that godly sorrow for their good And in the Thessa it is said that God did send them strong delusions that they should beleeve a lie because they would not receive the love of the truth Now all the delusions that God sends to the man is for his good and the delusion is that he worketh such a beliefe and perswasion in the mans heart for the sinnes cause that he seemeth to the man to bee nothing else to him but wrath fury and destruction and thus hee terrifieth man to make him forsake sinne for his good and to make him returne from his evill life for whatsoever God doth too or for the man it is for his reall good whatsoever the man thinketh to the contrary and it is just so as if a father should correct his childe for his good and future profit although for the present it seem contrary to him even so is man deluded by Gods fatherly discipline and law till sinne cease in him and then this rod discipline or delusion which kept him in a we or fear to offend God shall be taken away that is to say when sinne wholly ceaseth in him and when he ceaseth to offend God his Father any more and this is the evill which is spoken of by the Prophet saying Is there any evill in the city and I the Lord have not done it that is the evill of punishment And that lying spirit spoken of in the Kings that the Lord did send to be a deluder in the mouth of the false Prophess was sent for a punishment to them because they would not believe the truth and this is done to reclaime the man and to let him see his errors and that he may returne home againe to the reall truth And againe it is said hee created the destroyer to destroy and hath sent forth the evill Angells with flaming fire rendring vengeance to those that will not know God And it is said in the Psalmes by Davld and in Job That the arrows of the Almighty stucke fast in him all which evills wraths furies or delusions is the law of sinne which was added because of the mans transgression and they shall continue with him as I have formerly said till sin cease in him but God in himselfe is none of all these for he is a most pure and holy Spirit and is subject to no passions but is a reall essence full of goodnesse neither is there any thing can change or disturbe him but the evill one transformeth himselfe into an Angell of light to delude and deceive the man with his seeming goodnesse for his hurt losse and damnation So the most holy God by his ministering spirits assumes an Angell of darknesse or taketh upon him the body of sinne to destroy sinne and in the Scripture the Divinity is sometimes said to be Sathan in the destroying of sinne being evill with the evill and he is said to be Lucifer the sonne of the morning or that morning starre that is fallen in our hearts for hee could fall no where else and it must be hee that is that day or morning starre that shall arise in our hearts againe so wee must looke into the Scripture with a righteous eye and consider it rightly in its order and place how all things hang and depend one upon another or else we shall lose our selves and confound the Scriptures or forsake and neglost them as many doe because they see many seeming contradictions not having the spirit of unity to reconcile or unite them together for it speaketh sometimes and in some cases that man is passive and God active and that God is passive in some case and man the active and in some case it is said that the Divinity suffers for sinne and doth all in all and sometimes it is understood that the humanity suffers for sinne therefore if wee have not the spirit of the most holy Godhead we cannot finde out the intricacies and secret mysteries of the spirit and minde of the holy written word and how all things stand in their orders and places for some things seeme strange as that God which is all goodnes should destroy so many for Davids numbring the peoples and in one place of the Scripture it is said that God moved him to number the people and in another place it is said that Sathan moved him to number them and in the fifteenth of Jeremy it is said that he would destroy so many with severall deaths for the sinnes of Manasses so that the Prophet Jer. was troubled and said that the Lord seemed to him to be a liar because hee thought these things seemed strange to him to come forth of goodnesse but all these things are secret mysteries bidden from all sinfull flesh and bloud and none shall see them aright but those which have ceased from sinne for God and man have been for ever together and they both have appeared in time to each other and in this time there hath beene a partition wall let in by the man which hath parted their union of love so that the man seemeth to fight against God and goodnesse and God fighteth against man and his evilnesse and nothing can be discerned rightly by the man till the partition wall of sin be pulled downe so in the end of time that holy Jesus the Sonne of God pulleth down all partition walls that have made the divisions betwixt God and man and he uniteth them againe in all lovely unity CHAP. III. A description of the Scripture according to the history and mystery thereof MOSES hath spoken of the Creation of the World and certainly it cannot bee that he meaneth this externall world for I could never heare any true reasons that can bee given to prove the same for it stands at one stay and the Sunne Moone and Starres keepe one course and the Sea runs her race up and down and they still are one and the same in their orders and places neither doe they increase or decrease to or from what they first seemed to be unto man nor doe they wax old as a garment nor as the creatures which we see appeare that have a beginning and ending for we see every spirit that appeares here hath a created body which increaseth and is diminished and is gone againe and is seene no more but this externall world is one and the same for ever for any thing I could see or heare to the contrary The greatest multitude of men beleeve it to bee created of nothing but I cannot see nor heare any reason for the same because that of nothing can come nothing then what must it be made off for sure it cannot be made of the most holy God as some do imagine and say that there was nothing before but God and therefore of necessity if it be as they alleadge he must make all things of himselfe but it cannot stand with reason that out of one should come so many antipathies therefore without all question the most holy
free and might have stood or fell but he fell and all Adams knows this their owne conscience accusing them for hee made man upright and shewed himselfe to bee good but he sought out many inventions to destroy himselfe yet God hath mercy on him and hath brought forth his elected seed to save him which was Isaac or Jacob that wrastled with God in this darke night of man to save and blesse him for this Esau was faine to sell his birthright and was so hungry with hunting and killing the man of sinne that he had almost lost himselfe but his brothers pottage which is love and mercy and power was given him to strengthen him to overcome the man of sinne in himselfe yet he thought this pottage should not have taken away his birthright and destroyed his first creation which he wept for although it was too late for it was for his further good which is hid from his eyes for a time and whilst he is a hunting for Jacob puts on Esaus rough garment or flesh which is the law of sin which made the man of sin mad and hee thought to destroy this Jacob or this second creation which appeared in the man but in the end when sinne is destroyed they will be loving brothers and one man of God for this Jesus Christ or seed of promise the destroyer of sin will make all peace and quietnesse for this holy God is in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe in mortifying and cleansing this man and burnning up all the chaffe of sin with unquenshable fire that there might bee great love betwixt God and man againe for this Jesus was three dayes and three nights in the