the love unto the righteousness waxen cold with many and they are therethrough become slothfull towards the same but very diligent in their own inâ—orcements or enterprises 7. In like manner many seeing that they loved not the righteousness with whole heart became altogether vainely minded and like unto the world in her abominations and have even so let pass all fruitfull doctrine 8. FOr that cause O all ye which now in this day love the truth and righteousness have now a good regard hereon and follow not the seducing of the destroyers nor the multitude of the ignorant in their error nor inforce you not to be of one mind with the contentious world nor with the discordable or divided wise and Scripture-learned but apply you unto concord in all love and lock into it with undestandinging what the Scripture saith what it requireth of us and how it becometh fulfilled as also how that we are not called through the Scripture unto strife contention nor to variance or discord but unto peace and to the love 9. For I say unto you verily that there are before this day of love which is the true light of God and the coming of his Christ it self many Scripture-learned that were very richly learned with the speeches of literal Scripture in the subtilty and knowledg but not in the renewing of the Spirit and mind unto the kingdom of God risen up which have not inseen understood nor known the truth of God in the light of the heavenly and spiritual wisdome of Christ much less witnessed or taught the same and yet much less brought in or ministred the upright or true Christian Ceremonies which lead unto the Godliness in Jesus Christ or to his love and Peace 10. For they have not out of their literal knowledge understood the secret mind of God nor the clear ground of the services and Cerâ—monies of the Christians therefore also they have consulted or held Councels thereof and are even so become disputing and at variance betwixt themselves about the Scripture and about each others opinion and institution of his Ceremonies and Services and have not inherited the true love and peace of Christ. 11. Whereout each one may by himself well perceive and mark that it is meer Lyes or untrue what such Scripture-learned through the knowledge which they get out of the Scripture bring in institute preach and teach 12. THerefore consider now that no man out of his knowledge of the Scripture can rightly erect teach nor set forth the Christian Ceremonies But they shall in their right form and use be set forth administred and taught by them that are chosen or raised up thereunto by God which follow after Christ in his death become renewed with him in a new life and in whom the living God with his Christ hath even so then obtained his dwelling and shape From whose bodies likewise the words of God and Christ do then slow forth as living waters which also concordably agree with the testimonies of the holy Ghost and with our Writings and their requiring as also with the requiring of the Law of the Prophets and of the Apostles of Christ. 13. Behold out of the declaring of these upright followers of Jesu Christ in the requiring of his doctrine till unto his love it shall now all whatsoever concerneth God and his Services be uprightly and according to the truth used and ministred in his right Ordinance according to the Scripture Let every one now therefore have a good regard hereunto and take it effectually to heart 14. WHat we had here more to say of the dissention of the contending about the Ceremonies and of the pernicious Sectaries and Hereticks and who they are is declared in The Glass of righteousness The XXXIIII Chapter BUt the whilst now that the figurative Services and Ceremonies of the Christians yet flourished in vigour and that the discordable mindes out of the knowledge of the Scripture did daily increase to a more intangling with much contending and disputation of Christ and of his Services and Ceremonies and that many good-willing hearts which had great hunger and thirst after the righteousness searched the Scripture for to understand the truth and the will of God and to live therein with great diligence and zeal and sighed and prayed unto God so hath God at the last remembred the desolate heard the â—ighing and prayer of the poor and for his chosens sake to the end that his Truth and what his will is mought before all lovers of the Truth be made manifest or declared and the Scripture fulfilled shortened the days according to his promises and through the hearty mercifulness of his love wrought a great and wonderful work upon earth out of his holy heaven and raised up me HN the least among the holy ones of God which lay altogether dead and without breath and life among the dead from the death and made me alive through Christ as also anointed me with his godly being manned himself with me and godded me with him to a living tabernacle or house for his dwelling and to a seat of his Christ the seed of David to the end that this wonderful works mought now in the last time be known the light of his glory with full clearness and instruction reavealed and the coming of his Kingdome to an Evangely of the same Kingdome and to the blessing of all Generations of the earth published in all the world according to the Scripture 2. Behold and consider my beloved how wonderfully God worketh in his holy ones and how that now in this Day or light of the