Gifts and taught by God Himself as Christ speaketh wherein the vocation and calling of every one to the Ministry of Preaching properly consisteth and thereby is distinguished and discerned from Hirelings having nothing but outward self-forged Arts and Inventions These three Degrees of several Gifts Christ also Himself went through for being a Child he encreased in Age Nature Wisdom and Favor with God and Man and with the twelfth year of his Age he concluded his Infancy or Childship and begun his Youth but what he did in this Youth until the thirtieth year of his Age is not recorded seeing it hath not pleased the Spirit of God to reveal more unto us but what was requisite and necessary to the Performance of his proper Office doubtless to the end that we the more diligently and earnestly should ruminate and observe his Precepts Commandments Miracles Testimonies and Sufferings not mixing there-amongst any other impertinent and unnecessary things seeing the wanton outward Reason always rather flattereth the flesh in its wickedness then obeyeth the Spirit of Christ In the thirtieth year of his Age his right Office of Redemption and Mans Age begun of which the four Evangelists sufficiently do witness yet far more was done then recorded as John saith in the end of his Gospel But what is written is abundantly sufficient if we would but order and rule our selves accordingly and not with Babels foolish Reason account it Impossible as we have said afore Now as these three Degrees have their three several times so also have they their several knowledg Hence it is that the Apostle saith When I was a Child I spake as a Child I understood as a Child I thought as a Child But when I became a Man I Put away childish things Also We know in part and we prophecy in part And he saith to his Corinthians 1 Cor. 3.1 Brethren I could not speak unto you as unto spiritual but as unto carnal but as unto Babes in Christ I have fed you with Milk and not with Meat c. But when that which is perfect is come then that which is in part shall be done away This we may also in truth and without folly apply to the several times and ages of Christians saying that they be threefold and that in respect of knowledg wisdom and understanding we have been but Children hitherto in all our deep learned Men and great Schollers as the world thinks them to be and they themselves all one and other love to be called having nothing but some Ethnical literal Learning confusedly heaped and hoarded up according to the outward carnal Reason whereof they have made a self-forged Art without the power and vertue of the Spirit to deceive the world to their own heavy Judgment in that great day And it is still so at this very day in so much that is goeth with us now as some hundred years ago when people lay in Blindness and Darkness so that it is very hard for a man to rid himself out from them until Satan be bound Apoc. 20. The same happened in the time of the Apostles with the Corinthians where one called himself of Apollo another of Cephas another of Paul But were not they herein fleshly-minded yet notwithstanding they were Christians though but little Children in Christ and not spiritual though yet spiritual in another respect for Paul could not speak to them of Christ and his Mysteries as he fain would seeing they could not yet bear such solid food for to new wine we must have new bottels And the very Disciples themselves were even so in the beginning that they understood nothing of what was told them being unsensible of it and the words were hidden to them So is it with the Christians at this very day in deed and in truth for what is it but blindness and Ignorance proceeding from the Heathenish carnal understanding according to the outward Reason wherewith Men so pitifully torment both themselves and others that they purposely of meer abominable pride arising from the vain wisdom of the wicked flesh curse and condemn one another and that against the express Word of God One is and will be called after this Sect another after that Sect and its Author and oftentimes for a slight and frivolous Opinions sake concerning this or that Point they give one another Nick names therewith to exasperate the Hatred conspiracy and confederation of one party against the other for that purpose plotting and inventing divers tricks and stratagems for the undermining and supplanting of each other and yet nevertheless all these without the ground of true Love will be called Christians in so much that now adays all chambers and Chappels are full of those that cry out Lo here is Christ not there those be Hereticks c. But are not these humane and carnal as Paul saith Yes verily as bad as the Corinthians formerly if not worse Now what should we say and think of these Men if we our selves were strong and spiritual Nothing else but what we would have and wish them to judg of us if we were Children and they strong to wit from Christians we should expect and look for nothing else but Love as Christ himself in divers places repeats this his earnest Commandment viz. that we should love one another as he hath-loved us John 15.17 By this only mark his Disciples or true Christians yea all true Christianity is known and discerned For Love is above all Faith Knowledg and Mysteries It also can bear suffer and endure all things it vaunteth not it self nor is it puffed up though it were never so strong wise and wealthy but rather the stronger wiser and richer it is the more and easier it beareth the weak silly and poor otherwise it cannot be the Love As it now further more plainly shall appear CHAP. VI. Of the difference betwixt the unfeigned true Love and false Love and how the false Love always mingleth it self with the true NOw adays a Man may justly make moan and complain that there is so little true Wisdom to be found amongst Men and that all men run on in their Blindness as the Prophet saith Many men boast of Love and think that to be sufficient though it be but for our own end or else if they do but thereby shew some Hospitality or other liberality in relieving the necessity of their Neighbor This indeed according to the outward shew is somewhat yet very unclean in so much it scarce is to be accounted a sign or mark of Love And though it be somewhat yet notwithstanding it is far inferior to the Love prescribed and enjoyned in the Law which saith Thou shalt love thy Neighbor as thy self Therefore there is a very great difference between Love and Love namely as great as there is between the threefold World For first the Creature-like Love proceedeth from the Elementary Sydereal or Astral Spirit and from its Inclinations and Aspects and is caused and engendered by a
