28. Ye have heard it hath been said by them of old time Thou shalt not commit adultery But I say unto you That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart Mark here the eye first looks upon her which must imply that it so looks upon her as to be good to satisfie and please him and then lust the desire is stirred up after her and the will that condescends and then the adultery is already committed in the heart although no outward action ever be manifested tending thereunto And what Christ spake of an outward woman may be said of all outward Creatures When the eye of the understanding and knowing part in man doth look upon any Creature otherwise than it is Gods will that man should look upon them and the desire of the mind be let out after them contrary to the â—â—clared will of God which was given to man before his fall and the will joyns therewith that it will have its desire satisfied in the enjoyment of them although contrary to Gods command to man Here the inward adultery is committed with the Creatures although there come none of it forth into outward action And this is a kind of inward and spiritual whoredom committed in the heart or inward part in man And this understanding and knowing part in man which looks upon what God hath forbidden to be good food for it to be thereby made wise as Gods and so pleasing to it and the desire of the mind to be let out after it and the will condescending and takes it in and eats of it that is doth the things that God hath forbidden to be done These three thus joyned together in one as they are but one this is that which is the Antichrist in man it is that which opposeth God in his workings by his Son Jesus in man for the bringing man again to God And it is that man of sin in man the Son of Perdition that is to be revealed who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped sitteth in the Temple of God shewing himself that he is God and is the mystery of iniquity And this is he that letteth and will let until he be taken away and when he is taken away then his wickedness is revealed then is he made manifest what he was that is when Jesus is a consuming of him with the Spirit of his mouth and the brightness of his coming in the heart of man And then whereas before the coming of Jesus in man and is in man thus a consuming of this man of sin he that is the man of sin until Jesus is a consuming of him lieth hid in the heart or inward part of man and is not known to man what he is but sitteth in Gods Temple in man as God and man boweth down to him and worshippeth him as his God whom the Lord Jesus shall yea he does as experience teacheth us consume him with the Spirit of his mouth and destroy him with the brightness of his coming Men have a long time been looking without them and enquiring without them who that man of sin should be and what he is that is to be revealed and so to be revealed whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signes and lying wonders and with all deceiveableness and unrighteousness in them that perish because they receive not the love of the Truth that they might be â—aved And for this cause God shall send them strong delusions that they should believe a lye that they all may be damned who believe not the truth but had pleasure in unrightness I say their so-much-looked-out for the man of sin to be revealed without them that is it that hath hindered that they have not seen the revelation of him within them For what is there spoken of the man of sin but the same may be found in that understanding and knowing part in man that saw and beheld a good for food and thereby to be made wise as Gods and a pleasantness to the eye in the Tree that God had forbidden to be eaten thereof and the desire of the mind after it and the will to take and eat of it Joyn these three together in one as indeed they are but one and make but one man sin for they all were joyned and united together in the sin and eating of the forbidden Fruit and so may properly be called the man of sin because they begot the first sin in man And see if you do not find in these as they are joyned and united together all that is spoken of the man of sin in 2 Thess 2. No prophecy of scripture is of any private interpretation 2 Pet. 1. 20. The Garden in the mystery is the heart of man or the inward part of man that was Gods garden While Adam stood in his obedience to God the heart or inward part of Adam was pleasant and delightful to God and Adam's hearts delight was in God and his obedience to God was pleasant unto him and so the heart or inward part of man doth very fitly resemble a Garden which is a pleasant and delightful place In this Garden in the heart or inward part of man Adam after he had fallen in the cool of the day heard God's voice walking in the heart or inward part as man in the fallen state doth at this day and calling to Adam saying Where art thou And his eyes being opened he knew that he was naked which cannot be meant the outward eyes of his body for they were open before and he saw his outward body before but the eyes of his understanding were opened and he saw himself naked for want of that righteous Garment of obedience that God had clothed him with in the Creation which Garment remained upon him and he was clothed with it until he eat of the forbidden Fruit and when he had eaten of the forbidden Fruit then he saw himself naked stripped out of that righteous Garment of obedience that God had created him in And then when he heard God's voice walking in his heart or inward part which before he eat of the forbidden Fruit was pleasing to him but after he had eaten of the forbidden Fruit he was afraid of God's voice and hid himself from God fearing Gods justice that he saw he justly deserved for his sin as experience teacheth us in the fallen state and condition of man at this very day as man remains in that fallen state And thus when man had sinned the heart or inward part of man that which was before life a garden for delight and pleasantness is become like a Hell a place of fear dread and torment And indeed that fear that was then in mans heart or inward part when he heard God's voice walking in the garden was the beginning of Hell in man And here God may be said to send man or drive man out of
drawings of the Spirit of Jesus the true Light in man who in the woman gave this answer to the subtile Serpent We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden But of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden God hath said Ye shall not eat of it neither shall ye touch it lest ye die Here man by the woman in the help and assistance of the Spirit of Jesus the Light in man that caused him to relate to the Serpent the Command of God in what was Gods revealed will to him and in him wherein he was to obey God in doing what God had commanded him to do and wherein he was to obey God in what God had commanded him not to do And hereby having his will kept and preserved in the will of God he resisted the temptation and stood in his obedience to God feeding upon the Tree of Life in him But the Serpent continuing his temptation said unto the woman Ye shall not surely die For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof then your eyes shall be opened and ye shall be as Gods knowing good and evil The Serpent had before asked the Question in man Yea hath God said Ye shall not eat of every tree in the garden What could he willed or desired in the asking of this Question but the drawing of man out of his obedience to God into disobedience But the will at that time was not gotten to be so strong in the man as to prevail over man but it was resisted by the power of God in man May I not say by the same power of God in man that prayed Father not my will but thy will be done Here began the strife between the two wills in man which Paul was sensible of when he said The good that I would I do not but the evil which I would not that I do Rom. 7. God by his Spirit strove in the will of man that is in that will of man which had yielded obedience to God in his Commands and knew the doing of nothing else but of the Commands of God and thereby drawing man to keep man still in obedience to his Commands But another will appeared in man that strove to bring man out of his obedience to God in the keeping his Commands into the disobedience in not doing his Commands for what can it be else but a will that strove so much in man to bring man from his obedience into disobedience In the asking that Question Yea hath God said Ye shall not eat of every tree in the garden that which asked that Question it was that in man that after it had made a beginning would not nor did not leave tempting of man until it had brought man into disobedience An outward Serpent it could not be because he was one of the Creatures that God had given man dominion over and God brought him to man to name God made him subject to man and man in obedience to God having rule and dominion over him did name him But besides that which makes it undeniable that it was not an outward Serpent is this the seed of the woman which on all hands is owned to be Jesus that saves from sin was to bruise the head of this Serpent that tempted man to eat of the forbidden Tree and this Serpent that tempted man to eat of the Tree that God had forbidden was to bruise the heel of the seed of the woman bruise the heel of Jesus bruise the heel of that which saves from sin And where can ye find in the Scriptures or any where else that ever Jesus that saves from sin bruised the head of this outward Serpent or that ever this outward Serpent bruised the heel of Jesus bruised the heel of that in man that saves man from sin But to this purpose ye may read in Scripture that Jesus in man that saves man from sin bruise the head of that will in man that tempt man to eat of the forbidden Fruit that tempt man to do the things that God hath forbidden as that you may read in the seventh of the Romans where Paul cries out O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of death whereas before he made a great complaint of doing what he would not he found a will in him drawing him to do that God had commanded him not to do but he finds a remedy against that will that bruised the head of that will and that is Jesus Christ And this will in man is known to bruise the heel of Jesus that is as Jesus is in man a saving of man from sin and so bringing man into God again this will in man is striving in man to hinder and hurt this work of Jesus as appears in the aforesaid seventh of the Romans To speak something to the words in the latter part of the temptation of the Serpent whereby he prevailed with the woman Ye shall not surely die although the temptation did not at first prevail with the woman to question the truth of what she knew whether or no God had said Ye shall not eat of every tree in the garden yet in the continuing of the temptation I believe he did at length prevail with the woman to question the truth of it whether God had said Ye shall not eat of every tree in the garden or else how could he have prevailed with her to a belief that they should not surely die if they did eat of it For God had as surely said that they should die in the day that they eat thereof as he had said Ye shall not eat of it but the Serpent having caused in her a doubt or question whether or no God had said Ye shall not eat of it he causeth her to believe Ye shall not surely die if they did eat of it How can it be thought that the woman could believe the temptation that they should not surely die if they did eat of the forbidden Tree being God had certainly said that they should surely die in the day they eat of it if she had not first yielded to the temptation to doubt or question the truth whether God had said Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden and if they did they should surely die Doth not experience teach the truth of this that when the Tempter tempteth to do what God hath forbidden that there is first a question or a doubt got up in man whether God hath forbidden it or no And if he cannot prevail so far then to question if it be forbidden yet not so forbidden with such strictness and severity as the Light of God in man doth at first discover it to be forbidden that if they eat of it in the day they eat of it they shall surely die they shall surely receive a punishment from God for it And then although there may not be altogether a yielding so fully to the temptation as to
