Man therein Iohn 14. 26. This better Comforter he told them would teach them all things divine and spiritual and so bring to their Remembrance all that he had hitherto spoken to them in Parables earthly Figures and Similitudes in which the mystical divine and spiritual Truths lay hid from them as well as others The good Angels also rejoic'd at the Birth of Jesus on the behalf of Mankind in general and of Saints in special as the means for recovering all out of the Darkness and Death into which brought by their first Sin and Punishment thereof Gen. 2. 17. Iohn 1. 9. The World was made by him yet when he came into the World none in their worldly Life of the Creature at best either knew receiv'd or own'd him Iohn 1.10 The righteous First-Covenant professing Jews in Union of mind with evil Angels were the most signally enrag'd Contradicters Blasphemers and Murderers of him for his Gospel-Doctrine of Salvation Acts 3 13-15 The exalted Son and Branch was the immediate Former of himself in the Womb of the Virgin the Son of God on Earth remaining still what he was in the Beginning the Son of Man in Heaven John 3. 13. Evil Angels and Men were God's permissive Hand under his infinite over-ruling Wisdom and Power to finish the Death-work on all that was mortal about him in our Nature and so oft on Saints to their greatest Good and Enemies greatest hurt Hereby do they compleat Saints Conformity to Christ's Death freeing them from all that 's mortal about them while in the Body Isa. 57. 1 2. The Iews would have made Christ a King if he would have own'd his Kingdom in that mortal First-covenant Law-life they saw him in Iohn 6. 15. But witnessing his Kingdom not to be in that worldly Law-life but in his Gospel-life of Grace and Truth Iohn 18. 36 37. they murder'd him and so compleated the Death of him as to that mortal Law-life wherein they would have made him their King They chose rather to be Subjects to a Heathen King than such a King as he own'd himself to be Iohn 19. 12 15. who would have made him such a King as would have render'd them Traitors and Enemies to Cesar. Here 's the confounded Doings of Man at best in his own worldly Spirit and Life Some Corinthians Laodiceans and other Professors in but the First-covenant-life and Righteousness of Man all along since are of the same mind with them 1 Cor. 4. 8. Rev. 3. 17. The God of this World offer'd Christ a far larger Bribe than the Jews did all the Kingdoms of this World visible and invisible under him all worldly Power Human and Angelical in Case he would own his Kingdom to be in this First-creation Worldly-life Mat. 4. 8 9. Whoever are finally taken with his worldly Bribes the literal or mystical Riches of this First-creation World do fall down and worship him as God And by such Loyal Subjects of him does he murder true Saints that refuse so to do as they did Christ himself True Heaven-born Sons of God have the whole self-confident legal-spirited Generation of Professsors on the same Account universally in all times against them They mortally and irreconcileably hate them for owning the Death-work of Christ's Gospel-spirit of Grace on that Law-spirit of Works they confidently trust in for entring into the Kingdom of God Such become the highest Rank of Satan's Subjects and most serviceable Instruments for maintaining the Credit of his worldly Kingdom as the only true Blessedness to any God's Thoughts and Ways for true Salvation are not as Man 's and when he has declar'd his Ways in his holy Oracles let Man's highest Wisdom undertake the interpreting them all shall run on Satan's Side God's Thoughts therein remaining fast seal'd and lock'd up from Man's best Understanding in but a restor'd First-covenant Life Isa. 29. 11. CHAP. XI The Difference of Christ's Death in our Nature as to the intent and Extent thereof from Saints Conformity to him by the Death of Nature in them CHRIST's condescending to take our Nature and therein by the Grace of God to taste Death for every Man Heb. 2. 9. was in reference to the pardonable Sins of Mankind in Adam and also in their own Persons This was God's appointed Way for the redeeming and recovering them out of their fallen State wherein born dead in Trespasses and Sins Ephes. 2. 1. Col. 2. 13. into the Light and also Life receiv'd by them in their First-creation All may receive this general Redemption-Mercy the Common-Salvation-Work of Christ as a Fruit of his meritorious Sufferings and Death in our Nature if they will But as to the special eternal Salvation of the Elect in his new and everlasting Covenant Gospel-life this is not of him that willeth or runneth in the most fruitful Exercise of his own restor'd First-covenant Law-life but of God's Free-Grace Mercy which he will effectually and infallibly shew to whom he pleases only The ceasing from their own Life Will and Understanding is the only appointed Way for their receiving this special eternal Salvation-life of God Iude with others writ of both these distinct Salvations common and special temporal and eternal And when he had with all Diligence inform'd them of the former he found it needful to exhort them to contena earnestly in Prayer to God for a living spiritual Faith working by Love to him in the latter in which only true Saintship and Salvation ever could or will be found by any Man Iude v. 3. Thus is Christ the Saviour of all Men with a common or general Salvation but of them that believe in his Gospel-life and place all their Hopes of Salvation in that with a special 1 Tim. 4. 10. They trust in the living God that living Word of God which is God John 1.1 Those that wax confident in the common Salvation the restor'd Life and Righteousness of Man do trust in that Life for Entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven which Christ crucified in the Fountain-purity of it in himself God will not only that all Men should be saved with the common Salvation but has rendred them capable also of receiving the Knowledg of the Truth 1 Tim. 2. 4. his Gospel-spirit of Grace and Truth by the convincing Discoveries thereof to their natural Understandings But after all this are they liable to apostatize fall away and finally refuse so great Salvation as is thereby offer'd them and perish for ever Heb. 6. 4-6 The submitting in Passive Obedience to the Death and Loss of all receiv'd from Christ in the Common-Salvation-Benefit of his Death rendring them but holy Flesh is absolutely necessary to their finding the special eternal Salvation-life of his holy Gospel-spirit the Holy Ghost Otherwise after all receiv'd in the Common-Salvation they 'l find everlasting Destruction Conformity to Christ's Death by the Death of Nature at best in us is the appointed way to reign with him in the Life he is ascended into out of the Death thereof
