THE SAINTS PARADISE OR The Fathers Teaching the only satisfaction to waiting SOULS WHEREIN Many Experiences are Recorded for the comfort of such as are under spirituall BURNING The inward Testimony is the Souls strength By Jerrard Winstanley Jer. 31. 34. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour and every man his brother saying Know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least of them unto the greatest of them saith the Lord 1 John 2. 27. But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you and ye need not that any man teach you But as the same anointing teacheth you of all things and is truth London Printed for G. Calvert and are to be sold at the black-spred-Eagle at the West end of Pauls To my beloved friends whose souls hunger after sincere Milk Dear friends IT hath been the universall condition of the Earth Mankinde to be overspread with a black Cloud of darknesse and the knowledge of the King of righteousnesse hath been manifested but in some few scattered ones which as they haue had the spring in themselves so they have been as lights in the dark world and others have walked in their light and rested content to drink of their streams as if their declaration of truth had been the very Fountain it self I my self have known nothing but what I received by tradition from the mouths and pen of others I worshipped a God but I neither knew who he was nor where he was so that I lived in the dark being blinded by the imagination of my flesh and by the imagination of such as stand up to teach the people to know the Lord and yet have no knowledge of the Lord themselves but as they have received by hearsay from their books and other mens words I spoke of the name of God and Lord and Christ but I knew not this Lord God and Christ I prayed to a God but I knew not where he was nor what he was and so walking by imagination I worshipped that devill and called him God by reason whereof my comforts were often shaken to pieces and at last it was shewed to me That while I builded upon any words or writings of other men or while I looked after a God without me I did but build upon the sand and as yet I knew not the Rock And now know friends That this ignorant unsettled condition is yours at this time though I know that the proud King flesh that is in you will be ready to speak within you and tell you that you do know God and Christ and be offended with me because I say you know him not I do not write any thing as to be a teacher of you for I know you have a teacher within your selves which is the Spirit and when your â—â—esh is made subject to him he will teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance so that you shall not need to run after men for instruction for your eyes being opened you shall see the King of righteousnesse sit upon the throne within your selves judging and condemning the unrighteousnesse of the flesh filling your face with shame and your soul with horror though no man see or be acquainted with your actions or thoughts but your selves and justifying your righteous thoughts and actions and lead you into all wayes of truth And this is the Spirit or Father which as he made the Globe and every creature so he dwels in every creature but supreamly in Man and he it is by whom every one lives and moves and hath his being perfect man is the eye and face that sees and declares the Father and he is perfect when he is taken up into this spirit and lives in the light of reason and there is no man or woman can say that the Father doth not dwell in him for he is every where there is no a creature in the compasse of the creation but he is in that creature but disobedient man knows him not and why Because flesh is not subject to the spirit within it his covetous flesh hath deceived him for he either looks abroad for a God and so doth imagine and fancie a God to be in some particular place of glory beyond the skies or some where he knows not or in some place of glory that cannot be known till the body be laid in the dust Or else if men do look for a God within them according as the Record speaks God is within you yet they are led by the motions and commands of King flesh within them and not by King spirit and here they are at a losse not being able to distinguish between flesh and spirit by reason that covetousnesse and self-will blindes their eyes Truly friends King flesh is very covetous self-loving and self-honouring it likes them that say as it saith but it would imprison kill and hang every one that differs from him he is full of heart-burning either of open envy and bitter distemper or else carries himself in a smooth quiet way of hypocrisie walking in a shew of truth like an Angell of light but when he gets an opportune power he turns to be a tyrant against the way of the spirit And so all his love was but for by-ends to satisfie self in some particular or other But now the King of righteousnesse within you is a meek patient and quiet spirit and full of love and sincerity he burns up the proud and hasty flesh he loves truth and hates a lie if the creature acts unrighteously he checks and shames him if he act righteously according to the creation of a man he speaks peace within and so makes the man to walk sincerely and warily And when you come to know feel and see that the spirit of righteousness governs your flesh then you begin to know your God to fear your God to love your God and to walk humbly before your God and so to rejoyce in him and therefore if you would have the peace of God as you call it you must know what God it is you serve which is not a God without you visible among bodies but the spirit within you invisible in every body to the eye of flesh yet discernable to the eye of the spirit and when souls are made to have community with that spirit then they have peace and not till then For this let me tell you that if you subject your flesh to this mighty governour the spirit of righteousness within your selves he will bring you into community with the whole Globe so that in time you shall come to know as you are known and you shall not need to run after others to learn of them what God is for as you are a perfect creation every one of himself so you shall see and feel that this spirit is the great governour in you in righteousness and when you come thus to know the truth the truth shall make you free from the bondage of covetous and proud flesh
began to obey the Lord then the Lord sent an Angel which was no other but a mighty spirit of feare and confusion of minde among the Midianites Israels enemies which made them to destroy one another while Israel had the liberty to looke on CHAP. V. LEt the Powers Governours and Armies of the land learne to worship the Lord in righteousnesse lest while the Lord hath made them Angels to destroy some and to warne others the Lord do not give out a Commission to others to destroy and confound them and so bring about his work by another power For Assure your selves you Kingly Parliamentarie and Army power and know this that all unrighteous powers and actings must be destroyed the father is about the work and his hand will not slack this work is and will be going on more powerfull then ever till it be finished that all enemies to Christ be made his foot-stoole and he alone exalted who is King of righteousnesse For now Jesus Christ is upon his rising from the dead and will rule King of righteousnesse in flesh And though King-flesh in every man and woman hath for many years past denyed him and lifted up himself against him yet now is the time come that he will lift up himself and tread the powers of the flesh under his feet And friends doe not mistake the resurrection of Christ you expect he shall come in one single person as he did when he came to suffer and die and thereby to answer the types of Moses law let me tell you if you look for him under the notion of one single man after the flesh to be your Saviour you shall never never taste salvation by him But know that the mighty power that dwelt in that humane flesh that was called by the name Jesus Christ he was the man the mighty man of strength the flesh was as the woman to the man or the box that carryed that precious oyntment in and this man is sat down at the right hand of the father that is he is the strength of the father whereby he destroys King flesh and he sits in the highest heavens that is in those Saints that are taken up the highest into the father and lives in him treading the curse under foot And as the body of his flesh in his Ascension so called went out of the Apostles sight in a cloud of the Skies so shall the same mighty man rise up out of the earth that is from under the earthy imaginations and lusts of the sons of men for mankinde is the earth that containes him buried and out of this earth he is to arise and appeare in the clouds that is as he begins to shew himselfe in a man or a woman the fleshy powers in those enslaved soules will and do rise up to darken the light of that sun as long as he can till he the flesh who is the wicked man or the cursed thing that dwels within mankinde be taken away And therefore if you expect or look for the resurrection of Jesus Christ you must know that the spirit within the flesh is the Jesus Christ and you must see feel and know from himself his own resurrection within you if you expect life and peace by him For he is the life of the world that is of every particular son and daughter of the father who are every one of them a perfect created world of themselves and need not to seek abroad after other creatures for teaching for every one hath the light of the father within himself which is the mighty man Christ Iesus And he is now rising and spreading himselfe in these his sons and daughters and so rising from one to many persons till he enlighten the whole creation mankinde in every branch of it and cover this earth with knowledge as the waters cover the seas And this is the lightning that shall spread from East to West this is the kingdome of heaven within you dwelling and ruling in your flesh therefore learne to know Jesus Christ as the father knows him that is not after the flesh but know that the spirit within the flesh is that mighty man Jesus Christ and the flesh takes it name from that mighty man of truth that dwels within it he within governs the flesh he within laid down the flesh when he was said to die he within is the wisdome and power of God he within is to arise not at a distance from men but will rise up in men and manifest himselfe to be the light and life of every man and woman that is saved by him For a meek spirit bears the name Jesus And a man filled with the power of God or a man taken up into God to become one in spirit within beares the name Christ therefore you are not saved by believing there was such a man that lived and died at Jerusalem for though you believe there was such a man yet that is not saving faith to you till you feel the power of a meek spirit come into you and raigne King and tread all your envy frowardnesse and bitternesse of spirit under foot and till you feel and see the power of the righteous spirit come into you and raigne King treading all unrighteousnesse of the flesh whatsoever under foot making a conquered slave of that wicked man in the flesh And so changing your vile bodies and making them like his glorious body that is making the bodies of your flesh subject to the spirit of the father within it as the bodie of the flesh of Jesus Christ was subject to the spirit his father that dwelt within him in all things So that you do not look for a God now as formerly you did to be a place of glory beyond the Sun Moon and Stars nor imagine a divine beeing you know not where but you see him ruling within you and not only in you but you see and know him to be the spirit and power that dwels in every man and woman yea in every creature according to his orbe within the globe of the Creation So that now you see and feel and taste the sweetnesse of the spirit ruling in your flesh who is the Lord and King of glory in the whole creation and you have community with him who is the father of all things Now you are inlightened now you are saved and rises higher and higher into life and peace as this manifestation of the father increases and spreads within you And this is it to be saved by Jesus Christ for that mighty man of spirit hath taken up his habitation within your body and your body is his body and now his spirit is your spirit and so you are become one with him and with the father and this is the faith of Christ when your flesh is subject to the spirit of righteousnesse as the flesh of Christ was and this is to believe in Christ when the
actings breathings of your soules is within the center of the same spirit in which the man Jesus Christ lived acted and breathed If you live in the flesh that is if you be subject to the powers of the flesh within you then you believe in the flesh and bring forth the fruit of the flesh which is self-conceit covetousness envy pride hypocrisie and the like But if you live in Christ that is in that mighty and spirituall man of truth then you believe in him and bring forth the fruit of the spirit which is love joy peace humilitie obedience sincerity and the like If Jesus Christ that mighty King rule in you he will check and condemne every unrighteous thought as well as extravagant words and loose actions though no other man see and know your secret wickednesse but your selves and he will speake peace and Justifie you within when your flesh in any things is subject to him though you are hated slandered and mightily oppressed by the injustice of others But if King-flesh rule then you go on in secret and open wayes of unrighteousnesse with greediness and delight and have no checks within at all Now the strong man of sin keeps the house your bodies and every thing enjoyes a seeming peace within you But this is not the peace nor the liberty but a fore runner of great torment in the day of Judgment that is when the Judge the King of righteousness shall appeare to sit upon the throne within you judging and condemning this serpent or man of sin within you and so bruising his head that you who have been and are pisoners thereunto may live in the light peace of the father so set at liberty from bondage assure your selves you that glory in flesh you shall not go scot-free you shall be cast into the everlasting burnings as well as others and tryed in that fire as gold in the furnace And this fire is the father himself into whom when any creature fals he burns up the drosse in the creature which is the curse that came in through unrighteousnesse which is all the imaginary glory of the flesh and so makes man to appeare and stand bright before him you cannot burne away the drosse but the gold must suffer the heat of the fire the father cannot consume the serpent the man of sin out of my body but I that have been incorporated into that nature of the serpent must needs suffer paine this drosse and gold in man is so mixed together that nothing can separate them but the fiery orb which is the father himselfe that tries all things And here likewise lies a great delusion within mankinde you call the father your God and the word God is much in your mouths but here you deceive your selves for you know not the father to be your God nor Lord neither can you call him your God till you see and feele by experience that he rules and governs in you and that your proud and coveteous flesh stoopes and is made subject to him When the spirit within you doth command your flesh in rightousnesse and will not suffer frowardness covetousness pride hypocrisie and the like to arise and act but presently checks and condemns and shames you you can then speake in experience that the father who is the mighty governour is your God and your Lord for the powers of your poysoned flesh are made suctject to him But so long as King-flesh raignes doth act pride envy covetousness hypocrisie unrighteousnesse within you then he that you call God is the devill that cursed serpent or poysoned flesh even the power of darkness is your God and you cannot say the father is your God for if you do you deceive your self you are subject to the devill you are not subject to the father He that looks for a God without himself and worships God at a distance he worships he knows not what but is led away and deceived by the imaginations of his own heart which is Belzebub the great Devill but he that looks for a God within himself and submits himselfe to the spirit of righteousnesse that shines within this man knows whom he worships for he is made subject to and hath communitie with that spirit that made all flesh that dwells in all flesh and in every creature within the globe And this is the law and the testimony even the law of the spirit of righteousnesse within and testimony of the spirit within a man when a man can say I see feel and know that my flesh is in part subject and is daily subjecting to the great power that dwels in the whole creation what I heare another man speak or write it is nothing to me till I finde the same experience within my self this is the law and testimony of Jesus and if any man speak not according to this rule it is because there is no knowledge in him not in the booke of scriptures which is another mans testimony and the testimony of others is known to be a truth by the testimony of the same spirit within your self and no other way whatsoever There is one scripture hath been often laid before me by others and I knew not the meaning of it if I went about to studie or imagine the meaning I was lost presently and trouble took hold upon me Well after I found the spirit of contentednesse to come with power and made me quiet within so that I said within my self let my father give me the knowledge of this or any other truth or deny me the knowledge of it his will be done I can know nothing till he teach me therefore I will lie down before him and wait with a quiet spirit upon him I say I was no sooner brought into this waiting frame of spirit not only this but divers other truths was and I can almost say daily is given into me from the father to the abundant satisfaction of my soul The scripture is this Mat. 8. 28. where the two men that were possessed with devills cryed out to Jesus Art thou come to destroy us before the time I deny not the history but that there were two men really filled and tormented with devils or distempers which is the curse in mankinde and that at the Command of Christ those troublers in them went into the heard of swine and the swine ran into the sea and perished there But now the matter in this history settles peace within my spirit as it is shewed unto me and that is this By the two possessed is pointed out to me First the earth mankinde by reason of his unrighteousnesse is filled with thornes and bryers that is with troublesome distempers of all sorts which are called devills or serpent or the curse of the earth or the wicked man that sowes tares in Gods vineyard mankinde so that here is mankinde or flesh full of troublers or devills distempering the creation for do but crosse
