Israel Chap. 41. 8 9. Thou Israel my servant Iacob whom I have chosen the seed of Abraham my friend unto whom I have said thou art my servant I have chosen thee and not cast thee away Here the holy seed or divine birth of God's Image that makes the true Israelite by faith is described to be of a nature and quality that is incorruptible securing him in whom it is whether Iacob the chosen servant or the seed of Abraham the chosen friend as well as chosen servant from ever being a castaway Hereby is intimated what it is to be the chosen faithful servant and no more and what it is over and above to be the chosen and intimate friend that is called and admitted to see God face to face a friend speaks with friend Thus of Aaron it is said Exod. 4. 15 16. That Moses should speak to him and put words in his mouth and saies God I will be with thy mouth and with his mouth and will teach you what ye shall do And Aaron shall be thy spokesman unto the People he shall be to thee instead of a mouth and thou shalt be to him in stead of God Consider how interpretable this is of the son of man glorified the great Prophet of all in the person of the blessed Mediator set down on the right hand oâ— the Majesty on high who still reteins the form of a servant or perfection of his natural man in its incorruptible form with which as with a mouth typified by Aaron he comes forth as a head to the holy Angels and Iacob his chosen servant in a suitable way of converse and fruition to their capacity speaking therein to the body of the People whilst at the same time he is in his spiritual manhood exalted to an equality with the eternal WORD as the man God's fellow admitted to a communication with God face to face as fâ—iend speaks with friend In this glory he is more properly the very mouth of God typified by Moses in a capacity andâ— fitness for converse with the Bride the Lambs Wife as head to the general Assembly of the first-born who are a sort of saints of greater dignity and preheminence by whom the manifold Wisdom of God or secret Name his WORD shall be made known to principallities and powers Ephes. 3. 10. The lowest sort of all these heaven-born Saints that have but the single portion of the spirit have not onely by the external influence of Christs heavenly Nature such a change as the legal or first Covenant Saint has from the polluted to the cleansed and reformed state of the natural man which make but a member of the mystical earthly Ierusalem that may become the spiritual Sodom but by the very seed of Christ's heavenly nature sown in them they have an inward real partaking of the divine nature or that new principle of Life which baptizes the natural state into a conformity with and subjection thereunto advancing it thereby for ever into a sublimated incorruptible form It is in his Light onely with whom is the fountain of all Life and perfection that we can see Light Psal. 36.9 In the spiritual new-creature discerning onely of a divine communicated understanding and superinduced form can we see that objective light or unveiled glory of God that renders the true heir everlastingly blessed But even amongst the children of the heavenly kingdom the children of the Resurrection there are some of a first and others of a second Resurrection into a more exalted state of Life and glory Yet all the Vessels of glory great and small will be filled from the Ocean of those unutterable riches of divine Glory that are in Christ which no natural eye can see There will be no want or envying one another there Concerning ORDINANCES HAving already spoken joyntly concerning this Sufferers Principles and Doctrine I come now to mention his way of worshiping God and what his Judgement and Practice was as to Ordinances After that way which men call Heresie did he worship the God of his believing Fathers Abraham and the rest Acts 24. 14. He was for worshipping God in spirit and in Truth such the Father seeks to worship him Joh. 4. 23. He lived walked worshipped prayed spake in the spirit and so as the oracles of God 1 Pet. 4. 11. ministring as of the ability that God gave him that God in all things might be glorified This language and way of Worshipping God that is so despicable to man is that onely which hath the praise of God He kept the true mystical Sabbath not thinking his own thoughts c. Esay 58. 13. He was baptized with the holy Ghost and with fire He did in such sort eat the flesh and drink the blood of Christ that he was thereby brought into a conformity with Christ in his death and had eternâ—l Life abiding in him Iohn 6. 54. This is satisfactory to God in this point that that answers his well pleasing What further shall be said shall not be in order to please but instruct convince and stop the mouâ—hes of gainsaying men Tit. 1. 9. He that worships God in the power of the single or double portion of the spirit of Christ does undeniably worship him in spirit and truth The power of godliness comes in with this new creation Spirit All Worship Righteousness Ordinances or whatever performed but in the renâ—wed reformed enlightned gifted adorned state of our first-creation spirit amounts but to the form of godliness that faith that may be shipwrack'd that interest in Christ and that good conscience that may be lost 1 Tim. 1. 19. They that have not the divine nature in the sence above expressed 2 Pet. 1. 4. are blind and cannot see afar off vers 9. they discern not the land of distances the new Ierusalem They may have great illumination excellent gifts and in the confidence of these they say they see what get they by that Therefore their sin remaineth Iohn 9. 41. that is is unpardonable there remaineth no more benefit of Christ's sacrifice to them There remaineth onely at last upon final refusal and resistance of the new-creature life spirit and way of worship nothing but a certain fearful looking for of judgement and fiery inignation which shall devour the adversaries Heb. 10. 27. and Chap. 6. 4 8. Their light their seeing takes away all cloak for their sin Iohn 15. 22 and 24. The warning which the true spiritual watchman gives them if neglected and despised by them does dangerously set forward this work through their miscarriage under it and becomes a savour of death to them Act. 13. 40. 41. but even so a sweet savour to God as prospering in the thing whereto he sends it and accomplishing his pleasure 2 Cor. 2. 16. Esay 55. 11. These keen concisionists that cannot afford a good word for the true circumcision that worship God in the spirit and have no confidence in the flesh or in the knowledge of Christ after the flesh they
so also the Baptism of the holy Ghost There is a figurative outward Water Baptism and a real or inward In the first sense it is an Institution which doth appoint the outward man to be washed in Water thereby to signifie the proper effect and operation of that washing with Water by the Word which causes a renovation or restauration of man by his repentance from dead workes and return to the service of the living God in amendment of Life By this inward Baptism and real work of the Spirit on the hearts of men they are but cleansed from the filthiness and pollution of their corrupted Nature not regenerated and altered from their first make and constitution that is attended with instability and liableness to apostacy ` There is also a twofold outward Water Baptism mentioned 1. Iohn's Water Baptism which was the onely outward sign that accompanied his Ministry the Ordinance of that time and season to prepare the way for Christ's coming in the flesh and to signify the proper effect which his first appearance as God manifested in flesh was to have upon the hearts and natures of men consisting chiefly in these two particulars Repentance from dead Works and Amendment of Life 2. The second outward Water Baptism was that which Christ himself instituted and committed to his disciples in his Life time as the outward sign that was to accompany their first ministry when he employed them much in the same nature as Iohn was sending them before his face as labourers into the harvest to all places whither he himself afterwards intended to come Both these Administrations had their Known Administrators and were dispensations proper to that season they were ordained in to prepare the minds of People to receive Christ in his first appearance or coming in the flesh and the fruits flowing there-from in amendment of Life The inward or real Water Baptism consisting in the washing of man's nature by the Word unto Repentance and Amendment of Life is capable of being administred three wayes or by a threefold hand 1. By the Ministry Hand or Tongue of Men as by Iohn Baptist through the preaching of the written Word 2. By the Word as spoken by Angels whereby inward abilities and dispositions are wrought in the minds of men in some sort answerable to what is required by the Law of the first Covenant Thus the Law is given by the disposition of Angels 3. By the Word as spoken by the Son himself in his first appearance Heb. 1. 2. which is yet but the preparatory work to the Baptism of the holy Ghost and of Fire The Baptism of the holy Ghost is either a Baptism of Gifts onely or also of Fire 1. The first is that wherewith the earthly man is capable to be Baptized through the pouring out of the Gifts of the holy Ghost 2 The second is that whereby the natural or earthly man is Baptized into conformity with Christ in his death and is made to grow up into the incorruptible form of heavenly manhood Of these four Baptisms The two Water Baptisms have served their season and are gone off the Stage The single Baptism of Gifts or first Baptism of the holy Ghost hath been of late somewhat remarkable amongst us and the Baptism of the holy Ghost and of Fire is hastening upon us as a general dispensation wherein the Vision of God will be so plain that he that runs may read it The declining of the two Water Baptisms deprives not the Saints of these times of the true use of that Ordinance which is kept up in the third and comprehends all that is now useful in the other two in a more heavenly and Spiritual way leading us yet forward to the end they all aim at which is the very thing it self contained in the fourth and last Baptism that of Fire So much in brief of his Judgement as to Baptisms He was for Breaking of Bread in a way of Christian communion and any other useful Observations could he have found them practicable in the Primitive Apostolical purity spirit and way which what hopes he had of in any visible Form allowed by man while the true Church is in the Wilderness cannot be difficult to conjecture Such Meetings as he found to approach nearest to the Apostolical Order as to liberty of Prophesying one by one c. 1 Cor. 14. 31. he most approved and frequented Concerning the SABBATH HE accounted the Iewish Sabbath Ceremonious and Temporary ending upon the coming of the Son of man who was Lord of the Sabbath day Mat. 12. 