The Retired Mans Meditations, Chapter 14
CHAP. XIV.
Shewing the continuance and progreſs of the war between the ſubjects of Chriſt and Anti-Chriſt, and the terms and iſſues upon which they joyn.
THis war firſt diſcovered itſelf in the two brothers, Cain and Abel; where the devil comes off equal with Chriſt, ſo as to gain and prevail with Cain, as Chriſt choſe and accepted Abel: yea, for ſucceſs in the combate, ſeems to have the better; judging probably, that in this murther of Abel, the promiſed ſeed might have been wholly extinct, and ſo have finally miſcarried: God therefore ſupplies Abels room with another ſon; through whoſe line the PROMISED SEED might be yet figured out, and carryed on; as through Cains line, the SEED OF THE SERPENT were ſhadowed forth, and continued.
But the world coming to multiply, and the generations of men to increaſe, the ſubjects now of Chriſts three kingdomes, diſtributed as before we have ſet down, are upon the ſtage at once.
The firſt ſort of men are thoſe in a corrupt, degenerated ſtate, whoſe daughters the SONS OF GOD went in unto, Gen. 6. and ſo begat Giants, or men of renown.
The ſecond ſort are typed out and comprehended in this race of GYANTS, or men of fame and great repute, having the name of ſons, and God for their Father; but being weighed in the ballance of the ſanctuary, were found to be too light: a fleſhly ſeed only; though ſuch as therein did bear the firſt image of God; yet who in proceſs of time, did ſo corrupt themſelves, that God refuſed to ſtrive by his ſpirit any longer with them, but gave them up to the deſtruction of the flood, as thoſe who became in the imaginations of their hearts, alwaies evil before him, and in the works they did perform.
The third ſort were found in the family of Noah, who was righteous in Gods account, and typed out the true ſpiritual ſeed.
Thus we ſee the diſtribution of mankind before the flood: but after the flood, it became much more evident and apparent, not only in the three ſons of Noah, that afterwards peopled again the whole earth: but in the time of Abraham, with whom God renewed both his covenants: making him the Father of many nations, or indeed, of the two great nations, one of the law, the other of faith: Iſhmael, born of Hagar, the bond-woman, figuring out the children of the firſt covenant, that were born after the fleſh: and Iſaac the ſon of the free woman, who was by promiſe, typing out the ſeed born after the ſpirit.
Theſe two ſeeds were diſtinguiſhed by their births, and diſpenſations they were under, from all the nations of the world beſides, who were in an open idolatrous, heatheniſh ſtate, out of which Abraham was called into the land which God ſhould ſhew him.
And in proceſs of time, when God made good the promiſes to Abrahams ſeed, in giving them poſſeſsion of the earthly Canaan, he ſtill continued this threefold diſtribution of mankind, chuſing the fleſhly ſeed of Abraham from among all the Nations round about them, and placing them in the midſt of them; and then by his Prophets and the true miniſtry of his Word, ſubdividing again the ſpiritual ſeed from the carnal.
Into this threefold diſtribution, God was pleaſed to ſort and rank fallen mankind, and ſo to continue them unto Chriſts ſecond coming, in order to accompliſh and fulfil the whole counſel of his will upon them, which he had fore-purpoſed and determined within himſelf; and had choſen the Lord Jeſus as a poliſhed ſhaft in his hand, to bring to paſs accordingly, by what he reveals of himſelf in the Goſpel and word of TRUTH: wherein firſt he is declared to the Captain and Author of ſalvation unto the whole ſpiritual ſeed, the many ſons that are given him by the Father, to bring up to eternal glory (in the ſame way he came to it himſelf, who was made perfect through ſufferings) of whom he is not to loſe one, but to raiſe them up all at the laſt day, into everlaſting life.
Secondly, he is declared the Redeemer and Ranſomer, ſo far, of all mankind, from under the power of ſin and Satan, as to diſable them to keep off the good things contained in the promiſes of this life, or of that which is to come, from any that ſhall fulfill the condition of them, or at leaſt keep themſelves (as they may) from ſuch high provocations and wilful reſiſtance, for which God ſwears in his wrath they ſhall never enter into his REST. But when man finds ſuch work before him, as he cannot go through with by the ſtrength of nature, he will not reſign up himſelf in ſuch caſe (though he ſee there is no other way) that God may do it for him by bringing him to Chriſt that he may have life; but ſits down in a ſullenneſs of ſpirit, reſiſting the Holy Ghoſt, and rejecting the counſel of God, againſt his own ſoul.
In direct oppoſition to both theſe declared branches of Gods will, in the Goſpel, the devil and his inſtruments ſet themſelves.
Firſt, to attempt by all the power that is in the gates of hell, to prevail againſt the very elect themſelves that are built on the Rock, and are out of his reach to annoy, in reference to the certainty of their ſalvation: finding therefore little hopes or likelihood to fruſtrate them in that, he makes it his buſineſs to render them of all men moſt miſerable, as to any hopes or enjoyments in this life; wherein he finds latitude given him, in the power allowed to him, to bruiſe their heel.
