filthy Canaanites which proceeded out of the spirit of cursed Cain that old serpent dragon-devil and father of all the damned in this world and not from the spirit of Abraham though they might proceed from his loins according to the flesh through mixtures of seeds in marriages the sons of God saw the daughters of men to be fair and they took of them to be their wives Again though the blessed Israelites and cursed Canaanites are mixed together by carnal copulation since the prince of devils became flesh yet you that are spiritual may know that the Lord Iesus that made them both knew how to separate them for all their close union and to call them by names answerable to their own natures As consider did not the glorious Creator and blessed Redeemer himself make a clear distinction between two worlds or generations when he said I pray not for the world but for them that thou hast given me out of the world can you therefore that are sober imagine or think that there is any spiritual salvation for these men or women which the Saviour of the world excludes in his petition Moreover it is written that the Apostles said We know that we are of God and the whole world lyeth in wickedness Behold ye redeemed ones of the most high God is iâ— not as clear as the light it self that there is two distinct whole worlds according to that saying Then all Israel shall be saved a redeemed world of eleâ—â— Israelites and an unredeemed world of reprobate Canaanites that were never truly lost in themselves and therefore never capable of being found in Christ accordding to that in the Epistle of Jude where it is thus written For there are certain men crept in which were of old ordained to this condemnation ungodly men which turn the grace of God into wantonness and denying Christ the onely Lord we unto them for they have followed the way of Cain and are cast away by the deceit of Balaams wages and perish in the gainsaying of Core Thus is it not clear unto all such that have in them any faith in the truth of the Scripture that there is two distinct whole worlds to distinguish between the divine glory of Election and everlasting shame of Rejection a cursed Cain a blessed Abel a subtile serpent and a simple Saint a scoffing carnal Ishmael and a spiritual Isaac a bloody minded Esau and a merciful minded Jacob a persecuting Saul and a prophetical David a treacherous Judas and a gracious and glorious Jesus from the beginning of the world unto the end thereof yea and a blessed Seth born in the stead of righteous Abel to bring forth the generation of the just that the Lord of eternal glory might according to the flesh as well as the spirit spring from a spiritual line of his own light of life eternal and not from a rational or carnal line of eternal death in chains of utter darkness which if it had power according to its cursed desire it would destroy God elect men and angels heaven and earth and all in them and it self also rather then be subject to any or might not onely it self bear rule over all But now to the matter in hand and withal consider what you read for it highly concerns you to look about you that if there should be any evil angels or devils living in the air and a devil amongst them called Beelzebub the prince of devils then I say what need any man trouble himself with the least fear of eternal death what wickedness soever is committed by thee why because if a man is tempted by any devil but what is in his own nature onely that evil spirit is to be eternally damned and the man set free nay moreover if sin or evil issued not from mans unclean reason or lying imagination within him is it possible think you that any man should be tormented as some men are with an inward burning through a secret fear of eternal sufferings rising in them from the guilt of former evils committed against the light of their own consciences furthermore seeing all men which live after the flesh must die or perish and that mans own lust is that imaginary devil from whence proceeds all sin or evil Without controversie though men or angels should gainsay it there are no other evil spirits angels or devils but unmerciful men and women onely Again if envy pride covetousness hypocrisie lust and such like be the devil in man then are not men and women those devils that are under the power of those evils I would fain know from the learned men of this world whether there are any other evil angels or devils besides mankinde that lust after women or silver or honor or revenge or any kinde of evil whatsoever truly if those supposed wise men that talk so much of the sublilty of the prince of the air that rules in the children of disobedience could possibly know that their own imaginary Reason was that evill spirit or prince of all their airy disputes concerning God angels devils Heaven hell eternal glory or shame to come which they know not of according to truth then in stead of their reioycing in the approbation of many men in relation unto their natural gifts their own spirits would immediately become the principle of all those howling groaning serpent-devils spoken of in Holy Writ even in the sight of elect men and angels in this mortal life Again is it not against all spiritual or rational sense that any man angel or devil should suffer eternal damnation for the sin of another or for anothers tempting him to sin or evil Moreover doth it stand to very good sense that yea that creature that is left to himself to be tempted unto sin or evil and overcome thereby and remains under the power of it to their lives end its requisite at the great day he should suffer for his own sin and not for anothers iniquity wherefore judge you is it