Rewards run on Satan's Side to his reputed Gospel-Divines nothing but Contradiction Reproach and Persecution are the usual Recompence of Christ's true ones in this World under all which they rejoice in the certain Fore-sight of their great Reward in the next Matth. 5. 11 12. Act. 5. 41. Satan offer'd Christ himself all the Kingdoms of this World if he would own him for God and his false Law-Gospel for God's true if not crucify him crucify him says he by the legal-spirited professing Jews Iohn 19. 6. If he or his Followers preach up another Kingdom contrary to mine away with them kill them as Traitors to me and my earthly Cesars under me in but my worldly Life and Principle though under the Name Christian and that of the highest Rank in but First-covenant-Righteousness of Man mystical Infidels as to Christ's New-covenant Gospel-life and Righteousness of God Thus will Matters go while Satan and his Ministers are permitted to transform themselves into the Likeness of Christ and his 2 Cor. 11. 13-15 They carry all before them in this World Christ and his will have all in the next to Eternity CHAP. XIV Concerning the two Covenants first and second THE Life given Angels and Men in their First-creation was the Principle of a First-covenant-communion with and worshipping of God Many Angels and all Mankind in Adam by such Knowledg of God as they had therein by the things that were made glorified him not as God were not thankful for what they had received nor made the right Use thereof in Sacrifice to his Will in order to receive the eternal Gospel-life of their Creator by a new or second Creation the only Principle of a new and everlasting Covenant with him They became vain in their Imaginations professing and owning themselves wise enough to know what was best for themselves to do in their own First-covenant Law-spirit of Works as not needing any other Life or Things for true Happiness in a Second Rom. 1. 19-22 God made Man upright Eccl. 7.29 pure and incorrupt in the First but not incorruptible as in the Second All Mankind are sad experimental Witnesses of this however many of them all along this World deny it with their Mouths The Disputers of this World under Satan's Inspirations seek out many Inventions to defend and maintain their evil Choice and false Confidence in the First as transform'd into the Likeness and disguis'd with all Scripture-Titles belonging to the Second in unchangeable Enmity to God and the Second This greatest Folly as to their eternal Concerns are many guilty of taking great Pains to dispute themselves into everlasting Destruction They decry the New-covenant-life and therein the Wisdom and Righteousness of God which Christ requires all to seek after Mat. 6. 33. and complains that no Man will Rom. 3. 11. while confident in his own fallible Understanding in which he can never make one right Step in the Paths of Life to himself or Peace with God Ier. 10. 23. Prov. 20. 24. Had the First-covenant-life given Man in his First-creation or restor'd by the Redeemer since been faultless or not defective as to his true Blessedness no place should have been sought or appointed of God for a Second by a New-creation Heb. 8. 7. Mens establishing themselves in the First in unchangeable Enmity to God and the Second turns a visible People of God inholy Flesh Righteousness of Man into no People of God at all but a Synagogue of Satan Hos. 1. 9. 2. 2. Revel 3. 9. Yet when so will they confidently under Satan's strong Delusions assert themselves to be the only true Iews or spiritual Israel and Church of God but lie This will they say when in unchangeable Enmity to God and his true Saints Such have been all along this World Haters and Murderers of true Saints Prophets Apostles and Christ himself for the Life and Doctrine of the Second-covenant True Saints under the Inspirations of the Almighty are gradually ceasing from the Labours of their own Law-spirit of Works at best or delighting to seed on the best Fruits brought forth by them therein and to commit their Way to the Lord to work all their Works in them Isa. 26. 12. by his heavenly Creature-spirit of Grace and to feed on such incorruptible spiritual Fruits as are producible by them therein This is the true mystical Fast and Sabbath which he has chosen and requires Men to keep Isa. 58. Man is but a mystical Tree of Good and Evil in his own Spirit Will and Way a mystical Tree of Life in God's All outward literal bodily Fasts and Sabbaths though God's own Appointments and Ordinances to the Jews without this inward mystical Truth of all rendred all their Performances an Abomination to God and themselves a mystical Sodom Isa. 1. 10-15 worse than literal Matth. 11. 23 24. The delighting in and feeding on the best Fruits of our own Spirits in preference to God's is the self-same thing with Eve's Apple and our first Transgression in Adam All First-covenant Life Wisdom Righteousness Works and Fruits of Man's own Law-spirit of Works are to be given up in Sacrifice to God in order to our arriving at the happy Experience of the spiritual heavenly Creature-life Righteousness and Wisdom of God working all our Works in his Spirit of Grace and Truth Iohn 3. 21. and bringing forth right Fruits to him Rom. 7. 4. That the First-Covenant Life given Man in his first Creation was eternal is Satan's Lie carried on all along this World by all manner of Disguises in his evil Angelical Subtlety in opposition to God's Truth in the second The Law was given by Moses to direct to First-Covenant Righteousness of Man in the living Soul of the first Adam but Grace and Truth come by Iesus Christ in the quickning Spirit of the second Iohn 1. 17. 1 Cor. 15. 45. God rewards the Righteousness of Man for a season as a Debt to him Rom. 4. 4. but takes away such Rewards from Saints the inward Comforts of a good Conscience there and sometimes outward also by the permitted Hands of evil Angels and Men to make room in them for his eternal Life and Blessings where all is of Grace both Works and Rewards Iob was a signal Experiencer of both and Paul also with other Saints Phil. 3. 6-11 All that passes in Man's day of judging and Words of his own Wisdom for eternal Life will in God's day of judging be found by all that trust thereto eternal Death All first-Creation Life and Things thereof all Works and Fruits done and brought forth therein will pass for nothing in God's day The Temporary Wrath of God bringing Saints into the lowest Hell in this World from which there is Deliverance Psal. 86.13 is God's way for delivering them from the Wrath and Hell to come which are eternal The Saints Hell in this World as plagu'd and chasten'd all the day long Psal. 73. 14. while Enemies have more than Heart could wish v. 7. is their true
the originally unchangeable never-sinning Creature-life of God in the Mediator the only Life or Principle of everlasting Active Obedience to God and Blessedness to Man All true thorow-Followers of the Lamb slain in the narrow unpleasing Way to Nature at best will find all their own Life and Things with unspeakable Gain in an infallible all-discerning spiritual Understanding and incorruptible Will by personal Union with Christ in his heavenly Creature-spirit of true Holiness and eternal Life And so will they find themselves in unchangeable Harmony with and Obedience to the infinite Divine Will This is the glorious Liberty of the Sons of God in which they that are born of God by the new-creating Workmanship of Christ passing upon them to the Death of their natural Spirit and Resurrection into his spiritual Life come to be Heirs and Coheirs under and with Christ of God Rom. 8. 17. 2. Thus became the exalted Creature-Son and Branch in the Mediator of the First-born of every Creature in the Fountain-purity of a mortal earthly Life the First-born from the Dead Col. 1. 15 18. in the originally immortal Creature-life of his Root and Father So became he the living Word of God the Book of Life of the Lamb slain and exalted in which were written by the super-wonderful mysterious Way of Divine Writing or Engraving the Names of all God's Elect predestinated to be conform'd to Christ their Head in a like Passive Obedience to the Divine Will by the Death of their natural Spirit or living Soul of the First Adam and Resurrection into the quickning Spirit of the Second the Life of their Creator Rom. 8. 29. 6. 3-6 Whoever do finally refuse to die with him and lose all their own mortal earthly Life and Things receiv'd in their first Creation or restor'd since with all Works or Fruits done or brought forth by them therein will never attain that heavenly eternal Creature-life of their Creator in which to live and reign with him 2 Tim. 2. 11 12. True Followers of the slain Lamb of God will be enabled to say with him I was dead in my own mortal earthly Law-spirit of Works and am alive in his Gospel-spirit of Grace and Truth for evermore Rev. 1. 18. All that establish themselves in their own Law-spirit of Works and Righteousness of Man will be found unchangeable Enemies of God's Righteousness in his heavenly Gospel-spirit and so in unchangeable Union with the God of this World the Devil Such mystical Sodomites in Filth of Spirit Enmity to God and his Gospel-spirit of Grace will have worse of it for ever under the Wrath of God than common Sinners in Filth of Flesh wallowing in the miry Filths and Brutalities of literal Sodom Mat. 11. 