it was so Awake thou that sleepest and I will give thee life And how is this He is the resurrection and the life thus he that receives power to beleeve in him though he were dead yet shall he live SECT XII §. 12 This teaching will make us perfect THe best have need of his telling none knows so much but he can tell them more and when they think they know something are puffed up they know nothing yet as they ought to know for I may say in very many things we are yet ignorant but we shall not always know in part we shall know as we are known and when that which is perfect is come that which is imperfect is done away and indeed it is God alone can tell us best When none is nigh us he hath a sweet still secret way a voyce behind us telling This is the way this is right and truth That is not Hear him what the Spirit saith SECT XIII Nothing can quench kill or separate §. 13 this love O Thou whom my soul loveth This is a heavenly voyce breathed out by the Spirit a divine flame of love by which it appears how the Spouse was sick of love and nothing but death without his presence And also that all Gods teachings and workings towards his people are all in lone His very Rod and Staff is in love He loveth every Childe whom he correcteth And so the Soul that loves the Lord truly though the Lord kill him yet will he put his trust in the name of the Lord. Such a thing is love that though it wander a while in the wilderness and lose it self yet it will finde out the way nothing can quench it no waters nothing can kill it no death nothing can separate it no torment no defence nothing can diminish it or any way choke it but the thing it lives upon and where it loves there it lives What other argument could the Spouse bring to move God As his love constrains us so will our love to him constrain him draw him and he will run after us fall about our necks and kiss us I remember in the history of Lazarus that Mary and Martha sent to Christ this message Lord he whom thou lovest is sick They thought that was enough he knew well whom they meant and they knew well how much that would prevail upon him to which Christ returns This sickness is not unto death but for the glory of God and so it was His love to Christ made him sick and Christs love to him made him well Therefore saith Mary Lord hadst thou been here my brother had not dyed Christs absence was his death and his presence brings him life SECT XIV §. 14 Christ loves where it is is in the heart and spirit with all our souls strength and might THe love we have to Christ must be with all the soul or else it is not love he will have the whole child or none of the child he is the right mother that bare us he cannot endure to have us divided between God and Mammon he will say to uâ— as he said to Peter Lovest thou me more then these that is more then gold silver lands livings wife children lusts sins gifts or graces men or mâ—ans then it s well if we can return the answer better I mean upon better grounds then he did not from a Confidence in the Flesh but in the Spirit saying Lord thou knowest that I love thee better then all things David could many times say so O how do I love thee Lord above my rest or appointed food O how do I thirst after thee and when shall I appear before the living God And again One thing have I desired of God and that is that I might always live in the house of the Lord. Such a love as is between man and wife they have but one life one love one soul so here is one spirit when it is so rooted in love and stablished in God that nothing can move or shake it it can do all things and endure all things deny it self take up its cross and follow him through fire and water life and death and rejoyce in him in the midst of all fearing nothing as long as he loves them and his love is with them SECT XV. §. 15 The five things that are excellent in this love of the Spouse called the soul love NOw there are five things that shews forth the excellency of this love of the Spouse to Christ that it will deserve the name of a soul love and a sound love The 1. is Where this love is it is a love above all loves whatsoever no other love comparable to it it endures to the end it will bear all things believe all things hope all things and endure all things though other loves fail but this doth not it is of a more excellent Nature from an excellent Principle from a divine Spirit there is no love in the world like it it being transcendent and supernatural Secondly It is a love before all other loves this the best the love that commands all the rest For where the soul is all else is there is mind will and affections it sits at uppermost room hath the highest place in our hearts all the rest bow down to this sheafe to this love here they all cover their faces and pull down their top sails Thirdly This soul love is a love beyond all loves whatsoever beyond the love of husband and wife parents or children beyond the love of other men women brethren or friends nay Angels themselves for all these loves may exceed their bounds and then prove hurtful but let them keep their bounds and then they fall very short of this infinite and exceeding weight