that doth truth cometh to the light that his deeds may be manifest that they are wrought in God Jo. 3. 21. Deeds wrought by God in Man and Man in God Thus God Judges of and calls such works the Labours of Man in Christ's Gospel-Life See what is said in this case on Ch. 2. 24. and v. 12 13 of this Chap. Solomon does not here countenance Man's rejoycing in such Labours of his own Spirit as he reckon's vain in themselves and unprofitable to himself Ch. 1. 3. as to any final good to him therein or by Nothing short of the new-Creature-State and Man's Labours therein signify any thing towards eternal Life Gal. 6. 15. Neither Circumcision nor Uncircumcision righteous or corrupt nature or any thing done by Man in either can be of any avail or ãâã thereunto So have we found out these works of Man he is to ãâã in done in that Life which is his peculiar portion and new-Creation Birth-right gift from God If works wrought in Man's own spirit will and way were meant t' would be a Flat contradiction to the main scope of this whole book which Proclaim 's the absolute Vanity and insignificancy of all first-Creation Life and things at best as to Man's pleasing God or finding true blessedness for himself Such works are meant as Man may ought will cannot but rejoyce in with Joy unspeakable and Glorious Here 's Man 's inward Summum bonum a Life wherein he can do all things after God's own Heart Steddily Infallibly Eternally and so enjoy the transcendently yet higher Summum bonum without him the Divine Glory in Favour and Love shining upon him for ever First-Covenant Divines as well as Evil Angels and Heathen Philosophers place Man's Summum bonum in but first-Creation excellencies whatever other title they give it within the compass of natural Objects and in the activity of their natural State that 's a fading flower altogether Vanity The Spirit of truth by its Penmen acquaints us with other matters for hapiness another Life other excellencies objects and works Man is capable to be found in the possession and exercise of The spiritual Man's Joy and delight meets and center 's in the same works or things with God's True Saints are in a Union with his Divine Spirit in Will Understanding Desire Thought Love and Hatred They love what he loves with a perfect love Hate what and whom he hates with a perfect hatred Ps. 139. 21 22. All Man's Labours are vain in his own Spirit of Vanity Not so in the Lord 1 Cor. 15. 58. Paul rejoyc'd in that Gospel-Life he had by the Faith of the Son of God Gal. 2. 20. and his Labours therein but found his Law-Life and best works therein Dung when touching the Righteousness which is the Law or to be found in that Law-State blameless Philip. 3. 6. Enmity to God Tinctur's Sullies and desiles all that Life and Works at best with filth of Spirit T. For who shall bring him to see what shall be after him If Man Submit not to God's terms for receiving his new-Creation-Life who can bring him to see what shall be after him Either what will become of good or Evil Angels or Men in Eternal Life or Death after their fading Life of Vanity with all the things thereof is over and gone These grand and most concerning futurities things no natural Eye Heart or Understanding can see or imagine on all hands the things provided in Heaven for those that truly fear God or in Hell for incorrigible haters of him lie quite out of the reach of Man or Angel in their natural first-Creation State of Enmity and Vanity Darkness and Death The Spiritual Man in the true Preaching Spirit of Prophecy discern's or judges all things 1 Cor. 2. 15. and can declare Infallibly what all Men and Angels will come to as finally Obedient or Disobedient to God's term's of receiving Eternal Life He knowing the Terrours of the Lord 2 Cor. 5. 11. and what a fearful thing it is to fall into the hands or under the final Wrath of the Living God does Might and Main Labour in the Spirit of Christ to warn and caution Men as to the only way of entring into the Joy and escaping the Wrath of the Lord the Wrath to come By refusing so great Salvation as God offers them come they to Eternal Death Want and Vexation of Spirit Prov. 8. 34-36 They 'l want every thing that 's good and have every thing that 's evil in and upon them in Extreamity for ever unchangable Wickedness in them and positive Inflictions of God's Wrath as Punishment upon them without any Interruption or Relief Luk. 16. 24 25. to Eternity They have chosen rather in the declar'd known causes and way thereto to be Vessels of Dishonour and Everlasting Contempt then on God's term's to be made Vessels of Glory Honour Immortality and Eternal Life By Enmity to God's Divine and New-Creature Holy Ghosts or Spirits do they bring siery Indignation on their unpardonably guilty heads Heb. 10. 26 27. Ro. 2. 6-10 These great things that will be found and felt hereafter do evidence the great weight of these Words of Solomon and grand concern of Men to be circumspect in taking the true meaning of them Who but the awak'ned Spiritual Saint can foresee and tell the unutterable Confusions final Refusers of God's Counsel will be found in for ever The Cares and Pleasures of this Life choke Mens understandings as to any right and hearty enquiry after their grand concerns in the next The Noble Bereans did set themselvs to search the Scriptures for the Gospel-Kingdom and Righteousness of God Who does so now Those that in this World seek not the Kingdom and Righteousness of God in the next Mat. 6. 33. will never find it let them flatter themselvs in their Loose Negligent Inadvertent course while they will The most trifling outward Vanities of this World do universally amuse and take up Peoples time and thought so as to detain them in a deep oscitancy and regardlesness as to the unutterable Woes prepar'd in Tophet for Incorrigible sinners or unspeakable Joys in the Kingdom of God for Spiritual Saints Believe not your own Thoughts O ye Sons of Men about Salvation Lean not to your own Understandings Conferr not with Flesh and Blood Regard not the Voice of Strangers the Words of Man's Wisdom about it CHAP. IV. Vers. I. So I returned and considered all the Oppressions that are done under the Sun And behold the tears of such as were oppressed and they had no Comforter And on the side of their Oppressors there was power but they had no Comforter I Returned Heb. was Converted from my fallible wisdom to see the Affairs of Mankind in the infallible wisdom of God particularly to consider duely the manifold Oppressions under the Sun Even himself through his vastly expensive extravagancies had given occasion to his oppressed Subjects to bespeak his soolish Son ãâã after his Decease on this wise
fading nature vanity and vexation of spirit as follow 's Vers. XI Then I looked on all the workes that my hands had wrought and on the labour that I had laboured to do and behold all was vanity and vexation of spirit and there was no profit under the Sun Solomon in the infallible light and wisdom of the second looked upon all his works labours and enjoyments in the first-creation World and life and finds all vanity and vexation of spirit of no profit avail or conducibleness at all to true hapines but rather as mistaken and abused signal lets and hindrances thereunto All will come to nothing and therefore finally trusted in and relied upon will leave Man naked and destitute to eternity In all moyling and toyling in his own nature he is found in direct enmity to God and that spirit of grace in which alone he can be saved All life goodness things of this world are not only unprofitable but destructive to man if rested in His inevitable loss of all is legibly written out in the changable nature of all for his own reading The resolute chusing therefore his own fading creature-life and things before above and against the unchangable creature-life of the Creator and everlasting Righteousness and wisdom of God therein with all the ever-new fruits thereof things of God is an unpardonable crime the sin against the holy Ghost or spirit of God and Gospel-life of Christ the great the presumptuous sin unto death exclusive to all benefit of Christs sacrifice all intercession of Christ or true Saints Jo. 5. 16. Heb. 10. 26. So will man be left for ever in the most forlorn condition imaginable unutterable torment and vexation of spirit Vers. XII And I turned my self to behold wisdom and madness and folly for what can the man do that cometh after the King even that which hath been already done Solomon turned from his own fallible to the infallible wisdom of God or light of his spirit in which he saw the perpetual course of madness and folly he had been guilty of under the conduct of his own So saw he the wisdom of God in his new-covenant spirit of grace and folly of man throw-out in his old-covenant spirit of nature Partakers of that creature-holy ghost or spirit that 's in personal union with the divine are brought into unchangable union of mind with the divine When Solomon turned to the exercise of this he turned from his own as he advised others Prov. 3. 5 6. The spirit of God is the creature-wisdom the living Word of God that is God Jo. 1. 1. everlasting righteousness true holiness To keep up the life and way of Man's will wisdom and spirit against God's is destructive Madness and folly For what can he do that comes after the King Solomon King of litteral and also mystical earthly Jerusalem in all the glory wisdom and righteousness of man He reigned as a King there for a season over his sensual powers with the Corinthians in the but restored first-covenant spirit of the Law 1 Cor. 4. 8. He had the start and vantage-ground of all others in his day for finding true hapiness in worldly vanities if any such thing were ever to be found therein What litteral or mystical all visible or invisible Riches and Glories of that sort signified or amount unto he had so full an experience that for any to think or hope to find therein what he could not is madness The King here may also point back to the first or forward to the second Adam in our flesh made under the Law as the first Both first and second Adam in holy flesh life of the Law righteousness of Man were greater then Solomon in the first-creation Principle of life and action and free from enmity to the second The first could not secure his standing in that changable principle The second refused to attempt it but surrendred and let it fall for that principle of unchangable righteousness in which he could as the first ought to have done He would not be a Judg Ruler or King in the former as the professing Jews in that spirit would have had him who crucified him for owning himfelf a King in the latter wherein the Son of God Yet such a King will he shew himself to be to their sorrow whether they will or no. What can men hope for in but some gradual restorings of that life of nature they had in perfection untinctur'd also with filth of spirit or enmity to God and the power of godliness in his spirit of grace which lurk's under the highest restored Righteousness of Man or form of godliness in his spirit of nature Adam in innocency had not eternal life and God took away what he had his fading for his sinfull keeping it up against and refusing to surrender it in exchang for his everlasting life If what was Adam's sin to do be asserted the duty he ought to have done to Wit the keeping what he had and where he was what instructions are we like to have towards the avoiding a sinning after the similitude of his transgression And they that confine the Death of the second Adam to his body denying the surrender and Death of his spirit as to its first-covenant Life of the Law will teach the pittying sparing and keeping up of that as Satan by Peter counselled Christ himself to be the very way of salvation Thus runs the doctrine of Satan's and Man 's other Gospel in a flat contradiction to Christ's in every point Vers. XIII Then I saw that Wisdom excelleth Folly as far as Light excelleth Darkness Wisdom and Folly Light and Darkness character the first and second Covenant or Old and New creation Law and Gospel-principles of life desire thought and action in Men. The excellency of the second admits no comparison with the first The first has no Glory Wisdom Light Righteousness to the second that excell's and remain's for ever 2 Cor. 3. 10 11. The first is marvellous darkness as to all spiritual things of God and grand concerns of man The second marvellous light discovering all things divine spiritual and natural in their distinct goodnesses Ye were darkness in your own spirit of nature corrupt or enlightned now are ye light in the Lord's spirit of grace walk as Children of this light Eph. 5. 8. walk not as fools in your own spirit but as wise vers 15. in the Lord's Man's spirit since the fall in the highest renewals is of Satan's palate savours not sees or receives any things of the spirit of God Mat. 16. 23. 1 Cor. 2. 14. All that finally prefer their darkness to God's light will find everlasting darkness their portion The glorious advantages of the wisdom and light of God's spirit render it most desireable to man Prov. 3. 13 18. and 4. 5 13. True wisdom call's out to all in corrupt or enlightned nature as fools and simple in their main concern Prov. 1. 20-23 and 8. 5. The folly of Man in
corrupt nature is seen of all But enmity to God and the power of Godliness in that spirit of grace wherein alone any can be saved is seen of none in the highest wisdom of restored nature And this is the root of all spiritual Wickednesses Uncleanesses Idolatries and Murders These all lurk under fair shews in holy flesh form of Godliness and righteousness of Man in the restored Image of the earthy All natural excellencies in Man or Angel are but a fading flower All the mystical Gold Silver and Rubies thereof perishing nothings to the new-creation Wisdom and things of God And what then to the infinite divine Wisdom and things of God lesse then nothing Isa. 40. 17. Christ offers his durable Life Riches and Substance his Heavenly treasures for Man's fading Earthly shadows and is refused Mat. 19. 21 22. Wisdom of nature in corrupt or moral Heathen and in first covenant Saints excells the folly contrary thereunto as Light Darkness But this reaches not the intended mystery and truth of this scripture Vers. XIIII The wise Man's Eyes are in his head but the fool walketh in darkness and I my self perceived also that one event happeneth to them all The truly wise sees with the Eyes of Christ his spiritual Lord and Head in his light he sees light Psal. 36. 9. in the spiritual light of Christ the infinite divine Light and Glory Man and all he does in this light this spirit has the praise of God but not at all of men wise righteous Men. Paul was of high account with such when a persecuting first-covenant Saint in his holy flesh of no account with them when a suffering spiritual Saint in God's Holy Spirit 1 Cor. 4. 8-13 2 Cor. 10. 12. He was contented to be a no-body with men when such a one as the Lord commendeth passed not for Man's day or judgment of him The righteousness of Man kept up in enmity to God's is highly esteemed of men but abominable to God And the righteousness of God in the spiritual Saint is highly esteemed of God but abominable to man with all the words thereof Man's Soul established in his own Righteousness loath's God's soul or spirit and God's his Zec. 11. 8. Man's loathing God is the greatest wickedness God's loathing him and dealing with him accordingly the just punishment thereof In the spiritual Eyes of their Head do true Saints fix their eyes on Christ their Lord and Head receive his counsells and obey him amid'st all uncertainties darknesses and miscarriages of their natural Man They walk in his spirit of light fools in their own spirit of darkness Paul when wise in God seemed a fool to men men wise in Christ by his first-covenant communications Christ marred that visage wisdom and image of the earthy in his own person which they trust in for Salvation Paul cast away all they trust in as dung for the spirit and wisdom of God the life and image of the Heavenly No being wise in God without being fools to Men 1 Cor. 3. 18. and 4. 10. Man in the highest Light and Wisdom of his own nature is indeed the Fool tossed up and down by the various Winds of Satan's divers and strang doctrines walking in darkness not knowing whither he goes or what he does who or what he worship's He reckons he is making safe steps toward Salvation when making swift steps to destruction Man that finally trust's in his own Wisdom for directing his steps sides and hold's with the Devil as his Head true Saints with Christ for directing their Steps in his spirit But how does one event happen to them all Wise and Fools This one event is a twofold death incident to both in the twofold mortal Life of their Body and Spirit 'T is appointed to all men good and bad Once to Die Heb. 9. 27. as to both these lives in their natural state By such Death are all first or last cut off from and for ever deprived of all outward or inward litteral or mystical riches and comforts of this World The whole Life of the natural state in the love or wrath of God will be taken from every Man and Angel Mortality and Death is legibly written out upon all in the perishing nature of all they are possessed of however obstinately kept up and trusted in by most The event that happens or falls to the Lot of the obedient surrenderer of his natural Life under the Cross or rebellious refuser so to do which brings him under the same Cross or Gospel-sword in final wrath after the said one event that happens to both and all will be found exceedingly differing even a state of eternal Life or Death God rejects mens false confidences but approves of their distrust and despair in themselves or best things in their own Nature as vers 20. Vers. XV. Then said I in my heart as it happeneth to the fool so it happeneth even to me and why was I then more wise Then I said in my heart that this also is vanity Here is the bottom thought of Solomon's heart in this matter In the Wisdom of God he reflects upon and reviews himself in all his former glory and wisdom of a man and then compares himfelf and any other in like case made wise strong and honourable in Christ by his renewalls of their old natural state and fresh quickening them up into the life thereof out of their fallen state of death in trespasses and sins with the fool and finds one Chance or Lot happen to all that are but such wise men never proceeding farther and the fool even a state of eternal darkness and death The Fool in the lowest sense is what we call a meer Natural destitute in a manner of any use of his rational Powers through indisposition of Body Again a man weak and shallow in his natural Powers and uncultivated by Education Reading and Converse with better Understandings is a Fool to a man of deep Natural Judgement quickness of Mind of a soaring searching Capacity and great Reach advanced also by Learning and Converse This Fool and wise Man may both be found and oft are in the but heathenish spirit of nature and that in the corrupt rebellious state thereof walking contrary to such and to all light and wisdom natural and spiritual The moral righteous Heathen that endeavours to obey such light of nature as Christ a-fresh sets up in every man that comes into the world though of less light and speculative wisdom or capacity then the former is a wiser and better man The first-covenant Saint with his holy flesh wise strong and honourable in Christ though of less speculative wisdom then either is wiser and better then both and then the spiritual new-covenant Believer and Saint that seems a fool to them all as having quitted all Wisdom of man for God's is not only wiser then them all but the only truly wise and they all fools as to the whole of their eternal concerns In general all are fools
and Fire of God's High Priest is our only way of being delivered from all evil of sin or punishment for ever And on such obedience we shall certainly receive the promise of the Father the everlasting creature-life and spirit of the Son which will fill us with all good for ever above wonder Is not here great Gain on all hands to encourage us to bear such loss the spiritual Law of the Cross and ordinances of God's new-creation sanctuary call for as undispensably necessary for our admission or entrance thereinto This exchang-traffique of Law for Gospel Life of Nature for Grace Earthly for Heavenly the natural life of the Creature for the spiritual life of the Creator is the highest and best market man can make of all his first-creation vanities Truth or the Gospel-spirit of truth can never be bought but to Man 's unspeakable advantage never sold or parted with from love to what 's to be parted with for it but to Man 's unspeakable loss Buy the Truth therefore at any rate but Sell it at no rate though all the kingdom's of this World and glory of them all natural humane or Angelical excellencies be bidden for it Paul when eminent in first-covenant holines parted with all as dung for this Truth All that have tried this most gainfull traffique have found it so No active obedience performable in Man 's own nature ever does his work for salvation but passive a right ceasing from that life with all its activity and labours Should a Man live a thousand years twice told in the utmost fruitfulnes of his rectified naturals he will still find Solomon's account true all vanity All that 's but Earthly in Man or Angel all first-creation Life and fruits or works thereof will be burnt up by the fire of the second 2 Pet. 3. 10. Christ's new-creature spirit will try by its al-discovering light all principles and works whether natural or spiritual earthly or Heavenly and then all the former that 's changable and perishable will most certainly perish or be burnt up by the fire of this trying spirit All that obediently submit not to this fiery triall fall inevitably under its everlasting burnings in and upon them in final Wrath. All changable goodnes earthly first-creation Life and Fruits first or last must passe away from obedient Saints and incorrigible sinners in God's Love or Wrath. This fiery triall seem's grievous at present to nature in Saints Heb. 12. 11. Our nature in Christ himself was sorrowfull to death cast out a word for scaping the Death-Cup but he instantly called it back His living Soul of the same kind with the first Adam's was sorely put to 't made exceeding sorrowful under the death-work of his second-Adam's quickning-spirit or gospel-sword and fire upon it Mat. 26. 38 39. Obedient submission to God's present temporary Wrath in this case is the only possible way of deliverance from his Eternal the Wrath to come All willful refusers of the former are sure to meet with the latter Those that with Paul received Gods just sentence of Death within them On their naturals at best have unspeakably the best on 't Those that please themselves a-while in resisting and scaping it fall under it for ever The sufferings and shame brought on the natural man of the Saint are not to be compared with the joy and glory of spiritual life that follows Nor does the present false joy stiffnecked resisters of the Cross or holy Ghost in its demolishing operation upon their naturals please themselves with signify any thing in comparision of the griefs torments and vexation of spirit this crosse will bring upon them in Eternal Death The demolishing-work of the Cross is grievous to nature in Saints at present but in no comparison so grievous as 't wil be to it in rebellious resisters and that for ever True Saints soon find the benefit of their obediently sacrificed nature by a resurrection out of the death of that into the everlasting righteous life of the sacrificing high Priest of their Gospel-profession Melchisedeck So have they eternal life abiding in them the Kingdom of Heaven within them live and walk in Christ's kingdom-spirit the Gospel-principle of everlasting righteousness Thus by submitting to the temporary wrath at present brought upon them in God's everlasting kindness do they scape the wrath to come But what mean's Solomon in saying that all his wise labours in his own restored nature must be left to a man that has not laboured therein Who is this Christ in his originally unchangable creature-spirit of everlasting righteousness and truth Himself surrendred the earthly first-covenant righteous life and labours thereof in our flesh to the flames of his own eternal Heb. 9. 14. everlasting righteous creature spirit in sacrifice to his own divine spirit and God most high The sacrifice he offred the sacrificing Priest that offered it and God to whom offered all are comprehended in the worderful person of the Mediatour as the divine and twofold creature form of God originally spiritual and spiritualiz'd transformed regenerate natural baptized into the death and assimilated in the resurrection life of it to the originally spiritual This divine and twofold creature-being image or form of God in Christ is all called God even the spiritualiz'd man Christ Jo. 1. 1. All are the living Word and Oracle of God's infinite divine mind his Wonderfull Counsellor to Angels and Men. And in all stands he in a distinction for ever from God most high in the single and uncompounded divine essence in which the Father to this divine and creature-Son begotten from eternity as the divine and from everlasting Prov. 8 23 as creature-Son of God Hence is it said the Mediatour is not of one nature but God is one Gal. 3. 20. This sacrificing Priestly gospel-Gospel-spirit of Christ reapes or gather's cut 's down burns up and utterly consumes all the life and labours or workings of Angel or Man in their natural first-creation make and life as he served our fleshly nature in his own person By his Cross or Gospel-sword he gathers all for sacrifice to God as his due required Tithes and Offerings the mystical truth of the litteral that never laboured or did any thing in that natural state of life but was originally spiritual This also is vanity sayes Solomon or shewes the insignificancy of man's or angel's labours in their earthly first-creation Life of vanity about salvation All must go life and all or they never can be saved And this is a great evil or grieving consideration to man that his life at best and all done in it are but perishing vanities vanishing shadows of things to come or to be brought a-float in men by a new-creation 'T is also Man's great evil his unpardonable Sin if he rob God or withold his Mystical Tithes and Offrings Mal. 3. 8. the most high and criminal Spiritual sacriledg many first-covenant Professours are guilty of in holy flesh Rom. 2. 22. the best fruits or works
Fathers House the Image of the earthy or first Adam in order to receive the impress'd Image and Indeleble Character of the Heavenly 1 Cor. 15. 49. are the Mystical Poor Maim'd Halt and Blind Luk. 14. 21. that have bin content to have the right Eye or best understanding and light of their own nature pluck'd out cut off and cast away from them and so their right Hand and Foot or best Power of working and walking in a sutableness to that Light or dictat's and ruling Power of that understanding cut off Their Obediently Sacrific'd Slain Crucified earthly nature is rais'd into the Everlasting righteous Heavenly Life of Christ God's and their Sacrificing High-Priest in which they are fitted to enter into the Kingdom of God and drink Wine with Christ for ever therein All whose Palate and Appetites are tuned only for Perishing Meats first-Creation diet Satan's and ãâã 's Morsel do slight the true Manna as Light contemptible Bread Typed by the Rebellious Israelit's slighting and loathing the Litteral Num. 21. 5. They are directly of Satan's temper and palate savour only the first-creation things of Man or Angel not new-Creation things of Christ and God Mat. 16. 23. Neither did the infinite Divine Father need a Creature-Son nor that Son a Wife as properly any gain or advantage to either To be sure pure Divinity is infinitely blessed in it self above all possibility of Addition or Diminution by any thing that ever Angels or Men can be do or say to Eternity And as for the advantages of the Spiritual Marriage-Union with his Creature-Son they do all redound to his Mystical Spouses Elect Angels and Men. For the accomplishing of God's designs of love to his Creatures his infinito Wisdom saw it meet his Son should have a certain number of them though comparatively with them that Perish in the broad way few yet an Innumerable Multitude Rev. 7. 9. as an Aggregate Body or one Mystical Woman and Spouse in general who lies warm in the ãâã of the Heavenly Creature-Son as he in the bosome of the infinite Divine Father But besides this General has Christ a Select number out of the Elect which make up the peculiar Spouse and Bride the Lamb's Wife Rev. 21. 9. But natural Man and Angel chusing to abide single and alone in their own nature not only vastly distant from but in unchangable Enmity to both Divine-Father and Creature-Son will find themselvs in a cold starvling condition for ever in Eternal Death destitute of all comforting warmth under the Tormenting Scorching heat of God's fiery Indignation upon them for ever On the other hand Saints have the heat and Comforting warmth of their Divine Lord and Creature-Husband as Scituated under the direct strong and cleer Beamings forth of the Divine and new-Creature Suns of infinite and Everlasting Righteousness upon them as the highest Satisfaction imaginable to them for evermore By personal Union with the Creature-Son that 's in personal Union with the Divine Father come they fully to enjoy the unsearchable Riches of their Husband 's Glorious person his conjunctive Divine and Creature-Glories with everlasting safety and Comfort Joy unspeakable and full of Glory Through the Transcendent cherishing influence and warmth of the Divine and everlasting Creature-Sun in Christ's person will they bring forth the fruits of his spirit offer up the Spiritual Sacrifices of Praise and Thanks-giving acceptable to God by Jesus Christ for evermore There 's no durable warmth or Comfort from Christ to be had in a first-Covenant Marriage-Union with him He will die or depart from them as to that fading warmth as known by them only after the Flesh and rendring them for a season beautiful and fruitful in their own nature will and way So if not Married to him in spirit or in that Spiritual Life into which rais'd out of the death of our nature we shall find cold comfort at last yea none yea and unutterably Tormenting heat or flaming Vengeance upon us for ever Vers. XII And if one prevail against him two shall withstand him and a three-fold Cord is not quickly broken The Saint is in personal in Marriage-Union with Christ in his irresistibly Mighty Invincible Creature-spirit that 's in like Union with Infinite Almighty Divinity This threefold Cord who can break Who is sufficient for these things So much as to declare the Transcendent Security and Priviledges of Saints They are above all language yea wonder If Christ if God be on their side who can be against them and prosper How can they be less then more then Conquerors Rom. 8. 31. 37. Saints the third and lowest Link of this Chain or ãâã are in effect in the same security with the higher and highest Christ and God Who shall seperate them from the Love of Christ v. 35 Or from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord 35. 39. They are secured from all Enemies without or within in Christs gospel-Gospel-Spirit that 's greater then he that 's in the World the Devil 1 Jo. 4. 4. The Gates of Hell all the secret Counsels and Strength of Enemies the Powers of darkness with all their Mystery of Iniquity shall not prevail against them They can discover all their secret Counsels and Projects against God's Spiritual Israel as Elisha the King of Syria's against Litteral And they can trample all their Power under their feet being by God delivered up into their hands as the Syrian Army into Elisha's to lead them blindfold whither he pleas'd and to do what he listed with them Mad are the evil Angelical Principalities and Powers of darkness at those who can discover all their Devices Wiles Designs and Projects for destroying Men as also are their Apostles and Ministers when they find the Falsities of their whole accursed other Gospel detected 'T is the self-same case with both and all of them They are all of a knot The small number of Christ's awak'ned Spiritual Gospellers must look to be Charactred by them all as the most Proud Presumptuous Insolent Censorious Contradicters and Blasphemers of all good Men all Goodness and saving truth in the whole World This is Man's Wise enlight'ned first-Covenant Man's Censure in Harmony with Satan's concerning the truly Meek and Humble Poor Needy broken-Spirited Seed Sheep and Flock of Christ contented with Paul to become Fools Weak and Despicable as to all their Enemies put value upon 1 Cor. 3. 18. and 4. 10. Enemies not being able to deal with them at Spiritual Weapons or to Resist and bear up against the Spirit and Wisdom by which they speak Act. 6. 10. have recourse and betake themselvs to other Weapons Humane Laws and outward Belluine Force to silence suppress and destroy them as the ãâã Jews serv'd Steven Act. 7. 57-60 and as the King of Syria would have serv'd Elisha if he could True Saints as on the strongest and surest side though the tide seem to run so strong against them that there 's no stemming it all visible and invisible
have worse on 't then the Litteral Sodomite in filth of flesh His greater advance and ãâã advantages toward Salvation neglected and abused do highly aggravate his evil of Sin and accordingly will be his evil of punishment for ever After all Exaltation with Capernaum in first-Covenant-Life and second Covenant or Gospel-Light even up to Heaven so as ãâã to see and then obstinately refuse God's only appointed way of entrance the death of their earthly spirit of nature for the life of his Heavenly Spirit of Grace will all such Mystical Sodomit's be tumbled or thrust down to Hell where it shall be more tolerable for Litteral Sodom then for them Mat. 11. 20-24 Luk. 10. 12-15 Christ himself gives the reasons for this difference in Punishment v. 21. 23. and Luk. 12. 47 48. He that cleerly know's his Master's will and does it not shall be beaten with many Stripes He that does not so cleerly know it shall be beaten with fewer For to whom much is given of him shall be much requir'd as the case is with Men to whom they have committed much of him they will ask or expect the more Man in the dark State of his corrupted nature know's not his Master's will at that rate as the old foolish King in the restor'd Life of the first and light of the second Covenant does By abusing the Life of the first in Rebelliously keeping it up and himself therein against the second when discover'd by its own light to him to be that which cannot be receiv'd by him but on his obedient surrender of the Life of the first does he deserve a sorer Punishment then the common Sinner against the Law Heb. 10. 28 29. For he Sinn 's more immediately and knowingly against the Holy Ghost or Gospel Life of the Son of God in Heaven even the Man Christ as risen from the dead into that Life wherein he lives for evermore The other against the Son of Man on Earth or that Law-Life of nature the highest Edition of the Law which Christ took and was found in as made Flesh and which he Crucified and abolish'd out of our nature in his own person in order to bring it forth again in the new Gospel-Edition of it by a new-Creation in unchangable Harmony with his Originally everlasting righteous spiritual new-Creation Gospel-Life So only can or ever could first-Covenant Law-Life come in him or in us to dwell for ever with new-Covenant Gospel-Life as Brethren in Unity This unchangable Union of the natural and spiritual Man in Christ and true Zion-Saints is pleasant in God's sight and of everlasting advantage to Man Psal. 133. 1. For so and so only by the death of the natural and Resurrection of it into the Life of the Spiritual Man in the Saint and the Spiritual Man in Christ's person come the poor but truly wise Crucified dead Children to live for ever in unchangable Union and Harmony of Mind with the infinite Divine Spirit of God most high Christ enlighten's every Man that cometh into the World Jo. 1. 9. None then are absolutely in the dark stark blind wholly ignorant of his will Even the Gentil's all Heathens have the light or Law of nature within them accusing or excusing their thoughts Words and Actions as found compliant with or contrary thereunto Ro. 2. 15. God's rule given in the Scriptur's of truth in reference to all Men is this If any be unfaithful in and to their little Dimme rational Candle-Light in some degree set up a fresh by the Redeemer in all men If they do allow themselvs in a constant course of Rebelling against the same without any remorse or chang of mind they 'd not be true to higher natural Light in the actual Priviledges of a first-Covenant Life and less yet to the higher Spiritual new-Covenant Gospel-Light if not only offer'd but actually receiv'd by them Luk. 16. 10 11. He that 's unjust in the least is or will be unjust also in much Those that are not faithful in the unrighteous Mammon the fading Light or also Life and inward Riches of their own restor'd Nature which yet is but a Spirit or State of Bondage to them and Enmity to God at best as in Paul before Gospel-Conversion who will commit to their Trust the true Riches Those that do not rightly use any fading Light Wisdom Life Riches in their own Spirit of Nature by such active Obedience as is performable therein and with while that is God's Dispensation to them and then by such passive Obedience in despising surrendring and giving all up as Dung with Paul when God requires it in order to receive his more excellent spiritual heavenly Gospel-Life in a Resurrection-state Phil. 3. 6-10 how should they ever come at or be possessed of the true durable Riches and everlasting Life The only possible undispensable way and means for this in the declar'd Methods of God's Wisdom is the obediently surrend'red natural State as to all the fading Life Glory Wisdom Righteousness and Riches thereof even the Death and Loss of all in Sacrifice to God as Christ himself did when he had taken our fleshly nature in the full Glory and unspotted Purity thereof Eternal Gospel-Life is by the Wisdom of God or Gospel-spirit of Christ freely proclaim'd and offer'd to all men Prov. 1. 20-23 and 8. 1-9 The old foolish Kings the highest and most criminal provoking Sinners that receive and abuse the Life of the first and Light of the second Covenant will fare worst under final Wrath. All others fix'd common Sinners of the Gentil's litteral Sodom will have bad enough on 't under their fewer wrathful Stripes or lesser Torments in Eternal Death But the hottest fiery Indignation and Mystical Flames of Wrath in the lowest Hell will be for ever upon the old foolish Kings Sore amazing Tydings for such self-confident presumptuous Sinners as reckon their Plea good for entrance into the Kingdom of God Yet thus it will be For the mouth of the Lord himself hath spoken it Mat. 7. 21-23 and 11. 23 24. Mar. 6. 11. Luk. 10. 12. All first-Covenant Saints in Holy Flesh that finally refuse the whole new-Covenant Gospel-Testimony the Words of God's Holy Spirit and Life thereof this will most certainly be theircase Easier will it be for Litteral ãâã Profane Brutisied Sinners in the corrupt Spirit of nature then for them It had bin better for them never to have known the way of everlasting truth and righteousness then after they have known the truth or Gospel-Life of Christ in its own Light and Beamings forth upon them to turn from the Holy ãâã of God therein and wilfully Rebel against it 2 Pet. 2. 21. Heb. 10. 26 27. Isai. 1. 20. Much sorer Punishment belongs to fix'd Sinners against the Holy Ghost than ãâã sinners against the Son of Man for ever v. 29. Such recompence of both their errours as is meet will they all receive both Litteral and Mystical Sodom even the Vengeance of Eternal Fire Ro. 1. 27.
the crosse upon it be finish'd Be not therefore rash with thy mouth tongue language or expression of thy natural Spirit nor let thy carnal mind or fleshly heart that 's in union with the Devil be hasty forward and consident to utter any thing before God Let not that be the Speaker to Men in Preaching or to God in Prayer publick or private It will do Satan's drudgery carry on his designs where or when-ever it is the speaker or actour It will do all in enmity to God to his Spirit of truth and Saint's Let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing or word before God This shew's Solomon mean's by mouth in the first clause the expressing and doing of the will and mind of the natural heart or Spirit that 's in enmity to God The Saint ought to have a jealous eye over it and keep a continual watch against it so as never to do the will or fulfil the lusts thereof but oppose fight against and crucisie them If we live and walk in Christ's Steddy Spirit of everlasting righteousness thus we shall do Gal. 5. 16. and 24 25. All yielding Obedience to or doing the will and lust of the flesh or carnal mind of enmity to God is compliance with the Devil against the Gospel-will of Christ in himself and us and divine will of God The natural Spirit is the home-bred traitour wrap'd up in a confederacy with the Devil in enmity to God the Foe of our own House or in our own persons by which Satan seek's to mischieve and destroy us 'T is our great concern to watch against this foe and keep it out of action till perfectly abolish'd and cut off and then shall we never be troubled with it more The restor'd Spirit of man that has bin as a bosome-friend and guide in the first-covenant house of God leading us out of the corrupt State of our nature and opposing the vile affections and lusts thereof filth of flesh turn's flat against the new guide and leader the Spirit of Christ in himself and us under the conduct whereof only t is possible for us to ãâã into God's rest This familiar friend and wife that lies in our bosome lifts up the heel and turn's flat against the new governour the Spiritual and sure guide to true bessedness as well as former familiar friends without doors that remain wholly in the first-covenant house establish'd by Satan in the righteousness of man and so in unchangable enmity to God Psal. 41. 9. Trust not thy bosome-friend when indeed turn'd into a bosom-enemy the Foe the worldly disputant the carnal-minded reasoner against and opposer of Christ's Gospel-Spirit in us our new guide Confer not with her Gal. 1. 16 Suffer her not to Speak or open her mouth And keep the door of thy mouth from her Let not the thoughts words prayers of thy Spiritual mind or man that 's to seek study and joyn with Christ to put her to death be offer'd to her in way of conference or treaty For She will be against all to be sure Ther 's no treating with her for peace whose enmity to God is curable only by her Death She is for war as long as one drop of mystical blood or life is left in her She will fight against Spirit to the last gasp Trust her not then Mica 7. 5. I am for peace say's David's Spiritual Man but if I open my mouth to speak of peace to my natural that with all the affections and lusts thereof that fight and war against my own soul 1 Pet. 2. 11. is alway's for war Psal. 120. 7. The carnal mind or natural Spirit is the he that hates peace that peace with God which is no otherwise attainable but by its Death The soul of the Spiritual Saint sojourn's in Mesech dwells in the tents of Kedar with him that hates peace the Foe of its own house till utterly abolish'd dead and gone v. 5 6. If we follow our former old guide in us against the lusts of our corrupted nature when thus turn'd against the new and sure Spiritual guide in us we are so far forth servants of sin and Satan Rom. 6. 16. These two Spirits natural and Spiritual Man's and God's first and second-covenant principles of life desire thought word and action in Man clearly stated and laid before him in their vast differences and irreconcilable contrarieties with the advantages and disadvantages of chusing this or that for the principle of our life and action eternal life or death does not a wrong and most foolish choice render a man undeniably and unexcusably guilty of his own eternal ruine Be not then rash with this mouth of thy Spirit of enmity to God nor hasty in that heart to utter any thing before God For how is it possible to speak right words or things to God or men in a ãâã of ãâã to God whose mouth speaks all its words in union with the Devil All that after Spiritual Light and strong conviction as to all these things afforded them do still persist in speaking the words of their hasty forward Spirit of enmity to God in preaching to men or pretended prayer to God are abominable to God in all For as their most aggravated wickedness madness and folly do they deliver themselvs up to the Devil as his sworn bored Slaves and vassals for ever When by way of death and ãâã Man's natural Spirit is transform'd and baptiz'd into a union with his Spiritual mind or man the Spirit of God in him then as a Seer of God and right obedient Servant to the true Prophet or Spiritual man in him 't is a meek rightly tuned spirit fitted to be a mouth or door of utterance for the things of God to his Spiritual man For God is in Heaven and thou upon Earth therefore let thy words be few God resides or dwells in the all-searching Light of his new-'creation Sanctuary-Spirit that can discover the bottom intent of all hearts Heb. 4. 12 13 that take up with Satan in his first-creation house or state in unchangable enmity to him and the second his heavenly house or Spirit When thou prayest then enter into thy Closet and shut thy Door Mat. 6. 6. exclude thy own Earthly understanding Mind or Will let them have nothing to do in or with thee in thy Prayers keep secret from them what thou pray'st and treatest about with God for thy Salvation For the Life of that is to be the Sacrifice by which to enter into the new and everlasting covenant with God Psal. 50. 5. Keep the Door of thy mouth from this false bosome-Friend and guide She will never consent to her own Death And in all true Saint's preaching to men and Prayer to God is this very thing to be taught and sought This foe is to be excluded out of the cabinet-counsell of Christ and the Saint who joyntly conclude the Death or utter abolition of all the Life and motion thereof If that therefore be
dead into the everlasting righteous life of the true Melchisedec or sacrificing high-Priest of God and of our Gospel-profession Abram was a type of Christ's priestly Gospel-Spirit Isaac of his natural law-Spirit offer'd up by that Priest in his own person For this obedience God most high blesses the said true Abram Christ himself in and with the figure promising him an innumerable multitude of Spiritual Saints the true seed descendents and posterity of the second Adam Gen. 22. 16-18 The new covenant is a covenant of oath by which the Lord ratifies his mercies to all obedient enterers into it with him for ever by an oath and excludes all rebellious wilfull refusers of the terms of entring into it with an oath also Swearing in his wrath they shall never enter into his rest Heb. 3. 11. 18. And Heb. 6. 13-18 we sind the new-covenant promise to Abram establish'd with an oath and that oath it self made or confirm'd by two immutable things God's infinite divine and his immutably righteous and Glorious new-creature self or Spirit the living word and Eternal Wisdom of God in personal union with infinite divinity The terms of the first covenant on Man's part is to part with the vile affections and lusts of the corrupt Spirit of nature on God's to set up the restor'd righteous life thereof In the second is man to give up the very righteous life to God in sacrifice as a perishing vanity a fading flower which was God's part to give him in the first as the clean sacrifice for entering into the second Thus first God gave Abram an Isaac and then requir'd the offring of him up And so did Abraham by that very thing in mystery enter the second and was justified for ever before God Jam. 2. 21. This gives him and all his Spiritual seed compleat victory over all enemies so as to ãâã their Gates take away all strength and power from them Gen. 22. 17 18. They will in the ãâã mighty power of ãâã new-creation gospel-Gospel-Spirit tread all ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã law-enemies evil Angels and ãâã under their ãâã Nothing is of greater advantage to the Saint then the ãâã ãâã of his vow relating to the new-covenant sor the ãâã death of nature nothing of more dangerous ãâã then his deserring or delaying the performance of this vow Nothing gives greater advantage to the Devil against him then ãâã delay sor extinguishing his part in him the natural State The most ãâã resiless Implacable enemy that in his mighty power and ãâã roves up and down as a roaring Lion to devour all he ãâã light on will not ãâã to make his utmost advantage of such delay If he sind Saints lingring and loath with Lot to depart out of litteral or Mystical Sodom or both even the whole Life and lust of nature corrupt or ãâã he will labour might and main to turn their lingrings into a ãâã and absolute establishment there and so ãâã their hearts in them to do evil six them with himself there in unchangable enmity to God and Death to themselvs But God is ãâã to his Saints and lay's hold on them by his Angels as on ling'ring Lot to hasten them out of both the said Sodom's Gen. 19. 15 16. ãâã great mercy in the Lord and should be the earnest prayer of the Saint to him to hasten the execution of the guilty Sinner the ãâã party in him and so his deliverance srom all evil in enmity to God or compliance with the Devil ãâã uses his utmost power and skil to cause a delay in this case God gives his most saithful counsel and instruction to us to hasten the performance To be sure linger while we wil done it must be first or last or we perish for ever The sooner and speedier done the better sor us We should not look on Christ as Satan represents him a hard Master a bloody Husband but a most faithful Creatour and gracious Redeemer What Suggest's Satan to men does Christ come with a sacrificing Knife Fire and Sword speaking War and Death to a righteous Life of his own twice setting up in vou first by creation and then redemption Never believe it With God is no such variableness or shadow of turning He quoted Scripture to Christ himself ãâã unreasonable say's he to think God should pull down and destroy the Work of his own hands And when he has thus steel'd them with arguments for self-defence and keeping up themselvs in their own native Countrey and Father's House the restor'd life of the first Adam the image of the earthy as a most desireable land or state then fall's he to work the other way to bring a false and evil report on God's Countrey the new-creation land of promise or state of life This is the Far Countrey the man Christ is gone into where he lives for evermore This Far Countrey even a heavenly that God engages as his part in the new Covenant to bring men into on their obedient speedy departure out of their own does Satan bring an evil report upon First say's he you have but a report a hear-say of it you have no certain knowledg or experience of it And then 't is a Land that eateth up the Inhabitants thereof as the spies doing his errand therein said of the litteral Numb 13. 32 your destruction and very death it self is the propounded and declared terms on which only ye can enter into the possession of it So when brought by Christ's Spiritual Light to the very borders of the heavenly Canaan by and with his evil apostles and spies ministers of his Gospel that 's no Gospel are they easily perswaded induced to start aside and fly off as offended at both the promised land or life it self they should enter into and also at the loss oftheir own with all their mystical riches large possessions therein So in stead of speedily performing the commanded and vow'd sacrifice of their old nature in order to enter into and take possession of the said new land of promise they peremptorily and conclusively refuse the terms and consult with Satan and one another about a return back rather into Egypt litteral or mystical corrupt or righteous nature and there fix and establish themselvs in their own nature land or Countrey in unchangable enmity to God's This the rebellious fleshly Israel was at in letter and figure If holy flesh a righteous natural State and strict holy walking therein won't do 't for salvation they 'l not be saved This desperate resolution is a crime of a dangerous destructive complexion of an Ethiopian hiew 'T is the Leopards spot never the spot of Gods Children Spiritual Saints T is the highest folly imaginable If they 'l never obediently come out of their own land the fading life of their own nature they 'l never enter his even the life of his Spirit of Grace If they 'l not suffer and die with Christ in the former they 'l never live and reign with him in the
making his Gospel-vanities passe for Christ's durable Gospel-riches everlasting life and never-perishing meats Thus does Satan sport himself with those that sport themselvs with his and their own deceivings By such makes he his utmost batteries against the very elect to deceive their souls or if that won't be to destroy their bodies All that have resolutely taken up with him to feed on dust the perishing meats of the first_creation does he perfectly deafen to the voice of all true Spiritual Charmers Charm they never so Wisely Not a word of Christ's Gospel or any of his never-perishing meats will they any more listen to regard or look after for ever then stones They are fix'd absolute infidels as to all his things truths or doctrins They are the hottest fiercest zealous decriers of all such things or words in the whole World Paul was so for a season when a righteous first-covenant Saint they for ever But to prevent man's self-destroying choice of his own selfish earthly first-creation life or righteous natural-State with the perishing food ragged clothing and fading riches thereof in preference to Christ's durable riches never-perishing meats and pure garments clean linnen or everlasting ãâã in the second Solomon farther declares Vers. X. He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver nor he that loveth abundance with encrease this is also vanity The mystical silver here that with all possible encrease thereof is vanity as well as the litteral figure import's the heap'd up Laodicean treasur's in the fruitful exercise of a first-covenant righteous life of vanity Man at best therein is lighter then vanity weigh's less is worse then nothing in the balance of Christ's new-creation sanctuary Psal. 39. 5 6. and 62. 9. Isa. 40. 17. He is a flat enemy to God and it to all the heavenly life and treasure thereof Man's inordinate preferring love to and delight in his own righteous nature and riches thereof is an evil concupiscence an evil covetousness destructive to his own mystical house whole nature or person Hab. 2. 9 10 the highest and most criminal idolatry that love of money in the highest sense that 's the root of all evil keeping up a murdering mind of enmity against all doctrine or persons that come to seize and take it away as their unspeakable advantage if obedient to the Cross of Christ therein Man wearies himself tires and sin's himself into eternal death for very vanity v. 13. and Psal. 39. 6. All men seek and contend for in their own nature will and way Paul found in Gospel-light dung and loss Job dust and ashes who both once thought themselvs truly happy there in Gods sight as well as in their own He that loves this mystical silver or fading inward riches of his own nature shall not be satisfied with such silver in the most abundant encreases thereof There 's nothing in it can truly answer the wants of his immortal being or give the least degree of true happiness to him Nothing but new-creature life does this Gal. 6. 15 neither corrupt or righteous Old-Creation life signified by uncircumcision and circumcision which avail not any thing in this case as to eternal life Verse XI When goods encrease they are increas'd that eat them and what good is there to the owners thereof saving the beholding of them with their eyes Here 's the vanity of all perishing treasur's The utmost encrease of Laodicean riches in the most fruitful exercise of a first-creation life or first-covenant principle makes but a heap of perishing vanities when all 's done The right parting with all as dung for Ghrist's heavenly treasure durable riches acquirable only in his gospel-Gospel-Spirit or new-covenant-principle of everlasting righteousness is the best and only true improvement of all In this Exchange does Man receive all the fading goodness and riches of his law-life with usury and great gain even in Christ's Gospel-life or Spirit Thus 't is with all thorow-followers of Christ's Counsel Christ receives in this right improvement of his first-creation gifts his own again with usury and man his own also with transcendent advantage in God's own Life Wisdom Righteousness Glory all the everlasting things of God's Spirit of grace for the fading vanities perishing next to nothings in his own Spirit of nature the Life of the Creator or new-creature Spirit of Christ the living WORD and Wisdom of God by which the Worlds were made The final refusal of this chang is man's changing selling or parting with God's Gospel-Spirit of Truth for Satan's and his own ãâã his perishing vanity his law-Spirit of nature And this is ãâã serving worshipping and loving the Creature even himself rather or more yea above and against the Creator who is blessed for ever Can such ill-chusers expect lesse then to be Cursed for ever and perish as their own dung that they prefer before the very Life Righteousness Wisdom and Glory of God that 's never to be done away Paul threw away this mystical dung for the unsearchable divine and spiritual riches of Christ's Glorious person which when he came to be a happy possessour of he became also the most Powerful Gospel-Preacher of Eph. 3. 8. He that loves his own life and the riches or Mammon thereof litteral or mystical in preference to God's hates God's Christ therefore requires the hating our own very life at best in love to God's or declar's we cannot be his disciples Luk. 14. 26. For thus did he Not my will but thine be done Not my words but thine be spoken The word 's of thy Spirit the Holy Ghost that 's in unchangable union of mind with thy infinite divine Spirit and not the dictats of my natural wisdom or understanding the words of my Spirit Job said though righteous he would not know or own his own soul but despise or destroy crucify his very righteous natural self or life as dust and ashes to God's dung and losse Phil. 3. 7 8 for God's with Paul All true Saints think say and do thus first or last What amount all fading riches treasur'd up by man in the activity of faulty or defective first-covenant principle's unto by the most fruitfull exercise of the restor'd righteous life of his own nature therein when not rich towards God in his Spirit of grace the second Covenant Gospel-Principle of life desire thought and action Christ himself does thus resolve his own most pertinent and concerning question by way of instruction and warning to men Thou fool that hast heap'd up vast perishing treasures in thy own enlightned righteous nature and art merry confident and at hearts-ease therein as if happy for many years even for ever as possessed of what will never faile thee this night shall thy soul be taken from thee even this righteous life of thy living soul and then if thou have not the everlasting life of my quickning Spirit and my durable riches therein where art thou and whose shall all those things be which thou hast provided none of
