to have him bruised smitten to have his grace love mercy patience goodness bowels wisdom power all employed for our good this is the pleasure of the Lord and it did and doth prosper in the hands of Christ and that is the next thing when it makes us like Christ and like God when the will of the Lord is done in us when God dwells in us of a truth when we are made one with the Lord when we reign with him when the Lord is all when we are his pleasure and will SECT LXI §. 61 The Lord shall see us as the travel of his Soul ANd the Lord Jesus shall beget us and conceive us in the womb of his tender mercies and travel in birth with us and in the Day of the Lord we shall though with sorrow be the travel of his Soul and we shall see it and the Lord shall look upon us and notwithstanding all former sorrow it shall not be remembred for joy that we are brought forth holy to the Lord and the Lords Will and Pleasure Wisdom and Power Love and Mercy shall be satisfied in us SECT LXII §. 62 We are the Lords spoil and portion ANd the Knowledg of the Lord shall be known and his Wisdom understood and the righteous God shall be justified and we justified by him and in him for his Righteousness shall be in us and upon us we shall be his spoil and portion the Lord shall take us for his lot and the Lord shall be our portion and great inheritance SECT LXIII The Lord makes the barren to sing and to §. 63 bring forth gloriously FEar not neither be ashamed of thy reproach poor heart that art left like a widow and childless barren and fruitless thou that hast not travelled though thou wast married but not to the Lord Thou hast had many lovers and husbands but not thy maker thine husband therefore thou art confounded and in bondage weeping and lamenting as being left desolate Hear now what the Lord God whose name is the Lord of hostes thy Redeemer the holy One of Israel the God of the whole earth what he saith Sing O barren and break forth into singing for the Lord thy God will overshadow thee and thou shalt conceive in righteousness travel in truth and bring forth faithfulness the Lord will marry thee to himself and thou shalt bear many sons and daughters to the Lord for Righteousness shall be the fruits of thy womb and Peace thy daughters and Truth thy off-spring SECT LXIV §. 64 The seed of the living God out of a barren womb wonderful THe Lord thy Husband will enlarge thee all over none shall surpass thee thou shalt have more children then the married ones or the concubines thou shalt excel them all in singing bearing and bringing forth a multitude of Glory to the Lord thy womb shall be opened thy heart enlarged thy spirit strengthened thy seed multiplied thy bed stretched out thy tents widened and the curtains of thy habitation thy cords and stakes lengthened for the Lord will make the fruits of thy soul like the stars of Heaven or the sands on earth for number all the Plants of the Lord all his own begotten Sons and Daughters and born by the Spirit in whom he is well pleased thou shalt break forth on the right hand on the left every way beautiful and thy seed and children shall inherit and inhabit the desolate places and where it was said Ye are not my people there shall it be said Ye are the sons of the living God SECT LXV §. 65 The Lord thy husband that comforts thee THus the Lord hath delt with thee when thou wast as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit nay refused and rejected by all I found thee desolate and I married thee and received thee to my self and lay thee in my arms and bosom made thee to bear children thus with great mercies have I gathered thee though for a small moment thou wast forsaken and in a little wrath I hid my face from thee but I am returned to thee now with everlasting kindness and I will have mercy on thee without end for I am thy Husband and thy Redeemer SECT LXVI §. 66 I will be thy God and Husband from everlasting unto everlasting NAy now I will do more for thee then ever I wil never depart more from thee I will swear to thee as I did to Noah and give thee a better signe then I did to him the Rainbow in the Heaven that I would no more drown the Earth so will I do to thee the waters of my wrath shall never be upon thee my light and countenance lifted on thee but never taken off thee and this shall be thy token I will give thee my self in marriage and be thy Husband and thou shalt be without rebuke nay though mountains and hills be removed all thy comforts and comforters depart from thee yet shall never my kindness nor the Covenant of my peace be removed but I will keep thee in perfect peace for in the world flesh and darkness there is nothing but trouble vanity anguish torment and vexation but in me my Love Heart Spirit Light Life Truth and Kingdom thou shalt have peace be therefore of good comfort for I have overcome all to thee SECT LXVII §. 67 The foundation windows and gates of the Saints the Lords house and building of what precious stones it is SEe further how fruitful the Lord will make her and how beautiful all over though tossed and afflicted discomforted and perplexed behold the Lord will be thy foundation the living Stone shall be thy corner stone the Rock thy root and bottom wherefore saith the Lord I will lay thy stones with fair colours and foundation with Saphirs thy windows of Agates thy gates of Carbuncles and all thy borders of pleasant stoâ—es And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord and great shall be the peace of thy children Thus will the Lord glorifie thee for in righteousness shalt thou be established that shall be thy fair colours and Saphirs and without either oppression oppressor fear or terror and all that gather against thee shall fall by thee for I am with thee and as whatsoever is in thine hand hath this blessing it shall prosper so this shall be a curse to thine enemies that no weapon formed against thee my Holiness shall prosper and every tongue that riseth up against thee by preaching praying counselling or threatening shall be condemned This is the heritage blessing promise and portion of the servants of the Lord and all their worth and righteousness is from thee thou art the Lord their God thou sanctifiest them SECT LXVIII §. 68 The Lord is that water that wine and that milk to them that thirst after him and that hunger in him THe Lord Jesus Christ is all true and saving comfort and all kind of food is in him He is water to the thirsty wine to the heavy hearted milk to the
Nothing can quencle kill or separate this love 132. Christ loves where it is is in the heart and spirit with all our souls strength and might 134. The five things that are excellent in this love of the Spouse called the soul love 135. The strong grounds of the souls love to God when as Gods love is such to us and much more abundant also 139 The Soul that loves Christ desires to live with him 141. The Soul that loves Christ desires to live upon him feed on him 142. The Soul that loves Christ will as he lives 143. They love if they live 144. If we love Christ we shall love the flock of Christ. Ibid. Christ and his flocke are together 145. The flock of Christ hath a place to lie down in 146. Satan hath his flock also Ibid. Though we we know not many things yet we are fair 147 Who is like to thee O Israel for fairness and beauty 148. Thy cheeks neck and feet comely all over 149. The exceeding great beauty and delight that is in the Saints through the Lord their God 150. The Rose and the Lilly and the Apple tree 151. The soul brought from the shadow to the banquetting house the substance 152. And having once tasted of the Lords love she counts flaggons of wine was one love and apples also and not leaves now can comfort a soul 153. The left and right hand of the Lord about us 154. The Lord living by degrees from weakness unto strength in us 155. He will stand no more behind the wall door or the window 156. The Lord calling his love to come away 157. The Lord loves to bring his people out of the clefts of the Rock to see his face 158. The Foxes that spoile the Vines 159. My beloved is mine and I am his 160. The day breaks and the shadows flee away 161. The Soul loving seeking finding holding and never parting 162. The Lords high commendations of his Church and Spouse here in part described 163. There is no spot in her she is all fair yea altogether lovely 165. The sending forth of his Spirit into our hearts to make us to abide in the Lord. 166. The sum of the fifth Chapter of Solomons Song 168. The Lord comes to the breaking of bread and drinking of wine to a feasting in us to eat his supper there 169. The Lord comes to awake us out of sleep 170. The Lord overcomming her heart with love 171. The great wickedness of the Spouse to Christ 172. The transcendent beauty and glory of the Lord Christ the Souls beloved 174. The Queens and Concubines and Virgins without number that praise the Spouse which is but one 176. The beautifull feet of the Kings daughter 177. The Lord sets us as a seale upon his heart the strength of the Lords love to us and ours to him 178. CHAP. XIX The eighteenth Book that God writes in Man is the book of the Prophet Isaiah 180. The two sons and seeds one of Flesh and another of Spirit that is in us Ibid. How the fleshly is eaten up of the spiritual 182. The great Vision which the Prophet saw what it is and what it means 183 The Spirit interpreting the Vision to be in us 185. The stay and the staff of the Creature broken but the stay and the staff of the Lord himself remains for ever 186. The beautifull Branch of the Spirit of the Lord and all the fruits thereof holy 188. The Vineyard of the Lord of Hosts and the men of Judah 190. The second Vision of the Throne and of the Temple and him that sits there 191. The Lord ruling in the midst of his people judging all within and without in righteousnesse 193. Rezin and Remaliah's sons confederacy their tails and evil counsel like fire-brands 195. The waters of Shiloah or the soft and still voice condemned by most and Rezin followed the Law and Testimony where to be found 197. The joy of the Lord and the people that sate in darkenesse and see light and are governed by the Lord himself 198. The proud Assyrian is brought low and Israel to be exalted 200. The peaceable and righteous Kingdom of the Branch and the great encrease therof from the foure corners of the earth 202. The day of the Branch brings joy and thankefulness 204. The destruction of Babylon in us the glory of the earth 205. Israel ruling over her oppressors 206. Moabs destruction also 207. Fat things made lean and high things low Ibid. Egypt Assyria and Israel shall be made one by the Lords blessing 208. The whole Earth dissolving and burning 210. The feast of fat things Ibid. The strong City whose Wall and Bulwarks are Salvation 211 The Leviathan slain 212. Against pride and drunkenness 213. The wise and the fool both alike in the sealed book till the Lord open it 214 The counsel that is not of God perishes 215. Nothing below God any thing 216. Righteousness and Judgment King and Prince 217. Who shall abide the everlasting burning and not be consumed therein Ibid. The wrath of the Lord revealed against earth and heaven 219. What strange things the Lord doth amongst us by his Spirit 220. Sennacheribs and Rabshakehs blasphemies against the servants of the Lord in whom they are comforted 221. How the Spirit of the Lord given to his doth overcome all the evil and blasphemies of the devil and is stronger then he or his 224 How the Lord makes sick and well kills and saves and he is glorified in all he doth 226. Babylons letters and presents to betray us and our treasures into his own Land 227. The Comfort that the Lord comforts his people withal as the fruits of his coming 229. The Worm Jacob made strong 231. What the Lord doth for his Servants Ibid. The sweetness and love of the Spirit of Christ in his 233. The smoaking flax and the bruised reed in us the little measure of the Spirit 234. Flesh is deaf and blinde the Lord seeing all things 235. The blinde and the deaf shall be Gods Witnesses Ibid. I the Lord do all things 236. God not like the golden idols 237. The shame and the nakedness of Babylon 238 I have shewed thee what thy Idols could not 239 The Lord from the womb forms us to be his Servants Ib. Look to our Rock whence we are hewen 241 Thy beautiful Garments 242. Shake thy self from the dust Ibid. The Lord rules over us and speaks in us 243. How beautiful the feet of them that do bring the glad tydings of peace are 244 Thy God reigneth in the Zion of Saints 245 How thy God doth set thee apart and how though thy outward man be vile yet the inward glorious 246. The Arm of the Lord. 247. The plant growing up out of a dry ground with sorrow to the flesh and the world but with joy to the Lord and his Spirit in Saints 248. The Lamb that opens not his mouth but by suffering overcomes 249. Christ makes his grave
