sins are ascended up even unto heaven and now shall her descending or fall be even into the bottomless pit 16. For the self-wisdom or self-mind of the flesh which hath exalted her self very high against the Lamb even as though she were Gods wisdom (f) Apo. 5.13 b hath killed the Lamb from the beginning of the world and likewise his members the (g) Apo. 6.12 b 16. a innocent guiltless blood and so for a time hath gotten the upper hand upon the earth but now must she fall and go under whereas contrarywise the Saints of God shall (h) Apo. raign for ever according to the Promises The ninteenth Chapter SEing now that the Saints of God have (a) Apo 6.12 13 16. suffered with the Lamb for a certain time and have been killed upon the earth therefore is the book of the beast most loved and read everywhere (b) Apo. 17. b 18. a men have lived according thereto but forasmuch as it is all now made manifest through the (c) 1 Cor. 4. a light or day of the Lord so becometh the book of the (d) Apo. 18 19 20. beast to be found a false book full of deceit and subtile falshood whereunto also all false men all wicked hearts of the Scripture-learned ones and all false setters forth and preferrers of religion have their lust and affection bent 2. For of all the names of her felfness or private holyness and of all her false hearts and Scripture-learned ones together with all the nature of the heathenish distraughtness who do every one even joyntly with each other serve and worship the beast there is not (e) Apo. 13.17 a. 20 21. b one written in the living book of the Lamb for the names of the people that serve and worship the beast whereby the Dragon hath had the dominion are (f) 2 Pet. 2. all names of darkness and of the good thinking wise and disobedient ones and are all likewise (g) 1 Ti. 4 a spirits of errour as being all one and of one manner of substance according to one manner of nature 3. That same verily is the cord or chain of darkness or the band of the Devil wherein all good thinking wise ones and false hearts which do neither fear the living God of Israel nor stand obedient to his requiring are captived or caught bewitched therewith tyed thereunto and (h) 2 Pet. 2. a. b. Apo. 20. b led with the same even into Hell the which is the everlasting death and damnation from the which God hath willed that the man should keep himself and serve only the living God that (i) Eze 18. d he might not dye but that it might everlastingly go well with him and that he might live 4. The names of the people of the evil wicked world The wicked world with her servants and fellow-companions who are written in the book of the Dragon that murderly beast are these envy division contention or discord high-mindedness or pride subtilty deceit craftiness unquietness cruelty arrogancy disorderlyness masterfulness mischieveously disposed violence honour or vain-glory stubbornness resistance unto Gods nature in all disobedience wrathfulness presumptuous boldness churlishness bitterness maliciousness commotion or uproar treachery striving fighting persecuting lying war or battle vexing or troubling cursing swearing destroying spoyling oppressing killing murdering dishonest dealing unreasonableness or injustice gluttony unchastity whoâ—edom adultery knavery buggery thievery unprofitable searching high vain boasting ambition dissembling hypocrisie Sectuarishness framed or chosen holyness idolatry false God services false Laws blasphemy self-wisdom swelling in minde curiousness self-mindedness unadvisedness mens commandments giving credit to the imaginations of the good thinking in the spirit unbelief to the gracious word of the Lord despair doubtfulness accusing ignorance bondage of the heart to something without the nature or being of God vain comfort slothfulness mens fear covetousness niggardlyness undiscreetness scoffing or mocking dis-favour self-Love 5. There is yet moreover (q) Rom 1. d 1 Pet. 2. a back-biting or evil reporting of others whereby to make them seem odious and contemptible before the people and to cause themselves to be had in favour and well-liked of 6. Behold such a nature hath the partial Back b ter who doth yet oftentimes for all that greatly bewitch the people with his abominations as with a show of holyness which witchcraft is full of foolishness and is an unprofitable delusion even like as are all vain games also table-playing maskings or mummeries c. and are also unedifying even like as are all manner (r) Eph. 5 a of rude light behaviour disorderly toying and unseemly jesting all which likewise are names of the people of the wicked world furthermore there is also death darkness false spirits devil hell and condemnation c. 7. These and such like are the abominations before God and the pernitious mischief to a destruction over the children of men and for one to yield or