A tryall of a Christian shewing that it is not the outward name of Christian that differs from a heathen, but the inward life and nature ... / by Alexander Parker.

A TRYAL OF A CHRISTIAN. It is not the outward name of Christian, that dif∣fers from a heathen, but the inward life and na∣ture.

TRy your selves with the touch-stone of Truth, all you who bear the name, and are professed Chri∣stians, see and read within with a single eye, whe∣ther you be in Truth what you profess in words, and have the nature and life of Christ manifest in you, or you have the bare name, and are one in nature and life with the heathens; the day is dawned which doth disco∣ver each name, and nature; and it is not the outward name of a Christian that will avail where the life and nature of Christ is wanting: Many there be who are called Christians, because they have been sprinkled with outward water, which hath been called baptizing into the faith, and into the Church; but all are not Christians who are so called; it is not the outward name, nor the outward sprink∣ling or dipping that doth make a true Christian: no more then the outward name, and the outward Circumcisi∣on did make a true Jew, as it is written by the Christians; He is not a Jew which is one outwardly, neither is that circumcis∣sion which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew which is one in∣wardly, and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter: So it is of a Christian, not the outward washing or sprinkling, but the inward washing with the blood or life of Jesus, whereby the heart is sprinkled from an evil consci∣ence, and the body washed with pure water; so as many as are baptized into Christ by the holy Ghost have put on Christ,

and are one in Christ, one heart, one mind, one soul, and are like unto Christ in name and nature, they bear his Image, and his name is written in their foreheads, and they are marked and known to be his, and followers of him, by their meekness and lamb-like harmlesness, by their gentleness, patience and long suffering, by their soberness and temperance, moderation and vertuous chaste conversations, by their humility and true love one toward another: these are tokens and marks of a true Christian, but all those who have the name of Christians, and profess God and Christ, and scriptures, and do not live accor∣ding to what they do profess, but are in nature like unto the heathens, and so they are marked out and known by their fruits. All those that live in rage, envy, wrath and malice, these are marks of a heathen and not of a Christian; and they are of their Father the Devil, and bears his mark in their foreheads; so every one doth bear the image of him that be∣gat him. There are two births, the one from above, the o∣ther from below; that from above is pure; and that from be∣low is impure; and these are contrary one to the other, even as light and darkness: all the Children that are begotten of God, who is pure, and born of the spirit, are hated and persecuted by them who are begotten by the Devil, and born of the flesh: and so as it was in former ages, they that were born after the flesh did persecute them that were born of the spirit: e∣ven so it is now in this age, but they that were born of the spi∣rit did never persecute any; but did bear and suffer even as Christ the forerunner hath lest an example, and all that fol∣low him and will live godly in him, they must suffer perse∣cution, for it can be no otherwise: for enmity is put between the two seeds, and there is no agreement nor fellowship be∣twixt them: so every child is of the nature of him that be∣gat him. All the Children of God who are born from above, they bear Gods Image and are like unto their father, as the Lord is righteous and just, and loves truth and righteous∣ness, and cannot behold (but hates) iniquity; even so all his children they are pure and loves truth and righteousness, and cannot have fellowship with the unfruitful workers of dark∣ness; but it is a burden and a grief to be in company with the

wicked, and presses and grievs their righteous spirits as it did just Lot who was grieved with the sins of Sodom, hearing and seeing their wickedness and profaneness, it grieved his righte∣ous spirit day by day: so it is with the Children of God; what their father loves, they love, and what he hates, they hate also: But the Children of the wicked one, who are born from below, are contrary in nature to the Children of the holy one, and bears a contrary Image, and so contrary fruits, and are of the same nature with their father the wicked one, which is the devil, who is unclean, and hates the truth, and loves iniquity: so all his children are naturally inclined to evil, and hates the truth, and lives in iniquity, and loves darkness rather then the light because their deeds be evil, and so are under the wo, and condemnation, aliens and strangers from the living God, and from the covenant of promise: for the wicked have no right unto the promises of life; but their portion is wo and misery in the lake of fire. Now thou that reads this read, within thy self, with that of God in thee which is light, and it will let thee see whose child thou art, and whose Image thou bears; whether the Image of the holy one, or the Image of the wicked one: and what thy nature is inclined unto, whether to good or to evil; and whether thou takest delight in the Law of God, and his commandments; or whether thy delight be in the things of the world which fades away; whosoever thou art whether Professor, or prophane one, thou canst not serve two masters, thou canst not be heir of two kingdoms, thou canst not have & enjoy the love of God and the love of the world at one time; for the love and friendship of the world is enmity against God; therefore saith the Apostle, love not the world, neither the things that be in the world, for if any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him; for the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eye, and the pride of life this is not of God but of the world: and if thy heart and affections be hankring after the things of the world, whether gold, or silver, lands or livings, wife or children, goods or cattel, pleasures or earthly honour, or seeking earthly preferment; if thy love be drawn away to a∣ny of these earthly things, and there takes pleasure and de∣light, thou art not a childe of God, and a worshipper of him

