he reckon'd good concerning him but loved and rewarded Satan's false Prophets as pleasing to his own Will and after his own Heart's Desire So Ieremy who counsell'd King and People for the preserving their Lives was cast into a Dungeon where he sunk in the Mire while Satan's false Prophets pleas'd them to their Destruction Ier. 38. 5 6. God's one true Prophet among the then only visible People of God a fleshly First-Covenant Israel found King Princes Priests and People all as one Man against him while Satan's false self-pleasing Prophets were listen'd to and rewarded Satan that acknowledg'd to God he would be a lying Spirit in Ahab's Prophets is so far from being discover'd by the highest Wisdom or Understanding of Man in but First-Covenant or First-Creation natural Principles that he will pass with them there for Christ and God most high when indeed the worst of all Creatures 2 Thess. 2,3,4 Where God permits this and not only so but in Judgment gives them up to Satan's Man-pleasing strong Delusions for believing his Lie rather than God's Truth the Issue will be eternal Death to their whole Beings Spirit Soul and Body in a Resurrection of Damnation ver 10 12. Men are either brought by Satan in love to their own righteous earthly mortal Life given them in their first Creation to hate God's Heavenly Creature Gospel-Life offer'd by a second or by the electing Love of God to hate their own Life at best so as to give it up in Sacrifice to God in love to and as the only way for attaining and experiencing his New-Covenant everlasting Gospel-Life by a second or new Creation ver 13. This latter is Christ's Counsel Luke 14. 26. in the Mystery of Godliness the former Satan's in his Mystery of Iniquity Satan's Counsel is for sparing saving and keeping the Life of the Creature given in the first Creation Christ's Counsel is for the Surrender and Loss of that and all the things thereof for the Life of the Creator offer'd by a second and things of God therein The keeping the former in Preserence and Opposition to the latter Christ declares will be the loss of all Life and Righteousness God's and Man's too on which their whole Beings Spirit Soul and Body will be laid down for ever in the Nakedness of their own unpardonable Guilt under the unquenchable Wrath of God for evermore Mat. 10. 39. 16. 25. Mark 8. 35. Luke 17. 33. Iohn 12. 25. Man not only eminent in the First-Covenant Life Wisdom and Righteousness of Man but under highest spiritual enlightning Gifts on his natural Understanding short of the very Gospel-Life of Christ or a living spiritual Faith working by Love to him therein is yet within Satan's reach to beguile bewitch and fetch back into an unchangeable Union with him in the first Creation and unchangeable Enmity to God and his Heavenly Life offer'd by a second 1 Cor. 12. 31. 13. 1 2. Gal. 3. 1 3. 5. 7. Satan would keep all Mankind in the dead corrupt State of Nature wallowing in Mire as his Swine spending and ending their Days in this World in the brutish Lusts of literal Sodom But when cast out as to this kind of Work in them as fast as any are brought by Christ out of such Filth of Flesh into the Righteousness of Man he attempts and frequently prevails to get into such mystical cleans'd Houses and fix them with himself in Filth of Spirit unchangeable Enmity to God and his everlasting righteous Creature-Spirit of Grace and Truth and then he has a sevenfold surer hold of them than ever Mat. 12. 43-45 Luke 11. 24-26 So comes the last State of that Man to be worse than the first in his corrupt Nature Mary Magdalen's and Zacheus's in the Filth of corrupt Nature were capable of Christ's true Salvation Gospel-Life and such righteous Scribes and Pharisees utterly uncapable thereof or therefore of scaping the Damnation of Hell Mat. 23. 33. 21. 31. Publicans are brought to justify God and be eternally justified before him while righteous Pharisees and Scripture-Lawyers in restor'd Law-life and Righteousness of Man reject the Counsel of God for receiving his Gospel-life to their everlasting Destruction Luk. 7. 29 30. 15. 1 2. 19. 2-9 Fixure in Law-life and Righteousness of Man in unchangeable Enmity to Gospel-life and Righteousness of God renders Men mystical Sodomites in Filth of Spirit worse and more criminal Sinners than literal Sodom in Filth of Flesh Mat. 11. 23 24. But corrupt Nature or Filth of Flesh fix'd in with literal Sodom is unpardonable also And therein do the greater part of Mankind run their Race in this World from their Cradles to their Graves Take and put together all of both the said Sorts of Mankind in the broad Way to everlasting Destruction under Satan's prevailing Influence and they 'l be found wonderfully to out-number Christ's few in the narrow Way to Heaven Mat. 7. 13 14. Yet will they be a numberless Multitude also out of all Generations Revel 7. 9. Many of Satan's two Parties fix'd in the corrupt or righteous Spirit of Nature against God and his Gospel-spirit of Grace oft die without any Remorse or Fear as to any By-standers Observation without any right Knowledg of the true God or false God of this World Heaven or Hell till in the latter beyond all Remedy for ever Yet farther Satan will not only exercise his permitted ruling and tempting-Power over Mankind all along this World but after his Imprisonment at beginning of Christ's thousand Years Reign on Earth and his loosening out of it at the ending thereof will he as his last and most transcendently presumptuous Attempt rally up his Gog and Magog his innumerable Multitude of evil Angels and Men and in the transform'd Appearance and counterfeit Guise of Angels of Light and true Saints besiege the New Ierusalem-City of true Saints in the very Glory of the Resurrection Revel 20. 1-3 v. 7-9 This last Attempt of Satan and his Party of Angels and Men will have no Success at all Immediate will be the Decision of this intended Battel by Fire from God out of Heaven to devour them all casting them with the Devil that deceiv'd them into the Lake of Fire and Brimstone where to be tormented for ever and ever ver 10. Then Creation ceases and all Angels and Men good and bad finally concluded in their eternal Conditions of Joy or Sorrow unspeakable in Heaven or Hell CHAP. XVIII Concerning Heresies and Hereticks THE Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies Option or Choice all variety of humane Opinions in which Men chuse to set up for themselves with Confidence for Salvation contrary to the sound fundamental Principles of Religion and right Worship of God in his gospel-Gospel-Spirit of Grace and Truth in which alone any can be sav'd Iohn 4. 23 24. All short or destitute of this Spirit or a living spiritual Faith therein working by Love to God worship they know not what or whom