ground-work and pillars of truth His countenance is as Lebanon excellent as the Cedars His mouth is most sweet yea he is altogether lovely This is my beloved and this is my friend O ye daughters of Jerusalem This is my boast and glory the Lord. SECT L. §. 50 The Queens and Concubines and Virgins without number that praise the Spouse which is but one IT is good to seek the Lord though alone and in it we may provoke others also to seek him with us God bearing witness to us as they do here What is thy Beloved above our beloveds Nay then if he be so as you speak of and so much goodness in him come we will seek him with thee Come then let 's go to the gardens to the beds of spices he feeds there and gathers lillies we finde him in himself in the midst amongst us there he meets us and we meet him My Beloved is mine and I am his and upon this exchange we are beautiful as Tirzah strong and terrible as an army with banners and yet sweet and comely as Jerusalem Our eyes overcome him Queens Concubines and Virgins without number wait upon thee we are but one in the Lord not many the onely one of our mother and the choyce one of her that bare us The daughters see us and they bless us yea the Queens and the Concubines and they praise us when we look as the morning fair as the Moon clear as the Sun terrible as an army with banners I went down to the garden of nuts in the valleys and before I was aware my Soul was like the Charets of Aminadab SECT LI. §. 51 The beautiful feet of the Kings daughter THe Lord makes our feet beautiful shod with peace and glad tidings like Princes Daughters lively to run the Lords ways made with thighs like jewels by the hands of a cunning workman the Spirit of the Lord yea how fair and how pleasant art thou O love for delights Thy stature in grace and spiritual strength like to a palm tree and thy brests to clusters of grapes give nourishment and abounding with fruits full of the blessings of the Lord and all manner of pleasant fruits new and old layd up for thee in my heart O my beloved SECT LII §. 52 The Lord sets us as a seal upon his heart the strength of the Lords love to us and ours to him THe Lord Christ that was our brother and sucked the brests of the Spirit our mother if I should meet thee I would kiss thee without and not be ashamed my love is so strong to thee I will lead thee into my mothers house and there thou shouldst instruct me and I would drink of the spiced wine prepared for thee of the juice of the pomegranate and whither soever I went I would hear thee my beloved Set me as a seal upon thy heart for love is strong as death jealousie is cruel as the grave the coals thereof are coals of fire which have a most vehement flame Many waters cannot quench love neither can the floods drown it if a man would give all the substance of his house for this love of the Lord it would utterly be contemned We have many little sisters virgins that love the Lord what shall we do for her in the day that she shall be spoken for to be married to the Lamb if she be a wall the Lord will build upon her a palace of silver and if a door she shall be enclosed with boards of Cedars whatsoever she wants shall be compleated Lord we are thy vineyards and the vineyard that is thine is before thee Thou Lord must have a thousand and those that keep the fruit of the vineyard two hundred Thou that dwellest in the vineyards all therein hearken to thy voyce cause me to hear it Make haste my beloved and take me to the mountains of spices and to the hills of frankincense CHAP. XIX The eighteenth Book that God writes in Man is the book of the Prophet ISAIAH SECT I. The two sons and seeds one of Flesh and the §. 1 other of Spirit that is in us THe book of the Prophet Isaiah opened in Man both his Visions and Prophesies from the Lord and first you have the carnal and spiritual seed of the Lord the bastard and the son the child of the Flesh and of the Spirit the son of man and the Son of God held forth The first of these the fleshly seed that serve God after the flesh and call themselves by the name of Israel and the children of the Lord thus saith the Lord ye are not sons but rebels you know me not neither will I know you nor consider you you are a sinful people laden with iniquity I have smitten you and you go worse and worse you are all over corrupt within full of wounds bruises and sores whatsoever you pretend without your head and heart and all is out of order the strangers live in you and devour you and the fire of lusts burn in you and eat you up you are children of Sodom more like then of God And as for your Worship and Sacrifice in multitudes your appearing outwardly and treading in my Courts your new Moons Sabbaths calling and sitting of assemblies and solemn meetings your appointed Feasts and Fasts your spreading forth your hands and making long prayers I abhor it all it 's detestable my soul hates all these and I never required them of you your hearts and hands being full of blood and all kinde of iniquity your silver dross your wine water your Ptinces rebellious and theeves SECT II. §. 2 How the fleshly is eaten up of the spiritual I Will therefore stand up in judgment against you all and consume your dross tin blood and filth ignorance and baseness I will mollifie you and binde you all up together and if sons of the Flesh I will make you sons of God in Spirit you shall not have the image of Sodom but Jerusalem no Hypocrisie but Power I will wash you thorrowly and purge you by my Spirit of judgment and burning that all your iniquity shall pass from before me and no evil pass through any more you shall not be bloody but white as snow I will receive you to favor you shall not rebel any more but altogether willing and obedient if I say do this ye shall do it or that it shall be fulfilled and the sword shall be broken in pieces and there shall be no dross amongst your silver nor water with your wine but all things shall be of God Zion shall be redeemed with judgment and her converts with righteousness and the destruction of transgression and iniquity shall be together and whatsoever forsakes God consumed be it an oak or a garden that hath no water they shall be burnt together and none shall quench them SECT III. The great Vision which the Prophet saw §. 3 what it is and what it means THus much for the Prophesie now for the Vision which the
with the wicked and the rich in his death 250. What it is to have the pleasure of the Lord for to prosper in his or in our hand 251. The Lord shall see us as the travel of his Soul 253. We are the Lords spoil and portion Ibid. The Lord makes the barren to sing and to bring forth gloriously 254. The seed of the living God out of a barren womb wonderful 255. The Lord thy husband that comforts thee 256. I will be thy God and Husband from everlasting unto everlasting 257. The foundation windows and gates of the Saints the Lords house and building of what precious stones it is 258. The Lord is that water that wine and that milk to them that thirst after him and that hunger in him 260. Three things to be observed here more especially on the best wine kept last 261. That which is bread and satisfieth and is good and delights the soul and makes it live and prosper in fatness is from the Lord alone 263. Christ the true Witness and Leader to the People 265. The people that know thee not shall run afterthee for the Lord hath glorified thee in their eyes and their thoughts and ways shall be as the Lords thoughts and ways are 266. The Word that comes from Gods mouth shall prosper in what it is sent 268. No man is just but he to whom Salvation is come 269. The stranger and the Eunuch joyned to the Lord and made sons and heirs to God 270. The righteous man perisheth but not his righteousness yet none lays it to heart 271. The Lord will dwell in Holiness both on high and below 272. The sin and iniquity of Jacob the Fast that is the Lords the good and acceptable day that he chuses how we must love one another and walk in the light and not in darkness as the Lord doth to us 274. The exceeding sinfulness of sin the misery that it brings till the Lord arise against it in Justice and in Truth 277. Arise and shine for thy light is come 279. The glory given to them whom God doth glorifie Ibid. All Glory comes when Gods Glory comes 280. I will bring gold and silver strength and beauty unto thee 281. The Lord thy everlasting Light thy Sun and Moon that shall darken all other Suns and turn them to blood but himself in the end 282. The Spirit of the anointing of the Lord what works it doth binding and loosing doing all good 284 Our righteousness brightness and our salvation a burning lamp 286. The Lord thy Watchman day and night 287. The Lords dyed garments coming from the great slaughter of his enemies sin and Satan 288. The Lords coming down with power to destroy flesh 289. The Lord God is found of them that sought not after him 290. How all things are made new of God 292. Though heaven and earth be my house yet I will dwell in you 293. Zion brings forth yea a Whole Nation in a day and that without pain 294. THE Sealed Book of GOD opened in MAN The Mystery of the holy Scriptures the Volume of Gods Book written in mans heart in the Spirit and to be read in his life in the Letter HEB. chap. 8. vers 10. For this is the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those dayes saith the Lord I will put my Laws into their mind and write them in their hearts and I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a people CHAP. I. §. 1 Christ the Sum of all Things NOw of the things which we have spoken and write saith the Apostle in the beginning of the chapter this is the sum Christ is the sum of it all the Figures Types Priest-hoods Sacrifices Temples Tabernacles Prophets and Prophesies in their severall parts Christ is their totall sum Let them be all numbred together they all make up but one Christ who is such an High Priest as is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majestie in the heavens they all give him 1. The right Hand 2. The Throne 3. The Majestie 4. The heavenly Thing in the Priest-hood and in all things else hath this preheminence SECT II. §. 2 The true Ministry A Minister of the Sanctuary and of the true Tabernacle which the Lord pitched and not man Christ is the sum of all the Ministry there is no other Ministry but Christ and Christians who make but one Spirit he the male they the female whom God the Father hath joyned together his Spirit poured out and married to their flesh the Divine Nature the Male our Humane the Female making one Emmanuel God with us so that as the two witnesses agree in one so be these SECT III. §. 3 Christ the true Temple-Sanctuary CHrist was also the Sanctuary the Temple of God upon the Altar of which Temple he offered himself a Sacrifice to God Soul and Body so are Christians SECT IV. Christ the true Tabernacle §. 4 CHrist also is the Sum of the Tabernacle God dwelling so richly in him the Tabernacle of God was then with men the life was manifested the true Tabernacle the Lord pitched and not man so are Christians SECT V. Christ is the heavenly Thing in Christians §. 5 ALL which serve for the example and shadow of hâ—avenly things as Moses when he was admonished of God about making the Tabernacle See saith God that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed thee in the Mount Now the truth and substance the heavenly Thing and the good Thing to come is Christ and the Christian this is the Tabernacle that God pitches even the man Christ there he will dwell that is his House Now Christ brings forth more excellent things then any in the Mount you have seen them all the Ministry Tabernacles Sanctuary Sacrifice the whole Worship the Law and Covenant also they all wax old vanish away from the Mount but not the other SECT VI. §. 6 Christ is the new Covenant in the new Creature BUt now Christ hath obtained a more excellent Ministry by how much also he is the Mediator of a better Covenant which was established upon better promises It is a Ministry in Spirit a Covenant in Spirit making intercession in our spirits an establishing in Spirit and precious promises written in our spirits so that if the first Covenant Promises Ministry Tabernacle had been faultless pure or perfect there had been no need of the second but the Lord finding fault with the first and the Worship and Worshippers thereof He saith Behold the days come that I will make a new Covenant a new Promise a new Tabernacle a new Ministry and all things new a new Heaven and Earth with the House of Israel and the House of Judah In those days saith the Lord all old things shall then pass away and all things become new and all things shall be of God who hath reconciled us to himself in Jesus Christ SECT VII §. 7 What is that
what is Paul or what is Apollo or â—ephas It is the Lord alone that wil be exalted he will put his Law there where all the devils in hell all the powers of flesh and spirit cannot prevail against it if he put it there what shall be able to separate remove or pull it out of his hands or out of our hearts SECT XX. §. 20 Mans blessing or curse is within himself ANd I will write it in their hearts It is the heart of man that God ayms at and therein are the issues of death or life there is every mans Heaven or Hell his blessing or his cursing for if our own hearts condemn us shall not God much more If this Tree be good then all the fruits are good but if it be bad then all is corrupt look to your hearts then for from thence is discovered your weal or woe SECT XXI §. 21 What God writes in us is such writing as nothing can blot it out ANd here see how the phrase is changed to enlarge the sense what before he called his putting into our minds he enlarges it to the writing or rather explains the manner how he will put his Laws in our hearts and that is by writing them in our hearts or else what he will do after he hath put his Laws in our minds how he will preserve and keep it there that it may never be forgotten but abide in us for ever by an eternal written character that shall never be blotted out Sin may but Grace cannot and when it is thus printed in us no theeves can steal it nor rust corrupt it nor fowls gather it but it 's safe under Hand and Seal and we never have sure comfort till then we may then say I know that my Redeemer liveth and I see him and I know whom I have trusted I am perswaded fully that nothing is able to separate me from his love nor blot me out of his Book I was in much doubt of his word and promise before I had this Hand writing but now I thank God I have obtained the victory by the Lord. SECT XXII §. 22 Where God begins to write he perfects it in us NOw be assured of this all you that know any thing of God that when the Lord puts his hand to the pen and the pen to the paper which are the tables of our minds it will not be in vain he stays not there it is for this very end to write something therein either a protection to keep thee I wil be with thee or else a warrant to do something in his name and he will deliver thee or a Commission to go and teach all Nations to go forth to conquer and overcome fearing nothing SECT XXIII §. 23 The writing of God in us is by degrees ANd when the Lord begins his writing it may be in weakness in a letter first because of the smoaking flax and bruised reeds and from a letter to a Word a Word of Life and from a Word to a Promise and from a Promise to a Precept thus going on with line upon line and precept after precept here a little and there a little till he hath finished it his whole Will in us that in the volum of our hearts we may see it written Lo I am prepared to do thy Will O God When we shall see all his Words Promises Precepts Prophesies Exhortations Consolations Doctrines Reproofs Uses Means Motives and all compleated in Man It may be in the beginning like a grain of mustard seed but comes to a tree it is begun in free-grace but it ends in full Glory it is at first God manifested in the Flesh and thence justified in Spirit at last received up into Glory this is the writing called the Lords SECT XXIV §. 