Glass Rev. 4. 6. does the infinite glory of the divine Sun shine forth for ever with safety in a modifying mixture and allay on blessed Saints and Angels which in its single infinite brightness would overset and consume them Heb. 12. 29. Only the original creature-sun or spirit that 's in personal union with the infinite divinity can behold and enjoy the divine Sun or Spirit in its immediate brightness This supream creature-vail on it is the absolutely necessary means of unvailing it or leting it down with safety to all meer-created beings Angels or Men in their highest spiritual capacities and understandings On this account and in this sense will Christ be a Mediator between God and them to all Eternity The litteral and mystical Sun of the first-creation will set and come to a final period Then will all the flowers of that field litteral or mystical wither fade away and come to nothing as to all the perishing beauty and goodliness thereof But the Word of God the new-creation Gospel-Sun of righteousness will abide for ever upon all the blessed Inhabitants of the true Mount Sion Isa. 40. 6-8 1 Pet. 1. 23-25 On the first sin of Man against God and his Creature-Sun of everlasting Righteousness did Christ with-draw the mysticall first-creation Sun causing it to go down set or disappear to all mankind taking from them what they had and so leaving them in darkness and death dead in trespasses and sins Then as Redeemer does Christ cause this Sun to rise upon them again for the fresh enlightning of every man that comes into the world more or less Joh. 1. 9. with rational first-covenant light against which if they sin it accuses if they obey it it excuses them Rom. 2. 15. This is the Light or Law of rational nature in all men By this Light are men shewed the way for a returning towards the righteous life they were at first created in which is called a making straight in the desert of their barren fallen state a high way for their God Isa. 40. 3. a setting their first-creation House or State in order again But this done and Man growing up into a fruitful flourishing posture herein the ruling intellectual powers and ruled sensual each performing their duty in rightly commanding and obeying still still this very mystical Sun or first-covenant-spirit under the quickning enlivening and fructifying influence whereof all this is done will according to its orderly appointed motions and revolutions with the litteral Sun be withdrawn again go down set and disappear from them Christ as a fleshly-Bridegroom or Husband to them will depart and leave them so as never to shine upon them more there All then that do not timely and obediently surrender and part with all the life fruitfulness and comforts they have found under his influence as the first-covenant Sun of Righteousness in order to receive from him that newness of life in which to be married to him as risen from the dead and bring forth fruits unto God Rom. 7. 1-4 under the influence of his new-covenant-spirit will be found on the setting of the former mystical Sun in a total darkness and death a Night-state in which no man can work righteousness more for ever Vers. VI. The Wind goeth towards the South and turneth about unto the North it whirleth about continually and the wind returneth again according to his circuits Here 's another teaching instructing similitude fetched from the litteral wind Christ in his first and second covenant spirits not unfitly represented by the North and South-wind does powerfully breath and blow upon the spirits of men in the actual distributions of the one and convincing discoveries of the other This mystical wind of Christs twofold creature-spirit is in the workings and motions thereof on men compared to and fitly figured out by litteral winds which manifest themselves in their powerfull effects however unseen in their true cause and nature Christ himself uses this similitude Joh. 3. 8. Vers. VII All the rivers run into the Sea yet the Sea is not full unto the place from whence the rivers come thither they return again The litteral Sea is a figure of mans immortal spirit the fathomless depths of which are such that it is impossible it should ever be filled with all the streames of comfort that can flow into it from all variety of visible or invisible things and excellencies in the whole first-creation World Satan's permitted dominion the sphere and bound of his activity and walk All these things highest lowest and intermediate from the tallest Cedar to the meanest Shrub in the whole lump of this worlds perishing transient vanities are resembled here by gliding rivers Satan has the most glittering excellencies of the first-creation sort in his angelical nature superiour to man's to offer communicate and lay before him to feed upon and delight in He is permitted by God to retain all these in unchangable enmity to him and all his divine Spiritual and Heavenly things in the second Yea also by his sinful transforming skill and power can he gild them over with the neerest resemblance and beautiful appearance of the second so as to deceive if possible the very Elect with his baits and catch them in his snares But the far greater part of mankind feed on husks as his Swine on the lowest part of the dust of this mortal world the gratifying satisfactions of the most brutish lusts of the lowest sort of life in their confounded fallen nature All these things of Man or Angel within the compasse of their first-creation state in distinction from the things of God Delights of the Sons of God in the second are the delights of the Sons of Men. Satan has a vast Herd of Swine amongst men And as for those that are not only enlightned but enlivened quick'ned out of their death in sin into the righteous life of their own nature again he is ready with all sorts of diet suted to the palate of that state And if the single excellencies and dainties suted to their palate in that state will not serve their turn he is ready with his superiour angelical first-creation vanities for them to feed on If these yet will not hold and satisfy them when by Christs spiritual enlightnings convincingly shewed and offered his more excellent new-creation life and things then will he gild over all humane and angelical excellencies and meats with the exactest counterfeit resemblance of the things of God the never perishing meats in the second If this yet will not do he is gone and the true Saint delivered from all his snares All the things of Man or Angel under all Satan's false glosses and glistering appearances of the things of God can never answer or satisfy the vast deep botomless 〈◊〉 of mans immortal spirit The most swelling rivers and full streams of all worldly vanities flowing into it can never fill it Nothing below the Ocean-fulnes of infinite divinity and the rivers of spiritual life flowing there-from and
knowledg of Christ after the flesh 2 Cor. 5. 16. in a righteous Law-Life for the knowledg of him after the spirit in his spiritual Gospel-life into which risen out of the Death of the former Phil. 3. 7-10 This according to his own advice in the Holy Ghost Rom. 7. 1-4 That which is born but of the Flesh of Christ the Fleshly First-Covenant Law-life is but holy flesh not Eternal Life But that that 's Born of his Gospel-Spirit only Jo. 3. 6. The former when taken by himself as made under the Law he Crucified as the only means and way of exalting our nature in himself into the second in which he Lives for evermore So must we As there was an appointed time for him and so for us by his mean's to be Born or have this Righteous Law-Life brought forth in him So was there an appointed time for the death and loss of it in him and is also in us By the fresh Gift and Birth of it from him is he the Healer Planter Restorer and Builder up of Man afresh out of the Shameful Bloody Polluted State of Nature dead in Trespasses and Sins into the Fading Glory Life Wisdom and Righteousness of Man the Goodliness of Holy Flesh which yet is but as a Flower of the Field Isai. 40. 6. This Restoring Healing-work of Christ as to the deadly Wound given to all Men by the First Sin of the First to the top-stone of this Renewed old Building by his comlines or perfect Righteousness of the Law imputed to or put upon them he warn's against the abuse of by an over-value of it over-considence in it and doating love to it so as to prefer it before his offered Spiritual Life and Everlasting Righteousness in the Image of the Heavenly the new Building For this is Mystical Adultery against him as their true Spiritual Lord and Husband worse then Litteral Yea and Murder also as a Murdering Mind of Enmity against him there is Interpreted for which they are to be Judg'd as the most Criminal Adulterers and Murderers All this we find Ezek. 16. 1-15 and v. 38. Man as Dead in Sin is figuratively Charactred by the helpless condition his Body is Born in as to any thing he can do for himself v. 3-6 These Expressions Represent the Dark Black Dismal Bloody Condition and Desolate State of his Spirit that none but Christ can help Let him look within without and round about him there 's none to Pity or have Compassion upon him that can help him This disconsolate State and Extremity God declares to be a motive and opportunity to him to help him restore Life to him Cleanse or Sanctify him and by Imputation of another's Righteousness justify him and render him fruitful in his Restor'd Naturals under the Fructifying Influences of Christ as a Fleshy Bride-groom and Husband who also puts the Mystical Ornaments Bracelets and Jewels of Supernatural Spiritual Enlightning Gifts upon him And he causes him to feed at his earthly First-Covenant Table on such Meats or Communications from him as tend to Nourish Strengthen and Build him up into a Fruitful Flourish in that Life to the Encreasing with the Encreases of Man not of God in the Wisdom aud Glory of his own Life not of God's So grows he exceeding Beautiful prospering into a kind of Kingdom State in his own Life and way consisting in a Ruling Power of his Restored Spirit over all the Inferiour Powers of Nature in him Such Kings Paul found amongst the Corinthians 1 Cor. 4. 8. Multitudes refuse this common Salvation love their Chains and Bondage under the Brutish Lusts of their fallen degenerate nature so as not to accept of deliverance there-from And Multitudes of First-Covenant Believers and Professors that receive this Common Salvation refuse the Special the Crowning benefit of Christ's Death his Spiritual New-Creation or New-Covenant Life his unspeakable Gift Their Restor'd Spirit of Nature or the Law is still a Spirit of Bondage under the Law and Curse Gal. 3-10 another State of Death by Filth of Spirit or Enmity to God's Spirit in which alone they can be finally saved Paul found his Holy Flesh or Restor'd Natural State a Body a Law of Sin and Death as Phil. 3. 6. and Ro. 7. 24. 8. 2 compared do Evidence Man's Rational Powers and Free-Will at best are the Living Holy Sacrifice God requires as their reasonable Service and true Gospel-Free-Will Offering unto him by the death of all Rom. 12. 1. Final refusing to do this renders men Conformable to this World v. 2. yea to the Devil the God of this World who has set up his Superiour worldly life wisdom and glory in unchangable enmity to God Thus fall first covenant Saints by refusing the second and crowning benefit of Christ's death under greater Guilt and sorer Condemnation then if they never had received the First They refuse to listen to Christ's Heavenly second voice and call to them out of the Fading Life and Earthly Freedom of the Sons of Men into the Everlasting Life and Glorious Liberty of the Sons of God Thus do Men sin away their First-Covenant Life and second Covenant Light again after the Similitude of Adam ' s Transgression by preferring such Life and Ornaments to the very Gospel New-Covenant more excellent Life and way 1 Cor. 12. 31. And so come they to a latter end worse then their beginning either in Innocency or as Born dead in Sin because now Irrecoverably Unpardonably and Unchangably dead This then is Solomon's meaning here God has appointed a time for the Birth and Death the Planting and Plucking up the Building and Pulling down the Healing and Wounding or Killing and Destroying Man as to this mortal first-covenant-life of his own nature The Birth of the Planting and Building him up therein is the ground and cause of his Laughing Dancing Exulting and Rejoycing in the Embraces of Christ as a fleshly Bride-groom The pulling down and destroying all this again by his Gospel-Cross or spiritual Sword is the cause of his Weeping and Mourning All this have we Vers. 2 3 4. Vers 5. A time to cast away Stones and a time to gather Stones together a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing Christ has a set time for gathering together the stones of Man's ruined desolated Building in his own nature and a time to pull down his rebuilt natural state and cast away the stoues thereof again uot leaving one stone upon another in this fleshly Church-building Thus serv'd he the first mystical Temple-building of our spotless nature in himself figured in his Prophecy of the downfal of the litteral Temple at Jerusalem in Answer to his Disciples Mat. 24. 1 2. Christ has a time to embrace Men as a fleshly Bridegroom to them and a time to refrain from embracing on his dying and departing from them there And he requires them to desire expect or look after him no more there for a knowledg of him after the Flesh but wholly fix
they break with him and then he departs Jer. 31 32. In this sense God Repents Gen. 6. 6. that is changes his dispensation towards Back-sliding Man If Man turn his changable Righteous Life in the first into unchangable Enmity to God and his second-Covenant Life Christ will turn from a changable Husband and Saviour to them in the first into an unchangable Enemy to them in the second Isai. 63. 8. 10. If a Back-sliding people return to him he returns to them and repents of the Evil threat'ned them Exod. 32. 14. Jer. 26. 19. Jonah 3. 10. But he overthrew Sodom c And Repented not of the evil of Punishment Threat'ned because they Repented not of the evil of Sin by them Committed Jer. 20 16. On Man's obedient chang of his sickle Life and freedom of the Sons of Men for the unchangable Life and Glorious Liberty of the Sons of God all this Starting Repenting doings is past on all hands What God does for and in Man by his New-Creation-Workmanship will continue for ever and they in an everlasting Covenant Union with him Establish'd in all things and sure They 'l never depart from him nor he from them to do them good Jer. 32. 40. No breach incident to the new-covenant Jer. 31. 33 34. because manag'd in a Spirit on God's part and Man's too that can never err Sin or miscarry T is infallible Truth and Ever-lasting Righteousness in Christ and his Saints Whatever God yea or Man doth in this Spirit shall be for ever All the Fruits Labours Works produced or done therein are Incorruptible Everlasting will be for ever As the new Root and Tree so are the Fruits and very 〈◊〉 The Incorruptible Gospel-Tree will be known by its fruits in distinction from the Mystical Fleshly Law-Tree and Corruptible Fruits thereof T. Nothing can be put to it nor any thing taken from it God's offring and setting up his new-creature Life with the glory Wisdom and Righteousness thereof in the room of Man's obediently surrendred old is the main design and scope of all Scripture This 〈◊〉 where are Men with all the words of their Foolish Wisdom Setting up Law-Life for Salvation and Calling it a Gospel-State is directly Satan's Gospel-Work his Mystery of Iniquity with its hidden Works of darkness under the Form of Godliness and Righteousness of Man All the Mystical Spiritual sense of Scripture is by such excluded out of all their Teaching Those that thus take away or deny a spiritual Creature-Life in Christ the Whole Living Book and Word of God and so the Character Doctrin and declaration thereof in the Scriptures or Written Oracles of God do take not only some but all the principal intended things Engraven by God himself in the former or by his Holy Inspired Pen-men in the latter And then will God take from them any part of the truly good things in either and Inflict on them all the Plagu's Written in both Rev. 22. 18 19. Sure 't is no small retail-heresy that exclud's all Gospel Truth and the whole Doctrine of Salvation This does Man's Wisdom that 's Foolishness to God's and reckon's all the Word 's of God's and whole Gospel-Doctrin of his Cross upon nature at best Foolishness 1 Cor. 1. 18-25 It shuts up the Kingdom of Heaven excludes all Kingdom-Life and sense of Scripture But though Gospel-undertakers herein not only derogate from and diminish but what in them lies utterly Deny Despise and Destroy all true Gospel-Life and Doctrin in Christ Scriptures and Saints 't is not by all their or Satan's 〈◊〉 Wiles and Skill that any thing can be taken from it or added to it All the Opprobrious Titles of Hereticks Enthusiasts or Phanaticks Blasphemers Mad-men that they bestow on Christ Jo. 10. 20. and true Saints Hos. 9. 7. belong intirely to themselvs This will be undeniably Evidenc'd at Christ's second appearing and final Decision of all Controversies between true Spiritual Zion-Saints and these Hypocritical 〈◊〉 in Zion Isai. 66. 5. and 34. 8. that in the worded-dress of Spiritual Saint-ship and New-Covenant Principles are but a Law-spirited Generation that only personate and would pass for the true Heirs and so labour to 〈◊〉 them out of their right and take their Inheritance from them These are the Ravenous Wolves in the Spiritual Sheeps Clothing that bestow no other Titles on them but Devil and Mad as Inquisitors on Lutherans and so Kill them as not fit to live upon the Earth Act. 22. 22. The determining this Controversy will give an amazing Consternation and Disappointment to Hypocritical Sinners in Zion and unspeakable Joy to the all along this World under Satan's Reign and in Man's day oppressed Sion-Saints Is. 33. 14. This will be when Christ arises or comes forth to Judg Enemies and have Mercy upon Zion Psal. 102. 13. In his new-Creature-Spirit and Life God does whatsoever he will and Enables Saints to do so too even whatsoever he will's as universally Obedient to him in every thing No Man or Angel in single First-Creation-Light or Understanding can discern this Spirit of Life or any of the things thereof and therefore would make nothing of them all Proud Man and Angel will needs have any thing they can't see to be nothing But God hath so order'd his matters as to the final Salvation of Man that Men should fear before him yield to his term's of saving them and not Proudly and Presumptuously exalt themselvs against him in that Life and Wisdom the Death and utter abolition of which according to the declared Methods of his Wisdom is absolutely necessary to their being saved So only can any receive that Life in which infallibly to know and declare the whole Counsel and to do the whole Will of God after his own Heart Solomon having declared this Incorruptibly perfect New-Creature-Life that admits to Chang Addition or Diminution for ever when compleated being above all Death Dangers Enemies or Fears proceed's to shew the Weakness Insufficiency and unprofitableness of all other Life or things First-Creation Vanities compared therewith saying Vers. XV. That which hath been is now and that which is to be hath already been and God requireth that which is past Somewhat like what is said Ch. 1. 9. That which hath bin in former Generations is now a gradually Restor'd First-Covenant Righteous Life And that which is to be set up again in full perfection at Christ's second Comming for the Restitution of all things Act. 3. 21. hath already bin in Primitive Innocency But still still what is this that has been at first and shall be at last in full Perfection and in the gradual Renewals of it all along between A Starting Labile Versatile thing a fading flower altogether Vanity liable not only to such a fall as happen'd to Man at first into changable but also into unchangable Enmity to God and Eternal Death to Man This is a latter end worse then the beginning in Innocency or as Born dead in Trespasses and Sins This Life