question or doubt wholly of the truth of the Command of God yet there is a yielding so far to the temptation as to question whether or no that God is so strict or severe in his Command as the Light of God at first makes known in man that he is And then there is a belief got up in man that he shall not surely die that is as God was not so strict or severe in his Commands so God will not be so strict or severe in his punishments And thus the Tempter perswades man out of his obedience that he had to God which was in the believing the truth of what God had said into disobedience to God in the believing the lye the Tempter said And when the Tempter had prevailed thus far with man as to question the truth of what God had said and brought man to believe that God had not said true in saying they should surely die but perswaded man that Ye shall not surely die Then he proceeds further in his temptation and perswades man to a belief that God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof your eyes shall be opened and ye shall be as Gods knowing good and evil The Tempter perswades man not onely to believe that God had said a lye when he said in the day he eat thereof he should surely die to die is to cease to be as man is said to die when he ceaseth to be alive but the temptation perswades man to believe that God knew that he lied when he said man shall surely die in the day he eat of the forbidden Tree And this the Tempter did in perswading man to believe that God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof your eyes shall be opened and ye shall be as Gods that is as much as to say that God did know that man should be so far from dying that is from ceasing to be that he should have a more higher or greater Being than the Being he had before the Tempter entered into him for the Being man had before the temptation entered into him was but the Being of a Creature but by yielding to the temptation the Tempter perswades him to believe that he should have a Being as God ye shall be as Gods and so he perswades man to a belief that God did not onely lye when he spake the truth in saying man shall surely die in the day he eat of the forbidden Tree but that God did know he lyed when indeed the truth of it was that all that God spake was that which was surely true as God is the truth But the Tempter by his lying perswades man to believe that God was such a one as the Tempter was that he was a lyar and knew himself to be a lyar when God had said nothing but the truth and the Tempter had said nothing that was true and that it was all lyes that he had said that is that in and by his deceit he intended to deceive man in all that he said to man John 8. 44. He was a murderer from the beginning and abode not in the truth because there is no truth in him When he speaketh a lye he speaketh of his own for he is a lyar and the father of it The Devil the Tempter is the Father the begetter of lyes and is he that abode not in the truth where once he was And when the Tempter had prevailed thus far with man to cause him to believe that God had not spoken true and that God knew that he had not spoken true then he perswades man into a belief of the great profit gain and benefit that man should have in the believing the Tempter the Serpent in his lyes and in yielding to his temptation in his eating of the forbidden Tree in his disobedience to God and that God did know that in the day ye eat thereof he perswaded man that God knew that all was to be as the Tempter the Serpent said to man it should be that their eyes should be opened that the understanding and knowing part in man should see and know that they should be as Gods knowing good and evil How did God know good and evil that man should be as Gods knowing good and evil and that he should be so by eating of the Tree God had forbidden to be eaten of by doing that which God had forbidden man to do Doth any one believe or think that God knew evil in doing contrary to his own declared will If they do so believe or think I believe they will not so speak but be like the fool that says in his heart there is no God in his heart he speaks it and in his heart he believes that God is not in his heart But God did know good and evil God did know his declared will to man to be good and God willed this declared will of himself and of himself he willed this declared will of his to be done there was no mover no stirer no drawer to move stir or draw God to his will or to the knowledge of his will to be good nor to will his will to be done there was no mover no stirer no drawer to move stir or draw God to do his declared will in man and so to bring up mans will into his will and to cause mans will to be resigned up into the doing of Gods will And in all this God knew good and in Gods knowing of good he was absolute in himself there was nothing that could help him or move stir or draw him thereunto and thus God was in knowing of good God knew what was evil God knew that the doing of what he had forbidden to be done was evil God new that it was evil because he had forbidden it and thus God knew evil as it was evil but God did not know evil in the action in the doing of what he had forbidden to be done The Serpent by his temptation perswaded man to believe that he should be as God to know good and evil as God knew good and evil so man should know good and evil God knew his declared will to man to be good of himself God had none to give him the knowledge thereof And so the Tempter perswaded man that he should know the will of God as God knew it as God of himself and not as a Creature to have his knowledge thereof from another And God willed his declared will of himself and so the Tempter perswaded man that he should be as God to will Gods declared will of himself and not as a Creature to have his will brought to will Gods will by the motion stirring drawings or the work of another in him And God of himself he willed his declared will of his to be done and so the Tempter he perswaded man that he should be as God and not as a Creature and that of himself he should will Gods declared will to be done God had none that moved stirred and drew
put themselves forth into the doing thereof they having eaten of the forbidden Tree they having done that which they knew God had commanded them not to do And the eyes of their understanding and knowledge being opened they see themselves naked that is that they have sinned against God and that there is judgment due to them from this God that they have offended and that makes them afraid and to passifie the apprehensions that they have in them of the anger of this God which by that understanding and knowledge that they have of him they know to be due to them for their sins And by that understanding and knowledge that they have of God they know that he is good and that it is good to pray to him and to worship and serve him And the subtile Serpent that by his temptations drew them in to eat of the forbidden Tree the doing of what God had forbidden them to do he perswades them that their eyes being opened by that understanding and knowledge that they have of God they of themselves know what is Gods declared will that they should do in praying to him in worshipping and serving of him and that they of themselves can will Gods will to be done and they of themselves can bring up their wills to do Gods will in performing of their Prayers Worship and Service to God And thus the subtile Serpent perswades them that their eyes being opened they are as Gods to know will and to do all of themselves and so of themselves they pray worship and serve God as they call it and are not contented to be as Creatures to know nothing but as they wait upon God to reveal it in them by his Spirit and to will nothing but what God in his will willeth in them and to do nothing but what God by his Spirit led or draw them forth in the doing thereof Although few are so bold or ignorant of God as to confess with their tongues that they of themselves do know Gods declared will that it is good and that they of themselves can will Gods will to be done in them and that they of themselves can bring up their wills to do Gods will in praying to him and in worshipping and serving of him yet by their actions they manifest the truth of what with their tongues they will not confess for by their actions it doth appear that they do all as Gods of themselves in that they do not wait upon God for him to do it in them by the leadings or drawings of his Spirit in them but they yield to the stirrings movings or drawings of their own wills and as their wills lead them out for to do so they go forth in their Prayer Worship and Service to God as they call it It were well if all those that are in the use of Set Forms of Prayers and those that pray in their Families at set times would consider what is the leading stirring moving or drawing Cause of their so praying and to see whether or no they do pray as the Apostle said of himself and the Saints That they knew not what they should pray for as they ought but as the Spirit it self made intercession for them with groanings that cannot be uttered and that their Prayers be performed in Gods Spirit and in truth or else they are not acceptable to God who is a Spirit I so well love all of them whose Lives and Conversations as to the outward are blameless and use those Prayers as a Sacrifice or Offerings to God as to beg of them to have a care that in the use of them the Serpent do not deceive them as he hath deceived me in praying worshipping and serving of God For by experience I do know that what is done in praying worshipping and serving of God that is not done wholly and alone by the Spirit of God in man and man in the doing thereof to be but an Instrument in Gods hand to do his work by And so indeed and in truth it is no other but God the Son in us praying worshipping and serving God the Father that hath begotten us in himself again unto a lively hope by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead And what Prayer Worship and Service is not thus done in God unto God is not acceptable to God and all other Prayers Worship and Service that hath been done in me and called by me Prayer Worship and Service done to God I do now know and have experienced it to be true that it hath onely been done by the subtilty of the Serpent in me in that understanding and knowledge that I had of God that caused me to have high thoughts of my self and that of my self in that understanding and knowledge I had of God I could pray worship and serve God and was as God to my self that is to will what I knew was Gods will and to do what I knew to be Gods will that I should do that is as to an outward obedience to God And now I do know that all that then I did in obedience to God was done in my own will and for my own self-ends And knowing the danger that I was then in being in the womans deceived state and so in the transgression and so in danger of perishing I cannot but out of love and pity to those that are in that state give them warning for them to have a care that they do not fall into that Quick-sand that lieth so hid in man and as an honest Traveller in the outward Land having fallen into a Quick-sand setteth a mark there that so others may have a care of falling into the same place This being the end of all my making known of what I know of the subtil Serpents self-will in me And further to make it more clearer that it is the work of the Tempter in man as man is in the fallen state to perswade man to have high thoughts that of himself in that understanding and knowledge that he hath of God he can know Gods will and can will Gods will and can do what God would have him to do And if this be not the true state of man in the fall to have the subtile Serpent to be thus in him tempting of him I desire then to know from whence it comes that many now see it to be so hard for man to become a very nothing in the Work of his Salvation that so God may be all in it and man nothing but onely as God makes him an Instrument in his hand But they who are not in some measure come to the knowledge of that in them as to know how hard a thing it is to become a nothing in the working out of their salvation that so God may be all in them in that great work of saving of them to them it is as hard to believe the truth of what I have said concerning the experience that some have seen of the Tempter how
