Graphautarkeia, or, The Scriptures sufficiency practically demonstrated wherein whatsoever is contain'd in Scripture, respecting doctrine, worship or manners is reduced to its proper head, weighty cases resolved, truths confirmed, difficult texts illustrated and explained by others more plain.

CHAP. XIV. Of the Priviledges of Saints, and their excellency above others: VVhat God hath done, doth do, and will do for, and be unto them, more than others; and what they can do with God, &c. (Book 14)

ENoch walked with God, and was not, for God took him, Gen. 5. 24. Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord, Gen. 6. 8.

And the Lord said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the Ark: for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation, Gen. 7. 1. 2 Pet. 2. 5.

And the Lord plagued Pharoah and his house with great plagues, because of Sarai Abrams wife, Gen. 12. 17.

The word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not A∣bram, I am thy shield, thy exceeding great reward, Gen. 15. 1.

Abram interceded with God for Sodom; and God granted him as much as he asked. See at large, Gen. 18. 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, &c.

When God had sent his Angels to destroy Sodom, they said unto Lot, Hast thou any here besides? son-in-law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and what∣soever thou hast in the city, bring out of this place, &c. They hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife and thy two daughters which are here lest thou be consumed, &c. and while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters, the Lord being merciful unto him, and they brought him forth, &c. He prevailed with God to spare Zoar, &c. Hast thee, escape thither: for I cannot do any thing till thou be come thither, &c. God remembred Abram, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, &c. Gen. 19. 12, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 29. 2 Pet. 2. 6, 7.

And God said unto Abram, &c. of the son of the bond-woman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed, Gen. 21. 12, 13.

Laban said unto Jacob, I have learned by experience, that the Lord hath blessed me for thy sake, &c. Jacob said to him, &c. the Lord hath blessed thee since my coming (or, at my foot), Gen. 30. 27, 30.

When Laban was pursuing Jacob, God came to Laban, &c. and said, Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad (or, from good to bad), &c. Laban said, It is in the power of my hands to do you hurt: but the God of your father spake unto me yester-night, saying, Take thou heed, &c. Gen. 31. 24, 29.

Jacob prevailed with God, &c. I have seen God face to face, &c. Gen. 32. 28, 30.

God appeared unto Jacob again, &c. and blessed him, &c. Gen. 35. 9.

The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man, &c. and his ma∣ster saw that the Lord was with him, &c. and made all that he did to pro∣sper in his hand, &c. the Lord blessed the Egyptians house for Josephs sake, &c. the Lord was with Joseph, &c. and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper, &c. When Joseph had the custody of the prisoners, that which he did, the Lord made it to prosper, Gen. 39. 2, 3, 5, 21, 22, 23.

Joseph said unto his brethren, &c. As for you, ye thought evil against me, but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass as at this day, &c. Gen. 50. 20.

There shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there was none like it, &c. but against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue against man or beast; that ye may know how that the Lord doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel, Exod. 11. 6, 7.

I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the first-born, &c. and the blood shall be to you for a token, &c. when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, &c. Exod. 12. 12, 13.

I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God, &c. Exod. 29. 45.

When God had said to Moses, Let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, that I may consume them, &c. Moses prayed for Israel, and pre∣vailed often for them; and the Lord said, I have pardoned according to thy word, Exod. 32. 9, 10, to the 15. Numb. 14. 11, 12, 13, 19, 20.

And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto a friend, &c. when Moses had said, I beseech thee shew me thy glory: He said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, &c. Exod. 33. 11, 17, 18, 19. ch. 19. 19, 20. ch. 34. 2, 3, 5, 6.

My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house; with him will I speak mouth to mouth, apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold, Numb. 12. 7, 8.

He hath blessed, and I cannot reverse it; he hath not beheld iniquity in Ja∣cob, neither hath he seen perversness in Israel; the Lord his God is with him, and the shout of a King is among them, &c. surely there is no inchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel, Numb. 23. 20, 21, 23.

