all Experience of man and Warnings from God to the contrary is as Unpardonable as the Devils first sin must be the very way of Salvation What-else or less And then as to the second Adam Let his original Creature-nature or Spirit Set up by himself in Personal Union with his divine From Everlasting Prov. 8. 23. be denied and the very Creation in effect or rather in the cause of it is denied For this Living Creature or all comprehensive Creature-nature under the God of Israel Ezek. 10. 20. and in personal Union with him comprehending in it as a Polished shaft in God's Quiver the very man Christ that in the Fulness of time was made flesh was the very immediate hand by which God Made the Worlds By this Creature-Wisdom and word of God which is called God also were all things made Jo. 1. 1-3 and so by the very man Christ as comprehended therein were made both worlds natural and spiritual in a first and second Creation-workmanship of his passing upon them Heb. 1. 2. Col. 1. 13-16 The same WORD also by which all Angels and men were made was the provided means Mouth or Prophet of God to speak forth the whole Counsel of his Divine Mind to them when made and to Mediate between them and Infinite Divinity which without this Interposing Creature-Vail would have been a Consuming fire to them all This Word is also the Executer as well as Declarer to them of the whole Mind and Will of God from first to last on all Angels and Men as Obediently Submitting to the Methods and Terms of his New-Creating Workmanship or Incorrigibly Rebelling against it He is the 〈◊〉 Roll of Woes to the one the Book of Life and Mercy-Seat to the other in which are Treasured and Sealed up all the distinct Measures and Portions of Wrath for the one amongst the distinct Portions and Measures of Grace and Love for the other Deu. 32. 34 35. This Living Book in which all they do towards God and all God will do towards and with them are exactly Recorded and Registred the Living Stone that bear's and know's all on all hands God's Words to them and theirs to him Jos. 24. 26 27. by way of Covenant will be the Infallible Witness for or against them and Irresistible Executor of the Mind and Will of God towards and upon them all in Everlasting Love or Wrath. See then the case of those that deny any Creature-Nature or Spirit in the Mediatour of elder date then his being made Flesh. And then when in that Fleshy State Crucified they that narrow and consine his Crucisixion only to the Violent Death of his Body and Exclude or take no notice of the Death he put his natural Spirit to as to the Spotless but Changable earthy Law-Life thereof by kindling upon it and Offering it up in the Mystical Fire of his Eternal New-Creature Spirit Luk. 12. 49. Heb. 9. 14. What Conformity to his Death will they Preach If the principal thing he Crucified in himself be denied the principal thing that 's to be Crucified in us will be denied And what then Why then the Subduing the Vile Affections of the Corrupt Spirit of Nature must be Reckon'd Conformity to Christs Death whereas he had no such things in him to Crucifie And then Conformity to him in the but gradually restored Righteous First-Covenant Life of the Law Holy Flesh call it what else we will which he Crucified in himself at best must be reckon'd a State of true Salvation the SAINTS EVERLASTING REST. And then the Counter workings of in part restor'd nature and the Corrupt must pass for Flesh Warring against Spirit and Spirit against Flesh 〈◊〉 5. 17. when indeed all 's but Flesh. Paul when Eminent in Holy Flesh was a fierce Fighter against Christ's Gospel-Spirit Here 's your Divinity and Anti-Gospel Teaching in perfect Contradiction to the declared Methods and Words of God's Wisdom for Salvation in every point Some care is taken to Preach down and Subdue the Brutish Lusts of Litteral Sodom in the Corrupt Spirit of Nature but Mystical Sodomy more criminal then Litteral is Preach'd up for Salvation to wit such establishment in Righteousness as is unchangable enmity to God Gross sins in the dark ignorant corrupt Spirit of nature are cried down but all Mystical Uncleanesses Adulteries Idolatries Thefts Murders Sacriledg c. are preach'd up for Salvation A hard saying What is Truth Said Pilate to Christ not waiting the answer Jo. 18. 38. Christ had told him before-hand that he came into this world to Bear witness to the truth V. 37. What truth That ther 's nothing but vanity or vanishing shadow 's in this World the whole first-creation my Kingdom therefore say's he is not of this World or to be managed in my worldly law-law-spirit of nature Holy flesh where the Jews would fain have had him own himself a King Jo. 6. 15. but as is Implied of the next and to be manag'd in my new-Creation Spirit of truth All things in the first-Creation state of Angels and men are but vanishing shadows of the truth all Substantial durable Eternal things or truths in the second This is the good confession Negative and Affirmative Christ Witnessed before Pontius 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 6. 〈◊〉 as we find Jo. 18. 36 37. the former Expressed the other Implied in the Word Truth Christ Witnessed or Declared in his Infallible Spirit of Truth that there 's nothing of truth or substance in God's sight nothing unchangably good no Eternal good things or Truths but in the New-Creation State and World in and over which he owned himself a King They that will finally and conclusively be Reigning as Kings in the but worldly restored First-Covenant-Life Holy Flesh as 1 Cor. 4. 8. will be found Pseudo-Fift-Monarchists in direct Hostility to the true Reign of Christ and all true Spiritual Saints in his Holy gospel-Gospel-Spirit and so in a Flat contradiction to every tittle of his Gospel-Testimony Christ's witnessed good Confession to Pilate my Kingdom is not of this World gives the dash Solomon Proclaim 's on all First-Creation-Life of Man or Angel with all the things and fruits thereof as Vanities or but perishing Shadows of God's durable New-Creation substances things and truths the Everlasting Life Wisdom and Righteousness of God in his Spirit of Grace and Truth with the Blessed Fruits thereof in Men True Love Joy Peace c. to from and with God and all right Fruits brought forth by them therein unto God All these are Everlasting Incorruptible things the Spiritual Tree Root and Branch Fruits Leaves and all Psal 1. 3. In this Spirit of Truth have Men durable Riches Life Food and Cloathing In this Spirit of the Son only can they rightly Worship the Infinite Divine Spirit or Father He must be Worship'd in Spirit and in Truth in a Spirit of Everlasting Righteousness and Truth All Worshippers in any other Spirit Worship they know not what Jo. 4. 22-24 may be the Devil as God
spirit CHAP. V. Vers. I. Keep thy Foot when thou goest to the House of God and be more ready to hear then to give the Sacrifice of Fools For they consider not that they do evil HEre 's the Result and Use of all declar'd in the fore-going Chapters as to the Vanity and vain Labour of Man under the Light of the Mystical first-Creation Sun or Spirit of the Law in and under which Man and Angel were at first Created and Christ Born Gal. 4. 4. Paul draw's the same useful Instruction from the doctrin of the 11 former Chapters to the Roman's Chap. 12. 1. for quitting or giving up the same earthly natural State the same thing with the Foot here when restor'd or made again Holy Flesh the righteous natural Body in Sacrifice to God as our reasonable Service and true free-will Offring even the Offring up of our free-will to good and evil that we may receive his free-will to Good only the Glorious Liberty of the Sons of God with which the Son makes free indeed all that are Born of his Gospel-Spirit of overlasting righteousness and truth First then consider what this Foot is or signifies and secondly what 's the House of God it 's to be kept out of as not fit to enter 1. This Foot 〈◊〉 the whole Man in a first-Covenant Life The Heel Satan is permitted to bruise Gen. 3. 15. is of the same extent and comprehensive significancy And so were the Shoes Moses was Commanded to put from off his Feet where the ground was Holy Exod. 3. 5. This Foot or natural Spirit of Man corrupt or righteous being found in Enmity to God at best as in Paul before his Gospel-Conversion can bear no part in the right Worshipping of God which is wholly to be perform'd in Spirit and Truth Christ's new-Creature gospel-Gospel-spirit of everlasting righteousness and truth The infinite Divine Spirit and Father requires all Men and Angels to Worship him in the Son's Gospel-Creature-Spirit of truth How can Man please him in duties of Worship or any other Performances towards him or Man in his own Spirit of Enmity Such Enmity as is no otherwise extinguishable but by 〈◊〉 death of nature being absolutely inseperable from the Life of it at best Christ's Gospel-Spirit of Love in unchangable Union of Mind and Will Desire and Thought with God when it becom's the sole Principle of Life Desire Thought and Action in Man will perfectly and compleatly fulfil all Law perform all duty to God and Man to God's well-pleasing and the Performer's certain and everlasting Salvation Man is not to come in his own Spirit of nature however Wise Strong Rich and Honourable in Christ by his first-Covenant-Communications to him as a fleshly Bride-groom and 〈◊〉 at his earthly Table into the new-Creation Sanctuary of God the everlasting Righteous Fountain Gospel-Spirit of Christ. The Courts of this Sanctuary are too Holy Ground for any thing that 's but changably good as Man and Angels before the fall or also positively evil as nature corrupt or righteous in all Men since the fall to tread on For a Man in a Spirit that 's a Root of Bitterness bearing Gall and Wormwood Briars and Thorns in a continued Enmity to God every Imagination Purpose Desire and Thought thereof being only evil continually the old World's case before the Flood Gen. 6. 5. to appear in the unchangably righteous new-Creation Sanctuary of God what a strang incongruous thing and sight would it be If any fill'd and Clothed by Satan's 〈◊〉 and their own consent or choice with a Spirit of unchangable Enmity to God do as 't were crowd in and appear at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb and his Bride in the Kingdom of his Father see what 's like to become of him Mat. 22. 11 12. Friend will the King Jesus say how cam'st thou in hither not having a Wedding Garment And he was Speech-less had nothing to say Then say's the King to his Servants the Holy Angels of his Power that excel in strength all fixed first-Creation Enemies of God and the second bind him Hand and Foot and cast him into outer Darkness where shall be Weeping and Gnashing of Teeth to all Eternity Let the fixed first-Creation Sinner and Enemy of God in his form of Godliness Righteousness of Man do what he can get where he will he is gone for ever No Stranger was to come into the Litteral Sanctuary under the Law the Type of this Spiritual Gospel-Sanctuary-Spirit of God in Christ's Person and in his Saints the lively stones of the House upon the Rock that Christ is the living head-corner Stone and Foundation of He spirit 's influences and enliven's all the rest hold's them fitly compacted together and firmly cimented in his one Gospel-spirit of new-Creature-Life that 's a Universal Bond of Love and Peace to and with God Christ and one other for evermore The Foot Heel or Shoe that 's to be kept back laid aside or put off that we may be shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace and so walk orderly with a right Foot according to the Gospel of the Grace of God or on a new foot of account in the single-ey'd discerning strength and Power of Christ's Gospel-spirit is that Flesh and Blood which cannot enter into and inherit the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 15. 50. or tread the Courts of his Heavenly Sanctuary Angels in the purity of their first-Creation-make and changable Life were to cover their Faces as not fit to appear before God to behold or be beheld by him therein And say's God to the Jews when ye come to appear before me who hath requir'd this at your hands to tread my Courts Isai. 1. 12. No right acceptable Worshipping God or doing any thing else but in the Gospel-spirit of Truth that spirit of Love that 's the compleat fulfiller of the whole Law even of all that God requires of us Sure the natural spirit at best that 's a spirit of Enmity to God and a bloody-minded Spirit against his true Saints can do no such thing It 's hands are full of blood It breath'd out Threatnings and Slaughters against the Disciples of the Lord even in Paul who had therein lived according to his light in all good conscience Act. 23. 1. exerciseable in the activity and restor'd Life thereof as a strict circumspect Opposer and Suppressor of the vile Affections and Lusts of his corrupt nature This Foot then is to be cut off cast away laid aside by us as not fit to perform any part in the true Worshipping of God Man is not to come alive into the House of God but be brought into it by the High Priest Christ himself dead as to his own Law-Life and principle of active obedience and quick'ned up into his Gospel-Life and Principle of active obedience wherein alone 't is possible to please God or be saved Passive obedience is the highest service performable in or with Angel's or Man's natural first-Creation Life
Angels This say's the Preacher Solomon as turning from his own Wisdom or Understanding and owning the Holy Ghost or New-creature Gospel-spirit of Christ in him the sole dictating Author of this Book Vanity of Vanities in the Hebrew manner of expressing signifies most vain in the superlative degree Man at his best estate and so Angel at his best before the Fall of either were altogether Vanity Psal. 39. 5. and since the Fall are they worse lighter then Vanity it self less then nothing Psal. 62. 9. Isa. 40. 17. Neither of them had at first any durable Life Wisdom 〈◊〉 Glory nothing but what was mortal perishable and vanishing All was but a fading Flower of the first-creation Field or World The utmost growth beauty flourish and fruitfulness of the corruptible seed of God's left-hand planting in them by a first-creation is no more or better And all their best desires births fruits thoughts or actions therein are vanity can never exceed the fading nature and title of the root whence they spring the fleshly Tree of good and evil on which they grow All visible things Glory Riches Power together with the litteral Sun that produces and renders the rest visible are but Vanity of vanities shadows of shadows to wit of the intellectuall 〈◊〉 Sun the first-covenant Spirit with all the inward mystical riches 〈◊〉 wisdom righteousness glories and excellencies produced thereby in the natural first-creation state of Man or Angel at best The most excellent births fruits performances or works of Righteousness brought forth and done but under the impregnating and fructifying influence of the first-covenant Spirit and so of Christ therein as a fleshly Bridegroom to them all these still are but Vanity or vanishing shadows of spiritual heavenly eternal substantial things or truths durable riches everlasting life food and clothing the glory that excells and remains for ever in the New-creation state of Man or Angel All 's but the Life and Image of the earthly in the Spirit of Nature not of the heavenly in the new-creature Spirit of Grace The life wisdom form of godliness righteousness of Man or Angel in their own nature as at first created were real but not true in a Scripture-sense All are but shadows of the everlasting Life power of Godliness wisdom and righteousness of God in the New-creation or Second Covenant Holy flesh cleansed righteous nature and so the common or general Salvation all men are capable since the Fall of being restored into by the Redeemer is but a shadow of true holiness special everlasting salvation in God's holy New-creature spirit of Grace and Truth True godliness the mystery the power of godliness true or everlasting Life Salvation and blessedness the Life Wisdom and Righteousness of God in his New-covenant spirit of Grace none of these true things were possessed by any Angel or Man in the Primitive unstained purity of their 〈◊〉 by the first-creation All these true things of God were represented to them all in the Tree of true Life by way of Object as what God had in reserve to bestow upon them by a new-creation on their obedient surrender and parting with that mortal Life and State they received by the first God calls what he gave them by the first-creation their own their life wisdom righteousness c. What he offers them by a new-creation he calls his own his life wisdom righteousness c. All men that Satan can bring to savour only the natural things of Man or Angel and never at all the spiritual new-creature things of Christ and God Mat. 16. 23. are fixed with him in unchangable enmity to God The New-creature Life and things God calls his own are transcendently superiour to Man's own as the Litteral Heavens are above the Earth The duplication of this Hebrew superlative the double Out-cry or Proclamation here implies the absolute certainty and great importance of the assertion as also that Solomon would have the thing here proclaim'd understood as the sum or compend of this whole Book which he explains by degrees in the various parts thereof What he indistinctly and as in a transport cries out of as Vanity of vanities he begins to lodg and fix his meaning in saying All is vanity And this All yet as somewhat indistinct is after limited within its due bounds yet allowed its full extent and circumference over and over in this first Chapter All things under heaven under the sun all earthly mortal life and goodness received by Man or Angel in their first-creation all below what is heavenly spiritual and everlasting in and by the second are vanity or vanishing perishing things however good in their kind and useful in their place This fixes and compleats this leading Proposition and Foundation of the ensuing Discourse All visible things under the litteral Sun depending on its influence as a concurring second Cause of their Production and Preservation and rendred visible by its light and then all the invisible things of Man and Angel all the Life Wisdom Righteousness Excellencies Glories and all the Desires Thoughts and Operations of their invisible immortal spirits under the mystical first-creation Sun or first-covenant spirit of nature in the Mediator all these things are comprehended under the title Vanity All their counsels studies purposes and contrivances for true happiness within the compass and in the single activity of that natural state or life life and all all is Vanity Vanity is written out upon Tree and Fruit Root and Branch Principle and Operations throughout in that state of both The infallible new-creature spirit of true Prophecy declares this concerning all the goodness life or 〈◊〉 found in the old natural first-creation state of Angel and Man This Spirit in Christ and awakened spiritual Saints can prophesy or certainly fore-tell what will become of any man as finally rejecting or complying with its reproofs of Death on his own spirit of Nature and instructions of Life in God's Spirit of Grace in Eternal Life or Death This New-creature spirit of Life and true Prophesy is below the infinite Divinity but transcendently above all natural first-creation Life and Things in Man or Angel Paul in all the Light Wisdom and Righteousness of his restor'd naturalls Phil. 3. 4 6. Was exceedingly mad against Christ's Gospel Truths and Saints Acts 26. 11. What work then is Man though wise strong and honourable in Christ 1 Cor. 4. 10. as to 〈◊〉 covenant attainments like to make of it at Gospel or shewing the true way of Salvation God knows all the Thoughts of man in his highest wisdom to be 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 3. 20. All purely divine things the deep things of God and all spiritual heavenly new-creation things lye clear out of the reach of all single natural understanding of man or angel 1 Cor. 2. 9-14 Their vain wisdom has nothing but Vanity for its immediately discernable Object If we extend this all is Vanity beyond the sphere of natural to divine or spiritual creature-things we blaspheme If we