man of sinne and in the heart of the earth and was carried into his wildernessed land and was tempted of him the manner whereof shall afterwards be expressed for he shewed Man all his filthinesse and how wicked he was and regardlesse of God and goodnesse and this was the first day in him and the night of that day was the death and wrath of God that appeared in the Man which did teâ—rifie and feare him and was the wounds of conscience that told him what he deserved and he threw downe himselfe at Gods mercy and the second day or light God gave him true grace and sorrow for his sinnes and the night of that day is that bloody fight in heaven betweene the Man of sinne and God and that terrible agony and sweat of death was on the humanity and the third day or reigne of Christ is that day that Christ shall reigne a thousand yeares in Man with death which day is that power of patience and long sufferance that lasts till the Man of sinne is rooted out for a thousand yeares is but as one day with the Lord and one day in this suffering and reigne of Christ is as a thousand years to the man for he must reigne till all sinne is subdued and the night of that day all hell is broke loose to torment the Man for a short time but this Almighty power gives the Man a strong and victorious power that he fights with himselfe and overcomes himselfe and all his devillish crew and so the wicked world is ended and Man shall come into a happy condition There are many that think that Christ will come and reigne a thousand yeares here on earth personally but they will be deceived for they look and judge of the Scripture after the outward appearance which is not righteous judgement for we are to looke on it with a spirituall eye and then shall we see it as it is for the looking on it as a history and not as it is a sacred and holy mystery makes so many false Religions for the birth of Christ in this elementary world was after a extraordinary manner and not after the ordinary manner of men for he was not as the seed of man nor did the Virgin Mary feele any manner of paine in bringing him forth as the wise and learned hold nor doth the Scripture make mention of her paine as they doe of others as Rebeckah Isaacs wife and Rachel Jacobs wife for the Divinity is a spirit and the humanity is a spirit and the Divinity and the humanity joyned together in conjunction as man and wife is but one spirit and spirits bring forth a spirit and can doe no otherwise for this Jesus Christ is a Spirit and is the Spirit and life of God that is sowne in our hearts and spirits which makes us cry Abba Father for he was and is a Spirit comming forth of God and man that were and is spirits and that organicall body or figure that he seemed to be in and to eat and drinke and that he was like flesh and blood was as three Angells that appeared to Abraham which he did dresse a kid for who seemed to be men and did eat and drinke with them as they thought â— so Christ seemed to be in that figure and flesh of the man but he was a reall spirit for with that body he walked on the sea the which Peter could not doe with his heavy body but did sinke and Christ did hide himselfe many times and could not be found for he did walke in visibly and when they did leek him to destroy him they could not finde him till he pleased to give himself into their hands and he could come with his body into any roome the doores being shut as he did after the resurrection come to his Disciples saying Peace be unto you and he did eat a broyled fish and they knew him by eating and breaking of bread and there is surely some secret mystery in that for when hee walked like a gardener they knew him not but by breaking of bread and Thomas would not beleeve that it was the body that was crucified because he could come through a chinke of the doore as he thought till Christ shewed him the print of his nailes after which he said he beleeved because hee saw those things but Christ said to him they were more blessed that beleeved and saw not but beleeved and trusted in God without the death of Christ for if we had beleeved and trusted in God wee should not have fallen and sinned but have been more blessed for the whole had not had need of the Physitian but we all have fallen and need the death of Christ to make us whole againe and we cannot beleeve till wee see the print of his death and nailes in our hearts and spirits which he hath taken on him and is now his humane nature for his Godhead and humanity is in us if Christ be in us for he is whole Christ in us God and man nor can he be divided and be in part in us and if he had a corporall body of clay consisting of foure clements made up of flesh and blood as ours is it were impossible and against reason that he could be in us therefore looke into the Scripture with spirituall
to our darke eyes to be flesh which is not as the three Angells to Abraham and to Lot for we beleeve appearances to be that which they are not in deed and in truth which we finde by wofull experience the which makes such contention and cutting of throats about Religion the cause of this distraction is that we doe not see things with a righteous eye I desire all friends and readers who doe read this booke and all to whose hands it shall come that you will looke into it rightly and not construe it amisse but as it is really intended for the good of all and where I speak of the death of God and Christ in man I doe not meane that the Almighty and powerfull Godhead can dye or be lost but as he is dead and lost to the man that despises truth and treads it under foot and so I meane that God is dead and lost and the truth lyeth in the streets of his heart which is God who is that truth and the two witnesses lye dead in the street of his heart unregarded which is mercy and righteous judgement and is God which we should have shewed forth to all the world even mercy and righteous judgement but we have hid these witnesses So I desire that the most holy and righteous God may be your guide and director to lead you into all truth The true Articles of the Christian Faith 1. I Beleeve in God the Father Almighty maker of the holy Heaven and earth in the man I confesse and acknowledge that the same is a true holy living God or good and that he is a mighty Spirit and a perfect clear light that discovers to the man the reall truth of things and how all things are in their places and in or to the Man and he is the reall beeing the truth light life and love to the Man and this is his name light life and love for he is all this to the man for the love of God to the man was such that he brought him under the law of discipline and correction instructing him what to doe for his good and convincing his conscience for what hee hath done to himselfe and against God or goodnesse so he raiseth up all our sinnes as judges to condemne us for what we have done and they correct or punish us for God or goodnesse hath put it in them to doe it and God hath opened our eyes with his power to see it which makes us hate and condemne our selves for what we have done his holy power or light hath perswaded our hearts to have true sorrow and reall repentance for our sins with a broken and a contrite heart and sorrowfull spirit and so we begin to hate our selves and our sins and doe really forsake them and doe confesse that we doe deserve to bee for ever lost and damned and be deprived of God and goodnesse for ever because we have chosen hell death and devill and joyned our selves unto it but Gods mercy and goodnesse hath inlightned our hearts with his law and hath really corrected 〈◊〉 for our sin and hath brought us to the beleefe of Jesus Christ by his law or fatherly correction for he receiveth no sonne but whom he correcteth and none comes to Jesus Christ but whom the Father drawea to him and this drawing to Jesus Christ is by the law of discipline and this law is the river Jordan or judgement and Iohn the Baptist or the light of Gods grace that doth dip or dye us in the river Iordan or Iudgement