Mark. To. 51. Phil. 3. 3 Vfe. 2. Efa.. 42.8. Joh. 15. 2 l.uk. i3. 33. Mat. 23. 35. Gal. 4.29. 7he.Fathers great Love, Spirit onely ; Oh then : thir will make the heart of man lament, and fay, what a hard heart have I ? I cannot goe one f ep towards mySaviour 5 this makes him cry out, and fay, come LordJeJus and open my blind eyes, that I may re- ceive myfighr, and thouSon of Davidhaver mercy on me ; and there is none but thou alone can cure my leprofe, and fave my fpirit, or elfe I pedal, I periíhfor ever : and this is that:' which makes man to have the true circumcifacn, and to saw- fhip God in the Spirit, andhave noconfidence in theftefh. Then if it be the Fathers power andfpirit,that onelydraws menunto Chrift : Then neither man nor Magiflrates can drag or drive them thither : the work of the Father is his Glyn work, and he bath notfubft;tutedany other in his place ; for he will notgive his glory to another, neither fuller his holy name to bepolluted. Now ifit be than, that unlel e the Fa- ther drawmanunto Chrift, man cannot come, then it muff needs be lyes and vanity for any of the Ions ofmen to take upon them, and fay they cm; and they muff aft fomething, ei- ther to drawor drivemen untoChrift ; we know this hath been theundertakings ofall ages and times ; but what was the fruit ofit ? Under pretence of doing God good fervice,they have (lied the bloodof the Saints, that it might be fulfilled that not a Prophetperifheth 07) Tof Jeru(ulem ; for í1i11 in all ages, who have more perfecuted the Gofpel, and the true Profeffours thereof, then thofe who {-hew fnff Zeal and profeilionof it ? Chrift andall the Prophets and Al oflles, and generally all the Martyrs have fiuffered upon this ac- count ; that upon themmight come all the blood flied upon the earth, front the blood of the righteous Abel , to this ve,y day ; and that the bond-woman alwayes perfecutes thofe' that are from above. Now, I fay, for the Magiflrates to fay, they can propagate the Gofpel, and keep back errours ; alas ! what is all ofthis nature, but high prefumption againft thepower andabfolute Authority ofJefus Chrift, and taking thegovern- ment ofthe Churchout ofhis Hand, and proclaiming .them- felves wifer then He ? But I (hall but propofe to thefe poor fclfe-wifeCreatures, thefe one or two things. Are they able to rule themfelves, and to keep errours out of their own hearts ?
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=