the new light of God manifested in them O Christian I tell thee thou art a thrice happy man whom the Lord hath made the Lamb a light unto thee this Lamb light is an innocent light a righteous light a pure light a discovering light it is this light that discovers the hidden and obscure whore unto thee it is the light of Christ that uncovers and strips the whore starke naked before thee of all her glory and excellency so that now thou beholdest her out of her purple and scarlet colour even in her very nakednesse and shame And thus you see how Christ in his day in a Christian does first of all discover the whore to him But Secondly in this last day or Sun rising of Christ in a Christian it is the worke of Christ to destroy as well as to discover this whore in us as it is the property of light to destroy darknesse so it is the property of Christ to destroy antichrist in the day of his appearance it will be the worke of Christ by his comming in thee to roote out that spirit of antichrist head and tayle root and branch insomuch that there shall not be left one hoof of the beast in thee when John saw the Angell come downe from heaven endued with great power Revel 18.1 Who inlightned the earth with his glory immediatly he heard this voyce Babylon is fallen is fallen and is become the habitation of divels the hould of every foule spirit and a cage of every uncleane and hatefull bird all which teacheth me thus much that when that Angell of the everlasting lasting covenant Christ Jesus is by the Father sent down into the hearts of his Saints who comes by the power of his Spirit and enlightens the earth or earthly man with his glory when the earth is filled with the knowledge of the Lord when the glory of this Sun comes to enlighten and beautifie our earthy hearts then is the time of Babylons downfall now is the season of the whores destruction now is the Saints time of Halelujah now rejoyce over her thou Heaven and all the holy Apostles and Prophets for God hath avenged you on her vers 20. The Prophet Malachy tells us chap. 4. That the day comes that shall burne as an Oven this day is Christ Jesus who indeed shall so baptize us with the holy Ghost and Fire as that he shall consume and burne up waste and destroy all the appearances of the Whore the wisdome of the flesh and therefore the same prophet tells us Chap. 3.34 That he shall sit as a Refiners fire and as Fullers Soape and he shall purifie the Sons of Levi that they may offer to the Lord an offering in righteousnesse this day must burne in us this Jesus must be a refiners fire to us before we shal see the downefall of mysticall Babylon the worke that Christ hath to doe in us is to destroy mortallity and to cloath us with immortality to destroy this corruption and to cloath us with the incorruptible righteousnesse of himselfe After the downfall of the whore Revel 19. John tells us vers 8. That there was granted to the Lambs wife that she should be arrayed in fine linnen cleare and white c. In which I observe first the love of Christ to the Soul Christ did first of all by his blood and passion purchase the Soul to himselfe to the end that she should be a constant Spouse unto him but she hath adulterized from her husband committed harlotry from her first lover and hath taken part with antichrist against him upon which adultery the jealousie of the Lord arises in himselfe and as jealousie is said to be the rage of a man so the Lord as I may say in the rage of this jealousie comes and destroyes this antichrist kils sin in the Christian sheaths the sword of the spirit in the bowels of this spiritual antichrist breakes the head of this serpent in us but yet notwithstanding entertaines this adulterized creature into his love and favour does yet once more espouse her to himselfe by a fresh act and manifestation of love and favour you may see an embleme of this love in Hos 3.1 where God commands the Prophet to go with a message of love to the woman that had played the harlot with him Goe yet love a woman beloved of her friend yet an adultresse though she an adultresse yet I am her friend though she an harlot yet I send love greetings towards her though she hath been unconstant towards me yet I will owne her to be my wife my Spouse my beloved and therefore the text saies that it was granted to the Lambs wife that shee should bee arrayed in linnen clean white which likewise dictates to me 2. In the Second place the purity that this day of burning Christ Jesus in Spirit works in the heart of his People he doth not only take from it the garment spotted with the flesh but likewise Cloathes it with the shinning Robe of righteousnesse he doth not only empty a Soul of its owne corruption but likewise fills it with his glory beautifies it with his own adornings O Faire beautifull amiable creature whose beauty and excellency consists in Christ that divine centre of