has God cursed this earthly state or first-creation life at best and in the most excellent part thereof that if saints in their love are found running out after the same they meet with nothing but mystical Briars and Thorns therein For this cause till the work of patience or suffering be accomplished on the whole body of saints Christ is content to remain passive and silent though in his own person possessed of that irresistible power in heaven his far countre in which he sits laughing all his enemies to scorn looking dovvn in a holy contempt upon them from his heavenly place And he over-rules all along this world all opposition of visible or invisible enemies in a direct contrariety to their own designs to make them instrumental to his by removing out of his Saints what let 's and hinders the setting up of his Kingdom in and with them visibly on the earth Christ makes all that enemies do against him and his saints in his passive and the enemies active season a preparative to his and his saints active season in his visible kingdom and to the dreadful passive season of all their enemies for evermore Hence is it that the passive season of Christ and active power of the Devil and World in perverted first-creation Principles whilst in a perfect contrariety as to design hold exact proportion as to time begining and ending together And at the time of the end will be manifested Christ's wonder-working power that all along the said active season of world and devil and passive season of Christ and Saints has made serviceable to his own designs the most opposite purposes and actings of implacable enemies rendring all exactly conducible to the setting up of his spiritual kingdom over all in a resurrection life and glory never to be done avvay By his visibility herein will he period the active power of the Devil This then may serve for answer to the present question as cleerly demonstrating the reason of Christ's so long deferring his second coming and active season And hence is there no ground from such delay to doubt the certainty of his visible spiritual comming For all along has Christ kept closs to the wise and holy orders by God appointed at first for giving a day of manifestation first to that which is natural reserving that which is spiritual to the last The Devils best time is first his worst last and that for ever And though permitted to make a seeming interruption to Christs exercise of his reigning power all along this world Yet so far has he been thereby from disappointing the designs of God for revealing his spiritual and everlasting state of truth and so for the setting up Christs visible kingdom therein that all his opposition to the same has been made serviceable thereunto even to the active reigning power and kingdom of Christ and his saints The Praise of all is to be ascribed to the marveilous and unsearchable wisdom of God which has made the most contrary appearances universally serviceable hereunto And in these mysterious workings has the wisdom of God not been altogether undiscerned by spiritual saints under every dispensation This has quieted and supported them in the blackest hours of opposition from World and Devil They have seen all by the over-ruling influences of Christ useful for the carying on of his designs of grace and peace to them But the discerning and testimony had and given by saints before and under the Law as to the visibility of Christ's spiritual kingdom at his second comming was greatly strengthened and heightened as given in Christ's own person because till then the spirit of Truth vvas not by actual participation given till our nature in him vvas glorified Joh. 7. 39. Then did he poure down of his glorified humane spirit on saints Act. 2. which distinguished them from spiritual believers under the Law He was pointed out in his resurrection-life to them under the Law in types and figures as to be revealed in the very thing it self under another succeeding dispensation Yet from a powerful spiritual faith therein were saints under the Law not only clear and strong in their testimony to the said spiritual state and visible kingdom of Christ therein but by that faith received a satisfying demonstration of the certainty thereof and embraced the substance of those things they waited for They had the undoubted evidence of things then unseen as to actual manifestation They saw and knew they should actually partake of the same Resurrection-Spirit and Life of Christ at the apointed time for the pouring out thereof from our glorified Nature in Christ's person And their Spiritual Faith herein had a powerful transforming operation upon their natural Man in that Law-day and before Yet is the difference of the Law from the Gospel-Ministration very great For by the latter have we the glad tydings of the visible gifts of that Spirit which was waited for and by Faith only laid hold upon under the former And this begets a new and more excellent sort of Spiritual Faith or discerning in Gospel-Saints through Christ's actually setting up in them his revealed and communicated Resurrection-Life and Glory which former Saints waited for Believers under the Gospel-ministration receive the very end of that Faith under the Law even the Spirit of Adoption whereby they cry Abba Father The first heavenly rain or shower of Christ's new-creature Spirit we find an account of Act. 2. on the Apostles and other primitive Saints of the Gospel-day as the accomplishing of that Promise of the Father which between his Resurrection and Ascension he commanded them to wait for from him Luk. 24. 49. Act. 1. 4. By this first pouring forth of the Holy Ghost or new-creature Spirit of Christ upon them did he institute the Gospel-dispenpensation in distinction from that of the Law And hereby were the Saints of that day much more eminently then ever before qualified to give a clear and full witness to this Spiritual State of Truth as actual partakers of that glorified Spirit of Christ which till then had never bin so given or received So the dispensation under which given must be more Spiritual than any former Saints were under The least under this dispensation is greater and under higher priviledges than the greatest under the Law-ministration The first Gospel-shower gave the World a signal taste of this great mercy by which to expect the latter rain of the same Spirit which will be far greater and more general on the Spiritual Seed in all Nations as the fore-running dispensation to Christ's second personal coming in the full blessing of the everlasting Gospel the joyful news of Christ's near approaching Spiritual Kingdom which shall be preached to all the World and then comes the end Mat. 24. 14. The very Apostles while Christ was with them in the Flesh and after his Resurrection also when speaking to them of this great thing the incorruptible Seed of Spiritual Life not yet quickned up in them were
yet in their subjected places under him are they joyned with him in a headship over the whole natural first-creation state which is the Woman that in the saints as well as in Christ must own the new-creation spirit or man in both for head Yet the saint thus joyned in a state of spiritual headship with his head is in a state of subjection to the Prerogative headship belonging to every part of the mediatours being divine or creaturely The highest Saint in his most heavenly exaltation into new-creation glory remains for ever in a single creaturality as his distinguishing make from the glorious person of the mediatour But as the saint must not assume the peculiar twofold divine and creature-name of Christ so must he not be denied a new-creation name through participation of and union with the new-creature spirit of Christ in which highly exalted above his own first-creation life name or nature as far as heaven is above the earth For the spirit of man at highest in first-covenant life is but earth or of the earth earthy Though it be in dignity and power placed over all things below it self Psal 8. 6. yet is it inferiour to what is spiritual and heavenly He cannot so much as discern things spiritual 'T is as impossible for it to go beyond the sphere and bounds of its natural activity as for the brute Beast to exceed his bounds and Judge of things rational Nothing below the spirit of man wanting his intellectual and rational faculties can discern the proper things of man So nor can man's intellectual or rationall powers exercised only in a natural or first-covenant light judg of or comprehend the things of that spiritual new-creation state which is superiour to it This is the peculiar essential priviledg of the true saint in new-creation life This capacitates him not onely to know all things below it self and all its own spiritual heavenly things but to search out find and see the most deep and hidden things of the very infinite divinity 1 Cor. 2. 9-15 This great priviledge coms saints to by partaking of the new-creature spirit of Christ which God has promised in his new and everlasting covenant made on their behalf with their mistical father Abraham Christ himself to set up in them This new-covenant spirit is perfectly distinct in the nature of it from the first This is spiritual that natural This heavenly that earthly In the pure natural earthly first-covenant spirit Christ was a husband to Angels and man in innocency before the fall of either But in this mystical Land of pure nature did all men in and with the first and many Angels fall off from Christ and so lost their first-covenant spousal relation to him No such apostacy or chang is incident to the second covenant gift The relation of God and creatures founded in that can never be forfeited or lost When God by way of distinction from the first-creation spirit in which first-covenant communion with and relation to him is founded sayes he vvill vvrite or put his nevv-covenant Lavv or spirit in his Peoples hearts they shall never depart from him nor vvill he from them Then are they his People for ever and can never again become no People as his first-covenant People do after all communications from him and communion with him therein Jer. 31. 31-33 and 32 40. By the fresh gift of his first-covenant spirit he brought them out of the house of bondage the corrupt spirit or state of nature Typed by Egypt But this his covenant they brake though he vvas a Husband to them therein This evidenced the changable nature and life of that spirit in which this covenant was founded and undertaken to be managed on mans part But the new-creature or second covenant spirit in the true saint is a principle of everlasting righteousness and infallible truth This fit 's man for personal union with the fountain thereof in the man Christ and so for everlasting obedience with the same spirit in him to the divinity it self The whole divine will or law is written out in this spirit the true saint is of and in unchangable union with The life of this spirit then in saints enables them to read know and do the divine Law and will as the said spirit in Christ himself In this spirit as a mystical table is the divine Law so powerfully written out as to cause immutable obedience thereto in all the partakers thereof It never sins nor can sin in Christ or saint any born thereof that live and vvalk therein 1 Jo. 3. 9. The saint in this spirit that is of a spiritual heavenly nature is no more a servant as in the former natural changable earthly first-covenant or first-creation state life spirit in which it is impossible to know his Lords spiritual mind things and secrets but with Abraham a friend of God enabled to know not only the secret things of his heavenly spiritual creature-mind but divine also the deep things the vvhole counsel of God about the salvation of men Christ promises to reveal to such friends all that the father has made knovvn to him Jo. 15. 15. The new creature-creature-spirit partaken of from Christ becomes in the quickened up seed thereof a new spiritual life light nature name wisdom righteousness in saints By it are they fitted to take in the visions of the divine glory For this spirit in Christ is in personal union with the divine In him it receives the whole divine glory which from him descends and is let down to all his spiritual members By this blessed medium his new-creature-new-creature-spirit by which they are made lively Stones in his new-creature City and Temple must they for ever receive the vision of the divine glory A portion of this spirit in them is the nevv Ear or intellect by which they are enabled to hear and understand that voice of their spiritual King that gives forth the divine and new-creature will of their Lord in one sound and to feed on that vision of the divine glory which is the Manna hid from all natural understanding the most excellent thing any creature can receive So though the saints name be not the result of divine and creature-nature in one person Christs peculiar prerogative yet is it a partaking of that new-creature name or nature of Christ which even in him is preserved in a distinction from his divine though in personal union with it Though highest saints may not pretend to the priviledg of the lowest part of the mediatours creature-nature or name to wit personal union with the divinity yet are they partakers of the higher part of his creature-nature as well as lower yea all spiritual saints do partake of the twofold or single new-creature spirit of their head as their peculiar names of saint-ship received and derived from him to and in vvhich chosen and blessed before the foundation of the vvorld Eph. 1. 3 4. By virtue of the fathers choice and the sons peculiar work-manship
