The Retired Mans Meditations, Chapter 12
CHAP. XII.
Shewing wherein the three Rules and forms of adminiſtration, in Chriſts mediatorial Kingdom, do differ one from another, and maintain an entire juriſdiction within themſelves (but in due ſubordination and ſubſerviency ſtill, of the lower to the higher) over the reſpective ſubjects that live under them.
THE firſt of theſe is the law and Rule which is given by God to all nations, even to the whole world, in their corrupt, degenerate and fallen ſtate, occaſioned by the entrance which ſin made by Adam, overrunning his whole poſterity like a ſpreading leproſie, whereby man, that by his creation was made a temple of God, became a habitation for Dragons, a court for owls or birds of the night, a hold for every foul ſpirit, and a cage for every unclean and hateful bird: ſo that although there was a natural being, life and motion left unto man, it was in the next degree to no being at all, if not, in ſome reſpects, far worſe.
Yet how great ſoever this deſolation was, and how thick ſoever the darkneſs be in this howling and barren wilderneſs-condition of mankind, the blood of Chriſt is of vertue to make the heart of man again rejoyce and bleſſom as the Roſe; and the voice of the Mediator can make it ſelf to be heard in the remoteſt and darkeſt corners of the world, to the opening of the eyes of the blind, and unſtopping the ears of the deaf, to the making the lame to leap and the dumb to ſing; to the cauſing the waters of his manifeſtation to break forth and ſtream in this deſert; in one word, to the letting in the ſound of the Goſpel it-ſelf, in the ſhadowy & dark appearances thereof upon the very ends of the world, in purſuance of the extent of the reconciliation made through the blood of his Croſs, by whom all things are reconciled unto God, whether they be things in earth or things in heaven: ſo as the very creation it ſelf is made capable to ſerve unto the miniſtry of the Goſpel; the heavens to declare the glory of God, & the firmament to ſhew his handy work; day unto day to utter ſpeech, and night unto night to ſhew knowledge: by means whereof there is no ſpeech nor language where Chriſts voice is not heard, their ſound going into all the earth, and their words unto the end of the world, as Pſal. 19. 1, 2, 3, 4. compared with Rom. 10. 18. doth evidence.
Thus the inviſible things of God, even his eternal power and Godhead, ſhining forth in the face of the Mediator, may be ſeen by the things that are made, Rom. 1. and that either inwardly, by the influence and operations of the holy Angels, maintaining and keeping up the witneſs of Chriſt in the manifeſtation of natural juſtice and righteouſneſs, by way of counter-ballance to the works of the devil, and his kingdom of darkneſs in the world; or outwardly, by the books of the creature and daily diſcoveries of Gods providences, that are teaching and inſtructing to the loweſt and meaneſt natural diſcernings of men. And to enable them to the receiving hereof, they have a further taſte of the bounty of Chriſt the Redeemer, who doth freely renew and continue their life, breath and all things unto them upon a new tenure, even by the ranſom procured for them in his blood, by vertue of which, none of them do fail of partaking, in a common enlightning from him, when they receive their beings in this world, and have the lamp or ca…le of the Lord ſet up in them, to be as a witneſs for or againſt every man, according to his works, being a light which ſearcheth the inward parts of the belly, Prov. 20. 27.
Over the nations then and people of the world, thus conſidered, we ſay, Chriſt doth diſpenſe his Rule and government, and gives unto them judgements and ordinances according to which they are to walk, Ezek. 5. and in the doing or not doing of them, their conſciences are accuſing or excuſing of them; and Chriſt in this his government ſhews himſelf by his miniſters, to whom he hath committed the mannaging thereof, either in wrath and terrour againſt all evil works, or an Encourager and Protectour of all them that do well.
The prime Miniſter of God on this behalf, is Chriſt. The hands in which this government is betruſted by Chriſt, are the inviſible Thrones, Dominions, Principalities and powers of the holy Angels (as we have already declared, and ſhall yet further enlarge) made by Chriſt and for Chriſt the chief Lords and Rulers of the firſt world and all the inhabitants thereof.