in truth, but thy heart is run a whoring after other lovers, and other gods; for of whatsoever any one is overcome, of the same is he brought into bondage, and worships, and falls down to the same as a God, some their belly is their god, some their gold, some one thing, some another, whose hearts and affections are drawn away from the pure living invisible God; and such are not worship∣pers of God, but follows their own hearts lusts, and so they are defiled, and the Temple of God pollu∣ted, and such have not peace nor rest unto their souls, but they are at liberty in the flesh, in their wild untamed natures; and such, though they are professed Christians, yet are in the wilde bruitish nature of the world, feeding amongst the swine upon the husks, and finds no satisfaction: and that is the broad way that leads to destruction; where there is no Law nor limit to the carnal mind, nor bridle to the tongue, but all is at liberty; the tongue to speak vain words, and the thoughts and vain imaginations roving up and down, the eye running after vanity, the ear open to wickedness, the hands and other members ready to obey every vain motion of the vain mind; such are not followers of Christ in the strait and narrow path of life, but are going on without limit the broad way to destruction: All that follow Christ in the strait way, must bear his yoak and learn of him; therefore saith Christ, Come unto me all you that labour and are heavy laden, take my yoke upon you and learn of me, I am meek and lowly in spirit, and you shall find rest for your souls, which is the chief thing to be sought after; for what will it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Now this I know, that there is no rest unto the soul until the yoke of Christ be born; for where the yoke is not born, the lusts are at liberty which war against the soul, and in that condition men and women are bruitish and heathen∣ish, like to the beasts of the field, and are without God in the world, in the sin and wickedness, where the anguish is upon the soul, and there is the tossings and the troubles in the world: and there men and women are wallowing in the mud and mire, like swine feeding upon the husks, but never finds

peace, but are troubled in conscience, for their sin and rebelli∣on; yet still runs out, and when they have received a wound by the sword of the Lord, gets it healed again deceitfully; but knowes not him who is the saving health of all Nations, though he be not far off, but stands at the door & cals to come in, but they not minding his call, lets in the strangers, & the Inn is taken up with other guests, and Christ must lie in the manger, and is not received, but shut out of the heart, and so o∣ther lovers & other guests have taken possession, and the house is so full, that it will hold no more. Read with understanding, godliness is a great mystery, sealed from the worldly wise ones, as it was formerly, but is revealed to them that fear the Lord: and so I may say now as the Apostle said formerly, You see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called, but God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the wise, and base things of the world, and things that are despised hath God chosen, and things which are not to bring to nought things that are, that no flesh should glory in his presence; but every one that glorieth let him glory in the Lord: and this is the cause why the wise ones of the world, and the great pro∣fessors, and the Rulers of the people, are now found in rage and envy against the appearance of Christ in his Saints, as it was formerly against Christ in person; they have not the word of God abiding in them, and so the enmity is not cut down, for all the profession of God, Christ, and Scriptures without, doth not slay nor cut down the enmity within; and so we in the light of the Lord, do see this generation to be in the same nature with their fore-fathers, though they condemn them for crucifying of the Just one, as that gene∣ration condemned their fore-fathers for killing of the Pro∣phets, yet crucified the Son, and persecuted his Ministers; so these now are found in the same action, persecuting Christ in his Saints; for persecution arises all from one ground and root, and is cursed, and wherever it appears, it is a mark of the Beast that makes war against the Lamb; and it is not the mark of a Christian, for the nature of a Christian is to suffer; for Christ suffered the contradiction of sinners, and

