to us Now Christ as he is the cleare discovery or discoverer of the Father to us so he becomes a Rest of peace and happinesse in us and so that this Christ who in name is called the Manifestation of Love â—is unchangeable in reference to the being and cause of this manifested Love which is Christ for if we consider him as the bosome love of God He is not so Christ to us or in us but as this comes to be manifest to us which manifestation or the thing manifest is onely Christ for I looke thus that not only Christ as he was in the flesh was Christ only in that form and no more but what ever was manifest either by or in that form was in Name the Christ and in Nature Christ in God now Saints Rest is not in Christ as manifested only in distinction but Christ is the Rest of Saints as God hath designed him for that purpose and so comes by God in Saints to be made manifest carrying up Saints to live in the full glory power and splendor of that God who did make manifest himself in this manifestation which is Christ And no other way comes soules truly to know the Father either in love or mercy but as the Father doth manifest himself in this very particular Christ revealed in mens hearts in which men may see God clearly and for the wâ—nt of which Philip was ignorant when he said to Christ Joh. 14. 8. Lord shew us the Father and it sufficeth us They were ignorant what the Father and Christ were in the Spirit though Christ were with them in the flesh and the reason was because Christ within them was not by God made manifest to them therefore would they have been making Tabernacles in such a low fleshly knowledge where in Truth they knew nothing of him in relation to the Spirit nor of that conjunction betwixt him and the Father that whensoever Christ spiritually was made manifest there the Father was manifest also because there was one undevideable nature and being in such cases betwixt the Father and the Son So that the Saints Rest is in this cleare manifested God within us who in tearm and Truth is called Christ So that now as Christs Center was in the Father and now is to dwel in the fulnesse of his Glory so Saints being in him are carried by him to live with him in the same glory and love and to conclude this when we can say from experience that which Paul said in the Gal 1. 16. That when it pleased the Father to reveal his Christ in him then shall we know that the manifestation of God to us is â—he Revelation of Christ in us 3. Christ spiritually discovered in men and so knowne by them and so becoming Rest to them is a cleare light of God in the Creature which light and glory is onely Christ and thus he is often described in Scripture not onely as he was a light in the flesh without us prescribing rules of light to us but chiâ—ry as he shall become the light and glory of God wiâ—hin us for as he was in the forme of flesh he was a mysâ—ery unknowne yea he was not such a light so as God intended him because he was then but in the figure holding forth what he would worke and what he should be when he was to come in the glory of the spirit within men for his being in the flesh was a very dark dispensation For even the Apostles who were the most conversant with him did know little and were very ignorant of the truth So as indeed they thought he was come to set up a Kingdome in the flesh and that hee would advance them in some great place as appeares So that is was Gods great designe which was held forth in that forme of flesh which is the sum of that Scripture where he is declared to be the light of the Gentiles and to be the Glory of the people Israel Luk. 2. 32. Now to prove it by Scripture that this Christ is in the spirituall coming and advancing in the soule a glorious and Divine Light Wee see it very clear from that Scripture in the 60. of Isa 1 2. Where the Lord declares the manner of Christs spirituall appearing in the soule Arise shine for thy Light is come and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee This same Scripture though men doe labour to deny it to be meant of Christs appearance in any particular soule yet he that hath found the appearance of Christ within him hath found him fully making good these sayings The matter however that here is promised at the raising up of distressed spirits is Light and Glory which light is God appearing in a dispensation of light and glory the which dispensation is Christ in us for he is both the light and glory of God and all things that are either spirituall light or glory discovered is Christ for according to that Scripture Rev. 21. 23. The glory of God did lighten it and the Lamb is the light thereof As if he should say when the Lord comes to dwell spiritually in the manifestation of glory within the spirits of man and so set up a Temple in the creature according to the 22th verse Then shall all those lights which before the soule hath beene guided by whether they were flashes or resembled light now there shall be no need of the same but the glory of God now shall be there to enlighten the same yea Christ shall be the light thereof so that he shall be filled with true light whoever hath the glorious appearance of Christ within him he shall become a compleat light unto that soule So as he shall not stand in need of any inferiour light but they shall bee dissolved when the glory of the Sun doth appeare so that in such a soule to whom Christ is become in this manner a light unto he shall have no night there according to that in the 22. of Rev. 5. verse But the Lord shall fill such a soule with light yea he shall give to such spirits Him in whom there is no darknesse as in a spirituall dispensation and as he is termed in Joh. 1. 9. verse He is here called The true Light which lightneth every man that cometh into the world He is here called true in opposition to fallacy as if he should lay open many false lights in the world and within men yet he was come as a true light to distinguish betwixt true and false and so he is a distinguishing light in every spirit who hath receiâ—ed him for though Satan hath transformed himselfe into an Angel of light in deceiving a creature yet notwithstanding when this true light appeares in any heart it doth both discover it and destroy it according to that in the 2 Thess 2. 7 8 9 10. That though the mystery of Iniquity and Anti-Christ be never so deceiveable and glorious in their workings and transformings both within and
