the Eternal Word in the Wisdom make Man in his own Image and breathed into him the Breath of Life and he became a living Soul and the Lord God filled him with Wisdom and Understanding and gave him Dominion over all the Works of his Hands and Man in the Wisdom of God ruled over them all he stood in the Wisdom and received Counsel and had his Way in the Holy Life he walked in the Paradise of Pleasure and fed upon the Tree of Life he lived in still communion with his God and his living Soul stood in his living Virtue and the Breath of Life was alwayes reaching to it he was in the pure Oneness with God that made him and the Image of the Holy Life was upon him and he was in the Power Wisdom and Strength of God and bare the Image in Righteousness and true Holiness without any mixture and all things stood clear in the Separation as they were created and there was no mixture to defile Then did the Wisdom behold his Work and lo it was very good in his sight and he had great pleasure and delight therein and his Mercy Love Goodness and Tenderness was to it and his Blessings and Peace was upon it and Man enjoyed the living Presence of his Maker and did partake of his Love Mercy Blessing and Peace he had a free course unto the Well-spring of Life and there was nothing stood in his way to let him so the Breath of Life was breathed and in it the Soul lived and was in perfect unity with it and this came into Man through the Wisdom of the Creator according to his own pleasure and as it seemed good in his own sight it was not a thing from without but the pure operation of the Power and Wisdom within after he had formed an earthly Body and brought forth a visible Creation that he might fill it with his heavenly Treasure and with his Holy Life which in his Wisdom he breathed into it and brought forth the Man in his own Image and there was no mixture in his Life and Being which is the earthly bodies Nature and it is a Compounded Vessel yet so prepared and formed in the Wisdom as to be a Vessel for the Incorruptible Image of Life which had its course through it and filled it with its heavenly Being and there was no mixture of the Earthly in it And this was the Man that was made after God in Righteousness and true Holiness and bare his Image in perfect Glory and the Body was prepared to be a Vessel fit for his own use who made it that he might fill it with his Pure Holy Life which he breathed into it in his Wisdom whereby Man became a living Soul and bare the Heavenly Image and here Man stood in obedience to the Father of Spirits who had made him a spiritual holy righteous Man and fed him with spiritual holy Food and Man had no will nor desire after any Creature but stood in the Eternal Will and ruled over all the Creatures and his desire was to enjoy the Holy Life in which he was generated and brought forth and what he desired to partake of in the Life it was ministred unto him according to the good Pleasure of the Creator in whom he had his Life and Breath and lived in the pure Enjoyment of the Eternal Being in which he was daily comforted and continually satisfied and in this state no Sin or Evil was committed by him nor no Curse reached him nor no Death was upon him nor no Grave did hold him nor no Wrath went forth against him but in the Mercy he liued and Mercy was his portion and his delight was in his Maker and with him he walked day and night and he had Liberty in Paradise without Restraint and the Tree of Life he had free course unto and the Cherubims and flaming Sword were not set to fence it So was Man created in Righteousness and served God in Righteousness and lived in the Life of Righteousness and he was not in the mixture of any Unrighteous thing but was created in the Wisdom of God and bare the Image of God which drew its Breath and Life from the holy Fountain of its Generation and stood in the Eternal Essence of the Divine Nature and so did the Everlasting God of Wisdom Power and Strength bring forth his own Work in which his own Name was glorified and then he rested from ill the Works that he had made CHAP. II. The state of Man in the Degeneration and also the Serpents Working VVHen the Pure Creation was finished in the Eternal Power and Wisdom it rested in the Holy Order of Life and was in the Pure Harmony and Oneness with the Creator and there should have rested in the Holy Order and not have moved â—â—t in the Power and Wisdom of Life but there was a part which did not keep its station but moved out of the Wisdom and wake the Order and did aspire towards the Equallity of the Holy Essence for which cause it was cast down by the Power and driven into the lowest parts of the Creation and was there to have its place and habitation at the furthest distance from God and his Anger kindled against it and he drove it down in his Anger and