am a Magistrate too and a ruler over men and over Angels and properties of nature Be thou as I am and we shall gloriously sit on one bench Keep up thy pomp gallantly oppresse these silly moneyless wretches and widows Thunder out by thy Warrants and apprehend all those Fanatiques that walk by the spirit as they say but are unmannerly unworthy ideots Then shalt thou be my fellow-Magistrate doe as I doe I shall be at thy elbow I shall instruct thee in all gallantry and Magistratical devices excesses and bravery of spirit in oppression drunkennesse sloth and neglect of what is good But let Satan be told though he knoweth it already and that with gnashing of teeth that the Lord Jesus is fashioning to himself Magistrates that fear God and hate covetousness partiality and pomp 13. There is no trade occupation calling imployment or manufacture whereinto Satan hath not not crept and is become Master of the trade and Lord of the tradesmen also for the generality of them And while the trade their spirits is sinning and their practice deceit and falshood he takes them for his fellow-tradesmen and they that make a trade of any creature in this life to let their lusts live thereby have for their companion the enemy that trades in the heavenly firmamental astral and earthy nature O ye tradesmen let your conversations be in the Heavens let Christ be your treasure and your hearts thereon 14. But besides all this it behoves the children of men and the sons God also to remember and know that Satans fort is never stormed and taken by the chafed quickned or superlatived spirits of nature neither are this serpents scales pierced or he offended or awakened by all or any of the penetrations of mans wit reason learning writing preaching threatning praying or procking of him in all the strength of nature He laughs at those bullets and scorns the arrows of such bowes of men But the true bow of steel striketh him through That bow is the word or spirit of God in man and in mans doings prayers preachings and writings Thus the Prophets Apostles and Servants of the Lord both small and great have wounded the dragon and he that bendeth this bow denieth himself blusheth at the weaknesse of his endeavours and yet trusteth in God that whatsoever he doth it shall prosper 15. The comfort and conquest lieth in this that a great chain in the great Angels hand is now preparing with all her links to bind this old Drgaon in the dungeon of the bottomlesse pit O ye Sons of Sion and Inhabitants of Heaven and earth sing Hallelujah and praise God and the Lamb for the burning of Beelzebub and Babylon his Whore is to your joy And it may work upon Satan somewhat to hear such songs And as he is hopelesse for himself so he may despair of your souls condemnation But whatever he thinks he must shortly be bound and when he is loosened it is for his woe Therefore pray earnestly in faith and hasten that blessed time that long-looked for day of God wherein righteousnesse shall bud forth and mercy take her throne wherein the everlasting Gospel that discovereth eternity shal be heard by the Trump of God and the dead spirit released Hasten that day wherein all Saints shal be united when all truths shall be believed that day wherein all shall be judged within and without by one spirit of holinesse power of love for that day of the Spirit of the Lords mouth discovereth all darknesses and hasteneth to chase all clouds and tempests off from all Saints speedily Amen Amen 16. In the mean while until Satan this Achitophel hath erected his owne gallowes high enough let the poore soule be skilfull in resisting him in faith He comes to thee through thy owne thoughts and saith Thou wretch art guilty as well as I read over the booke of all thy guilts turn over the leaves of thy wofull conscience Dost thou not remember how beastial devillish vain wicked and unworthy thy conversation hath been yea thou art more guilty then I because the Messiah hath taken the nature of man not of Angels upon him Come then away with me and thou shalt lie under me for my ease in the bottomless pit Now when the accuser thus chargeth thee what wilt thou poor soul do Tell him I do read over my guilts and unworthinesse I am naturally the foulest of all wretches in the world I do confesse it notwithstanding the blood of Jesus washeth me from all sin But now I will no more live in sin because it is pardoned I throw it away from me and that thou canst not do Therefore it shall be thine and Christs Righteousnesse and Holinesse too shall be mine I excommunicate for ever from me that vile nature which I had that was the mother as thou wert the father of my corruptions Take thou that Bride and then what is left in me but the life and love of my Lord Jesus what canst thou say to this I am clothed with change of raiment I will have nothing to do with sin any more It is not mine I will have fellowship with Jesus for he is my portion and potentate 17. Now when thou hast thus answered the devil watch over thy will Never give thy consent to any sin keep thy will pure and earnest to God slack it not expect and draw within thee the mighty Power of God to carry thee every minute beyond and above thy own lusts Thy spirit is like a bowle The byas is thy naturall corrupt disposition If thy course in good things be slacked then thy own byas will turn thee round as it fareth with a bowle in bowling but while thou givest all diligence to finish thy course with mighty energy in all good thy corruptions are contemned crucified over-born to the land of oblivion for to be spiritually minded is life and peace but to be carnally minded is death Therefore whilst soule and body are together there remaines not one spare minute of time to be carelesse loos-hearted or diffident in Christ 18. This also is added to encourage thee the world is full of books on this subject but not of soules that wrestle against the devill howbeit whereever Christs souldiers are they have heavenly provision made for them food armour and pay And if by reading of this whoever and wherever thou art thou be in the least measure refreshed of God in the great campe of Israel Praise the great Generall the living sweet Eternall and Almighty Word of God and I shall rejoyce with thee farewell N. D. A Chapter to this People and to the World written in 1655. printed in 1656. 1. O Ye children of Adam in all the corners and habitations of the Earth upon whom the end of this World and the Day of God is dawning and hastening to discover and judge all Natures and Nations Hearken and awake and look about you yea look into your self that you may behold God
