Truth Held Forth and Maintained, Part 1 · Chapter 2
Concerning Chriſt, the true Seed and everlaſting Covenant of God to his People.
THis is the Chriſt which the holy men of God in their Day and eneration propheſied to come, and to finiſh Sin, and to put an end to Tranſgreſſion in all tha… truly believe in his Name, which according to Gods appointed time, the Word was made Feſh and d…elt among the Son & Daughters of Men, and they beheld his Glory, the Glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of Grace and Truth, Joh. 1.14. and this is Chriſt unto whom all things, of the Father, are delivered, both in …eaven and Earth, and no man knows him but the Father, neither knoweth an… man the Father, ſave the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him, Mat. 11.27. By which it is evident that all Revelation is not ceaſed. Come unto me, all ye that are heavy laden, and I will give you reſt, verſ 28. Here Chriſt hath promiſed Reſt unto all that will come unto him; But how ſhall they come unto him? by Faith in Obedience to that meaſure of his divine Light of his Spirit of Grace, which he hath placed in their Hearts, it being the Lords Talent given to Man, for this end, that he ſhould improve it to the Honour and Glory of God, and Salvation of his own Immortal Soul, by Jeſus Chriſt, the Evidence of whoſe Spirit giveth Life to the Soul of that Man, whoſe cleart, Mind and Spirit is faithful to his Gift; for the Scriptures reſt…le, That Chriſt affordeth unto all them that by true Faith come unto him; Search the Scriptures, for in them …e think to have Eternal Life, and they are they that teſtifie of me, and ye will not come to me, that you may have Life, Job. 5.39, 40. Here it is evident from Chriſts own words, That to ſearch the holy Scriptures without the true ſaving knowledge of God in Chriſt, and of his Spirit, which moved in the holy Men of God and gave them Utterance to declare his Will and Mind, according as contained in the holy Scripture, without which, in ſome meaſure, Men cannot profit or benefit (towards Salvation by Jeſus Chriſt) by their reading the holy Scriptures; for they that will not come to the inward Evidence of Gods Gift of his Spirit and Grace, they have not the Love of God in them, Joh. 5.42. For Jeſus Chriſt, the Promiſe of God, and Seed of the Kingdom, him hath God given to be an Everlaſting Covenant of Grace, Light and Life, to them that fear and tremble at the Power of his Word, and ſtedfaſtly remain in the belief of his holy Name, which is no leſs than to give up in their whole deſire of Heart and Mind to ſerve him, the Lord of Life, in Truth and Righteouſneſs, with uprightneſs of Heart, Mind, Soul and Spirit; for unto him it doth belong, and unto ſuch belongeth the Promiſe of God, by the ſuffering of his Son, the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, which doth extend Salvation to their Souls; for God in tender Love & Mercy towards all men, falling ſhort of his Glory by the fall of the firſt Adam, doth tender the Son of his Love, the Lord Jeſus, by the call of his good Spirit of Grace, Life and Light, which remains not in the oldneſs of the Letter, but in the newneſs of the Spirit; which hath no relation to the ſaving of that Soul which remains in ſin term of Life; & having received the inward Evidence of the Spirit, which condemns for every thought, word and action which is not agreeable with the Spirit of Truth, of which every man hath received a meaſure in his own heart, to juſtifie or condemn, even as his Works appear before the Lord, ſo ſhall be his Reward, if of Faith and Obedience, then Life and Peace will follow; but if it be of Sin and Unbelief, then Death, Hell and Deſtruction will be the Portion of him or her which dyes in ſuch a ſtate; for the Wages of Sin is Death, but the Gift of God is Eternal Life; ſo they that dye in ſin are free from Righteouſneſs, having no part, lot nor ſhare in the Promiſe of God and Hope of Jeſus Chriſt; for their Hope ſhall be cut as the Spiders Web, which ſhall periſh for evermore; for Chriſt came not to ſave People in their ſin, but to ſave and redeem from ſin and Tranſgreſſion; His Name ſhall be called Jeſus, for he ſhall ſave his People from their Sins, Mat. 1.21. for they that dye in their ſins cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven, as Chriſt ſaid, If ye believe not that I am he, ye ſhall dye in your ſins, and where I go ye cannot come, which relates to a ſtate of Perfection in this Life, upon which Head I ſhall (God willing) treat more at large in a diſtinct Chapter, by which the Underſtandings of them that deſire after Truth, may receive the benefit of my ſmall meaſure relating to the ſame; for man living in ſin becomes deſtitute of any benefit by Chriſt for the Salvation of his Soul; for he that commits ſin, it is of the Devil, and he knows not God the Father; but he that is faithful to the Gift of God in his heart, learns to fear the Lord, and to work his Righteouſneſs which is the fullfilling of what God requires, in obedience to the Son of his Love, the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, who ſpiritually moves in the hearts of all whoſe day of Viſitation is not over; for Chriſt ruleth over all, and will in no way fall ſhort of his Honour, either by the Salvation of the one, or Condemnation of the other; for Chriſt by the meaſure of his Spirit, is in all, except Reprobates … and therefore it is matter of great concern for People to examin their own hearts, whether, by true Faith, Chriſt abides in them; for the Body of Man (where Chriſt, by the gift of his divine Light and Spirit, liveth) is the Temple of the holy Ghoſt, and if any Man defile the Temple of God, him will God deſtroy; Then he that is not in obedience to the gift of God which he hath received, is a Pollutor of the Temple, and is without true Faith in Chriſt; Prove your own ſelves, know you not, that if Chriſt be not in you, you are Reprobates? 