of Gods glacious goodnesse and this his judgement doth cleanse us from all our sinnes that were as red as searled and we come out as white as snow and this is the first Baptisme in the Fathers Name 2. I beleeve in Jesus Christ the only begotten Son of God or good and that he is the reall substance of God and that he is the goodnesse that proceedeth from God or good And I beleeve that all good things are made in the man by him and through him and that all goodnesse doth consist in him and proceedeth forth of him into the man for his goodnesse in us beareth in us our sinnes by his mighty power of patience and long sufferance with grievous sufferings and agonies which hee hath for our sinnes and there hee lyes or reignes in us till our sinnes bee vanquished or rooted out by this mighty power of patience and long sufferance and when all our evill is overcome by this power of his goodnesse then he delivers us which is the Kingdome of God to his Father that God may be all in all 3. I beleeve the Son of God or Righteousnesse is borne of the holy virgin Mary which virgine is the pure humanity and this pure humanity is overshadowed by the Angell Gabriell or the power of the most highest God and this Son or righteousnesse of God is begotten upon the humanity and is the promised seed to the man which is borne for a blessing to all generations of man as was promised 4. I beleeve that this holy seed of blessing the Sonne of God Jesus Christ the Saviour of us hath suffered death under Pontius Pilate the law of sinne in us and that he dyeth for and to sinne in us and is dead and buried and in hell under our earthly beeing and man of sin and he suffers for our sin in this hell for they be all upon him and he is nailed to the crosse of patience to endure all the reproaches and blasphemies contempts and false defamations or accusations for our sinnes cause on him and for the love of God and to us hath taken us upon him that we should suffer with him all our own reproaches contempts and sinnes to condemne us for doing them and that wee should condemne and forsake them and be dead to them and they to us by the power of Iesus Christ that saveth us in us and this is the baptisme of the Sonne and is the fiery tryalls or the baptisme of fire with which he saveth his owne body or us which is the humane nature that he hath taken on him to suffer for and with and that it might be saved through him and by his power in us and whosoever doth not suffer this death with Christ for their sinnes that is to suffer under the law of sinne death for sinne and to sinne the death of the crosse which is the patience and long sufferance of Christ to the killing of sinne in us he is no Christian let him brag how much he will of his Christianity till he hath tasted the death and life of Christ and that all this is come to passe in him for they must all taste of this cup or passion and be baptised with his baptisme for if we doe not suffer and dye with him we shall never rise and reigne with him 5. I beleeve that the holy God hath raised up his Sonne Jesus from the dead and that he was three dayes
and three nights in hell under the earthly man of sinne and in the heart of his earthly being and the first day he sheweth and discovereth unto man his sins and the night of the day doth terrifie and wound the conscience and doth feare the man which is the law of sin or the wrath of God upon the man that sinneth And the second day is the grace and power of God which giveth the true sorrow and repentance for thy sins and the night of that day is that bloudy fight in which is the sweat and agony of death in thee that crucifies and kills thee for thy sins And the third day is the power of Christ that gives thee victory over death devill hell and sins so that thou art dead unto sin and the night of this day is the patience and long sufferance of Christ in thee till thou hast overcome the evill one for in this day and night is the whole mystery of Christ finished and the Son of God is darkned in thee and thou becommest dead and buried in him and he in thee so the last day is comming on to thee which is the resurrection of Christ in thee and with thee which is the new creature or man of God Jesus Christ which was dead in thee and with thee and when you have suffered together you shall reigne together in perpetuall joyes with him in God for ever and for ever I beleeve that this Jesus or our Saviour is ascended up to his Father and doth carry them up that have suffered with him and hath cleansed them and prepared them a Kingdome for his Father that God may be all in all in us for he Christ after the flesh which is death and mortification must reigne in us till all sin be subdued and then he delivers us up to his Father for he saith except we eat his flesh and drinke his bloud there is no life in us therefore let us eat this flesh and drinke this blood of mortification and killing and crucifying our sins This was the flesh of Christ that St. Paul spake of saying though he knew Christ after the flesh yet now he knew him so no more O that we had all eaten this supper of Christ then were we happy but till then most unhappy for we must drinke this cup or passion and shew the Lords death till he come in his life and glory 7. I beleeve that Iesus shall come from the strength or right hand of God with all his Saints or Angels or the good motions which are thousands of them and they with Christ shall judge the quick and dead in us which quick is himselfe and all his Saints and holy Angells to live reigne and dwell in us and judge the dead sins never to live any more in us but be damned and lost for ever out of us so this is the last day or light or day of righteous judgement that shall last for ever in us O that it were so come to passe in all and that they might see this last and everlasting day or new day which shall last for ever and for ever 8. I beleeve in the Holy Ghost and that he is the ancient of dayes and is the love of the Father and of the Son which is the reciprocall love of singing one to one and this holy love or Holy Ghost hath joyned God and man together and hath pulled downe all partition walls that hindered their comming together and hath baptized or dipt or dyed the man in this his most holy life or holy spirit and hath made him a holy house Church or Temple for God to live and dwell in and Christ is the head stone or foundation of this most holy house O that all men were become this Temple or house of God to dwell in 9. I beleeve that there is one holy Church and this Church are all holy men that are without sinne spot or wrinckle for all holy men are the body of our Lord Iesus Christ that is cleansed by him and made pure for hee is the head of a pure body and there is no sin in his body or Church nor is he head of a sinfull body therefore looke to it you that are sinfull men for you are not the members of Christs body or Church of Christ as you may see in the fifth of the Ephesians where it is evident that he saith that his body or Church is without sin 10. I beleeve that all sinnes are forgiven in this Church for Christ hath forgiven them the sinnes that are past and hath covered them with his holy life so that those evills shall never rise against us more but wee shall live and reigne over devill death and hell with Christ for evermore and sit with him at Gods right hand for ever and for ever 11. I beleeve the resurrection of the flesh of Christ that is joyned to the humanity and this flesh or death of Christ with the humane nature shall arise into immortality and for this mortality of theirs shall put on immortality and all death shall be swallowed in victoriousnesse so happy art thou O man that hast put on the flesh or mortality of Christ for this flesh or mortality shall carry thee into everlasting immortality and into everlasting life and joy of holy minds 12. I beleeve that there is but this one holy and everlasting life and this life is the holy life of God and he hath chosen the man to live in it and