Regard ſeems to be had to this adminiſtration of government, Iob 2. 1, 2. where the ſons of God or theſe holy Angels, in their adminiſtration of this kind of government, preſented themſelves before this Lord Chriſt; and Sathan came alſo among them, having been his circuits, walking to and fro in the earth, and up and down in it; unto whom the Lord propounds the caſe of Iob, as of a perfect and upright man, ſo as there was none like him in all the earth; and who accordingly had found Chriſt owning, encouraging, and protecting of him, as the devil himſelf alledged, Chap. 1. at the ſame kind of meeting between God and the Angels, then held alſo; for ſaith Sathan to God, haſt thou not made a hedge about him, and about his houſe, and about all that he hath? on every ſide thou haſt bleſſed the works of his hands, and his ſubſtance is encreaſed in the land: intimating hereby the reward that is adminiſtred as to the kind of it, by the holy Angels under Chriſt, to the very heathens themſelves; and the puniſhment of wrath to conſiſt in the contrary diſpenſations of God hereunto, when he declares himſelf outwardly a terrour to wicked works, and puts forth his hand therein: for which purpoſe theſe excellent ſpirits are inveſted with power, might and dominion over all the works of Gods hands in the firſt world, to execute Chriſts commands, as the Hoſts and Miniſters that do his pleaſure in all places of his dominion, and are alwaies attending and hearkning unto the voice of this WORD, ſpeaking to them as he is the root and head of all natural good and perfection.
Under theſe inviſible Thrones and higher powers, there are viſible ones alſo ſet up, and are Chriſts ordinance and inſtitution, in an inferiour and ſubordinate miniſtration of this government of Chriſt over men; which are called the higher powers of the world, whether contracted in one univerſal Monarch, as in the time of Nebuchadnezar, Dan. 2. or diſperſed into many ſeveral and diſtinct forms of Magiſtracy in the world, according as the moſt high is pleaſed to ſet them up, pull them down, or change them, in reference to the preſent work which he hath to do in the world, and to the ſtate and condition of his own people in it: either for their bringing into bondage and captivity under the worldly powers; or for the leading them out of the ſame into the glorious liberty by him deſigned unto them in the laſt of daies; whereof Nebuchadnezars image was a notification, once for all, and was ſo interpreted by Daniel himſelf, when he ſaid to Nebuchadnezar; the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and ſtrength and glory, and whereſoever the children of men dwell, the beaſts of the field and fowls of the heaven, he hath given it into thy hand, and made thee ruler over them: who therefore art this head of Gold.
Which government, in the ſucceſſion of it, ſhall be diſperſed, decline and corrupt, until it quite break aſunder, and ſplit in pieces before the everlaſting kingdom, which is intended by God to be ſet up in the room thereof. Which compared with Cap. 4. 17. makes it yet more evident, that this viſible government in the hands of the higher powers of the world, is ſuperintended, over-ruled and influenced throughout, by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones or Angels; to the intent that the living may know, that the moſt High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomſoever he will, and ſetteth up over it the baſeſt of men; evidently declaring that promotion cometh not from the Eaſt, or Weſt, or South; but Chriſt who bears up the pillars of the earth, when elſe through ſin and the fall the earth and the inhabitants thereof had been diſſolved, he is the judge, he puts down one, and ſets up another, Pal. 75. 6, 7.
And if then in the inferiour viſible adminiſtration of this government over men, in the hands of men, the Rule is given and declared, whereunto the governed are to be ſubject, not only for wrath but conſcience ſake, Rom. 13. how much ſtraightlier is every ſoul obliged to the ſame Rule, as it is adminiſtred in the hands of the inviſible Thrones, at the judgement ſeat of Angels, who next under Chriſt the ſupream Miniſter of God, are exerciſing their Miniſtry in a way of wrath and terrour againſt all evil workers, and in a way of encouragement and protection unto all thoſe that do well and walk uprightly in the earth?
