to bear the shock of such an universal opposition and contempt we find him through the wrangling distemper of his oppressed natural man that 's the disputer of this World in the Saint himself at a sore loss and ready to make very strange Conclusions I am in derision daily every one mocks and reproaches me for speaking the Word of the Lord. Then I said I 'le speak no more in his Name But his Word in my heart was as a fire and I could nor forbear or hold from declaring it Jer. 20. 7 9. When his particular denunciations of desolating Judgments on Jerusalem were accomplished the Jews dispers'd and confounded he was still at the same pass tossed up and down from post to pillar under a universal contradiction As for the word thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the Lord say the Jews we will not hearken unto thee but do whatsoever goes forth of our own mouth follow the words of our own wisdom Jer. 44. 16 17. This they conclude upon come what will Desperate resolutions When Johanan the Son of Kareah and all the Captains of the remaining Forces left by Nebuchadnezzar and all the Jews from the least even to the greatest had besought Jeremy to seek the Lord on their behalf as to what course they should steer after the murder of Gedaliah whom the King of Babilon left to be their Governour he told them the Lord's message that if they stay'd in their own Land they should be safe if they went to Egypt for which he saw their inclination the very Sword of Nebuchadnezzar they causelesly fear'd at home should be sure to meet with them there Johanan the Son of Kareah and all the proud Men tell him he speaks falsly and that the Lord had not sent him to say go not into Egypt to sojourn there So they not only go but force him and Baruch along with them in flat contradiction to their own message And when there we have seen how obstinately they demean themselves against him and all his words All this have we Jer 42. 43. and 44 chapters At this rate are true witnesses of God handled all along this World Christ himself had in a manner a universal contradiction to his whole Gospel-ministry of the second covenant from the professing Jews with their Teachers Priests Scribes Pharisees c. in the first He came to his own people in the first who received him not but blasphem'd and murder'd him for the doctrine of the second though exactly consonant to their own Law and Prophets rightly understood and so became they no people of God at all in first or second What they had was taken from them for rebelliously refusing the great and true Salvation by him farther discovered and offered to them Christ's meek and quiet bearing such universal contradiction of mystical Sinners to his whole Gospel-ministry is set before his followers therein lest they be quite tired out and faint in their minds on like occasion Heb. 12. 3. Concerning the KINGDOM of GOD to vvhich Christ hath had a Right from Everlasting Testified by Saints in all Ages unto the visible Possession vvhereof the signal slaying of the Tvvo Witnesses and the raising them again by the angelical Preachers of the everlasting Gospel into an Association vvith themselves vvill be an immediate fore-running and preparatory Dispensation THERE is not any Truth more frequently foretold or positively asserted in the whole Scripture than the Second Comming of Christ to set up his visible Kingdom on Earth On his joyful appearance for this blessed Angels and Saints hopes have from the beginning been fixed as the season for such an Opening the Temple of God in Heaven as will render the Divine Inhabitant thereof visible on Earth This by first cleerly stating and declaring the infinite and absolute Soveraignty of Gods divine Essence above all And next unto this divine unity the high and superlative Prerogative of the first divine and creature-composition in the Mediatour's person Thirdly the great and peculiar Priviledges of the most heavenly Saints And lastly the just and immutable Rights and Advantages of blessed Angels and other glorified Saints above whatever was to be found in the natural first-creation state of either Hence the whole new-creation seed of Christ from a subjection to chang and vanity in their first-creation life and clothing have been secretly groaning and panting after that deliverance and freedom that 's to be brought to them by this second visible spirituall coming of our Lord Jesus from heaven to Reign on the earth And this will they more impatiently then ever desire and long after toward the end of the encreasing unreasonable Bondage under Satan's reign and Man's day This that the whole Creation groanes after and expects is the peculiar hope the certain and wel-grounded perswasion of spiritual Saints whose Faith becoms an undoubted evidence to things not seen to the natural understanding Rom. 8. 22-25 Heb. 11. 1. They only have the first-fruits and earnest of this yet invisible Spiritual Life in which Christ will appear to all They have the tasts of the new Wine of his Spiritual Kingdom And hence do they greatly thirst after the full draughts thereof in his Kingdom They are therefore uncessant in Prayer to God and this in Obedience to and agreement with the command and will of Christ for the comming of this Kingdom as those Spiritual Watch-Men that in harmony with the Holy Angels cease not Day nor Night to cry unto God for the Personal comming of their Spiritual Lord to make his nevv Jerusalem a praise in the vvhole Earth Esay 62. 1 6 7. For this will compleat the adoption of Sons by the redemption of their body and manifestation of the Sons of God in a visibility of their spiritual life This will be a Jubile to the whole World How deeply then are Angels Saints and all Men concerned to be rightly informed and have their hope fixed in this Important thing the comming of their Spiritual King in his new-creation Glory to reign over them For therein will be comprehended all their distinct Interests and Advantages Peter by way of Prophecy speaking of this spiritual kingdom positively asserts it not to be of a Fabulous or controversible nature but grounded on clear Evidence and undoubted Demonstration For he had the honour of being an Eye-vvitness by faith of Christ as from the beginning living in his root clothed with Glory and Honour 2 Pet. 1. 16-18 And since his ascent in our nature have spiritual Saints been waiting for his descent therein God by setting him at his right hand therein has Endovved him vvith the Povver and Glory of his Fathers Throne to set up his visible kingdom on earth Jo. 5. 22 27. Act. 17. 31. All this seems implied in the voice Peter heard from the excellent glory saying This is my beloved Son in whom I am vvell pleased as having descended and finished the vvork given him to do in our earthly nature
The infinite divinity wrapping up it self in a fellovvship or personal union with its own creature-house makes up that wonderful Mystery Ephes 3. 9. The Fellowship of divine and creature-nature was before all time a Mystery hid in God But in this supream divine and creature-fellowship was the certain foundation laid from everlasting for God's revealing his own divinity to Angels and men when made which otherwise had remained invisible and unapproachable to them all for ever The divine Spirit in Building it s ovvn creature house hevv'd out the seven Pillars thereof Prov. 9. 1. This signifies the fulness and variety of this creature-building or spirit in the capacity of Root and Branch Father and Son And through the Son and Branch as admitted into union with the divinity in the same personal fellowship with his Root comes all to be beheld by blessed Saints and Angels But for better understanding this whole Mistery consider farther the relation of Root and Branch or Father and Son in the Mediatours creature-nature as well as in the divine This distinction was fitly figured out in the top and foot of Jacob's Ladder the divinity of the Mediatour standing above or on the top of it as Head thereof And this top of it or creature-root is Head to its ovvn foot the Branch and as fitted by immediate Personal union with the divinity receives the fulnes of that divine Ocean to which so united But in this first and highest Marriage-union of divine and creature-nature is God yet in too great a height for the creature 's immediate sight or enjoyment of him The scorching Beams of the Mediatour's divinity are not so allayed and tempered in this highest union thereof with his supream creature-Spirit the root of all creation as that Angels or Men may receive or converse therewith This highest creature-mount or spirit in the Mediatour was fitly typed out by that mount under the Law that was so glorious and dreadful as to become present Death to all that immediatly touched the same But there is a lower capacity in the mediatour's creature-nature called the Son and Branch which answers the creatures vvish in an immediate Head-ship to them This Son and Branch is to be considered in his invisible angelical state before the foundation of the World and that both in a pure but changable first-creation state as the first-born therein and as the Lamb slain and so by the death of that mortal state taken into personal union with his creature-root in new-creation-Life and through that with his divinity also So comes the Son and Branch to be filled with all the fulness and life of both And the same thing did he in and with our visible humane nature in the fulness of time He made the like sacrifice thereof for the like end And thus is the son and branch in his resurrection-life the blessed medium by which the vision of the divine Glory is let down and given to his creatures which by the root or top of his creature-building singly considered was incommunicable to them By the branch is it brought so neer as with a meet regard to the dignity of the mediatour and safety of blessed creatures to become fit for the sight and injoyment of Angels and Saints The twofold resurrection-state or Heavenly and Glorified earthly Spirit or Life of the exalted branch is the mistical Golden Pot into which the divine Manna the everlasting Food or Bread of life to happy Angels and Saints is put and hath been hid from before the foundation of the world This capacity in Christ as branch is of the same Date with his creature-root as possessed thereby in the beginning of his vvay toward 's the creation of the world Prov. 8 22. By the Man Christ Jesus as living in his new-creature root did all things receive their invisible existence and visible creation By him so considered vvere all things made and vvithout him vvas not any thing made that vvas made or created Jo. 1. 3. 1 Col. 15-17 Heb. 1. 