said unto you Yea hath God said ye shall not eat of every Tree in the Garden Yea is it so We may eat of the Fruit of the Trees of the Garden said the Woman who was first in the Transgression Adam was not deceived the first man Adam was made a living Soul 1 Cor. 15. 45. that was not deceived which was made a living Soul after the Image of God being the Image of God or the Image of God in man Christ Jesus the Son of God the new man And have put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the Image of him that created him where there is neither Greek nor Jew circumcision nor uncircumcision Barbarian Scythiâ—n bond nor free but Christ is all and in all Col. 3. 10 11. Who is the Image of the Invisible God the first born of every Creature Col. 1. 15. Who being the brightness of his Glory and the express Image of his Person and upholding all things by the Word of his Power in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God All things were made by him without him was not any thing made that was made 1 Joh. 1. 1. 3. Heb. 1. 3. For a man indeed ought not to cover his head forasmuch as he is the Image and Glory of God but the woman is the glory of the man For the man iâ— not of the woman but the woman of the man Neither was the man created for the woman but the woman for the man he that reads let him understand for this cause ought the woman to have Power over her head because of the Angels Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman neither the woman without the man in the Lord for as the woman is of the man even so is the man also by the woman but all things of God 1 Cor. 11. 7. to the 13. And as we have borne the Image of the Earthly we shall also bear the Image of the Heavenly 1 Cor. 15. 49. and this is Christ but the woman being deceived was in the transgression the woman that man waâ— not Created for but the woman for the man the woman by whom also the man is as the woman is of the man the woman without whom neither is the man neither the man without the woman in the Lord being deceived was in the Transgression the Creature that was made not the Soul of the Creature the living Soul that of God the Image of God in which the Creature was made God breathed into man the Breath of Life and man became a living Soul the first man Adam was made a living Soul I say the Creature that was made in the Image of God the living Soul that man became after God had breathed into man the Breath of Life and man became a living Soul the first man Adam the Creature that was so made the woman not Adam the living Soul which by this came into death and death came over it and there he remains till the second Adam the quickening Spirit the Lord from Heaven raise it up and deâ—iver it being deceived mistaking the thing was in the Transgression went from the Commandement in the which Adam was not deceived for that testified in the woman that which was taken out of man which proceeded from man for which the man was not Created but that for man without which the man is not nor that without the man in the Lord We may eat of the Trees of the Garden said the woman to the Serpent whilst she stood in the man the Image of God the living Soul the first man Adam into whom God breathed the Breath of Life and man became a living Soul this said she but of the Fruit of the Tree which is in the midst of the Garden the Eternal state of which the Creature is and by which it is preserved from a dependency on which the Creature cannot be that is to say to be as it is without dependancie change or alteration which the Lord alone onely is and the Creature can be never viz. in a state of Independency on God on another nor shall be ever no eating no touching of this fruit of this Tree that groweth in the midst of the Garden no coming to this state by man for ever no coming at it though the Serpent climbing up to it mist and so keeping not his first state drew man thither to fall also God hath said ye shall not eat of it neither shall ye touch it least ye die v. 2 3. Thus said the woman whilst she stood in the man in that in which she was made out of which she was took from which she proceeded thus she answered the living Soul that was not yet under that death was not yet over for she had not yet let it in the first man Adam into whom God breathed the Breath of Life and man became a living Soul the Image of God Righteousness and true holiness the new man which is renewed in Knowledge after the Image of him that Created him as aforesaid Christ Jesus the Lord from Heaven the quickening Spirit who quickeneth the dead and calleth those things which be not as if they were the amen the true faithful Witnesse the beginning of the Creation of God that was dead and is alive and behold I am a live for ever more Amen And have the Keys of Hell he that is Holy he that is true he that hath the Key of David he that openeth and no man shutteth and shutteth and no man openeth the first and the last the beginning and the ending saith the Lord which is and which was and which is to come the Almighty Behold he cometh in Clouds and every eye shall see him and they also which piereed him and all Kindreds of the Earth shall wail because of him even so Amen Rom. 4. 