and more righteous acting The voice of mourning shall be heard no more the birds shall sing merrily on every bough O rejoyce rejoyce for the time that the Lord God omnipotent wil raign in al the earth is beginning and he wil be servant to the Dragon Beast and man of the flesh no longer but wil tread down that murdering power and make him his footstool This is the work of the Lord that wil stop the the mouths of all hearsay and imaginary Preachers All mouths shall be silent and not dare to speak till the power of the Lord within give words to the mouth to utter And when men that are ful of wast words are made to see they speak they know not what when they shal see they speak other mens words like Parots not their own and sometimes they speak words from their imagination which may be false as wel as true for ought they know for they have had neither voice vision nor revelation to warrant their words when they see this Then they shal be ashamed and confounded in themselves For now lip service is to be judged to death and every one shal be fetched in to worship the Father in Spirit and in truth or else they shal perish for mens words shal grow fewer and fewer their actions of Righteousness one to another more and more and there shal no love be esteemed of but what is manifest in righteous actions And this shal be the ruler that every one shal observe to walk righteously in the Creation towards all Creatures according to the Law of equity and Reason and this Law shal be writ in every ones heart and he that hath this law in his heart is marked for a son or daughter they that have it not are marked for enemies and rebels to the Father And such a one is a Cain The Kingdoms of the whole world must become the Kingdoms of the Lord Christ and this the Nations are angry at Therefore count it no strang thing to see wars and rumours of wars to see men that are put in trust to act for publike good to prove fals to see commotions of people every where like flouds of water stirred up raedy to devour and overflow one another To see Kings storm against the people To see rich men and gentry most violent against the poor oppressing the and treading them like mire in the street Why is all this anger But because the man of the flesh is to die his day of judgment is come he must give up the Kingdom and Government of the earth man-kind into the hand of his neighbour that is more righteous then he For Jacob now must have the blessing he is blessed yea and shal be blessed and Esau shal become his servant The poor shal inherit the earth CHAP. X. ANd here now is made plain That the first shall be last and the last first The powers of the flesh or Adam in me he appeared first and trampled the man-child the power of righteousnesse and peace under foot I but when the man-child begins to rise up to rule the other fals and becomes the tail the last nay must be destroyed Two Kings that claimes interest in one Kingdom can never live quietly together Light and darknesse will be fighting till the one be conquered And surely the man of Righteousnesse or that last man that appears shal be the first that shal be honoured and become the preserving and restoring power the great Law-giver that shall rule in the new heaven and in the new earth in righteousnesse Of further The first that is the worshipping of God in types ceremonies formes and customs in set times and places which are the invention of the first man which doth slight and loath the way of inward Righteousnesse for they that live in established forms are filled with dislike and willingly would â—either buy nor sell with those whom the Lord hath drawn up to live in him they cannot indure the way of the Spirit let them say and professe what they wil for he that is strict in a formal customarily way of worship knows not what it is to worship in spirit and truth or to walk righteously in the Creation but is bitter spirited and merely selfish And this power appears first in a man and makes people very zealous professours of God and Christ in preaching praying and hearing But without knowledge what God and Christ is and they know not what they do nor the end wherefore they do so And their teachers in the same forms are blind guides and poor hearts both shall fall into the ditch and be mired in their own inventions most pittifully And when you come to see your selves stick in confusion and disorder and knowing that your teachers have deceived you Then you will remember these words That the first must be last Moses though he was a good man yet he was not to enter into the laâ—d of Canaan which types out this to me That the first man of the flesh shall never enter into the Fathers rest Then likewise you shall see that your zeal was but zeal without knowledge and that heat in you did but carry you along to advance self not to advance the Lord And that covetousness was the Lord chief Ruler in you which being crossed grew impatient and that impatiency you called it The zeal of the Lord when experience teacheth you silence you will not be offended at these words but ashamed of your self And here likewise you may see what it is to make a Sermon for a Sermon is a speech made from the man-seer which is Chaist within for this anointing sees the Father in every thing And therefore Christ in that one body The Lamb was called a great Prophet or Seer Now that man or woman that sees the Spirit within themselves how he enlightens how he kils the motions of the flesh and makes the flesh subject to Righteousnesse and so can see light in his light this man or woman is able to make a Sermon because they can speak by experience of the light and power of Christ within them who is indeed the man Seer But now he that speaks from imagination or from tradition and not from experience of what he sees cannot make a Sermon as the publike Preachers generally do and so he is a deceiver or false Christ and false Prophet that runs before he be sent put forward by secret pride and covetousnes to get a temporal living Therfore let none speak so discontentedly against Adam the first man by Creation that they say lived on earth about 6000 years ago as though he brought in the misery upon all for the Scriptures seem to declare that there were men in the world before that time For when Cain had killed his brother Abel which in one verse Moses seems to say was the third man in the world yet in a few verses following writing of Cains punishment declares Cains own