not one of the vainest things in the world for any man to think that there is any other evil spirit angel or devil that tempts him to any motion imagination thought desire word or action of rebellion against God or man but the proud lying envious devil living in his whole man as aforesaid Therefore let no man that professeth spiritual light or life in him for very shame say that God can be tempted or tempt any man unto sin or evil neither let him say that any evil spirit angel or devil in the air or earth or in the water or in the fire tempts him to commit any sin or evil but that airy watery fiery lustful fleshly devil dwelling in his own body I say let him know that yea that is the prince of the air which thorow the absenting vertue of the holy Spirit begets those legions of devils or lusts in the soul of man and it is the true light of the Lord Jesus Christ in all his new born babes
read but 1 Cor. 2. 4 5 and 6 verses and there you shall hear Paul shew the vast difference of the wisdom of Faith from the wisdom of flesh for the wisdom of Cain is a meer cheat yea leads him forth to nothing but pride oppression and cruelty for by that wisdom they put the Lord of Life to death as in the eighth verse therefore you that have eyes may see what this learning and knowledge is the seed of Cain are tutored in that it is no other but the wisdom of this world which is foolishness with God and that is the cause they come to tempt or dispute with the Seed of Faith whose wisdom is given him by inspiration or revelation in the demonstration of the Spirit I say because the wisdom of Cain cannot receive the things of the Spirit of God given this precious soul O how they rayl with tearms of a fool an ass a dunce a coxcomb a heretical blasphemer an ignoramus one that hath no sense these and such like tearms this cursed Brood will brand the Seed of Faith with the onely wise men in Christ for which cause the Lord in 1 Cor. 1. 19. saith I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent Where is the Wise Where is the Scribe Where is the Disputer of this world hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world and all because the foolishness of God in the Seed of Faith is wiser then that great knowledge in the seed of Cain for take this infallible truth along with you which is this that the Scriptures in the life and power of them were never given to the wise learned men in those days For saith Christ to you it is given to know the mystery to you my Disciples or elected Seed of Faith to you and for your sakes did I speak this and therefore it was the wise learned Priests and Rulers did imprison and put to death not onely the Disciples but Christ also as Blasphemers for publishing this Scripture which now their wise children do make a Trade of and will not onely imprison but if possible put to death the onely Witnesses and true Interpreters of this Holy Writ which was given by inspiration for the proper use of his blessed Seed of Faith Again the seed of Cain are educated in the fulness and plenty of this world insomuch that there is no novelty delicate or dainty that by the spirit of reason can be invented but for their belly it is prepared as also no new antick fashion can be imagined either of silk gold or silver but their backs are adorned with it nay there is no attendance of men and maid-servants that this their kingdom can afford but the seed of Cain enjoys it yea they are so tenderly and princely brought up at home and abroad and so hurried in their Coaches and Sedans that if possible the cold wind should not blow on them nor the glorious Sun with his beams should scorch them so careful are they of their beauty and comely streight proper persons that if possible there shall not be a wrinckle on their hands nor a spot on their faces unless it be of their own making for the more grace of their comely persons thus what by art in their wisdom can be invented shall not in the least be wanting if it can be had for gold or silver and whatever Science Pastime or Pleasure their soul can desire as Hawking Hunting Bowling Shooting Gaming at Dice Cards or Tables or any other delight of Musick Dancing Courting of Ladies with the satisfaction of their greatest lust and that with the greatest pomp and state this their heaven can afford and then in the last place for carriage and behavior none in this world like unto them as observe how proud and Lucifer-like their father they carry their heads insomuch that they know not what fashion or coloured Perriwig to hang upon it and when they meet any of their brethren O what congeying and bowing with Cap in hand to the ground saluting each other with these and such like complementary tearms as Your servant Sir or Your servants servant Sir or Madam and fair Lady I am yours to command by night or by day and that with so much stateliness and comely behavior that I wonder thou shouldest be affrighted at the name or person of the devil considering what a glorious proud majestical creature the devil is as aforesaid But now if you ask me Are all the seed of Cain thus educated Answ No for you may understand some are brought up to one Calling or another that some of them do undergo hard labor and great pains to maintain themselves with their families in this their perishing kingdom so that they have neither gold nor silver the dust of this earth to mannage such a fleshly glorious education as aforesaid And others there are that are educated yea brought up servants yea slaves to the great Rabbies of their seed which none of them have that attendance fulness delights pleasures as aforesaid but on the contrary are deprived of all that their happiness the other