The infinite divinity wrapping up it self in a fellovvship or personal union with its own creature-house makes up that wonderful Mystery Ephes 3. 9. The Fellowship of divine and creature-nature was before all time a Mystery hid in God But in this supream divine and creature-fellowship was the certain foundation laid from everlasting for God's revealing his own divinity to Angels and men when made which otherwise had remained invisible and unapproachable to them all for ever The divine Spirit in Building it s ovvn creature house hevv'd out the seven Pillars thereof Prov. 9. 1. This signifies the fulness and variety of this creature-building or spirit in the capacity of Root and Branch Father and Son And through the Son and Branch as admitted into union with the divinity in the same personal fellowship with his Root comes all to be beheld by blessed Saints and Angels But for better understanding this whole Mistery consider farther the relation of Root and Branch or Father and Son in the Mediatours creature-nature as well as in the divine This distinction was fitly figured out in the top and foot of Jacob's Ladder the divinity of the Mediatour standing above or on the top of it as Head thereof And this top of it or creature-root is Head to its ovvn foot the Branch and as fitted by immediate Personal union with the divinity receives the fulnes of that divine Ocean to which so united But in this first and highest Marriage-union of divine and creature-nature is God yet in too great a height for the creature 's immediate sight or enjoyment of him The scorching Beams of the Mediatour's divinity are not so allayed and tempered in this highest union thereof with his supream creature-creature-Spirit the root of all creation as that Angels or Men may receive or converse therewith This highest creature-mount or spirit in the Mediatour was fitly typed out by that mount under the Law that was so glorious and dreadful as to become present Death to all that immediatly touched the same But there is a lower capacity in the mediatour's creature-nature called the Son and Branch which answers the creatures vvish in an immediate Head-ship to them This Son and Branch is to be considered in his invisible angelical state before the foundation of the World and that both in a pure but changable first-creation state as the first-born therein and as the Lamb slain and so by the death of that mortal state taken into personal union with his creature-root in new-creation-Life and through that with his divinity also So comes the Son and Branch to be filled with all the fulness and life of both And the same thing did he in and with our visible humane nature in the fulness of time He made the like sacrifice thereof for the like end And thus is the son and branch in his resurrection-life the blessed medium by which the vision of the divine Glory is let down and given to his creatures which by the root or top of his creature-building singly considered was incommunicable to them By the branch is it brought so neer as with a meet regard to the dignity of the mediatour and safety of blessed creatures to become fit for the sight and injoyment of Angels and Saints The twofold resurrection-state or Heavenly and Glorified earthly Spirit or Life of the exalted branch is the mistical Golden Pot into which the divine Manna the everlasting Food or Bread of life to happy Angels and Saints is put and hath been hid from before the foundation of the world This capacity in Christ as branch is of the same Date with his creature-root as possessed thereby in the beginning of his vvay toward 's the creation of the world Prov. 8 22. By the Man Christ Jesus as living in his new-creature root did all things receive their invisible existence and visible creation By him so considered vvere all things made and vvithout him vvas not any thing made that vvas made or created Jo. 1. 3. 1 Col. 15-17 Heb. 1. 2. Thus the sutable medium by which God condescend's to let down himlelf to creatures sight and enjoyment was prepared as the immediate hand by which they received their creation In the spirit of the branch as standing up in his root had Angels and the spirits of men their first invisible existence and thereby as their parent are brought forth into their personal subsistences by creation And in him is treasured up the Bread of everlasting Life for their Immortal spirits which they are not capacitated to feed on in the mortal life of their first-creation but immortal life by a second This never-perishing food is suted only to a never-perishing Life Both root and branch or creature-Father and Son in the mediatour had from everlasting not only the enjoyment of each other but of the divine glory also in the same blessed person And so did God most high with delight behold all his designs and purposes finished in him before any thing was brought forth by creation And in the wonderful fellowship of divine and creature-nature in himself did God the Mediator rest also from all his vvorkes before any of them were brought forth as beholding all the contrivances of his divine mind in the first conjunction of his divine nature with his creature root thus declared and executed in the Son and branch This branch also had his peculiar delight in the principality or headship given him over Angels and Men as existing in him and looked on as the habitable parts of his Earth before the foundation of the World Prov. 8. 30 31. He rejoyced alwayes before his father not only as enjoying the vision of the divine glory but as the same was in him treasured up and by him communicable to them And thus see we the need of root and branch in the mediatour's creature-nature as the ascent and descent of his great creature-building By the former is he qualified to receive the divine vision in the immediate Ocean-fulnes thereof by the latter to conveigh and communicate it to his blessed Angels and Saints In the creature-root or top of his creature-house is his divinity shut up from his creatures till revealed or opened by the branch The branch is the mystical Door of this great creature-building and also opener thereof to his creatures David by faith saw and heard the great Lord the Mediatour in his highest and first Union of divine and creature-nature speaking to Christ the branch as David's immediate Lord and Head saying The Lord said unto my Lord sit thou at my right Hand until I make thy Foes thy footstool Psal 110 1. Here is a Prophecy of Christ the polished Shaft hid in Gods Quiver as to what he was to be and do in our nature for exalting it into the Glory long before attain'd by him as Resurrection-Lamb and therein head not only to the immortal Spirits of Men and Angels but in a peculiar manner to his spiritual Church He will appear in our glorified
unto himself but make it his busines to unveil and shew the twofold distinct headships over him in the pure single divinity and invisible conjunction of divine and creature-nature And both these give their distinct testimonies to him as the invisible glorified son and branch in order to his visible exercise of universal power therein over all as the blessed medium exactly calculated for declaring and executing the whole mind and will of both in reference to all Angels and men good and bad This could no otherwise be discovered and done save by the branch the man Christ For it is below the dignity of the single infinite divinity the divine essence or the first and highest conjunction of divine and creature-nature or the divine and supream creature-form of God in the Mediatour immediatly to exercise the power belonging to them both They therefore delegate the exercise of this their power to Christ the branch as set up in the express likeness of the divine glory to whom therefore the divinity of the mediatour says Thou art my Son that I have begotten in my own likeness in personal union with me and appointed thee heir of all things Heb. 1. 2 5. Christ as creature-root is heir of all as the great and supream creature-spouse of his own divinity who brings forth the creature-son and branch in his likeness the visible Image of his invisible creature-creature-spirit as that is the invisible Image of the infinity divine So is this son and branch made visible heir of all things receiving the power from his own creature-root that his root has from his own divinity Hence when as glorified branch brought forth in the visible likeness of his invisible-creature-root his root declares him his vvel-beloved Son vvhom all the saints and Angels of God are to vvorship Heb. 1. 6. This first-begotten son and branch is the happy and marveilous day of the mediatour's own making in vvhich blessed Saints and Angels are to rejoyce Psal 118. 23 24. For by this the divinity in its simple unity and in its first and invisible conjunction with creature-nature in the mediatour do first give themselves forth in a day-break of knowledg and revelation to Angels and men Thus come the distinct divine and creature-glories to shine forth upon them through this son and branch And in their name and power is he visibly to rule over all The title then of this branch to such universal Rule is twofold For it descends upon him and is derived to him first from God in his simple divinity as absolute head to the mediatour Secondly from the mediatour to Christ in our glorified nature which is his visibility as that in which dvvels the fulness of the God-head bodily Col. 2. 9. From this twofold fountain and original headship over him has the man Christ his right to the exercise of a universal visible rule over all creatures made sure and undoubted by their twofold testimony to him But in possessing and exercising this rule must he still acknowledg the twofold head-ship of the pure divinity and first conjunction of divine and creature-spirit in the mediatour over him These are both in themselves invisible and incommunicable and consequently at too vast a distance and emient a height to have ever been seen or approached by creatures Their condescention therefore to have come forth in either of these capacities in a visibility to angels or men and so in the immediate exercise of the power essential to both the said headships over Christ the branch had been too great for them and unsafe for their creatures Hence hath God of his free Grace in order to the creation of the World and communications of himself to angels and men when created contrived a twofold distinct creature-building and capacity in the mediatour the inferiour part whereof is exactly fitted to answer all the intents and designs of God towards his creatures as to the declaration and exercise of his power over them and giving the safe and comfortable enjoyment of his presence to them which in the two former headships without the branch would have been a consuming fire to them Heb. 12. 29. and everlasting burnings to any meer creature-organs natural or spiritual The pure divinity or infinite divine essence and Father and the first invisible conjunction of divine with creature-nature in the mediatour are both above the capacity of immediatly creating angel or man and then much more above the immediate exercise of rule over them But the whole will of both these distinct heads to the man Christ is exactly answered and executed by the creature-son and branch in the heavenly and immortalized earthly capacity thereof The twofold glorious creature-building in the mediatour taken into personal union with his divinity makes up such a blessed instrument for doing the whole will of the divine nature that it is infallibly impossible any thing but the divine will should be executed by it Yet though each part of the said creature-building live in a perfect voluntary subjection to the divine will the whole does preserve and retain its own creature-will in the said subjection distinct from the divine And thus have we seen the distinct testimonies of the divine father and son to the twofold capacity of creature-nature in the mediatour root and branch The divine son or form of the divine essence and father from all eternity is the purely divine likenes and unseen shape of the father and the creature-root is the unseen likeness of the divine son but then is creature-son or branch the visible Image of its own creature-root by which all divine and creature-glories are let down to the understanding and injoyment of creatures And each of these Images of God divine and twofold creaturely in the mediatour are according to their distinct natures and gradations the representations or likenesses of each other And not only the divine but supream creature-likenes of God in the mediatour the original of all creature-beings on which the soveraign power of the divinity descended from everlasting is of too neer a kin to the divinity and in too transcendent a sublimity above any creatures understanding sight or enjoyment to come forth in the immediate exercise of the soveraign divine power imparted to it and committed to its trust It is the proper immediate receiver of the divine will but above the capacity of executing it The declaring and executing the divine Will is committed to Christ as creature-son and branch exactly fitted for it This Son and Branch is the body that gives visibility to the Mediatour's whole divine and great creature-being And though inferiour to its creature-root is it in personal union with it and the divine nature of the Mediatour and this in a twofold resurrection-life heavenly and glotified earthly to the compleating his personality The two distinct Offices of the Mediatour's twofold creature-nature root and branch are significantly figured out by the Candlestick all of gold vvith a bovvl on the top of it Zech. 4.
