It were well therefore if all Controversies in Religion were reduced to this main Querie What is that Divine Nature Man is capable to partake of in the prevailing activity whereof he may be enabled to follow God fully resist the devil stedfastly and live in the certain assurance and clear evidence of eternal Life By the divine Nature which a chosen generation are made partakers of 2 Pet. 1.4 we are to understand the humane or creature-nature in Christ's person called divine by a communication of properties In this blessed Mediator between God and man it pleased the Father all fulness or perfection should dwell creaturely and divine Col. 1. 19. In him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily Col. 2. 9. In him also dwels all the fulness of the creature spiritually or in its most heavenly spiritual sublimated capacity and incorruptible form Christ that is perfect man is also perfect God very God of very God the very form or invisible image of God so some render Col. 1. 15. which seperately considered in distinction from all creature-nature in him is meerly and singly the object of God's own uncreated understanding absolutely uncommunicable invisible or undiscernable to any meer creature capacity natural or spiritual for ever The highest Nature or Principle of life in any person does by way of prerogative give the denomination and derive its title to the whole person and all that is in him when compleatly subjected to â—â—s ruling influence Thus all that is in Christ who is a person undisputably Divine is also called divine So where the Principle of new-creature Life or Life of Faith is sown by Christ in any man though it be but as a grain of mustard-seed Luk. 13. 18 19. it will spring up into such a prevailing exercise of its spiritual senses over all fleshly first-creation Life and principles in him that his whole person may thence be called a spiritual man David on this account was called a man after God's owne heart 1 Sam. 13. 14. though he had such a remainder of his fleshly nature yet about him as did lust and strive against the Life and operation of his spiritual form so as that after this choice Character of his person from God's own mouth it carried him by a kind of violence into some particular enormities more gross than many heathens were ever guilty of from their Cradles to their Graves in a longer life upon earth than Davidâ—ived â—ived But the solution to the above mentioned Querie requires at least a glance farther upwards into some brief contemplation of the Trinity from such proper language and expression as they are exhibited to us in by the holy Ghost 1 Iohn 5. 7. and Col. 1. 15. 19. In the former of these Scriptures it is written There are three that bear Record in Heaven the Father the Word and the holy Ghost and these three are one In the latter we find these three expressions concerning Christ Image of the invisible God First-born of every Creature and First-born from the dead From these two Scriptures duly compared and explicated we might doubtless receive very considerable information touching the mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ Col. 2. 2. In the former we find the three that bear Record In the latter the Record that is born by all the three the Witness or Testimony Image Name Glory manifestation or threefold personal appearance they give of themselves in Christ. In the former is exhibited to us God as the head of Christ in his threefold essential property or spring of operation In the latter is represented Christ as the express Character threefold glory or personal appearance of the three that are one brought forth by the operation of the said three essential properties in the Godhead And as the three in the first consideration are one God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ so are the three in the second consideration one Christ Image or personal appearance of God Father Word and Spirit that manifest themselves in Christ are one Christ that is the Father Son and holy Ghost in personal appearance Name or manifestation is also one God in Christ and Christ in God are all one pure uncompounded infinite eternal God blessed for ever God in Christ is not three persons as three distinct individual men are for so there would be three Gods but may more fitly be resembled to our capacity by a threefold personal appearance of one and the same man his personal appearance in the body to his fellow mortals his personal appearance in the spirit to angels when his body is laid down and his personal apperance in both together in the rarefied and incorruptible state of both meeting together in the Resurrection God then as head of Christ is three and yet one in an absolute impersonallity or invisibility God as giving forth a threefold personal appearance of himself in Christ is three persons yet so as that he may also be said to be one person Christ and the Father are one Iohn 17. 22. To say God the Father and Christ is in summe to say all that is to be said of God if the apostolical form of sound words may find place with us 1 Tim. 1. 2. 2 Tim. 1. 2. Tit. 1. 4. 2 Thes. 1. 1 2. and Chap. 2. 16. In the second Epistle of Iohn vers 3 and 9. It is said He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ hath both the Father and the Son And he that hath them hath all even Father Word and holy Ghost revealed in and by the Son No man hath seen God the Father at any time not ever can any otherwise than as declared by the onely begotten son which is in the bosom of the Father Joh. 1. 14. and 18. So Mat. 11. 27. No man knoweth the Father save the Son and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him God and the Mediator are so one that there 's no right receiving or owning them apart He that denieth the Son hath not the Father and he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also 1 Iohn 2. 22 23. Antichrist is a liar he denies the Father and the Son The true believing Christian receives and ownes both and both are one God ha's abundantly warn'd and prohibited all men in the Scriptures that they neither make nor take to themselves any single creature-formes as Images of him by or through which to worship him but onely such as he ha's given of himself in Christ before whom was no God formed or nothing formed of God neither shall there be after him Esay 43. 10. The Scriptures are plentiful in this testimony concerning God under these expressions God and Christ Father and Son God considered absolutely as in himself and God considered as the Mediator God our Saviour 1 Tim. 2. 3. The Head of Christ God the Father is three and one and in God the Son he appeares or shewes himself to be so I am in the Father and the
up of Life It will make them of the same mind that was in Christ willing so to suffer in the flesh under the power of his spirit as to cease from sin or from that state that can return back into sin again 1 Pet. 4. 1. This incorruptible form atteinable onely by the fire-baptism performed upon the natural man at his best by the single portion of the spirit of Christ is called spiritual and denominates the whole person a spiritual man though yet in the mortal body in distinction from those who have but only the renewal of their first-creation form by the influence and gifts of the same spirit All that these receive is but the goodliness of flesh renewed adorned nature which is decried and blown upon by a second vice a superior dispensation and ministry of the same spirit as a perishing vanity after the first voice has done its work made a straight path for God in the desert by rectifying the rational powers in bewildred man Esay 40. 3 8. Our corruptible tabernacle is to be taken down This mantle this filthy garment this vile body flesh and blood at its best is to be chaned into the likeness of Christs glorious body his heavenly man by the mighty power and transforming operation of that spirit whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself Phil. 3. 21. We must put off the old man at best and put on the new which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness Ephes. 4. 22 24. Col. 3. 9 10. That Image of God received by the first-creation and all the wisdom glory and righteousness thereof is but shadow to what is to be received by the new creation 'T is but self-glory self-wisdom self-righteousness and when these are opposed to the wisdom righteousness and glory of God in the new creation they are Idols shadows preferred to substance the Law or ruling Principles of our first creation Life to grace and truth in the second Some few Results or Corollaries of what hath been said in this matter take as followeth 1. The Spirit of God the holy Ghost the divine Nature which the Scriptures do evidently assert and declare to be communicable to men exceeds not in its reach and significancy the natural and spiritual creature capacity in the person of the Mediator whereby individual angels and men are brought into an everlasting union with him in one or both as he is one with the Father Iohn 17. 22. 2. Where-ever the Seed of eternal Life is sowne by Christ's causing himself to be received in the single or double portion of his Spirit it will mar the visage or wisdom of man it will take him off from his way of working righteousness and worshipping God in the oldness of the letter of the first creation and enable him to perform all in a more excellent and acceptable way in the newness of the spirit of the second Paul in his own person gives us notice of this distinction which he stood in from those youthful flourishing professors that were reigning as Kings at the righteousness of the Law performable in their own spirit 1 Cor. 4. 8. 10. With such he said he durst not compare himself 2 Cor. 10. 12. who pleasing themselves and applauding one another in a way of mutual self-deceivings and commendations are not those whom the Lord commendeth as he rather desired to be vers 18. They have but the inward heart-circumcision in the letter of the first not in the spirit of the second creation whose praise is not of men as is implied Rom. 2. 29. 'T is worth observation that even in the ancient Hieroglyphical divinity of Egypt no service or worship of God was accounted acceptable and well-pleasing but what was performed by some divine power of God himself in them 3. There are two distinct sorts of everlastingly saved men such as receive the single and such as receive the double portion of the spirit Both pass under the fire-baptisme The former are exalted into association with the elect angels and have for the immediate and adaequate object of their fruition and converse God as shining forth to them in the incorruptible form of Christs natural Manhood The latter and more exalted sort of Saints are taken into association with the spiritual manhood in Christs person and have for the immediate and adaequate object of their fruition and converse God as shining forth to them in that highest and most exalted creature form in Christ's person And by and through these who do properly constitute the general assembly and Church of the first-born the spirits of just men and the holy angels even those principalities and powers in heavenly places do as at second hand receive that manifold wisdom of God that shines forth more immediately upon the Church Ephes. 3. 10. 4. The highest sort of these Saints are not Christ or God much less the lower Christ is the head root and parent to both these sorts of glorified men in his twofold creature capacity or manhood natural or spiritual And Christ as he is the purely divine form or image of the invisible God is head to both these creature-headships in his own person and God is the head of Christ considered as in his purely divine form 1 Cor 11. 3. 5. Christ in his creature-capacity is the maker redeemer and heir of all things in both worlds as all things were created by him so for him Col. 1. 16. Heb. 1. 2. and Rom. 11. 36. Of him through him and to him are all things 6. Men that in their first creation were made little lower than the Angels Psal. 8. 5. are in the second or new creation made equal to the elect angels and all those of the double portion are advanced quite over the heads of all the angels into an immediate association with Christ in his most exalted creature-capacity on the Throne of his glory even in that more excellent creature name than the angels have Heb. 1. 4. Behold then the heavenly order in the whole family of God First God himself the head of Christ and that as Christ is the Image of the invisible God very God Secondly Christ himself as thus considered in his capacity purely divine head to his twofold creature-headship the natural and spiritual man in his own person Thirdly Christ in his twofold creatureship as the immediate head to all spiritual and natural men and angels in his heavenly family his members his body mystical Fourthly Behold these also in their two grand distinctions of superiority and subordination spiritual and natural Fifthly There may seem also to be intimated in the Scriptures a gradual difference of capacity in the individuals of either of these two ranks of everlastingly glorified men Dan. 12. 3. and 1 Cor. 15. 41. There is one glory of the Sun another of the Moon and another glory of the Stars and one Star differeth from another Star in glory Variety of intellectual light or discerning is resembled in Scripture
sinners of the Gentiles that never yet peeped out of the bondage of sensual Lusts. Men of this spirit in Religion stand every moment liable to be run a ground by Satan into the most dangerous and remediless posture of all a latter end worse than their beginning a state of sin and sorrow unchangedable This we are still to have in our eye Where ever two or more natures meet together in any creature 't is the true interest and concern of that creature to yield up the Scepter and Government over all other nature life and operation in it to that which is in it self superiour to all the rest and best able with safety to manage the whole person Divine nature that is the highest Principle of Life and operation communicable to man will upon on lower tearms enter as an ingredient into his constitution than to be king 'T will be Caesar or nothing 'T is man's interest priviledge security it should be so 'T is not in man that walketh at his best estate with stability certainty and continuance to direct his steps Jer. 10. 23. He is therefore in a sort under the curse of the Law even whilst he is working the righteousness of it because not in the continuing principle For 't is said Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the Law to do them Paul alledges this as a warning-piece to those that were of the works of the Law or that were working righteousness but in the single activity and ruling power of their own renewed enlightened cleansed spirit and humane principles Gal. 3. 10. The question is Whether God's Spirit or our own be best at working righteousness steering our course directing our steps whether Law or Grace Old or New-creature Life the Soveraignty of our own or God's Spirit in us be fitter to undertake the work keep off Satan from re-entry sin from returning into dominon Paul warrants us not safe from the most dangerous apostacy under the Law or ruling power of our own renewed mind but under grace onely the Law of the spirit of Life or ruling authority of participated divine Nature Men are ready to say here as Pilate to the Jewes in a different case concerning Christ's person What will ye crucifie our King Strike down the ruling authority of the Law or soveraignty of our own renewed mind for the directing of our steps Yes 'T is best for you to let this king this spirit be taken to task in you bruised sacrificed crucified triumphed over and brought into an everlasting captivity and most desirable subjection to a better king a better spirit that can wilde the scepter of righteousness in you with a more steady hand against all enemies Men should take heed indeed of yeilding up the Scepter out of their own hands to a worser spirit the devil who will not fail to use all his wiles engines and glittering flourishes as transformed into an angel of Light to impose himself upon us as our Baal or Moloch our Lord and King Such error may involve us in a more dangerous hardened fixed enmity to all farther visits or approaches of the Redeemer than ever and in a remediless deprivation of all further benefits of his sacrifice and death It was the refusal to surrender up the ruling power of their own renewed spirit to be bruised crucified and triumphed over by the fire-baptism of the spirit of Christ upon it that made the Princes of this world the Priests Scribes Pharisees and other professing Jewes 1 Cor. 2. 