Spirit are after a peculiar manner in the hand of God or under his peculiar regard care and approbation as obedient to him in all things Yet by any outward dispensations his Love to them or Hatred to his and their implacable Enemies can't be known For the natural Man or State is gratified in Enemies with more then heart can wish and in Saints or Friends under continual Chastisements Crosses and Disappointments In this cryptick Method or mysterious Course of God's dealing with Friends as Foes and Foes as Friends in all discernable appearances to Man's Wisdom will Man judg enemies the only Favorites of God and Friends rejected cast-aways hated by him for ever as Job's enlighten'd Friends did seem to reckon him when under the Cross Job 4. 7 -9. Psal. 73. 7 -14. Heb. 12. 6 -8. Solomon in the Wisdom of God and true Spirit of Prophecy farther declares Vers. 2. All things come alike to all there is one Event to the righteous and to the wicked to the good and to the clean and to the unclean to him that sacrificeth and to him that sacrificeth not as is the good so is the sinner and he that sweareth as he that feareth an Oath In God's dispensations to the outward Man of Saints and Sinners all things come alike to all righteous and wicked good and bad clean and unclean So God's Love or Hatred cannot thereby be known God causes his Sun to shine and Rain to fall on the evil and good just and unjust Mat. 5. 45. From the afflicting or gratifying dispensations of God to the whole natural Man is the Wisdom of Man apt to take the measures of God's Anger or Love God affords invisible as well as visible good things of this World to the inner as well as outer natural Man the Spirit as well as Body of the rebellious as also of those who will prove obedient Saints This as one fruit of Christ's Redemption-work Psal. 68. 18. As to a first-covenant Benefit ' of Christ's death the common or general Salvation all Men are capable of may they be made wise strong and honourable in Christ yea by new or second-Covenant Light also shew'd offer'd and brought to tast and see how good and gracious the Lord is in his new-Covenant-life and after all irrecoverably apostatize and perish for ever 1 Cor. 4. 10. Heb. 6. 4 -6. If man finally keep up his restor'd first-creation changeable righteous Life in enmity to God and his second he perishes for ever If he prefer the Knowledg of Christ after the flesh in the restor'd righteous Life of the Law or conformity to him as born of a Woman under the Law to Christ after the Spirit or in his spiritual resurrection-Life he perishes for ever In this evil self-chosen life and way does God in Judgment gratify Men with invisible fading or natural good things beyond all they can wish Psal. 73. 7. The literal wicked in the corrupt and mystically wicked in the resin'd spirit of Nature may be gratified with all worldly desirables outward or inward to their bodies or spirits and perish for ever after all under the Wrath to come All this Solomon understood and declar'd The natural Understanding even in the spiritual Saint can't reach these mysteries of Providence in the promiscuous dispensations of God to good and bad as to all worldly desirables visible or invisible Psal. 73. The truly righteous good and clean 〈◊〉 his natural Life to God as fearing an Oath or the swearing an everlasting Covenant with the Devil in the first-creation state against God and the second So comes his heart in a newness of life to be set in him to do good in God's sight for ever He that swears that Covenant with the Devil is fully set to do Evil for ever Eccl. 8. 11. However undiscern'd the Saint's condition be to his Enemies under the love of God in this life God will at last manifest the difference between them that serve him and those that serve him not but swear everlasting Allegiance to the Devil Mal. 3. 18. whose Servants they are Rom. 6. 16. Vers. 3. This is an evil among all things that are done under the Sun ' that there is one Event unto all yea also the heart of the Sons of Men is full of evil and madness is in their Heart while they live and after that they go to the dead The death of Nature as to the mortal life of Body and Soul is the one Event to all Men. This fatal Period comes nature to in the wise and fool righteous and wicked The spiritual wise Man only is an unspeakeable gainer by all such losses as befals his nature with his fellows Out of the darkness and death brought on his natural state is he raised into the spiritual light and life of God The same darkness and death brought upon others in Wrath for refusing it in Love becomes their dreadful condition and portion for ever under Wrath. This exceedingly differing Event of the said same event the Death of nature in all Men is not consider'd or discern'd by Man's Wisdom Hence Solomon says how dies the wise Man As the Fool there 's no remembrance of the one more then of the other for ever Eccles 2. 16. in Man's day or Judgment The differing event of the Cross in Love or Wrath turning all first-creation Wisdom Light and Life into foolishness darkness and death Man's Wisdom sees not All wisdom beauty or desirableness in nature will perish and be forgotten in all Men for ever On this account as to any thing in nature the truely wise dies as the Fool. For both by death lose all the changeable Life and fading Glory of their own nature But the said wise 〈◊〉 obedient surrender of all receive a more excellent Life and Glory for ever and those that rebelliously keep it lose all for ever under Wrath in everlasting darkness So though the same Event happen to all as to the death of nature the event of that event is exceedingly different eternal life or death Those that do not obediently part with their own first-creation Life and Wisdom for God's in the second seem charact'red here by a heart full of evil and madness while they live and after that they go to the dead Yea they are dead while they live as 〈◊〉 in enmity to God which must needs be eternal death to them The best Works of righteous Nature fix'd in enmity to the Righteousness of God in his Spirit of Grace are but dead Works perform'd in a spirit of Enmity and Death True Repentance from dead Works Heb. 6. 1. imports Law-Conversion from nature dead in Trespasses and Sins Eph. 2. 1. to the righteous life of a Man But this second death of righteous nature by a fixure in enmity is worse then the former and exposes to the second death as the due punishment thereof the vengeance of eternal fire Rev. 20. 14. This is the latter end worse then any beginning which many self-confident
thereby even the promis'd gift of an everlasting righteous Life and so all their own fading good again with usury The Law or law-life in Man or Angel us'd unlawfully as kept up for Weapons of War in rebellion against Christ's Gospel-life is destroy'd by the said Sinner in evil Angels and Men. They thus destroy and frustrate all the good intended in and by their first-creation State and for ever exclude themselves from the immutable good of the second So destroy they much good even the whole good of the first and second Creation By the lawful use of the first they might have had all the good of both By the unlawful use thereof they spoil and lose all all the good given them in the former and offer'd them in the latter Then as six'd in unchangeable enmity to God they must fall and lie down for ever under the unchangeable Wrath of God as their undeniably just portion CHAP. X. V. 1. Dead Flies Heb. flies of death cause the Ointment of the Apothecary to send forth a stinking savour so doth a little Folly him that is in reputation for Wisdom and Honour THe dead flies or flies of death found in Men since the fall that cause the first-covenant precious Ointment of Christ the great mystical Apothecary or perfumer of Man's filthy loathsome corrupt polluted nature dead in trespasses and sins are a character of the 〈◊〉 to God's divine and creature-spirit which is filth of spirit in Man This enmity as the single product of the first sin is call'd the little folly in eminently restor'd righteous Man that with Job is there in great reputation for Wisdom and Honour Job 29. 7 -10 This little folly a changeable pardonable curable enmity to God in all comparatively with the great folly the incurable unpardonable great transgression or presumptuous sin unto death as thro' Man's wilful madness this changeable is turn'd into a fix'd unchangeable enmity to God in many this little folly what a noise it made in Job against the dispensation of the Cross when under it as we find at large by the reproofs Elihu and Christ himself came upon him with Job 32 to almost the end of that Book Man in the honour he was created in not understanding or duly considering the changeable nature of that honour and slipperiness of his standing in it soon fell and became as the Beasts that perish Psal. 49. 12 20. a brutified meer sensual creature as 't were having forfeited the righteous life of a Man And when restor'd by the redeemer out of that polluted bloody condition into the same kind of changeable first-covenant righteous life of a Man again Ezek. 16. 6. so as to remove and take off the punishment of the first sin the first sin it self is not hereby cured but through this very fresh coming of the command or Christ's setting up his first-covenant Law-life in him again does this sin of Enmity revive also which with and in dead nature lay as dead into an active bold confident daring presumptuous resisting of God and his Gospel-spirit as Paul experienc'd Rom. 7. 9 -11. And had he obstinately persisted in that course when convinced of his duty it had slain him for ever But he yielded to the death of that restor'd 〈◊〉 covenant law-life as the known means of abolishing that 〈◊〉 which reviv'd sprang up with it and is inseparable from it No way then to be rid of that enmity but by being rid of that life under the Cross. And no other way or on no other or lower and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 can God's Gospel-life of 〈◊〉 Righteousness be 〈◊〉 by or set up in us He therefore gloried in nothing save the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that by its twofold death and life-operation runs down the 〈◊〉 covenant life and 〈◊〉 up the second crucified all 〈◊〉 life and desire in his spirit to all this World's desirables and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it Gal. 6. 14. and set up a life in him the Palate Belly or 〈◊〉 and Desire whereof wholly and only savour'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 desir'd and 〈◊〉 after the things of God things eternal delights of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God He so became alive only to the World to come and that to him a meer Pilgrim and Stranger in and to this to the delights of the Sons of Men things seen temporal 1 Pet. 2. 11. 2 Cor. 4. 18. The dead Fly or little solly here is the same with the little leaven that leavens the whole lump Gal. 5. 9 of mankind which can be purg'd out of any no otherwise then by the death and Sacrifice of Nature at best from which inseparable And then with our sacrific'd spotless Nature in Christ our Pass-over shall we find that the destroying Angel even Christ with the same spiritual-Sword or Gospel-Cross will pass over us as to that use he will make of it in Wrath upon all fix'd incorrigible enemies Angels or Men. This fix'd leaven or Doctrine of the Pharisees in a sowr'd leaven'd spirit of unchangeable enmity in a 〈◊〉 Covenant righteous life against the second Law against Gospel is that Christ warn'd his Disciples to beware of Mat. 16. 6 11 12. For this cause did Christ sanctify our nature by the death thereof in himself that by the like death-sanctification the same fire-Baptism of his heavenly Spirit of Truth on our earthy-spirit of enmity and falshood he might sanctify it in us Joh. 17. 17 19. The enmity or Fly of death becoming unchangeable in Men renders them a most stinking abomination to God for ever Their Soul unchangeably loaths God's Soul or Spirit of Grace and his them Then Christ's fresh first-Covenant Gift that was for a season as salt to dry up the fleshly filth of their polluted nature loses its savour and the whole person becomes a stinking loathsome thing as all-over polluted with a spreading incurable Leprosy or most noisom Disease Vers. 2. A wise Man's heart is at his right hand but a fool's heart at his left Here 's a description of the truly wise and of the greatest fool The heart of the former is at his right hand fix'd and set to follow those right counsels of God in the life activity desire and thought of the incorruptible Seed of God's right-hand-planting in him by a new-creation which will set him at Christ's right hand when fools or lustful Goats in the activity life and desire of the corruptible seed of his left-hand-planting in them by a first-creation in which wholly set upon this worlds vanities will be found at his left-hand and doom'd to eternal punishment Mat. 25. 33 46. Saints give up their fleshly Tree with the fruits or works thereof their left-hand first-Covenant life to the death of the Cross that they may receive that right-hand second Covenant Gospel-life wherein to be wise unto Salvation Others of a perfectly contrary mind fool themselves into eternal damnation Vers. 3. Yea also when he that is a fool walketh by the way his Wisdom Heb. heart faileth him and
deep dark dungeon and miry pit of all sorts of filth of flesh or spirit a litteral or mystical Sodom in the corrupt or righteous life thereof in the dark as to the excellent things God offers and wholly disposed and inclined to close with Satan's offers out of his vast heap of perishing vanities Merriment and Jollity in such a destructive course is madness God therefore calls man into a state of poverty mourning and death as to all this life of vanity and that as the only possible way of his deliverance from all evil Prov. 1. 33. Vers. III. I sought in mine heart to give my self unto wine yet acquainting my heart with Wisdom and to lay hold on Folly till I might see what was that good for the Sons of men which they should do under the Heaven all the dayes of their life Vers. IV. I made me great Works I builded me Houses I planted me Vineyards Vers. V. I made me Gardens and Orchards and I planted Trees in them of all kind of Fruits Vers. VI. I made me Pooles of Water to water therewith the Wood that bringeth forth Trees Vers. VII I got me Servants and Maidens and had Servants born in my House also I had great Possessions of great and smal Cattel above all that were in Jerusalem before me Vers. VIII I gathered me also silver and gold and the peculiar treasure of Kings and of the Provinces I gat me Men-singers and Women-singers and the delights of the sons of men as musical Instruments and that of all sorts Vers. IX So I was great and increased more then all that were before me in Jerusalem also my Wisdom remained with me Vers. X. And whatsoever mine Eyes desired I kept not from them I withheld not my heart from any Joy for my heart rejoyced in all my labour and this was my portion of all my labour Here 's in Letter a larg account of Solomon's most desireable circumstances as to his outward condition in this World He excell'd other Kings in all kind of wealth wisdom greatness and honour 1 Kings 10. 23. Of all worldly contentments he had more then heart could wish And he set his heart to deny no desires thereof but fetcht up the utmost pleasure and satisfaction to himself that all these things could afford him To interpret then Every outward circumstance was figurative to the inward condition and mystical riches of his spirit All import in mystery his beautiful structure in the glory and wisdom of a first-covenant life and the workes of his own hands therein All this Paul counted dung and parted with for the riches wisdom and righteousness of God in his Gospel-spirit of grace and truth Phil. 3. 6-9 The wisdom inward beauties and excellent natural accomplishments of Solomon's spirit are here represented by stately Houses fruitfull Gardens Orchards c. At length in the awaken'd principle of true wisdom from the Fountain of living Waters he sees and declares the vanity of his broken Cistern or leaky natural Vessel with all the fading Waters buildings plantings and fruitfulnesses thereof All within man and all from without relating to him in this world is but Meats for a belly and a belly for Meats all perishing vanities God will destroy all belly and meats desires and desireables All confidence laughter mirth and joy therein is folly and madness All natural perfections and excellencies in the unstain'd purity of his first-creation state together with the convincing discoveries and revelations of the spiritual perfections and excellencies of the second soon ran out of the leaky natural Vessel of the first Adam He did not long keep the twofold waters of first-covenant Life or second-covenant Light the loss of both soon left him and all his posterity in darkness and death Dead in 〈◊〉 and sins Solomon finds all his natural braveries outward or inward but tottering Houses leaky Vessels all his possessions therein altogether vanity In the infallible light of spiritual wisdom he makes a right judgment of his natural principle and all fruits works or buildings therein typed by the abundant litteral varieties of pompous Houses Plantations c. All is vanity say's he This is the result this his verdict on the review of all after his full trial largest draughts and utmost experience of all possible desireables or satisfactions to be found in nature To particularize farther Men-singers and Women-singers may sitly signify the well-tuned frame and pleasant harmony of Solomons spirit in the orderly comportment and beautiful subjection of the sensual to his rational and intellectual powers figured by great and small Cattel making up but the humane Beast in scripture Language Every man is a Beast by his own knowledg in the utmost wisdom of his own nature earthly sensual so all in Man or Angel is call'd short of spiritual new-creation life having not the spirit Jude 19. so if fixed in devilish by unchangable enmity to that spirit and God most high Jam. 3. 15. The head of fallen Angels in the fading glory of first-creation life rebelliously exalted against the second is the most subtil beast in the first world or field Gen. 3. 1. Solomon gathered Silver and Gold was great and encreased more then all before him in Jerusalem mystical Gold and Silver the peculiar treasure of Kings such Princes of this world Scribes Pharisees c. in the riches flourish and fruitfulness of their own restored nature made wise strong and honourable by and in Christ there as crucified the prince of life in the next the Lord of Glory In sum he exceeded all such mysticall 1 Cor. 4. 8. as well as litteral Kings of the earth for wisdom and for riches inward and outward And his great delight in both and all is figured by Men and Women-singers with musical Instruments of all sorts importing his full injoyment of the utmost delights of the Sons of Men nature in it's most widen'd capacity can take in Whatever his eyes desired he kept not from them nor withheld his heart from any joy He allowed himself a latitude of rambling to take his utmost pleasure in all the litteral and all the mystical riches and fruits of his labours He rejoyced in this portion as the result of all his labour reckoning he had ground so to do The wisdom of God that remained with him in under all this doings was the only preservative in him that kept him from sinking and drowning in this full tide and affluence of all worldly desireables streaming into him He gives proof of the awakened exercise of this wisdom in this recantation-book and of the contrary Judgment thereof to man's at best as to the things wherein his true hapiness lies In the hurry of his busy active natural mind in worldly contrivances and enjoyments this true wisdom in him lay sorely clouded obstructed silenced and neglected But at last up it gets under Christ's powerful influence and pronounces himself and all his former designs works and injoyments in his own