2. Thus the sutable medium by which God condescend's to let down himlelf to creatures sight and enjoyment was prepared as the immediate hand by which they received their creation In the spirit of the branch as standing up in his root had Angels and the spirits of men their first invisible existence and thereby as their parent are brought forth into their personal subsistences by creation And in him is treasured up the Bread of everlasting Life for their Immortal spirits which they are not capacitated to feed on in the mortal life of their first-creation but immortal life by a second This never-perishing food is suted only to a never-perishing Life Both root and branch or creature-Father and Son in the mediatour had from everlasting not only the enjoyment of each other but of the divine glory also in the same blessed person And so did God most high with delight behold all his designs and purposes finished in him before any thing was brought forth by creation And in the wonderful fellowship of divine and creature-nature in himself did God the Mediator rest also from all his vvorkes before any of them were brought forth as beholding all the contrivances of his divine mind in the first conjunction of his divine nature with his creature root thus declared and executed in the Son and branch This branch also had his peculiar delight in the principality or headship given him over Angels and Men as existing in him and looked on as the habitable parts of his Earth before the foundation of the World Prov. 8. 30 31. He rejoyced alwayes before his father not only as enjoying the vision of the divine glory but as the same was in him treasured up and by him communicable to them And thus see we the need of root and branch in the mediatour's creature-nature as the ascent and descent of his great creature-building By the former is he qualified to receive the divine vision in the immediate Ocean-fulnes thereof by the latter to conveigh and communicate it to his blessed Angels and Saints In the creature-root or top of his creature-house is his divinity shut up from his creatures till revealed or opened by the branch The branch is the mystical Door of this great creature-building and also opener thereof to his creatures David by faith saw and heard the great Lord the Mediatour in his highest and first Union of divine and creature-nature speaking to Christ the branch as David's immediate Lord and Head saying The Lord said unto my Lord sit thou at my right Hand until I make thy Foes thy footstool Psal 110 1. Here is a Prophecy of Christ the polished Shaft hid in Gods Quiver as to what he was to be and do in our nature for exalting it into the Glory long before attain'd by him as Resurrection-Lamb and therein head not only to the immortal Spirits of Men and Angels but in a peculiar manner to his spiritual Church He will appear in our glorified
nature at the appointed season for actual setting up of his visible Kingdom on Earth Thus may we with admiration behold the ascents and descents of the mediatours creature-building by which marvelously fitted for preserving the dignity of his own divinity and accomplishing the blessednes of his creatures The ascent or top of it is a fitly capacitated immediate habitation for the divinity And the descent of it in the branch is that wherein Christ becoms a two-fold Head to his Angels and Saints from whom they receive their immortal beings and also the heavenly life and clothing thereof by which fitted for their mansions in this his Fathers House This Son and Branch though but foot-stool to himself as creature-root and Father the Throne on which his divinity sits is in a headship and preheminency over all blessed Angels and Saints by the appointment of his divine and creature-lord This foot-stool or lowest part of the creature-Throne or House of God in the mediatour is the immediate object of Faith as that by which the divinity in the top of this creature-House or Throne invisible and inaccessible to his creatures is let down to them By this blessed medium are Angels and Saints admitted to the sight and injoyment of the divine glory for ever Christ when on Earth witnessed his spiritual life as Son of man in Heaven into which he returned with our nature and so into that enjoyment of the divine glory he had both as creature-root and branch before the foundation of the World according to his prayer Jo. 17. 4 5. He that descended and he that ascended is still but one and the same Son of man in the invisible angelical and visible humane Life of the branch Eph. 4. 10. This did he that he might fill all things In the transformed angelical state as spirit of the branch in his own creature-root the Son of Man in Heaven was he head and parent to the immortal spirits of Angels and Men by a first creation and of the spiritual being and state thereof by a second In this first capacity as spirit of the branch is Christ the heavenly place in which Angels and Saints have been blessed as chosen thereunto before the foundation of the World Eph. 1. 3. In the second as a visible head to them in our glorified nature iâ— he qualified actually to give them a life of everlasting blessednes with the never-perishing meat thereof the divine and new-creature glories together with the life in which alone they can see and enjoy them were both and all treasured up for them in him Our exalted nature in him iâ— the adapted conveyer of his divine and otherwise invisible creature-glories to us In our glorified nature he declares the Gospel or glad tydings of salvation to men By this are they made capable of receiving the joyfull news of mansions provided for them in his Fathers House and of entring into them No entring for us but by his entring first in our nature into the state of everlasting life Christ thus is the Key of the house of David Isaiah 22. 22. In his creature-root was treasured up from everlasting the divine glory This must be unlock'd and set open to blessed Angels and Saints by the creature-branch in the second or visible capacity of it even in our exalted nature This is the mystical Key that opens his heavenly creature-life and gives the vision of the divine glory to us By his coming in flesh and death and resurrection thereof has he entred into that state himself as our Head Spiritual saints under the Law safely shut up in the faith of Christ's so comming and doing for them rejoyced therein Christ in his first capacity of creature-branch as resurrection-lamb in his angelical spirit was the invisible Door to his own great creature-building as Root The very Door yet was invisible as well as House and divine Inhabitant At least that Door was not opened nor the divine and creature-glories of the House and Inhabitant revealed as now In our visible nature glorified the second capacity of the branch does he compleat the Door of entrance into the House and is the spiritual Key and Opener thereof so in both capacities of the Branch fitted to be the Authour and Finisher of our Faith And so was he presented at first to Angels and Men as the compleat Object of their Faith for the perfecting their Salvation Blessed Angels therefore desired to prie into the blessed consequents of the man Christ's ascending to give such openings of divine and spiritual mysteries and glories as never before were given to them or saints 1 Pet. 1. 11 12. John 7. 39. Rom. 16. 25 26. Ephes 3. 9 10. Thus have we the ground and reason why our spiritual Levi stood up from everlasting in the Loins of his great mystical Father and that in the two-fold spirit of the Branch invisible and visible as a twofold natural and spiritual Womb and Parent to blessed Angels and Saints As natural or spiritual Children then to him are they to pay the like Tithes due from them to him even the spoiles of all in their own nature by death and sacrifice that the mystical Levi in his person paid to his spiritual Aaron his Root He requires from his Children all the glory due from the descent of his great creature-building to the ascent or top thereof as also from both to the divinity of the Mediatour and through his conjunctive divine and creature being to God most high and absolute in his single or uncompounded divinity For vvithout controversie the less is blessed of the greater Heb. 7. 7. And in the due observation of this rule every part of the Mediatour's person is preserved in an absolute unity to the praise and glory of God most high and Head of all In the great and compleat mystery of Godliness then we find a threefold Headship The first Of God in the simple unity of his divine Essence soveraign Head to the Mediatour's whole divine and creature-being The second is The headship of the first and invisible conjunction of divine and creature-nature in the Mediatour to the twofold spirit of his humanity in which properly the Branch Thirdly This Branch also in his twofold humane capacity is found in an immortal natural and everlasting spiritual headship over blessed angels and saints having in all things a preheminence above them all next under his divine Lord and creature-root as exalted into personal union with both Next then consider the distinct testimonies given by every of these head-ships to the present truth the certain visibility of the Kingdom of Christ declaring all povver in Heaven and Earth given to and visibly to be exercised by the man Christ Jesus who as in our glorified nature shall be seen and acknowledged as by God and his Father made the only Potentate King of Kings and Lord of Lords 1 Tim. 6. 15. and Rev. 19. 16. Yet will not the man Christ take the honour of exercising this power
the visible exercise of all power in heaven and earth essentially belonging to the Throne of his Fathers glory And then will his father visibly place this his son on the said Throne as clothed vvith his Robes and strengthned vvith his girdle to exercise his whole Government put into his hands As the distinct Testimonies of the Mediatour in his invisible divine and creature-natures will he visibly set his creature-son and branch on his holy Hill of Sion committing to him the exercise of all his own rule and power in a visible dominion over that House of Juda and Israel that comprehends the whole heavenly and glorified earthly family of Christ The season for this hath yet been by God kept in reserve figured by the clothing of litteral Eliakim in which Christ our mystical Eliakim as son to the mediatour his invisible father is to have all the distinct glories of that mystical fellowship and unity that his divine and invisible creature-nature live in so hung upon him as to be visibly seen and acknowledged by the whole world Their distinct testimonies will be known and owned at that second comming of Christ in our glorified nature in which he will cause to shine forth his invisible conjunction of divine and creature-nature And so also by the man Christ shall be Administred and given forth the distinct and differing measures of his fathers divine glory as the everlasting Portions of blessed Angels and Saints according to their respective receptivities as vessels of greater or less capacity even from Cups to Flagons And in this universal Kingdom of his Father shall the Man Christ be established as a Nail in a sure Place for evermore And by him shall blessed Angels and Saints ascribe the glory due to the purely divine nature and the invisible conjunction of divine and creature-nature The Son and Branch acknowledges all his Power to be from his God and Father in personal union with him He declared that of himself in our single fleshly nature he could do nothing and that he receives all his