and see what all will amount unto Isa. 41. 21. Object 1. Will God destroy the First creation-works of his own Hand Will he take away Man's Reason Wisdom and Righteousness bring to nothing all his good Works and Fruits done and brought forth therein Must the very Life of our own Spirit at best with all the things thereof our own Wills and Vnderstandings therein be given up in Sacrifice to the Will of God by a holy Death Answ. Yes And all to our transcendent Advantage and greatest Gain in order to find all again in a Life above all Deaths and therein an infallible Understanding and incorruptible Will for the right knowing and doing all things in answer to the very Divine Will of God Most High Object 2. Does God require Impossibilities of Man such Obedience as 't is impossible for him to perform in his own Spirit Will and Way at best in the restor'd Life and Righteousness of Man Answ. Yes But had provided an originally incorruptible heavenly eternal Creature-life in the Mediator to be given them in the room thereof by a Second or New-creation of them This is a Life above all Deaths temporal or eternal will swallow up Death in Victory Isa. 25.8 1 Cor. 15. 54. This Life is figur'd by the Wine in Iotham's Parable Iudg. 9. 13. cheering God and Man answering all Man can rightly desire of God and enabling him to answer all God requires of him He that has not this Life of the Son of God has not Life not true eternal Life 1 Iohn 5. 12. Quest. Will the Disputers of this World still contend with their Maker in defence of their own Wisdom Will and Way against his for Salvation Answ. They will till Satan's Reign and Man's Day under him are at a full Period But what are Men like to get by this Contest Eternal Death True Saints oft suffer a violent temporal Death from such self-confident Contenders against God and them Man 's own fallible Reason or Wisdom perverts him turns him away from looking after the infallible Wisdom and Reason of God to his own sudden unfore-seen everlasting Destruction Isa. 47. 10 11. He searches the Scriptures thinks he understands those written Oracles of God yet never comes to Christ the living Word of God for the Life therein witness'd and declar'd Iohn 5. 39 40. The Scriptures are a Book seal'd as to Man's Understanding that reaches not to the heavenly Creature-life and things therein signified under Figures Types and shadowy Similitudes Isa. 29.11 All spiritual Salvation-truths signified from the beginning of Genesis to the End of the Revelation are fast lock'd up and hid from Man's highest single natural Understanding The losing all in our own Law-spirit of Works is the only way to find and do all in God's Spirit of Grace Esphes 2. 8-10 'T is by Grace only or in the never-sinning Life of God's Spirit of Grace in Christ Jesus communicated to them any can be finally sav'd never in their own boasting Law-spirit of Works Having thus promiscuously consider'd Sinners in their First-creation and Saints in the Second come we now to consider meer Creaturality in spiritual Saints and Angels for evermore Spiritual Saints of the Double-portion making up God's New Heavens in their various distinct Portions therein from the highest to the lowest and Gospel-Angels the supream in the single Portion with all variety of Gospel-Saints therein making up God's New Earth in true Salvation-life are all Members of Christ's mystical Body In the former Christ's peculiar Dove supream double-portion'd Saints in the twofold heavenly and glorified earthly Life of Christ are the peculiar Wife and Bride of the Lamb Revel 19. 7. Below these in the double Portion are threescore Queens and then in the single Virgins without Number all in a Union of Mind with her praising her and owning her Superiority to them Cant. 6. 8 9. There will be no envying of the highest in the lower and lowest nor any insulting of the highest over the lower in Heaven to Eternity They 'l all rejoice in the superiour and inferiour Attainments of each other as is figur'd in the higher and lower Members of the literal Body of Man all mutually rejoicing in the Joys of one another as compleating the Joy of the whole Body 1 Cor. 12. 12-27 The various spiritual Capacities in higher and lower Saints are figur'd by Cups and Flagons Isa. 22. 24. None of all these will ever pretend to a personal Union with Christ's Creature-root and less yet with his infinite Divinity but only with the exalted Creature-Son and Branch in him the living Word of God the immediate Creator of all and Performer of the whole Divine Will on all good and evil for evermore in Heaven or Hell A World of gross Errors concerning God Christ and the eternal Concerns of Men have been toss'd up and down in the various Conceptions of Man's fallible Understanding under the unperceiv'd Influence of evil Angelical Rulers over this dark World Ephes. 6. 12. so as to blind and keep Men from looking after God for his all-discovering Spirit of Grace and Truth Rom. 3. 11. CHAP. XVII The ruling Power of Satan over Mankind all along this World as permitted God thereof under God's infinite over-ruling Wisdom and Power HE is so call'd in the Scriptures of Truth God of this World And he uses all his evil Angelical Subtlety and Power for the blinding and deceiving Men so as to keep them from any regarding or looking after God for his Gospel-life wherein alone any can be saved or ever enter into his Kingdom 2 Cor. 4. 3 4. Christ himself calls him Prince of this World John 12. 31. 16. 11. 14. 30. But says of him he hath nothing in me nor shall be able to touch or ever meddle with so as finally to overcome any Partakers of my all-powerful Gospel-life 1 Iohn 5. 18. Saints therein are Fence-proof against all the Gates or Strength of Hell all the Powers of Darkness evil Angels and Men Rulers of the Darkness of this World Ephes. 6. 12. in their own dark-spirited worldly Life and Wisdom of the First-creation The first unpardonable Sin of the evil Angels was their turning as they went or were a while following Christ towards that Life he represented himself in to them and the good Angels and in the Passage thereto by way of Death and Resurrection in such Transactions as had pass'd in the Creature-part of his wonderful Person before they were brought forth In a contrary Demeanour to that of the good Angels they turned as they went in love to themselves in their own self-chosen mortal Life given them in their first Creation in unchangeable Enmity to God and the Heavenly eternal creature-Creature-Life of their Creator offer'd them by a second The good Angels did let down their Wings ceas'd from the mortal Life of their first Creation and Exercise of their own fallible Understandings and corruptible Wills therein signified by letting down their Wings in Conformity to
cause them to be so accounted also against Heathen Cesars and others of his Party under him Christ himself was condemn'd and murder'd on this Pretence Iohn 19. 12 15. Saints can discover him when sitting in the Temple of God shewing himself that he is God 2 Thess. 2. 4. to be the worst of all Creatures the Man of Sin and Son of Perdition ver 3. Will he quietly bear this Discovery will he not by his humane Instruments shew his utmost Rage against them and God permits But be it as it will the Sum of all true Gospel-teaching is a declaring the Mystery of Godliness for the Salvation of Men and preventing their Damnation and a discovering Satan's Mystery of Iniquity for the Damnation of Men and preventing their Salvation So only can Saints with Paul become free from the Blood of all Men Acts 20. 26. Ezek. 33. 7-9 as having no Share in that Guilt by which they bring that Blood upon their own Heads which will be found to amount unto no less than eternal Death to their whole Beings Spirit Soul and Body in a Resurrection of Damnation The experimental Knowers of the Mystery and Power of Godliness and faithful Discoverers of the Mystery of Iniquity will have a Resurrection of Life John 5. 