without the creature yet Christ shall reveale and destroy it with the spirit of his mouth and the brightnesse oâ— his coming And true it is that Satan both â—n matter of formes without us and workings within us is transforming himselfe now if ever And truly he within soules workes like God and there is no knowne distinction betwixt his transformings and Christs workings untill there be a true transfiguring of Christ in the glory of the Spirit and this doth finde out all the deceite both of heart and Satan for indeed there is no forme though never so glorious but he will transforme himselfe in it there is no working of the spirit within man but he will resemble it so that none shall be able to know whether it be true or false within him or without him untill this Christ shall appear in light and glory and shall make the same manifest so as oftentimes his thus appearing is compared to the rising of the Sun and the dawning of the day which are degrees of distinguishing light which doth dissolve the imperfect light of the Moone and Starres and is a clear light of it selfe to rule and order to unfold and discover the truth of every thing which under the other dispensations could not be discerned and that is the reason that the Apostle tels them that they have a sure word of prophesy whereunto they doe well if they take heed And he tels them how long it was untill the day dawne and the day-starre arise in their hearts This saying untill prescribes and sets out the limitation of time and the accomplishing of the same as if he should say there is a most glorious day to be enjoyed in Saints which day shall appeare but for your direction untill that day you have a sure word of prophesy unto which if God give you care thereof may be as a rule unto you It being a light shining in a dark place and though for the present you walke by the same yet Rest not there but waite for the spirituall coming of Christ within you which in this word of prophesy is held forth to you and then when he comes he shall be a perfect light within which light shall speak truth and leade the soule thereunto but in the interim Looke to that sure word of prophesy which declares and makes manifest the truth thereof This word of Prophesy was the Scriptures this day dawning and day-starre arising was the appearance of Christ in the fulnesse of the spirit within them So as he often in Scripture is called the bright Morning Starre and as concerning his spirituall coming he is sometimes termed under the notion of the day dawning or breaking as in Cant. 2. 17. and in many others onely to shew unto us that the breaking in of Christ into a heart is like the breaking of the light into the earth when the day begins to appeare and the night is expired as also the rising of the Sun to that purpose he is often called the Sun of Righteousnesse which shall arise and be seene in the hearts of men so that wee see this coming of Christ yea himselfe is a true and glorious light of God in the spirits of Saints so as he makes all things manifest to such a heart whether true or false and this light shall cloath every Saints spirit and all inferiour and transformed lights shall be under such a soules feet triumphing over them seeing the fallacy of them Then First it is this light Christ within the creature who appeares as light which doth expell or dispell all those Clouds which are with creatures in whom he hath not appeared for as the Sun doth expell the Clouds in the appearance thereof so Christ in his glorious shinings forth and breaking in into every believing spirit so as the creature before could not apprehend God by reason of these clouds that lye upon the soule now he apprehends him clearly the cause being by Christ taken away Secondly By this light Christ doth discover all the false Waies and Rests of the creature either in opposition to or being below the true and substantiall way of Rest so that this light Christ in his divine Appearances within the creature doth bring a day of losse upon many spirits when it discovers unto them the vanity of their spirits in running after the wayes of their owne hearts and here they come to see the emptynesse of formes or former flashes and now it may be all the soules knowledge and practise must lye in the dust and be unlearned so as this light brings the creature out of love with his owne Wayes so that now he is free to be led according to the teachings of this light Thirdly This light Christ in its spirituall appearing in the creature doth reveale and discover the Father in this light Christ so as the heart clearly sees and knows the Father and the Spirit the Son and the Spirit One and the Spirit to be both so as this light which in reference to name is called and tearmed Christ yet it is God in this light so that God is said to be light and in him is no darknesse The Father is the fountaine of light the Son is the manifestation of light or the light made manifest now here the soule in whom this true light doth appeare doth know God and him thus sent into the heart by Jesus Christ So that Christ as he is the Rest of Saints is a divine revelation of light in which light and glory the creatures spirit solaces it selfe and rests with much delight in the same and our of this form after enjoyed will not Christ appeare but will be unto such a spirit an everlasting light that now as God lives in light so the creature lives in light also which no creature in the flesh can attain to who cannot be seen felt or heard in the flesh in this dispensation but he is above it consuming of it and continually advancing this light more and more in the creature so as this light comes to be advanced and appeare in greater fulnesse so shall the spirits who are centred in it be advanced by it and the greater this light doth appear in fulnesse the more perfect doth the souls â—est appear and the more shall the spirits be filled with it Fourthly in the fourth place this Spirituall Christ or what he is in the Spirit when he comes to be the Rest of Saints He is spirituall and divine Life without which no soul hath spirituall or eternall life injoyed by him for as a man without the soul is dead so are all men without Iesus Christ within them made manifest so that John very fully layes open this truth 1. Joh. 1. 1. 2. for the life was manifested and we have seen it and bear witnesse and shew unto yon that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested unto us So that we see what the life of Saints is for that life which they here