ruling power as exalted into personal union with his God and Father therein Thus comes the Son and Branch to be possessed of all the strength and power of the Mediatours whole person And so is enabled not only to see but do all things Whatever the Father doth that doth the Son also For all the Power of the Father through personal union becomes the Son 's The same Will lives in both But this Will as living in the Father cannot be declared to or received by creatures but as descending to and manifested by the Son On this ground Christ himself declares The Father judgeth no man but hath committed all Judgement to the Son So the whole will of the Father is executed by the Son Hence in obedience to the Father All must honour the Son as they honour the Father Thus does Christ shew how all that power which originally is his Fathers comes to be his and that all which is his thus again becomes his Father's and he exercises the same in perfect subjection to his Father Yet is the new creature-will of the son distinct from the divine will though one with it through personal union with the divine In this union and absolute subjection will Christ as son and branch rule his spiritual kingdom as declarer and doer of the divine mind which could no otherwise be known or done Christ would not put any weight on himself in the will of our single fleshly nature Yet is he one that beares a distinct record or vvitness to himself and will by the command of his Father give it unto him as exalted into personal union with God and as so the truth he told the Jews worthy of their belief For in our exalted nature is he the only immediate object of faith to Angels and men and the only way and means for their knowing or comming to the father Christ justified his bearing vvitness to himself as thus considered to the Jews on their offence at his owning himself in this union with the father as knovving vvhence he came and vvhether be vvas to go He knew he was to return by way of resurrection into that life whence he descended as spirit of the branch into our fleshly nature in which he enjoyed the divine glory of his father through union with his root before the foundation of the World and this for the compleating his mediatourship So is there a threefold distinct will in the mediatour in perfect unity This was figured by the tvvo or three vvitnesses under the Law whose joynt testimony was sufficient to pronounce sentence of Life or Death on any one For so will that will of the mediatour be which shall be pronounced by Christ in our glorified nature as the mouth and visible declarer of the united wills in his whole person His glorified humane will though the lowest through perfect union with the higher and highest becomes equally authentick with them in its distinct witness So over the kingdom that descends to him by the gift of his father will he exercise a visible rule in his new-creation life and glory at his second comming Christ's own testimony to this his spiritual kingdom at his second appearance did cost him the life of his first And thereby did he finish his vvork on earth even in his single earthly humanity that he had long before perfected in his invisible angelical state The visible repetition thereof he was neither afraid nor ashamed of before the evil powers of this world For when by the Jews brought before Pilate he positively asserted he had a kingdom but of a spiritual nature and not of this World to be brought to light by the death of our earthly nature in him The joy of his spiritual life state and kingdom set before him made him-willingly take the bitter Cup of death to his natural spirit as the only way and passage to the said spiritual life and kingdom wherein to exercise the whole of the divine and creature-power of the mediatour Having then seen the distinct testimonies to this visible spiritual kingdom of the man Christ from the threefold will of divine and twofold creature-nature in the mediatour we are next to consider the distinct testimony given to the same by the true spirit of saintship in all Ages In order to this enquiry consider first what is the spirit of true saintship that has from generation to generation given testimony to the visible spiritual reign and kingdom of Christ This spirit of saintship is at a great distance from the divinity yea perfectly distinct from the first immediate conjunction of the divine and creature-names or natures of the mediatour on the one hand and from the single first-creation name nature or spirit on the other The true spirit of saintship in the members of Christ's Heavenly or Earthly glorified body is found allwayes in a true subjection to the man Christ as their new-creature Lord and Head And
has God cursed this earthly state or first-creation life at best and in the most excellent part thereof that if saints in their love are found running out after the same they meet with nothing but mystical Briars and Thorns therein For this cause till the work of patience or suffering be accomplished on the whole body of saints Christ is content to remain passive and silent though in his own person possessed of that irresistible power in heaven his far countre in which he sits laughing all his enemies to scorn looking dovvn in a holy contempt upon them from his heavenly place And he over-rules all along this world all opposition of visible or invisible enemies in a direct contrariety to their own designs to make them instrumental to his by removing out of his Saints what let 's and hinders the setting up of his Kingdom in and with them visibly on the earth Christ makes all that enemies do against him and his saints in his passive and the enemies active season a preparative to his and his saints active season in his visible kingdom and to the dreadful passive season of all their enemies for evermore Hence is it that the passive season of Christ and active power of the Devil and World in perverted first-creation Principles whilst in a perfect contrariety as to design hold exact proportion as to time begining and ending together And at the time of the end will be manifested Christ's wonder-working power that all along the said active season of world and devil and passive season of Christ and Saints has made serviceable to his own designs the most opposite purposes and actings of implacable enemies rendring all exactly conducible to the setting up of his spiritual kingdom over all in a resurrection life and glory never to be done avvay By his visibility herein will he period the active power of the Devil This then may serve for answer to the present question as cleerly demonstrating the reason of Christ's so long deferring his second coming and active season And hence is there no ground from such delay to doubt the certainty of his visible spiritual comming For all along has Christ kept closs to the wise and holy orders by God appointed at first for giving a day of manifestation first to that which is natural reserving that which is spiritual to the last The Devils best time is first his worst last and that for ever And though permitted to make a seeming interruption to Christs exercise of his reigning power all along this world Yet so far has he been thereby from disappointing the designs of God for revealing his spiritual and everlasting state of truth and so for the setting up Christs visible kingdom therein that all his opposition to the same has been made serviceable thereunto even to the active reigning power and kingdom of Christ and his saints The Praise of all is to be ascribed to the marveilous and unsearchable wisdom of God which has made the most contrary appearances universally serviceable hereunto And in these mysterious workings has the wisdom of God not been altogether undiscerned by spiritual saints under every dispensation This has quieted and supported them in the blackest hours of opposition from World and Devil They have seen all by the over-ruling influences of Christ useful for the carying on of his designs of grace and peace to them But the discerning and testimony had and given by saints before and under the Law as to the visibility of Christ's spiritual kingdom at his second comming was greatly strengthened and heightened as given in Christ's own person because till then the spirit of Truth vvas not by actual participation given till our nature in him vvas glorified Joh. 7. 39. Then did he poure down of his glorified humane spirit on saints Act. 2. which distinguished them from spiritual believers under the Law He was pointed out in his resurrection-life to them under the Law in types and figures as to be revealed in the very thing it self under another succeeding dispensation Yet from a powerful spiritual faith therein were saints under the Law not only clear and strong in their testimony to the said spiritual state and visible kingdom of Christ therein but by that faith received a satisfying demonstration of the certainty thereof and embraced the substance of those things they waited for They had the undoubted evidence of things then unseen as to actual manifestation They saw and knew they should actually partake of the same Resurrection-Spirit and Life of Christ at the apointed time for the pouring out thereof from our glorified Nature in Christ's person And their Spiritual Faith herein had a powerful transforming operation upon their natural Man in that Law-day and before Yet is the difference of the Law from the Gospel-Ministration very great For by the latter have we the glad tydings of the visible gifts of that Spirit which was waited for and by Faith only laid hold upon under the former And this begets a new and more excellent sort of Spiritual Faith or discerning in Gospel-Saints through Christ's actually setting up in them his revealed and communicated Resurrection-Life and Glory which former Saints waited for Believers under the Gospel-ministration receive the very end of that Faith under the Law even the Spirit of Adoption whereby they cry Abba Father The first heavenly rain or shower of Christ's new-creature Spirit we find an account of Act. 2. on the Apostles and other primitive Saints of the Gospel-day as the accomplishing of that Promise of the Father which between his Resurrection and Ascension he commanded them to wait for from him Luk. 24. 49. Act. 1. 4. By this first pouring forth of the Holy Ghost or new-creature Spirit of Christ upon them did he institute the Gospel-dispenpensation in distinction from that of the Law And hereby were the Saints of that day much more eminently then ever before qualified to give a clear and full witness to this Spiritual State of Truth as actual partakers of that glorified Spirit of Christ which till then had never bin so given or received So the dispensation under which given must be more Spiritual than any former Saints were under The least under this dispensation is greater and under higher priviledges than the greatest under the Law-ministration The first Gospel-shower gave the World a signal taste of this great mercy by which to expect the latter rain of the same Spirit which will be far greater and more general on the Spiritual Seed in all Nations as the fore-running dispensation to Christ's second personal coming in the full blessing of the everlasting Gospel the joyful news of Christ's near approaching Spiritual Kingdom which shall be preached to all the World and then comes the end Mat. 24. 14. The very Apostles while Christ was with them in the Flesh and after his Resurrection also when speaking to them of this great thing the incorruptible Seed of Spiritual Life not yet quickned up in them were
