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
any thing here I have inserted to be false Rests but that I am at is to set all things in its proper place and to bring soules to see the true center that they may not misse the one thing necessary while they are acting beyond their line in which actings themselves may become cast-aways and that men may know that neither Scriptures or Christ in the flesh Ordinances or Members of Churches or the Kingdome after death or the form of words in the Letter or Promises is the Rest of Saints but He who is the sum and substance of all viz. Christ in the Spirit coming in us to be Life Glory Light and Happinesse to us and so an hope of glory in us This is the Rest of Saints but Christian Reader God now in these days is discovering the false coverings of creatures and sostripping them naked God is bringing men tr see this great mystery of self in all â—s glory He is annihilating creatures and bringing them to a spirituall death He is laying low mountains and un-bottoming and un-resting Creatures Mens lofty looks He is abasing yea He is bringing men who have bin stars and somthing in their own and others eyes even to a loss and silence confusion and darkness That now their light is darkness their wisdome folly their life death their enlargements and self-actings hedged up and they cannot find out any of their former paths so that now they are made to waite in silence as well as the Author of this book was forced to do and it may be the wisdome of God that this particular shall be an instrument of good as well in this as it hath bin before it came in this publick view to many souls in another manner and method so that I shall leave them to receive at thy hands what censure the wisdom of God pleaseth to cause or permit wishing thy exceeding happinesse in the Spirit Thine in Truth revealed R. W. Severall Rests of Creatures Discovered and laid open below the Coming of Christ in the Spirit who is the alone Rest of Saints THE first Rest which we shall speak of is Civility or a common restraint of the Creature from the committing of grosse evils looked upon by the party to be Reformation This condition or dispensation speaks deceiveable peace to many a spirit upon the which seeming good which pretends to follow this state the creature resteth and is satisfied But the reason thereof partly flowes from these following grounds 1. From comparing himself with others that is looking upon the grosnesse of mens actions abroad in the world as namely swearing and drunkennesse and the height of all prophanes many spirits live in where they are in the same condion Drinking up iniquity as if they were drinking up water in these particulars hee being restrained and more civillized then those he blesseth himself in his present condition and Rests satisfied with it as though in it he did enjoy much of God 2. It flowes from comparing his condition present with what it was The more grosser his condition was before the higher it works him into conceit with the happines of its present condition Thus not seeing the purity of God and the deceitfulnes of its own spirit within he comparing himself with himself is deceived and so rests satisfied 3. It flowes from the consideration of the greatnes of love he had before being restrained to those grosse evils he is restrained from together with the greatnes of the power which he cals the divine power of God which thus restraines him and thus he reasons if God did not highly love me I should never have received such a power from him as to shake off and not only so but to hate and obhorre those grosse sins I so deerly loved both in my self and others and now the very practise of them being as he conceives hated by him ads weight to his thus reasoning out the love of God Another thing which ads weight is his often praying against such particular sins as yet remaines unsubdued afterwards these being subdued he looks upon acceptance with God in this being he looks upon it as an answer of prayer and so in the same he reasons out love in this condition 4. It flowes from the seeming sorrow which ariseth continually upon the view of his former condition which workes a seeming repenatnce and reformation and from the sorrow he hath for his former condition now having a work of Reformation he Rests under the notion of happinesse yet not all this time brought home to see the grosnesse of his heart within but meerly washing the outside Luke 11. 39. and being a whited wall glorious without it is all he looks for or seeks after But Satan and mans heart will suffer the creature to act so farre and propound such waies to himself as in the same to bring the soul into a state of security where it may rest under the consideration of being happy and not without some visible ground apparent both to the creature thus deceived and the World who are not spirituall discoverers But alas what is it for any to be instruments to pull down or to be restrainers from Idolatry without when indeed there is remaining the cause of all Idolatry of Spirit within To be outwardly drunk no more yet to be drunk with the high conceipts of himself which is neither with wine nor strong drink it s worse for a man to have the branches broken down before the root be pulled up for a man to be seemingly a Saint a devil within in this estate there is no sure Rest but thus it is most commonly with men they conclude they