whom the Lord abhorreth Psal. 10. 3. as they him and his true What profit then can man expect of all his labour under the Sun in but a first-covenant Life and Righteousness Nothing below the Holy Ghost or new-creature constant right steddy Spirit Psal. 51. 10. and principle of everlasting righteousness signifies any thing as to his true salvation When he reckons he has all he has nothing of durable life riches food or clothing but is wretched miserable poor blind and naked The wisdom of self-confident man misses the design and principal intendment of God in the whole Scripture To preach up the righteousness of man in the first-covenant-law is good in its kind But to assert this to be an everlasting Gospel-life or state of true salvation is the highest evil the very doctrine Satan preach'd to Eve Ye shall not dye at all the Life ye have in the first-creation that 's but natural is eternal This is Man's and Satan's accursed other Gospel handed to men with great confidence in the words of their twisted humane and Serpentine wisdom's To establish and warrant men in their own righteousness holy flesh for salvation is the very doctrine of devils 'T is a setting up of Man and Angel in their spirit of Nature against God's Spirit of Grace and Truth All that finally persist in this Doctrine and way in stead of the Saints everlasting rest will 〈◊〉 the Lake of fire and brimstone prepared for the Devil and his Angels Enmity to God and his gospel-Gospel-Spirit is inseperable from the restored first-covenant life of the Law in man yea gets strength courage credit and great authority by the comming of the command or fresh setting up that lost life in him by the Redeemer as Paul found Rom. 7. While then men are heaping up riches and reckon they are doing well to themselves there so as to despise the riches of God's goodness they are treasuring up to themselves wrath against the day of wrath Their moth-eaten cankred rusty corruptible Riches mystical as well as litteral will testify against them in God's day for trusting in them in their day on earth against all his faithful warnings to the contrary Jam. 5. 1-3 Vers. IV. One generation passeth away and another generation commeth but the earth abideth for ever Eternity and Immutability are the requisite Adjuncts of that wherein man's true felicity consists He must look for it in things Eternal or never find it And these are not seen by natural understanding 2 Cor. 4. 18. The litteral sense of these words is evident to the common understanding and universal experience of mankind The spiritual is a mystery to the highest wisdom of the most enlightned righteous party of men in but their own single spirit of nature short of spiritual light Man therein esteems and values only the cleans'd 〈◊〉 rich and fruitful mystical House or Land of his own Nature as that which will continue for ever So desires it may be called by his own Name This is the inward thought of the wise rich and full first-covenant Saint in his holy 〈◊〉 the sandy-foundation'd building though he see such holy wise men perish as well as brutish fools in the corrupt life of nature Psal. 49. 10. 11. Man's calling his Lands or outward possessions by his own Name is the litteral shadow of this mystical folly Yet 〈◊〉 posterity approve 〈◊〉 sayings vers 13. steer the same course do the same things and so generation after generation go to the same 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 and death where they never see Light vers 19. Through the unsuspected wiles of the old Serpent are new raw stagers 〈◊〉 one after another in the fame 〈◊〉 They reject the voice and instructions of true Wisdom as the greatest folly They say to true Seers see not prophesy not unto us right things They hate the Lord's Prophets as Ahab Micajah embrace Satan's with their smooth words of deceit Isa. 30. 9 10. Thus one generation of visible Saints in holy flesh after another passes away into the same dismal end eternal death as found from first to last a serpentine generation of vipers fixed in enmity to Gods holy spirit They say they are true spiritual Jews but Christ sayes they are of the synagogue of satan Rev. 3. 9. This generation passes away and yet passes not away Mat. 24. 3 4. though alwayes passing How So Why new commers into this world still keep up the old Trade the same spirit Principles and Perswasions all along Satan's reign from the beginning to the ending thereof A fresh supply of new Teachers and Hearers carry on Satan's work to their own eternal ruine t. But the Earth abideth for ever That is Man 's and Angels immortal Spirits in the earthy leaky first-creation make thereof All of them that refuse to have that first-creation building taken down in order to become new Bottles or Vessels by Christ's new-creation workmanship fitted to hold the new-wine or Spirit of his Kingdom do through the immortality of their beings become the subjects of God's unchangable wrath for their unchangable enmity to him by which they have made themselves Vessels of dishonour and everlasting contempt This is such recompence of their error as is meet even the vengeance of Eternal Fire Rom. 1. 27. Jude 7. on mystical more than litteral Sodom Mat. 11. 24. All that yield up all received in the first-creation to be filled and clothed with the everlasting life and righteousness of the second become Vessels of honour glory immortality and eternal Life Vers. V. The Sun also ariseth and the Sun goeth down and hasteth to or panteth aster his place where he arose The litteral Sun that has a causal influence on all the visible parts of this World is vanity 'T is restless in its motion and revolution direct and periodical And this yet is but a shadow of the invisible first-creation Sun the first-covenant-spirit of the Law under which Men and Angels were created and Christ himself in our flesh was made Gal. 4. 4. Under and by the causal influence of this in Christ's Person as a fleshly-bridegroom to first-covenant Saints in holy flesh are all such righteous fruits and works brought forth and done as have bin found in a restored enlightned sort of Professors and People since the fall or in Man and Angels before the Fall This mystical first-creation Sun is yet but a shadow or figure of the seven-fold and seventy times seven-fold brighter spiritual intellectual new-creation Sun of everlasting righteousness the Holy Ghost or new-covenant new-creature spirit in Christ's person of which all new-creatures are born and under the cherishing influence thereof enabled to bring forth fruits unto God in a newness of Life All thus brought under this Law of the spirit of Life are made new Bottles Vessels of honour and eternal Life and no other This is the Sun Mal. 4. 2. Through this most glorious creature-Sun in the Mediator as the 〈◊〉 Chrystaline Medium or transparent Sea of
action And hereby is he fitted to enjoy God in whose favourable presence is fulnes of Joy and at whose right hand are pleasure's for evermore Psal. 16. 11. Secondly then who is the Sinner here This sinner is not only nor chiefly the common sinner in the corrupt spirit of nature unfix'd there All are so born Children of Wrath and death serving divers lusts hatefull and hating one another Eph. 2. 3. Tit. 3. 3. All are sinners against the son of man or light and righteous life of the first-covenant law the highest edition and dispensation whereof was found in Christ's person as Son of Man in the earthly law-life of our nature holy flesh If such sins and sinners were not pardonable and the wrath thereby provoked and demerited atoneable by Christ's obedient sacrifice of that spotles law-life and by his powerful intercessions no man could be saved The sinner here then is of a higher rank and deeper die then so The principles of corrupt and righteous nature in a kind of struggle and fight against each other in man too generally mistaken for flesh and spirit are but corrupt and holy flesh which joyn in war against what 's truly called spirit in scripture the spirit of Christ and spiritual mind thereof in Saints Gal. 5. 17. Paul in holy flesh was a fierce persecuter of Gods Holy Spirit and true saints And when a signal Apostle he found that holy flesh a fighter against Gods holy spirit in himself as he abundantly complain's Ro. 7. While man then interprets the words of Gods wisdom by the short-sighted conceptions and words of his own wisdom he shuts up the kingdom of Heaven excludes all the mystery and spiritual truth of scripture out of all his teaching and reputed orthodox divinity All this lies buried in deep silence and inadvertency And would this were all When the spiritual mystery and kingdom-sense of all scripture is offered such humane divines in their lying spirit of 〈◊〉 as to all Gospel-truths or things of God set themselvs might and main to 〈◊〉 and decry it disswade their hearers from listning to 't as the most detestable blasphemous doctrin in the world The enlight'ned professing righteous Jewish Teachers said on this very account of Christ himself he hath a Devil and is Mad Why hear ye him Joh. 10. 20. Do any of the Scribes or Pharisees believe him None but silly ignorant Women and Fishermen Publicans and Harlots such as know not the Law and are cursed regard his words Here 's the passe Golpel-truths were at amongst the only professing people at that day in the world when Christ himself was the Preacher Such Sinners against the Holy Ghost or gospel-gospel-spirit of truth when rich full and reigning as Kings as needing nothing for Salvation when they want every thing 1 Cor. 4. 8. 10. Rev. 3. 17. Wise Strong and honourable in Christ as to first-covenant attainments and fruitful in the life thereof these are the very sinner or sinners here meant when obstinately fixed there The self-same law-law-spirit or restored principle of righteous life and action in their own nature fixed in under the outward dispensation of the Gospel renders men a-like prejudic'd now against the whole mystery and truth of Gospel the very Christ the very Gospel as they were under the outward dispensation and ceremony of the Law They exclude all the Gospel-sense of all scripture old and new Testament out of all their divinity 〈◊〉 are the divines that shut up the kingdom of Heaven against men not entring themselvs nor suffering others to enter They set up Satan's kingdom of marvellous darkness for Christ's Kingdom of marvellous light They preach up that accursed other Gospel he preached to Eve and is at ever since that man shall not die at all that is that in his own enlightned righteous nature he has eternal Life So Second-covenant newness of Life true Grace Regeneration c. are all frustrated or made void as useless nothings that are all in all for true salvation All new-covenant Titles are given to the old and the very new 〈◊〉 with all its doctrin as madness These that pass thus for Christs only Church and Saints will be found when God is Judg himself the most criminal sinners beyond litteral Sodom even a spiritual Egypt and Babylon In all their conformity to Christ in that Life of our nature he crucified are they in flat opposition to that spiritual he raised it into in which he lives for evermore Rev. 1. 18. These 〈◊〉 painted Sepulchres whited Walls full of enmity to God filth of spirit mystical rottenness and corruption They are Theeves and 〈◊〉 that having shut up the right Door of Entrance into the kingdom by the death of nature at best under the Cross climb up some other way to take it by violence force their entrance in holy flesh their own Wisdom and strength with satan Christ crucified and abolished all that in himself they daringly and presumptuously attempt to enter it with These are Wolves in sheeps Clothing dressing up their visible saint-ship in but holy Flesh with all the words and titles belonging to the invisible saint in God's holy spirit a life yet hid with Christ in God In this disguise are these mystical robbers of Christ and his true saints of all their titles their fiercest and most outragious enemies as Christ warn's his followers Mat. 10. 16-18 Next then what 's meant by God's giving such a sinner travel to gather and to heap up that he may give to him that is good before God 1. First what is it this sinner gathers and heaps up 2. Secondly in what sense is God the giver to him with pain and travel so to do 3. And thirdly how and in what sense is what he so heaps up given to him that is good before God To the first The peculiar treasures of the choicer sort of Kings of the earth mystical Silver and Gold v. 8 and Jam. 5. 2 3. the Laodicean treasures of such first-covenant Kings Rev. 3. 17. 1 Cor. 4. 8. of the earthly Jerusalem-spirit as are totally destitute of the heavenly Men reckon their matters safe as to eternal life and peace with God in a spirit of direct enmity to him To the second As a present punishment for so doing God gives them pain and travel in heaping up such riches How By spiritual light he convincingly shews them the vanity of all that life and treasure and requires all in sacrifice by a holy death to him This besides the far greater punishment that follows under the wrath to come gives present pain amid'st all their self-deluding satisfactions in this upper sort of the delights of the Sons of men The distinct superiour excellency of spiritual life and things of God in the second or new-covenant beyond Man's in the first or old as farr as the heavens are above the earth convincingly set before them in mercy when wilfully sinned against torment 's them For such conviction becomes a self-condemning
witnes against them as fixed dwellers on the said mystical Earth or their earthly life when offered Heaven or God's spiritual heavenly life by a new-creation Christ sends his spiritual convictions into them as faithful spies that give a good report of his true land of promise or state of life These sinned against and not hearkned to vex and torment them taking from them such full undisturbed delights and uninterrupted pleasure as they desire to find in their earthly life will and way Gods spiritual conviction-light given in mercy finally rebelled against is in wrath kept up in their consciences as a never dying Worm that will torment them to all eternity witnessing against themselves as unpardonably guilty and for God as most just in his unquenchable wrath upon them Mar. 9. 44. Now this gnawing Worm that will be this sinner's everlasting tormentor in the world to come is a sore allay to his false joy in this Spiritual conviction is as a particular day of Gods Judgment in and upon man before the general comes The accusing voice thereof in him holds him to 't and forces him to see that all the treasure he 's heaping up for the last day's Jam. 5. 3. is indeed no other nor better then a treasuring up wrath for himself against the day of wrath Ro. 2. 5. This is a sowring ingredient in the midst of all the sweet and contentment this unpardonably guilty sinner desires to find in his own selfe-chosen way and self-chusing will He may know and conclude nothing remaines to him of benefit from Christ's sacrifice and intercession and so nothing at all from God but fiery indignation Heb. 10. 26 27. So of the first part of his punishment even at present in this world The second we shall find in considering the third particular To the 3d then By Gods over-ruling hand he shall be made to give all his heaped up treasures to him that is good before God whom he unchangably hates And this will be a tormenting consideration and sore vexation of his spirit his heaped up vanities wil prove unto him which is the concluding word of this Chapter All the sinner in the latter part of this verse labours for and gathers he must give or shal be given whether he will or no to the good man or spiritual saint in the former part In the parable of the talents Mat. 25. 14-30 we find that the evil servant who kept his own single earthly talent or earthly first-covenant life refusing to exchange it for Christ's heavenly is called Wicked and Slothful Servant and his Talent taken from him and given to him that had ten as having made the required Exchang by death to his advantage and great gain All the 〈◊〉 goodness and Comforts in the first Creation-Life and State kept up and held fast by Evil Angels and Men in Rebellion against God shall be finally taken from them and given to or Possessed by Spiritual Saints and Angels as Comprehended in and unspeakably out-done by the New-Creation Life and State where they receive their own and all others own again with Usury ver 27. Thus Christ Interprets his own Parable From him that hath not the durable Riches in New-creation Life shall be 〈◊〉 away all his Fading in the First and given to him that hath true Riches in the second with abundant Increase for ever ver 29. This is of like Significancy with that other faithfull saying and sure word of Prophecy whoever will spare or save his natural earthly Life from the death-work of the Cross shall lose it under the same Cross in final wrath and whosoever will hate and lose his natural and earthly for the sake of and love to Christs spiritual and heavenly the only right use of his single first-creation Life and Talent shall find it with Usury in Christ's heavenly Mat. 16. 