any thing here I have inserted to be false Rests but that I am at is to set all things in its proper place and to bring soules to see the true center that they may not misse the one thing necessary while they are acting beyond their line in which actings themselves may become cast-aways and that men may know that neither Scriptures or Christ in the flesh Ordinances or Members of Churches or the Kingdome after death or the form of words in the Letter or Promises is the Rest of Saints but He who is the sum and substance of all viz. Christ in the Spirit coming in us to be Life Glory Light and Happinesse to us and so an hope of glory in us This is the Rest of Saints but Christian Reader God now in these days is discovering the false coverings of creatures and sostripping them naked God is bringing men tr see this great mystery of self in all â—s glory He is annihilating creatures and bringing them to a spirituall death He is laying low mountains and un-bottoming and un-resting Creatures Mens lofty looks He is abasing yea He is bringing men who have bin stars and somthing in their own and others eyes even to a loss and silence confusion and darkness That now their light is darkness their wisdome folly their life death their enlargements and self-actings hedged up and they cannot find out any of their former paths so that now they are made to waite in silence as well as the Author of this book was forced to do and it may be the wisdome of God that this particular shall be an instrument of good as well in this as it hath bin before it came in this publick view to many souls in another manner and method so that I shall leave them to receive at thy hands what censure the wisdom of God pleaseth to cause or permit wishing thy exceeding happinesse in the Spirit Thine in Truth revealed R. W. Severall Rests of Creatures Discovered and laid open below the Coming of Christ in the Spirit who is the alone Rest of Saints THE first Rest which we shall speak of is Civility or a common restraint of the Creature from the committing of grosse evils looked upon by the party to be Reformation This condition or dispensation speaks deceiveable peace to many a spirit upon the which seeming good which pretends to follow this state the creature resteth and is satisfied But the reason thereof partly flowes from these following grounds 1. From comparing himself with others that is looking upon the grosnesse of mens actions abroad in the world as namely swearing and drunkennesse and the height of all prophanes many spirits live in where they are in the same condion Drinking up iniquity as if they were drinking up water in these particulars hee being restrained and more civillized then those he blesseth himself in his present condition and Rests satisfied with it as though in it he did enjoy much of God 2. It flowes from comparing his condition present with what it was The more grosser his condition was before the higher it works him into conceit with the happines of its present condition Thus not seeing the purity of God and the deceitfulnes of its own spirit within he comparing himself with himself is deceived and so rests satisfied 3. It flowes from the consideration of the greatnes of love he had before being restrained to those grosse evils he is restrained from together with the greatnes of the power which he cals the divine power of God which thus restraines him and thus he reasons if God did not highly love me I should never have received such a power from him as to shake off and not only so but to hate and obhorre those grosse sins I so deerly loved both in my self and others and now the very practise of them being as he conceives hated by him ads weight to his thus reasoning out the love of God Another thing which ads weight is his often praying against such particular sins as yet remaines unsubdued afterwards these being subdued he looks upon acceptance with God in this being he looks upon it as an answer of prayer and so in the same he reasons out love in this condition 4. It flowes from the seeming sorrow which ariseth continually upon the view of his former condition which workes a seeming repenatnce and reformation and from the sorrow he hath for his former condition now having a work of Reformation he Rests under the notion of happinesse yet not all this time brought home to see the grosnesse of his heart within but meerly washing the outside Luke 11. 39. and being a whited wall glorious without it is all he looks for or seeks after But Satan and mans heart will suffer the creature to act so farre and propound such waies to himself as in the same to bring the soul into a state of security where it may rest under the consideration of being happy and not without some visible ground apparent both to the creature thus deceived and the World who are not spirituall discoverers But alas what is it for any to be instruments to pull down or to be restrainers from Idolatry without when indeed there is remaining the cause of all Idolatry of Spirit within To be outwardly drunk no more yet to be drunk with the high conceipts of himself which is neither with wine nor strong drink it s worse for a man to have the branches broken down before the root be pulled up for a man to be seemingly a Saint a devil within in this estate