2. This Bovvl or Top of the great creature-building in the Mediatour is the fitted immediate reception of the divine mind in order to the execution of it by his inferiour creature-capacity signified by the golden Candlestick This inferiour part as living in personal union with the superiour and through that with the divinity it self in the Mediatour is said to be God's equal or fellovv who thus found in the form of God accounts it no robbery or presumption to be equal vvith God even in our soveraignly exalted nature as therein fitted to declare and execute the whole will of his divine and creature-lord Zech. 13. 7. Phil. 2. 6. This inferiour creature-capacity of the Mediatour is the second reception of the divine will and power which was first received by and treasured up in his creature-root and by that transmitted to its Son and Branch to exercise and execute the same as fitted thereunto From the creature-root does the branch receive the power of creating the worlds Heb. 1. 2. as also the essentials of all Rule and Government For all these undertakes does the Son and Branch become abundantly qualified through personal conjunction with his creature-root and divine Lord even to create all things and make Laws whereby clearly to state conserve the absolute headship of the single divinity and the Supream Prerogative of the first conjunction of divine and creature-spirits in the Mediatour The Man Christ as Son and Branch declares the deriving all his power from the two headships over him and his exercise thereof in a visible rule over this world in perfect subjection to them according to the righteous Laws of his own making And he allowes unto Angels and Men all such priviledges as are essential to their spiritual rational and sensual Principles in the life and exercise of their intellectual beings So does he render them according to their creature-liberty free Agents as well as immortal spirits Thus deep is the foundation laid for the Rule and Power of the Kingdom of Christ as visibly to be exercised by him in our glorified nature And this power does he ascribe to his conjunctive divine Lord and creature-root and in harmony therewith to God's absolute divine unity as above all and head to all Thus does Jesus Christ as subjected Lord over all under the said twofold headship over him ascribe and bring the glory to God most high in his single divinity the great and high Father of all So through the happy union of divine and twofold creature-nature in the Mediatour may we behold the Government of Peace under which blessed Saints and Angels are to live everlastingly as shining forth betvveen them both Zec. 6. 13. to wit both his creature-capacities In the higher he is the immediate receiver of the divine mind in the lower the executour of the divine will in all things This twofold office of the mediatour is excellently figured out in the essential parts of man's make and the distinct usefulnesses thereof by which fitted for the compleat exercise of his whole being Yea the whole person of the mediatour in all the essentials of his constitution may fitly be represented by what is found in man For as a shadow of the divinity his spirit or intellectual part is the conceiver of its own will Then his Soul as figure of the mediatour's creature-root is the fitted reception of the said will and mind of the spirit And thirdly the will thus conceived by the Spirit and received by the Soul must be brought into visible exercise and execution by the third essential part in man the body 1 Thes 5. 23. figure of the inferiour part or capacity in the mediatour's creature-nature as visible branch to his invisible creature-root in vvhom the god-head also dvvells bodily and so becomes visible to Angels and Saints Thus by owning every distinct part in the mediatour and in man and accordingly assigning to them their proper offices the usefulnes of the whole both in type and substance is compleated as also their respective personalities And as the body is put for the whole man as that by which the invisible Soul and Spirit are rendred visible in the exercise thereof which dignity belongs to it through its personal union with its invisible Soul and spirit it bears the Title and denomination of the whole man in the figure after the same manner as in the substance the person of the Mediatour Hence every distinct Name of the Mediatour is applyed to Christ the Branch as in our nature glorified For therein the fulness of the Godhead dvvels bodily and in personal union therewith shines forth visibly to Angels and Men. In the lowest essential part of the Mediatour in Christ the Man-child that 's to be manifested in the glory of his Father put upon our exalted nature in him And so is the Government of his divine and creature-lord put upon his Shoulders Hence is he called by his Father's wonderful Names The vvonderful Counsellour the mighty God the everlasting Father and Prince of Peace Isa 9. 6. This is a full significant Prophecy of Christ the Branch in our nature glorified as the body and visibility of the Mediatour by which his other superiour essential parts his divine spirit and creature-soul are brought to light and rendred visible to his creatures So is the Man Christ Jesus the one Mediatour betvveen God and Men 1 Tim. 2. 5. Yet does not the Mediatour hereby lose either his divine or creature-name in the first conjunction thereof but on the contrary that divine Light and original Creature-immortality which was inaccessible invisible and incommunicable to creatures is made visible in the Man Christ as glorified and exalted on the Throne of David in personal union with his divine and creature-lord Of the encrease of vvhose Government through the said union there shall be no end vers 7. For hereby is this happy Prince of peace abundantly qualified to execute and fulfill the whole divine and creature-will And so through the perfect subjection of the visible body our exalted nature in him to the invisible creature-soul and divine spirit is the will of God and of the whole person of the mediatour declared and fulfilled The will of all is manifested and done by the actual setting up of the kingdom over which Christ is to reign as son and branch in the glory of his divine Lord and creature-father This is significantly figured out by Hilkiam the Father and Eliakim the Son holding forth this relation of our mystical Eliakim the branch bearing the same date with his spiritual root and father Hilkiam in his invisible angelical life that he had in his root from everlasting And in his appointed time must all the glory of his Fathers house be visibly put upon our nature in him on earth as invisibly inherited and possessed by him in Heaven So comes he to be clothed with the twofold Robes of mystical Hilkiam his root and father when this son and branch shall appear in
upon them are they brought into a living union with his new-creature-spirit and so safely returned into their prepared places to enjoy according to the fathers distinct choice of them their respective visions of the divine glory in the relation of Spouse Friends or Servants So have every of them their joy full and compleat But none of them exceed the nature or name of a pure new-creature spiritual man What ever their portion of his new-creature-new-creature-spirit be single or double capacitating them to receive and enjoy a single or double portion in the vision of the divine glory yet are they all but new-creature spiritual men filled with the vision of God according to their distinct capacites This new creature-spirit of saintship through the personal union of it with God in Christ is called the spirit of God Hence is it an infallible mark of a true saint to have this spirit dvvelling in him This spirit of God Ro 8 9. is in the same verse called the spirit of Christ distinct from the divine spirit of Father or Son divine essence or form The Seed of this new creature-spirit in saints is called also the seed of God 1 Jo. 3. 9. Which preserves the saint from such wilful sin and enmity in his natural spirit or carnal mind as would be eternal death to him Rom. 8 6 7. The desires and appetites of the fleshly or carnal natural mind and spirit in the saint himself till subjected to his spiritual are after that natural state which is death But at same time the mind of the new-creature spirit though hid from his own heart in which sown God and Christ do see to be after that life which gives everlasting peace with God The spiritual seed quickened up in the saint is in all its life and motion purely obedient to Christ and by its powerful influences upon the natural spirit will not cease to teach and beget in that the like unchangable subjection to it self and so of the whole saint to Christ and God most high And as subjection and love to God is natural to the new-creation-spirit disobedience and enmity to God is grown natural to the old or first since the fall Hence is it impossible therein to please God Ro. 8. 8. Paul therefore rejoyced in that work of the Cross by which his natural mind was brought into a like subjection to his spiritual as that to Christ Through this subjection of the natural to the spiritual and so of the whole man to Christ have saints the certain witness of Christ's spirit dwelling in them His spirit beares vvitness not only in but to them that they are the Children of God Members of and Coheirs with Christ therein of God Ro. 8. 17. The new-creature-spirit from its universal obedience to God in head and members is called love 1 Cor. 13. It is that in which only God becomes the object of his creatures unchangable love and they of his The natural spirit is described by fear 1 John 4. 18. Perfect love casteth out fear The spiritual life of love perfected in the saint the life of his natural spirit with all its things thoughts lusts carnal reasonings doubtings and feares is extinguished abolished and cast out They that dwell live and walk in the spirit of Christ which in him is in personal union with the divine are said to dwell in God He that dvvelleth in love dvvelleth in God and God in him vers 16. God has declared the height of his love and greatnes of his condescention in this marveilous contriving a marriage union of divine and creature-nature by which to preserve his divinity from being touched or immediatly beheld by saints and to come forth in such a safe and sutable discovery thereof to his creatures through the man Christ as to be a food of everlasting blessedness to them The saint is made one vvith the new-creature spirit of Christ as that vvith God Jo. 17. 21. That spirit of Christ is the blessed shelter and fitted medium by which the divine vision is given to saints so as not to be a consuming fire to them Saints by partaking of this spirit become parts and Pillars of that nevv-creation sanctuary Gods place of meeting vvith the vvhole congregation of his true Israelites Angels and Saints amongst vvhom he vvill dvvell and vvalk for evermore In this spirit have they all an accesse unto and vision of the divine glory yet partake not of the divinity as an ingredient into the constitution of their persons But by partaking of that spirit that from personal union with the divine in Christ is called God Jo. 1. 1. they are said to partake of the divine nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. The creature-spirit of Christ is the holy unction in and upon saints by vvhich they knovv all things The holy Oil or Ointment of his heavenly and glorified earthly spirit runs dovvn from their high-priest to the lovvest Skirts of his new-creation Garments or meanest spiritual Members This spirit in Christ and saints is Truth and no Lie an infallible spirit in head and members distinct from the divine spirit in Christ and natural spirit of man or Angel at best The lowest capacity of creature-nature in the mediatour is above the highest saint The spousal saint one with Christ in his most heavenly and exalted creature-life sees not or enjoyes the divine glory as the lowest part of creature-nature in Christ does by personal union therewith The new-creature spirit in its highest and most heavenly or lowest earthly glorified life is inferiour to the divine but superiour to the first-creation spirit of nature at best because incorruptible and unchangable in the life and goodness thereof In the first being corruptible and changable man is in perpetual bondage and fear as impossible to be secured from death therein Heb. 2. 15. This therefore was never intended by God for an abiding state of rest and true blessednes to Angel or man not being a spirit of unchangable light and life or that can qualify them to receive the vision of the divine glory This shews the absolute necessity of the saints being clothed vvith a House from Heaven by the new-creating vvorkmanship of Christ for his everlasting blessedness From what has been said then it appeares to be the peculiar priviledg of the mediatour to be in every part of his creature-nature in personal union with the divine Consequently is it a crime equally unpardonable for any creature to deny to him or assume to himself his conjunctive divine and creature-name His comprehensive creature-spirit or nature is the living Book wherein the whole divine mind or Law is written in order to be declared to Angels and men If any man then or Angel from heaven shall dare on pretence of adding thereto to make Christ's person only and purely divine and so divide and take from him his creature-nature which is the supream Book and Table on which the divine mind is engraven and by which the divine glory shines forth to
