out of conceit he did God good service Rested satisfied We know the Scribes and Pharisees who were the most zealous for Sabbaths and prayer and other points of Worship yet they make it their Rest but come to our daies and see if we swarme not of the same only seeming professors of God who are very zealous for the same things and from their very zeal are made to Rest with high thoughts of their condition But how far this zeal which is most commonly led with more affection then Judgement will bring man into a form of Truth First It will leade man into a whole conformity to what it doth conceive to be truth that it shall according to what it hath serve God in all good conscience Acts. 23. 1. and according to the Law to be unblamable and untaxable Then his conversation shall bee very strict in the observation of what the Law requires and he shall act the same with much vehemency of spirit taking all oppertunities for the doing of the same Secondly It will carry the soule on to suffer cheerfully what he may meet withall in this very particular Thirdly he may by zeal afflict his body sore 1. Cor. 13. 3. with fasting and mourning under pretence the one to honour and obey God the other for dishonou◠brought to God So as he may be almost spent in body and spirit and estate in prosecuting the things o◠God according to his light Farther hee may out o◠Zeal come to Gospel precepts and may be Zealous for that light in externall formes which is there required to be obeyed so as he may gather Churches and may suffer much in the conforming to and practising with so much vehemency the Ordinances cōmonly practised by the Churches in the Apostles and our daies so as his Zeal may lead him out to teaching and helping forward that work studying night and day to finde out matter to furnish himself for edification so as for paines in the Churches and for Zeal to observe the severity of those formes and any thing required to bee practised in the said Churches so as now it will have communion in Ordinances with none but those of his own stamp judgement being mightily carried forth to judge and pitty those who are opposers of that light Now this soul through Zeal may goe thus farre yea to act the very highest things the Scriptures doe require in matters of visible practise and yet be not at all taught in the Spirit neither got into the life and power of what he doth professe but meerly zealous for shadowes and wants the power so as he is commanded by the form and not the forme by the power dwelling within him Now grant farther That such a soul did act in truth according to this dispensation yet notwithstanding in this particular there were no cause of Rest for nothing visibly seen flowing from the Creature ought to be its Rest but some visible flowings into the Creature which is being and substance from which and unto which a Soule through Zeal for God acts Also a Creature thus Zealous Rests not at home but reformes abroad also beginning with his own family and so goes abroad to others and labours for reformation and practises the same with much Zeal so as he can not endure the visible appearance of any sinne in himself or others He may help with much Zeal the purging of Cities and Nations or drunkennesse or swearing or any open prophanesse he may be for punishing of evil doers in this particular with much severity and seeming to be much troubled at the neglect of it he may rejoyce much in this practise and may help forward this work in a Nation very much and yet this no Rest at all also he may be zealous yea mad of Zeale for the worship of his God in reference unto others not only taking all opportunities to inform them in the same but using all Coercive powers for confiring them thereunto so as he may be an instrument to bring families and most part of Cities into this outward conformity to the matters of worship and here hee lookes upon an action done of great moment and weight and partly makes this an evidence of this true enjoyment of God by Reason of his Zeale for God and the effect thereby produced which is the good of many Now the cause of a Souls thus Resting partly flowes from want of the information in judgement of the great deceite of the heart in putting man by zeal upon such publique actions and then to cause it to Rest and further it conceiving it's Zeale for God and from a principle of God not being acquainted with a Pharisaicall Zeale to be seen of men or to get a name amongst men or that Zeal which men have but not according to knowledge or the Zeale Paul had before conversion which excels both for vehemency and downrightnesse is the Zeal of many a professor who are at Rest in our daies Now a poor Creature because he is made to suffer freely and to hazard life and liberty in the prosecution of this Zeal he is much puffed up under these considerations 1. That now this is a suffering with and for Christ and therefore he shall reign with him and enjoy much from him 2 That this is a parting with all for Christ and a great point of self denial and so an evidence of a disciple of Christ when indeed the Soule is in himself and hath not at all attained that estate to forsake himselfe Therefore let every heart though never so Zealous for God take notice that his heart may deceive him in his Zeal and his affection may blinde his judgement and so it proves blinde zeal Or Secondly Consider that though it be such Zeale as is good and to be approved of in its dispensation yet not at all to be Rested upon nor to be an evidence of any true enjoyment of God though he pretend God in the fore-front as Jehu did The fifth false Rest. THe next Rest of a Soule though I might not have spoken of it because I have partly given it forth yet that things may be the more opened its the Creatures Righteousnesse or sanctification and outward holinesse wherein both in carriage and words he doth most sweetly in probability savour of high enjoyments of God This is to be a testimony of the same to others though not to himself yet notwithstanding his Rest is to him a high evidence of the true and reall possessings of God when alas it is continually a vanishing Rest and evidence and when the Creature stands in need of it it is taking its wings and flying away and proves a miserable comforter in the saddest straits of a Soul But first let us consider that true holinesse of a person made manifest in actions flowes from the justification of a Soule made manifest in the Spirit so that the truest holinesse or outward sanctification doth wholly flow as an effect of Justification made manifest
in the attaining matter doth much abuse the same but the meanes most commonly wherein it doth attaine it is first by often freequenting private and publike meetings where it steales away the expressions of others and when it sees one man enlarged it is made to admire that part in them and cry out O if I could pray as such a one can then I should be at rest and enjoy much peace It presses forwards and by pains and diligence it attains that enlargement as that now it excels others and is now admired by them who before was admired by it so as now the poor Creature can speake three or four hours in prayer and can hardly comprehend himselfe within the space of one houre and here lys the deceipt of the heart that here the Soul makes his rest and this to be a sure evidence of his interest in God But alas how blinde and unsound this present evidence is let Scripture and experience testify for alas a hypocrite or one who at all knows not God may excell in the seeming glory of this part yea excell those that live in the highest enjoyments of God and here many souls maks this dispensation a meer Idol they draw all their peace and comfort from it for if in this part the Creature excell he will be the ofner using of it living most upon it draw most comfort from it and glory the most in it for if ever the creature be straitned in this particular he begins to droop and be sad and full of trouble but if either in publique or private he be enlarged much again he is mightilly refreshed and lifted up And secondly If at any time he cannot have those coÌ„mon opportunities or set times then all his peace is gone and it is because his peace is grounded upon his often praying and his great enlargement in so doing and indeed the souls blindnesse lies here for the Creature takes his inlargement to be a manifestation or evidence of the presence of God Now a man may pray long and often and excell all in externall form and yet have none of the presence of God manifested at all in the same neither is a straightning of the Creature in expression to be any cause of sorrow or trouble if God be manisest neither is it an evidence of his not being manifested within So here party 〈◊〉 the ground of a souls thus Resting or taking satisfaction of peace to his spirit in this dispensation Now I would not be mistaken that I am speaking against this form or dispensation when a man is not commanded by the form but he is commanded from a power within so as he commands it and useth the same according to the end for which it was appointed For I look upon the same as to be a dispensation of God But I looke upon the resting in it or having peace by it to be a corruption of a mans own heart and a deceit thereof First Therefore I commend these things following to be considered of all That though a man should be never so glorious or admirable in this particular dispensation so as in the same he may be able to speake a whole day together yet his heart in this may deceive him and if it doe not yet it is no safe Rest or cause of peace or satisfaction for there is no safety in the excellents Part that can be received