Some Gospel Truths Catechistically laid down, explained and vindicated.

For the benefit of such as are weary of their own heart, conscience, minde, will, affections, thoughts, words, and workes, that are all corrupt, impure, and imperfect, and a very plague, as they stand in old Adam, m Isai 64.6. Genes. 6.5. Rom. 7. Philip 3.7. Psalme 73. [...], 25. 1 Kings 8.38. Mar. 15.19. Gen. 8.21.

And sheweth where they have a heart (that's pure, perfect and permanent) conscience, minde, will, affections, thoughts, words and workes, viz. in the new Adam, n Christ; that will commend them to God, and stand them in stead here in the dismallest times, and bear th [...]m up in the saddest condition, streights, or exigen [...]ies that can b [...]fall poor Christians,n

By J. Heydon Minister of the Gospel▪

The third Impression revised and amended: allow­ed and licensed by Authority

LON [...], Printed by Robert Ibbitson, 16 [...]▪

Courteous Reader,

THe Author intreates thee to acknow­ledge for Truths; first, that all Books, Roles, Manuscripts in former times (be­fore Christ came in the flesh) that did dis­cover Christ the Messias that was to come in the flesh were in high esteem of all the Church. Secondly, That such Bookes that hold forth the Lord Jesus already come, in's Doctrine, Natures, Offices, Discipline, Benefits or Operations, are now to be esteemed of all Christians above great Volumes that do not:☜ the fire of God hath so warm'd their enobled affections, that they are much taken in the reading of such Bookes though they come in a plain dresse. Thirdly, That all Prophets, Kings, Priests, Seers, Judges, and Patriarchs, were types of Christ to come, if we could search into this mystery. Fourthly, That all their wor­ship, sacrifices and prayers, &c. Fifthly, That the Sabbath was given to the Church to exercise their faith in the meditation on Christ that was to come,☜ he being indeed [Page] the true Sabbath. Sixthly, That the Lords day and all the publique and private Ordi­nances, are left to us Christians, that we might contemplate, and meditate on Christ, and so set before the view of our Faith, or understandings,☞ all that Christ is, did or suffered for us, or hath brought unto us, and shall betide us in another world, and this is the chiefest worke, and greatest care of all Gospel Ministers, and they that hold not forth Christ crucified, in all their Preachings, Writings, and Printings, before the Peoples eyes, do nothing, or that, that's worse than nothing, trouble, weary, toil out themselves, and grieve others, whom God would have comforted and fed: I have heard sad complaints; what? not one bit of childrens bread in all the Ser­mon, though the Text was, Feed my Lambs. O, say they, we are utterly disap­pointed, we did hope to have been instruct­ed in the faith of Gods power, but O, the lashings, invectives, and heavings at some of the most excellent Truths [by new termes of reproch] to render Truth dan­gerous, and the entertainers of it od [...]ous, [Page] and what polite and elaborate Workes are extant to little profit to the truly enlighten­ed Christian, judge ye. Seventhly, the dayes of humiliation in former times, were soul-fatting, soul-satisfying, and soul-quieting dayes, dayes of atonement, recon­ciliation, and union with God, in Christ to come,☜ and that our Fasts are Evangelical in Christ who is already come, and if it were taught frequently, that Christ's Fasting, Conception, Birth, Life, Death, Resurrection, Ascension, and Mediation, yea, all his thoughs, words, and workes were ours; he standing our surety, did it all for us; & if this were believed really, no doubt, but we should finde more comfort in our hearts, courage in our fights, and have more soul ravishments, in the injoyment of our fully satisfied Father, than ever the Jewes had: but if we fast from false grounds, to wrong ends, no marvel if we are pensive, unsuccesfull and unhappy in all our undertakings. Eighthly, That the co­venant of grace is one, and doth onely differ in some circumstantials,☜ viz. in more clear dispensations and opener visions, and that [Page] we have farre more external priviledges than the Jewes ever had. Ninthly, That since Christs Ascension God doth satisfie the Church (in the satisfaction Christ hath once made) in all the meanes of Grace, God is fully satisfied and demands no more, Christ he dies no more, cries, fasts, lieth in the grave, nor prayeth no more, but now he rules all in Heaven and in Earth, to the worlds end. Tenthly, That the worke of Redemption, is fully and freely wrought by Christ, it is done already, not a doing, it was finish'd 1634 years ago and above, to the view of Angels and Men, and the discoverie and bringing this home to the consciences of men, is the worke of the eternal Spirit, by all the meanes in much mercie afforded us, as Ministerie, Word, Prayer, &c. to reveal the everlasting Go­spel to the Church, so that Conversion, and the cleare manifestation of our salvation wrought by Christ, is all that Christians are to look after during life in this case. Eleventhly,☞ That God in and by Prayer seekes, findes, and moves us; I say, he doth informe, inlarge, perswade, prevaile [Page] with, and changeth your mindes, helpes our infirmities, supplieth our defects, and doth comfort our hearts, refresh our drooping spirits, doth good to, and profiteth us: we do not adde any thing to God, neither are our prayers profitable to God, (to speak properly) but our prayers (or rather God by them) do abundantly prevail with others, and our selves are strengthened in the faith thereby, and indeed, we are over­powered, undeceived, and discovered our selves to our selves, in, and by prayer God knoweth us throughly, &c. So Moses, the Prophets, and James are to be understood. Twelfthly, That what ever is sound, ortho­dox, and Truth in this little Book ensuing, he disclames, it's none of his own, but God's, and is resolved (his grace assisting him) to recant of whatsoever is unsound upon information, and conviction, and take it for a great mercie, in what he hath come short, to see any to enlarge themselves, and exalt Christ more.☜ If there be any thing come to thy hand that's excellent, imbrace it, view the Texts well, and the inference from them; and if this take [Page] with thee thou maist have the other part [...]ome things in it are to be found in other Authours, and the rest digg'd out of the Mine, or sacred veines of Scriptures, which are able to make the Man of God perfect; Farewell,

Thine in the best Bond, nearest relation, and strongest union, J. H.

SOME GOSPEL TRUTHS Catechistically laid down, explained and vindicated.

