THE AXE, AGAINST SIN and ERROR; and the Truth Conquering.  
A Sermon on Matthew 3. 10.  
Now also the axe is laid to the root of the trees, therefore every tree, that bringeth not forth good fruit, is hewn down, and cast into the fire.  
At which, a Christian confessed, she was converted; and because it did good to her, desired it might be preached again at her funeral, that it might do good to others, (saying, they must be hewn down, before they can be converted, or builded up) which Satan (as he did Paul) hindered, which caused me the rather to write it out, and send it to the press, because the Enemy hate it, lest it should convert more, and endamage his kingdom, which I have sent foth as John, a forerunner, to make way for a more excellent Work of the counsel of Christ to England; wherein are showed the causes of the sword upon England, and on the Lutherans, and the remedies that must be used, before the Judgements cease.  
Written by John Eachard, M. A. of Trin. Col. Camb. and Pastor of Darsham in Suffolk.  Matthew 12. 33. 
Either make the tree good, and the fruit good; or the tree evil, and the fruit evil.  Rev. 3. 5. & 12. 
A white-raiment Christian, and a citizen of the new Jerusalem.  
Published according to Order.  
LONDON, Printed by Matthew Simmons, and are to be sold by John Hancock at his Shop in Popes-head Alley, 1646.   

To all the friends of the Bridegroom, the white-raiment Christians, and citizens of the New Jerusalem.  
Dear and faithful Brethren, Mr. Brightman fore-prophesied of a Church to arise, that should be the Woman clothed with the Sun, which should glitter on every side round about, with the most clear light of the Scripture, of the Sun of righteousness, in the doctrine of justification (as you may see, on Rev. 19 17. and chap. 12. 1.) with the clear knowledge whereof, she being adorned, as it were, with a goodly garment, came forth abroad, and laid herself open to the view of the world. And Rest (saith he) shall be the natural daughter of the woman, clothed with the Sun, (meaning a spiritual rest) which are the most entire and chaste Congregation of all the rest, (yet no Sect) which above others shine with this glorious array; And it seemeth, (saith he) that all the chief stress and violence of the last battle in the West, shall be turned against that holy Congregation, which we said right now, to stand glittering in the Sun, which are the hill of precious fruits, and the mountain full of holy pleasures, of which God maketh more account then 
See 2 Esdr. 7. 26. 34, 35. See 2 Esdr. 6. 28.  of all delight some things in the world. Now you white raiment Christians, are this woman, clothed with the Sun; for you all believe that you are clothed with the Sun of righteousness, and stand in him before God: Here is an axe for you; for the blessing of Joshua belongs to you, which he spoke to the children of Joseph. Thou art a great people, and hast great power, therefore the mountain stall be thine, for it is a wood, and thou shalt cut it down, and the ends of it shall be thine, and thou shalt cast out the Canaanites, though they have iron Chariots, and though they be strong, J●sh 17. So here are mountains of sins, errors and false religions, in England and Ireland, it is a wood of Sects, schisms and Heresies, but thou hast cut them down, for thou art a great people, and hast great power (with the Lord in prayer) and England shall be thine, and thou shalt cast out the Canaanites of sin, Idolatry, and false Religions, though they have Ordnance of iron, and though they be strong, lay this axe of the Law to the root of them; and show them, that now also every tree, i. Religion, Church, Sect, or man, that bringeth forth sin before God, (Isai. 1. 16.) is hewn down and cast into the fire of God wrath, for the wrath of God is now revealed from heaven against all unrighteousness of men, which withhold truth in unrighteousness (Rom. 1. 18) for the hour of temptation is come, to try them that are upon the face of the earth, Rev. 2. 10. in which friends shall fight with friends, as with enemies, and the earth shalll fear with them, 2 Esdr. 6. 22. when there shall be seen an earthquake in the world, and an up●ore of the people, that is, the time wherein the most High will begin to 
See 2 Esdras 15 ●. 6. 14, 15, 16, 17, 8, 19 22, 23, 24, 26, 26, 37. See 2 Esd 16. 10, 11. 14, 15. 19 5. 33. 8. 46.  visit the world which he made, 2 Esdra. 9 4. & 3 hard it is for men to keep faith and a good conscience now, yea, the strongest faith shall find it difficult. Would not you be glad to be delivered from this hour of temptation? and were it not labour worth the pains, to show that you shall be delivered? And though all evil trees shall be cut down with the a● of the Law; yet that you are good trees of righteousness, of his own planting, that God may be glori●ied, and shall be saved? Isai. 61. ●. Come forth, come forth thou King's daughter, all glorious within, all light in the Lord, the Sun of righteousness, show thyself to the world, thy garments are of broidered gold, Psal. 45. 13. that is, of the merits of Christ crucified, death and resurrection, given you freely in your baptism into Christ's death, for remission of sins, Rom. 6. 3, 4, Acts 2. 38. and are made glorious in the Sun of righteousness, that is risen upon you, Mal. 2. 4. show yourselves to the world, for the stress● of the ba●●ell in the West (you hear) shall be against you, but you shall overcome by faith, 1 John 5 4. when the axe shall cut down the wicked, yet fear not; you are got into the Sun, and therefore are out of gunshot for your souls, yet put on the whole armour of God, Eph. 6. 14. and gird up the loins of your minds, with the girdle of verity, and put on the breastplate of Christ's righteousness; and above all, take the shield of faith in your baptism, and in the blood of the Lamb, wherewith you may quench all the fiery darts of the wicked, and take the helm●t of salvation in Christ, that you are in him that is true, 1 John 5. 20. and the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God; and your feet thod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace, that testi●ies of Jesus, that came by water▪ and blood, not by water only, but by water and blood; 'tis the Spirit that beareth witness, and that Spirit is truth, and shall conquer. Therefore stand fast, and pray, with all manner of pra●er, and supplications, in the Spirit that testifieth of the water and blood of Christ, for remission of your sins, and you shall overcome: For you have a strong city, (of the new Jerusalem) salvation shall 
All that get into this city are safe.  God set for wa●ls and bulwarks, Isai. 26. 1. open ye the gates of it, Rev. 22. 14. that you the righteous nation, that keep the truth, ma● enter in; for by an assured purpose, will Christ preserve perfect peace for you, because you trusted in him vers. 3 O trust in the Lord Jesus for ever, for in the Lord (our righteousness, Jer. 23. 6.) is strength for evermore, vers. 4. for he will bring down them that dwell on high, that fight against you, the high city (of Rome) will he abase even unto the ground, and bring it unto the dust, v. 5. that your fee● shall tread it down, and all doctrine of infidelity. I call you white-raiment Christians; if any ask my reasons, they are these:  
First, because you are the few names in Laodicca, of England, (as well as in Sardis) that have not defiled your garments, (● by a false faith, or reigning sin) therefore you shall walk with Christ in white. for you are worthy, Rev 3. 4. 
M●. Mi. Con. M●. Mi. Con.   
Secondly, whosoever overcomes, shall be clo●hed with white raiment, saith Christ. Rev. 3. 5. but you have overcome, 1 John 4. 4. Ergo, you shall be clothed with i●, and therefore shall be white-raiment Christians: for whomsoever Christ saith shall be clothed with white raiment, I may truly call a white-raiment Christian; but you overcomers are they, that chest saith shall be clothed with white raiment, E●go, I may truly call you white-raiment Christians.  
Thirdly, whosoever have bought of Christ white raiment, that he may be 
Ma.  clothed, that the shame of his nakedness may not appear, may be called a white-raiment Christian, because he hath bought it, Rev. ●. 18. But you are 
Mi. Con. Ma. Mi. Con. Ma.  they, Ergo. Again, whosoever watcheth, and keepeth Christ's garments that are white, as (Rev 3. 18.) lest he walk naked, and they see his shame, is a blessed white-raiment Christian, as Rev. 16. 15. But you are such, Ergo, you are blessed white-raiment Christians.  
Also you are citizens of the new Jerusalem; for on whomsoever Christ will write upon, the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which cometh down from my God out of heaven, Rev. 3. 12. shall rightly be called a citizen of the new Jerusalem; but on you that have overcome, Christ will write the 
Mi. Con.  name of the new Jerusalem, Rev 3. 12. Ergo, you shall be called citizens of the new Jerusalem.  
This was spoken to Philadelphia, not to us of Laodicea. I answer, whatsoever 
Object.  was spoken to any one of the seven Churches, runs into the last: for let him that hath an ear, hear what the Spirit saith to the Churches, Rev. 3. it saith it to you, overcomers in Laodicea, in England, for, what I say to you, I say to all, Mark 13. Now concerning the Philadelphians, that were admonished by Christ, to hold fast that they had, that no man take their crown, Rev. 3. 11. I gather the Philadelphians being admonished, to hold it fast, should lose it, for if man must hold fast a crown, he will lose it, and that the La●d ceans should take it from them; for the white-raiment Christians that have overcome, and taken Christ's counsel, Rev. 3. 18. shall take their crown from them, to be called, first citizens of the new Jerusalem; And you shall take the crown from the Lutherans▪ (because they defiled their garments, and their works were not perfect before God, Rev 3. 2, & 3.) and shall be called first White raiment Christians.  
Secondly, whosoever is come to the celestial Jerusalem, and to be citizens 
Ma. Mi.  with the Saints, and of the household of God, are citizens of the new Jerusalem; but by the blood of Christ in baptism, and by faith, Eph. 2. 13. Rev. 1. 5. you are come to the celestial Jerusalem, Heb 12. 22. and to be citizens with the Saints, and of the household of God, Ephes. 2. 19 Ergo, you are citizens of 
Con.  the mew Jerusalem; therefore call yourselves no more the Church of England, or of the Lu●herans, or the like, for they are shaken, and shall be removed, Heb. 12. 27. but call yourselves white-raiment Christians, and citizens of the new Jerusalem, for you see God calls you so. Now your city is of pure gold, like clear glass, Rev. 21. 18. for your city of the new Jerusalem, is built of pure gold, that Christ hath counselled you to buy of him, Rev 3. 18. which is the lively faith, in the merit● of Christ's death. in our baptism, for remission of sins, (Acts 2. 38.) in the first love of Christ, (not of such as have taken a new baptism, and so forsaken their first love of Christ, as the Church of Ephesus did, and therefore the candlestick of the Church was removed out of their place, Rev. 2. 5. because they took a second baptism, and forsook their first, for which cause, the council of Nice made it an Article of their Creed (I believe one baptism, for the remission of sins) and it is like clear glass, because through this golden glass of your baptism, wherein you were washed, sanctified, and justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God, 1 Cor. 6. 1●. you may see the face of God through it, what a reconciled, merciful, and loving Father he is to you, that hath sealed a new Covenant to you, to become your father, and you his children, and that your sins and iniquities shall be remembered no more, Heb. 8. 12. and you may see through this 
Hebr. 8.  glass of your baptism, the face of Jesus, what a blessed, meek, and loving Saviour he is to you, that hath loved you, and gave himself for you, (Gal. 2. 20.) and washed you from your sins, in his own blood, and made you Kings and Priests to God his Father, Ephes. 5. 25. Rev. 1. 5. and you may see as in a glass, (1 Cor. 13. 12▪) what a blessed, holy, and sweet Comforter you have, that hath washed you in the new birth, and the renewing of the holy Ghost, Titus 3. 5. And the street of your city is of pure gold, like to transparent glass, Rev. 21. 21. O walk in this golden street, for it is transparent, like perspective glass; for, as he that hath a good perspective glass may see far off, so may you, even your sins, set as far as the East is from the West, Psal. 103. 12. Peter complaineth 
2 Pet. 1. 9  of many that are blind, and cannot see far off, because they have forgotten their baptism, wherein they were washed from their old sins; they have forgotten this transparent glass. But all you citizens of the new Jerusalem, walk in this golden street of your baptism, it is a perspective glass; and as in a perspective glass, men look through two glasses, so in this there are two glasses, the first is made of the pure river, of the water of life, clear as crystal, which is the pure water of baptism, Heb. 10. 23. the second is the blood of the 
Rev. 22. 1.  Lamb; both these meet in one, look through them both together, and anoint your eyes with eyesalve of the Spirit, and you shall see far off, even into heaven, and behold Christ to be your wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption, 1 Cor. 1. 30. and your blessedness, happiness, holiness, eternal life, everlasting glory, immortality; yea, thou may see thy name written in heaven: through this golden clear glass of thy baptism, which thou receivedst in thine Infancy, and now walk in this golden street by faith, you may be assured, and rejoice, that your names are written in heaven, Luke 10. 20. Quest. How know you that? Answ. There be three which bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the holy Ghost, these three are one, and bear record in heaven, that he hath given you a new name, Rev. 2. 17. in baptism, for all your names were Adam before, Gen. 5. 2. but they bear record, that he hath given you a new name and his own new name, Rev. 3. 12. And there be three which bear record in earth, the Spirit, and water, and blood, these three agree in one, that your names are written in heaven; for to whomsoever 
Ma. Mi. Con.  God hath given eternal life, which life is in his Son Jesus Christ, his name is written in heaven. But the three in heaven, and the three in earth, do bear witness, that he hath given you eternal life, 1 John 5. 7, 8. 11. Ergo, your names are written in heaven, that believe it on this ground, and you are let into Paradise again; for though Adam, and all his children, were shut out of it, and the cherubin with a flaming sword, which turned every way, to keep the tree of life, Gen. 3. which signifieth this axe of the fiery Law, Deut. 33. 2▪ 
See 2 Esdra 8. 52, 53, 54, to 63.  given by Angels (Acts▪ 7. 53.) keepeth every man from the Paradise, of assurance of salvation; for this axe of the Law cuts men off, and shuts them out, every way, for original or actual sins, man's merits, or human righteousness; whosoever hath but one sin is cut down by the Law. But by your baptism into Christ, you are let into Paradise again, and have now right and title by your baptism, and by faith, to eat of all the trees in the garden, i. title to all things to be yours, and you are Christ's, 1 Cor. 3. And you may eat of the tree of life in the midst of the Paradise of God, Rev. 2. 7. that is, of Christ in the Supper, and be more sure of eternal life, than the tree of life could have made Adam, and shall be kept in the Paradise of God's protection: For thus saith the Lord, Because you have kept the word of my patience, I will deliver thee from the hour of temptation, that is come upon all the world, to try them that are upon the face of the earth, Rev. 3. 10. Now, what is the word of Christ's patience, but the faith of baptism into Christ crucified, for the remission of our sins? for the word of Christ's patience, is the faith in Christ crucified, which Paul desired only to know, 1 Cor. 2. Now what is a man the better, to 
1 Cor. 2. 2.  say, I believe Christ was crucified, dead and buried, except he keep the faith of it for remission of his sins? for the devils believe so much. But the word of Christ's patience, which you keep, is this, that you say, and believe, that I am in him that is true, in that his Son Jesus Christ, 1 John 5. 20. in whom I am crucified, and dead, and buried, and risen again with Christ in my baptism, into Christ's death, for the remission of sins, and have put on Christ, Rom. 6. ●, 4 Col. 2. 12. Gal. 3. 27. That Church that keeps the word of Christ's patience, i. faith in their baptism into Christ's death, for remission of sins (though they knew not what Christ did for them, when he washed them, as he told Peter, John 1●. but know it afterward) shall be delivered from this hour of temptation; but all other religious plants, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted out. The axe of the Law cuts them off, for one sin before God; but he that is holy, and true (saith) be that believeth and is baptised, shall be saved, Mark 16. 16. (that is, he that believeth one baptism into Christ, for remission of sins, shall be saved) but he that believeth not his one baptism into Christ for remission of his sins, shall be damned, as Heathens, Turks, Jews, Witches and Apostates, that have denied it: For this 