his creatures or on the other hand derogate and take from the authority of this most authentick Book of the divine mind by denying Christ's divinity and owning him only as the most excellent creature-being this twofold fault of adding to or taking from this Book will be declared equal by the equal punishment of both eternal death Neither of them shall have any part in the life and blessings of the said Book but only in the plagues and wrath vvritten and treasured up in it for such offenders Rev. 22. 18 19. Deut. 32. 34. No lesse then so is the danger and guilt in denying the conjunction of divine and creature-spirit as the peculiar constitution of the mediatour the only means of creating Angels and men and of revealing the divine glory to them in their second and spiritual make To deny this is to deny the creation on at least any possibility for creatures beholding or enjoying God The foundation of their blessedness is layd in the union of two natures in the mediatour as the utmost result of Gods free love and contrivance of his divine wisdom The deep foundation of creatures blessednes was laid in the first invisible fellowship of divine and creature-nature in the mediatour The actual giving this blessedness to them is by the lowest part of his new-creature-new-creature-spirit and communication thereof to them to qualify them for receiving the divine vision Having thus found out the spirit of true saintship let us consider the distinct testimony to the present truth the visible kingdom and universall reign of Christ given by saints in all ages Enoch the seventh from Adam prophesied this sabbatical rest and kingdom Jude 14 15. To enumerate every particular herein were endlesse when from the whole course of scripture it may be observed that the final result and utmost end of every dispensation has been to point out the invisible state of truth which by Christ's second appearance was alwayes by God designed to be made manifest For though Christ in that invisible Angelical life he had from everlasting in his root were to the Seed of faith before and under the Law a Land of distances very far off Esay 33. 17. Yet by faith savv they this spiritual King in the beauty of his new-creation glory as the resurrection-Lamb This sight of him through faith became the spiritual food on which they lived And in this faith they died with a steadfast hope to partake thereof This hope became to them the Waters that failed not and the bread by which they were nourished up unto eternal life The vision hereof by faith vvas the substance of those things after to be manifested And they rejoyced in the meanes they by faith discerned for the manifestation thereof Christ in the Angelical life of the spirit of the branch was from the beginning the object of faith to Angels and men And in that his invisible life and state was laid the sure foundation of his visible kingdom here spoken to As thus seen and understood he and his Kingdom have been witnessed by true saints from first to last In this Archangel did God from the beginning so put his divine name as thereby according to Moses his experience to give the view of his one divinity which otherwise had remained absolutely invisible to any meer creatures By this means did saints under the law-dispensation look into that spiritual Canaan into which they nor did nor could enter till their spiritual Joshua or Jesus went before them thereinto The holy Ghost vvas not given till Jesus vvas glorified Joh. 7. 39. The discerning this by faith before Christ's comming in flesh even his visible rule over Angels and men in our glorified nature appears 2 Sam. 23. 3 4. where 't is said He vvill be just because ruling in the true fear and perfect love of God over the whole earth And this man Christ that will so rule vvill be abiding place from the Wind and a covert from the storm as the comforting shade of that great and high Rock the mediatours first and invisible divine and creature-conjunction wherein unaccessible to the highest saint Through the branch as their blessed shade do they condescend to shine forth to the unspeakable comfort of all saints from the highest to the lowest They do all in the twofold spiritual resurrection-life of the branch receive those beams of the divine and most glorious Sun that without such an interposing shade Christ's exalted humanity in which he is the saints covert would be a consuming fire to them from the vast distance and infinite disproportion of the object and subject The glorified man Christ becomes the safe defence of saints as fitting them for Gods looking down with favour upon them and their looking up to and beholding him to their everlasting comfort As united with his glorified humanity they enjoy for ever his divinity The man Christ then in our glorified nature will in answer to the sight of faith in all ages and uncessant desires of his Angels and saints actually â—avv and rend the heavens so as to shew himself in his heavenly state and glory in which yet concealed and shut up as his far countrey till the restitution of all things at his second appearance in the visibility of his spiritual kingdom-state Then shall he be as the light of that morning which is to succeed the dismally dark Night of mans degenerate day under Satan's reign the Lightning out of the East that shall shine even unto the West over all in a moment 2 Sam. 23. 4. Mat. 24. 27. This vision David had with other saints by faith vvas made to speake by the comming death and resurrection of Christ in our nature in which were comprehended all that died in the faith thereof who then came actually to partake of that life and glory which by faith they knevv vvas to be revealed or set open in Christs person By faith did they see their blessed lot in the said spiritual state and divine vision is thus to be given in Christ's person by whose presence in flesh and performances therein the shadowy ceremonies and types of the Law fled avvay through which till then saints faith did feed on the invisible substance as the good things to come in which they rejoyced And their mystical House or individual persons were not to grow under the visible shadowy ministration thereof in their day on earth yet saw they themselves secured in the everlasting covenant compleated in their â—ead in whom they discerned all things ordered and made sure for them â— Sam. 23. 5. They saw the works of redemption finished in Christs invisible state as the Lamb slain before the foundation of the World the object of their faith And they knew all would be made visible in our nature by him In both these respects was he the object of all their desire and delight This was their bed of rest whether in or out of the body patiently waiting for and diligently enquiring vvhat manner of
the effect of John's baptism and ministry Act. 19. 1 5. Paul baptized them in the name of the Lord Jesus that is into a true acknowledgment and experience of his new-creation-life and Spirit So in that other institution the laying on of Hands ver 6. was the Holy Ghost actually given them On this such new Gospel-Believers immediately spake with new Tongues and prophesied So that other ordinance or institution for anointing the sick was practised by them with like success at that time The Elders of the Gospel-Church anointed such with the new name of Christ as the soveraign cure for spiritual and bodily diseases Jam. 5. 14 15. Those spiritual teaching apostolical-elders who were the highest Order in the new Gospel-Church by their powerful prayer of Faith in the name or spirit of Christ did actually cure the sick strengthen the weak hands and feeble knees of faulty spiritual-saints Thus have we seen the power and spirituality of the gospel-ministration beyond that of the Law by the actual dispensing of that Spirit which was only witnessed by faith under the Law But brought into sight under the Gospel Gospel-Saints then are thankfully to receive the convincing discoveries hereof by spiritual light and to shew themselves willing and ready on any terms to enter into the promised yea shew'd and offered new-creation-Land or state of Life by personal union with Christ in his heavenly or glorified earthly spirit which will prove such a state of blessedness the gates of hell all the powers of darkness can never prevail against or disanul But on the contrary such as evilly entreat Christ's mystical Spies the spiritual discoveries sights and tasts of his Resurrection-life given in conviction suited to their natural spirit so as wilfully to reject them and discover and betray them to the enemy the Devil joining with him to mock at and do despite thereunto God will swear in his wrath they shall never enter into his rest that new-creation-land or state of life by them finally refused and contemned The spiritual light as a spirit of prophecy given to them received and exercised by them for a season Saul's case by which they see the great advantage of accepting God's offered spirit of Grace on his declared terms shall depart from them and in the room thereof an evil angelical Spirit with the highest deceitful light shall enter into them And thence-forward will they express implacable enmity against the spiritual David's Christ and his Saints Thus the Gospel-ministration and light received as a temporary blessing and the Gospel-Life or eternal blessing thereof wilfully rejected that temporary blessing is turned into an everlasting curse and judgment on them Bare spiritual light then which makes a spiritualized natural understanding is no ground of a firm rejoycing though for a season they be enabled thereby to cast out Devils or obtain a victory over the corrupt spirit of nature brought into and instigated in Men by the Devil This Christ signified to the seventy disciples Luk. 10. 17 20. All spiritual light may be withdrawn if the life thereby shew'd and offered be hated and rejected And then the evil Angel or Spirit enters with its counterfeit imitation of the true Spirit of prophesy as into Saul which did presently excite in him an enraged malice against David because he saw the Lord was with him 1 Sam. 18. 10 12. Till then we experience a change of principle and life from natural to spiritual by which infallibly to see and know our names written in Heaven Christ's new-creature book of Life we have no firm ground of spiritual joy The unspeakable gift of the Spirit of truth itself is the full accomplishment of the promise to Saints under the Law Jeremy and other Saints were shewed the means and season for this Gospel-gift as the new thing and wonder to be done in the Earth of our fleshly nature in Christ's person It is expressed by a Womans compassing a Man Jer. 31. 