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A66686 The mysterie of God, concerning the whole creation, mankinde To be made known to every man and vvoman, after seaven dispensations and seasons of time are passed over. According to the councell of God, revealed to his servants. By Gerrard Winstanley. Winstanley, Gerrard, b. 1609. 1649 (1649) Wing W3048; ESTC R218568 33,974 70

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senses therewith and so brake the Law and Covenant of God fell from his purity and died according to the word of his Maker That in the day thou eatest thou shalt dye And all the faculties and powers of that living created Being Adam are now become absolute rebellions and enmity it selfe against the Being of Godl●… And that garden of pleasant plants Adam is become a stinking dunghill of weeds and brings forth nothing but pride envy discontent disobedience and the whole actings of the spirit and power of darknes And if the creature should bee honoured in this condition then God would be dishonoured because his command is broke and yet the creature remains glorious therefore he died And if so be the creature be utterly lost and perish and this garden should never be so dressed as to bring forth fruit to Gods delight then likewise God would suffer dishonour because his work is spoyled in his hand and there is no hopes of recovery But the work of God shall be restored from this lost dead weedy enslaved condition and the fruit of the created Being shall utterly perish and be ashamed And things being thus considered God is pleased to lead us to see a little into these two mysteries First the mystery of Iniquity or work of the Serpent which was the aspiring fruit of pride and selfe-love that sprung up in the created Being to be as God and so to be an absolute Being of himself as God is an absolute Being of himselfe and so this selfe-honouring would sit in Gods Temple that is the humane Nature which God made a Garden for Himselfe to walk in and if that Spirit of Self-love could not be destroyed and the Humane Nature recovered from that bondage God would suffer much dishonour because he being glorious and happy in himselfe hath made a creature to be a vexation and scourge to him and cannot subdue it And this mystery of iniquity or power of darknesse hath does and will fight against the Being of God till it be taken out of the way and quite subdued as the Father hath promised he will subdue it under the feet of his Sonne the Humane Nature Then secondly God leads us to the mystery of himselfe and makes us able to see into the knowledge of that great work that hee is in working and that is to destroy this Serpent out of the flesh and all Beings that is enmity against him and to swallow up his Creature Man into himselfe that so there may bee but one onely pure endlesse and infinite Being even God himselfe all in all dwelling and walking in this garden Mankinde in which he will plant pleasant fruit trees and pluck up all weeds Cant. 4. 16. Since Adam fell to this present day wee see the wisdome power and affection that dwels and rules in Man leads him any way either to just or unjust actions so that Selfe may be preferred not caring whether God be honoured yea or no Now the mystery of God is this hee will destroy and subdue this power of darknesse under the feet of the whole Creation Mankinde and every particular branch Man and Woman deliver him from this bondage and prison and dwel in his own House and Garden himselfe so that the wisdome power love life beauty and Spirit of truth that dwels and rules in Man may be God himselfe even the Lord our Righteousnesse and no other being or power but himselfe And as God did dwell bodily in the Humane Nature Jesus Christ who was the first manifestation of this great mystery of God so when his work is compleated he will dwell in the whole Creation that is every man and woman without exception as he did dwell in that one branch Jesus Christ who is the pledge or first fruits And therefore you shall finde that when Adam had broke the Covenant and died by the Law God did not denounce an utter destruction without recovery to the Creation Mankinde which was his own work which his own wisdome and power did produce and bring forth But he pronounces the finall curse against the Serpent or mans work which was the fruit that sprung up in and was acted both inwardly and outwardly by the Creation or created Being in rebellion against the Being of God Therefore sinne is properly mans owne act The words of the Father run thus speaking to the Serpent I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed it shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heele So that the Serpent must be killed for bruise his head and he dies Now the curse that was declared to Adam was temporary That he should undergoe sorrows and suffer a bruising in his out-member but not a killing though Adam had killed himselfe so that he hath brought himselfe under the bondage God will not strike him now he is downe and make his death without recovery but God will destroy death and quicken Adam or Mankinde againe that we may all see our salvation is from God though our misery was from our selves that so whosoever glories may glory onely in the Lord And now by the way mind one thing That when this Serpent rules and causes the creature to act such actings become the creatures losse shame but when God acts in the creatures life glory and redemption to advance selfe and deny God is the creatures death But to deny self and to acknowledge God is the creatures