THE SAINTS PARADISE OR The Fathers Teaching the only satisfaction to waiting SOULS WHEREIN Many Experiences are Recorded for the comfort of such as are under spirituall BURNING The inward Testimony is the Souls strength By Jerrard Winstanley Jer. 31. 34. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour and every man his brother saying Know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least of them unto the greatest of them saith the Lord 1 John 2. 27. But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you and ye need not that any man teach you But as the same anointing teacheth you of all things and is truth London Printed for G. Calvert and are to be sold at the black-spred-Eagle at the West end of Pauls To my beloved friends whose souls hunger after sincere Milk Dear friends IT hath been the universall condition of the Earth Mankinde to be overspread with a black Cloud of darknesse and the knowledge of the King of righteousnesse hath been manifested but in some few scattered ones which as they haue had the spring in themselves so they have been as lights in the dark world and others have walked in their light and rested content to drink of their streams as if their declaration of truth had been the very Fountain it self I my self have known nothing but what I received by tradition from the mouths and pen of others I worshipped a God but I neither knew who he was nor where he was so that I lived in the dark being blinded by the imagination of my flesh and by the imagination of such as stand up to teach the people to know the Lord and yet have no knowledge of the Lord themselves but as they have received by hearsay from their books and other mens words I spoke of the name of God and Lord and Christ but I knew not this Lord God and Christ I prayed to a God but I knew not where he was nor what he was and so walking by imagination I worshipped that devill and called him God by reason whereof my comforts were often shaken to pieces and at last it was shewed to me That while I builded upon any words or writings of other men or while I looked after a God without me I did but build upon the sand and as yet I knew not the Rock And now know friends That this ignorant unsettled condition is yours at this time though I know that the proud King flesh that is in you will be ready to speak within you and tell you that you do know God and Christ and be offended with me because I say you know him not I do not write any thing as to be a teacher of you for I know you have a teacher within your selves which is the Spirit and when your â—â—esh is made subject to him he will teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance so that you shall not need to run after men for instruction for your eyes being opened you shall see the King of righteousnesse sit upon the throne within your selves judging and condemning the unrighteousnesse of the flesh filling your face with shame and your soul with horror though no man see or be acquainted with your actions or thoughts but your selves and justifying your righteous thoughts and actions and lead you into all wayes of truth And this is the Spirit or Father which as he made the Globe and every creature so he dwels in every creature but supreamly in Man and he it is by whom every one lives and moves and hath his being perfect man is the eye and face that sees and declares the Father and he is perfect when he is taken up into this spirit and lives in the light of reason and there is no man or woman can say that the Father doth not dwell in him for he is every where there is no a creature in the compasse of the creation but he is in that creature but disobedient man knows him not and why Because flesh is not subject to the spirit within it his covetous flesh hath deceived him for he either looks abroad for a God and so doth imagine and fancie a God to be in some particular place of glory beyond the skies or some where he knows not or in some place of glory that cannot be known till the body be laid in the dust Or else if men do look for a God within them according as the Record speaks God is within you yet they are led by the motions and commands of King flesh within them and not by King spirit and here they are at a losse not being able to distinguish between flesh and spirit by reason that covetousnesse and self-will blindes their eyes Truly friends King flesh is very covetous self-loving and self-honouring it likes them that say as it saith but it would imprison kill and hang every one that differs from him he is full of heart-burning either of open envy and bitter distemper or else carries himself in a smooth quiet way of hypocrisie walking in a shew of truth like an Angell of light but when he gets an opportune power he turns to be a tyrant against the way of the spirit And so all his love was but for by-ends to satisfie self in some particular or other But now the King of righteousnesse within you is a meek patient and quiet spirit and full of love and sincerity he burns up the proud and hasty flesh he loves truth and hates a lie if the creature acts unrighteously he checks and shames him if he act righteously according to the creation of a man he speaks peace within and so makes the man to walk sincerely and warily And when you come to know feel and see that the spirit