principles of the Law and true Zion-Saints in new-creature spiritual gospel-life God himself will judg and determine this controversie at Christ's second appearing in that very new-creature spirit of life true Saints assert and own the other 〈◊〉 deny detest and hate with all the words thereof In man's day under Satan's reign the hypocritical Sinner in Zion that only 〈◊〉 and passes for the true Saint and Heir of the Kingdom carries it clear universally under the title Orthodox In God's day of judging the other 〈◊〉 before-hand they are sure to carry it So in faith do they patiently wait for his infallible decision The Heavens against which the other confidently and daringly set their mouth Psal. 73. 9 will declare his righteousness for God is judge himself Psal. 50. 6. Christ will undeniably manifest that the everlasting righteousness of God communicable to Man or Angel is found only in his heavenly new-creature gospel-Gospel-spirit of grace not in our earthly spirit of nature And this is the very controversie all along this world between the said hypocrites and true heirs The year of recompences for these Controversies of Zion will be the day or season of the Lords vengeance on the whole earthly contending party against the life and image of the heavenly Adam in the true Zion-Saint Isa. 34. 8. and 63. 4. The Lord 's appearing for his true redeemed ones will be ruin to all their obstinate rebellious opposers fix'd in the first-creation with the Devil in unchangable enmity to him and the second Mic. 6. 2. Hos. 4. 1. and 12. 2. Everlasting shame confusion and silencing of the one will be co-temporary with the unspeakable joy of the other on the final decision of this controversy The Enemies of Christ's gospel have yet another frivolous impertinent objection Object 3. Why so many words such large tautological speakings and writings about one and the same thing a pretended Gospel-life in distinction from a righteous Law-life a meer fiction a nullity Can't ye say in a word what you would have that we may be presently rid of any farther trouble with you open your Book where we will all 's one and the same thing In our gospel we have abundance of pretty knacks to entertain us with passages out of Poets and History many pleasant recreative things and variety of opinions which is very delightful We can hear one thing at one place and another thing at another meeting and observe the various wit eloquence and fine language with similitudes and the like by which each illustrates and proves his different judgment and way Answ. But all this while do ye observe how in all this toss and variety of perswasion and words there 's a deep silence as to any thing of Christ's gospel-state of true Spiritual Saint-ship save to oppose contradict or blaspheme it This objection of first-covenant Law-gospellers against the second is in effect what the Athenian Philosophers said of Paul Acts 17. 18. What will 〈◊〉 Babbler say But must we needs have all Christ's gospel in a word that God hath thought fit to use so many about from the beginning of Genesis to the end of the Revelalation This is the mad rash rebellious hasty spirit of man about his Eternal concerns But if it be all in millions of words but one and the same thing why may not one word be enough to declare it say ye so And is not your accursed other Gospel one and the same thing at bottom Sand Vanity a fading flower righteousness of man What need you use any more than one word to declare your accursed Law-gospel in All your rhetorical flashes of wit and eloquence histories and similitudes c What signifie such embellishments of Art in the case Yet about this your one and the same thing Satan's gospel what a world of Books in Libraries Shops and Houses what a world of Preaching in throng'd Auditories And must Christs gospel be crowded into such a strait place such a little narrow corner as to have but one word for it A hard case But indeed Satan would have it have never a word would you so too Ye come too near it Is one word like to do it for Salvation and must so many words be allowed for Damnation Must there be many words and those warily plac'd to secure any little parcel of litteral earthly possessions and our Eternal inheritance be allow'd but one word And this when so many crafty Gamesters Devils and Men fill the world with Words and Books to deceive Open your Bible where ye will and you 'l find the Gospel-life Spirit and Doctrine of Christ most harmoniously and uniformly signified to you under abundance of figures similitudes parables c. as you 'l find if ever you come to know the true mystical reach meaning and significancy thereof All 's about the one thing necessary to Eternal life the gospel-spirit of Christ. Will ye dare to accuse God himself of tautology teach the most High how to speak his own mind will ye call his oft Repetitions of the same thing in the same or various words vain Repetitions and Impertinencies Let men that are at this daring pass against Christ and God most high cry tautology while they will at Christ's true Gospellers words and writings who cares Must Satan's gospel have such a world of Words Books Preachings and Christ's but one word what a hard case is this for the true Sons and Seers of God amongst the deluded sottish sons of Men that 〈◊〉 their own Ruin Are ye so deeply in Love with Damnation O ye sons of Men as to hear such plenty of what leads that way and but one transient word about true Salvation and then deny that word too whiff it away with a breath and a losty cast up nose of Pride The wicked through the pride of his countenance Heb. loftiness of his nose cast up in pride and anger will not seek after God but reject all his words of counsel and instruction God is not in all his thoughts Psal. 10. 4. The gospel-spirit life truths and things of God his wisdom his righteousness are not at all regarded by him or reckoned worth his consideration Those that think the scaping Eternal Damnation or finding Eternal Salvation a trivial slight impertinent thing let them reckon and think thus if there be no remedy The Jews came round about Christ and say'd to him how long dost thou make us to doubt or keep us in suspense If thou be the Christ tell us plainly in a word I told you says he and ye believ'd not Then they took up stones to stone him as a Blasphemer Joh. 10. 24. 31. 33. Here 's the posture and temper of those ravenous Wolv's that are only for a word and away as to Christ's gospel but as much as you will of Satan's Instead of being humbly inquisitive after Gospel-truths in a readiness to comply with own and obey them for their good all their questions about Salvation to Christ or his
AN EXPOSITION OF Ecclesiastes OR The Preacher The Inspiration of the Almighty giveth Understanding Job 32. 8. The things of God knoweth no Man but the Spirit of God by which he reveal's them 1 Cor. 2. 10 11. The Spiritual Man discern's all things v. 15. If I pleas'd Men I should not be the Servant of Christ Gal. 1. 10. LONDON Printed in the Year 1680. Sold by Samuel Lee at the Feathers in Lombard-Street near Popes-head Alley CHAP. I. Vers. I. The words of the Preacher the Son of David King of Jerusalem THIS Book written by King Solomon about the fourtieth year of his Reign and last of his Life Anno 〈◊〉 3030 is called in Greek Ecclesiastes in Hebrew Choheleth both signifying a caller unto or a gatherer together of Men to declare to them the words of God's Wisdom relating to their everlasting blessedness This is the proper work of the infallible Spirit of Christ in himself and Saints Pro. 1. 20-23 and 8. 1 -9. This living Creature-Word and Wisdom of God is called the Beginning in and by which God created the Heaven and the earth Gen. 1. 1. The purely divine Form of God did by way of emanation or generation not properly creation produce that Supream Creature-form of him in personal Union with it self from everlasting as it self tells us Prov. 8. 22 23. This became his fitted Hand by which to Create the World as also to mediate between meer creaturality in Angels and Men when made and the single infinite Divinity This fountain creature-Creature-Spirit is by Divine Authority called God and asserted to be the immediate Creator of all things John 1. 1 3. Col. 1. 15 16. Yea the Man Christ as the polished Shaft in this hand of God ready to be sent forth in due time is said to be him by whom God made the Worlds Heb. 1 -- 3. Natural and Spiritual by a first and second Creation He gave an Immortality of Being not of Life to Angels and Men by the First but true Life and Immortality are brought to light and set up in them only in and by the Second The First was a mortal Law-life the Second is an everlasting Gospel-Life 2 Tim. 1. 10. Whoever fall short of Christ's Gospel-life as all do that finally refuse to part with their fading Law-life by a holy obedient death of their own Spirit and Nature fall short also of the glory of God never come to see and enjoy the divine glory as Co-heirs with Christ of God This living creating preaching Word and Creature-Wisdom of God is the supream receaver and infallible declarer of the whole counsel of the divine Mind relating to Angels and Men. The words of this living Word will prosper in the thing whereto sent the Eternal Life or Death of the obedient 〈◊〉 or willful rejecters thereof Isa. 55. 11. 2 Cor. 2. 15 16. God effectually makes obedient submitters to and receivers of it Wicked Men and Angels make themselves willful haters final refusers and incorrigible enemies thereof Hos. 13. 9. In this supream Creature-being the original Creature-Book and living Word of God did all things consist or stand up together in a Radical existence before brought forth in their actual subsistencies by Creation In this Book were all our Members written when as yet there was none of them Our substance was not hid from God but seen by him together with all we shall ever come to be or do and all he will do with us to all eternity Psal. 139. 15 16. Seen and known to him were all the works of his hands and all the works of those works Men and Angels towards him before their actual Production or personall Individuation Yea before their said radical Existence There are no Futurities to His infinite Understanding All things past present and to come were ever present to him The Supream creature-Creature-Spirit Word and Wisdom of God is called Man as also are Angels both good and bad The man Gabriel that appeared to Daniel Zachary and Mary Dan. 9. 21. Luk. 1. 19. vers 26 27. was this creature-Creature-Spirit in the Mediator Good Angels also have been frequently represented as and called Men Gen. 18. 2. and other Scriptures Evil Angels also are called Men of sin Sons of Perdition in and with their Luciferian Head 2 Thes. 2. 3. By the communicated Spiritual Light of the Man Christ to Angels and Men can either of them under and with him become true seers of God in his divine and creature-glories so as to be true Preachers and rightly qualified Declarers of his divine and spiritual Things or Truths Such a Seer of God was Solomon the Preacher and Writer of this Book And in the same Light in which a Seer of the things of God was he enabled infallibly to see and declare the Vanity of all first-creation Life and Goodness and the never-fading Glories and excellencies of the Second In the all-penetrating Spirit of true Prophecy did he see the deep things of Gods divinity and the natural and spiritual things of the first and second Creation what each amounted to So could 〈◊〉 with other awakened spiritual Saints infallibly prophesy or foretell what will become of any Men or Angels to Eternity as found rebelliously fixing in their first-creation Life and State of Vanity or obediently surrendring it for the second in Eternal Life or Death In this true spirit of Prophecy did Solomon with his Father David and other Saints find out and set in order many right words words of Truth given from one Shepherd Eccl. 12. 10 11. The spirit of the Lord the rock of Israel spake to and by David His Word saies he was in my tongue 2 Sam. 23. 2 3. Such words only as the Holy Ghost teacheth words of Gods wisdom shew the way of salvation and of scaping damnation Such words only shew those glorious things God hath in everlasting love provided for Saints and the dreadful amazing things he hath in everlasting wrath prepared for incorrigible sinners neither of which can the Eye Ear Heart or Understanding of natural Man or Angel take any right measure or notice of Man and Angel in the utmost wisdom of their own nature are bounded with first-creation vanities for Object of which number its very self is and they therein When view'd in the infallible Light and weighed in the just Ballance of Gods new-creation sanctuary-Sanctuary-Spirit they 'l all be found lighter than vanity t. The Son of David King of Jerusalem So a Type of the Man Christ as Son of the great and originally unchangable creature-Creature-spirit of the Mediator the true King of his New-Jerusalem Saints set up by God on his holy Hill of Zion Psal. 2. 6. John 5. 22. 27. Act. 17. 31 c. Vers. II. Vanity of vanities saith the Preacher Vanity of vanities all is vanity The doubling of the words Vanity of vanities is emphatical more strongly asserting this irrefragable Truth That vain are all things in the first-creation world or natural state of Men and
Angels This say's the Preacher Solomon as turning from his own Wisdom or Understanding and owning the Holy Ghost or New-creature gospel-Gospel-spirit of Christ in him the sole dictating Author of this Book Vanity of Vanities in the Hebrew manner of expressing signifies most vain in the superlative degree Man at his best estate and so Angel at his best before the Fall of either were altogether Vanity Psal. 39. 5. and since the Fall are they worse lighter then Vanity it self less then nothing Psal. 62. 9. Isa. 40. 17. Neither of them had at first any durable Life Wisdom 〈◊〉 Glory nothing but what was mortal perishable and vanishing All was but a fading Flower of the first-creation Field or World The utmost growth beauty flourish and fruitfulness of the corruptible seed of God's left-hand planting in them by a first-creation is no more or better And all their best desires births fruits thoughts or actions therein are vanity can never exceed the fading nature and title of the root whence they spring the fleshly Tree of good and evil on which they grow All visible things Glory Riches Power together with the litteral Sun that produces and renders the rest visible are but Vanity of vanities shadows of shadows to wit of the intellectuall 〈◊〉 Sun the first-covenant Spirit with all the inward mystical riches 〈◊〉 wisdom righteousness glories and excellencies produced thereby in the natural first-creation state of Man or Angel at best The most excellent births fruits performances or works of Righteousness brought forth and done but under the impregnating and fructifying influence of the first-covenant Spirit and so of Christ therein as a fleshly Bridegroom to them all these still are but Vanity or vanishing shadows of spiritual heavenly eternal substantial things or truths durable riches everlasting life food and clothing the glory that excells and remains for ever in the New-creation state of Man or Angel All 's but the Life and Image of the earthly in the Spirit of Nature not of the heavenly in the new-creature Spirit of Grace The life wisdom form of godliness righteousness of Man or Angel in their own nature as at first created were real but not true in a Scripture-sense All are but shadows of the everlasting Life power of Godliness wisdom and righteousness of God in the New-creation or Second Covenant Holy flesh cleansed righteous nature and so the common or general Salvation all men are capable since the Fall of being restored into by the Redeemer is but a shadow of true holiness special everlasting salvation in God's holy New-creature spirit of Grace and Truth True godliness the mystery the power of godliness true or everlasting Life Salvation and blessedness the Life Wisdom and Righteousness of God in his New-covenant spirit of Grace none of these true things were possessed by any Angel or Man in the Primitive unstained purity of their 〈◊〉 by the first-creation All these true things of God were represented to them all in the Tree of true Life by way of Object as what God had in reserve to bestow upon them by a new-creation on their obedient surrender and parting with that mortal Life and State they received by the first God calls what he gave them by the first-creation their own their life wisdom righteousness c. What he offers them by a new-creation he calls his own his life wisdom righteousness c. All men that Satan can bring to savour only the natural things of Man or Angel and never at all the spiritual new-creature things of Christ and God Mat. 16. 23. are fixed with him in unchangable enmity to God The New-creature Life and things God calls his own are transcendently superiour to Man's own as the Litteral Heavens are above the Earth The duplication of this Hebrew superlative the double Out-cry or Proclamation here implies the absolute certainty and great importance of the assertion as also that Solomon would have the thing here proclaim'd understood as the sum or compend of this whole Book which he explains by degrees in the various parts thereof What he indistinctly and as in a transport cries out of as Vanity of vanities he begins to lodg and fix his meaning in saying All is vanity And this All yet as somewhat indistinct is after limited within its due bounds yet allowed its full extent and circumference over and over in this first Chapter All things under heaven under the sun all earthly mortal life and goodness received by Man or Angel in their first-creation all below what is heavenly spiritual and everlasting in and by the second are vanity or vanishing perishing things however good in their kind and useful in their place This fixes and compleats this leading Proposition and Foundation of the ensuing Discourse All visible things under the litteral Sun depending on its influence as a concurring second Cause of their Production and Preservation and rendred visible by its light and then all the invisible things of Man and Angel all the Life Wisdom Righteousness Excellencies Glories and all the Desires Thoughts and Operations of their invisible immortal spirits under the mystical first-creation Sun or first-covenant spirit of nature in the Mediator all these things are comprehended under the title Vanity All their counsels studies purposes and contrivances for true happiness within the compass and in the single activity of that natural state or life life and all all is Vanity Vanity is written out upon Tree and Fruit Root and Branch Principle and Operations throughout in that state of both The infallible new-creature spirit of true Prophecy declares this concerning all the goodness life or 〈◊〉 found in the old natural first-creation state of Angel and Man This Spirit in Christ and awakened spiritual Saints can prophesy or certainly fore-tell what will become of any man as finally rejecting or complying with its reproofs of Death on his own spirit of Nature and instructions of Life in God's Spirit of Grace in Eternal Life or Death This New-creature spirit of Life and true Prophesy is below the infinite Divinity but transcendently above all natural first-creation Life and Things in Man or Angel Paul in all the Light Wisdom and Righteousness of his restor'd naturalls Phil. 3. 4 6. Was exceedingly mad against Christ's Gospel Truths and Saints Acts 26. 11. What work then is Man though wise strong and honourable in Christ 1 Cor. 4. 10. as to 〈◊〉 covenant attainments like to make of it at Gospel or shewing the true way of Salvation God knows all the Thoughts of man in his highest wisdom to be 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 3. 20. All purely divine things the deep things of God and all spiritual heavenly new-creation things lye clear out of the reach of all single natural understanding of man or angel 1 Cor. 2. 9-14 Their vain wisdom has nothing but Vanity for its immediately discernable Object If we extend this all is Vanity beyond the sphere of natural to divine or spiritual creature-things we blaspheme If we
narrow or confine its significancy to meer visible outward naturals and call the upper sort of Vanities the invisible excellencies of natural Man or Angel Spiritual we blaspheme also by thrusting them into the room and giving them the Title of the New-creation things of God Flesh and Spirit natural and Spiritual in Scripture are the distinguishing characters of all natural first-creation life and things thereof in Angel or Man and of the things of God in the second To reckon with the young man the Corinthians and Laodiceans that when full rich wise strong and honourable in the restored first-covenant Law-life of our own nature we need nothing Rev. 3. 17. as to Eternal Life we shall find our selves so far mistaken that indeed we want every thing and must part with all we have for that every thing Neither Uncircumcision nor Circumcision corrupt nor righteous Nature holy or unholy flesh and blood signifies any thing as to eternal Life or our entering the Kingdom of God but that we be New creatures have spiritual new-creation Life about us If true Righteousness and Salvation were to be found or had in the Law-Life or first-covenant first-creation state no need of Gospel or a new-covenant Life by the Second Heb. 8. 7. If the natural life of Angel and Man set up in both by the first-creation had bin immortal unchangable eternal every one of them had infallibly bin saved And if but mortal and no more excellent life and things had bin prepared by God to bestow upon them by a new and second-creation of them not one of them could ever have bin saved All had infallibly perished for ever None will now so perish but such as finally refuse to part with and lose their fading life and things in the first creation for Gods everlasting creature-life wisdom righteousnes and glory in the second Misse but the true extent and bounds of the word all in this saying all is vaniry and we misse all as to the main scope and design of this Book That all visible outward things are vanishing shadows the common light of reason in heathens can declare But the reputed orthodox wisdom of man in the glory of a restored first-covenant righteous life is the Arch-heretick in the main point when peremptorily asserting the invisible natural excellencies he is possessed of to be spiritual For so he perfectly excludes the true spiritual things of Christ and God and shuts up the kingdom of Heaven Mat. 23. 13. excludes all the truths or things thereof out of his doctrine Then the whole counsel of God about the salvation of man is counted foolishnes and madnes by him Where will man be when God is Judge himself The Heavens will declare his Righteousness Psal. 50. 6. not Man's to be that which qualifies any for enterance into his Kingdom A most dismal conclusion will the self-confident Disputers of this World against God and all his things in the next come to When their Consciences are opened all their mouths will be stopped They 'l have nothing to say All Words of Man's wisdom about the things of God are most false and Heretical They assert those to be the things of God which are not and utterly deny those that are All Man's Doctrines Reasons or Arguments Uses Motives c. amount to but the perswasive words of his foolish wisdom to establish his hearers in a direct contrariety to God's All 's but the gingling confused noise of tinckling Cymbals giving no certain sound as to what is pleasing to God or wherein to resist the Devil They labour to keep off any the least word of a true tendency this way This work are multitudes of blind leaders and their followers at sporting themselves in their own deceivings as to the grand concern of both Any word towards the opening the Kingdom of Heaven they reckon the arrantest Heresy in the World All this from want of a right owning the distinction of first creation vanities and shadows in the full extent and comprehensiveness of this All is vanity from spiritual new-creation Substances and Truths All that is natural is Vanity and so the subject on which the Cross or spiritual Sword of Christ falls it must dye in every Angel and Man as brought upon them in love or wrath whether on obedient Saints or incorrigible sinners Job was amaz'd to see his restor'd humane Excellencies smitten by the Cross. And his three mistaking Friends were amaz'd to find his Spirit as to all the natural wisdom restored life and excellencies thereof lye a bleeding under the friendly death-wounds of Christ's spiritual Sword To 〈◊〉 Jobs Body Children and outward concerns only all that was struck at by the Cross is to miss the principal scope and intent of that Book So to miss the full extent of the All that is vanity here is to miss the main design of this All that so state Job's Case miss the main design of God's Love which was thereby accomplished upon him for his Salvation and the main design of the Devils wrath for his final destruction which was not accomplished nor could be A parallel mistake of this leading word here All is Vanity will gravel the utmost wisdom of the most soaring 〈◊〉 undertaker in the wisdom of man to interpret this Book He will never border upon or come near the design of it which is to undeceive men in their pursuit after true happiness which all implicitly desire but millions unalterably hate that Life wherein it does consist Man gad's abroad to change his way in a vast heap of perishing vanities first-creation desireables delights of the sons of men and wholly misses all those substantial new-creation things or truths which are the delights of the Sons of God Thus does Man labour for and seek after true happiness under a perfect and absolute impossibility of ever 〈◊〉 it Man in all possible variety of condition within the compass of his first-creation make 〈◊〉 never gets out of or surmounts the sphere of Vanity Vanity 〈◊〉 writ upon all he is hath can think speak or do therein Root and Branch Tree and Fruit Principles and Performances all is Vanity Why then Vers. III. What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the Sun What remains to a man after dead of all his labour in this world read's the Chaldee Nothing How dies the Wise man As the fool the righteous as the wicked both perish for ever The highest righteousness of man gives him no Title to the Kingdom of God And where then must he be Nothing of his fading mystical inward Riches or Glory as well as outward shall descend after him or remain with him Psal. 49. 17. Praised he was of men vers 18. and liked himself passing well as truly blessed but will find he never had the praise and approbation-Seal of God as truly good in his sight or any thing conducible to true blessedness Man blesses the covetous heapers up of inward or outward perishing Riches
whom the Lord abhorreth Psal. 10. 3. as they him and his true What profit then can man expect of all his labour under the Sun in but a first-covenant Life and Righteousness Nothing below the Holy Ghost or new-creature constant right steddy Spirit Psal. 51. 10. and principle of everlasting righteousness signifies any thing as to his true salvation When he reckons he has all he has nothing of durable life riches food or clothing but is wretched miserable poor blind and naked The wisdom of self-confident man misses the design and principal intendment of God in the whole Scripture To preach up the righteousness of man in the first-covenant-law is good in its kind But to assert this to be an everlasting Gospel-life or state of true salvation is the highest evil the very doctrine Satan preach'd to Eve Ye shall not dye at all the Life ye have in the first-creation that 's but natural is eternal This is Man's and Satan's accursed other Gospel handed to men with great confidence in the words of their twisted humane and Serpentine wisdom's To establish and warrant men in their own righteousness holy flesh for salvation is the very doctrine of devils 'T is a setting up of Man and Angel in their spirit of Nature against God's Spirit of Grace and Truth All that finally persist in this Doctrine and way in stead of the Saints everlasting rest will 〈◊〉 the Lake of fire and brimstone prepared for the Devil and his Angels Enmity to God and his gospel-Gospel-Spirit is inseperable from the restored first-covenant life of the Law in man yea gets strength courage credit and great authority by the comming of the command or fresh setting up that lost life in him by the Redeemer as Paul found Rom. 7. While then men are heaping up riches and reckon they are doing well to themselves there so as to despise the riches of God's goodness they are treasuring up to themselves wrath against the day of wrath Their moth-eaten cankred rusty corruptible Riches mystical as well as litteral will testify against them in God's day for trusting in them in their day on earth against all his faithful warnings to the contrary Jam. 5. 1-3 Vers. IV. One generation passeth away and another generation commeth but the earth abideth for ever Eternity and Immutability are the requisite Adjuncts of that wherein man's true felicity consists He must look for it in things Eternal or never find it And these are not seen by natural understanding 2 Cor. 4. 18. The litteral sense of these words is evident to the common understanding and universal experience of mankind The spiritual is a mystery to the highest wisdom of the most enlightned righteous party of men in but their own single spirit of nature short of spiritual light Man therein esteems and values only the cleans'd 〈◊〉 rich and fruitful mystical House or Land of his own Nature as that which will continue for ever So desires it may be called by his own Name This is the inward thought of the wise rich and full first-covenant Saint in his holy 〈◊〉 the sandy-foundation'd building though he see such holy wise men perish as well as brutish fools in the corrupt life of nature Psal. 49. 10. 11. Man's calling his Lands or outward possessions by his own Name is the litteral shadow of this mystical folly Yet 〈◊〉 posterity approve 〈◊〉 sayings vers 13. steer the same course do the same things and so generation after generation go to the same 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 and death where they never see Light vers 19. Through the unsuspected wiles of the old Serpent are new raw stagers 〈◊〉 one after another in the fame 〈◊〉 They reject the voice and instructions of true Wisdom as the greatest folly They say to true Seers see not prophesy not unto us right things They hate the Lord's Prophets as Ahab Micajah embrace Satan's with their smooth words of deceit Isa. 30. 9 10. Thus one generation of visible Saints in holy flesh after another passes away into the same dismal end eternal death as found from first to last a serpentine generation of vipers fixed in enmity to Gods holy spirit They say they are true spiritual Jews but Christ sayes they are of the synagogue of satan Rev. 3. 9. This generation passes away and yet passes not away Mat. 24. 3 4. though alwayes passing How So Why new commers into this world still keep up the old Trade the same spirit Principles and Perswasions all along Satan's reign from the beginning to the ending thereof A fresh supply of new Teachers and Hearers carry on Satan's work to their own eternal ruine t. But the Earth abideth for ever That is Man 's and Angels immortal Spirits in the earthy leaky first-creation make thereof All of them that refuse to have that first-creation building taken down in order to become new Bottles or Vessels by Christ's new-creation workmanship fitted to hold the new-wine or Spirit of his Kingdom do through the immortality of their beings become the subjects of God's unchangable wrath for their unchangable enmity to him by which they have made themselves Vessels of dishonour and everlasting contempt This is such recompence of their error as is meet even the vengeance of Eternal Fire Rom. 1. 27. Jude 7. on mystical more than litteral Sodom Mat. 11. 24. All that yield up all received in the first-creation to be filled and clothed with the everlasting life and righteousness of the second become Vessels of honour glory immortality and eternal Life Vers. V. The Sun also ariseth and the Sun goeth down and hasteth to or panteth aster his place where he arose The litteral Sun that has a causal influence on all the visible parts of this World is vanity 'T is restless in its motion and revolution direct and periodical And this yet is but a shadow of the invisible first-creation Sun the first-covenant-spirit of the Law under which Men and Angels were created and Christ himself in our flesh was made Gal. 4. 4. Under and by the causal influence of this in Christ's Person as a fleshly-bridegroom to first-covenant Saints in holy flesh are all such righteous fruits and works brought forth and done as have bin found in a restored enlightned sort of Professors and People since the fall or in Man and Angels before the Fall This mystical first-creation Sun is yet but a shadow or figure of the seven-fold and seventy times seven-fold brighter spiritual intellectual new-creation Sun of everlasting righteousness the Holy Ghost or new-covenant new-creature spirit in Christ's person of which all new-creatures are born and under the cherishing influence thereof enabled to bring forth fruits unto God in a newness of Life All thus brought under this Law of the spirit of Life are made new Bottles Vessels of honour and eternal Life and no other This is the Sun Mal. 4. 2. Through this most glorious creature-Sun in the Mediator as the 〈◊〉 Chrystaline Medium or transparent Sea of
Glass Rev. 4. 6. does the infinite glory of the divine Sun shine forth for ever with safety in a modifying mixture and allay on blessed Saints and Angels which in its single infinite brightness would overset and consume them Heb. 12. 29. Only the original creature-sun or spirit that 's in personal union with the infinite divinity can behold and enjoy the divine Sun or Spirit in its immediate brightness This supream creature-vail on it is the absolutely necessary means of unvailing it or leting it down with safety to all meer-created beings Angels or Men in their highest spiritual capacities and understandings On this account and in this sense will Christ be a Mediator between God and them to all Eternity The litteral and mystical Sun of the first-creation will set and come to a final period Then will all the flowers of that field litteral or mystical wither fade away and come to nothing as to all the perishing beauty and goodliness thereof But the Word of God the new-creation Gospel-Sun of righteousness will abide for ever upon all the blessed Inhabitants of the true Mount Sion Isa. 40. 6-8 1 Pet. 1. 23-25 On the first sin of Man against God and his Creature-Sun of everlasting Righteousness did Christ with-draw the mysticall first-creation Sun causing it to go down set or disappear to all mankind taking from them what they had and so leaving them in darkness and death dead in trespasses and sins Then as Redeemer does Christ cause this Sun to rise upon them again for the fresh enlightning of every man that comes into the world more or less Joh. 1. 9. with rational first-covenant light against which if they sin it accuses if they obey it it excuses them Rom. 2. 15. This is the Light or Law of rational nature in all men By this Light are men shewed the way for a returning towards the righteous life they were at first created in which is called a making straight in the desert of their barren fallen state a high way for their God Isa. 40. 3. a setting their first-creation House or State in order again But this done and Man growing up into a fruitful flourishing posture herein the ruling intellectual powers and ruled sensual each performing their duty in rightly commanding and obeying still still this very mystical Sun or first-covenant-spirit under the quickning enlivening and fructifying influence whereof all this is done will according to its orderly appointed motions and revolutions with the litteral Sun be withdrawn again go down set and disappear from them Christ as a fleshly-Bridegroom or Husband to them will depart and leave them so as never to shine upon them more there All then that do not timely and obediently surrender and part with all the life fruitfulness and comforts they have found under his influence as the first-covenant Sun of Righteousness in order to receive from him that newness of life in which to be married to him as risen from the dead and bring forth fruits unto God Rom. 7. 1-4 under the influence of his new-covenant-spirit will be found on the setting of the former mystical Sun in a total darkness and death a Night-state in which no man can work righteousness more for ever Vers. VI. The Wind goeth towards the South and turneth about unto the North it whirleth about continually and the wind returneth again according to his circuits Here 's another teaching instructing similitude fetched from the litteral wind Christ in his first and second covenant spirits not unfitly represented by the North and South-wind does powerfully breath and blow upon the spirits of men in the actual distributions of the one and convincing discoveries of the other This mystical wind of Christs twofold creature-spirit is in the workings and motions thereof on men compared to and fitly figured out by litteral winds which manifest themselves in their powerfull effects however unseen in their true cause and nature Christ himself uses this similitude Joh. 3. 8. Vers. VII All the rivers run into the Sea yet the Sea is not full unto the place from whence the rivers come thither they return again The litteral Sea is a figure of mans immortal spirit the fathomless depths of which are such that it is impossible it should ever be filled with all the streames of comfort that can flow into it from all variety of visible or invisible things and excellencies in the whole first-creation World Satan's permitted dominion the sphere and bound of his activity and walk All these things highest lowest and intermediate from the tallest Cedar to the meanest Shrub in the whole lump of this worlds perishing transient vanities are resembled here by gliding rivers Satan has the most glittering excellencies of the first-creation sort in his angelical nature superiour to man's to offer communicate and lay before him to feed upon and delight in He is permitted by God to retain all these in unchangable enmity to him and all his divine Spiritual and Heavenly things in the second Yea also by his sinful transforming skill and power can he gild them over with the neerest resemblance and beautiful appearance of the second so as to deceive if possible the very Elect with his baits and catch them in his snares But the far greater part of mankind feed on husks as his Swine on the lowest part of the dust of this mortal world the gratifying satisfactions of the most brutish lusts of the lowest sort of life in their confounded fallen nature All these things of Man or Angel within the compasse of their first-creation state in distinction from the things of God Delights of the Sons of God in the second are the delights of the Sons of Men. Satan has a vast Herd of Swine amongst men And as for those that are not only enlightned but enlivened quick'ned out of their death in sin into the righteous life of their own nature again he is ready with all sorts of diet suted to the palate of that state And if the single excellencies and dainties suted to their palate in that state will not serve their turn he is ready with his superiour angelical first-creation vanities for them to feed on If these yet will not hold and satisfy them when by Christs spiritual enlightnings convincingly shewed and offered his more excellent new-creation life and things then will he gild over all humane and angelical excellencies and meats with the exactest counterfeit resemblance of the things of God the never perishing meats in the second If this yet will not do he is gone and the true Saint delivered from all his snares All the things of Man or Angel under all Satan's false glosses and glistering appearances of the things of God can never answer or satisfy the vast deep botomless 〈◊〉 of mans immortal spirit The most swelling rivers and full streams of all worldly vanities flowing into it can never fill it Nothing below the Ocean-fulnes of infinite divinity and the rivers of spiritual life flowing there-from and