Nicen Creed. Athanasius.  is the Catholic faith, I believe one baptism for the remission of sins, which except a man believe faithfully, he cannot be saved, the axe cut them off. Now when men have lost this Paradise, than they must go till the earth, full of false religions, all serve an angry God. The Heathen run to Jupiter, the Turks to Mahumet, the Jews to Moses ceremonies, the Papists to Saints, to Pilgrimage, a wilderness and Purgatory: Lo, here is Christ, say the Papists, in the Pope's chair, and pardon: Lo, here is Christ, say the Luberans, in consubstantiation; and lo, here is Christ, say the Anabaptiss, in our new Jordan, and yet it carries them into the lake Asphaltes', mare mortuum, the dead sea, for he that denieth his first baptism, to take a second, it is a dead and damnable sin, as Heb. 6. 4, 5, 6. and Heb 10. 29. ●5. 38. Lo, there, say all sects, in our Church way, and yet never a one of them have assurance of salvation, because they have not faith in one baptism, for remission of sins, for no man can have the knowledge of salvation, but by the remission of sins, as Luke 1. 77. Well, you see the hour of temptation is come, a flood of judgements flow upon earth for sin. Here is an axe for you, to cut down sin, and an ark for you white-raiment Christians, and citizens of the new Jerusalem, namely, the ark of our baptism into Christ's death, for remission of sins. It hath been building in England about an hundred years, you only have God seen righteous in this generation, an end of all false religions is come, and God will destroy them with the earthly men: Enter you, your wives, and your children, into the faith of this Ark, 
Gen. 6.  but leave not your children out of this Ark, nor take a new one; for that is cursed, Gal. 1. 8, 9 For, as the Ark saved Noah, so {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, the same Antitype which now saveth us, baptism, (the translators were to blame, to call it a figure, for there is as much difference between a figure and an antitype, as between the brazen Serpent and Christ, 1 Pet. 3. 21.) meaning of the inward baptism. Now, as you know many before the flood might come into the A●k, and look upon it, and yet, because they did not abide in it, they all perished: So now a ●lood of God's judgements are come in this hour of temptation, and many people have seen baptism, and been within it sacramentally, but all that do not stay in it by faith, shall perish. Therefore little children, abide in him (that were shut or graffed into him by one baptism) that when he shall appear, we may be bold, (1 John 2 28.) for behold, Christ standeth at the door, and knocks, in Laodicca in England (and he will not leave knocking with judgements, till they take his counsel, Rev. 3. 18.) if any man will hear my voice, (saith he) and open the door, I will come in to him, and sup with him, and he with me. You see Christ raps loud with the sword and cannons, and he will knock with an earthquake, and with pestilence, Luke 21. 11. In England and Scotland, where are Saints, with the sword and pestilence, but in Ireland, where are most Idolaters, with sword and famine: reasons I give in a book to come out, in Christ's knock at the doors of England. Now, is it not good letting of Christ in to sup with us, and we with him, when he knocks, and calls to us to take his counsel? to buy of him gold to make us rich, in the lively faith of the merits of Christ's death, in baptism, for a perfect remission of sins, (for he likes not this lukewarm, lame remission of sins to halves, which many profess) and white-raiment justification to clothe us, that the shame of our nakedness may not appear, and eyesalve of the Spirit that takes of Jesus, water and blood, to witness to your spirits, you are the children of God, Rom. 8. 17. that thou mayst see, Rev. 3. 18. Christ will not leave rebuking, and chastising England, and knocking, till they hear, and let him in. Now therefore, let the loins (of your minds) be girt about (with verity) and your lamps (of faith) burning, Luke 12. 35. and ye yourselves, like men that wait for their Master, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately: Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord, when he cometh, shall find waking, i. in the wedding garment; Verily I say unto you, he will gird himself about, and will make them sit down at table, and will come forth, and serve them; and if he come at the second watch, or in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants, vers. 36, 37. Now, you blessed white-raiment Christians, understand, that Christ our Master, is now returning from the wedding; for I believe not any more Churches of the Gentiles, (before the marriage of the Lamb, to the Jews) shall be called, and the third watch is come, and the dawning of the day of the Jews is at hand, and our Master now knocketh, the dinner of the wedding of the Gentiles, hath lasted about 1623. for the marriage of the Gentiles, was called a dinner, Mat. 22. 4. and the marriage dinner was furnished with guests of good and bad, for all had not a wedding garment, and therefore bad. Now, as noble Bridegrooms often times will bid a multitude to dinner, but none but his special friends are bidden to supper; So Christ, the most noble Bridegroom, hath bidden seven Churche● of the Gentiles to the dinner of the marriage, and now he is returning from the wedding of the Gentiles, and he knocks and calls, Rev. 3. 20. 
Rev. 3. 20.  Blessed are you that let him in immediately, for he calls for you, his friends, the White raiment Christians, to come to supper. Give me leave to show you, the friends of the Bridegroom, why Christ now knocks, and calls in England; it is to call you to supper, all that were bidden to the wedding-dinner: were not blessed: But now (he saith) write, Blessed are they that are bidden to the marriage supper of the Lamb; these are the true sayings of God, Rev. 19 9 The wedding-dinner is past, and Christ is returning from the wedding, as Luke 12. 36. and behold, he standeth at the door, and knocks in England, with the sword and pestilence, let him in; for it seems, some have not let him yet; say, it is the voice of my well beloved that knocks, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled, for mine head is full of dew, and my locks with the drops of the night, Cant. 5. 2. for men that are let in, use not to knock, but those that are shut out. Christ is about to marry his wife, of the Jews, that shall make herself ready by baptism and faith, and he will grant to her to be clothed in fine linen, bright and pure, {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, the justifications of the Saints, Rev. 19 8. And now Christ knocks at the door in England. to call his friends, to go with him to the marriage-supper, with his wife, and will begin his supper in England, he will sup with them, Rev. 3. 20. The most rarest junkets are kept for the marriage-supper. Now therefore hark; he says, I will sup with him (that lets me in) and he with me; see how Esdras prophesied of you, 2 Esdras 2. 38. Arise and stand up, and behold the number of those that are sealed for the feast of the Lord, which are departed from the shadow of the world, and have received glorious garments of the Lord: Take thy number, O Zion, and shut up them that are clothed in white, which have fulfilled the Law of the Lord. Here you see, he prophesied of you white-raiment Christians, sealed for the feast, as Christ doth, Rev. 3. 4. & 18. & 16. 15. Now therefore all you, that have put on Christ in infant-baptism, Gal. 3. 27. and made your long robes white in the blood of the Lamb, as my Sermon of the blood of the Lamb declares, prepare a supper for Christ; the cheer must be prepared of hearts, My son, give me thy heart, and it must be broken, and contrite, for he loves no stones that will not break, for the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A br●ken and a centrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise, Psal. 51. 17. Secondly, these hearts must be served in at your supper, in gold, that he counselleth you to buy of him, Rev. 3. 18. which is the lively faith in the merits of Christ's death, in one baptism, for remission of sins; for thus Peter served in three thousand hearts that were pricked by the Law, in baptism, in the name of the Lord Jesus, for the remission of sins, Acts 2. 38. Thirdly, you must serve it in, in the white-raiment justification, wherein no shame of nakedness do appear, for Christ cannot endure sin. Fourthly, you must buy eyesalve, of the Holy Ghost, to anoint your eyes, that you may▪ see, Rev. 3. 18. For Christ will not sup with blind sinners. Fifthly, the marriage-chamber must be paved with the love of the daughters of Jerusalem, Cant. 3. 10. i. with love to all the citizens of the new Jerusalem, and now invite him, saying, Arise thou northwind, and come thou South, and blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out; let my well beloved come into his garden, and eat of his pleasant fruits, Cant. 4. Now Christ hath prepared a supper for you; for thus he saith, I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse, I have gathered my myrrbe, with my spice, I have eaten mine honey comb, with mine honey, I have drunk my wine, with my milk, eat, O friends, drink and make you merry, O well beloved, (Cant. 5. 1.) for the first dish that you shall have at my supper, saith Christ, is the tree of life; for, to him that ●vercometh, will I give to eat of the tree of life in the midst of the Paradise of God, Rev. 2. 7. Eat of Christ therefore, the tree of life, at supper, and drink his blood, and make you merry. Secondly, you that are faithful, shall have a crown of life, and not be hurt of the second death, Rev 2. 10, 11. Thirdly; you shall have the hidden Manna, this is good cheer indeed, Eat, O friends, and make you merry, for you shall have a white stone, with a new name written, that no man knoweth, save he that receiveth it, (yea, no man can understand these things that I write, but he that hath the white stone,) Fourthly, you that are bidden to the marriage-supper, shall be a conquering people; for you shall have power over nations, and rule them with a rod of iron, and break them in pieces like a potter's vessel, and shall have the morning Star, which is Jesus, the root and the generation of David, to be your light, Rev. 22. 16. and Rev 2. 26. Fifthly, be merry, for you you shall be clothed with white-raiment, and he will not blot out your names out of the book of life, Rev. 3. 5. True faith in the white-raiment, is an argument, your names are written in the book of life. Sixthly, be merry in the Lord, for he will make you a pillar in the Temple of God, and you shall go no more out; and I will write upon you the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is the new Jerusalem, which cometh down from my God, out of heaven, and my new name, the new Christian, a new creature, Gal. 6. 16. Seventhly, be merry, for you shall fit with Christ in his Throne, as he overcame, and fit with the Father in his Throne, Rev 3. 21. Eat therefore, O friends, drink and make you merry, O well beloved, much good do it you at this supper. You see therefore, that all the promises of the seven Churches, run into the last, which is ours, and to the supper of the Lamb. Therefore you see, that the most conquering and reigning Church that ever arose in Christendom, is now arising in England; for you white-raiment Christians, shall sit with Christ in his Throne, therefore you shall reign: For Christ hath loved you, and washed you from your sins, in his own blood, and made you Kings and Priests, to God his Father, and you shall reign on earth, (Rev. 5. 10.) for Christ will be clothed in a garment dipped in blood shortly, if he be not already, and you the hosts of heaven, shall follow him on white horses, for you are clothed in ●ine linen, white and pure, Rev. 19 13, 14. There be many religions now in England, and maay m●se, which shall prevail; some say the Papists, some the Prelate, some the Anabaptists, some say the Brownists, and every sect now think to prevail; but I say the white-raiment Christians are the Israel of God, that have not defiled their garments, and they shall walk with Christ in white, for they are worthy, Rev. 3. 4. Peace be upon that Israel of God, Gal. 6. 16. for they shall fit with Christ in his Throne, Rev. 3. 21. And therefore, because you can sing the song of Moses, and of the Lamb, Rev. 15. 2. therefore I set Moses blessing upon you, Deut. 33. Blessed are thou, O Israel, who is like unto thee? O people, saved by the Lord, the shield of thy help, and the sword of thy glory; therefore thine enemies shall be in subjection unto thee, and thou shalt tread upon their high places. Christ is now shaking the heavens of the Churches, and the earth of the Heathen now; and shaking of the Churches, showeth the removing of those things that are shaken, that the things which are not shaken, may remain, Heb. 12. 26. But the Churches of the Lutherans and of England are now shaken, by a civil war, they are Churches divided against themselves, Ergo, they must not stand, but come to nought, as Christ saith, Mat. 12. 25. and Rome shall be shaken too, and come to destruction, Ergo, they shall be removed from being Churches, that the things which are not shaken may remain, and that is the Church of the white-raiment Christians, and citizens of the new Jerusalem, which shall remain; for we receive the kingdom which cannot be shaken, Heb. 12. 28. and are the pillars in the Temple of God, Rev. 3. 12. Therefore leave your wrangling for a Discipline, and hear Christ's voice, for behold, he knocketh, and will never leave rapping, until you take his counsel in England, to buy gold, white-raiment and eyesalve: mark, he knocks to be let in for doctrine, for scarce one of a thousand have bought these three: say with the white-raiment Christians, Thou shalt guide me by thy counsel, and after receive me to a glorious Throne, Psal. 73. 24. and city, for they shall enter into the gates of the city, and have right to the tree of life, R●v 22. 14. And now, dear friends, I have set before you in this Book, and in that of the blood of the Lamb, as it were, the two sides of Jacob's ladder, whose foot was on earth, but the top reached to Heaven, and the Angels of heaven ascended, and descended upon it, Gen. 28. ●●. The two sides of this ladder on earth, are baptism, and the blood of the Lamb, though the foot of it be on earth, 1 John 5. in visible signs, yet the top of it reacheth to heaven, for we are baptised into Christ in heaven, and by faith feed upon Christ, and are sprinkled with Christ's blood in heaven: The Angels of heaven will ascend, and descend for your protection Heb. 1. You friends of the Bridegroom, and children of the marriage-chamber, that are clothed in white-raiment; make much of this ladder, for though the foot of it be on earth, in water and blood, yet it reacheth unto heaven, unto Jesus that came by water and blood, to send Angels down to you upon it: they that have no faith in their baptism into Christ, and in the blood of the Lamb, cannot tell, whether the Angels of God descend or ascend for their protection, as Heathens, Jews, Turks, Devils, Witches, Papists, and all unbelievers. I have writ a little book of Good news for soldiers, or, the way to overcome the devil, by the blood of the Lamb: I find by Luke 21. 11. there is 
See 2 Esdras 13. 31.  an earthquake, pestilence and famine coming; for thus saith my Lord, and my God, When ye hear of wars, and seditions, that nation rise against nation, and 
Ma.  kingdom against kingdom, there shall be great earthquakes, {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, i. in, according to, or through those places, and famine, and pestilence, Luke 21. 11. Mark 13. 8. these are the beginnings of sorrows. But in England, Scotland 
Mi.  and Ireland, we hear of wars and seditions, that nation rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. Ergo, there shall be great earthquakes, 
Con.  {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, i. in, according to, or through those places, and famine and pestilence, these are the beginnings of sorrows; of which I have writ more fully in the counsel of Christ to England. Now, as Moses, when a pestilence was coming, counselled the Israelites a way to escape the destroying Angel, by sprinking the blood of a Lamb, upon the two dore-posts, and the upper door-post of their houses, that when God saw the blood, he said, he would pass over them, and the plague shall not be upon you, to destruction; so ● counsel you, the Israel of God, buy one of them books, for every house, and sprinkle the faith of the blood of the Lamb upon your two dore-posts of your bodies and souls, and the upper door-post of your spirits, that when the destroying pestilence shall come, God may see the blood of the Lamb upon your consciences, he may cause it to pass over your houses, where the Israelite of a good conscience is within; and whatsoever comes to your bodies, yet your souls shall be safe: for as the Angels of heaven went up and down on Jacob's ladder, so they shall ascend, and descend for your protection, that believe your bodies were washed with pure water in baptism, and your hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, by the blood of the Lamb, you may keep your profession without wavering, (of deliverance) Heb. 10. 22, 23. For he that dwelleth in this secret of the Lord, shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty, Psal. 91. 1. and he shall give his Angels a charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways, to bear thee in their arms, that thou dash not thy foot against a stone, v. 11. and peace shall be upon them, that walk according to this rule (of a new creature) and upon the Israel of God, gall 6. 16.  