enjoy insomuch that in stead of giving relief they beg relief in stead of a Bed of Doun they lye on a bed of straw in stead of being clothed with silk they are clad with rags yea many times ready to starve for want of food so that you may behold there is not onely rich but poor miserable ragged devils that shall rise at the day of our eternal Gods appearance so that I say these of all the tribe or generation are to be pitied if pity did belong to them to consider what affliction they undergo in this their heaven and yet be eternally damned hereafter Question But now you may say unto me and that seemingly affirm both from my writing and the Scripture in that I have before treated much of the rich men of this world how hard a thing it is for them to walk in the ways of God they being so educated in the pomp and glory of this world which I say and your experience findes it is the greatest thief that steals away the heart of man and so makes that soul as difficult as a woman in travail to enter into the life and power of the Gospel therefore we being poor and the Scripture saith the poor receives the Gospel we much marvel how your writing will be found truth in Scripture that any poor should rise devils when the Scripture saith it is onely the poor that receives the Gospel Answer From this thy curious Query I shall answer thee in those words of James 2. 5. where it is thus written Hearken my beloved brethren hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in Faith and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him Now if you intend these poor I affirm what you say yea from my Seed-spring I declare not one of these
at a venture but then even then was I summoned to give an account of my Stewardship how I had spent my life this forty years and what I did think would become of my Soul and what would thy riches and glory here avail thee in the grave but especially at the great day of account Now friends I would have you understand that I was in a strait betwixt two so that out of hand the spirit of Faith pleaded thus in me That I had no Commission to preach and forthwith must cease though it was to the loss of my hundred pound a year then stept in the spirit of reason and pleaded How shall my self with five children subsist when as this Benefice would comfortably and honorably provide for us during life Then even then was death and life set before me and the spirit of Faith pleaded thus within me That whether I had rather injoy my Benefice and therein live honorably in this world and so be damned to all eternity in the world to come or whether I would hearken to that call within me to forsake my preaching with the benefit thereof and trust the Lord with my self and the children this lay hard upon me and so narrowly pursued me that for the space of three weeks I could not be at quiet sleeping nor waking going nor riding in which time I had no little conflict to disown the glory of this world for the glory of God supposing my condition to be safe and secure as any man or Parish Priest in the world whatsoever and for my doctrine I was not inferior to any but more able to declare the truth which I apprehended to be truth then the best of them Notwithstanding all this would do me no good nor in the least silence this combate within me but I must cease my trade of preaching lest a worse thing befall me and at that instant it came in my thoughts Remember me how here in this world where now thou livest I was a poor despised Saviour though now a rich immortal glorious God and therefore take no care I will provide for thee and thine so far as is requisite for such a one as thou art to be and withal remember when thou wast in thy wickedness not knowing me then I provided for thee How much more now shall I be mindful of thee so far as shall concern thy good Many of these refreshings did arise from my seed spring within me that I was made willing to disown all that not long before I had taken great pains to perfect and so in submitting to the true light darkness fled and the Lord freely forgave me all that was past present and to come and hath every week more and more enabled me to walk obedient and upright before him mortifying sin continually within me to the onely praise of my God be it spoken that my calling and election is so firm and sure that I vveigh not the censure of men nor Angels but as sure as Christ is the eternal God I shall at his appearance reign eternally vvith him in the heavens and though in my journey to my bed of sleep the grave instead of riches I shall meet with poverty instead of fulness want instead of honor dishonor instead of love hatred instead of a good name all maner of evil tearms instead of friends foes yea may be such as will persecute me to the graves mouth yet now all this I matter not in that sin is my servant and Christ is my Master whom my soul earnestly craves more knowledge of himself with assistance of his power to withstand the despisers of thy person so glorious in my eyes Now since the Lord in his own time hath in his free mercy called and chosen me according to his eternal purpose of old that I should redeem the time I have lost forty years and for the future the short time I have to stay in this present evil world my God I doubt not will enable me to walk holy and without blame before him till I be called to sleep or the day of his appearance change this my poor mortal to that immortal like himself either of which it shall please my God of mercy in his own time and pleasure to call me unto I had rather enjoy then now at this present mark what I say then now at this present enjoy all the riches and wisdom that ever God gave to Solomon