8. And if he had thought that which is commonly observed in the room thereof to be rather a Magistratical Institution among Christians in imitation of the Iewish then that which hath any clear appointment in the Gospel the Apostle would not have him judged for it One man saies he esteems one day above another another esteemeth every day alike Let every man be fully perswaded in his own mind He that regardeth a day regardeth it unto the Lord and he that regardeth not the day to the Lord he doth not regard it Rom. 14. 5 6. This I can say he usually took the opportunity of spending more time in exercise and prayer in his family or other Christian Meetings on that day than on any other And will any yet say he was a Sabbath breaker If they do see what company we may find for him under that imputation Iohn 9. 16. The Pharisees said this man is not of God because he keepeth not the Sabbath day So Ioh. 5. 16. The Iewes did peâ—secute Iesus and sought to slay him for curing the impotent man at the Poole of Beâ—hesdaâ— and bidding him take up his bed and walk on the Sabbath day Yea with this they joyn another sad charge as they reckon that he had not onely broken the Sabbath but said also that God was his Father therefore they sought the more to kill him vers 18. And John 19. 7. They answer Pilate we have a Law and by our Law he ought to die because he made himself the Son of God What strange work do the Sons of Men make with the Sons of God with the spirit wisdom righteousness glory and kingdom of God It was the religious professing Iew that Crucified Christ and persecuted Paul where ever he came Pilate the Roman Magistrate would have acquitted Christ and Paul rather appeals to Caesar's Judgement seat than appear before the Iewish Consistory Act. 25. The true spiritual Sabbath is to be continually kept as it is charactered by Esay Chap. 58. 13. consisting in aâ—câ—ssation from the single activity thoughts words and ways of our spirit which is but letter and in the performance of all duty by power of the communicated spirit of the new creation springing up in us which alone is worshipping God in spirit and in truth after his own heart He was for taking all opportunities of assembling our selves together to instruct and exhort one another and so much
up of Life It will make them of the same mind that was in Christ willing so to suffer in the flesh under the power of his spirit as to cease from sin or from that state that can return back into sin again 1 Pet. 4. 1. This incorruptible form atteinable onely by the fire-baptism performed upon the natural man at his best by the single portion of the spirit of Christ is called spiritual and denominates the whole person a spiritual man though yet in the mortal body in distinction from those who have but only the renewal of their first-creation form by the influence and gifts of the same spirit All that these receive is but the goodliness of flesh renewed adorned nature which is decried and blown upon by a second vice a superior dispensation and ministry of the same spirit as a perishing vanity after the first voice has done its work made a straight path for God in the desert by rectifying the rational powers in bewildred man Esay 40. 3 8. Our corruptible tabernacle is to be taken down This mantle this filthy garment this vile body flesh and blood at its best is to be chaned into the likeness of Christs glorious body his heavenly man by the mighty power and transforming operation of that spirit whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself Phil. 3. 21. We must put off the old man at best and put on the new which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness Ephes. 4. 22 24. Col. 3. 9 10. That Image of God received by the first-creation and all the wisdom glory and righteousness thereof is but shadow to what is to be received by the new creation 'T is but self-glory self-wisdom self-righteousness and when these are opposed to the wisdom righteousness and glory of God in the new creation they are Idols shadows preferred to substance the Law or ruling Principles of our first creation Life to grace and truth in the second Some few Results or Corollaries of what hath been said in this matter take as followeth 1. The Spirit of God the holy Ghost the divine Nature which the Scriptures do evidently assert and declare to be communicable to men exceeds not in its reach and significancy the natural and spiritual creature capacity in the person of the Mediator whereby individual angels and men are brought into an everlasting union with him in one or both as he is one with the Father Iohn 17. 22. 2. Where-ever the Seed of eternal Life is sowne by Christ's causing himself to be received in the single or double portion of his Spirit it will mar the visage or wisdom of man it will take him off from his way of working righteousness and worshipping God in the oldness of the letter of the first creation and enable him to perform all in a more excellent and acceptable way in the newness of the spirit of the second Paul in his own person gives us notice of this distinction which he stood in from those youthful flourishing professors that were reigning as Kings at the righteousness of the Law performable in their own spirit 1 Cor. 4. 8. 10. With such he said he durst not compare himself 2 Cor. 10. 12. who pleasing themselves and applauding one another in a way of mutual self-deceivings and commendations are not those whom the Lord commendeth as he rather desired to be vers 18. They have but the inward heart-circumcision in the letter of the first not in the spirit of the second creation whose praise is not of men as is implied Rom. 2. 29. 'T is worth observation that even in the ancient Hieroglyphical divinity of Egypt no service or worship of God was accounted acceptable and well-pleasing but what was performed by some divine power of God himself in them 3. There are two distinct sorts of everlastingly saved men such as receive the single and such as receive the double portion of the spirit Both pass under the fire-baptisme The former are exalted into association with the elect angels and have for the immediate and adaequate object of their fruition and converse God as shining forth to them in the incorruptible form of Christs natural Manhood The latter and more exalted sort of Saints are taken into association with the spiritual manhood in Christs person and have for the immediate and adaequate object of their fruition and converse God as shining forth to them in that highest and most exalted creature form in Christ's person And by and through these who do properly constitute the general assembly and Church of the first-born the spirits of just men and the holy angels even those principalities and powers in heavenly places do as at second hand receive that manifold wisdom of God that shines forth more immediately upon the Church Ephes. 3. 10. 4. The highest sort of these Saints are not Christ or God much less the lower Christ is the head root and parent to both these sorts of glorified men in his twofold creature capacity or manhood natural or spiritual And Christ as he is the purely divine form or image of the invisible God is head to both these creature-headships in his own person and God is the head of Christ considered as in his purely divine form 1 Cor 11. 3. 5. Christ in his creature-capacity is the maker redeemer and heir of all things in both worlds as all things were created by him so for him Col. 1. 16. Heb. 1. 2. and Rom. 11. 36. Of him through him and to him are all things 6. Men that in their first creation were made little lower than the Angels Psal. 8. 5. are in the second or new creation made equal to the elect angels and all those of the double portion are advanced quite over the heads of all the angels into an immediate association with Christ in his most exalted creature-capacity on the Throne of his glory even in that more excellent creature name than the angels have Heb. 1. 4. Behold then the heavenly order in the whole family of God First God himself the head of Christ and that as Christ is the Image of the invisible God very God Secondly Christ himself as thus considered in his capacity purely divine head to his twofold creature-headship the natural and spiritual man in his own person Thirdly Christ in his twofold creatureship as the immediate head to all spiritual and natural men and angels in his heavenly family his members his body mystical Fourthly Behold these also in their two grand distinctions of superiority and subordination spiritual and natural Fifthly There may seem also to be intimated in the Scriptures a gradual difference of capacity in the individuals of either of these two ranks of everlastingly glorified men Dan. 12. 3. and 1 Cor. 15. 41. There is one glory of the Sun another of the Moon and another glory of the Stars and one Star differeth from another Star in glory Variety of intellectual light or discerning is resembled in Scripture
are hot about the outward circumstances of worship time place and the like Christ reproves them in his answer to the woman of Samaria at Iacobs Well Neither in this Mountain nor at Ierusalem shall ye worship the Father but in spirit and truth Joh. 4. 23. Neither in this Form nor that but excluded out of all Synagogues has the true Church and Spouse of Christ been worshipping God this twelve hundred Years and upwards in her mourning persecuted wilderness-condition out of which she is shortly to appear and speak for her self By this Sufferers reckoning the time times and half a time or three years and a half are very near expired those forty two moneths and one thousand two hundred and sixty days prophetical for years all which do character and point out the same Epocha in Daniel and the Revelation for the Churches abode in the Wilderness from the time of her flight mentioned Rev. 12. 6. She will very shortly be called up out of the wilderness by the name of Shulamite which comes from the same word that Solomon and Salem do signifying Peace This true peaceable Pilgrim and Spouse of Christ that in her Life and Testimony hath been so disgustful to this world out of which she is chosen as to be reputed by all the Inhabitants of the earth a wrangling Heretick a Blasphemer and one that turns the World upside down will shortly come up out af her political grave or exclusion from all authority or allowance in Church and State into the exercise of true Christian Polity in both in association with the holy Angels who with the risen Witnesses will make up the two hosts before whom no opposite power of contradicting man wil be able to bear up See for this Cant. 6. 13. Return return O Shulamite return return that we may look upon thee What will ye see in the Shulamite as it were the company or dance of two Armies Mahanaim relating to Iacobs two hosts of Angels and Men when he was to meet Esau Gen. 32. 