Thus according to the orders and decrees of theſe watchers and holy ones (whether declared by their inward miniſtry in the ſpirits and conſciences of the men of the world, or outwardly by the wholſome laws and ordinances of man, as the product and fruit of the light by them diſpenſed, or by the viſible providences of God) is the firſt adminiſtration of Chriſts kingdom managed and upheld throughout the whole earth and over all the world, even the nations that are yet aliens from the Commonwealth of Iſrael, and ſtrangers to the covenants of promiſe.
And becauſe it is very cleer from Scripture, that the holy ones, or Elect Angels are intruſted under Chriſt with the diſpenſing of natural juſt and right, and are inveſted with power to ſee their decrees and orders herein, from time to time by them publiſhed and declared, either inwardly or outwardly, to be obſerved and conformed unto throughout all the earth or viſible world, either voluntarily by thoſe that do well, or by way of penalty, compulſion and terrour, by thoſe that are evil doers; It may be worth our while to enquire, in what capacity it is, that the holy Angels, as thus miniſters of God and Rulers and governors of the world, do take this adminiſtration upon them, and how they are qualified for the diſpenſing of the ſame. We are therefere to remember that the Angels before their fall, had a ſubordinate uſefulneſs unto Chriſt for the production of the viſible world, and were his Chariots wherein he deſcended for the effecting thereof; covering himſelf with their light as with a garment, and flying upon the wings of this wind, being the top perfection of the firſt world, wherein man was made inferiour to them: and wherein they had a ſuperiority and rule over all the works of Gods hands, that were of this firſt building.
This Rule or dominion the good Angels (that held cloſe to their head and obeyed the voice of his word, in becoming ſerviceable to him in his ſecond appearance, ceaſing from their natural motion and workings to reaſſume their life through the power and tenure of the reſurrection from the dead) were ſo far from forfeiting or being diſabled unto, and deprived of the uſe thereof, that together with, and over and beſides this, they received an addition of life and power (in a far better capacity then what they had by nature) wherein they were made Miniſters to the Heirs of ſalvation: and through the Teſtimony they then were made to have and bear of Jeſus, in the change that came upon them, to fix them in eternal bleſſedneſs, when the others fell, they do contribute unto the unveiling of the Son, and are prepares of the way unto his ſhining forth immediately in his natural life and perfection, as reaſſumed by him through the power of his reſurrection. In which ſecond capacity they are made uſe of by Chriſt as mediate inſtruments under him, in the giving of the law, or renewal of the firſt Covenant at Mount Sinai, when the word was ſpoken by Angels, and conveighed in figures and types under Moſes Miniſtry, pointing out Chriſts coming in the fleſh; and ſo Chriſt himſelf conſidered as the WORD that was to be made fleſh, was miniſtred by the diſpoſition of Angels, and the deſcriptions by them given of him, Act. 7. 53.
We are then to acknowledge, that the holy and elect Angels are in a two-fold capacity of uſefulneſs unto Chriſt. In the firſt of which, they are as his ſhadow and image, ſtanding ſingly in themſelves, and ſhewing forth unto the world the natural juſtice and right that ſhines forth in their natural beings, made unchangeable by the vertue of Chriſts reſurrection; wherein they are ſtill as they were at firſt, a garment of light, or a veyl wherewith Chriſt covers himſelf, in his converſe with the world and Nations of the Earth in their corrupt natural ſtate, keeping up hereby ſome light and Rule, even in this night-condition of the world, which is but as a region of darkneſs in compariſon of that day-break from Chriſt, that ſhews it ſelf to thoſe that are children either of the firſt or ſecond Covenant.
The ſecond capacity wherein the elect Angels do ſtand, is, as they bear the image and ſimilitude of Chriſts natural life and perfection, in unveyling and uncovering their Head, and hiding their own faces before it, with the four and twenty Elders, Rev. 4. that caſt their Crowns to the ground before the Lamb, crying day and night, Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. In the firſt ſenſe, they are as the Moon that rules the night: and in the ſecond, as the bright morning ſtars, or SONS OF THE MORNING, uſhering in the day-break, and miniſtring therein unto the birth of Chriſt in his firſt appearance, in and under the firſt covenant.
