Cor. 12. 31. 13. 1 2. Rom. 13. 8 10. The natural Understanding with all such enlightning spiritual Gifts receiv'd thereon is to be given up in Sacrifice to God with the Life wherein exercis'd for the new spiritual eternal Gospel-life of God and true infallible Understanding therein Man under all spiritual Enlightning discovering to him the more excellent Gospel-life of the Creator offer'd by a New Creation is yet liable by Satan's Witchcrafts with his own Consent to be fetch'd back again from looking after or owning Christ's Gospel-life though known to be his unspeakable Concern to submit to God's Terms and appointed Way of receiving it as the only way to find the Salvation of Heaven or scape the Damnation of Hell Gal. 3. 1 3. 5. 7 8. Thus prevalent was Self-love at first in evil Angels under the clearest Conviction of their unspeakable Concern as well as Duty and they prevail to bring Men under the like Knowledg of their eternal Concerns to make the same wrong destructive Choice to their known eternal Ruine They are perswaded by Satan to receive his self-pleasing Lie that by a being made perfect in their Flesh the fleshly Life of the Creature Righteousness of Man they will find Peace with God and Entrance into his Kingdom This yielded to and absolutely concluded is the unpardonable and unrepentable Sin against the Holy Ghost Heb. 6. 4-6 10. 26 27. This Sin excludes any for ever from any Benefit of Christ's meritorious Sacrifice leaving them nothing but a certain fearful looking for of Wrath and fiery Indignation which will devour all such wilful incorrigible Adversaries forcing them to dwell with and under everlasting Burnings as in unchangeable Union of Mind with the Devil All spiritual enlightning Gifts and thereby understanding all Mysteries and having all Knowledg of the Will of God and their own eternal Concerns and speaking with the Tongues of Men and Angels in the utmost Dexterity of organical or intuitive Expression all still without Love or a partaking of the very Life of the Son of God is nothing of no avail at all for their ever entring into his Kingdom In Man's Day of judging such are the only true super-eminent spiritual Saints in God's unchangeable Enemies and the highest sort of Adversaries to him and his Saints In the ever-new Life of God given by a New Creation Saints come to experience a new infallible spiritual Understanding and an incorruptible Will in Harmony with the very infinite Divine Mind and Will In this Life and Principle of Desire Thought and Action can they answer that Command for loving the Lord their God with all their Heart Soul Strength and Mind and the true mystical Neighbour Christ in his Gospel-life and spiritual Saints born of God therein No fix'd Law-spirited however righteous Man loves but hates the Lord his God and the true Scripture-Neighbour Christ and true Saints the new eternal Gospel-life in him and them Head and Members one mystical Body 1 Cor. 12.27 the true Neighbour with a perfect unchangeable hatred This may seem the dangerous Case of the self-confident Lawyer that tempted Christ saying Master what shall I do to inherit eternal Life Christ asks him what 's written in the Law how readest thou These are two distinct Questions The Lawyer agreed with Christ in answer to the first as to what was written in the Law But was to seek for answering the second as to the right reading or understanding in what Spirit and Principle of Life 't was ever possible to perform what was written Luk. 10 25-28 The implacable Haters of the true spiritual Neighbours Christ and his Brethren will go away into everlasting Punishment and the true Lovers of them into Life eternal Mat. 25 31-46 Christ takes all hating and persecuting his Gospel-Saints as done to himself Act. 9.4 Spiritually enlighten'd Men finally refusing to submit to the Terms of receiving Christ's offer'd spiritual Gospel-life though a while among Gospel-Saints as Members of the true Church owning Gospel-Truths will at length depart from them and become their most signal Antichristian Enemies 1 John 2. 18 19. Such prove grievous Wolves to Christ's true Sheep Act. 20. 29 30. Mat. 10. 