but they take their wings and flie away and there is not that in them which men conceive Secondly Man may have these parts in the glory of them and yet have no fellowship or communion with God in them and so they may be rather snares then sâ—re rests Nay if it were so as many souls doth enjoy God in them or rather communion with God in the same yet it is neither the duty or enlargement which is or ought to be the rest but God made manifest in the same The third part of Gift is Humility And this sometimes comes some of these waies following 1. Either from an instinct or property in nature Or 2. From a self-reasoning Or 3. From resembling the truth of Humility that is in another Or 4. From or as an effect of the enjoyment of God First it is in many who in the least have no divine workings of God in them any way made manifest yet they are excellent in this very particular which makes them very lovely in the eyes of all men so that a little of God will be seen in such a creature but meerly without the manifestation of grace such a Soule doth appear to be gracious such a spirit as this is can hardly be given to passion but full of meeknesse and love and moderation and yet this parties gifts are common or naturall to him He cannot be almost otherwise this disposition is so naturall But others by nature are of a turbulent spirit and full of pride and choller which makes him to become odious to all and hereupon when he becomes odious to himselfe he fals in the second place to reason thus O how lovely doe others appear to me how humble and lowly are they What a proud spirit am I of How am I hated and become almost odious to all I will go see if I can help this carriage of mine Now this Soul onely looks to take away the effects though the cause abide and here he labours to frame his speeches and his jesture and actions and so by much pains gets a form of humility and now carries himself very sweetly towards all so that now there is a strong change wrought in this person so that he is admired by all and chiefly by himself who was of such a high carriage and of a proud and turbulent spirit and now he is of a calm and quiet spirit this appears to be a great change and so judging of it he is highly exalted in his opinion of himself and conceives he hath enjoyed abundance of grace from God that hath thus humbled him when indeed he hath it but in the forme of it not in the power having the branches and effects taken a way for the present in the outward expression of it but transformed into another shape and that is more inwarde making of him more spiritually proud and so have high conceits of the happinesse of his condition and so Rests Secondly It reasons thus God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble 1 Pet. 5. 5. Now in his highnesse of carriage or turbulency of spirit he looks upon his condition as to be resisted of God whereupon he prayes and useth what meanes he can to restraine himself saith he It may be I may come to geta better temper of spirit whereby I many not become both odious to God and man Now I say at last he attaines a form or shape of what he doth desire and Rests satisfied in the receiving of it Though I say he is outwardly but transformed into another likenesse the cause yet remaining which of
it be God discovering yet it is no ground for any soul to Rest satisfied with or to be any evidence at all of enjoying of God because that it is a dispensation which passeth away when a higher dispensation of God appeares then would mans Rest be disolved and not be an everlasting Rest But Saints Rest is that which cannot be dissolved but it is an everlasting Rest to him that that is Centred in it The Seventh false Rest THe next Rest is that which many live upon is the Notion of Free-grace though they have no manifestation of it in particular to their own spirits and here the very apprehensions of it being formerly opposed by it now being convinced of the truth of the same not from any enjoyment or powring sorth of the Spirit only he hath his understanding enlight ned and his judgement convinced either by seeing it to be a truth in Scripture or from hearing it preached by others or from the undeniablenesse of the truth of it in it self he is made to assent unto it as a truth and never matters nor understands it must bee particularly witnessed to be his truth from the same Revealed within him But he not understanding this he sees not only the emptinesse of mans doing and the vanity of putting the creature to act to get Love or Life from God And so that only now all the creatures acting to God must be from Gods acting in the creature so that now he is an enemy to that before he was a speciall friend of viz. his own righteousnesse and that he is now gon as far in an extreame on the other hand to Rest satisfied only with a Notionary knowledge of this said truth Also he sees in this that nothing but a Christ can or will do good to spirits and yet knows not this Christ within himself Now some times man only getting a Nation of this Truth in the head comes in the end to much loosness and fleshly walking 2. Gal. 17. and can put it off with a very fair slight First God is free in his dispensation man can doe nothing unlesse power be given unto him I did such and such a particular because of the Woman this is by reason of such weaknesse I am yoked withall or if God did intend I should not have committed these sins he would have given me power against them and I shal admire free grace the more and I shall love the more the more is forgiven me So though he hath no manifestation of God at all for the pardon of sin yet he lives continually in this stream believing free grace is a Truth this is to have it manifest when the creature sinnes to believe it is freely pardoned upon the Cross when indeed now it sleeps in security and loosnesse And the reason partly of its loosnesse and yet of its security is First he hath got but the light of it that is to say such a light as doth discover a truth in this to him yet he wants the life being of the thing made manifest So it comes to passe he professes this particular yet he doth not possesse the same in the nature of it so he hath a name that he liveth and yet is dead so that he hath it in the head but wants it in the heart he hath got a form of it in his understanding whereby he can discourse of it and declare it to others yet he wants the power of this said truth in the heart within him and when a man hath the forme figure or likenesse of a thing and wants the dower glory or being of the thing no marvell then if a soul in a time of straits come to fall short of what he doth professe in his parctise he not being able to stand wanting the foundation that he should be formed upon and the power of the same which should keepe him upon that being or foundation Also it may be he hath this truth taught him by man and not from the teachings of God within Now grace in the heart appearing doth Teach man to deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and to live soberly righteously and Godly in this present world But there is a cunning deceit in the heart that in some doth if possible can be prevent the same and it reasons thus I see this Truth is spoken against by most and that those that are for Free-grace are such men as walk very loosly and as soon as ever they believe this that they are no more like the men they were before but walke they care not how but saith the soule that would make it a peaceable and honourble Rest least they should say so of me I will walke a little more wisely then they doe And here before men he walks very like Truth though there be a heart within him not upright in what he doth and partly it is to get a good name amongst men for such as walk loosly that profess God they are hardly esteemed of any the world hates them for their judgement the other cannot favour them for their loose practise Here they will labour to apply a remedy to this disease in reference to one party and that is the Saints They will amongst Saints I say carry themselves like them and resemble them in their practise as the Magicians did Moses Yet this is not from a divine principle of love but for some other end or from another principle Againe Some walk like Truth because they make it a Testimony of Gods dwelling in them for saith the Scriptures He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk even as he walked 1 John 2 6. Now saith the creature if I should walk loosly it would appear to my selfe and all That God dwelt not in me but now â—y my outward and he thinks inward though he be deceived conformity to Truth I may make it an evidence of my dwelling in truth and such a man as this must needs curb himself of those things thaâ— another swallows because it is his ground of peace and Rest Again A man may shun loosnesse that hath but the notions of free grace because it is the way to make Disciples and get the affections of men to applaude and admire what flowes from him so as he is mightily esteemed yea instrumental to dispense those truths that dwell not in him so as it may be hee is an instrument of begetting sons like unto himselfe that is to believe Free grace is a truth and to be convinced of it and dispise working which is opposite to it and here they both sit down and Rest Not knowing the manner of Gods dealings with the creature which is most commonly to enlighten or convince man of a truth and set the heart a waiting for it before hee gives him an enjoyment of it As for instance He first convinces man of a Divine fulnesse in God and a supply given from God to bee dispensed by Christ to the sonnes of men wherupon
