CHAP. I. Concerning the Creation, Fall, and Redemption of Mankind.

IN the Beginning God created all Things according to his own Pleasure, and Man after his own Image (superior to all the Crea­ture [...]) [Page 2] in a pure State, fit to serv [...] and glorify his Creator: [...]ut the Serpent, the envious subtil Spirit deceived Eve, and she saw that the forbidden Fruit was a desirable Thing; so Adam and Eve broke the Command, by yielding Obedience to the Wicked One, and Disobedience to God; so Sin and Transgressio [...] took Hold upon Mankind: But their merciful Father visited them in the Cool of the Day, to chastise and take Care of them, saying, that the Seed of the Woman shall bruise the Serpent's Head.

SO a Stream of Corruption, Si [...] and Disobedience followed the Chil­dren of Men like a Leprosy: Bu [...] the Seed of the Woman was the Help and Defence God gave them, to the End they might overcome Satan which Seed is Christ, the same tha [...] (by Corruption in the Hearts of People) was slain from the Foundati­on of the World, and was ordaine [...] [Page 3] also, in the Fulness of Time, to lay down his Body to redeem People, and to bring them home, and recon­cile them to their Father. For he was given as a Light to the Gen­tiles, and Salvation to the Ends of the Earth, Isa. xlix. 6.

AND altho' Satan and Corrupt­tion made People unfit, and not able of themselves to perform any accep­table Service to their Creator, yet by the Assistance of the Eternal Word, and Light which enlightneth every one that cometh into the World, the Holy Men of God in former Ages worshipped God according to his Will. And the Religion which the Lord commended was Job's Re­ligion; for He said unto Satan [...]wor [...] [...] thou set thy Heart on, or con [...] my Servant Job, that there is [...] like him in the Earth, a perfect and [...] upright Man, one that feareth God and escheweth Evil, Job i. 8. And as the wise Man said, (the Co [...] ­clusion [Page 4] of the whole Matter that hath been heard, is,) Fear God, and keep his Commandments, for this is the whole Duty of Man, Eccl. xii. 13.

BUT all Manner of Sins and Iniquities grew up among People, when at the same Time they acknow­ledged there was some Service due to the Lord, required at their Hands, and Satan taught them to invent some Form, some Image of Service and Worship, some after one Manner, and some after another, seeking to please God, not in his Fear, nor yielding Obedience to him, all setting up their own Idols, and bowing thereunto: So the World was filled with Superstitions and O­pinions; and thus the Devil did set People at work to hate one another, and to make War, and to shed the Blood one of another; so he made the World a Wilderness, and Dark­ness ruled therein: Therefore he was, [Page 5] called the Prince of this World, John xiv. 30. also the Prince of the Power of the Ai [...], the Spirit that worketh in the Children of Disobedience, Eph. ii. 2.

AND as Satan brake into every Vineyard, so the Lord by his Pro­phet complained against the Children of Israel, saying, They have forsaken me the Fountain of Living Waters, and hewed them out broken Cisterns that can hold no Water, Jer. ii. 13. For Men in the State of Nature did, and yet do rather love their own filthy Waters than the Water of Life which Christ is giving to those that come unto him, which Water washes and heals the Soul; but the Enemy sets People at work, to [...] for dead and poisonous Water which he makes sweet and desirable to the Concupiscence of Flesh and Blood.

BUT for all this, God continue [...] in his Love and Mercy towards the [Page 6] Workmanship of his Hands, sending his Prophets, rising up early, to call and invite them, causing the Cove­nants of Peace to be made known unto them, if they would return un­to him, from their evil Ways, as may be seen, Isa. lv. 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8. H [...]! every One that thirsleth, come [...]e to the Wa­ters! He that hath no Money, come ye, buy and eat, yea, come buy Wine and Milk, without Money and without Price. Wherefore do ye spend Money for that which is not Bread, and your Labour for that which satisfieth not? Hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your Soul delight it self in Fatness. Incline your Ear, and come unto me: Hear, and your Soul shall live, and I will make an everlasting Co­venant with you, even the sure Mer­ [...]ies of David. Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near. Let the wick­ed forsake his Way, and the unrighte­ous [Page 7] Man his Thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have Mercy upon him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my Thoughts are not your Thoughts, neither are your Ways my Ways, saith the Lord.

AND the Testimonies of the true Prophets are full of the like Invitations, upon the same Condi­tions; That is, to turn unto the Lord, from Falshood; but People choose their own Ways, their own Thoughts, and their own Prophets, rather than the Lord's. Because the true Prophets pronounced Woes and Destruction against them for their Sins, if they would not return to the Lord, from their evil Con­versation; but the false Prophets cried Peace to the Ungodly, say­ing, Is not the Lord amongst us? Evil will not come upon us; the Sword and the Famine will not be in this Land. [Page 8] AND as it is natural for Flesh and Blood to believe the best of themselves, and the worst of those that speak against them, therefore they hated and persecuted the true Prophets, by putting them to Death as false Prophets. So it was in the Days of Ahab: The Children of Is­rael, after they had forsaken the Covenant of the Lord, and thrown down his Altars, and slain his Pro­phets with the Sword, and heaped unto themselves Companies of false Prophets, so not without Cause the Lord complained, saying, Hear, O Heavens, and give Ear, O Earth; for the Lord hath spoken, I have nourish­ed and brought up Children, and they have rebelled against me. The Ox knoweth his Owner, and the Ass his Master's Crib; but Israel doth not know, my People doth not consider, Isa. i. 2, 3.

NEVERTHELESS God, (slow to Anger, and of great Kindness) [Page 9] sent his only begotten Son to the rebellious Vine-dressers to be killed; he was willing to die for Sinners, to redeem them from their Captivity; who when he was born at Bethle­hem Judea, the Lord sent his Angel to inform the Shepherds; not the wise and learned, full of their own Righteousness; but to the poor, mean, illiterate, and those of low Degree; such as were keeping Watch over their Flock by Night: And lo the Angel of the Lord came upon them, and the Glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were sore afraid. And the Angel said unto them, Fear not, for behold, I bring you good Ty­dings of great Joy, which shall be to all People; for unto you is born this Day, in the City of David, a Saviour which is Christ the Lord. This shall be a Sign unto you; ye shall find the Babe wrapped in Swadling Clothes, lying in a Manger, and suddenly th [...]e was with the Angel a Multitude of [Page 10] the Heavenly Host, praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the high­est, and on Earth Peace, good Will towards Men. And as the Angels were gone away, into Heaven, the Shepherds said one to another, Let us go even unto Bethlehem, and see this Thing that is come to pass which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with Haste, and they found Mary and Joseph and the Babe lying in a Manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad, the Saying that was told them, concerning this Child; and all they that heard it, wondred at those Things which were told them by the Shep [...]erds: But Ma­ry kept all these Things, and pon­dered them in her Heart. And the Shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God, for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told un­to them, Luke ii. 8, 9, to 21.

THESE are such People as preach­ed Christ at his Birth, to the [...]dmi­ation [Page 11] of their Hearers: These belie­ved and received the Heavenly Mes­sage, and made Haste to see him; when they saw him, they believed in him, and returned glorifying and praising God. The Shepherds were not offended at his Appearance, not­withstanding it was low; laying in the Manger, in Swadling-Clothes, but that was not such a King as the wise and great Men sought for.

WHEN the Time came, for Je­sus to fulfil his Ministry, to preach and work Miracles, the World could neither receive nor know him, be­cause their Way was not his Way. But who received him? The poor illiterate Fishers, and Men of low Degree. These also he hath chosen to be his Disciples: These were not fill'd with Self-Righteousness, nor high Thoughts of themselves, nor of their own Religion: They had Place to receive God's Kingdom, therefore they left all, and followed Christ, [Page 12] who came to put an End to the many Offerings, Sacrifices and Tra­ditions which were Shadows and Signs of his coming, who is the great everlasting Sacrifice which puts an End to all, fulfilling the same by the one Sacrifice of himself, with which he bought all Mankind, by bringing in the New Covenant, and a more Heavenly and more Spiritual Ministry.

AND altho' the High Priests and Scribes, and Pharisees were reading and waiting for the Coming of Christ, yet they did not know him nor receive him, nor believe, because he did not please them; for he testi­fied against them, and their false Ways; and tho' he wrought hea­venly Miracles among them, as heal­ing all Manner of Diseases and rais­ing the Dead, yet his Word had n [...] Place in them; for they were full o [...] human and earthly Wisdom; they would not come unto him, that they [Page 13] might have Life, but more and more hated him, and became his Enemies: And in Truth, this is the Stone which the Builders in every Age have rejected; This is the Word that was made Flesh, and dwelt among us, (that is the poor unlearned Fishers of low Degree) and we beheld his Glory, the Glory as of the only begotten of the Fa­ther, full of Grace and Truth, John i. 14.

BUT some will say, How came these unlearned Men to know Christ, and the Learned Men not know him? The Answer is, because the Fishermen were poor in their Spirits: Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven was to be theirs; the Poor that know a Hunger and Thirst after Righ­ [...]eousness, the Promise is to them, they shall be filled, Mat. v. 3, 6. These [...]ow their Saviour, by his Grace, Vertue, and Heavenly Inspiration: [...]or God revealed himself unto them: [...]or when Peter said, Thou art Christ, [...]he Son of the living God, Jesus an­swered, [Page 14] Flesh and Blood hath not re­ [...]ealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in Heaven, Mat. xvi. 17.

THESE were empty, and in a Sense of their Want and Thirst of their Souls, they were ready to come to the Fountain, and to drink of the living Water, which was sweet un­to them: And therefore they loved Christ, and adhered unto him, and he also knew and perceived who were sick, and who wanted a Phy­sician: Therefore he called them, and after they knew the Precious­ness of him, they would say, T [...] whom shall we go? Thou hast the Words of eternal Life, John vi. 68.

BUT the wise Men and learned, they were full, and had no Room to receive; they were whole, and wanted not a Physician; neither did they enquire for so mean a Thing and so contemptible as Christ w [...] in their Sight; therefore because [...] outward Appearance was not mor [...] [Page 15] glorious to answer their Minds, they rejected him who was the Stone that was to be the Head of the Cor­ner, and was the Fountain of Living Water, and the Light of Life, Psal cxviii. 22. Mat. xxi. 42. Rev. vii. 17.

NEVERTHELESS Christ had Followers, whom for their Spi­ritual Poverty (as above-menti­oned) he made Choice of, and they made Choice of him. Un­to such he taught the Law of the New Covenant, which exceeds that of Moses, preaching unto them the Gospel of God's Kingdom, setting himself forth to be a Way, a Light, a Spirit, a Life, a Leader, a Foun­tain, a Vine, and a Shepherd to them in such a Way as the World could not, nor can receive him; but rather reject and gainsay him, as may be seen at this Day among the Profes­sors of Christianity.

CHAP. II. Concerning the Scriptures, and our Saviour's spiri­tual Appearance.

CHRIST said, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: No Man cometh to the Father, but by me, John xiv. 6. But some say, the Scrip­ture is the Way which leadeth us to the Father, and the Scripture is the Truth, which is to teach and guide us, and to declare unto us the Will and Commands of God, and so we hope to have Life. But what Scrip­tures tell us, that Life stands in the Treatise, or in the Writing? Do not the Scriptures direct, and call Peo­ple to Christ, and He calls to him­self: He said unto the Jews, that [Page 17] strove against him, Search the Scri [...] ­tures, for in t [...]em ye think to [...]a [...]e eternal Life; they are they that te­stify of me, and ye will not come to me that ye may have Life, John v. 39, 40.

AND are not the Professors of our Age exactly of the same Mind with those [...]ro [...]essors? They would have Li [...]e in the Scriptures; but they will not have Christ, who is the Life. Jesus said, I am the Light of the World; he that followeth me, shall not walk in Darkness, but shall have the Light of Life, John viii. 12. But they say the Scripture is the best Light, which every one ought to follow; which (they say) is sufficient to bring People to Salvation. Is not this Dark­ness, B [...]asphemy and Error, That is, to put the Scriptures before and above Christ, and render it more sufficient to lead to Salvation? which they cannot make out, for Christ was gi­ven a Head to the Church about every Thing.

[Page 18]BUT bear with me, to expostulate a little in the Defence of Truth, in Scripture-Words. In the first Place, I do believe there is none will deny but every one that is under the Name of Christ [...]an must acknowledge Christ is the Word that was made Flesh, and dwelt amongst his Apostles: What then? Was not this the Word which was from the Beginning with God, John i. 14. And God was the Word; all Things were made by him. In him was Life, and the Life was the Light of Men. There was a Man sent from God, whose Name was John; the same came to bear witness of the Light. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light, John i. 1, 3, 4, to 12.

BUT why may it not be said in like Manner, the Scriptures were sent from God to bear Witness of the Light? But the Scripture is not the Light; but it was sent, that it migh [...] bear witness of that Light; but [Page 19] was the true Light which lighteth every Man that cometh into the World: Which cannot be said of the Scrip­tures, for there is but a small part of the World that received the Scrip­tures, and many of those have not as yet received the true Light which lighteth every Man, shining in the Dark­ness of Men's Hearts, and the Dark­ness not comprehending it. The World knew him not, nor received him; but as many as receiv'd him, to them gave he Power to become the Sons of God, even to them that believe in his Name; but Experience tells us, that People may receive the Scriptures, and read them, and not receive Pow­er to become the Sons of God; for the Power and Life is in Christ, who is the true Light, and those that re­ceive this Light, and walk [...] they have Fellowship one with ano­ther, and the Blood of Jesus Chri [...] his Son c [...]eanseth them from every Sin.

BUT the Professors of Christianity. [Page 20] who in Contentions one against ano­ther, set up the Scriptures above Christ; they also forsake the Foun­tain where they may be washed. Is not this he whom the World hates? And this is the Condemnation, that Light is come into the World, and Men loved Darkness, rather than Light, be­cause their Deeds were evil; for eve­ry one that doth Evil hateth the Light, neither cometh to the Light, lest his Deeds should be reproved: But he that doth Truth, cometh to the Light, that his Deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God, John iii. 19, 20, 21.

HERE the Reason is manifest why Men love Darkness; because it is easier for them to sin in Darkness, and they hate the Light, because it makes manifest all their evil Deeds, and reproveth them in their own Hearts; and in as much as they nei­ther know it, nor its Virtues, any further than something reproving [Page 21] them, and that they do not intend to return at the Reproof thereof, but to gather Reasons to say and plead against it, that it is nothing but a natural Light, and that it is not sufficient to lead to Salvation.

BUT o [...] a Truth, if Christ, as he is God, and hath all Power in him, and as he is the eternal Word, the holy Spirit, the Life, and the Light and all true Wisdom and Knowledge trea­sur'd up in him, is not sufficient to lead to Salvation, I know not what is sufficient, if he is not: The Spirit that guides into all Truth, concern­ing whom Christ said, the Spirit of Truth whom the [...]orld cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither know­eth him, but ye know him, for be dwelleth with you, and shall be in you I will not leave you comfortless, I will come unto you; at that Day you shall know that I am in the Father, and you in me, and I in you, John xiv. 17, [...]

BUT the Professors of this Age will [Page 22] not have Christ to be in his People; how then are they Christ's? Now, if any Man hath not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his; and if Christ be in you, the Body is dead because of Sin, but the Spirit is Life because of R [...]ghteous­ness, Rom. viii. 9, 10. For when Christ comes to take Possession in the Hearts of People, he sets up his Kingdom, Law and Government; that is, the Law of the Spirit of Life which sets free from the Law of Sin and Death; then the Devil loseth his Kingdom, and loseth his Subjects and Government in the Hearts of People when Christ com­eth to cast him out, and take the Possession.

THEREFORE the old subtil Enemy sets all his Crast to work to keep the Children of the World in his dark Kingdom, granting them all outward Means to deck themselves to appear religious, and make them bold and confident of their being in [Page 23] the Way: They may have as many Church-Traditions and Customs as they please, they may read the Scrip­tures, and what Books they will, and they may talk of Christ that he died for them, and rose, and ascended into Heaven, and that he sits at the right Hand of the most High; for Satan is fully assur'd that all this is not suffi­cient to carry his Servants out of his Hands, therefore he will allow them every Thing but the Knowledge of Christ within, the Hope of Glory.

THE Apostle said, Examine your selves whether you be in the Faith, prove your own selves, know you not your own selves, that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be Reprobates, 2 Cor. xiii. 5. Satan knows this, but he is not willing his Subjects should know it, therefore People will reck­on themselves to be in the Faith, and acceptable enough, tho' they know not Christ in themselves a Light to shine upon them, and to show them [Page 24] their Condition, as he is the Spirit of Truth, to guide them into all Truth, as he is Life eternal, to quicken and heal the Souls that are wounded, weary, and heavy laden, and to re­move them from the Kingdom of Darkness into his, own Kingdom, to be under his Government, that so he may dwell in them, and they in him; Here Satan loseth the Field, and his Subtilties come to be manifested.

FOR if a Man had all Books and all Knowledge that may be in the World, and knew the Principles of every Profession; and treasur'd them up in his Head, yet except Christ takes Hold and Possession of his Heart, there will be for all That, Room for Satan to make his Abode, and to work and keep Pos­session; for where Christ hath not Place to work on the Hearts of Peo­ple, it is most certain that Satan works there; for he is the Spirit that works in the Children of Disobedience, and [Page 25] he leads them into all Wickedness.

BUT the Rule which Christ pro­mised to give his Followers, to walk by, and to be with them to the End of the World, was his own Spirit: Lo I will be with you to the End, I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever, even the Spi­rit of Truth, John xiv. 16, 17. who was to abide with them and to be in them; the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, who was to teach and guide them into all Truth. Is not this the one thing needful, without which it is in vain for Man to think that he can do any thing towards the Work of his Salvation?

HE is also sufficient of himself to lead his Followers in the Paths of Life; he giveth them Power to be Sons of God, for whosoever are led by the Spirit of God, these are Chil­dren of God, Rom. viii. 14. But the Dark People will say, Whosoever [Page 26] are led by the Scripture, are Chil­dren of God.

AGAIN, if ye thro' the Spirit do mortify the Deeds of the Body, ye shall live, Rom. viii. 13. But they say that through the Scripture the Deeds of the Body are mortify'd; but God thro' his Spirit did reveal to his People what Eye hath not seen, nor Ear heard, neither hath it entred into the Heart of Man, the Things which God hath prepared for them that love him, 1 Cor. ii. 9. So the Things of God no Man knoweth, but the Spirit of God.

THEREFORE there are too ma­ny of the Professors of Christianity, be­cause they will not receive the Spirit of God, they neither know nor under­stand the Scriptures, nor the Things which he hath prepared for them that love him: But, saith the Apo [...] ­stle, we received not the Spirit of th [...] World, but the Spirit which is of God that we might know the Things that are freely given us of God.

[Page 27] BUT the natural Man receiveth not the Things of the Spirit of God, for they are Foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned, 1 Cor. ii. 12, 14. And as Christ said, It is the Spirit that quickneth, and it is Life eternal to know the Father and the Son, Joh. vi. 63. xvii. 3. And how is he to be known but by the Revelation of his own Spirit in the Inward Man? for his Saints and Followers know him inwardly, to be a Light to enlighten their Paths, and Life to their Souls, a Fountain of living Water, springing up to everlasting Life, John iv. 14. to drink thereof that they may never thirst: And inwardly he refresheth and comforteth the Souls that are weary and faint in the Way of their Pilgrimage. This is the Life Eternal, which is freely given to as many as open the Doors of their Hearts, to take in the King of Glory.

THIS Living Water is to be freely [Page 28] given, to the poor unlearned Trades­men and Plowmen, Shepherds and Fishermen, if they but turn their Minds inwards, and there humble themselves before their God, in a Sense of his Mercies and Deliveran­ce, his Love and Long-Suffering towards them, even waiting to be gracious unto them: For the Lord is near to them that seek him while he may be found, and call upon him while he is near. Therefore is not the Privilege of knowing the Foun­tain of Living Waters in our selves made sure to us, the Shepherds and poor Tradesmen, rather than to the Men of Learning (who have filled themselves with the Knowledge that puffeth up) or to the great Men? for it is a great Work for them to come down so low, to be taught by that which is so little in their sight, as is the Seed of God's Kingdom; for it is too common in them the least of all Seeds.