25. Never was any thing in the former could make up any degree of true hapines to Man or Angel God convincingly shews and graciously offer 's his life to men waits with much patience and long-suffering for their accepting it on his termes the death of their own nature at best or in what ever variety of condition in Publican and Harlot or Scribe and Pharisee He knocks at the Dore of their hearts warn's counsells instructs reproves them invites entreats beseeches them by his Ambassadours of grace He calls out to them to hear his voice and not harden their hearts against him while the day of his gracious call and offers to them last's At length on their willful Provoking him beyond pardon the great Master of the New-Creation House or Building shuts the door and is gone Luk. 13. 25. Swearing in his Wrath they shall never enter into his Rest Heb. 3. 13. Then they may seek and knock while they will they 'l never find him Prov. 1. 28 nor any place for Repentance or change of their Rebellious Mind and desperate condition for ever Heb. 6. 4-6 Esau's Case Heb. 12. 17. An obedient Exchange by Death of Fading First-Creation Life for the Everlasting Second is unspeakable gain to Man The Rebellious keeping it up in Enmity to the Cross and Second or to the Spirit of God and its Crucifying Death-work upon it in order to set up its own Life in the Room is unspeakable loss to all that so do This Paul told the Self-Confident Professours at Philippi of in the fruitful Flourish of a First-Covenant Righteous Life even weeping Phil. 3. 18. and reproov'd the Corinthians for in like case 1 Cor. 4. 8. 10. as Christ himself when Ascended and Glorified the Laodiceans Rev. 3. 17 18. By the very same hand Cross or Gospel-Spirit of Christ will that Perishing Law-Life with all the Fruitfulness heap'd up Riches and meats thereof be taken from them in Final Wrath whether they will or no. CHAP. III. Vers. I. To every thing there is a Season and a time to every Purpose under the Heaven NExt to no difference from our Translation of this and the Seven following Verses in the Original Hebrew three Eastern Versions Chaldee Syriac and Arabick or the Septuagints Greek Translation In this Scripture to Verse 8th Inclusive have we the Character of Man in his whole Personal Constitution and Make by the First Creation or in whatever Flourish of the restor'd Wisdom and Exercise of a First-Covenant Righteous Life therein In Body Soul and Spirit no Life but Mortal by Creation And the same kind of Life restored in him since is much short of the perfection it was in at First Something of Filth of Flesh hangs about it still and Filth of Spirit that 's worse is inseperable from it since the fall Life and all therefore must go by a Holy Obedient death in Sacrifice to God If 〈◊〉 spared and Rebelliously kept it will be an Unholy life in unchangeable Enmity to God doing despite to his Divine and also to his New-Creature gospel-Gospel-Spirit of Grace and Truth In the Various Litteral Expressions here Relating to the
For he can deceive all Men short of the Spirit of Grace and Truth to Worship him as so above and against God himself 2 Thes. 2. 4. Vers. 2. A time to be Born and a time to Die A time to Plant and a time to pluck up that which is Planted Vers. 3. A time to Kill and a time to Heal a time to break down and a time to Build up Vers. 4. A time to Weep and a time to Laugh A time to Mourn and a time to Dance There 's an appointed time for every Man to be Born in a Fleshly Body which is his personal appearance or Manifestation The Body is an Essential Ingredient into the compleat Constitution of every Man which under all Temporary Vicissitudes Alterations and Changes by Decay's Death and Resurrection remain's for ever the distinguishing part of Man from other Created beings in Heaven and Hell Angels are compleated in their personal Constitution without any such thing as Man's Earthly Body or Life The Spirit of Man before it enters the Body or after departed out of it is not the Compleat Person of a Man For Man consists of Spirit Soul and Body as distinct Essential parts of his being which Paul distinctly Pray's may in Saints be Preserved blameless unto the comming of our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Thes. 5. 23. The whole Spirit of Man Comprehends in its make a Dormant Souly Animalish Life So has a Natural tendency of desire to a Union with its fitly Organized Body in order to bring its Latent Soul or Souly Life into actual Exercise and Operation At the death of the Body this Soul or Souly Life ceases as to exercise lies dormant again in the Spirit as before it's entrance thereinto So till the Resurrection of the whole Man the Spirits even of Just Men made perfect in Spiritual New-Creation Life Act and Converse as pure Intellectual Powers Intuitively after the manner of Angels only Now as there 's a time for the Birth of Man's Body so from the frail materials and constituting Ingredients of it is there an appointed time for its dissolution and so for the Death of the Man by a Seperation of his essential parts This is a truth universally experienc'd and known by all And the like Vicissitudes and Seasons are appointed for other parts of this greater Visible World without Man as well as lesser World the Sum and Abridgment of all within him From the Moment of his Bodily Birth may be Dated the Building Planting Laughing Dancing Rejoycing and Embracing season during the growth and Flourishing State of his Bodily Life When this is at its height Approaches God's appointed Season from the perishing Materials thereof for plucking it up breaking it down and Slaying it This Season is attended with Man's Weeping and Mourning as the Consequents thereof These litteral truths are Experienc'd by Man in the Decay's Gray Hairs Old Age and Death inevitably incident to his body In the declining state thereof is he reduced to a kind of equality with Childhood as debilitated in the exercise of his rational Powers in and by bodily Organs or Instruments Brain Animal spirits c. So if he come to 70 or 80 years his decayed strength affords him little but labour and sorrow Psal. 90. 10. as finding himself to have out-lived the brisk and vigorous exercise of that Reason by which distinguished from brute Beasts In this case 't is man's duty and wisest course to fall in and comply with God's twofold dispensation upon his fleshly body by willingly owning and submitting to the decay's thereof in God's latter demolishing work upon it for pulling it down as well as to be found rejoycing and delighting in his former planting and building up of the same 'T is man's gross folly to struggle and contend for an impossibillity even the keeping up of that which he sees by an inevitable Law of necessity must be laid down He is as sure to die as he was born yea to go strip'd and naked out of the World as he came into it Job 1. 21. God has determined the time for both Death comes as an armed man on man's Body and on all that sort of understanding that 's exercised in and by it There 's no discharg in this War The decay's of it all along from the turning declining point preach the death of it and of that organical Understanding exercised in and by it Come we now to the Mystery of all this All the methods of God's wisdom in his dealings with man's body or bodily life the outward part of his natural man are typical to the like methods and dispensations to his immortal spirit considered in the but mortal first-covenant natural righteous Life thereof planted in it by the first creation A birth life death and buriall are incident to this also as God's appointments to it At the birth of the Body the Spirit or inner natural man is dead as to the mortal first-covenant life of the Law of Works it was at first created in But a fresh birth of or quickning up into this shadowy Life and Image of the Earthy wherein the first Adam was created is offered to all and may be actually received and experienced by all as the common or general salvation if they will The far greater part of mankind refuse to part with the corrupt life of their nature for the righteous And many that receive the righteous as the common salvation Jude 3. from the general Saviour of all men 1 Tim. 4. 10. refuse the special or eternal Salvation receivable only by and in a spiritual Faith This cannot be received without the obedient surrender and death of all received twice from Christ's own hand by his first-creation and general-redemption-workmanship Such death according to the declared methods of God's wisdom must undispensably be yielded to and we become as fools and little Children as to all the restored wisdom life and glory of our own Nature as the undispensable way to our receiving the Life Wisdom and Righteousness of God in his Gospel-spirit of Grace and Image of the Heavenly which alone is Eternal The former is but Reformation-Life in restor'd enliven'd naturals This latter a true Regeneration into spirituals by the Birth of such a new Life in us springing up from the quickned incorruptible seed thereof as plants us together in the likeness of Christ's resurrection on our obedient likness to his death Rom. 6. 5. Nor Angel nor Man had any thing of this Life in the Innocency of both by creation but only as objctivetly presented to their understanding in the Mediator As God at first gave Man that that 's natural and call'd his own offering him that which is spiritual God's own So he first restores something of the first-covenant-Light or also Life that 's natural and after that that 's spiritual Paul when eminent in restored naturals holy flesh by knowledg of or conformity to Christ in the flesh or righteous life of the Law quitted such
of God Ye never find it else or enter it 〈◊〉 from your own understanding Consult not or conferr with flesh and blood in your selvs or others what ye shall do to be saved That principle will never own one right word towards eternal life T' is a flat enemy to every word of God's Wisdom about it They that despise and wonder at such words will everlastingly perish Acts. 13. 41. Those that gad abroad in a spirit of vanity enmity and death to chang their way from form to form in Religion toss'd and Tumbled up and down by every Wind of Satan's and Man's Doctrin or other Gospel who can help them That that dieth say's God let it die and that that is to be cut off let it be 〈◊〉 off Zec. 11. 9. Litteral and Mystical Sodom do seem to carry all before them in this most Antichristian-day and Perillous Season A Gospel-Testimony is almost universally rejected When Christ himself Preach'd he met with Multitudes of Wilfull Proud Heady Traiterous Contradicting and Blaspheming first-covenant Saints Wise Righteous Holy Men in the form of godliness in the first denying the Power of it in the second-Covenant Spirit the Gospel-Principle This was alway's the case And even so is it now 2 Tim. 3. 1-5 Gal. 4. 29. Who but Professours in Holy Flesh urg'd Christ's Crucifixion when Pilate and his Heathen Party would have freed him They 'd rather a Robber a Murderer any Malefactor should scape then he Wise Righteous Holy Men and a Currupt Dark Profane Grosly Idolatrous Party are in a contesting Scramble But both have had their season to speak Lies at one Table against the Saints of the most High Are we at a loss for an instance The Vizard will flie off The guilty Shedders of Innocent Blood will be unpalliated at last and forc'd to appear in their more then Ethopian hiew that yet lies hid under the form of Godliness God exercises long-suffering towards them and lets them think him such a one as themselvs till he set their Sins in order before their Eyes and so tear them in pieces that none can deliver Psal. 50. 20-22 His long-suffering towards Enemies is with design to compleat and fulfill the Patience or Sufferings of his Saints by their hand for their unspeakable advantage and their Enemies final Destruction A Comfortable Consideration True Saints ought to Comfort themselvs and one another with such right Words and Thoughts In conclusion Christ will appear to their Joy and their Enemies shall be asham'd Isai. 66. 5. Yea lie down in Sorrow and Everlasting Contempt as Vessels of Dishonour Eternity will be a long day to pay their full reckoning in God in the exercise of his infinite Justice and Mercy will bring all to rights give every one their due recompence for Obedience to or Rebellion against him New-covenant Gospel-Saints are more odious to the legal first-covenant professour then is the common sinner of the Gentiles in the corrupt spirit of nature The wisdom of this world in the most enlightned first-covenant Saint Wise strong and Honourable in Christ there is 〈◊〉 to God's and God's in his new-covenant Saints to theirs Was not Paul a fool weak and despicable in Christ's Gospel-spirit to but such wise strong and honourable ones in Christ 1 Cor. 4. 10. Flesh and Spirit or Man's spirit and God's are directly contrary to each other in all their designs desires and thoughts about true Salvation The former fixed in is the carnal mind of enmity to God Rom. 8. 6 7. that will prove eternal death to man The latter becomming the principle of life desire thought and action in Man is eternal life to him and in him The carnal mind of enmity was not found in Man or Angel the day they were created Ezek. 28. 15. Neither of them as they came out of their Creator's hands were found in enmity to God or the life of his spirit of Grace though they had it not till they both sinn'd and fell The voluntary evil rebellious use of their own mind introduced this enmity to God's Changable enmity in man is now inseperable from his life Unless therefore life and all at best be parted with he will become unchangable therein as Devils are and so be found in a state of eternal death No wonder then if in the place of Judgment and Righteousness or in the most enlight'ned Righteous state of the natural spirit in fallen Man and Angel be found by the al-searching spirit of Christ in himself and Saints the deepest and most Criminal Mystical Wickedness and Iniquity hidden works of Darkness rendring them most abominable to God unchangable Enemies to the Saints of the most high and to ths most High himself But what Have Gospel-Saints all truth and First-Covenant Saints none Can any believe this Yet most true Let but the Scripture-sense of truth be duly considered as the Character of the Gospel Spirit and words thereof in distinction from the Law-Spirit of this World in all its variety and words thereof the Wonder at and unbelief of this would cease But does the wise first-Covenant Holy Man receive nothing of a Gospel-Testimony Not one word No man in the Spirit of nature corrupt or righteous rightly receives such Testimony in any point That Spirit is a Spirit of total darkness and Universal Errour an absolute Heretick as to all Gospel-Life and truths This seem's hard What then The Jews were for Moses who but they Christ found they took not the Mystical truth of one word of Moses So told them they were Infidels as to the principal intendment and main scope of all his Writings For says he had ye believed Moses ye would have believed me But if ye believe not his Writings how shall ye believe my Words Jo. 5. 46 47. The Scriptures are own'd as the Words of God by all under the name of Christians but how do they read hear or understand them In the litteral Shadow only or Mystical truth also As teaching and preferring the Righteousness and Wisdom of Man to the dark ignorant State and Vile Affections of the corrupt Spirit of nature only or as also farther declaring the everlasting Life Wisdom and Righteousness of God in his Gospel-Spirit of Grace and Truth For this latter nature at best is to suffer death the right way Viz by the death of the guilty Sinner and so death of Sin in Men whereas by the fall Men became dead in Sin Sin alive in them and they dead now they alive and Sin dead and that for ever This by the death-work of the Cross or Gospel-Spirit on the natural Men in their own confused Spirit of Darkness as to all Gospel-Truths have much variety of thought and Opinion But all as one Man are against every tittle of Gospel-truth words of God's Wisdom which the Holy Ghost teaches Though they all read all the Words of God's Wisdom in the Letter they do not read them in the sense of Christ's Question to the Lawyer or teaching
