bid I cannot curse them and the lying spirit could not go into the Prophets of Ahab king of Israel unless â—he Lord had sent him therefore when Shimei cursed David 2 Chron. 1â— 20 21. he did it because the Lord had bidden him and David reproved those that gaine-said it saying he curseth even because God hath bid him curse David who dare then say wherefore hast thou done so behold saith he 2 Sam. 16.10 11 12. my Son which came out of my own bowels seeketh my life and why should not he that curseth be let alone for the Lord hath bidden him it may be the Lord will look on mine afflictions and do me good for his cursing me this day thus said David and thus may we say why should not these be let alone that revile persecute banish or imprison us or any seeing they do it by the Lords command which he lets alone for good to them that are persecuted for without him they can do nothing and David under judgement and the reproaches of men seeing all that men did unto him to be of God he said he was dumb and opened not his mouth because he knew the Lord did it Psa 39.9 and Christ as a lamb led to the slaughter and as a sheep dumb before the shearers so he opened not his mouth against them knowing it to be the Lord that did it therefore when he was reviled he reviled not againe but committed himselfe to God that judgeth righteously so neither Pharoah nor the Egyptians cauld do any thing against Israel except the Lord had hardnen their hearts to do it neither could the devil touch Job in his person nor estate to afflict and punnish him without God had bidden him and gave him commission Iob. 2.6 which God saw would be good unto Job and therefore Job in all his afflictions accuseth none neither devil nor witches nor any other in the loss of any thing Iob. 1.21 but ascribeth all unto God who giveth and taketh at his pleasure and did all that was done unto him to humble him and after what a strange manner doth God sometimes act his people to make them a reproach and scorne of men as he did David when he made him to uncover himselfe in the eyes of the hand maids of his servants 2 Sam. 6.20 21 22. and he said it was before the Lord and that he would be yet more vile and base in his own sight and the sight of his maid-servants of whom he said he should be had in honour Isa 20.2 3. and so did the Lord do by Isaiah when he made him to walk naked and barefoot three years for a signe Isa 20.2 3. Ezek. 4.12 chap. 5.1 and made Ezekiel to bake mens dung and eat it for a signe and to shave the hair from off his head and face and burn the third part for a signe which was all by the Lords command yet all such are counted as mad men by those that knew not the Lord though they did it by his command who saith it and men must do it Iob 1.21 Hose 6.1 who witholdeth giveth and taketh at his pleasure both men and things even poverty and riches health wealth and sickness prosperitie and adversitie life and death honour and shame all is of God and by God and not of any other but God who worketh and none shall hinder commanding all things even men and devils to serve him for good and therefore the devil walking to and fro in the earth seeking whom he may devour may be said to be the servant of God imployed about Gods work to try and prove his people by temptations and afflictions for good to them as he did Iob and so saith Christ of the devil when he was led by the spirit even God into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil he said unto him thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God Mat. 4.17 â—0 Acts 2.23 Acts 1.25 but thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve and Iudas when he betrayed Christ he did also the work of God which was before appointed to be done but the devil not knowing that what he did was of God did therefore accuse himselfe and after death went to his own place Eccles 12.7 the body to the earth from whence it came and the soul to God that gave it every thing to its place and center light unto light and darkness unto darkness earth to earth and the spirit to the spirit every thing to its like as it alwayes did and ever will do world withour end and that which is the dark and devilish part even the devil it selfe which entred into Judas whereby he became a devil tempting and betraying persecuting and accusing any is the same devil that enters into men at this day whereby they become as devils one to another and which remaineth still with men of the same nature doing the same devilish work of the devil in them to this day who are some times made use of by God as a rod and scourge in Gods hand to whip scourge others whom God loves and chastizes for good to them to humble them Psalm 17.9 10 11 12 13 14. which rod shall at last with the devil be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone to be burnt as the Aegyptians were into the sea to be drowned And therefore all men persecuting plotting and devising evil devices against others to accuse them are no better then the devil in that devilish nature which God sometimes sets a worke to do his dark and black work and to discover themselves in the tryal of others for their own shame and destruction in that state after convinced by God and so they are the servants of God as Judas and the devil was to do that worke of God as the devil and Judas did and who with the devil must at last come to judgement before Christ Rom 2.15 16. where their own consciences shall accuse them of the evil they have done against Christ and by him they shall be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where all their abominations and devilish actings of one man against another and against God shall be destroyed and themselves saved yet as by fire and that in them which was devilish and made them so long to be devilish i Cor. 3.15 Jam. 3.15 16. is the devil in them that so long destroyed them and kept them from knowing their peace with God and this devil and sin the devouring lyon of man-kind is that which is onely for destruction in mens salvation and coming unto God and he is that beast which is the fourth and which was and is not and shall go into perdition and whose power or little horne that came up last rageing most haveing a mouth and eyes like a man is he that continued speaking and acting great things against the Saints of the most high in
did men that persecute others for their judgement and endeavours to destroy their knowledge know that it vvould be thereby the more encreased they would not do it for when they send them to Prison they do but send them as to a School vvhere they shal learn more of God and be the more confirmed in the truth they before knew for Christ wil never leave them that he hath once taught but wil be alwaies with them more to teach them that they may more knovv him and be setled and grounded in him And in all my sufferings and imprisonment for the truth to this day I have had with me the company of that one School-Master the Lord Jesus who at first taught me the knowledge of himself in the spiritual School of divine learning the Spirit of himself set up in my heart by vvhich I vvas made a Schollar fit to take my Degrees to bear the burden and undergo the reproaches by men laid upon me in the school of my imprisonment sufferings for the truths sake that I might not fear nor be discouraged by them as I have not bin hitherto praised be God but in six troubles the Lord delivered me and in the seventh which is this I am now under no evil is yet come unto me Job 5 17 18 19 which hath been seven trials and persecutions that I have had for the vvitness of Jesus and by vvhich the Lord hath also tryed and proved me vvhether the Lesson he at first taught me To trust in him and deny my self for him vvere stil ovvned and not forgotten nor denyed by me in which through him I have been hitherto faithful shall so continue unto death if the Lord wil and am not vvithout my revvard vvhich is a Crovvn of Life The fruit of which Life of God manifest in flesh as fast as it vvas ripened in me vvas by the Lord and keeper of the Vinyard in which it grew gathered and sent by me to be distributed among you Acts 20.20 of vvhich with Paul I kept nothing back from you that vvas profitable to you during the time I vvas vvith you nor from the rest of my Brethren in the flesh vvhere I have at any time been but vvith Paul I have taught publikely and from house to house vvhat the Lord hath taught me vvhich I did not do for price nor revvard of men as some Parish-Ministers do that as so many Merchant-men through covetousness make merchandise of the people and seek not the Lord Jesus Christ but themselves but what I do and have done as my conscience bears me vvitness hath been really with heart and soul according to my power for the glory of God and the comfort of his people in the Lord Jesus that as freely I have received so freely have I given for the Vinyard was the Lords and he himself as the Husbandman of the Vinyard did by his spirit in me plow it sow it plant and dress it and caused it to grow by the sweet and powerful dew of himself falling from heaven upon it as the former and later rain upon the earth and being ripe in me he gathered it and made it ready for me and through the power of his spirit working in me sent it abroad among you to be by me declared unto you for your souls comfort did himself whose Messenger I was reward me for it not onely with spiritual comforts to my soul and with food and raiment to my body but also vvith the reproaches of Christ vvhich I count greater riches then the pleasures of Aegypt or the riches and glory of this World in vvhich I also rejoyced as my portion vvith the Lord seeing the Lord in it and vvith Paul learned to be content in all things and vvith him returns you all thanks that have in any measure and freely participated vvith me and ministred to me in my sufferings And novv the same Lord vvhich caused to grovv in me that Gospel-fruit vvhich I declared to you must also cause it to grovv in you before it can bring forth fruit to you that you all vvith me and I vvith you and vve both vvith Ephraim may be like a green Firre-tree in vvhom fruit is found for you had it from me but in vvords vvho only can plant or speak to the ear but it is the Lord that must speak to the heart to teach plant and cause to grovv in you the great Mysterie of godliness for Paul may plant and Apollo may vvater but God must give the encrease vvhich as I have said unto you is That you should knovv God manifest in flesh Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today and for ever born crucified dead buryed risen and ascended and coming to you the second time in spirit and truth without sin unto salvation bringing all things of him unto your remembrance and by which spirit of him in me manifesting the same to me I have published it to you beseeching you all in Christ Jesus to be reconciled to God for that God in Christ from all eternity was himself reconciled to you and all mankind and that vvhile you and all men vvere yet sinners sent his Son to dye for us according to the Scriptures to reconcile you to himself and in mercy to you he pardoned you and by his spirit within you frees you and which Message of him for the reconciliation of all men to God so far as to me was made known by him I have been am and shall be through him ever faithful who through his mercy hath preserved me in it And now the increase of the Fruit of this Vinyard of Christ for the increase of his body taught me by him in the School of my imprisonment and sufferings for the truth and ripened and gathered by him in the Harvest thereof I shall present you with from the Lord and not as from my self without him who first vvrit in my heart and after by my hand in several Treatises of several subjects while I have been a prisoner among you to be in order presented to you shortly agreeable to what I have before in vvords declared amongst you and which if you have an ear to hear vvhat the spirit saith may be more opened in you by the Lord of that spirit in the reading thereof and in vvhich reading I desire you all to vvait upon the Lord to be taught by him vvho only can give you an appetite to it and make you detest it that can make you vvilling and able to receive it vvhich is the mysterie of Christ crucified and you that cannot receive all for the present vvhy rest your selves satisfied vvith what you can and judge nothing before the time until the Lord shall come and open it to you vvith an injoyment of it in you 1 Coâ— 4.5 as he hath done to me in the mean time take this herevvith sent you as a preparative to that vvhich is coming and he that can receive it let him receive