to be a Christian is to be like unto Christ, and to follow him in the same steps; and so those whom Christ sends forth into the world he first sanctifies, them by his living Word in their hearts, and so sends them forth as lambs in the midst of wolves; lambs because of their harmlessness and meekness, and being sent among wolves, that is, among men in the nature of wolves, tearing and rending, haling and persecuting, envying and full of rage, ready to swallow up the innocent ones: and this is made manifest at this day in England, the Lord is making a separation, and gathering his lambs from among the devouring wolves, and they shall no more be made a prey upon, but the Lord will compass them about with the arm of his power, and salvation shall be for walls and for bull-warks, he will feed them himself as a good shepherd upon the tops of the mountains of Israel, and they shall dwell in peace and safety, and eat plenteously and be sa∣tisfied, and they shall no more go among the broken cisterns that will hold no water, but the living springs, and the foun∣tain of life shall be opened in them; and they shall hunger and thirst no more, and the Lord will be the teacher and feeder of his people, and will dwell in them and walk in them, and they shall worship him in his own Temple not made with mens hands, but his people are his Temple, whom he is now purifying and cleansing, that it may be a holy ha∣bitation for his pure presence to dwell in: so these are the true Christians, who are in Christ, who are washed and cleansed in his blood, who are new creatures, old things be∣ing done way, and all things become new, their bodies be∣ing made Temples of God, where holiness and purity dwells; and you who say you are Christians, but are not in Christ, neither are washed nor cleansed, but have on the old gar∣ments, and the old things are not done away, but the heart is full of the old stuffe, as envy, wrath, malice, pievishness and perversness, crossness, stubborness, wilfulness, when things fals crosse to your wills, then anger and passion arises, and so the old man is alive, and the old garments are on: these are the tokens and marks of a Heathen. Therefore in the fear and name of the Lord I do exhort you to put off the old garments,

which defile you; put off the old man with his deeds, put a∣way lying and swearing, pride and vain pleasures, drunken∣ness, quarrelling, whoredoms, murders, scoffing and jeering, and such like deeds of darkness, these are the filthy garments which defile you, the old man which is to be put off, other∣wise you cannot enter into the kingdom of God; and these garments must be put off, before the new garments of righte∣ousnesse be put on; there must be a putting off the deeds of darkness, before there be a putting on the armour of light; for the new garments of righteousness must not be put upon the old garments of unrighteousnesse, but first there must be a stripping off all the old coverings, both of unrighteousness and self-righteousnesse; for that righteousnesse is as filthy as the unrighteousness, arising all from one ground and root, and is both alike, abomination to the Lord; though many things may be acted and done amongst the formal professours, which in themselves are good, yet not being acted from a good ground it is evil; The prayers of the wicked are abo∣mination in the eyes of the Lord, therefore cease to do evil; that is the first thing to be done: Let every one that nameth the Name of Jesus Christ depart from iniquity; for indeed none else ought to name his Name, but those who depart from iniqui∣ty: for all that live in sin and filthinesse, do name the Name of Christ in vain, and are to depart from the presence of the Lord into the pit of darknesse; therefore all and every one who seeks to be saved, fear God; for the fear of God is very pretious, it is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death, and where it is placed in the heart, it keeps clean the heart, and the old deeds of darknesse are put off, and all the old coverings and cloathings, even to be naked as a child, and then the cloathing of truth is put on, and the pure trea∣sure is put into the pure heart, and these are Christians, and are blessed, as it is written, Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God; for the pure eye which is the light, being in the head, which is Christ: God who is pure is seen and felt, a God near at hand, dwelling in the pure heart, guiding and leading all his children out of the crooked wayes and snares of death, into the pure

way of life and peace, to worship him in spirit and in truth, according as his spirit which dwells in them doth teach them; these are the children of God, who are taught of God, and serves him in truth and uprightness of heart sing∣ly and purely in the new life of righteousness; these are Chri∣stians, who have put off the old garments, that is, all the deeds of darkness, and have put on the new garments, the white robes, that is, truth and righteousness, and they are cloathed with equity, having put off the old man, and put on the new man Christ Jesus, and are one in him, and like unto him in name and in nature, the same love being shed abroad in their hearts, and the same mind as was in Christ, and the same spirit, according as it is written; love one another with the same love that I have loved you withal, and let the same mind be in you, as was in Christ Jesus, and the same spi∣rit, for he that hath not the same spirit is none of his; so these are Christians who are in Christ, and if any be in Christ he is a new creature, old things are passed away, and behold all things are become new; new heart, new mind, new love, new life, new words and new actions, new name and new nature; these are them who have come through the fire, and have passed through many tribulations, having denied themselves, and the pomp and glory of the low world, and have taken up the Cross and followed Christ through the sufferings and death, whereby they are crucified to the world, and worldly pride and pleasures, and have learned of Christ meekness and humility, and so are sent forth into the world, to bear witness against the unrighteous∣ness of the world, and they are willing to bear and to suffer the reproach of the world, knowing it is their portion from the world. But all they who are professed Christians in England and other parts, who have gotten the words of the true Christians, and are guilded over with glorious words, and makes a fair shew outwardly, as though they were a a people that did delight in the Commandements of God, yet the new life of a Christian is not brought forth amongst them, as was in the followers of Christ, but the old life of the Heathens is in them, old heart, old mind, old love, old