24 Gods magnifying himself in Man ANd all this is done for his own name sake to make his Glory Name known that he is the Lord the only God and there is no Beloved like to this Beloved this made David in his eight Psalm magnifie God so when he looked upon the three-fold writing of God 1. That in Nature saying O Jehovah God how excellent is thy Name in all the world thou hast set thy Glory above the Heavens this he read in Natures Book The second Book or Writing is in Letter Word or Promise and in this he is magnified in the same Psalm Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast ordained strength stilling the enemy and avenger The third Book is in Spirit in Man and that is the highest of all Gods Writings there he is read plainest and best first in the first Man Adam secondly in the new Man Christ thirdly in the new Man the Christian this made him say more When I consider the the Heavens the works of thy hands Sun Moon and Stars which thou hast ordained Lord think I then what is poor man that thou art so mindfull of him or the son of man that is the second man that thou hast so much visited him as to dwell in him and be God with him making him a litle lower then the Angels in his flesh and crowning him with so much glory and honor in Spirit in us as to think Heaven Earth Angels Men Creatures Scriptures Means Sabbaths Ordinances Graces Promises Ministers Magistrates things Temporal things Spiritual Christ God the Spirit all is ours therefore I must say once again O Lord our God how excellent is thy Name in all the world SECT XXV §. 25 The state of the two Adams THe Lord is pleased to make man an epitome of all things as he is a little world created of God Heaven and Earth being in him and he made up of both so the fulness thereof is in him a compound of all at first as he was in the first Adam But now in the second Adam in the generation of Jesus Christ as he is brought forth a new to God dying to the World and living to God in spirit in a new world whereof this first is but the image so is he the sum of all that spiritual state For as Christ in the flesh was the sum of all the legal Rites Ordinances Sacrifices Worship and All so is Christ Jesus in spirit in the new Creature the sum of Gospel Ordinances Prayers Hearings Writings Preachings Church-fellowship Breaking of Bread and Excommunications SECT XXVI §. 26 The Lord is all the Book and Scripture his people have him they preach hear read practise NAy the Lord will be to us Heaven and Earth Lands and Livings Father and Mother Sister and Brother Children and Friends Master and Servant Gifts and Graces Knowledge and Wisdom Temple and Sacrifice Sabbath and Sermon Creature and Scripture yea Doctrine and Psalm Revelation and Consolation New Testament and Old Law and Gospel Letter and Spirit Promise and Precept Writing and Printing our Bible and Book all things past present and to come Therefore he saith when he comes to do this I will write What a
my self abundantly in love This true Paradise which God planted in man Christ formed in us and the Spirit of God living like a fountain of water with us SECT X. The Adam and Eve there in Paradise §. 10 ANd further as from the Paradise and River of Life the whole world is refreshed for from hence come the streames of life and divide themselves into all parts of the world teaching in his Name wonderfull things so the Man and the Woman that lives in this Paradise with God the Adam and the Eve is Christ and the Christian Christ the Man and the Christian the Woman both living in one Paradise brought together by God marryed and given in marriage by the Spirit of God making Christ and the Christian one this is the Mystery of God manifested in the flesh or God dwelling in us becoming a second Adam to us feeding us with the tree of Life in us and refreshing us as with living water which he gives us and the tree shall not dye but live need no clothing or any Tabernacle or Shrine or Fig-leaves but the nakedness of God appearing in the Righteousness of Christ not having our garments which are hairy but the smooth and naked clothes of Christ and we shall not be ashamed SECT XII §. 12 The Tempter the Fall the Serpent NAy further the Tempter here in the New Creature thus written by God is the good Tempter the Spirit of the Lord tempting us and leading us into all Truth and Lord lead us into this temptation for ever and this Spirit is not like the beast of the field but like the Doves of Heaven it is as wise as Serpents but as innocent and harmless as a Dove Now the great Fall of this New Man is a total and final fall from sin Satan or a Being taken up in Clouds from the earth a receiving out of their sight to live with the Lord as also the curse there is nothing but blessing there is neither pain nor sorrow conceiving nor travelling there is neither Lord nor servant but all are made one in Christ Jesus SECT XII §. 12 How all things are made new in the beginning of this book LAstly to conclude the writing of God in short for the book of the beginning of the new Creation or Book of life in Man Here is no carnal generation no living after the Flesh no knowing one another after the Flesh but in Spirit and Truth a spiritual encrease and multiplying Here is no death at all but a long life even for ever and ever Here is no marrying nor giving in marriage but they are like the Angels of God no violence but all meekness and love Here is no wrath nor destruction but eternal love and consolation Here is no repenting the Lord he made Man but it rejoyces him at the heart to see him Here is no Deluge but the pouring out of the Spirit no Ark but the Lords presence in our Ark we are the house of God no perishing but Flesh no Sacrifice but the Spirit no Covenant but the new one in Man no Rain but that of the Word of Truth no Flesh but Spirit to feed upon no Milk nor Herbs but Grace no Vinyard but that of the Lords love no Altar but God no Call but that inward Call to forsake thy Fathers house No House nor Father nor Mother nor Land nor Portion but the Lord none to serve nor follow but him no Circumcision but in Spirit no bond woman nor her children but the free woman the spirit of liberty from sin and death no Well but the deep Rivers of Salvation no Vision but of God no Famine but of Flesh no Corn nor Wine nor Oyl but the Light of Gods countenance lifted up upon us CHAP. III. The second Book that God writes in Man §. 1 is called EXODVS THe second book is the book of Exodus for where the Lord hath once begun a writing or a work a word or a line he will build up finish and make an end in his due time but now he is but beginning and going on from one strength to another appearing in us now he comes with an out-stretched arm to deliver before he came to pull down and to build up to lay the foundation now he comes to deliver from the enemies of our salvation SECT II. §. 2 God calling his Son out of Egypt THerefore saith he I have called my Son out of Egypt that is Christ is called out of the grave death darkness this is the Son called out of Egypt the Flesh to live in Spirit in his members and body Now in this Egypt of our flesh and filthiness dwells nothing but Thunder and Lightening Darkness Plagues and Crosses for all these lay upon the Son while he is and was in our Egypt or fleshly Nature but he must rise the third day the Son shall not always lie thus in the grave the Spirit shall not always strive with Flesh and be buffeted and betrayed by it as Israel after a certain time was called forth the Lord hears the groans of his Son on the Cross and Israel in Egypt and the groans of the Spirit in these Tabernacles of Flesh willing to be delivered waiting for the day of Redemption not out of a part of Egypt to live in the suburbs or as neer as may be but far off to get into another land and kingdom even the kingdom called the Lords And though Flesh and Blood Principalities and Powers spiritual wickedness in high places Pharoah and all his Taskmasters the Magicians and all the hoste of Egyptians rise up against this Call and power of God to withstand it as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses and as the Scribes and Pharises placing the watch and ward laying the stone upon the grave of Christ sealing it withstood God and as Antichrist withstands the two witnesses but all in vain till the power of God entred into them all bringing them forth with a mighty hand saying Come up hither and fire came out of their mouths and the sea to consume and devour them They I mean all their carnal and spiritual enemies may come after them as far as the red sea but then no farther As soon as his Son the Lord Christ or the Christian hath passed through the red Sea of the sufferings of Christ Flesh and Blood dare follow them no further nay here dyes and perisheth all this carnal power and enmity SECT III. §. 3 God leading his Son through the Wilderness BUt though Gods Son Christ Jesus be called out of Egypt and is led from thence and Egypt destroyed in the Red Sea there the Flesh suffers yet there is another Call God leaves not his Son in the Wilderness whom he hath once called but then he calls them on and allures them there speaking comfortably to them This Son of God called out of Egypt thus and now all his children in the Wilderness is brought to straits and knows not whither to look
standing between Heaven and Earth Flesh and Spirit both fighting the one against the other SECT IV. What this Wilderness is §. 4 FOr this Wilderness in us is nothing else but the warfare between Flesh and Spirit light and darkness between Michael and the Dragon with their Angels and it is a long time before it be altogether finished we go on as we overcome through faith still gaining ground overcoming by little and little till at last all the two and fourty years are expired along time God had many battels in them searching and smiting drawing and healing but at last the Lord overcoming and they sing with Deborah and Barack and with Moses and the Virgins that follow the Lamb having their harps in them the new song the Lord omnipotent reigneth and as Paul said I thank God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom I have obtained the Victory SECT V. What God doth for his Son in the Wilderness §. 5 three or four things especially The first thing is the several forms of Rest BUt there are three things remarkable in the wilderness and another at the end of the wilderness before they entred the Land For the first how many several rests and standings turnings and windings they had there at the least fourty two and all this time were these witnesses prophecying in sackcloth Judah and Israel or Moses and Aaron for they could not in the Wilderness sacrifice well nor serve God nor keep their Feasts nor their solemn meetings for fear of their enemies So is it in the warfare between Flesh and Spirit as long as there is any flesh reigning living fighting opposing there is little Sacrifice Obedience Worship Praise or serving of God because of these enemies we are kept under in bondage being in fear of them so in these several stages forms or seats that Israel had it was given them because of their weakness had they been able God could have brought them sooner but their wickedness makes these standings lest they should faint in the way And we shall finde it hindered them much and because of their dulness and deadness their unbeleef they went no faster on so is it in the experience true in the spiritual state and travel in this Son Christ travelling in us till he is brought forth into rest the Spirit is willing but the Flesh is weak and we make many false rests and say Lo here is Christ and lo there Now we are well and may stand still and go no further and anon a little further and stay there again Thus our pressing from one Form Presbytery to Independency and to Anabaptism and so further we are apt to flatter our selves they be our Rests and many a Proselite having fellowship with some Church to be a member and have such and such a Pastor and breaking bread with such beleevers and in such a pure outward way as they conceive here they are happy and lay themselves down to rest thinking they have purchased a good degree to themselves when they may be as far from the Kingdom of God as before SECT VI. §. 6 The second thing that God doth for his Son in the Wilderness is His giving the living Law with the Tables by the Spirit of Christ from Mount Zion NOw the second thing in the Wilderness is this The giving of the Law upon Mount Sinai this is Hager and her children the bond woman and her son shall not be heir with the Son of the Promise the one is of the Flesh and the other from the Spirit The one from Mount Sinai the other from Mount Sion the City of the living God the new Jerusalem and we have our Laws from Mount Gerizim and not from Mount Ebal and our Laws from Mount Zion not by the hand of Moses nor by the Ministry of Angels nor yet in Tables of stone which are only the patterns of heavenly things but by the hands of the Lord himself by the Ministry and Writing of the Spirit and that in the Tables of the Lords will planted in us which are the very heavenly things themselves and here shall the Vail be taken away and we shall say no more now Let not the Lord speak to us lest we dye but we shall say Let the Lord alone speak to us that we may dye and he may live and there shall be no more here the Thunder nor the Lightening nor Earthquake seen but the still Voyce of the Lord speaking within us and setting up his lively oracles there that he that preacheth may take out his Text from the Law of God within him and he that speaketh may speak as in the name of the Lord that shall here be fulfilled Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord And this is that which will carry us through the Wilderness indeed through all Tryals Troubles Temptations Persecutions in whose heart the Law of God lives when those that have it only written with pen and ink shall perish in the mid way SECT VII §. 7 The third thing in the Wilderness is The Tabernacle of God with his Son THe third thing I spake of is the Tabernacle now having a Law given them they must also have a Tabernacle for the Congregation to meet and hear the Law read and expounded also and here must they bring their sacrifice and worship the Lord this being the holy place of the Lord that he hath chosen to dwell in so that all this is true in us Christ is the only Tabernacle where the Godhead dwells there is the glory of the Lord filling that Tabernacle and here is all the Sacrifice and Worship of God in Spirit and Truth here all the Congregation all that we have or are is offered up to the Lord as a burnt offering wherefore he saith in a certain place The Tabernacle of God is with men and he dwells amongst them and he will be their God and they shall be his people And further here is the Law of God revealed and taught as from the Tabernacle God speaking with a lively voyce in them and calling the whole Congregation of Heaven and Earth Flesh and Spirit Men and Angels to draw nigh to him to his Tabernacle which is his presence saying and writing this in them I am the Lord your God which brought you out of the house of bondage thou shalt have no other Gods but me SECT VIII The total Circumcision of Flesh and final destruction §. 8 of the fiery Serpent THe last thing I only mention is the Circumcision in the end as they were going to enter into the Land this was the last fiery tryal the same is also made good in our spirits that Gilgal where we must be first of all Malice Guile Hypocrisie of Altar Forms and Notions only circumcise from all our filthiness of flesh spirit this is the book of Exodus God makes good in us in bringing us forth with a mighty hand from all the powers of flesh and Satan that keep us
