that godly sorrow for their good And in the Thessa it is said that God did send them strong delusions that they should beleeve a lie because they would not receive the love of the truth Now all the delusions that God sends to the man is for his good and the delusion is that he worketh such a beliefe and perswasion in the mans heart for the sinnes cause that he seemeth to the man to bee nothing else to him but wrath fury and destruction and thus hee terrifieth man to make him forsake sinne for his good and to make him returne from his evill life for whatsoever God doth too or for the man it is for his reall good whatsoever the man thinketh to the contrary and it is just so as if a father should correct his childe for his good and future profit although for the present it seem contrary to him even so is man deluded by Gods fatherly discipline and law till sinne cease in him and then this rod discipline or delusion which kept him in a we or fear to offend God shall be taken away that is to say when sinne wholly ceaseth in him and when he ceaseth to offend God his Father any more and this is the evill which is spoken of by the Prophet saying Is there any evill in the city and I the Lord have not done it that is the evill of punishment And that lying spirit spoken of in the Kings that the Lord did send to be a deluder in the mouth of the false Prophess was sent for a punishment to them because they would not believe the truth and this is done to reclaime the man and to let him see his errors and that he may returne home againe to the reall truth And againe it is said hee created the destroyer to destroy and hath sent forth the evill Angells with flaming fire rendring vengeance to those that will not know God And it is said in the Psalmes by Davld and in Job That the arrows of the Almighty stucke fast in him all which evills wraths furies or delusions is the law of sinne which was added because of the mans transgression and they shall continue with him as I have formerly said till sin cease in him but God in himselfe is none of all these for he is a most pure and holy Spirit and is subject to no passions but is a reall essence full of goodnesse neither is there any thing can change or disturbe him but the evill one transformeth himselfe into an Angell of light to delude and deceive the man with his seeming goodnesse for his hurt losse and damnation So the most holy God by his ministering spirits assumes an Angell of darknesse or taketh upon him the body of sinne to destroy sinne and in the Scripture the Divinity is sometimes said to be Sathan in the destroying of sinne being evill with the evill and he is said to be Lucifer the sonne of the morning or that morning starre that is fallen in our hearts for hee could fall no where else and it must be hee that is that day or morning starre that shall arise in our hearts againe so wee must looke into the Scripture with a righteous eye and consider it rightly in its order and place how all things hang and depend one upon another or else we shall lose our selves and confound the Scriptures or forsake and neglost them as many doe because they see many seeming contradictions not having the spirit of unity to reconcile or unite them together for it speaketh sometimes and in some cases that man is passive and God active and that God is passive in some case and man the active and in some case it is said that the Divinity suffers for sinne and doth all in all and sometimes it is understood that the humanity suffers for sinne therefore if wee have not the spirit of the most holy Godhead we cannot finde out the intricacies and secret mysteries of the spirit and minde of the holy written word and how all things stand in their orders and places for some things seeme strange as that God which is all goodnes should destroy so many for Davids numbring the peoples and in one place of the Scripture it is said that God moved him to number the people and in another place it is said that Sathan moved him to number them and in the fifteenth of Jeremy it is said that he would destroy so many with severall deaths for the sinnes of Manasses so that the Prophet Jer. was troubled and said that the Lord seemed to him to be a liar because hee thought these things seemed strange to him to come forth of goodnesse but all these things are secret mysteries bidden from all sinfull flesh and bloud and none shall see them aright but those which have ceased from sinne for God and man have been for ever together and they both have appeared in time to each other and in this time there hath beene a partition wall let in by the man which hath parted their union of love so that the man seemeth to fight against God and goodnesse and God fighteth against man and his evilnesse and nothing can be discerned rightly by the man till the partition wall of sin be pulled downe so in the end of time that holy Jesus the Sonne of God pulleth down all partition walls that have made the divisions betwixt God and man and he uniteth them againe in all lovely unity CHAP. III. A description of the Scripture according to the history and mystery thereof MOSES hath spoken of the Creation of the World and certainly it cannot bee that he meaneth this externall world for I could never heare any true reasons that can bee given to prove the same for it stands at one stay and the Sunne Moone and Starres keepe one course and the Sea runs her race up and down and they still are one and the same in their orders and places neither doe they increase or decrease to or from what they first seemed to be unto man nor doe they wax old as a garment nor as the creatures which we see appeare that have a beginning and ending for we see every spirit that appeares here hath a created body which increaseth and is diminished and is gone againe and is seene no more but this externall world is one and the same for ever for any thing I could see or heare to the contrary The greatest multitude of men beleeve it to bee created of nothing but I cannot see nor heare any reason for the same because that of nothing can come nothing then what must it be made off for sure it cannot be made of the most holy God as some do imagine and say that there was nothing before but God and therefore of necessity if it be as they alleadge he must make all things of himselfe but it cannot stand with reason that out of one should come so many antipathies therefore without all question the most holy
