God of their own reason onely with all their rebellions against it shall be that dreadful Judge sitting in their fleshly consciences with an eccho of everlasting torments in utter darkness 6 Thus in some measure I have been made to declare unto my spiritual yea and fleshly brethren also the sudden glorious and dreadful appearing of the most high and mighty God-man sitting on the Throne of his Glory with his elect Angels to judge both the quick and dead according to his own sayings in Holy Writ 7 And now as a conclusion unto this Epistle I shall speak a few words to all that may peruse it in the name and power of our Lord Jesus by whose most blessed spirit I was inspiringly moved to write it 8 My beloved Brethren that hath the least hopes in you of a glory to come I confess through unusualness of such a language many sayings in this book may seem to your reason very absurd at the first 9 But if the light of life eternal qualifie you with a meek and patient spirit they may be as plain and easie to your understanding at the last as the Lord hath made them to me his poor despised messenger 10 I know if I were an University man possessing perishing wealth or honor among Princes your rational spirits would be as subject to erre on the right hand as now they are on â—he left 11 O forget not that the wisdom of God seeth it most advantagious for his glory to choose base and despised things to confound the honorable and eloquent things of this vain glorious world 12 Again if some men should say unto me that I have written many sayings without book concerning the creaâ—ion of Angels and such like I would fain know of them wheâ—her Moses had any books by him when he wrote of the creation of this world and the things therein 13 Though the holy Prophets Christ and the Apostles aluded sometimes to the former Prophetical writings to convince gain-sayers yet you know they spake by inspiration of the eternal spirit onely according to that saying in holy Writ All Scriptures was given by inspiration and holy men of old spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost 14 Moreover if you should ask me how shall you know whether I write by true inspiration or no as to that if you had the spirit of the Scriptures no man could deceive you 15 Furthermore unless you have a light in you that can clearly convince me of error in my Epistle in questioning the truth of my writings you also question the truth of Holy Writ 16 If I should write nothing but what is exactly set down in the Scriptures I should then write nothing at all because they are other mens works and you have them already besides many eloquent men to play upon the harp of those records very harmoniously unto your carnal ears which godliness of theirs is very gainful unto many of them as you well know 17 If I should write nothing but what is recorded in Holy Writ there would be no need of any other witness to prove me a lyar but my book onely and so I should be bound together in a bundle of literal tares and burnt with unquenchable fire at the appearing of the Son of Man in his glory with hâ—s mighty Angels because I have declared my self sent forth by voice from the Lord of Glory himself to demonstrate some secrets to his chosen ones that hath not been revealed since the world began 18 And now I desire no other witness to bear record in the consciences of men to this Epistle whether it be truth or no but the everliving Jehovah or eternal spiritual Jesus himself with all his holy Angels Even so come Lord Jesus come quickly Amen Amen John Reeve and Lodowick Muggleton the two last immediate Commissionated Witnesses or Prophets by the eternal Spirit of the man Jesus glorified in the Throne of Eternity which is far above all Gods Heavens Angels and Men. FINIS
or glory at all and hell or misery must be essentially distinct from heaven or glory or else there can be no certain hell or misery at all 40 Moreover the glorious person of the divine Majesty himself must of necessity be essentially distinct from men angels heaven earth and all in them or elâ—e it were impossible that there should be any God or angels men or devils heaven or hell or any thing else besides but accidental things proceeding from those four elements of earth air water and fire as all filthy Atheists vainly and blindly imagine 41 But my beloved spiritual brethren you have not so learned Christ or received the truth of the ever-living Jesus into your innocent souls to abide in any such foolish darkness 42 Wherefore for your confirmation chiefly is this Epistle written that you may be enabled to discern the lying notions and fleshly voluntary wilâ—-worship in man contending against the secret decrees of the Holy One of Israel 43 Furthermoâ—e because many of the elect of God are as yet in bonds by the exceeding subtilty of many silver-roule merchants of this perishing world therefore I shall endeavor to confirm what is written from a cloâ—d of un-erring Witnesses my spiritual Brethren the foâ—mer true Prophets and Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ wherefore it was saiâ— by our God which is Christ Jesus the Lord that heaven and eaâ—th shall pass away but his words shall not pass away 44 Again it is written That he made all things for his own glory and the wicked for the day of wrath Also it is written That Jacob was loved and Esau was hated before they had done good or evil that the purpose of God might remain according to election For he saith to Moses I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and will have compassion on whom I will have compassion So then it is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercy Further it is written But O man who art thou which pleadest against God shall the thing formed say to him that formed it whâ— hast thou made me thus hath not the Potter power over the clay to make of the same lamp one vessel to honour and another to dishonour what if God would to shew his wrath and to make his power known suffer with long paâ—ience the vessels of wrath prepared to destruction and that he might declare the riches of his glory upon the vessels of mercy which he hath pâ—epared unto glory Rom 9. And in Rom. 8. it is thus written Also we know that all things work togeâ—her for the bâ—st unto them that love God even to them that are called of his purpose for those which he knew before he also predestinated to be made lâ—ke to the image of his Son moreovâ—r whom he predestinated thâ—m also he called and whom he called them also he justified and whom he justified them also he glorified Again in the first Epistle of Peter it is thus written Wherefore also it is contained in the Scripture Behold I lay in Sion a chief corner stone elect and precious and he that believeth therein shall not be ashamed unto you therefore which believe it is precious but unto them that be disobedient the stone which the builders dâ—salowed the same is made the head of the corner and a stone to stumble at and a rock of offence even to them which stumble at the word being disobedient unto the which thing they were even ordained But ye are a chosen Generation a royal Friesthood an holy Nation a People set at liberty that ye should shew forth the vertues of him that hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous lâ—ght Moreover in the Epistle of Jude are these word For there are certain men crept in whâ—ch were before of old ordained to this condemnation ungodly men they are whiâ—h turn the grace of God into wantoness and deny God the onely Lord and our Lâ—rd Jesus Christ they are the raging waves of the sea foaming out their own shame they are wandring stars â—o whâ—m is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever Again For if God spared not the angels that had sinned but cast them down to hell and delâ—vered them into chains of darkness to be kept unto dâ—mâ—ation what will become of all those angâ—lical fleshly hypocrâ—tes which bless themselves in their unrighteousness and cursedly contend for it even against the holy God elect men and angels and their own consciences which will become their eternal chief Accomptant in the great day 45 Again as a conclusion unto what is written aforesaid I shall write something concerning the Scriptures themselves 46 My spiritual brethren can you possibly think that those men as yet have received the spiritual truth of the true God which idolize the visible Records and worship them in stead of that holy Spirit in our Lord Jesus Christ which spake them 47 Again did ever any man attain to a true understanding of that Holy One of Israel by any endeavor whatsoever from the bare letter of the Scripture 48 It is written The letter killeth but the Spirit giveth life Again it is written That the Scriptures are sufficient to make the man of God wise unto salvation 49 My brethren can any man be a godly man or a man of God unless he hath the spiritual light of life eternal to enable him to understand the minde of God in the Records and so believe unto immortality CHAP. VI. 1 Of the Scripture Records 2 Of the ignorance of men that deifie or villifie them 3 The Prophets Prayer in the conâ—lusion IS there any testimony in Scâ—iptures that ever any man of God received the true faith of the spiritual Jesus in him from the letter of the Scripture or could possibly know whether those literal Records proceeded from the wisdom of God or from the wisdom of prudent men onely unless he were inspired from that spirit which spake them In the third of the Galatians it is thus written O foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you that ye should not obey the truth This onely would I learn of you Received ye the spirit by the workes of the Law or by the hearing of faith preached Are ye so foolish that after ye have begun in the spirit ye would now be made perfect by the flesh 2 My spiritual brethren is it not a work of the flesh in man which studies day and night in the letter of the Scripture to finde out the spirit of God in the letter 3 Is it not a work of the flesh in man which labours to reconcile Scriptures of seeming contradiction without a divine gift of the spirit 4 Is not that man in the depth of spiritual darkness which perswadeth his hearers that the Scriptures are easie and plain in the very letter of them unto that mans reason that is laborious to know them 5 Are not the Scriptures all matters of faith and very misterious for
the most part how then can any man comprehend spiritual misteries which are eternal by his natural perishing reason 6 Is not the most piercingst reason in man onely natural And can that which is natural comprehend that which is spiritual 7 Are they not as contrary as fire and water or as light and darkness How then can any man by his natural reason understand any thing that is spiritual It is written But the natural man perceiveth not the things of God because they are spiritually discerned but he that is spiritual discerneth all things yet he himself is judged of no man Again is is written Now we have received not the spirit of the world but the spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are given to us of God which things also we speak not in the words which mans wisdom teacheth but which the Holy Ghost teacheth comparing spiritual things with spiritual 8 My beloved brethren you may see that the Apostles came not to understand spiritual things by their study in the writings of Moses and the Prophets but by a gift from the Holy Ghost they were enabled in a great measure to comprehend the invisible things of God which they should enjoy in the resurrection of the just 9 Moreover you know that the Apostle Paul before his conversion was a very able man in the letter of Moses and the Prophets yea and according to the letter blameless in his conversation yet for all that in zeal towards an unknown God he persecuted the spirit of that letter through ignorance of that second man which was the Lord from heaven 10 T is truth that when the Apostles preached the spiritual things of eternity they alluded unto Moses and the true Prophets because some of those mysteries were fore-prophesied of by them but yet you may see that they were not instructed in those heavenly things by vertue of their prophetical letter but as beforesaid by inspiration from the holy spirit onely 11 Thus you that are spiritual may clearly see that no man by his natural reason and study in the letter of the Scripture can ever be established in the truth of those glorious things unto which the letter beareth record unless he hath received a spiritual gift from that glorious God that moved holy men of old to speak and write those Records of Truth 12 Therefore you may be confident that those men which ignorantly call the Letter Spirit as yet they are not acquainted with those spiritual teachings of the things of God which many of his elect do enjoy that cannot read one letter in the Bible his divine Secrets are treasured up for the simple and the subtile learned Rationists are sent empty away 13 My beloved spiritual brethren in the glorious things of eternity though men seemingly appear never so innocent in their way is it probable think you that those men are immediately moved to speak unto the people by the spirit of God that slight all the Scripture Records as a thing of nought 14 I humbly beseech you that are sober can any man of what tongue or language soever speak or write a better or as good a language as the Scriptures are and not speak Scripture words or prove it was not the glorious God that moved the holy men of old to speak or write these Scripture records 15 Again if the most desperatest man living which saith in his heart there is no God shall commit murder or the like and should scape the vengeance of mans Laws for a season yet he cannot possibly prevent the voice of that spiritual Law within crying for vengeance from that Law without him answerable to that within him 16 Moreover though natural wise men as a nose of wax produce those Records to bear testimony unto all error whatsoever yet you that are spiritual may know that the Scriptures themselves are words of pure truth not having the least error in them but error proceeds onely from that serpentine devil in men which take upon them to interpret the Scriptures without a spiritual gift 17 Can any man that hath the spiritual power of the Scriptures in him be offended with those Records which are witnesses of his innocent life in the faces of those carnal hypocrites which for love of silver or honor prate of them onely but secretly hâ—te all obedience to them 18 Are not the literal Records a demonstration of the minde of the holy spirit unto the chosen of God which have the light of life in some measure to comprehend them 19 Moreover are not the teâ—chings of the blessed spirit more abundantly consolate to him if those heavenly breathings in him be harmonious with the commands of our Lord Jesus Christ without him 20 Can any man therefore which expects that eternal glory unto which these Scriptures above all the writings in the world bear record possibly despise the letter and yet love that Spirit from whence it came 21 Again give me leave to make one comparison in reference to this matter Suppose two friends that loved each other as their own souls had their personal residence in several kingdoms and one of them as a testimony of his real love before he passed away left behinde him a Book containing variety of sweet expressions of friendship unto the other until he come again if that man in the absence of his friend should burn that Book to ashes in stead of embracing it is that any sign of love in him to his friend afar off 22 Wherefore can any sober man imagine or think from any ground of truth that the eternal spirit of the true Jesus upon any account did ever command any man to burn those Records which are a Remonstrance of the wonderful spiritual transactions of the most high and holy God since the world began yea before this world was 23 O Lord God of heavenly order and not of earthly confusion even for the glory of thy dreadful names sake deliver thy redeemed ones not onely from exalting the literal Scriptures above the holy Spirit which spake them but also from disputing against the mysteriousness of them 24 Then no kinde of natural witchcrafts which bear the name of spiritual power shall have dominion over them for ever but they shall patiently wait for their change by a peaceable death or being swallowed up of life through the appearing of our onely God and Savior in the air with his mighty Angels to reward every man according to his works 25 Even so come Lord Jesus come quickly and make it manifest in the sight of men and angels whether thou hast sent us as we have declared or no. CHAP. VII 1 Of the creation of the Firmament Sun Moon and Stars 2 Of the Earth in the deep waters 3 The meaning of the word Create 4 Why the deep waters are eternal 5 By what the Firmament was formed 6 How the Sun Moon and Stars came 7 Of the distinct and fixed bodies of the Sun