Goliah in the world of darkness and depths of Satan this Spirit of the Lord as a David with its stone and its sling its rod and staff makes way strikes dead to the ground whatsoever stands up and oppose laying all their glory in the dust making the Lyon and the Churl to be like Lambs and Doves silencing all the unclean spirits and establishes its throne in the midst of us SECT V. §. 5 The Raign of the Spirit of the Lord the true DAVID BEsides this Israel chose David now Saul is dead for her King and Iudah and Israel have one King the Lord our Righteousness of which David was a Type shall rule over all where it was said Ye are not my people it shall be said Ye are the sons of the living God for they shall seek the Lord and fear his goodness in the latter days and be a long time without a King Priest or Prophet and then they shall turn to the Lord yea the Philistins also shall have the Lord our David for their King the Heathen shal be his Inheritance the Kings themselves shall be wise and come and kiss the Son David daunceth before the Ark and would appear more vile to Michal if that was vile in her eyes she being childless this is the glory of the Saints the Ark the Lord his Glory it s their song and daunces they sing after his Instruments and this joy of the Saints and spiritual daunces all within us leaps for joy Michal this barren dry flesh scorns all such things as Ishmael scoffed at Isaac so doth flesh the spirit David prayeth the Spirit prayeth Villany is condemned Innocency in Uriah protected Adulteries especially spiritual Adulteries mortified Nathans truth confessed Parables opened and applyed treacherous Absoloms incestuous Ammons Rebellious Shebaes cursing Shimeies all of them consumed hanged and beheaded being judged to death by the King of Righteouâ—nesse David But the Worthies the Ionathans and all the faithful in the Lord renowned and Davids choice is followed by all the Worthies rather to fall into the hands of the Lord then the hands of men and the plague fell upon all flesh and his blessing was still with his spirit CHAP. IX The eighth Book that God writes in Man is §. 1 the third Book of KINGS SOlomon is anointed King his mother asketh Abishag for her son Adoâ—ijah Solomon would have her ask for the Kingdom as soon Adonyah fled Davids Charge to his son Solomon Solomons wisdom given of God the Justice he did the two mothers about the child Solomons building the Temple his workmen his peace and plenty his own house his many wives his blessing and prayer his Kingdom divided Ieroboam King of Israel Rehoboam of Iudah Ieroboams Calves Rehoboams counsel from the young men refusing the old Ahabs wicked raign Elijahs power the people halting Baals Priests destroyed the prayer of Elijah heard the water dryed up the Heavens give rain at his prayer Ahabs false Prophets Ahab goes to battel but prospers not according as Micah said Now all these things are they not written in the Books of the Lord opened in Man which are the true Books of Israel There Solomon Christ Jesus the son of David sits upon the Throne of his Father David it is given to them for whom it is prepared and he that hath Abishag the Queen hath the Kingdom also so he that hath the Queen of Grace hath the Kingdom of Peace which here Solomons wisdom shews us The hunger and thirst after Righteousnesse the seeking the things of Christ and not our own the Kingdom of God and his Righteousnesse all other things are added to us this is the desire in the Saints the only necessary thing how to go in and out before the Lord how to live before him all his days Again The wisdom from above judgeth all things knows whose the living child is and whose the dead and knows that the Lord will have a living child My son give me thy heart and not a dead child or half a child to serve God and Mammon Solomon builds a Temple thus the Lord builds a Temple in us we are the buildings of the Holy Ghost the Temple of the Lord. SECT II. §. 2 A Kingdom divided cannot stand Christs is not divided THe Kingdome divided cannot stand Satans Kingdom divided must fall Christs is not divided neither can be yet many Kings and many Lords many men and means flesh and form divides Paul Apollo and Cephas they were divided in men but united in Christ and having several forms yet one Spirit but when we come to the unity of the Spirit then we shall say many Lords and Gods have ruled over us but to us now there is but one God and Lord the Father of all that is within us all And neither Jeroboams false Gods nor Rehoboams heavy finger nor folly in neglecting the old Councellors shal divide us but we shall walk together in the light of the Lord our God no Ahab shall raign amongst us nor Baals Priests trouble us but the power of the Lord in his Elijah shall be like fire out of their mouths to slay them and there shall be no halting any more between Baal and God Flesh and Spirit but the knowledg of the Lord shall increase and they shall serve the Lord alone they shall shut Heaven and open it the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven shall be given unto them and all Ahabs and Jezabels shall be given over to beleeve lyes till iniquity be their ruine seeing they refused to be instructed and would none of the Lords counsel the Lord will mock at their calamity and laugh when their fear cometh CHAP. X. The ninth Book that God writes in Man §. 1 is the fourth Book of KINGS THe fourth Book of Kings opened Fire from Elijah that consumes the Captain and his fifty Elijahs blessing upon Elisha Elijah taken up into Heaven Elisha received his Spirit divided the waters healed them maketh the Ax to swim visiteth the Shunamite blesseth her case is fed by a Raven Hezekiahs and Josiah's good raign all which we are the truth and substance of thus the Lord doth with us we are a fire and a flame to our enemies to burn up stubble before us and all that shall fall upon us shall be broken in pieces but on whomsoever we shall fall we shall grind them to powder we are to be taken up in the fiery Chariot of the Lords love burning like fire and let all our dross and flesh fall from us like dross to the earth like his Mantle and we have also received the spirit of Elisha in a double measure not only his Mantle but his Grace and Gods gracious presence not only to divide the waters and heal them but also to divide between Light and Darkness Heaven and Earth Flesh and Spirit Sweet and Bitter Good and Evil Day and Night and to turn the evil into good the night into day that they that sit in darkness and in
hearts and mourn but in the strange Land are we more strangers While we are present in the body we are absent from the Lord But when we shall absent from the body and be present with the Lord and not live by faith only but by sight when we shall not read of him nor hear of him only but when we shall see him face to face then shall our joy be full then we shall sing the song of Zion When we are entred into the joy of our Lord and Master when the day of the Lord is come the voyce of the Bride and of the Bridegroom is heard and the marriage of the Lamb is come then shall the Song be sung it is prepared for that day then shall the voyce of the Turtle be heard amongst us and the voyce of the Lord himself rejoycing over us And we rejoycing and singing in the Lord and in nothing else we shall sing O Lord our God how excellent is thy Name in all the world Let the Heavens praise thee O Lord yea let all the world give thanks unto thee yea let all things arise O Lord and call thee blessed SECT IX To sing with the Spirit and with §. 9 Vnderstanding THis made the Apostle say I will pray with the Spirit and with Understanding also I will sing with the Spirit and sing with Understanding also He then that hath not this spirit cannot sing with understanding he is as he that speaks in an unknown tongue a Barbarian except the Spirit interpret it 's but howling and no singing but where it s filled and enlarged with love where the Spirit of the Lord is heaped up and running over it must break forth and overflow it will not be hid it is like a fire in the bones like the sea at full tide like a full winde at sea filling the sails such is the powerful presence of God overshadowing us A Psalm THe Lord the Lord th' eternal God who lives and reigns to make us glad Our Psalms our Hymns our spirits songs our melodies in him alone We are his Organs and his Harps he tunes and plays upon our hearts He sings and makes most pleasant noise filling us full of mirth and joys A Hymn O Glory glory to the Lord his Name be blessed all abroad Our life mirth love and joys lives and lies in his glories A spiritual Song O Holy holy God on high Eternally Our melody Above the sky Never to dye But thus to cry Glory Glory To God on high Eternally Happy happy CHAP. XVI The fifteenth Book that God writes in Man is called PROVERBS SECT I. The Spirit that interprets secrets and §. 1 proverbs where it is and dwells ALL dark sayings mysteries secrets wonderful things deep and high sealed and concealed old and new there is a Spirit even the Spirit of the holy God which dwells in them that are gods which can reveal secrets expound parables finde out the pearl hid in the field and interpret dreams and hard sayings He that plows with this heifer shall finde out all these riddles and parables made plain in us And for the most part all these Proverbs without came from Wisdom and Understanding which dwelt in Solomon and spake these things from within SECT II. §. 2 The sum of this history of Proverbs spiritually in us in five particulars The Father God the Mother Wisdom the Son the Saint HEre is five things spoken of First The Father and that is the Lord God himself Secondly The Mother and that is Wisdom so she is called Wisdom is justified of her children which is Christ God the Father of Judgment Christ the Mother of Wisdom here is Judgment and Wisdom together Thirdly The Son that is here spoken of in the history of the Proverbs and that is the Childe of God the Christian or Saint that begotten Son that came from the bowels of Wisdom travelling with it and from the spirit of Judgment this is the Son that is so much admonished and taught of God every way it must needs be a wise Son that hath such Parents and it cannot stand in need of any thing that hath such a Father it must needs be brought up in the nurture and fear of the Lord filled with all wisdom and understanding A wise son saith Solomon is a joy to his mother but a foolish one is the sorrow of her heart So here Wisdoms children are a joy to her She can say Lord here am I and the children thou hast given me I had from thee thine they were and thou gavest them to me and I give them to thee again and my self with them Fourthly The strange woman and her sons the woman that flattereth with her lips and speaketh lies what is this woman but the world and the children of this woman but the children of the world This flesh that dwells in us is the strange woman and the woman that flattereth with her lips and betrays us tempting us to come in unto her and see what she hath prepared This is the Antichrist that lives in flesh and would feign her self a Prophetess and would have all turn in to her and drink of her fornications and eat of her idolatrous sacrifices which she hath prepared And all her sons are the brats of Babel the concupiscence or lust of the flesh 2. The lust of the eye and heart 3. The pride of life These three be her darlings and Delilahs that are nourished and brought up by her dayly the strange woman and her children Fifthly The enemies of Wisdom and these be called fools and scorners sinners and strangers these hate knowledg and reject the fear of the Lord She hath called and they would not answer yea cryed but they would not hear She hath prepared her table and her banquets and cryed in the high ways and concourse of people to come in to be her guests but they have all turned aside yea they hate her dainties and despise her counsels preferring with Esau a mess of pottage before either blessing or birth-right CHAP. XVII The sixteenth Book that God writes in Man is called ECCLESIASTES SECT I. The vanity of all things in the outward §. 1 man or world THe book of Ecclesiastes opened in Man Wherein you have the vanity of all earthly things discovered how this world and the fashion thereof perisheth all the fulness thereof exhausted her treasures corrupted her glory stained her riches moth-eaten her dwellings rotten her friends consuming her life dying and all her attire fading This is the state of this life this old world this outward man of ours the tabernacle that is groaning and burthened ready to be dissolved yea heaven and earth and all the creatures are the Apostle saith expresly groaning for the redemption and the manifestation of the sons of God The whole generation of the first Adam his whole kingdom and dominion the world wherein he ruled is all melting with fervent heat yea his more excellent things are vain his righteousness