to her one with him for ever Take it to heart for this is the reall truth and surely thou shalt finde it so if thou seekest for it thou shalt finde it and it shall bee so unto thee CHAP. II. A description of one spirit acting in all which some affirme is God NOw what a spirit is is to be considered for all things appearing to the man he gave them severall names according to their natures and as they appeared unto him for in Gen. it is said that Adam the man gave every thing and creature his name according as his nature was to the man and it was so and could bee no otherwayes for the genius and wisdome of God in man gave these severall names by his inspirations and lights which hee discovered to the man how the natures and qualities of things were and they are really so for they be named by the Spirit of God in man but there are many cavellers that dispute about it and would destroy all order and bring all into confusion for they say they cannot tell what a spirit is nor what man or beast is nor what fire water earth or aire is yet they themselves see all these severall things and their severall natures and operations in them and to them so that if these things had no name they must of necessity give them some name or else all the world would be dumbe and have no discourse for they could not discourse of these severall things and their natures unlesse they
had names to call them by that the one might understand the other and know what subject they speak of and what each would have another to do but these mad people love to confound themselves A spirit is that internall fire life and motion of all things as the spirit or fire and life of herbes and trees which is named the negative spirit that manifesteth it selfe to the world and all other spirits Now there is another spirit or sure that groweth and bloweth it selfe up into one organ and feeleth any thing that toucheth it and its name is the sensitative spirit There is another spirit eye light or fire that groweth and bloweth it selfe up into an organ whose name is called the rationall spirit or eye of capability and judgement which discerneth all things in their order and place and this is the man And there is another spirit eye light or fire that is a motion joyned to the man that discovers the reall truth of all things to him for his good or hurt and his name is called the spirit of wisdome or God and this is the light or right eye to the man that foreseeth all things for his good if he will regard his instructions And there is another spirit eye light or fire that is a motion that moves to the man that he feeleth in his intellectuall which is the spirit and eye of darknesse that looketh into all things for the mans harme the which if hee looke through leads him into all folly and blindnesse and worketh him into all mischiefe and this spirit is the destruction of the man and bringeth him to all misery and calamity and this spirits name is called the Devill the worker of mischiefe for these two spirits move to the man in his intellectuall and he feedeth seeth and heareth them internally and discourseth with them as two men discourse and talke one with another and these spirits are instrumentall to the man to perswade him to what he shall doe for he can do nothing but by these instruments the one for his good the other for his harm and he tasting of both he knowes the difference and how opposite the onces to the other and how they change him and make him good or evill for if any man doth good by the good instrument hee that is ruled by the evill instrument contradicts the good works of the good and the good instrument contradicts the man that is ruled by the evill instrument but there bee some that say the evill is good and the good evill which cannot be so for the good is good still to the man and is one and the same for ever and the evill is evill still to the man and is one and the same for ever for if thou dost evill to any man that evill is evill to thy selfe and if that man that thou doest evill to should retort the like backe on thy self then thou wouldst quickly be sensible that it is evill and not call that evill good falling upon thy selfe which falling upon another thou didst call good for if thou shouldst vassallize any man abuse or starve him or cut off his limbs and doe him all the harme thou couldst what good is this to thee surely thy conscience tells thee it is evill and not good to thee for thou dost not like to have those things done to thy selfe for retorting and falling backe upon thy selfe thou findest it evill So thou art evill and wicked O man whosonver thou art that dost those things and teachest another so to doe for thou teachest him lies that the evill is good and the good evill and thy owne conscience condemnes thee in doing the evill and so doth the conscience of the others whom thou teachest so to doe also defnding him with thy lies to deceive himselfe with for thou oughtest not to doe any thing to any man that thou dost not like to be done to thee nor must thou doe that which thou wouldest not have done backe againe for thou seest it is evill say what thou wilt to deceive thy selfe for thou dost cosen thy selfe with these vaine delusions Surely those that are of the minde that one spirit acts in all would if it were not for seare of the laws of men fall a cutting one anothers throats and doâ— all mischiefe being devills one to the other in their passion for they will admit of no law of goodnesse for their restraint If but one man had this evill power to execute his will upon all the world for pleasure then might it be thought to be good but you see in all men a desige to have their will therefore thou must expect and it is just and fight according to thy desert that thou shouldest be killed for killing and for stealing to restore double or be his servant to worke it out and make double satisfaction for his losse and troubling him for this is the law of sin and death for sin and this is in man and can be no other wife for the evill that hee doth to another man riseth up in judgement against him by the other whom he bath wronged to retort the like backe upon him for this law of sin in the man saith an eye for an eye tooth for tooth arme for arme c. and so with the froward to be froward and evill for evill saith the law of sinne in man which is just to reward every man according to his owne evill workes but thou caust not abide this law of sinne for thou wouldst doe a great deale of mischiefe and injury to other men and take pleasure in it but that this pleasure brings this sting of death and paine backe againe to thee which thou canst not abide so this thy God or pleasure perisheth with the using and change thy pleasure into pain by falling backe upon thee But thou wilt say that if thou murtherest a man in secret so that none be private thereto but thy selfe how can that murther be discovered or the law of sin be executed upon thee I answer that the law of sin is in thy self and riseth up in judgement against thee in condemning and wounding thy conscience so that thou art weary of thy life and in the and discovers thy selfe never being at quiet till the law of sinne be executed upon thee for we see few murthers that are long concealed another question may be demanded if this law of sinne which seemeth to be good or God and is executed upon thee is not murther and cruelty likewise I answer it is and is thy God and ruler in thy off-fallen estate that is a furious God and a consuming fire who will consume thee in his wrath and in his sore displeasure forthy sinnes have raised up this furious God that holdeth thee in with a rough bit and bridle whilst thou art a wilde asse colt that striveth to overthrow thy rider and this cruell God shall be thy Lord King and husband and will torment thee so long as thou
