1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11. And J brethren when J came to you came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom declaring unto you the Testimony of God For J determined not to know any thing among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified And J was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling And my speech and my preaching was not with entising words of mans wisdom but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men but in the Power of God Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect yet not the wisdom of this world nor of the Princes of this world that come to nought But we speak the Wisdom of God in a mystery even the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the world unto our glory Which none of the Princes of this World knew for had they known it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory But as it is written Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither hath entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him But God hath revealed them unto us by his spirit for the spirit searcheth all things yea the deep things of God For what man knoweth the things of a man save the spirit of man which is in him Even so the things of God knoweth no man but the spirit of God And read likewise Heb. 8.10.11 For this is the Covenant that J will make with the house of Israel after those days saith the Lord J will put my Laws into their mind and write them in their hea t s and J will be unto them a God and they shall be unto me a people And they shall not teach every man his neighbor and every man his brother saying know the Lord for all shall know me from the least to the greatest And 1 Joh. 2.26 27. These things have J written unto you concerning them that seduce you But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you and ye need not that any man teach you but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things and is truth and is no lye and even as it hath taught you ye shall abide in him Also 2 Pet. 1.19 We have also a more sure word of Prophesie whereunto ye do well that ye take heed as unto a light that shineth in a dark place until the day dawn and the day Star arise in your hearts Thus it is apparent we have a light within our selves better then any candles of our own wisdom namely the wisdom of Christ a day star that the Apostle directs us to and that the way to know Christ and the only way is by the inward unction the Baptism of the Spirit Now when our soul receives a glance or beam of Gods wrath thereby it reflects on its fall and sin is made manifest to our consciences wherby we are overwhelmed with sorrow grief for a time For where the entire will of sin is pierced quite through by repentance and so opened and searcht there the anointing Oyl of Love penetrateth and healeth all the wounds Thus the Father Baptizeth the Son Sanctifieth and the Holy Ghost Ordereth All and directeth us to a new Life This is the manner wherewith the Holy Trinity Baptizeth in its Manifestations in Man Now beyond and besides this is the Trinity it self God in one only Good Where we do not affirm that the Father is wrath the Son this or that thing but the good being in himself But according to the great Mystery before named in the fourth Paragraph wherein he doth manifest himself For the creation of man was made to this end and purpose only namely that God might be known Thus you may understand the Baptism of Regeneration in the inward spring and fountain of the soul where the Father Baptizeth with fire whereby we are inwardly made sensible of the bitter sufferings of Christ 2 Cor. chap. 11. v. 5. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ So that we are brought into bondage and slavery afflicted by wrath that we may be freed by Love who pacifieth the same whereby we are likewise made apprehensive of obtaining a victory Thus the soul is wounded by the wrath of God healed by the Love of God and by the Holy Ghost the comforter baptized with a new life and understanding I speak not against the outward Baptism of water cause Christ himself used the same provided it be used as a Figure onely of this Now when we are thus baptized we are often in communion with God eating his body and drinking his blood and it were well if upon this accompt we met at the Supper of the Lord breaking bread dayly Joh. 6.33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from Heaven and giveth life unto the world And Vers 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58. J am that bread of life Your Fathers did eat Manna in the wilderness and are dead This is the bread which cometh down from Heaven that a man may eat thereof and not dye J am the living bread which came down from heaven if any man eat of this bread he shal live for ever and the bread that J will give is my flesh which J will give for the life of the world Then Jesus said unto them Verily verily J say unto you Except ye eate the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood ye have no life in you Who so eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life and J will raise him up at the last day For my flesh is meat indeed and my blood is drink indeed He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and J in him As the living Father hath sent me and I live by the Father so he that eateth me even he shall live by me This is that bread which came down from heaven not as your fathers did eat Manna and are dead he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever And vers 63 64 65. It is the Spirit that quickneth the flesh profiteth nothing the words that I speak unto you they are Spirit and they are life But there are some of you that beleeve not For Jesus knew from the begining who they were that beleeved not and who should betray him And he said Therefore said I unto you that no man can come unto me except it were given unto him of my Father But this spiritual Resurrection this spiritual Baptism and Supper of the Lord Joh. 5.21 25. Verily verily J say unto you He that heareth my words and beleeveth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death unto life Verily verily J say unto you The hour is coming and now is when the dead shall hear the voyce of the Son of