life before Adam acted Rebellion this aspiring spirit of pride to be as God led the humane nature to disobey God And ever since the fall the same selfish spirit leads every man and woman captive at his will and inslaves them in that prison and bondage and darkness to walk in wayes directly contrary to the God of light and yet many times perswades them that they do God good service let a man read hear study preach pray perform actions of Justice yet if God be not mercifull to the man this power of darkness will deceive him making him to conceit or think he pleases God when the truth is he serves but selfe all the time it is so full of secret strong delusions Therefore I say the mystery of God is this God will bruise this Serpents head and cast that murderer out of heaven the humane nature wherein it dwels in part as in the man Christ Jesus And he will dwell in the whole creation in time and so deliver whole mankind out of that bondage This I see to be a truth both in my own experience and by testimony of scripture as God is pleased to teach me As first by experience I shall instance in my self who am a branch of Adam or part of the humane creation And I lay under the bondage of the Serpent my own invention as the whole creation does from Adams fall and I saw not any bondage but since God was
aspiring spirit in him to promote Selfe for so long as the creature acknowledges any other being but Gods he is lost and truly I think none can be ignorant of this that the spirit of selfishnesse is in himself and in every man and woman therfore it must be cast out of this heaven Mankinde before it can live again to God When Jesus Christ or God in Man appeared then the word of Love was made flesh That the seed of the woman shall break the Serpents head And when Jesus Christ fought the great battell or rather God and the Serpent did fight in heaven that is in the creation the man Christ Jesus and God or the anoynting prevailed he cast the Serpent out of heaven out of that humane flesh which he took up as a part for the whole or as an earnest of the Fathers love to all the rest for I beleeve that all temptations that Jesus Christ met withall for in all things he was tempted like unto us they were but the strivings of the Serpent as he did strive in Adam that fell to maintain its being opposite to God but Jesus Christ or the anoynting in flesh being not a created power but the power of God in that created humanity did not consent as the first Adam did for he with strong hand resisted the whispering of the Serpent and would acknowledge no other Being but God and so prevailed and cast the Serpent out of flesh and hath obtained a legall power to quicken whom he will or to cast the Serpent out of what man or woman he will so that it is this anoynting that sets us at liberty from the bondage of sin and the Serpent and he himselfe becomes our life and strength and the Lord our Righteousnesse And when Michael our Prince had prevailed over the Dragon then there were voyces and Songs heard in heaven that is in the creation Mankind Now is come salvation and strength and the Kingdome of our God and the power of his Christ for the accuser of our Brethren is cast down which accused them before God day and night This song I conceive was sung by the Elect the Citie Sion or Saints of God who are first enlightned and they sing Glory to God in the name of the rest that shall be redeemed for the Serpent that accused the Creation before God is cast out in part for the whole or a part for an earnest peny to the whole So that now mark The Law of God that did accuse and condemne the offending creature this is cast out of Gods hand and hereafter he will be a God of love in an intire dispensation of love I speak as God doth manifest himself now under the Gospel and as he ever will be when the creature is perfectly redeemed And the Serpent which is the Sting or Worme to the Creatures conscience because it was still acting a self-being opposite to God and then accusing the creature before God day and night by the force of a condemning Law for disobediences which is the creatures bondage and misery for the spirit of sin within this enslaves him and the condemning Law this casts him from God and so throwes the sinner under utter darknesse and sorrow I but for the creatures comfort this Serpent is cast out of heaven the Creation likewise and though for the present many poore creatures lie under the bondage yet the time is drawing neer that they shal be delivered and the wicked one himselfe the Serpent shall be cast into the Lake and perish for ever Indeed the Serpent would have Gods created work to die with him for he knowes he must dye irrecoverably but God will redeem his creature and the Serpents head only shall be bruised which will be his death Well this two-fold murderer is cast out of Heaven that is the condemning Law is cast out of Gods hand by Jesus Christ the Law of grace and love and the Serpent is cast out of the creation in part and shall be cast out of the whole when the Mystery of God is finished by the power of the same anointng Jesus Christ for God the Father is reconciled and he hath taken the creature into fellowship with himselfe For God was in the Man Christ Jesus reconciling the world that is mankind to himself not imputing their sins to them Now this Mystery or work of God is finished fully and compleatly in a two-fold sense but not in a third as yet and when this third term is finished then the whole work is finished and not till then First in Gods everlasting counsell and purpose this worke was done