deep dark dungeon and miry pit of all sorts of filth of flesh or spirit a litteral or mystical Sodom in the corrupt or righteous life thereof in the dark as to the excellent things God offers and wholly disposed and inclined to close with Satan's offers out of his vast heap of perishing vanities Merriment and Jollity in such a destructive course is madness God therefore calls man into a state of poverty mourning and death as to all this life of vanity and that as the only possible way of his deliverance from all evil Prov. 1. 33. Vers. III. I sought in mine heart to give my self unto wine yet acquainting my heart with Wisdom and to lay hold on Folly till I might see what was that good for the Sons of men which they should do under the Heaven all the dayes of their life Vers. IV. I made me great Works I builded me Houses I planted me Vineyards Vers. V. I made me Gardens and Orchards and I planted Trees in them of all kind of Fruits Vers. VI. I made me Pooles of Water to water therewith the Wood that bringeth forth Trees Vers. VII I got me Servants and Maidens and had Servants born in my House also I had great Possessions of great and smal Cattel above all that were in Jerusalem before me Vers. VIII I gathered me also silver and gold and the peculiar treasure of Kings and of the Provinces I gat me Men-singers and Women-singers and the delights of the sons of men as musical Instruments and that of all sorts Vers. IX So I was great and increased more then all that were before me in Jerusalem also my Wisdom remained with me Vers. X. And whatsoever mine Eyes desired I kept not from them I withheld not my heart from any Joy for my heart rejoyced in all my labour and this was my portion of all my labour Here 's in Letter a larg account of Solomon's most desireable circumstances as to his outward condition in this World He excell'd other Kings in all kind of wealth wisdom greatness and honour 1 Kings 10. 23. Of all worldly contentments he had more then heart could wish And he set his heart to deny no desires thereof but fetcht up the utmost pleasure and satisfaction to himself that all these things could afford him To interpret then Every outward circumstance was figurative to the inward condition and mystical riches of his spirit All import in mystery his beautiful structure in the glory and wisdom of a first-covenant life and the workes of his own hands therein All this Paul counted dung and parted with for the riches wisdom and righteousness of God in his Gospel-spirit of grace and truth Phil. 3. 6-9 The wisdom inward beauties and excellent natural accomplishments of Solomon's spirit are here represented by stately Houses fruitfull Gardens Orchards c. At length in the awaken'd principle of true wisdom from the Fountain of living Waters he sees and declares the vanity of his broken Cistern or leaky natural Vessel with all the fading Waters buildings plantings and fruitfulnesses thereof All within man and all from without relating to him in this world is but Meats for a belly and a belly for Meats all perishing vanities God will destroy all belly and meats desires and desireables All confidence laughter mirth and joy therein is folly and madness All natural perfections and excellencies in the unstain'd purity of his first-creation state together with the convincing discoveries and revelations of the spiritual perfections and excellencies of the second soon ran out of the leaky natural Vessel of the first Adam He did not long keep the twofold waters of first-covenant Life or second-covenant Light the loss of both soon left him and all his posterity in darkness and death Dead in 〈◊〉 and sins Solomon finds all his natural braveries outward or inward but tottering Houses leaky Vessels all his possessions therein altogether vanity In the infallible light of spiritual wisdom he makes a right judgment of his natural principle and all fruits works or buildings therein typed by the abundant litteral varieties of pompous Houses Plantations c. All is vanity say's he This is the result this his verdict on the review of all after his full trial largest draughts and utmost experience of all possible desireables or satisfactions to be found in nature To particularize farther Men-singers and Women-singers may sitly signify the well-tuned frame and pleasant harmony of Solomons spirit in the orderly comportment and beautiful subjection of the sensual to his rational and intellectual powers figured by great and small Cattel making up but the humane Beast in scripture Language Every man is a Beast by his own knowledg in the utmost wisdom of his own nature earthly sensual so all in Man or Angel is call'd short of spiritual new-creation life having not the spirit Jude 19. so if fixed in devilish by unchangable enmity to that spirit and God most high Jam. 3. 15. The head of fallen Angels in the fading glory of first-creation life rebelliously exalted against the second is the most subtil beast in the first world or field Gen. 3. 1. Solomon gathered Silver and Gold was great and encreased more then all before him in Jerusalem mystical Gold and Silver the peculiar treasure of Kings such Princes of this world Scribes Pharisees c. in the riches flourish and fruitfulness of their own restored nature made wise strong and honourable by and in Christ there as crucified the prince of life in the next the Lord of Glory In sum he exceeded all such mysticall 1 Cor. 4. 8. as well as litteral Kings of the earth for wisdom and for riches inward and outward And his great delight in both and all is figured by Men and Women-singers with musical Instruments of all sorts importing his full injoyment of the utmost delights of the Sons of Men nature in it's most widen'd capacity can take in Whatever his eyes desired he kept not from them nor withheld his heart from any joy He allowed himself a latitude of rambling to take his utmost pleasure in all the litteral and all the mystical riches and fruits of his labours He rejoyced in this portion as the result of all his labour reckoning he had ground so to do The wisdom of God that remained with him in under all this doings was the only preservative in him that kept him from sinking and drowning in this full tide and affluence of all worldly desireables streaming into him He gives proof of the awakened exercise of this wisdom in this recantation-book and of the contrary Judgment thereof to man's at best as to the things wherein his true hapiness lies In the hurry of his busy active natural mind in worldly contrivances and enjoyments this true wisdom in him lay sorely clouded obstructed silenced and neglected But at last up it gets under Christ's powerful influence and pronounces himself and all his former designs works and injoyments in his own
As figure and shadow of his meaning herein 't is with many the whole design of all their Labours and Travels to heap up outward treasures to themselves and leave to their Posterity great Possessions call'd after their own Name as if they had any concern therein when deceased or any relief thereby when with Dives tormented in the flames of God's Wrath. And as to any advantage to Posterity how know they but their Successors will blot out and deface by their unwise and sinful practices what they got by their wise and honest labours though great things of that sort are seldom so gotten Such great things puff up and are oft the ruine of those that come after them This was Solomons own case in his foolish Son Rhehoboam who following the rash dictates of ignorant young 〈◊〉 and rejecting the sage counsel of grave Senators that stood before his Father disobliged the People lost ten parts of his Kingdom at first entrance on his Government and he and his Successors held the rest not without great confusions troubles and desolating Wars with the Kings of Israel their Brethren and from such Nations round about as were common enemies to both Moab Ammon 〈◊〉 Edom Philistines c. 1 King 12. Yet is this but the lowest and least part of Solomon's meaning in these and the following words Vers. XIX And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise Man or a fool Yet shall he have Rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured and wherein I have shew'd my self wise under the Sun This is also vanity Here is a deep mystical Truth The fading Laodicean Riches and great Possessions treasured up in and by the fruitful exercise of my own spirit in the restored first-covenant Life of the Law Who knoweth 〈◊〉 a wise Man or a fool shall get and rule over it Whether the supreamly wise man Christ himself by his Gospel-sicle Sword or Cross as freely and obediently surrendred to him or the Man of sin and Son of Perdition the greatest mystical Fool the Devil Those that give up themselves and all Christ's gifts to them of first-covenant Life Wisdom and Ornaments and second-covenant Light with all their fruits and effects brought forth therein mystical Corn Wine Oil Silver and Gold to Baal or Moloch the Lord or King and god of this World are willing he should reap and gather all and so use all Christ's own gifts to them and all the fruits of their own labours therein against Christ and God himself to their own destruction as qualified thereby to be the most gygantick opposers fighters against God Man walk's in a vain shew disquiets himself in vain heaping up Riches and not knowing who shall gather them Psal. 39. 6. Till Man come to a resolution whose Arms he will cast himself into with his changable Life and Riches Christ's or the Devil's in order to be fix'd in the unchangably good Spirit of the former or evil one of the latter He knows not who shall gather all or what will become of him and all he has gotten One of these will certainly gather all in conclusion All puffed up self-exalters against Christ give themselves and all they have into the hands of that Lucifcrian Head and King over all such children of Pride Job 41. 34. receiving his spirit of unchangable enmity to God for the Principle of their Life Desire Thought and Action All fixed first-covenant Kings are absolutely engag'd in Satan's reign in perfect opposition to Christ and his invisible Saints whose saintship or spiritual Life is hid with Christ in God till Christs second appearing and rendring it visible in himself and them which will be the Manifestation of the Sons of God Christ offers true freedom to all even the glorious Liberty of the Sons of God But multitudes of enlightned holy first-covenant Professors and no better whatever they reckon themselves chuse rather for self-preservation against the Cross to be slaves of the Devil the arrantest slave of all and so to have their eares boared as his servants for ever on their willful refusal of true Liberty This is figured out Ex. 21. 5 6. At last Christ by his Cross and spiritual Gospel-Sword or Sicle will reap down and gather or take from all evil Angels and Men all the Riches and Comforts all the fading Glory and Power they have used against him under Satan's reign and tread them all under foot in his reign From a sober Reflexion upon the whole matter in the Spirit of Truth discovering the vanity of all first-creation Life and things of Man with all his vain Labours and uncertain Riches and then the uncertainty as to who shall gather them to his everlasting damage or greatest gain he looks on all Man's Labours and Possessions in the confounded state of his own Nature corrupt or righteous on all these accounts put together to be but a hateful vanity and vexation of spirit So he farther declares Vers. XX. Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the Labour which I took under the Sun So should every one in union of mind with Christ hate his own Life with all his Labours and Fruits brought forth in the but restor'd natural Principle or Spirit of the first-covenant Law of Works for the Life Wisdom and Righteousness of God in the second the new-covenant spirit of the Gospel The former at best was but changably good and since the Fall enmity to God or filth of spirit is inseperable from it direct enmity to that creature-spirit or holy Ghost in the new Life whereof only 't is possible to please God or be saved A heart set to love that Life in which man hates and is hateful to God is a heart fixed in or set to do evil for ever Solomon therefore sets his heart to hate the whole Life and all the best works done in the single activity of his own nature at best under the twofold first-creation Sun litteral and mystical as abovesaid Of this he gives a farther account vers 21 -23. Vers. XXI For there is a man whose labour is in wisdom and in knowledge and in equity Yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it for his portion This also is vanity and a great Evil. Solomon gives an account of himself in the Man here described by him travelling in Wisdom Knowledge and Equity that is in the wise and righteous actings of his own restored enlightned nature All this he finds vain and unprofitable yea a great grief and sorrow to him Here 's the sad result of all man's goodnes and fruitfulnes in his own nature All is vanity the 〈◊〉 tree of good and evil and since the fall of evil only filth of spirit at least which is the greater sort of evil with the Fruits the Root with the Branch Principle and Operations Desires Thoughts Counsels Purposes Words Actions all naught The loss of all as obediently surrendred to the sacrificing hand Gospel-cross Sword
and Fire of God's High Priest is our only way of being delivered from all evil of sin or punishment for ever And on such obedience we shall certainly receive the promise of the Father the everlasting creature-life and spirit of the Son which will fill us with all good for ever above wonder Is not here great Gain on all hands to encourage us to bear such loss the spiritual Law of the Cross and ordinances of God's new-creation sanctuary call for as undispensably necessary for our admission or entrance thereinto This exchang-traffique of Law for Gospel Life of Nature for Grace Earthly for Heavenly the natural life of the Creature for the spiritual life of the Creator is the highest and best market man can make of all his first-creation vanities Truth or the Gospel-spirit of truth can never be bought but to Man 's unspeakable advantage never sold or parted with from love to what 's to be parted with for it but to Man 's unspeakable loss Buy the Truth therefore at any rate but Sell it at no rate though all the kingdom's of this World and glory of them all natural humane or Angelical excellencies be bidden for it Paul when eminent in first-covenant holines parted with all as dung for this Truth All that have tried this most gainfull traffique have found it so No active obedience performable in Man 's own nature ever does his work for salvation but passive a right ceasing from that life with all its activity and labours Should a Man live a thousand years twice told in the utmost fruitfulnes of his rectified naturals he will still find Solomon's account true all vanity All that 's but Earthly in Man or Angel all first-creation Life and fruits or works thereof will be burnt up by the fire of the second 2 Pet. 3. 10. Christ's new-creature spirit will try by its al-discovering light all principles and works whether natural or spiritual earthly or Heavenly and then all the former that 's changable and perishable will most certainly perish or be burnt up by the fire of this trying spirit All that obediently submit not to this fiery triall fall inevitably under its everlasting burnings in and upon them in final Wrath. All changable goodnes earthly first-creation Life and Fruits first or last must passe away from obedient Saints and incorrigible sinners in God's Love or Wrath. This fiery triall seem's grievous at present to nature in Saints Heb. 12. 11. Our nature in Christ himself was sorrowfull to death cast out a word for scaping the Death-Cup but he instantly called it back His living Soul of the same kind with the first Adam's was sorely put to 't made exceeding sorrowful under the death-work of his second-Adam's quickning-spirit or gospel-sword and fire upon it Mat. 26. 38 39. Obedient submission to God's present temporary Wrath in this case is the only possible way of deliverance from his Eternal the Wrath to come All willful refusers of the former are sure to meet with the latter Those that with Paul received Gods just sentence of Death within them On their naturals at best have unspeakably the best on 't Those that please themselves a-while in resisting and scaping it fall under it for ever The sufferings and shame brought on the natural man of the Saint are not to be compared with the joy and glory of spiritual life that follows Nor does the present false joy stiffnecked resisters of the Cross or holy Ghost in its demolishing operation upon their naturals please themselves with signify any thing in comparision of the griefs torments and vexation of spirit this crosse will bring upon them in Eternal Death The demolishing-work of the Cross is grievous to nature in Saints at present but in no comparison so grievous as 't wil be to it in rebellious resisters and that for ever True Saints soon find the benefit of their obediently sacrificed nature by a resurrection out of the death of that into the everlasting righteous life of the sacrificing high Priest of their Gospel-profession Melchisedeck So have they eternal life abiding in them the Kingdom of Heaven within them live and walk in Christ's kingdom-spirit the Gospel-principle of everlasting righteousness Thus by submitting to the temporary wrath at present brought upon them in God's everlasting kindness do they scape the wrath to come But what mean's Solomon in saying that all his wise labours in his own restored nature must be left to a man that has not laboured therein Who is this Christ in his originally unchangable creature-spirit of everlasting righteousness and truth Himself surrendred the earthly first-covenant righteous life and labours thereof in our flesh to the flames of his own eternal Heb. 9. 14. everlasting righteous creature spirit in sacrifice to his own divine spirit and God most high The sacrifice he offred the sacrificing Priest that offered it and God to whom offered all are comprehended in the worderful person of the Mediatour as the divine and twofold creature form of God originally spiritual and spiritualiz'd transformed regenerate natural baptized into the death and assimilated in the resurrection life of it to the originally spiritual This divine and twofold creature-being image or form of God in Christ is all called God even the spiritualiz'd man Christ Jo. 1. 1. All are the living Word and Oracle of God's infinite divine mind his Wonderfull Counsellor to Angels and Men. And in all stands he in a distinction for ever from God most high in the single and uncompounded divine essence in which the Father to this divine and creature-Son begotten from eternity as the divine and from everlasting Prov. 8 23 as creature-Son of God Hence is it said the Mediatour is not of one nature but God is one Gal. 3. 20. This sacrificing Priestly Gospel-spirit of Christ reapes or gather's cut 's down burns up and utterly consumes all the life and labours or workings of Angel or Man in their natural first-creation make and life as he served our fleshly nature in his own person By his Cross or Gospel-sword he gathers all for sacrifice to God as his due required Tithes and Offerings the mystical truth of the litteral that never laboured or did any thing in that natural state of life but was originally spiritual This also is vanity sayes Solomon or shewes the insignificancy of man's or angel's labours in their earthly first-creation Life of vanity about salvation All must go life and all or they never can be saved And this is a great evil or grieving consideration to man that his life at best and all done in it are but perishing vanities vanishing shadows of things to come or to be brought a-float in men by a new-creation 'T is also Man's great evil his unpardonable Sin if he rob God or withold his Mystical Tithes and Offrings Mal. 3. 8. the most high and criminal Spiritual sacriledg many first-covenant Professours are guilty of in holy flesh Rom. 2. 22. the best fruits or works
of Thorns under a pot a short blaze in this mortal World and away After their Resurrection of Damnation they 'l have time enough to pay their sad reckoning under the flamings forth of unquenchable Wrath upon them This will they have from God's hand When Saints clearly see this twofold Issue of their trouble and others prosperity in this world can they envy will they not pity them The afflictions of the one and prosperity of the other are both but a Dream Truth will out at last in the endless end both arrive at and come to in eternal life or death When the Wicked awake out of their dreamish hapines God will despise their Image destroy their life and all their false comforts in the Image of the Earthy Psal. 73. 20. When Saints awake out of their afflictiondream they will be satisfied with Gods Heavenly Image and his new-creature life Psal. 17. 15. One has but an Imaginary hapines the other Imaginary trouble all 's but a vain shew Psal. 39. 6. As Saints more plentifully feed on the Lords never-perishing Meats from his heavenly table they are more strengthned in that newness of life in which they bring forth never-perishing fruits unto God God requires and delights in their eating and drinking abundantly at his Heavenly Table the glorious fruits of his divine and creature-spirit the Tree of Life They can never be too much filled with his spirit Eph. 5. 18. and fruits thereof No rioting or excess at his Table never too much of his Wine The more any feed at his table the more they discover and nauseate Satan's worldly meats and wine Let him gild his perishing vanities with never so near a resemblance of Christs meats ' twon't do They can spie out his Contemptible meats under all the beautiful disguises he puts upon them and reject them See then the mystery and truth of Solomons declaration here There 's nothing better for a man then to eat and drink the good of all his spiritual labours which never are in vain in the Lord 1 Cor. 15. 58. All other labour in mans own nature is in vain as to his grand concern Life Fruits Labours nothing vain in a new-creation state all in the old All 's unchangable in the new all vanishing in the old Tree and Fruit Root and Branch Womb and Births Fruits in the new are Peaceable fruits of Righteousness in a union of mind with God not so in the Old All there is done in a spirit of enmity to God even the best and most righteous works of man By works of Grace in God's new-covenant spirit Abraham was Justified and not by Faith only Jam. 2. 21-24 Such works wrought in God or in the spirit of faith are ingredients into the saint's Justification not any works or deeds of the Law-spirit of nature Rom. 4. 2-6 The true saint does not live war or walk after the flesh but against it in the spirit The ruling principle in man denominates A predominant exercise of the corrupt spirit of nature with the vile affections and brutish lusts thereof denominates Man a Beast The ruling exercise of the enlightened principles of nature declare a man a Legal Christian or at least a moral Heathen The ruling exercise of the Gospel-spirit in man makes a spiritual Saint a Gospel-Christian And now by this opening of these words into the mystical truth of them is not excluded a shadowy litteral sense thereof as countenancing a right and free use of the concerns of bodily Life for the end by God intended in them against the folly of those that from an evil covetousness and vain self-tormenting sollicitude find no heart or power to eat thereof to the best advantage of the Life that 's more then meat and the Body that 's more then Raiment Mat. 6. 25. Vers. XXV For who can eat or who else can hasten hereunto more then I Solomon here declares his Priviledg through the awak'ned Wisdom of God in him of hastening to and feeding at Christ's Heavenly Table on the things of God Who carried forth with a stronger bent of affection to things above Col. 3. 2. then I He found a strength of spiritual appetite carrying him forth to eat and drink abundantly according to Christ's Invitation to his supreamly double-portion'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Saints of which number himself seem's to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in his own mysterious Song Cant. 5. 1. Vers. XXVI For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight Wisdom and Knowledg and Joy But to the sinner he giveth Travel to gather and to heap up that he may give to him that is good before God This also is vanity and vexation of spirit The good man in God's sight is the spiritual Saint in distinction from all others What 's unchangably good only is properly good in God's sight None good insinitely from Eternity but God only 〈◊〉 everlasting to Eternity is the creature-spirit in the Mediator good And to Eternity are all obedient Angels and Saints born of that spirit and brought forth in the everlasting righteous Life thereof good before God No Angel no Man no thing in the first-creation-make or State of Angel or Man is in this sense good however good in their kind and right use yea very good Gen. 1. 31. The natural man of the Saint in the restored first-covenant Life and Image of the earthy is made good in God's sight by submitting to the Plow-work of the Cross Christ's spiritual husbandry upon it pointed so deep as to tear up by the Roots the natural principle of enmity And then by the same hand or spiritual Plow is quick'ned up the before dormant seed of an incorruptible righteous new-creation Life in which Man's nature as made new earth brings forth fruit unto God This is the Earth that by drinking in the spirituall Rain-waters of Life that come oft npon it brings forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed Christ and God most high Heb. 6. 7. Saints are thus Gods Husbandry and Christ the Mystical Husband-man that does the work He cleanses from filth of flesh the vile fruits and lusts of the corrupt Nature This yet 〈◊〉 not or enables men to bring forth fruit unto God but to themselves only Hos. 10. 1. towards the farther enriching and adorning their own nature They are empty Vines and but fallow Fields yet to God Some-what clear'd are they from the Nettles and Thistles of the corrupt spirit of nature but they bring forth no right Grapes or good fruit unto God unchangably good A seed of enmity remaining in them after all natural cleansings is a Root of bitterness bearing Gall and Wormwood Briars and Thorns in a bloody bitter murderous mind of enmity against God Christ and all his Gospel-Saints and Truths So see we the good man here rendred so by God's unspeakable Gift consisting in true Wisdom Knowledge and Joy joy unspeakable and Glorious in the holy Ghost or spiritual principle of everlasting righteous life desire thought word and
all Experience of man and Warnings from God to the contrary is as Unpardonable as the Devils first sin must be the very way of Salvation What-else or less And then as to the second Adam Let his original Creature-nature or Spirit Set up by himself in Personal Union with his divine From Everlasting Prov. 8. 23. be denied and the very Creation in effect or rather in the cause of it is denied For this Living Creature or all comprehensive Creature-nature under the God of Israel Ezek. 10. 20. and in personal Union with him comprehending in it as a Polished shaft in God's Quiver the very man Christ that in the Fulness of time was made flesh was the very immediate hand by which God Made the Worlds By this Creature-Wisdom and word of God which is called God also were all things made Jo. 1. 1-3 and so by the very man Christ as comprehended therein were made both worlds natural and spiritual in a first and second Creation-workmanship of his passing upon them Heb. 1. 2. Col. 1. 13-16 The same WORD also by which all Angels and men were made was the provided means Mouth or Prophet of God to speak forth the whole Counsel of his Divine Mind to them when made and to Mediate between them and Infinite Divinity which without this Interposing Creature-Vail would have been a Consuming fire to them all This Word is also the Executer as well as Declarer to them of the whole Mind and Will of God from first to last on all Angels and Men as Obediently Submitting to the Methods and Terms of his New-Creating Workmanship or Incorrigibly Rebelling against it He is the 〈◊〉 Roll of Woes to the one the Book of Life and Mercy-Seat to the other in which are Treasured and Sealed up all the distinct Measures and Portions of Wrath for the one amongst the distinct Portions and Measures of Grace and Love for the other Deu. 32. 34 35. This Living Book in which all they do towards God and all God will do towards and with them are exactly Recorded and Registred the Living Stone that bear's and know's all on all hands God's Words to them and theirs to him Jos. 24. 26 27. by way of Covenant will be the Infallible Witness for or against them and Irresistible Executor of the Mind and Will of God towards and upon them all in Everlasting Love or Wrath. See then the case of those that deny any Creature-Nature or Spirit in the Mediatour of elder date then his being made Flesh. And then when in that Fleshy State Crucified they that narrow and consine his Crucisixion only to the Violent Death of his Body and Exclude or take no notice of the Death he put his natural Spirit to as to the Spotless but Changable earthy Law-Life thereof by kindling upon it and Offering it up in the Mystical Fire of his Eternal New-Creature Spirit Luk. 12. 49. Heb. 9. 14. What Conformity to his Death will they Preach If the principal thing he Crucified in himself be denied the principal thing that 's to be Crucified in us will be denied And what then Why then the Subduing the Vile Affections of the Corrupt Spirit of Nature must be Reckon'd Conformity to Christs Death whereas he had no such things in him to Crucifie And then Conformity to him in the but gradually restored Righteous First-Covenant Life of the Law Holy Flesh call it what else we will which he Crucified in himself at best must be reckon'd a State of true Salvation the SAINTS EVERLASTING REST. And then the Counter workings of in part restor'd nature and the Corrupt must pass for Flesh Warring against Spirit and Spirit against Flesh 〈◊〉 5. 17. when indeed all 's but Flesh. Paul when Eminent in Holy Flesh was a fierce Fighter against Christ's Gospel-Spirit Here 's your Divinity and Anti-Gospel Teaching in perfect Contradiction to the declared Methods and Words of God's Wisdom for Salvation in every point Some care is taken to Preach down and Subdue the Brutish Lusts of Litteral Sodom in the Corrupt Spirit of Nature but Mystical Sodomy more criminal then Litteral is Preach'd up for Salvation to wit such establishment in Righteousness as is unchangable enmity to God Gross sins in the dark ignorant corrupt Spirit of nature are cried down but all Mystical Uncleanesses Adulteries Idolatries Thefts Murders Sacriledg c. are preach'd up for Salvation A hard saying What is Truth Said Pilate to Christ not waiting the answer Jo. 18. 38. Christ had told him before-hand that he came into this world to Bear witness to the truth V. 37. What truth That ther 's nothing but vanity or vanishing shadow 's in this World the whole first-creation my Kingdom therefore say's he is not of this World or to be managed in my worldly law-spirit of nature Holy flesh where the Jews would fain have had him own himself a King Jo. 6. 15. but as is Implied of the next and to be manag'd in my new-Creation Spirit of truth All things in the first-Creation state of Angels and men are but vanishing shadows of the truth all Substantial durable Eternal things or truths in the second This is the good confession Negative and Affirmative Christ Witnessed before Pontius 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 6. 〈◊〉 as we find Jo. 18. 36 37. the former Expressed the other Implied in the Word Truth Christ Witnessed or Declared in his Infallible Spirit of Truth that there 's nothing of truth or substance in God's sight nothing unchangably good no Eternal good things or Truths but in the New-Creation State and World in and over which he owned himself a King They that will finally and conclusively be Reigning as Kings in the but worldly restored First-Covenant-Life Holy Flesh as 1 Cor. 4. 8. will be found Pseudo-Fift-Monarchists in direct Hostility to the true Reign of Christ and all true Spiritual Saints in his Holy Gospel-Spirit and so in a Flat contradiction to every tittle of his Gospel-Testimony Christ's witnessed good Confession to Pilate my Kingdom is not of this World gives the dash Solomon Proclaim 's on all First-Creation-Life of Man or Angel with all the things and fruits thereof as Vanities or but perishing Shadows of God's durable New-Creation substances things and truths the Everlasting Life Wisdom and Righteousness of God in his Spirit of Grace and Truth with the Blessed Fruits thereof in Men True Love Joy Peace c. to from and with God and all right Fruits brought forth by them therein unto God All these are Everlasting Incorruptible things the Spiritual Tree Root and Branch Fruits Leaves and all Psal 1. 3. In this Spirit of Truth have Men durable Riches Life Food and Cloathing In this Spirit of the Son only can they rightly Worship the Infinite Divine Spirit or Father He must be Worship'd in Spirit and in Truth in a Spirit of Everlasting Righteousness and Truth All Worshippers in any other Spirit Worship they know not what Jo. 4. 22-24 may be the Devil as God
For he can deceive all Men short of the Spirit of Grace and Truth to Worship him as so above and against God himself 2 Thes. 2. 4. Vers. 2. A time to be Born and a time to Die A time to Plant and a time to pluck up that which is Planted Vers. 3. A time to Kill and a time to Heal a time to break down and a time to Build up Vers. 4. A time to Weep and a time to Laugh A time to Mourn and a time to Dance There 's an appointed time for every Man to be Born in a Fleshly Body which is his personal appearance or Manifestation The Body is an Essential Ingredient into the compleat Constitution of every Man which under all Temporary Vicissitudes Alterations and Changes by Decay's Death and Resurrection remain's for ever the distinguishing part of Man from other Created beings in Heaven and Hell Angels are compleated in their personal Constitution without any such thing as Man's Earthly Body or Life The Spirit of Man before it enters the Body or after departed out of it is not the Compleat Person of a Man For Man consists of Spirit Soul and Body as distinct Essential parts of his being which Paul distinctly Pray's may in Saints be Preserved blameless unto the comming of our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Thes. 5. 23. The whole Spirit of Man Comprehends in its make a Dormant Souly Animalish Life So has a Natural tendency of desire to a Union with its fitly Organized Body in order to bring its Latent Soul or Souly Life into actual Exercise and Operation At the death of the Body this Soul or Souly Life ceases as to exercise lies dormant again in the Spirit as before it's entrance thereinto So till the Resurrection of the whole Man the Spirits even of Just Men made perfect in Spiritual New-Creation Life Act and Converse as pure Intellectual Powers Intuitively after the manner of Angels only Now as there 's a time for the Birth of Man's Body so from the frail materials and constituting Ingredients of it is there an appointed time for its dissolution and so for the Death of the Man by a Seperation of his essential parts This is a truth universally experienc'd and known by all And the like Vicissitudes and Seasons are appointed for other parts of this greater Visible World without Man as well as lesser World the Sum and Abridgment of all within him From the Moment of his Bodily Birth may be Dated the Building Planting Laughing Dancing Rejoycing and Embracing season during the growth and Flourishing State of his Bodily Life When this is at its height Approaches God's appointed Season from the perishing Materials thereof for plucking it up breaking it down and Slaying it This Season is attended with Man's Weeping and Mourning as the Consequents thereof These litteral truths are Experienc'd by Man in the Decay's Gray Hairs Old Age and Death inevitably incident to his body In the declining state thereof is he reduced to a kind of equality with Childhood as debilitated in the exercise of his rational Powers in and by bodily Organs or Instruments Brain Animal spirits c. So if he come to 70 or 80 years his decayed strength affords him little but labour and sorrow Psal. 90. 10. as finding himself to have out-lived the brisk and vigorous exercise of that Reason by which distinguished from brute Beasts In this case 't is man's duty and wisest course to fall in and comply with God's twofold dispensation upon his fleshly body by willingly owning and submitting to the decay's thereof in God's latter demolishing work upon it for pulling it down as well as to be found rejoycing and delighting in his former planting and building up of the same 'T is man's gross folly to struggle and contend for an impossibillity even the keeping up of that which he sees by an inevitable Law of necessity must be laid down He is as sure to die as he was born yea to go strip'd and naked out of the World as he came into it Job 1. 21. God has determined the time for both Death comes as an armed man on man's Body and on all that sort of understanding that 's exercised in and by it There 's no discharg in this War The decay's of it all along from the turning declining point preach the death of it and of that organical Understanding exercised in and by it Come we now to the Mystery of all this All the methods of God's wisdom in his dealings with man's body or bodily life the outward part of his natural man are typical to the like methods and dispensations to his immortal spirit considered in the but mortal first-covenant natural righteous Life thereof planted in it by the first creation A birth life death and buriall are incident to this also as God's appointments to it At the birth of the Body the Spirit or inner natural man is dead as to the mortal first-covenant life of the Law of Works it was at first created in But a fresh birth of or quickning up into this shadowy Life and Image of the Earthy wherein the first Adam was created is offered to all and may be actually received and experienced by all as the common or general salvation if they will The far greater part of mankind refuse to part with the corrupt life of their nature for the righteous And many that receive the righteous as the common salvation Jude 3. from the general Saviour of all men 1 Tim. 4. 10. refuse the special or eternal Salvation receivable only by and in a spiritual Faith This cannot be received without the obedient surrender and death of all received twice from Christ's own hand by his first-creation and general-redemption-workmanship Such death according to the declared methods of God's wisdom must undispensably be yielded to and we become as fools and little Children as to all the restored wisdom life and glory of our own Nature as the undispensable way to our receiving the Life Wisdom and Righteousness of God in his Gospel-spirit of Grace and Image of the Heavenly which alone is Eternal The former is but Reformation-Life in restor'd enliven'd naturals This latter a true Regeneration into spirituals by the Birth of such a new Life in us springing up from the quickned incorruptible seed thereof as plants us together in the likeness of Christ's resurrection on our obedient likness to his death Rom. 6. 5. Nor Angel nor Man had any thing of this Life in the Innocency of both by creation but only as objctivetly presented to their understanding in the Mediator As God at first gave Man that that 's natural and call'd his own offering him that which is spiritual God's own So he first restores something of the first-covenant-Light or also Life that 's natural and after that that 's spiritual Paul when eminent in restored naturals holy flesh by knowledg of or conformity to Christ in the flesh or righteous life of the Law quitted such
16. T. Also he hath set the World in their Heart c. When Men 〈◊〉 six or set up for themselves in their worldly nature and Life of the Law and so set up the World in their Hearts as the only Object of their desire and delight then does God Judicially harden and six them there or set the World in their Hearts And then is their highest Wisdom a Black Darkning Vail upon their Hearts disabling them for ever finding out the Work of God from the beginning of it in the first-creation to the Blessed end of it in the second The God of this World fixing Mens hearts in the love of this World that 's Enmity to God blind's their minds that the light of the Glorious Gospel may not shine into them They see not to the end of that which is abolish'd 2 Cor. 3. 13. So set up for Salvation in that Law-Life that 's to be abolish'd that Glory that 's to be done away v. 7. Fleshly 〈◊〉 t s were not able to behold the spiritual Glory of Moses his true face of Spiritual Saint-ship He therefore put a Vail on it that is came forth in the appearance of the Righteousness of Man or the Law to them They that set up in the Light and Life of the Law for Salvation set up in the Vail Such never see to their comfort the true Face inward Beauty and Spiritual Glory of Moses or other Saints nor the true inward Face or spiritual meaning of any Scripture All Spiritual things or truths in Scripture all spiritual Light Life Wisdom Understanding all things of God in his Saints lie quite out of their sight as meer nothings in their day their Judgment They no more skill or ken them than a Beast the Rational Powers and things of a Man 1 Cor. 2. 11. So they absolutely deny all Gospel things and Truths and positively assert there 's no more excellent Creature-Life or things Man is capable of then what were set up in the first-creation-state of Angel and Man What work will such make at Gospel specially if fixed here and so hardned in unchangable Enmity thereto Thus Christ found the Righteous Scribes Pharisees c. in a Murdering Enmity to the truth that is the gospel-Gospel-Spirit and so of their Father the Devil who abode not in that truth or Obedience to the said Gospel-Light in which Created but quitted that his Habitation or first Estate Jo. 8. 44. Jude 6. They that Rebelliously set up this Shadowy World in their Hearts can't receive the Spirit of truth nor words thereof Jo. 14. 17. 1 Cor. 2. 14. They provoke God to give them their desire in Wrath to set up the World in them or them in their worldly Law-spirit of Enmity and Death to chuse their Delusions Isai. 66. 4. send them strong delusion that they should believe Stan's Lie and be damn'd because they chose rather to beleeve that than his Spirit of truth 2 Thes. 2. 10-12 So God Christ Themselves and the Devil all concur and center in one point the setting the World in their heart or fixing them in their own worldly spirit but upon very differing accounts Then is their case as desperate as that of the Evil Angels Heb. 10. 26 27. Though yet highly Esteemed of Men as owners yea Ministers of the Gospel are they most abominable to God Mystical Sodomit's the most Criminal Sinners in the whole World By being set or fixed in their worldly Spirit they become wholly Strangers and Enemies to the spirit of the World to come which will be upon them at last in Irresistible Wrath. Vers. XII I know that there is no good in them but for a Man to rejoyce and to do good in his life Solomon at a dear rate had experienc'd that there 's no durable unchangable good to be found in all first-creation Life and most Righteous Actions or things thereof No true Joy or Happiness to be had in this World but by doing what is truly good in God's sight in the Life and Spirit of the next True Godliness or power of 〈◊〉 exerciseable only in the Gospel-spirit of Christ is profitable to all things having the promises of this and the Life to come 1 Tim. 4. 8. that is it comprehend's the promised Spiritual Life of Christ and Comforts thereof in this and the World to come the daily encreasing first Fruits of it here and fulness there Yea also the promises even of this life or worldly things thereof such as 〈◊〉 seek belong to true seekers of the Righteousness of God in 〈◊〉 Kingdom spirit All these shall be added to you say's Christ himself Mat. 6. 31-33 The only right rejoycing in and doing good in its kind with such things of this Life is as receiv'd on the said account and manag'd in the Kingdom-spirit of the World to come Vers. 13. And also that every Man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his Labour it is the gift of God 'T is in the unspeakable gift of God only the spirit of Christ the inmost man of the Saint in the Life hid with Christ in God can feed upon the hidden Manna the divine Glory as vailed by that Spirit of Christ and thereby also unvailed or rendred visible in a sutableness only to 〈◊〉 not natural understanding in Man or Angel The never-perishing Meats and Drinks the Bread and Wine of the Kingdom the divine and creature-glories of God in the Mediator are the things true Saints eat drink feed and live upon enjoy rejoyce and delight in even in the peculiar delights of the Sons of God divine spiritual heavenly substantial things things eternal All this is the comfortable fruit of all their right labours in that Spirit that 's the peculiar gift of God distinct from the natural spirit or state of Life with all the Fruits brought forth by Man's utmost and best labours therein Vers. XIV I know that whatsoever God doth it shall be for ever Nothing can be put to it nor any thing taken from it And God doth it that Men should fear before him Whatever is the immediate Divine Workmanship shall be for ever that is the new-creature Spirit set up by the Divine from everlasting Prov. 8. 23. in personal union with it and also called God that made the worlds Jo. 1. 1-3 Heb. 1. 2. Both Worlds Natural and Spiritual and all in both were comprehended in it and brought forth by it This Fountain creature-Spirit in Christ and Streamings forth of the Living Waters thereof into Saints is of an unchangable nature The Gift thereof to Men or heavenly call of them into The Life thereof is without Repentance Variableness or chang The natural first-covenant principle of life and action set up in Man and Angel by the first-Creation is a Starting Variable Wavering thing Ps. 78. 57. Man breaks that Covenant with God and then God his Promise therein with him Numb 14. 34. Though Men be Children and Spouses to Christ therein Jer. 3. 14.
