single and higher intuitive natural Understanding than Man's though in but the same First-Covenant Law-life of the Creature as Man He appear'd to the Angels immediately as four living Creatures that had the Likeness of a Man Ezek. 1.5 the comprehensive Sum of all changeable First-Creation-Being and Life The word Man comprehends all Every individual Man is a Microcosm or lesser World having all found in the Macrocosm or greater without him and something more peculiar to himself He has Being an earthy Body with Elements and all inanimate Simples or Compounds a threefold Life or Spirit of Lives Gen. 2. 7. Vegetable with Grass Herbs Trees c. a Life of Sense with Birds Beasts Fishes and creeping things an intellectual Exercise of the Life of his natural Spirit above and without the Body while in it with Angels but inferiour to them therein Then besides all this has he the rational Exercise of his natural Understanding by bodily Organs not found in any Parts of the greater World Angels or Beasts The four living Creatures by which Christ represented himself to the Angels had the Face or Likeness of a Man And they are call'd again and again the or one living Creature Ezek. 1.20,21 10. 15 17 20. The good Angels figur'd by Wheels or Chariots Psal. 68. 17. follow'd this Head fully Whithersoever his Spirit was to go they went and turned not or looked back as they went Ezek. 1. 17 20. The Reason hereof was the Spirit of the living Creature was in the Wheels v. 20 21. a Seed of his spiritual Life was in them Hence when the four living Creatures with the Face of a Man did let down their Wings the said Angelical Wheels did let down their Wings v. 24. In Passive Obedience to the Divine Will and Conformity to Christ's Death of the first Creation they ceas'd from the mortal Life of their own Spirits given them in their first Creation and from the Exercise of their own fallible Understandings and corruptible Wills therein which are the mystical Wings by which natural Angels and Men flie abroad in this perishing World to view and place their Thoughts and Affections on what seems desirable to them in order to pick up a true Happiness to themselves where it never is to be found While Man thus rambles and flies abroad for a self-pleasing delusive Happiness amongst the Delights of the Sons of Men he never looks or seeks after God and his heavenly Creature-life and Things the peculiar Delights of the Sons of God These heavenly Creature-things offer'd by a new Creation are out of the Reach of all single natural Understanding of Man 1 Cor. 2. 9. and the only way for attaining them is most contrary to his natural Will The Death and Loss of both and all is the appointed way in God's Wisdom whose Thoughts and Ways are not as Man 's but quite contrary about their true Salvation Isa. 55. 8 9. When the good Angels had let down their Wings importing a perfect Rest and Cessation from the Labours or Exercise of their own Spirits Wills and Understandings a Voice from the Firmament over their Heads calls them out of the said Death of Nature into a living spiritual Faith working by love to Christ as seen by them the Man upon a Throne as exalted Son and Branch in his heavenly Creature-life Hereby were they actually possess'd of eternal Life and infallibly sure of being compleated therein in God's time They patiently waited with a holy kind of Impatience well-pleasing to God also in longing Desires and Pantings after the actual Gift of the Holy Ghost or Gospel-Spirit of the Man they saw upon his Throne therein They with Old-Testament-Saints waited four thousand Years for this promis'd unspeakable Gift which was not given to either or any of them till Christ was ascended in our Nature Iohn 7.39 But as inseparably united therewith by a living spiritual Faith working by Love thereto they all had a good Report with God as well-pleasing and acceptable to him though they had not receiv'd his promis'd Holy Ghost Heb. 11. 39. All along the said four thousand Years the good Angels with Old-Testament-Prophets and other Saints desir'd to pry look into and consider what time the Spirit of Christ in them as enjoy'd by a spiritual Faith therein did signify when it testified before-hand the Sufferings of Christ and the Glory that should follow with the Holy Ghost sent down from Heaven and clear Gospel-preaching experienc'd therein 1 Pet. 1. 10-12 On this account the good Angels had Cause of Rejoicing at the Birth of Christ in our Nature as their own concern as well as Man 's though not in reference to Sin For they never sinn'd at all nor were in danger of ever sinning after their first change from Nature to Grace They rejoic'd also on behalf of Mankind who are all born Sinners The high Joy of the good Angels on these Accounts at Christ's Birth is recorded Luke 2. 8-14 By the first Demeanour of the good Angels is implied the contrary Behaviour of the evil ones The good follow'd Christ their Head the evil ones turn'd from their true Head as they went or were going a while with the good under the same Light Satan made himself a contrary opposite Head to Christ and with his Tail drew a third part of the Angels Revel 12. 4. signified by Stars Iob 38. 7. into the same Condition with himself under him as their Head in the self-chosen earthly Life of the first Creation in unchangeable Enmity to God and his heavenly Life offer'd them by a second As thus it was with the evil Angels so too oft with Men. Under high spiritual enlightning Gifts many that have gone a while with Gospel-Saints after Christ as their Head finding his Cross or the Death-work of his heavenly on their earthy Spirit to be pass'd under in order to be married to him as risen from the Dead they turn away from him under Satan's Witch-crafts Gal. 3. 1 3. to set up for themselves in their holy Flesh or righteous Life given them in their first Creation in unchangeable Enmity to God and his holy Gospel-Spirit offer'd by a second So Satan as God and Prince of this World brings them under his Influence by which he renders them the most enrag'd Antichristian Enemies of Gospel-Saints and Truths 1 Iohn 2. 19. A third part of the Angels will perish for ever Of Mankind the many in the broad easy self-pleasing Way to Hell out-number Christ's few in the narrow Way to Heaven though they also out of all Generations will be a numberless Multitude Revel 7. 9. CHAP. V. A short Review of the four preceding Chapters by way of Recapitulation CHAP. 1. God infinitely blessed from all Eternity Chap. 2. Determin'd to create Angels and Men to give them immortal Spirits and to put into them a mortal Life in their first-creation to be call'd their own with all the things thereof their own Righteousness Wisdom Works Fruits c. but
the Death and Loss thereof with all the things therein is indispensably neceessary to any Man 's receiving that Life which is eternal by a new Creation Man in the restor'd Life of the First Adam's living Soul and highest spiritual enlightning Gifts convincing him of the Life offer'd by a Second and of the Necessity of parting again with the restor'd earthly Life and things of the First Adam 's living Soul for the heavenly Life and Things of the Second Adam 's quickning Spirit under all this Mercy is Man liable through his own unspeakable Folly to be bewitch'd back from looking after Christ's heavenly Gospel-life shew'd and offer'd him and to set up for himself under and with Satan in his own earthly Law-life and Righteousness signified by Holy Flesh Gal. 3. 1 3. This may be call'd a Sinning after the Similitude of the evil Angels first Transgression under the clearest Discovery of the Life offer'd by a new Creation with the Terms of receiving it and their unspeakable Concern for submitting thereto as the only possible Means to find eternal Life or scape eternal Death That the Punishment of evil Angels for their first Sin by God's giving them up to their own self-chosen Life and their own Will and Way therein all along this World that this was a greater Punishment than Man 's for his first Sin which was the Death and Loss of his abus'd First-covenant Life and Things receiv'd by a First-creation may seem strange to Man's Wisdom who reckons Adam should have kept what he had in the primitive Purity of his First-creation the keeping of which in preference to the Life of the Creator offer'd by a Second was his Sin the Loss of it by God's taking it from him his Punishment At Man's rate of Judging the evil Angels were in the Right as keeping what they receiv'd in their First-creation all the Glories and Excellencies Wisdom and Power therein Quest. Could Mankind or human Nature at best in Adam chuse the heavenly Creature-life of God shewn and offer'd them by a New Creation Answ. No. Neither Man nor Angel had Power in their own earthly Life and Wills to choose the heavenly Creature-life of God offer'd by a New Creation for then they would have elected themselves The receiving from Christ as a Fruit of his meritorious Sufferings and Death in our Nature the renew'd Life and Righteousness of the First-creation is of him that willeth All may receive that if they will But the attaining and receiving of the Life God offers by a Second-creation this is not of him that willeth or runneth in his own Spirit and Will at best but of God who will shew this Mercy to whom he will only Rom. 9. 