his strong delusions to believe his lies And this power of darkeesse in you casts you under a more powerfull bondage of the Law of the spirit within you yea in utter darknesse wherein you stick fast as in mire and clay or as in a deep pit and cannot get out it throws you under wrath and makes God appear angry which is the greatest darknesse the poor creature can lie under What greater darknesse can there be then for a man never to see nor feel the light heat nor warmth of the sun but alwaies to live in some dungeon where the sun never appears A meek and humble spirit fights against thy rashnesse and self-conceit and secret envy and grudging opposes the appearance of love covetousness and bondage fights against freedom and liberty of spirit and chastitie fights against uncleannesse the Law of righteousnesse fights against unrighteousnesse of the flesh So that if at any time thy heart begins to devise any unrighteousnesse within thy self the Law of the spirit of truth breakes forth in thee and lets thee see it and condemns and shames thee for it and thy whole soul is filled with distemper and horror And if at any time the power of unclean flesh begins to break forth in thee the Law of chastitie appears and shews thee thy filthinesse and condemns thee for it but gives thee no strength for the present against thy lust so that the power of thy uncleane flesh lusting after folly is strong in thee and the power of the law of chastitie shewing thee that Abomination is strong in thee likewise which fills thee with torment And if at any time unrighteous thoughts and purposes rise up in thee or unrighteous actions proceed out of thy hands and thou delight therein yet when the law of the spirit of truth appears in thee and shews thee thy abominable practise thy delight in the flesh dies peace is taken from thee and thy spirit is filled with trouble I could instance in every power of the flesh in this kinde And now presently thou concludest That the devil which thou thinkst is a third power distinct between God thee comes torments thee But no for it is the very power of the spirit which is pure reason which governs the whole globe in righteousnesse that shews thee thy wickednesse the light therof discovers thy darkness and fills thee with shame and torment For if the spirit shine upon thy filthinesse and trouble thee it is not barely to trouble but to burn up thy lusts and to make thee bright is the fathers end but while thou liest between these two powers thy peace is gone all feeling of life is taken away and thou liest under darknesse yea utter darknesse for thou seest no light of peace of any side If thou follow the powers of thy flesh as thy uncleanness unrighteousness envy frowardness pride hypocrisie and the like thou hereby accknowledgest that the flesh is God for thou maintainest the being of that wicked man as though he were the only one beeing that dwells in the globe but if the father of all things which is reason be the only one beeing that gave beeing to all and that keeps all in peace then certainly while thou followest the way of King flesh thou walkest unreasonably for thou settest up another King which makes division which the creation knowes not and thou deniest the King of righteousnesse which unites the whole body of the creation into a oneness of spirit That spirit that knits all creatures together in peace and sweet communion of love and meekness must needs be King And this doth reason who is the essentiall father but that power that makes one creature a tyrant over another nay divides the creature man within himself and so pulls the creation in pieces breaking the bonds of peaceable love and filling the creature with torment and distraction must needs be a divell or troubler and this doth that curse that is in the flesh and therefore no King but a murtherer a deceiver a devill the serpent that must be killed and the wicked man that must be taken out of the way Now such a condition of bondage doth this compound power cast you under you are absent from the liberty peace life of heaven you lie tumbling in hell darkness to be incorporated into the power of the wicked one to act from his unclean principles is the flesh and blood that shall never enter heaven never enjoy union and peace with the spirit of righteousness for light and darkness can never live together This is the bond woman her sonne that shall never be heire nor live in the house with the free woman And whatsoever is of this nature or under this bondage less or more doth not taste of heaven which is perfect peace for that which is bondage cannot be said to be liberty But for your comfort poor enslaved soules Christ the wisdom and power of the Father is come to open the prison doors to pull you up out of the earth of covetousness and self imagination under which you have been and are buried and will set you even as a corne of wheate that lies buried under clods of earth till the warme cherishing meeke and loving spirit in the earth cause it to sprout and spring and shoot out and so bring forth fruitlike himself in great abundance therefore waite patiently till you be able to sing Allaluia and to say The Lord God omnipotent raigneth and assure your selves the vision will not stay long for when your flesh is made subject to the spirit he will speak peace to you and in you Since unrighteousness was acted in humaine flesh against his maker every son and daughter of that disobedient flesh is like a man upon whom two fierce band-dogs hath laid hold tearing and pulling to pieces And these two are first the curse or sin in flesh which is called the serpent the father of lies the wicked man the devill The second is the appearance of the righteous law dwelling in that flesh likewise as a seed buried under the weight of that cursed earth and his appearance is so terrible to the disobedient flesh that it destroys at his appearing all the joy and peace thereof and is called the severity of the Law So that first the curse or sin this hath fastened upon the man and puls him from owning the spirit and so makes created flesh to rebell against his maker And then the father which the curse in the flesh hath despised maintains his own prerogative in man and destroys and kils that rebellion by reason whereof the creature man is filled with Torment And this act of the spirit is called the declaration of wrath or the Law or the letter that kils for indeed the disobedient man sees and feels nothing but wrath on every side For let the creature look within himself he sees and feels no peace for the appearance of the
underhand working endeavour to vent their malice upon the kingdomes friends even the Saints And alas poor blinde creature you work your own ruine take Lot out of Sodome and the vengeance of Gods Law fals immediatly therefore you weak ones that are troubled take notice That God is most persecuted hated and fought against in these dayes for the plaine truth is the mysterie of iniquity would not have the God of love to have any appearance in earth So that God is the greatest sufferer And therefore that truth which my soul most drives at is this which follows that though God suffer most yet it is not against his will but with his will And that this spirit of darknesse or mysterie of iniquity that fights against God hath no power to act like it self till God limit him that power and limit him a time to act that power in And here I shall shew in my experience what I see and know the Devill is And what the power of the Devill is and by what power he workes The Devill or father of lies in the full body of him is unrighteous flesh and the imaginations thereof He is that Belzebub that sat among the sonnes of God that is among the five sences or spirituall lights which God hath set in the soul for the imagination of flesh will not submit it self to God but is found a chiefe enemy against him And the pride of the flesh envy slavish feare distrust hypocrisie carnall thoughts selfe love and the like are particular Devils that first intices the soule and afterwards brings him to trouble and every one of those have particular degrees like legions of Devils which holds the creature man in bondage While a man enjoyes his lusts he hath a seeming peace within himself But when the holy law appears to discover those lurking Devils then begins the creatures torment and slaverie And this lets me see what the enmity of nature is between God and me The enmity in flesh it is the spirit of envy and darknesse which is Gods opposite as darknesse is opposite to light and heat opposite to cold And this workes in the creature man to maintaine its unclean beeing in opposition to the beeing of God And while it hath its liberty sinfull man is in peace But when God pleases that the declaration of righteousnesse shall take hold upon that enmity it throws the sinner presently under sorrowes and breakes his peace to pieces And this is that which the scriptures in my experience calls the Devil or murtherer Even the enmity that is in my nature against God which threw me under the flashings of Gods righteous law which was enmity against me and this I shall endeavour to clear CHAP. III. BUt first of all what is the righteous Law here to be understood I Answer It is not the words of the letter called the ten Commandements and therein only bound up But it is the manifestations of God in all or any one of his Attributes shining forth upon and in his creature endeavouring by his spirituall power to swallow up all the motions and imaginations of the flesh into God And so burning up by the spirit of burning all the dross of the flesh that the creature may appeare pure gold As thus the manifestation of Gods wisdom to the heart is directly opposite to the wisdome of the flesh and declares it to be folly which inward discoverie troubles and shames the man though none see and know it