The ſecond form of adminiſtration, wherein the Kingdom and government of Chriſt is diſpenſed and exerciſed over men, is that which is ſet up over the children of the firſt covenant, Iſrael after the fleſh, or the earthly Jeruſalem: A holy City that God ſets in the midſt of the Nations and Countries round about her: figured out by the Jeruſalem placed in the Land of Canaan: unto which people or generation he is a Saviour or deliverer out of the houſe of bondage, and a leader towards the Land of promiſe and true Reſt. But through their high provocations of him, and refuſal of his Judgements and Statutes which he gives them to walk in, diſtinct from the reſt of the Nations, and through their reſiſting of the Holy Ghoſt, or ſecond appearance and voice of Chriſt, as him that ſpeaketh from heaven, to which, Moſes and the voice on earth at Mount Sinai pointed and directed them; he ſwears at laſt in his wrath, that they ſhall never enter into his Reſt, ſo as they all fall ſhort thereof, that herein abide ſingle, and are made partakers of no higher birth.
Theſe have had their general characters given them already, who by the neerneſs of union and communion which they are taken into with Chriſt himſelf, as their Husband and Bridegroom under the firſt covenant, are a great, a wiſe, and a holy people in the ſight of all the Nations of the World, having Statutes and Judgements ſo righteous and excellent, as is to their admiration; living under the firſt preſence or appearance of Chriſt (with the fruits thereof, diſcernable to the natural capacity of man) owning him, and owned by him, who dwels among them as in his ſanctuary and holy temple, therein diſtinguiſhing them from all other Nations, who in reſpect of them, are living, as it were, without God and Chriſt in the world.
None are brought or do come into this Kingdom of Chriſt, but ſuch as accept and anſwer their call out of the firſt, through which they become tranſplanted out of the wild Olive tree of degenerate nature, and become engrafted into the good Olive tree; receiving as from a new root, a new nature; or rather, from Chriſt, as he is the root of all natural purity and perfection, a renewing of the ſame pure nature for kind, wherein man was at firſt created: and in that ſtate, are fed and nouriſhed up at Chriſts own table (with thoſe Luke 13. 25, 26. who will ſay, Lord, Lord, open unto us, we have eaten and drunk in thy preſence) eating his fleſh, and drinking his blood, to the growing up into one living body with him, and to the partaking of the root and fatneſs of the good Olive tree, yet never come to a ſpiritual diſcerning of the Lords body, as crucified and raiſed from the dead, but taking up their Reſt in a knowledge of Chriſt that is but according to the fleſh, through which they clean eſcape the pollutions of the world, and then turn aſide from the holy commandment delivered unto them in the miniſtry of this firſt covenant.
Theſe are they that are under the dominion of the law, or of Chriſt, as he is the Miniſter of circumciſion & of Gods firſt appearance, exhibiting himſelf to the eyes of their mind in the righteouſneſs of his natural man (as he is God manifeſted in fleſh, and ſo witneſſed unto by the Scriptures) as a holy commandment, unto which he begets and requires conformity in them. Here he is to be ſeen and converſed with, as on Mount Sinai, in the holy place or worldly Sanctuary, where his Angels are his chariots, even thouſand thouſands of Angels, to adminiſter the glory of this kingdom under him, and as his forerunners to prepare the way whither he himſelf intends to come, and vouchſafe his own perpetual preſence and abode.
So then, until Chriſts coming in the fleſh, into the true Tabernacle, which God pitched and not man, the Word, Law or Rule of this kingdom alſo, was ſpoken, given, and adminiſtred by Angels; called the law and Miniſtry of circumciſion or of Moſes, contained in the two tables, together with the Judicial laws, and fleſhly rites and ordinances of divine ſervice (thoſe relating to the ſecond table, theſe to the firſt and to the material temple-worſhip) which were to contiune till the time of reformation, at the comming of the true Temple it ſelf, when the WORD was made fleſh.