stones are joyned to him and made a spirituall house and an holy Priesthood to offer up spirituall sacrifices to God by this holy Iesus Christ our Lord and only Saviour that hath called us from death to life and hath made us sit with him in his holy place that is in the most holy Father therefore O man seeke after this holy building and let it be built in thee for all the hystories of the Scripture is concerning thy selfe thy falling rising or something that concerns thee or the holy Godhead therefore thou oughtest to looke into the scripture with a vigilant eye and with due respect for it is the true looking glasse which showes thee in what condition thou art and therefore read it not as thou dost other hystories but read it and take it to heart and esteeme it as it is the most holy and sacred mysteries concerning the great and most powerfull Godhead and thy selfe O man And as for the Hystory of Iesus Christ that he was borne in an Inn and in a stable betwixt an Oxe and an Asse and laid in a Crach and that the Inn was full and no roome in it but the stable is a great mystery for this Inn is thy selfe O man and the chambers of thy heart is full of thy sinnes the great Kings of thy earthly being which is pride vaine glory hypocrisie lust vanitie wrath and selfe will so that the chambers and roomes of thy heart are full of such guests as these and there was nor is no roome for the most holy life but in the worst place of thy house and thy Herod or bloody mind will not let him ly there but seeketh to destroy and kill him and so hee is carried away and hid in thee till those be dead that seeke his life Now when Christ the holy divine nature comes into our earthly Man of sinne hee hath not a place to lay or rest his head on but is sought for by our sinnes to bee destroyed for he sayeth the foxes that are our worldly Passions have holes and the birds that are our vain Phantasies have nests but bee hath not whereon to lay his head Doest thou not see O vain man that the most holy and divine world or divine life is neglected of thee and kept under thy earthly being and he is in the most lowest parts of thy earth and under thy sinfull manhood hee is that most glorious and holy light that commeth into thy wicked world of sinne but thou art ashamed of him because hee discovers thy deeds of darkenesse so thou putst out this light and quenchest this spirit for thou lovest the deeds of darknesse more then the works of light therefore this light or holy life is carryed away by Ioseph and Marie the perfection and fountaine of Love to the holy light from whence he came till all thy sinne and iniquity which sought his life is dead in thee for the holy life cannot live in thee till sinne be dead and rooted out of thee Now to looke upon Christ comming into this externall world in such a mean manner his birth so low and his condition so poore and dispised and sought out by the Kings of the earth to bee destroyed was because they thought scorne that one of so poore and mean birth should bee King of all the earth And thou mayest see the mystery of his comming into this world in so poore and dispised manner which is to shew thee how hee is in thy selfe and in thy internall world dispised and sought for to bee destroyed by thy finnes the great Kings of thy earthly being therefore O man if thou readst the history of the birth of Christ and not look into the mystery how much it concerns thee thou art never the better for his comming for his externall comming to the sight of the world shall vanish away like a tale that is told or a dreame that is seene no more therefore O man looke into the Scripture and into the holy writ with a diligent and circumspect eye and into thy selfe where is written the holy word to thy condemnation or to thy salvation compare thy selfe and the scripture together and thou shalt see thy selfe there for it is the true reall lookeing glasse wherein thou mayest behold thy selfe and thy owne soule or spirit is a witnesse to thee that it relates to thee thy selfe and it speaks the reall truth to thee in condemning or justifying thee wherefore O man take it to heart for thou needst not no other witnesse of the truth thereof but thy selfe As for Christs being led aside by the spirit into the Wildernesse to bee tempted of the Devill and that he fasted fourty dayes and fourty nights and that he was set upon a Pinacle of the Temple shewing him from thence all the Kingdoms of the earth in the twinckling of an eye and that hee told him all the Kingdoms of the earth were his for they were given him and if hee would fall down and worship him they should bee his certainly this cannot be meant of the externall for no mortall creature taking on this elementary body of clay can subsist without foode so long nor could it be that all the Kingdomes of the world were the Devills for who did give them to him nor can there bee any reason given why or how hee could possible see all the Kingdomes of this world with his externall eyes at one time for this world being imagined round high and low it is impossible that any externall eye should see it at once therefore O man looke to the mystery thereof for when this holy Jesus is borne into us this wicked spirit commeth to him and seeing him cloathed with our fraile and weake nature thinking to overcome him shewing him our barren and wildernessed nature wherein is no good thing for foode for him so that hee must bee starved if hee lived in it therefore hee would have him obedient unto him and hee should have all his honour kingdome and riches but he did forsake them all as abhominable and brought his owne foode or kingdome with him for he liveth by the power and life of the Godhead from whence he came and by this mighty power he makes this stony and barren ground of mans nature food for him to live of and with for hee participates and liveth of both natures the Godhead and the manhoode and this Godhead and manhood being joyned together by a conjunction or reciprocall union have betwixt them both brought forth Jesus Christ the Sonne of God and Sonne of man who is both God and man and being in the wombe of the humanity is nourished and fed by the same as of his mother for all children live of the mothers life and nature and are fed by it so this Iesus Christ comes into our barren ground and by his mighty power maketh it fertill and fruitfull bringing forth himselfe in us to live of us and we by him for our barren ground is plowed
eyes for that Christ that seemed to have a body to be nailed on a cosse was a spirit and shewed to thee how he is nailed with thy sins to patience and long sufferance in thee which is death to him for he grieveth and mourneth for thee for we grieve the holy Spirit by whom we are sealed and made the sons of God and we quench and put out the Spirit of God from us and this is death or griefe and paine to God for us for there is no death to any but grief and pain and no life but joy and pleasure and sweet content for the soule is an eye and is composed of joy and harmony and desires to flye into harmony which is God and sorrow and paine is a living death and dying life nor know I any other life and death but these though there is some other things that is called life as stirring and motion and the leaving the body is called death and in forsaking any thing I am said to be dead to that and that dead to me The Sonne of God Jesus Christ was and is a Spirit God and man which now doth live and walke amongst us and we doe really kill and crucifie him every day to ourselves and the flesh and bloud of Christ which he would have us eat and drinke was not such flesh and bloud as ours is but there were then some that followed Christ as foolish as we are now that when Christ spoke these words they did leave him for they thought he meant they should eat this sigure or organ that he seemed to be in when he was a Spirit The flesh of Christ which he would have us eat is his bloud and passion which is the death and mortifying of our sinfull flesh which St. Paul saith so long as he lived in he could not please God so Christ would have us eat his flesh and drinke his bloud and joyne our sinfull flesh to his flesh so his death or flesh doth destroy our death or sinfull flesh and so that death of Christ doth save us and reconcile us to