3. 21. All Christ's gospel-Gospel-Words seem'd hard Sayings even to his Disciples while known to them but as a fleshly Bridegroom in a restor'd First-Covenant Principle of seeing working and walking Iohn 6. 60. To give up all inward Riches of their own Spirits all Righteousness Wisdom Works Fruits every thing given them in their first Creation or done by them therein at best this seems a hard Saying exceeding strange and amazing to Man's Wisdom The very Disciples were exceedingly amaz'd at such words of Christ saying Who then can be sav'd at all Mat. 19. 24 25. This was a narrower Question than he ask'd that said to Christ Master are there few that be saved Luke 13.23 If there be no possibility of entring into the Kingdom of God by the best Man can do or be in the restor'd Life Wisdom and Righteousness of his own Nature he is ready with the Disciples to ask the same Question Consequently is he ready to deny the Truth of Christ's Saying and that as a Duty to God that sure he would never require more of Man for his true Blessedness than the utmost he can do in the Life given him in his first Creation or restor'd since The Disputers of this World under Satan's delusive Influence in defence of their Worldly Principle of Life Desire Thought and Action will never have done till the ending of the Devil's Reign and commencing of Christ's Such Disputers are not to be striven with but in Meekness instructed and if they 'll hear well and good if they be peremptory and conclusive in their own fallible Understandings contradicting and blaspheming all right Gospel-words of Counsel for true Salvation Saints may pray and desire other Saints Prayers for a Deliverance from such unreasonable Men who tho temporary Believers in and Owners of Christ in the restor'd First-Covenant-Life and Righteousness of Man which he crucified in himself are mystical Infidels as to that New-Covenant Gospel-Life and Righteousness of God he is ascended into They call all the right Words and Doctrine thereof a blasphemous Fiction Here 's the pass true New-Covenant Saints with their spiritual Faith in Christ's Gospel-Life are at with First-Covenant Believers in their restor'd Law-life All Contests with them amount but to a vain unprofitable jangling Such Teachers of the Law understand neither what they say nor whereof they affirm 1 Tim. 1.6,7 utterly denying the Gospel-Principle of true Love to God and our Fellow-Creatures in which alone possible to be obey'd and fulfill'd Rom. 13.8 10. But still this remains to be the Saints Duty with Paul to become all things to all Men 1 Cor. 9. 20-22 stooping and condescending to all kinds and degrees of Understanding in the Light of Nature Law and Gospel owning what 's good in any but in order to lead them into and build them up in what 's unspeakably better Christ's Gospel-Spirit of everlasting Righteousness and infallible Truth They will also as their Duty bear with such as at present persecute them as Blasphemers of the Law by preaching the Gospel-Cross and Death-work of God's Heavenly on their Earthly Law-Spirit of Works at best This Man's Wisdom calls a blaspheming or evil-speaking of the Law Moses and God Acts 6. 11-13 Paul was at this Work for a time in his own Law-Spirit Yet at length became a most eminent Preacher of the Gospel and then was as fiercely persecuted by such as he once was in their own law-Law-Spirit of Works In Man's day of judging in Religion and interpreting the Scriptures in the Words of his own Wisdom all his Preachings and Writings therein will exactly conduce to the carrying on the whole Counsel of the Devil in his Mystery of Iniquity for the Damnation of Men and preventing their Salvation And as in Church so in State-Affairs may we see what Man 's deepest Reason and Wisdom amounts unto as to his own eternal Concerns in the case and end of Achitophel His Counsel was as if a Man inquir'd at the Oracle of God and that under such a Man of God as was King David In Conclusion on God's crossing him and disappointing his Counsel in the Case of Absalom he hang'd himself 2 Sam. 16. 23. 17. 23. Thus is Man trusting to his own Understanding at best for directing his Steps gone at every turn in this World and the World to come To enumerate particular Heresies all along since the Primitive Apostolical Gospel-day and remarkably in our own Day and Nation within the compass of sixty Years would be endless and to no end If God's Gospel-Truth be evidenc'd and receiv'd all the Disputes and Controversies manag'd in the fallible Understanding of Man on all hands about Satan's Lie in his Mystery of Iniquity will be discover'd and laid in the Dust. CHAP. XIX Concerning true Charity or Love TRue spiritual Saints in God's Gospel-Spirit call'd Love are the only right Performers of all Duty to God and their Fellow-Creatures therein They have a right Love to all Men not known to be fix'd in Enmity to God and them and a peculiar Brotherly Kindness to the Houshold of Faith Christ's and their spiritual Brethren Yet are none reckon'd by Men in their own Wordly Life and Wisdom at best so universally uncharitable as reckoning all below their spiritual Principle of true Life to be in great danger of Damnation Men in the restor'd Life Wisdom and Righteousness of their own Spirits are ready to say to them as the Disciples said to Christ himself Who then can be sav'd at all Are all Mankind damn'd both corrupt and righteous This amazing Truth renders Saints in all appearance the most uncharitable of all Men. If all the World wonder after the Beast and worship the Dragon that gives Power to his Human Beast his false Prophets and Apostles in their Wordly First-Creation Principles at best all Righteousness and Wisdom of Man what a most uncharitable censorious Creature must the true Saint appear to be Rev. 13. 