hearts and mourn but in the strange Land are we more strangers While we are present in the body we are absent from the Lord But when we shall absent from the body and be present with the Lord and not live by faith only but by sight when we shall not read of him nor hear of him only but when we shall see him face to face then shall our joy be full then we shall sing the song of Zion When we are entred into the joy of our Lord and Master when the day of the Lord is come the voyce of the Bride and of the Bridegroom is heard and the marriage of the Lamb is come then shall the Song be sung it is prepared for that day then shall the voyce of the Turtle be heard amongst us and the voyce of the Lord himself rejoycing over us And we rejoycing and singing in the Lord and in nothing else we shall sing O Lord our God how excellent is thy Name in all the world Let the Heavens praise thee O Lord yea let all the world give thanks unto thee yea let all things arise O Lord and call thee blessed SECT IX To sing with the Spirit and with §. 9 Vnderstanding THis made the Apostle say I will pray with the Spirit and with Understanding also I will sing with the Spirit and sing with Understanding also He then that hath not this spirit cannot sing with understanding he is as he that speaks in an unknown tongue a Barbarian except the Spirit interpret it 's but howling and no singing but where it s filled and enlarged with love where the Spirit of the Lord is heaped up and running over it must break forth and overflow it will not be hid it is like a fire in the bones like the sea at full tide like a full winde at sea filling the sails such is the powerful presence of God overshadowing us A Psalm THe Lord the Lord th' eternal God who lives and reigns to make us glad Our Psalms our Hymns our spirits songs our melodies in him alone We are his Organs and his Harps he tunes and plays upon our hearts He sings and makes most pleasant noise filling us full of mirth and joys A Hymn O Glory glory to the Lord his Name be blessed all abroad Our life mirth love and joys lives and lies in his glories A spiritual Song O Holy holy God on high Eternally Our melody Above the sky Never to dye But thus to cry Glory Glory To God on high Eternally Happy happy CHAP. XVI The fifteenth Book that God writes in Man is called PROVERBS SECT I. The Spirit that interprets secrets and §. 1 proverbs where it is and dwells ALL dark sayings mysteries secrets wonderful things deep and high sealed and concealed old and new there is a Spirit even the Spirit of the holy God which dwells in them that are gods which can reveal secrets expound parables finde out the pearl hid in the field and interpret dreams and hard sayings He that plows with this heifer shall finde out all these riddles and parables made plain in us And for the most part all these Proverbs without came from Wisdom and Understanding which dwelt in Solomon and spake these things from within SECT II. §. 2 The sum of this history of Proverbs spiritually in us in five particulars The Father God the Mother Wisdom the Son the Saint HEre is five things spoken of First The Father and that is the Lord God himself Secondly The Mother and that is Wisdom so she is called Wisdom is justified of her children which is Christ God the Father of Judgment Christ the Mother of Wisdom here is Judgment and Wisdom together Thirdly The Son that is here spoken of in the history of the Proverbs and that is the Childe of God the Christian or Saint that begotten Son that came from the bowels of Wisdom travelling with it and from the spirit of Judgment this is the Son that is so much admonished and taught of God every way it must needs be a wise Son that hath such Parents and it cannot stand in need of any thing that hath such a Father it must needs be brought up in the nurture and fear of the Lord filled with all wisdom and understanding A wise son saith Solomon is a joy to his mother but a foolish one is the sorrow of her heart So here Wisdoms children are a joy to her She can say Lord here am I and the children thou hast given me I had from thee thine they were and thou gavest them to me and I give them to thee again and my self with them Fourthly The strange woman and her sons the woman that flattereth with her lips and speaketh lies what is this woman but the world and the children of this woman but the children of the world This flesh that dwells in us is the strange woman and the woman that flattereth with her lips and betrays us tempting us to come in unto her and see what she hath prepared This is the Antichrist that lives in flesh and would feign her self a Prophetess and would have all turn in to her and drink of her fornications and eat of her idolatrous sacrifices which she hath prepared And all her sons are the brats of Babel the concupiscence or lust of the flesh 2. The lust of the eye and heart 3. The pride of life These three be her darlings and Delilahs that are nourished and brought up by her dayly the strange woman and her children Fifthly The enemies of Wisdom and these be called fools and scorners sinners and strangers these hate knowledg and reject the fear of the Lord She hath called and they would not answer yea cryed but they would not hear She hath prepared her table and her banquets and cryed in the high ways and concourse of people to come in to be her guests but they have all turned aside yea they hate her dainties and despise her counsels preferring with Esau a mess of pottage before either blessing or birth-right CHAP. XVII The sixteenth Book that God writes in Man is called ECCLESIASTES SECT I. The vanity of all things in the outward §. 1 man or world THe book of Ecclesiastes opened in Man Wherein you have the vanity of all earthly things discovered how this world and the fashion thereof perisheth all the fulness thereof exhausted her treasures corrupted her glory stained her riches moth-eaten her dwellings rotten her friends consuming her life dying and all her attire fading This is the state of this life this old world this outward man of ours the tabernacle that is groaning and burthened ready to be dissolved yea heaven and earth and all the creatures are the Apostle saith expresly groaning for the redemption and the manifestation of the sons of God The whole generation of the first Adam his whole kingdom and dominion the world wherein he ruled is all melting with fervent heat yea his more excellent things are vain his righteousness
Judgment by the Spirit of the Lord and consume them like stubble here and within me Thus desiring the Lord to give thee understanding to take the good and refuse the evil in this and all things else For his good and thy glory I Rest Thy Friend T. Butler THE TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAP. I. CHrist the Sum of all Things Page 1. The true Ministery 2. Christ the true Temple-Sanctuary 3. Christ the true Tabernacle Ibid Christ is the heavenly Thing in Christians Ibid. Christ is the new Covenant in the new Creature 4. What is that Covenant he will write in us first what it is not then what it is 5. How this Covenant differs from all others it being in Spirit 6. Christ is in us Gods Dwelling and his Writing 8. What this new Covenant is further to us 10. The high excellency and vertue of it in us what it doth for us and is to us 11. The Lord setting forth a book to the world 13. What be the things God makes use of in writing this Book Man Ibid. Gods making mans heart plain and faire for it as paper 14. What God minds and loves it is to live with us and in us 15. What is shall be of the Lords Will and Law and nothing else 17. His own Laws he keeps and them he wil have us keep one Law for both 18. All Gods Laws a whole volumn within us Ibid. Mans blessing or curse is within himself 20. What God writes in us is such writing as nothing can blot it out 21. Where God begins to write he perfects it in us 22. The writing of God in us is by degrees 23. Gods magnifying himselfe in Man 24. The state of the two Adams 26. The Lord is all the Book and Scripture his people have him they preach heare read practise 27. CHAP. II. The first Book that God writes in Man is called Genesis 29. The six daies works in Man brought forth first 30. The second work in Gods day in Man Ibid. The third work of God in his day 31. The fourth worke in the day of the Lord. Ibid. The fifth work in the Lords day 32. The sixth work in the Lords day 33. The end of the work of God 34. The Paradise of God in Man Ibid. The Adam and Eve there in Paradise 35. The Tempter the Fall the Serpent 37. How all things are made new in the beginning of this book 38. CHAP. III. The second Book that God writes in Man is called Exodus 40. God calling his Son out of Egypt Ibid. God leading his Son through the Wilderness 43. What this Wildernesse is Ibid. What God doth for his Son in the Wilderness three or foure things especially The first thing is the severall forms of Rest 44. The second thing that God doth for his Son in the Wilderness is His giving the living Law with the Tables by the Spirit of Christ from Mount Zion 47 The third thing in the Wilderness is The Tabernacle of God with his Son 49. The total Circumcision of Flesh and finall destruction of the fiery Serpent 50. CHAP. IV. The third Book that Gods writes in Man is called Leviticus 52. The Levites garments that minister to the Lord. 54. The spiritual Service in the house of the Lord. 55. CHAP. V. The fourth Book that God writes in Man is called Numbers 65 How every thing is numbred by the Lord in them 58. The true Serpent healing us 59. The Arke of Gods presence 61. CHAP. VI. The fifth Book that God writes in man is called Joshua 62. The true Joshua saving us in fighting to deliver us 63. The seven blessings he delivers to us 64. CHAP VII The sixth Book that God writes in Man is called Judges 66. The Spirit of the Lord the best and just Judge 67. The Sampson and Gideon that is in us 68. CHAP. VIII The seventh Book that God writes in man is the two first books of Kings 70. The Kingly Scepter ruling in us 71. The outside of the Book opened 73. The inside and the Spirit in it opened and revealed there 74. The Raign of the Spirit of the Lord the true David 76 CHAP. IX The eighth Book that God writes in Man is the third Book of Kings 78 A Kingdom divided cannot stand Christ is not divided 80. CHAP. X. The ninth Book that God writes in Man is the fourth Book of Kings 82. The opening of the Temple and the repairing it 84. CHAP. XI The tenth Book that God writes in Men is the two Books of Chronicles 85. How we are made Gods Chronicles 87. CHAP. XII The eleventh Book that God writes in Man is the books of Ezra and Nehemiah The restauration of all things 89. CHAP. XIII The twelfth Book that God writes in Man is called Esther 92. CHAP. XIV The thirteenth Book that God writes in Man is called Job 94. What is the Mystery of this History of Job in Man 95. The latter end of a Saint better then the first the longer he lives the better 96. CHAP. XV. The foureteenth Book that God writes in Man is called Psalmes 98. Psalms and Hymns and spirituall Songs in us all 100. The new Song in the new Jerusalem 101. The chiefest sinner shall rejoice most Ibid. All Gods workings in us come to a Song at last 102 And what this Song is in the Saints 103. The Lord alone is the Psalm and the Hymn and Song in us 104. There is no singing in the strange Land till we come to the Lord himselfe 106. To sing with the Spirit and with Vnderstanding 108 A Psalm 109 A Hymn Ibid. A spirituall Song Ibid. CHAP. XVI The fifteenth Book that God writes in Man is called Proverbs 110. The Spirit that interprets secrets and proverbs where it is and dwells Ibid. The sum of the history of Proverbs spiritually in us in five particulars The Father God the Mother Wisdom the Son the Saint 111. CHAP. XVII The sixteenth Book that God writes in Man is called Ecclesiastes 114. The vanity of all things in the outward man or world Ibid. The earthly man is the vanity of vanities and the vexation of spirit 116. CHAP. XVIII The seventeenth Book that God writes in Man is called the Song of Solomon 117. Christ Kisses and his Mouth what they be Ibid. The ointment poured out 118. What the Kings Chamber is to be brought there 119. What the blackness and the comeliness is 120. What the brothers are angry at and what is the keeping of other Vineyards and not the true Vineyard 121 It is God that justifieth that is our comeliness 123. The true Vineyard 124. Three things thirsted after by him that is as the Spouse here hath tasted any thing of the Life of God 125. The bread that satisfies not and where our rest fulness and fatness lies 126 We shall never be taught well till the Lord teach us 127. The teachings of God more excellent in three things then mens teachings 129. This teaching will make us perfect 131.
