others that can be spoke of dwels substantially in him and that by him now all things are both preserved and kept Heb. 1. 3. So as all other Rests below this are none at all but only for them that know not this same Eternall Being But now this Christ Hee being such a Mystery and there being in the Earth such dissention about him To give true Definitions of him I will in the next place set forth what this Christ is who is the Rest of Saints We have in short set forth Christ the Eternall Spirit to be the Rest of Saints not as considered in any forme of flesh but as considered in the fulnesse of the Spirit But what Christ is in the fulnesse of the Spirit that is the thing wee are to explaine and clearly to distinguish Christs Coming in the Spirit Discovered AND First of all This Christ which is the Rest of Saints He is the Eternall Word of God spoken in time within every Saint by God upon which Internall yea Eternall Word the Spirit is made to Rest Joh. 1. 1. He is there called the Word of God He is the Word of God two waies First He was the Word of God as God eyther spake when he said Let us make man Gen. 1. 26. which was an expression of God concerning the First Creation and so all things were made by this Word of God Joh. 1. 1 2 3. Or He was that Word God promised should bruise the Serpents head Gen. 3. 15. which word by God being spoken was in time made flesh as appeares John 1. 14. which word being spake of God as it was so spake It was before this time in his bosome to be declared in time upon which word of God then we are to Rest and for the manifestation of which they were to waite But secondly This word is more spirituall to us when we enjoy the same word within us and the effect thereof upon us then it was at that present Now he is the internall voice of God spoken within an undone soule which doth Pâ—oduce liberty happinesse freedome and all the Creature can imagine after it is spoken within him For the word that was spoken at first which word was from the beginning 1 John 1. 1. which word was spoken without and in time because the same flesh with us was but figures of the excellency of that internall Word which God will speake within every Creature which Word shall become Christ within man after it is spoken unto man which Christ is a mystery to every one who knowes him not in this sense but to prove this more fuller in the 9. Chapter of the Rev. ver 13. There he is in expresse tearmes called The Word of God which expression I looke upon to have speciall reference to this particular wee are speaking of viz. The being the eternall or internall Voice of God within every Creature and indeed he is made manifest in every voice of God in soules and this Word in Scripture is often called the voice of Christ that is the Voice of God which in name and nature is Christ John 5 25. 28. John 10. 3 4. John 14. 11. For to looke upon Jesus Christ as he is in the Father and so a Spirit wee are to looke upon it that all Voyces that are spoken from the Spirit within us are voyces of God which for distinction sake is tearmed Christ for as he was in flesh he was not this internall Word for the externall Word of God became a Christ in the flesh John 1. 14 so doth the internall Word of God within us become a saving Jesus to us the one without us before our time in the figure which was to passe away and not to continue in that forme and shape for ever to us and so not to be Rested upon but the Internall Word of God within us is a dispensation of God which cannot be taken away or destroyed but abides for ever so as in the 1 John 2. 14. I have written unto you young men because ye are strong which strength was the abiding of this Word within them which Word was Christ which they from God had spoke within them Now this Internall externall Word of the Spirit of Christ this Word is faithfull and true Rev 19. 11. 13. yea unchangeable upon which the Saints Spirits doe Rest and live 2. This Christ is a cleare manifestation of God within us He was the manifestation of God when he was in the figure which was in the flesh there God was manifested in a mystery which mystery was Christ now as Christ without us was God manifested in the flesh so Christ within us is God manifested in the Spirit This Christ within man cannot be revealed in any fleshly forme but he must be revealed as he is in the Spirit one with the Father yea in the Father So that when God clearely reveales himself in any soul this which is now revealed is nothing else but himself in Love handed out by this Revelation Christ so that in Scriptures He is called the vision of God Hab. 2. 2. 3. Here he is distinguished to be Gods Vision which Vision is nothing else but a clear manifestation of God within the Creature formerly made cleare to the understanding of the Creature to be unrevealed and enjoyed by it So as now it teaches the soul perfect and iâ—fallible Truth after manifested to it for as Christ in the fleshly forme was appointed to declare and reveal God to us and so Christ called Christ God they being manifested in the same forme So it is inward the end of this terme Christ within you the hope of glory Coloss 1. 27. was because He was God clearely made manifest within them which had been a mystery hid but now was made manifest to his Saints So that the great Mystery of heaven is Christ who is the clear manifestation of the Father in the heart of Saints Again wee see it plainly declared in the 1. Joh. 1. 1. 2. For the Life was manifested and we have seene it and bear witnesse and shew unto you that Eternall Life which was with the Father and was manifested unto us here the Apostle doth plainly make manifest unto us That Eternall Life which was Christ in God was in time manifested by God which manifestation of Life was Jesus Christ So that He is termed sometimes to be of the Father sâ—â—etimes to come downe from him sometimes to be the Father and sometimes to be the Vision of him and many other expressions there is given of him from whence I note that most commonly every making forth of God in Mercy and Love to his Creatures are commonly called Christ for the difference betwixt the term of the Father and the Son doth not so much consist in Nature and Being but in name and working or dispensation all the acts of freedome and love and light are called Christ in us because it is a spirituall dispensation of God in mercy and love