God again Now I know no other flesh of Christ but this flesh which is the new and living way is the curtaine and vaile before the most holy place and all that will be saved must enter through this vaile and when this vaile or flesh or death hath done the worke he came for hee must be taken out of the way for no flesh and bloud that is death can enter into the Kingdome of Heaven therefore when we enter into the most holy place the vaile or flesh of Christ is rent in twaine from the top to the bottome and so the death and flesh of Christ is finished and ceaseth and he is taken out of the way for there is no mourning nor wayling in the most holy place for all teares are wiped from our eyes Now he saith that he Christ after the flesh must be taken out of the way or else the comforter will not come which is the life and ravishing joy of Christ And Paul saith though he knew Christ after the flesh now hee knew him so no more as I shall speake of all these things more at large in this booke Now when Melchisedeck appeared on the earth hee was without father and mother and he seemed to Abraham to be a man a Priest and King and blessed him when he came from the slaughter of the Kings which are the seven deadly sinnes This Melchisedeck is that Christ that was before Abraham as it is said Before Abraham was I am and this Christ that appeared in the end of time is that Melchisedeck that was before Abraham and that Elias that was carried up into Heaven in a fiery chariot with fiery horses which was a Spirit and the power of God though he seemed to be a man of flesh and bloud for Elias is said to be the power of God in man and I beleeve that all mankinde when they have put off this lower elementary body that is dead clay without Spirit shall be like Christ Melchisedeck and Elias which are spirits and may assume any bodily likenesse as they were and did appeare in these lower elements my reason is this because Samuell assumed the likenesse of his owne body and came to the witch at Endor and Moses and Elias appeared to Peter and Christ on the Mount so I beleeve any one may appear to their friends as many have for there have many appeared that have beene killed in secret to discover their murthers and many of the Saints appeared when Christ was crucified certainly it was not their lower elementary bodies of clay that appeared but some aireall and spirituall body they assumed which was the likenesse of their former and lower elementary bodies and like unto Christs spirituall body that appeared like flesh and was not flesh but to our appearance and that it might discover to us and tell us what we do internally and in our intellectuall mau and Christ called Lazarus his spirit and made him appeare as if he had been in his former flesh and blood sure these things must be so or what did become of Lazarus and where did hee recide before Christ opened Heaven gates for it is said that he is the first that riseth from the dead and openeth heaven gates to all beleevers we read that Elias raised a childe from death and another when the Prophets dead body did touch his dead body the dead body of the Prophet did raise the dead so the dead did raise the dead which is a miracle therefore there is some greater and further consideration in it for certainly they could not be dead but this elementary body seemed to be dead which was dead before never being alive although it seemed to be alive whilst the spirit of man lived in it as I have spoken more at large in this booke therefore let us consider well how all these things can stand together with reason or else wee shall make a confusion of the holy written word of God that is given to lead us into all truth for there must be a reason given where Lazarus and all the Saints were that appeared whether they did dye againe or where they now be for wee never read of any thing they did on earth since for it seemes they have seen the last day before it comes to us and before it came to Christ as the childe that was raised by Elias and the dead man raised by the dead Prophet and Lazarus that was raised by Christ as also a maid where did they recide with their corporeall body of clay and elements till Christ did open heaven gates â— sure therefore the man must be a spirit and hath assumed and taken this body out of the foure elements and casting it off againe as a borrowed garment and may assume a more rarified and aircall body to appeare in as Christ Melchisedeck Samuell and Moses for nothing is impossible only that may appeare
free and might have stood or fell but he fell and all Adams knows this their owne conscience accusing them for hee made man upright and shewed himselfe to bee good but he sought out many inventions to destroy himselfe yet God hath mercy on him and hath brought forth his elected seed to save him which was Isaac or Jacob that wrastled with God in this darke night of man to save and blesse him for this Esau was faine to sell his birthright and was so hungry with hunting and killing the man of sinne that he had almost lost himselfe but his brothers pottage which is love and mercy and power was given him to strengthen him to overcome the man of sinne in himselfe yet he thought this pottage should not have taken away his birthright and destroyed his first creation which he wept for although it was too late for it was for his further good which is hid from his eyes for a time and whilst he is a hunting for Jacob puts on Esaus rough garment or flesh which is the law of sin which made the man of sin mad and hee thought to destroy this Jacob or this second creation which appeared in the man but in the end when sinne is destroyed they will be loving brothers and one man of God for this Jesus Christ or seed of promise the destroyer of sin will make all peace and quietnesse for this holy God is in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe in mortifying and cleansing this man and burnning up all the chaffe of sin with unquenshable fire that there might bee great love betwixt God and man againe for this Jesus was three dayes and three nights in the man of sinne and in the heart of the earth and was carried into his wildernessed land and was tempted of him the manner whereof shall afterwards be expressed for he shewed Man all his filthinesse and how wicked he was and regardlesse of God and goodnesse and this was the first day in him and the night of that day was the death and wrath of God that appeared in the Man which did teâ—rifie and feare him and was the wounds of conscience that told him what he deserved and he threw downe himselfe at Gods mercy and the second day or light God gave him true grace and sorrow for his sinnes and the night of that day is that bloody fight in heaven betweene the Man of sinne and God and that terrible agony and sweat of death was on the humanity and the third day or reigne of Christ is that day that Christ shall reigne a thousand yeares in Man with death which day is that power of patience and long sufferance that lasts till the Man of sinne is rooted out for a thousand yeares is but as one day with the Lord and one day in this suffering and reigne of Christ is as a thousand years to the man for he must reigne till all sinne is subdued and the night of that day all hell is broke loose to torment the Man for a short time but this Almighty power gives the Man a strong and victorious