works and this made the Apostle Paul write the same truth as in Heb. 9.14 And while any mans heart or will yeeldeth obedience to such a conscience all his obedience is evil because his conscience is evil Heb. 10.22 And so long as man findeth any life in these conscientious walkings he hath but besprinkled his conscience with the blood of Bulls and Goats and his own mark is upon the post and saveth himself from the destroyer as he thinketh But the conscience being sprinkled with the blood of Jesus then doth man truly know himself to be a sinner and by that blood his peace and safety is to be procured and full wel knoweth that all his good actings are as bad as his evil actings And from hence it cometh to pass that sin becometh to be out of measure sinful and by this means all the bloody offerings and sprinkling of his own conscience becometh to be rubbed off and blotted out and then the blood of the Lamb becomes to be sprinkled upon the conscience whereby the same hath no power to condemn This made the Apostle say there was no condemnation to those that were in Christ c. Rom. 8.1 Secondly the understanding as holden out by the other side post before it be sprinkled with the bloud of the Lamb is but darke in the conceiving of truth and in its darknesse mans Conscience cannot give out right commands to the heart or will for the right command of the Conscience proceedeth from the purenesse of the understanding and the understanding being darke how great is that darknesse Luke 11.35 and while man walketh in this darknesse he is deceived himselfe and deceiveth others also his condition being nothing else but deceiving and being deceived 2 Tim. 3.13 yea stumbleth and falleth and knoweth not whereupon Prov. 4.19 But when man once knoweth his darknesse then doth he cry after wisdome and knowledge and seeketh them more then silver and then it is that the Lord sendeth his Angel to seale or set a marke on the forehead of such a soule before the destroying Angels worke their worke Revel 7.2 viz. To give man the right knowledg and understanding of the great Mystery both of sinne and godlinesse and by that the destroyer is kept out for then he is that wise man that fore-seeth the evill and hideth himselfe Prov. 22.23 and when the eyes of the understanding are opened the soul is sealed with the character of wisdome and all this is by the bloud of the Lamb which is that eye-salve spoken of in Revel 3.18 and where the understanding is thus marked then the soule can truly see Christ and close with him in the propitiation of his Blood but not before But the sprinkling of the lintel which holdeth out the heart or will is that which keepeth all together and maketh the safety compleat for it is the sealing of the heart by the Blood of the Lamb that bringeth the soule into the union of the Father and then is it with all the affection kept in under the wings of the Almighty and then is the Blood of the Lambe rightly sprinkled upon the intellectuall powers of the soule viz. the Conscience understanding and the will and fitly framed and being so marked with the sprinkles of the Blood the destroyer passeth over and the sprinkling of the Blood in this manner doth bring us out of all danger of ghostly enemies so that our soules passe safely out of Aegypt from the bondage of Pharaoh and the Aegyptians and over the red Sea through the Wildernesse into the Land of rest and this the Apostle affirmeth where he saith We are not come to Mount Sina c. but we are come to the Mount Sion c. And to Jesus the Mediator of the New Testament and to the bloud of sprinkling that speaketh better things for us then the blood of Abel Heb. 12.18 19 c. And of this our Saviour made a promise to his Disciples that they should live in the union of him and the Father Job 17.24 And the truth of this Promise they were all partakers of for having their understanding sprinkled marked clensed or made pure by the Blood of the Lamb thereby they were made able to see and understand the truth as it was in Jesus and by the cleare vision of that Light their Consciences being purified by the same Blood did beare witnesse to the truth of that Light and their hearts being sprinkled by the same Blood it was freed from the power of Sin and Death and errours of an evill Conscience Heb. 10 22. and did enjoy the vertue of that Light so that the love of God was shed abroad in their hearts whereby they were made able to love one another and thus it was they became freed from sinne both in the understanding in the Conscience and in the will and this made the Apostle Iohn say that the blood of Iesus Christ cleanseth us from all sinne 1 Ioh. 1.7 And when our Saviour instituted this Type hee would have them to remember and not to forget what was to be fulfilled in them by the power and efficacy of his Blood but I feare your understanding is too weak to conceive any further explaining of the Mystery of the second Type instituted by Christ else I would have proceeded further in laying open more in this particular therefore I give you but these short touches and glimpses that thereby you may somewhat grope after the great Mystery herein contained So I will proceed and give you some glimpse of the manner of the preparation of the Passeover in its signification for the Paschall Lamb was not to be eaten raw nor to be sodden in water but to be roasted with fire Exod. 12.9 Now I would have you to understand the Mystery in water upon this occasion and why the Lamb was not to be sodden therein First Water in its signification here pointeth out the overflowing of Sin and Lust which compasseth about the Soule and by the out-breaking of its flouds the Soule becometh in danger of drowning and David knew this when he prayed to God to deliver him out of the deep waters Psa 69.14 15. Likewise water is unstable which signifieth the unconstancy of man in Nature and how subject to waver and turne from one sinne to another and how easily to be drawne to all iniquity and this made Iacob use these words to Reuben unstable as water c. Gen. 49.4 Likewise water is but weake yet of a destroying nature when man is over-head in it for there is no hold to be taken of it whereby man can save himselfe so is sinne a weake deliverer when the soule is in the depth of it for there is no hold to bee taken by it whereby the soule can save it selfe but rather to be drowned in the depth thereof Likewise whatsoever is sodden in water it looseth part of the vertue thereof for the water draweth part of the vertue into its selfe Under these considerations
Physick and to them Christ becometh a Physician Luke 5.31 by the shedding of his blood or love out of the Divine nature into these Soules by vertue of which they come to be restored to health Secondly His blood issuing out of the Divine Nature becometh purifying and purgeth the soul from that which is the cause of all its diseases and pain viz. sin and selfness for that is the cause of all sorrow and where this love of God or blood of the Divine Nature is shed in the hearts there sin becometh purged out by the power of faith which worketh by love And this faith God useth as an instrument in the purging by love which made the Apostle say that God put no difference between the Gentile and the Jew purifying their hearts by faith Acts 15.9 Now this faith is always accompanied with suffering as in nature purging is some cause of pain but this faith which is grounded in love overcometh the World with all the glory thereof 1 Joh. 5.4 And it beareth up the heart in all afflictions and tribulations making one vertue to arise out of another as tribulation begetteth patience and patience experience and experience hope and hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in your hearts Rom. 5.4 5. So as the soul is purged from sin both in affection and action so is the conscience purged from its blindness by which it kept the soul in bondage to outward actings and the captivity of weak ordinances which cause the soul to look at Christ in a fleshly way and in its blindness tormented