1 2. and importing the victory these two obtain over all their enemies as also their dance or triumphant rejoycing after the victory And all this yet amounts but to the preparatory work for the second coming of Christ by plucking up every thing that offends so as at last there may be nothing to hurt in all the holy mountain Mat. 13. 41. Esay 11. 9. But how shall the risen Witnesses handle their enemies when spirited and set upon their feet as a Nation born at once and in one day Esay 66. 8. Rev. 11. 11. 'T is answered fire shall proceed out of their mouth to devour any that would hurt them and in this manner must they be killed that is at the desire of the believing risen witnesses angels that are a flaming fire Psal. 104. 4. will destroy any men that oppose them Fire goes out of the saints mouth that is by prayer to God on which the angels are commissioned to do execution immediately and irresistibly without more ado Thus fire went out of Elias his mouth to devour the two Captains and their fifties Angels were the executioners 2 King 1. 9 12. Those acts of Elias were but Types and shadows of what will be done in the end of the world at the winding up of all dispensations towards the highest even the personal coming forth of Christ with all his New-Ierusalem Armies following him Rev. 19. 14. As to what will be performed by the risen Witnesses relation is had to Elias and to Moses Rev. 11. 6. Where 't is said They shall have power as Elias had to shut heaven that it rain not and to smite the earth with Plagues as often as they will as Moses did in Egypt It may appear what work one Angel can make with whole Armies of men a hundred fourescore and five thousand Assyrians were slain by an angel in one night in the Leagure before Ierusalem 2 King 19. 35. But to return from this Contemplaâ—ion of the true New-Ierusalem spirited Church and Spouse of Christ and what she will do when she comes out of the Wilderness consider we a little the general posture of all visible Churches even at this day as this Sufferer hath left it represented to us in writing There are many Churches in the World that make a profession of the Name of Christ under several Forms and Denominations according to the variety of Judgements and Interests of the Rulers Members thereof There is a Church called Catholick or Universal headed by the Pope who pretends to be Christs Vicar There are also National Churches heâ—ded either by a Civil Magistrate as the Church of England or by general Assemblies as the Church of Scotland hath been with other Reformed Churches There are also particular Independant Congregational Churches distinguishing themselves into variety of Sects and diversity of Judgements and Opinions as well about the way and order of the word of matters of worship and the service of God as in what they hold Fundamental in matters of Faith These all make up one Body as to the owning and upholding a Church in some outward visible Form who notwithstanding all their differences and protestings against one another do generally agree together in one mind as to the preferring of the Church in Name Shew and outward Order before what it is in Spirit and Truth as it is the real and living Body of Christ. Hence it is that the true Church indeed the very living real spiritual members of Christ's Body have been for many hundred years a dispersed captivated people under all worldly powers civil or Ecclesiastical and never been suffered to use or enjoy a freedom in their Communion together and the purity of God's Service and Worship but are upon one pretence or other restrained by Humane Lawes and suppressed as Hereticks Schismaticks Fanaticks and such as turn the World upside down while those that have the repute and credit to be the Church or Churches of Christ under some one of the Formes and outward Orders bâ—fore mentioned have the Powers of the World on their side and are contending one with another who shall be uppermost and give the Rule of Conformity in Doctrine Worship and Church Order to all the rest by Compulsion and Persecution But the dayes are now hâ—stening apace wherein the living Members of Christ's Body shall be made manifest in distinction from all those that have the Name to live but are dead Thus in brief you see his Judgement concerning the Church Concerning BAPTISM he writes thus THere are several Baptismes spoken of in the New Testament and the Doctrine concerning them hath been so dark and mysterious that there is little yet extant in the Writings of men concerning the same that carries with it satisfaction There are two general tearms under which all Baptismes mentioned in the New Testament seem to be comprehended that is to say Of Water and of the holy Ghost and Fire Water Baptism is twofold and
spouse of Christ the right new-spirited Saint is despised and slighted as a weak foolish contemptible thing no body at Ordinances and righteousness in her way which she experiences to be the way of Christ finding the fruits of his presence in it Thus was it between Paul with others and some of the Corinthian Church Both were married to and interested in Christ but by different Covenants We are fooles saies he for Christ's sake ye are wise in Christ. We are weak ye strong Ye honourable we despised 1 Cor. 4. 10. and 2 Cor. 10. 12. We dare not make our selves of the number or compare our selves with such as commend and compare themselves with one another of the same principles and perswasions and so applaud themselves in one another by their mutual self-deceivings The true spiritual Elder Paul the aged he is in body with this flourishing youthful warm legal-spirited generation The main business he has to say for himself is a Life hid with Christ in God and worshipping God in spirit and truth This they reckon as nothing but discourse fiction foolishness But be it known those that with Paul are weak foolish and despised for Christ are better than such as he there implicitly reproves and taxes with folly that yet he acknowledges were wise strong and honourable in Christ. Such foolish weak despised ones of Christ as Paul was are they that will quite confound the wise the mighty the honourable The things that are not shall bring to nought the things that are and no flesh with all its ornament righteousness and wisdom shall enter into Christ's kingdom or glory in his presence 1 Cor. 1. 27 29. And as the spiritual saint is thus handled by the fleshly so is the spirit or spiritual part in the same saint dealt with by the fleshly Holy flesh the renewed natural mind will be despising the feeblness of the spiritual while weak and low and jusling it out of the Throne as to its interesting it self as the ruling Principle at working righteousness and worshiping God Having thus in Hagar taken notice of the malapert proud insulting carriage of the first-covenant Wife or Spirit in different saints or in the same against the right spirit of the second through confidence in the works of the Law or works performed in the ruling activity of their own renewed mind let us proceed to other branches and observables in the said Allegory before us Abram as a type of Christ delivers up Hagar into Sarai's hand Sarai dealt hardly with her so she should Hagar fled 't was her sin What signified Sarai's hard dealing with her Persecution No the Spirit of Christ the fire-baptism the strait gate that will not suffer flesh and blood to enter into the kingdom of God this it signified Hagar's flight then imports the declining and refusal of all these The legal spirited professor confident in the works of the Law will endure none of these things They are all a sad story a hard saying to him His usual way of waving them if urged and hard put to 't is to call them Blasphemy and the Witnesses thereof Blasphemers and on he goes very secure in his doatage But say or think man what he will this is Christ's way he gives up the fleshly worshipper and the fleshly part in the true spiritual worshipper to the spiritual to be humbled and abased broken and subdued hardly dealt with crucified slain and offered up in sacrifice under the power of the Cross of Christ or fire-baptism of his spirit typified by Sarai There 's no entring into the kingdom but we must pass thorow this fire this tribulation this bruising of the inmost part of the natural man his very spirit and rational powers whatever ever becomes of his outward as to persecution from the world Hagar despised Sarai Ishmael mocked Isaac Gen. 21. 9. this was persecution Usually those that are taken out of the world or worldly first-creation constitution and frame of spirit within them by the fire-baptism do so differ even from the professing part of the world in their very religion or union with God by another Covenant and in their more excellent way of worshipping God in spirit and truth not letter and form that they seldom or never scape the external branch of the cross and baptism of blood through the rage enmity of man against this new-creature marvellous light and life that is springing up in those whom God is transforming into another nature But let men take it how they will the cross the fire-baptism we must come to within us first or last or we cannot be saved The fleshly worshipper either yields to this fiery doctrine ministry and way or resists or flies If He get the magistrates sword on his side as if Hagar could have got Abram to side with her against Sarai then he 'l make the messenger of such tydings fly Sarai must fly or suffer under Hagar Men decry it for heresie blasphemy and persecute him that talkes at such a rate Thus Christ himself was served by the zealous legally religious Iew. 'T was the religious professing party of the Iewes that crucified Christ and would take no answer hear no reason or argument from Pilate the Heathen Magistrate to the contrary But if the sowre Legalist neither will yeild nor can bruiâ—ishsly resist this hard doctrine by outward force or persecution then he takes Hagars course flies it And what then He every where decries this spiritual doctrine of the cross and fire-baptism for heretical dangerous and seductive wishing all to beware how they meddle with such books converse with such persons or listen to such dangerous suggestions While toleration lasted I have experimented this to be the too general frame of spirit amongst professors in this nation who have evidently chosen rather to venture a persecution of their own doctrine and persons than endure this and the assertors thereof Here 's the mystery of Hagars flight The Angel of the Lord advises her to return and submit her self to her Mistris In her all these timerous fugitive envious legal-spirited Christians that are leavened with the leaven of the Pharisees are admonished to entertain better thoughts of the New-Ierusalem Spouse resembled by Sarai and submit themselves to her doctrine and more excellent way to the cross the fire-baptism the spirit of Christ the covenant of grace Sarai This is the doctrine the reproof the correction the instruction on in everlasting righteousness which that History that Allegory is pregnant with Christ with both his Covenant Spouses and Children are allegorically expressed by Husband and Wife Father and Children Head and Members with the like Such expressions are interpretable into mystery by a due considering the duties and offices of such Relations in the letter And as Christ himself so Paul and others are in way of Allegory called Fathers of such as by them are begotten to Christ through the Gospel 1 Cor. 4. 15. and vers 17. he calls Timothy his
