom there, and they in it, &s;ubmitting to his requirings as true Subjects. Therefore I &s;ay, though the Kingdom of God be a gloryous Kingdom, yet hath he many Sub|jects belonging to it, &s;ome in it, and &s;ome pre&s;&s;ing hard after it, &s;ome going mourn+ing and full of heavyne&s;s not accounting them&s;elves worthy of it, but yet longing after it: and the glory of his Kingdom be|ing inward the purblinde Worldly Eye &s;ee it not. For who of them would think that <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> poor &s;hatter'd creature, full of heavyne&s;s&punc; and of a drooping Spirit, and it may be &s;ore|ly exerci&s;ed with outward afflictions and wants, and hath no plea&s;ant carriage i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> their Eye, that &s;uch a one belongs to the Kingdom of God? And yet our Lord pro|nounces &s;uch poor ones in Spirit to be ble&s;|&s;ed, and &s;aith, <HI>their's is the Kingdom o<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> God.</HI></P>
<PB N="67" REF="36">
<P>Obj. <HI>But it may be &s;ome will &s;till object, that though the&s;e things be true, yet we doe not &s;ee Chri&s;tians ari&s;e to that Vigor of Chri|&s;tianity, and joy and pace, as they did in the primitive times, nor &s;o quickly receive peace and comfort as they did then; What's the rea|&s;on of that, if the &s;ame Heavenly &s;tate be at|tanable now as was then attained unto by be|lievers?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> For An&s;wer hereunto, con&s;ider that there was a my&s;tery of iniquity to ari&s;e under the formal part of Chri&s;tianity: and that this my&s;tery was to over&s;pread Na|tions, Tongues, Multitudes, Peoples, and &s;it upon the&s;e Waters: for &s;o they are called. And that under this my&s;tery a bot|tomle&s;s Pit <HI>was to be opened,</HI> out of which a &s;moke aro&s;e and darkened the Sun in the Firmament. Now this my&s;tery is the height of wickedne&s;s under the profe&s;&s;ion of Chri|&s;tianity. To act the Devils part in the name of Chri&s;t: and that makes it a my&s;tery. To teach traditions of men and their inven|tions for precepts of Chri&s;t, which was al|wayes call'd whoredom among the Jews, and is &s;o among Chri&s;tians. To teach lyes in Hypocri&s;ie, to teach Murther as a pre|cept of Chri&s;t, as all Per&s;ecutors who pro|fe&s;&s;e Religion mu&s;t doe: this is to hold out the Devils work in the name of Chri&s;t. Now &s;uch Apo&s;tacy as this, and teaching <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">uch things, they darken the Sun&s;hine of <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">he gloryous Go&s;pel of our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t: <HI>And God will not give his glory to
<PB N="68" REF="37"> another (then Christ) nor his prai&s;e to graven Images,</HI> nor mens curious imaginations, or traditions. And therefore the gloryous beams of the Go&s;pel being ob&s;cured by &s;uch things, the Heavenly warmth and refre&s;h|ing thereof hath not &s;o &s;peedily, nor fully darted into mens Spirits, to rai&s;e them up &s;o powerfully it may be and &s;o quickly into the enjoyment of that peace and joy that pa&s;&s;es under&s;tanding. But yet God hath not left him&s;elf without witne&s;&s;es to bear Te&s;ti|mony to the Truth of the joyfull tydings of Salvation by Faith in Chri&s;t: and he will rai&s;e up &s;till m<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">re, as the my&s;tery of ini|quity con&s;umes. <HI>What think ye of tho&s;e that love not their lives unto death, warring again&s;t the my&s;tery of iniquity?</HI> Who expo&s;e their lives and all they have to the fury and rage of men, rather then en&s;nare their con&s;cien|ces with the vain traditions of men. Thus <HI>Michael</HI> and his Angels feight by &s;uffering: And the Dragon and his Angels by inflict|ing. Therefore &s;eeing the my&s;tery of ini|quity is to be overcome by &s;uch warrs as the&s;e, Chri&s;t Je&s;us our Lord and Captain wants not his valiant Souldiers to encoun|ter with the Dragon and his Champions, even under the Apo&s;tacy into the my&s;tery. The Dragon feights but prevails not again&s;t the Lords hoa&s;t. Now do not think that its a &s;mall matter that makes men &s;o re&s;olute and venterous, thus to expo&s;e their lives. No, its for no le&s;&s;e then a Kingdom, either already in po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of, or in view to be
<PB N="69" REF="37"> attained. But the&s;e things being Spiritual, are not di&s;cerned by the carnal Eye. And &s;o the Subjects of Chri&s;ts Kingdom, whether they be in real po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of it, or in earne&s;t pur&s;uite of it, are little &s;een by the World, although many belong thereunto.</P>
<P>Obj. <HI>But one Objection more may &s;eem very material and weighty to many: namely thus. In this Treati&s;e of E&s;&s;ential Christianity, why is there no mention made of</HI> Bapti&s;m, <HI>and the</HI> Lords Supper, <HI>and of</HI> Preaching the Word and Prayers? <HI>Are not the&s;e E&s;&s;ential things in Chri&s;tianity? And why are the&s;e left out?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> I an&s;wer, I do not leave them out in oppo&s;ition to them, but becau&s;e, fir&s;t, they are not &s;o in&s;eparable to the Kingdom of Chri&s;t, as that there is no enjoyment thereof without the&s;e, e&s;pecially as they are under the Apo&s;tacy admini&s;tred. Se|condly becau&s;e the&s;e may all be profe&s;&s;ed and taken up by per&s;ons who are workers of iniquity, and not owned by our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t: even by men who live in open wickedne&s;s, and therefore are not admitted into his Kingdom becau&s;e they are Bapti&s;ed, or receive the Supper or frequent publique Prayers, or are Preachers of the Scriptures. <HI>Paul</HI> &s;peaks the &s;ame thing to a Baptized Church, who al&s;o had the Supper of the Lord in practice among them, and who came behind in no gift. Yet notwith&s;tand|ing all the&s;e things he &s;ets this caution be|fore their Eyes to ponder on: <HI>Know ye not</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>that the unrighteous &s;hall not in|herit
<PB N="70" REF="38"> the Kingdom of God? Be not deceived neither Fornicators, nor Idolaters, nor Adul+terers, nor effeminate, nor abu&s;ers of them+&s;elves with mankinde, nor Thieves, nor cove+tous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor ex+tortioners, &s;hall inherit the Kingdom of Go<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"></HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 6.9, 10. This he &s;peaks to &s;uch <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> did wrong, and defrauded their Brethren&punc; Laying before them the danger of &s;u<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters"> cour&s;es if they &s;hould fall back again to &s;u<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters"> things: and return with the Dog to t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters"> vomit, and like the Sow to her wallowin<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> in the mire. Hence it is that we are admo+ni&s;hed to turn away from &s;uch as have <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> <HI>form of Godline&s;s</HI> (as men that profe&s;&s;e the<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> things, namely <HI>Bapti&s;m,</HI> the <HI>Lords Suppe<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"></HI> publique Prayers and Preaching, may have but deny the power thereof. <HI>Simon Mag<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"></HI> was Baptized, and yet was in the Gall <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> bitterne&s;s, and bond of iniquity <HI>Act.</HI> 8.<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> one may eat and drink the Lords Suppe<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> <HI>without profit to them&s;elves:</HI> yea <HI>they m<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> eat and drink judgment to them&s;elves,</HI> and <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> guilty of the body and blood of the Lor<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 11. And for Prayers, men ma<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> make many Prayers, and long Prayers and yet be no better then the Phari&s;ee<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> or the Jews of old who honoured the Lor<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> with their lips, while as their Heart wa<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> far from him. And Chri&s;t him&s;elf hath fore+told that many &s;hall plead for them&s;elve<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> thus, <HI>Lord, Lord, have we not Prophecy<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> in thy name?</HI> &amp;c. Yet he will an&s;wer them <HI>I never know you<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">, depart from me, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word">
