the imagination of the flesh and the man grows more or lesse distracted This is pointed at by one of the two that were possessed Secondly the righteous law of God even the spirit which is full of love righteousnesse and peace in it selfe is enforced daily to be checking condemning and burning up that power of darkness or devills in the flesh to this end that the flesh may be brought into a onenesse with the father and be made subject to the spirit that made it and that dwels in it though the imaginarie powers of the flesh have trod down the spirit and would not suffer him to appear and raign for many years past I but now the fullness of time is come for the spirituall appearance of Christ and the spirit who is the Lord our righteousnesse is beginning to tread proud and covetous flesh under his feet and will take the Kingdome and raigne himself in man yea in every man for every man and woman though they be as branches of the earth yet they are every one a perfect creation of themselves and the spirit of the father dwells supremely in every man as in the whole globe So that considering that mankinde through unrighteousnesss hath been corrupted stands in need of a restauration before he can see the father dwell supremly in him and that the spirit must be the cleanser purger of this poysoned earth for he is the everlasting fire that tries all things and that seperates the dross from the gold and this spirit or father is pure reason which the unreasonableness of the flesh cannot stand before but falls presently as chaffe cannot endure the flames of fire It appears plain that the righteous law the spirit which though it be full of peace in it selfe yet having so powerfull an enemy as the devill in flesh that daily fights against him he cannot be at rest but is at work continually though it be a work wherein he takes delight As the fire never ceases burning so long as there is fuell to work upon so that the spirit of burning may be said to be full of troubles in respect of the great and varietie of his work for he is to deale with every man and woman in the creation of mankinde when I speak after the manner of men for while two parties fight to master one another there is a declaration of troubles on both sides to the beholders and yet the spirit is not full of troubles because he kils and destroys the devill with delight and works the restauration of mankinde with abundance of love and cheerfulness And this spirit is pointed out to me to be the other man possessed For the scripture is to me but the declaration of a historicall truth pointing out this higher mysterie And as the corrupt power in flesh delights to be acting and shewing it self so the holy Law which is not the letter of the scriptures but the spirit which is the law of righteousness delights to be acting and shewing himselfe in destroying that filthy power or devill And as it is a torment to a man to be crossed of his humor or will so it is here spoke after the manner of men As to be a torment to the devill in mankinde as indeed it is to be quite destroyed and as it were a torment to the righteous Law as it is not but his delight to be taken off his work of burning and consuming the devill For as it is the devills heaven to be acting unrighteousness so it is the heaven to the law of the spirit to be flaming against and burning up the devill Now the creature man looks upon these two as they fight one against the other within his heart and flesh as a murtherer of him for hereby his earthly peace is killed so that Art thou come to destroy us before the time is a voice proceeding from the distempered man but it doth typically point out the voice of this compound murtherer in man for when Christ who is the mighty man of truth dwells bodily in his own house the flesh of mankinde then all fightings within and troublers in the flesh shall cease and there shall be perfect peace but two enemies that seek the death one of the other are both to be parted therefore the devill he would not be taken off vexing the flesh because he would be King in the flesh And the spirit of righteousness would not be taken off till he hath quite subdued the devill under his feet and made flesh subject to him which shall and must be accomplished at the restauration of all things And therefore there being much work to be done in mankinde as well as in these two particular men and the work of the devill will not cease so long as he hath any power in flesh and the work of the spirit wil not cease til this serpents head be quite bruised the flesh of the whole creation mankinde be made subject to the spirit the Lord that made it therefore this voice Art thou come to destroy us before the time declares that Christ is the Anointing or power of the father that shall end this quarrell and that shall establish perfect peace in every man as a branch and in the whole creation it self mankinde when the time of the father is come that the mysterie of the great governor God is finished So that this historie of the two men possessed with devills which Christ Jesus made quiet doth declare the great work of the anointing in the latter dayes when he shall have finished his work and deliver up the Kingdome to the father that is he will establish love and peace and onenesse between mankinde and the spirit of righteousnesse that made it and the same anointing will destroy all this enmity that is between the flesh and spirit by reason of the curse that is in the flesh which is to be burned up that so peace may be made By the swine in the History are pointed out to me to be men that live upon the earth in the imaginary delights and glory of it which is a life below God as the life of a swine snudling up his food from among the filth of the earth is below the life of a man And this swine runs down the hill that is these earthly minded men run lower and lower from God who is called Sions hill in hunting after covetousnesse self-love temporal glory fleshy imaginations and thoughts These I say run downwards further and further from the life of the spirit they do not run up the hill of self-denial and love of righteousnesse where God dwels Now Gods dwelling is not in any locall place above the skies as men fancie and say God dwels above the heavens But he is said to dwell above in respect of the fleshes wisdom and power as thus Gods wisdom is above the wisdom of the flesh Gods peace and life is above the peace and life of the flesh for
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