15 16. All that finally elect or chase for themselves their own earthly Life of the Creature reject the heavenly Creature-life of the Creator All that God has elected will be brought to hate and lose their own earthly Life at best from love to his heavenly as the only Way to receive it A third Part of Angels fell irrecoverably by their first Sin Revel 12. 4. The far greater part of Mankind the many in the broad Way will be found irrecoverably fallen for ever Yet will Christ's few in the narrow Way be an innumerable Multitude Revel 7. 9. CHAP. X. The second Sacrifice of Christ in our whole human Nature Spirit Soul and Body IN and by his first Sacrifice he became the immediately fitted Hand of God the living Word of God which is God Iohn 1. 1-3 for performing the whole Divine Will in both Creations of Angels and Men and in dealing with them all for ever in final Love or Wrath. This first Sacrifice related not to the Pardon of Sin in Angels or Men. They were none of them then extant in their own personal Beings A Preparation for preventing Sin in both and all was thereby made notwithstanding which many Angels sinn'd and fell irrecoverably All Mankind sinn'd and fell in and with Adam but recoverably both as to their Sin and Punishment and also to a being render'd capable of that true Salvation-life they at first refus'd This second Sacrifice of Christ therefore in our Nature related only to the Sins of Mankind The good Angels never sinn'd at all The evil were absolutely unpardonable In reference to Sin therefore Christ took on him the Nature of Man not of Angels Heb. 2. 16. and therein became a little lower than Angels even than evil Angels in the Glory of their First-creation chosen by them and granted them by God in his just Judgment on them with a ruling Power over Mankind therein all along this short-liv'd World and then to be stripp'd of all their worldly Power and Glory and laid down for ever in everlasting Burnings under his unquenchable Wrath in the lowest Hell-part of the eternal World to come In reference to this second Sacrifice of Christ we are to consider his Entrance into this World in our Nature The Virgin Mary was found with Child of the Holy Ghost Mat. 1. 18. An Angel appears to Joseph in a Dream telling him that what was conceiv'd in her was of the Holy Ghost and warn'd him that when born he should call his Name Iesus that would save his People from their Sins and Immanuel also was he to be call'd that is God with us ver 20-23 Isa. 7. 14. The like Account as to his wonderful Formation in the Womb of the Virgin we find Luke 1. 26-35 and his Birth Luke 2. 7. The good Angels rejoic'd thereat Luk. 2. 13 14. not in reference to a procuring their Pardon for Sin having never sinn'd but as knowing thereby the time drawing near for them with Old-Testament-Saints to receive the Holy Ghost which they waited for all along four thousand Years by a living spiritual Faith working by Love to God therein and amounting to an indissoluble Union with Christ therein But the Holy Ghost was not given to Angels or Saints till our Nature in Christ was ascended and glorified Iohn 7. 39. Both the said Angels and Saints obtain'd a good Report with God as well-pleasing to him by a living spiritual Faith therein though they had not receiv'd the promis'd Holy Ghost Heb. 11. 39. From the good Angels Concern herein did they with Old-Testament-Prophets desire to pry look into and diligently to search out what manner of time the Spirit of Christ in them did signify when it testified beforehand the Sufferings of Christ and the Glory that should follow 1 Pet. 1. 10-12 to our ascended glorified Nature in him and to them by the Holy Ghost's being sent down from Heaven into Angels with the Spirits of Old-Testament-Saints departed and New-Testament-Gospel Saints in the mortal Body Act. 2 1-4 This is the other better Comforter Christ told his Disciples the Father in pursuance and for accomplishing of his Free-Grace-Mercy to them would send than he had yet been to them as a fleshly Bridegroom in the but restor'd First-covenant Life and Righteousness of
Angels and Men by a first Creation of them This Creature-Son and Branch is call'd by the Name of its peculiar divine Causer in the Creature-part of the Mediator's Person the Word This Word as the Lamb slain from the Foundation of the World Revel 13. 8. and exalted by and out of that Death into the originally unchangeable Life of his Creature-root and Father became the living Word of God and immediate Creator of all Angels and Men by a first Creation and of an innumerable Multitude of both by a second He will also be the immediate Performer of the whole Divine Will on all Angels and Men good and bad in the final Love or Wrath of God in Heaven or Hell to all Eternity 3. In order to all this did the third of the Divine Three call'd Holy Ghost cause the said Creature-root and Father as the supream mystical Abraham to perform a sacrificing Death-work on his Creature-Son and caus'd the said Creature-Son as the supream mystical Isaac not only to submit thereto in a compleat Passive Obedience to the Divine Will but in the supreamly partaken of heavenly Creature-life of his Root and Love thereto to join therewith in Active Obedience to the Divine Will for carrying on the said Death-work on himself The like did he in our mortal Nature when in the Fulness of God's appointed time taken by him in the Fountain-purity thereof above and beyond what it was in the first Adam before his Fall He was therein also full of Grace and Truth John 1. 14. full of the Holy Ghost Luke 4.1 He was Son of Man in Heaven in full Possession of the eternal Life of his Creature-root without any mortal Life about him at same time that he was Son of Man on Earth in our mortal Nature Iohn 3. 13. and long before All in Christ's Person below his infinite Divinity and Creature-root is call'd Man His whole Creature-nature Root and Branch in personal Union is the heavenly Creature-spirit or Holy Ghost render'd communicable to Angels and Men by the exalted Creature-Son and Branch This Creature-Son was one of the three Men that did eat of Abram's Meat else would not have own'd his worshipping him in Prayer for Sodom when the other two created Angels were gone towards it to destroy it and deliver Lot c. The two good Angels are also call'd Men Gen. 18. 1-8 and v. 22-33 Satan also with his evil Angels are Men of Sin 2 Thess. 2. 3. Christ was active in carrying on the Death-work upon himself as First-born of every Creature and so was he in his second Sacrifice by carrying on the Death of our whole mortal Nature in him Spirit Soul and Body By the Holy Ghost or heavenly Creature-spirit in him did he crucify the Spirit of our Nature in himself Luke 12. 49 50. He was also a voluntary Giver up of his Body into the Hands of Men under Devils to put a full Period to all that was mortal about him Iohn 10. 17 18. He laid down the Life of our whole mortal Nature and took it up again in the originally incorruptible immortal eternal Creature-life of his Root above all Deaths or Enemies And by his communicated heavenly Creature-spirit or Holy Ghost in Saints will he enable them to be active in carrying on the like Death-work on the Spirit of Nature at best in themselves and freely also to give up their bodily Life into the Hands of evil Angels and Men God's and their Enemies where God so permits and orders for the witnessing his Gospel-Truths The Record Witness or Products of the first and second of the Divine Three Father and Word in the Creature-part of the Mediator's Person as brought into inseparable Union by the Third bears the Name of the peculiar Divine Causer Holy Ghost All these things were transacted and done by and within God himself before any meer Creatures Angels or Men were brought forth The Three in the Divine Nature with their Record in Heaven the Divine Form are one and the same Three as bearing Witness in Earth the Creature-part of the Mediator agree in one The one Divine Mind is declar'd and done in and by both and all 1 Iohn 5.7,8 By what was done of the Divine Three by their distinct Products and Operations in the Creature-part of the Mediator will they let down themselves to the Sight and Enjoyment of blessed Angels and Saints for evermore The Divine is not the Creature-nature in Christ nor in his whole Creature-nature is the Creature-root the exalted Branch And his whole Divine and Creature-Person is most intimately one with the Divine Essence or Father the Head of all in him 1 Cor. 11. 3. All are one incomprehensible God Iohn 10. 30. The exalted Branch in Christ is the immediate Head of his true Gospel-Church The Creature-root in him Head of that his Divine Form Head of his whole Creature-nature Root and Branch the Divine Essence or Father Head to his whole Divine and Creature-person yet remains uncompounded with Creature-nature as the Divine Form or Son is Gal. 3. 20. 1 Tim. 2. 5. After all this account of Superiorities and Inferiorities in all that 's truly call'd God the lowest Creature-part in the Mediator the exalted Branch or living Word of God thinks or infallibly knows that 't is no Robbery or unwarrantable Presumption in him to reckon himself equal with God as in personal Union with his Creature-root and infinite Divine Nature Phil. 2.6 These are strange seeming Contradictions to Man's Wisdom which is Foolishness to God's and to be destroy'd Isa. 29. 