13. where he is said to be clothed with a vesture dipt in blood whose name is called the WORD of God having on his vesture and on his thigh a name written KING of KINGS and LORD of LORDS v. 16. In the same sense is this WORD presented to the view of Ezekiel Chap. 2. v. 9. 10. under the description of the roll of a book which was written within and without and Rev. 5. 1 2. 3. A book written within and on the backside sealed with seven seals which none whatsoever amongst the Creatures was able to open or loose the seven seals thereof In this book of God David was seen Psal 139. 15 16. by the eye of God in his creature substance yet being imperfect and therein all his members were written which in continuance were fashioned whilst as yet there were none of them The nature and use of this book considered in the several volumes of it is declared Rev. 20. 12. The books were opened and another book was opened which is the book of life and that we may know what book of life is here meant there is mention made Rev. 13. 8. of the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world having the names of all the Elect written in it which are never to be blotted out And Rev. 3. 5. we find another book of life belonging to Christ from whence he threatens the hypocritical and corrupted members of the Church of Sardis to be blotted out a like threatning unto which we find Rev. 22. 19. which compared with Psal 69. 28. makes it yet plainer Let them be blotted out of the book of the living and not be written with the righteous or come into thy righteousness to wit which is by faith Thus we see the unwritten and living WORD of God testified by the Scriptures to be Gods writing and Gods book as well as they themselves are so that when we call this living WORD unwritten it is but by way of distinction from the Holy Scriptures in the outward body of them as they are written with Pen and Ink for the WORD that is the Image of the invisible God the brightness of his glory and the express character of his substance may truly and properly be said to be the writing and engraving of the Trinity the Living book and roll of God that is all written within and without consisting of three volumes answering to the threefold power that is in the mind of Christ to read and look thereon We are therefore in both these respects to acknowledge Christ to be the living WORD first as he is he that speaks or the person whose mind and discerning is formed and prepared to look upon this Heavenly writing in all the volumes of it in order to communicate and give forth unto others the reading thereof And secondly as he is the writing itself and doth contain the lively ORACLES OF GOD or witness of the blessed Trinity representing God as to and by himself he is seen as also to and by both Creations according to the two Covenants unto which they relate In which latter sense this book is to be understood Rev. 5. 1. c. where it is said that no man in heaven nor in earth neither under the earth was able to open the book neither to look thereon but it is the priviledge only of the Lion of the Tribe of Judah to prevail to the opening thereof and to make the right use that is intended thereby The WORD in both these respects considered by us is a most lively description of the fulness and perfection whcih dwels in Christs person as he was set up in the office of his Mediatorship by the immediate operation of the Trinity before the world began wherein he is the only begotten Son in whom God is well pleased as he that is in himself both Priest and sacrifice abiding a High-Priest for ever at the right hand of God after the order of Melchisedech which is no way proper to him as the second Person in the Trinity simply considered where he is purely and simply God without the least mixture or composition of creature-nature and without shadow of change But now as Christ is the WORD in the person of the Mediator he hath the root of all creature-nature in him being the root as well as the offspring of David and hath this given to him for sacrifice therewith to prepare him to become a Lamb slain from the foundation of the world As thus he is the person of the Mediator he exerciseth a threefold power of mind and discerning by reason whereof this living WORD is said Heb. 4. to be the discerner of the thoughts intents of the heart neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight but all things are naked and opened unto him with whom we have to do of whom we are now treating First all things are naked and opened unto him by reason of the pure all-seeing eye and discerning of God that is in him through which light of his he knows how to read the inward writing of the book or the book as it is all written within in a character that is the form of God himself in the very height of his glory and therefore proper only for the divine eye itself to contemplate and be conversant in requiring the same mind that is in God himself to conceive and understand it as simply and fingly exhibited The Mediator in the exercise of this power of mind is eternally seeing all that God sees perfectly knowing Gods mind and is his Wonderful Counsellor in all the decrees and purposes of his that concern the creatures converse with him from beginning to ending Secondly All things are naked and opened unto Christ this living WORD by reason of the highest and purest natural creature-eye and discerning that is in him as he is the first-born of every creature and is the discerner of the thoughts of the natural heart and mind of all creatures so as Psal 139. 