of God Ye never find it else or enter it 〈◊〉 from your own understanding Consult not or conferr with flesh and blood in your selvs or others what ye shall do to be saved That principle will never own one right word towards eternal life T' is a flat enemy to every word of God's Wisdom about it They that despise and wonder at such words will everlastingly perish Acts. 13. 41. Those that gad abroad in a spirit of vanity enmity and death to chang their way from form to form in Religion toss'd and Tumbled up and down by every Wind of Satan's and Man's Doctrin or other Gospel who can help them That that dieth say's God let it die and that that is to be cut off let it be 〈◊〉 off Zec. 11. 9. Litteral and Mystical Sodom do seem to carry all before them in this most Antichristian-day and Perillous Season A Gospel-Testimony is almost universally rejected When Christ himself Preach'd he met with Multitudes of Wilfull Proud Heady Traiterous Contradicting and Blaspheming first-covenant Saints Wise Righteous Holy Men in the form of godliness in the first denying the Power of it in the second-Covenant Spirit the Gospel-Principle This was alway's the case And even so is it now 2 Tim. 3. 1-5 Gal. 4. 29. Who but Professours in Holy Flesh urg'd Christ's Crucifixion when Pilate and his Heathen Party would have freed him They 'd rather a Robber a Murderer any Malefactor should scape then he Wise Righteous Holy Men and a Currupt Dark Profane Grosly Idolatrous Party are in a contesting Scramble But both have had their season to speak Lies at one Table against the Saints of the most High Are we at a loss for an instance The Vizard will flie off The guilty Shedders of Innocent Blood will be unpalliated at last and forc'd to appear in their more then Ethopian hiew that yet lies hid under the form of Godliness God exercises long-suffering towards them and lets them think him such a one as themselvs till he set their Sins in order before their Eyes and so tear them in pieces that none can deliver Psal. 50. 20-22 His long-suffering towards Enemies is with design to compleat and fulfill the Patience or Sufferings of his Saints by their hand for their unspeakable advantage and their Enemies final Destruction A Comfortable Consideration True Saints ought to Comfort themselvs and one another with such right Words and Thoughts In conclusion Christ will appear to their Joy and their Enemies shall be asham'd Isai. 66. 5. Yea lie down in Sorrow and Everlasting Contempt as Vessels of Dishonour Eternity will be a long day to pay their full reckoning in God in the exercise of his infinite Justice and Mercy will bring all to rights give every one their due recompence for Obedience to or Rebellion against him New-covenant Gospel-Saints are more odious to the legal first-covenant professour then is the common sinner of the Gentiles in the corrupt spirit of nature The wisdom of this world in the most enlightned first-covenant Saint Wise strong and Honourable in Christ there is 〈◊〉 to God's and God's in his new-covenant Saints to theirs Was not Paul a fool weak and despicable in Christ's Gospel-spirit to but such wise strong and honourable ones in Christ 1 Cor. 4. 10. Flesh and Spirit or Man's spirit and God's are directly contrary to each other in all their designs desires and thoughts about true Salvation The former fixed in is the carnal mind of enmity to God Rom. 8. 6 7. that will prove eternal death to man The latter becomming the principle of life desire thought and action in Man is eternal life to him and in him The carnal mind of enmity was not found in Man or Angel the day they were created Ezek. 28. 15. Neither of them as they came out of their Creator's hands were found in enmity to God or the life of his spirit of Grace though they had it not till they both sinn'd and fell The voluntary evil rebellious use of their own mind introduced this enmity to God's Changable enmity in man is now inseperable from his life Unless therefore life and all at best be parted with he will become unchangable therein as Devils are and so be found in a state of eternal death No wonder then if in the place of Judgment and Righteousness or in the most enlight'ned Righteous state of the natural spirit in fallen Man and Angel be found by the al-searching spirit of Christ in himself and Saints the deepest and most Criminal Mystical Wickedness and Iniquity hidden works of Darkness rendring them most abominable to God unchangable Enemies to the Saints of the most high and to ths most High himself But what Have Gospel-Saints all truth and First-Covenant Saints none Can any believe this Yet most true Let but the Scripture-sense of truth be duly considered as the Character of the Gospel Spirit and words thereof in distinction from the Law-Spirit of this World in all its variety and words thereof the Wonder at and unbelief of this would cease But does the wise first-Covenant Holy Man receive nothing of a Gospel-Testimony Not one word No man in the Spirit of nature corrupt or righteous rightly receives such Testimony in any point That Spirit is a Spirit of total darkness and Universal Errour an absolute Heretick as to all Gospel-Life and truths This seem's hard What then The Jews were for Moses who but they Christ found they took not the Mystical truth of one word of Moses So told them they were Infidels as to the principal intendment and main scope of all his Writings For says he had ye believed Moses ye would have believed me But if ye believe not his Writings how shall ye believe my Words Jo. 5. 46 47. The Scriptures are own'd as the Words of God by all under the name of Christians but how do they read hear or understand them In the litteral Shadow only or Mystical truth also As teaching and preferring the Righteousness and Wisdom of Man to the dark ignorant State and Vile Affections of the corrupt Spirit of nature only or as also farther declaring the everlasting Life Wisdom and Righteousness of God in his Gospel-Spirit of Grace and Truth For this latter nature at best is to suffer death the right way Viz by the death of the guilty Sinner and so death of Sin in Men whereas by the fall Men became dead in Sin Sin alive in them and they dead now they alive and Sin dead and that for ever This by the death-work of the Cross or Gospel-Spirit on the natural Men in their own confused Spirit of Darkness as to all Gospel-Truths have much variety of thought and Opinion But all as one Man are against every tittle of Gospel-truth words of God's Wisdom which the Holy Ghost teaches Though they all read all the Words of God's Wisdom in the Letter they do not read them in the sense of Christ's Question to the Lawyer or teaching
Levit's and a Plague on some others of the People Exod. 32. They said v. 4. and Jeroboam said after them in the like case behold thy Gods O Israel which brought thee up out of the Land of Egypt O Madness To the Egyptian God's that could not deliver their own People from them do they ascribe their deliverance from their Egyptian Bondage and Task-Masters So Ahaz Sacrificed to the God's of Damascus which were the ruine of him and all Israel 2 Chron. 28. 22 23. and 2 King 16. 10-13 So also Amaziah set up the Edomit's Gods to be his Gods and sought after them which could not deliver their own People out of his hands 2 Chro. 26. 14 15. and was destroy'd for his pains as threat'ned by the Prophet for not hearkning to his Counsell though against and contrary to the King 's Wicked Idolatrous Council v. 16. 27. And what became of Jeroboam for his Calf-worship erected on a self Interested Reason of State See 1 King 14. 10 11. I le cut of Jeroboam and take away the Remnant of his House as a Man takes away Dung till it be all gone Him that dieth of him in the City shall Dogs Eat and him that dies in the Field shall the Fowls of the Air Eat For the Lord hath spoken it Is not here enough When Christ shall take possession of and actually reign over all the Earth his right always Psal. 2. 8. all Visible and Invisible Principalities and Powers of this World Evil Men and Angels will be laid in the Dust. Nothing but Righteousness of one sort or other Man's or God's in Man will be found in the whole World his Holy Mountain or Kingdom by his Executing that Judgment and Justice in the Earth Jer. 23. 5. always all along his peaceable Righteous Reign that they allway's perverted Saints also that he will bring with him to Reign will do the like in Harmony with their Universal Fift Monarch Dan. 7. 18 -- 27. Jude 14 15. Rev. 5. 10. Solomon in Spiritual Light sees and mean's not only nor chiefly the oppression of the Body in the concerns thereof by Heathen Governments violating the Common Law or Light of rational nature in mankind but the Oppression and Violence exercis'd by first-Covenant Brethren against the second the only true Heirs and Saints of the most high The new Light and Life they are found in under the fructifying Influence and Beamings forth of the Mystical New-Creation Sun of everlasting Righteousness Christ as a Spiritual Bride-groom is Scorn'd Hated contradicted Blasphem'd and they Persecuted and kill'd for 't by none so much as by their envious Brethren in Holy Flesh restor'd Law-Life under the Mystical first-Creation Sun or First-Covenant Spirit wherein Christ has bin a sleshly Law-Bride-groom to them Thus are true Saints the Oppressed peculiarly and most properly here and Chap. 5. 8. meant by Solomon And then shall we find the vast number of Dead Heathens in the corrupt Life or Spirit of nature dead in Trespasses and Sins and the far smaller number of enliven'd first-Covenant Brethren professing Saints in Holy Flesh in all variety of Judgment Form or way in one kind or other Oppressours of the smallest number of all Christ's little Flock the few that are saved true Saints of the most High in God's Holy New-Creature-Spirit stripp'd and destitute of all Worldly Power or help All in this World against them No thing No body for them They are Men Wonder'd at Scorn'd Hated by all Men of Contention with the whole Earth The whole Earth or wordly party of Angels and Men fix'd in their earthy natural first-Creation-make and State despiteful Enemies to the Spirit of Grace and all in the second are their Implacable Adversaries in every thing The but first-Covenant Righteous Professour call himself what he will sometimes gets a considerable Share in the Civil Sword or Power and uses it with greatest fierceness against the new-Covenant professing Spiritual Saint who with Christ look's not after the Kingdom of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heavenly managable only in the Spirit of 〈◊〉 not the most enlight'ned righteous Principles or State of nature and not actually commencing till Man's and Satan's be at a Period Such a Kingdom such a King or Kings as Christ and his true Disciples lay claim to or own themselvs of right to be as Sons of God even Heathen Pilate was able to see and Judg carries no clash in it at all with Worldly Ceasars or Magistracies John 18. 36-38 True Saints are not for throwing down all Heathen Magistracies in the corrupt Spirit of nature that they may rule over all in the renew'd worldly spirit thereof They that design and drive at this are the Pseudo-Fift-Monarchists who in all their Zeal and high Pretences for the King Jesus are the highest and fiercest Enemies and Opposers of the very Jesus the very Christ in his very Gospel-reigning Spirit of Grace and Truth They are themselvs the most signal part and Branch at least of that little Horn with the Mouth speaking very great things Dan. 7 8. 11. 20 21. 24 25. Rev. 13. 3. 5 -- 8. 11 -- 17 which they would wholly fix upon and appropriate unto a corrupt and grosly Idolatrous Heathen party in the Fourth Roman Monarchy under the name Christian. These are they with the deadly Wound Healed given by the first Sin that laid all Mankind dead in Trespasses and Sins who with a great mouth speak great things blasphemous words against God and his new-name or Gospel-Spirit the Holy Ghost God's Heavenly Sanctuary or Tabernacle and them that dwell in it even the Saints of the most high that dwell or have their conversation in Heaven Christ's Heavenly Gospel-Spirit of Grace By the false Fift-Monarchist is to be understood not only a party peculiarly and apart from their Fellows at Munster or lately amongst us or in any former Generations and other Countries pretending this way by throwing down all corrupt Worldly Monarchies or Governments to set up themselvs but the whole fixed first Covenant-Spirited Generation and Party of Professours in all times and places found in the same uniform Spirit of unchangable Enmity to the true Spiritual Saint on the one hand and a self-confident Disturbing Traiterous Opposition to corrupt worldly Cesars on the other This troublesome Spirit is charactred by the Apostle in the Jewish Professours that both kill'd the Lord Jesus and their own Prophets and Christ's Apostles And therein please not but indeed highly displease and Provoke God and are contrary to all Men on their right and left hand Spiritual Saints and polluted Heathens For this Wrath came upon those Jews to the uttermost and will upon all in like case 1 Thes. 2. 15 16. These are they that speak great swelling Words of Vanity with their self-exalting Luciferian Master Satan the old great Bloody-minded Red Dragon against the most high himself and all his true Spiritual Saints These are they that said of Christ himself the Supream Preacher and
with false hopes and confidences here and come what will think they hereafter At length they must leave their false present rest and lie down in everlasting sorrow Who can help Satan's twofold party corrupt and righteous men fixed in nature with him will on in their fools Paradise in their various pathes under Satan's counsel and steerage to the same Tophet Saints ought to do their best in all meekness to recover any out of the snares of the Devil till evidently fix'd in Enmity God's method with men is that none should usually have two Heavens or two Hells All Good is the Saints all Evil the incorrigible sinners in the world to come All Saints tears are put into God's bottle of remembrance to requite all hereafter as Enemies oppressive madnesses shall also be paid off with such recompence of their Errors as is meet the vengeance of Eternal Fire Jude 7. All will come to their rights at last Friends and Foes This very Argument does Paul comfort oppressed Saints with 2 Thes. 1. 4 -- 10. At Christ's second coming will Saints ride in their Triumphal Chariots as more then final Conquerors over the Heads of their Oppressors Devils and Men who have had their turn to ride over their heads Ps. 66. 12. The Lord regards every sigh and groan of his Prisoners appointed to death under worldly Powers Psal. 12. 5. and 69. 33. and 79. 11. 146. 7. He will make his despised oppressed ones a praise in the Earth in the sight of all that have scorn'd and trampled on them Psal. 102. 13. 16. 19. 20. The true Saint pants after final deliverance from all Enemies within him Rom. 7. 24. as well as without All will be 〈◊〉 at last in Answer to their Prayer Psal. 74. 10. and ver 〈◊〉 Saints groan after deliverance from their mortal righteous earthly life of Enmity as well as from that of the Body 2 Cor. 5. 1 2. All in nature within and without them is in a universal confederacy against them What matter If God be for them who can be against them Or who can hurt them Rom. 8. 31. Here 's enough The whole first-creation world lies in wickedness litteral and mystical filth of flesh or spirit 1 Joh. 5. 19. and so in a universal daring affront and contradiction to all words and things of God in the next Jer. 44. 16 17. But God will hear or deliver Saints from the horns of the Unicorns Psal. 22. 21. That is from all oppressive Powers of this World visible and invisible without and within So have we in some small measure the meaning of these words Vers. II. Wherefore I praised the Dead which are already Dead more than the living which are yet alive The weight of these words lies not in the Litteral Sense For no miseries or oppressions incident to bodily Life in this world are comparable to the sad condition of the wicked after death under final wrath The spiritual truth here relates to Saints Saints departed are in a far better condition than those left behind them in the Body that have not fully passed through the twofold inward and outward oppression or suffering-work that 's to be undergon by them Saints departed out of the Body or while in the Body out of the Law-life of their own spirit are those A voyce from Heaven command's John to write as a most certain Truth blessed Blessed are the dead in the Lord Rev. 14. 13. All so dead with Christ will live with him for ever in his Immortal Gospel-life All others will perish in their own corruption or corruptible Law-life and state which they have rebelliously chosen and trusted in for blessedness against the Lord's known commands and warnings to the contrary By keeping up what Paul cast away as dung for Christ's spiritual Life will they perish as their own dung for ever Job 20. 7. A perfect death of the natural Spirit and Principle of Life and Action in man an everlasting cessation and rest from all the desire thought and unprofitable labour thereof and so the honourable burial of it in the mystical grave of Christ is true conformity to his death Christ came not to do his own Will nor speak his own words the Dictat's of his own understanding though spotlessly perfect in our fleshly nature but Crucified and ceas'd from all We must follow his suffering steps through the same fire of his eternal Spirit Heb. 9. 14. kindled by him on us as on himself Luk. 12. 49. Spiritual Circumcision and fire-Baptism put nature corrupt or righteous to death cut off and burn up all flesh even Holy Flesh Col. 2. 11 12. Man in the restor'd righteous Life of his own nature has nothing but a Body of Sin and Death about him which Paul pray'd for deliverance from Ro. 7. 24. Phil. 3. 6-8 Since the fall filth of Spirit Enmity to God is inseperable from the Life of nature corrupt or righteous Nature in whatever condition and Enmity to God Live or Die breath or expire together Paul when eminent in Holy Flesh breath'd out Enmity Threatnings and Slaughter against God's Holy Gospel-Spirit Saints and Truths Act. 9. 1. From the time this Spirit of Enmity was Death-struck by Christ in his way to Damascus he lived and brought forth Fruits unto God in a newness of Life In the restor'd Life of nature the great Sin of Enmity revives gather's Strength Credit and Authority By the death of it under the Cross that and all other Sins are pluck'd up by the Roots He that is so Slain and dead is freed from all Sin for ever Ro. 6. 7. When Planted together in the likeness of Christ's Death and Resurrection the Old Man is Crucisied the Body of Sin destroy'd v. 5 6. Man's natural Body or whole natural Man at best as a Righteous Living Soul 1 Cor. 15. 44 45. is by the twofold death and Life-work of Christ's quickning Spirit Transformable into the likeness of his Glorious Body or the glorified Body Soul and Spirit of our nature in his person Phil. 3. 21. On such death of nature Man ceases from sin for ever 1 Pet. 4. 1. If Obedient to the Slaughter-work of Christ's Gospel-Spirit on our Lawless or Law-Spirit in corrupt or righteous nature shall we by the second operation of it be quick'ned up into the Life of his Gospel-Spirit All dead with Christ shall after their season of dwelling in Dust arise with his dead Body into a newness of Life and Sing for ever Isai. 26. 19. Paul's argument in this case looks both way's If the Dead rise not Christ is not Risen 1 Cor. 15. 12-19 implying if Christ be Risen the Dead with him shall be Rais'd into that 〈◊〉 of Life our Crucisied nature in him Lives in for evermore Rev. 1. 18. Our nature in Christ is rais'd also into and possess'd of the very Divine Life So the fulness of the very Godhead dwells in him bodily in personal Union with his Manhood This is his peculiar Prerogative