All these are to be enquir'd into and consider'd of promiscuously and inclusively in one line of discourse The Wise is Man in the restor'd the Fool Man in the degenerate corrupt spirit of Nature All 's but Nature both are possest of corrupt or righteous so all 's vanity Nothing of Grace true Regeneration Gospel-conversion or life in or about the best of them Paul at best in his Law-life of Nature fiercely persecuted this And in his Gospel-life of Grace was as fiercely persecuted by the other The Wise Strong and Honorable in Christ's first-Covenant communications finally opposing the second is a greater sinner and fool than the fool in the corrupt spirit of Nature here and will fall under sorer Condemnation and Wrath hereafter So is he the worst and will have the worst on 't in this World next He is the disputer of this World that 's perfectly unreasonable and untreatable as to the Gospel-things of the next which he can never discern in the Wisdom and Spirit he is of They are foolishness to him 1 Cor. 2. 14. He denies all root and branch the very foundation of all Gospel-Saints and Truth 's the living Corner-Stone the Rock of Ages the fountain Gospel-Spirit He denies there 's any such thing And if the foundations of all the true Saint is has or has to say be destroyd or denied what 's to be done Psal. 11. 3. They deny the Creature-Holy Ghost or Spirit of everlasting Righteousness in Christ and Saints They say there 's no such thing A Spiritual creature-life between Natural and Divine the said wise first-Covenant Saint utterly denies and shuffles out of all his Divinity and teaching What 's then to be done with him or said to him He is the most unreasonable Man in the World to be dealt with about Gospel-affairs however highly he pretends to them being wholly destitute of any spiritual Faith to discern them 2 Thes. 3. 2. 1 Cor. 2. 14. True Saints are not to cast Pearls Gospel-Truths before such Swine Mat. 7. 6. but beware of such Gospel-Wolves in sheeps cloathing Mat 10. 16 17. Can any deny this Law-life Wisdom Glory Honour Power all fading things must be parted with for God's Christ's Gospel-Wisdom Righteousness Glory never to be done away 2 Cor. 3. 10 11. 1 Cor. 3. 18. This is implied 1 Cor. 4. 10. To the self-confident first-Covenant wise all spiritual Gospel-Truths are foolish and the spiritual Saint a fool a mad man Hos. 9. 7 8. Christ's own People in the first reckon'd him mad for the Doctrine of the second Joh. 1. 11. 10. 20. what plainer or more suited to convince All Men corrupt or righteous are fools and enemies to all Spiritual Heavenly Gospel-Things or Truths These things are suited only to spiritual discerning or judgment which they are wholly destitute of 1 Cor. 2. 14. Wise Man walks but in a dream an image a vain shew Psal. 39. 6. dotes only on vanities All Glorious Heavenly Spiritual and Divine things all true Divinity lie clear out of the walk of his narrow limited wisdom that 's bounded only with vanities for object All divine and spiritual things are stark foolishness to such wise-fools Such dying as they live will be left in ãâã Want Nakedness Misery and Confusion The best things they can amuse and please themselves with are us'd and enjoy'd by them but in a Spirit of Enmity to God What was Paul while but there But besides the truly Gospel-wise in the spirit of Grace and fool in general in the whole spirit of Nature corrupt or righteous there is also in the compass of Nature the wise Man in the restor'd and fool in the corrupt spirit of Nature Also in the corrupt Nature is there a sort of wise Men and fools Some of great natural abilities cultivated by learned education and study others of small natural light or reason of weak and uncultivated minds But all in Nature are fools to the spiritual wise in Grace And even such wise Men may be short in natural parts and learning of either the first-Covenant wise Man or learned enlightened Heathen in their own Sphere of activity a subtilty and deep reach about natural concerns and objects Children of this World in their way may be wiser than true Children of light or the next Luk. 16. 8. But of all sorts of natural wise Men none so much decry the spiritual Man for a fool and mad as the wise strong and honourable in the first-Covenant See else Hos. 9. 7 8. Joh. 10. 20. 1 Cor. 2. 14. 4. 10. 2 Cor. 10. 12. Psal. 50. 20 21. Joh. 16. 2. Act. 26. 9. 1 Cor. 1. 18 -- 28. Which think ye were the fools the learned Council of the Jewish Priests Elders and Professors or Peter and John they term'd ignorant and unlearned Men Act. 4. 13. No wisdom of Man can understand or open their Writings The wisest Men first-Covenant Saints are fools to the Gospel-wise Man whom they reckon the arrantest fool of all If the Wisdom of God be foolishness to them can any wonder those that come with the words of that wisdom should be reckon'd fools by them Paul that had bin a wise Man in Man's day was a fool weak despicable no body with such when a truly Gospel-Wise-Man The true Gospel-preaching of the cross and death on all first-Creation-Life and Wisdom in first Covenant Jew or Gentile and wise learned Greek is an high offence and sore stumbling-block to both in their several states and way To be even with such they both agree to reckon them the veriest fools the Off-scouring of all things 1 Cor. 1. 23. and 4. 13. But all that have an incorruptible Seed of true Life in them though while dormant and unknown to themselves they bluster and storm at the Gospel-Believer a-while with Paul they will with him when awaken'd become true friends of the spiritual Brotherhood and helpers of their Faith The wisdom of the natural Man in all variety will be found foolishness at last and the spiritual Man the only wise in the view of all Men and Angels good and bad True Saints will laugh at last at all their scornful mockers that have laugh't a-while at them And all such laughing wise-fools will have time enough to recant their misjudging the truly wise in eternal darkness and death Who 's the fool then they 'l sadly experience after all their priding vaunting hugging and blessing themselves in their vain shew their dream their fools-paradise Nothing of their vain pomp will descend after them Psal. 49. 17. All their short-liv'd merriment and laughter is but as the crackling of thorns under a pot a blaze and away Eccl. 7. 6. Envy them that will None ought Psal. 37. 1 2. Pro. 23. 17. The spirit of Nature can't well or easily be unriddled anatomiz'd and laid open in its deep self-destroying deceits in few words yet will needs have all in a word and rather not that or if that scornfully reject it
alway's for An open ãâã to the ãâã voice and too general reception of the methodiz'd words of man's wisdom as orthodox-Gospel does wonderfully disframe Peoples minds and prejudice them as to a right listning to one right Gospel-word of God's If the true Gospel-Preacher gratisie not their prurient or itching ears their vain wanton understandings or fancies with the humane methods they have bin all along accustom'd to and habituated in from enmity to and dislike of the matter they 'l pretend that occasion to fly off from any farther hearing it The numberless things of the Gospel one thing ãâã the Pearl of great price the unspeakable gift the Thoughts Affections Words Works Births Fruits and products thereof will be sound to out-number as well as transcendently to exceed in dignity all man's first-creation no-things shadows things that are not Things ãâã have their numerous varieties as well as excellencies above all first-creation perishing vanities The New-creature Gospel-spirit brings with it into man the New-creature Life Wisdom and ãâã of God that is that creature-life that being in Christ personally united with the Divine and in Saints in unchangeable harmony with the Divine is call'd the Life of God and they that have it are said to be born of God and partake of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. All things are theirs and they are Christ's and Christ is God's 1 Cor. 3. 22 23. God or the infinite Divine Nature is their inheritance by way of object to their sight and enjoyment not an ingredient into their persons as in Christ's That 's his super-eminent Prerogative But Saints are Co-heirs with him of God Rom. 8. 17. as to the vision of and feeding on the Divine Glory to eternity The great design of the whole Scripture is to bring Men into the view love and enjoyment of things eternal 2 Cor. 4. 18. all which are comprehended in the explain'd one thing necessary The vast number of things eternal in the one eternal creature-Creature-spirit of Christ Heb. 9. 14. are handed to us in great variety of Expression Types Figures Parables Similitudes with most significant Instructions about the one thing or spirit that comprehends them all as the natural spirit in Man and Angel comprehends all their natural things first-Creation Shadows perishing Vanities Those that come to any right frame of mind towards God's Gospel-things will quit and rid themselves of all those Prejudices and false Conceptions they have bin cramm'd with and built up in by worldly-Church-custom's and freely expose their darling nature to be touch'd and hit between the joynts of the Harness or Armour of Man by the sharp doctrine and discipline of the Gospel-sword and Cross of Christ. Man at best in his own Strength Wisdom and Armour stands ready to resist and fight against God not the Devil Whose side was Paul engag'd on when according to Law blamless Every right interpretation of Scripture will be at this work with us even the darting in mortifying Truths upon Nature's heart shooting in the sharp Arrows of the Lord into the hearts of the King's Enemies even in Saints the foes of their own house their own very Spirit and that at best with all the mystical Children Works Fruits or Products thereof as altogether Vanity and sinful All the desires thoughts and reasonings our own spirit the foe of our own house people's our Souls with against God and his only way of saving us are a numerous throng of Enemies Fighters and Warriers against God and the true interest or eternal concerns of our own Souls These are all struck at at every turn by every right Gospel-word or doctrine of the Cross. If we come with but itching Ears to gratify our curiosity by hearing a few Gospel-words of God's Wisdom as a novelty among the various Words or Doctrines of Mans for our understandings to trade in to furnish notional Discourse only and so to pride our selves in over-topping others understandings we shall find our selves sorely mistaken in the case Such a design may seem a-kin to Ptolomee's curiosity in procuring the Greek translation of the old Testament by 72 Jews 6 of each of the twelve Tribes call'd thence numero rotundo the Septuagint to furnish his new-erected Egyptian library amongst the learn'd writings of the wise Greeks and others from others parts God's Word is another-gets thing and has far other-gets matters to do with Men then to furnish a little overly Discourse Where rightly interpreted in the Words of his Wisdom or of that spirit which inspired the holy Pen-men thereof 't will be a Savour of Life or Death to the hearers 2 Cor. 2. 15 16. 'T is as a sire in and upon Men's spirits Luk. 24. 32. A hammer that breaks the Rock in pieces Jer 23. 29. 'T will prosper in the thing whereto he sends it accomplish that which he pleases Isa. 55. 11. Life or Death in and to the respective heedful or regardless hearers thereof 'T is dangerous dallying with such sharp two-edg'd tools Do we stand trifling and lie at catch with the Pharisees to see what Gospel-doctrine will be at Where it will pitch Alas alas Every Word of it rightly heard and consider'd makes a home-thrust at Nature's heart howe're it slips o're Men's inadvertent heads while they confusedly wait for they know not what hoping to hear some change of voice in favour to poor Nature's head and that the Righteous Life of the earthly Jerusalem State thereof need not be surrendred to the Gospel-sword and Cross. A like vain thought to that of King Zedekiah when he sent privately for Jeremy out of a Dungeon to speak with him Is there any Word from the Lord Says he to him There is says Jeremy and this is it Thou shall be deliver'd into the hand of the King of Babylon Jer. 37. 17. How Nebuchadnezzar handled him see Jer. 52. 8 11. The Word of God is a steddy constant Word not off and on no yea and nay with it all 's yea and amen 2 Cor. 1. 17 20. Or absolute infallible Truth The mercenary preachers of Satans accursed other Gospel in great variety of opinion and way flourish in worldly dignities and recompences for their pretended skil in spiritual affairs the whole world running after them 1 Joh. 4. 5. Rev. 13. 3. Amidst this self-exalted crew of mercenary Babylonians with their many inventions if the true spiritual Gospel-Declarer can but scape blows he will think himself tolerably treated He comes with a Doctrine that strikes at the very root and foundation of all their humane self-interests the very principle of all their Life Desire Thought and Action at best CHAP. VIII V. 1. Who is as the wise Man and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing Heb. word A man's wisdom maketh his face to shine and the boldness Heb. strength of his face shall be changed HEre are too questions the latter implying an answer to the former and then a declaration of the valuable priviledges of the truly wise man The
God This is the strange method of God's Wisdom for his despis'd little ones to be found more than Conquerers of all their proud self-exalting despisers and enemies The abolishing the worldly life of Nature out of Christ and his Army is the way to their being all found in that life and power of the World to come in which they overcome all that obstinatly set up in this This way the Man Christ triumph'd over all evil angelical and humane Principalities and Powers the Princes of this World Col. 2. 14 15. 1 Cor. 2. 6. All Men that finally take up in the first-creation are Satan's Subjects all that pass out of that by death into the life of the second are God's The poor wise Man that does all these wonderful things for his little City has infinite divine and infallible creature-wisdom and power in him And what can all the visible and invisible Powers of this World with all their Strength Devices and Bulwarks be before him He was made a poor Man by the death of our nature that he might make many rich in his spirit of Grace on the like obedient death of nature in them 2 Cor. 6. 10. 8. 9. Phil. 2. 6 8. Yet no Man remembers this poor wise Man No man in his own Wisdom receives his Gospel-Testimony Joh. 3. 32. takes his Counsel follows his Example Under the sinking weight of this charge will evil Men and Angels lie for ever They 'l not remember hearken to or follow this poor Man under his Cross into the like poverty and death of nature in them the only way into his everlasting Rest. Vers. 16. Then said I Wisdom is better than strength nevertheless the poor Man's wisdom is despis'd and his words are not heard The everlasting Wisdom of God's New-creation Gospel-Spirit is better then all the fading strength wisdom and power of Man and Angel in the first or old But the voice and words of this Wisdom from the impoverish'd natural man in Christ and his followers is not heard heeded or regarded by those that resolve to set up in that state of Nature for happiness which they preach death to as the only ãâã way and means for their being truly happy All such reproofs of death on the spirit of Nature and instructions of life in God's Spirit of Grace are despis'd and rejected by the wisdom of Man in first-Covenant Righteousness Even such are found all along this world a disobedient gain-saying People Isa. 65. 2. Rom. 10. 21. See the dismal and blessed consequents of not hearkning or hearkning to this poor wise Man's Counsels reproofs and instructions Prov. 1. 20 -33. Somethere are amongst the vast multitude of self-confident righteous men and also profane who at last are brought to regard this poor wise man's voice and his only the voice of his Spirit in himself and Saints ãâã still God has a little flock that are content to be made his little ones in Nature that he may make them his great ones and worthies too big and too many for all his and their enemies in his Wisdom and Spirit of Grace All do not finally provoke him Heb. 3. 16. Rom. 11. 1 -5. Christ then and his followers are not without all hearing from Men. For Vers. 17. The words of wise Men are heard in quiet more then the cry of him that ruleth among fools The words of Christ and his awaken'd Spiritual Saints the words of God's Wisdom which the Holy Ghost teaches and utters in both and all will be heard or obey'd by a spiritual Seed of Christ in meek broken-spirited quiet peaceable men Sons of Peace Their meek broken silenc'd natural spirit is of great price with God 1 Pet. 3. 4. as quitting its own vain corruptible life for that which is not corruptible but everlasting They instruct those that oppose them in meekness of Wisdom not returning railing for railing in the wrathful wrangling spirit and earthly wisdom of Nature that 's from beneath waiting with patience if God peradventure will give them Repentance or change of mind from Satan's lie to his Gospel-Truth 2 Tim. 2. 24 -26. See the different demeanour conversation and fruits of Saints in God's Heavenly Spiritual wisdom communicated to them and of incorrigible sinners in Man's and Satan's earthly devilish wisdom from beneath Jam. 3. 13 -18. Men in their wisdom render'd devilish by fixure in enmity to God's are the loud clamorous boasting self-exalting undertakers at teaching the way of Salvation who by their great cry and confused noise of their ãâã Cymbals their uncertain-sounding false Trumpet gain a ruling power amongst fools to the final destruction of blind foolish rulers and ruled leaders and followers All fall into the ditch or bottomless pit of deceits and destruction nets snares and death together Eccle. 7. 26. Mat. 15. 14. Such Rulers or Teachers and Leaders as a demonstration of their utmost folly and madness despise are offended at and absolutely reject all the words of God's Wisdom as folly and madness ver 12. Hos. 9. 7 8. 1 Cor. 1. 23. Joh. 10. 20. 7. 45 49. The quiet-spirited Saint in whom this self-confident spirit of enmity to God and all his Words of Counsel is broken down and silenc'd by the Cross listen to the Words of the true Shepherd or Teacher in himself and messengers and follow not but flee from the Stranger 's voice Joh. 10. 4 5. The spiritual Feet or Principles on which Christ's true Messengers or Apostles come to them are beautiful and all their right Words of reproof and instruction most welcome and desireable They esteem hear and obey the words of the truly wise as incomparably beyond all the cry and noise of Rulers among fools that presumptuously undertake an absolute impossibility even to declare the Mysteries of God's Wisdom in that wisdom of Man that 's foolishness to God's and all the words of God's to it Yet is their voice and cry readily heard and follow'd by Fools to the everlasting destruction of both and all Vers. 18. Wisdom is better then Weapons of War but one sinner destroyeth much good True Wisdom or the Spirit of Christ in Man is better then all the Wisdom Srength Power and Armour of Man or Angel in the first creation and yet more when all these are turn'd into and used in enmity to God For so became they the one sinner that from first to last ãâã against God Christ and Saints who must needs be unspeakably too hard for them All wicked Angels and Men in the finally abused first-creation state or spirit and life of nature make up and are the one sinner or uniform fighter against God in and with their first-creation Strength Armour and weapons of War And thus does this one comprehensive Sinner or perverted first-creation Spirit in all evil Angels and Men destroy much good even all the changeable goodness in that state which had they obediently return'd it back in sacrifice to God they might have receiv'd much good
thereby even the promis'd gift of an everlasting righteous Life and so all their own fading good again with usury The Law or law-life in Man or Angel us'd unlawfully as kept up for Weapons of War in rebellion against Christ's Gospel-life is destroy'd by the said Sinner in evil Angels and Men. They thus destroy and frustrate all the good intended in and by their first-creation State and for ever exclude themselves from the immutable good of the second So destroy they much good even the whole good of the first and second Creation By the lawful use of the first they might have had all the good of both By the unlawful use thereof they spoil and lose all all the good given them in the former and offer'd them in the latter Then as six'd in unchangeable enmity to God they must fall and lie down for ever under the unchangeable Wrath of God as their undeniably just portion CHAP. X. V. 1. Dead Flies Heb. flies of death cause the Ointment of the Apothecary to send forth a stinking savour so doth a little Folly him that is in reputation for Wisdom and Honour THe dead flies or flies of death found in Men since the fall that cause the first-covenant precious Ointment of Christ the great mystical Apothecary or perfumer of Man's filthy loathsome corrupt polluted nature dead in trespasses and sins are a character of the ãâã to God's divine and creature-creature-spirit which is filth of spirit in Man This enmity as the single product of the first sin is call'd the little folly in eminently restor'd righteous Man that with Job is there in great reputation for Wisdom and Honour Job 29. 7 -10 This little folly a changeable pardonable curable enmity to God in all comparatively with the great folly the incurable unpardonable great transgression or presumptuous sin unto death as thro' Man's wilful madness this changeable is turn'd into a fix'd unchangeable enmity to God in many this little folly what a noise it made in Job against the dispensation of the Cross when under it as we find at large by the reproofs Elihu and Christ himself came upon him with Job 32 to almost the end of that Book Man in the honour he was created in not understanding or duly considering the changeable nature of that honour and slipperiness of his standing in it soon fell and became as the Beasts that perish Psal. 49. 12 20. a brutified meer sensual creature as 't were having forfeited the righteous life of a Man And when restor'd by the redeemer out of that polluted bloody condition into the same kind of changeable first-covenant righteous life of a Man again Ezek. 16. 6. so as to remove and take off the punishment of the first sin the first sin it self is not hereby cured but through this very fresh coming of the command or Christ's setting up his first-covenant Law-life in him again does this sin of Enmity revive also which with and in dead nature lay as dead into an active bold confident daring presumptuous resisting of God and his Gospel-spirit as Paul experienc'd Rom. 7. 9 -11. And had he obstinately persisted in that course when convinced of his duty it had slain him for ever But he yielded to the death of that restor'd ãâã covenant law-life as the known means of abolishing that ãâã which reviv'd sprang up with it and is inseparable from it No way then to be rid of that enmity but by being rid of that life under the Cross. And no other way or on no other or lower and ãâã ãâã can God's Gospel-life of ãâã Righteousness be ãâã by or set up in us He therefore gloried in nothing save the ãâã ãâã ãâã that by its twofold death and life-operation runs down the ãâã covenant life and ãâã up the second crucified all ãâã life and desire in his spirit to all this World's desirables and ãâã ãâã it Gal. 6. 14. and set up a life in him the Palate Belly or ãâã and Desire whereof wholly and only savour'd ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã desir'd and ãâã after the things of God things eternal delights of the ãâã ãâã God He so became alive only to the World to come and that to him a meer Pilgrim and Stranger in and to this to the delights of the Sons of Men things seen temporal 1 Pet. 2. 11. 2 Cor. 4. 18. The dead Fly or little solly here is the same with the little leaven that leavens the whole lump Gal. 5. 9 of mankind which can be purg'd out of any no otherwise then by the death and Sacrifice of Nature at best from which inseparable And then with our sacrific'd spotless Nature in Christ our Pass-over shall we find that the destroying Angel even Christ with the same spiritual-Sword or Gospel-Cross will pass over us as to that use he will make of it in Wrath upon all fix'd incorrigible enemies Angels or Men. This fix'd leaven or Doctrine of the Pharisees in a sowr'd leaven'd spirit of unchangeable enmity in a ãâã Covenant righteous life against the second Law against Gospel is that Christ warn'd his Disciples to beware of Mat. 16. 6 11 12. For this cause did Christ sanctify our nature by the death thereof in himself that by the like death-sanctification the same fire-Baptism of his heavenly Spirit of Truth on our earthy-spirit of enmity and falshood he might sanctify it in us Joh. 17. 17 19. The enmity or Fly of death becoming unchangeable in Men renders them a most stinking abomination to God for ever Their Soul unchangeably loaths God's Soul or Spirit of Grace and his them Then Christ's fresh first-Covenant Gift that was for a season as salt to dry up the fleshly filth of their polluted nature loses its savour and the whole person becomes a stinking loathsome thing as all-over polluted with a spreading incurable Leprosy or most noisom Disease Vers. 2. A wise Man's heart is at his right hand but a fool's heart at his left Here 's a description of the truly wise and of the greatest fool The heart of the former is at his right hand fix'd and set to follow those right counsels of God in the life activity desire and thought of the incorruptible Seed of God's right-hand-planting in him by a new-creation which will set him at Christ's right hand when fools or lustful Goats in the activity life and desire of the corruptible seed of his left-hand-planting in them by a first-creation in which wholly set upon this worlds vanities will be found at his left-hand and doom'd to eternal punishment Mat. 25. 33 46. Saints give up their fleshly Tree with the fruits or works thereof their left-hand first-Covenant life to the death of the Cross that they may receive that right-hand second Covenant Gospel-life wherein to be wise unto Salvation Others of a perfectly contrary mind fool themselves into eternal damnation Vers. 3. Yea also when he that is a fool walketh by the way his Wisdom Heb. heart faileth him and
he saith to every one that he is a fool Man 's own Wisdom is Folly not able to direct his steps in or so much as into the way everlasting Jer. 10. 23. Trusting therein and to renders him an enemy to true spiritual Wisdom that can do all And this manifests him to every one to be fool God will set up that Light in all that they and all others shall see them Fools as having wilfully chosen that Life and Wisdom they knew would fail them and consequently excluded themselves for ever from that which would have done their Work Thus become they everlasting monuments of their own madness and folly in eternal darkness and death under Wrath. Vers. 4 If the spirit of the Ruler rise up against thee leave not thy place for yielding pacifieth great offences The acknowledg'd literal gives aim at the mystical sence In letter Man ought not to leave his place of subjection to worldly Rulers but acknowledg the ruling Power by God's Providence permitted any to exercise over him however ill us'd This may and ought to be without any sinful compliance with such abused Power Even Saints must suffer as a passive owning that power so ill manag'd they can't actively obey All ought to keep their place of subjection to it so as not to rise up against dispute or deny the Rulers place and office however abus'd Such demeanour is the only safe way to pacify the Ruler's unjust wrath against them t. For yielding pacifieth great offences Yea Devils are not to be denied their invisible evil Angelical Principality and Power permissively given them in and over this World Luk. 4. 5 6. The Devil 's evil place of Rule and Power is not to be denied Even Michael the Arch-Angel Christ himself contending or disputing with the Devil about the body of Moses durst not bring against him a railing Accusation but said the Lord rebuke thee Jud. 9. So Zec. 3. 2. About Joshua another Type of himself The Devil contends or disputes by himself and Apostles for the body of Moses or life of the Law as eternal Life and Salvation according to his first short comprehensive lying Sermon to Eve ye shall not die This is eternal Life ye are already possess'd of by the first Creation A due demeanour towards the very evil Angels is an owning our place of inferiority to them in the life of but humane nature or our natural state at best 'T is acknowledg'd so in Christ himself Heb. 2. 7. The leaving our place of Subjection or Inferiority to evil visible or invisible Powers of this World is a leaving our place of right subjection and obedience to God and a giving advantage to the Devil to make us pay it him And so come we to the mystery here Christ of right is always the chief Magistrate and Supream Ruler over all in his very passive season and Satan's active Reign If his Spirit rise up against the guilty natural spirit of Man if he come with his spiritual Sword and Gospel-fire to slay and sacrifice it to God Obedience ought to be given to him herein by yielding subjection to this Supream Ruler over all as our true interest and safety This is the way to pacify God's provoked Wrath against us even the delivering up that spirit to death that 's found guilty of all sorts of offences against him and this undeniably evidenc'd by the all-discovering light of the two-edged flaming Sword that slays us Heb. 4. 12 13. No absolute reconciliation but by the death of the guilty Sinner in us the foe of our own house We ought to agree with this true Ruler in the way of his Cross the only way to Salvation when his Spirit rises against and he comes in the posture of an Adversary upon his and our enemy in us Mat. 5. 25. Such yielding up the perpetual Offender to death in order to be brought to live under the peaceable Rule of that Spirit of Life and Love that slays our spirit of Enmity and Death pacifies the Wrath of our most righteous Judg and brings this wonder to pass that we who in our own spirits have bin guilty of innumerable and unutterably aggravated follies and madnesses shall have no Iniquity found in us by Friends or Foes The guilty Sinner our natural spirit that always rebell'd in its life has obediently suffer'd death and there 's an end of all Iniquity By this means come we to be fill'd with a spirit of Life that 's in eternal union of mind will desire thought love and hatred with the infinite divine spirit Then let enemies that love nothing but such Iniquities they would charge us with search and accuse us while they will yea and let God that infinitely hates all Iniquity search us to the bottom by the joynt beamings forth of his infinite divine and all-searching infallible new-Creation Sun-lights still still no Iniquity will be found in us when fill'd with his own Spirit of everlasting Righteousness and Truth Vers. 5. There is an evil which I have seen under the Sun as an errour which proceedeth from the ruler Vers. 6. Folly is set in great dignity and the rich sit in low place Here 's just matter of complaint relating to the invisible or visible Magistrates of this World evil Angels or Men. Nothing more familiar to observation in the visible then their encouraging and advancing folly it self or grossly wicked and unworthy persons and thrusting down the rich in true wisdom the truly worthy into low place or no place out of all place yea and out of the World as not fit or worthy to live by reason of his unalterably contrary principle temper and spirit to such wicked Gamsters as resolve to make a prey of the People All discouragements injuries and oppressions imaginable are on this ground exercis'd on the most worthy Patriots whose Consciences permit them not to gratify and serve their corrupt wills interests and unruly lusts These are the things practis'd by wicked visible Rulers in a flat contrariety to their duty Rom. 13. 3 4. The invisible Rulers of this World evil Angels prefer the rich wise-fools in a first-Covenant righteous life as their choicest and most useful subjects before above and against the mystical poor or impoverish'd there in order to become wise rich strong and honourable in God or in a spiritual new-Covenant life hid with Christ in God Christ pronounceth Wo to the former and says Blessed are the latter Luke 6. 20 24. That that 's highly esteemed of Men in the first Covenant is abominable to God Luk. 16. 15. as set up in a fixed enmity to him and the second And the broken contrite impoverish'd natural Spirit of the Saint as to all others trust and glory in seems abominable and contemptible to them the fat full rich wise strong and honourable in the first 1 Cor. 4. 8 10. The rich in the first-Covenant are sigur'd by the Man with a gold Ring and goodly apparel whereas the poor and
corrupt or enlighten'd nature is but a fool and as the Beasts that perish as to all his eternal Concerns Gospel Things or Truths Psal. 49. 12 20. Jer. 10. 23. 1 Cor. 2. 14. All such things are or seem foolishness to him because he is a fool All words or fruits utter'd or brought forth in his own nature at best which he trusts and advises others to trust in are lying vanities perishing transient shadows He walks in a vain shew sees teaches is nothing but vanity altogether vanity Psal. 39. 5 6. Ezek. 13. 6. He neither consider's the fading nature of all he 's possess'd of nor the everlasting Life Righteousness and things of God he wants He hugg's himself as rich and happy when in truth miserable poor blind and naked Such fools were the Laodiceans Rev. 3. 17. and the Corinthians 1 Cor. 4. 8 10. Both these mistake's in embracing and waxing confident in false and in rejecting true riches Christ found the young Man in Mat. 19. 20 -22. Men reckon they want nothing for true blessedness when they want every thing Thus foolish Men's words swallow up themselves or expose themselves and others to be swallow'd up in a spirit of unchangeable darkness and death God will take all such wise fools in their own craftiness as knowing all their thoughts vain 1 Cor. 3. 19 20. They think of trust in relie upon and teach nothing but vanity and this in unchangeable enmity to God and all the reproofs and instructions of true Wisdom Prov. 1. 20 32. They craftily and subtily defend themselves and secure nature's head from his spiritual Cross Gospel-fire and Sword and so swallow up sink and drown themselves and all that follow their words of Counsel into everlasting destruction and perdition Vers. 13. The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness and the end of his talk is mischievous madness From first to last he sets up and pleads for a life that 's changeable in it self and enmity to God as true happiness He begins sets out and ãâã in this folly till fix'd in enmity and so guilty of mischievous madness ãâã might and main to render others Children of ãâã with himself Mat. 23. 15. Vers. 14. A Fool also is full of words a Man cannot tell what shall be and what shall be after him who can tell him Abounding in words is a ãâã of both literal and mystical Fools as highly ãâã in ãâã false ãâã measures of ãâã The mystical or wise Fool is in total darkness as to his ãâã concerns is wholly ignorant of the obedient Saints true ãâã or life and state ãâã to be for ever blessed And as ignorant is he as to the ãâã most deplorable state of himself and followers incorrigible haters of God in eternal Death This unutterable distress confusion and ãâã that comes after all the mirth and jollity in his self-pleasing thought and foolish way will be an absolute amazing surprize and disappointment to him Who can tell ãâã of ãâã ãâã shall come to ãâã after his life and race in this world The truly wise spiritual Saint can But he 'l not hear believe or regard his words Vers. 15. The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them because he knoweth not how to go to the City All the labour of ãâã wise-Fool in the restor'd righteous life and wisdom of man for Salvation is term'd in Scripture but bodily exercise that profiteth little or but for a little time in suppressing the vile affections of corrupt nature but when once knowingly kept up in wilful unchangeable ãâã to God most highly displeasing to God and not only unprofitable but utterly destructive to man After or by all such ãâã he 'l find it impossible for him to go or get into the City New ãâã All such will be found those mystical Dogs ãâã ãâã Murderers and Idolaters that have loved and made or ãâã on Satan's lie from first to last against God's truth Rev. 22. 15. So will they be shut out of the said City for ever and ãâã their portion in the lake of fire Rev. 21. 8. among damned Angels and Men 2 Thess. 2. 11 12. Mat. 25. 41. Ver. 16. Wo to thee O Land when thy King is a Child and thy Princes eat in the morning In letter a sore punishment to a Nation is a childish Ruler or King unfit for Government as given up to all sorts of evil and misgovernment in his own Person implied by eating in the morning as voluptuous in gratifying his evil sensual appetites or lusts This is Wo to him and the Land under his Government For instead of being a praise and encouragement to good works and workers and a terrour to evil as he ought Rom. 13. 3. he will be found in a directly contrary practice But the mystical and principal sense here is this When the mystical Land or natural State of Man is cleans'd or swept from ãâã of flesh and Satan rather receiv'd into this cleans'd house Mat. 12. 43 45. then Christ as Ruler and King very great will be the Wo to the said Land For then is Man a slave to the Prince of darkness to do his will in all things This ruling Child or birth of the spirit of the Devil in Man will be found eating in the morning or gratifying his sinful love lust and desire with ãâã perishing meats and so will be establish'd with him in unchangeable enmity to God which brings him under the unchangeable wrath of God Vers. 17. Blessed art thou O Land when thy King is the Son of Nobles and thy Princes eat in due season for strength and not for drunkenness In ãâã where Governours are of a noble meetly qualified temper for Rule in a spirit of Justice and Wisdom the Land or people are happy The mystery or spiritual sense is this Those that are born of the spirit of Christ are of the Heavenly extraction and Pedigree Sons of Nobles as begotten by his Gospel-Ministers Apostles or messengers in which sense Paul calls Timothy his Son in the Gospel-life of Faith 1 Tim. 1. 2. and indeed Sons of the great King himself the only Potentate to whom of right all Rule belongs His one Spirit of everlasting Righteousness and true Wisdom sits them to be steddy doers of the divine Will in all things So under Christ's and their peaceable righteous Government will the whole Land Earth or World be blessed Isa. 32. 1. And the mystical Land Spirit and whole person of every Saint will be blessed under the Government of this Spirit of Christ in himself and themselves Vers. 18. By much slothfulness the building decayeth and thro' idleness of the hands the house droppeth thorow Here 's a reproof of Man's negligence or sloth under spiritual convictions of his interest in having the new-building of him carried on a-main and a discovery of the great danger thereof All favouring or keeping up the old hinders the new and so any happy proficiency progress or advance towards
AN EXPOSITION OF Ecclesiastes OR The Preacher The Inspiration of the Almighty giveth Understanding Job 32. 8. The things of God knoweth no Man but the Spirit of God by which he reveal's them 1 Cor. 2. 10 11. The Spiritual Man discern's all things v. 15. If I pleas'd Men I should not be the Servant of Christ Gal. 1. 10. LONDON Printed in the Year 1680. Sold by Samuel Lee at the Feathers in Lombard-Street near Popes-head Alley CHAP. I. Vers. I. The words of the Preacher the Son of David King of Jerusalem THIS Book written by King Solomon about the fourtieth year of his Reign and last of his Life Anno ãâã 3030 is called in Greek Ecclesiastes in Hebrew Choheleth both signifying a caller unto or a gatherer together of Men to declare to them the words of God's Wisdom relating to their everlasting blessedness This is the proper work of the infallible Spirit of Christ in himself and Saints Pro. 1. 20-23 and 8. 1 -9. This living Creature-Word and Wisdom of God is called the Beginning in and by which God created the Heaven and the earth Gen. 1. 1. The purely divine Form of God did by way of emanation or generation not properly creation produce that Supream Creature-form of him in personal Union with it self from everlasting as it self tells us Prov. 8. 22 23. This became his fitted Hand by which to Create the World as also to mediate between meer creaturality in Angels and Men when made and the single infinite Divinity This fountain Creature-Spirit is by Divine Authority called God and asserted to be the immediate Creator of all things John 1. 1 3. Col. 1. 15 16. Yea the Man Christ as the polished Shaft in this hand of God ready to be sent forth in due time is said to be him by whom God made the Worlds Heb. 1 -- 3. Natural and Spiritual by a first and second Creation He gave an Immortality of Being not of Life to Angels and Men by the First but true Life and Immortality are brought to light and set up in them only in and by the Second The First was a mortal Law-life the Second is an everlasting Gospel-Life 2 Tim. 1. 10. Whoever fall short of Christ's Gospel-life as all do that finally refuse to part with their fading Law-life by a holy obedient death of their own Spirit and Nature fall short also of the glory of God never come to see and enjoy the divine glory as Co-heirs with Christ of God This living creating preaching Word and Creature-Wisdom of God is the supream receaver and infallible declarer of the whole counsel of the divine Mind relating to Angels and Men. The words of this living Word will prosper in the thing whereto sent the Eternal Life or Death of the obedient ãâã or willful rejecters thereof Isa. 55. 11. 2 Cor. 2. 15 16. God effectually makes obedient submitters to and receivers of it Wicked Men and Angels make themselves willful haters final refusers and incorrigible enemies thereof Hos. 13. 9. In this supream Creature-being the original Creature-Book and living Word of God did all things consist or stand up together in a Radical existence before brought forth in their actual subsistencies by Creation In this Book were all our Members written when as yet there was none of them Our substance was not hid from God but seen by him together with all we shall ever come to be or do and all he will do with us to all eternity Psal. 139. 15 16. Seen and known to him were all the works of his hands and all the works of those works Men and Angels towards him before their actual Production or personall Individuation Yea before their said radical Existence There are no Futurities to His infinite Understanding All things past present and to come were ever present to him The Supream Creature-Spirit Word and Wisdom of God is called Man as also are Angels both good and bad The man Gabriel that appeared to Daniel Zachary and Mary Dan. 9. 21. Luk. 1. 19. vers 26 27. was this Creature-Spirit in the Mediator Good Angels also have been frequently represented as and called Men Gen. 18. 2. and other Scriptures Evil Angels also are called Men of sin Sons of Perdition in and with their Luciferian Head 2 Thes. 2. 3. By the communicated Spiritual Light of the Man Christ to Angels and Men can either of them under and with him become true seers of God in his divine and creature-glories so as to be true Preachers and rightly qualified Declarers of his divine and spiritual Things or Truths Such a Seer of God was Solomon the Preacher and Writer of this Book And in the same Light in which a Seer of the things of God was he enabled infallibly to see and declare the Vanity of all first-creation Life and Goodness and the never-fading Glories and excellencies of the Second In the all-penetrating Spirit of true Prophecy did he see the deep things of Gods divinity and the natural and spiritual things of the first and second Creation what each amounted to So could ãâã with other awakened spiritual Saints infallibly prophesy or foretell what will become of any Men or Angels to Eternity as found rebelliously fixing in their first-creation Life and State of Vanity or obediently surrendring it for the second in Eternal Life or Death In this true spirit of Prophecy did Solomon with his Father David and other Saints find out and set in order many right words words of Truth given from one Shepherd Eccl. 12. 10 11. The spirit of the Lord the rock of Israel spake to and by David His Word saies he was in my tongue 2 Sam. 23. 2 3. Such words only as the Holy Ghost teacheth words of Gods wisdom shew the way of salvation and of scaping damnation Such words only shew those glorious things God hath in everlasting love provided for Saints and the dreadful amazing things he hath in everlasting wrath prepared for incorrigible sinners neither of which can the Eye Ear Heart or Understanding of natural Man or Angel take any right measure or notice of Man and Angel in the utmost wisdom of their own nature are bounded with first-creation vanities for Object of which number its very self is and they therein When view'd in the infallible Light and weighed in the just Ballance of Gods new-creation sanctuary-Sanctuary-Spirit they 'l all be found lighter than vanity t. The Son of David King of Jerusalem So a Type of the Man Christ as Son of the great and originally unchangable Creature-spirit of the Mediator the true King of his New-Jerusalem Saints set up by God on his holy Hill of Zion Psal. 2. 6. John 5. 22. 27. Act. 17. 31 c. Vers. II. Vanity of vanities saith the Preacher Vanity of vanities all is vanity The doubling of the words Vanity of vanities is emphatical more strongly asserting this irrefragable Truth That vain are all things in the first-creation world or natural state of Men and
whom the Lord abhorreth Psal. 10. 3. as they him and his true What profit then can man expect of all his labour under the Sun in but a first-covenant Life and Righteousness Nothing below the Holy Ghost or new-creature constant right steddy Spirit Psal. 51. 10. and principle of everlasting righteousness signifies any thing as to his true salvation When he reckons he has all he has nothing of durable life riches food or clothing but is wretched miserable poor blind and naked The wisdom of self-confident man misses the design and principal intendment of God in the whole Scripture To preach up the righteousness of man in the first-covenant-law is good in its kind But to assert this to be an everlasting Gospel-life or state of true salvation is the highest evil the very doctrine Satan preach'd to Eve Ye shall not dye at all the Life ye have in the first-creation that 's but natural is eternal This is Man's and Satan's accursed other Gospel handed to men with great confidence in the words of their twisted humane and Serpentine wisdom's To establish and warrant men in their own righteousness holy flesh for salvation is the very doctrine of devils 'T is a setting up of Man and Angel in their spirit of Nature against God's Spirit of Grace and Truth All that finally persist in this Doctrine and way in stead of the Saints everlasting rest will ãâã the Lake of fire and brimstone prepared for the Devil and his Angels Enmity to God and his gospel-Gospel-Spirit is inseperable from the restored first-covenant life of the Law in man yea gets strength courage credit and great authority by the comming of the command or fresh setting up that lost life in him by the Redeemer as Paul found Rom. 7. While then men are heaping up riches and reckon they are doing well to themselves there so as to despise the riches of God's goodness they are treasuring up to themselves wrath against the day of wrath Their moth-eaten cankred rusty corruptible Riches mystical as well as litteral will testify against them in God's day for trusting in them in their day on earth against all his faithful warnings to the contrary Jam. 5. 1-3 Vers. IV. One generation passeth away and another generation commeth but the earth abideth for ever Eternity and Immutability are the requisite Adjuncts of that wherein man's true felicity consists He must look for it in things Eternal or never find it And these are not seen by natural understanding 2 Cor. 4. 18. The litteral sense of these words is evident to the common understanding and universal experience of mankind The spiritual is a mystery to the highest wisdom of the most enlightned righteous party of men in but their own single spirit of nature short of spiritual light Man therein esteems and values only the cleans'd ãâã rich and fruitful mystical House or Land of his own Nature as that which will continue for ever So desires it may be called by his own Name This is the inward thought of the wise rich and full first-covenant Saint in his holy ãâã the sandy-foundation'd building though he see such holy wise men perish as well as brutish fools in the corrupt life of nature Psal. 49. 10. 11. Man's calling his Lands or outward possessions by his own Name is the litteral shadow of this mystical folly Yet ãâã posterity approve ãâã sayings vers 13. steer the same course do the same things and so generation after generation go to the same ãâã of ãâã and death where they never see Light vers 19. Through the unsuspected wiles of the old Serpent are new raw stagers ãâã one after another in the fame ãâã They reject the voice and instructions of true Wisdom as the greatest folly They say to true Seers see not prophesy not unto us right things They hate the Lord's Prophets as Ahab Micajah embrace Satan's with their smooth words of deceit Isa. 30. 9 10. Thus one generation of visible Saints in holy flesh after another passes away into the same dismal end eternal death as found from first to last a serpentine generation of vipers fixed in enmity to Gods holy spirit They say they are true spiritual Jews but Christ sayes they are of the synagogue of satan Rev. 3. 9. This generation passes away and yet passes not away Mat. 24. 3 4. though alwayes passing How So Why new commers into this world still keep up the old Trade the same spirit Principles and Perswasions all along Satan's reign from the beginning to the ending thereof A fresh supply of new Teachers and Hearers carry on Satan's work to their own eternal ruine t. But the Earth abideth for ever That is Man 's and Angels immortal Spirits in the earthy leaky first-creation make thereof All of them that refuse to have that first-creation building taken down in order to become new Bottles or Vessels by Christ's new-creation workmanship fitted to hold the new-wine or Spirit of his Kingdom do through the immortality of their beings become the subjects of God's unchangable wrath for their unchangable enmity to him by which they have made themselves Vessels of dishonour and everlasting contempt This is such recompence of their error as is meet even the vengeance of Eternal Fire Rom. 1. 27. Jude 7. on mystical more than litteral Sodom Mat. 11. 24. All that yield up all received in the first-creation to be filled and clothed with the everlasting life and righteousness of the second become Vessels of honour glory immortality and eternal Life Vers. V. The Sun also ariseth and the Sun goeth down and hasteth to or panteth aster his place where he arose The litteral Sun that has a causal influence on all the visible parts of this World is vanity 'T is restless in its motion and revolution direct and periodical And this yet is but a shadow of the invisible first-creation Sun the first-covenant-spirit of the Law under which Men and Angels were created and Christ himself in our flesh was made Gal. 4. 4. Under and by the causal influence of this in Christ's Person as a fleshly-bridegroom to first-covenant Saints in holy flesh are all such righteous fruits and works brought forth and done as have bin found in a restored enlightned sort of Professors and People since the fall or in Man and Angels before the Fall This mystical first-creation Sun is yet but a shadow or figure of the seven-fold and seventy times seven-fold brighter spiritual intellectual new-creation Sun of everlasting righteousness the Holy Ghost or new-covenant new-creature spirit in Christ's person of which all new-creatures are born and under the cherishing influence thereof enabled to bring forth fruits unto God in a newness of Life All thus brought under this Law of the spirit of Life are made new Bottles Vessels of honour and eternal Life and no other This is the Sun Mal. 4. 2. Through this most glorious creature-Sun in the Mediator as the ãâã Chrystaline Medium or transparent Sea of
Glass Rev. 4. 6. does the infinite glory of the divine Sun shine forth for ever with safety in a modifying mixture and allay on blessed Saints and Angels which in its single infinite brightness would overset and consume them Heb. 12. 29. Only the original creature-sun or spirit that 's in personal union with the infinite divinity can behold and enjoy the divine Sun or Spirit in its immediate brightness This supream creature-vail on it is the absolutely necessary means of unvailing it or leting it down with safety to all meer-created beings Angels or Men in their highest spiritual capacities and understandings On this account and in this sense will Christ be a Mediator between God and them to all Eternity The litteral and mystical Sun of the first-creation will set and come to a final period Then will all the flowers of that field litteral or mystical wither fade away and come to nothing as to all the perishing beauty and goodliness thereof But the Word of God the new-creation Gospel-Sun of righteousness will abide for ever upon all the blessed Inhabitants of the true Mount Sion Isa. 40. 6-8 1 Pet. 1. 23-25 On the first sin of Man against God and his Creature-Sun of everlasting Righteousness did Christ with-draw the mysticall first-creation Sun causing it to go down set or disappear to all mankind taking from them what they had and so leaving them in darkness and death dead in trespasses and sins Then as Redeemer does Christ cause this Sun to rise upon them again for the fresh enlightning of every man that comes into the world more or less Joh. 1. 9. with rational first-covenant light against which if they sin it accuses if they obey it it excuses them Rom. 2. 15. This is the Light or Law of rational nature in all men By this Light are men shewed the way for a returning towards the righteous life they were at first created in which is called a making straight in the desert of their barren fallen state a high way for their God Isa. 40. 3. a setting their first-creation House or State in order again But this done and Man growing up into a fruitful flourishing posture herein the ruling intellectual powers and ruled sensual each performing their duty in rightly commanding and obeying still still this very mystical Sun or first-covenant-spirit under the quickning enlivening and fructifying influence whereof all this is done will according to its orderly appointed motions and revolutions with the litteral Sun be withdrawn again go down set and disappear from them Christ as a fleshly-Bridegroom or Husband to them will depart and leave them so as never to shine upon them more there All then that do not timely and obediently surrender and part with all the life fruitfulness and comforts they have found under his influence as the first-covenant Sun of Righteousness in order to receive from him that newness of life in which to be married to him as risen from the dead and bring forth fruits unto God Rom. 7. 1-4 under the influence of his new-covenant-spirit will be found on the setting of the former mystical Sun in a total darkness and death a Night-state in which no man can work righteousness more for ever Vers. VI. The Wind goeth towards the South and turneth about unto the North it whirleth about continually and the wind returneth again according to his circuits Here 's another teaching instructing similitude fetched from the litteral wind Christ in his first and second covenant spirits not unfitly represented by the North and South-wind does powerfully breath and blow upon the spirits of men in the actual distributions of the one and convincing discoveries of the other This mystical wind of Christs twofold creature-spirit is in the workings and motions thereof on men compared to and fitly figured out by litteral winds which manifest themselves in their powerfull effects however unseen in their true cause and nature Christ himself uses this similitude Joh. 3. 8. Vers. VII All the rivers run into the Sea yet the Sea is not full unto the place from whence the rivers come thither they return again The litteral Sea is a figure of mans immortal spirit the fathomless depths of which are such that it is impossible it should ever be filled with all the streames of comfort that can flow into it from all variety of visible or invisible things and excellencies in the whole first-creation World Satan's permitted dominion the sphere and bound of his activity and walk All these things highest lowest and intermediate from the tallest Cedar to the meanest Shrub in the whole lump of this worlds perishing transient vanities are resembled here by gliding rivers Satan has the most glittering excellencies of the first-creation sort in his angelical nature superiour to man's to offer communicate and lay before him to feed upon and delight in He is permitted by God to retain all these in unchangable enmity to him and all his divine Spiritual and Heavenly things in the second Yea also by his sinful transforming skill and power can he gild them over with the neerest resemblance and beautiful appearance of the second so as to deceive if possible the very Elect with his baits and catch them in his snares But the far greater part of mankind feed on husks as his Swine on the lowest part of the dust of this mortal world the gratifying satisfactions of the most brutish lusts of the lowest sort of life in their confounded fallen nature All these things of Man or Angel within the compasse of their first-creation state in distinction from the things of God Delights of the Sons of God in the second are the delights of the Sons of Men. Satan has a vast Herd of Swine amongst men And as for those that are not only enlightned but enlivened quick'ned out of their death in sin into the righteous life of their own nature again he is ready with all sorts of diet suted to the palate of that state And if the single excellencies and dainties suted to their palate in that state will not serve their turn he is ready with his superiour angelical first-creation vanities for them to feed on If these yet will not hold and satisfy them when by Christs spiritual enlightnings convincingly shewed and offered his more excellent new-creation life and things then will he gild over all humane and angelical excellencies and meats with the exactest counterfeit resemblance of the things of God the never perishing meats in the second If this yet will not do he is gone and the true Saint delivered from all his snares All the things of Man or Angel under all Satan's false glosses and glistering appearances of the things of God can never answer or satisfy the vast deep botomless ãâã of mans immortal spirit The most swelling rivers and full streams of all worldly vanities flowing into it can never fill it Nothing below the Ocean-fulnes of infinite divinity and the rivers of spiritual life flowing there-from and
returning thereunto as in unchangable union therewith can truly satisfy it Vers. VIII All things are full of labour man cannot utter it the eye is not satisfied with seeing nor the ear filled with hearing Man in his natural first-creation state at best in all possible attainments and contentments thereof is but labouring in vanity from first to last and his misery therein not to be conceived or uttered by him Everlasting perplexity and unutterable vexation of spirit will inevitably seize him for ever after all his doating mirth in his fools paradise here if he get not out of this finfull folly and madness The understanding or eye ear and heart of his immortal spirit in the best natural state thereof cannot see hear desire take in or enjoy the divine and eternal spiritual creature-things of God provided in the Mediatour for them that love him which alone can answer all the wants of their immortal spirits not onely to satisfaction but extasy and wonder to all eternity A new spiritual eye ear intellect and palate are absolutely necessary for mans rightly taking in seeing hearing savouring enjoying and delighting in these things of God But how or which way must or can man come by these spiritual senses eye ear palate and understanding By the assimilating regenerating touch of Christ's new-creature heavenly spirit on man's natural and earthly Man obediently submitting to the death-work of Christ's heavenly priestly spirit as himself did in our spotless fleshly nature offering it up in sacrifice to the will of God in the fire thereof Heb. 9. 14. kindling that fire on the earth or earthly state of our nature in himself Luk. 12. 49-51 by this means and way only can any truly please God effectually resist and overcome world and devil scape eternal death or find eternall life in the senses whereof to be satisfied with seeing and filled with hearing He must be content to have his right eye hand and foot plucked out cut off and cast away to part with and lose the best discerning wisdom and light the exactest working righteousnes and walking righteously in his own renewed natural state offended at the cross signified by eye hand and foot in order to be filled with another life springing up from the incorruptible seed thereof as begotten and born of the spirit or ever-living word of God 1 Pet. 1. 23. in which alone he can see hear work righteousness or walk with a right foot according to the gospel of the grace of God so as truly to please God or find true blessedness for himself where his eye ear and heart can take in what will fully answer all the wants or desires of his immortal spirit to eternity Thus only can man come so to delight in the Lord as to have the whole desire of his heart Psal. 37. 4 all the needs of his immortal being eternally over-answered in such enjoyments and things as the natural eye ear or heart of Angel or Man can never see hear desire understand or take any right measure and cognizance of 1 Cor. 2. 9. By submitting to the death of nature at best under the hand of the gospel-high priest of our profession Heb. 3. 1. as himselfe in our nature did can these things be brought to pass The promise of the father will be certainly performed by the son for the quickning us up out of the death of our obediently sacrificed nature into the life of the true Melchisedec or sacrificing High Priest of God So shall we come to have an eye that can be satisfied with seeing and an ear filled with hearing in the fight and enjoyment not only of the Rivers of true Life in the creature-spirit of the Mediator but infinite divine Ocean-fullness of God most high The natural Eye Ear Heart and Understanding have nothing for Object of the desire and thought of Man but a heap of perishing visible or invisible vanities that can never answer the wants of his immortal being All his appetite there is but a belly for meats and meats for a belly that God will destroy both one and t'other 1 Cor. 6. 13. desires and desirables which are all Vanity Man in whatsoever variety of his own nature then is vainly labouring under an impossibility of pleasing God or profiting himself as to true blessedness All he does in his natural state or Body the restored living soul and Image of the earthly is but bodily exercise 1 Cor. 15. 44-49 1 Tim. 4. 8. Man by trusting and establishing himself in his righteous Law-life becomes the unchangable enemy of God and his Gospel-life and Truths Filth of flesh or spirit an enmity to the divine and everlasting righteous creature-creature-spirit of Christ and God fixed in makes Men a litteral or mystical Sodom to which the vengeance of eternal sire is the meet recompence When Man is once come to this pass all his labours are but as the tossings and uncertain tumblings of a raging foaming Sea casting up mire and dirt ãâã of flesh or spirit Isa. 57. 20. No peace with God no peaceable fruits of righteousness to God in a fixed spirit of enmity to him These can only be found and brought forth in that Gospel spirit of truth which is called Love as unchangably loving and beloved of God the fulfiller of his whole Law Rom. ãâã 10. in every point in the full comprehensive litteral and mystical meaning thereof the fulfiller of all righteousness God's and Man's to God's well-pleasing and Man's Salvation Man establish'd in the most righteous Life of his own nature and so in unchangable enmity to the Righteousness of God in his spirit of Grace is unchangably wicked He walkes but in a vain shew a troublesome dream disquiets himself in vain heaps up Riches and knows not who shall gather them Psal. 39. 6. Christ by the same Cross or spiritual Gospel-Sword and Fire in final wrath will seize gather take and consume all which had they obediently submitted to as offer'd to be brought upon them in Love he would have given them his durable Riches and everlasting Life in the room thereof and so a spiritual Eye that should have bin satisfied with seeing and an Ear that would have bin filled with hearing Without Gospel-exchange-Traffick of Nature for Grace the Life of Man for God's of the Creature for the Creator's who is God blessed for ever we never find true satisfaction In his own nature Man trades only in shadows will never make any thing on 't to purpose That Life and all it feeds on are but vanishing shadows all the visible and invisible goodnesses thereof but fading flowers All that willfully and knowingly spend their days in such vanities will in a moment go down to the grave and all their thoughts perish Job 21. 13. All their beauty will be consumed in the grave from their dwellings Psal. 49. 14. This will men come to by the willful neglect of this timely warning from God that the inmost Eye and Ear of their Immortal Spirit in