16. Satan's choicest Instruments to disswade and draw away Disciples after them from looking after or owning any such thing as Christ's Gospel-life or Doctrine thereof Hereby become they the most criminal Sinners of all Mankind This after they had run well among true Saints owning Gospel-Truths Who did hinder or call them back that they should not finally obey the Truth Gal. 5.7 The Devil He prevailingly call'd them back from what Christ fairly offer'd and invited them to ver 8. Such become Satan's chief Apostles Ministers of his other Gospel fitted for his Work in calling others back from all Gospel-Truths as diabolical Illusions So do they shut up the Kingdom of God and set open Satan's exclude explode and deny all Christ's Gospel-Truths and preach up Satan's Lie the Life of the Creature given in the First-creation transform'd into the Appearance of and deck'd with all Scripture-Titles belonging to the Gospel-life of the Creator offer'd by a second as a State of true Salvation In this Posture and at this Work did Christ find the most enlightned teaching Jews Matth. 23. 13 33. Teachers of Satan's other Gospel furnish'd with all Wisdom Subtlety Eloquence and Dexterity of Expression may thus be dressing up Satan's Lie with all Scripture-Language of Christ's Gospel-Truth so as with their Hearers to grow irrefragably confident under Satan's strong Delusion and God's giving them up thereto as verily to think they are in a State of true Salvation Thus the renew'd Old Man passes for the new Creature restor'd Nature for a State of Grace Reformation of Naturals for Regeneration into Spirituals Satan's and Man's Nothings for God's All-things the restor'd mortal Life and Things of the Creature for the immortal Gospel-life and Things of the Creator So the Devil God of this World passes for the true God his Kingdom for God's his Lie for God's Truth Where such are like to be at last see 2 Thess. 2. 10-12 At this rate all along this World Satan's permitted Reign and Man's Day of judging under him in Matters of Religion and remarkably in this long Anti-christian Day of twelve hundred and sixty Years now near expiring have things gone God's only things that are and will ever be his eternal Gospel-life and Things pass for chimerical Nothings in Man's Day and Man 's confidently reputed All-things will be found nothing in God's Day of Judging Man's highest Wisdom calls nothing in his pretended Divinity by the right Name but the contrary in all Extremity Satan's Gospel passes currant for Salvation and Christ's for a Blasphemous Fiction of the Devil and Madness If it was reckon'd so by eminent First-covenant righteous teaching and professing Jews in Christ himself what can his true Followers expect Iohn 10. 20. 15. 18-20 16. 1 2. All worldly Honours Applauses and
A Wakening Call OR An Alarm from Heaven TO THE Wise and Foolish Virgins WHEREIN The Vices of this Age is laid open and bewail'd the Subtilty of Satan discover'd in his Temptations in several Particulars I. As to Original Sin II. As to the Love of the World III. As to the Danger of Ignorance IV. As to the Evil of Pride c. Likewise There is discovered the Nature of Regeneration or the New Birth in several Particulars I. The Nature of Union to Christ. II. The Nature of True Faith III. The Nature of True Repentance IV. Christian Carriage commended V. The Glory of the New-Ierusalem Open'd From a Minister in the Country to a Minister in the City for the Publication A Verse may find him who a Sermon flys And turn Delight into a Sacrifice Herbert's Temple p. 1. LONDON Printed for the Author and Sold by Will. Marshall at the Bible in Newgate-street and Iohn Marshall at the Bible in Grace-Church-street MDCXCVIII CHAP. I. Concerning the purely Divine Nature and Things thereof 1. GOD in his Divine Nature was infinitely blessed in the Sight and Enjoyment of himself from all Eternity above and beyond all possibility of Addition or Diminution to his Blessedness by any thing meer Creatures Angels or Men good or bad can ever be think say or do to all Eternity yea even Creature-nature in the Mediator's wonderful compounded Person set up by the immediate Divine Hand though by unchangeable personal Union with the Divine Nature all one incomprehensible God adds not to the infinite Blessedness of the Divine Nature but was set up from the Beginning and possess'd by the Lord in the beginning of his Way towards the Creation of Angels and Men Prov. 8. 22 23. This was the Beginning of the Creation of God Revel 3. 