fulness onely do we not all receive and grace for grace if we have any grace at all ruling in us 3 And is he not the Redeemer of his beloved people with his own blood and is he not the Judge of quick dead and was not all things made by him and for him and was there any thing made that was made without him and was he not before all things and do not all things consist in him and are not all things upheld by that Almighty word of his holy Spirit onely 4 Seeing these are undeniable words of Truth it self do not all those men that own any other God or Father or Creator above before or besides our Lord Jesus Christ deny the Holy One of Israel and imagine a cursed lie and bow down to that cursed Idol of their own invented words onely utterly denying that honor and glory due unto Jesus Christ the Creator himself 5 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is that Christ the same is that Antichrist that denieth the Father and the Son Whosoever denieth the Son the same hath not the Father he that hath the Son hath that life and he that hath not that Son of God hath not that life he that believeth in the Son of God hath the witness in himself he that believes not God hath made him a liar because he believed not the record that God witnessed of that his Son and this is the record to wit that God hath given unto us eternal life and this life is in that his Son But ye have anointment from that Holy One and know all things These literal words of truth are in the Epistles by St. John All things are given unto me of my Father and no man knoweth the Son but the Father neither knoweth any man the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son will reveal him Mat. 11. 6 Some deceived persons ignorantly hold forth a false God or Trinity which say that the infinite Majesty is a vast bodiless spirit also they call their God by a twofold name or spirits a Spirit Father and a Spirit Son and these spirits they say are in their spirits and so these three spirits being one essence make up their imaginary Trinity in Unity 7 These are those which affirm that there is no other God or Father or Creator bâ—t what is invisibly living in the Creation or in the creatures onely and if you soberly ask them whether there be a Creator and concerning the true knowledge of any such Creator you shall receive such like answers as this is 8 The Creator is an infinite incomprehensible Spirit essentially filling all things and places or they will say that a creature is utterly uncapable of any knowledge of the Creator himself but within the creatures onely or else they will tell you that not to know the Creator is the greatest knowledge of a Creator 9 Again you shall have such confusion as this from some of these high flown Atheists the Creator is all things and yet he is nothing at all and is every where and yet he is no where at all 10 If a man shall reply and say Nothing is nothing but if you grant a Creator he must be something as well as his creatures or else there can be no Creator at all 11 Further if a man shall say the Creator must of necessity be some glorious thing which is infinite in it self and distinct from all creatures as well as the creatures are distinct from one another or else you utterly deny a Creator 12 Then these men will say What is your Creator you pretend to know and where is his residence did you ever see him or such like 13 If a man shall reply That the Creator is an incomprehensible glorious person in the form of a man and that by vertue of his brightness he fills heaven and earth angels and men spiritually or naturally onely his ever blessed person is resident on a throne of infinite glory in but one place at once as the person of a man is in this world 14 Then these men are ready to villifie such a Creator as a simple weak thing or else they will say this is to confine an unknown infiniteness into a creaturely substance and such a God of a bodily appearance any way like unto themselves in the least they utterly abhor but as beforesaid a wonderful God which is uncapable of ever being seen or known by the creatures such a non-sensible infinite nothing all vain-glorious men delight to own who love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil 15 Another sort there are of these men which appear more angelical then the rest these are those which are full of expressions of heavenly Raptures through a supposed union with a Father and Son within them onely and various Songs which they call Spiritual breakings forth in them unto which hymns or natural songs mixt with many spiritual expressions in meeter or otherways they bow down their souls and ignorantly say it is the Father breathing forth those fleshly ballads through their mouthes Moreover if these notional flashes shall see any of their own fancies lying under a wounded spirit and through some extraordinary guilt crying out they have that fire of hell burning in them and are those devils which are under eternal damnation already 16 Further though their condition be like unto Cain through the eternal absence of the spirit of God speaking peace unto their outcast condition yet when these notional flashes shall come to visit their friend in this his horrid unutterable pain and shame they will speak such like empty speeches are these Come come it is very good for you that you should be thus afflicted it is a token of the fathers love unto you he will bring all men and women into your condition more or less that the glory of his mercy might shine over all or else they will say 't is the Fathers love in darkness appearing unto you if you could but see it Further they will say unto their hopeless friend wherefore do you thus torment your own soul there is but one pure being and all our spirits came forth from this Father of Spirits and in the end we shall all be swallowed up into the eternal being again wherefore then do you talk so much of eternal damnation or call your self a devil making such lamentation for your sins as if you could possibly be divided from your Fathers love or cast out of his glorious presence I boldly affirm unto you it is no such matter for there are no such devils or damnation or sins at all but in the esteem of men deceived so to think by their fellow creatures which ignorantly lord one over another from some blinde opinion in them wherefore our counsel is that you would hearken no more unto vain thoughts or motions or imaginations within you or words from any creature without you as to become so weak or foolish
then most men 3 Usually they will talk of one pure being within all men onely also if they branch forth this their pretended God unto their deceived hearers you shall hear them utter these or such like expressions Brethren be not so carnally minded as to think of a God in the form of a man sitting in a Heaven above the Stars but minde that spiritnal God in the invisible Heaven of your hearts Again they will say that spirit of the Father within you is that God of love beauty vertue with all variety of glorious perfections whatsoever if you were but once acquainted with it wherefore if fears of eternal damnation seize upon you they are apt to say it ariseth from your ignorant conceivings of a God and a Heaven at a distance Again for mannaging of this their sophistry that their deceit might not be perceived they will treat upon these and such like Scriptures Christ in you the hope of Glory know ye not that Christ is in you except ye be reprobates as he is so are we in this present world the Kingdom of Heaven is within you at that day shall ye know that I am in my Father and you in me and I in you that they all may be one as thou O Father art in me and I in thee Even that they may be also one in us he that is born of God sinneth not 4 Thus they wrest these literal Scriptures to hide their fleshly glory and subtile Hypocrifie that their eternal vengeance may exceed all mens in this age at the visible appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ with his mighty Angels 5 You that are endued with a gift of spiritual distinguishing between perishing glittering words and glorious things which are eternal if you observe these sorts of golden sophisters you shall finde that whatever scripture they treat upon they carry it in an allegorical notional mistery of nothing but meer empty words onely As for example if they speak of the persons of Cain and Abel or of the persons of the bond-woman and her son and the free-woman and her son they will bid you look within you and you may see them all there in seeming contrariety onely 6 Again if you observe these men you shall seldom or ever hear them speak of any thing after this life but they will tell you of a death and resurrection of man in this life but as concerning this mortal soul and body of ours entring into the grave or death and quickning again a new and glorious life by raysing this mortal body into a glorified condition in the visible sight of it self and presence of a personal God elect men and Angels in a kingdom of eternal glory these are riddles or uncertain things at a great distance 7 It is not a God or Christ or throne of eternal glory above the Stars which no mortal man can make visible unto mens eyes that will cloth men in plush-Jackets and feed their bodies with dainty delicacies no no the infallible truth concerning a bodily resurrection of a purified spirit unto eternal Glory and a personal appearing of an impurified soul unto everlasting shame will yeeld no such Peacocks feathers nor Dives dishes as those are the Apostles and those of the same faith with them will one day personally appear again to bear record unto this truth 8 My brethren what difference is there between those men which glory of a God Christ Heaven Word Ordinances and Salvation without them and are ignorant of the teachings of the Holy Spirit within them and those men which glory of all these heavenly things within them and yet are ignorant of that glorious personal Majesty and Throne of immortallity without them 9 Are not these men those hypocritical Pharisees and Atheistical Sadducees which indeavored to cover their nakedness with inward and outward leaves of rational words onely 10 Do not all men which confess a Creator conclude that his spirit is infinite immortal unchangeable and eternal 11 Doth not every man possess a distinct living spirit in his own body 12 Is not every man a sinner and subject to all manner of loathsome diseases of mortallity 13 Wherefore if this one pure spirit of God himself was dwelling in the body of any mortal man whatsoever is it possible think you that that man could be desirous after carnal copulation or subject unto any kind of putrifaction whatsoever 14 Who art thou then poor vain perishing clay which boasteth of possessing of a most holy immortal spirit within thee and yet canst not enjoy any life of peace in the least without a continual supply of fleshly carnalities without thee 15 Again art thou capable of possessing an infinite eternal spirit which art but a finite piece of fading dust 16 Art thou so vain in thy imagination as to think that such a changeable piece of confusion as thou art can possibly be capable to bear about thee that bright burning glorious spirit of the unchangeable God whose glory is above all heavens at whose power of a word speaking all kinde of lights within this Creation are immediately subject to enter into silent darkness as if they had never had any being 17 Again is not the glorious body of Jesus Christ in the Throne of the Father the eternal Son of God 18 And is not all the divine Godhead of the everlasting Father living and raigning in him bodily 19 And is this spirit any more then one spirit united unto that one body of glorious flesh and bone of our Lord Jesus Christ 20 And is not all the treasures of wisdom hid in this Jesus onely and is it not from his fulness that we all receive grace for grace 21 If we have any true light at all ruling in us if this be truth which none can deny but notional Atheists or bloody minded Formallists what art thou then but that outcast angellical Reprobate which doth not onely divide the Godhead spirit of Christ Jesus our Lord but impudently affirmest that thou and all of thy opinion do possess the very Godhead spirit within you 22 And not onely so but like a Devil incarnat as thou art thou cursest those that discovereth this thy horrible blasphemy 23 Again thou which carriest thy God about thee where ever thou art when thou hast breathed out thy sinful Soul and all thy light or life into silent dust or death where then is thy inward God and self become 24 But it may be thou wilt reply and say thy soul is immortal and cannot die to this lying conceit of thine I answer by way of Quere 25 Dost thou indeed believe any truth in Scripture Records 26 If thou reply thou doest then my Qâ—ere is this whether thou thinkest that the soul of Christ when he was in a body of flesh on this earth were not as immortal as any other mans is or rather immortal alone and all others mortal besides him 27 Well then if I prove that the soul of Christ died and