another are all kept and swept away like locusts by this strong East winde the Lord himself at his coming And every creature in his kinde sings in Righteousnesse and man lives and rules in the strength of that Law by reason whereof all teares and are wiped away And when this glory is finished as it must be for it is begun to be made manifest for the poor they doe receive the Gospel and it is yet hid from the learned ones the teachers and the rulers of the world Then those writings are made good That all enemies are subdued under the â—eet of the anointing who is this spreading power of Righteousnesse and there is no opposite power remaining For the power that shall now appear is no other but the Lord himself dwelling every where And the whole Creation is his gaâ—den wherein he walks and delights himself And now the Kingdome is delivered up inâ—o the Fathers hand the one Spirit that fils all and is in all And the distinction of dominion in one single person over all shall cease and no distinction shall be owned but King of Righteousnesse dwelling in every one and in the whole body of the Creation all being sweetly and quietly subject to him and he sweetly and quietly ruling in them And this shall be that City Sion of which glorious things are spoken And now in this new heaven and new earth he himself who is the King of Righteousnesse doth dwel and rule and this is the excellency of the work when a man shall be made to see Christ in other creatures as well as in himself every one rejoycing each in other and all rejoycing in their King O ye hear say Preachers deceive not the poeple any longer by telling them that this glory shal not be known and seen til the body is laid in the dust I tel you this great mystery is begun to appear and it must be seen by the material eyes of the flesh And those five senses that is in man shall partake of this glory This is Christ rising up and drawing al things into himself This is the Spirits entrance into the Father which is heavenly glory which rises and shal rise higher and higer in Israel He that hath part in the first Resurrection the second death of the bodies laying down in the dust shal have no power to break their peace or hinder their glory but shall further the increase of it But now that power of unrighteousnesse that rules and fights in man kinde against this shall be destroyed subdued and shall never be reconciled to nor partake of this glory My â—eaning is this The power of pride and the power of humility shal never dwel quietly in one heart together The power of love tendernesse and righteousnesse and the power of envy hardnesse of heart and covetous unrighteousnesse shall never dwel quietly in one heart together Uncleannesse and chasticy shal not dwel in peace together The son of the bond-woman rebellious flesh shal not be heir with the son of the free-woman flesh made subject to the Law of Righteousnesse within himself There is no quiet peace in a man til the Kingdome of darknesse be conquered and the Serpent be cast out and so the heart made a fit temple or house for the Spirit to dwel bodily in A man is not counted a man from the bulk of his body of flesh but the power that dwels in that body of flesh is the man either the righteous man or the wicked And if the wicked power rule in the body of the flesh this is he that must be burned up subdued destroyed and never enter into rest This is Christs enemy But if the righteous power doe rule or being weak and so is kept under by the other dark power doth hunger and thirst after righteotsnesse that he might be King This power is to be redeemed from bondage and set at libety and sit down in rest and peace This is Christ rising out of the dust and hee shall wholly be raised up to live and dwel in the Father and the Father in him and all opposite powers of bondage that now afflicts shal be trod under his feet Therefore now yon zealous Preachers and Professors in al forms if you have eyes look within your selves and see what power rules within the bodies of your flesh If you finde that the inward power is envy rash anger covetousnesse self-honouring secret pride uncleannesse of flesh close dissimulation and the like know you that that power is your self your very self a devil the serpent the subtil and yet strong power of darknesse that would fain be counted an Angle of Light And though you be called by the name of such a man or such a woman yet you are but the father of lies and of the power of bondage that must be destroyed and perish And that humane flesh that you dwell in being part of the Creation shall be cleansed off you by the spirit of burning till it be freed from you that are the curse the bondage of it under whom it groans And when you are cast out who is the serpent it shall be a temple for the Father himself to dwell in a garden wherein he himself will take delight For it is thou O thou wicked power that is the