| OCR Text |
Show 57Z 16)!· l~ OupXVI. .. Gal. 3· t6; lfa. 9· 6· The Chriftian-b.uaker, and his VoL. l. I have thefe two fhort Arguments farther to prove, what I believe ::md atfen, as to the Spiritu3.lity of the true Se~, and a clea~e~ Overthrow it is w the Opinion of our Adverfaries concenung the true Cl\nfr: F1rj1, E\·e· IY Thi~ begers irs like: Whar is fimpl' narura_l produces no.r a fpiri_ru. al Being: Material Things bring not tonh Thmgs that are 1mmaren:~l. Now ~becaufe the Nanue or Im:.ge begotten in the Hearts of true Believers isjpiriti11t!, it will follow, that the Sud,_ which fo ~ege~s and brings forth dtat Binh, muft be thejttnre ;n Nt~ture _ wlth th:n wh1ch 1s bego~te~, the~e· fore fpiritua!, then Chrift's Body, or whu he h.Jd from the Vugm,.jlna. fJ confidered. ttl fncb, was not the Seed. . . . . Secondly. Ic is clear from hence: The Serpem IS J Spzrtt : Now noth1ng bruifes the Headofithe Serp~nt in ~an, but fomethinf? tharisaHO fnt~rnnl aha Spiritr11t!, astheSerpeot JS: Bunf t~at Hody .. of Chnft were only the Seed,. then could he not bruife the Serpents He3d m all, becaufe the Body a.t: ChrHt is not fo much as in any one (tho' too many have weakly c:1ncluded it upon us, from a Perverfion or Miihke of our DoEhine of Chrijl in .M.m, by his Light andSp!tit).a.nd co~feque~tly the Seed of the Pr9mife is. an holy and SpirituatPrmctple of l...tgbt, .Life and Power, th~t bc1ng rece1~ed into the Heart, hruifet!J the Serptn~ s Httt.d: And ~caufe the ~eed (which in this Senfe, cannot be that Body) ts Cbrijf, as tefhfie 'the Scnptures, the See{! i1 one tnJd tbllt Seed 0Jrifl, and Cbrift God over all, Me.Dttf for evtr, we do c:on~lude that Chrilt was, and is, the Divim Word of Light and Lfe, rhat was in the Beginning with God, and was and is God over aU ble.Di:d fer ever_. And thatthis may :yet more evidently appear, ler- it hut be ferioufly weigh'd, thH Antecedent to that vifible Appcar::tnce, the Seed bruited, in good Meafure, th~ Serptnt'.r Head, in the holy Men :J.nd W~men ofal.IGenerations, othc;rwtfe they h:1d not been holy, bu: Serpenrute ::tnd f~1ched. And if the Seed w:1s before, and thu Seerl be Chnft, becaufe there IS but one Chrift as well as but one Setd, it doth clearly follow that Chrift was ChrHl:, be[ore that outvMrd Appearana, and confequently, it could but be a 111,-e !xcdlcnt a!ld[ree 111anijejlaiion of his Truth, Righteoufnefs, Sal4 ''ation, Wifdom, Power, Glory, lnd Dominion, lS indeed it was. For notwithftandingtharthis heavenly Seed was in fame Meafure known, and wh:H was wrought of inward Deli\·er:mce, in that Day, w::ts by and tbrough the Power and Vinue of it, as the Minds of People were retired. .to the Word of God nigh in the Heart, to cieanfe and redeem : And tho~gh particular Perfons might :1rrive atgrelt Atr:linmenrs, even to a Beholdtng the Day of the Seed's comple:u Redemption, and Conqueft over all it's Op· preffors (when what was b1..1r in the Condition of a Seed1 or new-born Child, thould become rhe only Son, the Wonderjjd UJunftUor, the mighty God, tbe Ever!a{ling 'Fatht:r and tl:c Princt of.Peaee, of the Incrcaft of whofc Govtrn· me11t Iberefhall be no E'nd, as fpeaks the Prophet) Yet it is granted, through that good Underftanding the Lord hath given us in thefc weigh(y Thiogs, th:n the Generality .were bur weak. Dark and Imbondaged, as fitith the A· poftle1 under_Camn/ aud Beggar/1 Elements, not clearly teeing through thofe outward ServiceS; by which, ifl may .So fpeak, God held rhem in Hand condefcending to theit Weaknefs, that he might both keep them from gad· ding after the Pompous Invention, :tnd. Idolatrous Wo~ihipof orher Na.ttons, and point out unro them, under theu gre:It Camaltty, ti}.at more h1J· dm (;!orv and Spiritual Difpmfation, which fhould afit~r<fs be revealed, to wit, The compleat Redemption of tbe Soul, nd Reign of the Holy SeeJ, from the Child born, and the Son given, to tbc wonderful Counjc/Jor1 tb( ,nigh!} God, tfJe f;t.:erlaflin.