contented vvith in the Lord that I still am dear Friends and Brethren a very loving Friend and Brother in Christ to all men friends and enemies so called vvhile I am and the truth is in me Richard Coppin A TABLE of the Contents Chap. I. THe cross of Christ set up in men and their dyings upon it of the life which is lost and to be found the father mother and brethren husband wife and chidren house lands and all things therein to be forsaken for Christ what they are with the time when and the manner how Chap. II. How the cross of Christ is accompanied with the crosses of the world fiery tryals and persecutions for the truth the clouds of Christs coming and the way of his peâ—ple in which he leads them and walks with them to save them how and from what Chap. III. Of the afflictions of Ioseph his being sold into Egypt by his brethren his being falsly accused and imprisoned how God thereby exalted him and Judged his brethren that sold him how the same was with Christ and is with us to this day Chap. IV. How Pharoah and the Aegyptians and all that with them to this day do betray and persecute accuse judge and condemn any for conscience towards God are acted by the Devil hardened and commanded to it by God how with Cain Judas and the Devil they are all Gods servants doing their devillish dark and black work and whose spirit in them shall with the Devil Death Hel and false Prophet and the Beast which was and is not gone into perdition be damned and dye the second death when and how Chap. V. A definition of the rightous and the wicked as two parts of three in man to be destroyed and how the third part neither righteous nor wicked is brought through the fire and saved with a distinction of Dives and Lazaras and their conditions in life and death and of the dog licking Lazarus soars Chap. VI. That the more purer innocent and faithful men are in the truth the more do men plot and devise evil of them to destroy them as against the Lords Prophets Christ and his Apostles how God by his presence with them delivers them as he did Israel the three Children Daniel Jonah ond Jeremiah and destroyed their enemies Ch. VII How by persecution truth is increased and the more advanced and they that suffer for it to the terror of them that persecute it that truth is rewarded and witnessed by sufferings how the reward of suffrings is a crown of glory manifest in men and when Chap. VIII How the way to find our life is to lose it that no man is to know any thing of himself but to be innocent in knowing his own innocency and righteousness also what the true knowkledge of God is who hath it and how it s obtained Chap. IX How all men are alike to God to whom light and darkness is all one that no man is better nor worse then another and how what it is to be bâ—th best and worst in one person to be punished and exalted and the way unto it how we are to serve one another and of the state of Christ as God and man and how with him we are to love all men Chap. X. Of Gods appearing in Judgment in man against all things of man and this world that all outward duties worship and obedâ—ence by men professed is a lye without the inward work of truth within how according to the inward work is the outward practice that the more by Christ any man is refined pâ—rged and saved within in his conscience the more by men is he falsly accused judged and condemned without in his practice Chap. XI Nothing which opposes God can stand against him how he will pull down and get above Towers Churches worships religions and all things of men that is not in Christ also to whom the Lords Judgements are a day of joy and delight and to whom they are a day of darksnes and trouble t trust in God under them is a sure refuge of the good that comes by them and when Chap XII Incouragemâ—nts to wait with patience under the Lords Judgments and not to oppâ—se them Of the works of the Lord Jesus what thâ—y are and how we bear them about in our bodies when Chap. XIII How men of the greatest light witnessing to truth under Judgments do suffer most unjustly by false accusations with the loss of all things below God that not all but some men as witnesses shall suffâ—r fâ—r the rest of one life how some professing the same life for fear of suffering will deny them that suffer for them rather then suffer with them as the Disciples of Christ did Chap. XIIII That the true sufferer w ll God inable with joy to bear his burthen to follow Christ and deny himself to trust in God and rejoyce in all things how with Christ he is humbled to the lowest with men and exalted to the highest with God as the fruit and effect of Gods Judgements the state of perfection ERRATA In the Title page line 23. read comparandis next read Epistle for Epitlâ— in p. 2. of the Epistle l. 34. r. the for ye p. 3 l. 19 r. with for which Book p. 5. l. 16. read Iohn for Rom. l. 18. r. to for so p. 6. l. 22. r. nurses for snuffâ— p. 7. l. 1. r. with for which p. 9 l. 17. r. whom for when l. 20. r. few for some p. 10. l. 1. r. follow for slow p. 12. l. 3. r. pleased p. 20. l. 24 25. r. he for the Devil p. â—4 l. 21. r. lofty p. 25. l. 9. r. purified p. 29. l. 27. r knawed l. 28. r. with p. 32. l. 1. r. know p. 35. l. 3. r. against p. 39. l. 32. r. see p. 41. l. 15. r. good l. 28. r. and l 31. r. every p. 42. l. 3. r. might l. 4 r. might l. 23. r. the p. 47. l 9 r. desired not l 16 r. of p 49. l. 13 r. good l 30 r. humbled himself p 52 l. 32 r made p 57 l. 2 dele that l 8 r. comfort p 58 l 19. r. set up p 59 l 17 r. which p. 62 l 27 r marks p 65 l 16 add are p 66 l 29 read knowing p 68 l 3 thy men p 69 l. 2 r. injoyed it l 30. r. they must continue maintaining p 70 l 24. r. with A new and spiritual Song of Sion and the Lamb Written by the Author in the Holy Land And also in his sufferings wherein God did him try And unto him revealed life light and liberty Psal 98. 1 Psal 101.1 O sing unto the Lord a new Song for he hath done marvelous things his right hand and his holy arm hath gotten him the victory I will sing unto the Lord of mercy and judgement unto thee O Lord will I sing 1. THE Lamb of God our King is come In righteousness to reign Ioh. 1.29 Isa 32.1 Heb. 2.9 Rev.
when my sufferings should end Which I shouldhere endure Exod 3 9 10 19 20 A Moses to me he would send My freedom to procure And those that should it then withstand His wrath he would make see And overthrow them by that hand Isa 41 10 11 Which gives me liberti. 24. But some like Pharoah still did plot My bodie to keep here Evod 8 28 32 Though they would say We hinder not But rather would him clear Yet God their hearts made hard again My freedom to denie Until that I Gods time had laine to have my liberty 25. Therefore in this I am content His time here for to stay Phil. 4.11 Heb 13 5 Psal 119.50 2 Cor 1 4 Psal 84 11. He having to me comforts lent The time to pass away He makes his sun on me to shine My soul to satisfie And promiseth in his due time To give me libertie Col. 3.16 17. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord and whatsoever ye do in word or deed do alâ— in the Name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks to God and the Father by him As is the Exhortation of Richard Coppin Return into thy rest O my soul for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee Christ Crucified AND Judgement Executed CHAP. I. The cross of Christ set up in men and their dyings upon it of the life which is lost and to be found the father mother â—nd brethren husband wife and children house lands and all things therein to be forsaken for Christ what they are with the time when and the manner how YOU that with Christ and with those that are Christs wil desire to live in the same spiritual freedom fellowship 1 Coâ— 1 1â— and communion of Saints in light must by him be armed with the same spiritual mind of Christ and them to know Christ crucified in you and you to all things of flesh and this world besides God and so with him to have peace joy and comfort in all your desires wayes 1 Pet. 4.1 2. and actions and with patience and delight to follow him and to take up his cross daylie and carry it with you after him suffering it to be placed in you as the Lords standard lifted up against the enemy sin the devil and all iniquitie Rev. â—â— 1â— 1â—â—7 which is a flood out of the devils mouth rushing out upon you to devour you till Christ the wisdome and power of God as the cross be set up in you to overcome it for you and restore you into perfect health and safety in the Lord Jesus Heb. 〈…〉 through the manifestation of his second comming without sin unto salvation in the perfecting of which work by the same cross walking through the paths of the Lords judgements where the natural man is to give up the ghost with the loss of life you are to abide upon this cross not for a day a month not a year and in some things and not in others but in all things all wayes and continually ever bearing about in you bodies the dying of the Lord Jesus after the flesh that the life also of Jesus after the spirit may be made manifest in your mortal bodies and you in him to live without the knowledâ— of sin and of the fear of death hell and the devil therefore you which live in the body and would know Christ cruâ—ified in you 〈…〉 â—are alwayes to be delivered unto death for Jesus sake that the liâ—â—â—lso of Jesus may be made manifest in you mâ—tâ—◠〈…〉 and 〈…〉 sin â—eath hell and 〈◊〉 man with all his corrupâ— deâ—dâ— of the flesâ— wisedom interest and knowlâ—â—g and to planâ— in you the new 〈◊〉 which in Christ Jesus 〈…〉 â—ousness 〈…〉 holinâ—sâ— and so 〈…〉 that in dying you 〈…〉 that life which y◠〈…〉 before the â—aâ— of Adam so 〈…〉 â—â—eth judgement to destroy in man the knâ—◠〈…〉 by which came death and so by 〈…〉 again to a new life â—ith 〈…〉 which he shall know himself 〈◊〉 live 〈…〉 not unto himself 〈…〉 and in dying and lâ—â—â—g 〈…〉 from which he shall never dye so saith Christ he that believes in me Joh 5.15 16 though he were dead yet shall he live and whosoever liveth and believeth in â—â—e shal neâ—â—â— dyâ—â— believe you this saith Christ as sufficient 〈…〉 eternal salvation And the way to this 〈…〉 dye dayly till you be dead to all things but Goâ— to 〈◊〉 only iâ— God for as you dye the dâ—â—d of oâ—e life which you must dye and â—annot live to you livâ— aâ—othâ—r 〈◊〉 whiâ—h is for everâ—aâ—â—ing and can nevâ—â— dye whereby Câ—â—ist himself is magâ—â—fied 〈…〉 set up and exâ—â—â—â—d in your bâ—â—â—y to be youâ— and you his both in death in life 〈…〉 to you in both and you 〈◊〉 in you 〈…〉 dâ—ath that you might oâ— truâ—t 〈…〉 â—â—fore this dying 〈…〉 â—peaks of when he saâ—tâ— â—I am 〈…〉 yet nevertheless I live ye◠〈◊〉 â—â—ow 〈…〉 lives mine â—al 2 1â— â—â— and the life that 〈…〉 the faith of the son oâ— God 〈…〉 gave himself for me and noâ— only 〈…〉 â—uâ—â—or aâ—â— men whatsoever that 〈…〉 as he shâ—l be manifest in them may b◠〈◊〉 with him 〈…〉 unto themselves 〈…〉 dyed for thâ—â— and now lives in â—â—â—m 〈…〉 that wâ—ether they live oâ— dye 〈…〉 〈…〉 who â—â—s that was dead iâ— alive 〈…〉 Aâ—d 〈◊〉 Christ said unto you all thaâ— woâ—â—d 〈◊〉 any thing in your selves besides the â—ord of for any othâ—â— but th◠〈◊〉 that â—f you will come after 〈◊〉 you 〈◊〉 deâ—y your 〈◊〉 and take up â—â—s cross â—ayâ—y and 〈…〉 that you may be noth ng 〈◊〉 your â—â—lâ—â—â— know 〈…〉 any thing of 〈…〉 all by 〈…〉 joy 〈◊〉 things of the Lord who is made all things unto you that you haveing nothing yet injoying all things as injoying all things Luk. 9.23.24 yet having nothing for he that wil seek to save his life shall lose it and he that will lose his life for my sake shall find it And now my brethren that you may dye to live lose all to find all you are commanded by Christ to hang upon the cross of Christ till you are crucified with Christ and become dead to all things but Christ which is not an outward cross of any visible thing without you no nor altogether outward afflictions but it is Christ the wisdom of God and Christ the power of God within you and which you are to take up and hang upon to the slaying of all your own wisdome and strength righteousness and life and all things of man and the world and whatsoever is contrary to this cross even Christ in you which you are to take up and hang upon even you and all that is yours yea all of yours even all is to be fastned to him and slain by him in your
