out of conceit he did God good service Rested satisfied We know the Scribes and Pharisees who were the most zealous for Sabbaths and prayer and other points of Worship yet they make it their Rest but come to our daies and see if we swarme not of the same only seeming professors of God who are very zealous for the same things and from their very zeal are made to Rest with high thoughts of their condition But how far this zeal which is most commonly led with more affection then Judgement will bring man into a form of Truth First It will leade man into a whole conformity to what it doth conceive to be truth that it shall according to what it hath serve God in all good conscience Acts. 23. 1. and according to the Law to be unblamable and untaxable Then his conversation shall bee very strict in the observation of what the Law requires and he shall act the same with much vehemency of spirit taking all oppertunities for the doing of the same Secondly It will carry the soule on to suffer cheerfully what he may meet withall in this very particular Thirdly he may by zeal afflict his body sore 1. Cor. 13. 3. with fasting and mourning under pretence the one to honour and obey God the other for dishonou◠brought to God So as he may be almost spent in body and spirit and estate in prosecuting the things o◠God according to his light Farther hee may out o◠Zeal come to Gospel precepts and may be Zealous for that light in externall formes which is there required to be obeyed so as he may gather Churches and may suffer much in the conforming to and practising with so much vehemency the Ordinances cōmonly practised by the Churches in the Apostles and our daies so as his Zeal may lead him out to teaching and helping forward that work studying night and day to finde out matter to furnish himself for edification so as for paines in the Churches and for Zeal to observe the severity of those formes and any thing required to bee practised in the said Churches so as now it will have communion in Ordinances with none but those of his own stamp judgement being mightily carried forth to judge and pitty those who are opposers of that light Now this soul through Zeal may goe thus farre yea to act the very highest things the Scriptures doe require in matters of visible practise and yet be not at all taught in the Spirit neither got into the life and power of what he doth professe but meerly zealous for shadowes and wants the power so as he is commanded by the form and not the forme by the power dwelling within him Now grant farther That such a soul did act in truth according to this dispensation yet notwithstanding in this particular there were no cause of Rest for nothing visibly seen flowing from the Creature ought to be its Rest but some visible flowings into the Creature which is being and substance from which and unto which a Soule through Zeal for God acts Also a Creature thus Zealous Rests not at home but reformes abroad also beginning with his own family and so goes abroad to others and labours for reformation and practises the same with much Zeal so as he can not endure the visible appearance of any sinne in himself or others He may help with much Zeal the purging of Cities and Nations or drunkennesse or swearing or any open prophanesse he may be for punishing of evil doers in this particular with much severity and seeming to be much troubled at the neglect of it he may rejoyce much in this practise and may help forward this work in a Nation very much and yet this no Rest at all also he may be zealous yea mad of Zeale for the worship of his God in reference unto others not only taking all opportunities to inform them in the same but using all Coercive powers for confiring them thereunto so as he may be an instrument to bring families and most part of Cities into this outward conformity to the matters of worship and here hee lookes upon an action done of great moment and weight and partly makes this an evidence of this true enjoyment of God by Reason of his Zeale for God and the effect thereby produced which is the good of many Now the cause of a Souls thus Resting partly flowes from want of the information in judgement of the great deceite of the heart in putting man by zeal upon such publique actions and then to cause it to Rest and further it conceiving it's Zeale for God and from a principle of God not being acquainted with a Pharisaicall Zeale to be seen of men or to get a name amongst men or that Zeal which men have but not according to knowledge or the Zeale Paul had before conversion which excels both for vehemency and downrightnesse is the Zeal of many a professor who are at Rest in our daies Now a poor Creature because he is made to suffer freely and to hazard life and liberty in the prosecution of this Zeal he is much puffed up under these considerations 1. That now this is a suffering with and for Christ and therefore he shall reign with him and enjoy much from him 2 That this is a parting with all for Christ and a great point of self denial and so an evidence of a disciple of Christ when indeed the Soule is in himself and hath not at all attained that estate to forsake himselfe Therefore let every heart though never so Zealous for God take notice that his heart may deceive him in his Zeal and his affection may blinde his judgement and so it proves blinde zeal Or Secondly Consider that though it be such Zeale as is good and to be approved of in its dispensation yet not at all to be Rested upon nor to be an evidence of any true enjoyment of God though he pretend God in the fore-front as Jehu did The fifth false Rest. THe next Rest of a Soule though I might not have spoken of it because I have partly given it forth yet that things may be the more opened its the Creatures Righteousnesse or sanctification and outward holinesse wherein both in carriage and words he doth most sweetly in probability savour of high enjoyments of God This is to be a testimony of the same to others though not to himself yet notwithstanding his Rest is to him a high evidence of the true and reall possessings of God when alas it is continually a vanishing Rest and evidence and when the Creature stands in need of it it is taking its wings and flying away and proves a miserable comforter in the saddest straits of a Soul But first let us consider that true holinesse of a person made manifest in actions flowes from the justification of a Soule made manifest in the Spirit so that the truest holinesse or outward sanctification doth wholly flow as an effect of Justification made manifest
whether it be of God or man if of God it shall be dispelled by a higher if of man or Satan it shall be destroyed So that to Rest upon this estate though attained from God though it should prove a dispensation of God it would be a Rest much below the Center of the soul which is God The Second false Rest THe second Rest most commonly of Souls after a common restraining the Creature from grosse evils is a work seeming to the Creature something higher and that is in obedience unto what the Law of God requires The first is A negative Obedience from something The second is an affirmative Obedience to something and this seems to the Creature to go beyond the other and so become a surer foundation of Rest when indeed it is all one with the other and still short of the true Rest And here comes it to passe that in this dispensation man hath no longer peace then he acts sutable to the Law break the Law and it breaks the neck of the Souls peace Keep it it keeps the Soul in peace And secondly in this condition it comes to passe that the Creature is wholly cast down and begins to question all he hath yea the very foundation of all when in the least manner he doth transgresse But still the soul is in a very low and empty dispensation but mans obedience to the Law wherein he intends by his obedience to it to get happinesse and life from it flowes from these particulars following 1. From a convincement of his misery our of God in which he sees a want of God upon which he runnes unto the Law being convinced by it to see what is required of it He now resolves makes Covenants Vowes renewes them often and purposeth to do what he Law requires To this end he fals aboard of praying reading keeping Sabbaths and spends nights and daie in labouring to attaine to what the Law requires And. 1. The Law requiring as the principall part of it Love Now this is the daily complant of such a soule in this dispensation Oh that I could love God then I could believe God loved me then it being the principal part of the Law I could believe it were fullfilled either in me or for mee then should I enjoy peace and Rest in my spirit not knowing that our love to God nowes from the manifestations of Gods love in us not considering that the law is fullfilled by another not knowing that peace and rest flowes from the enjoyments of God and not from sutable Quallifications to the Law of God but now when the soul hath as he conceives got so much love to God as partly the Law of God requires it Rests concluding this That love to God is an infallible Token of Love from God Yet not knowing that the way to judge aright of my love to God is from the enjoyments of Love from God And here lies the great deceit of many spirits Again The Law requires Sabbath keeping and many such like comands are required The soul cries Oh that I could keepe the Sabbath Oh that my heart could keep close with God upon that day and here the soul labours to bring his heart into that frame not to think his own thoughts or speak his owne words whereupon he sets a praying in the morning and exercises himselfe in all duties agreable to the day now if he keep