hell death and Devill But the hinder part of the ship which is the humanity must be broken because of our sinnes and transgressions and must taste of death for sinnes cause but nothing in the ship that stayes in it to indure this storme of death shall perish and all the prisoners that are bound in it shall be saved and swimme to shoare on the broken peeces of this ship the true sence and consummation of all is that when we have indured the battle till sin be destroyed then do we enter into the most holy life and are saved Now to read the history of Christs last supper how that the same was kept in an upper Chamber and that he did eat bread and drinke wine and give of the same unto his disciples and that he was whipt scourged and crowned with thornes and how Judas sold him and how that he was afraid to die insomuch that hee did sweate drops of blood and that hee was nailed upon a Crosse and was pierced through with a Spearel so that there came forth of his side blood and water and that at his death the sunne was darkened and the moone was put out and that hee had gall and vinegar to drinke and that he was crucified betweene two theeves This is the most holy and sacred mystery which is acted in the soule of every man that is saved and this upper chamber is thy inmost selfe and this bread and wine is the bitter cup of Gods wrath and indignation whereof thy soul must drinke for the sinnes cause and thou art not able of thy selfe to beare or drink this cup without some mighty power come to assist thee to doe it now thy Judas or man of sinne that is raised up to destruction hath sold the most innocent life into the hands of the wicked to suffer for thy sinnes for the most innocent life commeth to thee in fearfulnesse and trembling and thou being in him in this feare and trembling preparest thy selfe to suffer with him and thy Judas Devill or wicked nature commeth to thee as if he were thy friend and now seeing that thou wilt leave him hee fawneth on thee as if hee loved thee and were thy friend saluting thee as if it were with a kisse of love but he selleth thee to the blinde Jewes to be killed and crucified of them which Jewes are thy blinde selfe will that now crucifies thy selfe and Saviour within thee and thy selfe will carries thy selfe and Saviour into condemnation with thy condemning conscience into the judgement hall of condemnation where all thy sinnes riseth up against thee taunting mocking and scourging thee and crowning thee with the thornes of thy sinfull life which pricketh and woundeth thee and thy Saviour with griefe for what thou hast done so that thou and he art in a bitter agony and sweat of death insomuch that thou desirest and wouldst faine have this bitter cup to passe from thee but thou must indure it if thou wilt be saved for Gods will must be done and not thine for it is he that raiseth up all thy sinnes against thee to condemne thee crowning whipping and scourging thee with what thou hast done so that thou must now taste of the death of thy sinnes or otherwise thou shalt never taste of the life of God for the life of thy sinnes is the death of God in thee and the life of God is the death to sinne and thou and thy sinnes must be nailed to this crosse which crosse is the patience and long suffering of Jesus Christ in thee unto which thou and thy sinnes art nailed till thou art dead to thy sinnes and thy sinnes to thee for thy sinnes hath nailed thee and thy Saviour together and hath pricked him and thee to the very heart so that he and thou dost dye of those wounds and he and thou cryest out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me and in the time of thy sufferings or Iesus that makes thee indure this curse or shamefull reproach of thy sinnes according to thy due desert the Son of glory the life and brightnesse of the Godhead is darkened or put out so that there is all darknesse death and hell over the internall divine and most holy world till thy sinnes and thou art dead one unto another so thou seest that the divine and most holy world is in hell under thy earthly being till thy sinnes be destroyed and being in hell under thy body of sinne and death he raiseth up all thy sins against thee to condemne and shame thee and shews thee what a partition wall is betwixt thee and him which is the law of sinne and death that condemneth thee alwaies rising against thee till sinne be destroyed so the love of God to thee offers thee his power which is Iesus Christ that enters into thee to destroy the body of sinne in thee which body of sinne is the workes of the Devill that hath destroyed the body or works of God in thee It is not the divine and holy God that is against thee but it is thy sinnes that standeth in judgement against thee to condemne and arraigne thee so that thou must goe under their judgement condemnation and execution for what thou hast done against God and goodnesse for he it is not that is angry with thee nor condemneth thee for he is that righteous and holy one that can indure all and is one and the same for ever nor can he be any other for he cannot be moved to wrath or fury for then were he changeable but he is the unchangeable and one and the same for ever but the deeds that thou hast done against that holy One that is so good to thee slyeth in thy face crying vengeance against thee and telling thee that thou must dye for what thou hast killed and cast away from thee so till the law of sinne hath done his office and killed thee for killing and laid thee under the earth in hell where thou hast laid the holy One thou shalt never be at rest for thou hast killed but art loath to be killed but thou must cast off this death or â—â—p otherwise thou shalt be ignorant of justice for justice is to reward every one according to his workes and as he hath done to another whether good or evill so the most holy One by his mighty power inlightens thee and shews thee all thy sinnes how they slye in thy face against thee and shews the justice of the law of sinne and that thou must dye for thy evill deeds the which worketh feare and trembling in thy heart and then doest thou cry and morne for helpe and can finde none till the goodnesse of God commeth to thee taking pity and compassion on thee and helpeth thee to indure the death of sinne for sinne in thee so that now thou lyest on the patience of God till thou art freed from sinne and the Devill lyeth upon the other side of the patience or crosse and is that