23 24. 3. Thus became the exalted Branch in the Mediator the ready prepar'd immediate Hand and living Word of God for performing his whole Divine Mind and twofold Purposes thereof in the twofold Creation of Angels and Men and for the dealing with them both and all as hating their own Life given them in their first Creation in love to his own offer'd them by a Second or as from love to their own in the first unchangeably hating his own offer'd by a second in Union with the Devil The said exalted Son and Branch did bring forth Angels and Men out of their radical Existencies in himself into their personal Subsistencies and Individuations in themselves This was their first Creation in the same kind of mortal earthly First-Covenant Law-life himself had first taken in the supream Fountain-purity thereof as First-born of every Creature therein and rightly us'd in order to the second in which he became the First-born from the Dead in a Life above all Deaths temporal or eternal Thus was it true in the immediate Creator as well as in meer Creatures Angels and Men First that which is natural and afterward that which is spiritual 1 Cor. 15. 46. Unchangeable Love to our selves in our own Life receiv'd in our first Creation is the unpardonable Sin against the Holy Ghost or heavenly Creature-spirit of Christ and Life thereof offer'd by a second 4. The exalted Creature-Son or living Word of God his prepar'd and fitted immediate Hand for the twofold Creation of Angels and Men was also his ready prepar'd infallible Mouth Wisdom and Word to declare to them as soon as made his whole Counsel Will and Command for the right Use of their natural Beings and Life given them in their first Creation in order to a second and that as their unspeakable Concern as well as Duty for finding the Salvation of Heaven or scaping the Damnation of Hell Final refusing the Loss of all their own in the first for his own by a second will be everlasting Destruction to all that so do 5. Christ as exalted Creature-Son and Branch became the ready prepar'd immediate sacrificing High-Priest of God after the Order and in the Power of the Original Melchisedec Heb. 5.6,10 6.20 7. 17. his Creature-root and Father who first perform'd the sacrificing Death-work upon himself when in the Fountain-purity of all mortal First-creation Life Thus is the immediate Creator of Angels and Men by a first Creation the immediate High-Priest of God to perform the like sacrificing Death-work on them therein as his Creature-Father had before perform'd upon himself This exalted Son and Branch was the Melchisedec Priest of the most high God that met Abram returning from the Slaughter of the four Kings and bless'd him Gen. 14. 18 19. Heb. 7. 1. He was also one of the three Men Abram pray'd to and worshipp'd as God Gen. 18. which no good Angels would ever own Rev. 19.10 22.9 The Devil and his proud self-exalting evil Angels own themselves as Gods in the uncontroll'd Soveraignty of their own Wills above and against all that is truly called God and to be worshipp'd requiring Divine Worship to be paid them Isa. 14 12-14 2 Thess. 2. 3 4. Yea Satan most presumptuously attempted to bring the Lord himself to own fall down and worship him as the true God whom he knew to be the true Lord and God Mark 1. 24. he and all Angels and Men ought to worship Mat. 4. 8-10 Christ own'd the wise Mens worshipping him when born in our Nature Mat. 2. 1 11. and after others worshipping him Mat. 8.2 9.18 with eight other Scriptures in the four Evangelists 6. And lastly Christ as exalted Branch was in the fully partaken of Life of his Creature-root the ready prepar'd infallible Example and unerrable Pattern for Angels and Men to follow by the like Death of Nature in them at best in order to a happy Resurrection into the spiritual everlasting righteous Life of their Creator All that finally refuse a Submission in Passive Obedience to this Change will perish for ever For this Change as their Duty and unspeakable Concern did he represent himself in such Transactions as had pass'd in the Creature-part of his Person to all the Angels
Cor. 12. 31. 13. 1 2. Rom. 13. 8 10. The natural Understanding with all such enlightning spiritual Gifts receiv'd thereon is to be given up in Sacrifice to God with the Life wherein exercis'd for the new spiritual eternal Gospel-life of God and true infallible Understanding therein Man under all spiritual Enlightning discovering to him the more excellent Gospel-life of the Creator offer'd by a New Creation is yet liable by Satan's Witchcrafts with his own Consent to be fetch'd back again from looking after or owning Christ's Gospel-life though known to be his unspeakable Concern to submit to God's Terms and appointed Way of receiving it as the only way to find the Salvation of Heaven or scape the Damnation of Hell Gal. 3. 1 3. 5. 7 8. Thus prevalent was Self-love at first in evil Angels under the clearest Conviction of their unspeakable Concern as well as Duty and they prevail to bring Men under the like Knowledg of their eternal Concerns to make the same wrong destructive Choice to their known eternal Ruine They are perswaded by Satan to receive his self-pleasing Lie that by a being made perfect in their Flesh the fleshly Life of the Creature Righteousness of Man they will find Peace with God and Entrance into his Kingdom This yielded to and absolutely concluded is the unpardonable and unrepentable Sin against the Holy Ghost Heb. 6. 4-6 10. 26 27. This Sin excludes any for ever from any Benefit of Christ's meritorious Sacrifice leaving them nothing but a certain fearful looking for of Wrath and fiery Indignation which will devour all such wilful incorrigible Adversaries forcing them to dwell with and under everlasting Burnings as in unchangeable Union of Mind with the Devil All spiritual enlightning Gifts and thereby understanding all Mysteries and having all Knowledg of the Will of God and their own eternal Concerns and speaking with the Tongues of Men and Angels in the utmost Dexterity of organical or intuitive Expression all still without Love or a partaking of the very Life of the Son of God is nothing of no avail at all for their ever entring into his Kingdom In Man's Day of judging such are the only true super-eminent spiritual Saints in God's unchangeable Enemies and the highest sort of Adversaries to him and his Saints In the ever-new Life of God given by a New Creation Saints come to experience a new infallible spiritual Understanding and an incorruptible Will in Harmony with the very infinite Divine Mind and Will In this Life and Principle of Desire Thought and Action can they answer that Command for loving the Lord their God with all their Heart Soul Strength and Mind and the true mystical Neighbour Christ in his Gospel-life and spiritual Saints born of God therein No fix'd Law-spirited however righteous Man loves but hates the Lord his God and the true Scripture-Neighbour Christ and true Saints the new eternal Gospel-life in him and them Head and Members one mystical Body 1 Cor. 12.27 the true Neighbour with a perfect unchangeable hatred This may seem the dangerous Case of the self-confident Lawyer that tempted Christ saying Master what shall I do to inherit eternal Life Christ asks him what 's written in the Law how readest thou These are two distinct Questions The Lawyer agreed with Christ in answer to the first as to what was written in the Law But was to seek for answering the second as to the right reading or understanding in what Spirit and Principle of Life 't was ever possible to perform what was written Luk. 10 25-28 The implacable Haters of the true spiritual Neighbours Christ and his Brethren will go away into everlasting Punishment and the true Lovers of them into Life eternal Mat. 25 31-46 Christ takes all hating and persecuting his Gospel-Saints as done to himself Act. 9.4 Spiritually enlighten'd Men finally refusing to submit to the Terms of receiving Christ's offer'd spiritual Gospel-life though a while among Gospel-Saints as Members of the true Church owning Gospel-Truths will at length depart from them and become their most signal Antichristian Enemies 1 John 2. 18 19. Such prove grievous Wolves to Christ's true Sheep Act. 20. 29 30. Mat. 10. 16. Satan's choicest Instruments to disswade and draw away Disciples after them from looking after or owning any such thing as Christ's Gospel-life or Doctrine thereof Hereby become they the most criminal Sinners of all Mankind This after they had run well among true Saints owning Gospel-Truths Who did hinder or call them back that they should not finally obey the Truth Gal. 5.7 The Devil He prevailingly call'd them back from what Christ fairly offer'd and invited them to ver 8. Such become Satan's chief Apostles Ministers of his other Gospel fitted for his Work in calling others back from all Gospel-Truths as diabolical Illusions So do they shut up the Kingdom of God and set open Satan's exclude explode and deny all Christ's Gospel-Truths and preach up Satan's Lie the Life of the Creature given in the First-creation transform'd into the Appearance of and deck'd with all Scripture-Titles belonging to the Gospel-life of the Creator offer'd by a second as a State of true Salvation In this Posture and at this Work did Christ find the most enlightned teaching Jews Matth. 