[Page 29]SO it is possible for the Shepherd following his Flock, and the Trades­man at his Calling, to come to this Fountain, and drink thereof, to com­fort and refresh their thirsty Souls; for the Lord filleth the Hungry with good Things, and the Rich he sends empty away, Luke i. 53. but to the poor and contrite Spirit will he look, and God dwells with him that is of a contrite and humble Spirit, to revive the Spirit of the humble, and to revive the Heart of the contrite ones, Isa. lvii. 15. So the Prayer of the poor Publican went up to the Lord with more Acceptance than that of the Pharisee.

OF a Truth, when those poor come to be acquainted with spiritual Visi­tations in their Hearts, their Souls come to be revived and renewed, and have a godly Zeal kindled in them to serve the Lord; these come to know Christ within, to give Life to their Soul [...]; these can be true Witnesses [Page 30] that in him there is Life, and as John the beloved Disciple said, He that be­lieveth on the Son of God, hath the Wit­ness in himself, he that believeth not God, hath made him a Lyar, because he believeth not the Record God gave of his Son, and this is the Record that God hath given to us, Eternal Life, and this Life is in his Son, 1 John v. 10, 11, 12.

THEREFORE they who hold Life eternal to be in the Scriptures, and in the Sacraments, these do not believe God's Record of his Son, but seek to make him a Lyar; because they do not believe that Life eternal is in his Son: Again, He that hath the Son, hath Life, and he that hath not the Son of God, hath not Life. See here the Apostle did not mention any Thing to be put with Christ to make up the Life; but he that hath the So [...] hath life; because every Thing ne­cessary to Life and Salvation is trea­sur'd up in the Son. Again, He th [...] [Page 31] hath not the Son of God, hath not Life.

AND of a Truth, those that are without Life, they are yet dead in Tres­passes and Sins, without being made alive with Christ. Whatsoever they have; they are but dead Things to them, this agrees well with the old British Proverb, Heb dduw heb Ddim, ond Duw a digon: But some poor Ig­norant People will say, we know nothing, we must believe what lear­ned Men tell us, because they read and know; but that is not the Way for thee to become one of Christ's Sheep; because if the Fishermen and unlearned in the Days of old had be­lieved the learned Men, they had ne­ver believed in Christ, nor became his Followers.

AND altho' there are Teachers in this Age who do profess that they be­lieve in Christ, yet if thou follow their Doctrine, thou wilt never come to seek the Spirit of God to lead thee, that thou may'st become a Child of God, [Page 32] nor ever receive Jesus the Light of Life, who gives Power to such as re­ceive him, to become the Sons of God, by being born not of Blood, nor of the Will of the Flesh, nor of the Will of Man, but of God, John i. 12, 13. Therefore it is much better for thee to take the Apos­tle's Advice, If any of you lack Wisdom, let him ask of God that giveth to all Men liberally, and upbraideth no, and it shall be given him: Every good Gift, and e­very perfect Gift is from above, and com­eth down from the Father of Lights with whom is no Variableness nor Sha­dow of Turning, Jam. i. 5, 17.

BUT when the Lord begins his Work on the Hearts of People, shew­ing their sinful State, and raising Fear in them concerning their Souls, and a Desire to know the Way to get Peace with God in their Conscience divers will incline to advise with their Teachers, or such as they look upon to be wise and able to give them Counsel, and it is very rare but they [Page 33] meet with a Remedy much worse than the Disease, for Want of the Phy­sician's knowing the Work of God upon their own Souls; they will be like to advise them to shun melancho­ly Thoughts, lest Satan tempt them [...] Despair, and to lose themselves; p [...]swading them they need not be a­fraid of their Souls, if they live like their Neighbours, or else to invite them to take the Sacrament, and cry Peace to them, and throw some Water to quench that Fire which God hath begun to kindle by his Judgments against Sin in their Hearts. For Si­ [...] shall be redeemed with Judgment.

BUT what shall a Man do when he comes to be afraid of his Salva­tion, and his Sin becomes a Burden to him, and knows not how [...]o get Ease? But was it not upon such that Christ himself called? saying, Come, unto me all ye that labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give you Rest; take my Yoke upon you, and learn of [Page 34] me, for I am meek and lowly in Heart, and ye shall find Rest to your Souls, Mat. xi. 28, 29. and those that know Christ, by the Spirit of his Grace, teaching and guiding them into all Truth, these know, that there is no Teacher like unto him, for he is t [...] Anointing, to whose Teaching alone the Apostle directed the Saints, at the Time when there were many Anti­christs gone forth to deceive and be­guile the true Christians, 1 John ii. 20. Therefore he said unto them, Ye have an Unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. If that which ye have heard from the Beginning, sh [...] remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father, Ver. 24.

AND to establish them on the immoveable Rock, that they might be able to withstand all Tempests, Winds and Floods, and also re-mind them of their strong Tower and For­tress, he said, The anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, [Page 35] and ye need not that any Man teach you: But as the same anointing teach­eth you all Things, and is Truth, and no Lie; and even as it taught you, ye shall abide in him, Ver. 27. So the Unction remains in the true Christi­ans, and they in him, and thereby [...]ntinue in the Son, and in the Fa­ther. These are the Branches which are g [...]fted in the true Vine, to whom he saith, Abide in me, and I in you: As the Branch cannot bear Fruit of it self, except it abide in the Vine, no more can ye except ye abide in me, John xv. 4.

WE see here how needful it is for every true Christian to know him­self grafted in Christ the true Vine, and after he is so grafted, to abide in him, (that is) in his Grace, Spi­rit and Inspiration, in his pure Na­ture, Vertue, Love, and Fellowship in the inward Man. This is the li­ving Sap that the Vine is full of, which ascends up to the Branches, [Page 36] causing them to grow, flourish, and bring forth sweet Fruit, well pleasing to the Husbandman, which natural­ly springs forth from the incorrup­tible Root. Such Fruits no Man can bring forth. Altho' he makes Use of all his Understanding and Strength, endeavouring to form his Actions to answer the Scriptures, and break off his Sins that naturally sprout from the Root of the wild Vine, which will spring out thro' the Branches, let Man do what he will, until he be cut off from the wild Vine, and be grafted in the true Vine.

BUT after some Men strive, and labour against Sin, and fail to get Victory, they are forced to yield, and drop Anchor in the Quicksand, and Place of Despair, believing there is no Power to be obtained to over­come Sin; but that the Saints and People of God must live in it all the Days of their Lives; and this Mi­stake [Page 37] is by Reason of their not com­ing to Christ in themselves, to have his Spirit that leads unto all Truth, which will be a Rudder and Com­pass for them to steer the Course of their Pilgrimage; for those that are led by him, he brings them to their desired Port, where he gives them Ease and Rest, that is in himself, who is the true Vine, of whom, it was said, Whoso [...]ver abideth in him, sinneth not, 1 John iii. 6.

AND again, he saith, I am the Vine, ye are the Branches; he that a­bideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much Fruit, for with­out me ye can do nothing, John xv. 5.

BUT is it not Pity that this Do­ctrine must not go into the Pulpits in Christian Churches, to enlighten Peo­ple and shew them the Way of Salva­tion? But the Devil is careful to keep it out, lest he should lose his Kingdom and Government; for as the Lord said by his Prophet, If the Prophets [Page 38] had stood in my Counsel, and had cau­sed my People to hear my Words, then they should have turned them from their evil Wa [...] and from the Evil of their Doings, Je [...] xxiii. 22. But the Voice of Christ and his Prophets and Apostles runs consonant and agreeable the same Way like a Stream, but the Voice of the World is in it self full of Confu­sion, and quite contrary to the Voice of the true Shepherd; but it is the Voice of a Stranger, therefore the Sheep run away from it, because they know not the Voice of Strang­ers, John x. 5. He is the Door of the Sheep; they that enter in by him, shall have Life, but such as climb up another Way, they are Thieves and Robbers. And he said, My Sheep hear my Voice, and I know them, and they follow me, and I give unto them eternal Life.

IS not this the Sum of the Reli­gion of a true Christian, and the Substance of Salvation, the one thing [Page 39] needful? That is, to know the Voice of Christ within, who is the true Shepherd, and follow him in all Things, and have of him eternal Life. This is also the Grace that appeared, even the Grace of God that bringeth Salvation to all Men, teaching us to deny Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts, and to live soberly, righteo [...]sly, and godly in this present World, Tit. ii. 11, 12. We see that this was he that taught the Apostles. It may be also seen, that such as take upon them to learn by the Scriptures, are not able to deny Un­godliness and Worldly Lusts: They also confess their Lives and Conver­sations are not like the Lives of the Holy Men of Old, of whom the Scripture tells us, that they were led by the Spirit and Grace of God; but the Reason of that is, the Want of their coming to accept of being led by the same Spirit, and taught by the same Grace, for the same Sap in [Page 40] the true Vine causeth the Branches to bear the same good Fruit. There is the same Virtue in the Grace to teach a godly Life, and the same Power in the Holy Spirit to guide into all Truth. And it is given to the Sons of God, to be with them to the End.

BUT great is the Deceit of the old subtil Enemy, to keep People in his dark Kingdom, by making them believe, that the Spirit of God is not to be had to lead his People in these Ages. Therefore what may be thought of that? If the Spirit of God does not lead any in these Days, then God hath no People nor Children upon the Earth: It is true enough, that the Devil would have it so. For if the Spirit of God doth not lead a Man, he will be led by his own fleshly Lust, and the Spirit of this World, that is the Spirit of Satan, which leads into all Falshood and Iniquities; for the Spirit of Man [Page 41] is subject to be led by some Spirit, and there are but two Spirits, and two Natures, to wit, Good and Evil, to govern the Hearts of People.

THEREFORE the Enemy knows, that there is nothing draws a Man out of his Reach, but the Spirit of God, for which Cause he darkens and bewitches the Inhabi­tants of the Earth, who are made drunk with the Wine of Babylon's Fornication, by putting Examples before them, of other Ways to be Children of God, besides being led by his Spirit: But these Ways are so void of the Cross, that after a Man comes at them, he may sin as much as he will, to satisfy his fleshly Lusts, and to serve the Devil: And altho' he allows them to have the Scrip­ture to read, yet he will never grant them to come to that which the Scripture calls unto: For the Script­ture (as was said before) calls all to Christ, and to the Knowledge of him [Page 42] as he is to his Saints, a Spirit, Life, Light, Grace, Fountain, Vine, Shepherd, to work the new Birth.

IT is true, that the Scriptures were given forth by the Inspiration of God, and sprung from his Spirit, which was in the Holy Men and Prophets, Christ himself and his A­postles who were in the Spirit, and thro' the Spirit gave them forth, and their Testimonies are true and pro­fitable, for Counsel and Comfort, and Edification to every Traveller, that hath his Face towards New Jerusalem: But it is possible, that a Man in a State of Nature (who is for fulfilling his Lusts) may sin at his Pleasure, notwithstanding he has the Bible, which he could not do, if Christ by his Spirit had taken Hold and Pos­session of his Heart and Soul.

BUT some may say, If the Scrip­ture had taken Hold of the Heart of Man, it might help him to forbear Sinning. Yet who will open the [Page 43] Heart to receive the Scripture, if not the Lord? He opened the Heart of Lydia, to receive what was spoken by Paul. In him alone is Power to open People's Hearts. For where Satan keeps Possession, no good Thing shall come in, until he come that is stronger than he, to cast him out, and take Possession, and open the Heart to receive in, all the Goodness which God is pleased to vouchsafe to his People for their Edi­fication.

FOR of a Truth, when Christ, by the Spirit of his Grace, takes hold on the Hearts of People, the Fear of God comes to take Place in them, causing them to tremble and cry for Help to depart from Iniquity. And the Lord is near, and ready to stand by them, against; the Tempta­tions of Satan: And as they stand faithful, he distributes to them of the Spirit of his Grace, to leaven, change, and make them new Creatures. [Page 44] These come more and more, to be Partakers of the Divine Nature which is in the true Vine, to change their Nature and Affections, teach­ing them to love God, and love all Good, and love all Men, love their Enemies, and pray for them, and do good to all Men.

HE likewise teacheth them to hate all Evil, and flee from it, as from a mortal Enemy, who is for break­ing their Peace with the Lord; which Peace they value above all other Things: Unto such the Cross of Christ is easie, and his Burden light; and it is easier for them to keep God's Commandments, than break them; for to break them, is to break their Peace.

AND of a Truth, this is the Re­ligion which the God of Heaven did and doth commend, and highly own, as hath been said before. Hast tho [...] considered my Servant Job, that there is none like him in the Earth, a perfect [Page 45] and an upright Man, one that feareth God, and escheweth Evil. Is not this the Conclusion of all that was heard, and the whole Duty of Man? And he that hath this Religi­on, what Part soever of the World he may dwell in, of what Language, Tribe, or Kindred soever, or of what Profession soever he may be, this is the Man whose Lamp will shine at his latter End, and will find the Door of the Kingdom open.

BUT the Man that neither fear­eth God, nor keepeth his Command­ments, nor eschewe [...] Evil, tho' he makes high Profession of Chri­stianity, and boasts of his Faith, Belief, Religion and Works, with great Boldness and Presumption, when he looks Death in the Face, his Lamp will be out, and his Con­fidence will fail, for the Sting of Death torments him, and Sin gnaws the Conscience, and his Robe is filthy [Page 46] and not washed, nor made clear in the Blood of the Lamb, Rev. vii. 14. that so the Soul might have been fit to stand before the Throne, with the Saints in white Raiment.

BUT now, O sinful Man, it is la­mentable for thee to remember thy Ways and Works, and also to re­member how Jesus hath been knock­ing at the Door of thy Heart, while the Day of thy Visitation lasted, call­ing for Repentance and Amendment or Life, and thou didst not hearken unto him, but follow'd thy lascivious Desires, which drown thy Soul in the bottomless Pit.

CHAP. III. Shewing what is Saving FAITH.

VErily great is the Presumption which Satan works in the most abominable Sinners, making them believe they are in the right Way, and in the true Church, where there is no Danger of losing Salvation: Therefore we may hear the Dru [...] ­kards, Adulterers, and all manner of Evil-Doers boasting of their Reli­gion and boldly pleading for it, th [...] they have no Religion at all.

IT is very common, the more er [...] ­nious, the more is their Presumptio [...] and false Confidence; for the more sinful, the more blind they are; less is their Love to their Fellow-Crea­tures, [Page 48] and the more severe are thei [...] Censures against all other Professions, and without Mercy sacrificing all but themselves to Hell Fire.

THIS is very apparent in the Members of the Church of Rome, and by corrupted Nature creeps into other Professions, making Sinners in­solent; for tho' there are too many People unregenerated, yet neverthe­less they will pretend to have Reli­gion, and set up some Structure, un­der which they shelter and promise Heaven to themselves, tho' they are Servants to Corruption, lulling them­selves to sleep easie in Sin and Iniqui­ty.

THEREFORE, some will bold­ly say, We have Faith in Christ, who dyed for us, and bought us by suffer­ing on the Cross, and he took our Sins upon himself, and they were reck­oned Sins to him who was without Sin. So it will he counted that we shall be Partakers of his Righteous­ [...], tho' there is no Righteousness [...].

[Page 49]IS not this a Doctrine full of Presumption, to make People more bold and confident to multiply their Sins freely at the Lord's Charge, throwing all their Filth and abo­minable Sins upon Christ, who died for Sinners, to deliver them, and to wash and cleanse them from their Sins? For he is the Fountain that sprung up to the House of Ju­dah, and to the Inhabitants of Jeru­ [...]lem, to wash away Sin and Ini­quity.

BUT by this Doctrine Christ did not come to wash People from their Sins, but rather to justify them there­in; that so they may sin as much as they will with Boldness, and without Fear, and cast it upon Christ, who said to Peter, If I wash [...]hee not, thou hast no Part in me: Yet it is possible a Man may be rea­dy to say, tho' I am an unclean [Page 50] Sinner, yet I believe in Christ, [...] that he was conceived by the [...] ­ly Ghost, born of the pure Virgin his Miracles and Sufferings, his Re­surrection and Ascension into Hea­ven, to sit at the right Hand of the Majesty on high.

ALL these Things are real Truth in themselves, and the Follower of Christ enjoy the Salvation which he hath prepared thro' his Suffe­rings; but Satan knows all this, and the Devil did confess, that he was the Son of God, tho' they had. n [...] Part in him, but sought to fly from him, Mat. viii. 29.

BUT the Man will say, I believe Christ hath ransomed me by his Death, and paid the Price for me [...] It is true enough that the heaven [...] King did buy all Mankind, an [...] paid for them, to the End the [...] might be set free from Sins, [...] drawn from the Kingdom of Sa [...] and out of his Chains, and tra [...] [Page 51] into his own Kingdom that they [...] be there under his Banner, [...]aw and Government.

BUT what Portion hast thou in this King or his Kingdom, whilst thou livest in Disobedience to him and his Government, any more than the Pagan, Indian, or Barbarian, pur­chased with the same Blood, and paid for? But he will soon answer, I have heard or read of my Redemp­tion, and how Christ suffered for me, and believe it all.

THEN I may also say, I have heard there is a King France, in Au­thoriry, governing and putting forth Laws amongst his Subjects, and they, fight under his Banner, in O­bedience to the King and his Com­mands: But tho' I believe all this [...] be true, yet I have no Mind ever to be one of his Subjects, nor to come under his Banner, to be obe­dient to him: Therefore what Right have I in that King, or in [Page 52] his Kingdom, Laws or Government because I am engaged under another King, who (possibly) may be h [...] greatest Enemy? And therefore I have no Part nor Portion in that King, nor in his Kingdom, nor Govern­ment.

BUT the Man may say, the Scripture saith, He that believeth, and is baptized, shall be saved: Therefore I do believe. Is not this some Part of the Work of my Salvation? To believe Christ in Reality, is the true saving Faith and Ground-Work of Salvation, to which the true Bap­tism is join'd. If thou dost believe in Christ, thou must give Credit to Christ; otherwise how canst thou say that thou believest in him? For when he preached on the Mount, setting forth the Law of the New Covenant, which was to be a Law to every true Christian, and also the spiritual Fruits they were to bring forth, so that all should be [Page 53] known by their Fruits; for Fruits [...]d, and do distinguish between the and false Christian.

THERE were false Christians, false Prophets, and false Teachers to come in among the true Christians; therefore he made appear how to distinguish them. Ye shall know them by their Fruits: Do Men gather Grapes of Thorns, or Figs of Thistles? [...] very good Tree bringeth forth good Fruit, but a corrupt Tree bringeth forth evil Fruit: And to corroborate, and confirm the Testimony, he said again, a good Tree cannot bring forth evil Fruit, neither can a corrupt Tree bring forth good Fruit: Every Tree that bringeth not forth good Fruit, is hewn down and cast into the Fire, Mat. vii. 16, 17, 18, 19, 21.

BUT what will the irreligious Man (that talks of believing in Christ) say to these Things? If thou dost believe in him, thou must also believe in these Things; and if [Page 54] thou believest these Things, [...] must come to an Amendment [...] Life, and pray to God for Grace break off thy Sins, and bring forth Fruit meet for Repentance; without which there is here no Promise, but to hew thee down, and cast thee in­to the Fire, where the Devil and his Angels are.

[...]EE here farther, what Christ [...]h. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but he that doth the Will of my Father which is in Heaven: And towards the Conclusi­on of his Sermon, after he had set forth his heavenly Law, he said un­to them, Every one that heareth these Sayings of mine, and doth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish Man, who built his House upon the Sand, which House fell when the Wind and Storm came: Thus will the Hope of the ungodly fail in the most need­ful Time. When mortal Sickness, [Page 55] Oppression and Hardship come, then [...] will call upon him, Lord, Lord, have not we confessed thy Name? but this will be the Answer, I never knew you: Depart from me ye that work Ini­quity, Mat. vii. 23.

BUT of a Truth, those that tru­ly believe in Christ, have chosen him to be to them a God, a Fa­ther, a Prince and Shepherd; a God to be feared, and to be honoured, and to be bowed before; and to give him the Glory, Reverence, and Obedience, and to love him with all the Heart, with all the Soul, and with all the Mind; for this is the greatest Commandment: There such a one can believe in the Lord, and trust in him, and depend upon his Mercies, that he will hear his Prayer in the Day of Distress, and keep him from the Hour of Temptation, which shall come upon all the World, to try them that dwell upon the Earth, Rev. iii. 10.