in thee but kills and crucifies them as soone as they appeare in thee to give thee counsell for thy good and so the Lambe of God is slaine in the beginning of our first world or at the first appearance discovering and distinctions of things in us for in one infancie or nonage all things is in silence and we are a Chaos and God is in this silence and with us in this Chaos and in his time and when hee saw the ripenesse of this Chaos he set forth all things in us and made them appeare in their order and places to us and gave all things to us as our owne and in our owne power because we should be free to binde our selves or stand free according to our pleasure for there was life and death set before us so that we might binde our selves to either or stand free as we were and binde our selves to neither because that Man should not complaine nor grieve in his spirit that he should be tyed against his will to any thing therefore all men appear free to stand or fall or binde themselves to what they please but Man tyes himselfe to the brutiall passions of his mind and leaves God and goodnesse and so they be hidden and lost in him so thy passions rules domineers over thee and thy blinde wisdome or subtle serpent carries thee into all misthiefe and lies and deceives thee and makes thee have a hellish mind which is a cage of all unclean and hatefull birds for thou art the kingdome of hell and thou art full of hell-hounds dogs and swine wolfes and Tygers Lions and Beares Serpents and Cockatrices and all venomous things so that there is no good thing in thee in thy off-fallen estate for if God or goodnesse should appeare in thee thy beastly and divilish crew would destroy him out of thee so that thy God or goodnesse doth lye under thy earth or under thy hellish beeing which a mighty power holding forth a slickering sword which is the law of sin that cries vengeance and saith I will repay and saith thou must dye and all thy hellish crew for this law requires death for death eye for eye and tooth for tooth for thou hast killed God and goodnesse and these murthers flyeth in thy face by this mighty power with the sword of justice in his hand that stands to execute thee and kill thee for killing and this is the patience of the Saints which saith that they that killeth by the sword must dye by the sword for this is justice that the blood-thirsty might drinke blood and so Man thou shalt never bee happy till this justice is executed upon thee and upon all thy hellish crew and that thou art dead buried damned and lost with Christ and God and that thou and thy wicked crew is seen no more and thou art turned to thy dust and into thy old silence with God againe and art as if thou wert not and then God in his time will create thee a new world and renue all things againe in thee for there shall bee new heavens and a new earth wherein shall dwell righteousnesse in thee David saith Create in me a new heart O Lord and renue a right spirit within mee that is when thy old world or Adam is destroyed in thee that Man of sinne or that vessell of wrath that was borne for destruction or to be damned for our old world is to shew the glory and justice of God and his mighty power in the Man and to the Man and that the Man should see himselfe lost and damned and when he is come to this passe then shall he see his mighty power in saving him and creating him a new creature or new world for the first world was to shew the manhood and all her glory what she is and that all things were given into her hands to doe what seemed good in her own eyes and she let all things run disorderly and spoyled all things and that which she should have governed did governe her so that all things is turned upside down and Man sees his owne strength and wisdome is foolishnesse for God lets man alone with his first creation to shew him what he is in his own freedome and if man had not been left alone and free and had not had all things in his owne power he would have repined therefore he was left free to see his owne weaknesse and inability so he desired to be his owne God and ruler therefore God gave man all things in his power yea even himselfe also to see how he would use him for God saw mans covetous desires and so God put himselfe and all things else into his hands to do what seemed good in his own eyes and so nature or man appeared for that that is naturall is first and is the first Adam and that which is spirituall is last and last Adam or God for the first man Adam is earthly and the last Man or Adam is the heavenly or Godhead Man so man if he desres not to be changed or become the last Adam shall remain for ever in his first estate creation or first world for his first world is his misery because he desires to be his owne guide and his blinde wisdome is his owne destruction and because he disregards all good so hee shall bee with himselfe and his hellish crew till he is weary of himselfe for he hath given himselfe to pride which makes him thinke he is better then other men which is a lie and a deceit and he is given to covetousnesse of the riches of this world which all perish with the using and he is given to luxury gluttony and drunkennesse which makes him ready to starve another time for mispending the goods he getteth to maintaine his livelihood and he is given to seek honour and worldly estimation to wrath and furiousnesse about these things which are all lies and vanities and perish with the using and to backbyting and evill surmising one another to murder in secret and openly to hatred malice and hypocrisie with all uncharitablenesse about these lies which all perish with the using for here is nothing but howling crying sighing and mourning about these lies and deceiveable things for when pride hath exalted a man to honour and great estimation then he rejoyees and that is his heaven or God to him and straight envy in another man is troubled at this his honour and greatnesse and devises some plot to throw him downe and when he is throwne downe that is hell and death to him then hee sighs mourns and grieves for this deceiveable lie and the covetous man he covets the riches of this world and will cosen lie and cheat any man to make himself rich thereby and many times comes fire and destroyes his riches or one backbyter or slanderer or other devises some mischiefe against him and bringeth him under the penalty of some law of men that he pretendeth he hath broken whereby
all his riches that he hath gotten is lost and taken from him then hee mournes and grieves because this deceiveable god hath left him and is fled leaving him comfortlesse and the glutton and drunkard that lives in luxury and voluptuousnesse which is his heaven or god when penury want and grievous diseases commeth upon him then cries he out against himselfe and grieves at his folly which is a hell to him now when it is too late yet so soon as he recovers health and means againe he returnes as bad as he was before like the dog to his own vomit and the sowe that is washed to her wallowing in the mire and the murtherer that in his wrath and choller doth kill a man which murder in his passion is the heaven or god of lies that pleased him afterwards when the law of sin or justice of man comes to execute him then justice or the law of sin executing its office proves a hell unto him therefore if thou desirest no harme to be done to thee thou oughtest not to doe any to another but if thou dost this revenge or justice in him whom thou wrongest and does to him as thou wouldest not he should do to thee retortâ— backe upon thy selfe and thy owne conscience cannot deny but that it is just and good although it be death and hell to thee and that thou canst not abide to suffer it for thy justice and law of sin saith an eye for eye tooth for tooth and life for life the morall Law and ten Commandements is in thy selfe and it is thy own naturall desires to them for thou lovest God or good with all thy soule minde and strength to be done to thee and thou dost