to have him bruised smitten to have his grace love mercy patience goodness bowels wisdom power all employed for our good this is the pleasure of the Lord and it did and doth prosper in the hands of Christ and that is the next thing when it makes us like Christ and like God when the will of the Lord is done in us when God dwells in us of a truth when we are made one with the Lord when we reign with him when the Lord is all when we are his pleasure and will SECT LXI §. 61 The Lord shall see us as the travel of his Soul ANd the Lord Jesus shall beget us and conceive us in the womb of his tender mercies and travel in birth with us and in the Day of the Lord we shall though with sorrow be the travel of his Soul and we shall see it and the Lord shall look upon us and notwithstanding all former sorrow it shall not be remembred for joy that we are brought forth holy to the Lord and the Lords Will and Pleasure Wisdom and Power Love and Mercy shall be satisfied in us SECT LXII §. 62 We are the Lords spoil and portion ANd the Knowledg of the Lord shall be known and his Wisdom understood and the righteous God shall be justified and we justified by him and in him for his Righteousness shall be in us and upon us we shall be his spoil and portion the Lord shall take us for his lot and the Lord shall be our portion and great inheritance SECT LXIII The Lord makes the barren to sing and to §. 63 bring forth gloriously FEar not neither be ashamed of thy reproach poor heart that art left like a widow and childless barren and fruitless thou that hast not travelled though thou wast married but not to the Lord Thou hast had many lovers and husbands but not thy maker thine husband therefore thou art confounded and in bondage weeping and lamenting as being left desolate Hear now what the Lord God whose name is the Lord of hostes thy Redeemer the holy One of Israel the God of the whole earth what he saith Sing O barren and break forth into singing for the Lord thy God will overshadow thee and thou shalt conceive in righteousness travel in truth and bring forth faithfulness the Lord will marry thee to himself and thou shalt bear many sons and daughters to the Lord for Righteousness shall be the fruits of thy womb and Peace thy daughters and Truth thy off-spring SECT LXIV §. 64 The seed of the living God out of a barren womb wonderful THe Lord thy Husband will enlarge thee all over none shall surpass thee thou shalt have more children then the married ones or the concubines thou shalt excel them all in singing bearing and bringing forth a multitude of Glory to the Lord thy womb shall be opened thy heart enlarged thy spirit strengthened thy seed multiplied thy bed stretched out thy tents widened and the curtains of thy habitation thy cords and stakes lengthened for the Lord will make the fruits of thy soul like the stars of Heaven or the sands on earth for number all the Plants of the Lord all his own begotten Sons and Daughters and born by the Spirit in whom he is well pleased thou shalt break forth on the right hand on the left every way beautiful and thy seed and children shall inherit and inhabit the desolate places and where it was said Ye are not my people there shall it be said Ye are the sons of the living God SECT LXV §. 65 The Lord thy husband that comforts thee THus the Lord hath delt with thee when thou wast as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit nay refused and rejected by all I found thee desolate and I married thee and received thee to my self and lay thee in my arms and bosom made thee to bear children thus with great mercies have I gathered thee though for a small moment thou wast forsaken and in a little wrath I hid my face from thee but I am returned to thee now with everlasting kindness and I will have mercy on thee without end for I am thy Husband and thy Redeemer SECT LXVI §. 66 I will be thy God and Husband from everlasting unto everlasting NAy now I will do more for thee then ever I wil never depart more from thee I will swear to thee as I did to Noah and give thee a better signe then I did to him the Rainbow in the Heaven that I would no more drown the Earth so will I do to thee the waters of my wrath shall never be upon thee my light and countenance lifted on thee but never taken off thee and this shall be thy token I will give thee my self in marriage and be thy Husband and thou shalt be without rebuke nay though mountains and hills be removed all thy comforts and comforters depart from thee yet shall never my kindness nor the Covenant of my peace be removed but I will keep thee in perfect peace for in the world flesh and darkness there is nothing but trouble vanity anguish torment and vexation but in me my Love Heart Spirit Light Life Truth and Kingdom thou shalt have peace be therefore of good comfort for I have overcome all to thee SECT LXVII §. 67 The foundation windows and gates of the Saints the Lords house and building of what precious stones it is SEe further how fruitful the Lord will make her and how beautiful all over though tossed and afflicted discomforted and perplexed behold the Lord will be thy foundation the living Stone shall be thy corner stone the Rock thy root and bottom wherefore saith the Lord I will lay thy stones with fair colours and foundation with Saphirs thy windows of Agates thy gates of Carbuncles and all thy borders of pleasant stoâ—es And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord and great shall be the peace of thy children Thus will the Lord glorifie thee for in righteousness shalt thou be established that shall be thy fair colours and Saphirs and without either oppression oppressor fear or terror and all that gather against thee shall fall by thee for I am with thee and as whatsoever is in thine hand hath this blessing it shall prosper so this shall be a curse to thine enemies that no weapon formed against thee my Holiness shall prosper and every tongue that riseth up against thee by preaching praying counselling or threatening shall be condemned This is the heritage blessing promise and portion of the servants of the Lord and all their worth and righteousness is from thee thou art the Lord their God thou sanctifiest them SECT LXVIII §. 68 The Lord is that water that wine and that milk to them that thirst after him and that hunger in him THe Lord Jesus Christ is all true and saving comfort and all kind of food is in him He is water to the thirsty wine to the heavy hearted milk to the
Lord for he will have mercy on them and to them that call him the Lord their God for he can and will and none else abundantly pardon them and though your thoughts and ways and mine be as far distant as heaven and earth and as far below me yet I will make your thoughts mine and your ways mine you shall think as I think and say as I say and live as I live and in every thing do as I do agree in mind spirit and judgment with me think of your selves and ways as I do think of you and think of me and my ways according as I think of my self and think of others and their ways as I do and then though my thoughts before were in heaven so high yours on earth so low yet now you shall no more be in earth but in heaven with me and in earth with me and in both like me SECT LXXIII The Word that comes from Gods Mouth shall prosper in what it is sent §. 73 NAy furthermore I will pour out my Rain and my Snow my Spirit and my Word from my heavenly Glory upon you that are like the earth sinful and carnal and my Spirit and Word shall not return in vain it shall water you and make you fruitful and bring forth seed to the sower and bread to the eater for as it came out of my Mouth as from heaven so it shall descend in the heart of the earth and plow up the fallow grounds and sow in righteousness and reap in joy it shall accomplish that whereto I sent it and prosper in the thing I take in hand it shall make you bring forth and go out in joy and be led forth in peace the mountains and hills shall break forth into singing and the trees of the fields clap their hands for joy for high and low rich and poor shall praise the Lord no thorns but fir trees no bryers but mirtle trees and it shall be to the Lord for an everlasting sign of praise never to end SECT LXXIV §. 74 No man is just but he to whom Salvation is come BLessed is the man that keepeth judgment for judgment shall keep him and that doth justice for that shall preserve him for to him my Salvation is come the Salvation of the Lord and to him my Righteousness is revealed blessed is the man that hath this and that layeth hold on it for he shall keep the Sabbath from polluting it and serve the Lord he shall keep a rest a holy day for ever to the Lord he shall do no evil neither shall any iniquity be found in his hand SECT LXXV §. 75 The stranger and the Eunuch joyned to the Lord and made sons and heirs to God THe stranger and the Eunuch that are joyned to the Lord shall be sons and heirs neither shall they say we are separated from the Lord any more nor from his people but are united to them nor shall the Eunuch say any more he is a dry tree but the Lord God who joyned himself to them and given them his Spirit even the Spirit of Holiness and Rest to keep a Sabbath within them God will give them a place and a habitation within his house and a name better then of sons and daughters even heirs and an everlasting name that shall never be cut off I will bring them to my holy Mountain and make them my House of Prayer and I will rejoyce in them and accept of all their burnt-offerings and meat-offerings upon my Altar and my House shall be called The House of Prayer for all people though their watchmen be blind and dumb dogs yet I will be their Watchman saith the Lord. SECT LXXVI §. 76 The righteous man perisheth but not his righteousness yet none lays it to heart THe righteous man perisheth though his righteousness endures for ever yet none lays him or his righteousness to heart nor considereth his death or his life and he and his righteousness is taken from the evil to come for what hath righteousness to do with unrighteousness or light with darkness So he is taken from men to God and shall enter in his peace and lie down in his bed of rest and walk for ever in his righteousness But the sinful and wicked man he perisheth not but lives and prospers in the world for a moment but yet his triumph is short this is the Adulterer and the Adulteress and her whorish brood that make a wide mouth speaking blasphemy false children full of iniquity sporting themselves with vanities and inflamed with idols in every place in valleys and hills and hast joyned to another and enlarged thy bed and hast not at all remembred the Lord nor laid him to thy heart for these lovers and lusts have stollen away thy heart thy vanity shall take thee away and none shall deliver thee but they that trust in me shall be delivered and inherit rest in my Land quietly SECT LXXVII The Lord will dwell in Holiness both on §. 77 high and below NAy further Thus saith the Lord to them that fear him whose name and nature is holy and his dwellings in eternity holy that wheresoever he is he makes all things holy and like him if he dwell above or beneath in heigth or in depth in rich or in poor in high or low strong or weak fathers or babes which is called the high and holy place or in the humble and contrite yet he is Holiness in all estates and degrees and revives the heart and spirit of the humble and creates peace also in all their borders both to them a far off and to them nigh at hand neither wil I contend in wrath for ever least I should destroy the souls that I have made but I have seen his ways and will heal and restore comfort to the mourners and peace where there is no peace SECT LXXVIII §. 78 The sin and iniquity of Jacob the Fast that is the Lords the good and acceptable day that he chuses how we must love one another and walk in the light and not in darkness as the Lord doth to us THe Lords people even the house of Jacob have their sins and transgressions as well as others and the cry of the Lord is loud against them he will not spare them above all they shall see it and these be their sins 1. They seek me dayly but it s with the lip only 2. They delight to know my ways but yet hate to be reformed and do it 3. They ask of me the Ordinances of Justice and yet forsake the Ordinance of their God 4. They delight in approaching before God yet they say Wherefore takest thou no knowledg of it 5. They fast and yet find pleasure they fast but from sin but fast to strife and debate you fast not unto me your fast is not the acceptable day of the Lord that is Joy and Gladness yours is rending of garments putting on of sackcloth you have chosen out a fast to your selves
with the wicked and the rich in his death 250. What it is to have the pleasure of the Lord for to prosper in his or in our hand 251. The Lord shall see us as the travel of his Soul 253. We are the Lords spoil and portion Ibid. The Lord makes the barren to sing and to bring forth gloriously 254. The seed of the living God out of a barren womb wonderful 255. The Lord thy husband that comforts thee 256. I will be thy God and Husband from everlasting unto everlasting 257. The foundation windows and gates of the Saints the Lords house and building of what precious stones it is 258. The Lord is that water that wine and that milk to them that thirst after him and that hunger in him 260. Three things to be observed here more especially on the best wine kept last 261. That which is bread and satisfieth and is good and delights the soul and makes it live and prosper in fatness is from the Lord alone 263. Christ the true Witness and Leader to the People 265. The people that know thee not shall run afterthee for the Lord hath glorified thee in their eyes and their thoughts and ways shall be as the Lords thoughts and ways are 266. The Word that comes from Gods mouth shall prosper in what it is sent 268. No man is just but he to whom Salvation is come 269. The stranger and the Eunuch joyned to the Lord and made sons and heirs to God 270. The righteous man perisheth but not his righteousness yet none lays it to heart 271. The Lord will dwell in Holiness both on high and below 272. The sin and iniquity of Jacob the Fast that is the Lords the good and acceptable day that he chuses how we must love one another and walk in the light and not in darkness as the Lord doth to us 274. The exceeding sinfulness of sin the misery that it brings till the Lord arise against it in Justice and in Truth 277. Arise and shine for thy light is come 279. The glory given to them whom God doth glorifie Ibid. All Glory comes when Gods Glory comes 280. I will bring gold and silver strength and beauty unto thee 281. The Lord thy everlasting Light thy Sun and Moon that shall darken all other Suns and turn them to blood but himself in the end 282. The Spirit of the anointing of the Lord what works it doth binding and loosing doing all good 284 Our righteousness brightness and our salvation a burning lamp 286. The Lord thy Watchman day and night 287. The Lords dyed garments coming from the great slaughter of his enemies sin and Satan 288. The Lords coming down with power to destroy flesh 289. The Lord God is found of them that sought not after him 290. How all things are made new of God 292. Though heaven and earth be my house yet I will dwell in you 293. Zion brings forth yea a Whole Nation in a day and that without pain 294. THE Sealed Book of GOD opened in MAN The Mystery of the holy Scriptures the Volume of Gods Book written in mans heart in the Spirit and to be read in his life in the Letter HEB. chap. 8. vers 10. For this is the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those dayes saith the Lord I will put my Laws into their mind and write them in their hearts and I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a people CHAP. I. §. 1 Christ the Sum of all Things NOw of the things which we have spoken and write saith the Apostle in the beginning of the chapter this is the sum Christ is the sum of it all the Figures Types Priest-hoods Sacrifices Temples Tabernacles Prophets and Prophesies in their severall parts Christ is their totall sum Let them be all numbred together they all make up but one Christ who is such an High Priest as is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majestie in the heavens they all give him 1. The right Hand 2. The Throne 3. The Majestie 4. The heavenly Thing in the Priest-hood and in all things else hath this preheminence SECT II. §. 