14. in all self-confident Disputers of this World 1 Cor. 1. 19 20. CHAP. IV. The infallible Consequents of the said preparatory Condescensions of God within himself in pursuance and for the accomplishing of his abovesaid twofold Purposes in the twofold Creation of Angels and Men. 1. THUS were the Works determin'd of God to be set up in Angels and Men by a first Creation of them finish'd Heb. 4. 3. to his well-pleasing by the right Use of the mortal earthly First-Covenant Law-life of the Creature in order to receive the Heavenly-Creature New-Covenant Gospel-Life of the Creator Finish'd they were by the Mediator himself as the Lamb slain in the Fountain-purity of the first and ascended into the originally unchangeable Gospel-life of the second Rev. 13.8 All this was done within God himself by the Mediator as the Lamb slain from or in the Foundation of both Worlds natural and spiritual this World and the World to come laid in himself the Creator of both All receiv'd by Angels or Men in their first Creation or restor'd in Men by the Redeemer since their Fall in Adam is with the fallible Understanding and corruptible Will thereof their discerning and desiring Powers their own Righteousness Wisdom Glories natural Excellencies and Perfections therein to be given up in Sacrifice to the Will of God by Passive Obedience This is the only possible Means and Way for their being transform'd and exalted into
cause them to be so accounted also against Heathen Cesars and others of his Party under him Christ himself was condemn'd and murder'd on this Pretence Iohn 19. 12 15. Saints can discover him when sitting in the Temple of God shewing himself that he is God 2 Thess. 2. 4. to be the worst of all Creatures the Man of Sin and Son of Perdition ver 3. Will he quietly bear this Discovery will he not by his humane Instruments shew his utmost Rage against them and God permits But be it as it will the Sum of all true Gospel-teaching is a declaring the Mystery of Godliness for the Salvation of Men and preventing their Damnation and a discovering Satan's Mystery of Iniquity for the Damnation of Men and preventing their Salvation So only can Saints with Paul become free from the Blood of all Men Acts 20. 26. Ezek. 33. 7-9 as having no Share in that Guilt by which they bring that Blood upon their own Heads which will be found to amount unto no less than eternal Death to their whole Beings Spirit Soul and Body in a Resurrection of Damnation The experimental Knowers of the Mystery and Power of Godliness and faithful Discoverers of the Mystery of Iniquity will have a Resurrection of Life John 5. 29. above all Deaths temporal or eternal CHAP. IX The first Sin Fall and Punishment of many evil Angels and of all Mankind in Adam EVIL Mankind in Adam joyn'd with evil Angel-kind in Satan through a mutual Union of Love to themselves and one another electing or chusing for themselves their own earthly mortal First covenant Law-life of the Creature given by a First-creation in preference and opposition to the heavenly immortal Second-covenant Gospel-life of the Creator offer'd them by a second or new Creation The evil Angels herein did at first commit the unpardonable Sin against the Holy Ghost under the immediate Beamings forth of Christ's heavenly Creature-Gospel spirit the Son of everlasting Righteousness upon their highest single intuitive natural Understandings Secondly They had no superiour Rank of Creatures in the First-creation already fallen above them in Subtlety and Power to tempt them Thirdly They were all actually created and set up in their compleated personal Beings and Life at first Mankind receive their personal Beings successively Generation after Generation Fourthly Mankind's first Sin in Adam was not against such clear Knowledg of their own unspeakable Concern as well as Duty to God though in the same kind of First-covenant Law-life with Angels The inferiour Ingredients into Man's personal Constitution bodily Sensual-life tho created pure and incorrupt rendred his intuitive Discerning inferiour to that of Angels where 't was single and alone Hence what was immediately and more convincingly made known to Angels was represented to Adam by a figurative Tree of Life and himself in distinction from that by the Tree of Good and Evil. The former represented Christ to him in that heavenly Creature-life offer'd by a new Creation the latter represented himself to himself as but a mystical Tree of Good and Evil in his own Life given in his first Creation corruptible and changeable mortal and perishable with all the earthly things therein Will Understanding Righteousness Wisdom c. with all Works or Fruits ever possible to be done or brought forth therein By and under the superiour Subtlety and Power of the Devil the mystical Old Serpent was Adam in the primitive Purity of his whole Being and Mankind in him as their Head and Representative induc'd perswaded and deceiv'd so as to prefer Satan's self-pleasing Lie to God's Spirit of Grace and Truth So under and with the Serpent he chose his own earthly Life of the Creature in preference to God's own heavenly Creature-life of the Creator Many of Mankind when restor'd out of the Darkness and Death of their own Spirits into the Light Life and Righteousness of Man do sin again in their own Persons after the Similitude of Adam's first Transgression who at best in Innocency was but a Figure of the Second Adam who was to come in the Fountain-purity of our Nature and also full of the Holy Ghost Luke 4. 1. Iohn 1. 14. his heavenly Creature-spirit of Grace and Truth Rom. 5. 14. This Sin again in their own Persons after all sad Experience of fallen Mankind thereby in Adam and all Warnings and Counsels of God since is unrepentable by them Heb. 6. 4 6. and unpardonable by God Heb. 10. 26 27. This is the Case of any that conclusively and absolutely prefer their own restor'd earthly Life of the Creature and Righteousness of Man to the heavenly Creature-life of the Creator and everlasting Righteousness of God therein All that will not receive and have the heavenly Creature-life of God by submitting to the Death of restor'd Nature at best the Loss of all their own Life and things therein God will take away the said Life from them again and lay them down for ever under his unquenchable Wrath in eternal Death Luke 8. 18. This is that Christ says Mat. 16.25 Whosoever will save his Life shall lose it and whosoever will hate and lose his own Life for my Sake from Love to my heavenly Creature-life shall find it with unspeakable Gain as chang'd by Death and Resurrection into an eternal Life Satan was at it with Christ himself Matth. 4. 8 9. to stay and set up with and under him as a State of true Happiness in the mortal Life of our Nature and by his Apostle Peter was at the same Point to pity and spare himself there saying be the Death thereof far from thee this shall not be unto thee Christ discover'd and declar'd this Word of Peter to be Satan's Counsel in and by him Mat. 16. 21-23 As the first Sin of Angels was differing from Man's first Sin so was the Punishment The Punishment of evil Angels was the giving them their own evil Choice their own self-chosen earthly Life receiv'd in their First-creation with all the things thereof their own Wisdom Righteousness Subtlety and Power all natural Excellencies and Perfections therein as by them abus'd turn'd into and us'd in unchangeable Enmity to God and his heavenly Creature spirit of eternal Life God also permitted to them the Exercise of a ruling Power over sallen Mankind all along this World by which Satan carries on the same delusive Work as on Adam at first that the Life given in the First-creation is eternal no need of a second nor therefore of the Death of the first Ye shall not die Gen. 3. 3. This is Satan's uniform Lie all along this World that the Life given in the First-creation is eternal You must die or never live and reign with me in my heavenly Creature-life which is eternal This is Christ's Truth his faithful Saying 2 Tim. 2. 11 12. There 's nothing more pleasing to Man's Will in the restor'd earthly Life of the First Adam than Satan's Lie and nothing so universally contrary to it as God's Truth that
