and bring thy deeds to it, and walk in it;* so shalt thou become a child of it, and have right to inherit the precious promises, and possess and enjoy the glorious privileges, which thou hast hitherto only professed, heard, and read of in the holy scriptures. So wilt thou come to inherit substance, and soon be wiser than former teachers; and of a titular Christian thou wilt become a Christian indeed, an Israelite indeed, a Jew inward indeed, whose praise is of God, and not of men. W. S. THE TRUE CHRISTIAN'S FAITH AND EXPERIENCE DECLARED, CONCERNING GOD, CHRIST, THE SPIRIT, &c. FIRST, CONCERNING GOD. *God is infinite and incomprehensible in himself, and all the words of men and angels cannot define him, as he is, being in all, through all, and above all. And the various names given him throughout the holy scriptures, were according to the manifestation or appearance and operation of his spirit in their hearts that wrote them, and according to the state it found them in, when it appeared to them; hence he is called a consuming fire. Our God is a consuming fire, and his word as a hammer, and as a fire, and a jealous and angry God, who as a devouring fire goes The true Christian believes there is one God, who is a spirit, pure in essence, omnipresent in being, incomprehensible and almighty in power.* And he demonstrateth his faith and experience after this manner; he has received a manifestation of him in his own heart, mind and spirit; and so is come to know him pure, and omnipresent by his work and operation therein; he can say, that God is pure of a truth, because he findeth his appearance so pure and holy in his heart, that it will not allow nor suffer so much as a vain thought to lodge there, nor no unclean thing to be touched. • John iii. 21. And this true Christian is a true witness of the truth of those scriptures, Hab. i. 13. Jer. xvii. 10, and 15, 19, which saith, that God is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity; and that he searcheth the heart, and trieth the reins, "and divideth betwixt the precious and the vile," betwixt thought and thought, word and word, work and work. And further, he is a true witness, that God is Almighty in power, because he hath, by his mighty power, broken down those strong holds formerly builded in his heart by the enemy of his soul; cast down imaginations, and every high thing that exalted itself against the knowledge of God; bringing into captivity every thought into the obedience of Christ. And he knoweth the dark mountains, at which his feet stumbled, removed, and the rocks rended, and the raging wave stilled, and that tongue and nature bridled, which no man could tame. But before this be witnessed, he hath known him to sit as a "refiner's fire, and fuller's soap, and as aspirit of judgment and burning;"* and so became a living witness of what he hath seen, felt, heard, and understood, by the mighty working of his holy spirit in his mortal body. The titular Christian, he saith he believeth in one God, who is pure, omnipresent, and Almighty; (take his word and there is no difference.) But how doth he demonstrate his faith, that to him there is but one God? Why, he hath heard a rela through the briars and thorns, and consumes them; and the day of his appearance among these briars and thorns, thistles, and stubble, is compared to the burning of fire in an oven, in which the wicked cannot dwell. And others could call him by quite contrary names, even according to the operation of his spirit in them, and by the same could say, that God is love, and his word was as milk, and sweeter than honey or the honey-comb, and that the light of his countenance was better than the increase of corn, wine, and oil; and that he was a shield and a shadow of a rock in a weary land; and his name as a strong tower, and a safe dwelling place, and as a precious ointment poured forth; and his face or presence, glory and power, which is terrible to the worker of iniquity, is pleasant and desirable by those that witness Sion's redemption, by the spirit of judgment and burning, from iniquity. These things are known now, as in former ages. The same ark, whose presence troubled and plagued the Philistines, was the glory of Israel. The same hand and power that smites and destroyeth the Egyptian, saves and delivers the Israelite. The same spirit of truth that reproveth the world of sin, is the comforter of those that are made free by it from sin. The same breath that breathed life in the beginning, before sin entered, * Mal. iii. 3. C kindleth the fire that tormenteth tion of him, his oneness, his purity, the wicked. He that can under- and Almightiness in the holy scripstand, let him. tures, and he hath been educated and trained up in the traditions of his forefathers, and so his knowledge of God he professeth is acquired therefrom. He hath read in some book, or some body hath told him, that God is one, pure, omnipresent, and Almighty, and he grounds his faith and knowledge upon this tradition and history, and professeth God and his attributes, in words, but is not a living witness of the same within himself. And so, notwithstanding he professeth one God, he liveth in the world which hath many Gods, and worships and falls down before them. Every beloved lust, obeyed, is a God. Let the titular Christian profess what he will, he that committeth sin is the servant of it, and therein is no believer, worshipper, nor knower of the true God, his purity nor Almightiness; because his heart remaineth corrupt and rocky, and the mountains of darkness and ignorance remain unremoved, and the strong holds of satan unbroken down, his thoughts and imaginations unsubjected to the obedience of Christ, his will, tongue, and nature unbridled, the dross, tin, and rubbish remains, and is as a grave to the pure metal. This titular Christian contents himself to hear or read of God, as a refiner's fire, and as fuller's soap, and as a spirit of judgment and burning, and of his cleansing and purifying some in former generations; but loves not, nor cares not to know him so in himself; but rather despiseth and hateth his pure appearance in him, (whose first work is to convince him of sin, righteousness, and judgment,) which is compared to a little silver amongst much dross, a little seed amongst many great ones, and to a little leaven hid in three measures of meal; which silver cannot be parted, separated, and enjoyed, but by the appearance of God within, as a refiner's fire, to purge away the dross, and take away the tin also, which is somewhat like the silver, whereby