23. 13 33. Teachers of Satan's other Gospel furnish'd with all Wisdom Subtlety Eloquence and Dexterity of Expression may thus be dressing up Satan's Lie with all Scripture-Language of Christ's gospel-Gospel-Truth so as with their Hearers to grow irrefragably confident under Satan's strong Delusion and God's giving them up thereto as verily to think they are in a State of true Salvation Thus the renew'd Old Man passes for the new Creature restor'd Nature for a State of Grace Reformation of Naturals for Regeneration into Spirituals Satan's and Man's Nothings for God's All-things the restor'd mortal Life and Things of the Creature for the immortal Gospel-life and Things of the Creator So the Devil God of this World passes for the true God his Kingdom for God's his Lie for God's Truth Where such are like to be at last see 2 Thess. 2. 10-12 At this rate all along this World Satan's permitted Reign and Man's Day of judging under him in Matters of Religion and remarkably in this long Anti-christian Day of twelve hundred and sixty Years now near expiring have things gone God's only things that are and will ever be his eternal Gospel-life and Things pass for chimerical Nothings in Man's Day and Man 's confidently reputed All-things will be found nothing in God's Day of Judging Man's highest Wisdom calls nothing in his pretended Divinity by the right Name but the contrary in all Extremity Satan's Gospel passes currant for Salvation and Christ's for a Blasphemous Fiction of the Devil and Madness If it was reckon'd so by eminent First-covenant righteous teaching and professing Jews in Christ himself what can his true Followers expect Iohn 10. 20. 15. 18-20 16. 1 2. All worldly Honours Applauses and
all Gospel-Truths as the greatest Heresies and Blasphemies in the World Christ himself suffer'd himself to be so dealt with by them When Saints declare the Gospel-life and assert that therein only any can ever enter into Heaven or scape the Damnation of Hell they do not deny that any in the corrupt or righteous Life of their own Nature or Spirit can ever come to experience Christ's Gospel-life or enter into his Kingdom but endeavour to be instrumental under Christ for leading them thereinto 2 Tim. 2. 24-26 Quest. Does the Gospel-Doctrine of true Salvation discourage or condemn the Righteousness of Man in the honest moral Heathen walking in a Sutableness to the rational Light of Nature restor'd by Christ in all Mankind as a Light which lighteth every Man that comes into the World John 1. 9. Does it discourage the righteous First-covenant Iew or Christian walking in his higher kind of good Conscience in the restor'd First-covenant Law-life as his Principle owning the imputed Righteousness of Christ there for the compleating him in a First-covenant-Communion with and worshipping of God Consequently does it judg and condemn the moral Heathen or legally righteous First-covenant Iew or Christian for teaching and exhorting others to walk in such Obedience to God as is performable in the said Light of Nature or Life of the Law Answ. Nothing of all this is justly imputable to the right Teaching of the Gospel Moral and legal Righteousness of Man is good for himself and his Fellow-creatures in this World Iob 35. 8. and better in God's Sight than gross Wickedness Injustice vile Affections and brutish Lusts but as to entring into the Kingdom of God in the World to come not at all available Gal. 6. 15. God himself testified of Iob to the Devil that there was none like him in the Earth a perfect upright Man fearing God and eschewing Evil Job 1. 8. The Devil knowing Iob in all this to be rewarded of God as a Debtor to him Rom. 4. 4. for such Righteousness in a Plenty of this World 's temporary good Things replied v. 9 10. Hast thou not bless'd the Work of his Hands and encreas'd his Substance in the Land Take all this away again and see if he curse thee not to thy Face v. 11. God puts it into Satan's Power to be instrumental herein for the Trial of Iob's Patience and carrying on the Work of his Cross upon him in a Conducibleness to his greatest Good His ten Children are kill'd by a great Wind blowing down the House where they were Feasting all his Goods were taken away by wicked Men under the Influence of the Devil Thus far Iob did bear his Trial without sinning or charging God foolishly blessing the Lord that gave him and then took all the said Gifts away again from him Then Satan desires the Liberty of smiting his Body and God grants him a limited Power as to that Then Satan moves his Wife to counsel him to do what himself had said to God Iob 1. 11. Curse God and die Chap. 2. 9. Job rebukes her saying shall we receive Good from God and not Evil In all this did not Iob sin with his Lips Job 2. 5-10 But when he felt the Cross or Death-work of the Spirit of God on his very Spirit as to the Life Wisdom and Righteousness of Man and Satan's permitted working upon him in this Hour and Power of Darkness he was sorely put to his utmost Trial and utter'd many hard Words against God's strange and wonderful Dealings with him reflecting upon his faithful Walking Iob 29. 2. so as not in the least to deserve any such dealing of God with him Iob 3. 19. 1-11 31. 35. He desires that the Almighty would answer him Here 's the Case and Demeanour of the Mirror of Patience next the Lord himself under all Sufferings in our Nature Elihu charges him with multiplying his Words against God Job 34. 37. The Lord himself charges him with darkning Counsel by Words without Knowledg Chap. 38. 1 2. He saw not as yet or understood the unspeakable Advantage of all this strange Dealing of God with him So contended with the Almighty and therein reprov'd God himself Chap. 40. 1 2. He reflected upon his former Condition and flourish in all worldly Prosperity and such an Eminency in Wisdom and Righteousness that when he open'd his Mouth in Counsel Princes refrain'd talking and Nobles held their Peace now Children of Fools abhor'd him made him their Song and By-word not sparing to spit in his Face Iob 29. 9 10. 30. 8-10 He comes at length to abhor himself in such a Change of Life and Mind for the better as to rejoice in seeing all the fading Glory Wisdom and Righteousness of his own Spirit turn'd into Dust and Ashes as the Way of God for experiencing his heavenly Creature-life above all Deaths and his eternal good Things therein the Righteousness and Wisdom of God and his living and working all his Works in God's Spirit of Grace and Truth But in the hundred and forty Years of his Life after all this we hear not a Word of such high Esteem with Men as when eminent in the Wisdom and Righteousness of Man Were the restor'd Life and Righteousness of Man all that God requires of him for entring into his Kingdom Godliness would be no Mystery The Light of Nature in all Men convinces judges and condemns all gross Sins vile Affections and brutish Lusts in all others and themselves also who are guilty thereof And then also Satan would have no Mystery of Iniquity to make use of in his destructive Practisings upon Mankind But for this he has not only all the Wisdom Righteousness and Glory of the First-creation in himself and Men to deceive them by but a permitted Power also to transform all that in himself and Men into the Appearance and Likeness of Christ's Gospel-life and Righteousness of God and by his Ministers amongst Men to dress it up with all Scripture Language and Titles of the very Gospel-Truths of God Regeneration New-Creature and the like So does Satan as the supream mystical Whore of Babylon with his whole Babylonish Party of evil Angels and Men furnish'd with all Glory of the First-creation and counterfeit Appearances also of the Second carry on his Work in the womanish Spirit of Nature against God's manly Spirit of Grace as deck'd and adorn'd with all worldly Glory Pomp and Beauty and having a gilded not golden Cup full of Abominations by which to deceive if possible the very Elect and infallibly all others into everlasting Destruction Even Iohn the peculiarly beloved Disciple an eminent Apostolical Saint marvel'd to see the Pomp and Glory of Satan and his whole Party herein and in all that call'd Mystery Babylon the Great Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth all amounting to a rebellious fixing in the earthly Life of the Creature in unchangeable Enmity to God and the heavenly Creature-life of the Creator offer'd by a