but himselfe The manifestations of Gods love humilitie truth is directly opposite to the carnal love carnal humilitie unrighteousness of the flesh The chastitie and holinesse of God lets a man see his uncleannesse and filthy lust The sincerity of God shining forth upon the heart discovers its hypocrisie and so of all other manifestations of God being darted into the heart by the father He declares the creature his weaknesse and that every way he comes short of the glory of God by reason whereof the creature is filled with horror and torment which the eye of other men sees not but stands and admires So then here lies the mysterie though to me it is an unfolded truth for I speak what I know The Serpent or proud flesh in all the imaginations of it endeavours to maintain its corrupt self and to swallow up the Law of God which is the pure spirit But the Law of God which is the wisdome and power of God manifested in all the branches of it to and in the heart doth swallow up the other into himself and destroys and consumes all the powers of the flesh and becomes the King of righteousness ruling and dwelling in flesh Secondly what is the power of the Devill and by what power doth he work I answer This is not a power distinct from God as I have thought that the Devill is a middle power between God and me but it is the power of my proud flesh and the power of Gods holy Law closing together the one fighting against the other and so slew me and held me under bondage as thus God bids the heart trust in him by inward whisperings the heart not knowing God looks after the creature and thinks it cannot live without money lands help of men and creatures This is the Devill that tempts Well the pure spirit or holy law within tels the heart he must be stript of all these and trust providence for subsistence the heart while it hath use and plenty of all these saith yes I will trust God for every thing Yea but when riches fayle friends frowne men withdraw help and begin to speak evil and to hate and the heart sees it must trust in God or starve and yet it cannot he hath no power slavish feare and unbeliefe is so storng in him then it begins to sinck And it reasons thus I have no riches no certain dwelling place no way to get a subsistence I am crossed in all I have no cordiall friend no succour from men if any seem to succour me it is for their owne ends and when they have got what they can from me they leave me and turne enemies so that the heart sees he is left alone and in this low estate feare distrust two strong divels buffets the poor creature and squizes his spirit flat for he sees nothing fulfilled to him he feeles no power from God and his spirit droops So that here is depth of misery in the hearts apprehension it is hedged in with sorrows on every side Let him look to men and creatures and there is no help all hath forsaken him and stands aloofe off let him look within himselfe and he sees nothing but slavish feare and unbelief questioning the truth and power of God how can such things be and so beating him off from quiet closing with God but labouring to make a breach between God and himselfe Well thy spirit
is full of languishing this is a very low ebb but thou art not forsaken of the father though thy perswasion is much shaken the reason of all is this The pure law of the spirit is scorching and burning up the unbeliefe of thy flesh to make thee know God and to make thee bright in the eyes of God and men hereafter Now speake if this be not true you that have waded in or through this fire some are wading in this fire few have waded through it all must be burned herein more or lesse before they lie down quietly in the lap of providence Well this is the power of darknesse and bondage under which the divell or troubles within doth buffet you The power of my unrighteous flesh strives to maintain the kingly power in me and the righteous Law or the pure spirit strives to maintain his owne righteous and kingly power in me by tredding the other under foot If proud flesh stand then the the King of glory in me must be destroyed but if he keep the field and raigne in me then the head of my troubles which is the Serpent must be bruised And this is the enmity of natures between God and me this is the Divell and the power of this Divell or enmity doth not worke without the will but according to the will of God in killing the disobedient creature when the serpent in flesh kills then the creature man dies from God but when the law comes and kills then the creature begins to live again to God The flesh and darknesse within me is the Divell that is the father of lies that never spoke truth And the power of the perfect law taking hold thereupon threw me under sorrow and sealed up my miserie and this is utter darknesse for my soul lived below the life and nature of God in sin and disobedience and while that strong man kept the house I had peace and I lived below the comforts and joyes of God in sorrowes and miserie under the sence of Gods wrath for that sin and then my sinfull peace was taken from me And this is Hell yea and extremitie of the power of darknesse But this Divell is not a middle power distinct from God between God and the creature and so waits as a Gaoler to do his Office when the Judge condemns the sinner as some say and as I thought but it is the power of proud flesh and the power of the pure spirit mixing together not as friends but enemies opposing each other and so killing the weaker party the creature and taking peace from him And though God suffer the Divell to act and gives him a power sometimes over the creature yet God doth suffer it not to ruine his creature man but to ruine the Divell to bruise that serpents head and to reconcile the creature to himselfe and so to raise him up to enjoy the life of God that is dead under the power of the Divell This proud flesh or Divell is called the wicked one in his severall degrees in mankinde which is the serpent which bends his bow and makes ready his arrowes that he may shoot privily at him that is upright in heart that is at the appearance of God in the heart of man in every degree and measure of it This is that envious uncleane and wicked man that gathers to himselfe and that scatters from Christ for let a man in whom any measure of this serpent rules preach pray beare rule or do any thing he gives not the honour to God but he gathers up the honour to himselfe for he is full of selfe-seeking and selfe-praise and this is the wicked one whether he be little or big And God is angrie with this wicked one every day And this lordly power of the serpent must be killed before the manifestations of the fathers love favour sweet to the creature This is the father of lies this is the tempter this is he that deceives the Nations this proud flesh that would sit in Gods Temple and be as God is the mysterie Babylon the mother of all abominations this is the first mover to all enmity against God for it will not own the Father the King of glory But now it is the righteous Law that makes this appear to be enmity for light discovers darknesse and the spirit of fire discovers coldnesse Now the great mysterie of God is this he will remove this great stone or mountain that lies between him and his creature for he will swallow up his own dispensation of wrath as the creature cals it which is the Law of holinesse proving the creature a sinner and so casting him under sorrow which is sense of wrath and he will swallow up the enmity of our natures into love even into himself and so to make of two one when this mixed murderer is cast out of heaven And this devil or murderer appears sometimes within a man in troubling and filling the heart and flesh with sorrows and misery and sometimes he appears without when the spirit of proud flesh in other men envies me God may and many times gives way that that spirit of envy shall go forth and prosper and enjoy his will for if the envy hypocrisie and cruelty that breaths in others be acted upon me it is not the will of that envious spirit for my ruine but the will of God is done in suffering that spirit to act for its own ruine and my healing And truly I have a great perswasion that though God suffer this unclean spirit to run up and down and range in this Kingdom of England yet God will heal England in conclusion and cast this devil or unclean spirit into the lake of fire and so consume him There is one Scripture that gives great light into this truth The devil troubler or spirit of darkness in other men did envy Job which indeed is but the imagination of proud envious flesh for this is Belzebub that devises mischief and told God that if he would lay his hand upon him Job would curse him to his face Imagination thought arising from envy that afflictions would be a means to make a breach between God and Job as those wicked men did imagine in Wisdom 2. 21. Well God said Amen to the request of that evill spirit behold saith God to the devil Job is in thy hand even under that very power of temptation and suffering as thou wouldst have him to be under only touch not his life so that here is a power limited to Satan or to the envy of flesh in other men against Job but this power is not Satans power properly distinct from God but it is the very power of God which the God of wisdom hath given and limited to Satan whereby God will honour himself and shame the devil and bruise his head by Jobs sufferings The spirit of envy imagines that if Jobs Cattle and goods should be taken away by robbery