curse I say The thorns and briars that troubles the Creation and thou must be rooted out and sorrow and everlasting weeping shall be thy poâ—tion for thou shalt never find the prince of peace Well I know you that would be Angels of light and are not will count this which I speak madnesse but you shall find these words true For all powers that are opposite to the power of Righteousnesse must and shall be dâ—stroyed and the Lord alone shall be exalted in this day of his power and this power of Righteousnesse shall be exalted in flesh as well as over flesh Who was it that put the Son of man to death Was it the humane flesh or the power of darkness that ruled in flesh Surely that power of darknesse in the flesh did it and that cursed power was the Scribes and Pharisees And so now that power of enmity that rules in those bodies of yours making your bodies of the flesh slaves to its lusts and will is still the Scribes and Pharisees or devil that fights against Christ and would not suffer him to rise up in flesh but cals his power blasphemy because he crosses you for if he rise flesh you must fall in flesh If he be King as he must be you must be his foot stool Well mind what power rules in you whether it be a particular confining selfish power which is the Devil the Scribes and Pharisees Or whether it be a universall spreading power that delights in the liberty of the whole Creation which is Christ in you The particular selfish power when it is either crossed or shamed it grows mad and bitter spirited and endeavours
to life And hence it is that many a poor despised man and woman that are counted blasphemers by the understanding Pharisees of our age as the learned Pharisees of old called Christ and people are afraid to buy and sell them but casts out their names for evil yet these have more sweet peace more true experience of the Father and walks more righteously in the Creation in spirit and truth then those that cal themselves teachers and zealous Professours And why Because these single hearted ones are made to look into themselves wherein they can read the work of the whole Creation and see that History seated within themselves they can see the mystery of Righteousnesse and are acquainted every one according to his measure with that spirit of truth that is to be the blessing of the whole earth and that enlightens al that come into the world these are the dust and stones so the earth that are trod under foot But out of this Sion whom no man regards shal the Deliverer come But now those that are called Preachers and great professours that runs a hearing seeks for knowledge abroad in Sermons in books and Uuniversities and buyes it for money as Simon Magus would have done and than delivers it out again for money for a 100 l. or 200 l. a year And those men that speak from an inward testimony of what they have seen and heard from the Lord are celled by these buyers and sellers Locusts â—actions blasphemers and what not as the language of Pulpits runs but the Lord wil whip such traders out of his Temple And truly the whole world wanders after the Beast and though the people many of them doe see that their Prheachers are blinde guides bitter spirited proud and covetous yet they are ashamed and afraid to disown them O great bondage under the devils And hence it is that they think they are wise and learned and the only men sent of God to preach the Gospel til the power of Righteousnesse come and declare before all the world that they are enemies to the Gospel and knows him not for the anointing is the glad tidings which are manifest within the heart not a distance from men And so Christ takes these wise and learned in their own crafty covetousnes and pride and declares them to be very silly men the most ignorant of all blinde guides painted sepulchers Prophets that run before they be sent and the great fooles of the world and troublers of Israel and the Scribes and Pharisees that stand up to hinder Christ from rising or to cast reproachfull dirt upon him where he rises as much as they can to keep him down and hold him under as a servant still and this they will doe till they be swept away amongst the refuge of lies as part of that treasure for that must be your portion Nay let me tel you That the poorest man that sees his maker and lives in the light though he could never read a letter in the book dares throw the glove to al the humane learning in the world and declare the deceit of it how it doth bewitch delude man-kinde in spiritual things yet it is that great Dragon that hath deceived all the world for it draws men from knowing the Spirit to own bare letters words and histories for spirit The light and life of Christ within the heart discovers all darknesse and delivers mankind from bondage And besides him there is no Saviour CHAP. XI WEll in the next place I must declare to you that all that which you call the history and have doted upon it and made it your idol is all to be seen and felt witin you before you cast oft true peace Adam and Christ you have heard are both to be seen within the heart Cain and Abel is to be seen within Abraham a power that prefers the honour of Righteousnesse before a beloved Isaac is to be seen within Meek spirited Moses that rules your bodies by an outward Law of Righteousnesse is to be seen within you killing of Sacrifices and offering them up is to be seen within you Israel or one that is a wrestler is to be seen within you And this is Christ the elect one that fights against your lusts The Canaanites Amalekites Philistines and all those armies of the Nations even troops of untighteous powers one following another are to be seen within you making war