Man therein Iohn 14. 26. This better Comforter he told them would teach them all things divine and spiritual and so bring to their Remembrance all that he had hitherto spoken to them in Parables earthly Figures and Similitudes in which the mystical divine and spiritual Truths lay hid from them as well as others The good Angels also rejoic'd at the Birth of Jesus on the behalf of Mankind in general and of Saints in special as the means for recovering all out of the Darkness and Death into which brought by their first Sin and Punishment thereof Gen. 2. 17. Iohn 1. 9. The World was made by him yet when he came into the World none in their worldly Life of the Creature at best either knew receiv'd or own'd him Iohn 1.10 The righteous First-Covenant professing Jews in Union of mind with evil Angels were the most signally enrag'd Contradicters Blasphemers and Murderers of him for his Gospel-Doctrine of Salvation Acts 3 13-15 The exalted Son and Branch was the immediate Former of himself in the Womb of the Virgin the Son of God on Earth remaining still what he was in the Beginning the Son of Man in Heaven John 3. 13. Evil Angels and Men were God's permissive Hand under his infinite over-ruling Wisdom and Power to finish the Death-work on all that was mortal about him in our Nature and so oft on Saints to their greatest Good and Enemies greatest hurt Hereby do they compleat Saints Conformity to Christ's Death freeing them from all that 's mortal about them while in the Body Isa. 57. 1 2. The Iews would have made Christ a King if he would have own'd his Kingdom in that mortal First-covenant Law-life they saw him in Iohn 6. 15. But witnessing his Kingdom not to be in that worldly Law-life but in his Gospel-life of Grace and Truth Iohn 18. 36 37. they murder'd him and so compleated the Death of him as to that mortal Law-life wherein they would have made him their King They chose rather to be Subjects to a Heathen King than such a King as he own'd himself to be Iohn 19. 12 15. who would have made him such a King as would have render'd them Traitors and Enemies to Cesar. Here 's the confounded Doings of Man at best in his own worldly Spirit and Life Some Corinthians Laodiceans and other Professors in but the First-covenant-life and Righteousness of Man all along since are of the same mind with them 1 Cor. 4. 8. Rev. 3. 17. The God of this World offer'd Christ a far larger Bribe than the Jews did all the Kingdoms of this World visible and invisible under him all worldly Power Human and Angelical in Case he would own his Kingdom to be in this First-creation Worldly-life Mat. 4. 8 9. Whoever are finally taken with his worldly Bribes the literal or mystical Riches of this First-creation World do fall down and worship him as God And by such Loyal Subjects of him does he murder true Saints that refuse so to do as they did Christ himself True Heaven-born Sons of God have the whole self-confident legal-spirited Generation of Professsors on the same Account universally in all times against them They mortally and irreconcileably hate them for owning the Death-work of Christ's Gospel-spirit of Grace on that Law-spirit of Works they confidently trust in for entring into the Kingdom of God Such become the highest Rank of Satan's Subjects and most serviceable Instruments for maintaining the Credit of his worldly Kingdom as the only true Blessedness to any God's Thoughts and Ways for true Salvation are not as Man 's and when he has declar'd his Ways in his holy Oracles let Man's highest Wisdom undertake the interpreting them all shall run on Satan's Side God's Thoughts therein remaining fast seal'd and lock'd up from Man's best Understanding in but a restor'd First-covenant Life Isa. 29. 11. CHAP. XI The Difference of Christ's Death in our Nature as to the intent and Extent thereof from Saints Conformity to him by the Death of Nature in them CHRIST's condescending to take our Nature and therein by the Grace of God to taste Death for every Man Heb. 2. 9. was in reference to the pardonable Sins of Mankind in Adam and also in their own Persons This was God's appointed Way for the redeeming and recovering them out of their fallen State wherein born dead in Trespasses and Sins Ephes. 2. 1. Col. 2. 13. into the Light and also Life receiv'd by them in their First-creation All may receive this general Redemption-Mercy the Common-Salvation-Work of Christ as a Fruit of his meritorious Sufferings and Death in our Nature if they will But as to the special eternal Salvation of the Elect in his new and everlasting Covenant Gospel-life this is not of him that willeth or runneth in the most fruitful Exercise of his own restor'd First-covenant Law-life but of God's Free-Grace Mercy which he will effectually and infallibly shew to whom he pleases only The ceasing from their own Life Will and Understanding is the only appointed Way for their receiving this special eternal Salvation-life of God Iude with others writ of both these distinct Salvations common and special temporal and eternal And when he had with all Diligence inform'd them of the former he found it needful to exhort them to contena earnestly in Prayer to God for a living spiritual Faith working by Love to him in the latter in which only true Saintship and Salvation ever could or will be found by any Man Iude v. 3. Thus is Christ the Saviour of all Men with a common or general Salvation but of them that believe in his Gospel-life and place all their Hopes of Salvation in that with a special 1 Tim. 4. 10. They trust in the living God that living Word of God which is God John 1.1 Those that wax confident in the common Salvation the restor'd Life and Righteousness of Man do trust in that Life for Entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven which Christ crucified in the Fountain-purity of it in himself God will not only that all Men should be saved with the common Salvation but has rendred them capable also of receiving the Knowledg of the Truth 1 Tim. 2. 4. his Gospel-spirit of Grace and Truth by the convincing Discoveries thereof to their natural Understandings But after all this are they liable to apostatize fall away and finally refuse so great Salvation as is thereby offer'd them and perish for ever Heb. 6. 4-6 The submitting in Passive Obedience to the Death and Loss of all receiv'd from Christ in the Common-Salvation-Benefit of his Death rendring them but holy Flesh is absolutely necessary to their finding the special eternal Salvation-life of his holy Gospel-spirit the Holy Ghost Otherwise after all receiv'd in the Common-Salvation they 'l find everlasting Destruction Conformity to Christ's Death by the Death of Nature at best in us is the appointed way to reign with him in the Life he is ascended into out of the Death thereof
the originally unchangeable never-sinning Creature-life of God in the Mediator the only Life or Principle of everlasting Active Obedience to God and Blessedness to Man All true thorow-Followers of the Lamb slain in the narrow unpleasing Way to Nature at best will find all their own Life and Things with unspeakable Gain in an infallible all-discerning spiritual Understanding and incorruptible Will by personal Union with Christ in his heavenly Creature-spirit of true Holiness and eternal Life And so will they find themselves in unchangeable Harmony with and Obedience to the infinite Divine Will This is the glorious Liberty of the Sons of God in which they that are born of God by the new-creating Workmanship of Christ passing upon them to the Death of their natural Spirit and Resurrection into his spiritual Life come to be Heirs and Coheirs under and with Christ of God Rom. 8. 17. 2. Thus became the exalted Creature-Son and Branch in the Mediator of the First-born of every Creature in the Fountain-purity of a mortal earthly Life the First-born from the Dead Col. 1. 15 18. in the originally immortal Creature-life of his Root and Father So became he the living Word of God the Book of Life of the Lamb slain and exalted in which were written by the super-wonderful mysterious Way of Divine Writing or Engraving the Names of all God's Elect predestinated to be conform'd to Christ their Head in a like Passive Obedience to the Divine Will by the Death of their natural Spirit or living Soul of the First Adam and Resurrection into the quickning Spirit of the Second the Life of their Creator Rom. 8. 29. 6. 3-6 Whoever do finally refuse to die with him and lose all their own mortal earthly Life and Things receiv'd in their first Creation or restor'd since with all Works or Fruits done or brought forth by them therein will never attain that heavenly eternal Creature-life of their Creator in which to live and reign with him 2 Tim. 2. 11 12. True Followers of the slain Lamb of God will be enabled to say with him I was dead in my own mortal earthly Law-spirit of Works and am alive in his Gospel-spirit of Grace and Truth for evermore Rev. 1. 18. All that establish themselves in their own Law-spirit of Works and Righteousness of Man will be found unchangeable Enemies of God's Righteousness in his heavenly Gospel-spirit and so in unchangeable Union with the God of this World the Devil Such mystical Sodomites in Filth of Spirit Enmity to God and his Gospel-spirit of Grace will have worse of it for ever under the Wrath of God than common Sinners in Filth of Flesh wallowing in the miry Filths and Brutalities of literal Sodom Mat. 11. 23 24. 3. Thus became the exalted Branch in the Mediator the ready prepar'd immediate Hand and living Word of God for performing his whole Divine Mind and twofold Purposes thereof in the twofold Creation of Angels and Men and for the dealing with them both and all as hating their own Life given them in their first Creation in love to his own offer'd them by a Second or as from love to their own in the first unchangeably hating his own offer'd by a second in Union with the Devil The said exalted Son and Branch did bring forth Angels and Men out of their radical Existencies in himself into their personal Subsistencies and Individuations in themselves This was their first Creation in the same kind of mortal earthly First-Covenant Law-life himself had first taken in the supream Fountain-purity thereof as First-born of every Creature therein and rightly us'd in order to the second in which he became the First-born from the Dead in a Life above all Deaths temporal or eternal Thus was it true in the immediate Creator as well as in meer Creatures Angels and Men First that which is natural and afterward that which is spiritual 1 Cor. 15. 