they break with him and then he departs Jer. 31 32. In this sense God Repents Gen. 6. 6. that is changes his dispensation towards Back-sliding Man If Man turn his changable Righteous Life in the first into unchangable Enmity to God and his second-Covenant Life Christ will turn from a changable Husband and Saviour to them in the first into an unchangable Enemy to them in the second Isai. 63. 8. 10. If a Back-sliding people return to him he returns to them and repents of the Evil threat'ned them Exod. 32. 14. Jer. 26. 19. Jonah 3. 10. But he overthrew Sodom c And Repented not of the evil of Punishment Threat'ned because they Repented not of the evil of Sin by them Committed Jer. 20 16. On Man's obedient chang of his sickle Life and freedom of the Sons of Men for the unchangable Life and Glorious Liberty of the Sons of God all this Starting Repenting doings is past on all hands What God does for and in Man by his New-Creation-Workmanship will continue for ever and they in an everlasting Covenant Union with him Establish'd in all things and sure They 'l never depart from him nor he from them to do them good Jer. 32. 40. No breach incident to the new-covenant Jer. 31. 33 34. because manag'd in a Spirit on God's part and Man's too that can never err Sin or miscarry T is infallible Truth and Ever-lasting Righteousness in Christ and his Saints Whatever God yea or Man doth in this Spirit shall be for ever All the Fruits Labours Works produced or done therein are Incorruptible Everlasting will be for ever As the new Root and Tree so are the Fruits and very 〈◊〉 The Incorruptible Gospel-Tree will be known by its fruits in distinction from the Mystical Fleshly Law-Tree and Corruptible Fruits thereof T. Nothing can be put to it nor any thing taken from it God's offring and setting up his new-creature Life with the glory Wisdom and Righteousness thereof in the room of Man's obediently surrendred old is the main design and scope of all Scripture This 〈◊〉 where are Men with all the words of their Foolish Wisdom Setting up Law-Life for Salvation and Calling it a Gospel-State is directly Satan's Gospel-Work his Mystery of Iniquity with its hidden Works of darkness under the Form of Godliness and Righteousness of Man All the Mystical Spiritual sense of Scripture is by such excluded out of all their Teaching Those that thus take away or deny a spiritual Creature-Life in Christ the Whole Living Book and Word of God and so the Character Doctrin and declaration thereof in the Scriptures or Written Oracles of God do take not only some but all the principal intended things Engraven by God himself in the former or by his Holy Inspired Pen-men in the latter And then will God take from them any part of the truly good things in either and Inflict on them all the Plagu's Written in both Rev. 22. 18 19. Sure 't is no small retail-heresy that exclud's all Gospel Truth and the whole Doctrine of Salvation This does Man's Wisdom that 's Foolishness to God's and reckon's all the Word 's of God's and whole Gospel-Doctrin of his Cross upon nature at best Foolishness 1 Cor. 1. 18-25 It shuts up the Kingdom of Heaven excludes all Kingdom-Life and sense of Scripture But though Gospel-undertakers herein not only derogate from and diminish but what in them lies utterly Deny Despise and Destroy all true Gospel-Life and Doctrin in Christ Scriptures and Saints 't is not by all their or Satan's 〈◊〉 Wiles and Skill that any thing can be taken from it or added to it All the Opprobrious Titles of Hereticks Enthusiasts or Phanaticks Blasphemers Mad-men that they bestow on Christ Jo. 10. 20. and true Saints Hos. 9. 7. belong intirely to themselvs This will be undeniably Evidenc'd at Christ's second appearing and final Decision of all Controversies between true Spiritual Zion-Saints and these Hypocritical 〈◊〉 in Zion Isai. 66. 5. and 34. 8. that in the worded-dress of Spiritual Saint-ship and New-Covenant Principles are but a Law-spirited Generation that only personate and would pass for the true Heirs and so labour to 〈◊〉 them out of their right and take their Inheritance from them These are the Ravenous Wolves in the Spiritual Sheeps Clothing that bestow no other Titles on them but Devil and Mad as Inquisitors on Lutherans and so Kill them as not fit to live upon the Earth Act. 22. 22. The determining this Controversy will give an amazing Consternation and Disappointment to Hypocritical Sinners in Zion and unspeakable Joy to the all along this World under Satan's Reign and in Man's day oppressed Sion-Saints Is. 33. 14. This will be when Christ arises or comes forth to Judg Enemies and have Mercy upon Zion Psal. 102. 13. In his new-Creature-Spirit and Life God does whatsoever he will and Enables Saints to do so too even whatsoever he will's as universally Obedient to him in every thing No Man or Angel in single First-Creation-Light or Understanding can discern this Spirit of Life or any of the things thereof and therefore would make nothing of them all Proud Man and Angel will needs have any thing they can't see to be nothing But God hath so order'd his matters as to the final Salvation of Man that Men should fear before him yield to his term's of saving them and not Proudly and Presumptuously exalt themselvs against him in that Life and Wisdom the Death and utter abolition of which according to the declared Methods of his Wisdom is absolutely necessary to their being saved So only can any receive that Life in which infallibly to know and declare the whole Counsel and to do the whole Will of God after his own Heart Solomon having declared this Incorruptibly perfect New-Creature-Life that admits to Chang Addition or Diminution for ever when compleated being above all Death Dangers Enemies or Fears proceed's to shew the Weakness Insufficiency and unprofitableness of all other Life or things First-Creation Vanities compared therewith saying Vers. XV. That which hath been is now and that which is to be hath already been and God requireth that which is past Somewhat like what is said Ch. 1. 9. That which hath bin in former Generations is now a gradually Restor'd First-Covenant Righteous Life And that which is to be set up again in full perfection at Christ's second Comming for the Restitution of all things Act. 3. 21. hath already bin in Primitive Innocency But still still what is this that has been at first and shall be at last in full Perfection and in the gradual Renewals of it all along between A Starting Labile Versatile thing a fading flower altogether Vanity liable not only to such a fall as happen'd to Man at first into changable but also into unchangable Enmity to God and Eternal Death to Man This is a latter end worse then the beginning in Innocency or as Born dead in Trespasses and Sins This Life
of God Ye never find it else or enter it 〈◊〉 from your own understanding Consult not or conferr with flesh and blood in your selvs or others what ye shall do to be saved That principle will never own one right word towards eternal life T' is a flat enemy to every word of God's Wisdom about it They that despise and wonder at such words will everlastingly perish Acts. 13. 41. Those that gad abroad in a spirit of vanity enmity and death to chang their way from form to form in Religion toss'd and Tumbled up and down by every Wind of Satan's and Man's Doctrin or other Gospel who can help them That that dieth say's God let it die and that that is to be cut off let it be 〈◊〉 off Zec. 11. 9. Litteral and Mystical Sodom do seem to carry all before them in this most Antichristian-day and Perillous Season A Gospel-Testimony is almost universally rejected When Christ himself Preach'd he met with Multitudes of Wilfull Proud Heady Traiterous Contradicting and Blaspheming first-covenant Saints Wise Righteous Holy Men in the form of godliness in the first denying the Power of it in the second-Covenant Spirit the Gospel-Principle This was alway's the case And even so is it now 2 Tim. 3. 1-5 Gal. 4. 29. Who but Professours in Holy Flesh urg'd Christ's Crucifixion when Pilate and his Heathen Party would have freed him They 'd rather a Robber a Murderer any Malefactor should scape then he Wise Righteous Holy Men and a Currupt Dark Profane Grosly Idolatrous Party are in a contesting Scramble But both have had their season to speak Lies at one Table against the Saints of the most High Are we at a loss for an instance The Vizard will flie off The guilty Shedders of Innocent Blood will be unpalliated at last and forc'd to appear in their more then Ethopian hiew that yet lies hid under the form of Godliness God exercises long-suffering towards them and lets them think him such a one as themselvs till he set their Sins in order before their Eyes and so tear them in pieces that none can deliver Psal. 50. 20-22 His long-suffering towards Enemies is with design to compleat and fulfill the Patience or Sufferings of his Saints by their hand for their unspeakable advantage and their Enemies final Destruction A Comfortable Consideration True Saints ought to Comfort themselvs and one another with such right Words and Thoughts In conclusion Christ will appear to their Joy and their Enemies shall be asham'd Isai. 66. 5. Yea lie down in Sorrow and Everlasting Contempt as Vessels of Dishonour Eternity will be a long day to pay their full reckoning in God in the exercise of his infinite Justice and Mercy will bring all to rights give every one their due recompence for Obedience to or Rebellion against him New-covenant Gospel-Saints are more odious to the legal first-covenant professour then is the common sinner of the Gentiles in the corrupt spirit of nature The wisdom of this world in the most enlightned first-covenant Saint Wise strong and Honourable in Christ there is 〈◊〉 to God's and God's in his new-covenant Saints to theirs Was not Paul a fool weak and despicable in Christ's Gospel-spirit to but such wise strong and honourable ones in Christ 1 Cor. 4. 10. Flesh and Spirit or Man's spirit and God's are directly contrary to each other in all their designs desires and thoughts about true Salvation The former fixed in is the carnal mind of enmity to God Rom. 8. 6 7. that will prove eternal death to man The latter becomming the principle of life desire thought and action in Man is eternal life to him and in him The carnal mind of enmity was not found in Man or Angel the day they were created Ezek. 28. 15. Neither of them as they came out of their Creator's hands were found in enmity to God or the life of his spirit of Grace though they had it not till they both sinn'd and fell The voluntary evil rebellious use of their own mind introduced this enmity to God's Changable enmity in man is now inseperable from his life Unless therefore life and all at best be parted with he will become unchangable therein as Devils are and so be found in a state of eternal death No wonder then if in the place of Judgment and Righteousness or in the most enlight'ned Righteous state of the natural spirit in fallen Man and Angel be found by the al-searching spirit of Christ in himself and Saints the deepest and most Criminal Mystical Wickedness and Iniquity hidden works of Darkness rendring them most abominable to God unchangable Enemies to the Saints of the most high and to ths most High himself But what Have Gospel-Saints all truth and First-Covenant Saints none Can any believe this Yet most true Let but the Scripture-sense of truth be duly considered as the Character of the Gospel Spirit and words thereof in distinction from the Law-Spirit of this World in all its variety and words thereof the Wonder at and unbelief of this would cease But does the wise first-Covenant Holy Man receive nothing of a Gospel-Testimony Not one word No man in the Spirit of nature corrupt or righteous rightly receives such Testimony in any point That Spirit is a Spirit of total darkness and Universal Errour an absolute Heretick as to all Gospel-Life and truths This seem's hard What then The Jews were for Moses who but they Christ found they took not the Mystical truth of one word of Moses So told them they were Infidels as to the principal intendment and main scope of all his Writings For says he had ye believed Moses ye would have believed me But if ye believe not his Writings how shall ye believe my Words Jo. 5. 46 47. The Scriptures are own'd as the Words of God by all under the name of Christians but how do they read hear or understand them In the litteral Shadow only or Mystical truth also As teaching and preferring the Righteousness and Wisdom of Man to the dark ignorant State and Vile Affections of the corrupt Spirit of nature only or as also farther declaring the everlasting Life Wisdom and Righteousness of God in his Gospel-Spirit of Grace and Truth For this latter nature at best is to suffer death the right way Viz by the death of the guilty Sinner and so death of Sin in Men whereas by the fall Men became dead in Sin Sin alive in them and they dead now they alive and Sin dead and that for ever This by the death-work of the Cross or Gospel-Spirit on the natural Men in their own confused Spirit of Darkness as to all Gospel-Truths have much variety of thought and Opinion But all as one Man are against every tittle of Gospel-truth words of God's Wisdom which the Holy Ghost teaches Though they all read all the Words of God's Wisdom in the Letter they do not read them in the sense of Christ's Question to the Lawyer or teaching
of mortal first-creation Life with the operations thereof intellectual and intuitive with Angels sensual with beasts birds and fishes c. Vegetal with plants trees c. And then has he bodily parts made of elementary materials with all inanimate compounds Every individual man therefore is fitly call'd a Microcosm or little World an Epitome or Compound of all found in the greater without him And all these Lives in him are mortal All vanity The very righteous first-covenant Life of his immortal spirit whether in the intuitive inorganical or rational organical operations thereof is mortal too All men are witnesses of this by the death and loss of it in all for the first sin of all in and with the first Yet farther One sort of Life Man has that 's not found in the whole Macrocosm or greater World without him a Life of rational-sense exercised in and by his Body Neither Angel nor Beast have this no Creature above or below him The Result from God's uniting Man's Spirit and fitly organiz'd Body is called a living Soul Gen. 2. 7. 1 Cor. 15. 45. The Soul Souly or animalish Life sleep's or remain's dormant and unexercised in the Spirit when departed till a re-union with its Body at the Resurrection whether of Life or Damnation John 5. 29. The essentials of Man Body Soul and Spirit whatever suspension of exercise or temporary alteration be incident to any of them make up the discriminating form of Man from all other Creatures in both Worlds for ever in Earth Heaven or Hell Man's corruptible Body at first made of dust receiv'd an additional frailty by his sin in the degenerate state of his whole Nature The Spirit departed out of it it soon moulder's into dust Then does Man cease from the exercise of Bodily Life as well as the Beast when he dies In this therefore Man has no pre-heminence above a Beast For he is made of the same materials has the same Breath in his Nostrils and comes to the same end The Beast receives his animation by the quick'ning up of a meer sensual Life in his Body So his Spirit never has its Body again nor any Life above and without it but ceases for ever Brutified Atheists would fain perswade themselvs and others out of the immortality of their Spirits and that Man has no other kind of Life or Being than the Beast but only a superiority to the Beast therein as Angels have to Men in intellectual Life though man had the same kind of Life by Creation and that perfect too See the Apocryphal Wisdom of 〈◊〉 sor a Character of these Atheistical Reasoners Wisdom 2. 1-9 Plenty of these brutish disputants that labour to out themselvs and others of all the Prerogatives of man above the Beast find we at this day Having wickedly made themselves Brutes fain would they perswade themselvs God made them so And if others think themselvs better they set themselvs to prove their thought a whimsical Imagination and that we have no being or Life for ever after the dissolution of our Body What 's Eternal death Annihilation No. That 's the thing they plead for and seek after but will never find The incorrigibly vile will be most exquisitely sensible under everlasting Burnings in every particle of their beings The Righteous Life Man had before the fall he lost by his first Sin That was but mortal and a perishing Vanity as well as the Life of the Beast though of a more excellent sort But he has degraded his nature into a kind of Equality with the Beast He may know the insignificancy of his lost Life as to true Blessedness by its being lost But in stead of looking upwards for a better he chuses rather to sink down into a worse the meer Brutish Life of the Beast hating all Discourse Counsel or Instruction of the least tendency towards a Gospel-Life of immortality suited to the immortality of his being This appear's the case of most Men by the following Words Vers. XX. All go unto one place All are of the Dust and all turn to Dust again Here 's the condition of all Men as to the Mortal Life of Body and Soul the Mortal first-creation earthy righteous Life of their Spirit turn's also to dust again Their Spirit indeed as an Immortal being is distinct from and Superiour to the meer sensual Spirit of the Beast This appears Vers. XXI Who knoweth the Spirit of Man that goeth upward and the Spirit of the Beast that goeth downward to the Earth Or Who knoweth and rightly consider's the Spirit of Man in its distinguishing Prerogative from the Beast What is said v. 18-20 may seem to countenance the mistaking sensualist's foremention'd Atheistical Doctrin But this pulls him back to another Lesson Man in his bodily part Life and Breath was like the Beast even before the fall But his sinful doting on the same sensual delights with Beasts and so making his whole Man a Beast this was not his case by Creation God made him a Man He has made himself a Beast And the Beast has vastly the start of him herein Sin 's not in his delights has no principle of Life desire or palate in his nature to which any thing above meer sensual Objects is calculated Is not subject to the Judgment Man is nor has any Immortality of being to sufler the pains of eternal death in The Spirit of the Beast goes downward to the Earth as well as his Body There 's an end of him He never hear's of himself more Such death incorrigibly Wicked Angels and Men will vainly seek but never find It will ever flee from them They 'l find themselvs in a fix'd hatred to what is eternal Life And they 'l find themselvs dreadfully Tormented in eternal death What then can be their desire but insensibleness or annihilation They 'l never find either Being will stick closse to them and most exquisite sensibleness never depart one Moment in Eternity from them They must lie by 't for ever in Sorrow Tormented in every particle of their make Man by the Right use of his rational Powers in law or first-covenant-light ought to Perform active obedience to god's law and when call'd to it yield himself up in passive obedience to his Cross and so receive his Gospel spirit and principle of eternal and well-pleasing active Obedience Thus ought Man to live to the Lord and die to the Lord Ro. 14. 8. in his Law-Spirit of nature that he may live for ever to the Lord in his Gospel Spirit of Grace Thus is Man to obey God in a Law and Gospel-state successively one after another in the Life of his own Spirit and then of God's This is the Method and Doctrin of God's Wisdom for Man's Salvation tion Man's unbelieving contradicting Wisdom will if persisted in bring him to Weeping and of Gnashing of Teeth for ever the Just Portion of all his 〈◊〉 company Luk. 12. 46. the Just Punishment of all wilful Mistake Unbelief and
that doth truth cometh to the light that his deeds may be manifest that they are wrought in God Jo. 3. 21. Deeds wrought by God in Man and Man in God Thus God Judges of and calls such works the Labours of Man in Christ's Gospel-Life See what is said in this case on Ch. 2. 24. and v. 12 13 of this Chap. Solomon does not here countenance Man's rejoycing in such Labours of his own Spirit as he reckon's vain in themselves and unprofitable to himself Ch. 1. 3. as to any final good to him therein or by Nothing short of the new-Creature-State and Man's Labours therein signify any thing towards eternal Life Gal. 6. 15. Neither Circumcision nor Uncircumcision righteous or corrupt nature or any thing done by Man in either can be of any avail or 〈◊〉 thereunto So have we found out these works of Man he is to 〈◊〉 in done in that Life which is his peculiar portion and new-Creation Birth-right gift from God If works wrought in Man's own spirit will and way were meant t' would be a Flat contradiction to the main scope of this whole book which Proclaim 's the absolute Vanity and insignificancy of all first-Creation Life and things at best as to Man's pleasing God or finding true blessedness for himself Such works are meant as Man may ought will cannot but rejoyce in with Joy unspeakable and Glorious Here 's Man 's inward Summum bonum a Life wherein he can do all things after God's own Heart Steddily Infallibly Eternally and so enjoy the transcendently yet higher Summum bonum without him the Divine Glory in Favour and Love shining upon him for ever First-Covenant Divines as well as Evil Angels and Heathen Philosophers place Man's Summum bonum in but first-Creation excellencies whatever other title they give it within the compass of natural Objects and in the activity of their natural State that 's a fading flower altogether Vanity The Spirit of truth by its Penmen acquaints us with other matters for hapiness another Life other excellencies objects and works Man is capable to be found in the possession and exercise of The spiritual Man's Joy and delight meets and center 's in the same works or things with God's True Saints are in a Union with his Divine Spirit in Will Understanding Desire Thought Love and Hatred They love what he loves with a perfect love Hate what and whom he hates with a perfect hatred Ps. 139. 21 22. All Man's Labours are vain in his own Spirit of Vanity Not so in the Lord 1 Cor. 15. 58. Paul rejoyc'd in that Gospel-Life he had by the Faith of the Son of God Gal. 2. 20. and his Labours therein but found his Law-Life and best works therein Dung when touching the Righteousness which is the Law or to be found in that Law-State blameless Philip. 3. 6. Enmity to God Tinctur's Sullies and desiles all that Life and Works at best with filth of Spirit T. For who shall bring him to see what shall be after him If Man Submit not to God's terms for receiving his new-Creation-Life who can bring him to see what shall be after him Either what will become of good or Evil Angels or Men in Eternal Life or Death after their fading Life of Vanity with all the things thereof is over and gone These grand and most concerning futurities things no natural Eye Heart or Understanding can see or imagine on all hands the things provided in Heaven for those that truly fear God or in Hell for incorrigible haters of him lie quite out of the reach of Man or Angel in their natural first-Creation State of Enmity and Vanity Darkness and Death The Spiritual Man in the true Preaching Spirit of Prophecy discern's or judges all things 1 Cor. 2. 15. and can declare Infallibly what all Men and Angels will come to as finally Obedient or Disobedient to God's term's of receiving Eternal Life He knowing the Terrours of the Lord 2 Cor. 5. 11. and what a fearful thing it is to fall into the hands or under the final Wrath of the Living God does Might and Main Labour in the Spirit of Christ to warn and caution Men as to the only way of entring into the Joy and escaping the Wrath of the Lord the Wrath to come By refusing so great Salvation as God offers them come they to Eternal Death Want and Vexation of Spirit Prov. 8. 34-36 They 'l want every thing that 's good and have every thing that 's evil in and upon them in Extreamity for ever unchangable Wickedness in them and positive Inflictions of God's Wrath as Punishment upon them without any Interruption or Relief Luk. 16. 24 25. to Eternity They have chosen rather in the declar'd known causes and way thereto to be Vessels of Dishonour and Everlasting Contempt then on God's term's to be made Vessels of Glory Honour Immortality and Eternal Life By Enmity to God's Divine and New-Creature Holy Ghosts or Spirits do they bring siery Indignation on their unpardonably guilty heads Heb. 10. 26 27. Ro. 2. 6-10 These great things that will be found and felt hereafter do evidence the great weight of these Words of Solomon and grand concern of Men to be circumspect in taking the true meaning of them Who but the awak'ned Spiritual Saint can foresee and tell the unutterable Confusions final Refusers of God's Counsel will be found in for ever The Cares and Pleasures of this Life choke Mens understandings as to any right and hearty enquiry after their grand concerns in the next The Noble Bereans did set themselvs to search the Scriptures for the Gospel-Kingdom and Righteousness of God Who does so now Those that in this World seek not the Kingdom and Righteousness of God in the next Mat. 6. 33. will never find it let them flatter themselvs in their Loose Negligent Inadvertent course while they will The most trifling outward Vanities of this World do universally amuse and take up Peoples time and thought so as to detain them in a deep oscitancy and regardlesness as to the unutterable Woes prepar'd in Tophet for Incorrigible sinners or unspeakable Joys in the Kingdom of God for Spiritual Saints Believe not your own Thoughts O ye Sons of Men about Salvation Lean not to your own Understandings Conferr not with Flesh and Blood Regard not the Voice of Strangers the Words of Man's Wisdom about it CHAP. IV. Vers. I. So I returned and considered all the Oppressions that are done under the Sun And behold the tears of such as were oppressed and they had no Comforter And on the side of their Oppressors there was power but they had no Comforter I Returned Heb. was Converted from my fallible wisdom to see the Affairs of Mankind in the infallible wisdom of God particularly to consider duely the manifold Oppressions under the Sun Even himself through his vastly expensive extravagancies had given occasion to his oppressed Subjects to bespeak his soolish Son 〈◊〉 after his Decease on this wise
Levit's and a Plague on some others of the People Exod. 32. They said v. 4. and Jeroboam said after them in the like case behold thy Gods O Israel which brought thee up out of the Land of Egypt O Madness To the Egyptian God's that could not deliver their own People from them do they ascribe their deliverance from their Egyptian Bondage and Task-Masters So Ahaz Sacrificed to the God's of Damascus which were the ruine of him and all Israel 2 Chron. 28. 22 23. and 2 King 16. 10-13 So also Amaziah set up the Edomit's Gods to be his Gods and sought after them which could not deliver their own People out of his hands 2 Chro. 26. 14 15. and was destroy'd for his pains as threat'ned by the Prophet for not hearkning to his Counsell though against and contrary to the King 's Wicked Idolatrous Council v. 16. 27. And what became of Jeroboam for his Calf-worship erected on a self Interested Reason of State See 1 King 14. 10 11. I le cut of Jeroboam and take away the Remnant of his House as a Man takes away Dung till it be all gone Him that dieth of him in the City shall Dogs Eat and him that dies in the Field shall the Fowls of the Air Eat For the Lord hath spoken it Is not here enough When Christ shall take possession of and actually reign over all the Earth his right always Psal. 2. 8. all Visible and Invisible Principalities and Powers of this World Evil Men and Angels will be laid in the Dust. Nothing but Righteousness of one sort or other Man's or God's in Man will be found in the whole World his Holy Mountain or Kingdom by his Executing that Judgment and Justice in the Earth Jer. 23. 5. always all along his peaceable Righteous Reign that they allway's perverted Saints also that he will bring with him to Reign will do the like in Harmony with their Universal Fift Monarch Dan. 7. 18 -- 27. Jude 14 15. Rev. 5. 10. Solomon in Spiritual Light sees and mean's not only nor chiefly the oppression of the Body in the concerns thereof by Heathen Governments violating the Common Law or Light of rational nature in mankind but the Oppression and Violence exercis'd by first-Covenant Brethren against the second the only true Heirs and Saints of the most high The new Light and Life they are found in under the fructifying Influence and Beamings forth of the Mystical New-Creation Sun of everlasting Righteousness Christ as a Spiritual Bride-groom is Scorn'd Hated contradicted Blasphem'd and they Persecuted and kill'd for 't by none so much as by their envious Brethren in Holy Flesh restor'd Law-Life under the Mystical first-Creation Sun or First-Covenant Spirit wherein Christ has bin a sleshly Law-Bride-groom to them Thus are true Saints the Oppressed peculiarly and most properly here and Chap. 5. 8. meant by Solomon And then shall we find the vast number of Dead Heathens in the corrupt Life or Spirit of nature dead in Trespasses and Sins and the far smaller number of enliven'd first-Covenant Brethren professing Saints in Holy Flesh in all variety of Judgment Form or way in one kind or other Oppressours of the smallest number of all Christ's little Flock the few that are saved true Saints of the most High in God's Holy New-Creature-Spirit stripp'd and destitute of all Worldly Power or help All in this World against them No thing No body for them They are Men Wonder'd at Scorn'd Hated by all Men of Contention with the whole Earth The whole Earth or wordly party of Angels and Men fix'd in their earthy natural first-Creation-make and State despiteful Enemies to the Spirit of Grace and all in the second are their Implacable Adversaries in every thing The but first-Covenant Righteous Professour call himself what he will sometimes gets a considerable Share in the Civil Sword or Power and uses it with greatest fierceness against the new-Covenant professing Spiritual Saint who with Christ look's not after the Kingdom of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heavenly managable only in the Spirit of 〈◊〉 not the most enlight'ned righteous Principles or State of nature and not actually commencing till Man's and Satan's be at a Period Such a Kingdom such a King or Kings as Christ and his true Disciples lay claim to or own themselvs of right to be as Sons of God even Heathen Pilate was able to see and Judg carries no clash in it at all with Worldly Ceasars or Magistracies John 18. 36-38 True Saints are not for throwing down all Heathen Magistracies in the corrupt Spirit of nature that they may rule over all in the renew'd worldly spirit thereof They that design and drive at this are the Pseudo-Fift-Monarchists who in all their Zeal and high Pretences for the King Jesus are the highest and fiercest Enemies and Opposers of the very Jesus the very Christ in his very Gospel-reigning Spirit of Grace and Truth They are themselvs the most signal part and Branch at least of that little Horn with the Mouth speaking very great things Dan. 7 8. 11. 20 21. 24 25. Rev. 13. 3. 5 -- 8. 11 -- 17 which they would wholly fix upon and appropriate unto a corrupt and grosly Idolatrous Heathen party in the Fourth Roman Monarchy under the name Christian. These are they with the deadly Wound Healed given by the first Sin that laid all Mankind dead in Trespasses and Sins who with a great mouth speak great things blasphemous words against God and his new-name or Gospel-Spirit the Holy Ghost God's Heavenly Sanctuary or Tabernacle and them that dwell in it even the Saints of the most high that dwell or have their conversation in Heaven Christ's Heavenly Gospel-Spirit of Grace By the false Fift-Monarchist is to be understood not only a party peculiarly and apart from their Fellows at Munster or lately amongst us or in any former Generations and other Countries pretending this way by throwing down all corrupt Worldly Monarchies or Governments to set up themselvs but the whole fixed first Covenant-Spirited Generation and Party of Professours in all times and places found in the same uniform Spirit of unchangable Enmity to the true Spiritual Saint on the one hand and a self-confident Disturbing Traiterous Opposition to corrupt worldly Cesars on the other This troublesome Spirit is charactred by the Apostle in the Jewish Professours that both kill'd the Lord Jesus and their own Prophets and Christ's Apostles And therein please not but indeed highly displease and Provoke God and are contrary to all Men on their right and left hand Spiritual Saints and polluted Heathens For this Wrath came upon those Jews to the uttermost and will upon all in like case 1 Thes. 2. 15 16. These are they that speak great swelling Words of Vanity with their self-exalting Luciferian Master Satan the old great Bloody-minded Red Dragon against the most high himself and all his true Spiritual Saints These are they that said of Christ himself the Supream Preacher and
or constant steddy spirit of everlasting Truth and Righteousness and Works thereof David pray'd for Psal. 51. 10. All fix'd in the but starting righteous natural spirit or principle of Life and Action hate with a perfect hatred as they them Psal. 139. 21 22. Righteous first-covenant Brethren are the most fierce persecutors of the second can't afford them a good word sit and speak evil against them Psal. 50. 20 21. Such Crucified Christ. Profane persons hate all such right works as are performable in renew'd naturals But all of both sorts Profane and Professors are against all spiritual Saints Works Things and Truths Many lesser Ruffles may the fix'd first-covenant righteons have with the Profane party but they mortally envy and hate the spiritual Saint with all his right works and words as seventy times seven fold more abominable to them than the profane party with all their brutish vilenesses Away with them 't is not fit they should live say they Masqu'd Papists worse than bare-fac'd or Mahumetans Spiritual Saints with their truly right works are a thousand-fold more envied by sowre leavened Legalists then common sinners of the Gentiles and their generally discernable wrong works This has bin found in all times and places towards all true prophets Christ himself and Saints before and under Law and Gospel Christ came to his own in the first-covenant and they blasphemed and Crucified him for the Gospel-doctrin of the second Never more will the whole World be in an uproar against Christ and his Saints then when he is just at the Door ready to come forth with them to reign over all such enemies What a universal surprize and amazement will this be to them all one and 'tother Heathen and first-covenant people As wondering at both their madnesses against Christ in his first and second coming the Psalmist ask's Psal. 2. 1. Why do the Heathen rage and the People imagine a vain thing What vain thing do they imagine and tumultuously assemble in a Union of their otherwise 〈◊〉 minds to do to cast down Christ God's supreamly anointed one and Saints Christ's anointed ones vers 2 3. A likely Project to thrive in Do either or any of them know what they do The Mystical Kings do in some measure the greater their madness the litterai less the less their folly though they also Rage and Tumultuously Assemble in this case Both are guilty enough to find a conclusion bad enough to them all Let the two earthen Pot-Sherds corrupt and righteous tugg and fight it out with one another That 's a lower trade of Sinning in either But if they peece up and joyntly fight against their maker they are at the highest point of Folly and Madness And then highest wo to both and all Isai. 45. 9. They contend against Almighty and Irresistibly mighty Divine and new-Creation Power Is all this Hubbub and Tumultuous Assembling of Mankind with all their combined Counsels and Forces against the insinite Divine Father and his Divine and Creature-Son like to Prosper They 'd break their Bands and cast away their cords srom them This is the Rebellious Design and Plot. They 'l not be subject to limited or bound up by their Laws or words of command This is their desperate case and Resolution This Universal Conspiracy to be remarkably the case in the last beyond all former times is on the very account here declar'd their incorrigible envy at or Enmity to God's Divine and new creature-Spirit of Grace with all the right words works or fruits thereof in true Saints which offer to lay Bands on all their unruly Wills This they 'l not endure but labour might and main to shake them off and cast them away from them This is that which corrupt and righteous humane with Evil Angelical nature make head against God Christ and Saints about The two-edged Spiritual Sword in all these hands speaks death to nature in them all Therefore they all fight against it But this will in Love or Wrath perform the whole Will and Counsel of God as to the death of nature on every Angel and Man good and bad Isai. 1. 19 20. and 55. 11. 2 Cor. 2. 15 16. Christ in that Spirit wherein any can or ever could be saved is the stumbling-Stone and rock of Offence the only Rock of Defence to Saints to the numerous Troops of innumerable evil Angels and Men that Build on the Sandy fallible Principles of nature for Salvation They utterly defy all the words of the Builders on the Rock that speak nothing but War and Death to them attempting to set Fire on their House Guess who of the Earthy party are like to take this most heavily at Christ's and his Saints hands as offring to take down a beautiful Church-building with pretence to set up a better unchangably glorious That Mystical Temple of his Body or whole natural State that Christ said was to be pull'd down So as not to have one stone of it left upon another and in which he Refus'd at the Jews desire to be their King saying he 'd build it up into another more glorious Temple-State in which he would be a King this was the very ground of the Professing Jews proceeding against him to the death He has built up our nature in himself by way of Resurrection into a new-Creation Temple of the Living God for evermore His Doctrin of the Cross upon them and Practice of it upon our nature in himself did the Professing Jews and their Teachers Priests Scribs Pharises c. call Blasphemy or evil-speaking against the first-Creation Temple and Life of the Law as no State of true Salvation This they reckon'd an Evil Hurtful or false speaking that is Blasphemy And in saying so they Blasphem'd or spoke and did evil and hurtful things Maliciously of and against him and all his Gospel-Truths First-Covenant Brethren hate the very Gospel-Principle and all the Right Works and Words of Christ and Saints therein For which of my good works do ye stone me Said Christ. Not for any good work but for Blasphemy replied the Jews Jo. 10. 32 33. What must Steven or any Servant expect if the Lord were thus handled See Act. 7. 51-60 with the ground Act. 6. 9-14 A first-Covenant People among the Gentiles under Gospel do the same things to their Spiritual Brethren as the Jews under the dispensation of the Law in the self-same Law-Principle and Life the very leaven of the Pharisees But these disturbers of Gods true Israel in both will be cut off Gal. 5. 12. They labour to keep off all true Gospel-Doctrin from all hearing as the most abominable Heresy and Preachers of it not fit to live Act. 22. 22. and 24. 14. Law-circumcision for cutting off Filth of Flesh they prefer to the true Spiritual Gospel-circumcision that cutts of Holy Flesh restor'd righteous nature from which filth of Spirit or Enmity to God's Gospel-Spirit is inseperable For this Murdering-minded Cain's Envy Mortally Hate and kill Spiritual Abels from
first to last This is their evil work in Enmity to God and the Power of Godliness under the form thereof and Righteousness of Man Their envy in this case is called Murder though they be not furnish'd always for the ouvert act on Saints Bodies They Breath out Threatnings and Slaughters against Christ's Spiritual Disciples and so against himself his new name and Life Why Persecutest thou me said he to Paul Here 's the Butt all their Revengful Arrows even bitter Words are Shot 〈◊〉 They are six'd with their Father the Devil in the first-Creation and so in unchangable Enmity to God and the second Jo. 8. 44. They Mortally hate that which is Eternal Life How then should they have it abiding in them 1 Jo. 3. 15. Joseph ' s Brethren Paul and other unawak'ned Spiritual Saints have amongst others said le ts kill these Dreamers so call they the most awak'ned true Prophets and Saints and see what all their Dreams or aery Notions will come to Gen. 37. 19 20. But the guilt of the convinced 〈◊〉 in Christ's Vineyard that saw him and his Saints the true Heirs and said le ts kill them that the Inheritance may be ours is of another hiew All such knowing wilful Sinners against the Holy Ghost or Gospel-Spirit of true Saintship are unpardonable True Saints are a wonder even in Israel a first-Covenant People of God hatred in that House of God Hos. 9. 7 8. They are a Spectacle of Scorn and Derision in their Marr'd naturals to the World all Angels and Men in the Flourish and Glory of a fix'd worldly Spirit 1 Cor. 4. 8. 13. Such despisers of true Saints Wonder and Perish They will in no wise believe though a Man declare it to them Act. 13. 41. They persist in a wilful Enmity against Spiritual Conviction-Light These Hypocritical Sinners in Zion-light Justling out and killing those they know to be the true Spiritual Heirs when sorely Oppress'd by Heathen-Rulers beyond hope of Visible help will pitch for relief on Christ's appearing for them And his appearing will be a thousand-fold more Amazing and Tormenting to them then all Oppressions they groan under from their Brutish Egyptian Task-Masters His day will be darkness and not light to them the most sad gloomy day that ever befel them Amos 5. 18-20 They 'l be found in unchangable Enmity to the very Spirit and Light of that day The true Saint then we see is called to and required patiently to pass thorow all sorts of Oppression from Devils and from the corrupt and enlight'ned Spirit of nature in other Men and in himself All desires thoughts and motions of his own nature are constant fighters against his Spiritual Mind 1 Pet. 2. 11. and Ro. 7. No treating about Peace They are always for War Ps. 120. 7. Gal. 5. 17. As true Souldiers of Christ therefore are we to fight down and Crucify our Flesh with the Affections and Lusts that War against our Souls On the death of all Enemies within will Saints be compleated in a ResurrectionLife and therein become more then Conquerors of all Enviers of their right works and words But till this all along their Warfare in the Mortal Body their Envious first-Covenant Brethren and Neighbours labour to make their Travel under the pangs of Mystical death to appear a sore vexation of Spirit But the downfal weeping and tears of the natural or Old Man is the ready and only Road to the everlasting Harvest-Joy of the new Ps. 126. 5 6. Saints aware of this ought with Paul to Glory and Rejoyce in nothing save the Cross or Spirit of Christ Gal. 6. 14. Vers. V. The Fool foldeth his Hands together and Eateth his own Flesh. The Fool here is a Man that through wilfull Folly makes no right use of his first-Creation Talent of light or life restor'd by the Redeemer A Character of this Fool have we Prov. 6. 9-11 How long wilt thou sleep O Sluggard Yet a little Sleep a little Slumber a little folding of the hands to Sleep So shall Poverty and want come upon thee as an Armed Man irresistibly And Prov. 24. 30-34 The Field of the Slothful is all grown over with Thorns and Nettles The Stone Wall thereof broken down c. A remiss negligent slothful person failing in his outward call and civil capacity brings these inconveniences upon himself which render him miserable in himself and despicable to others The deep mystical truth of this we find in the Parable of the Talents to wit Christs several distributions to Men in restor'd first-Creation-Life Mat. 25. 14-30 He requires a diligent improvement of all This was answer'd by them that receiv'd the five and the two Talents They doubled them So as good and faithful Servants are bid enter into the Joy of their Lord. But he that received the one Talent hid it in the Earth This is the Fool Solomon meanes His Talent was a Measure of restor'd first-Covenant Light and Life This Light tells him what he should do And this Life furnishes him with Power to do it He is not therein to live to himself but to him that died or put that State to death in himself to purchase and recover that life again for him 2 Cor. 5. 14 15. This is done by our giving it up again in Sacrifice to God as he did the only way to come at that Life above all death which he raised our nature into in himself This way did the five and two-Talented Servants improve their Talents And he that had but one knew he ought so to have done by putting his Mony to the Exchangers Christ Condemn's this wicked and slothful Servant out of his own Mouth that knowing he Reap'd where he Sow'd not and that to receive his own again would not serve his turn ought by Exchang to bring it to him with advantage in Usury as the other two did He knew he had receiv'd it on the same terms with the other two to improve it by a faithful and fruitful exercise of it in its own activity and way for a season living therein to him that died to Purchase it for him and then to cease from that way of improving it as call'd and warn'd to do in order to receive in way of Exchange a Gospel-Principle of Everlasting Righteousness and Fruitfulness to God This Foolish Slothful Servant neglected both duties the improving his restor'd Law-Principle in its own activity and way as also the obedient Exchang of it by death for a Gospel-one Or if he perform'd the former yet neglecting the latter he fall's under the same Condemnation as if he had fail'd in both If he indulg himself and follow his own evil Concupiscence into the enormous Practices of the corrupt Spirit of nature or in preferring the most fruitful righteous exercise of his enlight'ned spirit to the Gospel-spirit of Grace he is gone as unpardonably Criminal By either of these Rebellious ways he comes to the same dreadful conclusion as justly and unanswerably
and the positive Inflictions of final Wrath upon his whole being for ever Sad gains Beware then of Satan's most destructive 〈◊〉 Counsel for sparing righteous first Covenant-self in Enmity to God and his Everlasting Creature-Life and Righteousness offered in the second If Satan could make an Apostle his SpokesMan for this to Christ himself guess at your danger of being Beguiled by the same old subtil Serpent that so Beguiled Eve at first and a World since Take heed of following this Enemie's pleasing Counsel and Example and so of Rejecting Christ's The highest Glories tallest Cedars in the first-Creation-State of Angel or Man are fading flowers perishing vanities Look about you and consider what ye lay hold on or trust in for happiness The same death of nature that qualified the slain Lamb to open the Sealed Book of the Mind and Visions of God can qualify any followers of him to read it when open'd Till they have a spiritual understanding read while they will the main Scope and Intent of the Author God himself is not seen or taken out The Scriptur's that are a Transcript or Copy of that whole Mind and Counsel of God about the Salvation of Angels and Men that 's Engraven in the gospel-Gospel-Spirit of Christ the Original Book and Living Word of God are a Book Sealed up from Learned and more from Unlearned Man all destitute of Spiritual Wisdom See else Isai. 29. 11 12. 1 Cor. 2. 14. But after all that can be said still still the Cross is a Stumbling-block and Foolishness and the truly Obedient followers of Christ under it are highly offensive to Moral Heathen or Legal Christian in the flourish and Wisdom of their unbroken naturalls They are what and where they were say or warn the Spiritual Seer what or while he will or can The more will be their sorrow for such destructive Self-Love and Pity They loath God and he them Zec. 11. 8. Who can help them All offended at the Cross of Christ become an offence to Christ. Where are they then who will be found uppermost Have they an arm like God Can they thunder with a voice like him Job 40. 9. If flesh Holy Flesh that can't Inherit the Kingdom 1 Cor. 15. 50. be kept up and that Holy Spirit in which Men can be rejected where will they be On supposal a Man should violently crow'd into the Kingdom in Holy Flesh and sit at Christ's Wedding Supper still what the better Bind him hand and Foot say's Christ and cast him into outer darkness where shall be Weeping and Gnashing of Teeth Why Because he has not the Spiritual Wedding Garment of Everlasting Righteousness but of the filthy ragged Righteousness of his own nature kept up and held fast in direct Enmity to and Rebellion against God The Man so handled will be Speechles he 'l see he has nothing to say for himself Mat. 22. 11-13 The hating the fading Life of our own nature that 's at best altogether Vanity is a requisite qualification of all true Disciples Luk. 14. 26. Jo. 12. 25. Loving our own loses us Christ's Eternal Life Hating our own is the only way to get it A fix'd self-Love in corrupt or Righteous nature is Eternal Damnation 'T is unchangable Enmity to God And what think you then Better is one handful with quietness then both hands full with Travel and Vexation of Spirit Better is it to go to Heaven with one Eye Hand or Foot then to Hell by keeping both and all Better go Slain to Heaven then alive to Hell Better die under Christ's Sacrificing hand or Cross then be catch'd alive in Satan's Snare a first-covenant Righteous Life the very Snare by and in which he takes Men at his Will 2 Tim. 2. 26. and so fixes them with himself in Enmity to God and the second Better go Poor Halt Maim'd Crucified to Heaven with Christ then Rich Wise Full Strong and Honourable in the fading natural Glory of a first-Covenant Life turn'd into unchangable enmity to God with the Devil to the lake of fire and brimstone prepared of old for both even all incorrigibly wicked Angels and Men. The Spiritual 〈◊〉 Eye or understanding set up in the 〈◊〉 natural Man of the Saint is that single Chast Dove-like Eye Mat. 6. 22. that fills the 〈◊〉 Body or Man full of Light This is the Eye or 〈◊〉 by which Man understands all things 1 Cor. 2. 15. not that Eye that turns and looks both way 's to good and Evil and that good it regards but fading 'T is Man's unexcusable Folly to 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Labour of his own Spirit to his Vexation and Everlasting Destruction rather then quit that for God's and unspeakable everlasting Joy and Blessedness But notwithstanding all the known advantages of quitting all evil with the Life of his own will for all good in the Life of God's Man will on in his own self-chosen way and course come what will Man's one handful in quietness and final Peace with God in his Gospel-Spirit of truth is transcendently better then both his Hands full of such Riches in his own Law-Spirit of nature as are Vanity and will prove Eternal Vexation of Spirit to him Mystical as well as Litteral Riches the Laodicean Treasures of nature in but a first-Covenant Righteous Life are heap'd up with Disquietment kept with Anxiety and fear of loosing from the known self-Evidencing Perishableness thereof So that Men are in continual Bondage all the days of their Life therein through fear of the Death and loss of all Ps. 39. 6. Heb. 2. 15. Out of this Life and Spirit of Bondage are true Saints brought into the Glorious liberty of the Sons of God made truly Rich Wise Strong and 〈◊〉 in his new-Covenant Spirit of Everlasting Life and 〈◊〉 Amidst all Jollity in the first-covenant House of Feasting Men can't but with Job 3. 25. have a Secret bottom-fear of losing all from the Perishing nature of all therein All there is gotten and kept with sore Travel and Vexation and then leaves a Man after all his Labour Sorrow and 〈◊〉 Anxiety and disquietment in Eternal Vexation of Spirit Vers. VII Then I returned and I saw Vanity under the Sun What Vanity This. Vers. VIII There is one alone and there is not a second yea he hath neither Child nor Brother Yet is there no end of all his Labour neither is his Eye satisfied with Riches neither saith he For whom do I Labour and Bereave my Soul of good This is also Vanity yea it is a sore Travel Here 's another Similitude or Comparison to manifest the truth already spoken to In Letter Solomon Character s the Vanity and Folly of the Covetous Man that Toil 's and Labours wholly for the Litteral Wealth of this World when destitute of any Heir Child or Brother to Inherit the same any second to Succeed and enjoy it after him Yet grow's he dayly more and more Solicitous about heaping up and encreasing this lowest sort of
