out of conceit he did God good service Rested satisfied We know the Scribes and Pharisees who were the most zealous for Sabbaths and prayer and other points of Worship yet they make it their Rest but come to our daies and see if we swarme not of the same only seeming professors of God who are very zealous for the same things and from their very zeal are made to Rest with high thoughts of their condition But how far this zeal which is most commonly led with more affection then Judgement will bring man into a form of Truth First It will leade man into a whole conformity to what it doth conceive to be truth that it shall according to what it hath serve God in all good conscience Acts. 23. 1. and according to the Law to be unblamable and untaxable Then his conversation shall bee very strict in the observation of what the Law requires and he shall act the same with much vehemency of spirit taking all oppertunities for the doing of the same Secondly It will carry the soule on to suffer cheerfully what he may meet withall in this very particular Thirdly he may by zeal afflict his body sore 1. Cor. 13. 3. with fasting and mourning under pretence the one to honour and obey God the other for dishonou◠brought to God So as he may be almost spent in body and spirit and estate in prosecuting the things o◠God according to his light Farther hee may out o◠Zeal come to Gospel precepts and may be Zealous for that light in externall formes which is there required to be obeyed so as he may gather Churches and may suffer much in the conforming to and practising with so much vehemency the Ordinances cōmonly practised by the Churches in the Apostles and our daies so as his Zeal may lead him out to teaching and helping forward that work studying night and day to finde out matter to furnish himself for edification so as for paines in the Churches and for Zeal to observe the severity of those formes and any thing required to bee practised in the said Churches so as now it will have communion in Ordinances with none but those of his own stamp judgement being mightily carried forth to judge and pitty those who are opposers of that light Now this soul through Zeal may goe thus farre yea to act the very highest things the Scriptures doe require in matters of visible practise and yet be not at all taught in the Spirit neither got into the life and power of what he doth professe but meerly zealous for shadowes and wants the power so as he is commanded by the form and not the forme by the power dwelling within him Now grant farther That such a soul did act in truth according to this dispensation yet notwithstanding in this particular there were no cause of Rest for nothing visibly seen flowing from the Creature ought to be its Rest but some visible flowings into the Creature which is being and substance from which and unto which a Soule through Zeal for God acts Also a Creature thus Zealous Rests not at home but reformes abroad also beginning with his own family and so goes abroad to others and labours for reformation and practises the same with much Zeal so as he can not endure the visible appearance of any sinne in himself or others He may help with much Zeal the purging of Cities and Nations or drunkennesse or swearing or any open prophanesse he may be for punishing of evil doers in this particular with much severity and seeming to be much troubled at the neglect of it he may rejoyce much in this practise and may help forward this work in a Nation very much and yet this no Rest at all also he may be zealous yea mad of Zeale for the worship of his God in reference unto others not only taking all opportunities to inform them in the same but using all Coercive powers for confiring them thereunto so as he may be an instrument to bring families and most part of Cities into this outward conformity to the matters of worship and here hee lookes upon an action done of great moment and weight and partly makes this an evidence of this true enjoyment of God by Reason of his Zeale for God and the effect thereby produced which is the good of many Now the cause of a Souls thus Resting partly flowes from want of the information in judgement of the great deceite of the heart in putting man by zeal upon such publique actions and then to cause it to Rest and further it conceiving it's Zeale for God and from a principle of God not being acquainted with a Pharisaicall Zeale to be seen of men or to get a name amongst men or that Zeal which men have but not according to knowledge or the Zeale Paul had before conversion which excels both for vehemency and downrightnesse is the Zeal of many a professor who are at Rest in our daies Now a poor Creature because he is made to suffer freely and to hazard life and liberty in the prosecution of this Zeal he is much puffed up under these considerations 1. That now this is a suffering with and for Christ and therefore he shall reign with him and enjoy much from him 2 That this is a parting with all for Christ and a great point of self denial and so an evidence of a disciple of Christ when indeed the Soule is in himself and hath not at all attained that estate to forsake himselfe Therefore let every heart though never so Zealous for God take notice that his heart may deceive him in his Zeal and his affection may blinde his judgement and so it proves blinde zeal Or Secondly Consider that though it be such Zeale as is good and to be approved of in its dispensation yet not at all to be Rested upon nor to be an evidence of