livest in thy sinnes and in thy heathenish nature for thy sinnes have sold thee into his hands as it is said in the Thessalonians that thou hast thrust the holy God out of his roome or Temple and wouldst not receive the love of the truth that is the reall good or God and is true life and joy to the man who is one and the same for ever and is no change to the man as the delusive God is for he seemeth to be good or is not the God nor reall good to the man for ever as the most holy God is for if we breake the Law or Commandements of this angry God he is very cruell and jealous and will make us drinke the cursed and bitter waters that shall make our belly swell and our thigh to rot if we breake his Commandement commit adultery or Idolatry against him for hee it is that worketh this evill of punishment in our City and is that cruell thundering voice that terrifieth us and makes our hearts to tremble we would faine be at quiet with our sinnes and delight our selves with our wicked abominations but this God doth so trouble us that we cannot injoy our wicked selves hee doth so torment us and shall doe so still till we are weary of our selves and sinnes and desire to be freed from all or to seek some way to please this furious God which wee by our sinnes have raised up for this law is added because of the transgressions and doth continue till sinne endeth in us but wee are not able of our selves alone to satisfie this severe God that is the strong delusion and consuming fire and is not the reall God or good to us which we shall find in the second world or creation which now sitteth in the Temple of God as God and hath thrust the reall holy God out of his roome and is the just God that roigneth in the man of sinne being froward with the froward rendering evill for evill and is righteous with the righteous for he is just in rewarding every one according to his workes and although the man is so wicked that he cannot abide this judge yet he shall be with this seeming God or good for ever if he doe not hate and forsake himselfe and send for the mourning woman and call and proclaime a fast and rent his heart and not his garments which is an acceptable day to him and seeke for the innocent Lamb to make satisfaction to this angry God that he may overcome him with his innocent life for when this innocent Lambe is borne in thee he doth strive and wrestle with this severe God for thee and doth overcome his wrath and evill with his goodnesse and if any do wrong him he doth not revenge but doth good for evill and so overcommeth this revenging God he doth no wrong to offend this God and when he hath wrong done him he will not become the evill God or judge to revenge evill for evill thus and in this manner doth he take away the linnes of the world and the law or punisher of sinne and in taking away the cause the effect ceasoth but whilst the crucifying the man of sinne is a doing it makes the humanity in a great agony and bloudy sweat in overcomming the sinne and the wrathfull judge and this is that most innocent Lambe which worketh all in all in us and for us and he is that still and soft voice that lyeth in thy inmost selfe and in the cave of thy earth till thou seek cry and call for him to save thee therefore looke to it in time and whilst time doth last What time is and concerning man I shall speake more at large hereafter in this book The spirit of man and the two instrumentall spirits is to bee seene and felt in the man and by the man and is discerned by their severall natures the good instrument is justice with which the just doth justly and prudence with which the prudent doth use prudence and fortitude with which the strong doth valiantly the good in heart and temperance with which the temperate walketh temperately and faith with which one beleeveth that to be true that they doe not understand if they see reason for it and hope with which one hopeth and confideth in that that is good and charity with which having proper goods he maketh them common to the good of another that needeth them and patience with which the patient overcommeth and is not overcome and piety with which the pious condoleth the miseries of another that is in misery so if thou art guided by these good vertues thou needst not be afraid of the law ofsin nor any thing else for thy conscience justifieth thee that thou dost what thou wouldest have done to thee and if any one is angry with thee for thy charity that thou useth to another this evill flyeth in his own face and doth thee no hurt for he condemneth the good hee would have done to him if he stood in need and so he is a devill to himselfe for condemning the good that thou dost for all evill flyeth in the faces of them that use it so that none is so great an enemy to a man as himself therefore thou art happy ô man whosoever thou art that is guided by the good spirit for he is all good to thee and the other is all evill let it seem never so good to thee yet thou shalt finde it so in the end for his qualities are these the first is avarice with which the rich is poore and a begger because he knoweth not how to use his riches and gluttony with which the glutton is imprisoned and is never free to injoy himselfe in regard of his slavery to it and leachery with which the man useth the powers of his body unlawfully to his destruction and pride with which the proud man endeavours to be above all others which is a lie and deceiveth him and sloth or negligence with which the idle grieves at the good of another man and rejoyceth at their harme and envy with which the envious desires unjustly the goods of another which covetousnesse is Idolatry and wrath or anger with which the angry man bindes his owne liberty so that he is not free but is a slave to wrath or passion and lying or a lie with which the liar speaks against the truth doing great mischiefe in the world and unconstancie with which the man is manifestly changeable so that no good man dare trust him so thou mayest plainly see and discerne if thou wilt for thy owne conscience tells thee which is the best of these two thinke what thou wilt to deceive thy selfe for none shall suffer for it but thy self This good instrument is the ten stringed instrument or harpe of David on which he praised the Lord and chased a way the envious evill spirit of Saul and thy soule being an eye or light that is composed of harmony and joy this instrument which is
Godhead that is one is of a more pure and excellent nature then these lower changeable elements of earth water ayre and fire of which this lower world is composed off for this lower world bringeth forth nothing but his owne nature as earth water aire and its spirit of fire from which all spirits have borrowed a body which they cannot keep for ever because its nature is changeable and runneth or whirling round never standing at one certaine stay for the Sunne which is soule fire or life of this world never standeth still but every yeare runneth his race round and in his running he melts hardens congeales withers and makes grow green so that there is a continuall death and resurrection every yeare of things under the Sunne for nothing stands at one stay but is in continuall motion and change and in this change is was and shall be one and the same for ever for no man can consume diminish or annihilate the least atom or dust or bring any thing that is to nothing neither can any man finde the beginning or end of things but thou hast borrowed a garment or body which did lye potentially in that matter and when thou makest it appeare it is said to be a beginning to thee and when thou leavest it as it was it is called an ending to thee As for the world whereof Moses speaketh that the most holy God made certaine it is some more excellent better or purer world for man to live in then this for hee hath no true content here in this world or body of clay for this world is the visible God or good that is in continuall change but in the invisible world or invisible God is no change nor shadow of turning but is one and the same for ever if thou borrow a body or garment of this internall and invisible world he never looketh for it again for he is the righteous that lendeth never looking