Conquerors The way of their Conquest was by suffering This is the mystical Weapon by which the Lord and Servant were both to fight this spiritual battel By steddily enduring all sorts of oppositions and sufferings they became triumphant overcomers All the persecutions primitive Gospel-Saints met with in and for their witnessing service tended only to the working out those marks of the dying of the Lord Jesus in their mortal Flesh that were matter of rejoycing to their immortal Spirits All the sorrow of their natural man outward or inward was soon forgotten for joy the spiritual Man-Child was born in them This man-child-spirit was the mystical Reed like a Rod given John to distinguish the inner from the outer Court and accordingly to measure the Temple of God the Altar and them that worship therein This work could be done by no other Reed save the glorified Spirit of Jesus fitted for discerning or judging in harmony with the divine and new-creature mind of Christ between the first and second creation-spirit as also between the twofold distinct branches of the new-creature-spirit or building in Christ and of the differing ranks and orders of Saints belonging thereunto who will find their respective places and portions in the vision and enjoyment of the divine Glory This high priviledg through the spiritual mind and judgment of the Lord thus set up in the Saint Paul esteemed of so inestimable a value as in comparison thereof to make no account of his own or others natural judgment in the highest and most accurate exercise of it 1 Cor. 4. 3. The new-creature-building or spiritual life in Christ's person and glorified manhood consists of two parts or principles heavenly and earthly glorified The full asserting these renders any one Saint or more Christ's twofold or two witnesses as declaring the comprehensive fulness of his new-creature-Spirit Though Abraham as a figure of Christ was the Parent of a twofold seed or first and second covenant Jew he was also in a farther sense a figure of him as Parent of a twofold spiritual new-creature seed his heavenly and earthly glorified members experimental witnesses of the twofold principles of his new-creature building This mystery was frequently represented by types and shadows to the faith of spiritual Saints under the Law but the distinction and inseparable union of these two parts of Christ's comprehensive creature-nature received their first visibility in Christ's glorified humanity By this the before invisible temple of God was opened and the first shower of his risen Spirit sent down on Gospel-Believers which qualified them by a single or double portion in the twofold parts of the new-creation-building to be his two witnesses Such are assigned their distinct witnessing-work according to John's vision Rev. 11. as members of his heavenly or earthly glorified body These two sorts of witnesses of Christ's spiritual life as all joined together declare and make up the fulness of his creature-building as members of his mystical spiritual body This twofold new-creature principle in Christ and Saints was lively figured out in the request for the two Sons of Zebedee by their Mother who was a figure of Christ our spiritual Parent in his desire to his Father to wit that his two sorts of witnessing Sons or Saints may sit on his right and left hand in an everlasting fruition of his divine glory And these are the two spiritual anointed ones Olive-trees or Sons of Oil placed on each side of Christ the Lord of the whole Earth Zech. 4. 3. 14. Rev. 11. 4. John also saw a Sack-cloath-state these two witnesses would be brought into notwithstanding their first eminent visibility in the power and under the strong and clear Sunshine of the spiritual presence of Christ amongst them And this dark season of their Sack-cloath prophecy must in faith and patience be passed thorow by them and the visibility of their spiritual state be taken or withdrawn from them All this seems figured out to John by that Woman clothed with the Sun having the Moon under her Feet Rev. 12. 1. Hereby is represented First the birth of the conquering man-child spirit in Christ's person Secondly the powerful witness of it in and by his spiritual members Then John saw this man-child caught up from the Woman or Church to God and to his Throne And on the withdrawing this man-child-spirit from the Woman or crucified members of Christ is she commanded into the Wilderness as the prepared place for her where to remain by God's appointment 1260 days or years the allotted time for their sack-cloth prophecy During this sack-cloth state of his Church on Earth Christ takes care for the nourishing their inward Man by invisibly feeding that from his own Spirit with his hidden spiritual Manna through such angelical visits as their own natural understanding may be little sensible of This Wilderness-state and Sack-cloth prophecy therein is a peculiar dispensation of the Cross suited to the time of the man-child-spirits absence as to any visibility thereof During this season the Woman spiritual Saints in their crucified natural man is shut up as in a secret Chamber or Wilderness in which secured from any dangerous or hurtful assaults by World or Devil and is therein by Faith chastly and quietly to wait for the return of her spiritual Lord and Husband in the visible glory of his man-child spiritual life and state Then John saw also the means by which this mystical Woman or Spouse of Christ was to be carried into the Wilderness as her prepared place or state of safety Two wings of a great Eagle were given her by which to flee into the said Wilderness-state out of the reach of any hurt by the utmost expressions of her inward or outward enemies malice which would certainly be sent after her as a flood ver 14 15. The great Eagle by whose wings she is carried into this place of security is the person of Christ as head to his new-creature Saints by making his own natural spirit or state under the cross that dead carkass to which they are gathered Mat. 24. 24. in a conformity to him by the like death of nature in them in order to receive his invisible spiritual new-creation-life This by a fixed faith in the two distinct principles of his new-creature-Spirit the two wings of that spiritual Eagle by which they are safely carried and guided into the wilderness-state of their crucified natural man under the Cross By these wings is the inward man of Christ's mystical dead body protected kept in perfect safety and invisibly nourish'd for a time times and half a time from the hurtful fury of the Serpent The sack-cloth prophecy then is dated from the Woman 's actual flight into the Wilderness which was at the withdrawing and absence of the man-child Spirit from her as to such visibility thereof in true signs and wonders as was afforded and for a season continued in and to the primitive Gospel-Church So her proper cloathing became sack-cloth in which
purpose to raise up the two slain witnesses by quickning up the seed of the twofold new-creature-spirit of prophecy in them into a powerful and irresistible demonstration So the preparatory angelical ministration is to take place immediately on the death of the witnesses In this newness of Life shall their dead natural spirits be made stand on their feet in a proportionable obedience to the Spirit of Christ with their spiritual man And so shall they with Gideon the type Judg. 6. 7. become men of valour for destruction of enemies and salvation of friends All this in such an absolute subjection to Christ that the whole glory of the victory will be seen to be God's In this angelical day as was signified by the seperation twice made in Gideon's army shall be used only such spiritual Angels and Saints as are dignified with a spiritual skill for this war upon enemies On the first separation in Gideon's army returned two and twenty thousand from the war In the second test or trial only three hundred that lapped of the water putting their hand to their mouth and refusing to bow down upon their knees to any first-creation-reliefs but found singly in a true subjection to Christ these were to perform the war And each of them were to have a Trumpet with empty Pitchers and Lamps in the Pitchers These empty Pitchers fitly represent the compleat work of the Cross on the whole natural man of Christ's spiritual Gideonites So as wholly emptied of all first-creation-life and strength are they filled with the new-creation-spirit of power to perform the work of this preparatory day The new-creature lamp or spirit of Christ shall be set up in the empty Pitcher of their crucified natural man and unchanged body rendring their whole man a burning and shining Light And this lamp is the very weapon by which the work of the said day is to be done 'T is by the Sword of the Lord and his spiritual Gideonite's the new-creature-spirit of Christ in his Saints who are thereby in marriage-union with their spiritual Lord Joshua the victory is to be obtained Not by might not by power but by my spirit saith the Lord of Hosts as in the type Zech. 4. 6. No first-creation-strength or weapon shall be used in this War The spirit of the Lord will be the two-edged sword in their hands to execute vengeance on their combined enemies heathens and a first-covenant people Psal 2. 1 2. 149. 6 7. By this sword of the Lord and his Gideonites will Christ cause them to triumph over all enemies visible and invisible Men and Devils They shall break in pieces the serpentine head and whole party of first-creation-rebels against God and the second The Lord will then by his fiery sword plead with all Flesh Isa 66. 