of love For though the Lord hath set bounds to Seas and other Creatures nay to men women and children thus far you must love and no further but here are no bounds nor limits to this soul love Love him with all thy soul thy heart thy strength It is a love beyond all love whatsoever it is larger higher deeper longer broader then any love else that made the Apostle cry out and this will if rightly understood make us cry out O the heighth depth bredth length of the love of Saints to the Lord O thou whom my soul loveth Fourthly It is a love without all a naked free pure love not for ends gain or ought else not for any reward or wages as Satan would have accused Job to God to have done saying Doth Job serve God for nought No no Job knows what he doth and knows what he gets by it or else he would never be so serviceable as he is whereas indeed Job served God without all but simply and truly for the Lords sake alone and not his own sake at all this is called a love without all out of love and not of fear to him The fifth and last is To love the Lord in all which is indeed
the region and shadow of death light might spring up this is the healing of the water and the making the Ax to swim to take away the heart of stone and to give them a heart of flesh as also to grow in grace and multiply and increase in knowledg and love as the oyl did and the meal the more she gave the more she had so it s truly in the Saints a little grace goes far doth many cures answers all things as it was with the few barly loaves and the little fishes how many thousand were fed and the twelve baskets full of fragments that was left this was wounderful so it is in us here a little grace overcomes a world of sin like a spark of fire to a deal of gun-powder and as a little leaven that leaveneth the whole lump and as a graine of mustard seed that grows to a tree suddenly so is the Righteousnesse of God revealed SECT II. §. 2 The opening of the Temple and the repairing it JOsias and Hezekias good raigne how they opened the Temple restored many things found the Law hid and caused it to be read and sanctified the people and to make the table of the Lord holy this is the Lords doing to finde the Law that hath been lost to restore it in us and all things else that we may see how we are purged from dead works to serve the living God and thus he is the good Hezekiah that opens that Temple of the Lord preparing a way for him making the everlasting doors to fly open at his voyce and knock that the King of Glory may enter in who is the Lord of Hosts CHAP. XI The tenth Book that God writes in Man §. 1 is the two Books of CHRONICLES THe Book of Chronicles this also God writes in us he doth these two things according to this two-fold Book for there is two Books especially to be taken notice of wherein God writes his Will The first is called or may be the substance of the first Book of Chronicles and the other of the second Book of Chronicles answerable to these Books in Letter we find two Books in Spirit The first is called Gods Book of Life and that is when the Lord God writes his Name in our hearts his new Man and his new Nature and Life there then we are his Book of Life The second is called our Book of Life that is the Book wherein God writes our Names according as it is written Rejoyce not so much in any writing as in this that your names are written in Heaven Now this Heaven and in the Book of Life is all one that is when we are beloved of God or when the Lord seals us a seal upon his Heart or as a signet upon his Arm to be written in the everlasting Love of the Lord which is his Heart and Bowels and there to live by the Life of Love this is the writing in the Book of Life indeed and though we have our names written upon our towers walls houses histories and generations of the whole world yet it fals at last but this only endures the memorial of the other shall rot when the memory of these shall be blessed these be the two books of Chronicles indeed and yet both agree in one and are indeed one for where the one is there will be the other If we be written in Gods Book or Heart then be sure God will have his name written in our hearts and spirits SECT II. §. 2 How we are made Gods Chronicles THus the whole book of Chronicles We are the sum of them all Chronicles of his Love Chronicles of his Mercy the Chronicles of his Grace the Chronicles of his Power Goodness and Greatness and the Chronicles of his Wisdom We are his generation of off spring all our lives as well as lines descended from him He was and is the Father of us all He knows every Soul and Family apart Tribe by Tribe He knows our names and our fathers house he Chronicles and sets down the time of our birth and baptism who was our father and mother and in what Country whether a free-born or a stranger all our travels even our whole pilgrimage written our lives deaths resurrections and mansions Are not we his Chronicles then indeed CHAP. XII The eleventh Book that God writes in Man §. 