briâ—htnesse and glory this will send a Saint to the depth of admiration behold what manner of love hath the Father bestowed upon us that we should be called the Sons of God that God should thus by the power of the Spirit consume all this dross and coruption in us and bring us by that divine light to see our vnion with the Father in the Son and to see the glory of our Adoption in Jesus and to behold our selves in the flesh of our elder Brother at the Right-hand of the Father this is mercy past discerning and worth admiration Thus will God in the power of his Spirit Judge this spirituall Whore in us and ease us of the vassallage and servitude we were in to our owne selves thus shall the brats of this spirituall Babylon the wisdome of the flesh be destroyed by that happy man Christ Jesus God saith Jsa 17.12 concerning this destruction of Babylon That hee will make a man more precious then fine Gold or the Golden wedge of Opher this man is Christ who in the day of his power and in the confounding of this Spirituall Babell in us shall be made unto us more precious then the highest creature excellency never till now will the Saints come to value and to prize Christ till they see what he doth in them Now how beautifull upon the mountains are the feete of them that bring glad tidings of good things that publisheth Salvation that saith unto Zion thy God raineth Thy Messenger upon the Mountaines is Christ Jesus who comes Leaping over the mountaines and skiping over the hils of difficulty that lies in the way and appeares in glory to his Spouse or beloved Christian and declares the message of glad tidings to him
histery once more let us make inquisition after her and endeavour to finde her out in all her subtil and close corners For thy better attaining to the discovery of her consider First what this great Whore is Secondly how shee works and what pretences shee deludes the soule by Thirdly how a soule comes to attain a sight of her Fourthly and lastly how and when shee shall bee destroyed and thus wee may attain to a sight of Babylon with her Rise and her down-fall First what is the Whore This Whore this Babylon this Antichrist Is thy fleshly wisdome that spirituall Serpent thou art deceived by commitest fornication with all is the wisdome of the flesh the carnall Policy of the creature This was that Antichrist that appeared in and to our first Parents and that which they harlotryed with from the Lord God He created Adam blind and naked to this end that Adam might not see but God for him nor Adam might not know but what God knew in him and for him and so this Adam though blind and naked yet cloathed with such divine Robes as were altogether inconsistant to fleshly Adam so here was God All the Creature Nothing But now comes the Serpent which is the subtilest beast in mans worldly heart namely Selfe and Flesh and that dispences its wisdome into the heart of the Creatures and that bids them eat for then their eyes should be opened and they should be as Gods knowing good and evill Now man desiring by the report of fleshly-wisdome to have his eyes opened and to be as God and to bee no more a subject but a King no longer governed but a governour runs away from God departs from his first Lover and commits adultery with his own fleshly wisdom And as Adam in the History so all in the Mistery commit dayly fornication with the Whore our fleshly wisdime by cating of the forbidden Tree for this forbidden Tree is in us and we tast of it continually and howerly suffer death for the same This Garden of Eden in the Mistery O man is in thee in whom God hath placed the manifestation of him self hath brought forth the budings of his glory and any of these thou mayest Eate but there is a Tree in the midest of this Gardâ—n of which thou mayest not eate which is thy heart O man this must â—e reserved wholy to the Lord this God cals for Prov. 23.28 my son give mee thy heart that â—s thou must ascribe nothing to thy self but give over al man in to my hands and willing to be no more then I will bee in thee and to know no more then I shall know for thee this is that forbidden Tree that God would not have us eate of but whole man with his wisdome Reason Judgement Affections Will â—nd Understanding must be given to the Lord but now comes this Serpent our subtil fleshly wisdome in us and that thinks much to let God be all do all and have the glory of all â—ut it would faine see with its own eyes and â—ee a God unto its self so it forsakes all the â—est of the Trees which God hath given it to â—ate of namely the manifestation of God in â—he soul and takes of its owne fruite eats â—f that feast that flesh hath provided and so â—orsakes the fountain and runs to the broken Ciâ—ernes Jer. 2.13 and thus our eyes comes to â—ee opened and wee see no longer light in Gods light but with the eye of self and reaâ—on saying to a stock thou