the Law or the ruling activity of their own rational powers in them But let him speak a word of the divine Life broadly and plainly in its distinction from their present attainment that is to be propagated in them by another birth he is presently looked upon as an enemy There are two births or formations of Christ in the souls of men Those that stay with unwise Ephraim in the first which is but that state or place whence the true Heavenly Seed and Children of God do break forth Hos. 13. 13. refusing to be born of God Iohn 1. 13. Of the will of God Iames 1. 18. By the new second and more excellent Birth will in fine appear in their colours false brethren that will hate and slander their own Mothers Son Psal. 50. 20. In order to this second birth under the metaphor of a Mother Paul saith He travelled with the Galatians again till Christ in his second more excellent appearance and communicable life be formed in them Gal. 4. 19. Veritas odium parit Truth brings hatred is a Proverb that holds too true in all sizes and kindes of Truth Let a man take upon him the boldness to exercise but his Moral-Philosophy-Principles in giving check to the open Enormities of his time drunkenness beastliness swearing and the like he makes himself a prey He reproves a scorner and gets himself a blot Prov. 9. 7. This is his portion from the lewd multitude that will but attempt so much as with the Pharisees to wash the outside of the dish and of the cup to circumcise and lop off the wild excrescencies and exuberant superfluities of naughtiness Sir Thomas Moore Overbury and many others for their faithful counsel on such accounts have been cut off If Socrates a heathen Philosopher through the sublimity of his speculation cannot own the Magistrates Religion but give his Testimony against Polytheisme or a plurality of Gods he must die for it without remedy If Seneca and other Stoicks declare against the corrupt manners and bruitish practises of the generation amongst whom their Lot is cast they are not like to scape much better The main bulk of mankind is so plunged and lodged in wickedness or the wicked one the Devil 1 Iohn 5. 19. and Chap. 3. 12. that they 'l not endure a word against downright Bruitism But for the true Believer that comes forth in and with the Spirit Testimony and everlasting Gospel of Christ he must expect to become hatred even in the house of his God Hos. 9. 8. As it fared with Paul in the Church of Galatia Gal. 4. 16. Yea Paul himself when an eminent practitioner in the righteousness of the Law or of Man was the hottest and maddest persecutor the spiritual believer had and verily thought that he ought to do what he did therein Acts 26. 9. 11. as Christ had foretold in like case Iohn 16. 2. They shall put you out of the Synagogues yea and whosoever killeth you will think he doth God service Your brethren that hated you that cast you out for my Names sake said Let the Lord be glorified we doubt not but we glorify God herein by punishing and excommunicating such Hereticks and Blasphemers but God himself takes up the Controversie very short telling his out-casts he will appear to their joy and their enemies shall be ashamed that cast them out Isa. 66. 5. Paul saw this bitter ignorant zeal in the professing Churches at Ierusalem which he had had experience of both wayes in himself towards other Saints and in other Pharasaical sticklers lately towards him He therefore chose rather to cast himself upon the Heathen Magistrate for his tryal than be returned to them and Festus answered unto Caesar shalt thou go Act. 25. 11 12. He did make the better choice for the Iews were ready to destroy him immediately without a hearing Act. 23. 12 15. Caesar gives him a breathing while He scapes his Sword two whole years what ever more Act. 28. 30 31. Yet suffers at last under that Lyon Nero whom he had for a season been delivered from 2 Tim. 4. 17. Tyrannical Magistrates are so metaphor'd in Scripture as also by others Beasts Birds and Fishes of prey the most potent and ravenous Creatures in Air Earth and Water Eagles Dragons Lyons Unicorns Bears Wolves Foxes the Leviathan or Whale c. But God hears that is delivers his humble broken-hearted Saints from the hornes of such Unicorns saves them from the Lyons mouth Psal. 22. 21. that is from the powers of the darkness of this World Devils or Men by them influenced till they be enabled to triumph over death and conquer them by dying Satan is called The God of this world the great red Dragon of a bloody murtherous colour the root faâ—her and spring of all corrupted worldly Magistracy and arbitrary domination Pharaoh is called a Dragon Ezek. 29. 3. And it is written As a roaring Lyon and a ranging Bear so iâ— a wickedâ— Ruler over the poor people Prov. 28. 15. Her Princes are like Wolves ravening the prey to shed blood destroy souls and get dishonest gain Ezek. 22. 27. Her Iudges are evening Wolves they gnaw not the bones till the morrow Zeph. 3. 3. In Herod they are termed Foxes Luk. 13. â—2 Such Foxes amongst others are taken notice of as spoilers of the Vines Cant. 2. 15. Wasters of the true Churches and People of Christ by their sacrilegious intrusions and magisterial lording it over those that after the way which men call Heresie are rightly worshipping the God of their Fathers What a world is here for a Believer To the generality of bruitish men an honest moral Heathen will be reputed a Phanâ—tick The Legal Christian with his Ordinances and imputed righteousness of Christ for his Justification and acceptance with God though but upon the tearms and in the renewed Principles of the first Covenant will appear so to the honest Heathen The spiritual Man as born of the will of God partaker of the Divine Nature the proper New-creature Principle of eternal Life that quallifies him for the steady Sonly obedience in the spirit and way of the new and everlasting Covenant he appears a Phanatick to them all a Fool a Mad man The Prophet is a Fool the Spiritual man is Mad Hol. 9.7 Yea he is reputed so in the house of his God vers 8. amongst his mothers children Psal. 50. Thus the Iewes Christ's own People said of him He hath a devil and is mad why hear ye him Yea his very friends go about to lay hold on him for said they he is besides himself Mark 3. 21. The Servant is like to find but harsh entertainment where the Lord is thus handled The bruitish party of men is incomparably the greatest and will carry it by Vote The honest Heathen and the Legal Christian will all joyn with them to call the Spiritual man mad The very Christ Christ in Spirit the very Christian the Spiritual man he is cast out of all their
secure in the Throne will not fail to domineer over the other trees fig-tree vine olive or whatever else as if it were really the best of them all and no man must say to the contrary Yea to such unimaginable degrees of folly and presumption are the souls of men liable to be baffled by the devil and their own hearts as 't is not altogether improbable men of debauched consciences and bruitish conversations may think the superiority and dominion over men of Principles and Conscience was theirs of old and though now and then interrupted will be returned back into their hinds again as their right Man that is called a little World may receive instruction from what is observable to him in the greater for the giving of him aim how much he is concerned to be yeelding up all inferiour Life and operation in him to the sacrificing knife and transforming activity of the divine Nature or heavenly manhood of Christ in order to be reduced into an absolute harmony with subjection thereunto By this change he receives his own again with usury He loses the good holy but corruptible vanishing Life liberty and righteousness of the Sons of men and findes in the room thereof the more excellent most holy incorruptible marvellous light life wisdom righteousness and glorious liberty of the sons of God He findes himself enabled to do all things for the Truth in the power of God's spirit and disabled to do any thing against it in his own disabled to sin against God and wrong his own soul such weakness is his strength such captivity is his glorious liberty Thus Paul was made weak in Christ when others were strong and reigning as Kings in the single activity of their own renewed spirits which they also had from Christ 1 Cor. 4. 8. 10. But his weakness was better than their strength his seeming folly and despicableness better than all their wisdom and glory That the life righteousness glory and freedom of man at his best are but corruptible things all the World are my experimental witnesses say what they will to the contrary They are therefore to be accounted but as dung and loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ after the spirit for the wisdom righteousness and Life â—id with Christ in God the glory that excels Let us turn over and read the book of the visible creation and see what occurrs there conducible to this purpose The elements are content to loose their own single natures essences properties formes and qualities and run together into a quintessential compound distinct from them all The Earth parts with its vigor for the production of vegetables These again do readily surrender their life without resistance to feed the beasts of the field and thereby find their own life again with usury by way of resurrection in subjection to and association with the sensual life of the Beast The beast again looses its life becomes a sacrifice to man finding its own sensual life again with usury by way of resurrection in conjunction with and subjection to the rational life of man This rational life of man being yet but a corruptible first-creation-thing is by all this significant instruction from the very book of the Creature as also from Christ himself and his great Apostle Mat. 16.25 Rom. 12. 