[Page 56]AND he is unto them a Father and takes Care of them, and [...] them to partake of all Things neces­sary for their Bodies, and Souls; and they, as obedient Children, do re­ceive those Mercies from his Hand with Humility and Thankfulness, accepting the same as Obligations upon them, to bless his great Name for all his Mercies.

HE is unto them a Prince to put on them the spiritual Armour, e­ven the Word of God, which is the Sword of the Spirit, the Shield of Faith, the Helmet of Salvation, that they may overcome the Devil, and all his Wiles. The Lord also goes with them to every Battle; and these by fighting under his Banner, do receive Faith, and Belief of their Conquest and eternal Reward.

THESE are Servants under their Master, earnestly purposing to be o­bedient and faithful in their Service to him, that he may order and go­vern [Page 57] [...] them, and put every one upon [...] appointed Business; and they keep their Places, they believe and depend upon their Lord, that he will plentifully reward them beyond their Deserts.

AND they take him to be their Shepherd, to hearken to his Voice and follow him, departing from all their carnal Desires, and choose to bear the Cross: For those that be­lieved in him, left all Things to fol­low him.

IS it not in vain for the ungodly Man to make mention of his Faith in Christ, and yet refuse Christ to be his Lord, and rebell daily against him, choosing to serve the Devil?

FOR Faith is wrought by Love, and Love by keeping God's Com­mandments: As Christ said, If ye love me, keep my Commandments: He that hath my Commandments, and keep­eth them, he it is that loveth me; and he that loveth me, shall be loved [Page 58] of my Father, and I will love [...] and I will manifest my self unto him If a Man love me, he will keep my Words, and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our Abode with him, John. xiv. 15, 21, 23. So all the Servants of Christ do love Christ, by keeping his Commandments; and he loveth them, and giveth them Faith, and Strength for a spiritual Armour, whereby they may withstand their carnal Desires, and the Temptations of S [...]nd.

BUT the Man that makes a Talk of his Faith, Belief and Chri­stianity, but does not come under the Law of the New Covenant, all is in vain to him; and as the Apostle saith, concerning those of the Cir­cumcision, how they were bound to keep the Law, but if thou be a Breaker of the Law, thy Circumcision is made Uncircumcision, Rom. ii. 25. So it may be said to the irreligious [Page 59] [...] if thou art a Transgressor of Christ's Law, thy Christianity is become Antichristian. Again, if the uncircumcis'd therefore keep the Righteousness of the Law, shall not his Uncircumcision be accounted for Circumcision.

SO the Nations who have had little, or no Knowledge by Read­ing, or Preaching, and yet know God writing his Law in their Hearts, and by the Assistance of his Grace, come to lead a godly Life, will not their Unchristianity be counted Christianity? But some Professors of Christianity will not grant that any can be Partakers of the Salvation which Christ hath prepared for them, but such as have heard of his Sufferings: How then came all People thro' all the Corners of the World, to be made Partakers of the Death which came by Adam, who never had any Knowledge of Adam, nor his Fall?

[Page 60]THE Serpentine Seed went [...] to bruise, and to wound; but the Seed of the Woman (even Jesus Christ) was given to heal, and re­lieve; and many were healed in for­mer Ages, before he appeared in the Flesh, and became Partakers of the Salvation which he prepared for them, thro' his Sufferings. Job knew that his Redeemer lived, and that he should stand at the latter Day upon the Earth, Job xix. 25. so he bemoaned himself in the Time of his Affliction, concerning the Days that were past, saying, Oh! that I were as in Months past, as in the Days when God pre­served me, when his Candle shined upon my Head, and when by his Light I walk­ed thro' Darkness. As I was in the Days of my Youth, when the Secret of God was upon my Tabernacle, when the Almighty was yet with me, Job. xxix. 2, 3, 4, 5. So Job had Faith in Christ, whom he knew to be his Redeemer, and a Light shining [Page 61] [...] him, to inlighten his Ways; at he might walk thro' Darkness, and also know him to be a Rock, which poured him out Rivers of Oil, Job, xxix. 6.

THIS is the Rock of Ages, of whom David spoke, O Lord, my Rock, and my Redeemer, Psal xix. 14. It was Abraham's great Joy, to see the Day of Christ, and he saw it, and was glad, John viii. 56. And of a Truth, the Godly in all Ages, and in every Corner of the World were and are made Partakers of Christ; for they are washed from their Sins, and do receive the Benefit of what he did for them, in that they witness him in themselves, to be a Light to enlighten their Paths; Life, to quicken their Souls; Grace, to teach them to live godly; and a Fountain of living Water, for the inward Man to drink, and to wash their Garments.

BY these Means, thousands were Christ [Page 62] made Partakers of the Benefit [...] Christ, and his Sufferings, and Re­demption, before he appeared in the Flesh, to perform what his Fa­ther had ordained him: That, is to offer himself a Sacrifice for all Man­kind, and to reveal his own spiri­tual Ministry the more clear, bright and shining, drawing it from under the Shadows and Types which fi­gured out his Coming, to set up the Law of the New Covenant, and to write it in the Hearts of People, and to teach them himself.

BUT it is true, that the same Light is to enlighten, the same Spi­rit to lead and to quicken them, the same Grace to teach them, the same Fountain to drink of, and the same Faith that Abraham (the Fa­ther of the faithful) had, which he received from God, for his Faith­fulness and Obedience, when he was yet uncircumcised. So Christ had Sheep in all Ages and Corners [Page 63] [...] the World, yet not gathered to the one Fold; nevertheless they knew Voice, leading them into the Waters here and there in the World, and they hear the Shepherd's Voice, leading them to be washed.

FOR John saw in Heaven a great Multitude which no Man could num­ber, of all Nations, Kindreds, People and Tongues, standing before the Throne, and before the Lamb, Cloathed, with white Robes, and Palms in their Hands, glorifying God and the Lamb, Rev. vii. 9. And one of the Elders said to John, these are they which came out of great Tribulation, and have washed their Robes, and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb; therefore are they before the Throne of God, and serve him Day and Night, in his Temple, and he that sitteth on the Throne, shall dwell among them, Ver. 13, 15.

LET us observe here the Reason, why these were come to obtain so [Page 64] high a Dignity, as to stand before the Throne; was it not because they had washed, and made white their Robes, in the Blood of the Lamb? For this Washing makes a Man a Christian; giving him a Part in Christ, and making him fit to praise God for ever. Therefore let every Soul be humbled before God, and put his Mouth in the Dust; let him lay aside all Presumption: See that thou art fearing God and eschew­ing Evil, and that thy Heart and Soul become subject to his Law, so that thou cannot commit Evil which displeases him and breaks the Peace of thy own Conscience: This was the Law that bound Joseph to be the Servant of God, and could not give way to gratify sinful Lusts, to do the Devil's Will, and offend his heavenly Father, when his Ma­ster's Wife upon all Occasions, im­portun'd him to lie with her, which Joseph look'd upon to be Death to his [Page 65] [...]: Therefore said, how can I do [...]his great Wickedness, and sin against God, Gen. xxxix. 9.

O, let us observe how much Jo­seph exceeded the Professors of Christianity in this Age? For many of them would be glad of such [...]n Opportunity to commit Evil, and to gratify their carnal Desires, with­out much Thought of the Soul; not Fear to offend the Almighty, (who daily feeds them with his many Mercies, by nourishing and preserving them.) But indeed the unregenerate State is the broad Way that leadeth to Destruction, let Peo­ple profess what they will: And as the Apostle said, Of a Truth, I per­ceive that God is no Respecter of Persons; but in every Nation, he that feareth him, and worketh Righteous­ness, is accepted with him, Act. x. [...]4, 35. So by the Means here be­fore mentioned, our Redemption comes to be compleat Salvation to [Page 66] us: This also is the Cup of Sal [...] ­tion which is offered; whosoev [...] drinketh not of this Cup cannot [...] healed; but the Man that hath these Things, hath Christ; and the same can truly say, I am my belo­v [...], and my beloved is mine.

CHAP. IV. Shewing a Remedy against SIN.

PURE and holy is the Almigh­ty God, who hath no Pleasure in Wickedness, neither shall Evil abide with him, who hateth all the Work­ers of Iniquity, Psal. v. 4. Who shall ascend into the Hill of the Lord and who shall sit in his holy [...] He that hath clean Hands and a Heart, Psal, xxiv. 3, 4.

[Page 67]THEREFORE he calls for Purity, Service and Obedience, from his Peo­ple; affording them Ability to per­form that which he requireth at their Hands; who is making his Children new Creatures, by purify­ing of them, and destroying in them the Work of the Enemy, which is Sin, even the only Cause of Sepa­ration between, Mankind and their Creator.

BUT there are many that love Sin, and delight to live in it, and do not seek Help from God to overcome it. Some others would fight with it in their own Strength, and [...] fail of overcoming it: Therefore the greatest Part fall into one Judg­ment; That there is no Victory to be had over Sin; but that the Saints and true People of God, must be Sinners all the Days of their Life: But this is no Evangelical Doctrine [...]ut the Evidence of Sinners: They [Page 68] likewise say that the best World of the Saints are Sin.

BUT it belongs to us here, in the first Place, seriously to consider what is Sin, and from what Root, Spirit and Nature it springs, and is brought forth. Must not Sin be some Evil? If it is not Evil, how can it be called Sin? But if it is an Evil, it must spring from an evil Root, Spirit and Nature, and is, in some Measure, the Fruits of the Devil's Kingdom, which are all un­acceptable to God.

WHAT then must we think of this Doctrine? To wit, that the best Works of the Saints and People of God, are Sin: By this their best Deeds must be evil; this is a Doctrine un­scriptural, sensual, dark and hurtful. They throw Dirt on the Gospel, to defile the Work of God, and the heavenly Fruits of his Kingdom, which sprung out thro' his Saints, Prophets and Apostles, and all the [Page 69] godly, and those that were grafted in the Vine, to wit, Christ, and their Words and Actions springing from the Root and Spirit of the divine Nature; so that their Waters were clean, issuing out of the Rock where there is no Impurity.

BUT it is possible they will con­fess, that the Words and Works of the Prophets, and Apostles, and ho­ly Men of old, did proceed from the Spirit of God, and Pure Root: And if they will acknowledge that, then I shall say, is not God the [...]ame to his People? Is not Christ the same, the Rock of Ages? The Wa­ter out of the Rock is the same; the Vine and the Sap thereof is the same; and the same Spirit to lead into all Truth, which is to be with the Followers of Christ to the End of the World: Also Christ's Sheep are the same, and the same Shepherd they follow: The same God [...]eacheth his People himself [Page 70] under the New Covenant, and is to be with them to the End; that they may know him from the least to the greatest, a God and Teacher to them, Jer. xxxi. 34.

THEREFORE I demand, how can the best Works of the Saints, be Sin, since they must spring out of the same Rock and same Fountain? But per­haps some may say, all the Things of God are good in themselves, but we are corrupt, and our Vessels turn the Taste of the good Things poured thereinto, and make them corrupt and sinful. This may be granted as to the old dirty Vessels, the unrege­nerated Men, who are yet in the State of Nature, without being born again; but Christ makes his Saints and Followers new Vessels, fit to re­ceive and keep the new Wine of the Kingdom of God; for, said he, No Man putteth new Wine into old Bot­tles, else the new Wine doth burst the Bottles, and the Wine is spilled, and [Page 71] the Bottles will be marred, but new Wine must be put into new Bottles, Mar. ii. 22.

BUT of a Truth, those that plead for Sin (which is the Devil's Ser­vice, and the Fruits of his Kingdom) must drop their Anchor in his Do­ctrine, which Doctrine hath dark­ned the Christian World, and made drunk the Inhabitants of the Earth, by making them believe that the Spirit of God, in these Days, doth not lead the Children of God, and that Christ is not in his Saints, nor have they his Spirit; and that it will not avail People to wait for the Know­ledge of Christ in themselves, a Life to quicken them, and a Light to enlighten them, a Leader to guide them into all Truth, nor a Fountain to wash and refresh the Souls; therefore here is no Help for People, but to live in Sin all the Days of their Lives.

THE End and Design of the De­vil, [Page 72] by this Doctrine or Sermon, i [...] to wash Christians away from on the Earth, and to shut out Christ and his Kingdom, and Reign, and Government, from amongst and out of the Hearts of People, that so he may set up himself, and establish his own dark Kingdom, Reign, and Go­vernment, in the Hearts of People. And indeed he has carry'd on his Work to a large Degree, in the Night of Darkness which he brought in over the Professors of Christia­nity, by making them Strangers to Christ and to his Work in their own Souls; teaching them to dig Wells for dead Waters; despising and neg­lecting the Fountain of living Wa­ters, and sowing among them all manner of false Doctrine; making them believe that they must serve him (that is, Satan) and live in Sin all the Days of their Lives, promi­sing them Heaven after Death.

SO some will alledge, that it is [Page 73] the Will of God that Sin remain in the Saints, to keep them humble: This is not only unscriptural, but clear contrary to the Nature of God, and against all good Reason; for Sin is the only thing that maketh Separation between Men and their Creator; and God, thro' all the Scripture, calls his People out of Sin, to Holiness, Perfection, Cleanness of Hands and Purity of Heart, that they may stand with him in his Holy Place.

SO the Nature of God is pure and holy, hating all manner of Ini­quity, Sin and Transgression, which cannot dwell with him, how then is it that God desireth that Sin should dwell with him in his Saints? Is it not the Will of God to sanctifie his People? 1 Thes. iv. 3. But the Will of the Devil is to keep People Sinners, whilst they are upon the Earth, for every Sin is some Degree of Service to him, and inclines to please him; [Page 74] and so far it is against God, and tends to make him angry and displeased. But is it not a great Mistake, that is, to take the Will of the Devil in­stead of the Will of God?

THESE do manifest themselves to be Strangers to God and his Di­vine Nature, who is of purer Eyes than to behold Iniquity; and where God dwells, his Presence is a Consu­ming-Fire to destroy all the Dross and Filth: For he sits as a Refiner of Silver in the Hearts of his Saints, to purify and to wash them from all Sin. And the Debate is not, That Sin is in me, or, that Sin is in thee, but the Cause of it is for want of Christ's having his perfect Work in us, whose Blood cleanseth from all Sin.

BUT where they say, It is necessa­ry for the Saints that Sin be in them, to keep them low and humble; This is but Ignorance: For it is contrary to all Reason that Sins make Peo­ple [Page 75] fit for the Kingdom of God; and it is a poor Defence to put one Sin to help out of another Sin. But surely it is the circumcising Spirit of Christ that teaches his People to deny themselves, and bear his Cross. And the nearer they are to the Spi­rit and Nature of Christ in them­selves, the more humble they are, the more mild, the lesser in their own sight to do any thing of them­selves; for they know it will not avail them to strive in their own strength against the Power of Ini­quity to break off their Sins, with­out they have Christ with them a present Help, and be cloathed with his Spirit and heavenly Armour, that they may withstand the Snares of the Devil.

AND as they are taught by Christ, who said, Take my Yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in Heart, and ye shall [...]nd Rest to your Souls; Mat. xi. 29. so he teacheth [Page 76] his Followers to walk humbly, de­nying themselves, making them lit­tle and low in their own Eyes: But Sin and Satan make or teach People to be proud, high and lofty in their own sight, great and better than any body else.

AGAIN, where they say, The Saints and true Children and People of God daily sin, in Thought, Word and Deed; it would be well for such to consider what Hope, what Promises, what Security they have that they are God's Children, further than that they presume to call themselves so. How can these think they love God, or gain his Love to their Souls, while they are daily sinning against him, in Thought, Word and Deed? For where Sin daily breaks out in Word and Deed, that Man always serves the Devil, and he cannot love God, nor keep his Commandments, because none can serve God and Mammon. Christ said, If ye love [Page 77] me, keep my Commandments: He that hath my Commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me; and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest my self to him, Joh. xiv. 15, 21.

WE see here the Mark which Christ put on his Sheep: So it is Life Eternal to know him and hear his Voice, follow him, love him and keep his Commandments; and the Man that comes to know these Things to be carried on in his Heart, he comes to have Assurance of his Inheritance. Was not this the Hope the Saints had in the pri­mitive Church, as John the belo­ved Disciple said, Hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his Commandments: He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his Com­mandments, is a Lyar, and the Truth is not in him; But whoso keepeth his Word, in him verily is the Word of God perfected; hereby know we that [Page 78] we are in him, 1 Joh. ii. 3, 4, 5. But how can a Man think he is in God, or the Love of God in him, or that he is his Child or Servant, while he serveth Satan (the Enemy of Christ, and the Enemy of all Good) and sinneth daily against the Lord in Thought, Word and Deed?

AND Christ said again, If a Man love me, he will keep my Words, and my Father will love him; We will come unto him and will make our Abode with him, Joh. xiv. 23. We see here from the Truth's own Mouth, that those who love him must keep his Word and Commandments. Then there is a comfortable Pro­mise to such an One, that he shall obtain the Love of God to him, and that God and Christ will come to abide with him in his Heart; and when the Father and the Son come to dwell in the Heart of the True Christian, how can the Devil have Room there? He must turn out, be­cause [Page 79] a stronger than he hath taken Possession, and is come to govern the Heart.

THEN the Child of God comes to be led by the Spirit of God, who leads none to do Evil, nor to sin against him, but guides them into all Truth, setting them at Liberty from being Servants to Sin, Joh. viii. 32. Therefore they know they are of God, because he hath given them of his Spirit, that works Hatred in them against all manner of Wick­ednedness (which is the Work of Satan) and teaches them to love God, and love one another, and desire the Good of all, engaging them to serve their heavenly Fa­ther, and keep his Commandments. Therefore the Apostle said, He that keepeth his Commandments, dwelleth in him: And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us, 1 Joh. iii. 24. So the true Children of God that are born [Page 80] of his Spirit, he abideth in them and they in him; that is, in his Spi­rit, in his Grace, in the undefiled Condition and pure Nature of his heavenly Father.

AND while the true Christian remains in this Spiritual State, his Words and Actions are begotten in that good Condition and Nature, and are carried forth by the Lead­ings of God's Spirit, and of a Truth, none of these are Sin, but these are the good Fruits which every good Tree and every Branch of the Vine are to bear, under the Pain of being cut off; for a good Tree cannot bring forth evil Fruit, neither can a corrupt Tree bring forth good Fruit. Either make the Tree good, and his Fruit good, or else make the Tree corrupt, and his Fruit corrupt, for the Tree is known by its Fruit, Mat. vii. 18. xii. 33. Therefore God's Trees (that is his Children) bear good Fruit.

[Page 81]WHAT then? Is not here a fit Place for the Reader to enquire, Do not God's Children Sin at all? or doth he cut them off when they sin? Indeed it must be granted that the Children sometimes do sin, and their Father doth not cast them a­way: For to sin at sometimes up­on Provocation, which comes sur­prisingly, and to an unsavoury Pur­pose suddenly breaking out in Word, or Action, this displeases the Father, and wounds their own Conditions: But these are not the Children's best Works, but their worst Works; and indeed there is great Difference between this, and sinning daily, in Thought, Word, and Action, and that their best Works are Sin.

FOR where are those Children, tho' they dwell in their Father's House, and in his Service, but at some Time, and in some Things, they displease their Father, and re­ceive the Reproof of Instruction to [Page 82] make them the more careful not to do so again: So the Children of God learn daily of God, and they grow in Grace, Knowledge, and spiritual Gifts, and they go further and further from Sin, and nearer and nearer unto God, by witnes­sing the Blood of Jesus Christ the Son, to cleanse them from all Sin.

BUT such as do plead, and hold that the best Works of the Saints are Sin, they endeavour to come to the Scriptures to verifie their Doc­trine by bringing the Words of the Prophet Isaiah when he was praying for the Sons of Israel; and as it is common, when God's Ser­vants are praying for the Congre­gation to put themselves with them in interceding for them, tho' they are yet Sinners; or as those People were, when they had departed from the Lord: Therefore he complain­ed, We are all as an unclean Thing, and all our Righteousnesses are as fil­thy [Page 83] Rags, and we all do fade as a Leaf, and our Iniquities like the Wind have taken us away, Isa. lx 4.6. See here how these were fallen, and their Iniquities had carried them away from the Lord. There is none that calleth upon thy Name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee; for thou hast hid thy Face from us, and hast consumed us because of our Iniquities, Ver. 7.