life, old words which are corrupt, old actions, old name and nature, deceitful hearts, full of filth and abomination, pride, and envy, wrath, malice, lust, and covetousness, double min∣ded, feigned love, corrupt life, filthy communication, wicked actions, and so the old bottle poures forth the old wine, and such things as these are acted and done amongst them which are called Christians, which are an ill smell and an ill sa∣vour; so that the name of a Christian is become abomination among the heathen, such filthiness and such abominations are acted and done amongst the Professed Christians, that causes the name of Christ to be blasphemed amongst the heathens. Consider well all you who say you are Christians, whether indeed these things be not so; is not the old man alive in you? and are not you doing and fulfilling the lusts of the Devil? You who say you are Christs, and layes claim to him as though he were your inheritance, come and let us reason to∣gether, and try what right you have to this inheritance. You will say the heathens are without Christ, and have no right to the promise of life, and so say I; yet he is given a light to the Gentiles; but who are the Heathens? you put them a far off into other nations, as to the Turks and Pagans who have not the outward name of Christians. But come near and try your selves, and see if you be not found the heathens: All who are in Christ are Christians: and all who are out of Christ are Heathens, of what Nation or countrey soever they be; for he is not a Christian which is one outwardly, neither is that the Baptism which is outward in the flesh with outward water; but he is a Christian which is baptised into Christ by the spi∣rit and power of Christ, and so is one in Christ, a new crea∣ture, the heart being sprinkled from an evil conscience, and the body washed with pure water, and the pure life of Christ is brought forth which witnesseth against the unrighteous life of the Heathen, and the pure law of equity is set up to do to all as they would be done unto, according to the doctrine of Christ and all who walk according to this light, though they bear the name of Heathens, yet their heathenism who keep the Law of equity, doing unto all as they would be done unto) their hea∣thenism) shall condemn those who profess Christ in words,

and are called Christians; but do not act according to the Law of equity, but cast the Law of God behind their backs, such are shut out from the promise of life, and have no right unto Christ, who act contrary to him, such are heathens, of what countrey or nation, soever they be who live in sin, and fulfil the desires of the flesh, they cannot please God, for they who live after the flesh are not subject to the Law of righteousness, but are heathens, living in rage, and malice, pride and vain-glory, lightness and wantonness, sc••ffing and jearing, reviling and persecuting, lying and swearing, drunkenness, whoredomes, murders, and such like, these are the marks of the heathens, and all such are shut out of the kingdom of God, and have no share with the Christians in the inheritance which is e∣verlasting: for there is no promise to the wicked, but wo is their portion for ever. So the true Christians have right to to the inheritance Christ Jesus, but the heathens have no right unto the promise until they come forth and repent, and be turn∣ed from darkness unto light and from the Power of Satanunto God, they that are Christians are in Christ, and are Christs, bought and purchased by his bloud, and they that are Christs have cru∣cified the flesh with the affections and lusts: but they that are heathens, are out of Christ, in the world not bought and redeem∣ed from sin, but are satisfying, and fulfilling the lusts of the flesh so in the name of God I do exhort every one that doth read this, to try your selves with the Light of Christ in you, whether you be in the faith or no, or true Christians, and be not deceived with a vain hope contenting your selves with the bare name, when the life and nature is wanting: for though you may profess all the Scriptures, and can talk much of God and Christ without you, yet all this doth not make you true Christians, unless the word of God and the life of Christ be manifest in you, as it was in them that gave forth the scrip∣tures; for the scriptures do declare of a generation that were great professours and as zealouss for God and the Ordinan∣ces of God, as you can be for Christ and his ordinances, as you profess, yet they were blind in understanding, and had not true discerning, but did oppose Christ Jesus the Son of God: I speak of the Jewes and that generation of scribes

