saith he we according to his promise looke for new Heavens and new earth wherein dwelleth righteousnesse although this old foundation and Fabrick shall be dissolved and Christ that day of the Lord shall come even as a thiefe in the night and deprive us of all the excellency of our present station waste destroy and burne up all our Gold Silver and precious stones consume all the Glory of our present being yet sayes hee here is one comfort wee looke for a new Heaven and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousnesse God never confounds the old but he brings a new the manner of Gods new creation is to new modelize the heart to new mould the creature to create a new Christian as it were to spirituallize the Christian in a word it is to swallow up the soul in himselfe to drown confound and bring to an end all creature glory in his own incomprehensive excellency So that the Saints are said to bee that new Jerusalem that came down from God deckâ— and adorn'd with the Glory of God only as 〈◊〉 Bride adorned for her husband They are called new because Christ in them hath created a new world this new Jerusalem had no temple in it of it selfe but the Lord God and the Lamb were the temple of it truly that soul in whom the Lord God hath madâ— this desolation of creature excellency and hath created all things a new this new Jerusalem or new Christian hath no temple but Christ Iâ— typicall Jerusalem there was a temple but Christ prophesied That there should not be one stonâ— left upon another that should not be throwne downe Matth. 24. Even so when God creates all things new in a Christian he will demollish all that was in his stead before he came to establish his new creation and he will make himselfe the temple of a Christian what ever the soul sees in any outward things as Formes Ordinances Worships and the like yet Christ will destroy and throw downe and bring to nought these things and make himselfe all this and much more to the Christian and thus you may see the day of Judgement in a Christian here you may see Christ sending his spirit into the worldly heart of man convincing it of Judgement because the prince of this world is judged in him I proceed now to the third discovery of the last day which is namely The distruction of Antichrist or the downfall of the whore which doth yet further manifest to us that this last day is in us the comming of this day of Jesus and the appearance of this Star in us is the last day of the whore in us no sooner doth Christ appear but downe falls the Kingdome of the serpent our fleshly wisdome and therefore if thou wouldst know how this Antichrist shall be destroyed the Apostle tells us 2 Thes 2 8. That the Lord shal consume him with the breath of his mouth and the brightnesse of his comming This bright comming of Christ in us shall dispell that darkness discover that fogge that with-holdeth or hinders the revelation of the whore Christ will then put aside this veile which is before this varlets face namely all her specious pretences and shewes of glory Christ is that mountaine spoken of in the 25. Isa In whom God shall destroy the veile of the covering that is cast over all people but this must be fulfilled when this mountaine Christ Jesus shall be established upon the top of the mountaines in our souls or when Christ by his owne power hath seated himself in us above every high thought and vaine imagination when the child Jesus is given to us and hath gotten the government upon his shoulders this is the time of the whores demolition in us I say it is the worke of Christ by his comming in a Saint to discover the Whore to him to take away that veil of flesh and those mists of obsurity which this harlot hath interposed between her selfe and the soul when the day dawnes the darknesse vanisheth away even so when this day Christ Jesus dawnâ—s in thy heart when day breaks as I may so say in thy soul then begins the darknesse in thy heart to flee away and now thou commest to be one of the Children of the day In a word now thou canst see discerne and distinguish and before thou couldesâ— not alas sirs a poore soul that walks in darknesse and sees by no other light but by the blaze of selfe and by the sparks of his own fire he may be compared to a man that sees by candle light who cannot discerne one colour from another even so it is with all naturall men they are not able to see what 's good from evill or what 's light from darknesse O the palpable blindnesse of all poore creatures in whom this day Christ does not appeare this it is to have eyes and see not eares and heare not This sad obscurity of a man that walkes not in the light may fitly be compared to that darknesse which might be felt the soul feeles many times what his blindnesse is how it deprives him of the beatificall vision of God brings him to wander from the way Christ Jesus causes him many times to stumble at that stumbling stone and all this is because the day is not dawned as yet but now when the Sun of righteousnesse arises in the Soul why then here comes light to them that sit in darknesse and in the shadow of death and now this light guides the soul into the way of peace It is said of new Jerusalem Revel 