naturally love thy neighbour as thy selfe because he is thy Samaritane and doth good to thee for thou dost naturally love those that doe thee good and that is reasonable thou dost love the Sabbath day for naturally thou dost love rest and naturally thou dost love and honour the place from which thou camest which is thy father and mother thou dost not naturally desire to be killed therefore thou saiest I must not kill thou dost not desire any should take thy naturall propriety from thee nor falshood to be done to thee therefore thou sayest I must not wrong another man by enjoying his wife and propriety or rob or steale from him his right or what he hath laboured for for the labourer is worthy of his hire thou doest naturally hate to have a false accusation on thee therefore thou dost say I must not beare false witnesse against any one and so the rest is what thou wouldest not have done to thee that thou must not doe to another for S. Paul cryed out against himselfe and said that he did the thing he hated and did disallow and did not the thing that he did allow and love but sold himself under the law of sin which he hated for this law and curse is added because of the transgression which is just to reward every man according to his works for this law of workes saves no man but condemnes all because all men have sinned and as long as man lives in the fleshly lusts of sin and concupiscence he is under this law of sin and curse and cannot please God but the world is mistaken of Paul and thinks that he meant and said that as long as he lived in the flesh or in this organicall creature of the foure elements of clay hee should sin if this were the meaning of St. Paul sure he must kill himselfe and advise all men to doe the like or else they could not please God for that which hinders us from pleasing of God must be taken out of the way but Paul saith that Christ hath taken him away from the curse and law of sin by faith which faith is the power of perswasion and convincing the heart of sin and unrighteousnesse and the workes of faith is to crucifie the sinfull flesh and lusts and to be obedient to God and goodnesse and that faith of Christ saves thee and Paul saith that he thanks God he is dead and that Christ is now his life and that he lives now by the faith of the Son of God which is by his loving perswasions and that confidence and reality of truth which he found by the obedience of Christ in him to God and goodnesse and so that flesh of Paul is dead and crucified to him so that it is evident by the sense of Scripture that Paul meant that flesh of sin and not the organicall creature that he then lived in for we know nothing of God nor of the divell but what we see in our selves for St. John saith what we have heard and seen and tasted that declare we unto you for we must not imagine the powerfull and mighty Godhead to be any Idea Image or likenesse of any thing but what he hath declared himselfe to be to us for it is said that Christ is in us and God is in Christ so that the Godhead lives bodily in us that hath ceased from sin for of that omnipotent and mighty power that upholdeth and discovereth all things wee know nothing neither of our selves or any thing else but what he pleaseth to discover unto us therefore in thy first creation or first birth God discovers thy selfe to thee which is Esau or Adam and thou hast all things in thy possession and thou art the God and Lord of all for thou art the God of this first world that hath blinded thine owne eyes with thy serpent subtilty and wisdome of the flesh and thou art ashamed of the naked truth that is the light of Gods grace to discover and lay all things naked and bare before thee but thou coverest and hides the truth with the leaves of thy owne fruits for thou art ashamed of the truth and when God calls thee in the coole of his day and that his light and fire begins to wax cold in thee thou hidest thy selfe from him and art ashamed of him as thy nakednesse for thy wisdome hath opened thine eyes to thy selfe will and hath shut them up to the naked truth and so thou art lost and damned from God and goodnesse for thou hast deprived thy selfe of him and hath hid God in thy selfe as thy shame for thou art ashamed to come before him and therefore thou hidest him with thy partition walls of sinne and now thou art cloathed with thy owne death that is the law of sin and thy owne justice in thee for the skinnes of thy innocency that thou hast lulled within thee which is the death of God and Christ is thy cloathing and so thou art cloathed with the death of God in thee and God now never appeares to thee but in this death with terror and feare which terrifies thee and this justice of terror and feare lyeth in the death of God which thou hast slaine and dis-regarded and is that slickering sword that keeps this
to our darke eyes to be flesh which is not as the three Angells to Abraham and to Lot for we beleeve appearances to be that which they are not in deed and in truth which we finde by wofull experience the which makes such contention and cutting of throats about Religion the cause of this distraction is that we doe not see things with a righteous eye I desire all friends and readers who doe read this booke and all to whose hands it shall come that you will looke into it rightly and not construe it amisse but as it is really intended for the good of all and where I speak of the death of God and Christ in man I doe not meane that the Almighty and powerfull Godhead can dye or be lost but as he is dead and lost to the man that despises truth and treads it under foot and so I meane that God is dead and lost and the truth lyeth in the streets of his heart which is God who is that truth and the two witnesses lye dead in the street of his heart unregarded which is mercy and righteous judgement and is God which we should have shewed forth to all the world even mercy and righteous judgement but we have hid these witnesses So I desire that the most holy and righteous God may be your guide and director to lead you into all truth The true Articles of the Christian Faith 1. I Beleeve in God the Father Almighty maker of the holy Heaven and earth in the man I confesse and acknowledge that the same is a true holy living God or good and that he is a mighty Spirit and a perfect clear light that discovers to the man the reall truth of things and how all things are in their places and in or to the Man and he is the reall beeing the truth light life and love to the Man and this is his name light life and love for he is all this to the man for the love of God to the man was such that he brought him under the law of discipline and correction instructing him what to doe for his good and convincing his conscience for what hee hath done to himselfe and against God or goodnesse so he raiseth up all our sinnes as judges to condemne us for what we have done and they correct or punish us for God or goodnesse hath put it in them to doe it and God hath opened our eyes with his power to see it which makes us hate and condemne our selves for what we have done his holy power or light hath perswaded our hearts to have true sorrow and reall repentance for our sins with a broken and a