hundreds fifties and tens Thus were the Attendants of the Tabernacle compleated in a spiritual and civil capacity The first were offering Priests and ministring Levit's the other chief and subordinate Rulers with subjected obeyers all which are significant Types of what will be found in the original when made visible as the house or Temple shew'd Ezekiel and new-Jerusalem City shew'd John do evidence In every circumstance will be found such exact proportion and agreement as to manifest all in the litteral Tabernacle harmonious figures of Christ's new-creature building that 's to be made visible in his Kingdom on earth as possessing the throne of his Father in heaven This visible Kingdom is charactred by the coming down of the new Jerusalem out of heaven and setting up the Tabernacle of God amongst men both four-square and walled about with the respective Attendants as the litteral The new Jerusalem John saw to have a wall great and high c. Rev. 21. 12. And as the outward form of the spiritual City and Tabernacle was exactly figured out in the litteral so also the spiritual Attendants thereof by those of the litteral The first row of Attendants may fitly represent those in the second resurrection-state of spiritual life and they were held forth also by the twelve foundations of the spiritual City on which were written the names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb as his highest attendants in bridal-union with him as partakers of his heavenly creature-name or nature and therein under him rulers over all others In this second resurrection-state amongst these peculiar inhabitants of the third Heaven a select row of Attendants immediately surrounding the house or throne will be found also a distinction of place and offices as in the first row about the litteral Tabernacle One star in the firmament of this third Heaven will differ from another in glory as inheriting an elder or younger brother's portion therein Though with Joseph and Benjamin types thereof they be all born of the same Mother as well as Father partaking according to their appointed measur's of the second resurrection-spirit yet in the division of the spiritual figured in that of the litteral land of Promise the peculiarly beloved Joseph must have a double portion not only to the other Sons of Jacob not admitted any place in this first row of Attendants but also to the spiritual younger Brother Benjamin who is also in that first row This was fitly represented by the distinct offices and scituation of Aaron and his priestly Sons with other inferiour Levit's about the Tabernacle The highest in this first order of Saints are the bride the Lambs wife possessed of the full blessing of Christ's new-creature-new-creature-spirit by which priviledg'd to enter within the first vail of the new-creation Sanctuary Christ's earthly glorified Spirit so as to behold the most holy things therein even the divine glory as shining through the pure transparent heavenly creature-face nature or spirit of their Lord and Husband The dignity of these high Priests unto God in a peculiar marriage-union with Christ in his heavenly creature-spirit is to be placed at upper end of the new-creature Tabernacle of God as admitted to the nearest and most intimate enjoyment of the divine glory any meer creature 's are capable of But inferiour to these are those members of the second resurrection-state who also make up the first row of Attendants These receive but a single portion in comparison of that the high Priests receive Yet in a union of love with the said Spirit are they given to the service of the high Priest's office even to Christ himself and his priestly Sons as accepted in their inferiour service of love and placed above all the earthly glorified congregation of spiritual Israel These though least and lowest in the first row or second resurrection-state are above the highest and greatest in the outward row of Attendants in but the first resurrection-state wherein Angels are the chief This was typed out in John Baptist though they be not the Spouse her self they are faithful Friends and true lovers of the Bride-groom and Bride or of the peculiar bridal-union of Christ and their elder-brother Joseph-Saints so as to find their joy compleated by hearing the nuptial Voice This service of love performed by the younger brother-Saints in the second resurrection to Christ and their elder spiritual Brethren in the high-Priesthood the mystical Aaron and his peculiar Sons is their perfect freedom And as recompence of this labour of love shall they be placed on each side and at bottom or West end of the said heavenly Tabernacle in Christ's Person to the compleating the first row of select Attendants or making up the foundations of the Wall of the said mystical City on which in the single or double portion of the said resurrection-spirit are written the names of those twelve Apostles that comprehend the whole second resurrection-state in distinction from the twelve gates of the City on which are written the names of the twelve Tribes of Israel or whole innumerable multitude of glorified earthly or first-resurrection Saints that make up the new Earth in Christ's new World or