SO their Sins displeased God, and made him hide his Face from them and their Righteousnesses, which were as filthy as Rags; and the Lord was weary with them, such were their Offerings, and Sacrifices, their New Moons and Sabbaths, their appointed Feasts and outward Ce­remonies, by which they thought that they pleased the Lord, heap­ing unto themselves Offerings with­out Obedience, upon which he would not look, but rather weary of bearing them, and complaining [Page 84] against them, as may be seen by the same Prophet, saying, To what Purpose is the Multitude of your Sa­crifices unto me, saith the Lord, I am full of the Burnt-Offerings of Rams, and the Fat of fed Beasts, and I de­light not in the Blood of Bullocks, or of Lambs, or of He Goats: When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your Hand, to tread my Courts? Bring no more vain Oblations; Incense is an Abomination unto me, the New Moons and Sab­baths, the calling of Assemblies I can­not away with; it is Iniquity, even the Solemn Meeting. Your New-Moons and your appointed Feasts my Soul hateth; they are a Trouble un­to me, I am weary to bear them: And when ye spread forth your Hands, I will hide mine Eyes from you; yea, when you make many Prayers, I will not hear, your Hands are full of Blood, Isa. i. 11, 12, 15, 14, 15.

[Page 85]ARE not these the Righteous­nesses which were, and are in the Sight of the Lord, as filthy Rags, abominable and unsavoury, upon whom he does not look? Those People intended to please the Lord with their Traditions and outward Ceremonies, which they accounted Service to him, and their Duties to perform: But because they were a sinful Generation, a People laden with Iniquities, and had backslidden, and refused the Lord, and grieved the holy One of Israel; therefore the Lord did not look favourably upon, nor ac­cept of their Offerings, but rather hated them, and was weary to bear them.

AND tho' these were their best Works, and the Righteousnesses which they trusted in, yet none of them were acceptable with God: Therefore he hid his Face from [Page 86] those People, for that their Iniqui­ties had carried them away from him, to rebel against him, and to displease him daily; so when they prayed much, he did not hearken unto them; for their Hearts were evil, and their Hands full of Blood: But what are these Righteousnesses to be likened to the Righteousness of Christ, who justifies his Follow­ers under the New Covenant, by washing, cleansing, purifying and sanctifying of them, by his Grace and Spirit, and fitting them to serve God in Newness of Life? Also what are the best Works of the Children of the New Birth, Sheep and Lambs of Christ, Branches of the true Vine, which Bears Spiritual Fruit, spring­ing from the sweet Root, pure and uncorrupted, such as Christ by his Spirit, leads into all Truth?

BUT they have another Objecti­on, which they think is strong, and [Page 87] impossible to answer, and that from the Words of the Apostle John, who spoke the most, and the clearest of all the Saints (whose Testimonies we have) against Sin, If we say that we have no Sin, we deceive our selves, and the Truth is not in us, 1 John i. 8. But what of that? did not the Apostle in this Place, put himself among others, even all those who had received the Christian Faith? And it is very possible that divers of them were young, and weak, and did not know their Sins, or were not come to acknowledge them: Therefore he said, If we con­fess our Sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our Sins, and to cleanse us from all Unrighteousness, 1 John i. 9.

SO the Design of the Apostle was to bring them to confess their Sins by Repentance, that the Lord might forgive them, and cleanse them there-from, and not live [Page 88] therein all their Days; as he said before, If we walk in the Light, as he is in the Light, we have Fellow­ship one with another, and the Blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all Sin, Ver. 7. So he was for having them washed, cleansed, purify'd, and sanctify'd. Therefore I cannot see any Reason to grant John the beloved Disciple himself to be a Sinner, any more than James was a Curser, notwith­standing he did put himself among others when he spoke concerning the Tongue, Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we Men, which are made after the Similitude of God: Out of the same Mouth proceedeth Blessings and Cur­sings, Jam. iii. 9, 10. My Brethren, these Things ought not so to be.

THEREFORE who can think otherwise, but James was clear of that Sin which he was judging in his Brethren? And without Doubt [Page 89] John was washed and cleansed from his Sins, tho' they, unto whom he wrote, were not then throughly purged, some in a large Degree cleansed, others in a less Measure, some being young and weak, be­ginning their Pilgrimage; therefore he said, the Blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us. So he goes on in the second Chapter, My lit­tle Children, these Things write I unto you, that ye sin not: And if a­ny one sin, we have advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, 1 John ii. 1.

WE may see here what wrong Use People make of John's Words, that he wrote to his Friends, to perswade them against Sinning, which these take for an Occasion to live in Sin, and plead for it; but if any thro' Temptation sinned, he shewed them the Help and Preser­vation which they might have; even to walk in the Light, that [Page 90] the Blood of Jesus Christ might cleanse them from all Sin: So he goes on, Whosoever committeth Sin, transgresseth also the Law; for Sin is the Transgression of the Law, 1 John iii. 4. By this it is plain; and who can deny that Sin breaks the Law of God, that he writes in the Hearts of his People? which every true Christian is bound to keep, and perform, under the Pe­nalty of being cut off.

AND ye know, that he was mani­fested to take away our Sins, and in him is no Sin, Ver. 5. So that this is the End of Christ's Appearance in the Flesh, and also by his Spirit in the Hearts of his People, even to take away their Sins, and deliver them there-from, and to make them in their Measures to be like himself in whom there is no Sin.

AGAIN, Whosoever abideth in him, sinneth not; whosoever sinneth, hath not seen him, neither known him, [Page 91] Ver. 6. That is, whilst a Man a­bides in the Spirit of Christ, even in the good Condition and Nature, he sinneth not; but those that are contenting themselves to abide dai­ly in Sin, these do not know nor come unto him who is to wash them: O little Children, let no Man deceive you; He that doth Righteous­ness is righteous, even as he is righ­teous, Ver. 7. He that committeth Sin is of the Devil, for the Devil sin­neth from the Beginning. For this Purpose the Son of God was manife­sted, that he might destroy the works of the Devil, Ver. 8.

SO as Satan sinneth daily from his Beginning to his End, and the People that do so, they are like him, to whom they are Servants and Subjects; but the Work of Christ is to destroy his Works, and to set People free from his Prisons and Servitude. Whosoever is born of God, doth not commit Sin, for his Seed re­maineth [Page 92] in him, and he cannot sin be­cause he is born of God, Ver. 9.

SO every true Christian is in some Measure born of God, and the Seed or God remains in him, and he in God; and whilst a Man remain­eth in him, he cannot sin, as Christ himself saith, He that doth Truth, co­meth to the Light, that his Deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God, Joh. iii. 21. And the Works that are wrought in God, they are all pure; for no Evil can be brought forth in him; therefore a Christian in the Spirit, and in the Power and Nature of God, cannot sin.

BUT inasmuch as there are many of several different Opinions, and all Societies in general conclude them­selves the true Church, and every body else in Darkness and Error; and that the Ordinances and Tradi­tions of [their] Church only, is the true Service and Duties which please God, therefore they are ready to say, [Page 93] Because we the Saints an [...] People of God do fail of getting Victory over Sin, it is vain for all others to speak of Perfection.

AND some are so bold and shameless as to say, None were ever perfect upon Earth. These do in­considerately give God the Lie, who said concerning Job, That he was a perfect Man. And if Job was per­fect, as without doubt he was, and divers others before Christ came in the Flesh, how much more there­fore doth the God of Heaven call for and expect Perfection under the New Covenant, when he po [...]s forth of his Spirit more plentifully into the Hearts of his People, and writes his Law there.

HOW then is Perfection become impossible under the new Covenant? Shall we say that Christ lays upon his Followers Burthens impossible for them to bear, who said, My Yoke is easy, and my Burden is light, Mat. [Page 94] xi. 30. So he commanded them, Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Fa­ther which is in Heaven is perfect, Mat. v. 48. So that Perfection is possible for the Children of God to attain in this Life, Because greater is he that is in them, than he that is in the World, 1 Joh. iv. 4.

GREATER and stronger is the Power of God, who helps his Chil­dren and People to overcome all Sin and Iniquity, and to give them A­bility to follow and serve him in Obedience, Perfection, Sanctification and Cleanness of Hands, than is the Power of the Devil, who leads and brings his Followers into Sin and Iniquity.

BUT People, by pleading for Sin, that they must remain in it, (which is the Enemy's Work, and the Flesh's Lust, whereby they rebel against God, and sin against their own Souls) they clearly deny the Cove­nant which they came under at [Page 95] their Baptism; where the Man promiseth to deny the Devil and all his Works, the Pomps and Vanity of this wicked World, and all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh, and keep God's holy Will and Command­ments, and walk in the same all the Days of his Life.

IS not this the highest De [...] of Perfection that any speak of? And for the Confirmation of the Matter, the Man says, [...] Help I will do so: Thr [...] [...] it is possible for thee [...] that it is impossble: But [...] thy Faith now fail, and [...] of gaining the Battle against [...] Enemy of thy Soul come [...] End? Art thou doubting [...] cannot help thee to keep his Com­mandments, and to deny the De­vil and thy worldly L [...]sts? Indeed the ten [...] and merciful Father puts no Commandments nor Burdens up­on his children, or Servants but [Page 96] what they can easily perform by taking his Help, for he will do the Work in them, which they cannot do, nor any other but he alone.

DOST thou not say in thy Ca­techism, that the inward Spiritual Grace is a Death unto Sin, and a new Birth unto Righteousness? O that People would keep to the true Prin­ciples, and earnestly seek Grace from God to break off, and slay their Sins. But because the Professors in this Age do not know Christ thro' the Sp [...] of his Grace, and divine Au­ [...] to sit upon his Throne in their Hearts, to judge Sin to Death, there­fore Flesh sits on the Judgment. Seat, and saves Sin, and pleads for it.

BUT when Man comes to heark­en to his Conscience, he will feel that Sin breaks his Peace [...] same Witness is within [...] of him, that [...] God is able to help [...] [Page 97] and Wickedness: This good Belief the Poet had, who said by Way of Prayer,

SO this Man believed, if he had God's Grace to help him, it was [Page 98] possible for him to overcome Sin, and forbear committing Iniquity a­gain; and likewise he could do no­thing of himself but backslide daily, unless the Lord would deliver him out of all Wickedness.

BUT there are some People that seem Religious by setting themselves at Work to lop the Tree of Iniquity, endeavouring to cut away the Bran­ches as they grow; This is the hopeless Labour and Striving which they esteem profitable for them to be at all their Days, and leave the Tree alive, and to bear Branches, that they may be daily employed to lop them.

WHAT then? Do they think if the Tree dies, that they have no more to do towards the Work of their Salvation? But of a Truth, the Salvation of the Soul is to know the inward spiritual Grace to mor­tify the Tree, by killing the Root of it, so that there may be Room [Page 99] for the Tree of Life, even the Truth, Christ within, to grow in the Soul, and to bring forth his own good Fruits.

THEREFORE let every true. Christian lay down his own Axe, and pray to God for Grace to mor­tify and slay all his sinful Lusts, and to give him Victory over the De­vil and all his Temptations, Sin and iniquity; but I believe that some People have sought Help from God against all Iniquity and sinful Lusts, and that he heard them, and di­stributed unto them a Measure of his Grace and Spirit, so that their Words and Actions, in Degree, sprung from the Spirit of God, and from a good State and Condition.

BUT for all That, their Principles oblige them to account all their Actions (let them be bad or good) altogether Sin; and in that they wrong the Lord, and injure them­selves; because their Rudiments do [Page 100] not allow them to make a Differ­ence between Bad and Good, and become as the Mouth of the Lord: For when a Child of God offends, he soon knows Chastiseme it from his Father, as a Cloud coming over him, with Guilt and Trouble, be­cause his Father hides his Face; but when he does well, his Father smiles upon him, rewarding him with Consolation and Joy, and speaking Peace to him; so the Child knows, that it was not Sin he com­mitted at that time.

CHAP. V. Concerning BAPTISM.

CHRIST said to Nicodemus▪ Verily, verily, I say unto thee▪ Except a Man be born again, he can­not [Page 101] see the Kingdom of Heaven; for God is a Spirit, therefore the Children of God must be born of the Spirit; That which is born of the Flesh is Flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit, is Spirit; Marvel not that I say unto thee, Ye must be born again, Joh. iii. 3, 6, 7,

BUT this is the Birth, which People, in a State of Nature, can­not know, or comprehend no more than Nicodemus, until the Lord be­gins to work in their own Souls: For by Spiritual Means God works the New Birth in the Hearts of his People. Yea, as he is the eternal Word, so he is as a Fire and a Ham­mer to break and open the hard Hearts, and molify them. He is also the Fountain of living Waters which People reject: And the Ver­tue of that Water is to wash and to heal.

BUT th [...]se Things the Natural Man cannot comprehend, because [Page 102] they are spiritually discerned. And Flesh has no Room to set it self at Work. Therefore unconverted Peo­ple must have all Things carnal and outward, that Flesh and Blood may comprehend them, and, with Con­jectures and human Reason, debate and labour in them.

BUT the Lord, in Condescension to his own People, the Children of Israel, delivered to them divers Or­dinances and Usages, to wit, Wash­ings, Purification, Offerings and Sa­crifices, which were outward Things, to signify the Substance which was to be revealed in the Fulness of Times. And those Shadows and Signs were to remain and stand un­til the Time of Restoration; that is, till Christ came to set up a more substantial and spiritual Ministry and Worship: And their Washings went under the Name of Baptism.

BUT next after all those Signs and Shadows, the Lord, for prepa­ring [Page 103] the Way to Christ, sent John to baptize the People in Jordan, confessing their Sins; and then John said, I indeed baptize you with Water unto Repentance, but he that cometh after me, is mightier than I, whose Shoes I am not worthy to bear, he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with Fire, Mat. iii. 11.

SO there was a Difference be­tween the Baptism of Christ, and the Baptism of John, because they were not of one Nature nor of one Matter: For the one baptized with outward Water, and the other bap­tized with the Holy Ghost and with spiritual Fire; the one washed the Body, the other washed the Soul. So Christ commanded his Disciples, that they should not depart from Jeru­salem, but wait for the Promise of the Father, which, said he, ye have heard of me: For John truly baptized with Water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many Days hence, Acts i. 4, 5.

[Page 104]THESE two Testimonies do well agree with each other, and both make the Baptism of Christ, and the Baptism of John, to be two Baptisms. The Baptism of John was an outward Shadow signifying, but the Baptism of Christ was the Substance, and saving. The Bap­tism of John and his Ministry stood only in Force at the Time when Christ walked upon the Earth; therefore Christ went to his Bap­tism for the Fulfilling of his Mini­stry: But John endeavoured to hin­der him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering, said unto him▪ Suffer it to be so now; for thus it becometh us to fulfil all Righteous­ness. Then John suffered him, Mat. iii. 14, 15.

AND as John and his Ministry and Baptism was to decrease, and pass by, so Christ and his Baptism and Ministry was to increase, and [Page 105] to be set up and stand to the End. So that the Baptism of Christ was the only Baptism which did, and doth deliver and save the Souls; therefore the Apostle said, One Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, Eph. iv. 5. And since there was but one Bap­tism to remain, no more than but one Lord and one Faith and one God, doubtless it is, that Christ's Baptism was that one Baptism.

BUT Jesus suffered his Disciples to baptize with Water, to accom­plish John's Administration, until the Time came to baptize with the Holy Spirit; and as the Disciples loved John, and esteemed his Ad­ministration, and being natural to it by the Jewish Ordinances, so they made Use thereof in their Freedom among those that believed; but they knew it was not the Baptism of the Holy Ghost, as Peter obser­ved, when he preached at the House of Cornelius, And the Holy Ghost fell [Page 106] upon the People, saying, then remem­bred I the Word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with Water, but ye shall he baptized with the Holy Ghost, Acts xi. 16.

BUT when Darkness came in a­mongst the Christians, and they lost Sight of Christ within, and the Baptism of the Holy Ghost, then there was Nothing but extolling the Sign instead of the Substance, and set it up as the Horn of Salvation, and give it a great Name in the Church, accounting it to be the Means by which a Man is made Christian. But some use the Way of Water-Baptism as the Apostles did, without depending thereon, but to fulfil it, because they think it their incumbent Duty: I do not judge such.

BUT the Hurt is, when People set up some outward Tradition de­pending upon it for Salvation, their Zeal goes much for it, and the [Page 107] more their Zeal is, the more they make it their Idol, and then they cannot bear so much as to ask from whence it came, what Scripture is for it: There is in this dark Zeal, Gall, Blood and Revenge; and such Zeal as this has been the Cause for the Martyrs of Jesus frequently to lose their Blood; because the Message of the Ambassadors which God sent was to bear Testimony a­gainst all Manner of Idols.

AND when Chrifstians came to be fully perswaded, that Water-Bap­tism was necessary to Salvation, they judged it needful to baptize little Children, lest they should die be­fore they had Baptism, and be damn­ed; but when they saw it was hurt­ful for some little Children to be dipt over Head in Water, then they invented another Way to baptize, which is corrupt and unscrip­tural.

AND altlho' the Protestants have [Page 108] testify'd that Water-Baptism was not necessary to Salvation, and as the friendly and considerate People of the Church of England will ac­knowledge, that Water-Baptism does Nothing for the Soul, yet the same, in the like corrupt Way, has crept in among them from the Church of Rome so far, that the dark Peo­ple among the Protestants are of the same Tone as the Papists, Oh! Oh! the holy Baptism: Oh! make the Man a Christian; so that when a Child is born into the World, they must make haste to go with him (as they say) to make him a Chriftian.

NOW therefore, O thou inconsi­derate Man, canst thou bear us to take a View of, and handle this Matter a little, to see if there is Life in it, and how far it is agree­able with the Scriptures. They say, that Christ ordained two Sacra­ments in his Church, when we do [Page 109] not read that Christ ever spoke of a Sacrament; nor is there any such Word as Sacrament in all the Scrip­ture: But they will say, the Thing does not consist in the Name, but what we mean by this Sacrament is Baptism; what then? Is this Way of Baptism which we now speak of more agreeable to the Scriptures than the Word Sacrament? That is not yet made out.

AGAIN, they will say, we are all by Nature born Children of Wrath, and by Baptism are made Children of Grace: I utterly deny, that little Children new-born, are Children of Wrath; and also, that, by such Baptism (which we are now speaking of) any are made Chil­dren of Grace. Are not new-born Children without Sin? Truly before Sin came, God looked on all that he had made, and the same was good in his Sight: But they say, when Adam transgressed, he brought [Page 110] in Sin upon all his Offspring, and they are Partakers of his Transgression, and that the Children of Adam are by Nature become Sinners. That is granted; but that they are born Children of Wrath, and that God imputeth Sin to them before they do sin, That is deny'd

FOR the Apostle said, Where no Law is, there is no Transgression, Rom. iv. 15. Since that the States of new-born Children do not ap­prehend, nor can they reach to come at any Law; therefore Iniquity is not laid to their Charge; For Sin is not imputed, where there is no Law, Rom. v. 13. So where there is nei­ther Transgression nor Sin, how can we think there is Damnation? But those that hold forth the Dam­nation of little Children, they ima­gine they have a Foundation for it from the Words of the Prophet, who said, I was shapen in Iniquity, and in Sin did my Mother conceive [Page 111] me, Psal. li. 5. Is not this Sin ra­ther to be imputed to the Parents than the Child? For he doth not say, my Mother conceived me a Sinner, but in Sin did my Mother conceive me.

AND the Scripture saith, The Soul that sinneth, it shall Die: The Son shall not bear the Iniquity of the Father, neither shall the Father bear the Ini­quity of the Son, Ezek. xviii. 20. But for the Iniquity the Man him­self commits, he shall die. O, I would think that Christ's own Words are sufficient to give Satisfaction to every considerate and impartial Man, and put this Controversy out of all Doubt, who extolled the State of little Children, saying to his Disci­ples, Except ye be converted, and be­come as little Children, ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, Mat. xviii. 3, 4, 10.

WE may see here, how Christ owns the States of little Children [Page 112] above the States of his Disciples, when they inquired who should be the greatest in the Kingdom of Hea­en, And he having called unto him a little Child, and setting him in the Midst of them, he further said, who­soever therefore shall humble himself as this little' Child, the same is the great­est in the Kingdom of Heaven; take Heed that ye despise not one of these little Ones; for I say unto you, that in Heaven their Angels do always behold the Face of my Father which is in Heaven. Here is the Judgment of the King, who knows better than Men, who is fit to enter into his Kingdom.