the day so exact as he thinkes the Law requires he Rests with much peace but if he be dead and cold and unprofitable in these Dispensations he imployes himselfe in then he can have no peace all the week but is mourning and grieving he hath broke the Law and here is partly the frame of such a spirit And the second cause of his thus acting is from an apprehension of wrath and a condemning conscience and hell within it would doe any thing to assawgâ— the wrath and fire of hell in his owne conscience Whaâ— would not a soule doe or attempt to remove the same being at present too heavy for the soul to bear now it would do any thing to stoppe the mouth of a condemning conscience though it will pretend what it doth is for no such matter but the flatterings of the heart and the glosse it puts upon the actions of the Creature in this Dispention Now the soul not discerning satisfaction given to God by another it labours therefore to satisfie God for the breach it hath made betwixt it and God though I say the heart here will glosse its actions and say to the contray But now it seeing a breach this breach must be made up before there can be peace Now the soule not seeing the breach made up by Christ he labours to make up the breach by his actuall obedience to the Law of God And therefore is it that men teach this Principle The way to attain grace and favour with God is by such a humiliation or sorrow as they call God And here they prove Aegyptian Task-masters to set the Creature upon doing when he hath no straw to work withall Exod. 5. 13. 14. And this is usuall with Creatures in this Dispensation when they see themselves in bondage to get freedome by doing And so comes it to passe many breake prison before they be set free by the Spirit As for instance when the soule can finde such a Qualification in him or such a frame of Spirit in him as the Law requires having a long time laboured for it he judgeth himself to be set free by Christ when it is but a conceited freedome as an effect of his obedience and not as an effect of the obedience of Christ revealed to him in the Spirit And in this particular the Creature is like a horse that is fallen into a bogmire he labours to plunge himselfe out lest he perish there and indeed plunges himselfe faster in and brings himselfe into a nigher way of perishing Thus the Creature seeing himselfe falne into misery and bondage he labours and plunges to free himselfe untill he plunges himself into higher bondage and as the horse will not give over and lye still until he hath wearied himselfe no more will the soul cease acting to free himself untill he be wearied and worne out of breath And then he shall be forced to wait until He who delivers Saints out of the pit where no water is come and deliver his Spirit out of its slavery and bondage And also in an estate of darknesse the like the Creature labours for light and being incompassed about with pits on every side and being in darknesse he will not stay until the Light come or the day dawn but at last for want of a Guide which is the Spirit he fals into the pit where he lies more sadder then ever John 16. 15. These are the common though sad effects of those who run before God leades them and either the Creature Rests after he hath attained qualifications sutable to the Law or
in the attaining matter doth much abuse the same but the meanes most commonly wherein it doth attaine it is first by often freequenting private and publike meetings where it steales away the expressions of others and when it sees one man enlarged it is made to admire that part in them and cry out O if I could pray as such a one can then I should be at rest and enjoy much peace It presses forwards and by pains and diligence it attains that enlargement as that now it excels others and is now admired by them who before was admired by it so as now the poor Creature can speake three or four hours in prayer and can hardly comprehend himselfe within the space of one houre and here lys the deceipt of the heart that here the Soul makes his rest and this to be a sure evidence of his interest in God But alas how blinde and unsound this present evidence is let Scripture and experience testify for alas a hypocrite or one who at all knows not God may excell in the seeming glory of this part yea excell those that live in the highest enjoyments of God and here many souls maks this dispensation a meer Idol they draw all their peace and comfort from it for if in this part the Creature excell he will be the ofner using of it living most upon it draw most comfort from it and glory the most in it for if ever the creature be straitned in this particular he begins to droop and be sad and full of trouble but if either in publique or private he be enlarged much again he is mightilly refreshed and lifted up And secondly If at any time he cannot have those coÌ„mon opportunities or set times then all his peace is gone and it is because his peace is grounded upon his often praying and his great enlargement in so doing and indeed the souls blindnesse lies here for the Creature takes his inlargement to be a manifestation or evidence of the presence of God Now a man may pray long and often and excell all in externall form and yet have none of the presence of God manifested at all in the same neither is a straightning of the Creature in expression to be any cause of sorrow or trouble if God be manisest neither is it an evidence of his not being manifested within So here party 〈◊〉 the ground of a souls thus Resting or taking satisfaction of peace to his spirit in this dispensation Now I would not be mistaken that I am speaking against this form or dispensation when a man is not commanded by the form but he is commanded from a power within so as he commands it and useth the same according to the end for which it was appointed For I look upon the same as to be a dispensation of God But I looke upon the resting in it or having peace by it to be a corruption of a mans own heart and a deceit thereof First Therefore I commend these things following to be considered of all That though a man should be never so glorious or admirable in this particular dispensation so as in the same he may be able to speake a whole day together yet his heart in this may deceive him and if it doe not yet it is no safe Rest or cause of peace or satisfaction for there is no safety in the excellents Part that can be received but they take their wings and flie away and there is not that in them which men conceive Secondly Man may have these parts in the glory of them and yet have no fellowship or communion with God in them and so they may be rather snares then sâ—re rests Nay if it were so as many souls doth enjoy God in them or rather communion with God in the same yet it is neither the duty or enlargement which is or ought to be the rest but God made manifest in the same The third part of Gift is Humility And this sometimes comes some of these waies following 1. Either from an instinct or property in nature Or 2. From a self-reasoning Or 3. From resembling the truth of Humility that is in another Or 4. From or as an effect of the enjoyment of God First it is in many who in the least have no divine workings of God in them any way made manifest yet they are excellent in this very particular which makes them very lovely in the eyes of all men so that a little of God will be seen in such a creature but meerly without the manifestation of grace such a Soule doth appear to be gracious such a spirit as this is can hardly be given to passion but full of meeknesse and love and moderation and yet this parties gifts are common or naturall to him He cannot be almost otherwise this disposition is so naturall But others by nature are of a turbulent spirit and full of pride and choller which makes him to become odious to all and hereupon when he becomes odious to himselfe he fals in the second place to reason thus O how lovely doe others appear to me how humble and lowly are they What a proud spirit am I of How am I hated and become almost odious to all I will go see if I can help this carriage of mine Now this Soul onely looks to take away the effects though the cause abide and here he labours to frame his speeches and his jesture and actions and so by much pains gets a form of humility and now carries himself very sweetly towards all so that now there is a strong change wrought in this person so that he is admired by all and chiefly by himself who was of such a high carriage and of a proud and turbulent spirit and now he is of a calm and quiet spirit this appears to be a great change and so judging of it he is highly exalted in his opinion of himself and conceives he hath enjoyed abundance of grace from God that hath thus humbled him when indeed he hath it but in the forme of it not in the power having the branches and effects taken a way for the present in the outward expression of it but transformed into another shape and that is more inwarde making of him more spiritually proud and so have high conceits of the happinesse of his condition and so Rests Secondly It reasons thus God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble 1 Pet. 5. 5. Now in his highnesse of carriage or turbulency of spirit he looks upon his condition as to be resisted of God whereupon he prayes and useth what meanes he can to restraine himself saith he It may be I may come to geta better temper of spirit whereby I many not become both odious to God and man Now I say at last he attaines a form or shape of what he doth desire and Rests satisfied in the receiving of it Though I say he is outwardly but transformed into another likenesse the cause yet remaining which of