17. Rev. 1. 7 8 18. Rev. 2. 14. Rev. 3. 7. He was not yet slain the Lamb slain from the foundation of the World Rev. 13. 8. So she was not yet deceived He yet spake in her as aforesaid Adam who was not deceived who was not in the Transgression but shewed the Transgression who said in her God hath said and she spake after him God hath said said she c. Now she spake right now she was not deceived whilst she spake after him in her who witnessed who was the Son of Adam who was the Son of God Luke 3. 38. The Seed of the Woman which God said should bruise the Serpents head Gen. 3. 15. who lives for Ever the Root and Off-spring of David whilst she heard him speaking in her and kept there she said God hath said Ye shall not eat thereof neither shall ye touch it least ye die Yea said the Serpent hath God said ye shall not eat of every Tree in the Garden Ther 's somewhat in the matter I 'le tell you a secret tush there 's a state beyond that in the which you
are into which he would not have you come that 's his own he would not have you as himself as he is and therefore he forbids you he tells you of death to skare and fright you least by eating of the Fruit of that Tree c. touching it you should be as it is with him and have no secret hid from you True it is you will by eating of it die to the state in which you are viz. a Creaturely dependency upon him a capability of changing but then you will live to another which is more high which changeth not which God doth not and this is that which he would keep ye from Yea hath God said ye shall not eat of every Tree in the Garden And the woman said unto the Serpent We may eat of the Fruit of the Trees of the Garden but of the Fruit of the Tree which is in the midst of the Garden God hath said Ye shall not eat of it neither shall ye toutch it least ye die And the Serpent said unto the woman Ye shall not surely die for God doth know that in the day that ye eat thereof then your eys shall be opened ye shal come to see this secâ—et it was a mischievous seeing indeed which is not off her Posterity to this day and ye shall be as Gods knowing both good and evil Here was the eating of the forbidden fruit the temptation of the Serpent and the great encounter the woman had by which she fell she reach't at this the Serpent was too hard for her whilst she was from her Life from that in the which she was made which witnessed in her he entred her and so his Spirit lead and guided her to do that which was contrary to the Lord as he had done and not the good Spirit of the Lord and so she steer'd another course as she saw with another eye and came to be deceived And when the woman saw that the Tree was good for food and that it was pleasant to the eyes and a Tree to be desired to make one wise she took of the Fruit thereof and did eat and gave also unto her Husband with her and he did eat and the eyes of them both were opened a sore opening indeed see how she was deceived but how were they opened and what did they see Did they see as Gods Came they to a more permanent state to a state that changed not to be as Gods to have no secret hid from them as the Serpent suggested and by such temptations as these had drawn them to eat nay they knew that they were naked stript off their covering Innocency was lost in them a sad condition they were now in and they knew it their eves were opened and they saw this a most unhappy sight which as I have said is not off their Posterity to this day this was that the Serpent lead them to in the end and this they came to see and their eyes were opened to see this to know this to know that they were naked and they sewed Fig leaves together a miserable shift who were cloathed with the Spirit of God with his Image in the which they were made which now they had lost which now they had slain the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world as hath been said and see what a garment they had got what a covering in what a pittiful condition they were in who had Rule over the Creation and Dominion was given them over it they take of the poorest of the Creation a company of fig leaves poor thin inconsiderable things indeed for a covering who were cloathed with the Lord and whom he spread over and filled and replenished of whom he was the Root and made themselves Aprons And thus Adam was not deceived the man that was first formed into whom God breathed the Breath of Life and man became a living Soul the first man Adam was made a living Soul but the woman that was took out of man that proceeded from man that the man was not Created for the woman that is of the man as the man is by the woman being deceived was in the Transgression 1 Tim. 2. 13 14. He that readeth as I have said let him understand And thus the Serpent beguiled Eve as the Apostle speaks But I fear said ho least by any means this was to them whom he had espoused to one Husband that he might present them as a chast Virgin to Christ of which he speaks in the verse before as the Serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ 2 Cor. 11. 