are happy if they have but the least appearance of it in a visible restraining of them from gross evils in this they appear to themselves and others men reformed so new creatures when indeed they are stil in their blood though they have escaped the common pollution of the World through a general knowledge of Christ which is no sure cause of Rest until there be a particular knowledge of him by which the creature is cleansed from all pollutions both of flesh spirit which makes the heart upright before God from this inward knowledge of God which carries up the spirit of a spirituall man into God where he comes to be truly centred up in God so that the heart and Satan being deceitful as to suffer the creature to escape the common pollutions of the World so that it may but there keep the Creature And seeing in this estate of darknes none can truly judge of its condition aright until the true light come in which makes all things manifest Then it behoves souls in this estate though to themselves never so seemingly glorious not to rest satisfied with or content it self in it as though it did enjoy God in the same manifested but to wait for a higher dispensation and then the truth of this dispensation shall be discovered
a bundance of paines and diligence in the Scriptures and in books doe get abundance of knowledge and after it is gotten they Rest upon the same as though it were to enjoy the manifestation of God to enjoy much knowledge here they abuse a dispensation of God and transform it into another use then ever God ordained it for So that though a man have never so much knowledge yea though his knowledge be according to or attained in the Scriptures if he Rest there before he hath got it in the heart by expersence as he hath got it in the head for discourse his Rest is much below the substance of Truth For no man is to Rest in any thing without him so known untill it be within him and then he Rests not in God because declared in Scripture but upon God because revealed and experienced in him and so is fully known by him The third way whereby this Knowledge comes to be attained is from the declarings of the experiences of others he by the same stores himself with points of experience as well as points of Judgement and here he can speak all manner of Languages as well as those that enjoy truth in them so that he can speak of points of judgement with those that are for that discourse and points of experience with those that are for that having a form of both in his understanding and from that is able to make out himself as those who sweetly in the power of Truth enjoy God But for this latter he hath but stolne the word from his Neighbour hee hath got his experience to discourse of And this is the great deceit of mens spirits in our daies for when they hear of a precious high Truth of God which they never heard of before they either oppose it or else they get the form of it into their notion or understanding and the next upportunity they have they declare it as their own whereas though they were convinced of the truth of it yet they were to waite for the enjoyment of the power of it in themselves and that it might be sealed by the Spirit in them 1 Cor. 4. 19 20. But many conceive if they can but remember a truth though they have it not in the power of it in themselves that the very believing of it and assenting to it is the experience of it Bud these are those who have a form of God or the truth in their understandings and want the power of that truth in their Spirits And so many a soul rests in this very part of knowledge Now the Reasons of a souls resting here are partly these following First From a comparison made in his own spirit with others that are in lower dispensâ—tions or weaker in knowledge or discourse then himself but especially Professors who live in high thoughts of their estates and he thus comparing his condition with theirs and seeing it so far excell theirs makes his conclusion if their condition be happy then mine is much more in respect of what I have enjoyed more then they I am not any way inferiour to any almost surely I am in a happy estate if any The second Reason followes from the high estimation others have of him especially men of the rarest abilities and solidest judgements and this addes fuel to his fire of conceipt and makes his rest the more glorious And this is the reason that if at any time the approbation of those cease to be what it was that it occasions much distraction and want of peace within himselfe for when part of a mans cause of rest and peace is taken away no marvel then if part of his rest and peace go along with it Whereas he that rests in God is freed in the Spirit and is as Mount Zion which can not be moved Psalm 125. 