any true enjoyment of God though he pretend God in the fore-front as Jehu did The fifth false Rest. THe next Rest of a Soule though I might not have spoken of it because I have partly given it forth yet that things may be the more opened its the Creatures Righteousnesse or sanctification and outward holinesse wherein both in carriage and words he doth most sweetly in probability savour of high enjoyments of God This is to be a testimony of the same to others though not to himself yet notwithstanding his Rest is to him a high evidence of the true and reall possessings of God when alas it is continually a vanishing Rest and evidence and when the Creature stands in need of it it is taking its wings and flying away and proves a miserable comforter in the saddest straits of a Soul But first let us consider that true holinesse of a person made manifest in actions flowes from the justification of a Soule made manifest in the Spirit so that the truest holinesse or outward sanctification doth wholly flow as an effect of Justification made manifest
in the attaining matter doth much abuse the same but the meanes most commonly wherein it doth attaine it is first by often freequenting private and publike meetings where it steales away the expressions of others and when it sees one man enlarged it is made to admire that part in them and cry out O if I could pray as such a one can then I should be at rest and enjoy much peace It presses forwards and by pains and diligence it attains that enlargement as that now it excels others and is now admired by them who before was admired by it so as now the poor Creature can speake three or four hours in prayer and can hardly comprehend himselfe within the space of one houre and here lys the deceipt of the heart that here the Soul makes his rest and this to be a sure evidence of his interest in God But alas how blinde and unsound this present evidence is let Scripture and experience testify for alas a hypocrite or one who at all knows not God may excell in the seeming glory of this part yea excell those that live in the highest enjoyments of God and here many souls maks this dispensation a meer Idol they draw all their peace and comfort from it for if in this part the Creature excell he will be the ofner using of it living most upon it draw most comfort from it and glory the most in it for if ever the creature be straitned in this particular he begins to droop and be sad and full of trouble but if either in publique or private he be enlarged much again he is mightilly refreshed and lifted up And secondly If at any time he cannot have those coÌ„mon opportunities or set times then all his peace is gone and it is because his peace is grounded upon his often praying and his great enlargement in so doing and indeed the souls blindnesse lies here for the Creature takes his inlargement to be a manifestation or evidence of the presence of God Now a man may pray long and often and excell all in externall form and yet have none of the presence of God manifested at all in the same neither is a straightning of the Creature in expression to be any cause of sorrow or trouble if God be manisest neither is it an evidence of his not being manifested within So here party 〈◊〉 the ground of a souls thus Resting or taking satisfaction of peace to his spirit in this dispensation Now I would not be mistaken that I am speaking against this form or dispensation when a man is not commanded by the form but he is commanded from a power within so as he commands it and useth the same according to the end for which it was appointed For I look upon the same as to be a dispensation of God But I looke upon the resting in it or having peace by it to be a corruption of a mans own heart and a deceit thereof First Therefore I commend these things following to be considered of all That though a man should be never so glorious or admirable in this particular dispensation so as in the same he may be able to speake a whole day together yet his heart in this may deceive him and if it doe not yet it is no safe Rest or cause of peace or satisfaction for there is no safety in the excellents Part that can be received but they take their wings and flie away and there is not that in them which men conceive Secondly Man may have these parts in the glory of them and yet have no fellowship or communion with God in them and so they may be rather snares then sâ—re rests Nay if it were so as many souls doth enjoy God in them or rather communion with God in the same yet it is neither the duty or enlargement which is or ought to be the rest but God made manifest in the same The third part of Gift is Humility And this sometimes comes some of these waies following 1. Either from an instinct or property in nature Or 2. From a self-reasoning Or 3. From resembling the truth of Humility that is in another Or 4. From or as an effect of the enjoyment of God First it is in many who in the least have no divine workings of God in them any way made manifest yet they are excellent in this very particular which makes them very lovely in the eyes of all men so that a little of God will be seen in such a creature but meerly without the manifestation of grace such a Soule doth appear to be gracious such a spirit as this is can hardly be given to passion but full of meeknesse and love and moderation and yet this parties gifts are common or naturall to him He cannot be almost otherwise this disposition is so naturall But others by nature are of a turbulent