<PB N="71" REF="38"> that work iniquity.</HI> Now here's a form of Godline&s;s lyes in the&s;e things, namely, in being Baptized, and frequenting Prayers, and Preaching and the Lords Supper, but &s;eeing one may live in the&s;e and yet be far from the Kingdom of God, therefore I have not placed the&s;e things among tho&s;e that are e&s;&s;ential to that life that enters the Kingdom, although the&s;e things rightly u&s;ed, and at the Lambs requirings may be <HI>refre&s;hing helps,</HI> to tho&s;e who in &s;incerity of Heart, and &s;implicity of con&s;cience do walk therein. There is a Bapti&s;m indeed and a Supper which are e&s;&s;ential to the Kingdom of Chri&s;t, but tho&s;e are couched under other things before &s;poken, yet for more plaine&s;s I &s;hall here expre&s;&s;e them more particularly. <HI>Peter</HI> tells us of a Bapti&s;m that &s;aves us; and that mu&s;t needs be e&s;&s;ential. 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 3.21. <HI>The like Figure whereunto, even Bapti&s;m, doth al&s;o now &s;ave us (not the put|ting away of the filth of the Fle&s;h, but the an&s;wer of a good con&s;cience towards God) by the re&s;urrection of Je&s;us Christ.</HI> This indeed is e&s;&s;ential, namely, <HI>the an&s;wer of a good con&s;cience towards God;</HI> which is a Bapti&s;m indeed and which is a Fruit of righteou&s;|ne&s;s. For they that by an ungodly and wic|ked life make Shipwrack of Faith, they thereby beget in them&s;elves an evil and ac|cu&s;ing con&s;cience, although they be out|wardly Baptized: and &s;o its not that that &s;aves, but the an&s;wer of a good con&s;cience by the re&s;urrection of Je&s;us Chri&s;t. So there
<PB N="72" REF="39"> is a Supper al&s;o which is e&s;&s;ential to the Kingdom of Chri&s;t: which our Lord him|&s;elf &s;peaks of, <HI>Rev.</HI> 3.20. <HI>Behold I &s;tand a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> the Door and knock: if any man hear my voyce and open the Door, I will come in to him, and &s;up with him, and he with me.</HI> This is a Sup|per that is e&s;&s;ential. Here's joy and con&s;ola|tion in this Supper, and &s;weet communion with the Lord. This was writ to a Church who were Baptized with outward Bapti&s;m, and had the outward Supper and other <HI>Ordi|nances,</HI> as we may well pre&s;ume they had, as well as other Churches: and e&s;pecially becau&s;e they thought them&s;elves rich in &s;uch things, and increa&s;ed with goods hav|ing need of nothing; which blinded their Eyes, &s;o that they knew not that they were wretched, and mi&s;erable, and poor, and blind, and naked. And &s;o the re&s;t of the Churches of <HI>A&s;ia,</HI> they were all in Church fellow&s;hip, enjoying the outward Ordi|nances; but that was not enough. For they were gathered in thither, as into a nur&s;ery or Garden, to the end, they &s;hould grow up in grace, and bring forth good Fruit unto God. So there is a prayer, that is e&s;|&s;ential, and hath communion with God. <HI>viz.</HI> When in the Spirit we wor&s;hip God: and when the Spirit maketh interce&s;&s;ion in us according to the will of God. There is al&s;o Preaching, or a holding forth of Truth which is e&s;&s;ential, when the Lord requi|res it, whether it be by a righteous life, or by bearing Te&s;timony to the Truth. But
<PB N="73" REF="39"> the&s;e things <HI>I leave out</HI> which the Worldly Spirit may cloath it &s;elf with all: and un|der that Cloak live wickedly, yea and hate the life and power of Chri&s;tianity, as may be done under a verbal profe&s;&s;ion of the <HI>new Covenant,</HI> as well as under the Old, when the fal&s;e Prophets and &s;uch as adhered to them per&s;ecuted the true Prophets. And yet though they were Per&s;ecutors of the true, they brought Oblatious to God, and burnt incen&s;e to him, and kept &s;olemn meetings, and fa&s;ts, and came as a People that delighted to draw near unto the Lord, and made many Prayers to him: and their Hearts in all this far from him: and &s;o may it be now: and therefore &s;uch things I omit, and point at &s;uch things as wherein a Soul drawes near to God, and is approved of God, and in which he comes to &s;ome en|joyment of Spiritual ble&s;&s;ings, and by de|grees comes into po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of the Kingdom of God in Chri&s;t Je&s;us. The things wherein a man walks with God, and follows the Lamb, whether into <HI>external ob&s;ervances or out of them,</HI> tho&s;e I would here compre|hend. For there may be a following of him out of &s;ome things that the evil Spirit may take up, as well as into them. The Scrip|ture leaves us not without examples and ground hereof. The Br<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">en Serpent &s;et up by Gods own in&s;titution, and which was an eminent Type of Chri&s;t, yet after the u&s;e of it was over, and the People ma<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">e an Idol of it, and &s;o went a whoring after the
<PB REF="40" MS="y"> &s;haddow, and forgot the &s;ub&s;tance, and their Hearts were removed far from the Lord; that good King <HI>Hezechiah,</HI> who walk't before the Lord with a perfect Heart, he cau&s;ed it to be broken to pieces, and put an end to it. 2 <HI>King.</HI> 18.4. The Lord did al&s;o command circumci&s;ion very &s;tricktly, &s;o that the Seed of <HI>Abraham</HI> mu&s;t needs be circumci&s;ed and this called an <HI>Ordi|nance for ever:</HI> Yet when the fulne&s;s of time was come, that the &s;ub&s;tance of all the &s;had|dowes took place in their &s;tead, then &s;ayes one Apo&s;tle, <HI>behold I &s;ay unto you, that if ye be circumci&s;ed Chri&s;t &s;hall profite you no|thing. Gal.</HI> 5.2. This was a hard le&s;&s;on to &s;ome and e&s;pecially to &s;uch who were zea|lous of Gods ordinances, yea even to many who believed in Chri&s;t. Now the Scripture tells us of a falling away, from God unto all wickedne&s;s, and of retaining a form of Godline&s;s &s;till to cover all that, and of a my&s;tery of iniquity to be revealed, and yet he that &s;hall heed that my&s;tery, &s;hall have his &s;eat in the Temple of God, that is were Gods Ordinances have their place by right: but iniquity working under this profe&s;&s;ion of the&s;e things, makes that a my&s;tery, which otherwi&s;e is open-fa&s;t wickedne&s;s: only it hides it &s;elf under a profe&s;&s;ion and de&s;tructive zeal again&s;t neglecters of its form. Now in this ca&s;e I &s;ay, there may be a following of the Lamb, even out of tho&s;e ob&s;ervances of his which once were commanded. But I do not urge this except
<PB N="75" REF="40" MS="y"> he lead. And if he lead, and go before them, then &s;hall his followers have peace, and a &s;ecret witne&s;s in them&s;elves, although they meet with oppo&s;ition from others; Which they are likely to doe in following the Lamb: for its him that the evil Spirit per|&s;ecutes by his Servants, in whom he rules. And this is a great Te&s;timony, that its one <HI>great ordinance</HI> of Chri&s;t, for his People to come out <HI>of fal&s;e</HI> and corrupted wor&s;hips, after the my&s;tery of iniquity hath abu&s;ed them, becau&s;e the per&s;ecution lyes mo&s;t thereupon; if not altogether. The Papi&s;ts, they per&s;ecute becau&s;e People relinqui&s;h their form: the Epi&s;copal, the Pre&s;byte|rian, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> they all do the like. Though a man be ju&s;t and upright in his conver&s;ation, yet if he draw from their form, they hate, they revile, they per&s;ecute, at lea&s;t with the Tongue. And why is this? But becau&s;e they follow the Lamb, who &s;aith, in their Spirits, <HI>Come out of her my People.</HI> I'ts he that goes before his true followers, and leads them out gently, and therefore &s;aith come out. And this comming out I &s;ay, is a great ordinance of Chri&s;t, in the di&s;co|very and di&s;&s;olution of all corrupted wor|&s;hips. And the followers of Chri&s;t herein are dignifyed with this Honour, that its &s;aid of them, <HI>the&s;e are they which follow the Lamb whither&s;oever he goes.</HI> But note, they are &s;uch as truely follow the Lamb, in who&s;e mouth is found no guile. If they &s;hall turn from corrupted wor&s;hips, and retain &s;till