the creatures spirit is set a waiting for it and at last comes to enjoy it So in Free grace when God represents this truth to let man see he is Free in all his dispensations man being thereby convinced of it his heart is set a waiting for the enjoyment of the same within him which he sees in God above him that is above his reach of enjoying and so he doth not let him Rest though he see a truth until he comes to have the manifestation of it within him and in the power and life of it enjoyed by him So as the generall knowledge of Free grace before it be known particularly in the Creature by the manifestation of it from God will be no secure Rest or satisfaction for any soul First The creature in this condition may receive it with much joy as witnesse them Mat. 13. 20. yet be short of having the power This truth is very pleasant to many especially to those that have been the greatest workers for Grace whereupon their delight is much taken up either in hearing reading or discourse that tendeth to the declaring of this truth and it is a dispensation of God in some men but not a Rest unto them Now men who are made to Rest here may have high notions of this truth and may be more able to speak of it then those who have enjoyed it in a general manner but come to the particular workings of it in the soul and many prove shallow there only they declare it as they see it to be a Scripture truth But he that Enjoyes sees it to be an Experimentall and a Scripture Truth Now some men have learned what he beleeves and Rests upon it only from report or men declaring their experiences or what the Scripture doth relate of others but have not any Teachings of God what it saith according to the Scriptures in them by Experience And here sometimes man is not compleatly furnished to declare this Truth But one who doth enjoy truth within doth a little discerne where such a soul is to wit have heard and from hearing do declare and yet not brought into the Kingdome of Truth to see and experience it within himself Further Man may daily increase in the Notionary knowledge of this Truth wherein he may appear a Tall Cedar in his own eies and in the eyes of others and grow up into high Notions and Light and is able to speak of very high and glorious light yet if he here Rest it may prove in conclusion but a feeding upon winde and husks Furthermore In this knowledge of Truth may man solace and refresh his spirits continually in the apprehension of the same and yet it is but seeming not reall satisfaction or refreshment if he there Rest trusting to it to be God himself for want of information of the difference betwixt what is a Truth in it self seen so by me and a Truth mine manifested within me not knowing the foot-steps of truth without man from the foot-steps of truth within man not knowing a difference betwixt the deceipt of the heart in its deceivable workings making glorious Rests of that which is none and Truth nakedly discovered from or by God in the heart with its End and Testimony so as the creature is not satisfied with any thing though it be a truth without him until he finde the very being of that Truth within him Therefore whosoever he bee that reads these few lines Let him beware of these things following First that he judge not that to be a place of Rest to his spirits which is but in shew not enjoyed in substance nor absolutely passe sentence of any thing untill there be a Divine light within which makes it manifest Yea though they may come so far as to be convinced of truth of Free grace and for the transcendent Excellency of Christ in God yet Rest not until thou finde it in thy soul manifest from God then shalt thou seal it to be a truth yea thou shalt have it sealed up for Truths by the Spirit of GOD within thee Also to take notice I do not despise nor condemne this dispensation not to be of God first to see by Scriptures these to be Truths But There labour to unbottom and to un center any soul who meerly rests in the notion of them Thirdly To beware of condemning these things because they have no experience of them or because they come nigh them or because if they be Truths they have nothing left them but wait untill they see a Light within to discover the truth or fallacy of them to them Jer. 17. 9. and if so be they see not the deceite of their hearts or those false Rests in them we are speaking of yet do not condemn them who have both seen and known them as though they sought to destroy the foundation of God in Saints but look upon me as one owning any dispensation of God in its place proper to it The Eight false Rest THE Next Rest we desire to speake of in order to this is the Knowledge of Christ in the flesh Eithar considered as he is declared in Types and Figures under the Law or as he assumed nature upon him and so consequently dyed at Jerusalem Now for the first In reference to Types and Figures which at this time are the dispensation of Ordinances either practised before or since his Coming How many in our daies are they that meerly rests upon such shadows some practising of such Types as held forth Christ to come some in those that were practised after his Coming and here they satisfie themselves As instance the cry of most Wee enjoy the pure Ordinances of Christ wee are members of the Church of Christ we are partakers of those outward priviledges purchased by Christ Instance the peace and comfort they enjoy in them the glorying and the high conceite they have of themselves above others that do not practise with or enjoy them witnesse their deadnesse flatnesse when they want them and their life and peace in the enjoying of them witnesse their binding up in them and their whole Experience contained in this particular When I was imployed in such an Ordinance I was fil'd with joy or I was made to be satisfied with the seeing of God in it when the poor Creatuer it may be knowes not what God in all or any thing is but if it be enlarged or have some particular flashes of comfort it makes that to bee the presence of God and meerly under these fleshly parctises or carnall relations do many Rest satified But Secondly To Rest upon Christ come in the flesh is to Rest upon the beleeving the report the Scripture gives concerning him as being born of a Virgin and suffering and being buried and the like and if they beleeve this and can but heare enough of the Letter preached to this purpose they Rest as beleeving such a particular to be true and that is all that is required of them to
dissolve in a higher appearance of God Therefore though men both know and beleeve that there was a Christ crucified in the flesh yet let them not rest untill they know it in the Spirit Then shall a man see Christ daily crucified before his eyes First In him Secondly By him Thirdly For him And fourthly Crucifying of him That he shall say with Paul from experience I am crucifyed with Christ neverthelesse I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me Gal. 2. 20. Then shall the soul know both what it is to be crucified by or with Christ and also what this Christ is that lives within him which is become life unto him then he shall know it is not flesh but Spirit and life that lives in him neither shall he be satisfied with hearing of his death at Jerusalem but with experiencing partly the mystery now made manifest in him and so comes to be known by him then shall he say Though I have known Christ after the flesh yet now henceforth know I him no more 2 Cor. 5. 16. Being he knowes him in the new Creation being made to see and discern in the Spirit and so behold Christ in the vision of God Hab 2. 3. Which is so far from being beheld before as a true crucified estate as indeed there is nothing but darknesse and rebellion in the heart to such an estate only the soul living and rejoycing in some carnall conception of God and Christ and yet the heart is empty of his light and giory and indeed running from the Fountaine to the streames and from the substance to the shadow or figure as I might plainly lay open how all the actions of Christ in the flesh attributed to him are but reall Types and figues and shadowes of either good things to come or to be revealed in souls I cleerly see that sometimes he speaks in Parables sometimes he speaks in Mystery and sometimes yea altogether he acted in Mystery as holding forth what he did in his coming in the soul being a more glorious dispensation then that under the Law as the coming of him in the Spirit is from his comming in the flesh so that what miracles and acts transcendently acted by him above all that was made and is experienced by those in the Spirit who enjoy him who discovers all as namely his raising Lazarus and at the marriage turning water into wine and his healing sick and opening eyes and so all passages flowing from him of this nature were but figures still of what he did and would do in and for soules and so not only in matters of doing but also in matters of sufferings they are reall figures of the same truth substantially experienced in Saints both place persons condemnation Grosse death buriall his agony or withdrawing before his grave and resurrection his not ascending immediately after his death to his Father but afterwards ascended in the fulnesse of time All these in every particular are known in the true and spirituall sense of them by those that have had fellowship with ham in his death and Resurrection and so hath passed from death to life and now is risen within and dwels with him in heaven and so is swallowed up in the God-head and is rose in the Fathers glory and now is filled with the Spirit this time is the time of knowledge and this is wisdomes time wherein he comes to be satisfaction to them and also is justified by them this is the time when they sing nothing but praise and glory to the Lamb who doth not onely deserve to open the Book Rev. 5. 