3-7 If all that dwell on the Earth fix and set up for entring into the Kingdom of Heaven in but their own Earthly Life in which none can ever enter thereinto what must Christ's few in the narrow way whose Names are written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the Foundation of the World be accounted v. 8. They that are of the World in but the Earthly Life of the first Creation preach up that in the Righteousness Wisdom and Glory of it as a state of eternal Life and the World all in that Principle hear and own their Doctrine as God's Gospel-Truth We are of God says Iohn he that knoweth God heareth us he that is not of God heareth not us 1 Joh. 4. 5 6. What is Man's Wisdom like to say to this You are in the right Principle for Salvation and all short thereof or contrary thereto in a delusive Perswasion doing saying and worshipping they know not what This is your most presumptuous uncharitable and unwarrantable Opinion of others and a justifying your selves as
A Wakening Call OR An Alarm from Heaven TO THE Wise and Foolish Virgins WHEREIN The Vices of this Age is laid open and bewail'd the Subtilty of Satan discover'd in his Temptations in several Particulars I. As to Original Sin II. As to the Love of the World III. As to the Danger of Ignorance IV. As to the Evil of Pride c. Likewise There is discovered the Nature of Regeneration or the New Birth in several Particulars I. The Nature of Union to Christ. II. The Nature of True Faith III. The Nature of True Repentance IV. Christian Carriage commended V. The Glory of the New-Ierusalem Open'd From a Minister in the Country to a Minister in the City for the Publication A Verse may find him who a Sermon flys And turn Delight into a Sacrifice Herbert's Temple p. 1. LONDON Printed for the Author and Sold by Will. Marshall at the Bible in Newgate-street and Iohn Marshall at the Bible in Grace-Church-street MDCXCVIII CHAP. I. Concerning the purely Divine Nature and Things thereof 1. GOD in his Divine Nature was infinitely blessed in the Sight and Enjoyment of himself from all Eternity above and beyond all possibility of Addition or Diminution to his Blessedness by any thing meer Creatures Angels or Men good or bad can ever be think say or do to all Eternity yea even Creature-nature in the Mediator's wonderful compounded Person set up by the immediate Divine Hand though by unchangeable personal Union with the Divine Nature all one incomprehensible God adds not to the infinite Blessedness of the Divine Nature but was set up from the Beginning and possess'd by the Lord in the beginning of his Way towards the Creation of Angels and Men Prov. 8. 22 23. This was the Beginning of the Creation of God Revel 3. 14. Divine Nature had no Beginning The whole Creature-part in Christ's Person Root and exalted Branch adds not to the Glory of the Divine Nature but was set up in reference to the twofold Creation of Angels and Men natural and spiritual and as the Means to let down the Visions of the Divine Glory at second-hand with safety to the spiritual Sight Understanding and Enjoyment of blessed Angels and Men in their new-created Capacities 2. In the Divine Nature the Divine Essence and Form are the infinite Divine Father and Son The Divine Form Image or Glory of the Divine Essence is the Son thereof by eternal and ineffable Generation very God of very God in the most absolute Sense co-equal and co-eternal with the Father both are one Infinite Incomprehensible Divine Being But the Divine Essence is not the Form nor Form the Essence The Three distinct invisible Powers in the Divine Essence or Father did from all Eternity shine forth in the divine Form or Son to God's own infinite Understanding Enjoyment and Delight The same three are therein the immediate Object of Sight and Enjoyment to the whole Creature-part of the Mediator Root and exalted Branch as in unchangeable personal Union with the Divine Glory or Form in him but are never so to any meer Creatures blessed Angels or Saints to all Eternity in Heaven They can never so approach unto or see and enjoy the Divine Light or Glory immediately as he does 1 Tim. 6. 15 16. Mat. 11. 27. Iohn 1. 18. In with and through his heavenly Creature-Spirit as born of that which in him is God Iohn 1. 1. and therein Partakers of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. can and will they see and enjoy the Divine Glory mediately as let down to them by the exalted Creature-Son and Branch being Members of that spiritual Body his true Gospel Church to which he therein is Head Col. 1. 