with false hopes and confidences here and come what will think they hereafter At length they must leave their false present rest and lie down in everlasting sorrow Who can help Satan's twofold party corrupt and righteous men fixed in nature with him will on in their fools Paradise in their various pathes under Satan's counsel and steerage to the same Tophet Saints ought to do their best in all meekness to recover any out of the snares of the Devil till evidently fix'd in Enmity God's method with men is that none should usually have two Heavens or two Hells All Good is the Saints all Evil the incorrigible sinners in the world to come All Saints tears are put into God's bottle of remembrance to requite all hereafter as Enemies oppressive madnesses shall also be paid off with such recompence of their Errors as is meet the vengeance of Eternal Fire Jude 7. All will come to their rights at last Friends and Foes This very Argument does Paul comfort oppressed Saints with 2 Thes. 1. 4 -- 10. At Christ's second coming will Saints ride in their Triumphal Chariots as more then final Conquerors over the Heads of their Oppressors Devils and Men who have had their turn to ride over their heads Ps. 66. 12. The Lord regards every sigh and groan of his Prisoners appointed to death under worldly Powers Psal. 12. 5. and 69. 33. and 79. 11. 146. 7. He will make his despised oppressed ones a praise in the Earth in the sight of all that have scorn'd and trampled on them Psal. 102. 13. 16. 19. 20. The true Saint pants after final deliverance from all Enemies within him Rom. 7. 24. as well as without All will be 〈◊〉 at last in Answer to their Prayer Psal. 74. 10. and ver 〈◊〉 Saints groan after deliverance from their mortal righteous earthly life of Enmity as well as from that of the Body 2 Cor. 5. 1 2. All in nature within and without them is in a universal confederacy against them What matter If God be for them who can be against them Or who can hurt them Rom. 8. 31. Here 's enough The whole first-creation world lies in wickedness litteral and mystical filth of flesh or spirit 1 Joh. 5. 19. and so in a universal daring affront and contradiction to all words and things of God in the next Jer. 44. 16 17. But God will hear or deliver Saints from the horns of the Unicorns Psal. 22. 21. That is from all oppressive Powers of this World visible and invisible without and within So have we in some small measure the meaning of these words Vers. II. Wherefore I praised the Dead which are already Dead more than the living which are yet alive The weight of these words lies not in the Litteral Sense For no miseries or oppressions incident to bodily Life in this world are comparable to the sad condition of the wicked after death under final wrath The spiritual truth here relates to Saints Saints departed are in a far better condition than those left behind them in the Body that have not fully passed through the twofold inward and outward oppression or suffering-work that 's to be undergon by them Saints departed out of the Body or while in the Body out of the Law-life of their own spirit are those A voyce from Heaven command's John to write as a most certain Truth blessed Blessed are the dead in the Lord Rev. 14. 13. All so dead with Christ will live with him for ever in his Immortal Gospel-life All others will perish in their own corruption or corruptible Law-life and state which they have rebelliously chosen and trusted in for blessedness against the Lord's known commands and warnings to the contrary By keeping up what Paul cast away as dung for Christ's spiritual Life will they perish as their own dung for ever Job 20. 7. A perfect death of the natural Spirit and Principle of Life and Action in man an everlasting cessation and rest from all the desire thought and unprofitable labour thereof and so the honourable burial of it in the mystical grave of Christ is true conformity to his death Christ came not to do his own Will nor speak his own words the Dictat's of his own understanding though spotlessly perfect in our fleshly nature but Crucified and ceas'd from all We must follow his suffering steps through the same fire of his eternal Spirit Heb. 9. 14. kindled by him on us as on himself Luk. 12. 49. Spiritual Circumcision and fire-Baptism put nature corrupt or righteous to death cut off and burn up all flesh even Holy Flesh Col. 2. 11 12. Man in the restor'd righteous Life of his own nature has nothing but a Body of Sin and Death about him which Paul pray'd for deliverance from Ro. 7. 24. Phil. 3. 6-8 Since the fall filth of Spirit Enmity to God is inseperable from the Life of nature corrupt or righteous Nature in whatever condition and Enmity to God Live or Die breath or expire together Paul when eminent in Holy Flesh breath'd out Enmity Threatnings and Slaughter against God's Holy gospel-Gospel-Spirit Saints and Truths Act. 9. 1. From the time this Spirit of Enmity was Death-struck by Christ in his way to Damascus he lived and brought forth Fruits unto God in a newness of Life In the restor'd Life of nature the great Sin of Enmity revives gather's Strength Credit and Authority By the death of it under the Cross that and all other Sins are pluck'd up by the Roots He that is so Slain and dead is freed from all Sin for ever Ro. 6. 7. When Planted together in the likeness of Christ's Death and Resurrection the Old Man is Crucisied the Body of Sin destroy'd v. 5 6. Man's natural Body or whole natural Man at best as a Righteous Living Soul 1 Cor. 15. 44 45. is by the twofold death and Life-work of Christ's quickning Spirit Transformable into the likeness of his Glorious Body or the glorified Body Soul and Spirit of our nature in his person Phil. 3. 21. On such death of nature Man ceases from sin for ever 1 Pet. 4. 1. If Obedient to the Slaughter-work of Christ's Gospel-Spirit on our Lawless or Law-Spirit in corrupt or righteous nature shall we by the second operation of it be quick'ned up into the Life of his Gospel-Spirit All dead with Christ shall after their season of dwelling in Dust arise with his dead Body into a newness of Life and Sing for ever Isai. 26. 19. Paul's argument in this case looks both way's If the Dead rise not Christ is not Risen 1 Cor. 15. 12-19 implying if Christ be Risen the Dead with him shall be Rais'd into that 〈◊〉 of Life our Crucisied nature in him Lives in for evermore Rev. 1. 18. Our nature in Christ is rais'd also into and possess'd of the very Divine Life So the fulness of the very Godhead dwells in him bodily in personal Union with his Manhood This is his peculiar Prerogative
Madness and Folly and Eat their Flesh as Fire Jam. 5. 1-3 They refuse the kindly kindlings of the Fire of the Spirit or Cross of Christ upon them to eat up their Flesh as Fire eat 's Wood by Consuming it in Sacrifice to God He therefore kindles it in as well as upon them in Final Wrath as a never dying Worm in their Conscience a Fire that never shall be quenched Mark 9. 44. 46. 48. Thus shall Incorrigible Sinners or Fools find that in and about them in which they 'l become Eaters of their own Flesh or fleshly nature without ever such a Consuming it as Annihilation would amount unto the only death they 'l ever seek but never find Vers. VI. Better is a handful with quietness than both the hands full with travel and Vexation of spirit Here 's the opposite state to the mystical Fool. In effect of the same significancy are these words of spiritual counsel from or by Solomon as those of Christ himself Mat. 5. 29 30. 18. 8 9. Mar. 9. 43. 47. The right 〈◊〉 Hand and Foot of Man offend themselves oppose their own true intorest in being offended at the Cross that comes to cut them off and cast them away as dung and loss for a more excellent life and way The best light wisdom or understanding the most righteous practice or walking signified by the right Eye Hand and Foot of Man in his own nature restored by Law-conversion to the first-covenant or first-creation sort of righteous Life Discerning Action and Walking are to be cut off and cast away by the kindly death-work of the Cross or the demolishing crucifying mortifying operation of Christ's heavenly Gospel-spirit upon Man's righteous natural spirit in the said Law-life as Paul found and yielded to Phil. 3. 6 -- 11. He counted and parted with all as loss and dung to win Christ in his spiritual Resurrection-Life So only can any be truly acceptable to God or bring forth fruits unto him in a newness of Life All the former state to be quitted is called in Scripture but oldness of Letter In the best Life thereof Man brings forth fruit but to himself for the enriching and adorning his own deceitful nature not unto God in his Gospel-spirit of Grace and Truth in which only he can be rightly worshipped to his wel-pleasing acceptation and man's true advantage All others worship they know not what Joh. 4. 22 -- 24. They know not what they do or whither they go The divine spirit of the Father can be rightly worshipped in the Gospel-spirit of his Son only All that finally refuse to part with their natural Law-spirit and Life by a holy death under the spiritual Cross never receive or partake of Christ's Gospel-spirit of Life in which only 't is possible to worship God aright or do any thing well in his sight The natural man by Legal conversion made wise strong and honourable in Christ by his first-covenant communications of Life and Light to him hates Christ's Gospel-spirit with all the crucifying work and Cross-doctrine of death upon nature corrupt or righteous as Paul once did Man hates that which he undispensably needs must submit to and pass thorow or never be saved His restor'd natural right Eye Hand Foot must off and be cast away This Man stumbles and is highly offended at He is ready to reckon such doctrin the damnablest 〈◊〉 heresy madness and blasphemy that ever was broach'd or utter'd by man The enlightned professing Jews reckon'd it so when Christ himself preach'd it Yea his very Disciples stumbled sorely at it and took it heavily Mat. 16. 21 22. Mar. 10. 23 -- 26. John 16. 6. 20. Though he Preached his Resurrection in the same breath with his Death Mat. 17. 23. still they were exceeding sorry This would not do no not so much as allay their grief They knew not clearly what he said or meant by Death or by Resurrection Mar. 9. 31 32. and were afraid to ask him What he Preach'd the Death and loss of in himself and them even of a first-covenant Life they somewhat perceived to their sorrow But as to the more excellent Life and Glory he declar'd was to follow to him and them by way of Resurrection out of the Death of their fading this they understood not and so got little or no relief yet by the bare tydings of it But enough when they came to experience it Act. 2. The Cross is a stumbling block to the righteous first-covenant Law-Jew or Gentile under the outward dispensation of Law and Gospel and before either were written by the Pen-men thereof in the Bible and foolishness to the wise Greek with all his moral Righteousness and obedience to the common Light or Law of rational Nature in Mankind 1 Cor. 1. 23. Both these sorts of Wise and Righteous Men bidding at and fondly pleasing themselves with a hope of true Salvation in their several way 's do stand as with Drawn Swords in the Armour of Man on Satan's side to bid defiance to this seemingly Bug-bear Doctrin of the Cross upon all they are Possess'd of and trust in They decry it as the highest Blasphemy and Folly Imaginable They warn others by no means to regard a word of it in Preaching or Books As for the Brutified Immorral Heathens the far greater party of Mankind walking and allowing themselvs in the Abominations of Litteral Sodom Egypt and Babylon hating all Righteousness God's and Man's too Man 's in Moral Heathenism or legal Christianity they little regard the Doctrin of the Cross on one or ' tother The hopeful Party of Mankind in Moral or Legal first-Covenant Righteousness that have something considerable as they reckon to lose by the Cross these are ready to fight against it as Paul found and told the Philippians even Weeping Phil. 3. 18. But Jews or Gentiles that answer Christ's Heavenly call into the death of their fading earthly State however good in its kind in Obedience to the Cross as the only pass into the Everlasting Life of the Crucifying High-Priest of their Gospel-Profession Heb. 3. 1. they find the said Cross the Power and Wisdom of God to and in them 1. Cor. 1. 24. This they receive in lieu of the form of Godliness and Wisdom of Man as made Wise Strong and Honourable in Christ by First-Covenant Artainments in him and Union with him 1 Cor. 4. 10. Others chuse rather to keep their first-Covenant-State Whole Unmaim'd Unbroken or Uncrucified and so to go with their whole Body or 〈◊〉 their own two Eyes Hands and Feet to Hell then 〈◊〉 and Crucisied in Conformity to the Lamb Slain and his true Saints that suffer with him to Heaven What if one Man had all the single first-Creation Glories Excellencies Riches Wisdom and Power of all Men and Angels and lose his own Soul what 's he the better Where 's his gain Mat. 16. 26. All Man gets by pitying and sparing himself in this case is the loss of all his own fading goodness
have worse on 't then the Litteral Sodomite in filth of flesh His greater advance and 〈◊〉 advantages toward Salvation neglected and abused do highly aggravate his evil of Sin and accordingly will be his evil of punishment for ever After all Exaltation with Capernaum in first-Covenant-Life and second Covenant or Gospel-Light even up to Heaven so as 〈◊〉 to see and then obstinately refuse God's only appointed way of entrance the death of their earthly spirit of nature for the life of his Heavenly Spirit of Grace will all such Mystical Sodomit's be tumbled or thrust down to Hell where it shall be more tolerable for Litteral Sodom then for them Mat. 11. 20-24 Luk. 10. 12-15 Christ himself gives the reasons for this difference in Punishment v. 21. 23. and Luk. 12. 47 48. He that cleerly know's his Master's will and does it not shall be beaten with many Stripes He that does not so cleerly know it shall be beaten with fewer For to whom much is given of him shall be much requir'd as the case is with Men to whom they have committed much of him they will ask or expect the more Man in the dark State of his corrupted nature know's not his Master's will at that rate as the old foolish King in the restor'd Life of the first and light of the second Covenant does By abusing the Life of the first in Rebelliously keeping it up and himself therein against the second when discover'd by its own light to him to be that which cannot be receiv'd by him but on his obedient surrender of the Life of the first does he deserve a sorer Punishment then the common Sinner against the Law Heb. 10. 28 29. For he Sinn 's more immediately and knowingly against the Holy Ghost or Gospel Life of the Son of God in Heaven even the Man Christ as risen from the dead into that Life wherein he lives for evermore The other against the Son of Man on Earth or that Law-Life of nature the highest Edition of the Law which Christ took and was found in as made Flesh and which he Crucified and abolish'd out of our nature in his own person in order to bring it forth again in the new Gospel-Edition of it by a new-Creation in unchangable Harmony with his Originally everlasting righteous spiritual new-Creation Gospel-Life So only can or ever could first-Covenant Law-Life come in him or in us to dwell for ever with new-Covenant Gospel-Life as Brethren in Unity This unchangable Union of the natural and spiritual Man in Christ and true Zion-Saints is pleasant in God's sight and of everlasting advantage to Man Psal. 133. 1. For so and so only by the death of the natural and Resurrection of it into the Life of the Spiritual Man in the Saint and the Spiritual Man in Christ's person come the poor but truly wise Crucified dead Children to live for ever in unchangable Union and Harmony of Mind with the infinite Divine Spirit of God most high Christ enlighten's every Man that cometh into the World Jo. 1. 9. None then are absolutely in the dark stark blind wholly ignorant of his will Even the Gentil's all Heathens have the light or Law of nature within them accusing or excusing their thoughts Words and Actions as found compliant with or contrary thereunto Ro. 2. 15. God's rule given in the Scriptur's of truth in reference to all Men is this If any be unfaithful in and to their little Dimme rational Candle-Light in some degree set up a fresh by the Redeemer in all men If they do allow themselvs in a constant course of Rebelling against the same without any remorse or chang of mind they 'd not be true to higher natural Light in the actual Priviledges of a first-Covenant Life and less yet to the higher Spiritual new-Covenant Gospel-Light if not only offer'd but actually receiv'd by them Luk. 16. 10 11. He that 's unjust in the least is or will be unjust also in much Those that are not faithful in the unrighteous Mammon the fading Light or also Life and inward Riches of their own restor'd Nature which yet is but a Spirit or State of Bondage to them and Enmity to God at best as in Paul before Gospel-Conversion who will commit to their Trust the true Riches Those that do not rightly use any fading Light Wisdom Life Riches in their own Spirit of Nature by such active Obedience as is performable therein and with while that is God's Dispensation to them and then by such passive Obedience in despising surrendring and giving all up as Dung with Paul when God requires it in order to receive his more excellent spiritual heavenly Gospel-Life in a Resurrection-state Phil. 3. 6-10 how should they ever come at or be possessed of the true durable Riches and everlasting Life The only possible undispensable way and means for this in the declar'd Methods of God's Wisdom is the obediently surrend'red natural State as to all the fading Life Glory Wisdom Righteousness and Riches thereof even the Death and Loss of all in Sacrifice to God as Christ himself did when he had taken our fleshly nature in the full Glory and unspotted Purity thereof Eternal Gospel-Life is by the Wisdom of God or Gospel-spirit of Christ freely proclaim'd and offer'd to all men Prov. 1. 20-23 and 8. 1-9 The old foolish Kings the highest and most criminal provoking Sinners that receive and abuse the Life of the first and Light of the second Covenant will fare worst under final Wrath. All others fix'd common Sinners of the Gentil's litteral Sodom will have bad enough on 't under their fewer wrathful Stripes or lesser Torments in Eternal Death But the hottest fiery Indignation and Mystical Flames of Wrath in the lowest Hell will be for ever upon the old foolish Kings Sore amazing Tydings for such self-confident presumptuous Sinners as reckon their Plea good for entrance into the Kingdom of God Yet thus it will be For the mouth of the Lord himself hath spoken it Mat. 7. 21-23 and 11. 23 24. Mar. 6. 11. Luk. 10. 12. All first-Covenant Saints in Holy Flesh that finally refuse the whole new-Covenant Gospel-Testimony the Words of God's Holy Spirit and Life thereof this will most certainly be theircase Easier will it be for Litteral 〈◊〉 Profane Brutisied Sinners in the corrupt Spirit of nature then for them It had bin better for them never to have known the way of everlasting truth and righteousness then after they have known the truth or Gospel-Life of Christ in its own Light and Beamings forth upon them to turn from the Holy 〈◊〉 of God therein and wilfully Rebel against it 2 Pet. 2. 21. Heb. 10. 26 27. Isai. 1. 20. Much sorer Punishment belongs to fix'd Sinners against the Holy Ghost than 〈◊〉 sinners against the Son of Man for ever v. 29. Such recompence of both their errours as is meet will they all receive both Litteral and Mystical Sodom even the Vengeance of Eternal Fire Ro. 1. 27.