Kingdom figured by the twelve Tribes of Israel And as in the second resurrection-state may seem to be a differing degree of spiritual light and glory not only in the other Levit's from the Priests but from one another also as their differing dignities in scituation on the right left-hand and lower end of the Tabernacle do intimate so among first-resurrection-Saints will be found a differing of one Star from another in that glory The variety of Rulers and Governours and also of Subjects and Obeyers therein were figured out in the Princes of the Tribes and subordinate Rulers under them over thousands hundred's fifties and tens All these compleat but the outward row of Attendants about the spiritual Tabernacle These are represented as the great and high Wall of the new Jerusalem and the twelve Princes or chief Rulers are the Angels at the gates thereof as under Christ and his heavenly Saints the highest Rulers over the earthly glorified Wall or first-resurrection Saints And under them also are subordinate Rulers over inferiour spiritual Saints in the first resurrection-state All these with the lowest subjects therein make up the outward row of Attendants about the new-creation Sanctuary So the two distinct rows though parted by the Court yet joyned in a blessed harmony make up the compleat attendance of the Tabernacle in their further or nearer distances and differing scituations or places Thus the first and second-resurrection-Saints though distinguished by the names of new Heaven and new Earth that abide for ever do in an unchangeable union of love make up the whole blessed society and corporation of the new-Jerusalem City which so united is invincible for the name of it is the Lord is there The two-fold new-creature Spirit of the King thereof in highest lowest and all intermediate members of it unites them all in an
indissoluble bond of love for ever In it shall be no more curse For nothing of the enmity of the mystical first-creation Heaven and Earth Angels or Men shall be found in Christ's new Earth the lower part of his Kingdom or meanest of his spiritual Subjects This was also typed by Canaan and the literal Tabernacle there erected as God's resting place Hence John saw that Sea representing the first-creation-Spirit as fallen into universal enmity pass away as forc'd to give place to the new Heaven and Earth or two-fold Principles of Christ's new creature-Spirit on which the new Jerusalem is built In this City John also saw the Throne of God and of the Lamb who in the shining forth of his divine and creature-name in personal union is the light thereof to all the Inhabitants the whole heavenly and earthly glorified family of Christ the train or blessed retinue shew'd John belonging to and standing with the Lamb on mount Sion even the Church of the first-born and whole assembly of Saints and Angels that are perfect Spirits waiting to be establish'd in their place of attendance about his spiritual Temple that 's to be open'd by the setting up of his visible Kingdom on Earth Then the most inferiour spiritual Subjects in it shall be cloathed in long white Robes and have palms in their hands garments of immutable righteousness and palms of victory as redeemed from the changeableness and bondage of the first creation Spirit of nature and translated into new creation-principles of true freedom in which to perform an everlasting service of love to Christ in their respective places about his Throne and Temple The vision of all this was given John An Angel open'd to his faith the door of the mystical Temple of Christ's glorified humanity in which he beheld a Throne and as Stephen God the Mediator sitting and Jesus his Son and Branch in our glorified nature standing at his right hand as having in that soveraign exaltation committed to him his Father 's whole rule and authority under him as in personal union with him sitting on the same Throne And round about this Throne John saw twenty four seats and thereon sitting twenty four Elders clothed with long white robes and having crowns of Gold upon their heads Rev. 4. 4. By these are charactered the highest rulers under Christ himself to be by him set up in his Kingdom They are second resurrection-Saints who are the first row of attendants and encompassers of the Tabernacle and Throne sitting on their distinct seats according to their Services The highest seat for the highest of these is beheld in a subjected distance not only from the true Moses the Mediatour but from the true Aaron Jesus in our glorified nature the supreme high-Priest and Parent of his highest priestly Sons that are a select number out of the second resurrection Saints peculiarly qualified for his marriage-bed by a twofold resurrection-garment earthly glorified and heavenly as also by a double portion of the glorified earthly and heavenly spirit of their Lord implied in the distinct kinds of holiness as well as differing measures by which the high Priests are distinguish'd from other Levites These highest priestly Saints seem peculiarly represented by the twenty four Elders who with the younger brothers in the single portion of the second resurrection-state make up the first row of attendants about the Throne or