ingenious acknowledgement of the divine truth Whereas you affirm Faith arises as a particular branch of the new Creature Object or Saints inherent righteousness yet it is affirmed by others that Faith is the first and Mother of all graces I answer It is one thing that Faith is included in the general nature of the Saints inherent righteousness wrought by the word and spirit of Christ Answ and another thing that in the exercise of their graces in order to perseverance That Faith is the first mover for in this case it is true Faith sets all graces a work and I suppose this is it they mean and I have proved in my second Book pag. 71.72 That mans beleef is the general ground of all his deliberate actions as to the avoiding of any danger and attaining any good hopeful And this is bottomed in the nature of the thing and not in the excellency of faith above the nature of other graces for justifying Faith simply considered in it self as to justification of a sinner is but a dark body till it hath received Christ and his righteousness which is the light of life eternal As is the eye a dark body till it receive the light And as by the Saints exercising all their graces all graces do grow so faith growes up with the rest Hence saith James thou seest that Faith was the helper of Abrahams works and by works Faith was brought to its end that is by offering up Isaac which figuratively was Christ to Abraham for saith our Lord Abraham saw my day and rejoyced Thus Christ is the Authour of eternal salvation to all that obey him otherwise not for that is implyed as to those professors in whom Faith dyed mentioned by James Jam. 2.22 If it be objected what I affirm in my first Book Object pag. 55. That Christ is the Authour of salvation to them that disobey him as old Eli and Miriam and Aaron and Moses whose carcases fell with others in the wilderness by the wrath of God 1 Cor. 1.29 30. and in the Church of Corinth for contempt of the Sacrament wherefore Christ smote some with sickness and some with death Moses and all the Saints that dye under a relaps Answ or back-sliding condition yet if any seed of Gods word sowne by the hand of Christs spirit remain in any degree of inherent righteousness though never so small then there is in them a virtual tendency by faith to Christs imputed righteousness as to the brazen Serpent the smallest tendency of sight that beheld it saved that mans body from death so that virtual tendency to Christs righteousness doth likewise save that man from the guilt and punishment of his sins and renders him eternal life after his departure out of this World yet the death of these Saints is under a Cloud of obscurity as to themselves and to others in respect of their eternal life as Salomon and Eli and those Corinthians which Christ stroke with death yet as for Moses although he dyed under a Cloud yet he dyed not as a barren and fruitless Christian but being filled with the fruits of righteousness although he disobeyed Christ eminently in one particular of unbeleefe for which Christ slew him his Carkasse falling in the Wilderness with the rest yet God rendered him this honour and comfort in his passage from this Vale of misery to eternal felicity for before he destroyed his body he led him to the top of a Mountain to let him see the figure of his eternal felicity Deut. 34.5 6 7. the promised Land of Earthly Canaan still proving that Christ is the Authour of eternal salvation to them that obey him as is formerly proved those that obey him most according to their measure of grace receive most To those Saints he most manifests himself to their secret minde and they that obey him least according to their measure he manifests himself least to their secret mindes for onely the pure in minde see God therefore the more purity of spirit the more sight of God and the lesse the lesse for the sanctified minde of the Saints is the onely Temple of the Holy Ghost and not the Saints persons as personally elected for as personally elected Christs humane body and soul was only the Temple of the holy Ghost as formerly is proved and therefore it is said the God-head dwelt bodily in that person or humane body but of none else for the Text saith In him dwelleth the fulness of the God-head bodily Col. 2.9 that is the fulness of the one Jehovah for that most properly is the God-head therefore the second in the one Jehovah to carry on his Fathers final end was personally elected God-man and his soul and body receives not the spirit by measure as doe the Saints but without measure as saith the Text. CHAP. X. Briefly touching upon the point of Faith but at large upon the point of Love FOr having formerly spoken of the works of the Saints whereof Faith is the first mover It were necessary that I should now treat what faith is but in regard I have handled it in my first Treatise here I passe it over for there I have proved that in justifying faith there are three degrees and shew the difference between that Faith and other Faiths and then I have proved what justifying Faith in its own nature is definitively and defined what its perfection is and also proved how God doth bring the Saints to that perfection and also that justifying Faiths perfection and dissolution are both in this life Pag. 128. to the 140 from pag. 128. to the 140. And because Faith works by love it is requisite to treat upon the nature of love and how that love doth arise in the mindes of beleevers and in a word all love in general in the minde of man arises from that suitable