all mortal and to be done away for ever He therefore determin'd to set up in personal Union with his Divine Nature a Creature-Spirit of originally eternal Life and render it communicable to Men and Angels by a new Creation of them The former rendred them but mystical Trees of Good and Evil. The latter makes them particular Trees of Life under and with Christ. God hereby works all their works in them Isa. 26. 12. and they in him Iohn 3. 21. The Leaves of such Trees never wither every thing they do therein prospers Psal. 1.3 All good Works or Fruits done or brought forth by them in the former at best are nothing to God Hos. 10. 1. Iob 35. 7 8. nor of any avail for their ever entring into his Kingdom but only a new Creature Gal. 6. 15. The most restor'd Life and Righteousness of Man preach'd up and warranted for Salvation is Man's Dream under Satan's Witch-crafts all their delusive Doctrine therein Chaff Psal. 1.4 And what 's this Chaff to the Wheat the Gospel-Doctrine Words and Things of God Ier. 23. 28. Chap. 3. 1. In pursuance of God's twofold Purposes for a twofold Creation of Angels and Men the first of the Divine Three call'd Father did produce beget and set up a Creature-spirit of immortal Holiness of the same Name in the Creature-part of the Mediator with its Divine Producer Father 2. The Second the Word caus'd the said Creature-root to bring forth a Branch in the Fountain-purity of all mortal First-creation Being and Life that was to be set up in Angels and Men by a first Creation 3. The Third the Holy Gost by its peculiar Operation brought the Creature-Father and Son into unchangeable personal Union and so the whole Creature-nature in the Mediator into unchangeable Union with his Divine Nature The Creature-Son and Branch thus exalted was the immediate Creator of all things in both Creations or Worlds natural and spiritual Heb. 1. 1 2. Chap. 4. 1. Thus were the Works determin'd of God to be set up in Angels and Men by a first Creation finish'd in the Mediator by the right Use of all in order to the second Heb. 4. 3. 2. Herein was the exalted Son and Branch the living WORD and Book of God in which were written the Names of all the Elect that are to be conform'd to him in the like Death of the first Creation and Resurrection into the Life given by a second 3. The exalted Branch or living WORD of God gave Angels and Men their Being and Life by a first Creation as the immediate Hand of God for it 4. He was therein the infallible Mouth of God to declare his whole Counsel to them for the right Use of all given them in their first Creation in order to the second 5. He was therein the High-Priest of God to perform the like Death-work on them as had pass'd upon himself by the Original Melchisedec his Creature-root and Father 6. And lastly He was the ready prepar'd infallible Pattern for them to follow out of the mortal earthly Life of the first Creation into the immortal and heavenly by a second as the only Means and Way to find the Salvation of Heaven or scape the Damnation of Hell CHAP. VI. Concerning the Trinity THE three distinct Powers in the Divine Essence or Father shining forth from all Eternity in the Divine Form or Son consider'd separately in each or jointly in both are call'd Father Word and Holy Ghost 1 John 5. 7. The one of these is not the other in the Divine Father or Son The word Father as the Divine Essence is call'd in distinction from the Divine Form or Son is of a very differing Consideration from the same Word as signifying the first of the Divine Three in both So the word Son as signifying the Divine Form is of a very differing Signification from the same Word as signifying the Second of the Divine Three in Father and Son The like may be said of the Third of the Divine Three the Holy Ghost in Father and Son of distinct Significancy from what the Divine Father and Son jointly together are so call'd as the one Infinite Divine Being The Three distinct Divine Powers in the Divine Father and Son do beget and set up their distinct secondary Record or Witness of themselves in a Creature-Form distinct from the Divine Form The whole Creature-nature of the Mediator Root and Branch is call'd Earth in distinction from the Divine Form in him the supream Heaven of Heavens Their threefold Witness in Earth is signified by Spirit Water and Blood 1 John 5.8 The same Three that are One in the Divine Nature agree in compleating the one Mind of all Three in the Earth or whole Creature-nature of the Mediator The Witness of the First of the Divine Three is Spirit a creature-Creature-spirit of originally immortal Holiness and eternal Life The Witness of the Second is call'd Water signifying the Creature-Son and Branch in the Fountain-purity of all mortal Being and Life design'd to be set up in Angels and Men by a first Creation Blood signifies the Death of that as first-born of every Creature in order to its Resurrection into the originally unchangeable Life of its Root and Father and therein first-born from the dead In by and through this Creature-form do the three in the