2 The true Ministry A Minister of the Sanctuary and of the true Tabernacle which the Lord pitched and not man Christ is the sum of all the Ministry there is no other Ministry but Christ and Christians who make but one Spirit he the male they the female whom God the Father hath joyned together his Spirit poured out and married to their flesh the Divine Nature the Male our Humane the Female making one Emmanuel God with us so that as the two witnesses agree in one so be these SECT III. §. 3 Christ the true Temple-Sanctuary CHrist was also the Sanctuary the Temple of God upon the Altar of which Temple he offered himself a Sacrifice to God Soul and Body so are Christians SECT IV. Christ the true Tabernacle §. 4 CHrist also is the Sum of the Tabernacle God dwelling so richly in him the Tabernacle of God was then with men the life was manifested the true Tabernacle the Lord pitched and not man so are Christians SECT V. Christ is the heavenly Thing in Christians §. 5 ALL which serve for the example and shadow of hâ—avenly things as Moses when he was admonished of God about making the Tabernacle See saith God that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed thee in the Mount Now the truth and substance the heavenly Thing and the good Thing to come is Christ and the Christian this is the Tabernacle that God pitches even the man Christ there he will dwell that is his House Now Christ brings forth more excellent things then any in the Mount you have seen them all the Ministry Tabernacles Sanctuary Sacrifice the whole Worship the Law and Covenant also they all wax old vanish away from the Mount but not the other SECT VI. §. 6 Christ is the new Covenant in the new Creature BUt now Christ hath obtained a more excellent Ministry by how much also he is the Mediator of a better Covenant which was established upon better promises It is a Ministry in Spirit a Covenant in Spirit making intercession in our spirits an establishing in Spirit and precious promises written in our spirits so that if the first Covenant Promises Ministry Tabernacle had been faultless pure or perfect there had been no need of the second but the Lord finding fault with the first and the Worship and Worshippers thereof He saith Behold the days come that I will make a new Covenant a new Promise a new Tabernacle a new Ministry and all things new a new Heaven and Earth with the House of Israel and the House of Judah In those days saith the Lord all old things shall then pass away and all things become new and all things shall be of God who hath reconciled us to himself in Jesus Christ SECT VII §. 7 What is that
the world what God hath done in the secret printing-house of the heart and whatsoever comes out to the world that is not of his printing and licensing shall be suppressed by the Spirit as not having the hand-writing that makes free and none shall buy or sell but those that have his mark SECT XIII §. 13 What be the things God makes use of in writing this Book Man ANd when the Lord God doth thus he will make our hearts his table-books washing them clean and pure fit and prepared to receive any impression his letters shall be all Spirit and his words life his Precepts and Commandments perfect Liberty as for the Lords Pen it shall be the Finger of the Spirit of God the Inditer God himself the Ink it shall be the pure Christal waters of Life and Grace that proceeds from the Throne of God and of the Lamb the everlasting Fountains of Love the Writings and Printings shall never perish it shall be for a perpetual Memorial to all generations the Lords Hand and Seal shall be set to the Book he will not be ashamed of his workmanship nor his writing therein it shall be also dedicated to all the world Angels and men for all to read his Name shall be to it and the Title shall be this The Book of Life Printed in the year of our Lord the fulness of time SECT XIV Gods making mans heart plain and fair for it §. 14 as paper I Will put my Laws in their minds this is the mind of God to have them of one minde with himself minding the same things His mind in their minds God would fain put his new wine into the new vessels of their minds knowing full well how much vanity for the most part lodges there like the Inn that was full of guests that there was no room for Christ to lay his head so it is in most minds enough of every thing but little enough of this love of the Spirit of Life What said the Lord Now I will come into the temple of mans mind and cast out the buyers and sellers overthrow the tables of the money-changers drive out the beasts and birds and the house that was full of murderers aden of theeves I will make a house of prayer before I leave them SECT XV. §. 15 What God minds and loves it is to live with us and in us BY this we may see the mind of God what he minds most amongst men what he loves best where he desires to live it is the minds of men Again we see all those Sacrifices under the Law that were commanded to be offered to God must be of the best the male in the flock not the sick blind lean or lame all which was abominable to God so here this is the male in the flock God will have offered to him his Laws put into our minds and if this be not all is nothing Thus it was with David surely when he said Oh how do I love thy Law it is my meditation day and night and again Psal 1. 2. Blessed is the man whose delight is in the Laws of the Lord surely it was because God had put his Laws in his mind As it was in the Temple of God which was a shaddow of good things to come there was we read in the most holy place the Ark of the Covenant surely this Ark was a kind of figure of what God would do in these last dayes in our Temples in the most holy place of our hearts even in the Ark of our minds he would place his Covenants and put his Laws in that Arke SECT XVI §. 16 What is shall be of the Lords Will and Law and nothing else ANd in that it is said my Laws it shall be a living Law a holy heavenly wise gracious good Law God himself shall be our Law and our Example in all things follow him the Governments shall be upon his shoulders he will Rule in us and over us and be our King Priest and Prophet Happy art thou O Israel a people governed by the Lord He is your Law-giver and it is given to the spirits and hearts of men where he rules and sits brings al things into subjection to himself I will break every other Law of man all your Laws either in Church or in State either in the inward man that convinces or in the outward that restrains that are not mine shall be rooted up those yokes and burdens you shall no longer bear but take my yoke it 's easie my burden and Laws are light and in them you shall find rest SECT XVII §. 17 His own Laws he keeps and them he will have us keep one Law for both ANd in that he saith my Laws see how good and gracious God is he will lay no other burden then what he bears himself live by one Law one Mind one Life one Spirit one Truth one Peace one Righteousness one Kingdom the Law God walks by lives in the way he goes that which is his own very heart and nature the same he would give us that we may be as God is holy as he is holy just as he is just that we may be the children of our Father which is in Heaven SECT XVIII §. 18 All Gods Laws a whole volum within us ANd it is observable he doth not say my Law though all his Laws agree in one and are as one but shews us further that how the Word of the Lord shall dwell in us richly and not sparingly we shall not abound in some grace but in every grace nor in some knowledg but in all wisdom knowledg not doing some of the Will of God but instructed in the whole Counsel of the Lord we shall have Laws in us of all sorts the Law of Faith the Law of Love the Law of Truth the Law of Life the Law of Righteousness the Law of Meekness the Law of Contentedness nay there is not a Law in Heaven nor a Law in the Heart of God but he will put it in our hearts for we shall be men after his own heart And this we must know God is the searcher of heart and mind it must be such an eye and such an arm as must be stretched out to reach the bottom and depth of our minds all that is in the world is too short we may speak to them present the forms and patterns of things given to us in the Mount to the eyes ears and outward view and hearing of men in the world and there we must leave it then comes God and gives the increase he puts it farther he doth the work powerfully We can but John the Baptist like say I indeed baptize with water but he that comes after me it is he that must do all without him all is nothing so here unless Christ come after as here he hath promised and put his Laws in our minds we shall heare pray and do all in vain SECT XIX §. 19 WHerefore my dearly beloved
what is Paul or what is Apollo or â—ephas It is the Lord alone that wil be exalted he will put his Law there where all the devils in hell all the powers of flesh and spirit cannot prevail against it if he put it there what shall be able to separate remove or pull it out of his hands or out of our hearts SECT XX. §. 20 Mans blessing or curse is within himself ANd I will write it in their hearts It is the heart of man that God ayms at and therein are the issues of death or life there is every mans Heaven or Hell his blessing or his cursing for if our own hearts condemn us shall not God much more If this Tree be good then all the fruits are good but if it be bad then all is corrupt look to your hearts then for from thence is discovered your weal or woe SECT XXI §. 21 What God writes in us is such writing as nothing can blot it out ANd here see how the phrase is changed to enlarge the sense what before he called his putting into our minds he enlarges it to the writing or rather explains the manner how he will put his Laws in our hearts and that is by writing them in our hearts or else what he will do after he hath put his Laws in our minds how he will preserve and keep it there that it may never be forgotten but abide in us for ever by an eternal written character that shall never be blotted out Sin may but Grace cannot and when it is thus printed in us no theeves can steal it nor rust corrupt it nor fowls gather it but it 's safe under Hand and Seal and we never have sure comfort till then we may then say I know that my Redeemer liveth and I see him and I know whom I have trusted I am perswaded fully that nothing is able to separate me from his love nor blot me out of his Book I was in much doubt of his word and promise before I had this Hand writing but now I thank God I have obtained the victory by the Lord. SECT XXII §. 22 Where God begins to write he perfects it in us NOw be assured of this all you that know any thing of God that when the Lord puts his hand to the pen and the pen to the paper which are the tables of our minds it will not be in vain he stays not there it is for this very end to write something therein either a protection to keep thee I wil be with thee or else a warrant to do something in his name and he will deliver thee or a Commission to go and teach all Nations to go forth to conquer and overcome fearing nothing SECT XXIII §. 23 The writing of God in us is by degrees ANd when the Lord begins his writing it may be in weakness in a letter first because of the smoaking flax and bruised reeds and from a letter to a Word a Word of Life and from a Word to a Promise and from a Promise to a Precept thus going on with line upon line and precept after precept here a little and there a little till he hath finished it his whole Will in us that in the volum of our hearts we may see it written Lo I am prepared to do thy Will O God When we shall see all his Words Promises Precepts Prophesies Exhortations Consolations Doctrines Reproofs Uses Means Motives and all compleated in Man It may be in the beginning like a grain of mustard seed but comes to a tree it is begun in free-grace but it ends in full Glory it is at first God manifested in the Flesh and thence justified in Spirit at last received up into Glory this is the writing called the Lords SECT XXIV §. 24 Gods magnifying himself in Man ANd all this is done for his own name sake to make his Glory Name known that he is the Lord the only God and there is no Beloved like to this Beloved this made David in his eight Psalm magnifie God so when he looked upon the three-fold writing of God 1. That in Nature saying O Jehovah God how excellent is thy Name in all the world thou hast set thy Glory above the Heavens this he read in Natures Book The second Book or Writing is in Letter Word or Promise and in this he is magnified in the same Psalm Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast ordained strength stilling the enemy and avenger The third Book is in Spirit in Man and that is the highest of all Gods Writings there he is read plainest and best first in the first Man Adam secondly in the new Man Christ thirdly in the new Man the Christian this made him say more When I consider the the Heavens the works of thy hands Sun Moon and Stars which thou hast ordained Lord think I then what is poor man that thou art so mindfull of him or the son of man that is the second man that thou hast so much visited him as to dwell in him and be God with him making him a litle lower then the Angels in his flesh and crowning him with so much glory and honor in Spirit in us as to think Heaven Earth Angels Men Creatures Scriptures Means Sabbaths Ordinances Graces Promises Ministers Magistrates things Temporal things Spiritual Christ God the Spirit all is ours therefore I must say once again O Lord our God how excellent is thy Name in all the world SECT XXV §. 25 The state of the two Adams THe Lord is pleased to make man an epitome of all things as he is a little world created of God Heaven and Earth being in him and he made up of both so the fulness thereof is in him a compound of all at first as he was in the first Adam But now in the second Adam in the generation of Jesus Christ as he is brought forth a new to God dying to the World and living to God in spirit in a new world whereof this first is but the image so is he the sum of all that spiritual state For as Christ in the flesh was the sum of all the legal Rites Ordinances Sacrifices Worship and All so is Christ Jesus in spirit in the new Creature the sum of Gospel Ordinances Prayers Hearings Writings Preachings Church-fellowship Breaking of Bread and Excommunications SECT XXVI §. 26 The Lord is all the Book and Scripture his people have him they preach hear read practise NAy the Lord will be to us Heaven and Earth Lands and Livings Father and Mother Sister and Brother Children and Friends Master and Servant Gifts and Graces Knowledge and Wisdom Temple and Sacrifice Sabbath and Sermon Creature and Scripture yea Doctrine and Psalm Revelation and Consolation New Testament and Old Law and Gospel Letter and Spirit Promise and Precept Writing and Printing our Bible and Book all things past present and to come Therefore he saith when he comes to do this I will write What a