power that he fights with himselfe and overcomes himselfe and all his devillish crew and so the wicked world is ended and Man shall come into a happy condition There are many that think that Christ will come and reigne a thousand yeares here on earth personally but they will be deceived for they look and judge of the Scripture after the outward appearance which is not righteous judgement for we are to looke on it with a spirituall eye and then shall we see it as it is for the looking on it as a history and not as it is a sacred and holy mystery makes so many false Religions for the birth of Christ in this elementary world was after a extraordinary manner and not after the ordinary manner of men for he was not as the seed of man nor did the Virgin Mary feele any manner of paine in bringing him forth as the wise and learned hold nor doth the Scripture make mention of her paine as they doe of others as Rebeckah Isaacs wife and Rachel Jacobs wife for the Divinity is a spirit and the humanity is a spirit and the Divinity and the humanity joyned together in conjunction as man and wife is but one spirit and spirits bring forth a spirit and can doe no otherwise for this Jesus Christ is a Spirit and is the Spirit and life of God that is sowne in our hearts and spirits which makes us cry Abba Father for he was and is a Spirit comming forth of God and man that were and is spirits and that organicall body or figure that he seemed to be in and to eat and drinke and that he was like flesh and blood was as three Angells that appeared to Abraham which he did dresse a kid for who seemed to be men and did eat and drinke with them as they thought â— so Christ seemed to be in that figure and flesh of the man but he was a reall spirit for with that body he walked on the sea the which Peter could not doe with his heavy body but did sinke and Christ did hide himselfe many times and could not be found for he did walke in visibly and when they did leek him to destroy him they could not finde him till he pleased to give himself into their hands and he could come with his body into any roome the doores being shut as he did after the resurrection come to his Disciples saying Peace be unto you and he did eat a broyled fish and they knew him by eating and breaking of bread and there is surely some secret mystery in that for when hee walked like a gardener they knew him not but by breaking of bread and Thomas would not beleeve that it was the body that was crucified because he could come through a chinke of the doore as he thought till Christ shewed him the print of his nailes after which he said he beleeved because hee saw those things but Christ said to him they were more blessed that beleeved and saw not but beleeved and trusted in God without the death of Christ for if we had beleeved and trusted in God wee should not have fallen and sinned but have been more blessed for the whole had not had need of the Physitian but we all have fallen and need the death of Christ to make us whole againe and we cannot beleeve till wee see the print of his death and nailes in our hearts and spirits which he hath taken on him and is now his humane nature for his Godhead and humanity is in us if Christ be in us for he is whole Christ in us God and man nor can he be divided and be in part in us and if he had a corporall body of clay consisting of foure clements made up of flesh and blood as ours is it were impossible and against reason that he could be in us therefore looke into the Scripture with spirituall
to our darke eyes to be flesh which is not as the three Angells to Abraham and to Lot for we beleeve appearances to be that which they are not in deed and in truth which we finde by wofull experience the which makes such contention and cutting of throats about Religion the cause of this distraction is that we doe not see things with a righteous eye I desire all friends and readers who doe read this booke and all to whose hands it shall come that you will looke into it rightly and not construe it amisse but as it is really intended for the good of all and where I speak of the death of God and Christ in man I doe not meane that the Almighty and powerfull Godhead can dye or be lost but as he is dead and lost to the man that despises truth and treads it under foot and so I meane that God is dead and lost and the truth lyeth in the streets of his heart which is God who is that truth and the two witnesses lye dead in the street of his heart unregarded which is mercy and righteous judgement and is God which we should have shewed forth to all the world even mercy and righteous judgement but we have hid these witnesses So I desire that the most holy and righteous God may be your guide and director to lead you into all truth The true Articles of the Christian Faith 1. I Beleeve in God the Father Almighty maker of the holy Heaven and earth in the man I confesse and acknowledge that the same is a true holy living God or good and that he is a mighty Spirit and a perfect clear light that discovers to the man the reall truth of things and how all things are in their places and in or to the Man and he is the reall beeing the truth light life and love to the Man and this is his name light life and love for he is all this to the man for the love of God to the man was such that he brought him under the law of discipline and correction instructing him what to doe for his good and convincing his conscience for what hee hath done to himselfe and against God or goodnesse so he raiseth up all our sinnes as judges to condemne us for what we have done and they correct or punish us for God or goodnesse hath put it in them to doe it and God hath opened our eyes with his power to see it which makes us hate and condemne our selves for what we have done his holy power or light hath perswaded our hearts to have true sorrow and reall repentance for our sins with a broken and a contrite heart and sorrowfull spirit and so we begin to hate our selves and our sins and doe really forsake them and doe confesse that we doe deserve to bee for ever lost and damned and be deprived of God and goodnesse for ever because we have chosen hell death and devill and joyned our selves unto it but Gods mercy and goodnesse hath inlightned our hearts with his law and hath really corrected 〈◊〉 for our sin and hath brought us to the beleefe of Jesus Christ by his law or fatherly correction for he receiveth no sonne but whom he correcteth and none comes to Jesus Christ but whom the Father drawea to him and this drawing to Jesus Christ is by the law of discipline and this law is the river Jordan or judgement and Iohn the Baptist or the light of Gods grace that doth dip or dye us in the river Iordan or Iudgement of Gods glacious goodnesse and this his judgement doth cleanse us from all our sinnes that were as red as searled and we come out as white as snow and this is the first Baptisme in the Fathers Name 2. I beleeve in Jesus Christ the only begotten Son of God or good and that he is the reall substance of God and that he is the goodnesse that proceedeth from God or good And I beleeve that all good things are made in the man by him and through him and that all goodnesse doth consist in him and proceedeth forth of him into the man for his goodnesse in us beareth in us our sinnes by his mighty power of patience and long sufferance with grievous