spirit into you by which ye shall rightly understand all my words vers 23. While men ramble after their many things spend all their labour and money for that which is not Bread Satans divers and strange Doctrines they come to be established in their own Nature with his meats to their final destruction in stead of being established with the Grace and Doctrine of Christ for their everlasting ãâã Heb. 13. 9. All our Old things Life Light Wisdom Righteousness c. must pass away that we may receive Christ's new 2 Cor. 5. 17. Vers. IX There is no remembrance of former things neither shall their be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after All former things excellencies and perfections found in the natural first-creation state before the fall or gradual restorations of the like since are of no account or remembrance with God Nothing short of his Life of everlasting righteousness set up in Man brings him under his approbation-Seal Men must be unmade broken down and pull'd up by the roots as to that Building and Life they were set up in by God himself in their first-creation-make in order to be new Vessels of his newness of Life by a second God planted in Man an incorrupt seed of corruptible Life that in its utmost flourish and fruitfulness amounts but to a fading flower by his left hand in a first-creation He offers to plant and quicken up in him on the obedient death and removal of all this Root and Branch Tree and Fruit an incorruptible seed of an everlasting Life by his right hand in a new-creation of him See both Seeds with a negative on the former in all born of the latter 1 Pet. 1. 23. This only and man therein will be of everlasting account and remembrance with God the other never in time past in innocency or any restorings of it since or time to come by the like restorings of it in following generations under Satans reign or the full perfection of it under Christ's reign which shall come after Vers. XII I the Preacher was King over Israel in Jerusalem What more contemptible than Satan's mercenary Priests and Preachers of Lies What or who more honourable than the Preachers of God's Truth King Solomon and a far greater than he Christ himself the high Priest of God is the Preacher of his Truths and Declarer of his Counsels to Angels and Men. Preaching Christ's Gospel is the best of Callings Satan's the worst of Trades Solomon the Preacher and Writer of this Book was King over litteral Israel in Jerusalem and therein a Type of Christ King over the whole spirituall Israel of God in the New-Jerusalem In the all-discerning Spirit of Prophecy does Solomon reflect upon his former vain thought for finding true happiness or the way towards it in the single wisdom of his own enlightned nature however eminent as follows Vers. XIII And I gave my heart to seek and search out by Wisdom concerning all things that are done under Heaven This sore travel hath God given to the Sons of Man to be exercised therewith Solomon here in the true preaching Spirit of Jesus reflects upon and gives an account of his own mistaking wisdom and thought about blessedness and of his sad experience therein I gave my heart to search out by my own Wisdom wherein I excelled others concerning all things under Heaven The result was he found this sore travel and labour of his natural mind to be what God has given to the sons of men to exercise afflict or humble them by In the new-creature Wisdom of God he finds the vanity of his own and his vain design thought and labour therein He finds that and all the things or works and fruits thereof to be but earthly from beneath below that Life wisdom and things of God he had now the experience of in him under Heaven So he at once confesses declares and corrects his vain thought of reaching knowing and doing all things relating to his true blessedness therein By way of Recantation toward the close of his Life and day in this World he confesses the vanity of his thought and unprofitableness of all his labour therein calling it as by sad experience he had found it a sore travel He declares also God's design in letting even Saints for a season run their course there to humble and Afflict them and so dispose them to a willing surrender of that for a better Life and Wisdom in which alone they may find what they were under an impossibility seeking for Thus God let Job and his three Friends run to the end of their Line in their own Wisdom and Spirit as Disputers of this world till at an absolute puzzle and period none of them being able to unriddle the design and methods of God's Wisdom towards Job under that dispensation of the Cross. Then he opens the mouth of his fore-runing Messenger ãâã to instruct them all in another Wisdom and Spirit on which they were ãâã answered no more but left off speaking Job 32. 2. 15. Enmity to God inseperable from the highest restored Life and Wisdom of Man must needs render his utmost labour therein about happiness a sore travel God in greatest love on Man's fall ãâã the mystical Ground Earth or earthly state of Man's nature and that for Man's sake so as to render that enmity to him contracted by the Fall unextinguishable otherwise then by the perfect death thereof Thorns and Thistles shall it bring forth say's God to Adam Gen. 3. 17. 18. Both the litteral and also mystical earth of Man's Nature in the very restored Life of the Law Image of the earthy and righteousnes of Man fell immediatly under this Curse All in the best works of their Law-life are under this Curse Gal. 3. 10. What Thorns and Thistles was Paul when eminent herein bringing forth in a fierce persecuting enmity against Christ and all his Gospel Truths and Saints Phil. 3. 6. Act. 26. 11. The death of nature then the right way not in but to sin so that sin becomes dead in them not they in it under the Cross and Gospel-sword is undispensably necessary to the ridding man of all evil and capacitating him to receive a Life of everlasting righteousness wherein he will find himself possessed of all good a state wherein 't is as impossible not to please God in every thing as in his own Life at best ever to please him in any thing This comes Man to by obediently complying with God's design in gladly receiving his sentence of Death within him as Paul and so getting rid of his own Law-spirit of bondage enmity and death and all his sore travel and labour therein to no purpose as to his grand concern in exchange for the Gospel-life of Christ and therein glorious liberty of the sons of God an everlasting freedom to good only and from all Evil of sin or punishment for ever Then all our works are wrought in
deep dark dungeon and miry pit of all sorts of filth of flesh or spirit a litteral or mystical Sodom in the corrupt or righteous life thereof in the dark as to the excellent things God offers and wholly disposed and inclined to close with Satan's offers out of his vast heap of perishing vanities Merriment and Jollity in such a destructive course is madness God therefore calls man into a state of poverty mourning and death as to all this life of vanity and that as the only possible way of his deliverance from all evil Prov. 1. 33. Vers. III. I sought in mine heart to give my self unto wine yet acquainting my heart with Wisdom and to lay hold on Folly till I might see what was that good for the Sons of men which they should do under the Heaven all the dayes of their life Vers. IV. I made me great Works I builded me Houses I planted me Vineyards Vers. V. I made me Gardens and Orchards and I planted Trees in them of all kind of Fruits Vers. VI. I made me Pooles of Water to water therewith the Wood that bringeth forth Trees Vers. VII I got me Servants and Maidens and had Servants born in my House also I had great Possessions of great and smal Cattel above all that were in Jerusalem before me Vers. VIII I gathered me also silver and gold and the peculiar treasure of Kings and of the Provinces I gat me Men-singers and Women-singers and the delights of the sons of men as musical Instruments and that of all sorts Vers. IX So I was great and increased more then all that were before me in Jerusalem also my Wisdom remained with me Vers. X. And whatsoever mine Eyes desired I kept not from them I withheld not my heart from any Joy for my heart rejoyced in all my labour and this was my portion of all my labour Here 's in Letter a larg account of Solomon's most desireable circumstances as to his outward condition in this World He excell'd other Kings in all kind of wealth wisdom greatness and honour 1 Kings 10. 23. Of all worldly contentments he had more then heart could wish And he set his heart to deny no desires thereof but fetcht up the utmost pleasure and satisfaction to himself that all these things could afford him To interpret then Every outward circumstance was figurative to the inward condition and mystical riches of his spirit All import in mystery his beautiful structure in the glory and wisdom of a first-covenant life and the workes of his own hands therein All this Paul counted dung and parted with for the riches wisdom and righteousness of God in his Gospel-spirit of grace and truth Phil. 3. 6-9 The wisdom inward beauties and excellent natural accomplishments of Solomon's spirit are here represented by stately Houses fruitfull Gardens Orchards c. At length in the awaken'd principle of true wisdom from the Fountain of living Waters he sees and declares the vanity of his broken Cistern or leaky natural Vessel with all the fading Waters buildings plantings and fruitfulnesses thereof All within man and all from without relating to him in this world is but Meats for a belly and a belly for Meats all perishing vanities God will destroy all belly and meats desires and desireables All confidence laughter mirth and joy therein is folly and madness All natural perfections and excellencies in the unstain'd purity of his first-creation state together with the convincing discoveries and revelations of the spiritual perfections and excellencies of the second soon ran out of the leaky natural Vessel of the first Adam He did not long keep the twofold waters of first-covenant Life or second-covenant Light the loss of both soon left him and all his posterity in darkness and death Dead in ãâã and sins Solomon finds all his natural braveries outward or inward but tottering Houses leaky Vessels all his possessions therein altogether vanity In the infallible light of spiritual wisdom he makes a right judgment of his natural principle and all fruits works or buildings therein typed by the abundant litteral varieties of pompous Houses Plantations c. All is vanity say's he This is the result this his verdict on the review of all after his full trial largest draughts and utmost experience of all possible desireables or satisfactions to be found in nature To particularize farther Men-singers and Women-singers may sitly signify the well-tuned frame and pleasant harmony of Solomons spirit in the orderly comportment and beautiful subjection of the sensual to his rational and intellectual powers figured by great and small Cattel making up but the humane Beast in scripture Language Every man is a Beast by his own knowledg in the utmost wisdom of his own nature earthly sensual so all in Man or Angel is call'd short of spiritual new-creation life having not the spirit Jude 19. so if fixed in devilish by unchangable enmity to that spirit and God most high Jam. 3. 15. The head of fallen Angels in the fading glory of first-creation life rebelliously exalted against the second is the most subtil beast in the first world or field Gen. 3. 1. Solomon gathered Silver and Gold was great and encreased more then all before him in Jerusalem mystical Gold and Silver the peculiar treasure of Kings such Princes of this world Scribes Pharisees c. in the riches flourish and fruitfulness of their own restored nature made wise strong and honourable by and in Christ there as crucified the prince of life in the next the Lord of Glory In sum he exceeded all such mysticall 1 Cor. 4. 8. as well as litteral Kings of the earth for wisdom and for riches inward and outward And his great delight in both and all is figured by Men and Women-singers with musical Instruments of all sorts importing his full injoyment of the utmost delights of the Sons of Men nature in it's most widen'd capacity can take in Whatever his eyes desired he kept not from them nor withheld his heart from any joy He allowed himself a latitude of rambling to take his utmost pleasure in all the litteral and all the mystical riches and fruits of his labours He rejoyced in this portion as the result of all his labour reckoning he had ground so to do The wisdom of God that remained with him in under all this doings was the only preservative in him that kept him from sinking and drowning in this full tide and affluence of all worldly desireables streaming into him He gives proof of the awakened exercise of this wisdom in this recantation-book and of the contrary Judgment thereof to man's at best as to the things wherein his true hapiness lies In the hurry of his busy active natural mind in worldly contrivances and enjoyments this true wisdom in him lay sorely clouded obstructed silenced and neglected But at last up it gets under Christ's powerful influence and pronounces himself and all his former designs works and injoyments in his own
in a scripture sense God's judgment that make the visible or invisible glories and excellencies of this world 's perishing vanities the only objects of all their desire delight labour and love All inward mystical riches heaped up in the fruitful exercise of a restored first-covenant life under the fructifying influencings of Christ as a sleshly Bride-groom are passant vanities as mortal and perishable as the life and outward concerns of the body that all men know to be so and will make themselves Wings and slee away or depart from all the possessours thereof This then leaves the title wise only to the spritual saint that 's counted the veriest fool of all by all but such as himself that is by all fools as not fit to live any longer upon the Earth amongst them Thus thought and said Holy Wise Righteous first-covenant professours concerning Paul Act. 22. 22. And of Christ himself they said he hath a Devil and is mad why hear ye him Jo. 10. 20. All below the truly wise Spiritual Man both wise and fools within the compass of their natural state in all the fore-mentioned senses will be alike brought to the greatest loss disappointment and misery imaginable as to any thing of hapines in eternal Darkness Torment and Vexation of spirit under unquenchable Wrath. They 'l all lie down in Sorrow for ever This being so Solomon sayes Why was I then more Wise to wit in my renewed Life Wisdom and Righteousness of Man To what purpose do I labour in this that 's but folly and darkness it self as to all Divine Spiritual Heavenly most concerning things and Truths Moreover from the changableness and Mortality of it alway's exposed to death and loss All therefore that trust therein must needs meet with eternall vexation of spirit This is yet more fully witnessed Vers. XVI For there is no remembrance of the wise more then of the fool for ever seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten and how dieth the Wise Man as the Fool. Man in the corrupt and man in the Righteous Life of nature are brought to an equality in the grave of both Death level's their spirits as well as bodies All the fading inward or outward riches and glory of the Princes of this World litteral or mystical such professing first-covenant Saints as crucified Christ for the life and doctrine of the second that come to nought 1 Cor. 2. 8. will vanish and come to nothing However good in their kind and for a season the highest excellencies beauties and glories of humane or angelical nature be all that is now so in the dayes to come shall be forgotten It has the praise of man but 's of small or no account with God while it last's Spiritual Seer's God's watchmen warn both the righteous and wicked of this Scribe and Pharisee as well as Publican and Harlot that in the life of nature corrupt or righteous they will all likewise perish and the established ãâã found the highest and most criminal sinners Ezek. 3. 16-21 and ch 18. 20. 28. ch 33. 11-19 The same Cross or slaming Gospel-Sword they refuse to submit to in love will be upon them in sinal wrath Js. 1. 19 20. The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it What need of farther testimony Let the righteous turn from his righteousness to his old sins in corrupt nature or turn it into the highest wickedness by seting it up against the righteousness of God let him turn from his righteousness either of these two wayes he lies down in sorrow with the fool or fixed common sinner of the Gentiles for ever Ezek. 33. 13. This dismal end come both to Such righteous men exalted to Heaven in the restored Life of the first and light of the second instead of admission into the kingdom will be layd under greater final wrath then litteral Sodom as their most dreadful doom and amazing disappointment They have rejected confidence in God and he their confidences in themselvs Jer. 2. 37. By establishing their own righteousness in the first against God's in the second-covenant they become of a Changable People of God an unchangable Synagogue of Satan in unchangable enmity to God and union with the Devil All fixed in nature corrupt or righteous fools or wise therein will go to the same Tophet prepared for both under unquenchable wrath and the said righteous have the worst on 't there for ever Vers. XVII Therefore I hated life because the Work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me for all is vanity and vexation of spirit Solomon in the wisdom of God sees all he had bin long doing in his own vanity and vexation of spirit all his ãâã and labour therein grievous to him Rightly considering and reviewing all in the infallible light of true wisdom he argues himself into a most concerning duty without which Christ sayes none can be his disciples the hating his own life with all the desires designs thoughts wayes righteousness wisdom and best things thereof as vanishing shadows for the durable Riches Wisdom Life Righteousness and things of God All pleasures and delusive joy in the former all love of this World the delights of the Sons of Men he finds in the spirit of the next enmity to God Jam. 4. 4. and so destructive to man In nature corrupt or righteous since the fall are men found hating and hatefull to God and one another as scrambling for a hapines to them all out of things that can never make any one of them happy but leave every one in the eternall losse of their own Souls 'T is a just Judgment of God on all obstinate seekers for hapines where God has abundantly convinced and warned them 't is never to be found it should be so Solomon's reason for hating this life and man's whole course and race therein is because it and all done in it under the sun is grievous unto him not only unprofitable to the worker towards hapines but directly destructive to his whole being When this is discover'd by the spirit of God in and to men all the former delusive Mirth Joy and Laughter is spoiled Then nature growes sullen and angry at the discoverer fighting continually against it in the very Saint Flesh is offended at offend's and grieves opposes and fights against the said spirit as Paul found even holy flesh righteous nature in all its workings desires and thoughts to do Rom. 7. Vers. XVIII Yea I hated all my labour which I had taken under the Sun because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me In the former Verse he hated his own vain Life in this all his vain labour therein as both and all vanity and vexation of spirit not only unprofitable but grievous to him Life and Works Principles and Operations Here he gives another reason for hating them because he should leave the Product and Result of all such his labours to the man that shall be after him
As figure and shadow of his meaning herein 't is with many the whole design of all their Labours and Travels to heap up outward treasures to themselves and leave to their Posterity great Possessions call'd after their own Name as if they had any concern therein when deceased or any relief thereby when with Dives tormented in the flames of God's Wrath. And as to any advantage to Posterity how know they but their Successors will blot out and deface by their unwise and sinful practices what they got by their wise and honest labours though great things of that sort are seldom so gotten Such great things puff up and are oft the ruine of those that come after them This was Solomons own case in his foolish Son Rhehoboam who following the rash dictates of ignorant young ãâã and rejecting the sage counsel of grave Senators that stood before his Father disobliged the People lost ten parts of his Kingdom at first entrance on his Government and he and his Successors held the rest not without great confusions troubles and desolating Wars with the Kings of Israel their Brethren and from such Nations round about as were common enemies to both Moab Ammon ãâã Edom Philistines c. 1 King 12. Yet is this but the lowest and least part of Solomon's meaning in these and the following words Vers. XIX And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise Man or a fool Yet shall he have Rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured and wherein I have shew'd my self wise under the Sun This is also vanity Here is a deep mystical Truth The fading Laodicean Riches and great Possessions treasured up in and by the fruitful exercise of my own spirit in the restored first-covenant Life of the Law Who knoweth ãâã a wise Man or a fool shall get and rule over it Whether the supreamly wise man Christ himself by his Gospel-sicle Sword or Cross as freely and obediently surrendred to him or the Man of sin and Son of Perdition the greatest mystical Fool the Devil Those that give up themselves and all Christ's gifts to them of first-covenant Life Wisdom and Ornaments and second-covenant Light with all their fruits and effects brought forth therein mystical Corn Wine Oil Silver and Gold to Baal or Moloch the Lord or King and god of this World are willing he should reap and gather all and so use all Christ's own gifts to them and all the fruits of their own labours therein against Christ and God himself to their own destruction as qualified thereby to be the most gygantick opposers fighters against God Man walk's in a vain shew disquiets himself in vain heaping up Riches and not knowing who shall gather them Psal. 39. 6. Till Man come to a resolution whose Arms he will cast himself into with his changable Life and Riches Christ's or the Devil's in order to be fix'd in the unchangably good Spirit of the former or evil one of the latter He knows not who shall gather all or what will become of him and all he has gotten One of these will certainly gather all in conclusion All puffed up self-exalters against Christ give themselves and all they have into the hands of that Lucifcrian Head and King over all such children of Pride Job 41. 34. receiving his spirit of unchangable enmity to God for the Principle of their Life Desire Thought and Action All fixed first-covenant Kings are absolutely engag'd in Satan's reign in perfect opposition to Christ and his invisible Saints whose saintship or spiritual Life is hid with Christ in God till Christs second appearing and rendring it visible in himself and them which will be the Manifestation of the Sons of God Christ offers true freedom to all even the glorious Liberty of the Sons of God But multitudes of enlightned holy first-covenant Professors and no better whatever they reckon themselves chuse rather for self-preservation against the Cross to be slaves of the Devil the arrantest slave of all and so to have their eares boared as his servants for ever on their willful refusal of true Liberty This is figured out Ex. 21. 5 6. At last Christ by his Cross and spiritual Gospel-Sword or Sicle will reap down and gather or take from all evil Angels and Men all the Riches and Comforts all the fading Glory and Power they have used against him under Satan's reign and tread them all under foot in his reign From a sober Reflexion upon the whole matter in the Spirit of Truth discovering the vanity of all first-creation Life and things of Man with all his vain Labours and uncertain Riches and then the uncertainty as to who shall gather them to his everlasting damage or greatest gain he looks on all Man's Labours and Possessions in the confounded state of his own Nature corrupt or righteous on all these accounts put together to be but a hateful vanity and vexation of spirit So he farther declares Vers. XX. Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the Labour which I took under the Sun So should every one in union of mind with Christ hate his own Life with all his Labours and Fruits brought forth in the but restor'd natural Principle or Spirit of the first-covenant Law of Works for the Life Wisdom and Righteousness of God in the second the new-covenant spirit of the Gospel The former at best was but changably good and since the Fall enmity to God or filth of spirit is inseperable from it direct enmity to that creature-spirit or holy Ghost in the new Life whereof only 't is possible to please God or be saved A heart set to love that Life in which man hates and is hateful to God is a heart fixed in or set to do evil for ever Solomon therefore sets his heart to hate the whole Life and all the best works done in the single activity of his own nature at best under the twofold first-creation Sun litteral and mystical as abovesaid Of this he gives a farther account vers 21 -23. Vers. XXI For there is a man whose labour is in wisdom and in knowledge and in equity Yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it for his portion This also is vanity and a great Evil. Solomon gives an account of himself in the Man here described by him travelling in Wisdom Knowledge and Equity that is in the wise and righteous actings of his own restored enlightned nature All this he finds vain and unprofitable yea a great grief and sorrow to him Here 's the sad result of all man's goodnes and fruitfulnes in his own nature All is vanity the ãâã tree of good and evil and since the fall of evil only filth of spirit at least which is the greater sort of evil with the Fruits the Root with the Branch Principle and Operations Desires Thoughts Counsels Purposes Words Actions all naught The loss of all as obediently surrendred to the sacrificing hand Gospel-cross Sword
of Thorns under a pot a short blaze in this mortal World and away After their Resurrection of Damnation they 'l have time enough to pay their sad reckoning under the flamings forth of unquenchable Wrath upon them This will they have from God's hand When Saints clearly see this twofold Issue of their trouble and others prosperity in this world can they envy will they not pity them The afflictions of the one and prosperity of the other are both but a Dream Truth will out at last in the endless end both arrive at and come to in eternal life or death When the Wicked awake out of their dreamish hapines God will despise their Image destroy their life and all their false comforts in the Image of the Earthy Psal. 73. 20. When Saints awake out of their afflictiondream they will be satisfied with Gods Heavenly Image and his new-creature life Psal. 17. 15. One has but an Imaginary hapines the other Imaginary trouble all 's but a vain shew Psal. 39. 6. As Saints more plentifully feed on the Lords never-perishing Meats from his heavenly table they are more strengthned in that newness of life in which they bring forth never-perishing fruits unto God God requires and delights in their eating and drinking abundantly at his Heavenly Table the glorious fruits of his divine and creature-creature-spirit the Tree of Life They can never be too much filled with his spirit Eph. 5. 18. and fruits thereof No rioting or excess at his Table never too much of his Wine The more any feed at his table the more they discover and nauseate Satan's worldly meats and wine Let him gild his perishing vanities with never so near a resemblance of Christs meats ' twon't do They can spie out his Contemptible meats under all the beautiful disguises he puts upon them and reject them See then the mystery and truth of Solomons declaration here There 's nothing better for a man then to eat and drink the good of all his spiritual labours which never are in vain in the Lord 1 Cor. 15. 58. All other labour in mans own nature is in vain as to his grand concern Life Fruits Labours nothing vain in a new-creation state all in the old All 's unchangable in the new all vanishing in the old Tree and Fruit Root and Branch Womb and Births Fruits in the new are Peaceable fruits of Righteousness in a union of mind with God not so in the Old All there is done in a spirit of enmity to God even the best and most righteous works of man By works of Grace in God's new-covenant spirit Abraham was Justified and not by Faith only Jam. 2. 21-24 Such works wrought in God or in the spirit of faith are ingredients into the saint's Justification not any works or deeds of the Law-spirit of nature Rom. 4. 2-6 The true saint does not live war or walk after the flesh but against it in the spirit The ruling principle in man denominates A predominant exercise of the corrupt spirit of nature with the vile affections and brutish lusts thereof denominates Man a Beast The ruling exercise of the enlightened principles of nature declare a man a Legal Christian or at least a moral Heathen The ruling exercise of the Gospel-spirit in man makes a spiritual Saint a Gospel-Christian And now by this opening of these words into the mystical truth of them is not excluded a shadowy litteral sense thereof as countenancing a right and free use of the concerns of bodily Life for the end by God intended in them against the folly of those that from an evil covetousness and vain self-tormenting sollicitude find no heart or power to eat thereof to the best advantage of the Life that 's more then meat and the Body that 's more then Raiment Mat. 6. 25. Vers. XXV For who can eat or who else can hasten hereunto more then I Solomon here declares his Priviledg through the awak'ned Wisdom of God in him of hastening to and feeding at Christ's Heavenly Table on the things of God Who carried forth with a stronger bent of affection to things above Col. 3. 2. then I He found a strength of spiritual appetite carrying him forth to eat and drink abundantly according to Christ's Invitation to his supreamly double-portion'd ãâã ãâã Saints of which number himself seem's to be ãâã ãâã in his own mysterious Song Cant. 5. 1. Vers. XXVI For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight Wisdom and Knowledg and Joy But to the sinner he giveth Travel to gather and to heap up that he may give to him that is good before God This also is vanity and vexation of spirit The good man in God's sight is the spiritual Saint in distinction from all others What 's unchangably good only is properly good in God's sight None good insinitely from Eternity but God only ãâã everlasting to Eternity is the creature-spirit in the Mediator good And to Eternity are all obedient Angels and Saints born of that spirit and brought forth in the everlasting righteous Life thereof good before God No Angel no Man no thing in the first-creation-make or State of Angel or Man is in this sense good however good in their kind and right use yea very good Gen. 1. 31. The natural man of the Saint in the restored first-covenant Life and Image of the earthy is made good in God's sight by submitting to the Plow-work of the Cross Christ's spiritual husbandry upon it pointed so deep as to tear up by the Roots the natural principle of enmity And then by the same hand or spiritual Plow is quick'ned up the before dormant seed of an incorruptible righteous new-creation Life in which Man's nature as made new earth brings forth fruit unto God This is the Earth that by drinking in the spirituall Rain-waters of Life that come oft npon it brings forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed Christ and God most high Heb. 6. 7. Saints are thus Gods Husbandry and Christ the Mystical Husband-man that does the work He cleanses from filth of flesh the vile fruits and lusts of the corrupt Nature This yet ãâã not or enables men to bring forth fruit unto God but to themselves only Hos. 10. 1. towards the farther enriching and adorning their own nature They are empty Vines and but fallow Fields yet to God Some-what clear'd are they from the Nettles and Thistles of the corrupt spirit of nature but they bring forth no right Grapes or good fruit unto God unchangably good A seed of enmity remaining in them after all natural cleansings is a Root of bitterness bearing Gall and Wormwood Briars and Thorns in a bloody bitter murderous mind of enmity against God Christ and all his Gospel-Saints and Truths So see we the good man here rendred so by God's unspeakable Gift consisting in true Wisdom Knowledge and Joy joy unspeakable and Glorious in the holy Ghost or spiritual principle of everlasting righteous life desire thought word and
witnes against them as fixed dwellers on the said mystical Earth or their earthly life when offered Heaven or God's spiritual heavenly life by a new-creation Christ sends his spiritual convictions into them as faithful spies that give a good report of his true land of promise or state of life These sinned against and not hearkned to vex and torment them taking from them such full undisturbed delights and uninterrupted pleasure as they desire to find in their earthly life will and way Gods spiritual conviction-light given in mercy finally rebelled against is in wrath kept up in their consciences as a never dying Worm that will torment them to all eternity witnessing against themselves as unpardonably guilty and for God as most just in his unquenchable wrath upon them Mar. 9. 44. Now this gnawing Worm that will be this sinner's everlasting tormentor in the world to come is a sore allay to his false joy in this Spiritual conviction is as a particular day of Gods Judgment in and upon man before the general comes The accusing voice thereof in him holds him to 't and forces him to see that all the treasure he 's heaping up for the last day's Jam. 5. 3. is indeed no other nor better then a treasuring up wrath for himself against the day of wrath Ro. 2. 5. This is a sowring ingredient in the midst of all the sweet and contentment this unpardonably guilty sinner desires to find in his own selfe-chosen way and self-chusing will He may know and conclude nothing remaines to him of benefit from Christ's sacrifice and intercession and so nothing at all from God but fiery indignation Heb. 10. 26 27. So of the first part of his punishment even at present in this world The second we shall find in considering the third particular To the 3d then By Gods over-ruling hand he shall be made to give all his heaped up treasures to him that is good before God whom he unchangably hates And this will be a tormenting consideration and sore vexation of his spirit his heaped up vanities wil prove unto him which is the concluding word of this Chapter All the sinner in the latter part of this verse labours for and gathers he must give or shal be given whether he will or no to the good man or spiritual saint in the former part In the parable of the talents Mat. 25. 14-30 we find that the evil servant who kept his own single earthly talent or earthly first-covenant life refusing to exchange it for Christ's heavenly is called Wicked and Slothful Servant and his Talent taken from him and given to him that had ten as having made the required Exchang by death to his advantage and great gain All the ãâã goodness and Comforts in the first Creation-Life and State kept up and held fast by Evil Angels and Men in Rebellion against God shall be finally taken from them and given to or Possessed by Spiritual Saints and Angels as Comprehended in and unspeakably out-done by the New-Creation Life and State where they receive their own and all others own again with Usury ver 27. Thus Christ Interprets his own Parable From him that hath not the durable Riches in New-creation Life shall be ãâã away all his Fading in the First and given to him that hath true Riches in the second with abundant Increase for ever ver 29. This is of like Significancy with that other faithfull saying and sure word of Prophecy whoever will spare or save his natural earthly Life from the death-work of the Cross shall lose it under the same Cross in final wrath and whosoever will hate and lose his natural and earthly for the sake of and love to Christs spiritual and heavenly the only right use of his single first-creation Life and Talent shall find it with Usury in Christ's heavenly Mat. 16. 25. Never was any thing in the former could make up any degree of true hapines to Man or Angel God convincingly shews and graciously offer 's his life to men waits with much patience and long-suffering for their accepting it on his termes the death of their own nature at best or in what ever variety of condition in Publican and Harlot or Scribe and Pharisee He knocks at the Dore of their hearts warn's counsells instructs reproves them invites entreats beseeches them by his Ambassadours of grace He calls out to them to hear his voice and not harden their hearts against him while the day of his gracious call and offers to them last's At length on their willful Provoking him beyond pardon the great Master of the New-Creation House or Building shuts the door and is gone Luk. 13. 25. Swearing in his Wrath they shall never enter into his Rest Heb. 3. 13. Then they may seek and knock while they will they 'l never find him Prov. 1. 28 nor any place for Repentance or change of their Rebellious Mind and desperate condition for ever Heb. 6. 4-6 Esau's Case Heb. 12. 17. An obedient Exchange by Death of Fading First-Creation Life for the Everlasting Second is unspeakable gain to Man The Rebellious keeping it up in Enmity to the Cross and Second or to the Spirit of God and its Crucifying Death-work upon it in order to set up its own Life in the Room is unspeakable loss to all that so do This Paul told the Self-Confident Professours at Philippi of in the fruitful Flourish of a First-Covenant Righteous Life even weeping Phil. 3. 18. and reproov'd the Corinthians for in like case 1 Cor. 4. 8. 10. as Christ himself when Ascended and Glorified the Laodiceans Rev. 3. 17 18. By the very same hand Cross or Gospel-Spirit of Christ will that Perishing Law-Life with all the Fruitfulness heap'd up Riches and meats thereof be taken from them in Final Wrath whether they will or no. CHAP. III. Vers. I. To every thing there is a Season and a time to every Purpose under the Heaven NExt to no difference from our Translation of this and the Seven following Verses in the Original Hebrew three Eastern Versions Chaldee Syriac and Arabick or the Septuagints Greek Translation In this Scripture to Verse 8th Inclusive have we the Character of Man in his whole Personal Constitution and Make by the First Creation or in whatever Flourish of the restor'd Wisdom and Exercise of a First-Covenant Righteous Life therein In Body Soul and Spirit no Life but Mortal by Creation And the same kind of Life restored in him since is much short of the perfection it was in at First Something of Filth of Flesh hangs about it still and Filth of Spirit that 's worse is inseperable from it since the fall Life and all therefore must go by a Holy Obedient death in Sacrifice to God If ãâã spared and Rebelliously kept it will be an Unholy life in unchangeable Enmity to God doing despite to his Divine and also to his New-Creature gospel-Gospel-Spirit of Grace and Truth In the Various Litteral Expressions here Relating to the
all Experience of man and Warnings from God to the contrary is as Unpardonable as the Devils first sin must be the very way of Salvation What-else or less And then as to the second Adam Let his original Creature-nature or Spirit Set up by himself in Personal Union with his divine From Everlasting Prov. 8. 23. be denied and the very Creation in effect or rather in the cause of it is denied For this Living Creature or all comprehensive Creature-nature under the God of Israel Ezek. 10. 20. and in personal Union with him comprehending in it as a Polished shaft in God's Quiver the very man Christ that in the Fulness of time was made flesh was the very immediate hand by which God Made the Worlds By this Creature-Wisdom and word of God which is called God also were all things made Jo. 1. 1-3 and so by the very man Christ as comprehended therein were made both worlds natural and spiritual in a first and second Creation-workmanship of his passing upon them Heb. 1. 2. Col. 1. 13-16 The same WORD also by which all Angels and men were made was the provided means Mouth or Prophet of God to speak forth the whole Counsel of his Divine Mind to them when made and to Mediate between them and Infinite Divinity which without this Interposing Creature-Vail would have been a Consuming fire to them all This Word is also the Executer as well as Declarer to them of the whole Mind and Will of God from first to last on all Angels and Men as Obediently Submitting to the Methods and Terms of his New-Creating Workmanship or Incorrigibly Rebelling against it He is the ãâã Roll of Woes to the one the Book of Life and Mercy-Seat to the other in which are Treasured and Sealed up all the distinct Measures and Portions of Wrath for the one amongst the distinct Portions and Measures of Grace and Love for the other Deu. 32. 34 35. This Living Book in which all they do towards God and all God will do towards and with them are exactly Recorded and Registred the Living Stone that bear's and know's all on all hands God's Words to them and theirs to him Jos. 24. 26 27. by way of Covenant will be the Infallible Witness for or against them and Irresistible Executor of the Mind and Will of God towards and upon them all in Everlasting Love or Wrath. See then the case of those that deny any Creature-Nature or Spirit in the Mediatour of elder date then his being made Flesh. And then when in that Fleshy State Crucified they that narrow and consine his Crucisixion only to the Violent Death of his Body and Exclude or take no notice of the Death he put his natural Spirit to as to the Spotless but Changable earthy Law-Life thereof by kindling upon it and Offering it up in the Mystical Fire of his Eternal New-Creature Spirit Luk. 12. 49. Heb. 9. 14. What Conformity to his Death will they Preach If the principal thing he Crucified in himself be denied the principal thing that 's to be Crucified in us will be denied And what then Why then the Subduing the Vile Affections of the Corrupt Spirit of Nature must be Reckon'd Conformity to Christs Death whereas he had no such things in him to Crucifie And then Conformity to him in the but gradually restored Righteous First-Covenant Life of the Law Holy Flesh call it what else we will which he Crucified in himself at best must be reckon'd a State of true Salvation the SAINTS EVERLASTING REST. And then the Counter workings of in part restor'd nature and the Corrupt must pass for Flesh Warring against Spirit and Spirit against Flesh ãâã 5. 17. when indeed all 's but Flesh. Paul when Eminent in Holy Flesh was a fierce Fighter against Christ's Gospel-Spirit Here 's your Divinity and Anti-Gospel Teaching in perfect Contradiction to the declared Methods and Words of God's Wisdom for Salvation in every point Some care is taken to Preach down and Subdue the Brutish Lusts of Litteral Sodom in the Corrupt Spirit of Nature but Mystical Sodomy more criminal then Litteral is Preach'd up for Salvation to wit such establishment in Righteousness as is unchangable enmity to God Gross sins in the dark ignorant corrupt Spirit of nature are cried down but all Mystical Uncleanesses Adulteries Idolatries Thefts Murders Sacriledg c. are preach'd up for Salvation A hard saying What is Truth Said Pilate to Christ not waiting the answer Jo. 18. 38. Christ had told him before-hand that he came into this world to Bear witness to the truth V. 37. What truth That ther 's nothing but vanity or vanishing shadow 's in this World the whole first-creation my Kingdom therefore say's he is not of this World or to be managed in my worldly law-spirit of nature Holy flesh where the Jews would fain have had him own himself a King Jo. 6. 15. but as is Implied of the next and to be manag'd in my new-Creation Spirit of truth All things in the first-Creation state of Angels and men are but vanishing shadows of the truth all Substantial durable Eternal things or truths in the second This is the good confession Negative and Affirmative Christ Witnessed before Pontius ãâã 1 Tim. 6. ãâã as we find Jo. 18. 36 37. the former Expressed the other Implied in the Word Truth Christ Witnessed or Declared in his Infallible Spirit of Truth that there 's nothing of truth or substance in God's sight nothing unchangably good no Eternal good things or Truths but in the New-Creation State and World in and over which he owned himself a King They that will finally and conclusively be Reigning as Kings in the but worldly restored First-Covenant-Life Holy Flesh as 1 Cor. 4. 8. will be found Pseudo-Fift-Monarchists in direct Hostility to the true Reign of Christ and all true Spiritual Saints in his Holy Gospel-Spirit and so in a Flat contradiction to every tittle of his Gospel-Testimony Christ's witnessed good Confession to Pilate my Kingdom is not of this World gives the dash Solomon Proclaim 's on all First-Creation-Life of Man or Angel with all the things and fruits thereof as Vanities or but perishing Shadows of God's durable New-Creation substances things and truths the Everlasting Life Wisdom and Righteousness of God in his Spirit of Grace and Truth with the Blessed Fruits thereof in Men True Love Joy Peace c. to from and with God and all right Fruits brought forth by them therein unto God All these are Everlasting Incorruptible things the Spiritual Tree Root and Branch Fruits Leaves and all Psal 1. 3. In this Spirit of Truth have Men durable Riches Life Food and Cloathing In this Spirit of the Son only can they rightly Worship the Infinite Divine Spirit or Father He must be Worship'd in Spirit and in Truth in a Spirit of Everlasting Righteousness and Truth All Worshippers in any other Spirit Worship they know not what Jo. 4. 22-24 may be the Devil as God
their Eye and Heart upon him with Paul in that Spiritual Life into which ãâã out of the Death of the former and be Married to him there as their Everlasting Spiritual Lord and Bride-groom Ro. 7. 1-4 While Christ Pipes to Men in First-Covenant Communications as he did by John Baptist's Ministery they are to Dance and Rejoyce When he with-draw's and call's them into the death of that State they are to Mourn else are they Immorigerous and Undutiful Mat. 11. 17. Their Natural Hearts will be filled with Sorrow as the Disciples when as a Fleshly Bride-groom and Comforter he departed from them Mat. 9. 15. Jo. 16. 20-22 Right Obedient Mourners in this case are Blessed and sure to hear of Christ as a better Comforter and Bridegroom in his Spiritual Life The Death of Man as to a Mortal First-Covenant Life is as sure as the Birth of it as the case is with the Birth and Death of the Body And indeed the House of Mourning and Death is better to Man in the tendency of it then the Birth and utmost Flourish of a First-Covenant Life in him For though after Rebuilt in the Restor'd Righteous Life of his own Nature and then pull'd down again he be seemingly in a worse condition and more hopeless then before ever Christ medled with him at all ãâã yet is this the only way to Christ's House of Everlasting Feasting and Rejoycing Those that refuse this way and Laugh now their ãâã Joy will end in Everlasting Mourning and Saints Transient Sorrow in everlasting Joy Mat. 5. 4. Luk. 6. 25. Jo. 16. 20. Christ came not to speak Peace but War and Death by his Spiritual Fire and Sword to the earthly Life of Nature at best in himself and followers Luk. 12. 49-51 We must follow the Suffering-Steps of this great Captain of our Salvation or never come where he is True Saints with Paul Glory in the Cross of Christ Conformity to his death and in bearing about them the marks of the dying of the Lord Jesus So the Spiritual Life of risen Jesus comes to be more and more manifested in their Mortal flesh 2 Cor. 4. 10 11. Vers. 6. A time to Get and a time to Lose A time to Keep and a time to cast Away A time to seek after and recover the exercise of our nature in the first-covenant righteous life thereof and to heap up Riches by a fruitfulness therein And then comes a time to lose and cast all away again as dung and loss with Paul for the more excellent Life Christ's unspeakable gift Phil. 3. 6-9 And so is there a time to keep up the exercise of our nature in the restor'd first-covenant righteous Life thereof so long as Christ own 's that to be his Dispensation to us by continuing as a fleshly Bride-groom with us and a time to part with and cast it away again for the second in the same sense with what is meant in the former clause of this Verse Vers. 7. A time to Rent and a time to Sew A time to keep Silence and a time to Speak That which has been Sew'd Heal'd and made up again after the sore breach by the first Sin and so fitted or fitting us in its kind to speak to and instruct the dark ignorant corrupt Spirit of nature in others as a Teacher and Guide of such blind ones all this healed speaking State in the Wisdom of Man made Wise in Christ must in its season be rent broken down and torn in pieces again silenc'd and wholly laid aside to make way for another better Dictatour Ruler and Guide the Infallible Spirit of Truth The final refusal to submit to this chang of Ruler and Guide lodges up first-covenant Saints in unchangable Enmity to God and the spirit of the second under the guilt of the most Criminal Adultery Theft and Sacriledg Ro. 2. 17-22 God speak's once and he speak's twice yet Man perceiveth it not Job 33. 14. God call's Man out of his Death in Sin into the righteous Life of a Man or of the first-covenant Law again Then by the voice of his second-Covenant spirit into the death of the first as his only pass into the Life and Righteousness of God in the second Under pretence of continuing in obedience to his first voice does man Rebell against his second and is found an Enemy to the Spiritual Cross of Christ. He prefer's the oldness of Letter in his Living Soul to Gods newness of Life in his quickning Spirit Man's Laughing Dancing Speaking time is over in his own Wisdom and Righteousness when shew'd the unprofitableness as to true Blessedness of all done or said by him therein The right understanding and obedient Submitting to Christs Various Voices and observing the several seasons of Speaking and Silence is Mans safety and he therein wel-pleasing to God 'T is a high point of true Wisdom for Man to be more ready to hear the voice of the Spirit of Christ in himself or Saints then to speak and so Offer the Sacrifice of Fools in his own Ec. 5. 1. Man in his highest Wisdom is a Fool as to all spiritual things his greatest concerns the unreasonable Man Paul desir'd to be delivered from the Impertinent Trouble and Babbling Loquacity of about Gospel things that he has no discerning in The restor'd Law-principle of Life and Action in Man is but a ceremony to be abolish'd and becomes an antiquated thing with all the Fading Glory of it when to be done away to give room for a spiritual Principle of everlasting Righteonsness as a new Root and Spring of his Desire Thought and Action This refused all Duties perform'd in the Law-spirit are thenceforth but Sacrifices of Fools that do evil What in its appointed Season and day was Obedience in that Law-State becomes then direct Rebellion As Man has Lived therein to God so the Season come is he to die therein to him that both living and dying he may be the Lords Rom. 14. 8. Passive Obedience is the utmost requir'd of Man in his own nature to make way for the true spiritual principle of active Obedience to God's wel-pleasing Vers. VIII A time to Love and a time to Hate a time of War and a time of Peace There 's a time of Love and Peace such as it is to be found in a first-covenant Union with Christ and such obedience as is performable therein But at length Christ speaks War and Death to this state comes to break down demolish and cast away all the stones of this old ãâã creation building And thus have we seen in these eight Verses God's twofold dispensation to Man's Body and fleshly or natural Spirit in all the fading first-creation Life and Glory thereof The Birth and Death of the Body and so of the natural Understanding as exercised there in and by all this is Typical to the like twofold dispensation of mystical Life and Death to his Spirit as to its first-covenant righteous state under the temporary wrath
16. T. Also he hath set the World in their Heart c. When Men ãâã six or set up for themselves in their worldly nature and Life of the Law and so set up the World in their Hearts as the only Object of their desire and delight then does God Judicially harden and six them there or set the World in their Hearts And then is their highest Wisdom a Black Darkning Vail upon their Hearts disabling them for ever finding out the Work of God from the beginning of it in the first-creation to the Blessed end of it in the second The God of this World fixing Mens hearts in the love of this World that 's Enmity to God blind's their minds that the light of the Glorious Gospel may not shine into them They see not to the end of that which is abolish'd 2 Cor. 3. 13. So set up for Salvation in that Law-Life that 's to be abolish'd that Glory that 's to be done away v. 7. Fleshly ãâã t s were not able to behold the spiritual Glory of Moses his true face of Spiritual Saint-ship He therefore put a Vail on it that is came forth in the appearance of the Righteousness of Man or the Law to them They that set up in the Light and Life of the Law for Salvation set up in the Vail Such never see to their comfort the true Face inward Beauty and Spiritual Glory of Moses or other Saints nor the true inward Face or spiritual meaning of any Scripture All Spiritual things or truths in Scripture all spiritual Light Life Wisdom Understanding all things of God in his Saints lie quite out of their sight as meer nothings in their day their Judgment They no more skill or ken them than a Beast the Rational Powers and things of a Man 1 Cor. 2. 11. So they absolutely deny all Gospel things and Truths and positively assert there 's no more excellent Creature-Life or things Man is capable of then what were set up in the first-creation-state of Angel and Man What work will such make at Gospel specially if fixed here and so hardned in unchangable Enmity thereto Thus Christ found the Righteous Scribes Pharisees c. in a Murdering Enmity to the truth that is the Gospel-Spirit and so of their Father the Devil who abode not in that truth or Obedience to the said Gospel-Light in which Created but quitted that his Habitation or first Estate Jo. 8. 44. Jude 6. They that Rebelliously set up this Shadowy World in their Hearts can't receive the Spirit of truth nor words thereof Jo. 14. 17. 1 Cor. 2. 14. They provoke God to give them their desire in Wrath to set up the World in them or them in their worldly Law-spirit of Enmity and Death to chuse their Delusions Isai. 66. 4. send them strong delusion that they should believe Stan's Lie and be damn'd because they chose rather to beleeve that than his Spirit of truth 2 Thes. 2. 10-12 So God Christ Themselves and the Devil all concur and center in one point the setting the World in their heart or fixing them in their own worldly spirit but upon very differing accounts Then is their case as desperate as that of the Evil Angels Heb. 10. 26 27. Though yet highly Esteemed of Men as owners yea Ministers of the Gospel are they most abominable to God Mystical Sodomit's the most Criminal Sinners in the whole World By being set or fixed in their worldly Spirit they become wholly Strangers and Enemies to the spirit of the World to come which will be upon them at last in Irresistible Wrath. Vers. XII I know that there is no good in them but for a Man to rejoyce and to do good in his life Solomon at a dear rate had experienc'd that there 's no durable unchangable good to be found in all first-creation Life and most Righteous Actions or things thereof No true Joy or Happiness to be had in this World but by doing what is truly good in God's sight in the Life and Spirit of the next True Godliness or power of ãâã exerciseable only in the Gospel-spirit of Christ is profitable to all things having the promises of this and the Life to come 1 Tim. 4. 8. that is it comprehend's the promised Spiritual Life of Christ and Comforts thereof in this and the World to come the daily encreasing first Fruits of it here and fulness there Yea also the promises even of this life or worldly things thereof such as ãâã seek belong to true seekers of the Righteousness of God in ãâã Kingdom spirit All these shall be added to you say's Christ himself Mat. 6. 31-33 The only right rejoycing in and doing good in its kind with such things of this Life is as receiv'd on the said account and manag'd in the Kingdom-spirit of the World to come Vers. 13. And also that every Man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his Labour it is the gift of God 'T is in the unspeakable gift of God only the spirit of Christ the inmost man of the Saint in the Life hid with Christ in God can feed upon the hidden Manna the divine Glory as vailed by that Spirit of Christ and thereby also unvailed or rendred visible in a sutableness only to ãâã not natural understanding in Man or Angel The never-perishing Meats and Drinks the Bread and Wine of the Kingdom the divine and creature-glories of God in the Mediator are the things true Saints eat drink feed and live upon enjoy rejoyce and delight in even in the peculiar delights of the Sons of God divine spiritual heavenly substantial things things eternal All this is the comfortable fruit of all their right labours in that Spirit that 's the peculiar gift of God distinct from the natural spirit or state of Life with all the Fruits brought forth by Man's utmost and best labours therein Vers. XIV I know that whatsoever God doth it shall be for ever Nothing can be put to it nor any thing taken from it And God doth it that Men should fear before him Whatever is the immediate Divine Workmanship shall be for ever that is the new-creature Spirit set up by the Divine from everlasting Prov. 8. 23. in personal union with it and also called God that made the worlds Jo. 1. 1-3 Heb. 1. 2. Both Worlds Natural and Spiritual and all in both were comprehended in it and brought forth by it This Fountain creature-Spirit in Christ and Streamings forth of the Living Waters thereof into Saints is of an unchangable nature The Gift thereof to Men or heavenly call of them into The Life thereof is without Repentance Variableness or chang The natural first-covenant principle of life and action set up in Man and Angel by the first-Creation is a Starting Variable Wavering thing Ps. 78. 57. Man breaks that Covenant with God and then God his Promise therein with him Numb 14. 34. Though Men be Children and Spouses to Christ therein Jer. 3. 14.