9. and the Seales thereof but hath opened the Book and discovered to the soul the Cabinet and storehouse of the glorious Mystery of the Father and Christ into which City of glory and light the soul is made to enter and Rest and live for ever that now all things are become new Rev. 21. 5. to and with such a soul the very Kingdome of God and the mystery thereof is opened Rev. 10. 7. and now the Tabernacle of God is with man Rev. 21. 3. and now this glorious mystery Christ is manifested in life and power and become the hope of the compleat glory and fulnesse thereof Col. 1. 27. to be made manifest when it is made capable to comprehend it from being comprehended by it and swallowed up in it then shall this heart doâ—e no more upon shadowes or broken Cisterns or figures of good things to come but he shall be gathered up into God and Christ and shall possesse them in the fulnesse of them The ninth false Rest THe next Rest in order to this is visible Church communion or the relations under this notion O this I may say is one of the Idols of Israel and I may say as God was a saying once Come and see yea behold what the Children of Israel are doing in the dark O the darknesse of such soulâ— who Rest in and under such dispensations truly if I should speak the naked truth and nakedly discover every false Rest I never in my own experience did finde more grosse darkenesse sease upon my spirit then did sease upon my spirit under this dispensation Secondly Never more false Laodicean security Thirdly Never more pride and self conceitednesse then at that present ready to judge every one that were not in relation in reference to Church-communion to be no Saints 2. Looking more at the practise of Ordinances and being members of Churches then at the reall experience of such a soul 3. More longing after the encrease of members then of their living in the Spirit which were members 4. Judging every one if they were but in and under such Relations to be Saints though they had little yea indeed no experience of God at all refusing communion with such being not of my judgement though they knew what communion in the Spirit was and closed yea joyned with those who are ignorant of it because they were Church-members This having been mine and still are many more at this present what Church are they of Are they Baptized What judgement are they of Which doth argue both an Idolizing of and Resting upon these poor dispensations of babes and Children It hath been with me and I fear hath been and is still with many more a coldnesse of love to those yea a condemning also because they have or doe not close with us in every particular in matters of Judgement or formes of worship though the parties live in very high enjoyments of God and are passed these childrens and babes dispensations and all this testifies a Besting upon our formes and manner of worship as for instance An Independent so called and an Anabaptist and so many more as the godly presbyterian and others under divers distinctions of foâ—mes how bitter they are one against another what a distance they stand one from another witnesse their preaching and printing and in the same their bitternesse Instance their refusal to hear or joyn
left and that is That they be not living upon an imaginary God and not the true for it is the way of the Creature to give so much way to his fancy and imagination that whatevet it proposeth to be God it lives upon and rejoyceth in and brings the Soul into deep and carnall security with high imaginations of himself being able to apprehend and discourse of deep and high things and yet want the life and power of any one of them 3 Beware of Judging if thou be broke off from formes those that thou hast left behind thee in the use thereof Considering that God is in all formes of his own appointment and that their dispensations may be of God and that they shall there abide but their appointed season And therefore let thy carriage to them and thy judgement of them be as much as possible may be without offence unto them and for the winning of them and that when God sees a higher dispensation fit for them he will lead them into it onely my soul desires they may not be so glued to them as to live in them and not to waite for a higher dispensation from God onely in the want thereof they are in the use thereof God owning and appearing unto them in them so that I could wish the wisdome of God may appear so in the hearts of those who do pretend thus high to live in God that it may truly appear to themselves and to others God led them into the same not themselves I have experienced both the contrary evils and therefore I speak so that if God be love as in his dispensation God is so to him that knowes it not then it must break forth from us if it be living in us to look upon Children and babes with a tender eye and respect so as judgement may passe away and the spirit of burning which is Love may appear amongst us Thirdly As others are under mens Teachings so look thou be under the Teachings of the Vision of God Hab. 2. 3. and that thou speak or pretend to enioy no more then is taught within thee by the Vision of God for in the want thereof sad experiences testifies we Peecing and patching Religion and high notions together â—nd make it their delight and joy Oh the teachings of God do open the very heart and the secrets of the sealed Book and beleeve it to live wholly above all in God It is to live such a transcendent life as is better and sooner spoken then enjoyed and known in truth for there must be such a death within men and a passing from death to life by man that indeed men may hear of the thing and get it into their imaginations but to enjoy it in the true and reall manifestations thereof many in this shall in their conceits be brought to losse for to have the Seales of the Eternall brightnesse and glory of God opened in the appearance of the Vision in a mans heart to have the very splendor and glory of the divine Being revealed within man and to be wholly caught up in the whole ouâ— of all things so as the soul is wholly swallowed up with God in all things so that now neither eye hath seen nor eare hath heard neither by mans heart can be imagined the depths of the life glory and enjoyment of such a heart yet it iâ— his common meate and teaching of the Spirit within him so that no maâ—s teaching can reveal the life and center of such a heart but it is better experienced then can be declared it is so transcendent a life and being Yea further for any man to live so in God as he enjoyes God in all and seeth God the life and being of all yea it is not his judgement but he findes all these things effectually within him For a man may be of the judgement concerning living wholly in God to be the only Life and yet not to know this from the experience of the Visions teaching within himself Now it is no benefit for any to be of this and that judgement unlesse he live in the clear enjoyment of the truth he is convinced of in his judgement and understanding here is the glory of a Saint indeed not to know a truth because it is the judgement of any neither because it is his own judgment but that he hath within him the truth teaching of it to him from the life and power of it in him So he knowes the Sun to be the Sun not from hear says but he seeth the life and glory of it having his eyes opened to behold it and findeâ— by experience the heâ—t and powerfull operation of the same upon him as well as upon the earth So with Saints they do not receive their life light or experienco of God living in a Saint from hearing of it but God breakes forth in their spirit and so gives them the sight of the glory light and splendor of God within themselves So soul beware thou be not overcome so with hear-saies as to rest satisfied with the meer notion of God and truths and yet be at this time but a blazing starre who shall fall and cease to be what thou art present boâ—h to thy selfe and others seemest to be onely for a time thou may by this notionary light in thy understanding and judgement be a blazing star to discover what thou hast for the deceit of thy self and others and yet it is not the light of the being of truth in thee but a borrowed light got from others or in thy imagination or conception which shall suddenly perish and then thou shalt be left in the dark as a man in the Clouds reserved for the great day Oh to be Taught of God is a Jewel it will teach Truth and not lye Therefore in the last place It is worth waiting for though thou waite in silence and in death untill thou do enjoy it lest thou pretend to have that thou hast not and to enjoy that thou enjoyest not for in so doing thou shalt go with a ly in thy Right hand and shelter thy self under vanities and lies Yet I would not be mistaken that either I am against formes in their time and place and mâ—nner neither that I deny that a soul may attain to suâ—h a glorious enjoyment of God as must yea all formes and shacowes may fly a way and be dissolved though not destroyed and the person forme and use thereof shall be swallowed up with glory But I desire to compose the great difference that lyes in mens attainments when they all cannot speake one thing or enjoy God in one dispensation then they fall one condemning another so as they cannot make ouâ— for good of each other that which theâ— enjoy of God in their preâ—ent dispensations Secondly to unbottom the one of Resting in and living upon or making his everlasting Tabernacle in those shadowes and the other to be thâ—t in an especiall manner which both in word