love the Judgement-seat of Christ is revealed and declared unto us out of Heaven to a righteous Judgement upon Earth from the right hand of God and how that on the same Judgement-seat of Christ that the Scripture mought be fulfilled there sitteth one now in truth in the habitation of David which judgeth uprightly thinketh upon equity and requireth righteousness 3. Through him God will now in this day which he himself hath appointed or ordained thereunto judge the compass of the earth with righteousness 4. In which this same day or last Time namely in the perfection of the works of God and in his righteous Judgement the God of heaven hath now declared himself and his Christ together with all his Saints unto us his elect also made a dwelling with us and brought even so unto us out of his holy being the most holy of his true Tabernacle with the fulness of his garnishing and spiritual heavenly riches to an everlasting fast standing Ierusalem and house for Gods dwelling according to the Scripture The which is the very true undisturbable kingdome full of all godly Power Joy and of all heavenly beautifulness wherein the laud of the Lord with fulness of the eternal life and lovely sweetness is
great with child and cry aloud like unto a woman with child when as she at the time of her travel is ready to bring forth But who heareth us or to whom is the arm of the Lord known verily unto few because many of them are wise in their own conceit and will judge the godly truth out of their knowledge or perswade themselves that they with their prudent understanding see rightly into all things and for that cause need not to harken unto the word of grace which God hath brought unto us out of his true light neither yet to humble them unto the service of the same 11. Oh these Ignorances of the unwilling unto the gracious word and his requiring which we dayly see and hear by them do work us very much wo anguish and sorrow in our hearts 12. Therefore may we now in this perillous time rightly say with the Prophet Isaiah that it goeth also with us in the presence of the Lord like as with a woman with child which through fear or smart cryeth out in her travel for we are with child and travel in birth and we are so full of anguish and wo that we can scantly draw our breath 13. Howbeâ—t although all this come upon us and that we daily pass thorow this â—ame and must be fain to indure or suffer much falshood at our adversaries hands yet cannot we therefore help the earth for that the Inhabitors of the world will not fal down or humble themselves nor yet forsake or leave the falshood of the unrepentant unregenerated men 14. For that cause our hope standeth now in this day very little on many Inhabitors of the world for of them there shall few come which shall mean or adjoyn them unto the love and the requiring of her service with all their heart and yet many fewer which shall persever therein unto the end 15. Therefore hope we with joy much more on the appearing of the dead which dy in the Lord or are dead in him to wit that they in their Resurrection from the death shall livingly come before either meet with us For all the dead of the Lord or members of Christ shall now live and rise with their bodies and we shall assemble us with them and they with us to one body in Iesus Christ into one lovely being of the love and be all together concordable in the love and peace of Iesus Christ. 16. Behold ye dearly beloved with those shall our life and joy be both now and for evermore For we which follow with them the footsteps of Christ shal in their appeaing or manifestation raign with the lamb which hath made us Kings and Priests upon earth 17. This see and know we now nakedly and truly Therefore have we which are now in this day of love adjoyned and incorporated into the body of Christ here in our Consolation amoag each other and set our Comfort much more on the righteous which are dead then on the living ungodly 18. For this is now the day of the Glorious pomp and tryumph of Christ in his coming wherein Christ to our consolation meeteth us livingly and in glory with his former Holy ones and maketh manifest and bringeth the word of the Lord namely the former Kingdom full of all beauty and lovelyness which God hath prepared from the beginning for his elect in his perfection and in his naked cleerness and maketh us heirs therein together with all his holy ones 19. In which Kingdom of everlasting perfection all minds of pure hearts do dwell and live without fear freely lovely and peaceably Yea therethrough becometh it presently seen how that the Lord glorifieth himself in his holy ones and becometh wonderful in his believers 20. Now this passed over we will declare from the falling away or disobedience of the man forth the earnest love which God hath always till unto this same day shewed towards the man through his elected ministers for to bring him again unto the heritable beauty of the former Kingdom from which he hath turned him away and how God in process of time is approched neerer unto us in cleerness with his true light and hath now at the last in the day of his love declared the most holy of his tabernacle in his absolute beauty and perfection and brought the same unto us to the establishing of his promises 21. What we had here more to say of the former Kinâ—dom and of his lovelyness beauty Garnishing and riches and of the mans falling away