so that I can boldly say Happy yea thrice happy am I that the seed of Cain that lying murthering devil who captivated my soul many years a servant to sin and all maner of evil is now disarmed and silent in me and in room thereof the seed of Abraham that blessed seed of Faith hath got the victory by which I am delivered from the power of the fruits of flesh and translated to the fruits of the spirit of Faith in the person of Christ the onely true and everliving God After this my remarkable change being at home silent and quiet in this my mortal tabernacle I was powerfully commanded yea my seed-spring hath certain times invited me to demonstrate to publike view that point concerning the Devil which very title or name Devil doth fright the Devil himself and the ground of this his fear doth arise from the non knowledge of his first rise the description of his form as also his education and qualification with the place and nature of his torment thy ignorance in these things hath produced matter sufficient for my Genius to recal thy thoughts as touching thy mistake of the right Devil and so according as the true onely wise God hath revealed in me I shall make known thâ—se in their order which hath not yet been branched forth as aforesaid CAP. I. The first descent and true Form of the right Devil discovered FIrst as touching the Devil his rise and original I shall infallibly make known unto thee and from inspiration shew that subtile beast or Serpent there spoken of was no horned beast or creeping Serpent as the Priests vainly teach neither was it any Pippin or Pearmain or any other sort of Apple that was so pleasant in Eves eye or delightful to her taste No no it was that reprobate glorious Angel that was far more pleasant and sweeter to Eves taste then the sweetest fruit whatsoever therefore I shall demand of the proudest of his seed now living what was or which now of all creatures or things in this world is most pleasant in thy eyes or most in thy soul desiring to taste Art thou a man then is not a woman beautified and richly atired most pleasant in thy eyes and sweetest to thy taste Art thou a woman what saith thou is not a man beautified and richly atired with subtile and sophistical expressions most pleasant in thy eyes and soonest deceived by him Even so that reprobate Angelical man was that subtile Serpent or beast of the field minde what you read that angelman was so pleasant
to her taste that she took it and did eat which is no more then this That proud beautiful glorious angelman did by his seeming divine wisdom and Angelical person bewitch Eves innocent soul to hearken unto him and her eyes to dote upon him that she admitted him enterance into her body in which and by which she found so much delight that after that she inticed her husband who had copulation with Eve as man with woman in these days so her innocent soul and body being defiled by that reprobate Dragon-angel after which her husband Adam going in unto her was also defiled as a sound woman should receive into her body a diseased man not onely her womb is defiled but she pollutes her husband also as the Pox or Gangreen doth eat throughout the whole man so Eves soul and body being defiled did putrifie the seed of Adam From hence it was there came two seeds the one pure the other impure the one righteous the other wicked Instance from the womb of Rebecca came two seeds at one travel blessed Jacob and cursed Esau thus in plainness of termes I have in short writ to plain sober-hearted men But now from the words of the Scripture I must speak to the seed of Faith that innocent soul-saved generation and that because the learned of this perishing world cannot believe though an Angel should speak from heaven as you the seed of the Lord shall hear that seed of this Serpent will hiss yea if possible sting from his venemous tongue this infallible interpretation of these ensuing words But of the tree of knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat of it for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely dye Now if you look into the third of Genes with an eye of Faith then you may clearly see what that Tree of Knowledge of good and evil did signifie The words are these And the Serpent said to the Woman ye shall not surely die for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof then your eyes shall be opened and ye shall be as Gods knowing good and evil And when the Woman saw that the Tree was good for food and that it was pleasant to the eyes and a Tree to be desired to make one wise she took of the fruit thereof and did eat and gave also unto her husband and he did eat Oh my spiritual brethren in that my soul desireth your perfection as my own therefore I would gladly have you possessed with an infallible understanding between Michael and his Angels and the Dragon and his Angels or between the seed of the woman and the seed of the Serpent Why because in the knowledge of these two distinct seeds sons or generations depends a general understanding of the spirit of the Scriptures therefore let thy ear wait on thy eye and thy heart on both for now I shall unlock that secret Cabinet that hath not been opened since the creation till this last Witness therefore attend and take notice that it is a general opinion amongst learned men that the Serpent which appeared unto Eve was one of the beasts of the field which the Lord God had made and that the devil was an invisible spirit which entred into the body of the Serpent and spake those subtile speeches through his mouth and so caused the woman to eat of the fruit of the natural Tree which the Lord God had forbidden and tempting her husband to eat of