wisdom knowledg learning arts sciences laughter and joy yea his whole study and practise yea all his sobriety chastity charity fortitude temperance patience there is vanity in it all Besides the things that are outward as his buildings stately possessions pleasant gardens and orchards all his precious substance his royal attendants his faring deliciously every day there is a deeper vanity upon these SECT II. §. 2 The earthly man is the vanity of vanities and the vexation of spirit ANd all this comes from man which is a bundle of vanity yea less then nothing vanity and vexation of spirit The vainest thing that is saith the Prophet is man that is the natural man the earthly man the imaginations of the thoughts of his heart are evil and that continually from his evil heart proceeds all evil for unto the defiled and unclean there is nothing pure or clean hut all he touches tastes or handles is defiled till he be cleansed within being like the lepers that infected all about them houses and walls So here O vain man the worst of all things in whom dwells no goodness nay he makes all other things vain but it is not so in the Kingdom of God nor in the World to come by Christ therein every soul that tasted and received of the Father sees nothing but excellency and everlasting comfort there is no vanity nor vexation of spitit there is nothing but holiness to the Lord there is durable riches and eternal mansions and no alteration or shadow of changing for all things are there of God c. CHAP. XVIII The seventeenth Book that God writes in Man is called The Song of SOLOMON SECT I. Christs Kisses and his Mouth what §. 1 they be CHrists Song and the Spouses Song The kisses are the Testimonies of the Spirit the manifestations of his presence His mouth are the divine oracles that breath into her the giving her the holy Spirit opening his mouth and breathing into her that spirit that may quicken her and teach her all things And kisses the more the better the running over of his spirit presence For thy loves His kisses are his love tokens Are better then wine The light of his countenance the least presence of him a kisse a look a touch a taste far beyond all the world SECT II. The oyntment poured out §. 2 THe savor of the good ointments poured forth This is Christs Fulnesse Grace Glory and Truth full of Grace and truth full of Spirit and Life this is then good ointment poured forth freely he hath received and freely he gives For of his fulness we all receive grace for grace Therefore do the Virgins love thee This is a pure undefiled love therefore called Virgins when it is begotten only by the pure ointments of Christ pouring forth and nothing else this is the fire that kindles it and the oyl that maintains it burns the purest flames admits of no mixture whatsoever but keeps it Virginity and chaste pure love for the Lord Christ and no other SECT III. What the Kings Chamber is to be brought §. there 3 DRaw me and we will run after thee They must needs run whom God draws and love will not only draw but constrain and it is the love shed abroad in us this anointing poured forth will ravish us and it s nothing but the inward anointing that draws the outward teaching is nothing without it The King hath brought me into his Chamber This is the place of Rest no where else no society else but the presence Chamber nay the bed Chamber of the King himself none of his Attendants will serve no other room but to live alone in him and in the same Chamber and glory with him and no other this anointing draws us thither We will be glad and rejoyce in thee This is the fulnesse of joy now she is in Heaven full of joy now and never till now can we be glad and rejoyce We will remember thy love more then wine the upright love thee We shall never part more I am brought to his Chamber but nothing can draw me hence again Come let us take our fill of love and forget all sorrow and enmity remember nothing but love alone and no love but thine that is the love that makes us forget all things else and love thee above all things to live with thee SECT IV. What the blackness and the comeliness is §. 4 4 I Am black but comely O ye daughters of Jerusalem It is not the outside the form the image or shadaw you are to look at that is black indeed but all my comelinesse is in Christ it is in the Lord he is my Beauty and Splendor my Wisdom Righteousnesse Sanctification and Redemption but I am black my flesh and nothing but blackness and darkness from it this I was but the other I am now this I have put off the other is put on Nay I am black you may think and call it so it may be so to you black heresie blasphemy and yet it may be comely to me it may be judged black by men and yet be approved of God for that which they call heresie so worship I the God of my fathers SECT V. §. 5 What the brothers are angry at and what is the keeping of other Vineyards and not the true Vineyard 5 LOok not upon me because I am black because the Sun hath looked upon me That is you are my friends and have accounted me your brother you now look scornfully upon me casting me out of your Synagogue because the Sun hath looked upon me and the Lord hath anointed me and enlightened me above my fellows envy me not for that neither look at that which is outward but at that which is inward for all my glory and excellency is not in me but in the Lord God that lives with me My mothers children were angry with me We that were one and agreed in one when we lived both in the flesh are now angry at me since I have lived in the Spirit You my own mothers children that have one Mother Nature and Country go about to kill and crucifie me they would sell me away do any thing with me betray me into the hands of all my enemies they are set spitefully against me as they did Joseph and Christ and Abel at the beginning and all because their works are evil and mine good they see the Lord is with me and blesses me They made me the keeper of the Vineyards but my own Vineyard have I not kept That is while I ruled others was set over us and had a glory and preheminence in the flesh above others teaching them and governing them I my self in the mean time became a cast-away and I received honor that came from men but not from God and I was sent of them and called by them and ruled as a man but I was not called by God I condemned that in others which I found in my self I lived according to
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
like a shepherd not on Commons but by the rivers of waters He watches over them day and night so that not one of them is lost If one of the ninety nine stray he gathers it in again and with his rod and his staff he comforts them SECT XXIII §. 23 The flock of Christ hath a place to lie down in THere remains yet a Rest for the people of God a place to lie down in safety When none shall make them afraid when there shall be no Fox nor Wolf nor Lion nor Bear nor any thing to do hurt in all his holy mountain saith the Lord this is the time of refreshing that we look for from the presence of the Lord for it is he alone that maketh us to lie down in safety and rise again he susteins us it is he that maketh us to feed and to lie down and to rest at noon SECT XXIV Satan hath his flock also §. 24 FOr why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions As Christ hath his Way his Truth his Life his Love his Light his Spirit and Kingdom so hath the Devil his flock his ways his rest his spirit and kingdom but one contrary to the other But the Lords Spirit shall lead us into all Truth Thus the Devil can turn himself into an Angel of light and make himself God and be worshipped as God sitting in the room of God this is the great mystery of iniquity Indeed many think they be Angels of light when once they be but outwardly transformed whereas indeed they are devils still onely transformed a devil in the spirit speaking lyes c. SECT XXV §. 25 Though we know not many things yet we are fair IF thou know not O thou fairest among women If any soul want wisdom let him ask it of me that give to all liberally and uphraid none We may know many things and be ignorant of many other there is more unknown of God then well known The Lord knows us far better then we know him If we be out of the way he is so ready to put us in If we fall too willing to help us up if weak to strengthen us and if backwards to draw us in all things the Lord is prepared for our good and it is no shame for poor souls to confess their ignorance that the Lord may instruct them then to be puffed up and think our selves wise enough when we know nothing SECT XXVI §. 26 Who is like to thee O Israel for fairness and beauty O Thou fairest amongst women Here is Christs soul-love after her We may see the glory and beauty of the Church the Lords people above any other whatsoever Rev. 12. having crowns of Stars clothed with the Sun gut about with a golden Girdle the Moon under her feet so comely and fair we are in his eyes even without spot or wrinkle or any such thing I have compared thee for fairness to the stately Horses in Pharaohs Charets I am this Pharaoh Heaven is the Charet you are the Horses that carry and bear my Kingdome and Glory about with you I ride upon you and conquer in you and by you SECT XXVII §. 27 Thy cheeks neck and feet comely all over YOur cheeks how fair are they and comely with rows of jewels and thy neck with chains of gold This is all glory in the Spirit and the beauty of the Lord dwelling with us his face shining on us nay we will have saith the Lord nay make thee also borders of gold all thy garments shall be glorious nay thy borders shall be gold with studs of silver What is this but glorious from the crown of the head even to the lowest border and sole of the foot SECT XXVIII §. 28 The exceeding great beauty and delight that is in the Saints through the Lord their God THy spikenard and sweet spices when the Lord thy King sitteth at his table within thy heart and spirit coming to sup with thee for joy thereof sendeth such sweet smells delighteth the Lord who will not only feed at his table but rest all the night and be like a bundle of myrrhe between thy brests and thus thou shalt be satisfied with his abundance of love and also a cluster of Camphire in the vineyards of Engedi Behold thus thou art fair and haâ—â— doves eyes so chaste pure and lovely and exceeding pleasant to look upon the King delighteth in thee Thy bed is also green still flourishing and ripe a continual spring is upon thy cheeks Thy house and dwellings behold they are eternal in the Heavens Thy beams are Cedars and thy rafters Fir thy windows chrystals thy gates pearls thy pavement gold thy walls precious stones thy coverings salvation thy bed peace thy fire the Lords love thy garden the Lords presence thy walks the Lords unsearchable wisdom and art thou not then fair even the fairest amongst women this then is most true we are the building of God SECT XXIX The Rose and the Lilly and the Apple tree §. 29 WE are the roses of Sharon and the lillies of the valleys the pleasant flowers of the Lord for sweetness fairness and pleasantness And as the lillies amongst thorns so are we the Lords loves and lillies amongst the daughters excelling them and the lillies shall grow notwithstanding the thorns and among the thorns appear the more comely a lilly among the daughters and an apple tree amongst the sons Christ is the apple tree and the Christian the lilly Christ the son and the Lilly the daughter and both from one father and thus they be sister and brother husband and wife The Lilly sits down under his shadow with great delight and his fruits are pleâ—sant to her taste this is nothing else but the time of the weâ—kness of the Spouse living under shadows forms and signs and the Lord even makes them fruitful to her and she sits down there with great delight till the Lord raise her up higher SECT XXX §. 30 The soul brought from the shadow to the banquetting house the substance ANd from thence the soul is brought higher as first it was a Rose then a Lilly then in the Valley then amongst thorns then sitting undâ—r the apple tree under the shadow of that fruit or creature and that with delight in all and bearing fruit in all but now is brought to the Lords banquetting house and after that under his banner for his banner over me was love Now she is exalted indeed passing from fear to love from Sinai to Sion This is a banquetting house indeed from sitting under the shadow of an applâ— tree to the ministration of the Spirit is to be brought from the shadow to the substance from darkness to light a banquetting house the nearer we are brought to the Lord God SECT XXXI §. 31 And having once tasted of the Lords love she counts flagons of wine was one love and apples also and not leaves now can comfort a soul STay me with