Divine let down the Vision of themselves to the spiritual Sight and Enjoyment of Angels and Men and by such Transactions therein do notify to both the only Means and Way for their true Blessedness by the Death and Loss of all Life and Things receiv'd by them in the mortal First-Covenant Law-life of the first Creation in order to ascend into and receive his originally immortal new and everlasting Covenant Gospel-life by a second communicated to them by the exalted Son and Branch as first-born from the dead and therein the immediate Performer of the one Will of the Divine Three in both Creations and in dealing with all Angels and Men Good and Bad in final Love or Wrath to all Eternity accordingly as they submit or refuse to submit to the Terms of receiving the Life offer'd by a second Thus was the Foundation laid within God himself in the Creature-part of the Mediator for rendring the three that are one in the Divine Nature discernable and enjoyable to blessed Saints and Angels in their spiritual new-Creation Capacities Man's highest Wisdom and Understanding sees not the heavenly Creature-things of God by which only the Divine Three can be known 1 Cor. 2.9 So all his Conceptions Thoughts and Words about the Trinity can be but implicite random-Conjectures and Discourses not seeing or knowing what he says The immediate discernable Objects of Man's highest natural Understanding are but the mortal Life and Things of the first Creation by which they ought to conclude and may know there is an eternal Power and Godhead but see nor that nor his heavenly Creature-things immediately Rom. 1. 20 21. 1 Cor. 2. 9. Isai. 66.
cause them to be so accounted also against Heathen Cesars and others of his Party under him Christ himself was condemn'd and murder'd on this Pretence Iohn 19. 12 15. Saints can discover him when sitting in the Temple of God shewing himself that he is God 2 Thess. 2. 4. to be the worst of all Creatures the Man of Sin and Son of Perdition ver 3. Will he quietly bear this Discovery will he not by his humane Instruments shew his utmost Rage against them and God permits But be it as it will the Sum of all true Gospel-teaching is a declaring the Mystery of Godliness for the Salvation of Men and preventing their Damnation and a discovering Satan's Mystery of Iniquity for the Damnation of Men and preventing their Salvation So only can Saints with Paul become free from the Blood of all Men Acts 20. 26. Ezek. 33. 7-9 as having no Share in that Guilt by which they bring that Blood upon their own Heads which will be found to amount unto no less than eternal Death to their whole Beings Spirit Soul and Body in a Resurrection of Damnation The experimental Knowers of the Mystery and Power of Godliness and faithful Discoverers of the Mystery of Iniquity will have a Resurrection of Life John 5. 29. above all Deaths temporal or eternal CHAP. IX The first Sin Fall and Punishment of many evil Angels and of all Mankind in Adam EVIL Mankind in Adam joyn'd with evil Angel-kind in Satan through a mutual Union of Love to themselves and one another electing or chusing for themselves their own earthly mortal First covenant Law-life of the Creature given by a First-creation in preference and opposition to the heavenly immortal Second-covenant Gospel-life of the Creator offer'd them by a second or new Creation The evil Angels herein did at first commit the unpardonable Sin against the Holy Ghost under the immediate Beamings forth of Christ's heavenly Creature-Gospel spirit the Son of everlasting Righteousness upon their highest single intuitive natural Understandings Secondly They had no superiour Rank of Creatures in the First-creation already fallen above them in Subtlety and Power to tempt them Thirdly They were all actually created and set up in their compleated personal Beings and Life at first Mankind receive their personal Beings successively Generation after Generation Fourthly Mankind's first Sin in Adam was not against such clear Knowledg of their own unspeakable Concern as well as Duty to God though in the same kind of First-covenant Law-life with Angels The inferiour Ingredients into Man's personal Constitution bodily Sensual-life tho created pure and incorrupt rendred his intuitive Discerning inferiour to that of Angels where 't was single and alone Hence what was immediately and more convincingly made known to Angels was represented to Adam by a figurative Tree of Life and himself in distinction from that by the Tree of Good and Evil. The former represented Christ to him in that heavenly Creature-life offer'd by a new Creation the latter represented himself to himself as but a mystical Tree of Good and Evil in his own Life given in his first Creation corruptible and changeable mortal and perishable with all the earthly things therein Will Understanding Righteousness Wisdom c. with all Works or Fruits ever possible to be done or brought forth therein By and under the superiour Subtlety and Power of the Devil the mystical Old Serpent was Adam in the primitive Purity of his whole Being and Mankind in him as their Head and Representative induc'd perswaded and deceiv'd so as to prefer Satan's self-pleasing Lie to God's Spirit of Grace and Truth So under and with the Serpent he chose his own earthly Life of the Creature in preference to God's own heavenly Creature-life of the Creator Many of Mankind when restor'd out of the Darkness and Death of their own Spirits into the Light Life and Righteousness of Man do sin again in their own Persons after the Similitude of Adam's first Transgression who at best in Innocency was but a Figure of the Second Adam who was to come in the Fountain-purity of our Nature and also full of the Holy Ghost Luke 4. 