8. that were reigning as Kings as to the righteousness of the Law 1 Cor. 4.8 cry out so eagerly and prevailingly to Pilate that Christ himself might be crucified He that is not made willing by the second divine new creature-birth of Christ in him to have the first birth of a renewed humane life and Principle in him thus handled will be sure to prove a spiritual Idolater at last become a member of mystical Babylon trample under foot the Son of God count the blood of the Covenant wherewith he was sanctified in the first birth as it is offered in a farther and greater benefit thereof for the working this spiritual new-creature-form and more excellent spirit in him an unholy thing a diabolical figment doing thereby despight to the spirit of grace which is the sin against the holy Ghost Heb. 10. 29. Mat. 12. 31 32. 'T is better to be servants and subjects under God's spirit then Rulers in the soveraign authority and uncontrolled activity of our own God's service is that perfect freedom wherewith the son makes us free indeed our soveraignty leaves us liable to eternal bondage 'T is better in this sense also to obey God rather than men his spirit in us than our own yea to bring our own with all that before it was Ruler ofâ— into pure and everlasting subjection to God's we shall otherwise be sure to find our selves at last under the dominion of sin again Let as many natures as will be in man that nature or principle of Life and operation in him that rules denominates the person If sensual nature in its operations desires and delights bear sway in a man over the head of his own rational powers causing them to truckle under it and become serviceable in their witty pleadings and devisings to gratify and humour that over which they should be rulers that man is a beast If rational powers bear sway over sensual he is a man If spiritual a Saint The participated divine nature is the onely spring of the power of godliness in man and sure foundation of eternal Life The grace of God that bringeth salvation reaching effectually to deny all ungodliness open and mystical to Tit. 2. How apt are men to give up the scepter and soveraignty over themselves into the hands of the basest principle of Life in them sensual and how apt is that to catch at the scepter as the basest of men have been usually catching at visible Thrones and Soveraignty over others that are Princes in understanding a hundred times more men than themselves Such Princes are oft walking as servants upon the earth when servants are upon horses It is an evil an error which proceedeth from the Ruler to set folly in great dignity and let the rich sit in low place Eccles. 10. 5 7. Those men that are willingly subject to the basest lusts of sensual Life in their own persons are willing to set up the basest of men on outward visible Thrones over them Dan. 4. 17. that they know are in bondage to the same inferiour lusts with themselves and therefore such under whom the godly man ceaseth and the vilest men will be exalted Psal. 12. 1 8. What amounts all this to without us and within us but a most irrational yeelding up our selves into captivity under the soveraign authority of the bramble as in Iotham's Parable Iudg. 9. 7 15. In such case the bramble when once it finds it self
Sem here were the type as many Iewish Rabbins affirm those expressions without Father Mother Descent or beginning of dayes are not at all applicable to him but singly to Christ himself Sem was the most righteous Son of Noah a Teacher of righteousness as Noah was called therefore properly Melchizedeck that is King of righteousness and King of Salem that is Peace from the place he was chief Governour of afterwards called Ierusalem from Iireh and Salem the place where Peace shall be seen as type of the heavenly Ierusalem occasioned by Abraham's offering Isaac there on Mount Moriah where David saw the Angel by Araunah's threshing-floor and Solomon built the Temple Gen. 22. 14. 2 Sam. 24. 16 17. 2 Chron. 3. 1. Sem on the accounts mentioned might fitly be called King of righteousness and King of peace Heb. 7. 2. but much more fitly yet may Christ be so called in whom all the righteousness of the first Covenant and all the peace that 's to be found in the second kissed each other in the second and were the summe of his Ministery Psal. 85. 10. But to proceed shall I ask a bold question What else can the whole Scripture be as to the saving truths and doctrine thereof but an Allegory in case it be presumed to speak intelligibly to humane understanding The main things signified in Scripture are things spiritual and eternal things not seen 2 Cor. 4. 18. Heb. 11. 1. not at all immediately and in themselves discernable to meer humane understanding The natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God they are foolishness to him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2. 14. What then is to be done Either Christ in his own personal discourses as also by his Prophets Apostles and Evangelists must condescend to gratifie the capacities and understandings of men by representing spiritual and heavenly things to them through such natural earthly Mediums as are suitable and adaequate objects to humane understanding or else 't is as if nothing were said What is no wayes intelligibly spoken is as not spoken Spiritual things in their own naked essence and properties are uncapable of expression by a sound of words Words that are the meanes of humane converse even at their best and in the original language are but the proper signifiers of natural things Adam by giving Names to the Creatures Gen. 2. 19 20. discovered his compleat Philosophical prospect into and knowledge of them in their hidden qualities essences and properties which the dim fighted reason of fallen man hath since been a pittiful bungler at Solomon's Physicks and his book of Plants and the three sorts of Animals in air earth and water Birds Beasts and Fishes 1 King 4. 33. were it yet extant as some think it is in Presbyter Iohn's Library at Amyra would doubâ—less appear a great masterpiece in that kind transcending all the Wisdom and disquisitions of the learned Greeks Hebrew words were fitted to the things they signified There was a certain connexion between things and words All other words as they come less or more near to the Hebrew do more or less significantly represent the things meant by them The more any Language recedes from the Hebrew the more it is confounded by humane changes and additions the more obscure and difficult means are the words thereof for conveying the knowledge of things to us Homer and other Greek Poets and Philosophers set themselves therefore to Etymological learning by reducing the primitive words in other languages to their Hebrew roots and then the Derivatives to those Primitives This they laboured in as the most notable means conducible to the knowledge of things Then Chrysippus Demetrius and abundance of others writ Books of Etymologie Then the Latins receiving Learning as well as the Empire from the Greeks steer the same course in order to Etymological discipline as the choicest means to lead men into the knowledge of things Cato Varro and other antient and famous Latines writ many Volumns to this purpose Of later times on the same account did Iulius Caesar Scaliger compose a hundred and ten Books de Originibus Then Ioseph Scaliger Son of Iulius Lipsius Casaubon and many others steered the same course But when all comes to all were we reduced and advanced into the perfect knowledge and exercise of the Original Tongue what then All the words thereof at best are but the adaequate signifiers of natural first-creation things All these things and words too are but the types letters shadows resemblances rhetorical figures and significant expressions of spiritual heavenly new-creation things If this be true what can the main bulk of Scripture be but an Allegory Spiritual things expressed and signified by Natural and the words thereof from the beginning of Genesis to the end of the Revelation and that in the typical histories persons as well as in the sacrifices ceremonies and parables thereof What jejune and feeble Interpreters of Scripture then must they needs be that cannot Allegorize it nor therefore endure that others should The whole first Creation without humane words is a piece of dumbe but significant Rhetorick to express the second and things thereof The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handy work Psal. 19. The invisible things of God from the creation of the World are so intelligibly represented and expressed to humane understanding by the things that are made as to leave men without excuse for neglect of their duty towards God Rom. 1.20 Raymund de sabunde seems to have spoken notably towards the exposition of this creature Book As the first whole creation in general is letter shadow and expression of the second so more particularly is the first Adam in his primitive natural perfection type letter or figure of the second and of what he himself was capable to be made and in all probability was made by a new creation in the second Paradise Canaan the earthly Ierusalem Mount Sion c. all are Types Letters and significant Figures of the heavenly The three stories in Noah's Ark Gen. 6. 16. as also the three distinct places in Moses his Tabernacle and Solomons Temple the outward Court the Holy and then the most Holy Place or Holy of Holies as they are Types of Christ so of his followers too as to the three parts of their composition Body Soul and Spirit 1 Thes. 5. 23. Man is the Tabernacle of God the Temple of the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 6. 19. His Body is the outward Court what 's done in that is exposed to the common view of all His Soul is the holy place furnished with the lamps of the spirit excellent spiritual gifts for the raising and enlightening of humane understanding resembled by the seven lamps that stood over against the twelve shew-bread Cakes Exod. 25. which signified the light of the Law or ruling power of enlightened humane Understanding in which the twelve Tribes of Israel were to
walk who were shewed represented or propounded before God in the Temple over against the Candlestick but without the Holy of Holies Those twelve Cakes laid on the Table fresh every week were therefore called the bread of proposition and shew-bread But the Spirit of Man or rather the spiritual mind is to be the most holy place for God himself to dwell in This is the new-creature principle of marvellous light and eternal Life by which the Lamp or Candle of single humane Understanding is put out swallowed up and transformed into a better and more excellent the Light of the Sun The Lamp of Man's Understanding till transformed has nothing to do within the Veil The New-Ierusalem state of Life is so far from needing Man's intellectual Candle-light that angelical-star-light yea the sun-light of Christ's own natural perfection is out-shined there by the light of his Spiritual form which is sevenfold brighter There 's no need there of man's Candle or of the Light of the Sun or Moon for the glory of God lightens it and the Lamb is the light thereof Rev. 21.23 and 22. 5. What are in general all the Sacrifices and Ceremonies in the Old Testament but significant Types or Expressions of what we are to be or do in the New The Sacrifices Beeves Sheep and Goats taught and declared primarily the Sacrifice Christ was to make in his own person and secondarily also the sacrifices that all his true followers are to make in their persons that holy and acceptable sacrifice of our rational Life and powers thereof at best under the fire-baptism of God's spirit required Rom. 12. 1 2. that so we may be transformed and grow up into the spiritual powers of eternal Life hid with Christ in God as our true interest and grand concern without which we cannot be saved For persons Adam Enoch Noah Sem Abraham Isaac Iacob Ioseph Moses Ioshua Sampson Samuel David Solomon and many others were they not Types Letters or significant Figures of Christ Cain and Abel Ishmael and Isaac Iacob and Esau were Letters and Types of two Seeds or Births of Christ in Men one after the flesh for the cleansing them from the corruption of Nature another after the spirit which delivers them by degrees from corruptibility as before from corruption till mortality be swallowed up of Life Do not the Typical signifiers of Spiritual things in Moses and the Prophets hold on all along to the very end of the Revelation What 's the New Ierusalem character'd by at the very last but by the twelve precious stones in the High Priests Pectoral which also signified the twelve Tribes of Israel Are any so bruitish as to imagine that those glittering trifles of the East the Iasper Saphire Emrald Chrysoprase and the rest are litterally and really to be found in the heavenly Ierusalem Rev. 21 Does not Paul Allegorize the history of Abraham Sara Hagar Ishmael and Isaac as representing Christ the true Father of the faithful and as a twofold Husband to a first and second Covenant-Spouse which bring forth two sorts of Children one after the flesh another after the spirit The former of these Children arriving onely at the practical and experimental knowledge of and conformity with Christ in the flesh or in his fleshly changable manifestation persecutes the other the true Isaac the spiritual circumcision that 's born of Christ after the Spirit and brought into a likeness and conformity with him in his unchangable creature state Gal. 4. 22 31. Rom. 8. 1. Christ is that twofold Husband mentioned Rom. 7. 1 2 3. married first to a first-Covenant-Spouse then dies Unless that first Spouse be content to pass with him under the fire-baptism drink of his cup taste of his death in order to be brought into conformity with him therein she never meets with him or sees him more to her comfort Her Husband is dead but alive again and lives for ever more Rev. 1. 18. The Wife also must die with him or she cannot come to live with him for evermore 2 Tim. 2. 11. How die or to what To the Law or in the Ruling power of our own natural first-creation Spirit activity and principles however renewed or adorned that so we may come to live under grace the law of the spirit or spiritual eternal Life in the ruling activity and principles of that more excellent spirit we receive from Christ as a transcript of his heavenly manhood in us by the new creation This is that onely under the Government whereof Paul dares warrant us safe from sins ever recovering dominion again Rom. 6. 14. This is that state of Life onely in which as married to him that is risen from the dead we may bring forth fruit unto God in the newness of the Spirit of our new creation not in the oldness of the Letter of our first-creation Spirit as is signified Rom. 7. 4 5 6. The cleansed state of our first-creation Spirit amounts but to the renewed old man not the new but to the circumcision of the heart in the letter of the first-creation not by the spirit of the second whose praise is of Man not of God Rom. 2. 29. This makes but the concision that are of a diminutive narrow dogged snarling nature towards the true spiritual circumcision or circumcision of the heart in the Spirit whose praise is not of men but of God Phil. 3. 2 3. There may be a little dark interval in the passage the first wife of Christ adventures to make through death and the grave in order and with full assurance of hope to meet with him again in the better Life of the Resurrection But she will soon find her own again with usury the quitted and resigned activity and ruling authority of her own corruptible spirit which brings her into the true mystical grave and conformity with Christ in his death in the raised and advanced condition of the same spirit into harmony with and subjection to Christ in her superinduced incorruptible new-creation form and Life This is the mystical Resurrection the spiritual believer has real fellowship with Christ in even while yet in the mortal Body Such fellowship of Christs sufferings conformity with him in his death and power of his resurrection Paul lived in the experience and longed for the full accomplishment of Phil. 3. 10 11. This passage out of the Life of our first-creation spirit and form into that of the second being gradual and leisurely and the tempter laying all his engines of battery against those that are attempting this way and Christ for a little moment hiding his face or withdrawing that kind of comfortable presence he had afforded the soul in his first-marriage-union with her that after a little while he may with everlasting mercies have compassion upon her in the second these things considered 't is no wonder she sits for a little season as a disconsolate fruitless Widow But God bids her be of good cheer for more shall be the Children of the