Question. WHat is a Catechisme? An. 'Tis a Book or Manu­script in which the grounds of Religion are purely, clearly, and soundly manifested, and sheweth how to conceive rightly of God and Christ, ac­cording to the Law and Gospel, as all these Scriptures prove, Acts 18.24, 26. 1 Pet. 2.2. Hebr. 6.8, 2. Hebr. 5.12, 13. 1 Pet. 3.15. 1 Cor. 2.4. 1 Cor. 3.1, 2. Q. What is God? Ans. A Spi­rit distinguished into Father, Son, and holy Spirit, as these Scriptures prove, Iohn 4.24. 1 John 5.7. Matth. [...]8 19. Qu. How are we to conceive of God? Answ. According to the manner of revealing; by his Properties, Workes, Word, and [...]aw, or Gospel, Exod. 34.6, 7. Psal. 19.1. Psal 8 1. Job 36.24. Job 37.14, 16. The Father begets the Son, John 1. [Page 2] 18 The Son is begotten, John 3 18. The Spirit proceeds, Gal. 4.6. Rom. 8.9. John. 15:26. G d is wisdom, goodnesse, just ce, glo­ry, mercy, blessednesse, g [...]aciousness [...], purity, and puissency it sel [...]e, Rom. 1 [...].27. Job 12.13. Matth 19.17. Exod. [...]3.19. Rom. 5.8. Psal. 146.17. sa [...]. 13.11.145.8, 9. Matth. 5.48. Job 35.3. Marke 14 61. Rom. 10.5. 1 Cor 2.8. God is kno [...]n by his Decree, Ephes. 1.5, 11 Creation, Gen 1 27. Hebr 11.3. Providence, Psal 36.6. Mat h. 10.29. 1 Tim. 1.4, 10 Prov. 5.3. Qu. How d [...]d God create man at first? Ans. Marvel­lou [...] holy and happy, and Lord of all the Crea [...]ures, as these Scriptures prove, Eccles 7.29, 30. Gen. 1.26. Col 3 10. Ephes. 4.24. Gen. 1.2 [...]. Gen. 2.15. Psal. 8.6. Q. Did man remain so s [...]ill? Ans. No he fell into sin, 1 Tim. 2.14. Q How did he fall? Answ Wilfully eating of the forbidden [...]ruit, as the [...]e Scriptu [...]es prove, Gen 3 6. Eccles 7 29, 31 Rom 15.12 1 John 3.4. Q. Did all men fall in Adam and so become sinners? A [...]s Yes, For he was a representative person, and we in his loynes were sinners. Freely sinners, Rom. 5.12. Psal. 51.5.18.19. Perfectly sinners, Gen 5.6. Rom 3.9. Invisible sinners, Rom. 5.15. Psal. 51.5. Opperatively, workfully, declar t vely and demonstratively. sinners, [...]om. 2 5. Rom. 3.9, 19. Tit. 3.3. Matth 12.34, 35. Rom. 1 29, 30. The Infant having thought no evil, nor spoken any evil word, nor wrought any illegal worke, by imputation [Page 3] of Adam's sin, without any endeavours of his own, to sin of it's own accord, is freely a sin­ner, perfectly a sinner, and so the childe of wrath, his thoughts being become onely and continually evil, Genes. 6.5, 8, 21. Rom 3.19. Ephes. 2.3. And above reason, sight, and feel­ing, a sinner though there appeares no such thing externally, yet God by his secret judge­ment doth impute Adam's sin, at length if the childe live, sin breakes out to the sight of others like a plague sore, 1 Kings 8.38. Quest. What's the desert of sinne? A. The curse of God on s [...]ul and body for ever, together with the severall punishments threatened in the Word of God, Rom. 8.20. Deut 28▪26. Deut. 29.19 Rom. 6.21. Ezra 7.9. Rom. 11.8. Matth. 27.3. Matth. 6.5. Rom. 1.28. 2 Thess. 2.11. Rev. 6.16, 17. Zach. 7.11, 12. Psal. 81.12. Gen. 19.5. Mat. 7.23. Rev. 22.15 Mat. 25.41. Luke 16.24, 25. Rev. 20. [...]5 Q. What's the meanes of our reco­v [...]ry out of misery? A. Christ Jesus onely, Acts 4.12. Psal. 89. [...]1. Gen. 3.15. Psal. 40.6. John 5.36, 37. Hebr. 10.7. Gal. 4.5 Q. Did Christ m [...]ke us righteous by his righteousnesse? A. Yes doubt­lesse, and th [...]t freely, invisibly, perfectly, and in due time visibly righteous. Thus before we have thought, spoke, or wrought any good, without any endeavours, labours, or workes of ours, freely, Rom. 4.5, 6. Rom. 5.19. Rom. 9.30. Rom. 3.23, 4. Ephes. 2.1. Ephes. 2.5. Ephes. 2.6. Perfectly righteous, not by our wel-amended [Page 4] lives: as Popelings falsely con­ceive, but by his own offering once for all the Church, Hebr. 10.14. Ephes. 5.26, 27. Col. 1.28, 29. Col. 1.22. Matth. 5.18. Rom. 8.4. Rom. 5.19. Col. 2.10. Rom. 4.6, 9. Gen. 3.9. Col. 1.12, 13. Titus 3.5, 7. Rev. 1.5, 6. Rom. 3.2. Invisibly righteous, above our reason, sence or feeling, that we might live by the faith of God's po­wer, and relie on God's speaking, Rom. 1.17. Rom. 4.18. Hebr. 6.11.1.3. Isai 60.21. Isai 60.10. 2 Cor. 5.21. Cant. 4.7. Psal. 45.9. Psal. 45.13. Rom. 4 18, 25. Acts 13.48. 2 Cor. 4 18. John 20.29. John 13.10. 1 Sam 16 7. Luke 8.50. And the said imputation of Christ's righte­ousnesse doth so worke together to man wards, by the Spirit of God, that the Christian brings forth good fruit more and more, declarative­ly, in the sight of men, and for such ends, as God hath appointed, viz. God's glory, man's edification, and further incouragement in the like good workes, Matth. 5.16. Titus 2.11, 12, 13, 14, 15. Ephes. 2.10. 2 John 3.6, 9. Rom. 6.18. Isai 61.21.61.3. Matth. 12.33. Qu. What way or meanes is Christ for the Christian to come to God by? ☞ An. Christ Jesus is the onely, free, safe, easie, near, quicke, firme, spacious, sha­dy, prosperous, pleasant, and soul satisfacto­ry way, John 14.6. Acts 4.12. Rom. 22 17 Isai 55 1. Isai 49.8. Ephes. 2.8. Hosea 14.4. Ephes. 2.13. Rom. 10.6. 1 Peter 2.4. John 14.6. Matth. 7.24. Hebr. 13.4. Psal. 19.7. Psal. 18.30. Eccles. [Page 5] 11.7. Pro. 3.12, 17. Mat. 16.18. Heb. 13.5. Is. 35.8, 9. Gal. 5.1. Ps. 18.9. Is. 26.20. Rom. 15.13. Is. 32.2. Qu. id Christ Jesus worke our sal­vation, redemption & merit, life, and blisse, for [...]he (Church at God's hand) by his active and passive obed [...]ence? &c. Answ Yes doubtlesse, Isai 5.3. Matth. 26.27. 1 Peter 2 14. Philip. 2.6, 8 Psal. 40.7. Gal. 4.5. Rom. 8.3, 4. And did declare his Fathers will to the Church Is. 61.1, 4. Ps. 2.6, 7. Dan. 9. 24. Ephes. 2.14, 17, 16. Mat. 13.8 10.27.5. Mar. 10.40. Lu. 10.16 Heb. 1.1. 1 et. 1.11, 12. 2 Pet. 2.18, 19. 2 Pet 2.19.21. Ephes. 1.8. Ephes. 1.11, 12, [...]3, 20. Hosea 4.6 Matth. 2.17.26.27. Psal. 110.2, 4. Hebr. 8.2, 3. Acts 3.22. Qu. What can sufficiently evidence my salvation to me that I ma [...] r [...]st sa [...]isfied in my consci [...]nee for ever? A. There are two evidences of our sal­vation, the one revealing, and the other seal­ing it up unto us. The Spirit and Faith; and the epith [...]tes of the Spirit recorded in Scrip­ture are these, trying, crying, lively directing, a convicting free spirit, & commanding, holy, right, comforting, and an unerring Spirit, a constant, true, striving, new, powerfull, and perswading Spirit, an evident, sound, plain-speaking, fruitfull, filling, and witnessing Spirit, an adopting, soul-quieting, meek and good Spir [...]t a dwelling, searching, lusting, moving, formed and contrite Spirit; a bro­ken, help [...]ng, establishing, sin-consuming Spirit, a sealing Spirit, an eternal Spirit, the [Page 6] Spirit of promise, the Spirit of revelation and demonstration,☞ that's but one, a beget­ting Spirit, the Spirit of grace, moving, stri­ving, resting, an [...] undirected Spirit, by An­gels, or Men, prove John 16.8, 9. 1 C [...]r 2.10, 14. Zach. 13.10. Gal. 4.6. Rom. 8.2. 2 Cor. 3.6. Psal. 119.25. John 16.13. Psal. 51 12.110 3. Isai 30.21. Ephes. 4.32. Luke 11.13. Psal. 51.10. Ezek. 11.19. John 16.8.14.16. John 16.13. Isa 35.8. Psal. 51.10. 1 John 4.6. 1 Iohn 5.6. Iohn 14.17. Gen. 6.3. 1 Cor. 2.4. Hosea 2.14. Iohn 6.63. 1 Tim 4.1. Gal. 5.22.5.18. 1 Iohn 5.6. Rom 8 16. Rom. 8.15. Iohn 6.63. Isai 57.15. 1 Pet. 3.3. Psal. 143 10. Ephes. 5.9. 2 Chro. 30.22. 1 Iohn 4.13. Iohn 14.17.10. 1 Cor. 2.10. Gal. 5.17. Gen. 1.2 Gal. 4.19. Psal. 51.17. Rom 8.26. Rom. 8.16. Isai 54.13, 14. 2 Thess. 2.8. Ephes. 1.13, 17. Hebr. 7.14. Epes. 1.17.1.13. 1 Cor. 2.4. Ephes. 2. [...]8.4.4. 1 Cor. 12.13. Gal. 3.3. Hebr. 10.2 [...]. Zach. 13.10. Gen. 6.3 Isai 11.2. Isai 40.13. The sealing evidence of our salvation is faith; and therein, the definition, distribution, and the excellency of faith. Faith is the beliefe of the Gospel, Matth. 16.16. Rom. 4. 1 Cor. 15.11. Col. 3.11. Col. 2.10. Faith must be considered, generally, or specially. The Word, Rom. 15.4. Promises, 2 Cor. 1.20. Threats, Amos 3.2. Commands, Gen. 12.4. Tit. 2.12. There are precepts, temporary, Luke 9.3. For triall, Gen. 22.2. 1 Kings 3.24. Personal, Matth. 19.21. Of conviction, Exod [...]8.1. Iohn [Page 7] 11.43. Perpetuall, Matth. 5.4, 48. The Histo­ry of the Bible, Creation, Providence, Hebr. 11.13.11.3. Psal. 75.24. The plots, projects, and hellish inventions of wicked men against the Church, and God's defeating them. The Doctrine of the Scriptures, and therein con­sider these particulars, Man's misery by the fall of the first Adam, rom 5.12, 19. Ephes. 2.3. rom. 7.24. The mystery of man's redemption by Christ, rom. 5.19. 1 Tim. 3.16. The ad­equate or special object of faith is Christ Je­sus, rom. 1.17 And it must be considered ne­gatively, and affirmatively, thus; Not Christ abstractively, nakedly, and unfurnished, as reason, that monster in religion, conceives him to be, viz. a hard man, a rigid Christ,☜ gathering where he doth not straw, Matth. 25.24. much lesse as the Devil and Arch-priests, and Roman ouldiers left him a most deform­ed and d [...]plorable object, full of g [...]re bloud, swolne, bleeding, and dying upon the Crosse, bearing the sinnes of all the Elect, unto the view of carnal reason, without forme or beau­ty, and not to be desired, his visage being marr'd more than any man's, Isai 52.14. Isai 53.2 Nor according to the aspersion the High Priests cast on him, enough to cause an unregenerate man to hide his face from him, reject him, and account him justly smitten of God, &c. Isai 53.4, 9. and to thinke him the wickedest wretch that ever lived upon the [Page 8] earth. But affirmatively, Christ adorned with all his benefits, merits and perfections, that blessing that makes rich, and addes no sorrow with it, but brings with him all bl [...]ssings, Pro. 10 22. First, pardons, multiplicity of par­dons, Isai 55.7 Zach. 3.9. Luke 24.47. Psal. 103.3. Micah 7.18. Secondly, priviledges spi­ritual, universal nd eternal, Col. 1:1 [...]. Prov. 16.7. Luke 1.7. Apoc. 1.6, 5. Thirdly, righte­ousnesse, able to stand before God's pure eyes, and severest judgement, Isai 33.14. Dan. 9.24. Fourthly, marriage, union, and communion with Christ, Hesea 2.19. 1 Cor. 6.17. John 17.22.☞ Now Faith must be passively understood, that is, Christ's perfect faith, and that is im­puted unto us, rom. 3.22. Not active as it is in us, weak, impute, and imperfect, rom. [...].22. Thirdly, the excellency of faith, and therein we must consider, the Authour, that is, God, John 6.44. Hebr 12.2. The effects of faith, love, joy, and peace, &c. John 1.5. Acts 5.9. The nature of faith, 2 Pet. 1.1. The rarity of faith, few have it, Luke 18.8. 2 Thess. 3.2. The warrant of faith, 'tis called for, Isai 55.1. 2 Cor. 5.19. The absolute necessity of faith, without it, all is vile and naught, Prov. 28.9. Hebr. 11.6. The perpetuity, eternity, and everlastingnesse of faith, 2 Pet. 1.5. Qu. How know you the sacred Scriptures to be the Word of God? What grounds have you for't so to believe? Answ. By the testimony of the Scripture and [Page 9] that's sufficient of it selfe to me, 2 Cor. 1.22, 23. By the testimony of the Spirit of God, 1 Cor. 2.14. 1 John 2.20, 27. By the testimony of the Church in all Ages, 2 Pet. 1.19. Isai 53.2, 5. By the antiquity of the Scriptures, Hebr. 13.8. Jer. 1.16. By the miracles wrought for confirma­tion of them, 1 Kings 17.24. By the constancy of the Saints in suffering in the defence of them, rev. 6.9.12.11. John 3.6.☜ By the stile be­ing so majestical, high and yet pl [...]in, Exod 20.1, 2. 1 Cor. 11.23. John 3.30. Gen. 17.1. Psal. 50.1. Isai 44.24. 1 Cor. 1.23. Joel 1.2. By the admi­rable, heavenly and pure Doctrine contained in them, Psal. 119.9. Psal. 119.129. Psal. 119.172. Deut. 4.5, 6. By the sweet consent both of Prophets and Apostles, John 5.46. Gen. 3.15. Gen. 12.2. Gen. 49.10. Numb. 14.17. Dan. 9.25. Matth. 1.18. Luke 1.55. Luke 14.17, 44. Acts 26.22. Deut. 32.21. Mal. 10.11. Psal. 2.8. Psal. 110.2. Acts 11.18. Ps. 118.22, 23. Mat. 21.42. Gen. 49.10. Isai 9.6. Acts 10.43. Mat. 1.18. Dan. 9.24. By the efficacy of the Doctrine on the soules of mul­titudes of men and women of all Nations, without a sword of steel, or compulsion, Psal. 19.8. rom. 15.4. Zeph. 2.11. Zach. 13.2. Acts 5.39. Acts 9.5. Acts 20.21. Phil. 2.12, 13. rom. 15.19. 2 Cor. 4.8, 12. 2 Tim. 3.16. 2 Cor 3.6. Psal. 119 103. Psal. 119.50. Psal. 119.93. 1 Cor. 14.25. 2 Cor. 10.4, 5. By the nature of the word, that is so contrary to the will and wisedom of men, 1 Cor. 1. [...]1. 1 Cor. 2.14. rom. 8.6. Ephes. 6.12. [Page 10] Apocal. 2.10. Acts 9.5, 21. By the pen-man, though despicable, yet subdued all the world: rom. 15.19. Matth. 4.18, 20. Luke 6.13. 2 Cor. 4.7. Marke 13.25. 1 Cor. 2.4. 1 Thess. 3.4. Acts 9.16. 2 Tim. 3.2. Col. 1.6. By the continuation of them, though millions of Tyrants have sought their extirpation, Jerem. 36.39. By the fearfull judgements on the enemies of them. The Scriptures are the Word of God. Be­cause they speak of things above corrupt rea­son, Gods eternitie, and the resu [...]rection from the dead, &c. Because they tend to God their centre, &c. Because the prophesies are accom­plished, Luke 12.52. Matth. 24.5. Because their drift is to destroy that that is most belo­ved by men Because they require that that is contrary to mans nature, and that that is above their power to performe. Because the more any conformes to it, the more the world ca­lumniates, slanders, and persecutes them for't. Because they condemne mans wisedom, righ­teousnesse, and excellencies. Because they are such a mysterie, that neither the follie nor the wisedom of men can effect such a worke: neither can the greatest head pieces in the world by all their parts finde out the meaning of them without the Spirit; or agree on any one meaning of them. Qu. Do the Scriptures shew how men are to behold or conceive of God? A. ☞ Yes, They teach the Christian to look on God, through Christ the Chrystall sea of [Page 11] glasse, Well of salvation; and Shiloh that is our felicity, plenty, all God's excellent things, and the Authour thereof, as the word Shiloh signifies, Isai 8.6.12.3. Iohn 2.20. Col. 3.11. Psal. 30.9. Acts 4.12. Psal. 77.12, 19. Iohn 1. Rev. 15.2. They [...]iscover Christ's Incarnati­on, Stocke, Birth, Mother, the place of Birth, the time when, the manner how, the occasion, his poverty, his flight to Egypt, his Name, his paines he took, the reproaches he suffered, and the death he died, thus for his humiliation, Matth. 1.21. Luke 3.31. Micah 5.2. Matth. 2.1. Luke 2.24 Matth. 1.25. Luke 2.7. Isai 7.14. Matth. 2.1. Luke 1.27. Matth. 1.18. Mat. 1.25 Luke 2.1. Mar. 6.3. Mat. 2.13. Hos. 11.1. Isai 7.14. Matth. 1.25. Matth 27.38. They discover Christ's Exaltation, and therein his Resurrection, the Miracles he wrought, the Battels he fought, his Victories, his Ascenti­on, and his second Comming to Judgement,☜ Rom. 4.25. John 2 9. Matth 8.26. Marke 5.42. Luke 14.4. Luke 10.17. John 11.44. Acts 9.4, 19. Acts 1.4, 19. Hebr. 2.14. Col. 2.14. Marke 16.19. Matth 8. ult. Ephes 4.5.4.10. Luke 24.51. Acts 1.11. Psal. 145.13. Deu [...]. 7 14. Judges 14.15. Acts 17 31. They discover Christ's Doctrine, Discipline, Ordinances, Operati­ons, Dayes of worship, Priviledges and Pre­rogatives royall, Subjects, Titles that shew forth his Quality, what a kinde of one he is, and quantity, how great of Majesty he is: and [Page 12] the grounds we have to relie on him onely, Hebr. 2.3. Hebr. 1.3. Prov. 4.2. Gal. 4.6. John 5.17. Col. 2.12, 19. Matth. 28.19, 20. Psal. 115.2. Deut. 32.39, 40. 1 Tim. 6.15, 16. 1 Cor. 16.2. Apoc. 1.9. Matth. 12.18. Revel. 19.14. Rom 9.5. Matth. 1.16. Col. 2.10. Ephes. 5.22, 24. John 8.58. Apoc. 15.15.3.12.7. Judges 9.25. Matth. 1.23.4.3.7.6. Apocal. 1.8.7.2.10 1.5.5.6.6. Hebr. 2.10.1.3. Col. 1.15. Hebr. 5.9. Phil. 2.6. Ephes. 1.23. 1 Cor. 2.8. Acts 10.36.11.18 Mat. 12.8.9.38. Apoc. 5.5. Q. What things are there considerable in the Doctrine of free grace? Answ. The grounds, nature, properties, and reasons that demonstrate this free grace. The grounds, God's glory, Prov. 16.4. Isai 46.10. Man's sal­vation and eternal felicity, 1 Peter 1.9. In it's nature 'tis free, Ephes. 1.5. Full, 2 Cor. 12.9 & Permanent, John 13.2. In it's properties, li­berty, fidelity, simplicity, and ability to per­forme. First, Liberty, God offers Christ to whom he will, and when he will. Secondly, Fidelity, God doth and hath fully performed all that he promised. Thirdly, Simplicity, God being fully satisfied in Christ Jesus doth in the dispensation of his Word offer Christ freely,☞ and without any equivocation, false­hood or grudging. Fourthly, Ability to per­forme God's power and w [...]ll, are conjoyned, and he hath already made up the Churches happinesse, in a full, perfect and plenary satis­faction of Justice, in our redemption by [Page 13] Christ, so that nothing can be added to it by us,☜ and God sees the Church perfected for ever, and she shall in the fulnesse thereof en­joy it in Heaven at last. The reasons that de­monstrate free grace, because God doth free­ly give Christ, Faith to imbrace him, and as­surance in Christ Jesus, John 3.16. Isai 9 6. Ephes. 2.8. Gen. 9.27. Because God of his own accord provided, offered, and in mercy gave Christ, the true grace of God, wherein we stand, without a thought, word, or worke of ours, and the promise was instantly made to Adam, as soon as he had sinned and had need of Christ, Gen. 3.15. 1 Pet. 1.12. Isai 65.1. Rom. 5.10. Because God is the Master of this gift, Christ Jesus the true grace of God, so rich, great, and royall, and 'tis his honour to bestow him freely, and not repent, John 6.27. Rom. 11.29. Because God is not bound to any law, relation, or absolute necessity of na­ture, but he gives Christ most freely, and vo­luntarily, Rom 9.5. Psal. 115.2, 3. Psal. 16.2. Ephes. 2.4. Matth. 5.44. Because our best plea is to plead emptinesse, nothingnesse, and selfe-deniall; saying, My light is darknesse, my candle is out, my life is death, my humility pride, my sincerity hypocrisie, and my righte­ousnesse is a very plague, Isai 64.6. Isai 55 2. Rev. 22.17. Jer 10.23. 2 Cor. 3.5. Psal. 130.10. Because God doth frequently call men to Christ, and free grace, by his invitations, [Page 14] Luke 14.18. Lamentations, Luke 19.42. Pro­testations, Isai 5.4. Alurements, Hosea 2.14. Expectations and longanimity, Cant. 5.20 5.7. Exhortations, Gen. 9.26. Denuntiations against refusers of this free grace, Luke 19.27. Matth. 21.6, 7, 8. By his severall Dispensa­tions of free grace,☞ viz. Christ Jesus, in all Ages, to all S [...]xes, to all States, Conditions, People and Nations; so that there have been, now are, and shall be, or may be some, that receive Christ, this free grace, John 2.2. 1 John 12.2. Revel. 4 6 Acts 10 35. 2 Cor. 5.9, 10. Quest. How can it be said to be free grace, seeing Christ paid the utmost farthing, and pa [...]d both a debt of service, and suffering to his Father? A. ☞ 'Tis altogether free in respect of us, or any thing could be done by us towards our salva­tion; because God provided Christ for us; because God freely propounds Christ to us; because God as freely gave Christ to us, Isai 9.6. Ephes 2.6, 7, 8. rom. 3.22, 23, 24. rom. 4.5, 6. rom. 5.19. rom. 9.30. Qu What is necessary to be known concerning [...]hat great Article of free justi­fication? Ans. The definition, causes, effects, subjects, time and properties of justification. Justification is God's acceptance,☞ reputing, accounting and making his Church just, in, and by the justice and righteousnesse of Christ, rom. 4.6. 1 Cor. 1.30. 2 Cor. 5.21. The efficient Cause is God, Marke 2.7. rom. 8.33. Isai 43.25. Is [...]i 44.22. The instrumental Cause in­ternal, [Page 15] is the spirit of faith, and faith applying Christ, John 16.13, 14. Phil. 1.29. J hn 6.29. 1 Tim. 1.5. Ephes. 1.3. The inst [...]umental, ex­ternal, and proclaming cause is the Gospel, the Word of life, salvation, and reconciliati­on brought in earthen vessels, who are the proclaming cause, 2 Cor. 4.4. Acts 5 2. Acts 13.16. 2 Cor. 5.18, And the sealing cause, are the two Sacraments, Baptisme, and the Lord's Supper, Rom. 4.1 [...]. 1 Cor. 11. Matth. 28.3. The internal and impulsive cause, is God's bene­volence, love, and free grace, Rom. 3.24. Ephes. 2.8. Ephes. 2.6. Psal. 119.30. Titus 3.5. The me­ritorious and eternal moving cause is Christ, his active and passive obedience, Rom. 3.24. 2 Cor. 5.21. Hebr. 7.22. 1 Peter 2.2 [...]. Apoc. 1.5. Isai 53 5. Rom. 10.4. 1 Cor. 1.30. Acts 20.28. Isai 9.6. Gal. 2.20. Ephes. 1.7. Hebr. 1.3. 2 Cor. 5.18. Gen. 27.27. Luke 1.75, 79. The material cause, Christ's obedience; the for­mal cause, God's imputation of Christ's righ­teousnesse. The effects are peace, joy, pati­ence, and eternal life, rom. 5.1. Phil. 7.4. rom. 15.13. Isai 57.20. rom. 5.3. rom. 2.2. The Sub­jects and persons that are justified, are the Elect of God, rom. 8.30, 32. Isai 53.6. Iohn 10.15. Isai 53.11, 12. Iohn 10.26. Iohn 17.18, 19, 20. Matth. 25.23. Apoc. 22.15. Iohn 1.20. 1 Iohn 2.2. 1 Tim. 2.6. The time, in re­spect of God, there is none, neither are we to conceive of God according to his incom­prehensiblenesse, [Page 16] but in respect of man's ap­prehension, 'tis when he believes in Christ Jesus in this sence, rom. 5.1. rom. 3.22. The proper ies of free justification. 'Tis most free, Rom. 3.24. 'Tis most absolute, intire, and in­dividu [...]ll.☞ 'Tis most excellent in it selfe, cau­ses, and effects, rom. 3.24, 25. rom 4.5. Ephes. 5.2. Titus 3 5.1.15. 1 Tim. 4.3. 'Tis an im­mutable, inviolable, and irrevocable act of God, Mal. 3.6. 1 Peter 1.5 Matth. 1.6.18.24. 7 24 Psal. 125.1. Qu. What do the Scriptures hold forth concer [...]ing the decree of God? Answ. The definition, acts, causes, effects, subjects, ends, properties, prerogatives, priviledges and excellencies. 'Tis God's speciall decree tou­ching the conferring of eternal salvation by Christ the Redeemer, to certain m [...]n and wo­men, of meer mercy, favour and grace, choo­sing them to celestial life in Christ Jesus be­fore the world was made, Ephes 15. rom. 8.29, 30. Matth. 24.24. The acts are the purpose and election, the decree and the execution there­of, Ro [...]. 7.1 [...]. rom. [...].29, 30 The causes, the effici [...]nt, God's meer mercy in Christ. Isai 4.2.1. Ephes. 14. John 15 16. Matth. 12 18. rom. 8.29, 30. Ephes. 3.11. [...]n. 9 15. 1 Peter 1.10. Ephes 5.30. The material cause, Christ. The effects (about whom.) The counsel of God of whom it is. rom. 9.23. The final cause, God's glory, and ou [...] good; rom. 9.23. Ephes. 1.6.1.4. Acts 13.48. rom. 8.29, 30. Ephes. 1. [Page 17] 6. 2 Thess. 2.13. The effects of election are, adoption, vocation, justification, regenerati­on, sanctification, and glorification, rom. 8.28, 29, 30. Ephes. 1.6. Acts 13.48. The sub­jects of justification are Christ, and Christi­ans elected, Isai 42.1. Matth. 12.12. Ephes. 1.4. Iohn 13.18. rom. 8.30. 2 Thess. 2.13. Titus 1.1. 2 Thess. 3.3.2. Prov. 16.4. rom. 9.4. rom. 11.7. Psal 64.4. Psal 33.12. Psal. 49.14. Matth. 24.31.34. Matthew. 25.41. Hebrews 1.14. r [...]m. 8 33. The properties of election, 'tis from everlasting, Ephes. 1.4. 'Tis permanent,☜ im­mutable and irresistable; Isai 46.10. 2 Tim. 2.19. Ma [...]. 3.6, 9. Iohn 6 35. Iohn 10.28. The ends of election are God's glory, mens good and preferment to grace and glory, 2 Thess 2.13. rom 9.23. Ephes 1.6. Ephes. 1.11. Acts 13.48. Although the number of the Elect are f [...]w, comparatively, yet their priviledges are numerous, as, God's approbation, protection, and eternal felicity, Psal 1.6. 2 Tim. 2.19. Matth. 22.14 20.16.7.14. Marke 10.30. rom. 11.5.9.27. Luke 13.23, 24.12.32. Iohn 17.9.12.42.6.70. Isai 10.22.23. rom. 8.1. Ier. 3.14. Zeph. 3.13 &c. Psal. 1.6. 2 Tim. 2.19. Q. What doth the Scripture hold forth to us con­cerning Moses Law? A. The definition, distri­bution; signification, to whom 'twas given, the promulgation thereof, abrogation, (and why 'twas abrogated, and when 'twas abrogated.) The definition, 'Tis an ordination of right [Page 18] reason to the common good of all, and sin­gular subordination given by God, that hath the care of the whole community, and every singular in it. Moral and Ceremonial, and in the Moral Law two things are considerable. First, there's the matter of it, that's justice, equity, and righteousnesse, which the Christi­an hath in Christ Jesus without the Law. Se­condly,☞ there's the forme of the Law, and that's the authority of it, commanding obe­dience upon pain of the curse, but that the Christian is freed from, all confesse with one mouth, and threatning the disobedient, and promising rewards to the fulfillers of it. The signification of the word Law: sometimes it signifieth the whole Scriptures, Iohn 12.34. Psal. 1.2. Matth. 5.17. Sometimes Moses Do­ctrine onely,☞ Luke 24.44 The paedagogie of Moses, Iohn 5.20. But chiefly, principally, and most properly it signifies Christ, to whom Law and Prophets directly lead unto, and as their centre, Rom. 3.21. Isai 51.4. Psal. 119.72. Psal. 17.7. Hosea 8.11. Isai 2.2. 1 Cor. 2.1. The promulgation of the Law was on Mount Sinai, Exod. 20.19. Hebr. 12.22. The Law was given to the Jews, therefore called Iudai­cal, Ceremonial, and Mosaical, and to remain till Christ should come. Gal. 3.24. Psal. 122.3.147.20.45.46.-18.87.5.2.7. Isai 32.1. The Law is altogether abrogated to a Christian, a true believer, Rom. 7.6. rom 6.14.8.5. 2 Cor. 3.11. [Page 19] Gal. 3.19. 1 Tim. 1.9. Gal. 5.18. Christians be­ing made righteous freely, perfectly, and evangelically, 1 Cor. 1.30. 2 Cor 4.18. rom. 3.24.9.30. Hebr. 10.14. Ephes. 5.8. rom. 4.19, 20, 21, 22, 24. do demonstratively to men-wards walke in love, as Dorcas, Paul, and John did, &c. Acts 9 36. Tit. 3.8, 14. Matth. 5.16. Psal. 16.3. Job 22.3. 2 Cor. 4.13. Psal. 116.10. 1 Cor. 15 10. Acts 20.24, 21.13. Psal. 110.2. Luke 12.35.16.26. Hebr. 2.14. Jude verse 6. Rev. 12.9. 1 Iohn 4.18 Prov. 1.7. But extorted obedience from Moses Law, and walking with God without Christ, Ephes 2.2. Isai 48.22. Isai 48.1.58.3. Is the regeneration of hypocrites, who worke from false grounds to wrong ends, Numb. 16 4. 2 Pet. 2.20. And though they re­forme their lives, and conforme themselves to the Law, 'tis but man's righteousnesse, and 'twill not exempt men from vengeance, nor stand them in any stead towards salvation; Gen. 20.6. Isai 65 5. Marke 6.20. Luke 16.15. Psal. 9.16. Marke 16.16 Dan. 5 25. Prov. 28.9. Mat. 22.12. Gal. 2.14, 15. The reasons why the Lord did abrogate the Mosaical Law at the accomplishing thereof by Christ, and so freed all the Elect from it. Gal. 4.5. rom. 10.4. John 13.34. Iohn 8.36. Gal. 5.18. 1 Tim. 1.9. Gal. 5.19. 2 Cor. 3.11. rom. 8.5.6.14.7.6. Because the Law was a heavie burden to all before Christ fulfilled it, Acts 15.10. Gal. 5.3. Matth. 11.30. 1 Iohn 5.3. Because it was unprofitable, Hebr. [Page 20] 7.19. rom. 8.29.9. 'Twas pernicious, 2 Cor 3.7. 'Twas a great blocke in the way, and an hindrance to the calling of the Gentiles,☞ Ephes. 2.14. So that Christians are not now under the Law, nor in the Law, nor do live to the Law, in the Law, nor by the Law, Col. 2. Gal. 2.20. Yet they live, in some good mea­sure, according unto the Law, and not con­trary to it. Qu. What is Christian Liber [...]y, and what's considerable in it? Ans. The definition, distribution, end and consequences. 'Tis a blessed immunity from the authority, do­minion, offices, and effects of the Law, Iohn 8.36 2 Cor. 3.17. Ephes. 2.12. 2 Cor. 5.21. rom 6.14.8.1. Mal. 3.17. Col. 3.20. Rom. 6.13. Ephes. 2.12. There's the liberty of causes, will and right. The agent may worke if he please, the will may choose or refuse. There's the right of the creature in persons or things to worke of it's own motion without any hinderance. To th s, Christian Liberty is to be referred. The ends of Christian liberty are to settle Consciences in the Truth, Rom. 14. 14. Gal. 5.5.2.12. To prevent superstition, Tit 1.15. To direct Christians in their walke, Isai 30.21. And that they might stand for Christ and the Gospel, with magnanimity, chearfulnesse and charity, against all Justicia­ries, Antifidians, and Pharisees what ever, Gal. 5 1 Rom 7.17. Gal. 4 27. Jude verse 3. Prov. 28.4. 1 Cor. 16.13.15.5. Gal. 2.11, 14. [Page 21] Acts 15.6. Gal. 2.5. The first Consequent is, Christians live best, surest, and most excel­lently. Their life is pleasant, safe, holy,☜ love­ly spiritual, sweet, sociable, thankfull, glori­ous, compleat, victorious, and soul-satisfacto­ry, Psal. 16.11. John 10.29. 1 Pet. 2.5. 1 Cor. 15.45. Gal. 5.6. 1 John 1.6. Apoc. 19.3. Luke 2.35. Col. 2.10. Psal. 15.9. Rom. 8.37. Psal. 17.15. Ephes. 5.30. The second Consequent, Christ's propriety over Christians is the ground of his caring for them, sparing of them, cleansing, instructing, defending, and advancing them. Ezekiel 16.9. John 10.13. Mal. 3.17. John 17.9 John 15.2.4. Ioel 2.28. Iohn 10.3, 4. Zach. 12.8.2.8.2.5. Isai 58.14. Deut. 32.13. The third Consequent,☜ Christi­ans know Christ to be their Head, by creati­on, donation, purchase, conquest, covenant, communion and union with him. And his Headship, consanguinity, sympathizing, dis­position, power, mercy, fidelity, eternity, is the ground of their consolation, Rom. 9.5. Isai 8 18. Iohn 17. Psal. 2.8. Gal. 4 5. 1 cor. 6.20. Rom. 8 37. Luke 11.22. Gal. 3.27. Ezek. 16.8. Rom. 6 3. Phil. 4.13. Iohn 15.5. 2 cor. 12 11. The fourth Consequent, Christians do know, and see the care, love and bounty of Christ towards them. By his Spirit, grace, love, stu­dy, and thoughts, inquisitivenesse after their welfare, constancy, debasing himselfe, pover­tie, dying, provision, protection, direction, [Page 22] feeding, cloathing, healing, and glorifying them at the last, Iohn 16.8. rom. 8.9. Iohn 16.13. 2 cor. 1.2. Iohn 1.17. col. 1.19. Ephes 3.19. Gen. 19 29. Ier. 3.19. Isai 1.10. Acts 13.34. Lam. 3.23. Phil. 2.7. Gal. 4.5. 2 Cor. 4.9. 1 Pet. 1.17. psal. 68.19.121.4. Exod. 33.14. Hosea 2.14. Iohn 10.3.6.51. psal 71.25. Matth. 15.26. rom. 13.14. rev 3.18. psal. 103.3. 2 Tim. 4.8. psal. 48.11. And Christ by his Spirit doth, as a kinde Husband and Head, worke powerfully by his Spirit in the revelation of the everlast­ing Gospel, to the conversion, justification, preservation, consolation, and bestowing tem­poral and spiritual blessings on the Church, Rev. 15.3. 1 Tim. 6.16. Ephes. 5.23. col. 1.18. Deut. 25.5. Hebr. 2.14. Iohn 20.17. prov. 17.17. 1 cor. 6.20. Iohn 17.6. 1 Iohn 2 2. 2 cor. 2.16. 4.6. Luke 11.20. 2 cor. 5.19. Hebr. 1.8 Ioh. 17.17. Gal. 4.19. 1 pet. 1.24. 1 Iohn 3.9. psa. 23.4.119.92. Matth. 4.4. 1 Tim. 4.5. The fifth consequent Christians possesse, injoy, and are partakers with Christ their Mediatour, in his Offices, as King, Priest, and Prophet. First, in the spiritual, universal, and eternal Kingdom of Christ, that hath Prerogatives Royall, psal. 115.3. Parliaments, 2 cor. 5.9, 10. Scepter, psal. 45.4. Subjects, phil. 2.10. Service that is free, psal. 110.2. Sword that is sharpe, Hebr. 4.12. Cir­cumstances, Matth. 15.8. Meanes, that is, faith, 2 Tim. 4.7. The Cause efficient, God, &c. prov. 8.15. Effects, as war and peace, &c. [Page 23] Matth. 10.34. Luke 2.14. and ends in it, God's glory and man's good, prov. 16.4. 1 cor. 10.31. In this Kingdom there is nothing but peace,☜ joy, light, righteousnesse, and tranquility for evermore, psal. 16.11. Apoc. 21.23. Rom. 14.17. Matth. 13.41. Apoc. 19.14. 1 Kings 5.6. 1 Pet. 1.8. rev. 21.9, 19. Ephes. 3.19.3.8.3.10. In the benefits of his prophetical Office, Christians enjoy participation of Christ's inherent copu­lation, 1 Cor. 6.17. Revelation of his Fathers will, and that first immediately, 2 Pet. 1.21. and secondly, mediately, 2 Peter 2.5. Dan. 10.8. Reconciliation, Psal. 112.7. Job 5.21. Remissi­on of sinnes, Acts 2.39. Matth. 26.2. Imputa­tion of righteousnesse, 1 Corinthians 1.30. 2 cor. 5.21. Acceptation with God, Ephes. 1.6. Ezek. 20.4. Adoption of Sonnes, Gal. 4 5. Ephes. 1.5. Corroboration in the faith, Col. 1.11.2.19. 1 pet. 5.12.1.5.1.11. 2 cor. 11.3. In­tercession, Rom. 8.34. hebr. 5.25. Zach. 12.10. Isai 53.12. Gal. 4 1 rom. 8.26, 27. Sanctificati­on. 1 Thess. 5.23. Preservation, Ps. 145.20 97.10. And glorification is discovered to the Christi­ans faith begun here, and perfected in the next world, Ro 8.30. In the priestly Office of Christ, Christians see and enjoy their unction, con­junction, sufficiency, universality, efficacy, offering, guilt, worth, and permanency solem­nity, and eternity. Thus, the anointing of Christ is transcendent, Psal. 45.4. The con­junction of Kinghood is a [...]mirable, Psal 85. [Page 24] 19. Ge. 15.18. Heb. 7.1. The sufficiency of it su­perabounds, He 7.25. The perfection of the of­fice is entire, Heb. 10.14. The universality is ri­ches to all ages, &c. John 4.21. Luke 2.32. The efficacy of it alwayes prevailes, Luke 14.11. Is. 61.1. The guilt of sin, 2 cor. 5.21. The worth of bloud, 1 Pet. 1.16. Acts 20.28. The solemnity thereof, He. 7.21. the eternity of the Priesthood, and the permanency of the vertue of Christ's prayer, his intercession, is by presentation new, and not by prostration petition and supplicati­on to God,☞ Luke 22.32. John 17.20. And the Christian knowes that the work of salvation is wrought by Christ already, he hath satisfied Gods justice, fulfilled the Law, destroyed sin, death, and hell, blockt up hell gates, ransomed the Elect, opened Heaven, obtained pardon, and hath brought in everlasting righteousnesse, Isai 26.12.55.7.61.10. Dan. 9.24. Rom. 5.10. Psal. 30.5. 1 cor. 1.30. 1 cor. 3.23. Job 5 23. Qu. What's the Gospel, and the particulars that are necessary to be known therein? Answ. 'Tis a glad, great, glorious, and hidden mystery to carnal men, but revealed to Christians by the eternal Spirit, Luke 2.10, 11. rom. 10.15 col. 1.27. rom. 16.25. col. 1.26. 1 Tim. 3 16. rev. 14.16. John 16.13. The Gospel is glad tidings, Rom. 10.15. Luke 2.14. 'Tis glorious in it's original, instruments, and sequel that follow it, Ephes. 2.17. revel. 5.9. 'Tis hidden in part from Christians, and totally from the Repro­bates, [Page 25] in regard of the experimental know­ledge of it, and the true enjoyment thereof. 2 Peter 3.18. 1 Cor. 13.9. 1 Cor. 4 14. Rom 10.26. Coloss. 2.3. Col. 1.26. 'Tis great, consider persons or things, 1 Tim. 3.16. Psal. 87.3. 'Tis certain in Christ and to the Elects faith, 2 Cor. 1.20. Col. 2.2. 'Tis swift, Matth. 28.28 Psal. 19.1, 2. 'Tis full of influence, urging faith and repentance, Mat. 3.2. Ro. 15.13. and hath been preached and entertained of them, as it's act in all Ages, Rom. 1.16. Acts 13.48. Matth. 3.5. 'Tis an everlasting Gospel in two respects. 'Twas from the beginning pro­pounded to man as soon as he needed Christ, Gen. 3.15. John 3.16. Rev. 14.6. Because no Doctrine is to come in the room of it, to take place of the Gospel, 1 Peter 1.25. Hebr. 10.26. 'Tis effectual, it reveales life, begets to God, brings blessing, workes magnanimity in our hearts, violence in our pursuit of Christian righteousnesse, poverty of spirit, purifieth the Conscience, and sets the Soul at the true liberty in teaching how to serve God in spirit and truth, id est, to believe that Christ hath serv'd God for us, that's evangelical, 2 Tim. 1.10. 1 Cor. 1.16. Rom. 15.19. Isai 61.1. Matth. 11.5, 12. Luke 16.16. Hebr. 10.22. Luke 4.18, 19. John 14.6. 1 cor. 1.30. 2 cor. 3 17. John 4.24. The proper Gospel is that that sets out Christ's benefits, as pardon of sins, peace, joy, and the Christian righteousnesse, [Page 26] Ro. 10.15. 1 cor. 1.30. 2 cor. 5.21. Lu. 2.14. 2 cor. 4.3. The metonimical Gospel is that part of the Word, which sets forth the Conception, Birth, Life, and Death of Christ; as Mat­thew, Marke, Luke, and John. And how the Gospel transcends the Law, in matter, sub­jects, ends, condition, qualifications, quality, manner, confirmation, persons, and in seales, 2 cor. 3.6.7, 8, 9 ult. 'Tis to be preached plain­ly, and clearly, purely, sincerely, constantly, and vehemently, powerfully, of necessity, and not hovertly, in a cloud, darkly, much lesse mixt with a strange tongue, or enviously, 1 cor. 11.3. 1 cor. 9.16. Phil. 1.15. 2 cor. 4.2. 2 cor. 5.20. 1 Pet. 4.11. The Gospel was re­vealed to the Fathers of old for five Causes: for their comfortable expectation of Christ, that they might long for the Messias, Isai 40.2.64.1, 2. That none might plead ignorance, Hebr. 1.2. That their speculations might be above the Shadowes, Types, and Figures in Christ, who is the substance and truth of them all, Hebr. 80.1. Jer. 42.2.33.14. That the majesty, honour, and glory of Christ, might be the more perspicuous when he should be exhibited in the flesh, Isai 40.3. Doubtlesse the Fathers knew God com­fortably, in Christ that was to come, eat and dranke Christ sacramentally, had faith unfeigned, and were effectually saved by Christ that was to come, as we are by Christ [Page 27] that is already come, John 1.18. 1 Cor. 10, 3. Hebr. 11.4.-37. Rom. 10.14. Acts 15.11. That the united Churches and Gentiles, seeing more distinctly the efficient, formal, material, and final Causes of our salvation, Rom 1.1. Gal. 3 13. rom. 1.16. rom. 5.2. And when Christ was exhibited, crucified, and ascended: they ha­ving a fuller revelation of him, and consolati­on from him. I say, that they might be filled with joy unspeakable and full of glory, and continually sound forth his praise, 1 Peter 1.8. 1 Thess. 5.18. 1 Tim. 1.16. The Gospel was left on Record for three Causes, to prevent he­resie, to settle faith, to be a perfect Cannon and Rule to keep out counterfeit Bookes, and bastard Cannons, that might be else written and taken, yea, entertain'd for Scripture, Gal. 1.8 1 Tim. 3.16. rom. 15.4. John 20.31. The Gospel is most excellent, in the authority of it, Rom. 1.1. In the antiquity of it, Gen. 3.15. In the quality of it, Luke 2.10. 'Tis divine, antient, comfortable, and precious, and en­gendreth faith, Rom. 1.1. Gen. 3.15. Luke 2.10. John 14.29.17.17. And true Christians do honour it by their presence when it is preach­ed, and by their practising of it, by pleading for it, by promulgating it, by providing suffi­cient maintenance for the Preachers of it, 1 Cor. 13.14. Exod. 16.6. psal. 110.2. rom. 2.13. Acts 18.26. Jude v. 30. The Gospel is holy, Titus 1.1. It makes holy, John 17.17. It was [Page 28] indited by the holy Ghost, 2 Peter 2.21. For holy ends, to teach, convince, direct, and in­struct in righteousnesse, 2 Tim. 3.16. The Go­spel hath five things in it that are very consi­derable; it's history, the incarnation, life, and death of Christ: it's effects, remission of sins, destruction of Satan's kingdom, the exaltati­on of Christ's Kingdom, the admirable Do­ctrine and precious prophesies and promises. The rules of direction contain'd in it, Matth. 28.20. The Gospel and the Law agree in the Authour, that is God; in the matter, that is Truth; in the end, that is God's glory, man's good; in the subject, man imployed in Law and Gospel; but differeth as brought to Adam in the authour, matter, manner, remuneration, subject, and end. Thus the Authour God ap­peared in the Gospel as a Father reconciled; but in the Law onely as a Creatour. The Law for the matter of it, 'tis of workes; but the Go­spel is of grace. The Law for the manner of it was in our righteousnesse mutable; the Go­spel in Christ's righteousnesse immutable. For the reward of the Law 'twas of debt, but the Gospels reward is of grace. That, for the sub­ject was to all innocent men, this to the Elect, though in themselves sinners. That, for the end of it was the glory of God's justice, this to the eternal praise of God's mercy and justice by Christ, through him, in him, and for him, Rom. 11.36. ps. 55.10. eph. 2.8. eph. 4.32. The Law [Page 29] and Gospel as delivered by Moses, do differ in the Authour, Mediatour, bloud, adjuncts, and effects. The Authour God appeared angry in the Law, but wel-pleased in the Gospel, Mat. 3.17. Heb. 12.18, 22. For the Mediatour of the Law was a servant, but the Mediatour of the Gospel was the Lord Jesus, John 1.17. For bloud, the first was of beasts, the second of God, that is, of him that was of God and man, Acts 20.28. 1 Ti. 2.5. he. 9.12. For the adjuncts of the Law, they were weak, heavie, and burdensom, Acts 15.10. but the adjuncts of the Gospel are strong, easie and light, Mat. 11.29, 30. ro. 8.2. Isai 53.1. For the effects, first 'twas a bill to binde, a pri­son to shut up, and a very death to all that were under it, 2 cor. 3.6-9. But [ever blessed to God for it] the Gospel is an acquitance, discharge, and life, that is, both free, full, and for ever, 2 cor. 3.6, 18. The Law and Gospel differ in three speciall circumstances; in subject, place, and time. For the subject, 'twas written in tables of stone, and that without, Exo. 34.1. But the sub­ject of the Gospel was written in the flesh, and that within the heart, 2 cor. 3.2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. ezek. 11.16.33.25. Ier. 31.33. The place of the first was Sinai in darknesse, but of the second 'twas Sion in light, Exod. 19.18. Hebr. 12.22. The time of promulgation of the Law, was in the infancy of the Church, and for duration, 'twas but for a while, Gen. 49.10. but the Gospel in clearnesse of vision, and fuller dispensation is [Page 30] in the fulnesse of time, and to remain for ever to the worlds end, to be published to the Saints, Gal. 4.6. rev. 4.6. For the Rules that are to be observed in expounding the moral Law, that no Commandment be expounded contrary to the Scriptures, Nehem. 8.8. Matth. 15.4, 5, 6. That every Commandment requires perfect, exact,☞ and undivided obedience, both inward and outward, in soul and body, upon pain of death and Hell fire, to be suffered for ever by the Offender, for the least escape, failing, or aberration, Mat. 5.22.28.34. Gal. 3.10. That where any sin is forbidden, the contrary vertue is required; and where any thing is called for to be done by the Creature, the sin that is con­trary to it is forbidden, 1 Cor. 15.34. Ma [...]th 4.10. Ephes. 4.18. That under one main sin for­bidden expresly, all sinnes of that kinde, and all the occasions to that sin are also forbidden, 1 John 3.15. 1 Thess. 5.22. Matth. 5.21, 22. Judges 5.23. That every particular command from God bindes all under it, besides or against the general, Exod. 14. Isai 7.13.14. Gen. 22.2. 1 Kings 20.35. That two Duties never meet at once, Luke 10 32. Mat 12.7. Mat 9.13. That Negatives while they stand in force, alwayes binde all under them, Exod. 20. Deut. 5. That in a case of opposition, the more weightier respects must bear sway; Duties of the same degree of the first table are to have the prece­dency, Exod. 20. That such Comm [...]ndments [Page 31] as are grounded on an inferiour equity, if it be particular or dispensable to us, in a case of superiour equity to that upon which they were first grounded, 1 Sam. 21.5. Acts 16. [...]. That when the equity of any Commandment cea­seth, that Law is expired, so that the ground­worke and structure fall both together, Acts 15.20, 21, 22. That the moral Law, in it's ri­gour doth not admit of any dispensation,☜ mi­tigation, commutation, or substitution of one for another, the Law knowes not Christ a Surety, our dayes-man betwixt God and Man, but curseth, damnes, and destroyeth all that are under it's authority, dominion, and power, Gal. 3.10. Q. What is considerable in the mystery of godlinesse, Christ come in the flesh, 1 Tim. 3.16? The commendation, greatnesse, and excel­lency of it, the explanation of it. 'Tis a strange mystery, 1 Iohn 4.17.3.7. 2 Cor. 5.17. 1 Cor. 15.48. 2 Tim. 3.12. 1 Tim 3.9. 'Tis a great, deep, and marvellous mystery, Iob 28.14. 1 Cor. 2.9.14.3. 'Tis an extraordinary mystery, Psal. 92.5, 6. Matth. 13.11. Ephes. 3.10. 1 cor. 2.7. 'Tis a certain mystery beyond all peradven­ture, perhaps, or it may be so, it is without all question, confest of all, devils and men, 1 Tim. 3.16. Matth. 8.29. marke 5.7.1.24. Luke 8.28. Acts 16.17.19.15. Christ is the truth of all truth, with all confession, the covenant, that is firme and sure in all things that is ordered aright, 2 Sam. 23.5. Iohn 14 6. 'Twas Christ [Page 32] brought us into favour again with God, made up the breaches for us, he hath knit the true knot, united us to God, restored God's Image again in us,☞ and he worshiped God perfectly for us, and so presents us unto his Father in all his perfections, Heb. 10.14. ephes. 5.2. eph. 5.30. The explanation of it. Christ by his incarna­tion, assuming our nature, was conceived with­out sin, borne without sin, all his thoughts, words and works are pure, perfect, and altoge­ther without sin; true it is, God and man were quite out, and all bonds were quite burst asun­der by the violation of his pure Law, but Christ hath knit them together in one again; and God and man that were at odds, are made one again, yea, and are reconciled together firmely.☞ This corrupted, filthy, and accursed creature flesh, that was so hatefull to God, is by the righteousnesse of Christ received into uni­on again, Christ in our flesh became sin, that we might be made the righteousnesse of God, 2 Cor. 5.21. Iohn 1.12. Hebr. 10.20. Iohn 4.24. Hebr. 10.14. Christ by his fulfilling of righte­ousnesse for us, that as God was pleased to lay on him the iniquity of us all, so he hath born them all, and paid an all-sufficient price; so that Justice it selfe can demand no more of him, or any that he died for; he satisfied God's justice, pacified his wrath, beat out the teeth of the Law, took away sin, destroyed death, the devil, hell, and removed the curse, [Page 33] shut up hell gates, open'd heaven, obtain'd mer­cy and life eternal, for all truly religious per­sons, viz. all the Elect that are new-borne, that believe that Christ was born for them, and that Christ hath paid the debt of service to God for them, and the debt of suffering, so that they shall no more suffer for sin, to speak properly,☜ 1 Iohn 3.8, 9. heb. 7.22. Iohn 19.30. Isai 53.6.11. 1 Pet. 2.24 col. 2.14 Christ by his approbation. Angels saw these things to be just, and testified the same to men; they saw Religion brought into the world by Christ, the true Elias, that was to restore all things again; of whom Elias was but a type, they saw God and man united together in Christ's conception, they saw the birth, life, death, passion, agony in the garden, his bloud like sweating, at the worke of our re­demption, they heard his groans and prayers, saw his tears which he shed for our sins, his mi­racles he wrought, goings out, and comings in, and had the charge of his humane nature, were eye-witnesses of his Burial, Resurrection, and Ascension; and now see his glory in Heaven, they sang, Glory be to God in the highest, and good will towards men, they brought that ti­dings of great joy, the glorious Gospel,☜ the will of God, which he hath sealed with his own bloud, and the eternal Spirit, the Seed of God in the hearts of the faithfull, is appointed to de­clare the everlasting Gospel to the Churches, 1 John 3.9. Luke 2.14. Matthew 4.4.4.7. [Page 34] Rev. 12.6. Christ by his promulgation, he is preached and tendered to the Gentiles which knew not Religion, Christ, nor God, but were without promise, Christ and God, serving dumb Idols, but now the whole world rings of Christ, and every Pulpit founds forth Christ, or at leastwise they should do so, Matth. 28.24. Ephes. 2.17. Rom. 10.17. Christ by his successe among men, some believe in him, and receive that life, liberty, and salvation, that he hath wrought for them, so freely, fully, and per­fectly, that nothing can be added thereunto, or diminished.☞ And all the good that ever God did to his Church in former times was Christ Jesus the Messias, that was to come, and all that he doth, or will bestow upon his Church to the worlds end, both grace and glory, is in, through and for Christ Jesus, that is already come, and he never will bestow any thing in mercy, but through Jesus Christ, he being the new or living way, that he hath made for us, to come unto God by, through the vail of his flesh. Some there are that walke in Christ, possesse and enjoy Christ, and are in favour with God, do worship God in spirit and in truth [that is] in Christ Jesus, [that is] they do believe that the perfect worship, Christ Jesus performed, stands for them for ever, and in all Ordinances the Spirit of God presents this before the view of theit faith, Iohn 4.24. Hebr. 10.20. Iohn 1.12. 1 Peter 5.13. Christ by his exaltation to [Page 35] Heaven, hath made way for man that was shut out by sin (to his Father into Heaven in glory) so that his coming in his humiliation was not in vain, for he hath not left ought to pay for the Church, but hath got more for her than Adam lost, for he onely lost created feli­city, but Christ hath purchased of his Father remission of sinnes, and eternal glory, Ephes. 4. ult. so we see clearly that Christ is all that Ministers should preach, and people enjoy, Isai 9.6. Psal. 25.13. Prov. 3.32. 1 Cor. 2.10. Psal. 77.19. Iudges 13.18. 2 cor. 5.17. 2 Tim. 3.12. Ephes. 3.10. rom. 11.33. 1 Tim. 1.6.5.16. For all things in former times did but shadow out Christ that was to come, Col. 2.26. Isai 28.12.28.16. Psal 77.19. 2 Peter 3.13. Psal. 77.12. Col. 2.0. Exod. 7.17. Rev. 5.5. And Christ is that new Adam in which Christians stand, for he was a representative person, and whatsoever he thought, spake, or did, was for the Church, and every particular member thereof, to make them fr [...]ely, perfectly, and invisibly, mystical­ly, evangelically and passively righteous, 1 cor. 18.48. rom. 5.19. ephes. 5.26-30. col. 1.2. 2 cor. 5.21. 1 cor 1.30. And therefore the Church doth well in holding forth and believing, that God from all eternity hath by his immutable purpose and decree, predestinated unto life, a certain selected number of particular men, the Elect, invisible, true Church of Christ, that neither can be augmented or diminished, the [Page 36] rest are eternally, unchangeably, and perpetual­ly reprobated unto death eternal, Ephes. 1.4, 5. 2 Cor. 1.9. Jer. 1.5.31.3. psal. 33.2.89.28.33.11. Isai 24.14.14.24.27. mal. 3.6. rom. 9.11. 2 Tim. 1.9.2.19. Ephes. 1.9.11 matth. 20.16.24.40, 41. Luke 17.26. rom 9.27.11 5. Hebr. 12.33.11.23. Ephes. 4.13. rom. 8.13. John 2.19. revel. 21.27. That the onely moving efficient cause of E­lection. Is the meer good pleasure, love, free grace, and mercy of God, and not foreseen faith, good workes, pre-required qualities or conditions in the persons elected, Exod. 33.19. John 5.21. matth. 8.2.11.27. Luke 10.21. Deut. 7.8. Hosea 14.4. 1 Sam. 12.22. 2 Sam 12.22. James 1.18. rom. 9.27.11.5. Ephes. 1.5.7.11. 1 cor. 2.5, 8. cant. 2.5, 8. 2 Tim. 1.9. Deut. 7.7. Job 41.11 Ezek. 16.6. rom. 9.11, 16. mat. 24.40. mal. 1.3. 1 cor. 26.28. rom. 11.5, 9, 11. Though sin be the onely cause of Damnation, yet the sole and primary cause of non-election or re­probation, is the meer free will and pleasure of God, and not the prevision preconsideration of any actual sin, as Infidelity, or finall Impeni­tency, Matth 25 41, 42. rom. 29. matth. 11.15.24 41.24 40 Luke 17 38. rom 9.11. mal. 1.2, 3. That there is not such free will, universal grace, or sufficient abilities communicated unto all men, whereby they may repent, be­lieve, and be saved, if they will, Jerem. 10.21-25. Prov. 16 1, 9. Isai 26.12. John 15.5. 2 cor. 3.5. Psal. 2.13. John 8.44. That Christ Jesus [Page 37] died sufficiently for all men, his Death be­ing of sufficient intrinsical merit in it selfe, though not in God's intention, and Spirits application, to redeem and save even all man­kinde, but primarily, really, and effectually, for none but onely the Elect, for whom alone he hath actually, and effectually obtained re­mission of sins and life eternal, 1 John 2.1, 2. 1 Tim. 2.6. matth. 1.21. John 10.11.15.17. Ephes. 1.4.7.5.25-27. revel. 5.1, 9, 10. The Elect do alwayes constantly obey evangeli­cally, neither do they, nor can they finally or to­tally refist the inward, powerfull and effectual working of God's Spirit in their hearts in the very act of their Conversion, neither is it in their own power to convert or not convert themselves, at that very instant time when they were converted, Rom. 8.30.9.19. John 6.37 Cant. 1.4. 1 Thess. 4.9. Ephes. 1.10, 19. Acts 16.1.26.19. Rom. 3.7. Iob 9.1, 12. Psal. 115.3. Prov. 21.1.30. Psal. 135.6. Isai 54.21.43.13. The true justifying and saving Faith is proper and peculiar to the Elect alone, who after they are once truly regenerated and in­grafted into Christ Jesus their Head by Faith, do alwayes constantly hold out and perse­vere unto the end, and though they some­times fall through infirmity into grievous sinnes, yet they never fall totally, or finally, from the state of grace, Titus 1.1. Acts 13.48. Rom. 11.7. Psal. 57.24. Psal. 145.14. [Page 38] Q. Is the Lord Iesus his merits, as effectual for the elected, yet unborne, as for those that lived is his time, before and sirce? Answ. Yes doubtlesse, The Lord Jesus Christ is in all respects, as ful­ly the the Saviour of those that are elected, that are yet unborne, as those that now be­lieve, or those that have formerly believed in him, and were saved by his merit, Hebr. 13.8. 1 Iohn 2.2. rom. 8.33. 1 Peter 1.2. Titus 1.1. col. 3.12. rom. 9.11.11.5. matth. 24.22. And the Elect are called the world, 1 Iohn 2.2. for these rea­sons, because they are in God's esteem more excellent than all the world, Prov. 12.26 psal. 16.3. matth. 16.26. because they are Lords over all the world, Gal. 4.1. Hebr. 1.14. because they are clean, Ephes. 5.25, 27. Apoc. 1.5. 