fought to establish their Kingdome in the Soul but the Lambe hath overcome them and set up his Kingdome in the Christian And the Kings of the earth as namely the powers of the creature bring all their glory and Honour unto it thus you see that the whore shall bee destroyed in the last day at the Second coming of Christ in us and likewise I have discovered unto you one Signe of the last day or day of Spirituall Judgement which is those Combates Warres and Commotions that are in a Christian I will but instance two particulars more and so shall draw to a conclusion Therefore Secondly a second signe or symptome of the last day is the Desolution of the World how that the Earth and all that is therein shall be burnt up the Sonne turned into darknesse the Moone into bloud the Starres shall fall from Heaven and thus God will shake the Heavens and the Earth and mens hearts shall faile them for feare expecting the end of such sorrowfull beginings Even thus it is with and in a Christian at the aproaching of the spirit of Christ in him the World begins to be dissolved the World is sayd ver 3. to bee placed in mans heart which World in mans heart shall be dissolved by the Fire of the Spirit of Christ the Heavens and the Earth are Mystically in man and the Waters with their Ebings and Flowings are to be seene in the Mysterie in man her 's God deviding the Light from the Darknesse to be seen in man the waters below from the waters above the Firmament all this is fullfilled Mysteriously in man in whom God separates himself who is pure and light from the darknesse and nothingnesse of the creature The Fouls of the Ayre and Fishes of the Sea are Mystically in man as namely those flying Phantasies and swimming Notions of the creature in a word her 's every thing bringing forth Fruite after its Kind in man And all Gods creation good in its own kind in this first World which is in mans heart But now this first World this first Creation must be dissolved what ever excellency God hath endued man with all in this first creation what ever maturity of Wit and ingenuity the Lord hath lent man how high so ever and how large so ever the Lord hath Naturallized the creature yet all this excellency shall vanish away all this worldly glory as I so call it shall be cosumed and burnt up but alas how hardly is this believed how impossible is this to carnall man that all this goodly creation and worke of God in his nature should bee anihilated that Reason Naturall understanding and wisdome nay Nature it selfe should be consumed but this is the Lords act his strange act his work and wonderous worke in a Christian Now therefore consider Christian that this is but the old World or first or lowest manifestation of God in thee which old world must pass away and bee no more John tels us that he saw a new Heaven and a new Earth Rev. 21.1 for the first Heaven and the first Earth was passed away and there was no more Sea what 's all this Truly Christian in me it s thus much when this day dawnes and this day Star Christ Jesus ariseth in our hearts when the morning Sun even Jesus breakes forth upon us in his Glory Warmth and Splendor then begins this world within us to be dissolved the Heavens and the Earth in us begins to melt with the fervent heate of this Sun and fall away to nothing and the Lord instead of these frames a new Heaven and a new Earth So that all that was Nature and pure Reason and Ingenuity is quite dissolved and a new worke wrought in the Soul that takes up the heart above its former excellency and glory although that were good in its kind yet God will please by the more glorious discoveries of himself to drowne all this former Creation and to beget all things new in the Creature and then not only the Heaven and the Earth passed away but also there was no more Sea This Sea or these Waters in man are those great overflowings and inundations of Nature the swellings and roarings of proud selfe and creature this deep silence shall be dried up by the heat of the Sun of Righteousnesse These Waters are the very Throne of the Whore or the very Seate of the wisdome of the flesh now when this Sea shall be dried up then there shall be a place no longer for this Spirituall Whore found in Heaven nor yet in the Soul of a Saint Oh what cause of Joy is here for all the Saints yea what eager pantings after the power and Kingdome of Christ should this beget and operate in us to consider that in the day of Christ the whore shall be destroyed in us the Sea shall be dryed up and the Heavens and the earth shall passe away If any man yet shall aske when this last day shall come and the end of the world shall be accomplished I answer then with Christ That this generation shall not passe away till all these things be fulfilled all these things thou must expect to be fulfilled in thee even in this life O thou Christian although happily not in the fulnesse and glory as shall be hereafter Tell me therefore O thou experienced Saint whose conscience can testifie all these things to be true how hath the appearance of Christ in thee many a time confounded as it were all thy naturall vigour and power how hath it spoyled Principalities and powers the might and dominion of all naturall excellency how hast thou seen thy selfe out of thy selfe as it were beyond and above that earth thou hast been in formerly wrapped up with Paul in the third Heavens as it were beholding that Glory that all thy old created light could never discerne living for a time in that peace of God which passeth all understanding Nay shall I yet further tell you at the second comming of Christ in us our Sun shall be turned into darknesse and our Moone into blood our Stars shall fall from their Centre All that light of reason and nature all those fleshly meteors as also fixed Stars which have appeared at their severall seasons in man which did discover something of God to him in a word all the inferiour with the superiour discernings of God that the creature hath had formerly shal be extinguished and shall appeare to him to be but darknesse and obscurity the Sun or the superlative light shall be turned into darknesse and the Moone or that light which guides the more obscure part of man shall be turned into blood and confusion and God will now create a new world in us old things shall passe away and all things shall become new in us when the Apostle had been treating of the dissolution of the world in the 2 Pet. 3 chap. he comes to mind the Saints of the mysterie of that history vers 13. Neverthelesse
Namely That his warfare is accomplished that his iniquity is pardoned the battell between Gog and Magog and the Lamb is finished and the Lamb or innocent Spirit hath over-come all by his power and strength and now likewise he declares to Zion or the soul of a Saint that his God raineth now is come the Kingdome of our God the power of his Christ therfore Halelujah for Babylon is fallen the Whore is destroyed God hath now put into the hearts of the Kings of the Earth or powers of earthly man to hate the whore and reward her as she hath rewarded them and therefore again Halelujah for the Lord God omnipotent raigneth and the Kingdomes of the whore are become the Kingdomes of the Lord and of his Christ All that remaines behind therefore is but one word of application which shall be but only my exhortation to al poor souls that are groaning under this burdensome task and Aegyptian bondage of the Whore doubtlesse their are many to whom these my poor endeavours may offer themselves whose portion it is to groane under this spirituall vassallage to labour under this bodyof death Oh Christian whatever thy condition bee cast not away thy confidence but waite upon the Lord and thou shalt renew thy strength expect the returne or Second coming of Christ in thee pray dayly that Christs Kingdome may come in thee that the Lord would establish his own Throne in thy heart expect the comming of the Messenger of the Covenant into his Temple or thy heart even the Lord Christ whom thou seekest Oh! Labour to see that Christ is approaching neare thee though the cloudes of sinne and wickednesse hinder the sight of him know also that this spirituall Sonne Christ Jesus will breake away the clouds will dispell the mists of iniquity in theeâ— and will breake out upon thee in his full warmth and splendor and will bring thee to walke in the light of his glory It was said of Abraham that hee saw the day of Christ and was glad how gladly then should the Saints expect and spiritually see this day to bee at hand in them In which they shall be freed from that burthen which they now undergoe Shall I tell thee yet farther for thy comfort O Christian this Jesus that