For what nation so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the Lord our God, in all things which we call upon him for? and what nation so great which hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, &c. did ever people hear the voice of God, &c. as thou hast heard, and live? Deut. 4. 7, 8, 33.

Thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God, and the Lord hath cho∣sen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations which are upon the earth, Deut. 14. 2.

For the Lords portion is his people, Jacob the lot of his inheritance, &c. he lead him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye, Deut. 32. 9, 10.

The eternal God thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms, &c. Happy thou, O Israel; who is like unto thee, O people saved by the Lord, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thine excellency? Deut. 33. 27, 29.

At the word of Joshua, the Sun stood still, and the Moon stayed, Joshua 10. 12, 13.

When Gideon asked signs of God, he gave them to him, Judges 6. 17, 21, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40.

He will keep the feet of his saints, 1 Sam. 2. 9.

The Lord will not forsake his people for his great names sake; because it hath pleased the Lord to make you his people, 1 Sam. 12. 22.

David went on, and grew great; and the Lord God of Hosts was with him, 2 Sam. 5. 10.

I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, &c. notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it, for David thy fathers sake, &c. I will give one tribe to thy son for David my servants sake, and for Jerusalems sake which I have chosen, 1 King. 11. 11, 12, 13. chap. 15. 4.

He only of Jeroboam shall come to the grave, because in him is found some good thing towards the Lord God of Israel, 1 King. 14. 13.

The Prophet Elijah was taken up into heaven, 2 King. 2. 12.

When the King of Israel, and Jehosephat the King of Judah went toge∣ther, and wanted water; Elisha the Prophet said, &c. Were it not that I re∣gard the presence of Jehosephat the King of Judah, I would not look towards thee, nor see thee. But now, &c. 2 King. 3. 6, 7, 9, 10, 14, 15, &c.

God hearkened to Hezekiah, and gave him a sign that God would heal him; he brought the shadow ten degrees backward, 2 King. 20. 9, 10. Isaiah 38. 7, 8.

Blessed is the man who walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, &c. he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, which bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his fruit shall not wither; and whatsoever he doth, it shall prosper, Psal. 1. 1, 3.

Know that the Lord hath set apart him who is godly for himself, Psal. 4. 3.

A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation, &c. Psal. 22. 30.

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want; he maketh me to lye down in green pastures; he leadeth me besides the still waters, &c. Psal. 23. 1, 2.

What man is he who feareth the Lord? him shall he teach in the way which he shall chuse, his soul shall dwell at ease, and his seed shall inherit the earth: the secret of the Lord is with them who fear him, and he will shew them his covenant (or, make them know it), Psal. 25. 12, 13, 14.

O how great is thy goodness which thou hast laid up for them who fear thee! thou hast wrought for them who trust in thee, before the sons of men: thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man; thou shalt •…•…eep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues, Psal. 31. 19, 20.

Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sins are covered; blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit is no guile, Psal. 32. 1, 2.

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he hath chosen for his own inheritance, &c. Behold the eye of the Lord is upon them who fear him, upon them who hope in his mercy, to deliver their soul from death, to keep them alive in famine, Psal. 33. 12, 18, 19.

The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears unto their cries, &c. None of them who trust in him shall be desolate, Psal. 34. 15, 22.

Delight thy self also in the Lord, and he shall give thee the desire of thine heart, &c. A little that a righteous man hath, is better than the riches of many wicked, &c. The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: And he de∣lighteth in his way. Though he fall he shall not be utterly cast down 〈◊〉〈◊〉 for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand, &c. Yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging their bread, &c. For the Lord loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints, they are preserved for ever, &c. Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright; for the end of that man is peace: the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord, he is their strength in time of trouble, Psal. 37. 4, 16, 23, 24, 25, 28, 37, 39.

The Lord of hosts is with us, the God of Jacob our refuge, Psal. 46. 7, 11.

Blessed is he whom thou choosest to approach unto thee, &c. we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, of thy holy Temple, Psal. 65. 4.

Truly God is good to Israel, to such who are of a clean heart, Psal. 73. 1.

The Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will I withhold from them who walk uprightly, Psal. 84. 11.