the soul when it would not know Christ so and the truth of this purging the Apostle witnesseth as you may see in Heb 9.14 And whosoever hath this love of God or blood of the Divine Nature shed in their hearts the vertue thereof doth ingraft that soul into Christ in his Divine Nature by the way of pure loving and pure beleeving as the Branch into the Vine and every branch so ingrafted into him and bearing fruit in him he purgeth and maketh it bring out more fruit Joh. 15.2 Thirdly The property of this blood of the Divine Nature is to comfort and revive the soul for whom and in whom it is shed for when the soul hath undergone the bitterness of purging out of sin by way of affliction and have passed through all the sorrows and sufferings of death devil and hell whereby the powers of the soul became much weakned and the heart broken to peeces c. then by the vertual property of this blood the spirit is revived and comforted as may be seen Isai 61.1 2 3 c. And this was that water that Christ spake of to the woman of Samaria John 4.10 And thus his blood becometh drink indeed John 6.55 And who so eateth his flesh and drinketh his blood in this manner live in the Divine Nature of Christ and Christ by the Divine Nature dwelleth in that soul and such a soul shall not see death Iohn 8.51 But whoso eateth or drinketh the Body and Blood of Jesus any other way the same becometh a stumbling block to them and as the effect of Wine is to hurt and breed ill humor and dazel the brain when it is not taken in moderation with wisdom in its vertual properties but when mens lust causeth them to drink the same then do they befool themselves in it for want of wisdom and so thereby they oft become to be made weak and sickly yea and many are brought to death thereby Even so the Blood of Christ being drunk in a wrong sence viz. by way of the Historical faith which looketh upon Christ in the flesh and making applications of what he suffered in the flesh and so taketh the efficacy from the Divine Nature and giveth the same to the humane or corporal nature This Faith or looking upon or eating or drinking of his flesh and blood becometh to work no other work in these souls but onely keepeth lust sin or selfness alive and so by this false faith Christ is made the cloak of sin and the Minister thereof Gal. 2.14 And because the sons of men have neither wills nor wisdom to examine themselves in this very thing therefore much weakness is in their understanding that they cannot know the truth as it is in Jesus and much weakness is in their wills in fighting against sin and therefore that sin being unpurged out it becometh cause of much sickness viz. the soul having an issue of blood because the veins thereof is loosened and so it is carried out to love seek and live in created or things acted and by this means such sickness if not cured bringeth death And this was the very thing that the Apostle Paul would have the people to take heed of when they were to observe this Type 1 Cor. 9.28 c. But for the matters in this Type I will let them pass with these small hints and will proceed and speak a word of the manner of this Type or the Form Christ used therein viz. He took bread and blessed it and brake it c. By which blessing is to be understood sanctifying which holds out the power and vertue of the God-head in it self which vertue and power was in himself and by the same he sanctified himself Ioh. 19.17 by which he blesseth and sanctifieth all who live in him and he in them and in this case he is our sanctification 1 Cor. And likewise he brake the bread breaking being the parting of a thing into peeces whereby many may be partakers of the same which holdeth out the fulness and wholeness of the Divine Nature which doth freely and liberally disperse it self into several particulars that many may be made partakers thereof not that the Divine Nature is or can be parted or divided in itself no more then the Sun in the Firmament which remaineth whole in it self yet all are partakers of the light and heat thereof So the Divine Nature is whole and undividable in it self but by its fulness doth fill so many particular Creatures and herein standeth the division in respect of the corporallity of the Creature and the fulness of the Divine Nature is whole in it self and by its fulness and freeness doth fill all particular souls And this truth Iohn Baptist verifieth where he saith Of his fulness have we all received c. Iohn 1.16 And the fulness of the Divine Nature issuing out of it self into any soul doth draw the same into its own nature whereby the same is made fit to live in the same nature and by the living in it that soul becometh rooted and grounded in the same whereby it is made able to comprehend with all Saints what is the bredth and length height and depth c. And so becometh to be filled with all the fulness of God Eph. 3.17 18 c. And when he had shewed the Disciples the freeness of the fulness of the Divine Nature breaking
confirm him in his present condition likewise he shall be made to know how secretly he limitted God to those his Gospel Forms and how he secretly hated and envied all other who had Christ truly manifested in their souls and how he could have persecuted them if occasion had served because such went about to overthrow this foundation And then shall he see how his heart is in love with created things and how farre short his soule is from the true partaking of the love of God though he conceited he had knowne the same formerly and then shall he see the great vaile spread over his heart which keepeth the heart from God and God from the heart and then shall he see sin out of measure sinful and shall have cause to say O Wretched man that I am c. Rom. 7. And so it is that the soule becometh to enter into the operation of the second Baptisme whereunder it suffereth much woe and want in respect of the body of sin it feeleth alive in the inferiour parts of the soule and likewise knowing how the Son of God viz Jesus Christ as yet hath never been truly manifested to the more noble parts thereof and so as yet the soule is but in the Wildernesse in which the voyce of the Cryer is continually crying and calling Prepare prepare the way of the Lord c. and the soule in obedience to that cry doth turne it selfe wholly to seek the love of God to be made knowne to it in the second distinct property viz. the powerfull and lovely and peaceable appearing of Jesus the Son of God and to make his name knowne in the powerfull and mercifull delivering of the soule from under that present evill of it selfe by which it is so carried captive oft times into the prisons of Hell and Death And when the soul is thus brought to understand the Baptism of Iohn then it is that faith beginneth to be purely operative and not before for now faith hath its ground-work laid in the heart and before it was but in the head and from what part it hath its ground so doth it worke and this faith grounded in the heart doth carry out the soule into seeking of the vertue of the Blood of Christ in the Divine nature and so is made willing thereby to wait for the out-pouring or shedding abroad of the same to cleanse and wash away that sin and Self that doth so defile it and likewise this faith doth so clearly carry out the soule from the desire of things created that it standeth in opposition against them when they peirce or present themselves into the soule likewise by the power of this faith man is made to see the emptinesse of all formes and duties the which it hath so much doted on before and likewise it maketh the soule truly know wherein its true life consisteth and nothing is desired in comparison of that which is the true life thereof from whence it cometh to passe that this soul stands at variance with every thing which keepeth it back from the enjoyment of its life And in this manner the Ax is laid to the root of the tree viz. The sharp cutting part or the Law in its inward and spiritual requirings whereby the bole of sin becometh cut down viz. The strength of desire love care