when this is come Eph. 1. 19. Mat. 24. 30. Sixtly Whether is it the Manifesting of God to thee that gives thee a right to the Promise and from this thou closest with God Or is it that sutablenesse in thee to the words of the promise that gives thee a being whereby thou closest with it If it be the latter it is not right For all Promises are in Christ Yea and Amen And He is the ALL in them and if he be revealed he gives a being to them yea to the creature to live in that being as He is the ALL in them So that the substance of every promise must come into the soule and be revealed in it before the form of words can truly pronounce comfort peace life happinesse or rest to it So as his Rest is not upon the form of words as in Letter expressed but upon the being of it which is God manifest Now many a heart doth feed upon huâ—ks out-sides and externall formes of words and fals short of being caught up into his glory and so resting in the being of all Truth Here it comes to passe that the Creature makes every thing a God and will shape and form out God according to its imaginations and so labours to dispossesse God and to set up its own shape in Gods stead Now promises whether they be sought or cast in they are to be no rest unto any heart for the words of the promise are like unto a figure or type it testifies something to be given to the Sons of men but when a soule is in the possession of those things then it doth not rejoyce upon the words holding out the thing but upon the substance of the thing possessed in the heart but many on the contrary hand for the want of this run after conpitionall promises and when it seeth not the condition of the promises performed in it he labours after a sutablenesse to them before not daring to apply them but when he hath got his heart into such a frame as he imagineth to be sutable to the condition thereof he Resteth there applying life and comfort from it concluding he hath a right unto it from this particular But if at any time he breâ—â—â— the condition his peace is gone because the cause of his peace was his exact performance of the condition of the promise Secondly But some are higher then this and they see a vanity in this and they lock upon Christ as the performer of the condition and if he can but beleeve Christ hath done it and then he hath a right unto the same whereupon he useth meanes to get his judgement convinced of this that Christ died for him and in Conclusion he gets himself convinced of the same and here rests concluding the promises are his because Christ is his when indeed both the ground of his conclusion and confidence is false and so he comes to be deceived Thirdly Another that Rests upon promises before Christs spirituall Coming is when a man hath laine in sad darknesse and bondage and hath a long time waited for a discovery of God and at last some apprehensions of Christ come into his understanding whereupon he stands convinced in his own judgement that Christ is his Whereupon he for the greater increase of his Rest Comfort and peace runnes to promises and applyes them as having a right to them in his own apprehensions by Jesus Christ Here is that which begets the strongest confidence that Christ is come in the Spirit which works that joy and peace the soule thinks shall never be taken from him whereas after a while man is not so quick-sighted nor so clear enlightned but it suddainly lyes in the grave as that which must vanish in the spirituall appearance of Christ in the heart Now this is the great design of Satan to keep the poor creature on the out-sides the husks and would have the Creature wholly to live below the glory of Truth which is the coming of Christ in the Spirit of glory But hearts truly principled before Gods appearance â—e made to waite for him from a great power of himself not in any of these things to rest before they in the glory of the spirit come to enjoy him Mat. 25 10. The thirteenth false Rest. THe next Rest in order to this is great strange and excellent flashes of God so I tearm them and a they the most appear yet they may be true or false resembled or reall First We shall speak of flashes of light in the understanding And neither touch them as they are true or false 1. If they be but flashes they are no reall manifestations of Christ in the Spirit and therefore in the first place They are not of a witnessing nature they bring no reall Testimony of God along with them but leave the creature dark and empty in and of this particular but Christs coming in the Spirit is not without a Witnesse which is both unresistible and satisfactory but flashes whether they are of God distinct or opposite they have no Testimony of the Spirit to witnesse the truth of God to man by the Spirit within man as man is below under the dispensation of a flash whether true or false So secondly They are not of a powerfull Nature they are very weake in comparison of the power of Christ coming in the Spirit For first They do not dispossesse Satan of his habitation whereas the coming of Christ in the spirit doth Mat. 12. 28 29. Secondly They do not dispossesse the Creature of living in himself or they do not carry up the Creature into the glory of God in the Spirit they being of too low a nature no more then flashes in a dark night can bring the Creature into the beholdings of and living in the glory of the Sun so that they are not compleat Revelations of glory neither powerful in effecting the same worke which is accomplished in the coming of Christ in glory 3. They do not satisfie the heart of any they may seemingly give contentment for the present yet the spirit not altogether satisfied whereas the coming of Christ in the glory of the Spirit doth fill and satisfie the heart of any in whom he appears Mal. 3. 10. Mat. 5. 6 yea his coming causeth a running over of the souls Cup yea it is uncontainable mans capacity not being able to receive or comprehend the same for the want of this satisfaction power or witnesse of the Truth of Christs coming he being but under a flash he runnes to Ministers and men of experience to hear their judgement being not satisfied in himself and according to their approbation and judgement he most commonly receives the more or lesse satisfaction and so â—ests whereas if it be Christs coming in the spirit a soul need not run to any Creature in the World to be satisfied in the Truth of what is discovered for HE comes with a Satisfactory witnesse which doth answer all objections and satisfy all doubts
the same he Rests upon it and concludes from it great cause of safety and security and as an infallible Testimony of Gods love and here he makes his center when indeed the heart cannot have true Rest in any deliverances wrought for it by God but must be carried up above the same into the Deliverer who is God so as in inwards so in outwards be it of what nature or quality soever yet many after the receipt hereof wax the more secure make a God of their deliverances so Rest upon them with which though they were in love yet they are not given for that end no more then God delivering the Children of Israel at the Red Sea should afterwards be a stop unto them and a center for them before they came into the land of Promise Or that deliverance of Daniel or of the Three Children or of Ionah none of these were to be a cause either of Security or Center but to be rather accompanied by God to put their spirits out of themselves after him who was to be a Rest unto them and a Deliverer of them so that the common or speciall deliverances of God in these cases are abused and the end thereof dealt deceitfully with and they are made that which God did not appoint them to be viz. Rests and that which satisfies the creature with the receipt thereof yet in the second place I doe not deny this to be one of Gods dispensations and the way he deales with spirits both to discover themselves with the vanity and misery attending the same where manâ— heart is made a heart of misery preparing for mercy this being the way to Rest and peace happinesse and glory when God comes in the first place to free the soule from this his deliverance though it be of God still as the other is the way to happinesse so his deliverance the way to rest that is the way to make the heart enter into it and be centred in it For though the Rest in this deliverance be discovered yet it may be long before such a heart do enter into it as David saith plainly return unto thy Rest O my soule for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee Now though God may have dealt bountifully with a soule yet that soule may not be returned not centred in his true and proper Rest though it be in a further work then deliverance inward or outward So that in the first place many hearts it may be have been in deep distresse of spirit in the pit where no water is and now are it may be in such a condition as they are at great freedome and live in much joy yet such a heart it may be freed in his own sense and yet intended by God to be brought into his former bondage and misery because his wounâ— is falsly cured and having not been willing to waite Gods time is faln thereby into carnall and unsafe security Therefore soules had need beware of false deliverances 2. Satan that spirit of deceit may drive on his design in this particular to have a soul delivered by deceit seeing before he could not prevent the cause of the sense of his misery seeing he could not prevent that he labours to deceive the Creature by proposing and working deliverance for it before God deliver it the â—â—art being willing to imbrace and to have deliverance before his time 3. If