others that can be spoke of dwels substantially in him and that by him now all things are both preserved and kept Heb. 1. 3. So as all other Rests below this are none at all but only for them that know not this same Eternall Being But now this Christ Hee being such a Mystery and there being in the Earth such dissention about him To give true Definitions of him I will in the next place set forth what this Christ is who is the Rest of Saints We have in short set forth Christ the Eternall Spirit to be the Rest of Saints not as considered in any forme of flesh but as considered in the fulnesse of the Spirit But what Christ is in the fulnesse of the Spirit that is the thing wee are to explaine and clearly to distinguish Christs Coming in the Spirit Discovered AND First of all This Christ which is the Rest of Saints He is the Eternall Word of God spoken in time within every Saint by God upon which Internall yea Eternall Word the Spirit is made to Rest Joh. 1. 1. He is there called the Word of God He is the Word of God two waies First He was the Word of God as God eyther spake when he said Let us make man Gen. 1. 26. which was an expression of God concerning the First Creation and so all things were made by this Word of God Joh. 1. 1 2 3. Or He was that Word God promised should bruise the Serpents head Gen. 3. 15. which word by God being spoken was in time made flesh as appeares John 1. 14. which word being spake of God as it was so spake It was before this time in his bosome to be declared in time upon which word of God then we are to Rest and for the manifestation of which they were to waite But secondly This word is more spirituall to us when we enjoy the same word within us and the effect thereof upon us then it was at that present Now he is the internall voice of God spoken within an undone soule which doth Pâ—oduce liberty happinesse freedome and all the Creature can imagine after it is spoken within him For the word that was spoken at first which word was from the beginning 1 John 1. 1. which word was spoken without and in time because the same flesh with us was but figures of the excellency of that internall Word which God will speake within every Creature which Word shall become Christ within man after it is spoken unto man which Christ is a mystery to every one who knowes him not in this sense but to prove this more fuller in the 9. Chapter of the Rev. ver 13. There he is in expresse tearmes called The Word of God which expression I looke upon to have speciall reference to this particular wee are speaking of viz. The being the eternall or internall Voice of God within every Creature and indeed he is made manifest in every voice of God in soules and this Word in Scripture is often called the voice of Christ that is the Voice of God which in name and nature is Christ John 5 25. 28. John 10. 3 4. John 14. 11. For to looke upon Jesus Christ as he is in the Father and so a Spirit wee are to looke upon it that all Voyces that are spoken from the Spirit within us are voyces of God which for distinction sake is tearmed Christ for as he was in flesh he was not this internall Word for the externall Word of God became a Christ in the flesh John 1. 14 so doth the internall Word of God within us become a saving Jesus to us the one without us before our time in the figure which was to passe away and not to continue in that forme and shape for ever to us and so not to be Rested upon but the Internall Word of God within us is a dispensation of God which cannot be taken away or destroyed but abides for ever so as in the 1 John 2. 14. I have written unto you young men because ye are strong which strength was the abiding of this Word within them which Word was Christ which they from God had spoke within them Now this Internall externall Word of the Spirit of Christ this Word is faithfull and true Rev 19. 11. 13. yea unchangeable upon which the Saints Spirits doe Rest and live 2. This Christ is a cleare manifestation of God within us He was the manifestation of God when he was in the figure which was in the flesh there God was manifested in a mystery which mystery was Christ now as Christ without us was God manifested in the flesh so Christ within us is God manifested in the Spirit This Christ within man cannot be revealed in any fleshly forme but he must be revealed as he is in the Spirit one with the Father yea in the Father So that when God clearely reveales himself in any soul this which is now revealed is nothing else but himself in Love handed out by this Revelation Christ so that in Scriptures He is called the vision of God Hab. 2. 2. 3. Here he is distinguished to be Gods Vision which Vision is nothing else but a clear manifestation of God within the Creature formerly made cleare to the understanding of the Creature to be unrevealed and enjoyed by it So as now it teaches the soul perfect and iâ—fallible Truth after manifested to it for as Christ in the fleshly forme was appointed to declare and reveal God to us and so Christ called Christ God they being manifested in the same forme So it is inward the end of this terme Christ within you the hope of glory Coloss 1. 27. was because He was God clearely made manifest within them which had been a mystery hid but now was made manifest to his Saints So that the great Mystery of heaven is Christ who is the clear manifestation of the Father in the heart of Saints Again wee see it plainly declared in the 1. Joh. 1. 1. 2. For the Life was manifested and we have seene it and bear witnesse and shew unto you that Eternall Life which was with the Father and was manifested unto us here the Apostle doth plainly make manifest unto us That Eternall Life which was Christ in God was in time manifested by God which manifestation of Life was Jesus Christ So that He is termed sometimes to be of the Father sâ—â—etimes to come downe from him sometimes to be the Father and sometimes to be the Vision of him and many other expressions there is given of him from whence I note that most commonly every making forth of God in Mercy and Love to his Creatures are commonly called Christ for the difference betwixt the term of the Father and the Son doth not so much consist in Nature and Being but in name and working or dispensation all the acts of freedome and love and light are called Christ in us because it is a spirituall dispensation of God in mercy and love