16. even with every false Spirit as included in that word Flesh For this purpose and work will he descend with his angelical host into the mystical valley of Jehosaphat on the raising of the dead carkases or dry bones of his twofold spiritual witnesses to make a true decision between his Friends and Foes Then shall the slain by this spiritual sword of the Lord in his Angels and Saints be many And this weapon shall be seen to be wholly directed by the will and command of Christ their Head and King whose powerful word will give the quick and terrible motion to those angelical Chariots in which Angels and Saints jointly commission'd by him shall drive furiously to carry on the swift execution of his will on enemies Of this ministration of Angels furnish'd with the sword or spirit of the Lord as join'd in commission with the two sorts of spiritual Saints and so making up a twofold band or army of Angels and Saints in this preparatory day is there a full account given Joel 2. First here is a command for blowing the spiritual Trumpet as the first infallible alarm to this work This is to be sounded by Angels as the appointed gatherers together of the elect seed among men to the said mystical battel And when these spiritual Warriers are provided with their offensive and defensive weapons the Angels will blow their spiritual Trumpet in Zion and sound their alarm in the holy Mountain for the joyful assembling the ripen'd seed of spiritual Saints into an association with themselves which will make all the inhabitants of the earth tremble These fore-running messengers of Christ in their new-creation-light and power shall come as horses and horsemen and the thundring sound of Chariots on the tops of the mountains riding in a commanding power over all visible and invisible strength leaping and rejoycing before their great Lord and Master as spiritual David's before the mystical Ark for his-new-creation-strength and life put into them For by the angelical flames of fire shall they devour the enemy as stubble They shall run like mighty men expert in this spiritual war so swift as none shall be able to flee or escape them in their most orderly march without breaking their ranks upon the old first-creation-World or City They will climb up upon the mystical Houses even the persons of enemies and enter in at the Windows like Theives By their all-searching new-creation-light will they ransack and search their enemies hearts so as to find out and detect all the deceitful works of unrighteousness in the mystical earthly Jerusalem And this work will make the hypocritical Sinners in Sion to fear and tremble as found wilful enemies to this spiritual army They will kindle a mystical Fire in their spirits that shall forever burn in them and this yet but preparatory to what is reserved by Christ's final sentence to be brought upon them which is near at hand When he comes he will utter his own voice before his Army as head of them Joel 2. 11. And the execution of the said voice will be very terrible to all opposers who shall be devoured by the fire that proceeds out of their mouths as found implacable enemies to the glad tydings of the Lord's approach That which is unspeakable joy to friends will be unexpressible terror and vexation to enemies This twofold differing reception and effect of Christ's second coming we find on the concluding sound of the seventh Trumpet of Christ's new-creation-voice on which he actually takes possession of all the visible and invisible Kingdoms of this World On this follow loud acclamations of spiritual Saints but anger vexation and madness in the enemies thereof Rev. 11. 15 18. The work then of the preparatory dispensation to Christ's coming is twofold To the joyful receivers of their everlasting Gospel will the holy Angels administer suitable recompences of Christ's love as true fearers of his name small or great single or double-portion'd heavenly or earthly spiritual Saints And the peculiar generation of Saints that are to be his two-fold witnesses slain for their faithful testimony as their particular recompence will be called up by the holy Angels into a fellowship
the whole comprehensive single earthly generation and party of evil Angels and Men who will have nothing to pretend as to God's omitting any ways or means for the doing of them good In Israel's case he gives an account of the method of his proceedings with all his Creatures Angels and Men in reference to their everlasting happiness Esay 5. 4. All that set up for themselves in the first-creation-spirit against the second instead of good kindly fruits bring forth wild Grapes from a root of bitterness and known enmity to him In this do they practise all sorts of mystical uncleanness idolatry and fornication And as we have seen the ruine of the old World or first-creation as exalted against the second gradually carried on as to the judgments of God on the several parts thereof and at length upon the whole to their total and irreparable ruin in this preparatory dispensation and close thereof So are we to consider what 's done therein and by towards the building the new Christ will send his Angels for this with the great sound of their seven-fold Trumpet to gather together his Elect from the four Winds from one end of Heaven to the other Mat. 24. 31. This by powerfully wakning up the seed of spiritual life in all Nations Then will the Earth bring forth in one day and a Nation of spiritual Saints shall be born at once Esay 66. 8. and this marvellous wonder-working hand of the Lord which will so be made known towards his Servants will be attended with and made serviceable to the discovery of his indignation towards his Enemies ver 14. All the power and strength of the first-creation shall then like the Walls of Jerico fall without hands before the clear shining forth of the resurrection-power of Christ in his Angels and Saints causing the destruction of the old World and passing away of all the old things thereof as an immediate introduction to the building of the new the new Heavens and Earth to be set up by Christ's new-creation-workmanship wherein he will delight and rejoyce for ever ver 22. Isa 65. 17 -19. Come we then particularly to consider the second general part of the preparatory work the laying the Foundations of the new World or preparing the spiritual materials for the new-creation-building and kingdom of Christ In this second as well as first part of the work of this preparatory day will Christ make remarkable use of his Angels and ripen'd Saints fitly qualified in his spirit for the same This second part of the preparatory work seems necessarily to accompany the former For if this old World for the fleshly and spiritual defilements thereof must be destroyed by Fire mystical and literal as altogether unfit for Christ's presence there must be such a new Heaven and Earth built up as may be found faultless before him fit for his divine and new-creature residence as answering God's mind for the exercising of a visible rule and dominion of love over his Saints and Angels and also of good will over all mankind on the Earth In order to this will these preparatory builders Angels and Saints powerfully assert Christ's right to the visible universal rule and monarchy of this World And then secondly will they declare the great advantage of his assuming the same to all the inhabitants thereof Both these particulars shall in this fore-running dispensation be so clearly stated and asserted with such demonstration as to prevail on the whole new Earth not only to own Christ's right of ruling over them but to express their impatient desires for the same as their unexpressible benefit as well as his unquestionable right For hereby shall they be totally redeemed from the unreasonable bondage under the oppressive governments of this World and brought under the peaceable and righteous rule of Christ so as to perform universal obedience to him in the new-creation-principles of true love and freedom In order to this has Christ reserved a greater effusion of his Spirit in the latter rain thereof to be showred down in this preparatory dispensation to his second coming than the former in the primitive day amounted to The gradual operations of this shall cause all the Kingdoms of this new World to become the Lord's and his Christ's And every member and subject thereof shall receive his summons his Lord 's actual coming being now at hand By the powerful angelical ministry accompanied with the rain of Christ's risen spirit shall the true seed of the Kingdom be universally awaken'd and quicken'd up as a beginning to that full restitution of all things to be accomplish'd by Christ's own personal spiritual coming in his new-creation-temple of our glorified nature And herein will he be beheld before his visible presence on Earth on the opening the doors of that his Temple in Heaven by the powerful preaching of his everlasting-Gospel in the preparatory ministration so as to make the divine inhabitant thereof to be seen through Christ's creature-nature as with open face And this sight shall also have its powerful and peculiar effect on all the mystical members of Christ so as to change or transform them into a likeness to him in his new-creature-spirit as members of his heavenly or earthly-glorified body This great charge is committed to the spiritual and powerful preachers of his everlasting Gospel as in figure was shewed Ezekiel chap. 43. to give his mystical Israelit's a more clear view than ever of the exact form and fashion of the new-creature House and Temple of their great Lord and Head and that in such a manner as to shew them all the ascents and descents and every coming in and going out thereof with all the distinct Laws and Ordinances belonging to the same And this will beget in them a like admiration to that of the Queen of Sheba that came from the utmost corner of her natural Earth to behold the divine and new-creature glory of her spiritual King Solomon in the figure thereof When Saints shall see the divine King and the glory of his creature-House and Temple with the subjected ranks of his attendants in blessed harmony amongst themselves and universal obedience to him they will jointly ascribe all the glory of that order and their blessedness therein to the wisdom of their divine Lord and spiritual King Solomon the maker of those spiritual Laws in observing of which they shall live for ever in perfect blessedness and freedom The sight of this divine King and creature-Lord and of the everlasting blessedness of his Servants and Subjects is to be given in this preparatory dispensation This was exactly figured out in the setting up of the tabernacle or worldly Sanctuary before Israel's entring Ganaan the type of this visible spiritual Kingdom of Christ For in this preparatory day must be proved and fitted all sorts of materials needful to the setting up of Christ's visible Kingdom as then for Moses his Tabernacle And the means as there must be the free-will-offerings of the