with Israel Christ within you The Land of Canaan the habitation of rest is to be seen within you travelling and drudging in the wildernesse and then comming to rest upon the seventh day is to be seen within you Judas a treacherous self-loving and covetous spirit The Commanders of the Jews the chief powers that are within the flesh first condemning then killing then buying Christ is to be seen within you Christ lieing in the grave like a corn of wheat buried under the clods of the earth for a time and Christ rising up from the powers of your flesh above that corruption and above those clouds treading the curse under his feet is to be seen within The stone that lies at the mouth of the sepulcher your unbelief the removing of that stone setting you at libertie is to be seen withing you Heaven and hell light and darknesse sorrow and comforts is all to be seen within the power of darknesse and the power of light and life is to be seen within you Good Angels which are divine discoveries or sparks of that glory And bad Angels which are the powers of the flesh let loose out of the bottomlesse pitâ—selfishnesse and so working its own miserie are to be seen within For man-kind is that Creation in which the great Creatour of all things wil declare and manifest himself Therefore it was said That God was in Christ That one anointed humane body reconciling or drawing all things into himself and so making peace For while al things are out of that one power of Righteousnesse jarring and flashing against him there is no peace in the Creation but sorrow tears and vexation but when all things are made to lie down quiet in him and acknowledge him in all and are subject to him the alone King of Righteousnesse now there is rest and peace every where Therefore if you look for heaven or for manifestation the Fathers love in you in any place but within your selves you are deceived for what glory soever you shal be capable of to see with your eyes or hear with your ears it is but the breakings forth of that glorious power that is seated within for the glory of the Father is not without him but it is all within himself or rises up from within is manifested abroad The Kings daughter is all glorious within All that glory which declares heaven is seen within that spirit that rules within the Creation man-kind And further if you look for any other hell or sorrows in any other place then what shall be made manifest within
the bottomlesse pit your very fleshly self you are deceived and you shall find that when this bottomlesse pit is opened to your view it will be a torment sufficient for from hence doth the curse spread and all that misery you are or may be capable of it is but the breakings forth of that stinking dunghill that is seated within you is that power of darkness that rules within the Creation your body If the power of Righteousnesse peace take possession and rule in you then you shall live in rest and be free from hell and sorrow death and bondage If the Lamb be the light of your heart all tears shall be wiped away and you shall be in peace But if the selfish power rule your heart then as you live now upon uncertainties in confusion and vexation so this manifestation of hell darknesse and sorrows shall multiply within you and when your body goes to the Earth you multiply the curse upon the Creation and so you enter into the body of the Serpent that must be burned and consumed by the power of the Lord Hell and the curse doth rule within câ—eated flesh in every family of the earth and will rule till the feed of Abraham the blessing of the Lord come and burn up that serpent and deliver the Creation from that burden And let me tell you That this seed This blessing of the Lord is rising up in every family that lives after the flesh Whether Parents brethren or sisters they do hate grudge and persecute those in whom the blessing begins to rise up and tramples upon them like dust but out of that dust of the earth man-kind shall the deliverer come that shall turn ungodlinesse from Jacob A few years now will discover more and then that prophecy shall be materially fulfilled Then ten men shall take hold of him that is a Jew saying we will go with you for we have heard that God is with you Zech. 8. 23. The heart of man is the place wherein heaven and hell for nature and kind are both to be seen that is when the Law of Righteousnesse rules there is Christ or the Kingdom of heaven within even the manifestations of the Father appears in glory to the sweet rest and peace of that soul But when the power of unrighteousnesse rules in the heart which is the Serpent Dragon or God of this world this is hell or kingdom of darknesse for first the man sees and feels himself in bondage to his lusts and to the powers of his flesh This is death and the curse that he lies under And then secondly The man sees himself under bondage of sorrows and torment and the increase of this sensiblenesse is will be an intolerable misery As it is said That the King of Righteousnes takes delight in nothing but what is within himself and what proceeds out of himself So the Heaven of an enlivened heart is not a local place of glory at a distance from him but the seeing and feeling the Father within dwelling and ruling there and to behold the glory of that power proceeding forth of himself to which he is made subject through which he walks righteously in the Creation and in which he rests in peace Even so the souls that are lost and ashamed in their work are not tormented by any terrour without them in any local place but their hell or place of torment is within themselves seeing and feeling themselves chained up in bondage to fears terrours