is full of languishing this is a very low ebb but thou art not forsaken of the father though thy perswasion is much shaken the reason of all is this The pure law of the spirit is scorching and burning up the unbeliefe of thy flesh to make thee know God and to make thee bright in the eyes of God and men hereafter Now speake if this be not true you that have waded in or through this fire some are wading in this fire few have waded through it all must be burned herein more or lesse before they lie down quietly in the lap of providence Well this is the power of darknesse and bondage under which the divell or troubles within doth buffet you The power of my unrighteous flesh strives to maintain the kingly power in me and the righteous Law or the pure spirit strives to maintain his owne righteous and kingly power in me by tredding the other under foot If proud flesh stand then the the King of glory in me must be destroyed but if he keep the field and raigne in me then the head of my troubles which is the Serpent must be bruised And this is the enmity of natures between God and me this is the Divell and the power of this Divell or enmity doth not worke without the will but according to the will of God in killing the disobedient creature when the serpent in flesh kills then the creature man dies from God but when the law comes and kills then the creature begins to live again to God The flesh and darknesse within me is the Divell that is the father of lies that never spoke truth And the power of the perfect law taking hold thereupon threw me under sorrow and sealed up my miserie and this is utter darknesse for my soul lived below the life and nature of God in sin and disobedience and while that strong man kept the house I had peace and I lived below the comforts and joyes of God in sorrowes and miserie under the sence of Gods wrath for that sin and then my sinfull peace was taken from me And this is Hell yea and extremitie of the power of darknesse But this Divell is not a middle power distinct from God between God and the creature and so waits as a Gaoler to do his Office when the Judge condemns the sinner as some say and as I thought but it is the power of proud flesh and the power of the pure spirit mixing together not as friends but enemies opposing each other and so killing the weaker party the creature and taking peace from him And though God suffer the Divell to act and gives him a power sometimes over the creature yet God doth suffer it not to ruine his creature man but to ruine the Divell to bruise that serpents head and to reconcile the creature to himselfe and so to raise him up to enjoy the life of God that is dead under the power of the Divell This proud flesh or Divell is called the wicked one in his severall degrees in mankinde which is the serpent which bends his bow and makes ready his arrowes that he may shoot privily at him that is upright in heart that is at the appearance of God in the heart of man in every degree and measure of it This is that envious uncleane and wicked man that gathers to himselfe and that scatters from Christ for let a man in whom any measure of this serpent rules preach pray beare rule or do any thing he gives not the honour to God but he gathers up the honour to himselfe for he is full of selfe-seeking and selfe-praise and this is the wicked one whether he be little or big And God is angrie with this wicked one every day And this lordly power of the serpent must be killed before the manifestations of the fathers love favour sweet to the creature This is the father of lies this is the tempter this is he that deceives the Nations this proud flesh that would sit in Gods Temple and be as God is the mysterie Babylon the mother of all abominations this is the first mover to all enmity against God for it will not own the Father the King of glory But now it is the righteous Law that makes this appear to be enmity for light discovers darknesse and the spirit of fire discovers coldnesse Now the great mysterie of God is this he will remove this great stone or mountain that lies between him and his creature for he will swallow up his own dispensation of wrath as the creature cals it which is the Law of holinesse proving the creature a sinner and so casting him under sorrow which is sense of wrath and he will swallow up the enmity of our natures into love even into himself and so to make of two one when this mixed murderer is cast out of heaven And this devil or murderer appears sometimes within a man in troubling and filling the heart and flesh with sorrows and misery and sometimes he appears without when the spirit of proud flesh in other men envies me God may and many times gives way that that spirit of envy shall go forth and prosper and enjoy his will for if the envy hypocrisie and cruelty that breaths in others be acted upon me it is not the will of that envious spirit for my ruine but the will of God is done in suffering that spirit to act for its own ruine and my healing And truly I have a great perswasion that though God suffer this unclean spirit to run up and down and range in this Kingdom of England yet God will heal England in conclusion and cast this devil or unclean spirit into the lake of fire and so consume him There is one Scripture that gives great light into this truth The devil troubler or spirit of darkness in other men did envy Job which indeed is but the imagination of proud envious flesh for this is Belzebub that devises mischief and told God that if he would lay his hand upon him Job would curse him to his face Imagination thought arising from envy that afflictions would be a means to make a breach between God and Job as those wicked men did imagine in Wisdom 2. 21. Well God said Amen to the request of that evill spirit behold saith God to the devil Job is in thy hand even under that very power of temptation and suffering as thou wouldst have him to be under only touch not his life so that here is a power limited to Satan or to the envy of flesh in other men against Job but this power is not Satans power properly distinct from God but it is the very power of God which the God of wisdom hath given and limited to Satan whereby God will honour himself and shame the devil and bruise his head by Jobs sufferings The spirit of envy imagines that if Jobs Cattle and goods should be taken away by robbery