apply his heart hereunto is the falling off and the turning away from God 8. That is finally the perverse and wicked nature (s) Deut. 32. a. c. which hath corrupted every thing and stoln from the man and quite defaced in him the mind of his God and corrupted his understanding through the affection born to the knowledge of good and evil by which manner the noble understanding of man is become bewitched with the abundant lying being in such sort that the man can very little understand (t) Deut 32. Isa 44. Ier. 5.8 a or comprehend for it entreth too too little into the consideration of his heart for to come rightly to the conversion or turning again to his God for be continueth even generally cleaving fast and depending with his heart upon one thing or other that is not God because he doth not quite and clean forsake the Idols and their services nor thrust nor chase them out of the Temple of his inward mind But stands affected either to this or to that according to the imagination of his own understanding and so serveth the God-service or God himself falsly 9. That same is it verily which God hath oftentimes rebuked by the mouth of his Prophets (u) Isa 1 b 28. b. 29. 57. b. 58. a. 59. a. b. Ier 2 3 4 5 6 7. Eze. 5 6. Amos 1. b Mich. 6. a because that the people of Israel when they would seem to turn them and to use God-services did alwayes incline their hearts towards one thing or another that was not God and served that which God never commanded or required 10. Therefore hath God also in times past witnessed unto them by the Prophet Jeremiah which mind of God remaineth perpetually for thus saith the Lord as an everlasting continuing word 11. O Israel (x) Ier. 4 a. if thou wilt turn thee then turn thee unto me saith the Lord And if thou wilt put away thy abominations from before my face then shalt thou not be cast out
coming over them for their sins cause 2. But that which did most of all grieve my heart was this that I perceived that all those that were born upon earth out of blood are out of their earthly birth inclined to (b) Gen. 6.8 d. Psal 51 a. nothing else but iniquity and with their unrighteousness are minded to destruction That their last is bent to nothing else but unto error that they also are utterly ignorant in all Godly things and that they therefore if they become not in their understanding recovered through the Love and her service or renewed (c) Ioh. 3. a Rom. 12. c Eph. 4. c. or born again in their Spirit cannot escape the severe Judgement of God 3. When I thus beheld the same according to the truth that it was so utterly unknown unto all people of the earth and that they did every one follow after the self wisdom of the flesh to their condemnation then was I much more grieved in my mind and I bowed down my self before the Majestie of God who is in heaven and said 4. O Lord God of heaven Thou that art a God of the living full of Grace and all goodness and hast (d) Sapi. 1. b. created all whatsoever is any thing because it should be and that it might go well with the same Seeing now thou hast made up thy self for to judge the (e) Act. 17 d circuit of the earth with righteousness so be therefore gracious I beseech thee to (f) Iob 14. b. Psal 138. a. the work of thine own hands to the end there may now in the last time some souls remain over upon the earth and that (g) Isa 10. c. Rom 9. c. the remnant O God might be saved 5. Shew O God thy mercie upon us through thy bountiful Love Remember also that we all of us out of our earthly births are (h) Psa 14. a. Rom. 3. b. an ignorant people void of understanding and by nature are clean contrary-minded unto thy wisdom and declining therefrom And have no lust or affection towards thy information nor any pleasure in the word of thy servants which present or hold forth thy salvation unto us under the obedience of thy Love but we do all out of our earthly birth stand affected towards our selves and do most gladly give ear to our selves and our own wisdom of the flesh which floweth of our self minded and fleshly heart 6. That is verily the sin and the rebelliousness or resistance committed against thee O God by all spirits of unregenerated men and the contraryness against thee of all self-wise and good-thinking Scripture-learned ones 7. Therefore O God rebuke and nurture us with thy Law or Ordinance and with the Doctrine of thy Commandments and humble our hearts to the obeying of thy holy gracious Word and service of Love that we may be reformed of our wicked or contrary nature and become understanding accoâ—ding to the Law or Doctrine of thy Commandments whereby we may O God accomplish thy will 8. Rebuke (i) Psal 6.38 a. Ier. 10. c. us not in thy wrath and chasten us not in thy displeasure but shake out the same over the ungodly which are alwayes O God against thee and like or allow not of thee 