CHAP. I.
Of the reall unity of the word of the law of righteousnesse, written in the heart of man. Of the word of promise: and of the word of the seventh dayes rest: and of the formall difference of each from the other.

WIthout the knowledge of the first Covenant, (established be­tweene God and man, upon the immediat command of the word of the first seventh dayes rest of the law of righteous­nesse) there is no rest for the faith of man, to rest fundamen­tally upon the immediate object of faith: for without the true light of this fundamentall knowledge, the faith of man is unstable, apt to be carried away, with the light of error, from the true rocke of rest.

For the better informing the judicious Reader, in the true knowledge both of the first, and likewise of the two last Covenants made by God with man: I doe premit this certaine Theologicall ground, arising immediatly from the truth of the sacred word, most necessarily to be first set downe.

The word of God in the Scripture is taken in a twofold sence: first, the word is taken for the infinite word, infinite power, life, light, righteousnes; necessarily implying the essentiall power of the naturall life of the humane nature of the word: man the son of God before all time, as he is man the son of God, begotten of the seed of the woman in time: second person of the glo­rious Trinity.

By the word in this sense (before the word was made flesh of the seed of the woman) heaven, earth, the hoast of both (to wit man and the creatures) were created in the beginning of time: and in this sence, the word is incom­municable to all the creatures created by the word.

Secondly, the word is taken for the image of the infinite power of the life of righteousnesse of the word: necessarily implying the image of the power of the naturall life of the humane nature of the word: and in this sense, the word is called the word of the power of righteousnesse: and the word in this acception, is communicate to man, and that after a twofold maner.

First, the word of the power of the life of righteousnes (necessarily imply­ing the power of the naturall life of the word) is eternally written in the heart of man. Secondly, the word of the power of life of righteousnes (necessa­rily [Page 2] implying the power of the naturall life of the word) is objected to the ex­ternall senses of man, and by the sound of the word written (as it were) in the sense of hearing. This power of the word of righteousnes, both as it is in­ternally written in the heart of man, and as it is objected to his externall sen­ses, is twofold.

The first power of the word (as it is internally written in the heart of man) is the power of the life of righteousnesse, necessarily implying the power of the naturall life of the word. By the immediate power of the word (thus writ­ten in the heart of man) man is enabled to live the life of righteousnes, and the naturall life of man: for without the power of naturall life, man can no way live the life of righteousnes: and in this sense it is said, that in him we live, in him we move, in him we have our being, that is in the word: for by the im­mediate power of the word written in the heart of man, (as it is the image of the infinite word, power, life, and being it selfe) man doth live, move, and hath his being, in his severall state and condition. Joh. 1.4.

The second power of the word of righteousnes (as the word is internally written in the heart of man) it is the commanding power of the word. For the word of righteousnes in this sense, is the word of the law of righteousnes, internally commanding the heart of man (which is the center and originall of all the powers of man, as he is man) commanding man to produce the workes of righteousnes, according to the law of righteousnes, as man (by the first power of the word written in his heart) is enabled to live the life of righ­teousnes. For according to that Theologicall Principle; As God doth com­mand the action of his creature, so before, or in, and with the command, God (in his justice) doth inable his creature, with the power of action to fulfill his command. As the word of righteousnes is objected to the externall senses of man, it is taken in a twofold sense.

First, the word of the power of life of righteousnes (necessarily implying the power of naturall life of the word) is taken for the word of promise, wher­by God doth covenant with man, to grant the eternall continuation of the life of righteousnes (necessarily implying me naturall life of the word to man) as man is inabled to live that life, by the power of the word written in his heart, which is called the word of eternall life.

Secondly, as the word of righteousnes is objected to the externall senses of man, it is taken for the word of the seventh dayes rest of the law of righteous­ [...]s, implying the command of the whole law. And the word of the seventh dayes rest of the law, in this sense, hath likewise a twofold power.

The first power of the word of the seventh dayes rest of the law, it is the power of command: for in this sense the word of God is the command of his [Page 3] law of righteousnes, commanding the obedience of man, by his workes of righteousnes, to fulfill the command of his law of righteousnes, as man is ina­bled to live that life, by the immediate power of the word of the law written in his heart. And in this sense, Gods word is said to be a law to man. For all the commands of God, (righteousnes it selfe) by his word, are the necessary commands of his law of righteousnes: and all the commands of the law of God, are the necessary commands of the word of the seventh dayes rest of the law which doeth necessarily imply the command of the whole law of God. Gods command therefore to Adam, commanding him to abstaine from eating of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil, was the necessary command of the word of the first seventh daies rest of the law of righteousnes

The second power of the word of the seventh dayes rest, is the power of life of righteousnes, necessarily implying the power of the naturall life of the word: and this power of the word of the seventh dayes rest, is by the imme­diate blessing of the seventh dayes rest, which is due by the law, to the se­venth dayes worship and man: necessarily implying, his fulfilling of the whole law, for the seventh day is blessed for man: and the seventh day is sanctified for Gods worship by man; by the immediate power of which blessing, of the seventh dayes rest, man doth rest in the injoying of the word of promise.

The word of the law therefore written in the heart, and the word of pro­mise, and the word of the seventh dayes rest, are really one: for by the word written in the heart, man doth live the life of righteousnes: and by the word of promise, God doth promise the eternall continuation of that life: and by the blessing of the word of the seventh dayes rest, man doth rest in the injoy­ing of his life of righteousnes: and the word in this threefold sense, is the i­mage of the righteousnes of God, the infinite life of righteousnes.

But yet as there is a reall unity, in the word written in the heart, in the word of promise, and in the word of the seventh dayes rest: so there is a for­mall difference. For the word of the Law written in the heart, is formally the word of the power of life: and the word of promise, is formally the word of eternall life, whereby the eternall continuance of the power of the word in the heart is promised: and the word of the seventh dayes rest, is formally the word of eternall rest, for by the eternall blessing of the word of the seventh dayes rest, man doth rest in the injoying of the word of promise, wherby God doth fulfill his promise to man, and therefore called truth. And this is the rea­son, that, as in the word of promise, the covenant is established between God and man, upon the word of the seventh dayes rest; the covenant and the word of the seventh dayes rest, are really one, but of a formall difference.

The reall unity of both, is in this, that the word of promise (which is the [Page 4] word of eternall life) is by the eternall blessing of the word of the seventh dayes rest. And the formall difference of both, is in this, that God and man, (in the word of promise) are formally and mutually obliged by covenant, but man is only formally commanded by the word of the seventh dayes rest, of his law of righteousnesse. For God in the word of promise, doth bind and ob­liege himselfe to man by covenant, to grant the eternall continuation of the life of righteousnes, which man doth injoy, by the power of the word writ­ten in his heart. And because this eternall continuation of the life of man, is by the eternall blessing of the word of the seventh dayes rest, therefore God doth mutually bind and obliege man by his covenant, to fulfill the command of his seventh dayes worship (implying the fulfilling of the whole law) after that formall maner as God hath manifested himselfe, to be worshipped by man, by the word of his seventh dayes rest: and this obligement of man by covenant, is both upon the promise of eternall life, and also upon the promise of eternall death.

By the light of the word therefore of every severall seventh dayes rest; first we are led in the knowledge of the state and condition of man, with whom the covenant is made. For the word of the seventh dayes rest, and the word of the law written in the heart, (whereby man doth live) are really one: Se­condly, by this light we are led in the knowledge of the covenant, which is alwayes really one, with the word of the seventh dayes rest. For the word of promise, is fulfilled by the eternall blessing of the word of the seventh daies rest, whereon the condition of the covenant doth depend. Now because, by covenant, man is bound and obliged to the command of the law of righteous­nes, both upon the promise of eternall life, and eternall death, according to the merit of man: The law of GOD, is therefore sayd, to have a two­fold reward, (to wit) the blessing of eternall rest to the merit of the obedient, and eternall death to the merit of the disobedient, which is called the curse of the law; though eternall death be properly and immediately by the cove­nant, for the law of God (in its proper nature) which is the image of his righ­teousnes, doth command the obedience of man only, upon the eternall bles­sing of the seventh dayes rest, and not upon eternall death. And therfore we see, that the curse of the Law, is not set downe in the Decalogue.

But because as the covenant is established upon the immediat command of the word of the seventh dayes rest, of the law of righteousnes, it is the i­mage both of the righteousnes, and justice of God, rendring to man according to his merit. For this cause the law commands man, both upon the blessing of the word of the seventh dayes rest, and upon the curse of disobedients; and therefore though by covenant it be left to the freedome of mans election, to [Page 5] live the life of righteousnes, according to the command of the law of righte­ousnes, and to merit eternall life, by his obedience; or eternall death by his disobedience: yet as the covenant is established upon the immediate com­mand of the words of the seventh dayes rest of the law of righteousnes, the o­bedience of man is both obliged and commanded, upon the eternall blessing of the seventh dayes rest, and upon the inevitable curse of eternall death.

By the light of this Theologicall infallible ground, (arising from the light of the truth of the sacred word) the judicious Reader is led in the knowledge of the three covenants made by God with man; which are linckt together, as it were, in a chaine, as may appeare by the subsequent declaration of this tra­ctat. First therefore of the first covenant made by God with man.

CHAP. II.
Of the created perfection of the intellectuall nature of man, and of the immortality of the soule.

BEcause the first covenant doeth necessarily presuppose the first estate of man, with whom the first covenant was made: This first Booke therefore shalbe divided into these two parts: The first shall contain the declaration of the first estate of man. The second shall contain the declaration of the first covenant.

The first state of man, was the created state of man, the last created of all creatures; whose creation doth presuppose the whole workes of the creati­on, which is the very first period of the exercit act, of the sacred decree of predestination; exercit by the infinit essentiall word immediately.

As for the knowledge of the first estate of man, it must necessarily arise from the light of the word of the first seventh dayes rest. For the word of the first seventh dayes rest of the law of righteousnesse, and the word of the law first written in the heart of man, are of one reall life and light. For as the word of the first seventh dayes rest of the law of righteousnes, was the word of the eternall rest of righteousnes, (by the eternall blessing of the first seventh dayes rest) so the word of the law of righteousnes, first written in the heart of man, was the word of the power of the life of righteousnes, necessarily implying the power of the naturall life of the word. For by the immediate power of the word thus written in the heart of man, man was inabled to live the life of righteousnes, & to live the naturall life of man in his first state & condition.

But as man of all creatures, was last created, so man was the ornament, per­fection, and (as it were) the master piece of the workes of the creation. For of all the creatures created by God, the creation of man was the most rare [Page 6] and curious worke. And though it be sayd, That man was made a little lower then the Angels (to wit, in the perfection of glory:) yet the perfection of mans creation was superiour to the creation of Angels: for all creatures were either intellectuall or corporall. But that two so strange differing natures, should be essentially united in the nature of man, it is the wonder of nature it selfe. All the creatures therefore being perfectly created, man (the ornament of the workes of the creation) was created in the state of humane perfection. This created perfection of man, was the perfect life of righteousnes, necessa­rily implying the perfection of the naturall life of man.

This perfection of man did arise from the perfection of the word of the law first written in the heart of man: for in and with the immediat act of the creation of man, as the word of the law of righteousnes, was spiritually and immediatly written in the soule, essentially united to the heart, so by the same immediate act of the spirituall writer, the word of the law (as the law is spiri­tuall) was actually and spiritually enlightned, by the spirituall light of his ho­ly spirit in the soule of man. By the power of which sanctifying light, the heart of man (to which the soule is essentially united (was by the same imme­diate act) sanctified with the spirituall action of holines. By the immediate sanctifying power of the word, thus actually and spiritually enlightned, man was enabled to live the perfect life of righteousnes and holines; wherby man was a perfect naturall and spirituall man, and the perfect image of righteous­nes and holines. And this was the first state and condition of man, with whom the first covenant was made by God.

Man therefore (by the perfection of his creation) was of a twofold perfe­ction. The first was the naturall perfection of man: the second was his spiri­tuall perfection. Of this twofold perfection of man, briefly, so far as concer­neth the subject in hand. And first, of the naturall perfection of man, and next of his spirituall perfection.

The naturall perfection of man, doth consist in the essentiall union of the intellectuall and sensitive nature of man. First therefore of the created perfe­ction of the intellectuall nature of man, abstractly: and next of the created per­fection of the sensitive nature of man, and of the essentiall union of the two natures. The created perfection of the intellectuall nature of man, is in the perfection of the soule of man: and the perfection of the soule, is from the perfection of the naturall power of the life of the word: which the perfecti­on of the spirituall life of the word, doeth necessarily imply. For the word is spiritually and immediately written in the soule of man, as it is the image of the infinite word, infinite power, perfection, life, light, righteousnes, truth, and eternity it selfe. By the immediate naturall power of the word, thus im­mediately [Page 7] written in the soule of man, the soule doth live, move, intellectually; and hath its perfect eternall state of intellectuall being, as the word (immedi­ately written in the soule) is perfect and eternall, the soule of man therefore was created as perfect a true eternall spirit in the humane sphere, as the An­gelicall spirit in the Angelicall sphere: for both as they are created spirits (of a simple immateriall substance) doe live, move, intellectually, and have their eternall state of intellectuall being, by the same reall power of the word, spiri­tually written in the intellectuall spirit of both, though after a differing man­ner. And though the intellectuall soule of man, while it is in the essentiall u­nion with the sensitive nature, doth act by the mediate, organicall sensitive po­wers, yet the soule (in its intellectuall operations) doth advance it selfe above all sensitive power, and doth exercise its intellectuall operation, without the help of any sensitive organ. And therfore Aristotle (that true light of all Phi­losophicall truth) doth peremptorily affirme, that it is not to be fained or ima­gined, that the soule of man (in its intellectuall operations) doth use the help of any sensitive organ, but that is meerely independent from any sensitive or­gan. And consequently, I doe necessarily conclude, that the soule of man is likewise independent from any sensitive organ in its being. For according to that Philosophicall principle; The maner of the creatures action, doth ne­cessarily follow the creatures being. The intellectuall soule of man there­fore, being independent from all sensitive organ, both in being, and in intel­lectuall operation, the soule of man is separable from all sensitive power, and consequently immortall. And though, while the soule is in the essentiall uni­on of both the natures, the understanding faculty of the soule doth depend objectively upon the sense of phansie, yet the dependence is but an accidence and not essentiall. And though Aristotle doth affirme (and that most truly) that in the act of understanding, the species of the eternall object being recei­ved in the understanding, doth become one with the understanding, (for in this union doth consist the understanding of the received species) yet this uni­on is likewise accidentall and separable; for otherwise the understanding should stand alwayes affected, which is repugnant to all Philosophicall truth.

Heere by the way, the judicious Reader may observe the prerogative of the soule of man, above all sublunary formes, informing the materiall compo­sit. For as all other sublunary formes doe arise from the materiality of the composit, so they doe stand and fall with the composit; but though the intel­lectuall soule of man (which is the first act of man, as he is man) doth essenti­ally informe the sensitive materiall nature of man: yet the intellectuall soule being every way independent in being, from the sensitive body, and no waies arising from the materiality thereof, is separable from the sensitive body, and consequently immortall.

Because the immortality of the soule, is a most concerning fundamentall point of faith, and a maine fundamentall point of this tractat, for the Read­ers more full satisfaction, I referre the truth of the point from the truth of the sacred Word.

First, the intellectuall soule of man, (humane spirit) is begotten by the e­ternall father of spirits: as the father therefore is eternity it self (to speak with the Schoolmen) both from the part before, and from the part after, that is with­out all beginning or ending, excluding all quantitative termes of time; so hu­mane spirit begotten of the eternall father, is eternall from the part after. For though the soule of man hath its beginning from the eternall father, yet the soule of man (humane spirit) is without all ending with the father. This be­gotten humane spirit by the eternall father, (since the creation) is by the eter­nall fathers immediate concurring with the sensitive body, while as the sensi­tive body commeth to such sensitive perfection in the wombe, as the high e­laborate vitall spirits of the heart, doe appetite the intellectuall information of the soule. For in that point of time, the eternall father (as he hath obliged himselfe by covenant) doth concurre, and by the immediate power of the word doth unite the intellectuall nature and spirit of man, elaborate to the vi­tall spirits of the heart: from whence the life of man, as he is man, is diffused o all the parts and powers of the sensitive body. By this intellectuall infor­mation, the infant in the wombe, is man, and in the prefixed time of birth, brought forth man in the world, by man female, the woman.

Secondly, the intellectuall soule of man (humane spirt) is of the same sphe­riphicall sphere, with the humane spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ, begotten of the same eternall Father. The soule of man therefore (humane spirit) is eter­nall and immortall.

Thirdly, the Lord himselfe doth affirme, Luke 12.4. That the soule of man (humane spirit) cannot be killed: and consequently the soule of man is eter­nall and immortall.

Fourthly, God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. Mark. 12.27. The soule of the very reprobate therefore, though eternally tortured in hell, and e­ver dying, yet the soule must live in that eternall dying.

Fifthly, the soule of man, by the commanding power of the eternall word (spiritually and immediately written in the soule) is eternally bound and ob­liged to the command of the Law of God, which is eternall: the soule of man therefore, and the law of God, are necessarily coeviternall one with another.

Sixthly, the twofold reward of the law is eternall, as the law of God is e­ternall, which is due by the law to man, according to the merit of man. The soule of man therefore, by the immediate power of the word of the law writ­ten [Page 9] in the soule of man must bee enabled to receive the eternall reward of the law, according to the merrit of man, or the eternity of the reward of the law, and consequently the law it selfe must perish, (which is blasphemy to af­firme.) And as in this eternity of the reward of the law, the comfort of the faithfull dep [...]rting this life doth rest: So in this eternity of the reward of the law, the fearefull horror of the reprobate departing this life doth arise: for in the point of the dissolution of the soul of the faithfull, from the sensitive body, (by reason of the eternity of the reward of the law) as the humane spirit of the faithfull in that instant of time is necessarily and actually united to the mysticall head the Lord Iesus Christ, (according to the unseparable u­nion of the fai [...] of the faithfull, to the Lords merit in this life) where the soule rests, and doth actually enjoy all heavenly happinesse in the mysticall head, which is the promise of eternall blessing of the word of the Evangeli­call seventh daies rest, of the law of righteousnesse of faith: So in the point of the dissolution of the humane spirit of the reprobate, from the sensitive bo­dy: the soule of the reprobate in that very instant of time, is as necessarily united to eternall death, and to the fearefull torture of the unquenchable fire of Gods consuming wrath, which is the promise of the eternall curse of the Evangelicall law of righteousnesse of faith, for as there is no intermission of time either for the actuall injoying of the Kingdome of glory, by the humane spirit of the faithful, howsoever the faithfull doth depart this life, according to our Saviours word, this night shalt thou be with me in paradise: Luke 23.43. So there is no intermission of time for the actuall suffering, of the cursed hor­rors and tortors of the state of the reprobate, howsoever the reprobate departs this life, for heaven and Earth must perish, before one jot or tittle of time of the law doe perish. And this is the estate of the faithfull and of the repro­bate, howsoever they depart this life, till the great day, when the soule being reunited to the sensitive body, as the soule and body of the faithfull, is actual­ly glorified by the enjoying of the reward of the law in the full extent, by an incorruptible crowne, of glory: So the soule and body of the reprobate, are cast downe to the eternall unquenchable fire of the eternall lake.

If the most wicked, were truly instructed, in the immortality of the soul, and in the necessity of the sustaining, of the fearfull tortors of the soul, so soon as they depart this life; they would not make such hast to hasten their tortors, by laying violent hands on themselves, and to be so easily led with the Devills temptations; for this misery comes chiefly by ignorance, whereof the De­vill takes such occasion, to lead wretched man so long by his damnable dark­nesse, till by continuance in sin and wickednesse, God give him over to a re­probate minde. And now to returne to the point in hand.

As by the naturall power of the life of the word immediatly written in the soule, the soule doth live in its intellectuall being; So in that life, is the in­tellectuall light of the soule, whereby the understanding is only produced in act in the intellectuall operations of the soule, for without this light, all the created light of God, cannot produce the understanding and will, in act, in the intellectuall operations of the soule. And therefore Aristotle doth affirm, that it is as impossible, for the understanding to be produced intellectually in act, without this pure light; as for the sense of seeing, to be produced sensitive­ly in act without the light of the Sun, or some materiall light. And from this intellectuall light of the soul of man, man is said to be an intellectuall creature. And this is that very reall light, which Aristole did ascribe to his intellect agent; for though Arist. was ignorant of the writing of the word, either in the soul or in the heart of man; yet Aristotle did truly apprehend both the intellectuall light of the word in the soule, and the rationall light of the word literally written in the heart of man. And Arist. doth call his intellect agent, a divine and an eternall light: And consequently and necessarily Aristotle did acknow­ledge the intellectuall soule of man to be immortall.

But Aristotle did never affirme, that the intellect agent (contrary to all Philosophicall truth) doth enlighten the species of the externall sensitive ob­ject, received in the sense of phansie, which miserable assertion of some igno­rant pretended moderne naturall Philosophers, did beget that damnable opi­nion of the mortallity of the soule.

And so much for the created perfection of the intellectuall nature of man. Next of the created perfection of his sensitive nature.

CHAP. III.
Of the created p [...]fection of the sensitive nature of man: And of the essentiall union of the intellectuall and sensitive nature.

THe declaration of the created perfection of the sensitive nature of man, is a point of no small difficulty; because the sensitive nature of man, is mixed with the intellectuall nature, as man is man intellectuall and sensitive; which created perfection, of the sensitive nature of man, doth surmount the perfection of all the sensitive creatures created by God: for first, though some sensitive creatures doe exceed the sensitive nature of man in the degree of some particular sense; as the Eagle or Falcon, in the sense of seeing, the Spa­niel or Hound, in the sense of smelling: yet in the compleat perfection of all the internall and externall senses; no sensitive creature doth come neare the perfection of the sensitive nature of man.

Secondly, all other sensitive creatures (beside man) by the act of the senses, are said properly to sent the externall sensitive object: but man by the act of his senses is properly said to know the externall sensitive object; of which [Page 11] sensitive knowledge, all other sensitive creatures are incapable.

The declaration therefore, of the sensitive perfection of man, is both Theo­logicall and Philosophicall; for though the power of life and light of the sen­sitive nature of man (according to the truth of naturall Philosophy) do pro­ceed immediatly from the braine; yet that life and light, doth proceed origi­nally from the heart, and from the naturall power of the word literally writen in the heart of man, as hee is man intellectuall and sensitive, the declaration whereof is proper to the Theolog.

But because we cannot attaine to the knowledge of perfection of the sen­sitive nature of man (being a mixt nature of the intellectuall and sensitive na­ture) without the knowledge of the essentiall union of the intellectuall and sensitive nature of man, which is by the power of the word written in the heart of man: briefly therefore of this essentiall union.

As the eternall Father of spirits (by the immediate power of the word) doth unite the intellectuall soul humane spirit, to the vitall spirits of the heart; so the twofold power of the life of the word, is written and as it were imprin­ted in the heart of man, which is the fountain and originall of the life of man.

The first power of life, is the naturall life of the word written in the heart of man, as it is the image of the eternall life of the infinite word. And this power of naturall life, is diffused from the heart, to all the powers of man, as he is man intellectuall and sensitive.

The second power of the life of the word (written in the heart of man) is the power of the life of righteousnesse: and this power of life is diffused from the heart to all the powers of man proceeding from the will of man, as he is man intellectuall and sensitive; whereby the naturall man is inabled with the power of the life of righteousnesse to live according to the literall command of the law; that is, according to the letter of the law of the word of the se­venth dayes rest, implying the command of the whole law of righteousnesse. And as from the power of the word thus written in the heart: man is inabled with the twofold power of life: so by this twofold power of life, man is in­abled with a twofold power of light, the first is the naturall light of man, the second is the light of righteousnesse. And therefore it is said, That in it was life, and that life was the light of man in it, Joh. 1.4. that is in the word, as it is the power of the image of the infinit word (life and light) written in the heart of man: First therefore of the naturall life and light of man, as he is a naturall man, intellectuall and sensitive by the naturall power of the word written in his heart: And next of his life and light of righteousnesse.

This naturall light proceeding from the naturall life of man, is called the ra­tionall light of man: And from this rationall light (which is a mixed light) [Page 12] man is said to be a rationall creature. As from the pure intellectuall light of the soule, man is said to be an intellectuall creature.

By this rationall light (proceeding from the naturall life of man, as hee is man intellectuall and sensitive) as the naturall understanding of man, is ratio­nally produced in act to understand the species of the externall sensitive object received in the understanding: so his sensitive powers are produced in act, to know the externall sensitive object rationally. And the externall light where­by the externall sensitive object is actually enlightned to bee apprehended by the act of the senses of man, is the naturall light of the creatures, created for man, as the light of the Sunne, Moon, Stars, the light of fire, and such like; whereby the sense of seeing is produced rationally in act. So is found to the sense of hearing, relish to the taste, odour to the smelling and taction (if I may use the terme) to the tactive sense, all arising from the severall nature of the creature, and proportionate to the severall externall sense of man; which naturall light of the creatures is really one with the naturall light of the words in the heart of man, though of a formall difference; the one formally naturall, the other formally rationall. And as the creatures were created for man; so man and the creatures were continued in the state of their created perfection, by the immediat blessing of God by his word of the first seventh dayes rest of the law of righteousnesse, while man did stand in the perfection of his obedi­ence to the commands of God; for it is by the only immediate blessing of the word of the seventh dayes rest, that God doth give the influence of his blessing to the naturall life and light of man, and to the creatures created for man, and to the spirituall life and light of man.

By this rationall light, the understanding of man (as he is man intellectuall and sensitive) is rationally produced in act, by the three operations of the act of the understanding according to Aristotle; the first whereof is the appre­hension of the simple tearmes of the species, of the externall sensitive object re­ceived in the understanding, as the received species doth represent the truth of the sensitive externall object. The second, is the compounding of things in­seperable, apprehended in the received species, and the dividing of things se­parable. The third is in discurring (and as it were) running from the things apprehended and knowne in the received species, to conclude things un­knowne. And from this last operation of the understanding, the rationall act of the understanding is called discursive. And the conclusion inferred by this discursive act; is only probable; and hence doth arise the formall diffe­rence of the act of the understanding of man (as he is man intellectuall and sensitive) and of the act of the understanding of man, as he is intellectuall: for the rationall discursive act of the understanding, is formally probable; [Page 13] inferring only a probable conclusion, called Opinion. But the intellectuall act of the understanding, is formally necessary definitive and scientificall, equall with the perfect demonstration called Science.

But the rationall light, whereby the rationall and intellectuall act of the understanding is produced in act, is one reall act light, though the one (to wit, the intellectuall light) bee a pure unmixed light, which is the naturall light of the word, as is immediately written in the soule, and the other a mixed light, proportionate to the rationall act of the understanding, and senses of man. To make this appear by a familiar example of the Sun.

As the Sun is placed in the midst of the planets, the three superiour planets are inlightened by the pure light of the Sun, whereby they give downe the in­fluence of their severall natures to the sublunary creatures. And as the Sunne doth passe through the orbs of the three inferiour planets through the region of the fire, and the three regions of the aire; the light and heat of the Sun is mixed, qualified and proportionate to the temper of the severall natures of the sublunary creatures.

As this twofold light therefore of the Sun, is really one; so is the light of the word, written in the soule and heart of man (which is the image of the naturall life and light of the Son of righteosnesse) really one.

Next of the light of man proceeding from his life of righteousnesse.

By the literall light of the word in the heart of man (which is the light of the letter of the Law) the understanding of man (as hee is man intellectuall and sensitive) is l terally produced in act, according to the letter of the Law of righteousnesse, implyed in the command of the word of the seventh dayes rest of the Law of God: for the literall light and command of the word of the seventh dayes rest, and the literall light and command of the word of the Law of righteousnesse, written in the heart of man is one reall light and command. And this light of the word written in the heart of man (as it is the ligh [...] of the word, as the word is a Law to man) is (as it were) a great lumpe of light, set upon a table in the heart; enlightning all the species of the externall sensitive objects as they are received in the understanding.

By this great light, first man is inabled by the act of his understanding (as he is man intellectuall and sensitive) to discerne and to judge, the species re­ceived in the understanding, by the act of his mediate senses, whether the sen­sitive object be apprehended by the senses, inlightened by the light of the Law; or whether it be apprehended by the act of the senses, inlightned by the false adultrous light of Satan, whereby Satan doth continually betray man to trans­gresse the Law of God.

Secondly, by this great light (as it is the light of the word commanding man, really one with the light and command of the word of the seventh dayes rest of the law of righteousnesse) man is inlightened to understand, that he is commanded to reject the species of the sensitive object, inlightened by the false adulterous light of Satan (which is alwayes contrary to the com­mand of the Law) and to apprehend the species inlightened by the light of the Law, at his pleasure. And this is that great light which is called the light and Law of conscience.

As by the power of this great literall light in the heart of man (really one with the literall light of the word of the seventh dayes rest of the Law) the understanding of man (as he is man intellectuall and sensitive) is literally and morally produced in act; So by the power of this light, his senses are literally & cognoscitively produced in act to know the externall sensitive object by the literal sensitive light of the word of the seventh dayes rest of the Law of righte­ousnesse; for the literall light of the Law (which is by the sound of the word) doth necessarily begin at the externall senses. And therefore (since the fall and redemption of man) faith, which is morall faith, is said to bee the hearing of the word.

But because it is in the freedome of mans election by the act of his senses (proceeding from the free act of his will) to apprehend the externall sensitive object inlightened by what light soever; therefore God by his Covenant doth only binde and oblige man to live this life of righteousnesse according to the literall light of the word of the seventh dayes rest of the Law of righte­ousnesse. As man is enabled to live the life of righteousnesse by the immedi­ate power of the word written in his heart: But God by his Covenant doth not formally command man to live the life of righteousnesse, but leaveth it to the freedome of mans election by his obedience to the command of the word of the seventh dayes rest of the Law either to choose eternall life by his obedi­ence, or eternall death by his disobedience.

The reason is, because the life of righteousnesse doth immediately proceed from the act of the will, which is the act of the soule of man, which cannot bee necessitate by any command whatsoever, for the will of the soule is created with the perfection of such contradictory and specificall freedome, as all the created powers of God are not able to nec [...]ssitate or enforce the free act of the will by any meanes under the hea­vens though the act of the will as it is intellectuall and sensitive may be exter­nally coacted) for as the will cannot be killed; so the will can neither bee ne­cessitate by any command. But as the Covenant is established upon the [Page 15] immediate command of the word of the seventh dayes rest of the Law of righteousnesse; the workes of righteousnesse according to the Law, are com­manded both upon the eternall blessing of the seventh dayes rest, and upon the curse of eternall death, the first and immediate command whereof, (as the seventh day is the great command of the Law) is the seventh dayes comman­ded worship; implying the command of the whole Law, which doth both ob­lige and command man to worship God in the truth of his promise; for by the eternall blessing of the seventh dayes rest, the word of promise is alwayes fulfilled according to the obedience of man; or by the inflicting of the curse of eternall death upon the disobedience of man, to the command of his word, his promise is likewise fulfilled: for it is all one for God not to fulfill his pro­mise by his Covenant, as to be no God. And this is the first reason of Gods essentiall attribute of truth, and that his word (which is his immediate image) is called truth.

The literall command of the Law arising from the letter of the Law, is cal­led (by the Theologs) the morall command of the Law; and therefore the word of the seventh dayes rest, (implying the command of the whole Law of righteousnesse) is called the morall Law of God, obliging and commanding (as it were) the manners of man to God and to his image man; as the voluntary action of man doth concerne God, or his image man; and from this morall denomination of the Law, the voluntary action of man, whether by his obe­dience, or disobedience to the command of the Law, is said to bee formally morall, for both are equally the exercite act of the Law, and to both the re­ward of the Law is equally due by the Law, according to the merit of mans obedience, or disobedience to the command of the Law: from this morall denomination likewise of the Law, the literall light of the Law is called the morall light of the Law; for a formall difference between the literall and mo­rall light of the Law (arising immediatly from the letter of the Law) and the spirituall light of the Law, which is the immediate light of the holy Spirit. And from this morall denomination of the litterall light of the Law (since the fall, and redemption of man) faith (arising from the morall light of the Law) is called morall faith, for a formall difference of morall faith from spiri­tuall faith which doth arise from the immediate spirituall light of the holy Spi­rit, in the immediate act of regeneration.

CHAP. IV.
Of the created spirituall perfection of man.

THe intellectuall and sensitive nature of man, being thus essentially united in the heart (by the immediate power of the word) inabling man with the power of naturall life, and with the life of righteousnesse; God (in and with the immediate act of the creation of man) did inlighten the word of the Law of righteousnesse (spiritually written in the soule of man) with the spi­rituall light of his holy Spirit: sanctifying the heart of man (to which the soul is essentially united) with the spirituall life of holinesse.

By the immediate power of this spirituall life and light (really one with the spirituall light of the word of the first seventh dayes rest of the Law of righteousnesse) Adam was enabled with the perfection of the spirituall un­derstanding, of the command of the word of the first seventh dayes rest of the Law; and to frame his spirituall life of righteousnesse and holinesse, according to the perfection of the command of the Law, which is the spirituall com­mand.

By this perfection of spirituall life and light, Adam was the perfect image of righteousnesse and holinesse, and a perfect spirituall man. And this is the image of righteousnesse and holinesse, which the Apostle exhorts to bee re­newed in the Ephesians and Collossians, which was lost by Adams fall.

Adam therefore being created in this state of naturall and spirituall perfe­ction; the word of the first seventh dayes rest of the Law of righteousnesse (implying the command of the whole Law) was objected to Adams exter­nall senses (by the power of the word of the first seventh dayes rest) com­manding Adam according to the spirituall light of the word of the first se­venth dayes rest of the Law (really one with the spirituall light and com­mand of the word of the Law of righteousnesse in his heart) to worship God upon the seventh day of the Law of righteousnesse. As God did manifest him­selfe by the word of his first seventh dayes rest from the workes of the crea­tion. And in that commanded spirituall worship, commanding Adams spi­rituall obedience (by his spirituall works of holinesse) to fulfill the command of the Law of righteousnesse, according to the spirituall light and command of the word of the first seventh dayes rest, to whose perfect worship and o­bedience, the eternall blessing of the word of the first seventh dayes rest, was due by the Law of God.

By this light of the word of the first seventh dayes rest of God, from the workes of the creation: Adam (by the perfect act of his spirituall under­standing) [Page 17] did perfectly apprehend God, to bee the Creator of Heaven, of earth, of man, of the creatures, and that by the immediate eternall blessing of the first seventh dayes rest of God; the world, man, and the creatures, were continued and preserved in the perfection of their created estate: And upon the immediate command of the word of the first seventh dayes rest (imply­ing the command of the whole law of righteousnesse) the first Covenant was made with man, afterward to be declared.