Creature with it and giving the soul full contentment in it First It is an unexpressible glorious Center the Lord promising in Isaiah that hee would accomplish a glorious worke in silling the hearts of his People with the knowledge of himselfe hee Centers all in this To him shall the Gentiles seek and his Rest shall be glorious Isa 11. 10. Yea the Rest of Saints is the very Substance of his glory which glory is Christ when hee comes to bee manifested in his Saints and to bee admired by them 2 Thes 1. 9 10. Secondly It wholly takes up the Creature who is Centred in it so as now the soul or spirit is wholly swallowed up of God and unexpressibly overcome is such a soul The glory of God which is Christ is that which swallows up mens spirits and the more it appeares in them the more it overcomes them so as now they are taken up in their spirits being gathered up into it with nothing else but it So as now the soules delight ioy solace is now alone in nothing but in him who is become a glorious Center to him Thirdly The Rest of Saints gives Saints full contentment the full satisfaction of Saints lyes in living and Resting compleatly in this glory which truly is Christ so as man sometimes is lost in the greatnesse of it The least manifestation of this glory doth fill the creatures capacity so that until the capacity be enlarged with more of God it can desire no farther enjoyment or discovery of it so as now his spirit is filled with glory And that which makes it the more satisfactory is the Centring of the spirit up in it Now Christ in the Spirit becoming a Saints Rest all other seeming glories which before the soule was sheltred under and lived upon are now vanished and decayed and the greatnesse of this glory which is the Vision of God yea the manifestation of his glory in man takes up man into it to live wholly in it and so to remaine in compleat satisfaction and contentment of spirit for a great part of a soules Rest consists in this very particular to wit the gloriousnesse thereof together with the swallowing up of the creature with it and the giving the spirit a compleat contentment in it for it would be in time a place of wearinesse unlesse it were a place giving the creature full contentment Secondly It would be no place for Saints to delight and solace themselves in unlesse they could bee wholly taken up and seallowed up with that which of necessity must be enjoyed from it and unlesse it did exceed all glory that could bee imagined it could be no Rest for the spirit of a spirituall man So that it must be an unexpressible glory swallowing up of mens spirits with it and giving that spirit compleat satisfaction and contentment in it The fourth description of true Rest IN the fourth place This Rest is a carrying forth of the Creature out of the creature into the place where he had his first Being to live for ever in him who is now become his manifested Being First before wee speak of the Rest it self we will observe That there is no true Rest for the creature in himselfe for if man either Rest in his pure naturals or upon any refined property in himself he Rests out of his proper Element I mean as he is a spirituall man yea It is both unsafe and unsound so to doe neither can man with any solid delight or true contentment Rest in or upon any eyther pure naturals or refined properties or parts within himselfe though man could attaine to his first principles and purity yet if he Rested upon them he would live below the true Center of Spirits for indeed the Rest and proper being of all spirits especially those that are renewed is the Eternall Word of God which Word is Christ who made all things in the World of nothing into which nothing they are to returne But the spirits of men or especially that renewed spirit of Saints that came down from the Father of spirits who begot this spirit in them not by flesh but by himselfe in his spirituall breathings and actings in the Creature which spirit of man cannot live in any true element neither can it live satisfied untill it come into its proper and originall Being from whence it came for every thing is in its right place when it is returned into its originall and place from whence it was derived so that the spirit returnes to God that gave it Eccl. 12. 7. and the flesh of the man into the dust from whence it was derived so that man as he is carnall and flesh it cannot be possible that the spirit of any should take much delight in the same so as to make it the satisfying Center But yet after it is renewed it may be compared to Noahs Dove it sees the Deluge and looks abroad in the flesh to the Mountain of former self-actings and pure naturals yet it cannot rest in the same neither can it take any delight therein but is made to returne to the Arke Jesus Christ who though he is in the soule yet above it as the Arke above the water so Christ above the Creature though within it as the Deluge in the world so that the Creature as man is no fit place for a renewed spirit to be centred up in but he must by divine power be brought out of himselfe into that eternall being of spirits who is said to be above man though in man Eph. 4. 6. as the Arke above the Deluge though in the world Now man cannot truly Rest in himselfe But Secondly The place into which the soule is carried is and was the first being of his spirits and now manifested so to be to the Creature which being was Christ this Christ was Gods eternall thoughts of Love in which man had a being and now comes in time as a Being to be manifested in the Saints so the one was the unknown Being of Saints before time where they lay in the Love and heart of God which nothing could remove them out of it the other Rest is the known Rest and being of Saints made manifest unto them in time which knowledge begets a returning of spirit who with much weaâ—inesse of spirit have been waiting for such a day of Redemption Luke 21. 28. that it might return into its first originall and being and to be fully secured in its God which before it neither knew nor did experience So that after the heart hath a discovery of this Being it is like a Loadstone touching the Needle the Needle can stand no way but towards the North and South so with the spirit of man after it is touched with his Being and center manifested it is not able to Rest in all the glories or excellencies that can possibly be imagined untill it be returned into its being he is like a wicked man or man of this world who cannot act but in his
WG THE SAINTS TRAVEL TO THE LAND OF CANAAN WHEREIN IS DISCOVERED Seventeen false Rests below the spirituall Coming of Christ in the Saints Together with a brief Discovery of what the Coming of Christ in the spirit is who is the alone Rest and Center of Spirits By R. WILKINSON A Member of the Army Arise yee and depart for this is not your Rest because it is poluted it shall destroy you with a sore destruction Mic. 2. 10. There remaineth therefore a Rest to the People of God Heb. 4. 9. London printed for Giles Calvert at the black spread-Eagle at the west end of Pauls 1648. To the Reader FRIEND and Christian Reader It is the property of Divine truth after it is manifest in the spirit to inflame a soule with it and to swallow up the spirit in the glory of it so as it is as impossible for a soul to enjoy Truth and not to declare it as for a man to carry fire in his bosome or mouth and not be burned Saints are mightily constrained after they enjoy Truth from the fire of Love to declare it Now I having had sad experience of the waies of my own heart how I have constantly Rested below God and so have fallen short of his glory This being my condition for a long time though in every particular seeming to me to be God and of God and in it my condition happy where I was continually running from mauntain to hill because I knew not the true Rest But at last it pleased the Father of spirits to reveal himself and by the same to make them manifest Whereupon I have had much wrastlings in my own spirit about putting the same out to publique view but at last was forced to break through much opposition in my own heart and to put it out in this imperfect