contrite heart and sorrowfull spirit and so we begin to hate our selves and our sins and doe really forsake them and doe confesse that we doe deserve to bee for ever lost and damned and be deprived of God and goodnesse for ever because we have chosen hell death and devill and joyned our selves unto it but Gods mercy and goodnesse hath inlightned our hearts with his law and hath really corrected 〈◊〉 for our sin and hath brought us to the beleefe of Jesus Christ by his law or fatherly correction for he receiveth no sonne but whom he correcteth and none comes to Jesus Christ but whom the Father drawea to him and this drawing to Jesus Christ is by the law of discipline and this law is the river Jordan or judgement and Iohn the Baptist or the light of Gods grace that doth dip or dye us in the river Iordan or Iudgement of Gods glacious goodnesse and this his judgement doth cleanse us from all our sinnes that were as red as searled and we come out as white as snow and this is the first Baptisme in the Fathers Name 2. I beleeve in Jesus Christ the only begotten Son of God or good and that he is the reall substance of God and that he is the goodnesse that proceedeth from God or good And I beleeve that all good things are made in the man by him and through him and that all goodnesse doth consist in him and proceedeth forth of him into the man for his goodnesse in us beareth in us our sinnes by his mighty power of patience and long sufferance with grievous sufferings and agonies which hee hath for our sinnes and there hee lyes or reignes in us till our sinnes bee vanquished or rooted out by this mighty power of patience and long sufferance and when all our evill is overcome by this power of his goodnesse then he delivers us which is the Kingdome of God to his Father that God may be all in all 3. I beleeve the Son of God or Righteousnesse is borne of the holy virgin Mary which virgine is the pure humanity and this pure humanity is overshadowed by the Angell Gabriell or the power of the most highest God and this Son or righteousnesse of God is begotten upon the humanity and is the promised seed to the man which is borne for a blessing to all generations of man as was promised 4. I beleeve that this holy seed of blessing the Sonne of God Jesus Christ the Saviour of us hath suffered death under Pontius Pilate the law of sinne in us and that he dyeth for and to sinne in us and is dead and buried and in hell under our earthly beeing and man of sin and he suffers for our sin in this hell for they be all upon him and he is nailed to the crosse of patience to endure all the reproaches and blasphemies contempts and false defamations or accusations for our sinnes cause on him and for the love of God and to us hath taken us upon him that we should suffer with him all our own reproaches contempts and sinnes to condemne us for doing them and that wee should condemne and forsake them and be dead to them and they to us by the power of Iesus Christ that saveth us in us and this is the baptisme of the Sonne and is the fiery tryalls or the baptisme of fire with which he saveth his owne body or us which is the humane nature that he hath taken on him to suffer for and with and that it might be saved through him and by his power in us and whosoever doth not suffer this death with Christ for their sinnes that is to suffer under the law of sinne death for sinne and to sinne the death of the crosse which is the patience and long sufferance of Christ to the killing of sinne in us he is no Christian let him brag how much he will of his Christianity till he hath tasted the death and life of Christ and that all this is come to passe in him for they must all taste of this cup or passion and be baptised with his baptisme for if we doe not suffer and dye with him we shall never rise and reigne with him 5. I beleeve that the holy God hath raised up his Sonne Jesus from the dead and that he was three dayes
and three nights in hell under the earthly man of sinne and in the heart of his earthly being and the first day he sheweth and discovereth unto man his sins and the night of the day doth terrifie and wound the conscience and doth feare the man which is the law of sin or the wrath of God upon the man that sinneth And the second day is the grace and power of God which giveth the true sorrow and repentance for thy sins and the night of that day is that bloudy fight in which is the sweat and agony of death in thee that crucifies and kills thee for thy sins And the third day is the power of Christ that gives thee victory over death devill hell and sins so that thou art dead unto sin and the night of this day is the patience and long sufferance of Christ in thee till thou hast overcome the evill one for in this day and night is the whole mystery of Christ finished and the Son of God is darkned in thee and thou becommest dead and buried in him and he in thee so the last day is comming on to thee which is the resurrection of Christ in thee and with thee which is the new creature or man of God Jesus Christ which was dead in thee and with thee and when you have suffered together you shall reigne together in perpetuall joyes with him in God for ever and for ever I beleeve that this Jesus or our Saviour is ascended up to his Father and doth carry them up that have suffered with him and hath cleansed them and prepared them a Kingdome for his Father that God may be all in all in us for he Christ after the flesh which is death and mortification must reigne in us till all sin be subdued and then he delivers us up to his Father for he saith except we eat his flesh and drinke his bloud there is no life in us therefore let us eat this flesh and drinke this blood of mortification and killing and crucifying our sins This was the flesh of Christ that St. Paul spake of saying though he knew Christ after the flesh yet now he knew him so no more O that we had all eaten this supper of Christ then were we happy but till then most unhappy for we must drinke this cup or passion and shew the Lords death till he come in his life and glory 7. I beleeve that Iesus shall come from the strength or right hand of God with all his Saints or Angels or the good motions which are thousands of them and they with Christ shall judge the quick and dead in us which quick is himselfe and all his Saints and holy Angells to live reigne and dwell in us and judge the dead sins never to live any more in us but be damned and lost for ever out of us so this is the last day or light or day of righteous judgement that shall last for ever in us O that it were so come to passe in all and that they might see this last and everlasting day or new day which shall last for ever and for ever 8. I beleeve in the Holy Ghost and that he is the ancient of dayes and is the love of the Father and of the Son which is the reciprocall love of singing one to one and this holy love or Holy Ghost hath joyned God and man together and hath pulled downe all partition walls that hindered their comming together and hath baptized or dipt or dyed the man in this his most holy life or holy spirit and hath made him a holy house Church or Temple for God to live and dwell in and Christ is the head stone or foundation of