Secondly; he uſeth all the means-that lie in his power, by ſubtilty or force, ſo far as Gods permiſsion gives way to him, to aſſault the will and judgement of man, how highly enlightned, and how far quickned ſoever, upon his ſingle natural root, in order to entice and draw him away from his ſubjection unto God, in the natural ſervice and worſhip that is due from him, never leaving till he hath prevailed with and over him; to provoke God ſo highly (notwithſtanding all his goodneſs, patience and long-ſuffering to him extended, through the blood of Chriſt) as thereby to render himſelf unworthy of any further love or favour, and to move God to ſwear in his wrath, that he ſhall never enter into his REST.
Under theſe two general heads, we ſhall find, as in a conſtant track, throughout the whole Scripture, the workings and counter-workings that are kept on foot and maintained between the MAN CHRIST JESUS, who would have all men to be ſaved, and come to the knowledge of the truth; and the MAN OF SIN and grand deceiver, Satan, who would have no man to be ſaved, but all to be made children unto him, who is the father of lyes.
The means uſed by Chriſt, to produce, renew and maintain the workings and operations of light and life from him, in the hearts and conſciences of fallen mankind, is by ſetting on foot, as hath been already ſhewed, the threefold law and government, given and erected by him at the beginning, over all the ſons of Adam, upon the fall: through the power and exerciſe whereof,
Firſt, he doth that to and in the hearts and conſciences of the very heathen, which fits and qualifies them to live anſwerable (if the fault be not in themſelves) to the law and government they are under, according to the meaſures of attainment which the meer natural man may have. The like he doth unto the children of the firſt Covenant, unto whom he is much more bountiful, ſutably to the ſtate he farther leads them into. And thirdly, he exceeds what he doth to both theſe, in the communications of himſelf unto the ſpiritual ſeed, whom he ſuffers not to deſtroy themſelves, but takes a courſe to croſs their own wils and deſires, when they are hearkning to the temptation of their own luſt, or Satan, to draw them away.
This threefold conſcience and ſpirit of man, in the proper principles and operations of each of them, whether they are to be found ſingle, or all of them together, as in ſweet harmony, thus ſet up in the ſpiritual ſeed, our purpoſe is to treat of: and that, as particularly and diſtinctly as we can, to fall in with the experiences of all that may be therein concerned: looking upon this as the beſt method we can take, for the clear opening and ſtating the ſeveral diſpenſations of Chriſts three-fold government and Kingdom, already entred upon. And therefore we ſhall conſider the principles and operations of each of theſe conſciences; either,
Firſt, as they are Chriſts own workmanſhip in and upon the heart and ſpirit of man, as the beginning and foundation of thoſe holy and righteous actings by him required under the diſpenſation, whereinto each of them is brought by God. or,
Secondly, as they are the lawfull and righteous workings of the ſpirit of man, enabled hereunto by free gift from Chriſt, and in dependance upon him, yet as the fruit and travel of his own proper judgement and will rectified, in the uſe of thoſe means, prepared and laid before him by Chriſt, to bring him to the right end of all motion, which is the true REST, whilſt as yet he is under works, and not under grace; or,
Thirdly, as they are the unlawfull and forbidden fruit of mans ſpirit, qualified and enabled from Chriſt as before expreſſed, when through his own luſt he is enticed, and through the ſubtilty of Satan he is enſnared; ſo as luſt, when it hath thus conceived, is the root of all evil operation, bringing forth fruit unto death, even death eternal, in the end, if the Lord upon the grounds of his new and everlaſting Covenant, do not pluck ſuch ſouls out of this danger, and lead them to ſuch a ſtate, as contains in it a perfect ſecurity and freedom from the re-entry of ſin, with its prevailing power over them.
Through the right and diſtinct conſideration of theſe principles and operations of conſcience in the ſons and daughters of men, we may come to find our ſelves, where we are, and whoſe ſubjects, whether Chriſts or the Devils, and to what Kingdom or diſpenſation we belong, in reference to the one or the other, to the Kingdom of Chriſts marvellous light, or to the power of Satans accurſed darkneſs; and upon what terms we ſtand, in the one or the other; whether in a wavering ſtate, conſiſting in a capacity and poſſibility of removal out of the one into the other; or in a fixed, determined ſtate, upon which it is impoſsible for any change to be brought, either in a good ſenſe, or in a bad; in which men are reſerved and kept faſt, either in the bonds of perfect love, light and freedom, that caſteth out fear, as the elect: or in chains of darkneſs and captivity, unto the judgement of the great day, as the non-elect, who will be deſtroyed by the brightneſs of Chriſts coming, when he ſhall appear the ſecond time, without ſin, to the ſalvation of his People.
And this we ſhall do, if God permit, as a ſervice to theſe preſent times, wherein like little children, moſt are toſſed to and fro with every wind of doctrine by the ſlight of men, and cunning craftineſs whereby men and devils lie in wait to deceive, and lead on the ignorant to the Chambers of death.