harmony I shall exhibite to you in a paper of Verses composed by a learned Gentleman and sent him Iulâ— 3. 1652. VANE young in years but in sage counsel old Then whom a better Senatour ner'e held The helme of Rome when Gowns not Arms repell'd The fierce Epeiroâ— and the African bold Whether to settle 〈…〉 to unfold The drift of hollow states hard to be spell'd Then to advise how war may best upheld Move by her two main Nerves Iron and Gold In all her Equipage besides to know Both spiritual power and civil what each meanes What sâ—vers each them hast learn't which few have done The bounds of either Sword to thee we owe Therefore on thy firm hand Religion leanes In peace and reckons thee her eldest Son In the former part of these verses notice is taken of a kind of angelical intuitiveness and sagacity he was furnished with for spying out and unridling the subdolous intentions of hollow-hearted States however disguised with colourable pretexts of Friendship This rendred him a choice Senator an honourable Counsellour for publick safety The Widow of Tekoah said to David My Lord is wise according to the wisdom of an Angel of God to know all things that are in the earth 2 Sam. 14. 20. Will you say this was a flattering hyperbole What think you of that in Amos Surely the Lord will do nothing but he revealeth his secrets unto his servants the Prophets Amos 3. 7. The king of Syria took counsel saying In such and such a place shall be my Camp against Israel Elisha sends to the King of Israel saying Beware thou pass not such a place and the King of Israel sent to the place the Seer of God warned him of and saved himself there not once nor twice 2 Kin. 6. 8 10. On this the King of Syria suspects that some about him discover his projects to the King of Israel No my Lord O King saies one Elisha the Prophet that is in Israel tells the King of Israel the words thou speakest in thy bed-chamber vers 11 12. Hereupon the King sends a great Army of Syrians to apprehend the Prophet They come to Dothan where he is But by the assistance of an angelical host in the Mount he baffles out all their Forces as before their Counsels and secures Israel from their Incursions for the bands of Syria came no more into the Land of Israel vers 13 23. So Ezekiel when in Caldea was present in spirit at the City Council of five and twenty at Ierusalem took exact notice of their Deportment Debates and Resolves in direct contradiction to God's messages by the Prophets himself Ieremy and others and what befel them thereupon He saw Pelatiah the Chair-man or some chief member of the Council fall down dead Ezek. 11. 1 13. A Statesman of such a spirit that can at whatever distance know the Debates and Resolves of the enemy as if he sate in Council with them might advise and contrive things with best advantage to his Countrey without such a company of chargeable wast-pipes of Spials at home or Correspondents abroad as is usual But was this deceased Statesman a Prophet All Futurities are treasured up in God but does every one that sees God see these The Schoolmen acknowledge that all the most contingent and voluntary actings of the Creatures with all future events whatsoever have bin eternally present to God's intuition whose understanding is infinite Psal. 147. 5. They hold him also to be Speculum voluntarium a voluntary Mirror so as not all that see him see future events or the present actings of their fellow creatures at a distance but onely such angels and men unto whom he is pleased to make a particular discovery thereof for the managing of his designes in the World Let this be granted yet whoever is partaker of the divine nature or spirit of Christ though but in the single portion thereof lives undeniably in a spirit and discerning superior to what is to be found in any first-creation nature whatsoever humane or angelical He that lives in this spirit knows not onely this or that man by personal converse but humane nature mankind what it amounts to how â—'â—will act where it will be next He comprehends it knowes the most curious and otherwise imperceptible motions of every wheele in it Many believed in Christ but he knew what kind of Faith they had a temporary one that onely that cast out the devil and made them men again wash'd their humane nature not baptized them into the divine He would not therefore trust them for he knew all men he knew what was in man Iohn 2. 23 25. He knew they had but the faith that might draw back to perdition which soon after appeared for when he came closse to them in the testimony of spiritual or eternal Life which is the free gift of the Father issuing out of his discriminating love these disciples went back and walked no more with him Iob. 6. 65 66. The true Divine is a man of another a more excellent spirit than other men with Caleb Daniel and Christ himself He sees the whole frame course and way of man in Sanctuary Light weighs him in the ballance of the Sanctuary knows what he will do and what will become of him notwithstanding any present flourishes He knows he has but a slippery standing will be brought into desolation in a moment and utterly consumed with terrors Psal. 73. 17 19. The person here treated of was with Noah a preacher of righteousness with Abraham one that did command his Children and houshold after him that they should keep the way of the Lord. His Life and Doctrine seemed to carry much of demonstration in them that he was one of the peculiar Favourites of Heaven had that double portion which prepares and qualifies men to sit down in due season with Christ upon the Throne in a superiority to the elect Angels the singular prerogative and reward of Christ's Servants the Prophets beyond what falls to their share who yet are his true Saints and everlastingly saved People that fear his name Rev. 11. 18. This Prophet or Seer of God in the midst of the greatest successes in the late war when the Churches Parliament and Army reckoned their work done thought their mountain so strong that they should never be moved said the bitterness of death and persecution is over and that nothing remained but with those self-confident Corinthians to be reigning as Kings 1 Cor. 4. 8. he discovered himself to be of another Spirit with Paul He could not reign with them When they thus mused and spake We shall sit as a Queen we shall know no more sorrow he would be continually foretelling the overflowing of the finet mystical Babylon by the most grosly idolatious Babylon and the slaying of the true Witnesses of Christ between them both as the consequent of such inundation Has not he had his share in the accomplishment of his own prediction Have not
6. He that is begotten of God keepeth himself and that wicked one toucheth him not 1 Iohn 5. 18. That which the Believer hath in common with his Persecutors flesh and blood that cannot enter into the Kingdom of God is all that Divel◠or Men can touch And this no farther no◠till such time as God permits which never is till he hath served his Generation done his Work and it be great gain to him to be stripped of his mantle that he may come fully to experience what he hath been long obscurely guessing at amongst his fellow 〈◊〉 Mortality swallowed up of Life 2 Cor. 5. 4. Spiritual or divine Life and the things 〈…〉 righteousness glory and all concerns thereof have more of essence and so of intelligibility in them than any first creation Life or things They are therefore in themselves more intelligible though less yea not at all understood by man 1 Cor. 2. 14. What 's the matter where lies the fault In man's understanding The objects are too dazling and bright for it over-master over-set it That is not all They are quite out of its reach shut up in an utter invisibility It can receive no notice of them but in a type and if this condiscention be made for the expression of them it decries allegory runs away with the shadow and rejects the substance But if God please to enlighten and raise mans understanding in some hopeful measure towards its first-created capacity will that do it No. There is utterly a fault an inability in it at its best to take the immediate view of these things This seems a hard saying But God himself who pronounced of every thing in the first-creation that it was very good Gen. 1. 31. doth yet comparatively find fault with the very best things in it Heavens Angels Men and that at their best estate 'T is written His Angels he charged with folly Job 4. 18. The Heavens are not clean in his sight Job 15. 15. and Every man at his best estate is altogether Vanity Psal. 39. 5. The first Covenant or first state of Life in man and communion therein with God was faulty comparatively with the new-creature-state of man and the new and everlasting Covenant-communion with God that he forms and sets up the Believer in by true Regeneration Think we what we will if God say so shall we contradict and blaspheme He tells us If the first Covenant had been faultless there had been no place for the second Heb. 8. 7. and Gal. 3. 21. If there had been a Law or a ruling power of Life given and set up in man at first or renewed since that could have given Life or have carried us through for eternal life everlasting righteousness and Life should have been by that Law there would have needed no other by a new creation God will not do any thing that is impertinent or redundant So Rom. 11. 6. If eternal Life be by Grace or by the Law of the Spirit of Life Rom. 8. 2. brought into man by a new creation then it is no more of works proceeding from the utmost activity of the Law or ruling power of natural Life and perfection set up in man at his first creation What shall we say to these things How is man out in his divinity God's thoughts are not as our thoughts nor his ways as our ways they are 〈…〉 8 9. his footsteps are not known To be 〈…〉 unequal He will be Judge Every way of man is right in his own eyes but the Lord pondereth the hearts Shall not the Iudge of all the earth do right Can he do wrong God is 〈◊〉 a man that he should lie He giveth not account of any of his matters Job 33. 13. neither is there need for he will not do wickedly or pervin◠Iudgement he will not lay upon man more then right that he should enter into Iudgement with God Job 34. 12. and 23. But the person here character'd as he affected not to be mystical in his person so nor obscure in his language 'T is the fleshly veil on mens understandings as to his matter that makes them carp at his expression and cry obscure obsucre doth he not speak parables Ezek. 20. 49. The mystical reach and significancy of Scripture as exhibiting the peculiar form of new-creature Life under the letter or most significant figures thereof that are to be found in the first-creation by a sound of words lies so remote from the veil'd understandings of men that they make nothing on 't They are willing to be blinded and deceived as to Gods Truth that they may more 〈◊〉 please themselves in their own lie 2 Thes. 2. 10 12. and the 〈◊〉 Serpent the God of this World is as ready and willing to beguile and blind them that the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the Image of God may not shine unto them 2 Cor. 4. 4. In this discouraging posture of the present World did this believing Pilgrim wade through it waiting on the Lord and seeking out such acceptable words for the explicatiug of Divine Oracles as were most exactly calculated and accommodated to the understandings of men so as to unlock insinuate into and gain them by a holy guile into the entertainment thereof upon convincing demonstration of their grand concern therein He did most industriously set himself to bring forth the most inward thoughts of his heart in characters to be seen and read of all as to the Life hid with Christ in God experienced in his person and held forth in the Scriptures of Truth This was his essay in his Retired man's Meditations even to present to our view this mystical life in the most intelligible form language or certain sound of words he could any wayes hit upon which yet how subject they have left him to misconstructions through the ignorance and presumption of his confident undertakers is sad to see in their most groundless calumnies of his Person and gross mistakes of his Doctrine and Principles To obviate such causeless misprisions of him I shall briefly present you with some chief Remarques of his Life He was born a Gentleman My next word is so much too big for that that it may hardly seem decorous to stand so near it He was a chosen Vessel of Christ seperated as Paul from his mothers womb though not actually called till 14. or 15. Years standing in the world 't was longer ere Paul was called during which time such was the complexion and constitution of his Spirit through ignorance of God and his wayes as rendred him acceptable company to those they call good fellows yet at his worst restrained from that lewdness intemperance sometimes leads into which he hath been oft heard to thank God for and so long he found tollerable quarter amongst men Then God did by some signal impressions and awakening dispensations startle him into a view of the danger of his condition On this he en◠his former jolly Company
the Law or the ruling activity of their own rational powers in them But let him speak a word of the divine Life broadly and plainly in its distinction from their present attainment that is to be propagated in them by another birth he is presently looked upon as an enemy There are two births or formations of Christ in the souls of men Those that stay with unwise Ephraim in the first which is but that state or place whence the true Heavenly Seed and Children of God do break forth Hos. 13. 13. refusing to be born of God Iohn 1. 13. Of the will of God Iames 1. 18. By the new second and more excellent Birth will in fine appear in their colours false brethren that will hate and slander their own Mothers Son Psal. 50. 20. In order to this second birth under the metaphor of a Mother Paul saith He travelled with the Galatians again till Christ in his second more excellent appearance and communicable life be formed in them Gal. 4. 19. Veritas odium parit Truth brings hatred is a Proverb that holds too true in all sizes and kindes of Truth Let a man take upon him the boldness to exercise but his Moral-Philosophy-Principles in giving check to the open Enormities of his time drunkenness beastliness swearing and the like he makes himself a prey He reproves a scorner and gets himself a blot Prov. 9. 7. This is his portion from the lewd multitude that will but attempt so much as with the Pharisees to wash the outside of the dish and of the cup to circumcise and lop off the wild excrescencies and exuberant superfluities of naughtiness Sir Thomas Moore Overbury and many others for their faithful counsel on such accounts have been cut off If Socrates a heathen Philosopher through the sublimity of his speculation cannot own the Magistrates Religion but give his Testimony against Polytheisme or a plurality of Gods he must die for it without remedy If Seneca and other Stoicks declare against the corrupt manners and bruitish practises of the generation amongst whom their Lot is cast they are not like to scape much better The main bulk of mankind is so plunged and lodged in wickedness or the wicked one the Devil 1 Iohn 5. 19. and Chap. 3. 12. that they 'l not endure a word against downright Bruitism But for the true Believer that comes forth in and with the Spirit Testimony and everlasting Gospel of Christ he must expect to become hatred even in the house of his God Hos. 9. 8. As it fared with Paul in the Church of Galatia Gal. 4. 16. Yea Paul himself when an eminent practitioner in the righteousness of the Law or of Man was the hottest and maddest persecutor the spiritual believer had and verily thought that he ought to do what he did therein Acts 26. 9. 11. as Christ had foretold in like case Iohn 16. 2. They shall put you out of the Synagogues yea and whosoever killeth you will think he doth God service Your brethren that hated you that cast you out for my Names sake said Let the Lord be glorified we doubt not but we glorify God herein by punishing and excommunicating such Hereticks and Blasphemers but God himself takes up the Controversie very short telling his out-casts he will appear to their joy and their enemies shall be ashamed that cast them out Isa. 66. 