his Wrath abides upon it and it is sealed down in the Anger and Wrath without recovery and this is the place of that part which kept not in the holy Order of the pure Creation but aspired to have been equal with the Power and his name is Serpent the Devil and his place is Hell the bottomless Pit where the Almighty God exerciseth his Wrath without ceasing because through the Aspiring the Creation went out of its holy Order in which it was created good and in which it should have rested with God and have had its Order in his Power and Wisdom and when this Aspiring Part was cast down into the Lowest Part it became beastly carthly sensual and devilish and was more subtil than any Beast of the Field and having now lost his place in the Pure Creation and cast down in the Separation where the Almighties Wrath was exercised upon him without ceasing and he was alwayes in the Torment of the Anger and Wrath which sealed him down without recovery then did he labour with his Subtilty to draw out of order that which yet did keep its station and order and to beget a motion out of the moving of the Power and the Lord God having given a Command unto Man in the day that he put him into Paradise and charged him Not to eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye saith the Lord God which the Serpent knowing and having in his fall seen through the Creation he attempted the Woman because she was nearest unto Man being given as one meet to be an help unto him and being also the weaker part of the Creation
THe Day of Restoration's come the Lamb the Life the Holy One He is Establishing his Name Nations must bow unto the same The Heavens are old the Earth is dry The Glory of Man must fall and dye His Leaf decayes his Blossom fades away He withers in the Night and burns up in the Day The Fire will try his Root and prove his fairest Branch And Root and Branch must burn and none shall stop or quench The Old must passe away and vanish out of sight The New must he set up and shine in Glory bright Blessed is the Day THE NEVV-CREATION BROUGHT FORTH In the HOLY ORDER of LIFE WHEREIN The Immortal BIRTH is Revealed and the Precious PEARL out of the Mixture Extracted Declared in these following Particulars Viz. 1. The state of Man in the Creation 2. The state of Man in the Degeneration and also the Serpents Working 3. The state of Man in the Separation and also the Serpents Working 4. The Way and Works of Man in the Separation and also the Serpents Working 5. What it is that doth convince Man of Evil and also the Serpents Working 6. How Man stands in a Convinced state and also the Serpents Working 7. How Man stands in a Converted state and also the Serpents Working 8. The New Birth in the Regeneration and also the Serpents Working 9. The New Creation in the Holy Order 10. The Way and Work of Man in the New Creation From one who dearly loveth the Creation of God and patiently waiteth to behold its Perfect Freedom William Smith London Printed for Robert Wilson at the sign of the Black-spread-Eagle and Windmil in Martins Le Grand 1661. TO THE READER READER WHether thou art a Friend unto Truth on an Enemy or whether thou art a Professor or Prophane a Cedar or an Oak a flying Bird or a ranting Spirit This following Truth which in this Book is declared may be of service unto thee if thou wilt but reade it â—eekly and soberly for it is given forth from that Innocent Life that the Serpent did ever make war against and for the Innocents sake it is sent abroad that the harmless Lambs may be preserved and also delivered out of the Net of the wicked Fowler and from the Snares of his Dark Devices Therefore when thou entrest upon it and undertakest to read it do it in the dread and fear of the Lord God and sink into the lowness and feel Gods Witness in thy own Conscience that thou mayest reade and also understand for it is Gods loving kindnesse unto thee into whose hands it may be ordered to be read or heard and from the tendernesse of Love it is declared and also sent abroad that thou whoever thou art mayest reap some profit by it which thou wilt do if thou readest it in that good Spirit which is given unto thee to profit withall and unto which the truth of it is made manifest and keepest down that evil spirit against which it testifieth and as thou keepest to the Spirits manifestation in thy self and in that readest it thou wilt feel when thy Condition is reached and when it is spoken unto and as it openeth unto thy Understanding put it not away from thee but keep quiet and be still and let not Anger nor Envy arise in thy heart which the Serpent sometimes will provoke thee to and if thou givest way unto it and sufferest it to arise it will prevent thee for profiting though thou mayest reade what is in this Book contained but as thou readest it in the Meeknesse and