<PB N="76" REF="41"> their corrupted Hearts, and &s;o follow the <HI>Wolf,</HI> the <HI>Lyon,</HI> the <HI>Bear,</HI> the <HI>Fox,</HI> and &s;uch devouring creatures, or the <HI>Dog</HI> or <HI>Sow,</HI> tho&s;e dirty creatures, their for&s;ake|ing this or that form or way of wor&s;hip will not profite them. They are followers of the innocent harmle&s;s Lamb, not of Bea&s;ts of prey, or ravenous hurtfull creatures. They follow the Lamb whither&s;oever he goes: which &s;eems to imply various removes in the Lambs leading of them, or going be|fore them. As there was various removes or journings in the Wilderne&s;s, out of <HI>Egypt</HI> literal towards the Earthly <HI>Canaan,</HI> &s;o may there be, out of <HI>Egypt</HI> Spiritual to the Hea|venly <HI>Canaan:</HI> for things under the Law were Typical, &s;haddowing out &s;omething Spiritual. Now under that word Lamb is pointed out to us the guide in tho&s;e journ|ings: even the Lamb and his nature, as the Pillar of Fire, and Cloud was the guide in the Wilderne&s;s. Therefore i'ts &s;afe kee|ping to the unhurtfull Lamb, and to go where his Nature accompanies: That's the Standart to which his Travelling following Subjects do re&s;ort. And though &s;ome that &s;et forward out of <HI>Egypt</HI> &s;piritual, turn back in their hearts, or murmor and through un|belief faint and fall in the way, yet the Lamb holds on his way, and followers he hath that go throw with him, whither&s;oe|ver he goes. Whether it be out of the <HI>Egyp|tian</HI> Societies, or into a Wilderne&s;s, throw the red Sea, or to warr again&s;t the uncir|cumci&s;ed
<PB N="77" REF="41"> Phili&s;tins, who provoke the Lord by their Idolatry and wickedne&s;s: But not with carnal Weapons. but with Spiritual. The followers of the Lamb have piercing Weapons, and yet not carnal, and &s;o hath their Captain, of whom it is &s;aid, <HI>Ride on pro&s;perou&s;ly becau&s;e of Truth, meekne&s;s and righteou&s;ne&s;s, and thy right hand &s;hall teach thee terrible things</HI> (terrible things in meek|ne&s;s) <HI>thine Arrows &s;hall be &s;harp in the Heart of the Kings Enemies. Michael</HI> and his An|gels and followers finde oppo&s;ition from the <HI>Dragon</HI> and his Angels and followers: and they both feight: The <HI>Dragon</HI> and his fol|lowers with carnal Weapons to &s;top the way of the Lamb and his followers, le&s;t they &s;hould invade his Kingdome of darkne&s;s and de&s;truction: And on the other hand, the Lamb and his followers they feight with other Weapons even with meekne&s;s, and the word of Truth, to make good their way that they may hold on to follow the Lamb. Thus the Lamb leads on his Army forward out of the World, that is out of the Worlds evil wayes and corrupted wor|&s;hips: But whether or no he <HI>lead into that which is outwardly to be &s;et up as yet, I leave to further di&s;covery.</HI> I mean whether that which is to continue is as yet to be &s;et up, that I leave: But that there may be pitch|ing of Tents for a Sea&s;on even in a Journey, thats manife&s;t from the Journeys of the <HI>I&s;raelites</HI> in the Wilderne&s;s; who pitched their Tents till the cloud went forward,
<PB N="78" REF="42"> and then there was danger in remaining behinde in their pitched Tents. <HI>There is a Seed will under&s;tand what I &s;ay.</HI></P>
<P>There is one thing yet behinde to be &s;po|ken to, which tends greatly to the keeping of our mindes and affections alive, and in pur&s;uite of an everla&s;ting inheritance: and that is <HI>Hope. Faith believes the love of God.</HI> And from hence <HI>Hope</HI> waites for good things not yet &s;een: <HI>For we are &s;aved by Hope</HI> (&s;aith the Apo&s;tle) <HI>but Hope that is &s;een is not Hope: For what a man &s;eeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we &s;ee not, then do we with patience wait for it. Rom.</HI> 8.24, 25. Hope you &s;ee is one in|gredient tending to eternal life: and a principal piece of Spiritual Armor, bearing up the head in pur&s;uite of the Kingdom of God, again&s;t all the Oppo&s;ition met with in the World. Therefore i'ts called, <HI>the Helmet of Salvation. Eph.</HI> 6.17.</P>
<P>There be divers things to be con&s;idered concerning this <HI>Hope:</HI> and the ground of it, whereupon our hope is placed: that &s;o it may be as an Anchor &s;ure and &s;tedfa&s;t to keep us &s;afe in the waves and billowes of the tribulations of this World.</P>
<P N="1">1. The fir&s;t thing is this. That there &s;hall be a Re&s;urrection of all, for if there be no Re&s;urrection, our hope is vain, and hath no ground to &s;tand upon: and we are of all men mo&s;t mi&s;erable, if in this life only we have hope in Chri&s;t: as the Apo|&s;tle &s;aith. 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 15.19. Therefore for the
<PB N="79" REF="42"> confirmation of this ground for the &s;ure An|chor of hope, and for reviving of your re|membrance thereof, let us call to minde &s;ome pa&s;&s;ages of the Scripture, and the Te&s;timony of Chri&s;t and his Holy Apo&s;tles concerning this thing,</P>
<P>And fir&s;t of all con&s;ider the Re&s;urrection of Chri&s;t: who is &s;aid to be the fir&s;t Fruits in the Harve&s;t. 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 15.23. <HI>Now if Chri&s;t be preached, that he ro&s;e from the dead, how &s;ay &s;ome among you, that there is no re&s;urre|ction of the dead? ver.</HI> 12. His re&s;urrection nece&s;&s;arily proves our re&s;urrection: for he needed not for him&s;elf to have taken our nature upon him, and to be made like us in all things (except &s;in) but it was for our &s;akes that he took to him&s;elf our nature, that he might prepare it, and bring it back again, and that with advantage into the happy union and fellow&s;hip of our Maker, out of all that death hath involved us in: both out of &s;in, and out of the Graves. And therefore according to the&s;e two deaths, there is a twofold re&s;urrection &s;po|ken of by Chri&s;t. <HI>Joh.</HI> 5. That there is a death in &s;in is manife&s;t. <HI>Eph.</HI> 2.1. <HI>You hath he quickened who were dead in tre&s;pa&s;&s;es and &s;ins.</HI> Now of a re&s;urrection out of this death Chri&s;t &s;peaks. <HI>Joh.</HI> 5.25. <HI>Verely, verely, I &s;ay unto you, the hour is comming and now is, when the dead &s;hall hear the voyce of the Son of God: and they that hear &s;hall live.</HI> And this is that re&s;urrection that <HI>Paul</HI> &s;peaks of, <HI>Col.</HI> 3.1. <HI>If ye then be ri&s;en with
<PB N="80" REF="43"> Chri&s;t &s;eek tho&s;e things which are above;</HI> and in &s;ome other places this is called a re&s;ur|rection. But then be&s;ides this re&s;urrection out of &s;in, there is a re&s;urrection al&s;o out of the Graves, when the Sea &s;hall give up its dead that are in it, and Death and Hell &s;hall deliver up the dead that are in them, and all graves &s;hall be opened, and &s;hall render up their dead. And of &s;uch a re&s;ur|rection al&s;o Chri&s;t &s;peaks in the forenamed place, <HI>Joh.</HI> 5.28, 29. <HI>Marvel not at this:</HI> (&s;aith he, that is, that men &s;hall <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ow hear the voyce of the Son of God, and they that hear &s;hall live) <HI>for the hour is comming, in the which all that are in the graves &s;hall hear his voyce, and &s;hall come forth; they that have done good unto the re&s;urrection of life, and they that have done evil unto the re&s;urrection of damnation.</HI> The fir&s;t of the&s;e re&s;urrections, namely out of the death of &s;in, is a mar|vellous work of God, wrought by the voyce of the Son of God in the Heart. But Chri&s;t Je&s;us &s;eemes to make the other re&s;urrection which is to be general out of the graves, to be more marvellous. Secondly, the fir&s;t of the&s;e re&s;urrections, is in order to bring men to live the life of righteou&s;ne&s;s: but the &s;econd or general re&s;urrection is after <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">ey have done good to give them their re|ward. The fir&s;t is only a rai&s;ing up to life. The &s;econd is a rai&s;ing up of &s;ome to life: and of others to condemnation, according as they have done good or evil in their life time. For we mu&s;t know, that this is after