art my Father and to a â—one thou hast brought me forth Jer. 2.27 that is â—tributing nothing to God but all to fleshly â—isdome with which wee have Adulterated â—nd Harlotrized from the Lord. Thus O man thou seest what that greaâ— Whore is and where shee lyeth even in the inmost closets of thy soule Now that thou mayest bee farther convinced that this wisdome of the flesh is the Antichrist the greaâ— Whore do but first consider the Names and secondly the Nature of her Eirst her Names in Scripture are divers a first she is called Anti-christ which is as much as to say against Christ Now man as a creature is not against Christ but the wisdome of thâ— flesh in man this is against Christ and so consequently the great Wore or Antichrist Secondly She is called Babylon in Scripture Rev. 17.5 Rev. 18.2 which is as mucâ— as to say confusion now all confusion that 〈◊〉 wrought either in Pope Presbyter or any otheâ— particular State is by the wisdome of the flesh therefore this is that great Babylon Thirdly She is called that wicked one 〈◊〉 Thes 3. ver 8. Now all the actuall wickedness that proceeds from the sons of meâ— flowes from that originall within even thâ— wisdome of the flesh therefore the wisdome oâ— the flesh is that great wicked one which is tâ— be destroyed Fourthly She is called the Mother of Harloâ—â—nd abominations of the earth Rev. 17.5 Noâ— what 's the Mother of Harlots surely this cannoâ— â— either the Pope or any other particular â—tate for if the Pope be the Mother of Harlots â—en I demand who or what is the Mother of is Harlotry Then what or who is the Moâ—er of Harlots Why she is in us all in a mystery 〈◊〉 is the wisdome of the flesh in man which â— the Mother of all the abomination which is ommitted against the Lord. This is that Aanti-christ this is Babylon â—ere is the wicked one this is the Matron of all â—iquity out of the womb of fleshly wisdome â—roceeds all that actuall transgression that is â—ommitted against the Lord All outward apâ—earances of sins are but the Bastards of this Whore the children of this strange Woman and â—he Brats of this great Adulteress and happy â—ea thrice blessed shall that man be called who shall take and dash these children of the Whore against the stones This man is Christ who â—hall come in power and great glory in a Christian and destroy and dash in peeces the conceptions bringings forth and appearances of fleshly wisdome in us as we shall shew more at large hereafter Thus we have endeavoured to discover the whore what shee is by her Names given her in Scripture whereby thou mayest understand that the Whore doth not consist of any outward State or fleshly appearances to thee but upon her Fore-head which is her most opâ— and palpable workings there is written Mystery 2. That this great Whore may yet moâ— fully appeare to be the wisdome of the fleâ— in thee doe but consider the nature of thâ— Whore in brief and so we shall have done witâ— the first quaere Namely What the Whore is Now the Nature of this whore is two-fouldâ— 1. Opposing 2. Exalting both which you may finâ— attributed to Anti-christ or the Whore in thaâ— 2. Thes 2 4. she apposeth Christ or God and therefore called Anti-christ Now see O man 〈◊〉 whether this Whore be not thy fleshly wisdome 〈◊〉 look into
thy soul and behold and see how opposite thy fleshy wisdome is to any thing that is good or goodness what meanes those often resistings of the Spirit in thee O man Seest thou not how the whore deceives thee What conception bringing forth or appearance of God is there in thee but the wisdome of the flesh seeks to devour it by violent attempts oppositions therefore the text saith ver 17.6 That the whore was drunk with the bloud of the Saints and Martyres of Jesus How hath this mysticall whore the wisdome of the flesh martyred the appearances of Christ in thee so that indeed she is drunk with the bloud of many a sanctified motion of the Spirit in thee The wisdome â—f the flesh is that mysticall Saul that hunts sf ter the bloud of David which is the tender â—ppearance of God in the soul this it is that sucifieth the Lamb a fresh and puts him to oâ—â—n shame and all this is done by that blouâ—â— whore that harboureth in thy bosome The wisdome of the flesh is that bond-slave â—â—at alwaies presents wisdomes Children and the â—â—ildren of the free Woman which are the bringâ—â—gs forth of Jesus in thee In a word this is â—â—at great Red Dragon spoken of in Rev. 12.3 〈◊〉 who stands before the Woman which is a â—â—ristian under the panges of the new birth â—ady to be delivered of the blessed child Jesus whose hart God is begetting himself in 〈◊〉 own forme and Image this I say is that â—â—agon even the wisdone of the fiesh which is â—â—dy to devour the sweet Babe even Jesus with 〈◊〉 forme and feature in the soule and endeaâ—â—rs to make it an obhortive â—â—is is that misticall Heroad that seekes