it for by the manifestation of the appearance of Jesus Christ revealing himselfe in his glory by his Spirit doth destroy Anti-christ for by the preaching of the Gospel this City Babylon doth fall When the Spirit of God doth teach us to know what the Gospel of Christ is to us and in us this doth come with power and doth overthrow Anti-christ in us and the outward preaching of the Word alone will not doe it but the spirit working with it doth doe it and the Lord is well pleased to make use of the outward preaching of the word to work upon us by his Spirit commonly but he is not bound to one way hee workes upon us by his Spirit with meanes or without means or against meanes yet it is one spirit that doth worke upon us sutable to the Word hee would not have us under value the outward preaching of the Gospel nor yet idolize it Revel 8.1 2. And after these things I saw another Angel come downe from heaven having great power the earth was lightned with his glory And he cryed mightily with a strong voyce saying Babylon the great is fallen is become the habitation of Devils and the hold of every foule spirit and a cage of every uncleane and hatefull bird All manner of unclean things hath lodged in her but we did not see it but now the Lord will shew us it Reward her even as she hath rewarded you double unto her double according to her workes In the cup which shee hath filled fill to her double How much she hath glorified her selfe and lived deliciously so much torment and sorrow give her For shee saith in her heart I sit a Queen and am no widow and shall see no sorrow therefore shall her plagues come in one day death and mourning and famine And shee shall he utterly burnt with fire for strong is the Lord God that judgeth her Revel 18.6 7 8. He doth double the cup of his wrath and indignation against her and doth destroy her and burne her up with the fire of himselfe we cannot doe it but he is strong and able to doâ it and doth doe it for us and the fruits that thy soule lusted after are departed from thee and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee and thou shalt findâ them no more at all Rev. 18.14 And a mighty Angel tooke up a stone like a great mil-stone and cast it into the Sea saying thus with violence shall that great City Babylon be throwne downe and shall be found no more at all And the voyce oâ harpers and musicians of pipers and trumpeters shall be heard no more at all in thee and nâ Crafts-man of whatsoever Craft shall be found no more in thee and the found of a mil-stone shall be heard no more at all in thee And the light of ãâã candle shall shine no more at all in thee and thâ voyce of the Bride-groome and of the Bride shall be heard no more at all in thee for thy Merchants were the great men of the Earth for by thy forceries were all Nations deceived And in her to ãâã found the blood of Prophets and of Saints and of all that were slaine upon the earth Rev. 18.21 22 23 24. Here is an utter destruction of her and this is that vaile that keepeth us from seeing the glory of Christ for he that keepeth from him is a vaile or if wee see him but darkely it is because the vail is not quite done away There was a vail before the Tabernacle which is called the holyest of all In which Tabernacle were all the glorious and excellent things Heb. ãâã .3 4. And thou shalt make a vaile of blue âurple and scarlet and fine twined linnen of tunâing worke with Cherubims shall it be made And thou shalt hang it upon four pillars of Shiâtim âood overlaid with gold their bookes shall be of âold upon the sockets of silver And thou shalt âong up the vaile under the tackes that thou maist âring in thither within the vaile the Arke of the Testimonie And the vail shall divide unto you betweene the holy places and the most holy Exod. â6 31 32 33 34. There was three places in this Tabernacle first the Priests went alwayes into the first Taâernacle accomplishing the service of God âut into the second went the High Priest alone ânce every yeare not without blood which âe offered for himselfe and for the errours of âhe people The holy Ghost thus signifying âhat the holyest of all was not yet made maniââst Heb. 9.6 7 8. For that glorious vaile âoth hide it quite from us Luke 23.45 The Sun was darkened and the vaile of the Temple was âânt in the midst Mat. 27.51 And behold the vaile of the Temple was rent in taine from the top to âhe bottome and the earth did quake and the âockes rent Christ by his death did rend the vail that doth keepe us from the seeing of him Moses after he had seen and talked with God he appeared so glorious that the people could not looke upon him and then he put a vail over his face Moses was a type of Christ and hee had a vaile over him that they could not see him which were types and shadowes and through that vaile they saw Christ darkely 2 Cor. 3.11 12 13 14. Seeing we have such hope we use great plainesse of speech And not as Moses which put a vaile over his face that the children of Israel could not stedfastly looke to the end of that which is abolished But their minds were blinded for untill this day remaineth the same vaile untaken away in the reading of the old Testament which vaile is done away in Christ But even unto this day when Moses is read the vaile is upon their hearts Neverthelesse when it shall turne to the Lord the vaile shall be taken away Now the Lord is that Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty When the Lord doth open the seales to us and comes with power in us by his Spirit then hee turnes us to himselfe and shewes us by degrees that this vaile that hinders us from seeing him is taken away by him and so by degrees we shall see him as he is and then we shall seee what bondage we were in to sin and Satan and our owne selves and how wee are set at liberty by Christ John 8.36 If the Sonne therefore shall make you free yee shall bee free indeed Isa 25.7.8 And destroy in this mountaine in the face of the covering cast over all people and the vaile that is spread over all Nations He will swallow death in victory 1 Cor. 15.54 This death and this vaile is one and the same for both of them keeps us from seeing life which is Christ For while we live to our selves and to our righteteousnesse so far we are dead to Christ Now as he manifests himselfe in us he swallows up this death and
Crooked PATHES Made STRAIGHT OR The wayes of God made knowne to lost Sinners or bewildered SAINTS Wherein is represented the severall conditions of a Christian in the Spirit as hee growes up out of weaknesse into strength through death into life eternall By ANNE YEMANS Isa 40.3 The voyce of him that cryeth in the wildernesse prepare ye the way of the Lord make straight in the desart a high way for our God LONDON Printed for Giles Calvert at the black-spread Eagle at the West end of Pauls 1648. To the READER Gentle Reader I Have done mine endeavour to set forth unto you in some measure the bondage that we have been in by sin the Devill and false Teachers what wounds wee have received by them and all hath been because we have not been able to discerne the difference between the wayes of God and Anti-christ And the more wee strive struggle in our own strength the more we are wounded while Jesus Christ doth appeare to us to reveal some light of himselfe to us and hee is that Son of righteousnesse that will appeare to us with healing in his wings Mal. 4.2 He will reveal his love to us and heale up all our wounds and lead us in the way that we should walke taking us by the hand and leading us gently as we are able to goe and drawing us with the cords of love Most of the children of God have been in this spiritual bondage and those that have been in it and are brought out of it doth know in some measure how to comfort them that are in it and the Lord doth make us many times instrumentall under himselfe for th comfort and edifying one of another but it is Gol that doth make known