flagons comfort me with apples for I am sick with love His left hand is under my head and his right hand doth embrace me This banquetting house makes her so sick of love she is so ravished there with more Glory from the Lord that she cries out More Glory Lord more Grace more Wine more Love whole flagons to quench my thirst I am so tormented with love after me Oh â—tay me with flagons of wine and comfort me with apptes No more shadows now but fruits it is not the sitting under the shadow of the tree but eating the apple this is the pleasant fruit indeed this is Christ and his Spirit For it is not the knowledg of Christ in the flesh can profit us any thing we may sit there long enough but Christ in the Spirit is the fruit that must comfort us O comfort me with this this healing and balm to my sick soul and nothing else SECT XXXII §. 32 The left and right hand of the Lord about us I Charge you O ye daughters of Jerusalem by the Roes and by the Hindes of the field that ye stir not up nor awake my love till he please Here she is at rest in a sweet calm not wounded but comforted not sick but well the Lord is embracing her with both hands Heaven and earth about her Christ and his Spirit with hâ—r Grace and Glory on her these be the two hands left and right embracing her Form and Power And now I am layd at rest and the Lord is at his rest awake him not till he please he is my love stir him not disturb not my peace grieve not my spirit awake not my soul SECT XXXIII §. 33 The Lord living by degrees from weakness unto strength in us THe voyce of my beloved behold he is coming over hils and mountains leaping and skipping The Lord is risen and ascended and comes again he hath absented himself but is now drawing nigh to me he hath hid his face for a moment but with everlasting love will he return unto me he is coming Yet a little while he that should come will come and will not tarry His first coming was in Flesh but his second will be in Power and Spirit His first was low in the Valley dark and obscure his second shall be in brightness every eye shall see him he shall come leaping over the mountains and hills that before concealed him they shall now be all under his feet all this in us SECT XXXIV § 34 He will stand no more behind the wall door or the window THe voyce of my beloved He speaks as he comes the voyce prepares for him My beloved is like a Roe or a young Hart he stands behind the wall looking forth at the window shews himself through the lattess This is the Child Jesus coming and it shews the degrees of his coming growing up still dayly First his voyce comes then he stands at the door and knocks and then he breaks the wall of partition and all the windows glass that he makes use of and the walls also that he stands behind and the windows or ministrations that are more clear he appears in them a while but at last appears nakedly in himself stript of all these robes and sweet attire in the brightnesse of his Spirit which is far best of all and this is our beloved and thus we look for him he is now at the windows SECT XXXV The Lord calling his love to come away §. 35 ARise my love my fair one come away This is through the window also the Lord calling his love out of the window and draws her nigh to himself and not to stand at that distance Arise my love stay not there arise go on come to me my love my fair one come away how do I long for thy possession and to enjoy thee wholy for my self I will prepare the way also for thee The Winter is gone the rain and the cold is over the heart of stone removed the flowers appear in the earth I have put my desire in thee the time of the singing of birds is come and the voyce of the Turtle is heard in our Land My Spirit is singing to thee chanting of thee and my Turtle it mourns for want of thee and I cannot be at rest without thee Arise my love my fair one therefore and come away SECT XXXVI §. 36 The Lord loves to bring his people out of the clefts of the Rock to see his face O My Dove that art in the clefts of the Rock in the secret place of the stairs let me see thy countenance let me hear thy voyce for sweet is thy voyce and thy countenance comely Now the Lord is exalting and raising up his people indeed they that are in the clefts of the Rock in the secret places of the stairs that is such as are yet weak and tender ashamed to come before the Lords presence and see him as he is but as Moses run to the Rock and the clefts of the Rock and there behold him only his back parts but the Lord would have them appear with an open face before him and see face to face the Lord longs to see our countenance and to hear our voyce for its sweet and comely to behold us living in God how doth the Lord delight in the prosperity of his servants SECT XXXVII §. 37 The Foxes that spoil the Vines TAke us the foxes the little foxes that spoil the vines for our vines have tender grapes These foxes are such as Christ speaks of The foxes have holes and the birds of the air nests but the Son of man no where to lay his head These birds and foxes are nothing else but the unclean fowls and the birds of prey and the unclean beasts that lodg in us even in our flesh there they live till the Lord takes them and destroys them not only the great foxes but the little ones also not the least vanity shall be suffered to remain in us for the flesh persecutes the spirit and spoils the vines nay the tender vines the fruits of the Lords Spirit in us for the Flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the Flesh SECT XXXVIII §. 38 My beloved is mine and I am his MY beloved is mine and I am his he feedeth amongst the lillies Now the foxes are gone here is nothing but love and joy My beloved is mine and I am his though the foxes prevailed much yet I thank God through the Lord Jesus Christ by whom I have obtained the victory Here is a community of all things what I have he hath and what he hath I have all things common He was made sin for us that knew no sin that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him This is the ministry of Reconciliation given to us who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ So that as the Apostle saith to the wife her body is not hers but the mans and to the man
is all this but the good work of the Lord upon his We are his Vineyard the Lord God is the Husbandman Christ the Vine We the Branches the Spirit the Fruits the Lords Grace the fruitful Hill the Lords Peace the Hedg and Wall the Lords Power the Tower Righteousness his Vine Love his Winepress and this is watched and watered from Heaven and gives always increase abounding with fruits to the Lord. But as for the flesh and earthly man the corrupt nature formerly the Lords Vineyard when he leaves it O what is it Nay the very best of us if the Lord absent himself take away the hedg wall vine winepress then what a miserable thing is man then he minds nothing but earthly things woe unto him when I leave him Woe to him that joyns house to house then thâ—t is his treasure making provisions for the flesh that is his feasts but hell and darkness opens her mouth wide and is enlarged her self and all their pomps and glory descend thither SECT VIII §. 8 The second Vision of the Throne and of the Temple and him that sits there A Second Vision from the Lord There was a mighty high Throne and it was lifted up gloriously and the Lord sate upon the Throne high and lifted up and there was a Temple also the Throne was in the Temple where the Lord sate and the Lords train filled the Temple also full of Glory and above the Throne and about it stood the Seraphims and every one had six wings with two he covered his face with two his feet and with other two he did fly and as they fled they cryed one to another Holy holy holy is the Lord of Hosts the whole earth is full of his glory And moreover the voyce that cryed was so great that it shook and moved the posts of the door of the Temple and the house was filled with smoak and it shook and terrified the Prophet also that he cryed out I am undone I am undone I am unclean all over and as I cried thus I am undone for mine eyes have seen the King the Lord of Hosts that then the Lord of Hosts sent a Seraphim to me that came flying with a live coal taken from off the Altar with the tongs in his hand and he came and laid it upon my mouth and took away with it my iniquity purging away sin and cleansing my lips then saying to me Who will go for us whom shall I send And I said here am I Lord send me and the Lord said Go and shew this people what thou hast seen make their hearts fat and ears heavy and shut their eyes for they understand not and do so long till the Land be utterly desolate for a remnant only shall be left like an oak whose leaves are dryed up and the substance in the root so shall the holy seed be the substance thereof SECT IX §. 9 The Lord ruling in the midst of his people judging all within and without in Righteousness NOw what is all this that the Vision means but the Lord God coming to Judgment and sitting upon the Throne of Righteousness which is high and lifted up to rule the Nations and judg the Earth in Righteousness and inasmuch as the Throne was lifted up in the Temple which Temple are we in the Lord there God hath his Throne in the midst amongst us and none other and from thence he will send forth Justice and Judgment that shall run along the streets of the Cities and Countries but there shall his Throne be and what are the Seraphims but the ministring spirits from the Lord praising the Lord and fulfilling his Word crying Holy holy holy continually and what is the train that fills the Temple are not we in the Lord or are not all his Excellencies Grace Power Wisdom Truth Mercy Love Peace are they not his train that fills the Temple of the Saints All his Attributes Blessings Comforts Gifts Graces are his train and to the filling of the Temple and from thence he sends whom he will from the Temple where he is into the Land to convince them of sin righteousness and judgment c. SECT X. §. 10 Rezin and Remaliah 's sons confederacy their tails and evil counsel like fire-brands THis is is a Prophesie now of Rezin the Syrian King and Remaliahs son the Ephraimite being Confederates and taking evil counsel against the Lord and his people in Jerusalem saying Let 's go up and vex it make a breach in it and set a King over it of our own or else destroy it This news made the house of David Judah Jerusalem faint for fear like the trees moved with the wind because of the tails of these two fire-brands raging against them but the Lord sends the Prophet with a message to comfort them and not to fear for he will break destroy them both their evil councel shall not stand nor prosper and the Lord sent them a sign also either in heaven or earth which they refusing the Lord himself gave them a sign saying Behold a Virgin shall conceive and bring forth a Son shall call his name Emmanuel and then the Land and the enemy that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her Kings if thou believest this thou shalt be established and weary not the Lord as ye have wearied men This is the will of the Lord that though the heathen rage and the people imagine a vain thing and the Kings and the Princes take counsel together against the Lord and his anointed Judah and Jerusalem the house of David the Lords heritage and people yea though all the enemies of our salvation and all the host that flesh and blood can make against us should compass us round about yet the counsel of the Lord that shall stand and he will comfort his people and say unto them their sins are forgiven and their warfare accomplished and they shall receive double for all their miseries and this shall be their sign the Virgin conceiving and Christs forming in them shall be the Emmanuel God with them to deliver them out of all the hands of their enemies and establish them a glory to the Lord. SECT XI §. 11 The waters of Shiloah or the soft and still voyce condemned by most and Rezin followed the Law and Testimony where to be found THe people that refuse the waters of Shiloah that go softly and rejoyce in Rezin and Remaliahs son the Lord shall hiss for the Fly that is in the river of Egypt and for the Bee in the Land of Assyria and they shall devour thy Land and the mighty river shall overflow thee and reach even to the neck and the lifting up of his wings shall fill thy Land O Emmanuel yet Emmanuel shall break you all in pieces though you associate confederate and band your selves never so much yet the Lord God himself whom they sanctifie and who is their dread shall be their Sanctuary to them but for a stumbling for a
and the earth removed out of its place yea thy children dashed in peeces thy young men thrust thorrow houses spoiled women ravished and a man shall be as precious as gold yea as fine as the gold of Ophir And this Babylon the glory of the whole earth and all flesh comprehended in it shall be overthrown as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah SECT XVII §. 17 Israel ruling over her oppressors BUt my people Israel shall rule over their oppressors they shall be their servants in the Lords land and their captives Babylon is fallen is fallen the Lord hath broken the staff of the wicked and the scepter of rulers He that smote is broken and none delivereth her The whole earth is at rest and quiet they break forth into singing now Babylon is fallen Hell is moved for thee saying Art thou come to the dead Earth is troubled for that is thy pomp in the grave the worms spread over thee and cover thee this is Lucifer fallen from heaven the man of sin or the mystery of iniquity working in us setting up it self as God till the power of the Lord thus overthrows it as Sodom though an Eden to flesh SECT XVIII Moabs destruction also §. 18 MOab layd waste and brought to silence weeping and baldness with sackcloth their waters desolate hay witheâ—ed grass fading and no green thing found therein there is no cry but destruction Moab shall be as a wandring bird cast out of her nest now the Lord shall inherit all things and the foxes no where to lay their heads thy harvest vineyards and wine-press ceaseth all their mirth howlings her glory contemptible but she shall be weary of her pride and high places or idols and come to the sanctuary to prevail SECT XIX Fat things made lean and high things low §. 19 THe farness of Damascus Syria and all flesh made lean and feeble ready to dye it s made so thin and small great things made low and small ones great Then when all flesh thus ceaseth a man shall have his eyes to his Maker and not to the Altar Groves or Images the works of our hands thus the Lord will turn them Woe to the multude of many people that make a noise like the sea and do rage the Lord will still and quiet them And blessed shall the poor peeled scattered people be that shall bring a present to the Lord whose Land hath been spoiled and they meted out and troden under foot they shall be raised up saith the Lord. SECT XX. §. 20 Egypt Assyria and Israel shall be made one by the Lords blessing EGypt melted and her idols at the presence of the Lord for he is riding on a swift cloud into Egypt and will set Egyptian against Egyptian Brother against Brother City against City and Kingdom against Kingdom and their familiar spirits and counsel shall fall their brooks be dried up their sisters lament and they that work curious works Pharaohs wise counsellers bruitish they know not the Lords purpose of Egypt and the land of the Lord Judah shall be a terror to Egypt and the counsel of the Lord therein torment her yet the Lord shall prevail over five of her Cities to turn to the Lord and shall speak Canaans language and there shall be the Lords Altar therein and his Pillar to be for a witness to the Lord to save them from all oppressors and the Lord shall be known in Egypt the Lord will smite and heal them and Assyria shall be as Egypt both one and Isrâ—el shall be the third with Egypt and Assyria and a blessing to them both And then the Lord shall say Blessed be Egypt my son or people and Assyria the work of my hands and Israel mine inheritance SECT XXI §. 