spirit and full of pride and choller which makes him to become odious to all and hereupon when he becomes odious to himselfe he fals in the second place to reason thus O how lovely doe others appear to me how humble and lowly are they What a proud spirit am I of How am I hated and become almost odious to all I will go see if I can help this carriage of mine Now this Soul onely looks to take away the effects though the cause abide and here he labours to frame his speeches and his jesture and actions and so by much pains gets a form of humility and now carries himself very sweetly towards all so that now there is a strong change wrought in this person so that he is admired by all and chiefly by himself who was of such a high carriage and of a proud and turbulent spirit and now he is of a calm and quiet spirit this appears to be a great change and so judging of it he is highly exalted in his opinion of himself and conceives he hath enjoyed abundance of grace from God that hath thus humbled him when indeed he hath it but in the forme of it not in the power having the branches and effects taken a way for the present in the outward expression of it but transformed into another shape and that is more inwarde making of him more spiritually proud and so have high conceits of the happinesse of his condition and so Rests Secondly It reasons thus God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble 1 Pet. 5. 5. Now in his highnesse of carriage or turbulency of spirit he looks upon his condition as to be resisted of God whereupon he prayes and useth what meanes he can to restraine himself saith he It may be I may come to geta better temper of spirit whereby I many not become both odious to God and man Now I say at last he attaines a form or shape of what he doth desire and Rests satisfied in the receiving of it Though I say he is outwardly but transformed into another likenesse the cause yet remaining which of
the two consider the effects that follow as namely Security or luke warmnes or fulnesse and self conceitednesse and so false Restings are of as dangerous a consequence as the other Thirdly Humility is by resembling of such property of words and actions in an other as is most lovely in the eyes of himself and others and here lies a sad deceit when men doe only resemble the words or carriages of another which it may be in that party flowes from a principle or power of God in him and by a resembling of him and getting into his form think their condition is the happier and so glory in it more then before so that though his Humility flow from a divine work in him yet the others is but shaped out of what is expressed by or from him and here lies much danger especially if man Rest in the same The forth way whereby humility comes most commonly to be attained And the way indeed is from the enjoyment of God thereby man comes not only to have the effects or branches cut off but the cause or root of the same taken away So as now man hath it not in the form or shape but in power and substance and now man is truly what he seems to be but not before whereby as the Creature is humbled so God is exalted and this is the Creatures joy though not his Rest wholly This humility now is the effect of God enjoyed whereby man is made to partake of Gods natrue and this nature breaks out into these particular effects but now this very effects of humility though it be from the enjoyment of God yet it is not the Rest of a Saint but the cause which is God The next part is the gift of Utterance which is that many have that knows not God and many have not which sweetly enjoy him So that man who is freely carried forth to utter or make known any thing he conceives is truth yet there is neither cause of trusting to it or Resting in it neither is there cause why a Soul should the more glory in the enjoyment of it or be troubled in the want of it The last part or Gift we shall speak of is Memory This part of Memory is that which doth most sweetly adorn man in the visible making of it forth and it makes man much adored for it it is 1. Away to grow very profitable in respect of him that hath it and beneficiall to them for whom he imployes it as namely In that dispensation of hearing after which the party which enjoyes this Part is able to repeat or declare almost verbatim what he hath heard this makes him very profitable in what he hears in respect of gathering knowledge and benificiall to others from the improvement of the same This is the reason why two Ministers so professing of themselves studying their matter the one brings it in a peece of paper and the other in the same method or forme though in his understanding becaus the one excels the otther in this Part of Memory and this makes the one more esteemed then the other and the one to appear more weake then the other But alas though all these were in one man in a higher strain then I have declared yet they all were but a poor Rest or cause of joy or contentment to any heart and truly when God appears so as to manifest himself the Soul shall see the weaknesse and foolly of his spirit to be satisfied in the whole not to be any cause of Rest though they were dispensations of God and were freely given by God For all these may be in a very hipocrite or in a meer naturall man First of all to conclude this Rest 1. It is an abuse of a Gift and an affornt put upon the Giver to make it either cause of Rest or an evidence of a true enjoyment of God 2. That soul most commonly who is not led in the