OF THE Internal and Eternal Nature OF MAN IN CHRIST HEBR. 6. vers 19. Which hope we have as an Anchor of the Soul both sure and stedfast and which entereth into that within the vail Vers 20. Whither the Fore-runner is for us entered even Jesus made an high Priest for ever after the order of Milchisedec And also 2 COR. 3.15 But even to this day when Moses is read the vail is upon their heart Vers 16. Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord it shall be taken away London Printed by John Macock 1654. OF THE Internal and Eternal Nature of Man in Christ REader J would advise you out of my love to read this following Discourse soberly and warily and above all to remember that Wisdom is justified of her Children 1. WHen through the fire of Repentance we get into the Spirit of Mary the Virgin the Bride in our Souls and are falling before Christs feet the Bridegroom we taste of the Love that through Faith God presents us with which we find experimentally true when ever we make tryal of the same yet the Bridegroom will never admit of any to come to such a communion with him but the Bride only who cometh through fire to drink of the living Waters into the inward society of Love for then there is no more a comprehension but a divine communion and union through faith 1 Joh. 4.16 17. And we have known and beleeved the love that God hath to us God is love and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him Herein is our love made perfect that we may have boldness in the day of Judgment because as he is so are we in this world And thus we find the saying true My yoke is easie and my burthen is light whereby we are made likewise to live one with another in the unity of love and the bond of peace as well as within our selves finding the beasts of the field who lived before in enmity living now in Noahs Ark in perfect amity in our hearts 2. O take heed of stifling in your souls the light which leads you to the discovery of your selves Look but in your consciences and 't will enlighten every corner and crany thereof but doubt not neither fear to look upon those Images it will infallibly manifest to your soul 3. Herein is all the policy the Devil hath to keep you from looking ingeniously and candidly into your selves Knowing he hath no other way but to blind you therein whereby to continue you under his dominion for if once you do discern the hideous Monsters and Sorcerers he doth delude you with as natural men you will never take more pleasure in them but his art is to disguise them and make them seem otherwise then they are and he is terribly afraid above all measure you should know you have the Word in your Souls lest it should come into your hearts John 1.4.5 In him was life and the life was the light of men And the light shined in darkness and the darkness comprehended it not 4. O take heed Christ is a Lamb slain from the begining of the world and is come into the world in our very nature and humanity onely to suffer and make peace through the Blood of his Cross but to tell us also that he is the light and life in our Consciences Colos 1. vers 26 27 28. Even the Mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations but now is made manifest to his Saints To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this Mystery among the Gentiles which is Christ in you the hope of Glory Whom we preach warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus 5. Man is fallen into death he hath awakened the spirit of all creatures in him of a Fox a Lion a Goat a Swine c. Here is the death we are fallen into and to these we must absolutely dye in this life-time and become as little children again then shall we see the Law of Moses written in our hearts and find the Lamb slain from the beginning of the world and if upon the discovery of this divine light ye repent then shall you fulfil in your selves the great Mystery and through the mighty power of faith witness Christ risen a quickening Spirit in your hearts Then you shall evidence it is sown a natural body it is raised a spiritual body there is a natural body and there is a spiritual body and so it is written The first man Adam was made a living Soul the last man Adam a quickening Spirit Now if we look into our selves through the power of God we shall see our selves that we were a living soul free from the subjection of the spirits of the beasts of the world and if through the virtue and merit of Christ we co-operate with him spiritually we shall find our selves become a quickened spirit dead unto these natural corruptible desires And thus shall we easily beleeve the Son of God was slain himself in our humanity by the Jews if we do but reflect on our selves and find that we slay him in our hearts dayly as sinners unless we Regenerate our souls then are our sacrifices no more the sacrifices of Cain but of Abel 1 John 3. v. 6 8. Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not Whosoever sinneth hath not seen him neither known him He that committeth sin is of the Devil for the Devil sinneth from the beginning for this purpose the Son of God was manifest that he might destroy the works of the Devil And our freedom is in Righteousness But Jerusalem which is above is free which is the Mother of us all Gal. 4.26 But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the spirit even so it is now Read likewise the duty of the children of the Spirit Chap. 5. v. 22 23 24 25. But the fruit of the Spirit is Love Joy Peace Long-suffering Gentleness Goodness Faith Meekness Temperance against such there is no Law And they that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts If we live in the Spirit let us also walk in the spirit 6. Prepare therefore for him and go out of darkness which hinders you from seeing him lest he come like a Thief in the night whilest you live in your unbelief worshipping of Images in your own wisdom and imagination only denying the presence of God which is continually so neer you Acts 17.17.28 That they should seek the Lord if haply they might feel after him and find him though he be not far from every one of us For in him we live and move and have our being as certain also of your own Poets have said For we are also his off-spring 7. O prevent these things lest Christ the Sun of Righteousness when your Soul after death shall rise out of your worldly will