He will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints, &c. His salvation is high unto them who fear him, Psal. 85. 8, 9.

The righteous shall flourish like the Palm-tree, he shall grow like a Cedar in Lebanon: Those who be planted in the house of the Lord, shall flourish in the Courts of our God, they shall still bring forth fruit in old age, they shall be fat and flourishing, Psal. 92. 12, 13, 14.

The Lord will not cast off his people: neither will he forsake his Inheritance, Psal. 94. 14.

He is our God, and we the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hands, Psal. 95. 7.

He preserveth the souls of his saints, &c. Light is sown for the righteous, &c. Psal. 97. 10, 11.

When they were few, &c. He suffered no man to do them wrong: yea he reproved kings for their sakes: Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my Prophets no harm, Psal. 105. 12, 13, 14, 15.

Surely he shall not be moved for ever, the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance, Psal. 112. 6.

Precious in the light of the Lord is the death of his Saints, Psal. 116. 15.

The Lord hath chosen Jacob for himself, and Israel for his peculiar treasure, Psal. 135. 4. 1 Pet. 5. 3.

Happy that people who is in such a case, happy that people whose God is the Lord, Psal. 144. 15.

He will fulfill the desire of them who fear him, he also will hear their cry and will save them, Psal. 145. 19.

Happy is he who hath the God of Jacob for his help; whose hope is in the Lord his God, Psal. 146. 5.

The Lord taketh pleasure in them who fear him, in them who hope in his mercy, Psal. 147. 11.

The Lord taketh pleasure in his people, &c. this honour hath all his Saints, Psal. 149. 4, 9.

I love them who love me, &c. blessed are they who keep my ways, &c. who heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my dores: for whoso findeth me, findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the Lord, Prov. 8. 17, 34, 35.

Righteousness shall deliver from death. The Lord will not suffer the soul of the righteous to famish, &c. blessing upon the head of the just, &c. the me∣mory of the just blessed, &c. the desire of the righteous shall be granted, Prov. 10. 2, 3, 6, 7, 24.

By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted, Prov. 11. 11.

The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour, Prov. 12. 26.

When a mans ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him, Prov. 16. 7.

The righteous are as bold as a Lyon, Prov. 28. 1.

Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings, Isa. 3. 10.

Bind up the testimony; seal the law among my disciples, Isa. 8. 16.

He who walketh righteously (or, in righteousnesses), &c. he shall dwell on high; his place of defence, the munition of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters sure: thine eyes shall see the King in his beauty, and shall behold the land that is far off, Isa. 33. 15, 16, 17.

This people have I formed for my self; they shall shew forth my praise, Isa. 43. 21.

Ask me of things to come, concerning my sons; and concerning the works of my hands, command ye me, Isa. 45. 11.

Zion said, the Lord hath forsaken me, &c. can a woman forsake her suck∣ing-child, &c.? yet will I not forget thee: behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands: thy walls are continually before me, Isa. 49. 14, 15, 16.

With everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord. No weapon which is formed against thee, shall prosper, &c. this is the heritage of the servants of the Lord; and their righteousness of me, saith the Lord, Isa. 54. 8, 17.

Unto them will I give in my house, &c. a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off, &c. them will I bring unto my holy mountain, and make them joyful

in my house of prayer; and their burnt-offerings accepted upon my altar, Isa. 56. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.

In all their afflictions he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them, &c. doubtless thou art our father, &c. Return for thy servants sake, the tribes of thine inheritance, the people of thy holiness, &c. Isa. 63. 9, 16, 17, 18. chap. 64. 9.

Since the beginning of the world, men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, besides thee, what he hath prepared for him who waiteth for him (or a God besides thee, who doth so for him who waiteth, &c.) Isa. 64. 4. 1 Cor. 2. 9.

Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, &c. If ye can find a man, if there be any who executeth judgment, who seeketh the truth, and I will pardon it, Jer. 5. 1. Gen. 18. 26, 32.