Spirit either to behold God or enjoy him to be the Rests of spirits is most usuall it can hardly be prevented to Rest upon such Rests as we have declared but consider that must be the Rest of any who sees or enjoys not one manifested to him to be above it Man must have some Rest either true or false But that must be the safe Rest the which no hipocrite doth at tain nor can enjoy which is God manifested in the Spirit further why should any man place his Rest upon any thing which will come to nothing or is given to change Or why should we make that the ground of our happinesse which is but a tallent given to be improved which may be taken away at the Owners pleasure being given onely to bee improved and then mans Rest and peace ceaseth and in this particular doth â—he folly of mans heart appear in abusing the end of every dispensation as of this of Parts As. First The abuse of Parts lyes in the boasting and glorying in the gift and not in him that gives it And also in this to make them his Rest 2. For a man so to glory in them as to make again of them improve in them for to get honour and preferment and glory in the World This I fear was partly the end of Simon Magus in desiring the gifts of God Alas all gifts are empty without God be Manifested in them and poore contentment do they afford to him that Rests in them And here men are setting them in Gods place and labouring to dispossesse God who is or ought to be the satisfaction of the heart And this is another abuse of Parts A world of deceit lyes in mans heart about gifts or parts if abused First They will not make forth themselves unlesse it be where they be honoured or else they labour for the same by the improvement of them being the most free where it 's the most applauded and the most straitned and wary of that place where it is not adored and exalted and set up above the proper station of the creature being much cheered when exalted and much cast downe when rejected or at least not so applauded as he requires or expect here is man much abusing Parts and setting them in Gods stead in the which man shall be brought to a losse when God doth â—â—â—ifest himself in that heart The fourth false Rest THe next Rest in order to this is Zeal for the truth Zeal in the matters of God is that which the most go through before the manifestations of God yet though it be good in its place and a dispensation to be owned yet it is but a deceitfull Rest We know the cry of him in the Scripture who was Resting and glorying in his Zeal for God when he cryed come see my Zeal for the Lord of hosts So we know many mens Zeal goes before their knowledge of God in the spirit We hear of a zealous Saul who was mad of Zeal in persecuting the Church Act. 22. 3 and
the same he Rests upon it and concludes from it great cause of safety and security and as an infallible Testimony of Gods love and here he makes his center when indeed the heart cannot have true Rest in any deliverances wrought for it by God but must be carried up above the same into the Deliverer who is God so as in inwards so in outwards be it of what nature or quality soever yet many after the receipt hereof wax the more secure make a God of their deliverances so Rest upon them with which though they were in love yet they are not given for that end no more then God delivering the Children of Israel at the Red Sea should afterwards be a stop unto them and a center for them before they came into the land of Promise Or that deliverance of Daniel or of the Three Children or of Ionah none of these were to be a cause either of Security or Center but to be rather accompanied by God to put their spirits out of themselves after him who was to be a Rest unto them and a Deliverer of them so that the common or speciall deliverances of God in these cases are abused and the end thereof dealt deceitfully with and they are made that which God did not appoint them to be viz. Rests and that which satisfies the creature with the receipt thereof yet in the second place I doe not deny this to be one of Gods dispensations and the way he deales with spirits both to discover themselves with the vanity and misery attending the same where manâ— heart is made a heart of misery preparing for mercy this being the way to Rest and peace happinesse and glory when God comes in the first place to free the soule from this his deliverance though it be of God still as the other is the way to happinesse so his deliverance the way to rest that is the way to make the heart enter into it and be centred in it For though the Rest in this deliverance be discovered yet it may be long before such a heart do enter into it as David saith plainly return unto thy Rest O my soule for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee Now though God may have dealt bountifully with a soule yet that soule may not be returned not centred in his true and proper Rest though it be in a further work then deliverance inward or outward So that in the first place many hearts it may be have been in deep distresse of spirit in the pit where no water is and now are it may be in such a condition as they are at great freedome and live in much joy yet such a heart it may be freed in his own sense and yet intended by God to be brought into his former bondage and misery because his wounâ— is falsly cured and having not been willing to waite Gods time is faln thereby into carnall and unsafe security Therefore soules had need beware of false deliverances 2. Satan that spirit of deceit may