Tabernacle To all these John saw given over and above the white raiment of the earthly glorified congregation members of the first resurrection crowns of Gold that is either a double or single portion of Christ's heavenly or second resurrection-life or spirit And before this Throne thus set up in the third Heaven encompassed with Spiritual Priests and serving Levites John saw a Sea of Glass clear as Christal and round about the Throne four beasts full of Eyes before and behind One like a Lion another like a Calf a third a Man a fourth an Eagle By these angelical rational and sensual faces or likenesses may be represented the whole number in the first-resurrection-state consisting of angelical Princes or chief rulers and of subordinate rational rulers and obeyers For in this first-resurrection-state as well as second are mystical Stars or spiritual Saints differing from one another in glory yet all with the whole earthly congregation of spiritual Israelites Christ's new Earth make up but the second or outward row of attendants about the spiritual Throne or Tabernacle And the clear cristal-Sea typed out by the Court of the Tabernacle dividing and distinguishing the first and second resurrection-attendants through its transparent nature causing them to behold each other and in all their various distances to behold the Throne itself may fitly represent the glorified humanity of Christ This is the blessed and proper medium by which himself and his first-born-Church do converse with Angels and Saints in the first resurrection-state who though without the Tabernacle Court or cristal Sea before the Throne yet through the union of these two distinct spiritual states and principles in Christ do all with unspeakable joy behold the Throne of God the Lamb and also Bride the Lamb's Wife And so do all live in an absolute unchangeable obedience to Christ and perfect union of love with his peculiar spouse and their elder-brother-Saints This appears by the blessed harmony of these first and second resurrection-Saints attending at several distances about the Throne signified by twenty four Elders and four Beasts all falling down together before the Throne of God and the Lamb in an unanimous discharge of the duty of their respective places crying day and night Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almighty which was is and is to come These two distinct communities of Saints and Angels ascribe everlasting Glory Honour and Power to God and the Lamb who created all things as their due praise for their immortal and glorified beings The last circumstance in the parallel between the literal and mystical Sanctuary or new Jerusalem City is this No fleshly defiled persons were to enter the former no fleshly or spiritually defiled the latter The touching a dead Soul is in mystery and truth such a touching the first-creation-spirit and life of nature through enmity to God become a dead unclean thing as imports a love to and union therewith This touch renders men unclean on which they are to be cast out of the spiritual Camp and Kingdom of Christ Such mystical Dogs Sorcerers Whoremongers Murderers and Lyars as from wilful hatred to Christ's new-creature-spirit of truth chuse their own spirit of lyes and falshood are for ever to be excluded out of Christ's new-Jerusalem City or Kingdom In this twofold work of leading men to Christ the true door of entrance and keeping out all that climb up some other way will Christ use his Angels typed by the twelve Princes of the Tribes They then as the literal Princes must number the true subjects of Christ's spiritual Kingdom for his service in order to take their
upon them are they brought into a living union with his new-creature-spirit and so safely returned into their prepared places to enjoy according to the fathers distinct choice of them their respective visions of the divine glory in the relation of Spouse Friends or Servants So have every of them their joy full and compleat But none of them exceed the nature or name of a pure new-creature spiritual man What ever their portion of his new-creature-spirit be single or double capacitating them to receive and enjoy a single or double portion in the vision of the divine glory yet are they all but new-creature spiritual men filled with the vision of God according to their distinct capacites This new creature-spirit of saintship through the personal union of it with God in Christ is called the spirit of God Hence is it an infallible mark of a true saint to have this spirit dvvelling in him This spirit of God Ro 8 9. is in the same verse called the spirit of Christ distinct from the divine spirit of Father or Son divine essence or form The Seed of this new creature-spirit in saints is called also the seed of God 1 Jo. 3. 