2 4. there is not a thought in the heart nor word in the tongue but this WORD knows it altogether and afar off even before the World began Through this second seeing power of Christs mind he knows how to read the second Volume of Gods book as it is all written without in a manifestation and appearance of God which is commensurate and proportioned to the creatures judgement and discerning as it is natural and of the first building and is the same form of God abasing it self and requiring no higher an eye then what is in the natural mind of the creature to behold it and look thereon This writing is called outward or the book all written without comparatively and in reference to the inwardness of the first whose eminency and height is such as is exclusive to the creatures natural discerning not but that in its own nature it is inward and spiritual being the witness that is given by the
second in the Trinity As Christ exercises this his creature-sight and discerning to which this outward Volume of Gods book is proportioned seen and known unto him are all the works of the first Creation in the order and manner wherein they are to be and have their share and lot given forth unto them in continuance of time yea the invisible substances of Angels and Men and all the life motion and demeanour wherein they are exercised from first to last upon the wavering unstable and conditional terms of their standing and holding communion with God in and by the first Covenant which communion being conditional throughout Christ doth therefore in this first book of life write down and blot out the names of those that are interested in this Covenant according as the condition is performed or not performed by them as we have in this Chapter already shewed from those Scriptures that describe this first book of life of the Lamb. Thirdly and lastly All things are naked and opened unto Christ the Mediator by reason of that his Heavenly creature-eye and most excellent way of discerning which is begotten in him as he is the first-born from the dead in which he is the quick and two edged sword so sharp powerful and piercing that it is able to divide asunder soul and spirit the joynts and marrow or to state the true difference between the creatures natural mind in the first building and its spiritual mind in the second whose priviledge it is to be admitted to the sight of the glory that is within the veil to hear the inward voyce and see the hidden similitude of God which no natural minds or discernings continuing meerly such have ever seen or can see in their highest attainments and improvements Through this third seeing power in the mind of Christ he is skilled and knowing in reading the third Volume of Gods book which contains the former two writings as well the inward as the outward so joyned and placed together as that they are comparing themselves thereby in their most perfect harmony and agreement as face answers face serving themselves of each other in such manner as may best unriddle and interpret the full and entire meaning of God in them both and herein unloose the seals that were upon the backside of the book so as the glory within the veil or inward writing may thereby shine forth upon the new-creature-discerning and yet keep the seals fast on still as to all natural eyes This writing and manifestation of God is his second appearance as he comes forth upon the creature in life from the dead and makes the Mediator the beginning root and author thereof unto the whole new and second building the true Mount Sion or City that hath foundations whose builder and maker is God being founded in a new and everlasting Covenant and upon better promises then the first with which God found fault This second divine appearance is that which is so adaequate and fitted to the new creature-discerning or eye or faith which hath for object things unseen that the eye of the natural mind single hath no skil in reading this book but unto it the vision of all is become as the words of a book that is sealed Isa 29. 11. a sight which no man hath seen nor can see being the hidden Manna and new name which none knows but they that have it This third writing is the witness which is given by the third in the Trinity the Holy Ghost being that whereby with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord we are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord. The thickness of the outward Veyl is in this dispensation made so transparent by the loss of its own glory in the grave that now it is made of use to hand out the glory of the inward writing as that which is above and over its head unto which it is made willing and content to be the footstool and to rule only as an inferiour light in subordination and subserviency thereunto By the third power of discerning in Christ to which this third Volume is proportioned he knows who are given to him of the Father of whom he is not to lose one whom therefore he writes down in this his second book of life out of which they can never be blotted Hereby also is seen and known to Christ the end of all Gods works as well as their beginning in the order and manner in which all things have