drive on his design in this particular to have a soul delivered by deceit seeing before he could not prevent the cause of the sense of his misery seeing he could not prevent that he labours to deceive the Creature by proposing and working deliverance for it before God deliver it the â—â—art being willing to imbrace and to have deliverance before his time 3. If this be not but that God goes forwards to make such a heart a heart of misery and so prepare it for mercy and worke admirable deliverances for it both within and without yet notwithstanding it is not sufficient the soul Rest here but such a heart is to wait for a higher dispensation of God this being Gods leading way thereto The seventeenth and last false Rest THE next and last Rest which wee shall speak of is by some waited for and by others pretended to be received to wit The extraordinary Gifts of the Spirit whereby both worship without and God within is confirmed and in their apprehension sealed up for truth Now for my own part I look upon both either in the condition of waiting for it or in the pretence of the receiving of it to be un-sound or an un-safe principle 1. In a waiting way there are who are waiting to have the spirit powred down in such a manner as they shall be able to do miracles and visible to cast out devils But I think this is a meer mistake for those casting out of devils and visible powers given to the Apostles and Saints was given only as a dispensation of God in that administration the Apostles lived in and not to be any dispensation intended to be given to any other after that administration was confirmed and settled 2. Those visible powers were given them for the confirmation of the Gospel in a visible forme to seale the truth of that forme of words which was to be lefâ— unto all ages Now if we had new Scriptures to write and a new Goâ—pel to declare then I confesse for the establishment of the same it would be necessary to have the same confirmed by visible miracles and powers But 3. It was given to be a figure of the glorious manner of the workings of God in the Soul and the casting out of devils and curing sick opening eyes and the like Isa 26. 12. Phil. 2. 13. these were to demonstrate unto us that as the coming of Christ in the form of flesh was attended with these signes and miracles so the coming of him in the Spirit should be attended with inward signes and miracles to wit internall and divine powers the casting out of the many devils within the opening of the eyes of the understanding and the curing the wounds of the soule Luke 24. 45. Ephes 1 18. Isa 60. 1. John 5. 25. the opening mans eâ—res to hear the voice of Christ within to have a dead Lazarus soul raised up in the spirit Now the Rest was but as figures though reall of what God did hold forth should accompany the second coming of Christ in the heart Mal. 3. â— Mat 25. 12 13. And if soules did waite for this their expectations should not be so much frustrated as it is in the other and shall be And as for the great miracles that shall be wrought must be within and felt by soules when Christ appears in the heart So that these external powers shall be turned into these savings The coming of Christ shall be with power and great glory Mat. 24. 30. Now men are deceived I feaâ—e who seeke for his coming in any carnall or fleshly way or that he will make that to be the powrings down of the Spirit to wit the casting out of devils c. But it shall be more spirituall and heavenly even the power of the Spirit within to consume mens lusts and self and to cast out all those spirits of deceite â—hich internally do lodge within the Creature â—o that the letter which was
confirmed by outward signes after Christ appeared in the form of flesh shall in the mystery thereof be confirmed to and in us by the internall workings miracles which shall attend Christs spiritual coming in the Soul and that in the Spirit Now I say that neither do mens waitings appear to be that which men conceive them to be nor if they did enjoy that at the last which they waite for it would not prove that to them nor give that content peace joy and cause of Rest in them nor assurance to them which they expect from it and think to attain when they come to attain it I wish that men would turne the wheele into the waiting for the inward coming of these things in a more spiritual manner For my own part I thinke they would enjoy more quietnesse in their spirits for the present and more settlement and rest peace and safety in them for the future when it comes to be experienced But I think I may say thus much to such spirits that I think when they enjoy that they waite for viz. the powrings out of the spirit from which to enjoy power to worke outward miracles it will be in the enjoyment thereof But I should be sorry to live without the enjoyment of God to that day and I am confident all such souls shall be weary before they see the same enjoyed by them But secondâ—y To all such as have the same in pretence I do not see how they can make them any safe Rests seeing that Saul and many others did goe as far in the gifts of prophesie or any other gift of the Spirit as any almost who did sweetly enjoy God and that was the cause why these words were spoken They shall say in that day have we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name cast out devils c. Mat. 7. 