in your self and your self in God and in his Son and Word who is his Love and his all how long must the children of men run on as beasts they know not where nor yet whence nor yet in what they move and breath and subsist Lord God Almighty put a stop to their minds by the flaming sword of Truth in the hand of thy Covenant-Angel whom the Asse seeth and the Oxe knoweth O that the thousands of Israel and millions of the Gentils might now all at length under thy fifth sixth and seventh Seal Trumpet and Vial know and understand thy own Personal Being and appearance in the glasse-windows of their own spirits for thou art not far from any of them But many are far from thee so as that they neither see thee nor hear thee nor feel thee nor smell thee nor taste thee the Only God who fillest all And I poor worm am naturally as senselesse as any man living and as dark as black as unworthy as any child of Adam according to this outward Man But the new Adam within which is thy new creature and thy child waiteth on thee daily and silently to heare what thou Lord sayst and commandest to be spoken or written 2. My heart is boiling in sorrow and fear yea in indignation and love when I am made to see my brethren and sisters according to nature sunk into the deep pit of corruption And there is scarce above water as much as the crown of the head the haire yea their breath is stopped The spirit of crying to God is gone and but a form of prayer left for a carcasse of Religion and a wave of some filthy worldly lust or another comes one in the neck of another over the head of the conscience and over the crown of the learning of the souls of the people My spirit within me is baked and parched in the furnace of my secret sorrows and fears crying out Woe is me I cannot help any I my self want help of God as much as any I am scarce above water yet I am swimming towards the shore by believing in Jesus to the obedience of the eternal will But O how gastly is it to see all about so many hairy scalps floating on the top of the great deep as so many sure symptomes of dead souls dead hearts toward God and yet immortal spirits All such are the men women or children drowned in selfe and flesh O ye friends that are perfect in Christ Jesus pity pity and help both them and me I am almost arrived and landed and sometimes allowed to stand on a bank in Sion 3. Now when in spirit I am helped to stand on Mount Sion above out of the waters and deluge of Babylon I see the dead world generally and the people of divers opinions particularly burying themselves in blood and warring one with another and persecuting their brethren and yet making truce and peace with sin it self in their own closets Every one in the common rode of nature crying out Here is Truth follow me and my judgement for it is solid it is according to the rule the word of God the Scriptures the Orthodox best Interpretation My Ware is the best Ware Buy it of me or else it is just with God to leave you to errours and then it is also fit that men should make war upon you O my fellow-friend say not so not so the treasures of Truth are wonderfull God is good There is but love in him though there be wrath eternal by him Do not kindle up a fiery flame by working up a whirlwind in thy own spirit towards any Look about How many millions of lives perished in a blinde War How few follow Peace and pursue it in God Where be Gods children like Him that requite good for evill love for hatred peace for war How easily mast thou slip into this malicious or passionate pit But when thou art once in and hel-fire is kindled into flames canst thou tell when thou shalt come out of this wickednesse cruelty and evill surmisings of heart Also O ye stern austere people that are so zealously hot and rigidly censorious be warned lest ye be swallowed up in this gulfe this dark womb principle of wrath John the Baptist the morning star must give way to the pleasant Sun Terror trembling shaking is indeed the end of flesh but not of Godlinesse But while ye are afraid of the invisible one ye know not fully of what spirit ye are Howbeit others in the interim live in boastings mockings and scoldings and scufflings about outward things They project and undermine and deceive and war to to gain a name to get Scepters and Nations gold and silver pleasures and preferments and care not who they kill that stand in their way 4. Man setteth up his own mind and judgement And when he saith the Scripture is the word of God he himselfe takes upon him to judge the sense of that word and so he will needs judge his own Judge And if any other mans conscience strikes not saile to his opinion he passionately gives him a broad side and desireth to have him sunk as an heretick or formalist and so send him quick to hell And all that while the children of Adam thus violently act and dispute they are as divers sorts of birds fighting on the top of the same tree and not understand nor revere that one root of this tree which bears them all up O ye opinionists goe up to this Ramoth Gilead and prosper The false Prophets