all things to us whether it be by meanes or without and we ought to give him all the honour it is very dangerous to idolize the meanes neither ought we to slight it thougo it be by never so mean a person For out of the mouth of babes will hee be praised And let not us undervalue any thing that is of God whosoever it be spoken by for God is no respecter of persons I beseech you beloved let not this my labour seeme odious to you nor causâ you to slight iâ because it is written by a weak woman nor for you to harbour any strange thoughts of me for the writing of it for I have my self gonâ through much spirituall bondage in severall wayes and finding many severall turnes and windings of Satan how cunning hee is in all his wayes anâ transforming himselfe to an Angel of light labours our destruction in all things And the Lord having brought mee out of that bondage into thaâ spirituall freedome which is in Christ for all thâ Saints and I seeing many that are yet in spiritââ all bondage and knows not what freedome there ãâã in Christ for them it doth cause my bowels of affection to yern to them Yet I should not presume ãâã set forth this in writing but that I have beene exceedingly moved by the Spirit of God to doe iâ that I could not be quiet till I had begun it I haââ done what I could before I did begin to doe it to pââ those thoughts out of my mind bringing as many objections against it as I could but still the Spirit of God moved me more and more with motives to stirre mee up to doe it and many promises for the enabling of me to doe it knocking all the objections in pieces that came against it and this was one thing that was laid before me When thou art converted strengthen thy brethren And if thou lovest me feed my Lambs Ioh. 21.15 And another was I am no respecter of persons And also if we are the children of God we must be led by the Spirit of God to doe what hee would have us but after I saw it was of God I durst not refuse to doe it for obedience is better than sacrifice 1 Sam. 15.22 For I plainly see how dearly God loveth all man-kind but especially his children and those that are babes in Christ how great his love to them is yea even those that Christ is but newly conceived in If there be but a desiring really after God though there be yet no enjoyment of God hee will not quench smoaking flâxe and his love is as great to those that are the lowest and weakest Saints as to those that are the highest and strongest onely hee makes his love knowne more to them than to those that are yet weake and his making his love known to us causeth us to grow strong in him We all were weake at the first but be strengthens us by degrees as he revealeth himselfe to us more and more and so be will doe to you and when hee doth reveale any thing to any it is not only for them bit that they should declare iâ unto others that tâey may know what love Goâ hath toward them that our weake brethren maâ he strengthned and the lambs of God whicâ are the young children of God may be fed ãâã and the doing of this aright is exceeding pleasinâ to God Here is one signe of our love to God anâ after wee have found our Beloved all our desire should be that we should be led wholly by the Spirit of God to glorifie him and setting forth hiâ praise and not to fear the scandals reproaches oâ the world which are like thornes springing uâ by the Devill labouring to choake the purâ truth of Christ but I passe not what scandals oâ reproaches I meete with all by this booke settinâ forth for truth doth always finde some great enemies and the more because it is written by a woman for there are some always that doe respect thâ persons of people having mens persons in admiration Jude 16. My brethren have not thâ faith of our Lord Jesus Christ the Lord of glâry with respect of persons Ja. 2.1 And ãâã shall come to pass in the last days saith Godâ I will pour of my spirit upon all fish you sons your daughters shal prophesie you young men shall see visiions and your old me shall dream dreams and on my servant an on my hand-maidens I will pour out in thoâ days of my spirit they shall prophesie Joel 2.28 Act. 2.17 18. When the children of Israel murmured for flesh to eate and Moses was not able to bear it the Lord bid him gather seventy men of the Elders of the people and the Lord toook off âhe spirit that was upon Moses and put upon them and when the spirit rested upon them then they prophesied and did not cease and there was two âf that seventy that went not out of the Host and they also prophesied Then there ran a young man and told Moses and said Eldad and Medad doe prophesie in the host And there was one answered and said My Lord Moses forbid them but Moses said unto him Enviest thou for my sake Yea would
on him by ââth hee will give thee grace to walke in a ââw course of life and yet still they offer thee âhrist upon condition and thou art exceeâângly terrified with hearing mercies because âou dost not see they belong to thee because âou canst not believe Thus thou seest beloved what a spirituall âândage thou art in with sinne and the Devill ââd false Teachers like the children of Israel ãâã Aegypt what sore bon dage they were in ãâã temporall things so ar t thou now in spiâââuall And thou knowest not what to doe ââât cry unto the Lord as they did and the âord sent them word that they should be ââought out of the Land of Aegypt and that âondage to serve him in another Land so he will doe by thee thou art in such a spiritâ bondage in this spirituall Aegypt that thââ canst not serve the Lord here therefore ãâã Lord comes to bring thee out which he dââ by declaring unto thee that this is not ãâã way of God and hee would not have ãâã walke in it nor heare these false Teacherâny more for thou art more and more woâded by them Oh thinkst thou to thy selfe will goe hear them that they call Independeââ I see they grow exceedingly in grace and hâââ aboundance of joy and walke very comâââtably with God and Paul bids us try all thinâ So I will see whether they can tell me tidiââ of my Beloved So when thou art thus a âââing out of this spirituall Aegypt then conâspirtuall Pharaoh the Devill with his Armie ââter thee of reproaches and scandals and âtream displeasure of those that are of near ââlation to thee for thy going in these stranââ wayes as they say calling thee Heretiqââ and threatning thee that if thou wilt not leaâ off these wayes they will never doe any thââ for thee but will doe thus and thus again thee then thou art in aboundance of slaw feares and the red sea of persecution befoââ thee If the Clergie could but get power ãâã the Magistrate which they have done the good will to get it in the meane timethey wpersecute you in words and raile on you in heir pulpits and call you Hereticks and say âis pitty you should live you are the disturâers of the peace and if they let you alone âou will be the ruine of the Kingdome And âhis they doe against thee because thou wilt âot heare them any more for thou art so âounded with their Sermons that thou canst ââot heare them any longer Yet they tell thee âhou must wait upon them till the Lord make ânown his mind to them and it is a question whether ever he will make known his minde âo them or no Mat. 23.13 But woe unto you âcribes and Pharisees hypocrites for ye shut up the Kingdom of heaven against men for ye neither goe ââyour selves neither suffer ye them that are entring âo goe in But they are blind leaders of the blinde ând both shall fall into the pits Thus thou seest what a streight thou art in âetwixt Pharoah's Armie and the red Sea and âhou cryest to the Lord as the children of Israââ did and what did Moses say which was a âype of Christ Exod. 14.13 14. Moses said ânto the people feare ye not stand still and see âe salvation of the Lord the Lord shall fight for ââu and you shall hold your peace First I shall shew you that yet thou hast âot seen the salvation of the Lord. Secondly Thou must stand still and thou shalt see the salvation of the Lord for thee 1. I will not deny but that thou art ãâã child of God for that good seed spoken of Mat. 13. is sowne in thee which seed is ãâã Word in vers 19. of this Chapter and ãâã Word is Christ John 1. Which seede is Chriâââ Gal. 3.16 Know ye not that Christ is in you ââcept you be reprobates but I trust you shall knâââ you are not reprobates 2 Cor. 13. 