that fruit with her it operated that venomous evil in them and all mankinde Note Oh the gross darkness that possesseth the learned men of this perishing world you know that the Scriptures are generally expressed in natural terms for the manifestation of spiritual things to the weak comprehension of sinful mortals and yet notwithstanding the natural wisdom of this world would perswade men to understand them exactly in the letter because they measure the glorious things of eternity by their rational learning onely as aforesaid but to enlighten thy understanding minde Scripture-records how that Christ is called a Lyon a Lamb a Stone a Door a Way a Vine a green Tree and such like expressions in reference unto spiritual meanings also you may read evil-minded men are sometimes called by the names of Devils Dragons Vipers Serpents Dogs Swines fruitless Trees and such like according to that of John the Baptist when he said Now the ax is laid to the root of the Tree every Tree therefore that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire So likewise you that are spiritual may know that yea that Angelical reprobate by whom Eve was deceived was called a Dragon an old Serpent the Devil and Satan a Deceiver or the Tree of knowledge of good and evil and such like names suteable unto his cursed nature so that the naked truth is this that Serpent that tempted Eve was that Angelical Dragon-devil beforesaid which the Lord God from the highest heavens cast down to the lowest earth where there as beforesaid he bewitched Eves innocent soul for if you know what you read you shall finde three prevalent arguments perswading her to consent unto the Serpents language 1. The Tree was good for meat 2. It was pleasant to the eyes 3. It was to be desired to make one wise But before I write of the three secrets hid in the Angelical temptation give me leave to speak a little of the dispensation of the secret wisdom of God to his chosen ones You that are of the seed of Faith and none but you doth know that in the Divine will of the infinite Majesty there is a twofold operation which is this minde what thou readest this is a great mystery When the wisdom of God seeth fit to reveal a Divine secret to his own seed then his holy Spirit is all active and when he seeth fit to obscure it from them then his Divine Spirit is all passive Why because for the manifestation of his infinite power and wisdom that he can create light out of darkness yea life out of death with a glorious advantage For understand this that if the glorious Creator for the tryal of his creature should leave the most experimental man that is to his own inspired light and suffer him to be tempted to that evil of murther or adultery overcome thereby he must of necessity lose that former joy and peace of the divine light or love of God in him and in the room thereof both see and feel nothing but spiritual darkness with a secret fear of eternal death until the light of life appears again with a new assurance of a glorious deliverance from that sinful darkness and fearful death as aforesaid truly whatever man shall imagine to the contrary as sure as there is a God this was the condition of both Adam and Eve when they were defiled with unlawful lust one towards another by that subtile temptation of that Serpents counsel called the Tree of knowledge
of good and evil Again though it is said It was a Tree to be desired to make one wise yet you may know that the soul of Eve was not of a desiring nature after wisdom in her creation because she was all divine satisfaction in her self therefore that desire of tasting of the fruit of a Tree to make her wise as Gods to know both good and evil proceeded onely from the rational nature of an unsatisfied spirit of the Angelical Serpent for this I would have you to understand that at that time when Eve was tempted to evil by the Serpent she was wholly left to her own strength it was the seeming glory of his Angelical language that over-topped her present light and begot that desire in her understanding through which her soul was moved with a powerful desire to make tryal of his Serpentine counsel and to taste of his spiritual meat so highly exalted by him Why because to her received new thoughts she had not heard so glorious a language before Also the Tree was pleasant for sight yet before that glittering Serpent appeared Eve wanted no satisfaction in beholding the man Adam but she looking a little too long upon the comliness of his form through his infused Witchcraft her soul was ravisht through his Angelical person Again it was a Tree whose fruit was to be desired to make one wise as Gods to know both good and evil Now minde the pretended meaning of the serpent in those words was this If she did but taste of the fruit of that Tree it was so full of divine vertue that she could not only be like unto God but she would be as a God to her self also to know all that was to be known whether good or evil within her own soul but the truth is the Serpents secret intent was this that when she had tasted of that forbidden fruit she should with him both know and feel in her own spirit the difference between light and darkness life and death love and envy peace and war good and evil or God and devil likewise observe since Eve the natural mother of all man-kinde was overcome by lust through the subtilty of the Serpent hath not many a poor innocent virgin or virgin-wife in like maner been deceived through the comeliness of mens persons and their Serpentine languages by perswading them that they loved them above their own lives and of giving them such content they know not of or if they deny them it will be their death