29. above all Deaths temporal or eternal CHAP. IX The first Sin Fall and Punishment of many evil Angels and of all Mankind in Adam EVIL Mankind in Adam joyn'd with evil Angel-kind in Satan through a mutual Union of Love to themselves and one another electing or chusing for themselves their own earthly mortal First covenant Law-life of the Creature given by a First-creation in preference and opposition to the heavenly immortal Second-covenant Gospel-life of the Creator offer'd them by a second or new Creation The evil Angels herein did at first commit the unpardonable Sin against the Holy Ghost under the immediate Beamings forth of Christ's heavenly Creature-Gospel spirit the Son of everlasting Righteousness upon their highest single intuitive natural Understandings Secondly They had no superiour Rank of Creatures in the First-creation already fallen above them in Subtlety and Power to tempt them Thirdly They were all actually created and set up in their compleated personal Beings and Life at first Mankind receive their personal Beings successively Generation after Generation Fourthly Mankind's first Sin in Adam was not against such clear Knowledg of their own unspeakable Concern as well as Duty to God though in the same kind of First-covenant Law-life with Angels The inferiour Ingredients into Man's personal Constitution bodily Sensual-life tho created pure and incorrupt rendred his intuitive Discerning inferiour to that of Angels where 't was single and alone Hence what was immediately and more convincingly made known to Angels was represented to Adam by a figurative Tree of Life and himself in distinction from that by the Tree of Good and Evil. The former represented Christ to him in that heavenly Creature-life offer'd by a new Creation the latter represented himself to himself as but a mystical Tree of Good and Evil in his own Life given in his first Creation corruptible and changeable mortal and perishable with all the earthly things therein Will Understanding Righteousness Wisdom c. with all Works or Fruits ever possible to be done or brought forth therein By and under the superiour Subtlety and Power of the Devil the mystical Old Serpent was Adam in the primitive Purity of his whole Being and Mankind in him as their Head and Representative induc'd perswaded and deceiv'd so as to prefer Satan's self-pleasing Lie to God's Spirit of Grace and Truth So under and with the Serpent he chose his own earthly Life of the Creature in preference to God's own heavenly Creature-life of the Creator Many of Mankind when restor'd out of the Darkness and Death of their own Spirits into the Light Life and Righteousness of Man do sin again in their own Persons after the Similitude of Adam's first Transgression who at best in Innocency was but a Figure of the Second Adam who was to come in the Fountain-purity of our Nature and also full of the Holy Ghost Luke 4. 1. Iohn 1. 14. his heavenly Creature-spirit of Grace and Truth Rom. 5. 14. This Sin again in their own Persons after all sad Experience of fallen Mankind thereby in Adam and all Warnings and Counsels of God since is unrepentable by them Heb. 6. 4 6. and unpardonable by God Heb. 10. 26 27. This is the Case of any that conclusively and absolutely prefer their own restor'd earthly Life of the Creature and Righteousness of Man to the heavenly Creature-life of the Creator and everlasting Righteousness of God therein All that will not receive and have the heavenly Creature-life of God by submitting to the Death of restor'd Nature at best the Loss of all their own Life and things therein God will take away the said Life from them again and lay them down for ever under his unquenchable Wrath in eternal Death Luke 8. 18. This is that Christ says Mat. 16.25 Whosoever will save his Life shall lose it and whosoever will hate and lose his own Life for my Sake from Love to my heavenly Creature-life shall find it with unspeakable Gain as chang'd by Death and Resurrection into an eternal Life Satan was at it with Christ himself Matth. 4. 8 9. to stay and set up with and under him as a State of true Happiness in the mortal Life of our Nature and by his Apostle Peter was at the same Point to pity and spare himself there saying be the Death thereof far from thee this shall not be unto thee Christ discover'd and declar'd this Word of Peter to be Satan's Counsel in and by him Mat. 16. 21-23 As the first Sin of Angels was differing from Man's first Sin so was the Punishment The Punishment of evil Angels was the giving them their own evil Choice their own self-chosen earthly Life receiv'd in their First-creation with all the things thereof their own Wisdom Righteousness Subtlety and Power all natural Excellencies and Perfections therein as by them abus'd turn'd into and us'd in unchangeable Enmity to God and his heavenly Creature spirit of eternal Life God also permitted to them the Exercise of a ruling Power over sallen Mankind all along this World by which Satan carries on the same delusive Work as on Adam at first that the Life given in the First-creation is eternal no need of a second nor therefore of the Death of the first Ye shall not die Gen. 3. 3. This is Satan's uniform Lie all along this World that the Life given in the First-creation is eternal You must die or never live and reign with me in my heavenly Creature-life which is eternal This is Christ's Truth his faithful Saying 2 Tim. 2. 11 12. There 's nothing more pleasing to Man's Will in the restor'd earthly Life of the First Adam than Satan's Lie and nothing so universally contrary to it as God's Truth that
the Death and Loss thereof with all the things therein is indispensably neceessary to any Man 's receiving that Life which is eternal by a new Creation Man in the restor'd Life of the First Adam's living Soul and highest spiritual enlightning Gifts convincing him of the Life offer'd by a Second and of the Necessity of parting again with the restor'd earthly Life and things of the First Adam 's living Soul for the heavenly Life and Things of the Second Adam 's quickning Spirit under all this Mercy is Man liable through his own unspeakable Folly to be bewitch'd back from looking after Christ's heavenly Gospel-life shew'd and offer'd him and to set up for himself under and with Satan in his own earthly Law-life and Righteousness signified by Holy Flesh Gal. 3. 1 3. This may be call'd a Sinning after the Similitude of the evil Angels first Transgression under the clearest Discovery of the Life offer'd by a new Creation with the Terms of receiving it and their unspeakable Concern for submitting thereto as the only possible Means to find eternal Life or scape eternal Death That the Punishment of evil Angels for their first Sin by God's giving them up to their own self-chosen Life and their own Will and Way therein all along this World that this was a greater Punishment than Man 's for his first Sin which was the Death and Loss of his abus'd First-covenant Life and Things receiv'd by a First-creation may seem strange to Man's Wisdom who reckons Adam should have kept what he had in the primitive Purity of his First-creation the keeping of which in preference to the Life of the Creator offer'd by a Second was his Sin the Loss of it by God's taking it from him his Punishment At Man's rate of Judging the evil Angels were in the Right as keeping what they receiv'd in their First-creation all the Glories and Excellencies Wisdom and Power therein Quest. Could Mankind or human Nature at best in Adam chuse the heavenly Creature-life of God shewn and offer'd them by a New Creation Answ. No. Neither Man nor Angel had Power in their own earthly Life and Wills to choose the heavenly Creature-life of God offer'd by a New Creation for then they would have elected themselves The receiving from Christ as a Fruit of his meritorious Sufferings and Death in our Nature the renew'd Life and Righteousness of the First-creation is of him that willeth All may receive that if they will But the attaining and receiving of the Life God offers by a Second-creation this is not of him that willeth or runneth in his own Spirit and Will at best but of God who will shew this Mercy to whom he will only Rom. 9. 