As Adam by the spirituall light of his understanding (really one with the spirituall light of the word of the seventh dayes rest) did perfectly understand God; as God revealed himselfe to Adam by the word of his first seventh dayes rest, (wherein the perfection of Adams understanding of God did con­sist,) so Adam by the created perfection of his spirituall action of holinesse, did adequate the perfection of the command of the Law, as Adam was first obliged to the Law of God; for if Adams spitituall action of holinesse, had not been of equall power with the perfection of the command of the Law, (which is in the spirituall command) and the first Covenant, being establi­shed upon the immediate command of the word of the first seven dayes rest of the Law, both upon the eternall blessing of the first seven dayes rest, and upon the curse of eternall death, Adam could never have fulfilled the perfe­ction of the command of the Law, but must have necessarily fallen under the curse of eternall death, which had been most high injustice in God, in bind­ing and obliging (his intellectuall creature) man, to a law (upon the curse of eternall death) above the power of his obedience, by his spirituall action of holinesse, for it was only by Adams spirituall action of holinesse, that the law was to be fulfilled; for though Adam was created with the power of morall action, yet while Adam stood in his state of perfection, Adams morall action was not actuall; neither could his spirituall action of holinesse be called for­mally and properly morall; which denomination is extended both to the obedience and transgression of the Law, as hath been formerly declared: Adams morall action therefore was not actuall, till the Law of righteousnesse was transgressed by Adam; and then Adams morall action was actuall, and formally morall, and morally evill, and the greatest evill that ever was or can be committed by man.

Now as Adam (by the perfection of his spirituall understanding of the word of the first seventh dayes rest of the Law of righteousnesse) did perfect­ly understand God, as God revealed himselfe to be honoured and worshipped by his rest from the works of the Creation: So Adam by the perfection of his naturall understanding must needs apprehend the being, power, perfection, goodnesse, life, light, knowledge, understanding, wisdome in himselfe and [Page 18] the creatures, to flow from the infinite perfection of the Creator, whereby Adam was led in the understanding of the essentiall Attributes of God, which essentiall understanding of God in Adam must be imperfect, God as he is essen­tiall being infinite and incomprehensible; Adams perfect understanding of God therefore was perfected by the perfection of his spirituall understanding of the word of the first seventh dayes rest, as God did manifest himselfe to man, to be understood and worshipped by man, for God can no otherwise be comprehended by the act of the understanding of man or Angel, but after that formall manner that God doth minifest himselfe, to be understood and worshipped by either.

And so much briefly of the created, naturall and spirituall perfection of man, with whom the first Covenant was made by God, which is the con­tents of the first part of the first Book.

Before we come to the second part, an objection must be removed.

CHAP. V.
Of a threefold comparison between the created, naturall, and spirituall perfection of the first Adam, with the naturall and spirituall perfection of the second Adam.

IT is said, That the first Adam was made a living soule, a naturall man, and from the earth earthly, 1 Cor. 15.45, 46, 47.

Adam therefore was not created in the state of naturall and spirituall per­fection, neither could he be created the image of righteousnesse and holi­nesse, or a true spirituall man. I answer briefly to the Objection.

The Apostle (in these three verses of this chapter) doth make a threefold comparison between the first and second Adam.

The first is in the 45. verse, the sense whereof is this, The first Adam was made a living soule (to wit, to live the perfect life of righteousnesse, neces­sarily implying the perfection of his naturall life,) but the second Adam was not only made a living soule, but likewise a quickning spirit, where the pow­er of the naturall and spirituall life of the first Adam is compared with the power of the naturall and spirituall life of the second Adam.

The first Adam by the power of his naturall and spirituall life, was not a­ble to quicken himselfe, or any man else, being dead; but the second Adam by the power of his naturall life, in sustaining the cursed death of the Crosse, did redeem the first Adam, and all men condemned and dead under the curse of the Law by eternall death in Adam their head; for the transgression of the Law by Adam, and by the infinite power of his Resurrection from the dead, [Page 19] did raise up Adam, and all men condemned and dead in Adam their head, quickning and reconciling all men (by the price of his blood) to the love and favour of God for that first sinne.

The first Adam therefore (notwithstanding of his naturall and spirituall perfection) in respect of the second Adam, may be truly said to be but a living soule, and not a quickning spirit.

The second comparison is in the 46. verse, where the spirituall perfection of the first Adam is compared with the spirituall perfection of the second A­dam; the sense of the words is this.

Though the first Adam was created in such spirituall perfection, yet his spirituall perfection was not essentiall, but habituall and conditionall: But the spirituall perfection of the second Adam (the Lord Jesus Christ) is Essen­tiall; and therefore the first Adams spirituall perfection in respect of the se­cond Adams essentiall perfection, was but the perfection of a naturall man, as the spirituall perfection of the second Adam was the essentiall perfection of an essentiall spirituall man, the eternall Sonne of God, begot of the seed of the woman in time.

The third comparison is in the 47. verse, where the humane sensitive na­ture of the first Adam is compared with the humane sensitive nature of the second Adam: The sense of the words is this.

The first Adam as he is man sensitively, was created of earthly principles immediately, and therefore from the earth earthly; But the second Adam as he is man sensitively (Christ Jesus the naturall Son of God) was begot of the sanctified seed of the woman immediately, and every way from the heaven heavenly, in respect of whose humane sensitive nature, the humane sensitive nature of the first Adam, may be said to be from the earth earthly; for though the first Adam was created in the state of such naturall and spirit perfecti­on, yet he must have lived eternally upon earth, by covenant.

Here by the way, whereas the Apostle saith, that the first man was from the earth earthly; the words must not be taken in the literall, but in the spiritu­all sense, which is this: The first man was from the earth, to wit, as he is sen­sitive, for otherwise we conclude the living immortall soule of man to be from the earth, in which sense the wicked wrests this place to their eternall damnation.

The Apostle therefore (in this part of the chapter) doth not speake simply of the created naturall and spirituall perfection of the first Adam, but compa­ratively with the essentiall, naturall, and spirituall perfection of the Lord Je­sus Christ, second person of the glorious Trinity; for otherwise the first A­dam is affirmed by the Apostle himselfe, to be created after the image of righ­teousnesse [Page 20] and holinesse, which is the image of God infinite, righteousnesse and holinesse, for the created perfection of man was such, as Moses in the history of the Creation of man, can hardly finde words to expresse the per­fection of his Creation, saying, Let us make man in our owne image; let us make man according to our owne likenesse: Thus God created man in his Image: In the Image of God created hee them male and female, Gen. 1.26, 27.

Thus having answered the objection, for a close to the first part of the first Book, wee proceed to the second part of this first Book, containing the declaration of the first Covenant made by God with man.

CHAP. VI.
Man is placed in Paradise.

GOD (according to his eternall Decree of predestination) having created man, male and female, in such estate of na­turall and spirituall perfection. God blessed man by his word, which was the blessing of his word of his first seventh dayes rest of his Law of righteousnesse; and therefore the word of his first seven dayes rest of the Law (implying the command of the whole Law) was objected to the externall senses of man; for as all the commands of God (by his Word) are the necessary commands of the word of his seventh dayes rest: So all the blessing of God by his word, are the necessary influence of his blessing, in the blessing of the word of his seventh dayes rest; for by the only immediate power of that blessing, man is only blessed by God.

God having thus created and blessed man, male and female, God gave man power, soveraignty and dominion over the earth, over the creatures, next and immediately to himselfet: And for the higher advancement of man, his immediate vicegerent on earth) God did plant the glorious garden of Edē [Page 21] for man, as a Palace, sutable to the majesty of such a great Monarch, where­in there was all manner of Trees, laden with variety of all pleasing fruit, no lesse delicate to the taste, odoriferous to the smelling, beautifull to the eye, then wholsome to the nature of man; upon the boughes whereof, the crea­ted Birds of the ayre might reside (by their melodious harmony) to congra­tulate the installment of their Lord and King: A River likewise falling in its golden channell (for there was gold) past thorow the Garden, wherein the created Fishes (sporting themselves) might shew their applause to their Princes arrivall.

All manner of Herbs, all manner of beautifull odoriferous Flowers (which could objectively delight the externall senses) no doubt must be in this plea­sing Garden; the species of all which externall sensitive objects, did give no small contentment to man, being created in such actuall perfection of naturall understanding, while by variety of such pleasing objects, the understanding of man must be ravished with variety of contemplation.

In the midst of this glorious Garden, the Tree of life, and the Tree of Knowledge of good and evill, were placed by God, both named (as it see­meth by Moses) from the effect: for as by the vertue of the Tree of life, the nature of man as he is man, was to be eternally preserved; and therefore our first parents might then eat thereof at their pleasure.

So by eating of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evill, contrary to the command of God by his word (which is the command of his Law of righte­ousnesse) the effect of the knowledge of evill (which our first Parents did so affect to know) was produced by the eating of the forbidden fruit.

This pleasing glorious Garden (for the pleasure and contentment which it did afford) is commonly called by the name of Paradise, which word our Saviour himselfe did use, for to expresse the joy, pleasure and contentment of the heavenly Paradise.

In this pleasing glorious Garden, God placed man, male and female, crea­ted in the state of naturall and spirituall perfection, appointing the naturall and spirituall food for the eternall preservation of the naturall and spirituall life of man, which was then the fruit of Trees of the Garden, whereby the naturall life of man was to be maintained; and for the spirituall food of man, God gave the word of the first seventh dayes rest, for in the onely true spi­rituall understanding of the word of the seventh dayes rest, as God doth re­veale himselfe, to be known and worshipped by man, is the only true know­ledge of God, which the Lord himselfe affirmes to be eternall life: And this is the reason that the word of God is called the bread of life, which is re­ally one with the word of promise, which is the word of eternall life, where­by [Page 22] God doth mutually bind and oblige himselfe and man by Covenant.

By the only light therfore of the word of the first seventh dayes rest (where­in the first Covenant is immediately established) we are necessarily led to the understanding of the first Covenant: First therefore (briefly) of the word of the first seventh dayes rest, and of the necessity thereof to man, created in the state of naturall and spirituall perfection; and next, of the the first Cove­nant made by God with man.

CHAP. VII.
Of the word of the first seventh dayes rest of the Law of Righteousnesse.

AS by the only light of the word of every severall seventh dayes rest of the Law of God, in the severall state and condition of man, man is led in the understanding of God, by his word, as God hath revealed himselfe by the word of his severall seventh dayes rest, to be known and worshipped by man; so by the onely immediate blessing of God, by the word of his seventh dayes rest, the state and condition of man and the creatures, created for man are continued.

The word therefore of the first seventh dayes rest was most necessary to our first parents, in the state of their created perfection, for these maine rea­sons following:

First, though Adam (being created in the state of spirituall perfection) by the spirituall light of his understanding of the word of the Law, in his heart, really one with the spirituall light of the word of the first seventh dayes rest of the Law: Adam must needs understand, that God was to be worshipped upon the seventh day of the Law of righteousnesse; yet without the word of the first seventh dayes rest, Adam could never have known the certain first seventh day of Gods commanded worship.

Secondly, without the word of the first seventh dayes rest of the law, Adam could neither have known the formall manner of Gods commanded wor­ship, to have worshipped God upon the first seventh day of the Law of God; to whose perfect worship of God the eternall blessing of the first seventh dayes rest of the Law, was due by the Law; by which only immediate bles­sing the created state of man, and the creatures were continued, while Adam did stand in the perfection of his Creation.

Thirdly, without the word of the first seventh dayes rest, no Covenant could be made by God, to binde himselfe to man, in the word of his promise, or man to God, for the word of the seventh dayes rest, and the word of pro­mise of eternall life (as hath been formerly delivered) are really one: for the [Page 23] word of promise, whereby God doth bind himselfe by Covenant to the eter­nall continuation of the present estate of man, is enjoyed by the eternall bles­sing of the word of the seventh dayes rest.

Fourthly, without the word of the first seventh dayes rest (which is really one with the word of promise of eternall life) as there is no covenant to bee made by God with man; so there was neither any object for the faith of man to rest on, for though the eternall blessing of the word of the first seventh dayes rest, was not due by the law immediately to Adams faith, but due by the Law immediately to the merit of Adams works of righteousnesse; yet Adams workes of righteousnesse, did necessarily proceed from his faith, in the pro­mise of God of the Law of righteousnesse; for without faith it is impossible for Adam to have pleased God while he stood in his state of perfection.

Fifthly, without the light of the word of the first seventh dayes rest, Adam could never have understood, that God was the Creator and Conservator of man, the world, and the Creatures created for man, neither could Adam have known the formall worship of God, whose worship is commanded to be af­ter that formall manner as he did reveale himselfe by the word of his first se­venth dayes rest, according to which formall worship, Adam by the com­mand of the first seventh dayes rest of the Law (as it is the great command of the Law, implying the command of the whole Law) was commanded to worship God upon the first seventh day of the Law; for Adams solemn per­fect worship of God, upon the first seventh day of the Law, was, as if all the workes of the Creation, had falne downe with Adam to worship God the great Creator; for as Adam was the life, ornament, and perfection of the workes of the Creation, so Adam was the sum and compend of the workes of the Creation; for all the creatures of God are either of an intellectuall or corporeall nature, which were essentially united in the nature of man.

Sixthly, without the word of the first seventh dayes rest of the law of righ­teousnesse, to our first parents, there could have been no law of God to com­mand the obedience of man, to the command of his law, for all the power, of life, light and command, of every severall precept of the whole Law, is immediately from the power of the word of the seventh dayes rest, without the power whereof there is no power of any severall precept of the Law, to command man, or any light for man to know that it is a precept of the Law of God: And therefore we see, that in the Decalogue (set downe to Moses) the word of the second seventh dayes rest (then by the name of the Sabbath of the Lord) is placed in the end of the first Table of the Law, uniting (as it were) both the Tables to the seventh day of the Law, from whence all the severall precepts of the law receive the power of life, light, and command; [Page 24] much like the last binding stone of an Arch, whereon the strength and pow­er of the whole Arch doth rely and depend; for as the last binding stone of the Arch being removed, the whole Arch (as it is an Arch) must fall to the ground; so by the removing of the immediate command of God, by his word, commanding the whole law in the seventh day; the whole law, and the eternall blessing of the seventh dayes rest, must necessarily fall and perish to­gether, which is necessarily removed, while as the command of the seventh dayes worship, is attributed to the immediate authority and command of man.

The writing of the word of the seventh dayes rest (as it were in the heart of the Law) in two Tables of stone to Moses, is the true embleme of the word of the Law, written in the two Tables of the intellectuall and sensitive nature of man, in the heart of man; for as from the immediate power of the word of the seventh dayes rest of the Law, life, light, and power of com­mand is diffused to all the severall precepts of the Law; so from the imme­diate power of the word of the Law in the heart of man, life and light is dif­fused to all the parts and powers of man, as he is man: And this is the maine reason, that in the command of the word of the seventh dayes rest of the law, the whole law is necessarily commanded, which the Lord calleth the great command of the Law, necessarily implying the lesser command, which is like to the great command.

Seventhly, without the command of the word of the first seventh dayes rest (necessarily implying the command of the whole Law) neither Adam, or any man created in Adam (as he was the created head of all men natural­ly to descend of Adam) could have transgressed the Law, Rom. 4.15. obliged by the first Covenant; for where there is no Law, there is no transgression of the Law.

And so much (briefly) for the declaration of the word of the first seventh dayes rest, upon the immediate command whereof, the first Covenant was established between God and man, next to be declared.

CHAP. VIII.

GOD (according to his eternall Decree of predestination) having created man male and female, in this state of naturall and spirituall per­fection, advanced to the high love and favour of God, and to the soveraign­ty and dominion over the earth, and over the creatures of the earth: God entred his first Covenant with Adam, not with Adam, as he was a private person, but with Adam as created man, the head, root, and originall of all [Page 25] men naturally to descend of Adam to the end of the world; and therefore God (according to his eternall Decree) intending the Creation of man, said, Let us make man, Gen. 1.26. and not let us make Adam (to wit) as a pri­vate person.

Adam therefore was created in such admirable state of naturall and spiri­tuall perfection, as he was the head of the river of men, naturally to descend and flow from Adam the head.

The first Covenant therefore was made with Adam, as the created head of all men naturally to descend of Adam, who were all really created in the same naturall and spirituall perfection, that Adam their head was created; & in whō all men were as truly & really bound & obliged in Adam head to the first Covenant, and to the command of the word of the first seventh daies rest of the law of righteousnesse, in every respect as Adam their head, though not actually descended of Adam; for as all men sinned in Adam their head, (to wit) really, so all men were as really and necessarily bound and obliged to the command of the word of the first seventh dayes rest of the Law in Adam their head, as Adam was, as all men found by experience, and conse­quently the naturall and spirituall perfection of Adam, the head of all men (whereby he was enabled to merit eternall life upon earth) was as really, truly, and necessarily due by Covenant (established upon the immediate com­mand of the Law) to Adams posterity as they should actually descend of A­dam, as to Adam himselfe; for as all men were bound to the same reall Law in Adam their head; so in the justice of God, all men as they should natural­ly descend of Adam, must be enabled with the like power of obedience with Adam their head.

The first Covenant made by God with man, is set downe by Moses, Gen. 2.16, 17. The word of promise of eternall life, whereby God doth binde and oblige himselfe and man to his first Covenant, is in the 16. verse, the words are, Eating, thou shalt freely eate of every Tree of the Garden; and con­sequently, Adam was to eate of the Tree of life; by eating whereof, Adam as he was created a naturall man, intellectuall and sensitive, was to live eter­nally upon earth; for by the doubling of the word, eating thou shalt eate, is signified an eternall eating, and by an eternall eating, an eternall living, in the state and felicity wherein Adam was created.

God therefore in these words doth promise to Adam (and to all men crea­ted in Adam naturally to descend of Adam) that his created estate and con­dition shall be continued eternally upon earth, which promise was to be ful­filled by God, and enjoyed by Adam, by the eternall blessing of the word of the first seventh dayes rest; for by the onely immediate eternall blessing of [Page 26] the word of the first seventh dayes rest; Adam, the world, and the creatures created for man, were to rest eternally upon earth, in the state and condition wherein they were created; for which cause, God blessed the first seventh day for Adam, and God sanctified the first seventh day for his perfect wor­ship of the first seventh day by Adam.

If Adam therefore will have the actuall enjoying of the word of promise of eternall life, Adam must have it by his perfect worship of God upon the first seventh day of the Law, according to that formall manner that God did manifest himselfe to Adam by the word of his first seventh dayes rest, which is the condition of the Covenant.

As God therefore in his word of promise of eternall life, doth binde and oblige himselfe to Adam by his Covenant, so God doth mutually binde and oblige Adam to the formall perfect worship of the first seventh day, that by the eternall blessing of the word of the first seventh daies rest of the Law, Adam might enjoy the promise.

As God doth binde and oblige Adam, by his Covenant, to obedience, the promise of eternall life by his perfect worship of God upon the first seventh day of the Law; so God by his first Covenant, in the command of the seventh dayes worship (as it is the great command of the Law) doth likewise binde and oblige Adams obedience, to the command of the whole Law of righte­ousnesse, upon a dying death, which is eternall death, ever dying, without all end of dying, contained in the 17. verse, in these words, But of the Tree of knowledge of good and evill, thou shalt not eate of it; for in the day that thou ea­test thereof, dying thou shalt dye, Gen. 2.17. In which words God doth binde and oblige Adams obedience to the command of the whole Law, upon a dy­ing death; for by the transgression of the command of God of the Law of righteousnesse by his word, commanding Adam to abstaine from eating of the fruit of the Tree of knowledge, the whole Law of righteousnesse is necessa­rily transgressed; for he that doth offend in one, doth offend in all, Jam. 2.10.

By this negative command therefore, (necessarily implying the affirma­tive command of the Law) Adams obedience is bound and obliged to the command of the whole Law of righteousnesse upon a dying death, which is eternall death.

Now as the promise of eternall life (whereby God doth oblige himselfe and Adam mutually by his Covenant) was to be enjoyed by the eternall bles­sing of the word of the first seventh dayes rest of the Law, the Covenant doth bind and oblige Adam to the immediate command of the Law; and the Law doth formally command Adam by the immediate power of the word of the first seventh dayes rest, implying the command of the whole law, both upon [Page 27] the eternall blessing of the first seventh dayes rest, and upon the curse of a dying death, which is eternall death; and therefore the curse of eternall death, is called the curse of the Law.

The first Covenant being thus established upon the immediate command of the word of the first seventh dayes rest of the Law of righteousnesse, (im­plying the command of the whole Law) between God and Adam (the crea­ted head of all men naturally to descend of Adam to the end of the world:) the first Covenant was ratified by the Tree of life, and by the Tree of know­ledge of good and evill, placed in the midst of the Garden of Paradise, as the Sacraments of the first Covenant, made between God and Adam, the crea­ted head of all men; that Adam, as he was man intellectuall and sensitive (created in the state of naturall and spirituall perfection advanced to such fe­licity) by the Tree of life, might rest secured, of the promise of God by eter­nall life, upon his perfect obedience to the command of the Law, comman­ding him by the power of the word of the first seventh dayes rest; so Adam by the Tree of knowledge of good and evill, might rest as assuredly in the promise of eternall death, upon his transgression of the command of God, by his word commanding Adam, which was the necessary command of the word of the first seventh dayes rest of his Law of righteousnesse; for God cannot command man by his word, as his word is the command of his Law of righteousnesse, commanding man, but as his word is the command of the word of the seventh dayes rest of the Law of righteousnesse; for all the com­mands of God, commanding man by his word (which are the commands of his Law of righteousnesse) doe retain strength and power of command from the immediate power of the word of the seventh dayes rest.

Of this declaration of the first Covenant, I inferre the first formall oblige­ment of the Law of God, obliging man in his state of perfection.

The formall obligement of the Law (obliging man in his severall state and condition) is immediately by the formality of the Covenant, and the for­mality of the covenant is by the formall manner, that God doth manifest himselfe to man by the word of his severall seventh dayes rest of the Law, in the severall state and condition of man, obliging man to the formall worship of the seventh day, and in the seventh day obliging the obedience of man to the command of the whole law; by which formall obliged worship of the seventh day, the whole law implyed in the command of the seventh day is formally obliged, obliging and commanding man (in his severall state and condition) to the formall worship of God, as God by the word of his se­venth dayes rest hath manifest himselfe to man, both upon the eternall bles­sing of the word of his seventh dayes rest, and upon the curse of eternall [Page 28] death, and in that commanded worship of the seventh day, commanding the obedience of man to the whole Law.

God therefore by the word of his first seventh dayes rest of the Law, ha­ving manifest himselfe to man, God of the Law of righteousnesse, Creator and conservator of heaven, of earth, of man, and the creatures; by the first Covenant, the first seventh dayes worship was the formall worship of God of the Law of righteousnesse Creator and Conservator; by which obliged for­mall worship of the first seventh day of the law, the whole law implyed in the command of the first seventh day was formally obliged, obliging and com­manding man to the formall worship of God of the law of righteousnesse Creator and Conservator, both upon the eternall blessing of the word of the first seventh dayes rest, and upon the curse of eternall death, and in that for­mall commanded worship of the first seventh day, commanding the obedi­ence of man, to the command of the whole Law of God of the Law of righ­teousnesse Creator and Conservator of heaven, earth, man, and the creatures created for man.

By this first formall obligement of the Law of righteousnesse (obliging man in his state of perfection) the second and third obligement of the law were formally distinguished from the first; for the first obligement of the law was simply the law of righteousnesse of God the Creator, which is called the simple formall obligement of the law, because it was without the revela­tion of the second person of the Trinity, who was manifest to man by the word of his second and third seventh dayes rest, after a generall manner, ac­cording to which severall manner, the law was formally obliged by two se­verall Covenants, whereby the first simple formall obligement of the law of righteousnesse was determined, and the law of righteousnesse of faith in God [...]he Redeemer actually established; first by faith in the promise of the blessed [...]ed [...] and secondly, by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ by his fulfiling of the promise, afterwards particularly to be declared.

Of this obligement of man (created in the state of naturall and spirituall perfection) to the first Covenant, established upon the immediate command of the word of the first seventh dayes rest of the Law of God: I inferre these even. Theologicall demonstrative conclusions following.

CHAP. IX.
Seven necessary conclusions inferrent of the obligement of man to the first Covenant.

1. ADam being created in the state of naturall and spirituall perfection, the head of all men naturally to descend of Adam; all men naturally to descend of Adam (the body of the head) were all really created in Adam the head, and in Adam the head really bound and obliged to the first Cove­nant, though not actually descended from the head.

2. All men naturally to descend of Adam the head, being bound and obli­ged to the Law of God in Adam the head by the first Covenant, Adams obe­dience and disobedience to the command of the law of righteousnesse was as truly really and necessarily the obedience and disobedience of the body (to wit, the obedience and disobedience of all men naturally to descend of Adam the head) as it was the obedience and disobedience of Adam the head, though none were actually descended from the head: Even as we see the water flowing from a Conduit, the water flowing from the head, is the same reall water which was in the head, before it did flow from the head, which was the water of the naturall and spirituall life of man, arising from the lively spring of the word of the law in Adams heart naturally and spiritually en­lightened and sanctified; Adam therefore as he was head, by his transgressi­on of the law, having polluted the spring in the head it was the necessary reall act of his body, in the correlative respect of the head with the body, and of the body with the head.

3. The transgression of the law of righteousnesse, obliged by the first Co­venant, was without all hope of mercy known to man or Angel, for all mer­cy is in the Lord Jesus Christ, second person of the Trinity, (who according to the eternall decree of God) was not at first revealed to man, created in such admirable state of naturall and spirituall perfection.

4. By the denyall of the first Covenant made by God with man, the truth of God to man is fundamentally denyed, for it is by Gods fulfilling of his pro­mise to man by his Covenant, that God doth manifest himselfe truth to man.

5. God (according to his eternall decree of predestination) having crea­ted man, male and female, in the naturall and spirituall perfection of man, God could not annihilate man, for so his transeant act had been contradictory to his imminent act.

6. The first Covenant being established upon the immediate command of the word of the first seventh dayes rest of the law of righteousnesse, and man [Page 30] having transgressed the Law, God could not annihilate man for his transgres­sion of the Law of righteousnesse, for so his justice could never have been sa­tisfied by man.

7. God and man being mutually bound and obliged by the first Covenant, established upon the immediate command of the word of the first seventh dayes rest of the Law of righteousnesse, whereby God did binde and oblige himselfe to Adam by the eternall blessing of the word of his seventh dayes rest, to continue the naturall and spirituall perfection of Adam, upon the e­ternall continuation of the perfection of Adams obedience; God (without highest in justice by the breach of his Covenant) could neither withdraw his actuall blessing from Adam (before the law was transgressed by Adam) for so Adam must necessarily fall under the eternall curse of the law; neither could God by any act or decree whatsoever necessitate the will of man, to fall under the fearefull eternall curse of the law, by necessitating his free in­tellectuall creature man, to a ten thousand million of times a worse being than if man should have had no being at all.

8. The first Covenant being established between God and Adam, and Adam being left to the freedome of his election by covenant, to stand or fall at his pleasure or perill, God (without infinite prejudice to his justice) could neither barre Satan, from tempting of Adam (created in such state of spiritu­all perfection) neither could God uphold and support Adam, tempted by the mighty temptation of Satan, for so the Covenant had not been made with man, but with God himselfe.

Against the truth of that which hath been here faithfully delivered (ari­sing from the truth of the sacred word) it is objected, that Adam in his state of perfection, was neither obliged to the Law of God, or commanded to the seventh dayes worship of God, and consequently and necessarily I conclude, First, Adam in his state of perfection was not obliged to the first Covenant made by God with man; for the first Covenant is established upon the im­mediate command of the word of the first seventh dayes rest of the Law of righteousnesse, necessarily implying the command of the whole Law. Se­condly, and consequently, the first Covenant being denyed, the Covenant in the promise of the blessed seed, and the new Covenant (made with all the nations of the world) is necessarily denyed, which doe necessarily and fun­damentally depend upon the first Covenant. Thirdly, there was no law to command man in his state of perfection, for the Law of God formally com­manding Adam, was the word of the first seventh dayes rest of the law of righteousnesse, necessarily implying the command of the whole law. Fourth­ly, neither could Adam, or any man created in Adam, transgresse the Law [Page 31] of God, for where there is no law, there is no transgression of the law, and the seventh day of the law of God being denyed, there is no law of God to command man. Fifthly, and consequently, Christ suffered the ignominious curse of the Crosse in vaine for the transgression of the Law of God by man. Sixthly, by denying of the obligement of man to the command of the Law of righteousnesse by the first Covenant, the truth of God is fundamentally de­nyed. Seventhly, and consequently, by this denyall all Christian faith is rased from the very foundation, for the foundation of all Christian faith is in the obligement of all men in Adam the head, to the first Covenant esta­blished upon the immediate command of the word of the first seventh dayes rest of the law, and upon the transgression of the law by man.

But the objection is proved by two strong Arguments; the first is, that the formall obligement of the Law, now commanding man, was not sutable to the perfection of Adam, which is most certaine, for neither the formall propheticall ceremoniall obligement of the law, or the formall Evangelicall obligement of the Law of righteousnesse of faith, was sutable to Adam in his state of perfection: But the simple formall obligement of the Law of righ­teousnesse was so sutable to Adams state of perfection, as the objecter, Adam, and all men created in Adam their head (for the transgression of the Law of righteousnesse) were condemned by the law, to the curse of eternall death and darknesse, which nothing could redeem but the sacred Blood of the Son of God; which the objecter by denying, that Adam (in his state of perfecti­on) was not bound to the law of God doth most unthankfully deny.

The second Argument to prove this fearefull objection is this, Adam in his state of perfection, had no other obligatory precept, but the command of abstenance from eating of the fruit of the Tree of knowledge, and in the very termes of this Argument, a flat contradiction is necessarily involved, for this obligatory precept doth necessarily imply the command of the whole Law of righteousnesse, as hath been formerly declared; for by the transgression of this obligatory precept, the whole Law of righteousnesse was necessarily transgressed; and therefore Adam and all men naturally to descend of Adam (for the transgression of this obligatory precept) were condemned to the eternall curse of the law of righteousnesse.

But of all the fearefull blasphemous objections, which was ever objected (by the devill or man) against the truth of God; this may stand upon record for the first.

Thus have we finished the first Book of our Theologicall Key, wherein the fundamentall points of the first Covenant are Theologically and funda­mentally opened, for the foundation of all Christian faith, containing the first [Page 32] part of the exercit act of the sacred decree of predestination, execute by the infinite essentiall word, in the Creation of heaven and the Hoast thereof, of the earth, of man, and of the creatures created for man, and in the oblige­ment of man to the first Covenant, established upon the immediate command of the word of the first seventh dayes rest of the law of righteousnesse.

CHAP. I.
Christ manifesting of himself at his coming in the world.

WE are now, (according to our Method) to declare such acts of the blessed seed, as they are set down in his sacred Word, per­formed by him, while he was personally upon earth. Christ Jesus the eternall Son of God, made flesh of the seed of the woman, in time, according to the Decree of God from all eternity; as he is the first begotten Son of the most High (by his birthright) Prophet, Priest, and King, so by the execution of his three­fold office, Christ Jesus did manifest himself, Prophet, Priest, and King: First, therefore, of the execution of his Propheticall office: Secondly, of his Priestly; and, Thirdly, of his Kingly office.

The execution of Christs Propheticall office, (while he was personally upon earth) was by the immediate power of his Word, as he himself was the promised rest of the seventh day of the Propheticall Sabbath. Christ Jesus, (the Word) as the redeemed Word, (his Image) is internally written in the [Page 150] heart of man, his Word is the redeemed light and life of man. And as his Word is externally objected to the externall senses, he is the continuation of the redeemed life and light of man: His Word, under the propheticall ob­ligement of the Law, was the word of the seventh day of the propheticall Sabbath, implying the whole propheticall Law, and the whole old Testa­ment: As the life and light of the promised Sabbaticall rest did pro­ceed from his love to man; so Christ Jesus, at his being personally in the world, did manifest himself light, love, and life to man. His light was in the sound of his Word; and by the power of his Word, his miracles were wrought; and this was the light which did gloriously shine amongst the Jews, while he was personally conversant with the Jews. This glorious light, by the sound of his Word, did shine to the Jews, first, and immediatly, by his own immediate Word: And secondly, by the commanded ministry of the Apostles. By the light of his immediate Word; first the understanding of the Jews was enlightned in the prophesies, prophecying of the coming of the blessed seed, from the foundation of the world, Mat. 4.17. Mar. 1.21. Luke 4.21. Ioh. 3.13. whereby our Saviour did manifest himself to the Jews, that he was the promised rest of their Sabbath; and that he was the seed of the wo­man, who must die for the sins of man, and rest after his death, upon the Sab­bath, for the recovering of the eternall rest of the first seventh day, lost by Adam; and that he it was, that must rise again to break the head of the Ser­pent, for the betraying of man. All which was so many prophesies of him­self, whereby Christ did discharge his propheticall office, Joh. 3.14. as he did likewise prophesie his death by the lifting up of the brazen Serpent, and his resting in the grave, Mat. 12.40. by Jonas rest in the Whales belly, and both his death and resurrection in saying, Joh. 2.19. Destroy this Temple, and in three dayes I will raise it again: So did he prophesie of the destruction of Jerusalem, Luke 21.6. So his second coming, and the day of judgement, and many such like. Secondly, by this glorious shining light by the sound of his Word, our Saviour, Mat. 5.20. did cleer the obscured light of the Law, corrupted by the false glosse of the Scribes and Pharisees, arising from the Devils darknesse. Thirdly, as Christ Jesus, while he was personally in the world, by the light of the sound of his Word, the Jews understanding was inlightned to know, that he was the promised blessed seed: So by the light of the power of his Word, by his wonders and miracles, he did manifest himself to be the eternall Son of God. With the glorious fame of whose wonders and miracles, the whole world was filled and amazed; insomuch that the Jews were constrained to acknowledge the Lord of life to be the Son of God, though the Jews dark­nesse (led by the Devils false deceiving light) could not comprehend that [Page 151] glorious shining light. Fourthly, at this glorious light did proceed from the love of the Lord of life to man, by his promised Sabbatical rest: So he did ma­nifest his love (while he was personally upon earth) to man, in curing of all manner of incurable sensitive diseases of the body, and the diseased souls of many, by the pardoning of sin. None were denied the blessing of his rest, who came to him by the light of his love. As this glorious light did shine to the Jews immediatly, by Christ himself, as he was the promised rest of the propheticall Sabbath day; so this glorious light did shine immediatly by the ministry of the Apostles, whom our Saviour did send abroad, Mat. 10.7. to preach and teach this glorious shining light, shining from the Son of God; whom likewise (before his death and resurrection) he authorized to preach and to teach the Evangel, and to administrate the Sacrament of Baptisme; as John did first, before Christs manifesting of himself to the world. And to the end that both Jew and Gentile might understand, that our Saviour was the promised blessed seed, prophesied by the propheticall Sabbath; our Saviour himself, Mat. 3.13. was baptized by John, to let both the Jews and Gentiles understand, that as by his submersion, as it were, in the water, (by his baptism) that he it was, who must be drowned in the sea of Gods eternall wrath, (by his cursed death of the crosse) to redeem man from the curse of the Law, for the sin of all men in Adam: So by his rising out of the water, both Jews and Gentiles might understand, that he should rise again from the cursed death of the crosse. And though our Saviour himself did not baptize; yet the night that he was betrayed, he did institute the Sacrament of the supper. All this was done by our Saviour, that all men might then know and understand, that Christ Jesus was the end of the Law.