of righteousness governs your flesh then you begin to know your God to fear your God to love your God and to walk humbly before your God and so to rejoyce in him and therefore if you would have the peace of God as you call it you must know what God it is you serve which is not a God without you visible among bodies but the spirit within you invisible in every body to the eye of flesh yet discernable to the eye of the spirit and when souls are made to have community with that spirit then they have peace and not till then For this let me tell you that if you subject your flesh to this mighty governour the spirit of righteousness within your selves he will bring you into community with the whole Globe so that in time you shall come to know as you are known and you shall not need to run after others to learn of them what God is for as you are a perfect creation every one of himself so you shall see and feel that this spirit is the great governour in you in righteousness and when you come thus to know the truth the truth shall make you free from the bondage of covetous and proud flesh
began to obey the Lord then the Lord sent an Angel which was no other but a mighty spirit of feare and confusion of minde among the Midianites Israels enemies which made them to destroy one another while Israel had the liberty to looke on CHAP. V. LEt the Powers Governours and Armies of the land learne to worship the Lord in righteousnesse lest while the Lord hath made them Angels to destroy some and to warne others the Lord do not give out a Commission to others to destroy and confound them and so bring about his work by another power For Assure your selves you Kingly Parliamentarie and Army power and know this that all unrighteous powers and actings must be destroyed the father is about the work and his hand will not slack this work is and will be going on more powerfull then ever till it be finished that all enemies to Christ be made his foot-stoole and he alone exalted who is King of righteousnesse For now Jesus Christ is upon his rising from the dead and will rule King of righteousnesse in flesh And though King-flesh in every man and woman hath for many years past denyed him and lifted up himself against him yet now is the time come that he will lift up himself and tread the powers of the flesh under his feet And friends doe not mistake the resurrection of Christ you expect he shall come in one single person as he did when he came to suffer and die and thereby to answer the types of Moses law let me tell you if you look for him under the notion of one single man after the flesh to be your Saviour you shall never never taste salvation by him But know that the mighty power that dwelt in that humane flesh that was called by the name Jesus Christ he was the man the mighty man of strength the flesh was as the woman to the man or the box that carryed that precious oyntment in and this man is sat down at the right hand of the father that is he is the strength of the father whereby he destroys King flesh and he sits in the highest heavens that is in those Saints that are taken up the highest into the father and lives in him treading the curse under foot And as the body of his flesh in his Ascension so called went out of the Apostles sight in a cloud of the Skies so shall the same mighty man rise up out of the earth that is from under the earthy imaginations and lusts of the sons of men for mankinde is the earth that containes him buried and out of this earth he is to arise and appeare in the clouds that is as he begins to shew himselfe in a man or a woman the fleshy powers in those enslaved soules will and do rise up to darken the light of that sun as long as he can till he the flesh who is the wicked man or the cursed thing that dwels within mankinde be taken away And therefore if you expect or look for the resurrection of Jesus Christ you must know that the spirit within the flesh is the Jesus Christ and you must see feel and know from himself his own resurrection within you if you expect life and peace by him For he is the life of the world that is of every particular son and daughter of the father who are every one of them a perfect created world of themselves and need not to seek abroad after other creatures for teaching for every one hath the light of the father within himself which is the mighty man Christ Iesus And he is now rising and spreading himselfe in these his sons and daughters and so rising from one to many persons till he enlighten the whole creation mankinde in every branch of it and cover this earth with knowledge as the waters cover the seas And this is the lightning that shall spread from East to West this is the kingdome of heaven within you dwelling and ruling in your flesh therefore learne to know Jesus Christ as the father knows him that is not after the flesh but know that the spirit within the flesh is that mighty man Jesus Christ and the flesh takes it name from that mighty man of truth that dwels within it he within governs the flesh he within laid down the flesh when he was said to die he within is the wisdome and power of God he within is to arise not at a distance from men but will rise up in men and manifest himselfe to be the light and life of every man and woman that is saved by him For a meek spirit bears the name