in your hearts have deceived you But they that feed onely on the true bread and water and are meek in heart have told you the truth but ye will not hear them till the arrow from God strike through your harnesse and the end will be this The dogs shall lick up your blood that was shed amongst you by one another Yet we say God is one Truth is one Love is the chief grace there should be but one Church The holy Scriptures are venerable and to be admired But who shall interpret the Scriptures and say This is the meaning You will say the Church or rather the holy spirit in the true holy Church But your neighbours ask you what Church doe you mean Is it the Baptised or Independent or Prosbyterial or Shaken or Episcopal or Lutheran or Popish or Eastern or Western Church The answer from God in ye is There is none of these righteous there is none of these perfect no not one The Baptised are narrow thoughted The Independent is corrupted the Presbyter and Episcopal are dead and swollen up the shaken too much mistaken in their censures and justifications the Lutheran too sparing in the Doctrine of the New Birth the Papal people Jewish looking out too much through the spectacles of corrupt Reason to dote on vain glosses in Divine worship the Eastern and Western both named Christian not yielding to one another the time of the day devoured the one the
peace silence and consideration ye were all for war noise turbulency and humoursome contrivances ye called light darknesse and darknesse light Now therefore friends be ye all muzled by your own consciences before ye be cast into outer darknesse for ye have not on the wedding garment of special fellowship with the true Bridegroom in love unto him and to his pure Spouse to an abhorring of selfe And thus when they are first thrust out of the Bridegrooms inner chamber where the light and warmth is they shall be bound hand and foot and sit without at the threshold in the outward form of the house where will be weeping for things past past beyond remedy and gnashing of teeth for very anger and coldnesse in Religion Wherefore O ye Preachers or Priests that know not the anointing the Christ be warned be convinced that ye are very unlike the Bishops mention'd in Timothy take not upon you the trade of hypocrisie nor the burden of the soules of others The guilt of your owne secret pranks and publick sins is burden enough and more then ye can bear See to the saving of your own poor souls first before the face of the burning and living spirit of God and leave off a while studying of Brain-sermons for others when as your selves are to be cast away 12. Few clear visions are there in the Countries and Nations but Teachings and Preachments seem mixed and disturbed for the present so that few can say if any aright Lo here or lo there in publique or in private in this opinion or in that in this Parish or in that Church And the learned as they esteem themselves as also the unlearned cannot to this hour attain to the unclasping and reading of the Book of the invisible God What shall poor soules doe before their candles be quite out they being in great streights divisions and difficulties O ye precious immortal soules do not sleep any longer let not your minds grow dull and heavy as ye look upon eternity Whatsoever darkeneth you is of the Devil and self examine your hearts often Dwell not abroad Be not as the harlot whose feet cannot be kept within her owne doores being she is a stranger at home and overmuch acquainted abroad in the streets of deceit a wandring mind every one hath in heart by nature Make haste to gather quickly together all the thoughts that are to goe with you out of this life for when a body falls as a leafe to the grave the thoughts of the heart are the intimate fruits thereof Notice take of your light and of your practice Compare both together how much knowledge thou hast or what light hast thou within thee How far followest thou thy conscience Wherein murderest thou the true light of the righteous One within thee How often dost thou any thing doubtingly thy inward principles grumbling at thy allowance of evill thoughts and also at thy sloathful performance of good How oft dost thou condemn and sharply judge in others that which thou dost secretly and silkenly allow in private practice thy selfe What canst thou say thou hast done wherof thou needest not to repent before the Throne of Christ and the face of the seven Spirits of the immortal impartial God How oft hast thou with thy owne thoughts made thy selfe drunk not knowing the sobriety of God and so hast been passionate and in thy vain mind been censuring things and persons opinions and Churches when at that instant the assembly of thy own wicked thoughts and the Church within thy own breast and multitudes of imaginations were all out of order How oft also hast thou limitted the eternal and holy one of Israel to thy own thoughts and attainments of a light How frequently hast thou done spoken or thought that which thou knowest was not for good to thy spirit nor others but probably for hurt and slaughter to thy poore soul How much time dost thou spend in vaine which thou mightest bestow on other things How many affections dost thou scatter upon the creatures which to gather up again will be a great taske at the houre of death There is no heaven or happinesse but God no way to God but Christ no fellowship with Christ but what is spiritual no enjoying his spirit but within in the heart within no comfort within thee but of what within thee is within God also Therefore thou poor wandring wailing soule keep within but believe not thy imaginations within Try the spirits first try thy own thoughts what is of love lowlinesse peace and purity is of God Mock not thy soul and be not deceived by others 13. There must appear now in this last Nunc of dayes unheard-of