their course and progress unto their final state either in a way of everlasting honour or of everlasting contempt Thus we have considered him before whose sight all things are naked and opened as he is the living WORD of God and hath a three-fold power and exercise of mind suted unto these lively Oracles of God in which he is made conversant by the witness which the Trinity bear unto the eye of his mind Unto whose blessed and glorious person in this his three-fold perfection fitting him to his office of Mediator the Scriptures are exceeding full and plain in their testimony as first Prov. 8. where we find him described in this his fulness and riches of glory under the general term of Wisdom so that ver 30 31. we may behold him as to his first perfection in a co-eternity with God himself and in the exercise of Gods own mind and discerning as one by him and brought up with him his bosome-Counsellour from all eternity in order to accomplish and work out the communications of God by him fore-purposed unto Angels and Men. And of the two latter we have particular intimation in the same Scripture where he saith I was daily his delight rejoycing alwaies before him rejoycing in the habitable part of his Earth and my delights were with the sons of men even whilst he lay in his Fathers bosome Again ver 22 23. We have his perfection described as he is the first-born of every creature and first begotten from the dead who was set up from everlasting that is to say from the beginning or ever the Earth was whom the Lord possessed in the beginning of his way before his works of old intimating thereby the works not only begun but finished in the Mediator from the foundation of the world when there were no depths nor fountains abounding with water before the mountains were settled before the hils was he brought forth v. 24 25. shining in a two fold appearance in which he contained all creature-fulness riches excellency and perfection so is described v. 6. where he saith he will speak of excellent things in the second Covenant the opening of his lips shall be of right things as he is the King of righteousness the Head Minister of the first-covenant light glory in which he was the WORD by whom God created all things in righteousness at first And ver 27 28 29. Was with God in the
and so agreeing with the pure natural heart of man In the exercise of this second and new-covenant-life Christ was enabled to offer up himself in the flesh through the eternal spirit as a Lamb without spot and guile unto God to bring in everlasting righteousness and that subjection of heart and brokenness of spirit in man which God requires by the law of faith or tenor of the second and new-covenant answering to the law of the new-creature-being and life whose original pattern was hereby set up in Christ as the first fruits in that image of the first-born from the dead wrought out in him unto whom all the rest of the adopted children whose names are written in the Lambs book of life from the beginning of the world were predestinated to be made conformable Jesus being thus qualified in the same nature and person even as the son of man to be as well a high-Priest as a sacrifice proceeds to fulfill the will of his father that is herein given him to do even to perform that obedience that is required of him as Surety and Mediator of both Testaments standing in force by vertue of his death This obedience is the second general particular which we have propounded to treat of consisting in the right use and mannaging of those powers and senses of mind that by the WORD were formed and set up in Christ for the performance of the will of God as to all that he required from man in and by the Rule and law of the first and second covenants the righteousness of both which laws he was to fulsil even all righteousness which accordingly he did as himself declares Heb. 10. 7 9. where he saith Lo I come in the volume of the book it is written of me to do thy will O God and this by taking away what was faulty in the first covenant and establishing the good and righteousness of both in the second For he came not to destroy the Law but to fulfil it so as the very righteousness of the Law which as upon its first bottom passeth away as a morning dew and waxeth old is fulfilled in the new-covenant-obedience by those who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit and was so fulfilled to the utmost in and by the man Christ Jesus who as the second Adam did all that was needful and which God required to be done for the remission of sin and the utter abolishing and removal of it out of mans nature with an absolute incapacity of ever returning more upon the true and right heirs of salvation In respect whereof it is said Rom. 5. 