1 Iohn 1.7. Ezek. 36.25. Iohn 13.10.15.3. because they are adorned with the beauty of Christ, Ezek. 16.10, 12. cant. 4.7. because they are perfect in Christ, Hebr. 9.14.10, 14. rev. 12.1. psal. 45.9, 13. because they are most beautifull, comely, and lovely in God's eye-sight, cant. 4.7. Ephes. 1.4.2.21. Ier. 12.7. because they are God's jewels, pearles, gold, lilies, trees, light, and starres, mal. 3.17. Dan. 12.3. rev. 1.20. phil. 2.15. psal. 1.3.49.12, 14. Isai 13.1 [...]. revel. 21.21. cant. 2.16. be­cause they are Kings and Priests to God, though mystically, passive, and spiritual Kings, Rev. 1.6. 1 Peter 2.5. 1 cor. 2.15. Gal. 4.1. because they are the true Pr [...]priators of the world, 1 cor. 3.22. rom. 8.17. because they are a [Page 39] little world within themselves, 1 Iohn 2.2. be­cause the world was made principally for the Elects use, Gen. 1.29. 1 cor. 3.22. because they are the most excellent part of the world, psal. 16.3. colos. 1.18. Ephes. 1.22. because they are fortified. First, Christ is their armour, fence,☜ tower, and bulwark, Ephes. 6.12.3.16. rom. 13.13. Isai 32.3. psal. 44.11.48.12, 13. Matth. 7.24. Deut. 32.3. Secondly, the Spirit of grace, and the Word is their Direction, and Angels are for their protection, John 16.8.13.15. psa. 37.7. Hebr. 1.19. because they are alwayes in motion. First, there is a constant progression in Religion, and therefore Christians are cal­led pilgrimes, strangers, and travellers, Phil. 3.12, 15. Hebr. 11, 12, 13, 14. Secondly, they are tost by temptations, troubles and afflictions, alwayes fleeting, John 16.33. 2 Tim. 3.12. Because they are permanent, constant, and al­wayes continue in grace, John 10.28. Matth. 24.24. psal 125.1. Because they shall continue in the world to come in glory, 1 Peter 1.4. 2 cor. 5.1. 1 Thess. 4.17. The Elect are called the whole world for five causes. Because they are the true Propriators of all the blessings of this world, 2 Cor. 3.22. because they are the Heires of Heaven, Marke 10.30. Hebr. 2.5.6.5. Luke 18.30. because they are the principal, the best part of the world, and the soul is sti­led man, the whole world, Psal. 16.3. Isai 13.12. Gen. 2.7.7.4.27.2.1.27. 2 cor. 4.16. Eph. [Page 38] 3.16. 1 Peter 3.4. Marke 14.9. rev. 16.14. Be­cause they are an intire, compleat, and glori­ous multitude, made up of divers parts, to which none can be added or diminished, Eph. 1.23. rom. 11.25. revel. 14.4. revel. 7 9. Because they are gathered out of all parts and corners of the World, from Nations, People, De­grees, Conditions, Sects, and qualities of men, Psal. 50.5. rev. 7.9. Acts 8.4. Isai 40.11. matth. 6.11. 1 Peter 1 2. matth. 24.30. Isai 43.5, 6.54.7, 8. Ier. 23.3.31.10, 11. matth. 8.11.24.31. Ephes. 1.10, 11, 14. Iohn 11.52.10.16. Psal 107.3. hebr. 1.14. 2 Tim. 2.10. And there be seven exceptions of the word [world] very clearly set forth in the Scriptures. First, its taken for the fabricke of Heaven and Earth, and all the Creatures in the World, Psal. 24.1.50.12.96.13 psal. 90.2. Iob 34.13. ps. 97.1, 2. Nahum. 1.5. Acts 17.24. hebr. 1.2. hebr. 11.3. The Inhabitants good and bad, all man-kinde in general, Psal. 33.8.49.1. Rom. 3.19.5.22. The Reprobates onely, all wicked and Christ­lesse men, 1 Iohn 5.19. Apoc. 13.3, 4, 7, 8. The wealth, possessions, and glory of the World, Mat. 16.26. The place and multitude of men of severall places, and Nations, either in one or in several successive Ages of the World, Luke. 2.1. Acts 3.10.19 27. mat. 24.14. Acts 24.5. Col. 1.5, 6. rom. 1.8. Marke 16.15.14 9. Apoc. 16.14. The admiring multitudes of one or divers Countries, that follow a man or men, [Page 39] whether Preachers, Phisicians, or Lawyers,☜ Iohn 12.19 The Elect of all Ages, Nations, and people, both Jewes and Gentiles, 1 Iohn 2.2. 1 Iohn 4.14. 2 Cor. 5.19. hebr. 10.14. Where the Church is stiled the chosen, clean­sed, believing, reconciled, saved, and perfected World, by Christ their Head. Now Christ is our Head, 1 Cor. 11.3. together with the ground or reason of it. What head signifieth, and the consolation of it. 'Twas God's great designe thus to fit and qualifie Christ, that so the Church might receive from Christ their Head, all the influences of God's grace here, and glory hereafter,☜ Rom. 8.3, 4. eph. 4.13.5.25. col. 1.22. 1 Iohn 3.7. Rev. 19.8.14.5. Psal. 45.9.9.13. heb. 7.26. Col. 1.19.2.9. Isai 9.6. Psal. 45.4. 1 Tim. 2.1, 5. 2 Cor. 12.9. Psal. 89.19.85.10.90.17.71.16. Psal. 77 19.77 12. Christ was fit­ted for us, Isai 32.2. Gal. 2.20. Acts 13.38, 39. Matth. 11.28. Acts 4.12. Iohn 14.6. 1 Cor. 11.3. Eph. 5.23.4.15. Isai 7.14.9.6. Luke 1.42-72. Luke 2.7, 8.4.22.7.7.19. Marke 14.6. And when Christ is said to be our Head, it signi­fies our glory, excellency, superiority, prehe­minency, soveraignty, chieftain, and general, Majesty, Crown, wisdom, understanding, dis­cretion, prudence, fore-cast, care, tender­nesse, height of courage, staidnesse of resolu­tion, gravity, moderation of passions, dexteri­ty in managing businesses, ability to do more excellently, precedency and prerogative of no­blest [Page 40] operations, every way [...]itted for so high and honourable imployments, sympathizing with the body,☞ tenderly refresheth it selfe and the body, ordering and directing it, and is the well-spring and fountain of life, motion, sense: and whatsoever livelinesse or excellen­cy is in the body, it's derived from the animal spirits, and cometh from the brain, which if once stopt, the body will be surprized with the dead Palsie. Now the same the Head is to the Body natural, Christ is to the Body mystical, and much more utilous, beneficial, and profit­able, Numb. 14.10. Psal. 44.4.47.4. Phil. 2.9. eph. 1.20, 21. Psal. 8.5, 6. Iosh. 5.14. Cant. 5.10. psa. 21.5, 6.45.3, 4. Isai 9.7. eph. 3.10. 1 Peter 2.23. Marke 7.30. Col. 2.12. psal. 45.4, 5, 6. hebr. 2.17. Rev. 22.1. Mal. 4.2. Iohn 15.5.3.36.1.4. Luke 2 32.☞ So that Christ is to the Church pro­tection, defence, direction, reconciliation, preservation, sustentation, tender love, con­solation, carefulnesse, helpe, succour, and sup­portation, kindnesse, health, wisedom, and friend in Court to non-suit all our actions, the accusations of their evil, pleading our cause, preserving us from [...]he fury of Pharaoh, Psal. 76.10. and from the p [...]stilence that walketh in darknesse, psal. 91.6. A tower to keep thee from all sorts of danger, Isai 32.2.25.4. psal. 127.1.4.18.1, 2. 2 Cor. 5.1. 2 peter 3.13. Iohn 3.1.15, 16.8.36. Thy King, Captain, Pro­phet, Priest, Governour, Shepheard, Father, [Page 41] Mother, Brother, Kinsman, Friend, Husband, Physician, and Bishop, thy pillar of fire by night, and cloudy pillar by day, Isai 4.6. Mer­cy-seat, citie, countrey, new heaven, new earth, life, liberty, sweet dews, winde, showers, light, waters, shadow from the hear, watch-man that never slumbers nor sleeps, thy horn of salvati­on, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, thy head to guide thy feet into the way of peace, Luke 4.7.9. Any thing, every thing, all things that the forenamed Kings to their Subjects, Cap­tains to their Souldiers, and the Head to the Body, ought to be, or can be:☜ Christ is eyes to the blinde, ears to the deaf, legges to the lame, cloaths to the naked, riches to the poor, honour to the contemptible, life to the dead, liberty to the captives, joy to them that are of a sad heart, beauty to the deformed, that garment of glad­nesse instead of weeds of mourning, Isai 61.3. peace to the troubled conscience, consolation to the sorrowfull, light to them that sit in dark­nesse, and in the shadow of death, that wan­der in the wildernesse of sin, death and despe­ration, to such Christ is a guide by his Spirit and Word, to bring them to the door of hope [himselfe] the way of peace, truth, and life, in the valley of Achor, into fulnesse and plen­ty it selfe, Hebr. 6.18. matth. 4.19 hosea 2.13, 14, 19. Luke 1.79. John 14.16. matth. 11.28. psal. 116.7. Christ is that rest, and they do wel that take him for their Cen [...]re, Acts 4.12. [Page 42] Matth. 7.24. John 14.6. And the clear know­ledge of Christ is able to settle the soul, and to answer all Objections,☞ if thou be a poor, lost, damned, and cast away sinner, thy Savi­our is called Jesus a thousand times in the New-Testament, Matth 1.21. Luke 2.11.24.21. Matth. 1.23, &c. But I am a weak creature, a wretched sinner. Thy Saviour is God blessed for ever, the Al-mighty, strong, King of kings, eternal, immortal, invisible, the onely wise God, able to do abundantly above all that we can aske or thinke, Ephes. 3.20. rom. 9.5. revel. 19.16. 1 Tim. 1.17. rev. 15.3. Thou art igno­rant, and darest not approach his presence, but the Lord Jesus is the key of knowledge, that great Prophet, Shepheard, and Bishop of out soules, and his knowledge is thine, and he laid down his life for thee, Luke 11.52.7.16. rev. 3.7. Luke 24.45. 1 Peter 5.4.2.25. John 10.11, 12, 15. Luke 15.4. But I am blinde, sicke, and most poor, but Christ is thy treasure, pearle of price, the true bread, meat and drinke, indeed, all God's good things, the wedding garment, the Physician and physicke, that hath cured thee in the presence of his and thy Father, Matth. 19.21. 13.44.13.46. John 6.33.55. Luke 15.23. matth. 22 4, 5. Luke 14.15, 17. matth. 24.28. 1 cor. 10.3. Gal. 2.20. 1 Peter 2.2. 1 cor 7.5. rev. 2.17.2.7. phil. 3.9. 1 cor. 1.31. rev. 3.18.7.9.7.27. rom. 13.14. 2 cor. 5.21. col. 2.10. matth. 2.7. Luke 10.33. rev. 22.1, 2, 3. John 1.9.8.18. marke 4.21. But I [Page 43] am born in sin a sinner, and harbourlesse: the Lord Jesus his conception, birth, life, and death, resurrection and ascension, was for thee, Acts 4.27. Luke 1.35.2.23.1.42. marke 1.24. mat. 12.20. John 6.37. 2 Tim. 2.25. Acts 5.31. Christ is thy house, city, countrey, new heavens, and new earth, better than ten thousand heavens, and earths, if there could be so many, Marke 10.30. matth. 19.27. 2 cor. 5.1. Hebr. 11.10, 16.1.14. Gal. 4.2, 21. 1 John 2.20. 2 Peter 3.13. But I am a feeble building, ready to fall, and a poor prisoner, but Christ is the horne of salvation, the head-stone of the corner, and most puis­sant, and comes preaching deliverance to the captives, and set at liberty poor bruised prison­ers, that have been taken captives by the Devil, Luke 1.69. matth. 21.42.12.29. col. 2.15. Hebr. 2.14. Luke 4.18. Isai 61.1, 2, 3. 1 Tim. 1.15. But I have a trembling conscience, but Christ his pure conscience is become thine, and he is stiled the King of peace, Hebr. 7.2. 1 Tim. 3.9. Luke 2.14.19.38. ephes. 2.13, 14, 15, 16, 17. John 14.27.16.33. Acts 10.36.20, 28. col. 1.20. rom. 5.1, But I fell in Adam, am unclean, a stranger from God, and have no life in me, am spiritually dead, Ephes. 2.5. Thy Saviour is the up-rising of many, without blemish,☜ and one with the Father, and hath made thee one with God, Luke 2.34. 2 Peter 3.17. John 10.29. Luke 1.35. 1 Peter 1.19. 1 John 3.5. John 1.29. Hebr. 2.11.7.26. 1 John 3.3. [Page 44] John 14.30.10.30.17.21. 1 John 1.5, 6. And he hath life in himselfe for thee, John 5.26.11.25. Gal. 2.20. 2 Tim. 1.10. John 14.19. But I am darknesse it selfe, and a very cursed creature in my selfe, Eph. 4.18. Isai 62.2. Gal. 3.10. But thy Saviour is light, and was made a curse for thee, through the blessed one of God, and that blessing that makes rich, and addes no sorrow with it, that thou mightest be made all light in the Lord, and that the blessing of Abraham might be upon thee, Gal. 3.14 ephes. 5.8. Prov. 10.22. Luke 1.79. 1 Iohn 3.8. eph. 5.14. Gal. 3.13. Marke 4.61, 62. Matth. 3.17. But I have no right to the Creatures, a childe of the Devil, wounded by Satan, and robb'd of all righteousnesse, and lie stinking in the grave of sin, but Christ thy Saviour is the law­full heir of all things, that second Adam, who hath restored all again, and is Lord of all, Acts 12.36. hebr. 1.28. matth. 21.38. col. 1.15, 18. rom. 5.25. And the Son of God, Mat [...]h. 4.3.2.15.1.23.1.16. The good Samaritan, Luke 10.33.35.11.32.49. The righteous man mighty in word and deed before God and all men, Luke 2.23, 24. 19. The Resurrection and the Life,☞ the Spirit and a quickening Spirit for thee, Iohn 11.25. Rev. 20.6. Iohn 3.6. 1 Cor. 15.49. 1 Peter 3 18. Iohn 3.31. But I want faith, repentance, and patience, having a stony heart, but thy blessed Saviour is the Au­thour and Finisher of thy faith, the patience [Page 45] and faith of the Saints, and his tender heart is thine, as well as his sincerity, 2 Cor. 11.3. hebr. 10.36. Luke 21.19. Iames 1.4. hebr. 12.2. 10.35, 36. matth. 14.31, 26.38. Revel. 13.10. But I am a beast in understanding, and a very childe in the knowledge of the Truth, Psal. 73.22. Ier. 1.6. But thy Saviour Jesus Christ is wisedom it self, yea, the manifold wisedoms of God, and justified of true Believers, and God makes over (to the Christian) all his wisedom, goodnesse, mercy, truth, and understanding, 1 Cor. 1.30.25.21. matth. 11.19.13.19.13.11. eph. 3.10.2 Cor. 5.21. mat. 13.11.19. mat. 11 19.13 11. But I am a Chicken, and the Kites, and cursed fiends, the Devil, the world, and the flesh, surprize me, and are ready to devour me up. But the Lord Jesus Christ is thy all-sufficient Saviour, and compares himselfe to a Hen, and will keep thee more safely than any Hen can keep her Chickens, and none can plucke thee from under his wings of health, Mal. 4.2. mat 23.31. Luke 1.49. But thou wilt reply, my heart is sad, I droop and go heavily, but the Lord Jesus is stiled the consolation of Israel, the glad tidings of the Kingdom, strong con­solation, and that everlasting signe erected to be a present cure for all soul-maladies, and the expectation or desire of all Na [...]ons, Luke 2. 25.8.1. hebr. 6.18. Isai 55.13. Hag. 2.7. But thou wilt say, thou art wounded, robb'd, and spoiled of all by the Devil; but thy all-suffici­ent [Page 46] Saviour is the good Samaritan, Physician, and stronger than the Devil, who hath restored all things again,☞ and perfectly cured thee be­fore his Father, Luke 10.33.35.11.32.49. col. 1.22. 1 Iohn 1.7. Eph. 5.27, 30. col. 2.10. rev. 12.1. cant. 4.7. Hebr. 10.14. psal. 103.3, 4. Iohn 13.10. If thou say, thou art unrighteous, thy Saviour is stiled a righteous man for thee, and hath made thee the righteousnesse of God in himselfe, 2 Cor. 5.21. Luke 2.23.47. Luke 24 19. But I lie in the grave of sin, and am very sensible of it: thy Christ is the resurrection, and the life, and a quickening Spirit, 1 Cor. 15.49. Iohn. 11.25. rev. 20.6. Iohn 3.6. 1 Peter 3 18. Iohn 3.31. But I am unjust, indebted, un-approved of in my own conscience, and amongst most men, and the sentence of death hath passed upon me, 2 Cor. 1.19. The Lord Jesus is approved of God, and hath made up the breaches for thee, and presented thee before his Father in his own goodnesse, and in his own time will give thee to know it for thy selfe: O man! why doest thou doubt? Believe and prosper, Job 5.27. Iohn 16.8, 9, 10, 15. Iohn 7.12. Act. 2.22.3.14.2.11.4.27.3.15. But alas, I am a dry tree, dead at heart, and the plague of the heart is upon me, 1 Kings 8.38. But thy Saviour is the green tree, that tree of life, that beares twelve manner of fruits, and gives forth fruit every moneth, whose leaves do heal the Nations, who hath presented thee before his Father in his own [Page 47] fulnesse, and made thee a branch of himselfe, and a man after God's own heart, in giving thee to rest upon his perfect heart, as David did by faith in Christ that was to come, was partaker of Christ's pure, perfect, and sincere heart, and therefore he's said to be a man after God's own heart. But alas,☜ poor man in him­selfe, he was bad enough and groaned under the burden of a corrupt heart all his dayes, Acts 13.22. Iohn. 15.1. revel. 2.7.22.1, 2. colos. 1.22. But alas, I am pestered with the old man, thy Saviour is the new man, the inner man, the hidden man of the heart, and the new crea­ture, and 'tis for thee, Gal. 6.15. ephes. 3.16.4.24. Gal. 2.20. But ah, poor soul that I am, I have no sweet odours to offer to my God, nei­ther any pure, perfect, and undefiled sacrifices:☜ but thy blessed Saviour is an offering and sacri­fice to God for thee, and of a sweet smelling savour in thy nostrils, and the Churches from generation to generation; he is the glory of God, the righteousnesse which is of faith, the end of the Law, that acceptable will of God,☜ yea the prayers, patien [...]e, and righteousnesse of the Saints, Revel. 8.3. rom. 12.2. ephes. 5.2. Romans 5.2.9.30.10.4.10.8. But alas, I am a condemned man in my conscience? But thy Saviour hath purchased a pardon at the hands of God the Father, and given it thee, and he is the glad tidings of salvation, Rom 10 16. Gal. 2.20. ephes. 4.32. But alas, my faith is not [Page 48] operative in me, neither doth it worke as I de­sire. But thy Saviour (to thy great consolation) is stiled the faith of the operation of God, Col. 2.12. 2 cor. 6.7.14.15. But I am weak? yet thy Saviour is God's strength, the all-suffi­cient grace of God for thee, 2 Cor. 12.9. rom. 9.5. matth. 28.18. Luke 9.43. But I am full of hatred? thy Saviour is the fulnesse of God, that faith that workes by love, and thy weak faith serveth to lay hold on him, Ephes. 3.19. Gal. 5.6. Iohn 6.29, 40. Iohn 16.13. But I am faint, and am ready to die; thy Saviour is thy life, the hope of glory, and the first born of every creature, Colos. 1.27. phil. 2.16. col. 3.24. Iosh. 5.13, 14, 15. But I am subject to undergo the miseries of warres, sicknesses, and crosses. But thy Saviour is the Lord of peace, and the great General of Heaven, the Captain of thy Salvation, Heb. 2.10. Is. 58.6 2 Thess. 3.16. But I am much and frequently wronged: thy Saviour is the righteous Judge, and will right thee, 2 Tim 4.8. beb. 2 14. But none pities me in my perplexities: thy Christ is touched with all thine infirmities, 1 Peter 32. hebr. 4.15.2.17, 18. But my heart is sad, and I much indebted. Thy Christ hath paid all thy debts to his Fa­ther, and hath in his hand the disposing of all in Heaven and Earth: and is thy consolation, Hebr. 6.18. rev. 1.20. hebr. 7.22. matth 28.16.20. But I live amongst a perverse, crooked, and polluted people, in a Land where the Go­spel [Page 49] (being generally profest) is hated, if preached in the purity and power of it; yet thy Saviour is separated from sinners, is an hea­venly countrey: and all that is contained in the Gospel, Hebr. 7.26.11.16. col. 3.11. 1 Iohn 2.20. But I want many natural parts, and de­cay much in the acquired parts, that I have at­tained unto by industry, &c. But thy Saviour never decayeth, but lives and abideth for ever, and all his parts are thine, and his excellencies decrease not, Col. 3.11. 1 Peter 1.19. Gal. 2.20. 1 Pet. 3.4. ro. 13.10. But Satan accuseth me un­to God and my conscience. But the Lord Jesus Christ is thy friend in Heaven, and hath non-suited them all, and is thy propitiation, and the faith of the mystery in a pure conscience, 1 Tim. 3.9. 1 John 2.1, 2. revel. 11.12. But the Devil is a roaring Lion, and too strong for me. But thy Saviour is a Lion of the Tribe of Judah, and hath conquered,☜ and goeth forth conquering: he is the Serpent that hath de­voured all serpents, Exod. 7.12. rev. 5.5.6.2.2.9. matth. 12.29. col. 2 15. marke 3.27. hebr. 2.14. 1 Iob. 3.8, 9. But I am in contempt, trodden under foot, and an imperfect creature. But thy blessed Saviour Jesus Christ is the crown of life: the seven Spirits of God which signifies all perfections: a Lamb having seven horns, and seven eyes, viz. all power, and clear under­standing, whose horn is exalted as the Uni­cornes, Psal. 92.10. namely, to heal the im­poysoned [Page 50] waters, viz. all poor soules freely, easily, perfectly, invisibly, and permanently, Malac. 4.2. Revel. 2.10. Revel. 1.4.4.5.3.12.14.6.22.7. Revel. 5.6. Quest. Are there more Covenants than one extant? or were there ever two Covenants extant at once? Answ. I an­swer, that to man fallen, the Covenant of grace is onely extant: the Covenant of God is but one, and that of grace, and there is no Covenant of Workes to lost man, he is freed from the purchase of his own Salvati­on by any act of obedience, by him to be performed. The Covenant of Workes being broken, there is an impossibility that man should be able to performe it, and it cannot be a rule of blessednesse to man fallen, Gen. 3.15.9.9.17.7. Deuter. 29.3. Isai 61 8.59.21.55.3.45.10. Ierem. 32.40.31.31.50.5. Hebr. 10.16. And the fi [...]st and old Cove­nant, Hebrews 9.1.8.6. was of grace in sha­dowes, typifying Christ that was to come, though darkely and obscurely, and the new, second, and better Covenant, was the same Covenant of grace, Christ in opener vision and more clearly manifested, and with larger dispensations of grace; as 'tis most clear [in Isai 60.19, 22. Ioel 22.28, [...]9 2.26. Acts 2.3, 4. Isai 30.26.] where a little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong Nation, and the light of the Sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven dayes, and so the least in [Page 51] the Kingdom of grace, shall out shine the Bap­tist, that burning and shining light, Iohn 5.35. Matth. 11.11. The meaning is, that the poorest Christians under Gospel-dispensations, shall have more discoveries of Christ, and larger pri­viledges than he had. Now the grounds of the point are these, because the substance of Reli­gion in all Ages, though under divers and seve­rall administrations, hath been but one, name­ly, Christ, diversly held forth to the Churches; and circumstances make no difference.☜ Be­cause Christ, the Covenant of grace, was the way of salvation to the Fathers, Prophets, and Apostles, as he was to come, Hebr. 9.15. and all that shall be saved till the worlds end, are sa­ved by Christ that is already come, Christ ye­sterday and to day, and the same for ever, Hebr. 13 8. Acts 4.12. All the Ceremonies apper­tained to the Covenant of grace; the Law in Sinai was but one, the Arke is called ths Arke of the Covenant of the Lord, Exod 31.7. and so are the Tables called the Tables of the Covenant, Exod. 32.15. Deut. 99 The Cere­monies typified and pointed to Christ the Messiah that was the substance of them; the Body is Christ, Col. 2.17. Hebr. 9.11, 12. Ier. 32.42. Because the old Covenant was fault­lesse, there being a possibility to man fallen through the sufficiency & efficacy of the price to be paid, by Christ to come; so there is no antiquation of that Covenant, nor surrogation [Page 52] of another, that being faultlesse, Hebr. 8. [...]. Because the moral Law is to remain and con­tinue, (for excellent uses to the Reprobate and the Elect,☞ before and after their conversion) in and after the Messiah, even under the cove­nant of grace in the largest dispensation there­of unto the worlds end; and 'tis called the moral Law, à morando, it being of perpetual use to the Church in all Ages, though the Christian be in the state of grace, and not un­der the Law, because the Law was given in the hands of a Mediatour, which properly agreeth to Christ, but improperly to Moses, Gal. 3.19. Because the Law in mount Sinai was never afoot till Moses, Dan. 5.3. Deut. 7.7.12. ro 10.6. to the 8. Because the Law was gi­ven 430 years after the covenant of grace and faith in Christ to come, renued to Abraham, Gal. 3.17. Besides it revealeth sin. 'Twas not made for the righteous, but it was a stumbling blocke to the Jewes, and kept them from the righteousnesse of God, Rom. 3.20. rom. 7.13. 1 Tim. 1.9. rom. 8.3. rom. 9.32. To hold or teach that there is a covenant of workes on foot, will admit of divers foul and insufferable consequences. That the rule of justification is not one. That the Lord delivered a rule of justification, by which no man ever was justi­fied. Now God never intended, thought, or gave the moral Law for that use, viz. to justi­fie any. That we may pray for grace to justifie [Page 53] ourselves, contrary to the fifth Petition in the Lord's Prayer. That the Lord delivered the rule of blessednesse impossible to the obser­vers. That Moses did presse the Law of faith in one place, and the Law of workes in ano­ther. But they that go on in the misconceiving of Moses, and alledge his words, This do and live, &c. for a covenant of workes, they wrong Moses, the Church of God, but mostly them­selves,☜ in making Moses a Minister of a cove­nant of workes, whereas he was the clean contrary, a Minister of the covenant of grace, though vailed and shadowed, as our Saviour saith, Moses rightly understood, wrote, and spake of me, Iohn 5.46. Iohn 3.39. Col. 2.17. and to speak the truth, when Moses saith, Do this and live: the meaning is, Do it evangeli­cally, look to the Messiah that is to come, and live, believe that he is to do it for thee, and live by him who is to do, and live for thee. The whole body of the Jewes were fowly deceived, Iosh. 24.19. when they said, We will serve God, per se, in our own persons: but Io­shua saith, You cannot do so, yet per alium, in the person of the Messiah that is to come, you may do so, so mayest thou by Christ thy Sure­ty that is already come, and hath paid the debt of service that thou couldst not pay, and suffer­ed for thee, that thou shouldst have under­gone, hebr 7.22. so that the Jewes did not un­derstand Moses then, as too many unto this [Page 54] day, have the vail upon their hearts untaken away, 2 Cor. 3.14. but Paul, Rom. 10 4. to the 9th. proleptically brings in Moses crosse-thwarting the Jewes, their sinister interpreta­tion. Compare, Deut. 30—14.20. with Rom. 10.4. to the 7. Lev. 18.5. Ezek. 20.10-12. and there, and in all the Prophets we shall see Christ is the true Rock; our Sabbath, Law, Isai 51.4, 5. and testimony that all the Pro­phets affirmed, and Paul preached, and set forth to his Corinthians, 1 cor. 2.1. rom. 14.11. Gal. 2.19. Truly Christ is all that Prophets and Apostles did preach, and held fo [...]th in every line, if we could see it, and is all that Ministers should hold forth in all their preach­ing, writing, and printing: and if he were truly believed also by the people, there would quickly be an end of all the combustions, com­motions, broiles, tumults, heart-burnings, bickerings, bitings, railing, invectives, and the unnatural Wars in hand, the Lord give us understanding in all things, 2 Tim. 2.7. Q. But Sir, I pray, what meanes hath God afforded for the right understanding of the Scriptures. A. There are two helps, God hath afforded us in much mercy, for the understanding of his Word: the first is internal, that is, the eternal Spirit whom God hath appointed to reveal the everlasting Gospel, without which there is no possibility of attaining to the mystery of the History, Rev. 14.5. John 16.13. John 14.25, 26. The [Page 55] second, external meanes is, the comparing the Text and Marginal reading, taking both; if according to the analogy, proportion, or mea­sure of faith, Psal. 22.15. Luke 4.18. Isai 63.9. Isai 5 [...].14. Then the right pointing of Scrip­ture, commi, co on, period, interrogation, and ad­miration, Iohn 17.3. 2 Thess. 3.14. Hab. 2 4. Rom. 11.33-39. Then comparing one Text with another, Psal. 40.7. Hebr. 10.5. Psal. 47 15. with Ephes. 4.8. Then the manner of the Jews phrase and expression, Ezek. 1.18.2.13.11.22. Then the reading of the Scriptures as it is in the Original, 2 Kings 5.17. Then the opening of the signification of the Text, and reading it in other words equivolent to it, more large­ly, Deut. 22.6. matth. 5.45. ult. Then the cut­ting of it short, or drawing it to a brief head, Lev. 19.28. Then to distinguish be­tween Gospel and Law, precepts temporary, personal, triall, conviction▪ and of obedience. Promises temporary are conditional, but spi­ritual, and eternal are absolute. Then the difference betwixt history, parable, example, apologue, proverbe, and ridule. History is a thing done, Gen 4.9.14.1-19. A Parable i [...] one in sense and thing, Matth. 13.1-4. An Example is taken from men, 1 Cor. 10.11. An Apologue is a feigned Example, Iude 9.8-15. 2 K [...]ngs 14.9. A Proverbe is metaphorical, 2 Peter 2.10. A Riddle is an obscure Allego­ry, Iude 14.12. There is onely one sense of Scripture, though divided into literal, allego­rical, [Page 56] tropological, and analogical, Psal. 16 10. Psal. 40.7.98.36. 'Tis meant of Christ, Gal. 4.22. Deut. 25.4. 1 cor. 9.9. Psal 95.8. Hebr. 4.6. Gen. 3.15. Propositions are either hypotheti­cal, Gen. 4.7. 2 cor. 5.17. or catagorical, Iohn 3.16. Then the manner of speaking some­times affirmatively, Matth. 16.16. Iohn 3. ult. 2 Iohn 9. then negatively with the verbe uni­versal, Psal. 143.2. matth. 24 22. then by bor­rowed speeches metaphorically, 1 Kings 22.1 [...]. speaking of God as a Judge in judgement, as having passions, and the members of a man, as eyes, heart, hands, and feet attributed to him. At other times pathetically, is a passion. Hyperbolically, defectively, and excessively, emphatically, excellently. In modest tearmes, by way of foul things. Tauntingly, objecting­ly, abjectingly. By representation of a thing that is uttered, when it suppresseth some­thing, as to ease nature. By silence in conceal­ing the age and parents of Melchisedek. By speaking in the person of another, when it is himselfe defining idolatry expresly in grosse [...]earms. By Prosopopeia's, as O earth, earth, earth so God speaketh to things without life, yet to man. Then peremptorily by commanding, then by bringing in the dead speaking, Luke 16.25. Numb. 11.15. Deut. 5.27. Jude 20.16. Psal. 6.6.119.36. Psal. 8.11. John 3.3. Jude 3.24. Hosea 8.8. Numb. 25.8. matth. 9.34. Deut. 23.15. Gen. 14. hebr. 7.8. Marke 14.62. John 13.23. 1 Sam. 2.27. Ezek. 16.28, 29.23.20.20.8. [Page 57] Exod. 20.7. Mal 12.32. Jer. 29. ult. Numb. 23.10. Deut. 34.5. Luke 16.25. where Abraham as if living speaketh to Dives. The causal con­junction [for] Matth. 25.35. is a note of or­der and consequence, and not of the cause, or any meritorious causalty. &c. Matth. 25.35. and in Grammar [for] sheweth the reason of a former sentence, but it doth not necessarily shew the reason from the cause of a thing, but many times also from the effect and other ar­guments, &c. Ever [...] for ever, and everlasting, sometimes signifieth a long time, Psal. 32.14. Nothing, small, and none, for little, or a few▪ John 18.20. A [...]ts 27.33. where a Church col­lectively is reproved, corrected, and is also pu­nished for sin, you must not understand it ab­solutely, but respectively, viz. the tates, weeds, and Reprobates in the Church, 1 Cor. 11.3. Rev. 3.4. rev. 3.7-9. rev. 7.10. rev. 3.4. Double conjunctions, double the deniall, John 6.37. Matth. 14.12. matth. 13.14. There is vehe­mency, speedinesse, and certainty, where Verbes are twice uttered in one sentence, Isai 30.2. Gen. 2.17. Gen. 17.2. There are divers things in them affirmed by anticip [...]tion and recapitulation. And every Text is to be ex­pounded by the matter that is handled, phrase, drift aimed at, or the time when, persons who, and place where, and by conferring Text with Text, and the antecedent and consequent is to be observed, but still that the interpretation be according to the analogy, measure, and propor­tion [Page 58] of faith, Rom. 12.6. And all Texts are to be interpreted for Christ and not against him: it is a corrupt interpretation that cooleth love, or weakens faith. It is a false interpretation if ab­surdities follow it, Ro. 10.15. rom. 4.14. ro. 10.13. The sense of Scripture is to be taken from the Word, but we are not to bring one to it. Divi­nity never gives place to Grammar, but Gram­mar must give way to Divinity. Increasing is signified where Adjectives and Substantives are often recapitulated, Isai 6.3.12.2.26.4. Jer. 7.4. And in some promises, note the uni­versality, reality, cordiality, safety, and fidelity of them. But know that all promises that are conditionall centre in faith, Gen. 4.7. James 1.19. for though they be legally exprest, yet they are evangelically to be understood of Christians made to Christ properly, and Christians in him, 2 Cor. 1.20. Jerem. 32.32.42. Psal. 11. rom. 2.7-14.10.5. psal. 132.2. 1 Tim. 4.6.6.6. where workes are commanded they are onely as fruits of Christ the good Tree, (Luke 23.31. matth. 12.22. 1 Peter 2.5. heb. 11.6.) tending to our conversation onely, Salvati­on is to be attributed to God and Christ alone, Psal. 3.8. Acts 4.12. Hosea 14.4. Isai 43.11. where you finde the word [one God] is ex­pressed, the three persons, Father, Son and Spirit, are included. Where God in the Singu­lar Number, it is absolutely for the Creatour,b where with addition and in the Plural, it be­longs to the Creature,c where with distincti­on, [Page 59] it is essentially, John 17.3. matth. 22.2. 1. Job 37.12. Gen. 24.3. That all the workes of God are properly attributed to all three Per­sons, Creation to the Son and Spirit, as to the Father, Gen. 1.1. Hebr. 1.2. Rom. 11.36. col. 1.16. Isai 9.6. Psal. 68 5. where you finde our sinfull actions attributed to God, v [...]z, to hard­en, to provoke to envie and anger, &c. such expressions denotes God's justice in punishing sin with sin, 2 Thess. 2.10. rom. 1.26 exod. 9.16. Exod. 9.12. rom 9.17. where repentance is attri­buted to God, it notes the change in the crea­ture, action, thing, or dispensation of God, Gen. 6.6. 1 Sam. 15.11. there God changeth not, nor can he repent, Numb. 23.19. mal. 3.6. James 1.17. Therefore when you finde such expressions of God, as to know, remember, see, hear, fight, pitie, comfort his, and carry in couches, in chariots of love, &c. it is as much as to say, God approves, loves, delights in, and cares for all his, and will deal more ten­derly with all Christians than any mother with her Children, or Chirurgeons with their Pati­ents, Psal. 1.6 2 Tim. 2.19. Apoc. 2. Rom. 11.2. 1 Peter 1.2. Isai 66.11-13—20. The word, behold, signifies a thing manifest and plain, Psal. 51, 6. Matth. 1.23. and it is to stir up at­tention and shewes the admirablenesse and weight of the matter in hand. And interroga­tions sometimes signifie a forbidding, Psal. [Page 60] 79.10. 2 Sam. 2.22. and sometimes an earnest affirmation, Gen. 4.7. gen. 37.13. 1 Kings 20.2. Iohn 4.35. Iosh. 10.13. and they argue compas­sion, affection of admiration, fault-finding and complaining, Isai 1.21. psal. 8.10. psal. 22 1. Doing in Scripture often imports believing, Iohn 6.40. Matth. 7.2. 1 Iohn 3.23. rom. 15.31. Confession and yielding hath in it frequently a deniall and reprehension, 2 Cor. 12.16, 17. Negatives are vehement and forcible affirma­tives, Iohn 6.37. Things that should be set be­fore are frequently in Scripture set after; on the contrary, some things that were done after are set before, 1 Sam. 16.17. gen. 2.5. Things proper to the body are attributed to the soul; as hunger, thirst, &c. which shewes the desire of the soul, and spiritual and invisible things, are frequently held forth by visibles and cor­porials. The names of things are attributed to the similitudes and representations thereof, 1 Sam. 28.14, 15. The word Heart frequently for the Soul; and it is usuall to ascribe the effi­cacy and force which belongs to the Authour to the instrument, though he be a meer pas­sive, Deut. 5.22. rom 3.28. & 5.4. 1 Tim 4.16. Hebr. 13. The largest extent is to be taken of words in Scripture, if there be not a restraint in other Texts, or in the matter, phrase, or scope in the same, as grace, 1 Peter 1.13. That divers times Christ and Faith are put one for the other, and it is in regard of the relation faith hath to the object, and one word in one [Page 61] sentence hath divers significations, Iohn 4.13, 14. & 4.3 [...]. And wishing▪ for commanding, cry­ing, for fervency of spirit, Cant. 1.1. Luke 11.2. Matth. 6.10. rom. 8.15. hebr. 5.7. Where there is a sentence that is tropological in one word, we may not thinke the whole place is figurative, Matth. 26.28. And Ironies are usually repre­hensions of sinnes, Gen. 3.22. 1 Kings 18.27. Marke 7.9. 1 Kings 22.15. Iudges 10.14. The Scriptures are not precise in setting down of Numbers,a though some be propheticall.b And a certain finite for an uncertainc, And it often sets a part for the whole; again, the whole for a part; and sets down one thing plu­rally, and many things singularly, Rom. 13.1. Matth. 3.5. psal. 81.8. and the Prayers in Scrip­tures are Prophesies, Psal. 139. fr [...]m 1. to the 24. verse. Christ and the Apostles keep the sense, but not the words of the Prophets, Rom. 10. from 15. to the 21. verse. And when the same thing is repeated in the beginning and end of a sentence i [...] notes certainty, confirmation, ex­plication, or to stir up to zeal, Psal. 33.10▪ Iohn 1.3. rom. 11.8. isai 3.9. 2 Kings 9.10. Psal. 6.9, 10. And there are divers mystical, hidden, and spiritual things in the narrations, and historical parts of the Scripture, Ionas 2.5. Matth. 16.4. gal. 4.25. When a Substantive is mentioned twice in one case, there's an Em­phasis, as Lord, Lord, a multitude, Gen. 32.16. Droves, droves, many droves, distribution; a [Page 62] gate, a gate; a citie, a citie; that is, every citie and gate, 1 Chron. 16. 2 chron. 19.5. Lev. 17.3. Diversity, a weight, & a weight, divers weights; a heart and a heart, a divers or double heart, Prov. 20.20. If in divers Cases and in the Sin­gular Number, then it argues certainty, Micah 3.4. if in the Plural Number it signifieth ex­cellency, Psal. 136.2. rev. 19.16. & 17.14. cant. 1.1. eccles. 1.1. There are sundry words that have divers significations, yea contrary mean­ings, as Leaven and Lion, it is applied to the good and the bad sense: to the Gospel, Here­sie, Superstition, and sinfull corruption. To Christ and the Devil, Matth. 13.33. Luke 13.20.21. matth. 166.12 1 cor 5.5, 8. 1 Peter 1.5, Exod. 7.12, 13. matth. 10.16. gen. 3.1. The an­ticedent is exprest by the consequent, shame for hast: because confusion and shame usually follow [...]th an unlawfull hast, Rom. 9 33. Isai 8.26 We may not take a proper speech figura­tively, nor the contrary, Matth. 26▪ 26, 27. But the literal sense of Sc [...]ipture which ariseth from the words rightly understood is the one­ly true sense to be rested in, for we may not put what sense we will, and so make every Scripture speak every thing, neither may we interpret them by allegories, except we are able to prove the allegoricall sense by some o [...]her places of Scripture. And the minde, drift, and intention of the Spirit of God is above all, to be marked in all Parables, Matth. 20.1, 2. Therefore compare darke places [Page 63] of Scripture with those that are more clear and plain, that will bring forth that onely one and true sense, Nehem. 8.8. And we are to un­derstand such things as are spoken to one, of all in the like case and condition, because there is the like reason to be given, Marke 13.37. Josh. 1.5. Hebr. 13.5. When the equity of the thing done is universal, a particular example will afford a general instruction, Gen. 8 20.12.7.13.18. There is more exprest than is ut­tered in an Hyperbole, Rom. 5.9. gen. 17.4. matth. 4.23. gen. 13.16. and 15.5. matth. 3.5. The word [untill] signifies sometimes never, eternity; and sometimes a certain limited time, Matth. 1.25. 1 cor. 15.25. matth. 28.28. matth. 5.26. Alwayes observe that figurative ex­pressions in Scripture afford matter to nou­rish our faith, Acts 9.4. 1 cor 12.12. mat. 15.35. Note also that in all ambiguous Texts, faith in Christ, love to God and our neighbour, must be the product of the interpretation, or else it is a false interpretation. The Scriptures do not allow alwayes the things and actions from whence similitudes are fetcht. And the Scripture speakes according to the opinion of the times, and as others thought, and accord­ing to the profession and visible appearance of things to sense, but not according to the truth of the things themselves, 2 Peter 2.1. Lu. 15.7. Jer. 2.18, 19. Seeming contrarieties in Scrip­ture, are reconciled by comparing Scripture with Scripture, Matth. 10.10. with mar. 6.8, 9. [Page 64] John 5.17. with gen. 2.2. 1 Tim. 2.3. with rom. 9. And sometimes are incomprehensible by our reason that are spoken in the Scriptures, and yet most true though above the reach of man, Hebr. 11.2. Things spoken by figures are most delightfull, John 15.1, 2. Isai 5.1, 3. psal. 23.1. And though God speak darkly in some places, yet he joynes thereto some plain thing to de­clare his meaning, Rom. 8.20, 31. 2 Tim. 4.6. Rom. 11.7, 8. 1 cor. 1.9. Isai 51 1. with Isai 53.2. Isai 51. with Rom. 10.5. expounds the 3. and 9.13. and 8. and Isai 1.3. ver. expounds the second. Tropes and Figures are usuall in Scriptures, yet are not to be esteemed lyes, but meet re­semblances to expresse the truth, and there is no intent to deceive in them, John 15.1. and 10.7. cant. 2.15. Luke 13.32. Where wicked­nesse is commanded, or goodnesse forbidden, (seemingly) that speech is figurative, John 6.53. In Scripture some things are spoken well, when righteous things are taught rightly, as repent and believe, Matth. 3.2 mar. 1.4. Lu. 3.2. Mar. 1.15. When evil things are taught evilly, Phil. 1.15. or wicked things perswaded to, Job 2.9. When good things are uttered evilly, and right things said with a perverse minde, John 9.28. and evil things well spoken, dis­honest things in honest tearmes, 2 Sam. 11.4. rom. 1.26. There are divers things generally spoken of first, and presently after particular­ly laid down, 2 Tim. 3.2. To make Figures where there are none, is dangerous, licentious, [Page 65] and hurtfull, and when the Spirit borroweth comparisons from bad things, he approves them not, Psal. 58.4. Lu. 18. rev. 16.5. Lu. 16. 1 Thess. 3.3. ephes. 5 8. Hosea 4.3. We are to take notice in what species the comparison holds, Psa. 58.4. gen. 49.17. Job 9.26 Because it is sometimes in smelling, and sometimes in co­lour, Cant. 4.5. cant. 5.13. rev. 1.15. Numb. 12.10. And at other times they a e taken from natural, artificial, ceremonial, and moral things, as these Scriptures prove, Psal. 7.8. habb. 1.4. Hosea 4.10. Jer. 17.11. hos. 7.11. hos. 12.9. 2 cor. 11.9 2 Tim. 3.6. Jer. 2.24. Lu. 11.9. cole. 3.15. 2 Peter 2.12. hos. 10 11. Jer. 4.6. psal. 139.15. 1 Tim. 1.19. 1 Tim 6.4. 2 Tim. 2.17. coloss. 3.5. 1 Tim 4.2. 2 Tim 2.1. psal. 7.17. rev. 6.9. psal. 141.2 & 102.24. psal. 27 10 & 116. psal. 16. The nature of a metaphor, is to proceed from sensible things to spiritual, and not contrarily. Sometimes Negatives deny not simply, but onely the comparison, 1 Cor. 1.17. Lu 14.12.3. Prov. 8.10 gen. 3 28. matth. 9.13. When the Negative is joyned to the Particle, then, it de­nies not universally, Matth. 7.21. But when the note of deniall is put wit [...] the Verbe, it denies wholly, Psal. 143.2. Dan. 11.37. psal. 14.3. Lu 1.37. matth. 24 22. When there is a dou­ble Affirmative there will be a double Nega­tive, Matth. 12.32. Hebr 7.3. Lu. 18.4. But if the Negative be true, the Affirmative must needs be false, Acts 1.27. psal 16 10. The spi­ritual sense is the more noble, 1 Cor. 9.9. 1 Sam. [Page 66] 20.22, 23. The Particle [therefore] is not al­wayes illative or argumentative, Rom. 8.1. and the copulative Particle [and] is often when it is not joyned to other matter, Ezek. 2.1. & 5.1. Sometimes the Apostles adde something for illustration, Hebr. 9.19. mar. 12.33. psal. 77.7. 1 Sam. 9.16 Acts 13.20. Deut. 6.5. The Parti­cle [if] is not alwayes a note of doubting but of expostulation, Ioel 1.14. Acts 8.22. Rom. 8.31. But [if] in hypotheticall proposition, shewes the absolute necessity of the thing questioned, [if thou doest well] [if you obey] &c. the meaning is, you must do well and obey, you must either per se, or per alium, by your selves, or Christ, or else perish, Gen. 4.7. Isai 1.19, 20. Isai 1.17. 2 cor. 5.19. Isai 1.15, 16, 17, 18. Deut. 28. Lev. 26. Similitudes make darke things plain, prove not in things subordinate. The affirming of one thing doth not always deny the other. The Scripture frequently cals them sons, which by nature are not so lineally, but legally, and by succession. So Matthew and Luke are recon­ciled, Matth. 1.12. 1 chron. 36.10. and 3.16. com­pared with Luke 3.27. There are some things for illustration added and changed, yea and omitted too, by the Apostles, in their quotati­on of Texts of the Old Testament, which be­ing alleadged shewes the harmony of Scrip­tures, and not so much for confirmation, Mic. 5.1. with matth. 2.6. Iob 40.30. Isai 25.13. 1 cor. 15.32. psal. 40.7. with Hebr. 10.5. psal. 47.5. wi [...]h Ephes. 4.8 psal. 51.4, 5. rom. 3.4. Exod. 24. [Page 67] Hebr. 9.19. Deut. 6.5. marke 12.33. 1 Sam. 9.16. Acts 13.20. Isai 52.7. compared with rom. 10.15. Exod. 20.12. Isai 9.17. When a wrong accom­plishment is applied to a Prophesie they are not rightly parallelled, Isai 7.8. 2 Esdr. 13.45. 2 Kings 17.6. Isai 19.24. Numb. 23.17. Luke 1. Zach. 14.20. Titus 1.15. Psal. 91.13. Mal. 1.11. Isai 19.29. Isai 65.7. Mal. 3.4. When God doth vi­lifie sin and sinners, he speakes with an holy kinde of taunt, and never speakes of them but with detestation, and when he comes upon them, it is usually with ruination, extir­pation, and destruction, Numb. 23. Num. 25.8. 2 Kings 1.3. compared with Matth. 9.34. 2 Kings 23.14. Many more rules there are for under­standing the Scripture. Quest. What do true Christians hold, averre, and maintain against Papists, &c. Answ. That justification, uni­on, regeneration, insition into Christ's re­conciliation, adoption, sanctification and glorification, is freely from God conferred on man, and wrought in man without any work by man or worth in him. Blessednesse is passive, what ever is done by man be­fore regeneration is sin. That justification makes the Christians state and condition ab­solute and entire it being the remission of sin and imputation of Christ's righteousnesse. That Christ's perfection is the ground of our acceptation. That peace, joy, magnanimity, and sanctification are the effect of justificati­on. That to do great and good Workes (as [Page 68] they call them) with an opinion that the free grace of Christ is not sufficient to justification and salvation, unlesse the keeping of the Law be joyned to it, is to [...]brogate grace, to fall away from the faith, and make Christ's death void, as much as in [...]hem lieth. That all true Believers are one with Christ and God, and already saved by him, fully and freely, so that nothing can be added thereunto, onely the discovery and enjoyment of it may be enlar­ged to [...]h [...]m, they are s [...]t with Christ in hea­venly pl [...]ces, where they by faith possesse bles­sednesse and immortality and glory. That sal­vation as well as justification is free and with­out wo [...]kes, Rom. 3.26.4.6. Joh [...] 3. James 1.18. Ephes. 2 10. phil. 2.1 [...]. phil. 1. [...]9. 2 cor. 5.17. John 15.1. 2 cor. 5.18. rom. 5 10, 11. John 2.22. philip. 1.6 2.13. 1 Iohn 2.2. Ezek. 36.25, 26. Ier. 32.39, 40. rom. 8.30.6.23. 1 cor. 4.7. ephes. 1.3.2.8 Titus 3.5. 1 cor. 12.13. Gal. 3.27. m [...]r. 16 16. Isai 26.12. Iohn 6.65. And Ch [...]istians detest such Doctrines as these, viz. that our teares wash away our sinnes; that repentance, humiliation, promises, good purposes, endea­vours to amend our lives, pacifie God's wrath, and procure his love, peace, and favour, &c. That if we change and turne to God, he will turne to us. That man by doing good becomes good. That the Law is the seed of Regenera­tion and new birth. That the will for the deed is accepted [...] God That Christ's and our workes together please God, what we cannot, [Page 69] Christ hath and will make up. Thus many erre, not understanding, that that 2 Cor. 8.12. was spoken of the Saints accepting their contribu­tion as it is plain, Rom. 15.31. Neither do they consider that all conditional promises whatso­ever in Christ run into faith. To do this and live, be blessed, &c. Thou canst not do it thy selfe, yet believe that he hath done it for thee, &c. Deut. 28.1.15. Lev. 18.5, Deut. 30.6. Qu. Numb. 23.21. God seeth no sin nor iniquity in Jacob, and what think you of that expression, and how are we to conceive of God in it? Answ. The phrase is God's, and happy is he that knowes the true sense thereof: now I conceive 'tis this, God sees himselfe satisfied, and the Church washed from all her sinnes by the immaculate bloud of Christ: and so judgeth his people as Christ hath made them, and would have the Church so to conceive of himselfe as a recon­ciled Father, and not to soar above their Head Christ for consolation in their speculations, nor to go below their Foundation Christ, for their humiliation, nor once to conceive of God according to his incomprehensible Ma­jesty, but in this relation onely, for we are not to know any thing of the minde of God in reference to us and our condition before him, but as we finde our condition according to Law or Gospel, Iohn 1.1.7. cant. 4.7. 1 cor. 1.31. 2 cor. 5.21. Isai 53 11. eph. 5.2. rev. 1.5. Ier 50.20. Zach. 3.9. Hebr. 9.26. ephes. 5.26, 27. It is [...]rue that God knoweth all actions and things, [Page 70] but to see either person or action sinfull, that is, in respect of the Law, and is not affirmed of his simple essence. And Jesus Christ our Surety had all our sins charged on him, stand­ing as the onely Malefactour in the presence of Divine Justice, Isai 53.6. psal. 38.4. and ap­pearing under this forme a representative and publique person, Divine Justice charged our sins upon him, and put him to death, Isai 53.6. [...]o 4.25 So then, the principal, viz Christians are quit in the Court of Justice, their sins be­ing [...]atisfied for by Christ, there is nothing in Heaven against them, Rom. 8.33. colos. 1.22. Faith seeth an everlasting expiation of sin, which causeth shame to flie away, God having blotted out our sins out of his book of remem­brance, Hebr. 8.12. And the Christian in this case and condition is most happy: a certain spi­ritual and divine Person the Son of God, the Heir of the World, and evangelically the Conquerour of the World, sin, death, curse, Hell, and the Dev [...]l: and we are not to con­ceive of the Christian apart from Christ, but as Christ hath presented him to God the Fa­ther, and the Father never looking upon the Christian out of his Son; and therefore as sin originally came on all men by the first Adam, so righteousnesse c [...]me by Jesus Christ, on all his, in whom God [...]ees all things new, Christ being the new Adam, the new Creature, 2 cor. 5.17. in which Text take notice of two things, what is meant by being in Christ, and what by [Page 71] new Creature. To be in Christ is to be made one with him by saith, as those that want [...]ith are said to be without, Col. 4.5. and such as have faith, are said to be all glorious within, Psal. 45.13. Be­ing received to their own knowledge into union and communion with Christ; and new Creature is proper to Christ onely, and secondarily, or im­properly to us, Christ is the new Creation of God, the new Heavens and Earth, (that he would cre­ate, and hear for us poor wretches: Christ is that special worke of God's hands, wondrous, marvel­lous and strange act) in which dwelleth righte­ousnesse, the sure foundation and precious stone, the new Man, created in righteousnesse, which we by faith put on, the first borne of every crea­ture, that makes us the first borne of God, he is the hidden Man of the heart, and that humility that is so much set by of God, and we are clothed with. The Christian receiveth his denomination from Christ, who is the new and living way, in which the Christian comfortably comes to God in and by, in more fuller and clearer demonstra­tions of grace than the Christians in former Ages, as all these Scriptures prove, Hebr. 10.20. Is 65.17. Hos. 2.21. beb. 1.10. Is. 28.21. hab. 1.5. col. 1.15. & 11.8. 2 Pet. 3.13 Eph. 4.24. compared with Ro. 13.14. 1 Pet. 3.3. ga. 6.15. heb. 10.20. So that what­ever enjoyments we have of God, incomes from God, grace in this life, or glory in another world, it is from God, in Christ, for him, and through him, he being the Fountain, Root, and Head, from whence this cometh to us, Zach. 13.1. psal. [Page 72] 36.9. revel. 22.1. John 15 1. rom. 8.32. rom. 11.18. and God will have it so, it being his way, he will convey all mercy to us, in his own way, having made all promises to him, and from him to us, the word, shadowes, and types, do all direct to him, that is the Fountain of life, yea life it selfe, yea and it is derived to us from him, Act. 4.12. John 14 6. gal. 2.20. Iohn 14.19. 1 Iohn 5.12. 2 cor 3.6. 1 Ioh [...] 5.2 col. 3.3. 1 Tim. 6.12. Ioh. 11.25. gen. 3.15. gal. 3.6. Ier. 32.32. 1 cor. 3.11. col. 2.19. Eph. 4.15. col. 2.3. Iohn 1.16. 1 Iohn 2.20. Ioh. 15.5. And herein God's infinite and exact wisdome, free love, and speciall goodnesse is seen, in out­shooting the Devil in his own Bowe, bringing in everlast [...]ng righteousnesse by Jesus Christ, who maketh Christians everlastingly happy thereby, he being their good Tree, they are made good trees in him, their estate is safe, perfect, rich, ho­nourable, and permanent, their souls are so reple­nished with all goodnesse in Christ Jesus, that they may live merrily, sleep quietly, and rejoyce eternally, as all these Scriptures prove, Psal. 116.7. phil. 4.4. 1 Thess. 5.10. phil. 4.13. 2 Tim. 2.19. Matth. 4.24. 1 cor. 3.11. matth. 16.20. Iohn. 13.2. Matth. 12.33. Iohn 15.2 rom 5.19. and 3.23, 24. Ephes. 2.8. Hebr. 10.14. coloss. 5.28, 29. matth. 5 18. Rom. 8.4. ephes. 5.8. col. 2.10. rom. 4. from the 6th. to the 9th. Colos. 1.12. Titus 3.5. to the 7th. rev. 5.6. Rom. 3.24. Isai 61.10. matth. 5.16. rom. 6.18. Ephes. 2 10. Isai 10.22. John 8.36. 1 Tim. 1.9. rom. 8.2. and 6.18. 1 Cor. 15.57.