22. This was fulfilled in letter by the Virgin 's compassing or containing in her the holy Thing begotten and conceived by the Holy Ghost or new-creature Spirit of Christ the builder of its own visible house in our nature But the mystical and principal meaning was the natural Spirit of Man figured by the Woman in Christ did compass or contain in it a holy seed of his new-creature-new-creature-spirit of truth and by the death thereof brought forth the new-creation man-child which received its first visibility in and through the earth of our glorified nature in him This new man-child-spirit or principle of life till thus manifested lay as a mystery hid in God not discerned by Angel or Man but through Faith And so had it remained for ever had not the Son of Man in Heaven from everlasting prepared this natural capacity in himself for partaking of our fleshly nature and by the death and glorification thereof become the declarer of his own invisible man-child-Life and Spirit The natural Man of Christ that was to pass through a mystical child-bearing and death was the Woman and so in Saints shewed John Rev. 12. who was with Child and travelling in pain cried out to be delivered This was effected by such a pure subjection of Christ's natural to his spiritual man that he was pained and straitned till the fire-baptism had accomplish'd the death of the former on which the new-creation-life of the latter might shine forth in and through it And this did he in a publick capacity as the means to obtain a birth of new-creation-life for the whole spiritual seed of his heavenly and glorified earthly Family On their behalf John heard a sound of joy in Heaven for the victory thus obtain'd for them by Christ in our nature as the only means for their obtaining the same victory and blessedness with him Now is come Salvation and Strength ver 10. to the whole new-creature seed-royal by the death of that state in Christ the old Serpent is a Prince and Ruler in Thus did Christ handle our nature in himself as his Followers are to do in themselves and by such Death overcame all enemies This Christ did in our nature as a declaratory repetition of the first battel in Heaven fought by Michael and his Angels against the Dragon and his ver 7. Christ as a Resurrection-Lamb and his good Angels that with him quitted and exchanged their changeable first-creation-life for his unchangeable second beat the Devil and his Angels who did rebelliously set up for themselves in the first against God Christ and his Angels that obediently followed their head into the life of the second Ezek. 1. 20. 10. 11. This twofold Victory obtain'd by Christ in the resurrection-state of his invisible angelical nature before the foundation of the World and since in our glorified humane nature makes up the glad tidings of the Gospel-state of Christ in his conquering man-child-spirit the leading witnesses whereof were extraordinarily qualified by the first shower of it to become more than
Conquerors The way of their Conquest was by suffering This is the mystical Weapon by which the Lord and Servant were both to fight this spiritual battel By steddily enduring all sorts of oppositions and sufferings they became triumphant overcomers All the persecutions primitive Gospel-Saints met with in and for their witnessing service tended only to the working out those marks of the dying of the Lord Jesus in their mortal Flesh that were matter of rejoycing to their immortal Spirits All the sorrow of their natural man outward or inward was soon forgotten for joy the spiritual Man-Child was born in them This man-child-spirit was the mystical Reed like a Rod given John to distinguish the inner from the outer Court and accordingly to measure the Temple of God the Altar and them that worship therein This work could be done by no other Reed save the glorified Spirit of Jesus fitted for discerning or judging in harmony with the divine and new-creature mind of Christ between the first and second creation-spirit as also between the twofold distinct branches of the new-creature-spirit or building in Christ and of the differing ranks and orders of Saints belonging thereunto who will find their respective places and portions in the vision and enjoyment of the divine Glory This high priviledg through the spiritual mind and judgment of the Lord thus set up in the Saint Paul esteemed of so inestimable a value as in comparison thereof to make no account of his own or others natural judgment in the highest and most accurate exercise of it 1 Cor. 4. 3. The new-creature-building or spiritual life in Christ's person and glorified manhood consists of two parts or principles heavenly and earthly glorified The full asserting these renders any one Saint or more Christ's twofold or two witnesses as declaring the comprehensive fulness of his new-creature-Spirit Though Abraham as a figure of Christ was the Parent of a twofold seed or first and second covenant Jew he was also in a farther sense a figure of him as Parent of a twofold spiritual new-creature seed his heavenly and earthly glorified members experimental witnesses of the twofold principles of his new-creature building This mystery was frequently represented by types and shadows to the faith of spiritual Saints under the Law but the distinction and inseparable union of these two parts of Christ's comprehensive creature-nature received their first visibility in Christ's glorified humanity By this the before invisible temple of God was opened and the first shower of his risen Spirit sent down on Gospel-Believers which qualified them by a single or double portion in the twofold parts of the new-creation-building to be his two witnesses Such are assigned their distinct witnessing-work according to John's vision Rev. 11. as members of his heavenly or earthly glorified body These two sorts of witnesses of Christ's spiritual life as all joined together declare and make up the fulness of his creature-building as members of his mystical spiritual body This twofold new-creature principle in Christ and Saints was lively figured out in the request for the two Sons of Zebedee by their Mother who was a figure of Christ our spiritual Parent in his desire to his Father to wit that his two sorts of witnessing Sons or Saints may sit on his right and left hand in an everlasting fruition of his divine glory And these are the two spiritual anointed ones Olive-trees or Sons of Oil placed on each side of Christ the Lord of the whole Earth Zech. 4. 3. 14. Rev. 11. 4. John also saw a Sack-cloath-state these two witnesses would be brought into notwithstanding their first eminent visibility in the power and under the strong and clear Sunshine of the spiritual presence of Christ amongst them And this dark season of their Sack-cloath prophecy must in faith and patience be passed thorow by them and the visibility of their spiritual state be taken or withdrawn from them All this seems figured out to John by that Woman clothed with the Sun having the Moon under her Feet Rev. 12. 1. Hereby is represented First the birth of the conquering man-child spirit in Christ's person Secondly the powerful witness of it in and by his spiritual members Then John saw this man-child caught up from the Woman or Church to God and to his Throne And on the withdrawing this man-child-spirit from the Woman or crucified members of Christ is she commanded into the Wilderness as the prepared place for her where to remain by God's appointment 1260 days or years the allotted time for their sack-cloth prophecy During this sack-cloth state of his Church on Earth Christ takes care for the nourishing their inward Man by invisibly feeding that from his own Spirit with his hidden spiritual Manna through such angelical visits as their own natural understanding may be little sensible of This Wilderness-state and Sack-cloth prophecy therein is a peculiar dispensation of the Cross suited to the time of the man-child-spirits absence as to any visibility thereof During this season the Woman spiritual Saints in their crucified natural man is shut up as in a secret Chamber or Wilderness in which secured from any dangerous or hurtful assaults by World or Devil and is therein by Faith chastly and quietly to wait for the return of her spiritual Lord and Husband in the visible glory of his man-child spiritual life and state Then John saw also the means by which this mystical Woman or Spouse of Christ was to be carried into the Wilderness as her prepared place or state of safety Two wings of a great Eagle were given her by which to flee into the said Wilderness-state out of the reach of any hurt by the utmost expressions of her inward or outward enemies malice which would certainly be sent after her as a flood ver 14 15. The great Eagle by whose wings she is carried into this place of security is the person of Christ as head to his new-creature Saints by making his own natural spirit or state under the cross that dead carkass to which they are gathered Mat. 24. 24. in a conformity to him by the like death of nature in them in order to receive his invisible spiritual new-creation-life This by a fixed faith in the two distinct principles of his new-creature-Spirit the two wings of that spiritual Eagle by which they are safely carried and guided into the wilderness-state of their crucified natural man under the Cross By these wings is the inward man of Christ's mystical dead body protected kept in perfect safety and invisibly nourish'd for a time times and half a time from the hurtful fury of the Serpent The sack-cloth prophecy then is dated from the Woman 's actual flight into the Wilderness which was at the withdrawing and absence of the man-child Spirit from her as to such visibility thereof in true signs and wonders as was afforded and for a season continued in and to the primitive Gospel-Church So her proper cloathing became sack-cloth in which
Ravens by whom Saints received that new-creation-food that sustained and nourished them unto eternal life By their angelical representations was Christ the head-Angel of God's covenant revealed to the Patriarks before and to Prophets and Saints after the giving of the Law They appeared on all occasions as employed by Christ in all the messages of God's will to them They opened Heaven to Ezekiel who through a powerful faith was enabled to see take in those wonderful visions of the very divine glory through the new-creature-nature of Christ his head so as to hear the voice of the almighty divinity They were the hand that oft lifted him and others up beyond and above the sight and motion of the natural spirit and body whilst yet in the same By the hand or power of their new-creature Lord did they carry him to them of the captivity by the river Chebar Ezek. 3. 14 15. And by the same hand was he led into the valley of dry bones declared by them to signify the whole spiritual Israel They likewise shewed him that new-creation spirit of prophecy by which the dry bones or slain twofold witnesses in the last and worst of times were to be quickned and made live again Ezek. 37. 1 14. The Scripture abounds with instances of this kind Christ the true Michael sent his ministring Angel or Messenger Gabriel to reveal to beloved Daniel those visions that were to remain a sealed book as to their full accomplishment till the time shewed him for the twofold witnesses to be slain as also how by the peculiar work of the good Angels in a preparitory ministration to Christ's second coming they should be raised into the same life and spirit which the Angel shewed Daniel his lot was fallen in so long before his actual possession of And as Angels were Christ's messengers in giving forth this resurrecton-life through a spirit of faith under the Law before Christ's first coming so were they the first actual dispensers and declarers of the said life and glory under the gospel They first preached the glad gospel tydings of Christ's resurrection in our nature This honourable service Christ employed them in as a just recompence of their being his first followers out of the changeable first-creation into that unchangeable resurrection-land or state of life without ever sinning against Law or Gospel Ezek. 1. 12 20. 10. 11. Hereby did they preserve to themselves in this first-resurrection-state that precedency in place and nature God gave them in their first creation And now as additional to that are they chosen by Christ to be his highest-Officers therein for giving the first report of the said resurrection-state of our nature in Christ's person He is not here but is risen Luk. 24. 6. And as in the two days under Law and Gospel Angels under Christ were the first preachers of the resurrection-state unto men so much more powerfully yet will they be in the third and last day By their powerful sounding the new-creation trumpet or preaching the everlasting gospel-life will the dead witnesses be raised and the elect gathered together from one end of Heaven to the other Mat. 24. 31. They will come forth in such power of the new-creation-spirit of prophecy as to cause it to enter into and build up every part of their crucified nature into the life thereof and compleat union with their angelical helpers and Christ himself therein Ezek. 37. 