body or man His whole Body Soul and Spirit is fill'd and clothed with a Spiritual Life Glory and everlasting Righteousness Flesh and blood the comprehensive character of all Man or Angel were possess'd of by the first creation cannot inherit the Kingdom of God neither doth Corruption inherit Incorruption or attain the incorruptible Inheritance 1 Pet. 1. 4. Nor Man nor Angel in innocency had any such thing as eternal Life or everlasting Righteousness actually about them or in them that qualifies any for entrance into the Kingdom of God Man and Angel then set up by God's left-hand as we may say in a first-Creation-state if they knowingly and wilfully set up for themselves there in enmity to God and the second they will be found those lustful Goats that through inordinate love to evil covetousness and lust after their own fading life and things thereof so as to hate and reject God's by a new and second Creation at Christ's left hand sever'd from his obedient spiritual Sheep on his right and forc'd to receive the meet recompence of their error the vengeance of eternal fire Mat. 25. 33 -46. Jude 7. By chusing their corruption or natural state before God's Incorruption or incorruptible spiritual Life will they utterly perish in their own Corruption 2 Pet. 2. 12. The question here then amounts unto this Who can make the natural or first-Creation state of Man straight or unsubjected to change and miscarriage that God in the above-said sence has made crooked liable or subject to both This question imports an utter impossibility of making it straight Eccle. 1. 15. T is therefore peerless folly and madness in Man or Angel to attempt it or to establish themselves in it for happiness There 's no way possible for either to be happy but by the death and loss of all their own there for God's own which they can only arrive at and attain by the death of their spirit of nature and so a resurrection into the life of his spirit of Grace God positively requires both and all of them to part with their crooked changeable first-creation thing or things for his unchangeably straight and incorruptibly perfect new-creation life and things However straight the former appear in Mans day or discerning in the Light and Judgment of his Wisdom in God's t is crooked and so declar'd for Man to take notice of Man ought to consider the whole work of God from first to last beginning to the end his beginning with him in a first creation and ending or finishing Workmanship upon him in and by a second Men ought also to listen to his whole counsel and instruction to his convincing discoveries and revelations of the second and more excellent state they are offer'd by a new Creation and the way of attaining it The death of their crooked state is the undispensable means and way of being exalted into God's straight Their crooked set up in unchangeable enmity to his straight is certain damnation to them They ought to believe God's own report and declaration of their crooked natural state and look after his straight spiritual Life and State in a Spirit that can never sin 1 Joh. 3. 9. They ought not to stick at any cost or loss they can be at for Truth Prov. 23. 23. Luk. 14. 28. or for the life of God's new-creature-spirit of Truth and everlasting Righteousness Vers. 14. In the day of Prosperity be joyful but in the day of Adversity consider God also hath set the one over against the other to the end that Man should find nothing after him The good and evil day in the original are here translated the day of Prosperity and Adversity Here 's a two-fold day for Man in God's wise method and appointment set one over against the other which 't is man's duty and concern to take notice of and comply with recoycing in the former and duly considering the yet greater advantages to him in the latter To follow the Lord's counsel in both is his best course The spiritual mystery of these Words is the principal intendment But first in the litteral sence the greatest content joy and satisfaction man can find in the greatest outward Prosperity when surrounded with a confluence of all visible desireables in this World he must come to experience the loss of all first or last which he ought to consider In the perishable nature of all such enjoyments is discernably writ out a day of adversity over against his utmost prosperity therein The perishing nature also of that life and desire in him that 's gratified by such things the belly that 's for such meats does farther preach the same doctrine to him cautioning against the placing his happiness in such slippery uncertain things Death puts a full period to all such desires as are answer'd by such desireables Vanity on all hands proclaims a day of Adversity and darkness set over against the day of such Prosperity Unwarrantable over-value for love to