agreeableness between the subject and the object and so in this case of justifying Faith for no man can love that which is not suitable nor agreeable to his minde From this ground Jacob could not love Leah so well as Rachel but because there was a suitable agreeableness between the subject and the object therefore Jonathans love to David was more than the love of women so much to shew how love ariseth in the minde of man but the question will be What is love in its own general nature Quest In a word Answ It may be definitively thus laid down It is in the minde of man a liking and an uniting affection but the point will be more cleared by its natural properties the which are two What is the first property Quest It is to endevour as neer an Union and Communion with the thing loved Answ as possible may be therefore it was that Jonathan and David kissed one another and wept one with another until David exceeded and that David said concerning Jonathan I am distressed for thee my Brother Jonathan 2 Sam. 1.26 1 Sam. 18.1 very pleasant hast thou
Again The Apostles were not of the World as he was not of the World because he engaged himself in life and Doctrine in opposition to the Apostate World both men and Angels And so in some degree did the Apostles and all Beleevers and so they were not of the World as he was not of the World from this ground it is that he said to his Father I pray not for the World that is for them as to their course of life and conversation but for them which thou hast given me out of the World that is Apostles and Beleevers that thou wouldest keep them from the evil The third Quere What meaneth our Lord by these words for their sakes sanctifie I my self that they also may be sanctified through thy truth Answ He meaneth that the Apostles should be sanctified by his word of truth because by it he did sanctifie himself to his work as it respected his Fathers final end Therefore cursed be for ever that Doctrine of the sneaking Quakers and our Familistical ranting Popelings by whom the Apostate Angels endevour to adulterate the most pure Oracles of God the old and new Testaments Secondly Although he thus prayes that it might sanctifie them in their work as it had done him yet we must note this by the way he was not unholy before for if we consider him as the second in the one Jehovah so he was infinite in holiness or personally God-man for so he was perfectly holy because that humane seed which was elect out of the fallen Masse to be assumed in the course of nature in the womb of the Virgin was totally separated from the least tincture of the nature of Devils sin I mean because the Virgin was over-shadowed by the Holy Ghost therefore that holy thing was called the Son of the most high Luk. 1.35 that is above all created natures in a superlative degree Quest If you ask me how could he be sanctified by the word of truth who was so sanctified in his divine and humane nature Answ Very well Heb. 5.8 for as he did grow in stature and wisdom so he learned obedience by the things he suffered that is Luk. 2.40 52. he did grow in degrees of heavenly wisdom in the sacred Oracles of God that is the old Testament and also in the words which himself received from his Father and gave them to his Apostles in the 8. v. of Jo 17. which now to us is the new Testament and as he did grow from Child-hood to a youth or young man to a perfect man he still kept close to his Fathers words from whence he was able to dispute with the Doctors at 12. years age to dispute with the Devils alledging It is written and custom makes another nature in good Luk. 4.4.8 as well as in evil for we see by his sufferings he learned obedi-ence that is better and better Object If it be objected Object That if he were more perfect then formerly consequently he was formerly lesse perfect consequently he sinned because he fell short of his Fathers will I answer Answ Not so for his Fathers Law requires man to love God but with all his soul and all his strength and his Neighbour as himself but no more then is proper to his kinde Therefore he sinned not And for his divine nature it being without limits in its Essence is without Law in his operations Again he being not created as was the first Adam a perfect man at once but being born of Woman came to it by degrees as is formerly proved yet in every degree he did as himself saith alwayes those things that pleased his Father Jo. 8.29 therefore he sinned not Again Our Lord did not thus sanctifie himself onely to accomplish his Fathers final end himself but also for his Apostles sake for saith he for their sakes sanctifie I my self that is to give them example how to go on ministerially in that which himself hath done fundamentally whence in the 18th verse he saith As thou hast sent me into the World even so I have sent them into the World that is to a World of Heathens and to a world of proud formal professors the Jewes his Elect Spouse for he came to his own and his own received him not To this end he gave his Commandement to the Apostles to go forth to the World Jo. 1.11 saying Goe ye therefore and teach all Nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost teaching them to observe whatsoever I have commanded you and loe I am with you alwayes that is Mat. 19.28 by my spirit for that is implyed Again He sanctified himself for all beleevers that he that sanctifieth they that are sanctified may be one not only in sufferings but in holiness insome degree in this life and to be perfect in one in the next Heb. 