<PB N="81" REF="43"> men have done good, or done evill; that is, at the la&s;t day, which our Saviour of|ten mentions for the comfort of the righte|ous who are before hand rai&s;ed up to life by him. <HI>Joh.</HI> 6.39, 40, 44, 54. <HI>And this is the Fathers will which hath &s;ent me, that of all which he hath given me, I &s;hould lo&s;e nothing, but &s;hould rai&s;e it up again at the last day. And this is the will of the Father that &s;ent me, that every one which &s;eeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everla&s;ting life, and I will rai&s;e him up at the la&s;t day.</HI> Again, <HI>No man can come unto me, except the Father which &s;ent me draw him, and I will rai&s;e him up at the la&s;t day.</HI> Again &s;aith he. <HI>Who &s;o eateth my Fle&s;h and drinketh my Blood, hath eternal life, and I will rai&s;e him up at the la&s;t day.</HI> This is not a rai&s;ing up out of the death o<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> &s;in unto life: but a rai&s;ing up again of tho&s;e that before hand have eternal life. And this is &s;poken for the comfort of all &s;uch; as al|&s;o many other comfortable words are left upon record for &s;uch: which al&s;o clearly hold forth this Doctrine of the general re|&s;urrection. Take this one place for conclud|ing of this particular. 1 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 4:13. to the end of the Chapter. <HI>But I would not have you ignorant Brethren, concerning them which are a &s;leep, that ye &s;orrow not as others that have no hope. For if we believe that Je&s;us dyed and ro&s;e again, even &s;o them al&s;o which &s;leep in Je&s;us, will God bring with him. For this we &s;ay unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive, and remain unto the com|ming
<PB N="82" REF="44"> of the Lord, &s;hall not prevent them which are a &s;leep. For the Lord him&s;elf &s;hall de&s;cend from Heaven with a &s;hout, with the voyce of the Archangel, and with the Trumph of God, and the dead in Chri&s;t &s;hall ri&s;e fir&s;t: Then we which are alive, and remain &s;hall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the Ayre: and &s;o &s;hall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore, comfort one an|other with the&s;e words.</HI> Here he calls the death of believers a &s;leep, as Chri&s;t &s;aid of <HI>Lazarus,</HI> he &s;leepeth, when he was dead, and its frequently &s;aid in the Old Te&s;ta|ment, &s;uch a one &s;leept with his Fathers, when he was dead. Death is but as a &s;leep out of which men mu&s;t ri&s;e again: there|fore &s;orrow not (&s;aith the Apo&s;tle) as others that have no hope. For if Je&s;us dyed, and ro&s;e again, even &s;o them al&s;o which &s;leep in Je&s;us will God bring with him. And further the Apo&s;tle here de&s;cribes the order of the re&s;urrection. <HI>The dead in Chri&s;t &s;hall ri&s;e fir&s;t, and with them &s;uch believers (or Servants of Christ) as are then alive, &s;hall be caught up together with them in the Clouds, to meet the Lord in the Ayre: and &s;o &s;hall we ever be with the Lord.</HI> Now comfort one an|other herewith &s;aith the Apo&s;tle. <HI>Here is a &s;tedfa&s;t ground for Hope to Anchor upon.</HI> One thing he expre&s;&s;es in the 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 15. which is here pa&s;&s;ed over concerning them that are alive at that day; namely they &s;hall not dye, but they &s;hall be changed, in a mo|ment, in the twinkling of an Eye: for this
<PB N="83" REF="44"> mortal mu&s;t put on immortality: and the natural body mu&s;t be made a Spiritual body, I have &s;poken the more of this, becau&s;e al|though the common notion hereof is retai|ned among People, yet the lively &s;ence of the&s;e things, is to much buryed and out of minde. For &s;urely if men did &s;eriou&s;ly me|ditate hereof, it would have a weighty in|fluence upon their lives and conver&s;ations, to make them inoffencive in the World.</P>
<P>Another thing collateral with this, is, <HI>that as there &s;hall be a re&s;urrection of all, &s;o there &s;hall be a day of judgment for all: when every man &s;hall receive according to the things done in the body, whether good or bad.</HI> It may be &s;ome will &s;ay, this is rather a ground of fear, then a ground of hope. True it is &s;o, to them who take plea&s;ure in iniquity, and are &s;trangers to Chri&s;t Je&s;us, and to a righteous life. But to tho&s;e that are inno|cent in the World, and believe in Chri&s;t, and meet with afflictions and tribulations here, it is a mo&s;t comfortable ground of Hope. <HI>For our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.</HI> But before we &s;peak more of it &s;ee fir&s;t how certainly it is groun|ded upon Scripture; that there &s;hall be <HI>a day of judgment. Act.</HI> 17.30, 31. <HI>The times of this ignorance God winked at, but now commandeth all men every where to repent? Becau&s;e he hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the World in righteou&s;ne&s;s, by that man whom he hath ordained: whereof he hath
<PB N="84" REF="45"> given a&s;&s;urance unto all men, in that he hath rai&s;ed him from the dead.</HI> Hence its plainly held forth, that the rai&s;ing of Chri&s;t from the dead, is a &s;ure Te&s;timony to all men, that God will in an appointed day, by him judge the World, and that in righteou&s;ne&s;s. For every man &s;hall receive according to his deeds done in the body, whether good or evil. Again the Apo&s;tle <HI>Paul</HI> tels us of a day of wrath, and righteous judgment of God. <HI>Rom.</HI> 2.5. and &s;o forward. <HI>But thou after thy hardne&s;s and impenitent Heart trea|&s;ure&s;t up unto thy &s;elf wrath again&s;t the day of wrath, and day of the revelation of the righte|ous judgment of God. Who will render to every man according to his deeds: to them who by patient continuance in well-doing &s;eek for glo|ry, and honour, and immortality</HI> (to them he will render) <HI>eternal life: But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the Truth but obey unrighteou&s;ne&s;s,</HI> (to them) <HI>indignation and wrath.</HI> Then he goes over with it again, <HI>ver.</HI> 9, 10. <HI>Tribulation and angui&s;h upon every Soul of man that doth evil, of the Jew fir&s;t, and al&s;o of the Gentile: But glory, honour and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew fir&s;t, and al&s;o to the Gentile.</HI> Again minde what our Saviour Je&s;us Chri&s;t &s;aid to his twelve Di&s;ciples when he &s;ent them forth with power to preach or publi&s;h, the Kingdom of Heaven to be at hand, and therefore to call them to repentance, and to heal the &s;ick, and ca&s;t out Devils, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> &s;aith he, <HI>who&s;oever &s;hall not receive you, nor
<PB N="85" REF="45"> hear your words, when ye depart out of that Hou&s;e, or City, &s;hake off the du&s;t of your feet. Verely I &s;ay unto you, it &s;hall be more tolerable for the Land of</HI> Sodom <HI>and</HI> Gomor|rah <HI>in the day of judgment then for that City. Matth.</HI> 10.14, 15. The like expre&s;&s;ion he uttered concerning <HI>Chorazin</HI> and <HI>Beth&s;aida</HI> in the next Chap. <HI>viz. Chap.</HI> 11.21, 22. Be|cau&s;e they repented not when they &s;aw the mighty works which he had done in them. <HI>It &s;hall be more tolerable</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>for</HI> Tyre <HI>and</HI> Sidon <HI>at the day of judgment, then for you.</HI> Hence its plain, <HI>that there's a day of judgment yet to come for tho&s;e Cities that have been &s;o long &s;ince de&s;troyed.</HI> And that it &s;hall be more tolerable for them at that day, then for tho&s;e that have had more means of knowledge and true under&s;tanding afforded them, and yet ca&s;t it behinde their backs, and remain impenitent. This being rightly con&s;idered may make the &s;toute&s;t Heart to tremble, who goes on in the paths of wic|kedne&s;s, as it did <HI>Felix. Act.</HI> 24.25. <HI>As</HI> Paul <HI>rea&s;oned of righteou&s;ne&s;s, temperance, and judgment to come,</HI> Felix <HI>trembled:</HI> or was made fearfull, &s;truck with fear. For he that is to judge is no re&s;pecter of Per|&s;ons, and hath all power given him in Hea|ven and in Earth: and from him can none flee for &s;helter: Therefore to the unrighte|ous and ungodly that day is terrible. But to the upright in Heart, who in &s;incerity and Truth de&s;ire to plea&s;e the Lord in walking obediently before him, in a good conver|&s;ation,