19. That as by one mans disobedience many that is all were made sinners so by the obedience of one many that is all shall be made righteous Having that ransom paid and means provided in him to make them righteous so that there shall be no necessity remaining upon any to perish forasmuch as sufficient provision is made to bring all men to repentance and to the knowledge of the truth that as in Adam all died so in this sense all again in Christ are made alive that is capable of receiving life from God upon the terms of one of the two Covenants For if through the offence of one many be dead and judgement was by one to condemnation much more the grace of God and gift by grace which is by one man Jesus Christ hath abounded unto many to the justification of many offences v. 15 16. God esteeming it just that by the righteousness and obedience which is performed according to his will by one man Jesus Christ the free gift should come upon all men unto justification of life as well as that by one mans offence and disobedience death should raign over all This one righteousness and obedience performed by Christ is that which not only answers by way of satisfaction unto all that was occasioned and brought forth by the offence and disobedience of Adam but where sin hath abounded grace hath abounded much more that as sin raigned unto death grace might raign through righteousness unto eternal life by Iesus Christ the second Adam Which eternal life sin shewed it self able to hinder the first Adams attainment of upon his first principles The obedience then which Christ performed we are to consider under a twofold respect First that which is usually called his active obedience whereby he was in his own person legally righteous and perfectly holy according to the tenor of the first covenant as made under the Law and rendred in the natural powers of his mind exactly conformable thereunto This conformity in Christ to the righteousness of the Law qualified him to be the Lamb without spot or blemish which God required to be offered up and slain as a sacrifice for sin which conformity may be considered either as inherent in him qualifying him thus for sacrifice or Secondly as coming into actual exercise by the proper activity of his living soul or natural man if left alone therein or Thirdly as being brought into exercise by the Fathers indwelling presence teachings not suffering him to speak or do any thing of himself or in the single activity of his natural principles as himself saith Ioh. 14. 10. The words that I speak unto you I speak not of my self but the Father that dwelleth in me doth the works In which third and last consideration Christ was made active through the exercise of a newness of life and operation set up in him in the way of faith flowing from that second seed and union begotten in him by the WORD as we have already shewed In which activity he did not only perform the righteousness and obedience required of man by the Law or first covenant but that also which is required of him by the new second covenant Without which second branch of his active obedience there could have been no sacrifice nor shedding of blood no Lamb slain nor feast of passover as it is written 1 Cor. 5. 7. Christ is our passover who was slain for us for there would have wanted the priest or sacrificing power to offer up the same according to the will of God declared in the new and second covenant Heb. 10. 9. For though it be most true that Christ through the righteousness of the Law and this considered chiefly as inherent in him is thereby the pure and spotless Lamb of God the male of the flock without blemish which it was needful for him to be as prepared for sacrifice and to be offered up it being requisite not only to be but to continue Holy harmless and separate from sinners throughout the whole course of his life and sufferings in the flesh yea and in the grave iâ—self not to see corruption otherwise he had not answered and fulfilled the righteousness of the Law nor been in his own person legally righteous such an one as justice it self upon that account could take no exception against yet this made him not high Priest
but made like unto the Sonne of God abides a Priest for ever at Gods right hand By which description it may appear that the manhood of Christ considered as the OFF-SPRING and BRANCH is brought forth into such likenesse and equality with the ROOT as to be made a fit associate to the Son of God considered as the ROOT And thus it is by way of figure and resemblance with the nature of man in the first degree of life attained by the resurrection from the dead as he is brought forth into the exercise of life like unto Angels and so becomes their equal yet is not an Angel nor loses the subordination and inferiority of his natural being unto the Angels So also Christ is still perfect man notwithstanding this his exaltation yet so as that he is also in the same person God as we have shewed and the Saints that come thus to be branches of the same perfect heavenly manhood with him are so neverthelesse in a distinguished state of subordination and inferiority to him in the capacity of the Bride the Lambs wife who by all this their exaltation are neither Godded with God nor Christed with Christ but are still in the proper capacity of creatures but of the highest and best creatures under Christ their Head exalted above all Angels or any particular nature whatsoever and brought thus at last into the enjoyment of the beatifical vision of God in the face of the blessed Trinity Thus we have endeavoured to describe the glory wherein Christ is given to be the Head and Husband to the whole spiritual seed as actually espousing and taking to wife the whole general assembly of the first-borne bringing them into the same glory with himself as he hath received power from the Father and expressing it to be his will and desire that they should participate of the same glory and be one with him as he is one with his Father