Angels and Men by a first Creation of them This Creature-Son and Branch is call'd by the Name of its peculiar divine Causer in the Creature-part of the Mediator's Person the Word This Word as the Lamb slain from the Foundation of the World Revel 13. 8. and exalted by and out of that Death into the originally unchangeable Life of his Creature-root and Father became the living Word of God and immediate Creator of all Angels and Men by a first Creation and of an innumerable Multitude of both by a second He will also be the immediate Performer of the whole Divine Will on all Angels and Men good and bad in the final Love or Wrath of God in Heaven or Hell to all Eternity 3. In order to all this did the third of the Divine Three call'd Holy Ghost cause the said Creature-root and Father as the supream mystical Abraham to perform a sacrificing Death-work on his Creature-Son and caus'd the said Creature-Son as the supream mystical Isaac not only to submit thereto in a compleat Passive Obedience to the Divine Will but in the supreamly partaken of heavenly Creature-life of his Root and Love thereto to join therewith in Active Obedience to the Divine Will for carrying on the said death-Death-work on himself The like did he in our mortal Nature when in the Fulness of God's appointed time taken by him in the Fountain-purity thereof above and beyond what it was in the first Adam before his Fall He was therein also full of Grace and Truth John 1. 14. full of the Holy Ghost Luke 4.1 He was Son of Man in Heaven in full Possession of the eternal Life of his Creature-root without any mortal Life about him at same time that he was Son of Man on Earth in our mortal Nature Iohn 3. 13. and long before All in Christ's Person below his infinite Divinity and Creature-root is call'd Man His whole Creature-nature Root and Branch in personal Union is the heavenly Creature-spirit or Holy Ghost render'd communicable to Angels and Men by the exalted Creature-Son and Branch This Creature-Son was one of the three Men that did eat of Abram's Meat else would not have own'd his worshipping him in Prayer for Sodom when the other two created Angels were gone towards it to destroy it and deliver Lot c. The two good Angels are also call'd Men Gen. 18. 1-8 and v. 22-33 Satan also with his evil Angels are Men of Sin 2 Thess. 2. 3. Christ was active in carrying on the Death-work upon himself as First-born of every Creature and so was he in his second Sacrifice by carrying on the Death of our whole mortal Nature in him Spirit Soul and Body By the Holy Ghost or heavenly Creature-spirit in him did he crucify the Spirit of our Nature in himself Luke 12. 49 50. He was also a voluntary Giver up of his Body into the Hands of Men under Devils to put a full Period to all that was mortal about him Iohn 10. 17 18. He laid down the Life of our whole mortal Nature and took it up again in the originally incorruptible immortal eternal Creature-life of his Root above all Deaths or Enemies And by his communicated heavenly Creature-spirit or Holy Ghost in Saints will he enable them to be active in carrying on the like Death-work on the Spirit of Nature at best in themselves and freely also to give up their bodily Life into the Hands of evil Angels and Men God's and their Enemies where God so permits and orders for the witnessing his Gospel-Truths The Record Witness or Products of the first and second of the Divine Three Father and Word in the Creature-part of the Mediator's Person as brought into inseparable Union by the Third bears the Name of the peculiar Divine Causer Holy Ghost All these things were transacted and done by and within God himself before any meer Creatures Angels or Men were brought forth The Three in the Divine Nature with their Record in Heaven the Divine Form are one and the same Three as bearing Witness in Earth the Creature-part of the Mediator agree in one The one Divine Mind is declar'd and done in and by both and all 1 Iohn 5.7,8 By what was done of the Divine Three by their distinct Products and Operations in the Creature-part of the Mediator will they let down themselves to the Sight and Enjoyment of blessed Angels and Saints for evermore The Divine is not the Creature-nature in Christ nor in his whole Creature-nature is the Creature-root the exalted Branch And his whole Divine and Creature-Person is most intimately one with the Divine Essence or Father the Head of all in him 1 Cor. 11. 3. All are one incomprehensible God Iohn 10. 30. The exalted Branch in Christ is the immediate Head of his true Gospel-Church The Creature-root in him Head of that his Divine Form Head of his whole Creature-nature Root and Branch the Divine Essence or Father Head to his whole Divine and Creature-person yet remains uncompounded with Creature-nature as the Divine Form or Son is Gal. 3. 20. 1 Tim. 2. 5. After all this account of Superiorities and Inferiorities in all that 's truly call'd God the lowest Creature-part in the Mediator the exalted Branch or living Word of God thinks or infallibly knows that 't is no Robbery or unwarrantable Presumption in him to reckon himself equal with God as in personal Union with his Creature-root and infinite Divine Nature Phil. 2.6 These are strange seeming Contradictions to Man's Wisdom which is Foolishness to God's and to be destroy'd Isa. 29. 14. in all self-confident Disputers of this World 1 Cor. 1. 19 20. CHAP. IV. The infallible Consequents of the said preparatory Condescensions of God within himself in pursuance and for the accomplishing of his abovesaid twofold Purposes in the twofold Creation of Angels and Men. 1. THUS were the Works determin'd of God to be set up in Angels and Men by a first Creation of them finish'd Heb. 4. 3. to his well-pleasing by the right Use of the mortal earthly First-Covenant Law-life of the Creature in order to receive the Heavenly-Creature New-Covenant Gospel-Life of the Creator Finish'd they were by the Mediator himself as the Lamb slain in the Fountain-purity of the first and ascended into the originally unchangeable Gospel-life of the second Rev. 13.8 All this was done within God himself by the Mediator as the Lamb slain from or in the Foundation of both Worlds natural and spiritual this World and the World to come laid in himself the Creator of both All receiv'd by Angels or Men in their first Creation or restor'd in Men by the Redeemer since their Fall in Adam is with the fallible Understanding and corruptible Will thereof their discerning and desiring Powers their own Righteousness Wisdom Glories natural Excellencies and Perfections therein to be given up in Sacrifice to the Will of God by Passive Obedience This is the only possible Means and Way for their being transform'd and exalted into
Purgatory cleansing them from all Filth of Flesh and Spirit and God's way of bringing them into the never-sinning Life and everlasting Righteousness of his Spirit of Grace and Truth Man in his own Spirit Will and Way at best has no right Knowledg of the true God or God of this World the Devil or what the Heaven or Hell-part of the eternal World to come amount unto so on he goes in the delusive Pleasures of this Mortal World and Things thereof literal or mystical within the reach of his natural Understanding without any looking after God for his Spiritual Heavenly Eternal New-Covenant Life and Things without which 't is impossible to find the Salvation of Heaven or scape the Damnation of Hell The Death of Man's Spirit at best in but the restor'd first-Covenant Life of the Creature is the only way to find the Life of the Creator in the second The living Soul of the first Adam has nothing but what Death will swallow up into Victory The Life of the quickning Spirit of the second Adam will swallow up all Deaths into Victory 1. Cor. 15. 53 54. The deepest Reason and highest Wisdom of Man in a first-Covenant righteous Life is by Death and total loss thereof the only way to find all again by way of Resurrection the very Reason Wisdom and Righteousness of God in the quickning Spirit of the second Adam Paul obediently parted with all the former for the latter Phil. 3. 6-11 God challenges the Disputers of this World standing up with Confidence in defence of their own Reason and Wisdom to produce their strong Reasons against him and see what all will amount unto Isa. 41. 21. 'T is Man's true Interest and greatest Reason to give up his own Reason and Wisdom for God's Iob was a while at this disputing Trade of Man against God as Elihu charges him Iob 34. 35-37 At this work we find him under the Cross challenging the Almighty to answer his strong Reasons in Self-defence and for his Justification in the Life wherein he had been eminently righteous Iob 19. 6-11 30. 1-10 31.35 When Christ told any that enquir'd after eternal Life the parting with all they have or can do in their own Spirit was necessary to the finding Eternal Life in his away they went and walk'd no more with him Mat. 19. 16-22 Mark 10. 17-22 Luke 10. 25. 18. 18-23 Iohn 6. 66. All Words of Man's Wisdom are without any true Knowledg a darkening the Counsels of God's Wisdom as to Man 's eternal Concerns Iob that had been confident in the former acknowledg'd what God charg'd him with Iob 38. 1 2. when in the latter Iob 42.3 I utter'd that I understood not things too wonderful for me which I knew not so darken'd the Counsel of God by Words without Knowledg He that contends with and reproves the Almighty can he answer it Job 40. 2. CHAP. XV. The Mystery of Cain and Abel Ishmael and Isaac Esau and Jacob. CAin Ishmael and Esau were sad Types of all those that with them follow Satan's whole Counsel in his Mystery of Iniquity preferring the Law-life of the Creature in the first Creation to the Gospel-life of the Creator offer'd by a second Abel Isaac and Iacob were the joyful happy Types and Patterns in their Persons and Principles of those that follow obey and declare the whole Counsel of God in the Mystery and Power of Godliness for the Salvation of Men and preventing their Damnation All fix'd in the former under Satan unchangably hate and persecute the latter In their holy Flesh Righteousness of Man they fight against God's holy Gospel-spirit and Righteousness of God in true spiritual Saints There 's for a time something of the Cain Ishmael and Esau even in Saints not only fighting and warring against the true Abels Isaacs and Iacobs Paul's Case before his Gospel-Conversion Acts 26. 