of the Rulers or Pharisees 〈◊〉 on him But this People that knoweth not the Law are Cursed None but a sort of ignorant simple People Women and unlearn'd Fisher-Men So they reckon'd Peter and John Act. 4. 13. follow him or regard his doctrin At this rate did the signally enlight'ned ring-leaders of the then only Professing People of God in the World say of Christ and his Doctrin What will convince Are we blind also Said the Pharisees Jesus said if ye were blind ye should have no Sin or would not be guilty of the unpardonable Sin against Spiritual Light and so the Holy Ghost But ye say we see Therefore your Sin remain's for ever upon you that is is unpardonable Ye wilfully and knowingly Sin against my gospel-Gospel-Spirit of truth the Holy Ghost so remain's to you nothing but a certain fearful looking for of Judgment and fiery Indignation for ever Heb. 10. 26 27. Ye are of your Father the Devil Jo. 8. 44. Ye Serpents ye Generation of 〈◊〉 how can ye escape the Damnation of Hell Mat. 23. 33. This is the language on both hands that passed between Christ and the enlight'ned Professors and Teachers of that day What will warn or induce self-confidents to a suspition of their rotten Principles and Sandy Foundation If any think he has whereof to boast there Paul and other enlight'ned Pharisees of that day more And as confident was Paul all was right with him and he doing God Service in Persecuting the Gospel as any now can be in like case and Principles The case of blind Leaders and their blind followers all of them stark blind or worse wilfully blind as shutting their eyes against and turning away their understandings from Christ's to Satan's Gospel is the same now as then And the punishment of both and all will be the same They 'l all fall into the Ditch the Bottomless Pit the very Spirit of the Devil the unchangable enemy of God They said of Christ he hath a Devil and is Mad when convinc'd of his Doctrin as the truth they had nothing to say against but in a way of railing against a Witness for him and against themselvs in their own Consciences The true followers of Christ in all ages have the same lot and handling are call'd Fools and Mad-men at a venture in despite and scorn by those whose own Consciences flie in their Faces and condemn them for their folly and madness therein These are the Fools whose Voice is known by a multitude of Words Brutified Sinners at this day Litteral Sodom Egypt and Babylon destroy or make void the Law Psal. 119. 126. And then a sort of righteous mystical Sinners Spiritually call'd Sodom Egypt and Babylon such as Crucified Christ Rev. 11. 8. what in them lies destroy the Gospel make void the Grace of God Yet in all this combined interest of Litteral and Mystical Sodom against the Gospel and yet clash amongst themselvs in their practical pro and con as to the Life righteousness and Doctrin of the Law with their multitude of words and many things on all hands remain's a hopefulness that Christ may find his seven Thousands or seventy-times seven thousand amongst us that have not willfully but ignorantly bow'd the knee to Baal or follow'd and own'd the first-Covenant-Doctrin of his Priests and righteousness of Man for the Power of Godliness the grace and righteousness of God in the second Vers. IV. When thou vowest a Vow unto God deferr not to pay it For he hath no pleasure in Fools pay that which thou hast vowed His Father David did Ps. 66. 13 14. as requir'd Deut. 23. 21. 23. The Vow and Engagement of Men in the first-Covenant on God's bringing them out of Egypt Bondage in the corrupt nature death in Trespasses and Sins contracted by the first Sin of Man is faithfully to walk there in suppressing the vile affections and lusts of their degenerate nature and to pay such Worship Service and Obedience as is performable to God therein So do they live unto God in that state for a season This do Men often fail in and so break that Covenant with God after enter'd into it and forfeit all the benefits and advantages thereof For then God breaks with them the promises of it being but conditional Numb 14. 34. Jer. 31. 32. Levit. 26. 15 25. Deut. 29. 30. and 31 Chapters Man in his first Covenant Law-Principle his restor'd enlight'ned spirit of nature is alway's in danger of breaking this Vow Covenant or undertake by contract with God God therefore promises to make another Covenant with them in another Spirit his unspeakable gift to them a steddy right constant Spirit of everlasting righteousness Psal. 51. 10. the Gospel new and everlasting Covenant-Principle of Life Jer. 31. 31. 33. This God engages to do by quick'ning up the incorruptible Seed thereof into Life motion and prevailing activity if they obediently submit to his declared terms in giving up their clensed nature to him in Sacrifice by a holy Death Their polluted nature was no meet sacrifice for him neither is it slain but somewhat disabled only by Law-Conversion and is continually striving to fetch them back to their old Sins with the Dog to the Vomit often prevailing so as to recover its former Dominion over them and ride in Triumph again with its uncontroll'd vile affections and lusts The first-Covenant natural or Law-principle fail'd of its duty in the first Man when at best and more liable sure is it to fail in but some gradual renewals thereof God therefore finds a fault or defect in that first-Covenant-state of Life as to Mans steddy well-pleasing obedience to him or true happiness to himself So offers a second Heb. 8. 6-13 This is the better the new and everlasting Covenant The Gospel-spirit of God undertakes the performance of all obedience in Men when it becomes the principle of life desire thought and action in them which can never sin err or miscarry deceive or be deceived In this new-Covenant Spirit or Principle God becomes their God and they his people for ever He will never depart from them nor they from him Jer. 32. 38-41 The undispensable condition on man's part for entring into the second covenant with God is the obedient giving up in Sacrifice to him all the fading life and things received from his own hand in the first When convinc'd of this twofold differing covenant-principle with the methods of God's Wisdom and his requirings from them as also with the unspeakable advantages of quitting the first for the second then are they bound to vow the sacrifice of their Life in the former and not to be slack in performing the said vow If we be not slack in that our part for entring into the new or second Covenant with God he will not be slack concerning his promise the promise of the father even the Spirit of the Son will by the Son be set up in our hearts which is the Gospel-principle the Apostles were
his spirit of unchangable enmity to God then by Christ's new-creation workmanship baptized into his Gospel-spirit of unchangable union with God What 's the meet recompence of such errour The same Tophet punishment lake of mystical fire and brimstone the litteral is but a Shadow of unquenchable wrath fiery indignation the vengeance of eternal fire In this and other variety of language does the Holy Ghost or Spirit of truth in the Scriptur's of truth clothe the joynt everlasting torment and vexation of both For such a covenant with the Devil is a covenant of oath a swearing everlasting allegiance to him and a taking also his oath of supreamacy owning him as the supream ruler and infallible dictatour in Church and State in the room of the holy ghost or Christ in Spirit and God most high himself 2 Thes. 2. 4. And so his bored Servants they are for ever whom they have sworn to obey for ever on all accounts and own for their Supream Paramount-Ruler and guide so as to place themselvs under his protection wing and conduct Rom. 6. 16. They agree to Obey Sin and the Man of Sin Satan the unchangably sinning Spirit of Eternal Darkness and Death Can this be lesse then the sin unto death eternal death They 'l be sure of the portion they have chosen They unchangably hate Christ's Gospel new-Creature Spirit of everlasting righteousness chuse and love a Spirit of unchangable enmity to it and death to themselvs Prov. 8. 36. Can they miss of what they love and have chosen Rebellious Children are they They take counsel not of me saith the Lord but of the Devil They cover with a covering not of my Spirit but the Devil 's for their clothing and protection They are willing to be dress'd up in his furniture and armour to fight against God All this for this very end that they may add sin to sin unchangable enmity to God the unpardonable sin to the pardonable changable state of enmity and death they were born in So come they to a latter end worse than their beginning by their own choice when offer'd a better end then ever nature in its beginning at best before the fall amounted to in the the changable spotless life thereof They are now in a known chosen confederacy with the Devil for ever against God Christ all Gospel-Saints and truths They have greedily drunk down the poyson'd wine of the very Spirit of the old Serpent Their wine is the poison of Dragons the cruel venom of Asps Deut. 32. 33. The poison of Asps is under their lips Rom. 3. 13. They spit venom breath out slaughter against the Saints of the most high They are establish'd by Satan made men fully after his own heart So unchangable irreconcileable implacable enemies of all after God's own heart as Saul to David In these two fixed states after God's or the Devil 's own heart will all men in conclusion be found in heaven or hell everlasting joy or sorrow under the final favour or unquenchable wrath of God Neither say before the Angel 't was an errour This Angel is Christ the supream Apostle or Messenger of God's Covenant the living Creature-word and book of God which is God Jo. 1. 1 So the Septuagint render it neither say before God it was an errour and therefore why should he be angry c. To what porpose is it for any to pretend ignorance as having done all this by a mistake and surprize before this Angel or word of God that 's of an all-penetrating sight so as infallibly to discern and discover the bottom-thoughts and intents of all hearts Heb. 4. 12 13. He will undeniably evidence all this wickedness to have bin wilfully and knowingly done against his cleer declarations of the mind of God to them and most faithfull warnings of them to the contrary and of the unspeakable danger thereof No good words fair speeches plausible pretences whereby they have deceiv'd their fellow-creatur's will signify any thing towards their defence or excuse before this infallible Angel's judgment-seat He will silence and stop every mouth of iniquity and fill all that have thus caused their flesh to sin thereby with everlasting shame and confusion of face Peter in the Holy Ghost or that Spirit of this Angel Christ wherein he will judg the world detected the falshood of Ananias and Saphira and executed God's sentence of death upon them as having suffer'd Satan to fill their hearts their undeniable guilt Act. 5. 1-10 Such Spots are not the Spots of God's Children They are never guilty of unpardonable Sins And then do those guilty of such errours think to get any thing by 〈◊〉 why should God be angry and destroy our works Or Solomon in the Spirit of God asks them why should God be angry at thy voice or mouth that hath agreed with Satan to cause thy flesh or whole man to sin 〈◊〉 and so destroy the Work of thine hands But let this Question be put by whom it will the Works which have been wrought in a Spirit of unchangable enmity to God will be 〈◊〉 If put by the Holy Ghost in Solomon 't is by way of counsel to 〈◊〉 such madness in Men whereby to receive such a Spirit of unchangable enmity into them for the principle of all their Desires Thoughts and Works as will most certainly expose them and all such Works to be burnt up and destroyed for ever They have done all such wicked Works and the leading wicked Work to all the rest in receiving the Devil's Spirit of unchangable enmity for their working Active Principle before the said Angel or under his convincing Spiritual Light and cleer discoveries of himself to them in his Spiritual Life of Truth wherein alone they can be Saved He will at last undeniably convince them that they were convinced and fairly warn'd of all these things before-hand in his gracious exhibitings and offers of himself to them doing all they could desire he should do for preventing such a self-ruining wilfull unpardonable errour All has been done by them against the known commands of his Spiritual law And will they say it was an errour a mistake of meer ignorance And so think to prevail with this Angel to plead for their Pardon Alas Alas He will make them see it most Just for him to intercede against them as his and his Father 's incorrigible wilfull Enemies and to say to his mighty Angels slay these mine Enemies before my face Luke 19. 27. that would not I should Reign over them but the Devil God or this Angel is most Justly angry at their Voice or Mouth by which they have chosen and declared their consent for unchangable union with the Devil rather then with him And he will destroy all the works of their Hands that in such union they have done against him in whatever nearest resemblance of his Gospel-Spirit and Truths by the transforming Arts and Skill of their Master-Workman purposely to express their utmost Malice against him
Capacity and lawfull Calling in this World diligently performing his Duty and referring the issue and success of his labours to Providence without any carking solicitud's or murmuring repining thoughts against God when cross'd in his expectations and disappointed of his hopes has rest and quiet to himself therein Such a one however low in outward Riches Solomon preferr's as to outward worldly Happiness before the litteral covetous rich man that from excessive inordinate Love to such Wealth robb's and deprives himself of all right comfort therein His solicitous self-tormenting thoughtfulness for getting and keeping such Wealth and then fear of losing all again all which the other is freed from render him a very 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 His abundance of Riches fills his Heart with abundance of trouble and disquiet as well as his Coffers with Silver which will not suffer him to rest or sleep Through this vanity under the litteral first-creation Sun Solomon saw such Riches downright hurtfull to the Owners thereof instead of being of any benefit or advantage to them Semblably the inward Riches of man's Spirit under the mystical first-creation Sun the enlightning enlivening fructifying influence of Christ as a fleshly Bride-groom in his first-covenant Spirit Single upon man's nature Laodicean Treasures heaped up and trusted in and to by man for true Happiness produce the same restlesness and disquiet to him Full of solicitud's is he in getting and keeping and of Fears about losing all again as the litteral covetous rich man is Is there not a cause for such Jealousies and Fears All 's but a vain shew in Holy Flesh a first-covenant Spirit of bondage and fear about his known perishing vanities refusing Christ's convincingly shew'd and offer'd durable Riches and true Freedom even the glorious Liberty of the Sons of God in his gospel-Gospel-Spirit or perfect Law of Liberty to good only and that good unchangable That 's Freedom indeed to purpose Heb. 2. 15. 2 Cor. 3. 17. Joh. 8. 32. 36. Jam. 1. 25. and 2. 12. The Truth Christ's gospel-Gospel-Spirit of Truth makes us Christ's true freemen though in letter man's Servants 1 Cor. 7. 22. And the Master that 's free in letter if effectually call'd by Christ into his heavenly Life of true freedom is his Servant Christ's new-covenant Law or Gospel-Spirit of Life by its death-work on our old or first-covenant law-Spirit of Sin Bondage Enmity and Death sets us free from Sin and Death Rom. 8. 2. all vain Trouble Bondage and Fear He that 's so dead is freed from Sin Rom. 6. 7. ceases for ever from it 1 Pet. 4. 1. Vers. XIII There is a sore Evil which I have seen under the Sun namely Riches kept for the Owners thereof to their hurt This with the Verse before and four following joyntly Character the folly and misery of the litteral and mystical covetous rich Man the former as a Type of the latter One of them is fill'd with cares and solicitud's about making provision for his bodily ease the other is as busy about provisions for his Soul's ease Luk. 12. 16-19 Both of them trade but in perishing vanities 'T is but for perishing meats that gratify the evill Lust's the Belly Desire or Appetite of a mortal perishable Life of Body and Soul these two sorts of foolish Labourers Toil and fill their Heads and Hearts with vain self-tormenting cares and solicitud's All 's but to compass and finger the vain Delights of the Sons of men Nothing of the never-perishing Life and Meats of the Son of God delights of the Sons of God are admitted into their regard God is not in all or any of their thoughts Psal. 10. 4. Nothing of God's Christ's new-creature Life is sought after They 'l not come to him for it nor regard it when he comes and offers it to them Ioh. 5. 40. How oft would I have gather'd you together unto me under my divine and Creature-wings in this Life and ye would not Mat. 23. 37. Ye are all for your selves your own Life will have none of me or mine Then take your course ye shall never have mine at all never enter into my rest So will be left to your own desolate house for ever V. 38. The mystical rich man delightfully contemplat's the Beauty Fruitfulness and Riches of his own enlight'ned nature and too oft arrivesat this highest point of Spiritual wickedness as the result of his own wisdom to strike up an everlasting-covenant-union with the Devil He agrees to receive by his transforming Hel-fire-Baptism an advance of his own nature out of a narrower changably evil humane capacity into a wider and unchangably evil angelical This by suffering Satan to fill his Heart with his Spirit of unchangable enmity to God This is the making man's mystical House or Barns greater Luk. 12. 18 the enlarging and heightning his natural capacity by a kind of mystical death through Satan's false cross-work or counterfeit mortification for the death of man's Spirit of nature on his engagement by covenant and satisfying assurance that he will raise and catch him up out of that mystical Grave into his higher wiser stronger more excellent and capacious angelical nature Thus by bargain does he touch man's Spirit with the transforming alterative assimilating touch of his and translate him out of his narrower humane into his larger angelical capacity of the first-creation sort Man rather chooses this heightning and enlargment in his own way and after his own heart in the first-creation state of nature which renders him a man after the Devil 's own Heart in unchangable enmity to God then such destruction of his fleshly nature or whole natural state and life at best as leaves him no hopes of ever finding himself in a single natural first-creation-life more for ever but in a spiritual and heavenly by a new-creation in the new everlasting covenant Gospel-principle God's Spirit of Grace and Truth The assimilating transformingwork of Christ's Spiritual Cross or heavenly fire-baptism upon man would translate him if obediently submitting thereto and compliant therewith into the life of God's sacrificing Gospel high-Priest of our Profession or of that very Spirit and fiery law of liberty Deut. 33. 2. Jam. 1. 25 that puts his Law or lawless Spirit of bondage enmity and Death to Death with engagement by Covenant to raise it into the everlasting Life and Glorious liberty of the Sons of God Satan will Personate this very high Priest of God and God himself 2 Thes. 2. 4. And he will transform his higher Angelical excellencies and capacity into the likeness or neerest possible resemblance of Christ's new-creation Glories This is the top-stone of his mystery of iniquity the strongest delusion by which this most subtle old Serpent Dragon and roaring Lion deceives and devours men when and where God permitt's for his own most wise and holy ends Think what this choice of man under Gospel-conviction-Light to joyn unchangably with the Devil rather than with God deservs In order to secure their