21 The whole Earth dissolving and burning BEhold the Lord maketh the earth empty and waste he turns it upside down and scatters the inhabitants thereof he spares none Priest or People servant or lord poor or great Thus the world languishes and the haughty people fade away the earth is broken down dissolved and moved exceedingly yea the whole earth reels to and fro like a drunken man and the high ones and Kings of the earth shall perish they shall be gathered to the pit like prisoners their Moon shall be confounded their Sun ashamed when they shall see the Lord reigning in Mount Sion and Jerusalem before his ancients gloriously SECT XXII §. 22 The feast of fat things PRaise the Lord for his wonderful things faithfulness and truth his counsells for making the strong weak and being a strength to the poor and needy a refuge and a shadow from heat and storm and in the Lords Mountain his people he will make a feast of fat things unto all people of wine and marrow and fat things full of joy but the covering the vail yea death and all tears and the reproach of my people shall be destroyed this is the Lord we have waited for him we will be glad in him and rejoyce in his salvation SECT XXIII The strong City whose Wall and Bulwarks §. 23 are Salvation IN that day this Song shall be sung We have a strong City Salvation will God appoint for Walls and Bulwarks the Gates open for the righteous Nation to enter in and perfect peace shall be therein for they trust in thee in Jehovah God is everlasting strength thou weighest the path of the upright in the way of thy judgments have we waited on thee for when thy judgments are in the earth they will learn righteousness let favor be shewed to the wicked yet they will not learn thy hand is lifted up but they will not see but they shall see and thou shalt ordain peace for us for thou hast wrought all our works for us we have been in travel before thee Lord we have brought forth little but wind but if thou sayst the word that our dead men shall live and with thy dead body shall arise Awake and sing ye that dwell in the dust for thy dew is as the dew of the herbs and the earth shall cast out the dead Come my people enter thou into thy chamber and shut thy door for a little moment until the indignation be overpast SECT XXIV The Leviathan slain §. 24 THe Leviathan and the Dragon in the Sea and the piercing Serpent shall the Lord slay and my vineyard of red wine I the Lord will keep and water every moment night and day Israel shall blossom like a bud and fill the earth with fruit and they that are ready to perish in Assyâ—ia and the outcasts of Israel shall come to worship the Lord in mount Zion SECT XXV §. 25 Against pride and drunkenness THe crown of pride the drunkards of Ephraim shall be troden under foot and the Lord shall be their Crown of Glory and Beauty being filled with the Spirit yet many have erred in vision and stumble in vision through strong drink Whom shall the Lord teach knowledg them that are weaned
the Flesh be so beautiful what is his Head then which is Christ justified in Spirit If the Feet of his Humanity be such what think you must the Head and Heart of his Divinity be SECT LIV. Thy God reigneth in the Zion of Saints §. 54 THe only glad tydings is this to all Zion Thy God reigneth This is their greatest joy and without which all other joys are soon quenched This is the Day of Salvation Redemption Remission Justification Sanctification and all blessedness the acceptable year and Jubile of the Lord and his Zion then when their God reigns and where must he reign not only in heaven and in earth but in men in the midst amongst us then is his Kingdom come and Will done on earth as it is in heaven when thy God reigneth O Zion SECT LV. §. 55 How thy God doth set thee apart and how though thy outward man be vile yet the inward glorious DEpart ye depart ye shall the Lord then say get ye out from hence and touch no unclean thing I have received you go out of the midst of her and be altogether in my holiness and live in me for I will lead you and go before you and be your rereward and come behind you so that nothing shall come nigh you but my self I will compass you so about and deal so prudently with you that I shall only be exalted and extolled amongst you and though his outward form and visage in whom I dwell be so base and marred by reproaches more then any other in the world yet I will stop the mouths of Kings for their sakes and my glory shall break forth in the midst of them and that which had not been told them by flesh and blood shall they see by the Spirit of my Father and that which they had not heard neither could they believe shall they now know and be fully satisfied in and all this shall be in the day that thy God raigneth in Zion SECT LVI The Arm of the Lord. §. 56 THe Arm and Strength of the Lord are we in the Lord and it is revealed to us in Christ who is this Arm of the Lord indeed and we cannot but report so the Lord is with us and his Arm upon us when it is so indeed when the Arm of the Lord goes along with the report and indeed how can we that have been saved and healed by the Lord and his Arm but go about testifying what great things the Lord hath done for us and magnifie his name and declare his goodness whether they will believe it or not I am constrained to report it to prepare his way SECT LVII §. 57 The plant growing up out of a dry ground with sorrow to the flesh and the world but with joy to the Lord his Spirit in Saints ANd this Arm of the Lord as it is revealed and comes that way before it can be reported by us flesh and blood reveals it not but our Father which is in Heaven so it grows up as a tender plant of the Lords own planting Christ planted in us grows up like a plant and takes root from the Father and brings forth his branches and fruits in the dry ground of our nature in our sinful state poor barren flesh and when this tender plant Christ Jesus grows up it shall be at first in weakness without form or comeliness after the flesh nay without beauty that you should desire him after the flesh for he comes to crucifie flesh and blood in us and therefore the natural man will despise him hide his face and not esteem him for the plant of the Lord will be a man of sorrow and grief to his flesh as the Lord Jesus was to the Jews in his day And further this Arm of the Lord will bear all our griefs and sorrows all our smitings strikings and afflictings of God and men besides the principalities and powers of Satan which dwel with us it will bear them all yea the wounds of our transgressions and the bruises of our iniquities wounding and bruising him he heals them all and overcomes them reconcileing us to God slaying the enmity taking away the wall of partition becomes a Mediator between God and us uniting us in one SECT LVIII §. 58 The Lamb that opens not his mouth but by suffering overcomes THis arm of the Lord findes us lost and going astray like sheep out of his way and turns us into the way and leads in the way of righteousness bearing all our iniquity both in the way and out of the way that lies upon us it s the Lords pleasure to remove them that they lie not in our way nor keep us from the way nor turn us out of the way and as a Lamb so opens he not his mouth though oppressed afflicted smitten and slaughtered but by patient suffering overcomes all and is glorified over all and is taken out of prison and from judgment and who shall declare his generation for when he was oppressed and smitten he was in prison in flesh but when the Lord rises in us and leads us captive after him then he is out of prison and destroys flesh he is not here in prison he is risen SECT LIX §. 59 Christ makes his grave with the wicked and the rich in his death BUt this Lamb though he lies in the prison of flesh and is in the wicked as in a grave buried and imprisoned yet there he will rise and as his grave is with the rich that have righteousness but not from the Lord he rises amongst them so that the Lord makes his grave in his death with the wicked and the rich and makes them both one in his death and buried with him into his death and lie with him in his grave and rise with him in the Spirit by making wicked and rich both happy in himself alone SECT LX. What it is to have the pleasure of the Lord §. 60 for to prosper in his or in our hand IT pleased the Lord to bruise his Son and so his Saints often to put them to grief in the flesh that they might rejoyce in the Spirit and to sow that seed in them that might prolong their days and to let them see the seed of his soul and love and the seed of their soul joy and praises and so to have the pleasure of the Lord to prosper in their hands as it did in Christs and to have the Lords pleasure to prosper in the hands of Christ and no other hands for it cannot if taken out of his hands all decays and withers every branch or work but in him is all fruit and prosperity found the pleasure of the Lord is he and the pleasure of the Lord is his work and way and it is to save sinners to dye for sinners call sinners justifie sinners and to make them Saints and sons the soul of the living God blameless harmless glorious beautiful all over this is the pleasure of the Lord nay
hungry He is water to the weak milk to the faint wine to the strong and yet one and the same Lord God that gives water milk and wine and this he doth in the revealing of himself more or less to us And do but observe the Lords sweet grace in calling us to this feast or banquet that he hath prepared for us Ho every one that thirsteth taste how good and gracious the Lord God is taste of his after all when thou hast drunk many waters and tasted much wine and eat the milk of many creatures that have stollen away thy heart then do but come to this living water after all and indeed if we knew the gift of God and the vertue of this water and who it is that calls us to come to drink we should say Lord give me evermore of this water or else I dye and that I may never thirst again but as long as we have any cisterns Jacobs wells or any such creature wisdom or broken vessel we are apt to forsake the living fountain but after all when all that fails us and cannot quench our tongue enflamed nor cool it nor give us the least comfort then shall we fly to the rock where we are comforted SECT LXIX §. 69 Three things to be observed here more especially on the best wine kept last DO but consider these two things here First The Lord invites us to the waters and then to the milk and after to the wine first to thirsting then to buying without mony and lastly to eating so tender carefull and wise is the Lord to us weaning us by degrees from grace to grace and strength to strength becoming all things to all to win soul◠And the second thing is to remember the Governor of the feast in the marriage of Cana that after all the bad wine was drunk commended the water turned to wine by Christ above all that ever he drank before and demanded why he kept the good wine till now so is it in the way of the Lord here when men have drunk their fill and tasted and filled themselves with the creatures if the Lord makes them but to thirst after this water and wine and give them to drinking they shall also say as this Governor here Lord God this is the water and the wine indeed all that ever I did drink before is nothing to this thou hast kept the best last And also do but observe one thing more The best things are best cheap this water is not to be purchased with mony the gift of God comes not that way No no our mony and mony-worth and all such things perish it is free and full and the Lord gives it liberally and upbraids none SECT LXX §. 70 That which is bread and satisfieth and is good and delights the soul and makes it live and prosper in fatness is from the Lord alone HEarken diligently unto me I am the Lord thy God that will help and have mercy on thee and shew thee what is good I will not give thee stones for bread nor serpents for fish neither will I take thee or thy mony thy labor or strength or any such thing to deceive thee but I will out of my love to thee and bowels of compassion knowing this thou art deceived I will give thee bread indeed content and sufficiency of all things that which is bread and that which satisfied which is my grace and peace Hearken therefore unto me alone and take what I shall give thee my water my wine and my milk it is mine and its water of life milk from my everlasting brests my own comforts from my heart my Wine and Spirit it is all good exceeding good the riches of my goodness taste it it will delight thy soul strengthen thy heart enlighten thy eyes and revive thy spirits its fatness indeed its hony and marrow it will make thee fat and fair and well-liking thy soul shall prosper by it and delight it self in fatness with it I will be all this to thee and you shall live in the fatness and fulness of all things if thou wilt live with me thou shalt no more labor in vain nor spend mony in vain after those things that perish but I will take thee to my self in Covenant stature life spirit even an everlasting Covenant the sure mercies of David I will deal in mercy with thee and no other way even from henceforth for ever I will make thee live in peace and happiness and live and feed walk and stand and lie down for ever in sure mercies this shall be thy habitation for ever and I will be thy labor and mony for ever that is thy riches and strength am I and thy exceeding great reward SECT LXXI Christ the true Witness and Leader to §. 71 the People ANd behold your light shall so shine before men that they shall see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in heaven I will give Christ to be the true and faithful Witness in you to the world and your Leader and Commander in all your goings out and comings in to glorifie me in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation and you shall have no other Witness no less a Witness of my Covenant and sure mercies with thee then the Son and Spirit of mercy himself Christ your Lord my Witness in you SECT LXXII §. 72 The people that know thee not shall run after thee for the Lord hath glorified thee in their eyes and their thoughts and ways shall be as the Lords thoughts and ways are BEhold again I will not only give them water wine milk and all manner of good things but I will satisfie them make them delight in fatness they shall live with me I will make also an everlasting Covenant with them I will be their Witness in all things to justifie them and comfort them and to discern between good and evil in them and moreover I will call whole Nations that thou knowest not to bear witness to thee and to follow thee for they hear and see that the Lord thy God is with thee and they that know not thee shall run after thee because of the savor of thy good ointments and they shall come into thy chambers and have fellowship with thee for their fellowship shall be with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ so because of the Lord thy God they shall be drawn and because of the holy One of Israel for he hath glorified thee therefore shall they glorifie thee and be glorified together in the Lord also with thee and so shall seek and worship the Lord in one glory for the Lord their God hath found them and therefore they return to him and seek him and is found of them and appears nigh unto them so they cannot but call upon him and he again upon them he calls the sinners to repentance the wicked to forsake his evil way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and to turn to the