1 is the books of EZRA NEHEMIAH THe books of Ezra and Nehemiah opened in Man The returning out of captivity the leading captivity captive and receiving gifts from above according as it is written when the Lord turned back the captivity of Zion we were like men in a dream till we were throughly awakened and then we sang the songs of Zion when we were in our own Land just like Peter when the Angel smote him and made way for him open the iron gates and did deliver he was in a trance he thought he had seen a vision at first till afterwards So is this deliverance from the whore of Babylon that hath bewitched us all with sorceries more or less Oh what a joyful thing it is And then can they tell what God hath done for their souls and magnifie the Lord saying By the rivers of Babylon we have sate This Sodom hath been a Paradise to us But now if I prefer not Jerusalem above all having seen it and now come tolive in it before we had nothing but sadness a laughter that was but madness there we howled but here we have our harps and songs full of joy SECT II. §. 2 The Restauration of all things THe number that are delivered the journey God was with them on their way the laying the foundation of the Temple the building it the Spirit of the Lord strengthening them in it the enemies that oppose the building of the Wall Sanballats rage against it the sword the trowel finish it The strange wives put away the Law read the Reformation made All which is most true if applied in the truth of it to the workings of God amongst us whom the world and flesh hath made a wilderness a desolation a place for Dragons there God intends to lay his foundation which is Christ Jesus in us the hope of Glory other foundations can no man lay else then the building is the Temple of the Lord which is his Spirit in us and the Walls are the arms of the Almighty stretched out these everlasting arms of love that are about thee O Israel the one arm under thy head the other upon thy heart these be thy walls thou needst not now fear any Sanballat Tobiah any Ashdonians whatsoever that like Foxes would spoil thy vines or else climbe thy walls to pull down thy glory but they shal not All that hate thee shall be ashamed And whereas ye say it is not time to build my house saith the Lord and ye to live in your seiled houses and to let my house lie waste ye shall not prosper For if any man hideth his sin he
good though it be not so high excellent as the other for to love God without all as Job did when the Lord stript him as I may say stark naked left him hardly a rag nay almost took his life away besides yet in the midst of this it is said he sinned not but blessed God who giveth and taketh blessed be the Name of the Lord. And again Though thou kill me yet will I put my trust in thee This is a greater degree of love nay a stronger love to love the Lord without all as the Disciples said Lord we have left all and folowed thee There is more of God in this then to love God in all when we have what heart can desire the Lord filling ful our cup every one that hath the smoaking flax can be praising God when they are wel prosper enjoying richly every thing but few in death sickness wars misery want nakedness in the Cross can say Blessed be the Lord. SECT XVI §. 16 The strong grounds of the souls love to God when as Gods love is such to us and much more abundant also ANd is there not much ground for this love with all our souls to God if well and rightly consider First Is it not he first that loves us above all things Heaven Earth Creatures Angels putting all things in subjection to us to make us to have dominion over all The Apostle can tell us He took not upon him the nature of Angels but mans Secondly And is not the Lords love to us with all his soul when he again loves us before all before either Hills or Mountains were brought forth or any world was even from everlasting to everlasting hath he and doth he love us We were the first in mention though the last in execution Thirdly The Lords soul love is beyond all O the heighth depth bredth length of this Love John 3. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life And again Who loved us and washed us from our sins in his Love And again When we were sinners and enemies Christ dyed for the ungodly And again God first loved us and behold what manner of loveit was that we should be called the sons of God Fourthly The Lords Love it is without all without money or money worth Ho ho every one that thirsteth come to the waters and drink come buy wine and milk without money and without price And again When he saw us in our blood he said unto us live then was the time of love Fifthly And his love is within all for all things are beloved and preserved for our sakes and good he blesses all we take in hand goings in and comings out abroad and at home in soul and body being his trees planted by his living waters and always bringing forth his fruits and whatsoever we do he prospers it This is the Lords love to his people and how can they chuse but love him thus then and make him the Beloved of their souls for he alone is worthy for he is sweet gracious holy heavenly wise blessed the fairest amongst ten thousand he is all fair indeed there is no spot in him SECT XVII The Soul that loves Christ desires to live §. 