Q. What is prayer and the benefit of it, doth it informe God, doe good to him, or pre­vaile with, or change his mind, or the Christi­ans? A. Prayer is the breath of God, or the breathings forth of his spirit. By which God informes us, we doe not informe God, he perswades, prevailes with, and changeth our minds, we doe not perswade God, pre­vail with God, nor change the mind of God,(a) tis God that perswaded Japhat by his spirit, to live in the Tents of Shem, to beleeve in the Messias that was to come, and to rest upon that salvation that was to be accom­plished by him in the fulnesse of time;(b) And ti's that same spirit that inableth us that now live, by the faith of Gods power, as well as those have lived or shall live hereaf­ter by Christ, to cry Abba father; (c). From hence I conclude most certainly. That the spirit of prayer is given to helpe, succour, and beare us up in our infirmities, and not to helpe, succour, and beare up God, for he hath no infirmi­ties, needs no prayers, teares, or any of the means of grace offered us in endlesse mercie:☜ But we stand in need of all the meanes of grace, as prayer, preaching, and reading the Scriptures. And God in and by prayer, &c. seekes us, woes us, finds us, gathers, heales, and comforts us, instructs, inlargeth, and adds to us, adornes, beautifies, inricheth, al­lures, inti [...]th, and drawes us to himselfe [Page 74] that are poore, lost, damned, and cast away sinners, in our selves, both averse and adverse to, and from God, from the wombe, and strag­ling sheep and fugitives, from the right way Christ(a) in the wildernesse of sinne,☞ death, and hell, and in a high esteeme of our owne dunghill goodnesse, and pl [...]guie righteous­nesse.(b) Thus God by prayer discovers our selves to our selves and others, that joyne with us in prayer, he likewise manifests him­selfe to us, imparting, communicating, and revealing his secrets to us, and we being fild with the discoveries, incomes, and in­joyments of God, doe in prayer hold forth before the view of the faith and understand­ing of those that we pray with, and for, so cleerly without blindfolding of Christ in his worth, excellencie and dignitie, together with the absolute necessitie of better prayers then we can pray, thoughts, words, and works that will commend us to God, which are only found in Christ, who is a represen­tative person, and prayed for us. When wee thus pray in faith, it doth prevaile much with those drooping spirits, and they are mightily strengthned in the faith, in hearing the Lord Christ in all his benefits, thus held forth in prayer. The poore Christian is satis­fied in the worke of redemption, wrought by Christ and held forth by prayer, as well as in preaching(c) and this is Gods end in prayer, viz. the satisfying of our consciences, and confirming us in our faith, and in the true [Page 75] grace of God, wherein we stand.(d) God hath received satisfaction from Iesus Christ who hath saved us both freely, perfectly,☜ and permenently, but by the spirit of prayer wee praying according to the proportion of faith, the sick are satisfied in their consciences, to their comfortable knowledge,☜ and so prayer prevailes much with men and saves men, viz. it brings home that salvation to the heart; Which was wrought by Christ.(e) And Elias knew there should be raine, for the Lord had told him before that he would send it. 1 Kings 18.1. But he prayed to affect the people, so Heze­kiah spread the letter of rayling Rabshecka, not to affect God but himself, and the hearts of the people, Isay 27.14.15. And its cer­taine that God did prevaile mightily against Iacobs sence and reason, that caused him to stagger through diffidence or too much incre­dulitie,☜ when he had well warmed him by his spirit of prayer, then he went to meet Esau with undanted resolution, though he were lame, and worse able to goe against his po­tent adversarie; when God had strengthned his faith with cheerfulnesse and good suc­cesse, he went on in the great and weighty businesse, and indeed the end of prayer is to increase ours, not Gods faith he being faith­fulnesse it selfe. Obj. But what say you to such texts of Scripture that call prayer sacrifi­ces, incense, and odours. Heb. 13.15. Revel. 5.8. [Page 76] and 8.3. Acts 10.4. Answ. These Scrip­tures are all to be understood Evangelically, thus by him let us offer the sacrifice to God continually, that is, let us alwayes beleeve that Christ our surety hath once for all offered one sacrifice, that fully did content God, and that for ever, Eph. 5.2. Let us be content with that and rest quiet, and be satisfied with it, and alwayes be spea­king thereof, for God is well pleased when we delight in, and are well pleased in Christ our sacrifice, which he offered in his bloody death and passion,☞ let us set this alwayes be­fore our faith, speake it out in all our pray­ers, beleeving that all his prayers are outs, and stands for us perpetually. Luke 22.32. Iohn 17.20. 1 Cor. 3.20, 23. Christ being that everlasting publique, and representative per­son in our stead for us, and to us, the new Adam, so that by him, in him, and through him in Scripture phrase, is to stand in all that Christ did,☞ or suffered, by faith to apply, pos­sesse and injoy Christ in all, and at all times, compleatly as he hath made us, and presen­ted us to God his father, Col. 2.10. Heb. 10.14. 1 Iohn 4 17. For those texts, Revel. 5.8. and 8.3. they are both one in significati­on, and it is cleere, that the Ministers of the Gospel, their chiefest imployment is to ex­alt Iesus Christ, by holding forth to the Church,☞ that one and only soule saving and soule satisfying sacrifice of Christ, Eph. 5.2. Heb. 9.26. And to appropriate that to the [Page 77] Church by telling her, that her warrefare is at an end, sinne, death, hell, and the curse, are removed, and righteousnesse is come in their stead, Isay 40.2. That a sonne is borne and given, Isay 9.6. That is, all Christ, what ever he did or suffered, and that all the pray­ers hee prayed, the thoughts hee thought, the words he speake, and workes, he wrought, are truly and in very deed the whole Churches Evangelically. God hath given Christ to his Church, and all his Ex­cellencies, patience, meeknesse, and faith, &c. and hence Christs prayer in those texts, are to be understood, the prayers of the Saints, and the patience of the Saints, Christ is of God made the sinceritie, righteousnesse and wisedome of the Saints, 1 Cor. 1.31.2 Cor. 11.3. And sacrifices, odours, and in­sence of old, did but type out Christ to the Church as he was to come, and in this re­spect it may be truly said, that all their pray­ers were but shadowish prayers, & held forth the perfect prayers that Christ should pray for them, and we are not to conceive, that Ministers under the Gospel are to offer in­sense or odours,☜ but they are to preach Christ clearly to the Congregations, and to present before the view of their understandings, the perfect and effectuall prayers, that Iesus Christ prayed in the dayes of his flesh for them, he prayes no more now, but rules all in heaven and in earth, and tis the stock of prayers of the Saints, that are gone up into heaven for them. And thus Cornelius prayed [Page 78] and fasted in Christ that was to come, in his false apprehension, for Christ was come in the flesh, and had fasted and prayed for him, though he knew it not, and therfore Peter must be sent for to undeceive Corneli­us in this point, and to unriddle this myste­rie to him, and to preach Christ and his pray­ers, almes, deeds, and fastings to him that were in heaven before God, and pleaded ver­tually for Cornelius, though he were igno­rant of this glorious truth, that Christ alrea­dy come was his, and all his fastings that were perfect were [...]is, his prayers, teares, thoughts words and workes, were all mysti­cally, passively, and evangelically his, and were come up to God [...]or him, thou h he were not [...]ware of it, Acts 10.34.43. And we are not to conceive,☞ that it is our imper­fect, weake, drowsie, and spiritually drunken prayers. &c. that come up to God, but with him, those pure, perfect, full and sincere prayers, &c. are in esteeme with him to e­ternitie, and tis confest by all, that Christ, as he is a publique, so he is a spirituall and eternall Priest, and his kingdome is spiritu­all, universall and eternall, and all hi [...] acti­ons are of eternall force, vertue and [...]fficacie to the Church.☞ This is to pray in faith, meek­nesse, humilitie, temperance, sobrietie, love, hope, sinceritie, uprightnesse of heart, fer­vencie of spirit, and effectually, viz. When we beleeve that Christ his effectuall prayer is ours, yea and the fervencie of spirit, up­rightnesse [Page 79] of heart, sinceritie, love, hope, cha­ritie, sobrietie, temperance, humility, meek­nesse, and perfect faith that was in Christ is ours, as well as his, wisedome, righteousnes,a sanctification, redemption, conception, birth, life, death, resurrection, ascension, and his mediation. Is not all Christs thine? when God hath given him to thee, then doubtlesse all that sweetnesse of disposition which was in him is thine also,☜ all that tendernesse of heart, perfectnesse of will, puritie of consci­ence,b strong desires, hatred of sinne that was totall, eternall, and unsatisfiable in him only, the good confession he made, his sor­row that was godly indeed, his strong me­morie, invincible courage, undaunted reso­lution to goe through all paines, miserie, and tortures, and the dexterity, alacrity, and unweariednesse of Christ in doing his fathers willc that was not fleshly, but was spiri­tuall and from the heart. Yea,d he wild, and did the deed for thee.e by which will and deed thou art sanctified,f and the will and deed is performed by thee evangeli­cally, when thou beleevest that both the will of Christ that was perfect and deeds are thine, he doing them for thee. So Paul is to be understoodg when he saith,☜ Christ gave himselfe for me, Christ lives in me, and Christ in you, the hope of glory, or thats a­mongst you (i. e.) by faith the spirit presen­ting Christ in all he did or suffered to thee, and before thy eyes, and this is to live by the [Page 80] faith of Gods power, or by the faith of the spirit of Godh or the faith of Iesus the righteousnesse of God, which is by faith of Iesus unto all, and upon all,i and in all them that beleeve. The wedding Garment, thats the covering of God, the armour of of God, the righteousnesse of God, that he in a figure of cloaths of skins or fur brought to Adam k which being put onl i. e. by the spirit of God, that only can make apply­cation of Christ to the soule, the Christian stands in the true grace of Godm in Christ invinciblyn being built on the rock of eternitieo but alasse to understand any of this legally; (Thus of our own heart, faith or magnanimitie,☞) were the greatest dishonour to God that may be, yet most doe so, for our own heart will faile us, and our faith flagge being weake and feeble, yea our magnani­mitie will prove meere pusillanimity and grosse cowardizeme, and will not our fig­leafe covering of mans righteousnesse, make usp as Aaron did the nation of the Iewes, naked, wretched, and most miserable, our Castles of aire, strong holds, though huge mountaines in our own opinions, and others deluded as well, or as bad as our selves will topple down before Christ that little stoneq like the towers of Cards,☞ that little children are wont to make in winter nights, which by the least gale of wind, or breath of Gods wrath in a dismall day or time, or rather as the walls of Jerico by the sounding [Page 81] of Rams hornes, thatr fell down before the children of Israel upon their Alarme, just so when the true light appeares, i. e. Christ that day starre and sunne of righteousnesse to be ours, then and not before shall we see our false humilitie, to be true pride, our sin­ceritie hypocrisie, wisedome folly,☜ light darkenesse, knowledge ignorance, strength, weaknesse, and cry out my candle is out, my heaven is hell, my patience (God helpe me to better) is so thread-beare that it may most fitly be called impatiencie, my righteousnes is a very plague, my obedience rebellion, ther's no health nor helpe in me in any of these, and where Paul saith, through Christ he could doe all things. s Ti's to be under­stood, he by faith beleeved that Christ had done all things for him, and thus Christ strengthens all his by his spirit, and so all Christians doe the will of God, worke well and are new borne, when they beleeve that his birth, (which is the new Adams) is theirs, and this is new every day to their faith,☜ and they disclaime their old and first birth dayly, by faith they are crucified with Christ, worke well, and so patience hath her perfect worke,t and wanteth nothing i. e. the true Christian that eagle; eyes Christ, his patience that's perfect, and so wants nothing in heaven in Gods esteeme, there he stands a perfect, patient man in Christ, and is dayly strengthned in this faith, in and by the means of grace, amidest his distempers, imperfecti­ons [Page 82] and defects, in's own imperfect patience: & so I understand the christians love is made perfect in a passive, mysticall, & evangelicall, (the same) way,☞ thus he is ashamed of's own cold, little, & imperfect love, & dares not for his life appeare in the presence of God in his own love, he knowes that God hates the halt, blind, and lame love [...]hat is in man, but in the love of Christ thats present with him, to's faith, he dares appeare at the judg­ment seat of God with boldnesse, and why? because as Christ is, so [...]s he. What at the day of judgement, when he shall be without the sense of sinne and corruption, to vex and trouble him? as sinne doth all good Christians here, as long as they live in the flesh.☞ No, no beloved, ti's in this world of grace or kingdome of heaven, in which in this sense, there is neither sinne, death, hell, curse, or any evill occurrences (of the which Solamons kingdome was but a type.) But all things flourish in Christs kingdome, ther's nought but felicitie, tranquillitie, and at the right hand of God, (that is in Christ, there) are pleasures for evermore, and it ariseth from this. That Christians doe frequently set before their eyes Gods justice, and seeing it fully satisfied, are bold to appeale unto God for justice, and so plead it out in the court of their own consciences, and are not afraid, (slavishly) knowing that they stand in a state of perfection,☞ in Christ, so they have no tor­ment, seeing they now beleeve that Christ [Page 83] was once tormented for them, so feare and torment have no roome, or place in Christi­anity (in the true sense aforesaid.) T [...]uly Christians neither feare the divell, sin, law, curse, death, hell, plagues, famine, wars, nor God as a wrathfull Iudge, but love and feare God in spirit and truth, and so worships God in Christ, and believes that Christs pure and perfect worship is his, and lyeth downe in peace, perfect love,☜ and in that spi­rituall safety, that Christ his walls, bulworks and Tower,w aford him, singing songs of Zion, not to us, but to Christ, thy name be all the glory.Col. 3.16. Col. 1.9. Psal. 47.7. This is to sing in spirit and in understanding, with grace in our hearts, when we looke beyond the penmen of Scrip­ture to Christ, of whom twa's most true and properly to be understood. So Christians give thankes to God by Christ,Heb. 13.15. i. e. when we beleeve Christ was perfectly thankfull for us, and when we are aff [...]cted with it by medita­tion and contemplation thereof, and breake out in workes and deeds, demonstratively in the sight and hearing of men.☜ This properly is the Crreatures thankfulnesse, and is im­perfect but much taking with men, for it is it's proper place, and here needfull for disco­verie of grace, and incouragement to others, and I would gladly know of any man in the world, whether there be not a vast difference betwixt the creature and the Christian. Tru­ly so much difference there is betwixt their faith and facts, and if this difference be not [Page 84] kept pure and apart, all religion will be cor­rupted quickly, as we see by woful experience in Popery to this day, & what is it to be made perfect in every good worke,z. looke well to this text. To doe his will, doing or working in you (by faith) that which is pleasing i. e. Christ in his fight, through Iesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever, A­men. Where note, that when he speake of Christ, with what affection he speaks, to whom be glory, i. e. Let this glory be ascribed to Christ alone. &c. That none can come to God in their owne doings, but through Christ, and what is that? Truth, ti's to dis­claime their own imperfect workes, done in their own persons, and to imbrace the per­fect workes wrought by Christ for them, he being their surety, paid all that was owing to God the great Creditor, who had trusted man in his creation with his talents, but man did breake with God, and betrayed all his trust, and was a spirituall (and in him­selfe or any creature) Bankrupt. But Christ paid the debt he owed,☞ and now would have the fully discharged principall to make use of his name when he comes to God, viz. a to beleeve constantly that God is just, and will not charge that on him, which Christ hath fully discharged, and so day and night hee should say amen, to't, say it is most true, and out of all peradventure or question, [Page 85] (some have made this conse­ctary. ‘Then Elivate rouse, and raise up thy spi­rit in prayer to God in Christs name, and be­leeve that he will in Christ give th [...]e that thou beggest, or that that is better, 1 Iohn 5.14. Psal. 95.7. Mar. 4.38. Psal. 116.14. Cant. 2.16. Heb. 4.16.20.22. Mat. 9.2. 2 Sam. 12.13. And consider what prayer is. The parts & properties of it.☜ The charracters thereof. The motives to it. The means and ends of prayer. The rules in it. What it doth. Where and with whom the sorts of prayer, times and places of 't, which are best of publique or private, whether it be sufficient in a Christians eye, to pray only in publique. For whom we must pray, what thinke you of such as will not joyne with Christians in prayer, if they differ in judgement from them. What of crosse and blasphemous prayers, what of prayers to Saints, and for the dead? for the first, prayer is an imploring of God for helpe, and a [Page 86] fruit of the spirit, the parts of it, confession, petition, intercession and thankesg [...]ving, the properties of it, ti's faithfully, freely, fervently, feelingly; and fru [...]tfully, and ef­fectually. The characters of it, are humi­lity, sinceritie, and heavenly mindednesse, the motives to it, Ti's Gods way for obtai­ning good, and removing evill.’ ‘The means to further it, are hearing the word, reading, conference, and serious consideration. The ends, are Gods glory, and the Christians corrobo [...]ation, in the faith. For the rules to be observed in it, temporalls are to be ask'd conditionally, but spiritualls, absolutely. Prayer doth through Gods goodnesse remove evill, and obtaine good through Iesus Ch [...]ist, Gen. 20.17. Marke 29.4. The sorts of prayers are civil to man, and divine to God, Isay 5.16. The time of prayer, is alwayes, but especi­ally on the Lords day, Revel. 1.9 The pla­ces are either publique, thats principally to be lo [...]ked unto, or private, the lesse princi­pall, Mat. 21.13. Iohn 4.24. and publique prayer hath [...]he precedency, Psal. 92.1. But true Christians neglect not private prayers, 1 Thes 5.17. 1 Tim. 2.8. and they pray for all men, 1 Tim. 2.1. and they that will not joyne with other Christians in prayer, will prove Apostates at last, except God give them repentance, of their great pride, And to pray to the crosse is blasphemous.’ Rom. 1.23. Psal. 106.20. and for prayer to Saints or for the dead, ti's vile, abominable, [Page 87] and detested of all true Christians, Isay 63.16. 2 Thes. 2.11. Acts 10, 26. Revel. 22.8. For the gesture of prayer they are all lawfull, but in private the fittest for thee, is that which doth most stir up thy affections in prayer, and declares thy reverence to God, but none are tyed to formes in private. And thou must be careful that th [...] pray from life,☜ not for life, 2 Cor. 4.13. and be instructed what those everlasting, lively and representative prayers are, viz. Christs prayers, Heb. 7.25. Q. Whether under the Gospel, God afflicts true Christians for their sins, and to satisfie his ju­stice thereby, or for some other ends? A. Gods iustice was fully satisfied by the sufferings of Christ, the iust suffered for the uniust, he taking away the cause, viz. sin,☜ the effect cea­seth, & ther are other glorious ends for which God afflicts his children To conforme and make them like Christ their head. Rom. 8.7.18. 2 Tim. 2.12. To try their faith, and make themselves and others to see and know their constancie in the profession of this truth, that Christ hath slaine and abollished all enmitie, and made everlasting peace ap­peare to them betwixt God and themselves, even now in the appearing of the quite con­trary to their sense and reason, in which they glorifie God abundantly.☜ Iames 1.2. 1 Pet. 1.7. To quicken and increase faith, to cause the Christian in these sharpe stormes of crosses, more diligently and firmly to girde one, and keepe close this garment of Christs righte­ousnesse. [Page 88] Thus he knowes fulwell that in themselves afflictions are part of the curse of God for sin, if it light on one that's out of Christ.☞ But turning his eye, on Christ that hath taken away sin & curse, he knowing him­selfe in Christ, is quietted in his conscience, and saith, surely my father doth afflict me in 's love, in much mercy, and so the quiet fruits of righteousnesse are brought forth in his soule, viz. he is quiet in his conscience in the righteousnesse of Christ,☜ in the midest of the worst that Divells or divellified men can inflict on him, he sees the name [Christ] in the rod,b and concludes blessed be the name of the Lord, for that these afflictions have no teeth, are not curses, I thanke thy Christ for it, that name by which alone I comforta­bly and alone know thee to be my reconciled father in my greatest extremities. c Afflictions are appendices of the Law, and doe terrifie and deject naturally those that are afflicted. Truly they doe not properly, im­mediately and simply considered, ease, quiet, or cure the consciences of Christians. But the spirit of God, in and by them, doth awaken, stirre up our dulnesse and securitie, to a more lively, effectuall, and inlarged apprehension of Christ and his righteousnesse, the only procurer of health▪ peace and rest,a in the times of danger, the Coney hastens to the rock, the Hare to the thecket, the Aegyptians to their houses.b But the faithfull to the [Page 89] name of the Lord, viz. Christ our righteous­nesse,c as this strong tower of defence,e and thus whilst God useth the rod, scourge, or phy­sick of afflictions,☜ the cause hath not properly with him the nature of sin, which is an offence to divine justice; but it is now considered as a disease troubling his child, which in infinit mercy, boundlesse love, and everlasting com­passion, he seeks to make riddance of afflicti­on,f by afflictions, but neither for sin, nor in his wrath, anger, or displeasure, And though it be the nature of sinne alwayes to provoke God to displeasure, yet the pacification made by the blood of Christ, hath more power with God to procure well-pleasednesse and love from him to a beleever, then any sinne of his hath to bring his displeasure and wrath. Because that propitiation,☜ pacification and appeasment made by Christ is of eternall value,a and esta­blisht by the oath of God, and yet tis confest, that the same things befal the faithfull and un­beleever here in this world,b yet with this dif­ference; to the faithfull they are out of a prin­ciple of love and well-pleasednesse from God, but to the enemies of God (all Christlesse men, unbeleevers are so for ought men or Angels know, or the word of God discovers) they are messengers of indignation, anger, and displeasure, not that God is well pleased wi [...]h sinne in any, hee's an eternall enemy to all wickednes,c yet alwayes well pleased with the [Page 90] persons of the faithfull To work de­pendency in them on Goda to stirre up to obe­dienceb magnanimity, courage and patiencec to prevent and beat downe spirituall pride,d and to rouse up Christians to prayer, To discover the determinations of God in's de­cree,a and the exercising his wisdome, good­nesse and power in preserving the Saints.b To bring home desperate prodigalls, that are fu­gitives and runnagates from God.c To prevent Sathans malice, stop his mouth, and beat him in his own plea, Gen. 3.15. Heb. 10.19. Rom. 15.13. 1 Pet. 1.8. Job 2.6. To damne the wicked, and fill their mouthes with blasphemy against Christians who being like Christ, and not of the world, but accepted of God, and by their practice re­prove the workes of the wicked, and are hated for it. Psal. 41.6. and 81.12.2.3. and 118.22. Luke 19.14. Jam. 2.3. 2 Sam. 12.14. Luke 9.53. Psal. 38.20. Joh. 15.19. Gen. 4.4. 1 Joh. 3.12. Joh. 7.7. 1 Kings 22.8. To put an end to the discords, contentions, strifes, jarrings, bitter­nesses and quarrellings of the Saints,☞ who, when they are in prosperity cannot agree, but like so many sheep will bee pushing one ano­ther about indifferent things, but God sends forth his dog of affliction like the good shep­heard, [Page 91] and puts an end to that quarrell, Lat­timer, Ridley, Dr. Tayler, St. Paul, and Sylas, could not agree in prosperity, one would have ceremonies, the other none, Paul would not have John to goe with him because of his im­becillity, pusyllanimity, and faint heartednesse in the profession of the faith. But when Paul, La [...]timer, and Ridley, had laine a yeare, two or three in prison, then it was brother Latti­mer, and brother Tayler, and oh send for John; or bring John with thee, saith Paul, when hee had beene well exercised in afflictions; a so now we quarrell, bite, and use bitter invectives against each other, viz. Presbyterian, Inde­pendent, Antinomian, Antifidian, Familists, Anabaptists, and Seekers, and many such like, the which I wish may be all for ever buried in oblivion, and the precious name Christian on­ly remaining. But for certaine, when fire, faggot, sword, famine, imprisonments, and varieties of torments and deaths, shall sur­prise us, we shall willingly then lay them aside and use better expressions to each other, 2 Tim. 4.11. Acts 15.39. Psal. 100.2. and 23.4. To flesh on Christians in the bold profession and confession of the faith to the faces of Gods enemies with undaunted resolution, Ruth. 1.16. Job. 31.13. and 33. Titus. 3.8.14. Matth. 5.16. Matth. 16 16. To indeate the Lord Christ unto us, who by bearing of our afflictions hath made way for God to extend peace to the Israel of God for ever in the middest of the greatest afflictions that can befall a Christian [Page 92] in this life. Heb. 12.11. Col. 3.11. Isa. 66.13. Revel. 1.9. Psal. 69.33. Psal. 40.16. To inable the Saints, to comfort others in the like cala­mity, with the same consolation wherwith they were comforted in their affliction, and tell o­thers what the Lord did for them, and how he brought them out of affliction, 2 Cor 1.4. 1 Thess. 5.14 Isa. 51 12. 2 Cor. 7.6. 2 Cor. 1.4. Consectaries. First, sinnes odiousnesse.a Se­condly, Christs excellency.b Thirdly, afflicti­ons are not new,☞ strange, or evill.c Fourthly, the Christians worst estate is better then the best estate of the wicked.d Fifthly, tis a difficul­ty to shunne sinne.e Sixtly, That priviledges exempt not from affliction.f Seventhly, that Christians h [...]ve a better home then this world.g Eightly, that Christians ought not to slacke their pace to heaven in their afflicti­ons.h Ninthly, Frivolous are the put offs of the Nabaus of this world, that deny helpe to Christians in afflictions.i Tenthly, that pro­sperity (without Christ) is no signe of Gods favour.k Eleventhly, dreamers of outward prosperity when Christians are deceived.l Twelfthly. That the world's a Hospitall, and God is the great Master of it.m Thirteenthly, this life is the Christians winter.n Four­teenthly,☞ Preposterous are the judgers of Chri­stians estate before God according to their affliction.o Fifteenthly, God hath his time for the a [...]fl [...]cters of the afflicted.p Sixteenthly, Christians should be as willing to receive in­struction and consolation, as they are to com­plaine [Page 93] in affliction,q Seventeenthly,☜ That Ministers are not to be blamed for the prea­ching the Gospel to worke faith in their audi­tors, that only can beare them up in the time of afflictions, and that comfortably.r Eighteenthly,☜ That there is good hope of afflicted ones, that there is some speciall worke for them to doe in Church or State; David seven yeares was forc'd by wicked Saul to wander the mountains, Luther for three years afflicted in conscience, and Paul lay three dayes in the pangs of the new birth.s Nineteenth [...]y, That afflictions to the Saints puts an end to all strife, opposition, and contradiction, and linkes them together in a perpetuall bond.t Twentiethly, That want of pity in Christians, is a cause of much heart-burning, and 'tis questionable, whether mercilesse men to poor afflicted Christians are reall Christians,☜ if they were, doubtlesse they would sympathise with afflicted Christians, at least they have so little of Gods fire of love, that hell fire predominatesu 21. That prosperity is no infallible marke of the true Church. [Page 94] w To be peltish, peevish, and froward in afflictions, or to use unlawfull meanes, to get out of them, is no part of the Christian, neither 'tis from Christ but from old Adam. a 'Tis a thick cloud for Christians to looke through in their affliction for to see their old friends and professors of Christiani­ty too, to have no pity or compassion on them,b delighting in Christ easeth the heart in the greatest affliction.c There is more cause for Christians to rejoyce, and bee cheerfull in their afflictions then to he sad; have they not faith, the Spirit, and a good cons [...]ience?d was not Ch ist afflicted for them?e and loves them then, is with them in their afflictions, succours them, & will fill their hearts with joy, and true Christians have ever been afflicted. To sticke close to Christians in their afflicti­ons, is approved of God and all good men; On what an impression makes it in the heart of the afflicted! 'Tis faith or the Spirit of God that qu [...]ets the soule in afflictions,g pro­duceth prayer,h and inables us to confesse our sinnes,i checke unbeleefe,k wait on the Lordl for helpe, to looke more on the author then on the instruments,m to eye sinne, andn [Page 95] to looke to Godo, To submit to himp, To purge the conscience from sinq, To cry to God for helpe against itr. To expect good tidings from Heavens. To put valour, invincible cou­rage and magnanimity into the hearts of Christians in the greatest afflictions, some­times to the astonishment of the adversaries & tormentors themselvest. 'Tis the spirit of God that discovers to Christians that prodigality, idlenes, voluptuousnes & infidelity, are sins that hinder most men from helping of such as are in afflictionsu. And it directs the christians to helpe in the first place Christians, or kindred and countrymen; then allw. And to preferre the publique good, before their private: and then to helpe any in afflictions x. And to make our afflictions no greater than God makes them, yea, to take comfort when 'tis pro­pounded to them from the word by any in­struments whatsoever God will use to that end and purposey. 'Tis the good spirit of God that perswades christians patiently to bear their afflictions evangelically, from such consider­ations as thesez, that 'tis God afflicts.f [Page 96] For these ends, Not to destroy us,a but in 's love,b for our good, yea verily for the best,c and thatd hee'l remov't when he sees it best,e and that there's no proportion betwixt the mercies we injoy, and our small afflictions.f and how that he [...]l give strength to the Christian, and his afflictions shall end well,g 'Tis the spirit of God that silenceth the Devill,☞ evill men and our selves, that are apt to clamour against God, and faith clears God;h splits the heart,i And teacheth Christians to run upon the e­vill of sin,k To wait on God,l in evangeli­call obedience,m to promise and performe, in and by our Mediatour, to call to minde times past, present, and to come, n What place we are in,o of whom we suffer afflictions,p And for what endsq, What is the benefit which comes by our afflictions? 'Tis to partake with Christ, in comfort, and honours,r and though God crosse thee in means, 'Tis to unbottome thee, and to supply thee in himself,s. Grant 'twas thy indiscretion drew it on thee, God will exerc [...]se his exact wisdome, and turn 't a­bout for 's own glory and thy goodt. What if [Page 97] thy afflictions are great, yet God is greater, and it may be hee'l give thee great faithu. What if no man pitty thee, yet he doth, if we may so speak, hee'l deale with us as one whom his mother pittieth, most gently, and carry thee in his couches of lovew. And though the mighty men of th'earth afflict thee, Thy Fa­ther is mightier then theyx. Thou frerst, 'twas Davids and Ionah's case, yet both were happy and precious Saints,y Thou art more griev'd for the losse of thy childe, friend, or estate, &c. then for sin, yet dispaire not, 'twas honest Da­vid his case, & yet a choyce Saint of the Lords, and is now in blisse. Thou art exceeding poore, and God seemes to be deafe, no such matter, he heares with his eye, and will ere long make it forth to thy soule, onely waite till the day-Starre dawn or arisez. As these texts prove, [Page 98] But of all that ever befel thee in thy life, this grieves thee most, that 'twere the people of God that brought this great evill upon thee, Nay, such as thou beleevest thou shalt live e­ternally with; yet worse then this, 'twas thy owne Pastor, True Sir, I would have trusted him with life, goods, and all, yet he did de­ceive me. Oh! Sir, did not you commit I­dolatry with him? and would God leave you in such a condition? No, no, God will take thee off from men and meanes too, and give thee to know, that there's nothing on this side Jesus Christ, but will deceive thee, and hee'l carry thee above all these, and will have thee to know that hee'le have mercy and not sa­crifice. That is, God would have thee and all men to know, that Jesus Christ is the same for ever, as good to thee as ever to any here­tofore, and will be every way as beneficiall to those that are yet unborn, as ever he was to any Kings, Priests, or Prophets, that liv'd in former times, & he's that Pastor that will not deceive,☞ lie, or faile us, and Christ is that Al­tashchith, a Faith and manners for thee. That corrupteth not, cannot be destroyed, either by devills, sin or men, and that they that are just cannot be brought to perdition. That Shoshan­nim, ☞ b that Lilly of delights, so full of splen­der, that no six stringed instruments, (i. e.) na­turall [Page 99] or acquired parts, can obtain unto the depths thereof.☜ That Shigajon c that law in the right interpretation thereof,d that wandring in pleasures, matters and errors that he was to suffer for. That delight, solace, or song, bond or power. And that Mictam, that golden Psalm,☜ 'tis Christ himselfe, of which Gold is but a figure; and the eighth day was but a figure of our Lords day, & the Jewish Sabbath of Christ our rest, who is that Alpha and Omega, and that first and last, that holinesse of God, that without him, all things else are meere empti­nesse, and vanity it self. But let these byting Pastors, and perplexing and troubling Chri­stians, know, that though they are Christians, and in that respect as precious as the most ten­der heartest Shephards or Lambs of Christ, that ever lived, yet in this that they adde affliction to the afflicted, that are in the same respect as pretious as themselves, and behinde them in nothing, but in peevishnesse, pride, and their too much (for them) flowing riches and out­ward prosperity: and the dotage of too many of their Sycophants, that sooth them up in [...]heir pettishnesse, &c. I say, let them know, [...]hey are [...]he Lords scullions, gaolers, and bea­ [...]les, though they will not own it, and 'twould [...]ettle them to bee so called by those poore de­ [...]picable Christians, that they domineere over [...]nd trample upon, in their sad, deplorable, and [...]eglected condition, to the view of men, but [...] faith most honourable and happy, and these [...]ourings of theirs did but make them shine [Page 100] like orion pearles, to those that are truly wise, and in heaven [...]s gloriously as any Saintsf there.e Quest. Whe [...] men are effectually called, how doe they behave th [...]mse [...]ves? what would God have them do? must they live deligately, or idlely? Answ. T [...]ey live the life of faith and infide­lity. Thus [...]he conflict is great, the Law and the Gospel passeth over the heart of the true Christian daily, and through the beleevers weakn sse, there's more griefe and unrest in their hea [...]ts, then there was strugling in Re­becca's wombe, and in the combat where the severall voices, distinct operations, and each sentence is contrary, [...]ive saith the Gospel, dye saith the Law, peace by the Gospel, warres by the Law; when the Christian hearkens to the Law and infidelity, they are taken prisoners, and the sentence of death and perpetuall woes are heard of them, and bitter lamentation, but when Christ, faith and Gospel speake, that voice both reviveth their hearts, recalleth their almost lost spirits, erecteth another frame in their hearts, and so inlargeth their spirits that they sing the songs of Sion, praise, honour, glory, victory and salvation, to Christ their King, that hath so freely, perfectly, and permanently redeemed, justified and eternal­ly saved them from wrath present and to come, 1 Thess. 1.10. But the truth is, Gods minde and pleasure, is, that after their effe­ctuall [Page 101] calling the true beleever should fix his eyes on Christ, abide in him and his righte­ousnesse, rejoyce continually, in so full com­pleat and blessed a condition as God hath free­ly advanced him unto, and so let the con­fession of the tongue, both arise from, and a­gree with his faith and confidence of the heart,a and not returne to bondage againe,b 'tis the nature of faith to looke directly to Christ; and alonely to view that adequ te ob­ject, the expectation of the whole earth, 'Tis a­gainst the nature of faith to conceive or enter­taine any thoughts of God in r [...]lation to her­selfe, which did not every way correspond with the word of faith, that's [...]he Covenant of free grace, 'tis the office of speciall f [...]th to captivate, and confine every imagination and conception or thought of God, as he [...]s alone, from revealing and communicating him­self, and his mind, in the Son of his love, who for that end is call'd the image of the [...]nvi­sible God,q because God wi [...]l be knowne to faith no otherwise then in him; so faith ad­mits of no other object but Christ, and s [...]es by that never failing eye, i. e. the Spirit herselfe in a good condition, righteous, glorious, wa­shed faire, and adorned with cloathing of Gods owne providing, giving, and putting on, faith beleeves the abolishing of sinne,p there's [Page 102] no defect in Christianity, but 'tis in our infi­delity; Christ hath perfected the Saints for e­ver, q purged them, yea made the Christians holy, happy, and unreproveable in Gods sight, by the bright beames of his Sonsr. righteous­nesse? he continually expells and consumes the sinnes that daily doe arise, out of our earth­ly members, as darknesse is by the Sunne­beames, s so that though the Christian sees not an holy Saint upon earth, yet he beleeves there are such, and contrary to sense beleeves himselfe to be one through Christs sanctity, and hath more power against sinne, by eying Christ by faith, then ever he could by all the arguments of the Law, or motives though fetcht from the Toppicks, t. you shall perceive the Christian that doth possesse and enjoy Christ, according to's power carefully living and walking to all good Lawes both of God and man, delighting in the righteousnesse of workes in their proper place living in's calling laboriously, and ready to study every good work, but he's as careful of misplacing workes, as the candle he hath in's hand when he walks in a garret thatcht with straw, that it fire not the house, he keeps it downe, and he likes fire in his chimney, but keeps it from his gunpowder, &c. for he knows it would quickly marre all, if it should once come there, just so the Christian keeps works [Page 103] below's head amongst men, and dares not pre­sent them before Gods pure eye, true faith brings nothing to God in the office and worke of justification, and redemption, but only poor lost and miserable sinners, finding them­selves empty of all goodnesse, naked, wret­ched and deplorable creatures in themselves, nothing else but a lumpe of vanity, a kinde of sinne, and a composition of all kinde of wic­kednesse. Taken captive by Sathan, spoyled and wounded by the Law, receiveth Christ the only way and meanes to recover his sicke soule, by faith he comes into Gods presence, minding and apprehending alone the meere, rich, and free bountifulnesse of God, in's sa­ving, healing, cloathing, delivering, clensing and freeing him from sinne, death, hell, curse and all evill, and giving him all good, righte­ousnes, peace and joy in Christ Jesus, faith sets up a lively and joyfull light of the knowledge of God in the face of Jesus Christ, & only rai­seth thoughts of God correspondent with that declaration of his loving and fatherly good will towards us in's Sonne, in whom hee's well-pleased, and in the Gospel God requi­reth nothing of man to salvation, but hath wrought that already in's Sonne according to his free promise made to the Fathers of old, by faith in Christ, is bred in Christians assu­red confidence, lively hope, pure love towards God, invocation of his name, without all wandring, doubting and questioning, his good will, audience and acceptance, which swallow­eth [Page 104] up all former flavish feares, and causeth new thoughts, motions and wayes towards God; different from his former legall, and false apprehensions of him,q hee's dead to all opinions and conceits of God according to his owne worth, by workes, performances, and his obedience, though assisted by the Spirit of God in the doing of them:r now he is raised to a higher life, and is in another Kingdome, that's of meere grace, salvation and righteous­nesse, and the apprehension of Christ and his righteousnesse, is so effectuall that hee's car­ried on the wings of love, and in coaches of case and delight, s indeed on the foure wheels of righteousnesse, holinesse, sanctification and redemption;t that he now thinkes nothing too good for God, doth all, and suffers all in love and thankfulnesse to God,u and if you'l have a marke of a Saint here's one, he is in the faith, he doth rightly understand, purely imbrace, and solely rest confident in the doctrine of free-grace alone, for justification and salvation, without any addition of workes to that end, and that faith is sufficient of it selfe, (though it be never alone, to stay, succour, and make confi [...]ent the Spirit, and settle the heart, and quiet conscience in the middest of all, the fai­lings, infirmities, and menstruous obedience of our works, though they be of the best sorr, & biggest size, that Go [...]iah-like would challenge Christs perfect workes Now beleeving is cal­led obedience of the Gospell, x or to the faith, and sufficient to salvation, then we are out of [Page 105] all danger, and are truly obedient to all Gods commandments,z they beleeve Christ obeyed all for them, and unbeleefe is tearmed the not obeying the Gospel, or the breach of all the Commandments,a.w y The Scriptures propound God in Christ, and his righteousnesse to be knowne and worshipped by beleeversp in Christ, God is to bee apprehended as their God and Father in Christ, God is reconciling the world to himselfe, not imputing their sins to them, but to him: and were not Gods ful­nesse in Christ, how should the creature come to the Creator, but in's owne way Christ, and assoone as any are in Christ by faith, they are the Sonnes of God, Spouses of Christ, heires of all things, conquerours of sin, death and hell, advanc't with Christ in heavenly places, w [...]sht from sinne, and made perfectly just, holy and righteous, mystically, passively, and Evangelically, and are neither male nor fe­male, but one spirit with Christ, and in this respect are out of the power, Kingdome and limits of the Law, yea Lords over the Law, heaven and earth are theirs, these treasures onely Faith discernes, attaines and posses­seth; and from this proceeds all that joy, peace, consolation, security, contentment, delight, felicity, tranquility, happinesse, and blessed­nesse of the Christians: Tis through Christ, [Page 106] that streame that makes glad the City of God, All vertue and power to lead a godly life, is communicated by Christ alone to the Chri­stian, so that there cannot be a fleshly licenti­ousnesse, allowed in the conversation of such nations, people, or persons, that are united and married to Christ in reall and spirituall bond, religions, pure and undefiled, and Christ the fountain's pure, and the streames that flow from him must needs be pure also; and for certaine, all licentious conv [...]rsations or mis­carriages of professors of Christianity are not from Christ, or any part of their goodnesse; they never so learned Christ, and Christ the Gospel, nor Christianity, religion, or religious persons are not to be blamed for't, but the saddle must be set on [...] the right steed, old Adam, or the old man, and the devill; and therefore if at any time, Christians breake out into a criminall fault or sinne, the Magistrate should punish the (old man) sin, and not run upon Christ, Christians or Religion. Thus, Oh! this is Religion, these are your professors in former times, but now these are your new lights, these things should not be; but thus you should say, Oh! the pollicy of the devill that would render Christ and Christians odious [Page 107] to the world; Oh! the prevalency of the old man; what should we doe if God leave us, snub the sinner and spare not, and punish the fault where 'tis found; be no respecter of per­sons and ye doe well: let this monster bee made exemplary, and cut off's head by your two edged sword of justice, let the lawes of the land a Gods name be executed by you, but be yee ever tender of Christ, christianity, and Christians, strike not Christ, but serpent­like save your head Christ from the blow, and tell the people upon the places of judicature and elsewhere, that there's no fault in the Gospel, that true light, though where 'tis preach't, and entertained in the love of't by many, either in the Army, Parliament, Town, City, or in the Country, or any where, though something be done by some that are abomi­nible, wicked and detestable to God and all good men, and both against law, [...]onscience, and common honesty, blame not the whole for the faults of some, but know and conclude that the intents and practises of the rest may be glorious, and that the worke of God in hand shall goe on, prosper, and be perfected. The Gospel in the puri [...]y of't shall breake forth, take rooting downward, flourish, and bring forth fruit in abundance, and when 'tis entered into the hearts of servants, masters, parents and children, yea then Magistrates, Ministers, Kings, Subjects, will execu [...]e justice, preach pure doctrine, command just things, obey from the heart, and all things will goe [Page 108] well in Church and State. Truly men live, and then doe worthily, their life is by faith, q that produceth love,Rom. 7 4. Acts 8.12.2.41. Job. 4.39. Luke 10.18. and all good workes, Christ is a fruitfull husband, and is set in op­position to the Law, Rom 7.5. and as two husbands to one wife successively whilst the Law lives in the conscience, all the fruits are deadly and accurs'd;p but when Christ comes into the conscience, he taking the same Spouse to himselfe, the terme of the Law being ex­pired by his quickning Spirit, doth make her fruitfull to God, and so raiseth up seed to her former husband, for materially these are the workes of the Law, though produced by Christ his Spirit in and by the Gospel; w so 'tis the Gospel workes full reformation, &c. How did Philips preaching to the Samaritans turne all topsie tu [...]vey? and what was the effect of the woman of Samaria's preaching the Gospel? did the Apostles preach any other doctrine to reforme the world by? And was it not effectuall? Truly it hath not lost any of its naturall power, strength or vertue, as't was once said Deut. 34.7. of Moses. m I would God 'twere preacht more frequently, purely, and distinctly, then the next newes would be, Eng­land is reformed. Oh! what a blessed refor­mation God by the preaching of the Gospel hath wrought and brought forth for us, not by might nor power of sword of steele, but by my Spirit (in the preaching of the Gospel.) saith the Lord of hosts.l [Page 109] n d By faith we being united to God, and married to Christ: doe by him bring forth fruit to God, even perfect obedience, imputatively, and in­choative holinesse, through the operation of the Spirit of God,a is begunne and breakes out to manwards, & these fruits are call'd the obedience of the Law, and the justified is call'd a perfect keeper of the Law, which name hee hath only by faith in Christ. And love, the effect of justifying faith,q is the fulfilling of the law; And where the faith of Christ is the foundati­on, there the works that follow are good,x faith is that one good worke, in which are all good workes.m Because 'tis the foundation of all good works,o our faith which doth work in us, not to be idle, nor to give our selves to lust and evill life, but that we be not tyed to good works to the end we might attain righteousnes and salvation by them. The false Apostles that tampered with the Galathians, and taught that there was an union and concurrence of both free grace and workes to salvation,t and this was the state of the question, and is now a dayes. Free-grace-teachers affirm, that works do necessarily follow faith in conversation and de­monstration (to manwards probably) of faith, as fruits, effects, or consequences that do more or lesse follow faith, according to the operations of that all-sanctifying, all-directing and all-working [Page 110] working Spirit, where ever it is, in the tru [...]h thereof, but not for life and salvation, by faith, or the Spirit of faith and power,p the soule without workes is justified, pacified, delivered, sanctified and replenished with all goodnesse, and made the daughter of God, or Son of God.w And as the word is full of goodnesse, just, true, holy, and peaceable, like God, so the Christian is made like to the word, he being united to it, is so a partaker of the vertue there­of, that he is metamorphised and made like to it, and is ready to every good word and worke. Then he highly esteems of God, gives all cre­dit to what he saith, speaks of him, with reve­rence, and to him in true humility, is obedient and suffereth God to rule and reign in him at's own pleasure; and so he offers gold, frankin­sense, and myrrhe to Christ,y utterly extingui­shing his own will, and cleaves firmely to the promise, knowing that God is true, just, wise, and gracious, and will dispose of all things f [...]r the best, in this life; is quieted in all tumults, broyles and changes, that either are in or be­side the world, he hath Christ who is his myrrh that keeps him from continuing in this grave of confusions, and Christ is to him all that gold is to the worldling, or what was prefigu­red by the pure, beaten, and the best gold of ophir, that covered the Temple, viz. perfection, and inestimable treasures, Christ is his Priest,o altar, incense, odours, and stock of prayers for ever, that are in heaven for him, and are a sweet odoriferous and fragrant smell in his nostrils, [Page 111] and the Christian in a holy boldnesse of faith can truly and comfortably say, when the good conscience maketh answer to Godl (which is his best plea) Father, blessed Father, thy Sonne hath taken my nature upon him, and in that nature (he being my surety) hath paid all my debts, he thought well, spake well, and wrought well for me,q looke on him blessed Father, and see if there be any defects or blem [...]sh at all in his sacrifices; can thy pure eye behold any evill in him, then thou maiest take vengeance o [...] me? But rather thou shouldest say, Father give me a strong faith alwayes to eye Christ in all the benefits of his death and passion, that I may be strengthened in my feeble faith there­by; I know thou beholdest it alwayes, and art satisfied for ever in that satisfaction made to thy Law, by him only. Satisfie me in that satis­faction and my soule shall live. True Religion teacheth that in Christ we are Sons, and the in­heritance is ours, and that we may appropriate Christ and all that he did or hath in himselfe, to ou [...] selves, d we may boldly say Christ is mine, and I am his, his perfections are mine, and he hath done away all my imperfections. Then sinne, death, hell, and the curse cannot hurt me, seeing Christ hath most victoriously triumphed over them. Upon this the will and affections of the beleever (according to the de­gree of his faith, and the Spir [...]t [...]eceived) secret­ly quickens, bends to choose, affect and delight in whatsoever is good, and acceptable to God or good men,f and he hates all sin, as 'tis sinne [Page 112] eternally, totally, and universally, i. e. evangeli­cally, and though he be tempted from within and withou [...], yet the same good Spirit of Christ mightily in bleth him to make resistance, and if at any time he be overtaken, he is inwardly touch't and stricken at the heart, and findes his inward minde and spirit wounded, lying in great affliction under it, and hath no ease, rest or inward reliefe, untill he looke up (to the brazen Serpent) Christ;x then he seriously seeks God in that way of repentance, humiliation, confession of sins, mortification, and self deni­all; but what repentance is't, 'tis [...] re­pentance unto life, and that's to condemne all our own works, righteousnesse and judgement, yea the best things in us, and then by faith to flye to free-grace,z Repent and beleeve, that is, distrust, disclaime, and forsake your owne righ­teousnesse, prayers, teares, humiliation, and confession, all which is imperfect, and imb ace Christ, his [...]umiliation, tears, prayers, righte­ousnesse, and the good confession he made. This being all perfect will stand thee instead at the bar of Gods justice. 'Tis Ch [...]ist that hath by his death, kill'd and mortified sinne, and when thou beleevest it, thou hast true mortifi­cation indeed. True Christi [...]ns fetch not their comforts from any thing on this side Christ, they goe no lower then Christ in their humi­liation,☞ nei [...]her climb up above Christ their head for exaltation. Thus they are nor com­forted in the thoughts of a mitigation, dispen­sation or moderation of the Law, upon their [Page 113] tears and repentance, &c. their indeavours and intentions of reforming and amending their lives, are not the basis that beareth them up, but 'tis from the true and effectuall apprehen­sion of that plenary satisfaction and plenteous redemption wrought by Christ for all belee­vers, thence sp [...]ings joy in beleeving,s faith in Christ produceth peace,t This doth freely, sweetly, and willingly incline the heart, both to love, and the duties of love that are comman­ded, he knows that God both wills good works and ministers occasions, that by outward deeds and conversation, we may manifest our faith, he knows sanctification is passive,q and that in true sanctification, the very Law of works is a meer passive thing,p as the Kings high way in which he walks in, freely, and not for feare of hels punishment, or heavens reward, and where Christ commands to love one another, 'tis to be understood that, it is Christs law for the ex­pression of our love, effectively. And for our conversations. But not Christs law to beget life, and love in Christians but to believe on his name, is the forme of Christs law, and that's to salvation. And though a Christian should attain to abundance of love, knowledge and faith, he would place perfection where it is, in it's proper place, namely in's justification alone, and not in the flesh, Ro. 7.18. 'Tis most true, that there is the perfection of the thing and [...]ondition, viz. That a Christian is perf [...]ct in Christ. But to affirme perfection of faith in this life, workes, or the apprehension of Christ, [Page 114] so fully that nothing can be added to it, is false;e so then Christians are perfectly saved by Christ, and imperfect in al their works, perfor­mances and conversation, yet these will com­mend them to men, and go for currant in their approbation, according to the judgement of charity, and being kept in their proper places, namely, among men, and beleeve they are of excellent use as the candle in the candlesticke, but set to their papers▪ & writings, will mar all; so works rightly plac't are of excellent use in the Church, but being brought up to heaven, and set before the eyes of justice, they will not passe, but prove too light there, yea a very plague; so then 'tis the adultery and fornicati­on that men commit with workes, that is disliked and reproved by the Ministers of th [...] Gospel, and not works in their proper place.p g r o * w g c Q. W [...]at's considerable i [...] all the promises made in Scrip [...]e on our obediences, [...] if [Page 115] thou dost well, shalt thou n [...]t be accepted? a If you be willing and obey you shall eat the good things of the land, b if you turne to the Lord, c if you walke in my Statutes, d if you will hearken to my voice, e if we confesse our sinnes and forsake them, we shall finde mercy, f if we would judge our selves, we should not be judged of the Lord, g if ye mortifie the deeds of the flesh by the Spirit yee shall live, h Call upon me and I'le heare you, i Seeke and ye shall finde, &c. k. They are to be consi­dered either legally or evangelically. Legally thus. Thou being out of Christ; and though fallen, justice requires perfect,a sincere,b uni­versall,c undivided, and constant obedience to all the commandements in thy owne person, upon paine of death if thou faile in the least, * for matter, manner, or end. Thou art gone for ever in the Court of Justice, though thou servest God devoutly, diligently, and labori­ously,d instantly,e distinctly,f and with alla­crity,g conscionably, zealously, and unani­mously,h freely, feelingly, and as spiritually as thou canst; all this will not passe for currant in heaven,i except thou have Christ his obe­dience, hee indeed served God undividedly, constantly, and perfectly, &c. thou canst not doe well, but wilt be found an evill-doer, and a worker of iniquity,k though thou shinest like an Angel in mans partiall eyes, and thinkest [Page 116] thy selfe some body (id est) righteous, rich and holy enoughl in thine owne eyes.m. 'Tis not a lasie seeking, a halfe turning, to turne from one extreame to another, nor our halting in the way, and picking and choo­sing what we like, and refusing the rest, hea­ring such voices as we phancie, and turning the deafe eare to the rest, and confession by halves, and with a bold face and stony heart, forsaking what sinnes we please, or our morter making, seeming to kill our sin, and smooth, stroake and cherish multitudes as sweet bits under our tongues, &c. But the meaning's this, Aske, for matter, manner, and end, as thou ought's or else have Gods curse, knock not to soft, nor too hard, lest God knock thee downe for thy insolency, or spue thee out of his mouth for thy luke-warmnesse, look to it, see thou do [...] all thats commanded without the least aberration, or thou must perish for't ever­lastingly, by the Law. And what man under heaven dares appeare before God in's owne obedience, service, worship, prayers, corrupt [...]ares, humility, contrition, and amendment of life; who is so fool-hardy, as to thinke he hath sufficiently beene willing and obedient to God, and served him (since he came to know him) so meekly, reverently and spiritu­ally [Page 117] as God doth in his Law require: The thought of this is able to make the heart quake, and joynts to tremble, Beltashazzer-like. q But Evangelically thus, Though wee cannot doe well per se in our owne persons, as the Law requires, for matter, manner and end, yet per alium in the person of our Mediator we may; and 'tis when we beleeve Christ hath done well for us, was conceived, borne, thought, spake, and wrought well for us, hee will'd and was obedient too, fasted, prayed, and worshipped God aright, fulfilled the l [...]w, satisfied his iustice, and by his death mortified sinne, so that it's stone dead, and can never move where he is; 'Twas Christ that fought God for us aright, and found him too, he ask't and was heard in all that he fear'd, and was heard alwayes, q he only knock't (no harder or softer then was requisite) and 'twas opened to him for us, his zeale was not too hot or cold, but of right temper, so that in all things he thought, spake, and wrought well. 'Twas Christ that judged himselfe, having tak [...] mans sinnes upon himselfe, it was hee that confessed sinne, and made a good and per­fect confession, and forsooke it perfectly, and hated it totally, unsatisfiably, and with an eternall hatred: he only was perfectly willing and obedient, and kept the charge of the Lord, and fulfilled his Statutes, working well alwayes, he only call'd upon God per­fectly in humility, sincerity; having true sor­row for sinne, 'twas he that worshipped God [Page 118] in Spirit and truth, he only mortified sinne, and wee at the best are but morter-makers, he was without sinfull choller, wrath, or revenge, being pure, holy, h [...]rmelesse, and without hypocrisie, the right mourner, peace-maker, and sufferer for righteousnesse sake, being temperate, compassionate, and of a sweet disposition, and all the conditions re­quired in all the aforesaid Scriptures, must be looked for where they are, namely, in Christ Jesus, for in him, and through him, and by him, are all things, yea, all the promises of God in him are yea and Amen, but nay, to us, with­out him; so then by him wee mortifie sinne, doe well, are obedient, and performe all conditions, do [...] worship God in Spirit and truth, and are fulfillers of the whole Law Evang [...]lically, and are made one thing with him by union, &c. But my full answer is, That all Hypotheticall propositions, whose promises runne conditionally center in faith; by which only wee performe the conditions, and I am bold to affirme, that there was never any meere man that lived upon the earth since Adam sinned, in which any one of the conditions were performed per­fectly, and in this case imperfection will not passe unpunished in the strictnesse of justice; and who dare say, I hate sinne with a perfect, universall, unsatisfiable, and eter­nall hatered? I doe well for matter, man­ner, and end, and have worshipped God per­fectly, served him undividedly, constantly, [Page 119] universally; and with that dexterity, allacrity, and in that spirituallity God requires. [...] any say, I have crucified the old man, and utterly abolished the whole body of [...]nne, so that there is no tincture of that left, but sinne is kill'd so dead, that it stirres no mo [...]e, in him who is so temperate, meeke, patien [...]e and humble, but there is some peece of pride in him? and therefore I understand all such places of Scriptures that affirme the doers of the Law to [...]ee just, a to be blessed in their deed and doing, workers of righteousnesse, walkers with God, to be righteous as hee is righteous, and men after Gods owne heart Evangelically as they stood in Christ, either as hee was to come, or as he is come already, and hath fulfilled the Law for them, there is no faith out of Christ that pleaseth God. To speak properly and truly, ours is imperfect, and there is some fainednesse in it, &c. and therefore all that a beleever may or can, or ever shall be able to finde in himselfe is this, that he is destitute of all goodnesse, grace, or vertues, in their perfections, he may and doth see what he should be, but never what he is, viz. that is perfect, and therefore looks to Christ for a full supply, and there he findes it, and rests on it, and hath sollid comfort from this fountaine that is never failing. This is the Christians Magazeen, shop of medicines, store-house for provision, and paradise of plea­sures in which he may sollace himselfe (with­out danger either of drowning, blowing up, [Page 120] poysoning, surfeiting, or famishing) for ever. Christ being thy armour, who can kill thee, thy food, physicke, and cloathing, canst thou want or miscarry; is not Christ eyes to the blinde, legs to the lame, that balme of Gillead to the wounded, light to them that sit in darknesse, life to the dead, honour to the contemptible, joy to them that are of a sad heart, riches to the poore, the garments of righteousnesse to poore sinners, the cove­rings of God, the well of life, the pillar of fire by day and night to lead thee to his Father, and their Father? to Christians he is all things and better then al things. And whatsoever is excel­lent in heaven or earth, are but glimpses of that excellency that doth transcendently re­maine in him for ever, and the flowings of it (in all means) are our portions in this vale of miserie, in which, sense beares the sway, and sin, death, hell, and the curse, are most perspi­cuous and predominant, contrary to the inten­tions, desires, and prayers, of all the faithfull, who would do all things for matter, manner, and end, as God requires, and are only grieved aright for their aberrations, swervings, and failings; which they obtaine by the eternall spirit, whom God hath appointed to reveal the everlasting Gospel, to those that now live, or shall live hereafter. I say the flowings of it forth in all the incombes of God, are but so many beginnings, gracious touches, and experimentall feelings, the better to carry on the poore Christian in this spirituall warfare. [Page] Quest. What think ye of all such places of scrip­ture, That affirmeth that Christ is of God mad unto us wisedom, righteousnes, sanctification, & redemption, and that he was made sinne for us, that knew none experimentally, and wee are made the righteousnesse of God in him, and he was our surety, dayes man, mediator, and redeemer. 1 Cor. 1.31. 2 Cor. 5.21. Heb. 7.22. 1 Iohn 2.2. Iob 9.33. Isay 59.20. Rom. 11.26. Ans. 'Twas the infinite, exact, and unexpressible wisedome of God to provide so free, full, and perfect redemp­tion for us, that in Christ we might have all our losses restored, breaches made up, and [...] full supply of perfect wisedome, righteous­nesse, and holynesse in Christ the new man that might be able to present us to God, and indure the tryall of justice it selfe at his tri­bunall, and present us everlastingly righte­ous, just, and holy, in the integrity, upright­nesse, plainnesse, honesty, purity, chastity, and holynesse of Christ, and therein to stand approved to eternity, being [...]reed from all evills, sinne, transgression and iniquity, and all the fearefull consequents that follow up­on the same, as curse, wrath, horrors, feares, perplexities, and shame and confusion of face for ever, so that our own emptinesse, folly, and sinfullnesse is done away, and Christs fulnesse that dwels in him, is made the Christians, he receiving from him true righteousnesse, for false, wisepome, for folly sanctification, in stead of corruption, love [Page] for hatred, redemption in stead of captivity, meeknesse for pride, chastitie for unclean­nesse, mercifulnesse for hard heartednesse, perfect patience for waywardnesse, true zeale for false, and in stead of a curse the blessing of the Lord that maketh rich, and adds no sorrow with it, Prov. 10.22. And the Chri­stian is made partaker of everlasting righte­ousnesse and the holynesse of truth, and the truth of holinesse, yea the manifold wise­domes of God, Eph. 3.10. That is, the Christian doth possesse and enjoy Iesus Christ who is variously dispensed and held forth in the meanes of grace, with new de­lights and contentments to the Christians soule every day. 2 Cor. 3.17.18. So that the Christian resteth (in that redempti­on wrought by Iesus Christ) fully satisfied, and goes one in the assurance of faith, belee­ving that his debts are paid, his soule is sa­ved, and he is approved of God, and having nothing chargeable against him in heaven, and so the mediation, contemplation, and continuall application, (by faith is not only the worke of the Lords day, to whom in a pe­culier speciall manner it belongs, and may be done every day, but specially on that day) of Christ, his wisedome, righteousnesse, sancti­fication and redemption, so freely and fully wrought, is all the worke he doth or hath to doe in this case during life, and all other im­ployments [Page 123] in this world, as his following his particular caling, discharging his trust, either as he stands in relation to church or state, he is servant unto all, and doth all in love, as it is termed the labour of love, so he preaches, prayes, and performes, religious, civill, moral, and all his naturall Actions in love, and though's workes are imperfect, and can doe him no good towards his salvation, yet com­parativly, incoactivly & intentionally, (being kept in their place) they shine gloriously, and are very profitable to others, both for imita­tion and Emulation in the best sence, viz. that others may have occasion to praise God that ever he was borne, & liv'd in the place and age, where he lived, and that ever he saw his face, and that he might doe more excel­lently, and outstrip him in all vertue and good workes, &c. Carol. That by imputation, all the knowledge and understanding, coun­cell, direction, wisedome, and prudence in Christ, is now become the Christians; and Christs puritie, holinesse, chastity, plainesse, honesty, uprightnesse, integrity, justice, or righteousnesse is his also, and the vertues, graces, or gifts that Christ had above all men. Supplyes their emptinesse in Gods sight. In this sence Christ is made to them of God, sound wisedome, perfect righteous­nesse, [...]bsolute holinesse, and eternall wise­dome.