5. Paul saw this bitter ignorant zeal in the professing Churches at Ierusalem which he had had experience of both wayes in himself towards other Saints and in other Pharasaical sticklers lately towards him He therefore chose rather to cast himself upon the Heathen Magistrate for his tryal than be returned to them and Festus answered unto Caesar shalt thou go Act. 25. 11 12. He did make the better choice for the Iews were ready to destroy him immediately without a hearing Act. 23. 12 15. Caesar gives him a breathing while He scapes his Sword two whole years what ever more Act. 28. 30 31. Yet suffers at last under that Lyon Nero whom he had for a season been delivered from 2 Tim. 4. 17. Tyrannical Magistrates are so metaphor'd in Scripture as also by others Beasts Birds and Fishes of prey the most potent and ravenous Creatures in Air Earth and Water Eagles Dragons Lyons Unicorns Bears Wolves Foxes the Leviathan or Whale c. But God hears that is delivers his humble broken-hearted Saints from the hornes of such Unicorns saves them from the Lyons mouth Psal. 22. 21. that is from the powers of the darkness of this World Devils or Men by them influenced till they be enabled to triumph over death and conquer them by dying Satan is called The God of this world the great red Dragon of a bloody murtherous colour the root faâ—her and spring of all corrupted worldly Magistracy and arbitrary domination Pharaoh is called a Dragon Ezek. 29. 3. And it is written As a roaring Lyon and a ranging Bear so iâ— a wickedâ— Ruler over the poor people Prov. 28. 15. Her Princes are like Wolves ravening the prey to shed blood destroy souls and get dishonest gain Ezek. 22. 27. Her Iudges are evening Wolves they gnaw not the bones till the morrow Zeph. 3. 3. In Herod they are termed Foxes Luk. 13. â—2 Such Foxes amongst others are taken notice of as spoilers of the Vines Cant. 2. 15. Wasters of the true Churches and People of Christ by their sacrilegious intrusions and magisterial lording it over those that after the way which men call Heresie are rightly worshipping the God of their Fathers What a world is here for a Believer To the generality of bruitish men an honest moral Heathen will be reputed a Phanâ—tick The Legal Christian with his Ordinances and imputed righteousness of Christ for his Justification and acceptance with God though but upon the tearms and in the renewed Principles of the first Covenant will appear so to the honest Heathen The spiritual Man as born of the will of God partaker of the Divine Nature the proper New-creature Principle of eternal Life that quallifies him for the steady Sonly obedience in the spirit and way of the new and everlasting Covenant he appears a Phanatick to them all a Fool a Mad man The Prophet is a Fool the Spiritual man is Mad Hol. 9.7 Yea he is reputed so in the house of his God vers 8. amongst his mothers children Psal. 50. Thus the Iewes Christ's own People said of him He hath a devil and is mad why hear ye him Yea his very friends go about to lay hold on him for said they he is besides himself Mark 3. 21. The Servant is like to find but harsh entertainment where the Lord is thus handled The bruitish party of men is incomparably the greatest and will carry it by Vote The honest Heathen and the Legal Christian will all joyn with them to call the Spiritual man mad The very Christ Christ in Spirit the very Christian the Spiritual man he is cast out of all their
secure in the Throne will not fail to domineer over the other trees fig-tree vine olive or whatever else as if it were really the best of them all and no man must say to the contrary Yea to such unimaginable degrees of folly and presumption are the souls of men liable to be baffled by the devil and their own hearts as 't is not altogether improbable men of debauched consciences and bruitish conversations may think the superiority and dominion over men of Principles and Conscience was theirs of old and though now and then interrupted will be returned back into their hinds again as their right Man that is called a little World may receive instruction from what is observable to him in the greater for the giving of him aim how much he is concerned to be yeelding up all inferiour Life and operation in him to the sacrificing knife and transforming activity of the divine Nature or heavenly manhood of Christ in order to be reduced into an absolute harmony with subjection thereunto By this change he receives his own again with usury He loses the good holy but corruptible vanishing Life liberty and righteousness of the Sons of men and findes in the room thereof the more excellent most holy incorruptible marvellous light life wisdom righteousness and glorious liberty of the sons of God He findes himself enabled to do all things for the Truth in the power of God's spirit and disabled to do any thing against it in his own disabled to sin against God and wrong his own soul such weakness is his strength such captivity is his glorious liberty Thus Paul was made weak in Christ when others were strong and reigning as Kings in the single activity of their own renewed spirits which they also had from Christ 1 Cor. 4. 8. 10. But his weakness was better than their strength his seeming folly and despicableness better than all their wisdom and glory That the life righteousness glory and freedom of man at his best are but corruptible things all the World are my experimental witnesses say what they will to the contrary They are therefore to be accounted but as dung and loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ after the spirit for the wisdom righteousness and Life â—id with Christ in God the glory that excels Let us turn over and read the book of the visible creation and see what occurrs there conducible to this purpose The elements are content to loose their own single natures essences properties formes and qualities and run together into a quintessential compound distinct from them all The Earth parts with its vigor for the production of vegetables These again do readily surrender their life without resistance to feed the beasts of the field and thereby find their own life again with usury by way of resurrection in subjection to and association with the sensual life of the Beast The beast again looses its life becomes a sacrifice to man finding its own sensual life again with usury by way of resurrection in conjunction with and subjection to the rational life of man This rational life of man being yet but a corruptible first-creation-thing is by all this significant instruction from the very book of the Creature as also from Christ himself and his great Apostle Mat. 16.25 Rom. 12. 1 2. abundantly informed that it is its true interest to be given up in sacrifice to the divine life and find its own again with usury by way of resurrection in the life hid with Christ in God All the former sacrifices deaths and resurrections of inferiour creature-natures to one another and to man as also the subjection of vegetal and sensual powers in man to rational are but typical significations and teaching resemblances of this last and greatest of all beyond which there is no other Those that will not adventure to offer up this holy and reasonable sacrifice their rational Life Rom. 12. 1. in hope of the better resurrection Heb. 11. 35. but chuse to remain in the single glory and soveraign activity of renewed humane nature the great master of the family himself intimates to them that this is but the state of servants that abide not in the house for ever whereas those that are made willing to resign the life and soveraignty of their own nature and principles and become willingly subject to communicated divine life and God therein are the true sons that abide in the house for ever Iohn 8. 35. But between the natural first-creation Life of man and the spiritual or divine Life by the new-creation the great deceiver as transformed into angel of Light when he sees us gazing after this superiour dispensation is ready to present himself to us as Christ in spirit or the holy Ghost and obtrude upon us angelical Nature of the first-creation-frame onely to keep us yet short of the divine In this posture finding men dissatisfied in their natural and legal attainments he makes the same demands that Christ himself makes requires the intire resignation of their wills and understandings unto him so as not to think their own thoughts speak their own words do their own works or find their own pleasure but wait in a passive silence for his dictates and inspirations and speak onely such oracles as his beguiling serpentine wisdom teacheth The condition they are brought into by this imposture is so much the more dangerous by how much the more secure and confident they are under it as cherished and pleased with some delusive raptures of joy from this flourishing deceiver By this means he labours to gain more and more upon them till they resign themselves totally up to the conducting influence of angelical nature This is that voluntary humility and worshiping of Angels Col. 2. 18. The devil attempted to bring the humane nature of Christ himself to his lure in this main point of all even to worship him or become subject to his influence Mat. 4. Luke 4. This last and great deceit of the adversary together with the false mortification of things seen attending it where he prevails is notably charactered page 340 and so on to the 350th page of The Retired man's Meditations All first-creation Nature sensual humane or angelical comparatively with divine spiritual new-creature Life is but shaddow letter or significant figure and resemblance Any of these therefore terminated or rested in whatever it be from the lowest shrub of sensual to the tallest Cedar in the first-creation angelical nature so as that man resolves to sit down under the ruling influence and protection thereof as the highest principle of Life he will ever be induced to own this will appear in conclusion to be down-right idolatry All obedience also to the Commands of God in the Scriptures performed onely in the ruling activity of any first-creation nature in us humane or angelical is but serving of God in the oldness of the letter of the first-creation not in the newness of the Spirit of the second
or heaven that may be shaken Heb. 12. 26. Yea though they receive withall the baptism of gifts from this spirit of Christ and in that sence be made partakers of the holy Ghost yet they may prove at length to be but briars and thorns to this very spirit of Christ from whom they receive all and to those true believers in whom the very seed of this spirit is springing up as a well of living waters into everlasting life Ioh. 4. 14. The single Baptism of Gifts supernatural Ornaments and the tongue of Men and Angels all this amounts not to the Baptism with the holy Ghost and with fire Mat. 3. 11. The partaking of the holy Ghost in the single baptism of gifts without the very seed of spiritual eternal Life sown in the heart does not â—ar the visage of the natural man does not sacrifice and offer him up but more abundantly adorn beautifie and set him off Those that have the glory of their earthly man but thus higher advanced by supernatural gifts and accomplishments are liable to play the Idolaters against the glory that excels the Life hid with Christ in God and finally refusing the superior dispensation and those that own it return with the dog to the vomit upon the loss of what they have already received Ezek. 16. 1 15. 2 Pet. 2. 20 22. MORE in his MYSTERY holds that the Fall of the Angels came by their refusal of the divine Life and giving themselves wholly up to the animal and that satans kingdom of darkness extends to and comprehends all the inâ—â—rests and advantages of whatever Life excluding onely the Divine The same Author exhibits a new and unanswerable charge against Paganism that by whatever flights of wit the best of them all may seem to wipe off the imputations of Polytheism or Idolatry asserting themselves to be the adorers of one eternal Deity in his various manifestations yet they worshipped God in such appearances onely as related to and concerned but the animal Life 'T is to be feared this charge will reach a great way into Christianity abundance of the professors whereof are followers of Christ onely for loaves such cleansing gifts and ornaments as do but gratifie and advance their earthly first creation state Speak but a word of the cross and fire-baptism of the spirit that 's to come upon all this glory and goodliness of flesh in order to a more excellent birth and knowledge of Christ after the spirit in them you become an enemy presently if you tell them this truth Gal. 4. 16. If matters be well scann'd and weighed in the ballance of the sanctuary abundance of Religion and Professors will be found no currant and well tried Gold Rev. 3. 18. that will pass for the Kingdom of Heaven The Scripture latitude of the animal or natural man is comprehensive of all that is to be found in mans first-creation state and life in distinction from the spiritual new creation man The natural body or animal man is interpreted by the apostle to be of the same reach and significancy as the living soul of the first Adam at best as the spiritual body or man is comprehensive of that new-creature Life and perfection that 's recieved from the indwelling presence of the quickning spirit of the second Adam 1 Cor. 15. 44 46. Those Christians that are brought into communion with God but in the renewed activity of the natural body oâ— living soul of the first Adam taking the renewed old man for the new Restauration for Regeneration are apt to grow so conceited confident therein that they wil not lend an ear to the tydings of any superior dispensation and more excellent way Man in whatever possible refinement and glory of his first-creation state is yet but that natural man in whose mind there is so vast an asymmetry and incongruity to spiritual divine things the New Name the Life hid with Christ in God the Wisdom and Righteousness of God that shines forth in the New Creature that he knows not what to make of them 〈◊〉 are foolishness to him 1 Cor. 2. 14. Nothing less than the very seed of spiritual new-creature Life from Christ will find or make its way through all possible obstructions from within man or from without and prosper into that kingdome of grace and glory that cannot be shaken This will spring up in the soul and declare it self King take the Scepter and ruling power out of the hands of our first-creation spirit and principles and will safely steer our course direct our steps and enable us to work righteousness in the way everlasting Psal. 139. 24. Sensual Life generally rules at first in children When Reason springs up and begins to shew it self that takes or should take the Scepter curbes the insolencies and exorbitancies of the Sensual powers and governs the whole person If there be a seed of grace or spiritual Life sown in him when that springs up into exercise it will take the Scepter out of the hands of humane Reason and Wisdom and govern the whole person in the Divine Spiritual Reason and Wisdom of God The receivers of the spirit of Christ the seed of spiritual wisdom and divine Life are of two sorts either such as receive the single or such as receive the double portion thereof They that receive but the single will thereby be brought into the incorruptible form of the natural man which renders them fit associates for the elect angels to stand about the Throne as friends of the Bridegroom and the Bride They that receive the double portion of the spirit in the sense above expressed are the very Bride her self the Lambs wife that sits down upon the Throne with him in a more exalted state of Glory for ever The Mother of Zebedee's Children desired of Christ That her two sons might sit the one on his right hand and the other on his left in his Kingdom Mat. 20.21 There may seem to be a right and left hand scituation or state of glory for ever in the kingdom of Heaven The double portioned Saints are they that sit on the right hand the single on the left Christ tells her and her sons they know not what they ask if they would have either of these advancements on this side the Cross the grave the fire-baptism the strait gate that excludes flesh and blood all that is corruptible from the Kingdom of God Can ye saies he drink of the Cup I shall drink of and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with They answer We are able The single portion of the Spirit where it is received as a seed of new Life will not fail to perform that transforming fire-baptism in and upon the souls of men that will purifie them not onely from corruption the utmost extent of the inward water-baptisme and circumcision of the heart in the Letter but from corruptibility gradually fetching them up into the glory of the resurrection till their mortality be quite swallowed