it would vex him and make him speak evill of God therefore desires that such a crosse might befall Iob and God said Amen I grant thee thy desire let that befall him The spirit of envy imagines that if Iobs house was burned and his children killed it would make him blaspheme God and therefore desires that power God said Amen I grant thee that power so to do to him The spirit of envy imagines another mischief and would have Iob filled with diseases in his body and would have his friends and kindred forsake him and to be a bitter crosse to him God said Amen let it be so Now these evils are acted upon Iob as if the devill did it by his power distinct from God but no it is by Gods power limited to the devil at the devils request not so much to gratifie the devil as by this means to bruise his head for God makes use of Satans malice in desiring these miseries to befall Iob to do two things first to try Iob and to make him the more bright and faithfull to God as he appeared afterward And secondly to shame envy and the devil by his own weapon for such means as the devil did imagine would make Iob to curse God God uses the same and thereby made Iob to worship him more experimentally The spirit of pride covetousnesse and envy desired to sit in Gods Temple Mankinde and not only in the whole bulk of Mankinde but in that part which is neerest and dearest to God even the Spouse of Christ or elect City that thereby he might the more provoke God Well God said Amen and grants him a power to sit there and to rule and tred the holy City under foot forty two moneths or for a time times and a half time and now the devil raigns not by a power absolute of his own but by a limited power and a limited time too given him from God And truly all this time Satan hath made use of this power and his malice hath appeared very violent and not only the Saints but God in the Saints especially hath suffered for his wisdom his love his patience his faithfulnesse and truth hath been tempted and tryed to purpose I but the King of righteousnesse is the same he alters not and therefore in conclusion when the righteous Law takes away this limited power which this devil and wicked one desired and obtained it will then appear it did him no good but proves his utter shame and ruine and declares God to be the only one infinite beeing to the eternall glory of his own name And so in these dayes we see and feel great troubles and temptations do compasse men round and it appears to the eye of man as if envy hypocrisie pride and self-will ruled as it would himself and as if there were no power to restrain this flood of ungodlinesse I but dear friends know that all this power of temptation which you see in the hand of malice and hypocrisie it is not their own power but Gods power or the dispensation of visible wrath which God hath put into the hand of that evil spirit for a time It is not his own absolutely but it is a limited power and time and this speaks great comfort to the Saints for God will bring good out of all this God our God and Father stands and looks on and the end of all this hurly-burly will bring everlasting glory to the Father in and through his Saints and everlasting shame and ruin to the devil Therefore be not troubled you Saints of the most high though you be hated reproached and persecuted for if you would see Satans head bruised you must first suffer your heel to be bruised by his temptations so that reason tells you that there is a necessitie that the Divell should enjoy a limited time and power Well God himself suffers most in these times for though Satan get a power to try and tempt the saints and to trouble the world yet the envy of the flesh principally strikes at God for pride fights against humilitie malice fights against love falshood fights against sincerity ignorance fights against knowledge self-will in flesh fights against the King of glory the pure spirit that dwels in flesh So that God himself is the sufferer But that Satan or father of lies shoots at and the Father suffers it thus to be and limits him a power thus to fight against him that in conclusion he may send forth the brightness of his Law and bruise Satans head by his own weapons and Judge and condemne him by the words of his own mouth and works of his own hands and swallow up that spirit of envy and darkness into himself the spirit of love which is the power of God yea God himself and so takes him out of the way that troubles his Saints that they may rest and lie down sweetly in him and to have no troubler at all to trouble them when this accuser is once cast out of Heaven The Saints in all their afflictions look upon the hand of God that smites them as Iob did but unbeleevers that live after the flesh think it is the Devils power and not God CHAP. III. NOw this adverse power which men readily think is the Devils power distinct from Gods as though God had no hand in it appears to me to be the very power of God in an immediate dispensation of wrath upon the sinner and that which we call Devill that terrifies is but the declaration of the rigour of the righteous law of God laying hold upon the corruption that is in the creature which the sinner cannot look upon and live for if God look upon any creature through the righteous law which the creature man hath gone astray from he cannot live But when the law of love hath swallowed that law of works that required perfection from the creature then the brightness power of that love shining upon the heart and changing the man in to the same nature and glory makes him able to behold God and live yea and to live joyfully too both in him and before him But let me not digress too far The adverse power spoken of is the very dispensation of the wrath of God upon sinners and there is one scripture doth countenance this which is this So he drove out the man and placed at the East of the garden of Eden Cherubins and a flaming sword which turned every way to keep the way of the tree of life By tree of life is meant God himself in whom Adam dwelt And Adam himself was that living garden in whom God delighted But since Adam began to delight in himself he went out of God and God set this flaming sword to flash against Adam that so he might come into God again and taste and eat and delight himselfe in that tree of life till it was the good pleasure of God to take him in again And so all sinners
of love truth and onenesse is near at hand and that England Scotland and Ireland so set at liberty from the bondage of the serpent within and the dispensation of wrath without shall be the tenth part of the City Babylon that shall fall off first and bow down at the feet of the Anoynting which is the wisdom and power of God that rules in flesh as Esay prophesied but whether God will manifest so great a work in this kingdome or no at this time his will be done but this I know much may be said of the workings of Gods power in this kinde in particular mens experience and as the father enlarges his hand this manifestation of his love will spread There is more hopes of a bitter storming spirit to be brought into God as this kingdome is generally full of then of a smooth close fawning hypocriticall self seeking fearefull spirit that playes of all sides for self-ends sake God received persecuting and bitter spirited Paul to mercy when as he let hypocriticall self-seeking Simon Magus go by as it were not counting him worth the minding All that I shall say is this you Saints of God that taste how sweet the love of the father is bear patiently with hot spirits God doth beare with them for he suffers more then you he is called the great long sufferer and when Gods love begins to shine forth upon them he can and it may be wil make some of them to out-strip you in experience of his love good will and power and so fill them abundantly with the spirit of joy But some do object against what I have spoken and say are not those Angels which fell devils distinct from God as man is distinct from God as Jude speaks And the Angels which kept not their first estate but left their own habitation he hath reserved in chaines of darkness unto the Judgement of the great day To answer this First I shall note that as heaven is set before us in a two-fold glory so are Angels As first every particular Saint is a true heaven or place of glory not only because the Father dwels in him but because he dwels in the Father likewise as thus the Father delights in him and manifests himselfe to this his son and his son by the clear sight and feeling of this manifestation is filled with joy and glory in his Father so that here is a mutuall fellowship of joy and oneness of love between them And this is Gods Kingdome even for flesh to be filled with Gods glory and indwelling presence in love and this is heaven in a lesser sence Secondly the whole City Sion is true heaven or a place of the fathers glory which is but the perfection of the former joy for as the father dwels and rules as a King of righteousnesse and love in one Saint so he dwells in all and all of them dwell in him as he enjoyes them for his delight so they enjoy him for their delight And as all and every one of them sees enjoyes and glories in the Father so they see enjoy and glory one in another every one knowing seeing and sweetly rejoycing in the unity and oneness of each others spirit it being the spirit of the father nay the father himself who is the spirit that fills all in all and knits them together into one body treading down all oppressing powers of the flesh for ever under their feet and this is heaven in the largest sence which every particular son and daughter of the father shall enjoy hereafter though they are now scattered abroad among the Sodomites of this unrighteous world that vexes their pretious soules from day to day And as heaven I say is set before us in this two-fold