my self abundantly in love This true Paradise which God planted in man Christ formed in us and the Spirit of God living like a fountain of water with us SECT X. The Adam and Eve there in Paradise §. 10 ANd further as from the Paradise and River of Life the whole world is refreshed for from hence come the streames of life and divide themselves into all parts of the world teaching in his Name wonderfull things so the Man and the Woman that lives in this Paradise with God the Adam and the Eve is Christ and the Christian Christ the Man and the Christian the Woman both living in one Paradise brought together by God marryed and given in marriage by the Spirit of God making Christ and the Christian one this is the Mystery of God manifested in the flesh or God dwelling in us becoming a second Adam to us feeding us with the tree of Life in us and refreshing us as with living water which he gives us and the tree shall not dye but live need no clothing or any Tabernacle or Shrine or Fig-leaves but the nakedness of God appearing in the Righteousness of Christ not having our garments which are hairy but the smooth and naked clothes of Christ and we shall not be ashamed SECT XII §. 12 The Tempter the Fall the Serpent NAy further the Tempter here in the New Creature thus written by God is the good Tempter the Spirit of the Lord tempting us and leading us into all Truth and Lord lead us into this temptation for ever and this Spirit is not like the beast of the field but like the Doves of Heaven it is as wise as Serpents but as innocent and harmless as a Dove Now the great Fall of this New Man is a total and final fall from sin Satan or a Being taken up in Clouds from the earth a receiving out of their sight to live with the Lord as also the curse there is nothing but blessing there is neither pain nor sorrow conceiving nor travelling there is neither Lord nor servant but all are made one in Christ Jesus SECT XII §. 12 How all things are made new in the beginning of this book LAstly to conclude the writing of God in short for the book of the beginning of the new Creation or Book of life in Man Here is no carnal generation no living after the Flesh no knowing one another after the Flesh but in Spirit and Truth a spiritual encrease and multiplying Here is no death at all but a long life even for ever and ever Here is no marrying nor giving in marriage but they are like the Angels of God no violence but all meekness and love Here is no wrath nor destruction but eternal love and consolation Here is no repenting the Lord he made Man but it rejoyces him at the heart to see him Here is no Deluge but the pouring out of the Spirit no Ark but the Lords presence in our Ark we are the house of God no perishing but Flesh no Sacrifice but the Spirit no Covenant but the new one in Man no Rain but that of the Word of Truth no Flesh but Spirit to feed upon no Milk nor Herbs but Grace no Vinyard but that of the Lords love no Altar but God no Call but that inward Call to forsake thy Fathers house No House nor Father nor Mother nor Land nor Portion but the Lord none to serve nor follow but him no Circumcision but in Spirit no bond woman nor her children but the free woman the spirit of liberty from sin and death no Well but the deep Rivers of Salvation no Vision but of God no Famine but of Flesh no Corn nor Wine nor Oyl but the Light of Gods countenance lifted up upon us CHAP. III. The second Book that God writes in Man §. 1 is called EXODVS THe second book is the book of Exodus for where the Lord hath once begun a writing or a work a word or a line he will build up finish and make an end in his due time but now he is but beginning and going on from one strength to another appearing in us now he comes with an out-stretched arm to deliver before he came to pull down and to build up to lay the foundation now he comes to deliver from the enemies of our salvation SECT II. §. 2 God calling his Son out of Egypt THerefore saith he I have called my Son out of Egypt that is Christ is called out of the grave death darkness this is the Son called out of Egypt the Flesh to live in Spirit in his members and body Now in this Egypt of our flesh and filthiness dwells nothing but Thunder and Lightening Darkness Plagues and Crosses for all these lay upon the Son while he is and was in our Egypt or fleshly Nature but he must rise the third day the Son shall not always lie thus in the grave the Spirit shall not always strive with Flesh and be buffeted and betrayed by it as Israel after a certain time was called forth the Lord hears the groans of his Son on the Cross and Israel in Egypt and the groans of the Spirit in these Tabernacles of Flesh willing to be delivered waiting for the day of Redemption not out of a part of Egypt to live in the suburbs or as neer as may be but far off to get into another land and kingdom even the kingdom called the Lords And though Flesh and Blood Principalities and Powers spiritual wickedness in high places Pharoah and all his Taskmasters the Magicians and all the hoste of Egyptians rise up against this Call and power of God to withstand it as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses and as the Scribes and Pharises placing the watch and ward laying the stone upon the grave of Christ sealing it withstood God and as Antichrist withstands the two witnesses but all in vain till the power of God entred into them all bringing them forth with a mighty hand saying Come up hither and fire came out of their mouths and the sea to consume and devour them They I mean all their carnal and spiritual enemies may come after them as far as the red sea but then no farther As soon as his Son the Lord Christ or the Christian hath passed through the red Sea of the sufferings of Christ Flesh and Blood dare follow them no further nay here dyes and perisheth all this carnal power and enmity SECT III. §. 3 God leading his Son through the Wilderness BUt though Gods Son Christ Jesus be called out of Egypt and is led from thence and Egypt destroyed in the Red Sea there the Flesh suffers yet there is another Call God leaves not his Son in the Wilderness whom he hath once called but then he calls them on and allures them there speaking comfortably to them This Son of God called out of Egypt thus and now all his children in the Wilderness is brought to straits and knows not whither to look
in bondage from serving the Lord in freedom of heart and this is his Call Let my people go that they may serve me To this purpose speaks Zacharias Oh that he would grant unto us that we being delivered from the hands of our enemies may serve the Lord without fear in holiness and righteousness all the days of our life I know saith the Lord that Pharaoh that proud flesh wil not let my people go to serve me But they saith Christ shall go in spite of all to serve the Lord I will make all their enemies their footstool saith the Lord. CHAP. IV. The third Book that God writes in Man is §. 1 called LEVITICVS NOw the third Book is called Leviticus This also is made good in the Saints in the truth of it the spirit of that Letter dwells in them and the substance of what is written in that Book concerns them chiefly as this All the Sacrifices looked at them they are to offer up the Sacrifice of Righteousness of which all the legal were but Types Secondly the Sacrifice of a broken and contrite heart and then their souls and bodies to be offered up as living Sacrifices to the Lord holy and acceptable And what were all the Calves Lambs Doves but meerly figurative not only looking at Christ but Christians also they must be the Lambs of God Doves Turtles and Christ presents them thus to God therefore the Apostle saith We shall be presented harmless and blameless at his coming And again I beseech you present your selves a living Sacrifice to God And again Ye are a holy Priesthood to offer up spiritual Sacrifice to God so that the Apostle makes them and all that they do to be Sacrifices to God and the Lord smells a sweet savor in them nay he tells them they are the Lords Levites and Priests to make prayers and supplications to God yea to offer the Sacrifice of thanksgiving and to call upon the Name of the Lord these are they that are to stand before the Lord of the whole earth the anointing of the Lord is upon them to minister before the Lord God not only oyl but the oyl of Life and Grace the Spirit of the Lord falls on them and hath anointed them to preach the glad tydings Thy God cometh O Zion SECT II. §. 2 The Levites garments that minister to the Lord. NAy yet more all the fine linnen the Priests did wear what meant it but the white garments the walking with God in white the pure white linnen the Righteousness of Saints what was the Ephod and their Brest-plate their Urim and their Thummim their Bells and Pomegranates the names of the twelve Tribes on their Brestplates their Incense their ministring before the Lord their entring in with blood to the Temple all these are fulfilled spiritually in Saints the mind of God is with them that fear him they have a Brestplate of Righteousnes the Name of the Lord written in their hearts and they have the Names of the Tribes all the people of God are fellow Members and fellow Feelers one of another SECT III. §. 3 The spiritual Service in the House of the LORD THeir Incense they have is The sweet perfume of the Spirit of Grace in them that runs all along their garments their Bells and Pomegranates is the everlasting Gospel of God made known by them in truth and evidence of the Spirit every way these are they that minister before the Lord day and night they kindle the fire upon the Altar and do not offer up strange fire keep the Lamps in the House of the Lord that they go not out all these things and many more are proper to the Saints they have the Lamps of the Lord burning in them never decaying having the Olive trees always feeding them so that whensoever the Lord comes these wise Virgins are with their Lamps prepared and they receive this fire from Heaven to consume every Sacrifice and not false fire the fire of the Lords Love and Zeal the Zeal of his House eat them up they look to the doors of the Lords House see that no lame blind sick Sacrifice be offered but the best in the flock not the female but the male they think it not a weariness to serve the Lord neither do they make his table contemptible they have the Tythes of all all things in Heaven and Earth they have the first fruits all do homage and yeeld obedience to them all the sheaves bow to them the whole world shall bring their glory into them and they shall be the store-house of the Lord. CHAP. V. The fourth Book that God writes in Man §. 1 is called NVMBERS THe fourth Book is the Book of Numbers where you have the Lords people to be the Sum of all that is therein contained it is fulfilled in them and compleated spiritually by them they are Gods Numbers they are all numbered in his Books are all their names written nay their thoughts and actions numbered a Book of Remembrance writing down what they say of the Lord Mal. 3. Their very bones nay the very hairs of their heads numbered much less will he have any one of his number lost though the shepheard had ninety nine he would leave all to seek after the one because of all that is his he will lose none he keeps a perfect account of them and of every sort of them so many Tribes so many of every Tribe of all tongues languages kindred and people he hath his Numbers besides he hath the number how many lambs how many babes how many strong men how many fathers how many hired servants how many sick how many well how many strong how many weak how many fat and lean poor and rich male and female bond and free in all such things the Lord is instructed taking care of all and providing for all SECT II. How every thing is numbred by the Lord in them AGain numbering their gifts and graces their growth and age till they come to that perfect number and stature in Christ having their days and age filled being full of days and of the holy Ghost Besides this the Armies of the Saints their Banners Christ their Camp Righteousness their General the Lord of hosts their Pillar of Fire and Cloud by day and night the presence of the Lord even the Angel of his presence their matches from strength to strength going on to perfection forgetting the things behinde Their Trumpets sounding is the Voyce of the Lord heard amongst them calling and gathering them together their Sacrifices Praises their Meat Manna their Flesh Quails their Drink out of the everlasting Rock the Lord a Well of living water their spies viewing the holy Land and bringing the first fruits is the earnest of the Spirit giving us a view of Heaven and a taste of the Milk and the Wine therein with the clusters of Grapes brought from thence to refresh us withal SECT III. The true Serpent healing us §. 3. THe brazen
Serpent healing their stings is nothing but the power of the Lord breaking in peeces and slaying the head of the Serpent the Devil Christ Jesus the seed of the woman breaking the Serpent head Jesus saving us from our sins pouring out his wine and oyl into our wounds the Lord healing our Rebellion The Canaanites destroyed is the flesh crucified dead and buried The removing every unclean thing out of the Camp is the sanctifying of us in Soul Spirit and Body The false Prophet brought to curse us but cannot is the spirit of Antichrist dwelling too much in every one of us when Flesh glories in it self the Blessing of the Lord is the turning of every one from his iniquity The Inheritance is the Land of Peace the Kingdom of the Lord himself the dividing of it is the Mansions prepared of God for us all The Rest on this side the river is the living any where below God like the dove that stood upon the ark before she was taken in so here it s the outside only made clean which is but the hem of a Christians garment The murmuring and returning back again to Egypt is the beginning in the Spirit and the ending in the Flesh the dying and having their carcasses to fall in the Wilderness the running well who hindred them so run that ye may obtain so that for want of faith and patience they do not inherit the Promise Wherefore he saith let no man take thy crown he that is faithful to death shall have a crown of life and he that continueth to the end shall be saved SECT IV. §. 4. The Ark of Gods presence THeir Ark carried before them is the power of the Lord leading them forth The standing of the Ark is the Lords resting upon them Their arising with the Ark next day is the Lords making way and preparing it dayly for them through mountains hills plains drying up the waters destroying enemies all is to shew us how he wil bring forth judgment unto victory bringing down our haughtiness that the Lord alone may be exalted amongst us in that day CHAP. VI. The fifth Book that God writes in Man §. 1 is called JOSHVA THe book of Joshua or Jesus who is the Lord God the Commander and Leader of the people commanding all that is in them their mindes and spirits carrying them through Jordan or the midst of many afflictions in spirit giving them his grace which is strength enough and though his rod and staff be upon them yet it shall comfort them if the Lord be with them Moses could not bring them in their Rest but it must be Joshua that must do it not men but the Lord not the Ministry of Flesh but Spirit Moses dyed Joshua lived it is not the dying man but the quickened Spirit SECT II. §. 2 The true Joshua saving us in fighting to deliver us JOshua fought all their battels for them overthrew their enemies took their strong holds bound their Kings in chains and Nobles in fetters of iron This honor have all his Saints Praise ye the Lord. Joshua never left them till he had settled them in the good Land He followed the Lord he knew not whither but when he knew he did althings as the Lord commanded him So is it with our true Joshua Christ Jesus in us doth fulfil all things that are given him of the Father and never leaves nor forsakes us til he hath possessed us and desposed all things else for us Joshua overthrew the walls of Jericho with the blast of Rams horns went forth conquering and to conquer till he had made his enemies his footstool and the footstool of Israel and when they had overcome then he and his house would serve the Lord and so he dyed in the Lord So is our Joshua by the breath of his mouth all the foundations of the earth are shaken yea Heaven and Earth His Enemies are subdued yea the devil is made subject to him and his giving them power over Serpents and Scorpions and all manner of creeping things thâ—t nothing shall hurt them thus overcoming all things giving them the spoyl opening the Kingdom of Heaven to them that had been so long shut from it SECT III. The seven Blessings he delivers to us §. 3 ANd now having overcome all things through the spirit of the Lamb they shall inherit all things the oppressor shall pass through them no more the Lord shall encamp about them they shall now serve him 1. They shall eat of the tree of Life for Food 2. They shall not be hurt of the second death 3. They shall have the new name and white stone the Palms in their hands and Vials or Harps the hid Manna 4. They shall have power from God to rule over Nations yea they shall have the morning Star given them 5. They shall live in that Land they shall be clothed with white rayment and they shall not be blotted out of the book of Life for ever and they shall be confessed before God and Angels to be worthy 6. They shall be Pillars in the house of God they shall not go any more out they shall have the name of my God and the name of the City of my God written upon them 7. They shall sit upon my Throne as I am set on my Fathers Throne Thus Christ our Joshua and his house the Saints shall serve the Lord in one Spirit CHAP. VII The sixth Book that God writes in Man §. 1 is called JUDGES THe next book is called Judges in Scripture and this also is written in us by the finger of God We are his Judges to sit upon his Throne judging righteously We shall judg Angels saith the Apostle yea the world also how much more the smaller matters And again they shall sit upon twelve seats judging the twelve tribes of Israel thus judgment is committed unto the Saints this honor have they Nay they can much more judg and condemn sin in themselves having their sences exercised to discern between good and evil judging every thought word and work SECT II. §. 2 The Spirit of the Lord the best and just Judg. WHen the Spirit of the Lord is our Judg then we are as Israel was here having good Iudges they were delivered from the cruelty of enemies and rejoyced But when the Flesh sits as judg and will rule the bramble wil have the command of all the trees then there is sorrow of heart then we are like Israel under the Philistins and other enemies till the Lord raise up his Iudges again the Spirit of life to break their yoke off our necks So that many are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord delivers them from them all fightings within and fightings without but more then conquerors in all having such a Gideon and a Sampson as the Spirit of the Lord is the Barly cake that must overthrow every tent that stands against it and carry away all the gates that oppose though they be the gates