resist the comming of it before and will still dwell in your owne ceiled houses your fet formes and opinions of religious wayes and worships and the Lords house way worship and religion even Christ which you should have possest injoy lyeth waste among you and is not inhabited by you but when the Lord by manifesting himself in you shal appear to build up the waste places and raise up the Tabernacle of David which is fallen down and close up the breaches thereof as in the dayes of old Amos 9. ii and so cause the desolate heritages even men and all things which hath been known of them to be without Christ Zacha. 6.12 13. to be inhabited by Christ and shall manifest himselfe in them to be unto them their house habitation and glory then will men forsake their own houses lands and purchased fields which they have builded and planted with all their houshold-stuff therein being and their goodly cedars therein growing and shall not returne to take any thing with them but shall leave all behind them and follow Christ yea and though you may be upon the top of your houses in the highest of your profession and godlyness reaching even to Heaven yet you must come down and shall not take any thing with you Luke 17.30 31. neither shall these in the field return back to reap any profit of all their own labours which they have labored under the Sun in performing of duties and ordinances of religion wherein they thought themselves rich without Christ this all must be left lost and forsaken and no more remembred in the knowledg of Christ and him crucified And would you now dye that you might live then this is the way to see your selves and all things of your selves crucified with Christ and to know him living in you to be unto you a father and mother and husband and wife and children and brother and sister and house and lands and life and death Rom. 8.32 and food and rayment and all things whatsoever else is in the world you and all is Christs and Christ and all is yours and you and Christ with all things else is Gods and you are not your own but as you are in him i Cor. 3 2i 22 23 for you are bought with a price to be the Lords and all that you are you are in the Lord 1 Cor. 6.20 therefore glorifie God in your bodies and in your spirits which is Gods and know nothing in you but Christ and him crucified and whatsoever else you have known to be any thing or any profit or advantage to you besides the Lord count it all lost for Christ and with Paul count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledg of Jesus Christ our Lord for when you suffer the loss of all Phil. 3.7 8. and count them but dung that you may win Christ this is the fruits and effct of your hanging on the cross and this with men is hard to do the way is narrow and some there be that find it CHAP. II. How the cross â—f Christ is accompanied with the crosses of the world firey troyals and persecutions for the truth the clouds of Christs coming â—nd tâ—e way of his people in which he leads them and walks with them to save them how and from what AND wheresoever this way of Christ crucified shall be manifest and found with any that with Christ have been hanging upon the cross of divine wisdom and power to be thereby weaned from sin and the world with the loss of all their own wisedom righteousness and strength there do the crosses of the world flow and come together as fellow-helpers and companions in assistance with the cross of Christ 1 Pet. 2.21 for even hereunto were ye called because Christ also suffered for us leaving us an example to follow his steps And therefore you my brethren and fellow sufferers for the truth you that have in any measure learned to embrace this cross of Christ for the saving of your souls let it incourage you not to lay it down but with patience to lye down under it Gal. 6 17. and to bear it about in your bodies as the marks of the Lord Jesus till you be perfected in him and still to trust in God and wait upon him in whatsoever affliction he by men or any other means as a rod in his hand shall afflict upon you to humble you to walk with him and be not sorrowful nor troubled at any thing Eph 2.12 as those that are without hope but rejoyce alwayes and in all things still praysing the Lord for his goodness in laying his cross upon you to humble you and protect you in it and who without respect of persons hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light manifest by the Lord Jesus in the way of his judgements by the spirit of judgement and by the spirit of burning for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus â— Cor. 5.5 or God manifest in flesh Therefore my brethren think it not strange concerning fierie tryalls â— Pet. 1.12 persecutions tribulations and sufferings as if some strange thing happened unto you for they are companions with Christ on the cross and they are the clouds in which he comes to manifest his glory on earth and the way which he walked in himself before he entred into glory wherein the Father made known himselfe unto him and in which way he leads his dearest Saints that know him and are nearest in union with him for the tryal of their faith 1 Pet. 1.6 7. which being tryed by fire might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of the Lord Jesus as the Lords spirit with the Scriptures in all my sufferings for the truth to this day bears me witness that bands and afflictions Acts 14 22. persecutions and tryals through which a soule enters into the kingdom of God are very good and in which much of God hath been manifest unto me for that the Lord by the Angel of his presence was with me to sanctifie it to me and save me as he did his Prophets and people of old and as he will do all throughout all generations of the world for in all their afflictions he was afflicted Isa 63 9. and the Angel of his presence saved them in his love and in his mercy he redeemed them and he bear them and carried them alwayes continually which hath been witnessed by his Prophets of old from Adam unto this day as I shall more particularly hereafter mention that the coming of God to save his people from their enemies the world flesh sin and the devil and to draw them out of many waters death hell and damnation hath been in the way of his judgements in dark and thick clouds of the sky as all can witness that ever saw him and have known any
deliverance by him and that before he delivers them from any condition of hell he comes himselfe unto them in it for at his presence the earth and all hellish devilishness in men out of which a soul is to be brought trembles and shakes before him and as stubble it is burnt by him for so saith David of his coming to him he bowed the heavens and came down Isa 64.1 Psa 18.8 9 10 17. and the mountains did melt at his presence that is he made all creature excellency and glory fall down before him at his coming and become as darkness unto him he came flying upon the wings of the wind as in the majesty and power of his spirit which bloweth where it listeth Isa 40.6 7 8. as the breath of his mouth and as his spirit to wither and consume all flesh and he made darkness his secret place that none but whom he pleated should behold him and out of his nostrils went a smoak to darken all the light and glory of man and a consuming fire went out of his mouth to burn up his enemies and coals were kindled at it that all his enemies became as ashes before him and at the brightness of his presence his clouds passed all troubles were ceased his enemies were scattered and his people delivered it is the day of the Lord Jer. 30 7 8 9 10 even the time of Jacobs trouble but he shall be saved out of it and restored into rest and peace where none shall make him afraid This is the manner of Gods coming to judgemrnt to redeem man every one in his order as he shall be manifest to them to lead and carry them through fiery tryals and dark waters Isa 43.16 but not without the Lords presence with them purging them by it and saveing them in it that the fire might not burn them nor the waters overflow them but only that enmity which is for destruction within them therefore he saith when thou passest through the waters I will be with thee Isa 43.1 2 3. and through the floods that they shall not overflow thee when thou wvlkest through the fire thou shalt not be burnt neither shall the flames kindle upon thee for I the Lord thy God am with thee and the Holy one of Israel thy saviour that redeemed thee and though for a time he gave Jacob to the spoile Israel to the robbers Isa 42.24 and though the land of them be filled with sin and iniquitie yet he leaves them not nor forsakes them but continues his presence with them to redeem them â—or 51.5 save and deliver them and the robbers and destroyers of his people which came upon them to destroy them these will he destroy spoil and cast into the prison of their own shame and after bring them to judgement he will also afflict them and try them and thereby humble them that they might be saved and all the wounds that the enemies of God people have made in them Jer. 30.16 17. he will also heal up that they shall be no longer a prey to their enemies and them that have been their enemies Isa 19.22 even Egypt and Assyria which God sometimes destroyed them will he also save with Israel and there shall be no more destruction of one another nor of them by the Lord but one heart and one mind will the Lord give them CHAP. III. Of the afflictions of Joseph his being sâ—lâ— iâ—tâ— Egypt by his Brethren his being falsly accused and mprisoned how Gâ—â— thereby exalted h m and Judged â—is Brethâ—en that sold him how the same was with Christ and is with us to this day THIS did God by Israel and all the sons of Jacob in the afflictions of Joseph whom his brethren conspired against hated and sold into Egypt Gen. 37.18 i9 and wherefore did they sell him but because they hated him and they hated him because they thought Jacob their father did love him more then them Gen. 37.3 4 5. and when Joseph had told unto them his dream whereby they understood that he should reign over them they hated him so much the more and sought his destruction though he were their Brother and after they had sold him and he like to find favour with him that bought him he was sought unto day by day to be tempted by an Egyptian woman to lie with her and because he refused and did not she falsly accused him to her husband saying that he would have done it but she would not and therefore by false accusation he was cast into prison and had bands added unto his afflictions Gen. 39. but the Lord was still with him and shewed him mercy that he found favour with God and through great affliction God humbled him and brought him to honour and afterwards his Brethren that sold him to be afflicted them did God also afflict judge and humble before Joseph and the saying of Joseph to his Brethren was brought to pass Gen. 42.6 to 22. that he should reign over them and they be subjected to him which was all for their good that they were thus afflicted and did afflict their Brother as was and Josephs afflictions for him after they had sold him and yet it was not they that sold him but the Lord by them sent him into Egypt before them to preserve life and that in time of need he might preserve them Gen. 45.3 4 5. and at last be made known unto them for their joy and comfort in the Lord so it was not us that sold Christ but the Lord by us crucified Christ with us that he might preserve us and with comfort make known himselfe unto us therefore the like afflâ—ctions of Joseph was with Christ and are to this day with us for we are all the sons of Jacob and have all joyned together to sell our Brother Joseph even Christ and one another for naught that he should not reign over us as to this day we do in persecuting the spirit of Jesus in his people for whosoever we find among us to be best beloved of God find favour with men and to whom God shall manifest most of spiritual wisdome and knowledge to be preached and declared by any to the exalting of Christ and abaseing of man such will they with Cain slay and with â—â—seph Brethren sell for naught into a strange land persecute him banish him or imprison him that he should not live with them whereby the afflictions of Iosephâ— are continued to this day and with Iosephs Bretâ—ren they will say theâ— we shall see what will become of his dream Geâ— 37.20 his principle and doctrine which he preached which say they under afflictions he may deny for his libertie and so it will come to nothing but as it happened to Iosephs Brethren so will it happen to them for the spiritual Abel even that Iesus the Lords anoynted which was preached unto them and persecuted by them shall reign