Here doth arise an objection: It was affirmed in the 29.30, 31. Chapters of the second Book, that the continuation of the propheticall obligement of the Law was from the first period of the promise of the blessed seed to Adam, till the day of Christs resurrection from the grave; and now by our Saviours own doctrine and preaching of the Evangelicall Word: And by his sending of his Apostles to preach and teach, and to administrate the Sacrament of Baptisme, and by his own administration of the Sacrament of the supper, all manifesting, Mat. 5.17. Christ Jesus to be the end of the propheticall Law. The propheticall Law therefore, and the propheticall Sacraments were actually determined by our Saviour before either his death or resurrection.

I answer: It is most truly affirmed by us, but the consequence is falsly inferred: For, though Christ Iesus before his death, did make his Evangeli­call Will and Testament, sealing his Will by the Evangelicall Sacraments; yet his Evangelicall Will and Testament, was not in force before the death [Page 152] of the Testator: And therefore, though our Saviour, did thus manifest him­self before his death by the execution of his propheticall office, by making of his last Will & Testament, and by sealing of his Will, by the institution of the Evangelicall Sacraments; yet his propheticall Will and Testament sealed by the propheticall Sacraments, was in force till the propheticall Sabbath day, (implying the command of the whole propheticall ceremoniall Law) was actually determined by the blessed day of Christs resurrection. And so much for the discharging of Christs propheticall office at his first manifesting of himself to the world. Next of the execution of his Priestly office.

CHAP. II.
The execution of Christs Priestly office, while he was upon earth.

THough Aaron, and the high Leviticall Priest, is said to be the figure of Christ Jesus, (the high Priest of our souls) yet our Saviour was not a Priest after the order of Aaron or Levi; neither was he of the Tribe of Levi. But Christ Jesus was a Priest after the order of Melchisedeck, Psal. 110 4. Heb. 7.17. Neither must we conceive that the Leviticall high Priest was the figure of our Saviour in all respects, as he was a Priest: For, though the sacrifice of the brazen altar was offered and sacrificed by the Leviticall high Priest himself; yet our Saviour did not offer and sacrifice himself, prefigu­rate by that sacrifice; though (out of his infinite love to man) our Saviour (patience it self) did lay down his life, willingly and freely to be taken away by the bloody cruell hands of the wicked, incensed by the malicious darknesse of the great Dragon: For, all the created powers of God could not have bereaved our Saviour of his life, without his own gracious per­mission. The Analogie therefore, between the Leviticall high Priest, and our Saviour, was in the Priesthood (though not in every respect) and in the sacrifice offered by the high Priest. And though the Analogie between the two sacrifices be the chief point of this declaration; yet the Analogie be­tween the two high Priests must be first, (though briefly) declared. And next the Analogie between the two sacrifices: The Leviticall high Priest did prefigurate the Priesthood of Christ Jesus, specially in three respects: First, both the high Priests did make atonement by the sacrifice which was offered. The Leviticall high Priest morally, ceremonially, and temporally; Christ Iesus spiritually and eternally. The second respect was in the circum­stance of time, when the atonement was made. The Leviticall high Priest (beside his morall and ceremoniall atonement) Exod. 30.9.10. did once a yeer (to wit) in the end of the yeer, enter the inner Tabernacle to make atone­ment [Page 153] (at the Mercy-seat) both for his own actuall spirituall sins, and for the actuall spirituall sins of the people; by whose entring in the inner Taber­nacle once in the end of the yeer, the end of the prophetical obligement of the Law was prefigurate: But Christ Jesus, Heb. 9.28. did enter the Tabernacle not made with hands, but once in the end of the yeer (as it were) of the pro­pheticall ceremoniall obligement of the Law. And therefore Christ Jesus is said, Heb. 10.10. to have entred but once for all: For, though the high Leviticall Priest, by the quotidian, and by the Sabbaticall sacrifices, and ce­remoniall commanded rites, did purge the transgressors of the morall and ce­remoniall Law, morally and ceremonially, according to the command of the Law; yet, by the command of God by [...]is Law, the high Priest was to enter the inner Tabernacle once a yeer, to obtain the pardon of actuall spirituall sin at the Mercy-seat, whereby it was signified, that there is no pardon of actuall sin, as it is spirituall, but by God himself only and immediately; and therefore the pardon was given to the high Priest immediatly in the behalf of the people, as he was the figure of the high Priest, Christ Jesus to whom all power in heaven and in earth, is given by the sacred Trinity. The third point of the Analogie between the high Priests, was, that as the Leviticall high Priest, before he entred the inner Tabernacle, (the holiest place) first, he did sacrifice the Holocaust sacrifice of the brazen altar, with the rites and service belonging to that sacrifice: as the offering up the sweet insence at the golden altar, kindled by the fire of the brazen altar, which came down from heaven; after the offering whereof, Levit. 16.3, 4. clothed with a white robe, besprinkled with the blood of the sacrifice of the brazen altar, and with sweet insence kindled with the same fire, the high Priest did enter the holiest place: So our Saviour, after he was first offered in a sacrifice upon the hard brazen cursed altar of the crosse, clothed with the rich white robe of his Righteousnesse, besprinkled with the precious blood of his own sacri­fice, and with the odoriferous insence thereof, did gloriously enter the Ta­bernacle, not made with hands, (by his infinit merit) to make eternall inter­cession and atonement at the Mercy-seat of Righteousnesse, for the mysticall members of his body, spiritually and indivisibly united to their mysticall head, by his indivisible love. As for the Analogie between the sacrifice offered up by the Leviticall high Priest, and the sacrifice prefigurate thereby, it did likewise consist in three speciall points: First, as the blood of the Leviti­call sacrifice of the brazen altar, was first shed, and then laid upon the brazen altar: So the sacred blood of the Son of God was shed first by his crowning with a crown of sharp prickly thornes, causing streams of blood to besmeare his glorious face and body. Secondly, by his cruell scourging, which was a [Page 154] most c uell kinde of bloody punishment, according to the manner of the Jews. Thirdly, by the flood of blood, by reason of the great boysterous nails to hold his body fast to the cursed altar of the crosse, prefigurate by the bra­zen altar. The Analogie of the second point between the two sacrifices, was, that both was an Holocaust, sacrifice: For, as the Leviticall sacrifice of of the brazen altar was wholy burnt up, and consumed by the fire which came down from heaven; so the sacrifice of the Lord of life, (as he is man) was burnt up, and consumed by the fire of Gods wrath, which came down fr [...]m [...]eaven, for the actuall curse of the Law for the sin of Adam, to which C [...]st did oblige himself to sustaine for wretched unthankfull man, by whose to fed death, all men are redeemed from that curse. The third point of the A [...]alogie of the two sacrifices, was, Levit. 4.12. that as the ashes of the whole burnt sacrifice of the brazen altar was taken from the brazen altar, and carryed in ash-pans, and laid apart from the altar, in a clean place: So the blessed body of our Saviour, Joh. 19.38, 39, 40, 41. was taken down from the cursed altar of the crosse by Joseph of Arimathea, Nicodemus, and others of that religious company, prefigurate by the ash-pans, and carried and laid in a new sepulchre, wherein no man was formerly laid. Because the point of this declaration is in the sacrifice of our blessed Saviour, the declaration thereof shall be discharged in these two heads: First, our Saviours cruell cursed death, by the cursed altar of the crosse, shall be declared: And secondly, the place where the Lord was laid, prefigurate by the ashes of the sacrifice of the brazen altar, which were carried apart from the altar, and laid in a clean place. Because the sacrifice of our Saviour is plainly set down in the Scrip­ture, we will first, only make a brief and summary relation of the severall pas­ges thereof; and next, certain mysticall concerning points shall be observed of the death and suffering of our Saviour. Of all the stratagems of Satan by his false deceiving bewitching light; his incensing of miserable men, with such bloody cruell hands, to crucifie the Lord of life, was most admirable and strange: For, first the power of actuall freedome, of naturall and morall g [...]ace, which they then enjoyed by the redemption of man from the curse of the Law, by the eternall Decree of God, (though to be performed in time) was such, as Satan, and all the created powers of God, could not necessitate the will of man to any morall evill; but that man must be willingly and free­ly led and induced to commit that evill. Secondly, the propheticall Sab­bath was the glory of the Jews nation, whereby the Jews were so eminent, and had such great preferment above all the nations of the earth, which glo­ry and great preferment the Jews did then enjoy by faith in the blessing of the promised rest of the blessed seed, prophesied by the propheticall Sabbath, [Page 155] as it was the seventh day of the propheticall ceremoniall Law, which was then the immediate object of the Jews faith. And though our Saviour did manifest himself to the Jews, that he was that blessed seed, which was pro­phesied by the propheticall Sabbath, (shining then so gloriously amongst the Jews) by his gracious light, leading them to his love, which was freely ex­tended towards all, rich and poor, in his curing of all manner of sensitive incurable diseases of the body, and the diseased souls of many, engaging thereby so the generall love of all, that happy was he who could but touch the Lord of life; to none was his love and help denyed, who were led to him by this gracious light of the sound of his Word, who by the power of his wonders and miracles, did manifest himself to be the Son of God, ingaging the reverend fear of all by the convincing power of whose wonders and miracles, the wretched Jews were constrained to acknowledge so much; yet that Satan (by his false deceiving light) should notwithstanding so induce the unthankfull Jews not to suppresse, but (with such bloody hands) to extin­guish the light of their own eternall life and rest, it cannot but amaze the heart of man; though all was by the hand of Gods permissive power: For, though the power of Satans false deceiving light be wonderfull, yet Satan with all his power, must work all his mischief only by the betraying of the willing consent of man, to have man to effect what he would; of whose help Satan himself did then stand in great need; for this miserable act of Sa­tan was not so much out of his malice to man, as out of Satans own fear: For, by the greatnesse of this glorious light of the promised blessed seed, Satan be­gan to be afraid, that the head of his power must be broke by the seed of the woman; and therefore it did stand Satan in hand, in time to prevent this so great and eminent danger, which that false Serpent did by suggesting such a light of apparent fear to the Priests, Scribes, and Pharisees of the utter losse of their glorious Sabbath, and of the Leviticall dignity, means, and pre­ferment, if they should give way to this glorious light to shine amongst them, whereby the world was so led and carried; by which false suggested fear of Satans false deceiving light, the Scribes and Pharisees, and the rest of that rablement, were furiously incensed with all greedy desire, not to sup­presse, but extinguish the light it self, whereby both might rest secure from any such fear, which this barbarous crue did with most cruell bloody hands effect, though while their cruell hands were in externall action, their hearts were internally pricked with the power of this light, as may appear by the sacred History, from the first point to the last: For, first, while the Scribes and Parisees did hire their Helhounds to apprehend the Lord of life, the Lord told the Helhounds, John 18.5, 6.12.13. that he was the man whom [Page 156] they did seek. And though by the power of his Word they fell back to the ground; yet up again, and to the Lord they went: And though Malcomes eare, Luke 22, 50, 51. (being struck off) was miraculously cured by our Savi­our; (a glim of the light of the rest of their glorious Sabbath) yet such was the power of the Devils darknesse, obscuring that glorious light, as our blessed Saviour (like a malefactor) was haled to the judgement hall. And though Pilat (convinced by the power of this glorious light) did thrice pronounce the Lord innocent, yet Pilat, (led by Satans light) his tongue condemned the Lord of life. But Pilate, by hearing one of the murthering crue say, Joh. 19.7. that Christ affirmed himself to be the Son of God, Pilats heart (being prickt again by that word) sought to set our Saviour at liberty; till another told Pilate, Joh. 19.12, 13. that if he should do so, Pilat should shew himself an enemy to Cesar; at which words, Pilate fearing, by his letting of Christ go free, the losse of his place, if not his life; Pilate delivered the King of glory to the murtherers: For, the Scribes and Pharisees cryed out that they had a Law, and that by that Law, Christ ought to die, and there was a reason of right for all. Our Saviour therefore being delivered to the mercilesse band; first, Mar. 15.15. he was cruelly scourged, a fearfull bloody punishment, and of no lesse cruelty, according to the judiciall Law, used amongest the Jews: Secondly, his glorious head (in derision) Mar. 15.17. was crowned with a prickly crown of thornes, by the sharp pricks whereof, streams of his precious blood did besmear his gracious face, and blessed body: Thirdly, being so bloodily crowned, Mat. 27.29. a reedy Scepter was put in his hand, (by their Apish gestures) saluting the King of glory for the king of the Jews, though by right descent, Christ Jesus was their King indeed: Fourthly, our Saviour was commanded (by the cruell torturors) John 19.17. to bear his crosse, the curse whereof he was to bear, both in soul and body: Fifthly, our Saviour was (with mercilesse cruelty) nailed to the crosse, and (most ignominiously) hanged between two notorious thieves: Sixtly, our Saviour thirsting (in the agony of his passion) Mat. 27.34.38. was offered the bit­ter potion of vineger and gall to drink; so that all the sensitive powers of the Lord of life, the Son of God (as he is man) from his head to his body, hands and feet, were most cruelly and mercilesly martyred by the bloody murtherers, for the space, from the sixth hour to the ninth; though nothing to the martyrdome of his burned soul, burnt up by the fiery wrath of God from heaven, proceeding from the actuall inflicting of the curse of the Law, to the sustaining whereof, the Son of God, (as he is man) out of his love to man, did freely oblige himself by covenant. The sustaining of which torture, upon the cursed altar of the crosse, made our Saviour cry out, My God, my God, [Page 157] why hast thou forsaken me? All which miseries, (proceeding from the curse of the law) the Lord of life, the eternall Son of God, God equall with the Fa­ther, (out of his infinite love to man) did predestinate himself, by his Decree from all eternity, to suffer, as he is man. And last of all, these bloody Hel­hounds, (that they might be sure, that his glorious light might never shine again) John 19.34. did with a spear pierce the Lord of life to the heart, of which wound, issued blood and water. And so much for the brief summary relation of the sacrifice of our Saviour, offered for man, condemned to the eternall curse of the Law, whereby the Son of God, Christ Jesus, out of his love to man, made himself a curse for man, to redeem man from the curse of the Law, for the sin of Adam. Next, some mysticall concerning points are to be observed of the cruell martyrdome of our blessed Saviour.

CHAP. III.
The mysticall sense of the sacrifice of Christ Jesus, the Son of God, out of his infinite love to man.

FIrst, by our Saviours coaction, to bear his crosse, to which he was pre­destinate, by the Decree of God from all eternity: The crosse of afflicti­ons of his mysticall members, predestinate to be made like to the Image of his afflictions in this life, is mystically signified: For, his mysticall members, as they are the Image of his afflictions, must participate with their mysticall head, and taste of the cup which their mysticall head hath drunk, charged up to the brim; that as they have suffered with their mysticall head in this life, so they may raign in their head, crowned with an incorruptible Crown of glory, eternally in all heavenly happinesse in the life to come: For, afflicti­ons is the strait gate in this life, whereby his mysticall members must en­ter into the kingdome of heaven. Secondly, by our Saviours thirsting up­on the cursed altar of the crosse, while he was offered the bitter potion, of vineger and gall (by the torturing helhounds) to quench his thirst, is mysti­cally signified the eternall torments of the Reprobate in hell, burnt up with the actuall inflicting of the curse of the Law in the full extent, by the con­suming fire of Gods eternall wrath; who, while as they thirst, no other li­quor shall they have to quench their unquenchable thirst, but the gally dregs of the Devils darknesse, with the voluptuous sensitive pleasures whereof they did so surfet in this life. Thirdly, by the words of our Saviour (while he did endure and sustain the curse of the Law upon the cursed altar of the crosse) saying, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? The extremity of his sustaining of the wrath of God in the full extent, in the torturing of his soul, is mystically signified, as the tortures of his sensitive body, by his [Page 158] sensitive martyrdome, was patient to all; whereby our Saviour did manifest himself true man to the world. Fouthly, by our Saviours words, (at the giving up of his Spirit) saying, John 19 30. It is finished; was mystically signified, that by his death; all the materiall altars and sacrifices; all the figures, types, rites, and ceremonies, prefigurating the coming and death of the blessed seed, were all finished and determined by his death, never to be reiterate in the Church of God. Fifthly, by the darknesse from the sixth hour to the ninth, (which was the hour of his death) at which hour the darknesse vanished, was mystically signified, that all the cloudy darknesse of the propheticall ce­remoniall Law, were quite vanished away, never to be reiterate in the Church of God. Sixthly, by the rending of the vail of the Temple at Christs giving up of his Spirit, (which hath been formerly mentioned) the calling of the Gentiles, with the Jews in one Church, was mystically signified; who upon the next day following, (to wit, upon the day of the Lords resurrecti­on from the grave) were all actually called in one Church by the new cove­nant, to the great joy and comfort of all the nations of the world. Seventh­ly, by the piercing of our Saviours heart with the spear, where the intellectu­all and sensitive spirits of man, (as he is man) are essentially united, It was mystically signified again, that all the types, figures, and rites of the ceremoni­all Law, prefigurating our Saviours cursed death of the crosse, from the foun­dation of the world, were all pierced (as it were) to the heart, never to be rei­terate in the Evangelicall Church of God. Eighthly, by the blood and wa­ter, issuing from the wound of our Saviours heart, the sacramentall seals of the new Testament, were mystically signified: For, as in the sacrament of Baptisme, by the sacramentall water, the water of eternall life is signified, re­presenting the water issuing from our Saviours wounded heart, accompanied with his heart blood, whereby the baptized's actuall sins are signified to be washed away, and whereby the baptized is raised from his death in actuall sin, to the new life of saith; to let the baptized, and all men understand, that actuall sin is washed away by our Saviours heart blood, which was accom­panied with the water issuing from his wounded heart; and therefore it is said by the Apostle, 1 John 5.6. This is he that came by water, not by water only; but by water and blood. So in the sacrament of the Lords Supper, by the sacramentall bread, the bread of eternall life is signified, as by the sacramen­tall wine our Saviours heart blood is signified; whereby the bread of life is purchased, to let all men understand, that the new life of faith is fed and nourished by the bread of life, purchased by his sacred blood; which bread of life is the Word, blessed and sanctified by the Lords infinite merit, in the spirituall understanding whereof is eternall life, according to our Saviours [Page 159] own word, John 17.3. This is life eternall, to know thee, who is only known by his Word. Ninthly, by our Saviours last words upon the crosse, Luke 23.46. Father, into thy hands I commend my Spirit (which was our Saviours hu­mane Spirit,) it was signified, that as our Saviour was man, the Son of God from all eternity; so is man, begot by his Father, of the seed of the woman in time; and every way true man the Son of God. Tenthly, and lastly, by our Saviours outstretched armes, nailed to the crosse, the new covenant to be made with all the nations of the world, was mystically signified again. And so much for the mysticall points of the sacrifice of Christ Jesus, the eter­nall Son of God, as he is man; prefigurate by the sacrifice of the brazen al­tar, offered by the Leviticall high Priest. Now, since our Saviour was not a Priest after the order of Aaron or Levi, the question may be moved, What manner of Priesthood was this, whereby Christ is said to be a Priest after the order of Melchisedeck?

CHAP. IV.
The reason that Christ is called a Priest after the order of Melchisedeck; and the execution of Christs Kingly office, while he was upon earth.

THe Question moved in the former Chapter, is commonly answered, that the Reason, that Christ is said to be a Priest after the order of Mel­chisedeck, is, that as Melchisedeck was without father or mother; So Christ, as he is man, is without a naturall father, naturally descended of Adam; and as he is God, Christ is without a mother. But this point is warily to be con­ceived: For, though it be said, that Melchisedeck was without father or mother, we must understand the words in this sense; that Melchisedeck was without any known father and mother; for his parents are concealed by the Scripture, not that we should conceive that Melchiseck was not man, natu­rally descended of Adam, but for another reason which shall be shewed; neither must we conceive, that there was any such sacrifice offered by Mel­chisedeck, as was offered by our Saviour: For, Melchisedeck could offer no other manner of sensitive sacrifice, then the sacrifice of the Altar, which was commanded by the propheticall Sabbath. But Christ Jesus is said to be a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedeck, in respect of the eternity of the Priest; for Melchisedeck having neither known father or mother, or kindred; Melchisedeck is said to be without beginning or ending, and con­sequently his Priestly office: For, there was no lineall succession of the Priestly office, till it was established in the Tribe of Levi, which did only con­tinue, during the formall propheticall ceremoniall obligement of the Law. [Page 160] Before which time the Priesthood was in private Families: Of this lately declared, I infer these three necessary demonstrative conclusions: First, the Apostles, and Apostolicall successors, are not Priests, or to be called Priests, either after the order of Melchisedeck, or after the order of Levi: For, first, they can be no Priests, or called Priests after the order of Melchisedeck; for so their Priesthood must be for ever: Secondly, they can be no Priests, or cal­led Priests after the order, or by the name of Levi; for so they must be cere­moniall sensitive Priests, by offering of ceremoniall sensitive sacrifices and gifts, still prefigurating the cursed death of our Saviour, whereby the truth of his fulfilled promise of the blessed seed, is belied and denied.

Against this it is objected: Our Saviour in the institution of the sacra­ment of his last Supper, before his death (as he is high Priest, after the order of Melchisedeck,) did by this blessing of the bread and wine, change and transubstanciate the substance of the bread and wine in the reall substance of his body and blood, and did offer up his reall body and blood (under the externall forms of bread and wine) in a propitiatory sensitive sacrifice to his Father, for the dead, and for the quick; which sacrifice is really one with his sacrifice of the crosse, after the offering up whereof, he did give his sacri­ficed reall body and blood (under the externall forms of bread and wine) to his Apostles, for the sacrament of his last Supper, commanding the Apostles (and in the Apostles the Apostolicall successors) to offer up his reall body and blood in a propitiatory sensitive sacrifice, for the dead and for the quick. And after the offering up thereof, to give his sacrificed reall body and blood, for the sacrament of his last Supper to the communicants. The Apostles therefore, and the Apostolicall successors, (by the power and authority of his command) are still ceremoniall Priests, and must offer this propitiatory sensitive sacrifice at the materiall Altar, for the quick and for the dead, under the externall forms of bread and wine.

The question therefore here, is not of any metaphoricall sacrifice, or of the spirituall sacrifice of the Lords mysticall members, commanded to be offered at the spirituall Altar of righteousnesse; but of a proper reall sensitive pro­pitiatory sacrifice: First, I answer to the affirmed propitiatory sacrifice of our Saviours reall body and blood, which is pretended to be offered up by our Saviour, under the externall forms of bread and wine in the institution of the sacrament of his last Supper before his death, which is the main ground of the objection. Secondly, I answer to the affirmed reall unity of this pretended sacrifice with our Saviours sacrifice of the crosse: As for the first, it is manifest, both by the truth of the sacred History, and by the very words of the institution of the sacrament of the Lords Supper, (before his [Page 161] death) that our Saviour did neither offer; nor intended to offer his reall body and blood (in the institution of the sacrament of his last Supper) in a propitia­tory sacrifice (under the externall forms of bread and wine) for the quick and f [...]r the dead, as is falsly pretended, contrary to all truth of the Evangelicall History: For, as our Saviour (while he was personally upon earth) having execute his propheticall office, by delivering to his Disciples his last Will and Testament by his sacred Word; sealed by the sacramentall seal of bapti­zing, which was to succeed in the Church in place of the sacrament of cir­cumcision: So our Saviour (at the feast of the last Passeover) being the next day, to discharge his Priestly office, as he is High Priest after the order of Mel­chisedeck, by his sacrifice of the crosse, whereby his promise of the blessed seed was to be fulfilled; our Saviour before his death, did likewise seal his last Will and Testament, with the institution of the sacrament of his last Supper to succeed in place of the sacrament of the Passeover, though not to be (in force, Heb. 9 17.) till after the Testators death and resurrection according to the Scripture; which Sacrament was not institute till the night before his death of the crosse; (in the end of the feast of the last Passeover) and that for these two main fundamentall reasons: The first is, that by the institu­tion of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper (implying his whole last Will and new Testament) the Disciples might understand, Heb. 10 9. that the sacrament of the Passeover, (which is the sacrament of the old Testament, implying the whole propheticall ceremoniall Law) was actually determined. The se­cond reason, that the Sacrament of the Lords Supper was not institute, till the night before his suffering was, that the Disciples faith might be streng­thened against the sore temptation wherby they were to be assaulted the next day, by our Saviours martyrdome, in sustaining the fearfull curse of the Law, by the cursed sacrifice of the crosse: For, though the Sacrament was instituted before our Saviours death; yet it is expressed in words of the preterit time: This my body which is given for you; this my blood which is shed for you; as if all had then been done and past, and as if our Saviour had been then dead, and risen from the dead, which was a main reason to strengthen the Disciples faith in the Lords resurrection; though they did see him dead and buried. And therefore our Saviour that night, Mat. 26.31. did put the Disciples upon their guard, telling them, that the Shepheard must be smit­ten that night, and the sheep scattered; yet comforting them withall, that he should rise again, Mat. 26.32. and go before them into Galilee. By the truth of this relation of the sacred History, the judicious Reader may mani­festly perceive, that there was not the least intent in our Saviour, (by the institution of the Sacrament of his last Supper, before his death) to shed so [Page 162] much as a drop of his precious blood, much lesse to offer his reall body and blood in a propitiatory sacrifice for the dead, and for the quick, by his death, which he was to do the next day after, by his cursed sacrifice of the crosse, as he is high Priest, after the order of Melchisedeck. Next, to make the falshood of this assertion appear as plainly to the Reader, by the very words of the institution of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper: Our Saviour (in the end of the last Passeover) by prescribing the manner of the celebration of the Sacrament of his last Supper to the Disciples, (which is by blessing and thanks-giving) Mat. 26.26, 27. having blessed, took the bread and brake it, (to wit) the bread, and gave it, (to wit) the bread to the Disciples, saying, Take, eat, this is my body; that is, this bread is my body of the new Testa­ment which is given for you, to wit, as the flesh of the Pascall Lamb was my promised body of the old Testament, which was promised to be given and broken for you. Also (having given thanks) he took the cup, (to wit) with the wine, and gave it, (to wit) the wine to them, saying, This is my blood of the new Testament, which is shed for you; that is, this wine is my blood of the new Testament, as the reall blood of the Pascall Lamb, was my pro­mised blood of the old Testament which was promised to be shed; but not to be drunk by any; Drink ye all of it, that is, of this wine: And lest there should be any mistake in the word Wine, (which our Saviour calls his blood of the new Testament, Mat. 26.28.) he doth after (in plain terms) call it the fruit of the Vine, saying, Mat. 26, 29. I will not drink henceforth of the fruit of the vine, untill that day, when I shall drink it with you in my Fathers Kingdome; which is meaned of the Evangelicall day of the Kingdome of Grace (to wit) the Lords Day; whereby the Lord (by his resurrection and rest from the ful­filling of his promise of the blessed seed) did open the kingdome of Heaven to all Believers, leading all men by the light of his Day, to lay the hands of faith upon his merit; whereby all Believers are made heirs of the King­dome of Grace in this life, and of the kingdome of Heaven, in the life to come, whose gracious merit is that bread of eternall life, signified by the bread of the Sacrament; as by the breaking of the bread, the breaking of our Saviours body by the curse of the crosse; and by the wine, the shedding of his precious blood is signified, whereby he did merit the bread of eternall life. Our Saviour therefore, by the institution of the Sacrament of his last Supper, did deliver to his Apostles, and in the Apostles to the Apostolicall successors the formall Sacrament of his last Will, and new Testament; and consequently not the reall s [...]crifice of his reall body and blood; for there be­ing both a reall and a formall difference between the formall Sacrament of the Lords Supper, and his sacrifice of the crosse: As the Sacrament of the [Page 163] Lords Supper, cannot be his formall sacrifice of the crosse; so can neither his formall sensi [...]ive sacrifice of the crosse, be the formall Sacrament of his last Supper: For, in the Sacrament of his last Supper, (by the sensitive sacra­mentall elements,) the immediate object of faith is presented to the under­standing by the medi [...]te senses, which is the Lords merit, by his cursed death of the crosse, by his bloody rest in the grave, and by his resurrection from the grave to be apprehended by the hands of faith, while by our Saviours sa­crifice of the crosse, not the immediate, but the mediate object of faith, is (by the mediate senses) presented to the understanding; which mediate sensitive object (by interveening between the faith of man, and the Lords merit) faith and the immediate object are separate, whereby the faith of man is overthrown. And this is the reason, that all Imagery, painted or carved, of our Saviour, (as he is man) implying his death and humility, are condem­ned for Idolatry, as hath been formerly declared. No such surmised sacrifice therefore being offered by our Saviour in his institution of the Sacrament of his last Supper; no command was given to the Apostles, to offer any such fictious sacrifice; and consequently the Apostles and the Apostolicall suc­cessors; (the Ministers of the Word and Sacraments) no commanded Priests to offer any such fictious sensitive sacrifice, at the materiall altar, as is falsly pretended by the objection. Next, I answer to the affirmed reall unity of this pretended imaginary sacrifice with our Saviours sacrifice of the crosse. Leaving the Philosophicall distinction of unity, as genericall, sperificall, udo­mericall, reall, formall, and such like. In this encounter, I take the two last distinctions of unity (Theologically) to wit, one really, and one formally. This affirmed unity therefore, of the two sacrifices, cannot be formall; and therefore it must be reall. This affirmed reall unity therefore, of the two sa­crifice, is all one to say, as that our Saviour (in the institution of the Sacra­ment of his last Supper, by offering of his reall body and blood, under the externall forms of bread and wine in a propitiatory sacrifice for the dead and for the quick) did as really and in effect, sustain the curse of the Law in the full extent, by the cursed death of soul and body, as he did by his cursed sacrifice of the crosse; which fearfull assertion is repugnant to the truth of all Christian faith: For, by this affirmed reall unity of the two sacrifices, these subsequent inevitable conclusions must necessarily follow. First, by this af­firmed reall unity of the two sacrifices, the first surmised propitiatory sacri­fice, (pretended to be offered by our Saviour) must be a cursed sacrifice: For, such was our Saviours sacrifice of the crosse, Gal. 3.13. And conse­quently, our Saviours sacrificed reall body and blood (which is pretended to be given to the Apostles) cursed, which is highest blasphemy to affirm. [Page 164] Secondly, by the affirmed reall unity of these two sacrifices, the pretended propitiatory sacrifice (affirmed to be offered by our Saviour, in the institu­ting of the Sacrament of his last Supper,) must be a sensitive reall bloody sa­crifice; for there is no propitiatory sacrifice for sin, Heb. 9.22. without the sensitive blood of the sacrificed; for such was our Saviours propitiatory sa­crifice of the crosse: But the propugnators of this surmised propitiatory sa­crifice, will acknowledge no sensitive reall blood in their sacrifice; and therefore they must acknowledge this pretended propitiatory sacrifice to be no propitiatory sacrifice. Thirdly, by the affirmed, reall unity of these two sacrifices; this surmised pretended sacrifice (affirmed to be offered by our Saviour) must be a deadly sacrifice, by the sensitive death of the sacrificed, for such was our Saviours sacrifice of the crosse: But the propagnators of this surmised sacrifice, must acknowledge no such sensitive death of our Savi­our (by the institution of the Sacrament of his last Supper,) and therefore, they must acknowledge their pretended sacrifice to be no sacrifice. Fourth­ly, by the reall affirmed unity of these two sacrifices; the only one sa­crifice of our Saviour by the death of the crosse, as be is high Priest af­ter the order of Melchisedeck, once offered for all, is plainly denied: For, by this affirmed reall unity of the two sacrifices, our Saviour died twice. Fifthly, by the affirmed reall unity of the two sacrifices, the first surmised pretended sacrifice is a false sacrifice: For by the adoration of this imagi­nary sacrifice, the truth of the Lords commanded worship (by the Lords Day) is contradicted, which is commanded to be celebrate in spirit and truth, and not in the adoration of such a false sacrifice. Sixthly, by the af­firmed reall uni [...]y of these two sacrifices; the first pretended sacrifice is a faithlesse sacrifice: For, by this pretended sacrifice, the faith of man, and the immediate object of faith, (which is the Lords merit) are actually separate. Seventhly, by the reall affirmed unity of these two sacrifices, the pretended sacrifice affirmed to be offered by our Saviour, in the institution of the Sa­crament of his last Supper, is an Idolatrous sacrifice: For, by the adoring of this sacrifice, the sensitive object doth interveen between the Lord and his immediate commanded worship. Eighthly, by the reall affirmed unity of these two sacrifices; Christ was really dead before his last Will and Testa­ment was sealed by the sacrament of his last Supper, implying the whole Evangel and new Testament, and consequently his last Will and Testament no Will. Ninthly, by the affirmed reall unity of these two sacrifices; man was actually redeemed from the curse of the Law for the sin of Adam, and the Law was fulfilled for man by our Saviour before his death of the crosse, before his bloody rest in the grave, and before his resurrection from the dead. [Page 165] Tenthly, by this affirmed reall unity of the two sacrifices; all the prophesies prophcying of the blessed seed (from the foundation of the world) were ful­filled before our Saviours death, by the cursed altar of the crosse, and resur­rection from the dead. Eleventhly, by this affirmed reall unity of the two sacrifices; all the types, rites, figures and ceremonies, prefigurating the death of the blessed seed from the foundation of the world, were actually determi­ned, by the first pretended sacrifice, which all the sacrifices of all the creatures of God could never determine, till they were all actually determined by our Saviours last breath upon the cursed altar of the crosse, while as he said, It is finished. The twelfth conclusion doth necessarily follow from the former three: For, by the affirmed reall unity of the two sacrifices, our Saviours death by the cursed altar of the crosse, was superfluous. Thirteenthly, by the affirmed reall unity of these two sacrifices, this first surmised sacrifice (pre­tended to be offered by our Saviour in the institution of the sacrament of his last Supper) must be a reall Holocaust sacrifice, cursed and burnt up by the fiery consuming wrath of God for sin; no part or portion whereof must re­main to be given to the Apostles; for such was our Saviours sacrifice of the crosse, prefigurate by the Holocaust sacrifice of the brazen altar.