this most holy house O that all men were become this Temple or house of God to dwell in 9. I beleeve that there is one holy Church and this Church are all holy men that are without sinne spot or wrinckle for all holy men are the body of our Lord Iesus Christ that is cleansed by him and made pure for hee is the head of a pure body and there is no sin in his body or Church nor is he head of a sinfull body therefore looke to it you that are sinfull men for you are not the members of Christs body or Church of Christ as you may see in the fifth of the Ephesians where it is evident that he saith that his body or Church is without sin 10. I beleeve that all sinnes are forgiven in this Church for Christ hath forgiven them the sinnes that are past and hath covered them with his holy life so that those evills shall never rise against us more but wee shall live and reigne over devill death and hell with Christ for evermore and sit with him at Gods right hand for ever and for ever 11. I beleeve the resurrection of the flesh of Christ that is joyned to the humanity and this flesh or death of Christ with the humane nature shall arise into immortality and for this mortality of theirs shall put on immortality and all death shall be swallowed in victoriousnesse so happy art thou O man that hast put on the flesh or mortality of Christ for this flesh or mortality shall carry thee into everlasting immortality and into everlasting life and joy of holy minds 12. I beleeve that there is but this one holy and everlasting life and this life is the holy life of God and he hath chosen the man to live in it and to her one with him for ever Take it to heart for this is the reall truth and surely thou shalt finde it so if thou seekest for it thou shalt finde it and it shall bee so unto thee CHAP. II. A description of one spirit acting in all which some affirme is God NOw what a spirit is is to be considered for all things appearing to the man he gave them severall names according to their natures and as they appeared unto him for in Gen. it is said that Adam the man gave every thing and creature his name according as his nature was to the man and it was so and could bee no otherwayes for the genius and wisdome of God in man gave these severall names by his inspirations and lights which hee discovered to the man how the natures and qualities of things were and they are really so for they be named by the Spirit of God in man but there are many cavellers that dispute about it and would destroy all order and bring all into confusion for they say they cannot tell what a spirit is nor what man or beast is nor what fire water earth or aire is yet they themselves see all these severall things and their severall natures and operations in them and to them so that if these things had no name they must of necessity give them some name or else all the world would be dumbe and have no discourse for they could not discourse of these severall things and their natures unlesse they
had names to call them by that the one might understand the other and know what subject they speak of and what each would have another to do but these mad people love to confound themselves A spirit is that internall fire life and motion of all things as the spirit or fire and life of herbes and trees which is named the negative spirit that manifesteth it selfe to the world and all other spirits Now there is another spirit or sure that groweth and bloweth it selfe up into one organ and feeleth any thing that toucheth it and its name is the sensitative spirit There is another spirit eye light or fire that groweth and bloweth it selfe up into an organ whose name is called the rationall spirit or eye of capability and judgement which discerneth all things in their order and place and this is the man And there is another spirit eye light or fire that is a motion joyned to the man that discovers the reall truth of all things to him for his good or hurt and his name is called the spirit of wisdome or God and this is the light or right eye to the man that foreseeth all things for his good if he will regard his instructions And there is another spirit eye light or fire that is a motion that moves to the man that he feeleth in his intellectuall which is the spirit and eye of darknesse that looketh into all things for the mans harme the which if hee looke through leads him into all folly and blindnesse and worketh him into all mischiefe and this spirit is the destruction of the man and bringeth him to all misery and calamity and this spirits name is called the Devill the worker of mischiefe for these two spirits move to the man in his intellectuall and he feedeth seeth and heareth them internally and discourseth with them as two men discourse and talke one with another and these spirits are instrumentall to the man to perswade him to what he shall doe for he can do nothing but by these instruments the one for his good the other for his harm and he tasting of both he knowes the difference and how opposite the onces to the other and how they change him and make him good or evill for if any man doth good by the good instrument hee that is ruled by the evill instrument contradicts the good works of the good and the good instrument contradicts the man that is ruled by the evill instrument but there bee some that say the evill is good and the good evill which cannot be so for the good is good still to the man and is one and the same for ever and the evill is evill still to the man and is one and the same for ever for if thou dost evill to any man that evill is evill to thy selfe and if that man that thou doest evill to should retort the like backe on thy self then thou wouldst quickly be sensible that it is evill and not call that evill good falling upon thy selfe which falling upon another thou didst call good for if thou shouldst vassallize any man abuse or starve him or cut off his limbs and doe him all the harme thou couldst what good is this to thee surely thy conscience tells thee it is evill and not good to thee for thou dost not like to have those things done to thy selfe for retorting and falling backe upon thy selfe thou findest it evill So thou art evill and wicked O man whosonver thou art that dost those things and teachest another so to doe for thou teachest him lies that the evill is good and the good evill and thy owne conscience condemnes thee in doing the evill and so doth the conscience of the others whom thou teachest so to doe also defnding him with thy lies to deceive himselfe with for thou oughtest not to doe any thing to any man that thou dost not like to be done to thee nor must thou doe that which thou wouldest not have done backe againe for thou seest it is evill say what thou wilt to deceive thy selfe for thou dost cosen thy selfe with these vaine delusions Surely those that are of the minde that one spirit acts in all would if it were not for seare of the laws of men fall a cutting one anothers throats and doâ— all mischiefe being devills one to the other in their passion for they will admit of no law of goodnesse for their restraint If but one man had this evill power to execute his will upon all the world for pleasure then might it be thought to