part which is of God shall be saved and which is neither righteous nor wicked in it self but is pure holy meek and humble as Adam was before his fall and now again regenerated from the knowledge of good and evil to be like Christ risen into the state of the second Adam more perfect then the first as in the state of rest and salvation where man is saved and made perfect in God yet so as by fire and where there is neither truth nor error light nor darkness day nor night appearing distinct but in the evening it shall be light or that which before was darkness shall now be made light Isa 42.16 even the crooked straight and the rough plain as all but one day and one light Zach. 14.6 6 8 9. one way and one kingdom of the Lord known unto men and in which there is but one king and his Name one over all the earth and all other kings and kingdoms good and bad so known are destroyed and at an end to its goodness and its badness out of Christ and at the sounding of the seventh angel is al becom the kingdoms of the Lords and of his Christs whose name is but one and there is none besides him CHAP. VI. That the more purer innocent and faithful men are in the truth the more do men plot and devise evil of them to destroy them as against the Lord Prophets Christ and his Apostles how God by his presence with them delivers them as he did Israel the three Children Daniel Jonah ond Jeremiah and destroyed their enemies AND he that with this one even with this pure and perfect one shall know most of this King and Kingdom to declare it and most purely live in it he must suffer the greater by men and with Christ he shall drink of the cup of Christ Matt. 20.25 Luke 12.50 and be baptized with the baptism of Christs sufferings under which Christ himself groaned till it was accomplished and brought through the fire and seven times tryed in the presence of Gods burnings he is most certainly humbled and exalted with Christ in the spirit to sit in the Throne of his Father so long as he lives in the flesh manifesting and declaring to the world the glory of Christs Kingdom which he knows and is possessed of Iob. 16.33 he must so long expect to have tribulation in the world answerable to the peace and consolation he hath with Christ in God and in which tribulation and affliction of fiery tryals and persecutions by men his peace and consolation shall not cease to be with him for his God in whom he liveth and trusteth Isa 63. will continue it by the angel of his presence being in all his afllictions afflicted with him to protect save and deliver him that no evil shall come unto him for when thou passest through the fire I will be with thee saith the Lord and in the midst thereof I will redeem thee Isa 43.2 that no evil shall come unto thee And this abiding of God with his people to rule and reign in them is that which saves them and all men in their sufferings for the truth even as it did all the Lords Prophets and people in all their afflictions throughout all generations to this day witnessed in the three children of Israel that had been taken captives Shadrach Meschech and Abednego who at the wrath of the King Nebuchadnezzar for their faithfulnss in God and not falling down to worship the Image which Nebuchadnezzar the King had set up were cast bound into the midst of the hot fiery Furnance heat seven times hotter then it was wont to be heat Dan. 3.13 â—4 they had no hurt of the Fire for the son of God whom they worshipped in truth righteousness trusted that he would deliver them walked in the midst of the Fire with them and saved them and these men which cast them in were burnt with the flames of that Fire which they had kindled for to burn others according as it is written The wicked have drawn out the Sword and have bent their Bow to cast down the poor and needy Psa 37.14 15. and to slay such as be of an upright conversation their sword shall enter into their own heart and their Bows shall be broken and the Fire that they have made for others shall kindle upon themselves as it did upon those which cast them into the Fornace insomuch that the King and those that saw the deliverance of the three children and the great power of God were astonished and convinced at the Protection of them to see them thus delivered by the God in whom they trusted who is a God alwaies at hand ready to help the helpless from those that would devour them and this hath been the protection that Gods people hath found at this day though great persecutious hath been against them wherein many hath suffered much not so much as was the desire of their enemies they should as many can witness that have seen the malicious proceedings at them but the Lord resttrained them The like we have in Daniel another witness for the Lord who was Innocent Faithful one of the Children of the Captivity of Iudah in whom the spirit of VVisdome understanding was most excellent Dan. 5.12 13. in opening Divine mysteries because for his VVisdome he was preferred by the King the Rulers Governors over wnom Daniel was set sought an occasion against Daniel to destroy him but said they we shall find no fault against him except it be concerning the Law of his God so they consulted together how they might make a Law on purpose to betray him as all men at this day have don to betray those whom God hath most honoured indu'd w th the understanding of divine mystries to betray them they will make Lawes Statutes of things concerning God which shall be sin blasphemy for them that shall act it or speak it to bring them into bondage for it as all the Rulers Officers Govenors and Councellors took councell against Daniel for they prevailed with the King to seal a writing Dan. 6.4 5 6 7 that whosoever should aske any thing of God or man for thirty dayes time and not of the King should be cast into the Lyons den now Daniel notwithstanding prayed and praysed his God as he use to doe and these men assembling against Daniel watched him and as he was worshiping came upon him and brought him to the King for breaking their Law Ver. 14. then was the King sorrie that he had made such a law for he loved Danel and then sought to deliver him out of their hands but they pressed the King so much that he yeelded to them and they cast Daniel into the den of Lyons and shut him in amongst them and on the morrow the King came unto the den said O Daniel Servant of the living God is
not he able to deliver thee from the Lyons then said Daniel O King live for ever my god hath sent his Angel and he have shut the Lyons mouthes that they have not hurt me for my innocency was found out before God and against thee have I done no hurt and then was the King glad that he had no wrong and commanded Daniel to be taken out of the den he had no hurt because he believed in his God then the King commanded all that were against Daniel both they and their families to be cast into the den among the Lyons where they had before cast Daniel and the Lyons tore them in pieces for they believed not in the God of Daniel and then did K. Darius write unto all people nations Languages in the world to worship honor the God of Daniel for said the King he is the living God and remaineth for ever and his Kingdom is everlasting who dilvered Daniel from the mouthes of the Lyons and so say I that this is my God and hath hitherto delivered me from those that would have devoured me Thus was Daniel also saved in his affliction and his enemies were destroyed and the Lord his God was the more honoured and his kingdome the more increased as is to this day in the affliction of his people Isa 63.6 who in all their afflictions is himselfe afflicted with them and the Angel of his presence saves them and will cast off none that trust in him and come to him by Jesus nor is he ever wanting with any that know him wait upon him but wil deliver them out of all their troubles which they shall suffer for his cause and which he for his honours sake in delivering of them will bring upon them Iohah chab 1.2 And it was not without the Lord that Jonah was in the ship and that for him being in it the ship was tossed and the people therein troubled with fear and Jonah by them cast into the sea he to be three days three nights in the VVhales belley preserved alive and at the Lords command was by the fish cast out to dry land in safety so was Jeremiah Ier. 38 34 39.11.12 c. who for declaring the word of the Lord was by the King Zedekiah left to the cruelty of the Princes who cast Jeremiah into the dungeon contrary to the Kings knowledge but Jeremiah for trusting in the Lord was in the destruction of Jerusalem delivered and the Princes that cast him in were destroyed by the Caldeans so all that in their troubles shall trust in God that he will deliver them they shall in the worst of troubles be preserved and safely restored into rest and peace with the Lord and not that any thing shall be done without the Lord Christ himself though by the hands of men yet by the Lord was he delivered up unto men to be slain and by him was he with Ionah raysed the third day to life againe and all the prophets and apostles of Christ who were most clearest in the knowledge of the truth of Christ were persecuted and put to death for their Judgements and were not without the Lords company with them in it neither was any thing don unto them without him and he was with them in all their sufferings that they should not feare nor deny him nor that which they knew of him but still hold fast their integrity and faithfulness in the truth before him to live and dye in his cause and will not worship the Beast nor his Image Rev. 15.15 so shal al whom the lord hath set a work not man to contend against the Beast his Image thogh they suffer much by men that have the Image of the beast upon them and the glory of the whore about them yet they shal deny to own them Psal 110.3 for in the day of his power they shall be a willing people for the Lord willing to receive his message and declare it willing to be persecuted and to suffer for it this honour have all his Saints CHAP. VII How by persecution truth is increased and the more advanced and they that suffer for it to the terror of them that persecute it that truth is rewarded and witnessed by sufferings how the reward of suffrings is a crown of glory manifest in men and when ANd suffering for the truth is the ready way to advance it when men are most humbled for the truth then are they in the way to be most exalted with the truth and these things saith Paul which have come unto me in my sufferings Bands Imprisomments have proved all to the furtherance of the Gosple Phil. 1.12 13 14. for the discovery of truths enemies by my bonds saith he other brethren have been the more incouraged to preach the truth and suffer for the truth and in the time of persecutions the saints that were scattered went every where preaching the word Act. 8 3 4. and the more men sought to stop and prevent them the more did they increase and were incouraged and the truth was the more confirmed amongst them as it is to this day where persecutions are manifest and whosoever it is that do persecute another for his Judgement he doth manifest himselfe to be ignorant of God and the truth and lives not in the truth but in the lye which is enmitie to it yet will the truth advance it selfe above it and the more for being persecuted And did men know before hand that what they persecute is thereby advanced and themselves thereby abased and they would not so much act against themselves and the truth which they know not but God will have it so for the wrath of man shall turne to his prayse and the remainder thereof will he restrain Psa 76.10 and will suffer nothing to be done but what he will gloryfie himselfe by and therefore when the kingdoms of the world are most divided one against another 1 Thess 5.1.2 then the kingdome of God cometh in as a thief in the night upon them and that which men in their dayes set themselves most against that wil God in his day most exalt And therefore you my brethren that would in all things love the appearing of the Lord Jesus then meet him in his comming though it be to kill and crucifie you and though Clouds of thick darknesse be round about him that you see him not for the present yet know that it is but for a moment he hides himselfe and that he will againe break through these cloulds and shine Gloriously upon you to the inlightning of your soules for though sorrow hath continued for a night yet joy cometh in the morning and therefore though persecutions and tribulations may be amoung you to try you and out of which the Lord will redeem you Isa 41.10 yet let not your hearts be troubled and be not afraid of men nor of their