sufferings and agonies which hee hath for our sinnes and there hee lyes or reignes in us till our sinnes bee vanquished or rooted out by this mighty power of patience and long sufferance and when all our evill is overcome by this power of his goodnesse then he delivers us which is the Kingdome of God to his Father that God may be all in all 3. I beleeve the Son of God or Righteousnesse is borne of the holy virgin Mary which virgine is the pure humanity and this pure humanity is overshadowed by the Angell Gabriell or the power of the most highest God and this Son or righteousnesse of God is begotten upon the humanity and is the promised seed to the man which is borne for a blessing to all generations of man as was promised 4. I beleeve that this holy seed of blessing the Sonne of God Jesus Christ the Saviour of us hath suffered death under Pontius Pilate the law of sinne in us and that he dyeth for and to sinne in us and is dead and buried and in hell under our earthly beeing and man of sin and he suffers for our sin in this hell for they be all upon him and he is nailed to the crosse of patience to endure all the reproaches and blasphemies contempts and false defamations or accusations for our sinnes cause on him and for the love of God and to us hath taken us upon him that we should suffer with him all our own reproaches contempts and sinnes to condemne us for doing them and that wee should condemne and forsake them and be dead to them and they to us by the power of Iesus Christ that saveth us in us and this is the baptisme of the Sonne and is the fiery tryalls or the baptisme of fire with which he saveth his owne body or us which is the humane nature that he hath taken on him to suffer for and with and that it might be saved through him and by his power in us and whosoever doth not suffer this death with Christ for their sinnes that is to suffer under the law of sinne death for sinne and to sinne the death of the crosse which is the patience and long sufferance of Christ to the killing of sinne in us he is no Christian let him brag how much he will of his Christianity till he hath tasted the death and life of Christ and that all this is come to passe in him for they must all taste of this cup or passion and be baptised with his baptisme for if we doe not suffer and dye with him we shall never rise and reigne with him 5. I beleeve that the holy God hath raised up his Sonne Jesus from the dead and that he was three dayes
had names to call them by that the one might understand the other and know what subject they speak of and what each would have another to do but these mad people love to confound themselves A spirit is that internall fire life and motion of all things as the spirit or fire and life of herbes and trees which is named the negative spirit that manifesteth it selfe to the world and all other spirits Now there is another spirit or sure that groweth and bloweth it selfe up into one organ and feeleth any thing that toucheth it and its name is the sensitative spirit There is another spirit eye light or fire that groweth and bloweth it selfe up into an organ whose name is called the rationall spirit or eye of capability and judgement which discerneth all things in their order and place and this is the man And there is another spirit eye light or fire that is a motion joyned to the man that discovers the reall truth of all things to him for his good or hurt and his name is called the spirit of wisdome or God and this is the light or right eye to the man that foreseeth all things for his good if he will regard his instructions And there is another spirit eye light or fire that is a motion that moves to the man that he feeleth in his intellectuall which is the spirit and eye of darknesse that looketh into all things for the mans harme the which if hee looke through leads him into all folly and blindnesse and worketh him into all mischiefe and this spirit is the destruction of the man and bringeth him to all misery and calamity and this spirits name is called the Devill the worker of mischiefe for these two spirits move to the man in his intellectuall and he feedeth seeth and heareth them internally and discourseth with them as two men discourse and talke one with another and these spirits are instrumentall to the man to perswade him to what he shall doe for he can do nothing but by these instruments the one for his good the other for his harm and he tasting of both he knowes the difference and how opposite the onces to the other and how they change him and make him good or evill for if any man doth good by the good instrument hee that is ruled by the evill instrument contradicts the good works of the good and the good instrument contradicts the man that is ruled by the evill instrument but there bee some that say the evill is good and the good evill which cannot be so for the good is good still to the man and is one and the same for ever and the evill is evill still to the man and is one and the same for ever for if thou dost evill to any man that evill is evill to thy selfe and if that man that thou doest evill to should retort the like backe on thy self then thou wouldst quickly be sensible that it is evill and not call that evill good falling upon thy selfe which falling upon another thou didst call good for if thou shouldst vassallize any man abuse or starve him or cut off his limbs and doe him all the harme thou couldst what good is this to thee surely thy conscience tells thee it is evill and not good to thee for thou dost not like to have those things done to thy selfe for retorting and falling backe upon thy selfe thou findest it evill So thou art evill and wicked O man whosonver thou art that dost those things and teachest another so to doe for thou teachest him lies that the evill is good and the good evill and thy owne conscience condemnes thee in doing the evill and so doth the conscience of the others whom thou teachest so to doe also defnding him with thy lies to deceive himselfe with for thou oughtest not to doe any thing to any man that thou dost not like to be done to thee nor must thou doe that which thou wouldest not have done backe againe for thou seest it is evill say what thou wilt to deceive thy selfe for thou dost cosen thy selfe with these vaine delusions Surely those that are of the minde that one spirit acts in all would if it were not for seare of the laws of men fall a cutting one anothers throats and doâ— all mischiefe being devills one to the other in their passion for they will admit of no law of goodnesse for their restraint If but one man had this evill power to execute his will upon all the world for pleasure then might it be thought to be good but you see in all men a desige to have their will therefore thou must expect and it is just and fight according to thy desert that thou shouldest be killed for killing and for stealing to restore double or be his servant to worke it out and make double satisfaction for his losse and troubling him for this is the law of sin and death for sin and this is in man and can be no other wife for the evill that hee doth to another man riseth up in judgement against him by the other whom he bath wronged to retort the like backe upon him for this law of sin in the man saith an eye for an eye tooth for tooth arme for arme c. and so with the froward to be froward and