when this is come Eph. 1. 19. Mat. 24. 30. Sixtly Whether is it the Manifesting of God to thee that gives thee a right to the Promise and from this thou closest with God Or is it that sutablenesse in thee to the words of the promise that gives thee a being whereby thou closest with it If it be the latter it is not right For all Promises are in Christ Yea and Amen And He is the ALL in them and if he be revealed he gives a being to them yea to the creature to live in that being as He is the ALL in them So that the substance of every promise must come into the soule and be revealed in it before the form of words can truly pronounce comfort peace life happinesse or rest to it So as his Rest is not upon the form of words as in Letter expressed but upon the being of it which is God manifest Now many a heart doth feed upon huâ—ks out-sides and externall formes of words and fals short of being caught up into his glory and so resting in the being of all Truth Here it comes to passe that the Creature makes every thing a God and will shape and form out God according to its imaginations and so labours to dispossesse God and to set up its own shape in Gods stead Now promises whether they be sought or cast in they are to be no rest unto any heart for the words of the promise are like unto a figure or type it testifies something to be given to the Sons of men but when a soule is in the possession of those things then it doth not rejoyce upon the words holding out the thing but upon the substance of the thing possessed in the heart but many on the contrary hand for the want of this run after conpitionall promises and when it seeth not the condition of the promises performed in it he labours after a sutablenesse to them before not daring to apply them but when he hath got his heart into such a frame as he imagineth to be sutable to the condition thereof he Resteth there applying life and comfort from it concluding he hath a right unto it from this particular But if at any time he breâ—â—â— the condition his peace is gone because the cause of his peace was his exact performance of the condition of the promise Secondly But some are higher then this and they see a vanity in this and they lock upon Christ as the performer of the condition and if he can but beleeve Christ hath done it and then he hath a right unto the same whereupon he useth meanes to get his judgement convinced of this that Christ died for him and in Conclusion he gets himself convinced of the same and here rests concluding the promises are his because Christ is his when indeed both the ground of his conclusion and confidence is false and so he comes to be deceived Thirdly Another that Rests upon promises before Christs spirituall Coming is when a man hath laine in sad darknesse and bondage and hath a long time waited for a discovery of God and at last some apprehensions of Christ come into his understanding whereupon he stands convinced in his own judgement that Christ is his Whereupon he for the greater increase of his Rest Comfort and peace runnes to promises and applyes them as having a right to them in his own apprehensions by Jesus Christ Here is that which begets the strongest confidence that Christ is come in the Spirit which works that joy and peace the soule thinks shall never be taken from him whereas after a while man is not so quick-sighted nor so clear enlightned but it suddainly lyes in the grave as that which must vanish in the spirituall appearance of Christ in the heart Now this is the great design of Satan to keep the poor creature on the out-sides the husks and would have the Creature wholly to live below the glory of Truth which is the coming of Christ in the Spirit of glory But hearts truly principled before Gods appearance â—e made to waite for him from a great power of himself not in any of these things to rest before they in the glory of the spirit come to enjoy him Mat. 25 10. The thirteenth false Rest. THe next Rest in order to this is great strange and excellent flashes of God so I tearm them and a they the most appear yet they may be true or false resembled or reall First We shall speak of flashes of light in the understanding And neither touch them as they are true or false 1. If they be but flashes they are no reall manifestations of Christ in the Spirit and therefore in the first place They are not of a witnessing nature they bring no reall Testimony of God along with them but leave the creature dark and empty in and of this particular but Christs coming in the Spirit is not without a Witnesse which is both unresistible and satisfactory but flashes whether they are of God distinct or opposite they have no Testimony of the Spirit to witnesse the truth of God to man by the Spirit within man as man is below under the dispensation of a flash whether true or false So secondly They are not of a powerfull Nature they are very weake in comparison of the power of Christ coming in the Spirit For first They do not dispossesse Satan of his habitation whereas the coming of Christ in the spirit doth Mat. 12. 28 29. Secondly They do not dispossesse the Creature of living in himself or they do not carry up the Creature into the glory of God in the Spirit they being of too low a nature no more then flashes in a dark night can bring the Creature into the beholdings of and living in the glory of the Sun so that they are not compleat Revelations of glory neither powerful in effecting the same worke which is accomplished in the coming of Christ in glory 3. They do not satisfie the heart of any they may seemingly give contentment for the present yet the spirit not altogether satisfied whereas the coming of Christ in the glory of the Spirit doth fill and satisfie the heart of any in whom he appears Mal. 3. 10. Mat. 5. 6 yea his coming causeth a running over of the souls Cup yea it is uncontainable mans capacity not being able to receive or comprehend the same for the want of this satisfaction power or witnesse of the Truth of Christs coming he being but under a flash he runnes to Ministers and men of experience to hear their judgement being not satisfied in himself and according to their approbation and judgement he most commonly receives the more or lesse satisfaction and so â—ests whereas if it be Christs coming in the spirit a soul need not run to any Creature in the World to be satisfied in the Truth of what is discovered for HE comes with a Satisfactory witnesse which doth answer all objections and satisfy all doubts
in the heart which may arise yea if men instead of approving do deny it to be truth yet the souls Testimony within it selfe doth bear up his spirit that he is able to say all men belye the truth Rom 8. 16. he not in the least being daunted in his assurance thereof though it be opposed by man or devil neither can such a heart be shaken if all the men of the world should arise against the same coming to disprove it Prov. 10. 25. 30. Also he that runs to any visible externall witnesse pretending Christ is come in the spirit is a creature altogether ignorant of his said coming and lives much below such a coming for to me this is an infallible Truth that if any man pretend Christ is come into him in the Spirit and yet wants an inward Testimony or witnesse for it and so is forced to make use of visible Testators he is a man plainly wanting the enjoyment of the same for God in such a case never leaves himself without a sure satisfactory unresistible and undeniable Testimony which indeed â—he Creature who wants the same may well make use of others But flashes if they be deceiveable pretend to come in with a witnesse and therefore many call this a witneâ—se they being perswaded of the truth of what it enjoyes But this is as much below the witnesse of the spirituall coming of Christ as the light of the stars is below the light of the Sun How many under a state oâ— flashes which I may say is almost the last Carde Satan can play in a soule to deceive him in his transformings do live in most great joy light notions or pretended liberty thinking from a meer perswasion they have within them they live in very high enjoyments and doe beleeve they have a witnesse of the Spirit within them for the truth of what they beleeve when indeed it is but a formed imagination and a Carde plaid gallantly by Satan to keep the creature below the enjoyment of God in â—he Spirit and to live in freedome and rest when not in truth and in the Lord Further this is the reason partly of many ups and downs in the heart whereby the creature is one day a believing and another day doubting because it is not living in the enjoyment of Christ in the spirit but may be is under some flashes and so it comes to pass that it is unsetled and unfixed in God Fourthly Flashes are of no long continuance they are not of an enduring nature for they presently appear are presently gone and so though the Creature had a great deale of light and joy yet when the flash comes to be taken away away gos all the Creatures joy and light and he is left in the cloudes of darknesse and sorrow again Whereas when Christ comes in the Spirit it is not so then all sorrow and mourning shall flie away Isa 60. 19 20. and the darknesse of the Creature shall be expelled and God shall become unto the soul an everlasting light Rev. 21. 3. 