2. Let mans apprehensions cease or encrease he is not lifted up by the one or cast down by the other but he hath a continuall testimony within himself which abides for ever The third Cause or reason of his resting upon the gifts of knowledge is from want of a right infâ—rmation of judgement in the difference betwixt a form of truth in the understanding and the power of truth in the heart not opposite to the other for though mans knowing God in generall or from heresay be a dispenâ—â—tion of God and good in its place yet it is not to be rested upon as though the soul had in this a reall enjoyment of God Now a man may know a thing in generall and may believe in it assent to it and obey it and make a large profession of it yet if he enjoy not God in that very thing it is but a dispensation below the power of Truth So that we see here that men may get things into the head before they be in the life and power of them in the heart which if rested upon brings with it a dangerous consequence As 1. It is the way to high security and such a security being but carnall as being without ground It is the way in the second place to a self-glorying and creature exalting and to the displeasing of God Thirdly It is the way to fall into all manner of loosnesse under pretence of freedome and knowledge of truth and that is no sinne though â—t do this or that For no marvel when a man hath no more then a form of God in the head and wants the power of God in the heart then that soul fals into a carnal loosnesse whereby truth is evil spoken of and the party thus doing justifying his action by his hardnesse of spirit which by it he is brought into And this is the reason why many when they have received high notioÌ„s and do hold them forth do walk very unlike truth is because they have it but in the head and want the power of it in the heart They have it from others or some other way and not from God and so they cannot stand in the day of temptation and so return like a Sowe to the wallowing in the mire 2 Pet. 2. 22. Again a Soul is further established in this condition from his dayly growth and encrease in knowledge he dayly growing in knowledge daily more established on his own bottomes though not so thought by himself This dayly encrease of knowldge in himself the benefit that sometimes is redounded to others by that doth increase the flame and ads fuel to the fire of this false rest The second excellent Part or Gift upon which men Rest is Prayer and this is made an Idol of by such parties who Rest upon it But first of all when a man sets his face towards God it would gladly pray but wanting this proper Gift it useth formes but after it sees the vanity of that dispensation and the emptines of it it now would gladly pray in the spirit and continually is complaining for want of matter to expresse In conclusion it attains matter to expresse and
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
the creatures spirit is set a waiting for it and at last comes to enjoy it So in Free grace when God represents this truth to let man see he is Free in all his dispensations man being thereby convinced of it his heart is set a waiting for the enjoyment of the same within him which he sees in God above him that is above his reach of enjoying and so he doth not let him Rest though he see a truth until he comes to have the manifestation of it within him and in the power and life of it enjoyed by him So as the generall knowledge of Free grace before it be known particularly in the Creature by the manifestation of it from God will be no secure Rest or satisfaction for any soul First The creature in this condition may receive it with much joy as witnesse them Mat. 13. 20. yet be short of having the power This truth is very pleasant to many especially to those that have been the greatest workers for Grace whereupon their delight is much taken up either in hearing reading or discourse that tendeth to the declaring of this truth and it is a dispensation of God in some men but not a Rest unto them Now men who are made to Rest here may have high notions of this truth and may be more able to speak of it then those who have enjoyed it in a general manner but come to the particular workings of it in the soul and many prove shallow there only they declare it as they see it to be a Scripture truth But he that Enjoyes sees it to be an Experimentall and a Scripture Truth Now some men have learned what he beleeves and Rests upon it only from report or men declaring their experiences or what the Scripture doth relate of others but have not any Teachings of God what it saith according to the Scriptures in them by Experience And here sometimes man is not compleatly furnished to declare this Truth But one who doth enjoy truth within doth a little discerne where such a soul is to wit have heard and from hearing do declare and yet not brought into the Kingdome of Truth to see and experience it within himself Further Man may daily increase in the Notionary knowledge of this Truth wherein he may appear a Tall Cedar in his own eies and in the eyes of others and grow up into high Notions and Light and is able to speak of very high and glorious light yet if he here Rest it may prove in conclusion but a feeding upon winde and husks Furthermore In this knowledge of Truth may man solace and refresh his spirits continually in the apprehension of the same and yet it is but seeming not reall satisfaction or refreshment if he there Rest trusting to it to be God himself for want of information of the difference betwixt what is a Truth in it self seen so by me and a Truth mine manifested within me not knowing the foot-steps of truth without man from the foot-steps of truth within man not knowing a difference betwixt the deceipt of the heart in its deceivable workings making glorious Rests of that which is none and Truth nakedly discovered from or by God in the heart with its End and Testimony so as the creature is not satisfied with any thing though it be a truth without him until he finde the very being of that Truth within him Therefore whosoever he bee that