yea telling them All men are but one man and all women are but one woman and therefore it is purity to be free unto all and that they are in the greatest bondage which are united unto one onely I say hath not these and such like cursed counsels occasioned many innocent soul to betray their virginity or virgin-bed unto their perpetual sorrow and shame afterwards Just thus was it with the virgin-wife Eve though it may seem strange at the first unto many that shall read this Epistle yet you know the Scripture saith That she seeing the Tree good for meat and pleasant to the eyes and a tree to be desired to make one wise took of the fruit thereof and did eat that is When the innocent soul of Eve was over-powered with the Serpents subtile language as beforesaid her spirit did consent unto him to come in unto her and take full possession of her to be her God and guide in stead of her Creator Truly in this case the Virgin Eve's condition may fitly be compared unto the Virgin Mary for you know after the Angel had told her that without knowing of man she should be with childe through the power of the most High overshadowing of her how easily was she intreated not onely to have it so but also how exceedingly did her soul rejoyce with the very tidings thereof Again if men look with a spiritual eye between their Angelical salutations you may see more seeming glorious injoyments in the unclean angel greeting of Eve then in the holy Angels saluting of Mary Again though men or Angels should gainsay it from the spirit of truth it self I shall declare the very sense of this secret in plainness of speech which was this As soon as ever Eves innocent soul through the permissive power of God was overcome to consent to the Serpents cursed councel his Angelical person entered into her womb through her secret parts and being united to her soul and body his serpentine nature dissolved it self into her pure seed and defiled her throughout and so became essentially one with her through which naturally she conceived a Serpent Dragon devil into a man child of flesh blood and bone and brought forth her first begotten son of the Devil yea the very Dragon serpent devil himself and called his name according to his nature Cain or cursed though ignorantly she said she had received a man from the Lord So likewise on the contrary the womb of the Virgin-wife Mary was honored with the onely wise Angelical God himself through which her polluted nature was not onely cleansed whilst he was in her womb but also by vertue of the Divine power she was enabled to conceive his glorious majesty of her seed into a holy Babe of unspotted flesh blood and bone and in his season to bring forth her first begotten Son of God and call his name according to his nature Emmanuel Jesus or Blessed so that you which are truely and inwardly baptized with the true knowledge of the holy One of Israel may see in some measure what is meant by the two Scripture-seeds the Angelical devil first became a man-child and the Angelical God afterwards became a man-child thus the most holy God abased himself in the very womb of a woman that he might first or last destroy the power of that serpentine reason or lying imagination in all his elect Israelites Thus if you be not stone-blind you may clearly see that the serpentine angel when he tempted Eve was no homely beast as men vainly imagine from their beastly reason but he was a spiritual body and appeared unto Eve in form like unto a glorious God or man Now if you be unsatisfied as touching the Angelical serpent consisting of as large a compass as the person of a man and yet could enter into the womb of Eve through so narrow a passage as is declared by me I shall answer thee in those sayings of Nicodemus to Christ John the third where he saith How can a man be born when he is old can he enter the second time into his mothers womb and be born again As our Lord answered Nicodemus unto his fleshly question so likewise from his own light in like maner I shall make answer unto this Though the body of the Angelical Serpent in his length or breadth was as a man is yet you may know it was not of a gross substance as man is but it was a spiritual body created in another
from my Seed-spring I speak it if there were a devil without man as there is not that devil would tremble to behold thy carriage and hear thy expressions for pride doth so much attend thee that thou knowest not how to fashion thy garment nor which way to hang thy Cloak upon thee now being richly clad thou knowest not well what to think of thy self that whether thou be a god or a man thy garments so glitter and thy heart so proud and carriest thy head so high that the poorer sort of thy seed stands cap in hand to thee yea gazing after thee that thou art so puffed up with the thought of this that thou thinkest in thy self none in the world like unto thee for beauty and proper person so richly adorned with jewels of gold and silver that thou thinkest every one that looks upon thee admires thee from hence it is thy devil or soul is so ravisht with the vain glory of this perishing world that thou art never better but when thou art abroad shewing thy bravery with thy servants standing bare head before thee in the open streets as also to your Church you go and what is the load-stone drawing you thither onely because you would be looked upon as good Church-men and to have the praise of the world also to shew your fine rags as aforesaid and to see and be seen who outstrips thee in apparel or what new fashion is invented this and onely this is the greatest load-stone inviting you otherways if thou wentest to hear sin reproved and thereby become humble