for it againe O that all soules did keep this body or garment that was given them out of this internall world that they might see with those eyes the Sun Moon and all the glorious orders of Starres which glorious world is for thee O man therefore look for thy internall garment that is given thee for ever for the eyes or lights of this body shall never wax dimne but in those lights or eyes we shall see and behold the eternall eye or light from whence those our eyes or lights came which shall be our everlasting body that wee need not feare losing or changing for it continues one and the same for ever being the free gift of the internall God There is a time wherein it seemeth to us that we had a beginning to this internall and invisible body although indeed and in truth this body hath neither beginning nor ending because it lay potentially hid in God and in his essence for its beginning to us is its ending because the beginning reacheth unto eternity and we shall for ever have this body if we doe not lose and disregard it as I feare we all have done for wee have not remembred our Creator in these dayes of our youth before our evill dayes came wherein we have had no pleasure for our evill dayes is this when we disregrad this holy body and then those eyes begin to wax dim in us though in themselves they are one and the same for ever and those grinders cease from eating the internall life the food of our soules and the mourners shall carry this dead body about the streets and walks of our hearts mourning and grieving for us and for our great losse and this is the grieving of the holy Spirit by whom we are sealed made sonnes of God for we have quenched crucified and killed this holy body of the Lord which he gave us for a garment for ever to cover our nakednesse and so he returnes to that holy divine earth from whence he came and the soule spirit or life of that body returnes to him that gave it And now O man what shall we doe for our great losse for we see nothing but death on every side for this externall world is but a living death to us for wee are in continuall expectation to be called out of it and besides there is one that is worse then death that followes us to cloath us with his mortall garments or body of wickednesse for he prepareth a body which is a lie or delusion and shews us a body which is a lie or vanity to cloath us with so that this body is worse then death for it is a living death and dying life and we were better to bee dead and and if possible to be annihilated quite then to live in such a wicked body of sinne and death and it had beene better we had never beene borne or brought forth in it as Job saith cursing the houre of his birth and the day wherein he was borne and wisheth that he had dyed in the birth and that he had never been seen in this wicked world therefore we see many worlds yet cannot see what reason man hath to believe that this externall world was ever made as he imagineth seeing there will follow so many absurdities on it for what reason can be given that there was but one man and one woman at first seeing there is blackmores or men and white and it is contrary to nature and impossible for a man naturally black or blackmore to bring forth a white or a white to bring forth a blacke and we see it so by experience and when Cain killed Abel the Lord being angry with him said that he should be a vagabond and runnagate Cain answered that his punishment was greater then he could beare and if any man should meet him he should kill him when there was none to kill him for if there was but one man and woman created at first there was but his father and he in the world and afterward it is said that hee went into the land of Nod and tooke him a wife who did inhabit that land and what man was the father of his wife how can all these things bee made good by the letter of the Scripture or doe you thinke that there was a materiall garden or a tree whereon did grow the fruit of good and evill or that a Serpent did goe up in the same to speake to the woman sure it cannot stand with reason that it could be so for it is said that all the creatures did come to Adam and he gave them names according to their natures now it is contrary to the Serpents nature to speake after the manner of men unlesse you will alleadge that she understood the language of the beasts and thought them wiser then God and resolved to be ruled by them which to me seems altogether against reason that the woman should be so ignorant and irrationall who was created rationall after the image of God to be ruler of all creatures
be as great as God himselfe before his time and so his pride threw him downe into the most lowest world which is the diabolicall so that his body is now the body of sinne death and all wickednesse and besides he hath pulled downe the divine and most holy world upon him as a judge with wrath and violent fire and so hee standeth still over him till the man desire to come forth againe out of the diabolicall world and returne with humility true repentance and reall sorrow for his sin and then the divine and most holy world doth worke this true reall death in mans heart and descendeth into the hell of his heart that is into the lowest parts of his earth where the wrath of God is and there pacifieth this wrathfull Iudge or God with his humility and true sorrow for sinne by which sorrow and humility he crucifies and destroyes all sinne out of the man and then he raiseth him out of the lowest world into the divinest and most holy world and this world is the second creation that God maketh in man and is himselfe which he createth in him for in his comming he first humbleth and then exalteth the man for the divine and most holy world in his comming downe into hell or the most lowest world to the man to save him doth appeare in humility and lowlinesse of spirit very meeke and gentle enduring patiently all that the law would have him suffer and so teacheth and incorporateth this humility and lowlinesse of spirit into the man that hath learned God so that they twain are made one spirit and this is the new creation of which David speaketh saying Create in me a cleane heart O God and renue a right spirit in mee this is that poore humble meek soule that lyeth in the dust and seeth no help which shall be â—â—ised up from thence to dignity and shall sit with Princes which is to sit with the most highest God and he is the barren that shall beare and bring forth the holy Godhead or divine life out of him Now O man mayest thou see how great the love of God is to thee therefore forsake all worlds for his sake because he loveth thee so deerly and look upon all things through his spirituall and holy eyes and then shalt thou see things cleerly and as they are and not esteem of any thing above it selfe nor above its owne deserving Wherefore wee must looke into the Scripture with those holy eyes or else we shall see nothing aright or as it is Now to looke upon all the histories of the Prophets Judges and Kings without those divine and holy eyes where through we see the holy mystery of the same it will appeare very strange to us and contrary to nature and reason as for example that of Bilaams Asse speaking to him and Nebuchadnezzar being turned to a Beast to eat grasse with the Oxen till the dew of heaven had wet him seven times and the fiery furnace spoken of in Daniell in which the three children were cast wherein they had no hurt nor so much as their cloaths burned and the great Image of brasse iron and clay which is also spoken of in Daniell with many other mysteries which setteth forth the creation fall and restauration of man by the whole worke of the law together with his new creation so that the whole history of the Scripture rightly understood tendeth to those things but are illustrated and set forth many and divers wayes therefore this worke of man is wonderfull and would make an eternall discourse in the minde of man to expresse himselfe And the history of David that he did kill a