Sir, I have read in the 7. Rom. from the 4. to 6. that there is an alteration & change of husbands, the Law being the first hus­band, and the Gospel Christ, the second husband. I pray declare what ye have heard and know concerning this point? Ans. Some affirme, and I beleeve it, that the Law sig­nifies flesh,☞ & al that is not Christ although never so glorious in the eyes of men, and by spirit they understand the Gospel, and all the glorious hidden mysteries contained therein, namely Christ, and all the benefits of his death and passion. And I conceive there are two things considerable, The matter of benefit, viz. deliverance from the autho­rity, dominion, offices and effects of the morrall law, so that it cannot curse, damne, nor hurt the true Christian, the teeth of it being beaten out by Christ, tis holy and harmeles, and of excellent use to the Church of God, as shall be truly discovered anon. Then the duty of love, in newnesse of spirit in the joy of the Lord, to doe all that the law requires,☞ if it were possible & more, wor­king from true principles, by way of grati­tude, not for, but from life, and take notice from what Christians are deliver'd. Ti's from the law, sin, death, hell and curse, and what­soever is contrary to his regulated wil, and reformed affections. Then by whom delive­rance comes. Ti's not from angels men, nor by any endeavours of ours, but from Christ, and by Christ our Lord, who was e­very [Page 125] way fitted for that glorious worke. Then the extent of our deliverance. Ti's not from some, but from all evills, to all good, but ti's evangelically to be understood,☜ and it ex­tends to the Elect, and so ti's universall, spi­rituall and eternall. Then the end is to bee observed. 'Twas that we should serve in new­nesse of spirit, not for a day, moneth, or a yeare, but all the dayes of our life, in the ho­linesse of truth, in which we shal be able to ap­peare in the presence of the pure ey'd God without feare, in that wedding garment of Christs righteousnesse, serving God, name­ly in believing that the Lord Christ hath served God perfectly for us, and the whole. Church, and this God accepts for ever, and would have the Church to know, that this is the acceptable will of God, viz. That the whole will of God is run out in Christ, and men must expect no favour or mercy from God but through Christ, men must go to Ioseph. (i. e.) To Christ for food, or else they must starve, ti's not our Aegyptian knowledge of a God, to a God, from a God and by a God, and so to run up into the me­ditation and contemplation, of a God as a God in his excellencies and attributes, wee are not to conceive of God according to his incomprehensibilitie and incommunicable­nesse, for the knowledge of God so, is inscru­table, this were to climb up above our head Christ Iesus, and to thrust our heads into the fiercy oven of those [Page 126] everlasting burnings, that would devoure us, and put out our eyes of right understanding, but we are to know all that is to be knowne of God through the vaile Christ Iesus, who is our foundation, below the which, no Chri­stian is to go, for we are not to undermine our foundation Christ Iesus in our humiliation, nor soare above our head for our exaltation,☞ but rest wholly upon the humiliation, and exaltation of Christ Iesus for life and salva­vation, and this will produce true peace, joy, and consolation. Then we are to consider the turminus aquo, and the turminus ad quem, that is, from the state and condition which was accursed, most miserable and deplorable in old Adam, to that estate which is blessed, tranquillus, and most happie into the new Adam, and in his kingdome there's nothing but felicitie, & unexpressible tranquility & du­rable honours, where sinne, death, hell, and the curse must not come, or have any thing to doe, but righteousnesse, tranquilty, and happinesse, beare the way for ever. Doctrine, That untill faith come, there the law lives as a husband to the soule. Doct. A Christian by Christ is freed from the law, and dead unto the law, and as a Christian he hath nothing to doe with the law, but is farre above all lawes in this sense, mistake it not. Doctrine. That the law rules (over poore, lost, dam­ned and cast away sinners) before faith come, more like a cruell Gaoler then a loving hus­and. Doct. That naturally, men have more [Page 127] of Moses in them, then of Christ. Doctrine. That the Lotd Iesus Christ our deliverer, hath freed all true Christians from the mor­rall law, rightly understood. Doct. ☜ That true Christians are alive to God, (in the proper sense) but dead to the law. Doct. That the morrall law hath no more power over a true Christian, then a dead husband hath over a living wise. Doct. That whatsoever the law doth produce, is a vicious action simply consi­dered. Doct. That the true Christian is free, from Mosaicall lawes, by Christ Iesus their new and spirituall husband, but understand this passively, mystically, and evangelically. Doct. That the law domineers over the crea­tures (and doth exercise its jurisdiction and authoritie over the soule foure wayes, by ex­action, dominion, accusation, and damnati­on) before Christ and faith came, and beare sway there. Thus for it's jurisdiction. The law is the head over the soule, commanding and forbidding, backing what's truth, and detecting what's error [...] it cals for al good, and forbids all evill; yea, the law rules like a man of knowledge, in's cruelty in the soule, untill the Lord Christ come by his spirit, and live in that soule.☜ The law exacts absolute obedience and perfect righteousnesse, void of the least aberation; it respects no mans per­son, Iew or Gentile, bond or free, and tis without dispensation, mitigation, or com­mutation, it never discovers or knowes of a Saviour, but rules in rigor and tyrannically. [Page 128] Gal. 3.10. The law like a jealous and cruell husband, whose eye is never of the poore wife, but espieth the least falling in love or duty, and cryes out guilty, guilty in the court of conscience, blood, blood, venge­ance, vengeance against a poore sinner, Gen. 4.13. The Law dams presently, constantly, upon the first breach thereof by those that are under it, as all Christlesse men are. The lawe's arm'd with a curse to scourge the disobedience thereof by taking vengeance on them that faile in the least particular, and fetcheth blood in the soule, in the securest thoughts. (Rom. 2.15.) Thus, by declaring wrath from heaven against all unrighteous­nesse though it be in the most holiest things, yea the sinne of our burnt offerings, and Gaoler like takes hold of us, and shuts us up for ever in it's prison. Rom. 1.18.3.23. By restraining naturall concupisence, that hellish fire within us, that else would breake out in­to outragious flames, to the annoying of all round about us. O what a hell of confusion would there be,☞ seeing the whole world lyes in wickednesse,a, if the law did not bridle men, and keep them from iniquity, violence, and outragiousnesse, they being spiritually mad men, would breake out into unheard of villanies else.b, The law increaseth sin, (as the steele doth fetch out fire out of the flint stone) and makes it innumerable and gastly to behold, Rom. 7.7, Gal. 3.24. The law doth not only disco­ver [Page 129] the Taod like complexion of sin,☜ but ty­ranniseth over al, & condemneth them for it, declaring that they are under Gods wrath for it, & threatens wrath & vengeance against all sinne and sinners, the law (is no prosopo­leption,) it respects no mans person. Iohn 3.36. Rom. 5.12. Rom. 2.3. Then certainly the law should be preached to all wicked men, Isay 57.21. Though grosse sinners now are quiet in their sinnes, yet on their death bed or before, when the Lord shall open their consciences, they'l feele the power of the law, and know that it is in full force against all those that are out of Christ, 2 Thes. 1.6, 7.☜ That the law is to be preached to the con­gregations that are usually mixt, both in the purity, power, and spirituallity thereof, Rom. 7.7-23. That they that say they love the law and cry out, law, law, they would have the law preached, They say they know not what, when themselves through misconceits, are altogether ignorant of the fiery law and and nature of the Gospel: poore soules that they are! what Theif loves his Gaoler, gaole, bolts or fetters? doe they not cry out, let's breake their bonds and cast their cords from us? Psal. 2.3. They that are true beleevers and they only to their owne comfortable knowledge, are freed from the law, by the body of Christ. Rom. 7.6. Gal. 2.19. Rom. 6.1-4. Then tis not the performance of some externall duties, That will prove that a man loves the law▪ doth a Traytor by waring Irons, [Page 130] being shut up in prison, declare thereby that he loves his Gaoler? doubtlesse no. Then they that walke in feare and trimbling, be­cause they can find nothing in themselves to settle and ground their consciences upon,☞ but their works, therfore are ful of doubtfulnes, & as certainly under the dominion, power, ju­risdiction and authority of the law, as the no­torious murtherers, homicides, or blasphe­mers in the world are. 1 Tim. 1.10. The wrath of God resteth only on them that are under the law, and the law will rule in their conscience untill Christ comes in by his spi­rit into them. 1 Tim. 8.9. Then they (who ever they be) abuse the law (in the preaching thereof or rather prating, not knowing what they affirme) that do let the people find ease, liberty, peace, and comfor in't, and fearing the desparate comminations thereof, doe maske the face of Moses continually, and cast forth a certain, but bastard evangelicall con­trition as an anchor of hope to them, bear­ing their congregations in hand, that upon such a forme, and new resolution of amend­ment, and so to make satisfaction for what hath been done amisse,☞ that then the law will spare them, and this springs from their igno­rance of that change, how deep it ought to be? even from death to life, & that we must not be wounded only, but kild by the law before we can be heal'd and made alive by the Gospel, i. e. Christ is never esteem'd nor im­braced to salvation, till the spirit of bondage [Page 131] hath eaten out the heart of old Adam. ☜ That to abate the power of the law, by slacking the rigor of it, is not to preach remission of sins by Christ,a, but 'tis a deceitfull course, be­cause the law counsells no man to Christ, but keeps him in himselfe after conviction, and man is apt to take comfort and expect salvati­on in his own way of working. Thus When he finds troubles and sinne guiltinesse, then meerly upon his good purposes & endeavours to amend his sinnefull life, he gets heart and recovers himselfe and gathereth hopes of sal­vation though he never went the right way, i. e. by beleeving in Christ, yet he I say hopes al wil be wel at last, and God will have mercy upon him, and that the law will be meale mouthed being mittigated in his fancie or dream, and all this is, for the want of the cleare light of the Gospel, and Christ contai­ned therein, that they know not the spiritu­allitie of the law.☜ Then such Ministers doe not well that set people upon performances of duties to get Gods favour, and so life everlasting, and labour to bring them to reforme their lives, and conforme to the law, and so leave them ignorant of Christ; these men in their preachings tread not with the right foot to the Gospel,b have neither the power of Christ nor the Gospels, but mix law and Gospel in a confused manner, bring forth mersaline doctrine, and their simple insnared soules their Auditors, for the most doe but call Christ their Saviour, and are [Page 132] Christians in name only, and if any rule in them it is Moses. Then prea­ch the law aright, i. e. shut up Christlesse men under sinne, and stop every mouth, a. preach the law to the death, it being that ministration only.☞ b. That it may increase wrath, c charg'd upon al out of Christ, in its uttermost authority, and unvaile it, hold it forth as Gods Sargeant to find out and lay hold on the Lords debtors, to indict them, cast them, and condemne them in the court of justice. Moses his face is to be unvailed, that the splendor and glory of the law in the spirituallity thereof may appeare to every eye, and that to the confusion of all flesh, it must thunder with such flashes of hell fire, curses, maledictions, and threatnings to the demo­lishing of man and his workes, and to the beating down of every false conception, ima­gination or expostulation,☞ that exalts it selfe against Christ, and to the disolution of that cursed opinion of wisedome and righteous­nesse, which is so strongly rooted in the rea­son of man, that so the law may kill and leave the creature heartlesse, hopelesse and without al helpe, in this way of working, to come before an angry and just God that is so terrible a judge, that is ten thousand times worse to be met withall, or come before without Christ, then the Beare rob'd of her whelpes. q. O what horror wil't be for thee to thinke of the grave, death or hell? and for thee to say, O how many doe there lye in [Page 133] hell now for want of faith? and how many hells will it be to thee to appeare before so just a God, being so pure of eye? that can behold no uncleane thing, i. e. sinne but ei­ther he must remove the sinne or damne the creature.n That true Christians that have been enlightned by the spirit, and broken by the law, and are conscious of their own estate by nature, what uncleannesses, hypocrisies and abominati­ons are in every heart, and how the plague soare runneth dayly in them.☜ p. They will and doe cry out, my life is death, my light is darkenesse, my heaven is hell, my goodnesse as the morning due, yea a very plague as the word renders it in the Originall: h▪ my best workes are so vile, that without Christ they'l be found all too light, and I must for the evill in them perish for ever and be damned, if I stand in old Adam; q t Doct. That Iesus Christ hath saved the Church from the law by a due course of ju­stice, paid what the law required, suffered what it threatned to the utmost,☜ and not by force, power, or violence, 'twas his dying, and not our crying that did it. Gal. 4.4. Then the freeing of a Christian from the bondage of the law is marvelous, considered actively or passively. Thus. That God should procure the salvation of our soules by the [Page 134] death of his sonne,☞ and so cover us with his sonnes righteousnesse, and make us so happie whilest we feele nothing but sinne, that deserves death and damnation in hell for e­ver, that he should hold it forth in the Gos­pel, and make applycation thereof to our hearts by his spirit.a, Then by bringing Christians to the shadow of death in the ap­prehension of that miserie they were shut up in, to their own and others apprehensions, or for o [...]ght the Scriptures hold forth to the contrary,b, Then from the extent of the deliverance conclude. Doct. That the law is abrogated to the Christians faith, and in very deed, Rom. 7.6. The reason of't is. The Christian hath the matter of the law, righte­ousnesse in, from, and through Christ, and for the forme of the law, the authority of it, its abolished, the jurisdiction in command­ding upon paine of death, in threatning ven­geance, and the curse upon the breach there­of,☞ and promising life to the obeyers there­of. Now the Christian he hath life, before the law come, and the blessing of the Lord that makes rich, and adds no sorrow with it, is upon him, in stead of the curse, the bles­ing of Abraham is falne upon him, his stand­ing is in Christ, the day is won by him, for the Christian his sinnes are pardoned, and his warfare accomplished, and he is saved already, and God will discover it more and more unto himselfe and to others, Prov. 10. [Page 135] 22. Isay 4.1. 2 Tim. 1.9. Then Christians are not in a state of sinne, nor masse of sinne, staine or raine of sinne, neither are they ly­able to the mult of sinne. 1 Iohn 3.9. Rom. 8.1. but the contrary, they are in the state of grace, life and righteousnesse. 2 Cor. 5.21. 1 Cor. 15.56. 1 Cor. 15.17. Rom. 4.5. Col. 2.13.14. That its from our imbissilitie, ig­norance, and infidelitie, and not from Christ faith, or the truth of the Gospel,☜ that the law puts in his foot in the soule or conscience of a beleever in the authority thereof.q, But Christians might send Moses to his smoaking mountaine, by turning to Christ their hus­band, the true mercy seat, and propisiatory,p, Then the ground of all the outrages, doubtings, and hidious complaints in the world amongst most professors of the truth, is from the ig­norance in them of the Gospel, Christ, and the freedome he hath purchased for them,☜ he freed them from sinne, law, and curse,t., but they cry out thus, O the talent of the Lord, the wrath, I am under! I am in the shad­dow of death, in the place of Dragons, my sinnes are more then can be pardoned.s There was never any in my condition, O what sinne, & guiltinesse am I under, and so disparing, they distroy themselves, and tis the fault of their Ministers as well as their own, because they teach not the Gospel purely, and the law distinctly, therefore both the blind leader, and blindly lead, fall into the ditch. [Page 136] u They should preach the abrogation of the law to true Christians, but this is the plague upon the world, that they love such mersa­line doctrine,☞ better then the pure wheate of God; own providing and winowing, so that most men split themselves on one of these two rocks, presumpition, or dispaire of Gods mercy, and this is that great sinne against God, Christ and the glorious Gospel, that the whole world lyeth in.w To preach the law, or workes, can never quiet the consciences of poore sin­ners, no workes or any false respecting con­sideration can doe it. For those doe but in­gage to the law, and ingender infidelitie, and bring forth continuall doubtings, questio­nings, and heart aking, and heart breaking feares.☞ Thus. Thou hast not sacrificed as thou should'st, pray'd as thou ought'st, thou hast defil'd holy things, thou hast omitted that thou ought'st to have done, thou hast committed that that God hath forbidden, thou hast not done good so sincerely as thou should'st have don't. Nor shun'd sinne but for sinister ends, thou hast not grieved for sinne as sinne, nor hated it with an eternall, totall, and unsatisfiable hatted, thou hast not, grieved for the sinnes of others, as though thy self hadst commited them, thy obedience hath been divided, partiall, and pick't obe­dience, and not universall, sincere and per­fect as it should have been, and this distracts [Page 123] so that men are alwayes fearefull, that goe this way to worke and doubting of Gods fa­vour, yea, heartlesse faithlesses, and still droo­ping under every crosse, none so much dis­contented, pevish, peltish, and impatient as they, who passe over slightly the precious treasure of Christian intilligence, as these men doe, they pitch unfaileable signes, markes, and legall performances, like these Munkns that in time of distresse were most faint hearted, fearefull and timerous persons, or like the Iesuited Papists most bold in suf­fering for treason, and vaint that they are Martyrs, These sort of people raile against Gospellers, evangelicall men, calling the doctrine of free grace, the doctrine of liberty, licenciousnesse, and loose doctrine, because they and such like abuse it, what fault in the wine or gifts they have bin so long spiritual­ly, drunken with all? Is there any fault in the Sun that hardens the clay, or causes the carrion to stinke? is there any fault in the Gospel that accidentally causeth those car­rion-like Christians, to be so hot persecutors of it, and of the professors (in truth) of the same; these are so deluded by Satan, that they verily beleeve that they doe God good servic [...] in so doing, as once the old Pharisees did, have not some of them declared themselves in print what they would have done to the innocent lambes of Christ that have sought God for them, and fought against their des­perate enemies? and must the timber of their [Page 138] houses be made Gibbets to hang them on, shal they be driven into remote Islands, shut up in prisons or debar'd from the priviledeg [...] of free borne Subjects, because they doe not ap­prove of mixing. Pidgeons feathers with Ea­gles plumes, drosse with gold, water with wine, or that which is the greatest cheat in the world, the making of merchandize of soules,☞ and the word of God, by preaching law and Gospel; workes and faith, life and death, Gods and mans righteousnesse, as one and the same doctrine, whereas in truth there is as much difference, as there is betwixt heaven and hell, God and Christ, the elect and reprobate, the brightest day and darkest night in the doctrine it selfe, as all true inlightned Christians know, and this under the prerencce of preaching Gospel,r and the righteousnesse of Christ, though indeed they are the greatest opposers of it in the world, and would have those burnt that imbrace the Gospel in the purity of it. Then turne thou thine eyes from that hidious darkenesse of the law,☞ unto the light of the glorious Gospel, through the which shineth the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, in the face of Iesus Christ, to inlight [...]n those that sit in the sh [...]dow of death.y 'Tis God in Christ that exalteth the miserable, comforte [...]h the afflicted, heales the wounded, strengthens the weake, binds up the broken, in heart, deales gently with the bruised, [...]uickens the dead, saves the damned, and [Page 139] justifieth the ungodly, that make [...] Pleiades & or [...]an the seaven stars to appear, that is his spi­rit dismisseth Moses, and pitcheth the soule on Christ,☜ and exempts the poore soule from the law, sinne, death, and hell, or else thou woul­dest sinke under the authority of the law, and the rage, furie and tyranny of the Divill,z That those Teachers who awaken the old dead husband the law to Christians, by telling them they must worke well, and then they shall speed well, and the contrary they doe very ill, in preaching Christ to bee an exactor like Moses, rendring him a ridged hard man, and an awfull Christ, and so trou­bling Christians, as much as in them lyes, who live in Christ, and by Christ,☜ with Christ, and to Christ,d and yet in the out­ward man are guided by the spirit of God, to live in a good measure according to the law, and yet not to the law, nor in the law, nei­ther by the Law, Then the law is to be considered as a cove­nant, or a rule, now as a covenant 'tis can­ceal'd by Christ who hath fulfil'd it, and so taken away the beleever from under the au­thori [...]y of it, his threats and promises are not able to reach the true beleever, the law can't save him by workes,☜ nor damn him for hi [...] sinnes, and is not Christ a Christians life, and a farre better rule, more spirituall and full to the Israel of God, peace, and they that [Page 122] walke according to this rule Christ, are the Israel of Christ. Gal. 6.16. And I never read of any law humaine, or divine, which hath not power from his author whiles it is in force and unabrogated to punish the brea­kers thereof,☞ and reward the fulfillers of it, no not the law of faith it selfe. Againe, if the law receive such an abatement as men talke of, I would they would shew how farre it bindeth, how farre we may goe and no farther? how we should looke on the law. Truly a Christian, as a Christian, is Lord o­ver the law, rejoyceth at's freedome from it, and seeth it fulfil'd by Christ his surety, and sticks close to that by faith,t Away with that perpetuall king­dome of the law, pretended by the Legallist, that cry up the law so much, and cry downe the Gospel by tearmes of reproach on the true preachers thereof; besides, they frowne on the preachers of free grace,☞ and set it as it were upon a craggie mountaine as if there were danger in it, but yet the degree of free grace is as a goodly, faire, and soft plaine, in which they may solace themselves in God and Christ, tis lovely, utilous, and a delight­full doctrine to all poore soules, tis more pre­cious then the rubie, gold or any created excellencies, Prov. 3.12. Ioh 28.7-24. Doct. That untill the death of the old man Adam, the authority, dominion, offices, and effects of the morrall law, doe not end, cease or expire, but are in full force to all gene­rated [Page 127] men. Consider what's meant by man? Whats meant by the authority, dominion, offices, and effects of the law. Negatively,☜ by man is not meant either the nature or substance that consists in soule and body. 1 Thes. 5.23. Nor their powers, abilities, or naturall parts. Neither the relation they have to common wealths. But that degenerated condition, lost estate, and accursed standing in relation to a law broken before God by nature since the fall of Adam, and so man is stil'd the old man,a sensuall,b naturall,c man, and fleshly,d being without Christ, and whilest we are in the flesh in that natu­rall sinfull, and degenerated estate, the law had dominion over sinners, but he whose sinnes are forgiven him, is dead to the law, that is, he is freed from the law. Man is one thing by naturall generation, and propagati­on, in's conscience, and before men, but a­nother thing in the sight of God, the Scrip­tures and all truly inlightned men by rege­neration, new birth, and renovation,e which is justification, and to beleeve that Christs birth, &c. is his.☜ But when the old man is utterly abolished, anihelated and dead, in a spirituall and evangelicall sense, after which time in thy own conscience, and to faith, thou art not found of God to be a transgres­sor, sinner, or impure,f but contrary, when thou therefore ceasest to be a sinner before God,☜ and it's made out unto thee in the con­sistory of thy own conscience, and as soon as [Page 142] thou dost posse dere fui Christi, e as soone as thou dost possesse and in [...]oy Christ, then the power that the law had over thee imediately ceaseth, but not before according to the re­vealed will of God. As we see in marriage, the bond of union is dissolved by the death of one party, so in this case, as soone as God hath given thee to know that thou art not in thy sinnes,g the yoak of the law doth ime­diately cease, and thou art delivered from prison,☞ and from the power, force, authori­ty, and offices of it, as it stood in force by by divine institution before marriage to Christ. For the authority that the law ha [...]h over this old corrupt man, 'tis in foure things. First, Now instruct him, what's truth and what's error, what's good and what's evill, what he must imbrace to life, and what he must avoid and shun upon paine of deathh Secondly, To ex­act absolute, perfect, undivided, and con­stant obedience, void of the least oberation, defect, or swarving in matter, manner or end, on paine of damnation, for the law will not, nay cannot be contented, except it have constant, exact, and perfect righteousnesse, and it respects no mans person, but ruleth with all rigor, and admits no dispensation or commutation, it cryes do [...]'t in thy owne [Page 143] person or perish.i Thirdly, To accuse him of sinne, the eye of this cruell husband is ever over his wife, and in case he spie the least failing in love or duty to God or man in's own affections, or outward expressions, it instantly slyeth on this poore wife, the old man, crying out, guilty, guilty, guilty in the court of conscience, thou art damd, there is no help for thee, and cryes out as the aven­ger of blood,k vengeance, vengeance, venge­ance, thus with hue and cry the law persues, with cursings, feares and horrors the poore old man, and gives his wife no rest at any time. Fourthly, To punish and take venge­ance on all, disobedience of's wise two wayes. By sharp rebukes, inwardly fetching blood in the secret thoughts,l and in the still darke night of the old mans jovialities, pleasures and brutish contentments,☜ m strikes a damp upon the soule, that every joynt thereof dashes against each other, (if we may so speake) putting the soule into a fit of trimbling. Then by declaring and threatning wrath from heaven against this poore wife the old man,n yea and from all the creatures in every place, without intermission,o then everlasting distruction of soule and body to be tormented by Satan in hell, to whom the justice of the law doth commit him, thus the comminations of the law is not without exe­cution (i. e.) it produceth the beginning of hellish sorrowes, vexations and mischiefes, and the exactions and the fulnesse thereof i [...] [Page 126] reserved for the damned for ever,p So then you see the ministrie of the law revealeth not Christ nor his righteousnesse,a it setteth not forth God unto us as a justifier of them that are of the faith of Iesus,☞ or as pacified and well pleased for ever, it dispenseth not the invaluable and unsearchable treasures of Christ, it decla­reth not the name of God our father in Iesus Christ, according to the new Co­venant of grace, that is so full that nothing can be added to it, wherein the secret, sweet, and incomprehensible love, wherewith he loved his sonne may be in us But con­trarywise the law sheweth God to be a requi­rer of my own righteousnesse, and condemns me for my failing therein, being plagues, hell and destruction prepared for me, b be­cause of these abdurations and failings▪ so the conscience is rob'd and deprived of all joy, peace, and consolation, and it is fild with feares, torters and confusion, and this is the effect, fruit and consequence of the law, and therefore questionlesse, the law knowes not one jot of Christianity, speakes not to the Christian,☞ neither hath it any relation to the happinesse of a Christian in this case. Carol. Then the law was given that we should see our sinnes, and have recourse to Christ for [Page 131] our righteousnesse.☜ Now the offices of the law are five. To make sinne known.a To increase, aggravate, and make sinne out of measure great and sinfull, andb To shew the wrath of God against sinne and sinners.c Then to put man that lives in sinne in feare, and being not able to fulfill the law, he's an­gry with God, and doth wish that there were neither God or law, because he, that is the old man neither is, nor can be subject to the law of God.d To constraine him to flye out of himselfe and goe to God for Christ, as the old Israelites begged for Christ, when they said to Moses, speake thou to us, and let God speake no more, in the terrible voice of the law to us, for that is a cursing, killing, pernicious, and damning voice (least we dye)e and the Lord commended them for it, they have spo­ken well in all that they have said:f 'Tis most apparent that they were by Gods spirit inabled to beg Christ that was to come,☜ and that they knew full well, that Moses was a type of him, as the Lo [...]d himselfe expounds it, Deut. 18.16-19 Yea, we doe not read in all the Scriptures, that ever they were prai­sed or commended of God for any other thing, then for their desiring of a Mediator betwixt God and them, the which God most willingly granted them. Deut. 18.18. And said unto Moses, I will ra [...]se up a Prophet, i. e. [Christ among their brethren like unto thee] and I will put my word into his mouth, [Page 146] and he shall speake unto them all things that I shall command him, and I will punish all those that will not obey my word, (of free grace) which he shall speake in my name. g Then the chiefest end why God promulgated the law in Mount Sinai was, That so way might be made for Christ Iesus our Lord, who is that great blessing,a that only maketh rich and addeth no sorrow therewith, The effects of the law are ma­nyfold. 1. It oppresseth extreamly, it seekes our distruction continually, it makes poore most miserable,☞ it grieves excessiantly, it bur­thens unsupportably, it troubles constantly, it plucks down irrecoverably, it solicites ea­gerly it wars fearcely, it wounds incurably, it cryes workes, workes, workes inc [...]ssively, it retaines sin unmercifully, it knits and u­nites to the Divell closely, it sheweth duty nimbly, it discovers our fall perspicuously, it casteth down to the pit of hell desperate­ly, it judgeth cruelly, it condemns certainly, it curseth bitterly, it brings Gods wrath on Christles sinners eternally, and spoiles of all hope of any mercy everlastingly, not once admitting of a surety,☞ Mediator or Dayesman Christ, it knowes not Christ, tis just without all mitigation of punishment, 'tis terrible, dreadfull and mercilesse, and are not they [Page 147] ignorant of the spirituallity of the law?☜ that cry out law, law, law, and would have Pidge­ons feathers mixt with Eagles Plumes, (i. e.) the law and Gospel, workes and faith hud­led up together, and preached confusedly, whereas indeed there is as much difference in the doctrine, and must be kept so far as­sunder as heaven and hell, life and death, darkenesse and light, blessing and cu [...]sing, for they are contraries. Now the [...]reasons of this doctrine, viz. That untill the death of the old man Adam, the authori­ty, dominion, offices, and effects of the mor­rall law doe not cease, end or expire, ☜ but are in full force to all generated persons. Because this unruly beast the old man, hath need to be under the lawes jurisdiction to restraine him, else what a world, nay what a hell, ra­ther of mallice, violence, injustice, cruel­ties, and tumbling of Garments in blood, yea all manner of confusions should we have? since the whole world lyeth in wickednesse.a The law may fitly be compared to a prison, and we may say tis a Bedlam, a prison to shut up wild, mad, and outragious sinners in, or else blood would touch bloods.b Be­cause sin must be charged on the sinners con­science, he being hard to be convicted, this schoole of the law will bring a man by the helpe of the spirit of bondage, which is Gods worke to see and know himselfe, it [Page 130] will fetch out and bring to light the guilti­nesse of sinne, which lurketh in his nature in secresie, just as a steele doth fetch out fire out of the flint,☞ though with some difficul­ty, 'twil represent unto him his own ugly I­mage and face, so that he shall no longer bee deceived, but be able to discearne his person and estate, namely that he is a poore lost, damned and cast away sinner in himselfe, guilty, out of favour, separated from God, (according to Scripture phraise, or any injoy­ment he hath of him) accursed, the child of wrath,c from whence issues forth either con­version to salvation, or else confusion to di­struction to damnation. As in Caine and Iu­das their case.d Because the dominion of the law are insepa­rable, sinne (where it is not made over to Christ)e inthralleth and puts early under the curse the creature where it is found, and the law tyranniseth over the conscience whiles it findeth sinne there, in this case the ignorance and rudenesse of this boy, viz. the old man, is the cause of his being put to so hard a schoole, and the expression of both, by the spirit of God making applycation and laying it home,☞ maketh him feele the autho­rity his master hath over him and so to groan under tyranny, Because such is the absolutenesse of God, he [Page 135] is so pure eyedf that he cannot abide sinne, but must needs declare his whole displeasure and hatred against that creature whoever he be that he finds sinne upon,☜ and thence it was that Adam was banished ou [...] of Para­dise, upon his fall, Angels drove out of hea­ven, and the great and terrible judgement inflicted since on severall sorts of men. Because God doth and ever will proceed a­gainst sinners according to the law, and so God must necessarily (if we may so speake) deale with such in rigor, fury, and wrath, both abhorring, cursing and condemning all such persons (that are in old Adam, and so old men out of Christ,) and their sacrifices, though never so glorious in their owne eye, and in the estimation of the Saints, yea, though they be according to the letter of the Scripture in the largest extent, in their foo­lish fancies,☜ a a Because there's no congrui­ty, concord or agreement betwixt light and darkenesse, truth and falshood, righteousnes and unrighteousnesse,b so that God must kill the fin or the sinner, (i. e) either par­don the sinne, or the law will condemn the sinner for it,☜ and God will heare the law in all just demands against those that are un­der it, Vse. To informe our judge­ments, how rightly to use the law, that we [Page 150] prevent it not, the law is to be charged upon all sinners in its utmost authority, seeing it entred into the world because of transgressi­on,☞ and is not the law Gods Sergeant to find out, and arrest all the Lords debtors, (whose debts are not discharged by Christ) to convent, arraign and indict them, yea to cast and condemn them in the court of ju­stice? Therefore Moses his face is to be un­vailed, that the splendor and glory thereof may breake out in the ministry of the law, to the confusion of all flesh, man, and his workes, are to be proved clearely thereby to be abominable and accursed, and they? so to remaine till meere mercy and favour in Iesus Christ relieve him, and God for Christ sake forgive and justifie him. The Apostle is plaine,c that the law is the ministration of death and condemnation, and therefore may proceed in it's office of condemning man,☞ and it will so long as man liveth in sin, and not give over wounding, condemning, and killing sinners, that the slaine of the Lord may be many. d So that Ministers of the Gospel to whom it is committed, are a­right to use it, they must beware that men find not life, ease, rest, liberty or comfort in the law, and after conviction and guiltines, though the power of it be in mens conscien­ces, they need not slack, abate, or mitigate the rigor and power of the law. Thus. By bearing them in hand, that if they will bee [...]ruly sorrowfull, repent, and amend their sin­full [Page 151] lives, that the law will spare them, and that God will accept their weake ende­vours, yea the will for the deed, which is most false and from grosse ignorance, not conceiving the right meaning of Paul, in 2 Cor. 8.12. where it is said the will is accep­ted, but know not that it's from man to man, and all the Saints in matter of contribution, as the Apostle expounds it, (Rom. 15.31.) of the Saints, and the scope of the whole chap­ter 2 Cor. 8. proves it most clearely. Truly this is to deal deceitfully with men,☜ to weave the Spiders web,e and to skin over the wound and marre soules as much as in them lyeth. 'Tis most dangerous, yet old Adam likes it well, and is apt to take it for a safe way to cure his poor [...] soule by. Alas poore soule, when the wretch finds trouble and anguish, through sin guiltinesse, for him meerly up­on his purposes, promises and endeavours to amend his sinfull life, to get heart, to reco­ver himself, and gather hopes that all will be well with him another day without Christ, tis the greatest delusion & folly in the world, yet how many are there in this kingdome and other deluded parts of the world, that thinke themselves and goe currant in the opinions of like selfe deluded ones for good Christi­ans, and yet know not what Christianity i [...],☜ but thinke it is some monster of their owne doing, framing, and working, and so place Christianity which is the receiving of Christ and all that he is, or hath done and suffered [Page 134] for the Church,☞ in reforming their lives, and conforming to the externall worship of God, and the religion profest in the Country where they live, and passeth down the turrent of the times, though in stead of persecution, pride and oppression, yea, and are ready and doe turne to that religion profest by the stronger side, and so they gather comforts from them­selves or their performances, though hault, blind, and lame, and their reformation being put to the touch-stone of the truth, proves but deformation, and if at any time those se [...] of men preach Christ, or speak of Christ­ianity, it is so confusedly▪ and with such pride, and with the Language of the serpent hisse out Siboleth, an empty yeare of Corne that stands upright in the sight of old Adam but to a truly humbled Christian there is no­thing but frothynesse appeares, and their words are like unsavory salt, they cannot pro­nounce Shibholeth Christ, that full yeare of corne,☞ for so the word signifies, Iudg. 12.6. for of him they are ignorant, and have no feeling of Christ in spirituall power, but raignes in the Saints, but in them riged Mo­ses, the law and curses rules and raignes in them, they working from false grounds to wrong ends, mar all their undertakings, and produce monstrous workes proceeding from a bad root, they themselves being bad trees, d can bring forth no other. That men and women must not be dallied with in this [Page 153] weighty matter, God requires seriousnesse & instancie in prosecuting the law against trans­gressors, there's no peace without righte­ousnesse, and 'tis not a peece or a little par­cell of righteousnesse will be accepted of God, he'l have it perfect, or else it will bee abominable to him, yea a very plague, and hee'l detest it as doggs meat-righteousnesse, though it seeme as the flower of the field inf. his own apprehension, and others, who look upon it as a gay thing, as the flowers in their month, so they looke upon their own Pea­cock feathers, their workes, as gay things, till the sun of righteousnesse arise by his fer­vent heat, and fire of love, and burne up all the hay and stubble, yea their silver and golden opinions of their own righteousnesseg which they treasured up, and looked upon in their month of unregeneracie, as precious things: but upon the sight of Christ, the beauty of them is gone, and theres no more moister left in them to a Christians eye, and no more tast in them then there is in the white of an egge, and so I understand Isaiah, Iames, and Peter. q. But all this while of unregeneracie thou findest and feelest sin and sin guiltinesse, hence is thy inward feare and trembling, unrest, and torment in thy bosome, and bowells, it is from this that the presence of God is so terrible unto thee. I say it is from this that thou livest in a conti­nual [Page 154] expectation of wrath, death, or some ven­geance to be poured down upon thee, what is this but [...]he force & power of the Law? & sin in thee which sheweth thee (to thy own appre­hension) thy estate before God according to the Law, as yet thou standest accursed, & faith is not given thee, the wrath of God resteth upon all men, so long as they continue sin­ners, for ought men and Angells know, or the world discovers to the contrary. Ioh. 3. vlt. Then of right all sinners are the wife of this ridged and hard hearted husband the Law, which knoweth not what mildenesse, mercy, or indulgency is, but rules with ex­tream severity, Truly sinners are the subjects of this Kingdome of miseries, curses, and distructions, & the Law hath dominion over them to look after them, and to teach them, and to see that they doe their duty to God, to accuse them, and terifie their consciences, and persuing them with deserved vengeance, and thus the old man, and unbe­leever is the disobedient, wicked, and rebel­lious man. 1 Tim. 1 9. Eph. 4.22. Rom. 15.31. 2 Thes. 1.8. Acts 5 32. Rom. 16.26. For disobedience and unbeliefe, is one and the same thing in Gospel phraise & truth. Then Christians are redeemed from the law by Christ, in a due and right course of justice, he payed the utmost mite that the law could require o [...] the principall,h, not by [...]ight, vio­lence and power, and so wronging the law, or suffering it to sustaine any losse or dam­mage, [Page 155] but fulfilling the same, thus our Da­vid, (shepheard, and anointed, not with the hazzard, but with the losse of his life) taketh this lamb out of the lyons mouth, and frees him from the power of the Beare,i, that is, from the power of the law, sin, death, hell, & the curse, and here Paul in shewing how, and by whom this rescue is made, denoteth two things to us. 1. The equity thereof. 2. The fulnesse of it. And in the equity of it, he pre­vents an objection that might be made a­gainst this doctrin. What are not men debtors to the law so long as they have sin remaining in them? are they not sinners then, and hath not the law power over them? First to ho [...]d them prisoners, and keep them so for ever, and to put them to death too, and keep them un­der death perpetually? Ans. No, Christ by the body of his death, hath freed the whole Church from death▪ hell, and the curse in this sense. And from the law of command­ments. Two wayes. 1. By paying the debt of suffering. 2. By paying the debt of service as our surety.k, 2. The fulnesse of it, 'tis compleat, perfect, and everlasting re­demption.l,, And the Church is freed from the authority, dominion, offices, and consequences of the law. Hence observe. The change of a Christians estate, he is married [Page 156] to Christ, and dead to the law (in this respect) and alive to God. Tis true, I grant you were once (in your own apprehensions,) under the tyranny of (that tyrant) the law, till it wearied, and almost woried you, it made your lives bitter, & caused death to pass upon your consciences, so that you had no life, nor light, nor helpe, no hope of heaven or salva­tion at all, but were possest with feares, and only had such sad conclusions as these. O! I shal perish, I am utterly lost. I am a dam'd cast away sinner, God hath forsaken me, there's no mercy for me, I am undone for ever. O! vile sinner that I am, a wretched Cative, and a hell-hound, what will become of me ano­ther day? where wilt thou goe O my poore soule? Into darkenesse, utter darkenesse, where's weeping and gnashing of teeth for ever, and pains that are easelesse, endlesse, and remedilesse. This was the working of Gods spirit of bondage on thee, though thou knew­est it not, and a happie time when the Law did thus cruelly use thee, through that ex­ceeding and transcendent mercy of thy God, it did unexpectedly turne to thy good and unspeakable benefit: God seeing thee in this wofull plight, deploreable state and condi­tion, did commiserate thy case, and step't in to rescue thee, and by his sonne the true David, did freely and fully save thee at once from the law, sin, death, and the curse: so that as in the case of marriage, whiles the wife lives she is bound to her husband to obey in [Page 157] all things, but death dissolveth this bond & union. So here thou art dead to the law, but know then, by whose meanes, power, and godlinesse it is that thou art delivered out of so bad a condition, and put into so glorious, full, and happie estate. Tis by the body of Christ, Rom. 7.4. Namely, in that Christ dyed, was crucified, and buried for thee. To this end, that thou mightest have union and communion with Christ, and bring forth fruit to God and Christ thy new husband, by disclaiming thy own worth and workes, thy treasure and all, and live upon thy husbands worth, excellency, dig­nity, and unexhausted treasure. 5. That af­ter the receiving of God in open vision, Christ commeth and ruleth by his word and spirit, as once he did in the dayes of his flesh, but farre more gloriously, mystically, passive­ly, and evangelically, and he appeareth and revealeth himselfe inwardly, spiritually, and effectually to the Christian, and declareth himselfe to be the same to that soule, that he is in his own nature and office, namely, a redeemer, Iesus a Saviour, this is that revea­ling of that sonne of God in the Christian.a, 'Tis true, Christ was so before in respect of God, in's purpose, and decree, and in the outward ministry of the Gospel, but the con­solation thereof, was hid from thine eyes un­till this time and day of salvation, or rather the applycation of that salvation which was wrought by Iesus Christ before thou wast [Page 158] borne, to the view of Angels and men, but behold the spirit of wisedome, revelation, and well grounded consolation, is now come into thee, and reveales the Lord Iesus in all the benefits of his death and passion unto thee.b, For this is undoubtedly certain, that as face answereth face in the glasse, so the outward word, and inward worke of the spirit doth in the Christian. So that ther is nothing spoken touching mans estate in the law or Gospel, but the Christians conscience can subscribe and seale to it, out of an inward feeling and experimental knowledge, so then, this houre of darkenesse and distresse is the time of feares. Ezek. 16.6. When thou wast in thy blood, I said unto thee live. Now the son of righteousnesse ariseth, who hath healths in his wings, and bringeth light to make himself known, by that his own light, the soule may see light; Christ doth manifest himselfe, who is the inward man of the heart according to his office, a preacher of glad tydings to the meeke, a proclaimer of liberty to the Captives, and the recovering of sight to the blind, and the opener of the doore to the poore prisoners of hope, though they are shut up and bound. To preach the accepta­ble yeare of the Lord. c, By which the soule finds such succour, helpe, health, life, liber­ty, peace, happinesse, righteousnesse, and tranquillity, that it rests satisfied, and can say, my God, and my Lord, who hath loved me, and given himselfe for me, Gal. 2.20. [Page 159] Iohn 20.28. But thou wilt say, is the man that is a Christian a sin­ner still, a dogge or swine? God forbid. For its only sinne that inthrals the creature to the law, and subicteth poor men to bondage, and so long as sinne remaineth in the consci­ence, the authority of the law cannot cease, but it will prevaile for ever, in such a case: but behold Christ, (the first worke in this spirituall case) washeth him truly, really, and througly in his own immaculate blood:☜ d so that he leaveth no spot nor blemish upon the Christians soule.e, Christ doth freely, and wholly bestow himselfe, his owne intire per­fect obedience, which is the righteousnesse of God upon the Christian, and thats the matter of our sactification.f And hence the soule is altogether faire, by the beauty and glory of Christ, which God hath provided freely for the Christian, and he'l put it on him, and the Christian resteth well apaid in't, for no measure or portion of attainable righteousnesse can appease the conscience, 'tis only Christs righteousnesse that can doe that, for thats alone without exception, untill wee be clothed with Christs purenesse, the con­science dares not appeare in Gods sight, for righteousnesse is the mother of peace, and the elder sister justification, is before reconcilia­tion in this sense, being justified by Christ, [Page 160] we are no longer sinnersg debts discharged are no debts, sins remitted, no sits, the bond thats canceald, is a nullity. In the new Covenant there is no remembrance of iniquity, when once the spirit of God hath made it out to the soule, that they are through Christ freely, certainly, & fully pardoned.h Then How marvelous is the Lord a­mong his Saints, should all true Christians say? Who by free donation and imputation of Christs pe [...]fections, makes the saints freely, invisibly, and perfectly fulfillers of the law,a thereby. So that he cannot be char­ged with any fault, sinne, or punishment,b he being now stated into that spirituall, universall, and eternall kingdome of his sonne, where there is nothing flourishing but righteousnesse, justice, liberty, safety, peace, joy, and pleasures for evermore. Psal. 16.11. Col. 1.13. Rom. 14.17. Then let all the children of the bond woman, be school'd dayly by their law teach­ers, task masters, and exactors of workes to salvation. I say let these daily impose on them new burthens, and spare not, and re­quire their full taile of brick, and dayly ap­pointed workes and services, and load their consciences and memories too, with multi­tudes of precepts, rules, cautions, markes, and [Page 161] duties, yea, threaten to whip, and lash them too, that they may injoy no peace, except they diligently and carefully performe all things imposed on them. But O my soule har­ken thou what thy God speaketh unto thee from mount Syon, who tels thee thy labour's at an end, thy danger's past, and the worke of salvation is finish't already.a He himselfe hath wrought it for thee, and brought in e­verlasting righteousnesse in stead thereof, and doe thou peaceably injoy this, (only blessing that name in which God is comfortably known, who hath done all these things for thee) truly and with gladnesse of heart: and doe thou impart of what thou hast received, to thy brethren, in the like freedome of love, to the pleasuring of others in the corrobora­tion, edification, and the building them up in the most holy faith.b And so confirming them in the true grace of God, in which they stand. 8 Use. Then the law is not abolished by the Gospell, (though abbrogated to the Christian) but e­stablished, and tis in full force and strength to all under it, only observe the bounds are set, which it may not transgresse, as the children of Israel might not come within the bounds set in the promulgation thereof (by Gods ap­pointment) it raigns but untill Christ comes in whom it is fulfilled, and by whom it is en­ded, and to whom it is to deliver up its king­dome, namely all that soveraignty that for­merly [Page 162] it had over his peculiar and hidden ones, Christ hath taken them from the au­thority, dominion and offices of it, yea from the fearefull effects, consequences and sequels thereof. Though there be too many that stand for, and are zealous for the maintaining of a perpetuall kingdome, and dominion of the law over Christians, where it hath nothing to doe in this kind, who are forced to grant, that it hath lost its power to condemn Chri­stians;☞ yea, and to rule a Christians life in the strictnesse and rigor of it, and as it [...]ules o­thers that are not in Christ: But who art thou O man that dares to change Ordinances?a But to speake punctually, they in granting so much of the truth, have yeelded what they seemed to contend for, namely, tha [...] it is an error to hold or maintaine, that the law is of full force against a Christian, and yet there must be dispensations, and mitigations, and qualifications, and such distinctions as the word of God will not beare them out in't. For there is no law humaine or divine, but hath power to punish the breakers of it, or re­ward the fulfillers thereof, no not the law of saith excepted. Iohn 3.18. Heb. 13.10. If the law receive such a qualification and a­batement by the Gospel, that for direction it must use moderation, and may not exact a plenary and perfect obedience, surely these men should discover to the world, where there is any such dispensation, if they would not juggle, that so men being thus informed of [Page 163] the truth thereof, may be freed from fear and danger, but these preachers of the law with such limitations, have no warrant from the Scripture, for their too much unsound opi­nion. The law to all (under it) admits no commutation, mitigation, or dispensations, but is peremptory in its denuntiatione, and just in its comminations, though the Christian (for to speake truly) is out of th [...] reach of it. Rom. 5.14. From the end of our redemption from the law, that is, to be married to Christ, rai­sed, quickned, exalted, observe this doctrine. That Christians are married to Christ in's ex­altation, not in's humiliation, not as lying in the grave detained in the bonds of death, made a curse for us by the law, or in's poor, per­secuted, & despicable condition, but to Christ quickned, over whom death, sin, and the law, shall never have power, in a word, to an hus­band who is a conquerer and hath subdued them, yea and led them Captives, tryumph­ing over them, and is inriched with all those spirituall spoyles, remission of sinnes, righte­ousnesse, salvation, everlasting peace, security, tranquillities, and felicities for evermore, which he hath gotten in the combate, to such a one are Christians married, that is the Lord of heaven and earth, that so in him they may find all things, and at the first be blessed in him in heavenly places, with all the spiritu­all blessings, a, and the poore Christian needs bring nothing with her to make her rich, [Page 164] neither is the event of the battell doubtfull now, seeing Christ our Captaine, and head hath already overcome sinne, Satan, death, and hell, having the rule of all things com­mitted to him, in heaven and earth. Revel. 1.20, 21. Mat. 28.20. Isay 63.9. Now this implyeth a necessity of divorce from the law before they can be married to Christ, for though the wife would, (in Moses time, and under that pedagogie) gladly b [...] married to another man before her husband be dead, yet she cannot, or could not, untill a divorce were sued out under the judaicall law: so spiritual­ly no soule can be married to Christ untill it be fi [...]st separared and parted from the law. Rom. 7.6. O profound, yet most sweet my­sterie (i. e.) except sinne, hell, death, and the law be to thee as if they were not, in rerum na­tura, thou canst not be saved. The conscience of a Christian is a bed too strait for Christ & the law both to lye in at one time in their full vigor, therefore the law must first be un­powred by Christ, he taking away the autho­rity, dominion, offices, and consequences of the law, & so the Christian is taken into union and communion with him by marriage. But a beleever liveth according to the law but not in the law, but in Christ, neither by the law but by faith, Christ the object of faith, and faith is but the instrument of ap­prehending and applying him, he only lives in Christ, as the branch doth in the vine. Christ being the root from whence he hath life, and [Page 165] he liveth to Christ as his sole head & husband, his voice alone he heareth and obeyeth, Gal. 3.11. Hab. 2.4. Iohn. 10.4, 5. Obj. Paul lived under the law, and was as it were with­out law sometimes, 1 Cor. 9.21. Ans. There are secrets in this kingdome of grace, that men of mee [...]e humaine soules cannot under­stand, 1 Cor. 2.9.14. There are immunities which meerly generated men are ignorant of, hearken, and the Lord will give thee under­standing. God hath revealed that Christians are to be considered according to their faith or charity. Faith (indeed and proper tearms) makes them only Christians, for Christian is a thing meerly passive, that is, he doth nothing in this businesse towards his own being, no more then Adam did towards his naturall be­ing at the first, but only by the power and meere mercy of God in Iesus Christ, hee is created and made what he is, a perfect new creature at first, in nothing defective, and ne­ver needs any addition, (but we abhor the thought of perfection in the flesh in this life) now in this condition the Christian is farre above all lawes,☜ he being taken out of the li­mits of the law, and placed where the law hath no power, he is entred into peacea­ble habitations, and sute dwellings, into Christ where is all fulnesse and plenty, Rom. 14.17. Psal. 45.6, 7. Psal. 145.13. Iohn. 3.6.7.63. Now according to the Christians charity, workes, and labour of love, the Christian is to be considered, by which yet in [Page 166] the freedome of his heart and spirit, he walke (not by any outward compulsion or cōmand) in the labour of love, he is servant unto all, though in Christ he be Lord of all, he is lower then the lowest, in himself the meanest of all, he pleaseth not himself, he glorieth not in himselfe, but he seeketh the welfare of others, that seek his ruin, & loveth where he is hated, & doth good when he is injured, blesseth when he is cursed. Briefly, his disposition is like Christ his head and master, in some measure, he can dsgest any thing, he is farre from the desire of revenge, he can pray, father forgive them they know not what they doe, lay not this sinne to their charge. God perswade Iaphet to live in the tents of Shem, ô that thou wouldest give them faith in Christ, and a heart to imbrace this free offer of grace, and his prayer (inward and hearty desires in the midest of all the worlds spite and mallice) is to God for them, yet not because the law re­quires this, for he is free from it, but by faith which will not abide to be bound to any law or worke, but doth all good freely, and doth not stay till the law comes and calls for it, in­deed this is spirituall verginity, and charity, which is by faith in Christ, and doth all free­ly and of a ready mind, not for life, but from life. Thus where the spirit of God is there is liberty, 1 Cor. 9.19. 2 Cor. 3.17. 1 Thes. 1.3. 1 Tim. 1.5. 2 Tim. 1.13. That ye should be married to another, (i. e.) Christ. Doct. That the Christian being divorced from the law, a [Page 167] bad husband, the match being once dissolved, presently a new is made up to Christ, who is a better husband every way. Ezek. 16.8. Eph. 5.26, 27. To himselfe, that is to Christ, I will marrie thee to my selfe, now Christ doth marrie himselfe to the poore Church, mystically, spiritually, yet truly. Now mar­riage is a mutuall conjunction (with excee­ding expressions of inward love and content­ment) for tearm of life. But this marriage be­twixt God and the soule, Christ and the Church, is for ever and ever, to the Elect tis reall, but to the r [...]probate counterfeit, who may falsly perswade themselves of Gods love, from the abundance of wealth, health, lear­ning, honour, peace, (from the teeth outward) and good successe in all externall affaires, so concluding falsely that they are the wife of Christ. 2. From corrupt principles, argu­ments, and from corrupted reason, that mon­ster in religion. Thus, God is my maker. (say they) preserver, & bountiful Land-lord, & dos me good frequently, therefore Il'e love him, and he [...]'l love me for my answering his love, though all this while he bee a meere stranger to the love of God in Christ, for to straine our selves, to love God out of Christ though it seeme never so hot, and reach never so high in the opinion of the party thus loving God as a Creator, and in the opinion of others that looke upon him, yet this is but a shining abomination, meere hellish fire, and selfish & in Scripture phraise and truth tis not the fire [Page 168] of God, nor that love of sonnes that is shed abroad in the hearts of Christians by the spi­rit of love, who are guided to love God in Christ, which is true love, but to love God out of Christ, God esteemes it as hatred, 1 Iohn 4.19. Rom. 5.5. Psal. 9.16. True Christians are one spirit, there's a neer uni­on betwixt Christ and his Church, and from thence, theres the communication of all good things to the Church. 1 Cor. 6.17. Iohn 15.1. Then Christ doth rule his Church, not by the law her old husband, but himselfe by his spirit in gentlenesse, sweetnesse, and love, not in rigor, much lesse with blowes and whippings, Christ being no exactor, but a giver of righteousnesse, Iohn 16.15. Isay 36.20.21, 35. vlt. Iohn 16.13, 14. Then judge I pray you whose ministers they are, that dig up Moses out of his grave 2 Cor. 11.14. where God had buried him, and would not suffer any man to know where he was buried, for he knew the nature of man to be so corrupted, that they would dig him out of his grave againe, and commit spirituall adultery with him, and on the sams ground, God by his Prophet diswaded the young Pro­phets from seeking the body of Elias, 2 Kings 2.16. I Pray consider seriously with your selves, whose Ministers they are, that would have the old husband the law, to rule over the wise of Christ, 'twould be a­bominable for any one to dig up a husband that hath been long buried, and bring him [Page 169] into the presence of the new husband and his wife, what a hell would it be to have him presented to them both at home and abroad, at board and other places. 2. What wrong doe those preachers to Christ, that preach him to be an exactor of works and righteousnesse, yea a terrible hard man, and ridged Christ. Mat. 25.24. contrary to Mat. 12.20. Hee being the most tender heartest of all others. Such kind of preaching is not to call Christ Ishi a husband, as all evangelicall Ministers doe, but to call Christ Baali a Lord, as Turks and all false Pastors doe. 3. They rob poore soules as much as in them lyeth of the joy, peace, and comfort that is in beleeving in Christ Iesus. Rom. 15.13. When they pra [...]e that Christ is a strickt husband, that lookes to all the actions of his wife with an evil or offended eye, that if she do but step the least arwry, or once look aside, that this doth provoak Christ & God more then all the sins of the world besides, and hee'l severely punish her for't. And this stuffe is divulged and swal­lowed down every where for wholesom food & true doctrine. Thus when some poor weak Christians here, who being conscious of their often failings, both in matter, manner, and end, the more's the pittie, yea their too too oftens falls, they are mightily trou­bled and disquieted because they cannot suf­ficiently please Christ Iesus, their sweet and loving husband whom those kind of preach­ers render so terrible an husband. [Page 170] Thus these poore soules not discerning the delusions of these imposters, juglers, and soule Merchants, can find little joy, peace or con­solation in Christ their husband, untill the Lord doe undeceive them, and unlearne them of what they have learned of these ill lear­ned ones. That he might bring forth fruit. Doct. That the effect of union, and fruit of our spirituall marriage to Christ, is, that the beleeving soule may bee child bearing to God, Christ is a fruitfull husband, a quickning spirit, a living root, thats full of spirituall sap: And he doth convey life really though, passively, mystically, and evangeli­cally to the Christian, that's ingrafted into him. Gal. 5.23. Eph. 4.9. 1 Cor. 15.45. Iohn 15.1. Rom. 11.18. Revel. 5 5.22.16. Then livelynesse in Christians, comes from Christ their head and husband, to re­joyce, to have lively hope, to set all to love the Lord Iesus, to worship God in spirit and truth, that is, to beleeve that Christ hath worshiped God for us, and the dying of our affections to the world,☞ is a fruit of Christ, the new man, the new husband, in which a Christian delighteth, and the beleevers heart is not an adultrous heart, so confidence, de­pendencie on God, contentation in our estates, and joy in Christ, the heart sweetly inclined to love, patience, and mercy, are fruits of the spirit of God, as it is cleare Eph. 4.22. Luke 4.6. Psal. 103.1. Psalme 149.3. 1 Pet. 1.3.8. Mat. 13.44. Ephes. [Page 171] 4.24. Iohn 4.24. Iames 4.4. 1 Iohn 2.16. Eph. 4.22. This 'tis to be taught by him, to attribute all to Christ, Psal. 115.1.