9-11 but also against the Gospel-Spirit and Principle of Life Desire Thought and Action in themselves after This also Paul experienc'd after an eminent Apostolical Gospel-Saint Rom. 7. 15 19. And he warns other Saints to expect the like Civil War and Contests within them between their fleshly and Christ's spiritual Mind in them till Nature in the thinking and desiring Powers thereof their own fallible Understandings and corruptible Wills therein be fully crucified and silenc'd in order to their living and walking in the undisturb'd infallible Understanding and incorruptible Will of Christ's Gospel-Spirit of Grace and Truth Gal. 5. 17. Till this War be over and Victory over the Carnal Mind of Nature at best compleated are Saints to be continually fighting the Battels of the Lord against the Foes of their own House or Hearts the most dangerous Enemies within them tho not more subtle and potent than Enemies without evil Angels and Men till they come to live and walk wholly in the Spirit of God their Gospel-Principle and mean while to strive continually more and more so to walk ver 25. As to Enemies without the highest Rank of Professors in but First-Covenant Principles fix'd there in the restor'd Law-Life and Righteousness of Man with Confidence therein for entring into the Kingdom of God these Cains Ishmaels and Esaus are the fiercest Persecutors of true Gospel-Saints in the partaken of Life of Christ's Heavenly Creature-Spirit of Grace and Truth and verily think they do God Service therein Isa. 66. 5. Iohn 16. 2. So thought Paul once Acts 26. 9-11 Paul singles out the particular History of Isaac and Ishmael in this Point Gal. 4. 22-31 Self-confident First-Covenant Ishmaels mock and scoff at true Spiritual Isaacs all along this World Gen. 21. 9. And even Abraham Father of the Faithful was griev'd and loth to part with his Ishmael ver 11. when Sarah as Figure of the New-Covenant Spirit requir'd it and God in Confirmation of her most just Desire and Advice requir'd the same v. 12. Iohn declares the same thing figur'd in Cain and Abel and in them the murdering Mind of Enmity in a fix'd self-confident first-Covenant visible People of God in holy Flesh Law-Righteousness of Man against an invisible People of God in their Gospel-Life and Righteousness hid with Christ in God Col. 3. 3. Cain slew his Brother because his own Works were evil and his Brother 's righteous 1 John 3. 12. He was of that wicked one born of and in unchangeable Union with the Devil in the first Creation and with him in unchangeable Enmity to God and true Saints in the second Cain's Works in the Law-life of the first in his own Law-Spirit of Works are in Man's Day of Judgment the only good and righteous Works and his Words of Man's Wisdom the only right Words for Salvation and all true Abel's Works and their Words of God's Wisdom in his New-Covenant Gospel-Spirit contemptible and blasphemous Christ himself found this murdering Mind of Cain in the most enlighten'd righteous professing first-Covenant teaching and professing Jews unchangeable Enmity to his Gospel-Spirit and whole
Counsel of God by him declar'd to them therein On this account he tells them they with their Fathers in the like Cainish Spirit of Enmity were guilty of the Blood of all God's true Prophets shed from the Foundation of the World from the Blood of Abel to that day Luke 11 49-51 And so will it be to the end of this World under Satan's permitted Reign and Man's Day under him of judging in Matters of Religion and Worship of God so as nothing must pass for Gospel but what Man pleases to give his Approbation to The Jews built the Sepulchres of the Prophets under pretence of paying Honour to them and owning their Counsel when with their Fathers Murderers of all such and in unchangeable Enmity to all their Words rightly understood If they had been in the days of their Fathers they say they would not have been Partakers with them in the Blood of the Prophets Mat. 23. 29-31 Under all these Pretences and self-deceiving Imaginations Christ declares them fix'd in the self-same murdering Mind of Enmity with their Fathers against all true Prophets and himself also as soon appear'd and therefore ask'd them how they could think to escape the Damnation of Hell ver 33. Since all such dealings of the Jews with their own true Prophets and Christ himself with his Apostles in the foretold long Antichristian Day now near ending how have unchangeable idolatrous Haters of Christ and his Gospel-Truths and Saints been found under the Name Christian building stately Churches or Temples to the Honour of Paul Peter Iohn c. who would as certainly murder them for their Gospel-Doctrine were they now here as others did even in the Primitive Apostolical Gospel-day Let Men under Satan interpret their Gospel-Writings in a Sutableness to their own Wills and so in a universal Contrariety to the Words of God's VVisdom in them and all 's well and they with the Apostles in the way to eternal Life and true Salvation All void of a true living spiritual Faith in Christ's Gospel-life working by Love to him therein are the unreasonable and incorrigible Adversaries of true Gospel-Saints Paul shews the like Figurative Significancy in Iacob and Esau Rom. 9 10-13 Esau mortally hated Iacob and God hated Esau. Esau's murdering Mind of Enmity to Iacob is express'd by himself Gen. 27. 41 42. The like is notified in all his murdering-minded Followers against God Christ and his true spiritual Iacobs Obad. v. 8-10 Amos 1. 11. CHAP. XVI Concerning meer Creaturality in Angels and Men in their first and also in their highest spiritual second New-Creation Capacities with some account of all possible to be done by any in their first and the differing Ends of all at last HAving already spoken of the ready prepar'd Hand the exalted Creature-Son and Branch in the Mediator's Person the living Word of God as qualified and fitted for a first and second creating of Angels and Men come we now to consider what they both and all amount unto for ever as but meer Creatures not only in their natural Beings and Life of the Creature given them by a first but also spiritual Beings and Life of the Creator given by a second Creation of them Angels were all created at first in their compleat Personalities invisible immortal Beings without any innate Capacity of or connatural Tendency to the exercise of a threefold Souly or Animalish Life rational sensual and vegetable in and by a fitly Organiz'd Body As for Mankind they do gradually descend from one another in a continued Succession Generation after Generation for a compleating their Personal Beings from the beginning to the ending of this mortal World What became of Angels good and bad by the first well-pleasing Passive Obedience of the former and first unpardonable Sin of the latter has been above-spoken to Chap. 4. of this Treatise Man inferiour to Angels in their single intuitive natural Understandings tho in the same kind of Mortal Earthly First-Covenant Life is in his compleated Personality a much more comprehensive Being than an Angel He is the most compleat shadowy Image of God on all accounts in the whole Natural Mortal First-Creation World visible or invisible This is signified concerning him in distinction from Angels and all other Creatures therein created before him in a readiness for his Entertainment Of none thereof is it said by God as of him Let us make Man in our Image after our Likeness Gen. 1.26 as the Compend or Epitome of all other Creatures and something more peculiar to himself the rational Exercise of his Mind in and by a Body found in no Creatures above or below him So find we a peculiar Consultation of the three that are one to draw an earthly shadowy Image and Representation of themselves in every individual Man This Enlargement of Man's Personal Being beyond Angels expos'd and rendred him liable to vain sinful Desires and Thoughts so as to wallow in Mire among Satan's Swine feeding on Husks the lowest Dust of this World below any Palate in any evil Angels to savour any Belly Desire or Appetite in them to lust after delight in or feed upon being never link'd with mortal Bodies or sensual Life Pleasures in common with brute Beasts So the Enlargement of Man's Being beyond Angels was a Diminution to his intuitive Understanding in common with them and to the Exercise of his Natural Will as exposing him to a running out in his Desires after the lower sort of Desirables in the vast heap of vanishing Shadows in the visible Parts of this First-creation World And evil Angels tho they care not for such things themselves have Power through God's most wise Permission to shoot their fiery Darts into Mens Spirits and kindle in them evil Lustings after such visible things in which they keep the far greater part of Mankind wallowing in Mire as their Swine far from any looking after God at all The Soul or threefold animalish souly-Life of Man distinct from his Spirit ceases as to exercise at the Death of his Body The Spirit then retreats to the full Experience and Exercise of its supream intuitive Way of discerning and converse with Angels good or bad in a spiritual Intuitiveness with the good Gospel-Angels or natural with the evil Law-Angels Lawyers from the beginning on their First Sin and Fall setting up the Law-life of the Creature given in the First-creation against the Gospel-life of their Creator offer'd by a Second and so their Lie against God's Truth The Devil was a Murderer from the Beginning John 8. 44. and his fix'd Law-party of Mankind in the restor'd Law-life-Wisdom and Righteousness of Man have been under him the irreconcileable Haters and Murderers of Christ himself and his Gospel-Saints all along this World At the Death of the Body Man good or evil is dead His Spirit is for a time strip'd of the threefold Souly-life as to exercise that are essential Ingredients into his personal Constitution At last Saints will recover their Bodies in a