speak of was Christ Secondly we see the place where it centers before it is made manifest and that is laid open to be in the Father Thirdly the way whereby they knew it and also to be theirs was twofold First by the manifestation of it Secondly by opening the eyes of a souls understanâ—â—ng whereby they come to see that life which now to them is made manifest further he is the life of Saints spiritually considered Coloss 3. 3. 4. here he saith when Christ our life shall appear then shall we also appear with him in glory So that he is here Saints life called and more fuller experienced in every heart who hath found him fully made manifest within their spirits againe he is life of Saints as he becomes the spirituall resurrection of Saints for before ever God bring any Creature into the enjoyment of himself he brings the Creature into a spirituall death not in the body but in the spirit and being layd in the grave aloâ—â— Christ as he is the spirituall life of Saints must be their resurrection I meane the resurrection of their spirits from this spiritual death as he is a dispensation of life and therefore it is written Joh. 11. 25. I am the resurrection and the life he that beleeveth in me though he were dead yet shall he live So that Christ as he is to become the spirituall life of Saints proves an inward resurrection to them in the manifestation of this their life which indeed Paul did experience when he spake these words Gal 2. 20. I am crucified with Christ neverthelesse I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me So that though Paul had been buried into Christs death yet notwithstanding when Christ came to be manifested to him then he proved a resurrection of life in him and by this life was Paul madâ—â—◠〈◊〉 for untill Christ our life comes to be manifest we lye dead voyd of any spiritual life or motion in us and this was figured out in the matter of Lazarus death when Christ came he found him dead and buried voyd of life or motion wherein at last the very breath of Christ breathed out in way of voice Lazarus come forth raised him up and gave life unto him Ioh. 11. 43 44. Two things are here spiritually holden forth First a spirituall death of Creatures when Christ comes to breath upon them the breath of life Secondly by his thus comming speaking and breathing occasions life because his words are spirit and life thus spoken So that it is said The hour is comming and now is when the dead shall hear the voyce of the Son of God and they that hear shall live Now in all this is held forth unto us The spirituall resurrection of all Saints by Iesus Christ coming in the spirit into them so that though this particular be the least looked after yet it is of the highest concernment and not that which most men doat of so much after death So that if we look upon our spirituall resurrection we shall see that the coming of Christ in the Spirit is a manifestation of Spirituall life which proves a spirituall life which proves a spirituall resurrection in such Creatures and in time their Rest and Center Now he being the life of Saints Then first we may observe That Saints life is Iesus Christ Though before they are making out of their own actings according to the law of works do this and live yet now they see that life is destroyed and the cause of all actions to God flowes from this life principled in them and though they are making a life out of enlargement or holinesse in conversation yet this is a life above it unbottoming the creature off from it and centring the Creature in a stable and solid life Secondly the Saints live because Christ lives in them for though before their livâ—â—â—re hid with God yet they were not to live in 〈◊〉 â—o themselves with joy and peace untill it 〈◊〉 manifest from God in them so that they are made to live from the manifestation of life in them whereby they come to know it and so to be made to live by it for ever Cast a Saint into any condition he lives very sweetly because he lives by the life of Christ in him yea he lives sweetly with contenâ—ednesse because Christ lives in him So now to summe up this Christ as he is a spirituall dispensation of God in the Spirit is a Spiritual life by vertue of which life in Saints are Saints swallowed up with it and so centred up in it So that the center or rest of a Saint is eternall and everlasting which is Christ the spirituall life of God in us by which life the Creature doth not only live to but live to do This life is the motion of his spirit so as by this life he doth not onely live but lives to it so that the creatures spirits are wholly set apart to live to God This life is the living in the Spirit and not in the flesh hereby comes the life of Saints to be a life of love and a life of God because they are not at Rest from all their own labors and now all things are acted in them by that Spirit of life which is Christ dwelling in them now Saints wholly live to God by the life of God in them and thus are Saints centred up in God or Christ because their spirits are carried up above the creature into life which is Christ in them becoming spirituall and eternall life to them Fifthly This spirituall Christ as he comes from God and is manifested by God and so known by us and become Rest to us he is spirituall redemption and deliverance Now to looke upon Christ in the Spirit he cannot be manifested but he becomes a spirituall Jesus that is a Saviour of spirits for he was not a Jesus as he was in the flesh but he was a Jesus as he was to come in the Spirit for the flesh could not doe it Yet it was a figure of that spiritual salvation and liberty which Christ is in the hearts of Saints For indeed Jesus Christ is salvation it self and where he in power and glory there is salvation that is he is a Saviour or a deliverer of the creature out of that spiritual slavery and bondage in which he lives So as he is become freedome and redemption to the heart and therefore he is said to be made unto us Wisdom and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption that is he is manifest in us and so is become a spirituall redemption to us freeing us spiritually from our inward bondage and slavery both that bondage of self and Sathan whereby we are made to live in spiritual freedome and all this freedome and deliverance is Christ in the spirit as he is a spirituall dispensation designed of God for the same purpose though many souls do work out their own salvation by their doing whose salvation is false others having