9. Destroy us not so utterly all alike that the the great horror of desolation come not over us all to our destruction but that there may yet a remnant find Grace before thee And that they even like as in the former time (k) Gen. 6 7 8. of Noah may now also in these last perilous times remain preserved The fourth Chapter BEhold the whilest I still lamented on this fashion the Angel Gabriel appeared unto me again whom I had in my sight before and he strengthened my mind For I was grown almost past recoverie by reason of my feebleness and faintheartedness 2. Then when my heart was a little refreshed then was it said unto me Arise and be of good chear for thou hast found grace before God the most highst to declare his salvation to the children of men and also for to witness under the obedience of the Love (a) 4 Glas 33. unto the people upon the earth the true God-service which God regardeth to the end that all those which believe on the Love and submit themselves thereunder may be saved and that those likewise which refuse the same also withstand the Love and allow not of her service may justly receive their judgement unto condemnation 3. Therefore turn now thy face again to the true remnant namely to the Love which is the most holy which is kept and remained over in heaven for an everlasting reconcilement touching the sins of those people which convert and submit them under the Love The true most holy through which most holy of the living Tabernacle of God namely in his service ministred under the obedience of Love the holy and the fore-front shall (b) Dan. 8. b be consecrated and cleansed again the daily offering in the holy erected (c) Isa 44.60 61 62 65 66. Ier. 33.30 31 33. Bar. 5. Eze. 36.37 Jerusalem builded and Sion comforted 4. The whole Israel shall likewise find Grace before the Lord and obtain the salvation also come again to his Land of inheritance and rest and the salvation shall be made manifest unto all people To the end that the whole world might not be accursed like as Sodom and Gomorah (d) Is 1.10 c Rom. 9. c. but that there might yet a remnant be saved and remain preserved even as the Lord hath spoken in times past 5. When as now I had understood these things I rejoyced me greatly and my heart became glad through the bountiful and entire love of God the Father touching his great grace and mercie to be shewed in the last time Because his rebuke and chastisement endureth (e) Psal 30. a Isa 54. a. 4 Mic. 7. b but for a season which cometh to an end And for that his love grace and mercy continueth for ever And in that (f) Deut. 4. d he forgetteth not his Covenant which (g) Ge. 12.13 17.22 26. he hath made with Abraham Isaac and Iacob for to gather and to set up through his Love his chosen people Israel like as in times past he hath promised and assured unto their Fathers by (h) Luk. 1. g the mouth of his holy Prophets 6. With that I turned my face again to the most holy and behold that same remained undefiled and was not (i) Ier. 17. b Lam. 5. b brought in desolation For Israels God who is a God of life had hidden the same in heaven And the heathen or uncircumcised which are captivated with manifold ignorances and errors have not been therein at all for (k) Isa 52. a Eze. 44. a no uncircumcised one can come or enter into the same sanctuary nor behold his beauty but it is reserved and kept in store for the Lords people Israel
the vpright virtue 〈◊〉 â—atient in the â—â—pâ— to the godlyness â—â—â—k minded faythfull and cometh also with the feare peace â— joy to God to â—â—â—vâ—nly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 everlasting The forth goâ—ng in the heathenisâ— impurity bringeth the man to the six of Death The forth goâ—ng in the feare of God the Obediâ— to the ordinance of the lord 〈◊〉 bringeth the man to the Righteousness of the Life The sin of death bringeth the man into all Ignorance hipocrisy 〈◊〉 falsehood into all chosen holyness according to the pleasure of the 〈◊〉 and is therein â—ratefull bitter and cruel and also dispaireth and so â—o maâ—â— to the destructionable calamity and to the divel hell and Condemnation (c) Psal 4 a 2. If the man now have by Gods grace gotten a good will to enter into the upright way directing to the everlasting life then must he with his heart (d) Isa 51 b 2 Cor 6 b Apo. 18 a depart out of the heathenship or uncircumcision and out of the straying being or nature yea from all what is not any being of God also separate himself from the darkness and turn him (e) Isa 55. a Ier 18.25 a 35. b Ezek 18 d. Ioel 2. b to the Lord his God namely to the God of life the (f) Ioh 1. true light full of light and life who hath created both him and all what is an thing (g) Luk. 1.2 b. c. likewise fear the same living God and circumcise his heart from (h) Deu. 10. b. 30 a all manner of darkness namely from all