their own spiritual Mind Ro. 7. 15. 23. Solomon had a larger sad experience of this then Paul But though this one even the natural Spirit of the Saint in its own Life lust will and way oft prevail against him even against his spiritual mind or man two shall withstand him even this rebellious flesh or natural man What two Who are these The Fountain Spirit of Christ in himself and the quick'ned up Seed thereof or Spiritual Man in the Saint The Rebellious natural Spirit Satan's Party in the Saint and he at the back of it to encourage and strengthen it with all variety of Arguments Motives Reasons and Uses against its own Saviour and Salvation shall both fall down together under the prevailing Power of the Spiritual Man Christ's Party in the Saint and he at the back of it making up the blessed two here These will weaken Satan's Party in the Saint and at length quite extinguish all the Life and abolish all the Power thereof laying it in the Dust. Then the whole Man shall be fill'd with and actuated by his Spirit of Life there 's no dealing or medling for Satan with Perfect Conformity to Christ's Death and Resurrection is all compleat's the Saints work and deliverance from all Enemies without and within He that 's thus dead is freed from Sin Ro. 6. 7. Sin or the guilty Sinner the natural Spirit is dead and gone as to its own sinning life of enmity So comes a ceasing from Sin for ever 1 Pet. 4. 1. The same mind in the Saint with Christ for a compleat full suffring in the flesh extinguishes all Sinning self-destroying Power for ever in him And this bring 's the Saint's matters to the self-same passe with Christ's when he said Now come's the Prince of this World and hath nothing in me Jo. 14. 30. Satan would have perswaded Christ himself and that by an Apostle to pity and spare his first-Covenant Law-Life or righteous natural self But he utterly rejected these flattering Judas-Kisses and Smooth words of the Enemy which are drawn Swords to Wound and Kill Men eternally He took not the Enemie's Counsel but clean contrary brought his own Spiritual Sword and Fire upon it Crucified offered it up by a Holy Obedient death in Sacrifice to his Fathers Will. Saints must do likewise They must hate that Life in themselvs he Crucified in himself or cannot be his Disciples But under all plausible appearances of kindness for Self-Preservation and Salvation does Satan animate his Party in Man the Disputer of this World to Dispute and Contend for his own everlasting Destruction against all Christs Gospel-things and truths By Man himself does he carry on his work smoothly and fair for the destroying him for ever Men are generally in their fallen State of nature Children of Wrath dead in Trespasses and Sins hatefull to and hating God and one another So are they half Devils ready as 't were made to Satan's hand by his own hand or first blow upon humane nature in our first Parents They are Enemies of God Lovers and Friends of World and Devil in corrupt or in part righteous nature They are Litteral or Mystical Adulterers and 〈◊〉 Jam. 4. 4. Thus we see Men want no more of being compleat Deuils as Christ asserted Judas to be Jo. 6. 70. then of being fixed and rendred unchangable in Enmity They are born and live as thus forward in the ready Rode and broad way towards their everlasting Destruction And to forward and encourage the restor'd righteous Party in this way there want not for a World of false Christ's and false Apostles in the Counterfeit guise apparel and dress of the true fitted to deceive if possible the very Elect. These evil Angelical Roaring Lions in Christ's Clothing and 〈◊〉 in the Clothing and appearance of Christ's true Apostles and 〈◊〉 will in their Lying Spirit of Divination and false Prophecy warrant this their very way to Salvation Ezek. 13. 6. Here 's Man 's dangerous condition on all hands as to his grand concern In this deplorable State these almost desperate Circumstances all Men are in does Christ the true WISDOM of God publickly warn and cry out aloud to them all to take heed of being taken with this deceitful Doctrin of Men and Devils their false accursed other Gospel and that they listen to his contrary Counsel and Instructions of Life submit to his Reproofs of Death on that Spirit of nature that 's 〈◊〉 and so receive his Spirit of 〈◊〉 that can never Sin or be deceived err or miscarry but 〈◊〉 discern and own all his words of truth Prov. 1. 20-23 See then and consider Oye Sons of Men the different posture ye are in towards your Blessed Saviour and the Abaddon Apollyon Red Dragon and Destroyer Christ comes to Cross and run down fallen nature as to the corrupt Lusts and vile affections of Litteral Sodom This done and nature recovered and set afresh upon its 〈◊〉 in a rectified first-Creation orderly state or mystical house he comes again with Fire and Sword upon this to pull it down and destroy it in order to the new spiritual Building and Life of the Rock Here 's all this unpleasing Cross-work to nature corrupt or righteous which must be submitted to and obediently complied with or no Salvation On the other hand Satan that comes to destroy Men finds them in a ready posture gladly to receive and entertain him and all his words his flattering Kisses and smooth Sayings in his accursed other Gospel all after their own Hearts desire and Palate And if he can but fix them in Enmity they are his own for ever direct Devils Now whom think you like to be most welcome to Man the destroying Saviour or the saving destroyer Christ or the Devil the Angel or Messenger of Gods everlasting Covenant or the Angel of the Bottomless Pit The whole World or earthly party of mankind corrupt or righteous lieth in Wickedness 1 Jo. 5. 19. or in the wicked one the Devil liable to be used by him against God Christ all awak'ned Spiritual Saints and Gospel-Truths as Paul when eminent in the Law-Righteousness of Man was Ready are all save actually awak'n'd Spiritual Saints to embrace his smooth words of Counsell which are drawn Swords to kill them saw they all and to be at his service greedily receiving teaching and Hearing the very doctrin of Devils without the least scruple for Salvation All the World wonder and run after the Beast Rev. 13. 3. His Ministers and Apostles are of the World or worldly earthy nature and Life in the Image of the earthy the Wisdom and Righteousness of Man so teach only such worldly things for Salvation speak of the World and the World all of the like earthy-temper and Spirit hear follow and Embrace their Doctrin Down it goes without any chewing pause doubt or suspition If this Doctrin wear thred-bare and lose its colour he will clothe it with the appearance of Christ's Spiritual true Gospel-Doctrin In
admitted into our Closet of prayer and consulting with Christ about it's own Death so as to have a vote in the case it will pray plead and vote against it alway's and reckon Christ and the Saints Spiritual Man it 's unreasonable enemies It will reckon all the prayers of the Spiritual man against it cursing and all his endeavors in union with Christ to crucify it murder 'T wil cry out to the Devil Oh! Murder murder and call for assistance against its and his enemies All that it will agree to pray for will be but an asking amiss such things as may gratify its own lusts in enmity to God It is the perpetual disputer wrangler and quarreller against the only way of Salvation under the Cross against its own Death which is God's declared undispensable way in the appointed methods of his wisdom for man's Salvation This secret faithfully kept according to Christ's counsel by the Spiritual man of the Saint from his own natural when the sacrificing Death-work on the natural is over and finished Christ will reward him openly Mat. 6. 6. at the manifestation of the Sons of God in the visibility of his before hidden Spiritual Life hidden till Christ's second coming and manifestation in Spirit in himself and Saints The Saint is deeply concern'd to check his own hasty rash forward Spirit as a most dangerous foe in his own house or Person God is in his heavenly Spirit thou in thy earthly therefore let thy words be few indeed none at all If that foe be the speaker or chuser all will go wrong All its prayers will run for and be calculated to its own interest Life and livelihood the belly and meats the desires and desirables that will all be destroy'd and perish It will hate Christ the fountain of Life and chuse its own eternal Death in the causes of it and ready way to it Pro. 8. 36. Vers. III. For a Dream cometh through the multitude of business and a fool's voice is known by a multitude of words Man at best in his own nature is altogether vanity walks in a vain shew Heb. an Image lead's but an Imaginary Life in the Image of the Earthly the Law-Spirit of nature shadow of the heavenly the Gospel-Spirit of Grace and Truth All man's concerns and labours relating to such a Life all his disquietings of himself about it must needs be in vain The very life to which all relate is very vanity In all the noise trouble stir and din man makes about himself herein can he never please God or profit himself as to true blesedness Vain are all his solicitudes in getting heaping up and keeping such litteral or mystical riches of his own nature as will all make themselvs wings and fly way do what he can when all 's done All such riches are but a vanity tossed to and fro by them that love Death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but a tumbling cast in which men are tossed up and down by providence like balls as the Poet say's never at any certainty Many rich in outward litteral wealth live to see all gone and themselvs run down into poverty And so as to mystical many rich for a season in 〈◊〉 treasures and fruits of a first-covenant righteous Life roll back again with the Dog to the vomit and Sow to the mire of their old sins brutish vilenesses and so come again to be as poor and tattered there as other beggerly brutish sinners of the Genti'l's Yea in a worse condition then they if unfix'd there because now come to their latter end worse then that beginning as born dead in trespasses and sins 2 Pet. 2. 20-22 For but these two sorts of 〈◊〉 deceitful riches especially the mystical do men turn their backs on Christ's true riches heavenly treasures eternal Life with the Young Man in the Gospel not regarding them at all any more then a bruit beast does And this renders man's whole Life and labour in this World from his Cradle to his Grave a very dream In the multitude of his buisiness cumbring himself as Martha with the many things of this World that Satan is called Prince and God of he wholly neglects Maries better choice of the one thing necessary which comprehends all things relating to true blessedness in the World to come The full sum of all man labours but for some little particle of the god of this World offer'd Christ and was refused even all the Kingdoms of this World and Glory of them that is all humane and angelical excellencies sound in the first creation yea and all these by his transforming art gilded over with the nearest resemblance of all the things of God the spiritual Life Wisdom and Righteousness of God in the second What madness is it for Men to trade in seed and wholly dote upon but such perishing vanities or meats Satan is the known permitted Master and dispenser of Mean while all eternal things and concerns are as wholly neglected despised and hated even that spirit of Christ that one thing comprehending all things necessary to salvation This Gospel-spirit of God with all its words the only right do-all and say-all to God's well-pleasing and Man's salvation Man will not reckon worth his thought regard looking after or listening to But on he goes in his dreamish Life of Vanity to try what work he can make on 't there for true happiness under an absolute known impossibility of ever finding it He sondly seeks for it in perishing vanities which God reckon's things that are not and never 〈◊〉 things spiritual heavenly and 〈◊〉 which God call's the only things that are Thus cross and contrary is the judgement are the conceptions and words of Man's wisdom at best to God's Man will own nothing above his fading natural things first-creation vanities but infinite divinity He will not believe there are any middle sort of things of a spiritual everlasting righteous new-creation nature between natural and purely divine things Thus does Man leave no room for his advance in creature-ship above his natural first-creation state of vanity but only a being swallowed up into infinite divinity wholly losing his creaturality by annihilation and so indeed getting just nothing Infinite Divinity will be where 't was and what it was from Eternity to Eternity beyond and above all possibility of addition and all Creatur's Men and Angels where they were before Creation a meer absolute nullity vanished Shadows If there be no other creature-state but what they both and all receiv'd by the first creation what else imaginable can become of them but a reduction of them all into their primitive nothing The towring presumtuous thought of being godded with God is at bottom when well examin'd a being downright nothing'd and no better God will not only confute but destroy all this wisdom of man in which he presumtuously rambles about for happiness in his own will and way against his makers known mind and counsel about him pitching upon his own fading natural creature things
in preference to and exclusion of God's heavenly Spiritual Eternal creature-things as not worthy his regard or minding They deny they decry them They call them blasphemous 〈◊〉 and therein do they blaspheme devised fables only to 〈◊〉 diminish and disparage their conceited natural things perishing vanities which they reckon the only creature-things that are in a perfect contrariety to the 〈◊〉 of God By those very Spiritual Saints and things man's Wisdom count's Fools and foolishness will God confound all their foolish-Wisdom and self-exalting power By these foolish Persons and despised things Man looks on as worse then nothing will God bring to nought things that in man's Judgment are in God's not 1 Cor. 1. 9. and v. 27 28. who 'l be Judg at last God and wise holy first-covenant Saints are of a directly contrary Judgment in this great case Those that with Paul have Praise with God are such as the Lord commendeth go for no body worse than nothing with them They that are meer dreamers and please themselvs with their dream Jer. 23. 25-32 or dreamish hapiness call all Gospel-truths a dream 〈◊〉 a delusion of the Devil and say to Gospel-Saints as Joseph's brethren to him behold these dreamish-heirs that pretend to the everlasting inheritance in a Spirit and doctrine we hate let 's kill them all and see what will become of them and their dream's Gen. 37. 18-20 They reckon their doctrin Wheat and Christ's Chaff But he will say what 's your Chaff to my Wheat The true Spiritual circumcision-Saint seem's a fool a mad Man in the house of God or to and amongst first-covenant brethren Hos. 9. 7 8 yea the filth of the world the off-scouring of all things 1 Cor. 4. 10. 13. 2 Cor. 10. 12. Those that rejoyce in Christ Jesus or in his Gospel-Spirit the Holy Ghost with joy unspeakable and Glorious are despised and trampled on by their first-covenant brethren whose confidence is wholly in their holy slesh or restor'd naturals The first and second-covenant Saint are properly the natural and Spiritual man The enlightned moral heathen obedient to the restor'd rational first-covenant light or law of nature may be comprehended under the title natural man But the corrupt heathen living and walking wholly in the brutish lusts of his degenerate fallen nature is a beast He has not what is properly in a Scripture-sense the life of a man or any part of it That Death in Sin threatned and accomplish'd upon Adam and all his posterity they delight in rather then accept of deliverance out of it But the enlightn'd restor'd natural man in the light or also life of the first-covenant is of a distinct contrary palate desire appetite and thought or judgment from and to the Spiritual All his regard desire love and delight is for after and in worldly perishing vanities passant shadows dreams that come from a multitude of busines that he vainly makes to himself about such empty perishing nothings So will they themselvs even these first-covenant kings the mystical Princes of this world such as 〈◊〉 Christ come to nought yea worse then nothing with all their trusted in nothings They 'l be at a total loss for ever pining and starving in everlasting poverty and nakedness under the positive Inflictions and Burnings of unchangable and unquenchable Wrath. T. And a Fool 's voice is known by a multitude of words good words fair speeches as the only Ministers of Christ's Gospel deceiving the hearts of the simple or undiscerning that can't discern or at least 〈◊〉 own the difference between Christ's and Satan's Gospel All the while are they gratifying or serving their own palate appetite desire or belly of their natural Spirit in the perishing Life and with the perishing Meats of a first-Covenant State as the true Salvation and blessedness of any These Wise-Fools are the fiercest enemies of the very Christ the very Gospel of all men A multitude of Words and Books do they come forth in And nothing must pass for Orthodox right or true Gospel-Doctrin but what the wisdom of Man that 's a flat enemy to all Christ's Gospel sitting in its Magisterial Chair of Infallibility gives its ratifying nod or Imprimatur to Be such what they will they do and will yet pass for the only signal owners and Trumpeters of Christ's everlasting Gospel whereas indeed they are the most careful shutters up of the Kingdom of Heaven the most industrious decriers of the very Christ the very Gospel or Spiritual sense of all Scripture in the World This was the Pharisees case in Christ's own time Mat. 23. 13. The first-covenant law-spirit or principle fixed in enmity to the second is the 〈◊〉 same leaven with that of the Pharisees under the outward dispensation of the Gospel as well as under the Law They for a pretence made long Prayers compassed Sea and Land left no means unattempted no stone unturn'd to proselyte or fetch back any from Christ's Gospel-truth to Satan's lie and falshood his accursed other Gospel and so to make them two-fold more the Children of Hell then themselvs as sinning against cleerer discerning greater Light and Conviction then they ever had as to Gospel-truths And this done they Triumph as having done God Service in converting them from Christ's to their 〈◊〉 which Man's wisdom styles Orthodox So all run's smooth and fine 〈◊〉 keep 's silence and they please themselvs to imagine he is of their mind and judgment such a one as 〈◊〉 Psal. 50. 20 21. But he warn's them before-hand he will find a time to 〈◊〉 them in pieces so as none shall be able to deliver them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And as he 〈◊〉 them he comforts Saints abused by 〈◊〉 with this 〈◊〉 Pl. appear 〈◊〉 your Joy and they shall be ashamed These threat's 〈◊〉 the one and promises to the other will be accomplish'd at one and the same time Christ's second comming 〈◊〉 66. 5. If such 〈◊〉 were used to keep off people from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 himself what may the true Ministers of his 〈◊〉 now 〈◊〉 from the like legal-spirited Generation of 〈◊〉 and Professors The Pharisees said among themselvs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nothing To wit as to the gaining and keeping off the people from listning to his Ministry 〈◊〉 the World is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jo. 12. 19. Indeed the World goes after 〈◊〉 1 Jo. 4. 5. hear's and own 's them and their Doctrin People a 〈◊〉 People 〈◊〉 after the Beast admire his Apostles praise reward and follow them The deadly Wound given mankind by the first Sin being 〈◊〉 in these Teachers and 〈◊〉 by which they are recovered out of that Death in Trespasses and Sins they were born in they reckon all 's their own And who but they Rev. 13. 3. With what a wry Mouth and scornful Indignation did the Pharisees take up theirs and the Chief Priest's Officers who were sent to Apprehend Christ but did not Never Man spake like this Man said the Officers Are ye also deceiv'd said the Pharisees Have any
commanded by Christ after his resurrection to wait in their earthly-Jerusalem-state for Act. 1. 4. and Luke 24. 49. Both these testimonies are given by the same hand Luke Man is to part with all call'd his own his Life Wisdom Righteousness and all the things of man in his first make and then God will give to him and set up in him what he call's his own by a se-second his Life Wisdom Righteousness the things of God All the Life of Man's Spirit with the free will and rational Powers thereof must go in Sacrifice to God as our true free-will Offering and reasonable Service Rom. 12. 1. These things clearly seen assented to agreed on and engaged for on all hands as to what man is to suffer and God to do in order to man's being actually brought into the new and everlasting covenant with him man's wilful Apostacy and flying off from all after for a season he hath run wel in obedience to Gospel-light and suffer'd many things towards the demolishing his law-life Gal. 5. 7. and 3. 4. Spoils loses and forfeits all Dislike to Ghrist's Gospel-life of truth from love to his own law-life and so a fixed enmity to God and despite to his Spirit of Grace exclud's him all benesit of Christ's Sacrifice and Intercession for ever 〈◊〉 10. 26 27. 29. This is the unpardonable Sin against the Holy Ghost or new-creature Gospel-Spirit of Christ. There 's no plea or excuse left Man Nothing to be look'd for by him but the fiery Indignation of God to devour him as the far sorer punishment for 〈◊〉 sinning against the Gospel-Light of the Son of God then Law-Light of the 〈◊〉 of Man T. For he 〈◊〉 no pleasure in Fools pay that which thou hast vowed without delay Deser not to pay it that is to perform thy part vow'd and engaged for by thee in order to thy entring into the first or second Covenant with God For the not paying it will be found the greatest Folly and Madness and of most desperate and dangerous consequence to thee Hence does Solomon farther say by way of Information in this case Vers. V. Better is it that thou should'st not vow then that thou should'st vow and not pay So Deut. 23. 21-23 When thou vowest a vow unto God thou shalt not slack or delay to pay it But if thou forbear to vow it shall be no sin in thee Thou shalt perform thy free-will Offring as thou hast vow'd Better not vow then vow and not pay Better for men never to have known the way of everlasting righteousness and truth 2 Pet. 2. 21. Heb. 10. 26 27. then after known to turn from the Holy Commandment deliver'd to them What Commandment That which Christ received from his Father and obey'd even the yielding up our nature at best in himself to death To. 10. 17 18. God connives at Man in the day 's of his ignorance and darkness as to a Gospel-Life of everlasting righteousness whether in the vile state of polluted nature dead in sin or moral Heathenism in obedience to the Light or Law of rational nature or in the first-Covenant Believer Professor and Worshipper of God under the outward dispensation of 〈◊〉 or Gospel as Paul when a Persecuter These 〈◊〉 sorts of people while wholly ignorant of Gospel though they reject yea oppose yea persecute it to the death of the true Professors thereof it is no unpardonable Sin in them We find this in Paul's case who was the highest of the three sorts of Sinners above-mention'd He was an injurious Blasphemer and Persecuter of Saints for Gospel-truth but because he did all ignorantly in unbelief he obteined 〈◊〉 was not an unpardonable Sinner against the Holy Ghost or Gospel-Spirit 1 Tim. 1. 