( Father, and Prinu of Peilce, of rbt lncrel1}e cf Wbojc Goverm~ttnt, tbere jhtJ~ lte 1!0 Eml. St> that then we ought, and we do, by abfolute Force of Truth, con· elude ( J.) That theSrtd, which is Cbrifl, was in all Ages, wirh J1brahtJm, with the lfraelitu, with the Prophets, therefore he was as w~ll . bt/ore he came in that -prepa~d Body, as then and fince. (2.) Yer tusconfeit, that he was nor fo clearly revraleJ~ per[efi'J brougbr f ortJ1, and gen;:~":!n VoL. I. Tetlimgny Stated a.ml Vin~;,ated. ,bcwn hcfore hi.r Jo coming ttl then and fince but more d kl by Types and Shadowy Services 1 which thon!lh the c!ea ~ Y figured out redeep:a'd nor, yet did they fhew fdrth a more hiddJ tl!.li .d.nor, fav'd not, that.y.r~s able to clc:xnfe, fave and redeem and did :a~U)jf'tlf ~ubjlanc~, ve~ lt, and were t~uly fubjeB: ro it, :Jnd th~t both from' s· 'a t at re_ceL· Thah5 therefore lsnot at all .dbJurJ, thar the more .. ~~~:Od/'{t'hU; ~·) lion ot Truth, ibonld be typified and prophef!ed of d Jb . an e a· rbe L'r,ffer, fi'lfe the R,eafon ?£the Thing, and the Teltlm~qjO: ;pf["'$nr.of rure are fo exprefs for u, wb1ch Ends our Anfwer to this Particul~r~ c.np· CHAP. XVIJ. Tbe founb Pprl of the OhjeElion flared anJ eonjiJe d Ch "II' Sufferrngr confej[ed to and r~fpellcd . The re. · ~'~ . .r Dcoth and Tbe Light of Chrijl within is tie Ejjfci~nt 6 ':fre hSen,e/icz~lto Salvatitm. taken. llJJ.;e 10 a Vallon COf!lpf6tztlj HAving confidered the Third Part of1his great Ob' a· 1 _come to what chiefly itumbles the People Wirh R 1C ton, am ~ow wirbi~, at lea~; as ·I ~pprehend ; and that in this Fourtt:"pe~ ~o fthe L~gbt lar; VlZ. But 1J tbe Lrgbt in every Man be Chrifl bow d b ~n 3 part!~u~ nd art O/i.f ln~quiriu laid t~pon it.? and bow can, we he o~aid' he[,' ~ilftr .Sznr, Redeemed or Saved by ~fs Blood, jince a1J tbefe Thin ;· to e JU 1fied, Holy Pen· Men of !he Man Chrift or Jefus horn at l are fljo!rrn by~~ wboUy invalidate bi.r L;fe Death 'RifurrtOion 4fi e.tf!lehem d Surely yMJ by tb~ Befit/ of Yillrs ;; the Light within. ' ren;Jon, an .A1ediation,' F ThJSb\ 'W ;o be the very Srrefs of the Matter, collefred out of th It tJ~i~~ades und~~'ffasn~: our Adverfarics; to which I anfwer, and 1~/~irn It muU be confidered, in this !aft Part of the Ob 'e£\ion h tio~s can be applicable to the Light, and yet b~ recon~ilabie th?fe_ Quef· Scnptures, that feem to attribute all to his Bodily S ffi . wuh thofe ~ake appear, that as we exalt the firfl:, fo we dare no~ h~mgs. 1~.1hope to jlzght the !aft, J ~tny .u. eans to The Ligbt, or rather he that is Light in .Man for fa I have at red to be unde1ftood (Light being a Merapbor ~r a Word t k fiaya deliOlltw. zrd Day, and chiefly fo termed, becaufe ~f M.ait's DarR!cfin r~l!l ~~e there~y difc<_>vered) hath .been according to Scripture, as a Lam~ flw. Ific 15 the FoundatzonoftbeWorfd: That is the World had not be loam tn&e t~d, before Mmz being envied by Lucifer the fallen Angel wa:he ong cJeaf hts. In.nocency.by him; and Sin, by Difobedience, prevailing, theti.Jb 0 Prm<Iple .of Life, 11nder whofe holy Le.1dings Man was placed b g 1 0~ fijled,.grzeved, and as it were flain (which Word flain is alfo Met ec~m~ ~ That 1s to fay, t~e innocent pure Life, was, as it were, woundrd un~~ !{" b through D.lfobedtence; and ~hat Lamh-likc 1rn:~ge, in which Adam wa:ar ~ a ted, by h1m through Rebellion loft. Thus that Holy Principle which G~d: placed tn the Heart of Adam, in which was true Light Li/e d .P: ~ore the Sin, ~as preft under it~ as a Cart under. Sheave~ griev~ 0d; · tngly! and asH were, quench'd with Iniquity. excee .Tins h~th been .the Condition of that Precious and Elea S'ced s · · : L.tgh!, Ltfe, Truth, or whatever Name, EquiValent :xny rna '1' ~mr, gtve u, ever ~nee that.firfi Rebel1i?n, to this very Day. And ~s fn Wick~ ed Men, Gods Ho!y L1ght and Spait; or that Principle which is fo call· ed, h:nh been deeply \Vounded, yea, as One Slain. fo in Good Men, tha~ have had a Senfe of the World's Abomination, hath ir alfo born rna y . Burdens ~nd .Weights; for the Light a·nd Life is One in All, though n~f tre:ne~ alike 10 All.-· And thof~ who have been Reformed by ir, and Jovn· c1 to H, hav; been as <?ne Spmf, and have not been wirhout' their Sh3re o the Lord s heavy Sulfenngs, from th• Ungodly )Vor!d ;. wbich u·,u .u ,.,J1 Ch. XVII. VY:'\;..1 |