2.11 as is proved for he did know as satans lies believed by our first Parents we in them was und is the universal ground of all unholiness and ungodliness so on the contrary he did know that his Fathers truth beleeved and obeyed is the universal ground of all true holiness and godliness and therefore prayed sanctified them with the truth thy word is truth that is the only alone truth so to do by the spirit of truth which goes along with that word which the world that lives in weakness knowes not Therefore O you friends of the Bride-groom keep close to the pure truth of the Oracles of God for the grounds of your Doctrines expositions and applications and be content with the simplicity thereof and look not too much upon this or that mans expositions as to put too much stresse upon any mans wit or learning for their mistakes are numerous But above all keep to the four grounds manifested in the Oracles of God for in themselves they are infallible The first is Mans pure naturals as he was created by God for in holiness and righteousness created he him The second ground is the Covenant of works between God and Adam and these two States were distinct and each did stand alone before mans fall The third ground is the fall of man The fourth ground is the restauration of the whole Creation by Christ the second Adam The which four grounds in some measure are opened in the four first Chapters of my first Treatise upon which grounds that first Book my second Book and this third Book are built by him who makes use of the foolish things of the World 1 Cor. 1.27 to condemn the wise and when you see a Bee work beyond his wit then know there is a greater efficient than it Again The Father gave not only twelve men of all flesh to be Christs Apostles nor only all right beleevers of all flesh to be his mystical members here but if they continue to the end to be triumphant in Heaven to eternity But also he
in power Vers 7. So that you were an example to all that beleeve in Macedonia and Accaia that is that beleeve according to the judgement of charity for of such onely the visible Churches under the Gospel were constituted being admitted by Baptisme So Peter applyes the word Elect to the visible members of Christ scattered throughout Pontus Galatia Asia 1 Pet. 1.1 2. and Bithinia Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father through sanctification of the spirit unto obedience c. So Paul stileth the Gospel whose most proper residence is in the visible Churches of Christ and their beleeving there in the faith of Gods Elect Paul Tit. 1.1 a Servant of God and a Servant of Jesus Christ according to the Faith of Gods Elect and acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness likewise saith Paul I endure all things for the Elects sake 2 Tim. 2.2.10 that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory Sometimes this word Elect is applyed to particular members of the visible Church 2 Joh. 1.13 the elder unto the Elect Lady and her Children 1 Joh. 1.13 whom I love in the truth the Children of thine Elect Sister great thee Amen Sometimes this word Elect is applyed to the universall visible Church of Christ but most particularly to all right beleevers therein And shall not God avenge his own Elect Luk. 18.7 which cry day and night unto him though he bear long with them I tell you he will avenge them speedily and so he did avenge divers times the visible Church of the Jews upon their Adversaries as he now doth on the behalf of the Church of the Gentiles against their enemies And sometimes this word Elect is applyed more close as to the invisible members of Christ which are those that purely worship him in spirit and in truth And the Psalmist saith Thou choosest to thy self the godly man Psal 4. for these are such as are known to God onely and not to men infallibly Hence saith the Apostle the foundation of God standeth sure the Lord knoweth those that are his infallibly for that 's implyed 2 Tim. 2.19 To this point our Saviour speaks Then shall he send his Angels and gather together his Elect from the four winds Mark 13.27 Mat. 24.31 from the utmost part of Heaven And he shall send his Angels with the great sound of Trumpet and they shall gather together his Elect from the four winds from one end of Heaven to the other So that the scope of the new Testament concerning Election runs according to the scope of the old but neither speaks for the foresaid threefold erroneous elections CHAP. IV. Answering some familistical Objections against the premises FOr they deny all Elections and rejections of mankind as well those that are true as those that are false both from several Texts which I have answered in my second Treatise Eccles 12.7 and from Eccles 12.7 the words are Then shall the dust return to the Earth as it was and the spirit shall return to God that gave it that is say they the body being returned to his dust the spirit returns to God to be essentially his nature and therefore there shall be no individuals of men to be saved or damned to eternity for all shall be God This Objection takes for granted that to be a truth Answ 1 which is a lye and unpossible for Psal 147.5 The Text affirms Psal 147.5 God is infinite and the Heathen man could say He is all Center and no circumference and an infinite admits of no diminition nor addition for then it ceaseth to be infinite Secondly I answer according to the being of a thing such is its operation therefore if the spirit which is in man be infinite let it produce suitable