Goliah in the world of darkness and depths of Satan this Spirit of the Lord as a David with its stone and its sling its rod and staff makes way strikes dead to the ground whatsoever stands up and oppose laying all their glory in the dust making the Lyon and the Churl to be like Lambs and Doves silencing all the unclean spirits and establishes its throne in the midst of us SECT V. §. 5 The Raign of the Spirit of the Lord the true DAVID BEsides this Israel chose David now Saul is dead for her King and Iudah and Israel have one King the Lord our Righteousness of which David was a Type shall rule over all where it was said Ye are not my people it shall be said Ye are the sons of the living God for they shall seek the Lord and fear his goodness in the latter days and be a long time without a King Priest or Prophet and then they shall turn to the Lord yea the Philistins also shall have the Lord our David for their King the Heathen shal be his Inheritance the Kings themselves shall be wise and come and kiss the Son David daunceth before the Ark and would appear more vile to Michal if that was vile in her eyes she being childless this is the glory of the Saints the Ark the Lord his Glory it s their song and daunces they sing after his Instruments and this joy of the Saints and spiritual daunces all within us leaps for joy Michal this barren dry flesh scorns all such things as Ishmael scoffed at Isaac so doth flesh the spirit David prayeth the Spirit prayeth Villany is condemned Innocency in Uriah protected Adulteries especially spiritual Adulteries mortified Nathans truth confessed Parables opened and applyed treacherous Absoloms incestuous Ammons Rebellious Shebaes cursing Shimeies all of them consumed hanged and beheaded being judged to death by the King of Righteouâ—nesse David But the Worthies the Ionathans and all the faithful in the Lord renowned and Davids choice is followed by all the Worthies rather to fall into the hands of the Lord then the hands of men and the plague fell upon all flesh and his blessing was still with his spirit CHAP. IX The eighth Book that God writes in Man is §. 1 the third Book of KINGS SOlomon is anointed King his mother asketh Abishag for her son Adoâ—ijah Solomon would have her ask for the Kingdom as soon Adonyah fled Davids Charge to his son Solomon Solomons wisdom given of God the Justice he did the two mothers about the child Solomons building the Temple his workmen his peace and plenty his own house his many wives his blessing and prayer his Kingdom divided Ieroboam King of Israel Rehoboam of Iudah Ieroboams Calves Rehoboams counsel from the young men refusing the old Ahabs wicked raign Elijahs power the people halting Baals Priests destroyed the prayer of Elijah heard the water dryed up the Heavens give rain at his prayer Ahabs false Prophets Ahab goes to battel but prospers not according as Micah said Now all these things are they not written in the Books of the Lord opened in Man which are the true Books of Israel There Solomon Christ Jesus the son of David sits upon the Throne of his Father David it is given to them for whom it is prepared and he that hath Abishag the Queen hath the Kingdom also so he that hath the Queen of Grace hath the Kingdom of Peace which here Solomons wisdom shews us The hunger and thirst after Righteousnesse the seeking the things of Christ and not our own the Kingdom of God and his Righteousnesse all other things are added to us this is the desire in the Saints the only necessary thing how to go in and out before the Lord how to live before him all his days Again The wisdom from above judgeth all things knows whose the living child is and whose the dead and knows that the Lord will have a living child My son give me thy heart and not a dead child or half a child to serve God and Mammon Solomon builds a Temple thus the Lord builds a Temple in us we are the buildings of the Holy Ghost the Temple of the Lord. SECT II. §. 2 A Kingdom divided cannot stand Christs is not divided THe Kingdome divided cannot stand Satans Kingdom divided must fall Christs is not divided neither can be yet many Kings and many Lords many men and means flesh and form divides Paul Apollo and Cephas they were divided in men but united in Christ and having several forms yet one Spirit but when we come to the unity of the Spirit then we shall say many Lords and Gods have ruled over us but to us now there is but one God and Lord the Father of all that is within us all And neither Jeroboams false Gods nor Rehoboams heavy finger nor folly in neglecting the old Councellors shal divide us but we shall walk together in the light of the Lord our God no Ahab shall raign amongst us nor Baals Priests trouble us but the power of the Lord in his Elijah shall be like fire out of their mouths to slay them and there shall be no halting any more between Baal and God Flesh and Spirit but the knowledg of the Lord shall increase and they shall serve the Lord alone they shall shut Heaven and open it the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven shall be given unto them and all Ahabs and Jezabels shall be given over to beleeve lyes till iniquity be their ruine seeing they refused to be instructed and would none of the Lords counsel the Lord will mock at their calamity and laugh when their fear cometh CHAP. X. The ninth Book that God writes in Man §. 1 is the fourth Book of KINGS THe fourth Book of Kings opened Fire from Elijah that consumes the Captain and his fifty Elijahs blessing upon Elisha Elijah taken up into Heaven Elisha received his Spirit divided the waters healed them maketh the Ax to swim visiteth the Shunamite blesseth her case is fed by a Raven Hezekiahs and Josiah's good raign all which we are the truth and substance of thus the Lord doth with us we are a fire and a flame to our enemies to burn up stubble before us and all that shall fall upon us shall be broken in pieces but on whomsoever we shall fall we shall grind them to powder we are to be taken up in the fiery Chariot of the Lords love burning like fire and let all our dross and flesh fall from us like dross to the earth like his Mantle and we have also received the spirit of Elisha in a double measure not only his Mantle but his Grace and Gods gracious presence not only to divide the waters and heal them but also to divide between Light and Darkness Heaven and Earth Flesh and Spirit Sweet and Bitter Good and Evil Day and Night and to turn the evil into good the night into day that they that sit in darkness and in
shall not prosper but he that confesseth and forsaketh them shall finde mercy So the strangers and strange wives are removed there shall no unclean thing live there any more Whatsoever lives in that is a stranger or a strange wife any thing thou art wedded or married to that is not the Lord is a strange wife that steals away thy heart and the Lord will give thee a bill of divorcement to put her away CHAP. XIII The twelfth Book that God writes in Man §. 1 is called ESTHER THe book of Esther opened in Man is nothing else but the state of a poor earthly creature in whom there is nothing when once beloved of God the Lord hath a favor to it and sends forth his Spirit to prepare it all things according to his heart and minde and so is brought forth in great glory washed perfumed adorned justified sanctified and so glorified with the Lord to be betrothed to the Lord in truth in judgment and in righteousness And as it shews how the Lord exalts the lowly and meek the worm and nothing above all things so it also holds forth the pomp pride and glory of all flesh and the fall thereof is great and that in Haman a lively figure and representation of this how flesh and blood is exalted and what favor honor friends it may have yea what obeysance and homage how it may have a glorious footstool and as stately and magnificent a crown as the god and king of this world can give him And what shall not be done to the man whom the whole world jointly intends to honor Here all things below are theirs yet behold of a sudden he is cut down like the grass and cast into the oven Cry then All flesh is grass and the glory thereof like the flower of grass so soon it withers away and we are gone surely all flesh is grass but the Word of the Lord endures for ever His Grace and Truth throughout all generations his Garments do not change neither his feet weary nor his shoes wax old but all is more beautiful for the wearing This is true in Esther and Haman the one Grace advanced the other Flesh disgraced CHAP. XIV The thirteenth Book that God writes in Man §. 1 is called JOB THe book of Job opened in man And herein you have the life and state of a Christian held forth dying in the flesh and to the world and then living to God and rising in Spirit above this world entering into another world his life with God in Christ this Job shews us in this history the true pattern of the other as for example first The Christians dying in the flesh and to the world is clearly manifested in Jobs miseries how Satan set upon him his wife tempting him Satan accusing him God hiding himself for a moment from him Satan buffeting him his children destroyed his cattel consumed his houses burnt his lands and living impoverished his spirit troubled his health broken his body bruised even from the crown of the head to the feet all over afflicted his friends forsake him his comforters torment him all his Physitians of no value thus he lies in the bed of sicknesse death seising upon all he hath SECT II. §. 2 What is the Mystery of this History of Job in Man I Pray what is this but the Christian crucified to the world and the world crucified to him a Christians dying dayly mortifying his members here upon the earth For this is the Will of the Lord even the denying of our selves and the bearing of our cross and following him And is not all this taught and learnt here in the spiritual state But mark the conclusion It dyes in weaknesse but it doth rise in power it is sown a natural body but it rises a spiritual body it dyes in the flesh but rises in the Spirit So much is clear in the other part of the History All that God took away from Job in the Flesh he gave him again in the Spirit so is it in the Mystery what we lose one way we gain another way we lose according as it is written He that loseth his life shall save it and he that would save his life shall lose it And again He that loseth or forsaketh father or mother wife or children lands or livings for my sake shall have a hundred fold in this life and in the world to come life everlasting SECT III. §. 3 The latter end of a Saint better then the first the longer he lives the better THerfore saith the Text The latter end of Job was better then his beginning so is it indeed in the spiritual state the latter end is better then the beginning he goes on to perfection his last works are the best therefore Iob said again I have heard of thee with the hearing of the ear but mine eyes never saw thee till now wherefore I abhor my self in dust and ashes The Lord had given him eye salve to see clearly the Glory and Beauty of the Lord God himself what he heard he sees true so is it in the pure spiritual state We see as well as hear the wonderful things of God what others eyes have not seen nor ears heard we can utter And lastly The more Job saw of God the lesse he saw in himself the more his flesh was dead and buried I abhor my self saith he so is it true in us also that know the Lord That the nearer the Lord appears to us the more we like wax melt away the more we enjoy of him the lesse we enjoy our selves CHAP. XV. The fourteenth Book that God writes in Man §. 1 is called PSALMS THe Book of Psalms opened in Man He is the Harp in the Lords hand the still and loud Instrument the Psaltery the Organ Sac but and Dulcimer tuned aright by the Lord and therein the Lord God makes melody with a loud Voyce their Sun and Moon Heaven and Earth Fire and Vapours all fulfilling his Word Fruitful Trees and all Cedars Gardens and Fountains Mountains and Hills Men and Angels yea every thing that hath breath praise the Lord as David saith Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me praise his holy name And again Bless the Lord O my soul and forget none of his benefits And again Yea while I have any breath will I praise the Lord. And again Lord let me live that I may praise thee This is the Will of God in Christ Jesus concerning us in all things to give thanks Wherefore saith the Apostle Be not filled with wine wherein is excess but be filled with Spirit wherein there is no excess This is the wine indeed that he that drinks abundantly thereof it will make him merry and wise according to the Apostles rule If any man be merry let him sing Psalms if afflicted let him pray And indeed when we are full of the Holy Ghost we shal be like men full of new wine every one shall be