part he is gloryfied and therefore blessed are ye when men shall hate you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil sayings against you for the son of mans sake and shal seperate you from their company and shall reproach you and cast out your name as evill why reioyce in that day and leap for joy for behold your reward is great in heaven Luke 6.222 3. for so did their fathers unto the prophets but he that indures unto the end shall be saved And this blessed reward of salvation for suffering for the truth to be manifest in this mortall flesh 2 Cor. 4.10 10 and his prophets and apostles had for they received it and bear witness to it and all that since have suffred with them doe bear the same testimony and unto which my self with many others at this day shall set my seal who have hitherto suffered for the truth which I first received 1 Cor. 8.5.6 that there is but one God and father of all who is above all through all and in all Eph. 4.6 and one Lord Jesus Christ manifesting this unto men by the spirit of himselfe and his own presence dwelling in them by whose presence manifesting this unto me to be declared by me I have also been inabled and with patience made to indure to this day even to the end of what for the truth have yet been inflicted upon me and in which I had my reward being therein satisfied and contented and haveing a perfect assurance of Gods uncangeable love in Christ Jesus towards me never to be taken from me nor I to be seperated from that by principalities nor powers Rom. 8.34 35 39. things present nor things to come heighth nor depth nor any other creature whatsoever though I have been persecuted despised and reiected and as one counted for the slaughter yet in all these things Christ hath been a conquerer for me and hath kept me that I have not denyed him who himselfe all along hath been my reward even my portion my lot and eternal inheritance in his kingdome of eternal Glory 1 Pet. 5.10 unto which he hath caled me by Jesus Christ and unto which after ye have suffered awhile he will also call you make you perfect strengthen settle and establish you And is not this a reward yea a double reward as the apostle saith that the sufferings of this life are not to be compared with the Glory that shall follow and there is no man saith Christ that have denyed himselfe of the Glory of this world for the glory of God but he shall have a thousand fold in the world to come wherein God appears without sin unto salvation and whosoever hath followed Christ in the steps of regeneration in the state of grace Mat. 9.28 29. shall sitt with him upon twelve thrones Judgeing the twelve Tribes of Israel even the throne where Christ sitteth and overcometh all things Rev. 3.21 shall he sit that overcometh the world with Christ and with him his glory shall be doubled from the throne of grace as of twelve degrees of the 12 apostles to the Throne of glory of the four and twenty Elders clothed in white rayment from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot Rev. 4.4 and shall wear on their heads crowns of gold which they shall ascribe to him that sits on the throne with them Ver. 14 15. and gave it to them as still being his though with them and unto whom all Honour glory and Power of all things belongeth for God is judge of all the earth This is the perfect state the throne of God and fulness of glory where Christ his prophets and apostles and Saints and all that are in Christ do with him sit and and reigne together with God on the same throne of his glory rejoycing and singing Halaluiahs unto him for ever and ever and where is heard by them to sing and praise the Lord all creatures both which are in Heaven and which are on earth and under the earth and in the sea and all that are in them saying Praise and Honour and glory Rev. 5.13 and Power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne and unto the Lamb for evermore And all men of the same Lamb like nature of Christ have the same honour and glory with him as due belonging to them CHAP. VIII How the way to find our life is to lose it that no man is to know any thing of himself but to be innocent in knowing his own innocecy and righteousness also what the true knowledge of God is who hath it and how it s obtained ANd Paul to comfort and incourage us in the way of suffrings to this Throne of glory wherein to lose our lives that we may find it and so to know God aright he bids us look unto Iesus the author and finsher of our faith who himselfe by malitious men Heb. 12.2.3 as he was a man himself in the flesh suffered such reproaches whipings scourgings and revileings of men and yet for the joy that was set before him indured the cross and despised the shame and set him down at the right hand of the throne of God which he that overcometh and indureth to the end shall inherit with him and Christ was made perfect through sufferings so shall all that will be made perfect as he is perfect Luk. 24.26 for ought not he first to suffer and then to enter into his glory and if thou wilt be perfect saith he thou must sell all that thou hast and take up thy cross and follow me Mat. 19.21 and be content with joy to suffer the spoyling of your goods your own wisdome and knowledge your righteousness and your glory knowing in your selves how that you have in Heaven a better and a more during substance Heb. 10.33 34 and therefore in knowing this you will not regard the sufferings of this life but wil know that after you have received the light knowledge of the truth in any measure you must come under persecutions and afflictions for it and be made a gazing stock and a reproach unto men by the Lord for your Good 1 Cor. 4.9 that you maybe humbled emptied of all that you call your own and be exalted and filled of all that is Christ and so with him to lose your life that you may find it even all that you lived to in the world and thought your selves happie besides Christ must you lose and sufer to come to Iudgement for he that will seek to save his life shall lose it but he that will lose his life for Christ the same shall find it wherefore as Peter saith humble your selves yea in the Lord under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time casting all your care upon him for he careth for you And these are the steps of Christ and his apostles and prophets 1 Pet. 5.6 7.
not know God even as he is known of God 1 Cor. 13.10 11 12. is no true knowledge but must pass away as that which is perfect doth appear and the true knowledge of god is to know the height and depâ—h of all things m to be the same which he knows even to ascend to the highest descend to the lowest in one the same love to all and so to know God in love once and ever even where and in every thing both high and low without confinement to any thing with the like love to all things this is the knowledge that shall stand and all other knowledge shall pass away And that these men whom God hath set a part and chosen to know and declare him as he is in himselfe mightst know none but God and in their knowing him mightst be humbled and exalted with God to know God even as God knows them he makes them to beare his CROSS Hee smote them with the rod of men to try them that they may witness of his living in them Num. 23.21 though against all the ways of men and he will lay his Judgements upon them to make them the more like himselfe Zeph. 3.15 to live without knowing sin or evil even upon the most righteous person in the world as the first that shall have it and come unto it 1 Pet. 4.17 for Judgement must begin at the house of God and did begin with Christ as the first in Adam whose image which Adam lost was renewed by Judgments and who is the first fruit of men unto God and whose righteous Judgments none shall escape though by men unjustly executed no Christ in the flesh as a man could not escape them that no flesh might glory in his presence 1 Cor. 1.17 18 19. nor that any one should think better of himselfe then of others nor that others should think better of any then they ought which is too frequent with men to do for the gifts they see in them and for which many are made to suffer for they esteem that others have of them though they are most humble in themselues and therefore it is not safe for men to be too popular and eminent among men in the account of men for any ipiritual wisdom knowledg they have of God for then it is iust with God to pull them down even all that men sets up or idolize for any gift that God hath given to them but the greater the gift of God is in them and the more they know of him the more for that gift are they to be humbled both before God men to give a good example of humilitie unto men and have the less honour from men as the way with Christ to exalt them CHAP. IX How all men are alike to God to whom light and darkness is all one that no man is better nor worse then another and how what it is to be both best and worst in one person to be punished and exalted and the way unto it how we are to serve one another and of the stâ—te of Christ as God and man and how with him we are to love all men And as we cannot think better of one man then another as they are in Christ and by him represented to the father spotless and blameless he having dyed for all men Eph. 5.27 Col. 1.28 so we cannot think worse of one man then another as they are out of Christ for all are sinners and there is none righteous no not one and therefore we should not esteem of one above another i Tim. 5.21 either better or worse in Christ or without Christ knowing that all except as to the manifestation of Christ in them are all alike unto God who seeth not as man seeth Psa 38.12 for to him light and darkness is all one and the difference that is is unto men themselves or those that shal make the diffrence not unto God nor unto those that know God but unto those that know him not and shall say unto others stand by thy self come not near me for I am more holyer then thou but these are a smoke in my nose Isa 65.5 and a fire that burns all the day saith the Lord and these are the proud pharisees the painted sepulchers that make a seperation and despise their brethren who are of the same flesh and blood for of one blood hath he made all nations of men Acts 17.26 2 Pet. 1.4 and of the same divine nature with Christ in God and that whatsoever good is manifest among them God is that good and whatsover is evil is the devil and god makes all good the devil makes all evil and all men being of the nature of god man both divine human may conclude themselves to be in one sense as good as the best and in another sense as bad as the worst for all men naturally and as men are vanitie and a lye and in the best of human actions walk as in a vaine shadow and as Christ is so are all men in this world and also before the father in him 1 Iohn 4.17 for all as men represents him with men and are as men in this world so he being in the presence of god for us all Heb. 9.24 represents all men with god with whom they are the same in him But lest any either in themselves or others should through the pride of nature and glory of this world bee exalted and puffed up above measure to glory in any outward appearance 1 Cor. 8.12 1 Cor. 4 5. and to rhink of themselves above what they ought as the best not as the worst and cannot descend to the lowest as wel as ascend to the highest God that he might honour them with himself 2 Cor. 12.6 7 8 9. gives them a thorn in the flesh sends satan to buffet them and the serpent to bite them and to let them know that they are but men in the flesh that they might not glory in themselves nor that others should glory in them and so to become as the devil set up in the roome of God wherefore that they may know themselves as men to be but flesh and in all things submit to the will of â—od God will keep them down he will correct and reprove them to humble and exalt them as he did Adam and the first fathers and the Prophets Christ and his Apostles for Christ as a man with us was subiect to the like infirmities Mat. 4.1 Heb. 2.18 â—h 4.15 was led into the wildernes to be tempted of the devil and was in all poynts tempted as we are yet without sin and as a man he would have refused Gods Judgements and have put them off from him when he said father if it be possible let this cup pass from me and when he went forth and wept fearing the punishment of death but God made him willing to submit