Thine in the Lord Jesus, JOHN EACHARD.   

JUDGEMENT Denounced against unfruitfulness in grace.  Matthew 3. 10. 
And now also is the axe put to the root of the tree, therefore every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, is hewn down, and cast into the fire.  
John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ, was prophesied of, by two famous Prophets, Isaiah, and Malachi: For, this is he of whom it is spoken by the Prophet Isaiah, saying, The voice 
Isaiah 40.  of him that cryeth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight: And Malachi calleth him the Prophet Eliah, that 
Mal. ●.  should turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and of the children to their fathers. He exhorteth them▪ to prepare a way 
Prepare away in their hearts, Joh. 1. 12. As Kings.  (in their hearts) for Christ, that they may receive him; for so many as receive him, he gives them prerogative to become the sons of God: That as Princes and great Kings have forerunners, that prepare their ways, and foretell of a kings coming, to prepare him lodging; so did John prepare the way for the Lord, by showing their lost, miserable, and cursed condition by sin. The valleys are 
valleys.  exalted, when men escape out of the mire of sin, and go to Christ: the Mountains and hills are brought low, when men cast away all pride of their own righteousness, and trust in their merits, and embrace Christ's; and then crooked things are made straight, when men cast away hypocrisy and simulation, and receive the Gospel sincerely. And he shall turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, 
He shall turn the hearts as Elias did.  i. as Elias did, when there was such a dissension in Religion, that some fathers were for Baal, and the children for God; so on the contrary; But Elias brought them all to acknowledge the true God: So John the Baptist seeing the dissension of so many sects, the fathers Sadduces, and the children Pharisees, or Esses, he by a 
He thundered out the Law.  divine zeal, thundering out the Law, did convince them all of sin, that they were great and damnable sinners, and needed to be baptised, and confessed their sins, and were baptised in Jordan, and 
Was a pointer.  was a true pointer, for he pointed out Jesus Christ to be the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sins of the world, that men should receive him; and this he was fore-prophesied he should do, lest the Lord should smite the earth with cursing, (i.) to bring a destruction 
Lest he smile with a curse.  upon the whole land for their dissension; for when one part of a commonwealth opposeth another, Ipsa Salus non potest talem Rempublicam conservare, Salvation itself cannot preserve such a kingdom, for, a kingdom divided cannot stand. God hath smitten our land with this cursing, that the hearts of the fathers were not towards the children, nor the hearts of the children towards their fathers in the true Religion. Father's are for an episcopacy, and children for another way; fathers for one sect, and children for another, none of both for Christ. O that the Lord would 
Oh that the Lord would raise such another.  raise up some prophet, or John the Baptist, that might thunder out the Law and judgements of God against all the sects and divisions, both of Cavilleers, and all others, to show them they are all cursed and damnable sinners, the best of all but lukewarm gospelers, and therefore wretched and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked, that they may seek the remedy in Christ for their sins, and buy of him gold tried in the fire, that they may be rich, which is the lively faith in the merits of Christ's death received in baptism, which 
Rev. 3. 18.  makes men rich members of Christ, children of God, and inheritors of the kingdom of Heaven, which would make them leave fighting, if they did believe it; and white raiment, that their filthy nakedness might not appear; they would then leave stripping one another of their garments; and eyesalve, that they might see how the Papists set them together by the ears, and laugh at them, when they kill one another, they would then leave fightinng one with another, and both sides fight only against them, for murdering of their brethren in Ireland.  
Now Christ's testimony of John was this: that he was that Elias that was to come, and is come already and they knew him not, but have done to him whatsoever they would, Mat. 17. 12. (i.) many 
Mat. 17. 12.  of the Jews knew not the Majesty and office of John the Baptist, but said he had a devil. Herod added this to his sins, that he cast John into prison, and beheaded him; his birth was foretold by an Angel, which appeared at the right hand of the Altar of incense, saying, Fear not Zacharias, for thy prayer is beard, (signifying, that he had prayed for a son) for thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John, which signifies the grace of God, 
John signifies the grace of God, therefore should be a Preacher of free Grace.  signifying he should be a Preacher of the free grace of God to wretched sinners, pointing with the finger at the Lamb of God, for whose sake we are received into free grace and favour of God: And thou shalt have joy and gladness, and many shall rejoice at his birth, because he shall have a new birth; for parents may have great joy 
Great, for he shall be a Baptist.  and gladness at the new birth of their children: for he shall be great before the Lord, although the wicked world shall contemn him, and say he hath a devil, yet he shall be great, for he shall be a Baptist.  
They are the greatest before the Lord, that preach most soundly of baptism; Paul the greatest of the Apostles, preached most of baptism, Luther was famous for baptism; and Calvin, the fourth Angel; and name any that ever was famous in the Church, that was not sound in the faith of his baptism; for no Anabaptist, nor any other shall be great before the Lord in his Church, which is not sound in that point, that do not thunder out the Law to 
Filled with the Holy Ghost from the womb.  men that may drive them to the faith of their baptism in infancy. He shall be filled with the Holy Ghost from his mother's womb, which is not so to be understood, that all the elect do now receive the Holy Ghost in their mother's womb, but that all the elect should receive the Holy Ghost in their mother's womb of the Church, which is baptism in their infancy; when their godly parents, i. all the true Church, pray for the holy Spirit to be given to their Infants. 
As Peter told the Jews, Be baptised every one in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sin, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, Acts 2. 38.  For why should not the Lord give his holy Spirit to Infants at baptism, as well as to John? And as Peter told the Jews, Be baptised, and ye shall receive the Holy Ghost. He shall drink neither wine, nor strong drink, (i.) he shall be no drunken Minister: the Holy Ghost shall teach him sobriety. And he shall convert many of the children of Israel unto the Lord God. The Baptist, and all that preach most soundly of baptism, convert most to Christ. I have observed that those men, and that those Ministers, that have preached the Law, and baptism most soundly amongst men, have converted most, and the reason, why so few are converted in these days, because few preach the Law clearly, in the spiritual breach, and baptism, as Luther prophesied baptism after his time, would be lost; so there be few preach baptism clearly to make the tree good, and the fruit good, for the tree is evil, and the fruit evil by Adam. And here is the rule to know all Sermons to be good or bad, by 
The rule to know all Sermons by.  converting, or not: if they make the tree good, and the fruit good, or the tree evil, and the fruit evil, as it is Christ's own rule, Mat. 12. 33. This is the first main ground of a faithful Minister, to prove all his Doctrine and Sermons by, if he miss this ground, he cast out his net on the wrong side, and catch no fish, convert no souls, though he labour all his life. This is the right side that Christ 
Make the tree good, and the fruit good, or the tree evil, and the fruit evil.  bade Peter cast out the net on, (i.) the net of the Gospel, to make the tree good, and the fruit good, or the tree evil, and the fruit evil; and this is the reason, why hearers get no assurance of salvation, because they do follow such Preachers, that make neither the tree good, nor the fruit good, nor the tree evil, nor the fruit evil, but partly good, and partly bad: We must do something to make ourselves good before God, which is the greatest abomination 
The abomination of Antichrist.  that Antichrist can set up against God, to affirm that we can make ourselves righteous in whole or in part, as the Homily of our Church, for then Christ died in vain.  
Now, seeing John the Baptist was fore-prophesied of by so many 
seeing that there is such a testimony of John Baptist.  Prophets, and by so many Apostles, and by Christ himself, that a greater than John have not sprung up among them, that have been born of women; that he was a burning and a shining candle, and thus testified by an Angel from heaven; Let us believe his baptism was from Heaven; let us know that those that are Baptists, that preach most of baptism, their doctrine is most heavenly, and 
Let us be Baptists.  they shall convert▪ most to the Lord; for they point most to the Lamb of God, that hath taken away the sins of the world, who drew all his obedient hearers by preaching the Law, from the sundry sorts of sects; 1. to baptism, and then showed them Christ 
He drew all sects, 1. to baptising, then to Christ.  the Lamb of God, that took away the sins of the world. Wherefore harken to this Elias; Repent, and receive Christ, the Lamb of God by baptism, to take away your sins; for so many as received him, to them he hath given prerogative to become the sons of God, so many as believe in his name, which are born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God: So he that would draw all the sects and divisions of England into one, he must first thunder out the Law, and show how cursed they are, all because 
He that gathereth not into Christ's baptism, scattereth. The cause of all the sects and divisions of England, for when men have lost baptism, then to work for remission of their righteousness.  they have not taken Christ's counsel, Rev. 3. 18. Then he must bring them to the faith of their baptism, he must teach them there is one God, one Faith, one baptism, and he that does not gather with John and Christ too, into baptism, scatter; and here is the cause of all the sects and divisions in all the Churches in Christendom; for when men have lost baptism, some will have justication from all eternity; some from the cross, all born, and unborn, some in the womb, some at faith, some at conversion; some at death, and some after death, and then they must go wash to get remission of sins: Thus he that gathers not into Christ, by baptism, scattereth abroad; for, except I wash thee, thou shalt have no part with me: so, except thou take thy part with Christ from thy baptism, thou canst have no assurance of salvation.  
John▪ preached, saying, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand; this is not only to be understood that he preached nothing 
The Law the sum to bring them to repentance.  else, but the sum of his doctrine was by the Law; he showed them what horrible sinners they were, the generation of Vipers, detest your sins, and your own righteousness, believe in the Messiah▪ he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: for all that are baptised into Christ, have put on Christ, for in our baptism we received remission of our sins, in the death of Christ, into which we were baptised and buried, and in Christ we received everlasting righteousness, in whom, by baptism we are raised; and he preached, 
The Kingdom of Heaven was at hand. In Christ, righteousness, and peace, and joy.  the kingdom of heaven is hand, because baptism was at hand, for where baptism is truly preached, there the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Christ and his righteousness is at hand, in baptism peace is at hand, to them that believe their baptism, they have peace with God, and assurance of salvation; and all the sects and professors of England, have no peace with God, nor assurance of salvation but they that believe they have peace with God, from their baptism into Christ in infancy, and joy in the Holy Ghost is at hand by baptism, as the Eunuch found true, and the jailor and his household after baptism rejoiced. And I can testify 
Acts 8. 39  that my God shall fill you full of joy and peace in believing, (i.) that you are in him that is true, in that his Son Jesus Christ, the same is very God, and eternal life; and this I know by faith in my baptism into that Jesus, that came by water and blood, not by water of baptism only, but by water and blood, 'tis that Spirit that beareth witness, (i.) (unto our spirits, that we are the children of God, Rom. 8. 16.) that Spirit is true, and those Christians that hold the true faith in their baptism, that by it and by the blood we know we are in him that is true, and by the Spirit that beareth witness by both these, they are the right joyful Christians in all the world; the devil and the world are mad at them for their joy, and are the citizens of the new Jerusalem, the street of it paved with pure gold, like transparent glass, signify the lively faith of our baptism.  
And this John had his garment of Camels hair, he was no velvet 
4. Garment.  or silken Preacher, with long Camels hair on his head; no, his garment was hairy, like Elias, free from softness, or pride, and a leathern girdle about his loins, not broydered with silver or gold, but like Elias in his leather girdle, 2 King. 1. and his meat was Locusts, and wild Honey, to show Humble-Bees honey, and Locusts could content him, as the Pulse did Daniel and the three children, Daniel, he did not desire delicate fare, but he was in his apparel and diet far from pride or luxury.  