<PB N="86" REF="46"> and innocent in the World, to them the day of judgment is a ground of Hope. Why? Becau&s;e they &s;hall receive good at the hands of the Lord: <HI>He will appear to their comfort.</HI> Judge you, how comfortable a thing it &s;hall be at the la&s;t day to the righteous and mercifull, when Chri&s;t &s;hall &s;ay to them, <HI>come ye ble&s;&s;ed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the World. Matth.</HI> 25. But be|cau&s;e that portion of Scripture doth &s;o emi|nently &s;et forth the day of judgment, with &s;ome remarkable circum&s;tances thereof, let us view it a little more fully; in the pre|paration to it, and al&s;o in the matter of fact upon which judgment is to pa&s;&s;e; and the Sentence of judgment it &s;elf. The prepara|tion is this. <HI>The Son of man &s;hall come in his glory, and all the Holy Angels with him, and &s;hall &s;it upon the Throne of his glory. ver.</HI> 31. there's the preparation of the judge. <HI>And before him &s;hall be gathered all Nations. ver.</HI> 32. there's the preparation of the People to be judged. <HI>And he &s;hall &s;eparate them one from another, as a Sheepherd divideth his Sheep from the Goats, and he &s;hall &s;et the Sheep on his right hand, but the Goats on the left.</HI> Here now is his &s;ecret judgment of them in him&s;elf who knowes the wayes and thoughts and Hearts and lives of all men. Then follows his open expre&s;&s;ed &s;entence of judgment upon them. Fir&s;t to tho&s;e on his right hand, this comfortable &s;entence, <HI>come ye ble&s;&s;ed of my Father inherit the King|dom
<PB N="87" REF="46"> prepared for you from the foundation of the World. ver.</HI> 34. And then he gives the rea&s;on of this his righteous judgments. <HI>For</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thir&s;ty, and ye gave me drink: I was a &s;tranger, and ye took me in, I was na|ked, and ye cloathed me: I was &s;ick and ye vi&s;ited me: I was in pri&s;on and ye came unto me.</HI> Then &s;hall the righteous an&s;wer, <HI>Lord when &s;aw we thee &s;o and &s;o, or did &s;o unto thee?</HI> Take notice! Their &s;entence or judg|ment of matter of fact runs wholy upon <HI>Acts of mercy</HI> which by them were not had in re|membrance, or at lea&s;t little &s;et by, for they had herein minded the Coun&s;el of Chri&s;t, in not letting their left hand know, what the right hand had done. But though they minded not what they had done, yet the righteous judge of all the World recor|ded what they had done, and brings up again their mercy into remembrance to their joy and comfort. Yea a Cup of cold Water given to one of his little ones in love to them becau&s;e they belong to him, &s;hall not be forgotten. Then on the other hand, <HI>he &s;hall &s;ay to them on his left hand, depart from me, ye cur&s;ed, into everla&s;ting Fire, prepared for the Devil and his Angels.</HI> And then he gives the rea&s;on of their &s;entence; which is only a defect in mercy. <HI>For</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat; I was thir&s;ty, and ye gave me no drink; I was a &s;tranger, and ye took me not in; naked, and ye cloathed me not, &s;ick and in pri&s;on, and ye
<PB N="88" REF="47"> vi&s;ited me not.</HI> Then the&s;e &s;hall plead for them&s;elves as the others did again&s;t them|&s;elves, &s;aying, <HI>Lord when &s;aw we thee an hungred or a thir&s;t, or a &s;tranger, or naked, or &s;ick, or in pri&s;on, and did not Mini&s;ter unto thee.</HI> Then &s;hall he an&s;wer them &s;aying, <HI>Verely I &s;ay unto you, in as much as ye did it not to one of the lea&s;t of the&s;e, ye did it not to me. And the&s;e &s;hall go away into everla&s;ting puni&s;hment; but the righteous into life eternal.</HI> Here you &s;ee this Scripture doth not only hold forth a day of general judgment, but upon what grounds al&s;o the &s;entence of judgment &s;hall pa&s;&s;e. And its worth your ob&s;ervation to take notice, that the &s;en|tences run wholy upon <HI>Acts of mercy,</HI> and the want of mercy. It runs not upon this or that profe&s;&s;ion, or united Society of men. It runs not thus, <HI>come ye ble&s;&s;ed of my Father;</HI> for ye are Catholiques or Pa|pi&s;ts, and have been ab&s;olved by your Prie&s;t: or ye are Prote&s;tants reformed in part from the &s;uper&s;tition and Idolatry of the Papi&s;ts: or ye, are of the Epi&s;copal or Pre&s;byterian, or Independent, or Ana|bapti&s;t, or fifth Monarchy, or Quakers Society. <HI>But ye have been mercifull: ye have &s;hown forth the nature of your Heavenly Fa|ther, who is love and mercy:</HI> and therefore now mercy is extended to you. For &s;eeing God is love, &s;urely he mu&s;t needs have mo&s;t re&s;pect to his own nature where it is found. As on the other hand he &s;hall have judgment without mercy, that hath &s;hewed
<PB N="89" REF="47"> no mercy. Oh therefore li&s;t up your heads, you tender hearted humble mercifull men, <HI>in hope of a righteous day of judgment to come:</HI> and faint not in doing good, or in your pa|tient waiting for the comming of the Lord, though you be under affliction and tribula|tion in the World. For the day will come that will make amends for all, and &s;atisfy you to the full: So that your labour of love, in what kinde &s;oever, &s;hall not be in vain, or forgotten of the Lord. Divers other Scriptures do confirm the general re&s;urre|ction of the dead and Eternal judgment; which were principles in the Doctrine of Chri&s;t, and not to be confounded with the fir&s;t Spiritual re&s;urrection out of the Grave of &s;in; or with the particular &s;ecret judg|ment of God inwardly in a mans Spirit: For the&s;e are before death natural, the other come after. The&s;e fir&s;t are to prepare for that which is to come after, that we may in hope look for that day that is to come. We are rai&s;ed up here out of the death of &s;in, that we may ri&s;e with comfort hereaf|ter: We are judged of the Lord here that we may not be condemned with the World: and we are made to judge our &s;elves here, that we may not be judged. Ble&s;&s;ed and ho|ly is he that hath part in the fir&s;t re&s;urre|ction, on him the &s;econd death hath no power. So that Hope having &s;o &s;ure a foun|dation, it is as an Anchor &s;ure and &s;tedfa&s;t: And tends greatly to an e&s;&s;ential Chri&s;tian life: to bear us up therein, in holding on
<PB N="90" REF="48"> in patience doing the will of God, and de|nying the plea&s;urable and ea&s;ie paths of un|righteou&s;ne&s;s. This Hope of an eternal in|heritance, makes us not a&s;hamed to bear reproach for Chri&s;ts &s;ake, and for ob&s;erv|ing his commands, though we be accoun|ted as the of-&s;couring or refu&s;e of all things for &s;o doing. So that Hope is as a Helmet upon our heads to bear us up under all the vilifyings of the World. I know it is a com|mon thing with many, if not with mo&s;t, to &s;ay, <HI>I hope to be &s;aved, and I hope God will be mercyfull.</HI> Yea and they will &s;wear by their hope too, &s;aying, <HI>as I hope to be &s;aved.</HI> Well, I would not da&s;h thy hope in Gods mercy, but rather &s;trengthen it; and help to rai&s;e it up higher. But take heed how thou expo&s;es thy hope and thy &s;elf there|with to judgment, in breaking the com|mand of the great judge, who is to judge the<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">, and all the World, who hath &s;aid, <HI>Swear not at all, neither by Heaven, nor by Earth, nor by any other Oath.</HI> Certainly if men &s;hall give an account in the day of judg|ment, of every idle word, (as the true judge hath told us they &s;hall, <HI>Matt.</HI> 12.36.) then &s;urely forbidden Oaths mu&s;t be given account of: therefore put away &s;uch things, as are threatened with judgment. And to rai&s;e up thy hope into &s;trength, and infalli|bility, that it may be a comfortable &s;tay to thee con&s;ider what it is, that it is grounded upon, and how it will operate in thee, if it be right, and &s;ee that the right founda|tion
<PB N="91" REF="48"> be layd. Con&s;ult with the &s;ayings of tho&s;e who have had this lively hope in them: and &s;ee how their's was grounded: and what they te&s;tify of it. I &s;hall lay this one Scripture before thee to con&s;ider on, and to &s;et before thee as a marke, to pre&s;&s;e after. 1 <HI>Joh.</HI> 3. the three fir&s;t ver&s;es. <HI>Be|hold what manner of love the Father hath be|&s;towed on us, that we &s;hould be called the Sons of God: therefore the World knoweth us not, becau&s;e in knew not him. Beloved, now are we the Sons of God, and it doth not yet ap|pear what we &s;hall be: but we know, that when he &s;hall appear, we &s;hall be like him: for we &s;hall &s;ee him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him, purifyeth him&s;elf, even as he is pure.</HI> Would&s;t thou have thy hope rai&s;ed up to this pitch, to expect to be made like the Son of God at his appear|ing by beholding of him or &s;eeing him as he is? Then thou mu&s;t purify thy &s;elf from all uncleanne&s;s of Fle&s;h and Spirit, for he is pure and piercing. If the Sun &s;hine upon a dull thick Earthy body, it doth not fill that with its beautifull light: but if it &s;hine upon a pure tran&s;parent Gem, in fills that with its one glorious light. Therefore there mu&s;t be a purifying and clean&s;ing going before, to prepare us to be made partakers of the glory of the Lord. Every one that hath this hope in him, purifyeth him&s;elf, as he is pure. Now there be two things requi&s;ite in this purification; namely, <HI>Faith in Chri&s;t: and an obedient life. Purifying their Hearts by