Jesus And a man filled with the power of God or a man taken up into God to become one in spirit within beares the name Christ therefore you are not saved by believing there was such a man that lived and died at Jerusalem for though you believe there was such a man yet that is not saving faith to you till you feel the power of a meek spirit come into you and raigne King and tread all your envy frowardnesse and bitternesse of spirit under foot and till you feel and see the power of the righteous spirit come into you and raigne King treading all unrighteousnesse of the flesh whatsoever under foot making a conquered slave of that wicked man in the flesh And so changing your vile bodies and making them like his glorious body that is making the bodies of your flesh subject to the spirit of the father within it as the bodie of the flesh of Jesus Christ was subject to the spirit his father that dwelt within him in all things So that you do not look for a God now as formerly you did to be a place of glory beyond the Sun Moon and Stars nor imagine a divine beeing you know not where but you see him ruling within you and not only in you but you see and know him to be the spirit and power that dwels in every man and woman yea in every creature according to his orbe within the globe of the Creation So that now you see and feel and taste the sweetnesse of the spirit ruling in your flesh who is the Lord and King of glory in the whole creation and you have community with him who is the father of all things Now you are inlightened now you are saved and rises higher and higher into life and peace as this manifestation of the father increases and spreads within you And this is it to be saved by Jesus Christ for that mighty man of spirit hath taken up his habitation within your body and your body is his body and now his spirit is your spirit and so you are become one with him and with the father and this is the faith of Christ when your flesh is subject to the spirit of righteousnesse as the flesh of Christ was and this is to believe in Christ when the
actings breathings of your soules is within the center of the same spirit in which the man Jesus Christ lived acted and breathed If you live in the flesh that is if you be subject to the powers of the flesh within you then you believe in the flesh and bring forth the fruit of the flesh which is self-conceit covetousness envy pride hypocrisie and the like But if you live in Christ that is in that mighty and spirituall man of truth then you believe in him and bring forth the fruit of the spirit which is love joy peace humilitie obedience sincerity and the like If Jesus Christ that mighty King rule in you he will check and condemne every unrighteous thought as well as extravagant words and loose actions though no other man see and know your secret wickednesse but your selves and he will speake peace and Justifie you within when your flesh in any things is subject to him though you are hated slandered and mightily oppressed by the injustice of others But if King-flesh rule then you go on in secret and open wayes of unrighteousnesse with greediness and delight and have no checks within at all Now the strong man of sin keeps the house your bodies and every thing enjoyes a seeming peace within you But this is not the peace nor the liberty but a fore runner of great torment in the day of Judgment that is when the Judge the King of righteousness shall appeare to sit upon the throne within you judging and condemning this serpent or man of sin within you and so bruising his head that you who have been and are pisoners thereunto may live in the light peace of the father so set at liberty from bondage assure your selves you that glory in flesh you shall not go scot-free you shall be cast into the everlasting burnings as well as others and tryed in that fire as gold in the furnace And this fire is the father himself into whom when any creature fals he burns up the drosse in the creature which is the curse that came in through unrighteousnesse which is all the imaginary glory of the flesh and so makes man to appeare and stand bright before him you cannot burne away the drosse but the gold must suffer the heat of the fire the father cannot consume the serpent the man of sin out of my body but I that have been incorporated into that nature of the serpent must needs suffer paine this drosse and gold in man is so mixed together that nothing can separate them but the fiery orb which is the father himselfe that tries all things And here likewise lies a great delusion within mankinde you call the father your God and the word God is much in your mouths but here you deceive your selves for you know not the father to be your God nor Lord neither can you call him your God till you see and feele by experience that he rules and governs in you and that your proud and coveteous flesh stoopes and is made subject to him When the spirit within you doth command your flesh in rightousnesse and will not suffer frowardness covetousness pride hypocrisie and the like to arise and act but presently checks and condemns and shames you you can then speake in experience that the father who is the mighty governour is your God and your Lord for the powers of your poysoned flesh are made suctject to him But so long as King-flesh raignes