BOOK THE FIFTH.

One God, the Righteousness of God and Christ.

Now there are many pretended Gods worshipped on the Earth, but in this Book you will only find one God, and that he is a just God and a Saviour, and that he is sufficient for our salvation. Now, this is a blessed work, well worthy of your consideration.

And now, my fellow sinners, we see and feel, and that by our proud lustful and sinful nature and cruel practices, that we have debased ourselves near unto the lowest hell, and that we have merited God's wrath and displeasure against us, and who is there now to be found that can deliver us from eternal burnings? If we look unto our idols, they cannot save us-or if we cry unto all the gods of this world, they are all as weak and as helpless as ourselves, and cannot rescue one poor sinful soul from hell; neither can any one redeem his brother, or give to God a ransom for him. Therefore, my fellow sinners, seeing that these things are so, let us therefore, by divine grace, return unto our offended Father, and that, with a deep contrition of heart, implore the righteous merits of Christ's blood for our salvation: for there is but one true and living just God and Saviour, and he is the maker of all, therefore there is no honour nor glory that we ought to give to another; therefore thus saith the Lord, let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might; let not the rich man glory in his riches, but let him that glorieth, glory in this that he understandeth, and knoweth me that I am the Lord which exercise loving kindness, judgment and righteousness in the earth, for in these things I delight, saith the Lord. (Jerm. ix. 23.) And I believe that every child of God will say Amen, so be my Lord and my God. Know, therefore, this day, and

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consider it in thine heart, that the Lord he is God, in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath; and he is the true and living God, and there is none else. (Deut. iv. 39.) Before me, saith he, there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me; I, even I, am the Lord, and beside me there is no Saviour. (Isaiah xliii 11.) Is there a God beside me? saith the holy one- -yea, there is no God; I know not any : for thus saith the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of Hosts, I am the first, and I am the last, and besides me there is no God. (chap. lxiv., again see chap. xlv., see also in this chapter.) That the Lord he is God, and that he is righteous and good, a just God and a Saviour. Neither hath he said unto the seed of Jacob, seek ye me in vain; but he hath said, look unto me and be ye saved all the ends of the earth, for I am God and there is none else. (Isaiah xlv. see chap. Ixvi. 9.) And again, the word of the Lord came unto Jeremiah the prophet, saying, behold I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is there any thing too hard for me. (chap. xxxii. 27-see 1 Cor. viii. 4.) And again, it is said in another place, that thou, even thou, art Lord alone, thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein; the seas and all that is therein, and thou preserveth them all, and the host of heaven worshippeth thee. (Nehemiah ix. 6.) And who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgressions of the remnant of his heritage; he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. (Micha vii. 18.)

Now, speaking of anger, my brethren, we know that our anger is oftimes retained in sin; but this is not so with God, for I believe that thine anger is righteous O Lord, and that it is thy displeasure against us because of our sins. Is not thy anger excited or stirred up by thy divine justice, as thy mercy is by Christ, for thou art righteous O Lord, even a just God and Saviour. And now, O Lord, may thy ways be my ways, and thy righteousness any righteousness, and thy mercy my mercy, and thy love my love, and thy law my law, and thy people my people, and thy son my Saviour, and so be it unto all them that love thee, Amen. ⠀i

And now my readers, you have heard of many strange religions in the world, but you may plainly see, if you look into the word of God, that he is God, and that all other gods are but idols; but you, perhaps, may say to me, why then do so many people in the world worship those idols ?Why, my short answer is this, because men in ancient times, I be

lieve, by the subtlety of the devil and the fall of man, and by pride and wicked lust of the flesh, and sinful ambition whose minds were for worldly things, and to neglect prayer which is due to that supreme Being above; therefore by these things and the like, I believe that they have left the straight path of duty which belongeth to God, and so have grieved the holy spirit of grace so as to have departed from them. for a season, for God knowing that the imaginations of the heart of them and their offspring was to do evil, therefore I believe that God hath left them at times to the imagination of their own hearts, and to the worship of idols; for if a man do not, by the help of God, strive to keep the grace of God within his soul he then surely will fall away to some idol; but these idols, they may prove, but they cannot make them happy, for there is no peace saith my God to the wicked, so by their wickedness they have hindered the beauty of God's grace and the gospel of Christ, so that it cannot hardly take possession of their souls; but notwithstanding, although there may be some nations in this miserable condition, but yet I believe that God giveth them a law in their mind and a conscience within; and this often times admonisheth and testifieth unto them of what is wrong, and of that which is right in many things, and that they should shew mercy and kindness to one another; and I also believe that the oppressed and obedient, and humble souls that would feign shew mercy and love to their fellow creatures, and would wish to live in peace with all men, as much as it lieth in their power, although they may not know rightly the plan of salvation, yet at the same time I believe that such will be saved, and that by the righteousness of the Lord Jesus, if they worship that Supreme Being, as well as they know how, let them be of what nation, tongue, or people they may be; for behold it is said, that mercy rejoiceth against judgment; but on the other hand it is said, he shall have judgment without mercy, who hath showed no mercy; but now, in short, 1 shall only point out to you now, two places in the word of God, whereby, and the cause whereby the nations have provoked the Lord to anger, which you may find in the 12th chapter of Deuteronomy: observe the 31st verse, and again see Saint Paul to the Romans, chap. i., the 18th to the 32nd verses, and there you may have a more full description of them. But leaving these things to your 'consideration, I must, by the help of God, proceed on to the Redeemer's righteousness, which is most worthy of your at