the titular Christian is deceived. Neither can the little seed grow up till the rubbish be taken away, and the ground that is cursed removed, and the heart made honest, which is the good ground wherein the seed of the kingdom grows to perfection. Neither can the little leaven work through and leaven the three measures of meal, till that be taken away which lets and hinders, viz. unbelief and hardness of heart. Now this day of small things, this day of Jacob's troubles, wherein he goes through the refiner's fire, this little seed, this little leaven is overlooked, despised, and slighted by the titular Christian, who in his own conceit is exalted and puffed up above the pure appearance of God in his heart, which to know and obey is the gate of all true wisdom and knowledge; and is grown so tall, great and wise in his own thoughts and imaginations, that he cannot walk in the straight way, nor go in at the door of the sheep-fold, but would climb up some other way, and so contents him self with a traditional historical profession of God in words, and denies him in works. And all the knowledge and experience he hath of God, his purity, oneness, and Almightiness, is but as some body hath told him, or as he hath in an unsanctified and unprepared heart, read in the holy scriptures, which knowledge avails nothing, except accompanied with a living experience of the same power, working after the same manner as it did in others in times past, who have left their testimonies thereof upon record. II. The True Christian's Faith and Experience concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. The true Christian believes in one Lord Jesus Christ, who came from the bosom of the Father, who is the son of the true God, by whom he made the world; and that this Lord Jesus Christ is his saviour, redeemer, sanctifier, and cleanser, by his precious blood, and is to him as a king, priest, and prophet, &c. And he demonstrateth his faith in this manner, in being obedient to him as he is Lord, in being saved by him from sin as he is Jesus, and by his learning of him, and being taught by him, as he is Christ, or the anointing. So he can call him Lord Jesus Christ in truth and righteousness, having truly learned his name and nature, through obedience to his cross and a cleansing by his precious blood. And so he not only reads, hears, and professes the benefits and privileges which the primitive Christians partook of and enjoyed by believing in and receiving of Christ, but experimentally partaketh of, and enjoyeth the same; and the spirit of God beareth witness with his spirit,* that he is a child of God, and a joint heir with Christ, bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh; and that he hath the mind of Christ, and that Christ lives in him, and is greater in him than he that is in the world. And as the old adversary, the devil, is strong and powerful to tempt, and ready on the one hand, and on the other, to draw and allure into evil; so he knoweth his Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ as near, and as ready, and more powerful to deliver, save, and preserve him from falling into evil and temptation. And he is not only enabled to resist the devil, but to make him flee also. Thus in truth can the true Christian call Christ the captain of his salvation; who being armed with his power, fights as he did, and followeth him, and sits down in heavenly places with him, triumphing over sin, death, hell, and the grave. So the true Christian proveth himself so, by denying himself, and taking up his cross daily, and following of Christ; and that he be Rom. viii. 16. lieveth in him, because he enjoyeth everlasting life, and abides not in death and darkness, but hath overcome the wicked one. And that he is his Lord, because he doth the thing he saith or commandeth; and that he loveth him, because he keepeth his commandments, and hath received power to become the son of God; and further, hath a name better than the name of sons and daughters. The titular Christian saith, he believeth in one Lord Jesus Christ, the son of the true God, by whom he made the world. And that this Lord Jesus Christ is his saviour, redeemer, and sanctifier by his precious blood, &c. and professeth him as king, priest, and prophet; and in all his attributes and offices. But how doth he demonstrate and show forth his belief and profession? How is he his Lord? Doth he do the thing he saith? How is he his saviour? Is he saved by him from the committing of sin, and redeemed from a vain conversation? How doth he believe in him as Christ, or the anointing? Is he taught by him? How is he his king, priest, and prophet? Doth he rule in his heart as king? Are all his services, sacrifices, and offerings offered up by and through his hand, as priest? Doth he hear him in all things, as the prophet whom God hath raised like unto Moses? No, the titular Christian hath no knowledge of him after this manner, neither doth he believe it is attainable on this side the grave, nor possible to obey him as Lord, nor to be saved by him from sin, as Jesus, nor taught by him, as Christ or the anointing, nor that he can be washed, cleansed, and sanctified by his precious blood, from the stains, spots, and defilements of the world, flesh, and the devil, while he bears about this body of clay. He contents himself with a corrupt, traditional faith, which hath sprung up in the dark night of apostacy; which is certainly a very venomous, pernicious weed of the devil's kingdom, which hath poisoned and destroyed the souls of many, and is now grown to such maturity, and clothed with such beauty to the eye of the titular Christian, though thereby he is taught to believe that it is not possible to cease from sin, nor to have his heart purified, nor to overcome the devil, and gain victory over the world. And further, that notwithstanding he committeth sin daily, and liveth in the act of it, term of life in this world, he is hereby taught to believe, that Christ will save him from the guilt and punishment of it in the world to come. It may be said of this titular Christian's faith, as it was once said of Saul and David, looseness and atheism hath slain its thousands, but this its ten thousands. So, although he hears and reads what Christ did in and for those that believed in him, and of the powerful virtue and operation of that ancient Christian faith, which was once delivered to the saints, and borne witness to by the holy scriptures. Yet he neither hopes, believes, nor expects to witness the same wrought in him, and for him. They |