and delight in such worldly things will cause a destructive worldly sorrow to man if he out-live them When run down into a despicable state of misery and want he knows not how to bear it or what to do with himself Life grows a burden Sometimes he makes away himself as weary of it But now as to the mystical principal sense of these words Here 's a most concerning caution to man in the utmost flourish fruitfulness and inward mystical riches of his nature in a first-covenant righteous life where belly and meats desires and desireables root and branch tree and fruits principles and operations are all but a higher sort of perishing vanities sigur'd out by the former All this yet is but a vain shew a dream a fools Paradise a shadow an image only of true durable life and substantial riches in the heavenly creature-image of the second Adam Man at best in all this fading glory and honour of his own nature is altogether vanity Ps. 39. 5 6. The first Adam was made in but the earthly shadowy Image of God the heavenly substantial creature-image of the infinite Divinity is found only in the second Adam and his spiritual descendents by a new birth or second creation A day of adversity then is written out in the perishing nature of all such inward as well as outward prosperity over against the highest prosperity therein All such mystical soul-riches life food clothing glory honour wisdom righteousness all will be gone again most certainly make themselves wings and flee away Prov. 23. 5. While then Man sets his eye or heart on such things which God says are not he is sure to meet with an amazing disappointment By new-creature things things of God which God's Wisdom reckon's the only creature-things that are man's wisdom things that are not will God bring to nought all those things of man which his foolish wisdom reckon's the only creature-things that are 1 Cor. 1. 28. In the day of man's prosperity in the restor'd first-Covenant
thereby Vers. VII For in the multitude of Dreams and many Words there are also divers Vanities but fear thou God This concluding Word on this subject is a Character of the first-creation Spirit or State as chosen by men in union of mind with the fallen Angels Solomon calls it many things and businesses a multitude of Dreams as v. 3. a multitude of business whence cometh a Dream The busie boundless wandring gadding Spirit of man cumbers it self as Martha with a heap of first-creation Vanities that can give him no true satisfaction All his conceited happiness therein is but a Dream His many Words and Labours about them are but divers Vanities a variety of glittering nothings things that God says are not perishing vanishing shadows All labour of man in his first creation life of Vanity all his Works Fruits Duties performance to God or Man therein is Vanity All inordinate love to and 〈◊〉 after the outward or inward litteral or mystical Riches and Treasures of that State in the most fruitfull Exercise of a first-covenant Life is but that Love of Mony Paul call's the Root of all 〈◊〉 For from this Love to his own Worldly Life and Riches thereof is man sound in direct enmity to God and his Gospel-Spirit and Riches which alone can make any truly Happy So all he is has or does all his Attainments Works Fruits Riches Possessions rested in will prove a most unhappy destructive Dream out of which when he awakes he will find himself to have bin all along deceived with Imaginary things that have no durable reality in them Christ convincingly shew's men this now and will hereafter convince them he hath so shewed it and fairly warned them thereby of their danger Let him then that Preaches up such a vain State with all the best things of man therein for happiness tell it but as a Dream not considently assert it to be a Gospel-State of Salvation but a Law-Dream Jer. 23. 28. Man's Chaff Dream Vain Glory Shadow Life and Image of the Earthy fix'd in in unchangable enmity to God's Wheat his Word Wisdom Righteousness durable Life Riches Food and Cloathing in the Image of the Heavenly is certain damnation What 's the Chaff to the Wheat the Words of Man's Wisdom in his lying Spirit of divination as to all Gospel things and truths of God into the Room whereof he thrusts the things of Man and says the Lord sayeth Ezek. 13. 6. to the Words of my Wisdom in my Gospel Spirit of Truth What are Man's Law-Dreams to my Gospel-Truths In stead of this dangerous Trade and destructive practice Solomon's advice is Fear thou God This fearing God and keeping his commandments he declar's Eccles. 12. 13. to be the whole Duty of Man the Conclusion and sum of the whole matter in all Books and Words of Right Instruction unto Life Follow after obey and close with the Lord 's own Counsels Teachings Leadings convincing discoveries of his mind and Gracious Offer's of that Gospel-Spirit that 's in unchangable union with his divine Spirit and you 'l ever know and do his whole mind and counsel and Worship him in Spirit and in Truth to his wel-pleasing acceptance and your Salvation His Spirit is that Love that 's the fulfiller of his whole Law Rom. 13. 10. Vers. 8. If thou seest the Oppression of the Poor and violent perverting of Judgment and Justice in a Province marvel not at the matter Heb. will or purpose for he that is higher then the highest regardeth and there be higher than they Her 's encouragement to right Fearers true Believers and beloveds of God that have abandon'd their own first-creation Life of vanity and enmity for his new-creation Spirit of Truth and Love In this are they too hard for all Enemies For the Almighty Divine and irrisistibly mighty new-creation Spirit of Christ and God are on their Side as also the Angels of his Power who in their Spiritual new-covenant Life of everlasting Righteousness and Truth transcendently excell in strength all first-creation Evil Angelical or humane invisible or visible Principalities Powers that are against the Saints of the most high Saints then are sufficiently furnish'd under the great Captain of their Salvation to deal with and be more then Conquerors over all Enemies all worldly Powers of Darkness and Gates of Hell Muster they never so strong Bluster Storm and Look as big as they can Saints Infallibly see and know where they shall have them in conclusion for ever even under their feet as the necks of the five Kings of Canaan were put under the feet of Josua's Captains Jos. 10. 24. Those Kings were a Type of all first-Creation Powers fix'd in Opposition to the second Spiritual Israelites know how to demean themselvs under all Oppressours the great mystical Goliah the Devil with his whole Army of Philistines evil Angels and men They have so learnt Christ in their Spiritual man which no Enemies can touch that they fear not them that can but kill the Body or whole natural man as to a first-covenant first-creation Life of vanity and have no more that they can do They know their great Captain Christ himself turns all Injuries done to their Body or natural man to their great advantage as hastning the Death of what 's to die in them and so compleating their conformity with himself therein the consequent whereof will be a compleating them in his resurrection-Life that 's above all Enemies and Deaths Their Way of ascending into his all-conquering Spiritual Life is the Death of their natural State They overcome by such Death of what can die as found in a state that can never die the certain result and issue of such a Holy obedient Death This way the Captain of our Salvation overcame Heb. 2. 10. And his good and faithfull Souldiers must fight as they have him for an example and not look for a final absolute Conquest any other Way than he obtained it Satan and his Party seem to conquer by killing the natural man or Body of Christ and Saints who finally conquer them all by being so killed They fight with exceedingly differing Weapons Enemies with Weak and Carnal Saints and their Captain-General with Spiritual and Mighty through God for pulling down all their Strong Holds and laying them all in the Dust. Another Riddle Enemies fight against the Spirit of God or Spiritual man in Saints but can hit or touch only their natural which their own Spiritual is fighting against in their own persons So though they have Perfectly contrary designes Christ Saints and all Enemies what'ere they strike at they all hit only flesh and Blood which cannot enter into the Kingdom of God but lets or hinders the Saint's fully entring till it be fully destroyed By suffering Devils and men seemingly to overcome him and his Saints as bringing death on their natural man do Christ and they overcome them all in their Spiritual which is greater then they and which they can never touch V.
on his murdering work on the Prince of Life and Author of Salvation and at same time procur'd by them a pardon for a convicted murderer Act. 3. 14 15. That Men get by such fighting against the only spirit wherein and by they can be saved is their own everlasting destruction by the same hand they oppose executed upon them And what get they in their own way amongst a heap of delusive vanities nothing save an encrease of vanity and of their sin and guilt for their wilful rebellion therein against all the faithful warnings advice and commands of God's spiritual Law to the contrary for their good So will they find at length that by encreasing their heap of vanities they have bin heaping or treasuring up wrath to themselves against the last day They will be in such sense fill'd with their own devices and reap the sad fruits of their many inventions Prov. 1. 31. Eccles. 7. 