13. He soon became more eminent in Gospel-Life and knowledg then those he Persecuted Yea a signal Teacher of them and more abundant Labourer in the Gospel then all the other Apostles who were in Christ before him So as while a righteous Law-Pharisee if any had whereof to Glory or trust in Holy Flesh he more Phil. 3 4 now if any had whereof to glory in the Spirit or Resurrection-Life of Christ that 't is duty and absolute safety to trust in he more 1 Cor. 15. 9 10. No Man is brought to an absolute Trial till Christ the mystical Sun of everlasting righteousness dawn upon him in the beaming forth of Spiritual Light by which to give undeniable notice of his Gospel-Life and State to him for vowing or engaging the giving up the Life of his nature in Sacrifice to God Neither Publican or Pharisee the common Profane Sinner nor righteous first-covenant Jew or Gentile is bound to vow nor therefore to perform the vow as to that devoted thing nature in what-ever variety of Life or condition will in all first or last be found to be even devoted to death under the final Love or Wrath of God Fixure in the Life of nature corrupt or righteous which renders Men litteral or mystical Sodomit's will be found against at least negative conviction and Testimony that they ought not so to do being by its own self-evidencing demonstration a fading Flower a perishing Vanity But when Christ by spiritual Conviction-Light cleerly discover's and graciously offer 's his Gospel-Life to Men in its own self-evidencing excellency above their Law-Life and that they are bound to give up their fading Law-Life or natural state in whatever condition corrupt or righteous for it then are they both bound to Vow the giving up this devoted thing to death and to pay their Vow yea speedily sorthwith not be slack not delay or defer the Payment 'T is better never to have experienc'd the righteousness of Man in a renew'd first-Covenant Life then after all either turn back to their old sins in the corrupt Life of nature or establish themselvs there in unchangable enmity to the righteousnes of God in the Gospel-Life of his Spirit of Grace The sorest Punishment for ever in Hell the many 〈◊〉 belong to such knowing not-doers of their Master's will 〈◊〉 in such knowledg and rebelling against all will encrease 〈◊〉 everlasting sorrow Most aggravated wickednesses will be recompenc'd with such aggravated punishment and Tormont for e-ever as is meet 〈◊〉 Salvation is seen by Man at his door when under the undispensable obligation to vow the death of nature in obedience to 〈◊〉 and accordingly as he perform's or not persom's this most deeply concerning vow he has or misses it Refusing finally to vow or perform when bound to both is fixing in nature in unchangable 〈◊〉 to God and his Spirit of Grace This break 's all Covenant with God first and second the staff of 〈◊〉 comliness Ezek. 16. 14. or righteousness of man in the first and of Bands Zec. 11. 7-11 or such an unchangable band of Union as they ought 〈◊〉 to have enter'd into with God in the second All 's 〈◊〉 and gone They are for ever excluded by God's Oath or swearing in Wrath they
patience and not marvel or be dismayed seeing cleerly the mind will purpose and method of God's wisdom in all at the most daring presumptuous practicers of highest wickedness against God or them They are sure of advantage by all they can do against them now And they are sure of having them under their feet hereafter for ever What would they have or can they wish more in this point God is for them who can be against them They must needs be more then conquerers If this threefold Cord will hold conjunctive divine and new-creature power in Christ the conjunctive personally united new-creature power in Christ and Elect Angels and Saints also for their security against all worldly Powers all 's safe Vers. IX Moreover the profit of the earth is for all the king himself is served by the field The chief intendment of this litteral truth which hit upon is properly and truly right interpretation is the fruits and products of man's nature in the renew'd old earthly or first-creation state thereof the Image of the earthy The profit of this is for all And this is figured by the fruits profits and products of the litteral Earth by which King and Subjects Rulers and Ruled even all Mankind are supported and maintain'd in their bodily life The fruits of the said mystical Earth or righteous earthly Life and state afford a natural food and clothing to the immortal spirit or inner man of man in his first-creation make and fashion of being In this make and life is man to serve or obey God as the fruits thereof serve or preserve him both but for a season till called out of this man 's own earthly life make and fashion of being into God's Heavenly which with the fruits and meats thereof is everlasting The Earthly state of man or Angel before the fall in a first-covenant law-life was figuratively represented by the Tree of good and evil signifying the corruptibility thereof and the danger incident to man or Angel by their own evil choice and use of it To prevent this evil both were strictly prohibited the feeding upon terminating delighting and establishing themselvs therein with a confidence to find true blessedness there to their immortal beings The so doing then was rebellion against the command of God and turned their natures into a direct enmity to that more excellent and durable creature-life of God spiritual and heavenly a Gospel-state of everlasting righteousness and truth And the same miscarriage and abuse of all turned their earthly-state life or mystical field into a uselesness to themselvs so as to be of no true avail or profit to them but indeed a prison-state of darkness and death rendring their nature an accursed earth bringing forth nothing but Briars and Thorns Gall and Wormwood from a root of bitterness or enmity to God This brought the sinning Angels on their first sin under an absolute unchangable Curse and everlasting Burnings and man's mystical Earth or earthly life and state it brought nigh unto Cursing as bearing Thorns and Briars also and if he persist finally therein against all offered Grace and Mercy his end will be also to be burned in the same Lake of mystical Fire and Brimstone the unquenchable slames of God's wrath for evermore Heb. 6. 8. Adam's first sin left no profit in this mystical field or earth of man's nature All men since are born dead in trespasses and sins Their nature is a wast howling barren Wilderness full of ravenous devouring wild Beasts bestial thoughts foolish noisom lusts that hurt wound sink and drown them in destruction and perdition 1 Tim. 6. 9. The King or kingly superiour Angelical nature and the subject inferiour humane nature by their fall lost the right use and true profit of the mystical earthly first-creation field life or natural state Both were brought to feed on dust or the perishing vanities of this World or Worldly state having turn'd their Backs on God's never-perishing Life and Meats figured in the Tree of Life and offered to them both and all They forth-with forfeited and lost the paradisical-state of their corruptibly perfect natural in Subjection to that Light that shew'd and offer'd them God's incorruptibly perfect spiritual creature-Life State and Meats which was their first habitation or state of Innocency Fallen Angels as their greater punishment for their greater and more criminal first Sin against higher and clearer Light than man have the Dust of their not only corruptible but corrupted first-creation Field or natural State left them to feed on and are permitted to use all their Strength and advantages therein against God and his Saints But Man as a lesser punishment was instantly deprived of all both of the righteous Earthly Life of his nature and of the proper Food and cloathing thereof He is ever since born Naked Dead Helpless and Loathsome Ezek. 16. 5 6. He has nothing left but a meer bestial bodily Life and the lowest part of the Dust of this World in common with Brutes to feed upon even the gratifying contentments of bodily lust only He has nothing proper to him as a man left him to feed on But he is pardonable and recoverable into the righteous Life of a Man again by the Redeemer And when actually recovered into and set up afresh therein if he as wilfully against conviction abuse it again in sinning against and rejecting God's more excellent new-creature Gospel-Life at first represented in the Tree of Life he is gone for ever as fallen Angels at first were Yet is he left for a season after so irrecoverably and unpardonably gone to the self-confident exercise of his restor'd changable righteous first-covenant Law-Life and feeding on the meats and fruits thereof handed now to him from the Evil Angel that 's higher than he in that fading Life and Meats And so is he permitted by Christ to have more than Heart can Wish Psal. 73. 〈◊〉 therein to his dying hour yea and dye with great 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and satisfaction to by-Standers that all 's well with him And thus goes the inferiour humane Beast into the Arms of the superiour and more subtil evil-angelical Beast of the first-creation World whom he has taken to be his God Gen. 3. 1. 2 Thes. 2. 4. Man's second personal sinning after the similitude of Adam's Transgression in restor'd nature against God's Spirit of Grace and Light thereof brings him to the same point with Devils a fixure or establishment in his own changably righteous nature which is unchangable enmity to God and his everlasting righteous Gospel-spirit of Grace If men suspect the offe'rd serpents 〈◊〉 as earthly he will gild over his earthly natural excellencies with the nearest resemblance of Christ's Spiritual and heavenly and then they 'l down for right heavenly never-perishing meat 's with all but the very elect And he wants not for apostles from amongst men transform'd by him and themselvs into the likeness of Christ's the supream Wolv's in sheeps clothing to carry on his work
Capacity and lawfull Calling in this World diligently performing his Duty and referring the issue and success of his labours to Providence without any carking solicitud's or murmuring repining thoughts against God when cross'd in his expectations and disappointed of his hopes has rest and quiet to himself therein Such a one however low in outward Riches Solomon preferr's as to outward worldly Happiness before the litteral covetous rich man that from excessive inordinate Love to such Wealth robb's and deprives himself of all right comfort therein His solicitous self-tormenting thoughtfulness for getting and keeping such Wealth and then fear of losing all again all which the other is freed from render him a very 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 His abundance of Riches fills his Heart with abundance of trouble and disquiet as well as his Coffers with Silver which will not suffer him to rest or sleep Through this vanity under the litteral first-creation Sun Solomon saw such Riches downright hurtfull to the Owners thereof instead of being of any benefit or advantage to them Semblably the inward Riches of man's Spirit under the mystical first-creation Sun the enlightning enlivening fructifying influence of Christ as a fleshly Bride-groom in his first-covenant Spirit Single upon man's nature Laodicean Treasures heaped up and trusted in and to by man for true Happiness produce the same restlesness and disquiet to him Full of solicitud's is he in getting and keeping and of Fears about losing all again as the litteral covetous rich man is Is there not a cause for such Jealousies and Fears All 's but a vain shew in Holy Flesh a first-covenant Spirit of bondage and fear about his known perishing vanities refusing Christ's convincingly shew'd and offer'd durable Riches and true Freedom even the glorious Liberty of the Sons of God in his Gospel-Spirit or perfect Law of Liberty to good only and that good unchangable That 's Freedom indeed to purpose Heb. 2. 15. 2 Cor. 3. 17. Joh. 8. 32. 36. Jam. 1. 25. and 2. 12. The Truth Christ's Gospel-Spirit of Truth makes us Christ's true freemen though in letter man's Servants 1 Cor. 7. 22. And the Master that 's free in letter if effectually call'd by Christ into his heavenly Life of true freedom is his Servant Christ's new-covenant Law or Gospel-Spirit of Life by its death-work on our old or first-covenant law-Spirit of Sin Bondage Enmity and Death sets us free from Sin and Death Rom. 8. 2. all vain Trouble Bondage and Fear He that 's so dead is freed from Sin Rom. 6. 7. ceases for ever from it 1 Pet. 4. 1. Vers. XIII There is a sore Evil which I have seen under the Sun namely Riches kept for the Owners thereof to their hurt This with the Verse before and four following joyntly Character the folly and misery of the litteral and mystical covetous rich Man the former as a Type of the latter One of them is fill'd with cares and solicitud's about making provision for his bodily ease the other is as busy about provisions for his Soul's ease Luk. 12. 16-19 Both of them trade but in perishing vanities 'T is but for perishing meats that gratify the evill Lust's the Belly Desire or Appetite of a mortal perishable Life of Body and Soul these two sorts of foolish Labourers Toil and fill their Heads and Hearts with vain self-tormenting cares and solicitud's All 's but to compass and finger the vain Delights of the Sons of men Nothing of the never-perishing Life and Meats of the Son of God delights of the Sons of God are admitted into their regard God is not in all or any of their thoughts Psal. 10. 4. Nothing of God's Christ's new-creature Life is sought after They 'l not come to him for it nor regard it when he comes and offers it to them Ioh. 5. 40. How oft would I have gather'd you together unto me under my divine and Creature-wings in this Life and ye would not Mat. 23. 37. Ye are all for your selves your own Life will have none of me or mine Then take your course ye shall never have mine at all never enter into my rest So will be left to your own desolate house for ever V. 38. The mystical rich man delightfully contemplat's the Beauty Fruitfulness and Riches of his own enlight'ned nature and too oft arrivesat this highest point of Spiritual wickedness as the result of his own wisdom to strike up an everlasting-covenant-union with the Devil He agrees to receive by his transforming Hel-fire-Baptism an advance of his own nature out of a narrower changably evil humane capacity into a wider and unchangably evil angelical This by suffering Satan to fill his Heart with his Spirit of unchangable enmity to God This is the making man's mystical House or Barns greater Luk. 12. 18 the enlarging and heightning his natural capacity by a kind of mystical death through Satan's false cross-work or counterfeit mortification for the death of man's Spirit of nature on his engagement by covenant and satisfying assurance that he will raise and catch him up out of that mystical Grave into his higher wiser stronger more excellent and capacious angelical nature Thus by bargain does he touch man's Spirit with the transforming alterative assimilating touch of his and translate him out of his narrower humane into his larger angelical capacity of the first-creation sort Man rather chooses this heightning and enlargment in his own way and after his own heart in the first-creation state of nature which renders him a man after the Devil 's own Heart in unchangable enmity to God then such destruction of his fleshly nature or whole natural state and life at best as leaves him no hopes of ever finding himself in a single natural first-creation-life more for ever but in a spiritual and heavenly by a new-creation in the new everlasting covenant Gospel-principle God's Spirit of Grace and Truth The assimilating transformingwork of Christ's Spiritual Cross or heavenly fire-baptism upon man would translate him if obediently submitting thereto and compliant therewith into the life of God's sacrificing Gospel high-Priest of our Profession or of that very Spirit and fiery law of liberty Deut. 33. 2. Jam. 1. 25 that puts his Law or lawless Spirit of bondage enmity and Death to Death with engagement by Covenant to raise it into the everlasting Life and Glorious liberty of the Sons of God Satan will Personate this very high Priest of God and God himself 2 Thes. 2. 4. And he will transform his higher Angelical excellencies and capacity into the likeness or neerest possible resemblance of Christ's new-creation Glories This is the top-stone of his mystery of iniquity the strongest delusion by which this most subtle old Serpent Dragon and roaring Lion deceives and devours men when and where God permitt's for his own most wise and holy ends Think what this choice of man under Gospel-conviction-Light to joyn unchangably with the Devil rather than with God deservs In order to secure their
its utmost growth flourish and fruitfulness is but a fading flower the mystical natural tree of God's left-hand-planting distinguish'd from the incorruptible seed 1 Pet. 1. 23. of his right-hand-planting by a new-creation which springs up in spiritual Saints prospers into an everlasting Kingdom-state rendring them mystical Gospel-trees the fruits whereof are incorruptible and the very leaves such as never wither or 〈◊〉 away Psal. 1. 3. This spiritual tree of Life will be known by its fruits in distinction from the natural fleshly tree all the fruits whereof are as the root and tree they grow upon perishing Vanities The new Name or Life of the new-Creature Gospel-spirit or living Word of God set up in man can never be turn'd into a lie Man's old name and fading first-covenant Law-life at best when asserted to be a spiritual Gospel-state of everlasting Life and Salvation is turn'd into a flat lie and falshood and all the things births works fruits and products thereof and in though good in their kind when call'd spiritual and confidently rested in for Salvation are all lies and enmity to God and his Gospel-Spirit of Truth Renew'd nature call'd Grace the renew'd old or natural Man with his first Covenant righteous Life and Name call'd the new-creature the spiritual Saint with the new Covenant-Life and Gospel-Name all these are dangerous destructive lies In sum the good Name and precious Oyntment here are the differing characters of first and second-Covenant Life The former through the said mistake Paul found to be a body a law a state of sin and death Rom. 7. 24. 8. 2. which the new-covenant law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus freed him from by putting his nature therein to death The Spirit of life is the death of death when it puts the law-spirit of Enmity and Death to death in the Saint utterly abolishing all the Anointings or said precious Ointment receiv'd in the natural state and giving all again with usury in the unchangeable life and transcendently more precious anointing of the spiritual Man Man in restor'd first-Covenant Law-life is apt as Paul once to despise and reject all Gospel-Tydings or witness of the second The good Name imports a transcendently higher and better anointing then the precious Oyntment here can signify For then the spiritual there is no better kind of precious ointment receivable by or communicable to Man This true meaning of the Holy Ghost in Solomon as to this former will much conduce to and facilitate the opening of the latter clause of this verse And the day of Death then the day of one's Birth The stress of these words can't lie in the literal sence which cannot hold generally nor mostly true For the literal death of the vast number of wicked men is abundantly worse then the day of their litteral birth and life in this World Man though born dead in Sin is capable of a restauration-birth of a first-Covenant life in his Spirit which puts him under hopeful advantages and possibilities of a new-creation-birth of an everlasting righteous Life These hopes are utterly cut off from all that die in their Sins as all that die in a state of enmity to God and his Spirit of Grace and everlasting Life do This necessitates the allowing a mystical meaning to these Words which is this The death of Man's Spirit as to all natural first-creation life 〈◊〉 or first-Covenant righteous obediently submitted to with certain hope of a Resurrection into the life of Christ's Gospel-Spirit that slay's and offers it up in sacrifice to God as he serv'd our nature at best in his own person is transcendently better then the Birth and utmost flourish thereof in him For now is he much forwarder on his way in the right method and death-pass towards an everlasting righteous new-Covenant life Paul counted the former dung to the latter and suffer'd the loss of all therein for it Phil. 3. 7 8. If Man submit not to the terms and ways of arriving at this new birth for a newness of life he will come to a latter end worse then his beginning in either of his two former Births litteral or mystical of bodily or first-Covenant life eternal death By obediently losing and quitting the former natural or Law-life for a spiritual Gospel-one he comes to a latter end better then any of his beginnings in Adam before the fall or since in his own said twofold personal birth eternal life A rebellious pitying and sparing our own nature in the first-covenant life thereof loses all for ever An obedient giving it up to death and right losing it saves all Matth. 16. 25. The Spirit or inner natural Man when crucified and raised into Christ's spiritual life the death or dissolution of the body is not fear'd but desir'd as by Paul He earnestly long'd and groan'd after the shaking off and being perfectly rid of the dusty mortal perishing earthly life and state of his whole natural Man body and spirit 2 Cor. 5. 1 4. and so to be wholly at home with the Lord ver 6. in the intire single uninterrupted exercise of spiritual life amongst the best company the pure unchangeable Friends of that life blessed Angels and Saints departed In this World the Saint is surrounded with innumerable Enemies thereof very burdensome ill unpleasing company to him In the birth and utmost flourish of a first-covenant Law-life we are still under Satan's power and delusive influence He can deceive us into the same perdition with himself by that very righteous life By inducing Men to over-value and and rest in it and on it for Salvation he brings them into unchangeable Union with himself in Enmity to God When perfectly crucified as to the life of the Law raised into the life of the Gospel we are not under the Law but under Grace Then Sin and Satan have lost their dominion over us for ever We wholly cease and are freed from both and all all enemies and dangers whatsoever Rom. 6. 7 -14. 1 Pet. 4. 1. The birth of a first-Covenant life gives not full victory over Satan the right death of Nature and loss of it does Therefore better on all hands as the only way to free us from death and set us up in eternal life The right full death of Man's Law-spirit of bondage delivers him from all bondage and fear of death for ever which all their first-Covenant life-time Men are continually subject to Heb. 2. 15. Vers. 2. It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting for that is the end of all Men and the living will lay it to his heart The house of mourning or state of sorrow to the natural Man under the death-blows of the Gospel-Sword or spiritual cross of Christ is better for him to go into and be in then the house of feasting in the most joyful fruitful life and exercise thereof in a first-Covenant state For therein draws he nearer to a heavenly