24. so that God and the Lamb shall live in his heart and be light and glory to him so as his Sun shall never go down but he shall live in the light of God and the Lamb for ever and ever For his coming in the Spirit is after the Resurrection of a soul out of the grave whereby he is carried up in the light and glory of God from the descendings of that light and glory from God so as there is a living in the light God lives in and a swallowing up in the same glory God is swallowed up withall but a flash leaves in its withdrawing the Creature in the same it found him in if not worse for a flash of light or joy is like a flash of light in the Skye upon the darkest night it appears to be the greater the greater the darknesse is So upon a darke soul when it s possessed with much darknesse the lest flash that can appear in that is very great and admirable so that the heart being no otherwise able to judge lookes upon it as a manifestation of God yea may be a very glorious one yet it is not so and at last is taken away and the creatures hopes and expectations are frustrated Whereas to such a soul as lives in the day naturall or spirituall hardly can discerne or take notice of such a flash or light because it is so much inferiour to the light and glory of the Sun and day which now is appeared and shines either within him or without him These flashes in the first place if they be of Satan the very end thereof is to lull the creature asleep in the bed of security and there is no resting of the same by any poor creature For First It workes and comes in sutable to the Creatures necessities pretending redresse for the same Secondly It comes with a glorious resembled form or shape God workes in and so it becomes a transformed Satan and not a transfigured Christ Thirdly It is not able to discern the same by reason of the absence of the true light which makes all things manifest Ephes 5. 13 yea the very transforming of Satan Fourthly Flashes in this nature do come with furniture to back the truth of what it doth declare or speak if there be any jealousies arise in the heart as sometimes there is yet it doth furnish him with strength to mannage the entertainment of it and his joy and peace from it and here Satan plaies his part for if the heart be of an opinion that it is possible for a soul to doubt after he hath enjoyed a manifestation of God then he will put a creature upon doubting to make good that false un-sound and un-experienced principle of men that the truest faith is accompanied with the greatest doubtings and here the heart is stil deluded and kept in strong perswasions of the truth of his flash 2. If the heart be of that judgement that it is impossible that a soul can doubt again after he hath enjoyed a manifestation of God Then Satan will transform himself into a capacity of confirming the creature in labouring in all transformed actions to confirme the creature in his assurance of the truth of what he enjoyes and so upon all occasions addes to what he hath done and so the poor creature Rests satisfied in and upon what the Creature calls his manifestations of God now flashes that usually attend a creature that is truly enlightned by God though not fully possessed with God yet he being waiting for the coming of Christ in the spirit is sometimes attended with flashes or light of joy but they if from God most commonly have these ensuing effects 1. They do underprop and support a weary fainting spirit in his spirituall travell to his land of Rest so as he is made to wait with free submission to God untill it enjoy an appearance of God in the Spirit 2. Instead of causing a man
to rest they declare against it and do discover the vanity to it of many other Rests it hath been resting upon below the enjoyment of God in the spirit so that it is so farre from it as it is an Angell appearing unto whom man would gladly fall down and worship Rev. 19. 10. 22. 8. yet it saith to the Creature as the Angel said to John Worship me not so saith the flash rest not upon me I am but as a messenger from God I am not the dispensation of God appearing in the Spirit I am in the form of an Angell I am not the God upon whom thou must rest and worship 3. Flashes from God beget a higher breathing in the soul and a greater dis-satisfaction in the soul untill it come to enjoy an appearance of God in the Spirit of glory it is so farre from causing a soule to rest as indeed it workes a contrary frame of spirit which is a restlesnesse in the heart untill it come to enjoy that which in the flash is represented to it also if so be that there have been any with-drawings back of the heart from seeking after God this Flash doth mightily stir up the heart of that Creature from that principle of the contrary nature namely a breathing after and a restlesse satisfaction untill it come to possesse God in the Spirit of glory The fourteenth false Rest. THe next Rest in order to this which partly the creature passeth through is the appearance of God in formes and administrations under which the Creature is mightily elevated in his Spirit as Jonah was with his Gourd which God gave him which workes a great displeasure in the heart when God would have the Creature brought into a higher dispensation of God Administrations I must confesse are appointed by God and in the same he usually appeareth in a low manner so as he sometimes doth give the Creature much refreshment in the use thereof but not to be the Soules Rest as though this were a full manifestation of God in the Spirit but to set the heart in a frame to see by this the great glory that shall be revealed unto him in the Coming of Christ in the Spirit for thus it workes If God be so glorious in a glimpse of himself in a forme how much greater will be the appearance of himself in the spirit which instead of rest thus working it is made to have a higher breathing in its spirits after the Rest which he sees afterwards to be enjoyed from God So that the heart is led by God through those many dispensations of God to see beyond them Rest to be enjoyed from God which cannot be enjoyed in these low Administrations under which he breaths and lives but others they instead of this rest highly satisfied in their spirits making iâ— their glory and Rest of spirit to be an enjoyer of those Administrations and appearances of flashes in the same making it the ground of all their Rest yea making it their God of Rest As though the Children of Israel should have said Here will we Rest as beleeving we are in the Land of Canaan when God led them under and through those many Administrations by appearing in the form of a Cloud of Fire for I look upon this to be the very symptome of this manner of Rest we are a speaking of I do not condemn the Children of Israel for their following the leadings of God in those Administrations neither do I condemne any man who is in the use of formes seeing God led them in and unto the same and that it is that which supports their spirits namely their seeing and apprehending God in such a forme as the soule is employed in with these provisoes Namely First The not resting here Secondly The not conceiving this to be the enjoyment of a Saints rest but his way to go or to be led in his travelling towards the Land Thirdly His expecting of and waiting for the Coming of Christ in the Spirit which shall swallow up and go beyond his present sight of God in formes whereby he shall come to possesse the fame in that manner as is more glorious then his sight which shall never be more taken away or changed into another forme But when a Saint who pretends to see the appearance of GOD doth rest here concluding this is the true Rest and the appearance of God in the Spirâ—t and so doth not only cease waiting for another Coming but opposeth and speakes against it This is a false Rest and not to be owned as of God for the many dispensations Christ went through before and after his death yet his Rest was not in the same but as a waiting after be was to have passed through these Administrations and Dispensations of God to enjoy a higher then all these which was his Ascending into the glory of God in the Spirit and to make this his habitation and Rest and to be as a stranger and pilgrim in all the other Administrations in the flesh in which he did enjoy many appearances of God yet he passed through them all and at last was made to enjoy his Rest which was the glorious enjoyment of God after his ascension into God farre beyond all formes and Administrations yea beyond the Manifestations of God in the measure thereof And so Rest in the same glory which is to be every believers Rest for the Rest of Christ is the same Rest of every Beleever and the same glory he Rests and breathes in is to be the Rest and breathing-place of every Beleever And as Christ cannot nor shall never be changed into any other form then now He lives Rests and breaths in so shall it be with every heart who shall be truly centred upon God He shall never be changed into any other forme Rest or glory then he is in when he comes to be truly stated in his living everlasting Rest below which he is not to be looked upon either by himselfe or others to be in any true substantiall Rest yea though this do worke much peace and joy in the heart of such a party to see the appearance of God in formes and administrations yet though a soule may delight here under some considerations yet to make this his Rest and habitation is to live in and upon Jonahs Gouâ—d or as if the Children of Israel should have rested in the wildernesse when God did refresh them with Manna and so in the same have made their habitation short of the Land of Canaan for God appearing in the forme of a Cloude or Pillar of fire was not for this end that they might make their habitation there No more is the appearance of God in any Gospel-forme but to be as that spirituall leading into a place where God shall appear in more fuller glory and shall no more change his forme but shall appear alwaies in the same glory in and to the spirit of such a Creature So that what changeable forme God is