doth act pride envy covetousness hypocrisie unrighteousnesse within you then he that you call God is the devill that cursed serpent or poysoned flesh even the power of darkness is your God and you cannot say the father is your God for if you do you deceive your self you are subject to the devill you are not subject to the father He that looks for a God without himself and worships God at a distance he worships he knows not what but is led away and deceived by the imaginations of his own heart which is Belzebub the great Devill but he that looks for a God within himself and submits himselfe to the spirit of righteousnesse that shines within this man knows whom he worships for he is made subject to and hath communitie with that spirit that made all flesh that dwells in all flesh and in every creature within the globe And this is the law and the testimony even the law of the spirit of righteousnesse within and testimony of the spirit within a man when a man can say I see feel and know that my flesh is in part subject and is daily subjecting to the great power that dwels in the whole creation what I heare another man speak or write it is nothing to me till I finde the same experience within my self this is the law and testimony of Jesus and if any man speak not according to this rule it is because there is no knowledge in him not in the booke of scriptures which is another mans testimony and the testimony of others is known to be a truth by the testimony of the same spirit within your self and no other way whatsoever There is one scripture hath been often laid before me by others and I knew not the meaning of it if I went about to studie or imagine the meaning I was lost presently and trouble took hold upon me Well after I found the spirit of contentednesse to come with power and made me quiet within so that I said within my self let my father give me the knowledge of this or any other truth or deny me the knowledge of it his will be done I can know nothing till he teach me therefore I will lie down before him and wait with a quiet spirit upon him I say I was no sooner brought into this waiting frame of spirit not only this but divers other truths was and I can almost say daily is given into me from the father to the abundant satisfaction of my soul The scripture is this Mat. 8. 28. where the two men that were possessed with devills cryed out to Jesus Art thou come to destroy us before the time I deny not the history but that there were two men really filled and tormented with devils or distempers which is the curse in mankinde and that at the Command of Christ those troublers in them went into the heard of swine and the swine ran into the sea and perished there But now the matter in this history settles peace within my spirit as it is shewed unto me and that is this By the two possessed is pointed out to me First the earth mankinde by reason of his unrighteousnesse is filled with thornes and bryers that is with troublesome distempers of all sorts which are called devills or serpent or the curse of the earth or the wicked man that sowes tares in Gods vineyard mankinde so that here is mankinde or flesh full of troublers or devills distempering the creation for do but crosse
that can be given him For it is Reason that made all things and it is Reason that governs the whole Creation and if flesh were but subject thereunto that is to the spirit of Reason within himself it would never act unrighteousnesse for if rash froward and mad anger rise up in a man and makes him walk according to the hasty violence of that Devill now he is said truly to be an unreasonable man or a man that is not subject to Reason But if Reason be King in a man then he moderates the man both within and without so that he may be truly said to be a reasonable man or a man subject to reason and so a profitable man amongst his fellow creatures For let reason rule the man and he dares not trespasse against his fellow creature but will do as he would be done unto For Reason tels him is thy neighbour hungry and naked to day do thou feed him and cloath him it may be thy case to morrow and then he will be ready to helpe thee VVhen the Curse in flesh moves a man to oppresse or deceive his neighbour or to take away his rights and liberties to beat or abuse him in any kinde reason moderates this wicked flesh and speaks within Wouldest thou be dealt so by thy self Wouldest thou have another to come and take away thy Goods thy Liberties thy Life No said the flesh that I would not Then saith Reason Do as thou wouldest be done unto and hereby the envious and covetous and proud flesh is killed and the man is made very Moderate And this spirit of Reason is not without a man but within every man he needs not run after others to tell him or teach him for this spirit is his maker he dwels in him and if the flesh were subject to him he should finde daily teaching thereform though he were alone and saw the face of no man And truly let me tell you That you cannot say the spirit is your God till you feel and see by experience that the spirit doth govern your flesh for if Envy be your Lord that rules your flesh if Pride and Covetousnesse rule your flesh then is Envy Covetousnesse or Pride your God If you fear men so greatly that you dare not do righteously for fear of angering men