1 2. abundantly informed that it is its true interest to be given up in sacrifice to the divine life and find its own again with usury by way of resurrection in the life hid with Christ in God All the former sacrifices deaths and resurrections of inferiour creature-natures to one another and to man as also the subjection of vegetal and sensual powers in man to rational are but typical significations and teaching resemblances of this last and greatest of all beyond which there is no other Those that will not adventure to offer up this holy and reasonable sacrifice their rational Life Rom. 12. 1. in hope of the better resurrection Heb. 11. 35. but chuse to remain in the single glory and soveraign activity of renewed humane nature the great master of the family himself intimates to them that this is but the state of servants that abide not in the house for ever whereas those that are made willing to resign the life and soveraignty of their own nature and principles and become willingly subject to communicated divine life and God therein are the true sons that abide in the house for ever Iohn 8. 35. But between the natural first-creation Life of man and the spiritual or divine Life by the new-creation the great deceiver as transformed into angel of Light when he sees us gazing after this superiour dispensation is ready to present himself to us as Christ in spirit or the holy Ghost and obtrude upon us angelical Nature of the first-creation-frame onely to keep us yet short of the divine In this posture finding men dissatisfied in their natural and legal attainments he makes the same demands that Christ himself makes requires the intire resignation of their wills and understandings unto him so as not to think their own thoughts speak their own words do their own works or find their own pleasure but wait in a passive silence for his dictates and inspirations and speak onely such oracles as his beguiling serpentine wisdom teacheth The condition they are brought into by this imposture is so much the more dangerous by how much the more secure and confident they are under it as cherished and pleased with some delusive raptures of joy from this flourishing deceiver By this means he labours to gain more and more upon them till they resign themselves totally up to the conducting influence of angelical nature This is that voluntary humility and worshiping of Angels Col. 2. 18. The devil attempted to bring the humane nature of Christ himself to his lure in this main point of all even to worship him or become subject to his influence Mat. 4. Luke 4. This last and great deceit of the adversary together with the false mortification of things seen attending it where he prevails is notably charactered page 340 and so on to the 350th page of The Retired man's Meditations All first-creation Nature sensual humane or angelical comparatively with divine spiritual new-creature Life is but shaddow letter or significant figure and resemblance Any of these therefore terminated or rested in whatever it be from the lowest shrub of sensual to the tallest Cedar in the first-creation angelical nature so as that man resolves to sit down under the ruling influence and protection thereof as the highest principle of Life he will ever be induced to own this will appear in conclusion to be down-right idolatry All obedience also to the Commands of God in the Scriptures performed onely in the ruling activity of any first-creation nature in us humane or angelical is but serving of God in the oldness of the letter of the first-creation not in the newness of the Spirit of the second
Father in me sayes Christ Iohn 14. 11. and Iohn 17. 21 22. He prayes for the like indissoluble union of his Saints with him as he ha's with the Father That they may be one as he and the Father are one by his being in them as the Father is in him that they may be made perfect in the one Mediator vers 2â— These things premised concerning the Trinity in their impersonality and the same Trinity as in their threefold personal appearance God and the Mediator Father and Son which are one we may I hope with better success descend into and re-assume the consideration of the various creature-capacity in the same person of Christ who is also God and of the derivation and communication thereof to the particular persons of men and angels who in Scripture phrase are thereby asserted to be partakers of the divine Nature Christ as he is the living WORD express Character or Image of the invisible God Col. 1. 15. brought forth from Eternity by the peculiar operation of the Father yet not without the joint concurrence of the otheâ— two is the personal manifestation of the Trinity in a form purelâ—â—â—vine very God and singly as so is discernable to God alone not at all to angels or men in any capacity that ever they are to be brought forth in natural or spiritual The same blessed Mediator as brought forth in his twofold creature capacity by the peculiar operations of the second and third in the Trinity not without the joynt concurrence of all the three in each is the immediate representer of God the root and parent to both worlds and the immediate satisfying object of enjoyment to the natural and spiritual capacities of angels or men In a shadowy resemblance of Christ in this twofold creature-capacity and right stated subordination of the natural to the spiritual was man at first created male and female in the same person Gen. 1. 27. before we hear of Eve unless by anticipation Gen. 2. 22. Rational and sensual nature the Angel and the beast were married together in Adam on these tearms and with this Law that the rational was to keep its ground and rule as Lord and Husband till a higher Lord came to which that also was to become subject and the sensual to obey and continue subject in his individual person So ought matters to go in every one of his posterity and then their house or first-creation-building would be in order but this still at best is not the new creature The new creation by way of fire-baptism purifies and strips this natural first-creation form of man of its mortality changeableness corruptibility and brings it into an incorruptible form an unchangable life of righteousness true holiness and glory everlasting This is the least fruit of the new-creation Over and above all this it brings upon a more peculiar sort of everlastingly saved men a distinct superiour forme of manhood and more excellent glory in association with the spiritual and most exalted capacity in Christ taking in and comprehending also the inferior in the same persons But by what in Christ is this transforming new-creation work performed upon the first-created formes and persons of angels and men By the highest most excellent and spiritual-creature power in the person of this Mediator As the natural root and head of the first-creation was Christ himself willing to become a Lamb slain under the fire-Baptisme-activity of his spiritual and more excellent creature-form brought forth-in him as a peculiar emanation from the third in the Trinity which was originally unchangable and in an indissoluble union with the living WORD or Image of the invisible God The duty and great concern of angels and men is to follow this Lamb whithersoever he go in that transition which he was coâ—â—â—â—t to make under the fire-baptisme once in the beginning of the world and again in the fulnes of time when made of woman Rev. 13. 8. Heb. 9.26 'T was the sin and fall of angels men at first that they refused to follow this head of the first creation in that transition he was willing to make by way of death resurrection into the unchangable state life thereof On the contrary t is said of the good angels that were content to have this fire baptism pass upon their first-creation state and glory that whithersoever this spirit or head of the first creation looked they looked and whither he went they went they turned not as they went This we find in that commonly reputed uninterpretable vision of the Wheels Ezek. 1. 20. and Ch. 10 11. By the way give me leave to ask what can the four living creatures be Chap. 1. 5. that are called also one living creature vers 20 21 22. and Chap. 10. 15 and 20. What but Christ as the Spirit and Creator Head and Ruler of the first Creation And what signifies the letting down of the wings of this living creature Chap. 1. 24. but the cessation from the voice of speech from the noise of his first ministry the dispensation of the Law given forth by the disposition of Angels Acts 7. 53. for the government of this first world This letting down the Wings was his becoming the Lamb slain in order to come forth a better comforter in the more excellent way and dispensation upon the Throne and that as a man Ezek. 1. 26. and Iohn 16. 7. And what are or can be the Wheels called also one Wheel Ezek. 1. 15. and 10. 13. moving up and down with the living creature Spirit and Head of the first creation but the angelical attendance and retinue of Christ in his first-creation Government and Ministry Some of these pass along with him under the fire-baptism into the more excellent glory while others with Lucifer their head apostarize into a fixed and everlasting enmity against him How familiarly are angels in their Ministry and Magistratical government of this World represented by Charets and Wheels It is written Psal. 68. 17. The Charets of God are twenty thousand thousands of angels the Lord is amongst them as in Sinai Thousand thousands of them also continue to minister before him when upon the Throne Dan. 7. 9. 10. Some of these good angels were the Charet and Horses of fire that translated Eliah from the Earth and delivered Elisha in Dotham from the Syrian army 2 King 2. 11. 12. and Chap. 6. 17. What all humane forces charets and horses have amounted to when they have come to grâ—pple with the angelical host hath sufficiently appeared To this effect above seven years ago have I heard this vision of the Wheels expounded by this blessed Martyr with abundance of satisfactory evidence and spiritual demonstration together with many rich fruitful and comfortable observations thereupon for relief of God's people when all visible means fail by the angelical host the next dispensation But to recover our selves out of this digression The devil and his angels as we find in this vision turned away from