and see what all will amount unto Isa. 41. 21. Object 1. Will God destroy the First creation-works of his own Hand Will he take away Man's Reason Wisdom and Righteousness bring to nothing all his good Works and Fruits done and brought forth therein Must the very Life of our own Spirit at best with all the things thereof our own Wills and Vnderstandings therein be given up in Sacrifice to the Will of God by a holy Death Answ. Yes And all to our transcendent Advantage and greatest Gain in order to find all again in a Life above all Deaths and therein an infallible Understanding and incorruptible Will for the right knowing and doing all things in answer to the very Divine Will of God Most High Object 2. Does God require Impossibilities of Man such Obedience as 't is impossible for him to perform in his own Spirit Will and Way at best in the restor'd Life and Righteousness of Man Answ. Yes But had provided an originally incorruptible heavenly eternal Creature-life in the Mediator to be given them in the room thereof by a Second or New-creation of them This is a Life above all Deaths temporal or eternal will swallow up Death in Victory Isa. 25.8 1 Cor. 15. 54. This Life is figur'd by the Wine in Iotham's Parable Iudg. 9. 13. cheering God and Man answering all Man can rightly desire of God and enabling him to answer all God requires of him He that has not this Life of the Son of God has not Life not true eternal Life 1 Iohn 5. 12. Quest. Will the Disputers of this World still contend with their Maker in defence of their own Wisdom Will and Way against his for Salvation Answ. They will till Satan's Reign and Man's Day under him are at a full Period But what are Men like to get by this Contest Eternal Death True Saints oft suffer a violent temporal Death from such self-confident Contenders against God and them Man 's own fallible Reason or Wisdom perverts him turns him away from looking after the infallible Wisdom and Reason of God to his own sudden unfore-seen everlasting Destruction Isa. 47. 10 11. He searches the Scriptures thinks he understands those written Oracles of God yet never comes to Christ the living Word of God for the Life therein witness'd and declar'd Iohn 5. 39 40. The Scriptures are a Book seal'd as to Man's Understanding that reaches not to the heavenly Creature-life and things therein signified under Figures Types and shadowy Similitudes Isa. 29.11 All spiritual Salvation-truths signified from the beginning of Genesis to the End of the Revelation are fast lock'd up and hid from Man's highest single natural Understanding The losing all in our own Law-spirit of Works is the only way to find and do all in God's Spirit of Grace Esphes 2. 8-10 'T is by Grace only or in the never-sinning Life of God's Spirit of Grace in Christ Jesus communicated to them any can be finally sav'd never in their own boasting Law-spirit of Works Having thus promiscuously consider'd Sinners in their First-creation and Saints in the Second come we now to consider meer Creaturality in spiritual Saints and Angels for evermore Spiritual Saints of the Double-portion making up God's New Heavens in their various distinct Portions therein from the highest to the lowest and Gospel-Angels the supream in the single Portion with all variety of Gospel-Saints therein making up God's New Earth in true Salvation-life are all Members of Christ's mystical Body In the former Christ's peculiar Dove supream double-portion'd Saints in the twofold heavenly and glorified earthly Life of Christ are the peculiar Wife and Bride of the Lamb Revel 19. 7. Below these in the double Portion are threescore Queens and then in the single Virgins without Number all in a Union of Mind with her praising her and owning her Superiority to them Cant. 6. 8 9. There will be no envying of the highest in the lower and lowest nor any insulting of the highest over the lower in Heaven to Eternity They 'l all rejoice in the superiour and inferiour Attainments of each other as is figur'd in the higher and lower Members of the literal Body of Man all mutually rejoicing in the Joys of one another as compleating the Joy of the whole Body 1 Cor. 12. 12-27 The various spiritual Capacities in higher and lower Saints are figur'd by Cups and Flagons Isa. 22. 24. None of all these will ever pretend to a personal Union with Christ's Creature-root and less yet with his infinite Divinity but only with the exalted Creature-Son and Branch in him the living Word of God the immediate Creator of all and Performer of the whole Divine Will on all good and evil for evermore in Heaven or Hell A World of gross Errors concerning God Christ and the eternal Concerns of Men have been toss'd up and down in the various Conceptions of Man's fallible Understanding under the unperceiv'd Influence of evil Angelical Rulers over this dark World Ephes. 6. 12. so as to blind and keep Men from looking after God for his all-discovering Spirit of Grace and Truth Rom. 3. 11. CHAP. XVII The ruling Power of Satan over Mankind all along this World as permitted God thereof under God's infinite over-ruling Wisdom and Power HE is so call'd in the Scriptures of Truth God of this World And he uses all his evil Angelical Subtlety and Power for the blinding and deceiving Men so as to keep them from any regarding or looking after God for his Gospel-life wherein alone any can be saved or ever enter into his Kingdom 2 Cor. 4. 3 4. Christ himself calls him Prince of this World John 12. 31. 16. 11. 14. 30. But says of him he hath nothing in me nor shall be able to touch or ever meddle with so as finally to overcome any Partakers of my all-powerful Gospel-life 1 Iohn 5. 18. Saints therein are Fence-proof against all the Gates or Strength of Hell all the Powers of Darkness evil Angels and Men Rulers of the Darkness of this World Ephes. 6. 12. in their own dark-spirited worldly Life and Wisdom of the First-creation The first unpardonable Sin of the evil Angels was their turning as they went or were a while following Christ towards that Life he represented himself in to them and the good Angels and in the Passage thereto by way of Death and Resurrection in such Transactions as had pass'd in the Creature-part of his wonderful Person before they were brought forth In a contrary Demeanour to that of the good Angels they turned as they went in love to themselves in their own self-chosen mortal Life given them in their first Creation in unchangeable Enmity to God and the Heavenly eternal Creature-Life of their Creator offer'd them by a second The good Angels did let down their Wings ceas'd from the mortal Life of their first Creation and Exercise of their own fallible Understandings and corruptible Wills therein signified by letting down their Wings in Conformity to
their Head in the Death of the first Creation and Resurrection into the Life of the second So pass'd out of their own mortal First-Covenant Law-Life into God's own New-Covenant Gospel-Life of originally immortal Holiness and everlasting Righteousness Ezek. 1 5-26 The Devil and his Angels kept not their first Estate but left their own Habitation Jude 6. To Man's Wisdom they only kept their first Estate the Life and Things given them in their first Creation And consequently in the Wisdom of Human Nature is Man ready to follow the evil Angels first Choice as best Here 's the case of many restor'd into the First-Covenant or First-Creation-Life of the Creature ready to establish themselves therein as a state of true Salvation This Paul fear'd and labour'd to prevent in his Israel-Brethren Rom. 10. 1-3 At this dangerous Point were the Corinthians and Laodiceans in the delusive First-Covenant House of feasting and rejoycing 1 Cor. 4. 8. Rev. 3. 17. as not at all needing any other Life by a second or new Creation for their everlasting Blessedness On the first unpardonable Sin of the evil Angels they were immediately cast down to Hell deliver'd into Chains of Darkness to be reserved unto Iudgment 2 Pet. 2. 