eate of it yeâ— shall not surely dye God did not love youâ— and therefore he would not have you eate oâ— it and faith ye shall dye if ye eate of it But believe me I doe tell ye the truth and I speakâ— in love you shall not dye but you shall be as God knowing good and evill And who is it thaâ— would not be in that condition if they could and this is the way to bring them to it and iâ— is an easie way and pleasant to eate of the fruiâ— â—f a tree that is a small matter thou needst â—ot feare that will doe thee no harme Thus â—he Devill first accuseth God to the woman â—o make way for the tempting of her that so â—e might the better prevaile with her with his â—emptations So shee listned to him and beâ—eved him what hee said and did eate of the â—â—uit and did give to her husband and be eate â—â—so Thus they believed the Devill in all things â—nd thought God to be their Enemie and â—o be a lyer in all things Thus they forsook God and made the Devill their God in obeyâ—â—g him and in doing this thing they commit â—â—l manner of sinne and we were in their loins â—nd sinned with them and of all sinnes God â—ost complaines of Idolatry and here was â—is sin in a high degree to forsake God and â—ould not believe him nor obey him but beâ—eved the Devill and obeyed him who was â—ods enemie and the eyes of them both were opeâ—â—d they knew that they were noked And vers Their eies were opened to see their miseraâ—â—e condition that they had brought themâ—â—lves into Before they eate of it they knew â—othing but good and they were not contenâ—d with this but they would know evill too â—â—d the eating of this forbidden fruit brought â—â—em to know nothing else but evill so now they know good and evill And this aggravated their misery to know what a good condâ—tion then they were in and now what a feaâ—full condition they had brought themselves in to And when the Lord came into the gardeâ— and called to Adam then they ran away anâ— hid themselves after they had sinned thâ— were affraid of God that kept them from thâ— sweete communion of God which beforâ— they eate of that fruit they did enjoy and hâ— was their full happinesse but now they weâ— affraid he should see them and they did whaâ— they could to hide themselves from him bâ— yet he found them out And hee said unto tâ— man hast thou eaten of the tree whereof I coâ—manded thee that thou shouldst not eate And tâ— man said the woman whom thou gavest to 〈◊〉 with me she gave me of the tree and I did eaâ— Gen. 3.11 12. Here the man doth what he can to excuâ—â— himselfe and laid the fault on the woman 〈◊〉 was shee that gave it me and he blames Goâ— for giving the woman to him It was the woâ— man that thou gavest me it was she that gave 〈◊〉 me If thou hadst not given me the womaâ— I had not eaten it for it was through hâ— meanes that I did it if thou hadst not give me her I had not eaten it And the Lord Gâ—â— said unto the woman what is this that thou hâ— done thou dost not know what a miserable condition thou hast brought upon your selves and your posterity for ever For by this thing doing you have lost all your happinesse both spirituall and temporall and procured all manner of spirituall and temporall judgments both here and hereafter For in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die And the Woman said the Serpent beguiled me he told me that I should not die but wee should be as God knowing good and evill or else I had not eate it So she excused her selfe and laid the fault on the Serpent And the Lord God said unto the Serpent because thou hast done this thou art cursed and I will put enmity betweene thee and the woman and betweene thy seed and her seed It shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heele Gen. 3.13 14 15. The Devill hath got an interest in all mankind by their listning to him and believing of him and obeying him they made him their God And man being in this fearefull condition by the Devils getting an interest in him is led by him to doe what hee would have him to doe and there is no remedie to be found by man For in the day that thou eatest thereof thou must dye eternally For the wages of sinne is death Rom. 6.23 The soule that sinnes it shall dye Ezek. 18.4 There could be no way found out by maâ— nor any thing in man that could make satisfâ—ction for those sins that they had committed but God hath found out a way he hath fouâ— out a sufficient ransome to redeeme thee froâ— the wrath of God and the cruelty of the Dâ—vill and sinne and heil which is the Sonneâ— God which was to take flesh upon him anâ— he was to be born of a woman and he was 〈◊〉 make full satisfaction to his Father for all oâ— sins And this is the feede of the woman thâ— would breake the Serpents head Which seedâ— Christ Gal. 3.16 And God was well pleasâ— with man-kind looking upon them in Chriâ—â— what he had undertaken for them and in thâ— fulness of time he was to come and perform iâ— and it was already done in his account Anâ— this the Lord made known to Adam but hâ— had not a cleere knowledge of this but it wâ— typified to him in sacrifices Gen. 4.4 And 〈◊〉 made knowne these things to them in a darâ— way by degrees as was to his glory and theâ— good and so all along the olde Testament 〈◊〉 was typified to them in sacrifices and ordinaâ—ces and ceremonies still in a darke way yâ—â— a more clearer manifestation of him then bâ—fore but all along it speaks of sacrifices anâ— without there wâ—â— nothing to be done Thâ— were to offeâ— Peace-offerings Levit. 