with Christ in God where every man that hath Christ doth behold himselfe and all things and possesse himself and all things even in God who is all and all in all And he that hath not Christ but doth still live in his own will doth not so behold it but still looketh upon it as himself is wicked abominable ful of all contradiction destruction Isa 57 20 2â— so remains himself without peace in God for there is no peace to the wicked no nor to the righteous that are righteous and good in them selves and that have not the knowledge of God in Christ But to he that hath Christ and that with Christ his Prophets and Apostles hath thus suffered been thus humbled to be thus exalted may with them rejoyce that ever he saw the day wherein he drank the cup of affliction Col. 1.14 and eat the bread of adversitie to fill up the measure of Christs sufferings for which he now eats the bread of life and drinks the water of life and may with David say It was good for me that I was afflicted for thereby I was taught divine precepts and with Christ learned all obedience to submit to the wil of God in all things saying Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven that let my condition be what it wil I wil learn therein to be content and alwayes rejoyce in the Lords Judgements that divides between flesh and spirit Isa 27.9 that saves man and destroys sin and all enmity against God and his peoples peace for this is the fruit of the Lords Judgments to take away sin And now with God in Christ I wil delight my self with the worst of men as wel as with the best and with him I will be merciful loving and pitiful unto them as the despised and rejected of men by men yea though he were a Prelate or Cavaliere so called Publican or sinner scorn'd and despis'd by the proud Pharisee that is wise and righteous in himself yet the other waiting for mercy he is rather justified and more easier saved then the Pharisee that seperates himself though he were a Presbyterian Independant Anabaptist c. that glories in his profession righteousness and religion â—sa 65 9. and wil say unto others Stand off come not neer to me I am more holier then thou and so cast them-out of their favour as reprobate ignorant persons why this proud boasting saith the Lord is a stink in my nostrils and a fire that burneth all the day which I cannot approve of but they must come to Judgement with it and lose it before they can be saved and they that have erred in Spirit shal come to understanding â—sa 29.24 1 Cor. i. 30 and they that murmure shal learn doctrine even to be wise and learned in Christ who is head unto them their wisdom and righteousness Justification Sanctification and Redemption for Christ is all and in all CHAP. X. Of Gods appearing in Judgment in man against all things of man and this world that all outward duties worship and obedience by men prosessed is a lye without the inward work of truth within how according to the inward work is the outward practice that the more by Christ any man is refined purged and saved within in his conscience the more by men is he falsly accused judged and condemned without in his practice AND now against all knowledge wisdome and strength righteousness and glory of men that is not in Christ nor of Christ 1 Cor. 1.17 18. nor grounded upon Christ in spirit and truth wil God come forth unto to Judgment and wil destroy it by the foolish and base things of the world and he wil plead with men for his own wisdome and strength righteousness and glory which he wil not have given to any other god but to himself that none should have the glory of any thing but himselfe nor men to glory in any besides himselfe and he will make all men to know that by fire and by sword will he plead with all flesh good and bad Esa 66.16 and whatsoever is not found in him shal be slain by him even all the works and imaginations of men that men might know the Lord without knowing any thing else therefore will he come against all things of flesh form and formality your keeping of Sabboths and calling of Assemblies wherein you seek your selves and not the Lord which is all but the riches of Aegypt and shal with you come to Judgement as having no part in Christ nor being any thing of his Kingdome Iohn 18.36 for my kingdom saith he is not of this world nor of the things of this world which perish and come to nought it is not meat and drink killing of oxen and slaying of sheep nor the offering up of swines flesh for a sacrifice to the Lord that hee accepts of Isa 66 3 4. for the best of things which men offer up are no better when they are offered up by men and not by Christ and when Christ himselfe is not the offering but that which God accepts of is Christ the offerer and the offering Heb. 10.12 who is peace and reconciliation for all men whose Kingdom is righteousness 1 Cor 5 19. Rom. 14.17 Luk. 17.20 peace and joy in the Holy Ghost and which saith Christ is within you and stands not in outward observations of dayes times persons nor things in the Religions of men which shal all perish in the using Col. 2.22 and is nothing nor shal be nothing with God but Christ the first and the last is all and shal bee all For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision availeth any thing Gal. 6.15 but a new creature nothing outwardly but all inwardly in the spirit minde and heart even circumcision within baptisme within breaking bread and drinking wine within which is bread of life and water of life to every soul that knoweth it within even preaching praying reading hearing seeking the Lord and communion of Saints Esa 26.9 which are all works of grace are all within the keeping of Sabboths which is a Christians rest from the workes of the Law Esa 58.13 no more doing his own wayes nor seeking his own wil is Christ within who is himselfe all these and is the Teacher Keeper and Performer of them all within us Esa 54.13 that gives peace unto us for of our selves we can do nothing But thou O Lord wilt ordain peace Esa 26 12. for thou hast wrought all our works for us and with whomsoever all these things are not seen to be done and performed by Christ within in the heart there is not neither can bee any thing of good done by any Rom. 10.8 9 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth of the heart confession is made unto salvation for from the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh and from the grace
of God within are the works of grace manifest without which grace within is to believe in God and see an end of sin and to have peace joy and comfort in God and with men here on earth doing to all men as they would that all men should do unto them forsaking swearing lying cheating cozening drunkenness murder and adultery and the abomination of pride and covetousness which is most frequently used with the greatest Professors of Religion who are the greatest persecutors of others and all for want of the inward teachings and workings of God within them for the inward sends forth the outward And therefore you that would be holy without and righteous without to do good outwardly must first be so within for till then you know not what the outward is nor how to discern what is good nor what is evil to doe the one and leave the other undone therefore saith the Prophets Apostles all Saints every one for himself Lord create in me a new heart and renew my spirit within me give unto me the mind of Christ within Psa 51.6 7 8 10. clense and purge me within of all my secret faults then shall I offer upon thy alter even Christ the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving and pay my vows where it is due then shal I sing halalujahs even the Lord Omnipotent reigneth and not as the righteous Scribes and Pharisees with all outward professors of our times that would reign themselves insteed of Christ and that stand to make cleane of themselves the out-side of the cup and pltatter but remain stil within ful of all extortion and excess and who like unto whited walls and painted Sepulchres would appear beautifull without Mat. 23.25 26 27 â—8 righteous unto men and who may have escaped some of the grosser pollution of the world but within full of uncleannesse and hyphocrisie and therefore as I know I shall declare that all outside religions only in the form and the knowledge of the Scripture only in the letter is but as an outside garment by most men put on to cover a rotten deceitfull inside and by which they would appear unto men to be more holyer then others but this is no holyness of God nor of Christ but the seed of the serpent which abideth in the lye and not in the truth therfore except your righteousness exceed this you can in no wise enter into Heaven nor learn how to act purely towards men without wherefore thou blind Pharisee saith Christ clense first that which is within the cup and the pltter that the outward may be cleane also And this clensing of men cannot be done but by Christ and not by him but by him in judgements manifest in men therefore in the way of thy Judgements have we waited for thee O Lord saith the prophet and the desire of our soul is only to thy name the remembrance of thee for when thy Judgements are in the earth then the inhabitants of the world shall learn righteousness Esa 26.7 8 9. and in this cleansing work of teaching man Christ sits upon his throne of Justice Judgment and Mercy in man to search and try man even as a refiner and purifier of gold and silver Mal 3.1.2 Esa 4 4 who by the spirit of Judgement and of burning do wash and purge away all mans filthiness and the more the judgements of Christ are manifest within the greater upon that person will the Judgements and afflictions of men be manifest without against him and against that way of God in him which is Christ the hope of glory because it calls him from the wayes of men without which is of Antichrist and men in their wayes do allwayes appose God in his way and when Christ by his Judgements shall undoe man within of all that is a mans own and make all these in him become Christs own then shall men by their Judgements undoe him without with men that and amongst men to render him odious to men and he shall not be against it nor resist it but the power of the inward shall make him willing and able tâ— beare and indure with cheerfulnesse the outward Psa 110.3 in which work of Judgement Christ will not leave him nor forsake him but will restore peace and comforth unto him to all which proceedings of Christ within men and of men without men from the time of Christ manifest in me to this day I bear witnesse that as God from the day of my first conversion to the truth hath increased the manifestation of his sonn in me so hath men in opposion to that increased their persecution against me CHAP. XI Nothing which opposes God can stand against him how he will pull down and get above Towers Churches worships religions and all things of men that is not in Christ also to whom the Lords Judgements are a day of joy and delight and to whom they are a day of darkness and trouble to trust in God under them is a sure refuge of the good that comes by them and when ANd now you all that would know the Lord your own salvation wait for this day of God wherein he comes to call you from your owne and for his owne from you and to destoy yours yea all of yours that you call your own without him receive him in it oppose it not nor think it strange but bid it welcom when it comes though it be to your outward sufferings and to the loss of your lives honor and credit goods and good names amongst men and all things on this side God even the perfection of all human excellencie wisdom righteousnesse religion nothing of which can stand with you nor is to be pleaded by you when God comes forth against it to Judgement but you are to see an end of all perfection of things below God and then are you most perfect and pure in God and Christ and have the greatest peace in your selves when with Christ you are become in your own eyes and before men most poor vile and imperfect and impure as man see nothing good of your own to defend you nor make you accepted with men for the best of man is not able to stand when God appeareth but best and worst all must go when God calls for it who will leave nothing but when God comes his work is before him and his reward is with him even to bring down man and exalt himselfe above and upon all the Hills and Mountains of men that are high and lifted up by men to save themselvs from his wrath Judgments which must come upon them and upon every high tower and strong walls of Churches and Church fellowship set by men to worship God in and by Esa 2.11 and upon all the sheeps of Tarshish all the pleasant pictures of outward reformed ordinances and observations of men in these Churches and Church wayes which appear outwardly beautyfull unto men Esa