14. Divine Nature had no Beginning The whole Creature-part in Christ's Person Root and exalted Branch adds not to the Glory of the Divine Nature but was set up in reference to the twofold Creation of Angels and Men natural and spiritual and as the Means to let down the Visions of the Divine Glory at second-hand with safety to the spiritual Sight Understanding and Enjoyment of blessed Angels and Men in their new-created Capacities 2. In the Divine Nature the Divine Essence and Form are the infinite Divine Father and Son The Divine Form Image or Glory of the Divine Essence is the Son thereof by eternal and ineffable Generation very God of very God in the most absolute Sense co-equal and co-eternal with the Father both are one Infinite Incomprehensible Divine Being But the Divine Essence is not the Form nor Form the Essence The Three distinct invisible Powers in the Divine Essence or Father did from all Eternity shine forth in the divine Form or Son to God's own infinite Understanding Enjoyment and Delight The same three are therein the immediate Object of Sight and Enjoyment to the whole Creature-part of the Mediator Root and exalted Branch as in unchangeable personal Union with the Divine Glory or Form in him but are never so to any meer Creatures blessed Angels or Saints to all Eternity in Heaven They can never so approach unto or see and enjoy the Divine Light or Glory immediately as he does 1 Tim. 6. 15 16. Mat. 11. 27. Iohn 1. 18. In with and through his heavenly Creature-Spirit as born of that which in him is God Iohn 1. 1. and therein Partakers of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. can and will they see and enjoy the Divine Glory mediately as let down to them by the exalted Creature-Son and Branch being Members of that spiritual Body his true Gospel Church to which he therein is Head Col. 1. 18. For this Purpose it pleas'd the Father or Divine Essence that even in the lowest Creature-part of the Mediator the exalted Son and Branch all Fulness should dwell all the divine and Creature-fulnesses and Perfections of his divine Form and Creature-root The Divine Essence singly and abstractedly consider'd in and by it self is absolutely invisible for ever nor will the Divine Form Glory Image or Visibility thereof and of the three that are one therein ever be the immediate Object of Sight and Enjoyment to any meer Creatures blessed Angels or Saints to all Eternity but only to the whole Creature-nature in Christ's Person Root and exalted Branch Never will any meer Creatures be found in personal Union with the Divine Nature as Creature-nature in Christ is They will never have Divine Nature an Ingredient into their personal Constitution or as the supream Principle of Life and Operation in them as some in our Days have most presumptuously and unwarrantably affirm'd for then would there be an innumerable Multitude of Christs and Gods the greater sort of Polytheism The Divine Form or Son is the Eternity the supream Heaven of Heavens the high and lofty Divine Essence or Father inhabited from all Eternity in distinction from the Creature-form Glory or Image thereof the high and holy Place or heavenly Creature-temple of immediate Divine Building Prov. 9. 1. in personal Union with the Divine inhabitant Isa. 57. 15. This heavenly Creature-Spirit House and Temple with the Life and Things of God therein was prepar'd by and within himself to be communicated in the distinct appointed Portions thereof to them that love him 1 Cor. 2. 9. because he first even from Eternity lov'd them 1 John 4. 19. These spiritual heavenly Creature-things of God communicable to Men and Angels by a new or second Creation are quite out of the reach or sight of the highest single natural Understanding of Man at best in the but restor'd first-Covenant-Law-life of the Creature given in the first Creation No intellectual Eye Ear or Heart therein can see hear perceive conceive receive own or know what to make of them Isa. 64.4 Hence does Man account them and all right Words about them Foolishness 1 Cor. 2. 9 14. Here 's the Case of Man at best in but the living Soul of the first Adam In the Life of the quickning Spirit of the second Adam and the new spiritual infallible all-discerning Understanding therein do Saints see and know all things divine and both spiritual and natural Creature-things in their proper Differences Distinctions Subordinations and Superiorities even the deep things of God 1 Cor. 2. 10. And as they have an infallible Understanding to know all things they have also therein an incorruptible Will in unchangeable Harmony with the Infinite Divine Will for the doing all things after God's own Heart In his Heavenly Creature Spirit can any rightly worship his Divine Spirit John 4. 23. In it only can any rightly perform all Duties to God and to their Fellow-Creatures All these things lie hid from and are unpracticable by Man as out of the Reach of his own Understanding and desiring or performing Power of his own Will So will he not regard look or seek after God for the Life and things hid with Christ in God Rom. 3. 11.