15 16. All that finally elect or chase for themselves their own earthly Life of the Creature reject the heavenly Creature-life of the Creator All that God has elected will be brought to hate and lose their own earthly Life at best from love to his heavenly as the only Way to receive it A third Part of Angels fell irrecoverably by their first Sin Revel 12. 4. The far greater part of Mankind the many in the broad Way will be found irrecoverably fallen for ever Yet will Christ's few in the narrow Way be an innumerable Multitude Revel 7. 9. CHAP. X. The second Sacrifice of Christ in our whole human Nature Spirit Soul and Body IN and by his first Sacrifice he became the immediately fitted Hand of God the living Word of God which is God Iohn 1. 1-3 for performing the whole Divine Will in both Creations of Angels and Men and in dealing with them all for ever in final Love or Wrath. This first Sacrifice related not to the Pardon of Sin in Angels or Men. They were none of them then extant in their own personal Beings A Preparation for preventing Sin in both and all was thereby made notwithstanding which many Angels sinn'd and fell irrecoverably All Mankind sinn'd and fell in and with Adam but recoverably both as to their Sin and Punishment and also to a being render'd capable of that true Salvation-life they at first refus'd This second Sacrifice of Christ therefore in our Nature related only to the Sins of Mankind The good Angels never sinn'd at all The evil were absolutely unpardonable In reference to Sin therefore Christ took on him the Nature of Man not of Angels Heb. 2. 16. and therein became a little lower than Angels even than evil Angels in the Glory of their First-creation chosen by them and granted them by God in his just Judgment on them with a ruling Power over Mankind therein all along this short-liv'd World and then to be stripp'd of all their worldly Power and Glory and laid down for ever in everlasting Burnings under his unquenchable Wrath in the lowest Hell-part of the eternal World to come In reference to this second Sacrifice of Christ we are to consider his Entrance into this World in our Nature The Virgin Mary was found with Child of the Holy Ghost Mat. 1. 18. An Angel appears to Joseph in a Dream telling him that what was conceiv'd in her was of the Holy Ghost and warn'd him that when born he should call his Name Iesus that would save his People from their Sins and Immanuel also was he to be call'd that is God with us ver 20-23 Isa. 7. 14. The like Account as to his wonderful Formation in the Womb of the Virgin we find Luke 1. 26-35 and his Birth Luke 2. 7. The good Angels rejoic'd thereat Luk. 2. 13 14. not in reference to a procuring their Pardon for Sin having never sinn'd but as knowing thereby the time drawing near for them with Old-Testament-Saints to receive the Holy Ghost which they waited for all along four thousand Years by a living spiritual Faith working by Love to God therein and amounting to an indissoluble Union with Christ therein But the Holy Ghost was not given to Angels or Saints till our Nature in Christ was ascended and glorified Iohn 7. 39. Both the said Angels and Saints obtain'd a good Report with God as well-pleasing to him by a living spiritual Faith therein though they had not receiv'd the promis'd Holy Ghost Heb. 11. 39. From the good Angels Concern herein did they with Old-Testament-Prophets desire to pry look into and diligently to search out what manner of time the Spirit of Christ in them did signify when it testified beforehand the Sufferings of Christ and the Glory that should follow 1 Pet. 1. 10-12 to our ascended glorified Nature in him and to them by the Holy Ghost's being sent down from Heaven into Angels with the Spirits of Old-Testament-Saints departed and New-Testament-Gospel Saints in the mortal Body Act. 2 1-4 This is the other better Comforter Christ told his Disciples the Father in pursuance and for accomplishing of his Free-Grace-Mercy to them would send than he had yet been to them as a fleshly Bridegroom in the but restor'd First-covenant Life and Righteousness of
Good Christ says to them my Yoke is easy and Burden light Mat. 11. 30. There are none of the said terrifying Ingredients into the Death of Nature in Saints peculiar to the Death of it in Christ himself Nor were they in his first Sacrifice of Nature in general above-spoken to To Saints therefore the Sufferings of the present time are not reckon'd worthy to be compar'd with the Glory which shall be reveal'd in them Rom. 8. 18. which they have the infallible forehand-Sight of by such Beginnings thereof as they already experience in them with Ioy unspeakable and full of Glory 1. Pet. 1. 8. CHAP. XII Regeneration BY true Regeneration Man that was made of God by a First-creation in the mortal earthly Law-life of the Creature is born of God in the immortal heavenly Gospel-life of the Creator the living Creature-word of God which is God Iohn 1. 1-3 As for the Life and Things given Angels and Men in their First-creation those are things which have been but shall not be for ever temporary transient things to be laid aside in order to their receiving God's own heavenly Creature-life by a New-creation To the blessed Submitters to the Terms of receiving this does God look with Regard and Delight as Objects of his everlasting Love Isa. 66. 2. The poor broken contrite Spirit of Man under the Cross or Death-work of the heavenly Creature-spirit of Christ on his earthly in order to be born of his heavenly is of more Value in God's Sight than all the unbroken Excellencies and Perfections of Men and Angels in their First-creation-Make and Life All that by a delusive Confidence in their own earthly Life given them in their First-creation finally despise God's heavenly offer'd by a second do chuse Satan's Lie in Union with him in the first in unchangeable Enmity to God's Truth offer'd by a second They prefer the Form of Godliness in the Life of the Creature to the Power of Godliness in the Life of the Creator 2 Tim. 3.5 2 Thess. 2. 10-12 True Saints are Followers of Christ in the Regeneration Mat. 19. 28. by the Death of their own Spirits at best into his everlasting true Salvation-life above all Deaths So come they to be chang'd from a visible First-covenant People of God in their own holy Flesh Righteousness of Man into an invisible People of God in his Holy Ghost or heavenly Creature-Gospel-spirit and therein have a Life hid with Christ in God Col. 3. 1-4 Their Peace with God therein passes or surmounts all natural Vnderstanding of Man with all the Things of God wherein it consists Man's highest natural Understanding in the First-covenant understands not the Saints spiritual Understanding in the Second nor any of the divine and heavenly Creature-things of God he thereby sees understands or speaks of He therefore reckons all Foolishness 1 Cor. 2. 9 14 15. The Seed of Life put into Angels and Men in their First-creation was corruptible in the second incorruptible This latter is the Life which by the Gospel is preach'd and made known 1 Pet. 1. 23-25 This Saints come to be the happy Experiencers of as the Root Spring and Principle of their Desire Thought and Action By Death of the First-creation and Resurrection into the Second was Christ himself as First-born from the dead qualified to be the immediate Creator of Angels and Men by a First and the giver to them of eternal Life by a Second-creation of them So only can any be Subjects to him in his heavenly Kingdom None that finally refuse to suffer and die with him in the First can ever live and reign with him in the Second 2 Tim. 2. 