29. under wrath and a total disappointment of all their vain opinions and labours about and for rest and happiness Abundantly the worse will they be for all they have bin done or had Vers. 12. For who knoweth what is good for Man in this life all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow For who can tell a Man what shall be after him under the Sun There 's great cause for these two pertinent queries concerning Man For in his natural state at best is he wholly ignorant of both these things viz. What 's best for him to do in this World or what will be after him under the Sun when he is departed out of it What 's truly good for him in order to true Blessedness here or hereafter he knows not But when convincingly shew'd all wherein from what hand on what terms or by what way and means 't is attainable if he refuse so great Salvation as is offer'd in God's Spirit and chuse the life of his own before and against it he spends all his days and labours in and about a shadow and so chuses his own damnation He is possess'd of no good but what will vanish and leave him for ever Psal. 39. 5. 49. 12. when he is stripp'd of all his fading good and finds himself unchangeably evil under unchangeable Wrath he will too late be forc'd to see the Truth here declar'd by way of question that he spent all his days in and all his hours about a shadow But To the second Query These are the sad things that will be after a Man has spent his days here in a shadowy state of Vanity as amus'd and diverted all along his vain life with variety of perishing Vanities under the influence of the God of this World Amidst a flush and confluence of these delusive entertainments he seems little concern'd what shall be after him or what will become of him for ever He obstinately deafens himself to all counsels and instructions about what indeed is eternal life or the way towards it the death of a fading natural one as meer aery notion fiction and enthusiastical delusion He strikes in with the God of this World as willing to be blinded by him against all Gospel-Light and things He desires not to be troubled with such matters but to live in 〈◊〉 perfect inadvertency and unconcernedness as to such good things as can't be lost and as in no danger of losing what he has which most certainly will be lost for ever Man's days in this World are but as a hand-breadth nothing to his endless sorrowful State hereafter Yet all his sollicitude is about his concerns here scarce a thought about his eternal concerns hereafter All duties and performances in a life of vanity do but add to and encrease vanity and what 's he the better as to true happiness or any thing towards it In every respect worse in none better For what he sinfully heaps up against conviction he more and more sinfully delights in As the heap of vanities encreases his evil love to and delight therein encreases So in all his labour he adds iniquity to iniquity on all hands His heap of vanities and his vain love to it encreases all in a known rebellion against God Here 's Man's destructive trade in vanities wilfully neglecting all God's Counsel and durable riches He neither lay's to heart the desperate consequents of his evil choice and dotage on his own perishing life and riches or the unspeakable happiness that would have come after and befallen him had he obediently exchang'd and parted with all for God's everlasting Solomon bewail's this twofold ignorance of unhappy Man as to the everlasting good things that would have fallen to his lot after this life above all conception or thought of his natural heart on a right choice or sorrows and torment for ever on a wrong in a state of everlasting darkness and death This is the unknown or unconsider'd state that will come after all his jollity and deceitful pleasure in his vain life under the Sun CHAP. VII V. 1. A good Name is better then precious Ointment and the day of death then the day of one's birth NOthing is properly good in God's sight but what 's unchangably so Christ would not suffer our nature in the changeable first-covenant life of the Law to be call'd good in his 〈◊〉 person Mat. 19. 17. The good name then here is the new name Rev. 2. 17. which imports and belongs to that newness of life in which only 't is possible to bring forth fruit unto God or be saved Rom. 6. 4. 7. 4. This is here asserted to be better then all the precious Ointment in its kind of first covenant Life Light Wisdom with all variety of Gifts and Abilities therein as also all spiritual enlightning Gifts receiv'd upon that foot or in that Law-state short of the very Gospel-life and more excellent way 1 Cor. 12. 