the things of God according to the dictate argumentation and consultation of the light and spirit of a creature which in it selfe is good but the more curiously and diligently it searcheth after the Creator by its own light the more difference it finds and the greater distance disproportion between it selfe and that infinite and blessed Being of the Creator b Gen. 3. 6. to 10. and is so farre from ability and skill to make it selfe one with and correspondent unto him in all things that he thereby ingenders wrath breeds emnity and makes a greater discord betwixt himselfe and his Maker c Gal. 4. 24. 25. drawing out and enlarging the bounds or rather boundlesse estate of his destruction and misery according to that unfadomed and illimited nature of the Creator both in point of weight and duration d Isai 5. 14. Iob. 6. 2. 3. Gen. 4. 13. 14. Iob 4. 19. 20. Iob. 14. 19. 20 Deut. 23. 2. 3 as also the various changeable operation and executions thereof according to that manifest Truth Holinesse Justice and Equity that is in God and must of necessity work towards his Creator through the wisdome of the flesh to his downfall and ruine by reason of that first act of his Being and of that first form given unto him in his creation even as the Spirit of Christ must of necessity work towards or in and by the infirmities of man through the wisdome of the Father in that advancement of himself in the Kingdom of God e Heb. 2. 9. to 15. Heb. 2. 7. 8 and if the Lord do not open our eyes to see into the nature of this oath in the confirmation and certainty of it in the elect by Jesus Christ as also in the disanulling and breach of it in the wicked through that way of Antichrist wee cannot have sound knowledge in the word of God but our reasonings consultations and conclusions thereabout and therefrom are meerely of and from man and not of and from the Spirit of God And it is handled by us as the word of Man and not as it is indeed the the word of that ever-living ever-being God f 1 Thess 2. 13. 2 Cor. 2. 17. 2 Cor. 4. 2. And wheras in any thing men have learned by the tradition of their Fathers things that the wisdome of a creature reacheth not as the incarnation of the Sonne of God that he that is God should be made a creature or that the creature should be made that which is God or that one should bee made righteous to hold weight in the sight of God by that which is not in himselfe but in another or that the soule of man is immortall whereas there can be no more immortals then there is infinite for the creature can as well bee infinite as immortall When men seem to go into these or the like points that are so necessary for a Christian to know as that they give being unto Christianity they walk or rather wander and groap in the dark speaking from Tradition as they have taken it at the second hand from others which tradition ever doth and hath not any thing immediatly from God according to that way of the Son receiving all things immediatly from his Father g John 10. John 17. 7. 8. John 13. 20. 1 Cor. 11. 23 but meerly conjecturall as false Prophets use to doe h Deut. 13. to 5 Jerem. 27. 9. 10. Jude 8. wandring they know not whither i Jude 13. neither did they ever learn from the Lord whosoever they be that are such Schollers and accountants as cannot bring life and death into one and the same act yea the contract and the divorce to be the same thing For if ever we see our sinnes to bee that which indeed they are yea the divorce in its owne nature and distance then must wee of necessity reckon and account our sinnes upon the Sonne of God who is the Lord our righteousnesse k Ierem. 23. 6. Ier. 33. 16. For the divorce is of an infinite distance because he that is infinite is a party in the contract and there can be but one infinite therefore our sinnes must of necssity be reckoned and accounted upon that one onely and infinite sonne of God and so are done away l Esa 63. 9. Esa 53. 10. 11. Lev. 16. 7. to 22. Heb. 8. 12. Heb. 8. 11. 1 Thes 4. 9. Nay further without the true knowledge of this poynt which none can teach but God alone m Iohn 21. 25. Let men use study experience Learning in tongues or arts reading of bookes if it were possible that the whole world could not containe as it cannot the things that concern or might bee written of Christ n Exod. 7. 11 12 13. 2 Tim. 3. 8. Acts 8. 17. to 21. Yea observe the changes of States times and things as men use to do for their helpe in opening those wonderfull Revelations of Jesus Christ which is much like your men that vse spells and cast figures to bring out some strange thing to affect others withall o Revel 12. 14. that so their hire or reward may not be grudged but come off the more easie whether it be profit pleasure preferrment or shelter under some great man or State out of base and servile feare of man as commonly accompanies such spirits yet can they never calculate or make manifest the time of the womans being in the Wildernesse p Mat. 17. 10 11 12. 