3. 〈◊〉 And if his Oblation be a sacrifice of Peace-offering if he offer it of the herd whether it be a male or female he shal offer it without blemish before the Lord And he shall lay his hand upon the head of his offering and kill it at the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation Aarons sons the Priests shal sprinkle the blood upon the Altar round about This was their Peace-offering it was to make their peace with God which sacrifice was a type of Christ for he was the true sacrifice that then was to make peace for man-kinde to his Father and his blood was shed to sprinkle our hearts or wash our hands from dead workes to serve the living God Therefore was the sacrifices commanded to put them in remembrance of Christ which was the substance and he which they typified and for every sin almost there was to be sacrifices as in Lev. 4. al along the Chap. there it speaks what must be offered and
and it is the seede of darkenesse for there is no light in it for Christ is the light and out of him there is no light and this is that which opposeth Christ and is nothing but the greatest darkness that is for there is not any light in it and he infusing daily more and more of his darkdesse into us causeth the seede of himselfe to grow more and more by him and this seede cannot be dead long but it will quickly appeare and â—pring forth that it will be seene by others and bring forth fruit sutable to the seede and will grow by degrees to be a high tree in wickednesse and be full of evill fruit and though it be the seede of the Devill in us that causeth us to bring forth fruit to himselfe yet it is wâ— that must suffer for it for hee brings us to be willing to yeeld to him in all things and to be at his command and to do what he would have us to doe so his will becomes our will and wee are obedient to him and delight in his works of darknesse This is the grosse seâ—d of the Devill and we see it grow up in a high degree in some and would in a higher but that the Lord restraines them and it springâ— forth in some measure in all There are seven degrees to grow in perfection in God so there is also to grow in evill to be like the Devill in wickednesse and there is a comming to it by degrees some attaine to the first degree in God by the Spirit of God and some to the second and so goe along by degrees from one degree to another Some attaines to one degree and some to another by the revelation of the Spirit of God in us so the Devill immitates God for the wicked spirit working in us and we yeelding to it and delighting in it he brings us all from one degree to another some attaines to one degreâ— and some to another and so on to perfectioâ— in sin to our owne destruction For sinne whâ—â— it is finished brings forth death Rom. 6.23 But the Lord restraines most people that they doe not grow to that degree of sinne as they would else attaine unto and many attainâ—â— but to the first degree and lives a perfect morall life those that are the children of God he blasts this seed of the Devill in them by the seed of himselfe sowne in them Christ by his death did breake the head of the Serpent the Devill but not kill'd him he paid a full price for all sinnes and obtained things of his Father for all so that sinne cannot doe us any harme if wee have the faith of Jesus Christ in us for this will make us hate sinne it cannot keepe us out of heaven so he brake the Devils bead for the policie lyes in the head and it was the Devils policie to tempt man that hee might fall finally and never rise againe and so to destroy for ever all man-kind For God did say to Adam In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye the death Gen. 2.17 And the Devill knew that there was no other way to destroy man-kind but that so being fallen the Lord did not restore him to that condition that he was in at the first being man was rebellious to God he must have afflictions he must live in sorrow and trouble here for sinne remaines still in our conversations in â—ll degrees while Christ by his Spirit in us doth sanctifie us and suppresse sinne in us by degrees That sinne shall not reigne in our mortâ—â— bodies because we are not under the Law which threatneth curses because we cannot keepe it but under grace Rom. 6.15 But still there remaines the seed of the Devill in us and is as bad as ever it was in it selfe and it doth appeare so in us so farre as it iâ— not kept under by the seede of God so hiâ— head is broke his policie is brought to nought for it is not that can destroy any of man-kind Numb 21.8 9. And the Lord said unto Moses make thee a fiery Serpent and set it up for a sigâ— that as many as are bitten may looke upon it aâ— live So Moses made a