everlasting righteous spiritual Life set up in them to wit the death of their natural state Christ could do nothing of himself or in his fleshly Law-life and state Joh. 5. 30. nothing that his Father sent him about His errand and business was to put it to death Passive obedience to his own Gospel-cross Spiritual-sword or Circumcision-knife was the high duty of his natural spirit and whole Man There 's no other way of coming to do all things well in God's sight which can only be in his Gospel-spirit or principle of everlasting righteousness and active obedience but by the passive obedience and death of our Law-spirit or natural state in which we can do nothing well before God nor ever enter into his Kingdom Christ in his Gospel-spirit the true principle of active obedience to God for ever did and said alwayes what was well-pleasing to to his Father Joh. 8. 29. as found in exact harmony with the very mind and will of his infinite divine spirit He despised the shame and contempt of those that despised his Crucified natural man Heb. 12. 2. And those that do not so he will despise disown reject and be ashamed of when he comes in the Glory of his Father with the holy Angels Mark 8. 38. Christ's Doctrine was not his own but his that sent him Whoever does receive or despise and reject the words of his gospel-Gospel-spirit in himself or saints receives or despises the Father that sent him and him that sends them The four Gospels abound with words to this purpose especially John's First and second Covenant-Saints poor wise children in the second and Old doting foolish Kings in the first are in a perfectly cross constitution and thought about salvation absolute sools to one another The Cross on Man's wisdom is reckon'd the starkest arrantest folly and madness imaginable by natural Man and Angel But one broken contrite-spirited crucified Saint is of more esteem with God than millions of unbroken uncrucified Men and Angels in all the excellencies glories wisdom and righteousness of their first-creation humane and angelical natures Isai. 66. 1 2. Man's day or light and Judgment in first-covenant wisdom and God's day of Judgment in the second will be found in flat contradiction to each other in this grand concern of men about Salvation Whose Judgment whose word will stand His or theirs Think well on 't before too late Ther 's no speaking at present to the old self-deafned doting foolish King by the poor wise Child He scorns and rejects with a wry mouth Rhetorical mockings in utmost contempt all his words and warnings His whole Gospel-doctrine of the cross on all the foolish King rest's in for Salvation is rejected as absolute foolishness and madness 1 Cor. 1. 18 -- 23. and 4. 8. 10. Hos. 9. 7 8. These foolish self-confident first-covenant fifth-monarchists that tugge it out somtimes with worldly Caesars for the civil sword as that by which to manage the reign of Christ in this world are but at the same work the Jews desired to have Christ have been at by owning himself a King in his first-covenant law-life and righteousness of man which he refused them in 〈◊〉 6. 15. Refusing to be a King in the fading Law-principle of first-covenant life and operation and asserting his kingdom in the Gospel-spirit of the second they crucified their king Joh. 19. 15. They that would have set up Christ for their King in this world against Caesar say to rid their hands of him we have no King but Caesar in answer to Pilat's question This is the confusion and falshood found in man's shusfling wisdom on all accounts at every turn about and against his own Salvation When God not only by words but deeds in his blasting dispensations witnesses his displeasure against them and all their false confidences not suffering them to prosper in them 〈◊〉 2. 37. still they are at the same point When they find mystical gray hairs decays and old age convincing Harbingers and Messengers of the approaching Death upon them as to all that 〈◊〉 Life and Riches they have trusted in still there they 'l hold and hope for safety When God comes upon them in his beginning Judgments on that State they trust in so as undeniably to evidence to them that as six'd in 't is but the Mystical Land of their Nativity and Border of Wickedness and they therein the People against which and whom he hath Indignation for ever Mal. 1. 4. still they obstinately rest and trust for safety therein Here 's the case of these old foolish Kings that will not be brought to any happy obedient chang of mind by any thing the Lord either say's or does to them They obstinately persist in bringing forth Wild Grapes Gall and Worm-wood from a bitter Root of Enmity in them against God And they will still needs pass for his only Gospel-People and Saints when a downright Synagogue of Satan fix'd in unchangable Enmity and Rebellion against him This do they to their litteral Graves And to carry on the like destructive work on others that they leave behind them as their Counsel-Legacy to them in their dying words they 'l charg their hearers the pretended Gospel-Churches of Christ that they look not after regard or receive any other Gospel then that accursed false one they have Preach'd to them even the same the Old Serpent Preach'd to Eve that Eternal Life is to be found in the Old or first-Creation State of nature and that they shall not die at all and so that all Preaching the Cross and Death upon it is a Blasphemous fiction against the Law and that Holy place or State of Man Thus the Jews accused Stephen Act. 6. 13. The whole Gospel is reckon'd by them Blasphemy against the Law The whole current of Scripture in the Gospel-sense of all run's for the Poor Wise Child But the whole current of their false other Law-Gospel and short sighted Interpretation of all Scripture run's cleerly for the old Foolish King in exact Harmony with the Old Serpent that Bewitches Teachers and Hearers through self-love to the sading Life and Glory of their own nature into a state of unchangable Enmity to God and Death to themselvs with him Oh but say they that which you call Satan's and our accursed other Gospel is the very same you call Christ's You only come forth in an affected singularity of words but say all the same things we do We Preach and own the Cross of Christ. Upon what The corrupt Spirit of fallen nature with the vile affections and lusts thereof But what say you to the Cross on your enlight'ned restor'd righteous nature made Wise Strong and Honourable in Conformity to that Life of the Law or Holy Flesh Christ took as Born of a Virgin Is this the Subject of the Cross of Christ Are ye willing to part with all this in case ye had it to part with To despise your own righteous Law-Life or Living Soul for Christ's Gospel-Spirit
will both come to in Eternal Life or Death Vers. XIV For out of Prison he cometh to Reign Heb. Out of the House of Bond-Men or Bondage he goes forth to Reign Whereas also he that is Born in his Kingdom becometh Poor The true Saint finding the Land of his Nativity a narrow strait'ned place the Life of his own nature in the Image of the earthy at best to be but a State of Enmity Bondage and death come's out of this his own Mystical Countrey and Father Adam's House or natural State by a Holy death to reign in another Spiritual more excellent Life He find's his own Spirit of nature in whatever variety of condition a State of Bondage or House of Bond-Men a Prison a deep dark Dungeon a miery Pit of filth and corruption filth of flesh or spirit litteral or Mystical Sodomy or both out of which by the death thereof he find's it his unspeakable advantage to Ascend come or be brought forth into a larg place in a Life above all death to Reign whereas the old foolish King who will no more be admonish'd hear of the Cross or death-Doctrin of Christ's Gospel-Spirit on the restor'd Law-Life of his own wherein he sets up his Kingdom becometh Poor He is even now in this World by Christ and awak'ned Saints seen to be Miserable Poor Blind and Naked as Happy Rich Cleer-sighted and Well-cloathed as he think 's himself He will find this too true at last in eternal Poverty Darkness Nakedness and Death Here are the exceeding different Conclusions they come to even the old foolish King in the birth of a first-Covenant Life fixing himself there in unchangable Enmity to God and the second the incorrigible first-Creation sinner and the poor wise Child broken and undone as to all the fading Life Riches Wisdom and Glory of his own nature and so becoming a truly reigning new-Creation Saint in the spirit of Grace the reigning Gospel-Principle That restor'd natural State which the old foolish King sets up in as his Palace the House of his Kingdom to reign in the poor wise child find's to be a Prison and hasten's out of it as a Spirit of Bondage and Enmity into the true Palace-Light and Glorious Liberty of the Sons of God whom the Son mak's free indeed Where the Spirit of the Lord becom's the principle of Life and action there is true liberty Man's freedom or freewill at best is but a Liberty in Word Figure Letter Shadow not in deed and in truth No true freedom sure in a Spirit of Bondage and Enmity to God a Spirit that 's in Union with World and Devil as the spirit of nature is in all mankind corrupt or righteous Yea so far as uncrucifi'd even in the awak'ned Spiritual Saint himself Ro. 7. and Gal. 5. 17. That renew'd natural State the old foolish King make's his Palace will prove his everlasting prison and dungeon of darkness and death in which he will be shut up for ever as the evil Angels in their narrow Angelical nature All of them shall be dealt with as unchangable Enemies of God and that Heavenly sanctuary-Sanctuary-Spirit that 's his true resting place and the everlasting habitation of blessed Angels and Saints in Chains of everlasting darkness in which reserv'd to the Judgment of the great day The unpardonable sin of Men and Angels is the self-same even a fix'd Enmity against the Holy Ghost God's gospel-Gospel-spirit or Heavenly Sanctuary convincingly shewed and offered to them all They were all Created perfect in their own natures Humane and Angelical Ezek. 28. 15. and in Obedient Subjection to the Gospel-Spirit in the Light of it But they soon hated that Life turned from the Light that shew'd it them and this was their Apostasy All this from an evil self-love to the fading Life Wisdom and Glory of their own nature which they chose to set up in in a known contrariety to the reveal'd mind of God and unchangable Enmity to his Spirit of Grace the very Gospel-High-Priest of God the true Melchisedec by whose hand they ought all to have given up that selfish life in Sacrifice to God So become they all Mystical Sodomit's guilty of all the highest and most Criminal Mystical Spiritual Wickednesses Uncleanesses and abominable Idolatries God in Faithfulness Favour and Love to his Saints Plagu's and Chasten's this Rebellious Spirit of nature this Carnal mind of Enmity in them while he gives more then Heart can wish to it in-Enemies to their final ruin Heb. 12. 5-8 Psal. 73. 7. 14. God's giving the old doting Kings their Hearts desire and more is a sore and heavy Judgment on them though they take it for a great favour and Token of his Love to them Desolation and an utter consuming of them with Terrors the true Saint certainly foresees to be the eternal issue of all their Temporal flourish and Prosperity v. 18 19. All the old foolish King dotes on the poor wise Child cast's away as Dung So foolish are the old Mystical Kings and also litteral Heathen Kings of this World as to bandy together against the Lord and his anointed as if hopeful to prevail against the infinite Divine Lord and his Anointed King Jesus with his Saints and Followers Their design is to break their Bands a sunder and cast away from them all their Cords of restraint upon them He that sits in Heaven laugh's at all these foolish Kings He will speak to them in his Wrath and vex them in his sore displeasure Ps. 2. 1-5 Have they an arm like God Can they thunder with a Voice like him What madness to think of prevailing in this Rebellious Insurrection and Contest against the Almighty Divine and Irresistibly Mighty New-Creation Power of Christ These old foolish Humane Kings will all fare as their evil Angelical King the King of all such Kings or Rebellious Children of Pride Job 41. 34. They 'l all 〈◊〉 into the same Condemnation with him will all have their Portion in the same Lake of Fire and Brimstone the Tophet prepar'd of old for them all They 'l be all finally stripp'd of all Power of resisting the Will of God and forc'd to suffer the same to be done upon them in 〈◊〉 Wrath. Then with their everlasting Poverty will they have unutterable Shame and Confusion of Face All they refus'd obediently to part with will be forcibly torn from them in final Wrath. All their fading goodness or beauty 〈◊〉 Consume in their eternal Grave from their dwelling their whole Mystical Houses earthly Habitations or persons all the goodness of that natural State they chose for their dwelling Ps. 49. 14. There 's no middle State for ever between the poor wise Child that will be eternally rich in Heaven and the old rich foolish King that will be eternally poor in Hell The poor wise Child believ's and follow 's the Faithful Sayings of Christ's Spiritual Law or Gospel-spirit the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus He is content willing yea glad
Jude 7. None fix'd in Enmity to God can reasonably expect less then the unchangable Wrath of God upon them There remain's to them all one and t'other nothing but a certain fearful looking for of Judgment and Fiery Indignation to devour them All foolish Kings that chuse to live and walk contrary to God in a known Spirit of Enmity and at an all-adventures with him Levit. 26. 21. 23 in their starting Ps. 78. 57 unsteddy Spirit of nature when offer'd his constant right steddy Gospel-Spirit of Grace that David Pray'd for Ps. 51. 10. he will walk contrary to them Levit. 26. 24. in an unchangable dispensation of Wrath and but at an all-adventures with them while that first-Covenant Principle is his dispensation to them and their active obedience requir'd therein When they break with him he will break with them They shall know his Breach of Promise therein They break the first-Covenant by refusing Christ in the second Jer. 31. 32. They break it by keeping up that Life he crucified and warn's them to depart out of as not their rest but sore destruction Mic. 2. 10. 'T is polluted with filth of spirit though in part cleansed from filth of flesh The evils done by man in his first state and mortal body upon earth must be answer'd for by the whole man as the second child that shall stand up for ever in his stead in a resurrection of damnation No old foolish King or other fixed sinner at present upon earth before or after from the beginning to the end of this World shall ever find cause to rejoyce in him that is in this second Child that shall stand up in every one of them for ever in stead of the mortall life and state of their whole man in this world They shall all and every one of them find all the essentials of their personal constitution Body Soul and Spirit put together again in a resurrection of damnation and a most exquisite everlasting sensibleness of all to pay off the reckoning in the world to come for all done in this mortal world and life of all under final wrath as vessels of dishonour and everlasting contempt Christ has besought them by his ambassadours of grace while it was called to day with them in this world to listen to his voice submit to his terms that himself obediently submitted to in our nature his declared method and way of saving them but they would not O Jerusalem Jerusalem sayes he meaning the mystical earthly-Jerusalem party of men under law or gospel Jews or Christian Gentiles the old foolish kings reigning in a first covenant righteous life or image of the earthy before absolutely fixed there against the second and image of the heavenly How often would I have gathered thy Children together as a Hen gathereth her Chickens under her wings and ye would not Behold therefore your House is left unto you desolate Mat. 23. 37 38. Luk. 13. 34 35. How oft would I have gathered thee under the protecting shadow and cherishing influence of my divine and creature-wings my almighty divine and irresistibly mighty new-creation Power for your security and everlasting blessedness and ye would not Therefore is your house or immortal being that ye have consulted shame to by your evil coveting chusing and delighting in the fading perishing riches and glory thereof in preference to my durable and everlasting when offered you Hab 2. 9 is left unto you desolate in everlasting contempt destitute of all good and in utmostmisery under the positive 〈◊〉 of the wrath of God for evermore But Christ does not rise up and shut the door of the kingdom upon any men Luke 13. 25 nor swear in his wrath they shall never enter into his rest till he hath waited to be gracious and tryed all wayes and means for their good they can wish or desire Isai. 5. 4. There 's no end of all the people no not of incorrigibly wicked Angels and Men fix'd in their first-Creation Spirit of nature against God and his new-Creature Spirit of Grace either as to their beings numbers or 〈◊〉 If Christ's little Flock from amongst Men the few that are saved be a numberless Multitude Rev. 7. 9. what must the many that Perish be Mat. 7. 13 14. Endless Sufferings will the old foolish Kings after their self-confident race in Holy Flesh form of godliness all along this World against the Power of it find the due recompence of their errour the just fruit of their own doings the most sad and dismal end issue and result of all their sore labour and travel in their own nature under the mystical first-creation Sun-light or first-covenant Spirit fix'd by them in enmity to God and the 〈◊〉 Prov. 1. 31. Isa. 3. 11. This will be found the Case of this serpentine seed of first-covenant Professors fix'd in enmity to the second in all former generations in the present and in the succeeding generations that come after this to the very end of this world under Satan's reign They have been are and will be found in a universal contradiction to the Gospel-Truths and Mysteries of Christ's Kingdom They greedily suck and drink in the old serpent's poisonous doctrin's of devils and considently teach the same in a known unchangable enmity to God And this renders them serpents devils a generation of vipers that cannot escape the damnation of hel the wrath to come Mat. 23. 33. These old foolish Kings are the beloved darlings of the old serpent the king of all such kings and self-exalting children of pride Job 41. 34. who therefore fall into the same condemnation with him the same Tophet or place of torment the same lake of mysticall fire and brimstone for ever Rev. 19. 20. Mat. 25. 41. These old Kings in the old or first-Creation State are the choicest Subjects and most creditable Instruments to carry on the old Serpent's mischievous designs and intendments against all the Gospel-Doctrin of the Kingdom of Christ and all Gospel-Saints from Abel downwards from the beginning to the end of this World They directly and knowingly chuse rather to be Born of the Devil's Spirit of unchangable Enmity to God then of Christ's Gospel-Spirit that 's in unchangable Union with him as the principle of their whole Life Desire Thought Word and Action of all their Preaching and Praying shall I say Why not Can they speak truly good things out of the abundance of their Heart that 's in Union with Satan Establish'd with his Perishing Meats as carried about with his divers and strang Doctrin's not with God's Grace contrary to what 's advised and requir'd Heb. 13. 9. Can such Mystical evil Trees bring forth any good Fruit to God Will not all they speak and do be continually evil And must they not suffer for all Lie down in sorrow under Wrath for ever All they have rested on and trusted in for happiness proves as they have been sufficiently warn'd Vanity and so must needs leave them in eternal Vexation of
spirit CHAP. V. Vers. I. Keep thy Foot when thou goest to the House of God and be more ready to hear then to give the Sacrifice of Fools For they consider not that they do evil HEre 's the Result and Use of all declar'd in the fore-going Chapters as to the Vanity and vain Labour of Man under the Light of the Mystical first-Creation Sun or Spirit of the Law in and under which Man and Angel were at first Created and Christ Born Gal. 4. 4. Paul draw's the same useful Instruction from the doctrin of the 11 former Chapters to the Roman's Chap. 12. 1. for quitting or giving up the same earthly natural State the same thing with the Foot here when restor'd or made again Holy Flesh the righteous natural Body in Sacrifice to God as our reasonable Service and true free-will Offring even the Offring up of our free-will to good and evil that we may receive his free-will to Good only the Glorious Liberty of the Sons of God with which the Son makes free indeed all that are Born of his Gospel-Spirit of overlasting righteousness and truth First then consider what this Foot is or signifies and secondly what 's the House of God it 's to be kept out of as not fit to enter 1. This Foot 〈◊〉 the whole Man in a first-Covenant Life The Heel Satan is permitted to bruise Gen. 3. 15. is of the same extent and comprehensive significancy And so were the Shoes Moses was Commanded to put from off his Feet where the ground was Holy Exod. 3. 5. This Foot or natural Spirit of Man corrupt or righteous being found in Enmity to God at best as in Paul before his Gospel-Conversion can bear no part in the right Worshipping of God which is wholly to be perform'd in Spirit and Truth Christ's new-Creature Gospel-spirit of everlasting righteousness and truth The infinite Divine Spirit and Father requires all Men and Angels to Worship him in the Son's gospel-creature-Gospel-Creature-Spirit of truth How can Man please him in duties of Worship or any other Performances towards him or Man in his own Spirit of Enmity Such Enmity as is no otherwise extinguishable but by 〈◊〉 death of nature being absolutely inseperable from the Life of it at best Christ's Gospel-Spirit of Love in unchangable Union of Mind and Will Desire and Thought with God when it becom's the sole Principle of Life Desire Thought and Action in Man will perfectly and compleatly fulfil all Law perform all duty to God and Man to God's well-pleasing and the Performer's certain and everlasting Salvation Man is not to come in his own Spirit of nature however Wise Strong Rich and Honourable in Christ by his first-Covenant-Communications to him as a fleshly Bride-groom and 〈◊〉 at his earthly Table into the new-Creation Sanctuary of God the everlasting Righteous Fountain Gospel-Spirit of Christ. The Courts of this Sanctuary are too Holy Ground for any thing that 's but changably good as Man and Angels before the fall or also positively evil as nature corrupt or righteous in all Men since the fall to tread on For a Man in a Spirit that 's a Root of Bitterness bearing Gall and Wormwood Briars and Thorns in a continued Enmity to God every Imagination Purpose Desire and Thought thereof being only evil continually the old World's case before the Flood Gen. 6. 5. to appear in the unchangably righteous new-Creation Sanctuary of God what a strang incongruous thing and sight would it be If any fill'd and Clothed by Satan's 〈◊〉 and their own consent or choice with a Spirit of unchangable Enmity to God do as 't were crowd in and appear at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb and his Bride in the Kingdom of his Father see what 's like to become of him Mat. 22. 11 12. Friend will the King Jesus say how cam'st thou in hither not having a Wedding Garment And he was Speech-less had nothing to say Then say's the King to his Servants the Holy Angels of his Power that excel in strength all fixed first-Creation Enemies of God and the second bind him Hand and Foot and cast him into outer Darkness where shall be Weeping and Gnashing of Teeth to all Eternity Let the fixed first-Creation Sinner and Enemy of God in his form of Godliness Righteousness of Man do what he can get where he will he is gone for ever No Stranger was to come into the Litteral Sanctuary under the Law the Type of this Spiritual Gospel-Sanctuary-Spirit of God in Christ's Person and in his Saints the lively stones of the House upon the Rock that Christ is the living head-corner Stone and Foundation of He spirit 's influences and enliven's all the rest hold's them fitly compacted together and firmly cimented in his one Gospel-spirit of new-Creature-Life that 's a Universal Bond of Love and Peace to and with God Christ and one other for evermore The Foot Heel or Shoe that 's to be kept back laid aside or put off that we may be shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace and so walk orderly with a right Foot according to the Gospel of the Grace of God or on a new foot of account in the single-ey'd discerning strength and Power of Christ's Gospel-spirit is that Flesh and Blood which cannot enter into and inherit the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 15. 50. or tread the Courts of his Heavenly Sanctuary Angels in the purity of their first-Creation-make and changable Life were to cover their Faces as not fit to appear before God to behold or be beheld by him therein And say's God to the Jews when ye come to appear before me who hath requir'd this at your hands to tread my Courts Isai. 1. 12. No right acceptable Worshipping God or doing any thing else but in the Gospel-spirit of Truth that spirit of Love that 's the compleat fulfiller of the whole Law even of all that God requires of us Sure the natural spirit at best that 's a spirit of Enmity to God and a bloody-minded Spirit against his true Saints can do no such thing It 's hands are full of blood It breath'd out Threatnings and Slaughters against the Disciples of the Lord even in Paul who had therein lived according to his light in all good conscience Act. 23. 1. exerciseable in the activity and restor'd Life thereof as a strict circumspect Opposer and Suppressor of the vile Affections and Lusts of his corrupt nature This Foot then is to be cut off cast away laid aside by us as not fit to perform any part in the true Worshipping of God Man is not to come alive into the House of God but be brought into it by the High Priest Christ himself dead as to his own Law-Life and principle of active obedience and quick'ned up into his Gospel-Life and Principle of active obedience wherein alone 't is possible to please God or be saved Passive obedience is the highest service performable in or with Angel's or Man's natural first-Creation Life
or Make. For by this the guilty Sinner the Belial-Party the Enemy of God is slain and all Power of Sinning abolish'd for ever Ro. 6. 7. 1 Pet. 4. 1. The obedient death of the guilty and continually sinning natural Spirit is more pleasing to God and profitable to Man then any Obedience or Duty performable in its kind in the Life and Activity thereof The House of Mourning or Death as to the first-Covenant Principle of Life is better than the House of Feasting in the utmost Flourish Prosperity Wisdom Glory and Fruitfulness thereof or Joy therein The death of the natural State at best from which since the fall Enmity to God is inseperable obediently yielded to must needs be more acceptable to God then the Life thereof or any thing performable therein From Love to God's Mercy or the unspeakable gift of new Creation Life to submit to yea and joyn with God in doing justly or Executing his righteous Judgment and Sentence of Death on our fleshly natural law-state in the awak'ned Life and Power of his Gospel-Spirit in us this is the Sum of all God requir's of us as the terms and condition of our full entring into and striking the new and everlasting Covenant with him Establish'd in all things and sure This doing justly in humbling our guilty natural Man or Spirit the Enemy of God even to the death thereof and living wholly to him in our never-sinning Spiritual Man or his never-sinning Spirit 1 To. 3. 9. is all he requir's of us Mic. 6. 8. Man must quit his own cieled Hag. 1. 4. adorn'd House or natural State to enter into God's Spiritual House or new-Creation Sanctuary His own House or nature is not ought not to be reckon'd his dwelling place or state of true rest for him Men will find all their Labour to keep up that building with the fading glory and riches thereof but a wearying themselvs for very Vanity Hab. 2. 13 a disquieting themselvs in Vain by heaping up Treasur's Ps. 39. 6. for their own destruction in the day of wrath This will Man get by coveting an evil covetousness to his own House or natural State and setting his Nest on high as vainly puffed up in his self-confident fleshly mind and thinking to secure himself from the Power of evil the Wrath of God Hab. 2. 9. He say's in his Heart Who shall bring me down to the Ground Obad. 3. I will saith the Lord v. 4. We must depart out of our own Countrey and Fathers House the Life and State of our own nature at best in but the restor'd Image of the earthy or first Adam form of godliness righteousness of Man a glory a wisdom to be Crucified Defac'd Obliterated and done away a Visage a Beauty to be Marr'd and Spoild in order to enter into God's own Countrey the far Countrey the Man Christ is gone into before us to prepare Places or Mansions of Glory for us Luk. 19. 12. To. 14. 2 3. We must depart from or out of our own House or nature however Ciel'd Adorn'd Swept Cleansed from the filth of flesh and Garnished with Spiritual Light or best enlightning Gifts short of the more excellent Spiritual Life and way 1 Cor. 12. 31. call'd Love 1 Cor. 13. in order to our right and worthy entring or going into God's Spiritual Sanctuary or House to Worship Our own Countrey Father's House Image of the earthy first-Covenant Life of our nature righteousness of Man Spiritual Conviction-Light c. All these make up but the Foot the whole Life and State of nature at best that's to be cut off and cast away as loss and dung to enter in a Resurrection-Life with the Man Christ into his Father's House where are many Mansions And so come we to the second thing here the House Man is to keep his Foot from or out of when he goes into it 2. This House is the Supream original new-creature Spirit of Christ the Living Creature-Book Word or Wisdom of God in which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Written out the whole Counsel of his Divine Mind And the Man Christ is the Supream Prophet Mouth and Infallible Declarer thereof to Angels and Men. Christ's whole Creature-nature is the immediate Temple and Sanctuary of his own Divinity set up by his Divine Hand or Workmanship from everlasting in Personal Union with the Divinity Prov. 8. 22 23. This was Typed out by the Litteral Sanctuary under the Law No Strangers no nor 〈◊〉 while unclean might Approach or enter into it The polluted Heathen-Stranger and the unclean 〈◊〉 in Mystery and Truth signify the natural Man corrupt or righteous This is the stranger and Fool here meant that being altogether ignorant of this new-creation Sanctuary of God's own pitching not Man's Heb. 8. 2. is ready with Paul to think he does God service in denying and opposing this his own house and himself the Divine Inhabitant thereof in personal Union with it as also in Persecuting to the death true Saints that own and assert such a House as Partakers of living walking and speaking in the spirit of it The new-Creation Sanctuary-Spirit the Creature-word Wisdom or Hand of God set up from everlasting by God's own very Divine hand was the immediate hand by which the whole old or first-Creation World was made Isai. 66. 1 2. Men Angels c. which therefore are all to be roll'd up and laid aside by God as an old Garment Heb. 1. 10-12 and in Harmony of Mind with him and obedience to him are the life and all the best and most glittering things thereof to be laid aside and parted with by Angel and Man to partake of his Heavenly sanctuary-Sanctuary-Spirit and Live with him in that place of his and their true rest for evermore All the Heavenly Eternal things of his Sanctuary seem Foolish Idle Dreams which Men conspire to kill them for Gen. 37. 19 20. and all right Words concerning them Vain or Lying Words as Pharaoh call'd Moses his Messages from God to the most enlight'ned natural Man who is wholly ignorant and in the dark as to all Divine and Spiritual Creature-things of Christ and God 1 Cor. 2. 14. 'T is a vain imagination when Man thinks to Prie into and View the most Holy things of God's Spiritual Sanctuary in the highest Wisdom and best Light of his but restor'd natural state If he finally persist in such a Presumptuous mistake he will meet with a final Blasting upon him to Eternal Death figured by the fifty Thousand Presumptuous Peepers into the Ark of the Lord who were smitten by him to a Temporal death of their bodies 2 Sam. 6. 19. All the best things in the first-Creation-make and life of Angel and Man are of no neerer kin to God's new-Creation Sanctuary and Holy things thereof then as figures and shadows of them The rational powers and things of man are not more hid from the brute beast then the Spiritual things of-God from the wisest and most rational man 1 Cor. 2. 10 11. 14.
'T is too painful yea 't is impossible for man Save in sanctuary-life and light Ps. 73. 16 17 to discern the spiritual new-Creation things of God's House and less yet the deep things of his very infinite Divinity The truly Spiritual Man Judges or discern's and sees all things 1 Cor. 2. 15. Divine Spiritual and natural The highest first-Covenant-Saint in Holy Flesh Righteousness of Man is a Fool a Stranger an unreasonable Man a Profane Infidel as to all Gospel-Things and Truths Such troublesome self-confidents Paul desir'd to be delivered from 2 Thes. 3. 2. and 2 Tim. 4. 14 15. as most impertinent irreconcileable Babblers and Disputers against all those Gospel-Truths or Sanctuary-things they bid at and pretend to the knowledg of That contradicting Wisdom and very Understanding they use in the dispute is to be abolish'd by the Cross as the Blasphemous Enemy of God and all his Gospel-Truths Thus Paul found it in himself till Christ knock'd down that earthly Wisdom and caused him to turn from that fleshly Mind Understanding or Principle of reasoning in obedience to his heavenly Act. 9. 3-6 Gal. 1. 16. Christ himself in the flesh turn'd away his foot or feet his own fleshly or natural understanding and will the two Feet of the Living Soul on which it walks abroad to View Desire and feed upon worldly Vanities Perishing Meats refusing to think the thoughts do the will or speak the words thereof but the will and words of him that sent him by Crucifying that Will and Understanding utterly Abolishing all the Life Desire Thought and Motion thereof And such death is the only Consecrated Living way into the new-Creation Sanctuary-Life Heb. 9. 12. and 10. 19 20. The natural man even in Christ's person however perfect was a prohibited Stranger amongst the rest that might not enter into his own new-creation Sanctuary House or Temple in the single changable first-covenant law-life in and under which made 'T was impossible even for him as so to enter By Death he ascended into it and set it open to his followers in the like Death of nature Such obedient Death is the only way to eternal life Never was there any other way to it for any Angel or Man That law-life that was but a changable shadow in him and in us must pass by the death of nature in both and all under the cross-work of the gospel-Gospel-spirit that the life which is true in him may be true in us also 1 Joh. 2. 8. and 5. 20. In Scripture sense all 's true in the new-creation all shadow in the old True Life Light Wisdom Righteousness is found in the new only All things eternal things of God are there All the Wisdom Life Light Righteousness Glory things of Man or Angel in the old are but shadows of the substantial things of God in the new The changable earthy Image of God and righteous first-covenant Life of the Law Man was at first created and set up in is but shadow of the new-creature life and Image of the heavenly or second Adam All in the former are things of man Life Wisdom Righteousness of Man all in the latter things of God Life Wisdom Righteousness of God A zeal for God's heavenly Spiritual things must eat up our earthly or natural The fire of his heavenly Sanctuary-Spirit must consume our Earthly Life and state eat up all mortal desire and thought root and all By such destruction of our flesh or natural state can we come to be Saved in that Spirit We must put off the old Man the Image of the earthy or can never put on the new and Image of the heavenly The Earthly House and Life of this present tabernacle must be dissolved that we may have that Building of God not made with hands eternal in the heavens 2 Cor. 5. 1. Think any to enter into that House any otherwise then Christ himself could to go whole and unmaimed into it in that Life or natural state he crucified Gal. 3. 1. Nature in all men is an enemy to God and his Sanctuary-Spirit Paul in righteous nature was in union of mind with the Devil an enemy to the Spirit of Grace to God Christ all Gospel-Saints and truths a stranger to all things divine and Spiritual God the Mediator in his changable Angelical nature from the beginning and humane toward the latter end of this world did cease by a Holy death from all the works of both in the activity of the changable principle of first-covenant Life Angels and Men must do and suffer likewise or never enter into his rest Heb. 4. 4. 10. The mystical Sabbath-Law of the Cross upon the works and and working Spirit of nature is expressed by turning away our foot from the Lord's Sabbath from delighting in our own will and way 〈◊〉 our own Pleasure and speaking our own Words Isai. 58. 13 14. This is the very same Death-doctrine and work of the Cross on the whole natural Spirit at best The Obedient submitting thereto is the keeping our foot from the Lord's house and turning it away from his Sabbath Those that honour God herein he will put everlasting honour upon lifting them up over the heads of all earthly powers humane or angelical called the high places of the earth He will cause them to ride upon these high places that have had their turns to ride over their heads Psal. 66. 12. But those that from a fond love to their own vain life despise the Lord's sanctuary life shal be lightly esteemed 1 Sam. 2. 30 yea made vessels of dishonour and everlasting contempt The Spiritual Heavenly Original Gospel-Light of Christ's Sabbath or Sanctuary-Spirit is the day the Lord hath made in which Saints will rejoyce and be glad for evermore Psa. 118. 24. This heavenly Sanctuary and Sabbath that 's the Lords doing his own immediate divine Workmanship from everlasting Prov. 8. 22 23. is marvellous in our eyes The earthly Wisdom of man at best despises and wonders at this heavenly creature-wisdom of God The Orthodox humane builders of a first-covenant Church which their Wisdom Judges asserts and warns firm and safe for Salvation reject and refuse the corner-stone of the second and so the whole new-creation building on the rock the true church or house of God Man's wisdom won't believe or receive the words of God's though plainly declared to it Act. 13. 41. Abundance of professing wise first-covenant Saints believe not any such thing as that creature-Wisdom of God in the Mediator from everlasting by which the Worlds were made How can ye believe says Christ to the professing Jews who receive honour one of another and seek not the honour that cometh from God only Joh. 5. 44. A mercenary self-seeking trade in the first-covenant exceedingly indisposes and hinders any listning to one right word of the second None so highly Prejudic'd and offended at the least Word of Christ's Gospel in the second as the engaged ministers of Satan's in the first Such Gospel-Teachers are
the fit Priest to perform all well-pleasing active obedience to God in Preference and Opposition to the Gospel-Spirit presented and offer'd to him in the Tree of Life wherein alone 't is possible to please God and do all things well without any possibility of failer or Miscarriage What came of this willful mistake and Heresy of Adam A Universal Leprosy and contagious Disease of Sin and Enmity to God and death in such Sin upon all mankind Rom. 5. 18. 1 Cor. 15. 22. The very sin by which Adam brought this sore Mystical Leprosy upon the spirit of humane nature in all mankind in the beginning of this World do many Professors in the ending of it reckon had bin his duty even to keep up the righteous life he was created in from death and loss This is directly contrary to God's Command to first and second Adam which the first Rebell'd against and second obey'd Jo. 10. 18. What was offer'd Adam in the Tree of Life Nothing All things the one thing necessary comprehending all things conducible to mans true blessedness Nor Man nor Angel had this Life in their first-Creation-make and State What they both and all had was not Eternal Life but a Mortal Perishing Vanity a fading Flower 'T is Eternal Life say's Satan ye shall not die at all Hold fast your own He had Rebelliously so done in his Angelical nature which turn'd that which was but changably good into unchangable evil a mutably good Angel the work of God's hand into an incorrigibly wicked Devil the work of Satan's own hand which he would also bring all Men and Angels to if possible in a fixed unchangable Enmity to their Maker The setting up ourselves in a righteous first-Covenant Life aganst God and the Spirit of the second is the highest sort of Rebellion as the Sin of Witch-craft such Stubbornes as is indeed the highest and most criminal Idolatry 1 Sam. 15. 23. Paul found the Corinthian and Galatian Professors of the Gospel in danger of this most criminal Witch-craft to wit of being beguiled by the Old Serpent as Eve 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 11. 2 3. and fetch'd back again from Christ's unchangably Holy Gospel-spirit of Life exhibited to convincingly shew'd and offered them in his Ministry to a confident taking up in their own changably Holy Flesh or natural Law-Spirit of Enmity and death for Salvation This after they had begun in the Spirit running well for a season in obedience to Gospel-Light Gal. 3. 1-3 and 5. 7 8. Who hinder'd you or did drive you back that ye should not obey Christ's Gospel-Spirit of Truth Who but the Devil We find in both Old and New Testament-Saul that the confident resting in a first-Covenant-Life for Salvation renders Men mortal haters of all the right words of the second and fierce Persecuters of all that bring such unwelcome Tydings to their Ears as the Doctrin of the Cross seem's to the Wisdom of righteous Man though indeed the only Words or Doctrin whereby any can be saved the Power of God unto Salvation 1 Cor. 1. 18. Saul in the Old Testament or First-Covenant Spirit Persecuted David singly and meerly as found in the new Name and Spirit of the second in which he saw the Lord to be with him 1 Sam. 18. 12. For this very thing was he afraid of him and resolv'd to kill him though his Son in Law So old Testament legal-spirited Saul in the New Testament till he became a Gospel-spirited Paul and preacher of the Gospel was the fiercest opposer of it breathing out threatings and slaughter against the Disciples of the Lord for it Act. 9. 1. Old Testament Saul's unpardonable presumptuous sin against the Holy Ghost his unchangable murdering mind of enmity against David for its sake was the great transgression David earnestly prayed to be delivered from in his own person Psal. 19. 13. God sets up first that that 's natural and afterward that that 's spiritual in the Saint All that stick fast in the natural state and life of man are against the spiritual state and life of God Those are figured by the Elder these by the younger brother in Cain and Abel 〈◊〉 and Isaac Jacob and Esau. He that 's born after the flesh by the knowledg of Christ after the flesh as a mystical parent and bridegroom to him in a restor'd fruitful first-covenant righteous life persecut's him that 's born of the same Christ after the spirit in the second and so brought forth in or raised up into that life into which Christ himself is risen from the dead Rom. 7. 1-4 Thus was it alway's And so is it now Gal. 4. 29. These two births in Christ the former making men wise strong and honorable in the first covenant the latter wise strong and honorable in the second we find Jo. 3. 6. 1 Cor. 48. 10. The rich full first-covenant Corinthians reigning as Kings there were the former to whom Paul in the latter seem'd a fool weak and despicable But Paul in the latter knew them to be fools weak and despicable in all the Wisdom strength and fading Glory of the former Paul himself had experienc'd both in an eminency had been eminent in holy flesh and therein the eminent'st Ring-leading Persecuter of them that were born of Christ's Holy Gospel-spirit And when Eminent in Christ's Gospel-spirit was he persecuted by those that were fix'd or unfix'd as himself before Gospel-conversion Act. 9. 1. In Holy flesh enemies of the Gospel and Cross of Christ. Even those that will prove true Saints while but in the first-covenant persecute the second and consider not or think they do evil but indeed good and acceptable Service to God Joh. 16. 2. Act. 26. 9. Solomon's advice to them here is that they be more ready to hear the voice of the Spirit of Christ in himself and Saints then to speak in their own to hear the words of the true publick new-creation manly Spirit of Grace in the second Adam and his Spiritual descendants or posterity then to speak in their own private changable womanish Spirit of nature or the first Adam We should be swift to hear the true spiritual shepherd's voice rather then forward or at all to speak in the highest Wisdom of our own Spirit that 's the stranger and indeed the very woman Christ prohibits any speaking at all in his true Gospel-Church Paul on Christ's manly astonishing voice from heaven to him turn'd from his own womanish understanding conferr'd not with flesh and blood nature at best in himself or others Gal. 1. 16. None more prejudic'd against or more unfit to hear Christ's Gospel-Doctrin in the Church on the Rock then the self-confident Speakers and Preachers of Satan's in the House upon the Sand. Satan's false Prophets and Ministers that see Vanity and divine Lies are most unfit of all Men to be so much as Members in the Gospel-Church of Christ the Assembly of his People Ezek. 13. 9. V. II. Be not rash with thy mouth and let
