Truth Held Forth and Maintained, Part 1 · Chapter 27
CHAP. XXVII. Concerning the begetting, being born and brought forth of the Immortal and Incorruptible Seed of Gods Kingdom by Jeſus Chriſt.
THe Immortal and Incorruptible Seed of Gods Kingdom in Jeſus Chriſt, is of that Birth which the World by all their Wiſdom in outward Learning, are never able to find, neither can any ever know, to witneſs the new Birth, further than by Faith and Obedience to the gift of Gods Spirit by Jeſus Chriſt, whoſe Spirit of Life makes fr… from the Law of Sin and Death; for the Seed of the Kingdom, is of a heavenly divine Nature, which hath no fellowſhip with the Works of Darkneſs, in which all that diſobey the Lord of Life remain, by which their Birth is of the Enemies Seed, which alienates the Heart of Man and Woman from true O…edience to God; …n which ſtate they are Strangers to the nature of the New Birth, which is not born of Blood nor of the will of the Fle…, nor of the Will of Man, but of God Iohn. 1.13 for it is born of the Spirit of God, and brought forth by G…ace, through Faith in Chriſt Jeſus, by whom the Children of men have received a meaſure, which though, but as a grain of the ſmalleſt of all grain, it is of the little leavens Nature, to purge out, and leaven the whole Lump into the nature of Gods Kingdom in Chriſt Jeſus, whom the World by all their Wiſdom can never know; for the things of Gods Kingdom are hi… from the Wiſe and Prudent of this World, and revealed to the Children of God, whoſe Life remains in the Babe-like Nature of God in Chriſt, whoſe Babes they are, begotten of God by the word of his Spirit, through Faith and Obedience to the Lord of Life, in whoſe Life and Nature, every true Child of God, in their meaſure, live, move and have their being, in the nature of him; for as his nature is the New Birth, and all that are born of him hey bring Fruits acceptible to him; for they are the Children of the Day, which live in the Light, and walk in the Light, which the Children of the Night cannot do; for the Day of Gods Viſitation, by the gift of his divine Light, is unto them a dark thing, at which the wiſe ſtumble, and the prudent cannot receive; for by their own Wiſd … in their own prudent way, is their Underſtanding darkdarkened, as to the things of God, and Nature of his Kingdom neither can any grow to underſtand the things of …, Jeſus Chriſt, bu… as they grow in Grace, through the affectual working of his divine Life and Light, by the quickening Word … his Spirit, which opens the underſtanding, and enlarges, the gift of his divine Nature, through which … the holy Seed incre…ſeth more and more, and in the increaſe bringeth forth fruit, more and more abundant, to the praiſe of God, and honour of his Name, and well-being of the Soul in Chriſt Jeſus, who is the Author and Finiſher of his own Work of Righteouſneſs in his true begotten People, who are begot by the gift of Gods good Spirit of Grace, Life and Light, in which the faithful ſee Light, Pſalm 36.9. for by Light is all and every Deed of Darkneſs manifeſted, ſo that Faith in Chriſt Jeſus, and Faithfulneſs▪ Obedience to the gift of Gods divine Light, is the firſt beginning of an acquintance with the divine Nature of Chriſt, who draws the heart of every faithful man and woman, into the aſſurance of Faith, having their hearts ſprinkled from …n evil Conſcience, and their Bodies waſhed with pure Water, Heb. 10.22. and of this Nature is the Seed of Gods Kingdom in the hearts of them that belong unto him, the nature of whoſe Kingdom, the wiſe prudent part in man cannot comprehend; for the wiſe unregenerated part, is that which ramains in the Fall, and is alienated from the true Seed of the Kingdom, which will not take root in any other ground, but in that honeſt heart, which is made willing to bear the Croſs, in all things to the ſelf will, in which ſtate of ſubjection to the will of God the Seed takes root down-ward, and brings forth Fruit upward, to the honour of Gods holy Truth; ſo than all reaſoning with Fleſh and Blood is ſhut out by the Power of Gods Spirit in every upright honeſt heart to wards God, in which life of Obedience, there is no giving way to the Earthly part, which ramains in the Diſobedient, through which they oppreſs the Seed of God, and cauſe his Life, in the meaſure of the Seed, to depart, which if they were but faithful to the meaſure of Seed received, the Life of Gods Spirit of Grace would increaſe, to the withſtanding of all the Enemies Power, which through the willingneſs of the obedient part being yeilded to him, the true Seed of God will take no root of abidance in any ſort of ground whatever, where People live in a ſtate of ſinning againſt God and his Chriſt, Mat. 13. So they that are new born of the incorruptible Seed, they firſt come to dye, through the Croſs of