be good but you see in all men a desige to have their will therefore thou must expect and it is just and fight according to thy desert that thou shouldest be killed for killing and for stealing to restore double or be his servant to worke it out and make double satisfaction for his losse and troubling him for this is the law of sin and death for sin and this is in man and can be no other wife for the evill that hee doth to another man riseth up in judgement against him by the other whom he bath wronged to retort the like backe upon him for this law of sin in the man saith an eye for an eye tooth for tooth arme for arme c. and so with the froward to be froward and evill for evill saith the law of sinne in man which is just to reward every man according to his owne evill workes but thou caust not abide this law of sinne for thou wouldst doe a great deale of mischiefe and injury to other men and take pleasure in it but that this pleasure brings this sting of death and paine backe againe to thee which thou canst not abide so this thy God or pleasure perisheth with the using and change thy pleasure into pain by falling backe upon thee But thou wilt say that if thou murtherest a man in secret so that none be private thereto but thy selfe how can that murther be discovered or the law of sin be executed upon thee I answer that the law of sin is in thy self and riseth up in judgement against thee in condemning and wounding thy conscience so that thou art weary of thy life and in the and discovers thy selfe never being at quiet till the law of sinne be executed upon thee for we see few murthers that are long concealed another question may be demanded if this law of sinne which seemeth to be good or God and is executed upon thee is not murther and cruelty likewise I answer it is and is thy God and ruler in thy off-fallen estate that is a furious God and a consuming fire who will consume thee in his wrath and in his sore displeasure forthy sinnes have raised up this furious God that holdeth thee in with a rough bit and bridle whilst thou art a wilde asse colt that striveth to overthrow thy rider and this cruell God shall be thy Lord King and husband and will torment thee so long as thou
and consuming of things that they starve and dye for hunger and are forced many times to eat one another as may be seen and heard of where these practises are If this be God or good that acteth those things and tells me that it is pleasure I will abandon such a god as the most abominable and hatefull thing that is and desire to have nothing to doe with such and abominable and wicked god that blindes my eye and makes me thinke good to be evill and evill good for the Scripture faith Woe to him that calleth evill good and good evill and light darknesse and darknesse light for wee are all ready to mistake but our nature and quallities cannot be altered for we use our quallities and natures upon what object we light on whether good or evill For the cholericke man whieh is most composed of fire if he light upon the evill instrument he hath so many severall temptations to wrath and anger that his soule or himselfe is never at quiet for one disturbance or other and many times in his wrath the Devill tempts him to kill a man and he is in continuall vexations so that he is in a living death and dying life although he see it not but loves this living death more then the everlasting life which hath no bitternesse therein but is full of all sweet content and all the workes that this life or spirit animates thee to doe breeds thee no sting discontent or any thing to be repented off but this evill instrument animates thee unto horrid and cruell things full of mischiefe which cruelties riseth up in thy conscience and flyeth in thy face making thee condemne thy selfe saying what a wicked man and beastlike wretched creature am I that doth such wicked actions I would not have such things done to me why would I doe thus to another sure there shall some heavy judgement fall upon mee and I shall have the same measure met to me againe and so still the law of sinne flyeth in the wicked mans face and is called the law of God or the wrath of God that moveth man to repent for the wickednesse he hath committed and to condemne and arraigne himself at this barre of Gods judgement within himselfe which shews him all his sins and wicked life and so hee kills and crucifies himselfe with these horrible wounds of conscience in him and is never at quiet nor never shall till the cause is taken out of the way which cause is the Devill and sinne and there must a greater power take away this death with another death that is by the death of Christ being a death unto Devill and sinne which death is called the death of Christ in us that sighteth against our sinnes and all our lusts and affections and crucifieth all our sin and sinfull life so that there is no more sin death and devill in us for it is this death of Christ that destroyes the death for sin and the cause of sin which death of sin was done by the law for sin executed upon sinne so taking away the cause and the effect which cause was the devill and sin and the effect was the law of sinne so that when the cause is taken away of necessity the effect must cease and this death or mortality of Christ shall raise us up into immortality so that we may say O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory for the strength of our sins was the law of sinne which law or wounds of conscience was our grave wherein we were dead and buried so this death of Christ hath freed us from all deaths and mortallities and his death and mortallity will bring us into the true sweet and everlasting life which I desire all soules may come into and injoy Now he whose spirit is most composed of spirituall fire as was said before when he was ruled by the evill instrument doing such wrathfull and cruell things when he is turned to God and goodnesse his quallity and nature of fire is turned into burning zeale so that he is on fire of love to doe all goodnesse and is never well but when he can doe some deeds of charity and love to others so that his minde is swallowed up in God and this his nature and quallity of fire is turned to all God or goodnesse for the Divine Nature is wholly incorporated in him the which I desire all fiery and choloricke men may attain unto As for the spirituall ayreall or sanguine man if he sets his nature or quallity upon the evill instrument hee is very lascivious and given to leachery gluttony and drunkennesse and to all vaine pleasure which doth besot the minde for nothing doth besot the minde so much as leachery and drunkennesse and all these his follies doe flye in his face calling him foole and sot and it doth so besot them to all good that it makes them careles of wife children and all other friends and makes them apt only to devise a thousand plots and mischiefes to maintaine their beastly brutiall and sensuall life so that they spend all their owne estates and other mens and in the end goe a begging or live upon others and they defile and spoyle their owne bodies with the pox and other diseases so spoyling both body and minde with their sensuall living for they are in an extasio below themselves