concreated goodness of disposition whereby one man is better beloved then another and of this nature is the Love towards Father and Mother between Man and Wife and good Friends And here sometimes slippeth in also the Love which is stirred by Fairness Riches Promotions and other outward things and commonly suppresseth the former Love as being now adays most usual and bearing the sway in so much that Men will neither know nor hear of any other kind of Love This Elementary Love is also to be seen in the Animals and Beasts But the Children of God make no account of this unclean and impure Love unless it be for the Lords sake so that Animalish Love be fanctified by the Spirit of Faith for otherwise it is sin Therefore in the Creature-like Love their Love is thus that they also can hate what they love let it be father mother child friend c. namely for Christs sake though they hate it not but rather love it more and better then any Creature-like Love either doth or can do which soon altereth and easily is cast down namely being deprived of that she loveth as we may dayly see by those that lose any thing in Nature which they have loved and set their Heart on how they use to moan and grieve for the loss of it But the Children of God are not sorry when they lose any Creature but leave it wholy to God and his good will and pleasure the reason is thus because they do not love the Creature in and according to the old Creation or in the vanity of the Creatureship but in the new Creation yea in and with Christ and the same Spirit that is in all things Therefore they cannot mourn nor grieve according to the inward man when they have any loss of transitory things being they know that they can never lose it in Christ in whom they love all things Thus Job was not moved or altered when he lost his Children and afterwards also his Health neither regarded he his life as he saith Chap. 13.15 Though he slay me yet will I trust in Him And David saith Psal 73. Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none upon Earth that I desire besides thee Or thus When I have but thee I care neither for Heaven nor Earth And this is the difference betwixt the World and the Children of God even in Natural Love Secondly The Love of the Law proceedeth from the spirit of the mind being from and out of the Angelical World and is caused by a good Mind or upright Heart having apprehended and understood well Nosce teipsum or the true knowledg of ones self whereby a man esteemeth his Neighbor as good as Himself seeing that the Souls of all men spring from one Stock and the one Branch hath no reason to hate the other or else it is caused and stirred by command of the Law or else it is moved and raised by the pure Affection and Angelical Inclination of the Inward Soul when I intend to do my Neighbor without any desert of his or hope of gain to my self such kindness and assistance as the Angel Raphael did to Tobias Now in this Love the Children of God do also differ from the Vulgar for there be many that do good but not to a good and right end but only they may be seen but being they do it for their own praise of vain-glory they cannot thereby attain to the communion of the Children of God but remain unprofitable servants as the Apostle saith and perform not their Duty seeing they do not rightly employ their House-keeping and Stewardship trusted to their dispensation and Administration Wherefore also those that would justifie themselves with their good works were rejected by Christ Mat. 25. and such are all those that for their charity and well doing seek a reward which the Children of God do not do for they for all their well doing do esteem themselves far unworthy of the grace and mercy of God Wherefore also the Love that in them ariseth and proceedeth from the Law is sanctified in them by the Spirit of Faith being they seek not themselves in any thing but are unwilling that the left hand should know what the right hand doth and all for this end that they in their transgression may find mercy Therefore they never think on Reward as the rest who having transgressed the bounds of Love find afterwards no Grace nor Mercy being they looked only upon the Reward Therefore saith the Apostle Though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor and though I give my body to be burned and have not Love it profiteth me nothing or I am unprofitable What is therefore the Condition of Love and what is Love Love seeketh not its own as the Love of the Law which desireth its Reward But this Love viz. It hath nothing for it is not the Owner and Possessor of its own self but yeeldeth and giveth it self with Christ for its Neighbor and suffereth God to be all in all in it It giveth nothing for it suffereth it self to be given over to another namely for Christs sake by the Spirit of Love which is shed abroad in our hearts It takes nothing but Christ himself receives it in her and therefore Christ said What you have done to one of the least of these that you have done to me And this is the true Property of this Love namely It is not Self-loved Self-conceited Self-willed and seeketh not its own But it is all things in Christ Therefore whosoever will be its own or have any thing of his own or meaneth to do any thing of his own Self is altogether of the Devil who alone will be his own Self and belongeth to no Man Thirdly Now this is the Love of the Spirit of God from the Divine World and is caused by it self and not by any object Even as God is moved of Himself by Himself with Himself and in Himself to love us seeing he could not be moved thereto by us being sinners Therefore is this Love stirred by it self beholding it self in an unspeakable Light And how can that be comprehended in the Love which yeeldeth it self to death that it might purchase life to us No man therefore hath greater Love then to give his life as Christ did and this Love cannot be expressed seeing there is no word equal to it and the Eternal Word it self is dead in the flesh O what a great Mystery is this In the Word was Life and the Life is Light and came into the World Loving Sinners O what a Principle of all Principles viz. Light Life and Love Therefore it is the Love proceeding from the Divine World of which the Apostle speaketh which surpasseth all Angelical tongues seeing it cannot be expressed by Angelical tongues for the Angelical World from which the Law proceedeth enjoyneth us to love our Friend but hate our Enemy Matth. 5. v. 43. neither can it judg otherwise being this Law