him in his spiritual Rom. 8. 13. The right death of what 's expos'd to all snares deaths and enemies attacks delivers out of and from them all from all snares of Satan on the right and left hand calculated to the self-interest palate and desire of Nature in the corrupt or righteous life and principles thereof in order to lodg all he can in unchangeable enmity to God with himself God warns all sorts of Sinners as to Satan's various snares if therefore caught therein 't is at their own peril Their destruction is singly of themselves by their own choice Ezek. 3. 17 21. Prov. 8. 36. Vers. 19. Wisdom strength'neth the wise more then ten mighty Men which are in the City The Wisdom or living Word of God the Gospel-Spirit of Christ makes all the truly wise partakers thereof Spiritual Saints stronger and wiser too then all that 's found in the first-creation-state of Men and Angels 1 Joh. 4. 4. This new-creature-wisdom of God by which the Worlds were made Gen. 1. 1. Jo. 1. 1 3. Col. 1. 15 -- 19. Heb. 1. 2. Wheresoever it is or in whomsoever admits no comparison of any first-Creation Power Glory or Excellencies with it Prov. 3. 13 19. 2 Cor. 3. 10. The evil Angels with their Luciferian head as the supream invisible Principalities Powers and Rulers of this dark World may fitly be represented by the ten mighty Men in the universal City Province or Dominion thereof The truly wise Saint in the Life Light Strength Power and Armour of God can discover all the devices and vanquish all the power the mystical Goliah and his Philistine Army can come forth against him with True Spiritual Davids in the new name and power of the Lord will be too hard for them all will be more then conquerours over the whole incorporated first-creation City of evil Angels and Men. Their weapons are spiritual and mighty through God to beat down the City and strongest forts thereof about the ears of the rebellious defendants that have fortified themselves against the new Jerusalem City of God The enemy has none but carnal weapons fleshly Wisdom Power Strength and Arms perishing Vanities Saints with spiritual will tumble down all their strong holds and every high thing that exalts it self against God and them They have in a readiness Power to revenge all such disobedience of Man and Angel when their own Gospel-life and obedience is compleated 2 Cor. 10. 4 6. Vers. 20. For there is not a just man upon earth that doth good and sinneth not This confirm's what is said v. 19. There 's not one man amongst all men in their earthy first-creation life and wisdom at best without sin in God's sight Yea their highest righteousness and wisdom oppos'd to God's are the most criminal wickedness and folly There 's none truly righteous among them all no not one None in their earthly spirit or natural state corrupt or righteous understands or seeks after God in his spiritual new-creation life So are they all unprofitable to themselves as to true blessedness because not one of them does that good in God's sight that 's of any conducibleness or tendency thereunto They rebel against swell with indignation and despite to his offer'd Spirit of Grace wherein alone any can ever please him or be saved Their throat is an open Sepulcher to belch out blasphemies threatnings and slaughter against it or any that own or talk of it in its own words and wisdom 〈◊〉 tongues are deceitful the poison of Asps is under their lips their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness against it their feet are swift to shed the blood of any that declare it From Cain downwards to the end of this World Satan's reign and man's day all 's of a piece one uniform spirit of contradiction to and rebellion against the Spirit of God and all its words Destruction and misery are in their way 's and the way of peace have they not known They have no fear of God before their eyes Yet flatter they themselves as true fearers of God at peace with him and in the very way to Salvation If good words fair speeches and most 〈◊〉 self-pleasing imaginations will do 't they are in a fair way to blessedness while they are serving their own belly gratifying their own lust and desire in direct enmity to God Christ all Gospel-Saints and Truths Rom. 16. 18. They 〈◊〉 peace peace to themselves and others where there 's no peace and say the Lord saith when 't is Satan and their own lying spirit of divination saith so Ezek. 13. 6 -- 10. They have not known or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 foot in the way of peace with God but Satan's way of enmity to him And in all this with their leader are they bold confident and fearless behave themselves as Satans Children of pride without fear Rom. 3. 9 -- 18. Job 41. 33 34. There 's not a just man upon Earth in the restor'd righteous life and image of the earthy that sinneth not There 's not a man perfectly free from filth of flesh the vile affections of the corrupt spirit of nature and filth of spirit or enmity to God and his Spirit of Grace is inseparable from the most restor'd righteous life of Nature since the Fall Only by the perfect death of the spirit of Nature under the Cross can this enmity be slain and utterly abolish'd out of any man So there 's a very great mixture of sin in any possible fading good found in or performable by man in his highest renewal Enmity to God lurks under all their fair shews in holy flesh form of Godliness righteousness of man This spoil's all The perpetually sinning life of Nature utterly abolish'd by death and the never-sinning-life of God's Spirit of Grace set up in the room thereof can render any man truly and fully just in God's sight He that 's so dead ceases or is freed from all sin justified before God for ever in a newness of life that 's above all death 1 Pet. 4. 1. Rom. 6. 7. Vers. 21. Also take no heed unto all words that are spoken lest thou hear thy Servant curse thee In letter here 's a prudent walking requir'd by not troubling ones self with regarding or harbouring any revengeful thoughts against others for their injurious words But as the chief intendment is advice here given to the spiritual wise Man as to his deportment towards the natural in his own person made clean wise aud righteous in first-creation principles The spiritual is to take heed to any words or doctrine proceeding from this natural so as to follow the direction or counsel of its fallible wisdom and judgment about things pertaining to God and his own Salvation lest he hear this natural Servant that would fain be dictating and ruling as a Master curse the spiritual Heaven-born Son in him Paul on his Gospel-conversion immediately conferr'd not with flesh and blood Gal. 1. 16. lean'd not to but turn'd from his own understanding
Body have we the Shadow of a great Mystical Truth relating to the Spirit living soul or inner Man of Man the life whereof also being Mortal is subject to and therefore figured out by the like changes as are Incident to Bodily Life in the Birth Flourish Decay Death and Resurrection thereof First then to the Figurative Shadow knowable to all and after to the Mystical Truth knowable to few to none aright save such as are of the same Spirit Solomon was when he Writ these Words 1. There' s a set time to all Visible things under the Litteral Heaven and Sun as the Answer and Accomplishment of God's most wise design and purpose concerning them There 's a time alotted for their Appearance and Manifestation and then for their Disappearing and Vanishing again Both these general Dispensations of God to them do Minister Important Instruction to Man The Positive Assertion of this Truth in general v. 1. does Solomon prove by particularizing the Various things Circumstances and Occurrents relating to Man's Bodily part and Life in reference to which the whole Visible Creation in the greater World without Man was set up before hand as requisite for his entertainment Gen. 1. and Ch. 2. 7. and then to the declinings and Death thereof under the Various Dispensations of God to this lower work of his own hand in Man And hereby is signified the like Various Dispensations of God and thence a like Variety of Condition Incident to the Spirit or inner Natural Man as to it s but Mortal First-Covenant-Life put into and 〈◊〉 up in it by Creation Man therein at best was but a Mystical Tree of good and Evil a changable thing a Fading Flower Since the Fall this Fleshy Tree is in a manner only alway's Evil. Man 's fallen nature herein is a Gursed Mystical Earth bringing forth Thorns and Thistles in Filth of Flesh or Spirit Gen. 3. 17 18. His Immortal Spirit in its Unstain'd Mortal First-Covenant Life and State before the Fall with all done or possible to be done in the Activity thereof all Riches Fruits Righteous Works Producible or Performable therein all was Vanity 〈◊〉 but Vanishing Shadows of durable substantial things the Everlasting Righteous New-Creature Life Wisdom 〈◊〉 things of God Man with all his natural First-Created Life and things is in another Sense under Heaven or below the Spiritual Heavenly Life of Christ the New-Creation Sun of Everlasting Righteousness and things of God Nor Man nor Angel in Innocency had any thing of that Life about them or Fruits thereof And in that Life only can any bring forth Fruit unto God They that say Adam should have held fast that Righteous Life he was Possess'd of by Creation kept where he was as Job once through a great mistake said he would hold fast his Restored Righteousness of that sort they that say this what else must they say This. That Man Restor'd by the second Adam to something of the lost Life of the First must hold it fast Establish himself there never part with or let it go again and Heaven is his own this is true Salvation and Eternal Life In their Lying Spirit of Divination do such Teachers warrant their Deluded Hearers safe and truly Blessed here causing them to hope they will confirm their Word Ezek. 13. 6. They follow Heb. walk after their own Spirit of vanity see nothing of God's they are vanity and see nothing but vanity the things of man which they presumptuously call the things of God and so teach Rebellion against the Lord. They establish themselves and others in a life and Righteousness that 's but Vanity a Fading Flower for Salvation And Irrefragably Confident they grow herein All the World wonder and run after them Rev. 13. 3. 1 Jo. 4. 5. Mean while no Man in the but Restor'd Worldly Spirit of Nature the Life Wisdom and Righteousness of man receives Christ Gospel-Testimony given by his Spirit of Truth in himself or followers Jo. 3. 32. That which indeed is the very Unpardonable Sinning after the Similitude of Adam ' s Transgression do Men Preach up as their undispensable Duty for Salvation The holding fast and keeping up what they received by the First-Creation against the everlasting Creature-Life Wisdom Righteousness and things of God cleerly shew'd and offered them by a second was the very Unpardonable Sin that gave the Irrecoverable fall to the Devil and his Angels Their fall evil Change and Punishment lies in this They retain all the Natural Life Glory and Excellencies of their First-Created State as by their wilful Folly and God's Righteous Judgment turn'd into and used in unchangable Enmity to God They kept not their first Estate but left their own Habitation Jude 6. What was that A State of Unstain'd Natural Purity and of changable Obedience in their Wavering Natural Principle to Spiritual Light by which cleerly shew'd and offered an Unchangably Righteous Creature-Life by a New-Creation on the Obedient-Surrender and loss of their Changable The Lord was pleas'd to deal more favourably with Man as of less Natural Capacity and so under lower Spiritual Conviction then Angels and then also as Over-reach'd and Overset by the Superiour Subtilty and Power of the Evil Angel taking from him the Fading Righteous Life Wisdom Excellencies and Corruptible Perfections of his Inferiour Humane Nature not leaving him them to Fight with against himself as he did to the Evil Angels But when this Life with the things thereof is gradually Restor'd by the Redeemer in Men Satan is presently at the same point with them as with Eve 2 Cor. 11. 3. that they shall not die at all they have Eternal Life Though it was not so in the first Adam yet when Restor'd by the Second and Men Confirm'd or Establish'd therein by him it is Indeed this Fixing Establishing Doctrine to and work upon them is Satan's not Christ's For it fixes them in unchangable enmity to Christ's Gospel-spirit and all his Gospel-things or truths Adam's attempt and design for keeping up the Righteous Life he was Created in and thence Refusing to Surrender and part with it for what was Presented to him in the Tree of Life was his very Sin The Losing or falling from the Righteous life he had was his punishment God took from him What he had his fading righteous Law-Life for Preferring it to his Everlasting New-Covenant Gospel-life The day he ate of the tree of good and evil or pleas'd himself with his own changable righteous life and the 〈◊〉 Meats or Delights thereof in preference to God's more excellent Creature-life and never-perishing meats thereof he died as threatned Gen. 2. 17. that is lost that fading righteous Life and so with all his Posterity became dead in trespasses and sins Now if Establishing our selvs in the restor'd Righteous Law-Life of our Nature Called our own be Asserted our duty and security for salvation then a sinning after the similitude of Adam's Transgression which done thus the second time after
the crosse upon it be finish'd Be not therefore rash with thy mouth tongue language or expression of thy natural Spirit nor let thy carnal mind or fleshly heart that 's in union with the Devil be hasty forward and consident to utter any thing before God Let not that be the Speaker to Men in Preaching or to God in Prayer publick or private It will do Satan's drudgery carry on his designs where or when-ever it is the speaker or actour It will do all in enmity to God to his Spirit of truth and Saint's Let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing or word before God This shew's Solomon mean's by mouth in the first clause the expressing and doing of the will and mind of the natural heart or Spirit that 's in enmity to God The Saint ought to have a jealous eye over it and keep a continual watch against it so as never to do the will or fulfil the lusts thereof but oppose fight against and crucisie them If we live and walk in Christ's Steddy Spirit of everlasting righteousness thus we shall do Gal. 5. 16. and 24 25. All yielding Obedience to or doing the will and lust of the flesh or carnal mind of enmity to God is compliance with the Devil against the Gospel-will of Christ in himself and us and divine will of God The natural Spirit is the home-bred traitour wrap'd up in a confederacy with the Devil in enmity to God the Foe of our own House or in our own persons by which Satan seek's to mischieve and destroy us 'T is our great concern to watch against this foe and keep it out of action till perfectly abolish'd and cut off and then shall we never be troubled with it more The restor'd Spirit of man that has bin as a bosome-friend and guide in the first-covenant house of God leading us out of the corrupt State of our nature and opposing the vile affections and lusts thereof filth of flesh turn's flat against the new guide and leader the Spirit of Christ in himself and us under the conduct whereof only t is possible for us to 〈◊〉 into God's rest This familiar friend and wife that lies in our bosome lifts up the heel and turn's flat against the new governour the Spiritual and sure guide to true bessedness as well as former familiar friends without doors that remain wholly in the first-covenant house establish'd by Satan in the righteousness of man and so in unchangable enmity to God Psal. 41. 9. Trust not thy bosome-friend when indeed turn'd into a bosom-enemy the Foe the worldly disputant the carnal-minded reasoner against and opposer of Christ's Gospel-Spirit in us our new guide Confer not with her Gal. 1. 16 Suffer her not to Speak or open her mouth And keep the door of thy mouth from her Let not the thoughts words prayers of thy Spiritual mind or man that 's to seek study and joyn with Christ to put her to death be offer'd to her in way of conference or treaty For She will be against all to be sure Ther 's no treating with her for peace whose enmity to God is curable only by her Death She is for war as long as one drop of mystical blood or life is left in her She will fight against Spirit to the last gasp Trust her not then Mica 7. 5. I am for peace say's David's Spiritual Man but if I open my mouth to speak of peace to my natural that with all the affections and lusts thereof that fight and war against my own soul 1 Pet. 2. 11. is alway's for war Psal. 120. 7. The carnal mind or natural Spirit is the he that hates peace that peace with God which is no otherwise attainable but by its Death The soul of the Spiritual Saint sojourn's in Mesech dwells in the tents of Kedar with him that hates peace the Foe of its own house till utterly abolish'd dead and gone v. 5 6. If we follow our former old guide in us against the lusts of our corrupted nature when thus turn'd against the new and sure Spiritual guide in us we are so far forth servants of sin and Satan Rom. 6. 16. These two Spirits natural and Spiritual Man's and God's first and second-covenant principles of life desire thought word and action in Man clearly stated and laid before him in their vast differences and irreconcilable contrarieties with the advantages and disadvantages of chusing this or that for the principle of our life and action eternal life or death does not a wrong and most foolish choice render a man undeniably and unexcusably guilty of his own eternal ruine Be not then rash with this mouth of thy Spirit of enmity to God nor hasty in that heart to utter any thing before God For how is it possible to speak right words or things to God or men in a 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 to God whose mouth speaks all its words in union with the Devil All that after Spiritual Light and strong conviction as to all these things afforded them do still persist in speaking the words of their hasty forward Spirit of enmity to God in preaching to men or pretended prayer to God are abominable to God in all For as their most aggravated wickedness madness and folly do they deliver themselvs up to the Devil as his sworn bored Slaves and vassals for ever When by way of death and 〈◊〉 Man's natural Spirit is transform'd and baptiz'd into a union with his Spiritual mind or man the Spirit of God in him then as a Seer of God and right obedient Servant to the true Prophet or Spiritual man in him 't is a meek rightly tuned spirit fitted to be a mouth or door of utterance for the things of God to his Spiritual man For God is in Heaven and thou upon Earth therefore let thy words be few God resides or dwells in the all-searching Light of his new-'creation Sanctuary-Spirit that can discover the bottom intent of all hearts Heb. 4. 12 13 that take up with Satan in his first-creation house or state in unchangable enmity to him and the second his heavenly house or Spirit When thou prayest then enter into thy Closet and shut thy Door Mat. 6. 6. exclude thy own Earthly understanding Mind or Will let them have nothing to do in or with thee in thy Prayers keep secret from them what thou pray'st and treatest about with God for thy Salvation For the Life of that is to be the Sacrifice by which to enter into the new and everlasting covenant with God Psal. 50. 5. Keep the Door of thy mouth from this false bosome-Friend and guide She will never consent to her own Death And in all true Saint's preaching to men and Prayer to God is this very thing to be taught and sought This foe is to be excluded out of the cabinet-counsell of Christ and the Saint who joyntly conclude the Death or utter abolition of all the Life and motion thereof If that therefore be