4 -10. And herein shall they be found the twofold united witnesses of Christ in his heavenly and earthly glorified spirit signified to Ezekiel by the two sticks he was to write upon for Judah and for Joseph with their companions Ezek. 37. 15 22. All this done by the holy Angels in the preparatory dispensation amounts not to the Saint's glorified body For that change will be the immediate fruit of Christ's personal coming and presence But these angelical reapers are to gather together the first-born Church written on the heavenly stick sharers in Christ's heavenly and most excellent new-creature-life mark'd with their Father's name on their foreheads and fitted for the marriage-bed of their heavenly Husband And then are they to gather all those whose names are written on the earthly glorified stick also even an innumerable multitude in the white robes of Christ's spiritual everlasting righteousness Rev. 7. 9. Both these are the Angels to gather by preaching the everlasting Gospel to them By their preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom to all the World in the third and last day before the full end come will be fulfilled Mat. 29. 14. They will powerfully waken up the spiritual seed of the Kingdom in all nations and all that are ripe in the life thereof shall be immediately joyned with them even with Christ's heavenly host of Angels for the work and service of that day And at the same time will they raise up other spiritual Saints into a land of light a spiritual Goshen and pour forth the full vials of Plagues on the hardned enemies of God and them God by his holy Angels will lead Saints out of all captivities as Moses Israel out of Egypt raising out of their great and last grave the whole mystical dead body of Christ Of this preparatory angelical ministration was Christ's transfiguration in his unchang'd body before his death a figure He caused the transforming power of his new-creature-life in which Son of man in Heaven to shine so strongly on his inward man or spirit that his very outward also was made to shine His face or spirit shined as the Sun and his raiment or outward man was white as the light So the crucified spirit dead body or natural man of the two witnesses shall by the Angels powerful preaching the everlasting Gospel be so raised into the powerful exercise of Spiritual life as to make their unchang'd fleshly bodies shine as a high degree of redemption from the bondage of their whole corruptible first-creation-life Such Saints with holy Angels shall shine as Stars through a more signal partaking of Christ's risen Spirit the bright morning Star from whom they all receive their distinct measures of new-creation-light and life In this season and dispensation will Christ make good to his Saints what he long before promised to Joshua as associated with Angels under him his joint powerful instruments for the great work of this preparatory day Of this priviledg was Moses also a signal type as through faith taken into such angelical converse and thereby admitted so near access to Christ the head of Angels as will qualify them to receive the lively oracles of Christ's own mind and become his mouth for declaring the same to others This honour will be put on Saints in the preparatory dispensation to Christ's second coming And thus have we seen by what means or hand the last generation of Saints are to be slain and by what to be raised again and their high priviledg and honour thereupon This by the angelical ministration for this very
given to a faithful witness-bearing in his spirit of true freedom for which they have suffered all along Satan's reign This shall in its place be more fully spoken to And then will be declared God's most wise and holy grounds why the injuries done to the Souls under the Altar slain for the testimony of Jesus have lain so long unaccounted for Under this preparatory dispensation shall the murderers of Jesus and his spiritual Martyrs be punished according to their works All these judgments and mercies are to be opened by the seven new-creation Trumpets sounded by seven Angels on the opening of the seventh and last Seal Rev. 8. 1 2. On the sounding of these Trumpets the judgments sealed up for foes amongst the treasures of mercy for friends Deut. 32. 34 35. will be executed by the pouring forth of the seven Vials All this as the performance of God's promise on behalf of the two slain witnesses Rev. 11. for raising them up into an association with spiritual Angels for the powerful preaching of Christ's everlasting Gospel-life For this will they have power to shut and open the blessings and judgments of Heaven in perfect harmony with the spirit and will of Christ distributing both in love or wrath to the inhabitants of the whole World This is implied in the command given them over that mystical Fire by which the wrath of that day is to be executed and in their power also to give or withhold the heavenly rain of Christ's risen-Spirit and likewise for turning the Waters of the cleansed natural state as turned into enmity against the same into blood from the just wrath and displeasure of God By all ways literal and mystical will the sealed-up judgments of God be opened to smite the accursed Earth in such a successive pouring forth of wrath upon it figured by the plagues on Pharaoh and Egypt by the hands of Saints and Angels in this fore-running dispensation on this side the glorified body of Saints as was figured in Eliah subject to like passions with other Saints in the unchang'd body Jam. 5. 17. Saints in this dispensation will not only have power over the material Heaven so as by the spirit of true faith and prayer to withhold or give the rain thereof but in a like command with Elias to cause the angelical fire to come down on their Enemies for their destruction as he did on the Captains with their Fifties that came in opposition to the new-creature spirit of prophecy by the powerful workings whereof in him he was seen to be a man of God Wilful enmity to this spirit God will come forth in signal displeasure against Now if this power literally and spiritually was thus manifested in Eliah by a union of Faith only with Christ in his new-creature-spirit before the former Gospel-rain thereof Act. 2. what will be impossible to the power of it in Saints on the latter rain thereof for the ripening of Angels and Saints therein to a full harvest fitting them to do all things needful to make way for their Lord's second coming And having thus considered what is meant by the opening of the Seals and pouring forth of the Vials in the preparatory day to Christ's second coming by Angels and Saints we are next to enquire how and in what manner and measure they are then to be poured forth and upon whom For this it is observable that every Vial hath and that from the beginning bin suited to the more or less criminal nature of the several wilful Offences which now shall be laid open however before hid and sealed up This is implied by the distinct places or parts of the accursed first-creation-Earth each Vial is to be poured upon John hears a voice out of Christ's new-creation Temple into which the good Angels were first brought as the first faithful obedient followers of their Head Lord and Master thereinto They are sent out of this Temple with the seven-fold new-creation Trumpet given them by the Lamb for his service as ministring spirits and first sounders forth of this his new-creation-voice to his Saints who thereby become qualified with them to preach the everlasting Gospel of the Kingdom or declare the glad tydings of their Lord 's coming in the seven-fold glory of his resurrection-state to the whole Earth And not only so but they are also fitted to be joined with the holy Angels for pouring forth the Vials of God's wrath on the fixed inhabitants of the Earth who are enemies to his spiritual heavenly appearance and Kingdom Thus we find the first Vial poured forth upon the Earth Rev. 16. 2. the second on the Sea the third on the Rivers and Fountains of Water the fourth on the Sun the fifth on the seat of the Beast the sixth on the great River Euphrates the seventh on the Air. In these distinct vials and places are held forth the particular assigned judgments according to the sealed up wrath of God for every part of the sinful first-creation-Earth The first Vial is poured out upon the Earth not the corrupt but restored Earth repaired by Christ as to their loss by the fall of Adam and so capacitated to answer Christ's heavenly call He hath therein afforded them clear convictions of his new-creation-life for their everlasting blessedness But through wilful refusal of this and despite thereunto are they sound guilty of worshipping the Beast and receiving his mark which is the peculiar Sin for which punished They voluntarily pay that homage to the wicked Angel that 's due to God who hath by his own act made himself the mystical Beast here meant in his self-chosen earthly sensual spirit by a fixed unchangeable enmity to God and his heavenly creature-spirit rendred devilish The same fixed in by Man with its wisdom and all its first-creation excellencies is devilish also Jam. 3. 15. This renders a Man a Devil Christ called Judas so One of you is a Devil Joh. 6. 70. The changeably evil spirit of Man baptiz'd and transform'd by the unchangeably evil spirit of the Devil into unchangeable union with him in enmity to God renders man a Devil If baptiz'd into the unchangeably righteous spirit of Christ man becomes with Abraham the unchangeable friend lover and beloved of God The cleansed mystical house or enlightned righteous natural man receiving the evil angelical spirit is thereby fixed in enmity to God In this case Christ found and asserted the professing righteous Jews with their teachers to be Ye are of your Father the Devil so far were they from being the true spiritual seed and Children of Abraham or of God as they flattered and asserted themselves to be This end or last state is worse than their first in the corrupt nature as born dead in Sin but not unchangeably so as now they are Mat. 12. 43 -45. Joh. 8. 38 -44. Such incorrigible wilful Sinners against the Holy Ghost and its convincing spiritual light set up in their consciences will fall under the sad effects of the
pouring fourth of the first Vial of God's Wrath a noisome grievous sore answering those sad curses threatned Deut. 29. for wilful disobedience to God's Law when convinced of that state of everlasting righteousness and eternal life that is in the true spiritual and full comprehensive significancy of it shew'd and offered to them After such conviction and experience as by fleshly Israelites through spiritual light confessed Jos 24. as having been by the mighty hand of God brought out of Egypt or the corrupt spirit of nature and possessed of the refined state thereof figured by literal Canaan to turn after all this work of the true God in and upon them to strange Gods evil Angels and receive Satan's indeleble character and mark even his spirit of unchangeable enmity to God renders their disease incureable and remediless Their sin is unpardonable For a more excellent state of true life and everlasting blessedness was set before them wherein to serve and enjoy God for ever And after all their apostacy and turning from that spiritual light by which shewed it shall the said light be set up a fresh in them in wrath to be a witness for God and against themselves in their own consciences that everlasting condemnation to signal and endless punishment is but such recompence of their error and wilful disobedience as is meet and most just The second vial is poured on the Sea which import's the corrupt spirit of nature fixed in and so as a raging Sea continually foaming and casting up mire and filth Esay 57. 