and ravished with a brutiall and sensuall life and this their evill instrument the Devill or unreasonablenesse hath brought them to and when they have lost their organicall man then commeth in their greater griefe or hell because they cannot execute their beastly and sensuall life so they are tormented in that they cannot doe as they formerly did when they had a body here for their minoe is upon nothing else but on their beastly brutiall and sensuall life which perisheth with the using leaving them in great discontents and the Devill sets alwaies this joy and pleasure before their eyes and the want of their bodies to execute their former fooleries which want torments them to the death so that they are in a living death and dying life and the law of sinne still rising out of their conscience condemneth them for what they have done and for what they desire and so they are with death and hell except they could returne but the Scripture speaketh of time and of a day and whilst time doth last and he saith there is an appointed time and after that time there is no time more for in that time the death of Christ should have taken away death and the cause of death which is the Devill and sinne who hath brought them into this miserable condition under the law of sinne and condemnation which is the second death for he saith in dying thou shalt dye the death so then all men of all quallities and complexions shall be in this condition for ever except they bee amended by the death of Christ for he is that innocent Lambe
which taketh away the sinnes of the world and so maketh amends for all Now when this ayreall or sanguine man returneth and is moved by the good instrument which is God and doth wholly follow him then doth God ravish his minde with his sweet contents and ravishing joyes so that his soule is taken off from all things below and is never at quiet but in this sweet contemplation for he sings in minde rejoycing in the spirit so that his soule is wrapt up in God and goodnesse and hee sheweth forth to all the world all love and goodnesse so that happy is that man that can injoy his company I doe earnestly wish that all ayreall or languine men or women may set their minde upon the holy God that they may injoy this good for their minde in this estate is carried up in such raptures in the holy God that they live here below in this world as if they lived not As for the phlegmaticke or spirituall watry man which hath a dull and grosse capacitie if he suffer his minde to be moved by the evill instrument hee is so strongly set on him that he will very difficultly leave him and he maketh him live so lazily that he is good for nothing and setteth his minde on all lasciviousnesse on evill surmisings and suspitions constrning all things in the worst sense so that he is never at quiet for one suspition or another being in continuall mistrust of every one because his capacity is shallow and the Devill hath blinded his eyes with these fallacies so that he thinketh every one to be his enemy and he doth a great deale of mischiefe in these his evill suspitions thinking to begin with others first and in his blindnesse of minde doth undoe himselfe and others and then riseth up the law of sinne in his minde tormenting him accusing him of what mischiefe he hath done to others without any other cause save only his owne wrong apprehensions and so this law of sinne condemnes and wounds him to the death till the death of Christ takes away this death and the cause of this death which is the devillish delusions and the evill surmisings which makes him do all this mischiefe to others without a cause And if this spirituall watry or phlegmatick man forsake the evill instrument with all his soule and minde and returne to the holy God or good instrument with his whole strength and minde to bee joyned to and ruled thereby then all his thoughts are set upon goodnesse and then doth hee construct all things in the best sense which is done to him and he seeth all things that fall crosse in this world to be good for him to wean and draw his love from earthly things which perish with the using and his minde is wholly swallowed up in God and goodnesse and all his thoughts and contemplations are upon God and hee she weth forth nothing in all his life but God and goodnesse to the whole world and to the sonnes of men for his life is swallowed up in the most holy Godhead if all the phlegmatick men and women were come to this estate then were they happy but till then most unhappy And for the spirituall earthly or melancholly man if hee joyne himselfe to the evill instrument the Devill to be ruled thereby he is wisest of all in doing mischiefe for he hatha vast capacity and can receive all suggestions and as was said formerly by him is acted the greatest cruelties and therefore hee hath the greater wounds of conscience for the law of sinne raiseth up all his cruell deeds against him so that his soule is heavily vexed unto the death and he hath such feare and dread in him that he wisheth that he had never been for he hath such fearfull and melancholy thoughts that every houre he feareth to be torne in peeces and this is in him till the death of Christ takes away the cause and then this wounding law of sin will cease but many love their sins too well to part with them to let Christ take them away and so they live and dye with them so that the Devill and they are together for ever and for ever in his world which is without end for the beginning of his world is the ending with the man for the beginning and ending is with the man one and the same for ever for as he was at first to him so hee is the last and the same for ever for he changeth not but continueth still evill therefore O man looke to it in time and whilst time doth last for after one time there is no time more and looke to it before the decree where of the Prophet speaketh come forth for after that decree is past there is no hope therefore looke to it whilst it is called to day and whilst this day doth last in thee which day is Jesus Christ that commeth to help and save thee but if thou dost not regard this day or Jesus Christ then the decree commeth forth to thee which is the eternall black night of death and darknesse which darknesse or night is the depriving thee of Gods grace and comfort for thou regardest it not when it was offered to thee and so in despising it thou shalt bee for ever without it thinke as much as thou wilt to the contrary for as sure as there is a God and as thou livest this will come to passe upon thee if thou dost not looke to it before all these things come to passe in thee so if this melancholy and earthly man forsake the Devill and evill one and turne to God and goodnesse to bee joyned to and guided by him he conceiveth more of the secret mysteries of God then all the rest for hee findeth out all the deepest mysteries and all things are opened unto him for as he hath suffered more so more is revealed to him and so God and he are joyned for ever in all love and he is in everlasting joy and comfort in God for ever and for ever I wish that all spirituall earthly and melancholy men and women may bee joyned to this everlasting joy and comfort Where as I have spoken of the delusive God in this Chapter I desire I may not be mistaken for the Scripture speaketh of two Gods the most holy God and the wicked God of this world that blindeth the eyes of mankinde one is the reall good and the other is the reall evill And the Scripture maketh mention of two Sathans Devills or evills and of two guiles or two delusions the one Sathan guile evill or delusion is for the good of the man and the other Sathan guile or delusion is for his utter destruction for the incestuous person was delivered to the good Sathan or evill for the destruction of his sin full flesh that his spirit or soule might be saved in the day of the Lord and St. Paul tooke his disciples with a good guile and made them grieve and mourne deceiving them by