comes will come and will not tarry The Lord sees thee in thy poore weake condition he takes notice of those many foiles that thy wicked heart gives thee hee heares thy sighings cryes and groanes hee yearns after thee he makes haste to come unto thee so quickly as may conduce to the advancement of his glory and thy Souls further peace and comfort Thus in brief I have discovered to you in some measure the Mysterie of iniquity which workes in all of us the great Whore the spirituall Babylon with her Rise and her Down-fall In which poore Treatise I desire that those to whom it shall come would thus understand me that I doe not in any wise seeke hereby to set up my owne opinion as Antichrist above others but doe only declare what I conceive from good Reason to bee the manifesttative minde of God unto me And in all my Mysticall applying of any Scriptures I would not be thought hereby to endeavour the overture of the History but only so much of the History as I see verified in me in the Mysterie I have presumed in my present light to declare to all men what is of God in my weake endeavours I desire him to make knowne by the declarative power of his spirit what is of self I desire to have a heart to disclaime it when the Lord shall manifest it unto me and so I commit my Labour to him from whence only I expect a reward desiring nothing from any man but a favourable construction of that which I have declared to all men in the bowels of love and affection For my own part I am one that waiteth for the Kingdome and power of Christ to bee manifested in me I desire to see farther the glorious dawnings of Jesus and risings of his glory in mee and looking for and hasting to the comming of the day of Jesus in which all old things shall passe away and all things shall become new and that which I conceive in this condition is the best course for my selfe to take I shall likewise fasten the same advice upon all others Who is amongst you that feareth the Lord that obeyeth the voyce of his Servant that walketh in darkenesse and seeth no light let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay himselfe upon his God Decemb. 12. 1647. Jos Salmon FINIS
deludes the soule by Now therefore know O man that this whore workes in a mistery upon her Fore-head is written Mistery Rev. 17. When Antichrist or thy fleshly wisdome is most apparant in any sinfull action yet in that appearance She is very Misticall So that sindeede upon her most open workings in the heart there is written Mistery It is a property of a Strumpet to pretend what shee doth not intend to her Lovers beâ—old a Character of the Mother of Harlots thy fleshly wisdome She is very subtill of heart Prov. 7. She alwaies pretends what shee never intends So that here all is well in the History but meare deceit and delusion in the Mistery this whore Shee will present a glorious shew but there is nothing but wickednesse and Harlotry intended This is that Spirituall Judas that will Betray thee with his salutations you shall find this whore in a religious Dress many times that hereby she may deceive the heart of the simple Observe how the Harlot in Prov. 7. beguiled the yong Man She caught him and Kissed him ver 13. and with an impudent face saide unto him I have peace Offerings with me this day I have paid my vowes this whore in the Mistery is thy fleshly wisdome and thou art this simple young Man who art deluded by her Behold therefore O man the impudency and bouldness of this spirituall Whore She is not ashamed to shew her Fore-head to thee But here is a Mistery all this while that thou seest not Now therefore know Oh Christian that this whore appeares to thee in all thy spirituall performances Sacrifices to the Lord if thou doest but observe thou shalt see her appeare in Prayer in Humiliation in Fasting nay in all outward Ordinances thou shalt see thy fleshly wisdome in all these things steale thy heart from the Lord by attributing somthing to form flesh and creature so that wee are apt oft-times to blesse our selves in our spirituall performances and sing a Requiem to our selves in our fleshly formes so that hereby all our duties are but the Sacrifices of the Whore the vowes of our fleshly wisdome which She appeared in to delude us Now woe and alas for us that ever wee should be deceived by this whore in those things wherein we think is least appearance of her but here is plainly seen her misticall apparition This whore meets thee O man in all thy religious performances and there doth She attribute all the goodnesse of all that is done to her self and thou also givest consent to it and to commit Fornication with her hence it is that the woman is saide Rev. 17. to have a Golden Cup in her hand full of abominations filthiness of her fornications a golden Pot but a bitter potion This Serpent our fleshly wisdome appeares to us with her speckled Skin but within her there is deadly Poyson Beware then of this whore in all her glorious appearances and golden manifestations for all this is but to insnare thy heart with her treachery the wisdome of the flesh will meete thee many times arrayed in Purple and Scarlet coloured and deck'd with Gold which in the Mistery are nothing else but shewes of glory to thee She will meet thee in good performances there shee will salute thee and tell thee that thy good duties have prevailled with God for thee and She will tell thee because thou art under such an outward forme and carnall dispensation that therefore thou art better then other Christians which injoy God in a more spiritual making out of himself thus She will endeavour to make thee drink of her Fornication by proposing her golden Cup to thee and thus poore sâ—duced man commits folly with himself or his own wisdome in all outward worship whatsoever forsakes God in praying fasting mourning and all outward formes and is carried away more with the decency order and trimnesse of the whore in an outward dispensation then the Power and life of Godlyness that God requires in a Christian and somuch shall suffice for the setting forth of the first delusive pretence of the Whore which is to array her self in her glory the better to effect her designe upon the poore creature 2 The designe of Anti-christ or thy fleshly wisdome is alwaies to bring thee out of love with God O! its death to the whore when shee seeth that thou desirest to bee constant to thy Husband Jesus who hath espoused thee to himself and therefore She is still labouring to bring thee out of love with Christ and God And this She labours to effect by causing of thee to think that God doth not love thee that so hereby She might estrange thy heart from the Lord. It is the worke of this Serpent to raise in our hearts hard thoughts of God all poore afflicted soules whoever you are that grieve under the pangs of an accusing conscience harken behold and consider how the wisdome of the flesh deludes you by causing you to looke upon God in the glasse of flesh and creature and so hereby to apprehend him to be what he is not Poore soule thou tellest me there is no mercy in a Christ for thee and prithee why so Oh Alas God loves me not hee is offended at me and displeased with me I have beene so vile a sinner against him Now all this while the poore soul doth but looke upon God according to the dictates of selfish wisdom and so it apprehends God to bee like it self Thou thoughest saith God that I had been altogether such a one as thy selfe Because we are angry with God many times therefore we are apt to thinke God is froward with us whereas God is love saith the Apostle Eph. 1. John 4. and therefore God tells us that his thoughts are not our thoughts nor our waies his ways Jsa 55. The wisdome of the flesh eudeavours to put out and extinguish the light of God in a Christian whereby the soul might see God to be purely Love and mercy and will propose its own glasse to the creature which renders God to be what he is not to mans apprehension So that when the soul would fain be refreshed with the comfortable aspect of Gods presence then comes fleshly wisdom tels the soul it must not behold God according to his Love but according to its own Iniquity and so here by dasheth the soule upon the rock of desperation in so much that the poore creature now concludes that God is angry with him and is resolved not to shew him mercy Now when the Whore hath thus estranged the heart from the Lord by perswading the soul that either God is not able or willing to help it in its misery then She propoundes her own way to the creature She will perswade the creature never to goe to God againe but rather with the Prodigall to goe and feede upon the Husks as namely upon Prayer fasting or some outward and carnall Ordinances and here the soule estranged from the