Form That if it be the wisdome of God in the same others by mee may learn to beware yet I would not have been without the experience of the same seeing it is the will of God now to dissolve it Wherefore Christian Reader I shall commend these ensuing particulars to thee and thee to the wisdome of the Spirit whereby thou mayest judge of the same in love First If thou canst close with the substance of my discourse and after finding some circumstances which are either contrary to thee or obstructive to thy principles yet do not fly out into bitternesse of spirit against what thou judgest truth neither against that which thou judgest no truth but receive the one and let the other alone until God reveale the same unto thee lest thou bee found calling light darknesse and darknes light and speaking evil of things thou knowest not but in meeknesse judge and Rest Secondly If thou hast not passed through these or all these Rests or Dispensations or hast not as yet attained to many things herein expressed yet let them have thy charitable thoughts and do not as the most do fly out against them as Errors because they are not either within their reach as to high for them or because they are contrary to their present principles and so would unbottom them or because they are not according to what they have been taught or is experienced in them But judge of them in love and where any thing is above thy experience I wish thou mayest be silent in it and waite to know it if it bee of God and if it be to low for thee let it receive encouragement from thee as thou hast passed to thy estate through these Administrations Thirdly Christian Reader passe by any infirmity thou seest either in expression forme or method look upon them to bee a discourse of experience more to edify then to please the fancy by curiosity of words in mans wisdome 1 Cor. 2. 4. Fourthly Do not judge me to deny any thing which I do not here affirme because I am speaking spirituall things within But look upon it as a spirituall and inward discourse holding out the two great Mysteries viz. The Mystery of Christ made manifest in the Spirit within man and the Mystery of the creature to himselfe Do not think I am going about to destroy the low workings of God I am not Neither be much daunted if God hereby lets thee behold the face of self and false Rests so as it brings thee to a losse But believe it thy greatest losse may in time become thy greatest gain For that which moves mee to write these few lines is that if it be the will of God Creatures may see the many false waies and Rests below God That Creatures may not live short of his glory as I have done Therefore I shall desire that I may not be mistaken either in my intentions or expressions and therefore shall commend this farther to the Reader First To take off a scruple which may lye upon many whether I do deny these seventeene Rests to be dispensations of God and the way God leades men into their spirituall Rest which is Christs Coming in the Spirit That I may cleare this and make farther way I acknowledge it is Gods way to lead Creatures through these particulars But the corruption of selfe and the deceiveablenesse thereof will-resemble the leadings of God and so will labour to live and keep the soul to Rest short of God and man in going after the waies of his own heart may seem to be led by God But in these particulars I labour to drive on two things The first to discover unto men what the way of mans heart is when it will deceive and what glory it will appear to the Creature in untill God undeceive it so that I am first to undeceive Creatures in their unsound confidence concluding their estates to be so high that they are at Rest in God when they are covered with a covering but not of the Spirit And though the heart bee putting God in the forefront of its actings yet it is but Jehues deceite and treachery of spirit Secondly I labour to un-deceive it that though it hath attained any or all these seventeen and have not had an appearance of Christ spiritually in them so that they know when and how and what Christ infallibly was that still that soule is but yet in a changeable condition And it may as well be Satans transformings in him as any dispensation of God to him and to let the Creature know that though he have passed through all this yet he wants one thing to be his Rest and Center which when it comes will discover the truth of all these Dispensations and if they be of God they shall be dissolved if they be of self or Satan they shall be destroyed So that to unbottom Creatures That they live not upon vanity and lyes and that they may not Rest before the true appearance of Christ in the Spirit I have set forth these imperfect lines Farther I would not have any think that I deny Scriptures Ordinances Christs coming in the flesh
that is all that is required of them to salvation and indeed so it is and something more But Thirdly To Rest upon Christ come in the flesh is to beleeve from the Letter of the Scripture without any powerful manifestation of the spirit that this Christ who did according to Scripture dye at Jerusalem dyed for them And here many satisfie themselves with very high conceits of their condition and here alone men Rest upon the bare Figure As if men under the Law should have made Circumcision and the enjoying of Sacrifices in that common manner they were performed to be a ground of Rest and so contented themselves in the use thereof as conceiving themselves to be made happy by the Type and Figure and not by that which was Typified out in the same So concerning Christs dying at Jerusalem it was a Figure of the spirituall death of the creature with Christ and also of his resurrection Now when we come to be buried with him into his death Rom. 6. 4 5. and also come to be with him raised up from death that is into the clear enjoyments of God where we are made to live in the God-head from it living in us John 14. 17. then doe we fully understand and know this Christ and this eternall Life and not meerly for a man to conceive because the Sriptures doe declare that this Christ is come and the Creature assenting to the whole history and believing of it that this is the knowledge of Christ which is eternall life for unlesse the Creature know him so to be to him that is eternall life to him Col. 3. 3 4. that as the Scriptures do declare him so to be in the knowledge of him so the Creature findes it true within himselfe from the experience of him in his own soule his knowledge is but carnall not living spirituall knowledg for that man that Rests upon him as he is declared in Scripture before he be revealed within his soul both that mans Rest and knowledge is but carnall and fleshly for we see that all men almost in England or in any place where the Gospel is but published doe believe that he is crucified and is risen and this they know from the testimony of Scripture but doth every man know the minde and mystery of truth Doth God reveale it to every one Can any know the minde of God in these particulars either by the History or any other way but by the Spirit of God then it must he that before this Christ come to be spiritually known hee must be spiritually revealed within mans heart 1 Cor. 2. 10. Gal. 1. 