from all eternity before the foundation of the world was laid and God declared so much when he uttered this word I will put enmity between thee and the woman between thy seed her seed he shall break thy head and thou shalt bruise his heele Here the Curse and Death is sealed up to the Serpent but here is Mercy and Redemption sealed up to the creature the creature shall bee redeemed but he shall goe through bruisings or pain Secondly it is compleatly done in action in the pledge and earnest-penny When God was manifested in flesh in the Man Christ Jesus who was born of a woman And this is the first fruit of the Fathers love manifested and sealed up to the whole Creation Mankinde that as he dwels bodily in that part of humane nature Jesus Christ so in time according to his own counsell and pleasure hee will dwell bodily in the whole creation likewise therefore saith Christ I goe to my Father and your Father to my God and your God and he doth not onely speak to his twelve Disciples but to all others that shall beleeve through their word And when the Kings of the Earth and the Nations are healed by the leaves of the Tree of Life and so bring in their glory into the City Sion as it shall be in the latter end I beleeve there will not be a man that partakes of humane nature nor woman neither that shall not partake of faith so beleeve in God through Christ the anointing that fils all and is all in all But now in the third sense the worke is not yet compleated in the whole Creation for God is pleased to doe this worke in length of time by degrees calling some at one houre and some at another out of the Serpents bondage and the times and seasons God hath reserved to himself Therefore in the further clearing of this Truth God is pleased to shew forth six dispensations or discoveries of himselfe more which he will have the creature to passe through before he finish his work to cast the Serpent Death and Hell into the Lake and before he himselfe appeare to be the Tree of Life on each side and in the middle of the pure River of the water of Life which I conceive is the whole creation Man
that Israel of old were trampled upon by the Gentiles that were not in covenant And hence it is that the Beast must tread the holy City under foot 42 moneths That in the day of judgement it may be said that the Serpent had faire play given him hee had all advantages he had a long time given him to ingage warre I but God did beat him with his own weapons and encounters with all the temptations malice and hypocrisie of the Serpent by the faith and patience of his Saints and thereby fairly destroyes him himselfe may be judge But in the latter dayes when the time times and halfe drawes to an end then God sends forth severall dispensations or Angels as assistances to this sixth and great Dispensation to poure out Vials of wrath upon all the glory of the Beast and curses all his glory by seven degrees and sounds forth seven Trumpets of glory to God one after another which implies perfection of ruine upon every particular blasting cursing or downfall of the Beast And when these dayes appeare then the rage of the Serpent increases because his time growes short and his violence wrath reproach oppression provocations and murders against the Saints are multiplied and times grow very bad for now iniquiry abounds and the love of many in whom the Serpent dwels waxes cold and extreamly bitter and mad against the Saints in whom the anointing dwells so that they gnash their tongues with vexation of spirit and the smoak of their torment ascends upwards towards God and his Saints that are above not so much downward to such like themselves and that for ever and ever By the doubling of this word ever and ever he declares that this misery continues untill the sixth Dispensation be ended that is the one for ever and all the time of the great day of judgement that is the second for ever and so they have no rest day nor night who worship the Beast and his Image and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name here is the patience of the Saints here are they that keep the Commandments of God and the faith of Jesus for truly the faith and patience of the Saints are tried to some purpose while the Beast thus rages and swels with malice against them And I beleeve it will appeare more generally visible in time to me it appears very plain that the great bitternesse envy reproachfull languages and expressions of malicious wrath in and among men and women in these dayes against others whom they brand Sectaries by severall names will prove part of the smoak of her torment and part of the restlesnesse of her Spirit day and night which is the beginning of her sorrowes for this is the raging Sea that casts out its own shame and men in whom the Serpent dwels speak evill of that they know not Now all the time of this sixth Dispensation God is declaring his great power in pulling what fire-brands he will out of the Serpents hand and he will take here one and there one as he pleases himself And let the Serpent put forth all his wit and power he shall not hinder the salvation of one man or woman whom God hath chosen and purposes to deliver from his bondage but he will save under every dispensation whom he will and bring them into Sion Neither shall the Serpent nor any of his seed ever attain communion with God by all his wit learning study actings and power but he shall perish and all creatures in whom the Serpent reignes and acts shall be lost and ashamed in their work yet every man shall be saved in the end yet so as by fire And here