Lion and a Beare and did kill Goliah is the whole worke of the law to destroy the Devill and sin out of the man also he complaineth sometimes that he is in the lowest hell and in a deepe pit and that he is a worme and no man and that he is in the deep waters and the raging seas run over him so that in all this he carries a double death which is to kill and be killed for the whole worke of the law is to kill and bee killed therefore the law or David cannot build a house for God to dwell in for he saith that David or the law is a man of blood and that he should pull down all buildings of sin and destroy the enemies of the Lord and prepare timber and stones hewed and cut for the house of the Lord that there might bee no noise of the hammer or of the worke mans tools for the law of the Lord hews cuts and prepares us for the house of the Lord before we are or can be set in that there should be no noise of hammer or worke mans tooles hewing or cutting which hewing or cutting is the wounds of conscience making a true sorrow and mourning for sinne and when we are prepared and made living stones and a spirituall house Christ being the head and corner stone that upholdeth this house and holy building and this whole house is covered within and without with pure gold that is with a most pure holy and glorious life then the most holy and wise Solomon the wisdome of the Godhead the sonne of David or the law enters in this most glorious house that shineth with his most bright and glorious rayes and there he worships and adores this great and most holy Godhead and there was and is continuall songs of Hallelujah praise and thanksgiving to him that liveth for evermore and without this house is the middle court where the peace offerings that was and is offered up to this most holy God and was and is the fulfilling of the law by obedience in killing the man of sinne the which doth pacifie and reconcile us to God againe that we may enter the Temple with this holy and wise Solomon to worship and sing praises to the most glorious and most holy God O that it were so well with all the soules of men and that it were so come to passe in them then were they happy but till then most unhappy Now to understand these buildings of the Temple and house of the Lord as a history with all these glorious externall things how that there were galleries and chambers and in those roomes pictures of Angels and Cherubins and that they did uphold the Arke and Alter and that the same should bee covered within and without with pure gold and that the stones must be hewed and prepared before they were set in that there should be no noise of the hammer or workmans toole what is that to thee O man to read the history of these things for all externall buildings must perish with the using and thou never the better for it but looke thou into the mystery thereof because it concernes thy selfe for this building is thee and God joyned together and is the rocke Christ Jesus that living stone disallowed of men but chosen of God and yee as living
stones are joyned to him and made a spirituall house and an holy Priesthood to offer up spirituall sacrifices to God by this holy Iesus Christ our Lord and only Saviour that hath called us from death to life and hath made us sit with him in his holy place that is in the most holy Father therefore O man seeke after this holy building and let it be built in thee for all the hystories of the Scripture is concerning thy selfe thy falling rising or something that concerns thee or the holy Godhead therefore thou oughtest to looke into the scripture with a vigilant eye and with due respect for it is the true looking glasse which showes thee in what condition thou art and therefore read it not as thou dost other hystories but read it and take it to heart and esteeme it as it is the most holy and sacred mysteries concerning the great and most powerfull Godhead and thy selfe O man And as for the Hystory of Iesus Christ that he was borne in an Inn and in a stable betwixt an Oxe and an Asse and laid in a Crach and that the Inn was full and no roome in it but the stable is a great mystery for this Inn is thy selfe O man and the chambers of thy heart is full of thy sinnes the great Kings of thy earthly being which is pride vaine glory hypocrisie lust vanitie wrath and selfe will so that the chambers and roomes of thy heart are full of such guests as these and there was nor is no roome for the most holy life but in the worst place of thy house and thy Herod or bloody mind will not let him ly there but seeketh to destroy and kill him and so hee is carried away and hid in thee till those be dead that seeke his life Now when Christ the holy divine nature comes into our earthly Man of sinne hee hath not a place to lay or rest his head on but is sought for by our sinnes to bee destroyed for he sayeth the foxes that are our worldly Passions have holes and the birds that are our vain Phantasies have nests but bee hath not whereon to lay his head Doest thou not see O vain man that the most holy and divine world or divine life is neglected of thee and kept under thy earthly being and he is in the most lowest parts of thy earth and under thy sinfull manhood hee is that most glorious and holy light that commeth into thy wicked world of sinne but thou art ashamed of him because hee discovers thy deeds of darkenesse so thou putst out this light and quenchest this spirit for thou lovest the deeds of darknesse more then the works of light therefore this light or holy life is carryed away by Ioseph and Marie the perfection and fountaine of Love to the holy light from whence he came till all thy sinne and iniquity which sought his life is dead in thee for the holy life cannot live in thee till sinne be dead and rooted out of thee Now to looke upon Christ comming into this externall world in such a mean manner his birth so low and his condition so poore and dispised and sought out by the Kings of the earth to bee destroyed was because they thought scorne that one of so poore and mean birth should bee King of all the earth And thou mayest see the mystery of his comming into this world in so poore and dispised manner which is to shew thee how hee is in thy selfe and in thy internall world dispised and sought for to bee destroyed by thy finnes the great Kings of thy earthly being therefore O man if thou readst the history of the birth of Christ and not look into the mystery how much it concerns thee thou art never the better for his comming for his externall comming to the sight of the world shall vanish away like a tale that is told or a dreame that is seene no more therefore O man looke into the Scripture and into the holy writ with a diligent and circumspect eye and into thy selfe where is written the holy word to thy condemnation or to thy salvation compare thy selfe and the scripture together and thou shalt see thy selfe there for it is the true reall lookeing glasse wherein thou mayest behold thy selfe and thy owne soule or spirit is a witnesse to thee that it relates to thee thy selfe and it speaks the reall truth to thee in condemning or justifying thee wherefore O man take it to heart for thou needst not no other witnesse of the truth thereof but thy selfe As for Christs being led aside by the spirit into the Wildernesse to bee tempted of the Devill and that he fasted fourty dayes and fourty nights and that he was set upon a Pinacle of the Temple shewing him from thence all the Kingdoms of the earth in the twinckling of an eye and that hee told him all the Kingdoms of the earth were his for they were given him and if hee would fall down and worship him they should bee his certainly this cannot be meant of the externall for no mortall creature taking on this elementary body of clay can subsist without foode so long nor could it be that all the Kingdomes of the world were the Devills for who did give them to him nor can there bee any reason given why or how hee could possible see all the Kingdomes of this world with