21. That it needed not the light of the Sun or of the Moone for the glory of God did lighten it and the Lamb was the light thereof all which in me is thus much when God comes to create a new Heaven and a new earth in a Christian when he comes by the power of that regenerating spirit to make his Jerusalem a new Jerusalem in this new estate he will give her new light to walke by so that now the Saints shall have no need of the old Sun or the old Moone no need of the old light of reason and nature but her 's new light brought forth now in the soul the new light is Christ or the Lamb who by the radiant beames of his splendor fills the soul with the glory of the Father and destroyes or distinguishes all other inferiour lights in the soul We live in a generation wherein both Presse and Pulpit doth cry down new lights and truely I cannot much blame them that so doe because as yet they walke in the light of the old Sun and Moone and are to be comprehended under the notion of old Jerusalem but tell me now when the Spirit of Glory hath darkned this Sun and turned this Moone into blood quite confounded brought to nothing the highest sphere of this naturall excellency in them when this old Jerusalem comes to bee made new then you shall heare a new voyce crying up
fought to establish their Kingdome in the Soul but the Lambe hath overcome them and set up his Kingdome in the Christian And the Kings of the earth as namely the powers of the creature bring all their glory and Honour unto it thus you see that the whore shall bee destroyed in the last day at the Second coming of Christ in us and likewise I have discovered unto you one Signe of the last day or day of Spirituall Judgement which is those Combates Warres and Commotions that are in a Christian I will but instance two particulars more and so shall draw to a conclusion Therefore Secondly a second signe or symptome of the last day is the Desolution of the World how that the Earth and all that is therein shall be burnt up the Sonne turned into darknesse the Moone into bloud the Starres shall fall from Heaven and thus God will shake the Heavens and the Earth and mens hearts shall faile them for feare expecting the end of such sorrowfull beginings Even thus it is with and in a Christian at the aproaching of the spirit of Christ in him the World begins to be dissolved the World is sayd ver 3. to bee placed in mans heart which World in mans heart shall be dissolved by the Fire of the Spirit of Christ the Heavens and the Earth are Mystically in man and the Waters with their Ebings and Flowings are to be seene in the Mysterie in man her 's God deviding the Light from the Darknesse to be seen in man the waters below from the waters above the Firmament all this is fullfilled Mysteriously in man in whom God separates himself who is pure and light from the darknesse and nothingnesse of the creature The Fouls of the Ayre and Fishes of the Sea are Mystically in man as namely those flying Phantasies and swimming Notions of the creature in a word her 's every thing bringing forth Fruite after its Kind in man And all Gods creation good in its own kind in this first World which is in mans heart But now this first World this first Creation must be dissolved what ever excellency God hath endued man with all in this first creation what ever maturity of Wit and ingenuity the Lord hath lent man how high so ever and how large so ever the Lord hath Naturallized the creature yet all this excellency shall vanish away all this worldly glory as I so call it shall be cosumed and burnt up but alas how hardly is this believed how impossible is this to carnall man that all this goodly creation and worke of God in his nature should bee anihilated that Reason Naturall understanding and wisdome nay Nature it selfe should be consumed but this is the Lords act his strange act his work and wonderous worke in a Christian Now therefore consider Christian that this is but the old World or first or lowest manifestation of God in thee which old world must pass away and bee no more John tels us that he saw a new Heaven and a new Earth Rev. 21.1 for the first Heaven and the first Earth was passed away and there was no more Sea what 's all this Truly Christian in me it s thus much when this day dawnes and this day Star Christ Jesus ariseth in our hearts when the morning Sun even Jesus breakes forth upon us in his Glory Warmth and Splendor then begins this world within us to be dissolved the Heavens and the Earth in us begins to melt with the fervent heate of this Sun and fall away to nothing and the Lord instead of these frames a new Heaven and a new Earth So that all that was Nature and pure Reason and Ingenuity is quite dissolved and a new worke wrought in the Soul that takes up the heart above its former excellency and glory although that were good in its kind yet God will please by the more glorious discoveries of himself to drowne all this former Creation and to beget all things new in the Creature and then not only the Heaven and the Earth passed away but also there was no more Sea This Sea or these Waters in man are those great overflowings and inundations of Nature the swellings and roarings of proud