comes to worse than nothing unspeakable misery and confusion without the least relief for ever under unquenchable wrath Man is born in a naked condition of Body and dead in Sin as to his Soul When reviv'd and Cloath'd again by Christ as to some measure of his restor'd lost Life and Righteousness in the first-covenant by keeping up that in enmity to an everlasting Life and Righteousness offer'd him by Christ in the second and so sinning after the similitude of Adam's first transgression he is worse than ever his latter end worse than his beginning a state of unchangable incurable evil sorrow nakedness poverty and death His whole man after all possible revival comsort flourish or fruitfulness in the mortal first-covenant Life of his Spirit or sensual Life of his Body goes destitute of all good or comfort naked out of the World as he came into 't He takes nothing of the fading Glory of his reviv'd Spirit any more than outward riches and comforts relating to his Body away with him at the death of the Body All goes In all points on all accounts he goes as he came stark naked strip'd of all comfort or goodness All fruits and labours of his Spirit and Body go together all vanish They that obediently part with all such fading Life and but things of man in their Spirit before the death of their Body find their own again with usury for ever in the everlasting Life Wisdom Righteousness and things of God in the Gospel-Spirit or Principle of the new and everlasting Covenant This is the unspeakable Gift of God offer'd all on obedient surrender of their fading Life and things in the first-covenant for his everlasting in the second They that refuse this surrender as most do lose all good in both Covenants for ever and fall under the positive inflictions of wrath for ever This for the evill use of all their things and labours in the first against God and the second When charg'd for all before the Judgment-seat of Christ they 'l be found in a silencing self-condemning consciousness as to all charg'd with will have nothing to say When their evil consciences are open'd all their mouths of iniquity will be stopp'd No disputing pleading apologizing but e'ne take their charge and sentence and so lie down for ever in sorrow shame and confusion under the wrath of their most righteous all-seeing Judg. Then will they find nothing of all their evil travel left in their hand The wrath of God will be upon them and the awak'ned spiritual convictions afforded them in mercy on earth will be set up in them for ever in hel as a never-dying ever-gnawing worm Mark 9. 44. 46. 48 to torment them within by the perpetually forc'd sight of their madness and folly on earth against the universal experience of all mankind and all faithfull warnings from God All their fading beauty will be consum'd in that Grave from their dwelling Psal. 49. 14. or that earthly state of their whole persons which they have chosen for their final habitation They have rendred themselvs fit fewel for the wrath of God eternally to flame forth upon When Christ awak's or comes forth in his heavenly he will despise or destroy their earthly Image Psal. 73. 20. or state burn up all the fading Glory perishing Life Riches Fruits and meats thereof or works therein 2 Pet. 3. 10. Their fleshly principle or root with the branch tree with the fruit as Grass at best a fading flower will wither and perish for ever Isai. 40. 6. These things and life then chosen by them when known to be so and Christ's everlasting Life and Things as knowingly and wilfully rejected when convincingly shew'd and fairly offer'd them will cause their unutterable confusion for ever in eternal darkness and death They 'l have nothing but wrath to feed on for ever in a resurrection of damnation Much sorrow and wrath will they have in and with their sickness unexpressible wrath rage and madness within them as the Septuagint render in their languishing incurable sickness or unchangable enmity to God under the final wrath of God This will befall them after all patience of God and favourable offers while 't was called to day with them in this world all which they abus'd and refus'd to their sorer condemnation and punishment So become they most desolate for ever O Jerusalem Jerusalem c. Mat. 23. 37 38. As vessels of dishonour will they be forc'd to eat the fruit of their own way 〈◊〉 be filled with the fruit of their own devices the wrath of God Prov. 1. 31. 'T will be sorely ill with them when that just reward of their hands shall be given them Isai. 3. 11. Had they 〈◊〉 to his Counsel they might have dwelt safely for ever and have been quiet from fear of evil Prov. 1. 33. Their simple turning from his offers and their prosperous flourish in their own nature will and way destroy'd these incorrigible Fools V. 32. Vers. XVIII Behold that which I have seen it is good and comly for one to eat and to drink and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh vnder the Sun all the days of his Life which God giveth him for it is his portion Having in some former Verses finish'd the Character of the incorrigibly wicked as to their dreadfull condition Solomon proceed's here to declare the blessed condition of all that are of a perfectly contrary temper of Spirit to that of unchangable enmity above-said of another Spirit with Caleb and Joshuah who wholly followed the Lord Numb 32. 12. 'T is the Spirit of Faith only the law of the Spirit of Life and true Liberty the Gospel-Spirit of Truth in which the Lord can be rightly own'd fully follow'd and acceptably worship'd in Spirit and Truth Sure none of these things can ever be done in man's own spirit will and way that at best is enmity to God True Saints bring forth all the fruits of their labours unto God the Father in this Spirit of the Son which makes them free indeed in this newness of Life and Law of true Liberty the glorious Liberty of the Sons of God And they reap the benefit or fruit of all their such labours in the Lord which never are in vain 1 Cor. 15. 58. All labours in our own Spirit of nature uncircumcis'd or circumcis'd that is corrupt or righteous are in vain as to eternal Life Gal. 6. 15. Nothing but the new creature and its actions are conducible or of any tendency towards that There God work 's all our works for us and we all our works in him as co-workers with God in his own Spirit Isai. 26. 12. Joh. 3. 21. Without me or my Gospel-Spirit 〈◊〉 can do nothing in the way towards true Life say's Christ to all Joh. 15. 5. These Gospel-works of the Spirit of Faith in Abraham justified him Jam. 22. 21 not law-works in his own Spirit of nature or principle of the covenant of
〈◊〉 bad his highest all the Kingdoms of this World and Glory of them all first-creation excellencies humane and angelical and that as transform'd into the gilded likeness of the second to purchase the life of Truth out of Christ's own hands How Christ handled him we find Mat. 4. Luk. 4. But he prevails with a World of professors that have put their hand to the Gospel-Plough as brought by Gospel conviction-Light to see their concern in running down Nature at best to look back Luk. 9. 62. to his first-creation offers withdraw their hands from and turn their backs upon Christ and his Kingdom-Spirit with the bewitch'd Galatians Gal. 3. 1 3. 5. 7 8. which alone could secure them from the destruction the over-much righteous or wicked come to That dungy-life Paul quitted which many hold fast unto damnation are we to withdraw our hand from and let go our hold of in order to lay hold on that unchangeably good thing that is eternal Salvation Those that having begun in the Gospel-spirit withdraw their hand from that Gospel-plough or cross upon their cleans'd enlightn'd natural Spirit and return to the love of and self-deceiving 〈◊〉 in their holy flesh or righteous Law-life of their restor'd Nature are in a dangerous way towards final Apostacy and Damnation Paul found the bewitch'd Galatians not so absolutely gone as to 〈◊〉 no room for his Gospel-endeavours and intercessions towards their recovery Gal. 4. 19. But many 〈◊〉 Gospel-convictions owning and following Gospel-Truths for a 〈◊〉 play false and turn final Apostates sell Christ's gospel-Gospel-spirit for their holy 〈◊〉 take off their hand and let go their hold 〈◊〉 Christ's Spirit of Truth for Satan's Spirit of lies on his engaging to advance them in their own nature will and way after their own heart Such oft become his most pregnant eminently accomplish'd Instruments to oppose those very Gospel-Truths that for a season they profess'd and own'd They knowingly part with or sell Christ his Gospel Spirit of Truth and his great Salvation therein offer'd them for themselves or their holy flesh restor'd Nature the Devil and Damnation They part with Christ's great Spiritual Gospel-Pearl for their lesser natural after they had agreed to and vow'd the parting with all for that one thing necessary They 'l not stand to their new-covenant bargain not go through as to the cost for a new building the utter demolition of their old They 'l not part with all their old things for Christ's new They like them not so well So hold fast what they have and lose all whereas they that obediently lose all they have find all again with usury in what the others refuse Mat. 16. 25. After all fair warning of this thus they do What help To begin in the Spirit and finally apostatize to a false confidence for Salvation in the flesh fits Men for the hottest Hell the greatest portion of Wrath for evermore This exposes such bidders at the new-building to everlasting derision and contempt Luk. 14. 28 30. When Men have yielded a little to cross-work suffer'd something of the old building to be pull'd down Gal. 3. 4. Stood the shock of some reproach from scorners for it and then are offer'd by Satan not only to be repair'd and made whole again as ever but also to have their old natural first-creation building rais'd higher and made larger and wider by the super-additions of superiour angelical excellencies and brightnesses of the same first-creation sort with their humane they are willing to take this for the right new-building for the Kingdom of God the true Gospel-state When Satan has them at this lock in this snare he lays his confirming paws upon them fixing them in unchangeable enmity to the very Gospel-Life and Spirit in which any can be saved or ever could They are then fully engaged in the sin against the holy Ghost or gospel-Gospel-Spirit of Truth beyond retreat leaving no place for repentance Heb. 6. 4 -- 6. 10. 26 27. This get all such Esau's by greedily catching at Satan's first-creation morsel in preference to Christ's offer'd new-creation birth-right Heb. 12. 16 17. They let go Christ's new-creation all things for Satan's glittering gilded first-creation nothings perishing vanities Christ's heavenly for his earthly things dust the old Serpent's diet Gen. 3. 14. This trade many thousands have driven and do drive in this World to their eternal ruine in the next There 's no helping them that will not be help'd Finally to refuse the things of God for the things of Man and Devil deliberately on a fair view of both is unpardonable folly They see how matters go on all hands see what they refuse and for what so their sin remains upon them for ever as Christ told the Pharisees Joh. 9. 40 41. They that refuse to part with their earthly life as dung Phil. 3. 8. for Christ's heavenly will perish as their own dung for ever Job 20. 7. All fading first-creation Vanities are dung to Chrst's heavenly spiritual things things of God offer'd by a new-Creation The best services in their own life on this fatal miscarriage will he spread as dung upon their faces Mal. 2. 3. To withdraw their hand from Christ's offers to comply with and accept Satan's is a drawing back to perdition Heb. 10. 39. This Solomon warns against farther declaring he that fears God shall come forth of them all shall escape out of all sin all evil company and ways every evil path that mystical Sodomites are in ver 16. or literal ver 17. He shall be delivered from the presumptuous unpardonable sin of both and all a sixture in their differing evil ways of death and be finally deliver'd and acquitted as to all his other sins on the death of the guilty sinner the evil-doer in him He shall surmount all sins and sinners come out of all literal or mystical Sodomies and Sodomites in corrupt or righteous Nature and so partake of none of their plagues under final Wrath Rev. 18. 4. 2 Cor. 6. 17. The Saint is highly concern'd to watch and fight against the Belial-party in him flesh or nature corrupt or righteous with the affections and lusts that war against his own Soul Gal. 5. 24. 1 Pet. 2. 11. What Satan backs and 〈◊〉 to gratify support and cherish in Saints are they constantly to fight against oppose cross impoverish and run down to death If they not only live but walk in Christ's Gospel Spirit wherein he will judg the World and they with him thus will they do They 'l judg the World within them their worldly natural Spirit now pass sentence of death upon it in harmony of their spiritual mind with Christ and as workers with him joyn in the speedy carrying on the 〈◊〉 of it lest Satan set or fix their heart in them to do evil Eccl. 8. 11. in unchangeable union with him All that by Christ's Spirit in them mortify the lusts and deeds of their body or natural state will live for ever with
as this Gospel new-creature Spirit or Holy Ghost Act. 19. 2. Men clap all the titles of Christ's one thing on the back of their one thing that 's a spirit of darkness enmity and death Their but renewed spirit of Nature must needs amount to a state of Grace Regeneration New Creature Heir of the Kingdom of God What then must the very Christ the very Spirit of Grace and Truth be a Blasphemer a Devil Thus did the children of the Devil first-covenant Professors baptiz'd into his spirit of unchangeable enmity to God call the Holy Ghost or Gospel-spirit in Christ himself with all its Words Joh. 1. 11. 8. 44. 10. 20. and Mat. 12. 24 32. This subtil Serpentine trade won't do man's work when God is Judg himself Psal. 50. 6. He will call every thing by its right name Man's Wisdom in Divinity calls every thing by a wrong name all his natural God's spiritual things And what name title or character then God's things must have with him is easie to guess If natural Man or Angel will needs be as Gods in the proudly and presumptuously assum'd soveraignty and uncontroll'd exercise of their own Wills they 'l certainly judg and call the true Spiritual Man a Fool that quits all this as dung with Paul which they ruffle in Hos. 9. 7. 8. 1 Cor. 4. 10. No remedy for this in Man's day or Judgment In God's there will True Saints ought in Faith and Patience to possess their Souls quietly waiting for the decision of all Zion-controversies at Christ's second appearing to their Joy and to the Confusion of all their self-confident proud boasting enemies Isa. 66. 5. Your first-Covenant Brethren that hate you sit and speak against you Psal. 50. 20. Ezek. 33. 30. and cast you out excommunicate you as Blasphemers but I 'le appear says God to your Joy and then they shall be asham'd I 'le excommunicate them out of my Church and lay them under the Anathema Maranatha for ever under my everlasting Curse and Wrath. Let the naturalist then or first-Covenant Brother for a season wear the title of the second and allow him nothing but Blasphemer and Mad-man consider the great Lord and Master Did not he quietly endure the Contradictions and Reproaches of such Righteous first-Covenant Sinners against the second in his own day and turn on Earth among the only professing People in the World All will out at last after all scrambling confounded doings in this dark World and Kingdom of Satan All shame will be laid at the right door and God and his true Saints be glorified All in good time God's time is best Mean while the one uniform truth of God most harmoniously represented all along the Scriptures of Truth in great variety of Similitude Language and Type is in a manner universally rejected even by Professours and their one sandy-foundation'd thing by a lying Spirit of Divination set up in the room thereof which in the highest sence is the abomination that makes desolate Mat. 24. 15. and herein boast they themselves as to that great variety of the many Inventions they stand here charg'd with as their own self-destroying folly and madness The true spiritual Church own only one God and Father of all one Lord one Faith one fire-Baptism one Spiritual Circumcision setting fire upon and cutting off all fleshly life holy and profane in Pharisee and Publican The Church on the sand has many Gods many Lords of their Faith which are many Devils many Men in their differing and various teachings or doctrines all which in the same lying spirit of Divination do tend directly to the Destruction of themselves and hearers Such false Christs and Apostles evil Angels and Men will in these latter times more then ever pass unquestionably for the true as coming in the guise language dress and appearance thereof Has not the true Christ and his great Apostle foretold all this Mat. 24. 