glory so the Angels are set before us in a two-fold glory likewise For first the particular sparks of glory or heavenly principles in man which the father hath set as lights to make known himselfe in his Saints as love humility sincerity content and rest in God and such like these are Angels and Angels of glory too because they are sparks of glory issued out of the father into earthen vessels and makes them to become the salt of the earth and light of the world Then secondly Men that are wholly taken up into God are called Angels such as have all their sences spiritually exercised in the father that can see hear taste smell and handle the excellent and glorious father and so Jesus Christ being a man so taken up into the father for he was a man fully anointed the God-head dwelt bodily in him he was called an Angel the Arch-Angell and Angel of his presence for he was the glorious sparke and light of the father And when men shall be and are so taken up into God they are called Angels and Angels of heaven too because the father dwels and glories in them and they live dwell and glory in the father and these are the Angels which the father sends to do his will As first the severall measures of his spirit are sparks of his glory as love joy humility sincerity and peace in God and such like these are particular Angels which the father sends down into humane flesh to keep it in all his wayes that it may not desperately blasphem God and so dash against the rock and such Angels as these every son and daughter of the father doth enjoy more or lesse and if it were not for these temptations would presently overcome them but these are spirituall powers from God that keep them upright in all their wayes and which makes them differ from the world And then for men that are wholly taken up into God as Moses and as Christ was they are ministers or Angels which the father sends forth to speake and do his will before and in the world therefore let the world in these dayes learne meeknesse and wisdome and lay aside their envy lest in the day of account they be found beating and killing such as the father sends in his name But now to answer to the objection We are to note that Angels in this latter sence which are men taken up into God and made perfect can never fall from God and so become Devils and enemies against God for this is the work of redemption which is unchangable and the father dwels and rules in them and hath bruised the serpents head in them never to revive again in them and they likewise live and dwell in God whose power treads all enemies under their feet And they have the sparks of glory or Angels of light within them which are the severall measures of the fathers spirit poured into them which remaines for ever and they themselves are Angels of light sent from the father to do his will here in this low condition of weak flesh But now Angels in the former sence which are divine sparks of glory planted in humane nature in its
first creation which was the habitation where they were seated these are faln from their excellency and are become Devils or evill Angels or spirituall powers of darknesse I shall declare what I know by Angels that fell they were those glorious lights and sparks of glory shining Angels of light in their severall measures and degrees which God had placed in the humane nature Adam before his fall As his love of God delight in God Peace and rest in God humilitie before God obedience and selfe deniall before God and all such like these all lived in God for he was the Center from which they came and to which they reflected back again they being all alive within Adam and Adam being alive within them But when Adam hearkened to the whispering of that a spiring selfishnesse that was the serpent which twisted it self round about the tree Adam and every glorious light that was in that humane creation and when Adam or indeed any man or woman doth give way to self and eat of that fruit that is delight in self above the King of righteousnesse in man then those glorious Angels left God their habitation and took up their glory within the circle of humane deâ—â—ed flesh and so become enmity against God For now the mans love is turned from living in the King of righteousnesse to live in corrupted flesh it is become a selfe love and so envious against God his delight and his joy is become self delight he glories in himself which is his pride his obedience doth live in himselfe for he gives way to all the whisperings of the flesh and lusts within himself but disobeys the command of righteousnesse within him And further his sincerity is turned into hypocrisie and his imagination works strongly how to please the flesh in the motions of it not how to please the spirit of truth and holinesse And now those glorious sparkes which were Angels of light while they lived in God and reflected upon him are become Angels of darknesse or legions of devils murtherers or deceivers according to their many degrees and measures while they live in unrighteous flesh and reflect upon the disobedient creature to maintain and to honour the being of the flesh before the righteous God that governs in the flesh thus they are faln And these devils or deceivers for indeed pride covetousnesse and the imagination of proud flesh doth deceive every man they are reserved in chaines of darknesse c. These chains are the dispensations of Gods wrath through his righteous Law for upon every one and upon all of these faln Angels the righteous sparks or breathings forth of the righteous Law like a flame of fire turning every way meets with them bindes them keeps them in and restrains them within bonds so that God hath these powers of self-seeking flesh at his command they cannot appear nor act but by his leave Pride self-love envy hypocrisie subtilty cruelty cannot act but by his leave and when he doth suffer them to act then his righteous Law is presently made manifest following their heels like fire burning up the stubble For God never suffers these devils to appear either within a man or by some violent way to break forth of men for the hurt one of another but he makes use thereof to ruine and destroy that power of darkness even that poysonous power of covetous flesh And they are called chains of darkness in opposition to the Law of perfect love and liberty for while these Angels lived in God they had no restraint for love God and thou art at liberty thy whole soul is free and no bondage lieth upon thee But when thou lovest self and flesh then all thy powers run self-ward and then the flaming sword which is the righteous spirit of burning doth flame upon thee burns thee and restrains thee and holds thee under bondage But how long Till the Judgement of the great day that is till the power of Christ do make it appear to the mans clear knowledge that self and flesh is the devill and serpent and by his power of righteousness doth not only judge and condemn that serpent but casts him into the lake of fire and consumes him to nothing as if his power had never been and so sets the creature free according to the mysterie of God And here note that the restauration or salvation which is pointed at in the letter of the Scripture doth lie in the restoring of the creature Mankinde from the power of these Angels of darkness and Mankindes redemption lieth in the breaking of those chains of darkness asunder and so taking him into the life liberty and peace of the King of righteousness As thus Whereas in this present poysoned estate of Mankinde in which flesh glories it self as in self will delight and self-love subtile imagination and the like they do all work fleshward and selfward and the masculine powers that rule the soul appear to be envy hypocrisie pride anger self-seeking subtilty and such like And the spirit of truth who is the Father by whom the creation man doth live move and hath his beeing doth lie buried under that unrighteous fleshie power But now in the restored estate which the Father hath begun to work and which his people wait for compleatness of I say now All the powers of the soul as his love delight and peace c. run God-ward again and is centured in the Father again And those powers of the flesh as pride covetousness rash anger love of self and imagination working to advance all these which are as I said the Angels of darkness in man These are now in this day of judgement condemned and destroyed trod under foot and buried out of minde like a dead man without beeing And the Lord alone is exalted now in this day of restauration which is the day of his power This indeed is the mysterie of all King flesh and self is dis-throned and the King of righteousness in flesh hath begun to take the Kingdom and doth raign and will raign and his dominion shall spread and endure for ever and ever for though he take the Kingdom by strength out of King flesh his hand yet none shall ever be able to take it out of his hand again for of his Kingdom there shall be no end And seeing people are not yet taken off from looking upon other mens knowledge I shall mention this one Scripture which if people did feelingly understand the distemper of their spirits would presently be healed It is this Light is come into the world and men love darknesse rather then light because their deeds are evill The world is mankinde and every particular man and woman is a perfect creation of himself a perfect created world that if a particular branch of mankinde desire to know what the nature of other men and women are let him not look abroad but into his own heart and he shall see so that I