Rebellion in this matter The aggravated madness of Man lies herein He chuses rather to lay his Ruling rational Powers under the sensual in his own person then Submit to God's terms and way for the bringing them by way of Death and Resurrection into eternal Subjection to the ruling Powers of Spiritual Life and so unchangable Obedience to God most high Man chuses rather to be like a Beast then God He is offered an advance into a kind of Equality with the new-Creature-spirit in Christ by personal Union with it And this in Christ is in a kind of equality with the infinite Divine Spirit by personal Union with that the Man God's fellow Zee 13. 7. True Saints are personally one with this Man as he and the Father are one Jo. 17. 21 22. What Words what Tongue of Men or Angels can express this Folly Man 's chusing the Life of a Beast to his eternal Damnation before all this that would be his eternal Salvation God has made Man Lord of the visible Creation Ps. 8. 5-8 and he alone of all visible Creatur's walks unsutably to his principle in Rebellion against his Creatour Man's Wisdom is capable of receiving Conviction by the right-Gospel-opening of the Word 's of God's But his will may not be trusted for Gospel-Conversion That 's to die by the way It likes not that Every thing would live His understanding can tell his will it must die cease from all its own Activity Life Desire and Motion as the only possible way for the final Salvation of his whole person Man abusing his rational Powers to fetch in gratifying Provisions for his sensual only turn's his earthly nature upside down perverts the whole course and order of it serves what he ought to rule over So makes himself a Beast by the very Verdict of his own Conscience and all mankind When he suffer's the Bestial Powers within him to rule over him 't is Just with God to give the litteral Beast without him Power over him so as to kill him for Rebelling thus against God Deut. 32. 24. Ezek. 14. 15. Man by yielding Obedience to the Law but much more when to Gospel shall be freed from Beasts destructive Dominion over him They shall not devour nor make him afraid Ezek. 34. 28. Solomon had sadly experienc'd the boundless Ramblings of his Bestial Powers after whatever was gratifying to the inordinate Lusts and vile affections thereof But as the Face of Man's Body so of his Spirit is fitted to look upward to a Life a Glory that excell's and so to God most high Man and Angel by Creation had abundantly the ascendant over the Beast But the best things corrupted become the worst The Devil with all the Glory Wisdom Power and Righteousness of the First-Creation turn'd into and us'd in unchangable Enmity to God is in God's sight and thought the most contemptible varlet in the World Solomon in this interrogatory bewail's the wilfull ignorance folly and inadvertency of Man his Brutish unwillingness to take any right notice of his prerogative-difference from the spirit of the beast He is ready even to deny the Immortality of his Spirit They would gladly die like Beasts that live like them If they own their ãâã they suspect a sad reckoning behind for the abuse of it Man in his natural Creation had and is since the fall capable of recovering the intellectual intuitive inorganical exercise of his mind after the manner of Angels by which immediately to see what organical reason call's hidden essences qualities and properties of things all which still are Vanities and that of the lower order Organical reason discourses or run's from one thing to another from what is seen to prove gather and guessingly conclude something not seen or known before This way of getting the knowledg of things by sensible species taken in by the outward and presented or convey'd by inward natural senses to the understanding was Aristotles low conjectural way of gaining knowledg far short of the Soaring Intuitive Platonist But no Spiritual Eternal things are the Objects of either of these ways of natural understanding in Men. These are wholly out of all their reach Now what a wretched wicked self-denial are they guilty of that neglect all these advantages of their nature to level themselves with Beasts To throw up all rational and Intellectual pleasures and betake themselvs wholly to Bestial Their Practice Inclines them to Judg or at least declare they have no other principles of Life but Bestial Their Immortality is a tormenting consideration to them For this renders them by their own madness fit Subjects and fewel of God's unquenchable Wrath. Man's great fault of all is the wilful refusal of God's convincingly discovered and offered new-Creation Life When this Gospel-Life of Immortality is brought to light in his Immortal being all 's his own For then he is Christ's and Christ is God's 1 Cor. 3. 22 23. one with Christ as he with the Father So comes Man to be an Infallible seer and doer of the whole Will of God for ever Man in his whole natural being Body Soul and Spirit all his essential parts and Powers of natural Operation is to be considered as distinct from a first or second Covenant Spirit or Life by Christ as Creator or Redeemer put into him by which he is found in a shadowy changable righteous State and Earthy Image of God or unchangable Heavenly Creature-Life and Image of him The former is but a fading slower and Man therein at best altogether ãâã Principles and Operations By Christ's second new-Creating Workman-ship attains he a State of Everlasting Righteousness and true Holiness Eph. 4. 24. So has he the Kingdom of Heaven within him and ãâã Life abiding in him He lives and walk's in that Spirit Christ with his Saints will Reign in and Judg the World Vers. XXII Wherefore I perceive that there is nothing better then that a Man should rejoyce in his own works for that is his Portion for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him What works deeds or works of the Law wrought in his own Law-Spirit of nature such as Paul excludes from Rom. 4. 2-6 or such as are wrought in Christ's Gospel-Spirit of Grace which James in the same Spirit with Paul own 's as Ingredients into Abraham's Justification before God Jam. 2. 21-24 Own works here which the Holy Ghost by Solomon commands and commends Man's rejoycing in as his Portion from God can't be any thing done in his own nature that since the fall in its highest renewals is found in direct Enmity to God This State of Man with all possible Labours therein is so far from being his happy Portion from God that he lies directly under the Curse and Wrath of God in and with all this which is altogether Vanity But can right Gospel-works which God work 's in Men be called their own works Yes as own'd by God co-workers with him in his spirit living and walking therein He
Levit's and a Plague on some others of the People Exod. 32. They said v. 4. and Jeroboam said after them in the like case behold thy Gods O Israel which brought thee up out of the Land of Egypt O Madness To the Egyptian God's that could not deliver their own People from them do they ascribe their deliverance from their Egyptian Bondage and Task-Masters So Ahaz Sacrificed to the God's of Damascus which were the ruine of him and all Israel 2 Chron. 28. 22 23. and 2 King 16. 10-13 So also Amaziah set up the Edomit's Gods to be his Gods and sought after them which could not deliver their own People out of his hands 2 Chro. 26. 14 15. and was destroy'd for his pains as threat'ned by the Prophet for not hearkning to his Counsell though against and contrary to the King 's Wicked Idolatrous Council v. 16. 27. And what became of Jeroboam for his Calf-worship erected on a self Interested Reason of State See 1 King 14. 10 11. I le cut of Jeroboam and take away the Remnant of his House as a Man takes away Dung till it be all gone Him that dieth of him in the City shall Dogs Eat and him that dies in the Field shall the Fowls of the Air Eat For the Lord hath spoken it Is not here enough When Christ shall take possession of and actually reign over all the Earth his right always Psal. 2. 8. all Visible and Invisible Principalities and Powers of this World Evil Men and Angels will be laid in the Dust. Nothing but Righteousness of one sort or other Man's or God's in Man will be found in the whole World his Holy Mountain or Kingdom by his Executing that Judgment and Justice in the Earth Jer. 23. 5. always all along his peaceable Righteous Reign that they allway's perverted Saints also that he will bring with him to Reign will do the like in Harmony with their Universal Fift Monarch Dan. 7. 18 -- 27. Jude 14 15. Rev. 5. 10. Solomon in Spiritual Light sees and mean's not only nor chiefly the oppression of the Body in the concerns thereof by Heathen Governments violating the Common Law or Light of rational nature in mankind but the Oppression and Violence exercis'd by first-Covenant Brethren against the second the only true Heirs and Saints of the most high The new Light and Life they are found in under the fructifying Influence and Beamings forth of the Mystical New-Creation Sun of everlasting Righteousness Christ as a Spiritual Bride-groom is Scorn'd Hated contradicted Blasphem'd and they Persecuted and kill'd for 't by none so much as by their envious Brethren in Holy Flesh restor'd Law-Life under the Mystical first-Creation Sun or First-Covenant Spirit wherein Christ has bin a sleshly Law-Bride-groom to them Thus are true Saints the Oppressed peculiarly and most properly here and Chap. 5. 8. meant by Solomon And then shall we find the vast number of Dead Heathens in the corrupt Life or Spirit of nature dead in Trespasses and Sins and the far smaller number of enliven'd first-Covenant Brethren professing Saints in Holy Flesh in all variety of Judgment Form or way in one kind or other Oppressours of the smallest number of all Christ's little Flock the few that are saved true Saints of the most High in God's Holy New-Creature-Spirit stripp'd and destitute of all Worldly Power or help All in this World against them No thing No body for them They are Men Wonder'd at Scorn'd Hated by all Men of Contention with the whole Earth The whole Earth or wordly party of Angels and Men fix'd in their earthy natural first-Creation-make and State despiteful Enemies to the Spirit of Grace and all in the second are their Implacable Adversaries in every thing The but first-Covenant Righteous Professour call himself what he will sometimes gets a considerable Share in the Civil Sword or Power and uses it with greatest fierceness against the new-Covenant professing Spiritual Saint who with Christ look's not after the Kingdom of ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Heavenly managable only in the Spirit of ãâã not the most enlight'ned righteous Principles or State of nature and not actually commencing till Man's and Satan's be at a Period Such a Kingdom such a King or Kings as Christ and his true Disciples lay claim to or own themselvs of right to be as Sons of God even Heathen Pilate was able to see and Judg carries no clash in it at all with Worldly Ceasars or Magistracies John 18. 36-38 True Saints are not for throwing down all Heathen Magistracies in the corrupt Spirit of nature that they may rule over all in the renew'd worldly spirit thereof They that design and drive at this are the Pseudo-Fift-Monarchists who in all their Zeal and high Pretences for the King Jesus are the highest and fiercest Enemies and Opposers of the very Jesus the very Christ in his very Gospel-reigning Spirit of Grace and Truth They are themselvs the most signal part and Branch at least of that little Horn with the Mouth speaking very great things Dan. 7 8. 11. 20 21. 24 25. Rev. 13. 3. 5 -- 8. 11 -- 17 which they would wholly fix upon and appropriate unto a corrupt and grosly Idolatrous Heathen party in the Fourth Roman Monarchy under the name Christian. These are they with the deadly Wound Healed given by the first Sin that laid all Mankind dead in Trespasses and Sins who with a great mouth speak great things blasphemous words against God and his new-name or Gospel-Spirit the Holy Ghost God's Heavenly Sanctuary or Tabernacle and them that dwell in it even the Saints of the most high that dwell or have their conversation in Heaven Christ's Heavenly Gospel-Spirit of Grace By the false Fift-Monarchist is to be understood not only a party peculiarly and apart from their Fellows at Munster or lately amongst us or in any former Generations and other Countries pretending this way by throwing down all corrupt Worldly Monarchies or Governments to set up themselvs but the whole fixed first Covenant-Spirited Generation and Party of Professours in all times and places found in the same uniform Spirit of unchangable Enmity to the true Spiritual Saint on the one hand and a self-confident Disturbing Traiterous Opposition to corrupt worldly Cesars on the other This troublesome Spirit is charactred by the Apostle in the Jewish Professours that both kill'd the Lord Jesus and their own Prophets and Christ's Apostles And therein please not but indeed highly displease and Provoke God and are contrary to all Men on their right and left hand Spiritual Saints and polluted Heathens For this Wrath came upon those Jews to the uttermost and will upon all in like case 1 Thes. 2. 15 16. These are they that speak great swelling Words of Vanity with their self-exalting Luciferian Master Satan the old great Bloody-minded Red Dragon against the most high himself and all his true Spiritual Saints These are they that said of Christ himself the Supream Preacher and
evil Angels or Men in strength Psal. 103. 20. And Christ and God most high with their Infinite Almighty and irresistibly mighty divine and new-creation power all these are on the Saints side Power more then enough Yea Saints themselvs have that Life and Power of Godliness in them that will render them more than Conquerours Rom. 8. 37. Yea when but Babes and Sucklings Low and Weak in the Life of God or of his Spirit of Grace are they able to still quell or subdue the Enemy and the Avenger Ps. 8. 2. Here 's Power upon Power and so Comfort upon Comfort strong rich consolation to the spiritual in the greatest tribulation that can befall the natural man of the saint But still while visible and invisible enemies are permitted to oppresse them for their good during Christ's and their suffering season on the side of their oppressours is power but they have no comforter This is the case all along this world under Satan's reign till the holy angels be commission'd to come forth about their preparatory work to Christ's second comming for preaching the Everlasting Gospel for the wakening up and gathering Saints out of all Nations to Christ and for the giving of signal dashes on all their Worldly Enemies by the gradual pourings forth of the Vials of Gods Wrath upon them Till this are Saints Men wondred at in Scorn Zec. 3. 8. Men of contention with the whole Earth Jer. 15. 10. All in the but single worldly spirit of nature corrupt or righteous are against them to a Man to a Devil And as depriv'd of all worldly Power within or without are they in the Judgment and sight of their own reason as well as of their Enemies naked and exposed to the insulting Fury of all their said Adversaries to all their Proud Rhetorical Mockings and Insolencies without Relief But since Flesh and Blood are set aside as far Inferiour to a higher and more dangerous subtle and more Powerful sort of Enemies evil Angelical Principalities let us more particularly take notice of their more unperceived Practices and methods of proceeding against the true Saint They Accused God to Adam and Eve as envying the happy Life and State he had set them up in by Creation And so engag'd them in a Union of Mind with themselvs as far as they could to Envy Hate and ãâã themselvs above and against both the Divine and Creature-Life of God Isai. 14. 14. 2 Thes. 2. 4. And as Satan their Luciferian head falsly Accuses God to Man so Man to God Job 1. 9-11 and 2. 4 5. Satan is the Accuser of the Spiritual Brethren before God Day and Night Rev. 12. 10. that is continually This though abundantly convicted of Perjury and Falshood in all such Witness-bearing as in Job's case What reception can he hope for in his Testimony against true Saints at the Bar of their Infallible Friend and Judg What most gall's this Insolent Adversary To see Christ approach in the garb of an Enemy to the Saint with his two-edged Flaming Gospel Sword This may seem yet more strang to Man's Wisdom Why should this Sworn Mortal Enemy of Saints be troubled at Christ's comming as an Enemy upon them too He know's why Christ comes to kill and offer up his party the natural Man Life and Will in them in Sacrifice to God And he know's a Gospel-Spirit and Principle of Life and Action will be set up in them in the room thereof that 's Wiser and Stronger then he which he can never reach or touch Jo. 4. 4. and 5. 18. This is the Thing the Life he unchangably hates and dread's 'T is the Friend of the World and Devil and Enemy of God in the Saint that Christ cast's into the fiery Furnace of his Cross to destroy And this Destruction of Man's Flesh or fleshly natural Life and State makes way for his Salvation in God's Spirit This Devil Enmity to God is not cast out but by Fasting and Prayer Mat. 17. 21. the Impoverishing of nature the Mourning-State and Death thereof at best an abstinence from all the Serpents Diet all worldly desireables and earnest Prayer for and labour of the Spiritual Mind after the never-perishing Meats at Christ's Heavenly Table When Satan observ's Man in a long course of Faithful Obedience to Law-Light and can't fix him there but find's in him a dangerous Inclination to obey God's farther Gospel-Light as giving notice of a better State yet in the new-Creation Life or Land of Promise and so also fair warning of Christ's Approach with his Cross on that Law-Life he long own'd him in he bestirr's himself and labours might and Main to cause him to resist the work and so prevent the effects of this Cross. Job was sore put to 't for a season under the demolishing death-work thereof And Satan was in a wonderful toss through fear of what matters might come to with him That which Job fear'd did come upon him Job 3. 25. the Death of his Law-State at best And that which Satan chiefly fear'd came upon him too the Life of Christ's gospel-Gospel-Spirit that 's greater then he One First-Covenant Saint fix'd in Holy Flesh and the Law-Life thereof against God's Holy Spirit and the Gospel-Life and words thereof becomes a more Useful Creditable Instrument for his Service against the Gospel then a thousand Profane Persons in the corrupt nature that have no colour of Religion about them Till then his matters are sure with Man by a fix'd Enmity or the business is determin'd beyond all hopes of recovering him into a fix'd Enmity to the Cross he plies it in accusing God to such a Man and him to God Thus turn's he every Stone leaves no Means unattempted for the carrying on of his Oppressive and Destructive Designs upon Saints For shame says he to them be not baffled out of all Sense and Reason so as tamely to deliver up your selvs in a Life by Christ himself twice set up in you to a Murderer So Represents he Christ himself in the Shakings and Brandishings of his Spiritual Flaming Sword over their Heads as no other or better then a Murderer a Devil and Mad Jo. 10. 20. He offer'd at perswading Christ himself by an Apostle to spare his own Innocent Spotless Righteous Earthly nature Life or self Mat. 16. 22 23. But Christ kindled his Spiritual Gospel-fire on that Earth or earthly Law-Life in himself spoke no Peace but War and Death to 't Luk. 12. 49. 51. But when the subtil Enemy hath seemingly prevail'd with any hopefully secured and steel'd them with his Serpentine Armour and Doctrin against the harsh Accents and sharp Disciplin of the Cross as a most Absurd Unreasonable and Destructive thing he frisk's about turns his Dragon's-Tail upon them and Accuses them to God as those whom if he touch them to the quick in the Mystical Skin and Life of their righteous natural Spirit break the Mystical Bones cut asunder the Nervs thereof Enervate Abolish and take away all
with false hopes and confidences here and come what will think they hereafter At length they must leave their false present rest and lie down in everlasting sorrow Who can help Satan's twofold party corrupt and righteous men fixed in nature with him will on in their fools Paradise in their various pathes under Satan's counsel and steerage to the same Tophet Saints ought to do their best in all meekness to recover any out of the snares of the Devil till evidently fix'd in Enmity God's method with men is that none should usually have two Heavens or two Hells All Good is the Saints all Evil the incorrigible sinners in the world to come All Saints tears are put into God's bottle of remembrance to requite all hereafter as Enemies oppressive madnesses shall also be paid off with such recompence of their Errors as is meet the vengeance of Eternal Fire Jude 7. All will come to their rights at last Friends and Foes This very Argument does Paul comfort oppressed Saints with 2 Thes. 1. 4 -- 10. At Christ's second coming will Saints ride in their Triumphal Chariots as more then final Conquerors over the Heads of their Oppressors Devils and Men who have had their turn to ride over their heads Ps. 66. 12. The Lord regards every sigh and groan of his Prisoners appointed to death under worldly Powers Psal. 12. 5. and 69. 33. and 79. 11. 146. 7. He will make his despised oppressed ones a praise in the Earth in the sight of all that have scorn'd and trampled on them Psal. 102. 13. 16. 19. 20. The true Saint pants after final deliverance from all Enemies within him Rom. 7. 24. as well as without All will be ãâã at last in Answer to their Prayer Psal. 74. 10. and ver ãâã Saints groan after deliverance from their mortal righteous earthly life of Enmity as well as from that of the Body 2 Cor. 5. 1 2. All in nature within and without them is in a universal confederacy against them What matter If God be for them who can be against them Or who can hurt them Rom. 8. 31. Here 's enough The whole first-creation world lies in wickedness litteral and mystical filth of flesh or spirit 1 Joh. 5. 19. and so in a universal daring affront and contradiction to all words and things of God in the next Jer. 44. 16 17. But God will hear or deliver Saints from the horns of the Unicorns Psal. 22. 21. That is from all oppressive Powers of this World visible and invisible without and within So have we in some small measure the meaning of these words Vers. II. Wherefore I praised the Dead which are already Dead more than the living which are yet alive The weight of these words lies not in the Litteral Sense For no miseries or oppressions incident to bodily Life in this world are comparable to the sad condition of the wicked after death under final wrath The spiritual truth here relates to Saints Saints departed are in a far better condition than those left behind them in the Body that have not fully passed through the twofold inward and outward oppression or suffering-work that 's to be undergon by them Saints departed out of the Body or while in the Body out of the Law-life of their own spirit are those A voyce from Heaven command's John to write as a most certain Truth blessed Blessed are the dead in the Lord Rev. 14. 13. All so dead with Christ will live with him for ever in his Immortal Gospel-life All others will perish in their own corruption or corruptible Law-life and state which they have rebelliously chosen and trusted in for blessedness against the Lord's known commands and warnings to the contrary By keeping up what Paul cast away as dung for Christ's spiritual Life will they perish as their own dung for ever Job 20. 7. A perfect death of the natural Spirit and Principle of Life and Action in man an everlasting cessation and rest from all the desire thought and unprofitable labour thereof and so the honourable burial of it in the mystical grave of Christ is true conformity to his death Christ came not to do his own Will nor speak his own words the Dictat's of his own understanding though spotlessly perfect in our fleshly nature but Crucified and ceas'd from all We must follow his suffering steps through the same fire of his eternal Spirit Heb. 9. 14. kindled by him on us as on himself Luk. 12. 49. Spiritual Circumcision and fire-Baptism put nature corrupt or righteous to death cut off and burn up all flesh even Holy Flesh Col. 2. 11 12. Man in the restor'd righteous Life of his own nature has nothing but a Body of Sin and Death about him which Paul pray'd for deliverance from Ro. 7. 24. Phil. 3. 6-8 Since the fall filth of Spirit Enmity to God is inseperable from the Life of nature corrupt or righteous Nature in whatever condition and Enmity to God Live or Die breath or expire together Paul when eminent in Holy Flesh breath'd out Enmity Threatnings and Slaughter against God's Holy gospel-Gospel-Spirit Saints and Truths Act. 9. 1. From the time this Spirit of Enmity was Death-struck by Christ in his way to Damascus he lived and brought forth Fruits unto God in a newness of Life In the restor'd Life of nature the great Sin of Enmity revives gather's Strength Credit and Authority By the death of it under the Cross that and all other Sins are pluck'd up by the Roots He that is so Slain and dead is freed from all Sin for ever Ro. 6. 7. When Planted together in the likeness of Christ's Death and Resurrection the Old Man is Crucisied the Body of Sin destroy'd v. 5 6. Man's natural Body or whole natural Man at best as a Righteous Living Soul 1 Cor. 15. 44 45. is by the twofold death and Life-work of Christ's quickning Spirit Transformable into the likeness of his Glorious Body or the glorified Body Soul and Spirit of our nature in his person Phil. 3. 21. On such death of nature Man ceases from sin for ever 1 Pet. 4. 1. If Obedient to the Slaughter-work of Christ's Gospel-Spirit on our Lawless or Law-Spirit in corrupt or righteous nature shall we by the second operation of it be quick'ned up into the Life of his Gospel-Spirit All dead with Christ shall after their season of dwelling in Dust arise with his dead Body into a newness of Life and Sing for ever Isai. 26. 19. Paul's argument in this case looks both way's If the Dead rise not Christ is not Risen 1 Cor. 15. 12-19 implying if Christ be Risen the Dead with him shall be Rais'd into that ãâã of Life our Crucisied nature in him Lives in for evermore Rev. 1. 18. Our nature in Christ is rais'd also into and possess'd of the very Divine Life So the fulness of the very Godhead dwells in him bodily in personal Union with his Manhood This is his peculiar Prerogative
or constant steddy spirit of everlasting Truth and Righteousness and Works thereof David pray'd for Psal. 51. 10. All fix'd in the but starting righteous natural spirit or principle of Life and Action hate with a perfect hatred as they them Psal. 139. 21 22. Righteous first-covenant Brethren are the most fierce persecutors of the second can't afford them a good word sit and speak evil against them Psal. 50. 20 21. Such Crucified Christ. Profane persons hate all such right works as are performable in renew'd naturals But all of both sorts Profane and Professors are against all spiritual Saints Works Things and Truths Many lesser Ruffles may the fix'd first-covenant righteons have with the Profane party but they mortally envy and hate the spiritual Saint with all his right works and words as seventy times seven fold more abominable to them than the profane party with all their brutish vilenesses Away with them 't is not fit they should live say they Masqu'd Papists worse than bare-fac'd or Mahumetans Spiritual Saints with their truly right works are a thousand-fold more envied by sowre leavened Legalists then common sinners of the Gentiles and their generally discernable wrong works This has bin found in all times and places towards all true prophets Christ himself and Saints before and under Law and Gospel Christ came to his own in the first-covenant and they blasphemed and Crucified him for the Gospel-doctrin of the second Never more will the whole World be in an uproar against Christ and his Saints then when he is just at the Door ready to come forth with them to reign over all such enemies What a universal surprize and amazement will this be to them all one and 'tother Heathen and first-covenant people As wondering at both their madnesses against Christ in his first and second coming the Psalmist ask's Psal. 2. 1. Why do the Heathen rage and the People imagine a vain thing What vain thing do they imagine and tumultuously assemble in a Union of their otherwise ãâã minds to do to cast down Christ God's supreamly anointed one and Saints Christ's anointed ones vers 2 3. A likely Project to thrive in Do either or any of them know what they do The Mystical Kings do in some measure the greater their madness the litterai less the less their folly though they also Rage and Tumultuously Assemble in this case Both are guilty enough to find a conclusion bad enough to them all Let the two earthen Pot-Sherds corrupt and righteous tugg and fight it out with one another That 's a lower trade of Sinning in either But if they peece up and joyntly fight against their maker they are at the highest point of Folly and Madness And then highest wo to both and all Isai. 45. 9. They contend against Almighty and Irresistibly mighty Divine and new-Creation Power Is all this Hubbub and Tumultuous Assembling of Mankind with all their combined Counsels and Forces against the insinite Divine Father and his Divine and Creature-Son like to Prosper They 'd break their Bands and cast away their cords srom them This is the Rebellious Design and Plot. They 'l not be subject to limited or bound up by their Laws or words of command This is their desperate case and Resolution This Universal Conspiracy to be remarkably the case in the last beyond all former times is on the very account here declar'd their incorrigible envy at or Enmity to God's Divine and new creature-creature-Spirit of Grace with all the right words works or fruits thereof in true Saints which offer to lay Bands on all their unruly Wills This they 'l not endure but labour might and main to shake them off and cast them away from them This is that which corrupt and righteous humane with Evil Angelical nature make head against God Christ and Saints about The two-edged Spiritual Sword in all these hands speaks death to nature in them all Therefore they all fight against it But this will in Love or Wrath perform the whole Will and Counsel of God as to the death of nature on every Angel and Man good and bad Isai. 1. 19 20. and 55. 11. 2 Cor. 2. 15 16. Christ in that Spirit wherein any can or ever could be saved is the stumbling-Stone and rock of Offence the only Rock of Defence to Saints to the numerous Troops of innumerable evil Angels and Men that Build on the Sandy fallible Principles of nature for Salvation They utterly defy all the words of the Builders on the Rock that speak nothing but War and Death to them attempting to set Fire on their House Guess who of the Earthy party are like to take this most heavily at Christ's and his Saints hands as offring to take down a beautiful Church-building with pretence to set up a better unchangably glorious That Mystical Temple of his Body or whole natural State that Christ said was to be pull'd down So as not to have one stone of it left upon another and in which he Refus'd at the Jews desire to be their King saying he 'd build it up into another more glorious Temple-State in which he would be a King this was the very ground of the Professing Jews proceeding against him to the death He has built up our nature in himself by way of Resurrection into a new-Creation Temple of the Living God for evermore His Doctrin of the Cross upon them and Practice of it upon our nature in himself did the Professing Jews and their Teachers Priests Scribs Pharises c. call Blasphemy or evil-speaking against the first-Creation Temple and Life of the Law as no State of true Salvation This they reckon'd an Evil Hurtful or false speaking that is Blasphemy And in saying so they Blasphem'd or spoke and did evil and hurtful things Maliciously of and against him and all his Gospel-Truths First-Covenant Brethren hate the very Gospel-Principle and all the Right Works and Words of Christ and Saints therein For which of my good works do ye stone me Said Christ. Not for any good work but for Blasphemy replied the Jews Jo. 10. 32 33. What must Steven or any Servant expect if the Lord were thus handled See Act. 7. 51-60 with the ground Act. 6. 9-14 A first-Covenant People among the Gentiles under Gospel do the same things to their Spiritual Brethren as the Jews under the dispensation of the Law in the self-same Law-Principle and Life the very leaven of the Pharisees But these disturbers of Gods true Israel in both will be cut off Gal. 5. 12. They labour to keep off all true Gospel-Doctrin from all hearing as the most abominable Heresy and Preachers of it not fit to live Act. 22. 22. and 24. 14. Law-circumcision for cutting off Filth of Flesh they prefer to the true Spiritual Gospel-circumcision that cutts of Holy Flesh restor'd righteous nature from which filth of Spirit or Enmity to God's Gospel-Spirit is inseperable For this Murdering-minded Cain's Envy Mortally Hate and kill Spiritual Abels from
Madness and Folly and Eat their Flesh as Fire Jam. 5. 1-3 They refuse the kindly kindlings of the Fire of the Spirit or Cross of Christ upon them to eat up their Flesh as Fire eat 's Wood by Consuming it in Sacrifice to God He therefore kindles it in as well as upon them in Final Wrath as a never dying Worm in their Conscience a Fire that never shall be quenched Mark 9. 44. 46. 48. Thus shall Incorrigible Sinners or Fools find that in and about them in which they 'l become Eaters of their own Flesh or fleshly nature without ever such a Consuming it as Annihilation would amount unto the only death they 'l ever seek but never find Vers. VI. Better is a handful with quietness than both the hands full with travel and Vexation of spirit Here 's the opposite state to the mystical Fool. In effect of the same significancy are these words of spiritual counsel from or by Solomon as those of Christ himself Mat. 5. 29 30. 18. 8 9. Mar. 9. 43. 47. The right ãâã Hand and Foot of Man offend themselves oppose their own true intorest in being offended at the Cross that comes to cut them off and cast them away as dung and loss for a more excellent life and way The best light wisdom or understanding the most righteous practice or walking signified by the right Eye Hand and Foot of Man in his own nature restored by Law-conversion to the first-covenant or first-creation sort of righteous Life Discerning Action and Walking are to be cut off and cast away by the kindly death-work of the Cross or the demolishing crucifying mortifying operation of Christ's heavenly Gospel-spirit upon Man's righteous natural spirit in the said Law-life as Paul found and yielded to Phil. 3. 6 -- 11. He counted and parted with all as loss and dung to win Christ in his spiritual Resurrection-Life So only can any be truly acceptable to God or bring forth fruits unto him in a newness of Life All the former state to be quitted is called in Scripture but oldness of Letter In the best Life thereof Man brings forth fruit but to himself for the enriching and adorning his own deceitful nature not unto God in his Gospel-spirit of Grace and Truth in which only he can be rightly worshipped to his wel-pleasing acceptation and man's true advantage All others worship they know not what Joh. 4. 22 -- 24. They know not what they do or whither they go The divine spirit of the Father can be rightly worshipped in the Gospel-spirit of his Son only All that finally refuse to part with their natural Law-spirit and Life by a holy death under the spiritual Cross never receive or partake of Christ's Gospel-spirit of Life in which only 't is possible to worship God aright or do any thing well in his sight The natural man by Legal conversion made wise strong and honourable in Christ by his first-covenant communications of Life and Light to him hates Christ's Gospel-spirit with all the crucifying work and Cross-doctrine of death upon nature corrupt or righteous as Paul once did Man hates that which he undispensably needs must submit to and pass thorow or never be saved His restor'd natural right Eye Hand Foot must off and be cast away This Man stumbles and is highly offended at He is ready to reckon such doctrin the damnablest ãâã heresy madness and blasphemy that ever was broach'd or utter'd by man The enlightned professing Jews reckon'd it so when Christ himself preach'd it Yea his very Disciples stumbled sorely at it and took it heavily Mat. 16. 21 22. Mar. 10. 23 -- 26. John 16. 6. 20. Though he Preached his Resurrection in the same breath with his Death Mat. 17. 23. still they were exceeding sorry This would not do no not so much as allay their grief They knew not clearly what he said or meant by Death or by Resurrection Mar. 9. 31 32. and were afraid to ask him What he Preach'd the Death and loss of in himself and them even of a first-covenant Life they somewhat perceived to their sorrow But as to the more excellent Life and Glory he declar'd was to follow to him and them by way of Resurrection out of the Death of their fading this they understood not and so got little or no relief yet by the bare tydings of it But enough when they came to experience it Act. 2. The Cross is a stumbling block to the righteous first-covenant Law-Jew or Gentile under the outward dispensation of Law and Gospel and before either were written by the Pen-men thereof in the Bible and foolishness to the wise Greek with all his moral Righteousness and obedience to the common Light or Law of rational Nature in Mankind 1 Cor. 1. 23. Both these sorts of Wise and Righteous Men bidding at and fondly pleasing themselves with a hope of true Salvation in their several way 's do stand as with Drawn Swords in the Armour of Man on Satan's side to bid defiance to this seemingly Bug-bear Doctrin of the Cross upon all they are Possess'd of and trust in They decry it as the highest Blasphemy and Folly Imaginable They warn others by no means to regard a word of it in Preaching or Books As for the Brutified Immorral Heathens the far greater party of Mankind walking and allowing themselvs in the Abominations of Litteral Sodom Egypt and Babylon hating all Righteousness God's and Man's too Man 's in Moral Heathenism or legal Christianity they little regard the Doctrin of the Cross on one or ' tother The hopeful Party of Mankind in Moral or Legal first-Covenant Righteousness that have something considerable as they reckon to lose by the Cross these are ready to fight against it as Paul found and told the Philippians even Weeping Phil. 3. 18. But Jews or Gentiles that answer Christ's Heavenly call into the death of their fading earthly State however good in its kind in Obedience to the Cross as the only pass into the Everlasting Life of the Crucifying High-Priest of their Gospel-Profession Heb. 3. 1. they find the said Cross the Power and Wisdom of God to and in them 1. Cor. 1. 24. This they receive in lieu of the form of Godliness and Wisdom of Man as made Wise Strong and Honourable in Christ by First-Covenant Artainments in him and Union with him 1 Cor. 4. 10. Others chuse rather to keep their first-Covenant-State Whole Unmaim'd Unbroken or Uncrucified and so to go with their whole Body or ãâã their own two Eyes Hands and Feet to Hell then ãâã and Crucisied in Conformity to the Lamb Slain and his true Saints that suffer with him to Heaven What if one Man had all the single first-Creation Glories Excellencies Riches Wisdom and Power of all Men and Angels and lose his own Soul what 's he the better Where 's his gain Mat. 16. 26. All Man gets by pitying and sparing himself in this case is the loss of all his own fading goodness
this dress he with his Angels and Apostles come as Spiritual Wickednesses in Heavenly places or likenesses to deceive if possible the very Elect. But all won't do The said two in and with the Saint can pluck off all their Vizor's detect the Mummery of these Wolvs in Sheeps-clothing and wherein they deal proudly and subtilly will be above them every way at every turn The new-Creature-Spirit of Christ in himself and Saints is abundantly too Wise and hard for them all And then the infinite Divine Spirit the supream strength of all the Fountain-Contriver and former of the other makes up the Triple-League or Threefold-Cord which secures the Saint above all words or wonder What think you now of the Saint's Furniture To fight the Battels of the Lord against the mighty evil angelical or humane Principalities and Powers of this World May they not safely say as Elisha to his Servant when besieg'd by the Syrian Army in Dothan ãâã that be with us are moe than they that be with them 2 King 6. 16. Our Rock our Army our Arms are not as theirs fleshly weak feeble and nothing worth but Spiritual and mighty in and through God invincibly strong and powerful to beat profligate and cast them all down with all their vain imaginary strong holds high Places and self-exalting confidences therein 2 Cor. 10. 4 5. The threefold Cord here not quickly or easily yea utterly impossible ever to be broken may seem to import first the most high Union of divine Father and Son the ãâã ãâã and Form of God In this Union the Three that are impersonally as 't were One in the divine Essence are distinctly and personally three and One in the infinite and purely divine Form And so are they from Eternity to Eternity ineffably the peculiar Object of their own infinite understanding in a transcendent sublimity above all Creation or Creatures when made The divine form or Son of God is the Three that are One in a personal visibility or discernableuess properly calculated and suited only to him whose understanding is infinite Ps. 147. 5. The second link in this threefold Chain or Cord imported here may be the Union of divine and creature-nature in Christ's person the divine and supream creature-Form or Image of God most high the Infinite divine Father or Essence The third and lowest of the three Cords or Links in this golden Chain is found in the unchangable Union of Christ and Saints in his new-creature-new-creature-spirit They are personally united with him as he with the Father are one with him as he and the divine Father are one Joh. 17. 21 -- 23. Thus come all things to be the Saint's as he is Christ's and Christ God's 1 Cor. 3. 22 23. This have Saints in their lowest of these three unions By the Second all the fullness of the Godhead dwell's bodily in the Man Christ Col. 2. 9. He is Possess'd of all divine and creature-fullness in absolute perfection These twofold fullnesses make up that unsearchable divine and creature-riches of his person Paul preached Ephes. 3. 8. All creature-nature in Christ all below his infinite divinity is call'd Man Man is a warranted Scripture-Title for all below pure divinity in Christ and in all Angels and Men good and bad Christ thus is the Man or Angel Gabriel that appeared to Daniel and Mary Dan. 9. 21. Luk. 1. 19. 26. Evil Angels are Men of sin with their Father the Devil So are all men that are by them fix'd in enmity with them And Christ with two of his holy Angels were the three Men that did eat of Abram's Calf with butter and milk under a Tree and warn'd him of the near approaching destruction of Sodom Gen. 18. All rational intellectual creature-nature natural or spiritual in Creator or Creatures is comprehended in the Word MAN Saints then by their personal union with the Man Christ as Mystical members of that one Body he is Head to are entitled to all the divine and creature-riches of his most glorious and wonderful person Such riches therefore do all true Gospel-Ministers preach declare and offer under Christ unto Men Ephes. 3. 8. to all Men Jews or Gentiles Heathens or a first-covenant People of God Vers. XIII Better is a poor and a wise Child than an Old and foolish King who will no more be admonished Heb. knoweth not to be admonished This poor wise Child is the true Saint as run down under the Cross from a rich prosperous fruitful state of his natural spirit into poverty and barrenness from the fading beauty visage and glory thereof in the restor'd Life and Image of the Earthy into a weak despicable and in the sight and judgment of the self-confident flourishing first-covenant Saint in holy flesh shameful condition yea in the marr'd visage glory life and wisdom of Man all the other looks upon or trusts in for salvation the very filth of the World and off-scouring of all things All this Paul when a Gospel-Saint rich wise strong and honourable in the Lord even in that spiritual Life which yet lies hid with Christ in God seem'd to the Law-Saint A who but he a non-such was he when an eminent Law-Saint in his own holy flesh or restor'd nature But when a true Gospel-Saint in Christ's Holy Spirit a meer no body or worse with them that still are where and what he was his righteous Brother Pharises and other Professours Once beyond them all at Holiness now ãâã ãâã of the World the off scouring of all things 1 Cor. 4. 13. See you what the Judgment of Man's Wisdom at best is about persons or things that belong to God Or will ye never see Take heed of that If any had whereof to Glory and rest on for Salvation in Holy Flesh Paul more when but there Phil. 3. 4. Just Job's case in the eye of his three Friends far Inferiour to what he had been in the Light Wisdom and Righteousness of that Holy flesh-state of restored naturals And thus is it universally with all true Saints when passing under the Cross out of the Holy-flesh Church or House on the Sand into God's Holy-spirited Church upon the Rock from a Law to a Gospel-Principle and State of Life David's familiar Friends and Companions in a first-Covenant House People or Church of God Intoxicated and Drunk with Satan's Charms and Wine there in the first-Covenant so as to despise Christ's Kingdom-Wine in the second on his withdrawing and removal under the Cross upon all that Life Principle Doctrin State and things of Man for Salvation in the second they became his forest Enemies They lifted up the Heel Heb. magnified themselvs above and against him Psal. 41. 9. Am I become your Enemy say's Paul on this very single account because I tell you the truth Preach a Gospel State to you Gal. 4. 16. David though a King became a Song of those Mystical Drunkards Ps. 69. 12. Drunk with Satan's first Creation-Wine that gratified their natural Palate Belly or
everlasting righteous spiritual Life set up in them to wit the death of their natural state Christ could do nothing of himself or in his fleshly Law-life and state Joh. 5. 30. nothing that his Father sent him about His errand and business was to put it to death Passive obedience to his own Gospel-cross Spiritual-sword or Circumcision-knife was the high duty of his natural spirit and whole Man There 's no other way of coming to do all things well in God's sight which can only be in his Gospel-spirit or principle of everlasting righteousness and active obedience but by the passive obedience and death of our Law-spirit or natural state in which we can do nothing well before God nor ever enter into his Kingdom Christ in his Gospel-spirit the true principle of active obedience to God for ever did and said alwayes what was well-pleasing to to his Father Joh. 8. 29. as found in exact harmony with the very mind and will of his infinite divine spirit He despised the shame and contempt of those that despised his Crucified natural man Heb. 12. 2. And those that do not so he will despise disown reject and be ashamed of when he comes in the Glory of his Father with the holy Angels Mark 8. 38. Christ's Doctrine was not his own but his that sent him Whoever does receive or despise and reject the words of his Gospel-spirit in himself or saints receives or despises the Father that sent him and him that sends them The four Gospels abound with words to this purpose especially John's First and second Covenant-Saints poor wise children in the second and Old doting foolish Kings in the first are in a perfectly cross constitution and thought about salvation absolute sools to one another The Cross on Man's wisdom is reckon'd the starkest arrantest folly and madness imaginable by natural Man and Angel But one broken contrite-spirited crucified Saint is of more esteem with God than millions of unbroken uncrucified Men and Angels in all the excellencies glories wisdom and righteousness of their first-creation humane and angelical natures Isai. 66. 1 2. Man's day or light and Judgment in first-covenant wisdom and God's day of Judgment in the second will be found in flat contradiction to each other in this grand concern of men about Salvation Whose Judgment whose word will stand His or theirs Think well on 't before too late Ther 's no speaking at present to the old self-deafned doting foolish King by the poor wise Child He scorns and rejects with a wry mouth Rhetorical mockings in utmost contempt all his words and warnings His whole Gospel-doctrine of the cross on all the foolish King rest's in for Salvation is rejected as absolute foolishness and madness 1 Cor. 1. 18 -- 23. and 4. 8. 10. Hos. 9. 7 8. These foolish self-confident first-covenant fifth-monarchists that tugge it out somtimes with worldly Caesars for the civil sword as that by which to manage the reign of Christ in this world are but at the same work the Jews desired to have Christ have been at by owning himself a King in his first-covenant law-life and righteousness of man which he refused them in ãâã 6. 15. Refusing to be a King in the fading Law-principle of first-covenant life and operation and asserting his kingdom in the Gospel-spirit of the second they crucified their king Joh. 19. 15. They that would have set up Christ for their King in this world against Caesar say to rid their hands of him we have no King but Caesar in answer to Pilat's question This is the confusion and falshood found in man's shusfling wisdom on all accounts at every turn about and against his own Salvation When God not only by words but deeds in his blasting dispensations witnesses his displeasure against them and all their false confidences not suffering them to prosper in them ãâã 2. 37. still they are at the same point When they find mystical gray hairs decays and old age convincing Harbingers and Messengers of the approaching Death upon them as to all that ãâã Life and Riches they have trusted in still there they 'l hold and hope for safety When God comes upon them in his beginning Judgments on that State they trust in so as undeniably to evidence to them that as six'd in 't is but the Mystical Land of their Nativity and Border of Wickedness and they therein the People against which and whom he hath Indignation for ever Mal. 1. 4. still they obstinately rest and trust for safety therein Here 's the case of these old foolish Kings that will not be brought to any happy obedient chang of mind by any thing the Lord either say's or does to them They obstinately persist in bringing forth Wild Grapes Gall and Worm-wood from a bitter Root of Enmity in them against God And they will still needs pass for his only Gospel-People and Saints when a downright Synagogue of Satan fix'd in unchangable Enmity and Rebellion against him This do they to their litteral Graves And to carry on the like destructive work on others that they leave behind them as their Counsel-Legacy to them in their dying words they 'l charg their hearers the pretended Gospel-Churches of Christ that they look not after regard or receive any other Gospel then that accursed false one they have Preach'd to them even the same the Old Serpent Preach'd to Eve that Eternal Life is to be found in the Old or first-Creation State of nature and that they shall not die at all and so that all Preaching the Cross and Death upon it is a Blasphemous fiction against the Law and that Holy place or State of Man Thus the Jews accused Stephen Act. 6. 13. The whole Gospel is reckon'd by them Blasphemy against the Law The whole current of Scripture in the Gospel-sense of all run's for the Poor Wise Child But the whole current of their false other Law-Gospel and short sighted Interpretation of all Scripture run's cleerly for the old Foolish King in exact Harmony with the Old Serpent that Bewitches Teachers and Hearers through self-love to the sading Life and Glory of their own nature into a state of unchangable Enmity to God and Death to themselvs with him Oh but say they that which you call Satan's and our accursed other Gospel is the very same you call Christ's You only come forth in an affected singularity of words but say all the same things we do We Preach and own the Cross of Christ. Upon what The corrupt Spirit of fallen nature with the vile affections and lusts thereof But what say you to the Cross on your enlight'ned restor'd righteous nature made Wise Strong and Honourable in Conformity to that Life of the Law or Holy Flesh Christ took as Born of a Virgin Is this the Subject of the Cross of Christ Are ye willing to part with all this in case ye had it to part with To despise your own righteous Law-Life or Living Soul for Christ's Gospel-Spirit
will both come to in Eternal Life or Death Vers. XIV For out of Prison he cometh to Reign Heb. Out of the House of Bond-Men or Bondage he goes forth to Reign Whereas also he that is Born in his Kingdom becometh Poor The true Saint finding the Land of his Nativity a narrow strait'ned place the Life of his own nature in the Image of the earthy at best to be but a State of Enmity Bondage and death come's out of this his own Mystical Countrey and Father Adam's House or natural State by a Holy death to reign in another Spiritual more excellent Life He find's his own Spirit of nature in whatever variety of condition a State of Bondage or House of Bond-Men a Prison a deep dark Dungeon a miery Pit of filth and corruption filth of flesh or spirit litteral or Mystical Sodomy or both out of which by the death thereof he find's it his unspeakable advantage to Ascend come or be brought forth into a larg place in a Life above all death to Reign whereas the old foolish King who will no more be admonish'd hear of the Cross or death-Doctrin of Christ's Gospel-Spirit on the restor'd Law-Life of his own wherein he sets up his Kingdom becometh Poor He is even now in this World by Christ and awak'ned Saints seen to be Miserable Poor Blind and Naked as Happy Rich Cleer-sighted and Well-cloathed as he think 's himself He will find this too true at last in eternal Poverty Darkness Nakedness and Death Here are the exceeding different Conclusions they come to even the old foolish King in the birth of a first-Covenant Life fixing himself there in unchangable Enmity to God and the second the incorrigible first-Creation sinner and the poor wise Child broken and undone as to all the fading Life Riches Wisdom and Glory of his own nature and so becoming a truly reigning new-Creation Saint in the spirit of Grace the reigning Gospel-Principle That restor'd natural State which the old foolish King sets up in as his Palace the House of his Kingdom to reign in the poor wise child find's to be a Prison and hasten's out of it as a Spirit of Bondage and Enmity into the true Palace-Light and Glorious Liberty of the Sons of God whom the Son mak's free indeed Where the Spirit of the Lord becom's the principle of Life and action there is true liberty Man's freedom or freewill at best is but a Liberty in Word Figure Letter Shadow not in deed and in truth No true freedom sure in a Spirit of Bondage and Enmity to God a Spirit that 's in Union with World and Devil as the spirit of nature is in all mankind corrupt or righteous Yea so far as uncrucifi'd even in the awak'ned Spiritual Saint himself Ro. 7. and Gal. 5. 17. That renew'd natural State the old foolish King make's his Palace will prove his everlasting prison and dungeon of darkness and death in which he will be shut up for ever as the evil Angels in their narrow Angelical nature All of them shall be dealt with as unchangable Enemies of God and that Heavenly sanctuary-Sanctuary-Spirit that 's his true resting place and the everlasting habitation of blessed Angels and Saints in Chains of everlasting darkness in which reserv'd to the Judgment of the great day The unpardonable sin of Men and Angels is the self-same even a fix'd Enmity against the Holy Ghost God's Gospel-spirit or Heavenly Sanctuary convincingly shewed and offered to them all They were all Created perfect in their own natures Humane and Angelical Ezek. 28. 15. and in Obedient Subjection to the Gospel-Spirit in the Light of it But they soon hated that Life turned from the Light that shew'd it them and this was their Apostasy All this from an evil self-love to the fading Life Wisdom and Glory of their own nature which they chose to set up in in a known contrariety to the reveal'd mind of God and unchangable Enmity to his Spirit of Grace the very Gospel-High-Priest of God the true Melchisedec by whose hand they ought all to have given up that selfish life in Sacrifice to God So become they all Mystical Sodomit's guilty of all the highest and most Criminal Mystical Spiritual Wickednesses Uncleanesses and abominable Idolatries God in Faithfulness Favour and Love to his Saints Plagu's and Chasten's this Rebellious Spirit of nature this Carnal mind of Enmity in them while he gives more then Heart can wish to it in-Enemies to their final ruin Heb. 12. 5-8 Psal. 73. 7. 14. God's giving the old doting Kings their Hearts desire and more is a sore and heavy Judgment on them though they take it for a great favour and Token of his Love to them Desolation and an utter consuming of them with Terrors the true Saint certainly foresees to be the eternal issue of all their Temporal flourish and Prosperity v. 18 19. All the old foolish King dotes on the poor wise Child cast's away as Dung So foolish are the old Mystical Kings and also litteral Heathen Kings of this World as to bandy together against the Lord and his anointed as if hopeful to prevail against the infinite Divine Lord and his Anointed King Jesus with his Saints and Followers Their design is to break their Bands a sunder and cast away from them all their Cords of restraint upon them He that sits in Heaven laugh's at all these foolish Kings He will speak to them in his Wrath and vex them in his sore displeasure Ps. 2. 1-5 Have they an arm like God Can they thunder with a Voice like him What madness to think of prevailing in this Rebellious Insurrection and Contest against the Almighty Divine and Irresistibly Mighty New-Creation Power of Christ These old foolish Humane Kings will all fare as their evil Angelical King the King of all such Kings or Rebellious Children of Pride Job 41. 34. They 'l all ãâã into the same Condemnation with him will all have their Portion in the same Lake of Fire and Brimstone the Tophet prepar'd of old for them all They 'l be all finally stripp'd of all Power of resisting the Will of God and forc'd to suffer the same to be done upon them in ãâã Wrath. Then with their everlasting Poverty will they have unutterable Shame and Confusion of Face All they refus'd obediently to part with will be forcibly torn from them in final Wrath. All their fading goodness or beauty ãâã Consume in their eternal Grave from their dwelling their whole Mystical Houses earthly Habitations or persons all the goodness of that natural State they chose for their dwelling Ps. 49. 14. There 's no middle State for ever between the poor wise Child that will be eternally rich in Heaven and the old rich foolish King that will be eternally poor in Hell The poor wise Child believ's and follow 's the Faithful Sayings of Christ's Spiritual Law or Gospel-spirit the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus He is content willing yea glad
spirit CHAP. V. Vers. I. Keep thy Foot when thou goest to the House of God and be more ready to hear then to give the Sacrifice of Fools For they consider not that they do evil HEre 's the Result and Use of all declar'd in the fore-going Chapters as to the Vanity and vain Labour of Man under the Light of the Mystical first-Creation Sun or Spirit of the Law in and under which Man and Angel were at first Created and Christ Born Gal. 4. 4. Paul draw's the same useful Instruction from the doctrin of the 11 former Chapters to the Roman's Chap. 12. 1. for quitting or giving up the same earthly natural State the same thing with the Foot here when restor'd or made again Holy Flesh the righteous natural Body in Sacrifice to God as our reasonable Service and true free-will Offring even the Offring up of our free-will to good and evil that we may receive his free-will to Good only the Glorious Liberty of the Sons of God with which the Son makes free indeed all that are Born of his Gospel-Spirit of overlasting righteousness and truth First then consider what this Foot is or signifies and secondly what 's the House of God it 's to be kept out of as not fit to enter 1. This Foot ãâã the whole Man in a first-Covenant Life The Heel Satan is permitted to bruise Gen. 3. 15. is of the same extent and comprehensive significancy And so were the Shoes Moses was Commanded to put from off his Feet where the ground was Holy Exod. 3. 5. This Foot or natural Spirit of Man corrupt or righteous being found in Enmity to God at best as in Paul before his Gospel-Conversion can bear no part in the right Worshipping of God which is wholly to be perform'd in Spirit and Truth Christ's new-Creature Gospel-spirit of everlasting righteousness and truth The infinite Divine Spirit and Father requires all Men and Angels to Worship him in the Son's Gospel-Creature-Spirit of truth How can Man please him in duties of Worship or any other Performances towards him or Man in his own Spirit of Enmity Such Enmity as is no otherwise extinguishable but by ãâã death of nature being absolutely inseperable from the Life of it at best Christ's Gospel-Spirit of Love in unchangable Union of Mind and Will Desire and Thought with God when it becom's the sole Principle of Life Desire Thought and Action in Man will perfectly and compleatly fulfil all Law perform all duty to God and Man to God's well-pleasing and the Performer's certain and everlasting Salvation Man is not to come in his own Spirit of nature however Wise Strong Rich and Honourable in Christ by his first-Covenant-Communications to him as a fleshly Bride-groom and ãâã at his earthly Table into the new-Creation Sanctuary of God the everlasting Righteous Fountain Gospel-Spirit of Christ. The Courts of this Sanctuary are too Holy Ground for any thing that 's but changably good as Man and Angels before the fall or also positively evil as nature corrupt or righteous in all Men since the fall to tread on For a Man in a Spirit that 's a Root of Bitterness bearing Gall and Wormwood Briars and Thorns in a continued Enmity to God every Imagination Purpose Desire and Thought thereof being only evil continually the old World's case before the Flood Gen. 6. 5. to appear in the unchangably righteous new-Creation Sanctuary of God what a strang incongruous thing and sight would it be If any fill'd and Clothed by Satan's ãâã and their own consent or choice with a Spirit of unchangable Enmity to God do as 't were crowd in and appear at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb and his Bride in the Kingdom of his Father see what 's like to become of him Mat. 22. 11 12. Friend will the King Jesus say how cam'st thou in hither not having a Wedding Garment And he was Speech-less had nothing to say Then say's the King to his Servants the Holy Angels of his Power that excel in strength all fixed first-Creation Enemies of God and the second bind him Hand and Foot and cast him into outer Darkness where shall be Weeping and Gnashing of Teeth to all Eternity Let the fixed first-Creation Sinner and Enemy of God in his form of Godliness Righteousness of Man do what he can get where he will he is gone for ever No Stranger was to come into the Litteral Sanctuary under the Law the Type of this Spiritual Gospel-Sanctuary-Spirit of God in Christ's Person and in his Saints the lively stones of the House upon the Rock that Christ is the living head-corner Stone and Foundation of He spirit 's influences and enliven's all the rest hold's them fitly compacted together and firmly cimented in his one Gospel-spirit of new-Creature-Life that 's a Universal Bond of Love and Peace to and with God Christ and one other for evermore The Foot Heel or Shoe that 's to be kept back laid aside or put off that we may be shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace and so walk orderly with a right Foot according to the Gospel of the Grace of God or on a new foot of account in the single-ey'd discerning strength and Power of Christ's Gospel-spirit is that Flesh and Blood which cannot enter into and inherit the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 15. 50. or tread the Courts of his Heavenly Sanctuary Angels in the purity of their first-Creation-make and changable Life were to cover their Faces as not fit to appear before God to behold or be beheld by him therein And say's God to the Jews when ye come to appear before me who hath requir'd this at your hands to tread my Courts Isai. 1. 12. No right acceptable Worshipping God or doing any thing else but in the Gospel-spirit of Truth that spirit of Love that 's the compleat fulfiller of the whole Law even of all that God requires of us Sure the natural spirit at best that 's a spirit of Enmity to God and a bloody-minded Spirit against his true Saints can do no such thing It 's hands are full of blood It breath'd out Threatnings and Slaughters against the Disciples of the Lord even in Paul who had therein lived according to his light in all good conscience Act. 23. 1. exerciseable in the activity and restor'd Life thereof as a strict circumspect Opposer and Suppressor of the vile Affections and Lusts of his corrupt nature This Foot then is to be cut off cast away laid aside by us as not fit to perform any part in the true Worshipping of God Man is not to come alive into the House of God but be brought into it by the High Priest Christ himself dead as to his own Law-Life and principle of active obedience and quick'ned up into his Gospel-Life and Principle of active obedience wherein alone 't is possible to please God or be saved Passive obedience is the highest service performable in or with Angel's or Man's natural first-Creation Life
or Make. For by this the guilty Sinner the Belial-Party the Enemy of God is slain and all Power of Sinning abolish'd for ever Ro. 6. 7. 1 Pet. 4. 1. The obedient death of the guilty and continually sinning natural Spirit is more pleasing to God and profitable to Man then any Obedience or Duty performable in its kind in the Life and Activity thereof The House of Mourning or Death as to the first-Covenant Principle of Life is better than the House of Feasting in the utmost Flourish Prosperity Wisdom Glory and Fruitfulness thereof or Joy therein The death of the natural State at best from which since the fall Enmity to God is inseperable obediently yielded to must needs be more acceptable to God then the Life thereof or any thing performable therein From Love to God's Mercy or the unspeakable gift of new Creation Life to submit to yea and joyn with God in doing justly or Executing his righteous Judgment and Sentence of Death on our fleshly natural law-state in the awak'ned Life and Power of his Gospel-Spirit in us this is the Sum of all God requir's of us as the terms and condition of our full entring into and striking the new and everlasting Covenant with him Establish'd in all things and sure This doing justly in humbling our guilty natural Man or Spirit the Enemy of God even to the death thereof and living wholly to him in our never-sinning Spiritual Man or his never-sinning Spirit 1 To. 3. 9. is all he requir's of us Mic. 6. 8. Man must quit his own cieled Hag. 1. 4. adorn'd House or natural State to enter into God's Spiritual House or new-Creation Sanctuary His own House or nature is not ought not to be reckon'd his dwelling place or state of true rest for him Men will find all their Labour to keep up that building with the fading glory and riches thereof but a wearying themselvs for very Vanity Hab. 2. 13 a disquieting themselvs in Vain by heaping up Treasur's Ps. 39. 6. for their own destruction in the day of wrath This will Man get by coveting an evil covetousness to his own House or natural State and setting his Nest on high as vainly puffed up in his self-confident fleshly mind and thinking to secure himself from the Power of evil the Wrath of God Hab. 2. 9. He say's in his Heart Who shall bring me down to the Ground Obad. 3. I will saith the Lord v. 4. We must depart out of our own Countrey and Fathers House the Life and State of our own nature at best in but the restor'd Image of the earthy or first Adam form of godliness righteousness of Man a glory a wisdom to be Crucified Defac'd Obliterated and done away a Visage a Beauty to be Marr'd and Spoild in order to enter into God's own Countrey the far Countrey the Man Christ is gone into before us to prepare Places or Mansions of Glory for us Luk. 19. 12. To. 14. 2 3. We must depart from or out of our own House or nature however Ciel'd Adorn'd Swept Cleansed from the filth of flesh and Garnished with Spiritual Light or best enlightning Gifts short of the more excellent Spiritual Life and way 1 Cor. 12. 31. call'd Love 1 Cor. 13. in order to our right and worthy entring or going into God's Spiritual Sanctuary or House to Worship Our own Countrey Father's House Image of the earthy first-Covenant Life of our nature righteousness of Man Spiritual Conviction-Light c. All these make up but the Foot the whole Life and State of nature at best that's to be cut off and cast away as loss and dung to enter in a Resurrection-Life with the Man Christ into his Father's House where are many Mansions And so come we to the second thing here the House Man is to keep his Foot from or out of when he goes into it 2. This House is the Supream original new-creature Spirit of Christ the Living Creature-Book Word or Wisdom of God in which ãâã ãâã and Written out the whole Counsel of his Divine Mind And the Man Christ is the Supream Prophet Mouth and Infallible Declarer thereof to Angels and Men. Christ's whole Creature-nature is the immediate Temple and Sanctuary of his own Divinity set up by his Divine Hand or Workmanship from everlasting in Personal Union with the Divinity Prov. 8. 22 23. This was Typed out by the Litteral Sanctuary under the Law No Strangers no nor ãâã while unclean might Approach or enter into it The polluted Heathen-Stranger and the unclean ãâã in Mystery and Truth signify the natural Man corrupt or righteous This is the stranger and Fool here meant that being altogether ignorant of this new-creation Sanctuary of God's own pitching not Man's Heb. 8. 2. is ready with Paul to think he does God service in denying and opposing this his own house and himself the Divine Inhabitant thereof in personal Union with it as also in Persecuting to the death true Saints that own and assert such a House as Partakers of living walking and speaking in the spirit of it The new-Creation Sanctuary-Spirit the Creature-word Wisdom or Hand of God set up from everlasting by God's own very Divine hand was the immediate hand by which the whole old or first-Creation World was made Isai. 66. 1 2. Men Angels c. which therefore are all to be roll'd up and laid aside by God as an old Garment Heb. 1. 10-12 and in Harmony of Mind with him and obedience to him are the life and all the best and most glittering things thereof to be laid aside and parted with by Angel and Man to partake of his Heavenly Sanctuary-Spirit and Live with him in that place of his and their true rest for evermore All the Heavenly Eternal things of his Sanctuary seem Foolish Idle Dreams which Men conspire to kill them for Gen. 37. 19 20. and all right Words concerning them Vain or Lying Words as Pharaoh call'd Moses his Messages from God to the most enlight'ned natural Man who is wholly ignorant and in the dark as to all Divine and Spiritual Creature-things of Christ and God 1 Cor. 2. 14. 'T is a vain imagination when Man thinks to Prie into and View the most Holy things of God's Spiritual Sanctuary in the highest Wisdom and best Light of his but restor'd natural state If he finally persist in such a Presumptuous mistake he will meet with a final Blasting upon him to Eternal Death figured by the fifty Thousand Presumptuous Peepers into the Ark of the Lord who were smitten by him to a Temporal death of their bodies 2 Sam. 6. 19. All the best things in the first-Creation-make and life of Angel and Man are of no neerer kin to God's new-Creation Sanctuary and Holy things thereof then as figures and shadows of them The rational powers and things of man are not more hid from the brute beast then the Spiritual things of-God from the wisest and most rational man 1 Cor. 2. 10 11. 14.