16. So that to hear of a Christ and not to enjoy him from being revealed within is but very unfafe and unsound knowledge to Rest upon and that which brings not along with it eternall Life as witnesse 1 John 1. 1 2. He clearly expresses that this Christ which is eternall life was made manifest unto them and was their knowledge of from which knowledge they had fellowship and communion with him 1 John 1. 3. This knowledge is spirituall and according to Scripture spiritually revealed before it be truly and experimentally known now the Sriptures doe not reveale Christ within any man neither doe say the yto any particular soule thou such a one Christ died for thee but it is the same spirit which did declare the Scriptures which must reveal what this Christ is Secondly What the mystery of God in his so coming or what mystery God did hold out in the figure which was his fleshly coming too and for thee in particular And lastly Thou must doe as he did passe from death to life and after being buried with him before thou live in the Kingdome of heaven with him or indeed know what that Kingdome or place is which men carnally conceive to be above the Skyes though the spirituall knower of him knowes it in â—nother place Now what is it for a man to fill his head full of the history concerning the birth and death of Christ unlesse this Jesus a Saviour or this Christ which is the light and glory of God be discovered and revealed within him sutable to that precious Testimony of Pauls knowledge of this Christ Gal. 1. 16. where he speakes of this Christ to be revealed within him for Christ as he was in the flesh cannot be revealed but Christ as he is in the Spirit or Christ as he is the great design of God typified out in the flesh and revealed in the Spirit either as a light or as life or as he is the breath of God or as he is the clear manifestation of God wherein man comes to know him to be his Jesus that is his Saviour or inward deliverer or wherein man clearly beholds The Father in him and he in the Father John 24. 11. which cannot be discerned as he was in the flesh but as he is in the Spirit 1 Pet. 3. 8. that being a figure thereof wee see this knowledge the Apostles wanted when they said Lord shew us the Father John 14. 8. they having no more knowledge of Christ but as he was in the flesh they knew not that the Father was in him and he in the Father Iohn 14. 11. upon this knowledge were they Resting when they said Lord it is good for us to be here Mat. 17. 4. when they would have been making Tabernacles of Rest before Christ did transfigure himselfe within but Christ bids them Arise let us goe hence as if he should say This is not a proper Rest for you John 14. 31. It is a very low dispensation goe I will discover my glory to you by transfiguring my selfe within you then shall you see partly the mystery of my selfe then shall you more spiritually understand and know me And also sometimes the carnall and fleshly knowledge the Apostles had then put them upon carnall conceptions as in these phrases expressed When wilt thou restore the Kingdome to Israel And many more expressions as desiring fire might come from above where Christ tels them they knew not of what spirit they were the one place tels them they looked upon him as to be one who was to have a great power in the World namely To be an earthly King to live in outward pomp and glory the other doth signifie they understood not the great designe of God in his coming so as they in this dispensation were very low as many are in our daies and would gladly have been Resting in the knowledge they had which was Christ in the flesh that was known by them and declared and preached by them also but still they remaining under the clouds and ignorant of the mystery of Christ in reverence to his coming in the Spirit yet God was daily leading them to behold their ignorance and more into the Mystery of Jesus So that though men pretend to escape the common pollutions of the World by such a knowledge of Christ in the flesh yet it is not a
secure estate but a low dispensation which wil dissolve in a higher appearance of God Therefore though men both know and beleeve that there was a Christ crucified in the flesh yet let them not Rest untill they know it in Spirit Then shall a man see Christ daily crucified before his eyes First In him Secondly By him Thirdly For him And fourthly Crucifying of him That he shall say with Paul from experience I am crucified with Christ neverthelesse I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me Gal. 2. 20. then shall the soule know both what it is to be crucified by or with Christ and also what this Christ is that lives within him which is become life unto him then he shall know it is not flesh but Spirit and life that lives in him neither shall he be satisfied with hearing of his deaâ— at Jerusalem but with experiencing partly the mystery now made manifest in him and so comes to be known by him then shall he say Though I have known Christ after the flesh yet now henceforth know I him no more 2 Cor. 5. 16. Being he knowes him in the new Creation being made to see and discerne in the Spirit and so behold Christ in the vision of God Hab 2. 3. which is so far from being beheld before as a true crucified estate as indeed there is nothing but darknesse and rebellion in the heart to such an estate onely the soule living and rejoycing in some carnall conception of God and Christ and yet the heart is empty of his light and glory and indeed running from the Fountaine to the streames and from the substance to the shadow or figure as I might plainly lay open how all the actions of Christ in the flesh attributed to him are but reall Types and figures and shadowes of either good things to come or to be revealed in soules I cleerly see that sometimes he spake in Mystery and sometimes yea altogether he acted in Mystery as holding forth what he did in his coming in the soul being a more glorious dispensation then that under the Law as the coming of him in the Spirit is from his comming in the flesh so that what miracles and acts transcendently acted by him above all that was made and is experienced by those in the Spirit who enjoy him who discovers all as namely his raising Lazarus and at the marriage turning water into wine and his healing sick and opening eyes and so all passages flowing from him of this nature were buâ— figures still of what he did and would doe in and for soules and so not only in matters of doing but also in matters of sufferings they are reall figures of the same truth substantially experienced in Saints both place persons condemnation Crosse death â—buriall his agony or withdrawing before his grave and resurrection his not ascending immediatly after his death to his Father but afterwards ascended in the fulnesse of time All these in every particular are known in the true and spirituall sense of them by those that have had fellowship with him in his death and Resurrection and so hath passed from death to life and now is risen within and dwels with him in Heaven and so is swallowed up in the God-head and is rose in the Fathers glory and now is filled with the Spirit this time is the time of knowledge and this is wisdomes time wherein he comes to be satisfaction to them and also is justified by them this is the time when they sing nothing but praise and glory to the Lamb who doth not onely deserve to open the Book Rev. 5. 