motions with words works wonders beyond all former Presidents The Antiquaries and all that look back only to former Ages wil say of these This is new to us away with it not understanding that it is the old renewed with advantage Let such remember in their day that as the great natural Corporation of this whole world growes old that it may be changed as a garment by the Creator that wore it as his vesture of time so also towards the end of dayes the second Creation which alwayes is within this world shall appeare from within and be furbished and made brighter Then shall the Son of Man who is the Son of God by the eternal nature bring to death of a Consumption the first Adam that now is who indeed was by a secondary nature or kind of propagation the Son of God Consider and understand There are two Natures the eternal and after that the temporal which temporary nature is again swallowed up by the Eternal In the Eternal Christ was and is begotten as the first-born of every thing In the temporal was Adam made a center and compendium of all Heaven and Earth In the first is Election and Rejection laid in the depths of God In the second both doe appeare to the creatures sight and therein he is active Now when Eternity is brought forth in the fountain-heart of any child of Adam then is time as to that birth swallowed up But divers boast hereof in vain who mind earthly or firmamentall things yea they are worse then mortal beasts because they live below their created nature though they were made to rule over it O ye off-spring of Adam open your eyes and see where you are Ye marry Time and trifle with Everlastingnesse ye study to be somwhat for a time and cannot stoop to be nothing that ye may comfortably lodge in Eternity But turne about and see how all under the Sun is vanity and vexation and how life is seated only in the Sun of Righteousnesse In his light we may find all old things passe away and all things become new And if ye are or will indeed be in him as Angels standing in the Sun you will find the substance of your selves renewed in glory in this life And then ye will clearly discerne what Adam was how
discontent in families and hard thoughts of God and men and being well acquainted with the constitutions of all bodies and influences of the stars he quickeneth the sanguine complexion to lust frothiness He kindleth his owne fire in the cholerick over the melancholick he spreadeth his owne black curtain of despairing of good The flegmatick also he imprisoneth in earthinesse sloth and fatnesse of heart 17. If the Government of a nation be changed It is his policy to make his slaves free to accept of places of trust as magistrates under that present Government for he well knowes that such will let his kingdome of sin alone and not terrifie evill doers In the mean time he createth scruples of the Governments in the consciences of honest men who durst they take power would overthrow his dominion and all licencious practices in their respective quarters And thus he layeth useful men upon their backs so that by reason of their needlesse scrupulosities to do good as publique men under such a government they spend their short life in an incapacity of serving God and their generation and suffer Satan to swagger in all deboistnesse before their faces and they dare not touch him O Ye tender consciences be not guiled by the devil in this matter Take all occasions under all to do good before the river of your time emptieth it self into the sea of eternity 18. It is sufficiently known that breaking bread and baptism were instituted by Jesus Christ to expresse the love of his heart and union of his saints But now Satan hath learnt how to traverse these canons and Ordinances of Jesus So as that water baptisme is the great text of uselesse disputes and endlesse janglings and awakenings of carnal wits and galling one another and rubbing on the weaknesse of their arguments whereas love covers a multitude of sins and a heap of mistakes Yet these exercises called Sacraments by some are made occasions of wranglings and heart-burnings and at this also Satan laugheth and pipeth on the divisions 19. Who seeth not by this time that all Ordinances and governments of Churches and of nations too have been and still are made Imageries of jealousies And like that Altar on that side Jordan that great Altar to looke to saith the Scriptures which occasioned honest Phineas and others to seem to inveigh against their brethren and threaten war too until they heard them speake for themselves now the enemie with his bellowes of flesh and blood stands near at hand to blow up all such animosities in the wrath of God wherein he lives His intent is to fret the sweet meeke Spirit of God to burne up poore soules in this kindling and to warme himself with more of the coales of eternall wrath Yea if he were not mad with fury and pride he would for his owne ease be quiet and not be ever laying of snares for those birds he knowes he can never catch 20. His malice will not let him alone The violence of his nature makes him ripe for the judgement of the great day He hath now been at his studie almost six thousand years and never slept a wink all that time yea he studied and travelled too over all the earth seas and natures of things He is a great schollar proud one and the father of all such conceited Linguists or Gnosticks To his shame and theirs be it spoken that their learning swels them as empty bladders to increase their account before the meeke and lowly lamb 21. Satan is so called from Sitnah Hatred The flames of enmity are his bone-fires envy wrath jealousie and malice are his trappings Thence it is he also loveth to feed on his own dung and to feed others with amaritude and bitternesse Now the devils filth is malice which all that live therein find more sutable to them then