13 which some so earnestly seeme to gape after even as the Jewes in antient time did after the Messiah and that Eliah that was to come when as both the one and the other was conversing with them q Mat. 11. 14. nor can they indeed bring forth the truth of any other part of the word of God no more then they can do that and such like which their own consciences must of necessity speake in the behalfe of God against them for they know they cannot prefix any certaine time of it and if the Trumpat give an uncertaine sound who can prepare himselfe to Battel r 1 Cor. 14. 7. 8. for indeed that uncertaine sounding is the chiefe cause of all the Slaine and wounded both in soule and body in our native Countrey at this day for if the roote and rice of things be not seen but lye hid and are not known the body and branch can never been delineated nor brought forth neither in substance nor true circumstance whatsoever And therefore not in this of the time of the Womans being brought out of the Wildernesse which is affirmed to be for a time times and half a time s Rev. 12. 14 So that they know not the Church no not in respect of this circumstance of time if wee may call any thing circumstantiall in the Church of Christ For the truth is there is nothing in the Church which is not substantiall and fundamentall without which the Church cannot
our onely Rule of obedience in the Church with the nature of that Spirit which leads to the one and to the other p. 15. at M 43 How those manifold gifts and operations of the Spirit are rightly to be considered in the distribution and exercise of them in and among the Saints of God p. 19. at N 44 What it is for the seed of the woman to bruise the head of tho Serpent as also what it is for the Serpent to bruise his Heele p. 23. at O 45 What wee are to thinke of those that seem to acknowledge things to bee true and that they see them to bee excellent in Christ but want the peace glory and comfort of them in themselves p. 25 at P 46 What it is for God to repent or not to repent p. 30. at Q 47 What is the peculiarity and universality of the Priesthood of Christ in the Church p. 34. at R. 48 How Christ our High Priest as also his Office are truly sayd to be without Father and without Mother and discent without beginning of dayes or end of life p. 37. at S 49 Who those Kings are that are wounded in the day of Gods wrath and the way and manner how it is to be accomplished p. 45. at T 50 What the crosse of Chist is further explicated opened and made manifest p. 52. at V. 51 How the word LORD is to be understood as it is used and brought in in the the fift vers of this Psalm p. 55. at W 52 What it is to be at the rigâ—t hand opened and explained p. 57 at X 53 What it is to wound or strike through Kings at the right hand opened and explained p. 58. at Y 54 What is meant by blaspheming the Sonne of Man as also what it is to blaspheme the Holy Ghost and how the one is forgiven and the other can never be forgiven p. 63. at Z 55 When the day of the Manifestation of Gods wrath is and how it comes to be exercised in the sonnes of men seeing that Gâ—â— is love even in the abstract p. 66. â—t A 56 How we are mystically to undeâ—stand the two great 〈…〉 Parents of all the world taught and set out unto us 〈…〉 story of the Creation of the fiâ—st man and woman 〈…〉 the birth and bringing forth of Cain and Abel p. 70 at â— 57 The cause and ground of mans Alienation and Estrangement from God and how it is extended and continued still in the wicked p. 72. at C 58 How men are mistaken in the fall of Angels yea such as hold themselves Doctors of the Law and Teachers of others what it is made manifest and how we are to come to the knowledge of them as also what necessity use the knowledge thereof is unto us p. 74. at D 59 How the Lord is truly sayd to rule among the Heathen or such as are alienated yea even in his Saints p. 76. 60 What the calling of the Jewes is and the bringing in of the fulnesse of the Gentiles when and in what mnaner it shall be pag. 78. at F 60 How the fall of man which is the very woe and destruction of the wicked comes to be the very in-let of the grace of God unto salvation in the Saints by Jesus Christ p. 84. at G 62 What is the proper ground of mans breach of covenant with God and of all those disasters and breaches that are betwixt man and man in the world as also what is the onely proper and direct way of healing of them p. 87. at H 63 How the man and the woman are sayd to be naked in the beginning are not ashamed as also how it comes to passe that they afterwards are sayd to see themsedves naked are ashamed according to the true mystery and intent both of the one and the other p. 89 at I 64 The sinne and fall of man cannot be seen and looked upon with an eye of faith but salvation must appeare in it as also that the righteousnesse and resurrection of Jesus Christ cannot be seen and looked upon with a carnall and unbeleeving eye but death and destruction appeares in it p 91. at K 65 How sin and the