the preciousness of the Spirit for the Vessels sake wherefore I shall no longer be backward to reveal what is of great weight and importance as being well assured that the Lord Jesus will go along with me till I have fulfilled the Declaration of the whole Mystery I feel the divine Agent that works mightily in holy separated Souls and Minds driving on to make way for what is yet behind in reference to the manifestation of that Kingdom which now the Lord is about to restore in his Saints and therefore gives forth fresh and lively Ideas of it that pure Minds may be excited to look for its coming in their New Earth and Heavens which are to be garnished as with Purity so with Dominion and Power even the rising Body of the holy Spirit which must restore all things which have been in Confusion Now what goeth before to make ready for this hath been already set down by the Golden Pen which is dipped in the springing Unction to which more considerable Revelations are added by him who saith He is come to make all things New being ready to give forth the Promise of the Father in the Ministration of the everlasting Gospel I say the faithful Witness and Ground of all Mysteries minded me of his Charge to his Disciples when he was to disappear to the outward viz. That they should wait at Jerusalem the holy City in Harmony Concord and Oneness of Mind with great confidence and love to each other A deeper search the holy one doth make in them who in this last Age are waiting to be endowed with the full acting Body of the Deity which will be manifested in a different manner than in the days of the Apostles that being by way of Gift coming down as a Shower but now those who shall be endowed with this signal Blessing must have it by way of a Birth in them The Apostles were to wait at Jerusalem which was a figure of the Principle of Light where all Natures and Properties are harmoniz'd to an equal Temperature all Faculties are spiritualiz'd and purged from their Drossiness and reconciled to each other in a sweet Love-accord It is plainly shewed me that the holy Spirit will have his Birth in a peaceable Habitation where the conquering Life of Jesus by his dying and rising hath first made its way by reconciling the Properties of Nature and bringing them to a divine Harmony by which renewing Nature into a soft and sweet Mildness causing all Contrarieties of Spirit to cease by subduing it to the Light-Principle Wherefore it is but in vain to expect the Establishment of that Kingdom which the Birth of the holy Spirit will bring to us till this thorow Work be wrought that we may come to Unity in our selves and with one another which is a very high Perfection And truly from hence I have been informed where the Birth of Power hath stuck and why so many Faculties fruitless Births have been brought forth Wherefore let not our bribed Senses or the Spirit of Unbelief so far delude us to make us believe that the holy Spirit will open its Birth but according to what hath been by the Lord himself revealed But it may be objected That if the Terms be so hard it looks as an Impossibility to obtain it because nothing of the evil Qualities and striving Properties must remain which are not so quite allayed in any but may be stirred up again into Motion Pray therefore let us know what Provision hath been revealed against this that it may beg it a Hope and Belief in those who are yet in the Division and Strife the Good warring against the Evil and the Evil against the Good being divided betwixt the Night and the Day as the greatest Saints are For Answer to this Objection the Spirit of the Lord hath searched and found out a Cure which will bring the broken and divided Estate of the first Adamical Birth into Unity Harmony and pure Liberty I shall as I am able bring it sorth in the same Model it was given to me for a true seeing Glass by which I was directed to fathom the deepest Ground of my eternal Soul and to find out its true essential Properties as they were derived from the unmixed Purity of the one pure Element This pure eternal living Soul thus breathed by God into an Angelical Image and formed into an Organical Body from the one pure Element all which was to be seen in the first Paradisiacal Man But when Lucifer prevailed by darting in his hellish Fire it left such a Sting which hath poysoned all the inward Essences of of the very Immortal part and therefore the Wound is found so deep that no Medicine can be found to reach it but Christ the in-breathed Word who only can reach the Soul 's original Ground and being the Creating Fiat can alone make all Nowagain according to the highest Uniformity of the express Deity And this cometh first to be known in a fiery Ray of Loue-Light that discovers where the Root of sin doth lie and so when the Spirit of the Soul comes by the Word of Life to understand its own Original and by what means it hath been corrupted and captivated it is made full-willing and eager to strike