18. For this Purpose it pleas'd the Father or Divine Essence that even in the lowest Creature-part of the Mediator the exalted Son and Branch all Fulness should dwell all the divine and Creature-fulnesses and Perfections of his divine Form and Creature-root The Divine Essence singly and abstractedly consider'd in and by it self is absolutely invisible for ever nor will the Divine Form Glory Image or Visibility thereof and of the three that are one therein ever be the immediate Object of Sight and Enjoyment to any meer Creatures blessed Angels or Saints to all Eternity but only to the whole Creature-nature in Christ's Person Root and exalted Branch Never will any meer Creatures be found in personal Union with the Divine Nature as Creature-nature in Christ is They will never have Divine Nature an Ingredient into their personal Constitution or as the supream Principle of Life and Operation in them as some in our Days have most presumptuously and unwarrantably affirm'd for then would there be an innumerable Multitude of Christs and Gods the greater sort of Polytheism The Divine Form or Son is the Eternity the supream Heaven of Heavens the high and lofty Divine Essence or Father inhabited from all Eternity in distinction from the Creature-form Glory or Image thereof the high and holy Place or heavenly Creature-temple of immediate Divine Building Prov. 9. 1. in personal Union with the Divine inhabitant Isa. 57. 15. This heavenly Creature-Spirit House and Temple with the Life and Things of God therein was prepar'd by and within himself to be communicated in the distinct appointed Portions thereof to them that love him 1 Cor. 2. 9. because he first even from Eternity lov'd them 1 John 4. 19. These spiritual heavenly Creature-things of God communicable to Men and Angels by a new or second Creation are quite out of the reach or sight of the highest single natural Understanding of Man at best in the but restor'd first-Covenant-Law-life of the Creature given in the first Creation No intellectual Eye Ear or Heart therein can see hear perceive conceive receive own or know what to make of them Isa. 64.4 Hence does Man account them and all right Words about them Foolishness 1 Cor. 2. 9 14. Here 's the Case of Man at best in but the living Soul of the first Adam In the Life of the quickning Spirit of the second Adam and the new spiritual infallible all-discerning Understanding therein do Saints see and know all things divine and both spiritual and natural Creature-things in their proper Differences Distinctions Subordinations and Superiorities even the deep things of God 1 Cor. 2. 10. And as they have an infallible Understanding to know all things they have also therein an incorruptible Will in unchangeable Harmony with the Infinite Divine Will for the doing all things after God's own Heart In his Heavenly Creature Spirit can any rightly worship his Divine Spirit John 4. 23. In it only can any rightly perform all Duties to God and to their Fellow-Creatures All these things lie hid from and are unpracticable by Man as out of the Reach of his own Understanding and desiring or performing Power of his own Will So will he not regard look or seek after God for the Life and things hid with Christ in God Rom. 3. 11.
single and higher intuitive natural Understanding than Man's though in but the same First-Covenant Law-life of the Creature as Man He appear'd to the Angels immediately as four living Creatures that had the Likeness of a Man Ezek. 1.5 the comprehensive Sum of all changeable First-Creation-Being and Life The word Man comprehends all Every individual Man is a Microcosm or lesser World having all found in the Macrocosm or greater without him and something more peculiar to himself He has Being an earthy Body with Elements and all inanimate Simples or Compounds a threefold Life or Spirit of Lives Gen. 2. 7. Vegetable with Grass Herbs Trees c. a Life of Sense with Birds Beasts Fishes and creeping things an intellectual Exercise of the Life of his natural Spirit above and without the Body while in it with Angels but inferiour to them therein Then besides all this has he the rational Exercise of his natural Understanding by bodily Organs not found in any Parts of the greater World Angels or Beasts The four living Creatures by which Christ represented himself to the Angels had the Face or Likeness of a Man And they are call'd again and again the or one living Creature Ezek. 1.20,21 10. 15 17 20. The good Angels figur'd by Wheels or Chariots Psal. 68. 17. follow'd this Head fully Whithersoever his Spirit was to go they went and turned not or looked back as they went Ezek. 1. 17 20. The Reason hereof was the Spirit of the living Creature was in the Wheels v. 20 21. a Seed of his spiritual Life was in them Hence when the four living Creatures with the Face of a Man did let down their Wings the said Angelical Wheels did let down their Wings v. 24. In Passive Obedience to the Divine Will and Conformity to Christ's Death of the first Creation they ceas'd from the mortal Life of their own Spirits given them in their first Creation and from the Exercise of their own fallible Understandings and corruptible Wills therein which are the mystical Wings by which natural Angels and Men flie abroad in this perishing World to view and place their Thoughts and Affections on what seems desirable to them in order to pick up a true Happiness to themselves where it never is to be found While Man thus rambles and flies abroad for a self-pleasing delusive Happiness amongst the Delights of the Sons of Men he never looks or seeks after God and his heavenly Creature-life and Things the peculiar Delights of the Sons of God These heavenly Creature-things offer'd by a new Creation are out of the Reach of all single natural Understanding of Man 1 Cor. 2. 9. and the only way for attaining them is most contrary to his natural Will The Death and Loss of both and all is the appointed way in God's Wisdom whose Thoughts and Ways are not as Man 's but quite contrary about their true Salvation Isa. 55. 