22 23. Yet see the reply of Christ he did not own them in the same though they did make it their Rest before and their plea then yet it was nothing but that which proved both un sound and un-safe for them Secondly The workings of Antichrist and the mystery of iniquity doth worke with all deceivablenesse doing great wonders in the eyes of the world yet alas it is both for the deceiving of the party who hath it and for the deceiving of the parties who beleeve it witness the worke of the Magicians who when they acted the same things Moses did yet the parties who acted the parties who beleeved the same were both deceived so though there were any in our daies who could doe the â—ame work that they or Judas did yea greater then they did yet the parties might â—e reprobates and cast-awaies and however they may be â—uddainly taken away and herefore un-safe for any soul to Rest thereon It must be the power of God within and thâ—se inward miracles which God works as the effect of his coming viz The casting out of he devils within and bringing down mountaines of pride and selfe and exalting of his Christ in the soul so as the soul is un bottomed of all his false â—rops and carried wholly out of himselfe above himselfe into the power and majesty of that Christ exalted to live by and in that same power and glory by which God lives in the heart So that I say to look for outward powers in this case as I and many more have done or if they were enjoyed to make them their Rests both are to me un-sound and every party as well as my selfe shall finde the evill and un-soundnesse thereof Now having discovered as many false Rests as at present I am free to discover I shall in the next place shew how difficult it is and how hard it goes with the creature to part with these his false Rests which are false but in reference to his Resting and abusing the end for which such a dispensation was given The Soul being in the first place as I may say establisht upon them making them his God be they formes or what they will when it seemes to be taken away he being brought to a non-plus in his spirit He cries They have taken a way my God What must I do So that there ariseth as it were a storme within this creature which begets a spirit of discontent in the creature Witnesse the same in Ionahs Gourd which God had given him yet being abused in the end for which it was given in the taking of it away there was a spirit of murmuring and discontent And thus it is alwaies when creatures would be Resting upon any thing below God when God seems to take it away from the creature The more the soul was glued to it and Rested upon it and made a God of it the more difficult and hard it goes with the creature to part with the same yea the more discontent doth arise in that heart First then It ariseth from the abuse of our being glued to any Administration so as not to use it to that end for which it was appointed Secondly The cause partly of this ariseth sometimes from the greatnesse of the losse it works in the creature in being to part with the same as many soules it may be have spent the glory of their age and strength to patch up a Religion of their owne and have taken much paines to accomplish the same It may be hath been twenty years a professor and hath all this time been labouring to patch up a Rest and having got one in one moment God raises the foundation thereof this works such a losse in the soule as indeed to have many a glorious gift burned up yea many a glorious day of joy twenty yeares profession in one moment laid in the dust and now to deny it self in all his paines and parts of wisdome and knowledge This must needs go hard and be very difficult with a poor heart to part with all And the Creature will have many shifts and puttings off before he will be made freely to part with all and to deny himself in all The condition of such a soul is like a man that all his daies hath been taking pains night and day to comprehend some estate and when he hath got such an estate he fals a building and makes great buildings and when he hath furnished the same takes delight in it and sets his heart upon it and behold when he is solacing himself in what he hath got and done In a moment there is a fire consumes the same to the dust which being beheld by the party he is amazed and much perplexed in his spirit upon which occasion in some it begets death in others discontentednesse and murmurings yea repinings of spirit so as it is not only a day of sorrow but it continnues so And this parties losse being exceeding great and his expectation frustrated he is now at a non-plus not knowing what to do So it is with a heart after God either hath given gifts or
to be theirs was twofold First by the manifestation of it Secondly by opening the eies of a souls understanding wherby they come to see that life which now to them is made manifest further he is the life of Saints spiritually considered Coloss 3. 3 4. here he saith when Christ our life shall appear then shall we also appear with him in glory So that he is here Saints life called and more fuller experienced in every heart who hath found him fully made manifest within their spirits again he is the life of Saints as he becomes the spirituall resurrection of Saints for before ever God bring any Creature into the enjoyment of himself he brings the creature into a spiritual death not in the body but in the spirit and being laid in the grave alone Christ as he is the spirituall life of Saints must be their resurrection I mean the resurrection of their spirits from this spirituall death as he is a dispensation of life and therefore it is written Joh 11. 