goings or leadings forth of the Spirit of Jesus in them and take them in as their own drawings goings or leadings forth after God and do not look upon them as they are the work of God or Jesus in them And thus as at a distance or separate from Jesus that is the Soul first losing the being sensible of its being drawn going or being led forth by the Spirit of Jesus in them to be the work of Jesus in them and so not keeping in the low and meek Spirit but being lifted up with what they enjoy of God in those drawings goings or leadings forth of the Spirit in them self or mans will in the fall prevails through the pleasing part that it hath of those drawings goings or leadings forth of the Spirit as to look upon them as their own and they do not look upon them as the work of Jesus in them And from this a desire gets up in man to be wise And so that in man which is the woman that was drawn led or went forth by the Spirit takes and eats of them that is to take it down into them and satisfie themselves therewith as their own drawings leadings or goings forth after God which they were drawn led or went forth to by the Spirit of Jesus in them Not that the drawings goings or leadings forth of the Spirit of Jesus in man can eat of the forbidden Fruit they cannot eat of the forbidden Fruit but man in those drawings goings or leadings forth of the Spirit eats of the forbidden Fruit that is he takes down into himself as man does the food he eats a desire more to know of God than to obey God in what he knows And so as mans body is satisfied with taking in and eating of his food so man satisfies himself with taking and eating of knowledge and contents himself with knowledge as with food to live upon and his life is in it And the reason why man takes in eats and feeds himself upon knowledge in the drawings leadings or goings forth of Jesus's Spirit in him is because of mans not minding or having regard to the root from whence those drawings goings or leadings forth of the Spirit in him sprung which is from Jesus in them but they looking upon them as their own and as springing or coming from something of their own And here the subtile Serpents self or mans own will as it is separated from Gods will gets in his head and having got in his head he by degrees rigles in his whole body He at first began so with the woman he first said to her Yea hath God said Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden He puts it by way of question and causes her to question whether it were true or no that God had said that they should not eat of every tree of the garden And when Jesus the Light that lightneth every man that cometh into the world tells the woman what was Gods Command and the Will of God that they should do and the punishment if they transgressed Gods Command that is they should die it was Jesus in the woman that gave the Serpent this answer it was that in the woman that if she would have believed and obeyed would have kept her from sinning from eating the forbidden fruit But the Serpent he having got in his head into her in causing her to question the truth of Gods Command whether or no God had said they should not eat of every tree of the garden Now he rigleth in his whole body and by his lying would make God a lyar saying Ye shall not surely die For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof then your eyes shall be opened and ye shall be as Gods knowing good and evil Here the Serpent gets in his body rigling it in a little at once First he removes the penalty out of the womans thoughts perswading her she shall not die as God had said and so gives God the lye or makes God a lyar And when the Serpent had perswaded the woman that God had not said true then he easily wrought in her a good opinion of himself that he spake true when he told her the lye that God knew that in the day she eat of the forbidden Fruit their eyes should be opened and they should be as Gods knowing good and evil they should not onely be as Gods but their eyes should be opened so as that they should see themselves as Gods How doth experience at this day teach the truth of this That before the Devil doth prevail with them to yield to his temptations he first begets a doubt or question in the heart whether indeed God hath forbidden the doing of what the Devil tempteth to do that is as the Devil presents his false gloss upon it that there is a good to be gained by yielding to his temptations as he did the forbidden fruit to the woman that it was good for food and to be desired to make wise And if the Devil once prevail so far as to get the Creature to reason the case with him whether the doing of what he tempteth to be lawful or not lawful and so makes the person doubtful and questioning in what before he knew and believed to be the will of God and obeyed God in as was the case of the woman she knew and believed she was not to eat of the forbidden fruit and for a time obeyed God in it then he soon prevails with them as he did with the woman to hopes of escaping the penalty that Jesus the Light in them hath told them would follow upon their breaking Gods Command and then how easily is the Creature carried away to a belief of what the Devil said to be true as did the woman that by yielding to his temptations they shall be great gainers the woman was promised to have her eyes opened and to be as Gods knowing good and evil What greater gain can any have by yielding to the Devils temptations than to have their eyes opened and to be as Gods And who is it that can say if ever they did take any notice or regard how the Devil tempts them and how they have been carried away with his temptations if they have not in some degree or measure found it to be so That first there is a question or doubt in them whether what they are tempted to be a breaking of the Command of God or if it be a breaking of the Command of God yet not so great a breaking of the Command of God as that they shall surely die for it that is be surely damned for it but they may eat of the forbidden fruit and yet be as Gods that is break Gods Command and please themselves therein and have their own minds wills and desires satisfied in what they do And what can be greater gain than this to have their minds and wills This to them is a Kingdom and herein they think themselves
another seed of the Woman and not that seed which knew the will of Man and condescended and joyned with Mans will in the transgression but it is a seed in man that never knew man that is the will of man by joyning with it or condescending to mans will in his disobedience but it ever did and doth oppose the will of man in his disobedience it is a Virgins seed that knew no man And this is as great a mystery to the Wisdom of this World as it was that an outward Virgin that never knew an outward man should bring forth a Son The woman that this Virgins seed shall save is that in man that was lost by the transgression Take notice of this before man transgressed he was drawn and went forth in the doing what he did by the spirit of God in him I hope none will deny that God breathed into him the breath of life and he became a living Soul man being thus made alive he was by the drawings of the spirit or the goings or leadings of the spirit of Jesus in him carried out by a principle of love to yield an obedience to God and in and by his transgression he died that is man as to his being drawn going or being led forth by the spirit of Jesus in him in obedience to God in that love that he had to God In the transgression that obedience that he had to God died which he was in before the transgression and drawn led or went forth in that obedience by the spirit of Jesus in him that obedience died that is it died as to mans part as to mans obeying of God and so man was lost as to his love and obedience to God and the woman being saved is the restoring of this love and obedience again in man to God which is done in the Virgins seed in the womans bearing the Child Jesus the Son of God God in us who came to seek and to save that which was lost What is now required of the woman to continue in to be saved in child-bearing that is she is to continue in faith charity holiness and sobriety these all were in Adam before the fall and so man may be said to die in the day that he eat of the forbidden fruit There was faith in Adam before he fell Adam before he fell he believed all that God had said to him to be true and he obeyed God in all that he had commanded him to do and he confessed the truth of what God had spoken to him and of his obedience to God in and by the woman It was the woman that said We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden but of the fruit of the tree in the midst of the garden God hath said ye shall not eat of it neither shall ye touch it lest ye die and this was spoken by the man in the woman as being led or guided by the spirit of Jesus in him to give this answer to the Serpent I pray mark God did make known his Commandment to the man before the woman had a being that is before she had a body separated from mans body man makes no acknowledgement of what God had commanded him to do or of his faith in believing the truth of what God had commanded or of his obedience to God but as he did it in and by the woman it was the woman that acknowledged the Command and their believing of it and their obedience to the Command the acknowledgement of their faith and obedience it was in this that she declared what God had commanded them to do and what he had commanded them not to do and the penalty if they transgressed and then they had not broken Gods Command The Serpent never set upon man to tempt him before he had a woman given to him as an Help-meet but after he had a woman given to him to be an Help-meet for him then he set upon him to tempt him in and by the woman read it in the mystery who can I hope none will own themselves to be so ignorant as to say they believe the Serpent did not tempt the man because the Scripture speaketh of the Woman and the Serpent to have all the discourse in the temptations but yet the Scripture saith that she took of the fruit thereof and did eat and gave also to her husband with her and he did eat and gave also to her husband with her and he did eat that is at the very same time and instant that the woman eat the husband eat also with her they eat together by which it is clear that the temptation was the same in the husband that it was in the woman but God is pleased to set it forth to be the woman that was tempted the more to make known the mystery of the creating of man and of mans fall and given it the name that the woman was deceived and in the transgression notwithstanding she shall be saved in Child-bearing And as Faith was in Adam before the fall so Charity was in Adam before the fall the height of love was in Adam before he fell there was no love in the heart of man to any creature before the fall mans heart was filled as I may so say with love to God the love of the Creation nor of any Creature was not entred into mans heart before the fall no not to Eve but onely as God had made her an Help-meet for man but he knew her not till after the fall and Holiness was in Adam before the fall as he was made in the Image of God and Sobriety was in man before the fall man had no high thoughts or esteem of himself While man stood stedfast in his faith believing the truth of what God had spoken and his love remained unchangeable and his holiness unblemished and his sobriety unmoved mans heart was like a pleasant and delightful Garden and while mans heart was thus as a garden and all that man did was done by mans being drawn or led or going forth thereunto by the spirit of Jesus in him for who dare say that man before his being tempted did any thing that was not the work of God in him and man in the garden and in his being led drawn or going forth by the spirit of Jesus in him subtilly gets into him and perswades him in the time of his being drawn led or going forth by the spirit of God or Jesus first to question the truth of what God had said and then to a desire to be as Gods Man was in the Image of God before the temptation as God made him and so in that Image he was led or drawn or went forth to do whatsoever he did by the spirit of God in him But subtilly the temptation caused a desire in him to be as Gods and not to be contented to be led drawn or guided by another as he was in that state that God had made him in but
to have believed this notorious lye of his if he had not continued in his temptation twisting winding and turning himself about the Tree of knowledge in man and in that causing him in the woman first to question the truth of what God had said that he should not eat of every Tree of the garden Before the Serpent could perswade him into a belief by the woman that they should not surely die if they did eat of the fruit that God had forbidden them to eat of and not onely so but perswaded him to a belief that God knew that in the day they eat thereof their eyes should be opened and they should be as gods knowing good and evil I say can any one believe that the Serpent could perswade man that he should not surely die in the day that he eat of the fruit of the Tree of knowledge of good and evil if he had not first prevailed with man in the first part of the temptation to question or doubt whether or no it were true that God had said that they should not eat of every Tree of the garden And thus when the Serpent had prevailed with man to bring him to doubt or question the truth of what God had said and to believe the lye that the Serpent had said when the temptation had prevailed to this then man in the woman saw that the Tree was good for food and that it was pleasant to the eye and to be desired to make wise then by the woman man took of the fruit thereof and did eat And thus the desire of the will got to be uppermost in man after the forbidden fruit Man then did not obey God according to that knowledge that he had of God but had a greater desire after the fruit of the Tree of knowledge than he had after the fruit of the Tree of life which fruit was obedience which for a time he had eaten and lived in but when the desire was carried out after knowledge to eat of that fruit and live of that then man died in his life of obedience then man died in that very day of the week that he eat of the forbidden fruit he then died so as he ceased to obey God in what he knew of God And then he eat he filled and satisfied himself with knowledge and desired knowledge more than obedience to God in what he knew of God And although knowledge while obedience was joyned with it was a good Tree yet when man did not continue yielding obedience to God in what he knew of God then knowledge it became an evil Tree and brought forth the evil fruit of disobedience which was forbidden which man was not to eat of nor to touch it for in the day he eat of it he was surely to die and did die in the day of the week that he eat of the fruit of the Tree of knowledge of good and evil but not a death of the body that lived hundreds of years after his eating of the forbidden fruit Jesus was the true Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world John 1. 