be converted to Christ And even this is the Eternal Gospel viz. that God hath loved us in Christ from Eternity and he himself is Love and this is the Evangelium or good tydings which we have heard from him viz. that he hath loved the whole world and therefore given his Son that we might live through him for he is not willing that one should be lost This is the Eternal Commandment and the Tydings which we have heard from him viz. that he is Love it self and hath sent his best Beloved through him commanding us to love one another Hereby we know the Children of God for he that loveth is Born of God let him be according to the outward man a Heathen Turk Jew or Infidel yet by this he is a true Christian and known by the Spirit in his Christianity though according to the letter and the flesh or according to the outward man he be neither baptized nor circumcised nor acknowledged For as the Circumcision in the flesh is not accounted for the right and true Circumcision availing in the sight of God unto Salvation neither the Baptism of and in the flesh nor Faith consisting in a literal and historical knowledg So is neither this true and saving Faith which is according to the literal knowledg and history but according to the Spirit the Power and the Deed which is Love therefore saith the Scripture very well In Christ neither Circumcision nor uncircumcision availeth any thing nor Baptism neither but Faith which worketh and is effectual by Love CHAP. VIII That Love is the true and only means whereby a man may attain the true Christianity SEeing that the Body of Christians is by discord so divided yea wholy rent and turn asunder that there is nothing but Envy Hatred Strife and Contention among them in so much that one Member in hostile manner sets upon the other kills and destroys it whereby the right and true Christianity wholy goes to ruine and Christ himself according to the Prophecy of Daniel seems to be rooted out being here is no unity nor doth Christ find true Faith upon Earth It is plain therefore and manifest that of Necessity they must all return to be of one Mind one Faith and Knowledg one Religion and Worship of God lest the Lord come and smite the Earth with a curse and they all perish together This General and Universal Conversion will not be done by any carnal humane literal mind but by the mind of the Spirit of God which is not Pauls Cephas and Apollos according to the self-willed Imagination of literal and carnal Christians but the mind of Peter Paul and Apollo is the mind of the Spirit of whom they received it Now although Paul planteth Apollo watereth Peter dresseth and cleanseth yet they are not divided though different If therefore the mind of the Sects be also the mind of the Spirit and if they have received it from the Spirit then it is right and good and then they are the children of the Spirit And although one man hath labored more then another and one hath planted Christianity amongst the Heathens another watered it the third cleansed and refined it yet they must not hate one another much less command their Disciples and Followers to kill one another or although they now and then yea for the most part find but false Apostles yea many Wolfs amongst the sheep yet notwithstanding the whole Apostleship and the whole Herd is not to be rejected therefore but rather know this that the Church and Congregation of God is amongst all sorts of people offices sorts and degrees and hath this seal viz. the Lord knoweth who are his and no man else And this is the true mark of Christians viz. Love out of a pure Heart of a good Conscience and of Faith unfeigned In every Nation he that feareth God and worketh Righteousness is accepted with him Act. 10. This is the most precious and blessed way to Salvation viz. Love being the chiefest of all graces 1 Cor. 13. Therefore how can the torn Body of the Christians become whole and happy again Verily not otherwise then by Love Here all the great and learned Schollers among all sorts of Sects must lay down their great Wisdom Arts and Sciences and must turn and become Children laying hold on Love otherwise they shall never come to unity nor enter into the Kingdom of Heaven and eternal Salvation Therefore says the Scripture 1 Cor. 1.20 c. Where is the wise where is the Scribe where is the disputer of this world hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world For it is written I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world let him become a fool that he may be wise for the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God for it is written He taketh the wise in their own Craftiness And again The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise that they are vain Therefore woe be to those that pack and heap up so many Articles of Faith and pass over Judgment and the Love of God Luk. 11.42 If we were wise we should know that there is but one Article of Faith that is but one Commandment of Faith which we ought to learn confess and practise viz. Love towards God and All men even towards our very Enemies This is such an Article as all men can beleeve apprehend and understand let them be called Heathens Turks Jews or Christians whether they be children young men or old men man or woman whosoever hath but a rational mind and indeed every man can easily find and know it of himself in his own Heart and Conscience neither can nor dare he contradict it and even in this only thing the whole Law