8 9. When the good Angels had let down their Wings importing a perfect Rest and Cessation from the Labours or Exercise of their own Spirits Wills and Understandings a Voice from the Firmament over their Heads calls them out of the said Death of Nature into a living spiritual Faith working by love to Christ as seen by them the Man upon a Throne as exalted Son and Branch in his heavenly Creature-life Hereby were they actually possess'd of eternal Life and infallibly sure of being compleated therein in God's time They patiently waited with a holy kind of Impatience well-pleasing to God also in longing Desires and Pantings after the actual Gift of the Holy Ghost or Gospel-Spirit of the Man they saw upon his Throne therein They with Old-Testament-Saints waited four thousand Years for this promis'd unspeakable Gift which was not given to either or any of them till Christ was ascended in our Nature Iohn 7.39 But as inseparably united therewith by a living spiritual Faith working by Love thereto they all had a good Report with God as well-pleasing and acceptable to him though they had not receiv'd his promis'd Holy Ghost Heb. 11. 39. All along the said four thousand Years the good Angels with Old-Testament-Prophets and other Saints desir'd to pry look into and consider what time the Spirit of Christ in them as enjoy'd by a spiritual Faith therein did signify when it testified before-hand the Sufferings of Christ and the Glory that should follow with the Holy Ghost sent down from Heaven and clear Gospel-preaching experienc'd therein 1 Pet. 1. 10-12 On this account the good Angels had Cause of Rejoicing at the Birth of Christ in our Nature as their own concern as well as Man 's though not in reference to Sin For they never sinn'd at all nor were in danger of ever sinning after their first change from Nature to Grace They rejoic'd also on behalf of Mankind who are all born Sinners The high Joy of the good Angels on these Accounts at Christ's Birth is recorded Luke 2. 8-14 By the first Demeanour of the good Angels is implied the contrary Behaviour of the evil ones The good follow'd Christ their Head the evil ones turn'd from their true Head as they went or were going a while with the good under the same Light Satan made himself a contrary opposite Head to Christ and with his Tail drew a third part of the Angels Revel 12. 4. signified by Stars Iob 38. 7. into the same Condition with himself under him as their Head in the self-chosen earthly Life of the first Creation in unchangeable Enmity to God and his heavenly Life offer'd them by a second As thus it was with the evil Angels so too oft with Men. Under high spiritual enlightning Gifts many that have gone a while with Gospel-Saints after Christ as their Head finding his Cross or the Death-work of his heavenly on their earthy Spirit to be pass'd under in order to be married to him as risen from the Dead they turn away from him under Satan's Witch-crafts Gal. 3. 1 3. to set up for themselves in their holy Flesh or righteous Life given them in their first Creation in unchangeable Enmity to God and his holy Gospel-Spirit offer'd by a second So Satan as God and Prince of this World brings them under his Influence by which he renders them the most enrag'd Antichristian Enemies of Gospel-Saints and Truths 1 Iohn 2. 19. A third part of the Angels will perish for ever Of Mankind the many in the broad easy self-pleasing Way to Hell out-number Christ's few in the narrow Way to Heaven though they also out of all Generations will be a numberless Multitude Revel 7. 9. CHAP. V. A short Review of the four preceding Chapters by way of Recapitulation CHAP. 1. God infinitely blessed from all Eternity Chap. 2. Determin'd to create Angels and Men to give them immortal Spirits and to put into them a mortal Life in their first-creation to be call'd their own with all the things thereof their own Righteousness Wisdom Works Fruits c. but
all mortal and to be done away for ever He therefore determin'd to set up in personal Union with his Divine Nature a Creature-Spirit of originally eternal Life and render it communicable to Men and Angels by a new Creation of them The former rendred them but mystical Trees of Good and Evil. The latter makes them particular Trees of Life under and with Christ. God hereby works all their works in them Isa. 26. 12. and they in him Iohn 3. 21. The Leaves of such Trees never wither every thing they do therein prospers Psal. 1.3 All good Works or Fruits done or brought forth by them in the former at best are nothing to God Hos. 10. 1. Iob 35. 7 8. nor of any avail for their ever entring into his Kingdom but only a new Creature Gal. 6. 15. The most restor'd Life and Righteousness of Man preach'd up and warranted for Salvation is Man's Dream under Satan's Witch-crafts all their delusive Doctrine therein Chaff Psal. 1.4 And what 's this Chaff to the Wheat the Gospel-Doctrine Words and Things of God Ier. 23. 28. Chap. 3. 1. In pursuance of God's twofold Purposes for a twofold Creation of Angels and Men the first of the Divine Three call'd Father did produce beget and set up a creature-Creature-spirit of immortal Holiness of the same Name in the Creature-part of the Mediator with its Divine Producer Father 2. The Second the Word caus'd the said Creature-root to bring forth a Branch in the Fountain-purity of all mortal First-creation Being and Life that was to be set up in Angels and Men by a first Creation 3. The Third the Holy Gost by its peculiar Operation brought the Creature-Father and Son into unchangeable personal Union and so the whole Creature-nature in the Mediator into unchangeable Union with his Divine Nature The Creature-Son and Branch thus exalted was the immediate Creator of all things in both Creations or Worlds natural and spiritual Heb. 1. 1 2. Chap. 4. 1. Thus were the Works determin'd of God to be set up in Angels and Men by a first Creation finish'd in the Mediator by the right Use of all in order to the second Heb. 4. 3. 