8. and so he was in man as made in the Image of God he was the true Light that gave him the true knowledge of God what was Gods will that he should do and what was Gods will that he should not do And so knowledge as a Tree was in man when man was in the Image of God and while man yielded obedience to God according to the knowledge that he had of God it was a Tree of knowledge of good but when man had the knowledge of what was the will of God and did not obey God in that knowledge then that knowledge that was good in man became evil And so the Tree of knowledge of good became a Tree of the knowledge of actual evil and brought forth the fruit of disobedience which was sin which man was not to eat of nor touch man then knew evil by doing of evil which before he onely knew evil as it was what God had forbidden to be done and in that knowledge of evil was no sin committed no Command of God broken in the knowledge of that to be evil that God had forbidden to be eaten of And if any should think it not to be true that the Serpent should set upon man to tempt him when he was in that glorious state of his heart being filled with Gods love and his love to God and upon God onely and he in that state of love to do all that he did by the Spirit of God drawing leading or carrying him forth to do what he did and then in that time when he was eating of the fruit of the Tree of life in him for the Serpent to set upon him as he did to tempt him not to be contented with that state that God had made him in his Image but have a desire to be as gods I desire them that question the truth of it to consider Christs temptations and when the Devil set upon him to tempt him and read it in Matthew Mark and Luke and you shall find it to be at that time when he had fulfilled all righteousness and was full of the Holy Ghost and had that manifestation by a voice from Heaven that he was Gods beloved Son in whom he was well pleased And then immediately the Devil set upon him to tempt him and what was he tempted to He was tempted not to be contented with that condition that he was then in as being an hungry he was tempted not to be contented with it but to make use of a means that God had not appointed to satisfie his hunger And the like may be observed in the other temptations And although there was a declaration from Heaven that he was Gods beloved son and that God was well pleased with him yet the Devil tempts him twice with a doubt or question whether he were the son of God in these words If thou be the son of God command these stones to be made bread And if thou be the son of God cast thy self down And the Devil brings Scripture if I may so say to prove that he might yield to him in his temptation in casting himself down For it is written he shall give his angels charge concerning thee and in their hands they shall bear thee up lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone Both these temptations were that by his yielding to them he might have or manifest a further or another manifestation or making known of himself to be the son of God than that manifestation or making known of him to be the son of God that the Father had given of him from Heaven But Christ did not yield to any of the temptations man at first resisted the temptation of the Serpent and did not yield to it yet man did not as Christ did continue resisting the temptation and so he was prevailed with and overcome and eat of the forbidden fruit
things contained in the Law of God And there is in man but two Natures the Nature of the Serpent and his seed and the Nature of the Womans seed and therefore if those Gentiles that had not Gods Law written without them did by Nature the things contained in Gods Law within them it must be by the nature of the seed of the Woman which is the Divine Nature Jesus the seed that is sown which is the Word the true light which as a seed is sown upon all the four sorts of grounds and lighteth every man that cometh into the World but it bringeth forth fruit in its own likeness in none of the grounds but the good ground which these Gentiles were of the number of for they having not the Law that is the written Law without them are a Law to themselves The seed sown in the good ground and in them bringing forth its own likeness made them in the Image of God made them a Law to themselves Jesus as a light that gave them the knowledge of Gods Law which in substance is this To do that God hath commanded and to leave undone what God hath forbidden he wrought obedience in them to Gods Law and this was the nature by which the Gentiles did the things contained in Gods Law and so they are a Law to themselves and so they shew the works of the Law written in their hearts these Gentiles by their obedience they shew not onely that the Law of God was written in their hearts but they shew the work of the Law of God that was written in their hearts they made the tree known to be good by the fruits which few of these of the Tribes of the Jews that were in the outward form of worship did do which had the written Law and Prophets read amongst them every Sabbath day their Consciences bearing them witness These Gentiles had a witness in them that they did the things contained in the Law of God that was the witness of God in their Consciences which is a most certain witness it witnesseth to nothing but what is true so that if any should have questioned them whether or no they did yield obedience to the Law of God in them and they had answered they did if they had not been believed they could have proved the truth of it by a very good witness the witness of God in their Consciences And their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another There was in the Gentiles not onely a taking notice of the actions done by them and the words spoken by them whether they were agreeable to the Law of God writ in their hearts but so much were they brought to an obedience to the Law of God in them and they thereby became such a Law to themselves as that they took notice in themselves of their very thoughts and according as they were if bad and evil then their Conscience the witness of God in them that accused them for their bad and evil thoughts There was that in them that did not onely judge and condemn them for evil works done by them or evil words spoken by them but they were accused for evil thoughts and there was that in them that justified them for doing the things that were good contained in Gods Law and for speaking what was good and it excused them in their thoughts that were good And these Gentiles were all Nations and Kinreds and People and Tongues excepting the Jews and Paul did plainly say that the Gentiles that did the things contained in the Law of God were the true Jews and had the true Circumcision And those Jews that had the written Law of God without them and did not keep the Law although circumcised without in the flesh their Circumcision by breaking the Law was made Uncircumcision to them and they were not the true Jews see from the 15. vers to the end of the Chapter And this Paul doth not speak of such Gentiles as should believe in Jesus after the preaching of an outward Jesus to them that was Crucified at Jerusalem but of those Gentiles that had never heard of that Jesus for in the 24th verse he tells the Jews that the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you as it is written He made use of the Scripture to prove what he had spoken to be true God put no difference between the Jew and the Gentiles having purified their hearts by Faith Acts 15. 9. The Centurion that came to Jesus to have his servant healed Matth. 8. he was a Gentile and was not of the outward form of worshipping God that the Jews were of and Jesus says of him to the Jews that followed him that he had not found so great faith no not in Israel as he he had found in that Gentile and farther tells them that many shall come from the East and West and shall sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven but the Children of the Kingdom shall be cast into utter darkness there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Mark many shall come from the East and from the West those many they must be Gentiles and such as were not counted the Children of the Kingdom of Heaven that is they were not counted the Children of the Kingdom of Heaven by the Jews which were in the outward form of worshipping God nor are they counted the Children of the Kingdom of Heaven by those that count themselves the Children of the Kingdom because they themselves are in the outward forms of worshipping of God and therefore they count themselves the Children of the Kingdom of Heaven as did the Jews because they were in the outward form of worshipping God they looked upon themselves as the onely Children of the Kingdom of Heaven and so Jesus calls them when he saith the Children of the Kingdom shall be cast out into utter darkness where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth None can think Jesus's meaning to be that the Children of the Kingdom that are the right heirs to it that they shall be cast out into utter darkness where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth No that cannot be for as they are Children of God so they are Heirs Heirs of God and joynt Heirs with Christ Rom. 3. 17. and it is the Fathers pleasure to give them the Kingdom Matth. 12. 32. These are not those that shall be cast out of the Kingdom but they that shall be cast out of the Kingdom are those that call themselves Children of God and so look upon themselves as the Children of the Kingdom because they are in an outward form of worshipping God in a way that God hath required to be worshipped in as to the outward form of worship as were the Jews but they did not do the things contained in the Law of God written in them they do not shew the works of the Law written in their hearts but boast and bear themselves up in an
outward worshipping of God in these things that God hath outwardly required to be done in his worship and so call themselves the Children of God and of the Seed of Abraham These are they that shall be cast out of the Kingdom into utter darkness When those that make not the outward shew of worshipping of God but do the things contained in the Law of God written in their hearts and shew the works thereof written there they shall be taken into the Kingdom of Heaven and sit down there with Abraham Isaac and Jacob when those that think themselves Children of the Kingdom because of their outward form of worshipping shall be cast out although they say God is their Father and that they are of the seed of Abraham as did the Jews Jesus tells the Jews that believed on him John 3. who told Jesus that they were of Abrahams seed and that God was their Father and Jesus tells them that he knew that they were of Abraham's seed but they seek to kill him because his word had no place in them And when they told him Abraham was their Father Jesus says to them That if they were Abrahams Children they would do the works of Abraham but now ye seek to kill me a man that hath told you the truth which he heard of God this did not Abraham that is Abraham did not seek to kill him But notwithstanding they were such as believed on Jesus and told him they were Abrahams seed and that God was their Father and he tells them that he knew they were Abrahams seed yet because they went about to kill him for telling them the truth Jesus he tells them they were of their Father the Devil and the lust of your Father ye will do He was a murderer from the beginning and abode not in the truth because there is no truth in him These were they that looked upon themselves to be the Children of the Kingdom and to have a right to sit down in it with Abraham Isaac and Jacob because they were in an outward form of worship worshipping God in the outward worship that God had commanded and they called Abraham Father and that they were Abrahams seed And mark further the Scripture saith of them that they believed on Jesus and owned that they had one Father even God and yet these were cast out of the Kingdom of God into utter darkness Jesus telling them they were of their Father the Devil and where their Father was must they not be there also with him and if any can believe that the Devil is in the Kingdom of Heaven sitting there with Abraham Isaac and Jacob then they may believe that his Children are there also and his Children are those that are in the outward form of worshipping God although in an outward form that God hath required to be used in his worship and say that Abraham is their Father and that they are of the seed of Abraham and that they have but one Father even God and that they believe on Jesus as did those Jews and yet Jesus's Word had no place in them but they seek to kill Jesus as did those Jews for telling them the truth Mark they did not kill Jesus they did but seek to kill Jesus as do all those wherein Jesus is a light in them and does tell them the truth what it is that they should do in obedience to God but they will not do it and therefore Jesus word hath no place in them and so as much as in them lyeth they seek to kill Jesus for telling them the truth that is they seek to kill him in themselves in that they do not do the things contained in the Law of God written within them nor shew the works of the Law of God writ in their hearts as did the Gentiles that had not the Law of God written without them and yet they did