Is Ephraim my dear Son? he a pleasant child? since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still, therefore my bowels are troubled for him: I will surely have mercy on him, saith the Lord, &c. If the ordinances of hea∣ven cease, then the seed of Israel shall cease from being a Nation before me, Jer. 31. 20, 36, 37.

When Jerusalem was taken, and Jeremiah the Prophet; the King of Babylon gave charge concerning Jeremiah, &c. Look well to him, and do him no harm, but do unto him even as he shall say unto thee, Jer. 39. 11, 12.

The Precious sons of Zion comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed? &c. Lam. 4. 2.

Though I have scattered them, &c. yet will I be unto them as a little san∣ctuary in the Countreys where they shall come, Ezek. 11. 16.

Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, they should de∣liver their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord, &c. They only shall be delivered themselves, Ezek. 14. 14, 16, 18, 20.

I sought for a man amongst them who should make up the hedg, and stand in the gap before me, for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none; therefore, &c. Ezek. 22. 30, 31.

Because thou hast said, &c. These two Countreys shall be mine, and we will possess it, whereas the Lord was there (or though the Lord was there); There∣fore, &c. Ezek. 35. 10, 11.

O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, &c. O man greatly beloved, fear not, &c. Dan. 10. 11, 19.

Jacob, &c. by his strength he had power with God, yea he had power over the Angel, and prevailed, he wept, &c. There he spake with us, even the Lord God of Hosts, Hosea 12. 2, 3, 4, 5. Gen. 32. 24, 25.

I will be as the dew unto Israel: He shall grow as the Lilly, &c. Hosea 14. 5, 6.

For he who toucheth you, toucheth the apple of his eyes, Zech. 2. 8.

We will go with you: for we have heard God is with you, Zech. 8. 23. Ezra 8. 22.

The Lord hearkened, and heard, and a book of remembrance was written

before him; for them who feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of Hosts, in that day when I make up my Jewels (or special treasure); and I will spare them as a man spareth his son who serveth him: then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him who serveth God, and him who serveth him not, Malachi 3. 16, 17, 18.

Unto you who fear my name, shall the sun of righteousness arise with heal∣ing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as Calves in the stall, Mal. 4. 2.

They are pronounced blessed, and many priviledges mentioned by Christ. They are the salt of the earth, the light of the world, &c. Matt. 5. 3, 4, to the 14.

The very hairs of your head are all numbred, &c. Ye are of more value then many sparrows, Matt. 10. 30, 31.

Among them who are born of women, there hath not risen a greater then John the Baptist. Notwithstanding he who is least in the kingdom of Heaven is greater than he, Matt. 11. 11.

It is given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven, &c. Blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear, &c. Matt. 13. 11, 16.

Whosoever shall offend one of these little ones who believe in me, it were better for him that a Millstone were hanged about his neck, &c. Wo unto the world because of offences, &c. Take heed that ye despise not one of these lit∣tle ones, for I say unto you, that in heaven their Angels do always behold the face of my father, &c. Matt. 18. 6, 7, 10.

For the elects sake whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days, &c. Mark 13. 20.

Rejoyce not that the spirits are subject unto you: but rather rejoyce, be∣cause your names are written in the book of life, Luk. 10. 20.

Fear not little flock, it is your fathers good pleasure to give you the king∣dom, Luk. 12. 32.

Joy in Heaven over one sinner who repenteth, more then over Ninety nine just persons, &c. There is joy in the presence of the Angels of God over him, &c. Luk. 15. 7, 10.

To as many as received him, to them he gave power (or the right or privi∣ledge) to become the sons of God, even to them who believe on his name, who are born not of blood, &c. but of God, John 1. 12, 13.

Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him, shall never thirst, &c. John 4. 14.

Jesus said, I am the light of the world: he who followeth me, shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life, &c. If the son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed, &c. He who keeps my sayings shall ne∣ver see death, &c. John 8. 12, 36, 51. ch. 12. 46.

My sheep, &c. I know them, &c. And I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand, John 10. 27, 28. 1 John 5. 12, 13.