Chriſt, which crucifies the ſelf will prudent part; for Knowledge, without Obedience brings Death over the Soul, in which ſtate the Kingdom o… God is hid; For that which is born of the Fleſh is Fleſh, and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit, John 3.2, 3, 4, 5, 6. So they that are truely begotten of God in Chriſt, the… witneſs the New-Birth, which is not born of Flesh and Blood nor of the Will of Man, but of the incorruptible Seed, the Word of God, which liveth and abideth forever, 1 Pet. 1.23. Now the Word of God which abideth forever, is of his Spirit … Life, Light and Grace, which floweth into the hearts … true Believers, through Faith in Chriſt Jeſus, who draw… the willing mind to partake of Gods heavenly Riches, i… and through him who is the Lord of all Grace, Life an… Light, which by meaſure lives, moves and abides in th… heart of every ſincere Believer in him, through who… Power they witneſs a daily decaying of the firſt Nature and a daily increaſe of Newneſs in a holy Life unto Go… who gives power to the weak & feeble, through which there is no diſtruſt in the Power of God, which they daily experience to give them Victory over every Thought which would exalt it ſelf above the Witneſs of God, and hinder the growth of the Seed of the Kingdom of Heaven, in which no man can enter, without being born again, the benefit of which no man is denyed of God by Jeſus Chriſt, who hath ſaid by his Spirit of Truth, Whoſoever will, let him take the Water of Life freely, Rev. 22.17. Iſa. 55.1, 2, 3. By which it is clear, that the Spirit of God hinders no man of any benefit by Jeſus Chriſt, for the Salvation of his Soul, that is, as Man keeps faithful to God, according to what he hath commanded by the Son of his Love, the Lord of Life.
Poſtſcript.
MUch more might be related for the convincing of People concerning the Truth of God by Jeſus Chriſt; but all that hath been, with all whatſoever of holy care and means that may be uſed, is but for the further Condemnation of them that refuſe Obedience to the gift of Gods divine Light, which men have received as a Talent or Talents for them to improve for their Lords uſe, and the benefit of their Souls; for the Lord of Life waits with the Tenders of Life and Salvation for every Soul, where the heart and mind is willing to forgo all the ways of Unrighteouſneſs, and to give up in true Obedience to ſerve the Lord with an upright heart and willing mind, as becometh his People ſo to do; for there is no Salvation of God by Jeſus Chriſt to any mans ſoul, but by true Faith and Obedience to God in Chriſt, who ſiving… is no… a God to them … love and delight in any one thing which is not … his holy Commands; for as the Lord of … of God in all things, for the Servation … ſo them that witneſs S…vation in and through him, muſt through Faith and Obedience, come through the Croſs, even as he hath done; for as he was outwardly crucified on the outward Croſs for the ſins of the People, ſomuſt the Power of God, through Chriſt, come to crucifi… every luſtful affection, which would exalt it ſel… above the Witneſs of Gods holy Truth, which no man can ſavingly partake of, but as he comes through faith and obedience to partake of Gods heavenly Riches, which are in ſtore for all them that love the appearing of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, whom it any man will hear, let him not harden his heart by Diſobedience in …nbelief; for the Devils Power is of no other ſtrength than to tempt the mind of man to ſerve him, which if men obey his Temptations to ſerve him in ſin, it begets the heart into a hard ſtare of Unbelief, to believe no other but a ſinning life all the days of their appointed time in this life, the cauſe of which is altogether through their Obedience to the Devils Temptations, whoſe Power never did, neither can force any man to ſin, but as they yeild their Obedience to his alluring Temptations, which if through faithfulneſs men would watch and pray to God, the ſtrength of his Power by Jeſus Chriſt would give them Victory againſt and over every luſtful Deſite of the corrupted heart, which is by nature inclineable to ſerve no other ſave the Devil, which ſeeks all unrighteous ways to deſtroy the ſoul of Man, which through Faith and Obedience to what God hath of his divine Grace and Light of his Spirit, made manifeſt by Chriſt Jeſus, through which they may be ſaved. And though ſome may deſpiſe at my ſmall meaſure in the aforeſaid Work, yet this I have an a…urance of, and that from the Lord of Life, tha… as … keep faithful to that meaſure of his good Spirit of Grace, Light and Life which through Faith and Obedience he will increaſe my Faith and enlarge my Underſtanding, to underſtand his Will and Mind more and more in the things which concern the wellfair of the Souls well-being with God in Jeſus Chriſt.