selfe and creature this deep silence shall be dried up by the heat of the Sun of Righteousnesse These Waters are the very Throne of the Whore or the very Seate of the wisdome of the flesh now when this Sea shall be dried up then there shall be a place no longer for this Spirituall Whore found in Heaven nor yet in the Soul of a Saint Oh what cause of Joy is here for all the Saints yea what eager pantings after the power and Kingdome of Christ should this beget and operate in us to consider that in the day of Christ the whore shall be destroyed in us the Sea shall be dryed up and the Heavens and the earth shall passe away If any man yet shall aske when this last day shall come and the end of the world shall be accomplished I answer then with Christ That this generation shall not passe away till all these things be fulfilled all these things thou must expect to be fulfilled in thee even in this life O thou Christian although happily not in the fulnesse and glory as shall be hereafter Tell me therefore O thou experienced Saint whose conscience can testifie all these things to be true how hath the appearance of Christ in thee many a time confounded as it were all thy naturall vigour and power how hath it spoyled Principalities and powers the might and dominion of all naturall excellency how hast thou seen thy selfe out of thy selfe as it were beyond and above that earth thou hast been in formerly wrapped up with Paul in the third Heavens as it were beholding that Glory that all thy old created light could never discerne living for a time in that peace of God which passeth all understanding Nay shall I yet further tell you at the second comming of Christ in us our Sun shall be turned into darknesse and our Moone into blood our Stars shall fall from their Centre All that light of reason and nature all those fleshly meteors as also fixed Stars which have appeared at their severall seasons in man which did discover something of God to him in a word all the inferiour with the superiour discernings of God that the creature hath had formerly shal be extinguished and shall appeare to him to be but darknesse and obscurity the Sun or the superlative light shall be turned into darknesse and the Moone or that light which guides the more obscure part of man shall be turned into blood and confusion and God will now create a new world in us old things shall passe away and all things shall become new in us when the Apostle had been treating of the dissolution of the world in the 2 Pet. 3 chap. he comes to mind the Saints of the mysterie of that history vers 13. Neverthelesse
thy soul and behold and see how opposite thy fleshy wisdome is to any thing that is good or goodness what meanes those often resistings of the Spirit in thee O man Seest thou not how the whore deceives thee What conception bringing forth or appearance of God is there in thee but the wisdome of the flesh seeks to devour it by violent attempts oppositions therefore the text saith ver 17.6 That the whore was drunk with the bloud of the Saints and Martyres of Jesus How hath this mysticall whore the wisdome of the flesh martyred the appearances of Christ in thee so that indeed she is drunk with the bloud of many a sanctified motion of the Spirit in thee The wisdome â—f the flesh is that mysticall Saul that hunts sf ter the bloud of David which is the tender â—ppearance of God in the soul this it is that sucifieth the Lamb a fresh and puts him to oâ—â—n shame and all this is done by that blouâ—â— whore that harboureth in thy bosome The wisdome of the flesh is that bond-slave â—â—at alwaies presents wisdomes Children and the â—â—ildren of the free Woman which are the bringâ—â—gs forth of Jesus in thee In a word this is â—â—at great Red Dragon spoken of in Rev. 12.3 〈◊〉 who stands before the Woman which is a â—â—ristian under the panges of the new birth â—ady to be delivered of the blessed child Jesus whose hart God is begetting himself in 〈◊〉 own forme and Image this I say is that â—â—agon even the wisdone of the fiesh which is â—â—dy to devour the sweet Babe even Jesus with 〈◊〉 forme and feature in the soule and endeaâ—â—rs to make it an obhortive â—â—is is that misticall Heroad that seekes the ruâ—â—of the appearance of God in our flesh and â—s you see what the opposing nature of the â—ore is who for her bloudy opposition asnst the manifestations of God in his peo 〈◊〉 shall have blood to drinke when shee shall â—ound worthy â— We now proceed to the other qualificaâ—n of the Nature of this whore which is a High Proud Lofty asspiring Nature beinâ— manifested by two things 1. In that she will get into Gods TempleÌ„ 〈◊〉 Thes 2.4 2. In that she will therein exaâ— her self above all that is called God and shâ— will be a god to her self Behold O man aâ— it were in a glass the true Viseognime anâ— perfect Portrature of thy fleshly wisdome First then consider that thy heart is thaâ— Temple of God where this great Whore siteth therefore minde the Apostle 1. Cor. 3.16 Knoâ— yee not that yee are the Temple of God as also Châ—â— 6.19 Now thou being this Temple of Goâ— thy fleshly wisdome is that Antichrist thaâ— Whore that sits in thine hart thou art thâ—â— Beast that this Whore rides upon Rev. 17. 