â—â—rrows afrightments intolerable vexations and powers of lust and under all that cursed darknesse â—â—till the judgement of the great day And what misery or torment doth or shall appear â—â—â—m outward objects it is but the breakings forth of their own cursednesse that creates misery to himself and so goes forth to fetch in torment from without For he that hath a troubled conscience turns every thing into gall and worm-wood to terrifie himself thinking every bush to be a devil to torment him he saies he sees fearfull shapes without but they arise from the anguish of his tormenting conscience within for they be the shapes and apparitions of his own caused flesh that is presented to him which comes not from any other but out of the bottomlesse pit the Serpents powr but rules and dwels within him and the sight of this is like the misery of tender flesh burning in the fire Let a man lie upon his sick bed and to the view or others the chamber is quiet yet he saith he seeth devils and flames and misery and torments Well this is but the rising up of his own unrighteous heart the flames of the bottomlesse it that appear to himself For certainly unrighteous flesh is hell the appearance or risings up of unâ—ighteous flesh to its own view is the torments of hell Pride lust envy covetousnesse hypocrisie self-love and the like being crossed by the spirit of Light are the particular devils that torment the soul in hell or in that dark condition Or if so be a man be tormented by visible bodies of fâ—ry and ugly shapes as he apprehends they be all the creatures of his own making and rods which the flesh hath made to whip and punish himself withall for a man suffers by no other but by the work of his own hands And as he hath acted envy venome and poison in strange wayes of oppression walking unrighteously in the Creation Even so when his soul comes to be judged he shall apprehend snakes scorpions toads devils in bodily shapes and flames of fire and direfull noises and pits of darknesse which are creatures of his own making or the shapes and fashion of those unrighteous turnings and windings and actings of his unrighâ—eous soul that now appear in their own colours to his own torment and this is â—ell For if the flesh be righteous within there is nothing without can trouble it When the bodies of men are laid in the grave we have a word That he is either in heaven or hell Now the senses of the body are not sensible of either such But now the power that ruled in that body righteously or unrighteously is fully manifested to it felt if the power of Righteousnesse did rule Now it enters into the Spirit the great Ocean of glory the Father himself If the power of unrighteousnesse did rule now it enters into the curse encreases the body of death corruption and enmity and becomes the bondage and Burden of the Creation that â—â—â—st be purged out by fire If there be a local place of hell as the Preachers say there is besides this I speak of time will make it manifest but as yet none ever came from the dead to tell men on earth and till then men ought to speak no more then they know wheâ— I speak I speak from what I have in some measure seen within me and as I have received from the Lord in clear light within my self But is not hell the execution of
declare the Lord in a pure language shall bear his shame who soever he be None shall need to turn over books and writings for indeed all these shal cease too to get knowledge but every one shal be taken off from seeking knowledge from without and with an humble quiet heart wait upon the Lord til he manifest himself for he is a great king and worthy to be waited upon His testimony within fils the soul with joy and singing he gives first experience and then power to speak forth those experiences And hence you shal speak to the rejoycing one of another and to the praise of him that declares his power in you he that speaks his thoughts studies and imagination and stands up to be a Teacher of others shal be judged for his unrighteousnesse because he seeks to honour flesh and does not honour the Lord Behold the Anointing that is to teach all things is comming to create new Heavens and new Earth wherein Righteousness dwels and there shal not be a vessel of humane earth but it shal be filled with Christ If you were possible to have so many buckets as would contain the whole Ocean every one is filled with the Ocean and perfect water is in all and being put all together make up the perfect Ocean which filled them all Even so Christ who is the spreading power is now beginning to fil every man and woman with himself he wil dwel and rule in every one and the law of reason equitie shal be Christ in them every single body is a star shining forth of him or rather a body in and out of whom he shines and he is the Ocean of power that fils all And so the words are true the Creation mankinde shal be the fulnesse of him that fils all in all This is the Church the great Congregation that when the mysterie is compleated shal be the mystical body of Christ all set at libertie from inward and outward straits and bondage And this is called the holy breathing that hath made all new by himself and for himself Before this truth be believed in by mankinde you shal see much troubles in the great world the first Adam wil strive mightily before he loose his Kingdom he can pretty quietly hear that Christ will role in sons and daughters that are scattered abroad But to hear that the Kingdoms of the world shal be Christ's Dominions likewise and that the material earth shall be his possession as well as the earth mankind O this cuâ—s Adam to the heart all the world will storm and be angry