in with that Christ which riseth from the Centre-Light in its own Soul to redeem and reconcile all to himself that was alienated from him in the Birth of Strife Thus Christin us is our Peace indeed who hath made of both and all one New Creature having abolished the Law of Enmity blotting and rcoting out sin by the same degrees as his own righteous Nature enters in which restores all peaceable Concord So that the Spirit who is made Partaker of this Gift of God hath put on Royal Liberty and being clothed with Christs essential Body finds it self unloaded of all sinful weights and moves swifty in the Circle of Light and runs its Races through the unknown Spaces and Christaline Spheres where other Worlds do appear with all their glorious Objects Ranks and Orders which must needs make this World look base and vile to a Soul that is come naked and free out of the original Womb as begotten again from the dead rising in a perfect clarified Body of Light and being quite recovered from that desperate lapsed state that would have sunk the Soul into everlasting Death Thus you see by what means the disagreeing Properties of Nature may come to be harmoniz'd as in the beginning God must become Man and by his consuming fiery Property destroy original Sin which is the first Engine that moves the Wheel of Strife and Division in the Soul which Fire is Gods choice Instrument when set and tuned by his hand who gave it a Beeing out of Eternal Nature into which it must be dissolved again that it may be a meet Instrument for the holy Spirit to play such Tunes and Triumphant Sounds and teach such new Lessons as have not hitherto
been understood All which shall be made good when the Soul shall be brought forth as a well tuned Instrument new strung and qualified in the deified man where the holy Spirit moves every Property according to the central Wheel in its new begotten Form which is set free to run its Races in the Sphere of Light where weak Mortality with its sinful Essences are out-run and left behind in the Fall Let not this seem strange or impossible for in the Deep a Mean is found for the bringing forth of this long buried Seed which hath long waited to arise in its original Body of essential Perfection and harmoniz'd Powers that it may appear that God is come to move and shew himself in the Covenant of his Love according to the Preordination in the heart of Christ for by him we do obtain this Resurrection in order to all the following Glories which the holy Spirit shall bring with him even so Anon. This Instruction being so immediately from the Lord carried great weight with it and made me resolve to wait upon the working Power in my inward Deep for the reducing of every divided Property to Unity for I was fully convinced that this Uniformity must be the Temple in which the holy Spirit will appear for the bringing of all working Powers to a heavenly Consort and Agreement I sate upon this day by day and as I found great drivings thereunto from the South Wind of Heaven so strong Storms were raised from the North with roaring Seas that lifted up their Waves to scatter and make void this holy Enterprize in injecting divers Temptations that such a thing as this could not hold or abide but would have its Overturnings and Changes for that nothing less than a God can always be in an equal Temperature and that this was rather the full effect of the holy Spirits coming than a Preparation for it Thus was I puzled and tossed to and fro in my Mind as if I were put upon that which could never be brought about or carried through to the desired End But the Lords Word was mighty and powerful to press me forward to this sweet and well ordered Composure of Mind to abide in an equal Temperature notwithstanding all that might come in to discourage me whether from those visible things or from the dark Principality which is much more hurtful in regard that they as Spirits can shoot in their Darts before we are aware so that this bath been my watchful Exercise for some days to resist what would have done Violence to that which in Concord and Peace would ever unshaken remain The holy One according to his friendly way and manner of Visitation did after all this exceedingly comfort and strengthen me to maintain his right of Conquest over all that which yet is left to vex and awaken Anxiousness or any Fear or Turmoile in the Soul My Jesus thus spake Consider and know thou art to hold fast what I have purchased by the fore-passed Death in thee as having assumed that Body of Sin to offer it up for a consuming Sacrifice once for all as was shewed in the Type of the visible Body which is now done again in the invisible So that you are to reckon and account your sins virtually done away they can claim no Law either to reign or condemn Look upon all Motions of this kind to be at the check of the Spirit who hath again quickned the dead and will no more give way to that which came in to flesh for to destroy And therefore