the Manna of God or the Divine Nature of Christ 22. Inexcusable therefore is that soule that chooseth Satans concocted wickednesse called kakia rather then the flect and blood of the Son of God unto such a poor soule it is more naturall to live in contention sournesse and hatred then in love sweetnesse and peace These are no other then the firebrands of hell whom Satan bloweth to keep himselfe warme for the love of God is such a cold thing to him he is ready to freez among them that walk in the love of the Lord Jesus 23. Thence it is that Satan fils the courts of justice with litigious cunning venemous querimonies and maketh one neighbour so apt to finger and to scratch blood out of the scabs and deformities of another that so provoking him to anger he may have somewhat above board wherewith to charge and reproach him 24. This subtile and yet foolish vagabond whereof I speake is discovered with his nature by the names and titles given him Hee is called Beelzebub God of flies because his angels are numerous and various and flying thick in the Aire of nature or Baalzebub because he loveth the dung and filth of nature Apolluon the destroyer the serpent the dragon the lier the sower of cares the adversary of man-kind and the enemy of all righteousnesse holinesse and humility 25. And because there be legions of these spirits ordered to quarter in all ages over several Countries they therefore have observed thy Ancestors in what sins they most naturally wallowed the same they will lay close to thee and before thee as a net in thy nature to bring thee to death 26. But if thou wilt needs live in love Behold saith he here is the pleasant love of the flesh or common love of mankind for thee to dwell in If thou saith he wilt needs live in joy get thee wine and strong drink make thy self merry for that solace is better then silver spend them prodigally away upon thy lusts I see saith Satan thou wilt live in peace being so well natured as thou art A quiet harmlesse man or woman well then be it so Thy conscience shall not trouble thee nor reproofs awaken thee but thou shalt be an easie-hearted sot or a voluptuous hog of whom much shall be made in the Swine-house untill it be fully fattened for the house of slaughter 27. Thus the cheater cozeneth Millions of soules by affording them counters for gold and the love joy and peace of this world for that which is of God And the cunning wit of hell for the wisedome which is from above And the lying wonders and angelicall glorious flashes of deceit for the true light of Paradise And in these things he coucheth hideth himselfe in the very heart and bosome of the sinner and hypocrite but he is not awaked because he is not fully aware of the guest that dwelleth within him 28. Now when we speak of this enemy thou must by no means imagine him to be some outwardly visible bugbear or brickbrack afar off from thee But rather a malignant powerfull subtile and agile influence that mingleth
men Woe is the world The world in Turky The world in Christendome for there is but one world under Satan in all in all hearts opinions Churches agitations The same body of sinne and mystery of iniquity works in them called Christians for with God there is not a jot not a whit of difference nor respect of persons He delights not in a Christian more then a Turke if that Chrian be not more like Christ Jesus his love then the Turke is for if the Turke be as honest as just as diligent in the use of his talent as the nominall Christian is he is as acceptable as he with that God that rewardeth every one according to his deeds And the Almighty hateth the sins of all equally and is a lover of all soules as they are spirits branched forth out of him All soules are mine saith the Lord yet by the fall all soules are not his as he is love but many are children of his wrath and thereun to appointed 7. But as the Sodomites sought Lots door so the Christians sought for the sepulchre in the holy land so called and their retreat is shamefull and much noted by the major part of this habitable world Howbeit the Papists generally remain very presumptuous of their cause and confident of their way And as they did in Sodome it is even so now in the universall Sodome of depraved flesh Mens fleshly minds seek for Lots doore to attaine to the angelicall seed and beauty for their own self ends And God in his Just power strikes them blind so that they never so enter through his gate into his City but fume and quarrell and babble and divide about opinions and texts of Scriptures and Churches Sacraments and doctrines and duties right governmen and headships and in many vanities and vexations of the Holy Spirit who all the while waiteth within for the resignation of their own wills unto him But thus they will still certainly certainly continue whatever shall be written and this I see beforehand nothing shall availe untill the fire of God devour divide or convince them in their bold blind and filthy contentions Man would fain finde God any where but in his own heart and walk about in all streets professing to enter to Lots doore but he wilfully or carefully shuts the doore of his own heart within him and barrs and bolts it fast with his own wilfull conceited corrupt principles opinions and self interests He would goe into Paradise but not out of himselfe He thinks to bring his beasts into God and the flesh of his minde into the spirituall Kingdome And so the selfish praying preaching and disputings become meer pratings bablings and scoldings before the Spirit of God He that witnesseth this hath had a tast of most religions or opinions in the habitable world a prospect of the lamentable diversities among men called Christians Jews Turks and certainly knoweth that this approaching Generall or Catholique Day of God shall swallow up and rule so amongst all that