receivest it in the Love from which it is declared and for thy Good truly intended then thou wilt feel the weight of it and reap advantage and profit by it and aâ— thou readest consider what thou canst witness of these things in thy self that therein is declared and in so reading or hearing thou wilt profit and Gods Witnesse in thy Conscience will awaken thee and truly prove unto thee what thy present state and condition is and though never a Scripture-Text be quoted for the proof of the Testimony yet thou shalt find a proof in thee which if thou mindest it will not deceive thee but will open thy own Condition to thee which will be better for thee than many Proofs without thee and in that thou wilt feel how far thou art come to witness Redemption by the Power of Christ or where it is the Serpent holdeth thee and what thou art yet in bondage to and as in the Light thou seest it then turn to the Light and deny it that what-ever it is it may be judged and upon the Crosse crucified and in the Fire consumed for through this Gate thou must come or out of Paradise thou art excluded and from the Tree of Life for ever fenced and I having seen and also observed how the World lyeth in wickedness and also how many there be that professe Godliness which when I consider and see how few are regenerated and born again I am even filled with grief and sorrow Therefore in true tenderness and love and bowels of pitty unto all the precious Truth is declared as it is in Jesus and also the secret workings of the Serpent that hath alwayes been a Deceiver And thou mayest in this Book behold things past things present and things to come wherby thou maist understand the love that God hath unto thee and do thou yeeld unto the Lord that his Work thou mayest know who will judge thy Lust crucifie thy Life and destroy the body of Sin and so through Death bring forth a new Life in which thou wilt feel a perfect Change wrought from the earthly into the heavenly where thou wilt enjoy the Lord and his Presence his Power and his Goodnesse and sit quietly in Joy and Peace and Blessing Given forth in Worcester-County Goal where I am a present Sufferer in Bonds for Obedience to the Command of Jesus Christ In the First Moneth 1661. For which I travel who am a true lover of Innocency W. S. CHAP. I. The State of Man in the Creation THe Lord God of Life and Power who is from Everlasting to Everlasting according to the good pleasure of his own Will and after the Counsel of his own Heart he brought forth a Pure Creation in his Wisdom and by his Eternal living Word he divided and separated the Mater which in the Chaos was in a heap of Confusion and what he commanded by his Word it came to passe and as he said it should be so it was done and in his Wisdom a Pure Creation was finished as he commanded and when he had stretched forth the Heavens and placed the Lights in them and when he had laid the Foundation of the Earth and brought forth the Herbs and Trees therein and when he divided the Waters and the Fish multiplied in them when the Fowls of the Heavens had their flight in the Air and four-footed Beasts and creeping things had their way upon the Earth then did
and in his Subtilty he tempted her to eat of the fruit of the Tree that God had forbidden and he said unto her hath God said ye shall not eat of every Tree of the Garden and the Woman said unto the Serpent We may 〈◊〉 of the fruit of the Trees of the Garden but of the fruit of the Tree which is in the midst of the Garden God hath said Ye shall not eat of it neither shall ye touch it lest ye dye And the Serpent said unto the Woman Ye shall not surely dye for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof your eyes shall be opened and ye shall be as Gods knowing Good and Evil And when the Serpent had entred the Woman with this Temptation and had drawn her mind to look at it then she saw that the Tree was good for food and also pleasant to the eye and to be desired to make one wife and she did take and eat and did give also to her husband and he did eat So through the weaker part of the Creation did the Subtilty work and thereby reached unto the strongest and entred and prevailed with the strongest that the Creation moved out of the Power and contrary unto the Power so the Power was transgressed in which all should have rested and not have moved but in the Power and the Creation went out of order then Man fell from the Power and Wisdom of the Creator and hearkened to the Voice of the Deceiver and transgressed against the God of his Life and so he became a degenerate plant and lost his Authority over the Creation and became subject to the Serpents subtilty then was he driven out of Paradise and was driven into the Earth where he became corrupted and defiled amongst the mixtures of the Earthly Properties and so lost the