Then repentance is to be taught in Christs name and power, he only can produce ita, so remission of sins is to be taught in his nameb. Then the knowledge of Christ is not a burden or an idle knowledge, for Christ doth not send out his to be idle, wanton, much lesse to live li­cenciously, but he enables the Christian to a voluntary obedience,a, and this commeth in the performance of what is required in the law, he walks in it with a wiling & glad heart, and is not drawne to it by any outward pre­cept, but by the spirit of Christ, the love of God constraining him thereto,b. and he knowes the Law, in the matter of it is the rule of his conversation amongst men, but it is the Law of the spirit of life, Christ Jesus living in him that produceth itc.. Then there is a wide vast and great difference betwixt him that serveth in the newnesse of spirit he being a Law to himselfe having the mind, spirit, & effect of the Law in himselfeq. and him that liveth under the outward ministery of the Law, serveth in the oldnesse of the let­ter p, that is he doth yeild forth his obedi­ence through the force and authority of the Law in his conscience, it is not the matter of the duty, or that is here questioned, but who [Page 172] is the efficient, what is not of faith is sinne in this case, although it be according to the law, and the fruit may bee commendable among men, yet uncomfortable to thee, and accursed of God, unlesse it grow on the right tree, and proceed from faith in Christ Jesus. This discovereth much hypocrisie in the Religion that is now in fashion now adayes men are growne very witty to cover over old Adam, yea, adorne and beutifie him, and to set him thats dead upon his feete again, and prop him up, still pleading for Law, and workes, and yet all are but the outsides of a good worke, thats done in perfect humility, and sincerity, and so are but shining sinnes and glorious abominations, who is there not but doth see, how singuler proud passionate, malicious, & implacable these men are, being al or most of them utterly unacquaint­ed with the glorious Gospell and its effects, selfe-denyall, love, and true sincerity 2. Cor. 11.3. There is a twofold law (if we may so peak) The one written in Tables of Stone.t. That is to the killing, damning & murdering law, the Law of Commandments and those that are bred by it, and seeme to live in the same, are all dead at heart, though they have a forme of Godlinesse, yet they are the dange­rest men in all the world, and a Christi­an were better to fall into the great Turkes hand, then into theirs if he might bee his chooser, [Page 173] The other law is inward, & writen in the heart,p. Christ pirit, and life, called the inward man, the law of the Lord, the new Law, the Law of liber­ty, that law in which the Gentiles should trust in, the spirit, q the quickning spirit, that Law that freed Paul from the Law, now it must needes be Christ, who is that spirit and life, and is all that the spirit bringeth to the soule, and writes in the heart, he is all Gods good things, and all the promises center in him. Then the voyce of a Christian is, I by the Law am dead to the Law, m. Christ his Law is all in all, effectu­all for all things, at all times, and amongst all persons whatsoever, he that is received in to Christ, keepeth all the Law without any Law, for a compultion of any Ruler, exactor, or officers, saved by the Lord of the spirit only, those that are spirituall, looke Moses in the face openly, having that al-sanctifying, al-directing, and everlasting spirit that guides them according to the Law in all things, they have the Law in their hearts, and neede not the proffer of rewards to keepe the Law, nor the threats of punnish­ment to deter them from the breach there­of, but they are carried on as it were natural­ly, Christ inabling them, thereto they look on exceeding mercy, love & kindnesse, which [Page 174] God hath shewed them in Christ Iesus, and therefore love againe, and worke freely, not for feare of hell, or to quiet the clamours of their consciences, nor for hope of Heaven, nor the applauese of good men, or to speed the better at God their fathers hands, but as they are made good trees in Christ the onely good tree of life, in whom they live in the righteousnes of God by imputati­on, so they bring forth good fruite amongst men, for necessarie uses, to edifie their bre­thren, to win others to the love of the truth, & bring much glory to God thereby. Mat. 5, 16. Tit. 3.8. Math. 12.33. Tit. 3.14. Ps. 16.3 Iob. 22.2, 3. and as they are righte­ous. by imputation, so likewise are they By reflection They receiving grace for grace,☞ zeale for zeale, love for love, pa­tience for patience, goodnesse for goodnes, meeknesse for meeknesse, humillity for hu­mility, chastity for chastity, mercifulnesse for mercifulnesse, redemption for redempti­on, sanctification for sanctification, righte­ousnesse for righteousnesse, & wisedome for wisedome, answerable as face to face in a glasse, or letter to letter in wax from the Seales impression. So Christ by applying his heat & fire of love to us, (as once Elisha his type did to the child, eye to eye, and mouth to mouth, &c.) we have the true heat of Zeale &c. put into us, and so Christ his image is in us, whereby we are made to manward demon­stratively, operatively, workefully, and declaritively righteous.