9. Which preserves the saint from such wilful sin and enmity in his natural spirit or carnal mind as would be eternal death to him Rom. 8 6 7. The desires and appetites of the fleshly or carnal natural mind and spirit in the saint himself till subjected to his spiritual are after that natural state which is death But at same time the mind of the new-creature spirit though hid from his own heart in which sown God and Christ do see to be after that life which gives everlasting peace with God The spiritual seed quickened up in the saint is in all its life and motion purely obedient to Christ and by its powerful influences upon the natural spirit will not cease to teach and beget in that the like unchangable subjection to it self and so of the whole saint to Christ and God most high And as subjection and love to God is natural to the new-creation-spirit disobedience and enmity to God is grown natural to the old or first since the fall Hence is it impossible therein to please God Ro. 8. 8. Paul therefore rejoyced in that work of the Cross by which his natural mind was brought into a like subjection to his spiritual as that to Christ Through this subjection of the natural to the spiritual and so of the whole man to Christ have saints the certain witness of Christ's spirit dwelling in them His spirit beares vvitness not only in but to them that they are the Children of God Members of and Coheirs with Christ therein of God Ro. 8. 17. The new-creature-spirit from its universal obedience to God in head and members is called love 1 Cor. 13. It is that in which only God becomes the object of his creatures unchangable love and they of his The natural spirit is described by fear 1 John 4. 18. Perfect love casteth out fear The spiritual life of love perfected in the saint the life of his natural spirit with all its things thoughts lusts carnal reasonings doubtings and feares is extinguished abolished and cast out They that dwell live and walk in the spirit of Christ which in him is in personal union with the divine are said to dwell in God He that dvvelleth in love dvvelleth in God and God in him vers 16. God has declared the height of his love and greatnes of his condescention in this marveilous contriving a marriage union of divine and creature-nature by which to preserve his divinity from being touched or immediatly beheld by saints and to come forth in such a safe and sutable discovery thereof to his creatures through the man Christ as to be a food of everlasting blessedness to them The saint is made one vvith the new-creature spirit of Christ as that vvith God Jo. 17. 21. That spirit of Christ is the blessed shelter and fitted medium by which the divine vision is given to saints so as not to be a consuming fire to them Saints by partaking of this spirit become parts and Pillars of that nevv-creation sanctuary Gods place of meeting vvith the vvhole congregation of his true Israelites Angels and Saints amongst vvhom he vvill dvvell and vvalk for evermore In this spirit have they all an accesse unto and vision of the divine glory yet partake not of the divinity as an ingredient into the constitution of their persons But by partaking of that spirit that from personal union with the divine in Christ is called God Jo. 1. 1. they are said to partake of the divine nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. The creature-creature-spirit of Christ is the holy unction in and upon saints by vvhich they knovv all things The holy Oil or Ointment of his heavenly and glorified earthly spirit runs dovvn from their high-priest to the lovvest Skirts of his new-creation Garments or meanest spiritual Members This spirit in Christ and saints is Truth and no Lie an infallible spirit in head and members distinct from the divine spirit in Christ and natural spirit of man or Angel at best The lowest capacity of creature-nature in the mediatour is above the highest saint The spousal saint one with Christ in his most heavenly and exalted creature-life sees not or enjoyes the divine glory as the lowest part of creature-nature in Christ does by personal union therewith The new-creature spirit in its highest and most heavenly or lowest earthly glorified life is inferiour to the divine but superiour to the first-creation spirit of nature at best because incorruptible and unchangable in the life and goodness thereof In the first being corruptible and changable man is in perpetual bondage and fear as impossible to be secured from death therein Heb. 2. 15. This therefore was never intended by God for an abiding state of rest and true blessednes to Angel or man not being a spirit of unchangable light and life or that can qualify them to receive the vision of the divine glory This shews the absolute necessity of the saints being clothed vvith a House from Heaven by the new-creating vvorkmanship of Christ for his everlasting blessedness From what has been said then it appeares to be the peculiar priviledg of the mediatour to be in every part of his creature-nature in personal union with the divine Consequently is it a crime equally unpardonable for any creature to deny to him or assume to himself his conjunctive divine and creature-name His comprehensive creature-spirit or nature is the living Book wherein the whole divine mind or Law is written in order to be declared to Angels and men If any man then or Angel from heaven shall dare on pretence of adding thereto to make Christ's person only and purely divine and so divide and take from him his creature-nature which is the supream Book and Table on which the divine mind is engraven and by which the divine glory shines forth to