when this is made known Wars and rumours of wars will multiply Father will be against Son and Son against Father the love of many shall wax cold and zealous professours that live without the spirit shall become the most bitter enemies to Christ and prove very treacherous self-seeking self-loving ful of subtil policy to waste and wear out every one that seeks to advance Christ by their bitternesse and oppression But all in vain for Christ must rise and the powers of the flesh must fall CHAP. XIII FRom what hath been hitherto spoken if there were no experience to prove it it appears that the first Adam or fleshly man seeks life peace and glory to himself from creatures and things that are without him As first he seeks content and peace from wife children friends riches places of dominion over others and from such like But that peace that is built upon such hay and stubble-foundations will fall and come to nothing Secondly the fleshly man seeks content and peace from Sermons Prayers Studies Books Church-fellowship and from outward Forms and Customs in Divine Worship But that peace that is built upon this foundation of gold silver and pretious stones will fall and come to nothing likewise All creatures teats are to be dried up that the soul can suck no refreshing milk from them before the Lord teach it knowledge Some there are nay almost every one wonders after the Beast or fleshly man they seek for new Jerusalem the City of Sion or Heaven to be above the skies in a locall place wherein there is all glory and the beholding of all excellent beauty like the seeing of a show or a mask before a man And this not to be seen neither by the eies of the body till the body be dead A strange conceit But poor Creatures you are deceived this expectation of glory without you will vanish you shall never see it this outward heaven is not the durable Heaven this is a fancy which your false Teachers put into your heads to please you with while they pick your purses and betray your Christ into the hands of flesh and hold Jacob under to be a servant still to Lord Esau Wel what a man sees or hears to day may be gone to morrow all outward glory that is at a distance from the five senses and taken in by a representation is of a transient nature and so is the Heaven that your Preachers tell you of But when the second Adam rises up in the heart he makes a man to see Heaven within himself and to judge all things that are below him He makes many bodies to be the declarers of him who is the one power of righteousnesse that rules therein And this is Heaven that will not fail us endurable riches treasures that shall not wax old and where moth and rust cannot corrupt nor thieves break through and steal This Christ is within you your everlasting rest and glory And as the man of the flesh fetches in comforts from without seeking content in and from Creatures and Creature-objects so he envies every one that crosses his desires crosse him in his pride covetousnesse and uncleannesse and he grows extream angry at every body tell him that his formall and customary preaching and praying is but self-seeking not setting up the Lord and he is filled with rage against those that tel him so But he never looks within to check himself he takes no remedy there at all and lets those Devils lie quiet within and if any be sent I say from the Lord to disturb those his lusts he will disturb that messenger if he can but he will cherish himself within He thinks that whatsoever he doth is good and that whatsoever crosses that power that is in his heart doth crosse the Lord But truly it is no other but the Serpents power which must be destroyed he fetches in content from the Creatures that are without him and his envy and discontent runs after things and Creatures that are without which crosses his fleshly desires But now the man of righteousnesse Christ when he rises up in the heart he loves all that are without him and he envies none but the Serpent within which troubles the Creation and so is quite different to the other For as soon as Christ is rose up in a man the first thing he doth he takes
revenge of the pride lust envy covetousnesse which ruled within the flesh and casts that Serpent and Dragon out of Heaven That is out of that part of the Creation and makes a man to cry out upon himself and to hate and abhor his cursed lusts which lead him captive He makes a man to look abroad with the eie of pitty and compassion to fellow-Creatures but to look with the eie of hatred and loathing upon the Serpent his unclean lusts desiring nothing so much as the death of the body of sin within So that the law of righteousnesse may reigne in peace in his soul O thou cursed envy cursed rash anger cursed uncleannesse O cursed Devil cursed Father of lies that will not suffer Christ to rise up and reign O thou enemy of all rightousnesse thou wicked one thou curse thou power of darknesse thou fleshly power thou shalt be destroyed and subdued under Christ's feet whom thou fightest against The greatest combate is within a man when the King sits upon the Throne judging unrighteous flesh and bruising that Serpents head And though this be trouble and torment for a time to the Creature yet Christ at last will sit down in him who is Prince of peace and King of righteousnesse The created flesh of man is the Beast the King of Beasts the same principles as are in other Creatures are in humane flesh The difference between man and other beasts is this The flesh of man is made an understanding Soul capable to know Reason and to walk in his light Other beasts cannot Now the wise flesh is meerly selfish he seeks himself in every thing he doth and would be a Lord