25. I am the resurrection and the life he that beleeveth in me though he were dead yet he shal live So that Christ as he is to become the spirituall life of Saints proves an inward resurrection to them in the manifestation of this their life which indeed Paul did experience when he spake these words Gal. 2. 20. I am crucified with Christ neverthelesse I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me So that though Paul had been buried into Christs death yet notwithstanding when Christ came to be manifested to him then he proved a resurrection of life in him and by this life was Paul made to live for untill Christ our life comes to be manifest we lye dead voyd of any spirituall life or motion in us and this was figured out in the matter of Lazarus death when Christ came he found him dead and buried voyd of life or motion wherein at last the very breath of Christ breathed out in way of voice Lazarus come forth raised him up and gave life unto him Joh. 11. 43 44. Two things are here spiritually holden forth First a spirituall death of Creatures when Christ comes to breath upon them the breath of life Secondly by his thus coming speaking and breathing occasions life because his words are spirit and life thus spoken so that it is said The hour is coming and now is when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live Now in all this is held forth unto us The spirituall resurrection of all Saints by Jesus Christ coming in the spiriâ—â—â—to them so that though this particular be the least looked after yet it is of the highest concernment and not that which most men doat of so much after death So that if we look upon our spirituall resurrection we shal see that the coming of Christ in the Spirit is a manifestation of Spirituall life which proves a spiritual life which proves a spitituall resurrection in such creatures and in time their rest and center Now â—e being the life of Saints Then first we may observe Thaâ— Saints life is Jesus Christ Though before they are making out of their own actings according to the law of woâ—ks do this and live yet now they see that that life is destroyed and the cause of all actions to God flowes from this life principled in them and though they are making a life out of enlargement or holinesse in conversation yet this is a life above it unbottoming the creature off from it and centring the creature in a stable and solid life Secondly the Saints live because Christ lives in them for though before their lives were hid with God yet they were not to live in reference to themselves with joy and peace untill it were made manifest from God in them so that they are made to live from the manifestation of life in them whereby they come to know it and â—o to be made to live by it for ever Cast a Saint into any condition he lives very sweetly because he lives by the life of Christ in him yea he lives sweetly with contentednesse because Christ lives in him so now to summe up this Christ as he is a spirituall dispensation of God in the spirit is a spirituall life by vertue of which life in saints are saints swallowed up with it and so centered up in it so that the center or rest of a saint is eternall and everlasting which is Christ the spirituall life of God in us by which life the Creature doth not only live to but live to do This life is the motion of his spirit so as by this life he doth not onely live but lives to it so that the creatures spirits are wholly set apart to live to God This life is â—he living in the spirit and not in the flesh hereby comes the life of Saints to be a life of love and a life of God because they are not at rest from all their own labours and now all things are acted in them by that Spirit of life which is Christ dwelling in them now Saints wholly live to God by the life of God in them and thus are Saints centred up in God or Christ because their spirits are carried up above the creature into life which is Christ in them becoming spirituall and eternal life to them Fifthly This spirituall Christ as he comes from God and is manifested by God and so known by us and become Rest to us he is spirituall redemption and deliverance Now to look upon Christ in the spirit he cannot be manifested but he becomes a spirituall Jesus that is a Saviour of spirits for he was not a Jesus as he was in the flesh but he was a Jesus as he was to come in the Spirit for the flesh could not do it Yet it was a figure of that spirituall salvation and liberty which Christ is in the hearts of Saints For indeed Jesus Christ is salvation it self and where he is in power and glory there is salvation that is he is a Saviour or a deliverer of the creature out of that spiritual slavery bondage in which he lives So as he is become freedome and redemption to the heart and therefore he is said to be made unto us Wisdome and righteousnes and sanctification and redemption that is he is manifest in us and so is become spirituall redemption to us freeing us spiritually from our inward bondage and slavery both that bondage of self and Satan whereby we are made to live in spirituall freedome and all this freedome and deliverance is Christ in the spirit as he is a spirituall dispensation designed of God for the same purpose though many souls do work out their own salvation by their doing whose salvation is false others naving salvation from some false christ which workes and acts like this Christ yet the Son hath set neither free neither doe they know that alone redemption salvation and liberty which