〈◊〉 for the Psalmist saith Psal 49.12 that Mâ— being in honour abideth not but is like the heast thâ— perisheth here mayest thou see O man the priâ— of the wisdome of the flesh that no plac wiâ—â— serve her but Gods Temple the hart of maâ— that God hath set apart for the praise of his glorâ— doth this Whore make her Beast by bringiâ—â— it to be subject to her dominion this Teâ—ple of God tobe that den of the every whiâ—â— God hath made for his own honour and diâ—nity Secondly the exalting Nature of the who is seen not only by her climing up into Goâ— Temple and so becomes that Lucifer that fell down to hell but also by her behaviour in Gods Temple She exalts her self above all that is called God She sits as God in Gods Temple in a place where She hath no right to Rule and governe Behold here O Christian another proper Emblem of the wisdome of the flesh in thee How doth this Whore this Misticall Babylon exalt her self above every appearance of God in thee in so much as her Tayle drawes the third part of the Stars of Heaven and casts them down to the Earth which is in me That Reason Will Affections and Judgement which are as the civill powers lights of the soule all these are drawn after this beast so that indeed Shee now is the Lady of the Kingdomes Jsa 47.7 nay ver 8. I am and there is non else besides mee this wisdome of the flesh is that which will not alow the Child Jesus any room in the Inne of thy heart but thrusts him into the Manger which is under the meanest thoughts poorest respects and lowest love of thy soule but in the mean time this whore her self takes the largest rooms and highest chambers that is She is most supreame in thy affections with the greatest love honour and respect that may bee thus doth this whore the wisdome of the flesh exalt her self as God yea and that in Gods Temple where She hath no right to rule and govern for the Apostle tels us that wee ar not our owne but are bought with a Price that is wee are to owne no Lord but hee that hath bought us to render no obedience or servitude to any but to that God who in our flesh hath Redeemed us according to the Commandement Thou shalt have none other gods butâ—e but self flesh and creature will bee God in Gods Kingdome which causeth God to take up a complaint against his people of old Have I beene a barren wilderness unto thee or a Land of darkness whersore then say my people we are Lords wee are Lords and we will come no more after thee Now the creature running astray from the Lord commits fornication with the great Whore the wisdome of the flesh attributing all Power Glory Salvation and happinesse to selfish wisdome and therefore Babylon saith on this wise Jsa 14.13 I will ascend into Heaven I will exalt my throne above the Stars of God which is when the wisdome of the flesh is exalted above the highest sphere of divine light in the soule nay ver 17. I will be like the most High Behold O man the aspiring exalting nature of thy carnall wisdome The wisdome of the Serpent would needs have Adam to be as God and to see by his own eyes and to walk by his own light which Serpent is nothing in the Mystery but the wisdome of the flesh carrying the soul above that centre that God hath seated it in causing thee to walke by her blaze and not in Gods light to see light to hate scorn and put a meane estimation upon any motion of God or goodnesse always thinking thy way the best and thy councell the safest and thus doth this Whore thy fleshly wisdome exalt her self above all that is called God in thee and sits as God in thy soule which is Gods Temple So much for answer to the first question namly what this great whore is Now thou having attained some spirituall discovery of this whore both by her Names and Nature it remains that we proceede in answer to the second question which is Namely How this Whore workes and what pretences Shee
the new light of God manifested in them O Christian I tell thee thou art a thrice happy man whom the Lord hath made the Lamb a light unto thee this Lamb light is an innocent light a righteous light a pure light a discovering light it is this light that discovers the hidden and obscure whore unto thee it is the light of Christ that uncovers and strips the whore starke naked before thee of all her glory and excellency so that now thou beholdest her out of her purple and scarlet colour even in her very nakednesse and shame And thus you see how Christ in his day in a Christian does first of all discover the whore to him But Secondly in this last day or Sun rising of Christ in a Christian it is the worke of Christ to destroy as well as to discover this whore in us as it is the property of light to destroy darknesse so it is the property of Christ to destroy antichrist in the day of his appearance it will be the worke of Christ by his comming in thee to roote out that spirit of antichrist head and tayle root and branch insomuch that there shall not be left one hoof of the beast in thee when John saw the Angell come downe from heaven endued with great power Revel 18.1 Who inlightned the earth with his glory immediatly he heard this voyce Babylon is fallen is fallen and is become the habitation of