There went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the region 
5. Went out to see a Prophet sent of God.  round about Jordan; and they were baptised of him in Jordan, confessing their sins. They went out into the wilderness to see a Prophet, he was not a Reed shaken with the wind, to run after every wind of doctrine, but he taught that doctrine and baptism that he was sent to teach from God; for so he testified, he that sent me to baptize with water, said unto me, Joh. 1. 33. But when they 
Ioh. 1. 33. He so preached the Law.  came to see him, he so preached the Law, and the wrath of God to come upon them for sin, they confessed their sins, (i.) they humbly confessed they were sinners before God, by the Law, and had deserved eternal damnation, and prayed to God to forgive them their sins, and took the Sacrament of baptism unto repentance, for the remission of sins, and bade them believe in Christ, that should baptize them with the Holy Ghost, which John's baptism could not do, as the twelve men, Acts 19 For by our baptism 
Acts 19 By baptism we are made made clean.  now we are made clean from all our sins before God, and regenerate, that of the children of Adam, we might be made the sons of God; and as Ananias said to Paul, Arise, and be baptised, and wash away thy sins, in calling on the name of the Lord, Acts 22. And Paul 
Acts 22. 16.  testifieth, that Christ doth cleanse his Church in the laver of water through the Word, Eph. 5. and Christ saith, Except ye be regenerate 
Ephes. 5.  of water, and the Holy Ghost, ye cannot enter into the kingdom of Heaven, Joh. 3. And Paul saith, that baptism is the laver 
John 3. 5.  of regeneration, Tit. 3. that we might have this ground of consolation 
Titus 3. 5.  in all afflictions, that we are baptised, and so regenerate, and are adopted to be the sons of God. And seeing baptism is a means, saith the Expositor, whereby we obtain remission of sins, and the benefit of regeneration; let us beware of that doctrine of Devils, 
Doctrine of devils.  that through malice, or foolishness, we deprive not our children to come unto Christ, to obtain remission of sins, and the benefit of regeneration in infancy: For, if Christ say, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of heaven, than they must be baptised, for they can come no other way 
John 13. 7.  to Christ, but by baptism, nor any other way be of the kingdom of Heaven, as Joh. 3. 5. but by that of themselves, or of their parents, if they die in the womb, for baptism is as the Ark for a man and his household, 1 Pet. 3. 21.  
When he saw many of the Pharisees and of the Sadduces come to 
Vers. 7. Pharisees and Sadduces.  his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of Vipers, who hath forewarned you to flee from the wrath to come? What, you Pharisees? that think yourselves good, and contemn others? you that trust to your own righteousness, you that say, stand apart, I am holier than thou, you that think yourselves better than other folks; the Law doth declare you are a cursed generation, for you are a poisonable generation, and desirous of hurting; you are the generation of Vipers, for your fathers slew the Prophets, and you are of the same viperous mind, to kill them that discover your hypocrisy, for all your plots are against them that discover you: And you Sadduces, What, are you come to my baptism? What need you 
Sadduces.  be baptised? as if he should say, you believe no resurrection, nor Angel, nor Spirit, you are all cursed by the Law, for you have not continued in all things, you shall go cursed into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels, you shall find a devil in Hell, that will not believe there are Angels in Heaven: Well, both of you are come to my baptism, look you be both of one faith, to believe in the Lamb of God, that takes away the sins of the Pharisees, and the sins of the Sadduces, and of the whole world; and thus he reconciled these Sects to be all one in their baptism: So the only way to reconcile all the Sects in the world, is, to show them their abominable estate by Adam, the generation of Vipers, and how cursed they are by the Law, and the wrath of God hangs over them, and bring them all to faith in baptism, to obtain remission of all sins, past, present, and to come, and how they put on Christ in baptism, to make them everlastingly righteous: For here is the cause 
The loss of baptism is the cause of all sects.  of all the sects and divisions in Christendom; for when men have lost baptism, than one sect will devise to get remission of sins one way, as by a Pope's pardon, by pilgrimage, or in Purgatory. The Anabaptists by a new baptism, and by a new churchway, not appointed by Christ, but invented of themselves, to make them more righteous, and holy, and clean than others, that are not of their way, and therefore will not communicate with others, for they think they are more holy than others, by strictness of their order; and thus all sects imagine, that in that way they walk in, they are less sinners than others, and more righteous than others, and therefore will not communicate with others, and you will be a Church by 
O ye sects, flee from the wrath to come.  yourselves: But I say unto you, O generation of Vipers, all you sects in Christendom, come home to the faith in your baptism into Christ, there is wrath coming upon all Christendom; Christ is come as a thief, by the judgement of a plundering, robbing, spoiling, stealing, 
Christ is come as a thief, John 10. 10.  pillaging, civil war, upon all sects: Here is an Ark for you to be saved in, come unto your baptism; what foolery have you professed? Can you get a better remission of sins than Christ hath procured for you in his own blood in your baptism? If you should wash yourselves an hundred years, with all your tears and mortification, and holy walking, though these may give some satisfaction to the conscience, yet you cannot wash yourselves more clean from sin before God, than Christ hath made you in baptism, and by his blood: And seeing Christ hath made you everlastingly righteous in baptism, by putting on of Christ, you cannot make 
Not make yourselves more righteous than Christ.  yourselves more righteous before God, by all the works in the world, than the wedding garment hath made you already; and if you go about to make yourselves more righteous by works before God, you defile his garments; you may make yourselves more righteous before men, but you cannot make yourselves more righteous, or more holy than Christ hath made you in baptism; and therefore all you sects, come to your baptism, into this Ark, and be saved from the blood of God's wrath coming upon Christendom, for the contempt of Christ's counsel. And all you Sadduces, that are profane and loose livers, that believe not your resurrection, for you purify not yourselves, as he is pure, 1 John 3. 3. Come home to believe your baptism, and you shall have your part in the first resurrection: for, blessed and holy is he, which hath part in the first resurrection, and the second death shall have no power over you: The first resurrection before God, is in baptism, as Col. 2. 12. though before men it be at conversion and faith.  
Bring forth fruits worthy of amendment of life; (i.) bring forth 
Verse 8.  fruits in Christ, believe you are in him that is true, in that his Son Jesus Christ, and let this faith cause you to bring forth fruits of piety and charity.  
And think not to say, we have Abraham to our father; for I say unto 
Verse 9  you, that God is able of these stones, to raise up children to Abraham. He told them of their thoughts: nourish not such proud thoughts as these, that you have Abraham to your father; you have a Church, you have the Word, and you have Sacraments, you are the children of the martyrs; for I tell you all, you are cursed by the Law for not continuing in all things written in the book of the Law to do them; and therefore come and believe your baptism, or else you are cursed for ever: For God is able of these stones, yea, stony hearted people, by baptism, to raise up children unto Abraham, and give them faith to believe it, Gal. 3. 9 and to take away the stony heart, and give them hearts of flesh, Ezek. 36. 26. For, 
Ezek. 36. 26.   
Now the axe is laid to the root of the trees; every tree that bringeth 
Verse. 10.  not forth good fruit, is hewn down, and cast into: he fire. Now Christ is come by baptism and faith, to make you good trees, to bring forth none but good fruit; every tree, every church or sect, or particular man, that bringeth forth sin before God, is hewn down, and cast into the fire of God's wrath: Every man or church, that will not believe his baptism, that by it he is baptised into Christ, and ingraffed into him, and made a good tree in Christ, and bring forth good fruit before God, he is hewn down by the Law, and cast into the fire of God's wrath; for he believeth not that he hath the Son, that he hath his blood, that hath washed him from all his sins before God, nor Christ's righteousness to make him everlastingly righteous, therefore the wrath of God abideth upon him, John 3. vers. last.  
What is meant by the axe? It is taken materially for an●…strument, 
What the axe signifies.  to cut down trees: So Deut. 20. 19 Thou shalt not cut down the fruit trees with an axe, when thou besiegest a city, for thou mayest eat of them, for the tree of the field is man's life, but it is taken metaphorically for God's Decree and Judgement, as in this place. Now is the decree of God come forth, that every one that is not made a good tree by baptism into Christ, is hewn down, and cast into wrath. In the time of the Law, there was sacrifice for wrath, but now baptism for men to get into Christ, now no more sacrifice for wrath: So Dan. 4. 11. 14. 21. Hew him down, is the Decree of the most High: So Zeph. 2. 1, 2. Gather yourselves together, gather yourselves together, O nation not worthy to be beloved, before the decree come forth; for God's decrees are never to be recalled. The axe at the root, is baptism.  
What is meant by trees? Metaphorically by trees, are meant 
What is meant by trees.  men, as is plain by Jotham's Parable, Judg. 9 8. The trees went forth to anoint a king over them; and they said to the Olive, Come thou reign over us, but the Olive said, Should I leave my fatness, whereby by me they honour God and man, and go to advance me above the trees? No, I am content with my estate, to honour God in that estate I am created, I will be content with my calling, to honour God and man, in that I must forsake my fatness, and by taking of an higher calling of a King, I may so dishonour God and man; and the figtree would not forsake his sweetness and good fruit, to be a King, nor the Vine would not forsake his wine, whereby he cheered God and man, to be King, to which he was not called of God, he should displease God and man; but the Bramble would be King, though most unfit for it, that would do no good to them, but scratch and fire them: Also where the tree falleth, there it lieth, whether towards the South, or the North, Eccles. 11. 3. (i.) in what estate men die, whether in a good estate, or bad, to heaven-ward, or to hell, so they lie: So the persecutors of Jeremiah said, Let us destroy the tree with the fruit, i. let us destroy Jeremiah, and his prophecy, Let us destroy the Preacher, and his preaching, but thou, Lord God of Sabaoth, that judgest right, let me see thy vengeance upon them, Jer. 11. 19 declaring the destiny of all such as plot to destroy a faithful Pastor; and the tree to be hewn down, was Nabuchadnezzar, Dan. 4. 21. So Jude 12. Corrupt trees, whose fruit withereth, twice dead, and plucked up by the roots, are men that are dead by original sin, and then dead by actual sin. Reprobates that cannot repent, are cast into the fire of God's wrath, and then heap up wrath against the day of wrath, and of the declaration of the just judgement of God, Rom. 2. 5.  
What is meant by hewn down? i. They are cut down before 
What meant by hewn down.  God, that refuse, or will not believe baptism, by God's Law and Decree; for as Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the Lord in Gilgal, 1 Sam. 15. 33. so are all men that will not receive Christ by baptism hewn down, and cast into the fire of God's wrath, Joh. 3. 36. as Jews, Turks, and Heathens. Sometimes it is taken for hewing by degrees, as Exod. 31. 4. Hew thee two tables of stone. Metaphorically it is taken for the preaching of the Law by the Prophets: So Hos. 6. 5. Therefore I have hewn them by my Prophets, and slain them with the words of my mouth; by punishments and plagues, and curses of the Law, for their sins. Therefore the Law and the Prophets endured until John (i. hewing them, and slaying them, (as in Hosea) for their sins;) and since that time, the kingdom of 
Luke 16. 16.  Heaven is preached, and every man presseth unto it.  
How is the kingdom of Heaven to be preached?  
By faith and baptism; for remission of sins is preached by baptism, 
Answ.  and the righteousness of Christ, without which, no kingdom of Heaven; but by baptism we come into the large heaven of remission of sins, as Luther calls it, in which we have remission of all sins, past, present, and to come; for the doctrine and work of baptism, it came down from heaven: as Christ posed the Pharisees, The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men? intimating it was from Heaven: But why did he call it the baptism of John, not the doctrine or ministry of John? Answ. To show, that his baptism was the most heavenly thing: For, there was a man sent from God, whose name was John, Job. 1. 6. And what was he sent to do? Answ. To baptize: He that sent me to baptize with water, said unto me, upon whom thou seest the Spirit of God come down, and tarrying still upon him, that is he which baptizeth with the 
Joh. 1. 33.  Holy Ghost. By all which, you see that where baptism is truly preached and administered, there the kingdom of Heaven is preached, and is at hand; and in it the kingdom of Heaven is set open to all the elect, and according to the established doctrine of the Church of England, which all that have taken the Protestation, are sworn to maintain; that in my baptism I was made a member of 
Ephes. 5. 30.  Christ, a child of God, and an inheritor of the kingdom of Heaven; 
gall 3. 26▪ 27. Joh 1. 12. Rom. 8. 17.  which is a heavenly point of doctrine, that agrees with the reformed Churches and Scriptures; for if any be made an inheritor of that kingdom, it must be by baptism: For, Verily, verily I s●y unto thee, (saith Christ) Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot see the kingdom of God, Joh. 3. 5. For, that which is born of the flesh, is flesh; and unclean, and unfit for the kingdom of heaven, until it be new born.  
What is meant by good fruit? All the fruit that man brings forth 
What is meant by fruit.  before God, is sin, or righteousness: every evil man brings forth evil fruit of sin, and every good man bringeth forth good fruits of righteousness; A good tree cannot bring forth bad fruit, neither can a bad▪ tree bring forth good fruit, namely before God, Matth. 7. 17. So that every man, Church or Nation, that will not now receive baptism, or believe, by baptism into Christ, he is made a good tree, and brings forth nothing but good fruit before God, through remission of sins and Christ's righteousness, he is hewn down, and cast into the fire.  
What is meant by fire? By fire in this place, is not meant hell fire, though they shall go afterward into hell fire, that do not escape, but they are cast into the fire of God's wrath; signifying, that every man that bringeth forth evil fruit of sin, before God, that believes not by baptism his sins are all forgiven, and that in Christ he bringeth forth fruit of righteousness before God, he is hewn down, and cast into the fire of God's wrath, as is plain, Joh. 3. 36. He that believeth in the Son, (which none can do, before he be baptised into him) bathe everlasting life: he that obeyeth not the Son (i. to let him wash him) Joh. 13. 8. shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him; For fire is kindled in my wrath, and it shall burn to the bottom of hell, and set on fire the foundation of the mountains, Deut. 32▪ 22.  
Now, in that he saith, Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, 
Doctr. That all men are good trees or bad trees.  we gather, that all men, now baptism is offered, are good trees, or bad, there are none indifferent; or partly good, and partly bad. This is proved, Matth. 12. 33. Either make the tree good, and his fruit good, or the tree evil, and the fruit evil. Augustine saith, he commanded 
Augustine, 12. Serm▪ de verbis ●om. Mat. 12▪ 33.  the Jews, that they should be good trees, and to bring forth good fruit; and in that he saith, make the tree evil, he admonisheth them, that they should not be evil; for the Pharisees declared themselves to be evil trees, by their evil fruit. Others take it, that Christ spoke of himself, as of a tree. Thus, the tree is known by the fruit, and the fruit is like the tree. The casting out devils is a good fruit, as you grant in your children; therefore, if you in your words and judgements make the fruit good, then also make the tree good, for an evil tree cannot bring forth good fruit, Mat. 7. 18. Say of him that cast out devils, he is a good tree, not the prince of devils; but if you make the tree evil, and say, I am an evil man, and have the devil, Beelzebub, do not attribute the casting out of devils, which is good fruit, to an evil tree; for an evil tree, as Beelzebub 
Chrysost. Emth. Hieron▪ Theoph.  is, cannot bring forth good fruit; nor an evil man by Adam, cannot bring forth good fruit before God.  