for that thy rude carriage and corrupt behavior then it would appear in thy language but thou art so much a stranger to sobriety of speech that upon every occasion thou hast these and such like expressions God damn me I will have my will the devil take thee for thy pains what are you mad you damn'd whore I think the devil is in thee the devil confound me body and soul if I be not revenged on thee the devil rot thee and the pox of God take thee for a pocky devilish whore by his life blood heart and wounds I will be the death of thee with many such wretched blasphemous expressions that the moderate devil doth even tremble to hear the language of this dark ranting devil In these not excluding the light ranting devil but as far over boots and shoes are they in these and such like cursed language so that before I pass to the next sort of the seed of Cain I shall parly a little with thee about these wicked tearms aforesaid Dost not thou desire to be saved this I am sure thou wilt acknowledge and yet thou callest upon God to damn thee how canst thou think to be saved when thy tongue will witness that many times thou hast said God damn me and whereas thou saith the devil take thee for thy pains thou little thinkest that thou art that devil Oh freind time is coming that thou shalt finde thou and such as thou art the onely devil and therefore for the time remember when ever thou saith the devil take thee then thou must take her or take him to whom thou utterest those words it is thou devil-man thy self must take them and when thou saith thou art mad I think the devil is in thee thou speakest truth not knowing it and so when thou saith If I be not revenged of thee the devil confound me soul and body now if thou be not revenged as many times thou art not then thou art justly confounded and if thou do revenge thy self thou art also confounded in that thou shouldest leave that to the Lord For revenge is mine saith the Lord I will not thou I will as I see cause revenge it so that in this thou hast sealed thy condemnation and whereas thou saith the pox of God take thee ah poor ignorant soul thy tongue declares what a corupt ulcerated humor doth run in the veins of thy soul and body that thou thinkest God like thy self when he declares himself a God all holiness and purity glorious immortal that no mortal corruption could in the least touch him for it is written Thou wilt not suffer thy holy one to see corruption and that such a devil as thou shalt say the pox of God when it is really and truly the pox of thy devil lust within thee as aforesaid I told thee how thou wouldest hazard not thy credit and estate but thy soul also for a beautiful yet pockey creature in whom and for whom thou hast not onely beggered thy wife and children but corrupted thy body that thy nose or thy bowelts rot within thee and yet thou so audaciously shalt say the pox of God when it is the pox of a whoring lustful devil thy self and then in all thy discourse thou must swear by his life when thou hast nothing to do with it in that his life is death in thee and to thee for thou hatest in thy life to be conformable to the life of Christ and therefore take notice thou hast no share nor benefit in his heart blood or wounds it was never spilt nor wounded for them that are far better qualified then thou yet the blood or wounds of the Lord was not for any of the seed of Cain but he was onely wounded and spilt his hearts blood for the seed of Adam or Abraham that blessed Seed of Faith therefore thou wretched soul let this my short parley with thee be for ever a Memento to look into thy soul and there thou shalt finde the devil that tempts or infuseth thee to utter all this diabolical language but true is that saying in John from the blessed tongue of Christ Ye are of your father the devil and the lusts of your father ye will do for from him to you comes cursing oathes and lies who is the father of it As let but any sober man observe their quality in this and you shall have them swear and say God forgive me whore and cry God forgive me lye and say God forgive me thus thou thinkest it is nothing but with one and the same tongue say and unsay to lye cheat whore swear and be drunk and onely say I have sinned God forgive me and so commit the like wickedness again and again and thinkest this will serve thy turn but alas for thee the portion prepared shall at the great day lie heavy upon thee as read Matth. 12. 36 37. verses I say unto you that every idle word that men shall speak they shall give account thereof at the day of judgement for by thy words thou shalt be justified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned for out of thy own mouth he will judge thee as thou shalt read at large in the next Chapter that shall shew the place and nature of the devils torment 3. The next sort of the seed of Cain are qualited and acted forth to all maner of covetousness and worldly mindedness insomuch that