of the spoile some open Vices and Palpable prophannesse but Agag and the fattest of the Cattell the chief lusts of thy heart She will worke yet under that in the Mistery must be spared thus the Whore will conform her self to man nay if thou art brought by higher light to see that Godlyness doth not consist only in refraining from some open Vices and imbracing their contrary Vertues but there must be Religion as wel as Morallity looked after and therforenow thou art resolved to take upon thee some outward Profession of Christianity This whore will change her appearances to thee here also She will come forth to meet thee with her Peace Offering and her Vowes She will move with thee to Fasting Prayer and Humiliation provided that all this while thou attribute the glory of all to her self She will move as high as any outward Ordinance with thee and all this is lest thou shouldest ponder the Path of life Lest thou shouldest question this whore in her Wanton gesture and gaudy Attire She will behave her self more Religiously and Adorn her self more demurely that so hereby She may the more cunningly draw thy affections after her and thus poore seduced Man is Mistically mis-led by the flatteries of this whoreish Woman and in the mean time he thinkes he serves God this is a 4th pretence of the Mother of Harlots to move and change in all her appearances to thee that so by her conformity to thee in every respect She may yet keep thy affections intire to her self 5 It is the property of this strange Woman thy fleshly wisdome to render Christ to be at a distance from thee in all her fornications with thee If Man in all his adulteries from the Lord did but serioufly consider really understand that his first lover Christ Jesus is in him and seeth him in all his strayings from him and how he eates his bread secretly with the wisdome of the flesh surely he would bee ashamed of his folly and would not dare thus to commit Harlotry in the sight of his spirituall lover and this the wisdome of the flesh knowes right-well and therefore labours might and maine to render Christ at a distance from the creature that so the soul might not be affraid to commit fornication with her Therefore it is the Language of the whore Prov. 7.19.20 The good-man is not at whome he is gone into a far country and behold the Language of this Misticall Strumpet the wisdome of the flesh She wil perswade thee that thou mayest take alittle liberty to sin that thou mayest exalt self alittle in religious performances for God seeth thee not he is in Heaven and not in thy heart and thus Man being deluded by the flatteries of this Whore becomes that Foole who hath said in his hart there is no God that so he might Magnifie Diefie and Worship self in Gods stead Self and flesh will not owne the Manifestation of God in the Soul when the Lord lets forth the beames of his glory into the heart of man and doth as it were draw up the soul to a higher Centre by giving it some tast of the Powers of the World to come it is the worke of thy fleshly wisdome to extinguish this divine light in the soul and as it were to corrupt the Stomack and put the mouth out of tast that so it might not rellish or digest those divine dainties And notwithstanding those open appearances of Christ in thee yet the wisdome of the flesh will tell thee that the good man Christ Jesus is gone abroad he is at a distance from thee This Whore will be contented that thouth shouldest know any thing but Christ Jesus and him Crucified in thee She is willing that thouâ— shouldest know Christ Naturally but not spiritually Christ in the History but not in the Mystery Christ for thee but not Christ in thee it is possible for a man to know very much of the flesh of Christ to be acquainted with the History of Godlynesse to live under carnall Ordinances and fleshly dispensations to talke and dispute upon high Principles to be higher in the understanding of the Scriptures then others by the Head and shoulders with Saul and yet for all this he may in all these things commit Adultery with the whore all these things may be to him no more then the Sacrifices and the Vowes of this spirituall Whore the wisdome of the flesh he is not the true Professor therefore that can Read Heare Fast and Pray and Worship God in an outward dispensation but those are the true Circumcision that Worship God in the Spirit and rejoyce in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh He is not a Christian indeed that doth by the power of nature believe what is Naturally and Historically reported of Christ in the Scripture but he that by the power of the spirit beleeves all this History to be verified in him in the Mystery for there is a History and a Mystery of Christ the History is Christ for us the Mystery is Christ in us Col. 1.27 Now that Power of Nature which is implanted in man is sufficient for the giving credit to whatsoever Christ is or hath been for us but not for what Christ is in us this must be by a power equall with that which raised up Jesus from the dead Eph. 1 Thy fleshly wisdome will bee contented thou shouldest be acquainted with what Christ hath done for Thee but She will not endure to let Thee see him in Thee First She is willing to let Thee understand that Christ hath been made flesh for Thee but not that the word is made flesh in Thee that is that this God hath by his own power begotten himself and brought forth himself in his owne likenes in Thee that thou art this virgin that is over-shaddowed with power from on High and hast the immortall seed of God in Thee which Immortall Seed by its owne power brings forth it s owne selfe in thy soul by the puttings forth of the motions of the spirit in thee this thy fleshly wisdome will not let Thee behold the wisdome of the flesh in that Serpent Rev. 12.15 that casts out his flood after the Woman or a Christian in whome Christ is by the power of the Spirit borne and brought forth this flood in the Mysterie is nothing in me but the over-flowing of the wisdome of the flesh the inundations of finfull self and creature that flow into the heart of man this Spirituall Serpent hereby endevouring to drown and destroy both Christ and a Christian at once as it were both the Passive Mother and the Active Babe on a suddain such an enemy is the wisdome of the flesh to Christ in us This flood of iniquity these over-flowings of the wisdome of the flesh in us is that great River Euphrates that must be dried up that way may bee made for the King of the East Christ Jesus to ruinate great Babell in mans
soul there is the Antichrist that denies every manifestation of God in thy flesh this is the Whore that Thou daily commit'st Fornication with all this is the Babilon whose Down-fall will bee joyous to the Saints this is the Heretick and the Schismatique this it is that makes Rents and divisions amongst us and therfore we ought every one of us to desire God to subdue the wisdome of the flesh in us and to waite upon the Lord untill he comes to shew us the Judgement of the Spirituall Whore this Antichrist in us and not so much desire the down-fall of either Pope Presbiter or Independant or any other State whatsoever but to desire the ruin of this Mysticall Babylon which is the Mother of all our Harlotry from the Lord And so much shall suffice for Answer to the Second question which is Namly how the Whore workes and what Pretences She deludes the soule by Wee proceed now in order to a third question Namly 3. How the Soul comes to attaine to a sight of her In which wee shall first propose the way that God doth usually take to discover this Whore to a Christian 2 When the Soul seeth her How and in what manner it apprehends her First for the way that a Soule comes to attaine a sight of her by If then thou would'st know the way how a Christian comes to a spirituall sight of Flesh and Selfe know that God must deale with Thee as hee did with John Rev. 17. When God would shew John the Judgement of the great Whore and give him a discovery of the whore hee takes him ver 3. and carrieth him away in the spirit into the Wildernesse and then saith John I saw a Woman c. First then know that thou canst never behold self aright till God take thee up or catry thee away in the spirit the spirituall man saith the Apostle seeth all things discovers all things and Judgeth all things so much as the Lord spirituallizeth a Christian so much he sees into himself and discernes and beholds this Mysticall whore the wisdome of the flesh in himself and now he judgeth and estemes of her as that whore that Adultress with whom he hath in all his waies and Worships adulterated from the