the combustible pieces of all religions shall be consumed by the Lord the spirit and by the breath of his mouth with his impartiall over-flowing to the very neck He shall divide and cut asunder the light from the darknesse at the last as he did the day and the night at the first And God will sharply reprove and condemne that of man which would have others to follow his light and his judgement when he himself in many other things walketh contrary to his own conscience and Vnderstanding He will have others be of his opinion contrary to their owne conscience and best knowledge when he himselfe imprisoneth the Truth in his knowledge from practice God will fire that Beame which the hypocrite will not see in himselfe and so his whole building must fall upon him and the weight of his own thoughts he shall not be able to beare with himselfe he could have patience but others he rashly censured And the only True Judge will have pitty on the weeping eye that had the moate in it and put an end to his long-suffering towards the censorious hypocrite 8. What a noise doth Magistracy and Ministry make in the Christened world and how have they hitherto kissed and clasped hands in blood and blindnesse together The clergy must preach up Magistracy and the sword of Authority must seem heathenish if hee doth not only protect but also forcibly use his Authority for the defence of his own opinion in Christian Religion whatsoever that be he must be judge himself I may not I do not denie the one nor the other Magistracy or Ministry but I must proclaime that there is a Bill of divorce written by the Lord Jesus his owne hand which he himselfe will shortly explain Among the children of Adam there hath been but two lawes of God in all since the beginning though men have coyned many or at least would mixe these two into one The law of nature for to rule men as the Moone by night and the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus to Saints as the Sun by day The interest of Antichrist hath been to marry these to one another that they might engender an impure seed of doubts difficulties and wars bloodsheds and hellfires and all under pretence of religion by the Magistrate and of covercive Church-discipline by the Ministers of the Gospel so called For saith the Magistrate My sword shall force differing consciences to that forme of form of knowledge or Church-government which I judge most agreeable to the rule of Christ And the clergy also solicited the Magistrate to strike them with the fist of punishment whom they thought erroneous in their judgement Moreover when these two concurred in opinion then were alwaies the best people the world had persecuted as Hereticks as Schismaticks and unsound But when these differed and varied upon humoursome and ambitious grounds thence also came forth treasons wars Jealousies combinations and evill concussions in States and Common-wealths And just it was with God to let them both Magistracy and Ministery thus to wrangle to much blood in the dark when both mistooke their own bounds or neglected their proper respective charge Now when I say that a Magistrate as he is a Magistrate hath nothing at all to doe with the regulating of mens opinions and consciences I finde him allowed and stinted to his owne statute-booke which is the law of nature And I challenge that Magistrate or officer of State to answer that hath learned the measure of the circumference of the law of nature though he should as man attain to know his own nature in particular And yet where is the man that hath known himselfe in all naturals Now the great law of nature is but in part expressed in the Judiciall law of Moses and not fashioned in all particulars to all nations But let the Magistrates study this law that takes notice even of mans long hair as Paul saith and he shall finde
he fell and we in him and what Christ was is and will be and what the Saints were are and will be in him also 14. The first Adam sinned in him all fell but all are not eternally lost The second Adam suffered in him all were raised or made alive as Paul saith but all are not saved therefore God elected some in the first and rejected others in the second O the depth of the immense operations or rather looks of the nature of eternity The Eagles of the heavenly rock are allowed to see more in the Sun of Righteousnesse then they may lawfully utter among men as long as men continue dogs and swine But this is is safe and common that God made Adam an upright man changeable if himselfe pleased but man found out innumerable inventions the flame of Adams candle was wholly put out in Paradise by the Fall but some fire of that same candle still remaineth in the wick unextinguished capable of flaming again by a new birth in this life and such the devils and damned souls have not for they are passed out of time and life yet such is that fire in a natural man that it cannot re-kindle nor the spirit of the mind and understanding which is darkened be renewed without the inspiration of the Almighty upon that spirit or candle in Man which Elihu and Solomon mention And that spirit of life in his sevenfold breathings floweth with force on what spirits he listeth and yet its gale from heaven is upon all spirits more or lesse in this life He that yieldeth to Gods wind is renewed the other shuts it out of himselfe by his own wilfulnesse or negligence O ye Freewillers and ye Anti-freewillers so called look into that glasse cease from endlesse disputes and vain janglings Use to the uttermost the will and power God giveth you in time for mans spirit or will in this life remaineth so proxime and neighbouring to the essence and nature of God as Princes before the Monarch that a free choice is left him but such a one as is worse then nothing if the eternal spirit of grace overshadow him not for it is not