5 6. For Gâââ hath made knowne to thee that this seed is thee for thou findest that there is a new woââ wrought in thee for now thou hatest sintâ and hast a desire after goodnesse and it is thââ seede in thee which makes thee so For whââ thou wast in thy naturall condition thââ hadst no such inclination to good thouââ sometimes thou art ready to deny this throuââ the Devills temptation and thy owne corruâtions But yet thou dost not know the true way Jesus Christ The Sonne of righteousnesse not risen in thee to lighten thee in his truth as the truth is in Jesus Christ saith I am ãâã way the truth and the life no man commeth the Father but by me John 14.6 And while the Lord doth come and lighten thee in ãâã wayes thou canst not find it out but thou a in the darke and one that is in the dark caââ not doe any thing well and is ready to stuââ âe at all things and yet would faine doe âomething Thus thou goest along in thy own strength ãâã perform duties but all thy duties and righousnesse is as filthy rags and that the Devill âill tell thee and he will overcome thee with is temptations for all thy righteousnesse This not a sufficient armour to stand against him ãâã will wound thee for all this For except ââur righteousnesse exceeds the righteousnesse of the âribes and Pharisees you shall in no wise enter to the Kingdome of heaven Which as yet thou ââmmest short of that righteousnesse of the âribes and Pharisees for they were wonderââll strict in their wayes for they lookt to be âstified by the workes of the Law They did âât know any other way therefore they walâd in that way they were in the dark and ãâã they worked according So it is with thee âou lookest to be justified by the works of the ââaw for thou seest no other way nor hast âen taught any other way although in words ââth thou and they that taught thee are ready ãâã deny it But doe you not say that except ye do thus ââd thus God will not doe thus and thus for ââou What is this but to be justified by your ââwne righteousnesse but thou dost as the ââouse did in Cant. 3.1 By night on my bed I sought him whom my soule loved I sought him bâ I found him not What was this night but the time of hâ darke condition and what is darknesse but want of light And in this night on her beâ what was this bed A bed is to take their nâ upon which was her owne performances a righteousnesse But she sought him but she câânot find him upon her bed for thy bed is tâ short for thee to stretch thy self upon tâ covering too narrow to wrap thy self withaâ before the Lord had shewed her the light his owne selfe to leade her where shee shou finde him Shee looked for him upon her bââ of her owne performances but it is too shoââ to reach to heaven and this covering of hâ
and we come to beleeve this ãâã the faith of Christ this faith is the eye to ãâã what Christ hath done for us so through thâ faith we are justified by Christ and this is thâ free gift of God and is not any thing of oââ selves our faith is imperfect and therefore ãâã cannot justifie us I beleeve Lord help my unââliefe So that our faith cannot justifie us bâcause there is unbeliefe in it Lord help my ãâã beliefe but the faith of Christ is perfect aâ that alone doth justifie every one that hathâ and without this faith it is impossible to pleââ God Heb. 11.6 and every thing which is ãâã of this faith is sinne and Christ is the authoââ and finisher of this faith Heb. 12.2 And all long the 11. chapter of the Hebrewes the speakes what great things were done by tââ faith and the Lord calls and invites all men come to him and eat freely of this spiritoâ feast that he hath prepared for them he ãâã vites them by the outward preaching of ãâã word and inward movings of his Spirit Pââ 1.20 21 22 23. Wisdome crieth without uttereth her voyce in the streets she crieth the chiefe place of concourse in the openiâ of the gates in the citie she uttereth her words saying How long ye simple ones will ye love simplicity and the scorners delight in their scorning and fooles hate knowledge turne you at my reproofe behold I will poure our my Spirit unto you I will make known my words unto you Here is the outward call and in Genesis 6.3 there is the inward And the Lord said My Spirit shall not always strive with man So it doth appeare that his Spirit doth strive with man to bring him to himself Iohn 12.32 And I if I be lifted up from the earth will draw all men unto me Hosea 11.4 I drew them with cords of a man with bands of love and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jawes and I laid meat unto them Thus âhrist drawes all both inward and outward with the bonds of love that he might take off that heavy yoke off their sinnes off them and see them laid upon Christ and see this spirituall meat which is laid before them and they to feed on it and doe appeale to every ones conscience whether they doe not find at one time or other an inward moving by the Spirit of God for to goe unto God and the Lord will receive them and they have some glimpse of the love of God to them to invite them to goe and there is nothing can move us to go to God but the Spirit of God therefore it is the Spirit of God that doth draw all CHAP. VII None can truly repent till they goe unto God anâ when they do goe he will give them a true repentance THere is not any that can truly repent ãâã their sinnes till they doe see in some measure the love of God to them they may repent because their sinnes provoke Gods angeâ against them and for feare of hell and the judgements of God and because they keep them out of heaven but this is not a true repentance a true repentance is such a repentance that they need not repent them of buâ there requireth a repentance to repent of this repentance but it is the love of God made known to them that makes them to be humbled for their sinnes because they offend so loving a God and they were the cause that Christ was crucified and therefore they hate their sinnes because they are an enemy to God and keeps them from the communion of God O the love of God to thee constrains thee to love him againe and thou art ashamed of thy sinnes and hatest them because God hates them so it is the love of God to them that causeth true repentance When Christ looked upon Peter then he went out and wept bitterly Luk. 22.61 62. Ephraim shall say What have I to do any more w th Idols Hos 14.9 Ephraim was a great sinner he worshipped Idols yet when he saw the love of God to him it so overcame him that he cries out Whot have I to doe any more with Idols though I have had to doe with them yet now I hate them because God hates them Ierem. 