what is discovered for HE comes with a Satisfactory Witnesse which doth answer all objections and satisfy all doubts in the heart which may arise yea If men instead of approving do deny it to be Truth yet the soules Testimony within it selfe doth bear up his spirit that he is able to say All men belye the Truth Rom. 8. 16. he not in the least being daunted in his assurance thereof though it be opposed by man or devil neither can such a heart be shaken if all the men of the World should arise against the same coming to disprove it Prov. 10. 25. 30. Also he that runs to any visible externall Witnesse pretending Christ is come in the Spirit is a creature altogether ignorant of his said coming and lives much below such a coming for to me this is an infallible Truth that if any man pretend Christ is come into him in the Spirit and yet wants an inward Testimony or Witnesse for it and so is forced to make use of visible Testators he is a man plainly wanting the enjoyment of the same for God in such a case never leaves himself without a sure satisfactory unresistible and undeniable testimony which indeed the Creature who wants the same may well make use of others But flashes if they be deceiveable pretends to come in with a witnesse and therefore many cals this a witnesse they being perswaded of the truth of what it enjoyes But this is as much below the witnesse of the spirituall coming of Christ as the light of the stars is below the light of the Sun How many under a state of flashes which I may say is almost the last Carde Satan can play in a soule to deceive him in his transformings doe live in most great joy light notions or pretended liberty thinking from a meer perswafion they have within them they live in very high enjoyments and doe beleeve they have a witnesse of the Spirit within them for the truth of what they beleeve when indeed it is but a formed imagination and a Card plaid gallantly by Satan to keep the Creature below the enjoyment of God in the Spirit and to live in freedome and Rest when not in truth and in the Lord. Further this is the reason partly of many ups and downs in the heart whereby the Creature is one day beleeving and another day doubting because it is not living in the enjoyment of Christ in the Spirit but may be is under some flashes and so it comes to passe that it is unsetled and unfixed in God Fourthly Flashes are of no long continuance they are not of an enduring nature for they presently appeare are presently gone and so though the Creature had a great deale of light and joy yet when the flash comes to be taken away away goes all the Creatures joy and light and he is left in the cloudes of darknesse and sorrow again Whereas when Christ comes in the Spirit it is not so then all sorrow and mourning shall flee away Isa 60. 19 20. and the darknesse of the Creature shall be expelled and God shall become unto the soul an everlasting lights Rev. 21. 3. 24. so that God and the Lamb shall live in his heart and be sight and glory to him so as his Sun shall never goe downe but he shall live in the light of God and the Lamb for ever and ever For his coming in the Spirit is after the Resurrection of a soul out of the grave whereby he is carried up in the light and glory of God from the descendings of that light and glory from God so as there is a living in the light God lives in and a swallowing up in the fame glory God is swallowed up withall but a flash leaves in its withdrawing the Creature in the same it found him in if not worse for a flash of light or joy is like a flash of light in the Skye upon the darkest night it appears to be the greater the greater the darknesse is So upon a dark soule when it s possessed with much darknesse the least flash that can appear in that is very great and admirable so that the heart being no otherwise able to judge lookes upon it as a manifestation of God yea may be a very glorious one yet it is not so at last is taken away and the Creatures hopes and expectations is frustrated Whereas to such a soule as lives in the day naturall or spirituall hardly can discerne or take notice of such a flash or light because it is so much inferiour to the light and glory of the Sun and day which now is appeared and shines either within him or without him These flashes in the first place if they be of Satan the very end thereof is to lull the creature asleep in the bed of security and there is no resting of the same by any poor creature For First It workes and comes in sutable to the Creatures necessities pretending redresse for the same Secondly It comes with a glorious resembled form or shape God workes in and so it becomes a transformed Satan and not a transfigured Christ Thirdly It is not able to discern the same by reason of the absence of the true light which makes all things manifest Eph. 5. 13. yea the very transforming of Satan Fourthly Flashes in this nature doe come with furniture to back the truth of what it doth declare or speak if there be any jealousies arise in the heart as sometimes there is yet it doth furnish him with strength to mannage the entertainment of it and his joy and peace from it and here Satan plaies his parts for if the heart be of an opinion that it is possible for a soule to doubt after he hath enjoyed a manifestation of God then he will put a Creature upon doubting to make good that false un-sound and un-experienced principle of men that the truest faith is accompanied with the greatest doubtings and here the heart is still deluded and kept in strong perswasions of the truth of his flash 2. If the heart be of that judgement that it is impossible that a soule can doubt againe after he hath enjoyed a manifestation of God then Satan will transforme himselfe into a capacity of confirming the creature in labouring in all transformed actions to confirme the creature in his assurance of the truth of what he enjoyes and so upon all occasions addes to what he hath done and so the poore Creature Rests satisfied in and upon what the Creature cals his manifestations of God now flashes that usually attend a Creature that is truly enlightened by God though not fully possessed with God yet he being waiting for the comming of Christ in the Spirit is sometimes attended with flashes or light of joy but they if from God most commonly have these ensuing effects 1. They doe underprop and support a weary fainting spirit in his spirituall travell to his land of Rest so as he is made to waite with