let none pretend a necessity of continuing in that which hath brought in Confusion and Disagreement seeing a Redeeming Spirit is come down to renew and gather in the lost again to the divine Beeing from whence they did proceed at first pure as God is pure to which degree of Perfection that we may be restored again is the end of Christs Mediatory Office not only without but within us where the Body of Sin hath been yielded up for an Offering This confirming Word Christ the Lord who is arising left with me for them who have been in the Death with him that we henceforth may know our selves in him to be acquitted and released from all Claims which the evil Powers and Properties can make for upholding that Kingdom where the Beasts Throne is which consists of envy wrath strife from all which by an eternal Decree of the Lord Jehovah you are set free and brought into the Harmony of that Kingdom where the springing Joy from the Peace of God doth run as a River that hath its Division through all Properties for to bring them to the heavenly Unity whereby the Creature is set free from the Bondage of Sin and a wafaring Life according to the Pattern seen in the Mount of Vision to which my Spirit hath been oft taken up to see the wonderful Plat-form of the New-Jerusalem The Vision of the New-Jerusalem The Lord took me away from my mortal part and shewed me the Scituation of this great Glory and said Behold and see the Pattern of the heavenly Houses and Mansions which make up the New-Jerusalem where the Glory of the One only God doth fill all with the essential Light and Splendor of his divine goodness I shall as I am able describe what I did see in the Heavens of this Mother-City for so it was named to me who is to bring forth her first and free-born to replenish the New Earth and Heavens It appeared as a City sounded upon one square Stone whose Dimensions were very large It was all paved with light flaming Colours appearing like so many various sparkling Stones inlaid on the great Foundation Stone which gave forth a luster as if so many bright Suns had been there Towards the Verge or out-side of this square Stone were seen many Seraphick Bodies wreathing Arm in Arm and several rows of various spiritual Forms of different Ranks and Stature These Rews appeared like the Stories of a building which were carried up higher higher in a square Figure till it was wonderful high upon the Heads of the most inward glorified Bodies a Covering was spread by one more Diaphanous and of greater splendor than all the rest the Height of his Person was higher by the head then all the other who called to me out of this most glorious Building To take good heed of all I had seen for it had a further meaning which I was to have revealed when driven by the Spirit into the light Mystery where all deep things do open Oh my dear Lord be thou an All-springing Testimony within and from this New-Jerusalem My Spirit being drawn out for a further Enquiry concerning this New-Jerusalem state what the Appearance of it to us did signifie for this present time the Foundation Stone thereof gave forth this Word That such a City the mighty Cyrus would himself be the Founder of upon the visible Stage of this World although there be little appearance
of it as yet because the Elect Stones are at present lying amongst the Rubbish of Confusion who in due time are to be linked together to make up a strong City of Defence through the Gates of which no unclean Vessel shall pass nor whatsoever is Lame or Blemished according as was seen in the Pattern This the Lord will effect by his Might and Spirit and establish this City on Mount-Zion at which the whole World shall Tremble Whilst the Lord was communing with me about this heavenly City I saw it descend and cover the whole Earth and all those who were not prepared to enter and who could claim no Birth-right freedom in this Mother-City did flee away by Multitudes Heaps upon Heaps to hide themselves from the bright Splendor of the divine Body with the anointed head in the midst of it The Glory was so great that we can only give an Eclipsed account of what was seen But as the descent of this Magnificence did terrifie and cause above three parts of the World to flee away as having an irreconcileable Enmity to Spirits and Bodies of such Purity so on the other hand I saw a Numerous Company gathered to it from all Quarters the Trumpet-shout of Jerusalems great King calling them in from all parts they were all the first-born of this Mother-City who well knows her own calling them by that Name which is impressed upon them in flaming Characters of Love Multitudes of this kind encompassed the holy City but few were admitted to the Seraphick wreathe even those only who had put on the glorified Body Whereupon I asked Why those who were called and had the Name of the heavenly City upon them were not received in And the Lord said That those who were taken into the Glory had finished their inward