31.18 19. I have heard Ephraim lamenting thus Thou hast corrected me and I was chastised as an untamed Colt convert thou me and I shall be converted for thou art the Lord my God Surely after that I converted I repented and after that I was instructed I smote upon my thigh I was ashamed yea confounded because I did bear the reproach of my youth Ezek. 16.62 63. And I will establish my covenant with thee and thou shalt know that I am the Lord that thou mayst remember and be ashamed and never open thy mouth any mouth any more because of thy shame when I am pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done saith the Lord God Thus the love of God drawes all to repentance and it prevailes more with them to bring them to repentance than to heare of the wrath of God and judgements and this repentance is a true ââpentance to hate sinne and to be huâbled for it because it offends so loving a Goâ and therefore to forsake them though neââ so neer and deare to us and be affraid of coâmitting sinne for feare of offending God ãâã Joseph said How can I doe this and sinne agaiââ God Gen. 39.9 Object If it be so that God doth draw ãâã men thus to himselfe what is the reason thâ all doe not come unto him for wee see thâ most keep from him and live in sin and wiââednesse Answ The fault is in man O man thyââstruction is of thy selfe For what coââ I have done to my Vineyard that I have ãâã done it Isa 5.4 And though they goe aââ from Christ yet hee will not leave themsâââ hee followes them 1 Cor. 10.4 They did ãâã drinke the same spirituall drinke for thâ dranke of that spirituall rocke that followââ them and that roche was Christ Hee followes them with his mercie and ââving kindnesse to draw them to him but thâ would not Ye would not come unto me thââ might have life And if ye believe not that Iâ he ye shall dye in your sinnes John 8.24 There is nothing that condemnes the woââ but the rejecting and undervaluing of Jeââ Christ and continue so doing and live and dye so He that believeth not is condemned already because hee hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Sonne of God And this is condemnation that light is come into the world and men loved darknesse rather than light John 3.18 19. Christ is the light to lighten every one that comes into the world and hee invites all to come unto him and he will give them of his light that they might see to walke in his way and he would direct them what to doe and lead them in the
way to life eternall but they continue refusing and loving their own darknesse better then the light or Jesus Christ and hate him in his waves and persecute him in his members and make a mock of godliness and thinke to get a righteousnesse of their own that shall carry them to heaven and so they undervalue the righteousnesse of Christ and tread under foote the Sonne of God and count the blood of the Covenant wherewith he was sanctified and unholy thing they doe not regard it but slight it and doe not really believe him And hee that doth not believe the Sonne shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him John 3.36 He that believeth not God hath made him a lyar because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Sonne 1 John 5.10 It is the free mercie and love of God thaâ is offered to all it is that that shall condemâââ all those that continue alwayes in unbeliefe Christ came neare Jerusalem and wept oââ it and said O Jerusalem Jerusalem that killest the Prophets and stonest them that are sent ââto thee how often would I have gathered thy children together as a hen doth gather her brood ââder wings and ye would not Luke 13.34 Mat. 23.37 And in Mat. 23.31 there we may sââ what children these were that hee would haââ gathered to him Ye be witnes unto your selvââ that ye are the children of them that killed the Prophets and they commit the same sin as their Fathers did In the 34. and 35. verse of this chapter Behold I send unto you Prophets and wise men and Scribes and some of them yeâ shall kill and crucifie and some of them shall yeâ scourge in your Synagogues and persecute theâ from Citie to Citie That upon you may come alââ the righteous blood shed upon the earth from thâ blood of righteous Abel unto the bloud of Zacharias sonne of Barachias whom ye slew between the Temple and the Alter These are the children that Christ would have gathered to him and his bowels of compassion yearns to them Hee wept over them to think what a miserable condition they were in and hee would have preserved them from it but they would not And thus hee offers himselfe still to all even the chiefest of sinners 2 Chron. 26.15 16. And the Lord God of their Fathers sent to them by his messengers rising up betimes and sending because hee had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place But they mocked the messengers of God and despised his words and misused his Prophets untill the wrath of the Lord rose against his people till there was no remedie Prov. 1.24 to the 31. Because I have called and ye refused I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded But ye have set at nought all my counsell and would none of my reproofe I also will laugh at your calamity I will mocke when your feare commeth When your feare commeth as desolation and your destruction commeth as a whirle-winde when distresse and anguish commeth upon you Then shall they call upon mee but I will not answer they shall seeke me early but they shall not find me For that they hated knowledge and did not chuse the feare of the Lord. They would none of my counsell they despised all my reproofe Therefore shall they eate of the fruit of their owne way and be filled with their own deviecs Thus he strives with them till there is no remedie and then hee giveth them over And when they have thus hardned their own hearts that they refuse all instruction and shut their eyes that they will not see then God hardened their hearts as he did Pharaoh's Exod. 10.1 and blind their eyes Mat. 13.14 15. By hearing ye shall heare and not understand and seeing ye shall see and not perceive For this peoples heart is waxed grosse and their eares are duââ of hearing and their eyes they have closed lest at any time they should see with their eyes and heartâ with their eares and should understand with their hearts and should be converted and I should heââ them And therefore he spake to them in parables that seeing they might not see and hearing they might not understand Luke 8.10 Isa 6.9 Mark 4.12 God hath given them thââ spirit of slumber eyes that they should not see anâ eares that they should not heare Rom. 11.8 Sââ the fault is in the creature and not in God for this good seede is sowne in all sorts of ground in good ground and in that which is stonie and that which is thorny and by the way side so it is sowed in all and the fault is not in the seede for the seede is all alike That seede is the word of God Luk. 8.11 which is sowne in all man-kind He that was the unprofitable servant had received a talent of his Lord as well as the profitable servants So God hath justified himself and left the world without excuse that they shall have nothing to say for themselves at the day of judgment and this is that that will be their greater condemnation Those mine enemies that would not that I bould reigne over them bring them and slay them âefore my face Lu. 19.27 Not to have Christ âeigne over them is that which condemnes âhem CHAP. VIII How God doth compell those that are his children to come in to him GOd hath chosen and elected some before the world began to bee the children of God in Christ and to reveale himselfe unto âhem and to give unto them eternall life âaving predestinated us unto the adoption of âhildren by Jesus Christ to himself according âo the good pleasure of his will to the praise of âhe glory of his grace wherein he hath made âs accepted in the beloved Eph. 1.5 6 According to the eternall purpose which he hath purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord Ephes 3.11 Who hath saved us and called us with an holy calling not according to our workes but according to his owne purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ who hath abolished death and hath brought life and immortality to light through the Gosââ 2 Tim. 1.9 10. God did not see any thing in us where to love us but he loves us in his Sonne freââ for his Sonnes sake Christ hath obtained ãâã things of his Father both in heaven and earâ for us and there is not any thing that ãâã keepe them from us and at the time appoiâted of the Father they shall be revealed to ãâã But the heir as long as he is a childe differeth ãâã thing from a servant though hee he Lord of ãâã Gal. 4.1 Before we be called with that hoââ call which is that new work wrought in ãâã which is alone the worke of the spirit to ãâã borne againe not of corruptible seede but of inââruptible by the word of God which liveth and