4. They by their Sin fix'd themselves in their own self-chosen Life in Preference and Opposition to the eternal Creature-Life of their Creator and God in his righteous Judgment giving them up to and thereby fixing them in their own Choice was a casting them down to Hell In this Hell and their Chains of Darkness are they Rulers in this dark mortal first-Creation World The Chains of Darkness in which they are reserv'd to the Iudgment of the Great Day are all Life Wisdom Righteousness Excellencies and Perfections of their Angelical Nature given them in their first Creation as turn'd by their Abuse of all into the greatest Wickedness Madness and Folly in unchangeable Enmity to God and his Heavenly Creature-life shewn and offer'd them by a second So are they in a state in all Extremity contrary to what they were created in chang'd by Self-destroying Self-love from a state of temporary changeable Obedience to a state of eternal unchangeable Enmity to God An absolute Exclusion of them from the Kingdom of Heaven is called a casting them down to Hell God not only gave them their Choice but also in the abusive Exercise of their self-chosen Life a permitted ruling Power over Mankind all along this World as God thereof under the restraining limiting over-ruling infinite Wisdom and Power of the true God so as that he can never hurt any true Saints or Subjects of God's everlasting Kingdom Yet even Saints for a time are under their Power Yea he told Christ himself all the Kingdoms of this World and Glory of them were his offering all as his greatest Bribe to the true King in the World to come in case he would fall down own and worship him as God Mat. 4. 8 9. Luke 4. 5-7 Christ denied not that all the Kingdoms of this World were at his Dispose by God's most wise Permission He that said this to Christ in the Fountain-Purity of the First-Creation and full of that Spirit of Grace and Truth that 's offer'd by a second what will he not do to Saints before their experiencing any thing of Gospel-life or when but in some little beginnings thereof and Enemies within Foes of their own House in their own Spirits and whole Nature in Union of Mind with him in Enmity to God and his Gospel-Spirit in themselves He is permitted a Power of transforming his Earthly Spirit into the likeness of Christ's Heavenly Creature-Spirit that 's the mysterious House and Temple of God and therein to shew and assert himself to be God the very infinite Divine Being 2 Thess. 2. 4. And herein is he undiscoverable by the highest single natural Understanding of Man in but First-Covenant Principles tho indeed the worst of all Creatures the supream Man of Sin and Son of Perdition v. 3. This God of this World who passes with Man for the true God will not be able finally to blind and deceive any but them that are lost 2 Cor. 4. 3. If it were possible he would so deceive the very Elect by his false Christs evil Angels and his false Prophets und Apostles amongst Men transform'd into the likeness of Christ's true ones 2 Cor. 11. 13-15 Clothing their own First-Covenant Law-Life with all Scripture-Language and Titles belonging to God's own Heavenly Creature New-Covenant Gospel-Life as the true Regeneration new Creature State of Grace in which they have true Joy and final Peace with God Ezek. 13. 1-10 All this is confidently asserted by Men under Satan's lying Spirit of Divination With such the renew'd old Man in the restor'd First-Covenant Law-Life given in the first Creation must pass for the new Creature without all Scruple or Contradiction and does so pass in and with the most reform'd People or Churches of this World in but First-Covenant Principles All Worldly Preachers and Hearers in but Worldly First-Covenant Principles confidently take Satan's other Gospel that 's no Gospel for Christ's true Gal. 1. 6 7. 1 Iohn 4. 5. Restor'd First-Covenant Law-Life is so far from rendring any Fence-proof against the evil Angelical Rulers of this World that they make that their strongest Hold and Men eminent therein their choicest Instruments to oppose dispute against contradict and blaspheme the Heavenly Creature-Life and Gospel-Righteousness of God wherein any can be sav'd Let Satan in his superiour evil-angelical Wisdom and Men in their inferiour human Wisdom under his Influence interpret the Scriptures all therein shall seem to run current for carrying on Satan's Design to the everlasting Destruction of his blinded Teachers and Hearers Leaders and Followers That shall be preach'd up as a State of true Salvation and final Peace with God which if fix'd in will be found a State of unchangeable Enmity to God and eternal Death to Man All establish'd in the First-Covenant Law-Life and Righteousness of Man in unchangeable Enmity to the Gospel-Life and Righteousness of God go on to their dying moment with their delusive Laodicean Confidence therein to their sad long eternal Condition in the World to come Paul was confident awhile but not fixedly wilfully and unpardonably in his Law-Spirit of Works against God's Gospel-Spirit of Grace in true Saints but immediately on Gospel-Conviction and Conversion gave up the Life and Righteousness of his own Spirit in Sacrifice to God in order to find all again with Usury in God's eternal everlasting righteous Gospel-Spirit of Grace and Truth Phil. 3. 6-11 Many not only eminent in the Wisdom of Man but under highest spiritual enlightning Gifts receiv'd on their natural Understandings amounting to a partaking of the Holy Ghost Heb. 6 4-6 in the all-discovering Light but not the all-powerful Life thereof are bewitch'd back again by Satan to set up for themselves in their own holy Flesh Righteousness of Man Life of the Law
3. 21. All Christ's Gospel-Words seem'd hard Sayings even to his Disciples while known to them but as a fleshly Bridegroom in a restor'd First-Covenant Principle of seeing working and walking Iohn 6. 60. To give up all inward Riches of their own Spirits all Righteousness Wisdom Works Fruits every thing given them in their first Creation or done by them therein at best this seems a hard Saying exceeding strange and amazing to Man's Wisdom The very Disciples were exceedingly amaz'd at such words of Christ saying Who then can be sav'd at all Mat. 19. 24 25. This was a narrower Question than he ask'd that said to Christ Master are there few that be saved Luke 13.23 If there be no possibility of entring into the Kingdom of God by the best Man can do or be in the restor'd Life Wisdom and Righteousness of his own Nature he is ready with the Disciples to ask the same Question Consequently is he ready to deny the Truth of Christ's Saying and that as a Duty to God that sure he would never require more of Man for his true Blessedness than the utmost he can do in the Life given him in his first Creation or restor'd since The Disputers of this World under Satan's delusive Influence in defence of their Worldly Principle of Life Desire Thought and Action will never have done till the ending of the Devil's Reign and commencing of Christ's Such Disputers are not to be striven with but in Meekness instructed and if they 'll hear well and good if they be peremptory and conclusive in their own fallible Understandings contradicting and blaspheming all right Gospel-words of Counsel for true Salvation Saints may pray and desire other Saints Prayers for a Deliverance from such unreasonable Men who tho temporary Believers in and Owners of Christ in the restor'd First-Covenant-Life and Righteousness of Man which he crucified in himself are mystical Infidels as to that New-Covenant Gospel-Life and Righteousness of God he is ascended into They call all the right Words and Doctrine thereof a blasphemous Fiction Here 's the pass true New-Covenant Saints with their spiritual Faith in Christ's Gospel-Life are at with First-Covenant Believers in their restor'd Law-life All Contests with them amount but to a vain unprofitable jangling Such Teachers of the Law understand neither what they say nor whereof they affirm 1 Tim. 1.6,7 utterly denying the Gospel-Principle of true Love to God and our Fellow-Creatures in which alone possible to be obey'd and fulfill'd Rom. 13.8 10. But still this remains to be the Saints Duty with Paul to become all things to all Men 1 Cor. 9. 20-22 stooping and condescending to all kinds and degrees of Understanding in the Light of Nature Law and Gospel owning what 's good in any but in order to lead them into and build them up in what 's unspeakably better Christ's Gospel-Spirit of everlasting Righteousness and infallible Truth They will also as their Duty bear with such as at present persecute them as Blasphemers of the Law by preaching the Gospel-Cross and Death-work of God's Heavenly on their Earthly Law-Spirit of Works at best This Man's Wisdom calls a blaspheming or evil-speaking of the Law Moses and God Acts 6. 11-13 Paul was at this Work for a time in his own Law-Spirit Yet at length became a most eminent Preacher of the Gospel and then was as fiercely persecuted by such as he once was in their own Law-Spirit of Works In Man's day of judging in Religion and interpreting the Scriptures in the Words of his own Wisdom all his Preachings and Writings therein will exactly conduce to the carrying on the whole Counsel of the Devil in his Mystery of Iniquity for the Damnation of Men and preventing their Salvation And as in Church so in State-Affairs may we see what Man 's deepest Reason and Wisdom amounts unto as to his own eternal Concerns in the case and end of Achitophel His Counsel was as if a Man inquir'd at the Oracle of God and that under such a Man of God as was King David In Conclusion on God's crossing him and disappointing his Counsel in the Case of Absalom he hang'd himself 2 Sam. 16. 23. 17. 