10 11. By true Regeneration the corruptible Life with the fallible Understanding and corruptible Will of the Creature is chang'd and transform'd into the incorruptible and infallible Life Will and Understanding of the Creator the marvellous Light and glorious Liberty of the Sons of God Awaken'd Saints in the all-discovering Light of the quickning Spirit of the Second Adam see an end all natural Life Wisdom Glories Excellencies and Perfections in the living Soul of the First will come to Psal. 119. 96. No such changeable Life or temporary good Things will be found in the Heaven or Hell-part of the eternal World to come Rev. 18 14-19 There will be nothing then but eternal Life or Death eternal good or evil Things The changeable fallible womanish Spirit of the First Adam at best is the mystical Iezebel or false Prophetess as to Mens eternal Concerns exactly serviceable to Satan's Designs in such Interpretation of the Scriptures of Truth as to preach up with all Confidence his Lie for Salvation to them and their finally deceived Hearers everlasting Destruction All this Iezebel's Children her Thoughts Doctrines Works or Fruits will be kill'd with eternal Death burnt up and destroy'd for ever Rev. 2. 20-23 By the wrong Use of their own Free-will did evil Angels at first set up for themselves in a Shadow of Divine Soveraignty to be as Gods in the uncontroulable Exercise of their own Wills as God is in his infinite Divine Will And they soon drew Mankind in Adam to make the same Choice with them to be as Gods telling them that God knows they shall be so and will own them therein as having made a right Choice for their everlasting Blessedness Gen. 3.5 In pursuance of this first destructive Lie as soon as any of Mankind are restor'd into the Life and Righteousness of Man by the Redeemer Satan is at the same Point with them as at first in Adam and prevails with many such redeem'd ones to strike up an everlasting Covenant with him in the First-creation-life of the Creature in unchangeable Enmity to God and the everlasting Life of their Creator To all such God says what have you to do to take the Words of my new and everlasting Covenant in your Mouth Psal. 50. 16. as pretending to preach my Gospel when Ministers of Satan's other no Gospel in a direct Contrariety to mine Gal. 1.6,7 Saints by true Regeneration as born of God do experience his working all their Works in them by his heavenly Spirit Isa. 26. 12. What a surprizing amazing Answer will all others find at last Day from Christ we find Mat. 7. 21-23 Depart from me ye that work Iniquity CHAP. XIII The Difference of the spiritualiz'd Natural from the spiritual Understanding MAN in the former is said to be a Partaker of the Holy Ghost or heavenly Creature-Gospel-spirit of Christ the living Word of God under highest spiritual enlightning Gifts These are the best Gifts to be coveted or desir'd receivable by and upon Man's natural Understanding but short yet of the more excellent Way or the very spiritual Life and Gospel-Principle of all right Desire Thought and Action Without this call'd Love as rendring any true Lovers and Beloveds of God Fulfillers of the whole Law Mind and Will of God after his own Heart all 's nothing as to eternal Life 1
Rewards run on Satan's Side to his reputed Gospel-Divines nothing but Contradiction Reproach and Persecution are the usual Recompence of Christ's true ones in this World under all which they rejoice in the certain Fore-sight of their great Reward in the next Matth. 5. 11 12. Act. 5. 41. Satan offer'd Christ himself all the Kingdoms of this World if he would own him for God and his false Law-Gospel for God's true if not crucify him crucify him says he by the legal-spirited professing Jews Iohn 19. 6. If he or his Followers preach up another Kingdom contrary to mine away with them kill them as Traitors to me and my earthly Cesars under me in but my worldly Life and Principle though under the Name Christian and that of the highest Rank in but First-covenant-Righteousness of Man mystical Infidels as to Christ's New-covenant Gospel-life and Righteousness of God Thus will Matters go while Satan and his Ministers are permitted to transform themselves into the Likeness of Christ and his 2 Cor. 11. 13-15 They carry all before them in this World Christ and his will have all in the next to Eternity CHAP. XIV Concerning the two Covenants first and second THE Life given Angels and Men in their First-creation was the Principle of a First-covenant-communion with and worshipping of God Many Angels and all Mankind in Adam by such Knowledg of God as they had therein by the things that were made glorified him not as God were not thankful for what they had received nor made the right Use thereof in Sacrifice to his Will in order to receive the eternal Gospel-life of their Creator by a new or second Creation the only Principle of a new and everlasting Covenant with him They became vain in their Imaginations professing and owning themselves wise enough to know what was best for themselves to do in their own First-covenant Law-spirit of Works as not needing any other Life or Things for true Happiness in a Second Rom. 1. 19-22 God made Man upright Eccl. 7.29 pure and incorrupt in the First but not incorruptible as in the Second All Mankind are sad experimental Witnesses of this however many of them all along this World deny it with their Mouths The Disputers of this World under Satan's Inspirations seek out many Inventions to defend and maintain their evil Choice and false Confidence in the First as transform'd into the Likeness and disguis'd with all Scripture-Titles belonging to the Second in unchangeable Enmity to God and the Second This greatest Folly as to their eternal Concerns are many guilty of taking great Pains to dispute themselves into everlasting Destruction They decry the New-covenant-life and therein the Wisdom and Righteousness of God which Christ requires all to seek after Mat. 6. 33. and complains that no Man will Rom. 3. 11. while confident in his own fallible Understanding in which he can never make one right Step in the Paths of Life to himself or Peace with God Ier. 10. 23. Prov. 20. 24. Had the First-covenant-life given Man in his First-creation or restor'd by the Redeemer since been faultless or not defective as to his true Blessedness no place should have been sought or appointed of God for a Second by a New-creation Heb. 8. 7. Mens establishing themselves in the First in unchangeable Enmity to God and the Second turns a visible People of God inholy Flesh Righteousness of Man into no People of God at all but a Synagogue of Satan Hos. 1. 9. 2. 2. Revel 3. 9. Yet when so will they confidently under Satan's strong Delusions assert themselves to be the only true Iews or spiritual Israel and Church of God but lie This will they say when in unchangeable Enmity to God and his true Saints Such have been all along this World Haters and Murderers of true Saints Prophets Apostles and Christ himself for the Life and Doctrine of the Second-covenant True Saints under the Inspirations of the Almighty are gradually ceasing from the Labours of their own Law-spirit of Works at best or delighting to seed on the best Fruits brought forth by them therein and to commit their Way to the Lord to work all their Works in them Isa. 26. 