Hence I necessarily inferre, that by this affirmed reall unity the Sacra­ment of the Lords Supper is falsly denied to be given to the Apostles; for by this pretended surmised sacrifice, our Saviours reall sacrificed body and blood (which in this case profiteth nothing) Joh. 6.63. is affirmed to be given to the Apostles as a sacrament; while as in the sacrament of the Lords Sup­per, by the sacramentall bread and wine (given by our Saviour to the Apostles) the bread of eternall life, purchased by his sacrificed reall body and blood, is signified to be given. By the faithfull receiving whereof, God in his Son Christ Jesus, dwelleth in the heart of man by his love; and man by faith in the love of God, which is the only means whereby a man knoweth himself to stand in the state of Grace, whereof no man can be ever assured, till he find his love such to the truth of the Lords love by his me­rit (implying the truth of the whole Evangell and Law of God) as neither all the hopefull preferments of this life, nor all the threatned dangers of na­turall death it self can move him to deny the truth of that merit; and this is that faith which our Saviour saith, is able to remove the greatest moun­tain of temptation. By the reall affirmed unity therefore of these two sa­crifices, all Christian faith is rased from the foundation. And so much for answer to the objection: And for the declaration of our Saviours sacrifice, by his death of the crosse: we are next to return to the place where the Lord was laid. But because the main point doth consist in the Declaration of the [Page 166] new covenant, immediatly depending upon the Lords resurrection from the grave, which we must no wayes interrupt: We will therefore first, briefly in a word, set down the discharge of our Saviours kingly office upon earth, prefigurate by Melchisedeck, and then come to the declaration of the place where the Lord was laid. Melchisedeck was the figure of Christ, as he was Priest, Prophet, and King: And though we reade not of any Prophesie of Melchisedeck; yet Melchisedeck, as he was Priest, in discharging of the Priestly office, did necessarily prophesie: For, by the Priests ceremoniall exe­cution of the sacrifice of the altar, and of the rites of the propheticall Sab­bath; the Priest did necessarily prophesie. And this is the reason, that Christ saith, Luke 11.50, 51. that the Law and the Prophets did prophesie from Abel, which is chiefly meant by the Priestly office. And therefore it is said, that Caiphas did prophesie the death of our blessed Saviour, as high Priest that yeer, saying, Joh. 11.49, 50, 51, 52. Ye perceive nothing, neither do ye consi­der, that it is expedient that one man die, then the whole nation should perish. Though Caiphas did prophesie out of his fear of the overthrow of the Priestly prefer­ment; yet his prophesie was no other indeed, then the prophesie of the pro­pheticall Sabbath. As Melchisedeck therefore did prefigurate our Saviour, as he was Priest and Prophet; so Melchisedeck did prefigurate Christ Jesus as he was King: For, Melchisedeck was king of peace and righteousnesse; and so he was the true type and figure of our Saviour, Exod. 25.11. whose regall authority was signified by the golden crown placed above the ark of the Covenant, compassing the cherubims, overshadowing with their wings the Mercy-seat. The discharge of our Saviours Kingly authority upon earth, was chiefly in these three respects: First, Christ Jesus, by the infinite act of his own immediate power, by his resurrection from the grave, in his resting from the work of the redemption, did, as a royall King, redeem his subjects, (to wit) Adam, and all men naturally descended, and to descend of Adam, from the captivity of sin, Satan, eternall death, and darknesse, from the curse of the Law, to which all men were condemned for the sin of Adam. Se­condly, our Saviour, as he is King of Peace, did reconcile all men to the love and favour of God, by removing of the wrath of God from all men for the sin of Adam. Thirdly, Christ Jesus, as he is King of Righteousnesse, out of his Kingly authority, did command all his subjects of the world, (thus re­deemed) to the obedience of his Law of righteousnesse of faith upon the twofold reward of his Law by his new covenant. And so much briefly, for the discharge of our Saviours Kingly office upon earth. We do therefore now return to the Declaration of the second part of the sacrifice of our bles­sed Saviour, (the high Priest, after the order of Melchisedeck) and to the [Page 167] Declaration of the place where the Lord was laid after his cruell bloody death, prefigurate by the ashes of the sacrifice, and the clean place where the ashes were laid apart from the Altar.

CHAP. V.
The mystery of the last Sabbath, which was no wayes propheticall.

VVE are come to the Declaration of the most sorrowfull, mournfull, and most lamentable estate of the Church of God from the founda­tion of the world: And likewise to the declaration of the most joyfull, com­fortable and Evangelicall estate that ever came to all the nations of the world, arising from that sorrow: For, there could never come a sorer cut and temptation to the Church and children of God, then to see the rock of their hopes thus troden under foot, massacred, despised, and cast down to the ground: Though for fear of the Priests, Scribes, and Pharisees, they durst not shew their sorrow and passion. And though by this tragicall bloody per­secution of the Shepherd, the sheep were scattered, yet Joseph of Arimathea, one of Christs Disciples, and a man of note and worth, with honest Nico­demus, and others of that religious company, out of the loyalty of their love to our Saviour, did gracefully intomb his gracious body in a new tomb, hewn out of a rock, wherein no man was formerly laid. And though for their great care and gracefull neatnesse in intombing of the body of our bles­sed Saviour, they be only named; yet out of all doubt, there must be more at the carryi [...]g of the blessed body of our Saviour from the crosse, to the place where the Lord was laid, though the place was not far distant from the crosse. But to the point of our purpose in hand: In our Saviours rest in the grave, and in his resurrection from the grave, doth consist the very period of the my­stery of all mysteries, hid from the beginning of the world, to wit, the myste­ry of the Lords Day. A [...]d though the mysterie be plainly revealed; yet, be­cause some men will have it a mysterie still, we must use the help of our Theo­logicall Key to open this mysterie; by the concealing of the truth whereof, the glory of the Lords Day (implying the command of the whole Evangeli­call Law) hath received for too long a time, such great prejudice. The decla­ration of the truth of this fundamentall point of faith, doth consist in the two­fold rest of the eternall Word. The first was his bloody rest, as he is man, made flesh o [...] the seed of the woman; by his resting in his sacred grave, after his bloody cru [...]ll d [...]h, for the full space and time of the last Sabbath from end to end. Th [...] s [...]cond was, his Evangelicall joyfull rest, as he is the infinite eternall Word, by the day of his resurrection from the grave, whereby he [Page 168] did rest from the fulfilling of the promise of the blessed seed, both which rests were mysticall. The mysterie of his bloody rest is twofold: The first my­sterie is in the propheticall covenant, and in the last Sabbath obliged by the covenant: For, as the eternall Word did oblige Adam, and all men naturally to descend of Adam to believe his promised rest of the blessed seed, to rest upon the last Sabbath, from the redemption of man from the curse of the Law (prophesied by the propheticall Sabbath) to whose beliefe the blessing of his promised rest was due by the Law: So he, graciously and freely, ob­liged himself to man, to redeem man from the curse of the Law for the sin of Adam, and to redeem all which was lost by that sin, and consequently to redeem the blessing of the first seventh dayes rest, lost by Adam, which was the blessing of his promised rest by the propheticall Sabbath; all which he graciously performed by his bloody rest in the grave upon the last Sabbath: For, our Saviour upon the last Sabbath, did rest from the redemption of man, from the curse of the Law for the sin of Adam: And by his resting (in his sacred grave) for the whole space of the last Sabbath, (our Saviour in the seventh day, having fulfilled the whole Law, as he was obliged to the ful­filling of the Law, in the promise of the blessed seed) the eternall rest of the first seventh day, (lost by Adam) was due by the Law of God, to the merit of his bloody seventh dayes rest; where three main fundamentall points of faith are precisely to be observed by the juditious Reader.

The first point is, that the last Sabbath, (whereon our Saviour did rest in his sacred grave after his death) was no wayes propheticall: For, all the pro­phesies, prophecying the birth and death of the blessed seed, from the foun­dation of the world, were all fulfilled and determined by our Saviours bloody rest upon this last Sabbath; by whose bloody rest in his grave, for the space of the whole last Sabbath, from end to end, the Law was fulfilled for man. And this is the reason that our Saviour said, Mat. 5.17. that he came to ful­fill the Law.

The second point of faith is, that no man naturally to descend of Adam, was obliged to fulfill the command of the Law by this last Sabbath: For, Christ Jesus only, (the Son of God, as he is man, begot of the seed of the woman) was only obliged to fulfill the command of the seventh day, by the last Sabbath, as he graciously obliged himself by the propheticall covenant.

The third point of faith is, that Adam, and all men naturally to descend of Adam, were only obliged to fulfill the command of the seventh day of the propheticall Sabbath. And therefore Christ Jesus being born under the pro­pheticall Law, (obliged by the propheticall Sabbath) was circumcised the eighth day, and did observe other ceremonies of the Law, as other men did: [Page 169] For though our Saviour did not naturally descend of Adam, yet he did de­scend of the seed of Adam, according to the flesh.

The second mystery of his bloody rest was, that by his bloody rest, the pro­mise renewed to Abraham was fulfilled: which was the same reall promise first made to Adam, though renewed to Abraham, after a more cleere and particular manner, which promise, had two branches. The first was, that the blessed seed (according to the flesh) should descend of the seed of Abra­ham, which promise was prefigurate, first, by the glorious light of the Gol­den Candlestick, by the table of shew-bread (signifying the life, which was in that light) wherby the blessed seed, (who is light and life to descend of A­brahams seed) was prefigurate. Secondly, by the sweet insence burned, upon the Golden Altar, the appeasing of Gods wrath, by the blessed seed, to de­scend of Abraham was prefigurate: all which were placed in the holy place of the Tabernacle. The second branch of the promise made to Abraham, was, that in Abrahams seed, all the nations of the earth should bee blessed; which was likewise prefigurate, by the sacrifice of the brazen Altar. For at our Saviors giving up of his last spirit (upon the cursed altar of the crosse) the vaile of the Temple was rent from the top to the bottom: within which vaile (which was the holiest place) was the Arke, with the word therin, and the Golden Crowne, the Cherubint (covering with their wings the mercy-seat) prefigurating the conception of our Saviour, of the seed of the woman; wherby the first promise made to Adam was signified. Now the vaile of the Temple being rent asunder (by the power of our Saviours death) the first pro­mise made to Adam, was laied open, and made patent, both to the Jewes, and Gentiles, who were mutually called the next day by the new covenant, which was the day of Christs resurrection. Now the new covenant being made, with all the nations of the world, the promise made to Abraham (that all the nations of the earth should be blessed in his seed) was fulfilled. And so much for the twofold mystery of our Saviours bloody rest.

The mystery of his joyfull Evangellicall rest, did consist in these two maine fundamentall points of faith. The first was, by his resurrection from the grave, wherby our Saviour, by his triumphant victory, over sin, Satan, eternall dark­nes, and death, the curse of the Law, and the grave, (by the infinit act of his owne immediate power (did manifest himselfe Truth to man (in his faithfull fulfilling of his promised rest of the blessed seed (and in that Truth, Lord Je­sus Christ God and man, in the three coessentiall distinct persons, of the glo­rious Trinity [God] by the infinit act of his owne immediate power, [Man] begotten of the father of the seed of the woman, by the immediate act of the holy spirit, in the essentiall union of his divine and humane nature, implied [Page 170] in the word [Lord] which is the sacred name, of the essentiall union, of the divine and humane nature, of the Lord of life, comprehending, both the names of Jesus, and Christ, afterwards to be declared. For though Jesus Christ as he is the Son of God (begotten man of the seed of the woman) did performe his bloody rest: Yet his Evangelicall rest (by his resting from the fulfilling of the Law, implying his rest from the redemption of man) was performed by our Saviour as he is Lord, Jesus, Christ, God, equall with the Father and holy Spirit, in whom the Godhead dwelleth bodily. And therfore the day of his resurrection is called the Lords day.

In the second point of the mystery, of the Lords Evangelicall rest, doth stand the very period of the mystery of the Lords day: for man naturally descended of Adā, being only obliged, to the cōmand of the seventh day of the Prophe­tical Sabbath, and no waies to the seventh day of the last Sabbath (to which man Christ Jesus only was obliged) the day of our Saviours resurrection from the grave (the Lords day) doth fall out to be, the just seventh day, from the last formall propheticall Jewes Sabbath, still obliging man to the seventh day of the Law. Though by including, the last formall propheticall Jewes Sab­bath, in the account, the Lords day is the eight day, as it was prefigurate by the eight day of the Sacrament of circumcision. To the administration wherof the great propheticall Sabbath, did necessarily give place, wherby the Lords day, was mystically prefigurate, to succeed, in place of the Jewes propheticall Sabbath. The day of our Saviours resurrection therefore, being the next day immediatly succeeding the last Sabbath (wheron our Saviour rested in his sa­cred grave) is the just seventh day of the Law, from the last formall propheti­call Jewes Sabbath: As man naturally descended of Adam, is obliged to the command of the seventh day of the Law of God, implying the command of the whole Law. The Lords day therefore (the day of the Lords resurrection from the grave) is the true seventh day of the Evangelicall Law of God, decreed by God from all eternity. Where three fundamentall points of faith are necessarily to bee observed by the Christian Reader. First, as the first se­venth day of the Law, was blessed & sanctified, by the Lords rest from the workes of the creation. And as the next seventh day of the propheticall Sab­bath, was blessed and sanctified by the truth of the word of the Lords promised rest, in the promise of the blessed seede, to rest upon the last Sabbath from the redemption of man, from the curse of the Law, for the sinne of Adam. So the Lords day (the seventh day of the Evangelicall Law of faith) is blessed and sanctified, by the truth of the Lords fulfilled promise, by his Evangelicall rest. The last period of whose fulfilled promise, was in his conquest of his last enemy, by his resurrection from the power of the grave upon the Lords [Page 171] day. Whereby the Lord rested from the fulfilling of his promise, of the bles­sed seed. By the power of whose infinit merit (by his Evangelicall rest) the Lords day is the blessed and sanctified seventh day of the Evangelicall Law, the word of eternall life & rest, and the immediate object of Christian faith.

Secondly, as the seventh day of the propheticall Sabbath, was immediatly commanded by the power of the Lords word (by his promised rest) com­manding Adam and the Fathers, to beleeve in the truth of his merit, by his pro­mised rest, which was then prophesied, by the word of the propheticall Sab­bath, commanding the ceremoniall worship of the Sabbath immediatly, as it was the seventh day of the propheticall Law, and in the seventh day the obe­dience of man to the command of the whole propheticall Law, by faith in the promise of the blessed seed: to whose faith the eternall blessing of the Lords promised Sabbaticall rest was due by the propheticall Law. So the Lords day is immediatly commanded, by the power of his immediate word, com­manding all the nations of the world, to beleeve the truth of his fulfilled pro­mise by his seventh daies Evangelicall rest, as the Lords day is the seventh day of the Evangelicall Law, implying the command of the whole Law, first & immediatly commanding, the seventh daies worship by faith in the truth of the Lords fulfilled promise, to whose faith the blessing of the Lords merit, by his Evangelicall rest is due by the Evangelicall Law of faith, which is the bles­sing of the Lords day. This is therefore the howre and blessed day, which the Lord told the Samaritan woman, should come, when God should be wor­shiped, In spirit and truth: that is in the spirit of faith, in the truth of the Lords fulfilled promise. Thirdly, as by the light of the propheticall Sabbath day Adam and the Fathers, were literally lead, to the blessing of the Lords promi­sed rest. So by the light of the Lords day, all the nations of the world are li­terally lead, to the blessing of the Lords merit by the truth of his fulfilled pro­mise. Whosoever therefore doth denie the light of the truth of the Lords day (sealed by the precious blood of his blessed heart) doth necessarily denie the Lord, truth it selfe.

By this opening of the mystery of the Lords day, blessed & sanctified by his Evangelicall rest (necessarily implying his bloody rest) the judicious Reader may easily perceive the reason of the mistake, of the lords day: the only cause of which mistake, is in the mistaking of the last Sabbath, for the formall pro­pheticall Jewes Sabbath: which was no waies the Jewes propheticall Sab­bath, neither was either Jew or Gentile, obliged to the command of this last Sabbath: or had any hand in the fulfilling of the command of this last Sabbath being too hard and impossible a task for man as he is man. Let us leave there­fore the command of this last Sabbath, to the Lord of the Sabbath, who as he (did [Page 172] in his great mercy) oblige himselfe, to the obedience of the command of this last Sabbath: so (in his love and mercy to man) the Lord graciously fulfilled the command thereof for man. Let us leave I say this last Sabbath to the Lord of the Sabbath (who was only obliged to the command of this last Sabbath, as it is the seventh day of the Law, obliging the Lord himselfe as he is man) and we shall have the Lords day the just seventh day of the Evangelicall Law, as the Law of God obligeth man, naturally descended of Adam. And this is properly the Sabbath, whereby the Lord is intituled, Lord of the Sabbath. And the Sabbath (properly) that the Lord saith was made for man. For by the Lords fulfilling of this last Sabbath (by his bloody rest) the Lord rested from his cursed death of the Crosse for the redemption of man; and by his bloody rest in the grave did merit the eternall rest lost by Adam. By whose re­surrection from the grave, the Lord did triumphantly and Evangelically rest from the fulfilling of his promise of the blessed seed. This twofold rest of the eternall word arising from the last mysticall Sabbath, was prefigurate, by a twofold type and figure. Of which twofold type and figure next.

CHAP. VI.
The twofold type and figure whereby the last Sabbath was prefigurate.

THe last Sabbath according to the mysticall sense was prefigurate, by a twofold type and figure. First the fulfilling of this Sabbath was prefigu­rate, by the blessed Virgin. Secondly, by the yeare of Jubile. First therefore of the prefigurating thereof, by the blessed Virgin. As by the Arke, with the word placed therein, and the Cherubins overshadowing the Mercie-seat, the blessed Virgin was prefigurate, from her conception of the blessed seed till her delivery of the blessed Child. So by the bessed Virgin, the rest, of Christ Jesus in the grave, upon the last Sabbath, till the day of his resurrection was prefigurate. Wherein a threefold type (most worthy of observation) is to be marked. First, by the virginall conception, of the blessed seed: the virginall conception of the blessed body of our Saviour, in the new hewen Tombe, out of a Rocke, wherein no man was ever laid, was prefigurate. Secondly by the Virgins going three quarters of a yeare with the blessed Child: the three daies rest, of the blessed body of Christ Jesus in the grave was prefigurate.

Thirdly, as the renting the Vaile of the Temple did prefigurate, the renting of of the sacred Virgins wombe, in the bringing forth of her first borne, the word made flesh; without the help of woman or man, (which was the natu­rall birth day of the Son of God. (So by the Virgins bringing forth of her first borne (the word made flesh) the mysticall bringing forth of the first borne [Page 173] evangelicall Word, by the mysticall Virgin Sabbath (without the help of any created power) was prefigurate. Which was the mystical birth day of the Evangelicall word. Whose mysticall birth day, being the just seventh day, frō the last formall propheticall Jewes Sabbath (as man naturally descended of Adam is obliged to the Law of God) his mystical birth day, is the true seventh day, of the Evangelicall Law. By the power of the word of his seventh daies Evangelicall rest, commanding the Evangelicall worship of the seventh day of his Law by man, and in the seventh day, the Evangelicall obedience of man, to his whole Evangelicall Law, implied in the seventh day. To whose faithfull obedience, the eternall blessing of his Evangelicall birth daies rest is due by the Law of God. The second type and figure, whereby the mysti­call Virgin Sabbath was prefigurate: was the Sabbaticall yeare of Jubile. For first as in the yeare of Jubile, all bound men, all sold and pawned Land, the earth and the labouring Cattell were set at liberty; So by the bloody rest of Christ Jesus blessed body in the grave (for the space of the whole last Sabbath) all men condemned and bound by the curse of the Law for the sin of Adam, to eternall death and darknes, and the creatures created for man, where freed from the eternall curse of the Law, and set at liberty. Secondly as the yeare of Jubile (by the immediate influence of God) without all labour, help, or in­dustry of man the earth (of its owne accord) did produce the fruit thereof, for the comfort of man, and for the creatures created for man, So by the mysticall Sabbath, (without all the help, aide, or asistance of any man natu­rally descended of Adam) did bring forth the Evangelicall word (enabled by the immediate act of his owne infinit power (upon the joyfull day of his resurrection: Who is the life, light, and foode of man, and by whom only man and all the creatures created for man, doe live, move, and have the conti­nuation of their redeemed being. The blessed day of whose mysticall Evan­gelicall birth, being the just seventh day, from the last formall Jewes prophe­tical Sabbath (as man naturally descended of Adam, is obliged to the Law of God) the blessed day therefore of the Lords resurrection, is the true seventh day of the Evangelicall Law of righteousnes of faith, whereby the Son of righteousnes, in his blessed day began to shine one high, by inlightning the ceremoniall darknesse of the propheticall Sabbath (prophesying his death) through all the Nations of the world, by the light of his blessed day, leading all men (by the hands of faith) to lay hold on the Evangelicall word, the Lord of the life, light, and rest of man, and of the creatures created for man, to be inbelized by the thankfull praises and Jubiles of all the Nations of the world. The mysticall Evangelicall birth day therefore, of the Evangelicall word (the Lords day) is the true joyfull day of all the years of this life, pro­phesied [Page 174] by the mysticall yeere of Jubile; which by the truth of the Lords Evangelicall rest, from the fulfilling of the promise of the blessed seed (ari­sing from his bloody rest) is the true Evangelical word of the seventh day of the Law of righteousnes of faith, next to be declared.

CHAP. VII.
The declaration of the Evangelicall word.

THe Evangelicall word is taken in a twofold sense, first, the Evangelicall word is taken essentially for the second person of the sacred Trinity (God equal with the Father and Holy Spirit) in which sense the Evangelical word is incommunicable to man or Angel. Secondly, the Evangelical word is ta­ken for the word of the Lords day (the 7th day of the Evangelical Law of faith) as it is the Image of God in his Son Christ Iesus. For as the Lords daies Evangelicall rest, is the Image of the Lords eternall life and rest: So the light of the Lords day is the Image of his inaccessable light, and in this sense the Evangelicall word, is communicable to man, and it is the life and light of man, and hath a twofold acception; first the Evangelicall word, is taken for the word of the Lords day, as it is the Evangelicall word of the seventh day of the Law of righteousnes of faith. Secondly the Evangelicall word is taken, for the word of promise and new covenant, whereby both God and man are mutually obliged. For though the word of the seventh day of the Law, and the word of promise and covenant, be really one, yet they are of a formall difference. First therefore of the Evangelicall word of the Lords day, as it is the word of the seventh day of the Evangelicall Law of righteousnes of faith.

The Evangelicall word of the Lords day, is the same reall word which was from the beginning. And therefore it is said by Iohn 1.4.5, that in it (that is) in that word was life, and that that life, was, the light of man, which doth in this manner appeare. First in the state of perfection, by the word of the Law written in Adams heart spiritually enlightned, Adam did live, move, and had the perfection of his naturall and spirituall being, and felicity. Wher­by Adam was the Image of righteousnes and holines. And the word of the first seventh day, of the Law of righteousnes (implying the command of the whole Law) was objected to Adams externall senses, obliging Adam to the command of the Law of righteousnes. To the merit of whose perfect obe­dience, the blessing of the first seventh daies eternall rest, was due by the Law of righteousnes. Wherby, Adam had the continuation of his created estate of perfection and felicity, while Adam did stand in the perfection of [Page 175] his obedience: And was to have continued, eternally upon earth, to Adam by covenant; if Adam had continued in the perfection of his obedience. The word of God therefore to Adam, before the fall (as he was the head of all men naturall to descend of his loines) was the word of the first seventh day of the Law of righteousnes, implying the command of the whole Law. Se­condly, Adam (in whome as in the head, all were created) having trans­gressed the command of God, of the Law of righteousnes, the transgression was infinit, for the transgression of the Law (as it is the Law of righteousnes) is an immediate contempt against the infinit Majesty of God, and consequent­ly the sinne infinit. And the second Person of the Trinity in whom is only mercy (being then not revealed to Adam) the sinne was without any hope of revealed mercy: wherby Adam and all men created in Adam (as head) naturally to descend of Adam, were (in the justice of God by covenant) condemned to the eternall curse of the Law of righteousnes, by the curse of eternall death and darknes. Adam therefore, and all men naturally to descend of Adam (as head) out of the infinit love and mercy of God to man in his Son Christ Iesus (according to his decree from all eternity) being redeemed from the curse of the Law by the cursed death of his only Son (which was to be sustained in his prefixed time) the word of the Law then written in the heart of man, was the redeemed Image of God in his Son Christ Iesus, by the power of which redeemed word, Adam after the fall did live, move, and had his redeemed grace of naturall and morall being; but shut up in spiritu­all darknes till he was regenerate. And the word of the seventh day of the Law, was then objected to Adams externall senses, as it was the propheti­call word of the seventh day of the Law of righteousnes of faith in the pro­mise of the blessed seed: then by the name of the Sabbath of the Lord, pro­phesying the rest of the Lord (to wit) the blessed seed upon the Sabbath from the redemption of man from the curse of the Law for the sinne of Adam, whereby Adam (and all men naturally to descend of Adam) till the promise of the blessed seed was fulfilled, were obliged to beleeve the promised rest of the blessed seed. To whose faith, the blessing of the Lords promised rest (by the propheticall Sabbath) was due by the Law. The word of God therefore to the Fathers (till the promise was fulfilled) was the propheticall word of the seventh day of the Law of righteousnes of faith, in the promise of the blessed seed, by the light of the sabbaticall seventh day, leading the faith of man, to the blessing of the Lords promised rest of the blessed seed. By which faith, all the Fathers were saved, before the promise was fulfilled, in the Lords prefixed time according to his eternall decree. Thirdly, the promise of the blessed seed, being fulfilled, (by the Lords daies Evangelicall rest) as [Page 176] by the redeemed word of the Law written in the heart, the naturall man, doth live move and hath his redeemed grace of naturall and morall being, shut up in spirituall darknes till he be regenerate. So the Evangelicall word of the Lords day (as it is the seventh day of the Evangelicall Law of righte­ousnes of faith) is objected to the externall senses of man, as it is the word of the truth of the Lords Evangelicall rest, from the fulfilling of his promise of the blessed seed, obliging the faith of all the Nations of the World, to be­leeve the truth of the Lords fulfilled promise, to whose faith, the blessing of the Lords merit of eternall life and rest, (by the fulfilling of his promise) is due morally by the Law, whereby the naturall mans redeemed grace of natu­rall and morall being, is continued while he is in this life, and being regene­rat, hath his eternall life, light, and rest in the life to come.

The judicious reader therefore may plainly observe that the Evangelicall word of the Lords day (the seventh day of the Evangelicall Law of righte­ousnes of faith) is the same reall word, which was from the beginning, in the true knowledge wherof is the life, light, & eternal rest of man: for as by the literall light, of the Lords day, the naturall man is literally led to the mo­rall blessing of the Lords merit, by the Lords daies Evangelicall rest: So by the Lords spirituall light (in Gods prefixed time) the naturall man apprehen­ding himselfe dead in actuall spirituall sinne (as sinne is a fearfull contempt against the infinit Majesty of God.) The naturall man in this spirituall feare (being led by this spirituall light, to the Lords infinit merit) doth (by the hands of his spirituall faith) lay such spirituall hold on the Lords infinit me­rit, as all the created powers of God, and all the temptations of the Divell, and the World, are not able to part the naturall man (being regenerate) from the grace of his spirituall hold. And this is that faith, which the Lord saith, is able to command, the greatest Mountaine of temptation, and to cast it selfe in the Sea, if it stand in the way, to seperate the regenerate man, from his spirituall hold of eternall life. Though his spirituall faith be so litle, as a graine of mustard seed. For the threatned Mountaine of naturall death it selfe, is not able, to seperate the regenerate man, from this spirituall hold totally and finally. This light of the Lords day therefore, is that light of that spiritu­all fire, which came downe from Heaven: not the fearfull firie light, of Gods consuming fire, which came downe from Heaven to burne the Holocaust Sacrifice of the Lambe of God: but the gracious light of the Lords deare love, warning, quickning, inlightning, and raising from the dead, where it doth shine: By which gracious light, as all men were raised from the first death of the curse of the Law for the sinne of Adam: So this gracious light doth now shine, to enlighten the faith of all the Nations of the World, to [Page 177] save them from the merciles curse of the Law of faith which is the second death. Heere two speciall things are to be observed by the reader.

CHAP. VIII.

THe first is, the difference of the word of the Law written in the heart of man, and the word of the seventh day of the Law (implying the command of the whole Law) externally objected to the externall senses of man.

T [...]e second is the formall difference of the word of the seventh day of the Law from the beginning. First in the state of perfection, the word of the Law written in Adams heart, was the power of the Image of righteousnes and holines, enabling Adam, to merit eternall life and rest upon earth. And the word of the first seventh day of the Law of righteousnes, was objected to Adams externall senses, obliging the perfection of Adams obedience, to the command of the Law of God: to whose merit (by his actions of holines) the blessing of the first seventh daies eternall rest, was due by the Law to A­dams merit. Secondly man being redeemed from the curse of the Law, the word of the Law, written in the heart, is the redeemed word, and Image of God in his Son Christ Iesus, first in the promise of the blessed seed, enabling Adam, from faith to faith to beleeve the promise of the blessed seed. And the word of the seventh day of the Law of righteousnes of faith, by the name of the Sabbath of the Lord, was objected to Adams externall senses, prophe­sying the rest, of the blessed seed, upon the Sabbath, from the redemption of man from the curse of the Law, obliging and commanding Adam, to beleeve the promised rest, of the blessed seed; to whose faith, the blessing of the Lords eternall rest, was due by the Law, to Adams faith: in beleeving the the promised rest of the blessed seed. Thirdly after the Lords resurrection, the promise of the blessed seed (being fulfilled) the redeemed word of the Law written in the heart of man, is the Image of God, in his Son Christ Iesus in the truth of his fulfilled promise of the blessed seed enabling all men by mo­rall saith, to beleeve the Lords fulfilled promise of the blessed seed. And the Lords day (the seventh day of the Evangelicall Law of faith, blessed and sanctified by the truth of the merit of the Lords Evangelicall rest) is now ob­jected to the externall senses, obliging all the Nations of the World, to believe the truth of the Lords merit, by his rest from the fulfilling o [...] the promise of the blessed seed. To whose faith, the blessing of the Lords eternall rest, is due by the Evangelicall Law of faith.

As for the formall difference, of the word of every severall seventh daies rest of the Law, from the beginning, it doth consist in these two pointes. [Page 178] First the formall difference of the seventh day of the Law (implying the command of the whole Law) doth arise from the formall manner, of Gods revealing of himselfe, by the word of his severall seventh daies rest, by the formallity of which severall rest, the formall worship of the seventh day is commanded. The second difference is, that by the least transgression of the Law of righteousnes (in the state of perfection) the sinne was, without all hope of any revealed mercy, or time of repentance. But the transgression of the Law of righteousnes of faith, is withall hope of mercy, and time of repentance, while there is day in this life. Of this declaration of the E­vangelicall word, as it is the redeemed word of truth written in the heart of man: And as it is the Evangelicall word of the Lords day, the seventh day of the Evangelicall Law of faith, (implying the perfection of the redepmtion of man from the curse of the Law for the sinne of Adam,) I infer these sub­sequent necessary demonstrative conclusions.

CHAP. IX.
Conclusion. 1.

IT is by the redeemed word of the Law (as the Law is spirituall, immedi­atly written in the soule of man, necessarily implying the power of intelec­tuall life and light) that the soule doth live, and hath its intellectuall moving, and being, which is the first act of the soule of man, as he is intelectuall, and a true humane spirit in potency, to his second intelectuall act. And it is by the word of the Law literally written in the heart of man (necessarily implying the power of naturall life and light) that man (as he is man) doth live, move, and hath his redeemed being, which is the first act of man, (as he is man and a rationall creature) in potency to his second naturall and morall act, by the species of the externall sensitive object, and this is the reason that Iohn saith Iohn 1.4. in it was life, and that life was the light of man.

Conclusion. 2. It is by the litterall light of the word of the Lords day (the seventh day of the Evangelicall Law of faith) objected to the externall sen­ses (which is one reall light with the literall light of the redeemed word of the Law in the heart) that the understanding and will of the naturall man is formally and morally produced in act: necessarily implying the naturall light, without which, the species of the externall object, can neither be mo­rally, or naturally apprehended by the act of the understanding of man.

Conclusion. 3. Though man as he is a spirituall man (shut up in spirituall darknesse till he be regenerate) be said to be dead as he is a spirituall man, be­cause he is deprived of the spirituall light of the holy Spirit for the time, (yet [Page 179] by the word of the Law immediately and spiritually written in the soule (necessarily implying the intelectuall life and light) the soule of man (humane spirit) doth live, and move intelectually, which intelectuall life and light, the spirituall light of the holy Spirit, doth necessarily pre­suppose: for the formall, action of holines, doth as necessarily presuppose, the intelectuall act of the soule, as the formall morall action, the naturall action of man: which are both by one reall light, though the inte­lectuall, be a pure unmixed light, and the naturall, a mixed light: by the es­sentiall union of the intelectuall, and sensitive nature of man, without which light, man were neither, an intelectuall or rationall creature, as hath bin for­merly demonstrate.

Conclusion. 4. As by the internall word of the Law, which is eternally, spiritually, and immediatly written in the soule; the soule of man (humane spirit) is spiritually, immediatly, and eternally obliged, to the Law, as the Law is [...]pirituall: So by the eternall word of the Law, literally written in the h art of man, man as he is man, is eternally and morally obliged to the Law of God, and consequently, the sensitive body being resolved from the soule, must remaine in its principle, to be reunited to the soule in the great day.

Conclusion. 5. The Lords day (blessed and sanctified by the Lords blessed resurrection and rest from the fulfilling of the promise of the blessed seed in time) was (in the eternall purpose and councell of God before all time) the dec [...]eed seventh day of the Evangelicall Law of righteousnes of faith.

Conclusion. 6. The literall light of the Lords day (the seventh day of the Lords Evangelicall rest) doth farre surmount the light of all the severall se­venth dayes rest, of the eternall word, from the foundation of the world, for by the literall light, of the Lords day, the naturall man is fundamentally and literally led to all the former seventh daies rest, of the eternall word, from the beginning: all proceding from the love of God to man.

Conclusion. 7. The literall light of the word of the Lords day, doth emply, the literall light of all the Scripture of God; and consequently, the whole excercite act, of the sacred decree of predestination, so farre as is revealed to man in this life.

Conclusion. 8. By the Lords daies Evangelicall rest, from the fulfilling of his promise of the blessed seed, (arising from his bloody rest) the Lord did manifest himselfe truth, and in that truth, love, and mercy to man.

Conclusion. 9. As our Saviour (by his birth, life, death, and by his rest in the grave) did manifest himselfe true man and (by his wonders, and mira­cles) did manifest himselfe the Son of God begot of the seed of the woman, [Page 180] by the immediate unction of the holy Spirit: So by the infinit power, of his Evangelicall rest (in his triumphant victory, over the power of Satan, sinne, eternall death, and darknesse of Hell over the power of the curse of the Law, and over the power of the grave his last enemy) the Lord did manifest him­selfe, Lord God and man, in the three coessentiall distinct Persons, of the glorious Trinity, the maner whereof, is clearly set downe in the Chapter fol­lowing.