This you may see, Matth. 7. 17. So every good tree that is made good by baptism into Christ, bringeth forth good fruit before God, and a corrupt tree by Adam (as all are by generation) bringeth forth evil fruit, i. before God. Calvin noteth, that this was 
Opinion of the Pharisees.  the opinion of the Pharisees, that they were partly good trees, and partly bad, and that they brought forth some good fruit before God, and some bad, for which they did sacrifice, as some say now, they are partly flesh, and partly spirit, and therefore do bring forth some fruits good, and some bad; and this was the opinion of the old Pharisees, for their feigned sanctimony was such, that the people perceived them not. Now Christ puts away this vizird, and uncaseth all Hypocrites, and tells them, that all men are good, or bad before God; a good tree bringeth nothing but good fruit before God, and a bad tree nothing but bad, as Matth. 7. 18. for there is nothing such an enemy to true Christianity, as to counterfeit a man in a twofold estate before God; but they do in vain think themselves righteous, that are not made good trees by baptism into Christ, for such justify themselves before men, and think to make themselves righteous in whole, or in part, which is the abomination of Antichrist, but God knows their hearts, i. to be evil trees, Luke 16. 15. Now they bear themselves in hand, that they were good and righteous men, though they brought forth some fruit that was evil before God, they should sacrifice for that, and take it away well enough, but they were deceived; for John telleth them, now baptism is instituted to wash away all sins; now you must make the tree good, and the fruit good, i. the person and the actions all good through the remission of sins in baptism, or the tree evil, and the fruit evil, i. the person evil by Adam; for, every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, i. if it bring forth any evil fruit (before God, now baptism is administered) it is hewn down, and cast into the fire of God's wrath, Christ hath done nothing for them.  
For all men now that baptism is administered, are in Adam, or in 
Reason 1.  Christ; either they are regenerate of water and the Spirit, or else they are not; either they are ingraffed into Christ by baptism, and made good trees, or else they are not ingraffed, but are still in Adam. This the Lord showed in a vision to Jeremiah, by the two baskets of Figs, the one had exceeding good Figs, even like the first, that are 
Jerem. 24.  first ripe, the other had exceeding naughty Figs, they were so evil, the Lord in this place, saith the Expositor, hath respect unto the kingdom of Christ, in which both Jews and Gentiles being ingraffed by faith and baptism, they are made good trees of the celestial Paradise, to bring forth good fruit, and the other that are evil by Adam, should have all the curses and plagues of God to seize upon them, and be under wrath; For, thus saith the Lord, of the men of Jerusalem, that have obeyed me, I will know them to be good, but the evil, I will give them for a terrible plague; So, now the axe is laid to the root of the trees, every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Erasmus, in the old Latin translation, It is hewn down, in this present time, 'tis laid to the root of all bad trees, that bear evil fruit, and of such as bear no fruit, as the unprofitable figtree, that bare nothing but leaves, was cursed; and the tree, the Lord came three years, seeking for fruit, and finding none, he saith, Hew it down, why cumbereth it the ground? it hath been digged by the Law, and dunged these three years of Q. Elizabeth's, King James, and King Charles, and I find no fruits of faith, in this lukewarm hierarchy and people, the sword is come to cut thee down that cumbered the ground.  
For seeing now Christ is come, and appointed baptism, which 
Reason 2.  is the righteous branch of the root of David, every one that is not by baptism and faith ingraffed into him, and made a good tree, bearing good fruit, is hewn down by the Law, and cursed of God, and cast into the fire of God's wrath, that will burn to the bottom of hell: but to so many as received him, he gave prerogative to become the sons of God: So many as believe in his Name. And what are they? Ans. Such as are borne of God, Joh. 1. 12. Whereby we see how men are made good trees, by receiving Christ by baptism, and by believing: but all others have the wrath of God abiding upon them, because they are evil trees, and the axe of the curses of the Law, will cut them down, or the sword, or famine, or pestilence.  
For though God let many trees alone in the time of the Law, 
Reason 3.  that bare some fruit good, and some bad, as Moses, Miriam, David, Jehosaphat, for which they did sacrifice, and God was appeased: and some branches of the Israelites were hewn off by the axe of the Law, because they bare bad fruits before God, of Idolatry; as the Danites, and the Ephraimites; yet Judah bare good fruit, as Hosea 11. 12. Ephraim compasseth me about with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit; but Judah yet ruleth with God, and is faithful with the Saints. But now seeing Christ is come, and appointed baptism to graft all men into Christ, to be made branches of the vine Christ. i to be taken out of Adam, and of the Law, to be graffed into Christ. Now if any man abide not in me, (or will not be graffed into me, by baptism, and faith; for baptism is the foundation of the lively faith; baptism, that is the work of the Father, son, and the holy Ghost: wherein is not only water, but water and blood; 
1 Joh. 5. 6. Tit. 3. 5.  and the washing of the new birth; and the renewing of the holy Ghost) if any branch of man abide not in Christ, by faith, in his baptism into Christ, that he is made a good tree of righteousness, to bear good fruit before God; he is cast forth as a branch, and withereth, i in the assurance of salvation, and bring forth no fruits of righteousness before God, and men gather them, and by Excommunication, or in the judgement of men, are judged none of the Church, and they cast them into the fire of God's wrath, and they burn. Now men are cut off from Christ three ways. 
Joh. 15. 6. As the confession of witches   
First, When a man forsakes his baptism, and turns Turk, and will be circumcised, or turns Witch, that will make a Covenant with the devil to deny her baptism, and deny God and Christ; or turn Anabaptist, to be rebaptised, he doth not abide in his baptism 
Ephes. 4. 5.  into Christ; these will have a new baptism, which is not of God, for he hath but one, the second must be of the devil; these are gathered in the judgement of all Churches, and justly excommunicated, and cast into the fire of God's wrath. Such as turn Turks, Witches, or Anabaptists, have denied their first baptism, because they have trod underfoot the blood wherewith they were sanctified, and done despite to the Spirit of Grace, and withdrawn themselves 
By hypocrisy.  to perdition, Heb. 10.  
Secondly, Men are cut off, that by hypocrisy fall from Grace, given of God in baptism, to seek for remission of sins, in whole or in part, or to make himself righteous, in whole, or in part, before God, and will not believe he hath free remission of all his sins by the blood of Christ in baptism, and an everlasting righteousness, given of God freely in his baptism, when he puts on Christ, that man is cut off to his faith, that he does not abide in 
Gal. 3. 27.  Christ, and then seeks for remission of sins, and righteousness in some of man's invention, these abide not in Christ.  
Thirdly, Men wither in this faith, and are cut off to their apprehension, which have forgotten they were washed from their old sins. i. in baptism, 2 Pet. 1. 9 and fall to a beastly life, and Epicurism; which by repentance and faith in their baptism, may get out of this snare of the devil, of whom they are taken prisoners, to do his will, 2 Tim. 2. 26. Now such as do not abide in Christ indeed, such saith Bullenger, not only shall be, but are cast out already from the society, and inheritance of Christ, and his Saints; as he saith of the faithful, not that they shall have eternal life, but they have it already, as Joh. 3. 36. because Christ is possessed, which brings with him righteousness, and the fruit of eternal life; as Calvin, and Bullenger, that he saith, not he shall have eternal life, for now as his own he possesseth it already, and hath it, and by hope expecting that which he knoweth most certainly shall be. i. He is freed from death, from malediction, and condemnation, and hath justification, absolution, felicity, and eternal happiness. And so he saith of the incredulous, that believe not 
The devil likes a second baptism well enough, for he never persuaded any to deny their second baptism.  they are in the son; he saith not, they shall have the wrath of God upon them hereafter when they die, but the wrath of God abideth upon them, (i. now) for all men by the sin of Adam, are fallen under the wrath of God, as Augustine, and Eph. 2. 3. They have with them by natural birth, the wrath of God upon them, and that for the sin of Adam; But the son of God came not having sin, and clad with flesh, that he might turn away the wrath of God; if men receive the son of God in baptism, as all the Elect, and grace offered by him, otherwise wrath abides upon them. I hear the Anabaptists brag they have a Church, but I would know of them, whether the witches of England can make a Church? No; why, because they have denied their baptism; no more can Anabaptists, because they have denied their baptism, that made them of the Church.  
Because where baptism is refused, there grace is refused; as is 
Reason 4. Where baptism is refused, grace is refused, as in Jews, Turks, & Heathens, and Anabaptists to their children.  plain Luk. 7. 30. The Pharisees, and the Expounders of the Law, despised the counsel of God against themselves, and were not baptised of him, but the people that heard, and the Publicans justified God, being baptised with the baptism of John, ver. 29. for the remission of sins. So that you see, that they that despise baptism, for their Infants, despise the counsel of God, against their own children, that will not suffer little children to come to him. And all they justify God, that receive and believe baptism, for the remission of sins, and put on Christ to make them everlastingly righteous before God, Gal. 3. 27. they which believe it not, are as with an axe cut down by the roots before God; as all Heathens, all Jews, all Turks and Tartars, and all Anabaptiss, and all Papists, and Protestants, that do not justify God by baptism for the remission of sins, and righteousness, are cut down in conscience, and have no assurance of their salvation, because they will have remission of sins and free righteousness, by some other way than God hath appointed. This is the most mournful and lamentable thing in the world, as our Saviour wept over Jerusalem, saying, O if thou hadst even known, at least in this thy day, the things that concern thy peace; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as the Hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not? I would have gathered your children by baptism and faith in me, under the wing● of the Father, and of the sun of righteousness, and of the holy Ghost. 
〈…〉 23. 37.  Behold, your habitation shall be left unto you desolate. Here is the cause, why many places shall be left desolate, now Christ is come as a thief by the judgement of a civil war, because they believe not their baptism; the axe is laid to the root of the trees, they bring forth sin, they are hewn down, and cast into the fire of God's wrath.  
Now this will appear more plain by the second Doctrine, which 
Doct. 2. That all men by nature are evil trees, and can bring forth none but ill fruit.  is this: That all men by nature are evil trees, and can bring forth nothing but evil fruit; all men now that baptism is preached and administered, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; that are now out of Christ, and bring forth evil fruits before God of sin; he is hewn down by the axe of God's Decree, and cast into the fire of God's wrath, that is, every man that will not receive, or believe his baptism into Christ, that he hath an eternal redemption through Christ's blood, the forgiveness of his sins, and in him he hath everlasting righteousness, his person, or his conscience, is hewn down, and cast into the fire of God's wrath. This is proved▪ not only by the doctrine of John, by the Text, but 
●at. 7. 17, 〈…〉 19  also by our Saviour Christ himself, Mat. 7. 17, 18. So every good tree bringeth forth good fruit, i. that is made good by baptism, and faith in Christ before God; and a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil▪ fruit, neither can a corrupt tree, (as all that are in Adam are) bring forth good fruit: Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, is hewn down, and cast into the fire: So Luke 6▪ 43, 44. For it is not a good tree that bringeth forth evil fruit, i. of sin before God; 'tis not in Christ by baptism, it hath no benefit of Christ's blood, or righteousness, that brings forth sin before God; neither is it an evil tree that bringeth forth good fruit; i. before God: For every tree is known by his own 
Luk● 6. 43, 44.  fruit; if it say, it bringeth forth before God righteousness by faith in his baptism, it is a good tree; but if it bring forth sin before God, it is an evil tree; for neither of Thorns gather men figs, nor of bushes, or Thistles gather they grapes; neither doth God of natural men, which are but▪ thorns and Thistles, gather any fruits of righteousness, for they that are servants of sin, are freed from righteousness: Rom. 6. 20. i. they are evil trees that are out of Christ, 
Rom. 6. 20.  that can bring forth no righteousness before God, but being made free from sin, i. by baptism, and faith, they are made servants of righteousness, and to bring forth fruits of holiness before God; for he that is made an holy tree, shall bring forth holy fruit.  
Reasons why: For, all men are evil trees by generation, all 
Reason●●. For all men are evil by generation.  conceived in sin, and born in iniquity, all the parts of soul and body are corrupted by that sin of Adam; so that their throat is become an open sepulchre, which sends forth stinking smells before God; their feet are bloody, yea, swift to shed blood, their tongues are deceitful, their lips poisonable, for the poison of asps is under them, their lips, their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness, destruction and calamity are in their ways, and the way of peace have they not known, there is no fear of God before their eyes: thus all have sinned, and are deprived of the glory of God, Rom. 3. 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18. 23. and so all men by generation 
Rom. 3. 13▪ to 19 Crabtrees. Serpents.  are evil trees, bearing nothing but evil fruit: A crabtree bears nothing but Crabs, and as the generation of Serpents and Vipers do not bring forth nightingales, but a serpentine, viperous, and a poisonable brood; so all men, that are all evil trees by generation, can bring forth nothing but evil fruit.  
A second reason, why all men are evil trees by nature, and 
Reason 2. For he hath an evil treasure.  bring forth nothing but evil fruit, because he hath an evil treasure of sin and wickedness in his heart, which cause him to bring forth sin before God, that defile the man; as our Saviour speaketh plainly, an evil tree out of the treasure of his heart, bringeth forth evil 
Luke 6. 45. Mar. 27.  things; and what are they? see Mar. 7. 21. Out of the heart proceedeth evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, uncleanness, a wicked eye, backbiting, pride, foolishness, all these things come from within, and defile a man. What an evil treasure is here? there is not some fruit evil, and some good; for the thoughts of his heart are evil continually: Gen. 6. 
Gen. 6. 15.  For, the very thoughts of the foolish are sin, and an abomination to the Lord, Prov. 15. 26. And so for their words, they are evil continually, for the prayers of the wicked are all sin, and are turned into 
Pro●. 15. 26.  sin, and shall be a wickedness against them; for what hast thou to do, to take my covenant in thy mouth, or my name, when thou hatest to be reformed by baptism and faith, which would have brought forth reformed words? And as for their works, they are all evil before God; for as thorns and Thistles cannot bring forth Figs, or Grapes, so cannot these cursed trees bring forth good fruit, but cursed, whose end is to be burned; The works and sacrifices 
Prov. 15. 8.  of the wicked, are an abomination to the Lord.  