the ruâ—â—of the appearance of God in our flesh and â—s you see what the opposing nature of the â—ore is who for her bloudy opposition asnst the manifestations of God in his peo 〈◊〉 shall have blood to drinke when shee shall â—ound worthy â— We now proceed to the other qualificaâ—n of the Nature of this whore which is a High Proud Lofty asspiring Nature beinâ— manifested by two things 1. In that she will get into Gods TempleÌ„ 〈◊〉 Thes 2.4 2. In that she will therein exaâ— her self above all that is called God and shâ— will be a god to her self Behold O man aâ— it were in a glass the true Viseognime anâ— perfect Portrature of thy fleshly wisdome First then consider that thy heart is thaâ— Temple of God where this great Whore siteth therefore minde the Apostle 1. Cor. 3.16 Knoâ— yee not that yee are the Temple of God as also Châ—â— 6.19 Now thou being this Temple of Goâ— thy fleshly wisdome is that Antichrist thaâ— Whore that sits in thine hart thou art thâ—â— Beast that this Whore rides upon Rev. 17. 〈◊〉 for the Psalmist saith Psal 49.12 that Mâ— being in honour abideth not but is like the heast thâ— perisheth here mayest thou see O man the priâ— of the wisdome of the flesh that no plac wiâ—â— serve her but Gods Temple the hart of maâ— that God hath set apart for the praise of his glorâ— doth this Whore make her Beast by bringiâ—â— it to be subject to her dominion this Teâ—ple of God tobe that den of the every whiâ—â— God hath made for his own honour and diâ—nity Secondly the exalting Nature of the who is seen not only by her climing up into Goâ— Temple and so becomes that Lucifer that fell down to hell but also by her behaviour in Gods Temple She exalts her self above all that is called God She sits as God in Gods Temple in a place where She hath no right to Rule and governe Behold here O Christian another proper Emblem of the wisdome of the flesh in thee How doth this Whore this Misticall Babylon exalt her self above every appearance of God in thee in so much as her Tayle drawes the third part of the Stars of Heaven and casts them down to the Earth which is in me That Reason Will Affections and Judgement which are as the civill powers lights of the soule all these are drawn after this beast so that indeed Shee now is the Lady of the Kingdomes Jsa 47.7 nay ver 8. I am and there is non else besides mee this wisdome of the flesh is that which will not alow the Child Jesus any room in the Inne of thy heart but thrusts him into the Manger which is under the meanest thoughts poorest respects and lowest love of thy soule but in the mean time this whore her self takes the largest rooms and highest chambers that is She is most supreame in thy affections with the greatest love honour and respect that may bee thus doth this whore the wisdome of the flesh exalt her self as God yea and that in Gods Temple where She hath no right to rule and govern for the Apostle tels us that wee ar not our owne but are bought with a Price that is wee are to owne no Lord but hee that hath bought us to render no obedience or servitude to any but to that God who in our flesh hath Redeemed us according to the Commandement Thou shalt have none other gods butâ—e but self flesh and creature will bee God in Gods Kingdome which causeth God to take up a complaint against his people of old Have I beene a barren wilderness unto thee or a Land of darkness whersore then say my people we are Lords wee are Lords and we will come no more after thee Now the creature running astray from the Lord commits fornication with the great Whore the wisdome of the flesh attributing all Power Glory Salvation and happinesse to selfish wisdome and therefore Babylon saith on this wise Jsa 14.13 I will ascend into Heaven I will exalt my throne above the Stars of God which is when the wisdome of the flesh is exalted above the highest sphere of divine light in the soule nay ver 17. I will be like the most High Behold O man the aspiring exalting nature of thy carnall wisdome The wisdome of the Serpent would needs have Adam to be as God and to see by his own eyes and to walk by his own light which Serpent is nothing in the Mystery but the wisdome of the flesh carrying the soul above that centre that God hath seated it in causing thee to walke by her blaze and not in Gods light to see light to hate scorn and put a meane estimation upon any motion of God or goodnesse always thinking thy way the best and thy councell the safest and thus doth this Whore thy fleshly wisdome exalt her self above all that is called God in thee and sits as God in thy soule which is Gods Temple So much for answer to the first question namly what this great whore is Now thou having attained some spirituall discovery of this whore both by her Names and Nature it remains that we proceede in answer to the second question which is Namely How this Whore workes and what pretences Shee