operations and wee 'l beleeve it as did our Lord that was personally God-man yet the divine nature did not animate a humane body as doth the soul and spirit of man as these men dream and he did produce suitable actions for he laid down his humane body in death and took it up again he walked on the waters with the soals of his feet and in an instant turned water into wine and gave the man sight that was born blind And if they be God why do they not cause the Sun to go back so many degrees as pleaseth them and command the Seas and the winds to obey them for Christ by his heavenly Doctrine confirmed by numerous miracles was mightily declared to be the Son of God Rom. 1.4 2 Tim. 3.12 13. but you are declared to be as you are as saith the Apostle that is evill men and seducers shall wax worse and worse deceiving and being deceived Again I answer 'T is true The spirit returneth to God who gave it but it is one thing that it returns to God another thing that it returns to be God which is impossible as is proved But you will demand of me in what sense according to the Text doth the spirit of man return to God that gave it I answer negatively and affirmatively Negatively thus The Spirit is no neerer in its nature to the nature of God when it is out of the body than when it is in the body for both body and spirit do live and move and have their being in his essence for the Text saith Act. 17.28 In him we live and move and have our being Again I answer As that being which all created natures have is bottomed in the being and essence of God on which it depends so as it cannot move the breadth of a hair further or neerer by its own local motion nor by death neither by annihilating it self for even wicked men are so bottomed upon his being that they may be to be tormented to eternity although they seek death or annihilation so saith the Text. They shall seek death Rev. 6. and shall not find it and shall desire to die and death shall flye from them and the ground why he will thus continue men and Angels to eternity is for his final ends sake for which he made all that they might be Vessels of honour or dishonour according to their works Secondly Affirmatively I answer the spirit of man returns neerer to God in its own apprehension of him when it is out then when it was in the body both of good and bad men for while it is in the body there are several mediums that do interpose its apprehensions of God but when it hath left the body these mediums do vanish and therefore it hath then a more immediate apprehension of God But you will ask me what are these mediums I answer they are primarily three The first is its body of sense in which it is involved and the spirit while it lives in it receives all objects by its five senses as doth a Bruit The second medium is the frame of this inferior World it
not in the power of his own seeking to finde what he sought but in his to give therefore he put him upon that which he was never able to do That was to sell all he had and follow him so he led him to become a fool in himself that he might submit to Christ to make him wise from this ground it is that God commands man to plow up the fallow grounds of his heart Deut. 10.16.30 Jer. 4.3 4. and to circumcise his heart and then promises that himself will circumcise it and thus man becomes a Saint How could Christ look upon him Quest and be so pleased with man before faith when another Text affirms Without faith it is impossible to please God It is one thing for God to be so pleased with man before faith Ans comming to Christ and another thing for God to be so pleased with man as to give him possession of eternal life as to all right beleevers he doth because it lies in the nature of the thing that is of right beleef to possess it self of eternal life in receiveing Christs righteousness as the eye possesses it self of the light which a man before faith can never do and so these Texts are reconciled What if these men so seeking honour and glory Quest c. die before faith shall these mens case be no better then those that sit down contented in this Worlds good and seek no further nor no better then men openly prophane The Universal Justification Answ it did not only pardon Adams sin to all men but also gives every man a right to eternal life and no man can loose that right but by refusing to come to Christ which those that so seek as is described do not therefore they loose not their right It may be objected Object that they dying without possession of it by faith do loose their right and consequently they perish for ever If they do die without possession of it by faith Answ yet die so seeking as is described actually or but virtually they shall hold their right and have possession to eternity when they die for God hath not only saved all mankind without faith from the damnation due unto them in Adams sin but also all mankind dying in infancy notwithstanding original sin shall be saved and be possessed of eternal life as is proved in my first Treatise p. 36 37. Again To binde mans eternal life to faith it is to make an Idol of our faith as for example because my eye which is a dark body which receives the light shall I therefore prefer this dark body before the light And I will ask any beleever this question if it were Abraham himself what gives him right to eternal life Is it not pardon of sin and that gift of eternal life as included in the imputation of Christs righteousness in which he is the light of life to man or is it the dark body of his own faith or