desolate Widow than of the first married Wife Esay 54. 1. And Christ gives that long and most solemn exhortation to his Disciples in the 14 15 16 and 17 Chapters of Iohn to this very purpose to establish and support their hearts in this passage so dark and dismal to flesh and blood into the Life and glory of the Resurrection Upon his fleshly departure and disappearance as their Bridegroom in that first way he knew they would have a little mourning season of it Mat. 9. 15. and therefore sets himself to comfort them before hand with the expectation of what was to follow You shall have another Comforter saies he meaning himself in the spirit and glory of the Resurrection I will not leave you comfortless Orphans and Windows I will come to you after a little while Ioâ— 14. 16 18. To the very same purpose is that Esay 54.7 8. For a small moment have I forsaken thee or withdrawn my self from thee as to my fleshly and first kind of manifestation to thee which looks like wrath but with great mercies and everlasting kindness will I gather thee up to my self in my second and more excellent glory and become thy husband in the new and everlasting Covenant saith the Lord thy Redeemer Both these Dispensations are on foot still Christ yet communicates himself to the souls of men in his fleshly way of manifestation bringing them into conformity with that holy state of his earthly manhood which makes the legal Christian first-covenant professor and Wife of Christ on this side the cross the grave the crown His withdrawing from them as to this appearance and the fruits of it is of the same import as his withdrawing from his disciples when he was actually personally in the flesh He was then litterally in the flesh in his own person but he was even then but mystically in the flesh as to the persons of his disciples as God manifested in their flesh so he is in all that thus experimentally know him but after the flesh now Their so being in Christ Jesus knowing of him and walking in him but after the flesh does not free or secure them from apostacy 2 Pet. 2.20,22 or condemnation Rom. 8. 1. but the knowing of him walking in him after the spirit as he is the new Covenant Bridegroom and better Comforter In this state they are married to him that is risen in the other to him only that was made flesh with whom they in that fleshly glory even from him received must be crucified How else can they be brought into conformity with him in his death It was holy flesh the natural man in its greatest purity that was offered up and slain in him This at the best then renewed by himself in us is also to be slain and offered up under and by the fire-baptism of the new-creature spirit or spirit of Christ that performes the new-creation work in man It must be the holy reformed natural state that must be offered as the true Christian sacrifice Rom. 12. 1. 2 By this means as we come to be married to Christ in the Resurrection so we come to be children of the Resurrection begotten by the force influence and benefit of Christ's Resurrection into a meetness of spirit to be married to him that is risen from the dead Luke 20. 36. 1 Pet. 1. 3. Such marriage there is even in the Resurrection Such a state of the resurrection there is while we are yet in this mortal body The spiritual man who lives in the spirit knoweâ— Christ in spirit and walks after the spirit Gal. 5. 25. Rom. 8. 1. is really and actually though but gradually in this mystical and best kind of Resurrection while yet in the earthly body The new creature he that lives the life and in the spirit of the new creation lives in the Resurrection The Resurrection of our Bodies after the death of them at last is not to be put in the ballance with the priviledges of this spiritual Resurrection while we are yet in the earthly body The spiritual new-creation Life we are risen into is eternal Life But millions of men will find their bodily rising to be but a Resurrection into eternal death and shame everlasting punishment and contempt Dan. 12. 2. Mat. 25. 46. But let 's take a little further view of Christ's first-Covenant Wife and Children what they may do and what may become of them They may play the harlot with that very beauty and comeliness that very first-creation kind of glory and perfect righteousnes of the Law that Christ has put upon them called God's comeliness and yet their own beauty because it beautifies and adorns but that selfish state of the first-creation Ezek. 16. 14 15. What comes of them for playing the harlot with this and opposing thereby the more excellent dispensation and glory that comes from the same Redeemer in his new-creation work They must be judged by Christ as those that shed blood and break wedlock are judged as Murtherers and Adulteresses vers 38. This they come to Not unlike to this is that Esay 63. 8 and 10. He said surely they are my People Children that will not lie so he was their Saviour But they rebelled and vexed his holy spirit therefore he turned to be their enemy and fought against them There are a People a Wife Children Members of Christ after the flesh that stand liable to forfeit all their priviledges and interest in him by apostacy and then Christ becomes their enemy As he delighted before to deliver and save them rejoyced over them to do them good and multiply them so now he will rejoyce over them to destroy them bring them to nought and root them out of the land he gave them Deut. 28. 63. If the transgression the apostacy be general so will the Judgement be too That which he hath built he will break down that which he hath planted he will pluck up even this whole land Jer. 45.4 This was the case between God and those religious Iews that lived and walked but in the wavering principles of the first-covenant They would be ever and anon starting aside like a deceitful Bow They were not of the right or new-covenant heart Their spirit was not stedfast with God and when they failed of their duty he let loose one enemy or another still upon them Then they remembred that God was their Rock and the high God their Redeemer Nevertheless they did but flatter him with their mouth and lied unto him with their tongues for their heart was not right with him neither were they stedfast in his Covenant or they were not in that new stedfast Covenant with him that is established in all things and sure And God will not be mocked he knows how to handle them All this over and over and much more is to be seen Psal. 78. 8. 35. 36. 37. and 57. verses c. And Ier. 3. 14. The same People in the same breath are reckoned
both the Children and Wife of Christ though back-slider Turn again O back-sliding Children saith the Lord for I am married to you The Children that are born but of that changeable seed of the first-creation in Christ hate and persecute them that are born after the spirit or of the incorruptible seed of Christ in spirit as he is head of the new-creation in which he becomes that word or image of God that lives and abides in them for ever and then they backslide and lose what they have in the first-covenant Mat. 13. 12. 1 Pet. 1. 23 25. Esay 40. 6 8. These two Seeds Births Children as they are typified by Ishmael and Isaac Gal. 4. so by Cain and Abel Esau and Iacob and other pairs of brothers Aaron and Moses rather typify the natural and spiritual Saint in the glory of the Resurrection in the new and everlasting Covenant as above described But Cain and Abel c. signifie the fleshly or first-Covenant worshipper of the one party and both the spiritual new-covenant worshippers whether of the single or double portion on the other Cain and Abel c. may be Allegorized into this spiritual significancy and reach as mystically indigitating and presenting to us the distinction of the fleshly and spiritual Worshipper the reformed natural and the transformed or spiritual man the first and second Covenant Saint The elder often turns malignant envies hates persecutes the younger he after the flesh him after the spirit They may with good warrant also be Allegorized into a narrower compass yet as typifying the natural and spiritual man flesh and spirit in the same individual Saint that is born of Christ after the spirit and yet not quite rid of flesh which will be lusting against the spirit in him that is his sin as the spirit also will be lusting against that flesh which is his duty Gal. 5. 17. Not onely corrupt nature filthy flesh but renewed nature holy Flesh goodliness of flesh that that was born of Christ after the flesh will be envying and lusting against striving and contesting with that in man that is born of the same Christ after the spirit Iohn 3. 6. What struggle they for what 's the matter that enlightened reason and the marvellous light of Faith the renewed old man and the new nature and grace can't agree They have the same Father Christ they tumble in the same womb the soul of man This is it they struggle like Iacob and Esau in the same womb in the same person for the dominion the Scepter The question in debate between them is who shall be king The renewed enlightened natural mind which yet is but flesh though holy flesh thinks it self fit to rule and give Law to the whole person would keep all under the dominion of the Law of the first creation The spirit of the new creation claims all this as its right though the latter and younger birth as reason also had been to sense yet the true heir of the crown and the elder must serve or become subject to this younger The renewed first-creation spirit and state of life glory and freedom in man finally refusing resisting and persecuting the more excellent new creature Life spirit and glorious liberty of the sons of God in the second amounts to no less than the sin unto death the sin against the Holy Ghost or Christ in Spirit This same mystery is typified and by no other way but Allegorizing is to be fetched out of the history of Hagar and Sarai Hagar has the start of Sarai at fruitfulness she is first with Child Sarai is yet barren But sing O barren saies Christ in this sense that didst not bear more shall be thy Children greater thy fruitfulnsss at last God swore to Abraham upon his offering up Isaac and not with-holding his onely Son that blessing he would bless him and multiply his seed as the stars of Heaven and as the sand on the Sea-shore and that in his seed should all the Nations of the earth be blessed Gen. 22. 16 18. and Gen. 15. 3 6. This promise relates to Isaac not Ishmael and to Sarai not Hagar and to Abraham not Abram Ab-ram signifies high Father This was all the name he had while he had but Ishmael onely Gen. 16. but when Isaac the promised Seed is coming the syllable Ha or letter H being the first syllable or letter of Hamon a multitude is added to Abram and Sarai so he is called Abraham Gen. 17. 5. she Sarah v. 15. Abraham by this addition signifies high Father of a multitude of nations and for Sarah as type of the New-Ierusalem Spouse of Christ see her numberless Children her Isaac's Rev. 7. 4 9. We find here first â— hundred forty four thousand sealed ones that are the peculiar Bride and spouse of Christ resembled by Sarah and then a numberless multitude of the lower rank of everlastingly glorified men that stand about the Throne Children of the Bride-chamber and friends of the Bridegroom and the Bride But le ts review that Allegory first in History then Mystery Sarai gives her maid Hagar to Abram to be his wife Gen. 16. 3. Hagar conceives and presently the fruitful servant despises her barren mistresse vers 4. Sarai complaines of her to Abram Abram bids her handle her as she pleased Sarai deales hardly with her and she flies for 't vers 5 6. The Angel of the Lord finds her and advises her to return and submit her self under her Mistresses hands v. 9 Here 's the History Deny Allegorizing and there will be no Mystery in it and then what an insignificant story may this seem Did not all these things happen for ensamples were they not written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the World are come 1 Cor. 10. 11. Is not all Scripture given by inspiration of God for doctrine reproof correction instruction in righteousness 2 Tim. 3. 16. What doctrine reproof or instruction can we receive to any purpose from this and abundance of like Scriptures if Allegorical interpretation be carped at and exploded and insipid litteral glosses owned and adhered unto as the onely sence reach and intendment thereof With your leave then let us try by the Allegorizing engine our spiritual discerning if we have it to give birth to the mystical sence and rich significancy which this history carries in the womb of it As soon as Hagar saw she had conceived the next news we hear is her Mistress is despised in her eyes Behold here the proper Character of the first-covenant wife of Christ. She is warm flourishing prosperous and fruitful in a way of outward Ordinances and also in working Righteousness in the goodliness of Flesh in a wisdom glory and comeliness that Christ himself hath wrought in her and put upon her She is wise strong and honourable in Christ and makes no scruple but this will alwayes hold thinks her mountain so strong that she shall never be moved On this account the true new-covenant
spouse of Christ the right new-spirited Saint is despised and slighted as a weak foolish contemptible thing no body at Ordinances and righteousness in her way which she experiences to be the way of Christ finding the fruits of his presence in it Thus was it between Paul with others and some of the Corinthian Church Both were married to and interested in Christ but by different Covenants We are fooles saies he for Christ's sake ye are wise in Christ. We are weak ye strong Ye honourable we despised 1 Cor. 4. 10. and 2 Cor. 10. 12. We dare not make our selves of the number or compare our selves with such as commend and compare themselves with one another of the same principles and perswasions and so applaud themselves in one another by their mutual self-deceivings The true spiritual Elder Paul the aged he is in body with this flourishing youthful warm legal-spirited generation The main business he has to say for himself is a Life hid with Christ in God and worshipping God in spirit and truth This they reckon as nothing but discourse fiction foolishness But be it known those that with Paul are weak foolish and despised for Christ are better than such as he there implicitly reproves and taxes with folly that yet he acknowledges were wise strong and honourable in Christ. Such foolish weak despised ones of Christ as Paul was are they that will quite confound the wise the mighty the honourable The things that are not shall bring to nought the things that are and no flesh with all its ornament righteousness and wisdom shall enter into Christ's kingdom or glory in his presence 1 Cor. 1. 27 29. And as the spiritual saint is thus handled by the fleshly so is the spirit or spiritual part in the same saint dealt with by the fleshly Holy flesh the renewed natural mind will be despising the feeblness of the spiritual while weak and low and jusling it out of the Throne as to its interesting it self as the ruling Principle at working righteousness and worshiping God Having thus in Hagar taken notice of the malapert proud insulting carriage of the first-covenant Wife or Spirit in different saints or in the same against the right spirit of the second through confidence in the works of the Law or works performed in the ruling activity of their own renewed mind let us proceed to other branches and observables in the said Allegory before us Abram as a type of Christ delivers up Hagar into Sarai's hand Sarai dealt hardly with her so she should Hagar fled 't was her sin What signified Sarai's hard dealing with her Persecution No the Spirit of Christ the fire-baptism the strait gate that will not suffer flesh and blood to enter into the kingdom of God this it signified Hagar's flight then imports the declining and refusal of all these The legal spirited professor confident in the works of the Law will endure none of these things They are all a sad story a hard saying to him His usual way of waving them if urged and hard put to 't is to call them Blasphemy and the Witnesses thereof Blasphemers and on he goes very secure in his doatage But say or think man what he will this is Christ's way he gives up the fleshly worshipper and the fleshly part in the true spiritual worshipper to the spiritual to be humbled and abased broken and subdued hardly dealt with crucified slain and offered up in sacrifice under the power of the Cross of Christ or fire-baptism of his spirit typified by Sarai There 's no entring into the kingdom but we must pass thorow this fire this tribulation this bruising of the inmost part of the natural man his very spirit and rational powers whatever ever becomes of his outward as to persecution from the world Hagar despised Sarai Ishmael mocked Isaac Gen. 21. 