forme but shall appeare alwaies in the same glory in and to the spirit of such a Creature So that what changeable forme God is pleased to appeare in to us is to be no Rest or habitation of us but to be led into higher enjoyments or after higher enjoyments of God by the fight and appearance of him though in a low or very meane manner in the form discovered For the end partly why Christ appeared in divers formes to his Apostles and so to many now is because he would not have any Rest in or upon his forme or appearance but that they might be as he was dying to all these and waiting for his ascending into God where he might be for ever swallowed up with the light and glory of God and there to make his and all Saints habitation and Rest The fifteenth false Rest THe next Rest which I shall speak of is The Gospel Faith of Jesus Christ as men cals it which indeed hath some ground of Rest both from Scripture and reason as they thinke Men in our daies have given distinctions of Faith as namely Historicall Temporall and Saving But leaving the two former I come to the latter and shall un bosome my sad experience of deceit in the same 1. Concerning this Saving Gospell Faith I owne their is a Faith which in Scripture is termed Saving yet that which men cals both beleeving and saving I finde not to be so And first of all men cals true Faith A dependance upon Christ or beleeving Christ dyed for them according to the Scripture Now Faith is neither a dependancy upon Christ or beleeving according to our common exposition that Christ dyed for us these if they be so in the heart as a Creature doth conceive yet they are but the effects and fruits of Faith in its spirituall act upon or towards God but this many make their Rest and shelter that if they can but beleeve Christ dyed for them at Jerusalem and that thus beleeving they can goe out of themselves that is onely deny their own righteousnesse and beleeve that Christ is theirs and that he dyed for them this is a Rest sufficient when indeed the poore heart is both ignorant what Faith is and what going out of himselfe is For never can a creature go out of himself to Christ or God before there be a cleere manifestation of God in the heart Now the Creature who is thus Resting upon his beleeving in Christ is altogether ignorant of any manifestation of God to him or in him For Faith is a supernaturall and divine light of God communicated to the soule by the Spirit of God which after this manifestation of light the creature comes to see and behold the glory of God by which Faith he is made to beleeve yea which beleeving is an effect or act of the said Faith upon or towards the same God which is revealed Now in the first place Beleeving is not Faith but an effect thereof Secondly Beleeying is an act of God in us to himselfes and so no Rest Thirdly Nothing which flowes forth from man to God is to be a Rest No act whatsoever is to be a Rest as it is purely exercised in man though of God but mans Rest is to be One who acts all in man who is God Many men are thinking highly of themselves because the Scriptures declare a Christ crucified for man and they are made to beleeve he was so for them and so are made to deny their own workes of doings and to depend onely upon this Christ â— which indeed the poor hearts be ignorant of and know him not neither have any manifestation of Jesus Christ in them in any particular way but onely from their own imaginations and fancies they still confidently beleeve that this Christ is theirs and he dyed for them and here they Rest and make their habitation concluding this to be Faith and the knowledge of Christ which indeed if such a Spirit knew what Faith were or the knowledge of Christ were this would be dissolved if not destroyed and it would finde it's faith and knowledge to be an un-sound and nn-safe Rest to be centred upon So that I say that that is not Faith or beleeving which men so cals and if so it were no ground to Rest upon For In the first place A man must truly know within himselfe what Faith is before man can truely beleeve Secondly Hee must also know what this Christ is he beleeves in before he can depend upon him and beleeve truly in him Thirdly There must be a cleare manifestation of God or Christ in man before there can bee any true knowledge particularly of him by man Fourthly Christs dying at Jerusalem shall then bee known to the heart in a more spirituall manner then ever And the workings of that death shall be found in that heart to bee such as formerly it did not conceive of Fiftly He shall know that dependency upon Christ and his former beleeving in Christ the truth of which he hath formerly tryed by visible signes and marks is now made to be a fancy not Faith and an effect of darknesse not of light And now he findes another dependency and beleeving in him flowing from another ground then before he knew and that the matter hee Rested upon in his own imagination which he before called a Christ dying for him is now changed being it was but his carnall conceptions and fleshly teachings and actings and now he is made to see the spirituall sense and so to judge of the truth of an ever dying yet ever living transfigured glorified Christ so as now he is making his habitation not amongst the beasts of the field in his former fancies and fleshly teachings but in the spirituall heavens where lives all Just men made perfect and all perfect men made to live by or in the life of God or Christ so as he is changed into glory and his Rest is made glorious Sixtly When this is come to passe men shall know really the Mystery of Faith and why it is called a Mystery and that same spirit shall know a difference betwixt the Mystery of Faith discovered to the Conscience coming as it were from God and the keeping and exercising of the Mystery of that Faith in a pure Conscience to God and that beleeving is not Faith as it purely comes from God discovering it selfe and the Mystery thereof to the Conscience But it is the exercise of that said Mystery of Faith by God in Conscience to God So that the Mystery of faith in it selfe is one thing and beleeving and dependency upon Christ if true is another thing But the effect or exercise of the Mysteriousnesse of faith in a conscience which is pure to or upon a God that is pure Seventhly Men may beleeve Christ died for them and from this beleeving may practise such things as are required by him yea may have much peace joy in the same And in this his own works