beloved natur's head from the Gospel-Sword and Fire of the Cross or Spirit of Christ do men mount up into superiour first-creation strength subtlety and power to oppose and fortify themselvs against Christ and God that they may be deliver'd from the power of evil even from the wrath of God Hab. 2. 9. This is man's design in his evil covetousness to set his nest on high amongst the evil angelical Rocks and Mountains with a vain hope to fight and make good his ground and standing there against God himself Most daring foolish presumptuous self-destroying wickedness Thus comes the mystical House of man 's swept garnish'd nature but empty of the Gospel-Spirit of Christ that 's greater than Satan after all cleansing from filth of flesh and adorning with Spiritual enlightning excellent Gifts to be re-entred and repossessed by him in a sevenfold more dangerous manner than before he was cast out of his changable corrupt state of nature that is unchangably This is cleans'd righteous man's latter end worse than his beginning in polluted nature dead in trespasses 〈◊〉 sins but recoverable and curable by the redeemer Mat. 12. 43-45 In this desperate and most deplorable condition did Christ find and declare the self-confident righteous Scribs Pharisees and professing Jews who asserted themselvs to be true Children of Abram yea and of God himself as born of God Joh. 8. 39. 41. to be of their Father the Devil as born of him and walking acting and speaking in his very murdering lying Spirit of unchangable enmity to God as the very principle of their life desire thought and action V. 44. Man's Body or natural state given up to be burn'd not in the true Fire of that Gospel-Spirit that 's called Charity or Love 1 Cor. 13. 3. but in the false Fire of Satan's Spirit of unchangable enmity to God profits him nothing but indeed becom's the highest and utmost imaginable disadvantage to him It renders him a fix'd Temple of the very Spirit of the Devil as the true Saint of God's This abundance of mystical first-creation Riches men singer by advance into evil angelical excellencies superiour to meer humane will not suffer them to sleep being for ever excluded God's Rest the new-creation Spirit of Christ. They must lie down for ever with their Father the Devil and his Angels under wrath in eternal vexation of Spirit But the mystical poor Labourer that sets his hand to the Plow of the Cross to turn up the very Root or natural principle of all mystical first-creation riches or fruits will have sweet sleep rest and peace with God for evermore He cast's away and willingly parts with all the riches as dung that the other cumbers himself with and all desires after them or care and solicitud's about them Who has the better on 't the rich Christ pronounces wo to Luk. 6. 24. or the poor in Spirit whose is the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 5. 3. The more speedily the fleshly Tree with all the fruits and riches produced in and by it is dayly dying and withering away under the Cross at the farther distance is the true Saint from the danger the covetous rich naturalist is involv'd and in a perillous tendency towards an unalterable fixure in by not submitting to God's sentence of Death upon nature at best as Paul did 2 Cor. 1. 9. so as to have it speedily executed upon them This exposes men to Satan's fixing or setting their Hearts in them to do evil Ec. 8. 11. in unchangable enmity to God with him So all their heap'd up riches are kept by and for the owners thereof to their own hurt Hurt yes to purpose their eternal ruine He that incorrigibly loves and dotes upon such riches hates Christ and his true life and riches so loves Death Prov. 8. 36. Had the young man listned to Christ and quitted the fading earthly life and riches of his own nature for his heavenly he had found that eternal Life he enquir'd after But quitting Christ's faithfull Command and gracious Offer all for his unspeakable advantage if complied with in case he finally persisted therein what less than eternal Death could befall him Mat. 19. 16-22 Vers. XIV But those riches perish by evil travel Heb. in the evil use or employment of them and he begetteth a Son and there is nothing in his hand Litteral riches got by evil travel and as ill us'd are by the just hand of God oft taken away again Man set's himself to build Castles in the Air or leave house and land to his Posterity called after his own name and all comes to nothing The Son begotten by him and left behind him bring 's his matters to such pass that nothing remain's to him or is left in his hand As for the deceas'd Father he could carry nothing of such riches away with him Psal. 49. 17. Job 21. 13. -21. What a dismal issue is here of all vain travel relating to the outward pelf of this World and the same issue come all the mystical rich man's labours to as has been above evidenc'd abundantly He trades but in a higher sort of perishing vanities with the litteral Both of them as they came naked in Body and Soul into the World so do they march out of it again after a long travel and trading in a scene of perishing shadows as follow 's Vers. XV. As he came forth of his Mothers Womb naked shall he return to go as he came and shall take nothing of his labour which he may carry away in his hand No comfort or benefit for ever will remain to either of the said evill Labourers and Abusers of litteral or mystical perishing worldly riches Psal. 39. 5 6. and 49. 11-20 They carry nothing away to stand them in any stead in a resurrection of damnation for the second Child that shall stand up in an immortal being of Body Soul and Spirit in lieu of their mortal Life of all in this World Eccl. 4. 15. Vers. XVI And this also is a sore evil that in all points as he came so shall he go and what profit hath he that hath laboured for the Wind Man wholly destitute of the Life Riches and Glory of the World to come labour 's in Sin Vanity and Darkness all along his day in this He has nothing but a delusive transient jollity in things that perish in the using Belly and Meats Desires and Desirables all vanity God will destroy one and t'other All 's but a passant wind he labours about And all his false joy lead's directly to eternal sorrow that he 's to lie down in under wrath Vers. XVII All his days also he eateth in darkness and he hath much sorrow and wrath with his sickness In this verse and the two former have we a true description of man's doleful state after the largest possessions litteral or mystical that can fall to his lot in first-creation life He huggs but a wind phantome shadow or self-pleasing Dream All 's nothing and he
comes to worse than nothing unspeakable misery and confusion without the least relief for ever under unquenchable wrath Man is born in a naked condition of Body and dead in Sin as to his Soul When reviv'd and Cloath'd again by Christ as to some measure of his restor'd lost Life and Righteousness in the first-covenant by keeping up that in enmity to an everlasting Life and Righteousness offer'd him by Christ in the second and so sinning after the similitude of Adam's first transgression he is worse than ever his latter end worse than his beginning a state of unchangable incurable evil sorrow nakedness poverty and death His whole man after all possible revival comsort flourish or fruitfulness in the mortal first-covenant Life of his Spirit or sensual Life of his Body goes destitute of all good or comfort naked out of the World as he came into 't He takes nothing of the fading Glory of his reviv'd Spirit any more than outward riches and comforts relating to his Body away with him at the death of the Body All goes In all points on all accounts he goes as he came stark naked strip'd of all comfort or goodness All fruits and labours of his Spirit and Body go together all vanish They that obediently part with all such fading Life and but things of man in their Spirit before the death of their Body find their own again with usury for ever in the everlasting Life Wisdom Righteousness and things of God in the Gospel-Spirit or Principle of the new and everlasting Covenant This is the unspeakable Gift of God offer'd all on obedient surrender of their fading Life and things in the first-covenant for his everlasting in the second They that refuse this surrender as most do lose all good in both Covenants for ever and fall under the positive inflictions of wrath for ever This for the evill use of all their things and labours in the first against God and the second When charg'd for all before the Judgment-seat of Christ they 'l be found in a silencing self-condemning consciousness as to all charg'd with will have nothing to say When their evil consciences are open'd all their mouths of iniquity will be stopp'd No disputing pleading apologizing but e'ne take their charge and sentence and so lie down for ever in sorrow shame and confusion under the wrath of their most righteous all-seeing Judg. Then will they find nothing of all their evil travel left in their hand The wrath of God will be upon them and the awak'ned spiritual convictions afforded them in mercy on earth will be set up in them for ever in hel as a never-dying ever-gnawing worm Mark 9. 44. 46. 48 to torment them within by the perpetually forc'd sight of their madness and folly on earth against the universal experience of all mankind and all faithfull warnings from God All their fading beauty will be consum'd in that Grave from their dwelling Psal. 49. 14. or that earthly state of their whole persons which they have chosen for their final habitation They have rendred themselvs fit fewel for the wrath of God eternally to flame forth upon When Christ awak's or comes forth in his heavenly he will despise or destroy their earthly Image Psal. 73. 20. or state burn up all the fading Glory perishing Life Riches Fruits and meats thereof or works therein 2 Pet. 3. 10. Their fleshly principle or root with the branch tree with the fruit as Grass at best a fading flower will wither and perish for ever Isai. 40. 6. These things and life then chosen by them when known to be so and Christ's everlasting Life and Things as knowingly and wilfully rejected when convincingly shew'd and fairly offer'd them will cause their unutterable confusion for ever in eternal darkness and death They 'l have nothing but wrath to feed on for ever in a resurrection of damnation Much sorrow and wrath will they have in and with their sickness unexpressible wrath rage and madness within them as the Septuagint render in their languishing incurable sickness or unchangable enmity to God under the final wrath of God This will befall them after all patience of God and favourable offers while 't was called to day with them in this world all which they abus'd and refus'd to their sorer condemnation and punishment So become they most desolate for ever O Jerusalem Jerusalem c. Mat. 23. 37 38. As vessels of dishonour will they be forc'd to eat the fruit of their own way 〈◊〉 be filled with the fruit of their own devices the wrath of God Prov. 1. 31. 'T will be sorely ill with them when that just reward of their hands shall be given them Isai. 3. 11. Had they 〈◊〉 to his Counsel they might have dwelt safely for ever and have been quiet from fear of evil Prov. 1. 33. Their simple turning from his offers and their prosperous flourish in their own nature will and way destroy'd these incorrigible Fools V. 32. Vers. XVIII Behold that which I have seen it is good and comly for one to eat and to drink and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh vnder the Sun all the days of his Life which God giveth him for it is his portion Having in some former Verses finish'd the Character of the incorrigibly wicked as to their dreadfull condition Solomon proceed's here to declare the blessed condition of all that are of a perfectly contrary temper of Spirit to that of unchangable enmity above-said of another Spirit with Caleb and Joshuah who wholly followed the Lord Numb 32. 12. 'T is the Spirit of Faith only the law of the Spirit of Life and true Liberty the Gospel-Spirit of Truth in which the Lord can be rightly own'd fully follow'd and acceptably worship'd in Spirit and Truth Sure none of these things can ever be done in man's own spirit will and way that at best is enmity to God True Saints bring forth all the fruits of their labours unto God the Father in this Spirit of the Son which makes them free indeed in this newness of Life and Law of true Liberty the glorious Liberty of the Sons of God And they reap the benefit or fruit of all their such labours in the Lord which never are in vain 1 Cor. 15. 58. All labours in our own Spirit of nature uncircumcis'd or circumcis'd that is corrupt or righteous are in vain as to eternal Life Gal. 6. 15. Nothing but the new creature and its actions are conducible or of any tendency towards that There God work 's all our works for us and we all our works in him as co-workers with God in his own Spirit Isai. 26. 12. Joh. 3. 21. Without me or my Gospel-Spirit 〈◊〉 can do nothing in the way towards true Life say's Christ to all Joh. 15. 5. These Gospel-works of the Spirit of Faith in Abraham justified him Jam. 22. 21 not law-works in his own Spirit of nature or principle of the covenant of
Devil and his Angels at first did But 't is the distinguishing mark brand and character of fools to suffer this anger to rest in them or themselves to be fix'd in enmity against the Gospel-spirit and Cross of Christ. The very Elect Satan would thus deceive but tho' they be for a season ignorantly engag'd in the same folly such anger against God's declar'd way of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rest or abide for ever in them Paul was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 26. 11. In letter anger long rests in fools for any injury real or supposed done them whereas a wise Man will pass by a transgression and not harbour in his bosom long troublesome revengeful meditations of an injury to his own and 〈◊〉 hurt But the said mystical fool is the greatest fool of all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in his greatest concern His lifted up Soul in first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and ornaments against God and the second is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 4. indeed a downright hater of and hateful to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in spirit waits for new spiritual light or revelation the proud in spirit scorns and scoffs at this new light and rejects what ever his conceited wisdom can't receive or discern that is all Gospel-Truths and Mysteries of the Kingdom of God Vers. 10. Say not thou what is the cause that the former days were better then these for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this Solomon here prevents and rebukes Man's quarrel and complaint that the latter day 's of this World since the fall are worse then the former before the fall which brought a desolating change upon mankind into a dark dead ignorant corrupt state of nature Man does not judg nor inquire a right as wisely considering and discerning this thing Fallen Angels indeed were gone without remedy on their first sin But 't is not so with Man For God has over-rul'd his fault and punishment to the farther magnifying of his Free-Grace by which he is offer'd better things and greater advantages than were given him in his first creation God has found a way for restoring him to some measure of his lost righteous life And the universal experience of mankind as to the fading nature of that life by the first sin and fall from it and by a world of faithful warnings from God and multiplied instances of Apostates after renewed therein do make up an advantage to them beyond what Adam had before his fall For he through somthing of inadvertency was surpriz'd and catch'd alive 2 Tim. 2. 26. in that snare of the Devil the very righteous life he was 〈◊〉 of as if all that God intended for his final and absolute blessedness All men now find that Suggestion of the Devil Adam thro' the weakness of his flesh or fleshly state entertain'd as a truth to be a lie If his saying Ye shall not die at all be not sufficiently refuted by the death of all Men as to that righteous life set up in the first-creation make of Adam when will it or what will undeceive men Man then restor'd into something of the same changeable righteous life Adam was created in the perfection of may seem to have the advantage-ground of Adam in order to the second personal trial of every one against the like fallacious arguings of Satan 2 Cor. 11. 3. And as men's advantages are greater for preventing a sinning after the similitude of Adam's transgression so will their punishment for it be greater even an irrecoverable destruction the latter end worse than the begining as higher and greater sinners against the Holy Ghost then Adam was or they in and with him The same sin willfully repeated in any man is absolutely unpardonable If that of Adam and all men in him had bin so who could have bin saved What Christ the second Adam has done for all Men leaves no Men capable of defending or excusing themselves by that worn Proverb a fleshly first Covenant Israel or people of God had got in their mouth 's that our first Parents ate sowr Grapes and their Childrens Teeth are thereby set on edge Ezek. 18. 2. All Men may be recover'd out of their polluted fallen nature if they will by Christ's General Redemption-work as the common Salvation 1. Tim. 4. 10. Jude 3. Rom. 5. 18. All are capable of such life and justification therein as Adam had before his fall And all are capable of a new trial for the obedient exchange of that life for a better an everlasting which Adam at first fail'd in Man's latter condition then since the fall is circumstanc'd with valuable advantages both for escaping Damnation and obtaining Salvation beyond his former before the fall All the evil consequents of the first Adam's sin are remov'd by the obedient death of the second and Gospel-instructions are afforded to caution against the like beyond what Adam in innocency had So in the said respects God has made the latter day 's of Man better than the former tho' man had made them worse And if man make the right use of his advantages therein as he ought God will make his latter end better than his beginning by setting up in him an everlasting Gospel-life that never can be lost in the room of his fading Law-life that has bin and will be lost for ever by every man and Angel that do what they can to keep and save it in a known rebellion against the only Saviour and all his words of counsel and instruction Mat. 16. 25. Vers. 11. Wisdom is good with an inheritance and by it there is profit to them that see the Sun The new-creature Wisdom of God in man qualifies him for the inheriting of God himself renders him a joynt-heir with Christ of God Rom. 8. 17. The corruptible old or first-Creation life and wisdom of Man gives no title to this incorruptible 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 1. 4. It belongs not to flesh and blood 1 Cor. 15. 50. Man or Angel in their natural make and state which at best is in both and they in it altogether Vanity No entring into the second Covenant and Kingdom-spirit of God but by the sacrifice of all we receiv'd from his own hand in the first to him Psal. 50. 5. All our own in our natural first-creation-make and life must go for all God's own in the second If Man yeild to his suffering parting part in order to his entring the new Covenant the surrender loss and perfect resignation of all his own without any reserve if he come roundly and cleerly 〈◊〉 herein not keeping back any part of his earthly life or possessions with Ananias and Saphira Heaven is his own God himself his inheritance for ever Christ will not fail to perform his part and undertake in the second Covenant as to the unspeakable gift the promise of the Father Luk. 24. 49. Act. 1. 4. which he calls his own The young Man refus'd Christ's terms herein Mat. 19. 22. The old Man in him was not willing to part with his old earthly things for