1. Iohn 1. 14. his heavenly Creature-spirit of Grace and Truth Rom. 5. 14. This Sin again in their own Persons after all sad Experience of fallen Mankind thereby in Adam and all Warnings and Counsels of God since is unrepentable by them Heb. 6. 4 6. and unpardonable by God Heb. 10. 26 27. This is the Case of any that conclusively and absolutely prefer their own restor'd earthly Life of the Creature and Righteousness of Man to the heavenly Creature-life of the Creator and everlasting Righteousness of God therein All that will not receive and have the heavenly Creature-life of God by submitting to the Death of restor'd Nature at best the Loss of all their own Life and things therein God will take away the said Life from them again and lay them down for ever under his unquenchable Wrath in eternal Death Luke 8. 18. This is that Christ says Mat. 16.25 Whosoever will save his Life shall lose it and whosoever will hate and lose his own Life for my Sake from Love to my heavenly Creature-life shall find it with unspeakable Gain as chang'd by Death and Resurrection into an eternal Life Satan was at it with Christ himself Matth. 4. 8 9. to stay and set up with and under him as a State of true Happiness in the mortal Life of our Nature and by his Apostle Peter was at the same Point to pity and spare himself there saying be the Death thereof far from thee this shall not be unto thee Christ discover'd and declar'd this Word of Peter to be Satan's Counsel in and by him Mat. 16. 21-23 As the first Sin of Angels was differing from Man's first Sin so was the Punishment The Punishment of evil Angels was the giving them their own evil Choice their own self-chosen earthly Life receiv'd in their First-creation with all the things thereof their own Wisdom Righteousness Subtlety and Power all natural Excellencies and Perfections therein as by them abus'd turn'd into and us'd in unchangeable Enmity to God and his heavenly Creature spirit of eternal Life God also permitted to them the Exercise of a ruling Power over sallen Mankind all along this World by which Satan carries on the same delusive Work as on Adam at first that the Life given in the First-creation is eternal no need of a second nor therefore of the Death of the first Ye shall not die Gen. 3. 3. This is Satan's uniform Lie all along this World that the Life given in the First-creation is eternal You must die or never live and reign with me in my heavenly Creature-life which is eternal This is Christ's Truth his faithful Saying 2 Tim. 2. 11 12. There 's nothing more pleasing to Man's Will in the restor'd earthly Life of the First Adam than Satan's Lie and nothing so universally contrary to it as God's Truth that
Rewards run on Satan's Side to his reputed Gospel-Divines nothing but Contradiction Reproach and Persecution are the usual Recompence of Christ's true ones in this World under all which they rejoice in the certain Fore-sight of their great Reward in the next Matth. 5. 11 12. Act. 5. 41. Satan offer'd Christ himself all the Kingdoms of this World if he would own him for God and his false Law-Gospel for God's true if not crucify him crucify him says he by the legal-spirited professing Jews Iohn 19. 6. If he or his Followers preach up another Kingdom contrary to mine away with them kill them as Traitors to me and my earthly Cesars under me in but my worldly Life and Principle though under the Name Christian and that of the highest Rank in but First-covenant-Righteousness of Man mystical Infidels as to Christ's New-covenant Gospel-life and Righteousness of God Thus will Matters go while Satan and his Ministers are permitted to transform themselves into the Likeness of Christ and his 2 Cor. 11. 13-15 They carry all before them in this World Christ and his will have all in the next to Eternity CHAP. XIV Concerning the two Covenants first and second THE Life given Angels and Men in their First-creation was the Principle of a First-covenant-communion with and worshipping of God Many Angels and all Mankind in Adam by such Knowledg of God as they had therein by the things that were made glorified him not as God were not thankful for what they had received nor made the right Use thereof in Sacrifice to his Will in order to receive the eternal Gospel-life of their Creator by a new or second Creation the only Principle of a new and everlasting Covenant with him They became vain in their Imaginations professing and owning themselves wise enough to know what was best for themselves to do in their own First-covenant law-Law-spirit of Works as not needing any other Life or Things for true Happiness in a Second Rom. 1. 