Christ their natural head refusing to adventure the exchange of their first-creation glory and Life through unbelief of the gain and usury thereby attainable even the fixedness and unchangableness of what they already had in the greater and more excellent glory of the resurrection By this not yeilding to the conditions of passing along with their head into the more excellent state and unchangable form of their very natural Beings they lost even that they had their first creation glory righteousness and the Life of communion with God in Christ manageable therein Iude tells us vers 6. what befel them hereupon The angels which kept not their first estate but left their own habitation or head Christ choosing their distinct opposite Luciferian head the devil and satan are with this their chieftaine reserved in everlasting chaines under darkness unto the judgement of the great day When Lucifer had drawn to himself and engaged a numerous party of angels with him in his apostacy by attempting to assert maintain and exalt the lesser natural glory of the first creation into a competition with yea a preference and opposition to the new-creature state of Life and glory in the second which excels his next business was to seduce our first Parents and in them all their posterity into the same opposition to new-creature Life and Glory the true mystical Sabbath state THE SAINTS EVERLASTING REST. This most desireable Rest is attainable only by our being made willing to enter into a conformity with Christ in his death through a surrender of the single and ruling activity of our first-creation principles at their best and giving up our selves wholly into a pure subjection to what we meet with that 's more excellent in the second Angels fell more knowingly than man who was lower than they in understanding and strength and therefore irrecoverably Man fell somewhat ignorantly as over-reached through the woman his weaker part by the beguiling insinuations of the Serpent so he and his are again set upon their feet in some degree or other by the mighty Redeemer to try them over again in their own persons how they will â—eâ—ean themselves in this great fundamental point about yeilding to the tearms of a transition out of the corruptible state of the life glory and righteousness of their first-creation the house upon the sand into the incorruptible and unchangable life glory and righteousness of the second the house founded upon the rock Christ in spirit So The soul that sinneth again after the similitude of Adams first transgression after all fair warning it shall die for its own personal transgression and not for the fathers having eaten sower grapes Ezek. 18. 1 4. In order to this new creation Christ in the single or double portion of his spirit is given forth received and owned by the sons of men either in the unchangable spiritualized state of his natural manhood or also in the more exalted capacity of his spiritual each of which gifts do baptize and transform the corruptible state of their natural man into an incorruptible life and unchangable union with the natural or spiritual man in Christ's person by the new and everlasting Covenant established in all thinâ—â— and sure The twofold creature-nature in Christ's person as the former and inferiour is transformed and brought forth by the latter and more excellent into an unchangable state of Life and union therewith is called the WORD of God that abides for ever in them that receive it the spirit of God Christ in spirit the Son of man in heaven Joh. 3. 13. that overshadowed the Virgin and formed for himself a fleshly tabernacle in her womb The clothing of himself herewith for the Redemption of man was a greater condescention than his actual coming forth in the Life and capacity of the first-born of every creature for the Creation of the World Redemption is a greater work than Creation and requires greater condescention in the undertaker As first-born of every creature he was in a superiority of headship to all the angels as the works of his hands therein the highest ranck of meer created Beings in the first world But when this WORD which was God and the twofold original spring of all creaturely life and perfection also was made flesh took on him the particular nature of man not angels he became little lower than the angels for a season Heb. 2. 7. and 16. and not onely so but was content also to suffer the visage of this flesh to be marred more than any man and to be humbled and abased therein even to the death upon the Cross Esay 52. 13 14. and Chap. 53. The creature-nature in Christ is so enfolded together and hypostatically united with his purely divine form that it receives the denomination from that supream form of all He is therefore called Michael Gods equal and the man his fellow Zech. 13. 7. The whole person of Christ as comprehending all fulness of perfection creaturely or divine is very God But the persons of men and angels that are brought into an everlasting union and association with Christ in one or both of his creature forms are not God nor Christ. For the highest denominating form in their personal constitution is but creaturely yet spiritual and divine in distinction from the natural corruptible form of men or angels received at their first creation The everlasting security of elect angels and men lies in their inseparable union with their head the Mediator in whom alone both creature capacities are in personal union with God The exalted creature nature in Christ is divine altogether lovely Cant. 5. 16. the true Vine Iohn 15. 1. that cheareth the heart of God and man as in Iotham's parable Iudg. 9. 13. It is the Spirit of God the immediate womb parent fountain-head of all new-creation life and principles in men or angels by the fire-baptisme An inferior work to this is also thereby performed upon and in the sons of men to wit all that gradual revival of rational light life in the moral heathen or legal Christian that is very obvious and familiar to observation all the world over The legal Christian experiences such an operative actuating influence from this spirit as revives enlightens cleanses renews restores him to some good measure of first-creation Life righteousness As for the flawes deficiencies yet incident to his personal operations God imputes to him or puts upon him that perfect righteousness of the Law called Gods comeliness Ezek. 16. 14. which Christ himself performed and had in his fleshly manhood rendring it applicable to men through the merit of his death therein This whole work of Christ in men inwardly washing sanctifying them by his blood as also justifying them by the imputation of the perfect righteousness of the law to them from his own person amounts but to their practical and experimental knowledge of him after the flesh 2 Cor. 5. 16. and a prospering onely into that Kingdom
in Christ. A company of such false Maxim's I have too often heard in discourse with them gleaned up from mis-interpreted Scriptures in which they are so confident and secure that there 's no speaking to them to the contrary They have not a hearing ear to listen to the voice of any spiritual charmer charm he never so wisely The cunning old serpent rings another bell in their ear that deafs them to the voice of the true watchman whose business is to warn these legally righteous Christians as well as the prophane Heathen of the danger of their condition Ezek. 18. and Chap. 33. 13 c. Men that are righteous and that in Christ will not dream that this warning concerns them As they serve that Allegory Gal. 4. so other Scriptures of like import as Iohn 3. 6. That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the spirit is spirit Flesh here with them must be nothing but the corrupt nature the polluted natural condition by which shift renewed nature must pass for spirit and the spiritual man indeed must be excluded out of every Synagogue for an Apostate a spiritual wanderer from the plain Truths of the Gospel so they call the greatest Mysteries The Gospel and things of it spiritual things are utterly unintelligible and undiscernable to the natural understanding which of what extent it is hath bin described Yet I have oft heard men of very inferior natural capacities with great confidence assert That the main Truths of Gospel are familiar plain easie obvious things to common un-understanding I grant they must be so indeed if they understand them Does not Christ plainly signify that one sort of branches in him the true Vine may be cut off and cast into the fire Ioh. 15.6 and that after high illumination and partaking of the Holy Ghost in the gifts thereof Heb. 6. 4 8. Does not the great Apostle preach the same doctrine at large Rom. 11 We find there that the natural branches that had one sort of Beiâ—g and Life in the good olive tree Christ partaking of the root and fatness thereof were yet broken off among the Iewes and sinners from among the Gentiles renewed in the principles of natural perfection and put in their room These among the Gentiles that have but this kind of engrafture into this good Olive tree are warned of the same liableness to apostatize and be cut off as the Iewes were in vers 17,21 The natural branches among the Gentiles make but the mystical earthly Ierusalem which may come to be the spiritual Sodom and Egypt the very same kind of cross spirited generation as those were amongst whom as our Lord was crucified long since in his own person so will he again be crucified signally in his two Witnesses Revel 11. 8. at the close of the persecution day The main ground for that most false Maxime Once in Christ and for ever in Christ which must by the way needs argue that there is no such thing as apostacy so far as I could ever hear from the deluded assertors of it is 1 Cor. 5. 17. If any man be in Christ he is a new creature old things are passed away all things are become new The legalist so triumph in this Scripture that he can hardly tell what ground he stands on He stands on the sand and thinks he is on the rock Let the words be well eyed in our common English translation and you 'l find be and he is in different Characters which intimates them to be but the Translators superadditions and gloss Strip the Text of these Redundancies and the words run thus If any man in Christ a new creature old things are passed away or the old man flesh and blood at its best is put off the ruling activity of first-creation Principles however renewed ceases Some render it thus If any man be in Christ let him be a new creature let him be sure he has that second more excellent new-covenant birth and being in Christ that constitutes and makes him a new creature and not onely the renewed old creature the natural or first-creation man The words to me seem to carry this sence If any man in Christ be a new creature all things are become new This implies a being in Christ that does not amount to the constitution of the new-creature but only to an experimental knowing of him after the flesh not after the spirit as is also implied Rom. 8. 1. which secures not from apostacy or condemnation 2 Pet. 2.20,22 One Scripture Allegory more I will mention because 't is prophetical and more nearly concerns the present season than is commonly believed Cant. 3. 