2 3. And this was his temptation and this was that which the Woman catcht after who was made in the Image of God viz. A pretended state beyond that in which she was made and this was the end and this came of it which as I have said her Posterity is not clear off to this day and this is the particular thing of the Ranters and the temptation wherewith they are carried Who hold that there is no such thing as evil in it self or devil but to mans apprehension and that the sence of evil is but the weakness of man and that they are at a distance from God who are under fear and that all things are Gods And that this is but a slavish spirit to stand in fear and dread and that all things are good and that to fear and dread is on this side Perfection and that to do the greatest evil with the least remorse is to be nearest Perfection Which is to know good and evil Which is to touch and to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of good and evil that is in the midst of the Garden which God hath forbidden to be tasted of or touch't which Eve eating and touching came thereby to fall and her Posterity to this day which in plain English is to be out of command out of subjection out of the state of the Creature and to be as God out of a true dependency on God out of a possibility of change for if there be no state of obedience there is no state of a dependency do they what they will they shall never be otherwise and so be reaching at that which they can never come to by reaching after which they come to fall as did Eve who thus reached but fell and it is not yet recovered and as did the Devil himself and is fallen for ever and there endeavours to bring and keep man even in a disobedient state of rebellion against God as that which is most suitable to man in which God is himself That is to say without Law to himself or from any other Whether the Devil as I have said climbed himself but fell and would bring man thither And this is the summe of this matter the state of the Ranters which the Lord hath thus opened in me for their sakes to let them understand and to
with man in his long-suffering to man in his seeking man who is lost in his gathering man who is scatered he is far otherwise he woes intreats prayes beseeches as I have said he waits to be gracious The Gospel the Power of God Christ Jesus the Wisdom of God and the Power of God that seeketh man that calleth man is as I have said the Gospel of Reconciliation His Ministers are the Ministers of Reconciliation God was in Christ Reconciling the world unto himself not rending from himself and hath committed to us the Ministry of Reconciliation Now then we are Ambassadours for Christ as though God did beseech you We pray you in Christ stead be reconciled unto God as aforesaid And here 's the Will and here 's the Power and here 's that which can be resisted and this is that which man resisteth which waiteth upon man which seeketh man and here the Lord and his Will and his Power is to be understood and no otherwise So all are to be silent and every mouth is to be stop't before the Lord for who can complain of him who hath placed something of himself in man Christ Jesus the Wisdom of God and the Power of God a measure of him in every man to gather him to the Lord and to bring him again to him who is gone from him which is that which witnesses which shews which judges which reproves which makes manifest and this waits on man after that man hath turned from him the Seed of the woman which he promised man after he was fallen should bruise the Serpents Head which bruises the Serpents head in all who are gathered to it believe in it and are guided by it Now they who are gathered unto this receive mercy become vessels of Honour fit for the Masters use vessels of mercy afore prepared unto Glory from him who hath mercy on whom he will have mercy and compassion on whom he will have compassion as he said to Moses who hath concluded all in unbelief that he might have mercy upon all and holds forth this unto all and hath placed this in all For as in Adam all die so in Christ all are made alive the Plaister is as broad as the Sore the Medicine as comprehensive as the Disease Those who are not gathered to it reject the Counsel of God against themselves as it was said of the Pharisees and Lawyers who came not to the Baptism of John being not baptized of him Luk. 7 30. and so become vessels of dishonor vessels in whom there is no pleasure unfit for the Masters use by reason of sin and that which defiles which he can have no fellowship with nor can it come near him vessels of wrath fitted to destruction And so all men are left without excuse and will be found so in the day of the Lord wherein he will render unto every man according to his Deeds for this of him which he hath placed in every man which calls upon every man which seeks every man that in every man which witnesses doth it which reproves which judges which shews man what he should do which makes manifest will then witness for God in every man and how the Lord hath sought every man and waited for him and all its sufferings and being rejected and its sighings and oppressions and afflictions and heavy loadings and groanings whilst the long-suffering of God waited will it bring up fresh in