and Pharisees who profest a Christ to come, but when he was come, because he came not in pomp & glory according to their expectation, but in a low despised manner, they called him a blasphemer and cryed out crucifie him; and this was the cause of their blindness, they had not the word of God abideing in them, & so the vail was over their eyes, & Christ cryed wo unto them, calling them blind guids, whited walls, painted sepulchres and the like: so I say unto you, all your outside profession, your go∣ing to hear Sermons, and the like; this you may do many years, (as I know you have done) and be never the better, but grow worse and worse, ever learning, laden with sin, and led away with divers lusts, but never able to come to the true knowledge of God; for none ever knows God in truth and righteousness, but as he is known by the working of his spirit within, whereby he destroys the works of the Devil in the heart, and creates a new heart, and a new mind, according to his own will, and renews his own Image of righteousness and true holinesse, and so man is made Gods workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, and so his members are servants of righteousness, and the work of God is brought forth into the world by his servants and children, whereby he is glorified in them, and wisdom is justified of her children. But all those, of what name soever they are called, whether Jews, Gentiles or Christians, though they may professe much out∣wardly, and be counted godly and religious, yet if their hearts be not upright to God, and purified by the Word of God abiding in them, they cannot serve nor worship God in truth; for if iniquity do lodge in the heart, and be regarded, God will not hear the prayers of such, nor accept of their sacrifices; for it is not every one that sayes Lord, Lord, that shall enter into the Kingdom of God, but such as do the will of God; such shall know of his doctrine, and such are they that are built upon the rock of ages, and such do glorifie God by their godly and upright lives, and so are Gods workmanship, and bears Gods Image of love and meeknesse, patience and long suffering, and the like. But thou, and all you that are in rage and envy, you are the devils workmanship, and bears his Image, drunkards, swearers, lyars, scoffers, scorners,

light and wanton ones, you are the devils workmanship, and he begot you, and is your father, and you bear his Image, and not the Image of God: All you high and lofty ones, you proud Pharisaical professors, you proud and covetous ones, God never begat you, but the God of the world, the Prince of the air he rules in you, and carries you up into pride and vain glory, and all you ungodly ones, under what name so∣ever you be, you are not in the way of God, but in the way of the wicked one, and your end will be misery; The righteous God of heaven and earth doth not desire the death of any of you, but that you might turn from your wickedness and live, & for this end he hath given his dear Son a light in∣to the world who doth enlighten you wherby many times you are made sensible of your lost conditions, how that you are aliens and strangers from the covenant of promise, and you have been many times reproved in secret for your sins and ini∣quities, and called and invited to come forth of your sins: But have you not been rebellious and stiff-necked, and resisted the councel of God and would none of his instructions; But you have chosen your own wayes, and you have delighted in your own abominations, and so not minding the goodness and long suffering of God which leadeth to repentance (all that hearken to his voice) but you after your hardness and impenitent hearts are treasuring up unto your selves wrath a∣gainst the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judge∣ments of God) who will render unto every one according to his deeds done in the body whether they be good or evil: To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for honour and glory; eternal life. But to them that are contentious, and doth not obey the truth but o∣bey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil; remember this in your life time all you disobedient ones, take your portion along with you, and do not flatter your selves with vain hopes to enjoy the promises of life, which belongs onely to them who obey the truth and followes the Lamb in the strait way of his suffering and death, and are dead and crucifi∣ed with him, and so shall live and raign with him in the

kingdom of glory: But all the proud and ungodly who have lived in pleasures in their life time shall be as the stubble, and the day o•• the Lord shall burn them up, and leave them nei∣ther root nor branch, for the wicked cannot stand in the judgement, nor the sinners in the congregation of the righte∣ous. Therefore all and every one who love your own souls, and desires to be saved, turn from your sins and mind that of God in you, which reproves you for sin secretly though never so closely acted, that with it you may be led out of sin, and from all deceit and deceivers; this of God in you will not de∣ceive you, but teach you in truth the things that belongs unto your peace, and is alwayes present with you; hearken dili∣gently unto it and your souls shall live, but if you slight this, the tender profers of the Lords love, and will none of his re∣proof, but go on in the vain and ungodly ways of the world, this will be your condemnation, and shall be an evidence, against you at the bar of righteous judgement at the great ge∣neral day of account, when the secrets of all hearts shall be made manifest, and the books opened, and the judgement set, and the charge is given and read against the wicked, and the evidence is brought in, Gods faithful and true witness which cannot lie, which hath been privy to all your evil deeds, even that of God in your own conscience, this shall be brought in against you, and then wo will be your portion, no excuse will serve your turn, but you shall stand dumb and speechless, before the righteous judge, and be made to confess that his judgement is just, and your condemnation just.

Remember these things in your life time and take warn∣ing from one who hath known the terrors of the Lord against sin, and so in love unto your souls do declare unto you, that you may come into repentance; you are left without excuse; hast, hast, come away, trim your lamps, prepare and make ready, least you be shut out of the Kingdome of light and glory, and cast out into utter darkness among the dogs and swine and unclean beasts, where there shall be weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth, where the worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.