Conclusion. 10. As by the Lords Evangelicall rest, from the fulfilling of the promise of the blessed seed (arising from his bloody rest) was by his infi­nit power. So his merit by his rest from the redemption of man (from the curse of the Law, and from his fulfilling of the Law for man by his bloody rest) was likewise infinit. By the power of whose infinit merit, by the Lords daies Evangelicall rest (as it is the word of the eternall life and rest of man) the formall worship of the Lords day is commanded in spirit and truth. And therefore the Lord told the Samaritan woman. The houre commeth and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father (and consequently the Son and holy Spirit) in Spirit and truth. For God is a Spirit, and they that worship him, must worship him in Spirit and truth. By which words, the formall Evangelicall worship of the Lords day is both set downe and commanded by the Lord of the Lords day: For first, the Lord told the Samaritan woman, commanding her to beleeve that the houre should come, which is the houre of the Lords day, which was then to come. Secondly, the Lord commanded the Samari­tan woman to beleeve that God is a Spirit, and must be worshipped in Spirit and truth, (that is) in the Spirit of faith, in the truth of his Evangelicall rest f [...]om the fulfilling of his promise of the blessed seed: Which is the formall E­vangelicall commanded worship of the Lords day, which must be sanctified by man after that formall manner, in the Spirit of faith in (the truth of the Lords merit by his Evangelicall rest as he) hath manifested himselfe to man by the day of his resurrection, (to wit) Lord God and man, in the three co­essentiall distinct Persons of the glorious Trinity.

Thirdly, whereas the Lord, told the Samaritan woman that God must be worshipped in Spirit and truth, and that the Father requireth such worship. The formall Evangelicall worship of the Lords day, is immediatly com­manded by the Lord of the Lords day, for Gods will and requiring of man, by his word, is the Lords immediate command to man. Fourthly, whereas the Lord said to the Samaritan woman (the houre is) in these words, the Lords last will & testament (to be executed after the testators death) is fully implied, for in the commanded worship of the Lords day, the whole Evan­gelicall morall Law of God (which is the whole Evangelicall word) is ne­cessarily [Page 181] implied. Fiftly, while as the Lord saith to the Samaritan woman, the houre cometh, when ye shall neither worship the Father, in this Moun­taine or at Jerusalem: By these words, the formall ceremoniall worship of the propheticall Sabbath (implying the whole propheticall ceremoniall Law) is actually determined by the actuall immediate commanded Evangelicall worship of the Lords day, to the great comfort of both Jewes and Gentiles, in t [...]eir freedome, from the sore yoake of the ceremoniall Law.

Conclusion. 11. All propheticall ceremoniall worship, is barred from the truth of the Lords commanded worship, for by such ceremoniall worship, the truth of the Lords fulfilling of his promise of the blessed seed, is belied and necessarily denied, by the will worship of man.

Conclusion. 12. All ceremoniall pretended worship of God; by any maner of carved or painted Image, objectively representing to the eyes of man, the Son of God (as he is man) is contradictory to the truth of the Lords com­manded worship by his Evangelicall rest, from the fulfilling of his promise of the blessed seed, as he is God and man: For first, by this ceremoniall pre­tended worship, God is immediatly worshipped as he is man: Secondly by the intervening of the sensitive object, between the Lord and his worship, the Lords worship is necessarily interrupted, and consequently the worship, a false faithles, idolatrous worship, necessarily denying the truth of the Lords commanded worship.

Conclusion. 13. All mediate pretended worship of God, by invocation of Angels or Saints departed this life, is repugnant to the Lords infinit merit, by the truth of his Evangelicall rest. For first, by the immediate object of such worship, intervening between the worshipper and the Lord, (as by his infi­nit merit, he is eternall life, & rest) the infinitnes of his merit is confined. Se­condly, prayer being a most essentiall part of Gods immediate worship, by such invocation of the object, to which the prayer is directed, the worship of God is necessarily interrupted, while as man (by the Lords owne immediate command) is commanded to call upon the Lord himselfe, immediatly, in the day of trouble, and neither upon Saint or Angel: And consequently such me­diate pretended worship of God, equall idolatry with the former.

Conclusion. 14. As all men for their first sinne in Adam (as head) were condemned to the curse of eternall death and darknes: So (by the infinit pow [...] of the Lords merit) all men were redeemed (in Adam as head) from the curse of eternall death, and from eternall, naturall, and spirituall darknes, shu [...] up its [...]m [...]orall spirituall darknes, called unbeleefe and originall sinne, for [...]he infinit good of man.

Conclusion. 15. As by the perfection of the redemption of man (by the [Page 182] power of the Lords infinit free merit) all men are freed from the curse of e­ternall, naturall, morall, and spirituall death, and from the eternall curse of naturall, morall and spirituall darknesse, (though shut up in temporall spirituall darknes:) So all men by the redeemed free power of the word in the heart (as they are naturall men) are restored to the free grace of naturall and morall life, and light, without any manner of necessitating the act of the understanding will or senses, either naturally or morally.

Conclusion. 16. All men (redeemed from the curse of the Law) by the e­ternall decree of predestination: being concluded in spirituall darknes (cal­led unbeleefe and originall sinne) all naturall men (comming to actual mo­rall understanding and action, before they be regenerate) are necessarily dead in actuall sinne by their transgression of the Law of faith.

Conclusion. 17. By the redeemed word of the Law in the heart of man, man is the Image of God in his Son Christ Jesus, as he hath revealed himselfe, by the light of the word of the Lords day, truth, love, and mercy. First there­fore the naturall man (by the power of the redeemed word of the Law written in his heart) is enabled to produce the workes of truth, love, and mercy morally, though not spiritually, which are the workes of morall faith. Secondly, and consequently (by the reall unity of the power of light and command of the word of the Law in his heart, with the light and command of the Lords day) the naturall mans heart is morally moved, to assent and to beleeve the truth of the Lords day: and to give morall obedience to the com­mand of the Law implied in the Lords day: Thirdly, and consequently (by the power of the redeemed word in the heart) man is enabled to morall re­pentance, which doth necessarily proceed the act of morall faith.

Conclusion. 18. All tenents and assertions, denying, the universall grace of the redemption, of all men, from the curse of the Law, for their sinne in A­dam, shut up in spirituall darknes (called unbeleefe and sinne) are contradic­tory to the truth of the Lords infinit merit, contradictory to the whole current of the sacred word, and consequently, to the sacred decree of predestination.

Conclusion. 19. All tenents and assertions, denying, the freedome of the na­turall mans redeemed grace, by the free act of his understanding will and sen­ses,) without any manner of the necessitating of the free act of man, either naturally or morally,) are contradictory, to the perfection of the redempti­on of man, by the Lords infinit merit. For the naturall mans will being ne­cessitate, either naturally or morally, man is no man, as hath bin formerly demonstrate. And consequently the naturall man, by the perfection of his redemption, is enabled, with morall grace by the act of his understanding (actually enlightned by the literall light of the Lords day) to understand mo­rally, [Page 183] the grace of the Lords merit of eternall life and rest: and by the act of his will, to beleeve morally, the Lords offered grace as hath bin formerly declared.

Conclusion. 20. All tenents and assertions, affirming, the universall spiritu­all grace of man, by the only act of the redemption; (which grace is only by the spirituall light of the holy Spirit, enlightning the spirituall darknesse of the naturall man, in the act of regeneration) are contradictory, to the sa­cred word, and consequently, to the sacred decree of predestination: For all men freed from the curse of eternall death and darknesse, are shut up in tem­porall spiritual darknes (called unbeleef and sin) by the eternall decree of God.

Conclusion. 21. By all tenents and assertions, affirming that the naturall man (by his morall good workes) doth merit eternall life. The infinitnesse of the Lords merit is denied. Such assertions, are contradictory, to the very words of the new Covenant. For by the new covenant, the morall blessing of the Lords merit of eternall life, is immediatly offered, to the morall faith of the beleever. And therefore the Evangelicall Law, is called the Law of righte­ousnesse of faith, and not the Law of workes, for, from the morall faith of the naturall man, his morall good workes doe immediatly proceed and con­sequently, can merit nothing at all, and therefore the morall blessing of the Lords day (as it is the seventh day of the Evangelicall Law) is due morally and immediatly by the Law to the morall faith of the naturall man, whose faithfull workes of truth, love, and mercy, are mediatly commanded, as the effects of his morall faith, whereby the truth of the Lords infinit love and mer­cy is testified, by the naturall man, without the blessing of whose truth (by the Lords infinit merit) the naturall man could not so much as craule upon the earth.

Conclusion. 22. All tenents and assertions, affirming, that the free grace of the Lords infinit merit (by the new Covenat) is offered only to the elect, are contradictory to the very words of the new Covenant, whereby the free grace [...]f th [...] Lords infinit merit, of eternall life and rest, is freely offered, to all the Nations of the world. And therefore this state is called the state of grace, for though the state of man, under the propheticall obligement of the Law of faith, in the promise of the blessed seed, was likewise the state of grace, yet that was the estate of promised grace, and this is the state of grace of that fulfilled promise, for as the faithfull Fathers, were saved, from the curse of the propheticall Law, by faith in the promise of the blessed seed: So the faith­full are now s [...]ved, by faith, in the fulfilled promise.

Conclusion. 23. All tenents and assertions, whereby the faith of the belee­ver, and the Lords infinit merit, are seperate, and devided, (which is the [Page 184] Rocke, whereon the Lord told Peter the Church of God is builded,) are false and adulterous tenents and assertions, arising from the false light of er­rour. Now because the Church of God is so much distempered by a multi­tude of such tenents and objections, all arising from the false light of the spirit of error; two short Theologicall Canons, or rules shall be set downe where­by the judicious Reader, is enabled, to make the strongest objection, against the truth of the sacred word, to vanish with the objecters breath. By meanes whereof, the spirit of error is discovered according to the Apostles command.

CHAP. X.

The first Canon. ALL tenents and assertions of faith, repugnant to the literall light and truth of the Evangelicall word of the Lords day, (the seventh day of the Evangelicall Law of righteousnesse of faith) are from the false light, of the spirit of error.

The second Canon. All pretended worship of God, repugnant, to the truth of the commanded Evangelicall worship, of the Lords day, is a false adulterous worship.

The explanation of the twofold Canon.

As the immediate object of faith is the Lords infinit merit, by his rest and resurrection, from the fulfilling of his promise of the blessed seed (the eter­nall life, light, and rest of man:) So is the literall light of the Lords day, the light whereby the object is enlightned, to be apprehended by the faith of man, which being one reall light, with the literall light of the redeemed word of truth, love, and mercy, written in the heart of man, whereby man doth live, move, and hath his being. As by this literall light, the naturall mans understanding, is morally produced in act, to apprehend, the object of the Lords merit (as it is the Lords truth.) So his will (by its love to that truth) is moved, to apprehend the object of the Lords merit, as it is the eter­nall life, light, and rest of man.

This literall light, is in the sound of the word of the Lords d [...]y: For as by the light of the Sunne, fire, or of any materiall light, the understanding of man is produced in act, by the mediate sense of seeing: So the s [...]u [...]d of the word, is the light, whereby the understanding is produce in act, by the me­diate sense of hearing.

I doe not meane heare, the light of the sound of the words [...]s [...]y are sim­ply words, but as they are the sound, of the Evangelica [...] word of the Lords day, the seventh day of the Evangelicall law of faith, the word of the eter­nall life and light of man; which being founded, by the faithfull Minister, in [Page 185] the naturall mans hearing, his understanding and will, is morally produced in act, to understand and believe, the truth of the Lords fulfilled promise of the blessed seed, as the Lord did (graciously) oblige himself to man by covenant, which was fulfilled by the Lords twofold resurrection.

The first was, by his resurrection from the grave; the second was by his resurre­cti [...] from the earth to the heavens, from whence he did descend: For, as the Word is man, (the Son of God, with the Father and holy Spirit before all time) he did descend from the heavens to the earth; and as the Word is man, (the Son of God made flesh of the seed of the woman in time) he did ascend again to the heavens.

This twofold resurrection of the Word, doth comprehend the twelve Articles of Christian faith, all depending one upon another, like as many links of a chain, linked one into another, all arising from the literall light of the Lords day, (by his rest and resurrection from the fulfilling of his promise of the bl [...]ssed seed) as the Lord did graciously oblige himself to man by the covenant: First therefore of the Lords resurrection from the grave, and next of his resurrection from the earth by his ascention to the heavens. The Lords resurrection from the grave, doth com­prehend these ten fundamentall points of faith.

First, by the literal light of the sound of the evangelicall Word of the Lords day (really one with the literall light of the redeemed Word of the Law, written in the heart of man, whereby man doth live, move, and hath his redeemed state of being;) the naturall mans understanding is morally produced in act, (by the me­diate sense of hearing) to understand, that the Lords resurrection from the grave, was the last period of his rest from the redemption of man, and all things lost by man, from the curse of the Law for the first sin of Adam. And that the Lords re­surrection from the grave, was from the bloody rest in the grave; and his bloody rest in the grave, from his sust [...]i [...]ing of the bloody cursed death of the crosse; and his bloody cursed death of the crosse, from his love and mercy to man.

Secondly, as by our Savi [...]urs bloody death, and rest in the grave, (necessarily presupposing his birth and life) our Saviour did manifest himself true man: so by our Saviours gracious words, glorious wonders and miracles, while he was per­sonally upon earth (as our Saviour was man, the Son of God before all time;) so he did manifest himself man, the Son of God, in time, begot of the seed of the wo­man, by the overshadowing act of the Almighty.

Thirdly, as our Saviour, (as he is the eternall Son of God) by his sustaining of the eternall curse of the Law, did merit the salvation of Adam, (and of all men na­turally to descend of Adam) from the first death (which was the curse of the Law for the sin of Adam:) so our Saviour by his bloody rest in the grave, for the full space of the seventh day of the last Sabbath (whereby the Law was fulfilled, as he was obliged to the Law for man,) as our Saviour is the eternall Son of God, he [Page 186] did merit, the eternall life and rest of the first seventh day lost by Adam, due by the Law, to his eternall merit, which is the blessing of the Lords day, offered to the faith of all the nations of the world, by the new covenant, whereby all the faith­full are saved from the second death, which is the curse of the Law of faith.

Fourthly, (by the literall light of the sound of the word of the Lords day) the naturall mans understanding, is morally produced in act (by the mediat sense of hearing) to understand that the Lords resurrection from the grave, was by his rest from the power of eternall death and darknesse of hell, from the eternall curse of the Law, the cause of eternall death; from sin (which he made himself for man) the cause of the curse of the Law, from the power of Satan, the cause of sin, and from the power of the grave, his last enemy; whereby the Lord, by the immedi­ate act of his own immediate infinite power, did gloriously and triumphantly ma­nifest himself truth to man, by the fulfilling of his promise of the blessed seed, and in that truth, love and mercy to man, and by that truth, love and mercy, Lord God and man, in the essentiall union of the divine and humane nature, Lord, God and man, equall with the Father, and holy Spirit: Lord, God and man, equall with the Father, by the work of the redemption of man eternally lost, by the eter­nall curse of the Law, and by the redemption of the creatures which were cursed for the sin of man, which are equall to the works of the creation: and the Lord did manifest himself, Lord, God and man, equall with the holy Spirit, as by the continuall influence of his blessing, the creatures which he hath redeemed, are conserved in their redeemed estate, which is the proper blessing of the holy Spi­rit, proceeding from the Father and the Son.

The name (Lord) therefore, is the name of the essentiall union of the divine and humane nature, necessarily implying the three coessentiall distinct persons of the glorious Trinity, and consequently implying the name Jesus, and Christ: For, as by the Lord, God and man, the lost creatures are r [...]stored, the Lord is the Fa­ther, Lord and commander of the creatures: And as he is the Saviour of man from eternall death; he is Jesus the eternall Son of God: a [...]d as by the continuall influ­ence of his blessing, the creatures are conserved; he is Christ the anointed with the oile of gladnesse, the holy Spirit, and sanctifier; and consequently, as the re­deemed word written in the heart of man, (by the power of which redeemed word, the naturall man doth live, move, and hath his redeemed state and grace of naturall and morall being) is the Image of God in his Son Christ Jesus, so the re­deemed word in the heart of man, is the Image of the Lords truth, love, and mer­cy, whereby the naturall man is morally enabled (by the act of his understanding and will) to produce the works of truth, love, and mercy.

Fifthly, the Lords rest and resurrection from the fulfilling of his promise of the blessed seed, being by his infinite immediate power, his merit by his resur­rection [Page 187] and rest is infinite; and his love and mercy to man by his rest, is infinite.

Sixthly, as by the infinit power of the Lords merit (by his resurrection and rest) the day of the Lords resurrection, is blessed and sanctified for his worship by man (to whose faithfull worship, the infinite blessing of the Lords merit of eternall life and rest, is due by the Evangelicall law of faith:) so by the infinite power of his merit, the Evangelicall worship of the Lords day, is immediatly commanded, and in that immediate worship, (as the Lords day is the Evangelicall seventh day of the Evangelicall law of faith, implying the command of the whole law) the whole Evangelicall law is commanded, obliging all the nations of the world to believe the truth of the Lords fulfilled promise, to whose faith the blessing of the Lords Evangelicall eternall rest is due by the law, whereby the faithfull man is saved from the second death, which is the curse of the law of faith, and doth enjoy eternall life.

Seventhly, the naturall man, being commanded to believe that by faith in the Lords merit, he is saved from the second death; and Evangelicall faith being the act of the redeemed heart of man, and the originall of all his naturall and morall actions, (to which all men are inabled by the power of the redeemed Word of truth, love, and mercy, written in the heart of man:) faith therefore being com­manded immediatly by the literall command of the law, (though necessarily im­plying the spirituall command) in the command of faith, the works of truth love and mercy, are necessarily commanded, which are the works of faith, without which, faith is but a dead faith, and man but a dead man; dead in actuall sin, though he doth live, all the days of this life. To the knowledge of which actuall sin as the naturall man is led by the literall light of the law, implyed in the command of the Lords day: So by the knowledge of death, by actuall sin, the naturall man is mo­ved to morall repentance; And by repentance to amendment of life, by the works of truth, love, and mercy, to which he is morally enabled by the power of the redeemed Word of truth, love and mercy in his heart, which are the works of faith, whereby the Lords merit is morally apprehended.

Eighthly, the new covenant made between God and man, being established, upon the immediat command of the Lords day, (the seventh day of the Evangeli­call law of faith) as the Lord doth oblige himself to man, to conferre the actuall blessing of the Lords dayes eternall rest to the faithfull believer; so the Lord by his covenant doth oblige the finall contemner of his infinit merit, to the actuall merci­lesse eternall curse of his Law. The Lords merit of mercy therefore being infinit, there is mercy for man all the day of this life: For, the new covenant is made to all men whatsoever, and at what time soever: For, Mar. 13.13. whosoever shall endure to the end shall be saved. This end to the naturall man, is his finall per­severance, in his morall obedience, till the Lords prefixed time of his spirituall [Page 188] calling, by the spirituall grace of faith, whereby the naturall man, being regene­rate, is saved, who hath nothing to necessitate his morall disobedience: And though he doth stumble and fall; yet (by the power of the redeemed word writ­ten in his heart) the naturall man hath freedome to repent morally, without ne­cessitating of his impenitency; for morall repentance must necessarily precede morall faith. As the naturall man therefore is no wayes to dispaire of the Lords infinite mercy, while there is day in this life, (for the dispairer of the Lords infi­nite mercy, doth belie the Lords mercy, and doth detract from the infinitensse of the Lords merit;) so the naturall man is no wayes, (by his presumptuous conti­nuance in sin and wickednesse) to contemn the Lords long patience, leading him so graciously to repentance, lest the Lord (in his justice) give him over to a repro­bate minde, that he cannot repent, though he hath all the dayes of this life to re­pent by covenant.

Ninthly, the law of God being eternall, (eternally obliging man, as he is man) and the reward of the law, due by the law, to the merit of man, being according to the law eternall; there must be therefore resurrection from the dead, that man, as he is man, intellectuall and sensitive, may receive the eternall reward of the law in the full extent, to wit, eternall life and rest to the faithfull believer, in the merit of man, Jesus Christ the eternall Son of God; and the curse of the law by eternall death, to the merit of man the proud finall contemner of the Lords infinit merit, offered so freely to him in this life. The reward therefore of the law, in the full extent (as the reward is eternall) cannot be received by man till the last day.

Tenthly, (the Lord being the head of all men redeemed from the curse of the law for the sin of Adam) as the Lord hath his universall redeemed Church in all the nations of the world, (who by the power of the redeemed word of truth, love, and mercy, written in their heart) are all morally united by one faith, in one bo­dy, and by that faith, morally united to their head, the gracious Redeemer of all men: So the Lord being the mysticall head of his mysticall members, the Lord hath his mysticall universall Church, all united in one mysticall body, by spirituall faith; and by spirituall faith, all spiritually and indivisibly united to their mysticall head. These are the first ten fundamentall points of faith arising from the literall light of the Evangelicall sound of the word of the Lords day, by the Lords rest and resurrection from the grave, leading the naturall mans understand­ing by faith, to apprehend the Lords merit, to save him from the curse of the law of faith. Next therefore of the fundamentall points of faith arising from the Lords resurrection from the earth by his ascention to the heavens; to which his resurrection from his grave doth extend) where the Lord sitteth at the right hand of the infinite power of the Father, whence two fundamentall points of faith doth arise.

First, the Lord (according to his promise, that the seed of the woman shall break the head of the old Serpent, and the head of his cursed seed) hath obliged himself by the new covenant, that by his second coming from the heavens (glo­riously united to his mysticall members) shall revenge the blood of man upon Satan and his cursed seed. First, the blood of man, first betrayed by Satan, to fall under the curse of the law. Secondly, the blood of man, Jesus Christ, the eter­nall Son of God, by his redemption of man from the eternall curse of the law. Thirdly, the blood of the Lords mystical members, persecute by Satan and his cur­sed seed, for their valorous defending of his sacred truth in this life: For, the Lord as head, united to his mysticall members, is the mysticall man, who must break the old Serpents head, and the head of his cursed seed, in the grat day, afterwards more fully to be declared This breaking of the head of the old Serpent, and of the head of his cursed seed, is by the Lords judging, condemning, and by the actuall inflict­ing of the eternall curse and reward of the law (in the full extent) to the gre [...]t glory of God, the eternall comfort of the faithfull, and to the finall eternall and utter confusion of Satan and his cursed seed, in the great day.

The second fundamentall point of faith, arising from the Lords resurrection from the earth by his ascention to the heavens, is, that the Lord hath graciously ob­liged himself by the covenant, to send the Comforter, John 16.7. (the Spirit of truth) by whose spirituall light, (enlightening the spirituall darknesse of the na­turall man) the Lords mysticall members are begot, and by the spirituall power of whose spirituall life, by that spirituall light, the regenerate are enabled, with the gift of patience to overcome all the afflictions and temptations of Satan and of his cursed seed in this life, which is the Lords earnest of their incorruptible crown of glory in the life to come for their valor, in their defence of his truth in this life. In these twelve fundamentall points of faith, as by the literall light of the sound of the word of the Lords day, (by his rest and resurrection from the grave) the naturall mans understaning is morally enlightened: So by the power of the redeemed Word of truth, written in the heart, the naturall man is morally enabled to believe these twelve fundamentall points of faith: And therefore by the new covenant, all men are obliged and commanded to believe these twe [...]ve fundamen­tall points of faith upon the twofold reward of the law. By this literall light therefore of the sound of the truth of the Evangelicall word of the Lords day, the judicious Reader is enabled with all boldnesse to condemn all tenents and asserti­ons of faith, repugnant to the truth of this light; for false adulterous tenents and assertions. And with the like boldnesse, to condemn all pretended worship of God, repugnant to the truth of the Lords Evangelicall commanded worship in spirit and truth, for a false adulterous worship of God, arising from the false light of error.

This false light from whence this adulterous worship of God doth arise, is the ceremoniall light of some sensitive visible object, whereby the understanding is produced in act, by the mediate sense of seeing, which for the most part, is the sen­sitive objective carved or painted image of the eternall Son of God, as he is man, which is a most faithlesse false adulterous and idolatrous worship. It is faithlesse, because faith is by hearing of the Word (the Image of God in his Son Christ Jesus) and not by the seeing of the Image of our Saviour in his humility, as he is man. It is false worship, because it doth belie the truth of the Lords glorious resurrection: it is an adulterous worship, because it is repugnant to the truth of the light of the Lords commanded Evangelicall worship, in spirit and in truth: It is an adulte­rous worship, because the sensitive visible object doth interveen between the Lord and his worship; and in this sense, a lier is called an Idolater, because the falshood which the lier doth maintain, doth interveen between the lier and the light of the Word of truth, love, and mercy in his heart, which is the Image of God, obliging the heart of the lier, to declare and witnesse the truth, which is called the light and law of conscience; and so is the covetous man, under which name, the lier, hy­pocrite, coozener, cheater, extortioner, briber, whoremaster, drunkard, murde­rer, and in a word, the foul malitious cruell affection of man: for, by all such foul desire of the covetous man, the light of the word of truth, love and mercy in the heart (redeemed by our Saviours sacred blood) is belied, darkned, and obscured, and the foul desire worshipped as an Idol, contrary to the light of the command of the word of the seventh day of the law really one with the literall light of the law written in the heart of man. And though our Saviours bloody rest, be neces­sarily implied in the Lords Evangelicall rest; yet his bloody rest is not to be re­presented by any sensitive visible object to the sense of seeing, but by the light of the sound of the commanded word of truth (to wit) the Lords day, to the sense of hearing preached by the faithfull Minister of the Word. Neither must any man excuse the hanging up of our Saviours Image (in his humility as he is man) pretending that he hath the Image objected to his eyes, only to put him in minde of our Savi [...] love by his death. To whom I answer, that by this manner of putting thee in minde of our Saviours love, thou putst the Lord in minde of his fearfull wrath against thee: For, first it is by the Lords Evangelicall rest that thou art immediatly saved, the truth whereof, thou art commanded to worship in the Spirit of faith upon the mercilesse curse of the law. Secondly, the species of the sensitive Image, doth interveen between thy mind and the Lords worship, whom thou art commanded to worship immediatly; and consequently, thy put­ting in minde an Idolatrous mentall worship; for preventing of which Idola­trous worship, the faithfull Minister, by the sound of the word is commanded to instruct the people committed to his charge at his peril; for by the new covenant, [Page 191] the Apostles are immediately commanded, to teach and to preach the truth of the Lords Evangelicall worship, to all the Nations of the world, as the Lord hath revealed himselfe, by the Evangelicall rest of the Lords day. And in the Apostles, the Apostolicall successors (the Ministers of the word) are commanded, to the like teaching and preaching of the truth of the Lords Evangelicall commanded worship, to the people committed to their charge. The new Covenant therefore, being commanded, as well upon the mercilesse curse of the Law of faith, as upon the blessing of the Lords Evan­gelicall rest; It doth stand the Ministers of the Sacred word in hand, to look to the faithfull discharge of so strict an imposed task.

Now, though in the commanded Evangelicall Sacraments, (implying the Lords whole last Will and Testament, which is the Evangelicall word) the word be objectively presented to the sense of seeing, touching, tasting and smelling; as by the light of the sound of the word, it is objected to the sense of hearing, that man as he is man, may receive the word sacramentally, that is, by faith in the word represented by the externall elements: Yet this sa­cramentall object, doth not represent the object of faith, (to wit, the Word Jesus Christ the Son of God) to come, and to suffer for the sins of man; but doth represent him by his cursed death of the Crosse, by his bloudy rest in the grave, and by his Resurrection from the grave, to be received sacramental­ly by faith in his merit, by his cursed death of the Crosse, by his bloudy rest in the grave, and by his Resurrection and rest, from the fulfilling of his promise of the blessed seed; which both the Sacraments doe most lively signifie: for the better conceiving whereof, it is to be understood, that the Sacraments were not delivered in the primitive Church, but to such as were come to actuall, naturall, and morall understanding and action.

First therefore, in the Sacrament of Baptisme, by the baptizeds ducking and (as it were) drowning in the water, (according to the manner of the primitive C [...]ch) the party to be baptized (freed from the curse of the Law, [...] [...]n of Adam) is signified to be drowned and dead in actuall sin, by [...] [...]an [...]gression of the [...]aw of faith, as by his arising out of the water, his rising [...] the death of actuall sin, to the new life of faith; and that his actuall [...]ns ar [...] [...]ffied [...]wa [...] by his faith in the Lords merit; which is the water of eternall life, purchased by the water and bloud issuing from our Sa­viours [...]ea [...], represented by the sacramentall water. So in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, by the sacramentall bread, the bread of life is signified, whereby the baptizeds faith is nourished and preserved, as by the naturall bread, his naturall life is maintained and continued. By the breaking of the Sacramentall bread, the breaking of our Saviours body, by the curse of the [Page 192] Crosse is signified: as by the Sacramentall wine, our Saviours heart bloud is signified, whereby the bread of life is purchased, which being Sacramentally received by faith, the receiver hath the temporall blessing of the Lords me­rit, by his Evangelicall seventh dayes rest in this life, and eternall rest in the life to come; and therefere it is said, Wee must not live by bread alone, but by every word proceeding from God, Mat. 4.4. And this is the reason that the Word is called the Bread of life; as by the sensitive bread, the sensitive nature of man, is temporally continued and preserved; so by the spirituall understan­ding of the Word Christ Jesus, (the Word and Bread of life, spiritually and Sacramentally received by faith) the spirituall life of the receiver, is eternal­ly continued, according to our Saviours owne word, This is life eternall to know thee the onely true God, and Christ Jesus whom thou hast sent. Here a Questi­on may be moved to be answered in the Chapter following.

CHAP. XI.
The light of the word is in the sound of the word.

THe Apostle doth affirme, that faith is by hearing of the word, Rom. 10.17. The Question therefore may bee moved: Is not faith likewise by reading of the word? I answer. The Question here, is of morall f [...]ith: And therefore I say, That faith is not by reading of the word, as the written word, is the object of the sence of seeing: but as the written word doth pre­suppose the word spoken, (for it is the word spoken that is read) in which case morall faith may be said to be by reading. For, many times God (by his objective concursive grace) doth concurre with the naturall mans reading of the word, and with the reading of the spirituall Writers upon the word, whereby the naturall mans understanding is enlightened, and his will mo­ved morally to beleeve the word, and his heart inclined, to give morall obe­dience to the literall command of the word: But while God doth not af­ford his cōcursive objective grace (which is in his free pleasure) the naturall man readeth but a dead letter; for the life of the word is in the sound of the word to the hearing: while as by the spirituall Ministers word, the heart of man (where the redeemed word of the Law is written) is rouzed and moved by the sound of the word, threatning of Gods judgements for sin, whereby man is raised from sin, and moved to arme himselfe against Satan and his in­struments. And this is the reason that the Ministers of God are called Trum­peters; for, as at the sound of the Trumpet the whole Army is roused, to Arme themselves against the enemy: so at the sound of the word by the spi­rituall Minister, man is roused and stirred up, to resist the temptation of Satan, and of his instruments.

The life of the word therefore, is in the sound of the word. And this is the reason, that the Apostle saith, that faith is by hearing of the word which is the word of the Lords day, the seventh day of the Evangelicall Law of saith implying the whole Evangelicall Law and Word of God. Now as the Evangelicall Word of the Lords day hath bin declared to be the true Evan­gelicall Word of the seventh day of the Evangelicall Law of faith. So for the Readers satisfaction in this fundamentall point (the cheife point of Christian faith) the manner shall be set downe that the sound of the word of the Lords day doth arise from the written word of God.

CHAP. XII.
The sound of the word of the Lords day doth arise from the writen word of God.

FIrst, the whole Evangel is only the sound of the word of the Lords day, from the Lords promise of the blessed seed, to his conception of the seed of the woman: from his conception to his birth: from his birth to his death, from his death to his rest in the grave, whereby he did manifest himselfe, first, that he was the promised blessed seed, the Son of God, the light and life of man, by his gracious word, by his glorious wonders and miracles. Second­ly, that he was love and mercy to man (Love) by his gracious curing of ma­ny sensitive diseases of man (incurable by man as he is only man.) Mercy by his pardoning of sinne as he is the Son of God. Thirdly, Christ Jesus the Son of God (begotten of the seed of the woman) did manifest himselfe by his death, that he is the Saviour of all men for their sinne in Adam: Fourthly, by his fulfilling of the Law (in his rest in the grave for the whole space of the seventh day of the last Sabbath) the eternall life and rest of the first seventh day (lost by Adam) was manifested to be redeemed by our Saviour. All per­formed by Jesus Christ, the Son of God, man begotten of the seed of the wo­man. But his resurrection from the grave (by his rest from the fulfilling of the Law implying his bloody rest in his grave from the redemption of man) was by his infinit power, as he is Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God begotten of the seed of the woman (by the immediate unction of the holy Spirit) God equall with the Father and holy Spirit, By whose rest the Lords day (the day of the Lords resurrection) was blessed and sanctified for the Lords thank­full worship by man, implying the light of the word of the whole Evangel: Though the Lords day, was first called (by the Evangelists) the day of the Lords resurrection, to convince the false report of the Jewes who had sub­orned the Keepers of the sacred grave, to affirme, that the Disciples had stolen away the Lords blessed Body, from the grave. As the Lords day was [Page 194] called by the Apostles, the first day of the weeke: least by naming of any o­ther seventh day then the great propheticall Sabbath, in the first plantation of the Evangel, the stubborne Jewes should have utterly rejected the em­bracing of the Evangel. All which is but the light of the sound of the word of the Lords day.