the things contained in Gods Law and shew'd the work thereof written in their hearts I say if any man can believe the Devil is in the Kingdom of Heaven sitting with Abraham Isaac and Jacob then they may believe that his Children are in the Kingdom of Heaven with Abraham Isaac and Jacob. It is not the high thoughts and esteem that they have of themselves or that others have of them as if they were the Children of the Kingdom that can give then an entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven because they are in an outward form of worship and as to the outward in the doing of such things in it as God hath commanded and looking upon Abraham to be their Father and that they were of Abraham's seed and calling God Father and believing in his Son Jesus this cannot give them an entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven there being that in them that will not let Jesus words have any place in them and therefore they seek to kill Jesus for telling them the truth that is they seek to kill Jesus in them in that they do not yield obedience to God in what Jesus the light in them makes known to be Gods will for them to obey him in this makes them of their Father the Devil because they will do his lusts and if the Father be cast out sure the Children must be cast out with him The Gentile Centurion who was great as to the outward in that he could say to this man Go and he goeth and to another Come and he cometh and to his Servant Do this and he doth it yet he did not boast and bear up himself to come of the Line of Abraham nor to be of his seed nor did he call God his Father but was low and little mean and unworthy in his own esteem and did not think himself worthy that Jesus should come under his Roof And yet there was a greater Faith in this Gentile that was not in the outward form of worshipping God than Jesus had found in Israel that were in the outward form of worshipping God And he although not of the Line of Abraham nor in the outward worship of Israel yet he was one of them that should sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven when the Children of the Kingdom should be cast out into utter darkness with the Devil their Father whose lust they will do This is the state of man while in an outward form of worshiping of God and are not doing the things contained in Gods Law written in their hearts that is they yield not obedience to God in what Jesus as a Light in them makes known to be Gods will that they should obey God in but they will as much as in them lieth seek to put out that Light by their disobedience and so seek â—o kill Jesus in them for telling them the truth which Abraham the Father of the Faithful did not and so by their disobedience they make it appear they are not the Children of Abraham because they do not Abraham's works Abraham he obeyed God in
be saved Gods end in sending his Son was not to condemn any one but to save all He that believeth on him is not condemned all those are saved that believe on him but he that believeth not is condemned already all those that do not believe on the begotten Son of God the true Light they are already condemned that is presently while they are in that state of unbelief All men as they have sinned are as they are in the state of sin under the sentance of condemnation but Gods love is such to man in general that he hath sent his onely begotten Son to take off that sentance of condemnation that whosoever did believe in him should not be condemned God grants to them that believe in his Son to speak after the manner of men a Pardon and so the sentence of condemnation is taken off from them and they are as if they had never been condemned but all those that do not believe in his Son they remain under that sentence of condemnation and so are condemned already because he hath not believed in the name of the onely begotten Son of God The cause why all men are condemned is because they do not believe in the Name of the onely begotten Son of God As the name of a King signifies the power of the King so the Name of the onely begotten Son of God signifies the power of the onely begotten Son of God They do not believe in his power who is the true Light in them that makes known in them and shews unto them what may be known of God They do not believe that this Light hath power to save them or that there is a sufficient power in this Light that if they should yield obedience to it to save them And this is the condemnation that light is come into the world Light is come into the world into that world Man that God so loved that he gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever of that world Man believed in him should not perish but have everlasting life God hath by his true Light made known his love in them and their condemnation is not because they did not know God or for want of Gods making known his love to them or for want of Gods making known so much of God to them as may be known of God but it is because Light is come into the world Man come into them and men love darkness rather than light is because their deeds are evil For every one that doth evil hateth the light evil doers hate the Light hate Jesus the onely begotten Son of God whom God in his love hath sent to save them neither cometh to the light they will not come to Jesus the onely begotten Son of God the true Light that lighteth them that makes known in them and shew unto them what may be known of God to the end that they may be saved by believing in his Name by believing in his power but they will not come to him the true Light the power of God to salvation to be saved by him lest their evil deeds should be reproved or discovered They so love their evil deeds that rather than they will have them reproved or discovered so as to be brought to a leaving or forsaking of them They will not come to the Light to be saved by the Light that is to be saved by the onely begotten Son of God But he that doth truth cometh to the light that his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God This is that which maketh the difference in men God makes known himself in all that which is to be known of God even his eternal power and Godhead Gods makes known in all he hath shewed it unto them and so they are without excuse His love is to all he gave his Son that whosoever none excepted that did believe in him should not perish He did not send his Son to condemn the world Man but to save the world Man and those that believe in him are not condemned but are saved from the condemnation and those that believe not are already condemned they are now in the state of condemnation And it is because they have not believed on him the condemnation is because Light is come into the World come into them and they believe not in it but they love darkness the works of darkness evil deeds better than they love the Light And instead of loving the Light that makes known evil deeds in them they hate the Light because it discovers lays open and makes their evil deeds known and reproves them for evil deeds and therefore they will not come to the Light but hate it The Light in them calls them to come and believe in it but they will not come and believe in it And why will they not come and believe in it It is because they love their evil deeds and that causes them to hate the Light but he that doth truth that is he that in sincerity and integrity of his heart doth the things that God hath made known in him to be his will that he should obey him in he cometh to the Light And why doth he that doth truth come to the Light It is that his deeds his works may be made known made manifest that they are wrought in God He that doth truth he that truly yields obedience to God according to what he knows of God his hearts desire is to bring all his actions and deeds to Jesus the true Light of God in him that thereby they may be made known made manifest made truly known in him and to him that they are the works of God wrought in him that is the great thing desired by him that doth the truth to know that all that is done in him is done by Jesus the truth in him So that the difference that is made in men is of their own making Gods love is general to all he sent his Son to save all that would believe in him he hath made known his love in all That which may be known of God is manifest in them God he hath shewed it unto them they are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternal power and Godhead so that they are without excuse But some love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil and therefore they will not come to the light but are haters of the light Because that when they knew God they glorified him not as God nor were they thankful to God for what God had made known of himself to them but became vain in their imaginations Even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge God gave them over to a reprobate mind to do those things that are not convenient Rom. 1. 21 28. I pray mark the words of the Scripture Even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge which knowledge they once had that God had given to them of himself
that is because the words spoken they did not feel them to reach to the witness of God in them or theseed of God in them and therefore they judged them not to be spoken by the true spirit of Jesus in him that spake them and that because they found some thing burdened or troubled in them when those words were spoken and yet they could not deny but that he might speak what he knew to be the work of God in him and that his words were true and that his life was answerable to his words but because they did not feel his words to reach to the witness of God in them or the Seed of God in them but there was something troubled and burden'd in them when they heard those words spoken therefore it was that they judged him to speak these words by a wrong Spirit I pray mark the Argument because the Seed of God in them or the witness of God in them was not reach'd to by the words spoken therefore they must be spoken by a wrong Spirit and why must they be spoken by a wrong Spirit is because some thing was troubled or burdened within them by those words spoken and therefore that which was troubled or burdened in them by those words being spoken must be the seed of God in them or the witness of God in them that must be the thing troubled or burdened in them by those words Oh the mystery of deceit that lieth secretly hid in the heart of man by the subtilty of the Serpent self-will in man who will not bring their deeds to the light to be made manifest who will not bring their deeds to the truth that the true Light hath made known in the Scriptures to be thereby judged whether they be true or false but do talk of a Light in them and to walk by the Light and yet do things and judge of things contrary to what the Scripture makes known to be true which was given forth by the true Light For by the Scriptures there is nothing more plainer than that it is the duty of all to make known to others what God hath made known of himself to them in his great work of saving of man from the subtilty of the Serpent by whose temptation man was brought to sin brought to disobey God But this making known what God hath made known of himself in saving from sin this say they was spoken by a wrong Spirit and the reason why it must be so that it was spoken by a wrong Spirit is because they did not feel the words spoken to reach the seed of God or the witness of God in them and because there was something in them that was troubled or burdened by hearing those words spoken and that they say is the seed of God in them And if they had said it had been the seed of the Serpent in them that had been troubled they had spoken more truer and agreeable to the testimony of the Scripture Mat. 16. 