46. Unchangeable Love to our selves in our own Life receiv'd in our first Creation is the unpardonable Sin against the Holy Ghost or heavenly Creature-spirit of Christ and Life thereof offer'd by a second 4. The exalted Creature-Son or living Word of God his prepar'd and fitted immediate Hand for the twofold Creation of Angels and Men was also his ready prepar'd infallible Mouth Wisdom and Word to declare to them as soon as made his whole Counsel Will and Command for the right Use of their natural Beings and Life given them in their first Creation in order to a second and that as their unspeakable Concern as well as Duty for finding the Salvation of Heaven or scaping the Damnation of Hell Final refusing the Loss of all their own in the first for his own by a second will be everlasting Destruction to all that so do 5. Christ as exalted Creature-Son and Branch became the ready prepar'd immediate sacrificing High-Priest of God after the Order and in the Power of the Original Melchisedec Heb. 5.6,10 6.20 7. 17. his Creature-root and Father who first perform'd the sacrificing Death-work upon himself when in the Fountain-purity of all mortal First-creation Life Thus is the immediate Creator of Angels and Men by a first Creation the immediate High-Priest of God to perform the like sacrificing Death-work on them therein as his Creature-Father had before perform'd upon himself This exalted Son and Branch was the Melchisedec Priest of the most high God that met Abram returning from the Slaughter of the four Kings and bless'd him Gen. 14. 18 19. Heb. 7. 1. He was also one of the three Men Abram pray'd to and worshipp'd as God Gen. 18. which no good Angels would ever own Rev. 19.10 22.9 The Devil and his proud self-exalting evil Angels own themselves as Gods in the uncontroll'd Soveraignty of their own Wills above and against all that is truly called God and to be worshipp'd requiring Divine Worship to be paid them Isa. 14 12-14 2 Thess. 2. 3 4. Yea Satan most presumptuously attempted to bring the Lord himself to own fall down and worship him as the true God whom he knew to be the true Lord and God Mark 1. 24. he and all Angels and Men ought to worship Mat. 4. 8-10 Christ own'd the wise Mens worshipping him when born in our Nature Mat. 2. 1 11. and after others worshipping him Mat. 8.2 9.18 with eight other Scriptures in the four Evangelists 6. And lastly Christ as exalted Branch was in the fully partaken of Life of his Creature-root the ready prepar'd infallible Example and unerrable Pattern for Angels and Men to follow by the like Death of Nature in them at best in order to a happy Resurrection into the spiritual everlasting righteous Life of their Creator All that finally refuse a Submission in Passive Obedience to this Change will perish for ever For this Change as their Duty and unspeakable Concern did he represent himself in such Transactions as had pass'd in the Creature-part of his Person to all the Angels
2. The Three in the Divine Essence or Father singly and abstractedly consider'd will be absolutely invisible to Saints and Angels in Heaven to all Eternity And the Divine Form Son or Glory thereof in Christ's Person will never be the immediate Object of their Sight but be let down to them in the first Conjunction thereof with his Creature-root through the exalted Creature-Son and Branch in him the immediate Creator of all This is the Branch God made strong for himself Psal. 80. 15. to perform his whole Divine Mind in both Creations in this World and the eternal World to come This is the Branch that shall reign on Earth execute Iudgment and Iustice therein as the Lord our Righteousness Jer. 23. 5 6. 33. 15 16. By and through this exalted Branch the immediate Do-all in both Creations will the same Three in the Divine Essence that shin'd forth in the Divine Form from Eternity let down themselves to blessed Angels and Saints to Eternity All the Three in the Divine Essence and heavenly Creature-Glories are one Trinity and that Trinity one individual God Iohn 10. 20. The Three that are One in the Divine Nature are the immediate Object to the Sight and Enjoyment of the whole Creature-nature in Christ Root and exalted Branch that 's in personal Union therewith but never so to any meer Creatures blessed Saints or Angels 1 Tim. 6. 15 16. Iohn 1. 18. Mat. 11. 27. They are personally united with the exalted Branch in him as Members of his mystical spiritual Body to which he is Head But never so to his Creature-root and much less yet to his Divine Nature The Three in the Divine Nature shining forth to meer spiritual Creatures by and through the exalted Branch are no where in Scripture call'd a Trinity nor said to be three Persons If they be three Persons as three distinct individual Angels or Men in Angelical or humane Nature are would they not be three distinct individual Gods would not this be the asserting a Tritheism the lesser sort of Polytheism If they be call'd three Persons it must be as acknowledg'd in a Unity transcendently above meer Creatures who are so in one specifical humane or angelical Nature The three in God are three in one individual Divine Nature shining forth to Saints and Angels in the Mediator's one individual Creature-nature which in and with his Divine Nature is with his Divine Father or Essence one individual God In this Sense if any may they be call'd three Persons But the acknowledging three distinct Powers in God may justly secure any from the Imputation of Antitrinitarianism They are so three that the first is not the second nor second the third The Divine Form in Christ is not the Divine Essence nor his Creature-nature his Divine nor his Creature-root the Branch in him but all one individual incomprehensible God Iohn 10. 30. He that says knows and owns God the Father and his Divine and Creature-Son says all that God is or is God Man in the fallible Understanding and corruptible Will of his First-creation Life can never truly see rightly know and do the one Will of both All therefore that trust to their own Understanding deny both the Divine Father and the divine and heavenly Creature-Son Whosoever denies the Divine and Creature Son hath not the Father But he that rightly acknowledges the Son hath the Father also 1 John 2.22 23. Antichristian Deniers of both pass in reputed Orthodox Man's Day of Judging under Satan God of this World as the only true Christians excommunicating or casting out of their worldly Churches the true Owners of both as the arrantest Hereticks and Blasphemers in the World God the Son or Mediator in the Divine and Creature-glories of the Divine Essence or Father is call'd a Person 2 Cor. 2. 10. In his Creature-part he is call'd the Brightness of the Divine Glory in himself and therein the express Creature Image of God's whole Divine Person Essence and Form Heb. 1. 3. The Creature-root in the Mediator is God's Soul not immediately discernable to the highest spiritual Understanding of meer Creatures but in its first Conjunction with Divine Nature is let down to their Sight and Enjoyment in and by the exalted Creature-Son and Branch as God's Body or Visibility of all to them Of the Creature-root God's Soul himself says in reference to the unpardonably sinning Shepherds or pretending Teachers of the Way to Heaven and Peace with God in but the restor'd Life and Righteousness of Man my Soul loath'd them and their Soul also abhorred me Zech. 11. 8. Every individual Man in the three essential Ingredients into his personal Constitution Spirit Soul and Body 1 Thess. 5. 23. is a shadowy Image of the three in one God and of the Divine Spirit Creature-root or Soul and Creature-body or Branch in Christ's wonderful compounded Person Man in another Sense was in the primitive Purity of his whole Being a shadowy Image of God's Righteousness This was lost to all Mankind by their first Sin in and with Adam The Reason therefore of the threaten'd Death on Murderers that whosoever sheds Man's Blood by Man shall his Blood be shed for in the Image of God made he Man Gen. 9. 6. relates to Man's being the Image of God in the former Sense Gen. 1. 26 27. The Image of him in the latter being wholly lost the Murderers of him in reference to that might seem unaccountable The Spirit of Man singly and abstractedly consider'd may seem a dark Shadow of the very Divine Essence as comprehending in it a threefold distinct Life rational sensual and vegetable but all three invisible and unexercis'd till brought into hypostatical or personal Union with its fitly organiz'd Body And all the said three Lives when brought into Exercise are called a living Soul in distinction from the Spirit separately consider'd and from the Body that 's the personal Appearance or Visibility of the whole Man And in both and all the Man is but one Person CHAP. VII The Mystery of God in general of all that is truly called God and to be worship'd and in particular of God the Father or Divine Essence and of Christ the Divine and Creature-Son Col. 2. 2. both and all one incomprehensible God John 10. 30. IN general all are one individual God In particular the Divine Form or Son though most intimately one with the Divine Essence or Father in the one infinite Divine Nature became personally united with the Creature-form of God the Divine Essence or Father remaining ever single and uncompounded therewith Gal. 3. 20. A Mediator is not of one Nature but God in his Divine Essence is one God the Mediator as consisting of two Natures Divine and Creaturely in personal Union is fitted to mediate between infinite Divinity and finite Creaturality in blessed Angels and Saints for ever 1 Tim. 2. 5. The Divine and Creature-Son will remain a Mediator for ever in Heaven between infinite Divinity and elect Angels and