HE also is the Door of the Sheep, and he knoweth his own, and those that go in by him: If any be so ignorant to think, that those Children whom Christ so much owned, were baptized, there was no bapti [...]ing of little Children in those Times; and there is no Cause [Page 113] to think, that the Condition of lit­tle Children is worse now, than in those Times: So the Command of Christ was, Take Heed, that ye de­spise not one of these little Ones, whose Angels behold God's Face.

BUT dark People take little No­tice of what Christ said; but the Rudiments which they have receiv­ed by Tradition, from the Leaders of their Churches, those they be­lieve, and will have to be Truth: Therefore they are not afraid to disesteem the State of little Chil­dren, who are newly come into the World, from under the Hand of their perfect Creator, who made all Things good, and according to his own Pleasure; but they reckon the Child a Jew, or some unaccep­table Stranger, 'till they go with him to the Priest, to be made (as they judge) a Christian, and accep­table.

[Page 114]AND if the Child dies before he be baptized, they deem it not fit to bury him like a Christian, af­ter the Order of the Church; but when the Child hath been under the Priest's Hands, if he happens to die before he sinneth, there is no Doubt of his Salvation: What then shall be thought of these Things? Did not God know how, or was he not able to make the Child according to his own Mind? But the Priest does know how, and is able to make him according to the Lord's Mind; so that it is Time to go with the Child to the Priest, where Sureties must be had, to en­gage for him: First, That he should deny the Devil, and all his Works, the Pomp and Vanity of this wicked World, and all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh. Secondly, That he should be­lieve all the Points of the Christian Faith. Thirdly, That he should keep the blessed Will of God, and hi [...] [Page 115] Commandment's, and walk in the same all the Days of his Life.

AND altho' they themselves judge, that they are not able to perform these Promises, yet it is easy to get those Sureties; but if they were to be bound by Promises concerning Things of this World, they would take more Care before they become engaged, how they might perform their Promises.

SO after having a little Water, the Priest goes and prays to God, that he would sanctify that Water, so that it may wash away Sin; then the sinful Man goes to wash the innocent from his Sins: But what is this good for? There is no Reason, nor Scripture, nor any Proof, but Part of the dead Traditions of the Romish Church, for such a Thing.

THEN the Priest calls the Peo­ple to be Witnesses how that the [...]ame Child is made a new Crea­ [...]re, and that he is grafted into [Page 116] the Body of the Church of Christ, and so gives Thanks to God for the Child, that he is born again by the Holy Ghost, and received to be his own Child by Adoption; and then they profess, that the Child from henceforth, is made a Member of Christ, a Child of God, and an Inheritor of the Kingdom of Heaven.

BUT this is a great Work, if it were but done indeed, where there is a Necessity for a Change, and Newness of Life: But this may be allow'd, to wit, that the Child at first, is a Member of Christ, a Child of God, and an Inheritor of the Kingdom of Heaven, and that he is yet no worse, nor in a State to be made better: But if neither the Peo­ple, nor the Priest know no better than these Things, the Lord enlight­en them.

BUT I do believe, there are ma­ny of them know, that all this is but the Use, Custom and Tradition [Page 117] of the Church, and therefore they do judge it a Duty upon them to perform: But the Traditions and outward Customs become corrupt in the Using, as the Apostle Paul said to the Colossians, Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the Ru­diments of the World, why, as tho' living in the World, are ye subject to Ordinances (which all are to perish with the Using) after the Command­ments and Doctrines of Men? which Things have indeed a Shew of Wis­dom in Will-Worship, Col. ii. 20.22, 23.

WHAT then? Is not this Way of baptizing little Children not on­ly corrupt with the Using, but also formed in the Dark, and set up af­ter the Commandments and Doct­rines of Men, and carried on in Will­Worship, after the Ordinances and Rudiments of this World, and not after Christ?

[Page 118]NOW therefore shall we consider a little, what Necessity there is for outward Water in the Baptism? But those that are for John's Baptism, they have Need of Water to dip the People; but as many as come to Christ to be baptized by him, he baptizeth with the Holy Ghost: For the Baptism of Christ is the Bap­tism of the Holy Ghost, which is the Substance: but the Baptism of John (to wit, Water-Baptism) was the Figure or Shadow thereof.

BUT there are many in these Days that would tie the Baptism of Christ and John's Baptism together, and make them one Baptism, say­ing, the outward Water, which is the Shadow, is one Part, and the spiri­tual. Grace within, is the other Part, which is knit to it. Is not this Way cunningly devised to beguile the ig­norant or the Salvation or their Souls? For it must be believed, if they but [Page 119] receive, or have the Shadow, they also have the Substance, even the Baptism of the Holy Ghost, tho' they know not how, but only believe they are knit together.

SO of a Truth, all this is but to please the Flesh and self-End of Man, who hath been asserting, that he had a Part in Christ, tho' he lived in the Flesh, where none can please God, and in such Pomp wherein he cannot receive the Spirit of Truth: And where they say, that the Sub­stance is tied to the Shadow; The Face of the present World is as Clouds of Witnesses to the contrary, seeing that the Life and Conversation of Thousands of those who profess Christ, and have been baptized with Water, are worse than the Lives and Conversations of Turks, Indians or Pagans, who were not baptized with Water.

BY which we may see, that the ungodly and irreligious Professors [Page 120] have not yet been baptized into the Baptism of Christ, which is the Bap­tism o [...] the Holy Ghost, that clean­seth from dead Works, and makes Man a new Creature, to live a god­ly Life; whereby it is evident enough that the Baptism of the Holy Ghost, and the Baptism of Water are two distinct Things.

SO that it is possible for a natu­ral Man to be baptized with Water, and know Nothing of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit: But the Follow­ers of Christ are baptized by him with the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, without elementary Water; and yet some will say, that the Baptism of John was to follow the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, because the Apostles baptized with Water, and that Christ had given it them in Command.

THAT the Apostles baptized with Water is granted: But that Christ gave it them in Command, is nor yet made out: But they are [Page 121] ready to say, hath not Christ com­manded his Apostles? Go ye there­fore teach all Nations, baptizing them into the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, Mat. xxviii. 19. But I would think, that in as much as there is no Mention of Water, we have Room to exa­mine what one did Christ command? Was it his own Baptism, which was the Baptism of the Holy Ghost, or was it the Baptism of John, which was Water Baptism?

AND in as much as, then was the very Time, wherein the spiri­tual Ministry of Christ was to be set up in Authority, being taken from under the Shadows and Signs; and that to baptize with the Holy Ghost, was the Work of Christ, and that he at that Time was to pour forth of his Spirit on his Ministers, to send them on his own Work: What Reason therefore will tell us, that he set his Ministers upon John's [Page 122] Works (which was not but an out­ward Shadow passing by) instead of sending them on his own spiritual Work, after he had filled them with his Spirit, and cloathed them with Power from on High, fit for per­forming that spiritual Work?

BUT the Opposer will say, It was the Work of Christ only to baptize with the Spirit, and the Apostles could not do it, because they were but Men. It is true enough that it is the Work of Christ to baptize with the Holy Spirit: What then? was it impossible for Christ's Ser­vants to do any of his Works, not­withstanding they received of the Spirit of Christ, even the Holy Ghost which did baptize? But with­out Doubt the Servants of Christ did his Work, by his being co­working with them; for when they taught and preached where the Lord had sent them, they were Instru­ments in his Hand to do a great [Page 123] Work; that is, to turn People from Darkness to Light, and from the Power of Satan unto God, thro' his Co-working to open the Hearts of People.

AND for this End Paul was sent, and not to baptize with Water: As we read when the Lord was con­verting and calling him, he said un­to him, Rise, and stand upon thy Feet; for I have appeared unto thee for this Purpose, to make thee a Minister and a Witness both of these Things which thou hast seen, and of those Things in the which I will appear unto thee, delivering thee from the People, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, to open their Eyes, and to turn them from Darkness to Light, and from the Power of Satan unto God, that they may receive Forgiveness of Sins, and Inheritance among them which are sanctified by Faith which is in me, Acts xxvi. 16, 17, 18.

LET us therefore see the great [Page 124] Work which Paul was sent to labour in, which was the Work of the Sal­vation of the Souls of People, and the thing he was employed about, even to turn them from Darkness to Light, and from the Power of Satan unto God, to obtain Forgiveness of Sins, and a Portion amongst those that are sanctified. Here is the Work of the New Birth, even Christ's Work up­on the Souls of Men: Here also is the Baptism of the Holy Ghost.

AND as the Apostle Paul was an Instrument in the Hand of the Lord, sent upon this Work; so by preaching of the true Gospel he per­formed the Commandment, by bap­tizing them into the Name of the Father, who is the strong Tower, and turning them unto him who is the Light; and baptizing them into the Name of the Son, who is the Rock of Ages, Jesus the Saviour, Christ the Anointed, the Fountain of Living Waters; which Water doth [Page 125] wash away Sin and Iniquity, that they may receive Forgiveness of Sins; by baptizing them into the Name of the Holy Ghost, who sanctifieth and giveth them Faith in Christ Jesus.

SO Paul taught the Gentiles, and they were baptized with the Holy Ghost under his Testimony. After this manner was the Commandment fulfill'd, Go teach all Nations, bapti­zing them into the Name of the Fa­ther, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost. And this Apostle that was sent to turn the Nations, was not sent to baptize with Water, as he himself testified when he saw that the Co­rinthians were corrupted, by making a wrong Use of Water-Baptism, and that Contentions were among them; and, as it may be supposed, some said, I am owned by the Man that baptized me, and, I am owned by the Man that baptized me; which gave the Apostle Occasion to say, I thank God that I baptized none of you, but [Page 126] Crispus and Gaius, lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own Name; and I baptized also the Hou­shold of Stephanus, besides, I know not whether I baptized any other; for Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the Gospel, 1 Cor. i. 14, 15, 16, 17.

AND in as much as this was the Apostle that was most absolutely sent to teach and convert the Nations, and was not sent to baptize with Water; and that Commandment said, Go ye, and teach all Nations, bap­tizing them into the Name of the Fa­ther, Son, and Holy Ghost, therefore it was not outward Water that was here commanded to go with the Testimonies of the Apostles, but the Living Water and Eternal Word, which is the Sword of the Spirit that is as a Fire, and as a Hammer to break in pieces the hard Hearts.

THUS Life and Virtue went a­long with their Preachings: There­fore [Page 127] whether God works upon the Hearts of People by Instruments, or without Instruments, the Work is the Lord's. And sush as know his Work to be carried on in their own Souls, they see no Necessity for Signs and Shadows, that were to pass a­way, or do perish with the Using. So that God's Work upon the Soul of Man is the Baptism of the Holy Ghost, which makes a Man a true Christian.

CHAP. VI. Concerning the Communi­on, or Nourishment of the Soul.

FORASMUCH as the Work of God upon the Souls of Men, is [Page 128] the Work of Regeneration, and it belongs to every Birth to have Nou­rishment suitable to its Condition and Nature, so it belongs to the Children of the New Birth, that are born of the Spirit, to have Spiritual Food to nourish their Souls, as the natural Body is fed with outward Food: This spiritual Food the Chil­dren of Adam in the Fall, cannot know or apprehend, nor be Parta­kers of, till the Lord, in some Mea­sure, lays hold on their Hearts, and enlightens them, and lets them see their Conditions, and makes them sensible of the Necessity and Want of their Souls, and lets a Man see how he is gone from home, as the Prodigal Son, into a far Country, a Stranger to his Father's House, where is Bread enough, and he ready to die for Hunger: Then the poor Soul, having a Sight of his Condition, cries for his Father's House; because he is got into a Belief, that there is [Page 129] B [...]ead enough to feed his hungry S [...]ul [...]est he should die for ever.

SO the Soul that comes to hun­ger and thirst after Righteousness, the Promise is, That such shall be fil­led, Mat. v. 6. For the Lord prepares pleasant Dainties for the Poor in Spi­rit that turns to him with his whole Heart, and waits upon him in Truth. So when a Man comes to witness these Things, he is in some Degree to be counted a Child of the New-Birth, because he cries for Food, and Food belongs to him; and he is ready to open unto Christ, who knocks at the Door, saying, If any Man hear my Voice, and open the Door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me, Rev. iii. 20.

SO that Christ is ready to com­municate, and the hungry Soul rea­dy to receive Nourishment: And this is the Supper which gives Life, Nutriment and Growth to the Souls of the Children of the New Birth: [Page 130] Therefore what sort of Suppers so­ever Men may make without Open­ing unto Christ, and receiving him into their Hearts to sup with them, their Supper is not Christ's Supper, nor of any Benefit to their Souls; for He is the Bread of Life which comes down from Heaven, and gives Life to the World, John vi. 33.

THIS is the Food which God communicates to his Children, who are born of the immortal Seed, thro' his Word, and have received the Holy Ghost to lead them into all Truth; which consolates, and makes glad, and gives Nourishment and Increase, to the afflicted and return­ing Souls. Therefore those that have opened their Hearts, and re­ceived Christ to take Possession, and govern in them with Power, such as these come to be graffed into the true Vine, and their Souls are fed with the Fruit of the Vine, which is the same thing as the Bread of Life, [Page 131] which cometh down from Heaven, that he who eateth thereof may live for ever, John vi. 51.

THE Fruit of this Vine is also the Spiritual Wine, and Living Wa­ter, or Heavenly Blood, which the Branches drink of, so that the Spi­ritual Birth may grow and increase, by feeding upon Christ, and dwel­ling in him, who said, My Flesh is Meat indeed, and my Blood is Drink indeed; He that eateth my Flesh, and drinketh my Blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him, John vi. 55, 56.

LET us see here, Those that are feed on Christ, they dwell in him, and he in them. Not in his Body, but in his Spirit, and his Spirit in them; and the Unity and Commu­nion between Christ, and his Fol­lowers, not in outward Things, as he said to his Disciples, who were offended at the hearing of spiritual Things; but he interpreted it to them, It is the Spirit that quickneth, [Page 132] the Flesh profiteth nothing; the Words that I speak unto you, they are Spirit, and they are Life, John vi. 63. So they that dwell in the Vine, the Fruit and Virtue of the Vine is Life and Support to them.

SO he likewise said, as the liv­ing Father sent me, and I live by the Father, So he that eateth me, even he shall live by me: And as the earthly Part nourisheth it self on earthly Food, outward and perishing, so the spiritual Part is fed with spi­ritual Food, even the hidden Manna, invisible and eternal; and such as feed upon it, know where they ob­tain it; not in any Thing that is outward, but in a spiritual Fellow­ship with the Father, and with the Son Jesus Christ, knowing their Sa­viour to be their Shepherd, to lead them into the fruitful Pastures, by the still Waters, out of the World in themselves, and out of all carnal [Page 133] Reasonings, and Conjectures of Flesh and Blood.

HE is also the daily Bread which is a Support to the true Christian, and the living Soul cannot be one Day without it, but he will feel a Hunger, and it is not enough for him to receive outward Bread and Wine once a Year, instead of Life to his Soul, and spiritual Food, which comes down from Heaven, Day by Day, to the hungry and thirsty [...]ouls of those that wait upon him: So the poor in Spirit secretly receives it, when there is none but he and the Lord.

BUT such as spend their Mo­ney for that which is not Bread, and their Labour for that which satisfi­eth not, they come to the Priest, to eat every one a Bit of Bread that perisheth, and every one a Sup of Wine, and their Principles oblige them to believe, that by taking so much, their Souls are fed, tho' they know not how. Oh, how easily do [Page 134] People suffer themselves to be deceiv­ed concerning their Souls eternal Life, which is to know the Father and the Son to dwell in the Heart, and to have gained the Man to love God, so as to be his Meat and Drink to do his Will!

FOR to do the Will of God is the only Thing that makes up the Peace, and works the Unity and Communion between the true Chri­stian and Christ the beloved of his Soul, So they that are joined to the Lord are one Spirit, 1 Cor. vi. 17. And this is the Communion which makes the Saints to be one Bread, and one Body, by being Partakers of that one Bread, 1 Cor. x. 17. which the eating of Bread and Wine cannot do: For People eat it before they go to spill one another's Blood.

SO also great has been the Strifes and going into Parties, which broke out into Malice and Revenge, Wars, and spilling of Blood, amongst Pro­fessors [Page 135] of Christianity, about the Bread and Wine, how to order it, and when to take it. Here was the cunning Device of Satan, even to drive People to kill one another, a­bout a dead Tradition; for thereby, he drew them further and further from God, into his own dark King­dom, alienating them more and more from the Life and Substance, even the Bread from Heaven, which giveth Life to the World, John vi. 33.

BUT the wife Men hunting af­ter Opinions concerning these dead Things, and never could agree, be­cause they were Strangers to the Spirit and heavenly Life; They judge, that by receiving the Bread and Wine, they must eat the Flesh of Christ corporally, even he that was born of Mary, and suffered up­on the Cross, and was raised again, and ascended into Heaven, to sit on the right Hand of Majesty.

[Page 136]BUT as to that, they broke out into three Opinions. The first is, that of the Papist, who say concer­ning the Bread and Wine; that after the Priest consecrates them (as they call it) the same is no more Bread nor Wine, but the Flesh and Blood of Christ, in the Substance, which was crucified by the Jews. Here is a grievous Error; Men ta­king upon them to make Christ cor­porally upon Earth, out of corrupti­ble Matter, and give People the same to eat for their Money, [See R. B. 498.]

THE Second Opinion is, that of the Lutherans, who say, That the Substance of the Bread remains after it is consecrated, but that also that Body is in the Bread, and with it, or under it; so that there is the Substance of the Bread, and the Flesh and Blood of Christ are mix'd together, to be given the People to eat for their Money. The Difference here is, That the First take upon [Page 137] them to make Christ bodily upon Earth, out of Bread and Wine, that is perishable; the others take upon them to bring him down from Heaven to be mix'd with the Bread and Wine.

THE Third Opinion is that of the Calvinists, who deny both the the former, saying, That Christ is not corporally in the Bread and Wine: But yet the Faithful receive him by taking of the Bread and Wine; But how, or which Way he is there, they know not, nor can they tell, but only we must believe he is there, yet so that it is properly in Heaven, [R. B. p. 498.] But of a Truth, tho' this Opinion may in some Things be born with, yet it is very uncertain: It is nothing; but we must believe.

AND if we must believe that our Souls are fed with the Bread of Life, and that we are Partakers of Christ's Supper, tho' we do not know him come into our Hearts, to [Page 138] sup with us, and we to sup with him, this is the Way for us to de­ceive ourselves. This is also a Sign of Death: For the living Souls know, like David, when they receive the Joy of their Salvation, and when the Lord by his free Spirit upholds them, and their Souls are by the Holy Ghost comforted, and they can set their Seal to the Words or the Apo­stle, Do not err, my beloved Brethren; Every good Gift, and every perfect Gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of Lights, with whom is no Variableness neither Shadow of Turning, Jam. i. 16, 17.

BUT in the Night of Darkness, where Satan wrought amongst the Professors of Christianity, his Work and Cunning hath been, and is, to deceive People, and set them at Work to deceive one another, to the End and Purpose to keep them in Ignorance, and wholly Strangers to the true Shepherd, who gives enternal [Page 139] Life to his own Sheep, who know and follow him.

WHEN he was, with his Disci­ples, eating that Supper, or the last Passover before he was betray'd, he said unto them, With Desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof until it be fulfilled in the Kingdom of God, Luke xxii. 15, 16. The Fulfilling of that Passover, and that which it sig­nified, together with other Signs, was the Coming of the Kingdom of God, that is, God to dwell in his People, to teach them himself. For the Kingdom of God is within, and Christ within, a Comforter, supping with, and nourishing the Souls of the Children of the New Birth.

AND when he took the Cup and gave Thanks, he said, Take this and divide it among your selves; for I say unto you, I will not drink of the Fruit of the Vine until the Kingdom [Page 140] of God shall come, Luke xxii. 17, 18. And the Kingdom of God is not [...] and Drink, but Righteousness, and Peace, and Joy in the Holy God, Rom. xiv. 17. And he took the Bread, and gave Thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my Body which is given for you, this do in Remembrance of me, Luke xxii. 19.