Lord Therefore the Apostle saith that the spirit searcheth all things 2 Epist Cor. 1. Chap. So long as the soul lyeth under the vaile of the flesh so long selfe is undiscovered to him for while the creature lyes wrapt up in the Mantle of nature it is in a spirituall slumber or sleep and lyes as one passive under the workings of the wisdome of the flesh rock't a sleep in the cradle of fleshly security But now when God speakes by the small and still voyce yet powerfull utterance of the Spirit in a Christian Come up hither when God takes a Soul up beyonde self and creature in so much that now the creature sees all but vanity below Christ now I say the creature comes to some discovery of himself but never before That man that will view the breadth and length of a City at once must not alwaies be walking about in the streets but he must essay to get up to the top of some mountaine that lyes above it and so the City shall be discovered to him with its breadth and length even so it is with the spirituall Babell which is in thee Oh man even the wisdome of the flesh thou must bee taken above it ere thou canst truly and really discover it 2 Thou must be carryed away in the spirit carried quite away from all Power Policy Strength Motion and Action of the creature 3 The place whither thou must bee carried that is into a Wildernesse which is into a lost condition to sin and self never doth the soule attain to a reall sight of the flesh till the Lord by his Spirit doth as it were loose the soule to it self when the creature comes to bee at a loss in it self in all its fleshly performances not knowing where to have recourse but sees that his narrow fleshly heart is so wide a wildernesse that he is lost in the many turnings and windings thereof now the creature comes to behold his Spirituall Adulteryes now he sees into what a lost condition he is fallen how the whore al this while in all his duties worships formes and disciplines hath stolne his heart from the Lord his first lover and tender Husband Paul was carried away by the spirit into this Wildernesse Colos 3. ver 7 8 9. he professeth ver 7. That what things were gaine to him he counted loss for Christ yea doubtlesse saith he ver 8. and I count all things but loss for the excellency of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things do count them but dung that I may winne Christ Paul never knew himself nor creature excellency aright till God shewed him the excellency of the knowledge of Christ and when hee comes to see the worth of Christ then he see himself in a wildernesse and in this wildernesse or lost condition hee spies the vanity of all that was flesh below Christ so that now when God carryes away a soul in the spirit and loses it as it were to its self and le ts loose the beames of his owne glory upon it ravisheth the heart with his own beauty catcheth him up as it were into the third Heavens and sheweth such divine excellency as it never yet apprehended the soul by the clear aspect of this beatificall vision of God begins now to see the vanity and deformity of it selfe and is as it were in as great amazement of spirit as the man doubtles was who was borne blind from the womb and yet now comes to see the Sun or as one that hath been shut up in a dark Dungeon and now comes to walke in the light even thus it is with poor man in the highest glory and excellency of the flesh when God sends forth the beames of that Sun of righteousnesse upon poor Man how dark he beholds himselfe to be as he stands in relation to all fleshly excellency when God shewes him the worth value and excellency of himselfe in a Christ what loss dung and drosse doth a Christian esteeme those things to be though formerly never so glorious and excellent and therefore Paul now no longer desires to be found in his own excellency or in himselfe but saith he ver 9. That I may be found in him not having my owne righteousnesse which is by the Law but that which is by the faith of the Son of God the sight of Christs excellency it doth so fully discover self and flesh to the Christian as that now he loaths the scarlet colour the glorious atire of the Whore even all its golden performances her guilded vowes and sacrifices O all yee poor souls who are apt to place your glory in any thing below Christ and to hang your righteousnesse upon your Prayers
sees She is indeed in truth Babylon the great the great confused Whore which breeds all that confusion of spirit in a Christian all that commotion disturbance and out-cryes that are in the heart of man all those heavie sad and disconsolate thoughts that man is possesed with all all that disorder that many a time is in the soul every hard thought of God every dispairing Imagination all the gnawings of conscience in the Creature so that I say hee now sees her to be that great Babel or confused Whore who is the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth 5. But then lastly John saw the Woman drunke with the bloud of the Saints and Martyrs of Jesus Truly this is the very phisiognome Portraiture of the whore to a Christian that is carriepaway in the Spirit hee now comes to behold her a drunken bloud-thirsty Whore he now seeth how the whore hath martyred the bringings forth of Christ slain and crucified that Man Jesus afresh he sees how the Whore is drunk with the bloud of the Lamb in him In a word the Saint truly spirituallized beholds self and flesh to be the most hatefull detestable loathsome thing in the world to him looke how loathsome and injurous a mans vomit is to his stomack even so loathsome is self to that Christian from whose stomack God hath fetched up all the corrupt flesh by bringing the soule to be love-sick of Christ with the operative Pils of his blessed Spirit O how hatefull now is the golden Cup sweet Wine of the whore to a spirituallized man in so much that he now loathes and abhors himself in dust and ashes nay indeed he begins now to wonder at himselfe in his own shame and folly as the Text saith ver 5. that when John saw the Whore he wondered with great admiration truly the same is the condition of every Christian who by the carryings away of the spirit comes to a spirituall sight of this whore the wisdome of the flesh he now wonders that hee should bee drawne to commit folly by so filthy a Harlot hee now wonders that such a bulk of filthynesse such a Mountain of wickednesse and spring of bitternesse should be in him and he never till now able to discerne it he now wonders that ever the lenity and Mercy of God should so long beare with him in all his Adulteries with this swinish whore he now wonders that God at last hath brought him to such a sight and disocvery he admires to see where he is and where hee was that God hath brought him from flesh to live in spirit from darknesse into his marvellous light from the wayes of sorow to that high way the Lord Jesus And thus you see briefly how and in what manner the Soul beholdes this Mysticall Whore the wisdome of the flesh And so much shall suffice for the third question Namely how the creature comes to attaine to the sight of her Wee proceed now in order to the fourth question which is Namely When and how She shall be destroyed Now in brief to Answer to this and so draw to a conclusion of the matter I thus reply Ans If then O man thou desirest to know how and when this spirituall Whore shall be destroyed It shall be done in the day and by the coming and appearance of Jesus in Thee this day is the last day and this coming is the second coming of Jesus Now as concerning this last day know this O man that it s nothing for thee to reade the History of the last day in Scripture and there to see what shall be done in that day that God will glorifie himself in the Saints and bee admired in all them that believe that then God will throughly purge his floore and the Saints shall be like him for they shall see him as he is Now I say it is nothing to know this in the History except wee know it in the Mysterie of it Thou art therefore to expect Jesus to come to Judgment in Thee and the end of the world to bee in Thee thou art to waite for the return of this Jesus in spirit which shall come to thee as he did to John and shew Thee the Judgement of the great Whore in Thee for there is nothing that shall happen or fall out to thee in relation to the day of Judgement which shall not bee verified in thee in this life though it may bee not in the same manifestative measure or fulness as it shall be hereafter As first One sign of this last day is that there shall be wars and rumors of warres Nation shall rise against Nation Kingdome against Kingdome now here Christian thou mayest behold the last day to be at hand