But of all the sounds of the word of the Lords day in the Evangel: Iohn Baptists sound (that Elias) did passe all: for his sound was, as if the Lord then had suffered, and had risen from the dead: For first by Iohns pointing at the Lambe of God, that taketh away the sinne of the World, our Saviours death was signified. Secondly, by Iohns baptizing of our Saviour, (in Christs submersion and rising out of the water) his rest in the grave and resurrecti­on, was lively expressed. Thirdly, by Iohns affirming, that he did see the Spirit of God (in forme of a Dove) to descend from Heaven upon our Savi­our; the calling of the Jewes and Gentiles (by the new Covenant) was most lively expressed, for by the Doves outstreched wings, the Lords armes of mercy (by his Evangelicall bloody rest) were spread out from Heaven, to embrace all the Nations of the World. Secondly, the whole tractate of the acts (from end to end) is nothing else, but the light of the sound of the word of the Lords day. For by the sounding of the word of the Lords, resurrecti­on by the Apostles, what a world of wonders and miracles, were wrought, and how many thousands (by the light of the sound of the word) came (by the hands of faith) to lay hold on the Lords daies Evangelicall rest? Thirdly, the new Covenant, is immediatly, established upon the Evangelicall word of the Lords day by inseperable union. Fourthly, the Apostle doth affirme, that the sound of the word (to wit) of the Lords day, went to the ends of the earth. Fiftly, Iohn doth call the day of the Lords resurrection the Lords day. Sixtly, the Apostle to the Hebrews doth set downe the Lords day, the Evangelicall Word of the seventh day of the Law of righteousnesse of faith, most plainly saying, first, that after a long time (which was the time of the promised rest of the propheticall Sabbaticall seventh day) there was another certaine seventh day, appointed in David (that is) in Davids seed. Second­ly, that the Lord of life, to wit the Son of David, did enter this day into his rest, from his resting from the fulfilling of his promise of the blessed seed, which is his Evangelicall rest, necessarily implying his bloody promised Sab­baticall rest from the worke of the redemtion: As he did first rest, from the workes of the creation: Thirdly, the Apostle proveth that this day appoin­ted in David, was for the people to enter into this seventh daies rest: For (saith the Apostle) Hebrews 4.8. if Joshua could have given the people of Israel rest (to wit) by the promised rest of the propheticall Sabbaticall se­venth [Page 195] day, then bad not David bin appointed to speake of another day, that s [...] another seventh day, which the Apostle Hebrews 4.12. cals the lively po­werfull word of God, which is the word of the Lords day, the true Evange­licall Word, of the seventh day of the Law of righteousnesse of faith, (by the Evangelicall sound thereof) sharper then any two edged sword, d [...]viding and seperating the soule from the spirit, where the soule is taken for the soule of man, as he is a naturall man, and the spirit is taken for the soule of man, as he is regenerate and a spirituall man, for by the spirituall sanctifying under­standing of the w [...]rd, the rebellious powers of the flesh, of man, as he is a na­turall man, are devided and subdued by the power of the Spirit, though not totally in th [...]s life: And therefore, the Apostle Paul doth affirme, that the sins pro eeding from his rebellious flesh are none of his, to wit, as he is a spiritu­all man. Seventhly, David doth prophetically affirme, Psal. 118 24. First, that this is the day which the Lord hath made, exhorting all men to rejoyce in this blessed day; which day David did see, with his spirituall eyes of faith: for the Lord did fulfill this prophesie of David indeed, for the Lord made this day with his precious bloud. Secondly, David doth prophetically af­firme, Psal. 118.22. that it was the glorious light of this seventh dayes rest, (which David calls the corner stone) which the Judaicall builders did re­fuse, and now is made the head of the corner, mounted above the heaven of heavens, (the Tabernacle not made with hands) wherein the Lord of life, (Head of his mysticall members) is entered, to make continuall intercessi­on (as their Advocate,) at the Throne and Alter of righteousnesse, by the me­rit of his fulfilling of the Law of righteousnesse; whereby all the actuall sins of his mysticall members (united to their mysticall head, by his indivisible love) are covered, and freed from the curse of the Evangelicall Law of faith, by the new Covenant. As by his cursed death of the altar of the Crosse, they are freed from the curse of the Law, for their sinne in Adam by the first Covenant. Eightly, the Lord himselfe doth affirme, John 8.56. that Abra­ham did see this his joyfull day, (to wit) with his spirituall eyes of faith, in the eight day of the Sacrament of circumcision, wherein there doth lye no small mysterie; for, the child was to be circumcised upon the eight day, though the eight day did fall upon the propheticall Sabbath day: upon which day no worke was to be done, under the paine of death, much lesse the shedding of mans bloud.

The shedding of mans bloud therefore upon the Sabbath, was onely law­full, by the command of the Sacramentall circumcision: for, both the propheticall Sacraments (implying the whole propheticall ceremo­niall Law) were commanded in the Church of God, before the Law was gi­ven [Page 196] to Moses, to the end that the Jews might understand, that the Law to the fathers, before Moses and after Moses (till Christs resurrection) was re­ally one, and the same Law of God, and one and the same formall obliege­ment of the Law. The point of the mysterie lyeth in this; That the Sacra­ment of circumcision, (which was the eighth day) was preferred to the command of the Sabbath, which was the seventh day of the Law, implying the command of the whole Law. Now, the Sacrament of circumcision, was but the shadow of the Sacrament of the Lords day, which was the eight day from the last propheticall Sabbath, reckoning the propheticall Sabbath in­clusively, for the first day in the accompt of the eight dayes: though by be­ginning the accompt, from the last formall Jews propheticall Sabbath, (ex­clusively) the Lords day, as man naturally descended of Adam is oblieged to the Law, is the just seventh day from the last formall Jews propheticall Sab­bath, as hath beene declared. What an admirable faith was this of Abra­ham to see this day so farre off, which the Lord affirmeth that Abraham did see, and that Abraham did rejoyce in the sight of this blessed day? Ninth­ly, the Lord of life, (the Lord of the Evangelicall law of the righteousnesse of faith) the true eternall rest of the Evangelicall seventh day of the Law, doth call this blessed day, his owne day, John 85.6. His owne day, by all true title, and right of righteousnesse it selfe, his owne; which in spite of the power of darkenesse must shine till the eternall day. Tenthly, this is the most joyfull day of dayes, for by the Evangelicall sound of the Lords dayes Evangelicall rest, the Jews and Gentiles, were actually called to one Church, and were made one fold, to the joyous and thankfull jubilising of all the Nations of the world. Eleventhly, by the Evangelicall sound of the Lords daies Evangelicall rest, (arising from his bloudy rest) all the propheticall Sabbaths, all the jubilees of Sabbaths, and all the prophesies, prophesying from the foundation of the world, of the comming and suffering of the Lord of life, (the promised blessed seed) are actually determined. Twelfthly, by his bloudy Sabbaticall rest, necessarily implyed in his Evangelicall seventh dayes rest of the Lords day: All the altars and sacrifices, (the foundation of the partition wall of the ceremoniall Law) and all the figures, types, rites, and propheticall ceremonies, from the foundation of the world built there­on, (by which partition the Gentiles were barred, from the judiciall service of God) all are rased from the very foundation, never to be reiterate in the Church of God. Last of all, Mary Magdalen did not know the Lord of life, John. 20.16 17: (the eternall rest of his blessed day) though Mary did see the Lord with her bodily eyes, till she heard the sound of the word, of the Evan­gelicall seventh dayes eternall rest, calling Mary. At the hearing of the [Page 197] sound of whose Evangelicall word, while Mary knowing the Lord, would have embraced him, in her armes; the Lord said, Mary touch me not; to wit, but by thine arms of faith.

The Lord, after his resurrection, did first honour Mary, to be the joyfull trum­peter to sound the news of the word of his mysticall Evangelicall birth-day, to the Apostles themselves, as the Lord of life, the Son of God, as he is man, did honour Mary, the blessed Virgin, to be inclosed in her wombe, and to be the first proclaimer of the joyfull day of his naturall birth. Though woman therefore (se­duced by the false trechery of Satan) was the instrument of the fall of man; yet woman, first and last, was the most happy news-bringer, of the most joyfull ti­dings that ever came to man or Angel. Let a man therefore honour woman, whom God the Lord hath so highly honoured: For, first, woman was the happy instrument of the salvation of man, and of the confirmed grace of the Angels. Se­condly, woman was the happy instrument that man is crowned with the incor­ruptible crown of glory eternally in all heavenly happinesse; whereas, though man had stood in the state of perfection, man must have enjoyed his perfection and felicity but eternally upon earth.

And so much for the declaration of the Evangelicall word, as the word is the seventh day of the Evangelicall law of faith, implying the command of the whole law, which is the Lords day, the blessed day of dayes. We are next, according to our method, to declare the Evangelicall word, as it is the word of the new cove­nant and promise of God. But a question doth arise of the Lords day, first necessa­rily to be answered.

CHAP. XIII.
The Evangelicall sense of the bowing of the knee at the name of Jesus.

THe Question here may be moved: Since at the name of Jesus every knee must bow, Phil. 2.10, 11. of things in heaven, of things upon earth, and of things under the earth; wherefore is not the seventh day of the Evangelicall law of faith, called rather by the name of Jesus day, then by the name of the Lords day?

I answer, because it is by the light of the seventh day of the Evangelicall law of faith, (by the truth of the Lords Evangelicall rest and resurrection from the fulfil­ling of his promise of the blessed seed) that Jesus is known to be the Saviour of man, the eternall Son of God, Lord, God and man, equall to the Father and holy Spirit (as hath been formerly declared,) by the infinite sanctified power of whose blessed merit, the Lords day is blessed and sanctified, and the Evangeli­call worship of the Lords day, immediatly commanded. Though Jesus there­fore, be the name of the Son of God, as he is man, begot of the seed of the wo­man, and the Saviour of man, by his cursed death and bloody rest in the grave, [Page 198] (without whose resurrection from the dead, Jesus the Son of God, Adam, and all men created in Adam, as head, must have di [...]d eternally under the eternall curse of the law;) yet the name Lord, is [...] name, by his infinit power he hath over­come the power of death and the grave, necessarily implying the name Jesus, and Christ, as hath formerly been declared. The Lords day therefore is the day of our Lord Jesus Christ, immediatly, and not immediatly the day of Jesus: And conse­quently the bowing of the knee at the name of Jesus, is the bowing of the knee at the name of the Lord Jesus; by which bowing of the knee, the Evangelicall com­manded worship of the Lords day is implied; as may plainly appear by the Apostles words, saying, that God hath given him a name above all names, that at the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow, and that every tongue shall confesse, that Jesus Christ is the Lord: For, as the religious bowing of the knee is from the believing heart, (implying the Spirit of the mind) that Jesus, the Saviour of man, is the Lord, (wher [...]by the internall and externall worship of God is expressed:) So the confession of the tongue; as likewise from the Spirit of faith in the heart, that Jesus the Saviour of man, is the Lord, by the truth of his merit, by his Evan­gelicall rest and resurrection from the fulfilling of his promise of the blessed seed upon the Lords day, whereby the worship of the Lords day is commanded in spi­rit and truth: In which commanded worship, [...]ll the internall and externall wor­ship of God is necessarily implied. In this sense, th [...] Apostle saith, Rom. 10.10. with the heart man doth believe to righteousnesse, and with the mouth man doth confesse to salvation; that is, with the heart, implying the Spirit of the mind (enlightened by the light of the Lords day, really one with the light of the re­deemed word of the law in the heart) man doth believe, that the Lord hath ful­filled the law of righteousnesse, by whose merit, the believer is saved; and with the mouth man doth confesse, before God and man, that he is saved by faith in the truth of the Lords only merit; for as by his only merit all men are saved from the first death, which is the curse of the law for the sin of Adam; so all the faithfull are saved from the second death, which is the curse of the law of faith.

The externall bowing of the knee therefore, at the name of Jesus (without ad­ding or implying (Lord) proceeding from the believing of the heart) is but a faithlesse and irreligious worship of God by man. In these words of the Apostle, concering the bowing of the knee, (which is a Prophesie, and now fulfilled by the Lords dayes Evangelicall rest and resurrection) three speciall things are to be ob­served:

First, though the name Jesus (signifying a Saviour) be given to man (as at the power of the Lords command, [...]n is saved by man from temporall danger;) yet the name Jesus, as he is Lord, God and man, is incommu [...]icable to man or Angel; and a name above all names prop [...]rly and immediatly, ascribed to the Son, [Page 199] the second person of the Trinity. And therefore we see, that in the Apostles salutations by their Epistles) they do pray for peace and grace from God the Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ: For as the Lord is man (the Son of God equall with the Father and holy Spirit before all time) so he is man, the Son of God in time of the seed of the woman in the essentiall union of the di­vine nature of the Father, Son and holy Spirit, with the humane nature: Lord God and man. And consequently, the three coessentiall distinct Per­sons of the Trinity Lord God and man.

The second thing to be observed in the words, is, that by the things in Heaven, the Saints departed this life; and the blessed Angels, are to be understood: for as the Saints in Heaven doe (with all humility) acknow­ledge their glory and heavenly felicity, to the only merit of the Lord Jesus Christ: So doe the Angels (with all humility) acknowledge the conserved grace of their created perfection to the merit of the Lord Jesus Christ, to whom his merit doth extend, who are conserved as ministring spirits, for man: First, for man, Christ Jesus, while he was personally upon earth, that his foo [...]e should not dash against a stone: Luke 4.10. and secondly, they are ministring spirits, for his mysticall members, that the foot of their fayth shall not be dashed (totally and finally) against the stony temptation of Sa­tan and his instruments in this life. The third thing to be observed, is, that by things upon earth, man and the sensitive and insensitive creatures created for man, are to be understood; and by things under (or within the earth) the waters, mineralls, and other things created for the use of man, which as they were all cursed for man, so they are all redeemed from the curse with man; in whose behalfe man is to bend the knees of his heart, with all thankeful­nesse to the Lord Jesus Christ, and to testifie his thankfulnesse, by his thank-worship of the Lords day, as the Lord hath revealed himselfe by the Lords dayes Evangelicall rest, Lord Jesus Christ God and man in the three coessen­tiall distinct persons of the glorious Trinity. And so much for the declaration or the Evangelicall Word, as it is the word of the Lords day the seventh day of the Evangelicall Law. Next (according to our methode) the Evangeli­call Word is to be declared, as it is the word of promise and new Covenant made by God with man.

CHAP. XIV.
The Evangelicall Covenant made by God with man, in his Son Christ Jesus called the new Covenant.

The Evangelicall Word of the Lords day (the seventh day of the Evange­licall Law of righteousnes of faith) & the Evangelicall Word of promise [Page 200] and new Covenant, are really one, but of a formall difference. First, of the reall unity of both, and next of the formall difference. The reall unity of both, doth consist in this, that the word of promise and new Covenant (which is the Lords merit of eternall life by his resurrection and rest from the fulfilling of his promise of the blessed seed) is the blessing of the Lords day: For by the Lords infinit merit (by the Lords daies Evangelicall rest) the Lords day, is blessed, sanctified, and commanded, for the seventh day of the Evangelicall Law, implying the command of the whole Evangelicall Law of faith. And consequently, the word of promise and new Covenant, and the word of the Lords day really one, for the one is necessarily implied in the other, as may appeare by the severall names of the new Covenant. First, the new Covenant is called the Covenant of grace, because the Lords merit of eternall life (by the Lords dayes Evangelicall rest, from the fulfilling of his promise of the blessed seed, which is the blessing of the Lords day) is freely offered to all beleevers, by the new Covenant, without all respect to the merit of any man naturally descended of Adam, whereby all beleevers are saved from the second death, which is the curse of the Law of faith. And consequently the word of promise, and the word of the Lords day are really one. Secondly, the new Covenant is called the Covenant of truth, because the Lord, by his Evangelicall resurrection and rest, from the faithfull fulfil­ling of his promise of the blessed seed, (upon his blessed day did manifest himselfe truth to man) by the truth of whose infinite merit (by his Evange­licall rest) the Lords day is blessed, sanctified, and commanded. Which bles­sing of eternall life, is word of promise, and new Covenant, and conse­quently the word of promise, and the word of the Lords day really one. Thirdly, the new Covenant is called the Covenant of mercy; because, as the Lord (by his Evangelicall rest) did manifest himselfe truth to man; so in that truth, the Lord (by his infinite merit) did manifest himselfe, love and mercy to man: for, as by his cursed death of the Crosse, our Saviour did me­rit the salvation of all men, from the curse of the Law, for the sin of Adam: So by his bloudy rest in the grave, by his fulfilling of the law in the seventh day of the last Sabbath, the eternall life and rest (lost by Adam from the first seventh day of the law) was due to the Lords merit, whereby all beleevers are saved from the second death, extending his twofold love and mercy to all men by the new Covenant: whose mercy (according to the truth of his infinite merit) being likewise infinite: The Lords gracious armes of mercy, are outstretched to the penitent sinner, for all the daies of this life, by the new Covenant. And this is the reason, that wretched men do so insult, upon the Lords infinite mercy, by their continuance in sin and wickednesse, because [Page 201] they see the daily love and mercy of God extended to all men in this life, whose Sun doth shine, and his rain doth fall, both upon the just and the unjust, Mat. 5.45. And this is likewise the reason, that many (though most unjustly) do grudge the temporall blessings of God to the wicked, who, though they do enjoy the tempo­rall blessings of the Lords merit, by his Evangelicall rest; yet they are far from the spirituall blessing of the Lords merit, whereby man is only saved. But the Lord hath thus graciously obliged himself by the new covenant; first, that wret­ched man should not dispair of the Lords mercy, while he hath all the dayes of this life to repent him of his actuall sins: Secondly, that the wicked may be excuse­lesse: For, though God willeth that all men should be saved, 1 Tim. 2.4. by testifying of their thankfulnesse for their redemption, by the works of truth, love, and mercy, to which they are morally enabled (by the redeemed word of the law, written in their heart) yet while the wicked man (without any created power, to necessitate his morall disobedience) doth (by his obstinate continuance in sin and wickednesse) make himself the cursed seed of Satan. The Lord doth justly give him over to a reprobate minde, and doth most justly will his condem­nation; where (by the way) the difference between the first and second cove­nant, is to be observed for the least transgression of the law by the first covenant, was without all revealed hope of mercy, or time of repentance; but the second covenant (both Prophetically and Evangelically) is with all hope of mercy by re­pentance for all the days of this life: Fourthly, the new covenant, is called the co­venant of faith; because the Lords merit of eternall life, by his Evangelicall rest, (which is the blessing of the Lords day) is the immediate object of faith; and therefore the Evangelicall law, is called the law of righteousnesse of faith, though the works of faith, (which are the works of truth, love, and mercy) are equally commanded in the command of faith, which is the necessary, sole immediate effici­ent cause of the works of faith; and therefore necessarily commanded in the com­mand of faith: while the Apostle therefore doth affirm, that man is justified by faith, without the works of the law, we must understand, that the works meaned by the Apostle, are the ceremoniall works of the Propheticall law, and not the Evangelicall works of faith; to which works, the Apostle doth exhort both the Jews and Gentiles; and therefore the Apostle James saith, shew me thy faith by thy works. Now, the Lords merit of eternall life (which is the blessing of the Lords day) being really one; the word of promise and new covenant, and the word of the seventh day of the Evangelicall law are really one, and so much for the reall unity of both: next of the formall difference.

The formall difference of both, doth consist in this, that by the new cove­nant, God and man are mutually obliged in the Evangelicall word of the Lords day: For, as God by his new covenant doth formally oblige man to believe the [Page 202] truth of his fulfilled promise of the blessed seed, by his Evangelicall rest: So the Lord doth mutually oblige himself by the truth of his merit (by his Evangeli­call rest) to save the believer from the curse of the second death; obliging like­wise the unbeliever, and finall contemner of his free gracious offer, to the merci­lesse curse of the law of faith.

But, by the Evangelicall word of the Lords day, (the seventh day of the Evan­gelicall law) the Lord doth formally command man to testifie his beliefe, to the word of eternall life, as the Lords Word is his law to man. The chief precept of whose law, is the commanded worship of the Lords day; in which commanded worship, the whole Evangelicall law of righteousnesse of faith, as formally and necessarily commanded, commanding the faith of man in the originall; which is the love of the heart, where the redeemed word of the law is written, really one with the Evangelicall word of the seventh day of the law (the Lords day) by the power of which redeemed word in the heart (which is the Image of God in his Son Christ Jesus, truth, love, and mercy it self) all men are morally ena­bled by the works of truth, love and mercy, to give morall obedience to the com­mand of the Evangelicall law, which are the works of faith; the chief work whereof is the truth of the commanded worship of the Lords day, whereby the Lord by his Evangelicall rest, hath manifested himself truth, love, and mercy to man. The judicious Reader, therefore, may plainly perceive, that though there be a formall difference between the word of the seventh day of the Evangelicall law, and of the word of promise and the new covenant: yet they are really one and the one necessarily implyed in the other: For, (as hath been formerly de­clared) God cannot morally command man to his new covenant, but by the im­mediate command of the word of the seventh day of the law, implying the com­mand of the whole Evangelicall law, which is the Evangelicall word of the Lords day: For, there is neither life, light, or the power of command, in any pre­cept of the Evangelicall law of righteousnesse of faith, but by the only immedi­ate commanded worship of the Lords day, in that commanded worship, imply­ing the command of the whole law. And therefore the blessing of the Lords merit (by the Lords dayes Evangelicall rest) is only and immediatly due (by the law) to the faithfull worship of the Lords day, for the fulfilling of the whole law, which is fulfilled by faith in the Lords infinite merit, by whose infinite san­ctified merit, (by his Evangelicall resurrection and rest from the fulfilling of his promise) the Lords day is the word of eternall life and the immediate object of Christian faith; without the command therefore, of the Lord day, (as it is his law to man,) there is neither life, or light for man, or any law or new covenant, or any object for the faith of man dead in actuall sin, as all men, (freed from the curse of the law for the sin of Adam) are before they be regenerate, by their [Page 203] transgression of the law of faith. And therfore as our Saviour by his bloody rest in the grave by his fulfilling of the command of the seventh day, did fulfill the whole law (as our Saviour was oblieged to the law for man) to whose merit the eter­nall life and rest lost by Adam is due by the law? so the Lord Iesus Christ (eter­nall life and rest) by his resurrection and rest from the fulfilling of his promise of the blessed seed upon the day of his resurrection, did obliege all men again to his new Covenant, by the immediate command of the Lords dayes commanded wor­ship, (blessed and sanctified by his merit), to believe in his fulfilled promise of the blessed seed; to whose faith, the blessing of his merit of eternall life is due by the law which is commanded in the cōmanded worship of the Lords day, as may ap­pear by the word of promise & new covenant: Go and teach & preach the Evangel to all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, Mar. 16.15, 16. he that shal believe, shall be saved, but he that wil not believe, shall be condemned. The sense of the word of the covenant is this: Go and preach the Evangel, that is, go and preach & proclaim the glad tidings of my resurrection and rest, this day from the fulfilling of my promise of the blessed seed (which is the summe of the whole Evangel, implied in the Lords day, by the Lords Evangelicall rest;) go therefore, preach the Evangel to all nations, baptizing them, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, as my my resurrection and rest this day from the power of sin, Satan, hell, eternall death, the curse of the law, and the power of the grave, I have manifested my self (by mine own infinit immediate power) Truth to man by the fulfilling of my promise; and in that truth, love, and mercy to man, and in that truth, love, and mercy, God and man, in the three coessen­tiall distinct persons of the Trinity; whosoever shall believe in me, (to wit, eter­nall life, and rest by the power of my infinit merit by my Evangelicall rest) shall be saved from the curse of the second death, for the transgression of the law of faith, as by my bloody rest in the grave, (from the cursed death of the crosse) all men are saved from the curse of the law for their transgression of the law in Adam, which is the first death; he that will not believe in me, shall be condemned, to wit, to the mercilesse curse of the Evangelicall law of faith, which is mercilesse. This salvation and condemnation of man, (being the twofold reward of the Evangelicall law, due by the law, according to the obedience or finall disobedience of man): The Lord commands man to his new covenant by the immediate word and command of the Evangelical law, by which command the reward is only due. The chief precept of whose Evangelicall law, being the precept of the Lords com­manded worship (implying the command of the whole Evangelicall obedience and Religion of man). The Lords day therefore, (by the Lords immediate word) is commanded, and in the Lords day (as it is the seventh day of the Evangelicall law) the obedience of man, to the whole Evangelicall law is necessarily com­manded. [Page 204] Thus, according to the truth of the sacred word, having set down the true sense of the new covenant; I next set down the formall obligement of man to the Evangelicall law of God by the new covenant.

As the Lords resurrection and rest, from his fulfilling of his promise of the blessed seed (upon the Lords day) doth extend to the safety of all men from the curse of eternall death for the first sinne in Adam: And to the safety of all belee­vers, dead in actuall sinne, for their owne naturall transgression, of the Evange­licall law of righteousnesse of faith: So the merit of the Lords resurrection, doth likewise extend, to the confirmation of the blessed Angels, in the grace of their created perfection, who are sent as ministring spirits, for the saving of the elect, from being finally overcome, by the temptation of satan and his cruell instru­ments. The Lords resurrection and rest therefore (upon the Lords day) being the most joyfull newes that ever came to Man or Angell, his seventh dayes rest is for­mally Evangelicall; and consequently the commanded worship of the Lords day, formally Evangelicall; which is therefore commanded in spirit and truth, that is in the spirit of faith, in the truth of the Lords merit, to the joy and comfort of all the Nations of the world. For both Iew and Gentile (by the immediate com­mand of the Lords dayes commanded Evangelicall worship) are freed from the sore yoke of the sabbaticall seventh dayes Propheticall ceremoniall worship, im­plying the whole ceremoniall law.

According to the formall Evangelicall worship therefore of the Lords day (the seventh day of the Evangelicall law) the whole Evangelicall law of righteous­nesse of faith, is formally and Evangelically both obliged and commanded, by the immediate word of the Lord of the Lords day by his new Covenant, obliging and commanding, the faithfull obedience of all the Nations of the world (first and im­mediately) to the commanded Evangelicall worship of the Lords day, and in that commanded worship commanding the faithfull obedience of man to the com­mand of the whole Evangelicall law of faith, that by beleeving in the Lords me­rit (by the Lords dayes evangelicall rest) they may be saved from the curse of the second death: to which command all men are morally enabled by the redeemed word of the law written in their heart, really one with the command of the Lords day.

CHAP. XV.
It was impossible (in any morall right, by the command of the law) that the last Sabbath could have been worshipped, either for the Jewes formall Prophe­ticall Sabbath, or for the Lords day.

OF the declaration of the Lords day a twofold Question may be moved: The first is, whether (in any morall right by the command of the law) the last [Page 205] Sabbath, (by the whole space whereof, the sacred body of the Lord did rest in his grave) might not have been worshipped for the formall Iewes Propheticall sab­bath? The second question is, Whether (in any morall right by the command of the law) the last Sabbath might not have been worshipped for the Lords day, the first Evangelicall seventh day of the law of faith?

First, I answer to the first Question.

Lest there be a mistake in this Discourse, I first state the Question. The question here, is not in the matter of fact, whether the Jews did celebrate, or did not celebrate, the ceremoniall worship of the last Sabbath, for the Jews propheticall Sabbath. But the Question is, whether (in any morall right by the command of the Law) the Jews might have worshipped that day, by the Ceremoniall worship of their propheticall Sabbath. And now I answer; And do affirme, that it is impossible (by any right of the command of the law of God) that the Jews might have celebrated the last Sabbath, for their propheticall Sabbath; for such commanded worship had inferred a twofold necessary contradiction in the command of the law. For first, by such ceremoniall worship of the last Sabbath, Christs death should have been prefigurate to be hereafter, while as his sacred body lay in the grave.

Secondly, though the formall propheticall Jews Sabbath day, was not actually determined, till it was immediately determined, by the day of Christs resurrection from the grave: yet all the prophesies, of all the pro­pheticall Sabbaths, all the jubilees of Sabbaths, and all the prophesies, pro­phesying of Christ, from the foundation of the world, were all actually de­termined, by his rest in the grave, for the whole space of the last Sabbath. So that if there should have beene any such command of the law; the pro­phesies should have beene fulfilled, and not fulfilled as by the ceremoniall worship of the last Sabbath Christ should have beene dead, and not dead, which is a twofold contradiction. Neither in all reason, durst the High Priest that day, offer to celebrate the ceremoniall worship of the golden Altar, (which he was to discharge, after the service of the brazen Alter) and that for this twofold feare. First, the great rent (from the top to the bottome) of the Vale of the Temple, was just betweene the golden Alter, and the Table of Shew-bread, where a great deale of stones and rubbish must fall, whereby the table of Shew-bread, and the golden Alter were parted; mystically signifying to the High Priest, that the bread of life was seperate, and departed from the ceremoniall worship of the golden Altar. Now, the golden Altar standing so neere to the great ruinous wall, the Priest in his comming up to offer sweet Incense at the golden Altar, might have beene afraid to be brained with the stones falling from the great rent of the Vale.

The next feare was farre greater: for, the high Priest in his comming up to offer Incense at the golden Alter, (the rent of the wall being so great) must have seene the Arke of the Covenant, the golden Crown and the Che­rubims covering the Mercy-seat, to which the glorious lights of the golden Candlesticks were directly opposite; Now it was death for the Priest him­selfe to looke on the Arke of the Lord, with any materiall light: Insomuch, that (out of all question) by the reflex of the light of the golden Candle­sticks, from the golden Crowne, Cherubims, and Mercy-seat, and from the glistring gold of the golden Alter: All the Priests were that day confoun­ded. Though the High Priest, or any man that day, without any feare, might have entered the highest place, and have touched, and looked on the Arke; but it was more then was then knowne to the high Priest. Against this it may be objected: Luke the Evangelist saith, Luke 23 56. That the women, according to the command of the Law, rested from going to the sacred grave that day, which command of the Law, was the command of the pro­pheticall Sabbath day, I answer. Luke, the faithfull Historiographer of the sacred History, doth faithfully relate the act of the religious women, with the precise circumstance of the time of the act, what the women (then full of sorrow for the Lord of life) were constrained to doe, out of their re­spect to the command of the Sabbath, which was that day in force, for ought that the women did know: But Luke, doth not relate what the wo­men might have done that day: Neither had it been sitting for the Evange­list so to have done; for the formall command of the Sabbath day (as it was the formall propheticall Jews Sabbath day) was not actually determined, till it was determined by the next day, the day of Christs resurrection from the grave, to wit, the Lords day though the prophesies of the Sabbath were then actually determined. And so much for answer to the first Question.

To the second Question, I answer. That it had beene as impossible (in any morall right by the command of the Law) that the last Sabbath (for the whole space whereof the blessed body of our Saviour rested in the sacred grave) could have beene worshipped for the Lords day. For first, the mourn­full, sorrowfull, and lamentable light of the sound of the word, of the se­venth day of the last Sabbath, had been repugnant to the joyful Evangelicall sound, & light of the word of the Lords day. Secondly, the Evangelicall wor­ship of the Lords day, to have beene celebrate, upon the last Sabbath; had im­plyed a manifest contradiction, in the command of the law; for, so the law should have commanded the day of the Lords resurrection to be worshipped in spirit and truth; while as contrary to all truth, the sensitive body of our Saviour did lye dead in the grave that day. Thirdly, by the commanded wor­ship [Page 207] of that Sabbath, to be celebrate by the Evangelicall worship of the Lords day had been contradictory to the sacred written Word of God, by his eternall decree; for the last enemy to be conquered by the Lord of life, was the grave. Fourthly, the commanded Evangelicall worship of that day, had been contradictory to Christs own prophesie, which was, that he should rise again the third day, while by his Evangelicall worship, he must have risen the second day. Fifthly, by such commanded Evangelicall worship of the last Sabbath; the Apostles must have been false witnesses, in preaching and proclaiming, that the Lord was risen from the grave, while his sacred body did rest in the grave. Sixthly, such Evange­licall worship of the last Sabbath had overthrown the chief Article of Christian faith: For all Christians are obliged to believe, that the Lord of life rose the third day from the grave, and not the second day; and so much for answer to the se­cond question against this declaration of the Lords day, three obejections are to be answered.

CHAP. XVI.
The reason that God is said to be Alpha and Omega, the first and the last.

FIrst, it may be objected; that by the establishing of the Lords day, for the Evangelicall morall seventh day of the law of faith, there is one seventh day of the law, (implying the whole law) lost in the account. Now, heaven and earth must perish before a jot or a tittle of the law shall perish, Luke 86.17. For the law of God is eternall. I answer, By this account, there is neither any jot or tittle of the seventh day of the law of God lost; neither by this account is there my prejudice at all to the decreed six dayes work, allowed by the law to man: For the seventh day of the last Sabbath, implying the whole law (as Christ Jesus was obliged thereby, as he is man) was fulfilled by himself. Now, by the fulfilling of the law, the law is established, and not lost; if man (by his finall obstinate con­tempt of the law) should escape the curse of the law, at Christs second coming, then the law we lost indeed: Or, if the Lord had not fulfilled the command of the seventh day of the last Sabbath, (as the Lord did oblige himself by the prophe­ticall covenant) the seventh day of the law (implying the command of the whole law) had been likewise utterly lost, as man Christ Jesus, the Son of God, was obliged to the command of the law. This objection therefore, is easily an­swered, by the former declaration: For, God and man being mutually obliged to the propheticall covenant, by the seventh day of the law, (then by the name of the Sabbath of the Lord) the obligement of man to the propheticall covenant, was formally twofold: First, man (to wit) Adam (and all men naturally to de­scend of Adam) were formally obliged to the command of the seventh day, as it was then the propheticall Sabbath, obliging the faith of man to believe the pro­mised [Page 208] rest of the blessed seed, prophesied by the prophetical Sabbath, untill the pro­mised rest was fulfilled by the blessed seed: Secondly, man, the Son of God (Christ Iesus the blessed seed) was formally obliged by the propheticall covenant, to ful­fill his promised rest, by his obedience to the command of the seventh day of the last Sabbath, as it was prophesied by the propheticall Sabbath: who having fulfilled the command of the last Sabbath (by his obedience) even to the death of the Crosse by his redemption of man, from the curse of the law for the sinne of Adam: And by his rest in the grave (after his death) upon the last Sabbath, haveing fulfilled the whole law in the command of the seventh day: The eternall life and rest, of the first seventh day lost by Adam, was re­deemed likwise for man, and due by the law to our Saviours merit. Now the eternall life and rest of man, being in our Saviour: The Lord by his resurrecti­on from the grave, did manifest himselfe, truth to man (by the fulfilling of his promised rest) and in that truth, Lord God, Jesus Christ the eternall Son of God, God equall with the Father and holy Spirit, the eternall life and rest of man, The day of whose resurrection, being the just seventh day of the law, as man naturally descended of Adam, is obliged to the law of God; the Lord by the power of his merit by his Evangelicall rest, from the fulfilling of the law for man (implying his bloody rest from the redemption of man from the curse of the law for the sinne of Adam) doth command the day of his resurrection (the Lords day) to be worshipped by man, for the se­venth day of his Evangelicall law. And therefore to conclude this answer, The seventh day of the law (by the last Sabbath) being fulfilled by our Savi­ours obedience even to the death of the Crosse: and the seventh day of the law (as man naturally descended of Adam is oblieged to the law) being con­tinued, in the command of the Lords day, there is not any seventh day, or any jot or tittle of the law lost, as man is oblieged to the law of God. Where the judicious Reader may observe, that as the gracious promise of the bles­sed seed, went forth from the eternall Word, (eternall life and rest) So by the fulfilling of his promise, the eternall life and rest of man, is returned to the Word. And this is the reason, that God is called Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, Rev. 22.13. all in all. Even as wee see the great Ocean, from whence all the wells, springs, brooks, rivers, and all the waters falling from the clouds doe proceed; So all do returne to the Ocean, from whence they came: and so much for answer to the first objection.

The second objection is this.