mind two things First God is honoured in the salvation of beleevers because he hath undertaken to pull them out of the Serpents hand and to bind that strong man and to bring in the Citie to himselfe and to appeare in them first therefore it is said That judgement begins at the House of God first that is God judges condemnes and casts the Serpent out of his elect and saves the whole and every member of that Citie before he judge condemne and cast the Serpent out of them that did not enter into the City but were without because their names were not written in that Lambs Book of life Now for God to save some at one houre and some at another both when he will and whom he will and those scattered sheep of the House of Israel whom God hath chosen these shall enter into the Citie though all the wit and power of the Serpent strive to hinder them from entring And those whom God hath not chosen shall not enter into the Citie though all the learning study and selfish and meritorious actings of the Serpent strive to enter in never so much It makes much for the honour of his Wisdome Power and Name Secondly God is honoured in the losse death or as the word is interpreted damnation of unbeleevers for faith or the anointing which is born of God and whereby the Saints overcome the World is the power of God dwelling and ruling in Man And unbeliefe is the Serpent which is born of the flesh and persecutes Christ till the time of the Gentiles be fulfilled and this power of darknesse is that which dwels and rules in the children of disobedience Now both these are grinding at the Mill and are at work for life in humane flesh and it advances the glory of God That they shall live in whom his Divine power dwels though they be full of weaknesse in themselves and though they be compassed about with divers temptations being despised of all and regarded of none but are the weak the poore the foolish things of the world And it makes for the glory of God that unbeleevers in whom the power of the Serpent dwels shall die though they have all advantages and means outward as may be and though they strive much by learning study actings as Israel of old did who attained not to righteousnesse though he sought after it greatly because he sought for it as it were by the workes of the Law and not by faith that is he sought for it in the strength of the Serpent or selfishnesse but not in the strength of God Well this sixth Dispensation is the gathering time wherein God summes up the whole number of his elect and as every beleever hath fought his fight kept the faith and finished his course they return to dust and the unbeleever he returns to dust for as the one dies so dies the other and as in this world all things come alike to all we cannot tell either love or hatred by any thing that happens in this life and both return to dust alike as if there were no other reckoning to be made of either And so from Adams time til the whole number of the elect be taken up to God out of every nation kindred tongue and people out
perfectly redeemed which River proceeded out of the Throne of God and of the Lamb take notice of that The second Dispensation for there are seven Dispensations in the whole the first I have spoken of already which was when God gave the Law to Adam as soon as hee had made him And now the second lies in that first promise or manifestation of love to the Creature and curse to the Serpent in these words The seed of the woman shall bruise the Serpents head and this continued from Adam till Abraham Then the third dispensation or discovery of God is more cleare then the former for to Abraham he speakes more particularly he doth not still say in generall termes The seed of the woman c. But in thy seed Abraham all nations of the earth shall be blessed and so points-out more directly in what linage and generation of mankind God would first appeare in to bruise the Serpents head and this dispensation continued from Abraham till Moses time and our Fathers embraced these promises and rejoyced in them The fourth dispensation is from Moses till God manifested himself in flesh or till Jesus Christ was born of Mary that was one of the house of David of the linage of Abraham and this dispensation is more then the former for God by types figures ceremonies and shadowes did more manifestly set forth his love to his creature and his wrath to the Serpent when the sacrifice was slain and offered God received an attonement it being a type of Gods in-dwelling in flesh or a shadow of Christ the Lamb the substance of all those sacrifices And when Achan that troubled Israel was put to death in the valley of Achor the fiercenesse of Gods wrath was turned away And I believe God doth teach us by the Prophet Hosea 2. 