2. Herein was the exalted Son and Branch the living WORD and Book of God in which were written the Names of all the Elect that are to be conform'd to him in the like Death of the first Creation and Resurrection into the Life given by a second 3. The exalted Branch or living WORD of God gave Angels and Men their Being and Life by a first Creation as the immediate Hand of God for it 4. He was therein the infallible Mouth of God to declare his whole Counsel to them for the right Use of all given them in their first Creation in order to the second 5. He was therein the High-Priest of God to perform the like Death-work on them as had pass'd upon himself by the Original Melchisedec his Creature-root and Father 6. And lastly He was the ready prepar'd infallible Pattern for them to follow out of the mortal earthly Life of the first Creation into the immortal and heavenly by a second as the only Means and Way to find the Salvation of Heaven or scape the Damnation of Hell CHAP. VI. Concerning the Trinity THE three distinct Powers in the Divine Essence or Father shining forth from all Eternity in the Divine Form or Son consider'd separately in each or jointly in both are call'd Father Word and Holy Ghost 1 John 5. 7. The one of these is not the other in the Divine Father or Son The word Father as the Divine Essence is call'd in distinction from the Divine Form or Son is of a very differing Consideration from the same Word as signifying the first of the Divine Three in both So the word Son as signifying the Divine Form is of a very differing Signification from the same Word as signifying the Second of the Divine Three in Father and Son The like may be said of the Third of the Divine Three the Holy Ghost in Father and Son of distinct Significancy from what the Divine Father and Son jointly together are so call'd as the one Infinite Divine Being The Three distinct Divine Powers in the Divine Father and Son do beget and set up their distinct secondary Record or Witness of themselves in a Creature-Form distinct from the Divine Form The whole Creature-nature of the Mediator Root and Branch is call'd Earth in distinction from the Divine Form in him the supream Heaven of Heavens Their threefold Witness in Earth is signified by Spirit Water and Blood 1 John 5.8 The same Three that are One in the Divine Nature agree in compleating the one Mind of all Three in the Earth or whole Creature-nature of the Mediator The Witness of the First of the Divine Three is Spirit a Creature-spirit of originally immortal Holiness and eternal Life The Witness of the Second is call'd Water signifying the Creature-Son and Branch in the Fountain-purity of all mortal Being and Life design'd to be set up in Angels and Men by a first Creation Blood signifies the Death of that as first-born of every Creature in order to its Resurrection into the originally unchangeable Life of its Root and Father and therein first-born from the dead In by and through this Creature-form do the three in the Divine let down the Vision of themselves to the spiritual Sight and Enjoyment of Angels and Men and by such Transactions therein do notify to both the only Means and Way for their true Blessedness by the Death and Loss of all Life and Things receiv'd by them in the mortal First-Covenant Law-life of the first Creation in order to ascend into and receive his originally immortal new and everlasting Covenant Gospel-life by a second communicated to them by the exalted Son and Branch as first-born from the dead and therein the immediate Performer of the one Will of the Divine Three in both Creations and in dealing with all Angels and Men Good and Bad in final Love or Wrath to all Eternity accordingly as they submit or refuse to submit to the Terms of receiving the Life offer'd by a second Thus was the Foundation laid within God himself in the Creature-part of the Mediator for rendring the three that are one in the Divine Nature discernable and enjoyable to blessed Saints and Angels in their spiritual new-Creation Capacities Man's highest Wisdom and Understanding sees not the heavenly Creature-things of God by which only the Divine Three can be known 1 Cor. 2.9 So all his Conceptions Thoughts and Words about the Trinity can be but implicite random-Conjectures and Discourses not seeing or knowing what he says The immediate discernable Objects of Man's highest natural Understanding are but the mortal Life and Things of the first Creation by which they ought to conclude and may know there is an eternal Power and Godhead but see nor that nor his heavenly Creature-things immediately Rom. 1. 20 21. 1 Cor. 2. 9. Isai. 66.
Purgatory cleansing them from all Filth of Flesh and Spirit and God's way of bringing them into the never-sinning Life and everlasting Righteousness of his Spirit of Grace and Truth Man in his own Spirit Will and Way at best has no right Knowledg of the true God or God of this World the Devil or what the Heaven or Hell-part of the eternal World to come amount unto so on he goes in the delusive Pleasures of this Mortal World and Things thereof literal or mystical within the reach of his natural Understanding without any looking after God for his Spiritual Heavenly Eternal New-Covenant Life and Things without which 't is impossible to find the Salvation of Heaven or scape the Damnation of Hell The Death of Man's Spirit at best in but the restor'd first-Covenant Life of the Creature is the only way to find the Life of the Creator in the second The living Soul of the first Adam has nothing but what Death will swallow up into Victory The Life of the quickning Spirit of the second Adam will swallow up all Deaths into Victory 1. Cor. 15. 53 54. The deepest Reason and highest Wisdom of Man in a first-Covenant righteous Life is by Death and total loss thereof the only way to find all again by way of Resurrection the very Reason Wisdom and Righteousness of God in the quickning Spirit of the second Adam Paul obediently parted with all the former for the latter Phil. 3. 6-11 God challenges the Disputers of this World standing up with Confidence in defence of their own Reason and Wisdom to produce their strong Reasons against him and see what all will amount unto Isa. 41. 21. 'T is Man's true Interest and greatest Reason to give up his own Reason and Wisdom for God's Iob was a while at this disputing Trade of Man against God as Elihu charges him Iob 34. 