his own Spirit offer 's but the sacrifice of fools in God's judgment however highly he esteem the sacrifice or himself for it He does not rightly know what he does what he is whither he goes whom he ãâã ãâã ospel things and truths the whole Counsel of God the ãâã and only way of salvation the methods of God's wisdom in order thereunto all the law's ordinances statut's and judgments of his new creation-sanctuary describ'd in the nine last chapters of Ezekiel all these things lie quite out of his sight How can Man in his own best Wisdom that 's foolishness to God's in his own Spirit that at best is enmity to God's perform do any thing or offer up any sacrifice acceptable to God any but the sacrifice of fools These fools consider not will not consider that they do evil Stiff-necked are they in their own self-confident understandings which are not only blear-ey'd and dimm-sighted but stark blind and wholly ignorant of all Gospel-things and truths yet on they will turning their deaf ear to or setting their mouth against the heavens Ps. 73. 9. all heavenly Gospel-doctrin and instruction They 'l listen to nothing that may induce them to consider the great mischief they are doing to themselvs and others by preaching promising and warranting peace with God in a spirit of direct enmity to him Ezek. 13. 6. 10. and decrying might and main that which is the only way of salvation and the only spirit in which any can be saved with all the words thereof This desperate work are these blind leaders with their self-confident followers at all reck'ning they are doing very pleasing and acceptable service to God Act. 26. 9. Having nothing of Christ's very gospel-Gospel-Spirit or doctrin in their Church do they with great indignation and scorn cast all that are wholly for the very Christ and his very Gospel out of their church Isai. 66. 5. Ps. 50. 20 yes and out of the world too when they can as not fit to live any longer in it Act. 22. 22. All this do these Gospel-Wolvs in Sheep's Clothing reckon to be a doing God service Jo. 16. 2. in a blind zeal for him and his law against every word of his Gospel Rom. 10. 2 3 for the first-covenant life of the law in their own restor'd spirit of nature against the second-covenant life of the Gospel in his own spirit of grace So think they do God service when they joyn with the Devil to do despite to the spirit of grace Heb. 10. 29 casting all the words thereof behind their backs and all contempt they can on all such words and all the speakers and right hearers of them as the worst of blasphemies and blasphemers What was Saul's Sin in letter and mystery too is their's in mystery They must be brought to acknowledg with Saul that what the wisdom of God and the words or commands thereof require to be destroy'd their foolish wisdom in the words thereof preaches keeps up and warrants currant for salvation The Spirit of nature in Man recovered and restored by Christ out of the fall into the life wisdom and ruling power thereof over all inferiour sensual brutish power of life and operation in him amounts to no more in mystery and truth then the Amalekite King Agag and best of the cattel The refuse of the cattel the vile affections the disorderly unruly lusts of the corrupt state of nature they have subdued yet not fully but the King and best of the Cattel the rational and sensual powers reduced to good order in the ruling authority of the former and due subjection of the latter these they judg fit to be spared And what are these both king and subjects All but still the Amalekite spirit of nature and Man therein the direct enemy of God and all his Gospel-Saints and truths Was not Paul in and with all these fighting against God when he thought his had bin fighting for him With Saul will all such self-confident justifiers of themselvs be condemn'd out of their own mouth even amid'st their self-justifying plea against the Lord's and his true spiritual Prophet's charge drawn up against them as Samuel's against Saul They 'l be found partial in God's Law The refuse things the vile affections of their polluted nature they are content should be subdued in obedience to it But the choicer things thereof nature at best in the Glory Wisdom and righteousness thereof that all this must go up in sacrifice by a just and holy death to God being an unholy life or state of enmity to God however in a sense holy as cleansed from filth of flesh though convinc'd God's Wisdom requir's this also do they with Saul under a self-condemning light refuse to obey c. and yet stoutly assert with him that they have obeyed the voice of the Lord. All this find we 1 Sam. 15. 18-23 This get men by setting up their own Wisdom and Spirit as judg or interpreter of the Oracles dictat's or words of God's in a known contrariety to the spiritual meaning and intendment of all In their restor'd righteous inlight'ned nature that 's God's required Gospel-sacrifice sigured out by all clean law-sacrifices in the old Testament do they presumptuously with Saul and King ãâã intrude or thrust themselvs into the priests office 1 Sam. 13. 8-14 2 Chron. 26. 16-21 In their own Foolish Wisdom and Spirit of Enmity to God and all the Words of his Wisdom do they pretend to the Office of Christ's Priestly Gospel-spirit of Infallible Truth and Everlasting Righteousness as the only true declarers of the Will and Words of God that rightly take not his meaning in any of his Words nor ever can understand them This Presumptuous course persisted and fix'd in will render the contagious over-spreading Leprosy the Sin of Enmity to God filth of Spirit that 's no otherwise curable then by the compleat and full death of nature absolutely incurable and mortal as the case was with the Litteral Leprosy on Uzzia's Body to his dying day though said for a season to have done that which was right in the sight of the Lord in his long Reign of two and fifty Yeers 2 King 15. 2 3. The true Priestly Gospel-Spirit of Christ offer'd up our nature in himself at best in Sacrifice to God When Samuel Reprov'd Saul for Sacrificing his answer was The Philistins were ready to come upon me to Gilgal and I had not made Supplication to the Lord so I forc'd my self and Offer'd a Burnt-Offring These ãâã Pleas and Apologies of nature go for nothing when thorowly search'd by the Spirit of Christ in his seers Thou hast done foolishly say's Samuel and shalt lose thy Kingdom Life and all for 't by those Philistin's through the fear of whom thou did'st Offer this Sacrifice of Fools And what befel Adam and all his Posterity with King Uzziah for Presumptuously setting or keeping up his Law-State or changable first-Covenant righteous Life of his own nature as therein
not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God for God is in heaven and thou upon earth therefore let thy words be few In this farther advice Solomon confirm's and open's his meaning in the former The mouth we are not to be rash with nor suffer our heart to utter any thing before God by is the mystical mouth or tongue of the natural Spirit Comprehensively signifying all its variety of expressing it self in outward action and a sound of words as also the inward agitation of mind in thought and desire The latter is call'd by Philosophers ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the thought or inward word of the mind or spirit of Man within himself the other ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the outward expression of it to other Men. The Mystical Tongue of the natural spirit in this comprehensive sense of the Word Mouth or Tongue we are not to be rash with nor hasty to utter any thing or word before God by is abundantly more untamable and unreclaimable in its exorbitances then the figurative Litteral Tongue And of this mystical extent and significancy abovesaid is Tongue to be understood Jam. 3. 8. The Tongue can no Man tame it is an unruly evil full of deadly Poison ãâã kind of Beasts ãâã Fishes and Serpents or Creeping things in Air Earth and Water have bin tamed by Man But the Tongue his own Spirit in the unruly Life Motion and Various ãâã of it can no Man tame This is beyond Man's Power or Skill And more so when beside all the Evil and Enmity to God found in its fallen earthly state of nature and fiery Zeal of love to and for the defence of its own Life Will and Way Specially when restor'd and clensed from filth of flesh 't is also set on fire of Hell This may seem to import its being brought by Satan's farther workman-ship into a fix'd state of Flaming Zeal and Love for and to it self with him in unchangable Enmity to God and his Spirit of Grace This full account of the Tongue the same with the Mouth here have we with the Litteral Figure that little Member that boasts great things and with its little fire or heat in the beginning of a contention kindles a great matter encreases into a huge flame and tumult so as frequently to bring two persons or more before in Union into a final seperation and an irreconcileable parting-blow to their dying Hours Thus is the Tongue in Letter and Mystery put together a fire a World of Iniquity defiling the whole Body or Man and setting on fire the course of nature and all this beyond Retrieve or Remedy when it is once set on fire of Hell Any Man then that 's reduced by the Cross of Christ the only effectual and powerful Bit Bridle and Helm for ruling or bringing about his natural spirit more untamable and unreducible to order then any wild Horse Mule Psal. 32. 9. or other Beast more ungovernable then a Ship in a Storm or other dangers into due order peace quietness and right demeanour towards God and Man any or every such Man is a perfect Man not offending in Word but able on all accounts to bridle and order his whole Body or Man All this have we Jam. 3. 2-8 In many things we offend all say's that Apostle that is the natural Spirit in its own will course and way at best worst ãâã any intermediate condition is a continual Offender without any intermission in principle and all manner of operation or motion desire thought word or action The very Spirit it self is a Root of Bitterness bearing Gall Wormwood Briars and Thorns in Enmity and Rebellion against God Yea in the very awak'ned Spiritual Saint ãâã perfectly Crucified and Slain Dead and Buried in the mystical Grave of Christ 't is a continual contrary-minded Warrier and Fighter against God and the Saint's own spiritual mind Gal. 5. 17. Rom. 7. 22 23. Thus have we by Solomon Paul and James a sad strang but true description or Character of the temper and condition of the Spirit of Man within the compass of nature or in the Sphere of its own activity corrupt or righteous It ãâã in wickedness or in the wicked one 1 Jo. 5. 19. Satan has a twofold party in mankind the corrupt Profane Heathen and a mistaking righteous Professing first ãâã People Both are against Christ's little Flock Spiritual Saints a third party in this World ãâã in Heaven We find the mention of all three Psal. 2. and Rev. 12. 12. Inhabitants of Earth and Sea a mystical earthly Jerusalem party of Professors in all Ages and a prosane party foaming out their own shame casting up Mire and Dirt as a mystical ãâã Sea these are all of them against the dwellers in Heaven that have their Conversation ãâã Heaven affections fix'd on things above Another wonder Of Satan's two parties in the World Professors in first-covenant Holiness as gained by him and made his Synagogue in a fix'd Enmity to the Gospel prove all along his most serviceable Instruments as the righteous Scribes and Pharisees against Christ and his whole Gospel-ministry his choicest Subjects the strongest frontier Garrisons in his whole worldly Dominion or Universal Monarchy before and all along the four Universal Humane Monarchies with the Romane or last whereof his also is to be Perioded They are the signal with-standers of Gospel-Light and of all Christ's true Gospel-Witnesses in all times whose Testimony is Tormenting to all that dwell upon the Earth or take up with confidence in but earthly restor'd natural Principles for Salvation These false Apostles Messengers or Emissaries of Satan that so generally amuse Men with his accursed other Gospel for Christ's true and blessed one are his most useful Engineers to keep off the true Gospel and Preachers thereof in the whole World Why What if Christ's Messengers or Ambassadours should have a hearing Why they are the only dangerous Invaders of Satan's Universal worldly Monarchy discoverers of all the intriqu's wiles and most subtile devices by which he ãâã on his whole Mystery of Iniquity manages all his affairs for the maintaining his ground against any Encroachments or Dawnings of the Kingdom or Spirit of Christ. So long as he can keep out Christ's Gospel as the most formidable Blasphemy and Heresy in the World and make his Law-Gospel pass currant with the generallity of Professors he reckon's himself well and his matters at a very good pass And if he have thus prevail'd wonderfully all along this World even in the very day of Christ's and his Apostles Ministry what 's to be expected in this latter day the worst of times He has alway's in a manner engaged magistratical Humane Powers as under his influence and steerage on his Gospel's-side to assist against Christ's help first-Covenant Brethren against the second a worldly Church against a heavenly Hypocritical Sinners in Zion against true Spiritual Zion-Saints in their Controversies with them the Orthodox Doctrin of Man's Wisdom on natur's
behalf against the ãâã and Gospel of Christ as the common enemy of nature in them all Though these two earthen Pot-sherds a corrupt and righteous party do sometimes dash one another in pieces they still find it their joynt interest to piece up again and lay their heads together to consult at one Table against the true Saints of the most high Righteous Law-Saul that siercely fought Satan's Battel against the Lord and his Saints when everlastingly righteous Gospel Paul he became the most dangerous enemy to and disturber of the peace of his worldly Territories or Universal Province in the whole World For then he could discover all his wiles and Cabinet-Counsels as Elisha the King of Syria's And yet the natural spirit with its Mouth Tongue and whole expression inward or outward in thought desire word and deed as to its own remainder of Life in its own activity will and way was still on Satan's side the Belial-party even in Paul the Unbeliever as to Gospel the continually guilty Sinner the Fighter against God and his own true interest Ro. 7. Gal. 5. 17. 1 Pet. 2. 11. But it was weakn'd and batter'd by the Cross he having gladly receiv'd the sentence of death upon it within him and rejoycing to find death-work going on a-main upon it yea joyning with Christ in his spiritual mind to Crucify his fleshly with the affections and lusts thereof Gal. 5. ãâã This Belial-party in the very Saint 2 Cor. 6. 15. his natural Spirit or fleshly mind not fully Crucified is that Tongue that 's ãâã to be set on fire by the influence of the Devil and to be kindled or awaken'd up into strong hot fleshly desires and lusts after his perishing Meats or worldly desireables Whence else could Solomon himself after God's answer to his pleasing request for true Wisdom Spiritual and Heavenly have bin fetch'd back and hurried many Years after into such a World of gross Uncleannesses and Idolatries The natural spirit in its own unsubdued motions and way's defiles even Saints themselvs and this is figured by the Tongue a little Member of the Body but an unruly one as used by the unruly Spirit and will of Man 'T is a raging and enraged Expresser and Provoker of unruly Passions in our selvs and others Whatever may be done with the Litteral the Mystical Tongue of Man's Spirit can no Man tame by any Curbing-Bit or Bridle any device or means to be found in the first-Creation World or nature Yea this Tongue waxes more unruly raging mad and blasphemous of all things against all saving Gospel-Truths even in the flourish of Legal-Christianity form of Godliness righteousness of Man or Holy Flesh Act. 26. 11. If no Man nothing in first-Creation nature can curb and tame this Mystical unruly Tongue 't is implied this can be effectually done only by God himself or his appointed all-searching all-powerful Spirit Cross or Spiritual Gospel-Sword and Fire Slaying and Offering up the Life of nature that 's Enmity to God in Sacrifice by Death unto God The obedient death of a Spirit a Life a State of Enmity to God is acceptable to God by Jesus Christ the High-Priest Slayer Offerer up and Presenter thereof unto God most high The Cross of Christ is the Yoke the Bit the Bridle put upon it for like reason as Yokes and Bridles on unruly Beasts to make them obey their Masters and Riders The natural Spirit in the Saint though cleansed and righteous is since the fall found in Enmity to God and Union with World and Devil So Paul sound it Ro. 7. Nature corrupt or righteous World and Devil or the World the Flesh and the Devil are all of a Knot in a united interest against God Christ all Gospel-Saints and Truths This unruly beast in the Saint greatly need 's a taming-bit and bridle to fetch it about and teach it obedience to Christ its divine and Spiritual Lord and Master The demolishing death-work of the cross upon it can only do this Satan was riding this mystical beast the natural or legal Spirit in Paul towards Damascus against the Gospel Christ meets him throw's off that rider for ever and not only for a season as from Balaam strikes down the beast flat to the earth the earthly natural Spirit as well as litteral body of Paul The latter was a figure of the former Christ turn'd about his understanding and heart or will into a full career of opposition to the Devil's design and Kingdom So he presently preach'd the Gospel at Damascus whither he was comming with full purpose and resolution to persecute it Then forthwith the Devil and professing Jews hunted and forc'd him out of the City But let Satan Strike while he will at Paul and do his worst in rage against him whom before he used as a serviceable instrument when Christ is the rider The more deadly wounds he or his instruments do give any thing in Paul that can be wounded and slain the more tame and obedient does it grow to his new rider and true master Christ will render the most malicious practices of all enemies against Paul or any in like case conducible to the bringing him to his own hand which is the Saint's true good and great gain The Wicked Angels or men that are his Sword are used by Christ as whipp's and scourges to tame the unruly tongue natural Spirit or rebellious fleshly mind in the Saint that warr 's against his Spirit in himself and Saints The said wicked are as 't were ridden also or over-ruled by Christ the Saint's new rider Psal. 17. 13 14 used as his Sword and hand to carry on his cross-work on what 's to die in the Saint the said unrulytongue The whole knot of evil angels and men can do nothing to or against his Saints but what 's exactly conducible to their good at every turn in every point All 's on the right wheel still come what will or can under Christ's conduct for the Saint's advantage The due consideration of this will cause Saints to rejoyce with Paul in the greatest tribulations and triumph over all enemies amidst the thickest troop's of them round about them having a fixed eye upon the glory that follows which exeell's and remain's for ever In stead of sinking and growing weary under contradictions and persecutions he said God forbid I should glory or rejoyce in any thing save what 's doing to me by the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ let who will be the instruments for carrying on its demolishing taming work on my unruly fleshly mind and body of death The full taming it is the compleat death of it The more thick speedy and powerfull death-blow's are given to it the better the sooner will the happy work be done and the Saint deliver'd from his Spirit of bondage the perpetually guilty Sinner and so from all evil of sin or punishment The natural Spirit corrupt or righteous is in a union of mind with the Devil till this death-work of
latter If they 'l not follow his suffering steps they never come where he is They prefer the earthy life and Countrey of the Creature to the heavenly life of the Creatour Blessed for ever The issue of and for this disobedience matters come to is this God will strip them of and take from them all the fading good they are possess'd of in the mystical earthly Countrey or land of their own restor'd enlighten'd nature as wilfully retain'd in a known rebellion against him The very same Mystical Sword or new-Creation Spirit of Christ and God will be drawn against them in final wrath to destroy them for ever which they so fear'd startl'd at and turn'd from when offer'd to be brought upon them in love to give them a kindly and right death-pass into the true land of promise Had they willingly obey'd it they had enter'd and eaten the good of the true land of promise But having absolutely and conclusively refused it and rebell'd against it they 'l be devour'd by the same sword or Spiritual cross upon them for ever The mouth of the Lord the living word of God Christ himself hath spoken it Isa. 1. 19 20. Obediently lose the fading life of nature and enter Rebelliously save pitty spare your own life and ye lose all for ever in eternal death under final wrath This is Christ's doctrin Mat. 16. 25. And this Christ presently deliver'd on Satan's contrary doctrin by an Apostle with the perswasive and seeming friendly words of his wisdom When he had spoken of his sufferings Peter rebuk'd him and preach'd the self-same doctrin to him the Old Serpent preach'd to Eve and by her to Adam Be it far from thee Lord this shall not be unto thee that is thou shalt not suffer or die at all This Spotless righteous law-life in holy flesh is eternal life no danger of death The Gospel-Riddle uninterpretable by Man's Wisdom is this die must nature or all 's lost nature and grace too all good in first or second covenant changable or unchangable And what succeeds unchangable evil of sin and punishment The obedient death of nature under the cross the full sevenfold purifying of it in the fiery furnace thereof from all dross tin and reprobate silver all filth of flesh and Spirit too renders man clean every whit Jo. 13. 10. This delivers him for ever from all captivities bondages enemies dangers and death's litteral and mystical Sodom Egypt and Babylon the life of nature corrupt or righteous both of which are a state of enmity to God and death to man if fix'd in Thou shalt never wash my feet said Peter No say's Christ then thou wilt have no part in me Oh then not my feet only but hands and head said Peter If feet be wash'd 't is enough say's Christ there need 's no more to make perfectly clean every whit whole and spiritually sound If the feet the will and understanding the two mystical feet on which man walks in his esteem judgment thought of and desire after things if these be Spiritual Heavenly Gospel-feet the discerning and desiring powers of the gospel-Gospel-Spirit and principle all will go right Heavenly things never-perishing meats will be wholly and only esteem'd desir'd and fed upon in this bottom-principle All will be right a-top in all Holy Gospel-Conversation when all 's right at bottom A Spirit greater then he that 's in the World the Devil in which 't is impossible to displease God Sin erre miscarry deceive or be deceived must needs ever do all things well and man be truly blessed in the deeds thereof The extream folly then of man in not only deferring but finally refusing to pay his engaged commanded vow for giving up his whole nature or Spirit the devoted thing in sacrifice by death unto God is unpardonable And then God will be extream and that most justly in marking all done amiss by him in his self-chosen nature and life He will call him to an account for every thing done therein from first to last This great transgression the presumptuous unpardonable sin unto eternal death will bring all other sin 's at its heels to be answer'd for as creditors come upon a man for lesser debts when clapt up in prison for a great one And then will every Spiritual conviction offered men in the day of their trial and God's patience towards them be reviv'd in them and stare them in the face to witness against them judg and condemn them in harmony with God himself When man's trial is over and sentence of death irrevocably past upon him God will not repent or change from his dispensation of wrath and man cannot repent or change from his rebellious mind of enmity against God Repentance will be hid from God's eyes and man's on all hands Unchangable enmity to God lay's man under the unchangable wrath of God thrust's him out of all distance as to any favour for ever or benefit by Christ's sacrifice or intercession Christ died not nor will intercede for the pardon of unchangable enmity to God and him And God will revive his formerly given Spiritual light to testify for him against them in their own consciences the evidence whereof can never be silenc'd extinguish'd or denied by them The irresistible testimony of it will be a perpetual condemner of them and justifier of God in his most wrathfull proceedings against them This is the worm never dies witnessing the fire of that wrath to be undeniably just which can never be quench'd Mark 9. 44. 46. 48. Vers. 6. Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to Sin neither say thou before the Angel 70. before God that it was an errour wherefore should God be angry at thy voice and destroy the work of thine hands The Spirit of man at best in its own life is but flesh The life mind will desire thought wisdom righteousness glory all the things thereof are but sleshly earthly perishing vanities Man in all altogether vanity is possess'd of no goodness but what 's a fading flower no beauty no glory but what will be consumed and done away Ps. 39. 5. and 49. 14. Isa. 40. 6. Man in all this is the slesh his mouth should not cause to sin Mouth as said signifies all manner of expression of this slesh ãâã mind or natural Spirit inward or outward in desire thought word or action If the inmost mouth bottom desire and thought of man be found approving of and consenting unto the entering into a firm unchangable union with the Devil the striking up an everlasting covenant with him then does it cause his flesh or natural Spirit to sin unpardonably against the Spirit of Grace the Gospel-Spirit or Holy Ghost in which convincingly shew'd he ought to enter into or strike a new and everlasting covenant with God His knowing wilful choice is rather to comply with the Devil in a fond self-destroying love to himself or his own life and nature to be by his most destructive workmanship Baptized into
thereby Vers. VII For in the multitude of Dreams and many Words there are also divers Vanities but fear thou God This concluding Word on this subject is a Character of the first-creation Spirit or State as chosen by men in union of mind with the fallen Angels Solomon calls it many things and businesses a multitude of Dreams as v. 3. a multitude of business whence cometh a Dream The busie boundless wandring gadding Spirit of man cumbers it self as Martha with a heap of first-creation Vanities that can give him no true satisfaction All his conceited happiness therein is but a Dream His many Words and Labours about them are but divers Vanities a variety of glittering nothings things that God says are not perishing vanishing shadows All labour of man in his first creation life of Vanity all his Works Fruits Duties performance to God or Man therein is Vanity All inordinate love to and ãâã after the outward or inward litteral or mystical Riches and Treasures of that State in the most fruitfull Exercise of a first-covenant Life is but that Love of Mony Paul call's the Root of all ãâã For from this Love to his own Worldly Life and Riches thereof is man sound in direct enmity to God and his Gospel-Spirit and Riches which alone can make any truly Happy So all he is has or does all his Attainments Works Fruits Riches Possessions rested in will prove a most unhappy destructive Dream out of which when he awakes he will find himself to have bin all along deceived with Imaginary things that have no durable reality in them Christ convincingly shew's men this now and will hereafter convince them he hath so shewed it and fairly warned them thereby of their danger Let him then that Preaches up such a vain State with all the best things of man therein for happiness tell it but as a Dream not considently assert it to be a Gospel-State of Salvation but a Law-Dream Jer. 23. 28. Man's Chaff Dream Vain Glory Shadow Life and Image of the Earthy fix'd in in unchangable enmity to God's Wheat his Word Wisdom Righteousness durable Life Riches Food and Cloathing in the Image of the Heavenly is certain damnation What 's the Chaff to the Wheat the Words of Man's Wisdom in his lying Spirit of divination as to all Gospel things and truths of God into the Room whereof he thrusts the things of Man and says the Lord sayeth Ezek. 13. 6. to the Words of my Wisdom in my Gospel Spirit of Truth What are Man's Law-Dreams to my Gospel-Truths In stead of this dangerous Trade and destructive practice Solomon's advice is Fear thou God This fearing God and keeping his commandments he declar's Eccles. 12. 13. to be the whole Duty of Man the Conclusion and sum of the whole matter in all Books and Words of Right Instruction unto Life Follow after obey and close with the Lord 's own Counsels Teachings Leadings convincing discoveries of his mind and Gracious Offer's of that Gospel-Spirit that 's in unchangable union with his divine Spirit and you 'l ever know and do his whole mind and counsel and Worship him in Spirit and in Truth to his wel-pleasing acceptance and your Salvation His Spirit is that Love that 's the fulfiller of his whole Law Rom. 13. 10. Vers. 8. If thou seest the Oppression of the Poor and violent perverting of Judgment and Justice in a Province marvel not at the matter Heb. will or purpose for he that is higher then the highest regardeth and there be higher than they Her 's encouragement to right Fearers true Believers and beloveds of God that have abandon'd their own first-creation Life of vanity and enmity for his new-creation Spirit of Truth and Love In this are they too hard for all Enemies For the Almighty Divine and irrisistibly mighty new-creation Spirit of Christ and God are on their Side as also the Angels of his Power who in their Spiritual new-covenant Life of everlasting Righteousness and Truth transcendently excell in strength all first-creation Evil Angelical or humane invisible or visible Principalities Powers that are against the Saints of the most high Saints then are sufficiently furnish'd under the great Captain of their Salvation to deal with and be more then Conquerors over all Enemies all worldly Powers of Darkness and Gates of Hell Muster they never so strong Bluster Storm and Look as big as they can Saints Infallibly see and know where they shall have them in conclusion for ever even under their feet as the necks of the five Kings of Canaan were put under the feet of Josua's Captains Jos. 10. 24. Those Kings were a Type of all first-Creation Powers fix'd in Opposition to the second Spiritual Israelites know how to demean themselvs under all Oppressours the great mystical Goliah the Devil with his whole Army of Philistines evil Angels and men They have so learnt Christ in their Spiritual man which no Enemies can touch that they fear not them that can but kill the Body or whole natural man as to a first-covenant first-creation Life of vanity and have no more that they can do They know their great Captain Christ himself turns all Injuries done to their Body or natural man to their great advantage as hastning the Death of what 's to die in them and so compleating their conformity with himself therein the consequent whereof will be a compleating them in his resurrection-Life that 's above all Enemies and Deaths Their Way of ascending into his all-conquering Spiritual Life is the Death of their natural State They overcome by such Death of what can die as found in a state that can never die the certain result and issue of such a Holy obedient Death This way the Captain of our Salvation overcame Heb. 2. 10. And his good and faithfull Souldiers must fight as they have him for an example and not look for a final absolute Conquest any other Way than he obtained it Satan and his Party seem to conquer by killing the natural man or Body of Christ and Saints who finally conquer them all by being so killed They fight with exceedingly differing Weapons Enemies with Weak and Carnal Saints and their Captain-General with Spiritual and Mighty through God for pulling down all their Strong Holds and laying them all in the Dust. Another Riddle Enemies fight against the Spirit of God or Spiritual man in Saints but can hit or touch only their natural which their own Spiritual is fighting against in their own persons So though they have Perfectly contrary designes Christ Saints and all Enemies what'ere they strike at they all hit only flesh and Blood which cannot enter into the Kingdom of God but lets or hinders the Saint's fully entring till it be fully destroyed By suffering Devils and men seemingly to overcome him and his Saints as bringing death on their natural man do Christ and they overcome them all in their Spiritual which is greater then they and which they can never touch V.
Capacity and lawfull Calling in this World diligently performing his Duty and referring the issue and success of his labours to Providence without any carking solicitud's or murmuring repining thoughts against God when cross'd in his expectations and disappointed of his hopes has rest and quiet to himself therein Such a one however low in outward Riches Solomon preferr's as to outward worldly Happiness before the litteral covetous rich man that from excessive inordinate Love to such Wealth robb's and deprives himself of all right comfort therein His solicitous self-tormenting thoughtfulness for getting and keeping such Wealth and then fear of losing all again all which the other is freed from render him a very ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã His abundance of Riches fills his Heart with abundance of trouble and disquiet as well as his Coffers with Silver which will not suffer him to rest or sleep Through this vanity under the litteral first-creation Sun Solomon saw such Riches downright hurtfull to the Owners thereof instead of being of any benefit or advantage to them Semblably the inward Riches of man's Spirit under the mystical first-creation Sun the enlightning enlivening fructifying influence of Christ as a fleshly Bride-groom in his first-covenant Spirit Single upon man's nature Laodicean Treasures heaped up and trusted in and to by man for true Happiness produce the same restlesness and disquiet to him Full of solicitud's is he in getting and keeping and of Fears about losing all again as the litteral covetous rich man is Is there not a cause for such Jealousies and Fears All 's but a vain shew in Holy Flesh a first-covenant Spirit of bondage and fear about his known perishing vanities refusing Christ's convincingly shew'd and offer'd durable Riches and true Freedom even the glorious Liberty of the Sons of God in his Gospel-Spirit or perfect Law of Liberty to good only and that good unchangable That 's Freedom indeed to purpose Heb. 2. 15. 2 Cor. 3. 17. Joh. 8. 32. 36. Jam. 1. 25. and 2. 12. The Truth Christ's Gospel-Spirit of Truth makes us Christ's true freemen though in letter man's Servants 1 Cor. 7. 22. And the Master that 's free in letter if effectually call'd by Christ into his heavenly Life of true freedom is his Servant Christ's new-covenant Law or Gospel-Spirit of Life by its death-work on our old or first-covenant law-Spirit of Sin Bondage Enmity and Death sets us free from Sin and Death Rom. 8. 2. all vain Trouble Bondage and Fear He that 's so dead is freed from Sin Rom. 6. 7. ceases for ever from it 1 Pet. 4. 1. Vers. XIII There is a sore Evil which I have seen under the Sun namely Riches kept for the Owners thereof to their hurt This with the Verse before and four following joyntly Character the folly and misery of the litteral and mystical covetous rich Man the former as a Type of the latter One of them is fill'd with cares and solicitud's about making provision for his bodily ease the other is as busy about provisions for his Soul's ease Luk. 12. 16-19 Both of them trade but in perishing vanities 'T is but for perishing meats that gratify the evill Lust's the Belly Desire or Appetite of a mortal perishable Life of Body and Soul these two sorts of foolish Labourers Toil and fill their Heads and Hearts with vain self-tormenting cares and solicitud's All 's but to compass and finger the vain Delights of the Sons of men Nothing of the never-perishing Life and Meats of the Son of God delights of the Sons of God are admitted into their regard God is not in all or any of their thoughts Psal. 10. 4. Nothing of God's Christ's new-creature Life is sought after They 'l not come to him for it nor regard it when he comes and offers it to them Ioh. 5. 40. How oft would I have gather'd you together unto me under my divine and Creature-wings in this Life and ye would not Mat. 23. 37. Ye are all for your selves your own Life will have none of me or mine Then take your course ye shall never have mine at all never enter into my rest So will be left to your own desolate house for ever V. 38. The mystical rich man delightfully contemplat's the Beauty Fruitfulness and Riches of his own enlight'ned nature and too oft arrivesat this highest point of Spiritual wickedness as the result of his own wisdom to strike up an everlasting-covenant-union with the Devil He agrees to receive by his transforming Hel-fire-Baptism an advance of his own nature out of a narrower changably evil humane capacity into a wider and unchangably evil angelical This by suffering Satan to fill his Heart with his Spirit of unchangable enmity to God This is the making man's mystical House or Barns greater Luk. 12. 18 the enlarging and heightning his natural capacity by a kind of mystical death through Satan's false cross-work or counterfeit mortification for the death of man's Spirit of nature on his engagement by covenant and satisfying assurance that he will raise and catch him up out of that mystical Grave into his higher wiser stronger more excellent and capacious angelical nature Thus by bargain does he touch man's Spirit with the transforming alterative assimilating touch of his and translate him out of his narrower humane into his larger angelical capacity of the first-creation sort Man rather chooses this heightning and enlargment in his own way and after his own heart in the first-creation state of nature which renders him a man after the Devil 's own Heart in unchangable enmity to God then such destruction of his fleshly nature or whole natural state and life at best as leaves him no hopes of ever finding himself in a single natural first-creation-life more for ever but in a spiritual and heavenly by a new-creation in the new everlasting covenant Gospel-principle God's Spirit of Grace and Truth The assimilating transformingwork of Christ's Spiritual Cross or heavenly fire-baptism upon man would translate him if obediently submitting thereto and compliant therewith into the life of God's sacrificing Gospel high-Priest of our Profession or of that very Spirit and fiery law of liberty Deut. 33. 2. Jam. 1. 25 that puts his Law or lawless Spirit of bondage enmity and Death to Death with engagement by Covenant to raise it into the everlasting Life and Glorious liberty of the Sons of God Satan will Personate this very high Priest of God and God himself 2 Thes. 2. 4. And he will transform his higher Angelical excellencies and capacity into the likeness or neerest possible resemblance of Christ's new-creation Glories This is the top-stone of his mystery of iniquity the strongest delusion by which this most subtle old Serpent Dragon and roaring Lion deceives and devours men when and where God permitt's for his own most wise and holy ends Think what this choice of man under Gospel-conviction-Light to joyn unchangably with the Devil rather than with God deservs In order to secure their
beloved natur's head from the Gospel-Sword and Fire of the Cross or Spirit of Christ do men mount up into superiour first-creation strength subtlety and power to oppose and fortify themselvs against Christ and God that they may be deliver'd from the power of evil even from the wrath of God Hab. 2. 9. This is man's design in his evil covetousness to set his nest on high amongst the evil angelical Rocks and Mountains with a vain hope to fight and make good his ground and standing there against God himself Most daring foolish presumptuous self-destroying wickedness Thus comes the mystical House of man 's swept garnish'd nature but empty of the gospel-Gospel-Spirit of Christ that 's greater than Satan after all cleansing from filth of flesh and adorning with Spiritual enlightning excellent Gifts to be re-entred and repossessed by him in a sevenfold more dangerous manner than before he was cast out of his changable corrupt state of nature that is unchangably This is cleans'd righteous man's latter end worse than his beginning in polluted nature dead in trespasses ãâã sins but recoverable and curable by the redeemer Mat. 12. 43-45 In this desperate and most deplorable condition did Christ find and declare the self-confident righteous Scribs Pharisees and professing Jews who asserted themselvs to be true Children of Abram yea and of God himself as born of God Joh. 8. 39. 41. to be of their Father the Devil as born of him and walking acting and speaking in his very murdering lying Spirit of unchangable enmity to God as the very principle of their life desire thought and action V. 44. Man's Body or natural state given up to be burn'd not in the true Fire of that Gospel-Spirit that 's called Charity or Love 1 Cor. 13. 3. but in the false Fire of Satan's Spirit of unchangable enmity to God profits him nothing but indeed becom's the highest and utmost imaginable disadvantage to him It renders him a fix'd Temple of the very Spirit of the Devil as the true Saint of God's This abundance of mystical first-creation Riches men singer by advance into evil angelical excellencies superiour to meer humane will not suffer them to sleep being for ever excluded God's Rest the new-creation Spirit of Christ. They must lie down for ever with their Father the Devil and his Angels under wrath in eternal vexation of Spirit But the mystical poor Labourer that sets his hand to the Plow of the Cross to turn up the very Root or natural principle of all mystical first-creation riches or fruits will have sweet sleep rest and peace with God for evermore He cast's away and willingly parts with all the riches as dung that the other cumbers himself with and all desires after them or care and solicitud's about them Who has the better on 't the rich Christ pronounces wo to Luk. 6. 24. or the poor in Spirit whose is the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 5. 3. The more speedily the fleshly Tree with all the fruits and riches produced in and by it is dayly dying and withering away under the Cross at the farther distance is the true Saint from the danger the covetous rich naturalist is involv'd and in a perillous tendency towards an unalterable fixure in by not submitting to God's sentence of Death upon nature at best as Paul did 2 Cor. 1. 9. so as to have it speedily executed upon them This exposes men to Satan's fixing or setting their Hearts in them to do evil Ec. 8. 11. in unchangable enmity to God with him So all their heap'd up riches are kept by and for the owners thereof to their own hurt Hurt yes to purpose their eternal ruine He that incorrigibly loves and dotes upon such riches hates Christ and his true life and riches so loves Death Prov. 8. 36. Had the young man listned to Christ and quitted the fading earthly life and riches of his own nature for his heavenly he had found that eternal Life he enquir'd after But quitting Christ's faithfull Command and gracious Offer all for his unspeakable advantage if complied with in case he finally persisted therein what less than eternal Death could befall him Mat. 19. 16-22 Vers. XIV But those riches perish by evil travel Heb. in the evil use or employment of them and he begetteth a Son and there is nothing in his hand Litteral riches got by evil travel and as ill us'd are by the just hand of God oft taken away again Man set's himself to build Castles in the Air or leave house and land to his Posterity called after his own name and all comes to nothing The Son begotten by him and left behind him bring 's his matters to such pass that nothing remain's to him or is left in his hand As for the deceas'd Father he could carry nothing of such riches away with him Psal. 49. 17. Job 21. 13. -21. What a dismal issue is here of all vain travel relating to the outward pelf of this World and the same issue come all the mystical rich man's labours to as has been above evidenc'd abundantly He trades but in a higher sort of perishing vanities with the litteral Both of them as they came naked in Body and Soul into the World so do they march out of it again after a long travel and trading in a scene of perishing shadows as follow 's Vers. XV. As he came forth of his Mothers Womb naked shall he return to go as he came and shall take nothing of his labour which he may carry away in his hand No comfort or benefit for ever will remain to either of the said evill Labourers and Abusers of litteral or mystical perishing worldly riches Psal. 39. 5 6. and 49. 11-20 They carry nothing away to stand them in any stead in a resurrection of damnation for the second Child that shall stand up in an immortal being of Body Soul and Spirit in lieu of their mortal Life of all in this World Eccl. 4. 15. Vers. XVI And this also is a sore evil that in all points as he came so shall he go and what profit hath he that hath laboured for the Wind Man wholly destitute of the Life Riches and Glory of the World to come labour 's in Sin Vanity and Darkness all along his day in this He has nothing but a delusive transient jollity in things that perish in the using Belly and Meats Desires and Desirables all vanity God will destroy one and t'other All 's but a passant wind he labours about And all his false joy lead's directly to eternal sorrow that he 's to lie down in under wrath Vers. XVII All his days also he eateth in darkness and he hath much sorrow and wrath with his sickness In this verse and the two former have we a true description of man's doleful state after the largest possessions litteral or mystical that can fall to his lot in first-creation life He huggs but a wind phantome shadow or self-pleasing Dream All 's nothing and he
works Rom. 4. 2-6 By the works of the Spirit of Grace not nature are we justified and saved Eph. 2. 8 9. One of the works by which Abraham was justifyed was the sacrificing death-work upon his Spirit of nature at best typed by Isaac And Abram therein with Isaac were both of them Types of Christ as the Gospel high-Priest and Sacrifice Works and reward in man's dealing with God on the terms of the first-covenant in his own spirit will and way are of debt in the second both and all on all hands are of Grace works and reward True Saints can say not I live walk speak work but Christ or his Gospel-Spirit lives and does all in me Gal. 2. 20. 'T is his Spirit of Grace in and by which they are what they are do what they do say what they say 1 Cor. 15. 10. All done in the participated creature-Spirit of the Son exactly answers the very divine mind and will of the Father All 's after his own heart By eating and drinking at Christ's heavenly Table feeding on his never-perishing meats Bread of Life and Wine of his Kingdom his divine and creature Glories do they enjoy the good of all their labours in the Lord. They eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart Act. 2. 46. with joy unspeakable and glorious in unchangable union with God whereas others are feeding at the Serpents Table in a Spirit of darkness death and unchangable enmity to God with him Avast difference There 's a fix'd unpasable Gulf between these two sorts of feeders eaters and drinkers The generation of God's Children born of his Spirit to whom he has given his heavenly riches and power to eat thereof do truly rejoyce in all their labours even while in their mortal Body on earth under the litteral Sun This is their happy Portion and Gift from God as follow 's Vers. XIX Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth and hath given him power to eat thereof and to take his Portion and to rejoyce in his labour This is the Gift of God The obedient Saint chooses not his Portion in his own will and life to his eternal ruine but is content God should choose as well as provide his Portion for him In a dutifull compliance with his Spiritual Law he readily parts with his own fading Life and riches perishing vanities for God's everlasting which is absolute Salvation Others rebelliously and knowingly choose what he obediently parts with as dung for their final portion which lay's them under final wrath Saints quit the best Life and Things of the living Soul of the first ãâã for the transcendently better Life and Things of the quickning Spirit of the second their earthy Image for his heavenly No other way of bearing the Image of the heavenly but a quitting the Earthy as a glory to be done away for the Glory of the heavenly which excell's and remain's for ever 2 Cor. 3. 10 11. In this ãâã of Life and all the labours right works and fruits thereof do they eat with unspeakable gladness of heart and this is the Gift of God The reason of this gladness is given Vers. XX. For he shall not much remember the days of his Life because God answereth him in the joy of his heart The day 's of the Saint's Life in his own Spirit of vanity and unprofitableness to himself as also enmity and sin against God shall not be remembred by God So he shall not be call'd to an account for what he has done in them God pardon 's and puts all out of his Book of remembrance on man's delivering up the guilty Sinner the Son of Bichri spiritual King David's Enemy 2 Sam. 20. 21 his own Spirit to Death in order to be quickned up into the Life of the Spirit of mystical King David that can never sin And this done by God the Saint himself shall not much remember so as to be confounded with the review of his innumerable and unutterably aggravated follies and abominations in the Life and Day 's of his vanity All 's pardoned and done away Sins and Sinner never to be remembred more by God Jer. 31. 33 34. Heb. 8. 12. and 10. 16 17. In their newness of Life they delight in God and God in them He answers them therefore in the Joy of their Heart giving them all the desires thereof Psal. 37. 4. Their and his desires meet and center in that one thing necessary to their pleasing him or being saved the new-creation Spirit of Christ his appointed and determin'd unspeakable Gift to them from Eternity CHAP. VI. Vers. I. There is an evil which I have seen under the Sun and it is common among Men Hebr. much upon man What Vers. II. A Man to whom God hath given Riches Wealth and Honour so that he wanteth nothing for his Soul of all that he desireth yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof but a stranger eateth it This is vanity and it is an evil disease IN letter a man furnish'd with all sorts of outward worldly desirables heart can wish from the unlawful use and feeding on them may be said not to eat thereof so as to receive any right comfort in its kind but signal disadvantage thereby Hence are all such his goods left a stranger to feed on being to himself so abused nothing but vanity and an evil disease A right lawful comfortable eating thereof is the gift of God Eccl. 5. 18 19. without this is he in a worse condition than he that wants all he enjoys as by the abuse thereof more deeply guilty Fading things give no true comfort or satisfaction in their kind The gift of God added to them distinct from such things this only can give right comfort and the lawful use of them 'T is a disease or infirmity inseparable from the nature of such things singly of themselvs to give any right comfort or advantage to man Solomon had himself large experience hereof in the abuse of such vanities given him by God in greater abundance then to others he wanted not for any such outward Riches Wealth and Honour 1 King 3. 13. and he did set himself as much or more than any to try what satisfaction he could find therein Whatever his eyes desired he kept not from them He withheld not his heart from any joy Eccl. 2. 10. This trade in vanities he long drove after signal mercy of the highest sort afforded him a principle of true wisdom which remained in him ver 9. unextinguishable under all though sorely interrupted as to exercise by such mad extravagant doings On his return from such sensual delights he declares all vanity in this recanting book All such desires and desirables belly and meats are vanity of vanities shadows of a higher mystical sort of vanities belly and meats that with these lower brutish are all to be destroy'd 1 Cor. 6. 13. And where 's man then The same evil disease in mystery is found commonly among men
under the mystical first-creation Sun the first covenant Spirit as to all their fruits and Laodicean riches heap'd up there as in the litteral Rich man under that Sun that produces the litteral riches and fruits of this Earth we tread upon The influence rain anointings gifts enlightnings and comforting warmth of Christ ãâã his single distributions of first-covenant light and life as a fleshly Bridegroom and Comforter makes men first-covenant Saints in holy cleans'd flesh or a righteous natural State freed in degree from the pollutions of their sormer polluted worldly nature This makes them ãâã fruitful rich full flourishing wise strong and honourable there in holy flesh by such knowledg and experience of Christ after the flesh Christ's mystical husbandry and husbandly influence upon them there has these real effects upon them brings them a-fresh into the ãâã of godliness and real righteousness of man in the image of the earthy or first Adam restored and put upon them as a comeliness and beauty all which yet is but a ãâã flower a perishing ãâã as at first in Adam And now also filth of spirit or enmity to God's divine and new-creature gospel-Gospel-spirit of grace is inseparable from this restor'd life of holy flesh This disease therefore is curable only by the obedient death and loss of all this again for Christ's spiritual Gospel everlasting righteous new-creation life by which to become one with him there as married to him in that life into which he is risen out of the Death of that Law-life of holy-flesh in his own person Rom. 7. 1-4 These first-covenant Brethren Children and Spouses of Christ in the first-covenant finally refusing the terms of being Married to him in the second which is the death and loss of all their fading vanities come to be Married to the Devil for ever and so of a changable spouse and people become not only no spouse children or people of God but a very Synagogue of Satan ãâã the mystery and power of Godliness they are finally catch'd and for ever swallowed up in Satan's mystery of ãâã Such righteous first-covenanters in Law-life thus joyning unchangably with the Devil in an everlasting Marriage-Union with him hated all Christ's spiritual Gospel-Doctrine and Crucified the Lord of Glory put to a temporal Death the very Prince of everlasting life These drive a more dangerous trade with their vanities then the litteral Rich man with his Paul and all spiritual Saints follow Christ's suffering steps out of the Glory and Life to be done away into the Glory that excell's and Life that remain's for ever This is the rendring any man truly blessed And this in great variety of Scripture-language and Figurative Parabolical instruction is signified to men by the voice of the true Shepherd and wisdom of God the words of his heavenly Gospel-spirit in himself and Saints But man notwithstanding all that can be said pitches his foot resolutely in harmony with Satan for Salvation in the but restor'd earthy first-covenant life of his own nature in his own will and way after his own heart which in fine render's him a man after Satan's own heart They so interpret all Scripture by the words of their own wisdom and in their lying spirit of divination as to warrant this a state of true and everlasting blessedness This Doctrin in all its variety is the Doctrin of Devils and no better the self same the Serpent Preach'd to Eve and prevail'd in Gen. 3. 4. Ezek. 13. 6. So have ye Satan's and his Apostles accursed other Gospel-Ministry in flat contrariety to every word of Christ's If ye follow it ye must take what follow 's for ever the wrath to come be as jocund and confident as ye will now This has been Satan's and Man 's delusive cursed other Gospel that 's no. Gospel from the beginning and will be to the end of this world under all variety of dispensation from God before and under written Law or Gospel the Oracles of God in a sound of words which make up the Scriptures of Truth the holy Bible or Book of God a transcript of the living Oracles of God in the person of Christ the living creature-wisdom word and book of God's whole very Divine mind and counsels about the Salvation of his Creatures Angels and Men and the supream Prophet and declarer thereof Prov. 1. 20-23 and 8. 1-9 Man and Angel must die as to first-creation ãâã at best that 's but vanity and a fading flower say's ãâã No such matter says the Devil and say his Gospel-ministries in all their tosses variety of thought and clashing language of their wisdoms Ye shall not die at all No danger or death is incident to you to be suspected or feared by you in your righteous cleans'd natural State Here 's the universal clash and contrariety of Satans lying and Christs true Gospel which will ye choose O simple ones Object 1. The willingly deluded followers of Satan's object against Christ's that 't is but one and the same thing whereas that they call Satan's has great variety Hear you say they or turn your books while we will open them at any leaf we find still one and the same thing insisted on 'T is all one where we open or what we read ãâã What amounts this objection to That Christ's Gospel-words are in exact harmony thorow-out and Man's and Satan's Babel-gospel has great confusion of Language and contradicting words proceeding from contrary Opinions Thoughts or Apprehensions larded with a world of fine stories similies and perswasive words of man's eloquent wisdom But all uniformly against and contrary to all Christ's ãâã Gospel to a Tittle This variety tickles the itching Ear 2 Tim. 4. 3. and gratifies that Palate in man which with Satans savour's only the many natural things of Man or Angel in the first creation and not at all the one thing necessary that 's comprehensive of all the things of Christ and God communicable to Men in the second Object 2. We deny say Satan's Gospellers there 's any creature-life or spirit distinct from what God set up men and Angels in by the ãâã creation above that or between that and the infinite divine life ãâã spirit And this is that fill's all your Books and is the substance of your pretended-gospel And this higher creature life you call the life of God and the wisdom righteousness and all the things of it the wisdom righteousness and things of God What can you mean by all this save the very ãâã life the eternal righteousness and wisdom And we hold a swallowing up of creatur's beings and wills at last into the Divine life and will of God Answ. What 's this at bottom but annihilation of Man and Angel and then God is where and what he was from Eternity and nothing of the Creature in any sense or capacity remain's at all Here 's the sum of the controversie between hypocritical Sinners in Zion pretending to right saving Saintship in renew'd naturals first-covenant
in true Saints can count number discover and sind them all out Yea and they will be the very hand at last by whom in association with the holy Angels the vials of God's ãâã shall be gradually pour'd forth upon all the guilty heads of such Gospel-Wolves and Lions in Sheeps and Shepherd's clothing or appearances Evil Angels as all comprehended under the name and title of their head and call'd Satan help their ãâã amongst Men to transform themselves into the likeness of the Apostles of Christ to carry on their anti-Gospel-work This work Paul found them both and all at 2 Cor. 11. 13 -15. ver 2 -4. The end of both Paul could tell will be bad enough even according to their works These two evil humane and Angelical Beasts do joyntly in design make up one and the same antichristian Beast or Man of Sin the mystical Sodom Egypt and Babylon which the Devil as the mystical King Pharaoh and Nebuchadnezzar is the supream manager and ruler of Spiritual Saints in the wisdom of God ãâã out this whole body of Mystical Sinners the whole Man of Sin and Son of Perdition number and sum them all up so as to discover they all amount unto no more with all their big looks stout words and vast numbers then the first-creation Beast fix'd in unchangeable enmity to God which they are sure to have under their feet in conclusion at the winding up of this World with Satan's Kingdom and beginning of Christ's on the Earth Jer. 23. 5. Rev. 5. 10. True Saints know they are all together but a man and not God though they set their heart as the heart of God and presumptuously say they are wiser then Daniel Ezek. 28. 2 -8. or the spiritual Saint yea reckon him a no-body a fool a mad man the off-scouring of all things 1 Cor. 4. 10 13. Yea so stubbornly daring and presuming will they be found as to say under the hands of God Christ and his Saints when ãâã them that they are God ver 9. But shall be irresistibly forc'd to acknowledge they are all but a man and no God All their pretensions crafts power Luciserian presumptions and confidences will fail them not do their work nor serve their turn The spiritual Saint has a certain steady infallible view of the most dismal and dreadful conclusion all their vain boast and fading Glory will come to after all their huge swelling words of Vanity scornful looks and scoffings at that new Light that discovers and will master them all The three sixes in the number 666 Rev. 13. 18. make up and point out to us the first-creation state with the utmost Glories and Excellencies thereof in Man and Angel as of the six day's works of God's hands God rests only in the new-creation or seventh day's state turning and ceasing from all his first works in the six dayes Psal. 102. 25 -28. Isa. 66. 1 2. Heb. 1. 10 -12. And God the Mediator rested or ceased from his first-creation life and works in angelical and humane nature of the first-creation sort becoming thereby the Lamb slain from the beginning and towards the latter end of this World in the fulness of time Heb. 4. 4. 10. The true Saint finding out the number weight and intrinsick nature of all first-creation excellencies when he has summ'd them all up can write down at the foot of the Account after imprimis Satan item all other evil Angels and Men the total sum the burthen of this Book All 's Vanity and will prove eternal vexation of Spirit to all that trust therein Vanity Yea lighter worse than Vanity it self Psal. 39. 5. 62. 9. Angels that are of higher degree and Men of lower in such fading Glories all are but Vanity And so Men of higher and lower degrees in the literal or mystical Riches Pomp and Glory of this World all Vanity No getting out of the sphere of Vanity within the compass of the first creation No goodness in Man or Angel but what 's a perishing Vanity This hath already so bin named or called by its right name Vanity And it is known that it is Man the Man of sin in Angel and Man fix'd therein and what-ever is to be found in the whole first-creation This is God's divine thought and judgment and the infallible judgment of the new-creature gospel-Gospel-Spirit of Christ in himself and Saints in exact harmony with the infinite divine understanding and thought The Spiritual Saint weighing all in the ballance of the new-creation-sanctuary-new-creation-sanctuary-spirit calculates and finds out the total sum or comprehensive number of all first-creation goodnesses and excellencies represented in all the several parts and distinct Glories thereof and finds all Vanity All therein are found wanting with Belshazzar and too light by this Mene Tekel as having nothing conducible to true blessedness about them or of any avail towards it but indeed as to that new-creation Spirit of everlasting life Glory Wisdom and Righteousness wherein true happiness is to be found wholly destitute of it and unchangeable enemies to it and all its things things of God and by infallible consequence are they wretched miserable poor blind and naked All old perishing first-creation good things ãâã pass away and will be taken from all Angels and Men good and bad in Love or Wrath for evermore In the room thereof all God's new and everlasting good things are set up in obedient Saints 2 Cor. 5. 17. Gal. 6. 15. Mat. 19. 21. In incorrigible sinners only the unchangeable Wrath and fiery Indignation of God for ever succeeds in the room thereof If the changeable first-Covenant life set up by God in the first-creation of Angel and Man had not bin found faulty wanting or defective as to the true unchangeable blessedness of either no place or room would have bin sought or found for a second no need of Gospel or a new-Covenant principle the Spirit of Grace Heb. 8. 6 7. They that by ãâã in the first make void the Grace of God in the second will in conclusion sind all in the first void and of none effect as to the blessedness they have vainly flatter'd and promised themselves therein Changeableness and now enmity the great defects in the first-creation state of Angel or Man can neither be cured nor found out by the single first-creation wisdom and light of either 'T is utterly impossible Nor therefore does God require it of them But he requires of both and all to be beholden to him for his unspeakable new-creation gift and wisdom whereby all may be done For this must they submit to his terms of receiving it the free parting with and giving up their first-creation life of vanity with all the things thereof in sacrifice to him by a holy death under his cross or Gospel-sword First-creation life in Man and Angel was represented to them both by the Tree of that Knowledg or Wisdom that ãâã up to their own destruction if rested in Life in an absolute sense unchangeable and