is nakedly expressed and declared in the glass of righteousness The V. Chapter BEhold and consider ye dearly beloved how that God after the man's falling away hath alwayes shewed his love on the man and promised him even so to the destroying of the sin to set Enmity betwixt the Serpent whose head is the sin and the woman which consented to the sin and betwixt the Serpents seed and the Womans seed to the treading down of the head of the Serpent and how that the same promised Enmity against the sin and the sinfull seed had her beginning by the single minded Abel which Abel offered up his willing gift or offering out of a good heart unto the God of heaven and was slain by the wicked Nature of the sin through the hands of his Brother Cain and how that Seth after the death of Abel was placed by God to be another seed in the plaâ—e of Abel to the establishing of the foresaid promise of God as also how that Seth which is the second seed in the place of Abel and his seed is the right stock or linage whereout the believers and Children of God namely all they that have been enemies unto the sin are born or brought forth to the establishing of the promises of God â—he Father 2. But all other people or Generations which were born upon the earth without the stock of Seth and also they that walked not in the state of Abel according to the manner or ordinances of Seth were not of the right stock of Seth but they were forain branches which turned them away there-from and were never prudent nor understanding in the godly wisdom but very well in their own self knowledge and good-thinking wherewith they turned unto themselves and forsook even so the upright Childishness and Simplicity and the willing oblation or God service of Abel 3. Abel signifieth unâ—o us a breath or a young manhood by whom there is yet no more prudence then a breath of God which proceedeth from God and breatheth to God again It signifieth also emptiness or any what whereto there is not yet any thing added of the ordinance of the Lord. Cain signifieth unto us a possession or one is possessed in bondship by the sin or is mastered or overwon by the same and applyeth him not according to the word nor law of the Lord. Seth signifieth unto us an
after the flesh should be slain and even so fulfil perform or accomplish according to the true Being the true Godservice with the gift or offering of his flesh in the holy namely on the true Altar of the holy offering which is his Cross whereon he died in the Belief whereof the services after the manner of the Levitical Priests office out of Aaron in the holy were figures and became even so fulfilled in the Pass-over of Iesu Christ. 4. Herewith Christ shewed unto his Disciples how or in what manner his flesh must be offered and given over to a life of men and that they all even so which in the Belief of the safe-making from their sins ate his flesh and followed after him even into the second birth should have the life in fulness in all godly cleerness according to the spirit 5. NOw when he had set forth all this before them namely that the Father would glorifie his Son Christ with the same cleerness which he had with the Father ere ever the foundation of the world was laid and that they should also drink the cup of his Passover with him so began he then his Passover with them gave them the bread the which came from heaven and was his true flesh out of the seed of Dâ—vid to eat and gave them likewise after that to drink out of the Cup which is his passion his true blood which is his holy life of the new Testament 6. Thus have they eaten his flesh drunk his blood which was given over for many to a memorial in what sort the death and suffering or the Passover of the Lord Jesu Christ is till unto his renewing of the life to the intent that they all which believed in him should follow him therein and have the life of his godly Being in fulness and that their joy might be perfect 7. BEhold this is the true Pascha or Supper of the Lord Jesu Christ which he wil that we all like as his Disciples have kept the same with Jesus Christ after the flesh shall also keep in such wise with him after the flesh eat his flesh drink of his blood and and go thorow his Passover with him 8. For even so kept the Disciples of Christ the Pascha with him or the supper of his passover namely that Christ after the flesh although he had given them his body to eat and his blood to drink suffered among them the death of the Cross and was buried and they knew not of his declaring after the Spirit until that he was made alive again by his Father and appeared unto them in godly cleerness 9. Even thus is Christ in his Passover gone before his Disciples and believers to the end that they all should also in such sort with his body and blood which they had eaten or taken into them follow after him in the same passover remember and confess his passion â—ufâ—ering or death and become even so implanted with like death into him or baptised in his death until that they with the body and blood of Christ which they had taken â—nto them were passed or gone thorow the same passover till unto the second birth of the making alive with Christ in godly cleerness according to the Spirit 10. Behold this is the right Passover with Christ or the rigth Supper which the upright Believers and Disciples of Christ keep with Christ to wit that they depart â—ven so with Christ out of the flesh into â—he Spirit and out of the death or mortality â— into the eternal life of everlasting immortaâ—ity wherethrough the sin and all destruction becometh vanquished 11. What we had here more to say of tâ—e doctrine of Christ of his Disciples and of what sort they are is declared in the Glass â—f Righteousness The XXII Chapter NOw when Iesus Christ was found faithful in the death of his Cross till â—nto his Burial to a true Passover out of â—he flesh into the making alive according â—o the Spirit and was also through the power of God his Father raised up from the death and made alive again and that he hath shewed himself in his making alive unto his Disciples for that they should stedfastly believe so was he then wholy taken up from the eys of their flesh and he set himself according to the Spirit at the right hand of God his Father in the heavenly Being and entred even so as the true high Priest when as the service had perfectly ended his course according to the true Being in the holy into the most holy 2. His Disciples therefore were mindful of all this and what he had said unto them and remained within Ierusalem waiting concordably with supplication and prayer for the promises of the Father until that Christ after the spirit appeared unto them out of the heavenly Being the most holy in the holy in spiritual and heavenly powers like as he after the Spirit and according to the truth of the heavenly Godhead is an everlasting and true Christ of God 3. BUt when as now the time was come about that Christ declared his glory and the office of his high Priesthood according to the Spirit unto his disciples so sprinkled he by them the holy of the true Tabernacle of God his father with his blood which is the true Testament to an everlasting remissiom of the sins of his people even like as the former described pattern doth also in the figurative services shew forth the same unto us And this is his holy Spirit that he poured forth upon his Disciples to an everlasting stedfast Jerusalem descending from heaven which is not prepared of men but of God himself 4. Behold these Disciples of Christ in as much as that they had followed Christ in the death of his Cross and were in the sâ—cond birth or in the renewing of their mind filled with the holy Ghost have thus understood the truth of Christ and rightly known Christ like as he is a true Christ of God in the Spirit and according to the Spirit 5. But when as now Christ with his holy Spirit and with full cleerness of God his Father had gotten a living shape in his Disciples then published they the same wonderful works of God which they had seen and heard and which were become known unto them through the power of the holy Ghost in Ierusalem and witnessed that the same should also so come to pass in the last days 7. COnsider ye dearly beloved how that the disciples of Christ which were daily conversant with Christ after the flesh which also heard his word and with whom Christ spake much of the mysterie of the kingdom of God and of his cleerness which he had with his Father could not understand the naked cleerness of God nor Christ in his true Being like as he is a true light and the very true
beauty and loveliness and live even so therein as true holy ones of God and Believers of Christ. 4. For behold this same most holy of the true tabernacle of God doth God now bring unto us with himself with his Christ and with all the thousands of his saints in godly triumph to a righteous Judgement upon earth like as there is written thereof according to the promises 5. COnsider now ye dearly beloved how or in what manner that God now in the last time bringeth and setteth up the perfection of his kingdom with us little ones and God's elect how that our testimony and publishing of the joyful message is of the same Kingdom and in what manner all the services and prophecies which are gone out from God and added unto his promises do lead hereunto and rest or cease therein namely in the renewing of the spirit and mind in Iesu Christ through the holy spirit of his love 9. The which we likewise through the arm of our saviour do even so set forth and express in cleerness before every one which heareth us or whom God stirreth into our way namely that the perfection is no earthly or fleshly thing nor any fleshly dealing or liberty but the perfect power of God and the glory of Christ in his coming 7. Which coming of Christ is now declared unto us that we might through the same be seperated in our spirit from the death of sin implanted into Christ with his like death and so raised up out of the death of Christ and made alive according to the very likeness of God in the power of his holy Ghost in upright righteousness and holiness to coheires with Christ in the treasures of the spiritual and heavenly goods to the intent that we should even so not according to the flesh or in the uncircumcision but according to the spirit or in the laying away of the foreskin of the sinful flesh live and tryumph in the heavenly Being with Christ and all his Saints which presently meet us in all perfection of the works of God in this day of love with Christian tryumph everlastingly in all love according to the promises 8. BEhold such is the perfect kingdom of God and his most holy service come unto us from God's grace and that same is the very true whereof we witness and which we publish to an Evangelie