reads these few lines Let him beware of these things following First that he judge not that to be a place of Rest to his spirits which is but in shew not enjoyed in substance nor absolutely passe sentence of any thing untill there be a Divine light within which makes it manifest Yea though they may come so far as to be convinced of truth of Free grace and for the transcendent Excellency of Christ in God yet Rest not until thou finde it in thy soul manifest from God then shalt thou seal it to be a truth yea thou shalt have it sealed up for Truths by the Spirit of GOD within thee Also to take notice I do not despise nor condemne this dispensation not to be of God first to see by Scriptures these to be Truths But There labour to unbottom and to un center any soul who meerly rests in the notion of them Thirdly To beware of condemning these things because they have no experience of them or because they come nigh them or because if they be Truths they have nothing left them but wait untill they see a Light within to discover the truth or fallacy of them to them Jer. 17. 9. and if so be they see not the deceite of their hearts or those false Rests in them we are speaking of yet do not condemn them who have both seen and known them as though they sought to destroy the foundation of God in Saints but look upon me as one owning any dispensation of God in its place proper to it The Eight false Rest THE Next Rest we desire to speake of in order to this is the Knowledge of Christ in the flesh Eithar considered as he is declared in Types and Figures under the Law or as he assumed nature upon him and so consequently dyed at Jerusalem Now for the first In reference to Types and Figures which at this time are the dispensation of Ordinances either practised before or since his Coming How many in our daies are they that meerly rests upon such shadows some practising of such Types as held forth Christ to come some in those that were practised after his Coming and here they satisfie themselves As instance the cry of most Wee enjoy the pure Ordinances of Christ wee are members of the Church of Christ we are partakers of those outward priviledges purchased by Christ Instance the peace and comfort they enjoy in them the glorying and the high conceite they have of themselves above others that do not practise with or enjoy them witnesse their deadnesse flatnesse when they want them and their life and peace in the enjoying of them witnesse their binding up in them and their whole Experience contained in this particular When I was imployed in such an Ordinance I was fil'd with joy or I was made to be satisfied with the seeing of God in it when the poor Creatuer it may be knowes not what God in all or any thing is but if it be enlarged or have some particular flashes of comfort it makes that to bee the presence of God and meerly under these fleshly parctises or carnall relations do many Rest satified But Secondly To Rest upon Christ come in the flesh is to Rest upon the beleeving the report the Scripture gives concerning him as being born of a Virgin and suffering and being buried and the like and if they beleeve this and can but heare enough of the Letter preached to this purpose they Rest as beleeving such a particular to be true and that is all that is required of them to
to Rest below God as is sutable to a Soules condition so he brought in a promise to Christ He hath given his Angels charge over thee c. Mat. 4. 6. Here he came to apply himself sutable to the condition of Christ O when once a soul is brought into a Pinacle-condition wherein he is brought to see the glory of much then Satan labours to cause the heart to fall down and worship him he coming smoothly and bringing he promises of God along with him to back the truth of what he doth and here after the soul is betrayed by represented glory in a promise meerly cast in from Satan wherein the soul falls down and worships the very cunning working and the high exalting of Satan and in this condition he is brought to see and apprehend high things and is brought into a Pinacle to behold almost the glory of every thing made over by Satan to the Creature in a promise upon the Soules submitting to him and upon this Pinacle he sets him that is he causes him to Rest and so the poor heart being not wise in the Spirit is deceived and betrayed though the actions knowledge light joy Rest of this soul be glorious and for God in his own eyes yet it is but Satans transforming himself into an Angel of light resembling or coming in and working in the Creatures heart in the gloriousest manner and shape God works in But Secondly Others being wounded in Spirit and weary in soule for the want of any glimpse of God leaving no means un-attained to get his soul cured and unburthened and having rested upon many false props before and being unbottomed of them he tries this particular it being of a higher nature and more likely to speak peace unto him viz. a running to Scripture to finde out some particular promises sutable to his condition and having found out some sutable Promises either presently seems to speak to him from a sutablenesse in him so it may be being a conditionall Promise or else the soul meditates a while upon it and it runs much in his thoughts and at last he closes with it strikes this load and burthen at his spirit here he drawes comfort and peace from it yea it may be so much as indeed the soul