perfection with the crowne of glory which is holinesse to God and be cloathed in white linnen which is a most pure and innocent life and now you see that Priest people and sacrifice must be pure and unspotted without sinne having all perfection As for the holy Arke which was builded by the free will offering of the people and Moses going up into the mountaine to the Lord for a paterne to shew the people that it might be builded with all their pretious stones and fine silks for curtaines and the drinking pots of gold with the candlesticks snuffers and snuffing dishes and the mercy seat with the Cherubins that holdeth up the mercy seat and the holy and most holy place with the curtaine betwixt the holy and most holy and the Altar and hookes the table and shew-bread with Arons rod that budded and the pot of manna which to understand as a history that such a glorious building was made to look upon is nothing to me for to looke or judge of it so is to looke according to the outward appearance which is not righteous judgement for in this is to be seene the whole mystery of the Godhead and the humanity for in the holy place is the whole worke of the law with the death and sacrifices for sinne for a reconciliation which death and sacrifices is the Godhead and manhoed which lyeth upon the holy Alter fire wrath crosse or patience till the man of sinne be destroyed and rooted out of us And the golden candlesticks with the lights in the holy place is the law or grace that shineth from the morning till the evening or till sinne is extinguished and done away in us and is the lights of Gods grace which is true repentance for sinne with a broken and contrite heart and sorrowfull spirit which shineth till all things are finished and then giveth up the ghost unto the Father from whence he came and then the vaile or curtaine which standeth in the most holy place is rent in twaine from the top to the bottome which vaile is the flesh and death of Christ and is the new and living way through which all must enter or else they cannot be saved nor enter into the most holy or Sanctum Sanctorum where the mercy seat is held up by the Angells and Cherubins Now when the Priesthood which is the holy humanity hath fulfilled the whole worke of the Law the sacrifice for sinne in the holy place then they put on all their holy garments and attires and so enter into the most holy place with their bells or hymns that soundeth forth the praise of God internally to God and externally all good to men for in this holy attire must he enter in the most holy place with odours and sweet perfumes of a holy life and the smoke of these odours and perfumes of a holy life ascendeth to the mercies seat and ravisheth the most holy Godhead and then he imbraceth him in his armes saying Thou art my beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased and this is he that maketh us Kings and Priests to God and giveth us himselfe to be offered up for a sacrifice to God his Father for us O man how great is the love of God to thee that hee becommeth thee to save thee and makes thee himselfe for the great love he hath to thee for in thy first appearance he created himselfe in thee and then there appeared unto thee foure worlds first this externall world whereof thou hast borrowed a body or garment and knowest not how foone it shall be called for againe for the world whitleth about and calleth for her owne againe and there can be no certainty of any thing here because here is nothing but change and mortality for this world of it selfe is death but that the spirits that are in it is its life so that this world is not worthy so much as to bee thought off for it perisheth with the using as doth a garment only it is good in this respect because wee could not know light but by darknesse nor life but by death nor immortallity but by mortallity and the reason we were in obscurity or in silence before wee could come here is this that there is one eternall increase of the seed of man and they can but appeare in time here for this externall world is time and time is a running round and there is no new thing here but as it is to me for this materiall world doth neither increase nor decrease but is one and the same for ever in its turning round only it seemeth to me to increase and diminish and so it is finite and because the seed of man is an eternall increase and this world being one and the same may be called finite in this respect because there is not matter enough for all spirits to have bodies or garments of at one time and therefore some must goe before others can come for the spirits to come are infinite and this world is finite because of its materiall confine not increasing but running round so that which is called the body of one to day may be called the body of another to morrow for there is no certainty here and all soules must stay their time till they can come here and in their comming and being here is the time to see distinctions and all worlds and if thou doe not looke about thee and see them here in this world of time but be neglective of the time thou hadst better never have been born or brought forth in time for this time vanisheth away to thee and thou shalt bee seen no more for when man is in honour and knows it not he is like the brute beast that perisheth being without God in the world therefore whilst time doth last to us let us looke about us and redeeme our mispent time and seek the everlasting good or reall true world that is beyond all time or change and this is the divine world which God hath placed in thy heart as is said in Ecclesiastes the 3. and the world whereof Moses speaketh Gen. 1. and is the Angelicall world or paradise out of which the man had an Angelicall body which is but a part of Gods house for God shewed himselfe but in part and this part he lost and in that part he was that great Lucifer or Angell that was the Sunne of the morning or starre that fell and in falling fought against his Maker or him that gave him that Angelicall body or world in which the most holy world stood as a tree of life unseen or untouched by the man for he had more minde of the diabolicall world for all worlds being opened to the man he desires the evill and worst of worlds desiring to be free before his time because he could not abide the servanthood to till and dresse the garden of the Lord which servanthood is the angelicall body or world which is the servant of the Lord but desired to