here is God and Magog at battell with the Lamb what is it that makes all that envy variance strife sedition emulation in the world but the second or spiritual appearance of Je us in his People the comming of Christ in his Saints is not to bring peace but a sword amongst us I confidently say that this last day this spirituall appearance of Christ in men and women is the very originall of all these commotions that are amongst us insomuch that now here is the Father hating the appearance of Christ in the Son and the Son likewise in the Father the Mother in the Daughter the Daughter in the Mother one Brother sheathing the sword in the bowels of another because the last Day dawnes and the Star of glory is risen more in one then in another her 's Cain killing Abel because his sacrifice is accepted of the Lord and the other is not I tell thee Christian the more the whore will bestir her self shee will not only raise outward but inward warre against thee which inward insurrection and rebellion is a symptome that the day of Judgement is at hand in thee John tells us Revel 17 14. That the kings of the earrh shall make war against the Lambe which Kings in the mystery are but the Kingly governing powers of thy Soul which are assembled together in thee to this Spirituall battell of Gog and Magog to gage warre against the innocent Lamb Christ Jesus in Spirit but the Lamb shall over come them for he is King of Kings and Lord of Lords all the power and policy of the flesh shall at last yield their power to Christ and shall consent to the just Judgement of the whore thy fleshly wisdome but till this strong man the flesh be cast out by that stronger then he Christ Jesus there will be nothing but war and confusion in thee so that indeed now the Serpent is come down with great rage in thee knowing that he hath but a short time the more nigh the comming of Christ is the more this Serpent spits out his venome this Antichrist this whore will the more earnestly bestirre her selfe knowing that it is but a short time to her judgement St. John tells us Revel
saith he we according to his promise looke for new Heavens and new earth wherein dwelleth righteousnesse although this old foundation and Fabrick shall be dissolved and Christ that day of the Lord shall come even as a thiefe in the night and deprive us of all the excellency of our present station waste destroy and burne up all our Gold Silver and precious stones consume all the Glory of our present being yet sayes hee here is one comfort wee looke for a new Heaven and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousnesse God never confounds the old but he brings a new the manner of Gods new creation is to new modelize the heart to new mould the creature to create a new Christian as it were to spirituallize the Christian in a word it is to swallow up the soul in himselfe to drown confound and bring to an end all creature glory in his own incomprehensive excellency So that the Saints are said to bee that new Jerusalem that came down from God deckâ— and adorn'd with the Glory of God only as 〈◊〉 Bride adorned for her husband They are called new because Christ in them hath created a new world this new Jerusalem had no temple in it of it selfe but the Lord God and the Lamb were the temple of it truly that soul in whom the Lord God hath madâ— this desolation of creature excellency and hath created all things a new this new Jerusalem or new Christian hath no temple but Christ Iâ— typicall Jerusalem there was a temple but Christ prophesied That there should not be one stonâ— left upon another that should not be throwne downe Matth. 24. Even so when God creates all things new in a Christian he will demollish all that was in his stead before he came to establish his new creation and he will make himselfe the temple of a Christian what ever the soul sees in any outward things as Formes Ordinances Worships and the like yet Christ will destroy and throw downe and bring to nought these things and make himselfe all this and much more to the Christian and thus you may see the day of Judgement in a Christian here you may see Christ sending his spirit into the worldly heart of man convincing it of Judgement because the prince of this world is judged in him I proceed now to the third discovery of the last day which is namely The distruction of Antichrist or the downfall of the whore which doth yet further manifest to us that this last day is in us the comming of this day of Jesus and the appearance of this Star in us is the last day of the whore in us no sooner doth Christ appear but downe falls the Kingdome of the serpent our fleshly wisdome and therefore if thou wouldst know how this Antichrist shall be destroyed the Apostle tells us 2 Thes 2 8. That the Lord shal consume him with the breath of his mouth and the brightnesse of his comming This bright comming of Christ in us shall dispell that darkness discover that fogge that with-holdeth or hinders the revelation of the whore Christ will then put aside this veile which is before this varlets face namely all her specious pretences and shewes of glory Christ is that mountaine spoken of in the 25. Isa In whom God shall destroy the veile of the covering that is cast over all people but this must be fulfilled when this mountaine Christ Jesus shall be established upon the top of the mountaines in our souls or when Christ by his owne power hath seated himself in us above every high thought and vaine imagination when the child Jesus is given to us and hath gotten the government upon his shoulders this is the time of the whores demolition in us I say it is the worke of Christ by his comming in a Saint to discover the Whore to him to take away that veil of flesh and those mists of obsurity which this harlot hath interposed between her selfe and the soul when the day dawnes the darknesse vanisheth away even so when this day Christ Jesus dawnâ—s in thy heart when day breaks as I may so say in thy soul then begins the darknesse in thy heart to flee away and now thou commest to be one of the Children of the day In a word now thou canst see discerne and distinguish and before thou couldesâ— not alas sirs a poore soul that walks in darknesse and sees by no other light but by the blaze of selfe and by the sparks of his own fire he may be compared to a man that sees by candle light who cannot discerne one colour from another even so it is with all naturall men they are not able to see what 's good from evill or what 's light from darknesse O the palpable blindnesse of all poore creatures in whom this day Christ does not appeare this it is to have eyes and see not eares and heare not This sad obscurity of a man that walkes not in the light may fitly be compared to that darknesse which might be felt the soul feeles many times what his blindnesse is how it deprives him of the beatificall vision of God brings him to wander from the way Christ Jesus causes him many times to stumble at that stumbling stone and all this is because the day is not dawned as yet but now when the Sun of righteousnesse arises in the Soul why then here comes light to them that sit in darknesse and in the shadow of death and now this light guides the soul into the way of peace It is said of new Jerusalem Revel 21. That it needed not the light of the Sun or of the Moone for the glory of God did lighten it and the Lamb was the light thereof all which in me is thus much when God comes to create a new Heaven and a new earth in a Christian when he comes by the power of that regenerating spirit to make his Jerusalem a new Jerusalem in this new estate he will give her new light to walke by so that now the Saints shall have no need of the old Sun or the old Moone no need of the old light of reason and nature but her 's new light brought forth now in the soul the new light is Christ or the Lamb who by the radiant beames of his splendor fills the soul with the glory of the Father and destroyes or distinguishes all other inferiour lights in the soul We live in a generation wherein both Presse and Pulpit doth cry down new lights and truely I cannot much blame them that so doe because as yet they walke in the light of the old Sun and Moone and are to be comprehended under the notion of old Jerusalem but tell me now when the Spirit of Glory hath darkned this Sun and turned this Moone into blood quite confounded brought to nothing the highest sphere of this naturall excellency in them when this old Jerusalem comes to bee made new then you shall heare a new voyce crying up