If any man serve me, let him follow me, and where I am, there also shall my servant be; If any man serve me, him will my father honour, John 12. 26.

I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you, &c. ye see me, &c. Because I live, ye shall live also, &c. He who loveth me, shall be loved of my father, and I will love him, and will manifest my self unto him, &c. And my father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him, &c. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you, &c. John 14. 18, 19, 21, 23, 27. ch. 16. 27. ch. 17. 23.

Ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you, &c. Ye are my friends, &c. Henceforth I call you not servants, &c. But I have called you friends: for all things which I have heard of my father, I have made known unto you, John 15. 7, 14, 15. 1 John 3. 22.

Christ prays for them only, not for the world, John 17. 9, 10.

Go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my father, and your father, and to my God and your God, John 20. 17.

God is no respecter of persons; but in every nation, he who feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him, Act. 10. 34, 35.

The love of God is shed abroad into our hearts by the holy Ghost, which is given unto us, Rom. 5. 5.

Sin shall not have dominion over you, because ye are not under the law, but under grace, &c. Now being made free from sin, and become servants to God; ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end, everlasting life, Rom. 6. 14, 22.

There is no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus, &c. For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus, hath made me free from the law of sin and death, &c. As many as are led by the spirit of God, are the sons of God: for ye have not received the spirit of bondage, &c. but the spirit of adoption, &c. And if children, then heirs, heirsof God, and joynt heirs with Christ, &c. We know that all things work together for good, to them who love God, &c. If God be for us, who can be against us; he who spared not his own Son, &c. How shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect? is it not God who justifies? who is he that condemns, &c? Who shall separate us from the love of Christ, &c? We are more then Conquerors, &c. Rom. 8. 1, 2, 14, 15, 16, 17, 28, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 37. Gal. 4. 5, 6, 7.

Whosoever believeth, &c. shall not be ashamed, &c. They that call upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved, Rom. 10. 11, 12, 13.

Know ye not that ye are the Temple of God, &c. Whether Paul, or Apollo, or Cephas, or the World, or Life, or Death, or things present, or things to come, all are •…•…ours, and ye are Christs, and Christ is Gods, 1 Cor. 3. 16, 22, 23. chap. 6. 19.

Do ye not know that the Saints shall judg the world, &c? We shall judg Angels, how much more things which pertain unto this life? 1 Cor. 6. 2, 3.

The unbelieving husband, is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband, else were your children unclean, but now are they holy, &c. He who is called in the Lord, being a servant, he is the Lords free-man, 1 Cor. 7. 14, 22.

If any man love God, the same is known of him, 1 Cor. 8. 3.

To the glory of God by us, 2 Cor. 1. 20.

Ye are the Temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my peo∣ple, &c. I will be a father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty, 2 Cor. 6. 16, 18.

Christ gave himself, &c. that he might deliver us from this present evil world, Gal. 1. 4.

Ye are all the children of God, &c. And if Christs, then Abrahams seed, and heirs according to the promise, Gal. 3. 26, 29. ch. 4. 28.

And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the spirit of his son into your hearts, crying Abba father, &c. And if a Son, then an heir of God through Christ, Gal. 4. 6, 7.

Brethren, ye have been called unto liberty, only use not liberty for an oc∣casion unto the flesh, Gal. 5. 13.

Blessed be God, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly things, &c. Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children, &c. What is the riches of the glory of his Inheritance in the Saints? &c. The Church, which is the body, the fulness of him who filleth all in all, Ephes. 1. 3, 5, 18, 23.

God who is rich in mercy, and hath made us to sit together in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus, &c. We are no more strangers, &c. but fellow-Citizens with the Saints, and of the houshold of God, &c. Ye are built together for a habitation for God through the spirit, Ephes. 2. 4, 6, 19, 22.

For me to live is Christ, and to dye is gain, Phil. 1. 21.

The peace of God which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ, &c. The God of peace shall be with you, Phil. 4. 7, 9.

Giving thanks to the father, who hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light: who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son, &c. The mystery which hath been hid from ages, &c. but now is made manifest unto his Saints; to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glo∣ry of this mystery, &c. Col. 1. 12, 13, 26, 27.