thou abhor a drunkard or any that is given to hospitality and that because his quality is quite contrary to thine for thou art all for toyling and moyling rising early and lying down late neglecting no opportunity wherein thou mayest enrich thy self when as the other riseth up early and lyeth down late in drunkenness spending and making away that portion which was given thee so that thou being covetous he is no companion for thee for thou hast so much care in thee and upon thee how to make thy self great on this earth that unless thou canst advantage thy self thou wilt not spend a penny but when thou hast got five pounds or more or less then whatsoever shift thou and thy family shall make that shall not be diminished in the least but to usury it must go and then thou pinchest thy belly and the bellies of thy poor wife and children by living so long upon small Beer and flet Cheese and such like stuff that thou increasest thy estate to a vast sum at last that now the greatest care and thought of thy heart is how thou shalt secure thy riches from some of thy seed that if they should break into thy house they may not plunder thee of it and to that end thou inventest all maner of subtilty to deceive the deceived that thou hidest some in the earth and some on the house-top and some in hollow trees one place or another that thy brother serpent may not steal it from thee or the Law of this thy kingdom impose great Taxes upon thee I say thy care is so much upon this thy perishing earthly treasure that thy heart thy soul is wholly wrapt up in it insomuch that thy sleep and meat goes from thee that now having what thy heart desireth after thou art more tormented now then when thou hadst little or nothing therefore remember that of Christ Luke 12. 15. where he saith Beware of covetousness for a mans life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth and where thy treasure is thy heart will be also so that what will all this thy greatness in this world and plenty of gold or silver avail thee when the tears of the poor are laid naked before thee and starved for want of bread which thou hadst in abundance and not onely this but it is read in thy soul that thou hast enriched thy self in the ruine of others and thy conscience tells thee thou never got this justly but by fraud and deceit by grinding the faces of the poor and keeping back the hire of the laborers As touching this look about you ye Tradesmen of all sorts yea from the highest to the lowest examine your own consciences how often ye have cheated and remember this ye Landlords that oppress the poor Tenents as also ye Brokers that grinde the faces of the poor in lending upon usury or commodities and that after forty or fifty pound in the Hundred I say remember this that no cheater oppressor nor extortioner shall enter into the kingdom of Heaven and therefore against you I cry wo wo wo for this shall rise up a witness against thee and shall eat thy flesh as if it were fire as it is in James the fifth the first second third and fourth verses and then even then when thou thinkest all is well and that thou hast setled thy estate to thy hearts content that now thou fearest no want but canst without trouble cherish up thy soul with the fruits of thy wits and endeavors and to take thy pleasure for the time to come then comes the messenger Death and deprives thee of all the happiness of thy riches and saith unto thee Ah fool this night thy soul shall be required of thee then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided Luke 12. 20. Now thou hast brought thy covetous heart to perfect what it longed after and now must thou leave all and knowest not what will become of thy soul on the other side of death and so in terror and fear of death thou diest and in torment thou shalt rise at the great day as in the next Chapter thou shalt hear and read at large So that I cannot but admire the wonderful wisdom of my God that notwithstanding the pleasure and pomp of this world belongs onely to the seed of Cain yet he gives them a bitter cup to drink at last which potion makes the devil afraid and to tremble at the thought of that day by which they are not onely bridled from their great cruelty and tyranny they would iâ—â—ose upon the Seed of Faith but also the thought of death doth in some measure out-top their pleasures and greatness so that their life in this their onely heaven is not much better then our life in this our onely hell for though they have fulness and such as we have want yet we have peace and they have war yea oftentimes sad torment to think what will become of their souls when as the Seed of Faith knoweth what he is here what he shall be in the grave and what he shall be at the resurrection even glorified with his Savior So if you seriously lay to heart the vast difference of the Seed of Faith and the seed of Cain upon their bed of sickness or hour of death it would cause admiration as thus The departure of the seed of Cain out of this world is as much as if a Prince should depart not onely from his loving wife and pretty children but be banisht from his Crown and Kingdom never to enjoy it more and also where he is banisht he is shut up prisoner all the the time of his life even so is â—â— death in this world he must leave not onely all his society but the pleasure of this his kingdom where he had delight as much as heart could wish and in the grave his soul and body lyeth uncapable of either joy or sorrow and then at the great day of our Saviors appearance thou shalt be raised up thy body thy hell thy soul thy devil shut up close prisoner world without end Now death is unto the Seed of Faith as a Messenger of glad tidings in that it frees him from the cruelty and oppression of the devill the seed of Cain and take him from all his hardship and wants that he hath undergone by living uprightly in this strange kingdom and then he knowing that all the time he is in the grave there is no remembrance of good or evil and as soone as ever his God comes he shall be raised to meet him in the aire with his mighty angels where he shall have a kingdom that one hours enjoyment of that will be more then ten thousand times ten thousand the greatest substance of glory could be attained unto for ten millions of years in this perishing world Thus in brief you have the difference of the two Seeds what triumph the Seed of Faith have in death over the seed of