bondage and death in trespasses and sins These under the self-polluting practices of their unbridled brutish lusts carry folly and madness written in their foreheads to be seen and read of all men in and by the restor'd common light of Nature They hate the righteous life of their own nature with all reproofs and instructions towards their recovery into it They abuse what light of Reason they have rendring it a slave to those brutish powers of life it ought to direct and rule over so as to prog about and fetch in provisions for them The consequent hereof Solomon declares to be a dying before or not in their time saying Why shouldst thou die before thy time In a literal sence how oft do men hasten the death of their body by 〈◊〉 riot and luxury These are bloody-minded men that shall not live out half their days Psal. 55. 23. They wholly delight in the brutish lusts and pleasures of their degenerate nature polluted in its own blood Ezek. 16. 6. dead in trespasses and sins Eph. 2. 1. Solomon advises men not to be over-wicked or stay over-long in the brutified polluted state of fallen nature out of which the first-covenant 〈◊〉 of Christ do break forth by a being born of and knowing him 〈◊〉 the flesh into the righteous fleshly-life of the Law who also 〈◊〉 to break forth out of that fading righteous state with the spiritual new-Covenant Children of Christ when warn'd of and call'd thereunto become guilty of more criminal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and abominable Idolatries then they that remain wholly in their polluted Nature A being born but of the flesh or will of 〈◊〉 in Christ is vastly short of a being born of the spirit or will of God in him Joh. 3. 6. and 1. 13. That that 's born of his flesh is but flesh holy flesh righteous Nature makes but a first-Covenant Saint Spouse and Child of Christ which Paul wholly quitted as dung for the knowledge of 〈◊〉 after 〈◊〉 Spirit or in his Spiritual Resurrection-life This turn'd the Law-Saint in holy 〈◊〉 into a Gospel-Saint in God's holy new-creature Spirit of everlasting Righteousness 2 Cor. 5. 16. Phil. 3. 6 10. So became he a fool weak despicable as a crucified dead Man to them that were yet wise strong and honorable in Christ by the knowledge of him only after the flesh 1 Cor. 4. 10. or in but the first-Covenant But to the wicked here Christ has restor'd the first-Covenant Light of Rational Nature in every Man that comes into the World By this he shews or gives them a fair prospect into this first mystical Canaan or earthly Jerusalem-state and so a call into it even into the righteous cleans'd Life and State of their own Nature Those that refuse deliverance out of their polluted dead state of Nature do by this additional evil to their Hereditary Disease and Pollution from Adam pull the just charge of that original Sin upon their own guilty heads as delighting in it and chusing it in preference to any thing of the righteous life of Nature Adam had before his fall They render themselves literal Sodom incorrigibly and therefore unpardonably wicked to whom belongs the vengeance of eternal fire Jude7 as the meet recompence of such errour Rom. 1. 26 27. Will they reckon it too hard eternal punishment should be brought upon them in Hell for a little short brutish pleasure upon Earth In this also they greatly err not considering that their unchangeable enmity to God deserv's his unchangeable Wrath upon them Thus Man dies before his time chuses his state of death and pollution when he might receive the fairly offer'd Righteous Life of his own Law-Spirit of Nature again after which yet he may die eternally if he refuse by the right death and sacrifice of that to receive eternal Life in God's Gospel-Spirit of Grace But as an enemy of all Righteousness or Righteous Life God's and Man's too does he turn that but changeably dead state of Nature he was born in into a state of unchangeable eternal death a latter end worse then his beginning worse then that changeable curable recoverable state of death he was born in Such brutified monsters will not admit any thing of the least 〈◊〉 towards their Deliverance or Salvation not any thing towards 〈◊〉 rendring them clean sacrifices to God in a restor'd first-Covenant Life in order to receive his life in the second By this over-plus of wickedness does man hasten his own eternal ruine If he hate the Righteousness of man that he has seen much more does he hate the more excellent spiritual new-Creature everlasting Righteousness of God and much more yet the infinite and eternal Righteousness of the very Divinity that he has not seen 1 Joh. 4. 20. As still more and more above and contrary to the vile affections and lusts of his brutified self-polluting Nature Eternal death is the undeniably just recompence of all that finally refuse to submit to the Lord 's declared terms for their receiving eternal life whether they be found in corrupt or righteous Nature whether Publicans and Harlots common 〈◊〉 of the Gentiles or Righteous Scribes and Pharisees professing first-Covenant Jews or Christian Gentiles So have we the sence in which these two verses 16 th 17 th are spoken to two sorts of Men professors and profane one perishing by being over-much righteous the other by being over-much wicked The former will needs have his Righteousness and Wisdom to be everlasting and unchangeable above and beyond all that God has ever written or spoken of it crying Peace peace to himself and others therein as entitled thereby to eternal life and peace in and with God All this in a perfect contrariety to all God's Declarations Counsels and Warnings about it So they love and delight in what Christ makes the hating parting with and death of undispensably necessary to their being saved Eternal death is the meet recompence of such errour finally persisted in As for the overmuch-wicked ver 17. he sinks himself into a far worse condition then left in by his first Parents So come they both to a latter end worse than their beginning eternal darkness and death These two sorts of incorrigible sinners mystical and literal Sodomites bring upon themselves swift destruction by denying the Lord that bought them 2 Pet. 2. 1. One denying or refusing to receive him so much as in his first the other in his second or new-Covenant life And of the two the mystical Sodomite will have the worst on 't for ever under the wrath to come Mat. 11. 24. Vers. 18. It is good that thou should'st take hold of this yea also from this withdraw not thine hand for he that feareth God shall come forth of them all The good we should take hold or lay hands on is Christ's new-creation life of Truth the absolute unchangeable good thing that 's to be sought and pure as'd at any rate sold or parted with at no rate Prov. 23. 23.
the true Shepherd the said strange Woman fill's her mouth with the most inticing perswasive words of her serpentine wisdom to furnish them for the serving all her mischievous designs upon themselves and others The words of Man's and Satan's wisdom's joyntly hand forth another pretended Gospel in flat opposition to every word of Christ's clothing all their falshoods with the misapplied letter of his words of truth This Woman's words are smoother than Butter softer then Oil but are drawn Swords wounding Men to eternal death Psal. 55. 21. Many strong Men Wise Strong and honourable in Christ by first-Covenant attainments have bin So slain by her Prov. 7. 26. The palate and temper of humane Nature in general is what Ahab discover'd in hating the one true Prophet Micaiah that counsell'd him contrary to his own will for his good and rewarding the four hundred false ones that gratified his will to his own destruction 1 Kin. 22. The language or thought of all natural hearts God declar's to be this Prophesie not unto us right things speak unto us smooth things prophesie deceits Isa. 30. 10. and Satan finds false Prophets enow in a readiness to gratify them so as to keep true Seers out of all hearing or regard all whose words lie cross to the will palat and desire of humane nature corrupt or righteous in all mankind They preach the Cross and death to it in all as necessary to the Salvation of any This Satan represents as the greatest loss and prejudice imaginable to them indeed their utter ruine He advises them to hold fast their own decrying the pretended advantages of suffering and dying even a living and reigning with Christ as meer delusive fictions All men in their natural principles corrupt or righteous stand ready for receiving Satan's doctrin the doctrine of Devils pleasing to Nature in all variety of condition it can be found in No man in that worldly nature and spirit receives Christ's Gospel-Testimony Joh. 3. 22. 14. 17. This must needs make a vast difference between the numberless flockers after Satan's Gospel and the few or next to no listners after Christ's When Satan has lock'd up men in a double prison the will of their own fixed spirit of bondage and his will upon that in this firm union of these self-embondaging spirits and wills are they invincibly hardned against all the words of God's Wisdom And then the whole counsel of the Devil in his Mystery of Iniquity passes currant with them for the whole Counsel of God in his mystery of Godliness Solomon Paul and other awaken'd spiritual Saints can find out all these depths wiles devices snares and nets of this Woman that they see their fellow mortals even the professing party so generally involv'd entangled and caught in This Woman is more bitter than death her heart being full of snares and nets So subtilly contriv'd and methodiz'd as most certainly to catch all that refuse and so are destitute of the new-creation wisdom of God which alone can enable to number and find out the name and nature of this first-creation Beast Rev. 13. 18 with all her natural perfections disguis'd and gilded over by her whorish paint and transforming skil with counterfeit resemblances of spiritual in order to give the utmost shock of opposition to what is so For this end does she vent her Gospel-lies in hypocrisy or feigned resemblances of Christ's Gospel-Truths 1 Tim. 4. 1 2. Thus accoutred and furnish'd with gilded painted snares and nets from the date of her first sin and fall is she the Captain-General of all her hosts of evil Angels and Men fix'd with her in a spirit of unchangeable darkness and falshood against God and his new-creature-spirit of marvellous Light and infallible Truth Under her powerful witchcrafts and alluring charm's fell Man at best And what can he do that comes after the King Adam in the unstain'd purity of all natural perfections and excellencies of humane nature Remember this first battel in which all mankind with the first fell dead at the Serpent's feet dead in trespasses and sins and do so no more Job 41. 8. Never think of undertaking him with success in but the gradually restor'd Righteous Life Wisdom and Armour of Man In the most restor'd righteous natural Man is now found actual enmity to God but changeable pardonable curable by the cross not otherwise If Satan render this unchangeable and unpardonable his work is finish'd Christ comes with Fire and Sword speaks War and Death to Nature at best Satan with flattering kisses and pleasing Words Who is like to be best liked by Man The wounds of the true Friend and Saviour submitted to will be Salvation The kisses and smooth words of the enemy complied with Damnation Prov. 27. 6. Satan finds in man a natural inclination to resist the Cross as his enemy and he leaves no meanes unattempted conducible to the fixing him in such resistance Then is he his own true subject in his kingdom of darkness and God swears in wrath he shall never enter into his Kingdom of Light This Woman will not fail to lay her snares and nets before Saints every step they are making under the cross towards the Kingdom of God while any thing of his natural friend in them is yet about them He was at it with Christ himself again and again while he had any thing of our pure fleshly Nature and changeable life of the Law in him Mat. 4. 16. 22 23. Luk. 4. Man establish'd in his own Righteousness thinks all safe for Salvation when fast lodg'd in the very arms of this grand mystical Adulteress the Devil irrecoverably wrap'd and bound up in the bundle of death caught and held fast in her nets and snares while pleasing himself with hopeful thoughts that his soul is bound up in the bundle of life with the Lord as David's 1 Sam. 25. 29. The perswasive words of Man's and Satan's wisdom are exactly calculated to gratify the desires of humane Nature in order to fix men in enmity to the unpleasing doctrine of the cross upon it and so perfectly deafen them to the voice of the true Shepherd all the words of God's Wisdom in himself and Saints to all spiritual charmers charm they never so wisely Psal. 58. 4 5. Man by willingly giving himself up in obedience to and compliance with Satan's known lie against God's known truth Heb. 10. 26. is abhorred of the Lord and given up by him to such strong delusion as holds him fast in the snares of this bottomless pit the very spirit of the Devil that he be damn'd with him 2 Thes. 2. 10 -12. When men are thus caught in the Snares of this Woman her hands are as bands upon them powerful cords and chains they can never break or get loose from never get out of this deep Dungeon and bottomless pit into which they have plung'd themselves Who so pleaseth or is good before God shall escape her but the Sinner shall be taken
highly enlighten'd and restor'd understanding of Man is but dull blunt Iron till whetted by spiritual light utterly unable to discern or do the Will of God in any thing to his wel-pleasing It can't direct his steps aright towards God or his own Salvation Jer. 10. 23. 'T is spiritual Wisdom only is profitable to direct in the way everlasting Psal. 139. 24. This renders a Man an infallible Seer and Doer of the whole mind and will of God And this renders him the certain overcomer of his own contrary natural mind and lust 'T will crucify the worldly mind in him to the World without him and so the World to him and bring the God of this World under his feet Flesh World and Devil will all flee before and fall under him God will be fully pleas'd with him he fully saved and absolutely blessed for ever Vers. 11. Surely the Serpent will bite without enchantment and a Babbler is no better The natural spirit of fallen Angel and Man is poyson'd with enmity changeable in man unchangeable in evil Angels or Devils Devils being all absolutely fix'd in enmity and resolutely using all their angelical Wisdom in their superiority of nature to Man go clear beyond him in subtilty as well as power The Devil when fallen was too hard for man unfallen over-reach'd him with his subtilty overset him with his power and so sowed his evil seed of enmity to God's spiritual Law in all mankind This mystical deadly poyson has laid them all dead in trespasses and sins The old Serpent is more subtile then but gradually restor'd Man and still all along this World is upon him with the same lying suggestion and wicked but pleasing Counsel as to Eve that restor'd righteous nature is a state of eternal life and 〈◊〉 shall not die neither under the Cross here nor eternally hereafter Gen. 3. 1 -- 5. 2 Cor. 11. 3. It must needs be much easier for Satan to prevail with restor'd righteous man since the fall then in his first 〈◊〉 on humane nature in the primitive purity and perfection thereof For now he finds the same poisonous enmity to God in men with himself as even in Paul after all his Law-conversion and Righteouness of man but before his Gospel-conversion into the Life and Righteousness of God His work now is only to put his confirming Paw upon man for rendring his changeable enmity to God and Union with him unchangeable Then his work 's done and man undone for ever And in carrying on this is he pleasing to man His Counsels are all after man's own heart The old Serpent now in biting poisoning and wounding men to eternal death is all along pleasing to them He licks them to death with his flattering harlot-kisses in the practice of the highest and most criminal strumpetry seducing them from Christ the true spiritual Lord and Husband they ought to be chast single-ey'd and hearted in their love to The enchanting alluring Words of this grand mystical Adulteress are smoother then Butter when war is in her heart softer then Oil yet are drawn Swords Psal. 55. 21. Grand Adulteress the supreme Whore of Babylon influencing and drawing into the same guilt innumerable Men who with all Devils or evil Angels make up the comprehensive and compleat mystical Whore of Babylon in an unchangeable murdering mind of enmity to Christ and his true spiritual Israel or new-Jerusalem Saints Man of Sin Son of Perdition 2 Thess. 2. 3. roaring Lion seeking whom he may devour 1 Pet. 5 8. great bloody red Dragon Rev. 12. 3. Abaddon Apollyon 〈◊〉 destroyer Rev. 9. 11. Devil Satan old-Serpent Rev. 20. 2. and the like all these are charactering titles and distinguishing badges of one and the same Beel-zebub or Prince of Devils Mark 3. 22. Without Inchantment or such listning to the charming voice counsels of the Spirit of Christ the true Shepherd and Teacher as will turn them from the voice of all flattering Strangers Joh. 10. 4 5. Will Men be charm'd and seduc'd by this old Serpent and mortally bitten stung and poison'd by him to eternal death All this was figur'd out in the bitings of 〈◊〉 literal fiery Serpents and cure of such bitten Israelites only as look'd up by Faith to the fiery Serpent on a pole Num. 21. 6 9. This brazen Serpent on a pole was a figure of Christ as in our nature crucified and raised into his spiritual new-Creation Life Joh. 3. 14. whoever so look up to him herein as to be made willingly conformable to his death that they may partake of his resurrection-Life are certainly cured for ever as to the poisonous bitings of the mystical old fiery Serpent or Serpents the Devil and his Angels all Devils figur'd by the literal Enmity to God is inseparable from Man save by the total death of his natural state A Leopard's spots may as soon be done away or a Blackmoor's skin wash'd white Jer. 13. 23. as man save by a right obedient death of his natural spirit at best be cleans'd from all evil filth of spirit or enmity to God If Men listen not to the Counsels of true Wisdom they 'l be pleas'd with the old Serpents adding to his first poisonous biting them in and with the first man such a farther biting of them as will render their enmity to God as unchangeable in them as in himself All his words are natural and welcome to them They reject Christ's and wholly chuse and delight in his Counsels Isa. 30. 9 11. Here 's the dangerous posture mankind are in And a Babler is no better Man in his own Wisdom undertaking to expound Scripture and counsel his fellow-mortals about Salvation is a Babbler a tinkling Cymbal makes only a confused noise an uncertain sound of Words in all which he 's no better then the old Serpent himself that is gives no better but indeed the self-same Counsel he gives preaches his Gospel that men will find the restor'd righteous life of nature to be eternal and everlasting Salvation Thus doe babbling men carry on Satan's poisoning doctrine and work in a lying spirit of Divination for poisoning themselves and Hearers beyond cure to eternal death None are sit to teach Christ's Gospel to others but such as are wise unto Salvation themselves Who else can shew the way of Salvation Vers. 12. The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious but the lips of a Fool will swallow up himself All thoughts and words inward and outward Words of the truly wise man are gracious good and pleasing in God's sight A spirit of everlasting Righteousness is the principle and root of all He turns from the life light understanding will desire thought word and action of his own Spirit to live wholly in and to God after his heart in his spirit So God or his creature-spirit works all his works in him and he in God Isa. 26. 12. Phil. 2. 13. Joh. 3. 21. On the contrary the Lips of a Fool will swallow up himself Man in