histery once more let us make inquisition after her and endeavour to finde her out in all her subtil and close corners For thy better attaining to the discovery of her consider First what this great Whore is Secondly how shee works and what pretences shee deludes the soule by Thirdly how a soule comes to attain a sight of her Fourthly and lastly how and when shee shall bee destroyed and thus wee may attain to a sight of Babylon with her Rise and her down-fall First what is the Whore This Whore this Babylon this Antichrist Is thy fleshly wisdome that spirituall Serpent thou art deceived by commitest fornication with all is the wisdome of the flesh the carnall Policy of the creature This was that Antichrist that appeared in and to our first Parents and that which they harlotryed with from the Lord God He created Adam blind and naked to this end that Adam might not see but God for him nor Adam might not know but what God knew in him and for him and so this Adam though blind and naked yet cloathed with such divine Robes as were altogether inconsistant to fleshly Adam so here was God All the Creature Nothing But now comes the Serpent which is the subtilest beast in mans worldly heart namely Selfe and Flesh and that dispences its wisdome into the heart of the Creatures and that bids them eat for then their eyes should be opened and they should be as Gods knowing good and evill Now man desiring by the report of fleshly-wisdome to have his eyes opened and to be as God and to bee no more a subject but a King no longer governed but a governour runs away from God departs from his first Lover and commits adultery with his own fleshly wisdom And as Adam in the History so all in the Mistery commit dayly fornication with the Whore our fleshly wisdime by cating of the forbidden Tree for this forbidden Tree is in us and we tast of it continually and howerly suffer death for the same This Garden of Eden in the Mistery O man is in thee in whom God hath placed the manifestation of him self hath brought forth the budings of his glory and any of these thou mayest Eate but there is a Tree in the midest of this Gardâ—n of which thou mayest not eate which is thy heart O man this must â—e reserved wholy to the Lord this God cals for Prov. 23.28 my son give mee thy heart that â—s thou must ascribe nothing to thy self but give over al man in to my hands and willing to be no more then I will bee in thee and to know no more then I shall know for thee this is that forbidden Tree that God would not have us eate of but whole man with his wisdome Reason Judgement Affections Will â—nd Understanding must be given to the Lord but now comes this Serpent our subtil fleshly wisdome in us and that thinks much to let God be all do all and have the glory of all â—ut it would faine see with its own eyes and â—ee a God unto its self so it forsakes all the â—est of the Trees which God hath given it to â—ate of namely the manifestation of God in â—he soul and takes of its owne fruite eats â—f that feast that flesh hath provided and so â—orsakes the fountain and runs to the broken Ciâ—ernes Jer. 2.13 and thus our eyes comes to â—ee opened and wee see no longer light in Gods light but with the eye of self and reaâ—on saying to a stock thou art my Father and to a â—one thou hast brought me forth Jer. 2.27 that is â—tributing nothing to God but all to fleshly â—isdome with which wee have Adulterated â—nd Harlotrized from the Lord. Thus O man thou seest what that greaâ— Whore is and where shee lyeth even in the inmost closets of thy soule Now that thou mayest bee farther convinced that this wisdome of the flesh is the Antichrist the greaâ— Whore do but first consider the Names and secondly the Nature of her Eirst her Names in Scripture are divers a first she is called Anti-christ which is as much as to say against Christ Now man as a creature is not against Christ but the wisdome of thâ— flesh in man this is against Christ and so consequently the great Wore or Antichrist Secondly She is called Babylon in Scripture Rev. 17.5 Rev. 18.2 which is as mucâ— as to say confusion now all confusion that 〈◊〉 wrought either in Pope Presbyter or any otheâ— particular State is by the wisdome of the flesh therefore this is that great Babylon Thirdly She is called that wicked one 〈◊〉 Thes 3. ver 8. Now all the actuall wickedness that proceeds from the sons of meâ— flowes from that originall within even thâ— wisdome of the flesh therefore the wisdome oâ— the flesh is that great wicked one which is tâ— be destroyed Fourthly She is called the Mother of Harloâ—â—nd abominations of the earth Rev. 17.5 Noâ— what 's the Mother of Harlots surely this cannoâ— â— either the Pope or any other particular â—tate for if the Pope be the Mother of Harlots â—en I demand who or what is the Mother of is Harlotry Then what or who is the Moâ—er of Harlots Why she is in us all in a mystery 〈◊〉 is the wisdome of the flesh in man which â— the Mother of all the abomination which is ommitted against the Lord. This is that Aanti-christ this is Babylon â—ere is the wicked one this is the Matron of all â—iquity out of the womb of fleshly wisdome â—roceeds all that actuall transgression that is â—ommitted against the Lord All outward apâ—earances of sins are but the Bastards of this Whore the children of this strange Woman and â—he Brats of this great Adulteress and happy â—ea thrice blessed shall that man be called who shall take and dash these children of the Whore against the stones This man is Christ who â—hall come in power and great glory in a Christian and destroy and dash in peeces the conceptions bringings forth and appearances of fleshly wisdome in us as we shall shew more at large hereafter Thus we have endeavoured to discover the whore what shee is by her Names given her in Scripture whereby thou mayest understand that the Whore doth not consist of any outward State or fleshly appearances to thee but upon her Fore-head which is her most opâ— and palpable workings there is written Mystery 2. That this great Whore may yet moâ— fully appeare to be the wisdome of the fleâ— in thee doe but consider the nature of thâ— Whore in brief and so we shall have done witâ— the first quaere Namely What the Whore is Now the Nature of this whore is two-fouldâ— 1. Opposing 2. Exalting both which you may finâ— attributed to Anti-christ or the Whore in thaâ— 2. Thes 2 4. she apposeth Christ or God and therefore called Anti-christ Now see O man 〈◊〉 whether this Whore be not thy fleshly wisdome 〈◊〉 look into
substance commits Adultery with the Whore in subsisting on the Shadow forsaking the fountain runing to the broken Cisternes and so commits a great evill against the Lord and thus poore naked man runnes from God as from an enemie behind the trees of his own creating and before he will bee beholding to God for a clothing hee will cover him-self with the Figleaves of his own fleshly wisdome and so commits Adultery with the Mother of Harlots and now thou seest another delusive pretence of the whore by raising hard thoughts of God in thee by bringing thee out of love with the Lord thy Husband that so She might the better steale thy heart from God and Rob him of his due and propriety 3 This Mother of Harlots thy fleshly wisdom wil propose her self to be all to thee that so She may draw thy affections after her Shee will tell thee that she can supply all thy wants and relieve al thy necessities and therfore thou needest not to bee beholden to God for any thing She will tell thee with Adam that She can give thee the knowledge of good evill and she can open thy eyes She it is that gives thee any thing therefore the text saith Prov. 9.13 A foolish Woman is Clamorous She is simple and knowes nothing this foolish Woman is thy fleshly wisdome O man for the Apostle saith The wisdome of the fiesh is foolishness with the Lord which although it bee foolish simple and to knowes nothing yet She is very clamorous that is her voice must chiefly be harkened unâ—â— if the still small voice of the spirit utter if self in thy Soul how doth the clamour of thy foolish fleshly wisdome as it were out-cry and drown the utterings of God in thee therfore the Text saith ver 14. that She sits in the dore of her house and the highest Places of the City to call Passengers who go right in their way who so is simple let him turn in hither and as for him that wants understanding She saith Stollen waters are sweet bread eaten in secret is pleasant Alas poore self seduced man that reads this History and seest not that thou thy self art the very person intended know therefore that thou art this passenger who whil'st thou art travelling right on thy way to seek after Christ art deluded by the clamour of this strange Woman whilest thou art seeking after wisdome She bids thee turn in hither she hath wisdome and knowledge for