9. this was persecution Usually those that are taken out of the world or worldly first-creation constitution and frame of spirit within them by the fire-baptism do so differ even from the professing part of the world in their very religion or union with God by another Covenant and in their more excellent way of worshipping God in spirit and truth not letter and form that they seldom or never scape the external branch of the cross and baptism of blood through the rage enmity of man against this new-creature marvellous light and life that is springing up in those whom God is transforming into another nature But let men take it how they will the cross the fire-baptism we must come to within us first or last or we cannot be saved The fleshly worshipper either yields to this fiery doctrine ministry and way or resists or flies If He get the magistrates sword on his side as if Hagar could have got Abram to side with her against Sarai then he 'l make the messenger of such tydings fly Sarai must fly or suffer under Hagar Men decry it for heresie blasphemy and persecute him that talkes at such a rate Thus Christ himself was served by the zealous legally religious Iew. 'T was the religious professing party of the Iewes that crucified Christ and would take no answer hear no reason or argument from Pilate the Heathen Magistrate to the contrary But if the sowre Legalist neither will yeild nor can bruiâ—ishsly resist this hard doctrine by outward force or persecution then he takes Hagars course flies it And what then He every where decries this spiritual doctrine of the cross and fire-baptism for heretical dangerous and seductive wishing all to beware how they meddle with such books converse with such persons or listen to such dangerous suggestions While toleration lasted I have experimented this to be the too general frame of spirit amongst professors in this nation who have evidently chosen rather to venture a persecution of their own doctrine and persons than endure this and the assertors thereof Here 's the mystery of Hagars flight The Angel of the Lord advises her to return and submit her self to her Mistris In her all these timerous fugitive envious legal-spirited Christians that are leavened with the leaven of the Pharisees are admonished to entertain better thoughts of the New-Ierusalem Spouse resembled by Sarai and submit themselves to her doctrine and more excellent way to the cross the fire-baptism the spirit of Christ the covenant of grace Sarai This is the doctrine the reproof the correction the instruction on in everlasting righteousness which that History that Allegory is pregnant with Christ with both his Covenant Spouses and Children are allegorically expressed by Husband and Wife Father and Children Head and Members with the like Such expressions are interpretable into mystery by a due considering the duties and offices of such Relations in the letter And as Christ himself so Paul and others are in way of Allegory called Fathers of such as by them are begotten to Christ through the Gospel 1 Cor. 4. 15. and vers 17. he calls Timothy his
man that is of the new-creation frame Their glory wisdom righteousness are but shadows of his and to be done away Their goodness is but a morning cloud and as the early dew it goeth away Hos. 6.4 Their wisdom is comparatively but foolishness and their lesser shadowy glory of the Law or ruling powers of their first-creation state is to be done away as no glory by reason of the glory that excelleth in the spiritual man 2 Cor. 3. 10. Every man at his best estate renewed enlightened gifted man is altogether vanity He was so in his first-creation he is so in his greatest renewal Nothing below the new-creature the spiritual man is exempted from this title in Scripture Vanity is of larger extent than sin Any thing that will vanish that is corruptible and perishable is vanity The whole first-creation is vanity and was sowne in corruption that is was a corruptible not a corrupt thing Angels and Men the choicest flowers in it have withered and corrupted their way before God and so lost that life of communion with God wherein they were created The natural body that 's interpreted to be the first Adam at best with his living soul 1 Cor. 15. 44 45. is but the vile body or inferiour first-creation state of man that is to be transformed into the likeness of Christ's glorious body in the new-creation Phil. 3. 21. How too generally and universally are professors in all variety of form judgement and way lodg'd in a kind of invincible conceitedness that the revival of first-creation principles and life in them towards a conformity with Adam in innocency or Christ in the flesh is the only attainment beyond which they are not concerned to look All this is but the natural or vile body Yet how strangly are men captivated to this day under this embondaging and incorrigible dotage Every thing that they are have see or desire while in this case can be no other than vanity Their wisdom glory righteousness all are vanity vanishing things Men that are vanity love vanity ouâ—ward visible vanities that gratify sense inward vanities that gratify reason Man's reason is vanity How oft have we heard and seen mens reason to vanish before their bodies All the inmost thoughts of mans heart all the more overly imaginations of his fancy all the reasonings and desires springing from both are vanity There is nothing man is or does till he come within the sphere of the spiritual world the new creation but it 's vanity Outward visible Thrones Crownes Scepters great Revenews and all possible flourishing accommodations of bodily life amounts but to the more glittering splendid sort of bruitish vanities and often fall to the share of beasts the vilest most bruitish men Rational parts together with their advance and ornament by acquired and infused humane Learning Arts Sciences excellent Gifts the tongue of Men and Angels these are far choicer and more eligible things than the above mentioned Lordly circumstances of bodily or bruitish Life and yet these all fall within the compass and sphere of vanities vanishing things as sounding brass and tinckling Cymbals Nothing below the very seed of spiritual new-creation Life gets out of the sphere of vanity Those that have all possible outward and inward gallantry too of the natural man or vile body are exhibited to us as to their duration and continuance under the allegory or parable of a green bay tree They may be in great power spreading themselves like a green bay tree but they soon pass away and are not we may seek them while we will their place can no more be â—ound What a stage of the choicer sort of vanities glory righteousness wisdom of man excellent gifts high illuminations dexterity of expression tongues of men and angels has England been these twenty years We have seen a praying Ministry Parliament Army going forth in a way of Righteousness in Covenant with God and no weapon that was formed against them could prosper No Army no Counsel could stand before them All opposition proved a feeble infatuated thing What is all come to They were not stedfast in the Covenant they started aside like a deceitful Bow Their righteousness vanished â—â— a morning cloud an early dew and the bodies of the chief Leaders in that Ministry Parliament and Army are in their graves All is vanished save a few faithful chast-spirited men who for being true to their trust stedfast in their Covenant and undertake have been and are daily delivered up â—s Lambs for the slaughter by their apostatized friends What a Scene of vanities and shadows is this earth at best how little worth minding Things seen things temporal are the things that are not Things eternal things not seen are the onely things that are Man thinks quite otherwise That matters not Did we truly know our selves we might the more easily be perswaded in another sence not to know our selves If we knew but the vanity of our whole first-creation state the goodliness thereof comparatively with what we are capable to be made in the second we would not know our own souls no though we were perfect yet would we despise our life Iob 9.21 All the wisdom righteousness thoughts reasonings imaginations and desires thereof are vanity Did we thorowly know this we would be content to resign all not think our own thoughts speak our own words do our own works find our own pleasures and so enter into the true mystical Sabbath and rest of God in the new creation If we lose the temporary life and righteousness of our first-creation we shall find it again with usury in the eternal Life and everlasting righteousness of the second If not we shall lose it for ever in the eternal or second death If we lose our litteral shadowy Life and Image of God received in the first creation we shall find it again with usury in the mystical substance spirit and truth of the second Then let the letter and figure of Scripture be interpreted into spirit and truth we shall know what to make of it not before Could man be content to be baffled out of himself allegorized out of his first-creation shadow into spirit and truth he would be content Scripture should be so allegorized too out of its letter and shadow into spirit and truth The true allegorizing interpreter of the Scriptures does and must expound them into things not seen things eternal into a sence quite out of the reach and discerning of all the sense and reason in mankind Spiritual things things eternal are discernable onely to the eye of faith the spiritual discerning the hearing ear He only that hath this ear will hear what the spirit saith unto the Churches Heb. 11. 1. Rev. 2. 29. 1 Cor. 2. 14. Men then do seem concerned in this point for the allegorical sence of Scripture leaves them quite at a loss If they will not therefore be content to lose their sense and reason with a full assurance and stedfast perswasion
of this life again when renewed it shall die 'T is a tree twice dead dead first in Adam then after a personal revival dead again by a wilful sinning after the similitude of Adams transgression knowingly refusing the same more excellent life and glory of the new creation that he did by preferring the lesser glory of the first thereunto and so is pluck'd up by the roots and burned Iude 12. 9. Angels and the soules of men are immortal as to being if we mean by immortal everlasting Angels will remain a flame of fire and man will consist of body soul and spirit all the essentials of their first-creation constitution for ever But what then is this their advantage would it not be a great gain to them to lose themselves by annihilation rather than be eternally miserable They are stripped of all righteousness glory comfort deprived of all communion with God and in their single meer naked beings exposed to everlasting punishment in the pouring forth of his fierce wrath and displeasure upon them Mat. 25.46 Does not Christ say of Iudas it had been good for him if he had never been born Mat. 26. 24. 'T is not proper to say that wicked men and angels when under the paines or in the state of eternal death eternal a parte post are immortal but everlasting unless it be proper to say immortal death 10. 'T is observable that which is said 1 Cor. 15. 46. First that which is natural and afterwards that which is spiritual This holds true of the different creature-capacity and form in head and members root and branches in Christ angels and meâ— The natural creature-form in Christ as a peculiar product or emanation from the second of the three that bear witness capacitating him for the creation of the first world and to exhibite the Image of the three that are one to the creatures natural understanding when made is to be considered by us in a priority to that spiritual and more exalted creature form brought forth in Christ by the peculiar operation of the third in the Trinity by which the natural form is baptized into its unchangable state of Life and Union with God By this twofold creature-form in Christ are the three that are one everlastingly exhibited to the view and enjoyment of men and angels in a suitableness to what ever capacity natural or spiritual This is the beatifical vision God gives of himself in Christ. Will any here or any where else in this discourse cry Tautologie 'T is answered once for all the same things are oft said in scripture by several persons yea by the same on several occasions and sometimes scarcely that as is to be seen in the Psalms and Proverbs c. 11. As t is said of the natural and spiritual form in Christ and his members first that which is natural then that which is spiritual so is it said of them in another scripture by way of allegory in Iacob and Esau The elder shall serve the younger Rom. 9. 12. The natural or elder creature-form is to be so handled by the spiritual or younger as to be through the fire-baptism transformed out of its changable capacity and captivated into everlasting subjection to and unchangable harmony with the spiritual This holds true in Christ and his members also The whole rank and order of angels and men that are about the Throne in their incorruptible natural form are as servants to the Bridegroom and Bride that sit upon it in the spiritual The natural form also of Christ and all those peculiar Saints that constitute his heavenly Bride is subject to the spiritual in the same persons 12. These two creature forms natural and spiritual in Christ and his members are resembled to us by the two olive trees candlesticks and two annointed ones that stand before the Lord of the whole earth This may appear by comparing Zech. 4. 11 14. where they are peculiarly applied to Christ with Revel 11.4 where the true Saints that receive this twofold oyl or spiritual anointing with the heavenly name or nature of Christ and thereby become the two Witnesses or Witnesses of his twofold creature-glory and perfection shining forth in their persons are also called the two olive-trees and candlesticks standing before the God of the whole earth 13. Those that are truly anointed with both or either of these names or formes of Christ natural or spiritual by the new and everlasting Covenant are such onely as can most properly be said to assemble or be gathered together in his Name that is in the power and exercise of the new name and nature of Christ communicated to them Mat. 18. 20. Such meetings Christ promises to be in the midst of engages to hear all their prayers and to grant all things whatsoever they ask Iohn 14. 13 14. How can it be otherwise for whatsoever they ask in that spiritual new-creature name in the desire of that new Spirit and Life in them that is born of the will of God Jam. 1. 18. must needs be according to God's will and saies the same Apostle 1 Iohn 5. 14 15. If we ask any thing in or according to his will he heareth us And if we know that he hear us whatsoever we ask we know we have the petitions that we desired of him Meeting in the name of Christ in the fellowship of the spirit in the communion of the holy Ghost Phil. 2. 1. 2 Cor. 13. 14. are all the same thing 14. Christ has excellent gifts to bestow upon the rebellious also Psal. 68. 18. upon a sort of People that for a while are in Covenant with him married to him and made comely through one sort of comeliness from him put upon them Ezek. 16. 14. They are his Children wholly a right seed children that will not lie branches of the true Vine who are yet liable to be turned into the degenerate Plant of a strange Vine unto him Jer. 2. 21. to rebel against and vex his holy spirit so that he may turn to be their enemy Esay 63. 8. 10. This sort of Saints or People of Christ who may again become no people Hos. 1. 9. make up his first-Covenant Spouse resembled by Hagar His Children they are but they stay in the place rest in that state of their first-creation Life and Glory with unwise Ephraim and the foolish Virgins whence the true Children that have the feed of the new and everlasting Covenant-Life in them do break forth into the wisdom glory and righteousness of the new-creation Hos. 13. 13. Those that thus stay in that place or state of Life that is neither God's nor the creatures true Rest will at length set themselves to vex and persecute the spirit of Christ in them that quit that place and state for the more excellent way the true Rest and so as downright enemies to Christ will make use of those very natural parts or spiritual gifts he has bestowed upon them to decry vilifie and persecute him in