But Chriſt being come, and having in the body prepared for him, fulfilled the will of the Father in offering up himſelf in the fleſh without ſpot unto God, through the eternal ſpirit, and with his own blood entred into the holieſt of all, he thought fit no longer to dwell in Temples made with hands, Acts 7. 48. but aboliſhing all the former fleſhly rites and worldly ordinances, belonging unto the Temple-worſhip that was then, he did build up out of the ruines thereof, a ſpiritual Temple, 1 Cor. 3. 16, 17. which Temple, ſaith the Apoſtle Paul unto the Corinthians, are yee; which yet is but ſuch a kind of building, for permanency and abiding, as the former: For whoſoever of you (ſaith Paul) ſhall defile this Temple, him ſhall God deſtroy, whoever you be, that after your being enlightned, and having received the knowledge of the truth, ſhall not hold faſt your confidence unto the end, but become ſuch ſervants as are to be caſt out of the houſe, making ſhipwrack of faith and a good conſcience.
Thus there is an Iſrael after the fleſh, kept up and continued under the Goſpel, as well as under the law; who are now under Chriſts immediate government by his ſpirit, in the miniſtry of his firſt appearance, and according to the tenor of the firſt covenant, as they then were under the law, and had the word ſpoke unto them by Angels, in the Moſaical miniſtration: both being but one and the ſame earthly Ieruſalem that now is, and is in bondage with her children; in which it is moſt true ſtill, that they are not all Iſrael that are of Iſrael; neither becauſe they are the ſeed of Abraham, the Father of the faithful, & ſo pretending to be believers, are they all children; but in Iſaac, crucified, offered up Iſaac, ſhall thy ſeed be called: that is to ſay, they that are the children of the fleſh and of the living and natural body only, are not the children of God; but the children of the promiſe are counted for the ſeed, that were raiſed out of a womb as good as dead, and ſprang up to Abraham (after that he had received the promiſes, as they reſpected his fleſhly ſeed) by Iſaacs reſtauration as from the dead, the figure of Chriſts death and reſurrection.
This earthly Jeruſalem is the worldly Church under the Goſpel, the incorporated body of viſible Saints, called out and ſeparated from the world: who for their Law and Rule, own and profeſs the written word and the ſpirit of Chriſt, received and held forth in no higher a miniſtry then that of Chriſt, as he is the head and root of all natural purity and perfection, ſingly conſidered; declaring themſelves herein a holy or a ſeparated people, by a manifeſt ſelf-diſtinguiſhing profeſſion (according to the meaſure of their receiving from Chriſt, and growth up unto him) from all heatheniſh worſhip, yea and corrupt Chriſtian profeſſions or practiſes: walking in all the ordinances and judgements of Chriſt (held forth to them from the Scriptures in the various forms thereof) which their light leads them to receive.
This viſible temple or worldly ſanctuary of God, is a true Church (as they walk in the light, and according to the truth of this Law, under which they are) and (as ſhall be ſhewed) the nurſery or womb of all the true ſpiritual ſeed, Rev. 12. 1. &c. Where it is deſcribed by the woman cloathed with the Sun, the day of Chriſts firſt appearance, and having the Moon, or heatheniſh Gentile ſtate under her feet, being exalted into a glory far above them, and made uſe of by God to bring forth the manchild or heavenly ſeed, that are to rule the Nations with a rod of iron, which in their divine birth are caught up to God and to his Throne, and ſo, much farther exalted above the earthly Jeruſalem, then ſhe is above the reſt of the Nations.
This earthly Jeruſalem, in the times of the Law, had judicial Laws, for the heightning of a civil Magiſtracy into a ſutableneſs unto the divine ſervice of this worldly ſanctuary. But ſince Chriſts aſcenſion, and the ſpirituality of this very temple to be continued under the Goſpel, till the fulneſs of the Gentiles come in, and the myſterie of God in Chriſts fleſhly diſpenſations ſhall be finiſhed) although many attempts have been made, and endeavours uſed to revive a like Magiſtracy again, in conformity to the judicials of Moſes, in the very letter of them, there hath ſeldom been found any conſiderable progreſs or ſucceſs herein; foraſmuch as Chriſt is rather pleaſed to detain his people in ſubjection and captivity under the powers of the world, and the Magiſtracy kept up by him over men as men, during the ſeaſon of ſufferings allotted to them: in which, as ſouls under the Altar of perſecution, they cry out, How long Lord holy and true, doſt thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwel on the earth? and are enabled by faith to ſee through and above the viſible powers and thrones of this world, into the miniſtry of Chriſt by his Angels, who are, all the while, Magiſtrates and Rulers in a higher ſphere and capacity then the others; and who (as the times of Chriſt draw near, who is the only Potentate and KING OF KINGS) ſhall ſhew themſelves to be his ſervants, taking vengeance in flames of fire upon all ungodly men, that are his and his peoples implacable enemies.