thee although indeed shee is simple and knowes nothing Oh Sirs how wise would self be when it is nothing but folly in the abstract And thus O man thou art invited to Babylons banquet runnest after the stollen waters of the Whore thy fleshly wisdome which stollen waers in the Mistery are nothing else but the depriving of God of his due in all his workes in the soule when God brings forth his wisdome and divine light in the soul then flesh and self will tell thee that all proceeds from them and so steale Gods propriety from him and thus Man runs from God and is estranged from the Lord and eates his bread secretly with the harlot And this in my apprehension is a third delusive pretence of the whore so to shew her self to the creature as if all fulnesse were treasured in her in whom indeed is nothing but vacancy and emptinesse thus doth this whore draw us from the Lord our lover who hath ever bin constant to us and that in the very height of our inconstancy to him It is the designe of God in us to bring us to live upon his fulnesse and to feed upon those divine dainties which hee will carve out to us and what soul is it that in the time of his constancy to the Lord ever wanted any thing nay what spirituall refreshments and incomes of divine glory have our souls tasted of while we have kept in our Fathers house But when once Jeshurem waxeth fat and kicks when once we prodigall like forsake our Father and think that there is enough in selfe and creature to subsist upon when once we begin to loath the Heavenly Manna Christ Jesus and to esteme more of the Flesh-pots Garlick and Onyons of Aegypt the raw and ranck discovery of this Whore of bondage in us when we prefer the husks of Swinish self and wisdome before the dainties of our Fathers Table truly we shall at last come to know the want of divine joy and comfort Know therfore O Man that in all thy wanderings from the Lord thy full fountain to selfe thy broken cistern thou in the mean time art drawne by the whore thy fleshly wisdome to yeild to her wickednesse by her flattering lips She forceth thee Prov. 7.21 and thou goest after her as a silly Oxe to the slaughter till a Dart strike through thy Liver which dart is one of the fiery darts which the Apostle speakes of even the woundings of conscience the gnawings of the Worme in thee And this is that spirituall death which thou hast brought upon thy self by commiting Adultery with the whore thy fleshly wisdome who hath stolen thy heart from the Lord by atributing all fullness to her selfe in thee and now She leaves thee as not being able to help thee in thy woe distress and misery and so much shall suffice for the discovery of a third delusive pretence of the whore whereby Shee deceiveth the heart of the simple man 4 This Whore the wisdome of the flesh is very changeable in her appearances it is the policy of a Harlot to sute her self to the humor and fancy of her Lovers that so thereby Shee may still retain and keepe them in her favour Even so it is with the spirituall Whore the mother of Harlots thy fleshly wisdome which will still be moving and changing her self in her appearances to thee that so her designe may be carried on the more subtilly therefore the Text saith Prov. 5.6 Least thou shouldest ponder the pathes of life her wayes are moveable thou can'st not know them Behold here as in a Glass the Nature of this whorish Woman the wisdome of the flesh how moveable is She in all the puttings forth of her self to man if thy heart leads thee to all manner of Palpable prophanness this whore will encourage thee to this course of life and She will tell thee that there is time enough yet to be sory for thy misdeedes and if through the motions of goodnesse thou beginnest to Ponder of thy Wickednesse and therefore art resolved to mend thy wicked courses and to be more Morally Vertuous for the time to come this Whore will move with thee hither also She will lead thee forth to the presence of many a good Morall action as to extend Almes to feed the Hungry to Cloath the Naked to Visit the Sick and to leave of thy old Vices thou hast formerly lived in all this She will be well contented with She will be willing with Saul to kill part
fastings mournings or any outward Ordinances alas how far are you mis-taken who when the Lord comes to carry you away in the Spirit to see all your glory in Christ your righteousnesse in him you will then see the odiousnesse of every thing below Christ which thou hast wondered after thou wilt then desire that God might find thee in this Wildernesse quite out of selfe that there may not be any hoofe of the Beast in thee but that thou may'st wholy be incorporated into Christ in whom thou now seest thy glory to consist And thus you see what the way is that God useth to discover self or this Whore the wisdome of the flesh to the soul Secondly Let us consider how and in what manner the Soul beholds this Whore A poor creature whom the Lord hath carried away or taken up into the Spirit that now lives walks in the Spirit he sees and beholds himselfe not as he was wont to doe formerly happily thou wast wont to see a glory and excellency in things that were below God but now on the contrary how loathsome is every thing that comes short of the divine excellency of Christ happily heretofore thou hast seen some worth in thy prayers and in thy teares some esteemablenesse in thy duties and performances some glory in thine own righteousnes but now thou seest all these things which before were counted gaine to be but losse unto thee thou beholdest all thy own righteousnes to be but as a Menstrous cloath and as a filthy ragge happily heretofore thou boastest of thy pedigree with Paul of the Tribe of Benjamin and of the stock of Israel that thou art descended from such a reformed Church from such visible dispensations so that as touching all legall worships outward formes and Ordinances thou may'st be nominated a Pharisee but now thou seest the lownesse and weaknesse of these fleshly things wherein thou hast formerly boasted now thou rejoycest that thou hast attained to the knowledge of that Christ which is the end or substance of all these fleshly things unto thee so that now thou hast no confidence in the flesh any longer but art become one of the true circumcision that worships God in the Spirit and rejoyceth in Christ Jesus in a word this spirituallized Christian seeth all below Christ to be but the garment of this spirituall Strumpet that she useth to appear in to deceive him he now sees the Whore and her various pretences and how she hath formerly deceived him in her severall dresses he sees her not only in her gaudy attire but in the height of her modesty even in her religious garment so that now he seeth how the wisdome of the flesh makes use of all outward worship formes and Ordinances to deceive the heart of the simple Finally this Spirituall Man hath the same discovery of his whorish wisdome as John had Rev. 17 from the 3 to the 7. ver 1. John he saw the Woman sitting upon a scarlet coloured Beast truly when God carries thee away in the Spirit thou wilt behold thy selfe to be the Beast that this Mysticall whore the wisdom of the flesh doth thus vassallize man in his fallen condition from God as it were Satans Pack-horse to act all his designs of wickednesse This Beast had seaven heads and ten hornes these seven heads and ten hornes are seven Mountaines and ten Kings the Scripture saith which in me are nothing but those powers of man which God hath indued him withall as Reason Will Affection Vuderstanding and the like and all these ver 13. doe with one consent give and ascribe their power to the Beast or poor beastialized man and this Beast man imployes all these with their power to make war against the Lamb Christ Jesus ver 14. so here is a discovery of poor mis-led Man sighting the battell of the Whore his fleshly wisdome all this doth the Christian apprehend in himself when the Lord carries him away in the Spirit of his glory 2. John saw the Woman ver 4. arraied in purple and scarlet colour deck with Gold Pearles and precious Stones Truly Christian when the Lord takes away this falce glassie eye of flesh from thee and endues thee with Spirituall eye-sight from himself thou shalt see this whore thy fleshly wisdome in all this her glory and excellency in Thee for all these Golden Pearles and precious Stones Scarlet colours are but the trimmings of the whore that She usually puts on and cloathes her self with all when She comes out to meet the Sons of men that so hereby She might with the more facillity dazle the eyes infatuate and bewitch the sences of her Spirituall lovers but now when God takes up a Soul into Spirit then