word Father bear the same sense 17 Doth not the word Jesus signifie a Savior and doth not the word Son bear the same sense and doth not the word Christ signifie Chrystal clearness or anointing and doth not the word Holy Ghost bear the same sense 18 If this be truth which none can gainsay but men as yet under spiritual darkness what difference is there then between the word Father Son and Holy Spirit and Lord Jesus Christ Are they not onely names words or titles in relation to the onely wise immortal invisible distinct glorious God-man blessed for ever and ever in himself and honored onely of men and angels unto whom he is made manifest 19 Though the eternal Jehovah had variety of divine Titles for the exaltation of his infinite Majesty under the legal or ceremonial worship of Moses and the Prophets was he ever own'd by any more then one name of glorious God or Holy One of Israel 20 If he had contained of three divine Persons or Spirits in coequal Godhead glory can any man be so sensless to think that he would have hid it from Moses and Aaron Abraham David and all those Prophets with whom he was so familiar in divine appearances or wonderful miracles 21 If the Most High and Mighty Jehovah was but onely one spitual person in the times of Moses and the Prophets which none can gainsay but men in Egyptian darkness are not those men at present utterly ignorant of the onely wise God which endeavor by literal violence to perswade themselves and others that the Holy One of Israel is three persons because he is called by a three-fold name in the New Testament 22 You know in Scripture a man is called soul body and spirit though he be but one person 23 Also you may know that men in highest places are called by a three-fold Title as namely Kings excellent Majesty or the like 24 Though they attribute to themselves never so many honorable Titles to manifest their earthly greatness that they might be dreadful in the spirits of earthly minded people yet you know they are but one person onely 25 So likewise though the eternal Jehovah be called by a three-fold name of Father Son Spirit or Lord Jesus Christ or though he hath never so many divine Titles attributed to him for exaltation of his infinite Majesty within the spirits of his redeemed ones yet you may know that he can be no more then one glorious being onely 26 You that are truly spiritual may know why the God of glory called himself by a three-fold name because no man by humane learning should by the letter of the Scripture truly know what the Holy One of Israel is or was that God alone might have all the praise or glory in revealing himself unto mankinde 27 Christ Jesus the Holy One of Israel called himself by a threefold name in reference to a threefold maner of appearance to his elect Israelites 28 In his first appearance unto Moses and the Prophets he was pleased to manifest himself by the Divine Titles of Jehovah the mighty God of Jacob the Holy One of Israel and such like 29 When the God of Glory abased himself in flesh in the form of a servant answerable unto that second appearance unto his chosen ones you know he called himself Jesus the Son of God the son of man the Savior and such like 30 Jesus Christ the Holy One of Israel being ascended into the throne of his former glory now in his third and last appearance he is pleased to call himself by the names of holy Ghost or Spirit because of his immediate spiritual teaching of his redeemed ones 31 Or thus the onely God may be understood a spiritual Lion in the days of Moses and the Prophets a divine Lamb in the days of Christ and the Apostles a heavenly Dove in these our days of confused darkness 32 Or thus the Holy One of Israel may be described the eternal Jehovah in the Law the eternal Jesus in the Gospel the eternal Spirit in this age 33 And yet but one onely distinct personal Majesty even from eternity to eternity 34 Though the Lord of Life and Glory commanded his Apostles to Baptize those of the Faith in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost yet you know their miracles were done by the name of the Lord Jesus Christ 35 Whatever any literal monger shall object you that are spiritual may know that the Lord Jesus Christ and Father Son and Spirit beareth but one sence 36 Jesus Christ the Holy One of Israel called himself by a threefold name of Father Son and Spirit in relation unto his threefold witness on earth in the words following which are these and there are three which bear witness in the earth the Spirit and the Water and the Blood and these three agree in one CHAP. XX. 1 No title of honor ever attributed but to a Person 2 Who it was that Christ prayed unto in the days of his flesh 3 The Creator distinct from all his Creatures 4 Of Gods Oath concerning his Transmutation into pure flesh and bone MY spiritual brethren because all true and lasting peace wholly depends upon a right understanding of the onely wise God and because most of the heirs of glory are not clear in their understandings concerning his personal Majesty though much hath been declared to that purpose in this Epistle already I shall write distinctly concerning the Creator and his immediate commissionate Messengers or Embassadors from these two threefold Scripture Records 2 You know that in Scripture Records as beforesaid a man is called by a threefold name of Soul Body and Spirit as if he contained of three distinct essences yet you know that in the originality of nature he is but one distinct personal being 3 So likewise though the onely wise God in Scripture Records be called by a threefold name of Father Son and Spirit or Lord Jesus Christ as if he contained of three distinct essences yet you which are spiritual may know that he is but onely one distinct glorious person in form like a man 4 If an earthly Monarch did not possess a distinct body could there be ascribed any honorable titles of Emperor King or such like unto him at all 5 If the eternal Majesty were not a distinct person what holy names could be attributed unto him in the least 6 Is it names words or titles makes a King to be or gives being to an Emperor without a natural person 7 Is it divine words names or titles makes a God to be or gives being to a Divine Majesty without a spiritual person 8 Yow know that all the honorable titles in this world to be vain and of none effect if there were not the person of a man to ascribe them unto 9 You may know that all honorable titles concerning a divine Majesty would also be of none effect if there were not a spiritual person to attribute them unto or unless they were
earth unto him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood will pour clean water upon them and they shall be clean he died in the flesh and quickned in the spirit 8 Thus you that are truly enlightned from on high may see a little into that wonderful mystery of the onely wise God imanifesting it self in earth answerable unto his threefold Record in the Heavens beforesaid 9 Three glorious words names titles or distinctions in reference unto one divine person onely in a threefold manifestation of his spiritual glory unto elect men and Angels CHAP. XXII 1 Of the three Witnesses on earth 2 Of Spirit Water and Blood 3 The three Records on earth are the three Commissions 4 What the Commissions are SEeing all spiritual power and wisdom in Heaven above or in Earth beneath is no where to be found nor never was but onely within the divine Ark or spiritual person of our Lord Jesus Christ 2 In the next place by his own light in some measure I shall remonstrate unto you that are capable what is the meaning of those three witnesses of Water Blood and Spirit in Earth which agree in one unto which the foregoing words have relation of Father Son and Spirit which are but one 3 My spiritual brethren are not those three witnesses in earth the commissionated messengers which by voice or words through the glorious mouth of God himself were sent forth unto an unbelieving bloody worldly minded people for a witness unto them to this purpose at the unexpected dreadful day of the Lord Jesus Christ 4 Doth not that water witness in earth signifie Moses and the true Prophets under the Law in reference unto the holy name of God the everlasting Father 5 Doth not the witness of the blood in earth signifie Jesus and the chosen Apostles in relation of that heavenly name of God the eternal Son 6 Doth not that witness of Holy Ghost in earth signifie those two witnesses in the 11. of the Revelations 7 As Water Blood and Spirit mixt together are in a sweet harmony in the body of a man in perfect health and through a defect of either of them the body could not subsist 8 So likewise it is with those witnesses of God in earth called Spirit Water and Blood for these three sweetly unite bearing witness unto but one onely wise distinct personal God glorified 9 Therefore they agree in one heavenly harmony and cannot possibly be one without the other not onely because they proceeded from one glorious spirit but also because they three onely by the secret wisdom of the Eternal Majesty were chosen to bear witness in earth before men and Angels unto that threefold Record in Heaven of Father Son and Holy Ghost aforesaid 10 But some men may say unto me the Law and Gospel being witnessed unto by the Prophets and Apostles already what need is there of this third witness of the spirit in earth or what doth it bear Record unto 11 From a divine gift to this I answer In many respects there is as much use of the witness of the spirit in this Atheistical age as of the two former witnesses of Water and Blood 12 To fulfil the Scriptures which saith heaven and earth shall pass away but his word shall not pass away or not one title of his word shall be unfulfilled 13 How should Christ Jesus the Lord of Glory be known to be the onely God of truth if there were not at one time or another a third witness in earth to fulfil the Scripture for there are three that bear witness in earth 14 Another necessity of this third witness of the spirit is this because you may know that there hath not been above these thousand years a commissionated messenger sent forth by the eternal Spirit to bear witness unto that truth which the two former witnesses sealed too with their bloods 15 Another necessity of the witness of the spirit is this because of late and at present so many several Antichristian spirits are come forth into the world in their own names and from the power of their own strong imaginations and cunning cursed observations have acted many visible lying signs and wonders upon their own bodies and other ways to the ruining of many a poor deceived soul in body minde and personal estate all of them pretending when those fleshly fits comes upon them that it is the power of the eternal Spirit immediately moving them CHAP XXIII 1 Of several empty opinions concerning the Two Witnesses in the eleventh of the Revelation 2 What they are 3 No true witness without a voice from Heaven 4 Who are the two last Spiritual Witnesses IN the next place I shall write somewhat of mens empty opinions concerning the two witnesses in the Revelation for your better understanding of the insuing truth some men have imagined them to be the spirit of Christ and the flesh of Christ 2 Now you may know that cannot be because the spirit and body of Christ were both glorified together in the highest Heavens long before John prophesied of the two Witnesses standing before the God of the whole earth amongst the sons of men 3 Others there are that would have them to be the literal Law and Gospel now you that are spiritual may also know that cannot be the Witnesses here spoken of because without a true Interpreter the Scripture in it self is but a killing letter 4 You know that the invisible truth of the Scriptures proceed onely from a true light received from the spiritual person of Christ Jesus our Lord in the throne of immortal glory 5 You know that from the bare records it is impossible to attain to the knowledge of the onely very true God or the spiritual mysteries of his everlasting kingdom and that was the very cause of these and such like Scripture sayings I thank thee Father that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them to babes Make the heart of this people fat which have eyes and see not cars and hear not hearts and understand not and why so to fulfil the word of the Lord spoken through the mouthes of his Prophets in the time of the Law 6 If the two Witnesses here spoken of were the Letter of the Scripture what need then would there be of the invisible teachings of the Spirit 7 For the most part doth not the Ministers and people set up the letter of the Scriptures and offer divine worship unto them as the children of Israel worshipped their golden Calves 8 The two Witnesses cannot be meant the literal Scriptures because it is said If any man will hurt them fire proceeds out of their mouthes and devoureth their enemies and if any hurt them in this maner they must be killed 9 Now you may know that at this very present there are many thousands in these three Nations that do not onely count the Scriptures meer inventions of wise men to keep the
all eternity if the Creator himself did not speak those very words unto me by voice from Heaven as aforesaid 28 Though at present Atheistial men shall laugh to scorn what we speak or write in the name of the Lord Jesus yet they being words of truth by an immediate Commission from the eternal spirit you that are heirs of immortal Crowns may know in that unexpected day of the Lords general account they will become an invisible fire within the spirits and bodies of those that heard them of eternal bright burning ravishing glories or everlasting fiery shame in eternal death 29 What power is attributed unto the two witnesses in the 11. of the Revelation you may know that it is spiritual and invisible why because as beforesaid it being the third and last witness in earth of the eternal spirit its declarative Plagues upon the spirits and bodies of persecutors were spiritual answerable unto the natural Plagues that were executed by the two former witnesses upon the spirits and bodies of those that persecuted them for their Commissions sake CHAP. XXIV 1 Of the witnesses Trials and Persecutions after the publishing of their Commission 2 The Prophets interpretation of some verses in the 11 Revelation 3 An objection against the true witnesses answered YOu that are experimentally spiritual may understand that the true light of Christ in his beloved Apostle Saint John hath in those two Revelation-witnesses concluded in one both the true Prophets in the Law and chosen Apostles in the Gospel and the two last commissionated witnesses of the invisible spirit in this spiritual conceited Age. 2 Why because they jointly as one man against all gainsayers in the world do bear witness unto that man Christ Jesus cloathed with flesh and bone in glory to be the onely wise very true God and alone everlasting Father and Creator of both World Angels and men 3 Again you know it is written that when the witnesses have finished their testimony the beast out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them and overcome them and kill them behold as that bottomless pit beastly imagination within the spirits of the Cananitish Pharaohs and Herods was stirred up unto cruel persecution upon the two former witnesses for their testimonies sake 4 So likewise a little after that testimonial truth of the same nature was published by us the Holy Spirits two last witnesses in a Book entituled A transcendent Spiritual Treatise I humbly beseech you that were the moderate eye-witnesses thereof through the instigation of the people 5 Did not the spirit of persecution appear in the head Magistrate of this City of London when he committed us unto the common Goal of Newgate so called in September 1653. notwithstanding no man did accuse us in the least of the breach of any civil Law of England 6 The next Sessions following in the Old Bailey were we not araigned at the Bar like Theeves or Murderers before Alderman Fouke then Lord Mayor of London the Recorder Steel and some other Magistrates 7 And did not the Magistrates beforesaid in open Court condemn us as blasphemers against God because we did bear witness unto the man Christ Jesus glorified to be the onely wise God and alone everlasting Father by vertue of a commission we received from his eternal spirit 8 Upon the account aforesaid were we not kept close prisoners in the house of correction called old Bridewel six Moneths without bail or main-prise 9 I appeal unto any man that heâ—â—d our trial that hath any true hope of eternal salvation by that Jesus Christ that was nailed to a tree without the gates of Hierusalem whether any thing was laid to our charge by our accusers the Lord Mayor and the witnesses upon any civil or natural account in the least 10 'T is truth because of some speeches spoken unto the Lord Mayor first and afterwards to the whole Bench and Jury by the power of the Lord Jesus Christ in us in reference unto our Commission and innocence of spirit whether it was to gain the Magistrates favor or whether they knew of it the Lord knoweth some said whipping was too good for us others said hanging was too good for us burning of us was most fit 11 But where was the man that had so much love of truth or natural pity in him as to say but what evil have they done was there any such man upon the Bench or in the Jury or among the Officers or amongst all those men that heard our tryal if there were it was in secret 12 I remember it is written when our Lord Jesus was accused before Pilate for a deceiver of the people blasphemy and such like notwithstanding he was vehemently accused by the chief Priests and rulers 13 Yet Pilate oftentimes said but what evil had be done I finde no fault in him so likewise though we are but poor sinful dust and ashes and in comparison of our Lord Jesu Christ not worthy in the least to make mention of his most Holy name 14 I am fully perswaded in my soul if Pilate had sate in the judgement-seat with the Recorder he would have asked the Lord Mayor and our accusers what evil we had committed or what Law we had broken before he had past sentence upon us 15 What ever mens thoughts and opinions are concerning the Recorder Steel I appeal unto God elect men and Angels and to his own conscience whether he came not short of Pilate when he sate in the judgement-seat concerning us if this be truth which none can deny that heard our tryal if truth be their guide I hopâ— he doth not think much of Pilates being his elder brother but will also grant him the preheminence in the day of the Lords eternal account 16 Some of you that heard our tryal may remember that the Recorder did examine us chiefly 〈◊〉 not wholly concerning Christs Father or what that Father was that in his agonies he cried or prayed unto 17 If you have not forgot it through distance of time you may remember our answer was to this purpose 18 That that Father which our Lord Jesus Christ made mention of in all his extremities was his own representative spiritual power or charge which he had committed unto Angelical Moses and Elias in glory whilest he went that sore journey in flesh for the redemption of his elect lost Israelâ—tes it is written he shall give his Angels charge concerning thee that he and thee was but onely one divine being let men and Angels disprove what I have written concerning this thing if they can that I may be ashamed and confounded of my great confidence in that which is not 19 So much concerning our trial for our bearing testimony unto Jesus Christ to be the onely true God and alone everlasting Father before the powers of this perishing world 20 For a more clear manifestation of the commissionated witnesses of the eternal spirit unto the heirs of immortal glory I shall write somewhat of