Heavenly Image in which he was created and an Earthly Image came upon him in the generation of the Serpents subtilty and the World entered into his heart and from the foundation of it the Lamb was slain and in the World the Serpent seated himself and exercised his Power and became a god of the World and then the Tree of Life was fenced with Cherubims and a flaming Sword and what way soever Man turned in the Serpents subtilty to have come and tasted of the Tree of Life the flaming Sword turned and met him then the Serpent wrought deceivably and began to generate in the mixture of the Earthly Properties into which Man was driven and in which the Serpent had got dominion over him and in a moment all the Faculties and Properties of Man changed and he was suddenly turned from the Image of the Heavenly to the Image of the Earthly and so he became an Earthly Man with an Earthly carnal mind that was at Enmity with God and an Earthly Wisdom sensual and devillish in which the Serpent stood exalted and had dominion over Man that brought the pure Creation into Bondage where it groaned and travelled in pain and here was the pure Creation lost as it stood in the mercy and love of the Creator and it fell from the Mercy and Love into the dark Mixtures where the Wrath is exercised and so became a Subject of the Wrath where the Curse came upon him and Death over-shadowed him and Hell inclosed him where the Torment Anguish and Pain is Then the Compassion of the Eternal Mercy moved and the Love opened and the Seed was promised that should bruise the Serpents Head that had so betrayed and deceived Man that Man therein might again be recovered out of the dark Mixtures where the Wrath is exercised and be restored into the Love and Mercy which he did partake of and was his portion in the pure Creation and through the Serpents subtil working the first holy Image was lost and a defiled Earthly Image came up which marred the Beauty of the Holy and the mind that was gone into the Earthly could see no beauty or comliness in it that it should desire it so could never love it but hath ever appeared at enmity against it and the Earthly Image is most desirable to the Earthly Mind and appeareth most beautiful and so the Rejoycing standeth in its like whether it be Heavenly or whether it be Earthly and Man in the Fall is in the Mixture of the Earthly part where the Serpent hath generated and also brought forth an Earthly Image which hath its nourishment from the old Creation and its vital parts have their course through the Mixture of the Earthly Properties and in the old Heavens and the old Earth Man hath his way and the Earth is become his habitation and his dwelling-place And thus is Man degenerated and out of Paradise driven and from the Tree of Life fenced and is become an Earthly man with an Earthly Image CHAP. III. The state of Man in the Separation and also the Serpents Working VVHen Man had transgressed and sinned against the Power and Wisdom of God and was driven out of Paradise and fenced from the Tree of Life he became a servant to the Subtilty and followed his leadings downward and turned a Wanderer in the Earth where the Serpent led him in dark corners and in dry paths and Man being joyned unto him he became an Enemy unto God and full of Cruelty in the Serpents Enmity unto every thing that was good and the treacherous Enemy wrought deceivably to keep Man under his Dominion into which he had drawn him with his enticing temptations and when any thing arises and breathes towards the Lord he standeth ready with his devouring mouth to swallow it up and destroy it and he having the dominion over Man he makes him bow at his will and with his subtil working keeps him in the Earthly habitations and Earthly paths into which he hath drawn him and there holdeth him in the Separation from God that made him and leadeth him about in the dark Imaginations of the Earthly part and there doth beget and generate the things that be evil and sinful so that Man is become deformed and hath lost that pure Image in which he was created and is turned into the Serpents beastly nature and is acted and ordered by his unclean spirit that bringeth forth the deeds of darkness and leadeth Man to commit sin with greediness and Man having lost the Authority in which he ruled over the Creatures he is fallen under the power of darkness and the Serpent hath weakned him and set the Creatures over him and then leads him to commit evil in the use of the Creatures and Mans heart being run into them and become subject to them he is taken Captive with them at the will of the Serpent and hence it is that Drunkennesse and Gluttony Pride and Covetousnesse is come to rule over Man and the Devil hath him Captive in them and he neither knoweth what to eat nor what to drink nor what to put on nor how much Earthly Substance to desire the Serpent