heard in that Spirit praising the Lord and speaking of the wonderful things of Heaven Wherefore saith the Apostle When ye are thus full of the Spirit then ye shall rejoyce in the Lord. And again Ye shall rejoyce singing to your selves Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs that is there shall be musick all sorts and tunes and melodies heard SECT II. Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs in §. 2 us all FIrst for Psalms In the beginning of the breathings and breakings forth of the Spirit the Psalms are for the weak ones the babes in joy The second Hymns are for the fathers in joy but the Songs are for the strong young men whose joy is full so that by these three I understand only the several degrees of joy and also the various operations of the Spirit The Psalms are doctrines mutually mixt with Praises the Hymns thanksgivings purely and the Songs the ravishments of love Psalms are the tastes we have of him the Hymns are longings after him but the Song is the full possession of him My beloved is mine and I am his he comes to his garden so that one Saint hath a Psalm another that is higher a Hymn and third a spiritual Song and that all from one and the same Spirit but the inspirations more or lesse SECT III. §. 3 The new Song in the new Jerusalem ANd as for Davids new Songs he speaks so often of in his Book we have the same written in our Books Psalm for Psalm Prayer for Prayer Hymn for Hymn Song for Song even a Song for every Season the new Song is like to the new Name the new Covenant the new Jerusalem the new Creature so is this new Song only to be sung by such therefore called the Song of Moses and of the Lamb and none can sing it nor knows the tune of it but the Virgins that follow the Lamb it is in Spirit full of Glory SECT IV. §. 4 The chiefest sinner shall rejoyce most ANd again As our sufferings have abounded so shall our consolations he that hath suffered a little shall have a Psalm or a Hymn but he that hath abounded in sorrow in affliction shall have this Spirit of Joy above his fellows he shall sing aloud and shout for joy of heart wherefore he saith Blessed are the meek and hungry and that mourn these shall all be comforted but when he speaks of this Blessed saith he are they that are persecuted for Righteousness sake for they shall be exceeding glad and rejoyce their joy shall exceed others and as sin also hath abounded so shall Grace and Glory and Honor and eternal Praise and Joy abound also Wherefore it s well said of Christ That as his sorrow was such as he saith Behold if ever sorrow were like unto my sorrow when he cryed My God my God why hast thou forsaken me So behold his joy never joy was like it at the conversion of a sinner SECT V. §. 5 All Gods workings in us come to a Song at last THis Book of Psalms in Man it is all but one Psalm it is an eternal Song a praising God for ever and and ever without end this is not with our mouth but the Lords mouth and heart not with lips but the kisses of his mouth and the breath of his Spirit and indeed all the workings of God are in joy they all bring forth the first fruits of Righteousnesse in peace and joy all things working together for good all our sorrows travels crucifyings self-denials crosses losses miseries deaths and torments they all bring forth a Psalm a Hymn and a Song this is the man child that shall be born after all Now it may be God is only making or beginning this Psalm in us yet a little while and it shall be finished and the noise thereof heard from one end of the Heavens to another SECT VI. §. 6 And what this Song is in the Saints ANd the Song shall be this Holy holy holy Lord God of Sabbath Thou art worthy of all Honor Glory and Praise for thou hast redeemed us to thy self And again The Lord the Lord the Lord God omnipotent raigneth And again We give thee thanks Lord God Almighty that thou hast raigned and takest this great power to thy self and that thy time is come and that the Kingdom of this world is become the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ and of his Saints Rejoyâ—â— O ye Heavens and all that are in them for thy God raigneth SECT VII The Lord alone is the Psalm and the Hymn §. 7 and Song in us BUt yet further The Lord God is our Song our Blessednesse that David speaks of and the Law that we delight in and tree of Life that brings forth all good fruit and all flesh is the chaff and like the wind the Spirit of the Lord shall scatter and divide it all bringing it to Judgment and flesh is that which rages and imagines vain things against the Lord and it is the Lord alone that shall sit upon the holy hill of Zion and breaks all flesh in pieces with its scepter Our flesh is the enemy that increases and rises up against us and the Lord and it is the Lord that Spirit that smites this enemy in the cheek bone and breaks the teeth of the ungodly so all salvation is the Lords and his blessing is his people Again The Lord is their Sacrifice of Righteousnesse their Wealth and Health and all the light of his Countenance is that which is their Life indeed the Lord is their Life and Peace that makes them to dwell in safety alone their wine and corn and oyl it is all with the Lord alone and nothing else What singing was there at the birth of Christ Jesus after the flesh How did the Angel Shepherds Joseph Mary Zachary Elizabeth Simeon and all sing How did they all magnifie the Lord and bless the Lord God of Israel What is it but an example of the heavenly Thing that when Christ Jesus is born in us and framed there there is singing and will be where the Lord lives But all the minstrels in the flesh are turned out and it calls them all madness yea there is a singing though we be in prison outwardly and great misery yet our joy none can take from us nothing can break out peace nor interrupt our melody nor quench our joy no man nor devil can take it from us SECT VIII §. 8 There is no singing in the strange Land till we come to the Lord himself YEt a word more this glory and perfect joy is not for them that live in the flesh nor in darkness or in the Kingdoms of this world There is nothing but howlings sorrows gnashing of teeth weeping and lamentations here as Israel in Egypt and in the wilderness were weary in their lives and full of groanings strivings and fightings But the songs are heard neither in Egypt nor in Babylon nor in the Wilderness but in Canaan here we hang up our
like a shepherd not on Commons but by the rivers of waters He watches over them day and night so that not one of them is lost If one of the ninety nine stray he gathers it in again and with his rod and his staff he comforts them SECT XXIII §. 23 The flock of Christ hath a place to lie down in THere remains yet a Rest for the people of God a place to lie down in safety When none shall make them afraid when there shall be no Fox nor Wolf nor Lion nor Bear nor any thing to do hurt in all his holy mountain saith the Lord this is the time of refreshing that we look for from the presence of the Lord for it is he alone that maketh us to lie down in safety and rise again he susteins us it is he that maketh us to feed and to lie down and to rest at noon SECT XXIV Satan hath his flock also §. 24 FOr why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions As Christ hath his Way his Truth his Life his Love his Light his Spirit and Kingdom so hath the Devil his flock his ways his rest his spirit and kingdom but one contrary to the other But the Lords Spirit shall lead us into all Truth Thus the Devil can turn himself into an Angel of light and make himself God and be worshipped as God sitting in the room of God this is the great mystery of iniquity Indeed many think they be Angels of light when once they be but outwardly transformed whereas indeed they are devils still onely transformed a devil in the spirit speaking lyes c. SECT XXV §. 25 Though we know not many things yet we are fair IF thou know not O thou fairest among women If any soul want wisdom let him ask it of me that give to all liberally and uphraid none We may know many things and be ignorant of many other there is more unknown of God then well known The Lord knows us far better then we know him If we be out of the way he is so ready to put us in If we fall too willing to help us up if weak to strengthen us and if backwards to draw us in all things the Lord is prepared for our good and it is no shame for poor souls to confess their ignorance that the Lord may instruct them then to be puffed up and think our selves wise enough when we know nothing SECT XXVI §. 26 Who is like to thee O Israel for fairness and beauty O Thou fairest amongst women Here is Christs soul-love after her We may see the glory and beauty of the Church the Lords people above any other whatsoever Rev. 12. having crowns of Stars clothed with the Sun gut about with a golden Girdle the Moon under her feet so comely and fair we are in his eyes even without spot or wrinkle or any such thing I have compared thee for fairness to the stately Horses in Pharaohs Charets I am this Pharaoh Heaven is the Charet you are the Horses that carry and bear my Kingdome and Glory about with you I ride upon you and conquer in you and by you SECT XXVII §. 27 Thy cheeks neck and feet comely all over YOur cheeks how fair are they and comely with rows of jewels and thy neck with chains of gold This is all glory in the Spirit and the beauty of the Lord dwelling with us his face shining on us nay we will have saith the Lord nay make thee also borders of gold all thy garments shall be glorious nay thy borders shall be gold with studs of silver What is this but glorious from the crown of the head even to the lowest border and sole of the foot SECT XXVIII §. 28 The exceeding great beauty and delight that is in the Saints through the Lord their God THy spikenard and sweet spices when the Lord thy King sitteth at his table within thy heart and spirit coming to sup with thee for joy thereof sendeth such sweet smells delighteth the Lord who will not only feed at his table but rest all the night and be like a bundle of myrrhe between thy brests and thus thou shalt be satisfied with his abundance of love and also a cluster of Camphire in the vineyards of Engedi Behold thus thou art fair and haâ—â— doves eyes so chaste pure and lovely and exceeding pleasant to look upon the King delighteth in thee Thy bed is also green still flourishing and ripe a continual spring is upon thy cheeks Thy house and dwellings behold they are eternal in the Heavens Thy beams are Cedars and thy rafters Fir thy windows chrystals thy gates pearls thy pavement gold thy walls precious stones thy coverings salvation thy bed peace thy fire the Lords love thy garden the Lords presence thy walks the Lords unsearchable wisdom and art thou not then fair even the fairest amongst women this then is most true we are the building of God SECT XXIX The Rose and the Lilly and the Apple tree §. 29 WE are the roses of Sharon and the lillies of the valleys the pleasant flowers of the Lord for sweetness fairness and pleasantness And as the lillies amongst thorns so are we the Lords loves and lillies amongst the daughters excelling them and the lillies shall grow notwithstanding the thorns and among the thorns appear the more comely a lilly among the daughters and an apple tree amongst the sons Christ is the apple tree and the Christian the lilly Christ the son and the Lilly the daughter and both from one father and thus they be sister and brother husband and wife The Lilly sits down under his shadow with great delight and his fruits are pleâ—sant to her taste this is nothing else but the time of the weâ—kness of the Spouse living under shadows forms and signs and the Lord even makes them fruitful to her and she sits down there with great delight till the Lord raise her up higher SECT XXX §. 30 The soul brought from the shadow to the banquetting house the substance ANd from thence the soul is brought higher as first it was a Rose then a Lilly then in the Valley then amongst thorns then sitting undâ—r the apple tree under the shadow of that fruit or creature and that with delight in all and bearing fruit in all but now is brought to the Lords banquetting house and after that under his banner for his banner over me was love Now she is exalted indeed passing from fear to love from Sinai to Sion This is a banquetting house indeed from sitting under the shadow of an applâ— tree to the ministration of the Spirit is to be brought from the shadow to the substance from darkness to light a banquetting house the nearer we are brought to the Lord God SECT XXXI §. 31 And having once tasted of the Lords love she counts flagons of wine was one love and apples also and not leaves now can comfort a soul STay me with
Prophet saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem it was this The Prophet looked and behold he saw the earth full of hills and mountains and so full that they could hardly stand one by the other and the valleys were drowned by the mountains and the hills and he looked till he saw the mountains and the hills wage war one against another and he saw them that lived in these mountains and hills were Soothsayers Philistins strangers and the mountains and the hills were full of silver and gold no end of their treasures full also of horses and no end of their charets full of idols and no end of their bowing down to them and full of swords and spears and no end of their blood till at last in the end I saw a little hill arise out of the earth amongst the midst of the hills from the valleys it ascended like the little hill Hermon and this hill in the rising of it did terribly shake the earth and in time grew to a great mountain and neither by sword nor spear nor might nor any such thing but by my Spirit saith the Lord it waxed exceeding great and the hills and the mountains melted before it and would not stand when it appeared all that opposed it were broken in pieces and on whomsoever this mountain of the Lord fell it ground him to powder And this holy hill and high mountain came at last to get all other hills and mountains under its feet and it was established upon the top of the mountains and then there was no living or safety but only here even all the Nations of the earth came flocking hither to the Mountain of the Lord and cast all their idols away and forsook their own Country and fathers houses their own hills and mountains and fly to this Rock for there was darkness and death upon all the rest here was the light of the Lord and they said one to another Come let us walk in the light of the Lord. SECT IV. §. 4 The Spirit interpreting the Vision to be in us THis is the Vision and herein the Spirit of Truth will open and interpret it to you the mountains and hills are proud rebellious lofty looks and haughtiness of mens hearts the treasures charets horses and idols what are they but the pleasures vanities and lusts of the flesh the fighting what was it but the torment and disquiet that flesh hath there is no peace there saith God and what is the hill arising out of the valleys the Spirit of God arising a little in us shaking the foundations of flesh and earth in us and becomes powerful and mighty making all her enemies her footstool triumphing gloriously and destroying flesh with her Principalities and Powers leaving her dead and this is the Day of the Lord upon all things to bring to nought the things that are and establish what is not SECT V. The stay and the staff of the Creature §. 5 broken but the stay and the staff of the Lord himself remains for ever ANd this is not all but the stay and the staff shall be taken away the staff of bread and the stay of water This is the vanity of the Creature that shall be removed and broken in pieces whatsoever is a stay or staff besides the Lord be it meats or drinks you make so your Judges or Prophets you make so your mighty men of War or your honorable House of Commons I will then break them and turn them all to nothing your Princes then shall be children so your ancient men fools your strength rottenness your gods idols I will corrupt them all and these shall not rule over you Nay if you make any your stay or staff besides me saith the Lord I will take the life away and the comfort away I will take your clothing and glory so that none shall rule saying they have neither clothing bread nor water and they cannot rule over the ruines of the people but the Lord alone shall thus raign and rule over in glory they shall be ruined and fall and then I shall stand alone and be stay and staff thus woe shall be to the wicked the reward of their hands given them but well to the righteous that have me for stay and staff the fruits of their hands shall be given them and thus the Lord shall enter into Judgment with the oppressor and violent man the ancient and the honorable the proud and the base and stain all their glory smite it with a scab even the crown and head of it to the feet also and where the sweet smell was shall be a stink for a girdle a rent for hair dressed baldness for a stomacher a girding with sack-cloth and burning instead of beauty all these mighty things shall be and fall by my Sword the Spirit and lament and be left destitute this is the Decree of the Lord God SECT VI. §. 6 The beautiful Branch of the Spirit of the Lord and all the fruits thereof holy IN that day further we shall all that know the Lord whether weak or strong take hold of one man which is Christ the Lord and the seven women shall be married to him this is the male and female bond and free made one in Christ this is surely the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace and then all reproach shall be taken away and we shall eat every one his own bread and wear his own apparel and this one bread shall be the bread of Life and this one apparel the Robes of Christ himself and now shall the Branch of the Lord the Spirit of Grace budding like Aarons Rod be glorious and beautiful and the fruits of the earth excellent and comely and that amongst them that are escaped of Israel the outcasts shall be received in and they that are dead shall live and every one that liveth then shall be called holy no other life but that written amongst the living and then the Lord shall wash away both filthiness of flesh and blood and spirit also by the Spirit of Judgment and burning the Lord wil create upon every dwelling place of his Tabernacles and Assemblies clouds by day and a pillar of fire by night for upon all their glory shall be a defence to keep from rain and storm and heat that nothing shall hurt SECT VII §. 7 The Vineyard of the Lord of Hosts and the men of Judah AGain The Vineyard of the Lord of Hosts declared in a parable and that in a Song of the Lords Beloved The Lord hath a Vineyard planted on a fruitful hill hedged fenced gathered from stones and planted with Vines dressed digged and a wine-press digged therein and a tower build thereon looking for fruits and it brought forth wilde fruits Judg now between me and my Vineyard I will tell you what I will do with it I will take away all from it leaving it naked and depart from it and then it shall be full of bryars and brambles What