CHRIST by doing this, was shewing his Disciples that he was going to give his Body to suffer for them, and that they when they did eat and drink, were to remember him. And the Apostle Paul said farther, Do this as often as ye do it in Remembrance of me; for as often as ye eat this Bread, and drink this Cup, ye do shew the Lord's Death till he come, 1 Cor. xi. 26.

SO all that can be gathered from these Things, is that when the Disci­ples should come together to break Bread, they were to think of, and remember Christ and his Death, and [Page 141] his Departure from them that Night, and this in Reverence to his Name, until the Kingdom of God came to be enlarged in their Hearts, and the King to sit in his Kingdom, after a spritual Manner, to sup, and give himself to be Life and Nourishment to their Souls.

WE read also concerning the A­postles, how they continued daily with one Accord in the Temple, and breaking Bread from House to House, eating their Meat with Gladness and Singleness of Heart; and they eat in a religious Way, having made a joint Preparation for coming to eat together; and this did signify their Unity and Love one to another: They also did eat to satisfy their bodily Wants; what then? Did not the Apostles, when they came together in that Love and Unity find the Lord near unto them, to comfort them, and make them [...]ejoice, and edify their Souls? Yet [Page 142] it was not in the Meat that they found the Lord, but in their draw­ing near in their Spirits to his Spi­rit, and to one another in his Love.

THIS Way of Tradition was soon corrupted in the Use of it by Men, as may be seen in the Church of Cor [...]nth, where the Apostle com­plains against them, When they came together to eat that Supper which they called the Lord's Supper, instead of per­forming it unto the Lord in an accepta­ble Manner, they were in Danger of eating and drinking Damnation to themselves, 1 Cor. xi 17, 29.

SO they that met together for the worse, did not attain to the Knowledge of the spiritual and in­visible Food, which comes from Heaven, to renew and comfort the Souls of the Saints, in their Meet­ings together; neither did they ac­complish that Supper outwardly, but in a corrupt Manner: And as Cor­ruption came into the Churches, the [Page 143] People went more and more after out­ward Traditions, making of them more and more corrupt, by setting them up instead of the Substance, and instead of the Kingdom of God; the Coming of which was to put an End to them.

CHAP. VII. Concerning Reprobation.

THE Mercy of God Almighty hath been, and is in a great and large Measure extended towards the Children of Men, by sending his Mes­sengers to offer unto them Covenants of Peace, tho' they daily rebel against him: And the Message which he did put into the Mouth of his Prophet was, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no Pleasure in the Death of the [Page 144] Wicked, but that the Wicked turn from his Way and live; Turn ye, turn ye from your Evil Ways, for why will ye die, O House of Israel, Ezek. xxxiii. 11. For God so loved the World, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting Life. For God sent not his Son into the World to condemn the World, but that the World thro' him might be saved, John iii. 16, 17.

SO the Apostles had received the Ministry of Reconciliation, testifying that God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself, not imputing their Trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the Word of Recon­ciliation: Now then we are Ambassa­dors for Christ, as tho' God did beseech you by us, we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God, 2 Cor. v. 19, 20.

BUT contrary to these Things, there are some hold forth, That God [Page 145] ordained the most Part of Mankind to Damnation, and the other Part to Salvation, even from the Begin­ning, or before the Creation; so that there is no Possibility for any one of them to be lost, that are so se­cured, nor any one of those that are so lost, shall ever be saved.

IF this were true, it would over­turn all the Promises and Covenants of Peace which God sent his Messen­gers to publish throughout all the Scriptures, and would deny the Re­conciliation, which God offers unto the World thro' Christ: This inti­mates also, that God hath not sent his Son into the World, to save the World, but to damn it.

THIS also renders God unmer­ciful, (whose Mercies excel all his Works) if he ordained the most Part of Mankind to be damned, not giv­ing them one Talent, nor any Grace, nor Day of Visitation; but ordained them to Sin, and work all Unrighte­ousness, [Page 146] that he may punish them eternally for doing that which he had ordained them to do: By this there is no Room to extend Mercy to the greatest Part of Mankind.

THIS is contrary to all the Pro­mises, Invitations and Counsel [...] which the Scriptures are full of from the Beginning to the End, by calling People to be converted and return to God from their evil Ways, and that under sure Promises, that a Door is opened for them in Christ their Redeemer, who died for all: But they say, Christ died not but for the Elect, that is, those few that were ordained to be saved from the Beginning.

THIS contradicts the Scriptures, which declare, that Christ died for every one, as may be seen, to wit, that God will have all Men to be saved, and to come unto the Know­ledge of the Truth. For there is one God, and one Mediator between God [Page 147] and Men, the Man Christ Jesus: Who gave himself a Ransom for all, to be testified in due Time, whereunto I am (said Paul) ordained a Preacher, and an Apostle, 1 Tim. ii. 4, 5, 6, 7.

SO the same Apostle saith, that Christ died for all, and tasted Death for every Man, Heb. ii. 9. And is the Propitiation for our Sins, and not for ours only, but also for the Sins of the whole World, 1 Joh. ii. 2. So like­wise, the Angel proclaimed to the Shepherds, the Coming of Christ to be good Tidings of great Joy, which shall be to all People; and there was with the Angel a Multitude of the heavenly Host, praising God, and say­ing, Glory to God in the highest, and on Earth Pence, good Will towards Men, Luke ii. 10, 13, 14.

AND truly, my Paper is too short to contain but few of the many Calls and Invitations, which God tenders to Sinners, Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, [Page 148] and I will give you Rest, Mat. xi. 28. This is the Message which God doth and did in all Ages, send his Mini­sters upon, to call Sinners to be re­conciled to him, thro' Christ, who is the Light, which lighteth every one that cometh into the World, and tasted Death for every Man, and he was given to be a Light to the Gentiles, and Salvation to the Ends of the Earth.

HERE is the Door of Salvation opened to all Mankind; those who ask, and seek, and knock, they shall come in, and be received with Joy: Also the Grace of God, which bring­eth Salvation, hath appeared unto all Men.

BY these Things we may be­lieve, that a Day of Visitation from God, thro' his Grace and Light, is ordained to all Mankind upon the Face of the whole Earth: For there is no Man so far in any Corner of the World, but God is near unto [Page 149] him, if he will seek him: And where is there any Sinner that knows not, at Times, Reprovings from the Light in his own Heart and Conscience, calling for Repentance and Amend­ment of Life, assuring Peace to him, if he will do Good, and likewise threatning some Punishment for his Wickedness?

YEA, whilst the Light shines, and Grace appears, and God by his Spi­rit strives with the Sinner, it i [...] possi­ble he may be saved, and that by the Lord, and thro' his great Mer­cy: For Grace and Light is all-suffi­cient to save and deliver every Man that yields Obedience thereunto, whatever outward Knowledge he wants, The Grace that bringeth Sal­vation teacheth every Man his whole Duty, Tit. ii. 12. For by Grace are ye saved, Eph. ii. 8. Also the Light, which is Christ, lightneth every one that cometh into the World, as he himself said, I am the Light of the [Page 150] World: He that followeth me shall not walk in Darkness, but shall have the Light of Life, Joh. viii. 12. He is all-sufficient to lead into Salvation every one that hearkneth to him while he knocks, and those that turn at his Reproof, he promised to give them of his Spirit, and make known his Words unto them.

BUT those that reject these Visi­tations, the Lord leaveth them, and their Blood is upon their own Heads. Because I have called, (said Wisdom) and ye refused, I have stretched out my Hand, and no Man regarded, Prov. i. 24. Therefore the Lord gives up Sinners to take their own Ways; then the Day of their Visitation passeth over their Heads, and the Lord leaves them, and so there is none that will deliver them in the Day of Distress.

THIS is agreeable to the Words of the Apostle Paul, in the Place where those that plead for Repro­bation would fasten Something, What [Page 151] if God, willing to shew his Wrath, and make his Power known, endured with much Long-suffering, the Vessels of Wrath fitted to Destruction? Rom. ix. 22. The Word (Long-suffering)shews that they had a Day of Visitation, but they rejected it; wherefore Christ wept over Jerusalem, saying, that she was to be destroyed, and laid even with the Ground, because (said he) thou knewest not the Time of thy Visi­tation, Luke xix. 44.

THEREFORE Man's Destruc­tion is of himself, but his Salvation is from the Lord: In Christ does the Election stand, and such as are graf­fed in the Vine, and overcome the World, and Satan and his Temptations, they shall eat of the hidden Manna, and a white Stone shall be given them, and in the Stone a New Name written, which no Man knoweth saving he that receiveth it, Rev. ii. 17. Here is the heavenly Inscription, and the Names of the Elect, which are written in the [Page 152] Lamb's Book of Life, Rev. xxi. 27.

ARE not People presumptuous and selfish? Nothing takes more Hold on them than what they received from their own Church by Tradition, let it be as erroneous as may be; they will have it to be a Gospel Truth, let God, Christ and the Scripture say what they will; but the Thing said by the Churchmen and Society, which the Man owns he will believe and follow, and judge it erroneous in all others, if they believe not the same Things, as may be seen by divers wrong Rudiments, which crept in amongst Christians in the Night of Obscurity, when the Church went into the Wilderness, and the false Church, even the Whore Babylon, sat upon the People.

SO in this Case, God saith, I have no Pleasure in the Death of him that dieth, Ez. xviii. 32. But these Men say, that God hath willed and or­dained [Page 153] the greatest Part of Mankind to sin and die for ever. God calls the wicked, saying, Turn ye, turn ye, why will ye die, return therefore and live, Ezek. xliii. 11. But they say, that God holds the Wicked under his Order of Reprobation, that they can do no less than sin to their Dam­nation.

THE Apostle saith, God will have all Men to be saved, and come to the Knowledge of the Truth, 1 Tim. ii. 4. But they say, God would have, yea, he willed and made the most Part to Destruction, and that he witholdeth from them all true Knowledge, and all Means of Salvation, so that they may not lay hold thereon.

IF I were to go on after this Man­ner, I might gather a great Part of the Scriptures to shew how opposite this Doctrine is against God, against his Mercies and Love and Good Will towards all Mankind; it is also [Page 154] against Christ, by making his Coming his Death and Redemption unprofi­table to the greatest Part of Mankind, but rather adds to their Damnation.

THIS denies the Reconciliation, which God offers to the World, thro' Christ: It denies the Gospel, which is glad Tidings of great Joy to all People: It makes Men of Opinion, that it is in vain to ask, to seek and knock, in Contradiction to the Words of Christ, when he preached to the Multitude, Mat. vii. 7, 8.

THESE also say, that Sin cannot be a Means to lose any of those that are elected, and that the Reprobate cannot do any Thing that may be a Means to save them: By this it is in vain for Man to mention Religion. Oh! how cross this is to the Words of the Lord, by his Prophet in the Chap­ter before mentioned, from the Begin­ning to the End, Behold, all Souls are mine, the Soul that sinneth, it shall die: The Righteousness of the Righteous [Page 155] shall be upon him, Ez. xviii. 4. See from the twentieth Verse to the End of the Chapter close to the same Purpose; and also in Chap. xxxiii. from the Eleventh Verse to the Nine­teenth, where it plainly appears, that Sin separates between People and their Creator, and their Return to him makes the Reconciliation.

LET it be our Belief therefore, that it is possible for the ungodly Man, thro' Mercy, to return unto the Lord, whilst he calls, invites and presseth, shewing forth his Hands, and knocking at the Door of the Heart. Here is the Law that was given to Ca [...]n in the Morning of the Creation, If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? And if thou doest not well, Sin lieth at the Door, Gen. iv, 7. These Terms follow thro' the Scriptures, from the Beginning to the End. The Spirit and the Bride say, come: And let him that heareth say, come. And let him that is at [...], [Page 156] come. And whosoever will, let him take the Water of Life freely, Rev. xxii. 17.

THEREFORE let us trust in the Lord, and believe his Promises, hope in his Mercies, depend upon Christ and his Offering, who hath redeemed us, and paid the Ransom for us, by giving himself a Propitia­tion for the Sins of the whole World; also let us yield Obedience to the Grace and Light which is given us, for a Manifestation to lead us into that Salvation which he hath pre­pared for us by redeeming us.

FURTHERMORE these hold forth, that the Lord ordained Adam to fall, and it is he that drives and causeth the Wicked to sin, and keeps them in their Sins, that he may have just Cause to punish them eternally for their Sins, and also that God or­dained all Things that come to pass.

WE may here see, that these make God the Author of all Wickedness [Page 157] and also more unjust, cruel and un­merciful than the cruellest of Men as ever we heard of: For where is, or has been any King or Prince, who would bind his People with Chains of Iron in dark Prisons, before they did any Thing to displease him, and there keep them, under such Locks and Bolts, that it would never be possible for them to come forth, yet come at Times, and call them into the Field to work his Harvest, and because they come not forth, then chastise them with the most cruel Punishment? O, who would impute this to God, who is slow to Anger, and great in his Mercy, and repent­eth of the Evil.

Where then does this errone­ous Doctrine allow the Devil to have any Hand in the Destruction of Peo­ple, seeing that he cannot deceive, nor gain any, but such as God hath ordained and prepared for him? what shall we say to this? Did not Peter [Page 158] know what he said, or was the De­vil foolish and mad, who was so bu­sy like a roaring Lyon, walking about, seeking whom he might devour, 1 Pet. v. 8.

BUT Satan, no doubt, is well assu­red that God does not make People on Purpose for him; and that he has none, but such as he catches in his Snares and Netts, by his Deceit and Baits; he is the Enemy of Men, and the Enemy of Truth; he sow'd the Tares in the Field; he deceives and corrupts People, making them Chil­dren of the wicked one, as Christ said, But the Tares are the Children of the Wicked One. The Enemy who sow'd them is the Devil, Mat. xiii. 38, 39. This Enemy deceived Peo­ple at first, to sin against the Will of God, and his Commandments, and he works in the Children of Dis­obedience, and holds Sinners Cap­tive at his Will, in his dark Prisons.

BUT Christ was sent by the Fa­ther, [Page 159] and anointed to preach good Ti­dings unto the meek, to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim Liberty to the Captives, and the opening of the Prison to them that are bound, Isa. lxi. 1. Luke iv. 18. Satan is gone out to deceive the Nations, which are in the Four Corners of the Earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to Battle, the Number of whom is as the Sand of the Sea, Rev. xx. 8. But Christ was given for a Light to the Gentiles, and Salvation to the Ends of the Earth, Isa. xlix. 6. to open the blind Eyes, to bring out the Prisoners from the Prison, and them that sit in Darkness out of the Prison-House, Isa. xlii. 7. to reconcile God and Men, to destroy the Works of the Devil, which made the Separation.

THIS is the general Salvation, which Christ hath purchased to all Mankind, by his own precious Blood, and the Help which he gave them, [...]hen he promised, that the Seed [Page 160] of the Woman should bruise the Ser­pent's Head, and as the deadly Wound came by the Sin and Diso­bedience of Adam, and over-ran the whole and every Part of the World; so thro' Christ and his Sacrifice, who was ordained to die from the Be­ginning of the Creation, he is the Physician that was given to heal the Wound so far as it's gone.

TO the eternal God, whose Mer­cies are over all his Works, be Ho­nour and Obedience, Reverence and Glory, who is worthy for ever and for evermore.

THERE is another Branch of the same Doctrine, where they say, that those who once receive Grace from God, it is impossible for them ever to fall from Grace, or lose their Salvation.

THIS is likewise contrary to the fore-mentioned Scriptures, where i [...] is said at large, that when the Righ­teous turneth away from his Righ­teousness, [Page 161] and committeth Iniquity, his Righteousness shall be no more remembred to him, but for the Sin he hath committed, he shall die: Also Christ himself saith, That he is the true Vine, and his Father is the Husbandman, every Branch in him that beareth not Fruit, he taketh away, Joh. xv. 1, 2. And says Christ, If a Man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a Branch, and is withered; and Men gather them, and cast them into the Fire, and they an burned, Ver. 6.

SO it is possible that Branches once graffed in the Vine, may be cut off, because of Unfaithfulness: This is likewise truly answerable to the A­postle's Words, when he was wri­ting to those whom he accounted the Elect, and were graffed into the true Vine; he warns them saying, Behold the Goodness and Severity of God: On them which fell, Severity: But towards thee, Goodness, if thou continue in his [Page 162] Goodness: Otherwise thou also shalt be cut off, Rom. xi. 22.

THIS runs agreeable with the Stream of Scriptures, to warn the Chri­stia [...] to keep on his Watch, lest in any wise, as the Serpent beguiled Eve, he himself might be deceived: for the same Apostle saith, For it is impos­sible for those who were once enlightned, and have tasted of the heavenly Gift, and were made Partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good Word of God, and the Powers of the World to come, if they shall fall away, to re­new them again unto Repentance, see­ing they crucifie to themselves the Son of God afresh, Heb. vi. 4, 5, 6. See Chap. x. 26.

THEREFORE he admonish­eth the Saints among the Galatians, saying, Stand fast therefore in the Li­berty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and he not entangled with the Yoke of Bondage, Gal. v. 1. And the Apostle Peter fully testifies to the [Page 163] same Purpose, 2 Pet. ii. 20, 21, 22 I do not see any great Occasion to collect many Scriptures to prove that it is possible for People to slip and fall away from a State of Grace, and after they are washed, to wallow in the Mire, in as much as I know not where any Scripture saith or verifies that the same is impossible.

FOR some of the Angels fell, hav­ing left their Habitation. Adam fell, and many Thousands of the Pilgrims fell into the Snares of Satan, after they had the Knowledge of the Spi­rit of God to lead and enlighten them, 2 Pet. ii. 4. Jud. i. 6. This is a Warning for all God's Servants to be careful, faithful and watchful, lest when their Lord cometh, he find them asleep, and their Work un­done.

CHAP. VIII. Concerning Persecution.

OF a Truth, great is the Myste­ry of Ungodliness, which hath wrought, and is working in the Darkness of Men's Hearts, in all A­ges of the World, the old Satan, the crafty and dark Spirit which work­eth in the Night, turning many Vine­yards which God had planted, to bear sour Grapes: And he began to work in the Church in the Morn­ing of Christianity, appearing like an Angel of Light: And as Christ sent his Apostles, so Satan likewise sent Apostles, who transformed them­selves to be Apostles of Christ, and Ministers of Righteousness; yet for all that, God carried on his Work, [Page 165] and the true Church and Ministers prospered and Christians multiplyed.

THEREFORE the Devil en­vied, and appeared again in his own Colour, a devouring Lyon, and entred into the Heart of Nero, to persecute and imprison, to kill, to burn and stone the Lambs and Sheep of Christ; and for all this, the Blood of the Christians was the Seed of the Church; tho' many were mar­tyred, yet the Christians multiply­ed; so there followed Ten heavy Persecutions under the Pagan Roman Emperors, and yet they encreased in Number.

BUT the Way Satan overcame most, was by cooling of Love, and suffering People to receive a Profes­sion of Christ and Christianity, and from Age to Age Darkness thickned, Iniquity increased, Schisms and Con­ventions coming in; less of the Spi­rit and of the Grace, and of divine [...]spiration; but Ordinances and [Page 166] Customs were more and more set up, and more Stress laid upon them, and then fell out concerning them, how to use and order them; some would have one Way, and some a­nother Way; then they broke out into Forks and Branches, in divers Schisms and Opinions, destructive He­resies, Fighting and spilling one ano­thers Blood, persecuting and killing Christians about Religion.

HERE Satan got the Victory, by making Christendom Darkness and a Wilderness, and the Church a false Church, that is, a Whore to sit in Authority upon People, and Mul­titudes, and Nations and Tongues; she also sat upon the Beast having Heads and Horns, that is the earth­ly Power, which was an Enemy to the true Church, And the Woman was aray'd in Purple and scarlet Colour, and decked with Gold and pre­cious Stones and Pearls, having a gol­den Cup in her Hand, full of Abomina­tions [Page 167] and Filthiness of her Fornica­tion, Rev. xvii. 3, 4.

THUS the Whore was decked with outward Traditions and Cust­oms and Church Ordinances, be­ing transformed gloriously in the View of the People upon whom she sat, and deceiving them, hold­ing forth a golden Cup, that is, a Profession of Christianity, and eve­ry false Appearance, Deceit and Dissimulation, but all Filthiness within; and yet John saw upon her Forehead a Name written, Mystery Babylon the great, the Mother of Har­lots, and Abominations of the Earth; and he saw the Woman drunken with the Blood of the Saints, and with the Blood of the Martyrs of Jesus, and he wondred with great Admiration, Rev. xvii. 5, 6.