Neither Christ Jesus or his Apostles, have set downe the command of the Lords day, in the written word of God. The Lord therefore, hath left the power to command the Lords day, to the Apostolicke Successours, Ministers [Page 209] of the Word and Sacraments to command (for that blessed day) what day of the weeke they shall thinke fitting. Of all the objections, that ever was ob­jected by man, this is one of the most fearfull: which doth rase from the foundation, all what hath bin faithfully declared in this tractate, and the very foundation of truth it selfe: where there is two maine fundamentall points of faith overthrowne: the first is in the antecedent: the next is in the conse­quent. I answer first to the antecedent. By this assertion, that the Lord of life (the Lord of the Law of righteousnesse of faith) or his Apostles hath not commanded, the Lords day (the Evangelicall seventh day of the Law of righteousnesse of faith) the Lord of life, is charged with the foule aspertion of untruth: For if the seventh day of the Evangelicall Law of faith, imply­ing the command of the whole Law, be not immediatly commanded, by the Lord himselfe, by his immediate word, there is never a precept, of the whole Evangelicall morall Law commanded. And therefore to vindicate the truth of God from this horrible aspertion, I answer, after this threefold manner.

First, if we touch this tenet, with the touchstone of the twofold Theolo­gicall Canon set downe in the tenth Chapter of this third booke; we shall find this tenet, to vanish with the objecters breath; first, therefore to touch the tenet with the first Canon. First, the foule adulterous light of the sound, of the false word of this assertion, is repugnant, to the light, of the sound of the word of the Lords day, and to the truth of the Lords Evangelicall rest: For by the immediate power of his infinit merit by his Evangelicall seventh daies rest, the seventh is blessed and sanctified, and the worship of the seventh day commanded, and in the seventh day, the whole morall Evangelicall Law of faith. To the faithfull obedience of man, to which command the tempo­rall blessing, of the Lords daies Evangelicall rest, is due to man, whereby man hath the continuation of his redeemed light, life, and rest in this life, and eternall rest in the life to come: contrary to the adulterous light, of the sound of the words of this tenet, whereby the Lords day, is affirmed to be by the immediate command of man, by meanes whereof, we must hold our life, light, moveing, and being, in this life, and eternall rest in the life to come, immediately from the command of man. Next to touch the tenet with the second Theologicall Canon set downe in the forenamed Chapter. By the sound of the words, of this false assertion, the command of man doth inter­veene, and come betweene the faith of the beleever and the Lords merit, by his Evangelicall seventh daies rest; which being the rocke and rest, where­on the visible Church of God is built, by this assertion, the Church of God it selfe, and the Lords commanded worship is rased from the very foundation. For my second answer to this assertion, to wit, that neither Christ or his A­postles, [Page 210] hath commanded the Lords day in the written word of God. I answer with the Apostle Iohn. 1 Iohn 2, 7. There is no new command, but the same which was from the beginning; and that was the sound of the word of the first seventh day of the Law of righteousnesse to Adam and now it is the found of the word of the seventh day of the Law of rigeteousnesse of faith, first propheticall and now Evangelicall. And though the Apostle to the He­brewes: Hebrewes 7.12. doth affirme, that with the Leviticall Priesthood the Law was changed: Yet we must understand, that the Law of righteousnesse is never really changed, though the Law be formerly changed, from the for­mall propheticall ceremoniall obligement, by the propheticall Sabbath, to the formall Evangelicall obligement of the law, by the Lords day, by the imme­diate command whereof, the seventh day of the propheticall ceremoniall Sabbath, implying the whole morall propheticall ceremoniall law is actually determined, & the Lords day, the seventh day of the Evangelicall law, implying the whole moral evangelicall law, actually established by the new Covenant.

Let the thankelesse objecter therefore, doe but determine the seventh day of the propheticall Sabbath (set downe to Moses in the decalogue) by the Lords day, as the Lord himselfe hath determined the same, by the word of the Lords daies Evangelicall rest: And he shall finde, that the Lords day, and the whole morall Evangelicall law, is set downe in ten severall morall pre­cepts. My third answer to the antecedent of this fearfull objection, is this. It was the infinit wisdome, and the infinit love and mercy of God to man, that the Evangelicall morall law of faith, was not set downe in the written word, in distinct formall precepts, as it was set downe to Moses, in the pro­pheticall decalog: for if the Evangelicall law had bin so set downe: the mo­rall propheticall law, and the whole old Testament had bin quite misregar­ded: Without the true knowledge whereof there is no foundation for Christian faith: I next answer to the consequent, of the objection.

CHAP. XVII
The Lords day is by the immediate command of the Lords owne word, and not by the command of the word of the Church.

THe consequent of the objection, is, that the Lord hath left, the power of the commanding of his blessed day to the Apostolicall successors (the Ministers of his Word and Sacraments) to appoint, for the Lords day, what day of the weeke they shall thinke fitting: To this I answer, that this is all one to affirme, that the Lord hath left, to the Apostolicall successors, the po­wer to be God himselfe. For it is by the only merit of the Lords Evangeli­call [Page 211] seventh dayes rest, arising from his bloudy rest, that the Apostolicall suc­cessors themselves, and that all men under the heavens have the continua­tion of their redeemed light and life, moving and being. It is most certaine, that there was great power given to the Apostles, and in the Apostles, to the Apostolicall successors, though all the power given to the Apostles, was not given to the Apostolicall successors, and Ministers of the word.

But all the created powers of heaven and earth are not capable of any such power, as to command the Evangelicall worship of the Lords day, im­plying the command of the whole Evangelicall morall law of God.

The great power which was given to the Apostles, was, for the main­taining of the Evangelicall word of the seventh day of the law of righteous­nesse of faith, implying the whole word and law of God; which the Lord of the Lords day, did plant, while he was personally upon earth, and wate­red with his precious bloud: for the enabling of the Apostles to the establi­shing and encrease whereof, the Keyes of the kingdome of Heaven (that rich Pearle) were delivered to the Apostles, which are the keyes of the Old and New Testament; this power of the keyes of the kingdome of heaven, delivered to the Apostles was threefold. The first was the power of the light of the word, which did shine from the word it selfe, the Lord of the law of righteousnesse of faith. By which power the Apostles were enabled to teach and preach the Evangell to all the Nations of the world. The se­cond power of the word was, the power of healing, disposessing, and the power of miracles, whereby their doctrine was confirmed, and the Evangell established. The third was the power of command, whereby obedience was given to the word taught and preached by the Apostles.

The power of the light of the word, whereby the Apostles were enabled to teach and preach, was morall and spirituall: the morall light, was the light of the sound of the mediate word of the Lord of life; by which light, the Apostles were first literally led to the Lords merit, by his Evangelicall rest, which is the first light leading to the kingdome of heaven. The glori­ous riches of this light, (bought at the price of the sacred bloud of the Lord of light) was prefigurate by the light of the golden Candlesticks, in the holy place, and by the rich robe and vesture of the high Priest; as also the sound of this rich word, was prefigurate by the sound of the bells, hanging at the high Priests rich vesture, Exod. 28.33.

The spirituall light, by which the Apostles were enabled to teach and preach the Evangell, was in the spirituall sanctifying understanding of the word of the law of righteousnesse, which the Apostles received of the ho­ly Spirit, of the Lord of light and life, immediately signified by our Saviour [...] [Page 212] breathing upon the Apostles, John 20.22. while as he said. Receive yee the holy Spirit, by which power of sanctifying light the Apostles were enabled with the spiritual power, to teach and preach, and with the holinesse of spiri­tuall action, whereby they shined as pure light in the darkenesse of the world, leading all men to the kingdome of heaven, who were able to be led by that light. This pure light of spirituall righteousnesse, was likewise pre­figurate, Exod. 28.36. by the inscription of righteousnesse and holinesse in­graven in the Brest-plate of the high Priest, and by the high Priests white pure vesture, with which he was cloathed, when he went in once a yeare, into the holiest place, to obtaine pardon of actuall sin, at the Mercy-seat. And this is the light and holinesse of life, with which the Apostolicall suc­cessors, are to be continually vested to goe in and out before their charge.

The second power of the Keyes of the word, whereby the Apostles were enabled, Marke 16.17. was the power of healing, disposessing of possessed with evill spirits, and with the power of miracles, which was given to the Apostles, for the confirmation of their doctrine, and for the establishing of the Evangell, planted by the Lord of the Lords day, sealed by his precious bloud. Which being established by the Apostles, and the establishing there­of sealed likewise by their owne bloud, the power of healing, disposses­sing, and miracles, did determine in the Apostles, according to the eternall decree of God. And this power of the word given to the Apostles, was like­wise prefigurate by Aarons Rod, placed by the word, in the Arke of the Covenant.

The third power of the Keyes of the word, given to the Apostles, John 20.23. (which is likewise given in the Apostles, to the Apostolicall suc­cessors) is the morall power of commanding the obedience of man, to the command of the word. And this power doth consist in mercy and justice: In mercy, the authority is given to pardon the morall sin of the penitent scan­dalous contemner, of the command of the word delivered by the Apostles and Ministers of the word. The power of justice, is in the authority of the morall sword of excommunication. Whereby the proud rebellious contem­ners of the word (preached by the Apostles and Ministers of the word) are cut off from the visible Church, and from the blessing of the Lords merit, which is by the hearing of his word. To the end that Evangelicall morall obedience, may be given to the teaching and preaching of the word. Now because the pardon of spirituall sinne, is incommunicable to any created po­wer of God; The Lord therefore did obliege himselfe by Covenant to the Apostles, and in the Apostles, to the Apostolicall successors, to remit, or re­taine, spiritually, what morall sin soever the Apostles should pardon or re­taine [Page 213] morally upon earth, which is a most admirable power, given to the Ministers of the Word: For, by this power of the keys, the proudest rebellious contemner of the command of God, sounded by the Ministers of the word and sacraments, is brought to subjection. And that for two main reasons: The first is, because the proud contemner being excommunicate, the sin is never pardoned by God, be­fore it be first pardoned by the Ministers of the Word, which is a most fearfull case, if the contemner, should die in his impenitency and obstinacy. The second reason is, because the civill sword of the Magistrate, is to second the power of the morall sword, to free the Church of God from such proud contempt, to whose protection the militant Church of God is committed, as to the Father of the fa­mily, to be preserved in the purity of the light of the word, and in the freedome of the profession of the word, in which respect the twofold portion of the first born, is due by the law of God to the King. The first is, the inheritance of the crown; for the enabling of the King to advance the obedient (to the command of the word) who are alwayes his most faithfull and loyall subjects. The second is the power of the civill sword (implying the power of the King) to cut from the mi­litant Church, the proud contemner of the command of God by his Church, that by banishment, imprisonment, or what manner of punishment in that kind (it shall please the King to inflict) the word commanded by the Church may be freed from contempt; for it is impossible, that he that is a rebell to God and to his Church can ever be a faithfull subject to the King.

To the Kings faithfull execution of this twofold power of righterousnesse, the infallible blessing of the Lords merit by his seventh dayes Evangelicall rest is due by the law of God, whereby the King hath the happier continuation of redeemed grace of life and light, and the temporall blessing of God upon all his actions in this life, and his eternall rest, (crowned with an incorruptible crown of glory) in the life to come; and so much for answer to the second objection. The last objection is of no great consequence, yet the objection must be answered.

CHAP. XVIII.
The reason that Paul doth call the Lords day the first day of the week.

THe Apostle Paul, Acts 20.7. doth call the day of Christs resurrection from the grave, the first day of, the week, and not the Lords day. I answer, The Apostle John, Rev. 1.10. doth likewise call this blessed day, the Lords day. And it was so truly called by bothp: For, John, Joh. 8.5, 6. doth name the day, as the Lord himself did name his blessed day to the Iewes, calling it his own day: and Paul doth call the Lords day, the first day of the week, as the Lords day is the eighth day inclusively, from the last formall Iewish propheticall Sabbath, prefi­gurate [Page 214] by the sacrament of circumcision, which was the true first day of the week, according to the Iewish sabbaticall account, who did begin the first day of their week upon the next day immediatly succeeding the formall propheticall Jews sabbath; and the first day immediatly succeeding the last formall Iewes Sabbath was the day of Christs resurrection from the grave, the Lords day. For it was the wisdome of the Spirit of God in the Apostles (I in the establishing of the Evan­gell) not to name the Lords day, either the seventh day of the Evangelicall law, or the seventh day of the week; lest thereby the Apostles should have given such distaste to the obstinate Iewes, as that the Iews should have utterly rejected the embracing of the Evangel in the first entry: For, the seventh day of the prophe­ticall Iews sabbath, was the very ground and foundation of all the Iews religion, which was the morall glory of the world at that time: and the ground of all the meanes, and of the great preferment of the tribe of Levi. And therefore both Paul and the Apostles (at first) did mildly wink at, and passe over the Iews using (or ra­ther the abusing) of many judaicall ceremonies, even to the administration of the propheticall sacraments; and all to win the obstinate Iews by all fair means to the embracing of the Evangell, not otherwise to have been tolerate.

But after (by the great mercy of God) the Evangel began to take some footing, the Evangel by degrees, began to be boldly preached, and the Lords day began to beworshipped, and (in tract of time) practised by the Apostles, received by Em­perours, Kings, Princes and states from age to age, and at length, to be decreed in Generall Councels, to the admiration of the world: For, such was the former glory of the Propheticall, Judaicall Sabbath, as it might have seemed (to a naturall man) impossible that the Lords day could ever have been so generally received. But whatsoever men may conceive, the only reason was, that the sound of the word of the Lords day, doth pierce by the eares, to the heart of God man, where the redeemed word of the law is internally written; the literall light whereof, be­ing really one with the literall light of the Lords day, the heart is immiediatly con­vinced, and the conscience moved to consent to the cōmanded obedience of that blessed day; for the seventh day of the law of God (implying the command of the whole law) hath the prerogative above all the lawes of man under the heavens: For the Evangelicall seventh day of the law of faith, doth immediatly oblige the conscience, which all the lawes of man cannot do, but mediately; and that nei­ther, unlesse the law of man be grounded upon the law of God: So that now (in the great mercy of God in his Son Christ Iesus) by our received Christian account, the Lords day, is the seventh day of our Christian week, beginning the first Lords day of our Christian week upon the next day immediatly succeeding the Lords day, vulgarly called Munday; from which day, reckoning to the seventh: The seventh day is the Lords, which is the last day of our Christian week, containing [Page 215] the [...]umber of seven dayes, commonly called a sev' night, which account, must continue till the planetary Sun cease to be the measure, of houres, dayes, moneths, yeers, and time it self: And so much for answer to the last objection. And now for a conclusion, that this blessed day may never hereafter be brought in question, (by the assistance of the Lord of the Lords day) I do Theologically d [...]monstrate (from the fundamentall grounds, set down in this Tractate arising from the truth of the sacred Word) that the Lords day is commanded by the immediate word of the Lord, of the Lords day.

CHAP. XIX.
The Lords day is Theologically demonstrated to be commanded by the Lords immediate Word.

1. THat day whereby the new covenant is immediately establised between God and man; that is, the decreed seventh day of the Evangelicall law of faith (by the Lords immediat word of his new covenant) obliging and command­ing all the nations of the world to the Evangelical worship of that day; upon the Lords day the new covanant is immediatly established between God and man.

The Lords day therefore is the decreed seventh day of the Evangelicall law of faith (by the Lords immediate word of his new covenant) obliging and comman­ding all the nations of the world to the Evangelicall worship of the Lords day.

2. That day, whereby the last formall Jewish propheticall Sabbath was actu­ally and immediatly determined: that is, the established Evangelical 7^th day of the law of faith, implying the command of the whole law (by the Lords immediate word by his new covenant) obliging and commanding all the nations of the world, to the Evangelicall worship of that day. By the Lords day, the last for­mall Jewes propheticall Sabbath was actually and immediately determined. The Lords day therefore is the established seventh day of the Evangelicall law of faith, implying the command of the whole law (by the Lords immediate word by his new covenant) obliging and commanding all the nations of the world, to the Evangelicall worship of the Lords day.

3. That day which did immediatly succeed the last formall Jews prophe­call Sabbath: That is, the decreed seventh day of the Evangelicall law of faith (as man naturally descended of Adam, is obliged to the Evangelicall law of God) by the Lords immediate word of his new covenant, obliging and commanding all the nations of the world to the Evangelicall worship of that day. The Lords day did immediatly succeed the last formall Jews prophetical Sabbath. The Lords day therefore is the decreed seventh day of the Evangelicall law of faith (as man na­turally descended of Adam, is obliged to the Evangelicall law of God) by the Lords immediate word of his new covenant, obliging and commanding all the [Page 216] nations of the world, to the Evangelicall worship of the Lords day.

4. The word of eternall life, which all men (by the new covenant) are obli­ged to believe, to save them from the curse of the second death all the nations of the world are obliged to the Evangelicall worship of that word of eternall life. The Lords day (by the merit of his Evangelicall rest) is the word of eternall life, which all men (by the new covenant) are obliged to believe, to save them from the curse of the second death. All the nations of the world therefore, are obliged to the Evangelicall worship of the Lords day.

5. By the immediate power, whereby the Lords day is the blessed and sancti­fied word or eternall life, (whereby the new covenant is immediatly established) by that immediate power, the evangelical worship of the Lords day, is immediat­ly commanded, implying the command of the whole Evangellicall law. By the immediate power of the Lords merit, by his Evangelicall rest and resurrection from the fulfilling of his promise of the blessed seed, the Lords day, is the blessed and sanctified word of eternall life, whereby the new covenant is immediately established, by the immediate power (therefore) of the Lords merit by his Evan­gelicall rest and resurrection from the fulfilling of his promise of the blessed seed; the Evangelicall worship of the Lords day is immediatly commanded, implying the command of the whole Evangelicall law.

6. What the Lords new covenant doth oblige men to believe to save them from the second death. The Lords day commands all men to worship for the only object of Christian faith. The Lords new covenant doth oblige all men to believe the Lords day, by the merit of his evangelicall rest, to save them from the second death. The Lords day therefore doth command all men to worship the Lords day, by the merit of his evangelicall rest, for the only object of Christian faith.

7. By the onely blessing of which day, all the Nations of the world, doe live, move, and have the redeemed grace of being continued by the new Covenant; all the Nations of the world (by the Lords immediate word of the new Cove­nant) are oblieged and commanded to the joyfull worship of that day. By the onely blessing of the Lords day, all the Nations of the world, doe live, move, and have their redeemed grace of being, continued by the new Covenant. All the Nations of the world therefore (by the Lords immediate word of his new Cove­nant) are oblieged and commanded to the joyfull worship of the Lords day.

8. The light of the sound of the word of which day doth necessarily imply. the light and life of the whole word and law of God the whole Evangelicall com­manded worship of God, and all Christian Religion: By the power of the sound of that word, all men are commanded to the Evangelicall worship of that day. The light of the sound of the Lords day, doth necessarily imply the light, and life, [Page 217] of the whole word and law of God, the whole Evangelicall commanded wor­ship of God and all Christian Religion. By the power therefore of the light of the sound of the word of the Lords day, all men are commanded to the Evange­call worship of the Lords day.

9. Without the only blessing of the sound of the word of which day, there is no object for Christian faith: By the immediate power of that dayes blessing, all men are commanded to the Evangelicall worship of that day. Without the only blessing of the sound of the word of the Lords day, there is no object for Christian faith. By the immediate power therefore of the Lords dayes blessing, all men are commanded to the Evangelicall worship of the Lords day.

10. Without the immediate power of the light and command of which day, no man can either know, or give obedience to any precept of the Evangelicall morall law of faith, That is the necessary seventh day of the Evangelicall law of faith (by the Lords immediate word of his new Covenant) oblieging and command­ing all the Nations of the world to the Evangelicall worship of that day. With­out the immediate power of light and command of the Lords day, blessed and san­ctified by his Evangelicall rest, no man can either know or give obedience to any precept of the Evangelical moral law of faith. The Lords day therefore, is the ne­cessary seventh day of the Evangelical law of faith (by the Lords immediate word of his new covenant) oblieging and commanding all the Nations of the world to the Evangelicall worship of the Lords day.

11. To the faithful worship of which day only, the blessing of the merit of the Lords Evangelicall 7^th dayes rest, is due by the law, for the fulfilling of the whole Evangelicall law of faith. All the Nations of the world (by the Lords immediate word of his new covenant) are oblieged and commanded, to the Evangelicall worship of that day. To the onely faithfull worship of the Lords day, the blessing of the merit of the Lords seventh dayes Evangelicall rest is due by the Law for the fulfilling of the whole evangelicall law. All the Nations of the world therefore (by the Lords immediate word of his new covenant) are obliged and comman­ded to the evangelicall worship of the Lords day.

12. By the faithfull of which day, the whole evangelicall law of faith is ful­filled, that dayes worship is commanded by the power of the word of the seventh day of the evangelicall law of faith. By the faithfull worship of the Lords day (by faith in the Lords merit) the whole evanglicall law is fulfilled. The Lords dayes worship therefore is commanded by the power of the word of the seventh day of the evangelicall law of faith.

13. By that day whereby the Lord by his resurrection from the grave (victo­riously triumphing over sin, Satan, hell, the curse of the law, and the power of the grave) did clearly manifest himselfe powe, life, and light it selfe; and in that [Page 218] power, life and light, Truth, by his fulfilling of his promise of the blessed seed: and in that truth, love and mercy to man, and in that truth, love and mercy, Lord God, and man, in the three coessentiall distinct persons of the glorious Trinity: All the Nations of the world, by the Lords immediate word of his new cove­nant, are oblieged and commanded to the Evangelicall worship of that day. By the Lords day (the day of the Lords resurrection from the grave) the Lord (vi­ctoriously triumphing over sinne, Satan, hell, the curse of the law, and the power of the grave) did clearly manifest himselfe, power, life, and light it selfe; and in that power, life and light (Truth) by his fulfilling of his promise of the blessed seed, and in that truth, love, and mercy. Lord God and man, in the three coessen­tiall distinct persons, of the glorious Trinity. All the Nations of the world therefore (by the Lords immediate word of his new covenant) are oblieged and commanded to the evangelicall worship of the Lords day.

14. By the truth of the Lords merit, by which dayes evangelicall rest (neces­sarily implying his bloody rest) all the Prophesies, prophesying of the comming of the blessed seed, and all the Altars, sacrifices, types, figures and ceremonies, prefigurating his death from the foundation of the world are actually determi­ned: All the Nations of the world (by the Lords immediate word of his new covenant) are obliged and commanded to the evangelicall worship of that day. By the truth of the Lords merit, by the Lords dayes Evangelicall rest (necessarily implying his bloody rest) all the Prophesies, prophesying the comming of the blessed seed, and all the Altars, sacrifices, types, figures, and ceremonies, prefi­gurating his death, from the foundation of the world, are actually determined: All the Nations of the world therefore (by the Lords immediate word of his new Covenant) are obliged and commanded to the Evangelicall worship of the Lords day.

15. By the truth of the Lords resurrection from the dead, upon which day, all men condemned by the curse of the law to eternall death, for the sin of Adam, are raised, and reconciled to the love and favour of God for that sinne: All the Nati­ons of the world, are obliged to the joyfull worship of that blessed day. By the truth of the Lords ressurection from the dead upon the Lords day, all men con­demned by the curse of the law to eternall death for the sinne of Adam, are raised and reconciled to the love and favour of God for that sinne. All the Nations of the world therefore are obliged to the joyfull worship of the Lords blessed day.

16. That day which the Lord rested from the fulfilling of the law, that day was blessed, sanctified and commanded, by the power of the Lords merit of eter­nall life due by the law to the Lords fulfilling of the law. The Lord rested his owne day, from the fulfilling of the law: The Lords day therefore, was blessed, [Page 219] sanctified and commanded, by the power of the Lords merit of eternall life, due by the law to the Lords fulfilling of the law.

17. By the Evangelicall sound of the word of which day, all Jewes and Gen­tiles were called and united in one Church of God by the new covenant: All the Nations of the world are obliged to the joyfull jubilizing and worship of that blessed day. By the Evangelicall sound of the word of the Lords day all Jewes and Gentiles were called and united in one Church of God by the new covenant. All the Nations of the world therefore are obliged to the joyfull jubilizing and worship of the Lords blessed day.

18. Without the knowledge of which day, no man can know that he is a sin­ner against the Evangelicall law of faith, or that, he standeth in need of the Lords merit to save him from the curse of the Evangelicall law. That day commands all men to the Evangelicall worship of that day, and in that day to the obedience of the whole Evangelicall law. Without the knowledge of the Lords day, no man can know that he is a sinner, against the Evangelicall law, or that he stands in need of the Lords merit to save him from the curse of the Evangelicall law of faith. The Lords day therefore, commands all men to the Evangelicall worship of the Lords day.

19. By the only literall light of the sound of the word of which day, all the Nations of the world are literally led to the blessing of the Lords merit by his Evangelicall rest: By the power of that word, all the nations of the world are commanded to the Evangelicall worship of that day: By the only literall light of the sound of the word of the Lords day, all the nations of the world are literal­ly led to the blessing of the Lords merit, by his Evangelicall rest. By the power therefore of the word of the Lords day, all the nations of the world are comman­ded to the Evangelicall worship of the Lords day.

20. By the only command of which day, (necessarily implying the command of the whole Evangelicall law) the heart of the naturall man is moved to give morall obedience to the command of the Evangelicall law; that day commands all men to the Evangelicall worship of that day, and in that day, the obedience of man to the whole Evangelicall law. By the only command of the Lords day (ne­necessarily implying the command of the whole Evangelicall law,) the heart of the naturall man, is moved to give morall obedience to the command of the evan­gelicall law. The Lords day therefore commands all men to the evangelicall wor­ship of the Lords day, and in the Lords day the obedience of man to the command of the whole evangelicall law.

21. With the standing or falling of which day, the blessing of the Lords merit, and the whole evangelicall law of faith, doth necessarily stand or fall: That is, the decreed seventh day of the evangelicall law (by the Lords immediate word of his [Page 220] new covenant) obliging and cōmanding all the nations of the world to the evan­gelicall worship of that day. With the standing or falling of the Lords day, the Lords merit, and the whole evangelicall law doth necessarily stand or fall. The Lords day therefore is the decreed seventh day of the evanglicall law, (by the Lords immediate word of his new covenant) obliging and commanding all the nations of the world to his evangelicall worship of the Lords day.

22. Whom the Lord Jesus Christ, by his immediate word, did command to preach and teach the Evangelicall blessing of his merit, whereby the Lords day is blessed and sanctified; them the Lord Jesus Christ (by his immediate word) did command the Evangelicall worship of the day, to which the blessing of his me­rit is only due. The Lord Jesus Christ, by his immediate Word, did command the Apostles to preach and teach, to all the nations of the world the Evangelicall bles­sing of his merit, whereby the Lords day is blessed and sanctified. The Lord Jesus Christ therefore, by his immediate word, did command the Apostles to teach and preach the Evangelicall worship of the Lords day, to which the evangelicall bles­sing of his merit is only due. And now to conclude, lest I weary my Reader.

23. That day of dayes; that decreed day (sealed by the precious blood of the immaculate Lambe) which no power, time, or day, can determine, but the second coming of the eternall day, when the mysticall members of Christ Jesus, shall rest in their head, crowned with an incorruptible crown of glory in the heauen of hea­vens eternally; that is, the true evangelicall seventh day of the law of faith by the new covenant, obliging and commanding all the nations of the world, to the joy­full jubelizing of that blessed day. The Lords day, that decreed day, (sealed with the Lords precious blood) no power, day, or time, can determine, but the second coming of the Lord, (the eternall day) when his mysticall members shall rest in him their head, crowned with an incorruptible crown of glory in the heaven of heavens eternally. The Lords day therefore is the true evangelicall seventh day of the law of faith, by the new covenant, obliging and commanding all the nations of the world, to the joyfull jubelizing of the Lords day.

Thus by the only and immediate assisting grace of the Lord of the Lords day, (without the aid or help of any mortall man) have we finished these three books of the Theologicall key, by manifesting of the revealed truth of his sacred day, so long darkned and obscured, by the darknesse of the miserable age. And now for a full conclusion of this Tractate (according to our pomise in the second Chapter of the second book) the pretended absolute decree, (whereby the hearts of so ma­ny Christians hath been from time to time distracted) shall be examined, with other opinions in the like kinde, concerning the sacred decree of Predestination, (which for the Readers better satisfaction) shall be demonstratively resolved, from the lowest and last effect, in the supreme and first cause, as the eternall word, [Page 221] from the beginning hath execute the same by his first three covenants made with man, as they are set down in the sacred written Word.

CHAP. I.
The Pelagian and semipelagian opinions, concerning the sacred Decree of Predestination.

COncerning the sacred Decree of Predestination, there be four se­verall opinions set down by the Authors: The first is, the Pela­gian and semipelagian opinion, which in substance and effect, are both one: For, by both, the grace to fulfill the law of God, is ascribed to the freedome of mans own election; though by the semipelagian opinion, the grace is parted between God and man. Both the opinions are pretended to be grounded upon a fundamentall The­ologicall principle; which principle is set down in the first Chapter of the first book of the Theologicall key, which is in this manner: As God doth command the action of his intellectuall creature man, as well upon the eternall curse of the law; as upon the blessing of the seventh dayes rest: So God in his justice, by his covenant, is obliged to enable man to the performing of the command of his law, and man being the free intellectuall creature of God, it is affirmed, that it is in the freedome of mans own election, to fulfill or transgresse the Law of God: And that God (out of his eternall prescience of mans fulfilling or transgressing of the law) hath decreed accordingly the election or condemnation of man; so that the suspending, or not suspending of the sacred decree of Predestination, (by these opinions) must stand at the beck of the creature. The only truth of these two opi­nions is, that the will of man is not necessitate, by Gods eternall decree, to trans­gresse the law. Now, because the untruth of these two opinions, hath been from age to age condemned; as contradictory to the sacred Word of God: my purpose is not to do an act done; but to declare the grosse error in the mistake of the fun­damentall principle, whereon the opinio [...]s are pretended to be grounded. It is most certain, that God in his justice doth oblige himself to man by his covenant, to enable man to the fulfilling of the command of his law. But, by the favour of [Page 222] the authors and maintainers of these opinions, the state of man must be con­sidered, wherein God doth oblige himselfe to man, by his severall Covenant; in which sense, this principle is to be conceived, and not simply. It is with­out all doubt, that God by his first Covenant made with man in Adam, crea­ted in the state of naturall and spirituall perfection, did oblige himselfe to A­dam, to enable Adam in the state of perfection, wherein he was created, by the eternall blessing of his first seventh daies rest. But God did mutually ob­lige Adam to merit that blessing, by the eternall perfection of his obedience to the command of his law, obliging Adam likewise to the eternall curse of his law, upon Adams disobedience, whose obedience or disobedience (by the first Covenant) was left to the freedome of his owne election, to stand or fall, at his pleasure or perill, for the freedome of Adams election wherein he was created, was such, as no increated or created power could necessi­tate Adams will to fall, and yet Gods eternall decree, was not suspendible by Adam, as hath beene formerly and necessarily concluded: to which I must referre the Reader.

So it is likewise most certaine, that God hath entered his new Covenant, with man, in the redeemed state of man from the curse of eternall darknesse, and from eternall death by that darknesse, (to which all men were condem­ned) shut up in temporall spirituall darknesse, till the naturall man be regene­rate, whereby man (as he is a naturall man,) is enabled to give morall obedi­ence to his calling, by the new Covenant, without any manner of necessita­ting the will of man, either naturally or morally to disobedience. It is like­wise most certaine, that God hath obliged himselfe, by his new Covenant, to the actuall continuation of the redeemed naturall and morall grace of man, for all the day of this life, upon the continuation of mans morall obedi­ence; till Gods prefixed time of spirituall calling, to whose finall, perseve­rance, in his morall obedience, the spirituall grace of faith is then due to the naturall man, by the new Covenant. And therefore the Evangel is said to be, the power of God to salvation from faith to faith, that is from the grace of morall faith, to the grace of spirituall faith.

But the maintainers of these two opinion [...] must understand, that God (by his new Covenant) hath likewise re [...]liged man, to the finall continuation of his morall obedience upon the mercylesse curse of the law of faith as well as upon the e [...]ernall blessing of the law, by his Evangelicall seventh daies rest. Now though neither S [...]tan, or his inst [...]uments can necessitate the will of man to morall disobedience, yet the naturall man (having no spirituall grace till he be regenerate,) the naturall man is easily en [...]uced by Satan, to the morall finall contempt of the law of God; without Gods speciall objective [Page 223] concursive grace, to which God is no waies obliged: who (in this case) will shew mercy on whom he will shew mercy. And therefore the finall per­severance of the naaturall man, and his spirituall calling is the immediate, free gift of God, and no waies in the freedome of man election. And this twofold grace, in the Scripture, is called the first and latter raine, which is from God immediatly. And therefore to conclude this point; the judicious Reader, may plainly perceive the grosse mistake, of the Theologicall Princi­ple, whereon the two first opinions are grounded, which are flat repugnant to the twofold Theologicall Canon set downe in the tenth Chapter of the third book of the Theologicall Key, and consequently to the whole written word of God.

CHAP. II.
The absolute decree subverted.

THe third opinion, concerning the sacreed decree of predestination, is, the fearefull absolute respectivelesse decree; which, according to the authors and maintainers, is set downe after this manner. God, out of his alone inscrutable will and pleasure, (to be adored by man) by his decree of predestination, without all respect to the creation, fall, and redemption of man, and without all subordinate respect whatsoever, did decree from all eternity, to elect a certaine number of men to eternall salvation, and to con­demne a certaine number of men, (to wit) the rest of the world to the eter­nall torments of hell. And because nothing can come to passe, which must not fall under this irresistible decree; therefore it is peremptorily affirmed, that by this decree, Adams will was necessitate, to fall under the eternall curse of the law, and in Adam, all men created in Adam.

But we must likewise conceive by this opinion, that though by this neces­sitating o the will of Adam, Adam was irresistibly necessitate to fall under the eternall curse of the law; yet Adam as he was man, did likewise freely fall; and this falling of man, implying his creation, is called (by the Authors and maintainers of this opinion) the execution of his decree: of whom, if we doe aske the efficient cause of the fall of man; it is answered, that it was the willing yeelding of man to Satans temptation, but necessitate by this absolute irresistible decree.

Now, because the impossibility of the necessitating of Adams will, to fall under the fearefull eternall curse of the law, by any act or decree of God whatsoever, hath beene formally necessarily, and demonstratively conclu­ded, in the second Chapter of the second booke of this tract [...], [...] contra­dictory, [Page 224] to the written word and truth of God; I must therefore, without reiterating thereof, thither remit the Christian Reader. Next therefore, it doth rest that this absolute decree be examined; which wee will doe, by looking thereon with the light of the truth of the sacred word, that the Reader may see whether or not there was any such irresistible power in this decree, to necessitate Adams will, to such as fearefull fall, being created in the state of such spirituall perfection, as was equall to the perfection of the command of the law, whereby he was oblieged; though it was in the free­dome of his election, by the first Covenant, to stand or fall, at his pleasure or perill.