Transformation to the utmost Perfection waiting only for the Consumation of the Nuptial Glory but that the rest though far gone in true Regeneration could not be admitted until their Redemption were perfectly wrought out to the end that no flaw may be found in the Stones that are to constitute this divine Building but as any shall arrive to this degree of Perfection so this City shall descend and take them in Hereupon followed a further discovery to let me know the Royal Freedom of the spiritual Seed proceeding from the New-Jerusalem as the Virgin Bride of God who though come down into this visible Birth of Time yet was before all Time in the Substantiality of spiritual Essence by whom the renewed fruitfulness of this free Birth shall in this last Age of the World be made manifest which was the joyful Message which sounded in my Heavens with what is further to be declared for our Consolation It was thus laid before me That the Jerusalem from above hath been these many Ages travelling to bring forth her first and free-born according to that divine Likeness whose Descent is not to be found within the verge of Time For here the Gate of Gods deep hath been opened to let us in to see the wonderful Mystery that was fore-ordained to work through all the Vicissitudes of Time since the first Creation Now then let us consider what the first Plant of Paradise was from whence we are all sprung it was but a flower from the Earth for out of the Dust of the Earth the Lord God created man and breathed into his Nostrils the Breath of Life and man became a living Soul which was pure as immediately proceeding from the most Holy But how soon did this Glory fade and return to Earth again whereas if he had kept his first Estate he would have been advanced to higher degrees of Perfection and become fruitful in Gods Virgin off-spring All which Design for a limitted time was overturned but the Foundation of Gods Election stood so firm in the Essentiality of the out-breathed Word which was the Light of Adam's Life in the Center of Immortality that the same Word will restore all again according to the first gracious Intent of the wise Creator whose purposed Grace shall renew the face of all things that have been marred in the first Adamiral Image But though so desperate a Fall hath overtaken the whole Creation yet is it but as the fading or cropping of a flower whose eternal Root remaining will put forth and spring a-fresh in a more glorious Beauty and Figure than the first ever had For though by one mans Disobedience all are made subject to Death and the Curse which is the bruising of the Heel yet the Head-Life remains which will recover raise and make all sound again for in this promised seed the faded Life will be quickned according to the Election of Him who will hereby more Eminently make known the Riches of his Grace and Glory in his Vessels prepared thereunto For though there be in all men an holy seed remaining whereby they are in a possibility of recovery yet because all have not an Heart to improve this Talent it continues an unprofitable dead Seed to many notwithstanding all are called To take of the Water of Life freely that by its quickning Virtue the buried Seed may be raised to a new Life in a Body of its own kind which Seed through many Deaths does renew its never fading Flower of Life for a higher degree of Glory in the New Jerusalem state of fixation Now from what hath been said we are informed that there is an Elect Number which is to make up the New Jerusalem-Bride here upon Earth who shall finish the Mystery of the Seventh Seal and be all instated in that Kingdom which the Alpha and Omega hath designed for his Virgin-Bride before Paradise or this World were And that I might know that this design and unchangeable purpose of God is still going on there was shewed me a clear White Stone in which were engraven numberless Names all ordained to make up the Glory of this City of God which shall be the Praise and Admiration of the Heavens and a dread and amazement to the Earth for the Revelation of it will bring a Wo upon them who have no part in it This the Lord himself did signifie saying Henceforth know your Free-Birth Name and Place in this City and be not fearful or unbelieving but travel on in the assured Hope that shall not be made ashamed for the everlasting Father hath prepared for you this City of which I am the Builder in you The hand of the Lord was strong upon me still and took me up into an high and lofty Place where I saw a burning Furnace which appeared all Blew like the airy Clouds and the Lord walking in it to and fro who said See whether thou canst make thy Pass to me and abide in this pure everlasting burning Region which is the Spirits purging Fire which will devour whatsoever is not of the same Essentiality with me Upon which I replied Ah! my Lord I am free to make my Pass to thee but how