idolize it but the excellence of man is but flesh even the best of it as all outward gifts without the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 13.1 2 3. Though I speake with the tongues of men and Angels and have not charity I am become as sounding brasse or a tinckling cymbal And though I had the gift of prophesie and knew all secrets and all knowledge yea and if I had all faith so that I could remove mountains and have not love I were nothing And though I feed the poore with all my goods and though I give my bodye that I be burned and hoââ not love it profiteth me nothing All this without love which is the Spirit For God and thâ Spirit is one 1 John 5.7 God is love 1 Joh â 8 All these excellent things without the Spiriâ profieth me nothing Why because our happinesse consists alone in God and not in excellent cutward gifts without him Paul haâ a great many before his conversion yet hâ looked upon them as the workes of the flesh for he had not then the Spirit of God Foâ we are the Circumcision which worship Goâ in the spirit and rejoyce in Christ Jesus anâ have no confidence in the flesh Though I alâ might have confidence in the flesh If any maâ thinketh that hee hath whereof he might tââ in the flesh much more I Circumcised thâ eighth day of the kindred of Israel of the trââ of Benjamin an Hebrew of the Hebrews by thâ Law a Pharisee Concerning zeal I perseâted the Church touching the righteousnâââ which is in the Law I was unrebukeable Bâ things that were vantage to me the samâ counted losse for Christs sake Yea doubtleâ I think all but losse for the excellent knowledâ sake of Christ Jesus my Lord. For whââ I have counted all things losse and dee ãâã them to be dung that I might winne Christ and might be found in him that is not having mine owne righteousnesse which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ even the righteousnesse which is of God through faith Phil. 3.3 to the 9. All flesh is as grasse and all the glory of man is as the flowr of grasse The grasse withereth and the flowre falleth away but the word of the Lord endureth for ever 1 Pet 1.24 25. This glory of the flesh which is compared to the flower of the grasse is the righteousnesse of man the most excellent of man without the Spirit of God as Paul had Yet this must all fall away it cannot stand before the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ but the word of God endureth for ever This word is Christ and he and his righteousnesse endureth for ever and when he and his righteousness appeareth in us and to us It will appeare so glorious and shine with such a burning heat that it will wither the flowre of our righteousnesse and cause it to fall away and be brought to nothing It will appeare so odious and filthy in our fight that we shall be ashamed of it as Paul was and count it as dung and drosse the filchiest things as is and so we shall be desirous to have this righteousnesse of ours destroyed by the glorious comming of Jesus Christ by g DESC = missing EXTENT = 1 span Spirit into us So none of the best of the excellencies of man can bring us to know any thiâ of God in the mystery it is alone the work ãâã the Spirit of God without any thing of us Tââ things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit ãâã God 1 Cor. 2.11 And this Spirit searcheth ãâã things yea the deepe things of God vers 10. 1. It is the Spirit alone that sees the thing of God 2. It is the Spirit that heares the things ãâã God 3. It is the Spirit alone that understandâ the things of God 4. It is the Spirit alone that can doe thâ works of God 5. It is the Spirit alone that makes us accepted with God For the first It is the Spirit of God aloââ that seeth the things of God Mat. 6.22 Thâ light of the body is the eye If therefore thine eye ãâã single thy whole body shal be ful of light Lu. 11 3ââ This single eye is the Spirit of God and it seââ the things of God for it cannot be the eye ãâã man Matth. 6.23 But if thy eye be evill thâ whole body shall be full of darknesse If therefoââ the light that is in thee be darkenesse how great ãâã that darknesse The eye is that whereby we see the eye ãâã man cannot see any thing but that which iââ man and all the things of man even the best of them are but evill and the eye of man that seeth the things of man is one and the same with man And therefore it must needs follow that the eye of man is evill for it sees nothing done but that which is evill And if thy eye be evill thy whole bodie shall be full of darkenesse What is darkenesse but want of light and the light is Jesus Christ This is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men loved darkenesse rather than light John 3.19 And the light shined in darkenesse and the darkenesse comprehended it not John 1.5 And that was the true light which lighteth every man that commeth into the world Hee was in the world and the world was made by him and the world knew him not John 1.9 10. So as wee are men wee cannot know God nor any thing of God For if that light that is in us be darkenesse how great is that darknesse If those most excellent performances of man as man without the Spirit of God as Paul did performe before his conversion which is most likest light be darknesse how great is that darkenesse that man is in Man as man cannot comprehend the light of Jesus Christ none can doe it but that which is one and the same with him which is the Spirit of God and he âs that single eye that sees all the things of God and Christ for they are one and Christ ãâã promised to send his Spirit unto us But Comforter which is the holy Ghost whom the they will send in my Name he shall teach yââ things and bring all things to your remember whatsoever I have said unto you John 14. â When the Comforter is come whom I will send ãâã you from the father even the spirit of truth oâ proceedeth from the Father he shall testifie oâ Joh 15.26 The spirit of truth whom the world ãâã not receive because is seeth him not neither knoââ him but ye know him for he dwelleth with and shall be in you and he shall abide with for ever John 14.16 17. These words Christ spake to his Disciââ when he was present with them in the shaâ man when he was to depart from theâ that bodily shape they were unwilling ãâã he should goe away but he tels them that expedient that he should goe away For if ãâã
the holy Ghost is our Comforter and the Angels are our guard to attend us And what can we desire more but ãâã have the Seale broke open to see what we haââ in him and Christ is comming to doe it ãâã yet a very little while and he that shall come wiââ come and will not tarry Heb. 10.37 Behold I come quickly Revel 3 11. And doe thou waââ patiently for his comming CHAP. XIII Christ is the Teacher and Governour of his Church CHrist is a King a Priest and a Prophet A King to reigne over his Church spiritually and a Priest to offer spirituall sacrifice to his Father for his Church and a Prophet to teach them He saith My kingdome is not of this world John 18.36 But he is an immortall and an everlasting King 1 Tim. 1.17 He ãâã a spirituall King and it is a spirituall Kingdome that hee reignes over and the children âf God are the heirs of this Kingdome Feare ât little flocke for it is your Fathers will to give ãâã the Kingdome Luke 12.32 And the kingdome of God is eternall life Joh. 10.28 And ãâã give unto them eternall life and they shall never ââish neither shall any pluck them out of my band And this is a hidden glorious and mysticall ââing But to you it is given to know the secrets of the kingdome of heaven Mat. 13.11 And the âingdom of God comes not with observations Neiââer shall ãâã say loe here on loe there for behold âhe kingdome of God is with in you Lu. 17.20 21. âry not in thine heart Who shall ascend into heaâân That is to bring Christ from above Or who ââall descend into the deepe That is to bring