23.13 14. all shall be abased and laid waste brought down and consumed Esa 24.10 yea every Church and house way and worship of mans building shall be broken down and shut up that no man may come in the Lord alone with his way church and worship shall be exalted in men in the day of the great slaughter when the towers shall fall Esa 30.15 16. or the highest part of any church or profession of church way and spirituall notionists and if the Towers fall then the church will be broken and the people therein will be scattared even the sheepheard and his sheep and their worship and service therein will be at an end and then will Christ himselfe appear in a greater glory to bind up the breach of his people and will himselfe come and gather them together to his fold wil teach them himself of his ways he wil be unto them their high Tower church worship and all things the rein for the glory of the former is passed away and they shal not need to teach one another nor assemble themselves to any but the Lord who himself wil gather them be exalted in the midst of them and wilâ— be righteousness unto them Esa 60.4.5 and then will all their own bravery and costlie apparels of outward rigteousness be all taken from them as tâ—r scripture expresses even their vailes and glasses their fine lenen and â—oods which the Preists have used to wear and all the righteousness of men as the fine lenen and fleshpots of Egypt with men perfumed and made sweet unto tâ—â—mâ—â—lvâ—s shall be as fiâ—thy rags and upon their fleshpots there shall be a stinke and instead of a girdle a rent instead of pride humilitie Esa 3.8 to the end and upon all outward comlyness and beauty shall become a baldness and mourning for the Lord will sâ—rip himselfe of all outward coverings that men have put upon him to appeare w th a fair outside unto men the vail spred over all nations shall cease and he will make bare his holy arme in the eyes of all nations and wil bring in his own everlasting righteousness which shall not cease and in which there shall be no outward form nor comlyness whereby men should desire it Esa 53.2 but rather hate and abhor it but within even to them that injoy it and have past through his Judgements for it shall it be all glorious pleasant and delightfull And therfore you people all rejoyce in that day of the L da Judgements when it comes upon you as it will perticulerly come to every one of you in hi order to manifesâ— in you the glory of God even Jesus Christ for the consumation of your own glory with the men of the world which no doubt som of you with Christ in the flesh have already found who had nothing of this worlds glory left him but was crucified to it all that the purpose of God in his day might be manifest upon all flesh to stain the pride of all Glory â—sa 23.9 to bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth which is a work much manifested at this day by and upon the people called quakers even to be under the Lords Judgements striping of all worldly honour and glory waiting for Christ in the spirit and who will be unto you as a day of the Lords indignation against sin and enmitie all the works of the devil but with his love towards you to try you to humble you and to save you and it wil be to the rich mighty a day of wrath â—â—ph 1.14 15. a day of trouble and heaviness a day of destruction and desolation a day of obscurity and darkness a day of clouds and blackness especialy to them J say that have made flesh their arme that are in their own eyes strong wise and learned in themselves righteous and holy in themselves and not in Christ I say to such it wil be a day of terror great tribulation and though they shal run to the rokes and to the mountaines and cry unto them saying fall on us and hide us from the wrath of the Lamb â—ev 4.15 16 17. and him that sits on the Throne for the great day of his wrath is come and who can stand yet those rocks and mountaines shall not save them nor hide them as the trees of the garden could not hide Adam when he fled to hide himselfe from God after he had sinned therfore should all men in al affliction and tribulation fly onely unto God and to nothing else of man nor the world for God onely is the refuge of his peoble and the rock that shall stand and it is not greatness and mightyness pride and loftiness righteousness nor holyness of men when you fly unto it that can save you from the fear of wrath for that is all below God and hath no part in him but rather fly to the valies even the things that are not and is counted the lowest with men 1 Cor. 1. that shall confound the things of men that are highest with men even to God himselfe which with men is humility meekness and lowlyness for there doth he dwel to give rest and peace in the day of trouble and there wil he hide them from the wrath of their enemies in the day of his Judgements Zeph 2.1 2 3. wherefore with Christ descend and sink ye down out of your selves into a nothingness of all creaturely glory even to the lowest of humanitie and your descension wil be with Christ your ascension into the highest of divinitie which will be unto you the last of Gods judgements and a day of joy and delight And then when the Lord shal have finished his Judgments upon you and perfected his work in you by taking 〈◊〉 your own things from you as doubtless with many hee hath already done who have denyed all for Christ then wil he return unto you a pure language even the language of Canaan and no longer of Aegypt and you shal cal only on the name of the Lord and rest only on him for salvation and not on your owne works wayes and worships any more and you shal all agree together in one minde to serve the Lord with one consent and in one Lord Iesus without any feare for God who is but one cannot be worshipped but by one and in one way even Christ who is the way the truth and the light and in him they that wait upon God shal renew their strength and they shal run and not be weary Iohn 14.6 Esa 40.31 they shal walk and not faint and shal do no iniquity nor speak any evil neither shal any deceitfulness bee found in their mouths nor yet in their hearts for they shal be purged of all uncleanness and bee fed with the Lord and shal lye down with the Lord in safety and none shal make them afraid that walk in Christ but
they shal rejoyce and be glad for it is the Lords day wherein he wil have taken away their Judgements and cast out their enemies Sin Death Hel and the Devil and all fe r and the King of Israe even the Lord of Hosts shal be in the midst of them and they shal not see evil any more Zeph. 3 13. to the end neither shal they any more live in fear of any thing nor yet sorrow any more but sorrow and sighing shal flie away and they shaâ— rejoyâ—e always with joy unspeakable and ful of glory Rev. 21.34 and the Lord himself wil be seen amongst them to dwel with them and delight in them and rejoyce â—ver them with Joy and wil turn back their captivity even before their own eyes and they shal see it and know that the Lord who hath done it is for ever with them in it For the tabernacle of God is with men and he wil dwel with them and they shal be his people and God himselfe shal be with them and be their God CHAP. XII Incouragements to wait with p tience under the Lords Judgements and not to oppose them Of the works of the Lord Jesus what they are and how we bear them about in our bodies and when ANd now seeing that so much good is wrought in men by the Lords judgments spiritual and temporal though acted unjustly by men as the rod that afflicts them outwardly yet let no man seek by any outward means or lawes of men to put them by for it is the Lords way though it is incident with all men so to do that know not the Lord with them in it who would seek to escape the Iudgment thereof to save their own honor and credit with men and to avoid the punishment of the flesh as did David Iob yea Christ and his Apostles who had the same infirmities of the flesh as we have when Christ said Lord if it be possible let this cup pass from me and sought means to avoid it for indeed no afflictions with any seems joyous for the present though afterwards it yeelds a peaceable reward of righteousness to all that are exercised therein as it did to Christ himself who after he had suffered entred into glory with his Father so shal all that with Christ overcome and indure to the end yet this glorious reward of righteousnesse with men may somtimes be hid under afflictions as the Sun when the clouds are before it that men may not for the present see the end of God in it nor the good that is to be brought unto them by it till the clouds are passed and their Judgments ended as before you have heard for clouds and darknesse is round about him Psa 18. as about the Sun when you see it not yet the darknesse of these clouds wil he expell by the brightnesse of his comming and by his light he wil shine gloriously through them even upon him who with the eye of faith shall see Christ comming to him and he will therein cheer and comfort him incourage and support him from the evil that men have invented against him as the spirit of the Lord with my spirit bear witness unto me which concerning my selfe in all my sufferings and persecutions for the truth to this day 1 Pet. 2 21. unto which I was cald by the Lord he hath done for me that bonds and afflictions through which a soul enters into the kingdome of God have been good unto mee Acts 14.22 it being sanctified unto me by his spirit by which I was comforted and the Angel of his presence with me in it by which I was saved concerning which I with Paul can speak the truth in Christ and lye not and which another for me cannot know but for themselves that hath seen it for to him that overcometh it is hidden Manna and a white stone and in it a new name written which no man knows but he that hath it Rev. 2.17 And now that you may with Christ indure to the end for this new name which is a pearl of great price and a name above every name that is named amongst men be you perswaded by the spirit of the Lord within you to watch for the comming of the Lord to give it to you and be ye armed with the same mind and patience in the Lord to suffer with Christ in the flesh 1 Pet. 1.4 for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin and so be ye ready prepared in all things to meet the Lord both in his birth death resurrection and ascension and to embrace him in the worst condition as well as in the best as well to suffer with him as to regin with him to dye with him as to live with him and to be reviled and reproached scoffed and mocked derided and falsly accused by men more vile then the earth Christ was and his prophets and Apostles were so were all his Saints and so must all that will live godly in Christ Jesus Isa 64 6. and not after the godliness of men which is filthyness with the Lord Ye filthy rags saith the Prophet and by the Lord shal be cast out therefore be ye armed with the saints patience in tribulations that vvith Christ you may beare his reproach without the campe of your own righteousness and religion Heb. 13.12.13 as he did without the gate of the honour and glory of the world and with him be willing to dye to all things of men and with him to live to all things of God Gal. 6.17 and so with Paul ever bear about in your body the marks of the Lord Iesus both in dying and in living in dying the unjust persecutions mockings revilings and scourgings of men groanings sighings and mournings in the suffering of the flesh as did Christ whose visage was more ma6rr'd then any mans Esa 52.14 and his person more desormed then the sons of men and who in his pangs cryed out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me These are the dying marks of Christ which you are to bear about in your body for the truths sake and the living marks is peace comfort and consolation joy of heart content of minde quietness of conscience and a soul at rest in the Lord full of all humility meekness and love these are the living marks of Iesus which you are to bear about in your bodies 1 Cor. 4.6 7 8 9 10.11 that while you live delivered unto death for Iesus sake so the life also of Iesus shal be manifest in your mortal flesh yea in these your mortal bodies when with Christ you have been crucified to see an end of sin CHAP. XIII How men of the greatest light witnessing to truth under Judgments do suffer most unjustly by false accusations with the loss of all things below God that not all but some mâ—n as witnesses shall suffer for the rest af one life how some professing the