the imagination of the flesh and the man grows more or lesse distracted This is pointed at by one of the two that were possessed Secondly the righteous law of God even the spirit which is full of love righteousnesse and peace in it selfe is enforced daily to be checking condemning and burning up that power of darkness or devills in the flesh to this end that the flesh may be brought into a onenesse with the father and be made subject to the spirit that made it and that dwels in it though the imaginarie powers of the flesh have trod down the spirit and would not suffer him to appear and raign for many years past I but now the fullness of time is come for the spirituall appearance of Christ and the spirit who is the Lord our righteousnesse is beginning to tread proud and covetous flesh under his feet and will take the Kingdome and raigne himself in man yea in every man for every man and woman though they be as branches of the earth yet they are every one a perfect creation of themselves and the spirit of the father dwells supremely in every man as in the whole globe So that considering that mankinde through unrighteousnesss hath been corrupted stands in need of a restauration before he can see the father dwell supremly in him and that the spirit must be the cleanser purger of this poysoned earth for he is the everlasting fire that tries all things and that seperates the dross from the gold and this spirit or father is pure reason which the unreasonableness of the flesh cannot stand before but falls presently as chaffe cannot endure the flames of fire It appears plain that the righteous law the spirit which though it be full of peace in it selfe yet having so powerfull an enemy as the devill in flesh that daily fights against him he cannot be at rest but is at work continually though it be a work wherein he takes delight As the fire never ceases burning so long as there is fuell to work upon so that the spirit of burning may be said to be full of troubles in respect of the great and varietie of his work for he is to deale with every man and woman in the creation of mankinde when I speak after the manner of men for while two parties fight to master one another there is a declaration of troubles on both sides to the beholders and yet the spirit is not full of troubles because he kils and destroys the devill with delight and works the restauration of mankinde with abundance of love and cheerfulness And this spirit is pointed out to me to be the other man possessed For the scripture is to me but the declaration of a historicall truth pointing out this higher mysterie And as the corrupt power in flesh delights to be acting and shewing it self so the holy Law which is not the letter of the scriptures but the spirit which is the law of righteousness delights to be acting and shewing himselfe in destroying that filthy power or devill And as it is a torment to a man to be crossed of his humor or will so it is here spoke after the manner of men As to be a torment to the devill in mankinde as indeed it is to be quite destroyed and as it were a torment to the righteous Law as it is not but his delight to be taken off his work of burning and consuming the devill For as it is the devills heaven to be acting unrighteousness so it is the heaven to the law of the spirit to be flaming against and burning up the devill Now the creature man looks upon these two as they fight one against the other within his heart and flesh as a murtherer of him for hereby his earthly peace is killed so that Art thou come to destroy us before the time is a voice proceeding from the distempered man but it doth typically point out the voice of this compound murtherer in man for when Christ who is the mighty man of truth dwells bodily in his own house the flesh of mankinde then all fightings within and troublers in the flesh shall cease and there shall be perfect peace but two enemies that seek the death one of the other are both to be parted therefore the devill he would not be taken off vexing the flesh because he would be King in the flesh And the spirit of righteousness would not be taken off till he hath quite subdued the devill under his feet and made flesh subject to him which shall and must be accomplished at the restauration of all things And therefore there being much work to be done in mankinde as well as in these two particular men and the work of the devill will not cease so long as he hath any power in flesh and the work of the spirit wil not cease til this serpents head be quite bruised the flesh of the whole creation mankinde be made subject to the spirit the Lord that made it therefore this voice Art thou come to destroy us before the time declares that Christ is the Anointing or power of the father that shall end this quarrell and that shall establish perfect peace in every man as a branch and in the whole creation it self mankinde when the time of the father is come that the mysterie of the great governor God is finished So that this historie of the two men possessed with devills which Christ Jesus made quiet doth declare the great work of the anointing in the latter dayes when he shall have finished his work and deliver up the Kingdome to the father that is he will establish love and peace and onenesse between mankinde and the spirit of righteousnesse that made it and the same anointing will destroy all this enmity that is between the flesh and spirit by reason of the curse that is in the flesh which is to be burned up that so peace may be made By the swine in the History are pointed out to me to be men that live upon the earth in the imaginary delights and glory of it which is a life below God as the life of a swine snudling up his food from among the filth of the earth is below the life of a man And this swine runs down the hill that is these earthly minded men run lower and lower from God who is called Sions hill in hunting after covetousnesse self-love temporal glory fleshy imaginations and thoughts These I say run downwards further and further from the life of the spirit they do not run up the hill of self-denial and love of righteousnesse where God dwels Now Gods dwelling is not in any locall place above the skies as men fancie and say God dwels above the heavens But he is said to dwell above in respect of the fleshes wisdom and power as thus Gods wisdom is above the wisdom of the flesh Gods peace and life is above the peace and life of the flesh for
that can be given him For it is Reason that made all things and it is Reason that governs the whole Creation and if flesh were but subject thereunto that is to the spirit of Reason within himself it would never act unrighteousnesse for if rash froward and mad anger rise up in a man and makes him walk according to the hasty violence of that Devill now he is said truly to be an unreasonable man or a man that is not subject to Reason But if Reason be King in a man then he moderates the man both within and without so that he may be truly said to be a reasonable man or a man subject to reason and so a profitable man amongst his fellow creatures For let reason rule the man and he dares not trespasse against his fellow creature but will do as he would be done unto For Reason tels him is thy neighbour hungry and naked to day do thou feed him and cloath him it may be thy case to morrow and then he will be ready to helpe thee VVhen the Curse in flesh moves a man to oppresse or deceive his neighbour or to take away his rights and liberties to beat or abuse him in any kinde reason moderates this wicked flesh and speaks within Wouldest thou be dealt so by thy self Wouldest thou have another to come and take away thy Goods thy Liberties thy Life No said the flesh that I would not Then saith Reason Do as thou wouldest be done unto and hereby the envious and covetous and proud flesh is killed and the man is made very Moderate And this spirit of Reason is not without a man but within every man he needs not run after others to tell him or teach him for this spirit is his maker he dwels in him and if the flesh were subject to him he should finde daily teaching thereform though he were alone and saw the face of no man And truly let me tell you That you cannot say the spirit is your God till you feel and see by experience that the spirit doth govern your flesh for if Envy be your Lord that rules your flesh if Pride and Covetousnesse rule your flesh then is Envy Covetousnesse or Pride your God If you fear men so greatly that you dare not do righteously for fear of angering men then slavish fear is your God If rash anger govern your flesh then is anger your God If Uncleannesse rule in you that is your God Therefore deceive not your selves but let reason work within you and examine and see what your flesh is subject to for whatsoever doth govern in you that is your God If the curse in the flesh govern you then the devill is your God and you are servants to him for the curse is the devill But if your flesh be subject to the spirit within it which is Reason and which made the flesh then is the Father your God and you may lawfully call him your God for you know now what you speak and that your words are words of experience but if you act contrary to reason you act like a beast and not like a man according to his creation for by his creation he is made Lord of all creatures and therefore the spirit dwels supreamly in him but when he follows the way of the flesh then he acts like a beast below the creation of a man and so hath lost the honor of his creation CHAP. VI THere be three Scriptures that were brought to me and the light that shined forth gave much strength to my soul I shall only mention them and then conclude The first is Rev. 9. 