righteousnesse of faith are neither of them hoth any created thing and how each of them comes properly to be by generation and not else to bee heard of found or felt by the creature p. 93 at L 66 What that root is of which the soune of perdition springeth and groweth up as also how it is caused to rot and wither when Christ is made manifest in the Gospel p. 97. at M 67 What is the branch or top of that man of sin and how Christ causeth that to decay and wither also as well as the root p. 98 at N 68 The the triall of Gideons soldiers by drinking of water out of the river opened and interpreted and how it agrees with and teacheth how the Sonne of God drinkes of the Brook in the way in those onely approved by him that lap up the water out of their hand as a Dogge laps it up with his tongue p. 106. at O 69 That in the very act of the humiliation of Jesus Christ is his exaltation also in the true Mystery of his incarnation and how it comes to passe that of necessity so it must be and cannot possibly be otherwise p. 109. at P. 70 That as the Gospel is divulged and commeth from one that is not simply and onely a creature so ought it not to bee preached unto any as beeing simply and meerly in the state and condition of a creature p. 111. at Q 71 In what the humiliation and exaltation of Iesus Christ doe properly consist and that it must bee so and cannot bee otherwise p. 11 3. 72 How Death is truly sayd to bee the last enemy that is destroyed p. 115. 73 Of what use the death and resurrection of Iesus Christ are pag. 116. at T 74 How the Sonne of God is subiect unto and delivers up the Kingdome to the Father and yet rules and governes himselfe also eternally for of his Kingdome and Dominion there is no end for hee shall reigne for evermore Amen p. 118 Errours escaped in Printing in the first part of this Treatise PAg. 6. line 14. for beynod read beyond p. 9. l. 36. for hoest read holiest p. 14. l. 18. for all alike read we are all alike p. 15. l. 25 for ny read any p. 19. l. 24. for emencities read immensitie l. 25. for seemes read gives l. 30. for righteous read righteousnesse p. 21. l. 7. for no read not p. 22. l. 7. for shuttings read shutting l. 22. for diving read divining p. 23. l. 26. for head read heart p. 25. l. 36. for crufied read crucified p. 29. l. 12. for tion read nation the first syllable being misplaced in the former line p. 33. l. 9. for fo read for p. 39. l. 10. for ever read over p. 49. l. 34 for Serpen read
signifies reason s 1 Ioh 3. 4. so that according to Gods wisdom in the orderly course of things in the production of them it hath not anything at all thereof in it but as the Law or wisdom of God is nothing else but instructive so is sin or the vvisdom of the Serpent nothing else but destructive for aâ—… the vvisdom of God in all the productions of it selfe in Christ expungeth all sin corruption out of our nature so that never guile was found in his mouth but as a I am spoile undefiled t Heb. 2. 2 in so much that however it be but a Creature that is properly saved yet this work of Salvation state condition which the Creature is set in doth infinitely surmount transcend the condition of a Creature for as the wisdom and the worke is properly of God so is the state condition godly and holy and so of an infinite and an eternall value even so it is with the wisdome of the flesh that is not subject to this will and law of God neither indeed can be u Esa 53. 9. 1 Pet. 1. 19. or that wisdome of the Serpent in all its operations and productions of it selfe expungeth all holinesse and righteousnesse yea that compleate law of the spirit and life that is in Christ Iesus w Ro. 8. 7. in every tittle of it out of it selfe leaving it selfe an uncleane spirit having a garment in every one part of it spotted with the flesh x Ro. 8 2 Ecl. 7. 29 Gen. 7. 5 and is become altogether ungodly and defiled so that as Christ was tempted in all things like unto us yet without sin so is Antichrist by his creation as also in that redemption of mankinde in all things made like unto the Sonne of God and yet without righteousnesse yea so free as the sonne of God is from sin y Mat. 12 43. 5. though tempted so free is the Sonne of perdition from righteousnesse though furnished at the first with it being made in it z Lu. 11. 24. Iude 23. Heb. 4 15 Ioh. 14. 30. So that howsoever it is proper to a finite Creature to decline and fall away from God yet that worke of darknes stare condition into which it brings the Creature is of an infinite nature extent because it is an annihilation and destruction of that whole worke and fabrick of which the Sonne of God himselfe is the onely and chiefe corner stone in the building a Gen. 1. 27. Gen. 5. 1. Gen. 2. 7. Ecl. 7. 29 Iob. 38. 6 Psal 118. 22. Esa 28. 