2 Cor. 13.5. Now they whoſe Minds are wrought towards the Lord, their Affections are ſet on heavenly things above, to ſeek God in Chriſt; and in them, Chriſt by the meaſure of his divine Light, Grace and Spirit, liveth, Gal. 2.20. Now Chriſt being in his People, the Body is dead, becauſe of Sin, but the Spirit is Life, becauſe of Righteouſneſs, Rom 8.10. for there is neither Greek nor Jew, Circumciſion, Barbarian, Sithian, Bond nor Free, but Christ is all; and in all, and many more Scripture Prooffs might be produced to the ſame effect, That Chriſt lives and moves by the Gift of his divine Light, and Spirit of Grace and Truth, in the hearts of his People, and that their Bodies are the Temple of God, for Chriſt, by the gift of his Spirit, Life and Light to dwell in, which if People, both Young and Old, would forſake their Vanity, and apply their Minds to ſeek the Lord, in his own way of Truth and Righteouſneſs, according to the Gift of his divine Light, and quickening Word of his Spirit, as by Record, for their help in learning the holy Scriptures, in which they have the Doctrine, Principles and Practice of the holy Men of God for their Example, to follow them, even as they have been Followers of Chriſt; then they would come into that ſtate in which they would witneſs the Power of God by Jeſus Chriſt, to crucifie every unruly Affection, which doth luſt after ſin and evil, and leads the Mind from ſerving God, into the exceſs of ſpending the Creation, to perform their hearts Luſts, by which they diſhonour the Name of the Lord, and increaſe Trouble and Sorrow, to the deſtroying of their Souls, which is the end of them that remain in an unrighteous Life; for whatſoever People may ſay, in reſpect that their Tongues are their own, an… that their Thoughts are free to think what they pleaſe, and that there is a time to be Merry, and to Sing and Dance, and Recreate themſelves, with much more of the like Expreſſions, yet for all theſe things there is a time wherein all men muſt appear before the Lord of Life, to render a juſt Account of every Thought, Intent and Action, of all the Deeds done in the Body, in which Day it ſhall go well with the Righteous, but the Ungodly and Prophane ſhall be turned into Hell, with him unto whom their Obedience hath been; for all that have forgot to retain God in all their Thoughts, ſo living and dying, God will alſo forget Mercy towards them; for his Regard is only to his own Seed, (and to Men as they are joyned to it) which hath been ſown in all ſorts of Ground, which is, in the heart of every Man and Woman, for them to yeild their whole Obedience thereunto; for whatſoever ye do, whether ye eat, or whether ye drink, let all be done to the Praiſe and Honour of God, who gives Life, Health and Strength for that end; for whatſoever is in Peoples talk more than of Yea and Nay, it is for Condemnation, which is great matter of weight for People well to conſider, what will become of their Souls, who live in the daily Practice of Words & Actions, wherein the Lord never ſavingly appears, but as he doth permit their Souls Enemy to rule their Thoughts, Intents, Words and Actions, ſo of his free Love, in Mercy to their Souls, the Lord doth manifeſt to them the evil of their way, which is by the gift of his divine Light in their own hearts, and by his Spirit in the Inſtruments of his Truth, which have been ſent, and are yet ſending to warn the Wicked to turn from their unrighteous Wayes, which if they would but give up their minds to come under the Croſs of Chriſt, which is that Croſs for them to bear, which remains in Oppoſition to their corrupted Deſires, then they would become able, by the Power of God in Chriſt, to witneſs his Yoke to be eaſie, and his Burden to be light; for what he hath ſaid unto one, be hath a ſo ſaid unto all, that is, Watch and Pray, leſt ye eater into Temptation; for he that remains faithful in his Watch, by the Light of the Lord perceiveth the Devil's Temptation in his firſt Allurement, which by true Prayer, in faithfulneſs to his Watch, the Power of God in him doth appear, to the reſiſting of his Souls Enemy, and cauſeth him to ſlee, ſo that in them, in whom the Mind is ſtable in ſeeking after the Lord, for the Knowledge of his Truth, in Jeſus Chriſt, their Underſtanding will open more and more towards him, by which the reading of the holy Scriptures will alſo be of great benefit to the Underſtanding, which will alſo refreſh the inward Man; ſo that as all are diligently to mind the Gift of Gods Grace which they have received, as a Seed of the Kingdom, through which by Obedience, it will grow and bring forth Fruit acceptable to God, who requites his own with increaſe for the Honour of his Same, and profit of Peoples Souls, that by Obedience to his holy Seed, they may remain in Covenant with God, and be made Partakers of his Kingdom, in and through the Son of his Love, the Lord Jeſus Chriſt.