31. call'd Love 1 Cor. 13. To this only belongs the new or unchangeably good name here This is the unspeakably more excellent Gift then the said precious Ointment All first-creation-Life and Goodness being corruptible God that sees all futurities and possibilities knowing it will change or be chang'd and lost calls it Corruption in or with which no man or Angel can enter into or inherit Incorruption the incorruptible Inheritance 1 Pet. 1. 4. the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 15. 50. That incorruptible new-creation Life is convincingly shew'd and offer'd Men in lieu of their obediently surrendred natural and corruptible in which alone any can enter into and inherit it And this is imported in the new or good name here All old or first-creation life at best in Angel or Man is character'd by 〈◊〉 grass flower of grass Vanity a Dream and they therein said to be altogether Vanity Isa. 40. 6 -8. 1 Pet. 1. 24. Psal. 39. 5. Thus is the corruptible seed of a first-covenant life set up in both by the first-creation or restor'd in Man since lost by the fall which in
1. Cast thy Bread upon the Waters for thou shalt find it after many days HEre 's an Admonition to the universal practice of Charity in doing good to all but specially to the houshold of Faith Gal. 6. 10. As having a compassionate fellow-feeling with our fellow-Creatures and Brethren in the same nature by a free-hearted distribution of this World's goods As contriving opportunities for the practice of this duty has God given some a super-abounding over-flow of such things while others are destitute of the very necessaries of Life To a faithful answering his design and our duty herein a Blessing is promised He that hath pity on the Poor lendeth to the Lord and that which he gives will he repay Prov. 19. 17. See also the contrary threat'ned Prov. 21. 13. Whoso stoppeth his Ears at the cry of the Poor he also shall cry himself and not be heard As for the peculiar charity to the houshold of Faith Christ's little ones as his spiritual Disciples this will not miss of the great reward Mat. 10. 42. 25. 34 40. But we should extend our charity also to all which though it seem but as a casting our Bread upon the Waters 't will through God's promised Blessing be found again Deut. 15. 10. Vers. 2. Give a portion to seven and also to eight for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the Earth The practice of the said duty towards others is oft made a seeds-time to ones-self in such an unfore-known time of evil wherein we may be reduc'd to the like want Give and it shall be given you The same measure ye mete with shall it be measur'd to you again Luk. 6. 38. Such retaliation in distress will be comfortable when the said duty has bin well perform'd in prosperity So much of the literal sence of these two Verses In the spiritual or mystical what 's casting Bread upon the Waters Obedience to the Cross the spiritual Law whereof calls for mystical charity even the free giving up of all the Life Riches and fading Glory Wisdom and Strength of our own Spirit so as to become poor and dead with Christ there in order to live and reign with 〈◊〉 in that life he has rais'd our Nature into Here 's the recompence of such Love Obedience and Conformity to Christ a quitting our perishing life meats and riches for his never-perishing Christ himself was made poor in our Nature as to the mortal first-Creation 〈◊〉 and State thereof that thro' his exemplary poverty he might make many all followers of his suffering steps rich in God or in the everlasting righteous life of the second 2 Cor. 8. 9. The kindly suffering of the natural is the mystical seeds-time that will bring in a blessed harvest to the spiritual Man thro' an abounding fruitfulness in a newness of life Psal. 126. 5 6. Gal. 6. 7 8. He that sow's to the flesh builds his Faith hope and expectation for Blessedness on the corruptible life and fruitfulness of his but restor'd earthy natural state will reap corruption and eternal death He that sows to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap Life everlasting All in spiritual life principle and fruits the mystical Births and Children therein have Holiness to the Lord written in all their fore-heads The spirit of bondage and her Sons all Fruits Births or Works producible or performable in the most restor'd righteous natural state or life of the Law have all of them vanity and vexation to the Worker enmity and rebellion against the Lord writ out upon them All the Children there then are Children of death Except the 〈◊〉 seed of God's left-hand planting by a first-creation die in us 1 Cor. 15. 36 38. 1 Pet. 1. 