man which shall judge man and leave him without excuse You will not be able then to battail it against the Lord your reasonings will be stopt your great Arguments will be at an end No trifling it then as now wherein man is bold by reason of the Instigation of the Devil and the Ignorance that is in him and reasons with the Lord as if he were stronger then the Lord as if the Lord needed man as if he alwayes would wait on man No no before your Judge you will be silent and you shall confess to the Lord that his judgement is just So Friends ye all who are here heed whilst ye have time take heed of pleading with your Maker and reasoning it out with him Hath not the Potter power over the Clay of the same lump to make one vessel to honour and another to dishonour and yet he made not you so nor no man so he made all Nations on the earth of one blood and appointed the bounds of their habitations if happily they might seek after God So he hath concluded no Nation under reprobation from all eternity He Created man after his own Image In the Image of God created he them Male and Female and so he made none to Dishonour none to Reprobation He might have made man otherwise and who could have said to him what dost thou for he hath Power as the Potter over the Clay and yet when he hath made no man so why doth man complain for who hath resisted his Will why doth he find fault It is sufficient and riches of mercy that he hath had compassion on man and visited him again with the day spring from on high who sat in darkness and in the Region of the shadow of death which is the light which shews him whatsoever he doth Is not this the Christ if Man will not be gathered to this if he will neglect so great Salvation if he will trifle out his precious time and do despight unto the Spirit of Truth and trample under foot the blood of the Everlasting Covenant and reject mercy and loving kindness and that which waits upon him and hath compassion on him and his day have an end and so he be hardned and that which called withdraws and that which strove ceases and so he errs from his wayes and his heart is hardned from his fear and the Lord shew his Power in him that which he refused and did reject which is the Power of God unto Salvation and declare his Name throughout all the earth in his destruction Man hath nothing then to reason with the Lord and all men will find it so it is the Word of the Lord. And whereas the Apostle saith What if God willing to shew his wrath and to make his Power known endured with much long-suffering the Vessels of Wrath fitted to Destruction that he might make known the riches of his Glory on the Vessels of Mercy which he had afore prepared unto Glory He doth but put the Question If he were willing to do so and if he had done so what hath man to do to complain Nay but O man who art thou that repliest against God Shall the thing formed say unto him that formed it why hast thou made me thus If the matter were only there it stood well against man but the Lord hath done otherwise as I have shewed he made man otherwise and the Lord hath otherwise done by man since he marr'd himself as hath been declared so the Lord is true and every man here a liar Rom. 3. 4.
and his mouth must be stopt and he must make supplication to his Judge whom though I were righteous saith Job yet would I not answer but I would make supplication to my Judge Job 9. 15. And this becomes man and not to argue it with the Lord and to wrangle with him as if God were unrighteous as if his Ways were not equal Who measures the Lord by his shallow understanding who cannot be searched out O the depth of the Riches both of the Wisdom and the Knowledge of God how unsearchable are his Judgements and his Wayes past finding out for who hath known the mind of the Lord Or who hath been his Counsellor Or who hath first given unto him and it shall be given unto him again For of him and through him and to him are all things to whom be Glory for ever Amen Rom. 9. 33 34 35. 36. So every man's mouth here must be stopt and before his Judge he must be silent as I have said and not lay unrighteousness on God or charge him that his Wayes are not equal For man himself shall conclude it otherwise in the day wherein the Lord will render unto him according to his deeds and therefore it is in vain to stand it out with the Lord. It is but the artifice of the Enemy that works this in you he knows you will otherwise say when it is too late therefore be not deceived by him least when 't is too late you blame your folly Moved of the Lord I am to write this to you in bowels of love that you may see your state and how this matter stands and that ye may be delivered And if ye yet say The Children being not yet born neither having yet done any good or evil that the Purpose of God according to Election might stand not of Works but of him that calleth It was said unto her the Elder shall serve the Younger as it is written Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated I answer as I did before this is spoken of the two Seeds the Seed of the Woman and the Seed of the Serpent of which these two were Figures in which as the Knowledge of the Lord foresaw