or fear of or to any thing below the love and life of the Son of God becometh cut down and cast into the fire viz. into the anger of God by which they become burned and consumed But yet it cannot be truly said that anger is in God whereby he can be made to change or to suffer for anger and love is both the same in the essence of God and that which is love in God the same is anger in us and it is the love of God that maketh us feel his anger by reason of the sin that the love meeteth with in us and so by reason of that love of God in us and that sin it meeteth with in us the suffering is produced which we feel and that suffering is called the anger of God And thus we are rightly to judge of the anger of God But now the soul being brought into this suffering way or plunging condition under the baptism of John or spiritual cutting of the Law wherein the abomination that maketh desolate beginneth to appear then groweth such a soul to sink down into great humility and in patience waiteth for the appearing of the Son of God who must in the manifesting of his Name restore peace and give comfort and deliver the soul out of that great desolation made in it by reason of the great abomination And so it is that when the soul is rightly prepared by the second baptism of John then in his own time and place the name of the Son becometh manifested in that soul and the Lord whom it hath sought doth come into his temple Mal. 3.2 And then it is that the vertue of the name of the Son of God becometh powerful in delivering the soul out of that desolate wilderness from amongst the enemies that it found there and those lusts that led it captive is become captived and the shadow of death is dissipated and the garment of mourning is cast off and the soul cloathed in the garment of praise and then the soul can rejoyce and rightly sing Hallelujah to him that hath done these things for it And thus it is that God in the second appearance in the distinct property becometh to be known in a more sweet and loving and peaceable manner then he was known in the first Name before the Godhead had divided it self as is before said And thus Moses in the first dispensation under the Covenant of works by his baptism reached out the soul to John and John in the second dispensation led out the soul to Christ and so the soul can truly witness the Name of the Father and the Son I would have enlarged more upon the baptism of John but that I have already spoken something thereof in a little Treatise called The Anti-god with his threefold attributes discovered in the out-side religious man and in that you may see something which is needful to be known the which I have omitted here But now I proceed and speak a word of the third Baptism viz. The Baptism of the Holy Ghost and this is that which is more excellent then the other two former because of its time operation and effect of which I shall speak hereafter And this baptism was witnessed by John Baptist himself when he gave testimony of Christ who was to be the Minister of this Baptism and told the people that he that was to come after him c. should baptize them with the Holy Ghost and with fire whose fan is in his hand c. Matth. 3. And what John Baptist did witness herein the same had he received of the Father who sent him both to baptise and bear witness of Christ that
each to raise out Doctrines Uses c. and so declaring the minde of God and Christ according to their own Schollership Wit and Knowledge got from Scriptures and other mens labors Thinkest thou it was such he meaneth of or did intend these words for them if thou do thou art a fool But I will tell thee who he aimed them for viz. Such as himself who had the right knowledge of and lived in the power of what he held out to others and had not his doctrine to fetch out of his study and brain-knowledge gotten from what others had said but he had it from the right Fountain that Fountain living in him and he in it and he was acquainted with that he lived in and could witness the truth thereof truly and as he had heard and seen so did he testifie to others for he had seen the Lord Jesus in Spirit and he had felt his love and lived in that love and from thence he had his freedom both to speak and talk what was freely given him by those whom he had brought to be partakers of the spiritual blessing viz. The shedding abroad of the love of God in their hearts by which love they were more willing to give then he was to receive And these people he spoke these words to were wrought into the same condition as himself witnesseth 1 Cor. 9.2 And therefore knowing that he was one whom the Lord had sent to work his work and that the work was wrought even upon those upon whom this work was fulfilled he thought no great offence to take what they would freely give him and to such whom he had wrought up into the faith and love of the Lord Jesus Christ he sheweth that if he did take any thing of them yet he did not transgress and to shew them how reasonable it was if he did so he brings before them these foresaid metaphors which all of them being rightly weighed was worthy of the reward they hoped for and from thence he draweth this conclusion That it was as lawful for him to take something of them as a Souldier to take the wages he ventureth his life for And as reasonable it was as for the Husband-man to eat of the fruit of his own labor c. And the Law of Reason will allow this Well this may sound something as like thou wouldst have it but minde what is said before and what cometh afterward and then see where thou art for thou art not the man that hath the right to take of any any thing for what thou dost for thy work is not worth a Bodwill per annum for thou art not the man that hath any due at all to a peny for thy work for thy work is but thy own and thou hast learned it as men learn other trades and yet by what thou hast learned from others thou wilt take upon thee to enter upon the work of the Lord and to be a declarer of his will and minde to others whereas thou bearest but false witness of the minde of God for thou hast not seen the Lord Jesus neither ever did he call thee to what thou dost nor ever hath the minde of Christ Jesus been made known unto thee in the Mysterious manifestation of his loving kindness to thy soul neither dost thou live in the life of and love of God and so thou art far enough from knowing what his will is for he doth not own thee in thy work neither will he bless thy work for it is none of his but thy own and so thy own blessing falleth upon it and that is nothing but a false name thou puttest upon it making foolish people believe thou art something even Simon Magus like who deceived the people And thou makest some believe that thou hast converted them to God yea and thou art so perswaded thy self too when alas they are but the same they were in their hearts onely they differ from what they were before in the outward man and because thou hast put out their eyes they give up themselves to be led by thy direction and for so doing thou dost pronounce them blessed but yet poor souls their hearts are not turned to God but live in the world Look back I pray thee at the foresaid Mystery and the fair Garment for they be the very emblems and just pictures of thy self and thy converts for all which thou teachest and what they learn of thee is but to work that Garment and both thou and they pretend what you will of God your work is but your own and the creature may go so far and farther too by the power in them by Creation the common grace added to it and all this you boast of is but the Creatures acting and in this you have but made them twofold more the childe of Satan then they were before Matth. 23.15 And you are the very men that heal the wounds of the people very slightly Jere. 8.11 But take to you and lay it to heart for the saying of our Saviour doth belong onely to you and such as you for he saith If the blinde lead the blinde c. Matth. 