up Christ againe from the dead But what saith the Scripture The word is neere thee even in thy ââuth and in thy heart this is the word of faith âhich wee preach Rom. 10.6 7 8. And this âord is Christ John 1.14 What is heaven but the fulnesse of all happinesse and that is God in Christ and Christ ââing in us by his Spirit then is the Kingdom âf God in us and so far as he reveales himself to us as he is we see him as he is and have the enjoyment of him and so farre we live in âim and have out conversation in heaven that is in God For the kingdome of God is not ãâã word but in power 1 Cor. 4.20 It confâââ not in speaking of words but so far as he ââveales himselfe in us he comes with power enabling us to do that which is pleasing to hiâ and he reveales heaven to us here in some measure by degrees in his time as shall be to hââ glory and our comfort and in a great aââ high measure in some but wee cannot have ãâã in such a measure as we shall have it hereafâââ when our bodies are dissolved then wee shâââ be wholy in it there shall be nothing to hiâder us now here our bodies are weake anâ cannot containe him and there is a vaile bâfore us that wee cannot see him clearely anâ Christ is the Governour of the Church Isa â 6 7. For unto us a Childe is borne and unto ãâã a Sonne is given and the government is upon ãâã shoulder and he shall call his name Wonderfullâ Counseller the mighty God the everlasting Father the Prince of peace The encrease of his government and peace shall have no end hee shall sââ upon the Throne of David and upon his Kingdoâ to order it and to stablish it with judgement ãâã with justice from hence-forth even for ever thâ zeale of the Lord of hosts will performe this Hââ is our husband and he reignes over us in loâ and so he governs us and all his lawes that ãâã doth set forth for us to observe is to love him ââd so farre as hee doth reveale himselfe to us âe can doe no other and he defends us against ãâã our spirituall enemies that rise up against ãâã and would devoure us And he hath made ãâã Kings with him 1 Pet. 2.9 Revel 5.10 ãâã reigne with him for ever And hee is our ââiest to offer up spirituall sacrifice to his Faââer for us upon that golden Altar of himselfe ãâã 8.3 And he makes intercession continuââly to his Father for us 1 John 1.12 My ââes these things write I unto you that ye sinne ãâã and if any man sinne wee have an Advocate ââth the Father Jesus Christ the just and hee is ãâã reconciliation for our sins and not for ours onââ but also for the sins of the whole world And ââe hath made uâ Priests with him as wee are âints for his Spirit in us offers up continuall âârifice to God by Christ of praises and ââanks-giving And he is our Prophet to teach ãâã We shall be all taught of God he will teach ãâã so plainly by his Spirit his owne minde in âââh a plain way that a wayfaring man though âoole cannot erre therein The Lord said Write the vision and make it âââne upon Tables that he may run that readeth ãâã Hab. 2.2 After those dayes saith the Lord ãâã will put my law in their inward parts and write ãâã their hearts and I will be their God and ââey shall be my people And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour and every man ãâã brother saying know the Lord for they shalâ know me from the least of them to the greatestâ them Jer. 31.33 34. The Lord will teach his children by his Spârit in a more clearer manner than he haâ done and so farre as he teacheth them thâ shall all know him and hee shall teach us ãâã profit 1 Cor. 2.4 5. My speech and my preachââ was not with enticing words of mans wisdome ãâã in demonstration of the Spirit and of power Tââ your faith should not stand in the wisdome of ãâã but in the power of God When the Lord dâââ teach us by his Spirit that comes with poweâ and over-powers us and makes us willing ãâã doe and be what hee would have us so ãâã power is made knowne in us That whiââ Christ teacheth us to know is himselfe Ephâ 4.21 If so be that ye have heard him and ãâã been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus thââ we may know what he is in the Saints and ãâã the Saints Psal 65.8 I will heare what God ãâã Lord will speake for he will speak peace to his pââple and to his Saints All that Christ doth teach us is to knoâ himselfe and Paul desired to know nothing ãâã but Christ and him crucified 1 Cor. 2.2 Anâ he speakes nothing but what is in him for ãâã that all that is in him hee hath purchased ãâã us and hee hath purchased us unto himselfes and we are his Wife and he will always dwell with us and be in us and alwayes uphold us and never leave us nor forsake us CHAP. XIIII God is very tender and careful over those that are but babes in him and leades them as they
are able to goe I Having done mine endeavor to shew you the right meaning of some things in some measure which we are ready to stumble at and now there will be a plaine way to walke in Christ himselfe doth leade us gently as we are able to goe teaching us by degrees and hee is very carefull of those that are but babes in him those that the seede of himselfe doth but newly appeare in them and that but in a small measure Isa 40.10 Behold the Lord God will come with power and his arme shall rule for him Behold his reward is with him and his worke before him He shall feede his flocke like a Shepheard be shall gather the lambs with his arme and cary them in his bosome and shall gently leade those that are with young Christ compareth his Church to a flock of sheep Ezek. 34.31 And yee my flocke the flocke of my pasture are men and I am your God saith the Lord God And vers 15. Hee saith I will feede my flocke and I will cause them to lye downe saith the Lord God And Christ said unto Peter lovest thou me feede my sheepe And again he said lovest thou mee feede my lambes John 21.15 16. In a sheepe-fold there is sheepe and lambes and them that are with young and Christ is the Shepherd over them all and feedes them all with that good pasture which is himselfe I shall first shew you how gently he leads them that are with yong that is those that hath the seed of the spirit of Christ but conceived in theÌ that but in a smal measure that it doth not appeare whether there is any thing or no neither by thee nor others which is the first degree of the growth of his seede in us which are some desirings after God The Lord will feed and nourish these motions in us The Lord will not quench the smoaking flaxe Isa 42.3 If there be any desiring after him though it be in the smallest measure as can be and it lies smoaking in us and doth not burne yet there is fire in it or else it would not smoake God is called fire Heb. 12.29 And this desiring after God is the Spirit of God in us for there is nothing that can really desire after God but that which is one with him therfore it is a spirituall fire and hee will not quench these motions in us though they are but smal and though they are like sparks of fire in us he layes them together and blows them with the wind of his Spirit and kindles this fire of himselfe in us that it shall flame forth in a visible appearance to us and others It may lye hid a while being covered with the filthinesse of our flesh sinne and wickednesse or with the glory of our flesh our righteousnesse and both these are great enemies to him and so lye in us as if it were dead but the Lord wil quicken it and it shall flourish And though Christ is but conceived in us and these desires after him encreaseth more more so in the womb of our desires after him hee growes more and more and yet we doe not find that this childe Jesus is brought forth in us by his Spirit so that wee can perceive it by the enjoyment of those comforts that wee expect to have in him by the manifestation of himselfe in us when we are thus bigge with young and this childe is come to the birth and there wants nothing but strength to bring it forth The Lord is then our leader and the Lord doth