and all Laws and Commandments yea the Gospel it self is comprehended This is called and is also the Everlasting Gospel which shall and must be preached to those that sit and dwell upon the Earth viz. to all Heathens Generations Tongues and Nations and thereby shortly shall all Heathens Jews Turks and unchristian men be converted to God Therefore this only Article is above all others that are forged by humane wit and Imagination It is the first and the last and the only Article which is above all Faith Prophecy Mystery and Knowledg yea above all Treasures and precious things and above all Tongues both of Men and Angels having so sure a ground of truth that it never can be found fault withall much less judged or rejected And it is such a permanency as shall endure for ever and ever All Faith Hope Prophecy Tongues Knowledg c. shall cease But this only Article of all true Christians shall never cease in all Eternity This is our Everlasting Gospel which we do preach This is both our Law and our Gospel which we have received This is our Faith our Prophecy our Wisdom our
Knowledg and our Mystery yea this is the most precious Way and Means of Salvation which now towards the End shall be shewn to all Men in the Gospel of the Kingdom of God which shall be preached in all the world for a witness and then shall the End come Mat. 24.14 Finally this is our only true and saving Religion Faith and Confession before God and all the Elect Angels and Men according to which we are Children viz. Children of God fellow-children with the only begotten Son of God and Children of the Spirit Our glory is not in Paul Cephas or Apollo no We are Children and not Men Fools in this world and not wise men Babes and not great and deep-learned Masters Doctors and Rabbies to such the Promise is given and not unto the prudent wise and learned of this world No but it is hid from them and revealed unto Babes viz. who the Father and the Son is Ye humane learned among all Sects do nor know Christ for ye know not Love for unto him that loveth he will reveal himself Therefore whosoever among you seemeth to be wise in this world let him become a fool that he may be wise We must all turn back again and become Children otherwise the Kingdom of God comes not nor appeareth in us nor we come into it Ye can convert no man to Christ unless ye your selves first turn back and become like Children We must begin from below and not from above otherwise we shall fall Therefore it is the lowly and humble which the Lord looks upon both in Heaven and on Earth And thus let us humble our selves in our selves submiting our selves under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt us in due time leaving all other things to him for he will order all things for the Best CHAP. IX Wherein Mans true Conversion consisteth and which way to attain it NOw what shall we say further Beloved Brethren in the Lord seeing there is a very great Alteration at hand Is there any Sect at all that can serve our turn or avail us any thing at all No for all such mind is humane and carnal and not the mind of the Spirit and therefore not known of God How then Whatsoever is of humane mind must fall of and in it self for it is not the mind of the Spirit nor is it the mind of Christ that we be of Paul Cephas and Apollo but that we be divine This is both the mind of Christ and of his Apostles of which the Apostles themselves witness and say We have the mind of Christ But what is that mind of Christ To speak thereof simply as Children It is to be at unity in Love of one mind in knowledg and of one spirit in Christ Moreover what is our belief and opinion of this Mind This viz. that if all shall become Christians whether they be Heathens Turks or Jews c. let them be called in humane mind and manner what they will I say if we all shall turn and be converted to God and become one Flock and have one Shepherd then all these Superstitious Idolatrous and old Adamical names must down be forgotten and rooted out that the Name of the Lord only may be named known and confessed by every mouth tongue and heart of Man for it is written Unto me all knees shall bow saith the Lord and not unto Baal for I will root out the names of Baalim and unto me every tongue and mouth shall confess that I am the Lord and I will not give mine Honor to any other nor my praise unto Idols True it is that the time is coming and at hand that all the world shall be converted to the Lord for when the Lord hath accomplished his Determination and poured forth his fierce Anger and Indignation upon all the world then he shall turn to the people a pure language and cause to be preached to them with amiable lips that they may all call on the Name of the Lord to serve him with one consent Zeph. 3.8 9. Therefore God punisheth one Sect by another and with another so that they amongst themselves know not what they do being ignorant of the Councel of the Lord not observing that the Lord hath gathered them together as upon a threshing floor that he may thresh them with all manner of plagues and then shall he satisfie his Anger and cool the fire of his Jealousie Zeph. 3.8 And when the time of the Gentiles is thus accomplished and their fulness come in then the Lord shall have mercy upon the whole House of Israel again and call them by an Everlasting Gospel He shall gather them and bring them back again out of all Countries and bring them home into the Land which he hath sworn unto their fathers with an everlasting Oath and Covenant and together with the whole seed of Abraham he shall convert all Gentiles unto Himself and thus restore the Kingdom of Israel to Everlasting Glory Then the Lord shall appear glorious in his coming and renew and regenerate the whole Creation and then we shall know the exceeding Virtue of the blessed Birth of our Saviour and great God Jesus Christ which hitherto in his Mystery hath been hid from the wise learned and prudent of this world until this day of the Revelation in which the whole World and Creation receiveth its Conception from above through the Revelation of Jesus Christ the Son of the Man in Heaven in his day by the preaching of the Everlasting Gospel After which Conception the whole World shall then also