and undeniably assert and demonstrate his right to the universal monarchy of the whole Earth And having thus seen in a parallel to Moses his day how all the materials of Christ's visible Kingdom are to be provided the mystical Stones hewed squared and polished for compleating the new-building we are next to consider by way of parallel also the view that from an angelical hand and glory is to be given of the Throne and heavenly Temple of Christ as was of Moses his Tabernacle by the rearing thereof before fixed in the Land of Canaan Through the angelical light of the preparatory day shall the new-creation Temple of Christ be opened and rendred much more perspicuous than ever it hath yet been And this as a needful qualifying of the new Earth for so great a glory as will shine forth upon it by Christ's personal coming to set up and establish his visible and everlasting Kingdom In order to this work let us yet more particularly examine the type in which Moses in every thing relating to it received exact direction from God and was also shewed the original patern of the typical Tabernacle in that holy Mount the same with this angelical ministration that 's to reveal Christ the original and substance of all According to this angelical sight through faith given to Moses was he to provide every Pin and Board belonging to the Tabernacle and answerable to the pattern joyn and linke every part of the whole together And so became it a lively figure of the compleat new-creature-building in Christ and his comprehensive body head and members who must all be exactly and inseparably joyn'd together in a spirit of faith and love by that supply to each other which must be made by every joint and member according to the effectual working of the distinct measure of the new-creature-spirit of the head in every part to the increase and perfecting of the whole body in love Eph. 4. 16. Of this compleat creature-building in the invisible existing state of the new-creature-seed in their head before Angels or Men personally and individually were and also as to be brought forth in his spiritual life and inseparably therein joyn'd to Christ their Head and Parent in their distinct subjected places as lively spiritual Stones in his new-creation-Temple 1 Pet. 2. 5. was the literal Tabernacle an appointed type The foundation of Christ's visible Kingdom is laid in this preparatory dispensation giving Pisgah-sights and views of the glory of Christ and his true spiritual Land of Promise before his actual appearance This will yet be more evident from the spiritual meaning of all things belonging to Moses his Tabernacle the type both of Christ's invisible Being and visible Kingdom Exod. 40. There was first the Tabernacle itself then the tent of the Tabernacle and thirdly the cover of the tent each a cover to the other This done in the truth and substance makes the new-creature-house in Christ a fitted reception for the divine inhabitant and to blessed Saints and Angels also This was also figured out by the covering Mercy-seat Ark and Testimony the holy things put within the Tabernacle So in the figure is a compleat view given of the original patern or creature-building in the Mediator of which it was the appointed representation as to be acknowledg'd in root and branch fitly figured by the threefold distinct covers on the infinite divinity which the Tabernacle consisted of The single fleshly humanity of Christ was the outermost cover put upon the twofold immutable being of his creature-nature his heavenly and earthly glorified spirit fitly represented by the Tabernacle and tent thereof and as so the fitted receptacle to the most choice high and holy things his eternal power and divinity and then also to those things of his eternal Power and God-head to wit his original creature-being or root the immediate workmanship of his own divinity In this twofold respect may he not unfitly be represented by the Ark and covering merey-seat The divine and creature-nature of the Mediatour in this first and invisible fellowship or conjunction are the things as in type preserv'd in such an invisibility as not to be immediately look'd upon or seen by any Therefore on purpose did they lodg and seat themselves in that mystical Tabernacle the body or visibility of the Mediatour provided also by himself as the new-creature-Temple and Sanctuary pitch'd by God not Man in which his invisible holy divine and creature-nature or things are laid up out of the immediate sight of any But they are to shine forth through the said blessed Tabernacle with safety and to the comfort of every worshipper and attendant about the said Tabernacle according to the lesser or greater distance in which placed The true Tabernacle in the capacity of branch exalted into personal union with the Mediatour as his divine head and creature-root is become that Temple of God in Heaven that by the setting up of Christ's visible Kingdom is to be open'd on Earth Rev. 11. 19. And so will the compleat personality of the Mediatour be beheld in his divine and twofold creature-being Thus by considering the spiritual meaning of the Type have we the reason why the literal Tabernacle was to consist of so many covers and also for the invisibility of the holy things with which furnish'd to wit as the significant types of the great original that is the invisibility of the divine and also creature-nature in its first conjunction with divine and so also of the fulness and variety of his new-creature-nature For it was needful his divine and creature-nature in their first and invisible conjunction should wrap up themselves in Christ the branch as in a threefold cover or Tabernacle and this as the only means to give the vision of his divine-nature and creature-root to Angels and Men. And having thus considered the distinct parts of the Tabernacle and holy things wherewith furnished consider next the form and manner in which set up to wit in a four-square shape God assigning the distinct places of every Attendant about it from highest to lowest At East or upper-end were placed Moses Aaron and his Sons At each side and West or lower-end were the other Levit's placed according to their respective charges as chosen into the room of the First-born Israelit's for the service of the Tabernacle in a subjected service of love to the high-Priest's office preparing and slaying the Sacrifices but not permitted immediately to draw nigh to God by offering the Sacrifices or touching the Ark and holy things therein Thus Moses Aaron and his high-Priest Sons together with the whole Tribe of Levi were the first Attendants in their higher and lower places round about the literal Tabernacle Then about the same and Court thereof at a greater distance were the whole Congregation of Israel placed in their several Tribes with a Prince and Head to every Tribe and other inferiour Rulers appointed according to Jethro's advice approved by God over thousands
hundreds fifties and tens Thus were the Attendants of the Tabernacle compleated in a spiritual and civil capacity The first were offering Priests and ministring Levit's the other chief and subordinate Rulers with subjected obeyers all which are significant Types of what will be found in the original when made visible as the house or Temple shew'd Ezekiel and new-Jerusalem City shew'd John do evidence In every circumstance will be found such exact proportion and agreement as to manifest all in the litteral Tabernacle harmonious figures of Christ's new-creature building that 's to be made visible in his Kingdom on earth as possessing the throne of his Father in heaven This visible Kingdom is charactred by the coming down of the new Jerusalem out of heaven and setting up the Tabernacle of God amongst men both four-square and walled about with the respective Attendants as the litteral The new Jerusalem John saw to have a wall great and high c. Rev. 21. 12. And as the outward form of the spiritual City and Tabernacle was exactly figured out in the litteral so also the spiritual Attendants thereof by those of the litteral The first row of Attendants may fitly represent those in the second resurrection-state of spiritual life and they were held forth also by the twelve foundations of the spiritual City on which were written the names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb as his highest attendants in bridal-union with him as partakers of his heavenly creature-name or nature and therein under him rulers over all others In this second resurrection-state amongst these peculiar inhabitants of the third Heaven a select row of Attendants immediately surrounding the house or throne will be found also a distinction of place and offices as in the first row about the litteral Tabernacle One star in the firmament of this third Heaven will differ from another in glory as inheriting an elder or younger brother's portion therein Though with Joseph and Benjamin types thereof they be all born of the same Mother as well as Father partaking according to their appointed measur's of the second resurrection-spirit yet in the division of the spiritual figured in that of the litteral land of Promise the peculiarly beloved Joseph must have a double portion not only to the other Sons of Jacob not admitted any place in this first row of Attendants but also to the spiritual younger Brother Benjamin who is also in that first row This was fitly represented by the distinct offices and scituation of Aaron and his priestly Sons with other inferiour Levit's about the Tabernacle The highest in this first order of Saints are the bride the Lambs wife possessed of the full blessing of Christ's new-creature-spirit by which priviledg'd to enter within the first vail of the new-creation Sanctuary Christ's earthly glorified Spirit so as to behold the most holy things therein even the divine glory as shining through the pure transparent heavenly creature-face nature or spirit of their Lord and Husband The dignity of these high Priests unto God in a peculiar marriage-union with Christ in his heavenly creature-spirit is to be placed at upper end of the new-creature Tabernacle of God as admitted to the nearest and most intimate enjoyment of the divine glory any meer creature 's are capable of But inferiour to these are those members of the second resurrection-state who also make up the first row of Attendants These receive but a single portion in comparison of that the high Priests receive Yet in a union of love with the said Spirit are they given to the service of the high Priest's office even to Christ himself and his priestly Sons as accepted in their inferiour service of love and placed above all the earthly glorified congregation of spiritual Israel These though least and lowest in the first row or second resurrection-state are above the highest and greatest in the outward row of Attendants in but the first resurrection-state wherein Angels are the chief This was typed out in John Baptist though they be not the Spouse her self they are faithful Friends and true lovers of the Bride-groom and Bride or of the peculiar bridal-union of Christ and their elder-brother Joseph-Saints so as to find their joy compleated by hearing the nuptial Voice This service of love performed by the younger brother-Saints in the second resurrection to Christ and their elder spiritual Brethren in the high-Priesthood the mystical Aaron and his peculiar Sons is their perfect freedom And as recompence of this labour of love shall they be placed on each side and at bottom or West end of the said heavenly Tabernacle in Christ's Person to the compleating the first row of select Attendants or making up the foundations of the Wall of the said mystical City on which in the single or double portion of the said resurrection-spirit are written the names of those twelve Apostles that comprehend the whole second resurrection-state in distinction from the twelve gates of the City on which are written the names of the twelve Tribes of Israel or whole innumerable multitude of glorified earthly or first-resurrection Saints that make up the new Earth in Christ's new World or Kingdom figured by the twelve Tribes of Israel And as in the second resurrection-state may seem to be a differing degree of spiritual light and glory not only in the other Levit's from the Priests but from one another also as their differing dignities in scituation on the right left-hand and lower end of the Tabernacle do intimate so among first-resurrection-Saints will be found a differing of one Star from another in that glory The variety of Rulers and Governours and also of Subjects and Obeyers therein were figured out in the Princes of the Tribes and subordinate Rulers under them over thousands hundred's fifties and tens All these compleat but the outward row of Attendants about the spiritual Tabernacle These are represented as the great and high Wall of the new Jerusalem and the twelve Princes or chief Rulers are the Angels at the gates thereof as under Christ and his heavenly Saints the highest Rulers over the earthly glorified Wall or first-resurrection Saints And under them also are subordinate Rulers over inferiour spiritual Saints in the first resurrection-state All these with the lowest subjects therein make up the outward row of Attendants about the new-creation Sanctuary So the two distinct rows though parted by the Court yet joyned in a blessed harmony make up the compleat attendance of the Tabernacle in their further or nearer distances and differing scituations or places Thus the first and second-resurrection-Saints though distinguished by the names of new Heaven and new Earth that abide for ever do in an unchangeable union of love make up the whole blessed society and corporation of the new-Jerusalem City which so united is invincible for the name of it is the Lord is there The two-fold new-creature Spirit of the King thereof in highest lowest and all intermediate members of it unites them all in an