shall I get rid of this Body I would fain exist in that pure Essence with thee where nothing of this lump of Earth might prevent my constant Walks in those high Places with thee whose presence will make these outward Elements to flee away from the superior Spirit The Holy One replied Be not troubled at thy Binding Mortality for I will descend in this fiery Cloud into thee as a baptizing Fire which shall take away the gross Impurities of the Senses that thou mayst be clarified in order to thy Codeification which will manifest the out-spreading Name of thy Emmanuel whereby thou shalt receive Power to ascend through Fire and Air and continue that all-desireable freedom of Communion with the holy Trinity And though none in a Body of Flesh and Six can come up to me yet Grace Pity and Love do move to descend in the Spirits flaming Cloud to make the way free that such may have a Pass who account no Place their Rest or Dwelling besides me Wherefore pursue and watch to drink in of this pure Spirit of Burning which will clear and take out of the way whatsoever hath kept from ascending into the Holy City Whilst these Words were in spoken from the Anointing I felt a sensible rising and spreading over all my Heart Head and Body as if all were covered with a Cloud of Sun-heat giving out light by which I could soe what was inwardly done as well as feel it Then it was further spoke in me that I should take notice that this was also the bright Garment of the Sun Such is the Nature of this secret flaming Matter that it seeds strengthens and clarifies a naked Spirit all at once Then was I inquisitive to know the Substance or Ground of it but it was replyed Meddle thou not with that only receive it passively and Co-operate with it when it ariseth and then walk with and draw in the feeding Fire and Air and when it resteth in its own place rest thou with it and be assured it will not leave thee till it have concentred thee in the Deity This light flaming Cloud encompassing me gave this further Revelation to shew what the Holy One is about to do in order to the laying of the Foundation of this strong City in which the mighty God will pitch his Tabernacle and settle his Rest forever Many Types Images and foregoing Figures of this Jerusalem have been given through the several Ages of the World but the Heavenly Thing it self hath not been brought forth as no wt will be because the set time approacheth For the trying burning Furnace is kindled and the Wind of the Almighty forcibly blows up the Flames thereof in the center of the Soul of every one who are the Elect Members of this Holy Corporation Now is the time for the Spirit of Burning and Judgment to prepare each Stone which is designed for this super-excellent Glory No connterfeit Gold or reprobate Silver can pass through this Furnace which is ordained to prove whatsoever comes to be built on this Foundation The mighty King sends forth his Decrees to fulfil the ancient Prophecies concerning the return of the long Captivity of these who belong to this Mother-City that they may know their original freedom and no longer abide as Captive-Exiles among the Babylonians in Confusion and Reproach And what sign will the Lord give for this but by loosing the last Seal under which doth lie the rich Bank and vast Treasury of Wisdom Spirit and Power which shall so vigorously carry on this New-Jerusalem-Building that all the Powers which the Dragon and Beast can raise by their Agents visible and invisible shall but turn to their Shame and Confusion when the Lamb ariseth to open the Seventh Seal under which the most precious things even that fine transparent Matter lies hid to be manifested in due time for the beautifying of this divine Building But here an Objection may arise and question this revealed Grace and proclaimed Liberty to the Children of the Captivity who are now called to sit upon this heavenly Building which is this That the time is not yet and that the last Seal is not so near breaking open and who is it that can give a Sign for a Testimony that this Decree is already gone forth To all which the Spirit of Truth gives this Answer who best knows what he hath wrought in order hereunto in the Central Deep of some Elect Vessels who are not to make any out-cry until the Mystery be fully finished in them know that the time is at hand wherefore let none look afar off or run out from themselves and neglect their own Vintage at home but regard how near the Grape is to ripeness which contains the Wine that is to be drunk at the Marriage-Supper of the Lamb who charges it as a great over-sight upon those that are Regenerate that they have put this Day afar off not discerning the Lords Body who is quickned from the dead in them who are passed from Death with him and so are put in Subordinate Commission with the Lamb to break open all those Seals which shall make way for the descent of the Holy City For what in John's Revelation is mentioned concerning these things is very obscure and mystical and there is no fathoming of it to