<PB N="92" REF="49" MS="y"> Faith,</HI> &s;aith the Scripture: and again, <HI>If I wa&s;h thee not thou ha&s;t no part in mee:</HI> thus he purifyeth the con&s;cience from dead works, by his Spirit, working faith in us, in his blood: and by the &s;ame Spirit leading us in an obedient conver&s;ation. And as many as are led of the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God. And the &s;ame Spirit that leads the Sons of God, the &s;ame witne&s;&s;es in them, that they are &s;o: And &s;o giveth a mo&s;t firm ground of Hope: <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 span">: So that we may &s;ay with the beloved Apo&s;tle, <HI>now are we the Sons of God, but it doth not yet appear what we &s;hall be: but we know, that when he &s;hall appear, we &s;hall be like him: for we &s;hall &s;ee him as he is.</HI> Oh Brethren! How can one think of the&s;e things, and give him&s;elf up to a loo&s;e wicked life and conver&s;ation! Nay, this hope tends greatly to the e&s;&s;en|tial life of a Chri&s;tian: and to pre&s;erve him therein from turning back again into the polluted wayes of the World.</P>
<P>As for Forms wherein, &s;ince the Apo&s;ta|cy, men profe&s;&s;e the &s;ame Chri&s;t, there may be &s;omething e&s;&s;ential al&s;o to a Chri|&s;tian life: But not as they are &s;uch or &s;uch a form; but as the Lord &s;hall require, or lead men by his Spirit, and exerci&s;e their Spirits, for the tryal of them, whether they will follow him whither&s;oever he leads, either into them, or out of the n<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> bearing the reproach of the World, and
<PB N="93" REF="49"> &s;hewing their obedience in an&s;wering that mea&s;ure of light wherewith he doth illu|minate them, and in which he goes before them by the movings of his good Spirit in them. But herein is danger, namely, in urging men by the force of rea&s;on, before the Lord lead them: for men may lay that burden upon the Spirits of others, which the Lord doth not lay: and this work makes only Pro&s;elytes and Hypocrites. Its &s;afe to minde what Chri&s;t Je&s;us our Lord layes upon our Spirits, and not what men lay. <HI>I will put upon you no other burden; but that which ye have already hold fa&s;t till I come;</HI> &s;aith Chri&s;t to &s;ome in the Church of <HI>Thya|tyra. Rev.</HI> 2.24, 25. But there were &s;ome that would have layd upon them other bur|dens, who undervalued the &s;imple and ho|ne&s;t hearted, and counted them weak, and dark, not knowing the depths of Satan, as they u&s;ed to &s;peak in their vaunting over them. But the Lord encouraged them to keep to the burden which he alone layd upon them. Again there is another danger in tho&s;e that are urged before the Lord go before them to lead them: (I &s;peak in point of Form, and outward ob&s;ervations) namely, to be puffed up and exalted in them&s;elves from their form, and &s;o to over|look the righteous life in others. And then they fall into the number of tho&s;e, who be|ing exalted in their form, &s;ay in their Hearts, <HI>&s;tand by thy &s;elf come not near to me for I am holyer then thou.</HI> And this now pro|vokes
<PB N="94" REF="50"> the Lord to wrath; and he will rather look to him that is of a humble and contrite Spirit, &s;tanding in awe of him, then to &s;uch. Its good for both the&s;e to minde whats &s;aid, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 66.5. <HI>Hear the word of the Lord, ye that tremble at his word; your Brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my names &s;ake &s;aid, let the Lord be glorifyed: but he &s;hall appear to your joy, and they &s;hall be a&s;ha|med.</HI> This is encouragement to tho&s;e hum|ble ones, who&s;e Hearts &s;tand in awe before the Lord, not willing to be lead of any, again&s;t the leadings of the Lord: or to &s;ub|ject them&s;elves to that which is contrary to the teachings of the Lord in them; though they be therefore de&s;pi&s;ed, and ca&s;t out by their Brethren. And it may al&s;o be a cau|tion unto others to teach them to take heed how they hate, and ca&s;t out of their e&s;teem, the poor and humble in Spirit, upon the account of any outward formality. <HI>For what ha&s;t thou to doe to judge thy Brother, or to &s;et at nought thy Brother, for any out|ward ob&s;ervation, or formality?</HI> Whereas thou can&s;t not tell whether Chri&s;t our Lord doth lay it upon him or not. <HI>Behold we &s;hall all &s;tand before the judgment &s;eat of Chri&s;t.</HI> One man keeps a day to the Lord, another keeps not a day: two contrary things. Can&s;t thou believe that the&s;e two contrary things, may both be done in obedience to the Lord, at his requirings? Surely they may, or el&s;e I judge that <HI>Paul</HI> would no<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> have defended them both again&s;t eac<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">
<PB N="95" REF="50" MS="y"> other, and have judged nothing but their judging of one another in &s;uch ca&s;e. There|fore Men and Brethren, who&s;oever loveth our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, and his Govern|ment, lay a&s;ide all emulation and wrath, and di&s;e&s;teem of one another for &s;uch things; and learn to love one another though you be not of the &s;ame &s;tature one with an|other: even as Chri&s;t hath loved us, and doth love us, and feed us in &s;everal pa|&s;tures. And learn what this means, <HI>in my Fathers Hou&s;e are many man&s;ions, or dwell|ings,</HI> that &s;o you may not de&s;pi&s;e one an|other.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="appendix">
<HEAD>An Appendix concerning Faith.</HEAD>
<P>BEcau&s;e Faith is &s;o E&s;&s;ential to a Chri|&s;tian, and comprehends, (as I may &s;ay) the very &s;ub&s;tance of the Go&s;pel, in &s;o much that all Chri&s;tianity is &s;ometimes expre&s;&s;ed under that very word of Faith, as <HI>Gal.</HI> 1.23. <HI>Rom.</HI> 1.5. <HI>&amp;c.</HI> Therefore it is here a little further in&s;i&s;ted upon, partly by way of recapitulation, holding forth.</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>The foundation of Faith layd, out of us, in the love and mercy, and Truth of God: and in the &s;ufferings and re&s;urrection of Chri&s;t.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>The Work and Fruits of it in us, by the Spirit.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Fir&s;t.</HI> The foundation and ground of Faith; that mu&s;t of nece&s;&s;ity be &s;omething not out of us, which is to be believed. Therefore that thing is the material thing
<PB N="96" REF="51" MS="y"> to be publi&s;hed or preached among men, for the begetting of Faith. For the under|&s;tanding mu&s;t be opened to under&s;tand it before one can believe it. Therefore <HI>Philip</HI> opened the under&s;tanding of the <HI>Eunuch</HI> in the Scriptures concerning Chri&s;t: and then he believed: And Chri&s;t, he opened the under&s;tandings of the two Di&s;ciples, that were going to <HI>Emaus,</HI> when their Faith was &s;haken concerning him, that they might under&s;tand the Scriptures. And &s;o the Apo|&s;tles when they preached the Go&s;pel of Sal|vation, &s;till they opened the things to be believed, by the Scriptures, that &s;o tho&s;e who&s;e Heart God was plea&s;ed to open, might &s;ee what a &s;ure ground there was layd in God, and in Chri&s;t for men to be|lieve on him. For our Salvation or our life is hide with Chri&s;t in God. The foundation of all is in God; in his kindne&s;s, in his love in his mercy. And therefore all glory re|dounding from thence a&s;cends unto God. This is that which makes us truely to glori|fy God in our Hearts and Spirits, when we &s;ee him the foundation of all, the beginner and fini&s;her of all. That takes a man off his Phari&s;aical exaltation in him&s;elf ari&s;ing from his own righteou&s;ne&s;s. Oh how hum|bly did the Apo&s;tles of our Lord, give all glory and honour, unto the kindne&s;s, and mercies, and love of God, manife&s;ted to us in Chri&s;t Je&s;us. In all their Epi&s;tles to the Saints rai&s;ing up their mindes to the great love of God in chri&s;t Je&s;us. For he