Serpent of brasse and sâ— it up for a signe and when a Serpent had bitten man then he looked to the Serpent of brasse aâ—â— lived This was a figure of Christ for wee wâ—â— stung with the Serpent the Devill and Chriâ—â— was crucified upon a tree for all and we are 〈◊〉 looke up to him with the eye of faith for he is that hath pull'd out this sting and lookâ—â— upon him we see our selves heal'd by him 〈◊〉 hath not destroyed the Serpent but he remaiâ— still but he cannot hurt the children of Goâ— for his sting is pulled out and it is for wanâ— looking on Christ that all are not cured 〈◊〉 this seed of the Serpent in us which the eâ—â—â— sowed in us through our listning to him in Adam is not destroyed wholly but supprest as the Canaanites and Amorites and Moabites and the rest of the Nations that kept possession of the Land of Canaan before the children of Israel went into that Land and God gave them possession of it But when the children of Israel had taken possession of the Land their enemies were not wholly destroyed but were supprest that they could not doe what they would against the children of Israel they were kept there for the humbling of the children of Israel and many times they rose up against the children of Israel to destroy them and by this was made known the love mercy and power of God in delivering the children of Israel from their intention against them and in destroying their enemies though not all of them yet supprest them all so as they could doe the children of Israel no harme and at all timer when they had got strength againe and rose up against them the Lord still kept them under and destroyed them by degrees yet still some did remaine but their power was taken from them that they could doe them no harm So it is with the seed of the Devill in us it rises many times against us to destroy us breaking forth into open sin in words and actions being back'd and moved to it with the Devills temptation but these enemies remaine in â—â—to humble us and to shew us the goodnesse 〈◊〉 God in suppressing them and destroying thâ—â— by degrees and taking that power from thâ—â— that they shall not hurt us but yee they shall not be utterly destroyed for if the Lord withdrawes his Spirit from us this seede will appeare with as vile fruits in us as ever and thâ— fruits that this seede brings forth in us are all manner of sinne and wickednesse and this is called the fruits of the flesh Gal. 5.19 Rom. 1. What fruits had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashames for the end of those things iâ— death Rom. 6.21 This is
Crooked PATHES Made STRAIGHT OR The wayes of God made knowne to lost Sinners or bewildered SAINTS Wherein is represented the severall conditions of a Christian in the Spirit as hee growes up out of weaknesse into strength through death into life eternall By ANNE YEMANS Isa 40.3 The voyce of him that cryeth in the wildernesse prepare ye the way of the Lord make straight in the desart a high way for our God LONDON Printed for Giles Calvert at the black-spread Eagle at the West end of Pauls 1648. To the READER Gentle Reader I Have done mine endeavour to set forth unto you in some measure the bondage that we have been in by sin the Devill and false Teachers what wounds wee have received by them and all hath been because we have not been able to discerne the difference between the wayes of God and Anti-christ And the more wee strive struggle in our own strength the more we are wounded while Jesus Christ doth appeare to us to reveal some light of himselfe to us and hee is that Son of righteousnesse that will appeare to us with healing in his wings Mal. 4.2 He will reveal his love to us and heale up all our wounds and lead us in the way that we should walke taking us by the hand and leading us gently as we are able to goe and drawing us with the cords of love Most of the children of God have been in this spiritual bondage and those that have been in it and are brought out of it doth know in some measure how to comfort them that are in it and the Lord doth make us many times instrumentall under himselfe for th comfort and edifying one of another but it is Gol that doth make known all things to us whether it be by meanes or without and we ought to give him all the honour it is very dangerous to idolize the meanes neither ought we to slight it thougo it be by never so mean a person For out of the mouth of babes will hee be praised And let not us undervalue any thing that is of God whosoever it be spoken by for God is no respecter of persons I beseech you beloved let not this my labour seeme odious to you nor causâ— you to slight iâ— because it is written by a weak woman nor for you to harbour any strange thoughts of me for the writing of it for I have my self gonâ— through much spirituall bondage in severall wayes and finding many severall turnes and windings of Satan how cunning hee is in all his wayes anâ— transforming himselfe to an Angel of light labours our destruction in all things And the Lord having brought mee out of that bondage into thaâ— spirituall freedome which is in Christ for