the utmost until the Lord himself come with the Plummet-Line of the Holy Spirit to measure out the meaning Though there are some who have been favoured with this Light of Revelation by means of which they understand what lies hid under those Allegorical Expressions and through the opening of the Seals have discovered those rich Jewels which were concealed under that dark Covert the opening of which Seals I shall set down in order according as it was acted in my own particular through my Soul 's waiting with the Lamb's-rising Power in a particular experience of my own in the divine Mystery At the opening of the first Seal the Spirit of Faith came forth to encounter with the fearful and unbelieving Spirits that set before me an Impossibility of ever reaching to a Paradisical Purity and Mount-Zion-Dignity and was kept under a great Fear and Perplexity under the dominion of Unbelief until this first Seal was broke open for thereupon the strong Lyon of the Tribe of Juda set me free to run the Race of Faith unto the end giving in this Caution to take care to be well mounted on this Horse of the Spirit of Faith and to hold fast to him who rides on it who hath the conquering Bow in his Hand to shoot his Arrows into those unbelieving Spirits that would still keep us in Doubts and Perplexity At the opening of the second Seal all Peace Pleasure and Joy were taken away from the Earthly Life and withal such a Light broke forth which made me see the vile Abomination of an earthly state compared with the Perfection of the Divine Life so that now I rejoyc'd in nothing more than
into which none can come to see or hear what passeth by way of Prospect or Communication but what and so much as I am ordered to declare I shall faithfully give out according to the mind of my Lord who sees the effect that shall follow all these Revelations given by him The Prophecy of the Thousand Years Reign mentioned in the Revelations was set before me and opened As to the Time Persons and Place much Controversie hath been concerning this Mystery which I shall not meddle with but shall only faithfully declare what the Morning-Star hath expresly revealed from his own Mouth who with this Salutation began Awake ye who have been under Death and Judgment know ye not that my Reign is near The fore-going Prophecy must have its fulfilling and there are those who are a ripening for it upon whom my Kingdom shall be fixed Wherefore do thou warily observe the following Particulars which are the fore-going Signs of my Personal Reign whereby it may be known how near it is The first particular concerns those Persons in whom this Reign is to begin who are such as have been Beheaded suffering an inward spiritual Martyrdom for the hope of a Resurrection in a god-head-God-head-Body and Spirit The manner of Death is here to be taken notice of they are said to have been Beheaded that is who have their Head Life where the rational Understanding is seated and from whence all sensible operation go forth cut off and separated from them because by means of it the Dragon and Beast have found place to establish their Kingdoms in Man and have been hereby in all Ages upheld the main of the Serpents strength having alwayes lain in the Craft and Subtilty of Reason which is the Fore-Head mark of the Beast Who then are they who have known this honourable Death from the flaming Sword in the Hand of the Cherubim but those who shall heat the Resurrection-Trumpet to let them know their Thrones are set and their Conquering-Crowns to their new-risen Heads are fitted and that all Power and Judgment is given unto them to personate the mighty King Jesus here upon Earth For Christ the Lord shall have no need in his own particular glorified Person to come down amongst the Inhabitants of the Earth There is something to be done first by them who are to Personate him in the Kingly Dominion his transparent Body is such as will not till this first Reign be finished be any way bearable to the present consistency of things which must be first sublimed It is sufficient that the Lord is come in his witnessing Power and Presence through a new-risen Life with and in his Elders for to reign in the Majesty of his all-governing Eye which pierceth as devouring Flames and burning Coals of Fire which run from each to other and from one end of the Earth to the other If the Lord will but supply the visible Humanity with a mighty flow from the Deity and with a witnessing Omnipotency it will be sufficient and considerable Glory Next we are to consider where the Reign of Christ is to be manifested to wit in renewed Natures center which is made all Seraphick in the Souls inward Essence from whence the Serpent and Beast are cast out and have no more place they are in this latter Reign chained up though in the fore-going dominion which the Lord had in the Soul he was alwayes in Contest with these potent Adversaries who exerted all their strength to keep their hold in the mixed