14. where he saith I will give the valley of Achor for a doore of hope which was the place of Achans death so when the Serpent who is our trouble is subdued and killed in the valley humane flesh then the dispensation of Gods anger is turned away from us The fifth dispensation is from the time that God was manifested in flesh in the person Jesus Christ to the time that he appeared in the flesh and person of his Saints likewise and this is more cleare then the former for Jesus the anointed was the substance of all those types and shadowes of the Mosaicall Law for now God doth manifestly appear to dwell in flesh in his creature and he hath broke the Serpents head and cast him out of heaven his creation and now this Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world that is destroyes the Serpent who is the sin that dwells in mankind for now the life of God doth visibly appear to swallow up the death of the creature and a manifest beginning to set the creature free from bondage and this dispensation of God was spoke of by the Prophets very often before it appeared that a Child should be borne a Virgin should have a son which should be called Emmanuel God with us and God would bring forth his branch and the Redeemer should come out of Sion that is the anointing that is in Sion the Church shall in Gods time go forth to heal the Nations likewise now God throws down the shadowes of the Law and drawes his creature to eye Jesus the anointed or God manifested in flesh and this is the appearance of visible Gospel or of God himself bringing glad tydings to men and so worthily deserving everlasting honour and praise from all creatures The sixth dispensation is from the time that God appeared in the flesh of Saints till the perfect gathering up of the Elect which is called the Resurrection day or the great day of Judgement And this is still more cleare then the former for though God appeared in the person Jesus Christ who was a branch of mankind yet we might still be in doubt and lie under death still if he there remain But God did not appeare in the man Christ Jesus only but in the Saints likewise according to his promise by Joel in the latter dayes I will power out my spirit upon all flesh upon my Sons and Daughters and young men shall see visions and old men shall dreame dreames and this was fulfilled in the Apostles for the same spirit of Christ was sent down upon them Acts 2. And I know saith Paul that I have the spirit of Christ And know ye not that the anointing dwells in you except ye be reprobates And again We saith Paul that have received the first fruits of the spirit we groane within our selves waiting for the adoption to wit the redemption of our bodies Now the Apostles in their first preaching they preached Jesus the anointed or the Lamb or God manifested in flesh and this they saw and heard and they could not but speak in the name of Jesus and God commanded them so to do But when God had fully declared himself in that dispensation he sent forth his Apostles then to preach more spiritually and now saith Paul though formerly we have known Christ after the flesh that is God only manifested in that one man Jesus the anointed yet henceforth know we him no more in such a restraint for now the mystery of God which hath been hid from ages and generations past is now revealed to his Saints in these last dayes which is Christ or the anointing in you the hope of glory not only God manifested in the man Christ Jesus but the same anointing or tree of life in you likewise according to that of the Prophet A King shall reigne in the earth that is in mankind and his name shall be called the Lord our righteousnesse and again The anointing which ye have received abideth in you and ye need not that any teach you for the same anointing teacheth you of all things And truly I believe that whosoever preaches from his book and not from the anointing and so speaking in experience what he hath seen and heard from God is no Minister sent of God but an hireling that runs before he be sent only to get a temporall living therefore O England mind what thou dost leave off to imbrace hirelings that come in their own name and receive such in love whom Christ hath sent in his name and his Fathers And in this dispensation we are to note two things first when as John the Baptist prophesied it was neither light nor dark for it was between the legall worship that was falling and gospel truths that were rising upon the very parting of time between the shadowes of the Law of Moses and the appearance of Christ the Lamb who was the substance thereof and troubles and vexations began to arise in and among the strict professors of the Law so that they could not be satisfyed till they had killed Christ whom
THE MYSTERIE OF GOD Concerning the whole Creation MANKINDE TO BE Made known to every man and VVoman after seaven Dispensations and Seasons of Time are passed over According to the COUNCELL of GOD Revealed to his Servants By Gerrard Winstanley Psal. 145. 13. Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom and thy Dominion endureth throughout all generations Rom. 11. 26. And so all Israel shall be saved as it is written There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer that shall turn away ungodlines from Iacob London Printed by I. C. for Giles Calvert at the Black-spread-Eagle at the West end of Pauls 1649. To my Beloved Countrey-men of the County of LANCASTER DEar Country men when some of you see my name subscribed to this ensuing Discourse you may wonder at it and it may be despise me in your heart as Davids Brethren despised him and told him it was the pride of his heart to come into the Battell c. but know that Gods works are not like mens he doth not alwaies take the wise the learned the rich of the world to manifest himself in and through them to others but he chuseth the despised the unlearned the poor the nothings of the world and fills them with the good things of himself when as he sends the empty away I have writ nothing but what was given me of my Father and at the first beholding of this Mystery it appeared to be so high above my reach that I was confounded and lost in my spirit but God whom I believe is my teacher for I have joy and rest in him left me not in bondage but set me at liberty and caused me to see much glory in these following truths and when God works none can hinder It may be some things