in his first creation as he came out of the hands of God had the Law of Nature or the ruling powers of natural Life in full perfection inherent and operative in his own person The same Law of natural or first created Life and perfection is renewed by Christ in men as to kind so as also to be inherent and operative in them in some degree but the deficiencies of inward personal sanctity and of inward and outward operations are made out by the compleat righteousness of the Law as wrought by another person for them and imputed to them for their justification before God upon the tearms of the first Covenant qualifying them for communion with God therein In this sence Paul was according to the Law blameless to wit under this comliness of God put upon him In the other sence as to inherent personal perfection 't is said 1 Iohn 1. 8. If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us 19. As to the whole bulk of the written Oracles of God there is frequently given the proper character both of the Law and Gospel Principle or state of Life in the old Testament as well as new but of the latter more eminently and plentifully in the new 20. There were true spirituall Saints both before and under the outward dispensation of the Law Enoch Noah Sem Heber Abraham David and many others and there are sowre narrow Pharisaical legal-spirited Christians under the outward dispensation of the Gospel at this day 21. Even the first Covenant or Legal state of first-creation Life and Principles renewed in men comes to them in the way of Gospel or through the glad tydings of the mighty Redeemer who was promised to Adams under the name of the womans seed that should bruise or break the Serpâ—â—â—s head Gen. 3. 15. This he did by dying through death destroyed him that had the power of death that is the devil Heb. 2. 14. Thus Christ died for all 2 Cor. 5. 14 15. to recover all again out of that dead sleep in trespasses and sins into which they were cast by Adams first transgression and to set them upon their first-creation â—eâ—t again in order to a new trial of their personal demeanour in that great point Adam first miscarried in as to the loosing the Life quiting the righteousness wisdom and lesser glory of their first-creation for that which excelleth in the second the tree of Knowledge that puffeth up for the tree of Life that edifieth Thus was Christ a propitiation not for the sins of his elect onely that of the whole world 1 Ioh. 2. 2. Here 's all the general Redemption the Scripture holds forth 22. If these things be so what signify all the voluminous Controversies of the Pelagian and Antipelagian Arminian and Antiarminian Supralapsarian and Sublapsarian about Free-will general Redempton and the Like What Free-will is it the one pleads for the other denies Only such as Adam was created with the wavering Liberty of the sons of men the object whereof is natural good and evil As for spiritual new-creation things they were in themselves in their own naked essence clear out of sight to Adams discerning at best which was but natural They were onely representable and understandable to him in a riddle through some first-creation shadow the Tree of Life Neither of the above mentioned parties in all their warm digladiations and pickeerings once dream of a distinct superiour state of Life and Liberty that should swallow up all that of the first creation into victory bring it forth again with uâ—ury and great gain by way of resurrection in the glorious Life and Liberty of the sons of God the spiritual eternal Life and Freedom to good onely and not at all to evil But whoever returns not into the exercise of his retified first-creation Principles and Liberty as a general fruit of Christ's death 't is his own voluntary default He sins against God and wrongs his own soul he hates Christ and loves death Prov. 8. 36. He refuâ—es the righteousness and glory of his own humane nature and chuses to be a beast 23. But what lies in man to do towards the superiour and more excellent dispensation and way by which he should be led forward into the glorious Liberty of the â—â—â—s of God and eternal Life 'T is answered He hath power in the right use of his natural freedom not to resist it but upon experience of the insufficiency of the selfish spirit and wavering Principles of his first creation to submit all the Life and glory thereof to the fiâ—e-baptism in order to the being brought forth in a more excellent state that is unchangable 'T is not in man to do any thing towards his new creation as neither did he contribute any thing towards his first make But God makes such proposal and offer of this new-creation work to all mankind as not one man fâ—iles of being made a new creature but it will be most righteously interpreted by God to have befallen him through his own voluntary default in neglecting refusing and resisting that offer Where comes in the difference then A remnant according to the election of grace obtain it the rest are voluntarily blinded and fall short Rom. 11. 5. 7. That saying of Austin is not amiss God will not save any man whether he will or no but he will make that man willing to be saved that he resolves to save He may do what he will with his own Mans first-creation Liberty misused in this great point brings forth this sad truth Thy destruction is of thy self O man And Gods reserving singly to himself the forming up of the new creature and the prerogativeâ— Liberty of effectually and irresistibly disposing of this great favour where when and to whom he pleases brings forth that excellent truth That our salvation is onely and meerly of God as Sir Francis Bacon observes in his Confession of Faith Who then maketh men to differ one from another the new creature from the old Man makes himself to differ from the new creature or spiritual man by his voluntary rejecting and despising this more excellent Life but God alone makes him that is a new creature to differ from the old And this indeed is the proper meaning of difference in such cases To differ is to excel Phil. 1. 10. That ye may approve things that excel or differ So 1 Cor. 15. 41. One star differs from or excels another star in glory Thou wilt say if the case â—e thus Why doth God yet find fault For who hath resisted his will Those that he hath elected and is resolved to save he will effectually and irresistibly make willing to be sayed and they will certainly be saved and no others Nay but O man who art thou that replict against Goâ— Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it why hast thou 〈…〉 He may make vessels of honour or dishonour as he pleases amongst Iewes or
Gentiles all the world over Rom. 9. 19 24. God that is infinitely â—ust and can be no otherwise is not bound to give an account of any of his matters Job 33. 13. Why therefore do ye strive against God while ye put forth this querulous demand Who hath resisted his will Will you cast all your sins and destruction too upon God's final rejection of you as reprobate silver Ier. 6. 30. God strives by his Spirit with men to bring them to himself Gen. 6. 3. to which Peter refers 1 Pet. 3. 19 20. Men strive and fight against God are disobedient and rebellious If God suffer men to prevail in a final resisting of his spirit that strives with them they are undone for ever If they be conquered they are saved If they lose their mutable Life they find it again in that which is unchangable If they keep it a while in opposition to the more excellent Life they lose it at last in eternal death These are the Gospel riddles which the very disciples scarcely understood while Christ was with them in the flesh nor we while we have but the like knowledge of Christ after the flesh as they then had Knowingly to resist and hate the new-creature Life and words thereof is to do despite to the spirit of grace to sin against the Holy Ghost He that hath an ear to hear let him bear 'T is in vain for man to quarrel God will be justified when he judges Ps. 51.4 He will at last bring forth the grounds of all his dispensations towardâ— man and proceedings with him in such a demonstrative and undeniable consonancy to the very reason of man that every mouth shall be stopped Yea there is enough said already in his written Oracles to stop every mouth 24. We may take notice from what hath been said who those poor mourning meek-spirited men those merciful pure peace-making yet persecuted Children of God are that Christ pronounces blessed Mat. 5. 3 11. We may also come thereby to know on the other hand what Christ meanes by that rich full laughing sort of people to whom he cries wo wo wo Luke 6. 24 25. The poor in spirit are they that are willing to be broken emptied of the activity life righteousness glory wisdom reasonings desires thoughts and wayes of their own mutable first-creation spirit in order to be filled with the spirit of Christ the wisdom and righteousness of God in the new creation Thus with Steven they come to be ful of faith and of the Holy Ghost Act. 6. 5. rich in God or rich towards God Luk. 12. 21. That righteousness that is imputed to or inherent and operative in the new creature is called the righteousness of God All the fruits of saving faith all the works that are performed in the operative principle of new-creature Life are the righteous works of God who by his indwelling spirit worketh all such works in us Esay 26. 12. On the other hand all the righteousness imputed to or inherent and operative in the first Covenant Saint is called the righteousness of man such righteousness as Christ had and wrought in his changeable fleshly manhood which he imputes to them that are sanctified through his blood into an experimental knowledge of him and conformity with him in the flesh This imputed comeliness or righteousness is called both God's and Man's in a breath Ezek. 16. 14 15. Men dome too often to trample the blood of this Covenant under their feet after they have been so sanctified Heb. 10.29 and to play the harlot with that sort of righteousness imputed to them after they have been so justified The first creation state of Life in man by being broken and crucified under the second comes into a peaceable everlasting harmony with God This makes a true son of peace as well as of righteousness answering his father Melchizedeck's constitution who is both king of righteousness and king of peace Such sons of peace are commonly reckoned men of contention though the only true peace-makers the world has in it that desire and labour to bring others also into the same state of peace harmony and everlasting union with God as one spirit with him the state of love charactered 1 Cor. 13. Is not God himself reckoned a God of contention for striving with men by his spirit in order to conquer them into a state of salvation deliver them out of their own hands take them out of their own dispose by bereaving them of their own liberty and power of sinning against him and wronging their own soules And is not Satan the God of this world reckoned the God of peace that speaks smooth and pleasing things to flesh and blood by all his various instruments from amongst men even by those whom he transformes into the very likeness of the Apostles of Christ 2 Cor. 11. Do not men generally approve of and like the doctrine of him and his ministers best as orthodox and sound that advises men not to gaze after or listen to those spiritual wanderers â—hat speak of an attainment beyond the righteousness and glory of our first-creation This doctrine of his runs through all forms of proâ—essing Christians at this day and the spiritual man is reckoned mad for contradicting it Is not Satan reckoned the God of order that is for one man's continued speaking onely in a Pulpit accounting it a breach of the peace punishable by the Magistrates sword for any other to speak there though all that his pulpit man does is but to shut up the kingdom of heaven and in effect to charge men that they look not after it that is not listen to those who after the way which they call Heresy are worshipping God in the spirit Is it not the business of those authorized deceivers to open their mouthes in blasphemy against God to 〈◊〉 his Name his tabeâ—nacle and them that dwell or have their conversation in heaven Rev. 13. 6. Phil. 3. 20. And is not God himself reckoned the author of disorder and confusion for saying If any thing be revealed to another that 〈◊〉 by â—â—t the first hold his peace for ye may prophesy all one by one that all may learn and be comforted 1 Cor. 14. 30 33. Thus Satan and men neâ—tâ—e warm together in the first creation and no right tidings or character of the second will be listened to That crafty Serpent has blinded their mindes and stop'd their ears least this light of the glorious gospel should shine unto them or find any entertainment amongst them The Things the Persons the Churches that this strong man thus fraudulently possesses are in peace till Christ the stronger than he cometh to force him out He is coming 25. Those rich full old foolish kings as to the righteousness of man 1 Cor. 4. 8. That will no more be admonished or warned by the wise child in the true regeneration Eccles. 4. 13. those flourishing legal-spirited Christians that laugh are warm and confident in their present
attainments their renewed flesh they are of the Laodicean temper neither hot nor cold Rev. 3. 16. They are not hot enough for the spiritual believers company under the fire-baptism nor cold enough for the dissolute rabble of mankind that are wholly given up to vile affections and sensuallity They think they have need of nothing Because they see the bestial multitude under their feet to whom they say stand by we are holier than you Yet are they as to eternal Life wretched miserable poor blind and naked Rev. 3. 17. They have no exercise of true spiritual discerning or Life in them When this sort of professors are hard beset with the spiritual believers testimony rather than endure that they will venture if there be no other remedy to piece up with any prophane Interest as Act. 17. 5. The issue oft is they are â—uined for their paines by those they call in to their assistance Rich they are wise strong and honorable in Christ by a knowledge of him after the flesh while David Paul and others of their spiritual constitution are poor needy weak and despicable as to that selfish Life wisdom and righteousness of man 1 Cor. 4. 8. 10. Psal. 109. 22. Will any here Object That the same Scriptures are oft quoted the same expressions oft used and the selfe-same things unnecessarily repeated The Answer is To me this course of writing the same things in only not grievous but to the observant Reader it may prove safe Phil. 3. 1. As for others that Diotrephes like love to have the preheminence amongst men and gratifie their own ambitious humour by preferring their preconceived notions at all adventures hereunto without any regard had to the beguiling projects of the devil upon them and their hearers all along to me 't is a very small thing to be censured by such men 1 Cor. 4. 3. Is not their censure and reproach in this case rather to be interpreted a ratification of the things here said than any wayes an invalidating thereof Will they prate against these things with malitious words not receiving them themselves and forbidding those that would as he in the 3 Epistle of Iohn v. 9. 10 Let them Will any that pretend to be onely teachers of the Law understanding neither what they say nor whereof they affirm 1 Tim. 1. 7. out of hatred to the main things here treated of bark at some circumstantial infirmities in the delivery thereof contracted from the earthliness of the vessel through which they are handed to publick view Let these take their course also I shall hold my self little concerned to heed what they say Christ pronounces wo to those that all men speak well of for so says he did their Fathers to the false Prophets Luk. 6. 26. That spirit in man that seeks or regards the praise and commendation of men is never right never has the praise of God Rom. 2. 29. 2 Cor. 10. 12. 18. What is more familiar to observation in teachers amongst us than that spirit of the Scribes and Pharisees that would be shutting up the kingdom of Heaven against men neither going in themselves nor suffering others to go in Mat. 23. 13. 