Why all are such evil trees, because sin is of such a defiling nature, 
Reason 3. For one sin is of such a defiling nature, that it defiles the person and actions. Heb. 11.  that it defileth the person, and all his actions; as one sin in the Angels, and one sin in Adam, and sin in Cain, defiled his sacrifice; so that God had no respect to Cains person, nor his sacrifice, Heb. 11. for sin had defiled him from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot, that there was nothing but blains, and sores, and putrifying wounds, which had made his person so evil, and abominable before God, that it could bring forth nothing but evil and abominable fruit: Thus all men by original sin are deprived of the glory of God, and are deprived of power to bring forth good fruit, for there is none that doth good, no not one, all are corrupt trees, and can bring forth nothing but corrupt fruit, and an evil tree, saith Christ, cannot bring forth good fruit.  
Cannot an evil man do any good works? Do we not see, that 
Ob.  they give alms, build churches, mend high ways; are not these 
alms.  good works?  
An evil man may do good works before men, as the Pharisees 
Answ.  did, they justified themselves by works before men, but God knew their hearts, i. that they were abominable, Luke 16. 15. and 
Luke 16. 15.  not justified before God; therefore he says to such, that which is highly esteemed before men, as great alms, building of Temples, and the like, yet are abomination in the eyes of God, because their persons are not in Christ, neither are their consciences justified by faith in the blood of Christ, therefore impure, Tit. 1. 15. 
Titus 1. 15. Use. Bewail thy generation.   
Is it so, that all men are evil trees by generation, conceived in sin, and born in iniquity? learn to bewail thy generation, and see how wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked thou art by the same; what an evil tree art thou by the same? 
Rev. 3. 17.  think not to say, you have godly professors to your parents, we are Gentlemen born, or of Noble blood, for all you that boast of such things, are no better than the Pharisees, which boasted they had 
Say not Abraham.  Abraham to their father, and yet being not in Christ, God was not their Father, but they were the generation of Vipers before God, so are you that are not born of water and the Spirit, and will not believe it, you are by nature children of wrath, and by generation as abominable before God, as the generation of Vipers before men, 
Generation of Vipers.  a deadly and poisonable generation, for the she▪ Viper in copulation, biteth off the head of the fire, and kills him, and when she hath conceived, the young Vipers gnaw out the bowels of their dam, and kill her, and therefore a most cursed generation; so art thou so poisoned with sin, that thou wilt destroy thy father that begat 
The Anabaptists against Luher at Munster, show what generation they are of. Fly to baptism, to be washed as David.  thee in the faith, and mother Church, as the Anabaptiss, and the people of it by persecuting the children of God. Let this be a means to teach thee to bewail thy old birth, with David, saying, I was conceived in sin, and born in iniquity, and so to be cast down for thy old birth, that thou mayest fly to thy baptism, as David desired it, Wash me with Hyssop, and I shall be clean, purge me, and I shall be whiter than snow; desire the Lord to manifest thy baptism unto thee, for no man can truly desire the new birth, until he see how miserable he was by the old; for if thou couldst see how many sins thou hast brought forth, by reason of the old birth, it would be a means greatly to move thee to desire the new birth for your children, and desire to understand your baptism which Christ promised to Peter, that knew not what Christ did, when he washed him, 
Peter knew not.  but he told him he should know it afterward: So it would make us to desire to know afterward what Christ did for us at our baptism. When David saw that he had committed adultery and murder, he cried out of his old birth; but thou hast committed adultery before God; for he or she that looketh on a woman or man, to lust after them, hath committed adultery in his heart; and thou which 
Mat. 5.  hatest thy brother, art a murderer before God; and he that saith to his brother, Thou fool, is worthy to be punished with hell fire, and art in debt ten thousand talents of sins, hast committed them; O fly to Christ for to reveal thy new birth, or else thou must be damned with the devil and his angels, because they are not born of water and the Spirit, they cannot see the kingdom of God, and no more shalt thou, if thou be not of that faith.  
Is it so, that all men by nature are evil trees, bearing evil fruit? 
use. 2. An evil treasure in the heart.  because they have an evil treasure of their heart, that bringeth forth evil things? As evil thoughts, which defile a man before God? Then consider what an evil treasure thou hast in thy heart, all this while thou hast been ready to boast of it, and to say thou hast a good heart to godward, though thou canst not speak so 
foolishness to boast of a good heart.  much, or pray as others, yet thou meanest well, and serve God, and say the Creed, the Lord's Prayer, and ten commandments every day. But I tell thee, thou hast an evil treasure in thy evil heart, that hath brought forth evil things to godward; as evil thoughts, evil words, and evil works, and these are they that have defiled thee. Doth your heart that is so good to godward, as you say, bring forth such bad fruit, which defile the man before God? I tell thee thy heart is nought; for how many thousand naughty thoughts hath it brought forth before God? How many idle words to be accounted for at the day of judgement? and how many 
How many thousand naughty thoughts.  evil actions hath it brought forth? If thou hast not a new birth, and therein remission of all these sins, it had been better for thee, that thou hadst never been born; therefore learn to see the naughtiness of thy heart, and pray for a new heart with David, Create in 
Pray for a new heart. Psal. 51.  me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. For they that think they have a good heart to godward, never saw themselves to have a bad heart, such are in a woeful condition, poor, and blind, and naked; but they that see themselves to have a bad heart, and cry to the Lord for a new one, and by faith wash his heart, with the Hyssop of Christ's blood, by receiving the other sacrament of the blood of Christ, to sprinkle his heart. That man that cryeth unto the Lord against the corruption of his old heart, and prayeth unto the Lord to create in him a new heart, and goeth unto the Lord's Supper, that man hath a new birth, and hath a new heart, though he cannot feel it so new as he would.  
Did not the good trees in the time of the Law bring forth bad 
Ob.  fruit before God? as David, Moses, Miriam, Jehosaphat, and yet they were not cut down, and cast into the fire? And so why may not good trees now do so? bring forth some fruit good, and some bad before God?  
I answer, in the time of the Law, the axe was not laid to the 
Answ.  root of the trees, it was laid to the boughs and branches; for God said, I hewed them by my Prophets, Hos. 6. 5. And you see how David for his ill fruit, had four branches cut off, the child conceived in adultery was smitten of the Lord, and died, and the Lord said, The sword shall not depart from thy house; three other of his sons were cut off by the sword. And Hiel the Bethulite had two sons cut off by the axe of the Law, as you may see, Josh. 6. 26. Joshua said▪ Cursed be the man before the Lord, that riseth up, and buildeth Jericho, he shall lay the foundation thereof in his eldest son, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates thereof; i. his eldest son shall die by this curse, when he begins to build, and his youngest shall die when he set up the gates thereof. This curse seemed to lie asleep many hundred years, and forgotten, and therefore in Ahab's days, Hiel the Bethulite, builded Jercho, he laid the foundation thereof in Abiram, his eldest son, and set up the gates thereof in his youngest son, Segub, (i. they died) according to the word of the Lord, that he spoke by Joshua; and thus many Tribes of Israel 
Hos. 11. John 3. 5▪  were cut off by the Law, though Judah remained still. But now Christ is come, preaching the kingdom of heaven by baptism into Christ, to put on Christ: now the axe is laid to the root of the trees of all Nations, Churches and particular men, to show that all men now must be made good trees in Christ, to bring forth none but good fruit before God, or else the axe of the Law and God's Decree, and sword, or judgements of curses, is laid to their roots, and are hewn down and cast into the fire of God's wrath, as Christ's 
No more sacrifice.  own words declare, Mat. 7. 19 for there is no more sacrifice for sin. Christ hath now set open such a fountain in baptism, that doth more than all the sacrifices of the Law: with one offering, he 
Ephes. 5. 26. Heb. 10. 14.  hath perfected for ever, all them▪ that are sanctified, Heb. 11. 14. i. in baptism: For, every person that will not hear that Prophet, (i. Christ) to be washed in Christ's blood, (in baptism) shall be 
Acts 3. 23▪  destroyed out of the people, Acts 3. 23▪ i. he that will not let Christ wash him he may have part in him, without which he shall have none, Joh. 13. 8. as the Pharises, i. he that will not be graffed 
John 13. 8.  into Christ, to bring forth none but good fruit before God, he is 
1 Ioh. ●. 20●▪  hewn down by the Word of God; he that will not believe, shall be damned, i. he that will not believe he is in him, that is true, in that 
Ioh. 3. 5.  his Son Jesus Christ, which no man can believe▪ but by his baptism, as Joh. 3. 5. Every person that will not make the tree good and the 
Make the trees▪ good and the fruit good▪  fruit good by baptism and saith, or the tree evil, and the fruit evil by Adam, and infidelity, shall be destroyed out of the people. O this civil war, wherein Christ is come as a thief, or with a judgement, like thieves, shall destroy multitudes of people, because they will not obey Christ, to let him wash them, because they will not believe their 
Christ is come as a thief.  baptism into Christ in infancy; for evil trees bring not forth good fruit, for some bring forth none, as the Civilian, Hew him 
Civilian.  down, why cumbereth he the ground? some bring forth lukewarmness, some infidelity, some ignorance, some drunkenness, swearing, lying, banning and cursing, all these are bad fruit, such are hewn down, and cast into the fire; howsoever, they are hewn down in conscience; and that remaineth under wrath, without any assurance of salvation, though the person, if it be elect, may be under mercy, graffed into Christ, and all these sins forgiven in his baptism, which he knows not till he repent and believe.  
Is it so, that all men by nature are evil trees, bringing forth 
use.  evil fruit, because sin within them is of such a defiling nature, that 
Is sin of such a defiling nature.  it hath made both person and actions filthy and unclean? Consider the horrible filthiness of sin, how it hath polluted and defiled the heavens and the earth; for they shall wax old as doth a vesture, and as a garment shalt thou change them; they shall be burned, because they be subject to vanity, for the sin of man, they groan and travel in pain for the pollution of sin, so are thy person and actions become unclean, by the defilement of sin. O bewail thy sin, make haste out of thy miserable and wretched condition by sin, make haste to Christ by saith, who came to take away our sins, for thy sins have made thee subject to burning. The heavens and the 
Heavens.  earth, and all things therein shall be burnt, because they are subject to vanity for the bondage of corruption. The Angels that are polluted 
Rom. 8. 20, 21.  with sin, shall be burned in hell, for ever burning, and never consumed: The wicked that are not graffed into Christ, shall be burned with the devil and his angels, where the worm dyeth not, and the fire never goeth out, and yet darest thou remain in sin, and pollute thyself more and more? Well, make haste to believe thy baptism, for the world will not hold thee long, nor God endure thee to behold the light of this Son, that will walk in darkness of infidelity out of Christ; for, the axe is laid to the root of the trees, every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, is hewn down, and cast into the fire; but thou dost bring forth bad fruit of sin, Ergo, thou art hewn down, and cast into the fire.  
In the second place we gather, that all that are made good trees 
Doct. 3. All that are made good trees by baptism into Christ, shall be saved.  by Baptism into Christ, to bring forth fruit before God, shall be saved, and not be cut down and cast into the fire: All men have now the axe of Baptism laid to their roots (except Jews, and Heathens, and Anabaptists, which despise the counsel of God to their damnation) to cut them out of the old Adam, to graft them into the new; for it is certain, that in baptism, we put off the old man, and put on the new; for thereby the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, do 
Gal. 3. 27.  graft us into Christ, and make us trees of righteousness, trees of his own planting, that the Lord may be glorified, Isai. 61. 3. Now, 
Isai. 61. 3.  should God's good trees of righteousness bring forth bad fruit of sin before God? He saith, no, Mat. 7. 17. Every good tree bringeth 
Matth▪ 7. 17.  forth good fruit, a good tree cannot bring forth bad fruit; for, by the remission of all sins in the blood of Christ in baptism, the actions are made good, by the eternal redemption, and the everlasting righteousness, which few men understand; for by an eternal redemption by Christ's blood in baptism, we have remission of all sins, past, present, and to come, for ever, before the Throne of God, though we cannot yet believe it; and we have an everlasting righteousness given unto us freely, which makes us righteous for ever before God. Hence, saith Calvin, is to be noted, that men cannot 
Calvin.  do well before they be made good; and therefore Christ saith to the Pharisees, O generation of Vipers, how can you speak good things, when yourselves are evil? i. not graffed in Christ by baptism and Faith in him: For, out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh; i. from the abundance of good or evil in the heart; and in Luke 6. 44. for, every tree is known by his fruit, for it is not a good 
Luke 6. 44.  tree that bringeth forth evil fruit, i. of sin before God, neither an evil tree that bringeth forth good fruit, signifying, that the good tree cannot but bring forth good fruit: and hereupon the trees of the Lord are said to be full of sap, i. full of the Spirit of Christ, which cause them to bring forth good fruit; for, the seed remaineth in him, saith St. John, for whosoever is born of God, sinneth 
Psal. 104. 1 John 3. 9  not, for his seed remaineth in him, neither can he sin, because he is born of God, i. though he do sin before men, yet he cannot fall out of Christ's blood and righteousness, that he need a new sacrifice before God, For with one sacrifice he is made perfect (before God) for ever, Heb. 10. 14. For David's blessed man, is campared to the tree planted by the rivers of water in infancy (yea, into Jesus 
Psal. 1.  that came by water and blood) not by water only, but by water and blood, 'tis that Spirit that beareth witness, and that Spirit is trtuh, 1 John 5. 6. that bringeth forth fruit in due season; for they 
1 Ioh. 5. 6.  that are planted in the House of God in their youth or infancy, planted into Christ by baptism, shall bring forth much fruit in their age; for, herein is my Father glorified, that you bring forth much fruit, and be made my Disciples. And how shall any bring forth 
Ioh. 15. 8. Psal. 19  much fruit before God? except the words of his mouth, and the meditations of his heart, and all the works of his hands be made acceptable unto God, but through Christ's work in baptism; for we cannot make them good, by all the devices, that man's brain can imagine: but Christ must make them all good by his blood and righteousness freely, without any works of man, and give us faith to believe it.  