head where he is swallowed up with his conception of his enjoyment of Christ and God by beleeving and so may live in a way of Dependency upon Christ as he is declared and set forth to dye for man at Jerusalem from which knowledge beleeving and dependency there is begotten much deadnesse and security in which he may suffer and rejoyce he may dye and live in it exalting God much in word and seeming actions and yet all this time ignorant of the ground and Mystery of faith yea ignorant of the knowledge of Christ which begets the true exercise and living by faith Yet if this which I now say were true yet it were too low an Element for any spirituall heart to make his habition or Rest but in this same they are to be as men of hope 2 Thes 3. 5. waiting for and hasting unto the Coming of Christ in the Clouds 1 Thes 4. 17. where they shall enjoy and have a Dispensation of Glory and so shall be for ever with the Lord for the Mystery of faith is the pure fight of an un-known un-seen God Isa 33. 17. and the pure sight of God in this great Mystery is from the pure enjoyment of God is the Kingdome of heaven and glory and this must be within and enjoyed by every spirituall heart This is the place of safety where Saints Treasure lyeth and where they are to make their Rest habitation and abode Col. 3. 1. This safe Rest is not procured by neither is it a dependency upon one a heard of Christ but it is a carrying up a spiritual crucified Spirit into a glorious God who was and now is made manifest to live with to Rest upon and to have a habitation in for Ever and for Ever And here the spirit remaines in safety and in glory triumphing in him and being swallowed up with him is carried up into the light and life of God knowing him in all things enjoying him in all things seeing him to be the light and life of all things being now gathered up into his will is wholly disposed by him and therein with God is satisfied and so Rests whereas mens beleeving is very unsound and if it were not yet it s very unsafe being given to change And being it is but some exercise of something in man yet it being but an effect it is not to be a Rest but man is rather to be carried above it after the pessession of him who can give Rest and ease all heavy loades and burthens of the creature Mat. 11 28. 29. The sixteenth false Rest THe next Rest we in order shall speak of Is the great Experiences many have of deliverances given them by God from inward and outward straits making them evidences of his love and matter enough to conclude safety Rest and happinesse and in this particular there is some glosse and seeming cause as afterwards shall be produced And first of all we will come to spirituall deliverances as First Inward conflicts of spirit occasioned either by a discovery of the want of God or of a souls misery without God which occasioneth condemnation and apprehensions of wrath and so sorrow mourning and griefe of spirit in which condition the soul lyeth as in hell being filled with horror and fear and looking upon God as nothing but a revenging and tormenting God in which torments of spirit he lies groaning and mourning before God being swallowed up in darkness and bondage attempting all means to get freedome and liberty from this his sad wofull and miserable estate wherein soules sometimes get deliverance one of there three waies 1. Eiâ—her from extraordinary paines and diligence wherein he thinks if he could but do this or that or attain so much humiliation or mourning or repentance then he should be happy and in freedome whereupon in conclusion he attaines in his own apprehensiâ—n that which before he desired which stopping of the mouth of conscience and breaking prison before God deliver together with a conceite of a Cure applyed by God when indeed it is a curing the wound of such a soul falsly which in time will break forth to the greater damage of the party Or secondly It is freed by some cunning Sophister of Satan either immediately by himselfe wherein he lobours to apply a false remedy thinking to put the soul thereby into a state of security or else mediately by his instruments in the Ministery wherein they come to daub with untempered morter and so speak â—eace to man before God speak peace within man and so do as the Lord saith Heal up the wound of the Daughter of his people fasly and from this have many poor hearts been mistaken when at any time they have been in and under such torments of spirit they have not rested untill they have run unto Ministers to see what they will say some of them putting them upon doing some of them applying cures to them and here a poore heart thinks to be satisfied where he never Rests but runnes from one to another from creature to creature seeing if he can get any thing from them sometimes coming away with much peace other times coming away with a Lesson of doing and by these means come souls sometimes to have their deliverances and for a space Rests untill it break forth again The third way wherein many others attaâ—â—â—â—â—â—â—erances is from God As the Children of Israel from their land of bondage tyranny and task-masters which though God himself did free them yet notwithstanding was not to be their Rest but to be their first step toward their Rest So though God do sweetly deliver a Soul from and out of this trouble and perplexity of spirit yet it is not to be a Rest unto him or to be a habitation for him to dwell in but to be as it were the first step to his Rest Now some mens deliverances are of God and some of themselves and some of Satan but none of these are to be rested upon as they are deliverances seeing they may be true or false which untill a higher dispensation of God cannot infallibly be discerned Secondly A Soul may be delivered from a resolved self-Murther or Destruction when temptation doth violently attend that way yet notwithstanding though he be abundantly preserved by God in his inward straight wherein Satan would have him become his own executioner but it is not any sufficient Center for any spirit Or thirdly If it be a deliverance of the creature from the wrath to come presently lying in the apprehension of the creature yet not to be a Rest or any cause thereof Fourthly If it be a deliverance of the creature from some violent corruption or lust within him so as now God hath as it were freed his spirit from that Lordly power of inward corruption so as now he is freed from sin which formerly hath both dishonoured God dishonoured Truth and taken away his peace Now sometimes when this comes to be subdued and the soul delivered from
the same he Rests upon it and concludes from it great cause of safety and security and as an infallible Testimony of Gods love and here he makes his center when indeed the heart cannot have true Rest in any deliverances wrought for it by God but must be carried up above the same into the Deliverer who is God so as in inwards so in outwards be it of what nature or quality soever yet many after the receipt hereof wax the more secure make a God of their deliverances so Rest upon them with which though they were in love yet they are not given for that end no more then God delivering the Children of Israel at the Red Sea should afterwards be a stop unto them and a center for them before they came into the land of Promise Or that deliverance of Daniel or of the Three Children or of Ionah none of these were to be a cause either of Security or Center but to be rather accompanied by God to put their spirits out of themselves after him who was to be a Rest unto them and a Deliverer of them so that the common or speciall deliverances of God in these cases are abused and the end thereof dealt deceitfully with and they are made that which God did not appoint them to be viz. Rests and that which satisfies the creature with the receipt thereof yet in the second place I doe not deny this to be one of Gods dispensations and the way he deales with spirits both to discover themselves with the vanity and misery attending the same where manâ— heart is made a heart of misery preparing for mercy this being the way to Rest and peace happinesse and glory when God comes in the first place to free the soule from this his deliverance though it be of God still as the other is the way to happinesse so his deliverance the way to rest that is the way to make the heart enter into it and be centred in it For though the Rest in this deliverance be discovered yet it may be long before such a heart do enter into it as David saith plainly return unto thy Rest O my soule for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee Now though God may have dealt bountifully with a soule yet that soule may not be returned not centred in his true and proper Rest though it be in a further work then deliverance inward or outward So that in the first place many hearts it may be have been in deep distresse of spirit in the pit where no water is and now are it may be in such a condition as they are at great freedome and live in much joy yet such a heart it may be freed in his own sense and yet intended by God to be brought into his former bondage and misery because his wounâ— is falsly cured and having not been willing to waite Gods time is faln thereby into carnall and unsafe security Therefore soules had need beware of false deliverances 2. Satan that spirit of deceit may drive on his design in this particular to have a soul delivered by deceit seeing before he could not prevent the cause of the sense of his misery seeing he could not prevent that he labours to deceive the Creature by proposing and working deliverance for it before God deliver it the â—â—art being willing to imbrace and to