evill for evill saith the law of sinne in man which is just to reward every man according to his owne evill workes but thou caust not abide this law of sinne for thou wouldst doe a great deale of mischiefe and injury to other men and take pleasure in it but that this pleasure brings this sting of death and paine backe againe to thee which thou canst not abide so this thy God or pleasure perisheth with the using and change thy pleasure into pain by falling backe upon thee But thou wilt say that if thou murtherest a man in secret so that none be private thereto but thy selfe how can that murther be discovered or the law of sin be executed upon thee I answer that the law of sin is in thy self and riseth up in judgement against thee in condemning and wounding thy conscience so that thou art weary of thy life and in the and discovers thy selfe never being at quiet till the law of sinne be executed upon thee for we see few murthers that are long concealed another question may be demanded if this law of sinne which seemeth to be good or God and is executed upon thee is not murther and cruelty likewise I answer it is and is thy God and ruler in thy off-fallen estate that is a furious God and a consuming fire who will consume thee in his wrath and in his sore displeasure forthy sinnes have raised up this furious God that holdeth thee in with a rough bit and bridle whilst thou art a wilde asse colt that striveth to overthrow thy rider and this cruell God shall be thy Lord King and husband and will torment thee so long as thou
for at this day if a Serpent went up into a tree and did speake from thence to men and women it would make them afraid in so much that they would not doe what he bid them or dost thou thinke that in Mesopotamia a great way off beyond the seas that there is a materiall garden wherein standeth the tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and ill both in one place and an Angell standing with a slickering sword to keep the tree of life from the man and that Adam and Hevah were cast out of this garden for harkening to the Serpent to till the earth and that it should bring forth nothing but thorns and thistles all which in my judgement cannot stand with reason or truth for the Scripture saith that none shall be saved but those who shall eat of the tree that is in the paradise of God why then doe not all soules or men goe to looke for this paradise and garden of Eden to eat of this tree of life whereby they must be saved for none can be saved without it And why doe not all men and women goe to fight with this Angell that holdeth this sword which keepeth them from the tree of life and consequently from salvation I see none nor heard I ever any that went to seek out this garden Angell nor tree of life and so if the Scripture be to be understood according to the litterall sense or this a materiall garden none can be saved because the same hath never been found out by any since the fall of Adam and that earth which is said to bring forth nothing but thornes and thistles cannot be the externall earth for we see it bringeth forth very good herbes fruit and corne fit for the use of the externall manhood and but few thornes and thistles Therefore O man looke not thou on the history of the Scripture but upon the mystery which is hidden since thy wicked world began for these are all holy and sacred mysteries which are hid from all fleshly and sinfull hearts whose foreskin of sin is before them as a partition wall therefore O man let thy partition wall be pulled downe by the mighty power of God in thee and let the foreskin of thy sinfull flesh bee cut off and be thou plunged dipped dyed or baptised in the most holy and divine nature or in the most holy Godhead for if thou goest into this river of Jordan or judgement as red as bloud with thy sinnes thou shalt come forth as white as snow and then thou shalt see all these secret and holy mysteries which are revealed to perfect and just men and to no other for to the wicked and sinfull men it is a closed booke and a dead letter for S. Paul saith in the second chap. of the second to the Corinths that he speaketh the wisdome of God to them that are perfect for none can understand it but such as are perfect and without sinne for to the wise of this world the wisdome is foolishnes and they laugh it to scorne and thinke it meer madnesse as Felix did of Paul saying That too much learning had made him mad O that all soules had this foolishnesse and madnesse it would be more pretious to them then all the wisdomes and riches of this world for the wisdome of this world is earthly sensuall and divillish all which perish with the using and the foolishnesse and madnesse of God as men esteem is to us our right and perfect minde O that all men were baptised into the Father Son and Holy Ghost then should they see things cleerly and never have more trouble in soule then should they know all good things and all teares should be wiped from their eyes and be in everlasting ravishing joyes and sweet content of minde As for the seven Nations that the Scripture maketh mention of which should be destroyed when their sins were full as the Amorites Jebusites Hittites c. it cannot be meant the destruction and killing of men because it is contrary to the nature of God and goodnesse to be the cause of destruction for he is the author and cause of all goodnesse and preservation therefore wee should be like God to pray for them and doe them all the good we can and not destroy and kill them in their sins for we should deale with them by the spirit of meeknesse and not send them to hell headlong for wee know not how soon they may return to God goodnesse wherefore those seven are the seven deadly sinnes which have set themselves forth as Nations in us which when they are at the full in us the Israel of God Jesus Christ must come and destroy them out of us that the whole society of God with Saints and Angells may dwell in us and that our soule may be a land that floweth with milke and hony and till all those good things come to passe in us we are not saved And whereas it is said of Abrahams beeing commanded to kill his sonne Isaac which is contrary to the law of nature and to God and goodnesse to command him to kill his naturall son there is some secret sacred mystery in it for in this is set forth the whole passion of Christ or Isaac or Jesus Christ is the promised seed which is brought forth in the Ancient of dayes or in the end of time and is the sole and only joy of the man and God to trye the man would have this sole joy and life of the man to be brought to the sacrifice but the Divinity or holy life cannot dye but as it may seeme to the man but the ramme or humanity which was caught in the bush of sin he must dye and bee sacrificed for sin for all sacrifices are for sin and the soule that sinneth he must dye wherefore we should not looke on the Scripture as a history but as a holy and secret mystery for in Gal. 4.24 it is said that by Hagar and Sarah is signified the two Testaments and that their children are two seeds the one fleshly and the other spirituall and Jacob and Esau that wrestled in the womb are said to be two Nations the one spirituall the other carnall and the Scripture testifieth them to bee two worlds which is meant the first and second birth in man and not as most imagine that God ordained the one to damnation and the other to salvation and the Scripture witnesseth plainly that those are allegories and to be understood as mysteries or else we shall altogether disorder and confound the Scripture and this is the reason of so many Religions one fighting against the other for the Scripture in the letter seemeth to contradict it selfe so that if we have not the Spirit of God which is above the Scripture wee cannot understand one word or tittle thereof aright and none can have that Spirit but he that hath ceased from sin As for the drowning of the world and building