<PB N="97" REF="51"> was the Ve&s;&s;el filled with the love of God, to convey it to us. And this was the glory which his Di&s;ciples beheld in him. <HI>We beheld his glory, full of grace and truth. Joh.</HI> 1. Grace is good will, kindne&s;s, love, mercy; this is Go&s;pel; this is the glad tydings, which came by Je&s;us Chri&s;t. <HI>The Law came by</HI> Mo&s;es, <HI>but grace and Truth by Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</HI> This love of God revealed in us by his Spirit, is the Rock of ages: and while we live and walk in that we live in God, for God is love. This was <HI>I&s;raels</HI> Rock while they continued in his love, and he lead him, and in&s;tructed him, and kept him as the Apple of his Eye, until he waxed fat and kicked, and lightly e&s;teemed the Rock of his Salvation: as <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> &s;ets forth in his Song, <HI>Deut.</HI> 32. And <HI>Hannah</HI> in her Song. 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 2. And <HI>David</HI> in his Song. 2 <HI>Sam.</HI> 2. likewi&s;e <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 62. &s;aith he, <HI>truely my Soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my Salvation. He only is my Rock and my Sal|vation,</HI> &s;everal times doth he repeat tho&s;e words in that &s;hort P&s;alm, and then &s;aith, <HI>ver.</HI> 8. <HI>Tru&s;t in him at all times ye People, pour out your Heart before him: God is a re|fuge for us.</HI> Selah. <HI>Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lye,</HI> &s;o neither of them are to be tru&s;ted to: though a man be exalted as high as Hea|ven, above all called Gods, or above all Earthly powers, yet he is but a lye and not to be tru&s;ted to. Therefore to be built upon a man, is but to be built upon a lye. But to
<PB N="98" REF="52"> be built upon the Revelation of the love of God in Chri&s;t Je&s;us; there's the Rock. That was the Rock, that Chri&s;t would build his Church upon. <HI>&V;pon this Rock will I build my Church,</HI> &s;aith he to <HI>Peter.</HI> What was that? upon <HI>Peter?</HI> No, he was <HI>Pe|trus</HI> &s;o named from the Fathers revealing of his Son to him, which was <HI>Petra,</HI> the Rock upon which <HI>Peter</HI> him&s;elf was built, and the Church in all ages. <HI>Matt.</HI> 16.16, 17, 18, 19. And in that Revelation of the Son of God by the Father, and in his power and pre&s;ence, there &s;tands the power of bin|ding and loo&s;ing: which al&s;o was given to any two or three of the Church as well as to <HI>Peter. Mat.</HI> 18.18, 19, 20. by vertue of the pre&s;ence of him with them, who is truth and is no lye. For thats given as the rea&s;on both of that power of binding and loo&s;ing tran&s;gre&s;&s;ions, and al&s;o of that power and prevalency of the prayers of two or three concurring with one accord to a&s;k any thing of God. Why? <HI>For</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>where two or three are gathered together (eis to onoma emon) into my name, there am I in the mid&s;t of them. ver.</HI> 20. Here is the infal|lible Rock and foundation: not <HI>Peter</HI> as a man; and therefore le&s;t any &s;hould take him to be the infallible foundation, the Lord &s;uffered him to &s;lide &s;ometimes, more then we read of the other Apo&s;tles, in &s;o much that he called him Satan, &s;aying to him quickly after he had called him <HI>Peter,</HI> or a Rock or a Stone, <HI>get thee behinde me Sa|tan:</HI>
<PB N="99" REF="52"> we finde not that he ever &s;aid &s;uch a word to any of the re&s;t, except <HI>Judas</HI> whom he &s;aid was a Devil, one of you is a Devil. Therefore <HI>Peter</HI> &s;tanding in the Revelation of the Father, firm in that, or upon that Rock, he became as a &s;ecundary Rock layed upon the chief Corner-&s;tone: and &s;o did all the re&s;t of the Apo&s;tles, and Prophets. <HI>Eph.</HI> 2.20. But <HI>Peter</HI> &s;tanding in the wi&s;|dom of the Fle&s;h, out of that Revelation of the Father, he was an offence, and no better then Satan, and to be rejected and ca&s;t behind the back: and &s;o is every one that &s;tands there, namely in the wi&s;dom of the Fle&s;h, in oppo&s;ition to the work of God. <HI>Peter</HI> was no foundation for the Church to be built upon as he was a mutable man: but only as he &s;tood in the infallible Coun&s;el and Revelation of the Son of God: So he held forth the Rock to others, and was dignifyed with the name of the Rock. So likewi&s;e Chri&s;t will put his own name upon others that &s;tand faithfull to him: as he writ to the Church of <HI>Philadelphia.</HI> Rev. 3.12. <HI>Him that overcometh will I make a Pillar in the Temple of my God, &mdash; and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the City of my God: &mdash; and my new name.</HI> And &s;o <HI>Peter</HI> was dignifyed with the name <HI>Petrus</HI> or <HI>Petros</HI> from <HI>Petra</HI> which was the true Rock in all ages: be|cau&s;e he profe&s;&s;ed him from the revelation of the Father. <HI>Whom &s;ay ye that I am?</HI> (&s;aith Chri&s;t) <HI>Thou art the Son of the living God,</HI>
<PB N="100" REF="53"> (&s;aith <HI>Peter.</HI>) Here was the Rock or foun|dation the Corner-&s;tone. <HI>Petra.</HI> As all the Scriptures te&s;tify, and from hence he was called <HI>Petros,</HI> but in Satans work he was called Satan. Therefore the Spirit he &s;tood in gives the denomination. So likewi&s;e con|cerning others, <HI>Herod</HI> in his crafty rave|nous Spirit was called a <HI>Fox.</HI> So if <HI>Peter,</HI> or the <HI>Pope</HI> pretending to be <HI>Peters</HI> Succe&s;|&s;or, &s;hall &s;tand in a de&s;troying Spirit, doth not he de&s;erve the name of <HI>Apollyon</HI> which &s;ignifies a de&s;troyer? And is not this name ju&s;tly put upon the King of the de&s;troying Locu&s;ts, <HI>Rev.</HI> 9.11. I de&s;ire thee, who|&s;oever thou art, to weigh this well: <HI>Peter</HI> or whoever it is that &s;tands in the Spirit of God, which reveales the Son of God, and are keept in that, God dignifies them with Honourable names, &s;uch as none knowes but they which receive them. On the other hand tho&s;e that &s;tand in another Spirit have names given accordingly. Therefore i'ts a &s;otti&s;h and incongruous thing for men liv|ing in one Spirit, to challenge a name pro|per to the contrary. How fooli&s;h and im|pertinent is it for men that are as Locu&s;ts and Scorpions carrying &s;tings in their Tails wherewith to hurt men, who ari&s;e out of the &s;moke of the bottomle&s;s pit of mans wi&s;|dom and imaginations, for them to chal|lenge the name of Chri&s;tians, a name pro|per to tho&s;e who &s;tanding in the Revelation of God, and nature of Chri&s;t follow him as innocent Lambs. I'ts as di&s;crepant, or con|trary,
<PB N="101" REF="53"> as for a Wolf or Fox to challenge the name of a Lamb. So for the King of the&s;e Locu&s;ts, the&s;e &s;tinging Scorpions, for him to go under the name of Chri&s;ts Vicar, and <HI>Peters</HI> Succe&s;&s;or, is as contrary as to call Fire, Water, or Water, Fire. I'ts to put light for darkne&s;s, and darkne&s;s for light. And thereunto belongs a woe. <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 5.20. <HI>Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkne&s;s for light, and light for darkne&s;s; that put bitter for &s;weet, and &s;weet for bitter.</HI> I have in&s;i&s;ted the more upon this, le&s;t men &s;hould mi&s;&s;e of their expe|ctation, and fall &s;hort of the comfortable enjoyment of the Kingdom of God, in building upon the Sands and not upon the true Rock.</P>
<P>Another thing to be con&s;idered, and which was publi&s;hed by the Apo&s;tles to be|get faith, was the &s;ufferings and re&s;urre|ction of Chri&s;t. This al&s;o was done without us, we have no hand in it: And this al&s;o was from the love of God. <HI>God &s;o loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that who&s;oever believeth in him &s;hould not peri&s;h but &s;hould have eternal life.</HI> And what did God give him to do for us? One thing was to bear our &s;ins. <HI>He became &s;in for us who knew no &s;in, that we might be made the right|ou&s;ne&s;s of God in him.</HI> 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 5.21. that is, he bare our &s;ins in his own body, and &s;uf|fered for them, that we by faith in him might be cloathed with Gods righteou&s;ne&s;s: or with the love and mercy of God. For
<PB N="102" REF="54"> thats it which being received by faith is cal|led Gods righteou&s;ne&s;s.</P>