9. and the Seales thereofâ— but hath opened the Book and discover to the soule the Cabinet and storehouse of the glorious Mystery of the Father and Christ into which City of glory and light the soule is made ro enter and Rest and live for ever that now all things are become new Rev. 21. 5. to and with such a soule the very Kingdome of God and the mystery thereof is opened Rev. 10. 7. and now the Tabernacle of God is with man Rev. 21. 3. and now this glorious mystery Christ is manifested in life and power and become the hope of the compleat glory and fulnesse thereof Col. 1. 27. to be made manifest when it is made capable to comprehend it from being comprehended by it and swallowed up in it then shall this heart dote no more upon shadowes or broken Cisterns or figures of good things to come but he shall be gathered up into God and Christ and shall possesse them in the fulnesse of them The ninth false Rest THe next Rest in order to this is visible Church communion or the relations under this notion O this I may say is one of the Idols of Israel and I may say as God was a saying once Come and see yea behold what the Children of Israel is doing in the darke O the darknesse of such Soules who Rest in and under such dispensation truly if I should speak the naked truth and nakedly discover every false Rest I never in my own experience did finde more grosser darknesse sease upon my spirit then did sease upon my spirit under this dispensation Secondly Never more false Laodicean security Thirdly Never more pride and self conceitednesse then at that present ready to judge every one that were not in relation in reference to Church communion to be no Saints 2. Looking more at the practise of Ordinances and being members of Churches then at the reall experience of such a soule 3. More longing after the encrease of members then of their living in the Spirit which were members 4. Judging every one if they were but in and under such Relations to be Saints though they had little yea indeed no experience of God at all refusing communion with such being not of my judgement though they knew what communion in the Spirit was and closed yea joyned with those who were ignorant of it because they were Church members This having been mine and still are many mores at thispresent what Church are they of Are they Baptized What judgement are they of Which doth argue both an Idolizing of and Resting upon these poore dispensations of babes and Children It hath been with me and I feare hath been and is still with many more a coldnesse of love to those yea a condemning also because they have or doe not close with us in every particular in matters of Judgement or formes of worship though the parties live in very high enjoyments of God and are passed these childrens and babes dispensations and all this testifies a Resting upon our formes and manner of worship as for instance An Independent so called and an Anabaptist and so many more as the godly Presbyterian and others under divers distinctions of formes how bitter they are one against anothers what a distance they stand one from another witnesse their preaching and printing and in the same their bitternesse Instance their refusall to
within to consume mens lusts and selfe and to cast out all those spirits of deceite which internally doe lodge within the Creature so that the letter which was confirmed by outward Signes after Christ appeared in the forme of flesh shall in the mystery thereof be confirmed to and in us by the internall workings miracles which shall attend Christs spirituall coming in the Soul and that in the Spirit Now I say that neither do mens waitings appeare to be that which men conceive them to be nor if they did enjoy that at the last which they waite for it would not prove that to them nor give that content peace joy and cause of Rest in them nor assurance to them which they expect from it and thinke to attain when they come to attain it I wish that men would turne the wheele into the waiting for the inward coming of these things in a more spirituall manner For my own part I thinke they would enjoy more quietnesse in their spirits for the present and more settlement and Rest peace and safety in them for the future when it comes to be experienced But I think I may say thus much to such spirits that I thinke when they enjoy that they waite for viz. the powrings out of the spirti from which to enjoy power to worke outward miracles it will be in the enjoyment thereof But I should be sorry to live without the enjoyment of God to that day and I am confident all such souls shall be weary before they see the same enjoyed by them But Secondly To all such as have the same in pretence I do not see how they can make them any safe Rests seeing that Saul and many others did goe as far in the gifts of Prophesie or any other gift of the Spirit aâ— any almost who did sweetly enjoy God and that was the cause why those words were spoken They shall say in that day have we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name cast out devils c. Mat. 7. 22 23. Yet see the reply of Christ he did not own them in the same though they did make it their Rest before and their plea then yet it was nothing but that which proved both un-sound and un-safe for them Secondly The workings of Antichrist and the mystery of iniquity doth worke withall deceivablenesse doing great wonders in the eyes of the world yet alas it is both for the deceiving of the party who hath it and for the deceiving of the parties who beleeve it witnesse the worke of the Magicians who when they acted the same things Moses did yet the parties who acted the parties who beleeved the same were both deceived so though there were any in our daies who could doe the same worke that they or Judas did yea greater then they did yet the parties might be reprobates and cast-awaies and however they may be suddainly taken away and therefore unsafe for any soule to Rest thereon It must be the power of God within and those inward miracles which God workes as the effect of his coming viz. The casting out of the devils within and bringing down mountaines of pride and selfe and exalting of his Christ in the soule so as the soule is un-bottomed of all his false props and carried wholly out of himselfe above himselfe into the power and majesty of that Christ exalted to live by and in that same power and glory by which God lives in the heart So that I say to look for outward powers in this case as I and many more have done or if they were enjoyed to make them their Rests both are to me un-sound and every party as well as my selfe shall finde the evill and un-soundnesse thereof Now having discovered as many false Rests as at present I am free to discover I shall in the next place shew how difficult it is and how hard it goes with the creature to part with these his false Rests which are false but in reference to his Resting and abusing the end for which such a dispensation was given The Soul being in the first place as I may say establisht upon them making them his God bee they formes or what they will when it seemes to