bring forth the Child of Righteousness in the Regeneration and Renovation of all things in a new Creation and Creature where all that is old shall fade like an old garment be clothed with Salvation and Righteousness for the Wedding of the Lamb in the Paradice of God Therefore all ye that love the Mystical Wisdom be assured that the time is come in which all things must be made manifest reproved and judged by the Light The time of the seventh Trumpet is come in which the Temple of the Lord shall rightly be known opened and seen and in it the Ark of his Covenant The Kingdoms of this World shall all all all be destroyed and shall belong peculiarly to Christ and to his Saints Satan the Dragon and wicked one together with the Beast which hitherto and as yet no man knoweth but those that have the Spirit of Prophecy shall be cast down shut and sealed up in the Pit or Abyss for ever Hallelujah Now when the time of the Manifestation cometh being also now already then we shall plainly discern and acknowledg that hitherto we have been but children in knowledg even carnally minded in the knowledg of Christ in all our wit wisdom learning and Scholership we shall then hear spoken and preached far far otherwise of the afore-named seven Points then hitherto we have heard for then verily Men shall speak with new tongues of the great
THE Heart Opened TO Christ Jesus Translated out of High Dutch for the good of all Men. LONDON Printed by John Macock MDCLIII THE PREFACE ALL Men seek naturally their own Happiness and wish heartily well unto themselves Hence do all the varieties and multitude of humane Inventions proceed for the obtaining and maintaining of the said Happiness which some imagine to consist in Riches some in Highness Honor and Pleasure others in sharp Wits Arts and Sciences according as every mans several fancy is and leads him But whatsoever vanisheth and passeth away maketh no man truly happy But that which is unvisible being set and found above time and place the same is the root of true and saving Happiness the other is but deceit and illusion which casteth down into the Abyss whereby Adam was brought to fall Therefore it is necessary for every one to return back again from the Plurality to Unity which is the only true and infinite Good if he meaneth to obtain the true and saving Happiness for the everlasting and joyful possession of our Soul is its true Salvation and Happiness consisting only in God its Creator Whosoever therefore yields himself up to God and becomes one and united with Him hath found the true and blessed Happiness But who seeketh it in the Creatures and in his going and travelling from Eternity to Temporality such a one seeketh in vain or vanity it self and loseth his own self in turning himself from God his Creator to the Creature for all created things are nothing in comparison with God and shall in the fulness of time return again into their Chaos and lose their corporal clothing or else according to their desert become an Everlasting Reproach And this is the Subject where we in these following Chapters intend God willing briefly to speak and handle THE OPEN HEART TO CHRIST JESVS CHAP. I. What is that which a man ought to labor for in this life MAN is convinced in his Conscience and hath it written in his heart as an eternal sure and immutable word that he always ought to strive and endeavor after that wherein his Souls everlasting Property and Happiness consisteth to the end that he of whom he draweth his original and off-spring may thereby have his Praise Honour and Joy When he considereth this duly two ways presently offer themselves the one leading to Good the other to Evil The Evil as Evil he desireth not therefore he ought and must of necessity follow and stick close to the Good Here the Ens and seed of the Serpent worketh strange and subtle disturbances in Man and would fain sell Evil for Good seeing that the Evil always mingleth it self with the Good and thereby causeth horrible Deceits and Seducements All the World standeth open and ready to embrace the Evil and yet will not endure it to be called Evil but always hideth it self under the colour of Good so that the Good is not easily to be found out and discerned unless a Man look very narrowly into it Therefore these two ways ought very well to be discerned and distinguished lest a Man should lose himself therein and be seduced and led away by the Devil or blind Reason The Holy Scripture it self placeth one on the right hand and the other on the left hand That on the right hand is narrow but is the way of God whereby Man attaineth to the true in ward Rest and Peace therein liveth and is saved That on the left hand is the way of the World wherein a man with greatest trouble and unquietness posteth and hasteneth to Damnation All which very excellently is prefigured and represented unto us in the deliverance and going of the Children of Israel out of Egypt CHAP. II. An excellent Type of Love towards God and Love towards the World WHosoever is desirous to choose the way leading to God aright he must by no means pervert any thing nor receive any thing that is perverted but look well to himself that he may walk aright in this life being that the two ways are so easily mixed and changed one for the other as we may very well observe by the Children of Israel when they were brought out of Egypt Wherefore by the way towards Egypt again we do understand the World But by the way of God we understand the true Conversion and turning to the Land of Canaan that is the Kingdom of Heaven and Kingdom of Christ Now there be three things which hinder and disturb the Man in his true Conversion which are here to be observed Namely First Love of this temporal Life Secondly Delight and desire after temporal things Thirdly Lust of fleshly Pride and wanton Pleasure wherein Man is desirous to bathe and swim up to his very ears Hence it is that all those that are blinded and possessed with Jewish and self-self-love cannot be drawn from the highness and honor of the World but give themselves over to Covetousness and bend all their love and labor with all their thoughts and imaginations to this scope to wit how to gain these temporary things to the end that