is mightily overcome in his spirits with joy and can do nothing but rejoyce upon which he Rests builds his faith as he cals it and so concludes it to be a maniâ—estation of God I will nor deny but God may make these waies if in truth cause of support unto a soul in his travelling towards his Rest But for a Soul to strike sail cast Anchor and have all the waves in his heart stayed and his very wearinesse of spirit at this present put to a period is as if the children of Israel had stayed either beyond the red Sea or when God gave them Manna before they came to enjoy a reall possession of the land of promise though God did this either to refresh their spirits and so to under-prop them or else to give them it at the desire and repining of their spirits to see how they would use it or abuse it Now this being a description of a Saints spirituall travell though God should cause a glimps of glory or heavenly Manna to refresh a heart to be given to a soul in the view of a promise yet for a soul to Rest in this and make it his habitation it smels too much of mans deceite and abuse of every dispensation and a daubing up his spirit with untempered morter and so hatches Cockatrice Egs and weaves the Spiders Webbe so that it is but a kindling of a fire and manwarming himself in his own sparks whose conclusion shall be death and sortow and before ever the creature knows what true rest is by sweet experience he must be brought to a death in all these But from my own experience of the fallacy of my own heart and the contrariety of the false Rests that I have gone thorow I make bold to propose these ensuing particulars to such a heart not intending to weaken the workings of God in any poor heart though under low Administration but only to discover the nakednes of man in the way of his own heart And First of all When did the Lord manifest himself to thy soul and give thee a particular right unto and interest in this promise the application of which thou makest thy Rest Secondly How was God revealed to thy heart in this promise Or whether is it not the great necessity thou hast of it that makes thee fly to the promise and suck sweetnesse life comfort and Rest from it Or is it God in Christ clearly Revealed unto thee in the same For it was necessity that made many run to the Ark and hang upon the outsides thereof though none but those that were within were saved Scribes and Pharisees did challenge a propriety in God and all externall priviledges but it was but from a sutablenesse of holinesse they had to the promise and not Revelation of God in them discovering the truth of God in them Thirdly What inward Testimony of God hast thou for thy great joy peace rest And what is thy inward evidence that witnesseth the truth of what thou enjoyest For every one that beleeveth hath a Testimony within himself 1 John 5. 10. And every heart that hath ever seen the appearance of God within him hath found a lively Testimony coming along with that Manifestation of God which is the only proofe of the truth of what he enjoyeth and not any Qualification nor outward Testimony either of man or from man 1 Joh. 3. 24. Fourthly How was peace in this particular enjoyed by thee Was it from some inward voyce of God or discovery of the same Or was it from such a sutable form of words to thy condition either cast in or found out in searching Or was it from a clear Manifestation of the glory of God in thee sutable to those forms of words in the Scriptures without thee whereby the forme of words came to be made good to thee so that thy comfort peace satisfaction or rest do not flow from the forme of words as thou seest them in Scripture without thee but from the enjoyments of God within thee sutable to that without thee Fiftly What glorious power of God was made out in thy spirit in thy thus closing with promises Thy thus closing may seem to be done in power but the spirituall Coming of Christ in the manifestation of his glory is so great as indeed it is not ordinary but extraordinary in the heart of him that knows his coming A promise Closed with before Christ come in the Spirit may seem to be done in glory and power by reason it may be he could not before beleeve nor live in that freedome or joy he now lives in but the coming of Christ in the spirit doth so farre surmount that as indeed the other appears nothing
is produced by Christ living or appearing in any heart so that the spirituall Rest of Saints is in and upon that salvation liberty and freedome which they have in this Christ who is become this unto them so that all heavy loads and yoaks are removed all oppositions of spirit are taken off and all the wearinesse of spirit removed so that now the spirits are set free and can no more come into bondage but Christ alone is become salvation and liberty to him so that the spirit doth solace it selfe and Rest in him who is become freedome and salvation to him Sixtly Christ the Rest of Saints spiritually known is the wisdome of God in creatures the wisdome of God in Saints is Jesus Christ and there it is said He is made unto us wisdome 1 Cor. 1. 