21 22 23. Jesus tells his Disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things and be killed and be raised again the third day What is this but a making known to them what God the Father had made known to him that he was to do for the saving of man from the subtilty of the Serpent who by his temptations had caused man to sin Dare any one be so wicked as to say that Christ did not speak this by the true Spirit but it was a wrong Spirit in Christ that spake it I say dare any be so wicked as to say so And yet these true words of his did not reach to the seed of God in Peter and yet Peter was troubled there was something in Peter that was oppressed and burdened with the hearing of Jesus speaking of these words And none can reasonably believe but that Peter thought and believed that that which was troubled and burdened by these words spoken by Jesus was something in him that was good something in him that loved Jesus which Peter might as some others have done think that it was the seed of God in him that was troubled and burdened at what Jesus spake And that made him take the boldness upon him as to take Jesus to him and began to rebuke him saying Be it far from thee Lord this shall not be unto thee And I pray what was this in Peter that was so troubled and burdened in Peter at what Christ had said Was it not Peter's Will in him which was contrary to Gods Will This Will of Peter's that was thus troubled and burdened that lay uppermost in Peter and that was that which hindered in Peter Christs words that they did not reach the seed of God in Peter the subtilty of the Serpents self in Peter deceived him He having been a Disciple a follower of Jesus and having preached the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand and had power to heal all manner of Diseases and to cast out Devils and had given that testimony of Jesus that he had the words of eternal life might not Peter who had done all this think that Jesus spake by a wrong Spirit because he found his words to be a trouble and burden to him Peter he did so think that he spake by a wrong Spirit and that is plain by the Scripture for he began to rebuke Jesus for what he had said and told him in his rebuking of him that that should not be done to Jesus that Jesus had said should be done to him And so he makes Jesus to speak a lye And what is that less than to tell Jesus that he did not speak those words by the true Spirit For if Peter had believed that they had been spoken by a true Spirit Peter would have believed the words would prove true and he would not have gone about to reprove him for speaking true words by the true Spirit but Peter did not believe the words to be true and going about to reprove him for speaking of them it is plain that Peter believed they were spoken by a wrong Spirit when it was the lying Spirit in Peter that reproved Jesus for speaking the truth And Peter's rebuke was made up of nothing but lyes and that made Jesus call him Satan and told him he was an offence to him for he favoured not of the things that be of God but those things that be of men that was he savoured not the things of God the doing Gods will which was to be done by Jesus going to Jerusalem and to suffer many things of the Elders Chief Priests and Scribes and to be killed and be raised again the third day See who they were that Jesus suffered under it was under those that were high in an outward form of worshipping God And as Peter savoured not the things of God the having of Gods will done so he did savour the things of men he favoured the having of his own will done for it was a will of Peter's
own which he had not taken up the Cross to that would not that Jesus should do what was Gods will in him that he should do And it was this will of Peter's that was contrary to the will of God that was troubled and and burdened at Jesus's words when Jesus spake the truth and it was in that will of his own that did believe that Jesus spake those words by a wrong Spirit for he made Jesus a lyar saying that it should not be as Jesus had said And in this will in this wrong Spirit in this Satan in this Devil Peter undertook to rebuke Jesus for speaking the truth that he had received of the Father as to my knowledge others have done the like And further to make it more manifest that it is a lying and deceitful Spirit which worketh in the Will that perswades to believe that those things that are true which be spoken are spoken by a wrong Spirit and all the reason that is given why it must be so that it is spoken by a wrong Spirit is because it does not reach the seed of God in them but they find a burden a load oppressing them and it is a great trouble to them to hear those words spoken And if this were true then Jesus in the time that he had lived upon the Earth spake many times by a wrong Spirit in that it did not reach the seed of God in his Disciples Mark 14. 27 vers to 31 vers Jesus saith to his Disciples All ye shall be offended because of me this night for it is written I will smite the shepherd and the sheep shall be scattered But Peter said Although all shall be offended yet will not I. Jesus saith unto him This night before the cock crow twice thou shalt deny me thrice But he spake the more vehemently If I should die with thee I will not deny thee in any wise Likewise also said they all I pray observe the words of the Scripture Jesus had told them that that night they should be all offended because of him and he proves the truth of it by Scripture for it was written I will smite the shepherd and the sheâ—p shall be scattered What Jesus spake was the truth he had received from the Father And did he not spake these words by the true Spirit And yet this did not reach the seed of God in them so as to believe he spake true And therefore how could they believe that Jesus spake these words by the true Spirit yea by their own answers it did appear that they all believed that he spake them by a wrong Spirit because they all said that should not be true that Jesus had spoken Jesus had said that they should be all offended because of him that night and the truth of that Scripture should be fulfilled that night that the Shepherd should be smitten and the Sheep scattered Peter who had at another time some distance of time between before that time began to rebuke him for speaking something to that purpose he does not now reprove Jesus for speaking the truth but he again contradicts him for speaking the truth and tells him that what he had spoken should not be done for although all should be offended because of him yet would not he And when Jesus told him that that night before the Cock crew twice he should deny him thrice he spake the more vehemently If I die with thee I will not in any wise deny thee Likewise also said they all That is all of them said as Peter had said that they would not be offended because of him that night and before they would deny him they would die with him As Peter in his own Will had resolved to do so had they resolved in their Wills to do I pray what hindred the true words spoken by Jesus that it did not reach the seed of God in them Was it because they were spoken by a wrong Spirit Or was it not because their own Wills lay uppermost in them above the seed of God in them and so made such a separation as that the words spoken by Jesus could not reach the seed of God in them Was it not their own Wills in them that would not have them to be offended because of him that night being it was Gods will that it should be so and God had caused the Prophets to foretel the same But there was in them all a Will opposing the Will of God and that Will of theirs was that which hindred that Jesus's true words spoken by the true Spirit that they did not reach the seed of God in them and this Will of theirs was troubled and burdened by the words spoken by Jesus What might not this Will say in them or they say in this Will What shall I that have been a Disciple a Follower of Jesus that have been sent by him to preach the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand have had power to heal all manner of Diseases and to cast out Devils and have had my outward feet lately washed by him and that night received of him that which is commonly called the Sacrament of his Body and Bloud and what shall I now be offended because of this Jesus that hath done so much for me No I will not be offended no rather than I will be offended because of him I will first die with him This Will of theirs that was not willing that Gods Will should be done in them this Will of theirs was burdened and troubled in hearing Jesus speak those true words That that night they should be all offended because of him And from this strong fleshly love and affection that they had to the fleshly Body of Jesus might they not think as others have done that it was something in them that was good something in them that was of God that was troubled and burdened at Jesus speaking of the true words by the true Spirit When indeed and in truth that which was burdened and troubled at Jesus's true words spoken by the true Spirit it was nothing but the fleshly will of theirs in which will they opposed the will of God as others have done in this knowing Age. How were these deceived by the subtile Serpents self their own wills in them who hod been so much with Jesus and had received so much from Jesus and yet had not taken up the Cross to their own wills but were in the knowing of Jesus after the flesh and followers of Jesus after the flesh and were ignorant of his Death and Resurrection in them Luke 18. 31 32 33 34. Then took he unto him the Twelve and said unto them Behold me go unto Jerusalem and all things that are written by the Prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished for he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles and shall be mocked and spitefully entreated and spit on and they shall scourge him and put him to death and the third day he shall rise again and they
the other and what was in the one was in the other as God was in them both worshipped as a spirit and the Worship that then was and now is performed as God then did and now doth look for and accept of is to worship him in spirit and in truth and so in that there was no contradiction There was not one thing that was Gods will for man to obey him in the days of the Prophets and another thing in the days of the Apostles that was to be done in man and that in obedience to God which was contrary to that which was Gods revealed will to be done in the days of the Prophets that they were to obey God in No there was no such contradiction And that now there is another thing wherein God is to be obeyed in in these days of Gods making the Light to shine more in the inward part of man than formerly and this other thing that God is now to be obeyed in as some would have it that are not willing to bring their works deeds or actions to the Scriptures to be tryed by them whether or no they be agreeable to the works deeds or actions of the holy men of old by whom God by the spirit by the true light gave forth the Scriptures and in them gave forth what was his will that man should do in obedience to him This other thing that some pretends by the light in them that they are now to obey God in is contrary and not agreeable to Gods declared will in the Scriptures and so they make the unchangeable God to be like changeable men to have one thing to be his will for man to obey him in at one time and another thing quite contrary to that to be his will for man to obey him in at another time Jesus the true light the Word of God by whose spirit the holy men of old spake as they were moved in giving forth the Scriptures both Prophets and Apostles it was the command of this Jesus this true light this spirit that gave forth the Scriptures in that outward body that he took in the nature of man to search the Scriptures John 5. 39. And he giveth the reason why it is that he commands them to search the Scriptures it was because they are they that testifie of him they are they that bear witness they are they that testifie that bear witness what he is they are they that testifie which witness what was the Fathers will that as man he was to do they are they that testifie that bear witness that as he was man he came not to do his own will but the will of the Father that sent him They are they that testifie that bear witness what Jesus the true light the Word of God in man is And they are they that testifie that bear witness what this true light is in every man and what this true light Jesus doth in every man They are they that is the Scriptures are they that testifie that bear witness how this true light Jesus by his spirit it teacheth it guideth it leadeth man into the doing of all that is of the Truth by that spirit that is of his sending forth according to his promise that he would send the spirit of truth and when he is come he shall guide them into all truth for he shall not speak of himself but whatsoever he shall hear that shall he speak for he shall receive of mine and shew it to you John 16 13 14. How do they disobey Jesus Command that refuse to bring their works actions and doings to the Scriptures to be tryed by them whether or no they are the works actions and doings of Jesus the true light in them and that under a pretence because Jesus the true light is in them and therefore it is that they need not or ought not to do it And how willingly are they to be deceived in thinking what is done in them and by them is done in and by Jesus the true light in them And yet will not bring it to that which Jesus saith testifieth which bear witness to what is the works of Jesus in them And therefore there is great reason why the Scriptures are to be searched to be sought after searched and sought into to find out what it is that they testifie what it is that they bear witness of Jesus to be as he is the true Light the Word of God the Saviour of man As he sends his spirit of Truth into man to make known to man what that spirit receives from him and thereby to guide man into all Truth and whatever it is in man that pretends to be the work actions or doings of the Light of Jesus in them and is not agreeable to the testimony the witness that the Scripture bears of Jesus the true Light and of his works actions or doings in man And if that be true that Jesus said as I believe none dare deny the truth of it that the Scriptures testifie of him then those works actions or doings that they do not testifie to be the works of Jesus in man as he is the true Light and sends his spirit to guide them into all Truth may very well be looked upon and judged to be the work of Satan the subtile Serpent in man transforming himself into the likeness of an Angel of Light which Satan did in the Apostles time upon the like occasion read 2 Corinth 11. 13 14 15. For such are false Apostles deceitful workers transforming themselves into the Apostles of Christ And no marvel for Satan himself is transformed into an Angel of light Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness but let them be so yet their end shall be according to their works The Apostle speaking of Christ and how it is our duty to follow Christ's Example he brings Scripture to prove the truth of what he said Rom. 15. 1 2 3 4. We therefore that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak and not to please our selves Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to his edification For even Christ pleased not himself but as it is written The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope The Apostle here sets down the duty of those that are strong and may I not say of those that would be thought or do think themselves stronger than others and that is not to please themselves to satisfie and content themselves in that they are stronger than others and so exalt themselves over and above those that are weak but their duty is to bear the infirmities of the weak and thereby to please his neighbour for that is good to edification And it this their so doing that was to follow the example of Christ who