have deliverance before his time 3. If this be not but that God goes forwards to make such a heart a heart of misery and so prepare it for mercy and worke admirable deliverances for it both within and without yet notwithstanding it is not sufficient the soul Rest here but such a heart is to wait for a higher dispensation of God this being Gods leading way thereto The seventeenth and last false Rest THE next and last Rest which wee shall speak of is by some waited for and by others pretended to be received to wit The extraordinary Gifts of the Spirit whereby both worship without and God within is confirmed and in their apprehension sealed up for truth Now for my own part I look upon both either in the condition of waiting for it or in the pretence of the receiving of it to be un-sound or an un-safe principle 1. In a waiting way there are who are waiting to have the spirit powred down in such a manner as they shall be able to do miracles and visible to cast out devils But I think this is a meer mistake for those casting out of devils and visible powers given to the Apostles and Saints was given only as a dispensation of God in that administration the Apostles lived in and not to be any dispensation intended to be given to any other after that administration was confirmed and settled 2. Those visible powers were given them for the confirmation of the Gospel in a visible forme to seale the truth of that forme of words which was to be lefâ— unto all ages Now if we had new Scriptures to write and a new Goâ—pel to declare then I confesse for the establishment of the same it would be necessary to have the same confirmed by visible miracles and powers But 3. It was given to be a figure of the glorious manner of the workings of God in the Soul and the casting out of devils and curing sick opening eyes and the like Isa 26. 12. Phil. 2. 13. these were to demonstrate unto us that as the coming of Christ in the form of flesh was attended with these signes and miracles so the coming of him in the Spirit should be attended with inward signes and miracles to wit internall and divine powers the casting out of the many devils within the opening of the eyes of the understanding and the curing the wounds of the soule Luke 24. 45. Ephes 1 18. Isa 60. 1. John 5. 25. the opening mans eâ—res to hear the voice of Christ within to have a dead Lazarus soul raised up in the spirit Now the Rest was but as figures though reall of what God did hold forth should accompany the second coming of Christ in the heart Mal. 3. â— Mat 25. 12 13. And if soules did waite for this their expectations should not be so much frustrated as it is in the other and shall be And as for the great miracles that shall be wrought must be within and felt by soules when Christ appears in the heart So that these external powers shall be turned into these savings The coming of Christ shall be with power and great glory Mat. 24. 30. Now men are deceived I feaâ—e who seeke for his coming in any carnall or fleshly way or that he will make that to be the powrings down of the Spirit to wit the casting out of devils c. But it shall be more spirituall and heavenly even the power of the Spirit within to consume mens lusts and self and to cast out all those spirits of deceite â—hich internally do lodge within the Creature â—o that the letter which was
confirmed by outward signes after Christ appeared in the form of flesh shall in the mystery thereof be confirmed to and in us by the internall workings miracles which shall attend Christs spiritual coming in the Soul and that in the Spirit Now I say that neither do mens waitings appear to be that which men conceive them to be nor if they did enjoy that at the last which they waite for it would not prove that to them nor give that content peace joy and cause of Rest in them nor assurance to them which they expect from it and think to attain when they come to attain it I wish that men would turne the wheele into the waiting for the inward coming of these things in a more spiritual manner For my own part I thinke they would enjoy more quietnesse in their spirits for the present and more settlement and rest peace and safety in them for the future when it comes to be experienced But I think I may say thus much to such spirits that I think when they enjoy that they waite for viz. the powrings out of the spirit from which to enjoy power to worke outward miracles it will be in the enjoyment thereof But I should be sorry to live without the enjoyment of God to that day and I am confident all such souls shall be weary before they see the same enjoyed by them But secondâ—y To all such as have the same in pretence I do not see how they can make them any safe Rests seeing that Saul and many others did goe as far in the gifts of prophesie or any other gift of the Spirit as any almost who did sweetly enjoy God and that was the cause why these words were spoken They shall say in that day have we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name cast out devils c. Mat. 7. 22 23. Yet see the reply of Christ he did not own them in the same though they did make it their Rest before and their plea then yet it was nothing but that which proved both un sound and un-safe for them Secondly The workings of Antichrist and the mystery of iniquity doth worke with all deceivablenesse doing great wonders in the eyes of the world yet alas it is both for the deceiving of the party who hath it and for the deceiving of the parties who beleeve it witness the worke of the Magicians who when they acted the same things Moses did yet the parties who acted the parties who beleeved the same were both deceived so though there were any in our daies who could doe the â—ame work that they or Judas did yea greater then they did yet the parties might â—e reprobates and cast-awaies and however they may be â—uddainly taken away and herefore un-safe for any soul to Rest thereon It must be the power of God within and thâ—se inward miracles which God works as the effect of his coming viz The casting out of he devils within and bringing down mountaines of pride and selfe and exalting of his Christ in the soul so as the soul is un bottomed of all his false â—rops and carried wholly out of himselfe above himselfe into the power and majesty of that Christ exalted to live by and in that same power and glory by which God lives in the heart So that I say to look for outward powers in this case as I and many more have done or if they were enjoyed to make them their Rests both are to me un-sound and every party as well as my selfe shall finde the evill and un-soundnesse thereof Now having discovered as many false Rests as at present I am free to discover I shall in the next place shew how difficult it is and how hard it goes with the creature to part with these his false Rests which are false but in reference to his Resting and abusing the end for which such a dispensation was given The Soul being in the first place as I may say establisht upon them making them his God be they formes or what they will when it seemes to be taken away he being brought to a non-plus in his spirit He cries They have taken a way my God What must I do So that there ariseth as it were a storme within this creature which begets a spirit of discontent in the creature Witnesse the same in Ionahs Gourd which God had given him yet being abused in the end for which it was given in the taking of it away there was a spirit of murmuring and discontent And thus it is alwaies when creatures would be Resting upon any thing below God when God seems to take it away from the creature The more the soul was glued to it and Rested upon it and made a God of it the more difficult and hard it goes with the creature to part with the same yea the more discontent doth arise in that heart First then It ariseth from the abuse of our being glued to any Administration so as not to use it to that end for which it was appointed Secondly The cause partly of this ariseth sometimes from the greatnesse of the losse it works in the creature in being to part with the same as many soules it may be have spent the glory of their age and strength to patch up a Religion of their owne and have taken much paines to accomplish the same It may be hath been twenty years a professor and hath all this time been labouring to patch up a Rest and having got one in one moment God raises the foundation thereof this works such a losse in the soule as indeed to have many a glorious gift burned up yea many a glorious day of joy twenty yeares profession in one moment laid in the dust and now to deny it self in all his paines and parts of wisdome and knowledge This must needs go hard and be very difficult with a poor heart to part with all And the Creature will have many shifts and puttings off before he will be made freely to part with all and to deny himself in all The condition of such a soul is like a man that all his daies hath been taking pains night and day to comprehend some estate and when he hath got such an estate he fals a building and makes great buildings and when he hath furnished the same takes delight in it and sets his heart upon it and behold when he is solacing himself in what he hath got and done In a moment there is a fire consumes the same to the dust which being beheld by the party he is amazed and much perplexed in his spirit upon which occasion in some it begets death in others discontentednesse and murmurings yea repinings of spirit so as it is not only a day of sorrow but it continnues so And this parties losse being exceeding great and his expectation frustrated he is now at a non-plus not knowing what to do So it is with a heart after God either hath given gifts or