20. They give themselves up to vile affections with literal Sodom and God in judgment gives them up to take and run their course therein which brings them to the same just recompence of their error the vengeance of eternal fire Jude 7. In such a state and course of gross wickedness men cannot on any pretence look for peace with God after conviction as to the means for cleansing them from such filth of Flesh They love their gross darkness and bondage so as disdainfully to reject Christ's enlightning cleansing and restoring gifts The wrath poured on this Sea turns it into blood so that every living Soul that will not come out of that Sea-state becomes dead The horrid ugliness and deformity of this corrupt Spirit of nature will by the bright light of this preparatory day be so discovered as not to be able to stand before the same Their hearts with Nabal from the weight of their own guilt now convincingly set before them will sink and die within them The Plague by pouring forth the third Vial lights on the Rivers and Fountains of Water turning them into Blood These Rivers and Fountains of Water may fitly represent that cleansed earthly state and party of Men which have not yet received the spirit of the Devil as their unchangeable mark but are in God's way of trial brought to the test under the cross which requires the turning of that righteous natural state though received from Christ himself into blood by way of sacrifice in exchange for Christ's new-creation spirit and life in which to enjoy an unchangeable union with him as their spiritual Lord and Husband If now with Zipporah they cry out of Christ as a bloody Husband for requiring them to yeild to his spiritual Circumcision for cutting off even holy Flesh righteous nature and so absolutely reject him in his spiritual life the Vial of his just wrath will turn that very cleansed natural state into blood and death in a way of final judgment on them In the voice of the Angel that pours forth wrath on these Waters is included the voice of the convinced consciences of these Sinners against their own Souls acknowledging God righteous in thus judging them Rev. 16. 5. for their envious murmuring mind against his new-creature-spirit for which they have spilt the blood of his Saints and Prophets So are worthy to have blood given them to drink ver 6. The fourth Vial is poured forth upon the Sun with power given the Angel thereby to scorch men as with fire On this they blaspheme God and repent not to give him the glory The Sun here may fitly signify the utmost spiritual height attainable in first-creaton-life This received from Christ in a way of love and trial and then retained and used in a deceitful counterfeiting Christ's spiritual state thereby shewed and offered is such an unpardonable offence as deserves a scorching with unquenchable Fire by the kindling of God's wrath upon them And under this torment they discover their unchangeable enmity to God in blaspheming that new-creature name of Christ that has power over these Plagues not repenting to give him glory The like sad effect we find on the pouring forth of the fifth Vial on the seat of the beast rendring his Kingdom full of darkness They gnawed their Tongues for pain blasphemed God and repented not of their deeds By the seat of the beast must not be understood the corrupt principle of nature under the prevailing influence of the Devil carried into all manner of gross abominations filth of Flesh For in this seat or throne of rule is he discoverable by the common light of reason in all mankind The invisible place or seat of this evil angelical Beast is that heavenly place or appearance by which he practises all sorts of spiritual wickedness in and upon the most refined and hightned principles of nature as made serviceable to his most dangerous design against the new-creation-spirit of Christ In reference to this as a peculiar favour to John the Angel shews him this great wonder and mystery of iniquity on which the seat of this Beast is established together with the punishment thereof The new-creation-spirit in Angels and Saints can discover all these depths and devices of Satan For this was beloved John led into that mystical Wilderness where he was shewed that Whore or Woman that in a yet greater depth of deceit removed from the waters of cleansed nature to the scarlet-coloured beast decked with precious stones having a golden cup in her hand c. Rev. 17. 1 -7. This Whore on the scarlet Beast is the evil angelical nature transforming itself into the highest appearance of the spiritual resurrection-state in Angels and Men. The natural state in both is figured by the Woman as the spiritual new-creation-state by the Man which this Woman would personate with design to make the highest opposition thereunto In this posture do evil Angels and Men the Whore and Beast come in their distinct natures to practise their utmost wickedness against Christ and commit all sorts of spiritual whoredoms amongst themselves All this when this Whore comes to be judged in the pouring forth wrath on this seat of the Beast shall be found out and wicked Angels and Men thereby detected in their highest and most secret uncleannesses together The evil Angel will fill the golden cup of refined nature in men with his angelical excellencies and endeavour in Christ's
distruction of it Of this twofold burning for spiritual as well as literal Sodomy all defilement and unclean practices in Spirit as well as Body which the World in this last time will be more filled with than ever and so ripen'd for judgment we find the Sin and Punishment of literal Sodom a presaging type The sin and punishment in this last and most Sodomitish age of the World is pointed out Jude 7. Angels for mystical Sodomy in an unclean spiritual union together and literal Sodomites as also mystical among Men going after strange evil angelical Spirits as false Christ's and Gods as well as strange flesh suffered the twofold vengeance of eternal Fire or were made to feel the twofold operations of it outward and inward for a total and everlasting destruction of them So will the Fire on this Sodomitish world abounding in all sorts of iniquity spiritual and fleshly be inwardly kindled in every guilty conscience and seconded with an outward burning up of the corrupt World with the sinful fashions and constitutions of it civil or religious melting down and causing all to pass away as also the material parts thereof For the Vials in this dispensation of wrath are not only to be poured on the Earth Sea and Rivers c. mystically but also literally understood This will cause the Heaven and Earth in every consideration thereof as singly natural and of the first-creation sort to melt and pass away as not able any longer in the corrupt or righteous spirit and principles thereof to bear up or stand before the bright light and burning of this preparatory day of the Lord. The evil policies and practices with the forms of religious fashions of the first-creation Heaven or first-covenant Churches will render both fit fuel for the Fire of this day So every part of this old-creation Sodom shall be destroyed But before this as in the type will true Saints with Lot be secured by angelical hands as of the great family of Christ's heavenly or earthly glorified members The Angels that have the command of this twofold Fire in its inward and cutward operations shall in dispersing it fulfil the commands of Christ The seventh Angel pours out his Vial upon or into the Air Rev. 16. 17. Air is the first-creation-spirit in all the parts and branches thereof whereby the Devil from first to last has come forth in his several shapes and various ways to fight against the new-creation-new-creation-spirit of Christ This Air as by him corrupted through his practice of all sorts of wickedness by word spirit and letter comes now in the comprehensive principle thereof to receive its appointed and prepared just and righteous judgment pronounced and poured forth by the seventh Angel Christ himself as head of Angels in his unvailed new-creation life and Spirit On this comes a loud and powerful voice from the heavenly temple and throne even the glorious new-creation-building the house and throne in and on which the Mediator's divinity dwells and sits In our exalted nature in which immediate head to Angels and Saints will he sound forth the very mind of his infinite divinity and new-creature temple as in personal union with both And from this eminent heighth will he pour forth this Vial of final wrath on the whole first-creation air or spirit or Angels and Men as fixed therein in unchangeable enmity to God and the second In the said almighty divine and irresistibly mighty new-creature-authority and power he says it is done Rev. 16. 17. that is the destruction of all his unchangeable enemies is finished This is implied in the effects and dreadful consequents of this voice upon them voices thunders lightnings and a great earthquake such as never was before seen or felt This is the voice that will once more shake not the Earth only but also Heaven Heb. 12. 26 27. so as to shake all earthly foundations and the most spiritualliz'd heavenly buildings set thereon This voice and the judgment therein pronounced and executed will leave nothing remaining of beauty and glory that 's but of a single changeable earthly nature The voice of Christ in and by the ministry of Angels in giving the Law declar'd its heavenly authority then by shaking the Earth But this concluding gospel-voice will discover and shake all first-creation-life in the most spiritual dress and counterfeit imitation of the second it can appear or come forth in irresistibly demonstrating the perishable nature thereof By this voice all counterfeit heavenly spiritual buildings whose foundations are found earthly and mutable will be tumbled down and the sandy foundation discovered Ezek. 13. 14. All disguises put upon earthly principles by the sinful transforming art skil and subtilty of Satan shall be taken off by this voice of Christ importing the clear naked manifestation of new-creation light and life in his own person For then will be voices thunders lightnings and such an universal Earthquake as will utterly over-turn all things that are but of a mutable nature and can be shaken however firm they have appeared to Men that those things that cannot be shaken even the rocky new-creation-building or spirit of Christ and things thereof may take place come into publick view and remain for ever The voice and appearance of Christ in this invincible new Jerusalem-spirit will be certain and everlasting destruction to all that fight against it Zech. 14. 12. This voice will rent asunder every part of the first-creation building however subtly and artificially set up by the workmanship of the Devil As the marvellous and amazing effects of the pouring forth of this seventh and concluding Vial of wrath on the said Air or first-creation-spirit kept up in enmity to God and the second by evil Angels and Men will it be taken to task and dealt with root and branch to the not only shaking but utter ruine and downfal of the whole Fabrick with all its sinful transformations into a counterfeit spirituality by which they have endeavoured to fortify and strengthen themselves to make the greatest and highest opposition against the new-creation-life and the second coming and Kingdom of Christ therein For this the three parts of the great City Babylon the Dragon Beast and false Prophet the Devil or whole evil angelical nature with humane worldly magistracies and ministries his serpentine seed amongst men these are by the just judgment of God divided or put into unspeakable confusion and discordancy through the terrible thundrings of Christ's new-creation voice and presence upon them all So are they made to bear a share in executing his judgments upon one another as all found in unchangeable enmity to him This was figured by Moab Ammon and mount Seir or Edomit's destroying each other in the valley of Jehoshaphat 2 Chron. 20. 22 -25. Thus the whole mystical Babylon will fall flat as the walls of Jerico under the weight of their just condemnation receiving the cup of the Wine of the fierceness of God's wrath Rev. 16. 19. This Babylon is