behalf against the 〈◊〉 and Gospel of Christ as the common enemy of nature in them all Though these two earthen Pot-sherds a corrupt and righteous party do sometimes dash one another in pieces they still find it their joynt interest to piece up again and lay their heads together to consult at one Table against the true Saints of the most high Righteous Law-Saul that siercely fought Satan's Battel against the Lord and his Saints when everlastingly righteous Gospel Paul he became the most dangerous enemy to and disturber of the peace of his worldly Territories or Universal Province in the whole World For then he could discover all his wiles and Cabinet-Counsels as Elisha the King of Syria's And yet the natural spirit with its Mouth Tongue and whole expression inward or outward in thought desire word and deed as to its own remainder of Life in its own activity will and way was still on Satan's side the Belial-party even in Paul the Unbeliever as to Gospel the continually guilty Sinner the Fighter against God and his own true interest Ro. 7. Gal. 5. 17. 1 Pet. 2. 11. But it was weakn'd and batter'd by the Cross he having gladly receiv'd the sentence of death upon it within him and rejoycing to find death-work going on a-main upon it yea joyning with Christ in his spiritual mind to Crucify his fleshly with the affections and lusts thereof Gal. 5. 〈◊〉 This Belial-party in the very Saint 2 Cor. 6. 15. his natural Spirit or fleshly mind not fully Crucified is that Tongue that 's 〈◊〉 to be set on fire by the influence of the Devil and to be kindled or awaken'd up into strong hot fleshly desires and lusts after his perishing Meats or worldly desireables Whence else could Solomon himself after God's answer to his pleasing request for true Wisdom Spiritual and Heavenly have bin fetch'd back and hurried many Years after into such a World of gross Uncleannesses and Idolatries The natural spirit in its own unsubdued motions and way's defiles even Saints themselvs and this is figured by the Tongue a little Member of the Body but an unruly one as used by the unruly Spirit and will of Man 'T is a raging and enraged Expresser and Provoker of unruly Passions in our selvs and others Whatever may be done with the Litteral the Mystical Tongue of Man's Spirit can no Man tame by any Curbing-Bit or Bridle any device or means to be found in the first-Creation World or nature Yea this Tongue waxes more unruly raging mad and blasphemous of all things against all saving Gospel-Truths even in the flourish of Legal-Christianity form of Godliness righteousness of Man or Holy Flesh Act. 26. 11. If no Man nothing in first-Creation nature can curb and tame this Mystical unruly Tongue 't is implied this can be effectually done only by God himself or his appointed all-searching all-powerful Spirit Cross or Spiritual Gospel-Sword and Fire Slaying and Offering up the Life of nature that 's Enmity to God in Sacrifice by Death unto God The obedient death of a Spirit a Life a State of Enmity to God is acceptable to God by Jesus Christ the High-Priest Slayer Offerer up and Presenter thereof unto God most high The Cross of Christ is the Yoke the Bit the Bridle put upon it for like reason as Yokes and Bridles on unruly Beasts to make them obey their Masters and Riders The natural Spirit in the Saint though cleansed and righteous is since the fall found in Enmity to God and Union with World and Devil So Paul sound it Ro. 7. Nature corrupt or righteous World and Devil or the World the Flesh and the Devil are all of a Knot in a united interest against God Christ all Gospel-Saints and Truths This unruly beast in the Saint greatly need 's a taming-bit and bridle to fetch it about and teach it obedience to Christ its divine and Spiritual Lord and Master The demolishing death-work of the cross upon it can only do this Satan was riding this mystical beast the natural or legal Spirit in Paul towards Damascus against the Gospel Christ meets him throw's off that rider for ever and not only for a season as from Balaam strikes down the beast flat to the earth the earthly natural Spirit as well as litteral body of Paul The latter was a figure of the former Christ turn'd about his understanding and heart or will into a full career of opposition to the Devil's design and Kingdom So he presently preach'd the Gospel at Damascus whither he was comming with full purpose and resolution to persecute it Then forthwith the Devil and professing Jews hunted and forc'd him out of the City But let Satan Strike while he will at Paul and do his worst in rage against him whom before he used as a serviceable instrument when Christ is the rider The more deadly wounds he or his instruments do give any thing in Paul that can be wounded and slain the more tame and obedient does it grow to his new rider and true master Christ will render the most malicious practices of all enemies against Paul or any in like case conducible to the bringing him to his own hand which is the Saint's true good and great gain The Wicked Angels or men that are his Sword are used by Christ as whipp's and scourges to tame the unruly tongue natural Spirit or rebellious fleshly mind in the Saint that warr 's against his Spirit in himself and Saints The said wicked are as 't were ridden also or over-ruled by Christ the Saint's new rider Psal. 17. 13 14 used as his Sword and hand to carry on his cross-work on what 's to die in the Saint the said unrulytongue The whole knot of evil angels and men can do nothing to or against his Saints but what 's exactly conducible to their good at every turn in every point All 's on the right wheel still come what will or can under Christ's conduct for the Saint's advantage The due consideration of this will cause Saints to rejoyce with Paul in the greatest tribulations and triumph over all enemies amidst the thickest troop's of them round about them having a fixed eye upon the glory that follows which exeell's and remain's for ever In stead of sinking and growing weary under contradictions and persecutions he said God forbid I should glory or rejoyce in any thing save what 's doing to me by the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ let who will be the instruments for carrying on its demolishing taming work on my unruly fleshly mind and body of death The full taming it is the compleat death of it The more thick speedy and powerfull death-blow's are given to it the better the sooner will the happy work be done and the Saint deliver'd from his Spirit of bondage the perpetually guilty Sinner and so from all evil of sin or punishment The natural Spirit corrupt or righteous is in a union of mind with the Devil till this death-work of
latter If they 'l not follow his suffering steps they never come where he is They prefer the earthy life and Countrey of the Creature to the heavenly life of the Creatour Blessed for ever The issue of and for this disobedience matters come to is this God will strip them of and take from them all the fading good they are possess'd of in the mystical earthly Countrey or land of their own restor'd enlighten'd nature as wilfully retain'd in a known rebellion against him The very same Mystical Sword or new-Creation Spirit of Christ and God will be drawn against them in final wrath to destroy them for ever which they so fear'd startl'd at and turn'd from when offer'd to be brought upon them in love to give them a kindly and right death-pass into the true land of promise Had they willingly obey'd it they had enter'd and eaten the good of the true land of promise But having absolutely and conclusively refused it and rebell'd against it they 'l be devour'd by the same sword or Spiritual cross upon them for ever The mouth of the Lord the living word of God Christ himself hath spoken it Isa. 1. 19 20. Obediently lose the fading life of nature and enter Rebelliously save pitty spare your own life and ye lose all for ever in eternal death under final wrath This is Christ's doctrin Mat. 16. 25. And this Christ presently deliver'd on Satan's contrary doctrin by an Apostle with the perswasive and seeming friendly words of his wisdom When he had spoken of his sufferings Peter rebuk'd him and preach'd the self-same doctrin to him the Old Serpent preach'd to Eve and by her to Adam Be it far from thee Lord this shall not be unto thee that is thou shalt not suffer or die at all This Spotless righteous law-life in holy flesh is eternal life no danger of death The Gospel-Riddle uninterpretable by Man's Wisdom is this die must nature or all 's lost nature and grace too all good in first or second covenant changable or unchangable And what succeeds unchangable evil of sin and punishment The obedient death of nature under the cross the full sevenfold purifying of it in the fiery furnace thereof from all dross tin and reprobate silver all filth of flesh and Spirit too renders man clean every whit Jo. 13. 10. This delivers him for ever from all captivities bondages enemies dangers and death's litteral and mystical Sodom Egypt and Babylon the life of nature corrupt or righteous both of which are a state of enmity to God and death to man if fix'd in Thou shalt never wash my feet said Peter No say's Christ then thou wilt have no part in me Oh then not my feet only but hands and head said Peter If feet be wash'd 't is enough say's Christ there need 's no more to make perfectly clean every whit whole and spiritually sound If the feet the will and understanding the two mystical feet on which man walks in his esteem judgment thought of and desire after things if these be Spiritual Heavenly Gospel-feet the discerning and desiring powers of the Gospel-Spirit and principle all will go right Heavenly things never-perishing meats will be wholly and only esteem'd desir'd and fed upon in this bottom-principle All will be right a-top in all Holy Gospel-Conversation when all 's right at bottom A Spirit greater then he that 's in the World the Devil in which 't is impossible to displease God Sin erre miscarry deceive or be deceived must needs ever do all things well and man be truly blessed in the deeds thereof The extream folly then of man in not only deferring but finally refusing to pay his engaged commanded vow for giving up his whole nature or Spirit the devoted thing in sacrifice by death unto God is unpardonable And then God will be extream and that most justly in marking all done amiss by him in his self-chosen nature and life He will call him to an account for every thing done therein from first to last This great transgression the presumptuous unpardonable sin unto eternal death will bring all other sin 's at its heels to be answer'd for as creditors come upon a man for lesser debts when clapt up in prison for a great one And then will every Spiritual conviction offered men in the day of their trial and God's patience towards them be reviv'd in them and stare them in the face to witness against them judg and condemn them in harmony with God himself When man's trial is over and sentence of death irrevocably past upon him God will not repent or change from his dispensation of wrath and man cannot repent or change from his rebellious mind of enmity against God Repentance will be hid from God's eyes and man's on all hands Unchangable enmity to God lay's man under the unchangable wrath of God thrust's him out of all distance as to any favour for ever or benefit by Christ's sacrifice or intercession Christ died not nor will intercede for the pardon of unchangable enmity to God and him And God will revive his formerly given Spiritual light to testify for him against them in their own consciences the evidence whereof can never be silenc'd extinguish'd or denied by them The irresistible testimony of it will be a perpetual condemner of them and justifier of God in his most wrathfull proceedings against them This is the worm never dies witnessing the fire of that wrath to be undeniably just which can never be quench'd Mark 9. 44. 46. 48. Vers. 6. Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to Sin neither say thou before the Angel 70. before God that it was an errour wherefore should God be angry at thy voice and destroy the work of thine hands The Spirit of man at best in its own life is but flesh The life mind will desire thought wisdom righteousness glory all the things thereof are but sleshly earthly perishing vanities Man in all altogether vanity is possess'd of no goodness but what 's a fading flower no beauty no glory but what will be consumed and done away Ps. 39. 5. and 49. 14. Isa. 40. 6. Man in all this is the slesh his mouth should not cause to sin Mouth as said signifies all manner of expression of this slesh 〈◊〉 mind or natural Spirit inward or outward in desire thought word or action If the inmost mouth bottom desire and thought of man be found approving of and consenting unto the entering into a firm unchangable union with the Devil the striking up an everlasting covenant with him then does it cause his flesh or natural Spirit to sin unpardonably against the Spirit of Grace the Gospel-Spirit or Holy Ghost in which convincingly shew'd he ought to enter into or strike a new and everlasting covenant with God His knowing wilful choice is rather to comply with the Devil in a fond self-destroying love to himself or his own life and nature to be by his most destructive workmanship Baptized into
his spirit of unchangable enmity to God then by Christ's new-creation workmanship baptized into his Gospel-spirit of unchangable union with God What 's the meet recompence of such errour The same Tophet punishment lake of mystical fire and brimstone the litteral is but a Shadow of unquenchable wrath fiery indignation the vengeance of eternal fire In this and other variety of language does the Holy Ghost or Spirit of truth in the Scriptur's of truth clothe the joynt everlasting torment and vexation of both For such a covenant with the Devil is a covenant of oath a swearing everlasting allegiance to him and a taking also his oath of supreamacy owning him as the supream ruler and infallible dictatour in Church and State in the room of the holy ghost or Christ in Spirit and God most high himself 2 Thes. 2. 4. And so his bored Servants they are for ever whom they have sworn to obey for ever on all accounts and own for their Supream Paramount-Ruler and guide so as to place themselvs under his protection wing and conduct Rom. 6. 16. They agree to Obey Sin and the Man of Sin Satan the unchangably sinning Spirit of Eternal Darkness and Death Can this be lesse then the sin unto death eternal death They 'l be sure of the portion they have chosen They unchangably hate Christ's Gospel new-Creature Spirit of everlasting righteousness chuse and love a Spirit of unchangable enmity to it and death to themselvs Prov. 8. 36. Can they miss of what they love and have chosen Rebellious Children are they They take counsel not of me saith the Lord but of the Devil They cover with a covering not of my Spirit but the Devil 's for their clothing and protection They are willing to be dress'd up in his furniture and armour to fight against God All this for this very end that they may add sin to sin unchangable enmity to God the unpardonable sin to the pardonable changable state of enmity and death they were born in So come they to a latter end worse than their beginning by their own choice when offer'd a better end then ever nature in its beginning at best before the fall amounted to in the the changable spotless life thereof They are now in a known chosen confederacy with the Devil for ever against God Christ all Gospel-Saints and truths They have greedily drunk down the poyson'd wine of the very Spirit of the old Serpent Their wine is the poison of Dragons the cruel venom of Asps Deut. 32. 33. The poison of Asps is under their lips Rom. 3. 13. They spit venom breath out slaughter against the Saints of the most high They are establish'd by Satan made men fully after his own heart So unchangable irreconcileable implacable enemies of all after God's own heart as Saul to David In these two fixed states after God's or the Devil 's own heart will all men in conclusion be found in heaven or hell everlasting joy or sorrow under the final favour or unquenchable wrath of God Neither say before the Angel 't was an errour This Angel is Christ the supream Apostle or Messenger of God's Covenant the living Creature-word and book of God which is God Jo. 1. 1 So the Septuagint render it neither say before God it was an errour and therefore why should he be angry c. To what porpose is it for any to pretend ignorance as having done all this by a mistake and surprize before this Angel or word of God that 's of an all-penetrating sight so as infallibly to discern and discover the bottom-thoughts and intents of all hearts Heb. 4. 12 13. He will undeniably evidence all this wickedness to have bin wilfully and knowingly done against his cleer declarations of the mind of God to them and most faithfull warnings of them to the contrary and of the unspeakable danger thereof No good words fair speeches plausible pretences whereby they have deceiv'd their fellow-creatur's will signify any thing towards their defence or excuse before this infallible Angel's judgment-seat He will silence and stop every mouth of iniquity and fill all that have thus caused their flesh to sin thereby with everlasting shame and confusion of face Peter in the Holy Ghost or that Spirit of this Angel Christ wherein he will judg the world detected the falshood of Ananias and Saphira and executed God's sentence of death upon them as having suffer'd Satan to fill their hearts their undeniable guilt Act. 5. 1-10 Such Spots are not the Spots of God's Children They are never guilty of unpardonable Sins And then do those guilty of such errours think to get any thing by 〈◊〉 why should God be angry and destroy our works Or Solomon in the Spirit of God asks them why should God be angry at thy voice or mouth that hath agreed with Satan to cause thy flesh or whole man to sin 〈◊〉 and so destroy the Work of thine hands But let this Question be put by whom it will the Works which have been wrought in a Spirit of unchangable enmity to God will be 〈◊〉 If put by the Holy Ghost in Solomon 't is by way of counsel to 〈◊〉 such madness in Men whereby to receive such a Spirit of unchangable enmity into them for the principle of all their Desires Thoughts and Works as will most certainly expose them and all such Works to be burnt up and destroyed for ever They have done all such wicked Works and the leading wicked Work to all the rest in receiving the Devil's Spirit of unchangable enmity for their working Active Principle before the said Angel or under his convincing Spiritual Light and cleer discoveries of himself to them in his Spiritual Life of Truth wherein alone they can be Saved He will at last undeniably convince them that they were convinced and fairly warn'd of all these things before-hand in his gracious exhibitings and offers of himself to them doing all they could desire he should do for preventing such a self-ruining wilfull unpardonable errour All has been done by them against the known commands of his Spiritual law And will they say it was an errour a mistake of meer ignorance And so think to prevail with this Angel to plead for their Pardon Alas Alas He will make them see it most Just for him to intercede against them as his and his Father 's incorrigible wilfull Enemies and to say to his mighty Angels slay these mine Enemies before my face Luke 19. 27. that would not I should Reign over them but the Devil God or this Angel is most Justly angry at their Voice or Mouth by which they have chosen and declared their consent for unchangable union with the Devil rather then with him And he will destroy all the works of their Hands that in such union they have done against him in whatever nearest resemblance of his Gospel-Spirit and Truths by the transforming Arts and Skill of their Master-Workman purposely to express their utmost Malice against him
thereby Vers. VII For in the multitude of Dreams and many Words there are also divers Vanities but fear thou God This concluding Word on this subject is a Character of the first-creation Spirit or State as chosen by men in union of mind with the fallen Angels Solomon calls it many things and businesses a multitude of Dreams as v. 3. a multitude of business whence cometh a Dream The busie boundless wandring gadding Spirit of man cumbers it self as Martha with a heap of first-creation Vanities that can give him no true satisfaction All his conceited happiness therein is but a Dream His many Words and Labours about them are but divers Vanities a variety of glittering nothings things that God says are not perishing vanishing shadows All labour of man in his first creation life of Vanity all his Works Fruits Duties performance to God or Man therein is Vanity All inordinate love to and 〈◊〉 after the outward or inward litteral or mystical Riches and Treasures of that State in the most fruitfull Exercise of a first-covenant Life is but that Love of Mony Paul call's the Root of all 〈◊〉 For from this Love to his own Worldly Life and Riches thereof is man sound in direct enmity to God and his Gospel-Spirit and Riches which alone can make any truly Happy So all he is has or does all his Attainments Works Fruits Riches Possessions rested in will prove a most unhappy destructive Dream out of which when he awakes he will find himself to have bin all along deceived with Imaginary things that have no durable reality in them Christ convincingly shew's men this now and will hereafter convince them he hath so shewed it and fairly warned them thereby of their danger Let him then that Preaches up such a vain State with all the best things of man therein for happiness tell it but as a Dream not considently assert it to be a Gospel-State of Salvation but a Law-Dream Jer. 23. 28. Man's Chaff Dream Vain Glory Shadow Life and Image of the Earthy fix'd in in unchangable enmity to God's Wheat his Word Wisdom Righteousness durable Life Riches Food and Cloathing in the Image of the Heavenly is certain damnation What 's the Chaff to the Wheat the Words of Man's Wisdom in his lying Spirit of divination as to all Gospel things and truths of God into the Room whereof he thrusts the things of Man and says the Lord sayeth Ezek. 13. 6. to the Words of my Wisdom in my Gospel Spirit of Truth What are Man's Law-Dreams to my Gospel-Truths In stead of this dangerous Trade and destructive practice Solomon's advice is Fear thou God This fearing God and keeping his commandments he declar's Eccles. 12. 13. to be the whole Duty of Man the Conclusion and sum of the whole matter in all Books and Words of Right Instruction unto Life Follow after obey and close with the Lord 's own Counsels Teachings Leadings convincing discoveries of his mind and Gracious Offer's of that Gospel-Spirit that 's in unchangable union with his divine Spirit and you 'l ever know and do his whole mind and counsel and Worship him in Spirit and in Truth to his wel-pleasing acceptance and your Salvation His Spirit is that Love that 's the fulfiller of his whole Law Rom. 13. 10. Vers. 8. If thou seest the Oppression of the Poor and violent perverting of Judgment and Justice in a Province marvel not at the matter Heb. will or purpose for he that is higher then the highest regardeth and there be higher than they Her 's encouragement to right Fearers true Believers and beloveds of God that have abandon'd their own first-creation Life of vanity and enmity for his new-creation Spirit of Truth and Love In this are they too hard for all Enemies For the Almighty Divine and irrisistibly mighty new-creation Spirit of Christ and God are on their Side as also the Angels of his Power who in their Spiritual new-covenant Life of everlasting Righteousness and Truth transcendently excell in strength all first-creation Evil Angelical or humane invisible or visible Principalities Powers that are against the Saints of the most high Saints then are sufficiently furnish'd under the great Captain of their Salvation to deal with and be more then Conquerors over all Enemies all worldly Powers of Darkness and Gates of Hell Muster they never so strong Bluster Storm and Look as big as they can Saints Infallibly see and know where they shall have them in conclusion for ever even under their feet as the necks of the five Kings of Canaan were put under the feet of Josua's Captains Jos. 10. 24. Those Kings were a Type of all first-Creation Powers fix'd in Opposition to the second Spiritual Israelites know how to demean themselvs under all Oppressours the great mystical Goliah the Devil with his whole Army of Philistines evil Angels and men They have so learnt Christ in their Spiritual man which no Enemies can touch that they fear not them that can but kill the Body or whole natural man as to a first-covenant first-creation Life of vanity and have no more that they can do They know their great Captain Christ himself turns all Injuries done to their Body or natural man to their great advantage as hastning the Death of what 's to die in them and so compleating their conformity with himself therein the consequent whereof will be a compleating them in his resurrection-Life that 's above all Enemies and Deaths Their Way of ascending into his all-conquering Spiritual Life is the Death of their natural State They overcome by such Death of what can die as found in a state that can never die the certain result and issue of such a Holy obedient Death This way the Captain of our Salvation overcame Heb. 2. 10. And his good and faithfull Souldiers must fight as they have him for an example and not look for a final absolute Conquest any other Way than he obtained it Satan and his Party seem to conquer by killing the natural man or Body of Christ and Saints who finally conquer them all by being so killed They fight with exceedingly differing Weapons Enemies with Weak and Carnal Saints and their Captain-General with Spiritual and Mighty through God for pulling down all their Strong Holds and laying them all in the Dust. Another Riddle Enemies fight against the Spirit of God or Spiritual man in Saints but can hit or touch only their natural which their own Spiritual is fighting against in their own persons So though they have Perfectly contrary designes Christ Saints and all Enemies what'ere they strike at they all hit only flesh and Blood which cannot enter into the Kingdom of God but lets or hinders the Saint's fully entring till it be fully destroyed By suffering Devils and men seemingly to overcome him and his Saints as bringing death on their natural man do Christ and they overcome them all in their Spiritual which is greater then they and which they can never touch V.
14. 1 Joh. 4. 4. and 5. 18. Satan's Battels against and seeming Conquests over Saints the few that are saved Christs little flock are performed with a confused noise and Garments rolled in Blood Christ's and Saints victory over them is with burning and fewel of Fire by which the 〈◊〉 of and by the Lord will be the many that perish Isai. 9. 5. and 66. 16. Enemies kill Saint's Body's but they 'l kill their Spirits Souls and Bodies for ever in that Spirit they aimed at to kill but could never touch It will touch them to purpose at last But Who are the Oppressours here What the Oppression Who the Oppressed in the Province of this World Satan's universal Monarchy through a violent perverting of Judgment and Justice Much has been said 〈◊〉 these queries on Vers. 1. of Chap. 4. Evil Angels and Men are the invisible and visible Principalities and Powers that set themselvs to oppress the Saints of the most High the Poor and Needy as to the Treasures of their inward natural Man their Spirit and oft outward also as the Signal Tormenters of such Dwellers upon the Earth or fixed Inhabitants of the Earthy first-Creation State of Nature evill Angels and Men disturbers of the Peace of their Joynt worldly Dominion and tyranical Domination therein For they declare all that worldly Life and Strength they trust in for Happiness to be but a Bubble a Dream a fading Flower insignificant as to true happiness a fix'd confidence therein unchangable enmity to God and certain Damnation to themselvs Can the Rulers of this World visible or invisible bear such Doctrine concerning that State they set up in for Salvation Though Devils more fully know the Truth thereof will men under their strong delusions pleasing themselvs to think their sandy Foundation'd Church-building good and their matters right with God as therein doing him service let the true Saint's contrary spiritual true Gospel-Doctrine passe uncontrol'd or the Preachers and Owners of such Doctrine unpunished Never look for 't And least of all in these last and worst of Times in which the Scripture proclaim 's and warn's this Oppression will rise to a higher pitch than in all former Ages of this World under Satan the Prince and God the Moloch and Baal or King and Lord thereof King of Kings and of all the Children of Pride all proud self-exalters in this World as Christ King of all Spiritual Kings and meek subjected Children of his Kingdom in the next Satan the permitted God and Prince of this when he know's he hath but a short time to Reign his Kingdom drawing near a Period will more outragiously and Subtly then ever lay about him to hinder and prevent the Dawnings and commencing of Christ's Rev. 12. 12. He will then enrage his visible Powers in this World against Saints to the causing such a time of Trouble to them as never was or shall be Mat. 24. 21. As certain Tokens of Satan's expiring Reign and so of the approaching of Christ's the Love and Practice of all sorts of Iniquity litteral and mystical will abound and of all sorts of goodness decline and decay By both these will the Devil most dext'rously serve his designs as to all sorts of Oppression by the violent perverting of Judgment and Justice towards the Poor of Christ's Flock stripp'd of all natural Power or Relief visible or invisible He will use a prophane Party to destroy the common Rights and Properties of men on civil accounts And he will use first-Covenant Law-Brethren as by him turn'd into gospel-wolv's and yet dress'dup by him in Sheeps-cloathing Spiritual appearances to worry and hunt true Spiritual Gospel-Breth'ren in the second to Death But Saints are fore-warn'd of all this as to what they are to expect in the worst of times Mat. 24. 25. Joh. 16. 4. All 's by God's permission and under his over-ruling Power They ought not therefore to marvel or be dismay'd at the matter or will and purpose of God herein which is wholly for their Good Be not dismay'd for he or they that is or that are higher than the highest the Holy Angels do regard see and take notice of all as Standers by and Lookers on til fully impowr'd and comission'd to come forth in the effectual Preaching of the everlasting Gospel to Saints and pouring forth the Vials of Wrath on their Enemies And Christ and God yet unspeakably infinitely higher than the Holy Angels sit as 't were silent but exactly regarding and observing the injurious demeanour of Enemies towards his Saints together with Saints dutiful and quiet demeanour under such Injuries and worst Occurrents The spiritual Gospel-life of Christ in Elect Angels yea and in Saints too render's them as much higher then all evil first-creation Powers Angels or Men as the Heavens then the Earth And though the Good Angels come not forth in their immediately preparatory dispensation to Christ's second comming till peculiarly commission'd for such blessed work in the last and worst of times when enemies are grown most rampant and confident yet mean while even all along this World are they and have they bin sent by Christ as ministring spirits keepers and guardians to blessed Saints on earth heirs of salvation surrounded with enemies on all hands in this scrambling confounded world of cunning Devils and ignorant men ignorant as to all Gospel saving truths abundance of them not knowing or very little thinking what they are doing as even Paul once Act. 26. 9. Luk. 23. 34. Act. 13. 27. They protected Eliah from the king's 3 Captains and their fifties Elisha in Dothan from the Syrian Army and Hezekiah c. from the Assyrian Army before Jerusalem as Isaiah prophesied 2 Kings 19. 20. 35. By the decrees of Christ's spiritual Angelical Watchers over and observers of all men good and bad as Hesiod say's will the great Tree of all oppressing Worldly Monarchies be cut down when ripe for the Sicle Dan. 4. 17. Mat. 13. 39-42 Rev. 14. 19 20. That Devils are not ignorant of Holy Angels Guardianship over Saints appears by Satan's quoting Psal. 91. 11 12 to Christ himself Mat. 4. 6. They keep Saints also as the natural man of Christ himself in flesh from being induced by tempting Devils by the contrary workings of flesh and Blood in themselvs or persecuting-work of enemies without doores to stumble or be finally and unpardonably Offended at and so found offenders of Christ the corner-stone and foundation of the new-creation building on the Rock as coming on flesh and blood or their natural man with mystical fire and a flaming two-edged sword to kill slay and offer it up in sacrifice to God In the close of this world will they poure down the wrath of God gradually on the several parts or branches of Satan's universal Empire or worldly dominion till all be laid in the Dust under Christ's theirs and his Saints feet Rev. 16. Saints waiting in a lively hope for this ought to possess their Souls in faith and
beloved natur's head from the Gospel-Sword and Fire of the Cross or Spirit of Christ do men mount up into superiour first-creation strength subtlety and power to oppose and fortify themselvs against Christ and God that they may be deliver'd from the power of evil even from the wrath of God Hab. 2. 9. This is man's design in his evil covetousness to set his nest on high amongst the evil angelical Rocks and Mountains with a vain hope to fight and make good his ground and standing there against God himself Most daring foolish presumptuous self-destroying wickedness Thus comes the mystical House of man 's swept garnish'd nature but empty of the Gospel-Spirit of Christ that 's greater than Satan after all cleansing from filth of flesh and adorning with Spiritual enlightning excellent Gifts to be re-entred and repossessed by him in a sevenfold more dangerous manner than before he was cast out of his changable corrupt state of nature that is unchangably This is cleans'd righteous man's latter end worse than his beginning in polluted nature dead in trespasses 〈◊〉 sins but recoverable and curable by the redeemer Mat. 12. 43-45 In this desperate and most deplorable condition did Christ find and declare the self-confident righteous Scribs Pharisees and professing Jews who asserted themselvs to be true Children of Abram yea and of God himself as born of God Joh. 8. 39. 41. to be of their Father the Devil as born of him and walking acting and speaking in his very murdering lying Spirit of unchangable enmity to God as the very principle of their life desire thought and action V. 44. Man's Body or natural state given up to be burn'd not in the true Fire of that Gospel-Spirit that 's called Charity or Love 1 Cor. 13. 3. but in the false Fire of Satan's Spirit of unchangable enmity to God profits him nothing but indeed becom's the highest and utmost imaginable disadvantage to him It renders him a fix'd Temple of the very Spirit of the Devil as the true Saint of God's This abundance of mystical first-creation Riches men singer by advance into evil angelical excellencies superiour to meer humane will not suffer them to sleep being for ever excluded God's Rest the new-creation Spirit of Christ. They must lie down for ever with their Father the Devil and his Angels under wrath in eternal vexation of Spirit But the mystical poor Labourer that sets his hand to the Plow of the Cross to turn up the very Root or natural principle of all mystical first-creation riches or fruits will have sweet sleep rest and peace with God for evermore He cast's away and willingly parts with all the riches as dung that the other cumbers himself with and all desires after them or care and solicitud's about them Who has the better on 't the rich Christ pronounces wo to Luk. 6. 24. or the poor in Spirit whose is the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 5. 3. The more speedily the fleshly Tree with all the fruits and riches produced in and by it is dayly dying and withering away under the Cross at the farther distance is the true Saint from the danger the covetous rich naturalist is involv'd and in a perillous tendency towards an unalterable fixure in by not submitting to God's sentence of Death upon nature at best as Paul did 2 Cor. 1. 9. so as to have it speedily executed upon them This exposes men to Satan's fixing or setting their Hearts in them to do evil Ec. 8. 11. in unchangable enmity to God with him So all their heap'd up riches are kept by and for the owners thereof to their own hurt Hurt yes to purpose their eternal ruine He that incorrigibly loves and dotes upon such riches hates Christ and his true life and riches so loves Death Prov. 8. 36. Had the young man listned to Christ and quitted the fading earthly life and riches of his own nature for his heavenly he had found that eternal Life he enquir'd after But quitting Christ's faithfull Command and gracious Offer all for his unspeakable advantage if complied with in case he finally persisted therein what less than eternal Death could befall him Mat. 19. 16-22 Vers. XIV But those riches perish by evil travel Heb. in the evil use or employment of them and he begetteth a Son and there is nothing in his hand Litteral riches got by evil travel and as ill us'd are by the just hand of God oft taken away again Man set's himself to build Castles in the Air or leave house and land to his Posterity called after his own name and all comes to nothing The Son begotten by him and left behind him bring 's his matters to such pass that nothing remain's to him or is left in his hand As for the deceas'd Father he could carry nothing of such riches away with him Psal. 49. 17. Job 21. 13. -21. What a dismal issue is here of all vain travel relating to the outward pelf of this World and the same issue come all the mystical rich man's labours to as has been above evidenc'd abundantly He trades but in a higher sort of perishing vanities with the litteral Both of them as they came naked in Body and Soul into the World so do they march out of it again after a long travel and trading in a scene of perishing shadows as follow 's Vers. XV. As he came forth of his Mothers Womb naked shall he return to go as he came and shall take nothing of his labour which he may carry away in his hand No comfort or benefit for ever will remain to either of the said evill Labourers and Abusers of litteral or mystical perishing worldly riches Psal. 39. 5 6. and 49. 11-20 They carry nothing away to stand them in any stead in a resurrection of damnation for the second Child that shall stand up in an immortal being of Body Soul and Spirit in lieu of their mortal Life of all in this World Eccl. 4. 15. Vers. XVI And this also is a sore evil that in all points as he came so shall he go and what profit hath he that hath laboured for the Wind Man wholly destitute of the Life Riches and Glory of the World to come labour 's in Sin Vanity and Darkness all along his day in this He has nothing but a delusive transient jollity in things that perish in the using Belly and Meats Desires and Desirables all vanity God will destroy one and t'other All 's but a passant wind he labours about And all his false joy lead's directly to eternal sorrow that he 's to lie down in under wrath Vers. XVII All his days also he eateth in darkness and he hath much sorrow and wrath with his sickness In this verse and the two former have we a true description of man's doleful state after the largest possessions litteral or mystical that can fall to his lot in first-creation life He huggs but a wind phantome shadow or self-pleasing Dream All 's nothing and he
under the mystical first-creation Sun the first covenant Spirit as to all their fruits and Laodicean riches heap'd up there as in the litteral Rich man under that Sun that produces the litteral riches and fruits of this Earth we tread upon The influence rain anointings gifts enlightnings and comforting warmth of Christ 〈◊〉 his single distributions of first-covenant light and life as a fleshly Bridegroom and Comforter makes men first-covenant Saints in holy cleans'd flesh or a righteous natural State freed in degree from the pollutions of their sormer polluted worldly nature This makes them 〈◊〉 fruitful rich full flourishing wise strong and honourable there in holy flesh by such knowledg and experience of Christ after the flesh Christ's mystical husbandry and husbandly influence upon them there has these real effects upon them brings them a-fresh into the 〈◊〉 of godliness and real righteousness of man in the image of the earthy or first Adam restored and put upon them as a comeliness and beauty all which yet is but a 〈◊〉 flower a perishing 〈◊〉 as at first in Adam And now also filth of spirit or enmity to God's divine and new-creature Gospel-spirit of grace is inseparable from this restor'd life of holy flesh This disease therefore is curable only by the obedient death and loss of all this again for Christ's spiritual Gospel everlasting righteous new-creation life by which to become one with him there as married to him in that life into which he is risen out of the Death of that Law-life of holy-flesh in his own person Rom. 7. 1-4 These first-covenant Brethren Children and Spouses of Christ in the first-covenant finally refusing the terms of being Married to him in the second which is the death and loss of all their fading vanities come to be Married to the Devil for ever and so of a changable spouse and people become not only no spouse children or people of God but a very Synagogue of Satan 〈◊〉 the mystery and power of Godliness they are finally catch'd and for ever swallowed up in Satan's mystery of 〈◊〉 Such righteous first-covenanters in Law-life thus joyning unchangably with the Devil in an everlasting Marriage-Union with him hated all Christ's spiritual Gospel-Doctrine and Crucified the Lord of Glory put to a temporal Death the very Prince of everlasting life These drive a more dangerous trade with their vanities then the litteral Rich man with his Paul and all spiritual Saints follow Christ's suffering steps out of the Glory and Life to be done away into the Glory that excell's and Life that remain's for ever This is the rendring any man truly blessed And this in great variety of Scripture-language and Figurative Parabolical instruction is signified to men by the voice of the true Shepherd and wisdom of God the words of his heavenly Gospel-spirit in himself and Saints But man notwithstanding all that can be said pitches his foot resolutely in harmony with Satan for Salvation in the but restor'd earthy first-covenant life of his own nature in his own will and way after his own heart which in fine render's him a man after Satan's own heart They so interpret all Scripture by the words of their own wisdom and in their lying spirit of divination as to warrant this a state of true and everlasting blessedness This Doctrin in all its variety is the Doctrin of Devils and no better the self same the Serpent Preach'd to Eve and prevail'd in Gen. 3. 4. Ezek. 13. 6. So have ye Satan's and his Apostles accursed other Gospel-Ministry in flat contrariety to every word of Christ's If ye follow it ye must take what follow 's for ever the wrath to come be as jocund and confident as ye will now This has been Satan's and Man 's delusive cursed other Gospel that 's no. Gospel from the beginning and will be to the end of this world under all variety of dispensation from God before and under written Law or Gospel the Oracles of God in a sound of words which make up the Scriptures of Truth the holy Bible or Book of God a transcript of the living Oracles of God in the person of Christ the living creature-wisdom word and book of God's whole very Divine mind and counsels about the Salvation of his Creatures Angels and Men and the supream Prophet and declarer thereof Prov. 1. 20-23 and 8. 1-9 Man and Angel must die as to first-creation 〈◊〉 at best that 's but vanity and a fading flower say's 〈◊〉 No such matter says the Devil and say his Gospel-ministries in all their tosses variety of thought and clashing language of their wisdoms Ye shall not die at all No danger or death is incident to you to be suspected or feared by you in your righteous cleans'd natural State Here 's the universal clash and contrariety of Satans lying and Christs true Gospel which will ye choose O simple ones Object 1. The willingly deluded followers of Satan's object against Christ's that 't is but one and the same thing whereas that they call Satan's has great variety Hear you say they or turn your books while we will open them at any leaf we find still one and the same thing insisted on 'T is all one where we open or what we read 〈◊〉 What amounts this objection to That Christ's Gospel-words are in exact harmony thorow-out and Man's and Satan's Babel-gospel has great confusion of Language and contradicting words proceeding from contrary Opinions Thoughts or Apprehensions larded with a world of fine stories similies and perswasive words of man's eloquent wisdom But all uniformly against and contrary to all Christ's 〈◊〉 Gospel to a Tittle This variety tickles the itching Ear 2 Tim. 4. 3. and gratifies that Palate in man which with Satans savour's only the many natural things of Man or Angel in the first creation and not at all the one thing necessary that 's comprehensive of all the things of Christ and God communicable to Men in the second Object 2. We deny say Satan's Gospellers there 's any creature-life or spirit distinct from what God set up men and Angels in by the 〈◊〉 creation above that or between that and the infinite divine life 〈◊〉 spirit And this is that fill's all your Books and is the substance of your pretended-gospel And this higher creature life you call the life of God and the wisdom righteousness and all the things of it the wisdom righteousness and things of God What can you mean by all this save the very 〈◊〉 life the eternal righteousness and wisdom And we hold a swallowing up of creatur's beings and wills at last into the Divine life and will of God Answ. What 's this at bottom but annihilation of Man and Angel and then God is where and what he was from Eternity and nothing of the Creature in any sense or capacity remain's at all Here 's the sum of the controversie between hypocritical Sinners in Zion pretending to right saving Saintship in renew'd naturals first-covenant
with a whiff 'T is deceitful above all things and desperatly wicked who can know or discover it The wisdom of God in himself and Saints this only can search it out and cause it to know it self teach it or bring it to the true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jer. 17. 9 10. Nothing in Nature nothing below the all-searching Gospel-Spirit in Christ and Saints can discover all its Meanders and Wiles anatomize and unriddle it to the full The holy Ghost in and by Peter found out the falshood of Ananias and Saphira and slew them Act. 5. 1 -- 10. The first-Covenant wise Jew or Christian Gentile boasts himself as a fit Teacher and Guide to the common sinner in corrupt Nature little dreaming that himself in 〈◊〉 Nature is guilty of a more criminal sort of mystical 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 against God and his Spirit of Grace Rom. 2. 17 -27. He sits in his majesterial Chair as an instructor of fools insulting over the gross sinner with a touch me not stand by keep off for I am 〈◊〉 than thou This renders the proud Pharisee an abomination to God Isa. 65. 5. To such self-confidents Paul puts divers searching questions which discover him more deeply guilty of mystical sins against the Gospel bearing the same title with the literal Adulteries Thefts Idolatries and Sacriledg he justly reproves in the common sinner against the Law The death and loss of all such boast in is absolutely necessary in the methods of God's Wisdom to Salvation the receiving that Gospel-Spirit of life in which any can be saved Miss this and miss all Come short of the Grace and ye fall short of the Glory of God never enjoy the beatisical vision thereof An exact observer of the letter of the Law may be a most criminal breaker of its spiritual mind or meaning as Paul once The Law-Saint or legal-spirited Christian Believer finds the corrupt Heathen a no-body to him and he is a no-body to the true Gospel-Saint a meer blind Ignoramus as to all-Gospel-truths yea worse a mortal hater of and enemy to all Gospel-Saints as no-bodies to him the worst of Men the 〈◊〉 of the World The circumcis'd cleans'd first-covenant wise Man by opposing the second becomes a greater sinner and worse Man than the uncircumcis'd polluted Heathen If he and the Heathen fix themselves in righteous and corrupt Nature the 〈◊〉 righteous Man will have the worst on 't for ever T will be easier for the literal than mystical Sodomite in Hell Mat. 11. 23 24. But what then hath the wise Man or first-Covenant holy Man more than the fool in corrupt Nature What advantage has he Much every way says Paul in answer to his own question Rom. 3. 1 2. The Law or restor'd life of it rightly us'd is of great benefit to Man in suppressing and keeping under the vile affections of corrupt Nature but if abused against spiritual conviction in a 〈◊〉 enmity to the Gospel 't is render'd by Man worse than nothing and he is thereby rendered worse than the fool or common sinner 〈◊〉 in polluted Nature For he is absolutely excluded God's Rest on his wilfully contracted incurable Leprosy or disease of unchangeable enmity to God the other not so But leaving both their cases what hath the poor that knoweth to walk before the living What has the poor broken-spirited Saint beyond both and all the the said wise and fools that are levell'd at the death of the body and come all to the same sad end a being cover'd with darkness for ever This truly poor in spirit is a blessed Heir of the Kingdom of God The natural Man of the true Saint impoverish'd and run down by the cross as to that wisdom life riches and fading glory the self-exalting first-Covenant Princes of this World keep up in rebellion against God and enmity to the cross is the poor and needy the Scripture so ring's of specially the Psalms And occasionally has this mystical poor bin plentifully spoken of and charactered in this and the like discourses on Job Timothy c. Christ pronounces such poor blessed Mat. 5. 3. the opposit rich or wise cursed Wo to the rich Luk 6. 24. Such mystical rich go merrily without regarding this wo they are under with their whole Soul or unbroken natural spirit to Hell while the true Saint in the broken crucified impoverish'd mourning state thereof is following the slain Lamb to Heaven Blessed are such mourners Mat. 5. 4. Both the wise and fool in the restor'd or corrupt spirit of nature set by and laid aside Solomon ask's in reference to this third Man distinct from both What hath or is the poor c. What has he got in the room of all the lost life wisdom and riches of his own Nature spiritual everlasting Gospel-life and riches This is the case of such as with Paul are content to become fools weak and despicable as to all the first-Covenant rich and wise boast and glory in What this mystical fool and poor has is plain durable riches and life in God What has the opposit wise then no more to speak on than the fool in polluted nature All are fools one and 'tother as to their eternal concerns mind no such things Spiritual and Heavenly These go for nothing with them but are all in all The Spirit of God asks and resolv's his own question negatively and 〈◊〉 Isa. 66. 1 2. God delights not in any thing of the first creation where all is corruptible and altogether vanity even all the life goodness and top-excellencies thereof in Man and Angel But in the second where all the goodness materials and ingredients are incorruptible and unperishable Hence delights he in one poor broken-spirited man in the first in order to his being quicken'd up into the second incomparably beyond all the unbroken glory and excellency of all natural Men or Angels though not found in enmity changeable or unchangeable to that gospel-Gospel-Spirit or cross that will break down all fading good in all Angels and Men in Love or 〈◊〉 Wrath. What God delights not in he requires our obedient submitting to his destroying in order to be brought forth in what he does delight in and will delight in for evermore So of the work of his hands by a first-creation come we to be the Sheep of his Pasture in and by a second All first-creation or Covenant-Life Wisdom Righteousness c. are but Law-Ceremonies not Grace or Gospel-Truths meer transient vanities perishing next to nothings When they have serv'd their season away they are to go as dung for Gospel-life Phil. 3. 8. The Poor here as to all Law-life and riches are the only true wise Men that know how to walk before the living even before the living God unto all-pleasing in the living Word Wisdom New-creature Gospel-Spirit of the Son of God They are taught principled or spirited so as infallibly to know the whole mind and do the whole will of the Father They have obediently quitted and