comfort us in telling us by some inward motions of his Spirit that the manifestation of himself shall be brought forth to us in his time and he doth up-hold us in the mean time but we are much troubled while Christ is brought forth to us that we may see him and rejoyce in him Isa 26.17 18. Like as a woman with childe that draweth neer the time of her delivery is in paine and cryeth out in her pangs so have wee beene in thy sight O Lord. We have beene with child we have beene in paine wee have as it were brought forth winde We cannot bring forth this childe Jesus in our own strength for all our strength is as a blast of wind and the more we strive in our own strength the more pain we are in and the nearer he is to be brought forth to us the more spirituall paine wee have of wounds in conscience and troubles of minde but when the child Jesus is brought forth in us then we forget that paine for joy that Christ Jesus is brought forth to us and all our pain and trouble is swallowed up in the enjoyment of him and the longer it is before wee have the enjoyment of it the more we shall prize it when we have it Therefore be not discouraged whosoever thou art or whatsoever thou art that hast not Christ yet brought forth in the for this seed lies hid before it appear and though there is but small appearance of it in us yet then it grows in us and makes way for a manifestation of himselfe to us And when this spirituall childe Jesus is brought forth in us which he calls his lambs and he carries them in his bosome they are neare and deare unto him We are not only in his bosome but hee carries us about with him we cannot goe we are so weak that we can neither stand nor goe one that is new borne and therefore wee have yet no strength We are most careful and tender of our children when they are young ones and feede them accordingly and the younger they are the more tender wee are of them which doth set forth in some measure the love of God to those that are babes in him Our love is imperfect but his love to us is perfect he cannot forget us wee lye in his bosome yea in the very heart of Christ Cant. 8.6 Set âee as a seale upon thy heart as a seale upon thy arme This was the request of the Spouse to Christ she was then as a seale upon his heart though she saw it not but Christ puts it in her minde to aske that hee might make it knowne to her that she was as a seale upon his heart that shee was as neare and deare to him as shee can be for she is upon his heart and arme the heart to love her and his arme to defend her he can doe no other but love his Church and every particular member of it for it is one with him for the Spirit of Christ in us is one with Christ He prayeth to his Father That they all may be one as thou Father art in me and ãâã in thee that they also may be one in us Joh. 17.21 That is that we might see our selves one in him for then wee were one in him but wee cannot know it while he comes and shews us it John 17.24 Father I will that they also whom thou
and you in me and I in you John 14.20 For Christ is the head and is one with the Father and the whole Church of God is the body which is the Spirit of God in all the Saints and he is always in us and with us Christ in us the hope of glory we by faith see Christ in us and know that he is the glory and wait patiently upon him while he is pleased to manifest his glory in us So by faith we believe and hope for that which wee have not yet the enjoyment âf Though wee have Christ who is the fulââsse of all happinesse yet wee doe not see him ãâã us till hee is pleased to manifest himselfe to ãâã and shew us his glory And this faith of âelieving what we shall enjoy is a very gloriâus condition and we have abundance of joy ââd comfort in it for the promise to us of the ââjoyment of himselfe is sealed to us we are âre of it there is not any thing that can hinââr him from manifesting himselfe to us Eph. â 13 14. After that yee heard the word of truth ââe Gospel of your salvation in whom also after âhat ye believed ye were sealed with that holy Spirit ãâã promise Which is the earnest of our inheritance ââtill the redemption of the purchased possession ââto the praise of his glory So the Lord revealing to us by his Spirit ââat there is an inheritance purchased by âhrist for us which is himselfe that is the ââeatest inheritance that can be and this Spiâââ doth seale it to us till the time is come that ââmselfe will give us possession of that inheriâânce that hee hath redeemed and purchased ââr us for the praise of his glory So while we âave but an earnest given us of this inheritance âeing we know it is sure wee are exceedingly âomforted and carried above all slavish fears ând troubles and above all things that wee see below Christ and many the Lord leades a great while by faith before he gives them a full possession of himselfe CHAP. XVI Not for any to despise nor undervalue nor persecute one another IT is a very dangerous thing to embrace and close with that we heare before wee know whether it be truth or no for it is not sufficient for us to believe a thing to be truth because another saith it is truth For us to build upon this is a sandy-foundation we cannot build sure upon it though the things that we heare be truth yet except we know them to be truth by the Spirits teaching us or witnessing to us by sufficient grounds set forth in the Scripture that those things are truth that we heare it is very dangerous to build upon it and it is impossible but this building will fall for this foundation will not nor cannot hold it up and if it come to the tryall it will fall to the great dishonour of God and the scandalling of Religion and it is as dangerous to despise hate or persecute any thing that wee heare though it doth not seem to us to be truth for saith Paul After that way that ye call heresie so âorship I the God of my Fathers Though it apâeareth to you to be heresie yet it may be reââll truth therefore doe not hate it nor perseâute it for Paul thought before his conversion âhat it was heresie and persecuted it Acts 9. â2 And Saul yet breathing out threatnings and âaughter against the Disciples of the Lord went ââto the high Priest and desired of him letters to âamascus to the Synagogue that if he found any ãâã this way whether they were men or women he âight bring them bound unto Jerusalem And âhe journeyed he came neare to Damascus and ââddenly there shined round about him a light from ââaven and he fell to the earth and heard a voyce ââying unto him Saul Saul why persecutest thou ãâã And he said who art thou Lord And the âord said I am Jesus whom thou persecutest it is âââd for thee to kicke against the pricks vers 3 4 â Paul was then one that was very strict in all ãâã ways and walked very blamelesse as conâârning the performing of the Law and hee âought that all that was not as he was were ââretickes and hee persecuted them to the âath but the Lord said unto him Why perseââtest thou me I am Jesus whom thou persecutest ãâã He persecuted Christ in his members Inasââeth as you have done it unto one of the least of ââse my brethren ye have done it to me Mat. 25.40 Take heed how you persecute any though you thinke they are heretickes and therefore persecute them as Paul did and indeed there was never any persecution but it went under the name of punishing Hereticks and doe iâ by a shew of godlinesse as Paul did but it iâ hard for you to kicke against prickes for it iâ God that ye kicke against and he is stronger than you and will overcome you at the last and he is like pricks it will pierce your selves for not any weapon that is forged against hiâ Saints shall prosper but shall returne backeâ and destroy their enemies like as those meâ were that tooke up Shadrach Mesbech and Abednego and cast them into the fiery fornan at the Kings command because they woulâ not worship their false gods They made thâ fornace exceeding hot because it should destroy