6. Who is this that commeth out of the Wilderness like pillars of Smoke perfumed with Myrrhe and Frankincense with or above all the powders of the Merchant In the Iewish Worship Myrrh typified death and resurrection Frankincense Mediation The Question is put by strangers enemies or else by some friends and well-wishers daughters of the heavenly Ierusalem though hitherto somewhat captivated to the formes and wayes of the earthly who seem to stand gazing and admiring at this new unthought of Church consisting of the risen Witnesses Revel 11. when they shake off their mourning guise put off their sackcloth and begin to stand upon their feet in the unresistible power and wisdom of Faith Pillars of smoke ascend from them through the fire-baptism whereby they are a sweet savour to God as perfumed with the Mediation of Christ and with conformity to him in his death and resurrection The earthly Ierusalem professors will be amazed at this their hearts failing them for fear of that which they never would before be induced to regard or own Then will those expressions in the book called The Wisdom of Solomon be suitable for the hitherto deluded inhabitants of the Earth of all sorts to take notice of Chap. 5. 1 9. Then shall the righteous man stand in great boldness before the face of such as have afflicted him and made no account of his labours When they see it they shall be troubled with terrible fear and amazed at the strangness of his Salvation so far beyond all that they looked for Then they shall repent and groan for anguish of spirit and say within themselves this was he whom we had sometimes in derision We fools counted his Life madness and his end to be without honour How is he numbred among the Children of God and has his lot among the Saints Therefore we have erred from the way of truth We have wearied our selves in a way of wickedness and destrâ—ction What hath pride profited us or riches which our vaunting brought us All these things are passed away as a shadow I cannot willingly let go this business of Allegories till I have told you that all mankind considered as in their first-creation make and constitution are an Allegory They and all they have at best estate are but type shadow figure of the spiritual
of this life again when renewed it shall die 'T is a tree twice dead dead first in Adam then after a personal revival dead again by a wilful sinning after the similitude of Adams transgression knowingly refusing the same more excellent life and glory of the new creation that he did by preferring the lesser glory of the first thereunto and so is pluck'd up by the roots and burned Iude 12. 9. Angels and the soules of men are immortal as to being if we mean by immortal everlasting Angels will remain a flame of fire and man will consist of body soul and spirit all the essentials of their first-creation constitution for ever But what then is this their advantage would it not be a great gain to them to lose themselves by annihilation rather than be eternally miserable They are stripped of all righteousness glory comfort deprived of all communion with God and in their single meer naked beings exposed to everlasting punishment in the pouring forth of his fierce wrath and displeasure upon them Mat. 25.46 Does not Christ say of Iudas it had been good for him if he had never been born Mat. 26. 24. 'T is not proper to say that wicked men and angels when under the paines or in the state of eternal death eternal a parte post are immortal but everlasting unless it be proper to say immortal death 10. 'T is observable that which is said 1 Cor. 15. 46. First that which is natural and afterwards that which is spiritual This holds true of the different creature-capacity and form in head and members root and branches in Christ angels and meâ— The natural creature-form in Christ as a peculiar product or emanation from the second of the three that bear witness capacitating him for the creation of the first world and to exhibite the Image of the three that are one to the creatures natural understanding when made is to be considered by us in a priority to that spiritual and more exalted creature form brought forth in Christ by the peculiar operation of the third in the Trinity by which the natural form is baptized into its unchangable state of Life and Union with God By this twofold creature-form in Christ are the three that are one everlastingly exhibited to the view and enjoyment of men and angels in a suitableness to what ever capacity natural or spiritual This is the beatifical vision God gives of himself in Christ. Will any here or any where else in this discourse cry Tautologie 'T is answered once for all the same things are oft said in scripture by several persons yea by the same on several occasions and sometimes scarcely that as is to be seen in the Psalms and Proverbs c. 11. As t is said of the natural and spiritual form in Christ and his members first that which is natural then that which is spiritual so is it said of them in another scripture by way of allegory in Iacob and Esau The elder shall serve the younger Rom. 9. 12. The natural or elder creature-form is to be so handled by the spiritual or younger as to be through the fire-baptism transformed out of its changable capacity and captivated into everlasting subjection to and unchangable harmony with the spiritual This holds true in Christ and his members also The whole rank and order of angels and men that are about the Throne in their incorruptible natural form are as servants to the Bridegroom and Bride that sit upon it in the spiritual The natural form also of Christ and all those peculiar Saints that constitute his heavenly Bride is subject to the spiritual in the same persons 12. These two creature forms natural and spiritual in Christ and his members are resembled to us by the two olive trees candlesticks and two annointed ones that stand before the Lord of the whole earth This may appear by comparing Zech. 4. 11 14. where they are peculiarly applied to Christ with Revel 11.4 where the true Saints that receive this twofold oyl or spiritual anointing with the heavenly name or nature of Christ and thereby become the two Witnesses or Witnesses of his twofold creature-glory and perfection shining forth in their persons are also called the two olive-trees and candlesticks standing before the God of the whole earth 13. Those that are truly anointed with both or either of these names or formes of Christ natural or spiritual by the new and everlasting Covenant are such onely as can most properly be said to assemble or be gathered together in his Name that is in the power and exercise of the new name and nature of Christ communicated to them Mat. 18. 20. Such meetings Christ promises to be in the midst of engages to hear all their prayers and to grant all things whatsoever they ask Iohn 14. 13 14. How can it be otherwise for whatsoever they ask in that spiritual new-creature name in the desire of that new Spirit and Life in them that is born of the will of God Jam. 1. 18. must needs be according to God's will and saies the same Apostle 1 Iohn 5. 14 15. If we ask any thing in or according to his will he heareth us And if we know that he hear us whatsoever we ask we know we have the petitions that we desired of him Meeting in the name of Christ in the fellowship of the spirit in the communion of the holy Ghost Phil. 2. 1. 2 Cor. 13. 14. are all the same thing 14. Christ has excellent gifts to bestow upon the rebellious also Psal. 68. 18. upon a sort of People that for a while are in Covenant with him married to him and made comely through one sort of comeliness from him put upon them Ezek. 16. 14. They are his Children wholly a right seed children that will not lie branches of the true Vine who are yet liable to be turned into the degenerate Plant of a strange Vine unto him Jer. 2. 21. to rebel against and vex his holy spirit so that he may turn to be their enemy Esay 63. 8. 10. This sort of Saints or People of Christ who may again become no people Hos. 1. 9. make up his first-Covenant Spouse resembled by Hagar His Children they are but they stay in the place rest in that state of their first-creation Life and Glory with unwise Ephraim and the foolish Virgins whence the true Children that have the feed of the new and everlasting Covenant-Life in them do break forth into the wisdom glory and righteousness of the new-creation Hos. 13. 13. Those that thus stay in that place or state of Life that is neither God's nor the creatures true Rest will at length set themselves to vex and persecute the spirit of Christ in them that quit that place and state for the more excellent way the true Rest and so as downright enemies to Christ will make use of those very natural parts or spiritual gifts he has bestowed upon them to decry vilifie and persecute him in
you a Question Do you imagine that you have banished Antichrist out of your coasts your Churches by excluding the Romish beast the heathenish part of the Antichristian Church Iewel Reynolds and Whitaker against Hâ—râ—iâ—g Hart and Bellarmine as also other famous and learned Wâ—â—â—â—â— of the Protestant interest White Mede and many more have from the Quiver of common reason and humane Writers drawn out and shot such arrows at that Beast that her wounds are incurable by any other Engine save the Sword and Belluine force What will you say if the very Protestant Churches in what ever variety of Judgement as to this or that particular so far forth as they have mistaken the One thing necessary the great fundamental Point or different foundation of the two Houses Christ mentions one on the sand the other on the rock Mat. 7. and have rested and gloried wholly in the lesser glory of renewed adorned man that 's to be done away should at length prove the Mystical Babylon however confidently they have passed for the true heavenly Spouse and People of Christ Under this conceit of your being the true everlasting Spouse of Christ how confident have you been that the Kings of the earth should joyn interest with you and espouse your quarrel in order to pull down and tâ—ar in pieces the beastly Idolatrous Antichrist of Rome What a cross blow would it be to your expectations in this kind what a sad and amazing disappointment if it should fall the other way If the Kings of the earth in the most bruitish degenerate state of wordly Monarchy should strike in with Rome against you and accomplish that prophesie upon you as the genuine intendment thereof Revel 17. 16. Shall I ask you another Question with some tendency towards a disquisition into this Riddle Do or can you imagine the Popish party and Religion in the posture it has stood these many hundred years can in her Spirit Doctrine and Principles be that glittering Strumpet which for inward Ornament holiness and exceeding likeness to the true heavenly Spouse of Christ did so dazle Iohns eyes in Patmos amidst all his ravishing Visions of God as that he wondred with great admiration to hear her tearmed by the Angel MYSTERY BABYLON the GREAT the MOTHER OF HARLOTS and ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH Rev. 17. 