beleef CHAP. VII In which is opened the manner how the Saints persevere in the Grace of God by Jesus Christ according to the Scriptures FIrst A word or two for introduction That although there be a difference between men that seek honour and glory as is discribed and betwixt those that are dead in sins and in trespasses before the gift of faith yet after there is no difference but both are alike possessed of eternal life for he that rightly beleeveth hath eternal life whatsoever he was before A second thing premised is this what is meant by the grace of God in Jesus Christ I answer Two things the first is Gods merciful acceptance of a beleevers person as a mystical member of the body of his Son and to be his adopted Son in him and so to no men else Secondly By grace is meant his endowing of them by the work of his spirit with inherent righteousness every man according to his measure as of Faith and love and patience c. and these men are called new Creatures and none else If you ask me Quest why I distinguish between right beleevers and true beleevers I answer An ungodly may beleeve truly but never rightly in order to his own eternal life So Balaam beleeved that Oracle truly which the spirit of God dropped from his lips but not rightly First Because his mind creeped on the earth or earthly contentments like the Serpent which God cursed for they run greedily after the error of Balaam for reward Secondly Because he leaped over a sanctified life Epist Jude 11. onely desiring to die the death of the righteous Thus did the proud and covetous Priests Pharisees and Scribes the great professors of those times truly beleeve the Oracles of God delivered them by Moses to be the word of God but they did not beleeve rightly for if so they would have embraced the Lord of glory and never imbrewed their hands in his blood therefore I distinguish between right beleevers and true beleevers so now I come to the point The Saints perseverance And in the first place it is grounded upon that which may ever be distinguished but never separated in this business that is the power of Christs spirit and the Saints exercise of their graces already received And thus they are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation that is in perseverance unto salvation 1 Pet. 1.5.9 Receiving the end of your Faith even the salvation of your souls Wherefore gird up the loines of your mindes be sober and hope to the end Vers 13.7 The trial of your Faith being much more precious than of Gold which perisheth Vers 1.21 That your Faith and hope may be in God from this ground it is the Apostle gives them this rule Gird up the loins of your minds for the Grace which is brought unto you seeing you have purified your selves in obeying the truth through the spirit unto unfaigned love of the truth see that you love one another with a pure heart fervently in this work of the Saints perseverance the power of Christs spirit and the exercise of their graces formerly received may ever be distinguished but never separated as is formerly said Again Peter in his second Epistle 2 Pet. 1.3 comes more close to the point of perseverance even to be established immoveably according as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain to life and Godlinesse thereupon he enforces the exhortation Giving all diligence adde to your faith virtue and to your virtue knowledge add to your knowledge temperance and to your temperance patience and to your patience godliness and to godliness brotherly kindness and to brotherly kindness charity and then renders them this reason why they should so do for if these things be in you and abound they make you that you shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Joh. 13.17 13. wherefore the rather Brethren give diligence to make your Calling and Election
for the understanding from the force of this illumination and information brings God in Christ to the will as its cheefest good wherefore the will by its natural liberty cannot but freely choose it nor by its natural property cannot but follow it as the eye followeth light Thus the will is forcibly drawn according to its own natural liberty and property Secondly Joh. 14.21 Our Lord speaks to this point as it is written John 14.21 He that hath my Commandements and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and will manifest my self to him that is virtually and habitually to keep his minde to Christ Rev. 3.10 Rev. 3.10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience I will also keep thee in the houre of temptation c. likewise 1 Thes 5.14 to Vers 24. The Apostle having laid down many particulars concludes upon the Saints observance of them Faithful is he who calleth you who also will do it and the Saints having inwardly left in part the force of this drawing of their mindes to Chrâ—st they cry out Draw us O Lord and we will follow thee And this is it when God saith Hos 11.4 Cant. 1.1.13 I draw them with the cords of a man and bowels of love If the will of the Saints cannot refuse God thus manifested Obj. but according to the degrees of their sanctification freely follow him How came it to passe that the Angels refused a greater manifestation of God voluntarily for they forsook their own habitation It is hard to clear this Objection Answ because in the order of nature God hath as it were locked up the excellency of every superior Creature from the Creature inferior As all Vigitables apprehend not the nature of the excellency of sensitives so the excellency of spirits