15.14 And this is all you bring to pass to deceive the souls of the people And thus you pay them for their hire and this is the work you work for your wages and these are the spiritual things you sow to them whereby you imbolden your selves to take their carnal things and this is the Gospel you preach whereby you get your living and yet you cannot see how you are blinded but runne on in your sin strengthning your selves with the wrong understanding of the words of the Apostle whereas you neither be the man he was neither inwardly nor outwardly neither have you the right calling into these places you are in neither do you work the work he wrought and yet do you most unjustly take an occasion from his Word to take from the people that which belongeth not unto you but being partial in your own cause you take in Scripture what may seem to make for your own gain and what seemeth to be against you that you wave and will not minde it For though the Apostle by right of his calling and rightness of his work might have received something of the Corinthians as due to him as the Souldiers wages yet he kept himself free from receiving any thing of them 1 Cor. 9. Yea his own hands ministered to his necessity as may be seen Acts 20.34 But this you take no notice of because if you should follow his example your Kingdom would fall down and that you have no minde to let fail But in this your doing I assure you That you are the greatest theeves in all the world nay you are both theeves and robbers yea and the greatest cheaters in the world too and I will prove it too For first you take of the people that you have no right to take because it doth not belong to you as is
Fathers to make you what you are and your Fathers god is your god also and his inspirations you obey and that with all your souls and strength for in case you have not a benefice at present that satisfies your hungry desire when there is any appearance of a greater to be gotten O what inspiration doth your god cast into your mindes and then is your desires inlarged and your thoughts set on worke how to answer your god in his inspirations and then you humble your selfe under the mighty hand of your god in which humility you come bending before this great man and that great man and so desireth his helpe and countenance in the matter and by their meanes you come to get your matter brought about to what you would have had it Is not this true I appeale to your selves for witnesse hereof for though you would yet you cannot turne your eyes from it for your owne Conscience will witnesse this for a truth O wretched and most miserable of all men in your doings how dare you say that God hath sent you to speake in his Name or take upon you the name of Christ's Ministers seeing how cleare it is from whence you had your calling and how base you are in your calling but yet you cannot see your selves in your basenesse for your god hath blinded your eyes neither doe you care for having them opened while you make so good a trade of your speaking for that spirit of divination that possesseth you bringeth in you no little gaine by its smooth speaking for many of you sell your speaking at no lesse rate then three or foure pound a Sermon as some call it but let it be what it will I say some of you have so much for speaking one houre and if any of you get but ten or twenty shillings for each Sermon you thinke that hardly well sold yet you all pretend the honour of God and the edifying of the people and the feeding of their soules O fooles for shame hold your tongues and say not so but you declare your sins like Sodome and cannot hide them from God nor from them who have their eyes open And would but the Parliament of England make an Act to take away this hire from you and that you might have nothing from them for your speaking then should you see your selves and all the world might see you for then wee should but heare little of you for your preaching would bee soone at an end and Gods honour and the edifying of his people would quickly cease and then I beleeve you would let a Souldier take the Pulpit for you would not care who came in it then then would it appeare from whom and from whence you had your calling and I thinke that the Parliament would doe God a speciall peice of service in making such an Act and I am perswaded God would mightily blesse them for it for in so doing they should over-throw as great enemies of God and his Truth as ever yet was subdued in England Scotland or Ireland and these enemies are the pride and hypocrisie of these covetous Priests but this is my hope that this Act will once be brought to passe for God will not passe such dealing by though he suffer long for his patience is well nigh tired out Our Saviour saw these men well enough and you whom I have written to are the very same in your generation whom he calleth the hireling who runneth away when he seeth the wolf coming and leaveth the sheep to the wolf John 10.12 Is not this your very practise when any poverty or suffering seemeth to come upon you which you discern by the eyes of your fleshly reason and when you can but know of a place to hide your selves from that apparant danger then away you run and let what as will take the people Dogs Wolves or Devils you care not for you will fend for your selves and you will say God calleth you from them And thus you run from one place to another one while for fear of poverty or some other suffering and sometimes for the maintaining and upholding of your pride And all this is because you are hirelings for the sheep is not yours for you neither were sent by God neither do you work his work in begetting souls to God and as you have not the love of God manifested in you you cannot beget children nor bring them forth into the partaking of the love of God for you have not that immortal seed of God in you to sow in the hearts of others And therefore you are but barren and unfruitful and so your hearers are but empty souls not knowing what the love of God is and therefore there can be no true love between you and them and therefore upon small occasions you will leave them But were they children begotten by you you would lose your life before you would run away from them and you would spend and be spent for them and endure any hardship for and amongst them But you are but Ministers of fortune and those that will give most for your service may have it and as long as you can profit well by the people you will serve them and pretend much love to them and herein you make but a prey of the flock and seem like Lambs and Sheep in your appearance to them when you profit well by them And thus you slily beguile the poor and devour and take from them by your ravening that which many of them might very ill spare and yet have it you will Consider I pray you of the words of our Saviour for you are the self-same he pointeth out where he saith Beware of false-prophets that shall come in sheeps cloathing but inwardly they are ravening wolves But by their fruits you shall know them c. Matth. 7.15 16. c. And this very same is fulfilled in you for your fruits do testifie what you are for you have not brought out fruit unto God but unto your selves and you are no more but like to thorns and thistles who tear the wool of sheep and your fruit not worth the gathering The Apostle Paul before his departure had a clear sight of you and of your fore-fathers and told the people That after his departure should grievous wolves arise not sparing the flock Acts 20.29 Is not this true in you in tearing and taking away the poor mans labor and if you have but the tenth part you care not what becomes of the poor mans family at home when oft it hapneth that his children wanteth bread and other necessaries for what you have taken from them to consume upon your pride and lust I can witness to this truth my self and so can many others in England but if we can but have patience a little all will be amended and then shall you no longer reign for your desolation is not far off and I would have you to take notice of it for I warrant you what I say