of the glorious kingdom of Christ in all the world under the obedience of the love of Jesu Christ. For that same very true with his perfect beauty love and righteousness hath the God of heaven out of the fulness of his grace declared and brought unto us and erected the same with us now at the last time in the time of the last divided kingdom of Babel to an everlasting peaceable kingdom for his holy ones according to his promises 10. And the upright righteousness of the same and the true holy Ghost which is poured out therein with perfect love and floweth abundantly therein is the true most holy of the everlasting Being of God whereout our upright service of the love is administred and whereunto all services and prophesies which are gone out from God and his truth do lead as to the right and very true perfection and that same perfect good and his most holy service of love shall bide for ever with full declaration of the very true perfection in his service to the end that the same most holy perfect good might from henceforth for evermore be declared upon the earth and all peaceable ones with all they that love the peace in Jesu Christ aâ—sembled thereunto according to the promises 11. OH alas how grosly have certain over-reached them which have out of the imagination of their knowledge or out of the riches of their spirit taken on set forth and taught the perfection according to the flesh and applied the freedom of the children of God on the elementish man looked into the same according to a fleshly mind and bound or knit fast themselves thereon with a certain use of fleshly dealing 12. But verily whilst that they were risen up before this day of the coming of Jesu Christ or ever the sun of righteousness arose unto them in their stedfast obedience unto the requiring of Jesu Christ and inclined out of their knowledge after the flesh unto the freedom according to the flesh so have they likewise taken the same freedom unto them according to the supposel or goodthinking of their elementish manhood and missed the true light of righteousness as also not known the truth of God which maketh free much less then understood the same Noâ— there shall not any one know or understand the same neither presently nor for ever which is turned unto himself or his elementish manhood and so taketh on any thing out of his knowledge or mind of the flesh be it then what it is wherewithal he turneth him away from the obedience of the requiring of the service of the love of Jesu Christ. 13. For I say unto you verily that no man cometh through his knowledge unto the truth of God nor unto the true light of life but only he which through the Belief in Jesu Christ forsaketh himself in the obedience of the requiring of the gracious word of the Lord and his service of love and so bideth stedfast therein till unto the appointed time of the Father That is until that Christ after the spirit which is the living truth of God and the true light of life it self be come unto him and have his shape as an upright Being full of all love in him 14. THerefore ought every one to look wel unto it that he run not foâ—th according to his mind or knowledge nor according to the goodthinking of his own spirit before the time wherein the very true is appointed to be inherited neither respect give ear unto nor believe any manner of knowledge which riseth up in his own heart much less which is held forth before him by others against us and our ministration of the most holy service of love or wherewith he is assaulted or tempted But that he alwaies in his assaulting or temptation humble him with singleness of heart unto the obedience of the requiring of the gracious word and his service of love and even so hear and believe the same sure prophetical word in his service and take heed thereunto seeing that now in the last time the true love and the upright Being of Christ is administred and taught thereout until that the true light of the same word and service and the perfect Being of God the Father and Christ come unto him and arise in hâ—s heart in the perfect glory and power of God and of the holy Ghost that he may live everlastingly with God and his Christ in all love O yea that come to pass even so 20. What we had here more
to say of the Supper and Following of Christ of the Holy and of his true Service or Oblation and of the Altar in the Holy and of the Vayl before the most holy is declared in the Glass of Righteousness The XXVI Chapter NOw when this true being of the holy of the true Tabernacle of God whereof we witness was declared come and prepared in his true service with the disciples of Christ and ministred in the belief so were then the foregoing services which were the images figures and shadows of that same no longer fruitful with them they ceased also among them with their services and the true being of the promises whereon as on the seed of the blessing the foregoing services pointed and led threunto was at the same time to the blessing of all generations of the earth published by the same illuminated disciples of Christ as the true seed of Abraham in all the lands of Iuda according to the promises 2. There was also testified by them that the righteousness of life was to be obtained in the death of Iesus Christ through faith and not through the works of the law And that the law of Moses and the services of the Priest hood of Aaron ceased and had ended their service with them in the same service of Christ of the very true testament 3. HEreon we ought advisedly to consider ye dearly beloved for to understand according to the truth in what manner the Law of Moses and the foregoing services of the Priesthood after the Ordinance of Aaron ceased with the Disciples of Christ. 