there is no sure Rest but thus it is most commonly with men they conclude they are happy if they have but the least appearance of it in a visible restraining of them from gross evils in this they appear to themselves and others men reformed so new creatures when indeed they are stil in their blood though they have escaped the common pollution of the World through a general knowledge of Christ which is no sure cause of Rest until there be a particular knowledge of him by which the creature is cleansed from all pollutions both of flesh spirit which makes the heart upright before God from this inward knowledge of God which carries up the spirit of a spirituall man into God where he comes to be truly centred up in God so that the heart and Satan being deceitful as to suffer the creature to escape the common pollutions of the World so that it may but there keep the Creature And seeing in this estate of darknes none can truly judge of its condition aright until the true light come in which makes all things manifest Then it behoves souls in this estate though to themselves never so seemingly glorious not to rest satisfied with or content it self in it as though it did enjoy God in the same manifested but to wait for a higher dispensation and then the truth of this dispensation shall be discovered
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 spirit 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 solace 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 For 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 at 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 continue 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 pure 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 it is acted aâ—â— for this reason is occasioned all jarrings and tumults But the Wisdome of God which is Jesus Christ is peaceable it workes abundance of peace and quietness in the soul Church or Nation where it onely is advanced here is a quiet and peaceable habitation for Saints to Rest and live upon we 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 uncomparable comparison so that this wisdome of the eternall Spirit which is Christ in us is desirable and therefore above all things saith the Scripture Get Wisdome Prov. 4. 5. yea there is a happinesse in the enjoyment of it for it is the principal thing that belongs to a Saint Pro. 4. 7. so that Saints are eentred 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 spiritually 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 pertition 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 soul before he appears 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 understanding Phil. 4. 7. which was of ability to keep 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 is ablâ— to reach under yea all the understanding in the world is never able to finde ousuch a peace for the creature as this is so that he ist termed 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 Christ 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 ann none can make him afraide therfore the Prophet did utter these sayings He shall be our peace when the Assyriant comes into our Land This Christ is the peace of Saints in every condition so that they live in much freedom an joy because the center and rest of their spirits is peaced And lastly This Christ is Righteousnesse and holynesse in the Saints or sanctification this not only 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 sanficaction and Redemption 1 Cor 1. 30. So that Righteousnesse and santification 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 ofâ— 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 mâ—â—â— over so by God to them so that the Righteousnesse of God in us 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
dissolve in a higher appearance of God Therefore though men both know and beleeve that there was a Christ crucified in the flesh yet let them not rest untill they know it in the Spirit Then shall a man see Christ daily crucified before his eyes First In him Secondly By him Thirdly For him And fourthly Crucifying of him That he shall say with Paul from experience I am crucifyed with Christ neverthelesse I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me Gal. 2. 20. Then shall the soul know both what it is to be crucified by or with Christ and also what this Christ is that lives within him which is become life unto him then he shall know it is not flesh but Spirit and life that lives in him neither shall he be satisfied with hearing of his death at Jerusalem but with experiencing partly the mystery now made manifest in him and so comes to be known by him then shall he say Though I have known Christ after the flesh yet now henceforth know I him no more 2 Cor. 5. 16. Being he knowes him in the new Creation being made to see and discern in the Spirit and so behold Christ in the vision of God Hab 2. 