35-37 At this work we find him under the Cross challenging the Almighty to answer his strong Reasons in Self-defence and for his Justification in the Life wherein he had been eminently righteous Iob 19. 6-11 30. 1-10 31.35 When Christ told any that enquir'd after eternal Life the parting with all they have or can do in their own Spirit was necessary to the finding Eternal Life in his away they went and walk'd no more with him Mat. 19. 16-22 Mark 10. 17-22 Luke 10. 25. 18. 18-23 Iohn 6. 66. All Words of Man's Wisdom are without any true Knowledg a darkening the Counsels of God's Wisdom as to Man 's eternal Concerns Iob that had been confident in the former acknowledg'd what God charg'd him with Iob 38. 1 2. when in the latter Iob 42.3 I utter'd that I understood not things too wonderful for me which I knew not so darken'd the Counsel of God by Words without Knowledg He that contends with and reproves the Almighty can he answer it Job 40. 2. CHAP. XV. The Mystery of Cain and Abel Ishmael and Isaac Esau and Jacob. CAin Ishmael and Esau were sad Types of all those that with them follow Satan's whole Counsel in his Mystery of Iniquity preferring the Law-life of the Creature in the first Creation to the Gospel-life of the Creator offer'd by a second Abel Isaac and Iacob were the joyful happy Types and Patterns in their Persons and Principles of those that follow obey and declare the whole Counsel of God in the Mystery and Power of Godliness for the Salvation of Men and preventing their Damnation All fix'd in the former under Satan unchangably hate and persecute the latter In their holy Flesh Righteousness of Man they fight against God's holy Gospel-spirit and Righteousness of God in true spiritual Saints There 's for a time something of the Cain Ishmael and Esau even in Saints not only fighting and warring against the true Abels Isaacs and Iacobs Paul's Case before his Gospel-Conversion Acts 26. 9-11 but also against the Gospel-Spirit and Principle of Life Desire Thought and Action in themselves after This also Paul experienc'd after an eminent Apostolical Gospel-Saint Rom. 7. 15 19. And he warns other Saints to expect the like Civil War and Contests within them between their fleshly and Christ's spiritual Mind in them till Nature in the thinking and desiring Powers thereof their own fallible Understandings and corruptible Wills therein be fully crucified and silenc'd in order to their living and walking in the undisturb'd infallible Understanding and incorruptible Will of Christ's Gospel-Spirit of Grace and Truth Gal. 5. 17. Till this War be over and Victory over the Carnal Mind of Nature at best compleated are Saints to be continually fighting the Battels of the Lord against the Foes of their own House or Hearts the most dangerous Enemies within them tho not more subtle and potent than Enemies without evil Angels and Men till they come to live and walk wholly in the Spirit of God their Gospel-Principle and mean while to strive continually more and more so to walk ver 25. As to Enemies without the highest Rank of Professors in but First-Covenant Principles fix'd there in the restor'd Law-Life and Righteousness of Man with Confidence therein for entring into the Kingdom of God these Cains Ishmaels and Esaus are the fiercest Persecutors of true Gospel-Saints in the partaken of Life of Christ's Heavenly Creature-Spirit of Grace and Truth and verily think they do God Service therein Isa. 66. 5. Iohn 16. 2. So thought Paul once Acts 26. 9-11 Paul singles out the particular History of Isaac and Ishmael in this Point Gal. 4. 22-31 Self-confident First-Covenant Ishmaels mock and scoff at true Spiritual Isaacs all along this World Gen. 21. 9. And even Abraham Father of the Faithful was griev'd and loth to part with his Ishmael ver 11. when Sarah as Figure of the New-Covenant Spirit requir'd it and God in Confirmation of her most just Desire and Advice requir'd the same v. 12. Iohn declares the same thing figur'd in Cain and Abel and in them the murdering Mind of Enmity in a fix'd self-confident first-Covenant visible People of God in holy Flesh Law-Righteousness of Man against an invisible People of God in their Gospel-Life and Righteousness hid with Christ in God Col. 3. 3. Cain slew his Brother because his own Works were evil and his Brother 's righteous 1 John 3. 12. He was of that wicked one born of and in unchangeable Union with the Devil in the first Creation and with him in unchangeable Enmity to God and true Saints in the second Cain's Works in the Law-life of the first in his own Law-Spirit of Works are in Man's Day of Judgment the only good and righteous Works and his Words of Man's Wisdom the only right Words for Salvation and all true Abel's Works and their Words of God's Wisdom in his New-Covenant gospel-Gospel-Spirit contemptible and blasphemous Christ himself found this murdering Mind of Cain in the most enlighten'd righteous professing first-Covenant teaching and professing Jews unchangeable Enmity to his Gospel-Spirit and whole