from the milk and drawn from the brests For with another tongue will he speak to this people and this shall be the Rest to them that be weary till then the Word of the Lord shall be precept on precept line by line here and there a little lyes and falshood shall be no more a refuge I will lay a foundation in Zion a sure tryed One and he that believeth shall not make haste SECT XXVI §. 26 The wise and the fool both alike in the sealed book till the Lord open it I Will fight against Ariel and speak to her from the dust all the earth that fight against Zion my Mountain I will fight against them and they shall be as men dreaming they eat and drink and are satisfied but behold when they do awake they shall be hungry and thirsty so shall the imaginations or dreams against thee be And the Lord saith Forasmuch as this people honors me with their lips and their hearts are from me they are drunk but not with wine but a deep sleep hath seized on them like a sealed book all things are to them that the learned is as the unlearned and the unlearned as the learned neither understand me knowing only the doctrine of men and I will do this wonder amongst them for the wisdom of the wise shall perish and the understanding of the prudent hid But the deaf shall hear and the words of my Book shall be revealed to the blind the meek increase their joy in the Lord and the poor amongst men rejoyce in the riches of the holy One of Israel they also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding and they that murmured shall learn doctrine this Wisdom of the Word becomes foolishness and the foolishness of the Lord true Knowledg and Wisdom indeed SECT XXVII §. 27 The Counsel that is not of God perishes WOe to the Counsel that is not of me and from my Spirit or Mouth wherefore all things shall be your shame and without profit all help else is in vain write it in a table book thus which say to the Seers See not teach smooth things go out of the way cause the holy One of Israel to cease before us And as for quietness and rest in the Lord alone you would not yet the Lord shall wait for thee and thou shalt have aword behind thee teaching thee when to turn to the right the left and the Lord shall give thee rivers on the top of the mountains and knowledg shall increase when the Lord healeth the breach of his people the light of Moon like the Sun and the Sun seven-fold brighter then shall the perfect day be and that shall cause his voyce to be heard SECT XXVIII §. 28 Nothing below God any thing WOe to them that go downwards for help looking to any thing below God for their men and means and not God when the Lord stretcheth his hand both he that is helped and that helpeth shall fall down and they shall all fall down together teacher and hearer without him The Lord like a Lyon shall keep Zion his prey and like a bird fly to their defence and all the earth shall be afraid of the Lord and run to their strong holds for the Lord hath his fire in Zion and his furnace in Jerusalem saith the Lord. SECT XXIX §. 29 Righteousness and Judgment King and Prince BEhold Righteousness thy King and Judgment thy Princes as rivers of waters as a rock in a weary land so is thy Lords Grace to thee no dimness nor dullness nor villany but Righteousness abounding behold the palaces shall be forsaken the Cities left the forts and towers dens until the Spirit be poured out from on high then Judgment shall be in the Wilderness and Righteousness the Field and peace and quietness and assurance the fruits thereof for ever SECT XXX §. 30 Who shall abide the everlasting burning and not be consumed therein THe spoiler spoiled by the Lord for he is exalted he filleth us his Zion with Judgment and Righteousness Wisdom and Knowledg the stability of of thy times and strength of salvation and the fear of the Lord thy treasure Now will I arise saith the Lord be exalted and lift up my self Ye shall conceive chaff and bring forth stubble my breath as fire shall devour you and you shall be as the burning of lime as thorns cut down so burnt in the fire Hear ye both far and neer acknowledg my might the sinners afraid the hypocrites trembled for fear of the devouring fire and the everlasting burning but he that walketh uprightly and speaketh righteously he that is against the gain of oppression that shaketh his hands against bribes that stops his ears from blood and his eyes from evil he shall dwell in the midst of the fire as Moses bush and the three children and not be consumed he shall dwell on high his defence the munition of rocks he shall have all bread his waters sure his King beautiful and before him and see things afar off Look upon Zion and Jerusalem our solemnities and our quiet habitation a Tabernacle not to be removed not a stake ever to be removed she is so rooted and stablished in the rock not a coard broken but there the righteous Lord shall be to us abroad river for the Lord is our Judg Law-giver King and Saviour and the people dwelling therein shall be forgiven their iniquity they shall not be sick praise the Lord. SECT XXXI §. 31 The wrath of the Lord revealed against earth and heaven HErein is revealed the indignation of the Lord against all unrighteousness of men which hold the truth in unrighteousness bringing them all to the fiery Vengeance First Let the Nations and people the earth yea the whole world and all therein draw near hear and hearken what God will do with them and the world That he will pour out his wrath and fury upon all the earth it shall be dissolved and delivered up to the slaughter cast out and left as stinking carcasses melted into blood nay his wrath is revealed against Heaven also they that boast themselves they are gods having heaven in the flesh a carnal heaven onely in shew and appearance not in heart it shall be bathed against the whole hoste of them and they shall all in heaven and earth be sacrificed to the slaughter for it is the day of the Lords vengeance and recompence upon them for their enmity to Sion and their streams shall be pitch their dust brimstone and the Land a burning tormenting all them that live in the earth and it shall not be quenched till all be finished in that day SECT XXXII §. 32 What strange things the Lord doth amongst us by his Spirit THe Lord will make your wilderness to rejoyce and the desart soul to blossom like a rose abundantly and he that is as a wilderness to rejoyce and sing the weak strengthened and the feeble confirmed the fearful in spirit encouraged
and glory in house and kingdom to them that would carrying it all away one day and take them captive so it is with many taken away by sorceries SECT XXXVII §. 37 The Comfort that the Lord comforts his people withal as the fruits of his coming THe Lord comforteth his people with these things 1. That their warfare is shortly accomplished 2. Their sins pardoned 3. The way of the Lord to be prepared in them the mountains there to be removed and the valleys lifted up there which is the poor in spirit to be comforted the rough ways made plain and the crooked thoughts made streight 4. Their flesh to be made like grass and toyling so that all flesh is grass 5. That the glory of the Lord is to be revealed and all flesh shall see it together for the Lord hath spoken it 6. That Zion shall have all glad tidings in her that she shall cry behold my Lord and my God for he shall come with a strong hand and his arm shall rule for him Behold his reward is with him and his work before him 7. The Lord himself shall feed us as a shepherd doth his flock he shall gather his lambs with his arms and carry them in his bosom leading them that are with young 8. Holding the waters in his hand spanning the heavens comprehending the earth weighing the mountains To whom the Nations are a drop and the Isles a little thing calling the stars by his names To whom then will ye liken me saith the Lord the everlasting God the Creator of the ends of the earth that never faints nor is weary whose understanding is unsearchable that gives strength life and being to all things and to them that wait upon the Lord he renews their strength that they mount up with wings like Eagles they shall run and not be weary walk and not faint SECT XXXVIII §. 38 The Worm Jacob made strong FEar not thou Worm Jacob for I will help thee and be thy Redeemer I have chosen thee thou art my Servant and I will not cast thee away but will uphold thee with the right hand of my Righteousness I will plant thee anew and none shall root thee up and every plant or idol that is in you shall become an abomination to you yea and the works of your own hands vanity and nothing and ye shall rejoyce in the Lord and all that strive with you shall perish SECT XXXIX §. 39 What the Lord doth for his Servants BEhold my Servants whom I have chosen mine Elect in whom my Soul delighteth I have put my Spirit upon them and they shall bring forth Judgment to the Gentiles They are mine and not their own mine and not mens for no man can serve two Masters Behold they are excellent Servants whose service is perfect Freedom indeed and pleasure all his Words and Works Joy Peace and Righteousness for ever Again they are Servants of my own choosing calling fitting trained up by my self in my own house to serve me in Righteousness and Holiness before me And in whom my Soul delighteth Whom the Lord chooses he delights in them though they be but Servants the unworthiest of them nay and that with his Soul delighting himself in the prosperity of his Servants and whom he delights in he puts his Spirit upon them he can keep no good things from them yea all is theirs Heaven and Earth Christ the Spirit God and All. And lastly they shall by this Spirit overcome all things and bring forth Judgment unto Victory indeed SECT XL. §. 40 The sweetness and love of the Spirit of Christ in his HE shall not cry nor lift up his voyce nor be heard in the streets a bruised reed he shall not break nor quench the smoaking flax till he bring forth Judgment unto Victory he shall not fail nor be discouraged till he hath set up Judgment in the Earth and the Isles shall wait for his Law Thus shall it be with the Children of Jesus in whom Christ is formed the Spirit of Jesus is Love Meekness Sweetness Patience it seeks not revenge but in all things behaves it self comely in the streets abroad towards them without and at home towards them within it will offend none but help all SECT XLI §. 41 The smoaking flax and the bruised reed in us the little measure of the Spirit THe smoaking flax c. The lowest and darkest appearance of him is glorious he comes to his own and receives it if but a smoak he makes it a flame and such as sit in darkness he makes them to see light and where there is smoak and trouble of heart he takes away the dimness and makes the smoak to vanish and the fire of the Lords Spirit must burn us as flax and tow decay to nothing before we shall be good for any thing And the bruised reed also the Lord will not break he doth cherish and nourish it as the husband doth his wife the Lord rather doth bind up the reed then bruise it and makes the reed become a rod of iron to break in pieces the Nations the Potters vessels the fleshly man for the Lord can do nothing against himself SECT XLII §. 42 Flesh is deaf and blind the Lord seeing all things ANd the Lord will give himself for righteousness strength and light to the people eyes to the blind freedom to the prisoners I will no more give my glory to another I will make waste their mountains and hills dry up all their herbs and dry up all their pools and then will I bring the blind by a way they know not I will make darkness light before them and crooked things straight all flesh shall be deaf and blind and then shall they see even my Servant and my Messenger shall be blind that he that glorieth may glory in the Lord. SECT XLIII §. 43 The blind and the deaf shall be Gods Witnesses BRing forth the blind people that have eyes and the deaf that have ears for they are my Witnesses and my Servants whom I have chosen saith the Lord. For they beleeve understand and know that I am he and there is none besides me O Israel fear not for I have redeemed thee and called thee by my name thou art mine Wheresoever thou goest I am with thee through waters rivers fire and all for thou art precious in my sight and honorable therefore I will give men for thee and people for thy life Behold I will do a strange thing I will dry up all rivers and make a new river in the Wilderness and the Beast and the Dragon therein shall honor me for it and drink thereof and change their natures SECT XLIV I the Lord do all things §. 44 I Am the Lord and there is none else I the Lord do all things I make the Heavens to drop down from above and let the Sky pour down Righteousness and the Earth open and let them bring forth Salvation and let Righteousness spring forth together I
the Flesh be so beautiful what is his Head then which is Christ justified in Spirit If the Feet of his Humanity be such what think you must the Head and Heart of his Divinity be SECT LIV. Thy God reigneth in the Zion of Saints §. 54 THe only glad tydings is this to all Zion Thy God reigneth This is their greatest joy and without which all other joys are soon quenched This is the Day of Salvation Redemption Remission Justification Sanctification and all blessedness the acceptable year and Jubile of the Lord and his Zion then when their God reigns and where must he reign not only in heaven and in earth but in men in the midst amongst us then is his Kingdom come and Will done on earth as it is in heaven when thy God reigneth O Zion SECT LV. §. 55 How thy God doth set thee apart and how though thy outward man be vile yet the inward glorious DEpart ye depart ye shall the Lord then say get ye out from hence and touch no unclean thing I have received you go out of the midst of her and be altogether in my holiness and live in me for I will lead you and go before you and be your rereward and come behind you so that nothing shall come nigh you but my self I will compass you so about and deal so prudently with you that I shall only be exalted and extolled amongst you and though his outward form and visage in whom I dwell be so base and marred by reproaches more then any other in the world yet I will stop the mouths of Kings for their sakes and my glory shall break forth in the midst of them and that which had not been told them by flesh and blood shall they see by the Spirit of my Father and that which they had not heard neither could they believe shall they now know and be fully satisfied in and all this shall be in the day that thy God raigneth in Zion SECT LVI The Arm of the Lord. §. 56 THe Arm and Strength of the Lord are we in the Lord and it is revealed to us in Christ who is this Arm of the Lord indeed and we cannot but report so the Lord is with us and his Arm upon us when it is so indeed when the Arm of the Lord goes along with the report and indeed how can we that have been saved and healed by the Lord and his Arm but go about testifying what great things the Lord hath done for us and magnifie his name and declare his goodness whether they will believe it or not I am constrained to report it to prepare his way SECT LVII §. 