<P>Now tho the foundation for Faith be layd out of us, in the good will and love of God in Chri&s;t Je&s;us, and in his &s;ufferings and re&s;urrection: yet the work of Faith, thats wrought in us by the Spirit of God, for its he that opens the Heart of man to be|lieve his love. Sin &s;huts up the Heart of man again&s;t the Lord, and is as it were a bolt again&s;t him. Therefore to take away that bolt, and to make way for the open|ing of the door, Chri&s;t &s;uffered: <HI>He bare our &s;ins in his own body on the Tree, to make way for man to conceive the love of God in Christ;</HI> And thats not all: I'ts the entrance or the beginning of Faith, which he follows by the operation of his Spirit in us, wa&s;hing our con&s;ciences by the Blood of Chri&s;t: and &s;o giving boldne&s;s through him to draw near to God, and to come to him as a Fa|ther, and thus by degrees the Lord makes his entrance into the Hearts of the Sons of men, that they may become the Sons of God: He living in them, and they living in him. For his love being received (which in very deed is Faith) he him&s;elf, who is love, is received, and here is begotten a Son to God. <HI>As many as receive him to them gives he power to become the Sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.</HI> For this is the end of our Faith, that God may dwell in us, and &s;o renew his image again which through &s;in hath been defaced. That man
<PB N="103" REF="54"> that pretends faith in Chri&s;t, and yet lives in the nature or Spirit of the Devil, doing his works, his Faith is but like the Faith of his Father the Devil, who&s;e works he doth. The Faith of the Sons and Daughters of God is &s;hown by their Fruits: for they work the works of their Father. Every Tree is known by its Fruits. <HI>Now this is the great my&s;tery, hid for &s;o many ages and generations which in due time God revealed by his Spirit to the Apo&s;tles of Christ: Namely Chri&s;t to be brought forth in us: and this is the hope of glory.</HI> And the preaching of the fir&s;t principles of the Doctrine of Chri&s;t, is but to make way for this. Under the great Apo|&s;tacy, wherein the Whori&s;h Spirit hath raigned, the my&s;tery of the glorious Go&s;pel hath been vailed. And men have highly pretended Faith in Chri&s;t, and yet lived in the nature of the Devil, murdering and de&s;troying one another, and de&s;pi&s;ing one another, for a few outward ob&s;ervations and Ceremonies: Whereby it is manife&s;t that the Faith of the Go&s;pel hath been vail|ed among them: The Sun hath been darke|ned in the Firmament through the Clouds of mens imaginations, and inventions and traditions, upon which they have put the weight of their Religion: and &s;o wanting the nature of the true Faith they have per|&s;ecuted one another for the&s;e things. For they have been ignorant of their own &s;tate: and taken them&s;elves to be Churches of Chri&s;t when they were but the outward
<PB N="104" REF="55"> Court, which was left out unmea&s;ured and given to the Nations. When the Woman, the true Church, withdrew her &s;elf into the Wilderne&s;s, the Lord in mercy left an outward Court open for the Gentiles, or Nations, to a&s;&s;emble in (for their a&s;&s;em|blings are in the outward Court.) And he left it unmea&s;ured, giving the Gentiles or Nations leave to u&s;e their own wi&s;dom in their wayes of a&s;&s;embling, and approach|ing towards his Holy Temple: But they mi&s;taking their own in&s;titutions, for the true Ordinances and In&s;titutions of Chri&s;t, have in their blinde Zeal for them, per&s;e|cuted one another, and al&s;o trampled the Holy City under foot among them, becau&s;e &s;he could not walk with them in their hu|mane traditions, and mingled inventions: which indeed have borne &s;ome face of Chri&s;ts Ordinances, but polluted through mens inventions; the Nations &s;etting Gods po&s;t by mans po&s;t, as the Scripture &s;peaks. And hence in pretence for God, they have been de&s;tructive one to another, and all to the true wor&s;hippers, and &s;o are plainly di&s;covered to be out of the true Go&s;pel Faith: which hath been ob&s;cured among them: and they involved in darkne&s;s and ignorance. For had the Nations known their own &s;tate, that they were but the outward Court left unmea&s;ured; then would they have known al&s;o, that the mea&s;ures of others in their approaching to wor&s;hip might be as good as their own; or at lea&s;t
<PB N="105" REF="55"> wi&s;e, that it was left at liberty as well as their own. Or had the Nations known the power, and true nature of Faith; they would not have per&s;ecuted and de&s;troyed others for differing from them in profe&s;&s;ion of Religion. But it is &s;aid, <HI>when the Son of man comes &s;hall he finde Faith on the Earth?</HI> Which implyes the great defect thereof, and the great Apo&s;tacy therefrom upon the Earth: As indeed is made manife&s;t, by the lives and works of men. For if by Faith the Son of God were received, they would do the works of God: Yea they in whom Chri&s;t lives, they do the works of Chri&s;t. And ble&s;&s;ed be God and Father of our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, that he is again reviving of the truth, and di&s;pelling the darkne&s;s: and begetting a People to him&s;elf, not only to know his Heavenly nature better, but al&s;o to live therein in their mea&s;ure. And he will yet more and more di&s;cover the fal&s;e Fruitle&s;s and de&s;troying Faith, of Nominal and National Churches: who pretend Faith in Chri&s;t and Hope in Chri&s;t, and yet live in the nature and works of him, whom Chri&s;t doth ca&s;t out, and who&s;e works he comes to de&s;troy: which kinde of believers or Profe&s;&s;ors of Chri&s;tianity, cau&s;e the gloryous name of our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t to be bla&s;phemed, that is, evil &s;po|ken of among them that own him not, as namely <HI>Turks</HI> and <HI>Jews,</HI> and other infi|dels. Therefore the Lord will bring down &s;uch Hypocritical Faiths: And that &s;hall
<PB N="106" REF="56"> be the fall of <HI>Babylon</HI> the great. For what was the fall of the <HI>Jews?</HI> Was it not the di&s;covery of their fal&s;e and Hypocrical pro|fe&s;&s;ion of his name, leaving them therein as in a Snare, when he drew out from among them the upright and &s;imple hearted who truely feared him, and believed in him. So the fall of <HI>Babylon,</HI> that is, of all fal&s;e Faiths, which work the works of Sa|tan, and hold the &s;eed of Chri&s;t in bond|age: their fall &s;hall be the di&s;covery of their Hypocriticall Faith: that &s;hall be the fall thereof: and &s;he &s;hall be di&s;covered to be a habitation of Devils. Fal&s;e Faiths that bring forth the works of the Devil, lying, deceit, murder, per&s;ecution, pride, en|vy, hatred and &s;uch like, &s;uch Faiths are fit receptacles and habitations for the Devil to act his part under, and men living in his Spirit, and doing his works, are rightly ca<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">led by his name, (as <HI>Peter</HI> was when he did &s;o.) On the other hand, they that live in the Spirit of Chri&s;t Je&s;us, in his innocent nature, following him, they are rightly called the Sons and Daughters of God. This was no &s;trange thing in the Apo&s;tles dayes, when their Faith was a living Faith, and gave them fellow&s;hip with God: though in our dayes, &s;ince the memory of many, &s;ome have been Pillored, and Stigmatized for bla&s;phemers, for profe&s;&s;ing Son&s;hip with God. Which &s;howes what gro&s;&s;e igno|rance and darkne&s;s hath been over the Spi|rits of men, though highly profe&s;&s;ing Faith
<PB N="107" REF="56"> in Chri&s;t. For if they had known either the Scriptures or the power and Priviledges of a living Faith, they dur&s;t not have done &s;o. <HI>Now are we the Sons of God,</HI> &s;aith <HI>John.</HI> And, <HI>as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the Sons of God,</HI> &s;aith <HI>Paul:</HI> and &s;uch having received the <HI>Spirit of Adoption,</HI> draw nigh to God in that Spirit, crying, <HI>Abba, Father;</HI> Yea the Apo&s;tle goes higher and is very bold in his expre&s;&s;ing of the near relation of the Sons of God with him. <HI>If Children then Heirs, Heirs of God, and joynt-heirs with Chri&s;t, if we &s;uffer with him, that we may be al&s;o glorifyed together. Rom.</HI> 8. True and living Faith, gives this Son&s;hip. <HI>As many as received him, to them he gave power to become the Sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.</HI> So believing on his name is receiving Chri&s;t, and with him <HI>Son&s;hip and Heir-&s;hip.</HI> And then he be|ing received, and his Spirit leading us, we are thereby taught to walke as the Sons of God without rebuke in the World. And &s;o the lives of the Servants of the Lord be|ing blamele&s;&s;e, are ar lights in the World: and preaches righteou&s;ne&s;s to the World, and tend to the glory of God. <HI>Let your light &s;o &s;hine before men</HI> (&s;aith Chri&s;t) <HI>that they may &s;ee your good works and glorify your Father which is in Heaven.</HI> To whom be glory and Honour for ever, for his un&s;earchable love, manife&s;ted to us in Chri&s;t Je&s;us our Lord.</P>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">.</P>
</DIV2>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