they may fulfil their lust of the flesh so that the poor Soul in the heart must be smothered and forgot yea robbed and deprived of the Everlasting Good for the pride and wanton pleasures sake of the flesh and of the Astral spirit Now those that continue in this course of life they fall in time into a senselessness or insensibility and hardness of heart so that they rather suffer all manner of pains then themselves to be drawn off from thence seeing that they rather undergo and endure all dangers and tribulations then themselves to be deprived or dismissed of their lust whereunto they are inclined and given in so much that all fellow-travellers addicted to this way had always rather to return back again into Egypt to the flesh pots which notwithstanding they ate with cumberness and servitude then to eat and enjoy the spiritual and heavenly Bread in the Wilderness and to follow Moses whither he by the Command of God was to guide them This People was with a mighty hand with signs and wonders brought out of Egypts house of Bondage to Canaan the Land of Promise and in the way was fed with bread of Angels tasting to them according to their own wish and desire so that with great Joy they might have obtained the Land of Promise But seeing they were drowned in the Love of their own self of the flesh and of the world denying and renouncing all obedience to the Spirit of God they would rather turn back again to Egypt to the flesh pots of their misery and calamity then with peace and comfort forget that way and suffer themselves to be led by Moses quietness and patience through the Wilderness Therefore whosoever is too much possessed and captivated with deceitful lusts of the world he evermore longeth after his former sinful qualities and doings whereunto he is addicted But to prevent this and to turn
himself to the right way of God to walk in the paths of Holiness Man must order and behave himself aright after the conduct and instruction of Moses who is Christ in the new Birth and Conversion Him always in the way we must carefully observe and look upon at his right hand and never set our eyes from him whatsoever he doth and taketh in hand in this life Therefore he must also leave the old Adam in Egypt that is hate and deny himself and on the contrary turn all his love to God in Christ and wholy yield and submit himself in an humble resignation to the Spirit of God and his good Government Now if he thus both within and without with a wholy converted Heart be yielded up and resigned unto God according to his Will and in his Love is desirous of nothing more then God then he walketh in the way at the right hand being no more his own self or an adherent of base and wicked Egypt but having quite left and abandoned the flesh pots is desirous through Christ to become one Spirit with God according to the desire of the Soul and likewise longeth with delight for Perfection that he may enter again into the first Image after which in the Begining he was created of God CHAP. III. Even as God is the Being of all Beings and the Life of all living so also must every one that meaneth to inherit Salvation become like unto him in Christ ALL the care and matter is how Man according to the Image of God may be transplanted again out of this temporary into the Eternal Kingdom of Joy Therefore according as the Man doth form and figure himself in this life under the government and domiminion of the Starry or Sydereal Spirit in such form and figure he also transplanteth and presenteth himself after this life unto Eternity Namely either into one principle of the Abyss or else into the other of the Divine Love and eternal Joy with God and his holy Angels Originally and in the Creation Man was created like unto God and became his Image that he according to that should be a Lord and Soveraign over the world which that he might better perform he was placed and ordained in Paradice with such an Heavenly and uniform body as was wanting in nothing that any way could be necessary to this excellent and glorious Performance Yea as a father and a son are one with another so was Man like unto God and had the perfect wisdom to govern all things aright according to the Will of God in his Image both within and without himself viz. all things so far as it belonged to him and was subject to temporary nature He had not gotten any frail body unless purposely he had thrown himself into this fragillity thus he was uniform with God according to his Image In which uniformity yet this difference is to be observed viz. God is and abideth the Creator and the Father Man is the Creature and childe God hath no time but is Eternal having nothing either afore or after himself But Man hath a Beginning and is comprehended by the Incomprehensible God There is nothing that God hath received but he hath and is all in Himself But man hath received all things from God and hath nothing of his own God needeth neither Angel nor Heaven nor world nor place nor time But Man can neither live nor be without God These differences shew plainly and sufficiently How man ought to live aright according to the properties of the Image both in this time and hereafter in Eternity viz. we must be his onely with Will Heart Soul Understanding and Being and no others besides neither our own but look meerly and onely upon Him by whom we are created and after our fall so dearly bought and redeemed besides whom we must choose or desire nothing seeing without him we be nothing and can do nothing as Christ saith But who so taketh delight in himself loveth himself seeketh and findeth himself he committeth two great and horrible Evils For first He thereby becometh a proud Thief in seeking the preeminence in Gods Being and Dominion arrogating it unto himself as if he were of Himself as God is which he likewise in secret esteemeth himself to be and will needs be equal with God Secondly He becometh also thereby a Murtherer in killing himself so miserably by falling off from God upon himself that is falling off from the Being upon his own nothing and making himself a reproach to him of whom he hath received his Being and Breath seeing that God had also therefore formed him after his won Image that he should not eat of