and Ruler not only over the Beasts of the field but over creatures of his own kind whom his Maker made equall to himself and so strives to fetch in all other Creatures to advance his content though it be to the losse and misery of other men This is the Beast Lord Esau the wise and covetous self-seeking flesh that hath sold his birth-right and blessing to Jacob for the pleasure of unrighteousnesse a small time And now he must be turned out and deliver all up to Jacob and he is extreamly vext and will not yield quier possession but stand out stifly till he be cast out by the universall power of Reasons law Now the rule and dominion of Jacob doth not bring losse and misery to any his law is so established in love that the whole Creation finds peace under it sorrow and tears beggary and oppression shall be done away and the blessing of the Lord Jacob shall fill the earth So then we see that the great battell of God Almighty is between thi selfish power the Beast and fleshy man and the universall power Christ the man of righteousnesse for the flesh would be wiser then its Maker for though his Maker would have the whole Creation and every creature to enjoy the benefit of their Creation and no live free from straits comfortably Yet the wise and converous flesh seeks to live free in honour and quiet in himself makes laws to imprison kill and waste every one that will not conforme to his selfish Government Now the Father wil destroy the Beast in the open field by fair play and hath given him all advantages as may be for he hath given the Beast thedominion and himself is a Servant under his dominion and will undermine the wise and covetous Beast by righteous sufferings and action as a Servant And the Father encounters with the Beast or Dragon in a three-fold posture of war As First by the Sacrifices under the Law the Spirit thereby declared the destruction of the Beast and the Spirit lay hid under those types and shadows fighting against the Beast and the wise flesh in those daies sought against his Maker This is a distance of Cannon shot Secondly In the prison of Jesus Christ the Lamb the Father fought against the Beast and killed him for the Dragon was cast out of that Heaven or Creation in whom the Father dwelt bodily for that flesh was wholly made subject to the Spitit this was at a closer distance closing in the Front But the wise flesh hath many strong holds even the multitudes of men and women which he fortifies against the Spirit And therefore in the third posture which is now begun the Father encounters and wil encounter with the Beast every where that is with the wise but covetous unrighteous flesh in every son and daughter and so bruise that Serpents head in the whole body of his Army And before he hath done he wil fire all the strong-holds of this murder so that he shall not have a place to keep garrison in for the Father will subdue the whole bulk of man-kind and make all that living earth subject to him self and all with holy breathing This is the spreading of the Anointing This is the glory of the Elect One glorious things are spoken of thee O though City of God This holy breathing is the Kingdom of Heaven within you when he rules within you and the Kingdom of Heaven without you likewise when you see the same glory rule in others in which you rejoyce And this is the last encounter the Father wil have with the Dragon This is the great day of Judgment judging and condemning and putting the Serpent to death every where This is the day of Christ power in which he wil subdue all his enemies under his feet deliver up the Kingdom to his Father Therefore marvel not to see the people turn from one way of worship to another for the Father is driving this people through al the waies and forms and customs and reformation and governments of the Beast to weary them out in all that so they may find rest for the soles of their feet no where in no outward form of worship til they come to lye down in him forsaking all forms to worship the Father in spirit and trurh that is to walk righteously in the Creation And this restlesnesse of people running from one form and custome to another meeting with confusion and curse every where is no other but the dividing of time the half day or image of the Beast which is the last period of his time Then faith the Angel It is done time to the Beast shal be no more And while it is thus poor Creatures they are in bondage within for they know not what to do the way to Sion is not yet cleare and they are filled with sighings and secret mournings to see themselves in confussion and losses to stick in the mire but cannot come out This is inward slaverie under which they lie Then poor Creatures they are under an outward bondage under the hand of Tyrant flesh that rules the Kingdom and that divises the several fleshy forms and waies of government to which if any refuse to conform then they must be imprisoned reproached or tortured by punishments in what kind