his externall eyes at one time for this world being imagined round high and low it is impossible that any externall eye should see it at once therefore O man looke to the mystery thereof for when this holy Jesus is borne into us this wicked spirit commeth to him and seeing him cloathed with our fraile and weake nature thinking to overcome him shewing him our barren and wildernessed nature wherein is no good thing for foode for him so that hee must bee starved if hee lived in it therefore hee would have him obedient unto him and hee should have all his honour kingdome and riches but he did forsake them all as abhominable and brought his owne foode or kingdome with him for he liveth by the power and life of the Godhead from whence he came and by this mighty power he makes this stony and barren ground of mans nature food for him to live of and with for hee participates and liveth of both natures the Godhead and the manhoode and this Godhead and manhood being joyned together by a conjunction or reciprocall union have betwixt them both brought forth Jesus Christ the Sonne of God and Sonne of man who is both God and man and being in the wombe of the humanity is nourished and fed by the same as of his mother for all children live of the mothers life and nature and are fed by it so this Iesus Christ comes into our barren ground and by his mighty power maketh it fertill and fruitfull bringing forth himselfe in us to live of us and we by him for our barren ground is plowed
theefe that cannot repent and thou art the other theefe that art repentant for what thou hast done and so findest mercy and in that day or light of mercy thou shalt enter into Paradise thy Masters joy for now you have suffered together you shall also rise and relgne together and enter into the joy together which joy lyes into thy inmost self in the cave of thy earth even there lyeth the most still and soft voice which was not in the great windes that did blow downe the rocks of sinne nor in that carthquake for sinne nor in that fire that consumeth sinne in which God is lost to the man for in that the man casteth the holy God from him is the very thing that doth condemne him and rise against him so that he can never be at rest nor quiet till he hath found God againe and even thus doth God appeare to the man that which he is not in himselfe even a consuming fire as he saith in Thessalon God sendeth them strong delusions that they should believe lies because they will not receive the love of the truth for man thinketh that God is angry with him and he neither can nor shall believe otherwise untill sinne be destroyed out of him for God doth seem to appeare in thy sinnes as an angry judge condemning thee till thou hast suffered under them and for them and so worketh feare in thy heart and all these angers that he seemeth to have against thee and those feares that he worketh in thy heart is for thy future good and for the great love he hath to thee recalling thee from thy sinfull life and when thou hast forsaken sinne then he doth appeare to thee in his glorious amiable and bright rayes full of sweet ravishing contents and then thy Judas Devill or sinnes hath condemned themselves in thee and with thee and hath arraigned themselves at the barre of Gods justice and then they hang themselves in thee and breake their owne necks and brust their bowells asunder and so there is an end of them to thee and an end of thee to them and then thou cryest to thy Father or God It is finished and so yeeldest up thy ghost or spirit into him and the vaile that is the flesh of Christ that divided betwixt the holy and most holy place is rent in twaine from the top to the bottome which vaile death or flesh is the long-sufferance and patience of Christ that rasteth in us till our sinnes are extinguished and blotted out and this standeth betwixt the holy place and the Sanctum Sanctorum and all that will be saved must taste of this flesh death patience long-sufferance bitter cup agony or bloudy sweat which stands before the holy of holies and when wee have tasted this bitter death or cup wee enter through this vaile flesh or death of Christ which is the new and living way into the holy of holies or Sanctum Sanctorum which is the Kingdome of Heaven that is within you and is peace righteousnesse and joy in the Holy Ghost Now when the flesh of Christ hath finished his course then is he taken out of the way and then cometh hee againe to thee the second time and is thy holy Ghost or Spirit which leadeth thee into all truth which truth is meekenesse lowsinesse of Spirit gentlenesse lovingnesse rejoycing in mind ravishing thoughts sweet contemplations singing Hymnes and Halelujahs praise and thanksgiving to the Holy Ghost for their victoriousnesse and this is thy ravishing joy and comfort eternally so that all the externall losses in this present world doth not trouble thee for thy mind is not below on these perishable things for thou art dead to them and livest here as if thou livedst not and useth all things here as if thou used them not and if thou had all the honours and riches of this world thou wouldest dispise them and think them but dung and drosse for thou hast farre more excellent honour and riches then this world can affoorde but if by chance the Godly have the riches of this world as it is but a chance seeing the Godly and ungodly oftentimes injoy them alike here he accounteth not the same his but distributeth as he seeth need or necessity as a faithfull steward but the ungodly thinketh all that hee getteth here is his and will suffer another to starve and perish by him and in this thou may perceive a difference betwixt the Godly and ungodly let them brag of their Christianity as much as they will their workes show what they bee but wee see what a Christian is and what a difficult thing it is to be one and how many difficulties he must runne through before he attain to the perfection to be a Christian Now to understand and read the history of the crucifying of Christ of his condemnation death and buriall what is this to thee or me if we feele not the mystery of his condemnation death and buriall his resurrection ascention and comming to judgement in me and with me for if we doe not suffer with him we shall not reigne with him therefore let us dye and bee buried with him that we may arise and ascend into the heaven with him and from thence come to judge the quick and the dead which dead is the sinnes that is dead and lost for ever out of us and the quicke is the living righteousnesse to raign in us for ever therefore unlesse I see the mystery of these things wrought in me the history thereof can do me no good for in the history of the death of Christ is shewed a great deale of weakenesse for it is said that hee was so mightily afraid of death that he did sweat drops of blood and all the wrath of his Father did but extend to the death of the externall manhood upon the Crosse but it seemeth strange to me that hee that had the power of heaven and earth should be so much afraid of an externall and bodily death when there hath beene many since that have dyed for their religion and for his sake more terrible deaths being drawn to peeces with wild horses fleyed burned alive broyled roasted boyled in lead and all the terrible deaths that could be devised by wicked and devillish men to put them to as is made mention of in the booke of Martyrs yet there was seene no such weaknesse in them but they went to their deaths cheerfully thinking themselves happy to suffer for his sake Wherefore you may easily perceive that there is a greater mystery in the same which few doe see or discerne For my part I do not deny the history of the Scripture but doe beleeve that those things were acted upon the Theater of this externall world to shew to us what is acted upon the Theater of our internall world but if we looke upon the hystory of Scripture as things acted by other men and take no more notice of it we deceive our selves for all the hystories points upon