5. ver 23 25. 2 Cor. 11. 13 15. In such disguise they 'd deceive if possible the very Elect. The Worldly Church on the Sand boasts of such variety of Invention as amounts to but a glorying in their own shame Such poetical Creation-Preachers are always liars Tit. 1. 12. Under all pretence to Gospel are they the flattest enemies to it They come with methodiz'd discourse in the contrivances and Words of their own Wisdom Doctrine Reasons Uses Motives order'd and placed rank and file in Battel-array with the Armour of Man upon them to fight the Devils Battel against all Spiritual Saints and Gospel-Truths These are your Gospel-Merchants that corrupt or deal deceitfully with the word of God 2 Cor. 2. 17. destroying Souls for dishonest gain Ezek. 22. 27. They labour to make the truly Righteous sad by their reproachful censures and strengthen the wicked in their hidden mystical uncleanesses and abominable Idolatrys Ezek. 13. 22. They interpret Scripture into anti-Gospel-Doctrine and then invent reasons for it uses of it motives and arguments to follow and obey it all to encourage people in their Self-chosen way to the Chambers of death the congregation of the dead or assembly of Giants the Gigantick sighters against God Prov. 21. 16. Gen. 6. 4 5. All their Preaching Reasons and Uses as pretending to shew and lead men into the true Gospel-way of Salvation runs in a strein of direct enmity to all the spiritual reasonings and words of Christ's Gospel-spirit and so to the whole Counsel of God Paul declar'd Act. 20. 27. The right opening the Scriptur's is an opening the Kingdom of God This does the true publick one Gospel-spirit of Christ in himself and Saints The private natural womanish changeable spirit of man shuts out all spiritual Kingdom-Truths and in union with Satan open's his kingdom or bottomless pit of deceits and preaches up that first-creation state he has chosen as the only true Salvation When thus resolutely engag'd they disswade all people and frighten them what they can from touching or coming near such doctrin as indeed opens the Kingdom of Heaven as the arrantest Heresy and Blasphemy in the World This is the old Pharisaical trade of hypocritical Sinners in Zion Mat. 23. 13. But true interpretation of Scripture in that Spirit and Wisdom none are able to bear up against Act. 6. 10. will speak for it self in the hearts and consciences of the hearers and be a savour of life or death to the obedient receivers or wilful rejecters thereof The Cryptick Methods and Arts of man's mercenary wisdom are calculated to deceive All their Elocution Mymical gestures and affected tones look this way These humane Artifices are not to be used in uttering the words of God's Wisdom but cleer powerful spiritual demonstration 1 Cor. 2. 4. This was the way of Christ and his inspir'd Pen-Men or Teachers in the words of his Wisdom whether speaking to a multitude or only in answer to particular inquiries Convincing evidence and demonstration in the Wisdom and Power of the Holy 〈◊〉 were they
In the new-Creation Land of the living or spiritual Gospel-state of life The Wisdom of Man that can't discern spiritual Things or Truths how should it interpret the words of God's Wisdom that means only such things by all first-creation shadows figures and similitudes All Scripture as to the true spiritual intent and meaning of God is a Book seal'd to the highest natural Wisdom of Angel or Man Isa. 29. 11. All divine and spiritual things of God meant in the Scripture are mysteries fast lock'd up from that sort of Understanding in learned or unlearned Man Man then going to work with that which discerns no things of God shuts out all those things that are shut up from him out of his humane Divinity so call'd and so shuts up the Kingdom of Heaven in stead of opening it to his Hearers Let him read study and preach as long as 〈◊〉 lived he comes not one jot nearer the mysteries or Truths of God in the Scriptures then when he lay in his cradle Yea worse he is a direct enemy to all such Truths or Things when declared he hates and detests them as blasphemous Fictions So shutting up the Kingdom of God runs down himself and his blind Followers to the Chambers of death In a lying humane spirit of Divination back'd with Satan's lying evil angelical spirit do Men come forth to declare the Truths of God and say the Lord saith Ezek. 13. 6. God signifies his divine and spiritual things to Men which lie quite out of their natural discerning and reach by such earthly shadows and figures as are discernable to them and they lay hold on those shadows denying all allegorizing or interpreting them into God's Spiritual Heavenly truths or things God's things can be no otherwise spoken to man then in parables or by such things as are discernable to him Mat. 13. 34. The truly wise spiritual Saint only understands the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven or mysterious things of God signified in the Scripture v. 11. To others that stick in the letter all 's a parable a 〈◊〉 And thus do even Saints themselves before the incorruptible Seed or principle of Spiritual Life be actually waken'd up in them And after that also their natural Man so 〈◊〉 as unsubdued and untransform'd into harmony with their spiritual in life and light understands not such Mysteries No Man in his natural state receives Christ's Testimony of spiritual heavenly Truths or things Joh. 3. 31 32. Man's very Wisdom or understanding is the Vail on him the partition-wall between him and all spiritual things The exchange of that by the obedient death of nature for God's unspeakable gift of spiritual Life and Wisdom is his only possible way of coming at any right and full understanding of the Scriptures Man swells and puffs at any thing his understanding can't reach and his Will hates so scoffs at allegorizing the Scriptures or interpreting them into some other farther things then the literal shadow or figure lest something should by so deep dipping into it be turn'd up for Truth that 's above his understanding and not pleasing to his Will In love to his own Wisdom he denies there is any other but God's purely divine no spiritual Creature-Wisdom And if any pretend to that he censures them for Luciferian Presumption He denies that superiour Creature-wisdom Saints are partakers of which is call'd also the Wisdom of God and then most falsely taxes them with pretending to the very infinite divine Wisdom The spiritual Saint only has the seeing Eye hearing Ear and understanding Heart the senses suited to the divine and spiritual things of God All others 〈◊〉 see not and hearing hear not nor understand Mat. 13. 13 -15 From Isa. 6. 9 10. The spiritual wise Man in his new erected intellect and life sees all things divine and twofold creaturely spiritual and natural in their very hidden essences properties and naked evidence The natural wise Man does but conjecture guess at the hidden properties essences and occult qualities as he therefore call's them of the very visible or lower sort of natural things In the Apocryphal Wisdom of Solomon we find words to this purpose Chap. 9. 13 -- 18. What man knows the Counsel of God Or who can think what the Will of the Lord is The thoughts of mortal Men are miserable and our devices uncertain For the corruptible body presseth down the Soul the earthy Tabernacle weigheth down the Mind which museth on many things Hardly guess we aright at things on Earth that are before us but things in Heaven who hath searched out Thy Counsel who hath known except thou give Wisdom and send thy holy Spirit from above For so the ways of Men on Earth are reform'd as taught things pleasing to thee and saved through Wisdom Lo then the vast differences of natural and spiritual Wisdoms or Understandings The divine and spiritual creature-things of Christ and God are clearly discernable to the one and not the lower sort of natural things to the other Spiritual Wisdom that sees all the things of God can interpret all the words of God declare the very divine thought intent and meaning in all They that have this unction from the holy one know all things The said anointing teacheth of all things 1 Joh. 2. 20 27. That new-creature gospel-Gospel-spirit of Truth wherewith true Saints are anointed guides them into all Truth and shews them things to come even all that God will do with the obedient submitters to or incorrigible Rebels against the said Spirit for ever in eternal Life or Death This Spirit in the awaken'd-up seed thereof will bring to remembrance words or things past also what their natural Man in the days of their ignorance has receiv'd the report of by the hearing of the 〈◊〉 and give them the clear full sight or understanding of by the seeing of the spiritual Eye or new Intellect Joh 14. 26. Job came to the blessed experience of this by and after the sufferings of his natural Man under the Cross Job 42. 5. All things the Father hath are mine says Christ and this Spirit of mine in you shall shew you all Joh 16. 14 15. all the things of my new-creation Kingdom in the conjunctive Divine and Creature-glories of me the King thereof all which are Mysteries hidden and shut up from all natural first-creation understanding of Man or Angel They can be spoken to that only in Parables figuratively represented to it only by first-creation Shadows and Similitudes in dark sayings till open'd by the spiritual Remembrancer in Men. This is the Interpreter Messenger Apostle or sent-one of God as Elihu calls him that can shew to Man his Uprightness Job 33. 23. Yea make him unchangeably upright in God's sight He was not made so by the first-creation For then could he not have miscarried by his many inventions as 〈◊〉 7. 29. This Spirit makes the Saint wiser then all his first-creation Teachers in the words of Man's Wisdom who will yet pretend to
Body have we the Shadow of a great Mystical Truth relating to the Spirit living soul or inner Man of Man the life whereof also being Mortal is subject to and therefore figured out by the like changes as are Incident to Bodily Life in the Birth Flourish Decay Death and Resurrection thereof First then to the Figurative Shadow knowable to all and after to the Mystical Truth knowable to few to none aright save such as are of the same Spirit Solomon was when he Writ these Words 1. There' s a set time to all Visible things under the Litteral Heaven and Sun as the Answer and Accomplishment of God's most wise design and purpose concerning them There 's a time alotted for their Appearance and Manifestation and then for their Disappearing and Vanishing again Both these general Dispensations of God to them do Minister Important Instruction to Man The Positive Assertion of this Truth in general v. 1. does Solomon prove by particularizing the Various things Circumstances and Occurrents relating to Man's Bodily part and Life in reference to which the whole Visible Creation in the greater World without Man was set up before hand as requisite for his entertainment Gen. 1. and Ch. 2. 7. and then to the declinings and Death thereof under the Various Dispensations of God to this lower work of his own hand in Man And hereby is signified the like Various Dispensations of God and thence a like Variety of Condition Incident to the Spirit or inner Natural Man as to it s but Mortal First-Covenant-Life put into and 〈◊〉 up in it by Creation Man therein at best was but a Mystical Tree of good and Evil a changable thing a Fading Flower Since the Fall this Fleshy Tree is in a manner only alway's Evil. Man 's fallen nature herein is a Gursed Mystical Earth bringing forth Thorns and Thistles in Filth of Flesh or Spirit Gen. 3. 17 18. His Immortal Spirit in its Unstain'd Mortal First-Covenant Life and State before the Fall with all done or possible to be done in the Activity thereof all Riches Fruits Righteous Works Producible or Performable therein all was Vanity 〈◊〉 but Vanishing Shadows of durable substantial things the Everlasting Righteous New-Creature Life Wisdom 〈◊〉 things of God Man with all his natural First-Created Life and things is in another Sense under Heaven or below the Spiritual Heavenly Life of Christ the New-Creation Sun of Everlasting Righteousness and things of God Nor Man nor Angel in Innocency had any thing of that Life about them or Fruits thereof And in that Life only can any bring forth Fruit unto God They that say Adam should have held fast that Righteous Life he was Possess'd of by Creation kept where he was as Job once through a great mistake said he would hold fast his Restored Righteousness of that sort they that say this what else must they say This. That Man Restor'd by the second Adam to something of the lost Life of the First must hold it fast Establish himself there never part with or let it go again and Heaven is his own this is true Salvation and Eternal Life In their Lying Spirit of Divination do such Teachers warrant their Deluded Hearers safe and truly Blessed here causing them to hope they will confirm their Word Ezek. 13. 6. They follow Heb. walk after their own Spirit of vanity see nothing of God's they are vanity and see nothing but vanity the things of man which they presumptuously call the things of God and so teach Rebellion against the Lord. They establish themselves and others in a life and Righteousness that 's but Vanity a Fading Flower for Salvation And Irrefragably Confident they grow herein All the World wonder and run after them Rev. 13. 3. 1 Jo. 4. 5. Mean while no Man in the but Restor'd Worldly Spirit of Nature the Life Wisdom and Righteousness of man receives Christ Gospel-Testimony given by his Spirit of Truth in himself or followers Jo. 3. 32. That which indeed is the very Unpardonable Sinning after the Similitude of Adam ' s Transgression do Men Preach up as their undispensable Duty for Salvation The holding fast and keeping up what they received by the First-Creation against the everlasting Creature-Life Wisdom Righteousness and things of God cleerly shew'd and offered them by a second was the very Unpardonable Sin that gave the Irrecoverable fall to the Devil and his Angels Their fall evil Change and Punishment lies in this They retain all the Natural Life Glory and Excellencies of their First-Created State as by their wilful Folly and God's Righteous Judgment turn'd into and used in unchangable Enmity to God They kept not their first Estate but left their own Habitation Jude 6. What was that A State of Unstain'd Natural Purity and of changable Obedience in their Wavering Natural Principle to Spiritual Light by which cleerly shew'd and offered an Unchangably Righteous Creature-Life by a New-Creation on the Obedient-Surrender and loss of their Changable The Lord was pleas'd to deal more favourably with Man as of less Natural Capacity and so under lower Spiritual Conviction then Angels and then also as Over-reach'd and Overset by the Superiour Subtilty and Power of the Evil Angel taking from him the Fading Righteous Life Wisdom Excellencies and Corruptible Perfections of his Inferiour Humane Nature not leaving him them to Fight with against himself as he did to the Evil Angels But when this Life with the things thereof is gradually Restor'd by the Redeemer in Men Satan is presently at the same point with them as with Eve 2 Cor. 11. 3. that they shall not die at all they have Eternal Life Though it was not so in the first Adam yet when Restor'd by the Second and Men Confirm'd or Establish'd therein by him it is Indeed this Fixing Establishing Doctrine to and work upon them is Satan's not Christ's For it fixes them in unchangable enmity to Christ's Gospel-spirit and all his Gospel-things or truths Adam's attempt and design for keeping up the Righteous Life he was Created in and thence Refusing to Surrender and part with it for what was Presented to him in the Tree of Life was his very Sin The Losing or falling from the Righteous life he had was his punishment God took from him What he had his fading righteous Law-Life for Preferring it to his Everlasting New-Covenant Gospel-life The day he ate of the tree of good and evil or pleas'd himself with his own changable righteous life and the 〈◊〉 Meats or Delights thereof in preference to God's more excellent Creature-life and never-perishing meats thereof he died as threatned Gen. 2. 17. that is lost that fading righteous Life and so with all his Posterity became dead in trespasses and sins Now if Establishing our selvs in the restor'd Righteous Law-Life of our Nature Called our own be Asserted our duty and security for salvation then a sinning after the similitude of Adam's Transgression which done thus the second time after