herein may seeme very strange at the first reading and you may crie out an error an error for this is usuall when the flesh cannot apprehend and be are a truth of God it brands it for an error and rejects it as a wicked thing as the Jewes because they could not behold God in Christ did breake out in bitternesse of spirit against Christ calling him a deceiver and that he preached blasphemy and error never rested till they had killed him our Lord Christ told his disciples that he had many things to speak to them but they were not able to bear them as yet And this I speak in experience that many truths of God wherein I now see beauty my heart at the first hearing rose against them and could not beare them and therefore if what I have writ meet with such hard entertainment in any of your hearts it is no wonder for I know that the flesh that is in you lusts after envy but it is part of your bondage which God will deliver you from in due time You shall finde that I call the whole power of darknesse by the name Serpent which dwells in and hath taken every man and woman captive and that God through his Sonne Christ will redeeme his own workmanship mankinde from it and destroy the Serpent onely but do not count this a slight thing for when God lets you see into the Mystery of this iniquity in the least degree of it it will prove too hard for you and you will be nothing but death curse and misery Therefore as you desire that God would manifest love to you and make you free be not offended to hear that God who is love it self hath a season to manifest his love to others that are lost and quicken them that were killed while you were made alive and that fell further under death when you that were lost are redeemed an houre or two before them Iesus Christ shed his bloud wilingly for them that did put him to death and the Saints of God rejoyced that Paul their bitter persecutor was received to mercy with themselves Why then should you be offended and thinke you are miserable if your persecutors and enemies should in Gods time be delivered from under the curse and partake of the glory of the City together with you It is much for the glory of God for him to redeeme not part onely but all mankinde from death which his own hands made it is his revealed will so to do therefore let it be your joy that the will of your Father is and shall be fulfilled and do not thinke the Saints are made unhappy and God dishonored if he heale them that were lost and that did not enter into the City in the beginning of the great day of judgment for as he is honored in saving you of the Citie that were lost so he will be honored in redeeming these that lye under the power of the second death and that entred not into the City seeing there was no difference between you and them till the will of God made the difference in taking you at the first and leaving them till the last houre for Christ gave himself a ransome for all to be revealed in due time God doth not reveale his love to all at one time but when he will and God hath some thing to do after the resurrection as he hath and will yet do much before that day Well I leave not questioning but if any of you be unsatisfied with what I have writ that you will speak to me and I hope God will be my wisdom and strength to confirme it since I had writ it I met with more Scriptures to confirme it so that it is not a spirit of private fancie but it is agreeable to the written Word Farwell Your Country-man that loves the life of your Soule Gerrard Winstanley These Particulars and such like are contained in this Discourse VVHat Mankinde was is and shall be What the Serpent is that caused Adams fall and whence he sprang The Serpent is not Gods Creature What the bondage of death is that Adam or all mankind lies under What the good and what the bad Angels are God hath cast the twofold murderer out of heaven and what that is God will subdue the Serpent not under part but under the whole Creation Mankinde When all creatures except Man are to be dissolved into nothing Seven Dispensations which God will have Mankind to passe through before he subdue the Serpent under the feet thereof and what they are The Citie Sion or the Elect are in gathering up to God in six of those dispensations in every season of time and in the seventh the mystery of God shall be finished and not till then The Citie Sion or the Elect shall first be taken up to God afterwards they that were cast into everlasting fire while the Elect were in gathering shall be redeemed and partake of the glory of the Citie What is meant by everlasting fire and the word for ever and ever so often used in Scripture God is honoured in the salvation of Beleevers and in the losse and shame of unbeleevers Gods judging the serpent is mankinds redemption What the