is Jesus Christ made so by God to us whereby he becomes our Righteousnesse a Righteousnesse which destroyes all ours in the flesh and makes us-live in the righteousnesse of the Spirit So that now beleevers in this kind shall not be found naked but cloathed with Christ their righteousnesse they shall not be condemned for they shall be made stand in the righteousnes of another And to be covered with the roabes of the Lamb made beautifully by Christs beauty and comely by his comelinesse so that the same shall dwell in the spirits of Saints that dwels in the Spirit of God and that shall be made a beleevers to be imployed for God and to God now beleevers who are made to Rest in Christ are incompassed about with truth and righteousnesse in which their spirits shall live with freedome and unexpressible joy for ever And now as this Christ dwels in them as a dispensation of God so he carries them up in their spirits to live and Rest compleatly in God so as now they live where Christ lives which is in the bosome of God so that the great designe of God in this Christ spiritually comming is wholly to gather up the spirits of creatures into the Spirit to live dwell or rest therein and to this purpose he is called the Power of God and indeed he is so a divine a Power come forth from God to accomplish the great designe of God in the Spirits of Saints and therefore Saints finde sometimes that this Power works in them mightily and never ceases till it gathers up the creature wholly into God to Rest compleatly in him So that to conclude all when Saints are truly at rest in God then in the first place the will of the creature shall be centred up in the will of God and so â—he will of God shall become the will of the creature so as the will shall cease to act any thing but what is acted by the Will of God so that the Will of of Saints shall be gathered up into the will of God and their Will being centred up in his Will Here shall it be said The creature hath ceased from his own works as God did from his Heb. 4. 10. and now his Will Rests in God though before the Will was bent against God and would not be limited but all things must be carried on according to the Will of flesh but now it acts so no more but now with Christ not my will but thy will be performed so as now his will is at Rest he wils nothing of himselfe it is carried on by the Will of God Secondly The mind of the creature is centred in the mind of God so that creatures mindes one thing with God and the same Principall of truth is possessed in the mind of God So that now the mind is wholly made spirituall and none but God doth possesse it So as now the mind doth solace it self takes sweet contentment in God whereas it may be a small time before God did not dwell in the mind but corruption or sin at that time there was not such solace in God but rather in lust and sin neither did the mind delight in God or rest upon him whereas now being spiritually possessed with it is sweetly made to live above all in God who is now become the ease and rest of the mind Thirdly The affections of men are centred up in God and wholly swallowed up with him So as now the creature lives in heaven That is with his affections in the presence of God with great delight and so he comes really to dwell with God nothing can come and take up this creatures affections being they are placed upon God being made spirituall by God So they act as God acts in them yea the affections of the creature and Gods are made both one so as they wheel both from one principle and by one and the same power Love moves Gods affection if it can be so said so it moves the creatures affection to God God is ravished with the creature and the affections are ravished with God he delighteth on the one hand and the creature on the other So that Christs and Saints delight and joy are both one Fourthly The Spirits of Saints are at Rest because they are eased of all heavy loades and burdens Christ hath given them Rest who are eased and unloadened of every yoak and burthen so as now his wearinesse is at an end and no more in his spirits but all taken away and his spirit lives in compleat liberty and freedome Fifthly He is set free and is at Rest whom God hath made to cease from his own works and now God works all in and by his Spirit That though he hath bin a long time travelling towards Canaan yet now he is got within the land That now God flowes in npon his spirits with immediate feedings and refreshments and so now fully satisfies the heart with all things desirable and desired so as the Spirit lives in compleat satisfaction in all things as he is sweetly possessed with him who is become all things to him and by this acts no more in himself nor by himself but now it is that he is dead thereunto and is so quickned in the Spirit as that now the worke of Gods Kingdome is made exceeding glorious and is carried on exceeding gloriously So that â—ot by arm or strength of the creature but by the Spirit The creature being ceased from all self-actings this soul truly that Rest in God Further he is at Rest in God who hath truly passed through the state of inward resurrection and now is Ascended into God for as Christ in his fleshly form was not at Rest because he was not ascended so no more is the spirits of any spirituall man at Rest in God untill after his spirituall resurrection he be ascended into God to dwell compleatly in God for Christ coming in the manifestation of the Spirit begets a resurrection in us and the powerfull effects of that life begets an ascension of our spirits into God So that now the soul having ascended can no more descend into these low things which keepes below and short of his Glory but when he appeares in the Spirit within us and discovers his glory to us it doth so overcome the spirit as indeed it is caught up with it for ever to live in it for impossible it is that the spirits can live below God which occasioneth trouble and wearinesse who hath before truly lived in God by the vertue of God made manifest to live in them Secondly It is impossible that any soul can live and Rest in God and so ascend into God before there be a manifestation of the life of God in the creature for it is God descending in his appearance or manifestation in us That both begets a resurrection and ascension of us so that we ascend by descending and live Rest in him by his being manifested to live and Rest