this be not but that God goes forwards to make such a heart a heart of misery and so prepare it for mercy and worke admirable deliverances for it both within and without yet notwithstanding it is not sufficient the soul Rest here but such a heart is to wait for a higher dispensation of God this being Gods leading way thereto The seventeenth and last false Rest THE next and last Rest which wee shall speak of is by some waited for and by others pretended to be received to wit The extraordinary Gifts of the Spirit whereby both worship without and God within is confirmed and in their apprehension sealed up for truth Now for my own part I look upon both either in the condition of waiting for it or in the pretence of the receiving of it to be un-sound or an un-safe principle 1. In a waiting way there are who are waiting to have the spirit powred down in such a manner as they shall be able to do miracles and visible to cast out devils But I think this is a meer mistake for those casting out of devils and visible powers given to the Apostles and Saints was given only as a dispensation of God in that administration the Apostles lived in and not to be any dispensation intended to be given to any other after that administration was confirmed and settled 2. Those visible powers were given them for the confirmation of the Gospel in a visible forme to seale the truth of that forme of words which was to be lefâ— unto all ages Now if we had new Scriptures to write and a new Goâ—pel to declare then I confesse for the establishment of the same it would be necessary to have the same confirmed by visible miracles and powers But 3. It was given to be a figure of the glorious manner of the workings of God in the Soul and the casting out of devils and curing sick opening eyes and the like Isa 26. 12. Phil. 2. 13. these were to demonstrate unto us that as the coming of Christ in the form of flesh was attended with these signes and miracles so the coming of him in the Spirit should be attended with inward signes and miracles to wit internall and divine powers the casting out of the many devils within the opening of the eyes of the understanding and the curing the wounds of the soule Luke 24. 45. Ephes 1 18. Isa 60. 1. John 5. 25. the opening mans eâ—res to hear the voice of Christ within to have a dead Lazarus soul raised up in the spirit Now the Rest was but as figures though reall of what God did hold forth should accompany the second coming of Christ in the heart Mal. 3. â— Mat 25. 12 13. And if soules did waite for this their expectations should not be so much frustrated as it is in the other and shall be And as for the great miracles that shall be wrought must be within and felt by soules when Christ appears in the heart So that these external powers shall be turned into these savings The coming of Christ shall be with power and great glory Mat. 24. 30. Now men are deceived I feaâ—e who seeke for his coming in any carnall or fleshly way or that he will make that to be the powrings down of the Spirit to wit the casting out of devils c. But it shall be more spirituall and heavenly even the power of the Spirit within to consume mens lusts and self and to cast out all those spirits of deceite â—hich internally do lodge within the Creature â—o that the letter which was
confirmed by outward signes after Christ appeared in the form of flesh shall in the mystery thereof be confirmed to and in us by the internall workings miracles which shall attend Christs spiritual coming in the Soul and that in the Spirit Now I say that neither do mens waitings appear to be that which men conceive them to be nor if they did enjoy that at the last which they waite for it would not prove that to them nor give that content peace joy and cause of Rest in them nor assurance to them which they expect from it and think to attain when they come to attain it I wish that men would turne the wheele into the waiting for the inward coming of these things in a more spiritual manner For my own part I thinke they would enjoy more quietnesse in their spirits for the present and more settlement and rest peace and safety in them for the future when it comes to be experienced But I think I may say thus much to such spirits that I think when they enjoy that they waite for viz. the powrings out of the spirit from which to enjoy power to worke outward miracles it will be in the enjoyment thereof But I should be sorry to live without the enjoyment of God to that day and I am confident all such souls shall be weary before they see the same enjoyed by them But secondâ—y To all such as have the same in pretence I do not see how they can make them any safe Rests seeing that Saul and many others did goe as far in the gifts of prophesie or any other gift of the Spirit as any almost who did sweetly enjoy God and that was the cause why these words were spoken They shall say in that day have we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name cast out devils c. Mat. 7. 22 23. Yet see the reply of Christ he did not own them in the same though they did make it their Rest before and their plea then yet it was nothing but that which proved both un sound and un-safe for them Secondly The workings of Antichrist and the mystery of iniquity doth worke with all deceivablenesse doing great wonders in the eyes of the world yet alas it is both for the deceiving of the party who hath it and for the deceiving of the parties who beleeve it witness the worke of the Magicians who when they acted the same things Moses did yet the parties who acted the parties who beleeved the same were both deceived so though there were any in our daies who could doe the â—ame work that they or Judas did yea greater then they did yet the parties might â—e reprobates and cast-awaies and however they may be â—uddainly taken away and herefore un-safe for any soul to Rest thereon It must be the power of God within and thâ—se inward miracles which God works as the effect of his coming viz The casting out of he devils within and bringing down mountaines of pride and selfe and exalting of his Christ in the soul so as the soul is un bottomed of all his false â—rops and carried wholly out of himselfe above himselfe into the power and majesty of that Christ exalted to live by and in that same power and glory by which God lives in the heart So that I say to look for outward powers in this case as I and many more have done or if they were enjoyed to make them their Rests both are to me un-sound and every party as well as my selfe shall finde the evill and un-soundnesse thereof Now having discovered as many false Rests as at present I am free to discover I shall in the next place shew how difficult it is and how hard it goes with the creature to part with these his false Rests which are false but in reference to his Resting and abusing the end for which such a dispensation was given The Soul being in the first place as I may say establisht upon them making them his God be they formes or what they will when it seemes to be taken away he being brought to a non-plus in his spirit He cries They have taken a way my God What must I do So that there ariseth as it were a storme within this creature which begets a spirit of discontent in the creature Witnesse the same in Ionahs Gourd which God had given him yet being abused in the end for which it was given in the taking of it away there was a spirit of murmuring and discontent And thus it is alwaies when creatures would be Resting upon any thing below God when God seems to take it away from the creature The more the soul was glued to it and Rested upon it and made a God of it the more difficult and hard it goes with the creature to part with the same yea the more discontent doth arise in that heart First then It ariseth from the abuse of our being glued to any Administration so as not to use it to that end for which it was appointed Secondly The cause partly of this ariseth sometimes from the greatnesse of the losse it works in the creature in being to part with the same as many soules it may be have spent the glory of their age and strength to patch up a Religion of their owne and have taken much paines to accomplish the same It may be hath been twenty years a professor and hath all this time been labouring to patch up a Rest and having got one in one moment God raises the foundation thereof this works such a losse in the soule as indeed to have many a glorious gift burned up yea many a glorious day of joy twenty yeares profession in one moment laid in the dust and now to deny it self in all his paines and parts of wisdome and knowledge This must needs go hard and be very difficult with a poor heart to part with all And the Creature will have many shifts and puttings off before he will be made freely to part with all and to deny himself in all The condition of such a soul is like a man that all his daies hath been taking pains night and day to comprehend some estate and when he hath got such an estate he fals a building and makes great buildings and when he hath furnished the same takes delight in it and sets his heart upon it and behold when he is solacing himself in what he hath got and done In a moment there is a fire consumes the same to the dust which being beheld by the party he is amazed and much perplexed in his spirit upon which occasion in some it begets death in others discontentednesse and murmurings yea repinings of spirit so as it is not only a day of sorrow but it continnues so And this parties losse being exceeding great and his expectation frustrated he is now at a non-plus not knowing what to do So it is with a heart after God either hath given gifts or