all thâ— Saints and I seeing many that are yet in spiritâ—â— all bondage and knows not what freedome there 〈◊〉 in Christ for them it doth cause my bowels of affection to yern to them Yet I should not presume 〈◊〉 set forth this in writing but that I have beene exceedingly moved by the Spirit of God to doe iâ— that I could not be quiet till I had begun it I haâ—â— done what I could before I did begin to doe it to pâ—â— those thoughts out of my mind bringing as many objections against it as I could but still the Spirit of God moved me more and more with motives to stirre mee up to doe it and many promises for the enabling of me to doe it knocking all the objections in pieces that came against it and this was one thing that was laid before me When thou art converted strengthen thy brethren And if thou lovest me feed my Lambs Ioh. 21.15 And another was I am no respecter of persons And also if we are the children of God we must be led by the Spirit of God to doe what hee would have us but after I saw it was of God I durst not refuse to doe it for obedience is better than sacrifice 1 Sam. 15.22 For I plainly see how dearly God loveth all man-kind but especially his children and those that are babes in Christ how great his love to them is yea even those that Christ is but newly conceived in If there be but a desiring really after God though there be yet no enjoyment of God hee will not quench smoaking flâ—xe and his love is as great to those that are the lowest and weakest Saints as to those that are the highest and strongest onely hee makes his love knowne more to them than to those that are yet weake and his making his love known to us causeth us to grow strong in him We all were weake at the first but be strengthens us by degrees as he revealeth himselfe to us more and more and so be will doe to you and when hee doth reveale any thing to any it is not only for them bit that they should declare iâ— unto others that tâ—ey may know what love Goâ— hath toward them that our weake brethren maâ— he strengthned and the lambs of God whicâ— are the young children of God may be fed 〈◊〉 and the doing of this aright is exceeding pleasinâ— to God Here is one signe of our love to God anâ— after wee have found our Beloved all our desire should be that we should be led wholly by the Spirit of God to glorifie him and setting forth hiâ— praise and not to fear the scandals reproaches oâ— the world which are like thornes springing uâ— by the Devill labouring to choake the purâ— truth of Christ but I passe not what scandals oâ— reproaches I meete with all by this booke settinâ— forth for truth doth always finde some great enemies and the more because it is written by a woman for there are some always that doe respect thâ— persons of people having mens persons in admiration Jude 16. My brethren have not thâ— faith of our Lord Jesus Christ the Lord of glâ—ry with respect of persons Ja. 2.1 And 〈◊〉 shall come to pass in the last days saith Godâ— I will pour of my spirit upon all fish you sons your daughters shal prophesie you young men shall see visiions and your old me shall dream dreams and on my servant an on my hand-maidens I will pour out in thoâ— days of my spirit they shall prophesie Joel 2.28 Act. 2.17 18. When the children of Israel murmured for flesh to eate and Moses was not able to bear it the Lord bid him gather seventy men of the Elders of the people and the Lord toook off â—he spirit that was upon Moses and put upon them and when the spirit rested upon them then they prophesied and did not cease and there was two â—f that seventy that went not out of the Host and they also prophesied Then there ran a young man and told Moses and said Eldad and Medad doe prophesie in the host And there was one answered and said My Lord Moses forbid them but Moses said unto him Enviest thou for my sake Yea would
it for by the manifestation of the appearance of Jesus Christ revealing himselfe in his glory by his Spirit doth destroy Anti-christ for by the preaching of the Gospel this City Babylon doth fall When the Spirit of God doth teach us to know what the Gospel of Christ is to us and in us this doth come with power and doth overthrow Anti-christ in us and the outward preaching of the Word alone will not doe it but the spirit working with it doth doe it and the Lord is well pleased to make use of the outward preaching of the word to work upon us by his Spirit commonly but he is not bound to one way hee workes upon us by his Spirit with meanes or without means or against meanes yet it is one spirit that doth worke upon us sutable to the Word hee would not have us under value the outward preaching of the Gospel nor yet idolize it Revel 8.1 2. And after these things I saw another Angel come downe from heaven having great power the earth was lightned with his glory And he cryed mightily with a strong voyce saying Babylon the great is fallen is become the habitation of Devils and the hold of every foule spirit and a cage of every uncleane and hatefull bird All manner of unclean things hath lodged in her but we did not see it but now the Lord will