the Tree of Knowledg of Good and Evil for God is the right hand and he himself the left hand viz. the Creature which afore was nothing Man should keep the Properties of the Image suffering the Will of God to work and do all things in him Man should be the Tool wherewith God should do all things But the desire to know Good and Evil is that horrible Fall whereby he is cast out of the Image of God and that is the right Serpent of Sin which so extreamly hath deceived us perswading us to eat of this forbidden fruit O what a lamentable state and condition is it that we thereby are fallen so deep far from the Image of God and the holy life of Paradice into the uttermost bestial Kingdom and Government of the Starry or Sydereal Spirit Yet it is an infinite and unspeakable Mercy that the Son of God Christ Jesus our Lord would not leave nor forsake us in this extream both temporal and eternal Perdition of our Soul but with his deep Humiliation c. brought back again his beloved Creature into its Principium and Heavenly Kingdom into Paradice opening the Blessed Gate to the former Image lest we in any thing should be wanting Therefore if so be we will enter again into the first and blessed estate of our Souls viz. of Eternal Image and Salvation then we must return back again from and out of the base and bestial Life of our sinful flesh and enter into the living and Heavenly Birth becoming like to Christ in all thins according to his love wherewith he hath loved us and thus with Christ wholy yielding our selves up to God in a perfect and humble resignation forgetting and denying our selves and hating our own life seeing that we our selves are our chiefest and worst enemies and all this to the end that we may attain to Christ Perfection according to the restored Image of his Love Psal 17.15 Not suffering our selves to be drawn back or hindered by any thing in the world CHAP. IV. Of Mans true Perfection in Christ and in the Love IT is a most dangerous and pernitious Doctrine whereby true Christianity most mightily is hindered when many give forth and teach against God Christ Jesus himself and his Holy word and Gospel that it is Impossible for a Man
to keep the Word of God Should God through his Son impose us things Impossible What an absurd speech is this Shall a Man think to make the most gracious and most merciful God a Tyrant O abominable Error to the greatest hinderance of the true Birth When Peter gave Christ hindersom and offensive counsel disswading him that he with his suffering should not fulfil the Will of his Father Christ reproved Peter calling his words the speech of Satan saying Get thee behind me Satan thou art an offence unto me for thou savorest not the things that be of God but those that be of men Mat. 16.23 Mark 8.33 Even so may a man likewise say to those that rather speak to please and nourish the security of the flesh and quench the Spirit then to help and set forth the Word of God by men and yet notwithstanding will be held and called good Christians therefore saith Christ Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 7.21 but he that doth the Will of my Father which is in Heaven Christ will have his Word kept in deed and not only with opinion tongue or oral faith comparing such a one with a wise man which built his house upon a rock Mat. 7.25 The true faith makes indeed up the house but good works of Love lays the foundation as Christ saith Joh. 14.23 If a man love me he will keep my words which consisteth properly in our life and conversation viz. to walk in his steps even as he hath walked 1 John 2.6 Therefore Christ neither regarded nor required in his followers any prating wit but obedient works of Love and charitable Deeds proceeding from a free heart and he saith further Whosoever will come after me let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me Mark 8.34 Neither may any man boast of Christ as if he knew him unless he keepeth his Commandments for otherwise he is a Lyar in whom there is no truth But whosoever keepeth his Word in him verily is the love of God perfected Hereby know we that we are in him 1 Joh. 4.5 Also every one that doth righteousness is born of him 1 Joh. 2.29 Yea he that doth righteousness is righteous even as he is righteous 1 Joh. 3.7 Now what want or Impossibility is here Are the Commandments of christ too too grievous Saith not John that the Commandments of Christ are not grievous 1 John 5.3 And Christ himself wisheth us and all others to come freely and confidently unto him and take his yoke upon us being that his yoke is easie and his burden light Matth. 11.30 Now by whom I pray is the truth by Christ or by Antichrist But here lies all the difficulty viz. Antichrist and the Child of this World will not turn in and enter to the Love of God fully and aright leaving the cursed love of the world and of the flesh which hath taken so deep roots in his heart Therefore he had rather make God to be unjust and with the Excuse of Impossibility justifie himself leaving the whole Burden upon the neck of Christ only that he himself may go free and in the security of his wicked spirit and flesh according to his own bestial desire and disposition jump as it were into the Kingdom of God as if he need to do nothing and take no care for his Salvation but only to live freely forth on in pleasures and carnal lust of his Heart proceeding from the false and venomous seed of the wicked Serpent and yet would merit Heaven thereby though he never put on again the Heavenly Image of Christ changing his Bestial and Diabolical Malice into Love But what doth a Men else but shew forth that he hath an abomination to the Childship of God which is in Christ Jesus For St John saith in his 1 Epistle cap. 5.2 By this we know that we love the Children of God when we love God and keep his Commandments for this is the love of God viz. that we keep his Commandments and his Commandments are not grievous To whom therefore Love is hard and grievous he is as yet far from God and his Image being as fast and deep in Lyes Darkness and Death 1 Joh. 2.9 21. and cap. 3.14 Yea he is an Antichrist christ bearing the Mark of the Beast and of the Whore in his Heart and in his forehead Apoc. 19. c. For God