frame of Nature all of which being now overturned they have no place where to establish their Dominion So that now all Strife ceaseth because the Lord alone doth reign in Peace over all the Region of Light For now the Soul is Born a new into the light World and is most firmly established in its Kingly Power which is not from received Gifts or Powers as in the day of Penticost but all comes in with the risen Birth from whence the Powers do naturally and uncessantly flow and therefore out of all danger of mutability which might threaten a disappointment of any thing that is agreed upon by the Kingly Soul with his seven counselling Spirits which do continually stand before the Thorne in the inward Heavens which by the scattering Coals from the Deity are made as an enduring burning Element where the Glory of Christ's Personality may be seen but no otherwise detained as to his individual Person but as the same likeness is risen by virtue of the creating Word in his Members who are intrusted with this active powerful Body suitable for the management of such a Kingdom in which the Soul at first reigns invisibly over all its inward Motions and Properties as over People Nations and Languages all which by Wisdom's Power are kept in a God-like temperature such as may express the Lord is come to Personate himself in a righreous and peaceable Government such as never yet hath been in the World since Adam lost Paradise Objection But shall this be an Universal Reign And after what manner shall it be Modalized in this visible Creation That which is Internal and Spiritual will not be so much taken notice of though it comes to this height of Perfection for it may be hid amongst a small Number yet may be known but only to one another the generality still abiding under the Beasts Power and Name which is his accursed Nature This Query was answered me in plainness of Truth thus That this glorious Reign would not be Universal nor break out all at once but gradually from the burning Unction which prepares Christ's way and makes room for his Kingdom There is much to be done first and here must a Beheading go before and a plucking up all that hath made desolats and after all this a coming up again in the Resurrection which is a rare attainment indeed for it is a Resurrection to a state wholly sound and sinless even the same to which our Lord was raised after Death The Prophecy doth not say That all the dead were raised up to reign with Christ a Thousand Years but it is expresly declared that the rest of the Dead did not rise till the Thousand Years were expired from whence it was cleared up to me that many may be going through this Spiritual dying and yet continue dead whilst others are raised according to that Word Blessed are they who are partakers of this first Resurrection so that it will not be Universal But besides this there are those who are Unrighteous of whom it is Prophesied Let him that is unjust be unjust still these shall in no wise enter into Christ's Kingdom but be shut out of the holy City which shall rule over them For this Kingdom shall not only be inward in the Properties of the Soul but shall also exercise its dominion over this visible Principle and those who are unconverted shall be as Stubble before the bright flaming Cherubims who in the Lamb's Power shall reign
spring The Virgin feels her self in the Centre of the Deity she handles what doth not appear to be tangeable viz. Breath Spirit Fire and Air in all these her feeling-motion is in great Serenity A Center-Life that burneth from the Mirror of the Deity boyles Love up to that height as nothing is felt but Pleasure and ravishing Delight it is the Heat and Blood that runs through every Vein of the virgin-Virgin-Body and is an Antidote against all Fear and Pain which is felt in the mortal Sense Oh! what Deaths Akings and Griefs have we felt in our Souls as well as in our Bodies our Minds being in continual Anxiousness and Trouble to see what we are fallen into I speak of such who have been touched with the Fire-Stone of the Virgin which must go before her healing Medicine And blessed are they who have first known the painful feeling under her severe Discipline for such shall be her polished Pillars on which she will engrave her Virgin Name as he saith who is the true and faithful Witness who is come to take off the Virgins Vail that we may see her in the Glass of perfection and come to know and feel her not as distinct and a-part from us but all Virginized in her essential Deity that the joyful feeling in breath of Fire and Air may be witnessed and then we shall see what shall follow the Harmony of these Sences which is the Character of the Virgin-Nature the Pattern we are to try our selves by for which end we are also called to look into her Mirror that so it may stir up all favour of desire in us to have those Sences in their excellency awakened in us Oh great Goddess and Queen of all Worlds wilt thou after so long