17 with him WHere thou feedest The Soul that loves Christ desires to live no where and no longer then she may live with Christ for her life is hid with God in Christ Jesus She saith as Ruth said As the Lord liveth where thou goest there will I go thy Country shall be my Country thy Friends my Friends thy God my God and nothing but death shall part thee and me And is it not so here with the Spouse and her Beloved as Man and Wife they will live together and not asunder the Woman forsakes Father and Mother and all to be joyned to her Husband So here the Soul is restless till she be with him SECT XVIII §. 18 The Soul that loves Christ desires to live upon him feed on him AGain the Soul that loves Christ desires not only to live with him but to live upon him to feed as he feeds to sit at one table with him in his Kingdom to lie in one bed with him and to fare as he fares to feed upon his dainties his hony and hony-comb his corn wine and oyl to feed upon his love mercy and truth his grace and righteousness to hang upon his lips and Christ Jesus to be his dayly Bread that Manna that comes down from heaven that he that eats thereof shall never hunger more So that his presence and pleasures are its appointed food And again To know and do his will shall be her meat and drink SECT XIX §. 19 The Soul that loves Christ will live as he lives NAy yet further the Soul that loves Christ desires not only to live with him to feed upon him only and nothing else but it farther desires to live as he lives in the same life the same way to live as the Lord lives be it in shame or in honor in mourning or in joy in peace or trouble in want or in abundance in having nothing or in having all things all is one yet herein is their desires perfected in being made like unto him in all things not only in the Cross Death but in his Rising Ascending in the Throne with him in this they rejoyce and are exceeding glad SECT XX. They love if they live §. 20 AGain they that love Christ thus they live no longer then he lives and loves them When he doth but hide his face they are troubled when his love ceases their life ceaseth for they live in him and by him and through him SECT XXI §. 21 If we love Christ we shall love the flock of Christ ANd where thou makest thy flocks to lie down at noon If we love Christ we shall also love the flock of Christ If we love him that begat we shall love him that is begotten He that saith then that he loveth God and hateth his brother is a lyar and the truth is not in him For he that loveth God loveth his brother also He must needs love that which God loves and hate that which God hates and so be like unto God For this is his Commandment That we love one another as we have him for an example And if we say we are in the light and do not love our brethren we are altogether in darkness and know not the light SECT XXII §. 22 Christ and his flock are together CHrist and his flock are always together there Christ is and there they are He their Shepherd and they the sheep of his pasture They shall not want for any thing that is good either for pasture of still waters of comfort or garments of righteousness or guiding the Lord leads them or for oyl or their cup filling or their table spreading they have all things Thus he feeds them
am sought and found by them that never knew me nor sought me but I them and they loved me and beheld me I opened my heart to them and spred forth my hands and drew them from gâ—rdens altars graves and groves mountains and valleys and from eating swines flesh and abominable things and from thine own holiness and filthiness which was like a smoke and filth to me to my own self and my own mountain to dwell in for my blessing that is amongst you I will not quite destroy you but my inheritance shall be with you and I will dwell with you and all that is with you and in you that forsakes me I will number to the sword and bow down to the slaughter all that is disobedient to me and thus I will do to you my servants in you and amongst you you shall eat drink and rejoyce but what is my revenge in you and amongst you you shall hunger thirst and be ashamed and cry for sorrow of heart and howl for vexation of spirit and slain but his servant shall be called by another name and he that blesseth himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of earth and he that sweareth in the earth shall swear by the God of the earth so that heaven and earth shall give glory to God and all that dwell therein SECT XCI §. 91 How all things are made new of God ANd behold I make all things new and these shall be remembred but all the former forgotten and thou shalt rejoyce forever at what I create for I create truth peace salvation and righteousness yea my rejoycing and my praise there shall be no more an infant nor a father but all shall be as one strong man in Christ yea they shall have houses vineyards possessions of their own and no others they shall no more labor in vain nor bring forth for trouble but you shall be called the blessed of the Lord and his off-spring thy God I will be that hears and answers thee who lives and abides with thee there shall be nothing that doth hurt in all my Mountain but the Wolf and Lamb Lion and Bullock shall lie down together there shall be nothing else but rest amongst them all living in one SECT XCII §. 