which he hath begotten in Man since the beginning with the Light which was in the beginning they are made manifest and the Light was before Sin entred and with it is all Sin and Evil which is the Devils work in Man discovered and reproved And as the Serpent hath got dominion over Man and begets his evil deeds in him even so doth the Light discover them and lets Man in his own Conscience see them and the Light is in his own Conscience made manifest to bruise the Serpents head and to destroy his work And this Testimony is sure though the Subtilty cannot receive it and all that ever came to be acquainted with the holy Seed of Life they never testified of another thing nor ever preached another Gospel so that the same Gospel that was preached unto Abraham hath been and is the same through all Generations and this pure quality of the holy Seed doth not cease from searching after Man who into the Mixture of the Properties is fallen and there it doth strive with him by convincing and reproving that he might not there abide but that he might arise and follow it and come to inherit the Life in which he was created good and this is the Love of God which was and is and is to come who would not have any to perish but rather that they would turn and live and though his Love be so freely made manifest and hath an universal course through all the fallen properties to find out Man who is there in the disorder and walking in his disorderly and unruly affections which the Devil hath begotten and exerciseth him in yet doth not Man receive his Love in the tender of it neither turns at the reproof of the Light which from the Love is made manifest but he loveth his evil deeds more than he loveth the Light so doth not come to the Life but is held with the Serpents Subtilty in the Mixture of the fallen properties and there his delight is in Evil more than Good for which the Light condemns him the Evil-doer cannot escape the Convincement of the Light for his Evil deeds but what-ever it is that he lusteth after and hath a life in with the Light he is found out and if it be never so secret he cannot hide it from the Light and though the Serpent do beget and generate many Evil things and provokes unto Evil Concupiscence and exerciseth Mans mind therein yet the Light doth not cease to bear Testimony against Man in the Evil and to convince him of his Evil deeds Hence it is that Man stands in the Acknowledgement of his Sin and Evil but not turning to the Light when he is convinced by it and doth see his Evil in it he still abides in the Evil which he sees to be Evil and is convinced of it and the Serpent having doâ—…on over him worketh a perswasion in him that the Light which convinceth him is not sufficient to save him and thereby generates unbelief and draws away Mans mind for â—…ding to the movings of the Light or for waiting to know the Operation of its Power and Man regarding the Serpents Counsel he is drawn away from the Light and canâ—â—t believe that it is sufficient to save him and so Man doth â—â—t turn to the Light when he is convinced by it because disbelief hath entered him as to the sufficiency of it to do him good and the Serpent still holding Man under his power â—e perswades him that the Light is but some part of the named property and so calleth it a Natural Light or a Naâ—…al Conscience or the most Tender part of a Natural Man and that it is not any thing of God neither can save or give Eternal life though it should be obeyed and it is but a deceived way in which many poor deluded people do run rashly and it is not the Redeemer nor Mediator nor Intercessor for that is proper to the man Christ that dyed at Jerusalem and Man must place his Faith in that very thing done for Life and Salvation or he cannot be saved and if he do but so believe his sin shall not be imputed though he live in it and do commit it This is the fair shew of the Serpents likeness by which he hath deceived many people in begetting unbelief to the Light of Christ in their own Conscience that shews them Sin and convinceth them of it and begetting an Imaginary Faith to be saved by the Man Christ that dyed at Jerusalem though in Sin they abide and hence it is that Sin is shewed but not destroyed which Man seeing the Serpent perswades him that it cannot be otherwayes whilst he beareth the natural body for Nature is prone to Sin and none can be free from it until that body be laid in the Earth Thus the Serpent worketh Unbelief to the Light of Christ in Man and begets a false Faith to believe in Christ without him and not in any wayes within him for that is Delusion saith the Serpent and in the Serpents false Faith which he begets Man believes that though here in this World he sin out his time yet hereafter in the World to come he shall