of ours so we act and do the same things that were acted and done by that Body of Jesus As the same Divine Nature dwells in us as it takes up its abode and stays in us and remains in us so in these bodies of ours are the same things acted and done as was by the same Divine Nature acted and done in that Body of Jesus wherein the fulness of the Divine Nature dwelt For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily Col. 2. 9. I do not say that the same things are acted and done in these bodies of ours wherein this Divine Nature may appear to be in and their making known that this is the will of God that man should do and that is the will of God that man should not do for so a measure of this Divine Nature is in all men as he is the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world John 1. And the World was made by him and the World knew him not the World knew him not and yet they were made by him and were his own as he was their Creator and he came to them as he is the true light in them but they did not receive him they would not give him entertainment they would not let him dwell in them and therefore it is that the same things are not acted and done in them that was acted and done in the outward Body of Jesus and yet he was in them as a light but to as many as received him as many as was willing that he should dwell in them to them he gave power to be the Sons of God even to them that believed in his Name even to as many as believed in the power of him the true light in them which was the Word and the Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us and we beheld his Glory the Glory as of the onely begotten of the Father full of Grace and Truth where a measure of the same Divine Nature dwells in these bodies of ours that the fulness thereof dwelt in that outward body of Jesus There is a beholding of it a seeing of it as the Glory of the onely begotten of the Father in them which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead 1 Pet. 1. 3. I say that where the will is resigned and given up into the will of God there it does make it appear that we are like Jesus that as the Divine Nature was in that outward body of Jesus and dwelt there and in that outward body it did the will of God the Father so a measure of the same Divine Nature is in these bodies of ours and dwells there and in these bodies of ours do the will of God the Father as it did in that body of Jesus And as Jesus did nothing of himself but as the Father taught him and as the Father taught him so he spake those things that he spake So as our wills come to be resigned and given up into the will of God we will do nothing of our selves there will be a denying of all self and a doing onely of such things as the Father teacheth us and then there will be a denying of our selves in all we speak and a speaking of nothing but what the Father teacheth us to speak and therefore men may know by their actions and by their words whether in their actions and words their wills be resigned and given up to God and so thereby they may know whether a measure of the same Divine Nature dwells in that body of theirs that dwelt in that body of Jesus When men do nothing but what God the Father teacheth them to do and say nothing but what God the Father teacheth them to say then they make it appear that their wills are resigned and given up into Gods will and what is done and what is spoken in them is done and spoken by a measure of the same Divine Nature dwelling in them that dwelt in that body of Jesus and so they make it appear that they in these bodies be like to what Jesus was in that body But when men do such things as God the Father does not teach them to do and speak such words as God the Father does not teach them to speak they then make it appear that in the doing of those things and speaking of those words that their wills are not resigned and given up to Gods will nor are those things done nor those words spoken by a measure of the same Divine Nature dwelling in them that dwelt in that outward body of Jesus but those things that were done in them were such as that God did not teach them to do and those words spoken by them were such as that God did not teach them to speak Those works were done by them in their own Wills and those words spoken by them were spoken in their own Wills Jesus he spake nothing of himself but as the Father that sent him gave him a Command what he should say and what he should speak and he knew that his Command was life everlasting and therefore what he spake was even as the Father had said to him So as our wills come to be resigned and given up to the Will of God we will speak nothing of our selves but as God our Father giveth us a Command what we shall say and what we shall speak and we know that his Command is life everlasting and therefore what the Father gives in Command to speak even so as the Father hath said so to speak And where there is a knowing of what God hath given in Command to speak and that in this Command there is life everlasting and then where there hath not been a speaking of what God hath given in Command there the Will hath not been resigned nor given up into the Will of God nor hath it there been made appear that the same Divine Nature dwelt in that body that dwelt in the body of Jesus but in their own Wills in the Earthy part in them they have hid the Command of God in them that he hath given them to speak And therefore as man ought not to speak any thing in his own Will so man in his will ought not to hide or keep in silence any thing that God hath given him in Command to speak let it be never so little or never so much And as it is mans duty to obey Gods Command in speaking so man ought also to have a care in going beyond Gods Command in speaking for that is not to be like Jesus who spake even as the Father had said to him to speak just so much neither more nor less And as Jesus did manifest and make known to the World the love he had to the Father in that whatsoever the Father gave him in Command even so he did so where the Will is resigned and given up to the Will
is that which maketh chastisements although at present they seem grievous yet afterwards they yield the peaceable fruit of righteousness to them that are exercised therein This is the Feast of fat things and of Wine well refined from the lees that God hath made is making and will make upon his holy Mount for all Nations to come unto This is that which put more gladness into the heart than can the increase of Corn or Wine and all outward things This is that which causeth a lying down in peace The resigning and giving up of the will into the will of God was that in which the Faith of those mentioned in the 11th of the Hebrews was exercised in And who is it that can say upon a true examination that he hath any true peace any true quietness any true comfort any true quietness any true comfort any true content any true satisfaction in any thing that they desire to enjoy but as their wills be resigned and given up into the will of God in that enjoyment And who is it that can say upon a true examination that they have any true peace any true content any true satisfaction in any thing that does befal them or come to them or upon them that is contrary to the desire or will of man in them if they do not find that their wills as it is the will of man as it was in the man Christ Jesus are resigned and given up into the will of God in what is fallen upon them or come to them or upon them And in the having of the will resigned and given up into the will of God this gives true peace true quietness true comfort true content and true satisfaction in the enjoyment of what as man we desire to enjoy And in the having of the will resigned and given up into the will of God this giveth true peace true quiet true comfort true content and satisfaction in the bearing and suffering under those things that do befal us and come to us or upon us that are contrary to the desire and will of man in us And would man as God hath made him more reasonable and hath placed more of Reason in him than in all the Creatures upon Earth would he but consult with this Reason in him and be true to the Light of God in him he would see how reasonable a thing it is for him to resigne and give up his Will into the Will of God And if man did first consider the great care and love that God took I speak after the manner of men as God in the Scripture compares himself and his actions to man and to the actions of men and so after that manner I call it the great care and love that God did take in the creating and making of Man more than in all other things that he made In all other things that he made he did but say Let there be and there was as he said Let there be light and there was light And so on in the whole Creation it is And God said and as God said so it was until he came to make Man and then God said Let us make man Although the word us signifies more than one yet do I not believe that there is more than one God but God speaking after the manner of men calls in the advice or assistance of the whole Divine Nature that he would make himself known to man in as Father Son and Holy Ghost which he did not in all or any part of the Creation before and further he did not in all or any of the Creation before man being the last of the Creation He did not say Let us make it after our likeness but in the Creation of man he said Let us make man in our likeness And so God created man in his own Image And God did not say that he created any thing but man in his likeness and Image And moreover God did not give to any Creature that he had made except man the Dominion over any other Creature but to man God gave the Dominion over the fish of the Sea and over the fowl of the Air and over the cattel and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the Earth Would but man seriously consult with that Reason in him that God hath given to him above all the Creatures upon the Earth and believe the Truth that the true light in him would make known and discover to him in the reason that God hath given to him man could not but in the consideration of the great love that God manifests to him in his Creation in calling the whole Divine Nature to advise and assist in the making of him which he did not to all or any of the Creation besides man and then to make him in the likeness and Image of this Divine Nature which he made none of the Creation besides in and then to consider of the largeness of the Dominion that he gave to man over what he had created and gave no Dominion to any other Creature over any thing that he had Created â—nd if man would be serious in himself consulting with that Reason that God hath given to him and believe the truth of God in him the true light in him if he would believe the Truth of what this true Light in him would make known to him in the use of his Reason he could not deny but openly confess and own and that upon the consideration of what God hath done for him in his Creation that it is a thing very reasonable that man should resign and give up his will into the will of God to be what God would have him to be and further the light of God in man if man would be true to that light of God in him that would make known to man in that reason that God hath given to man That if man did not resign and give up his will into the will of God he would in the not doing of it shew and manifest an exceeding deal of Unworthiness Unthankfulness Disobedience and Rebellion against God who might very justly and reasonably require and command of man to have his will resigned and given up into his will for the great love and care that he manifested and made known to man above all other of his Creation in making of man in his likeness and Image and the Dominion that he gave him above what he gave to all other of his Creatures And if the consideration of Gods love to man in his Creation will not work upon man by the true light of God in him to the reasonableness that it is for man to resign and give up his will into Gods will then let man consider the unchangeableness of Gods love to man in that although God had manifested and made known so great love to man in his creating and making of him more than to any or all the Creatures that he made besides man and yet notwithstanding this great