But how is any man made a good tree before God, that were all 
Quest.  such evil trees by Adam?  
First, as trees are made good before men, by planting or graffing, 
Answ.  before they can bring forth good fruit before men, so must all men 
1 By graffing.  be planted or graffed into Jesus Christ by baptism, before they can bring forth good fruit before God; this is plain, Rom. 11. 17. 
Rom. 11. 17. 24.  and 24. and though some of the branches be broken off, and thou being a wild Olive tree, wast graffed in for them, and made partaker of the root and fatness of the Olive tree; for if thou wast cut out of the Olive tree, which was wild by nature, (i. by baptism wast cut out of Adam) and wast graffed contrary to nature in the right Olive tree, how much more shall they which are by nature be graffed in their own Olive tree? for if we be planted with him into the similitude of his death, even so shall we be to the similitude of his resurrection, Rom. 6. 5. And how is that; that 
Rom. 6. 5.  we are graffed or planted into the similitude of his death? The Answer is in the 4th verse, We are buried with him by baptism into his death; that as they buried a man in the Sepulchre of Elisha, that when the man was down, and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood upon his feet, 2 King. 13. 21. so the elect that were dead in sins, in trespasses, when they are cast into the grave of Christ, when they are down, and touch the virtue of Christ's death by Baptism, they revive, and stand upon their feet before God.  
We are made good trees, because we are made branches of the 
2. For we are made branches of the Vine. John 15. 5. Two trees.  Vine Christ: as John 15. 5. I am the Vine, ye are the branches; Adam and Christ are compared to two trees, Adam a wild Olive, the root of all men by nature, Christ a sweet Olive, or a Vine, the root of all men by grace, that are graffed into Christ by baptism; he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit, for without me ye can do nothing, i. he that abideth by faith in Christ, by baptism, he bringeth forth much fruit of righteousness before God; but he that abideth not in Christ to bring forth good fruit, but in such a dead faith, that he bringeth forth sin, he is cast forth as a branch, i. unprofitable, by the judgement of God, and withereth in the assurance of salvation, and men gather them and cast into the fire of God's wrath, and they burn; as they that turn Jews, Turks, Heathens, Papists, Witches, and Anabaptists, all these are justly excommunicated out of the true Church of God, and judged to be under wrath, because they have denied or forsaken, or forgotten their baptism into Christ.  
Why because by baptism, we are made members of his body, of his 
Reason 3. For we are made members of his body.  flesh, and of his bone, i. spiritual members, straightly coupled together unto him; for, seeing Christ hath loved his Church, and sanctified it, and cleansed it through the washing of the water, through the Word, Ephes. 5. 26. he so made us to himself a glorious Church, without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blame, vers. 27. and by that baptism are we made members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones, as vers. 30. And therefore Christ doth feed us with his body 
Ephes. 5. 30.  and blood, by faith, that we might dwell in Christ, and Christ in us, that we might be certain that we are incorporated into him by baptism. Therefore he took flesh of the virgin, to testify that he acknowledgeth us for his members; for Christ may as truly say (of his elect, that are baptised into Christ, and have put on Christ) as Adam said of Evah when she was married to him, She is now bone 
Gen. 2.  of my bone, and flesh of my flesh; so Christ may say of all the elect that are married to him by baptism, They are members of my body, of my flesh, and of my bones.  
And by this means, i. by baptism, and by faith, is the heart 
How is the heart made good. Ezek. 36. ●5.  made a good treasure; for God said, I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all your filthiness: and a new heart, and a new spirit will I put within you; I will take away the stony heart, and give you an heart of flesh, Ezek. 36. 25, 26. and this heart is purified by faith, Acts 15. 9 for when the heart is made pure, it is made a good treasure, for all things are pure to it; so that as it is said on the one side of them that are not sanctified, that the unbelieving and impure, they are defiled, Tit. 1. 15, 16. But also as the Prophet Hagg●i crieth out, so are all the works of these people's hands, and that which they offer in the Temple is unclean, Hag. 2. 15. signifying all comes from an unclean treasure: So on the other side, to the pure, that is, to them that are washed and sanctified, and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and the Spirit of our God in baptism, and their hearts purified from their sins by faith in the blood of the Lamb, all things are pure, and all the 
1 Cor. 6. 11.  works of their hands; what they offer in the Temple is made good fruit, in the Spirit of God freely, and thereby acceptable in the sight of God, whom nothing can please, but that which is pure; and hereupon David giveth this answer to his own question, Who shall dwell in the Tabernacle of the Lord; and who shall rest in his holy hill? even he that hath innocent hands, which no man can have, but by remission of sins in baptism, wherein a man's hands are washed in Christ's innocency, and a pure heart, which Christians obtain by faith in the blood of Christ. Thus having our hearts 
John 1. 7.  sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water, we may keep our profession without wavering, Heb. 10. 22, 23. with innocent hands and a pure heart, which shall see God, Mat. 5.  
Men are made good trees by putting on Christ's white raiment, 
4. By planting on Christ.  righteousness, as a garment: as Gal. 3. 27. Now if a man had such a garment, that would make all his thoughts, words, and works good, it would make him a good tree. Adam, you know, hath so clothed all natural men, that he hath made all their thoughts, words, and actions evil; shall we not grant as much to Christ? to make the tree good, and the fruit good? If a man can bring a green tree to grow over a dry, the green tree will make the dry green also, and find sap enough, and make it bring forth much fruit; as we have seen in a part of a tree, being green, growing over a dead and dry part, it makes it fruitful. So Christ is a green tree, and we dry, as he saith, If they have done thus to t●… green 
L●ke 23. 31.  tree, what shall be done to the dry? Answ. Truly, if Christ do not grow over it, and over the fruit of it, it shall burn.  
Men are made good trees by his Spirit; for by one Spirit, we are 
5. By his Spirit. 1 Cor. 12. 13.  baptised into one body, and made all to drink into one Spirit, i. in baptism we are regenerate, and new born of water and the Spirit, that we might be one spiritual body, whereof Christ is the head; and he that hath not the Spirit of Christ, is none of his. Therefore in the Supper we drink the blood of Christ, that we might be made partakers more and more of the Spirit of Christ, to be all of one mind and spirit. Now he that bringeth forth fruit before God, in the Spirit of Christ, shall be saved, otherwise he is hewn down, and cast into the fire.  
What, are none made good trees but those that are graffed and 
Quest.  baptised into Christ, to bring forth good fruit before God? Was not Cornelius his prayer and alms good fruit before God, which came up to God before baptism? Acts 10. And what say you of Infants dying before baptism?  
I answer, that Cornelius did pray in faith, that Christ was to 
Answ.  come, as the Jews did before his coming, which brought forth some fruits of faith, that Christ should come, and take away their sins; and they brought forth some bad fruits of transgression of the Law, as David, for which they sacrificed: Now therefore Cornelius 
Psal. 130. 8.  being an elect vessel, that he might not stand in a twofold estate before God, to bring forth some fruit good, and some bad, God sent an Angel from Heaven to him, and bade him send for Peter, and he shall show thee what thou oughtest to do, i. to be made a good tree, to bring forth nothing but good fruit; signifying, 
Acts 10. 6,  he shall show thee by faith, in the death and resurrection of Christ, and by baptism into Christ, the tree shall be made good and fruit good, Matth. 12. 33. For by the Law they were under the heavy yoke, that we nor our fathers were able to bear, which bare some good fruits, and some cursed, as Jehosaphat, 2 Chro. 19 2. and Hezekiah, 2 Chron. 23. 25.  
Now, if a twofold estate had been good enough for Cornelius, what needed an Angel be sent from Heaven, to send for Peter to bring him into a better estate before God than he was in? which shows that we have now a better estate before God by baptism into Christ, than the Fathers had under the Law, as the Apostle saith, God providing a better thing for us, Heb. 11. 40. we have a perfect remission of sins, and no more sacrifice for sin, are with one offering made perfect for ever that are sanctified; and how is that? 
Heb. 10. 14.  by baptism, Ephes. 5. 26. and by Faith, Acts 26. 18. by baptism to the person, and by faith to the conscience; as Heb. 10. 22, 23.  
And concerning Infants dying before baptism, if either of the parents be faithful, they are said to be holy, 1 Cor. 7. 14. that is, within the holy covenant of baptism: for baptism is the Antitype of the Ark; that as Noah prepared the Ark, not only to save himself, but also his household; so the same sign which now saveth 
1 Pet. 3. 22.  us, baptism, I mean the inward baptism, is received to save a man's self and his household, that die before they can come unto it, as Peter and Paul told the jailor, Believe in the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be saved, and thy household, Acts 16. which he could not do without baptism; and therefore it is said, that when he was baptised, 
Acts 16. 34.  he rejoiced that he and his household believed in God; for no man can believe in Christ before he be baptised into him; for if he should say, he believes he is in Christ, he should believe a lie, for no man can truly say he is in Christ, before he is baptised into him; and this caused Paul to say, Andronicus and Junius his cousins, and fellow-prisoners, that were notable among the Apostles, and were in Christ before me, i. they were baptised before me, professors and believers before me, they were ingraffed into Christ before me, when I was without Christ, Ephes. 2. 12. and a murderer.  
If all be done in baptism, that men be made good trees to bring 
Ob.  forth none but good fruit, and have perfect remission of all sins, and an everlasting righteousness freely, what need men repent, or mortify sin, or pray for remission?  
I answer, though God hath sealed such a free covenant with us 
Answ.  on his part, yet we cannot know it, until we repent, and believe, and mortify sin, and pray for remission; for these are to us-ward signs, that the covenant of Grace was sealed upon us in baptism to godward; as that we were made so to himself, a glorious Church, not having spot, to be holy, and without blame, Ephes. 5. 26. And as Athanasius, that Champion of the truth, 
Ephes. 5. 27.  saith, that as a woman with child by the springing of the Babe in her womb, knoweth for certainty, that she hath conceived fruit, so the soul of a true believer knows by the springs of his heart, and by the inward joys, that he received the Holy Ghost in baptism. Mark the word, springs in the heart, they are repentance, mortification, praying for remission, mourning, hungering and thirsting after righteousness, love to Christ, these would never have come up, if no seed had been sown in baptism; therefore he that is 
1 John.  born of God, is said to have seed remain in him, which comes up afterward.  
What? Are the elect justified in baptism before God, and receive 
Quest.  the Holy Ghost there, and are made Temples for the Holy Ghost to dwell in? How can we believe this, when we see many live loosely, and walk in all kind of sins, a long time after? I will not believe it, except I could see some workings of the Holy Ghost in them.  
I answer, thou art a faithless Thomas that would not believe, except 
Answ.  he might see and feel; did not Christ say to him, and so to thee, Be not faithless, but believing; blessed is he that believeth, and hath not seen. The Temple of Jerusalem was made you know for an holy house of prayer, but if you had gone in Christ's time, you might have seen, that they had brought in Oxen, and Sheep, and there was tables of the money-changers, and seats of them that sold Doves, and such a multitude of buyers, and sellers, that they had made the Temple of God a Den of thieves, but they did not untemple it, but it was a Temple still; but Christ made a scourge of small cords, and drove all the buyers and sellers out of the Temple: So the elect by baptism, are made the Temple of God; for the Temple of God is holy, which are ye, 1 Cor. 3. 17. and they buy and sell Oxen, and Sheep, and Doves, and bring in the tables of money-changers, covetousness and usury, and make the conscience a Den 
As Arminians and Papists.  of thieves, yet the man is not untempled; therefore Christ will come to his Temple with a scourge of small cords of the Law, and drive them sins out of the conscience; and the Temple of God shall become a house of prayer, that was made a Den of thieves; therefore such Antinomians that will not have the Law preached, will be wiser than Christ, for Christ made a scourge of small cords, i. of the Law, for small sins, saying thus, He that is angry with his brother unadvisedly, is culpable of judgement; he hath broken the Law, is accursed by the Law● he is of the devil that loves not his brother, 
1 John 3. 10.  1 John 3. 10. all the curses of the Law belong to him; for he that breaketh the Law in one point, is guilty of all, James 2. 
James ●. 10.   
A second cord, but he that saith unto his brother, Rac●h, i. gives a taunting speech to his brother in anger, that is, unadvised, he is a greater sinner, he is worthy to be condemned of a council; he loves not his brother, is of the devil, is cursed by the Law; what will become of mockers and scoffers of their brethren?  
A third small cord, but he that saith unto his brother, Thou fool, is worthy to be punished with hell fire; he is of Cain that hateth his brother, and is a murderer, and you know, that no murderer 
● John 3. 5.  hath eternal life abiding in him; thou art a railer, thou art cursed by the Law, for not continuing in all things written in the Book of the Law to do the same; woe unto thee, thou railer, thou art shut out of the kingdom of Heaven, 1 Cor. 6. 10. What will become of you that practise railing against your brethren? calling some Rogue, rascal, Knave, Villain, Drab, Puritain; yea, the most godly, by one gross name or other? woe unto thee, the Law tells thee thou art cursed, and all crosses and calamities are punishments and plagues for thy sins. Now, if a spiritual murder be so great, what is actual killing?  
A fourth small cord, he that looketh upon a woman to lust after her, hath committed adultery with her in his heart, (or the woman on a man) he hath broken the holy and pure Law of God, is a damnable adulterer, and accursed by the Law of God, that saith, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things, written in the book of the Law to do them: Whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge, Heb. 13. 4. But thou continuest not, as thy conscience tells thee; Ergo, thou art cursed by the Law. Let these whip sin out of thy conscience, and whip thee to Christ.  