shew us it Reward her even as she hath rewarded you double unto her double according to her workes In the cup which shee hath filled fill to her double How much she hath glorified her selfe and lived deliciously so much torment and sorrow give her For shee saith in her heart I sit a Queen and am no widow and shall see no sorrow therefore shall her plagues come in one day death and mourning and famine And shee shall he utterly burnt with fire for strong is the Lord God that judgeth her Revel 18.6 7 8. He doth double the cup of his wrath and indignation against her and doth destroy her and burne her up with the fire of himselfe we cannot doe it but he is strong and able to doâ— it and doth doe it for us and the fruits that thy soule lusted after are departed from thee and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee and thou shalt findâ— them no more at all Rev. 18.14 And a mighty Angel tooke up a stone like a great mil-stone and cast it into the Sea saying thus with violence shall that great City Babylon be throwne downe and shall be found no more at all And the voyce oâ— harpers and musicians of pipers and trumpeters shall be heard no more at all in thee and nâ— Crafts-man of whatsoever Craft shall be found no more in thee and the found of a mil-stone shall be heard no more at all in thee And the light of 〈◊〉 candle shall shine no more at all in thee and thâ— voyce of the Bride-groome and of the Bride shall be heard no more at all in thee for thy Merchants were the great men of the Earth for by thy forceries were all Nations deceived And in her to 〈◊〉 found the blood of Prophets and of Saints and of all that were slaine upon the earth Rev. 18.21 22 23 24. Here is an utter destruction of her and this is that vaile that keepeth us from seeing the glory of Christ for he that keepeth from him is a vaile or if wee see him but darkely it is because the vail is not quite done away There was a vail before the Tabernacle which is called the holyest of all In which Tabernacle were all the glorious and excellent things Heb. 〈◊〉 .3 4. And thou shalt make a vaile of blue â—urple and scarlet and fine twined linnen of tunâ—ing worke with Cherubims shall it be made And thou shalt hang it upon four pillars of Shiâ—tim â—ood overlaid with gold their bookes shall be of â—old upon the sockets of silver And thou shalt â—ong up the vaile under the tackes that thou maist â—ring in thither within the vaile the Arke of the Testimonie And the vail shall divide unto you betweene the holy places and the most holy Exod. â—6 31 32 33 34. There was three places in this Tabernacle first the Priests went alwayes into the first Taâ—ernacle accomplishing the service of God â—ut into the second went the High Priest alone â—nce every yeare not without blood which â—e offered for himselfe and for the errours of â—he people The holy Ghost thus signifying â—hat the holyest of all was not yet made maniâ—â—st Heb. 9.6 7 8. For that glorious vaile â—oth hide it quite from us Luke 23.45 The Sun was darkened and the vaile of the Temple was â—â—nt in the midst Mat. 27.51 And behold the vaile of the Temple was rent in taine from the top to â—he bottome and the earth did quake and the â—ockes rent Christ by his death did rend the vail that doth keepe us from the seeing of him Moses after he had seen and talked with God he appeared so glorious that the people could not looke upon him and then he put a vail over his face Moses was a type of Christ and hee had a vaile over him that they could not see him which were types and shadowes and through that vaile they saw Christ darkely 2 Cor. 3.11 12 13 14. Seeing we have such hope we use great plainesse of speech And not as Moses which put a vaile over his face that the children of Israel could not stedfastly looke to the end of that which is abolished But their minds were blinded for untill this day remaineth the same vaile untaken away in the reading of the old Testament which vaile is done away in Christ But even unto this day when Moses is read the vaile is upon their hearts Neverthelesse when it shall turne to the Lord the vaile shall be taken away Now the Lord is that Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty When the Lord doth open the seales to us and comes with power in us by his Spirit then hee turnes us to himselfe and shewes us by degrees that this vaile that hinders us from seeing him is taken away by him and so by degrees we shall see him as he is and then we shall seee what bondage we were in to sin and Satan and our owne selves and how wee are set at liberty by Christ John 8.36 If the Sonne therefore shall make you free yee shall bee free indeed Isa 25.7.8 And destroy in this mountaine in the face of the covering cast over all people and the vaile that is spread over all Nations He will swallow death in victory 1 Cor. 15.54 This death and this vaile is one and the same for both of them keeps us from seeing life which is Christ For while we live to our selves and to our righteteousnesse so far we are dead to Christ Now as he manifests himselfe in us he swallows up this death and