his strong delusions to believe his lies And this power of darkeesse in you casts you under a more powerfull bondage of the Law of the spirit within you yea in utter darknesse wherein you stick fast as in mire and clay or as in a deep pit and cannot get out it throws you under wrath and makes God appear angry which is the greatest darknesse the poor creature can lie under What greater darknesse can there be then for a man never to see nor feel the light heat nor warmth of the sun but alwaies to live in some dungeon where the sun never appears A meek and humble spirit fights against thy rashnesse and self-conceit and secret envy and grudging opposes the appearance of love covetousness and bondage fights against freedom and liberty of spirit and chastitie fights against uncleannesse the Law of righteousnesse fights against unrighteousnesse of the flesh So that if at any time thy heart begins to devise any unrighteousnesse within thy self the Law of the spirit of truth breakes forth in thee and lets thee see it and condemns and shames thee for it and thy whole soul is filled with distemper and horror And if at any time the power of unclean flesh begins to break forth in thee the Law of chastitie appears and shews thee thy filthinesse and condemns thee for it but gives thee no strength for the present against thy lust so that the power of thy uncleane flesh lusting after folly is strong in thee and the power of the law of chastitie shewing thee that Abomination is strong in thee likewise which fills thee with torment And if at any time unrighteous thoughts and purposes rise up in thee or unrighteous actions proceed out of thy hands and thou delight therein yet when the law of the spirit of truth appears in thee and shews thee thy abominable practise thy delight in the flesh dies peace is taken from thee and thy spirit is filled with trouble I could instance in every power of the flesh in this kinde And now presently thou concludest That the devil which thou thinkst is a third power distinct between God thee comes torments thee But no for it is the very power of the spirit which is pure reason which governs the whole globe in righteousnesse that shews thee thy wickednesse the light therof discovers thy darkness and fills thee with shame and torment For if the spirit shine upon thy filthinesse and trouble thee it is not barely to trouble but to burn up thy lusts and to make thee bright is the fathers end but while thou liest between these two powers thy peace is gone all feeling of life is taken away and thou liest under darknesse yea utter darknesse for thou seest no light of peace of any side If thou follow the powers of thy flesh as thy uncleanness unrighteousness envy frowardness pride hypocrisie and the like thou hereby accknowledgest that the flesh is God for thou maintainest the being of that wicked man as though he were the only one beeing that dwells in the globe but if the father of all things which is reason be the only one beeing that gave beeing to all and that keeps all in peace then certainly while thou followest the way of King flesh thou walkest unreasonably for thou settest up another King which makes division which the creation knowes not and thou deniest the King of righteousnesse which unites the whole body of the creation into a oneness of spirit That spirit that knits all creatures together in peace and sweet communion of love and meekness must needs be King And this doth reason who is the essentiall father but that power that makes one creature a tyrant over another nay divides the creature man within himself and so pulls the creation in pieces breaking the bonds of peaceable love and filling the creature with torment and distraction must needs be a divell or troubler and this doth that curse that is in the flesh and therefore no King but a murtherer a deceiver a devill the serpent that must be killed and the wicked man that must be taken out of the way Now such a condition of bondage doth this compound power cast you under you are absent from the liberty peace life of heaven you lie tumbling in hell darkness to be incorporated into the power of the wicked one to act from his unclean principles is the flesh and blood that shall never enter heaven never enjoy union and peace with the spirit of righteousness for light and darkness can never live together This is the bond woman her sonne that shall never be heire nor live in the house with the free woman And whatsoever is of this nature or under this bondage less or more doth not taste of heaven which is perfect peace for that which is bondage cannot be said to be liberty But for your comfort poor enslaved soules Christ the wisdom and power of the Father is come to open the prison doors to pull you up out of the earth of covetousness and self imagination under which you have been and are buried and will set you even as a corne of wheate that lies buried under clods of earth till the warme cherishing meeke and loving spirit in the earth cause it to sprout and spring and shoot out and so bring forth fruitlike himself in great abundance therefore waite patiently till you be able to sing Allaluia and to say The Lord God omnipotent raigneth and assure your selves the vision will not stay long for when your flesh is made subject to the spirit he will speak peace to you and in you Since unrighteousness was acted in humaine flesh against his maker every son and daughter of that disobedient flesh is like a man upon whom two fierce band-dogs hath laid hold tearing and pulling to pieces And these two are first the curse or sin in flesh which is called the serpent the father of lies the wicked man the devill The second is the appearance of the righteous law dwelling in that flesh likewise as a seed buried under the weight of that cursed earth and his appearance is so terrible to the disobedient flesh that it destroys at his appearing all the joy and peace thereof and is called the severity of the Law So that first the curse or sin this hath fastened upon the man and puls him from owning the spirit and so makes created flesh to rebell against his maker And then the father which the curse in the flesh hath despised maintains his own prerogative in man and destroys and kils that rebellion by reason whereof the creature man is filled with Torment And this act of the spirit is called the declaration of wrath or the Law or the letter that kils for indeed the disobedient man sees and feels nothing but wrath on every side For let the creature look within himself he sees and feels no peace for the appearance of the
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
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