they would be so he loved so he hated For he loveth and hateth no man but as they are in these and it was after the fall that this was spoken both the promise that the Seed of the Woman should bruise the Serpents head and the Elder shall serve the Younger Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated For before there is nothing spoken of this for all stood well and as the same in the first Adam whilst he stood and there was no need of the Promise nor was there two as to man the one whereof was the Object of Love and the other of Hatred the Elder serving the Younger but man was one spirit from the Root Eternal and in the Root Eternal which God hath blessed And the two or that which made two the seed of the Serpent which entered into man came out afterwards For man receiving the Serpent and obeying his voice after he was made against the Command of God there came to be two things in man two Roots two which strugled the Seed of the Woman the seed of Promise and the seed of the Serpent the seed of the Curse as the Promise came to take place and that seed came to move in man to bring him back to God which the Lord hath promised as the Children strove in Rebecca's womb when she came to be delivered so do these as the time cometh wherein as I have said the promise of God cometh to be fulfilled The Flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the Flesh and these are contrary the one unto the other So that ye cannot do the things that ye would As the Apostle speaks Gal. 5. 17. And which the Apostle found in himself when the Promise came to be fulfilled in him I see saith he another law in my members warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into Captivity â—o the law of sin which is in my members And he cries out there as Rebecca did concerning the Children If it be so why am I thus And she went to enquire of the Lord Gen. 25. 22. O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this Death Rom. 7. 23 24. So the Children strugled in the Womb of Rebecca which was the Figure Two Nations are in thy Womb and two manner of People shall be separated from thy bowels and theone people shall be stronger then the other people and the Elder shall serve the Younger said the Lord unto her of whom she went to enquire when it was so with her as aforesaid And when her dayes to be delivered were to be fulfilled behold there were Twins in her womb and the first came out Red all over like an hary Garment and they called his Name Esau and after that came his brother out and his hand took hold on Esau's heel and his Name was called Jacob â— 24 25 26. So the Law of the Spirit of Life which was in Christ Jesus strugled with the law of Sin and of Death In Paul which though the law of sin and of death the law in his members strugled with and came out first When I would do good the law of his mind evil is present with me the law in his members the good that I would I do not the evil which I would not that do I Yet it took hold of its heel and supplanted it as the Name of Jacob the true Seed siignifies Is he not said Esau rightly named Jacob For he hath supplanted me these two times he took away my birth-right and behold now he hath taken away my blessing and Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his Father blessed him And Esau said in his heart the days of mourn-for my Father are at hand then will I slay my brother Jacob Gen. 27. 36 37. 41. It came after and supplanted overthrew the other I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord the Law of the Spirit of Life which is in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of Sin and Death For what the Law could not do for that it is weak through the flesh God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh that the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit for they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit for to be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace vers 21. chap. 8. 2 3 4 5 6. So there is the first and the second the first man Adam and the second the Law of Sin and Death and the Law of the Spirit of Life the Law of the
Mind and the Law in the Members the Flesh and the Spirit the Son of God in the likeness of sinful flesh condemning sin in the flesh and the body of sin and death Two Nations two manner of People the one stronger then the other the strong man armed the stronger then he The Elder as to man in the state of the fall that came out first the Younger which was before the Elder though it came out in the World after This is he said John of whom I said after me cometh a Man which is preferred before me for he was before me John 1. 