is no Astrology for that you will not believe though never so true But this that I tell you shall undoubtedly come to pass and sooner perhaps then you look for it I will not tell you at present what I believe of you least when it cometh to pass you say I was a witch for I know you will not allow a true speaker the name of Prophet But me thinks I hear some of you object and say In what thou hast said thou hast not spoken truth for there hath many been converted by our Preaching and many godly people have we begotten and the Lord hath given a blessing to our Labors and by this we know we are the Lords Messengers to his people and the true Laborers in his Vineyard O my Friends do not think in what I have said that I have any minde to detract from you what is your due or to wrong any of you in the least For I confess Like may beget like for that is oft a truth in nature and so in you For I do not deny but many of you have a form of godliness and as you are in that form you may beget others also into the same form and so make them like your selves and yet all of you without the power of God and love of God and wisdom of God For if the love of God were shed abroad in your hearts it would turn your hearts into its own image but as yet you have not that love and therefore you have hatred in your hearts both against God and man And from hence it is That you can freely persecute and destroy all that worship not God in your way and this you have no order for nor example either from Christ or any of his followers but you and all your Converts go not a jot further then the Scribes and Pharisees but in that you believe Christ is come in the flesh and have an Historical or Notional Faith of him in your head but the world and selfness lyeth in your hearts and you are as hide-bound to the Gospel-forms as the Scribes and Pharisees were to circumcision and the formes under the Law and as they being hide-bound or heart-bound to these forms so became they to be the enemies of Christ when he appeared in the flesh And the very same are you and all your Converts fast tied in your heart to the Gospel-forms and hereby you are become the enemies of Christ appearing in the spirits of men and so are you become the persecutors of Christ in the Saints and yet in this you think you do God good service and the greatest perfection in your Converts is when they are made exceeding zealous for the honor and glory of God as they say so that whosoever worships God in any other way then theirs then are they sure of persecution by you or them if it be within the compass of your power and this you have in your generation and that faith and love and full assurance of your salvation alwaies is accompanied with pretended zeal for the honor and glory of God and from hence you count all other the enemies of God who have not the same garb that you have And all this great conversion you brag of is nothing else but a conversion from evil to far worse for you have turned some of your Hearers from some outward grosse offences and have brought them into a conformity to duty as you call it and by the refraining the outward grossnesse and closing to and with the outward duties your Conscience beginneth to cease biting so long as you walk obsequiously therein and from hence the foule Feind transformes himselfe into the Angel of Light and secretly wraps himselfe in your actings and by his power when once gotten rightly joyned to Selfe Righteousnesse then hath he power to worke Wonders and can worke like God and give consolation to the Soule and bring it into raptures and ravishments and can bring the Promises to remembrance which is suitable to confirme his workings and from such working he can make the Soule beleeve its regeneration and its calling and election to be made sure and that with a witnesse too in which assurance the Soule will oft rejoyce and shall have many false flashes of Love which the Soule can no way know but it is the feeling of the love of God and if you have brought any Soule thus far as to this full assurance and to be partakers of such feeling you thinke you have brought them farre on in grace and thus farre I know you may bring a Soule by your Ministery and yet this Soule is but two-fold the Childe of Satan more then it was before I will make this plaine unto you for when the Soule before was in the grosse actings then was that person in a more hopefull way for God to bring it to himselfe by his owne way then it is now for then when God would have brought these persons from their sinne in his bringing them either by himselfe or by those whom he would use for that worke then I say there was hope these Soules might have been led in a way whereby they should have escaped the snare of Satan But being that these soules are in the snare they are more in captivity to him then they were before and the reason is because then God had some power in the Consciences of them and oft times condemned them for their outward grossnesse but now they being brought out of these outward sinnes into the obedience of outward formes their Conscience loseth that priviledge and now instead thereof the Feind hath power to feed the Soule as is aforesaid the which he had no power to doe before and in this condition the Soule is well pleased to be and can stand for it selfe stoutly that it is sealed to God and made sure of Salvation and so is become exceeding fool-hardy rejoycing in its fooles paradise and being fed by false consolation and herein that person is once more the childe of Satan then before And secondly whereas before these soules were converted by you they would not persecute or bring any to death for not walking in their waies but now your Converts must seeke the honour of God and so in zeale for his glory they must become persecutors and destroyers of their fellow Creatures because they will not honour God in their way and thus are they become Murderers and yet they doe not know it but the same spirit that ruleth in them must they of necessity bee obedient to and it is proved before that that spirit in them that ruleth is Satan and he it is that setteth them on work For as our Saviour saith He was a murtherer from the beginning and his works will you do Joh. 8.44 And herein are your Converts twofold the children of Satan more then they were before It was not the Publicans and sinners that put Christ to death no no it was the religious zealots under the Law
the Lambe was not to be sodden in water which points out in the Spirituall signification that while man is in his naturall corruption and while lust and love of the world and unstablenesse of spirit being carried to and fro by the power of sinne inward or outward and so cometh to owne Christ in his propitiation by way of an Historicall beleeving this is to prepare the Paschall Lambe to themselves contrary to the command of God and doth boyle the same in water viz. their sin and lusts by the fire of the false faith and thereby their sin as the water taketh the vertue of the Lamb into it selfe and thus the broth is made sweeter to them then the meat boyled in it and from hence it is that sinne is so pleasant to men because they have seasoned it by the vertue of the boyling of the Paschall Lamb in it viz. by the false application of the death of Christ whereby they get to themselves liberty to sinne and by so doing make Christ the author of unrighteousnesse Gal. 2.7 and can freely sinne that grace may abound Rom. 6.1 So as the Lamb was not to be sodden in water it was not to be eaten raw for that was unsuitable to the digestion and would indanger and damnifie the bodies by bringing severall casualties upon it And likewise raw flesh was counted uncleane and so when the plague of Leprosie was upon any so long as any raw flesh was to be seen that person was to be accounted uncleane but when the raw flesh was wholly covered by the Leprosie then that person was to be pronounced whole Lev. 13.12 13. all which holdeth out to us in the signification that those who looke upon Christ in the flesh as he was borne of the Virgin Mary lived in the Body suffered in the Body