theefe that cannot repent and thou art the other theefe that art repentant for what thou hast done and so findest mercy and in that day or light of mercy thou shalt enter into Paradise thy Masters joy for now you have suffered together you shall also rise and relgne together and enter into the joy together which joy lyes into thy inmost self in the cave of thy earth even there lyeth the most still and soft voice which was not in the great windes that did blow downe the rocks of sinne nor in that carthquake for sinne nor in that fire that consumeth sinne in which God is lost to the man for in that the man casteth the holy God from him is the very thing that doth condemne him and rise against him so that he can never be at rest nor quiet till he hath found God againe and even thus doth God appeare to the man that which he is not in himselfe even a consuming fire as he saith in Thessalon God sendeth them strong delusions that they should believe lies because they will not receive the love of the truth for man thinketh that God is angry with him and he neither can nor shall believe otherwise untill sinne be destroyed out of him for God doth seem to appeare in thy sinnes as an angry judge condemning thee till thou hast suffered under them and for them and so worketh feare in thy heart and all these angers that he seemeth to have against thee and those feares that he worketh in thy heart is for thy future good and for the great love he hath to thee recalling thee from thy sinfull life and when thou hast forsaken sinne then he doth appeare to thee in his glorious amiable and bright rayes full of sweet ravishing contents and then thy Judas Devill or sinnes hath condemned themselves in thee and with thee and hath arraigned themselves at the barre of Gods justice and then they hang themselves in thee and breake their owne necks and brust their bowells asunder and so there is an end of them to thee and an end of thee to them and then thou cryest to thy Father or God It is finished and so yeeldest up thy ghost or spirit into him and the vaile that is the flesh of Christ that divided betwixt the holy and most holy place is rent in twaine from the top to the bottome which vaile death or flesh is the long-sufferance and patience of Christ that rasteth in us till our sinnes are extinguished and blotted out and this standeth betwixt the holy place and the Sanctum Sanctorum and all that will be saved must taste of this flesh death patience long-sufferance bitter cup agony or bloudy sweat which stands before the holy of holies and when wee have tasted this bitter death or cup wee enter through this vaile flesh or death of Christ which is the new and living way into the holy of holies or Sanctum Sanctorum which is the Kingdome of Heaven that is within you and is peace righteousnesse and joy in the Holy Ghost Now when the flesh of Christ hath finished his course then is he taken out of the way and then cometh hee againe to thee the second time and is thy holy Ghost or Spirit which leadeth thee into all truth which truth is meekenesse lowsinesse of Spirit gentlenesse lovingnesse rejoycing in mind ravishing thoughts sweet contemplations singing Hymnes and Halelujahs praise and thanksgiving to the Holy Ghost for their victoriousnesse and this is thy ravishing joy and comfort eternally so that all the externall losses in this present world doth not trouble thee for thy mind is not below on these perishable things for thou art dead to them and livest here as if thou livedst not and useth all things here as if thou used them not and if thou had all the honours and riches of this world thou wouldest dispise them and think them but dung and drosse for thou hast farre more excellent honour and riches then this world can affoorde but if by chance the Godly have the riches of this world as it is but a chance seeing the Godly and ungodly oftentimes injoy them alike here he accounteth not the same his but distributeth as he seeth need or necessity as a faithfull steward but the ungodly thinketh all that hee getteth here is his and will suffer another to starve and perish by him and in this thou may perceive a difference betwixt the Godly and ungodly let them brag of their Christianity as much as they will their workes show what they bee but wee see what a Christian is and what a difficult thing it is to be one and how many difficulties he must runne through before he attain to the perfection to be a Christian Now to understand and read the history of the crucifying of Christ of his condemnation death and buriall what is this to thee or me if we feele not the mystery of his condemnation death and buriall his resurrection ascention and comming to judgement in me and with me for if we doe not suffer with him we shall not reigne with him therefore let us dye and bee buried with him that we may arise and ascend into the heaven with him and from thence come to judge the quick and the dead which dead is the sinnes that is dead and lost for ever out of us and the quicke is the living righteousnesse to raign in us for ever therefore unlesse I see the mystery of these things wrought in me the history thereof can do me no good for in the history of the death of Christ is shewed a great deale of weakenesse for it is said that hee was so mightily afraid of death that he did sweat drops of blood and all the wrath of his Father did but extend to the death of the externall manhood upon the Crosse but it seemeth strange to me that hee that had the power of heaven and earth should be so much afraid of an externall and bodily death when there hath beene many since that have dyed for their religion and for his sake more terrible deaths being drawn to peeces with wild horses fleyed burned alive broyled roasted boyled in lead and all the terrible deaths that could be devised by wicked and devillish men to put them to as is made mention of in the booke of Martyrs yet there was seene no such weaknesse in them but they went to their deaths cheerfully thinking themselves happy to suffer for his sake Wherefore you may easily perceive that there is a greater mystery in the same which few doe see or discerne For my part I do not deny the history of the Scripture but doe beleeve that those things were acted upon the Theater of this externall world to shew to us what is acted upon the Theater of our internall world but if we looke upon the hystory of Scripture as things acted by other men and take no more notice of it we deceive our selves for all the hystories points upon