2. The Three in the Divine Essence or Father singly and abstractedly consider'd will be absolutely invisible to Saints and Angels in Heaven to all Eternity And the Divine Form Son or Glory thereof in Christ's Person will never be the immediate Object of their Sight but be let down to them in the first Conjunction thereof with his Creature-root through the exalted Creature-Son and Branch in him the immediate Creator of all This is the Branch God made strong for himself Psal. 80. 15. to perform his whole Divine Mind in both Creations in this World and the eternal World to come This is the Branch that shall reign on Earth execute Iudgment and Iustice therein as the Lord our Righteousness Jer. 23. 5 6. 33. 15 16. By and through this exalted Branch the immediate Do-all in both Creations will the same Three in the Divine Essence that shin'd forth in the Divine Form from Eternity let down themselves to blessed Angels and Saints to Eternity All the Three in the Divine Essence and heavenly Creature-Glories are one Trinity and that Trinity one individual God Iohn 10. 20. The Three that are One in the Divine Nature are the immediate Object to the Sight and Enjoyment of the whole Creature-nature in Christ Root and exalted Branch that 's in personal Union therewith but never so to any meer Creatures blessed Saints or Angels 1 Tim. 6. 15 16. Iohn 1. 18. Mat. 11. 27. They are personally united with the exalted Branch in him as Members of his mystical spiritual Body to which he is Head But never so to his Creature-root and much less yet to his Divine Nature The Three in the Divine Nature shining forth to meer spiritual Creatures by and through the exalted Branch are no where in Scripture call'd a Trinity nor said to be three Persons If they be three Persons as three distinct individual Angels or Men in Angelical or humane Nature are would they not be three distinct individual Gods would not this be the asserting a Tritheism the lesser sort of Polytheism If they be call'd three Persons it must be as acknowledg'd in a Unity transcendently above meer Creatures who are so in one specifical humane or angelical Nature The three in God are three in one individual Divine Nature shining forth to Saints and Angels in the Mediator's one individual Creature-nature which in and with his Divine Nature is with his Divine Father or Essence one individual God In this Sense if any may they be call'd three Persons But the acknowledging three distinct Powers in God may justly secure any from the Imputation of Antitrinitarianism They are so three that the first is not the second nor second the third The Divine Form in Christ is not the Divine Essence nor his Creature-nature his Divine nor his Creature-root the Branch in him but all one individual incomprehensible God Iohn 10. 30. He that says knows and owns God the Father and his Divine and Creature-Son says all that God is or is God Man in the fallible Understanding and corruptible Will of his First-creation Life can never truly see rightly know and do the one Will of both All therefore that trust to their own Understanding deny both the Divine Father and the divine and heavenly Creature-Son Whosoever denies the Divine and Creature Son hath not the Father But he that rightly acknowledges the Son hath the Father also 1 John 2.22 23. Antichristian Deniers of both pass in reputed Orthodox Man's Day of Judging under Satan God of this World as the only true Christians excommunicating or casting out of their worldly Churches the true Owners of both as the arrantest Hereticks and Blasphemers in the World God the Son or Mediator in the Divine and Creature-glories of the Divine Essence or Father is call'd a Person 2 Cor. 2. 10. In his Creature-part he is call'd the Brightness of the Divine Glory in himself and therein the express Creature Image of God's whole Divine Person Essence and Form Heb. 1. 3. The Creature-root in the Mediator is God's Soul not immediately discernable to the highest spiritual Understanding of meer Creatures but in its first Conjunction with Divine Nature is let down to their Sight and Enjoyment in and by the exalted Creature-Son and Branch as God's Body or Visibility of all to them Of the Creature-root God's Soul himself says in reference to the unpardonably sinning Shepherds or pretending Teachers of the Way to Heaven and Peace with God in but the restor'd Life and Righteousness of Man my Soul loath'd them and their Soul also abhorred me Zech. 11. 