and rose in the Body and so becometh to be a worshipper of God in any outward forme and goeth no further but to apply themselves in these formes what Christ was in the flesh even this is to eate the Paschall Lambe raw and so bringeth distempers upon the soule whereby it will be in danger of death and these distempers are such as loosen the strength of the reines whereby it becometh to have an issue of blood continually running viz. The thoughts inclinations feares cares loves and desires running continually into the Creature and yet can worship God in a forme and apply Christ in these formes according as he was and what he suffered in the flesh And from hence it is that though they have the Plague of Leprosie upon them viz. hearts full of sin and selfenesse yet doe they not know it but by the Physick got out of these forms they keep downe that Leprosie from their owne beholding thinking to cure the same and by so doing there is some raw flesh still in the soule viz. some good some righteousnesse some good conceit of what is acted in their holy forme out of which there is many good thinkings raised in the minde of the love of God and faith in Christ and sanctification of the Spirit c. all which is but as the raw flesh arising amongst the Leprosie and while that soule hath that raw flesh in it it is but loathly in the eyes of God and is accounted as uncleane and untill man truly know himselfe all over-spread by this plague of Leprosie viz. sin and selfnesse as well in his good actings as in his evill actings he is not in a capacity to be pronounced cleane and the Apostle Paul knew the plague of this Leprosie well enough when he cryed out O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me c. Rom. 7.24 And for the pronouncing of such cleane as are over-spread with this Leprosie of sin Christ came and to save those that knew themselves invested therein from head to foot inside and outside and that bear the burthen thereof continually Mat. 11.28 And when our Saviour instituted this Type this hee included in the same remembrance Now the manner of the preparation of the Paschall Lambe was to be rosted with Fire Fire having in it these significations viz. wrath anger fury heat consuming terribleness c. and in its better signification it holds out good viz. comfort light and love and zeale and life c. So it is to be understood that Fire in its first significations pointeth out sorrow and suffering and so it is that when the Fire of God or his fury or anger c. is kindled in the soule of man in the condemning property of the light which is in the Conscience and the spirit of man findeth it selfe deprived of the love of God and nothing but the fury of the Lord poured out and that nothing but woe and want appeareth in the soule and sin abounding which is as fuell to the Fire of the anger which he feeleth within himself when this cometh to be truly kindled there is great tribulation in that minde and this fire must all souls be brought into before they be fit for knowing how good Christ is for this was the way that he went himselfe even under the wrathfull displeasure of the Justice of the Father passing through the fire of his indignation and so as the Paschal Lambe was rosted at the fire it kept all the sweetnesse and vertue in it selfe by which it was more pleasant to the taste and truly nourishing so Christ by going through the fire of the anger of God became to bee made pleasant to all those who taste him and none can taste or eate him rightly but such as have their Soules brought into the same fire or sufferings with Christ and so can close with Christ as a suffering Christ and bearing the same indignation with him and owne him in that way and walke with him in that way in the daily denying of selfe and this Christ himselfe left in command to all that would be his Disciples and in this also would he have them to remember him so often as they should eate that Bread and drink that Cup. Likewise the Paschall Lambe was to bee eaten with bitter Herbs which holdeth out the daily sorrowes and sufferings of these Soules who doe taste of the consolations of Christ and as the soure Sauce is used to sweet meat to help the stomack to digest well so that no surfeit cometh by the sweetnesse of the meat so afflictions are the only preservative of the Soule least consolation cause distemper and this the Apostle witnesseth by the prick in the flesh 2 Cor. 12.7 And Christ himselfe maketh this out to his Disciples when he told them of the sorrow they should have in his absence yet he bad them be of good comfort for he would come againe to them Ioh. 14.18 and this he would have them to remember also I could have proceeded further in the explanation of the Paschall Lambe in other particulars but what is said I hope may suffice and bee enough for the matter in hand
height of his Kingdome will be but I could wish those poore blinded fooles amongst you to turne their eyes inward and looke for the reigning of Christ in them and then I beleeve they shall finde something that will hold them doing that they shall looke no more for Christ without them for the reason why they are so carried out in their fancy is because they found life in the liberty of their forme and so was carried out from the medling with the evill that is in their owne hearts and therefore not knowing the Mysterie of selfnesse in them the Devill hath power to worke in their fancy and make them looke for such things to be fulfilled outwardly as shall in their time and order be fulfilled inwardly and all this happeneth because of the forme of godlinesse without the power of God and as yet they have not received the truth as it is in Jesus neither doe they love the truth nor can love it because they doe not know it and for this cause God sends such very strong delusions 2 Thess 2.8 9. But to let these passe with their fantastick conceits I will speake a word in generall to you as I finde you stated in a form to which you keep as close in your order as doe the Presbyterians yea and as hide-bound to your forme as is the Papists and though your forme be somewhat more regulated then the Presbyterians yet doe you not dissent from their very forme in most things you observe but you shake hands with them with the one of your hands and the other hand you reach out to those of the Anabaptists order and so from the Anabaptists to you and from you to the Presbyterians and so from the Presbyterians to the Prelatians and so from the Prelatians to the Popes the collaterall line is kept whole and you are all tied together with one chaine consisting of so many linkes and all of you stand in one center with your feet and your backs one towards another but as you dance the round you keep the compasse and not step out of it and you all dance after one Pipe and can agree to heare its Musick for that melody pleaseth you all and this Musicioner is the Devill and his Pipe is the World with its various notes of profit pleasure and praises and when this Pipe is sounded you all dance after it as though you were all gone mad and though you all agree in this harmonious dance yet are you all opposite one to another in your manners and breeding and bringing up in the courteous conges you make in the saluting of him you call your God and because of this difference you cannot owne one another though you otherwise center all in one Yet you who are of the order of Independency I must confesse have something amongst you in your formes which I honour and approve of you for it as you are Formalists and that is because you have not as yet tied or constrained any to observe the same way of worship with you but as yet leaveth every one to his owne freedome in way of worship in case hee or they be not open blasphemers so farre all is well And further you are not altogether so hide-bound to the unsent Priests as the Presbyterians be though I know you cannot as yet clearly see what they are and therefore you cannot altogether forsake them and therefore are so far in bondage to them I know likewise you have