they break with him and then he departs Jer. 31 32. In this sense God Repents Gen. 6. 6. that is changes his dispensation towards Back-sliding Man If Man turn his changable Righteous Life in the first into unchangable Enmity to God and his second-Covenant Life Christ will turn from a changable Husband and Saviour to them in the first into an unchangable Enemy to them in the second Isai. 63. 8. 10. If a Back-sliding people return to him he returns to them and repents of the Evil threat'ned them Exod. 32. 14. Jer. 26. 19. Jonah 3. 10. But he overthrew Sodom c And Repented not of the evil of Punishment Threat'ned because they Repented not of the evil of Sin by them Committed Jer. 20 16. On Man's obedient chang of his sickle Life and freedom of the Sons of Men for the unchangable Life and Glorious Liberty of the Sons of God all this Starting Repenting doings is past on all hands What God does for and in Man by his New-Creation-Workmanship will continue for ever and they in an everlasting Covenant Union with him Establish'd in all things and sure They 'l never depart from him nor he from them to do them good Jer. 32. 40. No breach incident to the new-covenant Jer. 31. 33 34. because manag'd in a Spirit on God's part and Man's too that can never err Sin or miscarry T is infallible Truth and Ever-lasting Righteousness in Christ and his Saints Whatever God yea or Man doth in this Spirit shall be for ever All the Fruits Labours Works produced or done therein are Incorruptible Everlasting will be for ever As the new Root and Tree so are the Fruits and very 〈◊〉 The Incorruptible Gospel-Tree will be known by its fruits in distinction from the Mystical Fleshly Law-Tree and Corruptible Fruits thereof T. Nothing can be put to it nor any thing taken from it God's offring and setting up his new-creature Life with the glory Wisdom and Righteousness thereof in the room of Man's obediently surrendred old is the main design and scope of all Scripture This 〈◊〉 where are Men with all the words of their Foolish Wisdom Setting up Law-Life for Salvation and Calling it a Gospel-State is directly Satan's Gospel-Work his Mystery of Iniquity with its hidden Works of darkness under the Form of Godliness and Righteousness of Man All the Mystical Spiritual sense of Scripture is by such excluded out of all their Teaching Those that thus take away or deny a spiritual Creature-Life in Christ the Whole Living Book and Word of God and so the Character Doctrin and declaration thereof in the Scriptures or Written Oracles of God do take not only some but all the principal intended things Engraven by God himself in the former or by his Holy Inspired Pen-men in the latter And then will God take from them any part of the truly good things in either and Inflict on them all the Plagu's Written in both Rev. 22. 18 19. Sure 't is no small retail-heresy that exclud's all Gospel Truth and the whole Doctrine of Salvation This does Man's Wisdom that 's Foolishness to God's and reckon's all the Word 's of God's and whole Gospel-Doctrin of his Cross upon nature at best Foolishness 1 Cor. 1. 18-25 It shuts up the Kingdom of Heaven excludes all Kingdom-Life and sense of Scripture But though Gospel-undertakers herein not only derogate from and diminish but what in them lies utterly Deny Despise and Destroy all true Gospel-Life and Doctrin in Christ Scriptures and Saints 't is not by all their or Satan's 〈◊〉 Wiles and Skill that any thing can be taken from it or added to it All the Opprobrious Titles of Hereticks Enthusiasts or Phanaticks Blasphemers Mad-men that they bestow on Christ Jo. 10. 20. and true Saints Hos. 9. 7. belong intirely to themselvs This will be undeniably Evidenc'd at Christ's second appearing and final Decision of all Controversies between true Spiritual Zion-Saints and these Hypocritical 〈◊〉 in Zion Isai. 66. 5. and 34. 8. that in the worded-dress of Spiritual Saint-ship and New-Covenant Principles are but a Law-spirited Generation that only personate and would pass for the true Heirs and so labour to 〈◊〉 them out of their right and take their Inheritance from them These are the Ravenous Wolves in the Spiritual Sheeps Clothing that bestow no other Titles on them but Devil and Mad as Inquisitors on Lutherans and so Kill them as not fit to live upon the Earth Act. 22. 22. The determining this Controversy will give an amazing Consternation and Disappointment to Hypocritical Sinners in Zion and unspeakable Joy to the all along this World under Satan's Reign and in Man's day oppressed Sion-Saints Is. 33. 14. This will be when Christ arises or comes forth to Judg Enemies and have Mercy upon Zion Psal. 102. 13. In his new-Creature-Spirit and Life God does whatsoever he will and Enables Saints to do so too even whatsoever he will's as universally Obedient to him in every thing No Man or Angel in single First-Creation-Light or Understanding can discern this Spirit of Life or any of the things thereof and therefore would make nothing of them all Proud Man and Angel will needs have any thing they can't see to be nothing But God hath so order'd his matters as to the final Salvation of Man that Men should fear before him yield to his term's of saving them and not Proudly and Presumptuously exalt themselvs against him in that Life and Wisdom the Death and utter abolition of which according to the declared Methods of his Wisdom is absolutely necessary to their being saved So only can any receive that Life in which infallibly to know and declare the whole Counsel and to do the whole Will of God after his own Heart Solomon having declared this Incorruptibly perfect New-Creature-Life that admits to Chang Addition or Diminution for ever when compleated being above all Death Dangers Enemies or Fears proceed's to shew the Weakness Insufficiency and unprofitableness of all other Life or things First-Creation Vanities compared therewith saying Vers. XV. That which hath been is now and that which is to be hath already been and God requireth that which is past Somewhat like what is said Ch. 1. 9. That which hath bin in former Generations is now a gradually Restor'd First-Covenant Righteous Life And that which is to be set up again in full perfection at Christ's second Comming for the Restitution of all things Act. 3. 21. hath already bin in Primitive Innocency But still still what is this that has been at first and shall be at last in full Perfection and in the gradual Renewals of it all along between A Starting Labile Versatile thing a fading flower altogether Vanity liable not only to such a fall as happen'd to Man at first into changable but also into unchangable Enmity to God and Eternal Death to Man This is a latter end worse then the beginning in Innocency or as Born dead in Trespasses and Sins This Life
Appetite the Belly that 's but for such Meats as will perish with it 1 Cor. 6. 13. They that sate in the Gate spoke against him Was not the great Lord and Master Christ himself thus handled Despised and Rejected of Men even his own People in the first-Covenant for Witnessing and Practicing the Doctrin of the second Isai. 52. 14. and 53. 2 3. Jo. 1. 11. Was not Job the next signal instance for suffering to his Lord thus handled on the self-same account by his first-Covenant Friends when brought under the sharp Disciplin of the Cross in order to the second They vex'd 〈◊〉 broke him in pieces with reiterated frequent and continued 〈◊〉 Words They made themselvs 〈◊〉 to him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 themselvs against him in pleading his Reproach when God was Stripping him by his Cross-work on that State of the fading Glory 〈◊〉 that State and taking that Crown from his Head Job 19. 2-19 which he had long worn and enjoy'd as a first-Covenant Prince or King in the Army Job 29. 25. of that sort of Pseudo-Fift-Monarchist's Thus was Poor Job destroy'd and gone on every side forsaken and abandon'd on all hands by God and Men as to any more or farther Comfort in that state he had king'd it in over his fellow-Mortals His very inward Bosome-Friends abhorr'd him And was not Paul so handled by his Friends presently after his quitting their Law-Principle and House on the Sand for Christ's Gospel-Principle and House on the Rock The next news we hear of him is he signally beyond other Gospel-Saints and Apostles Persecuted by Law-spirited Jews at Damascus Act. 9. 19-25 2 Cor. 11. 32 33. What cleer plain undeniable instances are here Who would think any sober Man whose obstinate will does not bribe off Pervert Obstruct and deafen his understanding could withstand such undeniable demonstration in this case I would For who believ's the report Who takes any spiritual Gospel-Testimony with whatever undeniable Demonstration attended and Ratified No Man in the single Wisdom of humane nature at best when made Wise Strong and Honourable in Christ but there Jo. 3. 32. 1 Cor. 4. 10. The natural Man even in awak'ned Spiritual Saints is ready and apt to wonder at this But retreating to the Sanctuary-Light of their Spiritual Man they see how matters go and the wonderment ceases The Spiritual Man the true Watchman Prophet and Seer of God is a Fool Mad a Snare Hatred it self Where With whom With a first-Covenant People and House of his God Hos. 9. 7 8. Was this alway's so Is it so even now Gal. 4. 29. will it be so to the end of this World and Satan's Reign E'ne cease wondring then at it O Saints of the most High What Wonder at what has bin the constant course and Practice of Humane nature in all mankind corrupt or righteous Popish or Reform'd true Saints themselvs not excepted till unwoman'd by the Cross as to their mutable fickle Womanish Spirit of nature and made actual Partakers of Christ's manly Life in his Gospel-Spirit of Grace springing up from the quick'ned Incorruptible Seed thereof 1 Pet. 1. 23. Be not dismay'd to see the Law-Church of God your Brethren in the first-covenant Children Spouses of Christ as a sleshly Bridegroom in their Holy Flesh turning themselvs into a Synagogue of Satan and serving his designs in persecuting Christ's Gospel-Church in his Holy Spirit sitting and speaking Blasphemies against them Psal. 50. 20 21. Paul when a new-Covenant Gospel-Saint was a Fool weak and despicable to Law-Saints in the renew'd old or first These were still Wise Strong and Honourable in Christ after the flesh as to both Inherent and Imputed Righteousness from him Sanctifying and justifying them according to the Tenour of that changable first-Covenant Life and State True Saints when with Paul Job and others they find all that to be but a fading flower altogether Vanity or a vanishing Shadow however good in its kind and beautiful in its day and season a Glory to be done away away they sling it as Dung for Christ in his Spiritual Resurrection-Life and Gospel-State Paul also advises others to become Fools with him as to the Law-Wisdom of Man in the first-Covenant for the Gospel-Wisdom of God in the second 1 Cor. 3. 18. In short Paul was a Poor Wise Child in Christ's newness of Life or second Covenant that had with the doting first-Covenant Law-spirited Corinthians bin for a season an old Foolish King in the 〈◊〉 of letter his restor'd old first-Creation spirit of nature But with this difference not a fix'd knowing wilful one that would no more be admonish'd For as discover'd therein what he amounted to and convincingly shew'd and offer'd a more excellent life and way immediatly he conferr'd not with Flesh and Blood consulted not with or listned to the reasonings of the first-Covenant Wisdom of Man in himself or others but was Obedient to the Heavenly Vision Trembling and astonish'd he said Lord what wilt thou have me to do Act. 9. 6. Had he after such convincing discovery of his folly and Madness in Persecuting the Gospel-Spirit and Truths of Christ in his Saints obstinately persisted therein he had bin absolutely unpardonable But he did it ignorantly 1 Tim. 1. 13. For as soon as he knew a better a Gospel-Life and more excellent way of obeying and Worshipping God he instantly yielded to God's terms the death of his Law-principled Persecuting nature as 〈◊〉 for Christ's Gospel-Life He found the Corinthians after all this confident in that State he was in when a Persecutor Full Rich and Reigning as Kings Wise Strong and Honourable in first-Covenant Attainments from Christ himself after the flesh They were brought out of the corrupt into the righteous Life of theirnature and so into some good degree of Conformity to the Life of Christ that first Covenant Life of the Law under which he was Born of a Woman But were in no degree of Conformity to Christ in the obedient death of that state in Sacrifice to God So if they finally refused Paul's Counsel Example and Admonitions for becoming Fools Weak Poor and Despicable there as he had done in following Christ's own example and Counsel they proved themselvs with thousands of others in all Ages and Generations the very Old Foolish doting Kings here meant and Paul with his true Gospel-Disciples and Followers proved themselvs the Poor Wise Children of God in a newness of Life a Wisdom a Glory never to be done away He was content with Christ to have his Visage Marr'd his fading Law-Life and Glory in the restor'd Image of the earthy or first Adam done away as the undispensible means of receiving the Life and Image of the Heavenly or second Adam 1 Cor. 15. 49. Job with other first-Covenant Saints or Holy Men in their own restor'd nature while in the dark and in great measure if not altogether ignorant for a season as to the spiritual Life and Glory that was to follow and fall to his lot was sorely
'T is too painful yea 't is impossible for man Save in sanctuary-life and light Ps. 73. 16 17 to discern the spiritual new-Creation things of God's House and less yet the deep things of his very infinite Divinity The truly Spiritual Man Judges or discern's and sees all things 1 Cor. 2. 15. Divine Spiritual and natural The highest first-Covenant-Saint in Holy Flesh Righteousness of Man is a Fool a Stranger an unreasonable Man a Profane Infidel as to all Gospel-Things and Truths Such troublesome self-confidents Paul desir'd to be delivered from 2 Thes. 3. 2. and 2 Tim. 4. 14 15. as most impertinent irreconcileable Babblers and Disputers against all those Gospel-Truths or Sanctuary-things they bid at and pretend to the knowledg of That contradicting Wisdom and very Understanding they use in the dispute is to be abolish'd by the Cross as the Blasphemous Enemy of God and all his Gospel-Truths Thus Paul found it in himself till Christ knock'd down that earthly Wisdom and caused him to turn from that fleshly Mind Understanding or Principle of reasoning in obedience to his heavenly Act. 9. 3-6 Gal. 1. 16. Christ himself in the flesh turn'd away his foot or feet his own fleshly or natural understanding and will the two Feet of the Living Soul on which it walks abroad to View Desire and feed upon worldly Vanities Perishing Meats refusing to think the thoughts do the will or speak the words thereof but the will and words of him that sent him by Crucifying that Will and Understanding utterly Abolishing all the Life Desire Thought and Motion thereof And such death is the only Consecrated Living way into the new-Creation Sanctuary-Life Heb. 9. 12. and 10. 19 20. The natural man even in Christ's person however perfect was a prohibited Stranger amongst the rest that might not enter into his own new-creation Sanctuary House or Temple in the single changable first-covenant law-life in and under which made 'T was impossible even for him as so to enter By Death he ascended into it and set it open to his followers in the like Death of nature Such obedient Death is the only way to eternal life Never was there any other way to it for any Angel or Man That law-life that was but a changable shadow in him and in us must pass by the death of nature in both and all under the cross-work of the Gospel-spirit that the life which is true in him may be true in us also 1 Joh. 2. 8. and 5. 20. In Scripture sense all 's true in the new-creation all shadow in the old True Life Light Wisdom Righteousness is found in the new only All things eternal things of God are there All the Wisdom Life Light Righteousness Glory things of Man or Angel in the old are but shadows of the substantial things of God in the new The changable earthy Image of God and righteous first-covenant Life of the Law Man was at first created and set up in is but shadow of the new-creature life and Image of the heavenly or second Adam All in the former are things of man Life Wisdom Righteousness of Man all in the latter things of God Life Wisdom Righteousness of God A zeal for God's heavenly Spiritual things must eat up our earthly or natural The fire of his heavenly Sanctuary-Spirit must consume our Earthly Life and state eat up all mortal desire and thought root and all By such destruction of our flesh or natural state can we come to be Saved in that Spirit We must put off the old Man the Image of the earthy or can never put on the new and Image of the heavenly The Earthly House and Life of this present tabernacle must be dissolved that we may have that Building of God not made with hands eternal in the heavens 2 Cor. 5. 1. Think any to enter into that House any otherwise then Christ himself could to go whole and unmaimed into it in that Life or natural state he crucified Gal. 3. 1. Nature in all men is an enemy to God and his Sanctuary-Spirit Paul in righteous nature was in union of mind with the Devil an enemy to the Spirit of Grace to God Christ all Gospel-Saints and truths a stranger to all things divine and Spiritual God the Mediator in his changable Angelical nature from the beginning and humane toward the latter end of this world did cease by a Holy death from all the works of both in the activity of the changable principle of first-covenant Life Angels and Men must do and suffer likewise or never enter into his rest Heb. 4. 4. 10. The mystical Sabbath-Law of the Cross upon the works and and working Spirit of nature is expressed by turning away our foot from the Lord's Sabbath from delighting in our own will and way 〈◊〉 our own Pleasure and speaking our own Words Isai. 58. 13 14. This is the very same Death-doctrine and work of the Cross on the whole natural Spirit at best The Obedient submitting thereto is the keeping our foot from the Lord's house and turning it away from his Sabbath Those that honour God herein he will put everlasting honour upon lifting them up over the heads of all earthly powers humane or angelical called the high places of the earth He will cause them to ride upon these high places that have had their turns to ride over their heads Psal. 66. 12. But those that from a fond love to their own vain life despise the Lord's sanctuary life shal be lightly esteemed 1 Sam. 2. 30 yea made vessels of dishonour and everlasting contempt The Spiritual Heavenly Original Gospel-Light of Christ's Sabbath or Sanctuary-Spirit is the day the Lord hath made in which Saints will rejoyce and be glad for evermore Psa. 118. 24. This heavenly Sanctuary and Sabbath that 's the Lords doing his own immediate divine Workmanship from everlasting Prov. 8. 22 23. is marvellous in our eyes The earthly Wisdom of man at best despises and wonders at this heavenly creature-wisdom of God The Orthodox humane builders of a first-covenant Church which their Wisdom Judges asserts and warns firm and safe for Salvation reject and refuse the corner-stone of the second and so the whole new-creation building on the rock the true church or house of God Man's wisdom won't believe or receive the words of God's though plainly declared to it Act. 13. 41. Abundance of professing wise first-covenant Saints believe not any such thing as that creature-Wisdom of God in the Mediator from everlasting by which the Worlds were made How can ye believe says Christ to the professing Jews who receive honour one of another and seek not the honour that cometh from God only Joh. 5. 44. A mercenary self-seeking trade in the first-covenant exceedingly indisposes and hinders any listning to one right word of the second None so highly Prejudic'd and offended at the least Word of Christ's Gospel in the second as the engaged ministers of Satan's in the first Such Gospel-Teachers are