By what then hath been ſaid, we may ſee how conſiſtent this ſecond branch of Chriſts Rule over men, is with the firſt; as that wherein this ſecond ſort of men that make up the earthly Jeruſalem, have all things in common with the firſt, as to their being benefited by the diſpenſation of natural right and juſtice; enjoying withall, much more then all this amounts to, even the comfortable warmth and life that is found in the day-light of Chriſts firſt appearance, and by immediate and fruitful converſe with him in the ſame, which is far to be preferred before the night of the Gentile world.
The third and laſt form or adminiſtration of the Kingdom of Chriſt which is exerciſed over men, is that whereby the true ſpiritual ſeed of Abraham, according to Gods promiſe, Gen. 22. 17. do poſſeſs the gates of their enemies; and ſhall in their proper ſeaſon be manifeſted to be the ſeed, wherein all the Nations of the earth ſhall be bleſſed: which is farther explained, Dan. 7. 18. 22. where it is ſaid, that the Saints of the moſt high ſhall take the Kingdom and poſſeſs it for ever, even for ever and ever, in fellowſhip and ſociety with Chriſt their Head, ſitting upon the Throne with him, having a dominion, glory, and a Kingdom that ſhall never be deſtroyed.
The ſupreme Lords and Rulers then in this kingdom under Chriſt, are the Saints, or general aſſembly of the firſt-born, whoſe names are written in heaven, Children that Chriſt will make princes in all lands, giving them the honour written: to bind even Kings in chains, and the Nobles in fetters of iron: unto whom as unto the right heirs of ſalvation, the elect Angels will be conſtant miniſters and attendants, in their charge and office of adminiſting natural right and juſtice, and executing vengeance on all the enemies of theſe Saints of the moſt High, who come not to the attainment of this high glory and dignity ſuddenly, or one before another, but by a general gathering of them all together by their head: firſt, into one dead body with him, as planted together in the likeneſs of his death or offering up in the fleſh: which is a needful preparation to the bearing and right managing the honour and preheminence of that Crown and dominion, which they are called unto, over all the works of Gods hands.
Secondly by their being gathered together unto him, in one heavenly and glorified body, as planted alſo in the likeneſs of his reſurrection, in the glory wherein he is ſet down at Gods right hand: which is expected to be fulfilled at his return, when we ſhall ſee him coming from heaven, in like manner as he was ſeen to aſcend up thither.
This third ſort of Chriſts ſubjects are compared by himſelf, Luke 8. unto the good ground: on whom Chriſt the word and ſeed of life fell, as into honeſt and good hearts, that having heard the word keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience: having ſuch a faith as is mentioned James 1. 3. that under manifold temptations, approves and juſtifies itſelf to be found durable and ſaving, in and by the fruit of patience, which it works: obtaining a free paſſage and courſe for the WORD OF CHRISTS PATIENCE in the ſoul, till it hath had its perfect work, and made the mind perfectly conformable with Chriſt, in his death, 1 Pet. 4. 1. to the making the believer perfect and entire, wanting nothing: and to be of the number of thoſe that do overcome, and are made pillars in the houſe of God, never to go out more.
Theſe are the true Heirs of ſalvation, that as princes may be found walking on foot, here in this world, whilſt ſervants are riding on horſeback: and are in faith and patience poſſeſsing their ſouls, albeit they be killed all the day long, and accounted as ſheep for the ſlaughter, Rom. 8. 36. ſlain for the word of God, and for the teſtimony which they hold, Rev. 6, 9, 10, 11. unto whom white robes are given, even garments waſhed in the blood of the Lamb: in which patient poſture they are appointed to wait and reſt for a little ſeaſon, untill their fellow-ſervants alſo and brethren that ſhould be killed as they were, ſhould be fufillled.