a time of Desertion once appear again Who is it that hath entreated thy Favour and gained a Promise from thee of a Visit though this be too short because nothing now will satisfie unless thou bestow thy self with all thy divine Sences as a co-deified Life to shew that thou art now prevail'd upon to joyn with the Redeeming Blood to restore thy own Virginity where thou findest Humility and Importunity in that Personality which is all beloved of the highest Wisdom and only Spouse of God know and remember us who are brought to thy feet and have been under thy severe Discipline therefore allot thy self to be our Garland and Crown Now we are advanced one step higher towards Wisdom's heavenly Throne from whence her Golden Scepter is stretched forth to lay hold on which passeth through and beyond every elementary Cloud which the sensitive Life hath raised so as we could not see our way to that sparkling Rock of the Deity for which cause the bright Sun now shines from her eternal Orb through the dark Clouds that we might see every ascending degree twisting and winding so intricately that without a Guide expresly sent down from that Sphear there is no possibility ever to come to any one of her Gates which lead to the New Jerusalem These are set before me to be in number Twelve five of which were spoken of in the fore-going Chapter and now we repair to her Oracle as our Guide for the revealing of the other seven Gates together with the Way which leads from one to to the other where the hidden Track of the Virgins Way may be found treading upon that unknown ground under which is found a rich and precious Stone from which the highest blessing will abound The Way to the first of these seven Gates is very solitary and lonely it is very rare to meet with two agreed to hold out in it to the end it is so full of rending Thorns and affrighting wild Beasts for herein lies the design of the horned Beast to scatter and divide such who are agreed to travel in Wisdoms Path Also the Nimrod Hunters of this World send out after them either to divide or bring them back again These are the Oppositions we may expect in this Way against which we must be provided and fore-armed that our entrance by this Gate may not be prevented The Inscription of this Gate is Abnegation or Renunciation of this outward Principle The first Question which is asked by the Angel who keeps this Gate is Are you come away as Strangers and Pilgrims Will you no more return to the Traffick of Babylon For the Prince of this City will only admit of such as shall abjure all Commerce with the Merchants of Tarshish though by this means all earthly Riches are gained to keep up a Worldly Reputation and Fame but the Angel of this Gate will have good Assurance that whoever comes up hither be quite broken off from and have no further dealing with the Harlot daughter of Sidon who hath deceived the Kingdoms of this World with her Sorceries Whoever they be that get through this streight Gate for them a sure and good Foundation is laid to walk forward towards the second Gate But here another thing is to be considered before entrance can be given for this Angel is charged not to take any ones single Security but enquires whether Christs Spirit in them and his Person for them will stand engaged to perform all this Agreement For she dares not trust the Soul upon a single Promise though fervent and unfeigned and full of good Will yet it is not sufficient if he be not able to maintain the Gate ground against his Enemies that will attempt to circumvent him Therefore we that are come hereunto are to give in the Name of our Security and so pass on freely to the second Gate The second Gate is called the wrestling or struggling Gate it is the Gate of Probation before it stands a Center-Gulf Here will rise what will countermand the Pilgrim back again into the worldly Principle which he had abjured and left behind Wisdom stands by her Angel to call and invite to come through but the Gulf swells so very high that it appears impossible to get over Legions of Spirits here do follow crying out What mean you to run so great a hazard as to have a place where is store of all good things for Supply and Maintenance Thus Temptations and Assaults will beset the Pilgrim threatning hard and bitter things to him who is a seeking his own Native Country and original Virginity and endeavours with great wrestling to get rid of all these knawing Vipers What! say they will you turn quite away from those pleasant Joys in which others live spending their days in Gods Love and Peace and therein rest contented not attempting the passing of this Gulf till the limit of your Life requires it All this and much more will press in to turn away the Soul from pursuing after its Virgin Crown and therefore this Gate is called the Probation Gate Now if the Spirit of Christ be so powerful in the Soul as not to regard these Temptations being resolved to venture through the fiery Gulf that