3. Which is so far from being beheld before as a true crucified estate as indeed there is nothing but darknesse and rebellion in the heart to such an estate only the soul living and rejoycing in some carnall conception of God and Christ and yet the heart is empty of his light and giory and indeed running from the Fountaine to the streames and from the substance to the shadow or figure as I might plainly lay open how all the actions of Christ in the flesh attributed to him are but reall Types and figues and shadowes of either good things to come or to be revealed in souls I cleerly see that sometimes he speaks in Parables sometimes he speaks in Mystery and sometimes yea altogether he acted in Mystery as holding forth what he did in his coming in the soul being a more glorious dispensation then that under the Law as the coming of him in the Spirit is from his comming in the flesh so that what miracles and acts transcendently acted by him above all that was made and is experienced by those in the Spirit who enjoy him who discovers all as namely his raising Lazarus and at the marriage turning water into wine and his healing sick and opening eyes and so all passages flowing from him of this nature were but figures still of what he did and would do in and for soules and so not only in matters of doing but also in matters of sufferings they are reall figures of the same truth substantially experienced in Saints both place persons condemnation Grosse death buriall his agony or withdrawing before his grave and resurrection his not ascending immediately after his death to his Father but afterwards ascended in the fulnesse of time All these in every particular are known in the true and spirituall sense of them by those that have had fellowship with ham in his death and Resurrection and so hath passed from death to life and now is risen within and dwels with him in heaven and so is swallowed up in the God-head and is rose in the Fathers glory and now is filled with the Spirit this time is the time of knowledge and this is wisdomes time wherein he comes to be satisfaction to them and also is justified by them this is the time when they sing nothing but praise and glory to the Lamb who doth not onely deserve to open the Book Rev. 5. 9. and the Seales thereof but hath opened the Book and discovered to the soul the Cabinet and storehouse of the glorious Mystery of the Father and Christ into which City of glory and light the soul is made to enter and Rest and live for ever that now all things are become new Rev. 21. 5. to and with such a soul the very Kingdome of God and the mystery thereof is opened Rev. 10. 7. and now the Tabernacle of God is with man Rev. 21. 3. and now this glorious mystery Christ is manifested in life and power and become the hope of the compleat glory and fulnesse thereof Col. 1. 27. to be made manifest when it is made capable to comprehend it from being comprehended by it and swallowed up in it then shall this heart doâ—e no more upon shadowes or broken Cisterns or figures of good things to come but he shall be gathered up into God and Christ and shall possesse them in the fulnesse of them The ninth false Rest THe next Rest in order to this is visible Church communion or the relations under this notion O this I may say is one of the Idols of Israel and I may say as God was a saying once Come and see yea behold what the Children of Israel are doing in the dark O the darknesse of such soulâ— who Rest in and under such dispensations truly if I should speak the naked truth and nakedly discover every false Rest I never in my own experience did finde more grosse darkenesse sease upon my spirit then did sease upon my spirit under this dispensation Secondly Never more false Laodicean security Thirdly Never more pride and self conceitednesse then at that present ready to judge every one that were not in relation in reference to Church-communion to be no Saints 2. Looking more at the practise of Ordinances and being members of Churches then at the reall experience of such a soul 3. More longing after the encrease of members then of their living in the Spirit which were members 4. Judging every one if they were but in and under such Relations to be Saints though they had little yea indeed no experience of God at all refusing communion with such being not of my judgement though they knew what communion in the Spirit was and closed yea joyned with those who are ignorant of it because they were Church-members This having been mine and still are many more at this present what Church are they of Are they Baptized What judgement are they of Which doth argue both an Idolizing of and Resting upon these poor dispensations of babes and Children It hath been with me and I fear hath been and is still with many more a coldnesse of love to those yea a condemning also because they have or doe not close with us in every particular in matters of Judgement or formes of worship though the parties live in very high enjoyments of God and are passed these childrens and babes dispensations and all this testifies a Besting upon our formes and manner of worship as for instance An Independent so called and an Anabaptist and so many more as the godly presbyterian and others under divers distinctions of foâ—mes how bitter they are one against another what a distance they stand one from another witnesse their preaching and printing and in the same their bitternesse Instance their refusal to hear or joyn