in true Saints can count number discover and sind them all out Yea and they will be the very hand at last by whom in association with the holy Angels the vials of God's 〈◊〉 shall be gradually pour'd forth upon all the guilty heads of such Gospel-Wolves and Lions in Sheeps and Shepherd's clothing or appearances Evil Angels as all comprehended under the name and title of their head and call'd Satan help their 〈◊〉 amongst Men to transform themselves into the likeness of the Apostles of Christ to carry on their anti-Gospel-work This work Paul found them both and all at 2 Cor. 11. 13 -15. ver 2 -4. The end of both Paul could tell will be bad enough even according to their works These two evil humane and Angelical Beasts do joyntly in design make up one and the same antichristian Beast or Man of Sin the mystical Sodom Egypt and Babylon which the Devil as the mystical King Pharaoh and Nebuchadnezzar is the supream manager and ruler of Spiritual Saints in the wisdom of God 〈◊〉 out this whole body of Mystical Sinners the whole Man of Sin and Son of Perdition number and sum them all up so as to discover they all amount unto no more with all their big looks stout words and vast numbers then the first-creation Beast fix'd in unchangeable enmity to God which they are sure to have under their feet in conclusion at the winding up of this World with Satan's Kingdom and beginning of Christ's on the Earth Jer. 23. 5. Rev. 5. 10. True Saints know they are all together but a man and not God though they set their heart as the heart of God and presumptuously say they are wiser then Daniel Ezek. 28. 2 -8. or the spiritual Saint yea reckon him a no-body a fool a mad man the off-scouring of all things 1 Cor. 4. 10 13. Yea so stubbornly daring and presuming will they be found as to say under the hands of God Christ and his Saints when 〈◊〉 them that they are God ver 9. But shall be irresistibly forc'd to acknowledge they are all but a man and no God All their pretensions crafts power Luciserian presumptions and confidences will fail them not do their work nor serve their turn The spiritual Saint has a certain steady infallible view of the most dismal and dreadful conclusion all their vain boast and fading Glory will come to after all their huge swelling words of Vanity scornful looks and scoffings at that new Light that discovers and will master them all The three sixes in the number 666 Rev. 13. 18. make up and point out to us the first-creation state with the utmost Glories and Excellencies thereof in Man and Angel as of the six day's works of God's hands God rests only in the new-creation or seventh day's state turning and ceasing from all his first works in the six dayes Psal. 102. 25 -28. Isa. 66. 1 2. Heb. 1. 10 -12. And God the Mediator rested or ceased from his first-creation life and works in angelical and humane nature of the first-creation sort becoming thereby the Lamb slain from the beginning and towards the latter end of this World in the fulness of time Heb. 4. 4. 10. The true Saint finding out the number weight and intrinsick nature of all first-creation excellencies when he has summ'd them all up can write down at the foot of the Account after imprimis Satan item all other evil Angels and Men the total sum the burthen of this Book All 's Vanity and will prove eternal vexation of Spirit to all that trust therein Vanity Yea lighter worse than Vanity it self Psal. 39. 5. 62. 9. Angels that are of higher degree and Men of lower in such fading Glories all are but Vanity And so Men of higher and lower degrees in the literal or mystical Riches Pomp and Glory of this World all Vanity No getting out of the sphere of Vanity within the compass of the first creation No goodness in Man or Angel but what 's a perishing Vanity This hath already so bin named or called by its right name Vanity And it is known that it is Man the Man of sin in Angel and Man fix'd therein and what-ever is to be found in the whole first-creation This is God's divine thought and judgment and the infallible judgment of the new-creature gospel-Gospel-Spirit of Christ in himself and Saints in exact harmony with the infinite divine understanding and thought The Spiritual Saint weighing all in the ballance of the new-creation-sanctuary-spirit calculates and finds out the total sum or comprehensive number of all first-creation goodnesses and excellencies represented in all the several parts and distinct Glories thereof and finds all Vanity All therein are found wanting with Belshazzar and too light by this Mene Tekel as having nothing conducible to true blessedness about them or of any avail towards it but indeed as to that new-creation Spirit of everlasting life Glory Wisdom and Righteousness wherein true happiness is to be found wholly destitute of it and unchangeable enemies to it and all its things things of God and by infallible consequence are they wretched miserable poor blind and naked All old perishing first-creation good things 〈◊〉 pass away and will be taken from all Angels and Men good and bad in Love or Wrath for evermore In the room thereof all God's new and everlasting good things are set up in obedient Saints 2 Cor. 5. 17. Gal. 6. 15. Mat. 19. 21. In incorrigible sinners only the unchangeable Wrath and fiery Indignation of God for ever succeeds in the room thereof If the changeable first-Covenant life set up by God in the first-creation of Angel and Man had not bin found faulty wanting or defective as to the true unchangeable blessedness of either no place or room would have bin sought or found for a second no need of Gospel or a new-Covenant principle the Spirit of Grace Heb. 8. 6 7. They that by 〈◊〉 in the first make void the Grace of God in the second will in conclusion sind all in the first void and of none effect as to the blessedness they have vainly flatter'd and promised themselves therein Changeableness and now enmity the great defects in the first-creation state of Angel or Man can neither be cured nor found out by the single first-creation wisdom and light of either 'T is utterly impossible Nor therefore does God require it of them But he requires of both and all to be beholden to him for his unspeakable new-creation gift and wisdom whereby all may be done For this must they submit to his terms of receiving it the free parting with and giving up their first-creation life of vanity with all the things thereof in sacrifice to him by a holy death under his cross or Gospel-sword First-creation life in Man and Angel was represented to them both by the Tree of that Knowledg or Wisdom that 〈◊〉 up to their own destruction if rested in Life in an absolute sense unchangeable and
The broken-spirited Saint as to all that has the praise of God Luk. 16. 15. Rom. 2. 29. One such contrite-spirited Man God value's more than all Angels and Men in the unbroken excellencies of the whole first-creation Isa. 66. 2. How vastly distant are God's thoughts and Man's in this matter Again the more sad and marr'd the Countenance or visage of the natural or old Man in the Saint under the dispensation and discipline of the Cross the better is his heart the more thriving prosperous and fruitful in spiritual life The Spiritual Man rises as the natural decays and falls The decay and sorrow of the old Man is abundantly over-answer'd by the encreasing joy of the new To the full death of the old does immediatly succeed a compleatness of spiritual life in the new As the outer or natural Man perishes the inner or spiritual is renew'd day by day 2 Cor. 4. 16 -18. The light and short affliction of the former work 's for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory in the latter and Rom. 8. 18. Hereby comes Man to be rid of all bondage and regard of ensnaring vanities things temporal delights of the Sons of Men and to be advanc'd into the glorious liberty of the Sons of God so as to look at and set his affections upon things eternal only ver 21. Lo then the plentiful harvest-sheaves they that sow in the Tear's of their natural Man shall reap in the Joy of their spiritual Psal. 126. 6. The decay of the life and glory of Man in the first-Covenant attended with an encrease of the never-fading creature-life glory wisdom and righteousness of God in the second render's his heart less after Man's but more after God's own heart with David and so better The unchangeable good new-creature life only with all the things and never-perishing meats thereof in the Man-Christ or his Saints and followers have God's approbation-Seal as is implied John 6. 27. Vers. 4. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth Here are the contrary places or states in which the mystical wise and fools are found as the certain evidence of their wisdom or folly The latter take up for happiness in the flourishing fruitful life of their own restor'd nature This in a known wilful contrariety to the spiritual Law and Example of Christ himself In such place or state by them chosen will they be chain'd up as a Prison of everlasting darkness and death under wrath So will their house of feasting be turned into a house of everlasting mourning torment and vexation of spirit And this will they as a signal aggravation thereof be forc'd by God's awakn'd convictions in them to own as the fruit of their own device invention and wilful choice against all fair warning In a perfect contrariety to these merry travellers to the Chambers of death and their own everlasting confusion are the truly wise in the house of mourning under the cross as their secret Chamber of safety shutting their doors Isa. 26. 20. window's or natural senses outward and inward from all first-creation desireables visible or invisible Satan's perishing meats the dust himself feeds on By this means are they not exposed as all not under the Cross are to be catch'd in and with the ensnaring vanities of this world At winding up out come the reputed fools under the cross into an everlasting house of feasting and down sink their scoffing blasphemous enemies heathen or people Psal. 2. 1. fix'd in nature corrupt or righteous and so in unchangeable enmity to God and them into a house or state of eternal mourning Saints are content to pass thro' all sorts of reproach shame and much tribulation without and within knowing whither they are going even to the Kingdom of God Act. 14. 22. Joh. 16. 33. In the world ye shall have tribulation The world is full of enemies round about them corrupt and righteous Men are all enemies to the Life and Righteousness of God in the spiritual Saint Thus does Solomon distinguish and character by the marks of wisdom and folly the contarry-minded inhabitants of the two houses on the Sand and on the Rock Vers. 5. It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise than for a Man to hear the song of fools Here 's the cause and ground whence the said wisdom and folly come to be practis'd The wise obediently hearken to the voice and rebuk's of Wisdom Christ his death-reproofs upon their spirit of nature that they may receive his Spirit of Grace Prov. 1. 20 -23. They receive and submit to the chastning Discipline of the Cross according to the reveal'd and known methods of God's Wisdom for Salvation On the other hand fools listen to the pleasing voice and charming song of folly it-self in Devils and Men their accursed other Gospel for Salvation in the restor'd life of nature Man's quiet submitting to wisdom's sentence of death within him upon that life they preach up and warrant for Salvation is unspeakably better for him then to regard the delusive destructive song and flattering voice of fools that set up the first-covenant law-life and righteousness of Man most falsely calling it a Gospel-state and righteousness of God This Gospel or glad Tydings if true Satan preached to Eve Ye shall not die at all Ye have eternal life in this first-creation state or life of your own nature The righteous life of nature in Man or Angel is Eternal This is Man's and Satan's other Gospel in perfect contradiction to Christ's and the only way of Salvation He that hear's the reproof of the spirit of life on his spirit of enmity and death get's true understanding and abideth among the wise Prov. 15. 31 32. He that refuses it destroy's his own Soul Here are the infallible characters of Wisdom and Folly The only way to get true Wisdom and Life is to quit and lose our shadowy under the Cross. To be fools with Paul as to all Men do have delight in or feed upon in the first-Covenant that we may find the Life and Wisdom of God in the second 1 Cor. 3. 18. 4. 10. God declares that all who refuse the chastisments of his Cross to the death of their continually sinning spirit of Nature are Bastards and not Sons in his never-sinning spirit of Grace Heb. 12. 8. 1 Joh. 3. 9. So shall not be provided for in his house In short the rebuke of the wise leads to eternal life the song of fools to eternal death Vers. 6. For as the crackling Voice or Sound of thorns under a pa so is the laughter of the Fool this also is Vanity Here 's a true character of the short-liv'd joy song and laughter 〈◊〉 fools All mirth in first-creation life is but as the crackling of thorns under a pot a short blaze and away This is all the delights of the Sons 〈◊〉 Men amount unto All the fine song or
Devil and his Angels at first did But 't is the distinguishing mark brand and character of fools to suffer this anger to rest in them or themselves to be fix'd in enmity against the gospel-Gospel-spirit and Cross of Christ. The very Elect Satan would thus deceive but tho' they be for a season ignorantly engag'd in the same folly such anger against God's declar'd way of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rest or abide for ever in them Paul was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 26. 11. In letter anger long rests in fools for any injury real or supposed done them whereas a wise Man will pass by a transgression and not harbour in his bosom long troublesome revengeful meditations of an injury to his own and 〈◊〉 hurt But the said mystical fool is the greatest fool of all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in his greatest concern His lifted up Soul in first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and ornaments against God and the second is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 4. indeed a downright hater of and hateful to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in spirit waits for new spiritual light or revelation the proud in spirit scorns and scoffs at this new light and rejects what ever his conceited wisdom can't receive or discern that is all Gospel-Truths and Mysteries of the Kingdom of God Vers. 10. Say not thou what is the cause that the former days were better then these for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this Solomon here prevents and rebukes Man's quarrel and complaint that the latter day 's of this World since the fall are worse then the former before the fall which brought a desolating change upon mankind into a dark dead ignorant corrupt state of nature Man does not judg nor inquire a right as wisely considering and discerning this thing Fallen Angels indeed were gone without remedy on their first sin But 't is not so with Man For God has over-rul'd his fault and punishment to the farther magnifying of his Free-Grace by which he is offer'd better things and greater advantages than were given him in his first creation God has found a way for restoring him to some measure of his lost righteous life And the universal experience of mankind as to the fading nature of that life by the first sin and fall from it and by a world of faithful warnings from God and multiplied instances of Apostates after renewed therein do make up an advantage to them beyond what Adam had before his fall For he through somthing of inadvertency was surpriz'd and catch'd alive 2 Tim. 2. 26. in that snare of the Devil the very righteous life he was 〈◊〉 of as if all that God intended for his final and absolute blessedness All men now find that Suggestion of the Devil Adam thro' the weakness of his flesh or fleshly state entertain'd as a truth to be a lie If his saying Ye shall not die at all be not sufficiently refuted by the death of all Men as to that righteous life set up in the first-creation make of Adam when will it or what will undeceive men Man then restor'd into something of the same changeable righteous life Adam was created in the perfection of may seem to have the advantage-ground of Adam in order to the second personal trial of every one against the like fallacious arguings of Satan 2 Cor. 11. 3. And as men's advantages are greater for preventing a sinning after the similitude of Adam's transgression so will their punishment for it be greater even an irrecoverable destruction the latter end worse than the begining as higher and greater sinners against the Holy Ghost then Adam was or they in and with him The same sin willfully repeated in any man is absolutely unpardonable If that of Adam and all men in him had bin so who could have bin saved What Christ the second Adam has done for all Men leaves no Men capable of defending or excusing themselves by that worn Proverb a fleshly first Covenant Israel or people of God had got in their mouth 's that our first Parents ate sowr Grapes and their Childrens Teeth are thereby set on edge Ezek. 18. 2. All Men may be recover'd out of their polluted fallen nature if they will by Christ's General Redemption-work as the common Salvation 1. Tim. 4. 10. Jude 3. Rom. 5. 18. All are capable of such life and justification therein as Adam had before his fall And all are capable of a new trial for the obedient exchange of that life for a better an everlasting which Adam at first fail'd in Man's latter condition then since the fall is circumstanc'd with valuable advantages both for escaping Damnation and obtaining Salvation beyond his former before the fall All the evil consequents of the first Adam's sin are remov'd by the obedient death of the second and Gospel-instructions are afforded to caution against the like beyond what Adam in innocency had So in the said respects God has made the latter day 's of Man better than the former tho' man had made them worse And if man make the right use of his advantages therein as he ought God will make his latter end better than his beginning by setting up in him an everlasting Gospel-life that never can be lost in the room of his fading Law-life that has bin and will be lost for ever by every man and Angel that do what they can to keep and save it in a known rebellion against the only Saviour and all his words of counsel and instruction Mat. 16. 25. Vers. 11. Wisdom is good with an inheritance and by it there is profit to them that see the Sun The new-creature Wisdom of God in man qualifies him for the inheriting of God himself renders him a joynt-heir with Christ of God Rom. 8. 17. The corruptible old or first-Creation life and wisdom of Man gives no title to this incorruptible 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 1. 4. It belongs not to flesh and blood 1 Cor. 15. 50. Man or Angel in their natural make and state which at best is in both and they in it altogether Vanity No entring into the second Covenant and kingdom-Kingdom-spirit of God but by the sacrifice of all we receiv'd from his own hand in the first to him Psal. 50. 5. All our own in our natural first-creation-make and life must go for all God's own in the second If Man yeild to his suffering parting part in order to his entring the new Covenant the surrender loss and perfect resignation of all his own without any reserve if he come roundly and cleerly 〈◊〉 herein not keeping back any part of his earthly life or possessions with Ananias and Saphira Heaven is his own God himself his inheritance for ever Christ will not fail to perform his part and undertake in the second Covenant as to the unspeakable gift the promise of the Father Luk. 24. 49. Act. 1. 4. which he calls his own The young Man refus'd Christ's terms herein Mat. 19. 22. The old Man in him was not willing to part with his old earthly things for
body or man His whole Body Soul and Spirit is fill'd and clothed with a Spiritual Life Glory and everlasting Righteousness Flesh and blood the comprehensive character of all Man or Angel were possess'd of by the first creation cannot inherit the Kingdom of God neither doth Corruption inherit Incorruption or attain the incorruptible Inheritance 1 Pet. 1. 4. Nor Man nor Angel in innocency had any such thing as eternal Life or everlasting Righteousness actually about them or in them that qualifies any for entrance into the Kingdom of God Man and Angel then set up by God's left-hand as we may say in a first-Creation-state if they knowingly and wilfully set up for themselves there in enmity to God and the second they will be found those lustful Goats that through inordinate love to evil covetousness and lust after their own fading life and things thereof so as to hate and reject God's by a new and second Creation at Christ's left hand sever'd from his obedient spiritual Sheep on his right and forc'd to receive the meet recompence of their error the vengeance of eternal fire Mat. 25. 33 -46. Jude 7. By chusing their corruption or natural state before God's Incorruption or incorruptible spiritual Life will they utterly perish in their own Corruption 2 Pet. 2. 12. The question here then amounts unto this Who can make the natural or first-Creation state of Man straight or unsubjected to change and miscarriage that God in the above-said sence has made crooked liable or subject to both This question imports an utter impossibility of making it straight Eccle. 1. 15. T is therefore peerless folly and madness in Man or Angel to attempt it or to establish themselves in it for happiness There 's no way possible for either to be happy but by the death and loss of all their own there for God's own which they can only arrive at and attain by the death of their spirit of nature and so a resurrection into the life of his spirit of Grace God positively requires both and all of them to part with their crooked changeable first-creation thing or things for his unchangeably straight and incorruptibly perfect new-creation life and things However straight the former appear in Mans day or discerning in the Light and Judgment of his Wisdom in God's t is crooked and so declar'd for Man to take notice of Man ought to consider the whole work of God from first to last beginning to the end his beginning with him in a first creation and ending or finishing Workmanship upon him in and by a second Men ought also to listen to his whole counsel and instruction to his convincing discoveries and revelations of the second and more excellent state they are offer'd by a new Creation and the way of attaining it The death of their crooked state is the undispensable means and way of being exalted into God's straight Their crooked set up in unchangeable enmity to his straight is certain damnation to them They ought to believe God's own report and declaration of their crooked natural state and look after his straight spiritual Life and State in a Spirit that can never sin 1 Joh. 3. 9. They ought not to stick at any cost or loss they can be at for Truth Prov. 23. 23. Luk. 14. 28. or for the life of God's new-creature-spirit of Truth and everlasting Righteousness Vers. 14. In the day of Prosperity be joyful but in the day of Adversity consider God also hath set the one over against the other to the end that Man should find nothing after him The good and evil day in the original are here translated the day of Prosperity and Adversity Here 's a two-fold day for Man in God's wise method and appointment set one over against the other which 't is man's duty and concern to take notice of and comply with recoycing in the former and duly considering the yet greater advantages to him in the latter To follow the Lord's counsel in both is his best course The spiritual mystery of these Words is the principal intendment But first in the litteral sence the greatest content joy and satisfaction man can find in the greatest outward Prosperity when surrounded with a confluence of all visible desireables in this World he must come to experience the loss of all first or last which he ought to consider In the perishable nature of all such enjoyments is discernably writ out a day of adversity over against his utmost prosperity therein The perishing nature also of that life and desire in him that 's gratified by such things the belly that 's for such meats does farther preach the same doctrine to him cautioning against the placing his happiness in such slippery uncertain things Death puts a full period to all such desires as are answer'd by such desireables Vanity on all hands proclaims a day of Adversity and darkness set over against the day of such Prosperity Unwarrantable over-value for love to and delight in such worldly things will cause a destructive worldly sorrow to man if he out-live them When run down into a despicable state of misery and want he knows not how to bear it or what to do with himself Life grows a burden Sometimes he makes away himself as weary of it But now as to the mystical principal sense of these words Here 's a most concerning caution to man in the utmost flourish fruitfulness and inward mystical riches of his nature in a first-covenant righteous life where belly and meats desires and desireables root and branch tree and fruits principles and operations are all but a higher sort of perishing vanities sigur'd out by the former All this yet is but a vain shew a dream a fools Paradise a shadow an image only of true durable life and substantial riches in the heavenly creature-image of the second Adam Man at best in all this fading glory and honour of his own nature is altogether vanity Ps. 39. 5 6. The first Adam was made in but the earthly shadowy Image of God the heavenly substantial creature-image of the infinite Divinity is found only in the second Adam and his spiritual descendents by a new birth or second creation A day of adversity then is written out in the perishing nature of all such inward as well as outward prosperity over against the highest prosperity therein All such mystical soul-riches life food clothing glory honour wisdom righteousness all will be gone again most certainly make themselves wings and flee away Prov. 23. 5. While then Man sets his eye or heart on such things which God says are not he is sure to meet with an amazing disappointment By new-creature things things of God which God's Wisdom reckon's the only creature-things that are man's wisdom things that are not will God bring to nought all those things of man which his foolish wisdom reckon's the only creature-things that are 1 Cor. 1. 28. In the day of man's prosperity in the restor'd first-Covenant
and own'd the infallible spirit of the Son of God for his Counseller and the directer of his paths Prov. 3. 5 6. t. Lest thou hear thy Servant curse thee Here 's the reason for this advice The natural ought to be an 〈◊〉 servant to the spiritual man in the Saint as its dictatour and ruler but oft presumes to usurp the authority of its Master pretending to an infallibility in its judgment and so sit to be obey'd by the whole Man But the words of his Wisdom thwarting the Counsel Doctrine and words of the spiritual it sollow's the said natural Man will be apt to curse blaspheme or speak evilly of all the right words of the spiritual These words of the 〈◊〉 contradicting Servant or Woman against its spiritual Lord Master and Husband is the spiritual Man in the Saint not to heed nor follow the false reasonings thereof against his spiritual mind If he do it will breed great disturbance and confusion to him By a perverse mis-interpreting the Methods of God's Wisdom in his dealings with them and others in this world and its false conclusions there-from will it raise a sore troublesome combustion and tumult in him Psal. 73. 1 -14. When the spiritual Man recover's it self it does in Christ's Heavenly Sanctuary-light render all well and quiet again by its infallible discerning arguings and concludings And it discovers the natural disputer of this World ignorant and foolish as a beast unfit for the debating or rightly judging such matters between God and them v. 15 22. So Jer. 12 1 -3. and 20. 7 -9. Vers. 22. For often-times also thine own heart knoweth that thou thy self likewise hast cursed others Others that is the Spiritual Man in other Saints while and when in but the single activity and exercise of thy natural Paul while in his legal-spirited cleans'd righteous nature was of a perfectly contrary judgment to Gospel-Saints about Salvation and all things relating or conducing to it Hence did he blaspheme Gospel-Truths and persecute the Declarers and Owners thereof So has the Saint this farther argumentative Consideration for quiet bearing contradiction to and 〈◊〉 for his Gospel-Doctrine not only because Christ that never 〈◊〉 did patiently bear it Heb. 12. 3. but because himself before 〈◊〉 Conversion contradicted blasphem'd and persecuted others on the self-same account Peter's natural man before the spiritual Seed was waken'd in him or known to him very 〈◊〉 joyn'd with Satan in that seeming friendly advice and rebuke to his Master Be it far from thee Lord this shall not be unto thee that is pure nature in thee shall not die Christ rebuk'd his rebukers Peter and the Devil as an offence to him for being offended at that Cross and Death which by God's appointment is to be brought upon the natural-state of all Men and Angels first or last in Love or final Wrath. 'T was the self-same Doctrine the Serpent preach'd to Eve and by her to the first Adam Ye shall not die at all this shall not be unto you Ye have a life above all danger of death in your natural first-creation make and first-Covenant life or state The Devil was unchangeably fix'd in enmity to the Cross upon Nature Peter not so but beguil'd as Eve 2 Cor. 11. 3. unawares Job while in the single activity of his decaying natural man under the Cross multiplied words without knowledg walk'd in company with wicked men enemies of the Cross-dispensation he was under Yea he added rebellion to his sin clapp'd his hands and multiplied his words against God Job 34. 7 -9. 35 -- 37. and 35. 2 3 -- 16. The natural man is an offence to the spiritual because offended at the doctrine of the spiritual in others and in the Saint himself There 's just ground for the spiritual to be offended at the words of the natural man's wisdom about Salvation The natural without any just cause is offended at the spiritual for the words of God's Wisdom Satan and the natural man in the Saint himself are of the same mind judgment and palate in this great Case Neither of them savour but hate all the Eternal Divine Spiritual Gospel-Things or Truths of Christ and God They are only for the old temporal fading first-creation life wisdom and things of Angel or Man perishing vanities This whole Controversy is clearly discover'd and stated by Christ himself Mat. 16. 21 -- 26. The natural man or spirit of the Saint in the single judgment and voice thereof is the foe of his own house the false friend in his own bosom that 's not to be listned to or trusted in this greatest Concern and Case The secret of the New-Covenant even the required death and loss of the changeable womanish state of Nature in the old or first is to be kept from her Mic. 7. 5 6. The spiritual Man should shut out or exclude his natural when he retires into his Closet to pray and treat with Christ about the death of the natural For if that be admitted any share in prayer it will ask amiss even the sparing its own life and what may nourish and gratifie the lusts thereof whether in its corrupt or righteous state 〈◊〉 of slesh or spirit It will never vote or ask aright any thing of God in Prayer The thought and voice thereof is to be rebuk'd and rejected as well as Satan himself with a get thee 〈◊〉 me stand 〈◊〉 Nothing but death will fully silence the cross-desire of Nature to the Spiritual Cross. 'T is the love of God therefore brings the cross upon it and the highly concerning duty of the Saint to yeild obedience to it No other way to be saved Paul when a holy Law-Man gladly receiv'd the sentence of death within 〈◊〉 on his righteous natural state 2 Cor. 1. 9. Gal. 6. 14. All the thoughts 〈◊〉 and words of the natural man in the Saint or others are to be suspected and rejected by the spiritual not regarded or listned to either as to its counsel or cursing the contrary-minded spiritual Sometime or other 't will be at this work For 't is flat against all the thoughts and words of the spiritual in its preaching or prayer 'T is the carnal or fleshly-minded enemy to God and the spiritual lusting against the Spirit of Christ in himself and against the spiritual mind thereof in the Saint himself Gal. 5. 17. The carnal mind of enmity to God finally follow'd is eternal death to man Rom. 8. 6 -8. It enviously lusts against the spiritual mind Jam. 4. 5. is directly contrary to it in all its thoughts desires and affections lusts and motions labours might and main to hinder what that would beat and further what that is against and hates Rom. 7. 15. Out of the Saint's mouth by reason of the untamed or not fully crucified unequal Yoke-fellow his natural mind or man proceed's blessing and cursing Jam. 3. 9 10. The spiritual blesses God the Father the natural curses the spiritual man in Men that
's made after the Supream new-creature image or similitude of God in Christ's Person the image of the Heavenly Adam The restor'd natural man may and ought to bless God for his mercifully restor'd righteous Law-life as effectually call'd out of his corrupt state but when by God's second voice or 〈◊〉 call summon'd to deliver up all that back again for a spiritual and more excellent life he curses rebell's against and 〈◊〉 this Gospel-voice 〈◊〉 heavenly Call all the words and things or truths of God's Gospel-spirit and Wisdom On these various accounts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Cursing for a time out of the same mouth of the Saint But others in their restor'd Nature fixing themselves in enmity to God's Spirit of Grace go on cursing and 〈◊〉 to eternal death With Gospel-Brethren these things ought not so to be nor will always be so When the envious spiteful Curser and Blasphemer the Belial-party the Insidel or unbelieving Rebel in the Saint the natural man or spirit is fully crucisied dead and buried and then rais'd into unchangeable harmony of mind with his spiritual and so with Christ and God most high then all such cursing-work will cease for ever But till all old things with Man's old life of nature are pass'd away from the Saint and all God's new things fully compleated in him has even he need enough of this advice not to heed the Counsels per verse thoughts reasonings cursings or evil-speakings of the natural spirit in himself or others against the whole Gospel-Doctrine of the Cross and only way of Salvation Let it bark and make what noise it will they should regard none of its thoughts lusts words or ways so as sinfully to comply with or follow it but slight turn from and avoid as much as in them lies this troubler opposer and hinderer of their spiritual mind till wholly cut off and taken out of the way Vers. 23. All this have I proved by Wisdom I said I will be wise but it was far from me The Wisdom by which Solomon examin'd found out and proved the truth of all things could be no less then the spiritual new-creature Wisdom of God In this he saw all things divine spiritual and natural in their distinct differing excellencies and perfections So could he call all things by their right names and give their true discriminating characters This is the peculiar priviledg of the spiritual Man's understanding 1 Cor. 2. 10 15. Solomon in this did with his Father David see all natural first-creation things of Man and Angel at last to be altogether vanity Psal. 39. 5 6. The wisdom of Man at best is the wrangling disputer of this World about and against all things of God in the next 'T is the contradicting blasphemer of all such things absolutely denying the very gospel-Gospel-spirit life and principle of the next 'T is the wisdom from beneath earthly sensual or natural and if fix'd in devilish Jam. 3. 15. the unchangeable enemy and opposer of God's Wisdom and all the words thereof in true Saints The natural undertaker in such Wisdom to debate matters of Salvation things of God is the untreatable unreasonable man Paul desir'd to be delivered from 2 Thes. 3. 2. A self-confident Man utterly denying the very Gospel-Principle or Spirit of Christ the Saints rocky foundation in defence of his sandy is unreasonably burthensome to the Saint when intruding to discourse Gospel-matters which he knows nothing of Envying strife confusion tumult or unquietness and every mischievous evil thing or work what else can come on 't 〈◊〉 3. 16. 2 Tim. 2. 16 17. Here 's the result of all such discourse and engagement The quarrelling worldly Disputant discourses in choler 〈◊〉 goes away full of Wrath meditating revenge on the spiritual Saint for his cross-doctrine Such Swine ravenous Wolves and poisonous vipers Christ advises Saints not to cast Gospel-Pearls or Truths before But where the wise man suspect's and question 's his fitness in such wisdom to judg of such matters the case is altered He may hopefully be dealt with in such affairs In the latter clause of this verse Solomon speaks of another state and wisdom he had bin eminent in the wisdom of Man distinct from that wherein he had proved all things What he happily at last found in the Spiritual Wisdom of God he had bin successlessly and vainly seeking long before in the wisdom of man tho' taller then his fellows there I said I will be wise but it was far from me True Wisdom was far from me as wise as I thought my self All eternal divine spiritual heavenly most excellent concerning things and truths lay clear out the reach and comprehension of that earthly wisdom as far as the Heavens are above the Earth Vers. 24. That which is far off and exceeding deep who can find it out How should the shallow weak-sighted low earthly wisdom of Man ever find out the exceeding deep high remote divine and creature-things of the wisdom of God that are all spiritual heavenly and from above Gospel-things and Truths mysteries of the Kingdom of God lie in a depth unfathomable at a distance never to be reach'd by the utmost line of natural first-creation understanding They are spiritually 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 2. 14. Or by new-creation understanding only Man in his best wisdom bid's at an absolute impossibility Brute beasts in meer sensual life may as well if not better bid at the rational things of Man as of nearer kin to their things all of the first-creation sort natural then the spiritual things of God are to the natural Man and his rational intellectual things And when Man has thus presumptuously pitch'd upon things beyond the reach of his own wisdom he is ready to complain of and dispute against God that he has reserv'd things of highest concern to him out of his sight all spiritual heavenly new-creation things Wisdom Life and all in which found Rom. 10. 6 7. This does Man in stead of yielding to the terms of receiving that wisdom wherein he might reach see or know all things the loss of his own Life and all All spiritual things or truths are hidden seal'd up mysteries from the most soaring searching capacity of man in first-creation wisdom The Scriptures are a Book seal'd as to all the spiritual truths thereof from the highest wisdom of Man Isa. 29. 11. The professing learned Jews yea the very Apostles knew not what to make of Christ's Gospel-words New-covenant doctrine while they were but in old or first-Covenant Wisdom The Bread I give is my flesh says Christ. How can this be say the Jews Joh. 6. 51 52. A hard saying who can hear or understand it say his very Disciples ver 60. So when he spoke of his Sufferings and Resurrection a little while and ye shall not see me viz. as a fleshly Bridegroom again a little while and ye shall see and know me viz. as a spiritual one in my Resurrection-Life Act. 2. 1 4. which was the promise of the
God and the true Spiritual New-creation Man or Heavenly creature-Life and Image of God in Christ blessed Angels and Saints The ring-leading Head of all thus fix'd is the Devil This Head as representative of the whole party of incorrigible wicked Angels and Men and comprehending them all is the Woman here the mystical Babylonish-strumpet guilty of unpardonable Adulteries and spiritual wickednesses against Christ the true Spiritual Lord and Husband of Angels and Men whom they ought all to obey and be eternally subject to in every thing The very person of the Devil as possess'd of the highest natural glories and excellencies by the first creation was therein the supream first-Covenant Spouse of Christ. But this Spouse soon apostatiz'd and became the grand mystical strange Woman and Adulteress that did from the date of her first sin and fall set herself to draw as many Angels and Men as she could into the same adulterous and murderous mind of enmity against Christ that spiritual Lord and Husband they all ought to submit to his terms of being married to for ever in the new and everlasting Covenant All that rebelliously keep up their own life and beauty in the first against him and the second will be judg'd as mystical Wedlock-breakers Murderers and most criminal Idolaters Ezek. 16. 15 38. The Devil by this practice in the top-excellency of first-creation life has render'd himself a bottomless pit of deceits and all sorts of spiritual wickedness endeavouring and abundantly prevailing through God's permission and Men's wilful folly to corrupt their spirits and fill their hearts with the same unchangeable enmity to Christ and God with himself By the Workmanship of this mystical Woman are Men rendered temples of her unchangeable evil Spirit The mouth of this strange woman is a deep pit he that is abhorred of the Lord shall fall therein This have we from Solomon also Prov. 22. 14. But whoso pleases God shall escape her Thus gives he a true account of the said bottomless pit with the sad condition of all that fall therein and the blessed priviledges of them that escape her All blind leaders with their followers in the first-creation-state excluding Christ and the second tumble together into this deep ditch or bottomless pit of unchangeable wickedness Mat. 15. 14. Luk. 6. 39. The very spirit of the Devil is this ditch or bottomless pit the mother of all mystical Whoredoms and spiritual abominations of the Earth Rev. 17. 5. Or in the earthly natural state lying in wait as a robber for a prey and encreasing the transgressors among Men Prov. 23. 27 28. All that in their renew'd spirit of Nature righteousness of Man or Form of Godliness in the first-Covenant finally deny and reject the Power of Godliness the New-creature-life Wisdom and Righteousness of God in the second are fallen into this bottomless pit of deceits All fix'd first-creation builders on the Sand absolutely reject exclude and deny that Spirit of Grace that 's the corner-stone and rocky foundation of the true Church The Woman here is indeed that strong powerful Man of Sin or Son of Perdition that by his superiour angelical strength and subtilty when faln was too hard for Man at best in innocency By the obedient death only of Man's spirit at best can he receive the life of that new-creation spirit of Christ that 's greater stronger and wiser then he 1 Joh. 4. 4. Then he is an over-match for the Devil able to fight and run down all evil angelical principalities and powers those wicked spirits with all their spiritual wickednesses in high places or counterfeit heavenly appearances Ephes. 6. 10 -13. When strong in the Lord and in the power of his might in the life armour or clothing of God's Spirit of Grace set up in and put upon him then is man able to still the said enemy and avenger Psal. 8. 2. This spirit in man is stronger then the strong man of sin who therefore cannot enter that House or Person it possesses nor spoil his house or goods Mat. 12. 29. Man wise strong and honourable in Christ but by first-covenant communications 1 Cor. 4. 10. Satan is too strong for and can spoil all he has or is All that is in his power Job 1. 12. So let Man want the Spirit stronger than Satan he 'l fall under him and be led captive at his will in and by that very first-covenant life he reckons to be saved in 2 Tim. 2. 26. The wisdom of it cannot discover his snares nor the strength of it withstand his power All 's but as straw and rotten wood to his superiour Angelical Wisdom Strength and Armour Job 41. 27. Flesh and Blood Man at best is so far from being fit to wrestle against evil Angels that they can make all that in Man serviceable to their designs for destroying him as on their side their friend in him In Christ's Spirit of life are Saints only fit to fight down both both Flesh and Blood the natural spirit at best and evil Angels at the back of it to strengthen that Foe of their own house that with them in all its affections and lusts fights and warrs against God and the true interest of their own souls The compleat death of this home-bred Foe but pretending Womanish Friend and Counseller in the Saint's own bosom Mic. 7. 5. is his full deliverance from all Satan's nets and snares For then he finds no part in him that he can tempt or touch please or hurt John 14. 30. When the Saint is crucified as to all worldly desires in him to all worldly desirables without him the God of this World finds nothing in him his Belial-party the enemy of God is extinguish'd and abolish'd The literal Woman by her snares and alluring Arts makes literal the mystical by her's spiritual and more criminal Sodomites T will be easier in the day of Judgment for the former then for the latter Mat. 11. 23 24. The light of Reason in all men may fence against the literal but the best Wisdom and Strength of first-Covenant holy Men is no defence against this mystical Woman's practices upon them Yea she turn's that very Wisdom and Strength with the perishing meats they feed on therein at Christ's earthly table and fruits they bring forth under Christ's Husbandly influence as a fleshly Bridegroom into so many Snares by which she catches them While she keeps them confident in holy flesh or knowledg of Christ after the flesh she renders them wholly regardless of his holy Gospel-spirit and words thereof save to oppose contradict and blaspheme all When Men give up themselves with Christ's first-Covenant gift of life and second-Covenant enlightning gifts and thereby a taste-of his new-Wine Hos. 2. 8. Heb. 6. 4 5. of the the Kingdom to Baal the Devil they become his most Gigantick opposers and strenuous fighters against all Gospel Kingdom-Truths and all that bring such things to their ears When men wilfully deafen themselves to the voice of