be saved So the Serpents faith puts the day of Salvation afar off and draws Mans mind into disobedience and unbelief to the pure Light of Christ in his own Conscience which is Salvation to the Ends of the Earth unto all that believe in it and it doth search after Man and convince him of his Evil that he might turn and live but Man not obeying he comes not to know the Life and Vertue that is in it neither to partake of the benefit of it So knows not the Man Christ that dyed at Jerusalem nor his Life and Salvation his Mediation and Intercession but abides in the Mixture of the fallen properties where he is a Corruptible Earthly Man without any Change wrought in him by the Power of Christ whose pure Light is Incorruptible and here Man stands convinced with the Light and sees the things that are Evil but not believing in the Light which makes Evil manifest he still abides in the Evil and is not converted CHAP. VII How Man stands in a Converted state and also the Serpents Working THe Pure Creation being in sore travel and pain through the disorder of the fallen properties where the Serpent hath seated himself over all that is called God whereby he keepeth Man in the Alienation from the Life of God where Death's shadow is over him and sore grief and pain upon him which doth heavily oppress him and make him go mourning day by day so that Man comes into a consideration of his state and condition and as he pondereth in his mind a pure Light shines forth in his Conscience that doth discover to him at what a distance he is from the pure God and how he is alienated from his Life and what a great body of Corruption there is within him that causeth his separation
above it and Man hath not liked the Furnace neither hath been willing to abide the Day of his Coming in that Manifestation but hath saved his Life in the Mixture in which the Serpents Dominion standeth who in his Subtility hath ever wrought secretly against the Seed of Life which is made manifest to bruise his head and destroy his work and though Man may be convinced and in many things converted and may have followed the Light in the Self-denial and daily crosse to many of the Worlds Fashions Customs and Traditions yet may the Seed be still closed in the Womb of the Earthly Mixtures and travel in sore pain for want of deliverance and as the Power hath risen in Man and hath begun to work in the Furnace and to divide and separate betwixt the Precious and the Vile and the Furnace hath been truly set to have refined and the Fire hath begun to take hold to have consumed that the Seed out of the Mixture might have been redeemed and an Holy Birth regenerated then hath the Serpent violently stirred seeing his Kingdom so near to be destroyed and he in great danger to be cast out and dis-possessed and he hath suddenly drawn Man from the Power and out of the Furnace that should have refined and brought forth the Gold without Mixture and he instantly hath begotten Man into a false liberty and hath exalted him over the Crosse and Judgment that the Life in the Earthly could not abide and there hath the Enemy wrought in his Subtilty and hath drawn Mans mind into a fleshly liberty so as Man unto the World returns again and unto the Worlds Fashions and Customs is a Man conformable and then dare say in the stoutness of his heart that he liveth with God in the Inner man and having seen much and also tasted something of the Word and Power but not in the Furnace abiding to know a clean Separation made and a perfect Regeneration wrought he becomes a very subtil worker and a great Enemy to the pure Innocency being fled into the fallen properties to save his Life and from this ground a monstrous Birth is generated and by the strength of the Subtilty brought forth and it is not in any wayes like the true Birth born in the Regeneration which from the holy Womb proceeds and in the Furnace is brought forth without any Mixture of the Earthly part and where it is truly born it changeth the whole Man throughout and perfectly redeems him out of the World with the Pashions Customs and Traditions and it hath its nourishment from the Breast of the holy Life and grows in the pure holy nature of it and is strong in its Power in which it makes war and overcomes the Serpent and his Power Let the tall Cedars and strong Oaks consider and stoop and bow for they must fall and be broken and the Innocency must reign because it is pure and there is no mixture in it and also let such consider who have had a taste of the true Power and have known something of its Work and are again returned unto Folly and are flown up into the Air and plead their fleshly liberty as a thing that is natural to the visible Creation and dare say that though such things appear they do not desile the Inner man neither do they see any reproof for their