Lord for he will have mercy on them and to them that call him the Lord their God for he can and will and none else abundantly pardon them and though your thoughts and ways and mine be as far distant as heaven and earth and as far below me yet I will make your thoughts mine and your ways mine you shall think as I think and say as I say and live as I live and in every thing do as I do agree in mind spirit and judgment with me think of your selves and ways as I do think of you and think of me and my ways according as I think of my self and think of others and their ways as I do and then though my thoughts before were in heaven so high yours on earth so low yet now you shall no more be in earth but in heaven with me and in earth with me and in both like me SECT LXXIII The Word that comes from Gods Mouth shall prosper in what it is sent §. 73 NAy furthermore I will pour out my Rain and my Snow my Spirit and my Word from my heavenly Glory upon you that are like the earth sinful and carnal and my Spirit and Word shall not return in vain it shall water you and make you fruitful and bring forth seed to the sower and bread to the eater for as it came out of my Mouth as from heaven so it shall descend in the heart of the earth and plow up the fallow grounds and sow in righteousness and reap in joy it shall accomplish that whereto I sent it and prosper in the thing I take in hand it shall make you bring forth and go out in joy and be led forth in peace the mountains and hills shall break forth into singing and the trees of the fields clap their hands for joy for high and low rich and poor shall praise the Lord no thorns but fir trees no bryers but mirtle trees and it shall be to the Lord for an everlasting sign of praise never to end SECT LXXIV §. 74 No man is just but he to whom Salvation is come BLessed is the man that keepeth judgment for judgment shall keep him and that doth justice for that shall preserve him for to him my Salvation is come the Salvation of the Lord and to him my Righteousness is revealed blessed is the man that hath this and that layeth hold on it for he shall keep the Sabbath from polluting it and serve the Lord he shall keep a rest a holy day for ever to the Lord he shall do no evil neither shall any iniquity be found in his hand SECT LXXV §. 75 The stranger and the Eunuch joyned to the Lord and made sons and heirs to God THe stranger and the Eunuch that are joyned to the Lord shall be sons and heirs neither shall they say we are separated from the Lord any more nor from his people but are united to them nor shall the Eunuch say any more he is a dry tree but the Lord God who joyned himself to them and given them his Spirit even the Spirit of Holiness and Rest to keep a Sabbath within them God will give them a place and a habitation within his house and a name better then of sons and daughters even heirs and an everlasting name that shall never be cut off I will bring them to my holy Mountain and make them my House of Prayer and I will rejoyce in them and accept of all their burnt-offerings and meat-offerings upon my Altar and my House shall be called The House of Prayer for all people though their watchmen be blind and dumb dogs yet I will be their Watchman saith the Lord. SECT LXXVI §. 76 The righteous man perisheth but not his righteousness yet none lays it to heart THe righteous man perisheth though his righteousness endures for ever yet none lays him or his righteousness to heart nor considereth his death or his life and he and his righteousness is taken from the evil to come for what hath righteousness to do with unrighteousness or light with darkness So he is taken from men to God and shall enter in his peace and lie down in his bed of rest and walk for ever in his righteousness But the sinful and wicked man he perisheth not but lives and prospers in the world for a moment but yet his triumph is short this is the Adulterer and the Adulteress and her whorish brood that make a wide mouth speaking blasphemy false children full of iniquity sporting themselves with vanities and inflamed with idols in every place in valleys and hills and hast joyned to another and enlarged thy bed and hast not at all remembred the Lord nor laid him to thy heart for these lovers and lusts have stollen away thy heart thy vanity shall take thee away and none shall deliver thee but they that trust in me shall be delivered and inherit rest in my Land quietly SECT LXXVII The Lord will dwell in Holiness both on §. 77 high and below NAy further Thus saith the Lord to them that fear him whose name and nature is holy and his dwellings in eternity holy that wheresoever he is he makes all things holy and like him if he dwell above or beneath in heigth or in depth in rich or in poor in high or low strong or weak fathers or babes which is called the high and holy place or in the humble and contrite yet he is Holiness in all estates and degrees and revives the heart and spirit of the humble and creates peace also in all their borders both to them a far off and to them nigh at hand neither wil I contend in wrath for ever least I should destroy the souls that I have made but I have seen his ways and will heal and restore comfort to the mourners and peace where there is no peace SECT LXXVIII §. 78 The sin and iniquity of Jacob the Fast that is the Lords the good and acceptable day that he chuses how we must love one another and walk in the light and not in darkness as the Lord doth to us THe Lords people even the house of Jacob have their sins and transgressions as well as others and the cry of the Lord is loud against them he will not spare them above all they shall see it and these be their sins 1. They seek me dayly but it s with the lip only 2. They delight to know my ways but yet hate to be reformed and do it 3. They ask of me the Ordinances of Justice and yet forsake the Ordinance of their God 4. They delight in approaching before God yet they say Wherefore takest thou no knowledg of it 5. They fast and yet find pleasure they fast but from sin but fast to strife and debate you fast not unto me your fast is not the acceptable day of the Lord that is Joy and Gladness yours is rending of garments putting on of sackcloth you have chosen out a fast to your selves
which I know not of nor delight in the Fast that I choose is the abstinence from all appearance of evil a rending of the heart and not the garment a blessed joyful mourning it s to loose the bands of wickedness and to undo the heavy burden and to let the oppressed go free and to break every yoke of oppression as taxes rythes free quarters besides the fightings within to be laid low as also to deal bread to the hungry drink to the thirsty and not to say be thou warmed or be thou clothed this is the new Commandment to love one another then shall we walk in light and not in darkness and our light shall break forth as the morning and thy health like the noon day thy righteousness shall go before thee and the Lord thy God thy rereward we shall no sooner call or cry but the Lord shall answer and say Here I am When the yoke of sin and speaking in vanity is cut off then thy soul will be drawn out to the hungry and the afflicted shall be satisfied and thy obscurity shall be as the light and thy darkness as the noon day for the Lord will satisfie thee and give to thee as thou dost to him so will the Lords Soul be drawn out to thee and make thee a watered garden a living fountain nay the Lord shall make thee a repairer of the breach and a restorer of paths to dwell in for the Righteousness of the Lord is upon thee and the Lord shall be thy Sabbath and pleasure thy holy day and delight thy ways and words being lost to thy self and remaining only the Lords delighting thy self in the Lord riding to and fro◠upon the high places of the earth-triumphing over all things SECT LXXIX §. 79 The exceeding sinfulness of sin the misery that it brings till the Lord arise against it in Justice and in Truth BEhold the Lords Hand or Power is never shortened that it cannot save even from the grave yea though they were dead yet can he say unto them live nor is his ear at all heavy but he can hear the complaints of the distressed soul nor his eyes closed but he can see their misery nor his heart sealed but he can pitty and have mercy on them if he please but our sins and iniquities shorten our hands close our eyes deafen our ears and harden our hearts that we shall not understand and so separate us from the Lord and from his face driving us out from his presence that he may not hear thus making us trust altogether in vanities lies conceiving nothing but mischief bringing forth nothing but iniquity breeding cockatrices egs in us weaving spiders webs wickedness in a mystery so keeping us far from the way of Peace and as for Judgment that is turned backward behind us Justice stands afar off Truth falls in the streets and Equity cannot enter therefore the Lords Arm is stretched out he sees what is done and puts on his Armor his Brestplate of Righteousness his Helmet of Salvation his Clothing of Vengeance and his Cloak of Zeal to repay and recompence fury on his adversaries our iniquities sins lifting up his Spirit like a Standard against them and bring them in like a mighty flood destroying iniquity and sin and this Covenant will I make in them and you my Spirit shall be with you and my Word in your heart and mouth never to depart from thee nor thy seeds seed for ever SECT LXXX §. 80 Arise and shine for thy light is come THe Lord thy Light O man is come he is risen and shines most gloriously and awakening thee to arise and shine in him and with him for his Glory is rising on thee dispelling all manner of darkness from thee and gathering all things to the light yea Kings and people to his brightness far and near sons and daughters to see his Glory they shall see and flow together be enlarged converted because of the abundance of the Glory of the Lord revealed they shall come flying as Clouds and as Doves to the windows and in thy light see light walking every one in the light of the Lord. SECT LXXXI §. 81 The glory given to them whom God doth glorifie THy Temple shall be glorious for the Lord to dwell in Kings and Princes strangers and friends gold and silver yea all precious substance the excellency of creatures shall be brought to thee because of the Name of the Lord thy God for he hath glorified thee therefore they shall bring their glory unto thee and glorifie thee as the wise men that brought their gifts to Christ the Babe in a manger gold frankincense mirrhe and worshiped him because God had glorified him above his fellows so here them that are Christs shall be glorified and the Nations and Kingdoms that will not serve the Lord kiss the Sun and have him to reign over them shall perish and their Land left desolate SECT LXXXII All Glory comes when Gods Glory comes §. 82 ALL Glory shall come unto thee when the Glory of the Lord is revealed the glory of Lebanon the Camels and Dromedaries of Midian the Flocks of Kedar the Rams of Nebaioth the Ships of Tarshish yea the Nations Kingdoms all abroad shall fear thee because of the Lord thy God that is with thee and shall come from far to worship thy God with thee and they shall be a beautiful Sanctuary to the Lord and the place of his feet amongst them shal be glorious the meanest and weakest of the Saints Gods lower parts thus God will make thee an everlasting glory and eternal excellency a joy to ages SECT LXXXIII §. 83 I will bring gold and silver strength and beauty unto thee ANd I the Lord thy Redeemer wil make thine enemies bow down to thee yea all thy high imaginations and spiritual wickedness that hated and afflicted thee and I will bring my Glory and Treasure to thee I will bring gifts unto thee I wil multiply my Mercy Grace and Peace to thee yea I wil give thee gold and silver for brass and iron the precious for the vile yea I wil make thy officers all peace ruling in peace thy exactors righteousness doing truth justice so they shal learn to war no more neither shall the sword any more devour flesh and it shall not be your bow sword spear or might but my Spirit that shall glorifie me and you also for all manner of violence will I cause to cease wasting and destruction no more seen for our weapons are spiritual our God glorious our dwellings on high our walls salvation and our gates praise thy God thy glory SECT LXXXIV §. 84 The Lord thy everlasting Light thy Sun and Moon that shall darken all other Suns and turn them to blood but himself in the end WHen this great light of the Lord himself is come then shall thy stars fall and thy lamps grow dim the heaven and earth in thee melt with fervent heat at the