26. God in the first creation gives us our selves In the second himself All the righteousness wisdom and works as well as the very being of man is from God as made by him but are called the righteousness wisdom and works of man or self-wisdom self-righteousness which he that so worketh is under the Law or Covenant of works If man himself may be called self such works at best are but self-righteousness Men grosly deceive themselves in limiting self to the corrupt nature onely The ridding us of that is onely the casting out of the devil or of that which the old serpent by his first suggestion to Eve brought into our nature Those Ministers and Pastors of Churches that are really serviceable to their hearers in this work will find cold entertainment from Christ if they proceed not with Paul to a second and more excellent birth of Life in them Mat. 7. 22 23. The fruit of their Ministry amounts but to the constituting of the house upon the sand renewed nature the House empty swept and garnished that Satan can re-enter not the House upon the rock that spiritual house 1 Pet. 2. 5. that is partaker of the divine nature against which the gates of hell shall not prevail All thâ—â— man is has or does within the compass of his first-creation frame of mind and heart at best hath SELF stamped upon it so indelebly and by such undeniable evidence from the scriptures of truth that all the shifts and wit of man will never be able to wipe it out That that is made or renewed by God in the first creation is of the earth earthy That that is born of God in the second is from heaven and the righteousnes wisdom and glory thereof is called the righteousness wisdom and glory of God which they fall short of that stay in the first There is no eternal Life to be had but in the glory that excels 2 Cor. 3. 10. There is a glory and a glory a lesser glory that is to be done away because comparatively 't is no glory by reason of the glory that excelleth and is to remain Reformation brings the lesser glory the glory of man a fresh upon him But it must be Transformation by which we are changed into and brought forth in the glory of God vers 18. t is not a gradual progress and proficiency in the same life glory and righteousness that is here meant but a total change out of one kind of glory into another a passing out of the glory of the first-creation into that of the second from the changeable Life glory and righteousnesse of man into the unchangeable Life glory and everlasting righteousnesse of God The Apostle uses the same word to expresse this great change or metamorphosis of souls that is absolutely necessary to salvation which the Poet prefixes to his fabulous transformation of the bodies of men into the shapes of other kinds of creatures We are metamorphosed changed or transformed from glory to glory Spiritual new-creature Life only is unchangable and therefore eternal 27. This then is the sum of man's duty Offer the sacrifices of righteousnes and put your trust in the Lord Psal. 4. 5. The Chaldee renders it Subdue your lusts and it shall be accounted a sacrifice of righteousness Be content to quit and offer up the first-creation state at best in sacrifice to God and put your trust in the Lord who by his spirit given forth to you in the new-creation will work all your works in you and for you after a more excellent way In the priestly office and power of your faith present your bodies a living sacrifice holy acceptable to God which is your reasonable service or is that sacrifice of your reasonable powers your rational principles at best that God will accept and thereupon transform
who revealeth his secrets to his servants the Prophets Amos 3. 7. and them that fear him Psal. 25. 14. for the discovering unto Abraham that exemplary vengeance he then resolved to pour out upon Sodom and the neighbouring Cities for their wickedness Abraham by the offering up of Isaac did certainly perform the choicest highest and most acceptable Sacrifice and Service that is required of God or performable by the Faith of Gods Elect. Nothing was so dear to him as the Will of God and God thought nothing too much to give him He must become a great and mighty Nation yea all the Nations of the Earth must be blessed in him Moreover he will not withhold his secret counsels and resolutions from his friend Abraham If he intend to execute his Judgements in the Earth he will unbosom himself to Abraham before-hand and so afford him the opportunity of trying the utmost that may be done by his intercession on behalf of the Generation amongst whom his lot was cast The servant knows not what his Lord is about to do but the Friend the Son all must be discovered to him The Friend will readily do whatsoever the Lord commands Ioh. 15. 14 15. will follow the Lamb whithersoever he goes Rev. 14. 4. therefore is the Lord willing to disclose to him whatsoever he is going about to do The Son that abideth in the house for ever is open-handed free and universal in his love and resignation of all he is or hath unto God and God is as free and open-hearted unto him knowing that he will make a right construction and improvement of his discoveries Observe first then That the life of Faith is the most excellent life and that those therefore that live by Faith in the highest operation of it are of highest esteem with God This is apparant in Abraham's case here before us He was a Believer of the highest rank and therefore the choice Friend of God the Father of the Faithful in whom all Nations are to be blessed He is thought â—it for most intimate bosom familiarity and converse with God 'T was a more excellent operation of the Faith that saves and is Eternal life in the Believer which Abraham did experience and walk in in distinction from â—nd-superiority to the elect Angels and an inferiour â—ort of everlastingly â—aved Men that shall stand about the Throne on which Abraham with others of his more sublimated spirit and higher participations of Christ shall sit as the Bride the Lamb's Wife From the singular notice God here takes of Abraham and the peculiar friendliness â—he shews in revealing to him alone of all mankind his present intendment towards Sodom Observe secondly That â—â— it is the 〈◊〉 so is it the great Priviledge and advantage of Believers highly to value and carefully to improve Divine Discoveries Why did God shew this secret to Abraham more than to 〈◊〉 living but because of the singular good use he knew Abraham woâ—â—â— make of it He knew he would instruct and command his Children and Family after him to keep the way of the Lord and to worship him in Spirit and in Truth though a way by men called Heresie God thinks he can never be open enough to a tryed Believer a known Friend Vse 1. How should this encourage us to give up all our Isaacs to him to do with us and all we are or have whatsoever pleases him How willing should this render us to have our Sacrifices fast bound to the horns of the Altar with the threefold cord of God's love to us man's enmity to us and our love to God Whatever we surrender and part with in obedience to the Will of God we are sure to receive again with Usury to die is gain To lose life is the way to find it eternally A Believer draws forth the choicest communicable Excelleâ—cies and bosom-secrets of Christ. God puts a great value upon every motion of his believing Friends Much tribulation they meâ—e with in this Vale of tears many affronts and cruel mockings from contradictious men yea bonds imprisonments and cruel deathâ— But the Lord stands by them to assist and give them peace in the midst of all to make them stedfast and unmovable in the work of the Lord and in their sufferings for such work He raises in them such ravishments of joy through the manifestation of the glory that follows that they chuse rather to be tortured and flain than to accept of deliverance in order to obtain a better resurrection than their deliverance from prisons and death would amount unto They abide stedfastly with God unto a temporary death and he then sets upon their heads the Crown of eternal life Consider was not Christ the great Captain of our Salvation made perfect through sufferings did not he pass this way to the Crown and must not he that will live godly suffeâ— persecution and through much tribulation enter into the Kingdom of God The Apostle bids us consider Christ who quietly endured such contradiction of sinners against himself lest we be wearied and faint in our minds I am now going through the grace of God to resist man unto blood as knowing that I ought to obey God rather than meâ— I am ready to follow the Lord whithersoever he goes and calls me after him Rest assured of this However dismal and sad the Believers work and condition appears to men God will give besides a holy triumph of rejoycing in the way an expected end an end that will answer and over-answer all the desires and expectations of his soul. Whoever is able throughout to mark the perfect man and to behold â—â—e upright in heart will find that the end of that man is peace such peace and so given not as the world giveth but so as no man can take it from him Objection But what peace is this Believers have Is it not their usual lot here to be delivered into the hands of sinners doth not God permit the men of this world the inhabitants of the earth to trample upon and insult over them yea even to ride over their heads Psal. 66. 12. so that they are forced to lay their bodies as the ground and â—â— the sheet to their oppressors that go over them Isa. 51. 23. Doth he not suffer the Devil by wicked men to proceed further against them for the tryal of their Faith than he had commission to proceed against Job for the tryal of his patience even to the touching and taking away their very lives and that with all manner of lying aggravations contring in this to fix the black and infamous character of the greatest malefactors upon them and then cry Crucifie them crucifie them away with such people from the earth it is not fit they should live any longer Act. 22. 22. Answ. To this I answer Thus Christ himself was served and therefore all this notwithstanding they may have peace Yea they have the only true peace which passeth understanding In the midst of all
the tumultuous confusions and insurrections of the workers of iniquity against them they have a steady composure and un-interrupted serenity of mind through an unshaken submission to acquiescence in and conformity to the will of God in all occurrences In the greatest storms the sharpest and most fiery â—ryals that can befal them when they see the flames of man's wrath the floods of Belial or wicked men devouring on all hands and overwhelming all considerations or appearances of true outward peace equity or order they have the inward peace and joy unspeakable and glorious which such strangers cannot intermeddle with or interrupt A perfect calmness and serenity both in spirit and outward deportment may be the Believers portion and ornament in such a season and such circumstances when the vilest of men are exalted and the wicked walk on every side When the world is in the most injurious career against the Saints then doth Christ more intimately imbrace them and more abundantly manifest to their Faith the riches and glory of the world to come Vse 2. for your instruction These things I leave with you as the words of one in my place and circumstances that ought to have weight with you that are young and liable to be misled Learn hence to put value upon the priviledge of believing Saints Be the daughters and children of Abraham and Sarah in all modest chaste and holy conversation Quit the broad way and beaten Road that leadeth to Destruction and be for the narrow path that leadeth unto Life the way everlasting Psal. 139. 24. Let not your care be spent in outward adorning but in adorning the hidden or inner man of your hearts with that which is not corruptible Get the ornament of a meâ—k and quiet spirit which in the sight of God is of great price With all your getting get divine wisdom and understanding Prov. 4. 7. Be as circumspect and cuâ—ious as you can in these heavenly ornaments watching alwayes to cast and keep out every thing that defiles that you may possess your vessels in sanctification and honour as becomes the temples of the holy Ghost glorifying God with your bodies and with your spirits which are his After this manner holy women that trusted in God did in old time adorn themselves whose daughters ye are so long as ye do well and you will find no need to be afraid with any amazement For keeping alwayes by this means a good conscience void of offence towards God and towards man when men shall speak evil of you as of evil doers the shame shall be their own It will appear 't is only your chaste and good conversation in Christ they persecute and accuse you for This is the ground of all their malice and reproaches Christ hath chosen you out of the world be ye followers of him out of it in the peculiar distinguishing spirit and conversation of pilgrims and strangers But then know the inhabitants of the earth will hate you Let this common lot and portion of Believers from this world be expected by you and rendred familiar to you that when you come indeed more eminently under the experiences of it you may not look upon it as any new strange or unusual thing that happens to you above all other Believers But when such things come to pass rejoyce in as much as ye are made partakers of Christs sufferings that when his glory shall be revealed ye may be glad also with exceeding joy If ye be reproached for the Name of Christ if ye suffer for Righteousness sake happy are ye for the Spirit of Glory and of God resteth upon you Be ye not therefore afraid of their terrour neither be you troubled but sanctifie the Lord God in your hearts by your stedfastness and boldness It may be ready to startle you to see a Believer thus handled as you see me now to end his mortal dayes by the hands of violence though not without the free and willing surrender of his Life in compliance with the divine hand and determinate cousel of God herein This is the way which the Lord himself the great Captain of our Salvation went before us in Let not this way of the Lord be evil spoken of by you Let not the least prejudice or thought arise in your hearts against it on this occasion but rather let it serve for the increase and strengthning of your Faith as it ought Vse 3. That which hath been said and observed concerning Abraham as to God's taking such peculiar notice of him and making such peculiar discoveries of his secrets to him should serve to instruct inform and mind us of the great benefits and glorious advantages attainable for us by abiding and increasing in the spirit and faith of our father Abraham It will meet with glorious Returns from God The Spirit of Glory will rest upon such as do thus improve the example of Abraham The secrets of the Lord are with them that fear him The Angels of the Lord encamp round about them and deliver them yet not alwayes from a violent death by the hands of men Christ himself would not imploy the Angels in this service though he could have had more than twelve legions of them for his rescue at his desire The followers of Christ then are not altogether delivered from death but from the fear the sting the power of death and so are made to conquer and triumph over death it self and him that hath the power of death by dying as Christ did who was thus heard in what he feared Heb. 5. 7. Live then in the Spirit and walk in the Spirit and Faith of our Father Abraham Listen to the Experiences of your Father in this dying hour and season of darkness who can and doth here give a good report of that heavenly and better Country he is now going to the more free and full enjoyment of In the midst of these his dark circumstances his enjoyments and refreshings from the presence of the Lord do more abound than ever I can truly say that as my tribulations for Christ have risen higher and abounded my Consolations have abounded much more My Imprisonment and hard usage from men hath driven me nearer to God and more alienated and disentangled my mind from the snares and cumbrances of this mortal life You have no cause to be ashamed of my Chain or no fear being brought into the like circumstances I now am in so it be on as good an occasiâ—n for the Name and Cause of Christ and for his Righteousness sake Let this word abide with you whatever befalls you Resolve to fuller any thing from men rather than sin against God yea rejoyce and be exceeding glad when you find it given to you on the behalf of Christ not only to believe in him but to suffer for his Name Stand fast in one spirit with one mind striving together for the Faith of the Gospel and be in nothing terrified by your adversaries but go on in your