appear So it is with new Testament formes they have and had their time and yet have when God will and doth appear in them yet it is but untill God appear in a higher dispensation and bring the soul into a higher administration then do all shadowes and whatsoever is Gospel-administration cease to that particular soul in the use of them what they were before I would not be mistaken I doe not say they cease to all and every person whatsoever but to such a soul as is in this dispensation namely he who is caught up with God and carried by God out of the forme God ceasing to appear to that particular soule in that forme the Lamb leading the soul gently out of one dispensation into another untill he be wholly swallowed up with God Secondly Such a soule as can truly say the substance of such a forme is come in the Spirit and enjoyes the same within him for there are some formes and administrations which hold forth Christ in the Spirit to come now such cease to be in the use of them at his coming as those old Testament formes did hold forth as we say Christs coming in the flesh which was both the substance of those formes and a more glorious administration of God so it was in the decrease of John and the encrease of this more higher and glorious administration so it shall be in Christ his coming in the Spirit into every soules heart then these formes that Christ appeared in in the flesh shall cease in his coming in the Spirit Now some Gospel-formes doe cease to none but to such as have enjoyed the enjoyment of Christ in the Spirit For as Christ led the Apostles from the Tabernacle-condition in his transfiguration so he will when he appears transfiguring himself in every heart as the Apostles so every heart shall cease to make any forme yea the New Testament-formes Tabernacles to dwell in for ever as many makes them now in our daies also there are administrations which hold out Christ already come Which 1. Is not to be practised before 2. It is to be practised after his coming As I shall name one especially It is the administration of Praise which is alone the work of those that are Redeem'd have the Seals of the vision of God opened and are caught up with God into Heaven to sing songs to Zions God in Zions language by Zions spirit in that holiest of holies which is the place of Zion and those brought into the God-head to sing Praise but now God in this condition is departed from them to this heart not to every own being seen and enjoyed in these formes which do hold forth his thus coming into the heart now none but those who do enjoy God in a more glorious dispensation are to cease acting in those dispensations or formes he yet continues his presence to them in for as God did cease and did not appeare in the forms of the old Testament and they were no more to be used after the substance thereof was come God appeared in a more glorious administration so will God depart and cease to be seen in new Testament-formes or administrations when both the substance of them is come and a higher dispensation doth appear leading the heart out of them to a more glorious and immediate enjoyment of himself This is to follow the Lambe whithersoever he goeth This is to hear a voice behinde man saying This is the way walk in it Isaiah 30. 21. And to be led by a pillar of fire Num. 9. 16 17 18. and sometimes by a Cloud to mans spirituall Rest and not to stand in and under one administration all ones daies and to be in one place for ever But to finde God leading dayly from one forme into another until he bring the soul into the perfect enjoyment of him who is the glory and substance of all formes this for the want whereof makes many to make them their Tabernacles and Rest yea their home yea their God peace and happinesse which if they be taken away their God is gone and their peace hath taken its wings and flown away this is the reason why many in Church relations have a name they live and yet are dead that is they have a name of Saints and Christians but they want the nature of them they have a profession but want a possession This is the reason why many come to have a burning up in their spirits and are brought to a daily losse they run faster into formes and Church relations then God did lead them therefore in them God leaves them for this reason the expectations of many are frustrated which causeth nothing but death and sorrow when they have longed and press'd out after formes and being members of Congregations and the enjoyment of pure Ordinances thinking to find so much in them and to conceive so much from them and when they come there behold nothing but dâ—iâ—es and emptinesse and the want of God and so have suffered losse This is partly the reason of all the rents and breaches in all Churches Congregated and why they cannot stand is because they were not lead by God into these forms neither did they see God clearly go before them but some by affection some by mis-information and some out of zeale so that now very little of God appears either in their coming in continuing with or parting from thus being bound up in forms and living in them and doting too much upon them and rejoycing too much in them and judging all that speake not for them or joyne not with them yea this is the reason why we are devouring one another because we all doe not look for and expect that the glorious appearance of God will lead each man out of his dispensation and form though never so low to drink into one Spirit Let him that is