bee taken away he being brought to a non-plus in his spirit He cries They have taken away my God What must I do So that there ariseth as it were a storme within this creature which begets a spirit of discontent in the creature Witnesse the same in Jonah's Gourd which God had given him yet being abused in the end for which it was given in the taking of it away there was a spirit of murmuring and discontent And thus it is alwayes when creatures would bee Resting upon any thing below God when God seems to take it away from the creature The more the soul was glued to it and Rested upon it and made a God of it the more difficult and hard it goes with the creature to part with the same yea the more discontent doth arise in that heart First then It ariseth from the abuse of our being glued to any Administration so as not to use it to that end for which it was appointed Secondly The cause partly of this ariseth sometimes from the greatnesse of the losse it works in the creature in being to part with the same as many soules it may be have spent the glory of their age and strength to patch up a Religion of their owne and have taken much paines to accomplish the same It may be hath been twenty yeares a professor and hath all this time been labouring to patch up a Rest and having got one in one moment God rases the foundation thereof this works such a losse in the soule as indeed to have many a glorious gift burned up yea many a glorious day of joy twenty yeares profession in one moment laid in the dust and now to deny it self in all his paines and parts of wisdome and knowledge This must needs goe hard and be very difficult with a poore heart to part with all And the Creature will have many shifts and puttings off before he will be made freely to part wiâ—h all and to deny himself in all The condition of such a soul is like a man that all his daies hath been taking pains night and day to comprehend some estate and when he hath got such an estate he fals a building and makes great buildings and when he hath furnished the same takes delight in it and sets his heart upon it and behold when he is solacing himself in what he hath got and done In a moment there is a fire consumes the same to the dust which being beheldby the party he is amazed and much perplexed in his spirit upon which occasion in some it begets death in others discontentednesse and murmurings yea repinings of spirit so as it is not only a day of sorrow but it continues so And this parties losse being exceeding great and his
element and like a Fish whose element is in the water so with the spirit of man he cannot act in his right sphere untill he come into his first originall Being which is Christ in God 2 Cor. 5. 19. so as now it acts in God and lives by God and is taken up with God and cannot live in any thing else not as a Saint So that the truest comparison that can be made of such a spirit is the Needle and the Dove which truly holds out this to us First That Christ the Arke is the center and the sure being of the spirits of Saints Secondly There is no safety or true Rest for the beleeving spirit but in this Christ Thirdly That it is impossible for any spirit who knowes Christ truly to be his Rest being once touched by the divine and holy being of Saints to Rest below the same though many things may transform-themselves selves within the Creature like unto it yet upon them he cannot Rest no more then can the Needle towards the East and West but it is truly known by such a spirit not to be his first being and originall and so disclaims it as Christ did Satan in his temptation but is carried forth the more in vehemency of spirit flying continually without Rest untill he be got into the Arke which was the place from whence it came and in truth it is of such a latitude as all the world is not able either to give Rest unto it or produce true or full contentment in it The fifth decription of true Rest FIftly It is the centring up of a spirituall man in a spirituall place not made nor created but a being of himselfe stands by himselfe having his dependency upon none else 1. Here is the subject matter of Rest and that is the spirituall part of man which is created again and born of the Spirit John 3. 3. for first of all no uncleane spirit or thing shall come there Rev. 21. 27. nothing shal enter into it but that which is become sutable to it That which is borne of the Spirit is that which must enter into this Kingdome of Rest and peace Secondly This spirituallity which is made in the Creature is produced by God possessed in the Creature for as a carnall heart cannot live in God no more can God manifest himselfe in any unpure spirit so as God before he manifest himselfe to a Spirit he makes it sutable to that glory which shall iâ— measure be revealed unto it So also before God give man Rest in himselfe he sets man of himselfe to live in himselfe for no carnall minde or will can attain God before by God it be attained and before God manifest to the heart the Creature is attained by him he workes a glorious worke of the New Birth in him so that if man were carried up into God which is impossible before he be borne of God there is such a disproportion betwixt the purity and holinesse of God and the corruption and carnalnesse of mens spirits that the Rest of the soul oâ—uâ—ld be no Rest for there would be nothing but war and enmity so that God alwayes puls downe mountaines of flesh pride and selfe and makes the crooked waies of the heart plaine Luk. 3. 5 6. and brings downe those false Rests and Christs in the Creature and so after makes known a glorious Center to the creature Now the spirits being made spirituall by being Borne againe it is made spiritually to judge receive and discerne the Truth of this glorious and spirituall Place 1. Cor. 2. 15. which no man in the flesh or by the flesh can attain to 1. Tim. 6. 16. whom never any man in the carnall minde hath seen nor can see So that mans Resting place together with the subject Resting in it must be spirituall and of himself Now secondly This place of Rest is Spirituall so that man if hee bee in any true Rest It is not carnall formes or ordinances which shall cease Neither is it the rarest Qualifications or expressions of creatures neither is it glorious apprehensions or puffings up of flesh no our Rest is beyond these as far as the light of the Sun is from the Candle Hee is an unexpressible Spirituall Being One who makes all things spirituall that are spirituall by that spirituallity in the fulnesse of it that dwels in him He is the expresse Image of God Heb. 1. 3. yea he is God equall in Nature though inferiour in place operation or expression He is One in all things He is above all things and in him all things consist Col. 1. 