4 And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the green grasse of the earth neither any green thing neither any tree but only those men that have not the seal of God upon their fore-heads and these were not to be killed neither but that they should be tormented five moneths by those Locusts that came out of the smoke that rise up out of the bottomlesse pit that was now opened or made manifest what it is By green grasse and trees that were not to be hurt were shewed to me to be the tender sons and daughters that Christ hath newly called out of the earth to grow up towards him And likewise the tender plants of divine life that Christ had planted in that tender earth As love branching out into hungering and thirsting after righteousnesse and this tender green grasse nor the earth whereupon is grows is not hurt for in the midest of any trouble whatsoever the breathings of love after the father in hungering and thirsting after him is still kept alive in the tender soule And why must not these be hurt Why because these have the seal of the spirit upon them as tender plants as such as are dear unto him I but pride envy covetousnesse hypocrisie and the earth upon which these and such like weeds grow are to be tormented and why because they have not the seal of the spirit upon their foreheads and they are to be tormented five moneths before such time as these weeds be burned up and that poysoned earth become fruitfull for good seed I but these are called men not sinfull qualities that are to be tormented it is true but a man is called according to his qualitie and manners take a proud covetous or envious man and crosse any of these wicked qualities and you torment the man For when envy raignes in a man if it be crost the whole man is crost and if pride or selfe will raigne in a man and be crost the man is tormented so that the quality declares the man and the man is declared what he is by his quality And therefore in the second Scripture Rev. 20. 15. It is said Whosoever was not written in the Lambs book of life was cast into the lake of fire By Lambs book of life is shewed to me to be his very divine nature and spirit wherein Love Humility Patience Peace and such like are written and these shall enter into life and the men in whom this Spirit rules shall enter into heaven and live in the Father For these fruits of the Spirit prove a man to be a son of light and every son of light is known by these qualities that was engraven in the Lambs Nature or Spirit But whatsoever was not written in the Lambs book as Envy Pride Covetousnesse Self-will and the like these shall be cast into the lake of fire the spirit of burning to be consumed and the men in whom these cursed powers rule shall be tormented while that drosse is in burning up and vexed day and night and are restlesse and cannot be quiet but fretts and are troubled continually Therefore whatsoever is not written in the Lambs nature shall never live in rest in the father but envy pride covetousnesse self-will and the like were not written in the Lambs booke or Spirit for he was full of love and
spirit of righteousnesse is like the offended Law of a King that speaks death to the offender which way soever he turn himself it flashes like the flaming sword every way and so takes peace from that particular earth And if he look abroad the same declaration of wrath follows the eye of the sinner and flames out fire in every place even as the father is pleased visibly to appear in outward manifestations of justice to the terrifying of the disobedient that he may know himself and his works that they have been unrighteous As in losses sad accidents death of friends or cattell casualties by fire water unseasonable weather or the like and so taking an outvvard peace from the earth that is from divers branches of disobedient earth men and vvomen making them to sit dovvn in sorrow And poor sinners when they feel and see such inward and outward misery they cry out Oh this is the devill that troubles them And so look upon the Devill as a third powerfull beeing distinct between God and them working their misery Alas poor sinners this is the devil indeed a great troubler but not such a devil as you fancie for this Devill or murtherer that takes away your peace is within you it is your sin and the curse of your flesh upon which the fury of the King of righteousnesse hath seised and taken fast hold and now expect no peace in earth that is in your flesh till there be peace in heaven that is till your flesh be made subject to the spirit and the Father and you become one For truly let me tell you and you shall finde it true That as the curse or disobedient flesh in you doth rise up in rebellion against the spirit by scoffing hating self-loving despising expression of bitternesse and discontent against the way of the spirit and so seeking to advance your selves or your fleshy lusting above the spirit Even so the Law of the spirit will appear and the flashings of this flaming sword will spread the more to advance the spirit even the King of glory and so will hedge in your way and crosse you at every turning And truly if you see the fury of the Lord to appear more hot and fierce then formerly then say and say truly That the breakings out of sin and curse is more violent in these dayes then formerly And it must be so For now the bottomlesse pit is opened that is The curse or serpent in humane flesh is let loose to act and shew it self in his own likenesse and it makes himself manifest to be the power of darknesse the father of lies the enemies of the Father and the Whore the Beast and mother of all abominations And the four evill Angels that is Subtilty Hypocrisie Envy and Cruelty backed and strengthened with all the power of Hell or Curse are let loose that is the strength of these are manifest and act powerfully in these dayes and assure your selves that the dispensations of wrath do and must increase to the view of creatures more then formerly But these sad apparisions of inward and outward wrath will not last long the time shortens apace and the work of the Father hastens apace for righteousnesse and peace hath begun to take the Kingdom and to raign whose dominion shall have no end When your eyes are opened you shall see that it is the righteous Law or rule of truth that thwarts and crosses the sinfull and cursed principles that rule and that still would rule a King in your flesh And this Law works sometimes within condemning a man within his own conscience without any outward means but the light of the spirit within rises up and declares the darknesse of the curse within the flesh and sometimes it condemns the man within himself through the sight or hearing of other mens words and actions without nay the very actions of other creatures are made to be whips to torment him Sometimes thou hast had vain glorious imaginations rising up within thee puffing up thy mind with big thoughts of thy self as if thou wert some great body for thy learning riches parts prayers fasting preachings to whom every man must give respect Thou hast thoughts of covetousnesse of injustice of uncleanesse and thinkest thou maiest take thy pleasure herein and if any discover thy lewdnesse in these abominations which thou seest no evill in persently thou hast thoughts of revenge arises in thee to make such and such know what they do to crosse thee in that thou saiest and doest And thereupon pursues thy resolution to get a power to put thy envious thoughts which thou thinkest is zeal into execution but thou dost not do it and why because the opportunities of the earth will not give thee power Well all this is the swelling up of the curse within thee which thou thinkest is the spirit of holinesse a strong delusion But within a short time after thy conscience or rather the spirit within begins to trouble thee and fils thy face with shame and thy heart with a king distemper because thou that art a professor of a meek and loving spirit which is true godlinesse should have such exalting thoughts in thee against thy fellow creature and consent unto them Or it may be some others may cast out jeers against thy very thoughts yet not knowing thy heart and thereby thy distempers multiplie and peace vanisheth from thy proud lifted up heart and now thou concludest that this is the devill that first put ill thoughts into thee now troubles thee for them It is true it is the devill indeed but not such a devill as thou thinkest of for first the father of lies thy unclean flesh that was he that inticed thee to envy and now the righteous Law of the spirit within thee shews thee thy evill and shames and troubles thy minde and throws thee under vexation and sorrow of spirit and kils all thy comforts and dashes all thy contentednesse to pieces And no man knowes of these inward sorrowes but thy own heart this is the law and the testimony even the perfect rule of holiness that appears in thee to thee and hedges in the way of the flesh with thornes throws thee under bondage this is the murtherer which thou callest the devill he is a murtherer indeed of the curse though thou who art dead under the curse maist be made alive in the spirit and live in the father of peace And sometimes the Law works without and opens the mouthes of others to speak against thy selfe-conceit in preaching praying or carnall use of scriptures and against thy covetousness and pride that makes thee lift up thy self above thy fellow creatures and thou thinkst this is the devill that tempts thee to forsake God and goodness Alas friend it is the righteous law that crosses thy fleshie hypocrisie and that sends these messengers as dispensers of wrath to thee to make thee not to looke after the letter but the spirit of the