19-22 God made Man upright Eccl. 7.29 pure and incorrupt in the First but not incorruptible as in the Second All Mankind are sad experimental Witnesses of this however many of them all along this World deny it with their Mouths The Disputers of this World under Satan's Inspirations seek out many Inventions to defend and maintain their evil Choice and false Confidence in the First as transform'd into the Likeness and disguis'd with all Scripture-Titles belonging to the Second in unchangeable Enmity to God and the Second This greatest Folly as to their eternal Concerns are many guilty of taking great Pains to dispute themselves into everlasting Destruction They decry the New-covenant-life and therein the Wisdom and Righteousness of God which Christ requires all to seek after Mat. 6. 33. and complains that no Man will Rom. 3. 11. while confident in his own fallible Understanding in which he can never make one right Step in the Paths of Life to himself or Peace with God Ier. 10. 23. Prov. 20. 24. Had the First-covenant-life given Man in his First-creation or restor'd by the Redeemer since been faultless or not defective as to his true Blessedness no place should have been sought or appointed of God for a Second by a New-creation Heb. 8. 7. Mens establishing themselves in the First in unchangeable Enmity to God and the Second turns a visible People of God inholy Flesh Righteousness of Man into no People of God at all but a Synagogue of Satan Hos. 1. 9. 2. 2. Revel 3. 9. Yet when so will they confidently under Satan's strong Delusions assert themselves to be the only true Iews or spiritual Israel and Church of God but lie This will they say when in unchangeable Enmity to God and his true Saints Such have been all along this World Haters and Murderers of true Saints Prophets Apostles and Christ himself for the Life and Doctrine of the Second-covenant True Saints under the Inspirations of the Almighty are gradually ceasing from the Labours of their own Law-spirit of Works at best or delighting to seed on the best Fruits brought forth by them therein and to commit their Way to the Lord to work all their Works in them Isa. 26. 12. by his heavenly Creature-spirit of Grace and to feed on such incorruptible spiritual Fruits as are producible by them therein This is the true mystical Fast and Sabbath which he has chosen and requires Men to keep Isa. 58. Man is but a mystical Tree of Good and Evil in his own Spirit Will and Way a mystical Tree of Life in God's All outward literal bodily Fasts and Sabbaths though God's own Appointments and Ordinances to the Jews without this inward mystical Truth of all rendred all their Performances an Abomination to God and themselves a mystical Sodom Isa. 1. 10-15 worse than literal Matth. 11. 23 24. The delighting in and feeding on the best Fruits of our own Spirits in preference to God's is the self-same thing with Eve's Apple and our first Transgression in Adam All First-covenant Life Wisdom Righteousness Works and Fruits of Man's own Law-spirit of Works are to be given up in Sacrifice to God in order to our arriving at the happy Experience of the spiritual heavenly Creature-life Righteousness and Wisdom of God working all our Works in his Spirit of Grace and Truth Iohn 3. 21. and bringing forth right Fruits to him Rom. 7. 4. That the First-Covenant Life given Man in his first Creation was eternal is Satan's Lie carried on all along this World by all manner of Disguises in his evil Angelical Subtlety in opposition to God's Truth in the second The Law was given by Moses to direct to First-Covenant Righteousness of Man in the living Soul of the first Adam but Grace and Truth come by Iesus Christ in the quickning Spirit of the second Iohn 1. 17. 1 Cor. 15. 45. God rewards the Righteousness of Man for a season as a Debt to him Rom. 4. 4. but takes away such Rewards from Saints the inward Comforts of a good Conscience there and sometimes outward also by the permitted Hands of evil Angels and Men to make room in them for his eternal Life and Blessings where all is of Grace both Works and Rewards Iob was a signal Experiencer of both and Paul also with other Saints Phil. 3. 6-11 All that passes in Man's day of judging and Words of his own Wisdom for eternal Life will in God's day of judging be found by all that trust thereto eternal Death All first-Creation Life and Things thereof all Works and Fruits done and brought forth therein will pass for nothing in God's day The Temporary Wrath of God bringing Saints into the lowest Hell in this World from which there is Deliverance Psal. 86.13 is God's way for delivering them from the Wrath and Hell to come which are eternal The Saints Hell in this World as plagu'd and chasten'd all the day long Psal. 73. 14. while Enemies have more than Heart could wish v. 7. is their true