THE Spirit of Enmity, which was in the Pagans in persecuting Christ and his Church, entred in­ [...] the People that held a Profession [Page 168] of Christianity; so the Church of Rome became bloody and persecu­ting, to kill, to burn, and to mar­tyr them whom the Lord sent unto them, or raised amongst them, to bear Testimony against their Corrup­tion, evil Conversations and Super­stitions.

AFTER they had thus left the Truth, and lost Sight of Christ, who was the Head of the true Church, and Governour in his Saints and Followers, the Bishop of Rome was set up to be Head of the false Church, and then it was not what Christ said was to be taken Notice of, but what the Pope and the Church said; the Lord of the Harvest said to his Servants, pull not the Tares, let them grow together with the Wheat until the Time of Harvest: But the Pope and the Whore, who call the Wheat (to wit the Children of Grace) Tares, say, pull them all up, so Sa­tan [Page 169] would root up Truth and pure Religion from among Men.

THE Spirit of Persecution is a dark, angry, revengeful and Un­christian Spirit, in what Man or Peo­ple soever it appears; it is an Enemy to Truth, and of that stubborn cur­sed Nature, which began to appear in the Time of Cain: And that great City, to wit Babylon, began to lay her Foundation in the Hearts of Peo­ple in the Morning of the Creation; for it was said of her, that in her was found the Blood of the Pro­phets and Saints, and of all that were slain upon the Earth.

SO the evil Spirit and Nature were the Cause of killing of the Prophets, and of persecuting the Righteous in every Age; for there was, and is an Enmity in the Ser­pentine Spirit against Christ and his Saints: So the Lord sent his Mes­sengers as Lambs amongst Wolves to be persecuted and brought before [Page 170] Judgment-Seats to be killed, to be martyred for his Name-sake, whom the World hated.

THEREFORE the Devil, the old Enemy of all Good, moves his Servants to persecute the Innocent; and it belongs to Persecutors to have two Things to fit them for Persecu­tion; their Eyes must be hoodwink'd with thick Darkness, so that they may not see what they are doing; for Christ said to his Disciples They shall put you out of the Synagogues, yea the Time cometh, that whosoever kil­leth you will think that he doth God Service, Joh. xvi. 2. It belongs to them also to have their Consciences seared with a hot Iron, lest she should grieve and bleed when they kill and butcher the innocent Lambs.

BUT in this Blindness and Cru­elty, the Persecutors consult toge­ther; come, we the Lambs and Sheep of Christ, let us destroy the Wolves. Where did we hear that Sheep kil­led Wolves? There is neither Scrip­ture, [Page 171] Example nor Reason that will tell us any such Thing; but Persecutors shew themselves to be Wolves, and those they persecute to be the Martyrs of Jesus.

SO Blindness, Ignorance, Cruel­ty, Malice, Envy and Hatred of all Goodness will sit Judges in Babylon's Trib [...]nals, when the Followers of Jesus are judged to suffer for his Name: and in these Courts it is to no Purpose to ask, what Evil hath this Pilgrim committed? But away with such a one, hang, burn, crucifie him! This was the Treatment Christ himself had in the Babylonish Tribunal; it was in vain for Pilate in his own Court to argue for Jesus; their Com­plaint against him was, that he per­verted the People, and was teaching thro' all Judea, therefore they would have him crucified.

BUT Pilate said, I find no Fault in this Man, and argued again, that he had examined him. And Herod [Page 172] having examined him, and had found no Fault in him, nor any Thing wor­thy of Death, he would therefore cha­stize him, and let him go: Then the whole Multitude cryed out at once, away with this Man, and release un­to us Barrabas, who for Murder was east into Prison: Pilate therefore wil­ling to release Jesus, spoke again to them; but they cryed out, saying, cru­cifie, crucifie him: but Pilate reason­ed saying, why, what Evil hath he done? I have found no Cause of Death in him, I will therefore chastize him, and let him go: And they were in­stant with loud Cries, requiring that he might be crucified, and the Voices of them and of the High-Priests pre­vailed, Luk. xxiii.

THIS is the Treatment the Ma­ster had, who left Footsteps for his Saints and Martyrs, shewing them divine and evangelical Examples, how to follow him thro' Persecution, by demonstrating his Doctrine and [Page 173] pure Nature in his Sufferings, who said, Love your Enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which de­spitefully use you, and persecute you, Mat. v. 44.

SO when he was led to be cru­cified, and his cruel Enemies drove Nails thro' his Flesh, he pitied them: Here is the heavenly Nature that is in the Lamb, and the Evangeli­cal Spirit, which he makes his Fol­lowers Partakers of in their Suffe­rings; Then he prayed for them, say­ing, O God forgive them; for they know not what they do.

AND the first that followed his Ma­ster in Martyrdom was Stephen, who had received of the same Spirit, Grace and Vertue, to fit him to suffer for his Testimony. When the People were cruel and devilish, stoning him to Death, he kneeled down, and cryed with a loud Voice, Lord lay not this Sin to their Charge, Act. vii. 60. [Page 174] This is that Evangelical, mer­ciful and forgiving Nature, which hateth none, envieth none, nor de­sires the Harm of any, but the good of every one. The Testimony of God's Messengers in all Ages, was the Truth; and for declaring the Truth, they were hated and perse­cuted.

MICAIAH for telling the Truth, was put in Prison, to be fed with the Bread of Affliction, and with the Wa­ter of Affliction, 1 King. xxii. 27. Jeremiah for speaking the Truth, was cast into the deep Dungeon, Jer. xxxviii. 6. It was for declaring the Truth, that the Followers of Jesus were ha­ted and persecuted by the cruel Spi­rit in all Ages of the World: It was in vain for the Christians in the pri­mitive Church to plead their Inno­cence before the Pagans; there was Nothing but Martyrdom for the Testimony, and for not worshipping their false Gods.

[Page 175]IT was to no Purpose for the Pro­testants and divers others, when they were restoring Religion, to plead their Innocence in the Courts of the Bishop of Rome, nor ask, what Evil have we done? But for their Testimony a­gainst the Corruption and Supersti­tion of the Papists, there was no­thing but to destroy them by every cruel Death. It was in vain for the Quakers in New-England, before that Tribunal, to ask, what Evil have we done? What Law have we bro­ken? but because they came there to bear their Testimony against Cor­ruption, there was nothing but Hang­ing for them: So for the same Cause Christ and his Prophets and Apost­les, and all his Messengers in every Age suffered, that is, for their Testimonies to the Truth, which the World could not receive, For they did not speak in the Words which Man's Wis­dom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth, 1 Cor, ii. 13. And [Page 176] the Teachings of the Holy Ghost are out of Esteem among the wise Men of this World; for it is Foolishness in their Sight.

CHRIST is the Stone which the Builders rejected in all Ages, even the Wise of this World: Therefore God accounted the Wisdom of this World to be Foolishness; because they pre­fer human Wisdom and Learning be­fore the spiritual, and because they reject the precious Stone, the Rock of Ages, the Fountain of living wa­ter, and hate him and his Ambassa­dors and their Message: O! what is the Message then that Christ and his Ministers declare among the Chil­dren of this World, to make them angry and envious towards them? Is it not the Gospel of Salvation, which calls People from Satan to Christ, from the Kingdom of Darkness to the Kingdom of the Son of God, and to his Light? They also call the People of the Lord out of Ba­bylon, [Page 177] that they be not Partakers of her Sins, and receive not of her Plagues; inviting all to the Waters, to buy Wine and Milk without Money and without Price.

SATAN is disturbed at this, lest he loseth his Subjects, and he moves the Inhabitants of the Earth, who have been made drunk with the Wine of the great City's For­nication; as also her Merchants, lest they lose their Gain; and her great Men who lived deliciously in her, feeding their Lusts; these will agree to war against the Lamb, and against his Saints: But the Weapons of the Warfare of Christ's Servants are not carnal, but spiritual; and in the meek Spirit (after they have known the Fear of God) they persuade others, exhorting them in Love and good will to their Bodies and Souls, be­seeching them to be reconciled [...]o God, shewing them good Conversa­tion and Examples, Patience and [Page 178] Forbearance, in order to gain them, as the Apostle James said, Who is a wise Man and endued with Knowledge amongst you? let him shew out of a good Conversation his Works with Meekness of Wisdom; But if ye have bitter Envying and Strife in your Hearts, glory not, and lie not against the Truth; this Wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual and devilish: For where Envying and Strife is, there is Confusion and every evil Work: But the Wisdom that is from above, is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of Mercy and good Fruits, without Partiality, and without Hypocrisy, Ja. iii. 13, 14, 15, 16, 17. This is the Wisdom that gains upon the Hearts of People in order to turn them to God; not to drive them by Oppres­sion and Strength of Arm, and car­nal Weapons.

IT is very possible that Numbers of the true Church may be deceived [Page 179] by Satan, to hold forth some erro­neous Points which the Church can­not bear, what therefore shall be done to such, but after Persuasion and Advice, if they cannot be gain­ed, then turn them out of the Uni­ty of the Church, and there leave them amongst the rest of Mankind, to stand or fall to their own Master? But what if the Church is in Au­thority, and the Rulers and Officers are Members thereof, Is it not then lawful for the Officers to use Cha­stisement, as Fines and Imprison­ment, in order to turn the Errone­ous into the Way?

OF a Truth, it is not Persecu­tion, (that is, to rob and imprison) will ever bring People to love the Religion of those that persecute them; but it gives them an Advantage to con­firm and strengthen them in their way, and count themselves suffering Per­secution for the Sake of Christ and their Conscience, looking upon their [Page 180] Persecutors to be cruel and unmer­ciful; for Persecution is heinous in the Sight of all that suffer under it: But it is natural, and too often hap­pens among the Professors of Chri­stianity, when they get into Power, to raise Persecution against those that cannot join with them in Religion. This is also contrary to the Nature of Christ, and his Commandm [...]ts, Law and heavenly Kingdom, which is not of this World; neither are his Servants to war for it with carnal Weapons, as may be seen by his Doctrine, when the Village of the Samaritans would not receive him and his Disciples. James and John seeing it, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command Fire to come down from Heaven and consume them, even as Elias did? but he turned and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of Spirit ye are of, for the Son of Man is not come to destroy Men's Lives, but to save them, Luc, ix. 54, 55, 56.

[Page 181]LET us observe how far it was from Jesus to return any Revenge, tho' Power was in his Hand; and how he reproved that Spirit in his Disciples, and utterly disowned it, as a thing contrary to his Nature, Kingdom and Gospel. And since it is unlawful, and contrary to the way of Christ to call for Fire from Hea­ven to destroy those that would not receive him, how much more un­lawful is it to kindle a Fire on Earth, to destroy such as believe in him, because they cannot for Con­science sake, pin their Religion ex­actly to the Sleeves of the Magi­strates, and believe and say every thing like them? And if People must follow the Religion of those that are in Authority, it is in vain for them to search the Scriptures, and endeavour to try what is good, in order to follow it, because they must receive the Magistrate's Religion, or [Page 182] leave the Country, or else resolve to die for their Religion.

THE Persecutors by carrying on and pleading for their Work, do ju­stify all the cruel and cursed Perse­cutors, who in all Ages afflicted God's People: But it is possible they may say, Those in Times past were wick­ed, and those whom they persecuted were good; but it is not so at this Time, because we are the godly People who are in the Way, and we endeavour to bring them that are gone astray to the Right, and to return to us.

IS not this the Plea and Excuse by which all the Persecutors in Ages past, did seek to excuse and shelter themselves, and justify their Cause? Therefore since the Persecutors of e­very Age have been of one Voice, how much greater Truth can be in these Excuses in the Mouths of latter Persecutors, more than in the former? It is in vain for them to say, we are the [Page 183] Lambs, let us persecute the Wolves, because till this Time of the World, the Lambs have suffered, as the A­postle saith, All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer Persecution, 2 Tim. iii. 12.

WHEN a true Christian is fully resolved to keep the Commandments of God, and the Magistrates com­mand the contrary, the faithful must suffer for his Religion, let come what will come, and say, as Peter and John, Whether it be right in the Sight of God, to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye, Acts iv. 19, These latter Ages verify the same Things. It is reproachful to relate, how much the People called Quakers suffered in England and other Places, because they could not swear, for the Sake of keeping the Command of Christ, who said, swear not at all; and yet they (the Magistrates) said, swear.

BUT Christ gave forth the Com­mandment so clear and full, that all [Page 184] the corrupted Sons of Adam cannot make it void. When Christ was shew­ing the Difference between his own Law, even the Law of the New-Co­venant, and the Law of Moses, he said, Ye have heard, that it hath been said by them of old Time, thou shalt not forswear thy self, but shalt perform un­to the Lord thine Ouths; But I say unto you, Swear not at all. Here in the first I lace he forbids Swearing to the Lord, which under the old Law was commanded; yea further, Nei­ther by Heaven, for it is God's Throne; nor by the Earth, for it is his Foot­stool; neither by Jerusalem, for it is the City of the great King; neither shalt thou swear by thy Head, because thou canst not make one Hair white or black; But let your Communication be Yea, Yea, Nay, Nay; for what so­ever is more than these, cometh of E­vil. We see here, that Christ hath forbidden all manner of Oaths, and also commanded not to swear at all, Mat. v. 33 34, 35, 36, 37.

[Page 185]BUT there are many of those that take upon them to be good Christians in these Times, do not see a Necessity of keeping the Com­mand of Christ; therefore they strive to gather many Reasons, seeking to cast down and abolish this Com­mandment and Doctrine of Jesus; But the more a Man, that is wise in his own Sight, gathers for Argu­ment and Reasons to oppose Christ, the more he makes himself an Ene­my and Resister of him: For he is the Author of the New Covenant, the true Lawgiver, the great Pro­phet, whom every one is to hear un­der the Pain of being cut off; then where will a Man go to hunt for, or gather Arguments, to stand for his Act of Swearing? If he goes to the Law of Moses, Christ hath changed that; thou hast nothing there unless thou wilt be a Jew.

BUT if thou comest to search the New Testament, thou wilt find [Page 186] there the Apostle James of the same Mind with his Master, because he gives a manifest Command, that they should not swear, saying, But above all things, my Brethren, Swear not, neither by Heaven, neither by the Earth, neither by any other Oath; but let your Yea be Yea, and your Nay, Nay, lest ye fall into Condemnation, Jam. v. 12. See here how both these Testimonies of Christ and his Apostles meet each other, so agreeable to shut out all manner of Swearing. This Apostle also commanded it above all things, because it came from his great Ma­ster, even the Lord of Lords, and King of Kings; and likewise under such Danger, lest they should fall into Condemnation.

AND yet People would hold forth, that neither Christ nor the Apostle did forbid Swearing before Magistrates, in a Way of bearing Witness in Causes; but of a Truth these Testimonies of Christ and his [Page 187] Apostle, are wrought into a Ring so entirely strong, that there is no Room for Time nor Cause to break in upon them: But when any of those who are for observing this Command, come before Magistrates to be Wit­nesses in a Cause, what will they answer? Hath not Christ told them, and put Words in their Mouths? to wit, let your Communication be Yea, Yea, Nay, Nay; whatsoever is more than these cometh of Evil: And the Apostle likewise, Let your Yea be Yea, and your Nay be Nay; lest you fall into Condemnation. Of a Truth, great is the Difference between the Voice of the Apostle, and that of the present World, where he says, Above all things, Swear not at all; but they say, Above all Things you must Swear. They will not allow any to be a Minister in the Church, without he is first sworn, which is a Breach of the Command of Christ; as if they deemed that a Man is not fit for any [Page 188] Service in the World, without he first Swears.

IT would be but reasonable for People that confess Christ, if they could not forbear Swearing, to be easy with those that would forbear, because of keeping the Command­ment. ‘O everlasting Father, Lord of Heaven and Earth, enlighten thou the Children of Men, draw them out of Babylon, that dark City, where is Envy and Malice, Pride and Contention, Revenge, Wars and Spilling of Blood; Re­move them to the New Jerusalem, where there is Light, where there is Love, where is Tranquility, Peace, Unity, Quietness and Fel­lowship one with another, and with the Father, and the Lamb, among all the Citizens.’

CHAP. IX. Concerning Antichrist, the Fall of Babylon, the Beast, and False Pro­phet.

THE Message which the Ser­vants of God received of him, and declared unto others, That God is Light, and in him is no Darkness at all; and the Work which God set them upon, was, to turn Peo­ple from Darkness to Light, and from the Power of Satan unto God, even from the dark Kingdom, (where the Devil, the dark Spirit, doth govern) to the Kingdom of Light, whereof the Lord God is the Light, and to that City which hath no need of the [Page 190] Sun, neither of the Moon to shine in it, for the Glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the Light thereof, and the Nations of them that are sa­ved shall walk in the Light of it, Rev. xxi. 23, 24. The Sun shall be no more thy Light by Day, neither for Bright­ness shall the Moon give Light unto thee; but the Lord shall be unto thee for an everlasting Light, and thy God thy Glory, Isa. lx. 19.

THIS is the Work of the true Apostles, even to call People to God, who is Light, and hath enlightned every Man, and calls them to Christ who is the Light of Life; and this Light (which is the Father and the Son) hath lighted every Man that came into the World; And this is the Condemnation, that Light is come into the World, and Men loved Dark­ness rather than Light, because their Deeds were evil: For every one that doth Evil, hateth the Light, neither cometh to the Light, lest his Deeds [Page 191] should be reproved; but he that doth Truth, cometh to the Light, that his Deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God, Joh. iii. 19, 20, 21.

SO they that hate the Light in themselves, they hate God, because he reproves them for their Sins; and where they love Darkness in themselves, they love the Devil, who speaks Peace to them, tho' they walk after their own Hearts Lusts. Thus the Ministers which God and Christ send, are hated by the World, because they speak against Evil in Men. Therefore Jesus comforted his Disciples, saying, If the World hate you, ye know it hated me before it hated you: If ye were of the World, the World would love his own; but because ye are not of the World, but I have chosen you out of the World, therefore the World hateth you, Joh. xv. 18, 19.

AND in as much as the World [...]ould not receive, nor be pleased [Page 192] with such Ministers as Christ sent; therefore the World did and doth provide and accommodate themselves with Ministers to their own Content, who will say what may please them: So they, having itching Ears, heap unto themselves Teachers, who will have their Persons in Admiration because of Advantage, Jude 16. The World fitteth its Ministers by its own Spi­rit and Wisdom, and, as John said, They are of the World, theresore speak they of the World, and the World heareth them. And as ye have heard that Antich [...]st shall come, even now are there many Antichrists, whereby we know that it is the last Time: They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us; but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not of us, 1 Joh. iv. 5. ii. 18, 19.

THESE are the false Prophets of whom Christ spoke, that they [Page 193] were to come among them in Sheep's Cloathing, whom they were to be­ware of, and know them by their Fruits, Mat. vii. 15. And these false Teachers crept into the Church in the Days of the Apostles, who bore their Testimonies against them, as may be seen, 2 Cor. xi. 12, 13, 14, 15. Jude iv. 8, 10, 11, 12, 16, 19. and several other Places.

SO Corruption grew among the Teachers of the Church: The Bish­ops came to be great and honoura­ble in the World; then went to co­ [...]et after Reverence and Prehemi­ [...]ence, high Place, Authority and Dominion over the Church, and o­ver one another: Then great Gain and Riches must be had to support them in Honour; also they must learn in the Schools, Degrees, La [...] ­guages and human Wisdom, to fit them to be Minister, in the Church.

SO by this Corruption, increasing from Age to Age, those that were [Page 194] poor, illiterate and unlearned have been debarr'd from having any Share in the Ministry: Then the Spirit of Jesus and his Authority was exclu­ded and shut out of the Church; but humane Rule, Wisdom and Honour, were set up instead thereof, presum­ing Authority to make their Mini­sters according to their own Wills and Way, setting upon them the Riches and Glory of this World; then every one was to countenance his own Way, and to look after his Gain from his Quarter, and Place where it was ordered him. Lo here! such Watchmen as were of old Time, who were ignorant, yea, they were greedy Dogs which can never have e­nough, and they are Shepherds that cannot understand, Isa. lvi. 11.