Your life is hid with Christ in God, &c. The elect of God holy and be∣loved, Col. 3. 3, 12.

That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his king∣dom and glory, 1 Thes. 2. 12.

God hath not appointed us unto wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who dyed for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him, 1 Thes. 5. 9, 10.

Brethren, beloved of the Lord, &c. He called you by our Gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, &c. Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God even our father who hath loved us, and given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, 2 Thes. 2. 13, 14, 16.

Godliness is profitable unto all things, having the promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come, &c. We trust in the living. God, who is the Saviour of all men, especially of those who believe, 1 Tim. 4. 8, 10.

Godliness with contentment is great gain, 1 Tim. 6. 6.

Unto the pure all things are pure, Tit. 1. 15.

Being justified, &c. we should be made heirs according to the hope of eter∣nal life, Tit. 3. 7.

The angels, &c. are they not all ministring-spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation, Heb. 1. 13, 14.

There remaineth therefore a rest (or, keeping of a fabbath) unto the people of God, &c. Heb. 4. 9. chap. 6. 19.

God is not unrighteous, to forget your work and labour of love which ye have shewed towards his name, &c. wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath, that by two immutable things wherein it was impossible for God to lye, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge, to lay hold upon the hope set before us, Heb. 6. 10, 17, 18.

The excellency of the new Covenant, and the Saints priviledges under it, Heb. 8. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. chap. 10. 16, 17, 18, 19.

Others had trials of cruel mockings and scourgings, &c. of whom the world was not worthy, Heb. 11. 36, 37, 38.

Ye are come unto Mount Sion, and unto the City of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the first-born, who are written (or, enrolled) in hea∣ven, and to God the Judg of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus, &c. and to the blood of sprinkling which speaketh, &c. Heb. 12. 22, 23, 24.

A crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them who love him, James 1. 12.

Hath not God chosen the poor of this world, rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom, which he hath promised unto them who love him, James 2. 5.

The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain, and it rained not, &c. and he prayed again, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit, James 5. 16, 17, 18.

Blessed be God, &c. who, &c. hath begotten us to a lively hope by the re∣surrection of Jesus, &c. 1 Pet. 1. 3.

Ye also as lively stones are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifice acceptable to God by Jesus Christ, &c. ye are a cho∣sen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar (or, a purchased) people, that ye should shew forth the praise (or, virtues), &c. 1 Pet. 2. 5, 9. Rev. 1. 6. Rev. 5. 10.

Ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing, &c. The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayer, 1 Pet. 3. 9, 12.

Casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you, 1 Pet. 5. 7.

According to his divine power hath given us all things which pertain to life and godliness, &c. whereby are given unto us exceeding great and preci∣ous promises, that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature, &c. so an entrance shall be administred unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, 2 Pet. 1. 3, 4, 11.

The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation, 2 Pet. 2. 9.

Truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ, 1 John 1. 3.

We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, &c. he who doth the will of God, abideth for ever, &c. ye have an unction from the holy one, and ye know all things, 1 John 2. 1, 17, 20.

Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God, &c. Beloved, now we are the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be, 1 John 3. 1, 2.

Ye are of God, &c. greater is he who is in you, than he who is in the world, 1 John 4. 4.

This is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask any thing accor∣ding to his will, he heareth us, 1 John 5. 14.

The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass, &c. he hath made us kings, &c. Rev. 1. 1, 6.

Hurt not the earth, &c. till we have sealed the servants of God in their foreheads, Rev. 7. 2, 3.

And it was commanded them they should not hurt, &c. but only those men who have not the seal of God in their foreheads, Rev. 9. 4.

The Lamb shall overcome them, &c. and they who are with him, are called, and chosen, and faithful, Rev. 17. 14.

See the advantage of faith, Chap. 11.

See more of their priviledges in afflictions and persecutions, Chap. 22.

In common calamities, Chap. 23.

In the glory believers shall have, Chap. 36.

In the next Chapter, of their relation to Christ.