17. So he being the Fulnesse and the Cause of spirituallity He himselfe must needs be spiritual So that any soul Centred up in him lives above all carnall Formes Ordinances Qualifications common holinesse or fleshly puffings up eyther in false apprehensions or in inward delusions Hee is none of these but is above these which is the spirituall mans Rest And this spirituall Rest is nothing but God who is all and none besides him who enjoyes all in himself and we in him and by virtue of our being made born and begotten of him we become One with him and of him So that now being borne of him it is impossible that the Nature of God in us can Rest or bee satisfied but alone in him and by him it being of an everlasting and infinite nature but now as it is infinite and of God in us so it throws off all below God and wholly and alone returnes to him and Rests in him Now thirdly This Rest is not any thing Created or depending upon any other power but its own Christ as he was in the flesh is none of the Rest of Saints Hee is a Rest of them as he becomes one with them in the Spirit so as he is one with God and we with him One in God and we in him 1. Cor. 6. 17. Joh. 17. 21 22 23. Yea very God and we by him 1. Cor. 8. 6. 15. 45. So that He is a Spirit not made nor created but making and creating all things for and of himselfe Col. 1. 16. Rom. 11. 36. And all by him was created not as he was in any form or shape in the flesh without us not so to be a Rest but as he is God made manifest in the Spirit within us How ever men deem of him yet he is the Eternall Spirit and the Father of all spirits Heb. 9. 14. though distinguished from the Father in divers acts shapes or formes yet he dwels substantially in the God-head and in whom dwels all the power and fulnesse thereof Col 1. 19. 2. 9. And though he might be in the forme of flesh as man yet then he was in the power and fulnesse of God as God So that he is In and Of Himself and he that knows him aright knows that saying And he that is experienced in that spirituall union and conjunction will say That his Motion Glory Dependency and all
to us Now Christ as he is the cleare discovery or discoverer of the Father to us so he becomes a Rest of peace and happinesse in us and so that this Christ who in name is called the Manifestation of Love â—is unchangeable in reference to the being and cause of this manifested Love which is Christ for if we consider him as the bosome love of God He is not so Christ to us or in us but as this comes to be manifest to us which manifestation or the thing manifest is onely Christ for I looke thus that not only Christ as he was in the flesh was Christ only in that form and no more but what ever was manifest either by or in that form was in Name the Christ and in Nature Christ in God now Saints Rest is not in Christ as manifested only in distinction but Christ is the Rest of Saints as God hath designed him for that purpose and so comes by God in Saints to be made manifest carrying up Saints to live in the full glory power and splendor of that God who did make manifest himself in this manifestation which is Christ And no other way comes soules truly to know the Father either in love or mercy but as the Father doth manifest himself in this very particular Christ revealed in mens hearts in which men may see God clearly and for the wâ—nt of which Philip was ignorant when he said to Christ Joh. 14. 8. Lord shew us the Father and it sufficeth us They were ignorant what the Father and Christ were in the Spirit though Christ were with them in the flesh and the reason was because Christ within them was not by God made manifest to them therefore would they have been making Tabernacles in such a low fleshly knowledge where in Truth they knew nothing of him in relation to the Spirit nor of that conjunction betwixt him and the Father that whensoever Christ spiritually was made manifest there the Father was manifest also because there was one undevideable nature and being in such cases betwixt the Father and the Son So that the Saints Rest is in this cleare manifested God within us who in tearm and Truth is called Christ So that now as Christs Center was in the Father and now is to dwel in the fulnesse of his Glory so Saints being in him are carried by him to live with him in the same glory and love and to conclude this when we can say from experience that which Paul said in the Gal 1. 16. That when it pleased the Father to reveal his Christ in him then shall we know that the manifestation of God to us is â—he Revelation of Christ in us 3. Christ spiritually discovered in men and so knowne by them and so becoming Rest to them is a cleare light of God in the Creature which light and glory is onely Christ and thus he is often described in Scripture not onely as he was a light in the flesh without us prescribing rules of light to us but chiâ—ry as he shall become the light and glory of God wiâ—hin us for as he was in the forme of flesh he was a mysâ—ery unknowne yea he was not such a light so as God intended him because he was then but in the figure holding forth what he would worke and what he should be when he was to come in the glory of the spirit within men for his being in the flesh was a very dark dispensation For even the Apostles who were the most conversant with him did know little and were very ignorant of the truth So as indeed they thought he was come to set up a Kingdome in the flesh and that hee would advance them in some great place as appeares So that is was Gods great designe which was held forth in that forme of flesh which is the sum of that Scripture where he is declared to be the light of the Gentiles and to be the Glory of the people Israel Luk. 2. 32. Now to prove it by Scripture that this Christ is in the spirituall coming and advancing in the soule a glorious and Divine Light Wee see it very clear from that Scripture in the 60. of Isa 1 2. Where the Lord declares the manner of Christs spirituall appearing in the soule Arise shine for thy Light is come and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee This same Scripture though men doe labour to deny it to be meant of Christs appearance in any particular soule yet he that hath found the appearance of Christ within him hath found him fully making good these sayings The matter however that here is promised at the raising up of distressed spirits is Light and Glory which light is God appearing in a dispensation of light and glory the which dispensation is Christ in us for he is both the light and glory of God and all things that are either spirituall light or glory discovered is Christ for according to that Scripture Rev. 21. 23. The glory of God did lighten it and the Lamb is the light thereof As if he should say when the Lord comes to dwell spiritually in the manifestation of glory within the spirits of man and so set up a Temple in the creature according to the 22th verse Then shall all those lights which before the soule hath beene guided by whether they were flashes or resembled light now there shall be no need of the same but the glory of God now shall be there to enlighten the same yea Christ shall be the light thereof so that he shall be filled with true light whoever hath the glorious appearance of Christ within him he shall become a compleat light unto that soule So as he shall not stand in need of any inferiour light but they shall bee dissolved when the glory of the Sun doth appeare so that in such a soule to whom Christ is become in this manner a light unto he shall have no night there according to that in the 22. of Rev. 5. verse But the Lord shall fill such a soule with light yea he shall give to such spirits Him in whom there is no darknesse as in a spirituall dispensation and as he is termed in Joh. 1. 9. verse He is here called The true Light which lightneth every man that cometh into the world He is here called true in opposition to fallacy as if he should lay open many false lights in the world and within men yet he was come as a true light to distinguish betwixt true and false and so he is a distinguishing light in every spirit who hath receiâ—ed him for though Satan hath transformed himselfe into an Angel of light in deceiving a creature yet notwithstanding when this true light appeares in any heart it doth both discover it and destroy it according to that in the 2 Thess 2. 7 8 9 10. That though the mystery of Iniquity and Anti-Christ be never so deceiveable and glorious in their workings and transformings both within and