12. by his heavenly Creature-spirit of Grace and to feed on such incorruptible spiritual Fruits as are producible by them therein This is the true mystical Fast and Sabbath which he has chosen and requires Men to keep Isa. 58. Man is but a mystical Tree of Good and Evil in his own Spirit Will and Way a mystical Tree of Life in God's All outward literal bodily Fasts and Sabbaths though God's own Appointments and Ordinances to the Jews without this inward mystical Truth of all rendred all their Performances an Abomination to God and themselves a mystical Sodom Isa. 1. 10-15 worse than literal Matth. 11. 23 24. The delighting in and feeding on the best Fruits of our own Spirits in preference to God's is the self-same thing with Eve's Apple and our first Transgression in Adam All First-covenant Life Wisdom Righteousness Works and Fruits of Man's own Law-spirit of Works are to be given up in Sacrifice to God in order to our arriving at the happy Experience of the spiritual heavenly Creature-life Righteousness and Wisdom of God working all our Works in his Spirit of Grace and Truth Iohn 3. 21. and bringing forth right Fruits to him Rom. 7. 4. That the First-Covenant Life given Man in his first Creation was eternal is Satan's Lie carried on all along this World by all manner of Disguises in his evil Angelical Subtlety in opposition to God's Truth in the second The Law was given by Moses to direct to First-Covenant Righteousness of Man in the living Soul of the first Adam but Grace and Truth come by Iesus Christ in the quickning Spirit of the second Iohn 1. 17. 1 Cor. 15. 45. God rewards the Righteousness of Man for a season as a Debt to him Rom. 4. 4. but takes away such Rewards from Saints the inward Comforts of a good Conscience there and sometimes outward also by the permitted Hands of evil Angels and Men to make room in them for his eternal Life and Blessings where all is of Grace both Works and Rewards Iob was a signal Experiencer of both and Paul also with other Saints Phil. 3. 6-11 All that passes in Man's day of judging and Words of his own Wisdom for eternal Life will in God's day of judging be found by all that trust thereto eternal Death All first-Creation Life and Things thereof all Works and Fruits done and brought forth therein will pass for nothing in God's day The Temporary Wrath of God bringing Saints into the lowest Hell in this World from which there is Deliverance Psal. 86.13 is God's way for delivering them from the Wrath and Hell to come which are eternal The Saints Hell in this World as plagu'd and chasten'd all the day long Psal. 73. 14. while Enemies have more than Heart could wish v. 7. is their true
single and higher intuitive natural Understanding than Man's though in but the same First-Covenant Law-life of the Creature as Man He appear'd to the Angels immediately as four living Creatures that had the Likeness of a Man Ezek. 1.5 the comprehensive Sum of all changeable First-Creation-Being and Life The word Man comprehends all Every individual Man is a Microcosm or lesser World having all found in the Macrocosm or greater without him and something more peculiar to himself He has Being an earthy Body with Elements and all inanimate Simples or Compounds a threefold Life or Spirit of Lives Gen. 2. 7. Vegetable with Grass Herbs Trees c. a Life of Sense with Birds Beasts Fishes and creeping things an intellectual Exercise of the Life of his natural Spirit above and without the Body while in it with Angels but inferiour to them therein Then besides all this has he the rational Exercise of his natural Understanding by bodily Organs not found in any Parts of the greater World Angels or Beasts The four living Creatures by which Christ represented himself to the Angels had the Face or Likeness of a Man And they are call'd again and again the or one living Creature Ezek. 1.20,21 10. 15 17 20. The good Angels figur'd by Wheels or Chariots Psal. 68. 17. follow'd this Head fully Whithersoever his Spirit was to go they went and turned not or looked back as they went Ezek. 1. 17 20. The Reason hereof was the Spirit of the living Creature was in the Wheels v. 20 21. a Seed of his spiritual Life was in them Hence when the four living Creatures with the Face of a Man did let down their Wings the said Angelical Wheels did let down their Wings v. 24. In Passive Obedience to the Divine Will and Conformity to Christ's Death of the first Creation they ceas'd from the mortal Life of their own Spirits given them in their first Creation and from the Exercise of their own fallible Understandings and corruptible Wills therein which are the mystical Wings by which natural Angels and Men flie abroad in this perishing World to view and place their Thoughts and Affections on what seems desirable to them in order to pick up a true Happiness to themselves where it never is to be found While Man thus rambles and flies abroad for a self-pleasing delusive Happiness amongst the Delights of the Sons of Men he never looks or seeks after God and his heavenly Creature-life and Things the peculiar Delights of the Sons of God These heavenly Creature-things offer'd by a new Creation are out of the Reach of all single natural Understanding of Man 1 Cor. 2. 9. and the only way for attaining them is most contrary to his natural Will The Death and Loss of both and all is the appointed way in God's Wisdom whose Thoughts and Ways are not as Man 's but quite contrary about their true Salvation Isa. 55. 8 9. When the good Angels had let down their Wings importing a perfect Rest and Cessation from the Labours or Exercise of their own Spirits Wills and Understandings a Voice from the Firmament over their Heads calls them out of the said Death of Nature into a living spiritual Faith working by love to Christ as seen by them the Man upon a Throne as exalted Son and Branch in his heavenly Creature-life Hereby were they actually possess'd of eternal Life and infallibly sure of being compleated therein in God's time They patiently waited with a holy kind of Impatience well-pleasing to God also in longing Desires and Pantings after the actual Gift of the Holy Ghost or Gospel-Spirit of the Man they saw upon his Throne therein They with Old-Testament-Saints waited four thousand Years for this promis'd unspeakable Gift which was not given to either or any of them till Christ was ascended in our Nature Iohn 7.39 But as inseparably united therewith by a living spiritual Faith working by Love thereto they all had a good Report with God as well-pleasing and acceptable to him though they had not receiv'd his promis'd Holy Ghost Heb. 11. 39. All along the said four thousand Years the good Angels with Old-Testament-Prophets and other Saints desir'd to pry look into and consider what time the Spirit of Christ in them as enjoy'd by a spiritual Faith therein did signify when it testified before-hand the Sufferings of Christ and the Glory that should follow with the Holy Ghost sent down from Heaven and clear Gospel-preaching experienc'd therein 1 Pet. 1. 10-12 On this account the good Angels had Cause of Rejoicing at the Birth of Christ in our Nature as their own concern as well as Man 's though not in reference to Sin For they never sinn'd at all nor were in danger of ever sinning after their first change from Nature to Grace They rejoic'd also on behalf of Mankind who are all born Sinners The high Joy of the good Angels on these Accounts at Christ's Birth is recorded Luke 2. 8-14 By the first Demeanour of the good Angels is implied the contrary Behaviour of the evil ones The good follow'd Christ their Head the evil ones turn'd from their true Head as they went or were going a while with the good under the same Light Satan made himself a contrary opposite Head to Christ and with his Tail drew a third part of the Angels Revel 12. 4. signified by Stars Iob 38. 