We find not only this third ſort of Chriſts ſubjects, mentioned and comprehended under that parable of the ſower, Luk. 8. but the ſecond and firſt alſo, very lively deſcribed to thoſe that have ears te hear, yea, and Chriſt himſelf as the univerſal ſeedsman, the living WORD OF GOD, who ſcatters the ſeed of his ſearching light and life into all hearts and conſciences whatſoever, enlightning every one that comes into the world, and ſetting up that in them, which is a diſcerner of their thoughts and of the intents of their hearts: who therefore is held forth in that parable firſt, as he ſows his ſeed by the wayſide or high waies, interpreted by himſelf, Mat. 22. 9. to be the viſits and communications of light and life, ſowen by him among the Gentiles. For ſo he ſaith, when he would intimate Gods intention (upon the Jews rejection of him) to bring the Gentiles into the knowledge of himſelf; Go ye therefore into the High waies, or unto the Gentiles, and as many as you ſhall find, bid them unto the marriage: ſhewing evidently, that by the high-waies on which the ſeed fals, he means the Gentiles; as appears, Luke 8. 12. where it is ſaid, that in this ſtate, the devil comes (or may come) and take away the Word out of their hearts, leſt they ſhould believe and be ſaved: that is, before it come up to the birth of faith in them, ſo much as of a temporary faith (for oommon ſalvation, which appertains to the ſecond ſort properly, repreſented by the ſecond and third, the ſtony & thorny groud) much leſs a ſaving one, being only a ſeed of light or work of Chriſt in the conſcience, teaching to feel after faith and ſalvation, but not actually entring them into it: and ſo is a moſt lively deſcription of the ſubjects of Chriſt, and hearers of the word under the firſt diſpenſation.
Now that which remains, is to ſhew how the children of the firſt covenant and earthly Jeruſalem under the Goſpel are alſo held forth in this parable, who are temporary believers, arriving at, and attaining through the power of the WORD, a ſtate of common ſalvation, with thoſe of the Church of Laodicea, Rev. 3. who thereby became rich and increaſed with goods, needing nothing, being ignorant that they were miſerable, and poor, and blind, and naked; in a condition that would abide trials, no more then thoſe repreſented by the ſtony and thorny ground, who when they heard, received the Word with joy, and for a while believed, but in time of temptation fell away, as unable to reſiſt and avoid the abuſe of lawfull comforts and enjoyments vouchſafed unto them by God in the firſt convenant, but ready every moment to over-charge their hearts with ſurfeiting, drunkenneſs, and good things of this world, (the ſweet whereof was reliſhed and eſteemed by them in ſuch exceſs, as to work in them an undervalue and diſrelliſh of Chriſt, in his heavenly glory) to the choaking of the true ſpiritual ſeed, in its approaches to them, by the means of the riches and pleaſures of this life, working death in them by that which is good, ſo as no fruit in them comes unto perfection, or is brought forth in duration & abundance, as by thoſe that bring it forth with patience under the teachings and diſciplinings of the Croſs, whereof ſuch as are baſtards and not ſons do not partake; and for want of which, they at laſt fall away, and draw back unto perdition.
Now ſaith Chriſt, in what he ſubjoyns to this parable; think it not ſufficient therefore to be thoſe that have light, and are hearers, yea and receivers of the WORD; for ſo, in ſome degree or other, all the world may be (as we have ſhewed) but conſider how you hear, or what uſe you make of it: for thoſe that uſe it lawfully, and are faithfull in little, or in the leaſt partakings of it, unto them more ſhall be given, till the ſeed ſpring up unto a perfect day: but thoſe who ſhall uſe it unlawfully and unworthily, ſo as to cover it with a buſhel, or hide it under a bed, ſo as to detain it in unrighteouſneſs, or take up their Reſt in that which is ſhort, and but in part, from ſuch ſhall be taken away ever that which they have, and ſeem to hold upon ſuch a tenure, that it will not fail them, but abide unto life everlaſting.