indissoluble bond of love for ever In it shall be no more curse For nothing of the enmity of the mystical first-creation Heaven and Earth Angels or Men shall be found in Christ's new Earth the lower part of his Kingdom or meanest of his spiritual Subjects This was also typed by Canaan and the literal Tabernacle there erected as God's resting place Hence John saw that Sea representing the first-creation-Spirit as fallen into universal enmity pass away as forc'd to give place to the new Heaven and Earth or two-fold Principles of Christ's new creature-Spirit on which the new Jerusalem is built In this City John also saw the Throne of God and of the Lamb who in the shining forth of his divine and creature-name in personal union is the light thereof to all the Inhabitants the whole heavenly and earthly glorified family of Christ the train or blessed retinue shew'd John belonging to and standing with the Lamb on mount Sion even the Church of the first-born and whole assembly of Saints and Angels that are perfect Spirits waiting to be establish'd in their place of attendance about his spiritual Temple that 's to be open'd by the setting up of his visible Kingdom on Earth Then the most inferiour spiritual Subjects in it shall be cloathed in long white Robes and have palms in their hands garments of immutable righteousness and palms of victory as redeemed from the changeableness and bondage of the first creation Spirit of nature and translated into new creation-principles of true freedom in which to perform an everlasting service of love to Christ in their respective places about his Throne and Temple The vision of all this was given John An Angel open'd to his faith the door of the mystical Temple of Christ's glorified humanity in which he beheld a Throne and as Stephen God the Mediator sitting and Jesus his Son and Branch in our glorified nature standing at his right hand as having in that soveraign exaltation committed to him his Father 's whole rule and authority under him as in personal union with him sitting on the same Throne And round about this Throne John saw twenty four seats and thereon sitting twenty four Elders clothed with long white robes and having crowns of Gold upon their heads Rev. 4. 4. By these are charactered the highest rulers under Christ himself to be by him set up in his Kingdom They are second resurrection-Saints who are the first row of attendants and encompassers of the Tabernacle and Throne sitting on their distinct seats according to their Services The highest seat for the highest of these is beheld in a subjected distance not only from the true Moses the Mediatour but from the true Aaron Jesus in our glorified nature the supreme high-Priest and Parent of his highest priestly Sons that are a select number out of the second resurrection Saints peculiarly qualified for his marriage-bed by a twofold resurrection-garment earthly glorified and heavenly as also by a double portion of the glorified earthly and heavenly spirit of their Lord implied in the distinct kinds of holiness as well as differing measures by which the high Priests are distinguish'd from other Levites These highest priestly Saints seem peculiarly represented by the twenty four Elders who with the younger brothers in the single portion of the second resurrection-state make up the first row of attendants about the Throne or Tabernacle To all these John saw given over and above the white raiment of the earthly glorified congregation members of the first resurrection crowns of Gold that is either a double or single portion of Christ's heavenly or second resurrection-life or spirit And before this Throne thus set up in the third Heaven encompassed with Spiritual Priests and serving Levites John saw a Sea of Glass clear as Christal and round about the Throne four beasts full of Eyes before and behind One like a Lion another like a Calf a third a Man a fourth an Eagle By these angelical rational and sensual faces or likenesses may be represented the whole number in the first-resurrection-state consisting of angelical Princes or chief rulers and of subordinate rational rulers and obeyers For in this first-resurrection-state as well as second are mystical Stars or spiritual Saints differing from one another in glory yet all with the whole earthly congregation of spiritual Israelites Christ's new Earth make up but the second or outward row of attendants about the spiritual Throne or Tabernacle And the clear cristal-Sea typed out by the Court of the Tabernacle dividing and distinguishing the first and second resurrection-attendants through its transparent nature causing them to behold each other and in all their various distances to behold the Throne itself may fitly represent the glorified humanity of Christ This is the blessed and proper medium by which himself and his first-born-Church do converse with Angels and Saints in the first resurrection-state who though without the Tabernacle Court or cristal Sea before the Throne yet through the union of these two distinct spiritual states and principles in Christ do all with unspeakable joy behold the Throne of God the Lamb and also Bride the Lamb's Wife And so do all live in an absolute unchangeable obedience to Christ and perfect union of love with his peculiar spouse and their elder-brother-Saints This appears by the blessed harmony of these first and second resurrection-Saints attending at several distances about the Throne signified by twenty four Elders and four Beasts all falling down together before the Throne of God and the Lamb in an unanimous discharge of the duty of their respective places crying day and night Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almighty which was is and is to come These two distinct communities of Saints and Angels ascribe everlasting Glory Honour and Power to God and the Lamb who created all things as their due praise for their immortal and glorified beings The last circumstance in the parallel between the literal and mystical Sanctuary or new Jerusalem City is this No fleshly defiled persons were to enter the former no fleshly or spiritually defiled the latter The touching a dead Soul is in mystery and truth such a touching the first-creation-spirit and life of nature through enmity to God become a dead unclean thing as imports a love to and union therewith This touch renders men unclean on which they are to be cast out of the spiritual Camp and Kingdom of Christ Such mystical Dogs Sorcerers Whoremongers Murderers and Lyars as from wilful hatred to Christ's new-creature-spirit of truth chuse their own spirit of lyes and falshood are for ever to be excluded out of Christ's new-Jerusalem City or Kingdom In this twofold work of leading men to Christ the true door of entrance and keeping out all that climb up some other way will Christ use his Angels typed by the twelve Princes of the Tribes They then as the literal Princes must number the true subjects of Christ's spiritual Kingdom for his service in order to take their
Master for the same As recompence of their labour of love to his Saints will Christ at end of their preparatory dispensation say to them well done good and faithful Servants enter into the full joy and enjoyment of your Lord prepared for you and reserved to be given or conveighed to you by the hand of my heavenly Saints at my command These highest instruments under Christ are to fill their angelical vessels with that manifold grace and wisdom of God which till thus by heavenly and most exalted Saints could not is not to be reveal'd to them being of too vast and comprehensive a nature to be received by them immediately from Christ's own hand Their portion therein and visions thereof are appointed to be given forth to them by his heavenly Church of first-born-Saints Eph. 3. 10. All others are too inferiour and at too great a distance to be immediate receivers thereof from Christ who in all the distributions of the glory of this state is to be seen and acknowledged head of this first-born-Church And in like manner will the geral assembly of earthly glorified Saints acknowledg Christ head of the angelical rulers over them on the finishing their preparatory dispensation for taking down the whole old first-creation-World and laying the foundation of the new All this by such an opening of the sealed up judgments of God due to every part of this sinful World on the utmost trial discover'd to be that accursed Earth which will not be made better who shall by the light of this angelical ministery be discovered and have a fire kindled in and upon them as condemned persons that shall never be quench'd They shall in mystical chains and fetters put upon them be secured and imprisoned in order to their final sentence and execution thereof from Christ's personal presence Then as the King in the parable will he say of the earthly Jerusalem-Citizens as wilful refusers of his raign over them bring and slay them before me Luk. 19. 27. This shall be when the Son of Man the declared King of the whole World shall sit on the Throne of the Fathers glory on Earth Psal 2. 8. For this will he summon and assemble before him all Nations in order to separate his chast Sheep from Satan's lustful Goats who through inordinate lust after and love to the fading life wisdom power and glory of their own old nature have despised and rejected Christ's new-creature-nature and life wisdom righteousness and power of God therein and will send both to their respective places or final states of eternal life or death Mat. 25. 