Saints till the spiritual Seed of true Saintship be waken'd up in them may be for a time under the same delusive Power of Satan with others Paul till then was a fierce self-confident Enemy to Gospel-Saints and Truths in the Law-righteousness of Man under Satan's Mystery of Iniquity Phil. 3.6 All reading of the Scriptures or hearing them expounded by Men in Law-righteousness however eminent in their own Understandings will never deliver from being captivated by Satan's Mystery of Iniquity All Scripture is a Book seal'd Isa. 29. 11. Let Man in but his own Understanding search the Scriptures he will not come to Christ the living Word and Book of God for that Life in which alone 't is possible to understand receive and own the mystical Truth of all Such Interpreters with their self-confident Hearers should they be at this Work longer than Methuselah liv'd they 'd still be wholly to seek as when they began as to that eternal Life and things of God in which 't is possible to enter into his Kingdom or scape the Damnation of Hell Awaken'd Saints in their new spiritual infallible all-discerning Understanding are enabled to see and declare not only the heavenly Creature-life and things of God therein but to pry and search into the deep things of the infinite Divinity in Christ's Person 1 Cor. 2. 9 10. to understand all things v. 15. the divine and spiritual things of God and what the natural things of Man given him in his first Creation amount unto The becoming a little Child as to the Life Wisdom Will and Understanding of Man in order to a receiving the heavenly spiritual eternal Creature-life and Things of God his Wisdom his everlasting Righteousness true Holiness a new infallible Understanding for knowing all things and a new incorruptible Will for doing all things well in God's Sight this Christ makes absolutely necessary to our ever entrin into his Kingdom Mat. 18. 3. and Luke 18. 17. Paul an eminent self-confident Pharisee in the Law-righteousness of Man and a fierce Persecutor of Gospel-Saints was doubtless of high esteem with those that in his Law-principle were wise strong and honourable But when a Gospel-Saint he became as a little Child a Fool weak and despicable in the Judgment of those who were wise strong and honourable in restor'd Law-life and First-covenant Attainments from Christ Phil. 3. 6-11 1 Cor. 4. 10. When a Gospel-Saint he renounc'd the Knowledg of Christ himself after the Flesh to be married to him in that Spirit into which risen out of the Death of our Nature in himself 2 Cor. 5. 16. Rom. 7. 4. He had now a Life and Things as far above all given Angels and Men in their first Creation as the Heavens are higher than the Earth This Life hid with Christ in God from Man's highest Understanding and all Man regards given up in Sacrifice to God what Esteem could he find with Men This has been the Case of true Saints Prophets and Apostles and of Christ himself all along this World from Abel to this Day Matth. 23. 34 35. While any are confident in Satan's Mystery of Iniquity preferring the Law-life of the Creature and Righteousness of Man to the Gospel-life of the Creator and everlasting Righteousness of God therein such are the greatest Haters of true Saints and were the Murderers of Christ himself when Pilate a Heathen Judg would have releas'd him as finding no Fault in him John 18. 38. 19. 4 6. Christ warns his true Followers to expect the like Usage from such Iohn 15. 18-20 16. 1 2. Saints fix'd in Union of Mind with God become the most hateful to all fix'd in the Law-righteousness of Man in unchangeable Union with the Devil In the Form of Godliness and Righteousness of Man they deny the Power of Godliness and Righteousness of God as a diabolical Fiction 2 Tim. 3.5 Such said of Christ himself he had a Devil and was mad Here 's the demeanour of any fix'd in Satan's Mystery of Iniquity to such as experience and declare the Mystery of Godliness Hence are God's true New Ierusalem-Saints a Contempt all along this World under Satan's Reign But when Christ shall appear the second time in his all-powerful all-discovering Gospel-light and enter upon his Reign on Earth they 'l be a Praise in the Earth For this therefore all Gospel-Saints and Angels continually pray and keep not silence Isa. 62. 6 7. Man's Wisdom denies true Godliness to be any Mystery at all which God's Wisdom declares without Controversy and beyond all dispute or question to be a great Mystery 1 Tim. 3.16 The Scriptures and Mind of God therein as to the eternal Concerns of Men are easy to be understood says Man impossible to be understood says God by Man's highest Understanding in the Light Wisdom and Righteousness of Man 1 Cor. 2. 9 14. Isa. 29. 11. God here says what learned Man should say in his highest Wisdom 'T is not in Man to make one right Step towards eternal Life in his own best natural Understanding Reason or Wisdom Ier. 10. 23. 'T is says Man's Wisdom and warrants final Peace with God therein Ezek. 13. 1-10 where there 's no such Peace Boldly and confidently does Man's lying Spirit of Divination in Satan's Gospel-Divines say this and warrant their Hearers they 'l confirm their Word v. 6. Man may know God's infinite Divine Power by the things that are made in the First-creation but sees neither his Divine Nature and things thereof nor any of his hidden spiritual eternal Creature-things prepar'd to be given by a new or second Creation Rom. 1. 20. 1 Cor. 2. 9. All Mankind are capable of and may receive the common Salvation as a Fruit of Christ's Death in our Nature and convincing Discoveries of his Truth or Gospel-life if they will 1 Tim. 2. 4. But as to special Salvation or eternal Gospel-life this is not of him that willeth but of God who will shew such Mercy to whom he will Rom. 9. 15 16. Many in all possible Attainments in the former will perish for ever Satan attempted to bring Christ himself to be a Member of his Church or Synagogue and worship him as God in his Mystery of Iniquity Mat. 4. 8 9. where are we till infallibly experiencing his Gospel-life and therein the Mystery of Godliness All along this World under God's most wise Permission Satan and his Gospel-Ministers transform'd into the Likeness of Christ and his carry all before them 2 Cor. 11. 13-15 All in but their own Spirit and worldly Life at best wonder and run after them Revel 13. 3 4. worshipping the Dragon and under and with him opening their Mouth in Blasphemy against God and his Creature-name that 's his heavenly Tabernacle and them that dwell therein v. 5,6 And it is given to him and his Party amongst Men to make War with Saints and overcome them ver 7. They are condemn'd as Traitors discovering his Counsels in the Mystery of Iniquity and he will
in himself Rom. 6. 5. 2 Tim. 2. 11 12. Nor Devil nor Jews could prevail with him to own his Kingdom in the Fountain-purity of his worldly Law-life but in that Gospel-spirit of eternal Life he was to ascend into out of the Death thereof Paul when a Gospel-Saint would no longer know or own Christ himself after the Flesh in but the restor'd fleshly First-covenant Law-life and Righteousness of Man but in his holy Gospel-spirit and Righteousness of God therein 2 Cor. 5. 16. As married to him therein only is it ever possible for any to bring forth Fruit unto God Rom. 7. 4. All fix'd by Satan and themselves in the Common-Salvation become the most irreconcileable Enemies to those in the special Those that own but the Form of Godliness Righteousness of Man in the Common-Salvation as a State of true Happiness and finally deny the Power of Godliness in Christ's Gospel-life they are mystical Infidels after all such temporary Faith in Christ by which they have receiv'd their own Life again from him the most criminal Sinners spiritual Sodom Egypt and Babylon such as crucified our Lord Revel 11. 8. and have been the Murderers of true Saints all along this World from Abel downwards and will so be to the ending thereof and reckon they do God Service therein John 16. 