to the full in the soule yea though it be the life of a soul yea though it were its God and happinesse in it yet they all are nothing when God and it stands in competition in the soule whether of them should be advanced 3. Christ made manifest in a heart and his spirituall coming into the same is like unto a fire which burns up consumes all things that are in the soul of his own which keep the Creature below God therfore saith the Scripture Who may abide the day of his coming or stand when he appeareth And he shews the reason thereof for he is like a refiners fire and like fullers sope to refiners fire he is compared the appearance of Christ in the love of the spirit is like refiners fire to refine purifie yea to burn up and consume in soules what is not of the Spirit and so to bring the creature to losse though in the same salvation shall be made manifest as according to the 1 Cor. 3 13 14 where saith he if any mans worke abide which he hath built thereupon he shall receive a reward but if it burn â—he creature shall lose thereby yet hâ— must be saved yet it must be by this fire which did consume and burn up his hay and stubble now as mans work shall be revealed by fire so if it be not of God it shall be destroyed by the same which fire is love which is God thus when he brings a soul by his appearing into the greatest losse then is he bringing a soul into the greatest gain so that that which proves destruction of his false Rests is that which brings him to the true Rest and so though it be a losing for the present yet his greatest losse becomes his greatest gain Now I know there are many Rests that are destroyed or dissolved before this day of his coming and as there is one taken away the soule findes and seeks after another and runs from mountain to hill to get ease of a tormenting spirit so as man passeth through many Rests most commonly before this day but now it may be the Creature hath such glorious resembled Rests that it cannot be found out before the day of God thus appearing then these seeming Rests are they which are discovered upon the apearance of himselfe in the soule But some soules passe through more then we have spoken of some through fewer according as God keeps the soule and alone becomes the leader of him yet many soules that are come thus high have found them by sad experience and others have found some of them and others more yet it is sometimes Gods way to permit the Creature to run out after the waies of his own heart and at last to hedge up his waies Hos 2. 6. where many soules lie at this day in the wildernesse not knowing what to doe being non-plust in their own spirits not knowing what God is a doing nor what he will doe what they must do sit still they cannot act they cannot but in their old Road. Having shewed the many Rests Soules passe thorow and the difficulty of parting with them together with the waies and means God makes the heart willing that now he may enjoy that true and unchangeable Rest of soules which shall be the next we shall speak of and that is What this true Rest is in which the spirit of a spirituall man must be centred The first description of true Rest AND first of all that Rest of Saints or the description thereof It is something lying naturally out of the Creature or above it not of it selfe attained by it But revealed and made manifest in it who is the Rest whicb alone is God or Christ First Christ it is clear he lives out of the Creature for he lay in the heart of God John 1. 18. before we had a being and is discovered and revealed by God within us when we have a being which was purposed by God to be revealed from God and therein to be a center and Rest to that heart who doth enjoy it Secondly It cannot be attained by the Creature his abilities falling short of the doing of any such worke but he was the purpose of Love freely intended by God before time and as freely without the Creature comes to be made manifest by God in the Creature in time For it is nothing which the Creature of himself can attain which as a sure Rest in the Creature will remaine but it will faile the soule and prove a broken Reed The second description of true Rest Secondly It is an unchangeable and unalterable Being seen by the soule after it is revealed to him which cannot be shaken after the Creature is centred in it wherein the Creature is carried out of himselfe a-above himself to Rest securely above all feares First Christ the eternall Being of Spirits God in God only God he it is that is an unchangeable Being Isa 9. 6. Heb. 13. 8. Mal. 3. 6. which alters not neither is given to change for he was yesterday that is before time he is to day that is in time the same he is for ever that is unto all time Heb. 13. 8. Now if we looke upon Christ as Saints Rest wee must not consider him as he was in any forme or shape for so he altered and changed into divers formes and shapes But we are to consider him as he is God Eternal Blessed yea as he is the power of all powers and so he is the foundation and Rest of Saints For as he was in the flesh he was not to be a Rest but as he was in the Spirit so he is Rest both unchangeable and unalterable In whom there is no variablenesse neither shadow of turning James 1. 17. So that now Saints knowledge of him and their Rest in him is sure and abides And this is that which heightens their assurance to see and know that the Rest of their souls is an unalterable Rest that though dispensations change and he in those disspensations yet the Center of his soul abides for ever and he kept unshaken in it because he Rests and lives in and upon an unshaken unchangeable Center Now shall the disquieted and molested soul live in peace safety and quietnesse and none now can make it in this case afraid but it lives above all feares and torments being kept safe in this Divine Spirit and power where there is neither cause of jealousie or fear but being they are removed and the creature firmly establish'd so that all storms do not molest him and all temptations do not un-rest him but he lives Triumphant above them Triumphing upon them by that power in which he is centred The Third description of true Rest. THirdly It is an unexpressible glorious Center or Being wholly taking up the Creature with it and giving the soul full contentment in it First It is an unexpressible glorious center the Lord promising in Isaiah that he would accomplish a glorious
worke in filling the hearts of his People with the knowledge of himselfe he Centers all in this To him shall the Gentiles seek and his Rest shall be glorious Isa 11. 10. Yea the Rest of Saints is the very Substance of his glory which glory is Christ when he comes to be manifested in his Saints and to be admired by them 2 Thes 1. 9 10. Secondly It wholly takes up the Creature who is Centred in it so as now the soule or spirit is wholly swallowed up of God and unexpressibly overcome is such a soul The glory of God which is Christ is that which swallows up mens spirits and the more it appeares in them the more it overcomes them so as now they are taken up in their spirits being gathered up into it with nothing else but it So as now the souls delight joy solace is now alone in nothing but in him who is become a glorious Center to him Thirdly The Rest of Saints gives Saints full contentment the full satisfaction of Saints lyes in living and Resting compleatly in this glory which truly is Christ so as man sometimes is lost in the greatnesse of it The least manifestation of this glory doth fill the creatures capacity so that untill the capacity be enlarged with more of God it can desire no farther enjoyment or discovery of it so as now his spirit is filled with glory And that which makes it the more satisfactory is the Centering of the spirit up in it Now Christ in the Spirit becoming a Saints Rest all other seeming glories which before the soul was sheltred under and lived upon are now vanished and decayed and the greatnesse of this glory which is the Vision of God yea the manifestation of his glory in man takes up man into it to live wholly in it and so to remaine in compleat satisfaction and contentment of spirit for a great part of a soules Rest consists in this very particular to wit the gloriousnesse thereof together with the swallowing up of the creature with it and the givving the spirit a compleat contentment in it for it would be in time a place of wearinesse unlesse it were a place giving the creature full contentment Secondly It would be no place for Saints to delight and solace themselves in unlesse they could be wholly taken up and swallowed up with that which of necessity must be enjoyed from it and unlesse it did exceed all glory that could be imagined it could be no rest for the spirit of a spirituall man So that it must be an unexpressible glory swallowing up of men spirits with it and giving that spirit compleat satisfaction and contentment in it The fourth description of true Rest IN the fourth place This Rest is a carrying forth of the Creature out of the creature into the place where he had his first being to live for every in him who is now become his manifested being First before we speak of the Rest it self we will observe That there is no true Rest for the creature in himself for if man either rest in his pure naturals or upon any refined property in himself he rests out of his proper Element I mean as he is a spirituall man yea it is both unsafe and unsound so to doe neither can man with any solid delight or true contentment rest in or upon any either pure naturals or refined properties or parts within himself though man could attain to his first principles and purity yet if he rested upon them he would live below the true Center of Spirits for indeed the rest and proper being of all spirits especially those that are renewed is the Eternal Word of God which Word is Christ who made all things in the World of nothing into which nothing they are to return But the spirits of men or especially that renewed spirit of Saints that came downe from the Father of spirits who begot this spirit in them not by flesh but by himself in his spirituall breathings and actings in the Creature which spirit of man cannot live in any true element neither can it live satisfied untill it come into its proper and originall being from whence it came for every thing is in its right place when it is returned into its originall and place from whence it was derived so that the spirit returnes to God that gave it Eccl. 12. 