Himself is Love and Love is God and he that loveth not knoweth not God 1 Joh. 4.7 Whosoever therefore will be and be called a right true Christian and attain to perfection desiring to be one Spirit with God and obtain his Image again he must make haste and strive to this Gate where the Love of Christ stands open continually and diligently exercising himself therein especially in the inward Image and Likeness of the sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ esteeming it above all Creatures and then nothing will be hard and grievous for him for what can be grievous to him that rightly loveth Now to learn this aright we must look and consider well what is to be observed in christ CHAP. V. What are those seven thins in Christ which ought to be well and especially considered And how we may attain to the perfection of Love THere are summarily seven principal Points in our Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ well and especially to be considered Viz. 1. His wonderous Humiliation and Conception 2. His Birth of a Virgin 3. His whole Life in his Infancy Youth and Mans Age 4. His bitter Passion and Death 5. His Descending into Hell Resurrection Apparition and Clarification 6. His Ascension and Entrance into his Glory again 7. His Glorious Manifestation or Revelation and coming again to Judgment and to his Kingdom In these seven Points all the Mysteries of God are comprehended without which no Man can be a true Teacher in the Church of God and of christ according to the Gifts of the Holy Spirit which are ordained by God to such Ministry although they are not absolutely necessary for every Child of God for it is not Knowledg and Science that saveth and maketh us happy in Christ Jesus but the true Faith being effectual by Love Therefore the knowledg wisdom and understanding of children is one thing and another thing that of the young Men and another thing that of Fathers and old Men for every one hath his own peculiar Gift of Grace of the Spirit of God as Paul teacheth 1 Cor. 14. For it is not a meer Outward Literal or Habitual work of Reason borrowed from the Heathens as now adays is taught in the Schools where the Spirit of God with his true Gifts is extruded and rejected But the Spirit of God and of Christ imparteth in to every one as much as it pleaseth and according as the holy Souls do order and behave themselves in praying aright that they may be fully and fundamentally Partakers of the Divine
that thinkest thy self to be wise turn turn and become a Child with us a Fool in the fight of the world and a Disciple or Scholer of Wisdom then thy heart shall first be quick to seek and thou shalt know and discern thy folly and become wise with the simple Think not with thy self I am a great Doctor or Master c. Not so for all these are words of an Hypocrite and not of Christ and unless thou humblest thy self and becomest a Fool with us before the world thou shalt never come to Honor Think not we instruct thee No there is but one that is the Master and the Lord over us all He will teach us all the right way to the Eternity in God and even he himself is the Way the Truth and the Life both in his Conception and Birth by which we must turn back from the old Adam and become Children otherwise we shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven in his Life and Suffering c. Him we must and will follow he regardeth not what is humane but what is divine Therefore leave the great folly with all thine ornaments wherewith thou hast adorned thy self hitherto for Christ in that day when all of us must give an accompt shall not ask thee whether thou hast been addicted to any Sect how many Articles of Faith thou hast had what opinion thou hast been of in every particular Point how thou hast studied proficed taught and preached how diligent thou hast been in hearing of Sermons c. No the Modus and Manner of Judgment is plainly enough set before thee by Christ himself viz. the Works of Love and Charity shall Judg and Censure us either to Salvation or Damnation and this is most true and Infallible Christ shall neither then ask thee what thou hast beleeved of him or according to which Sect thy Opinion hath been No for the Science Knowledg or Wisdom of the Letter and of the outward Man condemneth not Therefore we Judg no Man according to his Knowledg or Ignorance neither to Salvation nor Condemnation namely among those that are Children of Love All the rest do judg themselves and not we be it either according to their Knowledg or Ignorance for we judg no Man But the Lord it is that judgeth us all who also cometh with his Judgment whom we beseech for his Grace and Mercy that he would be pleased not to enter into Judgment with us else we all would be lost but that he would grant us the Spirit of Judgment that we by it may judg exhort and reprove our own selves amongst our selves in Love as loving Children while it is called to day lest we be condemned with the world but that we may through his Grace in Faith Hope and Love of Truth obtain Eternal Righteousness and Salvation through Jesus Christ Amen THE CONTENTS Of the Preceding TREATISE CHAP. I. WHat is that which a man ought to labor for in this Life Pag. 9. CHAP. II. An excellent Type of Love towards God and Love towards the World Pag. 12 CHAP. III. Even as God is the Being of all Beings and the Life of all Living so also must every one that meaneth to inherit Salvation become like unto him in Christ Pag. 18 CHAP. IV. Of Mans true Perfection in Christ and in the Love Pag. 26 CHAP. V. What are those seven things in Christ which ought to be well and especially considered And how we may attain to the Perfection of Love Pag. 33 CHAP. VI. Of the difference betwixt the unfeigned true Love and false Love and how the false Love always mingleth it self with the true Pag. 44 CHAP. VII Wherein doth the dayly Practise of Love towards our Neighbor truly consist Pag. 58 CHAP. VIII That Love is the true and only means whereby a man may attain the true Christianity Pag. 66 CHAP. IX Wherein Mans true Conversion consisteth and which way to attain it Pag. 76 CHAP. X. How in the End here we shall enter into the Kingdom of Christ and how we may beware of Hinderances Pag. 92 FINIS