2. Literal Infidels vastly out-number these mystical Ones not believing in Christ at all so as to receive the Common-Salvation-Life and Righteousness of Man from him What a World of such is there now in this World Mahumetans other Pagans and Infidels and amongst all Varieties of such as are call'd Christians innumerable even of them not living in the Principle of rational Light that many meer Heathens walk in Obedience to What final eternal Benefit are all these like to find from the meritorious Sufferings and Death of Christ in our Nature Saints Conformity to Christ's Death as true Followers of him in the narrow unpleasing Way to Nature through the Strait Gate of Entrance into his eternal Gospel-life relates not at all to the peculiar Benefits of Christ's Death in our Nature for Mankind in general or Saints in special But 't is their unspeakable Advantage to follow him into the said Death by the Death of Nature at best or in whatever Condition as the only Way to find the Salvation of Heaven or scape the Damnation of Heâ—l The restor'd righteous Life of Man in his own Spirit of Works put him afresh upon his own personal Trial for the Right Use thereof as was the Case of Adam at first If from Self-love he finally chuse this in preference to the Gospel-life and Righteousness of God therein he sins again in his own Person after the Similitude of Adam's pardonable Transgression Rom. 5. 14. unpardonably and unrepentably Heb. 6. 4 6. 10. 26 27. Filth of Spirit Enmity to God's Divine and Creature-Holy-Ghost or Spirit lurking under all Righteousness of Man's holy Flesh will to all unchangeably fix'd therein be eternal Death The Surrender and Loss of the Life of our own Spirits at best and our own fallible Understandings and corruptible Wills therein is the only Way to arrive at the happy Experience of an infallible Understanding and an incorruptible Will in God's heavenly Creature-life the only Principle of everlasting well-pleasing active Obedience to him and Blessedness to us A ceasing from the best Works and fasting from the best Fruits performable or producible by us in our own Spirit Will and Way to live in God's Sabbath-Spirit of true Rest to us in him and him in us and Delight only in such incorruptible Fruits as can be brought forth by us in his Spirit only this is such a Fast and such a Sabbath as he has chosen Isa. 58. 5 13. And this will all whom he has chosen be brought unto by his infinite Free-Grace-Mercy All outward bodily Fastings and Sabbath-keepings never accompanied with this inward mystical Truth of all were an Abomination to God when his own literal figurative Appointments and Ordinances to the Jews Isa. 1. 10-15 66. 3. Gospel-life is the Wine of Christ's Kingdom which Saints with Christ can daink of only in his Kingdom-spirit as therein new Creatures Mark 14. 25. This was figur'd in Iotham's Parable cheering God and Man Judg. 9. 13. answering all Man can rightly desire of God and enabling him to answer all God requires of him No such true New Ierusalem-Saints shall ever have occasion to say we are sick Isa. 33.24 or need any thing and to say we fear no Danger of Repenting or Change from a mind of everlasting Obedience to God nor therefore of Condition from a State of unchangeable Blessedness in the Sight and Enjoyment of him in his infinite Divine Favour and Love This gets Man by a change from his own earthly continual sinning Life of Vanity to God's own heavenly never-sinning Gospel-life He will be enabled therein to say with Christ I was dead in my own Spirit and am alive for evermore in his Rev. 1. 18. Our own right Eye Hand and Foot the highest Light best Practice and walking in our own Spirit Understanding and Will must be pluck'd out cut off and cast away or we shall be cast into Hell-fire Mark 9. 43-48 They offend us as rendring the Cross or Death-work of Christ's heavenly Spirit on our earthly offensive and displeasing to us and us therein offensive to God and so standing in our Way to eternal Life so on all Accounts and in every Sense offensive to God and our selves We are to pray that God by his Spirit would do this to and for us pluck out our right Eye c. We ought also by his Spirit in us or a living spiritual Faith working by Love to him to be active in carrying on such Work in Obedience to his Command We are also to rejoice in what God suffers evil Angels or Men to do to us in their implacable Malice as knowing all over-rul'd by him in a constant infallible Conducibleness thereunto So only can we arrive at the happy Experience of an infallible spiritual Understanding for knowing all things and an incorruptible Will for doing all things to God's well-pleasing in the marvellous Light and glorious Liberty of the Sons of God in such a Free-will as is in unchangeable Harmony with the infinite Divine Will the Free-will of the second Adam The Light and Free-will of our own Spirit at best kept up in Opposition to his turns it into the greatest Darkness and Bondage of all Mat. 6. 23. The Will of our Nature in Christ found the full Death thereof so exceeding terrible as to pray saying O my Father if it be possible let this Death cup pass from me But he instantly renounc'd the Request of his natural Will so as in the same Breath to say nevertheless not as I will but as thou wilt thy Will be done Matth. 26. 39 42 44. As to the Sufferings of Nature in Saints as the Will of God for their greatest
Good Christ says to them my Yoke is easy and Burden light Mat. 11. 30. There are none of the said terrifying Ingredients into the Death of Nature in Saints peculiar to the Death of it in Christ himself Nor were they in his first Sacrifice of Nature in general above-spoken to To Saints therefore the Sufferings of the present time are not reckon'd worthy to be compar'd with the Glory which shall be reveal'd in them Rom. 8. 18. which they have the infallible forehand-Sight of by such Beginnings thereof as they already experience in them with Ioy unspeakable and full of Glory 1. Pet. 1. 8. CHAP. XII Regeneration BY true Regeneration Man that was made of God by a First-creation in the mortal earthly Law-life of the Creature is born of God in the immortal heavenly Gospel-life of the Creator the living Creature-word of God which is God Iohn 1. 1-3 As for the Life and Things given Angels and Men in their First-creation those are things which have been but shall not be for ever temporary transient things to be laid aside in order to their receiving God's own heavenly Creature-life by a New-creation To the blessed Submitters to the Terms of receiving this does God look with Regard and Delight as Objects of his everlasting Love Isa. 66. 2. The poor broken contrite Spirit of Man under the Cross or Death-work of the heavenly Creature-spirit of Christ on his earthly in order to be born of his heavenly is of more Value in God's Sight than all the unbroken Excellencies and Perfections of Men and Angels in their First-creation-Make and Life All that by a delusive Confidence in their own earthly Life given them in their First-creation finally despise God's heavenly offer'd by a second do chuse Satan's Lie in Union with him in the first in unchangeable Enmity to God's Truth offer'd by a second They prefer the Form of Godliness in the Life of the Creature to the Power of Godliness in the Life of the Creator 2 Tim. 3.5 2 Thess. 2. 10-12 True Saints are Followers of Christ in the Regeneration Mat. 19. 28. by the Death of their own Spirits at best into his everlasting true Salvation-life above all Deaths So come they to be chang'd from a visible First-covenant People of God in their own holy Flesh Righteousness of Man into an invisible People of God in his Holy Ghost or heavenly Creature-Gospel-spirit and therein have a Life hid with Christ in God Col. 3. 1-4 Their Peace with God therein passes or surmounts all natural Vnderstanding of Man with all the Things of God wherein it consists Man's highest natural Understanding in the First-covenant understands not the Saints spiritual Understanding in the Second nor any of the divine and heavenly Creature-things of God he thereby sees understands or speaks of He therefore reckons all Foolishness 1 Cor. 2. 9 14 15. The Seed of Life put into Angels and Men in their First-creation was corruptible in the second incorruptible This latter is the Life which by the Gospel is preach'd and made known 1 Pet. 1. 23-25 This Saints come to be the happy Experiencers of as the Root Spring and Principle of their Desire Thought and Action By Death of the First-creation and Resurrection into the Second was Christ himself as First-born from the dead qualified to be the immediate Creator of Angels and Men by a First and the giver to them of eternal Life by a Second-creation of them So only can any be Subjects to him in his heavenly Kingdom None that finally refuse to suffer and die with him in the First can ever live and reign with him in the Second 2 Tim. 2. 10 11. By true Regeneration the corruptible Life with the fallible Understanding and corruptible Will of the Creature is chang'd and transform'd into the incorruptible and infallible Life Will and Understanding of the Creator the marvellous Light and glorious Liberty of the Sons of God Awaken'd Saints in the all-discovering Light of the quickning Spirit of the Second Adam see an end all natural Life Wisdom Glories Excellencies and Perfections in the living Soul of the First will come to Psal. 119. 