fleshly and carnal doings but stand justified before the Lord in their Inner man let such know as from the Lord that they are Birds of the Air and took their flight in Winter and the Hand of the Lord will bring them down and let the Proud and Arrogant consider who dare to say that all their works whether they be good or evil are wrought in God and what they do it is his doings though it be Drunkenness or any other Evil and so are in the devilish spirit ranting and making merry over the Pure Innocent Life let such sink down and hereby know yea as from the Lord that their Life is for Death and their Works for Judgment for the holy Seed is risen that bruiseth the Serpents head and he cannot save it with all his twisting nor keep his deceitful works from Judgement but all his building must be defaced and all his works destroyed CHAP. VIII The New Birth in the Regeneration and also the Serpents Working MAn being degenerated from the holy Order of the Pure Creation and being fallen under the Serpents power who is a subtil and deceitful Worker all the faculties and properties of Man are in disorder and are become a Chaos of Confusion and without being regenerated and born again he cannot come into his place in which he stood in the Pure Creation and enjoyed the Presence of the Pure God neither an he come to the Tree of Life but is shut out and fenced with the flaming Sword for the Unclean cannot enter into the Pure neither can come to feed upon the holy Life but must with the Sword be cut down and with the Flame be consumed and Man through the fiery Furnace must passe before he can inherit the Kingdom or possess Eternal Life which in the Pure Creation was its Rest and Portion and with this Pure Light is Man in all his wayes found out that he might return and come again to inherit and possess the life from which he is degenerated and fallen and with the Light he is in his own Conscience convinced of the things that are evil that he might not abide in them but that he might forsake them and deny them and follow the light out of them and as Man comes into the Obedience be comes to know that the Light of Christ in his Conscience which doth shew him Sin and convinces him of Sin that it is sufficient to save him from Sin and redeem him out of Sin and destroy the body of Sin and thereby restore him again into the holy Order of the Pure Creation where he enjoyed the Presence of God and was good in the sight of God and this is that which seeks lost Man and is made manifest to save and redeem him out of his lost estate and all that have believed in it through Ages and Generations have known the effectual working of its Power by which they have been redeemed out of the Earth and from the vain Conversation of the World and walked as Pilgrims and Strangers in the World And this Pure Light was with Abel and in it he sacrificed and his Sacrifice was accepted it was with Seth and in it he called upon the Name of the Lord it was with Noah and in it he was preserved when the Flood came upon the world of the Ungodly it was with Abraham and in it he believed and it was counted unto him for Righteousness it was with Isaac and in it he was the Heir of Promise it was with Jacob and in it he went over Esau's Mount and out of his loyns came the twelve Tribes whom God chose for his own
rest and the Lord hath respect and hears and in bowels of pitty he arises to help he stretcheth forth his Arm and brings the Mountains down he comes forth in power and makes the Hills to melt he utters his voyce and the Earth trembles he kindles a fire and consumes it into Ashes he brings Man into the Nothingness and dissolves the old Birth into its dust he causes the old Heavens to pass away with a noise and he melts the Elements with fervent heat and Man no longer lives therein but his life is taken away and he lies slain and dead and there is no motion in him until the Spirit of Life from God come into him and create him new into the holy Order of Life and so gives him breath and being as in the beginning and he is made and fashioned with the hand of God and is the Workmanship of God in whom he now receives his life and out of whose bowels he draws his breath whereby he is perfectly renewed in the spirit of his nind and hath no old thing upon him nor Earthly part abiding in him but through the fire of Refinement he is made dean and out of the Virgins Womb he springs and sucks the beast which giveth Life whereby he grows in strength and in wisdom increases and comes into the stature of the fulness of Christ and partakes of his divine nature all old things being put off and all done away in the fire of Refinement he comes forth of the Furnace a naked Child and a new Creation springs and a new Creature Man is made and rises with the lamb in his nature and the Pearl's glory he is