same life for fear of suffering will deny them that suffer for them rather then suffer with them as the Disciples of Christ did CHrist and his Prophets and Apostles for conscience towards God suffered uniustly 1 Pet. 2.19 20 21. and dyed uniustly by the hands of men though it was just with God that they should suffer yea and to suffer by men unjustly as being not guilty of the crimes for which they were accused but false witnesses did arise Psa 31.11 and laid many things to their charge which they knew not as my self with many others at this day can witness hath been also laid against us by false witnesses since we with them have born witness to the Truth in which notwithstanding I abundantly rejoyce and my joy in this is fulfilled that the Lord Iesus for conscience towards God hath joyned me with himself in his worst condition to suffer with him and in his best condition to reign with him yea and to suffer unjustly by men as he hath done before me and now in this my sufferings to suffer with me els my peace in it would not have been so great nor I so cheerfully to have past it through that I cannot but rejoyce that he hath made me willing and able with cheerfulness to bear his cross after him and that in it he hath so far honoured me as to have all manner of evil said of me falsly for his Names sake as a blasphemer a seducer and what not by those that knew me not and which by the world and them that know not God may be counted a shame and dishonor yet to me and all that know the Lord it is a crown of honor rejoycing through him who hath been my example and pattern by whom I have been made to endure the cross and despise the shame who himself for the honor which is of God regarded not the honor of men but suffered it all to be laid in the dust and himself to be reckoned with the worst of men yea with Christ we have many more Examples to wit his Prophets and Apostles who counted it their greatest honor to suffer unjustly by men in the Lords cause 1 Cor. 4.9 12 13. and for his sake to be made as the Filth of the world and the off-scouring of all things know it to be their portion lot and inheritance with men which with Christ for Christ they must receive by the hands of men that know not the Lord nor the people the Lords inheritance for had they known Christ they would not â—ave crucified him nor aâ—y that lived his life but because they knovv not Christ nor the life of him vvhich any live therefore they rise up against it and condemn it And God wil have those that suffer for him and his cause to suffer unjustly by men that they may the more hate the ways of men to declare against them and know that there is nothing just amongst men nor none that is good no not one and so hee wil wean them from the milk and draw them from the brest of all fleshly confidence and human excellencies below himselfe that they may depart from all things but God Isa 28.9 and love none but him in the world whom they are to know above all things and no more to contend for the wisdom knowledge and excellency of men nor any thing of moral righteousness to glory in but though you may be as righteous as others and have as much as any to boast your selves in yet rather then you shall keep it to be thought the more righteous for it and exalted by it to glory in it God will take it from you though by false accusation for you shal be accused by men of the things you are not gulilty that you may bee tryed and brought to Iudgment and know that there is no respect of persons with God nor none that doth righteousness but him that no flesh might glory in his presence 1 Cor. i 2 â— and that he that standeth might not stand in the wisdome of men but of God and glory onely in the Lord. Now every single person of one and the same life may not all suffer alike in outward bonds and afflictions nor be alike accused but only that life they live with Christ in God for the same life which many men live and injoys may be but in some accused and suffer even in them where it is most manifest and injoyed and where it most appears in opposition to the world and he that is most perfect before God as Christ Job 2 3 4 â— Iob and David was even against it in them and in such as against Christ the manchilde Rev. 4.12 5. wil the Dragon most vomit up his malice and act it men with endeavours to devour it in all men that live it and that with Christ do inherit it of whom they said Come this is the heir let us kill him that the inheritance may be ours but shal not be able to overcome the life as they always sought to do against Christ but could not prevail to destroy the life though by Herod and the Iewes he was persecuted to death that they which lived the same life might deny it and fly from it as many in these times have done when some of their own judgment have suffred which they seemed to own before and as did some of Christs own Disciples they owned him followed him while he â—ad his liberty was in prosperity amongst them but it was for the loaves and the warm themselves at his Fire Iohn 6.65 66 67. Mark 14.67 68. but when he was accused and in custody likely to suffer being as he was betrayed by a Disciple that followed him then his Disciples denyed him saying I know not the man and because he in his preaching to them said that no man could come to him except it be given unto him of the Father they left him walked no more with him because with him they were unwilling to suffer yet he continued faithful unto death in maintaining his spiritual life which they could not prevaile against for though they destroyed his body yet his life they could not but it was the more manifest as it is to this Day And some one person or other in â—ll Ages under all Dispensations whom God shal most enlighten make able willing him shal suffer for the rest to try prove the rest of the same life to vindicate and maintain it And though Christ as a man in the flesh had temptations tribulations as wel as others yet they that truly loved him stil continued their love to him and hee gave unto them a Kingdome Luk. 22.28 29 so all of the same life of Christ that have truly injoyed beyond a bare profession shal participate with them that suffer for it as the Disciples of Christ did in the sufferings of him and as the Saints
of old did in the sufferings of the Apostles they stil owned them the like which hath been to this day amongst men of all judgements which anie that have suffered for conscience tovvards God as the truth hath been manifest in all ages so shal we of one life one for another bear a part in the same sufferings of him that shal suffer for us to witness the life of God manifest in us that he is God and there is none besides him which sufferings some must alwaies expect to have that so witness him Isa 43.10 11. for God never left himself without witnesses neither wil. CHAP. XIIII That the true sufferer will God â—nable with joy to bear his burthen to follow Christ and deny himselfe to trust in God and rejoyce in all things how with Christ he is humbled to the lowest with men and eâ—alted to the highest with â—od as the fruit and effect of Gods Judgements the state of perfection ANd therefore whosoever God shall appoint to stand in this lot of outward sufferings by men for the truth as many hath done to this day him will God inable with strength and patience to undergoe it and passe tâ—rough it to the end though with the losse of a life and all that have been accounted neare and dear unto him which must freely be offered up and sacrificed as an onely son Jsaac when the Lord shall cal for it and he shall not stand to plead with God for any thing of his own goodnesse to justifie himselfe or to save himselfe from the aspersions and reproaches falsly cast upon him as many of the Lords Prophets and Saints have indevoured to do when they have been falsly accused for which the Lord reproved and pleaded against them but without contending for to save any thing that must be sacrificed mantaining and vindicating of the truth he whom God will have to do it must freely submit to the yoke of Christ and to bear the burden of Christ which God will have put upon him as upon Christ and whom he will make able to bear it as he did Christ and therefore saith Christ take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am humble lowly and meek you shall find rest for your souls Mat. ii 29.30 for my yoke is easie and my burden is light and Christ will lay no more upon any then they shall be able to bear and he will lead them in a way that they shall be able to go and that in following him they lose themselves their own wisdome and glory yet they shall find Christ therefore saith he deny y ur selves come and follow me and you shall have treasure in Heaven and there is no man that hath forsaken himselfe and the glory of this world for Christ but he hath the glory of God even the father given to him by Christ wherefore value not your honour with men to receive honour with God which is greater riches and account it your greatest happiness when by men you are tryed and falsly accused and that God hath chosen you to bear witnesse of the truth through suffrings and when men through hatred to you for the lifes sake in you which they persecute shal seperate you from their company and shall revile you Luk. 6.21 22 23 24 35 26. and cast out your name as evil for the son of mans sake why rejoyce in that day and be glad for behold your reward is great in Heaven for so did their fathers unto the Prophets but woe be to them that are rich and wise and full in themselves as being with child with the wisdome of this world and shall delight therein for they shall weep and lament when that day of Christ shall come upon them and then they seeking to save their own lives which is enmitie in the life of God they lose that life even Christ by which they live in peace with God and so the saying of Christ is made good that it is hard for a rich man to enter into heaven and the righteous are hardly saved or it is with much ado because the righteous man while he thinks he is righteous in himself he wil contend for his righteousness and count it his greatest happiness to save it and therefore he will contend against that life which is manifest to destroy it which wil at last come upon him as a thief in the night and take it from him and such a one so contending shal have wo when he that can freely part with all for Christ shal have peace and therefore saith Christ In me you shal have peace in the world you shal have tribulation John i6 33 but be of good cheer I have overcome the world And such a one who with Christ hath overcome the world he is a conqueror over his own life can with Christ lay down his life and take it up again at his pleasure he can descend to the lowest and ascend to the highest he can become the worst and the best without contradiction between them he knows how to be ful and how to be emptie how to be bound and how to be free and have peace in all things and then though tribulations bonds imprisonments come yet is it all the way of God to him he sees in the midst of Gods judgments mercie with God appearing to save him resrore peace com ort to him and God himself to be his refuge that though the earth be moved round about him Psa 46.1 2 3. and the mountains fal into the midst of the sea and be drowned yet wil he not fear and though the waters to wit people Nations tongues and the glorie of this world on which the Whore sitteth and men glory in it do roar be troubled the powers of the earth shake and fal with the swelling thereof yet wil he not fear but rather rejoyce for when the refuge of men and the world fall then wil God be a refuge and strength and a very present help in time of trouble to all that wait upon him and they with David wil then say The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer Psa 18.1 my God and m strength in whom I wil trust my buckler and the horn of mâ— salvation and my high tower which shal stand and not fal and mercy hath God built up for ev r as the throne on which he wil sit in judgment with man to do justice judgment and mercie Psa 139. i. 14. which shal all come together with God unto judgment as unseperable companions to be all given unto man in which man is taught three things For when ods Judgements are on the earth Isaâ— 26.8 9. Mâ—c 6 6 7 8 9. then wil the Inhabitants of the earth learn riâ—hteousness that is for man not to come before God with any thing of his own but to do justly to have mercy and to vvalk