God and they that heare shall live is that which Lucifer defaceth and bringeth into contempt in the very hearts of men by endeavouring to make them beleeve this to be a Fancy or else to neglect and put off the time whereby the great Mystery of Christ is over-ruled and trampled upon which he cannot help unless together with him we sink down into the Cross the wrath of God then the light shineth in our hearts and by that means we see our fall our danger and our Redeemers great love and mercy Luk. 13. v. 34. O Jerusalem Jerusalem which killest the Prophets and stonest them that are sent unto thee how often would I have gathered thy children together as a Hen doth gather her brood under her wings and ye would not Here indeed is the unspeakable Mystery that Christ in whom the Trinity dwelleth bodily Colos 2. vers 9. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the God-head bodily should take upon him our nature and suffer therein a reproachful life and ignominious death by the Prince of the world the Prince of the air for the Redemption of mankind and that the same Christ should be manifested himself through faith in the mystical Body of his Saints whereby he formeth himself in us out of himself that so he may be brought into an Image thereby to know himself 2 Cor. 3.18 But we all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord. Therefore praying that our Lord Jesus would establish and strengthen us I will name some Texts whereby we are commanded to suffer with him without which we cannot raign with him 2 Tim. 3.12 Yea and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution 2 Tim. 2.11 It is a faithful saying For if we be dead with him we shall also live with him Verse 12. If we suffer we shall also raign with him if we deny him he will also deny us Luke 9.23 And he said unto them all Jf any will come after me let him deny himself and take up his cross dayly and follow me Verse 26. For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words of him shall the Son of man be ashamed when he shall come in his glory and in his Fathers and of the holy Angels Rom. 6. vers 6. Knowing this that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin 2 Cor. 1. v. 5. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ Heb. 12. v. 6. For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth every Son whom he receiveth Verse 7. Jf ye endure chastening God dealeth with you as with Sons for what son is he whom the Father chasteneth not Verse 8. But if ye be without chastisements whereof all are partakers then are ye bastards and not sons Ephes 3.20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that worketh in us Gal. 2.20 J am crucified with Christ Nevertheless I live yet not J but Christ liveth in me and the life which J now live in the flesh J live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me 1 Pet. 2.20 For what glory is it if when ye be buffeted for your faults ye shall take it patiently But if when ye do well and suffer for it ye take it patiently this is acceptable with God Vers 21. For even hereunto were ye called because Christ also suffered for us leaving us an example that ye should follow his steps 1 Pet. 4.13 But rejoyce in as much as ye are partakers of Christs sufferings that when his glory shall be revealed ye may be glad also with exceeding joy Verse 14. If ye be reproached for the Name of Christ happy are ye for the Spirit of Glory and of God resteth upon you on their part he is evil spoken of but on your part is he glorified Verse 16. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian let him not be ashamed but let him glorifie God in this behalf Verse 17. For the time is come that Judgment must begin at the House of God and if it first begin at us what shall the end be of them that obey not the Gospel of God 1 Pet. 5.10 But the God of all grace who hath called us into his eternal glory by Christ Jesus after that ye have suffered a while make you perfect stablish strengthen settle you To search further and beyond this we have neither ground nor authority for 't is in the Will of God himself whose Will is infinite and no man can possibly attain to the knowledg of what farther Creations he will make An Addition Unfolding and clearing some Things only toucht upon REader To prevent mistakes in some obscure Mysteries and my expressions on them take these few Explanations before J bid thee Farewell 1. Whereas in page 3. I make mention of the Spirit of the Virgin Mary know there is a twofold mystical Virgin the one is the pure Word or Doctrine of God out of which Christ is born in us according to the Flesh the other is the eternal Wisdom of God out of which Christ is brought forth in us according to the Spirit and this last is the Virgin which we here meant 2. Whereas in that page also and page 4. line 7. we speak of the Bride of Christ this also is twofold the one is the Jerusalem which comes down from God out of Heaven which the promised Spirit the everlasting Kingdom of Righteousness that descended upon the Apostles in the day of Pentecost concerning which you may read more at large Jer. 3.16 And it shal come to pass when ye be multiplyed and encreased in the Land in those days saith the Lord they shal say no more The Ark of the Covenāt of the Lord neither shal it come to mind neither shal they remēber it neither shal they visit it neither shall that be done any more Revel 3.12 Him that overcometh will I make a Pillar in the Temple of my God and he shall go no more out and I will write upon him the Name of my God and the name of the City of my God which is the new Jerusalem which cometh down out of Heaven from my God and I will write upon him my new Name And Chap. 21.2 And J John saw the holy City the new Jerusalem coming down from God out of Heaven prepared as a Bride adorned for her Husband Of which Jerusalem we also make mention page 10. line 3. out of the fourth Chapter to the Galatians Our Jerusalem above is free The other Bride of Christ is his beloved Spouse the Church at which the Apostle speaks at large Ephes 5.25 26 c. Husbands love your wives even as Christ also