without the creature yet Christ shall reveale and destroy it with the spirit of his mouth and the brightnesse oâ— his coming And true it is that Satan both â—n matter of formes without us and workings within us is transforming himselfe now if ever And truly he within soules workes like God and there is no knowne distinction betwixt his transformings and Christs workings untill there be a true transfiguring of Christ in the glory of the Spirit and this doth finde out all the deceite both of heart and Satan for indeed there is no forme though never so glorious but he will transforme himselfe in it there is no working of the spirit within man but he will resemble it so that none shall be able to know whether it be true or false within him or without him untill this Christ shall appear in light and glory and shall make the same manifest so as oftentimes his thus appearing is compared to the rising of the Sun and the dawning of the day which are degrees of distinguishing light which doth dissolve the imperfect light of the Moone and Starres and is a clear light of it selfe to rule and order to unfold and discover the truth of every thing which under the other dispensations could not be discerned and that is the reason that the Apostle tels them that they have a sure word of prophesy whereunto they doe well if they take heed And he tels them how long it was untill the day dawne and the day-starre arise in their hearts This saying untill prescribes and sets out the limitation of time and the accomplishing of the same as if he should say there is a most glorious day to be enjoyed in Saints which day shall appeare but for your direction untill that day you have a sure word of prophesy unto which if God give you care thereof may be as a rule unto you It being a light shining in a dark place and though for the present you walke by the same yet Rest not there but waite for the spirituall coming of Christ within you which in this word of prophesy is held forth to you and then when he comes he shall be a perfect light within which light shall speak truth and leade the soule thereunto but in the interim Looke to that sure word of prophesy which declares and makes manifest the truth thereof This word of Prophesy was the Scriptures this day dawning and day-starre arising was the appearance of Christ in the fulnesse of the spirit within them So as he often in Scripture is called the bright Morning Starre and as concerning his spirituall coming he is sometimes termed under the notion of the day dawning or breaking as in Cant. 2. 17. and in many others onely to shew unto us that the breaking in of Christ into a heart is like the breaking of the light into the earth when the day begins to appeare and the night is expired as also the rising of the Sun to that purpose he is often called the Sun of Righteousnesse which shall arise and be seene in the hearts of men so that wee see this coming of Christ yea himselfe is a true and glorious light of God in the spirits of Saints so as he makes all things manifest to such a heart whether true or false and this light shall cloath every Saints spirit and all inferiour and transformed lights shall be under such a soules feet triumphing over them seeing the fallacy of them Then First it is this light Christ within the creature who appeares as light which doth expell or dispell all those Clouds which are with creatures in whom he hath not appeared for as the Sun doth expell the Clouds in the appearance thereof so Christ in his glorious shinings forth and breaking in into every believing spirit so as the creature before could not apprehend God by reason of these clouds that lye upon the soule now he apprehends him clearly the cause being by Christ taken away Secondly By this light Christ doth discover all the false Waies and Rests of the creature either in opposition to or being below the true and substantiall way of Rest so that this light Christ in his divine Appearances within the creature doth bring a day of losse upon many spirits when it discovers unto them the vanity of their spirits in running after the wayes of their owne hearts and here they come to see the emptynesse of formes or former flashes and now it may be all the soules knowledge and practise must lye in the dust and be unlearned so as this light brings the creature out of love with his owne Wayes so that now he is free to be led according to the teachings of this light Thirdly This light Christ in its spirituall appearing in the creature doth reveale and discover the Father in this light Christ so as the heart clearly sees and knows the Father and the Spirit the Son and the Spirit One and the Spirit to be both so as this light which in reference to name is called and tearmed Christ yet it is God in this light so that God is said to be light and in him is no darknesse The Father is the fountaine of light the Son is the manifestation of light or the light made manifest now here the soule in whom this true light doth appeare doth know God and him thus sent into the heart by Jesus Christ So that Christ as he is the Rest of Saints is a divine revelation of light in which light and glory the creatures spirit solaces it selfe and rests with much delight in the same and our of this form after enjoyed will not Christ appeare but will be unto such a spirit an everlasting light that now as God lives in light so the creature lives in light also which no creature in the flesh can attain to who cannot be seen felt or heard in the flesh in this dispensation but he is above it consuming of it and continually advancing this light more and more in the creature so as this light comes to be advanced and appeare in greater fulnesse so shall the spirits who are centred in it be advanced by it and the greater this light doth appear in fulnesse the more perfect doth the souls â—est appear and the more shall the spirits be filled with it Fourthly in the fourth place this Spirituall Christ or what he is in the Spirit when he comes to be the Rest of Saints He is spirituall and divine Life without which no soul hath spirituall or eternall life injoyed by him for as a man without the soul is dead so are all men without Iesus Christ within them made manifest so that John very fully layes open this truth 1. Joh. 1. 1. 2. for the life was manifested and we have seen it and bear witnesse and shew unto yon that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested unto us So that we see what the life of Saints is for that life which they here