30. The Younger who comes after the fall the seed of the Woman to redeem out of the fall to bruise the Serpents head which the Elder must serve which taketh hold of the heel of the Elder and supplants it and makes it to serve the Elder shall serve the Younger And so the Apostle speaketh They are not all Israel who are of Israel Neither because they are the seed of Abraham are they all Children but in Isaac shall thy seed be called That is they that are the children of the flesh these are not the children of God but the children of the Promise are counted for the seed For this is the word of Promise at this time will I come and Sara shall have a son And not only this but when Rebecca also had conceived by one even by our Father Isaac for the children being not yet born neither having done any good or evil that the purpose of God according to Election might stand not of works but of him that calleth It was said unto her the Elder shall serve the Younger as it is written Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated as aforesaid Rom. 9. 7 8 9 10 11 12 13. And here is the whole matter as it lies together and as the Scriptures testifie and are the Explanation of one another in the Spirit of the Lord from whom I have written and who hath shewn me these things that I might write them unto you that your understandings might be opened and that ye might come to see the Truth as it is in Jesus and be brought to the Knowledge of the Truth And so I have finished this particular The Lord God Eternal open your eyes that in this your day you may know the things that belong unto your Peace And so I shall proceed As the Lord made not man to destroy him and as he hath not concluded any man from all Eternity to destruction So neither hath he so made man as that it is impossible for him to fall from the state in the which he was made or to miscarry so as to fall from life for ever and ever That were to put man in another state then that in the which he was made who was made in a Dependance on God for his being and Subsistance in the state in the which he was made and to render him as God knowing both good and evil that is to set him as do he good or do he evil he shall never be finally removed from the state in the which he was made that is from Life but shall remain as God The Judgement of the Ranters whom the Serpent hath taken with that which was his first bait with which he took Eve at first and with which they are taken at this day who hold That do they what they will they shall never be finally â—emoved from the state in the which they were made that is from Life Ye shall not surely die for God knoweth that in the day that ye eat thereof then your eyes shall be opened and ye shall be as Gods knowing good and evil Gen. 3. 4 5. This the Serpent laid before Evè viz. a state beyond that in the which she was made Ye shall not surely die a state at the pleasure of him that made you and at his Commandmen who gave you your being Yea hath God said ye shall not eat of every Tree in the garden v. 1. hath he put you are ye under such a dependency on him and at his command Nay ye shall not surely die it is not so ye shall be as Gods a state beyond that in which ye were made ye shall not need to stand in such awe and dread Ye are not necessitated to such a dependency upon God as that doing contrary to his Command ye shall die your state shall be changed nay your state shall not be so changed but eating of the Tree doing of that which he hath said ye shall not doe which signifies a Subjection and Subordination a Creature state of Variation and Change at the Will of Him that made you Nay the doing of this will enter you into another state that 's more high more fixed more certain a state wherein God is who changeth not nor is moved nor doth alter or varie from that wherein he is and this God knoweth for God doth known this is the Reason that God hath set you under such a command in such dread in such awe as of death a loosing of the state in the which ye are and a coming into a quite contrary or another this he knows and therefore hath laid this Command upon ye to keep ye from this to prevent your attaining unto this to be as he is setled and unchangeable do ye what ye will ye shall not surely die Nay it shall enter you into that state wherein there is no such thing as death but only a death unto that in which ye are as you are passing to it as through death to life ye shall not need thus to be put to it ye shall be as Gods without change without alteration without fear or dread or a necessary dependance upon another to keep you in the state in the which ye are Ye shall not need thus to be put to it at every turn to be under this Rod under this reproof under this check under such a manifestation as this and who would be so when he may be otherwise This God knoweth therefore hath he laid this Bar upon you this Precept this Bond to keep ye under that in the day that ye eat thereof ye do otherwise then he hath ordained you and so put your selves out of a state of dependance upon him or of being Creatures so to be disposed of and ordered by him so taking your selves into your own Power your own disposal as he doth himself and you whilst it is thus with you that you dare do nothing but what he requires you and that ye dare not do that which he forbids you which is a Creature state of alteration and change of Subjection and Subordination you will be as he is you will be as Gods unalterable unchangeable insubjectible insubordinate and this God knoweth that in the day that ye eat thereof that ye so put your selves that ye so take your selves into your own order and not stand under his Order and Rule who hath so