spiritual new-covenant life Our nature in Christ was straitned and sore pain'd under the progressive work of the Cross and pangs of Death thereby caused till accomplished Luk. 12. 50. His living Soul was exceeding sorrowful even unto death Mat. 26. 38. as the Sacrifice under the crucifying Work of his own quickning Spirit the Gospel high-Priest and true Melchisedec The first Adam ought to have given up that Sacrifice to God by the same Priestly hand of and in the second True Saints with ãâã receive the sentence of death within them and find it their great advantage to have it speedily carried on upon them and their ease to have it perfected or accomplish'd The full death thereof kindly submitted to is perfect conformity to Christ's death and their perfect deliverance from all evil all wicked enemies within them and without and from all the danger of ensnaring vanities and tempting objects they are continually surrounded with which are gratifying to their natural life and desire corrupt or righteous while they have any activity thereof left about them So all former natural fruitfulness in a first-Covenant under Christ as a fleshly Bridegroom is turn'd into barrenness in which with Hannah they become a scorn and derision to such as continue fruitful Peninnah's in the first that house of feasting Paul that was an eminent somebody in the first when converted into the Gospel-life of the second was a stark fool a no-body to such some-bodies Phil. 3. 4. 1 Cor. 4. 10. 2 Cor. 10. 12. Rich wise full first-covenanters were the mystical strong Bulls of Bashan that gaped on Christ himself and so on Saints ãâã him round as ravening and roaring Lions Psal. 22. 12 13. These are the mystical ãâã cattel that thrust with side and sheulder and push all the weak poor lean wounded diseased ãâã under the Death-work of the Cross upon their natural man with their horns Ezek. 34. 20 21. Such lean barren diseas'd ones fools and as little Children are God's The fat wise and strong finally persisting there in enmity to the Cross the Devil 's He gets all such fat cattel The poor and lean get the Kingdom of God the rich and fit the Kingdom of the Devil by kinging it in the same Spirit with him against God But besides enemies without the grieved sorrowful natural man of the Saint within adds to the affliction All its whining passions and false reasonings under and against the Cross or Spirit of Christ in him are foes of his own house or in his own person in union with enemies without doors Thus is his tribulation compleated in that house of mourning that 's the ready road to Heaven But amidst all scornful despisings of first-covenant ãâã Christ as Bridegroom to his spiritual Spouse figur'd in Elkanah loves her transcendently more then any fruitful wife in the first and so is better to her then ten sons any possible fruits brought forth in that state 1 Sam. 1. 1 8. Amidst all bitternesses of the natural the spiritual hidden Man of the heart prays for the full birth of the ãâã figured by Samuel which when born turns the natural house or state of mourning into a spiritual house or state of everlasting feasting and rejoycing For this see Hannah's song of praise in the true house of feasting on God's having granted the prayer she put up to him in her house or state of mourning and barrenness 1 Sam. 2. 1 10. Christ foretold the sorrow of his Disciples on his departure from them as a fleshly Bridegroom in the first-Covenant till his return to them in the second according to the promise of the Father and of himself too which they were to wait for in that state of mourning to their natural Man Joh. 16. 20 -- 22. Act. 1. 4. Act. 2. 1 4 Christ's such return to them turn'd all their short sorrow into everlasting joy Joh. 16. 16 22 gives a full account of his fore-hand preparing his disciples in this case to look for him as a better Comforter in a new-Covenant Marriage-Union with him as risen from the dead A little while and ye see me no more in the first Again wait a little and ye see me in the second in a life I have in unchangeable Union with the Father They understood not this mystery They knew not what he said or what to make on 't Yea when risen he found two of his disciples in a drooping sad dejected Condition Luk. 24. 17. In a little short temporary wrath he forsook their sinning natural Man in a life of Enmity but with everlasting kindness he soon return'd to them in his never-sinning spiritual-life and set it up in them Isa. 54. 7 8. 'T is but once and for a little season the waters of the Cross figur'd by Noah's flood drown and overwhelm their natural Man extinguish all the life lust desire and thought thereof and then all joy for ever after in Christ's rocky spiritual life figur'd by Noah's Ark a state of everlasting feasting and rejoycing in the Kingdom of the Father v. 9 10. Christ will not leave them long comfortless in a state of Orphanship and Widowhood fatherless and husbandless as to their natural state He will soon be with them again in that Spirit of truth the merry self-confident first-Covenanteer receives not Joh. 14. 16 20. So then the Saints short mourning ends in everlasting feasting and rejoycing the others short rejoycing in eternal sorrow mourning darkness and death Mat. 5. 4. Luk. 6. 25. Who hath begotten me these even these Children or Sons of Peace these spiritual fruits peaceable fruits of righteousness brought forth in a newness of life to God The Faith of the Saint's spiritual Man answer's this question of his amaz'd natural ascribing all to the spiritual Bridegroom and better comforter then himself was in the first-Covenant No way but thro' the house of mourning and death as to all fading first-Covenant life of nature into Christ's spiritual house of everlasting rejoycing where all sorrow and sighing ãâã away for ever Isa. 35. 10. Psal. 126. 5 6. Rev. 21. 4. and 7. 17. The contrary state to the said mystical house of mourning is Man's flourish in a restor'd first-Covenant righteous life holy flesh and a fruitful living and walking therein as a present Victor and Master over or ãâã of the vile affections of the corrupt spirit of nature Rectified rational and intellectual powers keep the sensual in some degree of a first-creation rectitude and good order All this yet is vanity a fading flower And this with the fruits and enjoyments of it is all that 's found in the first-covenant house of feasting The final self-consident keeping here in refusal of and opposition to Christ's offer'd spiritual second-covenant life is certain damnation Satan has a seven-fold more dangerous hold of them and abode in them as his absolute temples and habitations for ever even of these mystical swept ãâã garnish'd houses in first-covenant life and second-covenant light then of
far inferiour to what he had bin in the Light Wisdom and Righteousness of a restor'd first-covenant Life His mistaking self-confident Friends under Satan's management of them to oppress him by adding to his afflicton deny the reality of his first-Covenant Righteousness and reckon him but a hypocritical pretender thereunto and now under the punishing hand and manifested displeasure of God upon him for his hypocrisy and wickedness Job in his dark house of mourning was sorely put to 't as to what way he should go about to defend himself against their most false and injurious chargings of him with falshood and deceit in all his former life and practice He did find all that life and goodness going to wrack in him under the Cross and knew not why nor what he should have in the room thereof as God's design in all Yet did he stem the tide through all difficulties and enemies with which on all hands surrounded and encountred till safe landed in the wished haven the true Land of promise state of true Life and Blessedness a newness of life His own conscience yea God himself were witnesses of his integrity in those first-Covenant Principles they charg'd him with Hypocrisy in Job 1. 1 8. 2. 3. Their charging him therefore with falshood was an unreasonable oppression and added great bitterness to God's afflicting trial of him stirring up his muddy earthy part raising all the dust and causing all the unadvised speeches that in a long debate of his case with them pass'd out of his mouth After all the Devil or his Wife could do or say 't is said he sinn'd not with his Lips Job 2. 10. Some few questionable words he had in his great Agony and consusion utter'd Chap. 3. that seem to have introduc'd or given some occasion to the following discourse of his three Friends When Satan finds the Saint's natural Man under the Cross for a removal out of first into the second Covenant-Principle he puts him on a vindication of his own faithfulness in the first so as strenuously to engage in a self-defence against the cross-work of the second upon him So makes he the Saint himself instrumental to the heightning and aggravating of that mystical oppression which tends to the making him mad Saints therefore and others too under like trial that apostatize are forbidden to take that gift which destroys the heart This gift is that Satan offers to bribe them off from God or obedience to his Cross. ãâã establish you for ever in the life and liberty of your own wills a way after your own hearts says he all which God comes not only to oppress but utterly to destroy in you and you therein So represents he God as the greatest Oppressor of all in that very dispensation of the Cross that 's his certain and constant method for bringing about their everlasting freedom from all bondages enemies and deaths Satan and his Instruments bring all that finally listen to their promised liberty into everlasting bondage with themselves This by speaking great swelling words of Vanity to them the alluring words of Man's and the old Serpent's Wisdoms 2 Pet. 2. 18 19. Ye shall be as Gods says the Devil if ye follow my counsel and ãâã Gen. 3. 5. that is ye shall be advanc'd into the highest pitch of happiness ye are capable of if establish'd with me for ever in the life and freedom of your own Wills and Spirits And this is indeed a fix'd state of unchangeable enmity to God and death to themselves in the utmost wo misery and confusion imaginable for ever Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit 1. In letter 'T is better quietly to bear any evil God permits others to do to us order'd by him for our good as the end thereof that 's better than the seeming evil beginning that really tends to such a good end 'T is Man's interest as well as duty to be patient under every dispensation or occurrent by providence to him 'T is folly and sin to be offended at God's dealings with us as to things not in our power to prevent or avoid Such anger is founded in pride and rests in the bosom of fools amounting unto a jussling competition of their wills with God's And hence are they angry with their fellow-creatures God permits by injuring to cross them On all accounts then in reference to God others and themselves better are the patient than the proud in spirit Man ought to suppose God's infinite Wisdom sees just reasons for crossing his will that are undiscern'd by his short-sighted understanding to his great advantage 2dly In Mystery these words signifie the differing demeanour of two sorts of Persons under the Cross a spiritual Seed that at length yield obedience ãâã it and a fleshly first-Covenant Seed that finally resist and refuse it The former patiently submit to and comply with the will of God therein as finding their great advantage in exchange thereby of the embondaging burdensome perpetually sinning life of their own Law-spirit for that light burden and easie yoke of Christ's Gospel-Spirit Mat. 11. 28 30 that 's indeed the glorious liberty of the Sons of God They find this peaceable fruit of all their loss sufferings even the everlasting Life and Righteousness of God In this newness of life only can they bring forth the peaceable fruits of righteousness and not in their own spirit of enmity to God This end is better than the beginning Beginning and end here signifie God's twofold gift of first and second-Covenant life and principles of two differing sorts of righteous fruits works duties and performances towards God or men The method of God's Wisdom in giving first the natural or first-Covenant life and afterward the spiritual or second 1 Cor. 15. 46. is not to be question'd or disputed against by Man's Those disputers of this world that so do and obstinately set up their natural against God's spiritual-creature-life come to a latter end worse than their beginning under final Wrath. They that in a lawful use of the Law or of their first-Covenant Law-life call'd their own exchange it by death for the second a Gospel-life call'd God's own come to an end better than their beginning in unchangeable union with God others to a worse in unchangeable union with the Devil By the Cross upon Nature God tryes whether Men love themselves and their own life and things or him and his things best their natural or his Spiritual new-creation-things Satan himself savours only the natural things of Man or Angel in the first-creation perfectly hates all the spiritual creature-things of Christ and God in the second Mat. 16. 23. All Men that he can fix in a union of mind and will with him are of the same palat belly or desire and appetite with him in unchangeable enmity to all the divine and spiritual things of Christ and God All Men and Angels as
under this tryal they make a right or a wrong choice find eternal life or death the better or worse end than their beginning All that make the right choice have the praise of God but lie under the utmost dispraise and malice of Man all along this World under Satan's reign and the day of Man's orthodox judgment or Wisdom This is the great and main controversy between God and his creatures ãâã and Men. ãâã the very turning point to ãâã life or death the obedient submitting to the death of nature or the rebellious keeping up the life thereof The Saint sinds the end that 's better than the beginning others an end that 's worse The Saint sinds that blessed end of the Lord that the Lord Christ himself and his Servant Job found to be the happy issue and result of all their sufferings in the flesh or natural Man Jam. 5. 11. The truly patient in spirit here meant that submits to the death of his own nature finds the life of God's new-creature spirit of Grace in the room thereof So is he transcendently better than the proud in spirit that contradicts blasphemes and does despite to the Spirit of Grace with all its words and followers to his own everlasting destruction By sparing saving and keeping up his own life in enmity to the Cross he loses all life and comfort for ever The over-value and love of his own freedom or free-will brings him into everlasting bondage The quitting it for God's Free-will to good only and that unchangeably is everlasting deliverance or Salvation from all captivities oppressions enemies dangers or deaths The Saints new-creation life of God swallow's up all death's and enemies into victory renders them more than conquerors over all for ever The proud lifters up of themselves against God will be made vessels of dishonour under everlasting contempt and lie down in sorrow for ever This will they have of his hand Ver. 9. Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry for anger resteth in the bosom of fools The spirit of Man rich full wise strong and honourable in the fruitful ãâã of a first-covenant life is apt to be hasty angry and offended at what comes to run down all this in him marre his ãâã and lay all this his fading glory and honour in the dust The wise spiritual Saint in Seed may be found in this hasty angry demeanour against the Cross or any words or Doctrine thereof ignorantly for a season with Paul but such anger resteth or abides for ever only in the bosom heart or spirit of fools that obstinately persist in such wilful madness and folly as to their grand concern and utterly perish in their own corruption Will Man justifie himself herein saying I do well to be angry at the Doctrine and work of the Cross He that contends with the Almighty reproves God's declar'd method and way of saving his own creatur's let him answer it Job 40. 2. Why what Says Man's wrangling disputing wisdom Shall I suffer my house to be set on fire the Gospel Fire-Baptism and death thereby to be brought on my righteous natural state Christ did on his more righteous Shall I suffer the comely visage beauty and glory the wisdom and righteousness of my own nature ' twice set up in and put upon me by God himself once at creation and again by redemption to be all spoil'd and marr'd Shall I suffer all my mystical riches herein to be seiz'd and like a tame fool make no resistance The Man-Christ himself did not He opened not his mouth against this dispensation He suffer'd that fleece to be shorn off all that riches to be taken away as the dumb Sheep her literal fleece yea that life and all as the Lamb brought to the slaughter without noise or struggle Isa. 53. 7. And Paul was forthwith obedient to the Heavenly Vision and discovery of the Lord's mind herein without struggle or dispute He gave not way to the fleshly disputer of this world in himself or others against the known Command of God and method of his Wisdom for Salvation He became a tame fool in this case as Man's wisdom reckon's an obedient wise spiritual Man as God's Wisdom reckon's 1 Cor. 4. 10. Here 's the clash of two distinct opposite Wisdoms They that reckon themselves wise are not wise in God's account 2 Cor. 10. 12. And those they reckon fools the Lord commendeth v. 18. Those that finally refuse to be offer'd up in the fire of the same Heavenly eternal priestly Gospel-spirit of Grace in which Christ offer'd up our nature at best in himself without spot unto God Heb. 9. 14. Joh. 10. 17 18. will offer up themselves in the false fire of Satan's spirit unto him will give their body or natural state to be burnt by him not in love but unchangeable enmity to God This is the state they chuse to pass into as set on fire of Hell Jam. 3. 6. They are back'd and encourag'd by Satan's lie to set up their own nature with him in unchangeable enmity to God So come these mystical proud in spirit by their false self-preserving reasonings to be guilty of remediless folly and madness to their own destruction All this proceeds from a ãâã up thought of the wisdom and glory of their own nature above what is written of it They take and assert it to be everlasting But no such thing was ever written of it in the Oracles of God's Wisdom but the contrary 'T is therein abundantly and frequently asserted to be but a fading flower a perishing vanity and Man at best therein altogether vanity lighter than vanity less than nothing It had bin better for him never to have bin at all than never to be better He will find himself worse then nothing Annihilation-death will be desireable a reduction to his primitive nothing rather than a being exquisitly sensible under eternal torment and vexation of spirit When thus gull'd by Satan do men carry his lie in their right hand teach it as the only way of Salvation to their own and deceived blind-followers eternal damnation To prevent this great danger Solomon advises not to be hasty in our spirit to be angry in this grand concern and case as knowing it a fault Saints themselves are too inclinable to through a readiness to listen to the voice of their own spirit the words of their own Wisdom which go forth out of their own mouth Jer. 44. 17. with Satan's strong delusions and reasonings at the back of their own humane arguings to beget in them a rash hasty angry temper against the Cross or spirit of Christ and all the words thereof A stiff-necked resisting the cross-work of the Holy Ghost Act. 7. 51. upon them is the unpardonable sin the great the presumptuous transgression the sin unto eternal death They that thus do reject so great Salvation as in God's way and Wisdom is offer'd to them and ãâã what proves damnation in their own will and way as the
Christ's new and heavenly his natural for Christ's spiritual creature-life and possessions A conclusive refusal to part with all we have is a final parting-blow between God and Man Paul found Corinthian Professors bewitch'd Galatians and belly-God Philippians dangerously engag'd towards a sixure in this most presumptuous Sin and Error 1 Cor. 4. 8. 2 Cor. 11. 2 3. Gal. 3. 1 -4. Phil. 3. 18 19. And Christ found a first-Covenant party in enmity to the second in most or all the seven Churches Rev. 2. 3. In Laodicea scarce any other and all this under the outward dispensation and ministry of the Gospel owning themselves as Gospel-Professors And what or who else in a manner at this day can we find but such anti-Gospel-Gospellers in all variety of opinion form and way All the highly pretending and conceited Children of the Kingdom in the most sublimated Church-forms or purest Churches in but restor'd first-covenant Law-principles without advance by exchange and Gospel-conversion will be found at a loss and cast or kept out of the Kingdom of Christ as not at all of his new-Covenant gospel-Gospel-spirit of Grace and Truth 'T is in the heavenly Wisdom of this only Men can attain the sight and inheritance of the most glorious divine Sun and of the new-creation Sun of ãâã ãâã Mal. 4. 2. in the Mediator's person which is the greatest gain the highest prosit and advantage Man or Angel can receive or enjoy to all eternity This ãâã proves ver 12. Vers. 12. For Wisdom is a defence Heb. shadow and mony is a desence but the excellency of knowledg is that Wisdom giveth life to them that have it Here 's a distinguishing character of the first and second covenant spirits Lives Wisdoms with or by the effects riches and priviledges of each The Wisdom and mystical mony or riches of the first are a defence against the rude assaults the unruly brutish motions of the corrupt state of nature and do make up to Man all he thinks he needs for eternal life 1 Cor. 4. 8. Rev. 3. 17. But through the fading nature of all that life and riches and evil use of it in preference and opposition to the durable life and true riches in the Gospel-spirit of God all 's spoil'd Man's inordinate love to the former is that love of mony that 's the root of all evil against God and to himself evil of sin and punishment It renders all the mammon of unrighteousness as preferr'd to the ãâã riches of Christ in his infinite divine and everlasting righteous new-creation Life First-creation Life with the riches thereof is to be allow'd its due as good in its kind and lawful use for suppressing the unruly desires thoughts and motions of the corrupt state of Nature Man so using it is faithful to the Light afforded him by Christ in the first Covenant as a fleshly Bridegroom But then farther is he to follow this Bridegroom in the death and loss of all this fading life and riches Wisdom and Mony for what in spiritual conviction-Light is shew'd and offer'd him by Christ as a better Bridegroom and Comforter in the second This second and principal thing done as the passive part of obedience requir'd in the right and lawful use of all in the first Covenant law-state God is well-pleased and Man saved But be Man never so faithful in the active obedience performable in his law-life if he refuse to perform or yield to the requir'd passive obedience all his active turns in conclusion to no account at all Himself is turn'd out of God's house for ever as but that servant in his own law-spirit of bondage that refus'd to become a Son of God in his Gospel-spirit of glorious liberty that makes free indeed Jo. 8. 35 36. The truth the Gospel-spirit of Truth makes Man truly free ver 32. Where or in whomsoever that Spirit is is liberty 2 Cor. 3. 17. The Gospel-law of the Spirit of life is the perfect law of liberty It renders Man free not to but from all sin and death at last Rom. 8. 2. Jam. 1. 25. Man's spirit of bondage chosen before and against God's spirit of true freedom becom's a house a prison a state of eternal death to him If Man use his law-life aright as to the first end for which restor'd and miss the appointed and declared second all comes to worse then nothing for ever He misses that true Wisdom that gives and is eternal life to them that have it This the Law-life and best Wisdom of Man can never give or be to him Gal. 3. 21. Vers. 13. Consider the work of God for who can make that straight which he hath made crooked Consider well the life and state of Men and Angels as the first-creation Workmanship of God's hand and you 'l find it crooked first comparatively To the second make of them by his new-creating Workmanship all the fading goodness Life Wisdom Glory and Righteousness of the first are as nothing no Glory 2 Cor. 3. 10. If the Glory and other things of Man in the first be not only presumptuously compared with but preferr'd and exalted into a jusling competition with and opposition to the Life Glory Wisdom Righteousness Works Fruits and things of God offer'd them by a new and second Creation this renders all such things worse then nothing Yea if this be finally wilfully and conclusively done the Glory Wisdom Light Life Righteousness all things of Man are turn'd into unspeakable shame utmost folly and highest wickedness to which belong utter Darkness and eternal Death The corruptible seed 1 Pet. 1. 23. of God's left-hand planting in Man's or Angel's natural first-creation-make and state at its utmost growth flourish and fruitfulness amounts but to a fading flower Man in all at best is altogether Vanity This fleshly state of Life was figur'd by the tree of good and evil before the fall Since the fall 't is always evil root and branch tree and fruit silth of ãâã or spirit are found in all its operations fruits products or performances root and branch When Paul was eminent in the restor'd righteous law-life of Man how fiercely did he persecute the Gospel or new-Creature life of Christ in himself and Saints That was filth of Spirit enmity and despite to the very Gospel spirit of Grace in which any can be saved 't was a sinning against the holy Ghost but ignorantly When done knowingly and so wilfully t is the presumptuous unpardonable Sin unto Death God made Man upright set up in him a first-Covenant-life perfect in its kind but fallible corruptible changeable loseable as all mankind have sadly experienc'd by the first error of humane nature at best in the first Man Now what is corruptible God calls corruption The natural seed of a first-Covenant life cast into Man in his natural first-creation make and fashion of being was sown in corruption dishonour weakness By the obedient death of Man therein 't is rais'd in Incorruption Glory Power a spiritual
ãâã bad his highest all the Kingdoms of this World and Glory of them all first-creation excellencies humane and angelical and that as transform'd into the gilded likeness of the second to purchase the life of Truth out of Christ's own hands How Christ handled him we find Mat. 4. Luk. 4. But he prevails with a World of professors that have put their hand to the Gospel-Plough as brought by Gospel conviction-Light to see their concern in running down Nature at best to look back Luk. 9. 62. to his first-creation offers withdraw their hands from and turn their backs upon Christ and his Kingdom-Spirit with the bewitch'd Galatians Gal. 3. 1 3. 5. 7 8. which alone could secure them from the destruction the over-much righteous or wicked come to That dungy-life Paul quitted which many hold fast unto damnation are we to withdraw our hand from and let go our hold of in order to lay hold on that unchangeably good thing that is eternal Salvation Those that having begun in the Gospel-spirit withdraw their hand from that Gospel-plough or cross upon their cleans'd enlightn'd natural Spirit and return to the love of and self-deceiving ãâã in their holy flesh or righteous Law-life of their restor'd Nature are in a dangerous way towards final Apostacy and Damnation Paul found the bewitch'd Galatians not so absolutely gone as to ãâã no room for his Gospel-endeavours and intercessions towards their recovery Gal. 4. 19. But many ãâã Gospel-convictions owning and following Gospel-Truths for a ãâã play false and turn final Apostates sell Christ's Gospel-spirit for their holy ãâã take off their hand and let go their hold ãâã Christ's Spirit of Truth for Satan's Spirit of lies on his engaging to advance them in their own nature will and way after their own heart Such oft become his most pregnant eminently accomplish'd Instruments to oppose those very Gospel-Truths that for a season they profess'd and own'd They knowingly part with or sell Christ his Gospel Spirit of Truth and his great Salvation therein offer'd them for themselves or their holy flesh restor'd Nature the Devil and Damnation They part with Christ's great Spiritual Gospel-Pearl for their lesser natural after they had agreed to and vow'd the parting with all for that one thing necessary They 'l not stand to their new-covenant bargain not go through as to the cost for a new building the utter demolition of their old They 'l not part with all their old things for Christ's new They like them not so well So hold fast what they have and lose all whereas they that obediently lose all they have find all again with usury in what the others refuse Mat. 16. 25. After all fair warning of this thus they do What help To begin in the Spirit and finally apostatize to a false confidence for Salvation in the flesh fits Men for the hottest Hell the greatest portion of Wrath for evermore This exposes such bidders at the new-building to everlasting derision and contempt Luk. 14. 28 30. When Men have yielded a little to cross-work suffer'd something of the old building to be pull'd down Gal. 3. 4. Stood the shock of some reproach from scorners for it and then are offer'd by Satan not only to be repair'd and made whole again as ever but also to have their old natural first-creation building rais'd higher and made larger and wider by the super-additions of superiour angelical excellencies and brightnesses of the same first-creation sort with their humane they are willing to take this for the right new-building for the Kingdom of God the true Gospel-state When Satan has them at this lock in this snare he lays his confirming paws upon them fixing them in unchangeable enmity to the very Gospel-Life and Spirit in which any can be saved or ever could They are then fully engaged in the sin against the holy Ghost or Gospel-Spirit of Truth beyond retreat leaving no place for repentance Heb. 6. 4 -- 6. 10. 26 27. This get all such Esau's by greedily catching at Satan's first-creation morsel in preference to Christ's offer'd new-creation birth-right Heb. 12. 16 17. They let go Christ's new-creation all things for Satan's glittering gilded first-creation nothings perishing vanities Christ's heavenly for his earthly things dust the old Serpent's diet Gen. 3. 14. This trade many thousands have driven and do drive in this World to their eternal ruine in the next There 's no helping them that will not be help'd Finally to refuse the things of God for the things of Man and Devil deliberately on a fair view of both is unpardonable folly They see how matters go on all hands see what they refuse and for what so their sin remains upon them for ever as Christ told the Pharisees Joh. 9. 40 41. They that refuse to part with their earthly life as dung Phil. 3. 8. for Christ's heavenly will perish as their own dung for ever Job 20. 7. All fading first-creation Vanities are dung to Chrst's heavenly spiritual things things of God offer'd by a new-Creation The best services in their own life on this fatal miscarriage will he spread as dung upon their faces Mal. 2. 3. To withdraw their hand from Christ's offers to comply with and accept Satan's is a drawing back to perdition Heb. 10. 39. This Solomon warns against farther declaring he that fears God shall come forth of them all shall escape out of all sin all evil company and ways every evil path that mystical Sodomites are in ver 16. or literal ver 17. He shall be delivered from the presumptuous unpardonable sin of both and all a sixture in their differing evil ways of death and be finally deliver'd and acquitted as to all his other sins on the death of the guilty sinner the evil-doer in him He shall surmount all sins and sinners come out of all literal or mystical Sodomies and Sodomites in corrupt or righteous Nature and so partake of none of their plagues under final Wrath Rev. 18. 4. 2 Cor. 6. 17. The Saint is highly concern'd to watch and fight against the Belial-party in him flesh or nature corrupt or righteous with the affections and lusts that war against his own Soul Gal. 5. 24. 1 Pet. 2. 11. What Satan backs and ãâã to gratify support and cherish in Saints are they constantly to fight against oppose cross impoverish and run down to death If they not only live but walk in Christ's Gospel Spirit wherein he will judg the World and they with him thus will they do They 'l judg the World within them their worldly natural Spirit now pass sentence of death upon it in harmony of their spiritual mind with Christ and as workers with him joyn in the speedy carrying on the ãâã of it lest Satan set or fix their heart in them to do evil Eccl. 8. 11. in unchangeable union with him All that by Christ's Spirit in them mortify the lusts and deeds of their body or natural state will live for ever with
him in his spiritual Rom. 8. 13. The right death of what 's expos'd to all snares deaths and enemies attacks delivers out of and from them all from all snares of Satan on the right and left hand calculated to the self-interest palate and desire of Nature in the corrupt or righteous life and principles thereof in order to lodg all he can in unchangeable enmity to God with himself God warns all sorts of Sinners as to Satan's various snares if therefore caught therein 't is at their own peril Their destruction is singly of themselves by their own choice Ezek. 3. 17 21. Prov. 8. 36. Vers. 19. Wisdom strength'neth the wise more then ten mighty Men which are in the City The Wisdom or living Word of God the Gospel-Spirit of Christ makes all the truly wise partakers thereof Spiritual Saints stronger and wiser too then all that 's found in the first-creation-state of Men and Angels 1 Joh. 4. 4. This new-creature-wisdom of God by which the Worlds were made Gen. 1. 1. Jo. 1. 1 3. Col. 1. 15 -- 19. Heb. 1. 2. Wheresoever it is or in whomsoever admits no comparison of any first-Creation Power Glory or Excellencies with it Prov. 3. 13 19. 2 Cor. 3. 10. The evil Angels with their Luciferian head as the supream invisible Principalities Powers and Rulers of this dark World may fitly be represented by the ten mighty Men in the universal City Province or Dominion thereof The truly wise Saint in the Life Light Strength Power and Armour of God can discover all the devices and vanquish all the power the mystical Goliah and his Philistine Army can come forth against him with True Spiritual Davids in the new name and power of the Lord will be too hard for them all will be more then conquerours over the whole incorporated first-creation City of evil Angels and Men. Their weapons are spiritual and mighty through God to beat down the City and strongest forts thereof about the ears of the rebellious defendants that have fortified themselves against the new Jerusalem City of God The enemy has none but carnal weapons fleshly Wisdom Power Strength and Arms perishing Vanities Saints with spiritual will tumble down all their strong holds and every high thing that exalts it self against God and them They have in a readiness Power to revenge all such disobedience of Man and Angel when their own Gospel-life and obedience is compleated 2 Cor. 10. 4 6. Vers. 20. For there is not a just man upon earth that doth good and sinneth not This confirm's what is said v. 19. There 's not one man amongst all men in their earthy first-creation life and wisdom at best without sin in God's sight Yea their highest righteousness and wisdom oppos'd to God's are the most criminal wickedness and folly There 's none truly righteous among them all no not one None in their earthly spirit or natural state corrupt or righteous understands or seeks after God in his spiritual new-creation life So are they all unprofitable to themselves as to true blessedness because not one of them does that good in God's sight that 's of any conducibleness or tendency thereunto They rebel against swell with indignation and despite to his offer'd Spirit of Grace wherein alone any can ever please him or be saved Their throat is an open Sepulcher to belch out blasphemies threatnings and slaughter against it or any that own or talk of it in its own words and wisdom ãâã tongues are deceitful the poison of Asps is under their lips their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness against it their feet are swift to shed the blood of any that declare it From Cain downwards to the end of this World Satan's reign and man's day all 's of a piece one uniform spirit of contradiction to and rebellion against the Spirit of God and all its words Destruction and misery are in their way 's and the way of peace have they not known They have no fear of God before their eyes Yet flatter they themselves as true fearers of God at peace with him and in the very way to Salvation If good words fair speeches and most ãâã self-pleasing imaginations will do 't they are in a fair way to blessedness while they are serving their own belly gratifying their own lust and desire in direct enmity to God Christ all Gospel-Saints and Truths Rom. 16. 18. They ãâã peace peace to themselves and others where there 's no peace and say the Lord saith when 't is Satan and their own lying spirit of divination saith so Ezek. 13. 6 -- 10. They have not known or ãâã ãâã foot in the way of peace with God but Satan's way of enmity to him And in all this with their leader are they bold confident and fearless behave themselves as Satans Children of pride without fear Rom. 3. 9 -- 18. Job 41. 33 34. There 's not a just man upon Earth in the restor'd righteous life and image of the earthy that sinneth not There 's not a man perfectly free from filth of flesh the vile affections of the corrupt spirit of nature and filth of spirit or enmity to God and his Spirit of Grace is inseparable from the most restor'd righteous life of Nature since the Fall Only by the perfect death of the spirit of Nature under the Cross can this enmity be slain and utterly abolish'd out of any man So there 's a very great mixture of sin in any possible fading good found in or performable by man in his highest renewal Enmity to God lurks under all their fair shews in holy flesh form of Godliness righteousness of man This spoil's all The perpetually sinning life of Nature utterly abolish'd by death and the never-sinning-life of God's Spirit of Grace set up in the room thereof can render any man truly and fully just in God's sight He that 's so dead ceases or is freed from all sin justified before God for ever in a newness of life that 's above all death 1 Pet. 4. 1. Rom. 6. 7. Vers. 21. Also take no heed unto all words that are spoken lest thou hear thy Servant curse thee In letter here 's a prudent walking requir'd by not troubling ones self with regarding or harbouring any revengeful thoughts against others for their injurious words But as the chief intendment is advice here given to the spiritual wise Man as to his deportment towards the natural in his own person made clean wise aud righteous in first-creation principles The spiritual is to take heed to any words or doctrine proceeding from this natural so as to follow the direction or counsel of its fallible wisdom and judgment about things pertaining to God and his own Salvation lest he hear this natural Servant that would fain be dictating and ruling as a Master curse the spiritual Heaven-born Son in him Paul on his Gospel-conversion immediately conferr'd not with flesh and blood Gal. 1. 16. lean'd not to but turn'd from his own understanding
and own'd the infallible spirit of the Son of God for his Counseller and the directer of his paths Prov. 3. 5 6. t. Lest thou hear thy Servant curse thee Here 's the reason for this advice The natural ought to be an ãâã servant to the spiritual man in the Saint as its dictatour and ruler but oft presumes to usurp the authority of its Master pretending to an infallibility in its judgment and so sit to be obey'd by the whole Man But the words of his Wisdom thwarting the Counsel Doctrine and words of the spiritual it sollow's the said natural Man will be apt to curse blaspheme or speak evilly of all the right words of the spiritual These words of the ãâã contradicting Servant or Woman against its spiritual Lord Master and Husband is the spiritual Man in the Saint not to heed nor follow the false reasonings thereof against his spiritual mind If he do it will breed great disturbance and confusion to him By a perverse mis-interpreting the Methods of God's Wisdom in his dealings with them and others in this world and its false conclusions there-from will it raise a sore troublesome combustion and tumult in him Psal. 73. 1 -14. When the spiritual Man recover's it self it does in Christ's Heavenly Sanctuary-light render all well and quiet again by its infallible discerning arguings and concludings And it discovers the natural disputer of this World ignorant and foolish as a beast unfit for the debating or rightly judging such matters between God and them v. 15 22. So Jer. 12 1 -3. and 20. 7 -9. Vers. 22. For often-times also thine own heart knoweth that thou thy self likewise hast cursed others Others that is the Spiritual Man in other Saints while and when in but the single activity and exercise of thy natural Paul while in his legal-spirited cleans'd righteous nature was of a perfectly contrary judgment to Gospel-Saints about Salvation and all things relating or conducing to it Hence did he blaspheme Gospel-Truths and persecute the Declarers and Owners thereof So has the Saint this farther argumentative Consideration for quiet bearing contradiction to and ãâã for his Gospel-Doctrine not only because Christ that never ãâã did patiently bear it Heb. 12. 3. but because himself before ãâã Conversion contradicted blasphem'd and persecuted others on the self-same account Peter's natural man before the spiritual Seed was waken'd in him or known to him very ãâã joyn'd with Satan in that seeming friendly advice and rebuke to his Master Be it far from thee Lord this shall not be unto thee that is pure nature in thee shall not die Christ rebuk'd his rebukers Peter and the Devil as an offence to him for being offended at that Cross and Death which by God's appointment is to be brought upon the natural-state of all Men and Angels first or last in Love or final Wrath. 'T was the self-same Doctrine the Serpent preach'd to Eve and by her to the first Adam Ye shall not die at all this shall not be unto you Ye have a life above all danger of death in your natural first-creation make and first-Covenant life or state The Devil was unchangeably fix'd in enmity to the Cross upon Nature Peter not so but beguil'd as Eve 2 Cor. 11. 3. unawares Job while in the single activity of his decaying natural man under the Cross multiplied words without knowledg walk'd in company with wicked men enemies of the Cross-dispensation he was under Yea he added rebellion to his sin clapp'd his hands and multiplied his words against God Job 34. 7 -9. 35 -- 37. and 35. 2 3 -- 16. The natural man is an offence to the spiritual because offended at the doctrine of the spiritual in others and in the Saint himself There 's just ground for the spiritual to be offended at the words of the natural man's wisdom about Salvation The natural without any just cause is offended at the spiritual for the words of God's Wisdom Satan and the natural man in the Saint himself are of the same mind judgment and palate in this great Case Neither of them savour but hate all the Eternal Divine Spiritual Gospel-Things or Truths of Christ and God They are only for the old temporal fading first-creation life wisdom and things of Angel or Man perishing vanities This whole Controversy is clearly discover'd and stated by Christ himself Mat. 16. 21 -- 26. The natural man or spirit of the Saint in the single judgment and voice thereof is the foe of his own house the false friend in his own bosom that 's not to be listned to or trusted in this greatest Concern and Case The secret of the New-Covenant even the required death and loss of the changeable womanish state of Nature in the old or first is to be kept from her Mic. 7. 5 6. The spiritual Man should shut out or exclude his natural when he retires into his Closet to pray and treat with Christ about the death of the natural For if that be admitted any share in prayer it will ask amiss even the sparing its own life and what may nourish and gratifie the lusts thereof whether in its corrupt or righteous state ãâã of slesh or spirit It will never vote or ask aright any thing of God in Prayer The thought and voice thereof is to be rebuk'd and rejected as well as Satan himself with a get thee ãâã me stand ãâã Nothing but death will fully silence the cross-desire of Nature to the Spiritual Cross. 'T is the love of God therefore brings the cross upon it and the highly concerning duty of the Saint to yeild obedience to it No other way to be saved Paul when a holy Law-Man gladly receiv'd the sentence of death within ãâã on his righteous natural state 2 Cor. 1. 9. Gal. 6. 14. All the thoughts ãâã and words of the natural man in the Saint or others are to be suspected and rejected by the spiritual not regarded or listned to either as to its counsel or cursing the contrary-minded spiritual Sometime or other 't will be at this work For 't is flat against all the thoughts and words of the spiritual in its preaching or prayer 'T is the carnal or fleshly-minded enemy to God and the spiritual lusting against the Spirit of Christ in himself and against the spiritual mind thereof in the Saint himself Gal. 5. 17. The carnal mind of enmity to God finally follow'd is eternal death to man Rom. 8. 6 -8. It enviously lusts against the spiritual mind Jam. 4. 5. is directly contrary to it in all its thoughts desires and affections lusts and motions labours might and main to hinder what that would beat and further what that is against and hates Rom. 7. 15. Out of the Saint's mouth by reason of the untamed or not fully crucified unequal Yoke-fellow his natural mind or man proceed's blessing and cursing Jam. 3. 9 10. The spiritual blesses God the Father the natural curses the spiritual man in Men that
Father Act. 1. 4. What 's this he says say his Disciples We cannot tell what he says or means Joh. 16. 16 -18. Such mysterious things or words do absolutly non-plus Man 's wisdom It knows not what in the world to make of them Hence man thinks or says in his heart Who shall ascend to Heaven to bring down Christ to me in that new-creation Life and Wisdom you talk of that 's above my understanding and out of the reach of my Wisdom Vain Man suspects not his own wisdom as to its sufficiency for the reaching any thing that concerns him and so concludes all the spiritual heavenly Truths and mysteries the Saint speaks of are just nothing So all the spiritual sense of Scripture all Gospel-Truth is rejected to a tittle The death and loss of that first-covenant life wisdom and all the things thereof for the Life Wisdom and things of God in the second is the only way for man to understand all the mysteries of the Kingdom of God the whole counsel of God the methods of his Wisdom and contrivances of his infinite Understanding about the Salvation of his Creatures The death of Man's Law-spirit of nature at best and resurrection into Christ's Gospel-Spirit of Grace is the only way by which he can enter into or so much as see the Kingdom of God and things thereof Joh. 3. 3 5. The loss of a first-covenant Wisdom Life and all the becoming a Fool there with Paul a no-body is the only way to that Wisdom wherein to see and know all things 1 Cor. 3. 18. 4. 10. Solomon then charges himself with that foolish thought many are guilty of who are far inferiour to what he had bin in that natural wisdom wherein he said I will be wise or shall find this Wisdom of mine able to reach and comprehend all things By Spiritual Wisdom that can so do does he discover and judg the former over-weening thought of his natural that never could 'T is in spiritual new-Creation life and wisdom Man or Angel ever could can or will truly see their eternal concerns or be saved Man's wisdom is bounded with first-Creation-vanities perishing shadows only for object Here 's his walk to and fro in the Earth among earthly shadows of heavenly substantial things Vers. 25. I applied mine heart to know and to search and to seek out Wisdom and the reason of things and to know the wickedness of folly even of foolishness and madness Solomon here by way of confirmation to what he had said v. 24. offers his own certain experience of the utter impossibility of reaching and discerning new-creation Life Wisdom and things of God in the single first-creation life and understanding of Man Few if any travel and reach so far in this Wisdom as he had through a super-eminency therein And as to the insufficiency of his own wisdom however great 1 King 4. 29 34. For directing his steps and ordering his conversation aright before God this did sufficiently appear by his falling again under the prevailing lusts and vile affections of the very corrupt spirit of Nature in him He did set his heart to experience the wickedness of Folly even of foolishness and madness in direct opposition to his own wisdom and rational Light He gave up himself to all extravagancies in brutish pleasures And he found such wickedness folly and such foolishness downright madness He walk'd contrary to all Light or Wisdom of Man in Heathen first-Covenant Jew or Christian. He fed with the Prodigal on husks among Satan's Swine the common herd of brutified sinners literal Sodom Egypt and Babylon the lowest part of the dust of this world things below the Serpent's own angelical belly desire appetite or palate affording only such pleasure as is common to brute Beasts At this low rate was Solomon wallowing with the Sow in the mire Yet under all this madness and folly that his own wisdom hinder'd not his falling into lay there an incorruptible Seed of Spiritual Life and Wisdom in him that lifted him up Eccl. 4. 10. out of all his extravagant madnesses It put forth it self thro' Christ's powerfully influencing it lifted up its own head into the exercise of a prevailing authority and ruling power and so his whole man out of the dark Dungeon and deep pit of miery filth and corruption into the marvellous Light and glorious Liberty of the Sons of God yea the topheight of a supreamly double-portion'd spousal Saint Thus did God favour this Jedid-jah or beloved of the Lord as by the Prophet Nathan he named him at his birth this Solomon or Son of Peace as his Father David named him 2 Sam. 12. 24 25. The Lord raised him up from feeding on the lowest dust in Satan's kingdom of darkness and death to feed on the highest never-perishing meats divine and creature glories in his Kingdom of marvelous Light By this most transcendent change from a most polluted Beast in the first creation to the highest rank of Saints in the second was he enabled to give a true account of the single first-creation Spirit of Nature in all the several parts states conditions and dimensions thereof from first to last as having fully experienc'd it in all its wisdom and folly all the pleasures and contentments of it whether in the corrupt or enlightned state thereof As the result of all his Observations and Experiences he declares it in general to be the Woman he describes and character 's Vers. 26. And I find more bitter then death the Woman whose heart is snares and nets and her hands as bands whoso pleaseth God Heb. is good before God shall escape from her but the sinner shall be taken by her The Mystery here lies in the Woman figured out by the amorous inticing practices of the literal Interpretation is properly the discovering the hidden unknown mystical Truth signified in the Scriptures of Truth by literal shadows The Mystery here is the practice and way of the womanish changeable first-creation spirit or natural state in all its variety throughout Satan's whole mystery of iniquity falshood and deceit from the beginning to the end of this World What tumults and confusions the literal Woman is made the occasion of in States Families and all worldly Societies thro' her deluding Arts and Men's foolish dotings on her in the vile womanish spirit of nature on all hands in both Sexes is no news to the common light of Nature in all mankind But God's Words of counsel and instruction signify Mysteries hidden from the best Wisdome of learned Man The literal sense here is obvious to the unlearned To the Mystery then of this Woman Solomon here reflects upon and sum's up his whole Experience in the Life and Wisdom of his natural state after all the sore mistakes he had bin involved in with his fellow-sinners and mortals calling that changeable state in Man and Angel Woman This mystical Woman in both Man and Angel is here consider'd as fix'd in unchangeable enmity to
God and the true Spiritual New-creation Man or Heavenly creature-Life and Image of God in Christ blessed Angels and Saints The ring-leading Head of all thus fix'd is the Devil This Head as representative of the whole party of incorrigible wicked Angels and Men and comprehending them all is the Woman here the mystical Babylonish-strumpet guilty of unpardonable Adulteries and spiritual wickednesses against Christ the true Spiritual Lord and Husband of Angels and Men whom they ought all to obey and be eternally subject to in every thing The very person of the Devil as possess'd of the highest natural glories and excellencies by the first creation was therein the supream first-Covenant Spouse of Christ. But this Spouse soon apostatiz'd and became the grand mystical strange Woman and Adulteress that did from the date of her first sin and fall set herself to draw as many Angels and Men as she could into the same adulterous and murderous mind of enmity against Christ that spiritual Lord and Husband they all ought to submit to his terms of being married to for ever in the new and everlasting Covenant All that rebelliously keep up their own life and beauty in the first against him and the second will be judg'd as mystical Wedlock-breakers Murderers and most criminal Idolaters Ezek. 16. 15 38. The Devil by this practice in the top-excellency of first-creation life has render'd himself a bottomless pit of deceits and all sorts of spiritual wickedness endeavouring and abundantly prevailing through God's permission and Men's wilful folly to corrupt their spirits and fill their hearts with the same unchangeable enmity to Christ and God with himself By the Workmanship of this mystical Woman are Men rendered temples of her unchangeable evil Spirit The mouth of this strange woman is a deep pit he that is abhorred of the Lord shall fall therein This have we from Solomon also Prov. 22. 14. But whoso pleases God shall escape her Thus gives he a true account of the said bottomless pit with the sad condition of all that fall therein and the blessed priviledges of them that escape her All blind leaders with their followers in the first-creation-state excluding Christ and the second tumble together into this deep ditch or bottomless pit of unchangeable wickedness Mat. 15. 14. Luk. 6. 39. The very spirit of the Devil is this ditch or bottomless pit the mother of all mystical Whoredoms and spiritual abominations of the Earth Rev. 17. 5. Or in the earthly natural state lying in wait as a robber for a prey and encreasing the transgressors among Men Prov. 23. 27 28. All that in their renew'd spirit of Nature righteousness of Man or Form of Godliness in the first-Covenant finally deny and reject the Power of Godliness the New-creature-life Wisdom and Righteousness of God in the second are fallen into this bottomless pit of deceits All fix'd first-creation builders on the Sand absolutely reject exclude and deny that Spirit of Grace that 's the corner-stone and rocky foundation of the true Church The Woman here is indeed that strong powerful Man of Sin or Son of Perdition that by his superiour angelical strength and subtilty when faln was too hard for Man at best in innocency By the obedient death only of Man's spirit at best can he receive the life of that new-creation spirit of Christ that 's greater stronger and wiser then he 1 Joh. 4. 4. Then he is an over-match for the Devil able to fight and run down all evil angelical principalities and powers those wicked spirits with all their spiritual wickednesses in high places or counterfeit heavenly appearances Ephes. 6. 10 -13. When strong in the Lord and in the power of his might in the life armour or clothing of God's Spirit of Grace set up in and put upon him then is man able to still the said enemy and avenger Psal. 8. 2. This spirit in man is stronger then the strong man of sin who therefore cannot enter that House or Person it possesses nor spoil his house or goods Mat. 12. 29. Man wise strong and honourable in Christ but by first-covenant communications 1 Cor. 4. 10. Satan is too strong for and can spoil all he has or is All that is in his power Job 1. 12. So let Man want the Spirit stronger than Satan he 'l fall under him and be led captive at his will in and by that very first-covenant life he reckons to be saved in 2 Tim. 2. 26. The wisdom of it cannot discover his snares nor the strength of it withstand his power All 's but as straw and rotten wood to his superiour Angelical Wisdom Strength and Armour Job 41. 27. Flesh and Blood Man at best is so far from being fit to wrestle against evil Angels that they can make all that in Man serviceable to their designs for destroying him as on their side their friend in him In Christ's Spirit of life are Saints only fit to fight down both both Flesh and Blood the natural spirit at best and evil Angels at the back of it to strengthen that Foe of their own house that with them in all its affections and lusts fights and warrs against God and the true interest of their own souls The compleat death of this home-bred Foe but pretending Womanish Friend and Counseller in the Saint's own bosom Mic. 7. 5. is his full deliverance from all Satan's nets and snares For then he finds no part in him that he can tempt or touch please or hurt John 14. 30. When the Saint is crucified as to all worldly desires in him to all worldly desirables without him the God of this World finds nothing in him his Belial-party the enemy of God is extinguish'd and abolish'd The literal Woman by her snares and alluring Arts makes literal the mystical by her's spiritual and more criminal Sodomites T will be easier in the day of Judgment for the former then for the latter Mat. 11. 23 24. The light of Reason in all men may fence against the literal but the best Wisdom and Strength of first-Covenant holy Men is no defence against this mystical Woman's practices upon them Yea she turn's that very Wisdom and Strength with the perishing meats they feed on therein at Christ's earthly table and fruits they bring forth under Christ's Husbandly influence as a fleshly Bridegroom into so many Snares by which she catches them While she keeps them confident in holy flesh or knowledg of Christ after the flesh she renders them wholly regardless of his holy Gospel-spirit and words thereof save to oppose contradict and blaspheme all When Men give up themselves with Christ's first-Covenant gift of life and second-Covenant enlightning gifts and thereby a taste-of his new-Wine Hos. 2. 8. Heb. 6. 4 5. of the the Kingdom to Baal the Devil they become his most Gigantick opposers and strenuous fighters against all Gospel Kingdom-Truths and all that bring such things to their ears When men wilfully deafen themselves to the voice of
of deceits full of snares and nets as the very Kingdom of God and Salvation to men And they ãâã others to hope that they will confirm or make good their word Ezek. 13. 6. In a ãâã spirit of Divination do Devil and Man joyntly declare this and boldly affirm 't is in the Lord's Spirit of Truth they say so They say the Lord saith They see nothing but vanity and preach up nothing but perishing vanities the natural excellencies or fading things of Man or Angel in the first-creation for eternal Life They speak only of the world this world's vanities and the world hears them all the world wonder 's after them 1 Joh. 4. 5. Rev. 13. 3. All in the but earthly spirit of nature corrupt or righteous are for such Preaching or none at all Satan's Apostles or Ministers come forth in great variety of form language and way all making but a universal Babel of confusion running their hearers into the very bosom of the Devil the bottomless-pit of all deceits and falshoods as their only security for Salvation Men are deeply concern'd to take heed who they hear not such strangers to and enemies of Christ's Gospel Jo. 10. 4 5. and then what and how they they hear Mark 4. 24. Luk. 8. 18. that they rightly take the voice or words of the true Shepherd and his Spiritual Apostles or Messengers and obey them Many may hear right Gospel-words and not understand them Mark 4. 12. And then they 'l not follow or obey them but run still after Satan's Law-Gospel Those that distinguish not the Words of God's from those of the Serpent's Man's Wisdom how should they scape the snares of this grand mystical Adulteress If they suffer themselves willingly to be beguil'd into a perswasion that Satan's Gospel and that which true Saints call Christ's are all one they are caught in the snares of the Devil Satan's Apostles say those that pretend to be Christ's differ from them only in an affected singularity and disguise of words not matter While this shuffle will serve the turn Satan's Gospellers find it not needful or convenient to enter the lists for a debating the case with Sion-Saints about a true Gospel-state But if Christ's Gospel come forth in such sharp discriminating language as to evidence its distinction in the whole matter of it from Satan's and Man's then to prevent yet any farther trouble about it they sit in their Majesterial Chair and in general without meddling with any particular in it decry it for the most dangerous destructive blasphemy and falshood that ever was invented or impos'd upon Men worse then Popery or Mahumetanism then the grossest Idolatries or most brutish practices of any Heathens This general vilifying Christ's whole Gospel-doctrine and assertors of it as the vilest of doctrines and men they ãâã a far easier and safer way then to meddle with any particulars of it Thus far and at this rate only seems the shock of opposition to be given to it and manag'd against it at this day But if matters once grow to that pass that some valuable number of awaken'd Saints and spiritually convinced Men should be the Assertors Followers and Owners of the very Christ the very Gospel so as to give occasion to Satan's Gospel-ministers to say in the same levened sowr spirit of enmity to God with the Pharisees Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing behold the World is gone after them when this comes to pass enemies will go another way to work The Jews when they could not resist or bear up against the wisdom and spirit by which Stephen spake they could and did through the permission of God and instigation of the Devil silence him as they reckon'd with stones But he being dead yet speaketh as Abel and all other such witnessing Saints most injuriously slain for the Testimony of Jesus in the Spirit of true Prophecy The regenerating transforming assimilating touch of the Gospel-spirit of Christ sixes Man 's versatile changeable Law-spirit in eternal obedience to and harmony with God The degenerating transforming assimilating touch of the spirit of the Devil on Man's fixes it with himself in unchangeable enmity to God as the very principle of his life desire thought word and action By one or other of these unchangeable good or evil spirits comes man to be lodg'd up in a state of eternal life or death a bed of true rest and unspeakable joy Isa. 57. 1 2. or of everlasting sorrow Isa. 50. 11. torment and vexation of Spirit He that 's born of God's unchangeably good Spirit is secure from the transforming touch of the unchangeable evil-one 1 Joh. 5. 18. The touch of spirits is a qualifying alterative touch baptizes Man's changeable spirit into the unchangeable toucher the Spirit of God or of the Devil By the death of their own spirit that Satan can touch and ãâã into the life of God's Spirit he can ãâã touch by this way and means and this only are Saints ãâã and ãâã from all the nets and snares of this grand Adulteress the Devil The whole World all that take up in their worldly earthly life of nature run into them A babe a suckling in Christ's Spirit is too hard for ãâã Psal. 8. 2. Man in the highest restor'd perfections of his own is no body in his hands Job 41. The incorrigible first-creation sinner is taken by her the new-creation Saint who alone pleases God shall escape all her nets snares hands or bands for ever Vers. 27. Behold this have I found saith the Preacher counting one by one to find out the account Solomon in the Sanctuary-balance the al-searching new-Creation Spirit of true prophecy weigh'd one thing after another so as to give a clear and full account of what he was so inquisitive after an everlasting state of Truth and Righteousness He weigh'd and tried all parts of the first Creation the utmost goodness and excellencies found in Man and Angels before their fall or restor'd in Men since and in the total sum of all found the one thing necessary for the true blessedness of any wanting 'T is not in the whole first-Creation Land of the living Job 28. 21. or state of Life No such thing found he in the whole heap of this World's Vanities So arriv'd he at this negative satisfaction that there 's no hope of ever finding true happiness there He resolv'd therefore no longer to squander away his time with others in seeking for the living amongst the dead or true Life and Happiness in a Region of Darkness and of the shadow of Death No such life as will swallow up Death into Victory is to be found there nothing but what Death will swallow up into Victory and triumph over for ever This he declares Vers. 28. Which yet my Soul seeketh but I find not one Man among a thousand have I found but a Woman among all those have I not found No unchangeably good thing could he find in the first-creation What then found he One