faithful in their service to Christ therein Thus through a union of love between Angels and heavenly Saints are the Angels under Christ instrumental to the bringing the whole Church of first-born David's into those places in Christ's Kingdom wherein to be for ever far superiour to themselves And till seated there do they exercise the utmost of their power to protect the said Davids from the malice of their invsible enemies Devils typed out by Jonathan's faithful informing David of all Saul's mischeivous and malicious intendments discovered towards him and protecting him from them While these Princes or most heavenly Seed of Saints are in their unchanged bodies walking on foot on the Earth or in the single earthly spirit and mind this foot or earthly principle is kept by them from any such wilful dashing against or stumbling at the mystical stone Christ's new-creature-spirit as excludes from the true rest therein only attainable In a like practice with Jonathan in letter they discover all the secret and subtile contrivances of mystical Saul's malice against these spiritual Davids that they may escape him They thus protect them from the evil Angel and on the other hand inform them of Christ's spiritual Kingdom by communicating their visions thereof In both these distinct works of love to Saints will they appear more visibly than ever in their dispensation immediately preparatory to Christ's second coming And herein as owned by Christ so ought they by Saints Rev. 22. 16. I Jesus have sent mine Angel to testify these things to the Churches the things of the new Jerusalem-Kingdom of Christ which will suddenly be made visible and not only so but to testify of me also that I am the bright morning-Star or in my exalted humanity head of these angelical Stars in that resurrection-glory wherein they shall shine forth in their preparatory morning-ministration so as to be signally owned by me in their faithful service to me This is implied ver 6. These sayings are faithful and true For the Lord God of his holy Prophets hath sent his Angel to give them the fore-running sights of things that as to publick and general manifestation are yet to come but now at hand and therefore no longer to be sealed up but open'd by Angels to them in Christ's preparatory day And so also are the sealed up judgments by them then to be opened and visibly poured forth upon the enemies of his approach and Kingdom This honour have the blessed Angels even of being chief instruments in setting up the Kingdom of Christ by communicating their sights thereof to Saints belonging to the upper or lower new Jerusalem or spiritual Kingdom in their distinct relations thereunto as the heavenly or but earthly glorified seed And this ought by them both and all to be thankfully acknowledged When the Angel shew'd John the Lamb and his Bride clothed with her wedding robe her Husband 's heavenly spirit he fell at the Angel's feet to worship him But the Angel said see thou do it not for though in this dispensation I am above thee yet am I but thy fellow-Servant under our great Master to minister to thee who wilt in conclusion be exalted far above me And then also must we both as holding of Jesus our head in the true new-creation spirit of prophecy worship God alone The heavenly seed of Saints that receive the first revelations or visions of the glory of Christ's Kingdom from Angels will be found to have an interest superiour to theirs therein when they take their places about the exalted Throne of Christ set up in the third Heaven Then will the Angels give up their guardianship over them as no longer needing it being exalted above them Yea then will the Angels of God rejoyce to receive instruction from them to whom they before gave it Then shall the marvellous and manifold wisdom of God appear in causing the Church of his first-born-Saints when exalted into their heavenly places to make a suitable return to the good Angels for all their faithful service of love to them in communicating their higher visions of God in such measure as they are capable of receiving than ever yet was attained by them They will under Christ reveal to them that manifold-grace of God that 's the blessed portion of second-resurrection-Saints received by them immediately from Christ and from him by them let down and revealed to Angels Thus makes he his blessed creatures Angels and Saints in the beauty and harmony of his dispensations towards them useful to one another and so to remain for ever in their higher and lower places and offices in Christ's body-mystical as is figuratively signified 1 Cor. 12. 21. Many who in their single unchang'd humanity Angels are the teachers of will be in a superiority to all Angels and in that sence said to judg even the holy Angels as in a higher sort of spiritual life and light judgment or discerning then they and so fit instructers of them 〈…〉 God to them as Christ's highest and chief Ministers These will make known to Christ's Angels and glorified earthly members the fellowship of that mystery which comparatively to the revelation as yet given thereof hath bin till then hid in God They shall fully reveal the whole mystery of divine and creature-fellowship in God the Mediatour from everlasting to everlasting and so the manifold divine and creature wisdom if God to their inferiour-fellow-creaturs which is in the compleat fulness thereof their continual vision and food But though when the first-born heavenly Church take their seats in glory Angels cease from the exercise of rule over them yet do they remain as door-keepers to the said heavenly City and Society They were placed from the beginning as Christ's spiritual Watchmen over this tree of Life or whole spiritual state And in the faithful discharge of that office have ever since with their flaming Swords or angelical weapons bin made use of by way of defence and service to the said state for directing the holy Seed to the right door of the blessed City and for the keeping any spiritually profane persons from entring thereat They are ready with their angelical flames to destroy all such And when the good seed even the first-born Church are all entred and have taken their places in a superiority to them will they still for ever hold the same place and station as door-keepers in the nearest relation to the said first-born Church To be such a door-keeper to the second-resurrection-state David saw was to be preferred above the highest glorified Saints in the first as nearest to the heavenly Citizens or first encompassers of the Throne Also under Christ and his heavenly Saints are the holy Angels Princes or chief Rulers in and over the first-resurrection-state the outward row of encompassers and therein to remain for ever And as now we have seen the good Angels business in the preparatory dispensation we may observe the approbation they will receive from their great Lord and
Master for the same As recompence of their labour of love to his Saints will Christ at end of their preparatory dispensation say to them well done good and faithful Servants enter into the full joy and enjoyment of your Lord prepared for you and reserved to be given or conveighed to you by the hand of my heavenly Saints at my command These highest instruments under Christ are to fill their angelical vessels with that manifold grace and wisdom of God which till thus by heavenly and most exalted Saints could not is not to be reveal'd to them being of too vast and comprehensive a nature to be received by them immediately from Christ's own hand Their portion therein and visions thereof are appointed to be given forth to them by his heavenly Church of first-born-Saints Eph. 3. 10. All others are too inferiour and at too great a distance to be immediate receivers thereof from Christ who in all the distributions of the glory of this state is to be seen and acknowledged head of this first-born-Church And in like manner will the geral assembly of earthly glorified Saints acknowledg Christ head of the angelical rulers over them on the finishing their preparatory dispensation for taking down the whole old first-creation-World and laying the foundation of the new All this by such an opening of the sealed up judgments of God due to every part of this sinful World on the utmost trial discover'd to be that accursed Earth which will not be made better who shall by the light of this angelical ministery be discovered and have a fire kindled in and upon them as condemned persons that shall never be quench'd They shall in mystical chains and fetters put upon them be secured and imprisoned in order to their final sentence and execution thereof from Christ's personal presence Then as the King in the parable will he say of the earthly Jerusalem-Citizens as wilful refusers of his raign over them bring and slay them before me Luk. 19. 27. This shall be when the Son of Man the declared King of the whole World shall sit on the Throne of the Fathers glory on Earth Psal 2. 8. For this will he summon and assemble before him all Nations in order to separate his chast Sheep from Satan's lustful Goats who through inordinate lust after and love to the fading life wisdom power and glory of their own old nature have despised and rejected Christ's new-creature-nature and life wisdom righteousness and power of God therein and will send both to their respective places or final states of eternal life or death Mat. 25. 31 -46. Then will incorrigibly wicked Angels and Men be chained up in unexpressible torment so as in their height of rage against God Christ blessed Angels and Saints not able to do any thing against them to disturbe their peaceable raign with Christ during his thousand years visible Kingdom on Earth And to the Sheep on his right hand the prepared spiritual members of his visible Kingdom will Christ say come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the World either in a spiritual or natural religious or civil capacity This was declar'd to John even that all those Souls that had been mystically or literally beheaded for the testimony of Jesus or word of God who by the chastity of their spirit to Christ have bin kept from worshipping the Beast his image or receiving his mark in their foreheads even an unchangeable enmity to God shall in one or other of the said capacities live and raign with Christ in the first resurrection-state whereby secured from any hurt by the second death The young and tender seed also to be awaken'd by the preparatory dispensation that shall not after that in this powerful day of light degenerate into strange plants shall likewise in their successive generations grow up out of their restored principles of nature into first or second resurrection-members of Christ's visible spiritual Kingdom This season to obedient Sheep and lustful rebellious Goats will be found the best and worst of times For then will be made an abundant recompence to Saints for all the hard usage for Christ's new name and life sake they have met with from World and Devil Then shall they find the performance of all the great and glorious promises so as to fill them with joy and render them blessed beyond what the narrow natural heart of the greatest Saint could imagine conceive desire or wish But quite contrary to the inhabitants of the Earth the Goats on the left hand will this day of Christ be the greatest and saddest wo imaginable For they will find the greatest disappointment as to their mis-grounded hopes of everlasting happiness and true rest and in the room thereof the height of a restless vexation of spirit under a self-condemning light awaken'd up in them in judgment so as ever to see it brought upon them by their own wilful folly And they will also see themselves stripp'd of all means of coming out of the same or of delivering themselves from or being reveng'd on that power against which they have rebelled and incorrigibly hardned themselves Yet will they retain the utmost height of malice for ever to him that slays them that divine and new-creature spirit and life of Christ and God which are unspeakably above them They will proudly and presumptuously in their Luciferian spirit of unchangeable enmity say before him that slays them I am God but shall be forced to see themselves but Man and not God in the hand of him that slays them Exek 28. 9. And thus have we in some small measure observ'd the near approach of Christ's visible Kingdom in the preparatory dispensation to it In the beginning hereof the two witnesses are to be signally slain These are a twofold generation of spiritual Saints that are to be his heavenly and earthly glorified congregation or new-creation Heaven and Earth for ever These two sorts of spiritual Saints do make up and give forth the compleat witness of Christ's new-creature-life who now in the end of this World are to suffer the utmost extremity of mystical or litteral death The design of God in suffering this extream suffering of his witnessing Saints in such a day of trouble to them as never was since there was a Nation is to introduce his angelical preachers and witnessing-risen-Saints whose joint-ministry will powerfully shake and overturn all earthly buildings foundations or principles The voice of God's providences is such as affords significant signs to the reading or understanding of rational men of his present controversy with the whole Earth For in a way of righteous judgment is he confounding and overthrowing all worldly constitutions religious and civil The light of the day so remarkably judges and discovers the rotten foundation upon which both are built as undeniably to convince all they can no longer maintain or uphold their own structure Yet as the saddest lamentation how little are