so much either bent for formes or wholly against them beware that he do not so dote upon them as to neglect the Summum bonum the chiefest good and let every heart that is against forms beware of these ensuing things 1. That his living above formes be not a preâ—ence of his own and no true and reall thing for many are mightily deceived in this very particular thing they live so high as they live above all formes and Ordinances in the Spirit when alas they are yet living in a form of knowledge scraped up either from their own industry or else got from hearing others report their experiences or apprehensions and he presently conceiving it to be a truth conceives it to be his truth and so fals off crying out and judging all those that live yet out of conscience in the use of formes not enjoying higher makings forth of God and yet he hath but got a notion of this into his understanding and yet is ignorant of living or injoying God in the Spirit 2. Let them beware of as great an evill on the right hand as on the
confirmed by outward signes after Christ appeared in the form of flesh shall in the mystery thereof be confirmed to and in us by the internall workings miracles which shall attend Christs spiritual coming in the Soul and that in the Spirit Now I say that neither do mens waitings appear to be that which men conceive them to be nor if they did enjoy that at the last which they waite for it would not prove that to them nor give that content peace joy and cause of Rest in them nor assurance to them which they expect from it and think to attain when they come to attain it I wish that men would turne the wheele into the waiting for the inward coming of these things in a more spiritual manner For my own part I thinke they would enjoy more quietnesse in their spirits for the present and more settlement and rest peace and safety in them for the future when it comes to be experienced But I think I may say thus much to such spirits that I think when they enjoy that they waite for viz. the powrings out of the spirit from which to enjoy power to worke outward miracles it will be in the enjoyment thereof But I should be sorry to live without the enjoyment of God to that day and I am confident all such souls shall be weary before they see the same enjoyed by them But secondâ—y To all such as have the same in pretence I do not see how they can make them any safe Rests seeing that Saul and many others did goe as far in the gifts of prophesie or any other gift of the Spirit as any almost who did sweetly enjoy God and that was the cause why these words were spoken They shall say in that day have we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name cast out devils c. Mat. 7. 22 23. Yet see the reply of Christ he did not own them in the same though they did make it their Rest before and their plea then yet it was nothing but that which proved both un sound and un-safe for them Secondly The workings of Antichrist and the mystery of iniquity doth worke with all deceivablenesse doing great wonders in the eyes of the world yet alas it is both for the deceiving of the party who hath it and for the deceiving of the parties who beleeve it witness the worke of the Magicians who when they acted the same things Moses did yet the parties who acted the parties who beleeved the same were both deceived so though there were any in our daies who could doe the â—ame work that they or Judas did yea greater then they did yet the parties might â—e reprobates and cast-awaies and however they may be â—uddainly taken away and herefore un-safe for any soul to Rest thereon It must be the power of God within and thâ—se inward miracles which God works as the effect of his coming viz The casting out of he devils within and bringing down mountaines of pride and selfe and exalting of his Christ in the soul so as the soul is un bottomed of all his false â—rops and carried wholly out of himselfe above himselfe into the power and majesty of that Christ exalted to live by and in that same power and glory by which God lives in the heart So that I say to look for outward powers in this case as I and many more have done or if they were enjoyed to make them their Rests both are to me un-sound and every party as well as my selfe shall finde the evill and un-soundnesse thereof Now having discovered as many false Rests as at present I am free to discover I shall in the next place shew how difficult it is and how hard it goes with the creature to part with these his false Rests which are false but in reference to his Resting and abusing the end for which such a dispensation was given The Soul being in the first place as I may say establisht upon them making them his God be they formes or what they will when it seemes to be taken away he being brought to a non-plus in his spirit He cries They have taken a way my God What must I do So that there ariseth as it were a storme within this creature which begets a spirit of discontent in the creature Witnesse the same in Ionahs Gourd which God had given him yet being abused in the end for which it was given in the taking of it away there was a spirit of murmuring and discontent And thus it is alwaies when creatures would be Resting upon any thing below God when God seems to take it away from the creature