16. or in expunging and blotting out of that law of the spirit which holds correspondency with the son of God in all points every breach of which infinite law must needes be of an infinite and eternall giâ—t and in our pretended opening of the Scripture to fall short of this latitude and extent in any particular sin is the proper prevarication Law or play the part of a false Lawyer at the Bar as the word signifies that in pleading his Clients cause neglects the chiefe point in the Law that should principally be brought in and puts it into his Adversaries hand secretly to cast the cause against his Client of such use are they to the soules of their hearers that neglect or fall short of this principall point of the Law in the infinite extent of mans sin for finite and infinite being made one the proper act of sin is the dis-junction and separation of them which is the proper worke of the flesh or naturall reasonings of the minde of a creature a Gen. 3. 1 6 Rom. 7. 9 10 11. betweene it selfe and the Creator so also finite and infinite being dis-joyned and separated by sin namely God and man made one at the first it is the proper work of the Grace and Spirit of God by faith to unite and make these twaine to be one and both these are of the same extent the validitie and substance of the one is not more exalted lifted up and made permanent then the vanitie and emptinesse of the other is vilified and debased becoming corrupted and putrified for ever without the love and distinct knowledge whereof we can neither understand the fall of man nor yet his restauration by Christ of such use and concernment is the knowledge of the multiplication of the offering of the Lamb together with the unity of it without which our speeches and thoughts of the taking away of the sins of the world John 1. 29. are meere blind conjectures and the certaine knowledge and faith thereof we have not yet attained unto b Pro. 19. 2. we are yet dead in our sins c 1 Cor. 15. 17. and doe not participate in the life of the Lord Jesus d 1 Iohn 5. 10 11. unto the first Resurrection e Rev. 20. 6. for till we know how the death of Christ in our nature answereth in all points diametrically unto our life in that Word of God or nature divine we cannot have the comfort of that life of Jesus Christ for mans fall can be of no lesse extent then that Resurrection of the Son of God is therefore as he that prayeth or prophecieth with his head covered dishonoureth his head f 1 Cor. 11. 4. that is if he doe not discover make bare and manifest the extent of that righteousnesse that is by Christ to be no lesse then the righteousnesse of God through faith in him g Rom. 10. 3 4. hee dishonours and shames his head now we know that the head of every man is Christ h 1 Cor. 11. 3. even so also he that hides his sins shall not prosper that is shall not passe through or succeed well as the word signifies i Pro. 28. 13 but that man hides his sin whatever he be that gives it not its proper weight guilt and extent which is not lesse then the death of the Son of God k Rom. 4. 24 25. Isa 53. 4 5 what sin soever it be and if we make it not to be that which it is we hide it and shall never prosper succeed or goe through the difficulty and power thereof for if we hide it it rests upon our selves l Ioh. 9. 41. 2 Cor. 3. 14 and is the death of Christ in us according to the Spirit for we thereby crucifie the Son of God unto our selves m Heb. 6. 6. in the spirit by treading under foot n Heb. 10. 29. that is by vilifying and undervaluing his blood not giving it its due proportion we reckon it upon our selves to our owne destruction for he is thereby dead in us in respect of the Spirit or of that spirituall state and condition of which he consisteth o 2 Cor. 5. 16. Heb. 10. 29. but if we confesse and forsake them p Pro. 28. 13. that is if we preach confesse or professe them according to their extent then we
sinne is not but as it is propagated in and by a creature and yet not without respect unto that righteousnesse that is in the Creator consulting with and about it according to the capacity and principles of a creature and not according to the light and revelation wisdome and principles of the Creator even that holy word or minde of the Lord made manifest in the flesh e Gen. 3. 3 4 5. 1 Cor. 2. 11 12. 1 Cor. 2. 4. to 11. 1 Tim. 3. 16 Righteousnesse also is no created thing for it is that blessed and increat being that gives being unto all things and this also propagates begets and generates it selfe in the way of the Sonne of God Jesus Christ our Lord who was made in the similitude of sinfull flesh and by that which is sin in it self condemnes sin in the flesh f Iam. 1. 17 13. 1 Iohn 5. 18 19. Rom. 8. 3 4. yea he was made sin in us that knew no sin in himselfe g 2 Cor. 5. 21. that is he was made that which in it self is nothing but si if by it selfe it intermeddle with the righteousnesse of God and hereby doth righteousnesse generate and propagate it selfe in and with respect unto us for righteousnesse consulting with our infirmities by those principles and according to that wisdome that is in God thereby begets and generates that holy and innocent Son of God h Luke 1. 34 35. Iam 1. 