Man among a thousand but no Woman among them all No true happiness to Man or Angel in the changeable womanish first-creation life of either What 's not there can the wisest man never find 'T is folly to seek it there The self-evidencing vanity of all first-creation things is such that all and every one say 't is not in me in us no true life wisdom or goodness no manly unchangeable new-creation Wisdom Life or Goodness is to be found in or amongst us all seek while you will ãâã 28. 12 -- 22. The first-creation life of Nature in the first-covenant spirit or Law-principle of action God alway saw defective as to the true blessedness of Man or Angel He had beforehand therefore even from everlasting set up prepared and kept in reserve to bestow a creature-life of everlasting Righteousness in his new-Covenant Gospel-spirit that 's in unchangeable harmony with his infinite Divine Spirit Heb. 8. 6 ãâã The Law makes nothing perfect Heb. 7. 19 no incorruptible Perfection or unchangeable good is to be found in the natural first-creation make or Law-life of Angel or Man The Law never had in it nor therefore could give true Life or everlasting Righteousness to any Gal. 3. 21. ãâã Is it could no need of Grace Gospel new-Covenant new-Creation Man's and Satan's Gospel says there is ãâã Life in the first Covenant principle the spirit of the Law or natural first-creation-state ye shall not die at all What need then of a second Never look farther for eternal Life Adam's yielding to this Doctrin slew all his posterity Yet abundance of his posterity when restor'd to some measure of the life they had and lost in and with him are at the very same point Can't the universal sad experience of Mankind as to the dreadful consequents of their first sin nor all examples of like Apostacy since nor all the abundant reiterated Warnings and multiplied Counsels of God or Instructions by the mouth of all his holy Prophets and Apostles or Messengers since the World began yea and by the Son himself prevent men's running into the same error sinning after the similitude of Adam's transgression What then can How currant does renewed old first-creation life pass at this day for new and the words thereof for Gospel How mad were the righteous Jewish Teachers and Professors with Christ for disturbing their peace and dashing their hopes in Satan's Gospel-state Whereas 't is in God's new-creature life and wisdom only on the death and loss of all this we can receive God's eternal good things to have hold and enjoy for ever These are we to eye and look at 2 Cor. 4. 18. 1 Pet. 1. 3 4. Not one Woman could Solomon a true spiritual Preacher find in the whole first-creation not one Man or Angel in that changeable womanish state in whom was any such thing as eternal Life or everlasting Righteousness any unchangeable good thing From his certain experience and infallible sight hereof he declares it 's never there to be had But he leaves not the point so On this Negative testimony giving a dash on the whole first-creation state he proceeds to the Affirmative shewing where the one thing necessary unchangeable Goodness is to be found in the second or new-creation Spirit and State signified by the one Man among a thousand The manly Spirit of the second Adam never sinn'd nor can any born of it as living and walking therein 1 Tim. 2. 14. 1 Joh. 3. 9. Gal. 5. 25. This one Man the manly new-creation Spirit Solomon found among the many thousands of blessed Angels and Saints yea in Christ the head and all the members of his mystical body the Church Col. 1. 18. 1 Cor. 12. 13. Eph. 5. 23. Christ and all his true thorow-followers whithersoever he goes and call's them make up the one mystical Man in unchangeable opposition to the Devil and all his Babylonish Party of Angels and Men fix'd in the first-creation womanish state the whole mystical-Whore of Babylon Not one Man nothing of the manly new-creation spirit in all these nor one Woman to be found nothing of the womanish spirit in all the compleated new-creation body of Christ the one mystical Man All these come to be of the same mind and judgment in every thing as one Man There' s no Female in new-creation Life no Male in the first Angel Man and Woman are all but the mystical Woman in the first and when fix'd there unchangeably so and so an unchangeable Adulteress against the man Christ to whom she ought to have been married in the second In a peculiar prerogative-sence Christ himself is the one Man among a thousand even thousands of thousands of his Spiritual Saints and Angels as the fountain of that Life they are all partakers of He never fails to give it in the distinct measures and seasons appointed by his Father to all the Father has given him Joh. 17. 2. All the things of the Man here are eternal of the Woman temporal Eternal Life and Death are set before us in these two Spirits the manly second and the womanish first-Creation Spirit All that hate Christ in the second love and chuse their own eternal Death in the first Prov. 8. 36. Christ the one Man Solomon found among the thousands of his Saints in a headship of pre-eminency over and above them all comprehensively signifies the whole number of elect Angels and Men in whom his one Spirit lives and they in it Here then have we the negative and affirmative Testimony of this Kingly Preacher in this grand concern of Man where eternal Life is to be found and where not Ver. 29. Lo this only have I found that God hath made Man upright but they have sought out many Inventions Here 's a farther account not only of the first-creation state but man's evil use thereof God made him upright pure clean and righteous without spot any filth of slesh or spirit very good Gen. 1. 31. but changeably so So soon did he make himself very evil by rebellion against him that made him very Good This by following his own many evil inventions Having once rebell'd do men set themselves to seek out many inventions to justifie and fortifie themselves in their self-chosen evil way of rebellion against God to their own destruction This destructive trade are they at might and main turning the deaf ear to the spiritual charmer the spirit of Truth in Christ and his followers wholly rejecting all the Counsels of God against their own souls Luk. 7. 30. This is the case of all first-covenant Lawyers in the renew'd righteous life of the Law in their own spirit of Nature in enmity to the newness of life in Christ's Gospel-Spirit of ãâã and all the words thereof They resolutely and confidently walk in their own invented paths to damnation refusing resisting defying contradicting and blaspheming the only way of God's invention and most wise contrivance for their Salvation God's abundantly declared way from first
as this Gospel new-creature Spirit or Holy Ghost Act. 19. 2. Men clap all the titles of Christ's one thing on the back of their one thing that 's a spirit of darkness enmity and death Their but renewed spirit of Nature must needs amount to a state of Grace Regeneration New Creature Heir of the Kingdom of God What then must the very Christ the very Spirit of Grace and Truth be a Blasphemer a Devil Thus did the children of the Devil first-covenant Professors baptiz'd into his spirit of unchangeable enmity to God call the Holy Ghost or Gospel-spirit in Christ himself with all its Words Joh. 1. 11. 8. 44. 10. 20. and Mat. 12. 24 32. This subtil Serpentine trade won't do man's work when God is Judg himself Psal. 50. 6. He will call every thing by its right name Man's Wisdom in Divinity calls every thing by a wrong name all his natural God's spiritual things And what name title or character then God's things must have with him is easie to guess If natural Man or Angel will needs be as Gods in the proudly and presumptuously assum'd soveraignty and uncontroll'd exercise of their own Wills they 'l certainly judg and call the true Spiritual Man a Fool that quits all this as dung with Paul which they ruffle in Hos. 9. 7. 8. 1 Cor. 4. 10. No remedy for this in Man's day or Judgment In God's there will True Saints ought in Faith and Patience to possess their Souls quietly waiting for the decision of all Zion-controversies at Christ's second appearing to their Joy and to the Confusion of all their self-confident proud boasting enemies Isa. 66. 5. Your first-Covenant Brethren that hate you sit and speak against you Psal. 50. 20. Ezek. 33. 30. and cast you out excommunicate you as Blasphemers but I 'le appear says God to your Joy and then they shall be asham'd I 'le excommunicate them out of my Church and lay them under the Anathema Maranatha for ever under my everlasting Curse and Wrath. Let the naturalist then or first-Covenant Brother for a season wear the title of the second and allow him nothing but Blasphemer and Mad-man consider the great Lord and Master Did not he quietly endure the Contradictions and Reproaches of such Righteous first-Covenant Sinners against the second in his own day and turn on Earth among the only professing People in the World All will out at last after all scrambling confounded doings in this dark World and Kingdom of Satan All shame will be laid at the right door and God and his true Saints be glorified All in good time God's time is best Mean while the one uniform truth of God most harmoniously represented all along the Scriptures of Truth in great variety of Similitude Language and Type is in a manner universally rejected even by Professours and their one sandy-foundation'd thing by a lying Spirit of Divination set up in the room thereof which in the highest sence is the abomination that makes desolate Mat. 24. 15. and herein boast they themselves as to that great variety of the many Inventions they stand here charg'd with as their own self-destroying folly and madness The true spiritual Church own only one God and Father of all one Lord one Faith one fire-Baptism one Spiritual Circumcision setting fire upon and cutting off all fleshly life holy and profane in Pharisee and Publican The Church on the sand has many Gods many Lords of their Faith which are many Devils many Men in their differing and various teachings or doctrines all which in the same lying spirit of Divination do tend directly to the Destruction of themselves and hearers Such false Christs and Apostles evil Angels and Men will in these latter times more then ever pass unquestionably for the true as coming in the guise language dress and appearance thereof Has not the true Christ and his great Apostle foretold all this Mat. 24. 5. ver 23 25. 2 Cor. 11. 13 15. In such disguise they 'd deceive if possible the very Elect. The Worldly Church on the Sand boasts of such variety of Invention as amounts to but a glorying in their own shame Such poetical Creation-Preachers are always liars Tit. 1. 12. Under all pretence to Gospel are they the flattest enemies to it They come with methodiz'd discourse in the contrivances and Words of their own Wisdom Doctrine Reasons Uses Motives order'd and placed rank and file in Battel-array with the Armour of Man upon them to fight the Devils Battel against all Spiritual Saints and Gospel-Truths These are your Gospel-Merchants that corrupt or deal deceitfully with the word of God 2 Cor. 2. 17. destroying Souls for dishonest gain Ezek. 22. 27. They labour to make the truly Righteous sad by their reproachful censures and strengthen the wicked in their hidden mystical uncleanesses and abominable Idolatrys Ezek. 13. 22. They interpret Scripture into anti-Gospel-Doctrine and then invent reasons for it uses of it motives and arguments to follow and obey it all to encourage people in their Self-chosen way to the Chambers of death the congregation of the dead or assembly of Giants the Gigantick sighters against God Prov. 21. 16. Gen. 6. 4 5. All their Preaching Reasons and Uses as pretending to shew and lead men into the true Gospel-way of Salvation runs in a strein of direct enmity to all the spiritual reasonings and words of Christ's Gospel-spirit and so to the whole Counsel of God Paul declar'd Act. 20. 27. The right opening the Scriptur's is an opening the Kingdom of God This does the true publick one Gospel-spirit of Christ in himself and Saints The private natural womanish changeable spirit of man shuts out all spiritual Kingdom-Truths and in union with Satan open's his kingdom or bottomless pit of deceits and preaches up that first-creation state he has chosen as the only true Salvation When thus resolutely engag'd they disswade all people and frighten them what they can from touching or coming near such doctrin as indeed opens the Kingdom of Heaven as the arrantest Heresy and Blasphemy in the World This is the old Pharisaical trade of hypocritical Sinners in Zion Mat. 23. 13. But true interpretation of Scripture in that Spirit and Wisdom none are able to bear up against Act. 6. 10. will speak for it self in the hearts and consciences of the hearers and be a savour of life or death to the obedient receivers or wilful rejecters thereof The Cryptick Methods and Arts of man's mercenary wisdom are calculated to deceive All their Elocution Mymical gestures and affected tones look this way These humane Artifices are not to be used in uttering the words of God's Wisdom but cleer powerful spiritual demonstration 1 Cor. 2. 4. This was the way of Christ and his inspir'd Pen-Men or Teachers in the words of his Wisdom whether speaking to a multitude or only in answer to particular inquiries Convincing evidence and demonstration in the Wisdom and Power of the Holy ãâã were they
wisdom of man is nothing in the case The words of God's Wisdom his oracles whether given in Dreams Visions or by his true Prophets are too hard for that interpreter The new-creature wisdom of God in Daniel and the three Children was ten times better than that in all the Magicians or wise men in the Realm Dan. 1. 20. In this could Daniel tell both the oraculous dream of Nebuchadnezzar and the interpretation those wise men neither Dan. 2. The great prophetical Image of worldly Monarchy from that day to the end of this World Man's day and Satan's reign was the matter of the Dream Then the Dream of the great high Tree which more particularly related to Nebuchadnezzar himself was interpreted by Daniel also Dan. 4. 22. And after this in the reign of Belshazzar grandchild to Nebuchadnezzar did the same Daniel interpret the Mene Tekel on the Palace-Wall none of the wise Men of Babylon knew what to make of Dan. 5. 15. and v. 25 28 Daniel as an awakened spiritual Saint knew the interpretation of the thing or word no wisdom of Man could interpret Yet does the but restored righteous first-covenant Saint Wise Strong and Honorable in Christ there figur'd by the wise Men of Babylon Egypt and the King of Tyre presumptuously reckon himself wiser then Daniel or Paul Ezek. 28. 3. 1 Cor. 4. 10. The Queen recommending Daniel to frighted amaz'd King Belshazzar when she saw his thoughts trouble him and Countenance chang'd said there 's a man in thy Kingdom in whom is the Spirit of God an excellent Spirit having the light understanding and wisdom of God in it by which he had knowledge and understanding for interpreting dreams shewing hard sentences and dissolving doubts or untying knots as the Chaldee reads Daniel interprets the Mene Tekel and the execution was speedy For that night was King Belshazzar slain by the Medes and Persians who after two years siege then enter'd the Town by diverting the River Euphrates Dan. 5. 5 -- 31. Here 's the truly ãâã man His Wisdom consists in and is evidenced by a right interpreting of Parables and dark sayings of important concern in their significancy but too obscure and difficult for man's wisdom at best to deal with or unriddle Neither literal nor mystical Magicians Men or Angels in any first-creation understanding or learning can interpret them Such another as Daniel was Joseph long before Pharaoh had two Oraculous Dreams that by their impression upon his mind signified that they signified some important thing to him and his people but what he could not tell This was left for the true interpreting Spirit in Joseph to declare Nebuchadnezzar knew tho' his Dream was slipp'd from him that 't was an Oracle from God and had a concerning significancy so his spirit was troubled as Pharoah's in like case till they both knew what their Dreams meant Dan. 2. 1. Gen. 41. 8. They were both perfect puzzlers to the wisdom of man None of the wise men in Egypt or Babylon could interpret either of these Kings Dreams Pharoah's doubled Dream in two distinct Sleeps signified the same things seven years Plenty and then seven of Famine The fat and lean Kine coming out of the River Nile signified the same cause of the Plenty and Famine of the Plenty by its wonted overflowings and of the Famine by failing therein The two Kings for the signal benefits they received by the hand of these two choice Saints advanc'd them to great worldly dignities in their several Kingdoms and days The Reason given was because the Spirit of God was in them Gen. 41. 38. Dan. 2. 48. 5. 11. Is this a qualification for preferment with Kings now a-days tho' call'd Christian that these two Heathen Princes preferr'd Joseph and Daniel for Were there true Gospel-Saints in Heathen Cesars houshold Phil. 4. 22. in Paul's time Where are such now in Christian Cesars housholds The Wisdom then or Understanding that judges or ãâã all things 1 Cor. 2. 15. and so can interpret all words into those things signified by them as God's full intent and meaning in them this renders the happy ãâã thereof the wise man here meant It makes him a Seer of God one that can read understand and declare the whole Counsel of God about the Salvation of men Such Wisdom as reaches the deep things of God's very Divinity and most excellent spiritual creature-things of Christ and God sure natural the lowest general rank of things in Man and Angel's first-creation-make can't lie hid from The divine and spiritual things of God knoweth no Man or Angel in their single natural make or state but in the Spirit of God the new-Creature Gospel-spirit of Christ becoming the Principle of their Life and discerning by a new-Creation of them 1 Cor. 2. 10 15. Such Wisdom is not found in the first-creation Land of the living or State of Life Visible or invisible natural things first-creation Vanities are the bounding utmost immediately discernable objects of the highest Wisdom in that state No fowls of the Air Angels by their mystical Vultur's Eye or quickest clearest natural sight do so much as reach that place or spiritual state in Christ where true Wisdom and Understanding are found Job 28. 7 12 13 20 21. Spiritual Light darted on the natural Understanding of Man or Angel may convince them both that there are not only Divine but Spiritual new-Creature things which are quite out of the reach of their bare natural Understandings And that 't is in the awak'ned principle of spiritual Life only they can properly and fully see and enjoy such things All then that undertake to handle the written Oracles or Word of God without this only Key or true interpreting Wisdom of God communicated to them in his Creature-Spirit of Grace we may easily judg what work they are like to make on 't or what recompence they 'l have for their pains How Men that handle the written Word of God in a Wisdom and Spirit that 's foolishness and enmity to the living Word Spirit and Wisdom of God will be handled by that living Word at last may easily be guess'd Man in all first-Covenant Life Light Wisdom Righteousness Holiness is but holy flesh wise strong and honourable in Christ yet but the natural Man that can't receive the things of God for they are foolishness to him and Paul or any true Spiritual Saint is reckon'd a fool for owning or asserting any such things 1 Cor. 2. 14. 4. 8 10. They are not the objects of the natural understanding are only spiritually discern'd And he is offended and stumbles at the cross-doctrine of death to his natural state as undispensably necessary to his coming at true Wisdom or spiritual Understanding Such doctrine he reckons folly and madness 1 Cor. 1. 23. Joh. 10. 20. Hos. 9. 7 8. First then negatively where is true Wisdom not to be found not in the first-Creation Land of the living Then affirmatively where is it to be had
In the new-Creation Land of the living or spiritual Gospel-state of life The Wisdom of Man that can't discern spiritual Things or Truths how should it interpret the words of God's Wisdom that means only such things by all first-creation shadows figures and similitudes All Scripture as to the true spiritual intent and meaning of God is a Book seal'd to the highest natural Wisdom of Angel or Man Isa. 29. 11. All divine and spiritual things of God meant in the Scripture are mysteries fast lock'd up from that sort of Understanding in learned or unlearned Man Man then going to work with that which discerns no things of God shuts out all those things that are shut up from him out of his humane Divinity so call'd and so shuts up the Kingdom of Heaven in stead of opening it to his Hearers Let him read study and preach as long as ãâã lived he comes not one jot nearer the mysteries or Truths of God in the Scriptures then when he lay in his cradle Yea worse he is a direct enemy to all such Truths or Things when declared he hates and detests them as blasphemous Fictions So shutting up the Kingdom of God runs down himself and his blind Followers to the Chambers of death In a lying humane spirit of Divination back'd with Satan's lying evil angelical spirit do Men come forth to declare the Truths of God and say the Lord saith Ezek. 13. 6. God signifies his divine and spiritual things to Men which lie quite out of their natural discerning and reach by such earthly shadows and figures as are discernable to them and they lay hold on those shadows denying all allegorizing or interpreting them into God's Spiritual Heavenly truths or things God's things can be no otherwise spoken to man then in parables or by such things as are discernable to him Mat. 13. 34. The truly wise spiritual Saint only understands the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven or mysterious things of God signified in the Scripture v. 11. To others that stick in the letter all 's a parable a ãâã And thus do even Saints themselves before the incorruptible Seed or principle of Spiritual Life be actually waken'd up in them And after that also their natural Man so ãâã as unsubdued and untransform'd into harmony with their spiritual in life and light understands not such Mysteries No Man in his natural state receives Christ's Testimony of spiritual heavenly Truths or things Joh. 3. 31 32. Man's very Wisdom or understanding is the Vail on him the partition-wall between him and all spiritual things The exchange of that by the obedient death of nature for God's unspeakable gift of spiritual Life and Wisdom is his only possible way of coming at any right and full understanding of the Scriptures Man swells and puffs at any thing his understanding can't reach and his Will hates so scoffs at allegorizing the Scriptures or interpreting them into some other farther things then the literal shadow or figure lest something should by so deep dipping into it be turn'd up for Truth that 's above his understanding and not pleasing to his Will In love to his own Wisdom he denies there is any other but God's purely divine no spiritual Creature-Wisdom And if any pretend to that he censures them for Luciferian Presumption He denies that superiour Creature-wisdom Saints are partakers of which is call'd also the Wisdom of God and then most falsely taxes them with pretending to the very infinite divine Wisdom The spiritual Saint only has the seeing Eye hearing Ear and understanding Heart the senses suited to the divine and spiritual things of God All others ãâã see not and hearing hear not nor understand Mat. 13. 13 -15 From Isa. 6. 9 10. The spiritual wise Man in his new erected intellect and life sees all things divine and twofold creaturely spiritual and natural in their very hidden essences properties and naked evidence The natural wise Man does but conjecture guess at the hidden properties essences and occult qualities as he therefore call's them of the very visible or lower sort of natural things In the Apocryphal Wisdom of Solomon we find words to this purpose Chap. 9. 13 -- 18. What man knows the Counsel of God Or who can think what the Will of the Lord is The thoughts of mortal Men are miserable and our devices uncertain For the corruptible body presseth down the Soul the earthy Tabernacle weigheth down the Mind which museth on many things Hardly guess we aright at things on Earth that are before us but things in Heaven who hath searched out Thy Counsel who hath known except thou give Wisdom and send thy holy Spirit from above For so the ways of Men on Earth are reform'd as taught things pleasing to thee and saved through Wisdom Lo then the vast differences of natural and spiritual Wisdoms or Understandings The divine and spiritual creature-things of Christ and God are clearly discernable to the one and not the lower sort of natural things to the other Spiritual Wisdom that sees all the things of God can interpret all the words of God declare the very divine thought intent and meaning in all They that have this unction from the holy one know all things The said anointing teacheth of all things 1 Joh. 2. 20 27. That new-creature gospel-Gospel-spirit of Truth wherewith true Saints are anointed guides them into all Truth and shews them things to come even all that God will do with the obedient submitters to or incorrigible Rebels against the said Spirit for ever in eternal Life or Death This Spirit in the awaken'd-up seed thereof will bring to remembrance words or things past also what their natural Man in the days of their ignorance has receiv'd the report of by the hearing of the ãâã and give them the clear full sight or understanding of by the seeing of the spiritual Eye or new Intellect Joh 14. 26. Job came to the blessed experience of this by and after the sufferings of his natural Man under the Cross Job 42. 5. All things the Father hath are mine says Christ and this Spirit of mine in you shall shew you all Joh 16. 14 15. all the things of my new-creation Kingdom in the conjunctive Divine and Creature-glories of me the King thereof all which are Mysteries hidden and shut up from all natural first-creation understanding of Man or Angel They can be spoken to that only in Parables figuratively represented to it only by first-creation Shadows and Similitudes in dark sayings till open'd by the spiritual Remembrancer in Men. This is the Interpreter Messenger Apostle or sent-one of God as Elihu calls him that can shew to Man his Uprightness Job 33. 23. Yea make him unchangeably upright in God's sight He was not made so by the first-creation For then could he not have miscarried by his many inventions as ãâã 7. 29. This Spirit makes the Saint wiser then all his first-creation Teachers in the words of Man's Wisdom who will yet pretend to
teach and endeavour to reclaim him from his heretical and blasphemous Enthusiasms as they call the very Inspirations of the ãâã Job 32. 8. The teachings of God Does the spiritual Saint need that any such Men should teach him 1 Joh. 2. 27. who themselves may be or are the most criminal Enthusiasts under the inspirations of seducing Spirits preaching the very doctrines of Devils 1 Tim. 4. 1 2. Christ as our risen Lord is the supream Gospel-Minister in the said Spirit And there are no Ministers of his Gospel save in and of the same Spirit given to and quickned up in them Thus see we who is the true Gospel-wise Man Paul was such an one when a fool weak and despicable in the Eye or Judgment of first-covenant Professors or Brethren wise strong and honourable in Christ there 1 Cor. 4. 8 10. Having then dispatch'd the two questions come we to the declar'd Priviledges of this wise Man t. Such a man's wisdom maketh his face to shine and the boldness or strength of his face shall be chang'd These effects of the Spirit of true Wisdom in man were eminently seen upon the natural Man of Chr'st in his transfiguration prefatical to what would be fully accomplish'd upon him in the Resurrection His Face shone as the Sun and his raiment was white as the light Mat. 17. 2. After his Resurrection and Ascent also he shone brighter then the Sun to Paul in his way to Damascus Act. 26. 13. The Divine King greatly delights in this beauty put upon men and men therein Psal. 45. 11. This beauty gives men a holy boldness in God's presence No first-creation beauty or righteousness will do this Filth of Spirit or enmity to God's Divine and creature-Creature-Spirit renders all that deformity and filthy rags Isa. 64. 6. See what all garments and works in the but restor'd natural state of Man amount unto Isa. 59. 6 -8. No flesh or man in fleshly first-creation life and best performances thereof and in can stand with boldness be justified before God Gal. 2. 16. or saved 1 Cor. 15. 50. In the clean unspottable incorruptible life linen or clothing of the new-creation Spirit of Christ can men come boldly to the Throne of Grace or appear before God with success in their addresses and prayers Heb. 4. 16. Vers. 2. I counsel thee to keep the King's Commandment and that in regard of the Oath of God The strict confining these words to the literal sense may overthrow the very advice given in them For literal Kings oft require what 's contrary to the Oath of God yea to the common light of Nature Both the moral Heathen faithful to his first-Covenant light or Law of rational Nature and the Jew or Christian possess'd of first-Covenant Life also both these are to keep the Command of the King here meant who gave them both the said Light and Life as the enlightner of every man that comes into the World Joh. 1. 9. As fast as Christ set up in Paul one light after another light of Nature light and life of the Law and then light and life of his Gospel-Spirit he walk'd faithfully in obedience to him Act. 23. 1. He obey'd him morally and then legally in first-Covenant light and then evangelically in the light of the second Man in all variety of light ought to be faithful to that King that gives all following that light as his Law in and to him for directing his steps in desire thought word and action Now a literal King oft establishes mischief by an evil Law or commands things contrary to establish'd good Laws and wants not for Flatterers that will tell him all are bound to obey such his personal Commands under pain of damnation from that of Rom. 13. 1 2. most falsly interpreted in a perfect contrariety to God's meaning in it Zedekiah swore Allegiance to Nebuchadnezzar who gave him that name signifying the Oath of God to mind him of his Covenant His rebelling and sending to Egypt for help against Nebuchadnezzar God revenges upon him Shall he prosper shall he break the ãâã and be deliver'd with the King that made him King whose Oath he despis'd in Babylon shall he die Ezek. 17. 14 -- 16. Yea v. 19. God calls it his Oath and Covenant the breach whereof therefore himself would recompence upon his guilty head Nebuchadnezzar and his Council of War at Riblah cause his Sons and all his Nobles to be ãâã before his eyes then put out his eyes and carry him prisoner to Babylon where he dies 2 King 25. 4 -- 7. So Jer. 39. 4 -- 7. and Jer. 52. 8 -11. This got he by rebelling against the words of the Lord by his two eminent Prophets Ezekiel in Babylon and Jeremy in Jerusalem A passive obedience to the Civil Magistrate in suffering for well doing 1 Pet. 2. 20. is what God requires even from Saints as acknowledging Civil Government an Ordinance of God under which by Providence they are put sigurative to a great spiritual Truth which is the full meaning of this advice for keeping the King's Command here in passive obedience under his Cross and Spiritual Sword on their natural state however faithfully they have demean'd themselves in it as Job Not then denying these literal Truths as to a right stated active or passive obedience to Civil Magistracies let 's turn our understandings to the ultimate sense of the counsel here given The absolute King here is Christ over all the Earth Psal. 2. 6 -8. This not in the spirit and life of the Law as the Jews would have made him Joh. 6. 15. but of the Gospel into which he rais'd our nature in himself In his resurrection-state is the Man Christ the universal Monarch as Paul interprets Psal. 2. 7. Act. 13. 33. By love or force shall every knee bow to and tongue confess this King All friends and foes must and shall pay homage to him when he takes to himself his great reigning Power Rev. 11. 17 or actually comes forth in the visible exercise thereof None shall be able to hurt or hinder him or his true subjects in his peaceable Reign over all He will dash enemies in pieces like a Potters Vessel with his Iron Rod or Scepter Psal. 2. 9. Isa. 11. 1 9. In that all-powerful new-creation life and name into which he has raisd our nature will he do all this to foes Nor is there Salvation in any other name or life for friends not in his partaken-of Law-name or life by the knowledg of him after the flesh or conformity to him in that perfect changeable first-covenant life of the Law he took as born of a Woman but that into which rais'd out of the death of that Act. 4. 10 12. He says that of himself in his Law-life he could do nothing The obedience he had to perform in that was passive as commanded of his Father John 10. 17 18. This suffering obedience appointed by the Father when finished Joh. 17. 4. our nature in him
was glorified and exalted by the Father into a life wherein he can do all the Father doth Joh. 5. 19 27. So Saints can do nothing of themselves or in their own Law-life towards Salvation but on the obedient surrender of that in Christ's Gospel-life can they do all things Phil. 4. 13. God then works all in or for them and they work all their works in him Isa. 26. 12 Phil. 2. 13. Joh. 3. 21. But consider how great this Man the King of Saints Ruler of all is He is anointed above all his fellow-Brethren that are Co-heirs with him of God in the transcendent prerogative of his fountain-creature-life of everlasting righteousness and also of his infinite divine life Psal. 45. 7. Rom. 8. 17 Saints that are Kings Priests to God will ever own him as their ãâã King of Kings Lord of Lords and High-Priest in a transcendent supremacy over and superiority to the highest Saints and all Saints and Angels put together All are to honour him as they honour the Father Jo. 5. 23. See then the weight of Solomon's Counsel here for keeping this King's Commandment to whom God has given all Rule and Authority over both Worlds as Heir of all things Psal. 2. 6 -- 9. Heb. 1. 2. The Reason he gives for this Counsel is in regard of the Oath of God This Oath implies the terms between God and the Man Christ on which he is to possess all God's Authority over his creatures The surrender of the pure and spotless natural Life of the Law for that spiritual Gospel-Creature Life that 's in unchangeable personal union with the divine entitles him to the exercise of all conjunctive divine and creature-power over all Christ's own Priestly gospel-Gospel-Spirit offer'd up his Law-spirit in Sacrifice to his Father as his part of the Covenant of the Oath the new and everlasting Covenant Then the Father perform'd his part made the Man Christ Ruler over all as advanced into the life of his original priestly Gospel-spirit and so made a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec or in the life of his creature-root the original ãâã And on the same account has he made him King over all Psal. 2. 6 7. All this hath God confirm'd by Oath to our mystical Lord Abraham figur'd by the literal on offering up his mystical Isaac or spotless natural Life to him God sware by Himself he would perform his promis'd part for advancing the Man Christ and Saints in their degree on the like obedient Sacrifice of their natural State So have they two immutable things for their strong consolation his immutable Counsel or living Creature-word and his immutable infinite Divinity Heb. 6. 13 18. Here 's the safe anchor-ground for Saints sure and certain hopes of eternal Life and Blessedness on surrender of their fading natural Saints by following Christ's suffering-steps into a conformity with him in his death are assur'd by him they shall reign with him in that life he is risen and ascended into 2 Tim. 2. 11 12. No other way can any come to reign with him Saints must keep his Command as he his Father's that has made him King Joh. 14. 15. 10. 18. These are the true and faithful sayings of his spiritual Law all yea and amen of absolute infallible certainty The same way our changeable nature comes to reign in him can it in us a change by death for his unchangeable creature-Life that 's spiritual and eternal The Man Christ the King of Kings in infinite divine and irresistible Creature-power exercises a universal kingly and priestly Authority in Love or Wrath over all Angels and Men good or bad He will sacrifice changeable nature as to any goodness thereof in them all in the incorrigibly wicked to God's revenging Justice No being saved but as with Christ obediently yeilding to the terms of the Covenant by Oath the new and everlasting Covenant even the sacrifice of all receiv'd by us in the first Psal. 50. 5. This must be done in regard of the Oath of God to Christ as our duty in obedience to this King's command to us who requires nothing of us herein but what himself has done Father and Son are herein obey'd or disobey'd together He that hath the Son hath the Father also and he that obeys the Son obeys the Father 2 Joh. v. 9. Mat. 10. 40. Luk. 10. 16. Joh. 15. 10. ver 23 24. 16. 15 27. Vers. 3. Be not hasty to go out of his sight stand not in an evil thing for he doth whatsoever pleaseth him Here 's a farther reason for obeying this great King He has full commission to do whatever he pleases in both Worlds to foes that set up in the first or natural and Friends that obediently quit that for the second or spiritual Be not hasty then to go out of his sight by wilful turning from that light by which he shews and offer 's that Life to you wherein he is King Think not to get out of his sight or reach of his Power He sees you whether you 'l see him or no. And his Power will reach you for your wickedness in refusing to see own and become willingly subject to him There 's no fleeing from his presence His presence in Wrath will reach you in Hell it self Psal. 139. 7 8. Yet will Enemies labour to shuffle themselves out of his presence They will bid him depart from them as not desiring the Knowledg of his Ways of saving them Job 21. 14 15. Even first-covenant holy Men desire not to hear of his Counsels for the saving them by the destruction of their fleshly life or natural state at best Yea true Saints for a season are found amongst these refusers of God's Reproofs and Counsels for their Salvation ignorantly with Paul And Job while frighted at the Death-discipline of the Cross upon his righteous natural state went a-while in company with the workers of Iniquitie pleading against the equity of it with strong reasonings and arguings as an injurious proceeding of God towards his Creatures thus ãâã charges him Job 34. 5 -- 9. Yea the natural Man even in awaken'd spiritual Saints will be at such work as offended and amaz'd at a being daily plagu'd and chast'ned notwithstanding all their ãâã circumspect walking while wicked Men have more then heart canwish See what strange conclusions an impetous hurry of carnal reasonings is ready to run them into Psal. 73. 1 -14. Jer. 12. 1 2. 20. 14 -- 18. But the spiritual Principle in the Saint lifts up the natural Eccle. 4. 10. into Sanctuary-light to see the design of God in these cryptick Methods of his wonderful Wisdom dealing with them as Sons Heb. 12. 7. while those that refuse such Chastisements perish by their very Prosperity as gratified in their self-chosen way to their everlasting Destruction Psal. 73. 15 -20. But thousands depart from Christ for ever and walk no more with him or look after him as coming with his Cross-doctrin
incident to Men under the wonder-working Power and Grace of God in the King of Saints Hos. 1. 6 10. God requir'd Israel to own him King submit to the Government of his Spirit in Samuel the same Spirit in which Christ is universal King All in that Spirit are his true obedient Subjects Any Person or any People that will not have this spiritual heavenly King reign over them and in them though his earthly Jerusalem Citizens or first-covenant People see how they 'l be handled by him Luk. 19. 14 27. This great universal King lately offer'd to set up his Theocratical Fifth-Monarchy amongst us His earthly-Jerusalem-Citizens in a first-covenant spirit pretended to it as the Corinthian ãâã in Paul's Gospel-time in a spirit nor Christ nor he could own for a reigning principle 1 Cor. 4. 8. and a huge noise they made of owning the King Jesus in but a knowledg of him after the flesh in a restor'd Law-life the very principle and state the Jews would have ãâã him King in Joh. 6. 15. Such first-Covenant first-Monarchists Kings or Princes of this World crucified the true King Jesus 1 Cor. 2. 8. They blasphem'd and crucified him for owning a Kingship and Kingdom not of this World in his Gospel-spirit of Grace and Truth that would have made him a King in that Law-life and spirit they were of and in They cry up their Heathen Cesar for their King rather then such a King Jesus Shall I crucify your King says Pilate We have no King but Cesar say they Joh. 18. 36 37. 19. 12 15. A plain case and our's just He that was for the right King Jesus in his true reigning Spirit must be shuffled out of the World with his great Master as an Enemy both ãâã Cesar and them ãâã and a first-covenant People are joyntly for the rooting Christ and his true spiritual Anointed Ones out of the World as not sit to live in it Psal. 2. 1 -- 3. Act. 22. 22. And what got Israel by refusing the King Jesus or Government of God in the said Spirit of true Prophecy grievances enow What help none to remove them God would not as he fore-threatned them when busie about their new choice of Government Ye shall cry because of your King ye have chosen but the Lord will not hear you says Samuel Fair warning See all this 1 Sam. 8. 6 18. The law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus comes to strike down the ruling Power of that spirit in Man that 's but a Law of Sin and of Death and so by setting up his own kingly Rule and Power in him frees him from all evil and bondage Those that willingly submit to this death-blow of Christ on their ruling Law-spirit cast down their Crowns or ruling Power at his Feet and set the Crown on his Head in the day of their new-covenant Espousals to him owning his true Kingly-Spirit for their Ruler Cant. 3. 11. Christ struck down the earthy Law-king in Paul to the Earth and instantly set up his Gospel-spirit King and Ruler in and over him Act. 9. 3 4. The Law-spirit at best in fallen man is but the Amalekite-Ruler the Agag which tho' Saul spared in favour to it in himself as was implied in his unpardonable sin Samuel in the true Kingly Spirit of Jesus hewed in pieces when he said or thought as Man when the corrupt spirit of Nature is subdued and a Righteous Law-spirit set up in ruling authority in him surely the bitterness of Death is past here 's no Cross or Death-work by a Spiritual Gospel-Sword behind to be brought upon this Righteous Law-life 1 Sam 15. 32 33. Spiritual Friends of Christ have the whole counsel and mind of God made known by him to them First-covenant Servants in their Law-spirit of bondage holy flesh form of Godliness Righteousness of Man tho' as busy as may be in reading hearing preaching and obeying the letter of their Lord's Command in the Scripture are wholly strangers to the spiritual design sense or meaning of their Lord in all They know not what he does Joh. 15. 15. or has now done himself with our nature at best in his own Person nor will consider their duty in following him therein by giving it up at best in whatever state in their persons as God's requir'd Sacrifice He that keeps the spiritual Command of Christ believes or obediently submits to the Law of his Cross shall feel hear see or know no evil thing or word against him from Christ at last day when on his Judgment-Seat But he that believeth not quits not his Law-spirit or principle of life and action under the Gospel-Cross or spiritual Sword of Christ for the Gospel-Life of that very Sword or living Word of God will be damn'd Mark 16. 16. t. And a wise man's heart discerneth both time and judgment The spiritual wise man discerns an appointed time for the right use of a changeable first-Covenant Law-life and then as an antiquated Law-ceremony with the fading things and glory of it to be done away by a holy death as the Judgment and Command of God in Sacrifice to himself This Gospel-Sacrifice of Man at best was figured by the Law-Sacrifices of clean Beasts and Birds Spiritual Saints under the Law obediently gave up this Gospel-Sacrifice to God And all save a spiritual Seed refuse to give it under the Gospel When restor'd Law-life has serv'd its turn in man by his faithful performing Law-service to God therein suppressing the vile affections of the corrupt spirit of Nature 't is to give way to a better guide Christ's Gospel-Spirit or quicken'd up life thereof A Sentence or Judgment of Death upon the restor'd righteous Law-life of man must be submitted to by him with Paul 2 Cor. 1. 9. Law-life and the things thereof the Wisdom Righteousness Beauty Glory Fruits Works Duties Desires Thoughts Words Actions and all manner of performances therein kept up and finally preferr'd to Christ's Gospel-Life and things of God therein is the highest and most criminal Adultery and Murder Ezek. 16. 15 38. There 's an appointed time for Man and Angel too to die Heb. 9. 27. or lose that first-Covenant Law-life which was set up in them by creation The obedient loss of it under the Cross frees man from all guilt contracted by Sins past and all power of sinning any more for ever He thereby ceases from Sin and comes to be justified before God in a newness of life wherein he can never sin 1 Pet. 4. 1. Rom. 6. 7. 1 Joh. 3. 9. A change by the death of Nature of Law-life for Gospel under the working power of the Grace of God brings Men's matters to that blessed pass that no enemies will find any iniquity in them to charge them with nor will God himself Rom. 8. 33 34. Jer. 50. 20. The guilty sinner in the Saint that has committed innumerable ãâã is dead and gone and a spirit of everlasting Righteousness is become the single and sole principle
of life and operation in his whole person This when the Death of Nature and Life of Grace are compleated will be found the true Saints case How else should men out of polluted Nature come to be spotless before the Throne of God and chast Virgins to Christ The wise Man duly considering these things and discerning time and judgment rightly uses and obey's every of God's Gists and Dispensations to him in their orderly succession one after another first a restoring the changeable righteous Law-life of Nature and then calling it back again by a holy Death in exchange for a Gospel-life of everlasting Righteousness in his Spirit of Grace When this transcendently better life is convincingly shew'd and offer'd man's chusing his former in preference thereunto tho' good in its kind season and right use turns it into unchangeable evil and renders him guilty of unpardonable folly If Man wilfully sight against the known will of God in any of his Dispensations to him and finally persist therein his misery will be great upon him as Solomon further argues Vers. 6. Because to every purpose there is time and judgment therefore the misery of man is great upon him There 's an appointed time and judgment to all natural things which therefore are not to be rested in Enlightned Heathens and first-Covenant Jews or Christians reckon their various natural attainments an undoubted and impregnable security for their happiness that none can deprive them of But all visible and invisible outward or inward first-creation goodnesses or excellencies have that vanity writ out in the fading nature thereof which necessitat's their being brought to a period as is undeniably clear from the Scriptures of Truth All Man 's disquieting himself in heaping up riches literal or mystical there is but a ãâã in and pleasing himself with a vain shew Psal. 39. 6. This folly is reproved by Christ himself Mat. 6. 25 -32. and all Men counsell'd by him to seek the Kingdom of God and his ãâã in his gospel-Gospel-spirit of everlasting Righteousness and Truth If Man submit to God's Judgment of death on his natural state he enters into and is possess'd of the everlasting Righteousness of his kingdom-Kingdom-spirit if not is he found in unchangeable enmity to God and then great will his misery be upon him When men by spiritual light shew'd and offer'd God's excellent heavenly things do turn from that light in hatred to those things and love to their own God harden's blind's and deafen's such self-hardning enemies and refusers of his gracious offers Isa. 6. 9 10. By such just judgment on them come they to have their hearts eyes and understandings perfectly closed up from any regard of God or his offer'd new-creation life and things for ever He sends them strong delusion that they should believe Satan's self-pleasing lie and so go headlong in a delusive satisfaction to the Chambers of Death God gives them their hearts desire as to the fatness riches and flourish of their own nature as the beginning of his unchangeable Dispensation of wrath upon them fitting them thereby for destruction And thenceforth are they under an impossibility of ever finding out God's time and Judgment in this thing or relating to that natural state of vanity they take up in for happiness Vers. 7. For he knoweth not that which shall be for who can tell him when or how it shall be This great misery comes upon Man on his wilful turning from God's declar'd way and means of doing him good God excludes him by oath from true Blessedness swears in his Wrath he shall never enter into his rest Heb. 3. 11. And then is he concluded under an unchangeable curse the grievous nature whereof can't be known till felt or experienc'd The terrible things in final Wrath provided by God for Enemies as well as the things in Love provided for Saints are such as Eye hath not seen Ear heard nor have entred into the Heart of Man 1 Cor. 2. 9. Christ's mystery of Godliness Satans mystery of Iniquity and the differing recompences of the Followers of Christ into the former or being willingly caught by Satan in the latter all these most concerning things to be diligently sought after or most heedfully avoided lie clear out of the reach of Man's Understanding or Wisdom And how then shall he know what Misery shall at last befal him or when how and by what Hand it shall be brought upon him Vers. 8. There is no Man hath Power over the Spirit to retain the Spirit neither hath he Power in the day of Death and there is no discharge in that War neither shall Wickedness deliver those that are given to it Here 's the reason of what is said in the former Verses the great Misery Man brings upon himself by not observing and submitting to Time and Judgment No Man hath Power over his Spirit to secure it from the Wrath and just Judgment of God He that made it challenges all obedience from it which disputed and not performed by Man renders God's Judgment of Wrath on him undeniably just and from this can no Man free himself For he can neither retain the fading Life and Goodness of his own Spirit nor reduce it to nothing nor render it an insensible something It will ever be kept up by its Creatour in an exquisite sensibleness of all evil and perfect deprivation of all the fading good it can ever remember the enjoyment of for the increase and aggravation of its Torment God has given it an immortality of being and 't is not able to bear up in its rebellion against him to secure it self from the Power of evil or that just Punishment he will bring upon it Man has no Power in the day of Death either of his Body or Spirit Neither of these lives that of his body or the fading first-covenant Righteous Life of his Spirit can he secure from Death when God's time is come for giving Judgment and pouring forth his Wrath upon him When God comes in hostility upon him as a provok'd Enemy there 's no discharge from either of these wars he cannot run away get out of the field and so scape the avenging Justice of God nor yet stand or bear up against it but must certainly fall and perish under it There 's an appointed time of Death and Judgment on all fading perishing mortal life of Man's body and spirit his whole natural being and person be he good or bad The good by an obedient surrender of all thereto in a dutiful compliance with the declar'd Methods of God's Wisdom for saving them are rais'd into and receive ãâã everlasting Gospel-life which is not diminish'd but marvelously enlarg'd and perfected at the death of the Body clear'd from all disturbances and interruptions by any Enemies without or within them as intirely at home with Lord when quite absent or deliver'd from the mortal Body and State They groan therefore after a full deliverance from their whole earthly Tabernacle and mortal Life
fixed under the conduct thereof as not immediately to quit it for a better Guide the Light of Christ's Gospel Spirit Every one that thus fears God and works Righteousness is accepted with God all along under his various dispensations to them as seeing at first where he shall find them and they him at last even in unchangeable harmony of mind with himself and universal obedience to him in all things By following on to know the Lord from light to light dispensation to dispensation come they at length to a firm indissoluble Union with him With such fearers of God Solomon declares it shall be well They are all along accepted with God and in the same certainty for true Blessedness under the first and second as when under the third and last dispensation actually estated in new-creation principles of everlasting Righteousness In God's sight and purpose 't is sure to be well with them that so fear him that fear before him The doubling the words imports the certainty of both their truly fearing him and its being well with them for ever that are found to have the incorruptible Seed 1 Pet. 1. 23. of true Holiness and everlasting Righteousness in them They fear before him or are seen by him true fearers of him when but under the light of Nature or of the Law tho they have but obscure uncertain thoughts of him or themselves as to his purposes towards them or how it shall be with them for ever or in what spirit and life they can be truly blessed And so come we to the second thing here as positively declar'd by Solomon in the Spirit of Christ concerning the incorrigibly wicked that it shall as certainly be ill with them as well with the true fearers of God Vers. 13. But it shall not be well with the wicked neither shall he prolong his days which are as a shadow because he feareth not before God Though the wicked do evil a hundred times and his days be prolonged in this World and that in great outward or inward Prosperity and flourish so that he has more then heart can wish while the true fearer of God is continually plagu'd and chastned under the sharp discipline of the Cross Psal. 73. 1 -24. Yet at winding up of all t is certain it shall be well for ever with the obedient Saint and ill for ever with the incorrigible Sinner By wicked here are not chiefly nor properly meant such as are dead in the corrupt but made alive in some degree in the enlightned state of Nature and so brought actually under God's trial how they 'l demean themselves in following on to know and obey him till they do all in his Gospel-spirit of Truth Under every dispensation are they found in a directly contrary frame of Spirit to the true Saint and Fearer of the Lord. They fail in the main point a ready quitting inferiour dispensations and all their light life and attainments therein for the third and last a Gospel-state of everlasting Righteousness God requires the exchange of all restor'd natural Principles of Light Life or Operation for his spiritual Gospel Principles They are no true Fearers of the Lord from first to last that finally refuse this change of Life Food and Raiment Hence though they do evil a hundred times in their enlight'ned natural state against the highest and greatest spiritual Gospel-light and are permitted and gratified with a long flourish in all worldly Prosperity it will be ill with them at last for ever God's permitting all this signifies the utmost extent of his Patience and their trial after all which they 'l find themselves bound up in the bundle of Death in and with the very spirit of the Devil in unchangeable enmity to God This house or state of everlasting mourning will conclude their most prolonged day of Jollity and Mirth in their Wickedness The said Sinner being a hundred years old shall be accursed for ever Isa. 65. 20. Solomon in a holy scorning contradiction to what he had said of the Sinner's prolonging his days ver 12. says here he shall not prolong his days which are as a shadow This implies that the longest day such sinners against the Holy Ghost or Gospel-spirit are permitted to live on Earth will appear but as a transient shadow to the endless day of their Misery and Sufferings in Hell Their permitted larger time and more abundantly multiplied Wickednesses on Earth will increase their Torments for ever in Hell Wo unto them It shall be ill with them for the reward of their Hands shall be given them Isa. 3. 11. But with the Righteous it shall be well for ever for they shall eat the Fruit of their doings ver 10. in all their obedience to and fearing of God under every of his dispensations to them They have brought forth never-perishing fruits unto God in his newness of Life The incorrigible Sinner shall eat the Fruit of his rebellious doings in his oldness of Letter against God's newness of Life and be filled with his own devices or many inventions Prov. 1 31. Eccles. 7. 29. Thus will it fare for ever with the Saint and Sinner according to the several ways they have walk'd in and course they have steer'd in their own Spirit and Will or God's The Sinner shall go into everlasting Punishment and the Righteous into Life Eternal Mat. 25. 46. To these vastly differing ends do their as vastly differing ways lead Though the wicked not only prolong his days on Earth but be in great Power spreading himself like a green Bay-tree he will pass away and never find himself or be found more to his advantage and comfort Psal. 37. 35 36. Hold out as long as he can in his mortal body his end is to be out off and destroy'd for ever v. 38. But the end of the spiritual upright Man is everlasting peace with God v. 37. A brutish fool understands not this that when the workers of iniquity flourish 't is that they shall be destroy'd for ever Psal. 92. 6 7. In new-creation Sanctuary-light the Spiritual Saint understands and unriddles all 1 Cor. 2. 15. He sees the dreadful end of the wicked's utmost flourish and longest day of prosperity and the blessed end of the Saints utmost tribulations in this world Psal. 73. 17 -20. Job 21. 7 -20. Vers. 14. There is a Vanity which is done upon the Earth that there be just Men unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the Wicked again there be wicked Men to whom it happeneth according to the work of the Righteous I said that this also is Vanity This accords with Eccles. 9. 1. God's love or hatred to Men can't be known by his outward dispensations to them or dealings with them in this World Who-e'r goes this way to spell out or judg of his Love or Hatred Approbation of them or displeasure towards them will miss their mark and be dangerously deceived For in the wise Methods of God the truely righteous are
Life is the Principle in which Man does all he rejoyces in a ãâã with the very Divine Mind and obedience to the Divine Will in all things t. For that shall abide with him c. His labour in the Lord or in his Spirit shall not be in vain 1 Cor. 15. 58. All Fruits brought forth therein shall abide with him and speak for his everlasting acceptation with God Rev. 14. 13. Vers. 16. When I applied mine Heart to know Wisdom and to see the business that is done upon the Earth for also there is that neither Day nor Night seeth sleep with his Eyes Solomon from the said Vanity done upon Earth vers 14. or in the earthy state of Saints and Sinners under the differing Dispensations of God to them proceeds to consider thence the business done upon the Earth In spiritual Wisdom he clearly sees what is in Man John 2. v. 25. 1 Cor. 2. 15. even the whole Life Desire Thought and Work of Humane Nature the business it is doing in the ãâã first-creation make and state thereof all Man's tormoil in ãâã Vain Shew or shadowy Life in the Image of the earthy which he seems to inform us of in the following Parenthesis for also there is that neither Day nor Night seeth sleep with his Eyes Here 's a character of Man's earthy nature and unprofitable Labours therein Man is in an embondaging continual solicitude to keep what he knows will be gone when all 's done Yet places he his hopes of Blessedness in such a state No Joy Peace or Mirth can he have but what 's meerly delusive and destructive unless extinguish'd by the Cross and so the Man deliver'd He never sees Sleep with his eyes never has any true rest or peace His spirit has an indeleble bottom-thought and sense of the immortality of its being and mortality of its best natural life and all its fruits or possessions therein which will therefore be gone and leave his naked being in the lurch exquisitly sensible under the wrath to come for refusing the Grace offer'd while it was call'd to day Heb. 3. 7 8. So find's he himself under an impossibility of finding true rest therein or scaping unexpressible torment and vexation of spirit for ever be or do what he can in that state True sleep or the Saints everlasting rest can never be found or had in a fading life of vanity and enmity to God and that very Spirit of Grace in which alone it is to be found True rest can man find only in that newness of life that qualifies to see and enjoy the very Divine Glory of God for ever Without this neither day nor night in the enlighten'd righteous nor dark corrupt state of nature or neither in his day upon earth or night of everlasting darkness in Hell can or will he find rest or see sleep Solomon in the infallible Spirit of truth saw and declar'd where true rest is to be found and where not Hence turns he from that natural state of vanity wherein Man is labouring for and seeking what he can never attain or find and applies his heart wholly to that spiritual life and true wisdom wherein he is sure to find this desirable thing a state of sleep or true rest and satisfaction to the intellectual eye and utmost desires of his Immortal spirit Psal. 37. 4. Vers. 17. Then I beheld all the work of God that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the Sun because tho' a man labour to seek it out yea further tho' a wise man think to know it yet shall he not be able to find it Man neither in the dark corrupt nor most wise enlighten'd state of nature can find out the work of God done under the Sun or the end and design of God in all the first-creation works of his hands 'T is Man's wilful errour to think by the utmost labour of his natural mind to understand God's Divine and spiritual creature mind herein He labours under an utter impossibility of finding what he seeks Solomon would lead his fellow-Mortals into that infallible and immortal Gospel-state where they may find and understand all 1 Cor 2. 15. even the deep divine and spiritual things of God the whole Counsel of God the Methods and Contrivances of his infinite Wisdom about his Creature 's true Happiness They that will not rest from the unprofitable Works of their own Spirit under the Law and Work of the Cross will never find rest in God's and will for ever lose all the fading good and comfort they have for a season found and enjoy'd in their own No Man or Angel finally refusing and turning from God's offer'd spiritual Light can ever in their single natural Wisdom at best find out the finishing work of God or end by him put to the first-Creation State in by and for a second Whoever will not surrender and lose their own Wisdom in the first for God's in the second though they think to know and find all out can never do 't nor find true Rest. If Man prefer himself to his Creatour his Life Wisdom Righteousness to God's he will never find out all the work of God by a first and second Creation but grossly mistake and abuse the first and himself therein and never come within sight of the second do what he can Pretend he does to the interpreting the words of God's Wisdom but what work is he like to make on 't All things spiritual heavenly and eternal lie cleer out of his reach He is brutishly absur'd unreasonable and untreatable about such most concerning things Jer. 10. 14. 2 Thes. 3. 2. And what other Wisdom but Man's in the more refined sort of Teachers has bin the Undertaker at interpreting the Words of God's with any sort of publick reception owning and approbation for many hundred years CHAP. IX V. 1. For all this I consider'd in my Heart Heb. gave or set my Heart even to declare all this that the Righteous and the Wise and their works are in the hand of God no Man knoweth either Love or Hatred by all that is before them SOlomon consider'd or set his Heart in the spiritual Wisdom of God wherein a true Preacher and Seer of God to declare his whole Mind and Counsel about Men. He saw the priviledges of the truly Wise and Righteous that their Persons Ways and Works are in the hand of God with whom they find Praise Commendation and a blessed Reward let Men despise them and say or do what they will or can against them Then he declares concerning them and all other Men that no Man knows either Love or Hatred by all that 's before him But who are the Wise and Righteous here And what 's meant by their Works being in the hand of God To the 1st To Spiritual Saints only does this character belong For they only have that Spirit that 's everlastingly righteous and infallibly wise To the 2d Their Persons and Works in that