Neverthelesse by this dignity given unto them they do not attaine unto the priviledge and preheminence that is due only unto their Head in that Hypostatical union into which he is taken but have that which belongs to them as the BRIDE the LAMBS WIFE in a secondary and subordinate way by marriage-union with Christ wherein they are one with Christ as he is one with the Father Heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ but a in weaker inferiour state of glory This is figured out by the woman who partakes of the same life and glory in kind with the man as she is his image or glory and so is as his equal yea one with him by marriage-union yet singly considered is in a state of subordination and inferiority to him And as thus we see what is the attainment unto which the right heirs of salvation do come by the resurrection from the dead when they shall be made like unto Christ and see him as he is so we also have hereby signified unto us what the wicked do arrive unto who must also partake of the resurrection from the dead and be raised up in dishonour to everlasting contempt and that consists first in their being made equal in the first degree of the resurrection with wicked Angels and fit associates for them as spirits perfected to be kept up as vessels of dishonour in a way of contempt Secondly in that state of dishonour into which their body returnes at the resurrection thereof wherein it becomes incorruptible never to be changed more And now for as much as in this manifestation of the sons of God there shall be found the perfect use of the natural sences of their minde and body wholly subjected by the Crosse of Christ to their spiritual and heavenly in this perfect and compleat exercise of their natural sences they shall hold forth that Law of righteousnesse and the obedience thereof unto which natural men in those dayes shall be required to conform who shall for that end not only be set at liberty from the bondage of corruption but stand free from the assaults and wiles of Satan who shall be bound up from molesting them and be moreover advantaged with all needful and requisite helps and meanes to further them therein under the influence of a Ministery and Magistracy brought forth in the highest and utmost perfection and purity that can be enjoyed on earth managed by the person of Christ himself and the whole GENERAL ASSEMBLY of the first-borne The book of the creatures shall also be made legible in the fairest characters wherein they can be written out and the Scriptures opened in the highest degree of clearnesse and full comprehensivenesse thereof an instance of which Christ gave after his resurrection Luke 24. 27. who beginning at Moses and all the Prophets expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself which will be the general practice of the Saints after their resurrection all along the thousand yeares Reigne Hence it is that besides the change that we have already spoken of which is peculiar to the Saints there shall be brought forth by the Saints as the secondary meanes in Christs hand a most glorious change next in order unto theirs upon the whole creation as we have already laid open in general which in reference to men the principal part of it shall be as a state of common salvation mutable and temporary to the affording of the highest example and proof that possibly can be given of this common state of purity and excellency appertaining to the natural man which men have so generally admired and been so fond of from the beginning of the world to this time Then it will shew it self in its kind and plainly discover what it will signifie and amount unto at its best where it shall be only reteined single and want the benefit of association and consortship with the spiritual sences which are found in the minde of true Saints to the making Christ admired in all them that do beleeve and to the abasing and entirely bringing down the pride and glory of all flesh Thus Christ as sitting upon this Throne of his glory and his Saints with him shall make all things new by bringing forth the second change before mentioned which shall come upon the world the former things as old being made to passe away and to receive a consuming by fire that all things may be renewed and restored into their first purity and natural perfection throughout the whole first creation in all the parts and members of it by vertue of the powerful influence that shall come from this healing refreshing presence of the Lord in with his Saints for that purpose at which time he shall make good that saying of the Apostle Paul 1 Cor. 3. 22 23. All things are yours and you are Christs and Christ is Gods by granting a general day of JUBILE and release unto all natural beings then in the world from under the power of sin and Satan and setting up means for the keeping and