is not apprehended by sensitives therefore it is that mans body cannot apprehend his reasonable soul although it animates it neither does the reasonable soul apprehend the nature and excellency of Angels much lesse do the Angels apprehend the infinite God but as he is pleased to stoop down to their capacities in manifestation of himself but what that manifestation was we know not nor how the Angels did forsake it because it is proved that this is locked up from us but whatsoever that manifestation was it stood for a time contingent that they might or they might not fall for the Text saith He found not stability in the Angels And the ground why it must thus stand upon a contingency for a time is this That they could not be established in any condition of weale or woe but according as they did exercise what they had either right or wrong and the ground of that is this God made the Angels as well as men with reference to his final end That they might be made Vessels of honour or dishonour to eternity according to their works But after what manner God proceeded so to make them Vessels of honour or dishonour is darkly pointed at as by a Law suitable to them and what that Law was and that they did transgress that Law and for the grounds and reasons why God hath elected some Angels to stability in eternal felicity and rejected the rest irrevocably to eternal misery I refer the Reader to the 13th Chapter of my second Treatise From the premises thus proved observe why God by the Prophets and the Apostles and by our Lord himself in commending or blaming men for their actions principally refers it to the will as ye will do this and ye will not do this One reason thereof is this Man from his own Counsel and voluntary choyce produces all his deliberate actions therefore they properly proceed from the liberty of his own will and this is the first ground why God charges the will with this or that You will not do this or you will not do that A second ground why God doth approve or disapprove of mens workings with such special reference to the will is not only that the will hath the immediate production of and inforceth all actions but also the striving of the spirit of Christ to assist the wills of the Saints more eminently then any man in all the World to good works therefore the good and also the evil actions of all men especially the Saints are by Christ imputed to the will hereof the seaven Churches of Asia are an example Whereas you peremptorily affirm Obj. that the sufferings and righteous works of the Saints do not in any respect extend to eternal glory either to the thing or the degrees thereof onely their works extend to the degrees of grace here so far as to establish them so that they shall never fall away yet our Lord himself said expresly the contrary Luk. 6.22 23. Blessed are ye when men shall persecute you and when they shall separate you from their company and shall reproach you and cast out your name as evil for the Son of mans sake rejoyce in that day and leap for joy behold your reward is great in Heaven so that heavenly glory and the degrees thereof are the great reward of the Saints sufferings and righteous works First Answ as concerning the sufferings and best works of the Saints our Lord hath given a right judgement That when they have done their best they are unprofitable Servants and admonisheth them so to judge of these works that is as to attain the heavenly glory for that 's implyed yet in other respects he puts a worth upon their works Herein is my Father glorified that ye bring forth much fruit so shall ye be my Disciples Joh. 15.8 Mat. 5.16 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in Heaven yet in Luke 17. after some discourse he gives a right judgement of their best works for when he had told the Saints It is impossible but that offences will come but woe unto them by whom they come He exhorts them saying Take heed to your selves Vers 2. And if thy Brother trespasse against thee rebuke him and if he repent forgive him and so to seventy times seaven Vers 3 4. whereupon they sayd Lord increase our Faith whereupon he opened to them the force of faith Vers 5 6. and then goes on to give them an example as to the point of the worth of their works Vers 7 8 9. The example is this Which if you having a Servant ploughing or feeding Cattel will say unto him by and by when he is come home from the field go and sit down to meat and will not rather say unto him make ready wherewith I may sup and gird thy self and serve me till I have eaten and drunken and afterwards thou shalt eat and drink doth he thank that Servant because he did the things commanded him I trow not And to the Saints he saith likewise ye when ye shall