4. Not verily through the bringing in or setting up of any other services or ceremonies nor yet through the knowing of a greater and truer Righteousness and that one should even so pass forth therewith unregenerated or unrenewed in the Spirit and minde and so forsake the foregoing ministration and ordinance wherewith the Righteousness is required O no that is far wide and whosoever supposeth that he misseth the truth very faâ— 5. For the Law of Moses the Images Figures and Shadows with the Priests office after the manner of Aaron which are all fulfilled and cease in Christ minister unto us out of the true light an higher and perfecter cleerness namely the perfect Being and the renewing of the heart and spirit to wit to be purged for a Tabernacle or House of the living God wherein God with his Christ dwelleth liveth and resteth wherein it becometh then all fulfilled and the costly Treasure of the heavenly and spiritual goods brought unto men and from thence doth it flow forth again as waters of life 9. BEhold even thus or to this end had the old Testament ended his Service with the Disciples of Christ. And in such a state as being replenished with the fulness of the holy spirit of Christ have the former services ceased with them inasmuch as they had accomplished the requiring of those same in Jesu Christ. 7. And verily not through other services nor through the knowing of any thing better truer or perfecter like as many conceited Christians suppose and say out of the blindness of their hearts that the services of the old Testament after the Law of Moses and Ordinance of Aaron are all ended and that they therefore have now the services of the new Testament and know the new or the best and the true and run forth even so therewithal not once distincting that the fulfilling of the foregoing services which require the very true doth not come to pass in the knowledge of the very true nor yet that the services of the new Testament which follow or depend on the accomplishing of the foregoing are services of spiritual and heavenly goods and bring a power of God in the spirit to the declaring of the seat of God and Christ in the heavenly Being 8. Therefore let us have a regard how and wherein the changing and renewing of the services came to pass and how that the changing and renewing of the same services shall not now also in the last time come otherwise to pass then as is abovesaid and as we have witnessed according to the Scripture Therefore consider well 9. WHen now the Law of Moses which is literal and for the sins cause wrought the death had ministred her Office till unto the death of the sin in the death of Jesu Christ then had the Law which in her Service required the Righteousness with writings and ordinances and with correction and Doctrine and was likewise in her service deadly over the sin served out her office with the Disciples of Christ and even so at the end or fulfilling of the requiring of the same Law namely in the death or end of the sin the true spiritual Law or heavenly Ordinance which made them alive in Jesu Christ came unto them wherethrough the foregoing service of the Law was fulfilled and ceased with them 10. Behold when as now the Law of Moses was in such wise as is said fulfilled or accomplished and had no longer service with the death of the sin and with the Believers of Christ which through the Law were dead unto the Law but the Spirit of Christ which made the deceased Believers of Christ alive again in righteousness out of the death of Christ so had then also the Priesthood in his Images Figures and Shadows after the manner of Aaron no more ministration with the living in Iesu Christ neither yet gave it any cleerness more with them because the heavenly cleerness of Christ and his upright Being of love wherein the Disciples of Christ were comprehended excelled far away all cleerness of the figurative services 11. For that cause the Priesthood of Aaron changed also with the Disciples of Christ and ceased by them for with them there was a spiritual heavenly Priesthood appeared in upright righteousness and even so was the same with his service established on Christ after the Spirit the true light which is an high Priest that bideth for ever at the right hand of God in the heavenly Being whose service of the spiritual and heavenly ministration cometh not to pass in the letter nor in the figures but in the very true Being 12. BEhold even so was Christ after the spirit in his Office or Service a minister of the very true and heavenly goods among his Disciples and Believers and hath when he had taken in the heaven multiplied himself through his seed of the holy Ghost out of the heavenly Being to the increasing of his generation the upright seed of Abraham according to the Promises And even so became Christ fruitful upon earth in many thousands of his saints all which he through his death made free or justified from the sin and made them alive through his holy Ghost taking them up from the earth and assembling them unto him at the right hand of God his Father in the