57 The plant growing up out of a dry ground with sorrow to the flesh and the world but with joy to the Lord his Spirit in Saints ANd this Arm of the Lord as it is revealed and comes that way before it can be reported by us flesh and blood reveals it not but our Father which is in Heaven so it grows up as a tender plant of the Lords own planting Christ planted in us grows up like a plant and takes root from the Father and brings forth his branches and fruits in the dry ground of our nature in our sinful state poor barren flesh and when this tender plant Christ Jesus grows up it shall be at first in weakness without form or comeliness after the flesh nay without beauty that you should desire him after the flesh for he comes to crucifie flesh and blood in us and therefore the natural man will despise him hide his face and not esteem him for the plant of the Lord will be a man of sorrow and grief to his flesh as the Lord Jesus was to the Jews in his day And further this Arm of the Lord will bear all our griefs and sorrows all our smitings strikings and afflictings of God and men besides the principalities and powers of Satan which dwel with us it will bear them all yea the wounds of our transgressions and the bruises of our iniquities wounding and bruising him he heals them all and overcomes them reconcileing us to God slaying the enmity taking away the wall of partition becomes a Mediator between God and us uniting us in one SECT LVIII §. 58 The Lamb that opens not his mouth but by suffering overcomes THis arm of the Lord findes us lost and going astray like sheep out of his way and turns us into the way and leads in the way of righteousness bearing all our iniquity both in the way and out of the way that lies upon us it s the Lords pleasure to remove them that they lie not in our way nor keep us from the way nor turn us out of the way and as a Lamb so opens he not his mouth though oppressed afflicted smitten and slaughtered but by patient suffering overcomes all and is glorified over all and is taken out of prison and from judgment and who shall declare his generation for when he was oppressed and smitten he was in prison in flesh but when the Lord rises in us and leads us captive after him then he is out of prison and destroys flesh he is not here in prison he is risen SECT LIX §. 59 Christ makes his grave with the wicked and the rich in his death BUt this Lamb though he lies in the prison of flesh and is in the wicked as in a grave buried and imprisoned yet there he will rise and as his grave is with the rich that have righteousness but not from the Lord he rises amongst them so that the Lord makes his grave in his death with the wicked and the rich and makes them both one in his death and buried with him into his death and lie with him in his grave and rise with him in the Spirit by making wicked and rich both happy in himself alone SECT LX. What it is to have the pleasure of the Lord §. 60 for to prosper in his or in our hand IT pleased the Lord to bruise his Son and so his Saints often to put them to grief in the flesh that they might rejoyce in the Spirit and to sow that seed in them that might prolong their days and to let them see the seed of his soul and love and the seed of their soul joy and praises and so to have the pleasure of the Lord to prosper in their hands as it did in Christs and to have the Lords pleasure to prosper in the hands of Christ and no other hands for it cannot if taken out of his hands all decays and withers every branch or work but in him is all fruit and prosperity found the pleasure of the Lord is he and the pleasure of the Lord is his work and way and it is to save sinners to dye for sinners call sinners justifie sinners and to make them Saints and sons the soul of the living God blameless harmless glorious beautiful all over this is the pleasure of the Lord nay
hungry He is water to the weak milk to the faint wine to the strong and yet one and the same Lord God that gives water milk and wine and this he doth in the revealing of himself more or less to us And do but observe the Lords sweet grace in calling us to this feast or banquet that he hath prepared for us Ho every one that thirsteth taste how good and gracious the Lord God is taste of his after all when thou hast drunk many waters and tasted much wine and eat the milk of many creatures that have stollen away thy heart then do but come to this living water after all and indeed if we knew the gift of God and the vertue of this water and who it is that calls us to come to drink we should say Lord give me evermore of this water or else I dye and that I may never thirst again but as long as we have any cisterns Jacobs wells or any such creature wisdom or broken vessel we are apt to forsake the living fountain but after all when all that fails us and cannot quench our tongue enflamed nor cool it nor give us the least comfort then shall we fly to the rock where we are comforted SECT LXIX §. 69 Three things to be observed here more especially on the best wine kept last DO but consider these two things here First The Lord invites us to the waters and then to the milk and after to the wine first to thirsting then to buying without mony and lastly to eating so tender carefull and wise is the Lord to us weaning us by degrees from grace to grace and strength to strength becoming all things to all to win soul◠And the second thing is to remember the Governor of the feast in the marriage of Cana that after all the bad wine was drunk commended the water turned to wine by Christ above all that ever he drank before and demanded why he kept the good wine till now so is it in the way of the Lord here when men have drunk their fill and tasted and filled themselves with the creatures if the Lord makes them but to thirst after this water and wine and give them to drinking they shall also say as this Governor here Lord God this is the water and the wine indeed all that ever I did drink before is nothing to this thou hast kept the best last And also do but observe one thing more The best things are best cheap this water is not to be purchased with mony the gift of God comes not that way No no our mony and mony-worth and all such things perish it is free and full and the Lord gives it liberally and upbraids none SECT LXX §. 70 That which is bread and satisfieth and is good and delights the soul and makes it live and prosper in fatness is from the Lord alone HEarken diligently unto me I am the Lord thy God that will help and have mercy on thee and shew thee what is good I will not give thee stones for bread nor serpents for fish neither will I take thee or thy mony thy labor or strength or any such thing to deceive thee but I will out of my love to thee and bowels of compassion knowing this thou art deceived I will give thee bread indeed content and sufficiency of all things that which is bread and that which satisfied which is my grace and peace Hearken therefore unto me alone and take what I shall give thee my water my wine and my milk it is mine and its water of life milk from my everlasting brests my own comforts from my heart my Wine and Spirit it is all good exceeding good the riches of my goodness taste it it will delight thy soul strengthen thy heart enlighten thy eyes and revive thy spirits its fatness indeed its hony and marrow it will make thee fat and fair and well-liking thy soul shall prosper by it and delight it self in fatness with it I will be all this to thee and you shall live in the fatness and fulness of all things if thou wilt live with me thou shalt no more labor in vain nor spend mony in vain after those things that perish but I will take thee to my self in Covenant stature life spirit even an everlasting Covenant the sure mercies of David I will deal in mercy with thee and no other way even from henceforth for ever I will make thee live in peace and happiness and live and feed walk and stand and lie down for ever in sure mercies this shall be thy habitation for ever and I will be thy labor and mony for ever that is thy riches and strength am I and thy exceeding great reward SECT LXXI Christ the true Witness and Leader to §. 71 the People ANd behold your light shall so shine before men that they shall see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in heaven I will give Christ to be the true and faithful Witness in you to the world and your Leader and Commander in all your goings out and comings in to glorifie me in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation and you shall have no other Witness no less a Witness of my Covenant and sure mercies with thee then the Son and Spirit of mercy himself Christ your Lord my Witness in you SECT LXXII §. 72 The people that know thee not shall run after thee for the Lord hath glorified thee in their eyes and their thoughts and ways shall be as the Lords thoughts and ways are BEhold again I will not only give them water wine milk and all manner of good things but I will satisfie them make them delight in fatness they shall live with me I will make also an everlasting Covenant with them I will be their Witness in all things to justifie them and comfort them and to discern between good and evil in them and moreover I will call whole Nations that thou knowest not to bear witness to thee and to follow thee for they hear and see that the Lord thy God is with thee and they that know not thee shall run after thee because of the savor of thy good ointments and they shall come into thy chambers and have fellowship with thee for their fellowship shall be with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ so because of the Lord thy God they shall be drawn and because of the holy One of Israel for he hath glorified thee therefore shall they glorifie thee and be glorified together in the Lord also with thee and so shall seek and worship the Lord in one glory for the Lord their God hath found them and therefore they return to him and seek him and is found of them and appears nigh unto them so they cannot but call upon him and he again upon them he calls the sinners to repentance the wicked to forsake his evil way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and to turn to the
the blinde eyes opened the deaf ears unstopped the hard heart mollified the lame to walk and leap the dumb to sing the parched land a pool and the thirsty land springs of water Here among these shall the Lord prepare a way it shall be called The way of holiness no Lion shall be there nor any such beast but the Lambs of the Lord shall walk therein SECT XXXIII Sennacheribs and Rabshakehs blasphemies §. 33 against the servants of the Lord in whom they are comforted SEnnacherib comes with an Army against Jerusalem to besiege and take it Rabshakeh sent to summon it with fair promises to enjoy every one his own and to be brought to as good a land as their own and not to trust in Hezekiah nor his confidence or vain words nor in Egypt a broken reed nor in the Lord for there is no God that can deliver you or your land out of our hands or our King the great King of Assyria for neither Samaria nor her gods nor any other god was able to deliver them out of his hand and if they did refuse and rebel they should eat their own dung and drink their own piss and be afterwards destroyed with the sword for thus saith the great King Now all this is true in the application of it to our selves The world and the flesh or the evil spirit in both Rabshakeh like reviles and speaks evil against the Lord tempting and summoning us bringing an army of evil and strong delusions to ensnare us promising if we will yeeld up all soul and body and all that God hath given us to him falling down and worshipping him we shall have all glory and be like gods and withal telling us many lies that God does not nor can deliver us he sees not neither cares for us saying God hath not said it and as for Hezekiah beleeve him not nor stay your selves in the Lord for I am the God of this world and give honor and glory and riches to them I will be I am exalted on high in these Kingdoms All bow down to me and serve me and they that serve me the god of this world I preserve them and if not I persecute hate destroy kill murther and torment Woe unto them if I am set against them This is the railing Râ—â—shakeh contending for the poor creature and rending it but the servant of the Lord is silent and mourns waiting patiently on the Lord in all things and commits it self wholy to him against all temptations and blasphemies SECT XXXIV How the Spirit of the Lord given to his §. 34 doth overcome all the evil and blasphemies of the devil and is stronger then he or his YEt further when the evil spirit that dwells in us or sent to us from the powers of darkness shall grieve the Spirit of the Lord in his Hezekiahs or servants by high imaginations or abominable blasphemies against the holy Spirit of the Lord in his lifting up it self against the Lord then a greater power of the Spirit of the Lord comes upon us and his Word strengthens us saying Grieve not nor be troubled at the blasphemies of Sennacharib and Rabshakeh those spirits of Satan for I will be with thee and I will let all the Nations of the earth see that I am the Lord God and there is none besides me and that you are my people preserved by my power I will put a bridle in his mouth and my hook in his nose and overcome him and fall backwards and perish in his own land and the Angel of my presence shall fall upon his hoste with the breath of my mouth and slay them all you shall finde in the morning nothing but carcasses this shall they have that rage against the Lord and his Spirit above a hundred thousand nay almost two hundred thousand slain in the field but a remnant of the Lord shall take root downwards now and bear fruit upwards manifold and rejoyce in the Lord of the whole earth And again we see that though an evil spirit of wickedness or blasphemy like the beast in the Revelation may for a while triumph over all and speak great words and do mighty things yet the Spirit of Truth and Glory consumes it all at last SECT XXXV §. 35 How the Lord makes sick and well kills and saves and he is glorified in all he doth THis shews how those whom the Lord loves fall sick through boyls and distempers of flesh the corrupt nature is sickly and perishes and how it all turns to the glorifying of God and the good of the soul as in the 11. of John saith Christ of Lazarus this sickness is not for his death but for the death of sin in the flesh and for his life for the Son of God in him shall be glorified by it and it was so And even so here Hezekiahs life is renewed he dyes after the flesh to this life and state and lives to God after the Spirit dyes to himself to live to God as he saith now shall I live to praise thee Thus the Lord makes us sick and well dead and alive wounds and heals takes and gives after his good pleasure sets all in order the fire the faggot the sacrifice the knife and all the whole sacrifice the whole man with his whole house and it is not to kill the Lamb but the Ram not the Sinner but the Sin and the Lord healed him and defended his City all his with him house and all prolonging their lives giving them a long life even for ever and ever and a signe The Sun returning or going backwards ten degrees which shewed the return and fall of his enemies or the forgiveness of sins and the restauration of souls SECT XXXVI Babylons letters and presents to betray us §. 36 and our treasures into his own Land LEtters and Presents from Babylon and her King Baladan upon Hezekiahs recovering hearing of it pretends joy for it Thus the Flesh lies in wait for the Spirit Antichrist for Christ and the Christian if we recover from falling on the left hand we are presently tempted to fall and err on the right hand Here the Devil is transforming himself into an Angel of light and deceives and betrays us basely pretending to be outwardly for us giving us his letters and presents and is inwardly against us so creeps in unawares and like a serpent subtilly gains upon us undermines us findes and feels our strength and eats and drinks with us and is received into our heart and treasure we being all opened to him nothing in us but made known and yet really know not whence he comes a stranger from a far Country to see us and rejoyce with us but not out of love but envy like them in Pauls days that preached Christ out of envy But the Lord remembers us and findes out all our enemies for us and smites us when we do amiss so that as Hezekiah received these messengers and presents and withal shewed his treasures