92 Though heaven and earth be my house yet I will dwell in you ANd though heaven be my throne and the earth my footstool yet this is not my dwelling nor the place of my Rest but in the houses and dwellings of men you are my building and house the humble and the contrite heart will I live with and till I come to live with them all their worship and sacrifice yea their lambs and offerings are abominable to me I hate them all till I am formed in them and when I am thus formed in thee all that hate thee hate me then your souls shall not delight in these things which I delight not in nor when I call shall they not answer but they shall delight in the Lord alone and nothing else SECT XCIII §. 93 Zion brings forth yea a whole Nation in a day and that without pain THe soul that trembles at my Word though he be cast out falsly for my names sake and think they glorifie me in it yet let them know their zeal is without knowledg and who hath required this at their hands but you shall be justified and they ashamed and the Voyce of the Lord shall be heard from his Temple with us that Zion travelleth and is delivered without pain Was ever such a thing heard or seen that a whole Nation should be born at once and brought forth in one day And why cannot the Lord do it Shall he bring to the birth and not cause to bring forth or then shall the Lord shut the womb No no be glad and rejoyce with her all ye that love her take of the brests of her consolation and be satisfied delight thy soul in the abundance of her glory for her peace shall be like a river and her glory as a stream you shall be born on her sides and be dandled on her knees I will comfort you as a mother comforteth her children for by fire and a sword shall the Lord plead with all flesh and make it as a loathsom carcass but you shall remain for ever and worship before me Thus I have finished this Book of Isaiah in much sorrow weakness and trouble and dare not yet venture to proceed till I finde a more convenient time for it then I have had for this first Volume it being brought forth in the midst of our troubles here at London while the Army was amongst you and these great things acted as the Charge Tryal and Execution of the King in all which time this was some repast and refreshment to write these things though it was by fits and starts yet the Lord may make it useful in some measure for the good of others Being called away now from London I am forced to break off here in the midway else I might shew you the Book of Jeremiah opened in Man Ezekiel and Daniel with the lesser Prophets one by one fulfilled in us as also the New Testament how we have the everlasting Gospel taught us by the Spirit of Christ in our hearts together with his Birth Life Doctrine Works and Death of Christ formed in us as also his Resurrection Ascension and Glorification within us Christ risen Again how we are the Acts of Christ and how Christ is all our Acts and Works it is he doth all for us and in us And again how we are his Epistles yea the heavenly and holy Epistles of Christ written by God on the Tables of his Hand our hearts known and read of all men how we are the Lords Church Spouse Members and Body his Building Planting Temple and Dwelling Lastly how we are the Lords Revelations and Visions to whom he shews himself and the things that are have been and are ro come things past present and to come afar off or nigh at hand we are these whom the Lord ravishes in Spirit in his day when that comes upon us and then he tells us all things and takes us up to heaven to see himself in all and all in himself opening heaven and revealing his whole Will and Counsel We are that sealed Book whom the Lamb takes and opens for he is worthy and we are these that shall have the honor to say Come come come Lord Jesus come quickly Thus the Bride shall say and we are those that shall have either all these Blessings Graces Gifts Mercies Promises Comforts and Glories that are in heaven and earth written or revealed in the whole Scriptures or else all the curses woes lamentations miseries threatnings and torments written in the whole Book of God to fall upon us thus eternally happy or eternally miserable but all these things I leave to the Day of the Lord to bring forth in me to perfect his praises that as the Lord hath began so he would continue and bring to the end of this Book of the Scriptures that we may be in the Lord God both the Alpha and the Omega of it I Know many things are amiss here the faults can hardly be numbered that come either from the Author Writer Printer or Reader I pray thee pass them by amend what is amiss and make use of what is good trying all things holding fast that which is good considering thou also mayst do amiss and truly this is all I can say in excuse that I wanted time to write what was in my mind only made use of the night never read it much less time to correct it but am importuned to print it and to press thy patience with it let patience then have its perfect work here Thine T Butler FINIS