God and his spiritual heavenly eternal life and things with all the things by them loved perish for ever nor have they any more a Portion in any thing under the Sun any fading good thing done or found in the whole first-creation World of vanities And as their Love their Hatred and Envy shall also perish All their Envy and Hatred express'd by them in all ways imaginable against God and his everlasting creature-life the object of his divine Love and Delight in Christ blessed Angels and Saints shall perish It remains in them for ever for the encrease of their Torment under Wrath but they 'l be depriv'd of all power of expressing it for ever The life and things of their own nature which they have chosen to be the object of their fixed Love in preference to God's render them the objects of God's final Wrath. Vers. 7. Go thy way eat thy Bread with joy and drink thy Wine with a merry Heart for God now accepteth thy Works To the Saint as passing through the House of mourning and death to his spirit of nature under the Cross into the life of God's spirit of Grace wherein joyn'd to all truly living is this message of Life and Peace sent from God Eat thy Bread with joy c. Bread and Wine here are the hidden Manna and Wine of the Kingdom in Christ's Person even his divine and creatures-Glories his never-perishing meats Saints are to feed on in their spiritual when their natural Man or Spirit under the sharp discipline and death-work of the Cross is reduc'd to the utmost straits eating no pleasant Food or finding any more delight in the forbidden perishing first-creation life works or fruits and meats thereof Their spiritual hidden Man feeds on what 's incorruptible which renders them more beautiful in God's sight with Daniel and the three Children then any that feed on the choicest perishing Dainties of the mystical evil King's Table They feed on the never-perishing meats at their heavenly King's Table which nourish them up in his communicated never-perishing Life So do they eat and drink with a merry heart Joy unspeakable and glorious in the Holy Ghost The reason For God now accepteth thy Works This shews in what Spirit and on what Bread they feed and what Wine they drink with such a merry Heart All 's done in a spirit a newness of life all the Works or Fruits whereof are accepted of God Their feeding on Christ's heavenly meats renders them abundantly more glad then the utmost fruits and encrease of Corn and Wine figures of the choicest mystical first-creation diet can render the natural feeders on them Ps. 4. 7. True Saints dwell between Christ's Shoulders in absolute safety Deut. 33. 12. Peace and Comfort above all Enemies reach all evil or danger They have a Joy no Stranger or Enemy can intermeddle with or interrupt Prov. 14. 10. 'T is a Joy a Peace the World can't give nor take from them Joh. 16. 22 33. Vers. 8. Let thy Garments be always white and let thy head lack no ointment Saints waiting for Christ's clear manifesting or revealing himself in his Divine and Spritual Glories as object of their Faith and Hope are here call'd on to keep their Garments white and clean from all filth of flesh and spirit 2 Cor. 7. 1. that they may be fit to meet Christ at his coming as grown up into a compleatness and full purity of spiritual life in him purified as he is pure 1 Joh. 3. 3. in all holy Conversation and Godliness ãâã 2 Pet. 3. 11 12. 1 Pet. 1. 15 16. And let thy head lack no oyntment Let thy Spiritual Man that 's head to thy natural be found in such a diligent performing its ruling authority over the natural and keeping thy whole person in obedience to Christ as not to provoke him to withdraw but more abundantly pour forth his holy anointing upon thee the most precious ointment of his new-creature spirit 1 Joh. 2. 20 27. Vers. 9. Live joyfully with the Wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy Vanity which he hath given thee under the Sun all the days thy Vanity for that is thy portion in this life and in thy labour which thou takest under the Sun Solomon continues his advice to the spiritual man of the Saint as Husband Head and Guide to his natural By reducing it to and keeping it in a universal obedience to Christ the Lord Husband and Head to the whole Man can he live joyfully in a loving union of mind with it David Paul and other Saints have found the natural spirit in its untransform'd unsubjected uncrucified state life will and way a prison an enemy a perpetual disturber of the spiritual mind of Christ in them through a universal contrary-mindedness thereto Psal. 120. 5 -- 7. Rom. 7. 18 23. Sarah's obedience to Abraham calling him Lord types out this twofold Truth the obedience of the whole Church to Christ and of the natural to the spiritual Man in every Saint The natural when by way of death and resurrection brought into Union of mind with the spiritual and so the whole person of the Saint with Christ then as Heirs together of the Grace of life their Prayers won't be hindred 1 Pet. 3. 6 7. as they must needs be while the natural mind is contrary instead of being subject to the spiritual in every thing Hence arise all discords inconsistencies and confusions found in Saints most of the days of the life of their Vanity under the Sun The nearer their natural is brought into a conformity with Christ in his death and resurrection Phil. 3. 10. the more pleasing grows their life and service to God and the more comfortable to themselves ãâã with the Wife of thy Youth Prov. 5. 18. This in mystery cannot be but so far as the said mystical Wife in the Saint is by suffering taught obedience Heb. 5. 8. to the spiritual ' The natural Spirit corrupt or righteous in its own earthy Life Will and Way is a like prison to the spiritual mind or man in the Saint as the fleshly body to his natural spirit So his whole natural Man in the uncrucified spirit of it is an uneasie irksome habitation to his spiritual directly contrary to the mind and interest thereof in every thing desire and thought Vers. 10. Whatsoever thine Hand findeth to do do it with thy might for there is no Work nor Device nor Knowledg nor Wisdom in the Grave whither thou goest Solomon advises not man here to do his own will that 's found in enmity to God in both the corrupt and righteous Life thereof but as by death and resurrection brought into that newness of Life in which as a ãâã yoke-fellow to his spiritual to be serviceable to his Generation Act. 13. 36. as to their eternal concerns by using all ways and means for laying before them the whole Counsel of God about their Salvation and discovering the whole counsel devices and
practices of Men and Devils in opposition thereunto Vers. 11. I returned and saw under the Sun that the Race is not to the swift nor the Battel to the strong neither yet Bread to the wise nor yet Riches to Men of understanding nor yet favour to Men of skill but time and chance happeneth to them all God reserves to himself the Prerogative of giving success or disappointment as to outward things and events where when and to whom he pleases as the supream and ãâã cause over-ruling all second By time and chance happening to all is meant such events as Providence oft gives in a direct contrariety and disappointment to Man's thoughts and expectations from second causes In mystery here is signified that Man in the utmost Power Skill or Wisdom of his restor'd natural state can't win the Race or Battel can't get true Riches Food or Clothing He can't so run and fight in his corruptible natural mortal Life and State as to vanquish all Enemies and obtain the incorruptible Crown Neither is the favour of God or his unchangeable love to Men or Angels in the highest Skill and Wisdom of that state The death and loss of all there is undispensably necessary to the finding a Life Spirit Wisdom Strength and Power to do gain and win all things more then conquer World and Devil be universally obedient and pleasing to God in every thing and wear the incorruptible Crown They that run and fight in but their own renew'd naturals are uncertain unsteddy runners and fighters run at an all-adventures and if they confidently fix there in a direct contrariety to the Command and Will of God Levit. 26. 21. Such Runners are certain of nothing but missing the great Prize So will prove cast-aways as Paul had if he had not brought under his body or that holy natural state wherein he was fighting against God's holy Gospel-spirit and Life 1 Cor. 9. 24 27. Solomon with Paul returning from the Light and Wisdom of his own Spirit to Christ's declares the Crown of Life durable Riches Food and Clothing victory over all Enemies and the peculiar favour of God for ever not attainable under the Sun or in the power and under the conduct of the natural spirit in the most heightned sublime Wisdom and Skill thereof Time and ãâã happens to all that strive in that spirit for the said great things All the fading good and comfort therein will pass away and so will they find uncertainty and chance to have bin inseparable from the nature thereof as they had bin abundantly warn'd in their mortal day on Earth Vers. 12. For Man also knoweth not his time as the Fishes that are taken in an evil net and as the Birds that are caught in a snare so are the Sons of Men snared in an evil time when it falleth suddenly upon them Here are the sad and certain consequents of Man's standing running or fighting in unsteady wavering first-Covenant Principles The Sons of Men at best in that life and state are but like Fishes and Birds sure to be caught in Satan's evil nets and snares Eccles. 7. 26. And God in his just Wrath will spread his net upon them as on King Zedekiah Ezek. 12. 13. 17. 20. They chuse that very life and state for their Portion that is the very snare thro' their fond wilful dotage upon and overvalue of it in and by which Satan catches them at his will and leads them into the same everlasting destruction with himself True Saints by Gospel-labours endeavour to waken Men out of this dreamish life and vain-shew in and by which Satan is drawing them into eternal Death as ãâã willing Captives and obedient Servants and so strongly deluding them as to make them verily believe they are making safe steps toward eternal Life in the very way of Salvation Saints labour to waken them out of this mistaking Dream that 's the very snare the Devil catches and holds them in as therein taken alive by him 2 Tim. 2. 24 -26. Man know's not the time God will deliver him up to Satan for ever yea send him strong delusion for being so wilfully deluded by the Devil and believing his lie rather then God's Truth that he may be damn'd 2 Thess. 2. 11 12. Under Satan's spirit of unchangeable darkness is Man kept ignorant of these dreadful consequents of his evil choice till there 's no remedy 2 Chro. 36. 16. till all the threatned evils come upon him suddenly in an ãâã time that he is no more aware of then Birds and Fishes of the evil net and snare they are caught in and made a Prey of The final Wrath of God will be upon them and the state by them chosen from which no escape for ever They shall not know how it comes what it is till upon them nor ever be able to put it off Isa. 47. 11. Vers. 13. This Wisdom have I seen also under the Sun and it seem'd great unto me Vers. 14. There was a little City and few Men within it and there came a great King against it and besieg'd it and built great Bulwarks against it Vers. 15. Now there was found in it a poor wise Man and he by his Wisdom deliver'd the City yet no Man remembred that same poor Man Christ is the poor wise Man in a spirit that 's in personal Union with his divine His little City are his little ãâã of true Saints deliver'd by his Wisdom from the great King the Devil that comes with all his power to besiege and build great Bulwarks against them He frustrates all the designs polices and practices of evil Angels and Men against them All this by taking our nature and impoverishing it even to a total abolition of all that Wisdom Glory Power and Excellency in which the great evil King and his Forces come against the little City he undertakes the defence of against them all By the death of that nature in himself and little City or flock which the Enemy can touch deceive and destroy Men by as the very snare they are caught in and raising himself and them into a life above their reach and power does he deliver them All his true Souldiers must follow this great Captain 's suffering steps for this conquest Heb. 2. 10 14. A being made fools weak and ãâã as to all worldly first-Covenant life strength and wisdom yea as nothing or no-body things that are not this is the only way to overcome all these wise strong and honorable therein the strong Bulls of Bashan Psal 22. 12. all enemies whatsoever 1 Cor. 1. 25 28. When Saints by obedience to the Cross on their nature are so totally impoverish'd and run down as to become spectacles of scorn to the whole world all evil Angels and Men 1 Cor. 4. 9. fix'd in their own worldly natural state even then and thereby are they fitted to trample them all under their feet in a life wisdom and power they dream not of the Power of
needy natural man of the Saint causes him as a poor man in vile raiment to be bidden by man to sit here under his footstool importing the very height of contempt towards him while there 's a huge bussle for the giving the other a high place in honour and respect to him or rather to his mystical gay clothing kept on in enmity to the Cross but put off by the Spiritual Saint and refus'd ever to be put on again let men take it how they will Jam. 2. 1 -3. Cant. 5. 3. God requir's the putting off those first-Covenant Ornaments Devils and Men put such a preferring value upon that he may know what to do with us by setting up the life and clothing us with the everlasting Righteousness Beauty Glory and ornaments of the second Exod. 33. 5. Wise Holy first-Covenant righteous Men and God are of a directly contrary judgment in this case Rom. 2. 29. Those God highly esteems and loves they scorn and hate as the filth of the World the off-scouring of all things 1 Cor. 4. 13. Thus are they found in harmony with the invisible Principalities and Powers of this world the evil Angels They both and all center in this point a resolution in the earthly principle or natural spirit to despise and contend against the impoverish'd natural man of the truly wise rich strong and honourable spiritual Saint They shoot all their malicious revengeful arrows at him So are true Saints by their true Gospel-life Conversation words and way rendred with Jeremy Men of contention with the whole earth or whole earthy party of evil Angels and Men. This evil Solomon saw practis'd under the first-creation Sun or in the first-Covenant spirit the Law-principle of life and action as an errour both visible and invisible Rulers of this world are ioyntly guilty of in using their utmost power for discouraging persecuting and suppressing the truly wise and rich spiritual Saint the only sort of men in this world that God highly esteem's and loves On all these accounts as to the errours of the visible and invisible Rulers of this World he farther says Vers. 7. I have seen Servants upon Horses and Princes walking as Servants upon the Earth The chief sense of these words is that evil Angels are permitted the exercise of a ruling power over this World fulfilling their pleasure both in the corrupt and refin'd spirit and principles of Nature in men Both evil Angels and Men in the said spirit of Bondage are but servants and slaves in God's sight objects of his everlasting contempt and wrath When Christ whose Right it is takes to himself his great Power and reign 's he will take away all their power and tread them under his and his Saints feet for ever But all along this World are these evil Angelical Principalities and Powers in with and by evil visible ones jointly riding over Saints heads Psal. 66. 12. under Christ's overtopping spiritual Power ordering all for the carrying on his designed work of the Cross on the natural spirit of the Saint that 's a spirit of Bondage in them For this reason are the true Princes or spiritual heaven born Sons walking on the Earth in an inferiority and subjection to these slavish servile-spirited Rulers that in their true Princely life they may come to ride over all those Servants heads that have bin their Masters All along this World the said Servants are on Horseback and true Princes a-foot At entrance of the Reign of Christ or beginning of the next such Princes will tread all such Servants for ever under their feet and ride in triumph with their Lord and Master the great Captain of their Salvation over all their heads Col. 2. 15. Heb. 2. 10 14. The very Prince of Life when he had taken our slesh suffer'd death therein under the visible and invisible Princes of this world Act. 3. 15. True Saints following his suffering steps will be found on their mystical white Horses with their Lord at last Rev. 19. 11 -14. Christ refused any ruling Power as a Judge or King in that earthly life of the Law wherein he was to suffer and did in obedience to his Father under the hors'd Princes of this World in the said earthly life and worldly power He walk'd as a Servant on the earth under them and so must Saints in obedience to the will of God and conformity to his example Joh. 10. 17 18. They must lay down their natural wherein they are Servants that they may take up his spiritual life wherein Sons of God and to be Princes on ãâã Saints are spiritual chast Doves that know not where to set their foot or sind any visible relief or support in this World Gen. 8. 8 9. As kept for their Heavenly Country are they not suffer'd to find any rest short of it They are hunted out of all false rests by their evil Rulers who intend their utter destruction But they find the new Name of the Lord a strong Tower and Ark of safety both from enemies and the flood of God's final Wrath that will overflow the whole first-creation Land of the living all fix'd in their earthly life of enmity to his Heavenly Vers. 8. He that diggeth a Pit shall fall into it and whoso breaketh an Hedg a Serpent shall bite him The pit here is the same blind Leaders with their followers fall into Mat. 15. 14. Psal. 7. 15. Many that are reckon'd to dig deep in Scripture all their interpreting thereof amounts to no more then the digging this dangerous and destructive pit an opening the very bottomless pit of the Devil and asserting it to be the Kingdom of God a teaching unchangeable union with the evil one as God sitting in the Temple of God and shewing himself that he is God And in all their Ministry to this purpose seeing nothing but vanity and lying ãâã they say The Lord saith and make others hope they 'l confirm the word that they have true peace with God when indeed in unchangable union with the Devil Thus do evil Men giving heed to seducing Spirits and Doctrines of Devils cry up a fixure and establishment in the first-creation state of enlighten'd Righteous Nature in unchangeable opposition to God and his new-creation Spirit of Grace They prefer their Law-Spirit to his Gospel-Spirit which renders it the very bottomless pit they fall into under the final Wrath of God a deep ditch of stinking mire and silth for evermore Out of it there is no redemption 'T is very Hell Evil Angels Man's conclusive choice of that state makes it a pit of their own digging David found his own nature a deep mire where there 's no standing crying for deliverance out of it by a lifting him up out of his earthy spirit of nature into God's heavenly Spirit of Grace Psal. 69. 1 -- 3. The death of Nature under the Cross is our only way out of this miry pit of corruption into the life Christ will reign in t. And
who so breaketh an hedg a Serpent shall bite him First-Covenant Life and second-Covenant Light are a twofold hedg of defence to secure Man from all dangers on his right hand and left The restor'd life of the Law is a hedg of defence for a season against the vile affections and lusts of corrupt nature dangers on the left hand Spiritual Light by which Christ in his spiritual Life is shew'd aud offer'd Men as their absolute Salvation is a hedg of defence to secure Men from the most dangerous sinning against that Supream Right-hand Mercy and gracious offer of it from God The first mystical hedg or fence against the workings of corrupt nature kept up in opposition to the second so as finally to turn from and reject the second which would secure from all sin in corrupt or righteous nature filth of flesh or spirit for ever this is Man's wilful breaking down the chief hedg for his security And then Satan the old poysonous Serpent breaks in upon him and bites or mortally wounds him to eternal death This by perswading Men to set up nature with him in an eternal opposition to God and his Grace Vers. 9. Whoso removeth stones shall be hurt therewith and he that cleaveth Wood shall be endangered thereby Stones here are the same with the hedg in the former Verse figuring the new-Creation Spirit and Light thereof This rocky-spirit of Christ in Saints renders them Rocks or living Stones in his spiritual house Mat. 16. 18. 1 Pet. 2. 5. Man's wilful refusing hating and turning from this rocky life shew'd and offer'd him is a removing these stones decrying and what in him lies pulling down this spiritual Temple and persecuting or scattering Christ and spiritual Saints the living Stone and lively Stones thereof This will bring the greatest hurt upon himself For this Stone or Spirit in Christ and Saints will fall upon him in wrath and grind him to powder Mat. 21. 44. t. And he that cleaveth wood shall be endanger'd thereby By cleaving wood is meant a separating the first benefit of the Cross or death of Christ a restor'd first-Covenant life from the second and consequently a setting up the first in unchangeable opposition to the second a Gospel-life of everlasting Righteousness and true Holiness God's Wisdom has found a way by the death of the former to join these two together in the new life of the latter By the obedient death of Nature corrupt or righteous is the changeableness and enmity of the former done away and so is it brought into unchangeable union with the latter and harmony of mind and will with God most high These that God requires a yeilding to his way of putting together as ãâã in Unity Psal. 133. 1. let no man presume to keep or put asunder as first-covenant Brethren do when they sit and speak against the second in despite to them and that spirit of Grace they are of and in Psal. 50. 20. Ezek. 33. 30 -- 32. Heb. 10. 29. Such cleavers or dividers of Wood the first benefit of the Cross from the second after a clear discovery of the whole design of the Cross to them will not only be endanger'd thereby but bring final destruction upon their own heads Vers. 10. If the Iron be blunt and he do not whet the edg then must he put to more Strength but Wisdom is profitable to direct Man's natural spirit fallen into sin and enmity whether in the corrupt or restor'd righteous Life thereof is the mystical blunt Iron here heavy and dull as to any right understanding of or obedience to the commands of God's spiritual Law 'T is more difficult to yield any obedience thereto then before the fall For now there 's positive enmity in it then not It therefore greatly needs the sharpning work of Christ's spiritual convictions to bring the blunted dull nature thereof so much as to see its unspeakeable concern in listning and submitting to the hard sayings and sharp discipline of his spiritual Law Those that finding themselves weary and heavy laden or overset as to such important concerns come to Christ for his spiritual life and senses for which willing to take up or submit to the death of their natural under his Cross will find all easie and plain both to understand and do Mat. 11. 28 30. His yoke is easie and burthen light Yea such yoke and burthen amounting only to our unchangeable subjection to his will that 's unchangeably subject to the divine is the very glorious liberty of the Sons of God And so also their sufferings in submitting to the yoke and burthen of his Cross on their natural will and spirit will in the prospect and certain sight of such glorious advantages not be reckon'd upon in any comparison therewith Rom. 8. 18. Scripture is a Parable or sharp saying and requires a sharp Wit that is spiritual understanding to discover the mysterious Things Truths or meaning of God's Spirit therein 'T is too painful yea impossible for Man's natural understanding to interpret and rightly understand so much as the providential dispensations of God to friends as foes and foes as friends Psal. 73. 3 -16. Spiritual understanding or Sanctuary-light discover's all v. 17. the voice of all Providences and the dark sayings or parables of all Scripture It can interpret oraculous dreams shew hard sentences dissolve doubts Dan. 5. 12. Take the total sum of its objects It discern's or judges all things 1 Cor. 2. 15. divine and twofold creaturely natural and spiritual the deep things of God's Infinite Divinity v. 10. his whole Counsel about the Salvation of his Creatures Act. 20. 27. and the whole counsel of the Devil for their Damnation the whole mystery of Godliness the whole mystery of Iniquity the mysteries of Christ's Spiritual Kingdom of marvelous light in his Gospel-Spirit the mysteries of Satan's accursed kingdom of marvelous darkness in his Law-Spirit 2 Cor. 2. 11. As God gradually more and more runs down the wisdom or understanding of the natural Man in the Saint into darkness by the demolishing operation of the Spirit of the Cross he raises it up more and more into the new all-discovering light or discerning of his spiritual which James calls his giving more Grace Jam. 4. 6. So the natural man or spiritual Prophets Servant in the Saint comes to see what the Prophet sees as in type 2 King 6. 17. Thus is man's understanding or spirit as more brought by way of Death and Resurrection into union of mind with the spiritual more and more whetted sharpn'd and enabled more clearly to discern the whole mind and do the whole will of God Paul found even Gospel-profelling Jews so dull of hearing or understanding so defective as to the right hearing ear reception or capacity for spiritual mysteries that he ãâã to have forborn the declaration of many things he otherwise would have said to them Heb. 5. 11. He clearly saw their darkness and incapacity as to spiritual Gospel-matters The most
thee in the days of thy youth and walk in the ways of thy heart and in the sight of thine eyes but know thou that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment Solomon here farther confirms his needful Caution for duly remembring the many days of darkness that will succeed in the room of all fading first-creation light literal or mystical and all delight or rejoycing therein Know that for all this God will bring thee into judgment This word is directed to two sorts of People such as live wholly in the corrupt spirit of nature gratifying only their bodily life lust eye and other senses with the visible objects and comforts of this world represented by the light of the literal Sun After the largest experience hereof he bids them at their peril go on but be sure God will bring them into judgment for all such things And his judgment on them will bring those days of darkness upon them which will be many even eternal darkness and death But the young man here chiefly meant is Man in the youthful flourish of his own restor'd nature and fruitful exercise of it in a first-Covenant life If he refuse to part with all this under the Cross to live and walk with God under the yet more excellent new-creation Spirit of Christ or mystical Sun of everlasting Righteousness eternal darkness and death will come upon him also in conclusion as well as on the other When such provoke God to give them up to their own self-chosen way so that he 'l no longer deal with them in Mercy or wait to be gracious to them but swear in Wrath they shall never enter into his rest they have nothing certain to expect but fiery indignation for ever Heb. 10. 26 27 which will turn all their light life and comforts into unchangeable darkness and death Vers. 10. Therefore remove Sorrow Heb. anger from thy heart and put away evil from thy flesh for Child-hood and Youth are vanity To prevent the said sad Judgment Solomon advises Man to remove Sorrow or Anger from his heart under and against the death-work of the Cross upon nature Be not offended or griev'd at this dispensation of God which is the only way in the methods of his Wisdom for Salvation Put away such Sorrow or Anger and be quietly yea gladly with Paul Gal. 16. 14. obedient thereto as the only way to everlasting Joy Joh. 16. 21 22. The pangs of Death to the natural Spirit figur'd by the Woman in travel will vanish on the birth of the spiritual Man-child in it and its quickning up into the new life of the said Child the true manly new-Creation life of Christ and God Our natural man under the Cross ought to put away Sorrow and Anger not reckoning its present sufferings fit to be compar'd with the joy of spiritual life set before us the exceeding weight of Glory that is to follow Thus did Christ himself and Paul reckon Heb. 12. 2. Rom. 8. 18. 2 Cor. 4. 17. All struggling Sorrow and Anger under the Cross makes it more uneasie Obediently submit to Christ herein and his Yoke will be found easie and Burthen light Mat. 11. 28 30. Those that learn of him will be meek lowly and quietly submit to his Cross and Father's Will and Command therein as he did 'T is the rebellious ãâã mind that 's troubled cries out and is angry and offended at this dispensation as unwilling to submit to this spiritual Law of the Cross is ready to say to Christ for this spiritual as Zipporah to Moses for the literal circumcision a bloody Husband art thou unto me Exod. 4. 25 26. t. For Childhood and Youth are vanity All the time of Man's non-age in first-Creation life at best the mind is carnal or ãâã which is enmity to God Rom. 8. 7. as found in a contrariety to the spiritual Law and mind of Christ. Hence man's whole work desire thought design and counsels therein are nothing but folly and vanity In the but restor'd first-Covenant righteous life of the Law and utmost youthful Vigour Activity Flourish and Fruitfulness thereof is even the true Saint but as a Servant in Child-hood non-age and minority ignorant of any such life he has the incorruptible seed of in him wherein to be Heir of all Gal. 4. 1. All Job Paul or any Saint has had but in that restor'd Spirit of bondage or of the Law has bin found Vanity and they themselves at best therein altogether vanity Psal. 39. 5. Such Childhood and Youth are vanity it self has nothing but vanity in it It s Life Works Fruits Wisdom Righteousness are nothing but vanishing shadows of the Creature-life Wisdom Righteousness and things of God CHAP. XII V. 1. Remember now thy Creatour in the days of thy Youth while the evil days come not nor the years draw nigh when thou shalt say I have no pleasure in them HEre 's a farther reason for Man's remembring his Creatour in the youthful season of his bodily life and as figur'd by that the youthful vigor and flourish of his Spirit in the restor'd righteous first-Covenant life thereof Christ is a twofold Creatour of blessed Angels and Saints by a first and second-Creation-workmanship upon them of all other Men Angels and things a single Creatour by a first-Creation-workmanship only The former Eph. 2. 10. Col. 1. 18. the latter 16. As first-born of every Creature ver 15. fountain of all creature-being and life did he comprehend the immortal Spirits of all Angels and Men as radically existing in him v. 17. which are ãâã forth by him into a personal subsisting at their appointed seasons He that created all things is God God the Mediator in his conjunctive divine and creature-nature Joh. 1. 1 3. Heb. 1. 2. 3. 4. His creature-creature-spirit is the fountain of all other creature-beings and the immediate hand by which brought forth in their distinct subsistencies and visibilities In all does he fulfil the will of the infinite Divinity who said Let there be this that and t'other and accordingly were all things created visible and invisible answering the existing beings given them in the Womb of the Mediator's vast original creature-being And as Angels and Men have their natural beings so that natural first-covenant light and life from Christ which fits them for the right exercise of their beings As perfect natural beings with a perfect natural life breath'd into and set up in their ãâã were they the product of Christ's ãâã creation-workmanship upon them They receiv'd their Beings Light and Life from him Saints over and above all this receive from him a spiritual everlasting righteous life and are made spiritual Vessels or sitted receptions thereof by his second or new-Creation-workmanship The fountain of this being and life is also in himself as head of the Church Col. 1. 18. The incorruptible seed 1 Pet. 1. 23. of this new life was cast into their Spirits from the date of their radical existing in the
shall be turn'd into a painful restless comfortless wearisom condition all former pleasures and delights into labour and sorrow Psal. 90. 10. Man's most concerning duty then is to listen to God's way for the receiving his fresh Oyl or holy Anointing that will give an everlasting newness of Life Vigour Strength and Beauty to his whole person wherein to feed upon never-perishing Meats the delights of the Sons of God If the rain of spiritual convictions and beamings-forth of spiritual Light be disobediently rejected and turn'd from after them will the clouds of God's final Wrath come upon Men from the same hand or spirit of Christ that caused the Rain thereof to fall and the Sun to shine upon them while it was to day with them Mat. 5. 45. Heb. 3. 15. Vers. 5. Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high and fears shall be in the way and the Almond-tree shall flourish and the Grashopper shall be a burthen and desire shall fail because Man goeth to his long home and the Mourners go about the Streets Here 's an account of the deplorable condition of the incorrigibly wicked under the Cross in final wrath They shall be afraid of that which is high that is of Christ the high and Almighty King coming forth in the brightness glory and irresistible power of his Divine and Spiritual creature-life to destroy all Rebels against his Kingly gospel-Gospel-Spirit In such his appearance will he be everlasting destruction to foes and Salvation to friends 2 Thess. 1. 7 -10. This high Lord the man Christ Jesus will manifest himself in the infinite ãâã of his Divinity and summon all Men and Angels before him to receive answerable to the things ãâã by them in obedience to or rebellion against his Gospel-spirit and divine Will in the Body or earthly State in their day on earth What a maze and consternation enemies will be then found in see Rev. 6. 15 17. Self-exalting Men with the mystical Rocks and Mountains they 'l have recourse to the supream evil Powers of this World the Devil and his Angels must both and all proud helpers Job 9. 13. And helped stoop bow and inevitably fall under the great Wrath of this universal Monarch Then will they be fill'd with fears in ãâã self-chosen way as undeniably discover'd in the evil thereof And then the Almond-tree shall flourish and the Grashopper be a ãâã The state they have chosen in enmity to God shall be their curse and punishment in the most flourishing life thereof represented by the fruitful Almond-tree and that Grashopper which shall be a ãâã as a sign and remembrancer of the warm Summer or flourishing season they once enjoy'd in the said natural State All this will encrease ãâã ãâã because they 'l find all the goodliness thereof faded away and all their desire towards or delight in it ãâã and ãâã because it can ãâã no longer any comfort or satisfaction to them All objects of desire and delight to the natural life of body or spirit shall by the wrath and curse of God cease and ãâã them for ever Rev. 18. 14. And then as their sorrowful complaint shall they go to their long home and the Mourners go about the Streets To their eternal home the Tophet Place or State of everlasting torment under wrath must they go where to go mourning and weeping for ever about ãâã streets of that accursed Babylonish City made up of innumerable Angels and Men unchangeably set to do and be evil in their earthly life of nature as fix'd in unchangeable enmity to God and his heavenly Spirit of Grace Vers. 6. Or ever the silver Cord be loosed or the golden Bowl be broken or the Pitcher be broken at the Fountain or the Wheel broken at the Cistern In these dark mystical Words the said Truth is farther signified The four obscure literal expressions here may fitly signify the dreadful Judgments of God on every part of Man's immortal being figur'd by the dissolved parts and powers of bodily life when once their Trial and his Patience towards them are come to a period Christ's convincing discoveries of himself by spiritual Light in the ãâã and ãâã Riches Glories and Fulnesses ãâã his blessed Person were as silver Cords of love by which they should have bin drawn and bound fast to him in ãâã Spirit or Principle of the new and everlasting Covenant which is called Love 1 Cor. 13. Rom. 13. 8 10. This Love this Gospel ãâã is the fulfiller of the Law of God in everypoint in every sense of ãâã literal and mystical in the utmost extent and to all intents and purposes to God's well-pleasing and man's Salvation Out of the golden Bowl of his heavenly creature-spirit Zech. 4. 2. has Christ pour'd forth the holy Oyl of spiritual Light into the mystical Pitcher of Man's natural spirit which abus'd and turn'd from the said Silver Cord is broken spiritual Light withdrawn all sight of Christ and converse with or knowledg of God therein and by cut off So the said Pitcher is broken rendered uncapable of receiving or holding such spiritual Waters or Convictions any more And the Fountain whence they flow'd shall be stopp'd up against them And then the Wheel by which in mercy the said Waters were drawn forth and convey'd to them will be broken at the Cistern and turn'd into a Wheel or dispensation of Wrath to them God having put an end to his dealing with them in a way of Mercy and Trial. By the same hand or Spirit of Christ by which Grace is shew'd and offer'd will God pour forth his Wrath on all wilful obstinate despisers of his Love The same thing seems signified by the Prophets breaking the staff of beauty and the staff of bands as tokens of God's refusing to have any more to do with that rebellious house of Israel that by playing the harlot with their own Beauty Ezek. 16. 15. or doting on their own fading Glory in the restor'd righteous life of the first-Covenant despis'd and rejected Christ as by the light of the second shew'd and offer'd as a spiritual Lord and Husband to them in an everlasting Life and Union signified by Bands Zech. 11. 10 14. On this God refuses to have any more to do with them in either Covenant having set up themselves with the Devil in the first in unchangeable enmity to him and the second Vers. 7. Then shall the dust return to the Earth as it was and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it See Chap. 3. 20. Dust here ãâã the mortal earthy life of the natural spirit as well as body of man As depriv'd of all the fading goodness thereof must the immortal beings of incorrigibly wicked ãâã and Men return to God and stand before him to receive his ãâã sentence and full execution thereof as subjects of his unquenchable wrath From the deep sense hereof Solomon cries out ãâã as in the beginning of his Book Chap. 1. 2. Vers. 8. Vanity of
vanities saith the Preacher all is vanity All in the first-creation worldly state of Angel and Man is vanity no life beauty ãâã glory wisdom ãâã thoughts belly or meats desires or desirables words works c. but what are perishing vanities Man and Angel too in the highest honour and attainments of their natural make and state are altogether vanity Psal. 39. 5 6. 'T is then inexcusable madness and folly in both to pitch by their final choice for true happiness short of the convincingly shew'd and graciously offer'd new-covenant life of Christ and God Doting on their own glory will render them vessels of dishonour and ãâã contempt Vers. 9. And moreover because the Preacher was wise he still taught the people Knowledg yea he gave good heed and sought out and set in order many Proverbs 1 King 4. 32. Solomon in the infallible Spirit of Truth declar'd the deep hidden things and Spiritual Truths ãâã God All Divine and Spiritual things are Mysteries Parables and dark-sayings to the highest natural capacity of Angel or Man 'T is only in the infallible light or spiritual wisdom and understanding of Christ communicated to and set up in Man or Angel by his new-creating-workmanship upon them such Kingdom-things or mysteries can ever be discern'd or judg'd 1 Cor. 2. 10 14 15. To spiritual Saints only is it given to know such things Mat. 13. 11. To them any Men in their own understanding it is not given In the ãâã creature-spirit of Christ men come to see the fellowship of the ãâã Ephes. 3. 9. or the mysterious fellowship of Divine and ãâã nature in Christ's wonderful Person Hereby the most dark ãâã of God's infinite Divinity becomes known and seen to Saints Christ himself is the supream Preacher Discoverer and Declarer of all And by a portion of his infallible creature-creature-spirit are Saints qualified to receive such visions or sights of God as he exhibits to them and to declare them to others Vers. 10. The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words and that which was written was upright even words of Truth Here 's a farther account of ãâã same thing by Solomon as a type of Christ the supream Apostle ãâã or ãâã and High-Priest of God the highest and chief ãâã of the divine mind to Angels and Men. He finds out and ãâã his true spiritual Disciples and followers with meet ãâã words ways and means for revealing or opening the mysteries of infinite Divinity which remain seal'd up from all first-creation ãâã The whole Counsel and all mysteries of the infinite divine Spirit are ãâã in the Tables of Christ's twofold creature nature root and branch in the heavenly and glorified earthly life thereof so as to be seen and read or understood by all spiritual Angels and Men. All the words of this living creature-word spirit or Book of God are acceptable to God and to obedient Angels and Men. This Book in personal union with the Divinity whose Book it is was shew'd John open'd by the Lamb slain as to changeable first-creation life and rais'd into the second On the opening thereof blessed Angels and Saints fall down and worship the Lamb for opening this Book of acceptable words to God and right words of comfort and Salvation to them Rev. 5. 5 14. By a right reading or understanding of these words of the reveal'd or open'd Book are other Saints with Solomon qualified to preach them This Paul experienc'd by Christ's powerful touching and raising him into a right spiritual understanding of such words in a newness of life and strength with Daniel Act. 9. 6. Dan. 10. 18 19. on which he became a Preacher of his unsearchable Divine and Creature-riches Ephes. 3. 8. in right words acceptable to God and Men as shewing the true way of Sulvation in which only men can be acceptable to God and truly blessed Such words as the new-Wine of the spiritual Vine-tree are ãâã to God and Man Judges 9. 13. Vers. 11. The words of the Wise are as Goads and as Nails fastned by the Masters of Assemblies which are given from one Shepherd Here are summ'd up the Truths spoken in reference to Christ and Saints as Christ is the great Master of such Assemblies and great Shepherd of his sheep setting up and using others under him in this high service Christ and his wise-hearted right-spirited Ministers under him are the only ãâã of such Words as will make wise unto ãâã Such words as goads and nails are fastned by such Masters of Assemblies in the hearts of obedient Hearers that have an incorruptible Seed of the same Wisdom in them The words of Man's or Devil's wisdom Princes of this World that come to nought 1 Cor. 2. 6. signify worse then nothing even that that natural State they have set up in unchangeable enmity to God is eternal Life But the words of God's Wisdom are not yea and nay but only yea and amen 2 Cor. 1. 17 20. Words of infallible Truth and everlasting Life fastned by Christ himself immediately and mediately by other Masters of Assemblies under him Vers. 12. And further by these my Son be admonished of making many Books there is no end and much study is a weariness of the Flesh. What are these many Books without end or to no end and much study or reading that 's weariness to the flesh Both signify the unprofitable labour in Man's Wisdom that can never attain the right knowledg of spiritual Mysteries the glorious Truths or things of the Kingdom of God Yea that Wisdom is the very vail on Man's heart that hinders his sight as to any such things In that wisdom can Man never see beyond no nor to the end of what 's to be abolish'd So sets up in the fading ãâã Goodness or Glory of that first-Covenant State that 's to be done away and utterly abolish'd out of all Angels and Men 2 Cor. 3. 13. Christ when he had taken this fleshly Vail rent it in himself Heb. 10. 20. By the death of our natural spirit at best can it be so rent in us as to make way for our spiritual sight of ãâã eternal things things of God Where-ever Moses or the Law yea and whole Scripture is read by such as have this Vail on their Hearts a single uncrucified natural first-Covenant ãâã they see nothing but letter old Testament or first-Covenant sense of all Scripture nothing of the Spirit new Testament or second Covenant and spiritual meaning in all 2 Cor. 3. 13 15. The enlighten'd fleshly first-Covenant Jews or Lawyers saw nothing of Gospel-mysteries couch'd under Moses's typical Law-writings by which even he they trusted in condemned them as Rejecters of all spiritual Truths or Mysteries by him therein declar'd ãâã 5. 45 47. They saw the literal but did not believe the spiritual sense of and things in Moses's Writings the proper objects of spiritual Faith discerning or understanding They refus'd the way of having such an understanding brought a-float in them the death and loss of
and with the everlasting righteous Gospel-life of his spirit of Grace Joh. 10. 17 18. Joh. 14. 15 21 23. From the true Sonly fear of God and love to his Mercy or unspeakable Gospel-gift of eternal Life must we hate and do judgment or receive and also execute God's righteous Sentence of Death 2 Cor. 1. 9. on our most restor'd Law-state of Nature By such humbling our selves to the death of our Nature at best can we come to walk as Enoch with God in his Spirit of Grace that 's in unchangeable harmony of mind and will with his infinite divine Spirit Mic. 6. 8. How can two Men walk together and how much less God and man except they be agreed This is the concluding sum of all God requir's of us That we obediently keep and do all his Commands in his never-sinning or erring Spirit of everlasting Righteousness and infallible Truth The best works or fruits done or brought forth in our Law-life of enmity to God can never answer his requirings of us Can we love him with all our heart soul mind and strength in a spirit of direct enmity to him Luk. 10. 27. Direct contradiction The Gospel-spirit of Grace call'd Love is the fulfiller of the whole Law mind and will of God Rom. 13. 8 -10. Vers. 14. For God shall bring every work into Judgment with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it in be evil Rom. 2. 16. 2 Cor. 5. 10. The Man Christ will be found able to do all this Heb. 4. ãâã 13. The sad consequents of rejecting the advice given v. 13. will be eternal misery torment and vexation of spirit on the irrecoverable loss of all the fading goodness or comforts of the natural state and an eternal exclusion from the once fairly shew'd and offer'd never-fading goodness and glory of a spiritual eternal life of everlasting righteousness This will be concluded by God's infallible Spirit of Truth whose Authority when Christ appears Judg himself on his Throne shall no longer be questioned or disputed as all along this World in Satan's reign and man's day it has but every tongue shall confess it as of right belonging to the Man Christ Joh. 5. 22 27. Phil. 2. 11. The undeniable truth of his ãâã Judgment will have a universal acknowledgement from all good and evil Angels and Men. By the irresistible beamings-forth of the light of that Spirit wherein he will judge and pronounce the Sentence of God's infinitely just and righteous mind and will shall the Books of all hearts and consciences be forc'd open or unlock'd so as to make enemies themselves witnesses for him against themselves on their amazing forc'd remembrance of and his setting all their innumerable sins and abominations naked and open in the view of themselves and all others And then will Christ also open his own infallible Book of Records in which he has registred and set down in indeleble characters from first to last according to the divine sight and judgment of God all done by or found in every Angel and Man good or bad Rev. 20. 12 13. The Books of all Men's and Angel's Consciences will be opened and then Christ's own Book the Book of Life out of which all Men shall be judged according to their works Out of and by all these Books will God's Judgement pronounc'd on Men be found clearly and undeniably righteous For the Records in the hearts and consciences of men will be found in exact harmony with what 's written in God's own Book which will lay the evil creaturé under undeniable guilt and just condemnation to the silencing and stopping every blasphemous mouth of iniquity And then also shall the secret hidden spiritual Life of Saints with the well-pleasing right works and fruits thereof unobserv'd and un-own'd yea blasphem'd by enemies be open'd and manifested to all for their eternal justification All secret evils that have lain hid in enemies under all fair shews in holy ãâã and all ãâã secret good works of spiritual Saints that have lain hid under the marr'd visage of their crucified natural man shall be brought into publick and general view So will the incorrigibly wicked be sent as justly condemned persons into everlasting punishment and the unchangeably Righteous into Life eternal Mat. 25. 31 -- 46. FINIS ERRATA PAge 102. line 21. for the in read in the. P. 176. l. 1. ãâã dul r. duly P. 323. l. 16. f. cammon r. common P. 380. l. last f. creation r Cretian Some ãâã mistakes and in stopping are left to the ingenuous Reader
Body have we the Shadow of a great Mystical Truth relating to the Spirit living soul or inner Man of Man the life whereof also being Mortal is subject to and therefore figured out by the like changes as are Incident to Bodily Life in the Birth Flourish Decay Death and Resurrection thereof First then to the Figurative Shadow knowable to all and after to the Mystical Truth knowable to few to none aright save such as are of the same Spirit Solomon was when he Writ these Words 1. There' s a set time to all Visible things under the Litteral Heaven and Sun as the Answer and Accomplishment of God's most wise design and purpose concerning them There 's a time alotted for their Appearance and Manifestation and then for their Disappearing and Vanishing again Both these general Dispensations of God to them do Minister Important Instruction to Man The Positive Assertion of this Truth in general v. 1. does Solomon prove by particularizing the Various things Circumstances and Occurrents relating to Man's Bodily part and Life in reference to which the whole Visible Creation in the greater World without Man was set up before hand as requisite for his entertainment Gen. 1. and Ch. 2. 7. and then to the declinings and Death thereof under the Various Dispensations of God to this lower work of his own hand in Man And hereby is signified the like Various Dispensations of God and thence a like Variety of Condition Incident to the Spirit or inner Natural Man as to it s but Mortal First-Covenant-Life put into and ãâã up in it by Creation Man therein at best was but a Mystical Tree of good and Evil a changable thing a Fading Flower Since the Fall this Fleshy Tree is in a manner only alway's Evil. Man 's fallen nature herein is a Gursed Mystical Earth bringing forth Thorns and Thistles in Filth of Flesh or Spirit Gen. 3. 17 18. His Immortal Spirit in its Unstain'd Mortal First-Covenant Life and State before the Fall with all done or possible to be done in the Activity thereof all Riches Fruits Righteous Works Producible or Performable therein all was Vanity ãâã but Vanishing Shadows of durable substantial things the Everlasting Righteous New-Creature Life Wisdom ãâã things of God Man with all his natural First-Created Life and things is in another Sense under Heaven or below the Spiritual Heavenly Life of Christ the New-Creation Sun of Everlasting Righteousness and things of God Nor Man nor Angel in Innocency had any thing of that Life about them or Fruits thereof And in that Life only can any bring forth Fruit unto God They that say Adam should have held fast that Righteous Life he was Possess'd of by Creation kept where he was as Job once through a great mistake said he would hold fast his Restored Righteousness of that sort they that say this what else must they say This. That Man Restor'd by the second Adam to something of the lost Life of the First must hold it fast Establish himself there never part with or let it go again and Heaven is his own this is true Salvation and Eternal Life In their Lying Spirit of Divination do such Teachers warrant their Deluded Hearers safe and truly Blessed here causing them to hope they will confirm their Word Ezek. 13. 6. They follow Heb. walk after their own Spirit of vanity see nothing of God's they are vanity and see nothing but vanity the things of man which they presumptuously call the things of God and so teach Rebellion against the Lord. They establish themselves and others in a life and Righteousness that 's but Vanity a Fading Flower for Salvation And Irrefragably Confident they grow herein All the World wonder and run after them Rev. 13. 3. 1 Jo. 4. 5. Mean while no Man in the but Restor'd Worldly Spirit of Nature the Life Wisdom and Righteousness of man receives Christ Gospel-Testimony given by his Spirit of Truth in himself or followers Jo. 3. 32. That which indeed is the very Unpardonable Sinning after the Similitude of Adam ' s Transgression do Men Preach up as their undispensable Duty for Salvation The holding fast and keeping up what they received by the First-Creation against the everlasting Creature-Life Wisdom Righteousness and things of God cleerly shew'd and offered them by a second was the very Unpardonable Sin that gave the Irrecoverable fall to the Devil and his Angels Their fall evil Change and Punishment lies in this They retain all the Natural Life Glory and Excellencies of their First-Created State as by their wilful Folly and God's Righteous Judgment turn'd into and used in unchangable Enmity to God They kept not their first Estate but left their own Habitation Jude 6. What was that A State of Unstain'd Natural Purity and of changable Obedience in their Wavering Natural Principle to Spiritual Light by which cleerly shew'd and offered an Unchangably Righteous Creature-Life by a New-Creation on the Obedient-Surrender and loss of their Changable The Lord was pleas'd to deal more favourably with Man as of less Natural Capacity and so under lower Spiritual Conviction then Angels and then also as Over-reach'd and Overset by the Superiour Subtilty and Power of the Evil Angel taking from him the Fading Righteous Life Wisdom Excellencies and Corruptible Perfections of his Inferiour Humane Nature not leaving him them to Fight with against himself as he did to the Evil Angels But when this Life with the things thereof is gradually Restor'd by the Redeemer in Men Satan is presently at the same point with them as with Eve 2 Cor. 11. 3. that they shall not die at all they have Eternal Life Though it was not so in the first Adam yet when Restor'd by the Second and Men Confirm'd or Establish'd therein by him it is Indeed this Fixing Establishing Doctrine to and work upon them is Satan's not Christ's For it fixes them in unchangable enmity to Christ's Gospel-spirit and all his Gospel-things or truths Adam's attempt and design for keeping up the Righteous Life he was Created in and thence Refusing to Surrender and part with it for what was Presented to him in the Tree of Life was his very Sin The Losing or falling from the Righteous life he had was his punishment God took from him What he had his fading righteous Law-Life for Preferring it to his Everlasting New-Covenant Gospel-life The day he ate of the tree of good and evil or pleas'd himself with his own changable righteous life and the ãâã Meats or Delights thereof in preference to God's more excellent Creature-life and never-perishing meats thereof he died as threatned Gen. 2. 17. that is lost that fading righteous Life and so with all his Posterity became dead in trespasses and sins Now if Establishing our selvs in the restor'd Righteous Law-Life of our Nature Called our own be Asserted our duty and security for salvation then a sinning after the similitude of Adam's Transgression which done thus the second time after
to suffer and die with Christ as to his short Law-liv'd nature that he may Reign with him in his long-liv'd Spirit of Grace 2 Tim. 2. 11 12. ãâã we be dead and ãâã with Christ we shall live and reign with him There 's for the poor wise Child If we deny him he will also deny us Ther 's for the old foolish King The ãâã by death com's out of his Prison-State or natural Spirit of Bondage to Reign The latter King's it like an old doting Fool in his Prison-Spirit of Bondage and Death These old foolish Kings the Mystical Princes of this World under the Devil by God's Permission have bin the self-confident Persecutors and Murderers of Christ and his Spiritual Saints in all Ages Cain a first-Covenant Worshipper of God began this work on Abel a second ãâã winding up of all true Abel-Saints will be the Fowls of Heaven that are to feed upon or delight themselvs in a Union of Mind with God in the final Slaughter of all such Mystical and Litteral Kings and People of the Earth as are found in unchangable Enmity to God and them Rev. 19. 17-21 Vers. XV. I considered all the living which walk under the Sun with the second Child that shall stand up in his stead Here 's Solomon's confirmation of what has bin said his judgment upon the whole matter in sanctuary-light In this he considered all the living under the mystical first-creation-Sun walking under the Conduct or in the Light of the first-covenant spirit as therein made alive again in some degree by the Redeemer By the unlawful use of this restor'd Life or Light of the Law in enmity to God and his Gospel-spirit of Grace do they bring themselvs into everlasting poverty and nakedness Their immortal spirit as thus pleasing themselvs by taking up their rest for salvation in the restor'd natural righteous Life thereof he considers with their whole man in that state they shall be caused to stand up in for ever in the stead of what they were in this mortal World and Body This second Child or state of Man in the Resurrection will to the Old foolish King be found a state of everlasting darkness and death in a Resurrection of damnation under final and unquenchable wrath The full infliction of wrath is reserved for this second Child in the said Resurrection-state of the whole Man This second Child or state of Man is that in which he must answer by way of suffering for all the evil done by him in his natural body or slate on earth through a willful abuse of the first-covenant Life of the Law in unchangable enmity to God and the Gospel This comes the said old foolish King to Vers. XVI There is no end of all the People even of all that have been before them they also that come after shall not rejoyce in him surely this also is vanity and vexation of Spirit Solomon having consider'd the present generation of old foolish kings in his own day upon earth tells us the case was alway's the same in former and will so be in all after-times of this world So these two last Verses of this Chapter are a farther enlargment as to the Character and future condition of the Old foolish King to Eternity As to the poor wise Child he asserted him in general to be better than the Old foolish King vers 13. Then vers 14. gives his reason for it because he comes out of his Prison to reign with Christ in a state of eternal Life absolute freedom and true blessedness There 's enough for him all that need be said of him But the Old foolish King vers 13. declar'd in general vers 14. amidst all his conceited riches to be poor he farther signifies vers 15. that he will so be found to all eternity And then vers 16. that this is the Case of all the like old foolish Kings in former generations from the beginning of the World and will be found the Case of all of the like spirit in after-Generations to the World's end To the first of these he speaks in the former part of this Verse There is no end of all the People even of all that have been before them There 's no end of their immortal beings and exquisite sensibleness of their whole Persons Body Soul and Spirit in a Resurrection-State of Damnation Annihilation-death they 'l ever desire but never find Such death will ever flee from them And Eternal Life they can never have For though in a general confused random-guess at happiness every one would be happy that Life in which true happiness ever can be found are and wil they be found in a Spirit of unchangeable enmity to Such life then can they never have nor such death as annihilation of their beings or insensibleness in their beings amounts unto however hotly pursued desired or sought by them There 's no end of their being nor yet of their most exquisite sensiblenes therein under the tormenting wrath and fiery indignation of God for ever The immortality of their whole being in a resurrection of damnation will hold them close to 't under punishment for ever in hell for the ill Use they made of their immortal Spirits and mortal first-covenant righteous life thereof while in their mortal Body's upon earth The second Child or whole man body Soul and Spirit put together again in a resurrection-state of immortality as to being is to answer for all done in the mortal body or natural state and life of all 2 Cor. 5. 10. and Ec. 12. 14. Thus will it be with the Old foolish King for ever as to being But as to that Mortal changable first-Covenant righteous Life which he pleased and flatt'red himself with as an endless Life of true blessedness that will come to an end He will find himself rid of all the fading good and comfort of that which he would fain keep and will be kept up for ever in a most desolate wretched State of being under wrath which he would fain be rid of So is he gone every way All he would not have he must have and that for ever and all he would have he will for ever be deprived of without the least relief when Tormented in the flames of God's Wrath so much as by a drop of Water to cool his Tongue Luk. 16. 24. The mortal first-Covenant Life of his immortal Spirit Exspires and Vanishes dies away and ceases with the mortal Life of his Body So such wise old foolish Kings wise in Christ 1 Cor. 4. 10. as to first-Covenant attainments and fixing there in Enmity to the second will die and perish for ever as the Fool or Brutish Sinner of the Gentil's Yea worse will be his final Doom of the two The righteous Mystical Sodomite in the form of Godliness righteousness of Man in his own restor'd nature but Enmity to the Power of it and righteousness of God in his Gospel Life and Spirit of Grace which is filth of Spirit will