the God of Heaven and Earth without a voice of distinct words to the hearing of the ear from the everliving God 11 Or can he possess any true joy or peace of conscience in his prophetical declarations without such an immediate commission from the true God as beforesaid 12 Again though Spirit Blood and Water by the wisdom of God sweetly agree within the body of a healthful man yet you know that they are of contrary natures to one another 13 For the soul or spirit of man is an absolute mortal fire within the blood and the water which by vertue of its fiery nature qualifieth the blood and the water according to their capacities 14 Through which they are so sweetly composed that unanimously they give natural life and strength through the whole man in so much that the one cannot live without the other though they are of contrary natures 15 Thus through the secret decree of the divine Majesty there is a marvelous trinitary mystery within the natural body of man 16 But very few men understand it for want of the prophetical spirit of David in them who cryed out with exceeding admiration of the Creators wisdom saying I am fearfully and wonderfully made 17 So likewise you may know it is with these three commissionated witnesses of the divine Majesty in earth 18 For though all three proceeded from one and the same spirit of truth and all bear Record unto onely one distinct personal God-man glorified yet in the maner of their declarations concerning the worshipping of the Holy One of Israel they differ and are as contrary as fire blood and water which are without the body of men 19 But in the spirituality of their administrations concerning invisible worshipping of the Lord Jesus Christ they harmoniously agree as one soul like unto spirit blood and water within mans body as aforesaid 20 If any man should ask why the Holy One of Israel hath put such a vast difference between the administrations of his three witnesses in earth To this from the Holy Spirit I answer by way of Quere Is it not to blinde the eyes of the wise and prudent men of this world that from their strength of reason in Scripture records they may war against the pure light of life within the witnesses of the God of all saving truth 21 That they may remain in their rational darkness of unbelief wherein they were born and so everlastingly perish for want of that â—ew and true birth of the fiery glorious Spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ 22 Is it not also that God alone may receive all the honor power praise and glory from his redeemed ones in the revealing his true witnesses or Prophets unto them by his eternal spirit through which they attain to the right understanding of the very true God and the glorious things of eternity declared by his own chosen messengers 23 And so are made to receive those divine truths in the purity of them by loving of them above the gain or glory of this conceited periâ—hing world 24 Moreover do they not thereby enjoy an invisible seal of an assurance of the eternal immortality of their persons at the visible appearing of the divine Majesty of the Son of man 25 That most infinite glorious God with all his mighty Angels Moses and Elias at that dreadful day when all time shall vanish immediately and eternity onely seize upon all mankinde in their several persons 26 Again if water blood and fire without the body of man be mixt together being of contrary conditions or natures you know they cease not contending until they have conquered one another 27 Also you know blood is too strong for water and fire too powerful for blood so likewise you may know it is with the three commissionated witnesses of God in earth Moses the Apostles and two last Witnesses 28 Though they unanimously agree in bearing record unto onely one distinct personal God of all saving truth as spirit water and blood sweetly accord within the healthful body of a mortal man as aforesaid 29 Yet you may know that in their visible worship they are at warfare with each other until they have obtained victory one over another 30 That the present immediate spiritual wisdom of the divine Majesty might bear rule in the consciences of the chosen Jewels of immortal crowns and not that which is past 31 Wherefore when that Gospel administration of blood appeared you know that the Apostolical Commissioners thereof did with all their power preach against all Mosaicall observations of Jewish circumcision new Moons or abstinence from meat drinks or any kinde of Sabbattical Ceremonies whatsoever to be vain and of none effect and contrary to the Spirit of Christ 32 Thus you that are enlightned from on high may see that that spiritual wine of the everlasting Gospel in the chosen of God transmuted all watery Ceremonies into its own spiritual substance even as water being mingled with blood is converted into its own nature 33 Moreover since the appearing of the two last Witnesses of the eternal spirit you may know that all Apostolical ordinances imitated by men called Ministers of the Gospel are counterfeit Apostles which take upon them to Preach Pray Baptize with water break bread lay on hands or any such like without a commission from on high 34 Whether for silver or honor or a name amongst men under pretence of conscience unto a God which they truly understand not nor desire to know 35 From the true God I say again you that are spiritual may know that these idol Shepherds and their imaginary formalities are now become vain and contrary to the heavenly breathings or incomes of the glorious Spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ God-man glorified 36 Thus in what soul soever this divine worship of the true God powerfully appeareth it immediately transmutes all Apostolical formalities into invisible spiritualities of glorious joys 37 By vertue of an heavenly intercourse between the divine spirit and the poor soul that is acquainted with his heavenly voice or still motions 38 Again if divers men appear as Witnesses or Prophets immediately sent forth by a powerful commission from the everliving God are there not certain divine seals to distinguish between those Embasladors which are infallible and them that are but fallible 39 My elect brethren is it not the property of a commissionated Witness of Christ Jesus at the first appearance of God unto him to desire the Most High that he would passe him by and make choice of any other to be his Embassador unto his people 40 Furthermore in the maner of his spiritual declarations unto the most wisest natural men doth he not appear not onely seemingly quite contrary unto the Lords former witnesses but also as the most blasphemous simple base fellows that ever appeared in the name of the Lord 41 But of the contrary for the most part in men that are deceived is there not a strong desire in their fleshly spirits
Formalities of the persecuting Powers and Priests of this perishing world 19 This was that shutting up of the Serpent Dragon Devil in the evil powers aforesaid from deceiving the Nations any more until the thousand years of their ten bloody persecutions of the Saints was fulfilled 20 Again it is written And I saw seats and they sate upon them and judgement was given unto them and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus and for the word of God and which did not worship the beast neither his image neither had taken his mark upon their foreheads and they lived and raigned with Christ a thousand years My spiritual friends what judgement-seats were those which John saw and who were them that sate thereon in judgement 21 Those seats of judgement were the accusing consciences of the bloody persecutors aforesaid and the preaching or publishing of the glorious truths of our Lord Jesus Christ through the Commissionated mouthes of the chosen Apostles Ministers or Saints was that judge of life and death reigning in the consciences of the aforesaid spiritual Tyrants Do ye not know that the Saints shall judge the world Know ye not that we shall judge the Angels 22 My spiritual friends what ever men shall imagine of these literal Records as sure as the Lord liveth those Angels spoken of by the Apostle Paul were the Tyrannical Magistrates and their bloody minded covetous Priests which committed spiritual wickedness together in high places 23 Again you chosen ones may know though the bodies of the Saints suffer imprisonment or death for the truth of Christ yet their spirits are in pure peace and at perfect liberty in life and death 24 But of the contrary though the persons of the cruel persecutors be at perfect liberty in their temporal heaven yet their spirits are close prisoners in their own bodies and void of all heavenly peace whatsoever through that envy in them against all divine purity 25 And that blood spilt upon the earth by them for the testimony of Christ that was the shutting up of the door of all true hope from them and sealing up their bloody spirits unto an eternal vengeance at the great day of our Lord Jesus Christ with his mighty Angels 26 Again seeing John by a divine light saw the souls of them that were put to death for bearing witness to the word of God or spiritual truth of Jesus reigning with Christ over the raging spirits of their bloody persecutors that thousand years time of the Ten persecutions aforesaid My spiritual brethren what was that worship of the beast and receiving his mark in their fore-heads and hands which they were preserved from in the thousand years reign or time of their fiery tryals for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that is they were delivered from that idolatrous worship proceeding from the beastly imagination of their spiritual bloody Tyrants as aforesaid not daring in the least to handle any carnal weapons in defence of their cursed inventions what sufferings soever they endured 27 This I would gladly have you to understand that the commissionated Witnesses of the Lord of Glory are for the most part appointed unto the greatest tryals at the hands of Cananitish devils or perishing gods of this vain glorious world because of the reward of that transcendent glory which the Lord Jesus hath prepared for them with himself above ordinary Saints with his holy Angels face to face 28 Again it is written But the rest of the dead men shall not live again until the thousand years be finished this is the first resurrection blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection for on such the second death hath no power but they shall be the Priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with him a thousand years â—nd when the thousand years are expired Satan shall be loosed out of his prison My spiritual brethren who were those dead men that lived not again until the thousand years were finished You know in holy Writ it is said ye that were dead in sins and trespasses hath he quickened 29 So likewise you may also know that those dead men there spoken of were the remainder of the Saints and chosen Witnesses of the eternal Spirit that were to appear in these last days to bear record unto that glorious Truth which the Prophets Apostolical Ministers and Saints sealed too with their blood as abundantly beforesaid 30 Again you know it is written that Satan shall be loosed out of his prison for a little season when the thousand years are expired to deceive the people which are in the four quarters of the earth even Gog and Magog to gather them together to battel whose number is as the sand of the Sea and they went up in the plain of the earth and they compassed the tents of the Saints about and the beloved City but fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them 31 Again you may remember that from an unerring Spirit that sent me to declare divine secrets that I have already demonstrated unto you what that Satan is and that prison of his thousand years abode 32 It remains now that I should write somewhat concerning his being loosed out of his prison that you may the better understand the truth in relation to the dead men aforesaid 33 Moreover you that have been well acquainted with spiritual conditions cannot but know that no men in the world are in such a deep prison of raging darkness as those men that tyrannize over the consciences of innocent souls which cannot bow down to their imaginary divine ordinances 34 Furthermote you may also know that when the Magistrate and his pretended Prophets were prevented from persecuting mens persons in reference to their consciences towards God then and not till then was Satan loosed out of his prison 35 This was that loosing of Satan for a little season out of his unspeakable prison in the temporal powers when the innocent professors of Christ had freedom of conscience in reference to their faith in the Lord of Glory through which the Christians were multiplied again in the earth 36 Again you may know that it was but a very little season since Christ was glorified that the Saints possessed any such spiritual freedom in any kingdom under heaven 37 Therefore the persecuting spirits of Satanical Prelates in the Civil Powers have had but a very little season of resting from shedding the blood of Gods innocent people in the whole world 38 Moreover though the name of Christ was almost extinguished from the face of the earth in the thousand years spiritual reign of the Saints and raging of the serpents as aforesaid yet you may know in that season of liberty of Christian conscience that the Saints were mightily increased again in the world 39 Furthermore you may also know that those Saints are the dead men that lived not again until these last times of the invisible teachings of