then slavish fear is your God If rash anger govern your flesh then is anger your God If Uncleannesse rule in you that is your God Therefore deceive not your selves but let reason work within you and examine and see what your flesh is subject to for whatsoever doth govern in you that is your God If the curse in the flesh govern you then the devill is your God and you are servants to him for the curse is the devill But if your flesh be subject to the spirit within it which is Reason and which made the flesh then is the Father your God and you may lawfully call him your God for you know now what you speak and that your words are words of experience but if you act contrary to reason you act like a beast and not like a man according to his creation for by his creation he is made Lord of all creatures and therefore the spirit dwels supreamly in him but when he follows the way of the flesh then he acts like a beast below the creation of a man and so hath lost the honor of his creation CHAP. VI THere be three Scriptures that were brought to me and the light that shined forth gave much strength to my soul I shall only mention them and then conclude The first is Rev. 9. 4 And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the green grasse of the earth neither any green thing neither any tree but only those men that have not the seal of God upon their fore-heads and these were not to be killed neither but that they should be tormented five moneths by those Locusts that came out of the smoke that rise up out of the bottomlesse pit that was now opened or made manifest what it is By green grasse and trees that were not to be hurt were shewed to me to be the tender sons and daughters that Christ hath newly called out of the earth to grow up towards him And likewise the tender plants of divine life that Christ had planted in that tender earth As love branching out into hungering and thirsting after righteousnesse and this tender green grasse nor the earth whereupon is grows is not hurt for in the midest of any trouble whatsoever the breathings of love after the father in hungering and thirsting after him is still kept alive in the tender soule And why must not these be hurt Why because these have the seal of the spirit upon them as tender plants as such as are dear unto him I but pride envy covetousnesse hypocrisie and the earth upon which these and such like weeds grow are to be tormented and why because they have not the seal of the spirit upon their foreheads and they are to be tormented five moneths before such time as these weeds be burned up and that poysoned earth become fruitfull for good seed I but these are called men not sinfull qualities that are to be tormented it is true but a man is called according to his qualitie and manners take a proud covetous or envious man and crosse any of these wicked qualities and you torment the man For when envy raignes in a man if it be crost the whole man is crost and if pride or selfe will raigne in a man and be crost the man is tormented so that the quality declares the man and the man is declared what he is by his quality And therefore in the second Scripture Rev. 20. 15. It is said Whosoever was not written in the Lambs book of life was cast into the lake of fire By Lambs book of life is shewed to me to be his very divine nature and spirit wherein Love Humility Patience Peace and such like are written and these shall enter into life and the men in whom this Spirit rules shall enter into heaven and live in the Father For these fruits of the Spirit prove a man to be a son of light and every son of light is known by these qualities that was engraven in the Lambs Nature or Spirit But whatsoever was not written in the Lambs book as Envy Pride Covetousnesse Self-will and the like these shall be cast into the lake of fire the spirit of burning to be consumed and the men in whom these cursed powers rule shall be tormented while that drosse is in burning up and vexed day and night and are restlesse and cannot be quiet but fretts and are troubled continually Therefore whatsoever is not written in the Lambs nature shall never live in rest in the father but envy pride covetousnesse self-will and the like were not written in the Lambs booke or Spirit for he was full of love and
scriptures to burne up thy drosse to consume the curse out of thee to refine thee and make thee pure gold that is to make thee live in and after the spirit and to pull thee out of the flesh In which and after which thou livest By what hath been spoken I question not but the father will let light shine into the spirits of his servants that they may see what the devill or murtherer is which is the serpent sin or curse dwelling within a man or the power of deceived flesh imbittered and made a stinging Scorpion by the law of righteousnesss The sting of sin is death and the strength of sin is the Law Now there is none that can free the creature from this compound murtherer or from these two band-dogs but Jesus Christ who is not a single man at a distance from you but who is the wisdome and power of the father who spirits the whole creation dwelling and ruling King of righteousnesse in your very flesh And he it is that comes and puls off these fierce devouring powers heals the creature that they were fastened upon and sets him