First therefore, I say, and doe boldly and perempto [...]ily affirme, that it doth transcend the power of the understanding of all the intellectuall creatures of God, as farre as the absolute decree doth transcend all manner of respect, to conceive what manner of God this should be, who should decree such a cruell decree: or to conceive the man, who is pretended to be condemned, by this decree, to the eternall torments of hell, (which is the eternall curse of the law of God) without respect to the merit of man, by transgressing of the law. Or to conceive that any man can be elected, out of the alone free pleasure of God, without respect to his mercy to man in his Son Christ Je­sus, by fulfilling of the law of faith. By the conceiving of God therefore by this opinion: First, God must be conceived, without respect to God as he is God, of the law of righteousnesse; and secondly and cons [...]quently, without respect to his justice. For, by this opinion man is condemned, out of the alone pleasure of God, without respect to the merit of man. Thirdly, God must be conceived (by this opinion) without respect to his attribute of Crea­tor, for such respect is subordinate to this absolute decree. Fourthly, God must be conceived without respect to his word: and fiftly and consequently without respect to his law. Sixtly, (by this opinion) God must be concei­ved without respect to the creation of man, to his owne Image, as God (from all eternity) decreed to create man, whereby man was to be enabled to fulfill the law, whereby he was to be obliged by Covenant. Seventhly, (by this opinion) God must be conceived without respect to his Covenant, whereby he did decree (from all eternity) to oblige both himselfe and man. Eightly, (by this opinion) God must b [...] conceived, without respect to his omniprescience, in his foreseeing of the inevitable f [...]ll of man, under the eternall curse of the law. Ninthly, ( [...]y this opinion) God must be concei­ved without respect to the redemption of man from the curse of the Law, decreed by God from all eternity. Tenthly, (by this opinion) God must bee conceived to elect man out of his alone pleasure, without respect to the re­deemed [Page 225] state of man, from the curse of the law by the sacred bloud of the Sonne of God, which (in the order of caus [...]) is the immediate object of his election. Ele­venthly, man (by this decree) must be conceived without respect to his creation, or to his merit by his fall, or to his redemption by the blood of Christ Iesus. Twelfth­ly, (by this opinion) man must be conceived to be elected, without respect to the love and mercy of God to man in his Sonne Christ Iesus: and to be condemned by the eternall curse of the law, without respect to his merit by any transgression of the law: All which respects are subordinate to this absolute decree, which the decree doth transcend; for it is out of the alone pleasure of God, summounting all such subordinate respect. And so much for my first affirmation.

Secondly, I doe boldly and peremptorily affirme that man is to conceive and apprehend God only, as he hath revealed himselfe to man by his sacred word and covenants, established upon his severall seven dayes rest, and not to prye saucily in the secret counsell of God, and to imagine such a fictious opinion, contrary to his word and truth, and to obtrude the same to man for his sacred truth; for by this opinion, all the promises of salvation, offered to all the Nations of the world (by a world of frivolous distinctions) are made onely to the elect: and conse­quently this absolute decree, is absolutely repugnant to the truth of the sacred word of God. What is regestred in the sacred word of God, wee may boldly conclude to bee decreed by God from all eternity; but we must not imagine a decree to be decreed by God to constraine us to wrest the Scripture to maintaine the credit of any such imaginary opinion of man.

Thirdly, I doe boldly and peremptorily affirme, that the very tearmes, where­by the authors and maintainers, doe expresse this pretended absolute decree, doth necessarily imply, all the respects formally set downe by us: For first, in the na­ming of God, we necessarily name God, as God hath revealed himselfe to man; which was first, God of the law of righteousnesse Creator, by his word of the first seventh dayes rest. Secondly, God of the law of righteousnesse of faith, in the promise of the blessed seed, by the word of his Sabbaticall seventh dayes rest, whereby God did manifest himselfe to man, God, in the three coessentiall distinct persons of the Trinity, Creator and Redeemer of man; first Prophetically by the wo [...]d the Propheticall seventh day of the law, then by the name of the Sab­bath of the Lord: And now Evangelically by the word of the Lords day, the se­venth day of the Evangelicall law of righteousnesse of faith. Secondly, by the word of election (which is onely in the Lord Iesus Christ the eternall Sonne of God, God equall with the Father and holy Spirit) the creation of man (in the state of perfection) the obliging of man to the first covenant, the fall of man un­der the eternall curse of the law, and the redemption of man from the curse is ne­cessarily implyed. Thirdly, by the condemnation of man (out of the alone plea­sure [Page 226] of God) to the eternall torments of hell (which is the curse of the law) both the merit of man by the transgression of the law, and the justice of God by con­demning of man are necessarily implyed. So that this absolute pretended decree, which the Authors doe obtrude to us, as free from all respect (by the very tearms whereby they doe expresse their imaginary decree) is charged, with all manner of respect subordinate to God: and consequently there is a flat contradiction between the furmised opinion, and the tearmes whereby the opinion is expressed. The absolute decree therefore being repugnant to the literall light and truth of the word of the Lords day (the seventh day of the Evangelicall law of faith ne­cessarily implying the literall light of all the severall word of the seventh dayes rest from the foundation of the world.) The absolute decree (according to our twofold Theologicall Canon, set downe in the tenth Chap. of the second book of our Theologicall key) is a false and adulterous tenent of faith arising from the spi­rit of error. This error doth proceed from the confounding of the immanent and transeant act of God, which must no wayes be confounded: for the immanent act of God (being God himselfe essentially) is only absolute, necessary, infinite, and incomprehensible by the act of any created understanding. And his transe­ant act is only free; which as it is transeant and terminate to man, it is onely by his word, which is his law to man, the image of his eternall life and light of righ­teousnesse, necessarily implying the naturall life and light of the word: for by the onely power of the word written in the heart of man, man is inabled to under­stand God by the word of the seventh day of the law, as God hath revealed him­selfe to man by his severall seventh dayes rest from the beginning. Now the sur­mised decree being absolute, and without all subordinate respect, it is pretended to be the immanent act of God; but because the immanent act of God is infinite: The maintainers of the absolute decree, are constrained to expresse their imagi­nary opinion by the tearmes of the transeant act of God, which is by his word; for the salvation and damnation of man, is the twofold reward of the word and law of God; to wit, the blessing and curse of the law. Fourthly and lastly, by the salvation of man (out of the alone pleasure of God) without respect to the Lord Jesus Christ; the alone pleasure of God doth intervene between the faith of man and the Lords merit; whereby the faith of man is overthrown, and by the damnati­on of man (out of the alone pleasure of God) without respect to the merit of man, the alone pleasure of God by the condemning of man doth intervene between the merit of man (by the transgression of the law) and the law; whereby the justice of God is overthrowne. Now though the fearefull unworthinesse of this miserable opinion, doth not merit the refutation thereof, by any Theologicall penne: yet for the Readers satisfaction, I thus demonstrate, that such a pretended absolute de­cree never was, or could be decreed by God.

[Page 227]1. That absolute decree, whereby God is affirmed to elect and condemne man (out of his alone pleasure) without all respect to God, as he is God of the law of righteousnesse: That decree never was or could be decreed by God. By this absolute decree, God is affirmed to elect and condemne man (out of his alone pleasure) without all respect to God, as he is God of the law of righteousnesse. This absolute pretended decree therefore, never was or could be decreed by God.

2. That pretended absolute decree, whereby God is affirmed (out of his alone pleasure) to elect and condemne man, without all respect to his subordinate word, as his word is his law to man: That decree never was, or could be decreed by God. By this absolute pretended decree, God is affirmed (out of his alone pleasure) to elect and condemne man without respect to his subordinate word as his word is his law to man. This absolute pretended decree therefore, never was or could be decreed by God.

3. That absolute pretended decree, whereby God is affirmed (out of his alone pleasure) to elect man to salvation, without all subordinate respect of his love and mercy to man in his Sonne Christ Jesus, that decreee never was or could bee de­creed by God. By this pretended decree, God is affirmed (out of his alone plea­sure) to elect man to salvation, without all subordinate respect of his love and mercy to man in his Sonne Christ Iesus. This pretended absolute decree there­fore, never was or could be concluded by God.

4. That pretended miserable absolute degree, whereby God (out of his alone pleasure) is affirmed to condemne man to the eternall curse of the law, without any subordinate respect to the merit of man by transgressing of his law: That miserable decree never was or could be decreed by God. By this miserable pre­tended absolute decree, God is affirmed to condemne man to the eternal curse of the law (out of Gods alone pleasure) without all subordinate respect to the me­rit of man by transgressing of the law. This miserable absolute pretended decree therefore never was or could be decreed by God.

5. That pretended miserable absolute decree, which is repugnant to his su­ordinate justice by his law of righteousnesse, whereby he decreed from all eter­nity to oblige both himselfe and man. That miserable decree never was or could be decreed by God. This miserable pretended absolute decree, is repugnant to Gods subordinate justice, by his law of righteousnesse, whereby he decreed from all eternity to oblige both himselfe and man. This miserable pretended decree therefore never was, or could be decreed by God.

6. That miserable absolute pretended decree, whereby it is affirmed, that the will of man in his state of perfection, was necessitate to fall under the fearefull eternall curse of the law contrary to Gods obliging of himselfe, by his first cove­nant to man. That miserable absolute decree, never was, or could decreed by [Page 228] God. By this miserable pretended decree, Adams will in his state of perfection, is affirmed to be necessitate, to fall under the fearfull eternall curse of the law, con­trary to Gods obliging of himself to man by his first covenant.

This miserable pretended decree therefore, &c.

7. That miserable pretended decree, whereby it is affirmed, that the elect only are redeemed from the curse of the law, for the sin of Adam, by the sacred blood of the Lord of life, and not all men, naturally descended, and to descend of Adam; that decree never was, or could be decreed by God. By the maintainers of the absolute decree, it is absolutely affirmed, that the elect only, and not all men natu­rally descended and to descend of Adam, are redeemed from the curse of the law for the sin of Adam, by the sacred blood of the Lord of life.

This absolute miserablee decree therefore, &c.

8. That miserable absolute pretended decree, whereby all the gracious promi­ses to salvation (made by the new covenant, to all the nations of the world) are restrained to the elect only; that miserable distracting absolute decree, never was, or could be decreed by God. By this miserable pretended distracting absolute de­cree, all the gracious promises of salvation (made by the new covenant to all the nations of the world) are restrained to the elect only. This miserable distracting absolute pretended decree therefore, never was, or could be decreed by God.

9. That absolute pretended opinion, which is transcendent and repugnant to the joyfull light of the Evangelicall seventh dayes rest, necessarily implying his blody rest: That decree never was, or could be decreed by God. This absolute pretended decree, is transcendent, and repugnant to all such subordinate, joyfull gracious light. This miserable pretended transcendent absolute decree therefore, never was, or could be decreed by God.

10. By that miserable distracting opinion, whereby the alone pleasure of God doth necessarily interveen between the subordinate respect of the faith of man, and the merit of Christ Jesus, by his Evangelicall seventh dayes rest; that misera­ble decree, never was, or could be decreed by God. By this miserable distracting opinion, of the absolute pretended decree, the alone pleasure of God, doth necessa­rily interveen between the subordinate respect of the faith of man, and the me­rit of Christ Jesus, by his Evangelicall seventh dayes rest; this miserable opini­on therefore by this absolute pretended decree, never was, or could be de­creed by God.

11. By that miserable distracting pretended absolute decree, whereby the ab­solute alone pleasure of God is affirmed to interveen and come between the me­rit of man, by the transgression of the law, and condemnation of man, by God, to the eternall torments of hell, such a miserable pretended distracting abs [...]lute de­cree, never was, or could be decreed by God. By this miserable distracting abso­lute [Page 229] pretended decree, the absolute alone pleasure of God, doth interveen and come between the merit of man, and the transgression of the law. Such a miserable distracting pretended decree therefore, never was, or could be decreed by God. And so much for the third opinion concerning the sacred decree of predestination.

CHAP. III.
The fourth assertion concerning the sacred decree of Predestination.

BEcause the fourth assertion concerning the sacred decree of predestination is so much oppugned by the maintainers of the absolute decree: The fourth as­sertion thererefore, shall be set down, as I finde it set down by the oppugners of the assertion, which is in this manner:

God in his eternall purpose, hath decreed from all eternity, to offer his graci­ous promises of salvation, in his Son, Christ Jesus, lost in Adam, in the state of corruption, of which corrupted estate, God hath decreed from all eternity, to elect a certain number, by predestinating them, to be glorified with his Son Christ Jesus, and to relinquish the rest in their state of corruption; who, because they do wil­fulfully contemn the grace so freely offered; God therefore hath most justly de­creed to condemn them.

This assertion I do affirm, (by receiving of a safe instruction) to be the true ef­fect of the sacred decree of predestination, as the decree is execute, by the eternall word immediatly, by his severall covenants made with man, established upon his immediate severall seven dayes rest, which is the reason, that this opinion is so distastfull to the maintainers of the absolute decree, being so repugnant, to such false adulterous light; for this assertion doth necessarily imply all the respects which are denied by the absolute decree: First, by this assertion (contrary to the absolute decree) Gods free purpose of the election of man, is with respect of his love and mercy to man, in his Son, Christ Jesus. Secondly, (contradictory to the absolute decree) Gods condemnation of man, is with respect to the finall con­tempt of man, by his contenming of the gracious promises of salvation, so freely offered by the new covenant. Thirdly, (contradictory to the absolute decree) by this assertion, Gods free election in his Son Christ Jesus is affirmed to be with respect to the object of his election, which (in the order of cause) is the state cal­led by them, the state of corruption, to wit, the state of man freed from the curse of the law for the sin of Adam, shut up in spirituall darknesse. By which estate of m [...], (man being deprived of spirituall action) because the best morall action of the nat [...]ll man, before he be regenerate, must be actuall spirituall unbeliefe and sin; therefore the action of man, in this redeemed esta [...]e, is said to be corrup­ted, by reason whereof this estate of man, is commonly called the state of corrup­tion, [Page 230] which estate doth necessarily imply: First the creation of man in his state of perfection: Secondly, his obliging to the first covenant: Thirdly, the fall of man under the curse of the law by the first covenant: Fourthly, the redemption of man from the curse of the law for the sin of Adam, shut up in spirituall tempo­rall darknesse, called unbeliefe, and originall sin. Fourthly, (contradictory to the absolute decree) this assertion is with respect to the naturall and morall freedome of the action of the naturall man by the immediate act of the redemp­tion, without any manner of necessitating of the naturall or morall act of man, by any decree of God: For by affirming that the gracious promises offered by the new covenant, are wilfully contemned by man; this redeemed freedome of na­turall and morall action of the naturall man, is necessarily implied. Fifthly, (con­tradictory to the absolute decree) this assertion is first with respect to the subor­dinate obliging of man to the law of righteousnesse by the first covenant; neces­sarily implied in the corrupted estate of man, named by the authors of the last as­sertion: Secondly, the assertion is with respect to the new covenant; for the Evan­gelicall promises of salvation, are offered by the new covenant. Sixthly, (con­tradictory to the absolute furmised decree) by this assertion, Adams will is not affirmed to be necessitate to fall under the fearfull curse of the law, by any actor decree of God. Seventhly (contradictory to the opinion of the maintainers of the absolute decree) the gracious promises of salvation, are affirmed to be made to all the nations of the world. Eighthly (contradictory to the opinion of the maintainers of the absolute decree) the redemption of all men from the curse of the law for the sin of Adam, is necessarily implied in this assertion. Ninthly, this assertion, (ontradictory to the absolute decree) is consonant to the literall light of the Lord dayes Evangelicall rest, necessarily implying the literall light of his bloody sabbaticall seventh dayes rest; and consequently the literall light of all the seventh dayes rest of the eternall word from the foundation of the world up­on which severall seven dayes rests, all the severall covenants made by God with man, are imediatly established; as hath been faithfully delivered throughout this whole Tractate, whereby the whole exercite act of the sacred decree of predesti­nation is execute by the eternall Word imediatly.

To the end therefore that the judicious Reader may conceive, that this asserti­on, (by receiving of this safe construction) is consonant with the exercit act of the sacred decree, by the severall covenants made by God with man. The covenants shall be resolved by demonstrative resolution from the last effect in the supreme cause, for a full conclusion of this whole Tractate.

CHAP. IV.
The demonstrative resolution of the sacred decree of eternall predestination from the last effect of the covenants of God made with man in the supreme indemonstrable cause.

THe first three covenants made by God with man, are only the execution (or to use the school phrase) the exercit act of the eternall decree of predesti­nation, so far as is revealed thereof to man in this life, by the truth of the sacred word. Which three severall formall Covenants, are established betweene God and man, upon the immediate command of the word of the seventh day of the law of God (implying the command of the whole law) obliging the obedience of man to his law, as God hath revealed himselfe to man, by his severall formall seventh daies rest. The first Covenant is established, upon the immediate command of the word of the first seventh day of the law: whereby God by his first seventh daies rest, from the works of the creation did manifest himselfe externally by his word to Adam) Creator of heaven and earth, of man, and of the creatures created for man. As by the lively word of the law, written in Adams heart, God did reveale himselfe internal­ly to Adam, God of the law of righteousnes. By which lively word (in A­dams heart) Adam was enabled to fulfill the command of the law, implied in the first seventh day, by fulfilling whereof, Adam was to merit, the conti­nuation of the perfection of his created estate and felicity, eternally upon earth. But Adam and all men created in Adam (naturally to discend of A­dam) by his disobedience (deceived by the trechery of Satan) was condem­ned by the first Covenant, to the curse of the law by eternall death and darknesse. Vpon Gods eternall prescience, of which fearfull fall of man (by Satans malicious trechery) God (out of his infinit love and mercy to man in his Son Christ Jesus) did decree from eternity to revenge the blood of man, upon Satan, by man the only son of his love, who according to his e­ternall decree, made his second Covenant with man, in the promise of the blessed seed: which Covenant (called the old Covenant) is established upon the word of the second seventh daies promised rest, then by the name, of the Sabbath of the Lord, obliging Adam (and all men naturally to descend of Adam) to beleeve the Lords promised rest of the blessed seed, who did covenant to rest upon the Sabbath from the redemption of man, from the curse of the law, for the sinne of Adam.

By the third seventh daies rest (which is the Lords daies rest) the Lord, by his resurrection from the dead, did rest from the fulfilling of his promise of [Page 232] the blessed seed; upon the immediate command of which seventh day (to wit the Lord day.) The new Covenant is established betweene God and man, obliging all men, to beleeve the fulfilling of the Lords promise by his Evangelicall seventh daies rest, to whose faith, the [...]l [...]ssing of the Lords infi­nit me [...]it, by his Evangelicall seventh daies rest, is due by the new Covenant. The old and new Covenant therefore being really one, the one containing the gracious promise of the blessed seed, the other the fulfilling of the pro­mise, by the resolution of the new Covenant both are resolved, in this demon­strative resolution, therefore the first and new Covenant are resolved: For the Readers better conceiving of this resolution: First, both the first and new Covenant are to be resolved, first as both the Covenants are referred to God, and next as they are referred to man.

Secondly, it is to be observed, that all the mediate effects arising from the Covenants, as they are effects produced by the next immediate superior cause. So the same effects, are the immediate causes of the next immediate subordi­nate effect: All except the supreame indemonstrable cause of all: And ex­cept the immediate cause of Adams and Eves fal, which have no positive in­fluence, from the decree of God; though God did decree from all eternity, to permit the fall of both (for God did Covenant with man, to leave Adam, to the freedome of his own election to stand or fall at his pleasure and perill.) So that all the mediate causes and effects of the decree, are like so many linkes of a chaine, linkt one into another; all depending from the supreme cause of all: for as they doe all proceed from the supreme cause, so they doe all re­turne to the same supreame indemonstrable cause. So that if a man be dispo­sed, to set out the decree in a table, the two linkes of the chain (where Satan doth deceive Eve by the Serpent, and Eve doth induce Adam to fall) must not be linct one into another, but must contiguously depend after such a form in a Table which the Author did intend if he had lived.

Thirdly, it is to be observed, that God by obliging both of himselfe and man, upon the word of the seventh day of his Law: God and man (by his law) are linkt and (as it were) chained and bound one to another. God doth binde himselfe to man, to the eternall continuation of the blessing of his seventh dayes rest, and man to the eternall continuation of his obedience to the command of his law, and to the eternall curse of the law upon his disobedience: which mutuall bond is the maine ground, from whence all the mediate cause & effects of the Coven [...]ts do arise to the supream cause, both as the Covenants are referred to God, and as they are referred to man.

The fourth thing to be observed in this demonstrative [...]solution, is, that i [...] our ascending from the Covenants with the resolut [...] when we [...] come [Page 233] to the third mediate cause, in both the Covenants as they are referred to God; we must stop from ascending with our resolution, till by resolving of the Covenants, as they are referred to man, wee meet with the like collate­rall causes, which will be in all, foure in number. And then we ascend from these foure causes, (as they are effects produced by one and the same next and immediate superiour cause) till we come to the supreame indemon­strable case of all. To begin therefore with the first Covenant.

First, as the Covenant is referred to God, and next as the first Covenant is referred to man. God by his first Covenant, doth first oblige himselfe to Adam, (and to all men created in Adam naturally to descend of Adam) to the eternall continuation, of the naturall and spirituall perfecti­on of man, and the felicity wherein he was created, by the blessing of his first seveth dayes rest. Secondly, God by his first Covenant doth mutually reoblige Adam (and all men naturally to descend of Adam) to the eternall continuation of the perfection of Adams obedience to the command of his law, both upon the eternall blessing, of his first seventh dayes rest, to Adams obedience; and upon the eternall curse of the law, to Adams disobedience. From this reobliging of man by God to his Covenant, the word Religion doth take the name, implying the whole obedience of man to the law of God. To come therefore to the resolution of the first Covenant, first, as the Covenant is referred to God. The last and lowest effect, of the first Cove­nant, as the Covenant is referred to God, is Gods obliging of man to the obedience of the command of his law, upon the eternall blessing, of his first seventh dayes rest, and upon the eternall curse of the law by the first Cove­nant. The immediate cause of this obliging of Adam by God, in his state of perfection, was. Gods eternall purpose, to manifest himselfe to man, in his attribute of justice, by rendring the reward of the law, according to the merit of man. The immediate cause whereof, was Gods enabling of Adam, with such naturall and spirituall perfection; as was equall to the perfection of the command of the law, whereby Adam was enabled to merit the con­tinuation of the perfection, and felicity wherein he was created, eternally upon earth; whose standing or falling, was left to the freedome of Adams election, by the first Covenant.

The immediate cause of Gods thus enabling of Adam, was the perfection of Adams creation; we must stop our resolution at this cause, till we have the like collaterall cause, arising from the first Covenant as it is referred to man.

The first Covenant, as it is reffered to man, must be resolved, both as the first Covenant was fulfilled by Adam, while Adam stood in the state of per­fection, and likewise as the first Covenant was broke and transgressed by [Page 234] man. The last and lowest effect of Adam, as hee was obliged by the first Covenant, (while Adam stood in his state of perfection) was his perfect worship of the first seventh day; for, in the fulfilling of the seventh day, the whole law was fulfilled by Adam: by fulfilling whereof, Adams faith, and the eternall blessing of the first seventh dayes rest, were actually (but not eternally) united: for the continuation of the blessing of the first seventh dayes rest, to Adam, was according to the continuation of the perfection of his obedience. The immediate cause of Adams fulfilling of the command of the law (while Adam stood in his state of perfection) was Adams saith in the eternall continuation of his eternall rest by God, which was due to his obedience, by the law: and promised by Covenant, to which God obliged himselfe. The immediate cause of Adams faith, was Adams love to spirituall righteousnssse; that is, to God, spirituall righteousnesse it selfe, his gracious Lord God and Creator. The immediate cause of Adams spirituall love, was the spirituall sanctifying light of the holy Spirit, enlightning Adams intelle­ctuall soule, in the understanding of the law, as the law is spirituall. The immediate cause of this spirituall perfection of spirituall light and love in Adam, was the perfection of his creation, as he was created in the perfection of a spirituall man, and in the lively Image of God. And here we meet col­laterally with the first cause, as the first Covenant is referred to God, and so we have two of the foure causes: but we must not proceed to make the other two causes arise, from the new Covenant, till we resolve the first Covenant, as it is referred to man, by Adam transgressing of the l [...]w obliged by the first Covenant.

The lowest and last effect therefore of Adams breaking of the first Cove­nant, was Adams transgression and contempt of the command of the Law, which is sin; by which transgression, Adam and all men created in Adam, naturally to descend of Adam, were eternally united to the curse of the law by the first Covenant, whereby all men were condemned to eternall death and darknesse, for the curse of the law; the transgression of man, by the first Covenant, was peremptory, without all time of repentance, or hope of revealed mercy.

The immediate cause of Adams transgression of the law, was the sug­gested vertue, of the objective forbidden fruit, offered by Eve; by eating whereof, Adam did apprehend himselfe, that he should become like God. Where (by the way) the Reader may observe, that the immediate cause of Adams fall, was externall to Adam, which was the forbidden fruit, and Eves suggestion of the vertue of the fruit. The immediate cause of Eves presen­ting of the fruit, and of her suggestion, of the vertue of the fruit of Adam, [Page] was here deere love to Adam, to have Adam equall to God himselfe, as Eve did apprehend her selfe to be, by the vertue of the fruit which she did first eate. The immediate cause of Eves eating of the forbidden fruit, was her ambicious desire, to have her selfe equall to God, and to be freed from that dying death, threatned by the Covenant. The immediate cause of Eves foule desire, was the false suggestion of the Serpent, in suggesting such admirable vertue in the fruit. To the eating whereof, (without all doubt) Eve was the more easily enduced to beleeve the Serpents suggestion, of the vertue of the fruit of the tree of knowledge, because there was such vertue in the fruit of the tree of life, for by eating thereof, the sensitive nature of man was eter­nallv preserved; and therefore, after the fall, both Adam and Eve were ex­cluded from Paradise.

The immediate cause therefore of Eves fall, was the Serpent, and the beautifull objective fruit of the tree of knowledge, and the suggested vertue of the fruit, which were all externall to Eve. Next, before wee arise with the resolution to the supreme cause of all, the new Covenant is first to be re­solved, both as the new Covenant is referred to God, and as it is referred to man, where we shall meet with the two like collaterall causes; all which 4. Causes, as they are effects they are al produced by one and the same, next and immediate superior cause: from whence we arise to the supreme cause of all.

By the last and lowest effect therefore of the new Covenant, as it is refer­red to God; God in his Son Christ Jesus, doth oblige the naturall man, in his redeemed state of natural and morall grace. First and immediately to the Evanglicall faithfull worship of the Lords day (the seventh day of the Evangelicall law) as the eternall word Christ Jesus, hath revealed himselfe by his Evangelicall seventh dayes rest, arising from his bloudy rest, Truth, in the fulfilling of his promise to man, and in that truth, God in the three co­essentiall distinct persons of the glorious Trinity, cleerely and Evangelical­ly, without all propheticall mystery or Ceremony. Secondly, God doth ob­lige the faithfull Evangelicall obedience of man, to the command of his whole Evangelicall law of righteousnesse of faith, implyed in the Evangeli­call seventh dayes commanded worship, both upon the eternal blessing of the Lords dayes Evangelical rest, & upon the mercilesse curse of the law of faith.

The immediate cause of Gods obliging of man, thus by his new Covenant, is, Gods eternall purpose, to manifest himselfe, mercy and justice to man, by rendring of the reward of his Evangelicall law of faith, according to the faith of man obliged by his law. The immediate cause whereof, is Gods en­abling of the naturall man, with such freedome of naturall and morall grace, as he is able to give morall obedience to his calling, by the new Covenant, without any manner of necessitating of his morall disobedience. To the na­turall [Page] mans finall perseverance, in which morall obedience till Gods pre­fixed time of spirituall calling, the spirituall grace of faith is due to the na­turall man by Covenant, whereby he hath the temporall blessing of the Lords dayes of Evangelicall rest in this life, and eternal rest in the life to come. The immediate cause of such naturall & morall grace, is the perfection of the re­demption of man. And here we fall in with the two former causes of the first covenant; for both the creation and redemtion of man, are by the same imme­diate cause: we must therefore yet stop our resolution, till we meet with the fourth colatorall cause, arising from the new covenant, as the new covenant is referred to man, which must be likewise resolved, both as the new covenant is fulfilled by man, and as the new covenant is broke and transgressed by man.

The last and lowest effect of the regenerate man, as he is obliged to the command of the law of faith by the new Covenant, is, the faithfull Evangeli­call worship of the Lords day, to whose thankefull faithfull worship, the blessing of the Lords daies Evangelicall rest, is temporally, naturally, and spiritually united in this life, and eternally in the life to come; as the tem­porall, naturall, morall blessing, of the Lords daies rest, is morally united to the morall worship of the naturall man. The immediate cause of the regene­rate mans faithfull worship of the seventh day, implying his obedience to the command of the whole law, is his spirituall faith. The immediate cause of his spirituall faith, is, his love to spirituall righteousnes. The immediate cause of his spirituall love, is the sanctifying light of the holy Spirit enlightning his understanding by his spirituall calling, in the immediate act of regenera­tion. The immediate cause of his spiritnall calling, is the finall perseverance of the naturall man in his morall obedience, according to the word of pro­mise, Mat: 13.13. whosoever shall endure to the end, shall be saved. This end to the naturall man is Gods prefixed time of spirituall calling: for the naturall man, by his spirituall calling, being actually regenerate, is saved by spirituall faith, and consequently justified. The immediate cause of the naturall mans finall perseverance, in his morall obedience, is first and immediately, the per­fection of the redemption, and secondly, Gods speciall free concursive grace, in saving of the naturall man, from being overcome by Satans temptations. This immediate cause, of the perfection of the redemtion, doth fall in, colla­terally, with the three former causes, and so we have foure in number. But yet we must not rise without resolution, from these foure causes, till the new Covenant be resolved, as the law is finally contemned and transgressed, by man, obliged to the new Covenant. The lowest and last effect to the Re­probate, obliged to the new Covenant, is, his finall, willfull, obstinate, con­tempt of the gracious promises of Salvation, purchased by the sacred bloud of the son of God. To the reprobates finall wilfull contempt whereof, by [Page] his unthankfull merit, the mercilesse curse of the law of fayth, is eternally u­nited, whereby the reprobate is eternally condemned by God, upon his e­ternall prescience of the reprobates finall contempt, according to his eter­nall decree: which is actually inflicted upon the soule of the reprobate, so soone as he departeth this life; and in the full extent both of soule and body in the great day, while by the resurrection from the dead, the soule and bo­dy being essentially reunited, the curse of the Law in the full extent, is actu­ally and eternally inflicted upon man as he is man. The immediate cause of the reprobates finall wilfull obstinate contempt, is the hardning of his heart. The immediate cause whereof, is the reprobates wilfull impenitent, obstinat continuance in all sin and wickednesse, by his contemning of God, in the con­temning of his law and truth, and of the professors of the truth. The immediate cause whereof (as the cause is externall) is the objective temptations of Satan and of his wicked instruments, whereby the reprobate is spiritually and morally cor­rupted from his childhood. The immediate cause of the reprobates continuance in sin, (as the cause is internall) is his wilfull yeelding to be induced by the tempta­tions of Satan, and of his instruments, while there is nothing to necessitate his mo­rall disobedience, whereby the reprobate doth so wilfully, ungraciously, unthank­fully, and presumptuously contemn the blood of the new covenant.

Thus having the foure causes met together, we are to ascend from the foure causes, as they are effects, produced by the next superior immediate cause, to the supreme cause of all. The immediate cause therefore, of these foure severall ef­fects, as they are the immediate subordinate effects of the next and immediate su­periour cause, is Gods eternall purpose, of the election of man, in his Son Christ Jesus: For the immediate object of Gods eternall purpose of election is the state of man, redeemed from the curse of eternall death and darknesse, shut up in temporall spirituall darknesse, till he be regenerate: For, in this estate, all men are equally redeemed from the curse of eternall death and darknesse, for their sin in Adam; all equally shut up in temporall spirituall darknesse, all equally recon­ciled to the love and favour of God, for that first sin; with such freedom of morall grace, as all the created powers of God, are not able to necessitate the will of the redeemed naturall man, to morall disobedience. To whose finall perseverance, in his redeemed grace, (by his morall obedience) till Gods prefixed time of spiritu­all calling, the grace of spirituall faith, is due by the new covenant; which is esta­blished with all men in the grace of this redeemed estate. Of this redeemed estate of man, God (without all impeachment to his justice) did decree, from all eter­nity, to elect to his mercy, a certain number of this redeemed state of man, known to himself, by preserving of them, from being finally overcome, by the tempta­tion of Satan and of his instruments in this life; and to leave a certain number, (known only to himselfe) in this redeemed estate of naturall and morall grace, to [Page] be induced, or not induced, by Satan and his instruments to finall disobedience at their pleasure and perill: For, there is nothing to necessitate their will morally, and finally, to disobedience. The immediate cause of Gods election of man in this redeemed estate, is the freedome of his mercy, who, in this case, will shew mercy on whom he will have mery, in his Son Christ Jesus. The immediate cause of his shewing of mercy to some in this redeemed estate, is his foreknowledge of them, whom, from all eternity, he hath predestinate to be made like to the Image of his Son in this life. The immediate cause, that they are predestinate to be made like to the Image of his Son in this life, is, that Christ Jesus, the eternall Son of God (made flesh of the seed of the woman, in time) may be the first born amongst ma­ny brethren, who are his mysticall members. The immediate cause that they are the mysticall brethren and members of their mysticall head (Christ Jesus) is, that as their mysticall head (by the bloody persecution of Satan and his cruell instru­ments) did seal the truth of his fulfilled promise of the blessed seed, with his heart blood: So his mysticall brethren and members, by tasting of the cup of his afflictions, (by the bloody persecutions of Satan, and his cursed crue) may stand in the defence of the truth of their mysticall head valiantly, to the end of this life. The immediate cause whereof is to the end; that whereas the Lords mysticall members hath born the Image of his bloody persecution in this life: So in the great day, they may (in their mysticall head) revenge the blood of man upon Sa­tan, by the finall breaking of the old Serpents head, and the head of his cursed seed, to their eternall confusion. And that in recompence of their valour they may (in their mysticall head) be crowned with an incorruptible crown of glory, eternally and triumphantly; in all heavenly happinesse in the life to come. The immediate cause whereof, is the Lords promise of the blessed seed, that the seed of the woman shall break the head of the Serpent; which seed of the woman, is first the Word the Lord Jesus Christ, begot by his Father, man of the seed of the blessed Vir­gine: And next his mysticall brethren, begot by the literall and spirituall light of the Word, brought forth by the woman, the Church. The immediate cause of the Lords promise of the blessed seed, is Gods eternall decree of predestination upon his eternall prescience of the full of man, by the malicious treachery of Satan. The immediate cause of Gods eternall decree is Gods infinite love a and mercy to man, in his Son, Christ Jesus (the Word made flesh of the seed of the woman) from whose infinite love to man, as all the effects of his sacred decree do proceed: So all return to the infinit eternall word, second person of the glorious Trinity, God and man; God equall with the Father and holy Spirit, to whom with the Father, and holy Spirit, three coessentiall distinct persons; one incomprehensible, indivisible, infinite essence, God of all power and majesty, be ascribed (of all creatures) all eternall honour, glory, power, praise, and thanksgiving, for his infinite truth, love and mercy to man, the only Rock and Rest of the faith of man.