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tention. And now, my dear readers, if you look into some of my other Books, that is, into the little book, called the Goodness of God, or the Sufferings of Christ, and the such like, and there you will see in reality the tender mercy and love of God, in giving his beloved Son out of his bosom for our salvation. For, behold it is said, for unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called wonderful, counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. (Isaiah ix. 6.) But now, Christ to be the mighty God, the everlasting Father, is an important text, and I suppose that by some it hath been doubted of, and that it hath been said by some that the second person in the Trinity is not God, and I find that some have said that Christ is but mere man, and that every saint is as much God as Christ is, and they say, that to equal Christ with God is high blasphemy. But such people err, my beloved brethren, and that by the neglect of prayer, and not rightly understanding nor considering the Holy Scripture. But the humble soul that is taught of God shall know for himself, nevertheless I say that is for Christ to be the mighty God, the everlasting Father. This may be rather mysterious to some, and if these words were to be put to some Christians, perhaps they could scarce tell how to explain them. But if you will allow me the expression, that is, one passage of Scripture is a key to open or discover unto us another; therefore, you may plainly see as follows-how Christ bears this excellent character: for saith he, I and my Father are one. (John x. 30.)

I believe that they are two persons indeed, but they are so united in one most glorious, holy, and true spirit, and in holy, grand dignity, so co-equal; so it appears to me that this holy divine spirit, being so co-equal, cannot be disunited, and Saint Paul saith, he is over all gods, blessed for ever, Amen. (Rom. ix. 5) Even the brightness of his Father's glory, and the express image of his person; and again, when he bringeth in the first begotten into the world, he saith, and let all the angels of God worship him, and again of the Son he saith, thy throne O God is for ever and ever. (See Heb. i.) Therefore it appears that God calleth the Son God and commandest the angels to worship him, therefore he is God, and of God, blessed for ever, Amen. And it appears that he is a mighty God, and that by his works and miracles (see my Book of the miracles of Christ) and again for might and

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power see him raise from the dead; and again after this, saith he to his disciples, all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. (Matt. xxviii. 18.) For he is Lord of lords, and King of kings. (Rev. xvii. 14.) But again, how can he be the everlasting Father? Why my dear friends, he is in the Father, and the Father in him, and the world was made by him. (John i. 10.) And it appears to me, that the Father and the Son, and the Holy Ghost agree in one. When God said let us make man in our own image, after our likeness; therefore in sum it is this God in Christ, and Christ in God is the everlasting Father, and he is our righteousness, and he hath led captivity captive, and ascended on high, and received gifts for men. (Psalm 1xviii. 18.-Ephes iv. 8.) Therefore I will trust and not be afraid; for he also is become my salvation. (Isaiah xii. 2.) The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places. (Psalm xvi. 6.) For the Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek. (Psalm cx. 4.) But now it may be that some of my readers may have a desire to know who this Melchizedek was, therefore, observe, that is, where you meet with easy passages of scripture in some places, I say but very little about it, because it is easy to be understood, and it would make my work more expensive; but where you find some things somewhat hard to be understood, I say, these things, I endeavour, by the help of God, to explain in as easy a way as I can; so that my weak readers, or those of little understanding may be somewhat edified and profited thereby.

Now, probably it may be, that some may think that this Melchizedek was only a mere man, as a priest on earth, acting for God in Canaan: but this appears to me somewhat strange, because I cannot find that the scripture speaks but very little of it, except it be in this history of Abraham.!! (Gen. xiv.) And again, it appears to me, that Canaan or the! Canaanites were descendants from Ham, who by prediction was cursed by Noah. (See Gen. ix. 25.) Therefore it is rather doubtful whether they enjoyed such a high degree of holy religion as this, or whether they had much communion with such a heavenly priest as this Melchizedek; but yet its appears that this holy priest met with Abraham there after his return from the war, and brought him bread and wine and blessed him; but still it appears to me that he must be something more than mere man, because it appears that St.

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