the true Shepherd the said strange Woman fill's her mouth with the most inticing perswasive words of her serpentine wisdom to furnish them for the serving all her mischievous designs upon themselves and others The words of Man's and Satan's wisdom's joyntly hand forth another pretended Gospel in flat opposition to every word of Christ's clothing all their falshoods with the misapplied letter of his words of truth This Woman's words are smoother than Butter softer then Oil but are drawn Swords wounding Men to eternal death Psal. 55. 21. Many strong Men Wise Strong and honourable in Christ by first-Covenant attainments have bin So slain by her Prov. 7. 26. The palate and temper of humane Nature in general is what Ahab discover'd in hating the one true Prophet Micaiah that counsell'd him contrary to his own will for his good and rewarding the four hundred false ones that gratified his will to his own destruction 1 Kin. 22. The language or thought of all natural hearts God declar's to be this Prophesie not unto us right things speak unto us smooth things prophesie deceits Isa. 30. 10. and Satan finds false Prophets enow in a readiness to gratify them so as to keep true Seers out of all hearing or regard all whose words lie cross to the will palat and desire of humane nature corrupt or righteous in all mankind They preach the Cross and death to it in all as necessary to the Salvation of any This Satan represents as the greatest loss and prejudice imaginable to them indeed their utter ruine He advises them to hold fast their own decrying the pretended advantages of suffering and dying even a living and reigning with Christ as meer delusive fictions All men in their natural principles corrupt or righteous stand ready for receiving Satan's doctrin the doctrine of Devils pleasing to Nature in all variety of condition it can be found in No man in that worldly nature and spirit receives Christ's Gospel-Testimony Joh. 3. 22. 14. 17. This must needs make a vast difference between the numberless flockers after Satan's Gospel and the few or next to no listners after Christ's When Satan has lock'd up men in a double prison the will of their own fixed spirit of bondage and his will upon that in this firm union of these self-embondaging spirits and wills are they invincibly hardned against all the words of God's Wisdom And then the whole counsel of the Devil in his Mystery of Iniquity passes currant with them for the whole Counsel of God in his mystery of Godliness Solomon Paul and other awaken'd spiritual Saints can find out all these depths wiles devices snares and nets of this Woman that they see their fellow mortals even the professing party so generally involv'd entangled and caught in This Woman is more bitter than death her heart being full of snares and nets So subtilly contriv'd and methodiz'd as most certainly to catch all that refuse and so are destitute of the new-creation wisdom of God which alone can enable to number and find out the name and nature of this first-creation Beast Rev. 13. 18 with all her natural perfections disguis'd and gilded over by her whorish paint and transforming skil with counterfeit resemblances of spiritual in order to give the utmost shock of opposition to what is so For this end does she vent her Gospel-lies in hypocrisy or feigned resemblances of Christ's Gospel-Truths 1 Tim. 4. 1 2. Thus accoutred and furnish'd with gilded painted snares and nets from the date of her first sin and fall is she the Captain-General of all her hosts of evil Angels and Men fix'd with her in a spirit of unchangeable darkness and falshood against God and his new-creature-spirit of marvellous Light and infallible Truth Under her powerful witchcrafts and alluring charm's fell Man at best And what can he do that comes after the King Adam in the unstain'd purity of all natural perfections and excellencies of humane nature Remember this first battel in which all mankind with the first fell dead at the Serpent's feet dead in trespasses and sins and do so no more Job 41. 8. Never think of undertaking him with success in but the gradually restor'd Righteous Life Wisdom and Armour of Man In the most restor'd righteous natural Man is now found actual enmity to God but changeable pardonable curable by the cross not otherwise If Satan render this unchangeable and unpardonable his work is finish'd Christ comes with Fire and Sword speaks War and Death to Nature at best Satan with flattering kisses and pleasing Words Who is like to be best liked by Man The wounds of the true Friend and Saviour submitted to will be Salvation The kisses and smooth words of the enemy complied with Damnation Prov. 27. 6. Satan finds in man a natural inclination to resist the Cross as his enemy and he leaves no meanes unattempted conducible to the fixing him in such resistance Then is he his own true subject in his kingdom of darkness and God swears in wrath he shall never enter into his Kingdom of Light This Woman will not fail to lay her snares and nets before Saints every step they are making under the cross towards the Kingdom of God while any thing of his natural friend in them is yet about them He was at it with Christ himself again and again while he had any thing of our pure fleshly Nature and changeable life of the Law in him Mat. 4. 16. 22 23. Luk. 4. Man establish'd in his own Righteousness thinks all safe for Salvation when fast lodg'd in the very arms of this grand mystical Adulteress the Devil irrecoverably wrap'd and bound up in the bundle of death caught and held fast in her nets and snares while pleasing himself with hopeful thoughts that his soul is bound up in the bundle of life with the Lord as David's 1 Sam. 25. 29. The perswasive words of Man's and Satan's wisdom are exactly calculated to gratify the desires of humane Nature in order to fix men in enmity to the unpleasing doctrine of the cross upon it and so perfectly deafen them to the voice of the true Shepherd all the words of God's Wisdom in himself and Saints to all spiritual charmers charm they never so wisely Psal. 58. 4 5. Man by willingly giving himself up in obedience to and compliance with Satan's known lie against God's known truth Heb. 10. 26. is abhorred of the Lord and given up by him to such strong delusion as holds him fast in the snares of this bottomless pit the very spirit of the Devil that he be damn'd with him 2 Thes. 2. 10 -12. When men are thus caught in the Snares of this Woman her hands are as bands upon them powerful cords and chains they can never break or get loose from never get out of this deep Dungeon and bottomless pit into which they have plung'd themselves Who so pleaseth or is good before God shall escape her but the Sinner shall be taken
of deceits full of snares and nets as the very Kingdom of God and Salvation to men And they 〈◊〉 others to hope that they will confirm or make good their word Ezek. 13. 6. In a 〈◊〉 spirit of Divination do Devil and Man joyntly declare this and boldly affirm 't is in the Lord's Spirit of Truth they say so They say the Lord saith They see nothing but vanity and preach up nothing but perishing vanities the natural excellencies or fading things of Man or Angel in the first-creation for eternal Life They speak only of the world this world's vanities and the world hears them all the world wonder 's after them 1 Joh. 4. 5. Rev. 13. 3. All in the but earthly spirit of nature corrupt or righteous are for such Preaching or none at all Satan's Apostles or Ministers come forth in great variety of form language and way all making but a universal Babel of confusion running their hearers into the very bosom of the Devil the bottomless-pit of all deceits and falshoods as their only security for Salvation Men are deeply concern'd to take heed who they hear not such strangers to and enemies of Christ's Gospel Jo. 10. 4 5. and then what and how they they hear Mark 4. 24. Luk. 8. 18. that they rightly take the voice or words of the true Shepherd and his Spiritual Apostles or Messengers and obey them Many may hear right Gospel-words and not understand them Mark 4. 12. And then they 'l not follow or obey them but run still after Satan's Law-Gospel Those that distinguish not the Words of God's from those of the Serpent's Man's Wisdom how should they scape the snares of this grand mystical Adulteress If they suffer themselves willingly to be beguil'd into a perswasion that Satan's Gospel and that which true Saints call Christ's are all one they are caught in the snares of the Devil Satan's Apostles say those that pretend to be Christ's differ from them only in an affected singularity and disguise of words not matter While this shuffle will serve the turn Satan's Gospellers find it not needful or convenient to enter the lists for a debating the case with Sion-Saints about a true Gospel-state But if Christ's Gospel come forth in such sharp discriminating language as to evidence its distinction in the whole matter of it from Satan's and Man's then to prevent yet any farther trouble about it they sit in their Majesterial Chair and in general without meddling with any particular in it decry it for the most dangerous destructive blasphemy and falshood that ever was invented or impos'd upon Men worse then Popery or Mahumetanism then the grossest Idolatries or most brutish practices of any Heathens This general vilifying Christ's whole Gospel-doctrine and assertors of it as the vilest of doctrines and men they 〈◊〉 a far easier and safer way then to meddle with any particulars of it Thus far and at this rate only seems the shock of opposition to be given to it and manag'd against it at this day But if matters once grow to that pass that some valuable number of awaken'd Saints and spiritually convinced Men should be the Assertors Followers and Owners of the very Christ the very Gospel so as to give occasion to Satan's Gospel-ministers to say in the same levened sowr spirit of enmity to God with the Pharisees Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing behold the World is gone after them when this comes to pass enemies will go another way to work The Jews when they could not resist or bear up against the wisdom and spirit by which Stephen spake they could and did through the permission of God and instigation of the Devil silence him as they reckon'd with stones But he being dead yet speaketh as Abel and all other such witnessing Saints most injuriously slain for the Testimony of Jesus in the Spirit of true Prophecy The regenerating transforming assimilating touch of the Gospel-spirit of Christ sixes Man 's versatile changeable Law-spirit in eternal obedience to and harmony with God The degenerating transforming assimilating touch of the spirit of the Devil on Man's fixes it with himself in unchangeable enmity to God as the very principle of his life desire thought word and action By one or other of these unchangeable good or evil spirits comes man to be lodg'd up in a state of eternal life or death a bed of true rest and unspeakable joy Isa. 57. 1 2. or of everlasting sorrow Isa. 50. 11. torment and vexation of Spirit He that 's born of God's unchangeably good Spirit is secure from the transforming touch of the unchangeable evil-one 1 Joh. 5. 18. The touch of spirits is a qualifying alterative touch baptizes Man's changeable spirit into the unchangeable toucher the Spirit of God or of the Devil By the death of their own spirit that Satan can touch and 〈◊〉 into the life of God's Spirit he can 〈◊〉 touch by this way and means and this only are Saints 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 from all the nets and snares of this grand Adulteress the Devil The whole World all that take up in their worldly earthly life of nature run into them A babe a suckling in Christ's Spirit is too hard for 〈◊〉 Psal. 8. 2. Man in the highest restor'd perfections of his own is no body in his hands Job 41. The incorrigible first-creation sinner is taken by her the new-creation Saint who alone pleases God shall escape all her nets snares hands or bands for ever Vers. 27. Behold this have I found saith the Preacher counting one by one to find out the account Solomon in the Sanctuary-balance the al-searching new-Creation Spirit of true prophecy weigh'd one thing after another so as to give a clear and full account of what he was so inquisitive after an everlasting state of Truth and Righteousness He weigh'd and tried all parts of the first Creation the utmost goodness and excellencies found in Man and Angels before their fall or restor'd in Men since and in the total sum of all found the one thing necessary for the true blessedness of any wanting 'T is not in the whole first-Creation Land of the living Job 28. 21. or state of Life No such thing found he in the whole heap of this World's Vanities So arriv'd he at this negative satisfaction that there 's no hope of ever finding true happiness there He resolv'd therefore no longer to squander away his time with others in seeking for the living amongst the dead or true Life and Happiness in a Region of Darkness and of the shadow of Death No such life as will swallow up Death into Victory is to be found there nothing but what Death will swallow up into Victory and triumph over for ever This he declares Vers. 28. Which yet my Soul seeketh but I find not one Man among a thousand have I found but a Woman among all those have I not found No unchangeably good thing could he find in the first-creation What then found he One
Man among a thousand but no Woman among them all No true happiness to Man or Angel in the changeable womanish first-creation life of either What 's not there can the wisest man never find 'T is folly to seek it there The self-evidencing vanity of all first-creation things is such that all and every one say 't is not in me in us no true life wisdom or goodness no manly unchangeable new-creation Wisdom Life or Goodness is to be found in or amongst us all seek while you will 〈◊〉 28. 12 -- 22. The first-creation life of Nature in the first-covenant spirit or Law-principle of action God alway saw defective as to the true blessedness of Man or Angel He had beforehand therefore even from everlasting set up prepared and kept in reserve to bestow a creature-life of everlasting Righteousness in his new-Covenant gospel-Gospel-spirit that 's in unchangeable harmony with his infinite Divine Spirit Heb. 8. 6 〈◊〉 The Law makes nothing perfect Heb. 7. 19 no incorruptible Perfection or unchangeable good is to be found in the natural first-creation make or Law-life of Angel or Man The Law never had in it nor therefore could give true Life or everlasting Righteousness to any Gal. 3. 21. 〈◊〉 Is it could no need of Grace Gospel new-Covenant new-Creation Man's and Satan's Gospel says there is 〈◊〉 Life in the first Covenant principle the spirit of the Law or natural first-creation-state ye shall not die at all What need then of a second Never look farther for eternal Life Adam's yielding to this Doctrin slew all his posterity Yet abundance of his posterity when restor'd to some measure of the life they had and lost in and with him are at the very same point Can't the universal sad experience of Mankind as to the dreadful consequents of their first sin nor all examples of like Apostacy since nor all the abundant reiterated Warnings and multiplied Counsels of God or Instructions by the mouth of all his holy Prophets and Apostles or Messengers since the World began yea and by the Son himself prevent men's running into the same error sinning after the similitude of Adam's transgression What then can How currant does renewed old first-creation life pass at this day for new and the words thereof for Gospel How mad were the righteous Jewish Teachers and Professors with Christ for disturbing their peace and dashing their hopes in Satan's Gospel-state Whereas 't is in God's new-creature life and wisdom only on the death and loss of all this we can receive God's eternal good things to have hold and enjoy for ever These are we to eye and look at 2 Cor. 4. 18. 1 Pet. 1. 3 4. Not one Woman could Solomon a true spiritual Preacher find in the whole first-creation not one Man or Angel in that changeable womanish state in whom was any such thing as eternal Life or everlasting Righteousness any unchangeable good thing From his certain experience and infallible sight hereof he declares it 's never there to be had But he leaves not the point so On this Negative testimony giving a dash on the whole first-creation state he proceeds to the Affirmative shewing where the one thing necessary unchangeable Goodness is to be found in the second or new-creation Spirit and State signified by the one Man among a thousand The manly Spirit of the second Adam never sinn'd nor can any born of it as living and walking therein 1 Tim. 2. 14. 1 Joh. 3. 9. Gal. 5. 25. This one Man the manly new-creation Spirit Solomon found among the many thousands of blessed Angels and Saints yea in Christ the head and all the members of his mystical body the Church Col. 1. 18. 1 Cor. 12. 13. Eph. 5. 23. Christ and all his true thorow-followers whithersoever he goes and call's them make up the one mystical Man in unchangeable opposition to the Devil and all his Babylonish Party of Angels and Men fix'd in the first-creation womanish state the whole mystical-Whore of Babylon Not one Man nothing of the manly new-creation spirit in all these nor one Woman to be found nothing of the womanish spirit in all the compleated new-creation body of Christ the one mystical Man All these come to be of the same mind and judgment in every thing as one Man There' s no Female in new-creation Life no Male in the first Angel Man and Woman are all but the mystical Woman in the first and when fix'd there unchangeably so and so an unchangeable Adulteress against the man Christ to whom she ought to have been married in the second In a peculiar prerogative-sence Christ himself is the one Man among a thousand even thousands of thousands of his Spiritual Saints and Angels as the fountain of that Life they are all partakers of He never fails to give it in the distinct measures and seasons appointed by his Father to all the Father has given him Joh. 17. 2. All the things of the Man here are eternal of the Woman temporal Eternal Life and Death are set before us in these two Spirits the manly second and the womanish first-Creation Spirit All that hate Christ in the second love and chuse their own eternal Death in the first Prov. 8. 36. Christ the one Man Solomon found among the thousands of his Saints in a headship of pre-eminency over and above them all comprehensively signifies the whole number of elect Angels and Men in whom his one Spirit lives and they in it Here then have we the negative and affirmative Testimony of this Kingly Preacher in this grand concern of Man where eternal Life is to be found and where not Ver. 29. Lo this only have I found that God hath made Man upright but they have sought out many Inventions Here 's a farther account not only of the first-creation state but man's evil use thereof God made him upright pure clean and righteous without spot any filth of slesh or spirit very good Gen. 1. 31. but changeably so So soon did he make himself very evil by rebellion against him that made him very Good This by following his own many evil inventions Having once rebell'd do men set themselves to seek out many inventions to justifie and fortifie themselves in their self-chosen evil way of rebellion against God to their own destruction This destructive trade are they at might and main turning the deaf ear to the spiritual charmer the spirit of Truth in Christ and his followers wholly rejecting all the Counsels of God against their own souls Luk. 7. 30. This is the case of all first-covenant Lawyers in the renew'd righteous life of the Law in their own spirit of Nature in enmity to the newness of life in Christ's Gospel-Spirit of 〈◊〉 and all the words thereof They resolutely and confidently walk in their own invented paths to damnation refusing resisting defying contradicting and blaspheming the only way of God's invention and most wise contrivance for their Salvation God's abundantly declared way from first
wisdom of man is nothing in the case The words of God's Wisdom his oracles whether given in Dreams Visions or by his true Prophets are too hard for that interpreter The new-creature wisdom of God in Daniel and the three Children was ten times better than that in all the Magicians or wise men in the Realm Dan. 1. 20. In this could Daniel tell both the oraculous dream of Nebuchadnezzar and the interpretation those wise men neither Dan. 2. The great prophetical Image of worldly Monarchy from that day to the end of this World Man's day and Satan's reign was the matter of the Dream Then the Dream of the great high Tree which more particularly related to Nebuchadnezzar himself was interpreted by Daniel also Dan. 4. 22. And after this in the reign of Belshazzar grandchild to Nebuchadnezzar did the same Daniel interpret the Mene Tekel on the Palace-Wall none of the wise Men of Babylon knew what to make of Dan. 5. 15. and v. 25 28 Daniel as an awakened spiritual Saint knew the interpretation of the thing or word no wisdom of Man could interpret Yet does the but restored righteous first-covenant Saint Wise Strong and Honorable in Christ there figur'd by the wise Men of Babylon Egypt and the King of Tyre presumptuously reckon himself wiser then Daniel or Paul Ezek. 28. 3. 1 Cor. 4. 10. The Queen recommending Daniel to frighted amaz'd King Belshazzar when she saw his thoughts trouble him and Countenance chang'd said there 's a man in thy Kingdom in whom is the Spirit of God an excellent Spirit having the light understanding and wisdom of God in it by which he had knowledge and understanding for interpreting dreams shewing hard sentences and dissolving doubts or untying knots as the Chaldee reads Daniel interprets the Mene Tekel and the execution was speedy For that night was King Belshazzar slain by the Medes and Persians who after two years siege then enter'd the Town by diverting the River Euphrates Dan. 5. 5 -- 31. Here 's the truly 〈◊〉 man His Wisdom consists in and is evidenced by a right interpreting of Parables and dark sayings of important concern in their significancy but too obscure and difficult for man's wisdom at best to deal with or unriddle Neither literal nor mystical Magicians Men or Angels in any first-creation understanding or learning can interpret them Such another as Daniel was Joseph long before Pharaoh had two Oraculous Dreams that by their impression upon his mind signified that they signified some important thing to him and his people but what he could not tell This was left for the true interpreting Spirit in Joseph to declare Nebuchadnezzar knew tho' his Dream was slipp'd from him that 't was an Oracle from God and had a concerning significancy so his spirit was troubled as Pharoah's in like case till they both knew what their Dreams meant Dan. 2. 1. Gen. 41. 8. They were both perfect puzzlers to the wisdom of man None of the wise men in Egypt or Babylon could interpret either of these Kings Dreams Pharoah's doubled Dream in two distinct Sleeps signified the same things seven years Plenty and then seven of Famine The fat and lean Kine coming out of the River Nile signified the same cause of the Plenty and Famine of the Plenty by its wonted overflowings and of the Famine by failing therein The two Kings for the signal benefits they received by the hand of these two choice Saints advanc'd them to great worldly dignities in their several Kingdoms and days The Reason given was because the Spirit of God was in them Gen. 41. 38. Dan. 2. 48. 5. 11. Is this a qualification for preferment with Kings now a-days tho' call'd Christian that these two Heathen Princes preferr'd Joseph and Daniel for Were there true Gospel-Saints in Heathen Cesars houshold Phil. 4. 22. in Paul's time Where are such now in Christian Cesars housholds The Wisdom then or Understanding that judges or 〈◊〉 all things 1 Cor. 2. 15. and so can interpret all words into those things signified by them as God's full intent and meaning in them this renders the happy 〈◊〉 thereof the wise man here meant It makes him a Seer of God one that can read understand and declare the whole Counsel of God about the Salvation of men Such Wisdom as reaches the deep things of God's very Divinity and most excellent spiritual creature-things of Christ and God sure natural the lowest general rank of things in Man and Angel's first-creation-make can't lie hid from The divine and spiritual things of God knoweth no Man or Angel in their single natural make or state but in the Spirit of God the new-Creature Gospel-spirit of Christ becoming the Principle of their Life and discerning by a new-Creation of them 1 Cor. 2. 10 15. Such Wisdom is not found in the first-creation Land of the living or State of Life Visible or invisible natural things first-creation Vanities are the bounding utmost immediately discernable objects of the highest Wisdom in that state No fowls of the Air Angels by their mystical Vultur's Eye or quickest clearest natural sight do so much as reach that place or spiritual state in Christ where true Wisdom and Understanding are found Job 28. 7 12 13 20 21. Spiritual Light darted on the natural Understanding of Man or Angel may convince them both that there are not only Divine but Spiritual new-Creature things which are quite out of the reach of their bare natural Understandings And that 't is in the awak'ned principle of spiritual Life only they can properly and fully see and enjoy such things All then that undertake to handle the written Oracles or Word of God without this only Key or true interpreting Wisdom of God communicated to them in his Creature-Spirit of Grace we may easily judg what work they are like to make on 't or what recompence they 'l have for their pains How Men that handle the written Word of God in a Wisdom and Spirit that 's foolishness and enmity to the living Word Spirit and Wisdom of God will be handled by that living Word at last may easily be guess'd Man in all first-Covenant Life Light Wisdom Righteousness Holiness is but holy flesh wise strong and honourable in Christ yet but the natural Man that can't receive the things of God for they are foolishness to him and Paul or any true Spiritual Saint is reckon'd a fool for owning or asserting any such things 1 Cor. 2. 14. 4. 8 10. They are not the objects of the natural understanding are only spiritually discern'd And he is offended and stumbles at the cross-doctrine of death to his natural state as undispensably necessary to his coming at true Wisdom or spiritual Understanding Such doctrine he reckons folly and madness 1 Cor. 1. 23. Joh. 10. 20. Hos. 9. 7 8. First then negatively where is true Wisdom not to be found not in the first-Creation Land of the living Then affirmatively where is it to be had
or crucifying-work upon their natural State They desire no knowledg of him in such ways of saving them Joh. 6. 66. The Devil 's and his Instruments destructive but pleasing Ways and Counsel they like better And then in the darkness of his Spirit and Counsels they think to hide themselves from this King saying no Eye sees them how does God know what they are doing Psal. 73. 11. They are for this call'd brutish Fools Psal. 94. 7 11. Brutish Men and Fools know not this that when the wicked spring as the grass and workers of Iniquity flourish 't is that they shall be destroy'd for ever Psal. 92. 6 7. T. Stand not in an evil thing Persist not in this evil Practice of turning from this King and in this vain thought of securing your selves from his sight and just revenging Power Ye may soon sin your selves out of the reach of his mercy but never get out of the reach of his Wrath. Your endeavour to get speedily out of his sight or out of the hearing of his words will soon bring you under his Wrath that can do what he pleases with you If ye will not have this spiritual King reign over you he will command his Angels to slay you Luk. 19. 14 27. They 'l be a 〈◊〉 fire on all final Resisters of his Gospel-doctrine and Spirit 2 Thes. 1. 7 8. He will rejoyce over all such to destroy them that refuse all his offers of good to them Deut. 28. 63. If they 'l not please him he will please himself in their destruction If they 'l not give the Glory due to him he will take it by executing his just Vengeance on them Actively or passively by what they do or shall suffer will he be glorified of all If man agree not with Christ appearing as an Adversary and quietly deliver up his guilty sinning nature to his Gospel-cross Fire and Sword he will plead against him as justly demeriting final Destruction Mat. 5. 25 26. If his Gospel-sword on Man's Law-spirit be summitted to he will be an Advocate and prevailing Pleader for his final acceptance with God the Judg of all Heb. 12. 23. Let 's deliver up the guilty Rebel this mystical Sheba 2 Sam. 20. 16 -- 22. the natural spirit to his spiritual Sword and all shall be well everlasting Peace will be proclaim'd to us Vers. 4. Where the word of a King is there is power and who may say unto him what dost thou In the word of this glorious universal King is Power to fulfil it on all his Subjects in Love or Wrath whether submitted to or rebell'd against There 's no questioning the reason of his Will or Authority of his Commands He is furnish'd with absolute Soveraignty to accomplish his unchangeably righteous Will on all opposers thereof He is abundantly qualified Isa. 11. 1 -4. to exercise God's soveraign Authority over all Not in the Law-spirit of Nature by the sight of its eyes or hearing of its ears will he judg reprove or punish but in his everlasting righteous and infallible Gospel-spirit of Grace and Truth Man's Law-spirit of restor'd Nature is in effect warranted by man's wisdom to be the Tree of Life and Christ's Gospel-Spirit that indeed is so exploded as an enthusiastical fiction with all the words thereof Where this Gospel takes place that Satan preach'd to Eve and where does it not there 's no hearing for Christ's His Grace and Gospel are made void and the declarers thereof reckon'd meer no-bodies with Paul among rich first-covenant Professors and Teachers 1 Cor. 4. 10. 2 Cor. 10. 12. He will abundantly recompence his meek ones in love and his and their Enemies in wrath 2 Thess. 1. 6 -10. All secret wickednesses will lie naked before his all-penetrating light Heb. 4. 12 13. He will be a swift Witness against Condemner and Punisher of all incorrigible Adversaries When he summon's all' before him Eccl. 12. 14. 2 Cor. 5. 10. 't will be seen and felt that in the word of this King is power He will accomplish all his words for he can do what pleases him Isa. 55. 11. And he will silence and render most frivolous all contradiction or opposition No Man or Angel will have any colour for questioning his proceedings with them He will set up an undeniable Testimony of the equity of his dealings towards them in their own consciences So every mouth of iniquity will be stopp'd For who may say to him what dost thou He will be found unquestionably just in doing what he pleases Vers. 5. Whoso keepeth the Commandment shall feel no evil thing and a wise man's heart discerneth both time and judgment Here 's the comfortable Use and Application of this great Truth a declaration of the unexpressible Blessedness and Safety of those that keep this King's Command Whoso hearkens to him shall dwell safely and be quiet from fear of evil Prov. 1. 33. Those that speak no evil or blasphemous word against him shall hear of no evil or condemning and punishing word from him against them He will set them above the power of all evil dangers or enemies whatsoever Quest. But what 's the Commandment carries so great advantage with it to the Observers thereof Answ. That the keeping whereof imports and implies an universal obedience to this divine and spiritual King First-covenant Servants and People of God that may again become no People yea a downright Synagogue of Satan Rev. 3. 9. Such while knowing well-vers'd or mighty in the letter of Scripture and strict in obedience thereto may be altogether strangers to the spiritual mind of their Master therein Joh. 15. 15. If when convincingly shew'd and offer'd Christ's Gospel-life they finally refuse to part with their Law-life and all they have therein for it they become a Synagogue of Satan and perish for ever Servants in Christ God's house for a season if on the utmost trial they refuse to become Sons by losing their servile Law-life of bondage for the glorious Gospel-life and liberty of the Son of God the King here meant they must turn out and never come in it more Joh. 8. 35 36. Such Children of the Kingdom will be cast out and Publicans and Harlots with Zaccheus and Mary Magdalen common sinners of the Gentiles from all parts lifted over all their heads by true Gospel-conversion and brought to sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 8. 11 12. 21. 31. This doctrine or declaration as to common Sinners in the corrupt spirit of nature being effectually caused to receive the Gospel while a professing first-covenant People despise and reject it are disobedient and gain-saying to Paul notes as a holy boldness for God in the Prophet Isaiah Rom. 10. 19 21. Isa. 65. 1 2. A People of God in the first becoming no People again and those that are no People of God in either Covenant made all on a sudden a peculiar People in the second these are the chops and changes of condition
the natural earthy fleshly state of their whole person Body Soul and 〈◊〉 See all this 2 Cor. 5. 1 8. But quite contrary the wilfully disobedient to God's Time Way and Judgment of Death to their whole beings are under an absolute necessity of coming to the experience of the same twofold Death as to any natural life or goodness in Body or Spirit and they 'l receive in the room thereof the positive inflictions of Wrath upon their whole beings for ever in a resurrection of Damnation Joh. 5. 29. Dan. 12. 2. The immortality of their beings will hold them to 't in suffering under the Wrath to come that will never be gone or end No scaping the temporal death of their mortal Body or eternal death of their immortal Spirit and Body too as reduc'd by a resurrection into a fellowship with their Spirit in Torment for ever the Tophet prepar'd for them None of these Deaths has evil man the least Power to resist or avoid the temporal Death of his Body or Soul as to the mortal Life of both or the eternal Death and 〈◊〉 of both There 's no discharge from this twofold War of God upon him Fall he will most certainly in both For has he an Arm like God Job 40. 9. Think'st thou by thy wicked and rebellious contending with him to escape or find any thing short of thy eternal confusion t. Neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it Devils the supream rank of enemies rendred the highest spiritual wickednesses and rebels against God and his new-creation Spirit by fixing in their natural and first These grand patrons of wickedness and most gigantick fighters against God with their followers and subjects from amongst men will fall under the hand of the living God Heb. 10. 31. his irresistible Gospel-Sword Men-rebels with their proud evil-angelical helpers the mystical Rocks and Mountains or supream first-creation Principalities and Powers will all be inevitably forc'd to stoop and fall together under his all-conquering Sword and Power Job 9. 13. Rev. 6. 12 -17. No evil Angel or Man have power over their own spirit to preserve any life light or comfort therein against God's or his final Wrath to be executed thereby upon all and every one of them Nor can they by annihilation shuffle themselves out of the hands of God's avenging Justice No annihilation-Death will ever be found by them Rev. 9. 6. The misery therefore of them all will be as unavoidable as unexpressibly great upon them And 't will be undeniably evident they have all by their wilful obstinacy brought it upon their own guilty heads They have refus'd so great 〈◊〉 as was offer'd them in God's way and chosen so great misery in their own Prov. 8. 36. And who Devil or Man can imagin or take the right measure of God's final punishment upon them both till they feel and are irrecoverably under it The great sweeping temporal judgments the 〈◊〉 the storm of Fire and Brimstone on Sodom c. are but figures and shadows of the Vengeance of eternal Fire Jude 7. The deluge of sinal Wrath will drown all incorrigibly wicked Men and Angels in everlasting destruction and perdition for gratifying and drowning themselves in their own foolish and 〈◊〉 lusts 1 Tim. 6. 9. And as an aggravation of man's misery in this World he know's not when or how all this shall be brought upon him Evil shall come upon him he shall not know whence it rises 〈◊〉 shall fall upon him he shall not be able to put off and desolation shall come upon him suddenly which he shall not know Isa. 47. 11. 〈◊〉 knows not his time but as fishes or birds shall be taken in an evil net or snare falling suddenly upon him Eccl. 9. 12. Man knows not the time of his bodily death to which subject every moment of his life And if 〈◊〉 in enmity he soon sinds himself on such death under unchangeable wrath All his days upon Earth he fought under Satan's Banner against God his Saints and Truths So was he not only an Acceslory but principal Actor in bringing all his great eternal misery upon his own guilty head in a state of everlasting bondage and death Ver. 9. All this have I seen and applied my heart unto every work that is done under the Sun there is a time wherein one man ruleth over another to his own hurt This observation Solomon gain'd by the sad experience of the vanity of all things under the first-creation Sun literal or mystical Here 's 〈◊〉 a literal Truth when the Power of the Ruler is us'd to encourage wickedness in the ruled Such a one most certainly rules to his own 〈◊〉 For he is accountable for it And the mystical or principal sence is yet more true So the Ruler here is the Devil the permitted Ruler over the whole first-creation World from the beginning to the ending thereof This though he be gratified and pleas'd with will turn to his great damage when the Vials of Wrath come to be pour'd forth upon him as the meet recompence of all the wickedness he has bin instrumental to the practising of by Men in his rule over them The more universally he is obey'd and follow'd the more has he 〈◊〉 and the more will he be tormented for ever Both ruling evil-Angels and ruled evil-Men will 〈◊〉 unspeakable hurt in conclusion from all the wicked rule of the one and wicked obedience of the other Both will be cover'd with everlasting darkness and death Concerning such rule and obedience to it Solomon declares his farther observations as follows Vers. 10. And so I saw the wicked buried who had come and gone from the place of the holy and they were forgotten in the City where they had so done this is also Vanity Here 's the sad account of the faulty ruled from their willing obedience to the said wicked Ruler in the whole Progress of their lives as will be undeniably evident in the end Not Man in the dark corrupt but enlightned righteous nature that holy place or state is here meant This holy state being changeable will certainly be gone again as is plain Ezek. 18. 24 -26. God has provided a means to bring the whole Posterity of Adam into the first-covenant holy place or state but shews their liableness to apostatize or fall away from it again for ever and abundantly warn's them against it and of the most dangerous consequence thereof For then the guilt of the first sin and all the evil done in their own Persons will be justly charg'd upon them If the Righteous turn from his Righteousness and commit Iniquity he shall die He that has come to the first-covenant State or Place of the Holy as brought by the Redeemer thither out of his corrupt or unholy natural Place or State and is gone or departed thence back again into his unholy place comes to a final state of Death in which buried for ever in a grave from which there 's
practices of Men and Devils in opposition thereunto Vers. 11. I returned and saw under the Sun that the Race is not to the swift nor the Battel to the strong neither yet Bread to the wise nor yet Riches to Men of understanding nor yet favour to Men of skill but time and chance happeneth to them all God reserves to himself the Prerogative of giving success or disappointment as to outward things and events where when and to whom he pleases as the supream and 〈◊〉 cause over-ruling all second By time and chance happening to all is meant such events as Providence oft gives in a direct contrariety and disappointment to Man's thoughts and expectations from second causes In mystery here is signified that Man in the utmost Power Skill or Wisdom of his restor'd natural state can't win the Race or Battel can't get true Riches Food or Clothing He can't so run and fight in his corruptible natural mortal Life and State as to vanquish all Enemies and obtain the incorruptible Crown Neither is the favour of God or his unchangeable love to Men or Angels in the highest Skill and Wisdom of that state The death and loss of all there is undispensably necessary to the finding a Life Spirit Wisdom Strength and Power to do gain and win all things more then conquer World and Devil be universally obedient and pleasing to God in every thing and wear the incorruptible Crown They that run and fight in but their own renew'd naturals are uncertain unsteddy runners and fighters run at an all-adventures and if they confidently fix there in a direct contrariety to the Command and Will of God Levit. 26. 21. Such Runners are certain of nothing but missing the great Prize So will prove cast-aways as Paul had if he had not brought under his body or that holy natural state wherein he was fighting against God's holy Gospel-spirit and Life 1 Cor. 9. 24 27. Solomon with Paul returning from the Light and Wisdom of his own Spirit to Christ's declares the Crown of Life durable Riches Food and Clothing victory over all Enemies and the peculiar favour of God for ever not attainable under the Sun or in the power and under the conduct of the natural spirit in the most heightned sublime Wisdom and Skill thereof Time and 〈◊〉 happens to all that strive in that spirit for the said great things All the fading good and comfort therein will pass away and so will they find uncertainty and chance to have bin inseparable from the nature thereof as they had bin abundantly warn'd in their mortal day on Earth Vers. 12. For Man also knoweth not his time as the Fishes that are taken in an evil net and as the Birds that are caught in a snare so are the Sons of Men snared in an evil time when it falleth suddenly upon them Here are the sad and certain consequents of Man's standing running or fighting in unsteady wavering first-Covenant Principles The Sons of Men at best in that life and state are but like Fishes and Birds sure to be caught in Satan's evil nets and snares Eccles. 7. 26. And God in his just Wrath will spread his net upon them as on King Zedekiah Ezek. 12. 13. 17. 20. They chuse that very life and state for their Portion that is the very snare thro' their fond wilful dotage upon and overvalue of it in and by which Satan catches them at his will and leads them into the same everlasting destruction with himself True Saints by Gospel-labours endeavour to waken Men out of this dreamish life and vain-shew in and by which Satan is drawing them into eternal Death as 〈◊〉 willing Captives and obedient Servants and so strongly deluding them as to make them verily believe they are making safe steps toward eternal Life in the very way of Salvation Saints labour to waken them out of this mistaking Dream that 's the very snare the Devil catches and holds them in as therein taken alive by him 2 Tim. 2. 24 -26. Man know's not the time God will deliver him up to Satan for ever yea send him strong delusion for being so wilfully deluded by the Devil and believing his lie rather then God's Truth that he may be damn'd 2 Thess. 2. 11 12. Under Satan's spirit of unchangeable darkness is Man kept ignorant of these dreadful consequents of his evil choice till there 's no remedy 2 Chro. 36. 16. till all the threatned evils come upon him suddenly in an 〈◊〉 time that he is no more aware of then Birds and Fishes of the evil net and snare they are caught in and made a Prey of The final Wrath of God will be upon them and the state by them chosen from which no escape for ever They shall not know how it comes what it is till upon them nor ever be able to put it off Isa. 47. 11. Vers. 13. This Wisdom have I seen also under the Sun and it seem'd great unto me Vers. 14. There was a little City and few Men within it and there came a great King against it and besieg'd it and built great Bulwarks against it Vers. 15. Now there was found in it a poor wise Man and he by his Wisdom deliver'd the City yet no Man remembred that same poor Man Christ is the poor wise Man in a spirit that 's in personal Union with his divine His little City are his little 〈◊〉 of true Saints deliver'd by his Wisdom from the great King the Devil that comes with all his power to besiege and build great Bulwarks against them He frustrates all the designs polices and practices of evil Angels and Men against them All this by taking our nature and impoverishing it even to a total abolition of all that Wisdom Glory Power and Excellency in which the great evil King and his Forces come against the little City he undertakes the defence of against them all By the death of that nature in himself and little City or flock which the Enemy can touch deceive and destroy Men by as the very snare they are caught in and raising himself and them into a life above their reach and power does he deliver them All his true Souldiers must follow this great Captain 's suffering steps for this conquest Heb. 2. 10 14. A being made fools weak and 〈◊〉 as to all worldly first-Covenant life strength and wisdom yea as nothing or no-body things that are not this is the only way to overcome all these wise strong and honorable therein the strong Bulls of Bashan Psal 22. 12. all enemies whatsoever 1 Cor. 1. 25 28. When Saints by obedience to the Cross on their nature are so totally impoverish'd and run down as to become spectacles of scorn to the whole world all evil Angels and Men 1 Cor. 4. 9. fix'd in their own worldly natural state even then and thereby are they fitted to trample them all under their feet in a life wisdom and power they dream not of the Power of
God This is the strange method of God's Wisdom for his despis'd little ones to be found more than Conquerers of all their proud self-exalting despisers and enemies The abolishing the worldly life of Nature out of Christ and his Army is the way to their being all found in that life and power of the World to come in which they overcome all that obstinatly set up in this This way the Man Christ triumph'd over all evil angelical and humane Principalities and Powers the Princes of this World Col. 2. 14 15. 1 Cor. 2. 6. All Men that finally take up in the first-creation are Satan's Subjects all that pass out of that by death into the life of the second are God's The poor wise Man that does all these wonderful things for his little City has infinite divine and infallible creature-wisdom and power in him And what can all the visible and invisible Powers of this World with all their Strength Devices and Bulwarks be before him He was made a poor Man by the death of our nature that he might make many rich in his spirit of Grace on the like obedient death of nature in them 2 Cor. 6. 10. 8. 9. Phil. 2. 6 8. Yet no Man remembers this poor wise Man No man in his own Wisdom receives his Gospel-Testimony Joh. 3. 32. takes his Counsel follows his Example Under the sinking weight of this charge will evil Men and Angels lie for ever They 'l not remember hearken to or follow this poor Man under his Cross into the like poverty and death of nature in them the only way into his everlasting Rest. Vers. 16. Then said I Wisdom is better than strength nevertheless the poor Man's wisdom is despis'd and his words are not heard The everlasting Wisdom of God's New-creation Gospel-Spirit is better then all the fading strength wisdom and power of Man and Angel in the first or old But the voice and words of this Wisdom from the impoverish'd natural man in Christ and his followers is not heard heeded or regarded by those that resolve to set up in that state of Nature for happiness which they preach death to as the only 〈◊〉 way and means for their being truly happy All such reproofs of death on the spirit of Nature and instructions of life in God's Spirit of Grace are despis'd and rejected by the wisdom of Man in first-Covenant Righteousness Even such are found all along this world a disobedient gain-saying People Isa. 65. 2. Rom. 10. 21. See the dismal and blessed consequents of not hearkning or hearkning to this poor wise Man's Counsels reproofs and instructions Prov. 1. 20 -33. Somethere are amongst the vast multitude of self-confident righteous men and also profane who at last are brought to regard this poor wise man's voice and his only the voice of his Spirit in himself and Saints 〈◊〉 still God has a little flock that are content to be made his little ones in Nature that he may make them his great ones and worthies too big and too many for all his and their enemies in his Wisdom and Spirit of Grace All do not finally provoke him Heb. 3. 16. Rom. 11. 1 -5. Christ then and his followers are not without all hearing from Men. For Vers. 17. The words of wise Men are heard in quiet more then the cry of him that ruleth among fools The words of Christ and his awaken'd Spiritual Saints the words of God's Wisdom which the Holy Ghost teaches and utters in both and all will be heard or obey'd by a spiritual Seed of Christ in meek broken-spirited quiet peaceable men Sons of Peace Their meek broken silenc'd natural spirit is of great price with God 1 Pet. 3. 4. as quitting its own vain corruptible life for that which is not corruptible but everlasting They instruct those that oppose them in meekness of Wisdom not returning railing for railing in the wrathful wrangling spirit and earthly wisdom of Nature that 's from beneath waiting with patience if God peradventure will give them Repentance or change of mind from Satan's lie to his Gospel-Truth 2 Tim. 2. 24 -26. See the different demeanour conversation and fruits of Saints in God's Heavenly Spiritual wisdom communicated to them and of incorrigible sinners in Man's and Satan's earthly devilish wisdom from beneath Jam. 3. 13 -18. Men in their wisdom render'd devilish by fixure in enmity to God's are the loud clamorous boasting self-exalting undertakers at teaching the way of Salvation who by their great cry and confused noise of their 〈◊〉 Cymbals their uncertain-sounding false Trumpet gain a ruling power amongst fools to the final destruction of blind foolish rulers and ruled leaders and followers All fall into the ditch or bottomless pit of deceits and destruction nets snares and death together Eccle. 7. 26. Mat. 15. 14. Such Rulers or Teachers and Leaders as a demonstration of their utmost folly and madness despise are offended at and absolutely reject all the words of God's Wisdom as folly and madness ver 12. Hos. 9. 7 8. 1 Cor. 1. 23. Joh. 10. 20. 7. 45 49. The quiet-spirited Saint in whom this self-confident spirit of enmity to God and all his Words of Counsel is broken down and silenc'd by the Cross listen to the Words of the true Shepherd or Teacher in himself and messengers and follow not but flee from the Stranger 's voice Joh. 10. 4 5. The spiritual Feet or Principles on which Christ's true Messengers or Apostles come to them are beautiful and all their right Words of reproof and instruction most welcome and desireable They esteem hear and obey the words of the truly wise as incomparably beyond all the cry and noise of Rulers among fools that presumptuously undertake an absolute impossibility even to declare the Mysteries of God's Wisdom in that wisdom of Man that 's foolishness to God's and all the words of God's to it Yet is their voice and cry readily heard and follow'd by Fools to the everlasting destruction of both and all Vers. 18. Wisdom is better then Weapons of War but one sinner destroyeth much good True Wisdom or the Spirit of Christ in Man is better then all the Wisdom Srength Power and Armour of Man or Angel in the first creation and yet more when all these are turn'd into and used in enmity to God For so became they the one sinner that from first to last 〈◊〉 against God Christ and Saints who must needs be unspeakably too hard for them All wicked Angels and Men in the finally abused first-creation state or spirit and life of nature make up and are the one sinner or uniform fighter against God in and with their first-creation Strength Armour and weapons of War And thus does this one comprehensive Sinner or perverted first-creation Spirit in all evil Angels and Men destroy much good even all the changeable goodness in that state which had they obediently return'd it back in sacrifice to God they might have receiv'd much good