the three men that were cast into it bââ the flame of the fire slew those men that caâ them in and Shadrach Mesbech and Abedego walked in the midst of the fire and neithââ they nor their cloaths were burned nor ãâã much as smell of fire Dan. 3. Therefore whosoever thou art that persâcutest any take heed what thou dost for the last God will destroy thee whosoever thâ art except thou commest to be converted and they whom thou dost persecute shall be ãâã livered out of thy hands if it be to the glory ãâã God and their good but if God hath giâân you so much power as to put them to ââath the greatest harm that you can do them ãâã but to bring them to their full happinesse ââd that harm that you thinke to doe against âââm you doe against your selves for while ãâã persecute them they are at peace and quiââ and have abundance of the enjoyment of ââod and enabled to bear exceedingly whatââever is laid upon them for whatsoever is âânting outwardly the Lord supplieth inâârdly by his Spirit and he conveyeth himâââfe to them in that way that all the enemies ãâã the world nor all the Devils in hell are ãâã able to hinder them from the enjoyment him but while you persecute them you ââânot be quiet in your mind but are troubled âââd cannot have peace like Saul that perseââââd David The Spirit of the Lord departed ãâã Saul and an evill Spirit from the Lord trouâââd him 1 Sam. 16.14 And this Spirit cauââ him to persecute David and wheresoever ãâã Spirit is it causeth persecutions for it
laying them clearly open by the appearance of himselfe in us and as he breaks open the seals to us there are great earth-quakes Heb. 12.26 27. Yet once more I shake not only the earth but also heaven And this word yet once more signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken as of things that are made that those things which cannot be shaken may remaine The Lord when hee appeareth in us doth not only make the earth quake at his presence which is all things that doth appeare to us to be below God whatsoever it be but also heavenly things all glorious things which are of Anti-christ which is like heaven and doth appeare to us to be heaven but this shall be shaken by the appearing of Jesus Christ in us and those things that cannot be shaken which are of Jesus Christ they shall remaine but all things that are not of him shall fall and shall appeare to us to be but earth or flesh as bad as the kilel of the flesh grosse sinne and wickednesse I doe not meane the flesh of our bodies nor this earth that we dwell upon but there are two kinds of seeds of the Devil in us that grosse seed which bringeth forth sinne in us is called earth the first man was of the earth earthly as is the earthly such are they that are earthly That which is not of God is said to be of Satan which is called earth and so farre as we have this earthly seed appearing in us so far we are of the earth earthly then there is that seeming glorious seed of himselfe in us which is our righteousnesse and that seemes to be like the wayes of God and therefore it is called heaven but it is but of the earth and is earthly this is called the first man the second man is Christ and he is heavenly 1 Cor. 15. The first man is of the earth âarthly the second man is the Lord from heaâen as is the earthly such are they that are âarthly and as is the heavenly such are they âlso that are heavenly and as we have borne the image of the earthly we shall also bear the âmage of the heavenly Now this I say brethren âhat flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdome âf God neither doth corruption inherit incorruption That which is of Satan which is called âlesh and blood and earth and corruption âhall not inherit the Kingdome of God for this âshmael shall not be heir with Isaac so at the âppearing of God in us there will be a great âarth-quake when the mountaine of the Lord which is Christ comes to be established atop of the mountaines of Anti-christ For thou âast said in thy heart I will ascend into heaven ãâã will exalt my throne above the Stars of God I will sit upon the mount of the Congregation I will âscend above the heights of the clouds I will be âike the most High Isa 14.13 14. The voyce âf my beloved behold he commeth leaping upon the âountains and skipping upon the hills Cant. 2.8 Whether the hils or mountaines though they âe never so high that is not of himself whatâoever it be in us whether high or great sinnes âr our righteousnesse hee will tread them all under his feete and triumph over them all and this mount makes the whole earth filenâ before him both outward and inward and make them quake Revel 6.12 13 14. And ãâã beheld when he had opened the sixth seale and loââ there was a great earth-quake and the Sunne became blacke as a sacke-cloath of haire and thâ Moone became as blood And the starres of heaven fell unto the earth even as a figge-tree casteth heâ untimely figges when she is shaken of a mighty winde And the Heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together and every mountaine and Island were moved out of their places Mat. 24.29 Immediately after those dayes shalâ the Sun be darkened and the Moon shall not givâ her light and the stars shall fall from heaven the powers of heaven shall be shall be shaken And then shall appeare the signe of the Sonne of man is heaven and then shall all the Tribes of the eartâ mourne and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds with power and great glory Here is speaking of Christs comming to judgement The comming of Christ to judgement is both outward and inward spirituallâ in the mystery and at the opening of the sixtââ seale here is the first resurrection for after thâ Sunne is darkned and the Moone not give heâ light then shall Christ appeare in his glory iâ us he is come to this spirituall judgement iâ us and by his glorious appearance he makes the Sun to appeare as black as a sack-cloath of haire and the Moone to be like blood But while the first Heaven is departed away his glory doth not appear in us for the first heaven hinders us from seeing the glory of Christ the Sun is that whereby we see for that is light it selfe and giveth light to us and by that light that we receceive from the Sun we see the Sun and that light that the Moone hath she receiveth it from the Sun it is the same light infused into the Moon but it doth not appeare so glorious as the Sun for the Sun is the fulnesse of light and the Moon partakes of it all but is not able to containe it all but is filled with the light and glory of it and the starres have that light that they shine withall from the Sun and is the same with the Moone and they give a bright cleare and glorious light yet not so full and great a light as the Moone doth for they are not able to contain it and this typifieth out to us Christ and his Church and every particular Saint for Christ is the Sunne and the Church the Moone and the Saints the Starres Now where the Church of God is there is also the church of Anti-christ and the light that shee hath is infused after the same manner and all in us and both these lye together that as we are men and women we doe not know one light from the other but when Christ doth appeare to us in his pure light then the light of the sun of Anti-christ in us will appear as blacke as sack-cloath of hair and that moone the Church of Anti-christ will appeare like blood being a bloody persecuter of the Church of God and the starres of Anti-christ will also fall for being that sun is darkened whereby the starres receiveth their light they must fall and that heavenly and glorious appearance of Anti-christ shall depart as a scroll when it is rolled together And then every mountain and Island shall be moved out of their places for now is the day of the Lord come to render vengeance on all things in us that knowes not God Now is the time of the destruction of Anti-christ come and he is not able to stand against