being also but an object of sense but being out of the body this also vanisheth as to the reasonable soul for then the spirit of man seeth by its own light a light suitable to its own nature but what it is we know not for although the light and darkness of this World is light and darkness to our sense yet to God they are neither for darkness and light are both alike to thee saith the Psalmist Psal 139.11 12. so is it to the spirits of all good and bad men and Angels being the next created nature to the uncreate nature of God How Quest and by what light doth God see and perceive thing I answer by his own light If you ask me what that light is I answer it is his Essence And if you ask me what his Essence is I answer none but himself can tell no created nature either of men or Angels The Text saith God is light and in him is no darknesse at all who only hath immortality and dwelleth in that light which no man can approach unto 1 Joh. 1.5 1 Tim. 6.16 whom no man hath seen nor can see To whom be honour and power everlastingly Amen But it will be objected the Text saith 1 Joh. 3.2 we shall know him as he is As it is in the Text it is true that is when Christ who is God-man shall appear we shall see him as he is and every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as he is pure and thus we shall know him as he is that is as he shall be pleased to manifest himself according to our measure or capacity the which manifestations are three the Scripture speaks of no more Quest What is the first It is this inferior World Answ as travelling by the force of Christs imputed righteousness as is proved whence it is That his tender mercies are over all his works Psal 147.6 From this ground ariseth his kindness to the just and unjust Mat. 5.45 Acts 17.27 that they should seek the Lord if happily they might feel after him and find him though he be not far from every one of us and this is the first manifestation Quest What 's the second Answ His sacred Oracles the old and new Testament a far more neer and clear manifestation of God yet this is dark 1 Cor. 13.12 and thorough a glasse in comparison of the third What 's the third manifestation Quest It is the Heaven of Heavens Answ a place purposely created by God the most immediate expressions of himself in most splendide lustre of divine glory that Angels or man made perfect in a spirituallized body can be capable of in their ultimate comprehensions I say a place created because whatsoever is a Creature is limited in its Essence and therefore confinable to place and this is according to our measure for no Creature is able to behold the naked Essence of the infinite Jehovah wherein our comprehensions would be confounded or swallowed up for it is only proper to his infinite Essence to be without circumference Hence we may observe the silly and shallow seducements of these worms I mean the Familistical crew who dreamingly think that they are he But you will ask this Question Quest How the infinite Essence of God can be both out and in the natures motions and lives of persons and things and not He to be their Essence nor they his by mixture of natures That in regard the Text affirms That in him we live Answ move and have our being it is unquestionably true in it self he being infinite and the word him points out he as not we and the word we points out we as not he and it is one thing that it is so and another thing for men and Angels piercingly to know the manner how it is for although the Angels know it much more than we can that are in an Elementary body of sense and sin yet there is such a disproportion betwixt a finite and an infinite that they can never reach the manner how That secret efflux by which the Divine nature continues the being of Creatures in himself that they can never reach it being so immediate and they know not how themselves live and move for they cannot know beyond their created measure received from their maker But as for us we must beleeve it because the Text saith it and there rest and as for the manner how it is only known to God himself for the truth is we know little or nothing we know not the manner how a pile of grasse groweth or how one hair of our head nor the manner how our stature is increased for it is one thing to know we are increased and another thing to know the manner how in which we can do no more than the Mother knowes how the bones of her Infant growes in her womb or whether it be male or female till it be born And the Text saith Loe these are parts of his wayes but how little a part is heard of him Job 26.14 Eccles 11.5 as thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her which is with Child even so thou knowest not the works of God which maketh all Again The spirit of man returns to God who gave it that is for an enjoyment of his presence and love which is better than life thus the Apostate Angels went out from God Psal 63.3 for they left their own habitation and were puffed up they did aspire to be God himself as did we in our first Parents to be as Gods and thus do the Familistical Quakers and fall into the condemnation of the Devil but the spirit of man may return to God that gave it Jud. v. 6. 1 Tim. 3.6 As the spirit of right beleevers do and enjoy his love which is better than life but this is not the returning to God meant in the Text. In your second Treatise Object and in this it is affirmed that whatsoever is in God is he therefore that potency and radical vertue which you say was in God himself out of which he produced all Creatures consequently that vertue and all Creatures are as God himself especially the spirit of man is Gods own Essence and shall as the Familists say return into the same Essence consequently there shall remain no individuals existently to be damned or saved in blisse or torments to eternity This conclusion thus drawn from the premises Answ arises from their ignorance of two things the one is not knowing or beleeving the Scriptures for if the Scriptures were known and beleeved this Objection would have died in its conception and never come to its birth because it positively denies what the Scripiture affirms that is Gods final end for which he made both men and Angels and all things subservient to them and their use And in this end the whole Ocean of all his glory terminates consequently