some amongst you called Ministers who is of somewhat more moderate spirited men then those of the Presbyterian order and that is somewhat more inlightned in the knowledge of the truth according to Christ in the flesh but yet very few I finde amongst them who rightly know the truth as it is in Christ according to the Divine nature yet I must confesse some of them have got a darke notion of the truth in the Divine nature and yet all endeth but in a better regulated forme for as for the proper operation of the truth as it is in Christ I have not as yet seen any great effects either amongst you or your Ministers for the naturall operation of the truth turneth the heart out of centering in formes though never so well regulated neither will the power of the truth suffer the heart to be carried out to the world or any created thing whatsoever but all the feares cares loves and desires of any thing below God is subdued in that soule where the truth hath taken possession in the heart and little comfort or content can that soule have in any thing created or acted where the truth as it is in Jesus is rightly knowne and untill the truth in Jesus viz. in the Divine nature be received and from the receiving thereof the knowledge thereof is attained the heart of men is in bondage either to the creatures viz. the world with the things contained in it or else the works and acting of the creature viz. formes of Religion of some fashion or other and all things created or acted tendeth to bondage and men may be in captivity to either of these or to both and yet know it not but thinke themselves free and the reason is because they never found bondage in their captivity but rather freedome and indeed while man liveth in a forme he knoweth not the bondage of that forme but findeth freedome in the forme yea more freedome then before he tooke the forme upon him for before he tooke the forme upon him his Conscience had power to condemne but now in the forme blinde Conscience is satisfied and so the heart hath more liberty to center in the created things and yet can please conscience with acted things and thus the worship of God is roundly carried on in formes and the world and the worship thereof goes on as roundly in the heart and no bondage at all felt in any of these things no more then the Jewes who boasted of being Abrahams seed and never were in bondage Jo. 8. but the reason why bondage is not felt in things acted and things created is because the truth of God was never truly known amongst you but I confesse you have a zeale but not according to knowledge and you have a knowledge but not according to the truth for that knowledge you have is but according to Christ in the flesh and that is but either relative or artificiall out of which ariseth an Historicall faith and this pointeth at and closeth with Christ as he was in the corporall or humane nature and this you may have and indeed none other can you have while you live in formes and this is not a knowledge in the heart or a faith in the heart but this is altogether in the head and the power of this saith will not close with Christ nor can close with Christ in the Divine nature for that faith in the head according to Christ in the flesh is alwayes an enemy to Christ as he
treasure is there will your hearts be also and the heart can no way be discovered but by its effects viz. inclinations thoughts feares cares loves and desires c. then consider whether God or your bellies be your god or chief treasure and whether you owne and worship more with your hearts and your affections if God be your God and chiefe treasure then your hearts with its affections is in him and with him all the day long and is worshipping him either in prayer or praises and all your thoughts taken up with things of the same nature and things of the world is but a great vexation to your spirits and you looke but upon them but as they serve for your meere necessity and though it be meere necessity in respect of your fraile bodies yet even to have your thoughts drawne out of God if never so little yet this is a detriment and trouble to your spirit because these thoughts doe somewhat pierce between you and your God so that your whole conversation cannot be in Heaven this I know will bee no little trouble to you if God be your God and the Apostle who worshipped God and had chosen him to be the chiefe treasure said that both he and his upright followers had their conversation in heaven Phil. 3.20 and those to whom he had preached Christ and his crosse and the rising againe with him lest they should learne the same by comprehension and relative beleeving hee giveth them a caveat in a negative speech to which he added an affirmative command and said If yee be risen with Christ seek those things which are above c. and set your affections on things above c. Col. 3.1 2. and God giveth out his command to love him with the whole heart and Moses in declaring Gods command to the people delivereth the same to them in like manner saying Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soule c. and thou shalt cleave to him Deut. 10.20 which intimateth that there would be something that would draw and pull the heart from God for he knew the body of sinne would be stirring and the creature would be creeping into their hearts by which they should be in danger to be pulled from the true God and therefore he bid them cleave to him and the Apostle who had chosen God for his God and knew the subtlety of the body of Sin and selfe he was cautelous of the same and kept manfully to the warfare between the creature and the heart whereby whatsoever sought to interpose between God and his heart that he beat down yea if it were but in a thought or in an imagination as you may see 2 Cor. 10.4 5. and in so doing every thought was brought into the obedience of Christ and this was by bearing the crosse under which hee rejoyced and so became the friend and companion of Christ If you can witnesse to this in your owne spirits and your hearts have chosen God for your God and that your daily exercise be in God and your heart with its affections be thus ordered then God is your God indeed and you are the friends of Christ and his Crosse otherwise take it for granted you are of those whose belly is their god for the belly hath a large signification if I would but touch upon every particular thereof yet I omit the most of what may be said thereof and will only give you a short touch thereof as for the belly it is naturally consuming unsatiable requiring more then is meet for it and most of the Sences is as servants to it and doth usurp upon the affections to serve it also and where it is the god it doth command obedience to its requirings and so the affections in obedience doth invent desire and seeke what may be answerable to and for its requirings and so the affections by the communion they have with the Sences and the command over them doth cause them to help on this worke and through the commanding power of both the other members of the body is carried on to act in that obedience also and thus is the whole man in action about the service of the Belly and so man is made to invent thinke and desire and act about those things which is created for satisfying the Belly from hence it is that the belly being the chief god that all these superfluities is provided for it and so many severall dishes when one of them would serve Nature and for upholding the worship of this god what care feare and desire labour and watching and waiting yea some for the worship and service they owe to this god sacrifice all their whole estate and some for this service will oppresse their fellow creatures and some for this service labour day and night both in body and minde and all little enough to satisfie this hungry god and whatsoever belongeth to the backe hath a relation to the belly and these two agree in one in their requirings as they become god and so to and for their worship through the commanding power of lust put in action all the affections sences and members