5 6. MEDE and many others have evidently and undeniable demonstrated that Popery is the very sink of all the old Gentile Theologie of Daemon Gods in their worshipping and praying to Angels and the souls of deceased men Some great Authors or Patrons and advancers of their most ridiculous Idolatries they have formally canonized for Saints and do pray to their departed Souls as Heroe's a rank of Demi-Gods inferiour to Angels If any were more notoriously vile in their idolatries more eminently serviceable in the propagating advancing thereof so more useful to Demetrius his subordinate Shrine-makers and Image-mongers Act. 19. they have been advanced in their Apotheoses after the manner of old heathenish Rome into the very order of Daemons or Angels and so their prayers to them as well as to fallen Angels come properly under the title of Daemonolatry or worshipping of Devils Yea the most superstitious abominations and gross bodily whoredoms that ever were found scatteredly up and down in any the most bruitish heathen States since the world began are pack'd up all together in the Papacy They may set up a Pantheon a Temple for the Catholick or universal Worship of all the old heathen Gods in all Nations as old Rome did Here 's their Catholick Religion They fall down to Stocks and worship Stones graven and molten Images the works of their own hands They are sadly derided for it with the rest of their old brother-heathens by God himself at large Esay 44. They take a piece of wood with part whereof they rost their meat and warm their hands and the residue they make a God Horace a heathen Poet scoffs at the same folly bringing in an Image that applauds it self for its good hap that when it was a rude mishapen piece of wood the Carpenter was thinking to put it to some inferiour use but all upon a suddain it came into his head to make it a God Yea the very Turks abhor the Popish Imagery and Image-worship as more against the Common light of Reason than any thing they have in their Mahumetane Moseh's or Parish Meeting-places If Iohn then should have wondred to hear that such a heathenish Church as the Romane now is and has long bin when represented to him in the Spirit Principles and gross Idolatries thereof should be called the Whore of Babylon might not all the world wonder at Iohn for his paines He might indeed in such a case have wondred the other way that that should at all be called Mystical Babylon as having so much creditable resemblance of the true Spouse of Christ as to pass for it There is no such thing as gross whoredom of body or soul in Religion or Conversation in the whole World if it be not in the apostate Romane Church in a transcendent manner 'T is certainly then some clearer finer-spirited Church which Iohn wondred should be called The Mother of Abominations some such Church as he was ready to think if Christ hath any such thing as a chaste Spouse upon earth that will keep close to him and never apostatize this is she Thus Samuel said of Eliab Iesse's eldest son Surely the Lords anointed is before him 1 Sam. 16. 6. 'T is answered there The Lord seeth not as man seeth vers 7. That that man admires and praises God regardes not and that which man regards not is of highest esteem with God Paul was no body with those that were wise and honourable in Christ as to the glory of man by him renewed in or put upon them but mean while was he whom the Lord commended 1 Cor. 4. 10. 2 Cor. 10. 12. 18. But to help open your eyes you see Popery is such a mass of gross Idolatries and commonly discernable Abominations that the very present Magistracy whom you are apt it may be to have some hard thoughts of would seem so resolute against it as to make it criminous for any to blemish their repute with such slanderous imputations as if they had the least intendment that way If you chance to object How comes it to pass then that all the more refined sorts of Christian Meetings are disturbed killed imprisoned hurried up and down from post to pillar grossly abused and injured before their Iudgement seats and the Mass onely quiet and what is next it the dry impertinent publick Assemblies under Episcopacy If you say further what mean they to force those Oathes upon us that were originally intended for the keeping of Papists quiet Why may we not expect England should shortly be made a Shambles when some moderate Papists themselves bolt out something that 's hatching which they reckon too black for them to
Abraham largely experienced by your Father and by him now recommended unto you Keep the way of the Lord to do justice and judgement that he may fulfil unto you all the rich and precious promises of the Gospel belonging to Abraham and his believing seed the seed of Promise that are found walking in his wayes Observ. 4. Fourthly and lastly observe That it is a duty incumbent on believing parents to mind their children and houshold of walking in the faith and keeping in the way of the Lord doing that which is just and right So also is it the duty of children to obey such charge and be found so living and walking in the spirit and way of the Lord as they expect the blessings of Gods Covenant with Abraham to be made good unto them But here this Query may be offered How did Abraham walk and 〈◊〉 The answer is In a Family-way 't was Family-worship There were in his time no formed Churches or Societies of a larger kind made up of divers families embodying themselves and walking in communion together That which he was capable to do he did He catechized and instructed his Relations spreading abroad amongst them the savour of the tithes of that Grace which through mercy he was partaker of This was the state of the true Church then as to its outward form If larger visible Societies and collective Bodies or Churches of Saints be now interrupted this Family-way of Religion and Worship may be kept up and so things return to their primitive way again as in the dayes of Abraham To this Ioshua professes he will have recourse when the purity of publick Worship fails Iosh. 24. 15. If saith he it seem evil to you to serve the Lord if you be for other goâ—â— or other wayes of worship than God requires I will quit your publick societies as for me and my house we will serve the Lord. Use 1. My word of exhortation then to you is When publick worship is to be had in purity without defiling of your Consciences use and frequent that But if that bedenied or is not to be found frequent private and family worship yea however it be as to the publick let these be kept on foot with all diligence Be found still in the way of the Lord own that where ere you see it and joyn in it as the Lord shall please to open the way for you and give opportunity Whatever you do be not conformed to this world in the spirit way principles affections no nor religion thereof Quit those worshippers that are confident in a spirit and way that is liable to apostacy calling that heresie which is the only true way of worshipping the God of our Fathers Amidst the great variety of Churches and ways of Worship that this world abounds with be not by any means induced or forced to observe and become subject to the ordinances of man in things pertaining unto God Give unto God the things that are Gods Give also unto Caesar the things that are his If he unlawfully require more you may lawfully refuse to obey him let him take his course wherein any 〈◊〉 proudly God will be above them If one Church say Christâ— another Lo there and the trumpet that 's blown in both give but an uncertain sound look up to Christ himself with the Spouse in the Canticles and say O thou whom our souls do love tell us where thou feedest and makest thy flock to rest at noon under the scorching heat of mans persecuting wrath He will discover to you the false Babylonish spirit that lurks in such Churches and Teachers as to the deceiving of themselves and others are but transformed into the likeness of the Apostles and Churches of Christ 2 Cor. 11. And he will by his Spirit if rightly sought to and waited on infallibly direct you to the true shepherds tents those spiritual pastors and assemblies that walk in the footsteps of his ancient flock even in the faith spirit and way of Abraham Isaac Iacob and their families who are now in the kingdom of God and in the way doctrine and spirit of the Evangelists and Apostlcs And as I would have you to quit all false Churches and reject the Babylonish spirit whatever curious dress insinuating appearance or refined form she shines forth in so much more yet would I have you to loath and depart from all manner of prophaness and common debauchery whatever countenance or encouragement it may have round about you in the Land of your nativity Do but keep in the Way live and walk in the Faith and Spirit of Abraham and all is done This your Father hath found joy and comfort in upon very large and plentiful experiences but most remarkably in his Prison-state As troubles and straits from without have encreased upon me I have been more enlarged within The more I have been shut up on earth and from earthly Relations and enjoyments the more have the Heavens opened upon me and let down to me the larger sights and tasts of the glory and enjoyments of the world to come Vse 2. Lastly I charge you as the utmost desire of my soul to God on your behalf be obedient to the Lord walk humbly with him and keep close to him Let your heart be right with him Be stedfast in his Covenant not turning aside like a deceitful Boâ— Be not off and on with him yea and nay but in Christ yea only and then all the Promises of God in Christ to you will be Yea and Amen to the glory of God the Father Then if any of you lack Wisdom or particular direction in any difficult circumstances ask it of God who giveth liberally and upbraideth not and it shall be given you But then ask in Faith the stedfast Faith of Abraham nothing wavering for he that wavereth must not think or expect to receive any thing of the Lord Iames 1. 5. 7. Christ hath assured you that whatsoever you shall ask in his Name he will do it and the Father will do it Ioh. 14. 13 14. and chap. 15. 16. that is whatsoever ye shall ask in the power and exercise of a living saving Faith or of the heavenly Anointing and new Name of Christ in and upon you it shall be done unto you For whatsoever ye thus ask will be asked by you in the will of God that ye are begotten of Jam. 1. 18. or according to the will of your heavenly Father And this we know that whatsoever we ask according to his will he heareth us 1 John 5. 14 15. Yea though ye be but young and weak in this Faith and in the expression of it if as new-born babes ye do but truly desire the sincere milk of the Word and brokenly stammer and lisp forth such desires to God ye will find acceptance with and answer from him not only according to but abundantly above all that you are able to ask or think No Mother can have so tender a regard to the cry of