23 25. as obedient to the husbandry and plough of Christ's spiritual Cross the incorruptible seed of an everlasting righteous life of God's right-hand planting in us has no room or way made for a springing up into its own life activity and fruitfulness under the powerful quickning influence of the same Spirit of Christ that destroys all our earthly life and fruit the mystical 〈◊〉 tree of good and evil root and branch tree and fruit This spiritual Love or Charity is the Saint to shew to Christ as the full and right payment of all mystical tithes and offerings to the true Melchisedec or high-Priest of God in a universal surrender of all changeable good things in his nature for all unchangeable good things in his Spirit of Grace as rais'd out of the death of his slain sacrific'd Nature into the life of the very Priest that slay's him But why should he be thus charitable and obedient to Christ Because he know's not what evil may be or come upon the earth even on all that rebelliously remain in their earthly life under final Wrath in everlasting poverty want and nakedness as to any goodness changeable or unchangeable A being willingly made poor there intitles to the true durable Riches and secures from all want for evermore in eternal life Vers. 3. If the Clouds be full of Rain they empty themselves upon the Earth and if the Tree fall towards the South or toward the North in the place where the Tree falleth there it shall be Man's natural spirit how everfill'd with the fading life riches fruits and products thereof at best must be emptied of and lose all again or never receives an everlasting life with the never-perishing meats fruits riches and clothing thereof Mat. 16. 25. North and South here may signifie the first and second or old and new-creation state Man in the first corrupt or righteous fall's toward the North into a cold barren desolate starveling condition for ever In the second toward the South has everlasting warmth and blessedness under the joynt shinings forth of the Divine and Creature-Sun of 〈◊〉 and everlasting Righteousness As the Tree fall's or Man dies in a six'd enmity to God as establish'd in his own life corrupt or righteous or in a spiritual life of everlasting union with and obedience to God there he shall be in Hell or Heaven Cold comfort in the former none at all under the scorching flames of unquenchable Wrath which will be found to make up to incorrigibly wicked Angels and Men a state of eternal darkness and death Vers. 4. He that observeth the Wind shall not sowe and he that regardeth the Clouds shall not reap The slothful Man that looks upon Winds and Clouds that are nothing but uncertainty it-self in their motions omit's the diligent husbanding his Ground and will not so sow as to reap any true profit or advantage to himself In the mystical sense he that neglect's Christ's voice and convincing discoveries not submitting to the spiritual husbandry of his Cross on his earthy natural state to make way for the springing up of a spiritual Seed and listen's to the stranger's voice the uncertain words or reasonings of Nature in himself or others signified here by Winds and Clouds for sparing that
righteous life of his own nature under the cherishing impregnating influencings of Christ as a fleshly Bridegroom or Husband rendring him fruitful in such births fruits works of righteousness and duties to God and Man as are producible and performable therein should he be joyful and thankful to God for mercifully restoring to him the proper life food and clothing of his dead desolate nature lost by the fall Ezek. 16. 3 -14. This is the common Salvation or general deliverance all men may receive from Christ's General-Redemption-Purchase This by his putting our nature at best in himself to death as to this very life he offer 's thereby to restore in all men And thereby has he shew'd them the right use of such life when restor'd even to give it up in Sacrifice to God as he did in order to receive from him that spiritual new-creation life in the image of the Heavenly into which he has exalted our nature in his own Person in which he lives and in which we may on like obedience as thorow-followers of his suffering-steps live with him for evermore Rev. 1. 18. A twofold day of adversity and house of mourning then will infallibly succeed a twofold day of prosperity and feasting in all possible outward or inward Riches of this World In the day of the said utmost twofold Prosperity then is it man's important concern to have in his eye thought and due consideration the approaching twofold day of Adversity Such a consideration may keep him from a sinful over-value of and over-rejoycing or trusting in his fading enjoyments and uncertain 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 6. 17. The day of adversity as to all such riches under the Cross and in the house of mourning and death to Nature is the method of God's Wisdom for the bringing him into his house of everlasting feasting and 〈◊〉 with Joy unspeakable and full of Glory So is the day of adversity and mourning a greater Mercy then the restoring him into the utmost prosperity of his nature outward and inward as bringing him nearer to absolute life and special Salvation 1 Tim. 4. 