True Christians are saved by Iesus Christ, already, the worke of redemption is wrought freely and fully by Christ, 'tis not a working or to be wrought, as most falsely conceit from the Apostles words [...] worke out your salvation with feare and trembling, but the meaning is this, your part is in all the Ordinances of God, to wake on God for the further discoverie of that salvation so fully, freely & already wrought by Iesus Christ for you who is our alone and compleat Savi­our, as all these Scriptures prove. 2 Tim. 1.9. Heb. 10.14. Col. 2.10. Tit. 3.5. Eph. 1.3. Iohn 3.36. Phil. 3.12. Iohn 5.11, 12. Eph. 2.5. Eph. 2.8. Iohn 5.24. Eph. 2.6. And Christ apprehends the Christian perfectly, and is our perfect object which we lay hold, on and God gives all Christ to Christians, and they detest the thought of perfection in the flesh, though their salvation be perfect, they apprehend it but in part, waite for the full revelation thereof, so we are perfectly justified, but in part sanctified, Luke 1.68. Eph. 2.5. Iohn. 3, 36. Eph. 1.3. and 3.4. 1 Cor. 13.12. And Christ saves two wayes. By doing all things that are needfull to sal­vation. And then he gives himselfe, faith to receive him, affords the meanes of grace to grow up in him, and inables him to worke freely and joyfully the things that are good, to the view of men in love, 1 Thes. 1.3. And 'tis in a new manner, and for new ends, from the power of the Gospel, Christ and faith, [Page 176] 2 Cor. 3.6. 1 Iohn 2.7. We being justified, doe live and act accordingly, by the power of the Gospel, and operation of the spirit, that [...]orkes now by the Gospel. Psal. 116.10. Iohn 17.17.1.17. Col. 1.5. Eph. 1.13. Acts 15.9. 1 Cor. 1.30.1.17, 18, 19. Tit. 2.11.12. Eph. 4.2.4.21. Gal. 3.2. Rom. 3.27.5.5. 2 Cor. 3.18.1 Iohn 4.18.19. Gal. 5.6. Iam. 1.18. 1 Pet. 1.21. Rom. 15.16.8.2. Ezek. 37.26 Gal. 2.19. Iohn 6.29. Gal. 6 2.4.1. To worke out our salvation at best is passively to be understood. To beleeve that Christ hath wrought it for us, and therefore we are bid withall, to worke with feare and trembling, deiectednesse, and diffidence of our own selves. The Phillippians were commanded to continue working, (i. e.) walking in the faith received, till the day of their sensible mani­festation, and it implyes no more, but the ne­cessity of beleeving, and diligence in the meanes of revealing Christ, breeding, & nou­rishing faith, wherby we apply, that salvation wrought, to our selves, & perfected by Christ alone, & this is to work out our salvation with feare and trembling, when in the use of all meanes, we are carefull to have our hearts strengthned, faith corrobarated, and we confirm'd in the true grace of God in which we stand, not doubting of that free and full salvation wrought already by Christ. And so J understand Christians to be workers of righteousnesse, mystically, passively, and e­vangelically, Acts 10.35.