21. Gen. 18 9. to 15. who otherwise could never be made knowne nor manifested unto us but hereby he makes himselfe righteous in time for all creatures are in time who is also from eternity else time and eternity could not be propagated in that one act of our salvation even so also the creature that is in time making it selfe sin by that righteousnesse that is in God makes it selfe an eternall sinner who otherwise could not bring forth sin and death of such a race and in the one and the other there is a filling of the places with dead bodies or a filling up by ruines and these ruines are multiplied both in the one and in the other according to the diversities of glory that appears in the Revelation of the Son of God and hence the extence of his Government and Judgement is brought in in these words He shall wound the heads over many Countreyes or he doth wound the head over or in a great Countrey The word here translated wound signifies to wound to death till blast cause to wither and bring to nought the word head is read either in the singlar or plurall number and signifies the chiefe or principle the life or beginning of a thing as the head or beginning of a Fountaine which is the life of the streames or the top or head of any thing that springs up as also the root of any things that growes in the earth the word great signifies either great in quantity or great in multitude great in quantity comprizing all things in one and so there is one Prince of the power of the ayre i Eph. 2. 2. one God of this world who blinds the eyes of such as believe not k 2. Cor. 4. 4. and great in multitude also an one being transfused into all and so his name is Legion for he is many l Mark 5. 9. Luke 8. 30. and so the word translated Countrey signifies either the whole world or any particular Nation Countrey confine parcell or tract of ground circumscribed and bounded within it selfe our Lord therefore wounds or causeth to wither that head or heads yea root and branch of that great and multiplyed one that is in the world in generall and in every particular of it and here our Prophet alludes unto all those Kings of Canaan situate in that one Nation discomfited and overcome by Josua even as one as also to all the heads of the Nations round about them into whom the very same spirit was diffused by which they became enemies unto Israel for when the most high divided unto the Nations their inheritance when he separated the Sons of Adam he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel m Deut 32. 8. So that in whatsoever the Son of God is honored lifted up and advanced by in the very same thing appeares the dishonor shame and confusion of the Nations even the men of this world For if the inheritance of the Saints in the Sonne of God be made manifest and rightfully distributed and given unto them then doe the Nations and men of this world appeare to be intruders and usurpers in all that ever they do or may possesse in any thing wherein they seem to stand in relation unto or to have any respect unto God therein but for the severall relations betwixt creature and creature the Saints of God doe in no case disregard nor neglect and hence it is that their warfare is spirituall n 2. Cor. 10. 14. onely seeking to advance the Son of God in the Kingdome of God and not to deprive any man of his orderly interest of whatsoever he enjoyes of the things that appertaine unto this life o Psal 115. 16. Mat. 22. 18. to 22. yea the division of tongues in that confusion of languages or in the beginning of the Kingdome of that mighty hunter which is Babell Erech Acad and Calney in the land of Shyner p Gen. 10. 10. is nothing else but the advancement of this Kingdome of our Lord when those cloven or those dividing distributing and fiery tongues sit upon our Apostle and high Priest of our porfession speaking unto every man in his owne language uttering the very same speech that himselfe speaketh in his owne heart q Rom. 10. 6. 7 8. Deut. 30. 11 12 13 14. condescending and coming downe yea taking up the very lip or language which we naturally speake in our selves the reby to open and interpret that one heavenly language and speech of the Father unto the Son in the variety and severall waies wherein it hath infinitely expressed it selfe unto us therefore is the Spirit expressed in that place in the plurall number cloven and fiery tongues and in the singular also and it sate upon every one of them to declare that all of them are of one lip and language as all the earth was before the division r Acts 2. 2 3 4. Gen. 11. 1. yea even that division that was made in Adam at the first s Gen. 3. 12 13. and that every one of them hath all so as to be able to speake to all sorts estates and conditions of men and is made able to preach the Gospell to t Mark 16. 15. or as the word may be read in every creature so that it shall become either a savour of life or else a savour of death unto all and therefore must either finde a voluntary submission unto it selfe in the forsaking of all the waies of