7 and the flesh of the man into the dust from whence it was derived so that man as he is carnall and flesh it cannot be possible that the spirit of any should take much delight in the same so as to make it the satisfying Center But yet after it is renewed it may be compared to Noahs Dove it sees the Deluge and looks abroad in the flesh to the Mountain of former self-actings and pure naturals yet it cannot rest in the same neither can it take any delight therein but is made to return to the Arke Jesus Christ who though he is in the soul yet above it as the Arke above the water so Christ above the Creature though within it as the deluge in the world so that the Creature as man is no fit place for a renewed spirit to be centred up in but he must by divine power be brought out of himselfe into that eternall being of spirits who is said to be above man though in man Eph. 4. 6. as the Arke above the deluge though in the world Now man cannot Rest truly in himself But Secondly The place into which the Soule is carried is and was the first being of his spirit and now manifested so to be to the creature which being was Christ this Christ was Gods eternall thoughts of Love in which man had a being and now comes in time as a Being to be manifested in the Saints so the one was the unknown Being of Saints before time where they lay in the Love and heart of God which nothing could remove them out of it the other Rest is the known Rest and Being of Saints made manifest unto them in time which knowledge begets a returning of spirit who with much wearinesse of spirit have been waiting for such a day of redemption Luke 21. 28. that it might return into its first originall and being and to be fully secured in its God which before it neither knew nor did experience So that after the heart hath a discovery of this Being it is like a Load-stone touching the Needle the Needle can stand no way but towards the North and South so with the Spirit of man after it is touched with his Being and center manifested it is not able to Rest in all the glories or excellencies that can possibly be imagined until it be returned into its being he is like a wicked man or man of this world who cannot act but in his element and like a Fish whose element is in the water so with the spirit of man he cannot act in his right sphere untill he come into his first originall
without us and workings within us is transforming himselfe now if ever And truly he within soules workes like God and there is no known distinction betwixt his transformings and Christs workings untill there be a true transfiguring of Christ in the glory of the spirit and this doth find out all the deceite both of heart and Satan for indeed there is no forme though never so glorious but he will transform himselfe in it there is no working of the spirit within man but he will resemble it so that none shall be able to know whether it be true or false within him or without him untill this Christ shall appear in light and glory and shall make the same manifest so as oftentimes his thus appearing is compared to the rising of the Sun and the dawning of the day which are degrees of distinguishing light which doth dissolve the imperfect light of the Moone and Starres and is a clear light of it self to rule and order to unfold and discover the truth of every thing which under the other dispensations could not be discerned and that is the reason that the Apostle tells them that they have a sure word of prophesie whereunto they doe well if they take heed And he tels them how long it was untill the day dawn and the day-starre arise in their hearts This saying untill prescribes and sets out the limitation of time and the accomplishing of the same as if he should say there is a most glorious day to be enjoyed in Saints which day shall appear but for your direction untill that day you have a sure word of prophesie unto which if God give you care thereof may be as a rule unto you It being a light shining in a dark place and though for the present you walke by the same yet Rest not there but waite for the spirituall coming of Christ within you which in this word of prophesie is held forth to you and then when he comes he shall be a perfect light within which light shall speake truth and leade the soul thereunto but in the interim Looke to that sure word of prophesie which declares and makes manifest the truth thereof This word of Prophesie was the Scriptures this day dawning and day-starre arising was the appearance of Christ in the fulnesse of the spirit within them So as he often in Scripture is called the bright Morning-Star and as concerning his spiritual coming he is sometimes termed under the notion of the day dawning or breaking as in Cant. 2. 17. and in many others onely to shew unto us that the breaking in of Christ into a heart is like the breaking of the light in the earth when the day begins to appeare and the night is expired as also the rising of the Sun to that purpose he is often called the Sun of Righteousnesse which shall arise and be seen in the hearts of men so that we see this coming of Christ yea himself is a true and glorious light of God in the spirits of Saints so as he makes all things manifest to such a heart whether true or false and this light shall cloath every Saints spirit and all inferiour and transformed lights shall be under such a soules feet triumphing over them seeing the fallacy of them Then First it is this light Christ within the creature who appeares as light which doth expell or dispell all those Clouds which are with creatures in whom he hath not appeared for as the Sun doth expell the clouds in the appearance thereof so Christ in his glorious shinings forth and breaking in into every believing spirit so as the creature before could not apprehend God by reason of these clouds that lye upon the soule now he apprehends him clearly the cause being by Christ taken away Secondly By this light Christ doth discover all the false Waies and Rests of the creature either in opposition to or being below the true and substantiall way of Rest so that this light Christ in his divine Appearances within the creature doth bring a day of losse upon many spirits when it discovers unto them the vanity of their spirits in running after the waies of their own hearts and here they come to see the emptynesse of formes or former flashes and now it may be all the soules knowledge and practise must lye in the dust and be unlearned so as this light brings the creature out of love with his own Wayes so that now he is free to be led according to the teaching of this light Thirdly This light Christ in its spirituall appearing in the creature doth reveale and discover the Father in this light Christ so as the heart clearly sees and knows the Father and the Spirit the son and the spirit One and the spirit to be both so as this light which in reference to name is called and tearmed Christ yet it is God in this light so that God is said to be light in him is no darknesse The Father is the fountain of light the son is the manifestation of light or the light made manifest now here the soul in whom this true light doth appeare doth know God and him thus sent into the heart by Jesus Christ so that Christ as he is the Rest of Saints is a divine revelation of light in which light and glory the creatures spirit solaces it selfe and rests with much delight in the same and out of this form after enjoyed will not Christ appeare but will be unto such a spirit an everlasting light that now as God lives in light so the creature lives in light also which no creature in the flesh can attain to who cannot be seen felt or heard in the flesh in this dispensation but he is above it consuming of it and continually advancing this light more more in the creature so as this light comes to be advanced and appears in greater fulnesse so shall the spirits who are centred in it be advanced by it and the greater this light doth appear in fulnesse the more perfect doth the souls Rest appear and the more shall the spirits be filled with it Fourthly in the fourth place this spirituall Christ or what he is in the Spirit when he comes to be the Rest of Saints He is spirituall and Divine Life without which no soul hath spirituall or eternal life enjoyed by him for as a man without the soul is dead so are all men without Jesus Christ within them made manifest so that Iohn very fully laies open this truth 1 Ioh 1. 1 2. for the life was manifested and we have seen it and bear witnesse and shew unto you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested unto us So that we see what the life of Saints is for that life which they here speak of was Christ Secondly we see the place where it centers before it is made manifest and that is laid open to be in the Father Thirdly the way whereby they knew it and also