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and will by no means exchange the one for the other. But this light that now after a long night, breaks forth again in some of its first glory, let these men fet their hearts at reft; for they fhall never be able to obfcure it again; and the fire of the Spirit that God hath kindled in the kingdom, they fhall never be able to quench with any fire, either of earth or hell. And therefore we fear them not, though they breath forth threatenings now, and ere long, are like to breath forth blood: For by all their fubtil and industrious actings, in the end, they fhall not work the truth's ruin, but their own. And thefe, as well as their fore-fathers, of the fame race and lineage, in whofe stead they are now rifen up, fhall in due time become a reproach and a fhame, and their name fhall be for a curse to all God's chofen.

Reader, It is my earnest defire, that the Lord would deliver thee from this new form of the mystery of iniquity, which in every age puts on a feveral form, when the old one is discovered by the light of the word. And in this prefent age, it is become fo exceeding cunning, and fo furnifhed with all deceivableness of unrighteoufnefs, under the form of righteoufnefs, that it feems to be the last and fubtileft work of Antichrift that is now in hand; and he that prevails in this encounter, hath Antichrift under his feet for ever: but none are like to prevail here, but the faithful and elect alone.

And therefore hold fast that which thou baft, that no man take thy crown, Rev. iii. 11. and confider Chrift's encouragement to this work in the following verfe; Him that overcomelb will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and be fhall go no more out and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God; which is, New Jerufalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new Name,

Chriftian Reader, I commit thee, and the word now offered to thee in this difcourfe, to God, and his powerful bleffing, and wonderful working; Remaining,

Thine in the difficult, and defpifed fervice

of Jefus Chrift in the Gospel,

WILLIAM DELL.

RIGHT REFORMATION:

OR

The Reformation of the CHURCH of the

New Testament, reprefented in

Gofpel-Light.

T

HEB. ix. 10.

Until the time of Reformation.

HE natural man (faith Paul, 1 Cor. ii.) knows not the things of the Spirit, neither can be, for they are Spiritually difcerned. Now, a man that is not born of God and bis Spirit, with all his parts, abilities, reason, wisdom, prudence, learning, is but a natural man ftill, and fo hath no right knowledge of the things of God and his Spirit.

And hence it hath come to pass that the things of God and his Spirit have been fo grofly and dangerously miftaken by the world, and the carnal church. For all the fpiritual things of God they have understood carnally: and have apprehended the whole fcriptures not according to God's mind, but according to their own; not according to the sense of the Spirit, but according to the fenfe of the flesh. And thus was Antichrift's kingdom first set up, and thus it hath been kept up and continued; even by the carnal understanding of the fcriptures. For they have understood the church, the kingdom of God in the world, carnally; the rock on which it is built, carnally, the door

of

of this kingdom carnally; the laws of it carnally; the li berties of it carnally; the power, authority, government, glory, officers, &c. all carnally. And to this very day, which of the things of God doth not the carnal church understand carnally? Faith, hope, love, it understands carnally; redemption, adoption, juftification, fanctification, glorification, union with Christ, communion of the Spirit, access to the Father, together with Chrift the head, and the church the body, in their joint union and offices and all other things, they understand carnally, and have a fleshly sense and apprehenfion of them.

And as they understand all other things of God's kingdom carnally, so alfo the reformation of it; and there is not greater and groffer mistakes about any of the things of God, than about this: men imagining the reformation of the church, which is altogether a spiritual and heavenly kingdom, after the manner of the reformation of worldly states and commonwealths, which only ftand in outward things, and is brought to pass by human counfels, and human power.

Now becaufe this is not only a grofs, but a general error, in all forts of people, both of high and low degree: I fhall endeavour at this time, according to the good hand of God with me, to reprefent in fome Gofpel-light to this honourable and chriftian auditory, the true reformation of the church of the New Teftament: And bleffed is be who fball not be offended at it.

For this purpose I made choice of the words now read, Until the time of reformation.

For the better understanding of which, we must read the context.

Ver. 9. The first tabernacle was a figure of the time then prefent, in which were offered both gifts and facrifices, that could not make him that did the fervice perfect as pertaining to the confcience.

Ver. 10. Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers wafhings, and carnal ordinances (it fhould be righteousnesses or juftifications of the flesh, dexapor σagnòs) imposed on them, μέχρι καιρῶς διορθώσεως, until the time of reformation.

In which words the apostle fhews the imperfection of the worship of the old law, because it stood in outward rites, ceremonies, duties, performances, and fo could not make him that used them, and was bufied in them, perfect, as pertaining to his confcience; and therefore God did not fimply and abfolutely impose these things on the church, to continue for ever, but only until the time wherein all things were to be reformed, not only evil things, but imperfect. And then, all that outward Religion was to be abolished.

Now if the law of Mofes could not make men perfect, as pertaining to the confcience, much less can any new laws invented now. And if any fuch laws should be imposed on the people of God now, the gospel hath the fame strength in itself to make them void, as the former; and also the fame ground from them, because all fuch laws and ordinances devised by men, cannot make them that obey. and practise them perfect as pertaining to the conscience: and therefore are all to be at an end, when the time of reformation comes.

Quest. Now if you afk me, when this time of reforma

tion was?

Anfw. I anfwer: It was when Chrift came: not a fervant, as Mofes, but the Son out of the bosom of the Father, the great Prophet of the New Teftament, whose doctrine was not letter, as Mofes's was, but fpirit and life. And now when Chrift the Minister of the New Testament, came with the miniftration of the Spirit, now was the time of reformation.

In the time of the law there were outward duties, and performances, and ceremonies, and facrifices, and strict

laws

laws to enjoin the obfervation of these things, carrying along with them the feverity of death: and yet notwithftanding all this, there was no true reformation, but under all that outward religion, men were inwardly as cor rupt and wicked as the very heathen: for all their circumcifion in the flesh, they were uncircumcifed in heart; for all their outward washing, they were inwardly unclean; for all their blood of bulls and goats, their fins remained in their natures and confciences; for all their strict forcing of men to the duties of the outward worship of God, the people still remained far from God, even in all those duties. So that notwithstanding the outward worship of Mofes's law, the people remained inwardly corrupt, filthy, and unclean, and without any true reformation before God; till Chrift, who was God in the flesh, came with the ministration of the Spirit, and then indeed was the time of reformation. Until the time of reformation.

The thing then the Spirit would have us take notice of in these words, is this,

Doctrine. That the time of the gospel is the time of reformation.

Whenever the gospel is preached in the Spirit and power of it, that is xagès drogows, the time of reformation.

For our more orderly proceeding in this point, we will obferve this method.

1. Show what true Gofpel-reformation is, and how it is qualified; that fo you may the better diftinguish it from political and ecclefiaftical reformation. Now both these I join together, because the carnal Church hath always interested and mingled itfelf with the power of the world, as being able to do nothing without it.

2. I will endeavour to fhew, to whofe hands the work of Gofpel-reformation is committed.

3. By what means he to whofe hands it is committed, brings it about.

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