abominations of desolation which do separate the man from the living God 3. See or annoint your eyes with eye-salve that ye may see (k) Deu 1â— b. Ier. 4. a circumcise your selves or put away the foreskin of your hearts and continue not stiff-necked for that ye may rightly understand and know the true life which is a life unto you and may live therein 4. For even therefore because that the life might now in the same day through our (l) Deu 30. b Eccles 25. a most holy servlce of the Love be understood from the death and the light known from the darkness So have we out of the Love to the righteousness described and figuratively set forth even in the most evident manner here in the same Circle both these wayes both of death and of the life and all the ends whereunto each one hath his passage or course The which the inward man entreth into or liveth there whether it (m) Exo. 18. Rom. 6.8 a be then the deadly sins extending to the eternal death or else the righteousness to the everlasting life 5. Hereunto next adjoyning followeth the Figurative description or declaration of the inward Tabernacle of God according to the spirit after the which we do treat at length in large manner of both these natures which do bring in either the death or the life and we have likewise signified or marked out by writing the names both of the confused and of the Godly being or nature Take it to heart for it yieldeth to every one of us either the death or the life The twelfth Chapter THE true fore-front of the house of God or of the true Tabernacle (a) Deu. 10. c Eccles 1.26 is the fear of the living God serving to a turning away from the sin and from all heathenish foolishness Through whose service and through the obedience of the requiring thereof the man becometh circumcised in his heart in (b) Heb. 12. a 1 Pet. 24. a the laying away of the sin in the flesh and to the obtaining of the knowledge of the truth of God entreth into the way of peace Feare God The Way to the Truth In this same service of the holy and gratious word vnder the Obedience of the Love in the feare of God cometh to pass in the hart and minde the vpright repentance of the man to the living God and so walking in the fears of God he is circumcized of hart and is turned away from all the bewiching of the heathenish being that he may not be bewitched or taken with any destruction but be prepared to the entrance into the Sanctuary of God Jer 4. Eezek 4.4 wherefore repent you with all your hart in the spirit and feare the Everlasting invisible God which is the bgining to come to the Wisdome or the first entrance of the true Tabernacle or house of God in the spirit Whereof God himselfe is the Workman Turne ye not therefore from the lord in your hart nether trust in men nor take flesh for your Arme or Strength and so inherit the Cursing 2. For the same circumcision of the (c) Phi. 3. a Col. 2 b heart is the true circumcision which cometh to pass in the spirit and not in the letter whose praise is not of man but of God Rom. 2. c. 3. Therefore (d) Ier. 4 a circumcise the foreskin of your hearts and be not hence forth stiffnecked any longer Deut. 10.8 4. Plough (e) Eze. 10. b upon the new and sow not among the thorns circumcise you unto the Lord and put away the foreskin of your hearts ye men of Judah and ye people at Jerusalem Jer. 4. a. 5. There shall none (f) Isa 52. Ioel. 3. come into the Lords sanctuary that hath an uncircumcised heart and an uncircumcised flesh Eze. 44. b. 6. Therefore shall the Lord thy God circumcise thy heart and the heart of thy seed (g) Deu. 10. c Math. 22. that thou maist love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul that thou mayest live Deut. 30. 7. If thou (h) Deu. 10 c Isa 19 b wilt turn thee O Israel then turn uno me saith the Lord and if thou wilt put away (i) Jer. 15. b Zach 1. a Mal. 3. a thine abominations from before my face then shalt thou not be driven out but then shalt thou without hypocrisie swear rightly and holily as true as the Lord liveth and the heathen shall be blessed in him and make their boast of him Ier. 4. a. 8. Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God (k) Mat. 4 b Luk. 4. a him shalt thou serve him shalt thou cleave unto or depend upon and swear by his name he is thy praise and thy God Deut. 6. a. 10. b 9. Behold the Heaven and the Heaven of all Heavens and the earth and all what is therein that (l) Psal 24. a Ier. 27 a is the Lords your God O Israel and Iudah (m) Deut. 4. d yet hath he had notwithstanding a lust only to your Fathers and loved them and chosen their seed after them namely you above all people Deut. 10 b. 10. O all ye people fear the same God for he is that God which hath created (n) Gen. 1. a Ioh. 1. a all whatsoever is any thing for truly all heathenish bewitching is nothing but foolishness Their wisdom and Laws are