Angels some men may say unto me may it not be a long season are there not many prophecies yet to be fulfilled before his coming as the calling of the Jews and the sign of the Son of Man in Heaven and such like 2 From an unerring spirit to this I answer As John the Baptist was the last Prophet under the Law and the forerunner of the sudden appearing of Christ Jesus the Lord in a body of flesh 3 So likewise I positively affirm against all gain-sayers under heaven that I John Reeve am the last commissionated Prophet that ever shall declare divine secrets according to the foundation of truth until the Lord Jesus Christ appear on his Throne of glory visibly to be seen by all his elect face to face 4 But of the contrary in that day of our God and King of glorious Crowns appearing none of those cursed men and women which blasphemously said that God hath no person at all shall ever be able to behold his face and live but according to Holy Writ they shall cry to the Mountains Hills or Rocks to hide them from the wrath of his bright burning body or face that sits upon the Throne 5 Concerning a general visible calling of the Jews in all Nations to the acknowledgement of Christ being come in the flesh I say from the eternal spirit that sent me that there will never be any such thing in the world indeed the Ministerial Artists have of a long season imagined an outward call of the Jews to their vain glorious seeming holiness but the most Wise and Holy God intends no such thing 6 Wherefore to confound their carnal wisdom his glorious purpose is to call home to himself those Jews and Gentiles elected to everlasting life by the invisible teaching of his most Holy Spirit 7 You that are sober may come to understand that there is two sort of Jews there is a Mosaical Jew and an Apostolical Jew 8 Moreover you may know that those men called Independents Annabaptists Presbyterians are the literal Apostolical Jews 9 And those men that observe Saturday for their Sabbath are those Mosaical legal Jews which utterly deny that Christ is yet come in the flesh but ignorantly expect his appearing in a fleshly glorious manner to raign over them in the Throne of David his Father 10 Moreover these Sabbattical Saturday Jews John Tanee like do imagine when their fleshly Christ appears to raign over them that he will gather them out of all nations wherein they are scattered and conduct them into the inheritance of their fathers that promised Land of Canaan and there they make account with their imaginary King to live in a temporal glorious condition for a long season and as they have been servants and slaves to all Nations wherein they were scattered so likewise as a reward of their servitude they fully expect that all Nations shall bow down to them and bring in their riches and glory unto them as their vassals for ever 11 You that are spiritual may know that these unbelieving Mosaical Jews which expect a carnal Christ to raign over them were those Jews which at the death of Christ said his blood be upon us and our children and truly you know his blood was upon them and their children to some purpose in the destruction of Hierusalem and unto this day yea and so it will be to the end of the world For the Lord Jesus will never spiritually gather the seed of those Jews which rated a bloody Barabas above the Lord of life himself 13 Moreover those Jews which were afraid of having any hand in the death of Christ were the fathers of those spiritual Jews in all Nations that are mixed in marriages with the Gentiles whose merciful innocent spirits are delivered from all tyranny over mens consciences 14 Furthermore those Independent Annabaptist Presbyterian men which hold it lawful just and good to persecute men in their persons and estates upon a spiritual account I say from the eternal spirit that they are for the most part the off-spring of those bloody-minded Jews that crucified the Lord of Glory upon the account of blasphemy as beforesaid 15 O blessed are all unpersecuting merciful minded men and women onely 16 All innocent merciful Independent Annabaptist Presbyterian men or women that are preserved from a persecuting minde of divine things which seem difficult from the eternal spirit I declare those are part of Gods spiritual wheat which are mixed with the chaffy Jews and Gentiles which are the off-spring of cursed Cain whom the Lord shall burn with unquenchable fire when he cometh in his Glory with his Angels to receive his spiritual wheat into his heavenly barn as aforesaid 17 Thus you that are spiritually enlightned from on high may clearly see that the calling of the elect Jews in all nations unto the knowledge of the divine Majesty and his heavenly truths was not meant an outward calling of them from a Mosaical legallity unto an Apostolical literallity as many men have vainly imagined but it was an inward calling of them by the motions of the eternal spirit to the right understanding of the one personal Majesty on the Throne of Glory and his heavenly truths 18 Again concerning the sign of the Son of Man in heaven in the 24. of Matthew and the 30. it is thus written And then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven and then shall all the kindred of the earth mourn and they shall see the Son of Man come in the Clouds of heaven with power and great glory this sign of the Son of Man was that substance or very Son of Man himself and the glory of his personal appearing in the Clouds of Heaven with his glittering Angels caused such a fiery brightness not onely in the visible Heavens above but the whole earth beneath also appeareth like a flame of fire or burning lightning insomuch that all the kindreds of the earth which never expected that dreadful day because their persons were not transmuted into the divine likeness of the Son of Man 19 Therefore their unbelieving earthly spirits did quake and tremble lament and howl like dogs for very fear of the foresaid sign of the Son of Man should rend them to pieces and burn them and their inward God or Christ to powder I mean all those which gloried of a God or Christ within them onely and cursedly despised this personal God on his glorious Throne without them 20 Thus you in whose persons the King of Glory raigneth by the heavenly incomes of his eternal brightness may in some measure see what is meant by the sign of the Son of Man in Heaven when he appeareth in his glory with his holy Angels 21 As the immortalized spirits and bodies are filled with astonishing ravishments with the very sight of the Son of Man in his glorious Throne aforesaid 22 So likewise the carnal spirits and bodies of all Hypocrites which gloried in a Christ ordinances
A DIVINE Looking-Glass OR The third and last Testament of our Lord JESUS CHRIST Whose personal Residence is seated on his Throne of Eternal Glory in another world Being the Commission of the Spirit agreeing with and explaining of the two former Commissions of the Law and the Gospel differing onely in point of Worship Set forth for the Tryal of all sorts of supposed Spiritual Lights in the world until the Ever-living true JESUS the onely High and Mighty God personally appear in the Air with his Saints and Angels By John Reeve and Lodowick Muggleton Pen-men hereof and the last chosen Witnesses unto that Ever-blessed Body of Christ Jesus glorified to be the onely wise very true God alone Ever-lasting Father and Creator of both worlds and all that were made in them Even so come Lord Jesus come quickly to testifie and fulfil thy own promise in thy Records of Truth that thy redeemed ones may really know that thou hast seat us and art that unchangeable God which cannot possibly lie though millions of unredeemed mankinde thereby should everlastingly perish Printed in the year of our Lord 1656. and since reviewed by and reprinted for Lodowick Muggleton one of the said Witnesses dwelling in great Trinity-lane in London near â—he Sign of the Lyon and the Lamb where this Book is to be had 1661. To the spiritual discerning Reader MY beloved spiritual brethren in whom is rooted and really grounded the saving light of Life eternal I know that the manifold breakings forth of seeming glorious appearances in this Age can by no means be hid from your eyes Also you know that the true light of Life hath almost discovered them all to be nothing else but the very depth of mens serpentine subtilties cloaked over with the divine titles of the most infinite and holy God so that mens glittering language now is of no value unto you unless the holy Spirit beareth witness unto your spirits that the Lord hath spoken unto them from heaven neither can men blinde your eyes with their natural miracles artificial juglings sophistical signs and wonders to cause you ever the sooner for that to receive them as immediately sent forth by the ever-living God I say it is not lofty words of imaginary voices visions dreams revelations variety of languages declarations of the knowledge of the heights and depths of perishing nature pretended Jerusalem Journeys supposed seeing of spiritual Angels with eyes of natural flesh and familiar conversing with them and knowing the names of all the holy Angels in glory and every mans protecting Angel in this world or any such like carnal fancies can blinde your eyes any more which have received from above a distinguishing gift between the things of eternal life and death not onely from its effects but from its first causes also My selected brethren unto a pure light language and life from the very true God I certainly know that nothing in this world will satisfie your hungry souls but a right understanding of spiritual things which are eternal in that world to come therefore unto you alone which look not after gilded words but glorious things present I this Epistle from that Spirit which can neither deceive nor be deceived by men nor angels Wherefore if any sober man of a quick comprehension shall suppose that this Writing might have been composed into fewer words then is here inserted I hope he shall wisely consider that things of such concernment requires more words then ordinary not onely for informing and confirming of the simple Saints but also for confounding of the subtile Serpents of this Age. Moreover you that peruse this Epistle which are of an unjudging tender spirit may also know that before the eternal Spirit in Christ Jesus became my Minister I was very weak in the knowledge of learned mens Opinions their Disputes or Writings concerning heavenly things which are hid from them and revealed unto unlearned babes Therefore the chief desire of my soul is that it may be manifested unto elect men and Angels whether the substance of this Epistle proceeds from mine own carnal spirit or from the most pure and holy Spirit of God himself I mean that one personal glorious Majesty of our Lord Iesus Christ whose divine nature both is and shall be Crowns of immortal ravishing Excellencies in all his elect at the great and dreadful Day of eternal burning vengeance upon the souls and bodies of all bloody-minded impenitent Persecutors that ever were born John Reeve Another Epistle annexed to this Book My beloved spiritual Brethren who are or shall come to be really grounded in the true Doctrine which is held forth in the three Commissions namely the Commission of Moses and the Prophets 2 Of Christ Jesus and the Apostles 3 Of the Commission of the Spirit which Commission is now extant in the world though not accompanied with visible signs and natural miracles as the other two Commissions had in their time when their Commission was in being yet this I am sure that this Commission of the Spirit being the last Commission that God will ever send into this world while time is no more therefore it is that this Commission of the Spirit hath the onely interpretation of the two former Commissions for there is no man in the world at this day let him be of what Sect or Opinion soever that doth truly know any part of the Scriptures but this Commission of the Spirit onely notwithstanding they labor so much after the knowledge of them yet for wanâ— of a Commission from God they have no true understanding of any one principal or true ground of faith for all that they do of that nature is nothing else but the very strength of reason and reason can never truly know the deep things of eternity because there is no man in the world at this day that hath the knowledge of the true God his Form and Nature the right devil his form and nature but this Commission of the Spirit onely Therefore when God spake these words unto John Reeve saying I have given thee understanding of my minde in the Scriptures above all the men in the world Also God did say at the same time I have given thee Lodowick Muggleton to be thy mouth So that according to the words of God he hath given us two to understand more of his mind in the Scriptures then all the men in the world do at this day that is more spiritual knowledge of the Scriptures than all the men in the world because God hath chosen us two to be his last Commissionated Prophets and Witnesses of the Spirit to declare and make known unto the Seed of Faith those great mysteries which have layen hid in the breast of God ever since the foundation of this world was laid and in the time of their Commission was in some measure made manifest unto the sons of men by some part of the mystery of God as those Commissions aforesaid namely Moses and Jesus But now
simple in aw under their Rulers but if it were not for fear of men if they could have their wills they would burn all the Scriptures in the world to ashes and in stead of fearing any fiery vengeance following them their unbelieving seared spirits would greatly rejoyce at it as a most noble or profitable act to the whole world for preventing all literal contestations concerning a God or glory or misery to come 10 Some men would imagine these Witnesses to be the Magistrates and the Ministers 11 Now you may know that cannot be because both Magistrates and Ministers are either chosen by one another or by the voice of the people in stead of being chosen by the voice of God himself or a true Prophet sent forth by his eternal spirit for that purpose 12 'T is written that the witnesses had a powerful gift of prophesie now you know that since God became flesh instead of the Magistrates or Ministers owning themselves to be commissionated witnesses or Prophets of the divine Majesty for the most part if men have appeared upon that account they have persecuted them by imprisonment stripes banishment or death it self 13 Again it is written the witnesses were cloathed in sackcloth therefore they cannot be the Magistrates or the Ministers because you know that for the most part they are rather clothed in Satin or other costly garments then Sack-cloth or mean apparrel Wherefore seeing all Magistrates with their Ministers are chosen by men onely through the secret decree of the most high God and it being apparent that instead of honoring the Lord of life and glory or shewing mercy unto his Prophets for the most part they seek the honor of one another and persecute his messengers and rejoyce in feasting one another through the fastings of others 14 It is as clear as the light unto any man whose heart is not stone blind that they are none of the witnesses prophesied of by St. John in the eleventh of the Revelation 14 Another sort of Atheistical people there are that would imagine themselves to imply the two witnesses there spoken of saying the two witnesses are within them or every mens soul and body are those two witnesses and such like 15 Now you may know that this is so far from any spiritual truth that there is no sence or reason in it why though a man be called soul body and spirit yet he being but one person onely you know he can be no more then one witness upon what account soever 16 Again the invisible witness of mens consciences concerns mens own particular onely between God and man or between man and man and God onely wise perfectly seeth that witness always and not men therefore that cannot be the Witnesses here spoken of because you know that the Witnesses or Prophets of the Lord were always visible whilest they had a being in this world 17 Thus it is as clear as the light that none of all these are those two witnesses spoken of by St. John but meet imaginary fancies of mens own brains for want of a divine Light in them to distinguish between the true witnesses sent forth by the Creator himself and the false ones that went before they were sent 18 Again it is written But I will give power unto my two Witnesses and they shall prophesie My spiritual brethren you may know that when John spake those words that the two Witnesses were to come into the world to bear testimony unto the truth of the two past witnesses of the Lord because the Text saith but I will give power unto my two witnesses and they shall prophesie 19 And you know according to the truth of unerring Scriptures the two former witnesses had power given them from the Lord and they did prophesie in their times 20 So that you may understand that the Lord did purpose to raise two men in this Atheistical Age out of the very ashes of the two former witnesses not onely for discovery of all lying appearances