The more the soul was glued to it and Rested upon it and made a God of it the more difficult and hard it goes with the creature to part with the same yea the more discontent doth arise in that heart First then It ariseth from the abuse of our being glued to any Administration so as not to use it to that end for which it was appointed Secondly The cause partly of this ariseth sometimes from the greatnesse of the losse it works in the creature in being to part with the same as many soules it may be have spent the glory of their age and strength to patch up a Religion of their owne and have taken much paines to accomplish the same It may be hath been twenty years a professor and hath all this time been labouring to patch up a Rest and having got one in one moment God raises the foundation thereof this works such a losse in the soule as indeed to have many a glorious gift burned up yea many a glorious day of joy twenty yeares profession in one moment laid in the dust and now to deny it self in all his paines and parts of wisdome and knowledge This must needs go hard and be very difficult with a poor heart to part with all And the Creature will have many shifts and puttings off before he will be made freely to part with all and to deny himself in all The condition of such a soul is like a man that all his daies hath been taking pains night and day to comprehend some estate and when he hath got such an estate he fals a building and makes great buildings and when he hath furnished the same takes delight in it and sets his heart upon it and behold when he is solacing himself in what he hath got and done In a moment there is a fire consumes the same to the dust which being beheld by the party he is amazed and much perplexed in his spirit upon which occasion in some it begets death in others discontentednesse and murmurings yea repinings of spirit so as it is not only a day of sorrow but it continnues so And this parties losse being exceeding great and his expectation frustrated he is now at a non-plus not knowing what to do So it is with a heart after God either hath given gifts or
worke in filling the hearts of his People with the knowledge of himselfe he Centers all in this To him shall the Gentiles seek and his Rest shall be glorious Isa 11. 10. Yea the Rest of Saints is the very Substance of his glory which glory is Christ when he comes to be manifested in his Saints and to be admired by them 2 Thes 1. 9 10. Secondly It wholly takes up the Creature who is Centred in it so as now the soule or spirit is wholly swallowed up of God and unexpressibly overcome is such a soul The glory of God which is Christ is that which swallows up mens spirits and the more it appeares in them the more it overcomes them so as now they are taken up in their spirits being gathered up into it with nothing else but it So as now the souls delight joy solace is now alone in nothing but in him who is become a glorious Center to him Thirdly The Rest of Saints gives Saints full contentment the full satisfaction of Saints lyes in living and Resting compleatly in this glory which truly is Christ so as man sometimes is lost in the greatnesse of it The least manifestation of this glory doth fill the creatures capacity so that untill the capacity be enlarged with more of God it can desire no farther enjoyment or discovery of it so as now his spirit is filled with glory And that which makes it the more satisfactory is the Centering of the spirit up in it Now Christ in the Spirit becoming a Saints Rest all other seeming glories which before the soul was sheltred under and lived upon are now vanished and decayed and the greatnesse of this glory which is the Vision of God yea the manifestation of his glory in man takes up man into it to live wholly in it and so to remaine in compleat satisfaction and contentment of spirit for a great part of a soules Rest consists in this very particular to wit the gloriousnesse thereof together with the swallowing up of the creature with it and the givving the spirit a compleat contentment in it for it would be in time a place of wearinesse unlesse it were a place giving the creature full contentment Secondly It would be no place for Saints to delight and solace themselves in unlesse they could be wholly taken up and swallowed up with that which of necessity must be enjoyed from it and unlesse it did exceed all glory that could be imagined it could be no rest for the spirit of a spirituall man So that it must be an unexpressible glory swallowing up of men spirits with it and giving that spirit compleat satisfaction and contentment in it The fourth description of true Rest IN the fourth place This Rest is a carrying forth of the Creature out of the creature into the place where he had his first being to live for every in him who is now become his manifested being First before we speak of the Rest it self we will observe That there is no true Rest for the creature in himself for if man either rest in his pure naturals or upon any refined property in himself he rests out of his proper Element I mean as he is a spirituall man yea it is both unsafe and unsound so to doe neither can man with any solid delight or true contentment rest in or upon any either pure naturals or refined properties or parts within