8. Every individual Man in the three essential Ingredients into his personal Constitution Spirit Soul and Body 1 Thess. 5. 23. is a shadowy Image of the three in one God and of the Divine Spirit Creature-root or Soul and Creature-body or Branch in Christ's wonderful compounded Person Man in another Sense was in the primitive Purity of his whole Being a shadowy Image of God's Righteousness This was lost to all Mankind by their first Sin in and with Adam The Reason therefore of the threaten'd Death on Murderers that whosoever sheds Man's Blood by Man shall his Blood be shed for in the Image of God made he Man Gen. 9. 6. relates to Man's being the Image of God in the former Sense Gen. 1. 26 27. The Image of him in the latter being wholly lost the Murderers of him in reference to that might seem unaccountable The Spirit of Man singly and abstractedly consider'd may seem a dark Shadow of the very Divine Essence as comprehending in it a threefold distinct Life rational sensual and vegetable but all three invisible and unexercis'd till brought into hypostatical or personal Union with its fitly organiz'd Body And all the said three Lives when brought into Exercise are called a living Soul in distinction from the Spirit separately consider'd and from the Body that 's the personal Appearance or Visibility of the whole Man And in both and all the Man is but one Person CHAP. VII The Mystery of God in general of all that is truly called God and to be worship'd and in particular of God the Father or Divine Essence and of Christ the Divine and Creature-Son Col. 2. 2. both and all one incomprehensible God John 10. 30. IN general all are one individual God In particular the Divine Form or Son though most intimately one with the Divine Essence or Father in the one infinite Divine Nature became personally united with the Creature-form of God the Divine Essence or Father remaining ever single and uncompounded therewith Gal. 3. 20. A Mediator is not of one Nature but God in his Divine Essence is one God the Mediator as consisting of two Natures Divine and Creaturely in personal Union is fitted to mediate between infinite Divinity and finite Creaturality in blessed Angels and Saints for ever 1 Tim. 2. 5. The Divine and Creature-Son will remain a Mediator for ever in Heaven between infinite Divinity and elect Angels and
ver 22. All in but their own worldly Spirit or Principle at best in the restor'd Light or Life of the First-creation and conclusively setting up there with Confidence for Salvation as a State of eternal Life and Peace with God will be found at last unpardonable Hereticks Sinners against the Holy Ghost in unchangeable Enmity to the Gospel-spirit of Grace and Truth offer'd by a New-creation in which alone any can ever enter into his Kingdom or scape the Damnation of Hell Evil Angels were the supream Hereticks in their first sinful Choice of their own earthly mortal First-covenant-life given them in their First-creation They soon prevail'd with all Mankind in Adam to make the same Choice In Mankind when by Christ restor'd into the Light and Life of the First-creation and therein but the Understanding and Wisdom of Man whoever do conclusively set up for themselves therein as a State of true Blessedness do become with evil Angels unpardonable Hereticks Sinners against the Holy Ghost rejecting the whole Counsel of God and denying his Gospel-life in which only any can be sav'd Man in his highest fallible Understanding for judging and corruptible Will for chusing in Matters of Religion and Worship of God is under the Power of Satan to deceive and impose upon him Hence are all the Doctrines and Words of Man's Wisdom about eternal Life and Peace with God Heresy In all the various Conceptions and Language of Man's Wisdom we find a World of contrary Opinions and Disputes amounting to a mystical Babel They will all in one Mind reject and disown the Gospel-life and Truths thereof as the grand universal Heresy of all Scribes Pharisees Essen's Herodians c. among the enlighten'd righteous professing First-covenant Jews were all as one Man against Christ himself for his Gospel-Truth They said he had a Devil and was mad that he was a Blasphemer a Sabbath-breaker a Wine-bibber a Friend of Publicans and Sinners an Enemy of righteous Men most uncharitably sentencing them to the Damnation of Hell Mat. 23.33 and taking up Mary Magdalen's and Zacheus's Publicans and Sinners into the Salvation of Heaven These were the strange wonderful Appearances Christ and his Doctrine and way for eternal Life had in the Sight and Understanding of wise righteous First-Covenant Saint-like People What wonder None in that Principle of Understanding can see know own or receive the Gospel Life and Things of God 1 Cor. 2. 