in his name as they did in their times but also for a more clearer manifestation of the deep things of God then ever was since this world began 21 You that are spiritual may know that since the Lords two former witnesses fell asleep in the dust of the earth not a man have powerfully appeared to bear witness unto one distinct personal Creator as they did until we came forth in the latter end of the year 1651. in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ by voice of words spoken unto me by his eternal spirit three mornings together to the hearing of the ear as a man speaks to his friend 22 Again the Scriptures call them by the name of two witnesses onely wherefore if any man addeth to their number or despiseth them because they appear not like a God to bring fire down from heaven or turn waters into blood or such like natural plagues or miracles as hath been acted already if there be any truth in the Scriptures can that man scape the Plagues of God in the life to come threatned in such a call 23 Again you know it is said the Lord gave power unto the two witnesses to prophesie Is not this answerable unto the word of the Lord when he said unto me that he had given me understanding above all the men in the world and that he had chosen me as his last messenger for a great work unto this bloody unbelieving world and had gived me Lodowick Mugleton to be my mouth 24 You know that the witnesses are said to be two Olive Trees and two Candlesticks standing before the God of the whole earth my beloved spiritual brethren hath not the glorious God of Heaven and Earth both by speaking and writing manifested through our earthly Candlesticks or mortal mouths more divine Oyl or golden Truth then in any men in the world besides 25 Again you know it is said the witnesses were cloathed with sackcloth I humbly beseech you that have truly tasted of the glory of eternity did any men upon the face of the earth since the time of the Apostles upon an account as sent forth from the eternal spirit suffer persecution for bearing witness unto the man Christ Jesus glorified to be the onely wise God and alone everlasting Father but we two onely 26 Again you know it is written if any man will hurt them fire proceedâ—th out of their mouth and devoureth their enemies My spiritual friends is not this answerable unto the word of the Lord when he said unto me I have put the two edged sword of my spirit into thy mouth that whoever I pronounce blessed through thy mouth is blessed to eternity and whoever I pronounce cursed through thy mouth is cursed to eternity 27 Who ever thou art that shalt see these passages and be offended with me because of them be it known unto thee and all men else that I of all men neither do nor can expect any mercy from the glorious God to
39 Though the woman Eve through the permission of God was first guilty of the transgression of lust and so tempted her innocent husband to lye with her to cover her folly if it had been possible yet because her soul was of the divine nature in its creation as Adams was you may know that that carnal desire in her towards her husband proceeded not from her own divine purity but from the rational nature of the unclean Serpent within her as I shall clearly demonstrate when I come to trout of the maner of her being overcome by the subtilty of that Angelical Serpent 40 Thus though the bodies of Adam and Eve were both natural and so were capable of luft to bring forth generations yet you may know that the secret wisdom of God saw it most fit that neither Adam nor Eve should be first capable to know what it was to desire after carnal copulation from their own divine spirits but from that Serpentine unclean spirit that entred into the body of Eve 41 So much at present why God said let us make man in our image according to our likeness and what that image of God was in the creating of man CHAP. XXXI 1 Of the seed of the woman 2 Of the seed of the serpent 3 How sin came into mans nature 4 No Angel cast out of heaven but that one which deceived Eve 5 No true knowledge of the Scriptures but in the knowledge of the two seeds 6 No speech could proceed from any but from the Angel IN the next place I shall write of the Angelical Serpent and of he maner of his beguiling of innocent Eve 2 In the 12 Chapter of the Revelation it is thus written and the great Dragon that old Serpent called the Divel and Satan was cast ouâ— which deceiveth all the world he was cast out into the earth and his Angels were cast out with him Seeing the Scriptures make mention of an old Serpent Dragon Devil and his Angels some men may say unto me was there many Angels cast from Heaven into the Earth together or but one onely and if there were but one or many where are those angels now become 3 From a divine gift received from the unerring spirit to this I answer As there was but one man Adam cast out of his heavenly Paradise of created purity of soul and body and all his generation were cast out of their spiritual peace with him 4 So likewise there was but one Angelical Serpent cast from his created rational purity and that was that Serpent Devil which deceived Eve 5 The Angels which were cast out with him were of his seed or generation through his union with the intrails of Eve as I shall make manifest in the ensuing discourse 6 My beloved spiritual brethren because my soul desireth your perfection as my own 7 Therefore would I gladly have you possessed with an infallible understanding between Michael and his Angels and the Dragon and his Angels or between the seed of the woman and the seed of the Serpent why because in the knowledge of these two distinct Seeds Sons or Generations depends a general understanding of the spirit of the Scriptures 8 Wherefore in the 2. of Genesis you shall finde it thus written but of the Tree of knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat of it for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death 9 If you look in the 3. Chapter of Genesis with a spiritual eye then you may clearly see what that Tree of knowledge of good and evil did signifie the words are these Then the serpent said to the woman ye shall not die at all but God doth know that when ye shall eat thereof your eyes shall be opened and ye shall be as Gods knowing good and evil So the woman seeing that the Tree was good for meat and that it was pleasant to the eyes and a tree to be desired to make one wise took of the fruit thereof and did eat and gave also to her husband with her and he did eat 10 My elect spiritual brethren you know it is a general opinion amongst learned men that the Serpent which appeared unto Eve was one of the beasts of the field which the Lord God had made 11 And that the Divel was an invisible spirit which entred into the body of the Serpent and spake those subtile speeches through his mouth 12 And so caused the woman to eat of the fruit of a natural Tree which the Lord God had forbidden and tempting her husband to eat of that fruit with her it operated that venomous evil in them and all mankinde 13 Behold the gross darkness abiding in the spirits of the learned men of this perishing world 14 You know that the Scriptures are generally expressed in natural terms for the manifestation of spiritual things to the weak comprehension of sinful mortals 15 And natural wise men would perswade men to understand them exactly in the letter because they measure the glorious things of eternity by their rational learning onely as beforesaid 16 In Scripture records you know that Christ is called a Lyon a Lamb a Stone a Door a Way a Vine a Green Tree and such like expressions in reference unto spiritual meanings 17 Also you know that evil minded men are sometimes called by the names of Divels Dragons Vipers Serpents Fruitless-trees and such like according to that of John the Baptist when he said now the ax is laid unto the root of the tree every tree therefore that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire 18 So likewise you that are spiritual may know that that Angelical Reprobate by whom Eve was deceived was called a Dragon an old Serpent the Divel and Satan a Deceiver or the tree of knowledge of good and evil and such like names suitable unto his cursed nature 19 But the very truth is this that Serpent that tempted Eve was that Angelical Dragon devil beforesaid which the Lord God from the highest heavens cast down to the lowest earth 20 And it was his seeming divine wisdom and Angelical person that bewitched Eves innocent soul to hearken unto him and her eyes to dote upon him 21 For you know that Eve had three considerations in her before she was overcome to consent unto the Serpents language 22 First The tree was good for meat Secondly It was pleasant to the eyes And thirdly It was a Tree to be desired to make one wise CHAP. XXXII 1 The condition of Adam and Eve in their fall 2 The Angel called a Serpent 3 He was more comely in Eves eyes then Adam 4 How the fall'n Angel became flesh 5 How God became flesh BEfore I write of the three secrets hid in the Angelical temptation I shall speak a little of the dispensation of the secret wisdom of God to his chosen ones 2 You that are spiritual may know that in the divine will of the infinite Majesty is a
much less out of any kinde of Apple-tree or any other woodden trees herbs or plants which were made for mans natural comfort or delight onely 19 For this I would have you to understand though the souls of Adam and Eve were but finite created beings yet because they were of the same nature of him that made them their spirits were as free from all kinde of desire after wisdom or any thing else as the Creator himself for as beforesaid where any desire is there is a want and the least want that is must needs be a defect or weakness in nature which being not immediately satisfied it is subject to become nothing but evil 20 Wherefore from a divine gift received from on high I affirm against men or Angels that that first desire of sin in the soul of Eve proceeded not from the nature of her own spirit but from the unclean spirit of the unsatisfied Serpents language spoken into her 21 For you that are spiritually quick may know that there appeared no kinde of desire or lust in the soul of Eve towards Adam until she had tasted of the forbidden fruit and if that fruit had been an Apple is it not very strange that Adam should be ignorant of it until his wife had found it out seeing all the trees in the Garden which the Lord God had made were very good and given them for food 22 Moreover who ever thou art after the perusal of this truth shalt call this non-sense blasphemy heresie lies and such like because it discovereth thy darkness is it not a clear testimony in thy own conscience that thou art one of the cursed brood of the old Serpent Devil beforesaid which art not able to endure the light because by it thy deeds are manifested to be evil 23 Again though I know I have written sufficiently concerning this truth already unto all that are of a quick comprehension yet for the satisfying of the lambs of Christ and for a further convincing of all gainsaying wolves I shall go on to the utmost in the further clearing of this truth of so high concernment unto mankinde CHAP. XXXV 1 The Curse was not pronounced upon any natural beast but the fallen Angel WHerefore in the third chapter of Genesis you may finde it thus written Then the Lord God said to the Serpent because thou hast done this thou art cursed above all cattel and above every beast of the field upon thy belly shalt thou go and dust thou shalt eat all the days of thy life I will also put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed he shall break thy head and thou shalt bruise his heel My spiritual brethren can any of you upon mature consideration possibly imagine that that Serpent was a natural beast that was pronounced cursed by the Lord for some evil deed done unto innocent Eve 2 If it were an evil spirit that spake through the Serpents mouth can any sober man think that the most wise Creator would have pronounced a curse upon the bruit beast and his seed if the evil that was done to Eve proceeded onely from the Devil within the body of that Serpent 3 Can you finde in any place of Scripture that ever the Lord charged any evil spirit or devil with that deed done unto Eve but that Serpent that spake unto her 4 Therefore what ever men vainly dream of Apples pulled from woodden trees or of a natural Serpent or of an evil spirit in the body of an ignorant beast or any such like imaginary stuff concerning the deceiving of Eve yet you that are truly enlightned from on high may know that that Serpent by whom Eve was beguiled was that angelical reprobate cast down from the Kingdom of Glory beforesaid into this perishing world 5 Moreover you may understand also that the Serpent Angel deceived Eve upon a spiritual account and not upon a natural account because you know that she was ignorant of that poor and low thing of lusting after a man until she had obeyed that Serpents voice 6 Therefore when the Creator denounced that curse upon the Serpent and his seed that Angelical Serpent was within the womb of Eve and not without her 7 And the Lord called him a Serpent onely because of his exceeding subtilty to deceive 8 Concerning the Serpents going upon his belly and eating dust all the days of his life if that had been a natural Serpent so threatned by the Creator was he not as well as if he had enjoyed legs to go and the choicest of things to eat seeing the one was become as naâ—ural to him as the other 9 Of what concernment was that to the woman for a natural Serpent to be cursed by the Lord doth any man or woman heed Serpents upon that account or any other whatsoever 10 Moreover suppose that curse had been denounced against an evil spirit distinct from the soul and body of Eve what hurt would that have been unto Eve or Adam or their generation 11 Or who regards a curse upon any devil in the least so that he himself be not that evil spirit or devil so cursed 12 Concerning the enmity put between the woman and the Serpent and their seed I would fain know from any sober man whether there might not be as much enmity between Eve and a She-bear as a natural Serpent 13 Is it not believed by all men that are possessed with the true light that that Christ Jesus recorded in Holy Writ to be the Son of God according to the Spirit and the Son of man according to the flesh was that heavenly Seed of the woman here spoken of 14 Moreover was not this Jesus conceived of the Virgins seed into flesh blood and bone by the eternal Spirit and was he not pronounced blessed when he was in the Virgins womb 15 Furthermore are not all his spiritual seed of elect mankinde pronounced blessed with him also as the off-spring of the most high God and heirs of immortal Crowns of eternal glory 16 Doth not the Scripture Records throughout make a distinction between two seeds or generations of mankinde 17 And do they not attribute names unto them according to their several natures 18 Moreover doth not the Scriptures make mention of a day of Judgement both for the dead and the quick and doth it not frequently speak of an eternal personal glory and its habitation prepared for some called by the titles of elect and precious Jewels chosen ones Sons of God Saints the blessed of the Lord and such like 19 Doth not the Scriptures also speak of an everlasting shame of personal fiery death in utter darkness ordained for others and their place of residence 20 And doth it not ascribe titles unto them according to their natures as namely Devils Dragons Serpents Vipers sons of Belial cursed children and such like 21 Again if the Lord Jesus Christ was that Angelical God which became that blessed Son of the Virgin promised to