96. No such changeable Life or temporary good Things will be found in the Heaven or Hell-part of the eternal World to come Rev. 18 14-19 There will be nothing then but eternal Life or Death eternal good or evil Things The changeable fallible womanish Spirit of the First Adam at best is the mystical Iezebel or false Prophetess as to Mens eternal Concerns exactly serviceable to Satan's Designs in such Interpretation of the Scriptures of Truth as to preach up with all Confidence his Lie for Salvation to them and their finally deceived Hearers everlasting Destruction All this Iezebel's Children her Thoughts Doctrines Works or Fruits will be kill'd with eternal Death burnt up and destroy'd for ever Rev. 2. 20-23 By the wrong Use of their own Free-will did evil Angels at first set up for themselves in a Shadow of Divine Soveraignty to be as Gods in the uncontroulable Exercise of their own Wills as God is in his infinite Divine Will And they soon drew Mankind in Adam to make the same Choice with them to be as Gods telling them that God knows they shall be so and will own them therein as having made a right Choice for their everlasting Blessedness Gen. 3.5 In pursuance of this first destructive Lie as soon as any of Mankind are restor'd into the Life and Righteousness of Man by the Redeemer Satan is at the same Point with them as at first in Adam and prevails with many such redeem'd ones to strike up an everlasting Covenant with him in the First-creation-life of the Creature in unchangeable Enmity to God and the everlasting Life of their Creator To all such God says what have you to do to take the Words of my new and everlasting Covenant in your Mouth Psal. 50. 16. as pretending to preach my Gospel when Ministers of Satan's other no Gospel in a direct Contrariety to mine Gal. 1.6,7 Saints by true Regeneration as born of God do experience his working all their Works in them by his heavenly Spirit Isa. 26. 12. What a surprizing amazing Answer will all others find at last Day from Christ we find Mat. 7. 21-23 Depart from me ye that work Iniquity CHAP. XIII The Difference of the spiritualiz'd Natural from the spiritual Understanding MAN in the former is said to be a Partaker of the Holy Ghost or heavenly Creature-Gospel-spirit of Christ the living Word of God under highest spiritual enlightning Gifts These are the best Gifts to be coveted or desir'd receivable by and upon Man's natural Understanding but short yet of the more excellent Way or the very spiritual Life and Gospel-Principle of all right Desire Thought and Action Without this call'd Love as rendring any true Lovers and Beloveds of God Fulfillers of the whole Law Mind and Will of God after his own Heart all 's nothing as to eternal Life 1
New-creation The Righteousness and Wisdom of Man are the best sort of things in Nature's First-creation spiritual enlightning Gifts are the best Gifts towards a New-creation receivable by the natural Understanding and yet Man in all these Advantages short of the very Gospel-life of God or a living spiritual Faith therein is nothing has nothing that will give him Entrance into the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 12. 31. 13. 1 2. The best things in Nature are corruptible and if corrupted become the worst of all things The highest Light Wisdom and Righteousness therein establisht in preference to the marvelous Light Wisdom and Righteousness of God offer'd by a New-creation is the greatest Darkness Wickedness and Folly of all Mat. 6.23 Mystical Babylon and Sodom is worse than literal Mat. 11.23,24 The prevailing Power and Danger of Self-love did most signally appear in the first Sin of evil Angels Under the clearest Knowledg of the Will and Command of God that was possible to be given to their supream natural intuitive Understandings for the right use of their natural Beings and Life given them in their First-creation in order to the Second they turn'd away from God's Offer of the latter in Love to themselves in the former This did they in a known Rebellion against God and a known Contrariety to their own unspeakable Concern for finding eternal Life or scaping eternal Death They preferr'd the Life of the Creature in themselves to the Life of the Creator in himself in an unchast adulterous murdering Mind of unchangeable Enmity to their Creator as offer'd to become their Lord Bridegroom and Husband in the Life of that all-powerful Spirit that gave them their own Beings and Life by a First-creation They added to this first unpardonable Sin the drawing all Mankind in Adam to make the same evil Choice for themselves And all along this World when any are restor'd into the Life of the First-creation and brought under high spiritual enlightning Gifts convincing Discoveries and Offers of the heavenly Creature-life of God by a Second evil Angels do attempt and prevail with many under such Advantages to fetch them back again from Christ's offer'd eternal Gospel-life of the Creator in his holy Spirit and set up for themselves in their own holy Flesh or earthly Life and Righteousness of Man Gal. 3. 1 3. 5. 7 8. Balaam and Saul with many others are signal Instances of such Apostacy from Christ under the prevailing Influence of evil Angels The Spirit of the Lord came upon Saul so that he was among the Prophets of God under the enlightning Gifts thereof by which God turn'd him into another Man gave him another Heart to see know and seek after him But he turn'd from God and the Spirit of God departed from him and when his Life was in danger he ask'd Counsel of the Devil in a known Witch what would become of him 1 Sam. 10. 6 9 11. 16. 14. 28. 7. Balaam taken by the Lord for a time out of the Hands of the Devil was forc'd contrary to his own and the Devil 's and Balak's Mind to bless instead of cursing Israel He declares that he heard the Words of God and knew the Most High saw the Visions of the Almighty Numb 24. 16. He pray'd that he might die the Death of the Righteous and that his last End might be like his Numb 23. 10. He tells Balak if he would give him his House full of Silver and Gold he will speak what the Lord says Chap. 24. 13. After all this the Holy Ghost in Peter charges him with loving the Wages of Vnrighteousness 2 Pet. 2. 15. When he found himself disabled to curse Israel he counsell'd the Midianitish Women to go amongst them to allure them to Whoredom and so to cause the Lord to appear against them Numb 31. 16. And listing himself in the Midianites Army was slain with the five Kings of Midian by the Israelites Sword v. 8. None in the restor'd Life of Man and under the enlightning Discoveries and Offers of the Gospel-life of God are out of Satan's reach till born of God Then have they a Life in them which the evil one cannot touch 1 John 5. 18. All restor'd Life and Righteousness of Man renders Men but natural Branches in Christ Servants in the House of God liable to be turn'd out again and cast into unquenchable Fire John 15. 1-6 8. 35. In all restor'd Law-life and Freedom of their own Wills Men are under the Law and under the Curse Gal. 3. 10. in danger of the final condemning Power thereof while destitute of that Gospel-life that 's the only continuing Principle of infallible everlasting well-pleasing Obedience to God This brings with it into Man the glorious Liberty of the Sons of God wherewith Christ makes Men free indeed in a free Will to Good only under an Impossibility of ever doing Evil therein The Will of Man in New-creation-life is in unchageable Harmony with the very Divine Will In this he never sins But in his own Will till fully crucified the Saint continually sins opposing and fighting against his spiritual Will that never sins 1 Iohn 3. 9. 1. 8. Rom. 7. 15 19. Gal. 5. 17. In the First-creation at best Man was but a mystical Tree of good and evil but changeably good and liable by his own choice to become unchangeably unpardonably and unrepentably evil In the second he becomes a particular Tree of Life under and with Christ amongst the innumerable Multitude of blessed Angels and Saints unchangeably Good and under an Impossibility of ever becoming unchangeably evil The uncontroll'd Soveraignty of our own Will at best and the highest Light of our own Understanding fix'd in is the greatest Darkness and Bondage The unchangeable Subjection and Captivity of our Will to the Will of God is the glorious Liberty of the Sons of God 2 Cor. 10. 5. Man in all the Light Life Wisdom and Righteousness of the First-creation restor'd by Christ as the Common-Salvation-Benefit of his Death in the Fountain-purity thereof is still within the Compass of Satan's universal Monarchy or Kingdom of this World in Opposition to the marvellous Light and glorious Liberty of the Sons of God in Christ's reigning Gospel-spirit of the World to come The Old Serpent was too hard for humane Nature and so for all Mankind in Adam at best in the primitive Purity and personal Perfection of all First-creation-life and Things We must quit all kindred with the first Adam yea with Christ himself as a Husband and Head to us in but the restor'd fleshly Life and Righteousness of Man to be married to him as our spiritual Lord and Bridegroom in that quickning Spirit of the Second Adam his Gospel-spirit of true Holiness 2 Cor. 5. 16. 1 Cor. 15. 45-47 Ephes. 4. 24. Christ crucified the living Soul of our Nature in himself by which he purchas'd the restoring of that in Mankind and therein also became an unerrable Pattern to