Expells all the Clouds from off or out of the Creature which kept the creature from beholding a reall difference betwixt a true Rest and a false So long as man is without this no marvel then though he be not able to discern whether his Rests be true or false But now when God speaks in a Soul Arise soul shine for thy light is come and the glory of the LORD is Risen upon thee Isa 60. 1 2. Then this true light shining into the soule it makes manifest all things whereas the Soule before had a veile upon him and a Cloud over him but now the glory of God is Risen in such a creatures heart whereby he is made able to judge by the light of God dwelling in him Secondly As it doth discover what is fallacy so it reveals what is truth it advanceth truth in the soule though the soul before was ignorant what difference there was betwixt the appearance of God in formes without him and the appearance of God in the Spirit within him of the difference betwixt a transform'd rest resembled and a true Rest in the Spirit manifested of the end of all forms and administrations with God appearing in them without the creature before the substance of the same be come in the glory of the Spirit within Now this true light makes all manifest John 3. 21. and is a clear evidencing light within man discovering Him who only must be the center and Rest of the soule which before it heard of but now comes to see and experience the same This light removes all obstructions out of the Creature and makes his judgement act according to this light within him so that it is a light not onely expelling clouds but clearly demonstrates a reall difference betwixt truth and falshood so as now he is made to see the place God hath set every administration or dispensation in with the time place and end Thirdly This light makes not onely manifest things is they are John 3. 21. and so takes the soul off from them But it doth dissolve all those administrations the Creature hath had without him by the glory of God in the Spirit within him so as the breakings of the day do dissolve the dispensation of the night so doth the dawning of the day in the heart of a Saint dissolve not destroy any of those administrations or dispensations of God in which God did in some measure appear to the Creature for as the night is of God as well as the day yet the day doth dissolve the dispensation of the night So though many mens dispensations were of God yet notwithstanding when God appears they are dissolved and do not now appear because a more gloriouser manifestation of God within man hath appeared Fourthly Yea this manifestation of God in the Spirit doth swallow up all other dispensations so as now they are gathered up into the substance thereof who before did send them forth as the light of the Starres and the light of the Moone are borrowed lights or lights inferiour to and sent out from the Sunne and when the glory of the Sunne appears they all appear bodily and substantially in the Sunne and as it is that the light dwels in the fulnesse of it in the Sunne and all lights are borrowed from or occasioned by it and that light is that which swallowes up all other when it comes to appear So it is with God appearing in the Spirit he appears as the fulnesse and the substance or body of all other lights Col. 2. 17. which are true though sent by God in their dispensation to accomplish his own designe yet when God breakes into any soule in the glory of the Spirit this shining of God into the soule 2 Cor. 3. 8. 4 6. 3. 10. doth swallow up all his former appearances in any dispensation below this and gives way and submits and so gathers up and meets compleatly in the body and substance of them Col. 2. 10. 17. Tit. 2. 13. 1 Pet. 4. 14. which is God truly appearing in the spirit of fulnesse and glory this makes the heart free to part with any thing though never so dear to it which is obstructive to and keeps the soule from any enjoyment of this glorious dispensation yea this is that dispensation which doth destroy all administrations or formes or dispensations that are not of God what is of God before shall be swallowed up in it what is of man selfe or Satan shall be destroyed by it 2 Thess 2. 8 This is that which truly discovers to the â—oul all his false Rests though never so seemingly glorious yea though they be of Satans transformings or of self-resemblings yet it laies them all in the dust and unvailes them to the Creature so as they appear in their colours and place which sometimes workes a mighty indignation in the heart against the waies of his own heart 1 Cor. 7. 11. when his lewdnesse is discovered unto him so as he is not onely made free to part with the same but he is brought out of love with himself for Resting upon the same so much below God or Christ Again in the manifestation of God there is satisfaction peace and Rest possesseth the creature in stead of the other this peace dispossesseth the other peace this satisfaction maketh nothing the other whatsoever objection or dis-satisfaction was before or doth arise since now they are all fully answered and the soule compleatly satisfied so as now he is brought out of a dunghill into a pallace from a mean condition into a glorious to wit even to live by the breathings of Divine Truth in him so as now he lives because God lives and is satisfied with the flowings in of God and eates of that which God eates of viz. Love Glory and happinesse Nay further there is fulnesse in this satisfaction he fils the soul with himselfe and how can then this soule doe any other but be free and willing to part with any other seeming fulnesse or good when now he is filled with him that fills all in all in all things Eph. 1. 23. So as the waters cover the Sea Isa 11. 9. so is the soul truly pro tempors filled with God untill he asswage it or seem to be departed from it or else enlarge the capacity of the Creature with more of himself now seeing that God comes in with such a fulnesse into the heart in this dispensation it must needs discover the emptinesse and vanity of his other Rests and cause a sweet willingnesse to part with the one and embrace the other And lastly it comes in power which day of Gods power Ps 110. 3. makes the Creature willing to part with any darling though never so dear and neer to him both freely cordially and with much simplicity of spirit whatsoever the day of God in it is light and glory doth discover to the soule not to be of himselfe this the day of his Power doth accomplish the same
to the full in the soule yea though it be the life of a soul yea though it were its God and happinesse in it yet they all are nothing when God and it stands in competition in the soule whether of them should be advanced 3. Christ made manifest in a heart and his spirituall coming into the same is like unto a fire which burns up consumes all things that are in the soul of his own which keep the Creature below God therfore saith the Scripture Who may abide the day of his coming or stand when he appeareth And he shews the reason thereof for he is like a refiners fire and like fullers sope to refiners fire he is compared the appearance of Christ in the love of the spirit is like refiners fire to refine purifie yea to burn up and consume in soules what is not of the Spirit and so to bring the creature to losse though in the same salvation shall be made manifest as according to the 1 Cor. 3 13 14 where saith he if any mans worke abide which he hath built thereupon he shall receive a reward but if it burn â—he creature shall lose thereby yet hâ— must be saved yet it must be by this fire which did consume and burn up his hay and stubble now as mans work shall be revealed by fire so if it be not of God it shall be destroyed by the same which fire is love which is God thus when he brings a soul by his appearing into the greatest losse then is he bringing a soul into the greatest gain so that that which proves destruction of his false Rests is that which brings him to the true Rest and so though it be a losing for the present yet his greatest losse becomes his greatest gain Now I know there are many Rests that are destroyed or dissolved before this day of his coming and as there is one taken away the soule findes and seeks after another and runs from mountain to hill to get ease of a tormenting spirit so as man passeth through many Rests most commonly before this day but now it may be the Creature hath such glorious resembled Rests that it cannot be found out before the day of God thus appearing then these seeming Rests are they which are discovered upon the apearance of himselfe in the soule But some soules passe through more then we have spoken of some through fewer according as God keeps the soule and alone becomes the leader of him yet many soules that are come thus high have found them by sad experience and others have found some of them and others more yet it is sometimes Gods way to permit the Creature to run out after the waies of his own heart and at last to hedge up his waies Hos 2. 6. where many soules lie at this day in the wildernesse not knowing what to doe being non-plust in their own spirits not knowing what God is a doing nor what he will doe what they must do sit still they cannot act they cannot but in their old Road. Having shewed the many Rests Soules passe thorow and the difficulty of parting with them together with the waies and means God makes the heart willing that now he may enjoy that true and unchangeable Rest of soules which shall be the next we shall speak of and that is What this true Rest is in which the spirit of a spirituall man must be centred The first description of true Rest AND first of all that Rest of Saints or the description thereof It is something lying naturally out of the Creature or above it not of it selfe attained by it But revealed and made manifest in it who is the Rest whicb alone is God or Christ First Christ it is clear he lives out of the Creature for he lay in the heart of God John 1. 