the only true People of God The First-Covenant righteous teaching and professing Jews said to Christ they were born of God and that he had a Devil and was mad Joh. 8.48 and 10.20 and 8. 52. Now we know that thou hast a Devil Here 's the Language of a First-Covenant People fix'd in their own Earthly Spirit concerning Christ himself and his Followers by the Death of that into the Life of his Heavenly his Holy Ghost they call the Devil While the God of this World passes for the true God with any what other Language can be expected from them If the World hate you says Christ ye know that it hated me before it hated you Joh. 15. 18. It was the highest Rank of Men in the Worldly Spirit a righteous visible People of God that contradicted blasphem'd and murder'd Christ himself What can his true Followers expect His chusing them out of the World his transforming them by death of their own Earthly Spirits and Resurrection into the Life of his Heavenly will render them hateful to all fix'd in their own Earthly ver 19. True Saints in Christ's Gospel-Spirit can answer that Command of God in Sincerity and Truth Mat. 5. 44. Love their Enemies c. They can truly forgive other Mens Trespasses against them These are Commands too hard for Man in his own Nature and Spirit at best to answer The right performing them is an infallible Evidence of their being born of God's Heavenly Creature-Spirit or Holy Ghost ver 45. They that pray God would forgive their Trespasses against him as they forgive others Trespasses against them in case they do not so forgive others they pray in effect God would not forgive them Mat. 6. 14 15. True Saints on all accounts are truly and universally the only right Performers of all Duties to God and their Fellow-Creatures by a true universal Charity or Love to all Men not fix'd in Enmity to God Such 't is their Duty in Union of Mind with God to hate with a perfect Hatred Psal. 139. 21 22. Christ himself said of our Nature in the Fountain-Purity of it I can of my self do nothing John 5. 30. The only doing Principle for everlasting well-pleasing active Obedience to the Divine Will in me and my Followers is my Heavenly Creature Gospel-Spirit of Grace and Truth Against this Spirit of Truth God permits Satan to carry on his Mystery of Iniquity by transforming his Earthly into the likeness of Christ's Heavenly Creature-Spirit that 's God's House and as sitting in that Temple of God shewing himself to be God And then are his Ministers preaching up the Righteousness of Man only for eternal Life transform'd into the likeness of the Gospel Ministers of the Righteousness of God 2 Cor. 11. 13-15 They dress up Satan's and their Earthly with all the Titles belonging to Christ's Heavenly Spirit and are receiv'd and own'd beyond all Dispute and Question as true Ministers of the Gospel Where Satan in and by his Party among Men sits on the Judgment-Bench Rev. 2. 13. and Gospel-Saints forc'd to stand at the Bar all right Gospel-words for their Defence will be reckon'd matter of Condemnation to them without any need of other Witnesses against them Christ himself was thus handled He has spoken Blasphemy says the High-Priest What think ye Guilty of Death say the Iews as his Jury on which they did spit in his Face and smite him saying Prophesy unto us thou Christ who is he that smote thee Mat. 26. 65-68 They not only condemn'd but ridicul'd him in their proceeding towards the murdering of him This did they to him who had that Spirit in him which created all Angels and Men. True Saints give no ground for any to despair of Salvation who are not guilty of the unpardonable Sin against the Holy Ghost in a fix'd wilful unchangeable Enmity to the Gospel-Spirit of God They also endeavour by all Condescensions Ways and Means to bring them into the Knowledg and right owning of Christ's Gospel-Truth in which alone any can be sav'd Final Refusers of their Gospel-Counsels will persecute them for their Pains as has been experienc'd in all Times And we are now drawing near to yea are in the worst of Times since Noah's Flood under the permitted Exercise of Satan's great Rage because he knows he has but a short time to the finishing of his Reign over Mankind Rev. 12. 12. All manner of Wickedness encreases and abounds more and more continually such Wars Tumults and Confusions of all sorts as now are have not been the usual Experience of former days All tends to the running down the present Generation towards that Midnight-darkness a State in which Christ declares that at his second Coming he shall find the World at near the same pass Mankind were found in at the Flood Mat. 24. 37-39 Luke 18. 8. Under all these Discouragements Saints have an infallible fore-head-Sight what Matters will come to on all Hands at the winding up of all in the final Love or Wrath of God Then the unwarrantable Charity of Men warranting Salvation and Peace with God in a Principle where never to be found will be sadly and remedilesly experienc'd by themselves and their blinded Followers to have been the leading their Hearers into everlasting Destruction with themselves Then all Persons and Things all Words and Doctrines will be call'd by the right Names Under Satan's permitted Reign all things in Religion and the Worship of God have been call'd by wrong Names all along this World and will more and more confidently be so call'd to the full ending thereof In these last Days and near approach of the second Coming of our Lord will there be more Scoffing at any such thing and a more universal Disregard and Denial of the Spirit he will come in than ever 2 Pet. 3. 3 4. CHAP. XX. The Conclusion of this whole Treatise shewing the Security of true Saints all along this troublesom confounded World wherein God never suffers the Rulers of this dark World Devils or Men to do any thing to them in their implacable Malice but what his infinite Wisdom and Power over-rules into a constant Conducibleness to their greatest Good This with many other things are the Matters of this Concluding Chapter TRUE Saints have God and Christ himself on their Side in a Partnership with them under all the Blasphemous Contradictions of Men to their Words of God's Wisdom Words which the Holy Ghost his gospel-Gospel-spirit in them teaches In Blaspheming such Words they blaspheme Christ himself and God Most High Christ say'd to such as search'd the Scriptures in but their own Understandings and thought they had eternal Life in such Obedience as was performable by them in the restor'd Life of their own law-Law-spirit of Works ye will not come to me the living Word of God for my Gospel-life of Grace and Truth in which only any can be sav'd or enter into my Kingdom Iohn 5.39,40 From the same infallible Mouth of God we have a yet