THESES So [...]r of Shepherds God proclaimed Wo [...] against, Who fed themselves, and not the Flock, saying, ye at the Fat, and ye cloath you with the Wo [...], ye [...]ill them that are fed [...] [Page 195] but ye feed not the Flock; The diseas­ed have ye not strengthned, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with Force and with Cruel­ty have ye ruled them, Ezek. xxxiv. 2, 3, 4.

THE same Complaint was by the Prophet Jeremiah against the Prophets of Jerusalem, who strength­ned the Hands of Evil-Doers, that none returned from their Wickedness: They say still unto them that despise me, the Lord hath said, ye shall have Peace; and they say unto every one that walketh after the Imagination of his own Heart, no Evil shall come unto you; I have not s [...]nt these Pro­phets, yet they ran. I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied. But if they had stood in my Counsel, and [...]aused my People to hear my Word [...] [Page 196] then they should have turned them from their evil Way, and from the Evil of their Doings: And they cause my Peo­ple to err by their Lies, and by their Lightness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them; Therefore they shall not profit this People at all, saith the Lord, Jer. xxiii. 14, 17, 21, 22, 32. Also by the Prophet Micah, Thus saith the Lord, concerning the Prophets that make my People err, that bite with their Teeth, and cry Peace, and he that putteth not into their Mouths, they even prepare War against him. The Heads thereof judge for Reward, and the Priests thereof [...]reach for Hire, and the Prophets thereof divine for Money: Yet they will lean upon the Lord, and say, is not the Lord among [...] none Evil can come upon us, Mic. iii. 5, 11.

AND in Truth, tho' there be false Teachers in this latter Time that are decked with the Whore's Jewels, and altho' they hold the [Page 197] golden Cup, yet the same Root brings forth the same Fruit; and as Christ marked them, the are ravening Wolves, ye shall know them by their Fruits, Mat. vii. 15, 16. So did the Apostle Peter set the same Marks on the false Teachers, saying of them, They are to come among the Christians, and thro' Covetousness shall they with feigned Words make Merchandise of you, whose Judgment now of a long Time lingreth not, and their Damna­tion slumbreth not; having Eyes full of Adultery, that cannot cease from Sin, beguiling unstable Souls; an Heart they have exercised with cove­tous Practises, cursed Children, which have forsaken the right Way, and are gone astray, following the Way of Ba­laam, who loved the Wages of Un­righteousness, 2 Pet. ii. 3, 14, 15.

THIS covetous Spirit entered into the Hearts of some in the Church of Corinth, which caused the Apostle to be so strict, that he would take [Page 198] Nothing from any of them to an­swer his Necessities, lest he should give them Occasion, as he testifies at large, how he had been in Want, whilst he preached to them the Gos­pel of God freely, 2 Cor. xi. 9, 12, 13. And those covetous Ministers he reckoned to be false Apostles, deceit­ful Workers, being transformed into the Apostles of Christ.

AND of a Truth, great is the Difference between the Ministry and Ministers of Christ, and the Mini­sters and Ministry of Antichrist; they are as unlike as Water is to Fire, or Light to Darkness: Christ called his Disciples from unlearned Men, and fitted them by his Grace and Inspi­ration; but Antichrist must have Scholars fitted with human Wisdom. Christ communicated freely to them of his spiritual Goodness, commanding them to give as they had received free­ly; but the Ministers of Antichrist receive not freely: it is great Pains [Page 199] and Labour to them, and Expence of much Money; therefore it is cost­ly to any that receive of them. The Messengers of God called People to Christ the Fountain of living Water, that they might drink of the Water of Life freely, and buy Wine and Milk without Money and without Price: But the Merchants of Babylon call every Body to their Shops after this Manner, Come to us and buy, and if you do not buy, pay; and if you do not pay, we will make War against you. But the Apostle Paul saith, I have coveted no Mans Silver, or Gold, or Apparel: Yea, you your selves know, that these Hands have ministred unto my Necessity, and to them that were with me, Acts xx. 33, 34. But these Merchants are too great to work with their Hands: They will have Gold or Silver, Corn, Wool and Lambs, with Part of all the Increase of the People's Goods.

[Page 200]THE Apostle said, a Necessity is laid upon me to preach the Gos­pel, yea, Woe is unto me if I do it not: But there is no Necessity upon these to preach any, but where they have the most Wages. The Apostle did not bid them believe Men, but God; saying, Do I seek to please Men? For if I pleased Men, I should not be the Servant of Christ, Gal. i. 10. But these are for pleasing of Men; there­fore they are not the Servants of Christ. Again, the same Apostle saith, I certify you, Brethren, that the Gos­pel which was preached of me, is not after Man; for I neither received it of Man, neither was I taught it, but by the Revelation of Jesus Christ, Ver. 11, 12. But these preach Doctrine (which they call Gospel) after they receive it, and learn it of Men, and not by the Revelation of Jesus Christ; for they deny spiritual Revelation in these Days. Also the same Apostle saith, We have received not the Spirit [Page 201] of the World, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the Things that are freely given us of God: Which Things also we speak, not in the Words which Man's Wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth, 1 Cor. ii. 12, 13.

BUT these do not profess, that they have received the Spirit of God; nor is what they preach freely gi­ven them of God, neither do they speak the Words which the Holy Ghost teacheth, but those that Man's Wisdom teacheth.

NOW it is high Time for People to be awakened out of Sleep, and endeavour for their Lives to come out of Ba­bylon: For a Voice from Heaven calls, Come out of her my People, that ye be not Partakers of her Sins, and that ye receive not of her Plagues: Fo rher Sins have reached unto Hea­ven, and God hath remembered her Ini­quities: Therefore shall her Plagues come in one Day: Death and Mourn­ing [Page 202] and Famine; and she shall be ut­terly burnt with Fire; for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her: And the Kings of the Earth who have committed Fornication, and lived deli­ciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the Smoke of her burning, stand­ing afar off for the Fear of her Tor [...] ­ment, saying, alas, alas, that great City Babylon, that mighty City! for in one Hour is thy Judgment come: And the Merchants of the Earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no Man buyeth her Merchandise any more, the Merchandise of Gold and Silver and precious Stones and of Pearls, Rev. xviii. 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12.

HERE is the Gayety the Whore has been deck'd with, even by all Manner of guilded Appearances, all the Shews of Religion, all Sorts of Shells and Husks, all Manner of Traditions Customs and Ordinances, every Form of Worship, Service and [Page 203] Duties; as also by adorning her Ministers with Gold and Silver, Re­wards and great Gain, Honour, Pre­heminence and Authority to govern throughout all the Streets of the great City: Thus they were enrich­ed by these Merchandises.

BUT of a Truth, the Time is at Hand, when the Lord will bring to pass this Proph [...]cy, to wit, the Downfal of Babylon: And then those that trade in these Things, and they that have been made rich by her, will stand afar off from her, fearing her Torment, weeping and mourning; and it will not be without Cause that these shall weep and mourn, but for losing their Riches and Ho­nour, and for that none will buy a­ny more of their Merchandise; and likewise for Fear of her Torments and everlasting Burning, because they have lived deliciously in her, and were Partakers of her Sins; there­fore her Plagues are to fall upon them.

[Page 204]BUT the Voice saith, rejoice con­cerning her, O Heaven, and you the holy Apostles and Prophets, because God is avenged of her for your Sakes; for when the Lamb opened the fifth Seal, John saw under the Altar the Souls of them that were slain for the Word of God, and for the Testimo­ny which they held, and they cryed with a loud Voice saying, how long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our Blood on them that dwell on the Earth? And white Robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little Season, until the Number of their Fellow Servants and their Brethren that should be killed as they were should be fulfilled, Rev. vi. 9, 10, 11.

AND indeed the Saints Hea­ven, and upon Earth do jointly cry to him who sits upon the Throne, that he may hasten on his Journey against the Power of Darkness, and [Page 205] overwhelm Babylon, the Beast, and false Prophet, and to exalt his great Name; and their Cry enters the Ears of the Almighty, and he makes ready to stretch forth and make bare his powerful Arm to avenge the Blood of his Saints and Prophets upon the great City, on her Inhabi­tants, her Merchants and great Men, who committed Fornication with her, and those that dwell upon the Earth, and have been drunk with the Wine of her Whoredom.

NOW the Day begins to dawn, and the Lord sends, and hath sent his Messengers to preach the true Gospel; and tho' there are many Peo­ple that it have been enlightened in a large Degree to behold the Pretence and Likeness of Worships that are among the Children of the World, who are yet in the Flesh fulfilling the Last thereof: Nevertheless the Pow­er of Darkness and the Sprit of the great World are too strong for them [Page 206] to resist; therefore it is necessary that the Lord should again send one Ar­my of valiant Soldiers against Baby­lon, who will stand in the hottest Fire, and before the sharpest Arrows, and the most cruel Enemies which Satan owns, and that without turn­ing their Faces to Assistance or De­fence, but altogether trust in the Lord, and stand in the heavenly Armour, as Lambs among Wolves, until the Number of the Martyrs be fulfilled; and then when the Num­ber of the Fellow-Servants and Bre­thren of those that are under the Altar staying for them is made up; then the Blood of the Saints and Prophets shall be no more spilt by the Whore.

For the Lord will make bare the Arm of his great Power to ap­pear with his Servants to quench the Violence of Fire, to stop the Mouths of Lions, to wear away the Strength of Archers, to smite the Camp of the [Page 207] Assyrians, to open the Prisons, and break their Bands in Pieces: So the Lord will cast down and demolish all the Castles and Bulwarks of Ba­bylon, and he will blow his mighty Winds upon all her Woods, and all her fair Trees, to wither and consume them.

INDEED the spiritual Purposes and Prophecies which God revealed to John (when he was in the Spi­rit on the Lord's Day) are in a great Measure come to pass: The Church is coming up out of the Wilderness, and the Gospel is freely preached in divers Countries, the spiritual Sun begins to shine; and is not the One Thousand two Hundred and Sixty Days fully expired since the Church fled into the Wilderness? And is not the Forty and two Months, even the Time wherein the Beast had Power given him to work, near ex­piring? For the Number mentioned [Page 208] before is within a little of the Forty and two Months.

BUT some my interpret thus, the Pope is the Beast; and by the Time he came, and by this Number, he has yet about one Hundred and Fifty Years to reign: But it is easier for me to think, that the Devil and Sa­tar was the first Beast that John saw rising out of the Sea, to wit, out of the Fulness and Depth of Corruption, which had the Wound by the Sword in the Time of Christ and his Apo­stles, but now is revived, and has Authority from the Dragon to work Forty two Months, and Power over all Kindreds and Tongues and Nations; and that the Pope was the second Beast which came up out of the Earth to do the Service of the first Beast, and to cause them that dwell on the Earth to, worship the Devil, and to make Images to him, and reverence him, and receive his hellish Marks in their Hands or in their Foreheads, that they might [Page 209] buy and sell, Rev. xiii. 4, 5, 7, 11, 12, 16. And so the Downfall of Ba­bylon is at the Door, and all her Glory to be laid in the Dust, and all her Shops, Riches and Mer­chandise to be burnt with the fiery Indignation of him that sits upon the Throne, and lives for ever.

AND of a Truth, the Lord hath raised Witnesses for himself in these latter Ages to preach the true Gos­pel, and to proclaim against Babylon, but not in the Place where was the strongest Defence, and most cruel Soldiers of the Beast: But after they had suffered in England and other Places, Spoil and Imprisonment, and some the Loss of their Lives, God was pleased to soften the Hearts of the chief Men, and the Hands of Persecutors grew weak, and Liber­ty of Conscience in a large Measure was granted; and then the Work in P [...]rt stood. Therefore there must be one Commotion again, and one [Page 210] fiery Battle between the Lamb and the Dragon; and I do believe that some of the Soldiers of that Battle are already born: Therefore let eve­ry true Christian pray to his heaven­ly Father, that he may hasten on his Journey, to exalt his great Name, and to deliver Men out of Babylon's Darkness, and bring them to the New Jerusalem, to live there under his Wings, and in his Light, in Peace and Holiness, Amen.

CHAP. X. Shewing the true Worship.

THE Almighty God who made Man in his own Image and Likeness and hath endowed him with Knowledge, and Under­standing, giving him Authority to rule over all the Creatures, it is his Due to have Reverence and O­bedience and Humility, as being the Substance of true Worship; for Wor­ship is a Thing which the World makes a great Noise about, and much Strife concerning it; many set Ways are invented by the Conjecture [...] Man, and by the Reasonings of Flesh and Blood, to the End they may seek to please the Lord without Obedience: But God requires of his People a spiritual Worship. Where therefore is this Worship to be per­formed, [Page 212] but in the Spirit? As Christ said, God is a Spirit, and they that worship him, must worship him in Spirit and in Truth; Here is the Worship the World knows not, nor the Place to worship.

BUT Men will say, we must wor­ship God in the Church; yet many are so ignorant, that they know not what the Church is, nor where she is; whereas the Church is the Peo­ple of God, who worship in Spirit even in God, who dwelleth in his People, and makes them a Temple for himself.

AND tho' there is but one Church, yet she is in a two fold State in the outward: For the Woman that John saw flying into the Wilderness from the Face of the Serpent, was the Church, which God feeds there. These the Persecutors cannot spy out, these are dispersed through all the World, some of all Professions, some of all Kindreds, Tribes and Langua­ges, [Page 213] who fear God, and depart from Iniquity; for John saw an Angel fly­ing in the midst of Heaven, having the everlasting Gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the Earth, and to every Nation, and Kindred, and Tongue, and People; saying with a loud Voice, fear God, and give Glory to him; for the Hour of his Judgment is come, and worship him that made Heaven and Earth, and the Sea, and the Fountains of Water, Rev. xiv. 6, 7.

AND of a Truth, the Voice of this Angel hath reached to the utmost Part of the World; and there is a Witness in every Man that tells him, he should fear God and give him Glory; for his Judgment is within upon the Heart of the Sinner, by Reason of his Wickedness. Also the Heaven and the Earth, the Sea, Fountains of Water, and all the wonderful Works of the Creation are in the Sight of People, to shew them the Greatness and Pow­er of him that made the whole: This [Page 214] shews them, that Man ought to bow before the Creator of all Things, and yield Adoration and Obedience to him: Also they have been illuminated with the Light which lighteth every one that cometh into the World. This is the Light of Life, and the Grace that brings Salvation hath appeared unto them to teach them to [...]ear God and forsake Wickedness, that they may be acceptable.

BUT in what Place, or after what Manner do th [...]se worship, inas­much as they are not yet gathered to worship by themselves? It is pro­bable there are some of these belong­ing to all Sorts of Idol. Worships which are among the Children of the World; but their Worship doth not stand in what their Eyes see, nor in the Things which their Ears hear; but in the Bowedness of their Hearts, Souls and Spirits in the inward Man, before the Almighty God. And tho' this Worship is not tyed to Man, nor to Place, nor [Page 215] Time, but when they turn inwardly into themselves, and the Lord breaks in upon their Hearts, in the Conside­ration of his Mercies and Deliveran­ces, his Protection and Love toward them. And in this Lowliness and spiritual. Poverty, their Hearts are softened, and their Souls and Spirits tendred together. And this is the Worship that God receives accepta­bly from every one in particular, when the Person is without any Body but him and the Lord This is the State of the scattered Church and her Worship, which is in the Spirit, out of the Sight of Men: Of this Sort was the seven Thousand which the Lord had in the Days of Ahab.

BUT the Place and Time when these shall come to know each other, and the Lord gather some of them to­gether to join in Worship; the Wor­ship is the same, and they in the same Spiritual Poverty do worship. Yea, it is poor Worship that God looks [Page 216] upon: For blessed are the Poor in Spi­rit, for there's is the Kingdom of Heaven, Mat. v. 3. Because the Lord will visit such, even the poor and needy, and the contrite in Spirit, who tremble at my Word, saith the Lord, Isa. lxvi. 2. For his Promise is, Where two or three are gathered to­gether in my Name, there I am in the midst of them. Mat. xviii. 20.

THIS Worship is poor, because these needy Ones have nothing de­signed or prepared before-hand to speak nor act, but wait near the Lord, for him to prepare them an Offering that will be acceptable in his Sight; for he hath promised to give of his Spirit unto his People, and teach them himself, and to make manifest unto them, what they shall say and do.

AND here is the Difference be­tween the true Church, which Christ is the Head, Captain, and Prince of, and the idolatrous Churhes which [Page 217] have deck'd themselves with a Set Method, Service, and Worship. When they come together, every Thing is made ready: There is Plen­ty or Old Prayers to be read to fill the People's Ears, and which of them belong to be read this Day, and which to the next Day of Wor­ship. And how little of the Scriptures is to be read on every Day or Wor­ship? There is also a Sermon de­signed, and by humane Wisdom set is Order before-hand; so that they want nothing from the Lord; they have all Things ready; there is no­thing but going upon the Service, in their own Time, and in their own Will, and in their own Power, with­out waiting upon the Lord for Help and Assistance: nor for the Holy Spirit to refresh and comfort them, and to be with them a Life and a Light, to lead them and guide them in their Service; for without the Light [that is Christ] we can do no­thing that is acceptable.

[Page 218]BUT the true Worshippers, when they come together, the Business and Concern of every one in particular is to turn inward, and give his Heart and Mind to wait upon the Lord, for his Presence, to refresh their Souls: And their Prayers are in se­cret to their Helper, that he may ap­pear in his Temple, to drive out the Buyers and Sellers, that they may witness true Silence in the inward Man, from all carnal Sounds and Reasonings of Flesh and Blood, that they may in Quietness and Patience possess their Souls, and resign them­selves into the Hand of their heaven­ly Father, even as Clay into the Hand of the Potter, to the End that he may fit every one to the Service he hath prepared for him.

SO in this silent Waiting their Strength is renewed, and as it is written, They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their Strength, Isa. xl. 31. In this true Silence, they sit under [Page 219] the Teaching of that Anointing which they receive from the Holy One, who is the Spirit of Truth, that leads into all Truth; and as this abides in them, they need not that any one teach them, but as the same Anoint­ing teacheth them all Things, 1 John ii. 27. And when God sees meet to put a Word into the Mouth of a­ny one of them, he is to speak what the Lord hath revealed and taught him, 1 Cor. ii. 4. So is he to give it forth in Demonstration and Power, and in the Vertue and Life of the Spirit, th [...]t it may be to Edification in the Church; for Deep calleth un­to Deep, and Life reacheth unto Life, and the Congregation go together to the Waters to drink freely, Psal. xlii. [...]. And if any Thing be revealed to one that sits by, the first is to be silent; for that Stream of the spiritual Gift is turned to the other Man's Wheel; because that spiritual Liber­ [...]y i [...] in the true Church, for every [Page 220] one to speak as they are moved by the holy Spirit; and as the Lord pours upon them the Spirit of Grace and Sup­plication, they are to pray with the Spirit, and in the Spirit, as God re­veals to them the Wants and Necessi­ties of the Congregation.

SO here is the Church that cometh up from the Wilderness, leaning up­on her beloved, Cant. viii. 5. Here also are the Worshippers and their Worship; and as the Spirit of Jesus Christ is their Leader in their Wor­ship, he likewise is to order them in their Lives and Conversations, and all their Affairs, teaching them to love one another, and to take Care one for another, that every Member may keep his own Place, and learn of his Ma­ster to do the Service he has fitted him for, and puts him upon, and that every one may live a clean Life and Conversation in Innocency and Simplicity of Heart, with his Eye to his Master.

[Page 221]IT is not the Place of any to push or drive another forward in any of the Lord's Business, before he hath fitted him for the Work, and shewn it to him, and held his Light before him to enlighten his Paths: There­fore as every true Christian is order­ed and led in every Thing by the Spirit of Truth, so Nothing ought to rule in the Church of Christ, but the Spirit of Christ.

AND in as much as no Man is [...] true Christian, nor owned by Christ, but he that hath his Spirit, there is no Congregation can be a true Church nor his Sheep, but those that know him, hear his Voice, and follow him; unto such he is Head and Shepherd, King and Ruler, to order them at his Command, and lead them into fat Pastures, and make them drink of the Water of Life, that they may live for ever, with the Father and the Lamb, and walk in white Robes, [Page 222] before the Throne to sing Hallelujah to him that lives for ever. To whom Obedience, Reverence and Honour is justly due; to whom be it re­turned from henceforth for ever and [...]more.