salvation from some false christ which workes and acts like this Christ yet the Son hath set neither free neither doe they know that alone redemption salvation and liberty which is produced by Christ living or appearing in any heart so that the spirituall Rest of saints is in and upon that salvation liberty and freedome which they have in this Christ who is become this unto them so that all heavy loads and yoaks are removed all oppositions of spiriâ— are taken off and all the wearinesse of spirit removed so that now the spirits are set free and can no more come into bondage but Christ alone is become salvation and liberty to him so that the spirit doth salace it selfe and Rest in him who is become freedome and salvation to him Sixtly Christ the Rest of Saints spiritually known is the wisdome of God in creatures the wisdome of God in Saints is Jesus Christ and there it is said He is made unto us wisdome 1 Cor. 1. 30. So that it is the Wisdome of God which is Christ spiritually known in which Saints Rest Fot if they Rested in the wisdome of the flesh that should be destroyed and so no safe Rest and center for them but the Wisdome of Christ doth unbottome Saints from their own wisdome and establish himselfe even the Wisdome of the God head in the Creature to be a Rest unto the Creature whereas before the Soule and spirit were not a Rest being from its own wisdome plotting and contriving which way to act and what to doe not from the Wisdome of God but from the wisdome of the flesh onely opposing and gain-saying this Wisdome which when the Creature could not bring about what in his owne wisdome he had contrived he must needs be perplexed and so conâ—inue in all trouble but now he is destroyed in that and he is made to Rest upon the Wisdome of God Christ now taking the Creatures place and acting in the stead of the Creature so that the soul is made to walke in and by Wisdome it is that Wisdome which is pute peaceable and undefiled The Wisdome of the flesh is corrupted but this is pure The Wisdome of the flesh hath nothing in it but disquietnesse both to the party in whom it is or in the Kingdome Church or Family where ir is acted and for this reason is occasioned all jarrings and tumults But the Wisdome of God which is Jesus Christ is peaeeable it workes abundance of peace and quietness in the soule Church or Nation where it onely is advanced here is a quiet and peaceable habitation for Saints to Rest and live upon wee see Christ often in Scripture called the Wisdome of God and as 1 Cor. 1. 24. where the Apostle declares Christ in all that are saved to be the Wisdome and power of God though this Wisdome be little esteemed of by the world yet it is highly precious in the esteem of Saints as for instance that of the Proverbs 3. 15. ver where that Wisdome is precious yea more precious then Rubies yea he is expressed to be an un-comparable comparison so that this Wisdome of the eternall Spirit which is Christ in us is desirable and therefore above all things saith the Scriptures Get Wisdome Prov. 4. 5. yea there is a happinesse in the enjoyment of it for it is the principal thing belongs to a Saint Pro. 4. 7. so that Saints are centred up in the Wisdome of God and are wholly delivered up into it to be alone disposed by it so that the spirit lives in sweet quietnesse and Rest the Creature being wholly made nothing in his own Wisdome and the Wisdome of God alone orders all things in him Seventhly That which spiriturlly is called Christ in us is that Peace which is spoken by God to us and received from God by us in which Peace we live and Rest so that Saints are kept in the Peace of God which is Christ to this purpose is the saying in the Eph. 2. 14. For he is our peace who hath made both one and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us Here the Apostle sets forth Christ to be the Peace of the Saints for whatsoever tends to peace in the Creatures spirits that I mean which truly tends to the same is Christ for the soule before he appeares in it is like unto the ship tossed with the waves and tempest before Christ said unto the waves Be still this is that Peace the Apostle desires the Saints may enjoy which was the Peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding Phil. 4. 7. which was of ability to keepe their hearts in the knowledge and love of God now this is that Saints spirituall Christ a Peace which is able to keep them in the love of God and a Peace which passeth the understanding of the Creature that is a Peace which the understanding of man can never finde out or iâ— able to reach under yea all the understanding in the world is never able to finde out such a Peace for the Creature as this is so that he is tearmed the prince of Peace Isa 9. 6. All the acts of Christ in the spirits of Beleevers are Righteousnesse and Peace It is that Peace which the world cannot give and such a Peace it is as they cannot take away When God speaks Châ—ist into a soul which is Peace in which none can cause trouble in such a soul because Christ is become the Peace thereof indeed men may speak Peace and Ordinances may speak Peace and false Gods and Christs may speake Peace after which there may be trouble occasioned But after God speaks Peace there can none cause trouble but the soule lives and is kept in the Peace of God and none can make him afraid therefore the Prophet did utter these sayings He shall be our Peace when the Assyrians comes into our Land This Christ is the Peace of Saints in every condition so that they live in much freedom and joy because the center and rest of their spirits is peace And lastly This Christ is Righteousnesse and holinesse in the Saints or Sanctification this not onely by experience but by Scripture may be proved The Apostle tels the Church of Corinth That Christ of God was made unto them wisdome and righteousnesse and sanctification and Redemption 1 Cor. 1. 30. So that Righteousnesse and sanctification Christ was made unto them so that whatsoever is Righteousnesse in the Spirits of Saints is Christ spiritually dwelling in them this is that righteousnesse that the Apostle desired to be found in this is that divine nature which the Saints are made partakers of to wit Christ the Righteousnesse of God This is agreeable to that saying concerning Christ And this is his Name whereby he shall be called THE LORD OVR RIGHTEOVSNESSE Jer. 23. 6. Jer. 33. 16. He shall not only be called so by them but he really shall be made over so by God to them so that the Righteousnesse of God in us