9. the New-Covenant Principle of true Salvation which therefore is universally denied by them all as a Diabolical Illusion Many that come to be true Saints at last may be found for a time with Paul deeply engag'd in a murdering Mind of Enmity to true Saints for their Gospel-Principle and Doctrine in the words of God's Wisdom But all that fix there become unchangeable Enemies to God and them All final Builders on the sandy Foundation the mortal earthly perishing Life of the first Creation will deny contradict and blaspheme all that are built on the firm sure rocky Gospel-Life of God in which alone any can ever enter into his Kingdom What these differing Builders will come to in Conclusion Christ declares Mat. 7. 24-27 The Righteousness of Man in Scribes and Pharisees is not that in which any can ever enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 5. 20. The Righteousness of God in his new and everlasting Gospel-Life which Christ requires Men to seek after Mat. 6. 33. this only will give all the happy Partakers thereof an Entrance into his Kingdom The imputed Righteousness of God to the compleating the imperfect Personal Righteousness of Man for a First-Covenant Communion with and worshipping of God in that Principle is still but the fading Beauty and Righteousness of Man in and with which he is liable to play the Harlot with the Devil in Enmity to Christ as offer'd to be a spiritual Head Lord Bridegroom and Husband to them in his Heavenly Eternal Gospel-Life by a new Creation of them So come they to be judg'd as mystical and most criminal Adulterers and Murderers Ezek. 16. 14 15. v. 38. Imputed Righteousness or Comeliness of God to Man in the First-Covenant on Man's abuse of all in him in Union with the Devil is withdrawn again and he for ever depriv'd of all or any Benefit of Christ's Sacrifice in our Nature Heb. 10. 26. In the second Covenant Gospel-Life of God Man comes to have the Righteousness of God in him under and with Christ. This is a Life a Wisdom a Righteousness and a Glory never to be done away In this only can any enter into the Kingdom of Heaven This is as much above the Righteousness of Man as the Heavens are higher than the Earth Thus are God's Thoughts and Ways for Salvation as far above Man's Thoughts and Words of his own Wisdom as the literal Heavens are higher than the Earth Isa. 55.8,9 God requires the plucking out our right Eye cutting off our right Hand and Foot when finding our selves therein offended at his way of saying us and so offensive to God and to our selves as to our own truest Interest and greatest Concern for finding eternal Life or scaping eternal Death Mat. 5. 29 30. and 18. 8 9. Mark 9. 43-48 This with other like Requirings of God are not to be understood in a literal Sense nor if so perform'd would answer the Counsel or Command of God We may give our whole Body to be burn'd and yet be destitute of that Spirit of God call'd Love rendering all the happy Partakers thereof true Lovers and Beloveds of God and so of no Value with God or true Advantage to our selves 1 Cor. 13. 3. So the selling all that we have and give to the poor Mat. 19.21 Mark 10.21 Luke 18.22 the mystical Truth of such Commands relates to the mystical Riches of Man's Law-spirit of Works and Fruitfulness of his own Nature therein all which are to be given up in Sacrifice to God for the durable Life and Heavenly Treasures of his Gospel-Spirit of Grace in them The right Eye Hand and Foot to be pluck'd out cut off and cast away from us are in Mystery and Truth the most enlighten'd natural Understanding signified by the right Eye the best Practice in our own Will and Way and most righteous walking in our own Law-spirit of Works all such seeing working and walking are to be given up and parted with in Passive Obedience to the Will of God in order to find all again with unspeakable Gain by seeing working walking and doing all things in the Gospel-Life of God the only Principle of everlasting well-pleasing active Obedience to him and Blessedness to us In the infallible Understanding of his Spirit can we know all things and in the incorruptible Will thereof can we do all that God requires of us God himself therein works all our Works for us Isa. 26. 12. and we work all our Works in him These are the only Works that will not be burnt up at the last Day Iohn