A fifth small cord, Thou hast been an usurer, or a seller, that hast defrauded, or cozened thy brother of a penny; he or his wife, or some of his children, or children's children, or children's children's children, to the end of the world, may want that penny, and starve and die for want of a pennyworth of bread, or drink, thou art guilty of his death; for he that taketh away a man's living, killeth him: Thou that hast oppressed or defrauded thy brother, in any thing, God is the avenger of all such things, thou hast slain thy brother, woe unto thee, thou manslayer, as Luther saith to the objection of the Usurer, that said he lent his money to usury, not to the poor, but only to the rich; I thank you, Master manslayer, you will kill no poor men, but only those that are rich; but you will make them poor by usury, and so kill them: if a penny be so much, what shall become of you that have defrauded, cozened, spoiled, and plundered your brethren of many shillings and pounds, woe unto you, let this scourge of small cords, or sins driye out all these sins out of thy conscience by contrition, confession, mortification, vivification, prayer against sin, love of righteousness, that Christ may dwell in the Temple that was made good by baptism, but you have made it a den of thieves by your sins, and it will remain an house of Prayer, for which it was built of God; for the Temple of God is holy, which are ye. And for you that will not believe it is so, because you cannot see it, it shows you are not dead unto reason, you have not slain the beast reason, you are nor resolved to believe whatsoever God says, though it be never so contrary to reason, you will believe no more than you can mould up with sight and reason, you are but dunces in Christ's School. Do not you know that the kingdom of God is as if a man should cast seed into the ground, and should sleep, and rise up night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he not knowing how? for the earth bringeth forth fruit of itself, first the blade, than the ear, and after the full corn in the ear; and as soon as the fruit showeth itself, anon he putteth in his sickle, because the harvest is come: What, will you say there was no seed sown, because you see none for many days? The kingdom of heaven is sown in 
Mar. 4. 2●▪ to 29.  baptism, wherein the seed is sown into the ground, and men sleep, and rise up night and day, and walk in their calling; the seed grow and spring downward first, with a fear of hell, and grow to some knowledge of a way of salvation, he not knowing how, yet by thundering and lightning, hail the law, and rain of the Gospel, the ground of man's heart bringeth forth fruit of itself, by the Sun of righteousness: first, the blade of godly sorrow, than the ear of faith, after the full corn in the ear, fruits of righteousness and holiness, and anon he putteth in the sickle, and reaps men unto Heaven because the harvest of such a man is come.  
Are we graffed into Christ by baptism, and made good trees, 
use 2.  because we are made partakers of the fatness of the stock? See that ye abide in Christ; for though ye be wild Olive branches by Adam, yet such is the nature of the sweet Olive Christ, as Psal. 52. Christ is this true Olive tree, that is both fat and sweet, and we are graffed into him by baptism to bring forth fruit in the stock 
Psal. 52. 8.  Christ; know that it is the nature of a fat, and sweet Olive stock, to change the nature of a wild Olive branch, and contrary to our manner of graffing, to make it bring forth sweet Olives: So Christ the sweet Olive, will change the nature of thy person and actions before God, and make them all good, that abide in him by this faith in thy baptism.  
Is it so, Christ is a Vine, and are we the branches? and how were 
use 2.  you made branches, but by baptism? look you bring not forth evil fruit before God, for he that bringeth not forth fruit in Christ, but evil fruit of sin, God taketh it away, cuts it off, it withers in faith, and men gather them together, and they burn, such are hewn down, and cast into the fire.  
Are we members of his body, flesh and bones? For he can say 
use 3.  as Adam did to Evab, and so may we say, Ephes. 5. 30. Then are any of Christ's members in a twofold estate before God; partly Adam, and partly Christ; what do any of Christ's members, hands, feet, legs, arms, fingers, toes, bring forth good fruit, and bade too, before God? no, all Christ's members are good trees, and a good tree cannot bring forth bad fruit before God: here is comfort for thee, if thou abide in this faith, no man shall take thy joy from thee; many lose their joy, by believing they are in a twofold estate before God.  
Again, are you members of Christ by baptism? where is your love to the members of Christ, that are baptised into Christ, as well as you? Here is the reason of all the sects▪ and divisions, and wars in Christendom, and no more love, because they have forgotten their baptism: as 2 Pet. 1. 9 they have forgotten they are members of Christ, and children of God, and inheritors of the kingdom of heaven; they say not, why do we wrong one to another, for we are brethren? they have forgotten they were washed 
Acts 7.  from their sins, (saith Peter) and therefore, if they have not put off the old man, must needs live in old hatred, malice, envy and lying; wherefore labour to bring all men to the faith of their baptism, that in it they were made members of Christ; for this faith would teach them to say, Should one hand fight with another? though the children of the devil fight, and could never agree, should not the members of Christ love one another? O quam iniquum est, ut two dissideant in terris, qui in omnem aeternitatem una victuri sunt in coelis! O! how unfit is it, for those to disagree, fight, and hate one another on earth, which shall live together for ever in heaven? So that he that forgets his baptism, i. his washing from his old sins, i. from original and actual sins, that man cannot make his calling and election sure, that hath forgot his baptism, for he hath forgot the true faith, i. that he is in him that 
Joh. 5. 20.  is true, and he hath forgot to add to faith virtue, i. of Christ's death and resurrection, and he hath forgot to add to virtue, knowledge, i. of salvation, by the remission of sins, which was in baptism; and he hath forgot to add to knowledge, temperance, for want of the knowledge of salvation by remission of sin, cause men to fall to intemperance; and he hath forgot to add to temperance, patience, and thus they wrangle and fight with his comembers; and he hath forgot to add brotherly kindness; he believes not his own sins are forgiven; he forgives not his brother, and he adds not love, for he hath forgot Christ hath loved him, and washed him from his sins in his own blood, he covers not a multitude of offences in his brother; so that you see, the forgetting of a man's baptism into Christ, is the cause of all the divisions, sects, wars, and mischiefs that are in the world, and of the damnation of so many thousands; for he that believeth, and is baptised, shall be saved; but he that will not believe his baptism into Christ, shall be damned; for he cannot believe he is in Christ, or hath remission of sins, or an everlasting righteousness, for he that will not believe he is baptised into Christ, and hath put on Christ, shall be damned, if he never will be baptised.  
What, Do you hold that baptism do confer grace ex opere operato?  
I answer no; for then all the reprobate that are baptised, should receive grace at it, but Judas and Simon Magus did not. But I believe that all the elect do ordinarily receive grace at baptism, as many Scriptures, Fathers and Churches declare, Acts 2. 38. Joh. 3. 5. Gal. 3. 27. Tit. 3. 5. And Cyprian, Gregory Nazianzen, Athanasius, Chrysostom, Basil, Jerome, Ambrose, Augustine, Luther, Calvin, Beza, Bucer, Zanche, Mourton, Marlorat, Hooker: the confession of Helvetia of Scotland, Belgic, France, Argentine, Augustan, Saxon, Wittenberg, Palatine, and our Church of England; in all which ten Churches, the gross and damnable heresy of the Anabaptists is condemned; and of all such as hold that grace is not given to the elect Infants at baptism. And here is the reason, when the Jews are called, they shall never scatter more into sundry opinions and sects, and fight one with another, because they shall be so soundly grounded on the faith of their baptism into Christ, that they are in him that is true, and so are members and children of God, that they shall love one another so in Christ, as they shall never fight one with another more; and then shall the seventh Vial be poured out on the air, which is the kingdom of the devil; for he shall never have any power to set them together by the ears, as he doth now: Heathens against Heathens, Turks against Christians, Papists against Protestants, and Protestants one with another; for herein consists the subtlety of the devil and the Pope, to set Christians together by the ears, that he may get both; for he gets more by their killing one another, then by any other way, but after that the seventh Vial be poured out on the kingdom of the devil, by the preaching of baptism, and Faith that we are in him that is true, the devil shall never have any power to set them at variance any more, for all the true Church shall by the faith of their baptism into Christ, believe they are members, and love as brethren, and then the prophecy of Micah, Mic. 4. 2, 3. for the Law Thorah, signifies in general, doctrine, and so may be taken for baptism, as John's baptism was from heaven, shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem, i. that men are clean by the word that Christ hath spoken in baptism: And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke mighty nations a far off of sin, of righteousness, and of judgement, John 16. because they believe not in Christ that believe not their baptism, he shall bring them to it, and then they shall break their swords into mattocks, and their spears into scythes, nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn to fight any more, but they shall sit every man under his vine, and under his figtree, and none shall make them afraid, for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it, i. between Jews and Gentiles, which shall be truly graffed into Christ by baptism, there shall be no dissension, as there is now under the corrupt state of the Church, for under that pure state of the Church, they shall strive to show all offices of love, as they do now practices of hatred, which is not so to be understood, as if it were not lawful now for Protestants to take up arms, as the Anabaptiss have held absurdly, for so long as Antichrist fight against Christ, they must defend 
See Brightman on that place.  themselves against him; for the Church is terrible, as an army with banners, she must fight: But in the elect justified Church by baptism into Christ, and faith in the same, among the right Olive branch, Christians shall show such love, peace and concord, that they shall fight no more; there is such love already to be seen among the white-raiment Christians, that they had rather die then fight one against another. And this is for the comfort of you the citizens of the new Jerusalem, that are no Anabaptists, nor Antinomians, though the world may falsely call you by some gross name, for you hold the Law is to be preached in the killingest manner that can be; and believe your baptism in infancy, and are sound in the faith of your baptism, you are the people that God will deliver in this bloody civil war: For thus saith the Lord Jesus, Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, therefore I will deliver thee from the hour of temptation, which will come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon earth. Now the word of Christ's patience, is the true faith in our 
Rev. 3. 10.  baptism, wherein we are baptised into Christ his death, Rom. 6. 3. and buried with him, and crucified with him, and raised with him; for the word of Christ's patience is the faith of Christ crucified (as Meyer) dead and buried, and risen again, which are all included in the faith of our baptism, that we are in him crucified, dead and buried to sin before God in him, and risen again in him by baptism, which belongs not only to the Church of Philadelphia, but to all other Churches, that hear what the Spirit saith to the Churches, I will deliver thee from the hour of temptation, i. from the last persecution of Antichrist, which is now come upon all the Christian world, in these our days, which is like to last till the Pope be destroyed. 
use.   
Are we made good trees by putting on of Christ as a garment? for if a man had such a garment as would make all his thoughts, words and actions good, it would make him a good tree. Now Christ is such a garment of righteousness, that is put on at baptism, and by faith, that it makes the tree good, and the fruit good: Behold, Christ is come as a thief, and the last persecution of Antichrist is begun; blessed is he that keepeth his garments unto him, i. which were put on at baptism, Gal. 2. 27. lest he walk naked, and there see his filthiness, what an evil tree he is by Adam, to bring forth sin before God, in thoughts, words and actions, which should have been all covered, if he had kept his garments that he put on at baptism; they are all cursed trees, that keep not Christ's garments.  
Again, are men made good trees by baptism and faith, because 
use.  they are made to drink into one Spirit? Then the way to bring all men to be of one Religion, and to cease all wars in Christendom, is to teach them, how they have all received one Spirit in baptism, and baptised into one body, that is, a loving Spirit, a peaceable, 
1 Cor. 12. 13.  meek, and quiet Spirit, that takes of Christ's water, and shows unto us, and of Christ's blood, and shows unto us, and of Christ's righteousness, and shows unto us, Joh. 16. 14. But hast thou an hateful spirit, a wrangling, angry fighting spirit, that do not take of Christ's water, but of the Pope's holy-water, and show to thee, not of Christ's blood, and shows unto thee, for remission of sins, but of St. Frances his blood, or some works of man for remission of sins, or not Christ's righteousness in baptism, but man's righteousness, and show unto thee, this is not the Spirit of Christ that the Saints are made to drink into at baptism, but thou hast forgot thy baptism, and so lost the Spirit of Christ; for as the Spirit of God moved upon the waters, i. as it were, hatching and nourishing the cr●atures in the 
Gen. 1.  creation: So doth the Spirit of Christ still move upon the waters of baptism, i. on the preaching of the faith of the same, regenerating, converting and nourishing these trees, to make them bring forth fruit unto eternal life. And therefore the Preachers of baptism shall convert most unto Christ, because his Spirit will move upon the waters. Mr. Perkins rule is this, If a man would be a Student 
On Gal. 2. 27. page 265.  in Divinity, let him learn and practise his baptism; Commentaries are needful to the study of the Scriptures, and the best Commentary to a man's own self, is his own baptism; for if a man hath learned to practise his own baptism, he shall be the better able to understand the whole, and without this help, the Scriptures themselves shall be but a riddle unto us: I desire to prize this rule, and to make as much use of it, as ever any Christian man did; for until men understand by this rule, what is meant by this counsel of Christ to England, under the type of Laodicea, (for it now appeareth to all the Churches, what Christ wrote to Laodicea, he would spew out him and his Hierarchy out of his mouth) until this counsel of Christ be taken: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayst be made rich, Rev. 3. 18. that is, the lively faith in the merits of Christ's death, in our baptism into Christ, which makes us rich sons of God, Gal. 3. 26, 27. and white raiment, justification, wherein no shame of nakedness of sin appear, and eyesalve of the Spirit of Christ, that takes of Jesus, and shows unto us, that came by water and blood, not by water of baptism only, but by water and blood, 'tis that Spirit beareth witness, and that Spirit is truth, 1 John 5. 6. Until this counsel of Christ be taken in England, and of the Lutherans, the sword shall not cease, 1. For, as many as I love, I rebuke and chasten; Christ will not leave rebuking and chastening, until they be zealous of this counsel, and repent of lukewarmness, Rev. 3. 19 2. For, behold, I stand at the door, and knock; Ergo, he will not be gone, nor leave rapping with sword, famine, and pestilence, until they hear his voice to buy gold, white raiment, and eyesalve, and let Christ in to sup with them, and they with him, Rev. 3. 20. Then there shall arise in England, the most conquering and reigning Church that ever arose in Christendom; for to him that overcometh will I give to sit with me in my Throne, as I overcame, and sit with my Father in his Throne, i. I reign and conquer, and so shall my Church of England, that take my counsel; they shall conquer the Throne of the Beast, and the false Prophet, they are the woman clothed with the 
Rev. 12. 1.  Sun, white raiment, Christians, and citizens of the new Jerusalem. 
Rev. 3. 4.  Of this I have written at large, and of the causes why this sword is upon the Land, and what remedies must be used, before it will 
Rev. 3. 12.  cease. O thou sword of the Lord! How long will it be ere thou be quiet? Turn again into scabbard; rest, and be still; how can it be quiet, seeing the Lord hath given it a charge against Askelon in England, Scotland & Ireland, and against the seashore? There hath he appointed it, Jer. 47. 6, & 7. He hath appointed the sword in Germany and England, until Christ's counsel be taken, Rev. 3. 18. For when they will be guided by his counsel, they shall be received to the glory of his Throne to conquer and reign upon earth, Rev. 5. 10.  
FINIS.