7. into the same Condition with himself under him as their Head in the self-chosen earthly Life of the first Creation in unchangeable Enmity to God and his heavenly Life offer'd them by a second As thus it was with the evil Angels so too oft with Men. Under high spiritual enlightning Gifts many that have gone a while with Gospel-Saints after Christ as their Head finding his Cross or the Death-work of his heavenly on their earthy Spirit to be pass'd under in order to be married to him as risen from the Dead they turn away from him under Satan's Witch-crafts Gal. 3. 1 3. to set up for themselves in their holy Flesh or righteous Life given them in their first Creation in unchangeable Enmity to God and his holy Gospel-Spirit offer'd by a second So Satan as God and Prince of this World brings them under his Influence by which he renders them the most enrag'd Antichristian Enemies of Gospel-Saints and Truths 1 Iohn 2. 19. A third part of the Angels will perish for ever Of Mankind the many in the broad easy self-pleasing Way to Hell out-number Christ's few in the narrow Way to Heaven though they also out of all Generations will be a numberless Multitude Revel 7. 9. CHAP. V. A short Review of the four preceding Chapters by way of Recapitulation CHAP. 1. God infinitely blessed from all Eternity Chap. 2. Determin'd to create Angels and Men to give them immortal Spirits and to put into them a mortal Life in their first-creation to be call'd their own with all the things thereof their own Righteousness Wisdom Works Fruits c. but
Counsel of God by him declar'd to them therein On this account he tells them they with their Fathers in the like Cainish Spirit of Enmity were guilty of the Blood of all God's true Prophets shed from the Foundation of the World from the Blood of Abel to that day Luke 11 49-51 And so will it be to the end of this World under Satan's permitted Reign and Man's Day under him of judging in Matters of Religion and Worship of God so as nothing must pass for Gospel but what Man pleases to give his Approbation to The Jews built the Sepulchres of the Prophets under pretence of paying Honour to them and owning their Counsel when with their Fathers Murderers of all such and in unchangeable Enmity to all their Words rightly understood If they had been in the days of their Fathers they say they would not have been Partakers with them in the Blood of the Prophets Mat. 23. 29-31 Under all these Pretences and self-deceiving Imaginations Christ declares them fix'd in the self-same murdering Mind of Enmity with their Fathers against all true Prophets and himself also as soon appear'd and therefore ask'd them how they could think to escape the Damnation of Hell ver 33. Since all such dealings of the Jews with their own true Prophets and Christ himself with his Apostles in the foretold long Antichristian Day now near ending how have unchangeable idolatrous Haters of Christ and his Gospel-Truths and Saints been found under the Name Christian building stately Churches or Temples to the Honour of Paul Peter Iohn c. who would as certainly murder them for their Gospel-Doctrine were they now here as others did even in the Primitive Apostolical Gospel-day Let Men under Satan interpret their Gospel-Writings in a Sutableness to their own Wills and so in a universal Contrariety to the Words of God's VVisdom in them and all 's well and they with the Apostles in the way to eternal Life and true Salvation All void of a true living spiritual Faith in Christ's Gospel-life working by Love to him therein are the unreasonable and incorrigible Adversaries of true Gospel-Saints Paul shews the like Figurative Significancy in Iacob and Esau Rom. 9 10-13 Esau mortally hated Iacob and God hated Esau. Esau's murdering Mind of Enmity to Iacob is express'd by himself Gen. 27. 41 42. The like is notified in all his murdering-minded Followers against God Christ and his true spiritual Iacobs Obad. v. 8-10 Amos 1. 11. CHAP. XVI Concerning meer Creaturality in Angels and Men in their first and also in their highest spiritual second New-Creation Capacities with some account of all possible to be done by any in their first and the differing Ends of all at last HAving already spoken of the ready prepar'd Hand the exalted Creature-Son and Branch in the Mediator's Person the living Word of God as qualified and fitted for a first and second creating of Angels and Men come we now to consider what they both and all amount unto for ever as but meer Creatures not only in their natural Beings and Life of the Creature given them by a first but also spiritual Beings and Life of the Creator given by a second Creation of them Angels were all created at first in their compleat Personalities invisible immortal Beings without any innate Capacity of or connatural Tendency to the exercise of a threefold Souly or Animalish Life rational sensual and vegetable in and by a fitly Organiz'd Body As for Mankind they do gradually descend from one another in a continued Succession Generation after Generation for a compleating their Personal Beings from the beginning to the ending of this mortal World What became of Angels good and bad by the first well-pleasing Passive Obedience of the former and first unpardonable Sin of the latter has been above-spoken to Chap. 4. of this Treatise Man inferiour to Angels in their single intuitive natural Understandings tho in the same kind of Mortal Earthly First-Covenant Life is in his compleated Personality a much more comprehensive Being than an Angel He is the most compleat shadowy Image of God on all accounts in the whole Natural Mortal First-Creation World visible or invisible This is signified concerning him in distinction from Angels and all other Creatures therein created before him in a readiness for his Entertainment Of none thereof is it said by God as of him Let us make Man in our Image after our Likeness Gen. 1.26 as the Compend or Epitome of all other Creatures and something more peculiar to himself the rational Exercise of his Mind in and by a Body found in no Creatures above or below him So find we a peculiar Consultation of the three that are one to draw an earthly shadowy Image and Representation of themselves in every individual Man This Enlargement of Man's Personal Being beyond Angels expos'd and rendred him liable to vain sinful Desires and Thoughts so as to wallow in Mire among Satan's Swine feeding on Husks the lowest Dust of this World below any Palate in any evil Angels to savour any Belly Desire or Appetite in them to lust after delight in or feed upon being never link'd with mortal Bodies or sensual Life Pleasures in common with brute Beasts So the Enlargement of Man's Being beyond Angels was a Diminution to his intuitive Understanding in common with them and to the Exercise of his Natural Will as exposing him to a running out in his Desires after the lower sort of Desirables in the vast heap of vanishing Shadows in the visible Parts of this First-creation World And evil Angels tho they care not for such things themselves have Power through God's most wise Permission to shoot their fiery Darts into Mens Spirits and kindle in them evil Lustings after such visible things in which they keep the far greater part of Mankind wallowing in Mire as their Swine far from any looking after God at all The Soul or threefold animalish souly-Life of Man distinct from his Spirit ceases as to exercise at the Death of his Body The Spirit then retreats to the full Experience and Exercise of its supream intuitive Way of discerning and converse with Angels good or bad in a spiritual Intuitiveness with the good Gospel-Angels or natural with the evil Law-Angels Lawyers from the beginning on their First Sin and Fall setting up the Law-life of the Creature given in the First-creation against the Gospel-life of their Creator offer'd by a Second and so their Lie against God's Truth The Devil was a Murderer from the Beginning John 8. 44. and his fix'd Law-party of Mankind in the restor'd Law-life-Wisdom and Righteousness of Man have been under him the irreconcileable Haters and Murderers of Christ himself and his Gospel-Saints all along this World At the Death of the Body Man good or evil is dead His Spirit is for a time strip'd of the threefold Souly-life as to exercise that are essential Ingredients into his personal Constitution At last Saints will recover their Bodies in a