me But so it hath pleased the infinite wise God to leave their failings weaknesses infirmities or miscarriages and not onely theirs but others of his faithful Servants in writing and now in print not to the end to be as Examples for us to follow but to be as Warnings for us to have a care that we by the subtilty of the Serpent do not fall as they did for they and we stand and are saved by all one and the same Faith in the same Jesus and what is written is written for our Instruction and Learning And I know that the same Spirit that will blame me for making so publick the dealings of Friends by me will also blame me for medling with the failings weaknesses infirmities or miscarriages of the Twelve as it did in some Friends for speaking of the failings of Job who although perfect and upright and how patiently he bore what God suffered Satan to afflict him with yet his patience did not always continue the same for if it had he would never have cursed the day of his birth c. I made but use of this in my speaking in the Meeting to shew what great need we all had to stand upon our watch lest at any time we be overcome by the subtilty of the Adversary and this gave such an offence that I was by two counted no small Friends at two several times rebuked for mentioning Job's failings And therefore I expect no other but by the same Spirit I shall be sentenced and judged for my making so publick the dealings of those called Friends or Quakers to me or rather to that which was of Jesus in me but if they do I know by what Spirit it is that they so judge and censure me That it is not by the spirit of God for the example of the spirit of God I follow it is the example of God by his spirit in Matthew and Luke to make publick in writing the dealings of the Twelve by Jesus It is the example of God by his spirit in Paul to make publick in writing Peter's not walking uprightly according to the truth of the Gospel but dissembled It is the example of God by his spirit in the holy men of old that gave forth the Scriptures to make publick in writing the failings of the best of his Servants as of Noah Abraham Lot Moses David Job and others And therefore I shall conclude with the words of Jesus Mat. 10. 24 25. The disciple is not above his master nor the servant above his lord It is enough for the disciple that he is as his master and the servant as his lord if they have called the master of the house Beelzebub how much more shall they call them of the houshold I have forborn the mentioning of any Name or Names and so I shall unless I hear what I have written be contradicted or the truth of it questioned and then I may not onely name the Names of the Persons but the Places where they either spake or did what I have herein mentioned READER WHosoever thou art that shall read what I have writ if upon the reading of what I have writ of the dealings of some of those called Quakers to me thou shalt therefore judge or think the worse of the Truth those called Quakers own and believe in that is of the true Light in them which Light is Jesus that came to save his People from their sins and that Jesus who is the true Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the World it is onely he and there is none other that can save any one from their sins and the way that they own that God is to be worshipped in by this Jesus the true Light in them is to worship him in his Spirit and Truth That evil Spirit that would lead thee or cause thee upon the reading of what I have writ to judge or think the worse of the Truth owned and believed by those called Quakers and of the way owned and believed by them that God is to be worshipped in because of the dealings of some of them to me the same evil Spirit upon the same ground may lead thee or cause thee to judge or think the worse of Jesus and of the way that he declared that God the Father was to be worshipped in and that because of the dealings of the Twelve by him as I have in what I have writ mentioned of their dealings by Jesus as that they did not believe all that he said to be true nor did they always understand the truth spoken by him but by Peter he was rebuked for speaking the truth and all of them did contradict him in his speaking the truth saying to him That should not be done to him and that by them that he had said should be done to him and that by them as when he told them they should be all offended because of him that night and so offended as to be scattered and forsake him and as he said they should therein deal by him so they did deal by him although they had all said they would not deal so by him And moreover there was one of the Twelve that for the love he had to money betrayed him and sold him to them that he knew sought for him to take away his life Thus much you may read in the Scriptures of the dealings of the Twelve by Jesus And therefore I do say that the same evil Spirit that would have thee to judge or think the worse of the Truth that is owned and believed by those called Quakers of their worshipping God in Spirit and Truth because of what I have writ that some of them have done to me The same evil Spirit upon the same ground may cause thee to judge and think the worse of Jesus and of the truth that Jesus preached because of what the Twelve did to him that thou mayest read written in the Scriptures God knows and bears me witness that why I make mention of their dealings to me is to do what I believed I ought to do thereby to make known what knowledge and acquaintance man may have of Jesus in the flesh and yet not know Jesus in his Death and Resurrection as the Twelve who had the most knowledge of him and acquaintance with him in the flesh and were sent by him to preach and cast out Devils and yet knew him not in his Death and Resurrection And therefore man may go a great way in an outward form of Worship and in an outward following of Jesus and yet not come fully to know what it is to deny himself daily and take up his Cross to all self and be a Follower of Jesus in the Spirit As the Twelve although they followed him in the flesh and so had the most acquaintance with him yet they had not in that time of their knowing of him and following of him in the flesh so fully learned that Lesson of self-denial and taking up of the daily Cross to their own wills as they learned it when they knew his Death and Resurrection in themselves and followed him in the Spirit And as Paul said They knew no man after the flesh yea though we have known Christ after the flesh yet now henceforth know we him no more Oh how subtilly the Serpent self in man can and does act in an outward form of worshipping God tempting man in that knowledge and understanding that he hath of God to eat of the forbidden Tree that he might thereby be as Gods I do therefore beseech the Readers to have a great care that they be not deceived by the Serpents subtilty therein as I do know he hath formerly deceived me And also I do beseech them not to answer the desires of the subtile Serpent or Tempter in them as to judge or think the worse of the Truth the true Light in man or of those called Quakers because of some ill dealings done by some of them to Henry Abbut FINIS
to be as gods to be of himself and to do of himself that is to be as gods to have no dependency upon another but of himself and thus man in the garden and in the time of his being drawn led or carried forth by the spirit of God or Jesus was tempted by the Serpent the subtilty of self in him and by the temptation deceived the temptation prevailed in him to a desire to be as gods Man as he was made in the Image of God so he had in him neither desire nor will to eat of the forbidden fruit but yet he was not so made in the Image of God but that Desire and Will got up in him to eat of the forbidden fruit as he did In the midst of the garden was the tree of life Jesus that saves from sin is the tree of life this was in the midst of man as he was made in the Image of God and the fruit that this tree brings forth is obedience to God and of this fruit of the garden man was commanded by God freely to eat of he eat no other meats that is as the natural body takes into it outward meat and eats it and so is filled and satisfied with it so man as made in the Image of God he took in of the fruit of the tree of life Jesus which brought forth the fruit of obedience in him and man eat thereof that is he filled and satisbed himself with obedience to God as he was in the Image of God As the outward body takes in and eats and fills and satisfies it self with outward meat so man as made in the Image of God eat took in filled and satisfied himself with obedience to God And the tree of knowledge of good and evil was in the midst of the garden that is man knew Gods will what he should do and that was good and what he should not do and that was evil and for a time man stood in his obedience to God eat of the fruit of the tree of life and lived in obedience to God for a time although the tree of knowledge of good and evil was in the midst of the garden God had made known in man what was good and what was evil which was not forbidden to be in man what God did forbid was evil man was not to do evil but mans knowing of what God had forbidden was not an evil so the tree of knowing what was good that God had commanded to do and knowing what was evil that God had forbidden to do was not an evil tree in it self and therefore not forbidden to be in man God doth continue it still in man it was the eating of it or the fruit of it and touching of the fruit of it that was forbidden and man did not eat of the fruit thereof as soon as he was in the woman tempted by the Serpent but at or in the beginning of the temptation he stood in his obedience to God in eating of the fruit of the tree of life as appears by his acknowledging in the woman Thou mayst eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden God hath said Ye shall not eat of it neither shall ye touch it lest ye die here man continued in his obedience eating of the fruit of the tree of life although tempted and in the acknowledging Gods Command to the full height or largeness of it in answer to that doubtful question of the Serpent Ye hath God said ye shall not eat of every tree in the garden take notice how the Serpent leaves out Gods Command and the Name of the tree that God had commanded not to eat of that so his temptation might the easier take place and by it got into the man by the woman and onely puts it in as a question Yea hath God said ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden when it was Gods Command saying Of every tree of the garden thou mayst freely eat but of the tree of knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat of it for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die Gen. 2. 16 17. mark here is a Command forbidden to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil but there is nothing said of not touching the fruit thereof and when man by Jesus in him gave an answer to the Serpent by the woman and that while he stood in his obedience eating of the fruit of the Tree of life he tells the Serpent that they were not onely forbidden to eat of the fruit of the Tree of knowledge of good and evil that was in the midst of the garden but they were not to touch the fruit of it By which it plainly appears that at the first beginning of the temptation man did not yield thereunto but stood fast in his obedience in feeding upon the fruit of the Tree of life in him Jesus the Tree that brought forth the fruit of obedience in him and so kept him from sin But the Serpent for so may the temptation be fitly compared to a Serpent who can twist and turn himself round and round he continued in his body turning it about the Tree of Knowledge As I have seen the likeness of a Serpent by man pictured upon the likeness of a Tree without me so have I experimentally seen the Serpent within me upon the Tree of Knowledge And although the Scripture doth not plainly speak it in plain words yet experience teaches me and the Scripture speaks to that purpose that although the Serpent had so full an answer given to him that not onely the fruit of the Tree of knowledge of good and evil was forbidden to be eaten but it was also forbidden to be touched yet the Serpent would not leave his temptation in his doubtful question whether God had said they should not eat of every Tree in the garden but the Serpent did continue in his temptation therein tempting man till he had caused man in the woman to doubt or question the truth of what God had commanded for if man in the woman had not doubted or questioned the truth of what God had commanded he could never have believed the Serpent when he made God a lyar God had said to the man In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die And the Serpent said to man in the woman Ye shall not surely die For God doth know that in the day mark that God had said That in the day man eat thereof man should surely die The Serpent said to man in the woman Ye shall not surely die And that God knows that in the day ye eat thereof your eyes shall be open and ye shall be as gods knowing good and evil In that day that God had said they should die in that day the Serpent said they should be as gods Can any one believe that the Serpent could have perswaded man by the woman