divels the hould of every foule spirit and a cage of every uncleane and hatefull bird all which teacheth me thus much that when that Angell of the everlasting lasting covenant Christ Jesus is by the Father sent down into the hearts of his Saints who comes by the power of his Spirit and enlightens the earth or earthly man with his glory when the earth is filled with the knowledge of the Lord when the glory of this Sun comes to enlighten and beautifie our earthy hearts then is the time of Babylons downfall now is the season of the whores destruction now is the Saints time of Halelujah now rejoyce over her thou Heaven and all the holy Apostles and Prophets for God hath avenged you on her vers 20. The Prophet Malachy tells us chap. 4. That the day comes that shall burne as an Oven this day is Christ Jesus who indeed shall so baptize us with the holy Ghost and Fire as that he shall consume and burne up waste and destroy all the appearances of the Whore the wisdome of the flesh and therefore the same prophet tells us Chap. 3.34 That he shall sit as a Refiners fire and as Fullers Soape and he shall purifie the Sons of Levi that they may offer to the Lord an offering in righteousnesse this day must burne in us this Jesus must be a refiners fire to us before we shal see the downefall of mysticall Babylon the worke that Christ hath to doe in us is to destroy mortallity and to cloath us with immortality to destroy this corruption and to cloath us with the incorruptible righteousnesse of himselfe After the downfall of the whore Revel 19. John tells us vers 8. That there was granted to the Lambs wife that she should be arrayed in fine linnen cleare and white c. In which I observe first the love of Christ to the Soul Christ did first of all by his blood and passion purchase the Soul to himselfe to the end that she should be a constant Spouse unto him but she hath adulterized from her husband committed harlotry from her first lover and hath taken part with antichrist against him upon which adultery the jealousie of the Lord arises in himselfe and as jealousie is said to be the rage of a man so the Lord as I may say in the rage of this jealousie comes and destroyes this antichrist kils sin in the Christian sheaths the sword of the spirit in the bowels of this spiritual antichrist breakes the head of this serpent in us but yet notwithstanding entertaines this adulterized creature into his love and favour does yet once more espouse her to himselfe by a fresh act and manifestation of love and favour you may see an embleme of this love in Hos 3.1 where God commands the Prophet to go with a message of love to the woman that had played the harlot with him Goe yet love a woman beloved of her friend yet an adultresse though she an adultresse yet I am her friend though she an harlot yet I send love greetings towards her though she hath been unconstant towards me yet I will owne her to be my wife my Spouse my beloved and therefore the text saies that it was granted to the Lambs wife that shee should bee arrayed in linnen clean white which likewise dictates to me 2. In the Second place the purity that this day of burning Christ Jesus in Spirit works in the heart of his People he doth not only take from it the garment spotted with the flesh but likewise Cloathes it with the shinning Robe of righteousnesse he doth not only empty a Soul of its owne corruption but likewise fills it with his glory beautifies it with his own adornings O Faire beautifull amiable creature whose beauty and excellency consists in Christ that divine centre of briâ—htnesse and glory this will send a Saint to the depth of admiration behold what manner of love hath the Father bestowed upon us that we should be called the Sons of God that God should thus by the power of the Spirit consume all this dross and coruption in us and bring us by that divine light to see our vnion with the Father in the Son and to see the glory of our Adoption in Jesus and to behold our selves in the flesh of our elder Brother at the Right-hand of the Father this is mercy past discerning and worth admiration Thus will God in the power of his Spirit Judge this spirituall Whore in us and ease us of the vassallage and servitude we were in to our owne selves thus shall the brats of this spirituall Babylon the wisdome of the flesh be destroyed by that happy man Christ Jesus God saith Jsa 17.12 concerning this destruction of Babylon That hee will make a man more precious then fine Gold or the Golden wedge of Opher this man is Christ who in the day of his power and in the confounding of this Spirituall Babell in us shall be made unto us more precious then the highest creature excellency never till now will the Saints come to value and to prize Christ till they see what he doth in them Now how beautifull upon the mountains are the feete of them that bring glad tidings of good things that publisheth Salvation that saith unto Zion thy God raineth Thy Messenger upon the Mountaines is Christ Jesus who comes Leaping over the mountaines and skiping over the hils of difficulty that lies in the way and appeares in glory to his Spouse or beloved Christian and declares the message of glad tidings to him