23. Thus is Man trusting to his own Understanding at best for directing his Steps gone at every turn in this World and the World to come To enumerate particular Heresies all along since the Primitive Apostolical Gospel-day and remarkably in our own Day and Nation within the compass of sixty Years would be endless and to no end If God's Gospel-Truth be evidenc'd and receiv'd all the Disputes and Controversies manag'd in the fallible Understanding of Man on all hands about Satan's Lie in his Mystery of Iniquity will be discover'd and laid in the Dust. CHAP. XIX Concerning true Charity or Love TRue spiritual Saints in God's Gospel-Spirit call'd Love are the only right Performers of all Duty to God and their Fellow-Creatures therein They have a right Love to all Men not known to be fix'd in Enmity to God and them and a peculiar Brotherly Kindness to the Houshold of Faith Christ's and their spiritual Brethren Yet are none reckon'd by Men in their own Wordly Life and Wisdom at best so universally uncharitable as reckoning all below their spiritual Principle of true Life to be in great danger of Damnation Men in the restor'd Life Wisdom and Righteousness of their own Spirits are ready to say to them as the Disciples said to Christ himself Who then can be sav'd at all Are all Mankind damn'd both corrupt and righteous This amazing Truth renders Saints in all appearance the most uncharitable of all Men. If all the World wonder after the Beast and worship the Dragon that gives Power to his Human Beast his false Prophets and Apostles in their Wordly First-Creation Principles at best all Righteousness and Wisdom of Man what a most uncharitable censorious Creature must the true Saint appear to be Rev. 13. 3-7 If all that dwell on the Earth fix and set up for entring into the Kingdom of Heaven in but their own Earthly Life in which none can ever enter thereinto what must Christ's few in the narrow way whose Names are written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the Foundation of the World be accounted v. 8. They that are of the World in but the Earthly Life of the first Creation preach up that in the Righteousness Wisdom and Glory of it as a state of eternal Life and the World all in that Principle hear and own their Doctrine as God's Gospel-Truth We are of God says Iohn he that knoweth God heareth us he that is not of God heareth not us 1 Joh. 4. 5 6. What is Man's Wisdom like to say to this You are in the right Principle for Salvation and all short thereof or contrary thereto in a delusive Perswasion doing saying and worshipping they know not what This is your most presumptuous uncharitable and unwarrantable Opinion of others and a justifying your selves as
the only true People of God The First-Covenant righteous teaching and professing Jews said to Christ they were born of God and that he had a Devil and was mad Joh. 8.48 and 10.20 and 8. 52. Now we know that thou hast a Devil Here 's the Language of a First-Covenant People fix'd in their own Earthly Spirit concerning Christ himself and his Followers by the Death of that into the Life of his Heavenly his Holy Ghost they call the Devil While the God of this World passes for the true God with any what other Language can be expected from them If the World hate you says Christ ye know that it hated me before it hated you Joh. 15. 18. It was the highest Rank of Men in the Worldly Spirit a righteous visible People of God that contradicted blasphem'd and murder'd Christ himself What can his true Followers expect His chusing them out of the World his transforming them by death of their own Earthly Spirits and Resurrection into the Life of his Heavenly will render them hateful to all fix'd in their own Earthly ver 19. True Saints in Christ's Gospel-Spirit can answer that Command of God in Sincerity and Truth Mat. 5. 44. Love their Enemies c. They can truly forgive other Mens Trespasses against them These are Commands too hard for Man in his own Nature and Spirit at best to answer The right performing them is an infallible Evidence of their being born of God's Heavenly Creature-Spirit or Holy Ghost ver 45. They that pray God would forgive their Trespasses against him as they forgive others Trespasses against them in case they do not so forgive others they pray in effect God would not forgive them Mat. 6. 14 15. True Saints on all accounts are truly and universally the only right Performers of all Duties to God and their Fellow-Creatures by a true universal Charity or Love to all Men not fix'd in Enmity to God Such 't is their Duty in Union of Mind with God to hate with a perfect Hatred Psal. 139. 21 22. Christ himself said of our Nature in the Fountain-Purity of it I can of my self do nothing John 5. 30. The only doing Principle for everlasting well-pleasing active Obedience to the Divine Will in me and my Followers is my Heavenly Creature Gospel-Spirit of Grace and Truth Against this Spirit of Truth God permits Satan to carry on his Mystery of Iniquity by transforming his Earthly into the likeness of Christ's Heavenly Creature-Spirit that 's God's House and as sitting in that Temple of God shewing himself to be God And then are his Ministers preaching up the Righteousness of Man only for eternal Life transform'd into the likeness of the Gospel Ministers of the Righteousness of God 2 Cor. 11. 13-15 They dress up Satan's and their Earthly with all the Titles belonging to Christ's Heavenly Spirit and are receiv'd and own'd beyond all Dispute and Question as true Ministers of the Gospel Where Satan in and by his Party among Men sits on the Judgment-Bench Rev. 2. 13. and Gospel-Saints forc'd to stand at the Bar all right Gospel-words for their Defence will be reckon'd matter of Condemnation to them without any need of other Witnesses against them Christ himself was thus handled He has spoken Blasphemy says the High-Priest What think ye Guilty of Death say the Iews as his Jury on which they did spit in his Face and smite him saying Prophesy unto us thou Christ who is he that smote thee Mat. 26. 65-68 They not only condemn'd but ridicul'd him in their proceeding towards the murdering of him This did they to him who had that Spirit in him which created all Angels and Men. True Saints give no ground for any to despair of Salvation who are not guilty of the unpardonable Sin against the Holy Ghost in a fix'd wilful unchangeable Enmity to the Gospel-Spirit of God They also endeavour by all Condescensions Ways and Means to bring them into the Knowledg and right owning of Christ's Gospel-Truth in which alone any can be sav'd Final Refusers of their Gospel-Counsels will persecute them for their Pains as has been experienc'd in all Times And we are now drawing near to yea are in the worst of Times since Noah's Flood under the permitted Exercise of Satan's great Rage because he knows he has but a short time to the finishing of his Reign over Mankind Rev. 12. 12. All manner of Wickedness encreases and abounds more and more continually such Wars Tumults and Confusions of all sorts as now are have not been the usual Experience of former days All tends to the running down the present Generation towards that Midnight-darkness a State in which Christ declares that at his second Coming he shall find the World at near the same pass Mankind were found in at the Flood Mat. 24. 37-39 Luke 18. 8. Under all these Discouragements Saints have an infallible fore-head-Sight what Matters will come to on all Hands at the winding up of all in the final Love or Wrath of God Then the unwarrantable Charity of Men warranting Salvation and Peace with God in a Principle where never to be found will be sadly and remedilesly experienc'd by themselves and their blinded Followers to have been the leading their Hearers into everlasting Destruction with themselves Then all Persons and Things all Words and Doctrines will be call'd by the right Names Under Satan's permitted Reign all things in Religion and the Worship of God have been call'd by wrong Names all along this World and will more and more confidently be so call'd to the full ending thereof In these last Days and near approach of the second Coming of our Lord will there be more Scoffing at any such thing and a more universal Disregard and Denial of the Spirit he will come in than ever 2 Pet. 3. 3 4. CHAP. XX. The Conclusion of this whole Treatise shewing the Security of true Saints all along this troublesom confounded World wherein God never suffers the Rulers of this dark World Devils or Men to do any thing to them in their implacable Malice but what his infinite Wisdom and Power over-rules into a constant Conducibleness to their greatest Good This with many other things are the Matters of this Concluding Chapter TRUE Saints have God and Christ himself on their Side in a Partnership with them under all the Blasphemous Contradictions of Men to their Words of God's Wisdom Words which the Holy Ghost his Gospel-spirit in them teaches In Blaspheming such Words they blaspheme Christ himself and God Most High Christ say'd to such as search'd the Scriptures in but their own Understandings and thought they had eternal Life in such Obedience as was performable by them in the restor'd Life of their own Law-spirit of Works ye will not come to me the living Word of God for my Gospel-life of Grace and Truth in which only any can be sav'd or enter into my Kingdom Iohn 5.39,40 From the same infallible Mouth of God we have a yet