free And how doth he doe that Why first he destroyes the curse that is in man and puls away that selfishness that was in him which made him to prefer the flesh above the spirit and so delivers the sinner from his envy covetousnesse discontent pride hypocrisie and makes him patient humble content under Gods hand makes him to love to delight and to glory only in God and so makes the creature to advance God above all and to set the crown of glory upon his head And now that devouring band-dog sin or curse is pulled off And then secondly when sin or serpent is thus pulled off and the creature man is made one with the father and reconciled in nature and spirit to him then the other band-dog wrath or offended law which was the strength of sin in working the creatures miserie hath nothing left to fasten upon But being a righteous law now becomes the creatures friend since the creature by Christ is made one with the righteous father and thus Christ who is the wisdome and power of God hath set the sinner free And if the son make us free we are free indeed But what is to be understood by this power of God Why truly I conceive this by the power of God is not a power without us only as it was in the man Christ Jesus when he suffered death in his own single person and thereby conquered hell and death and overcame the devil and cast the accuser out of heaven that is out of flesh that the father might dwell bodily in flesh and tread the curse under mans feet But the same Anointing or power in-dwelling and ruling whithin us and thus the power of love in man is the power of God in man and this sets us free from envy the power of patience and of a meeke spirit in man is the power of God in man and sets us free from discontent the power of humilitie in us is the power of God in us and sets us free from pride the power of peace joy and sweet resting of heart in God is the power of God in us which sets us free from sorrows and inward bondage of minde And thus the power life and peace of the father ruling as God a mighty governor in us and being established in us which indeed is the Anointing spoken of or the Lord our righteousnesse that rules in us is that power of God or that Christ that sets us free from sin and death for this is Christ in you which is the hope of glory or the earnest of the future inheritance And truly these and such like powers of God within a man are those Glorious Angels in their severall measures which the Father hath sent to guard his children and to keep them in all their wayes that they dash not their foot against the rock even God himself For Love Humility Patience Meeknesse Joy and a sweet resting of heart in GOD makes the creature submit cheerfully to God in every condition Let a Son of the Father meet with Losses Straights and Oppressious in the world and his heart presently answers Thy will be done Father thou knowest I want necessaries thou knowest what those necessaries for me are my heart waits upon thee let times be peace or war let weather be fair or fowl still the poor believing soul saith All this is good because it is the will and pleasure of my Father who will have it to be thus And thus the power of the Spirit who is the King of righteousnesse within every man treads down flesh and sets the creature free from Hell Death and Devill And the wisdom of the Father is in all this likewise for he doth this in wisdom to make himself known and that his creature being delivered by such a strong hand may out of a feeling experience own him and magnifie his name Well if you cast your eyes abroad among the sons and daughters of men you shall see very few that are saved and very few in whom Christ dwels And now the son of man comes to save he findes no faith in earth he findes righteousnesse ruling in no man but King flesh ruling in every one But this is comfort to the earth The son of righteousnesse is comming and hath begun to heal the earth he is treading down the powers of the flesh and he goes on mightily conquering and taking up sons and daughters out of their imaginary earth under which they have lien buried to enjoy the Father and to live in the onenesse of that spirit that made all things so that ere long the sweet song that is sung in private shall be sung publickly upon the house tops Rejoyce for the Lord God omnipotent raigns Yea when this mighty power Christ is lifted up he will draw all men after him that is when he is exalted and known to be the only spirit that dwels in the creation and that knits every creature into the one spirit himself then is the time which indeed is beginning in these dayes that he will draw all men after him So that every one shall see themselves in a losse and shall enquire the way to Sion even to this spirit the dwelling place of rest they shall see that books are nothing mens words and teachings studies and imaginary thoughts and conjectures are nothing but the Lord alone even this spirit is all in all and shall be exalted honored and lifted up by all in this day of his power And how is the spirit lifted up Why truely when the flesh is subject to the spirit And how is that VVhy thus First to know that this spirit which is called God or Father or Lord is Reason for though men esteem this word Reason to bee too mean a name to set forth the Father by yet it is the highest name