18. before we had a being and is discovered and revealed by God within us when we have a being which was purposed by God to be revealed from God and therein to be a center and Rest to that heart who doth enjoy it Secondly It cannot be attained by the Creature his abilities falling short of the doing of any such worke but he was the purpose of Love freely intended by God before time and as freely without the Creature comes to be made manifest by God in the Creature in time For it is nothing which the Creature of himself can attain which as a sure Rest in the Creature will remaine but it will faile the soule and prove a broken Reed The second description of true Rest Secondly It is an unchangeable and unalterable Being seen by the soule after it is revealed to him which cannot be shaken after the Creature is centred in it wherein the Creature is carried out of himselfe a-above himself to Rest securely above all feares First Christ the eternall Being of Spirits God in God only God he it is that is an unchangeable Being Isa 9. 6. Heb. 13. 8. Mal. 3. 6. which alters not neither is given to change for he was yesterday that is before time he is to day that is in time the same he is for ever that is unto all time Heb. 13. 8. Now if we looke upon Christ as Saints Rest wee must not consider him as he was in any forme or shape for so he altered and changed into divers formes and shapes But we are to consider him as he is God Eternal Blessed yea as he is the power of all powers and so he is the foundation and Rest of Saints For as he was in the flesh he was not to be a Rest but as he was in the Spirit so he is Rest both unchangeable and unalterable In whom there is no variablenesse neither shadow of turning James 1. 17. So that now Saints knowledge of him and their Rest in him is sure and abides And this is that which heightens their assurance to see and know that the Rest of their souls is an unalterable Rest that though dispensations change and he in those disspensations yet the Center of his soul abides for ever and he kept unshaken in it because he Rests and lives in and upon an unshaken unchangeable Center Now shall the disquieted and molested soul live in peace safety and quietnesse and none now can make it in this case afraid but it lives above all feares and torments being kept safe in this Divine Spirit and power where there is neither cause of jealousie or fear but being they are removed and the creature firmly establish'd so that all storms do not molest him and all temptations do not un-rest him but he lives Triumphant above them Triumphing upon them by that power in which he is centred The Third description of true Rest. THirdly It is an unexpressible glorious Center or Being wholly taking up the Creature with it and giving the soul full contentment in it First It is an unexpressible glorious center the Lord promising in Isaiah that he would accomplish a glorious
worke in filling the hearts of his People with the knowledge of himselfe he Centers all in this To him shall the Gentiles seek and his Rest shall be glorious Isa 11. 10. Yea the Rest of Saints is the very Substance of his glory which glory is Christ when he comes to be manifested in his Saints and to be admired by them 2 Thes 1. 9 10. Secondly It wholly takes up the Creature who is Centred in it so as now the soule or spirit is wholly swallowed up of God and unexpressibly overcome is such a soul The glory of God which is Christ is that which swallows up mens spirits and the more it appeares in them the more it overcomes them so as now they are taken up in their spirits being gathered up into it with nothing else but it So as now the souls delight joy solace is now alone in nothing but in him who is become a glorious Center to him Thirdly The Rest of Saints gives Saints full contentment the full satisfaction of Saints lyes in living and Resting compleatly in this glory which truly is Christ so as man sometimes is lost in the greatnesse of it The least manifestation of this glory doth fill the creatures capacity so that untill the capacity be enlarged with more of God it can desire no farther enjoyment or discovery of it so as now his spirit is filled with glory And that which makes it the more satisfactory is the Centering of the spirit up in it Now Christ in the Spirit becoming a Saints Rest all other seeming glories which before the soul was sheltred under and lived upon are now vanished and decayed and the greatnesse of this glory which is the Vision of God yea the manifestation of his glory in man takes up man into it to live wholly in it and so to remaine in compleat satisfaction and contentment of spirit for a great part of a soules Rest consists in this very particular to wit the gloriousnesse thereof together with the swallowing up of the creature with it and the givving the spirit a compleat contentment in it for it would be in time a place of wearinesse unlesse it were a place giving the creature full contentment Secondly It would be no place for Saints to delight and solace themselves in unlesse they could be wholly taken up and swallowed up with that which of necessity must be enjoyed from it and unlesse it did exceed all glory that could be imagined it could be no rest for the spirit of a spirituall man So that it must be an unexpressible glory swallowing up of men spirits with it and giving that spirit compleat satisfaction and contentment in it The fourth description of true Rest IN the fourth place This Rest is a carrying forth of the Creature out of the creature into the place where he had his first being to live for every in him who is now become his manifested being First before we speak of the Rest it self we will observe That there is no true Rest for the creature in himself for if man either rest in his pure naturals or upon any refined property in himself he rests out of his proper Element I mean as he is a spirituall man yea it is both unsafe and unsound so to doe neither can man with any solid delight or true contentment rest in or upon any either pure naturals or refined properties or parts within himself though man could attain to his first principles and purity yet if he rested upon them he would live below the true Center of Spirits for indeed the rest and proper being of all spirits especially those that are renewed is the Eternal Word of God which Word is Christ who made all things in the World of nothing into which nothing they are to return But the spirits of men or especially that renewed spirit of Saints that came downe from the Father of spirits who begot this spirit in them not by flesh but by himself in his spirituall breathings and actings in the Creature which spirit of man cannot live in any true element neither can it live satisfied untill it come into its proper and originall being from whence it came for every thing is in its right place when it is returned into its originall and place from whence it was derived so that the spirit returnes to God that gave it Eccl. 12. 7 and the flesh of the man into the dust from whence it was derived so that man as he is carnall and flesh it cannot be possible that the spirit of any should take much delight in the same so as to make it the satisfying Center But yet after it is renewed it may be compared to Noahs Dove it sees the Deluge and looks abroad in the flesh to the Mountain of former self-actings and pure naturals yet it cannot rest in the same neither can it take any delight therein but is made to return to the Arke Jesus Christ who though he is in the soul yet above it as the Arke above the water so Christ above the Creature though within it as the deluge in the world so that the Creature as man is no fit place for a renewed spirit to be centred up in but he must by divine power be brought out of himselfe into that eternall being of spirits who is said to be above man though in man Eph. 4. 6. as the Arke above the deluge though in the world Now man cannot Rest truly in himself But Secondly The place into which the Soule is carried is and was the first being of his spirit and now manifested so to be to the creature which being was Christ this Christ was Gods eternall thoughts of Love in which man had a being and now comes in time as a Being to be manifested in the Saints so the one was the unknown Being of Saints before time where they lay in the Love and heart of God which nothing could remove them out of it the other Rest is the known Rest and Being of Saints made manifest unto them in time which knowledge begets a returning of spirit who with much wearinesse of spirit have been waiting for such a day of redemption Luke 21. 28. that it might return into its first originall and being and to be fully secured in its God which before it neither knew nor did experience So that after the heart hath a discovery of this Being it is like a Load-stone touching the Needle the Needle can stand no way but towards the North and South so with the Spirit of man after it is touched with his Being and center manifested it is not able to Rest in all the glories or excellencies that can possibly be imagined until it be returned into its being he is like a wicked man or man of this world who cannot act but in his element and like a Fish whose element is in the water so with the spirit of man he cannot act in his right sphere untill he come into his first originall