Quest. Of what use is the morrall law un­der the Gospel?

Ans. The law is of excellent use since Christ fulfilled it, though Christians are not under it, but under grace, and is usefull both to the Reprobate and to the Elect, before and after they beleeve. To the reprobate. That they may justifie God in their consciences, in his pronouncing of the sentence of death and condemnation against them. Rom. 2.15, 16. To be as a hooke in their jawes, or a bridle in their mouth, to keep in, and curbe their violent corruptions from breaking forth to the hurt of others, 1 Tim. 1.9, 10. Hos. 4.2. To the Elect, before their calling. To make sinne known to them. Rom. 7.11. To discover their wofull, miserable, and lost estate in old Adam. Rom, 3.19. To agravate their sinnes. Rom. 3.20. Rom. 7.8. To shew the wrath of God against them that violate his law in the least point. Deut. 27.26. Gal. 3.10. To put them in feare of vengeance that is, hee is vext at God, and secretly wisheth there were neither law, nor God at all to punish him. Rom. 8.7. To kill and slay them, so that they may receive the sentence of death in themselves. 2 Cor. 1.9. Rom. 7.9 19. To be a wise councellour to direct them to Christ, yea to con­straine them to fly from themselves, to him, as the old Israel [...]tes, in their appeale to Moses, Exod. 20.19. and were commended of God for it, Deut. 18, 15. So then the law [Page 178] discovers sinne, aggravates and increaseth sin, puts the sinner in feare, slayes him, and drives him to Christ. Thus. The eternall spirit workes so far on the Elect, before their effe­ctu [...]ll calling, as to bring them into the con­dition of bondage. But after their calling the law is of use to justified persons, & true belee­vers. To stirre them up to thankfulnesse unto God, for delivering them from so great a bondage.☞ Rom. 7.15. Rom. 7.24. I say the morrall law (to the Elect in the state of grace and after their effectuall calling) is a rule or glasse of thankfulnesse, in which they see by the spirit, the eye of faith, what they ought to performe in their own persons, on paine of death, and by faith seeing all done by Christ, and in love to Christ, walke in the matter of the law, from better principles, motives, affections and to better ends, then before their coversion, and now they see from what bondage, burthens, and bonds they are freed from by Christ their redeemer, and walke by faith, and so keep all the com­mandment evangelically in Christ their sure­ty. Rom. 10.4. Iohn 14, 24. 1 Iohn 3.23. Rev. 14.12. And I understand all such places of Scripture, (where its affirm'd that the Saints walk't with God,a, worshipped God in spiritb, live inc, the spirit.d, To walke accor­ding to order, rule, and exactly, e to a haires breadth; wisely or accurately. To tread with the right foot to the Gospel,f, and a thousand such like.) Evangelically. Thus. The Chri­stian [Page 176] lives by Christ, beleeves that Christ worshipped God, and did all to a haires breadth for him, and to live by faith, is to live in Christ, the Gospel, and thats spirit in Pauls and Christs own phraise, and to tread with the right foot to the Gospel, is not to turne a­gain to Moses, but keep to the Gospel (i. e.) Christ & to beleeve that Christ perfectly troad those 42. stations or steps, of which the 42, steps the old Iews troad was but a figure of it, & all the 42. generations before Christ came in the flesh, expected,☜ (i. e.) that Christ should perfect the work of redemption, he being the perfecti­ons of God, did perfectly tread in the path way, that is holy without any turnings, And Christians now beleeve it, and injoy it by faith, which they saw afar of. And therefore all the great workes done by the Saints, are but evangelicall obediences, if we will speak truly, and as the thing is. They obeying pas­sively, mystically, perfectly, & evangelically in Gods sight or to God-ward, in Christ their surety, and actually, imperfectly, and by way of gratitude, doe worke declaritively to man­ward in the labour of love. The Saints walke up to the top and hight of holynesse, to the utmost accuratenesse, ex­actly and sincerely in the perfect holynesse of Christ, in wh [...]ch we see and serve God spi­ritually universally, and eternally. So Luke. 1.79. Heb. 12.14. is to be understood. And to [Page 181] affirme that the desires of Christians are in­finite, is a loud Ly in Rhetorique. Only mark the end of such an affirmation. Tis to con­found evangelicall obedience, and mix their own obedience with Christs which is too fleshly and grosse a conceit, and cannot agree with the Gospel, or stand be­fore it, no more then Dagon before the arke, grosse darkenesse before the light, it must fall and be consumed, it being hay and stubble before the eternall spirit, that reveales and workes by the Gospel, and its the office of that spirit to take of men, from false bot­toms, and pitch them on Christ, to discover Christ the Lord, that spirit to them, and to fix their eye on that adiquate object, and to take them of from selfishnesse in the highest attainables, though assisted therein by the spirit, I say it takes of Christs, and reveales him more and more to them, and keeps them in the way of the Gospel, which is spirit and life, and this is to walke in the spirit, and to live in the spirit, is to beleeve that Christ is our life, and disclaime all o­thers when we have to do with God. To drive them more and more out of themselves, that so they may cleave the closer to the Lord Christ, and their blessed Saviour. This is the glittering sword hung up in Paradice to keep the way of the tree of life, Gen. 3.24. God knew well that vaine man will be wise, (Job 11.12) and thinke with himselfe, I lost life by eating of the tree of knowledge, of good and evill, and I'le venter hard for't againe [Page 180] by eating of the tree of life, I'le walke in the old way of working for life, J doe not like this new (though the Lords own) way of beleeving in Iesu [...] Christ, the Messias to come, for life and salvation, &c. If I cannot come to heaven by my own way of working for it, I'le never come there▪ I'le have none of God, Psal. 81.11. that is. They would not hearken to the voice of the Gospel, Gen. 3.15. But they would serve God according to the first way, and voice of workes, they would none of God in the voice of the Gos­pel, Christ, Gods way. Iohn 14.6. Psal 71.12.19. Ier. 6.16. Ezek. 18.9.29 To beat down sense, their ptide, and reas [...]n that beast and monster in religion, that knowes no way to heaven, but by workes, Mat. 19.16. Acts 2.37.8.6.16.30. Iohn 6.28. Blehcing out error at the first cry, voice, or querie, say what shall we doe to be saved, as if salvation were in our doing, or did consist in out workes. But our Saviour and Paul cuts it short. Be­leeve, &c. Iohn 6.29. 1 Iohn 7.23. Acts 16.31. When the great Ruler that knew no other way to life, but by doing the way that his great wisedome and reason directed him, that blind guide taught him out of the true way and set upon the way of doing for eternall life, crying, Master, what shall I doe, that I may have eternall life. Where Christ that hee might be convinced of his error, and that the high thoughts of his wisedome and reason, that stout and proud imposture might be con­founded and brought down, sets him a taske [Page 182] that Christ knew full well, he nor any meere man since Adams fall, was able to performe Goe (saith Christ) keep the commandments if thou wi [...] enter into lif [...]. Mat. 19.17. Now this way of working is so naturall to corrupt reason, that the best Christians in the world after they have poss [...]st Christ by a salvivicall faith, yet they h [...]ve much adoe to deny them­selves, and all their workes, wofull experience have all the Saints of it. The law keeps Chri­stians close in sp [...]rit and conscience, through faith unto Christs righteousnes, & makes them live in a continuall forsaking of themselves, and in a neglect, base esteeme, and abhorring of their own vertue, and workes, in Gods pre­sence, though they shine gloriously in them to others. Rom. 4.2. Phil. 3.7.8, 9. There­fore doe Christians keep the law and workes here below on the earth, and with Eunoch converse in spirit, and walke with God, in the alone righteousnes of Christ, apprehended by faith, and this doth cleare the coast of our consciences. Thus. I am a sinner in my selfe, and yet no sinner in my Christ, dayly I fall in my selfe, but stand in Christ for ever, my works, words, thoughts, mind, will affections, conscience, & heart wil fail me, Christ never can. And they are mine, his righteousnesse is everlasting, so is salvation, reconciliation, ac­ceptance, joy, peace, and life, the blessed fruit of Christs righteousnesse. Tis this that keeps the Christian in a blessed security, and eter­nall happinesse, though the prick in the flesh, [Page 183] the law of sinne in the members, doe daily breake out lesse or more, inwardly and out­wardly too too freequently to the great griefe of our hearts. But faith discovers the glorious sun of righteousnesse by his effectuall beames and influence, perfectly purifying the aire we live in, expelling all these mists, and thick clouds to sense and feeling, to looke through Hab. 2.7. Gal. 2.20.

FINIS.

October 3. 1647. Add these to the 78 page, licensed before, and entred into the Hall.

Imprimatur,

Iohn Downame.

Errata.

Courteous Reader, blot out Legallist, page 122. line 17. because the Author willd the Printer to blot it out, because he doth not like nick-names, invectives, or tearmes of reproach in any, he therefore will not practise it himselfe. And in the letter K. p. 133. l. 19. read. law and sin are inseparable, p 135. l. 22. read fancies perfect, p. 130. l. 21. for early, read unavoidably. p. 134. l. 5. r. floods of. p. 142. l. 20. To p. 1 3. l ult. exactnesse. p. 126. l. 21. having. p. 126. l. 23. oberati [...]ns, p. 126. l. 29. Corrol. in K. 2. p. 122. l. [...]. r. doctrine, in the letter l. p. 122. l. 23. r. [...]nfe [...] ­tation. A few litteral fau [...] [...] [...]her are, that thou art intreated with thy pen to amend, or in charity to passe them over.

Farwell.

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