mens own inventions and purges the drosse from the gold divides between the marrow and the bone that is makes a separation between his own work and mans work So likewise Rev. 20. 10. And the Devill or murderer that deceived the Nations was east into the lake of fire and brimstone and v. 14. And death and hel were cast into the lake of fire the Nations were not cast in at this time for this Scripture I believe points out the great day of Judgment when Nations shall be delivered out of that fire and there shall be no more curse death sorrow nor pain lie upon any part of the Creation but all teares shall be wiped from its eyes and the Serpent only shall perish in the Lake for after that the City-work is finished and the number of the Elect gathered in and established in glory then the dispensations of God who is the tree of life send forth a healing vertue to the Nations and then the Nations likewise that are saved or those that were lost while the City or Elect was in gathering do now bring their glory into the City likewise for every man shall be saved saith God through Paul without exception though some at the ninth houre some at the tenth houre and some at the last houre and this salvation of every man or the making of the whole creation a pure River of the water of life cleer as Cristall proceeds from the throne of God and the Lamb that is from the judgment seat of God judging condemning and killing the Serpent and so restoring his own creation to purity and life So likewise 2 Cor. 5. 4. For we in this Tabernacle do groane being burdened not for that we would be uncloathed but cloathed upon that mortality might be swallowed up of life By mortality here is not meant the laying of the body in or raising of it out of the dust or grave but it is the very death which Adam by disobeying fell under and that is the death of his purity or pure being which is a falling from God into a being directly opposite to the being of God as rottonness of flesh is death to soundness of flesh darkness is the death to light for whereas before the fall Adam knew God loved and acknowledged God and was in every part so pure as God said Behold it is all very good but after the fall he became envious proud disobedient full of all lusts and concupiscence of evill even as we find by experience our bondage and so from a friend he fell to be enmity against God of a pure creature he became unclean and of a Child of Gods delight he fell to be a Child of wrath and of a pure garden he became a stinking dunghill and this is the death or mortality which not only Adam in particular but all the branches of Adam men and women lie under Even under a corrupt Being Now this rottennesse or death under which the whole Creation is fallen and lies in bondage too it is that Serpent or power of darknesse which Paul desires might be swallowed up of life that is that God who is life would be pleased to come and dwell in him and in his creation and so cast out that mortality or strong man that is so strongly armed and this is the Serpent that God hath pronounced the dreadfull curse against for this is mans work and it must bee destroyed I conceive God calls it mans own invention because it was the first fruit that the creature brought forth after he was made and left to himselfe even this aspired and sprung up in him to which he gave consent to promote Selfe and become as God I shall onely mention one Scripture more though I beleeve I could bring above a hundred Scriptures that doe countenance this truth And if you seriously minde what you read you shall finde that this is the Royall blood that runs through the golden veines of the writings of the Prophets and Apostles It is Rom. 8. from vers. 19. to 26. but for shortnesse sake I shall mention onely the 21. and 22. verses Beeause the creation it self also shall be delivered as well as we that are members of the elected Citie from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God For we know by our experience that the whole creation of which we are branches groaneth and travelleth in pain together untill now By Creature or whole Creation I see it to be a cleare and soul-comforting truth to be only mankinde for whose use or for the time that God hath determined to finish this great designe to make his garden Man a garden of pleasure to himselfe when he hath plucked up all the weeds and so husbanded the ground that weeds shall never grow again I say all the time God hath made all other creatures for mans use or rather to serve his own providence while he is in working this great mystery about man and when the work is finished then all other creatures shall bee dissolved into nothing as at first for as God is a Spirit he delights in spirituall things but these outward creatures were made for the pleasure profit and use of man while he is carnall and stands in a Being distinct from God and when man is made spirituall and swallowed up in life or taken up into the Being of God there will then be no more use or need of these outward creatures as Cattell Corn Meat Drink and the like nor of Sunne Moon nor Starre nor of Creature-light either literall or mysticall for God and the Lamb shall dwell in the Citie and in the whole Creation and be the light thereof as the Lord Christ said In that day you shall know that I am in my Father and you in Me and I in you And labour not for the meat that perisheth but for that which endures to eternall life Some may say If this be true that God will save every one then I will live and take my pleasure in sin and eat drink and be merry and take all delights while I live for I am Gods workmanship and he will not lose his own work I shall be saved But if he will not lose his work yet thy work shall perish think upon that and truly I beleeve that the Serpent in thee will make such a merry conclusion and cry down this truth of God for an errour presently in others because it beares testimony of his destruction as the Jewes called Christ a deceiver or a man of errors and killed him because he bore witnesse that their deeds were evill Well make that conclusion and take liberty to sin yet for all that know thou enslaved creature that thou shalt be brought to judgement and thou shalt not escape punishment for though sinne be sweet in thy mouth as it was in Judas to take the 30 pieces of silver and to act treachery against his