flesh is as it were unclothed to the creature and now the Soul lookes not at her glorious shewes which formerly hath bewitched his heart but he sees and knowes that under that Golden habit there walks this subtile Harlot under this Speckled Skin there is a Venomous Viperous Serpentine Carkcas the man whom God hath Spirituallized when the wisdome of the flesh appeares in him in her glory clad with excellency and adorned with all her beautifull Robes yet all this while he sees her Naked and bare the spirit teacheth him to looke inwardly and not altogether outwardly and this is such a Mystery that the poore carnall heart cannot discerne because he lookes fleshly and carnally and hath not yet received this Spirituall eye-sight from above 3. But then John saw the Woman having a golden Cup in her hand full of abominations and filthynes of her Fornications Now that Soul which God wrapes up in that spirit of glory he beholds this whore in him and sees how She hath deluded him by her golden Cup to tast of the wine of her Fornications for this Golden Cup in the whores hand is in the Mysterie of it the Guilded pretences and Golden appearances of the wisdome of the flesh in which pretences there is contained the wickendesse of her abomination and filthynesse of her fornication A man catched up and carried by the spirit to walke in the light of Christ and to live in the purity of God sees him-self as it were now awakened out of the drunken sleep of the Whore newly Risen out of the defiled Bed of the flesh from the spirituall Vomits Swinish abominations and Beastly uncleannesse that hee before wallowed in 4. Againe John saw ver 5. what was written upon the Womans Fore-head Truly untill such time as the Lord takes a Soul up into spirit though the wisdome of the flesh appeare openly to him though She shewes her very Fore-head yet hee cannot discerne her in her appearances but now when God hath caught the Soul into spirit and carried him away in the spirit then he sees the whore in her apparitions he beholds Mysterie in the Forehead or palpable workings of the whore Mystery in all her specious pretences and notwithstanding all her shewes of Glory yet he
12.7 That when the woman had brought forth her man childe which was to rule all Nations with a rodde of Iron the woman upon the birth of this man childe fled into the wildernesse and when the woman was in the wildernesse then saies John I saw war in Heaven Michael and his angels fought against the Dragon and the Dragon fought his angels and what 's all this to me truely Christian me thinks this warre in Heaven is a sure symptom of the day of Judgement the end of this world in us when God hath by his owne power brought forth this man Jesus in us and hath given him power to rule and raigne in this woman or weake passive Christian the Soule presently upon the birth or bringing forth of Jesus in it is imediatly in a wildernesse or lost in it selfe and lyes as one amazed at this sudden worke of the Lord and in this bewildred condition of the creature Sathan he gages warre upon it shoots his fiery darts at it pursues the woman with Herod and seekes to devoure both Christ with the christian also now therefore christian know that thy Soul is this Heaven where this great battel is fought thou being in a lost bewildred estate as not knowing which way to escape the woundings of Sathan and the fiery darts of the wicked but standest as a sencelesse lifelesse marke for thy spirituall enemies to shoot at but Michael thy spirituall Prince Christ Jesus hee fights for thee against that Dragon that whore that antichrist that labours to devoure thee so that thou art that poor passive that lyes stone still whilest the Serpent stings thee and the Dragon exercises his cruelty upon thee till at last this Michael our Prince Christ Jesus hath by his own power and strength cast out and so routed this Dragon this old Serpent vers 9. That now his place is no more found in Heaven or in thy soul and thus maiest thou see Christ Judging the Whore this Serpent in thee insomuch that now this loud voyce is uttered from Heaven or the Soul of a Saint as in vers 10. Now is come salvation and strength and the kingdome of our God and the power of his Christ whereas before nothing but the dreadfull voyce of hel wrath anger fury and judgement nothing but warrs and rumours of warrs heard in thy soul yet now the day is come Christ is come to Judgement in us and hath condemned the whore in us now the voyce of salvation is heard in thee whereas before thou apprehendest God as David did sometimes to have shot the arrowes of his wrath at thee and to have battered thy soul in peeces by the thundering Cannon of his wrath yet now thou seest there is a cessation of these tumults in thee and thou now seest that sweet messenger of God the eternall Spirit drawing neere towards thee with its white Flagge of peace joy comfort and salvation bringing comfort unto thee by telling thee thy warfare is accomplished thy iniquity is pardoned and thon hast received double at the Lords hands for all thy sins and then further now strength is come also which is another part of the voyce from Heaven alas how feeble and how weake faint and unable was the Soul before the spiritual resurrection of it for the birth of this Child Jesus in it is the regeneration or new birth of a Christian the wildernesse the woman fled into is that mortified dead lost estate of a Christian the Grave where the Soul is buried to every living action and the overcomming or conquering of the Dragon or the spirituall serpent the wisdome of the flesh is the resurrection of a Saint or that spirituall day of Judgement of the whore in us Now as Jesus raised up himselfe by the power of the Father from out of the bowels of the earth so by the strength and power of this Jesus who is the resurrection and the life a Christian rises out of this dead condition and so her mortall putting on immortality and corruption putting on incorruption here is death swallowed up in victory The Christian now as he hath formerly been planted with Christ in the likenesse of his death so likewise now in the likenesse of his resurrection it bears now no longer the image of the first dead Adam but is risen in the likenesse of Christ out of earth and flesh which formerly he was involved and buryed in and by his rising againe overcomes the Dragon by the blood of the Lamb kills the great Goliah the wisdome of the flesh and this is all by the strength of that Strong man Christ Jesus who is entred into his temple or the heart of man and silences all these earthly rumors and commotions in him and so is the second part of the voyce from Heaven fulfilled Now is come not only salvation but strength And then Thirdly The Kingdome of God that 's come also and the power of his Christ our Saviour taught his Disciples whil'st hee was in the flesh and knew him only after the flesh I say he taught them to pray thy Kingdome come so that the Kingdome of Christ in that sence was not yet come to the Disciples even so it is with every poore Christian that hath attained to no more knowledge then the flesh of Christ can teach them that do not know Christ any other waies then by the beholding of his fleshly substance as Christians doe in all outward and fleshly ordinances that see no more nor know no more of Christ then Bread Water and Wine and outward formes and order can teach them the Kingdome of God is not come to them yet while the Woman was in the Wildernesse the Kingdome of God was not come in her but when She by the strength of God was Risen and had overcome by the bloud of the Lambe then She cryed now the Kingdome of God is come the Woman was fed in the wildernesse ver 6. in our low and lost estate God he feeds us with milke because the Kingdome of God Christ in the measure of the Spirit is not yet come to inable us to beare stronger meates in the wildernesse or weake condition of Saints God feeds them with manna but when he brings them into Canaan he then compasseth them about with the flowings of Milke and Honie this Canaan is Christ the true Rest of a Christian the Kingdome of the Father in the Saints who drawes up the Soul from these low dispensations by degrees as it were till he hath seated it in himself brings the Soul out of the fleshly knowledge of himself into spirituall discoveryes of his Excellency so that now the Soule prayes no more in the imbecillity of the flesh thy Kingdome come seekes no longer in fleshly Formes and Ordinances for the kingdome for it is already in them and they live in the injoyment of it Now is come Salvation and strength and the Kingdome of God and the power of his Christ the Dragon and his Angels they