10. then when he first believed Rom. 13. 11. in Christ so as to receive the fresh gift of a first-covenant life from his hand On obedient submitting to the appointed death-pass into the Glory that follows excels and remains for ever does Christ stand ready to perform the promise of the Father Act. 1. 4. in giving Men durable Life Riches never-perishing food and clothing So follows a day of everlasting Prosperity and feasting to them They must suffer and die with Christ as to the fading first-covenant law-life of Nature that they may live and reign with him for ever in the Gospel-life of his Spirit of Grace and Truth 2 Tim. 2. 11 12. God sets all this before Man declares his whole counsel to him with the advantages of his compliance with and disadvantages of his rebellion against him as to absolute Salvation on the one hand or final damnation on the other Isa. 1. 19 20. All this fairly declar'd man may run and read what 's like to become of him for ever as wilfully running after Satan's lie or obediently complying with God's Spirit of Truth God has so clearly stated his true interest and duty in reference to his eternal 〈◊〉 that he will make him consess at last he kept nothing from him that 't was his true advantage to see or know This to the end Man should find nothing after him no concerning Truth that has not bin 〈◊〉 and plainly set before him and so no cause to complain of God as the Septuagint render it For the joy of an everlasting day of Prosperity spiritual feasting and rejoycing set before them ought Men with Christ to despise the shame and sorrow brought upon their natural state by his Cross. Heb. 12. 2. Former Saints and followers of Christ are a great cloud of witnesses for this ver 1. that the sufferings of the natural man in the present time are not to be compared with the Glory that shall be reveal'd to and in the spiritual state of the whole man Body Soul and Spirit Rom. 8. 18. Unchangeable enemies of the Cross from a most foolish unwarrantable love to their own nature will find all their day of Prosperity therein inevitably swallow'd up into an eternal night of darkness and death under the fiery Indignation of God Vers. 15. All things have I seen in the days of my Vanity there is a just Man that perisheth in his Righteousness and there is a wicked Man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness Here 's Solomon's large experience of all things in this first-creation World of Vanities He has seen the end all corruptible perfections and excellencies therein will come to Psal. 119. 96. The just man here may be the moral Heathen that depends on his own personal Righteousness as also the first-covenant Jew or Christian that depends on the perfect Righteousness or Comliness of that sort imputed to or put upon him Ezek. 16. 14. Both these are bidding with some confidence and hopefulness at Salvation in the natural corruptible first-creation or first-covenant Principles of Light Life and Action their own Wills Understandings and Wisdoms under the Law of works that requires such obedience as is performable in the active working power of their enlightned Nature These two sorts of just Men in Heathen-morality or legal-Christianity have nothing brought afloat in or about them but what 's perishable which therefore fix'd in is unchangeable enmity to God This enmity to God's Spirit which is the unpardonable filth of Man's renders all such righteous opposers of the vile affections or filth of Flesh in the corrupt spirit of Nature guilty of the most criminal sort of uncleanness and wickedness So do all such just men perish in and by their Righteousness as abused and set up against the Gospel-Life and everlasting Righteousness of God in his Spirit of Grace The gross profane wicked man in the unbridled unconscionable exercise of the corrupt spirit of Nature contrary to both the said righteous Men oft prolongs his life in a prosperous flourishing outward condition in this World Job 21. 7. And the literally-righteous spiritually-wicked Man typed hereby may prolong his days also in this World Both these fortunate fools are through the mistake of the natural man in the spiritual Saint envied as 〈◊〉 in their differing ways more then heart can wish while his nature is plagu'd and chasten'd daily under the Cross Psal. 73. 2 14. But when his spiritual man recovers and comes to work he sinds himself passing according to the fixed methods of God's Wisdom through a house of mourning and death into eternal life and the other through their desired Prosperity and house of feasting into 〈◊〉 sorrow darkness and death ver 17 20. He owns his natural man to be foolish and ignorant as a Beast as to the making any right judgment in this case ver 22. That brutish fool understands not