of him that willeth or runneth but of God that holdeth the scales and ballance in his mighty hand and weigheth the spirits and in man preponderateth as he pleaseth The soules eternal estate is at his beck Feare him therefore and please him as far as by him thou art enabled which as yet thou mayst see thou hast neglected but in so doing thou shalt know the mystery of his Will in thy own selfe otherwise thou shalt reprobate reject or neglect thy own soul and life for ever 15. The only way to inward order is to follow the uttermost light God hath given man of his will and he that will doe his Will shall know of the Doctrine This spiritual regularity shall also lead to the outward and set Adams posterity in their due places Now as I have spoken for a righteous impartial Magistrate who is the image of God the father so I plead in God for a right Minister of the Gospel who is also the image of Christ the Son loving knowing condiscending pure wise deep diligent weaned trained tryed tempted and watered every moment and such as have by Christs order the vanguard in knowledge humblenesse and power Such Ministers Pastors Elders and Teachers as these are such as the Son of God and his Apostles owned and will confesse before the father as co-workers not against Christ but for him at least as willing Nethinims and hewers of wood and drawers of water and the true Preacher is well content with the lowest office in Christ Such as turne many to righteousnesse and obedience of the just in their hearts not to a private lane of mans opinion they shall shine for ever and ever as the stars of God in the invisible world Now ye may know such Teachers as these by this they are like Christ they doe what they teach and teach what Christ doth in them They are Innocents they hurt none by word by example or by mental influence They seat not themselves in this world in Palaces Gardens Pleasures Sports Preferments and such vanitie of vanities for the true Preacher findeth no time to be trifled away in this life because he beholdeth and eyeth the pleasures at Gods right hand and so forgetteth these delights of goats on his left hand Such Shepherds of the sheep overlook great livings on earth and are ravished with the living immortal in God Now such as approve themselves thus the servants of the living God receive them and scorn them not though they use not your tone words and gesture for who art thou that wilt bear but with one branch on one tree Thou spirit proud spirit ignorantly boasting of thy light must one tree eternally bear but one branch one leaf one apple Silence thou proud flesh that wouldst silence all flesh but thy own and seek not to stop the mouth of truth though an Asse speak it But for the Scribes and Pharisees that love in their hearts the highest seats which are not alwayes counted the pulpits in the Synagogues they love to judge all and be judged of none that 's the high Pew In that judgement the spirit of truth fitteth as Judge but not any other forerunner nor did John Baptist nor John Evangelist dare sit in that high seat in the Christian Synagogue yet in them he that sits on the circle of the earth is sternman there Now all such Priests all such Ministers Bishops Pastors Rulers and Administrators as are proud covetous dormous lustful men pleasers false accusers living-lovers belly-grooms time vain spenders idle loytering recreators State-contriving Foxes unjust wrangling suing neighbours and the like such as these whoever they be are all dogs barking and swine tumbling themselves in the dirt how then can they save them that hear them A whip of Gods making shall drive all these dogs out of the Church They are the sons of Eli and of Balaam of Aaron and of Levi in their wickedness These follow not the good but the evill of their Predecessors therefore shall they wither and suddenly come to nothing Note also that so long as any continueth and abideth in that most excellent spirit of God so long he is a Minister of Christ in God and no longer for who is he that is a Minister of Christ to day may not speak for Antichrist to morrow As Peter spake from heaven and from hell too in the same houre saying Lord thou art the Son of the living God but Master spare thy selfe Now so long as the two natures are competitors within man so long he shall and must necessarily be in doubts But when the new nature is aloft and uppermost and as long as it keeps under the vain spirit so long he hath joy and assurance and no longer for to be spiritually minded is life and peace Therefore the Lord Christ doth call and cry to
all Preachers and hearers Give me to drink that which is pure without the mixture of your spirits with it even such as hath no selfe in it such will doe good I will blesse it to others That is the true Physick to poore soules Give them that and they shall be well But if ye administer to them mixed teachings and their soules die upon it who shall answer think ye O ye publick Speakers look to your mixtures for a pure River of God is come out of Sion in it shall all the beasts of the field of God drink up the water of life and leave off the broken cisternes and disturbed pooles that have much mud and mire in them The true Ministers are followers of Christ that is they are like him and the false are enemies to the crosse of Christ that destroyeth all sin and vanity Down with all that nourish wickednesse and up with Christ in the rest I say up with Christ in them rather then with them to honours in this life lest pride blossome again and self-conceit bud forth These last daies will not long suffer any proud sprigs on the trees for now the Temple of God in Heaven is about to open and there are voices thundrings earthquakes lightnings and great haile upon that evil generation of self-seeking Christians O that we had hearts to stand out of the way of Gods