30. So that it is the Wisdome of God which is Christ spiritually known in which Saints Rest For if they Rested in the wisdome of the flesh that should be destroyed and so no safe rest and center for them but the Wisdome of Christ doth unbottome Saints from their own wisdome and establish himselfe even the Wisdome of the God-head in the creature to be a rest unto the creature whereas before the Soule and spirit were not at rest being from its own wisdome plotting and contriving which way to act and what to doe not from the Wisdome of God but from the wisdome of the flesh onely opposing and gain-saying this wisdome Which when the Creature could not bring about what in his owne wisdome he had contrived he must needs be perplexed and so continue in all trouble but now he is destroyed in that and he is made to rest upon the Wisdome of God Christ now taking the Creatures place and acting in the stead of the Creature so that the soul is made to walke in and by Wisdome it is that Wisdome which is pure peaceable and undefiled The Wisdome of the flesh is corrupted but this is pure The Wisdome of the flesh hath nothing in it but disquietnesse both to the party in whom it is or in the Kingdome Church or Family where it is acted aâ—â— for this reason is occasioned all jarrings and tumults But the Wisdome of God which is Jesus Christ is peaceable it workes abundance of peace and quietness in the soul Church or Nation where it onely is advanced here is a quiet and peaceable habitation for Saints to Rest and live upon we see Christ often in Scripture called the wisdome of God and as 1 Cor. 1. 24. where the Apostle declares Christ in all that are saved to be the Wisdome and power of God though this Wisdome be little esteemed of by the world yet it is highly precious in the esteem of Saints as for instance that of the Proverbs 3. 15. ver where that Wisdome is precious yea more precious then Rubies yea he is expressed to be an uncomparable comparison so that this wisdome of the eternall Spirit which is Christ in us is desirable and therefore above all things saith the Scripture Get Wisdome Prov. 4. 5. yea there is a happinesse in the enjoyment of it for it is the principal thing that belongs to a Saint Pro. 4. 7. so that Saints are eentred up in the wisdome of God and are wholly delivered up into it to be alone disposed by it so that the spirit lives in sweet quietnesse and Rest the creature being wholly made nothing in his own Wisdome and the Wisdome of God alone orders all things in him Seventhly That which spiritually is called Christ in us is that Peace which is spoken by God to us and received from God by us in which Peace we live and Rest so that Saints are kept in the Peace of God which is Christ to this purpose is the saying in the Eph. 2. 14. For he is our peace who hath made both one and hath broken down the middle-wall of pertition between us Here the Apostle sets forth Christ to be the peace of the Saints for whatsoever tends to peace in the Creatures spirits that I mean which truly tends to the same is Christ for the soul before he appears in it is like unto the ship tossed with the waves and tempest before Christ said unto the waves be still this is that peace the Apostle desires the Saints may enjoy which was the Peace of God which passeth all understanding Phil. 4. 7. which was of ability to keep their hearts in the knowledge and love of God now this is that Saints spirituall Christ a peace which is able to keep them in the love of God and a peace which passeth the understanding of the Creature that is a Peace which the understanding of man can never finde out or is ablâ— to reach under yea all the understanding in the world is never able to finde ousuch a peace for the creature as this is so that he ist termed the Prince of Peace Isa 9. 6. All the acts of Christ in the spirits of Beleevers are Righteousnesse and Peace It is that peace which the world cannot give and such a Peace it is as they cannot take away When God speaks Christ into a soul which is Peace in which none can cause trouble in such a soul because Christ is become the Peace thereof indeed men may speak Peace and Ordinances may speak peace and false gods and christs may speake peace after which there may be trouble occasioned But after God speaks peace there can none cause trouble but the soule lives and is kept in the peace of God ann none can make him afraide therfore the Prophet did utter these sayings He shall be our peace when the Assyriant comes into our Land This Christ is the peace of Saints in every condition so that they live in much freedom an joy because the center and rest of their spirits is peaced And lastly This Christ is Righteousnesse and holynesse in the Saints or sanctification this not only by experience but by Scripture may be proved The Apostle tels the Church of Corinth That Christ of God was made unto them wisdome and righteousnesse and sanficaction and Redemption 1 Cor 1. 30. So that Righteousnesse and santification Christ was made unto them so that whatsoever is Righteousnesse in the Spirits of saints is Christ spiritually dwelling in them this is that righteousnesse that the Apostle desired to be found in this is that divine nature which the saints are made partakers ofâ— to wit Christ the righteousnesse of God This is agreeable to that saying concerning Christ And this is his Name whereby he shall be called THE LORD OVR RIGHTEOVSNESSE Jer. 23. 6. Jer. 33. 16. He shall not only be called so by them but he really shall be mâ—â—â— over so by God to them so that the Righteousnesse of God in us is Jesus Christ made so by God to us whereby he becomes our Righteousnesse a Righteousnesse which destroyes all ours in the flesh and makes us live in the righteousnesse of