or power one every where The sight of the King of Glory within lies not in the strength of memory calling to mind what a man hath read and heard being able by a humane capacity to joyn things together into a method through the power of free utterance to hold it forth before others as the fashion of Students are in their Sermon work which a plough man that was never bread in their Universities may do as much nay they do more in kind as experience shews us then they that take Tyshes to tell a story But the sight of the King within lies in the beholding of light arising up from an inward power of seeling experience filling the soul with the glory of the Law of Righteousnesse which doth not vanish like the taking in of words and comfort from the mouth of a hear say Preacher or strength of memory But it continues like the Sunne in the firmament shining forth from that established power of the divine within and the enlivened heart shall as soon be seperated from glorying in the Law of Righteousnesse that dwels in him then the heat and light of the Sunne can be seperated from the Sunne And truly let me tell you That as a man finds abundance of sweet peace in his heart when he is made to live in the Kingdome of heaven So the words hat this man speaks from this power within are very profitable to others are good seed wheresoever they are sown they will spring up and bring forth fruit for words spoken from the light of experience have a two-fold operation upon the heart of the hearers For first if I lie under straits and bondage in my spirit by reason of some inward and outward troubles but especially by reason of the enthraldome to my own lusts that over powers me so that I cannot do what I would Then the words of experience from the mouth of one that hath been in that condition and is passed thorow it sounds liberty and life to my weary soul I speak what I have felt in this particular Secondly If I delight in any way of the flesh as to seek peace in creatures abroad without me or to seek satisfaction to my envy self-will and lust and in the midst of this my folly I do occasionally hear the words of experience from some other declaring such actions and motions to be the powers of the flesh and devil and not of the spirit of righteousnesse Presently those words take peace from the earth that is from proud flesh and fill the whole soul with anger distemper grudging and torment And this is another operation that pure language produces which is a launcing of the dead flesh that the disease may be cured For this wounding is nor to the mine of the creature but it is a medicine sent from the Lord to heal him to take away the evil peace from the flesh that so the created part may lie down in rest and be at peace in Christ which cannot be moved For every comfort that is of the flesh shall be shaken and removed but Christ the one power of Righteousnesse and peace shall not be shaken nor moved but stand firm for ever And by this you may see the difference between the kingdom of the flesh and devil which must be shaken to pieces and fall And the kingdom of heaven or of God that endures for ever and is that Rock due cannot be moved CHAP. XV WHat do you mean by the kingdom devil or flesh I answer Covetousnesse the selfish power ruling in a man is the kingdome of darknesse in that man And as this power hath corrupted the Creation mankind so it rules or hath ruled in every single one more or lesse but is the curse And every one that hath lain under the bondage of this selfish power and is in any measure delivered he can from that experience declare what the power of darknesse is in whole mankind as I have shewed how secretly and closely this selfish power branches himself forth in every one till by the right of Reasons Law shining within he is discovered and cast out But what is it for a man to live in the kingdom of hell devil or darknesse I answer when a man takes delight in nothing but in satisfying of the lusts of his own heart when the way of the flesh is pleasing and the way of the spirit of Righteousnesse is a burden to him when he glories in himself and feeds with delight upon his covetousnesse pride envy lust self-will and in every thing that pleaseth flesh And if he can but overcome that power that checks or crosses his will O then this man is in his Kingdome he rejoyecs and is very well pleased but it is the kingdome of the flesh that must be shaken and removed This is no other but the glorying in that which is a mans shame What is the kingdom of Heaven or of Christ Answ. The Law of Righteousnesse and peace ruling and dwelling in mankind is the kingdom of heaven this is the universall power bearing rule treading the flesh-power under his feet What is it for a man to live in the kingdom of heaven Ans. When mankind or any single person is so made subject to the King of righteousnesse that all his delight is to walk according to that law towards every creature in the Creation through love to the Fathers honour that made al He glories in that law of righteousness which he finds seated in his heart finds content no where else and when the Spirit is honoured this man is in his kingdom he hath what he would have While the kingdom of darknesse rules in a man if he knows it not his sin is the lesse but when he comes to know the lusts of his flesh and delight therein in opposition to the righteous Law which he sees some light in also this makes the man exceeding sinfull for now he sins against the law of light shining in him and causing him to see himself Even so when the divine power rules in a man and he knows it nor as it may be in some measure this mans joy is but small for a man may act from the power of love and righteousnesse and yet not see nor know the excellency of that power which guides ◠him But when a man is made to see and know the law of love and righteousnesse within him and delights to act from that power of life and liberty which he seeth and feeleth seated in him Now this man is carried on with much joy and sweet calmness meeknesse and moderation and is full of glory This is the excellency of the work of Christ not onely to make flesh subject to rigeteousnesse but to know himself made subject to rejoyce in the sweet enjoyment of that prince of peace to make a man rejoyce to know the groun 〈◊〉 of his joy is unmovebale What do you mean by divine and divine power I anwer The divine