of the body and soule and so it is that so many foolish fantastick fashions and superfluous habits becometh worne in these dayes so that I much feare this god hath great power and is much worshipped in our time yea more then heretofore And as men have power in their hand viz. the riches of this world they become the greater providers for this gods sacrifices and then they become to have the second character set upon them viz. They glory in their shame is not this to be seen in our dayes amongst most sorts of those we call Professors how they are carried out to worship Back and Belly as is before said but especially amongst those who be rich in the world having such sumptuous and excessive tables and all things suitable for the upholding of the lust of the eye yet doe they not see very many of their fellow creatures like to starve both for meat and cloathing and yet they can look upon them with a light look and very little compassion and the reason is that which they have they must keep for sacrifices for their god and the rest they must keep for themselves to glory in for the very sight of rich superfluities lifteth up the heart and the thoughts thereof doth yeeld them comfort and the having and possessing of these things winneth the praise of such fooles as themselves and in all these they glory and yet all they glory in is but their shame yea and abominable shame too both in the eyes of God and in the eyes of those who are weaned from such things and by the Crosse have crucified these things Is it not a shame to have the creatures of God in abundance and so many like to starve for want and yet the bowels of compassion shut up against them how
foresaid dispensations and for this very end it was that Christ gave out his command to teach and discipline all Nations and Baptize them in the name of the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost Friends I have but given you a dark glimps of these things for the clearer illustrating of them requireth more time then I have allotted to me at present and would containe a greater volume then at present I meane to put out but this which here I have intimated may give you some sight in the whole and I wish that every one of you were so wise as to finde out in your owne heart the whole mysterie hereof and this I have holden out to you that thereby you may partly see what is contained in the type of Baptisme and that it is not the forme or type that bringeth any happinesse to the soule But in case you say you live not in the outward forme of Baptisme but in the power of the Mysterie from whence is it that so little fruits thereof appear amongst you who are of the order of the Brotherhood in outward form of re-baptizing for though you may think you obey the command of Christ in this your act yet being ignorant of the minde of Christ in this command you doe obey him no more then Saul did the command of Samuel 1 Sam. 15.14 for I can as justly say to you as Samuel said to Saul What meaneth the bleating of the sheep and the lowing of these oxen in mine eares For though some amongst you in your Brother-hood can speake of some experiences and say something what God hath done for their soules yet I see the world in the heart of such yea and the love of praise and honour and the livelinesse of affection to created things looke to your owne hearts and you shall finde what I say is true and if it be so take it for granted you know not the minde of Christ in the mystery of Baptism but you content your selves with the forme and if you knew but the mysterie the forme would not be of so great value with you but as all other formes are but empty things so is your forme also and they shall all perish in time and all soules shall be deceived who live in them For nothing shall stand but what is the substance and mysterie of all forms and what soule is not brought out of formes into that which is the mysterie shall perish as doth the formes for in all dispensations and all ordinances in dispensations formerly there hath been a change and the reason why former things instituted was changed was because of sin amongst men who made Idols of those ordinances for the minde and intent of God in all ordinances was to draw the heart of men to himselfe out of the creature and so when God owned these his ordinances and answered men in them then was the hearts of men in too great love with these ordinances and when the heart beginneth to cleave to any ordinance then the heart getteth liberty to run out into the creature and yet man can blesse himselfe and quiet his blinde Conscience with observing the ordinances and so the ordinances becometh Idolized and so abominable in the eyes of God and so it is that these things God ordained to bring man to himselfe by reason of the body of sinne in man they have drawne man further from his God and there is not any formalist in England of what forme soever that contendeth for his forme can excuse himselfe in what is here expressed But here I leave you in your forms and wish that God may so owne you in your formes that you may see a cleare way to depart out of your formes and to come to close with that which is the substance and then you will not fall out with any who are not of the same forme with you neither will you so much contend for your formes for then you shall see how all formes are but empty things and not worth so much dispute and contention which hath been the occasion of the spilling of so much bloud as hath been spilt but let me tell you one thing that no hand shall be guiltlesse of bloud who hath shed any mans bloud for maintaining the uprightnesse of his forme for it will bee found that that hand that hath shed the bloud of any man for opposing his form he slew but his brother that he might sacrifice his bloud to an Idol and this one day will lye heavie upon the heart of those that have done it But what is this I have said who will beleeve it for every one in his forme can bless himselfe in what he hath done and quiet his blinde Conscience by kissing of his Idol but the time is in coming and shall shortly be that all Idols shall cease and all formall worship shall be destroyed for we who are alive are in the last dispensation and under the last types that ever shall be upon the earth and when these types under which we live shall come to be worshipped to the height then changed shall they be and I leave it to you to guesse what thing shal then be established the time shall shortly be even so come Lord Jesus Amen A word to the Free-Gracians FRiends you who pretend the Free-grace of God without the Creatures actings I need not write to you of your idolizing of Forms for I know you are not tied to any Form But my Friends I ask you the question How came you to part with your Forms was it the Free-grace of God indeed that called you out of Forms or was it your subtil-self that cast you out of Forms I much fear the devil hath played the cheater with you and you have not seen wherein he hath deceived you and so you are bereaved both of the Form and Power I know you much pretend all to be of God and that he giveth his grace freely without the act or desert of the Creature I know there is a truth in what you say but yet did ever any of you receive grace But first you were active Creatures and sought grace more then ever you sought any earthly thing If you say you have grace and yet sought not grace it is no less then a marvel to me But in case you say that you sought grace before you received grace why do you so much cry down the Creatures actings do you think to bring any a nearer way to grace then your selves have gone if you do you peradventure shall be deceived and while you by that way go about to draw men to grace it is six to one you keep them from grace I know your preaching and speaking of that subject will beget you many a one to be of the same minde with you for your doctrine soundeth well to the fleshly part of man and soon is it believed and as soon practised for I know not what will hinder the success of it for I know the devil