us and we are the man intended for when Nathan the Prophet came to David he seemed to speake to him of another when as hee meant himselfe and David did conclude what the action represented to him in the person of another by Nathan was unjust not thinking that the Prophet intended himself but another and so judged him to death but when the Prophet said it was himself and that he was the man hee was sorry and loth to dye himselfe although he did judge the other to death and thought he deserved death justly but in condemning the other he judged himselfe Therefore wee are the men that are to be condemned or saved according as our deservings are and the Scripture is the reall truth and is our true Nathan the Prophet that tells us what we have done but he tells us our selves in histories and in the person of others to try how farre we condemne others and justifie our selves but when wee condemne others we condemne our selves for wee are the guiltie and that wicked man therefore looke into the scripture as if it were thy owne soule for all that is written there is written in thy selfe and there is the two tables the table of stone thy stony heart that is ingraven with a rough penne and with a thundering voice which is the whole worke and curse of the law for thy sinnes and the other table is the heart of flesh which is soft and melteth at the word that is written in thee and is ready to obey all the words of the commandements that speaketh in thee but the table of stone thy disobedient and stony heart must be broken for thy sinne and disobedience cause and for thy Idolatries and all thy sinnes riseing up against thee crying vengeance so that thy God or goodnesse in his great zeale throweth downe thy stony heart breaking it to peeces and burneth up all thy Idoll Gods to powder makeing thee drinke up their ashes which is to make thee taste of the death and losse of them and still his zeale is so great towards thee that hee maketh thee sheath thy sword into thy brothers belly which brother is thy nearest selfe will or thy darling sinnes so when thou hast fulfilled the will of thy Jelous God he returneth to his place where hee was before and the tables of stone or stony heart is turned to flesh and is obedient to the will of God and keepeth his commandements the which I wish all Soules may do for their soules health and safety There be many at this time that looke externally for an infallible spirit when as the infallible spirit is internall in the soule of every man for the same spirit is Jesus Christ the word of life that is neare thee even in thy heart and mouth to do it and to be obedient unto the same and he is that pearle hid in the field of thy heart for which thou must sell all that thou hast to purchase this field that thou mayest injoy that pearle And there are others that thinke that the externall body is the soule and that it must dye and must answer for sinne by that death and that it must rise againe at the last day by Christ therefore God cannot be their God whilst their body is dead for he is not the God of the dead but of the living then whilst they live here they may live as they list and commit what sinnes they will for their body dying which they take for the soul doth make satisfaction for their sinne which of necessity must draw this consequence that if one man kill another he doth but the will of God for he saith the soul that sinneth must dye I wonder much what those people that hold such opinions can say or think of little children that dye in the wombe or as soon as they are borne certainly no man in reason can say that their soule hath sinned but you will alleadge their parents have sinned for them as others have said if it be so the sinne of one condemneth a great many that of themselves hath not sinned the which to me appeareth to be altogether against reason and justice and is against the nature of God to condemne the children for the sinne of the parents for Ezkiel saith 18. that this proverb should be no more in israel that the fathers had eaten four grapes and the childrens teeth are set on edge at he saith that every soule standeth upon his owne bottome or its owne selfe and the fourâ— that sinneth shall dye also there are many creatures or bodies which they call soules that are drowned in the sea and divers fishes have fed upon that body or that which they call the soul and these fishes have concocted or digested the soule of this man and it is turned into the flesh of a fish and afterwards this fish is taken and another man or soule eats this fish which is the concocted soule of the other man so that his soule is made fat and increased thereby the one soule by eating the other and Caniballs which are men eat other men and are fed thereby now when the soules of all these men are dead and concocted in those that have eat them how shall every one have his own proper soule at the last day when all the soules shall arise I would willingly hear it proved by good reason how every one can have his owne soule againe seeing they are all concocted and digested one in another but perhaps you will say we must believe against reason which is consequently that we must believe an absurdity and the Apostle St. Paul desireth to be delivered from unreasonable men which were absurd and did believe against reason for all men have not faith whose foundation is grounded upon reason this body which they call the soule is dead without the spirit as St. James witnesseth in the second Chap. where he saith that as the body without the spirit is dead even so is faith without workes by which Scripture it is manifest that the body without the soul or spirit is dead and as is said before God cannot be their God because their body which they tearm the soul is dead so as he ceaseth to be their God while they are dead all which is contrary to sense reason and Scripture where it is said that he is the living God and the God of the living and not of the dead also it is contrary to sense and reason in this that that which is the God good felicity or chiefe happinesse of those that live and are rationall and sensible of the same cannot in sense reason or Scripture be said to be the joy happinesse or God of the dead because he is not sensible or capable of any joy felicity or happinesse at all THe summe of all and the whole discourse of this Book is that we should feare to disobey the holy God but keep all his Commandements which is the whole duty of man and to live a pure exact just and holy life not doing to any man what we would not have done to us but doing all the good to another that we would have done to us and this is the infallible Spirit Jesus Christ the power of God in us which directs corrects instructs perswades and makes us wise unto salvation for he is the holy word of life unto us and he is the Father Elder true Bishop and high Priest of our soules so that we need no other Father Elder Bishop nor high Priest but this holy Iesus Christ in us for he is the holy unction that we have from above and the holy One that teacheth us all things and discovers all mysteries unto us leading us into all truth if so be that we are obedient unto him but if we are not obedient unto this infallible Spirit Iesus Christ in us then wee shall know nothing of God or of the Scripture but it shall be a sealed book a dead letter and seeming contradiction unto us but I hope we shall all learne and bee taught of him and declare every one to his friend and neighbour what the Lord the infallible Spirit hath done for his poore soule saying What we have learned heard felt and tasted of the good word of life that will we declare unto you FINIS