cloathed withal and into the holy order of Life he is restored and hath his way in the pleasant Paradise and his food from the Tree of life and his motion stands in the Power and Wisdom of the Seed which is come into dominion and reigns in its pure quality and property without any mixture and there is no Corruptible thing abides upon it but in the Refining Fire is purged and consumed and as Man abides the Fire and waits 〈◊〉 the Judgment he puts off the Old in which he hath lived and he puts on the New and is translated and here man truly â—…kes to himself and receives Christ the Seed of Life and putteth him on whereby he feeleth Christ made unto him Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption and in his Power and Wisdom he brings forth a New Creation in the holy Order of his pure Life in which the six dayes works are passed thorow and the Separation and Consumption is wrought in the Furnace where the Fire cleanseth and the seventh â—…y is come unto which is holy unto the Lord in which Man â—…osts from all his own works as God did from his and sits down in the power and wisdom of the holy Seed and rests in the stilness of its divine Nature of which he truly is made a partaker and in it he is transformed and stands in the holy Order of the New Creation in which he is perfectly made a new Creature and hath his motion in the new Heavens and new Forth wherein dwels Righteousness and with Righteousness he is covered as with a Robe and Holiness is become his Vesture and he bears the Heavenly Image in the Life and is lovely and amiable to behold and is in the sight of the holy God very good Thus is the New Creation finished with all the host of it and is brought forth in the holy Order through the effectual working of the holy Power and Man is changed and renewed in the holy Birth of the Immortal Seed and again is placed in the Paradise of pleasure and is not senced from the Tree of Life but hath access unto it and it is his dayly food and he lives by it and rests in the comfort and consolation of it which is Life without end CHAP. X. The Way and Works of Man in the New Creation AS Man believes in the Light which from the Life shines forth and in his own Conscience is made manifest he comes to the Righteous Judgment of God who passeth Sentence against him and condemns him to death where upon the Cross he is Crucified and there he dies unto himself with all his hearts lust both in thought word and deed then doth the Fire take hold and burns and consumes and through its operation wholly dissolves the old Man and destroyes all his deeds and through destruction unto the Corruption there springs a holy pure Generation which hath its Conception in the Matrix of Eternity and is brought forth in the holy Order of Life and in this holy Generation is Man restored into his first Order and is truly the Off-spring of God and hath his motion in the Power and Wisdom of God and in this Restoration Man is changed and becomes a new Man in Christ and his way and all his works are new and he becomes a Well-doer and is accepted of God in Christ the Beloved and here Man finds the new and living Way which makes him a new and living Man and leads him unto the living God and this is the Way of Holiness in which the clean feet walk and Man that is in it ordered he is in the way of Peace and is led into the green Pastures of Everlasting Refreshings and he walketh continually by the pleasant Streams and hath his Course by the River that makes glad the whole City and in the holy Life of the Immortal Seed is his Life bound up and he is ordered in the motion of it and he doth not stir but in the holy order of it and it is the strength of his Reins and the girdle of his Loyns and keeps Man in close Communion with it whereby he is strengthened to run the way of every Command and there is no feebleness upon his loyns but perfect strength in the motion of the holy Seed which carries him as upon Eagles wings and he runs and is not weary he walks and is not faint and his way is holy and his works holy unto the Lord and he is Created in Christ Jesus that he should walk in them and is no more his own but in the Lords disposing and truly serves the Lord in Righteousness and true Holiness and he no more thinks his own thoughts nor speaks his own words nor works his own works but is moved and acted in the Power and Wisdom of the holy Seed of which he is born and made a new Creature and his works are works of Holiness proceeding from the Life of Christ and man is holy as he is holy for unto good works he is Craated in Christ and his delight in the new Creation is in the thing that is good and in a new and living Way he walks and brings forth new and living Works in the living Power and Wisdom of the holy Seed and thus Man is changed and is made a Holy Man a Righteous Man