their Head in the Death of the first Creation and Resurrection into the Life of the second So pass'd out of their own mortal First-Covenant Law-Life into God's own New-Covenant Gospel-Life of originally immortal Holiness and everlasting Righteousness Ezek. 1 5-26 The Devil and his Angels kept not their first Estate but left their own Habitation Jude 6. To Man's Wisdom they only kept their first Estate the Life and Things given them in their first Creation And consequently in the Wisdom of Human Nature is Man ready to follow the evil Angels first Choice as best Here 's the case of many restor'd into the First-Covenant or First-Creation-Life of the Creature ready to establish themselves therein as a state of true Salvation This Paul fear'd and labour'd to prevent in his Israel-Brethren Rom. 10. 1-3 At this dangerous Point were the Corinthians and Laodiceans in the delusive First-Covenant House of feasting and rejoycing 1 Cor. 4. 8. Rev. 3. 17. as not at all needing any other Life by a second or new Creation for their everlasting Blessedness On the first unpardonable Sin of the evil Angels they were immediately cast down to Hell deliver'd into Chains of Darkness to be reserved unto Iudgment 2 Pet. 2. 4. They by their Sin fix'd themselves in their own self-chosen Life in Preference and Opposition to the eternal Creature-Life of their Creator and God in his righteous Judgment giving them up to and thereby fixing them in their own Choice was a casting them down to Hell In this Hell and their Chains of Darkness are they Rulers in this dark mortal first-Creation World The Chains of Darkness in which they are reserv'd to the Iudgment of the Great Day are all Life Wisdom Righteousness Excellencies and Perfections of their Angelical Nature given them in their first Creation as turn'd by their Abuse of all into the greatest Wickedness Madness and Folly in unchangeable Enmity to God and his Heavenly Creature-life shewn and offer'd them by a second So are they in a state in all Extremity contrary to what they were created in chang'd by Self-destroying Self-love from a state of temporary changeable Obedience to a state of eternal unchangeable Enmity to God An absolute Exclusion of them from the Kingdom of Heaven is called a casting them down to Hell God not only gave them their Choice but also in the abusive Exercise of their self-chosen Life a permitted ruling Power over Mankind all along this World as God thereof under the restraining limiting over-ruling infinite Wisdom and Power of the true God so as that he can never hurt any true Saints or Subjects of God's everlasting Kingdom Yet even Saints for a time are under their Power Yea he told Christ himself all the Kingdoms of this World and Glory of them were his offering all as his greatest Bribe to the true King in the World to come in case he would fall down own and worship him as God Mat. 4. 8 9. Luke 4. 5-7 Christ denied not that all the Kingdoms of this World were at his Dispose by God's most wise Permission He that said this to Christ in the Fountain-Purity of the First-Creation and full of that Spirit of Grace and Truth that 's offer'd by a second what will he not do to Saints before their experiencing any thing of Gospel-life or when but in some little beginnings thereof and Enemies within Foes of their own House in their own Spirits and whole Nature in Union of Mind with him in Enmity to God and his Gospel-Spirit in themselves He is permitted a Power of transforming his Earthly Spirit into the likeness of Christ's Heavenly Creature-Spirit that 's the mysterious House and Temple of God and therein to shew and assert himself to be God the very infinite Divine Being 2 Thess. 2. 4. And herein is he undiscoverable by the highest single natural Understanding of Man in but First-Covenant Principles tho indeed the worst of all Creatures the supream Man of Sin and Son of Perdition v. 3. This God of this World who passes with Man for the true God will not be able finally to blind and deceive any but them that are lost 2 Cor. 4. 3. If it were possible he would so deceive the very Elect by his false Christs evil Angels and his false Prophets und Apostles amongst Men transform'd into the likeness of Christ's true ones 2 Cor. 11. 13-15 Clothing their own First-Covenant Law-Life with all Scripture-Language and Titles belonging to God's own Heavenly Creature New-Covenant Gospel-Life as the true Regeneration new Creature State of Grace in which they have true Joy and final Peace with God Ezek. 13. 1-10 All this is confidently asserted by Men under Satan's lying Spirit of Divination With such the renew'd old Man in the restor'd First-Covenant Law-Life given in the first Creation must pass for the new Creature without all Scruple or Contradiction and does so pass in and with the most reform'd People or Churches of this World in but First-Covenant Principles All Worldly Preachers and Hearers in but Worldly First-Covenant Principles confidently take Satan's other Gospel that 's no Gospel for Christ's true Gal. 1. 6 7. 1 Iohn 4. 5. Restor'd First-Covenant Law-Life is so far from rendring any Fence-proof against the evil Angelical Rulers of this World that they make that their strongest Hold and Men eminent therein their choicest Instruments to oppose dispute against contradict and blaspheme the Heavenly Creature-Life and Gospel-Righteousness of God wherein any can be sav'd Let Satan in his superiour evil-angelical Wisdom and Men in their inferiour human Wisdom under his Influence interpret the Scriptures all therein shall seem to run current for carrying on Satan's Design to the everlasting Destruction of his blinded Teachers and Hearers Leaders and Followers That shall be preach'd up as a State of true Salvation and final Peace with God which if fix'd in will be found a State of unchangeable Enmity to God and eternal Death to Man All establish'd in the First-Covenant Law-Life and Righteousness of Man in unchangeable Enmity to the Gospel-Life and Righteousness of God go on to their dying moment with their delusive Laodicean Confidence therein to their sad long eternal Condition in the World to come Paul was confident awhile but not fixedly wilfully and unpardonably in his Law-Spirit of Works against God's Gospel-Spirit of Grace in true Saints but immediately on Gospel-Conviction and Conversion gave up the Life and Righteousness of his own Spirit in Sacrifice to God in order to find all again with Usury in God's eternal everlasting righteous Gospel-Spirit of Grace and Truth Phil. 3. 6-11 Many not only eminent in the Wisdom of Man but under highest spiritual enlightning Gifts receiv'd on their natural Understandings amounting to a partaking of the Holy Ghost Heb. 6 4-6 in the all-discovering Light but not the all-powerful Life thereof are bewitch'd back again by Satan to set up for themselves in their own holy Flesh Righteousness of Man Life of the Law