31 -46. Then will incorrigibly wicked Angels and Men be chained up in unexpressible torment so as in their height of rage against God Christ blessed Angels and Saints not able to do any thing against them to disturbe their peaceable raign with Christ during his thousand years visible Kingdom on Earth And to the Sheep on his right hand the prepared spiritual members of his visible Kingdom will Christ say come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the World either in a spiritual or natural religious or civil capacity This was declar'd to John even that all those Souls that had been mystically or literally beheaded for the testimony of Jesus or word of God who by the chastity of their spirit to Christ have bin kept from worshipping the Beast his image or receiving his mark in their foreheads even an unchangeable enmity to God shall in one or other of the said capacities live and raign with Christ in the first resurrection-state whereby secured from any hurt by the second death The young and tender seed also to be awaken'd by the preparatory dispensation that shall not after that in this powerful day of light degenerate into strange plants shall likewise in their successive generations grow up out of their restored principles of nature into first or second resurrection-members of Christ's visible spiritual Kingdom This season to obedient Sheep and lustful rebellious Goats will be found the best and worst of times For then will be made an abundant recompence to Saints for all the hard usage for Christ's new name and life sake they have met with from World and Devil Then shall they find the performance of all the great and glorious promises so as to fill them with joy and render them blessed beyond what the narrow natural heart of the greatest Saint could imagine conceive desire or wish But quite contrary to the inhabitants of the Earth the Goats on the left hand will this day of Christ be the greatest and saddest wo imaginable For they will find the greatest disappointment as to their mis-grounded hopes of everlasting happiness and true rest and in the room thereof the height of a restless vexation of spirit under a self-condemning light awaken'd up in them in judgment so as ever to see it brought upon them by their own wilful folly And they will also see themselves stripp'd of all means of coming out of the same or of delivering themselves from or being reveng'd on that power against which they have rebelled and incorrigibly hardned themselves Yet will they retain the utmost height of malice for ever to him that slays them that divine and new-creature spirit and life of Christ and God which are unspeakably above them They will proudly and presumptuously in their Luciferian spirit of unchangeable enmity say before him that slays them I am God but shall be forced to see themselves but Man and not God in the hand of him that slays them Exek 28. 9. And thus have we in some small measure observ'd the near approach of Christ's visible Kingdom in the preparatory dispensation to it In the beginning hereof the two witnesses are to be signally slain These are a twofold generation of spiritual Saints that are to be his heavenly and earthly glorified congregation or new-creation Heaven and Earth for ever These two sorts of spiritual Saints do make up and give forth the compleat witness of Christ's new-creature-life who now in the end of this World are to suffer the utmost extremity of mystical or litteral death The design of God in suffering this extream suffering of his witnessing Saints in such a day of trouble to them as never was since there was a Nation is to introduce his angelical preachers and witnessing-risen-Saints whose joint-ministry will powerfully shake and overturn all earthly buildings foundations or principles The voice of God's providences is such as affords significant signs to the reading or understanding of rational men of his present controversy with the whole Earth For in a way of righteous judgment is he confounding and overthrowing all worldly constitutions religious and civil The light of the day so remarkably judges and discovers the rotten foundation upon which both are built as undeniably to convince all they can no longer maintain or uphold their own structure Yet as the saddest lamentation how little are
2. This Bovvl or Top of the great creature-building in the Mediatour is the fitted immediate reception of the divine mind in order to the execution of it by his inferiour creature-capacity signified by the golden Candlestick This inferiour part as living in personal union with the superiour and through that with the divinity it self in the Mediatour is said to be God's equal or fellovv who thus found in the form of God accounts it no robbery or presumption to be equal vvith God even in our soveraignly exalted nature as therein fitted to declare and execute the whole will of his divine and creature-lord Zech. 13. 7. Phil. 2. 6. This inferiour creature-capacity of the Mediatour is the second reception of the divine will and power which was first received by and treasured up in his creature-root and by that transmitted to its Son and Branch to exercise and execute the same as fitted thereunto From the creature-root does the branch receive the power of creating the worlds Heb. 1. 2. as also the essentials of all Rule and Government For all these undertakes does the Son and Branch become abundantly qualified through personal conjunction with his creature-root and divine Lord even to create all things and make Laws whereby clearly to state conserve the absolute headship of the single divinity and the Supream Prerogative of the first conjunction of divine and creature-spirits in the Mediatour The Man Christ as Son and Branch declares the deriving all his power from the two headships over him and his exercise thereof in a visible rule over this world in perfect subjection to them according to the righteous Laws of his own making And he allowes unto Angels and Men all such priviledges as are essential to their spiritual rational and sensual Principles in the life and exercise of their intellectual beings So does he render them according to their creature-liberty free Agents as well as immortal spirits Thus deep is the foundation laid for the Rule and Power of the Kingdom of Christ as visibly to be exercised by him in our glorified nature And this power does he ascribe to his conjunctive divine Lord and creature-root and in harmony therewith to God's absolute divine unity as above all and head to all Thus does Jesus Christ as subjected Lord over all under the said twofold headship over him ascribe and bring the glory to God most high in his single divinity the great and high Father of all So through the happy union of divine and twofold creature-nature in the Mediatour may we behold the Government of Peace under which blessed Saints and Angels are to live everlastingly as shining forth betvveen them both Zec. 6. 13. to wit both his creature-capacities In the higher he is the immediate receiver of the divine mind in the lower the executour of the divine will in all things This twofold office of the mediatour is excellently figured out in the essential parts of man's make and the distinct usefulnesses thereof by which fitted for the compleat exercise of his whole being Yea the whole person of the mediatour in all the essentials of his constitution may fitly be represented by what is found in man For as a shadow of the divinity his spirit or intellectual part is the conceiver of its own will Then his Soul as figure of the mediatour's creature-root is the fitted reception of the said will and mind of the spirit And thirdly the will thus conceived by the Spirit and received by the Soul must be brought into visible exercise and execution by the third essential part in man the body 1 Thes 5. 23. figure of the inferiour part or capacity in the mediatour's creature-nature as visible branch to his invisible creature-root in vvhom the god-head also dvvells bodily and so becomes visible to Angels and Saints Thus by owning every distinct part in the mediatour and in man and accordingly assigning to them their proper offices the usefulnes of the whole both in type and substance is compleated as also their respective personalities And as the body is put for the whole man as that by which the invisible Soul and Spirit are rendred visible in the exercise thereof which dignity belongs to it through its personal union with its invisible Soul and spirit it bears the Title and denomination of the whole man in the figure after the same manner as in the substance the person of the Mediatour Hence every distinct Name of the Mediatour is applyed to Christ the Branch as in our nature glorified For therein the fulness of the Godhead dvvels bodily and in personal union therewith shines forth visibly to Angels and Men. In the lowest essential part of the Mediatour in Christ the Man-child that 's to be manifested in the glory of his Father put upon our exalted nature in him And so is the Government of his divine and creature-lord put upon his Shoulders Hence is he called by his Father's wonderful Names The vvonderful Counsellour the mighty God the everlasting Father and Prince of Peace Isa 9. 6. This is a full significant Prophecy of Christ the Branch in our nature glorified as the body and visibility of the Mediatour by which his other superiour essential parts his divine spirit and creature-soul are brought to light and rendred visible to his creatures So is the Man Christ Jesus the one Mediatour betvveen God and Men 1 Tim. 2. 5. Yet does not the Mediatour hereby lose either his divine or creature-name in the first conjunction thereof but on the contrary that divine Light and original Creature-immortality which was inaccessible invisible and incommunicable to creatures is made visible in the Man Christ as glorified and exalted on the Throne of David in personal union with his divine and creature-lord Of the encrease of vvhose Government through the said union there shall be no end vers 7. For hereby is this happy Prince of peace abundantly qualified to execute and fulfill the whole divine and creature-will And so through the perfect subjection of the visible body our exalted nature in him to the invisible creature-soul and divine spirit is the will of God and of the whole person of the mediatour declared and fulfilled The will of all is manifested and done by the actual setting up of the kingdom over which Christ is to reign as son and branch in the glory of his divine Lord and creature-father This is significantly figured out by Hilkiam the Father and Eliakim the Son holding forth this relation of our mystical Eliakim the branch bearing the same date with his spiritual root and father Hilkiam in his invisible angelical life that he had in his root from everlasting And in his appointed time must all the glory of his Fathers house be visibly put upon our nature in him on earth as invisibly inherited and possessed by him in Heaven So comes he to be clothed with the twofold Robes of mystical Hilkiam his root and father when this son and branch shall appear in