preserving of them during the thousand years in this their spotlesse sinlesse nature not suffering the Devil to annoy them or deceive the Nations till the thousand years be fulfilled executing upon the rebellious and disobedient his fiery vengeance and indignation to the cutting them off from the Land of the living as Ananias and Sapphira were dealt with making good that Word of the Lord Act 3. 23. And it shall come to passe that every soul which will not hear that Prophet in these his dayes he shall be destroyed from among the people For all those that shall then discover that they love not the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity shall be Anathema Maranatha or accursed by this coming and from this presence of the Lord. And therefore we are to know that the natural generation of men which shall be in those dayes how pure and spotlesse soever their fleshly nature be yet being but mutable will have either a good or an evil change passe upon them The good we have already spoken to and of the evil we shall say but little here since we have so at large treated of it also as it is the serpentine seed growing up in and under that which is good to the fixing and hardning of men at last in an implacable rage and enmity against Christ in his heavenly and second appearance For this hardning when it is perfected proves an unchangable enmity and brings on the spiritual or SECOND DEATH wrought out in the natural mind which is not subject to the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus nor ever can be no place being now left for repentance These vessels of wrath will then be raised to everlasting contempt and will have the perfect exercise of their natural sences in spirit soul and body fitted and prepared for the taking in of the full vials thereof that shall be poured out upon them for ever from the presence of the Lord Yea for this purpose they are also heightned to a partaking with the wicked Angels in the raisednesse of their Angelical beings so as to become of equal capacity with the evil Angels through the power of the resurrection from the dead that raises them up into everlasting contempt and gives them their portion with the Devil and his Angels unto whom they serve as a Temple and habitation in like manner as the Saints in their glorified body are the Tabernacle of God And in this Idols Temple the Devil shall be so able to transforme himself into an Angel of light by the experience he will have gained during the thousand years and so to transform his Ministers also as the Ministers of righteousnesse and Apostles of Christ that he shall have the confidence at the end of the thousand years when he shall again be let loose to embody his party of wicked Angels and men from all quarters and come up in this seeming glorious posture to vie it out at last with the New Jerusalem the City of the living God in this its earthly state gathering Gog and Magog to battel the number of whom is as the sand of the Sea who hoping to carry all before them shall come up on the breadth of the earth and compasse the camp of the Saints about the Beloved City desiring and endeavouring to swallow up that Assembly of true Saints on earth who have not had as yet their finall change brought upon them but are waiting for it universally to be accomplished at the end of the thousand years At which period of time the Devil being let loose and putting forth his last and utmost power doth play his game by transforming his party into the likenesse of the glorified body of Christ and his Saints gathering into one counterfeit spiritual body all his children and servants whose coming then shall be with such power and signes and lying wonders as were never put forth by him before Then Christ in a moment shall finally perfect his glorious change upon all the Elect and carry them all up with him to the mansions provided for them in his Fathers house from whence he sends down fire to devour all their adversaries and the whole visible frame of the creation casting the Devil into the Lake of fire where the BEAST and FALSE PROPHET are and shall be tormented for ever day and night by vertue of the just judgement of God which then shall be revealed against the wicked when the last JUDGEMENT shall be set and there shall appeare a great white Throne and one sitting upon it from whose face the heaven and the earth shall flee away so that there shall be no more place found for them even for that heaven and earth wherein there had beene made a full restitution of all things in those times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord during the reigne of the thousand years Then the great and last universal day of judgement shall be brought forth when the dead small and great shall be made to stand up before God and then the books will be opened and another book will be opened which is the book of life and the dead shall be judged out of those things that are written in the books And the sea shall give up the dead that are in it and death and hell shall deliver up the dead that are in them and they shall be judged every man according to their works To be more particular in describing the state of things as to the change which does respect the whole creature during this thousand years will be needlesse considering that the general expressions are so clear and full that it shall be a glorious pure incorrupt state unto the whole creation which shall then keep a holy Sabbath and Rest unto the Lord a seventh part of the time of the worlds continuance in which there shall be no sowing of the field nor pruning of the vineyard nor exacting any labour from the creature but what in voluntary service it shall performe by way of homage and worship unto Christ for the use of his Saints during the thousand years who are yet in their corruptible natural body expecting their great change Even so come Lord Jesus Come quickly FINIS