arrowes out of the way of sin and hypocrisie then should not the soul feel within it that plague here mention'd without it 16. The time runneth out and is great and marveilous the grave gapeth for man let not man then gape also after the dunghill of this world Hunger after Heaven and that is to say long after the Lord Jesus If thou didst expect to find in this Chapter matters of knowledge eloquence with acutenesse thou hast deceived thy selfe But here is mourning warning and woe to the world and also directions to them that understand and they that seek the Lord shall understand all things None of the wicked perceive it but the wise shall understand saith Daniel and Solomon This Generation is under the sixth Trumpet of God and the fire smoke and brimstone are felt smelt in souls and Nations eminently Now the seven Thunders utters their voices in some and make mortal men tremble at the thoughts of the Great day The next Trumpet must sound and then will be the finishing of the mystery of Gods Being and Will Now is the houre the day the moneth and the yeare for thee to beg of God and to eat the little little book which was in Gods hand and is in the hand of his Angel The knowledge thereof shall be as honey in the mouth of thy mind but when that Lords candle shall search the inward parts of thy belly and discover thy great corruption it shall put thee in bitter paine as of a woman in travaile And that voice of the Lord shall make thy kind to calve and cause thee to cast off thy lust as an untimely fruit Howbeit cease not O man to beg of God that thou mayst swallow down that book for untill then thy soule shall not rest indeed nor shall the Nations and Churches be quiet untill that Book be known That Book is in and through the Bible the Creation and the heart of man and yet properly it is either of the three It is the Hidden word and yet revealed counsel of God in himselfe and in his spirit in the children of the new birth The name of this Book is Nothingnesse before the creature and All things before the Throne of God When thou art nothing to thy self then shalt thou read it and not before No wit or learning of man are sufficient spectacles they are lofting up over the lines of this Book But in selfe denial and yielding to Gods will in thee thou shalt become a Scribe and Schollar of the Kingdome of Heaven and no other way Forget not this verse of the Chapter sent to thee and to the world 17. One Verse more and then no more of this present Testimony The houre is in sight when time shall expire and be no more when day and night heat and cold summer and winter seed-time and harvest shall no more for ever take their Turnes And whereas now day and night joy and sorrow passe over us grief in the evening comfort in the morning goe on friend a little and it will become with thee all day for ever or all night without mixture of the comforts of nature as the eternal day or night prevaileth in the spirit Therefore be entreated againe to strive to spend thy short time aright and one quarter of an hour in four and twenty at least to begin to mind Eternity whither thou goest If thou sayest That is a small time as indeed it is see first whether in that quarter of an houre thy thoughts will not steal away to some creature or other and to the things of time of vanity and of vexation And know that while thou livest in the sieve of vanity which is the course of nature in thy own will it is impossible for thee to have a steady mind to look on Eternity And miserable art thou whilst thou livest a cripple at Bethesda in the five gates of the sensual life till Jesus bid thee take up thy bed and walk And this he doth when he makes thy will to cease thy thoughts to stop thy working fancy to sink thy apprehensions to be darkened in dimnesse of anguish thy pleasures to wither thy righteousnesse to putrive and thy self-hood to stoop and yield and die as Christ Jesus did This is best effected by the power of his love in thy heart which love is light and life to thy spirit but death to thy flesh When I speak to thee honest Reader I speak to my selfe also herein for I have learnt that sharp expressions to others are as weights of lead to our selves if we be guilty of the same evils But when we testifie with truth mildnesse and earnestnesse we shall be accepted of the Lord however men censure us as they please This I leave with thee in perfect love and thee also with that God who will shortly speak forth his own mind with Power Authority and great Glory to the whole World Peace be unto thee Amen N. D. FINIS These Books are lately Printed and sold by T. Brewster at the three Bibles neer the West end of Pauls THE retired mans Meditations or the Mystery and Power of Godliness c. by Henry Vane Knight A brief History containing most of those notable Occurrences and Revolutions that happened in those late Contests betwixt King and Parliament being a short mention of things from 1637. to the Kings death 1648. Written by Thomas May Esquire The Excellence of a free State or the Right Constitutions of a Commonwealth Objections answered together with some Rules of Policie and Errors in Governments as laid down by Machavel and others A Confession of Faith of several Churches of Christ in the Westerne Counties viz. Somerset Wilts Devon Glocester and Dorset signed by T. Coller and others A Dialogue between a Minister of the Gospel and an inquire Christian about the work of God upon the Soule the Authority of the Scriptures the Principles of the Quakers and the work of the present Generation By Tho Coller Lazarus and his Sisters discourse of Paradise or a Conference about the excellent things of the other world A Discourse betwixt 3 Neighbours about the present Government viz. Goodman past Goodman present and Goodman future A Dialogue between 3 Bords in Welsh with other Welsh things