himself though man could attain to his first principles and purity yet if he rested upon them he would live below the true Center of Spirits for indeed the rest and proper being of all spirits especially those that are renewed is the Eternal Word of God which Word is Christ who made all things in the World of nothing into which nothing they are to return But the spirits of men or especially that renewed spirit of Saints that came downe from the Father of spirits who begot this spirit in them not by flesh but by himself in his spirituall breathings and actings in the Creature which spirit of man cannot live in any true element neither can it live satisfied untill it come into its proper and originall being from whence it came for every thing is in its right place when it is returned into its originall and place from whence it was derived so that the spirit returnes to God that gave it Eccl. 12. 7 and the flesh of the man into the dust from whence it was derived so that man as he is carnall and flesh it cannot be possible that the spirit of any should take much delight in the same so as to make it the satisfying Center But yet after it is renewed it may be compared to Noahs Dove it sees the Deluge and looks abroad in the flesh to the Mountain of former self-actings and pure naturals yet it cannot rest in the same neither can it take any delight therein but is made to return to the Arke Jesus Christ who though he is in the soul yet above it as the Arke above the water so Christ above the Creature though within it as the deluge in the world so that the Creature as man is no fit place for a renewed spirit to be centred up in but he must by divine power be brought out of himselfe into that eternall being of spirits who is said to be above man though in man Eph. 4. 6. as the Arke above the deluge though in the world Now man cannot Rest truly in himself But Secondly The place into which the Soule is carried is and was the first being of his spirit and now manifested so to be to the creature which being was Christ this Christ was Gods eternall thoughts of Love in which man had a being and now comes in time as a Being to be manifested in the Saints so the one was the unknown Being of Saints before time where they lay in the Love and heart of God which nothing could remove them out of it the other Rest is the known Rest and Being of Saints made manifest unto them in time which knowledge begets a returning of spirit who with much wearinesse of spirit have been waiting for such a day of redemption Luke 21. 28. that it might return into its first originall and being and to be fully secured in its God which before it neither knew nor did experience So that after the heart hath a discovery of this Being it is like a Load-stone touching the Needle the Needle can stand no way but towards the North and South so with the Spirit of man after it is touched with his Being and center manifested it is not able to Rest in all the glories or excellencies that can possibly be imagined until it be returned into its being he is like a wicked man or man of this world who cannot act but in his element and like a Fish whose element is in the water so with the spirit of man he cannot act in his right sphere untill he come into his first originall
are none at all but only for them that know not this same Eternall Being But now this Christ He 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 â—â—â—â—s 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 we 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 Ioh. 1. 1. He is there called the Word of God He is the Word of God two waie First he was the Word of God as God either 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 Ioh 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 spoken of God as it was so speaken 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 waiâ—e 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 produce 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 a figure of the excellency of that internall Word which God will speak 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 hâ—m 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 whioh expression I look upon to have speciall reference to this particular we 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 Iohn 5. 25. 28 Iohn 10. 3 4. Iohn 14. 11. For to looke upon Jesus Christ as he is in the Father and so a spirit we 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 Iohn 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 abidiag 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 do Rest and live 2. This Christ is a clear 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 clearly reveales himselfe in any soule this which is no revealed is nothing else but himselfe 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 infallible 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 we see it plainly declared in the 1 John 1. 1. 2. For the Life was manifested and we have seen 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 sometimes to come down from him sometimes to be the Father and sometimes to be the Vision of him and many other expressionâ— there are 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 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