thereby even the promis'd gift of an everlasting righteous Life and so all their own fading good again with usury The Law or law-life in Man or Angel us'd unlawfully as kept up for Weapons of War in rebellion against Christ's Gospel-life is destroy'd by the said Sinner in evil Angels and Men. They thus destroy and frustrate all the good intended in and by their first-creation State and for ever exclude themselves from the immutable good of the second So destroy they much good even the whole good of the first and second Creation By the lawful use of the first they might have had all the good of both By the unlawful use thereof they spoil and lose all all the good given them in the former and offer'd them in the latter Then as six'd in unchangeable enmity to God they must fall and lie down for ever under the unchangeable Wrath of God as their undeniably just portion CHAP. X. V. 1. Dead Flies Heb. flies of death cause the Ointment of the Apothecary to send forth a stinking savour so doth a little Folly him that is in reputation for Wisdom and Honour THe dead flies or flies of death found in Men since the fall that cause the first-covenant precious Ointment of Christ the great mystical Apothecary or perfumer of Man's filthy loathsome corrupt polluted nature dead in trespasses and sins are a character of the 〈◊〉 to God's divine and creature-spirit which is filth of spirit in Man This enmity as the single product of the first sin is call'd the little folly in eminently restor'd righteous Man that with Job is there in great reputation for Wisdom and Honour Job 29. 7 -10 This little folly a changeable pardonable curable enmity to God in all comparatively with the great folly the incurable unpardonable great transgression or presumptuous sin unto death as thro' Man's wilful madness this changeable is turn'd into a fix'd unchangeable enmity to God in many this little folly what a noise it made in Job against the dispensation of the Cross when under it as we find at large by the reproofs Elihu and Christ himself came upon him with Job 32 to almost the end of that Book Man in the honour he was created in not understanding or duly considering the changeable nature of that honour and slipperiness of his standing in it soon fell and became as the Beasts that perish Psal. 49. 12 20. a brutified meer sensual creature as 't were having forfeited the righteous life of a Man And when restor'd by the redeemer out of that polluted bloody condition into the same kind of changeable first-covenant righteous life of a Man again Ezek. 16. 6. so as to remove and take off the punishment of the first sin the first sin it self is not hereby cured but through this very fresh coming of the command or Christ's setting up his first-covenant Law-life in him again does this sin of Enmity revive also which with and in dead nature lay as dead into an active bold confident daring presumptuous resisting of God and his Gospel-spirit as Paul experienc'd Rom. 7. 9 -11. And had he obstinately persisted in that course when convinced of his duty it had slain him for ever But he yielded to the death of that restor'd 〈◊〉 covenant law-life as the known means of abolishing that 〈◊〉 which reviv'd sprang up with it and is inseparable from it No way then to be rid of that enmity but by being rid of that life under the Cross. And no other way or on no other or lower and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 can God's Gospel-life of 〈◊〉 Righteousness be 〈◊〉 by or set up in us He therefore gloried in nothing save the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that by its twofold death and life-operation runs down the 〈◊〉 covenant life and 〈◊〉 up the second crucified all 〈◊〉 life and desire in his spirit to all this World's desirables and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it Gal. 6. 14. and set up a life in him the Palate Belly or 〈◊〉 and Desire whereof wholly and only savour'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 desir'd and 〈◊〉 after the things of God things eternal delights of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God He so became alive only to the World to come and that to him a meer Pilgrim and Stranger in and to this to the delights of the Sons of Men things seen temporal 1 Pet. 2. 11. 2 Cor. 4. 18. The dead Fly or little solly here is the same with the little leaven that leavens the whole lump Gal. 5. 9 of mankind which can be purg'd out of any no otherwise then by the death and Sacrifice of Nature at best from which inseparable And then with our sacrific'd spotless Nature in Christ our Pass-over shall we find that the destroying Angel even Christ with the same spiritual-Sword or Gospel-Cross will pass over us as to that use he will make of it in Wrath upon all fix'd incorrigible enemies Angels or Men. This fix'd leaven or Doctrine of the Pharisees in a sowr'd leaven'd spirit of unchangeable enmity in a 〈◊〉 Covenant righteous life against the second Law against Gospel is that Christ warn'd his Disciples to beware of Mat. 16. 6 11 12. For this cause did Christ sanctify our nature by the death thereof in himself that by the like death-sanctification the same fire-Baptism of his heavenly Spirit of Truth on our earthy-spirit of enmity and falshood he might sanctify it in us Joh. 17. 17 19. The enmity or Fly of death becoming unchangeable in Men renders them a most stinking abomination to God for ever Their Soul unchangeably loaths God's Soul or Spirit of Grace and his them Then Christ's fresh first-Covenant Gift that was for a season as salt to dry up the fleshly filth of their polluted nature loses its savour and the whole person becomes a stinking loathsome thing as all-over polluted with a spreading incurable Leprosy or most noisom Disease Vers. 2. A wise Man's heart is at his right hand but a fool's heart at his left Here 's a description of the truly wise and of the greatest fool The heart of the former is at his right hand fix'd and set to follow those right counsels of God in the life activity desire and thought of the incorruptible Seed of God's right-hand-planting in him by a new-creation which will set him at Christ's right hand when fools or lustful Goats in the activity life and desire of the corruptible seed of his left-hand-planting in them by a first-creation in which wholly set upon this worlds vanities will be found at his left-hand and doom'd to eternal punishment Mat. 25. 33 46. Saints give up their fleshly Tree with the fruits or works thereof their left-hand first-Covenant life to the death of the Cross that they may receive that right-hand second Covenant Gospel-life wherein to be wise unto Salvation Others of a perfectly contrary mind fool themselves into eternal damnation Vers. 3. Yea also when he that is a fool walketh by the way his Wisdom Heb. heart faileth him and
needy natural man of the Saint causes him as a poor man in vile raiment to be bidden by man to sit here under his footstool importing the very height of contempt towards him while there 's a huge bussle for the giving the other a high place in honour and respect to him or rather to his mystical gay clothing kept on in enmity to the Cross but put off by the Spiritual Saint and refus'd ever to be put on again let men take it how they will Jam. 2. 1 -3. Cant. 5. 3. God requir's the putting off those first-Covenant Ornaments Devils and Men put such a preferring value upon that he may know what to do with us by setting up the life and clothing us with the everlasting Righteousness Beauty Glory and ornaments of the second Exod. 33. 5. Wise Holy first-Covenant righteous Men and God are of a directly contrary judgment in this case Rom. 2. 29. Those God highly esteems and loves they scorn and hate as the filth of the World the off-scouring of all things 1 Cor. 4. 13. Thus are they found in harmony with the invisible Principalities and Powers of this world the evil Angels They both and all center in this point a resolution in the earthly principle or natural spirit to despise and contend against the impoverish'd natural man of the truly wise rich strong and honourable spiritual Saint They shoot all their malicious revengeful arrows at him So are true Saints by their true Gospel-life Conversation words and way rendred with Jeremy Men of contention with the whole earth or whole earthy party of evil Angels and Men. This evil Solomon saw practis'd under the first-creation Sun or in the first-Covenant spirit the Law-principle of life and action as an errour both visible and invisible Rulers of this world are ioyntly guilty of in using their utmost power for discouraging persecuting and suppressing the truly wise and rich spiritual Saint the only sort of men in this world that God highly esteem's and loves On all these accounts as to the errours of the visible and invisible Rulers of this World he farther says Vers. 7. I have seen Servants upon Horses and Princes walking as Servants upon the Earth The chief sense of these words is that evil Angels are permitted the exercise of a ruling power over this World fulfilling their pleasure both in the corrupt and refin'd spirit and principles of Nature in men Both evil Angels and Men in the said spirit of Bondage are but servants and slaves in God's sight objects of his everlasting contempt and wrath When Christ whose Right it is takes to himself his great Power and reign 's he will take away all their power and tread them under his and his Saints feet for ever But all along this World are these evil Angelical Principalities and Powers in with and by evil visible ones jointly riding over Saints heads Psal. 66. 12. under Christ's overtopping spiritual Power ordering all for the carrying on his designed work of the Cross on the natural spirit of the Saint that 's a spirit of Bondage in them For this reason are the true Princes or spiritual heaven born Sons walking on the Earth in an inferiority and subjection to these slavish servile-spirited Rulers that in their true Princely life they may come to ride over all those Servants heads that have bin their Masters All along this World the said Servants are on Horseback and true Princes a-foot At entrance of the Reign of Christ or beginning of the next such Princes will tread all such Servants for ever under their feet and ride in triumph with their Lord and Master the great Captain of their Salvation over all their heads Col. 2. 15. Heb. 2. 10 14. The very Prince of Life when he had taken our slesh suffer'd death therein under the visible and invisible Princes of this world Act. 3. 15. True Saints following his suffering steps will be found on their mystical white Horses with their Lord at last Rev. 19. 11 -14. Christ refused any ruling Power as a Judge or King in that earthly life of the Law wherein he was to suffer and did in obedience to his Father under the hors'd Princes of this World in the said earthly life and worldly power He walk'd as a Servant on the earth under them and so must Saints in obedience to the will of God and conformity to his example Joh. 10. 17 18. They must lay down their natural wherein they are Servants that they may take up his spiritual life wherein Sons of God and to be Princes on 〈◊〉 Saints are spiritual chast Doves that know not where to set their foot or sind any visible relief or support in this World Gen. 8. 8 9. As kept for their Heavenly Country are they not suffer'd to find any rest short of it They are hunted out of all false rests by their evil Rulers who intend their utter destruction But they find the new Name of the Lord a strong Tower and Ark of safety both from enemies and the flood of God's final Wrath that will overflow the whole first-creation Land of the living all fix'd in their earthly life of enmity to his Heavenly Vers. 8. He that diggeth a Pit shall fall into it and whoso breaketh an Hedg a Serpent shall bite him The pit here is the same blind Leaders with their followers fall into Mat. 15. 14. Psal. 7. 15. Many that are reckon'd to dig deep in Scripture all their interpreting thereof amounts to no more then the digging this dangerous and destructive pit an opening the very bottomless pit of the Devil and asserting it to be the Kingdom of God a teaching unchangeable union with the evil one as God sitting in the Temple of God and shewing himself that he is God And in all their Ministry to this purpose seeing nothing but vanity and lying 〈◊〉 they say The Lord saith and make others hope they 'l confirm the word that they have true peace with God when indeed in unchangable union with the Devil Thus do evil Men giving heed to seducing Spirits and Doctrines of Devils cry up a fixure and establishment in the first-creation state of enlighten'd Righteous Nature in unchangeable opposition to God and his new-creation Spirit of Grace They prefer their Law-Spirit to his Gospel-Spirit which renders it the very bottomless pit they fall into under the final Wrath of God a deep ditch of stinking mire and silth for evermore Out of it there is no redemption 'T is very Hell Evil Angels Man's conclusive choice of that state makes it a pit of their own digging David found his own nature a deep mire where there 's no standing crying for deliverance out of it by a lifting him up out of his earthy spirit of nature into God's heavenly Spirit of Grace Psal. 69. 1 -- 3. The death of Nature under the Cross is our only way out of this miry pit of corruption into the life Christ will reign in t. And
thee in the days of thy youth and walk in the ways of thy heart and in the sight of thine eyes but know thou that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment Solomon here farther confirms his needful Caution for duly remembring the many days of darkness that will succeed in the room of all fading first-creation light literal or mystical and all delight or rejoycing therein Know that for all this God will bring thee into judgment This word is directed to two sorts of People such as live wholly in the corrupt spirit of nature gratifying only their bodily life lust eye and other senses with the visible objects and comforts of this world represented by the light of the literal Sun After the largest experience hereof he bids them at their peril go on but be sure God will bring them into judgment for all such things And his judgment on them will bring those days of darkness upon them which will be many even eternal darkness and death But the young man here chiefly meant is Man in the youthful flourish of his own restor'd nature and fruitful exercise of it in a first-Covenant life If he refuse to part with all this under the Cross to live and walk with God under the yet more excellent new-creation Spirit of Christ or mystical Sun of everlasting Righteousness eternal darkness and death will come upon him also in conclusion as well as on the other When such provoke God to give them up to their own self-chosen way so that he 'l no longer deal with them in Mercy or wait to be gracious to them but swear in Wrath they shall never enter into his rest they have nothing certain to expect but fiery indignation for ever Heb. 10. 26 27 which will turn all their light life and comforts into unchangeable darkness and death Vers. 10. Therefore remove Sorrow Heb. anger from thy heart and put away evil from thy flesh for Child-hood and Youth are vanity To prevent the said sad Judgment Solomon advises Man to remove Sorrow or Anger from his heart under and against the death-work of the Cross upon nature Be not offended or griev'd at this dispensation of God which is the only way in the methods of his Wisdom for Salvation Put away such Sorrow or Anger and be quietly yea gladly with Paul Gal. 16. 14. obedient thereto as the only way to everlasting Joy Joh. 16. 21 22. The pangs of Death to the natural Spirit figur'd by the Woman in travel will vanish on the birth of the spiritual Man-child in it and its quickning up into the new life of the said Child the true manly new-Creation life of Christ and God Our natural man under the Cross ought to put away Sorrow and Anger not reckoning its present sufferings fit to be compar'd with the joy of spiritual life set before us the exceeding weight of Glory that is to follow Thus did Christ himself and Paul reckon Heb. 12. 2. Rom. 8. 18. 2 Cor. 4. 17. All struggling Sorrow and Anger under the Cross makes it more uneasie Obediently submit to Christ herein and his Yoke will be found easie and Burthen light Mat. 11. 28 30. Those that learn of him will be meek lowly and quietly submit to his Cross and Father's Will and Command therein as he did 'T is the rebellious 〈◊〉 mind that 's troubled cries out and is angry and offended at this dispensation as unwilling to submit to this spiritual Law of the Cross is ready to say to Christ for this spiritual as Zipporah to Moses for the literal circumcision a bloody Husband art thou unto me Exod. 4. 25 26. t. For Childhood and Youth are vanity All the time of Man's non-age in first-Creation life at best the mind is carnal or 〈◊〉 which is enmity to God Rom. 8. 7. as found in a contrariety to the spiritual Law and mind of Christ. Hence man's whole work desire thought design and counsels therein are nothing but folly and vanity In the but restor'd first-Covenant righteous life of the Law and utmost youthful Vigour Activity Flourish and Fruitfulness thereof is even the true Saint but as a Servant in Child-hood non-age and minority ignorant of any such life he has the incorruptible seed of in him wherein to be Heir of all Gal. 4. 1. All Job Paul or any Saint has had but in that restor'd Spirit of bondage or of the Law has bin found Vanity and they themselves at best therein altogether vanity Psal. 39. 5. Such Childhood and Youth are vanity it self has nothing but vanity in it It s Life Works Fruits Wisdom Righteousness are nothing but vanishing shadows of the Creature-life Wisdom Righteousness and things of God CHAP. XII V. 1. Remember now thy Creatour in the days of thy Youth while the evil days come not nor the years draw nigh when thou shalt say I have no pleasure in them HEre 's a farther reason for Man's remembring his Creatour in the youthful season of his bodily life and as figur'd by that the youthful vigor and flourish of his Spirit in the restor'd righteous first-Covenant life thereof Christ is a twofold Creatour of blessed Angels and Saints by a first and second-Creation-workmanship upon them of all other Men Angels and things a single Creatour by a first-Creation-workmanship only The former Eph. 2. 10. Col. 1. 18. the latter 16. As first-born of every Creature ver 15. fountain of all creature-being and life did he comprehend the immortal Spirits of all Angels and Men as radically existing in him v. 17. which are 〈◊〉 forth by him into a personal subsisting at their appointed seasons He that created all things is God God the Mediator in his conjunctive divine and creature-nature Joh. 1. 1 3. Heb. 1. 2. 3. 4. His creature-spirit is the fountain of all other creature-beings and the immediate hand by which brought forth in their distinct subsistencies and visibilities In all does he fulfil the will of the infinite Divinity who said Let there be this that and t'other and accordingly were all things created visible and invisible answering the existing beings given them in the Womb of the Mediator's vast original creature-being And as Angels and Men have their natural beings so that natural first-covenant light and life from Christ which fits them for the right exercise of their beings As perfect natural beings with a perfect natural life breath'd into and set up in their 〈◊〉 were they the product of Christ's 〈◊〉 creation-workmanship upon them They receiv'd their Beings Light and Life from him Saints over and above all this receive from him a spiritual everlasting righteous life and are made spiritual Vessels or sitted receptions thereof by his second or new-Creation-workmanship The fountain of this being and life is also in himself as head of the Church Col. 1. 18. The incorruptible seed 1 Pet. 1. 23. of this new life was cast into their Spirits from the date of their radical existing in the
shall be turn'd into a painful restless comfortless wearisom condition all former pleasures and delights into labour and sorrow Psal. 90. 10. Man's most concerning duty then is to listen to God's way for the receiving his fresh Oyl or holy Anointing that will give an everlasting newness of Life Vigour Strength and Beauty to his whole person wherein to feed upon never-perishing Meats the delights of the Sons of God If the rain of spiritual convictions and beamings-forth of spiritual Light be disobediently rejected and turn'd from after them will the clouds of God's final Wrath come upon Men from the same hand or spirit of Christ that caused the Rain thereof to fall and the Sun to shine upon them while it was to day with them Mat. 5. 45. Heb. 3. 15. Vers. 5. Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high and fears shall be in the way and the Almond-tree shall flourish and the Grashopper shall be a burthen and desire shall fail because Man goeth to his long home and the Mourners go about the Streets Here 's an account of the deplorable condition of the incorrigibly wicked under the Cross in final wrath They shall be afraid of that which is high that is of Christ the high and Almighty King coming forth in the brightness glory and irresistible power of his Divine and Spiritual creature-life to destroy all Rebels against his Kingly Gospel-Spirit In such his appearance will he be everlasting destruction to foes and Salvation to friends 2 Thess. 1. 7 -10. This high Lord the man Christ Jesus will manifest himself in the infinite 〈◊〉 of his Divinity and summon all Men and Angels before him to receive answerable to the things 〈◊〉 by them in obedience to or rebellion against his gospel-Gospel-spirit and divine Will in the Body or earthly State in their day on earth What a maze and consternation enemies will be then found in see Rev. 6. 15 17. Self-exalting Men with the mystical Rocks and Mountains they 'l have recourse to the supream evil Powers of this World the Devil and his Angels must both and all proud helpers Job 9. 13. And helped stoop bow and inevitably fall under the great Wrath of this universal Monarch Then will they be fill'd with fears in 〈◊〉 self-chosen way as undeniably discover'd in the evil thereof And then the Almond-tree shall flourish and the Grashopper be a 〈◊〉 The state they have chosen in enmity to God shall be their curse and punishment in the most flourishing life thereof represented by the fruitful Almond-tree and that Grashopper which shall be a 〈◊〉 as a sign and remembrancer of the warm Summer or flourishing season they once enjoy'd in the said natural State All this will encrease 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because they 'l find all the goodliness thereof faded away and all their desire towards or delight in it 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 because it can 〈◊〉 no longer any comfort or satisfaction to them All objects of desire and delight to the natural life of body or spirit shall by the wrath and curse of God cease and 〈◊〉 them for ever Rev. 18. 14. And then as their sorrowful complaint shall they go to their long home and the Mourners go about the Streets To their eternal home the Tophet Place or State of everlasting torment under wrath must they go where to go mourning and weeping for ever about 〈◊〉 streets of that accursed Babylonish City made up of innumerable Angels and Men unchangeably set to do and be evil in their earthly life of nature as fix'd in unchangeable enmity to God and his heavenly Spirit of Grace Vers. 6. Or ever the silver Cord be loosed or the golden Bowl be broken or the Pitcher be broken at the Fountain or the Wheel broken at the Cistern In these dark mystical Words the said Truth is farther signified The four obscure literal expressions here may fitly signify the dreadful Judgments of God on every part of Man's immortal being figur'd by the dissolved parts and powers of bodily life when once their Trial and his Patience towards them are come to a period Christ's convincing discoveries of himself by spiritual Light in the 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 Riches Glories and Fulnesses 〈◊〉 his blessed Person were as silver Cords of love by which they should have bin drawn and bound fast to him in 〈◊〉 Spirit or Principle of the new and everlasting Covenant which is called Love 1 Cor. 13. Rom. 13. 8 10. This Love this Gospel 〈◊〉 is the fulfiller of the Law of God in everypoint in every sense of 〈◊〉 literal and mystical in the utmost extent and to all intents and purposes to God's well-pleasing and man's Salvation Out of the golden Bowl of his heavenly creature-spirit Zech. 4. 2. has Christ pour'd forth the holy Oyl of spiritual Light into the mystical Pitcher of Man's natural spirit which abus'd and turn'd from the said Silver Cord is broken spiritual Light withdrawn all sight of Christ and converse with or knowledg of God therein and by cut off So the said Pitcher is broken rendered uncapable of receiving or holding such spiritual Waters or Convictions any more And the Fountain whence they flow'd shall be stopp'd up against them And then the Wheel by which in mercy the said Waters were drawn forth and convey'd to them will be broken at the Cistern and turn'd into a Wheel or dispensation of Wrath to them God having put an end to his dealing with them in a way of Mercy and Trial. By the same hand or Spirit of Christ by which Grace is shew'd and offer'd will God pour forth his Wrath on all wilful obstinate despisers of his Love The same thing seems signified by the Prophets breaking the staff of beauty and the staff of bands as tokens of God's refusing to have any more to do with that rebellious house of Israel that by playing the harlot with their own Beauty Ezek. 16. 15. or doting on their own fading Glory in the restor'd righteous life of the first-Covenant despis'd and rejected Christ as by the light of the second shew'd and offer'd as a spiritual Lord and Husband to them in an everlasting Life and Union signified by Bands Zech. 11. 10 14. On this God refuses to have any more to do with them in either Covenant having set up themselves with the Devil in the first in unchangeable enmity to him and the second Vers. 7. Then shall the dust return to the Earth as it was and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it See Chap. 3. 20. Dust here 〈◊〉 the mortal earthy life of the natural spirit as well as body of man As depriv'd of all the fading goodness thereof must the immortal beings of incorrigibly wicked 〈◊〉 and Men return to God and stand before him to receive his 〈◊〉 sentence and full execution thereof as subjects of his unquenchable wrath From the deep sense hereof Solomon cries out 〈◊〉 as in the beginning of his Book Chap. 1. 2. Vers. 8. Vanity of
vanities saith the Preacher all is vanity All in the first-creation worldly state of Angel and Man is vanity no life beauty 〈◊〉 glory wisdom 〈◊〉 thoughts belly or meats desires or desirables words works c. but what are perishing vanities Man and Angel too in the highest honour and attainments of their natural make and state are altogether vanity Psal. 39. 5 6. 'T is then inexcusable madness and folly in both to pitch by their final choice for true happiness short of the convincingly shew'd and graciously offer'd new-covenant life of Christ and God Doting on their own glory will render them vessels of dishonour and 〈◊〉 contempt Vers. 9. And moreover because the Preacher was wise he still taught the people Knowledg yea he gave good heed and sought out and set in order many Proverbs 1 King 4. 32. Solomon in the infallible Spirit of Truth declar'd the deep hidden things and Spiritual Truths 〈◊〉 God All Divine and Spiritual things are Mysteries Parables and dark-sayings to the highest natural capacity of Angel or Man 'T is only in the infallible light or spiritual wisdom and understanding of Christ communicated to and set up in Man or Angel by his new-creating-workmanship upon them such Kingdom-things or mysteries can ever be discern'd or judg'd 1 Cor. 2. 10 14 15. To spiritual Saints only is it given to know such things Mat. 13. 11. To them any Men in their own understanding it is not given In the 〈◊〉 creature-spirit of Christ men come to see the fellowship of the 〈◊〉 Ephes. 3. 9. or the mysterious fellowship of Divine and 〈◊〉 nature in Christ's wonderful Person Hereby the most dark 〈◊〉 of God's infinite Divinity becomes known and seen to Saints Christ himself is the supream Preacher Discoverer and Declarer of all And by a portion of his infallible creature-spirit are Saints qualified to receive such visions or sights of God as he exhibits to them and to declare them to others Vers. 10. The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words and that which was written was upright even words of Truth Here 's a farther account of 〈◊〉 same thing by Solomon as a type of Christ the supream Apostle 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 and High-Priest of God the highest and chief 〈◊〉 of the divine mind to Angels and Men. He finds out and 〈◊〉 his true spiritual Disciples and followers with meet 〈◊〉 words ways and means for revealing or opening the mysteries of infinite Divinity which remain seal'd up from all first-creation 〈◊〉 The whole Counsel and all mysteries of the infinite divine Spirit are 〈◊〉 in the Tables of Christ's twofold creature nature root and branch in the heavenly and glorified earthly life thereof so as to be seen and read or understood by all spiritual Angels and Men. All the words of this living creature-word spirit or Book of God are acceptable to God and to obedient Angels and Men. This Book in personal union with the Divinity whose Book it is was shew'd John open'd by the Lamb slain as to changeable first-creation life and rais'd into the second On the opening thereof blessed Angels and Saints fall down and worship the Lamb for opening this Book of acceptable words to God and right words of comfort and Salvation to them Rev. 5. 5 14. By a right reading or understanding of these words of the reveal'd or open'd Book are other Saints with Solomon qualified to preach them This Paul experienc'd by Christ's powerful touching and raising him into a right spiritual understanding of such words in a newness of life and strength with Daniel Act. 9. 6. Dan. 10. 18 19. on which he became a Preacher of his unsearchable Divine and Creature-riches Ephes. 3. 8. in right words acceptable to God and Men as shewing the true way of Sulvation in which only men can be acceptable to God and truly blessed Such words as the new-Wine of the spiritual Vine-tree are 〈◊〉 to God and Man Judges 9. 13. Vers. 11. The words of the Wise are as Goads and as Nails fastned by the Masters of Assemblies which are given from one Shepherd Here are summ'd up the Truths spoken in reference to Christ and Saints as Christ is the great Master of such Assemblies and great Shepherd of his sheep setting up and using others under him in this high service Christ and his wise-hearted right-spirited Ministers under him are the only 〈◊〉 of such Words as will make wise unto 〈◊〉 Such words as goads and nails are fastned by such Masters of Assemblies in the hearts of obedient Hearers that have an incorruptible Seed of the same Wisdom in them The words of Man's or Devil's wisdom Princes of this World that come to nought 1 Cor. 2. 6. signify worse then nothing even that that natural State they have set up in unchangeable enmity to God is eternal Life But the words of God's Wisdom are not yea and nay but only yea and amen 2 Cor. 1. 17 20. Words of infallible Truth and everlasting Life fastned by Christ himself immediately and mediately by other Masters of Assemblies under him Vers. 12. And further by these my Son be admonished of making many Books there is no end and much study is a weariness of the Flesh. What are these many Books without end or to no end and much study or reading that 's weariness to the flesh Both signify the unprofitable labour in Man's Wisdom that can never attain the right knowledg of spiritual Mysteries the glorious Truths or things of the Kingdom of God Yea that Wisdom is the very vail on Man's heart that hinders his sight as to any such things In that wisdom can Man never see beyond no nor to the end of what 's to be abolish'd So sets up in the fading 〈◊〉 Goodness or Glory of that first-Covenant State that 's to be done away and utterly abolish'd out of all Angels and Men 2 Cor. 3. 13. Christ when he had taken this fleshly Vail rent it in himself Heb. 10. 20. By the death of our natural spirit at best can it be so rent in us as to make way for our spiritual sight of 〈◊〉 eternal things things of God Where-ever Moses or the Law yea and whole Scripture is read by such as have this Vail on their Hearts a single uncrucified natural first-Covenant 〈◊〉 they see nothing but letter old Testament or first-Covenant sense of all Scripture nothing of the Spirit new Testament or second Covenant and spiritual meaning in all 2 Cor. 3. 13 15. The enlighten'd fleshly first-Covenant Jews or Lawyers saw nothing of Gospel-mysteries couch'd under Moses's typical Law-writings by which even he they trusted in condemned them as Rejecters of all spiritual Truths or Mysteries by him therein declar'd 〈◊〉 5. 45 47. They saw the literal but did not believe the spiritual sense of and things in Moses's Writings the proper objects of spiritual Faith discerning or understanding They refus'd the way of having such an understanding brought a-float in them the death and loss of
and with the everlasting righteous Gospel-life of his spirit of Grace Joh. 10. 17 18. Joh. 14. 15 21 23. From the true Sonly fear of God and love to his Mercy or unspeakable Gospel-gift of eternal Life must we hate and do judgment or receive and also execute God's righteous Sentence of Death 2 Cor. 1. 9. on our most restor'd Law-state of Nature By such humbling our selves to the death of our Nature at best can we come to walk as Enoch with God in his Spirit of Grace that 's in unchangeable harmony of mind and will with his infinite divine Spirit Mic. 6. 8. How can two Men walk together and how much less God and man except they be agreed This is the concluding sum of all God requir's of us That we obediently keep and do all his Commands in his never-sinning or erring Spirit of everlasting Righteousness and infallible Truth The best works or fruits done or brought forth in our Law-life of enmity to God can never answer his requirings of us Can we love him with all our heart soul mind and strength in a spirit of direct enmity to him Luk. 10. 27. Direct contradiction The Gospel-spirit of Grace call'd Love is the fulfiller of the whole Law mind and will of God Rom. 13. 8 -10. Vers. 14. For God shall bring every work into Judgment with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it in be evil Rom. 2. 16. 2 Cor. 5. 10. The Man Christ will be found able to do all this Heb. 4. 〈◊〉 13. The sad consequents of rejecting the advice given v. 13. will be eternal misery torment and vexation of spirit on the irrecoverable loss of all the fading goodness or comforts of the natural state and an eternal exclusion from the once fairly shew'd and offer'd never-fading goodness and glory of a spiritual eternal life of everlasting righteousness This will be concluded by God's infallible Spirit of Truth whose Authority when Christ appears Judg himself on his Throne shall no longer be questioned or disputed as all along this World in Satan's reign and man's day it has but every tongue shall confess it as of right belonging to the Man Christ Joh. 5. 22 27. Phil. 2. 11. The undeniable truth of his 〈◊〉 Judgment will have a universal acknowledgement from all good and evil Angels and Men. By the irresistible beamings-forth of the light of that Spirit wherein he will judge and pronounce the Sentence of God's infinitely just and righteous mind and will shall the Books of all hearts and consciences be forc'd open or unlock'd so as to make enemies themselves witnesses for him against themselves on their amazing forc'd remembrance of and his setting all their innumerable sins and abominations naked and open in the view of themselves and all others And then will Christ also open his own infallible Book of Records in which he has registred and set down in indeleble characters from first to last according to the divine sight and judgment of God all done by or found in every Angel and Man good or bad Rev. 20. 12 13. The Books of all Men's and Angel's Consciences will be opened and then Christ's own Book the Book of Life out of which all Men shall be judged according to their works Out of and by all these Books will God's Judgement pronounc'd on Men be found clearly and undeniably righteous For the Records in the hearts and consciences of men will be found in exact harmony with what 's written in God's own Book which will lay the evil creaturé under undeniable guilt and just condemnation to the silencing and stopping every blasphemous mouth of iniquity And then also shall the secret hidden spiritual Life of Saints with the well-pleasing right works and fruits thereof unobserv'd and un-own'd yea blasphem'd by enemies be open'd and manifested to all for their eternal justification All secret evils that have lain hid in enemies under all fair shews in holy 〈◊〉 and all 〈◊〉 secret good works of spiritual Saints that have lain hid under the marr'd visage of their crucified natural man shall be brought into publick and general view So will the incorrigibly wicked be sent as justly condemned persons into everlasting punishment and the unchangeably Righteous into Life eternal Mat. 25. 31 -- 46. FINIS ERRATA PAge 102. line 21. for the in read in the. P. 176. l. 1. 〈◊〉 dul r. duly P. 323. l. 16. f. cammon r. common P. 380. l. last f. creation r Cretian Some 〈◊〉 mistakes and in stopping are left to the ingenuous Reader
departed out of their own Countrey and Father's House the mystical Land of their Nativity their natural state and life and are entred into God's new-creation spiritual mystical true Land of promise or state of life the Land of the truly living for evermore So know they how to walk before the living God the living word of God and all the truly living partakers thereof blessed Angels and spiritual Saints in that blessed new land and life They know how to walk with God in some degree towards what Enoch did and to demean themselves as orderly Gospel-spirited walkers before all the blessed inhabitants of that new Land of the living These poor ones little Children Mat. 18. 3. Brethren of Low degree in their own Spirit 〈◊〉 nature demolish'd defac'd and impoverish'd by the cross are the only right sort of true rejoycers because sure of an exaltation into that Gospel-life of Christ wherein they will certainly know to walk before all the said living God Christ blessed Angels and Saints Jam. 1. 9. The fix'd fool or wise in the natural state corrupt or enlighten'd are utterly uncapable of Repentance Pardon or Salvation for ever The door of Grace is fast shut upon them If then Christ had not a secret spiritual Seed of unfix'd ones amongstus whether in the corrupt or enlighten'd spirit of nature where were any true Church of spiritual Saints or so much as a hopefulness of such a thing this dark day on Earth Had not the Lord a very small remnant-Seed of true Saints among us we should be as Sodom and Gomorrha literal or mystical Both both in a wonderful degree however unconsider'd or unperceiv'd by such whose minds the God of this World has wonderfully blinded left the true Gospel-light of Christ should shine unto them 2 Cor. 4. 4. Vers. 9. Better is the sight of the Eyes than the wandring of the desire Heb walking of the Soul this is also vanity and vexation of Spirit The wandring desire or walking Soul is a fit character of Man's natural spirit exercis'd in a first-Covenant principle of life and action subject to all sorts of uncertainty Man therein lives and walks at all-adventures as the margin renders Lev. 26. 21. 'T is a starting turning Psal. 78. 57. versatile principle in which Man at first was liable to Apostasy and since his Apostasy any Men in that restor'd principle and life are exposed to the same as has bin sufficiently experienc'd by millions 'T is a tossing fluctuating principle unstable as water with Reuben Gen. 49. 4. Man therein is apt to be carried about with divers and strange Doctrin's tossed to and fro with every wind of false deceitful delusive and destructive Doctrine by the sleight and cunning craft of Men Ephes. 4. 14. and Devils Satan and his Gospel-ministries These false Doctrines or the matter of them the Wisdom Righteousness Glory things of Man or Angel in the first Creation asserted to make up an absolute Safety and Salvation to Man do utterly pervert and destroy him for ever They tend wholly to the establishing of Men with Satan's perishing Meats in unchangeable enmity to God This is a most evil wicked thing and state But it is a good thing that the heart be established with Grace or in that Gospel-spirit of Grace that 's in unchangeable union with God not with Satan's perishing but Christ's never-perishing meats Heb. 13. 9. Man's tossing roving rolling spirit wandring in its desire up and down to pick up a satisfaction in Satan's vast heap of first-creation vanities the perishing dust himself feeds on Gen. 3. 14. if permitted by God to make his own final choice brings him at length to be establish'd by such gratifying ensnaring captivating 〈◊〉 or things in unchangeable union with the Devil He feeds on Wind Hos. 12. 1. Ashes Isa. 44. 20. a deceived heart turn's him aside that he can't deliver his soul nor say is there not a lie in my right hand 〈◊〉 divers uncertain Doctrins or things the Spirit of God calls strang meats wind ashes lies Satan by 〈◊〉 has all first-creation vanities at his dispose all the Kingdoms of this World and glory of them as 〈◊〉 up to him to give to whomsoever he will Luk. 4. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on which he offer 's all to Christ himself or any thing thereof to others are that he or they take and own him for God and worship him as so v. 7. and 2 Thess. 2. 4. He can gloss over his vanities so as to answer 〈◊〉 palate gratify every extravagant desire of Man's wandring spirit being compleatly skill'd and knowing therein by the over-reaching subtilty of his superiour angelical nature and by his powerful insluence upon Man can he kindle blow up and inflame his desire or lust after his perishing desirables Yet farther if Man by spiritual conviction-light grow jealous and suspicious that his meats are dangerous and shy as to an eating of his dainties he will gild them over with the nearest possible resemblance and counterfeit appearance of Christ's never-perishing meats And so does he fetch many back from Christ that have tasted of his true heavenly meats begun well in his spirit or in obedience to his Gospel-light and ran well for a season Heb. 6. 4 -- 6. 1 Pet. 2. 3. Gal. 3. 1. -- 4. and 5. 7 8. The Devil is ready for Man at every turn can humour him to a hair while at his own choice as to what he will feed and live upon And in presenting his dusty diet in all variety thereof he uses all imaginable self-pleasing and most subtile arguments as to Eve to engage men to feed at his table till establish'd in his spirit of enmity to God and to his never-perishing Meats Hold your own say's he and ye shall be as God's Gen. 3. 5. God offers you a happiness in your eternal and unchangeable subjection to him 〈◊〉 teach you how to become Gods your selves in an absolute uncontroll'd soveraignty of your own wills like the most High as I have made my self Isa. 14. 14. What kind of Gods will he make them Gods or Princes of this World under him in unchangeable enmity to the true God most high He is the God of all such Gods King of all such Kings and Children of pride Job 41. 34. In stead of not dying at all as he flatters them they sink and dy with him once for all irrecoverably eternally While people are gadding abroad to change their way Jer. 2. 36. wandring like Bee's from one fading flower to another in Satan's first-creation field or worldly dominion they look not after God their backs are upon him they bow down to feed with the Serpent on dust their ears are deafned their eyes or minds blinded by him that they will not listen to God's Counsel look after his meats have no palate to savour or relish his things the things of God They are wholly of Satan's palate savour only natural first-creation vanities the things of Man or evil Angels Solomon
with Paul discovering Satan's devices and wiles herein directs Man here to get out of his vain wandering walk in the delusive destructive desires of his own spirit after any first-creation vanities And then does he direct and point him to Christ for his never perishing-life and meats with an eye of spiritual Faith fix'd thereon and affections accordingly unalterably set on things above all perishing vanities the dust of this World Col. 3. 1 2. the peculiar delights of the Sons of God When Men are once brought into the exercise of spiritual senses for this new diet in Christ's new-creature spirit of life as living and walking circumspectly and wisely therein they 'l have no savour or regard for Satan's meats let him gild them by his subtile artifices while he will or can to make them pass for spiritual Christ with his Spiritual meats once rightly seen and fed upon takes Men off from their wandring desire after Satan's meats and discovers the great danger of feeding on them Solomon in a right compassion to his fellow mortals would put a stop to the restless extravagant wandrings of their minds and hearts after Satan's many things a multitude of delusive vanities that can never give any true rest or satisfaction to them and six their eye or heart on Christ's one thing necessary that comprehends all things truly or unchangeably good Maries happy and better choice Ver. 10. That which hath bin is named already and it is known that it is Man neither may he contend with him that is mightier than he Man's first-Creation state is a State of Vanity And so are all the things he does deal's in seeks or feeds upon for his satisfaction That which hath bin is named already Man The convincing view of himself has bin given him by God and experienc'd by himself that he has nothing of goodness about him in his first-creation-make or natural state but 〈◊〉 His vain desire feeds only upon vain desirables dust the old Serpent's diet Till something of new-creation Life and Wisdom be found in him and experienc'd by him all 's Vanity within and round about him that he is able to take notice of or delight in His life and all his labour in his own Wisdom and Spirit is Vanity All 's but the number of a Man or Angel both are but the higher rank of Beasts in all their first-Creation excellencies or natural perfections Rev. 13. 18. Gen. 3. 1. All their life and things Wisdom Righteousness Glory Thoughts Desires Words and Actions are but perishing earthly sensual or natural things and if fix'd in devilish Jam. 3. 15. All such things at best while not fix'd in are admitted no comparison with the Glory Life Wisdom Righteousness and things of God communicated to and set up in spiritual Saints by a new and second Creation with all the Fruits Desires Thoughts Words and Actions perform'd or brought forth in his Gospel-spirit the new-Covenant principle of Life and Action The Glory of Man or Angel in the first-Covenant State that 's to be done away is no Glory to the Glory that excels and remains for ever 1 Cor. 3. 10. So the Righteousness or Wisdom of Man in the first is no Righteousness or Wisdom to that of God in the second Covenant-Saint But the things of Man or Angel turn'd into and used in unchangeable enmity to God become abundantly worse than nothing the greatest Wickednesses Madnesses and Follies their Righteousness Wisdom Light c. the greatest Wickedness Folly and Darkness The highest subtil'st and powerful'st Beast in the first Creation is the Devil and his whole evil angelical party Man the next Beast in degree below these is deeply concern'd to know the number of his own evil humane and this evil angelical Beast's name to take the right and full measure of them in their utmost Strength Poli cies Artifices Wiles Devices Subtilties and Methods of delusion in their whole Mystery of iniquity else what will become of him For these evil angelical Principalities and Powers he has to grapple with Eph. 6. 10 13. and if conquer'd as he is sure to be if he have nothing about him but his own Life Wisdom Strength and Armour of man he is undone for ever Unless therefore there be some way for man to become wiser stronger and more subtile than the Devil and all his Angels how can any escape their hands or be saved Will any say 't is a most presumptuous spiritual Pride in any man to pretend to this The proud self-exalting presumption lies wholly at their Door who refuse to have their own Nature humbled in order to this right exaltation Jam. 1. 9. 4. 10. They are the proud resisters of that Grace God bestow's on the humble Submitters to And this Grace enables them so to resist the Devil and his whole party of incorrigible wicked Angels and men the Powers of darkness and gates of Hell it self all their joynt consultings and forces as to make them all in and with their Captain-General the Devil flee before them and fall under them This whole Army of rebellious Luciferian self-exalters God will resist or fight against ver 6 7. Where will they be then but under Saints feet by being forc'd to pass with all their incorrigible stiff Necks or obstinately stubborn Spirits under their two-edged Sword Psal. 149. 6 9. In the evil angelical nature is comprehended the full sum and most absolute perfect Beauty Strength Power Wisdom and Glory that 's to be found in the first-Creation World But the least in God's Spirit of Grace the Kingdom-spirit of God will master and tread all this under foot Yet therein do wicked Angels set their heart as the heart of God as typ'd in the proud rich King of Tyre Ezek. 27. 3. 28. 12. Thou sealest up the Sum full of Wisdom and perfect in Beauty But with all this art to be utterly destroy'd for ever as follows v. 13 19. They say they are God and sit in the Seat or Temple of God in a counterfeit appearance of the New-creation Spirit of Christ the creature-Temple of the infinite Divine King in personal Union with the inhabitant and positively require all men to worship them as God or Gods many Gods with their many Lords self-exalted men under them 2 Thes. 2. 4. The very God the very Christ the very Apostles and Saints of Christ will discover and rout all these mysterious workers of Iniquity and destroy them for ever Saints will prove more then conquerors o're them all at last Down go all final incorrigible workers of mystical or literal Iniquity at long-run and never rise more literal and mystical Sodom Egypt and Babylon as figur'd Jer. 51. 64. What Wisdom short of God's in his-communicated Spirit of Grace the holy Ghost is able to discover these false Gods false Christs and their false Gospel-Ministers and Apostles in such beautiful disguise and taking false dress as they are permitted to come forth in to deceive Spiritual Wisdom