that of Adams or else Eve could not possibly have been deceived by him as aforesaid 7 Also his body being spiritual though his nature was carnal there was no let to hinder his descending into her womb to bring forth the Creators secret purpose of two generations coming through the loins of one woman to make an everlasting distinction between the transcendent glory of respection and shame of rejection 8 Though the Angelical Serpent descended into the womb of Eve yet you may know that his ascending nature was utterly lost in that in stead of his ascending upward into that habitation of ravishing glory from whence he was cast he was ignorant of it and of that God and his mighty Angels as if he had never known them in the least 9 For he imagined his Serpentine subtilty to be the onely wisdom then in being and this world to be the onely heaven 10 My beloved brethren in the eternal truth whatever carnal minded men vainly dream of a general redemption by Christ as sure as the Lord liveth there is a Serpentine generation of cursed men and women which glory in all manner of fleshly sporting themselves about a Creator or in possessing of a perfection in this mortallity which with their father Cain are utterly ignorant of the true God his everlasting kingdom elect Angels immortal personal glory or misery or any spiritual thing in the least 11 Doth not the Scripture throughout make mention of two distinct seeds sons or generations of mankind 12 Can Cain and Abel both therefore proceed from Adams loines or be of his begetting upon the body of Eve 13 It is written in the third of Luke and the last verse concerning Christ that he was the Son of Enos the son of Seth the son of Adam the Son of God If Christ Jesus the eternal Son of God according to the spirit was the very son of Adam according to the flesh can any sober man possibly think that there should be any relation of spirit or flesh between Christ and Cain 14 Or that the everliving God upon any account whatsoever should be brother unto a cursed Serpent 15 Though righteous Abel was Cains brother yet their brotherhood came by the mothers side onely and not by the father though Eve was made out of Adams side 16 You know that righteous Abel did represent the glorious person of all righteousness and truth it self who was that holy and innocent Lamb spiritually slain from the beginning of the world in Abel by the heart and hand of murthering lying Cain 17 Moreover is not this answerable unto that of Christ and his brethren you know their brotherhood was by the mothers side onely and not by the father 18 Thus if your eyes be opened you may see in contrariety a harmony between the seed of the woman and the seed of the Serpent 19 Again because of the great opposition that may rise up against this glorious truth through the exceeding pride and unbelief in the heart of most men give me leave to cite a few Scriptures in the 3. chapter of the first Epistle of John you may finde it thus written Not as Cain which was of that wicked one and slew his brother In the 13. Chap. of Matthew it is thus written He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man and the field is the world and the good seed are the children of the kingdom and the tares are the children of the wicked one and the enemy that soweth them is the devil 20 Moreover in the 8. chapter of St. John Christ Jesus the onely God of truth speaketh thus Ye are of your father the devil and the lusts of your father ye will do He hath been a murtherer from the beginning and abode not in the truth because there is no truth in him when he speaketh a lie then speaketh he of his own for he is a liar and the father thereof 21 My spiritual and rational friends which are sober was not Cain the first murdering lying man that ever was born of a woman Seeing no true Christian can gainsay it was not cursed Cain from the beginning that murthering devil and father of lies spoken of by Christ aforesaid 22 In answer unto those carnal Jews which boasted themselves to be of Abrahams seed and were not those lustful murdering minded Jews or Gentiles which our Lord branded with titles of Serpents Vipers children of the devil and such like filthy Cananites which proceeded out of the spirit of cursed Cain that old Serpent Dragon Devil and father of all the damned in this world and not from the spirit of Abraham though they might proceed from his loins according to the flesh through mixtures of seeds in marriages the sons of God saw the daughters of men to be fair and they took of them to be their wives 23 Though the blessed Israelites and cursed Cananites are mixed together by carnal copulation since the Prince of devils became flesh yet you that spiritual may know that the Lord Jesus that made them both knew how to separate them for all their close union and to call them by names answerable to their own natures 24 I confess that all that died in the first Adam shall be made alive in that second Adam the Lord from heaven but what was that whole world that were lost in the first Adam and found again in the second Adam 25 If with a spiritual eye you shall look from the 1. of Genes unto the last of the Revelation then you may clearly see what that whole world is which are appointed unto immortal Crowns of eternal glory by our Lord Jesus Christ behold are they not called a chosen Generation a Royal Priesthood a redeemed People adopted sons of God heirs or co-heirs with Christ blessed children or the lost shâ—â—p of Israel and such like 26 Did not the glorious Creator and blessed Redeemer himself make a clear distinction between two worlds or generations when he said I pray not for the world but for them that thou hast given me out of the world 27 Can you that are sober imagine or think that there is any spiritual salvation for those men or women which the Savior of the world excludes in his petition 28 Moreover it is written that the Apostle said We know that we are of God and the whole world lieth in wickedness or the devil 29 Behold ye redeemed ones of the most high God is it not as clear as light it self that there is two distinct whole worlds according to that saying then all Israel shall be saved 30 A redeemed world of elect lost Israelites and an unredeemed world of unlost Cananitish reprobates that were never truly lost in themselves and therefore never capable of being found in Christ according to that in the Epistle of Jude where it is thus written For there are certain men crept in which were of old ordained to condemnation ungodly men they are which turn the grace of God into wantonness
rejection spoken of in Holy writ had relation onely to persons of understanding and not unto children that were uncapable of any distinction between light and darkness or good and evil 4 For you that are well acquainted with the Scriptures do know that throughout the whole Bible there is not one saying in the least that maketh mention of condemnation of children but the contrary altogether 5 You may know that that curse denounced against Cain and his seed ran in the line of persons of maturity and not of minority though it is said that God loved Jacob and hated Esau before they had done good or evil 6 You may know that that word was spoken in reference to their being in the persons of men in the sight of the Creator and concerning the difference of their spirits and the effects that would thereby ensue 7 You know it is said there were two nations in Rebeccahs womb at the birth of Esau and Jacob now you know that could not possibly be except they lived to the age of men to fulfil that truth 8 You know it is written that the Lord of Glory commanded his Apostles to suffer little children to come unto him and forbid them not and took them in his arms and blessed them saying of such is the kingdom of heaven 9 My beloved spiritual friends if God onely wise hath said that his heavenly kingdom consists of little children or innocent childe-like men and women are not those men more like unto cursed Serpents then blessed Saints which contrary unto all spiritual literal or rational truth impudently affirm that little children may be eternally damned by original sin 10 If all the seed of Cain that die in their childe-hood shall finde mercy in the resurrection of the just some men may say unto me shall the saved children of Cain and Adam being of two contrary natures appear in the same kinde or measure of glory in the day of the Lords vengeance upon ungodly men 11 From the light of life eternal to this I answer As they differed in their natures in this life so shall they differ in the maner and measure of their glory in that life to come 12 The saved children of the Angelical Serpent will enter into that rational glory out of which their reprobate fathers was cast 13 But of the contrary the spiritual seed of Adam shall enter into that glory from which he fell in a more transcendent godlike condition to all eternity 14 But not in a Paradissical separated place of glory in this creation as some men vainly imagine but in that glorious new heaven and earth without or above this vanishing Starry heavens according to the truth of Holy Writ 15 Thus the most Wise and Holy God of all spiritual and natural order restoreth his spiritual and rational images into their first created conditions upon a more firm foundation of possessing everlasting life and glory together purchased at a dear rate from his divine self by his own most precious blood or God-head life according to that saying by the Apostle Paul Christ therefore died and rose again and revived that he might be Lord both of the dead and the quick and of that saying in the 20. Chapter of the Acts of the Apostles whereof the Holy Ghost hath made you Overseers to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with that his own blood 16 Again if you look in the 4. Chapter of Genesis with a spiritual eye you may clearly see that Gods eternal election or rejection of men runs in a line of personal understanding and not in a line of innocent children or natural fools the words are these and in process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an oblation unto the Lord of the fruit of the ground and Abel also himself brought of the first fruit of his sheep and of the fat of them and the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering but unto Cain and his offering he had no regard 17 Ye that are redeemed from the power of all inward filthiness I beseech you what occasioned the respection or disrespection between Cain and Abel in the pure eyes of the Creator 18 Surely not their offerings for you know that God needs no mans person for his sacrifice sake in the least but for the glory of his own name sake onely 19 Yet you know that Cain had as much wisdom from his own reason to present an acceptable sacrifice unto the Lord as Abel 20 Yet it was the Creators eternal free love unto Abel which caused both his person and sacrifice to finde such sweet acceptation with the Lord that the divine love of God in Abel might be seen in the fatness of his sacrifice 21 In that you may know he was made to offer up himself a living sacrifice of invisible and visible obedience unto the Creator as a seal of his being chosen to life eternal 22 Yet you may know it is not any kinde of sacrifice worship righteousness or desire in man or Angel that can possibly move the divine Majesty to accept of it or his person in the least but it is his eternal free love in his own season which operates in him all heavenly mindedness or love to God or man 23 But of the contrary you may know that the original cause of all maner of fearful darkness and fiery shame in Cain proceeded onely from the non-election of his person 24 This was his condition when he was marked with the invisible seal of rejecting both his person and sacrifice from those words Wherefore Cain was exceeding wrath and his countenance fell down 25 My beloved Christian Friends what moved Cain to be so full of wrath or with whom was he so fiery hot 26 Truly as beforesaid his furious anger arose in him from a sensibleness of his out-cast condition and because he could not come at the Creator himself therefore his purpose was to avenge himself upon his favorite even innocent Abel 27 The Scripture gives you the reason thereof because his own works were evil and his brothers good 28 Thus you that are endued with that light that cannot be disproved may see as clear as the light it self that it is not in him that willeth not in him that runneth but in God alone that sheweth mercy 29 What then think you in the day of the Lords vengeance will become of those free-will-mongers or oracle-grace Marchants which cursedly teach their deceived fleshly brethren that a man may be in a condition of salvation to day and to morrow be cast away 30 Truly my spiritual friends if eternal election and rejection depend upon the acceptation of mans will until he be born again with a distinguishing light from the divine will of the Creator every man living would choose eternal death in stead of life such power or purity is in the choisest of mens wills wuntil the divine Majesty present an immortal Crown of glory unto their blinde born
didst thou ever see this infinite Maâ—esty and Throne of Glory thy self if thou didst where are thy miracles to confirm it or why dost thou not make us believe it by thy spirituality or why doth not this infinite Majesty bear witness that he sent thee as he did to his former Prophets and Apostles or when will he do it that we may see and believe and own thee for the truths sake 25 Whoever thou art that thus callest in question the glorious truths of eternity under pretence of my weakness in reference unto miracles that thou mightest believe 26 Little dost thou think in stead of contending with me thy sinful brother according to the flesh that it is that old Serpent Devil in thee that arraigns the glorious God that made thee at the blinde bar of thy carnal reason and by it condemns him and his heavenly truths because thy unbelieving desires are not satisfied 27 Again did not the Lord of Glory himself call those Jews that required a sign an adulterous and wicked generation 28 Moreover when the Lord of life by the mighty power of his word onely wrought wonderful miracles in their sights instead of believing on him ever the sooner for that the sign-mongring Jews cursedly say that he cast out Devils through Beelzebub the Prince of Devils 29 Furthermore if thou shouldst upbraid me for want of the gift of tongues or languages yet I render praise unto the God of Glory by his poor light in my poor soul thou canst not upbraid me for want of a spirit of Prophesie though thou at present shalt slight it 30 And what if I could speak all languages would it advantage any sign-monger in the world but to his further condemnation only 31 What saith the Scripture concerning this thing Wherefore strange tongues are for a sign not to them that believe but to them believe not but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not but for them which believe 22 verse of the 14. Chapter of the 1. Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians 32 Moreover did not the Lord of Glory himself say that John the Baptist was the greatest Prophet under the Law that was born of women and yet thou never reads of any miracles or tongues possessed by him 33 The Christian Dove waites for a spiritual sign within him that he may believe the glorious truths of the everliving God without him but the carnal Serpent requires a natural sign without him to make him believe the spiritual truths of an invisible God in the high heavens 34 Again if there should be no other appearing of a God or Christ but in mens consciences as thousands vainly imagine in this drunken age what did Christ mean by these and such like sayings in the 15. of St. Matthew And when the Son of man cometh in his glory and all the holy Angels with him then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory and before him shall be gathered all nations and he shall separate them one from another as a shepherd separateth the sheep from the goats and he shall set the sheep on his right hand and the goats on the left then shall the King say to them on his right hand come ye blessed of my father take the inheritance of the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world for I was an hungry and ye gave me meat I thirsted and ye gave me drink and such like then shall he say to them on his left hand depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels for I was an hungry and ye gave me no meat I thirsted and ye gave me no drink and these shall go into everlasting pain and the righteous into life eternal 35 Again thou that vainly boasts of a spiritual God or Christ appearing in glory within thee onely darest thou say that these Scriptures are fulfilled 36 Moreover canst thou say that thou hast this King on his Throne of Glory with his holy Angels and all the Nations of the world within thee 37 Furthermore is the Devil and his Angels and eternal blessedness and cursedness within thee also 38 My beloved friends in the Lord of life if there were not a generation of cursed men that glory of a God or Christ within them that are not onely full of these and such like discourses but are also given up unto all filthiness I could not have mentioned this thing wherefore there are many of these Serpents that creep into houses telling poor deceived men and silly women laden with many lusts that the resurrection of the dead is past already since Christ in his glory is risen in them 39 Moreover if their captivated friends should seem to scruple at any kinde of fleshly community held forth by them then these wandring Stars will say unto them What poor low things are these that you are troubled withal what are you in Egypt still is there any more then one pure being and is not this pure being within you all and is it not he that speaks and acts all in you seeing there is but one power what do ye scruple at are ye as little children or fools yet do ye not see that there is no union or true communion in the world among those people that hold two powers 40 Furthermore lest their deceived friends by whom they possess Balaams wages should fail them then these cursed captives will tell them That their bodies are fleshly forms that turns to dust from whence they came and shall appear no more therefore not to be minded in the least in reference to sin so that ye fall not under the civil law or oppress nature but your souls are immortal and cannot die but ascends into its glory from whence it came Wherefore since ye have attained to such liberty that all men are in foolish bondage which know it not let us eat and drink and be merry whilest we enjoy these vanishing forms yet let us sollace our selves with all delights even as our divine rights 41 O thou King of all kings for the glory of thy great names sake discover these Serpents with their carnal wiles that all thy simple hearted people may be delivered out of their Satannical snares and brought into that pure light and liberty of thy own likeness by one heavenly glance from thy eternal spirit CHAP. XLV 1 The Creators withholding of his divine assistance was the cause of the Fall of our first Parents 2 The ground of all spiritual or natural Curses 3 Noahs Ark assimulated to Heaven 4 Of the Resurrection YOu that are full of the light of life may know that whilest Adam and Eve continued in the purity of their Creation this whole earth and all things made therein were as pure in their kinde and measure as that vast kingdom of glory and all that therein is 2 Moreover as soon as ever their pure natures were defiled with the Serpentine nature of fiery lust you
know the whole earth and all things therein had a curse upon them in one kinde or another 3 Furthermore you may know that this curse did in some measure extend unto the very souls and bodies of all creatures with the whole world throughout 4 Some men may say unto me Seeing the divine nature is all purity it self what was that curse upon the while Creation or whence came it seeing they were uncapable of sin or evil in the least From the unerring Spirit to this I answer It was not an infusion of any curse or evil into the natures of any thing by the Creator but it was a withholding the motions of its first created blessedness through which naturally it became barren or cursed in it self this was the fruit of unlawful lust 5 Moreover that you may clearly understand wherein the blessing or cursing of the Lord consists you may know that when he wholly denies the heavenly motion of his holy Spirit unto a man immediately that soul becomes nothing but cursed envy against all spiritual or natural purity whatsoever 6 So likewise when he denies the natural motions of his blessed Spirit unto any thing that he hath made it becomes subject to all kinde of putrifaction whatsoever this was that cursing of the Jews natural blessings and hardening of Pharaohs heart by the Lord spoken of in Holy Writ 7 Thus you that are sober may clearly see the ground of all spiritual or natural cursings in the whole Creation for though it was pronounced through the spiritual mouth of the Creator himself yet it could not possibly proceed from that word of the Lords speaking because of the glorious purity of his divine nature but that curse rose out of the natures of the creatures themselves for want of the motions of the spirit of God in them as beforesaid 8 Again you that are spiritual know that immediately after the Lord said an end of all flesh was come before him when Noah and his family and the Creation were entred into the Ark the whole world of lustful men and women and the glory thereof were destroyed by water now you know all that was in the Ark was secured from the raging waters through their ascending above the waters 9 Moreover you may know that the Ark and those creatures therein were not onely preserved for the increase of a new world but they were also a figure of a world to come 10 Furthermore the Ark it self had relation unto that Kingdom of Glory in the high Heavens which is too sublime to be overtopped by any natural water or sire whatsoever 11 The person of Noah who was made a Preacher of truth and righteousness to the unbelieving world did represent the person of that spiritual preacher of all truth and righteousness in the heavenly Ark beforesaid 12 Furthermore the other persons and creatures in the Ark had reference unto the salvation of the elect of God and the whole creation that are in being at the personal appearing of Christ in his Glory with his mighty Angels 13 The drowning of the whole world of ungodly men and the rest of the creation had relation unto the eternal condemnation of all Reprobate men in this world 14 The burning up of their natural delights wherewith they sport themselves in excess of riot and drunkenness little thinking of that eternal vengeance coming upon them 15 Again righteous Noah represented the divine judge of ungodly men in this because he entred into the Ark and by vertue of a great light in him he was made to sit as a judge in the consciences of wicked men when the waters rose upon them in the remembrance of their laughing him to scorn about his Ark and knowing his security in the Ark and their present destruction by water having no Ark of refuge to deliver them 16 Moreover as they sported themselves in fleshly filthiness and vain glorious mirth about him his Ark pure language and life 17 So likewise as a mighty Prince in his Chariot tramples rebellious subjects with delight under his horses heels he rode in his Ark as in a Chariot triumphing in the Lord for his own deliverance and their destruction under the feet of his Ark as a just recompence of their unrighteous deeds and despising the Lord and his truth which he had declared to them for a long season 18 As sure as the Lord liveth thus it will be very suddenly with this lustful bloody world that sports themselves about the resurrection of the dead and judgement day saying it is past already or there will never be any such thing for that righteous Noah the King of Glory will open the Firmament of Heaven and stand in the air with his mighty Angels surrounding his person and by the power of his word speaking as he raised Lazarus out of the grave 19 So likewise I affirm against men or Angels the very same person and no other which did that deed is that God that will by his word speaking command all his righteous Noahs both dead and alive bodily to a ascend into that holy Ark of eternal glory in the high Heavens and when they are safely arrived with the whole creation which according to their kinde groaned long for deliverance then as beforesaid that mighty God the man Jesus in glory with a flood of fire will burn all the beauty or glory of this world to ashes leaving all cursed Cananites bodies and spirits burning together like fire and brimstone upon this earth in utter darkness answerable unto their former burning lusts in their natural conditions 20 Moreover those men and women that glory of a God or Christ within them and what ever filthiness they act charge the most Holy Spirit with it I say from the Lord Jesus Christ though they scape the vengeance of men by their Satannical subtilties yet in the remembrance of their despisings of a glory or misery to come in that day the divine vengeance shall burn more fiery hot in their souls and bodies then all other men whatsoever 21 Then those that are ascended into the Ark of eternal glory with the Son of Man and his holy Angels shall sing that new song of all honor power praise and glory unto the Lamb that sits in the midst of the Throne for ever and ever not onely because they are delivered from the eternal vengeance 22 But also because the most Wise and Holy God hath rewarded those filthy despisers of his glorious truths according to what they did and would have done unto Christ and his redeemed ones 23 O blessed are those men and women that are not offended with these plain truths CHAP. XLVI 1 The last commissionated Prophet come into the World 2 No calling of the natural Jews to the profession of the true Jesus 3 Two sorts of Jews 4 Some remarkable signs of the approaching of the day of Judgement IF there be such a dreadful day of Christs personal appearing in his glory with his mighty
Christ by vertue of that light they are accounted to live and to die in the Lord and to rise again in the Lord both soul and body because of their God-like condition even to all eternity 7 Thus you that are filled with the light of the true Jesus may clearly see though a natural man by vertue of creation may be said to live in or by the power of the Lord yet upon a spiritual account in reference to Redemption he may be an absolute devil in himself and so wholly live in the dark power 8 Moreover though it is said that the Saints live and die in the Lord yet I would not have you think that the spirits of the Saints and the spirit of the Lord are so united that they are but one essential life or spirit no that was none of the Apostles intent in those words but as beforesaid his meaning was that those men which were possessed with the true light of life eternal by a continual intercourse with the God of Glory from whence that light proceeded they were vertually united unto the eternal Spirit 9 Though the chosen of God are vertually united to the eternal spirit of a glorified Christ yet how can it be said they die in the Lord or what is meant by their dying in the Lord Truly most of the elect of God themselves are dark in this thing it is a sealed book unto them the Lord alone must open it 10 My beloved brethren as there is two lives of the elect in the Lord a life of grace and a life of glory proceeding from one and the same spirit onely differing much in degree so likewise you may know there may be said to be two deaths or dyings of the Saints in the Lord also 11 Moreover you know by vertue of the light of Christ in the new born of God they become dead to all their former inward filthiness of flesh and spirit as namely they are dead to covetousness envy pride lust yea and all excess of vain-glorious delights among men that perish so likewise they are dead to all their formal righteousness or hypocritical holiness to be seen of men 12 Moreover they are dead to all carnal Christs in men whatsoever whether they be literal natural or notional Christs of empty words onely arising onely from that blinde-born devil of mans imaginary reasons 13 Furthermore there is such a self-denying spirit in all experimental true born Christians from the high heavens that they abhor to put confidence in any God Christ Light or Life to give glory unto any thing that is in sinful man or angels in the least 14 Because they certainly know that there is not one motion or thought of any spiritual light or truth in man or angel but what he received from an infinite glorious Majesty whose personal presence is in a world where never any actual rebellions was committed against his Holy Spirit 15 Thus in a small measure through divine assistance I have shewed you what is the first dying in the Lord in reference to the first resurrection from carnal darkness to the true light of life in Christ Jesus God-man blessed for ever and ever Amen Now give me leave to write a little of the second and last dying in the Lord because of the eternal personal glory that will immediately follow it CHAP. L. 1 Of the second and last dying in the Lord 2 what it is 3 Eternal life is hid in the person of God onely I Know the general cheat of the Priests concerning this secret for hey tell the ignorant people that the body onely dies and the soul ascends to a place of blessedness or descends to a place of cursedness until the day of Judgement and they say then the soul assumes the body again and so receives the sentence of eternal life and death and so enters into heaven to the Lord or hell with the devil and his angels which they say are bodiless spirits 2 If the blinde lead the blinde how can they scape falling into a ditch this opinion of theirs is like unto most of their matters but I 'le pass them by and come to the thing in hand 3 You that are spiritual may know that to die in the Lord is when a mans spirit dies in a full assurance of the resurrection of his spirit and body again out of the dust of the earth by the spiritual power of the Lord Jesus Christ at the last day 4 Furthermore he that dies in the Lord though all that 's in him turns to dust for a moment yet before he entred into the silent sleep of death he knew who would raise him to life and glory again at the end of the time 5 You know it is written When Christ which is our life shall appear then shall ye also appear with him in glory now you may know that the Apostle meant a personal glory that was eternal with Christ in his personal presence and not a particular spiritual glory in the elect which was hid and in stead of love occasioned a general hatred and persecution of men as a delusion unto them and the like 6 Moreover you know though the Apostle Paul was ravisht with more glorious incomes of the love of Christ then the rest of his brethren yet he had many sorrowful afflictions mixed with those heavenly raptures 7 Therefore you may know if you are an heir of glory that this appearing of Christ in glory to his suffering innocent people was meant such a like glory as he now possesseth himself in a Throne of eternity where is neither hunger nor thirst nor affliction of sickness nor death nor need of any Sun Moon or Stars or any kinde of natural comforts for everlasting 8 Furthermore though a man be full of the glorious incomes of the eternal spirit yet you may know that his life is hid in that fountain of spiritual enjoyments in the new heavens and earth above this whole globe why because if a mans life or glory were hid in that light within them then he would not onely be full of unmoveable consolations but he would also increase in himself with such God-like wisdom power and glory that no envious man would be able to behold his face and live 9 Though the light of Christ in his new born ones occasion much joy and peace of conscience and power to suffer persecution for his names sake yet you may know that the glory of that light might well be said to be hid with God in Christ because the quickning power of his spiritual light in men or Angels remains onely in his own person which is the fountain or sea of all heavenly glories as aforesaid Without me said Christ ye can do nothing ye are not sufficient to think a good thought 10 You may know that it is the glory of Christs glory which compels him to keep the prerogative power of all his light or life in elect men and Angels to himself that