the man should live in peace and joy and in all upright Love and should not know nor take on any thing without the same but live only therein and not dye 10. If so be now that the man knew nothing without the same forementioned life nor took on any thing besides the same whereon to tye his heart wits and thoughts or understanding Then should he know taste and feel nothing else but all good Also walk in all Love Concord and Peace and so have (m) Gen. 1.2 b the whole earth in subjection under him and govern uprightly to the life all whatsoever is upon the earth according to the commandment or word of the Lord. 11. For that same is the life and the freedom of the manly generation for the which many creatures do sigh and long there-after which upright freedom of the children of God doth now come unto us according to the Promises because that all manly creatures might assemble them with us to the same rejoyce them with Godly joy in the same and live in all truth and upright righteousness 12. Behold the same was unto the man in the beginning (o) Gen 2. a Phil. 3. b 4 Esd 8. f Apoc. 2. a a Tree of life in the middst of the Paradise of the Lord for that he should live and that (p) Sapl 1. b it should go well with all that which God had created 13. But now when the man would know the good and the evil and had eaten of the same tree then (q) Gen. 3 a tasted he both the life and the death the which God had forbidden him because he should not eat nor tast of any other thing but of the good that is of the life and not feel any evil or death but should live unto his God in the life for that (r) Sap. 1. b it might go well both with himself and also with all what God had created 14. Whatsoever now therefore is taken on besides the same good or life whereon we do witness that is the evil the death or the destruction the which God hath not willed that it should be upon the earth for that the man might stand perfected from all evil and destruction 15. But now hath the man through that same prepared to himself the driving forth out of the Paradise of God and caused the peace to cease upon the earth also brought himself and all what is upon the earth into (s) Gen. 3. b much calamity and misery and is utterly estranged from the way directing to the Tree of life and so is taken captive in all kind of deadly and damnable fruits 16. That verily is the knowledge of the good and evil which he himself hath taken on and (t) Dan. 9. Math. 24. 2 Thes 2. it is the confused abomination which standeth in the holy place whereout all violence calamity and grief is come upon the earth 17. If the man now will (u) Ezek 14. a turn himself away from all the abominations of the wicked world and humble him rightly under the Love and her service then shall he likewise through the administration of the holy word of the Lord and his requiring have his regard unto the inward upright life whereon the word pointeth for that is Gods living being or substance it self and he shall also according to the requiring of the word try or examine himself diligently in his inwardness whether he can perceive yet still remaining there any ungodly or deadly being which is not the life or that serveth not the life unto the life but which (x) Eph. 4. b is minded to destruction through the lusts of error 18. So long then as the destruction besides th preservation of the life is looked neto or esteemed of by the man and that likewise the death besides the life the evil besides the good and the bondage besides the freedom is known tasted and felt so shall the man in his obedience to the requiring of the word of the Lord daily (y) Mat. 10. d 16. c Mark. 8. Luk 9 14. take up his Cross on him with the life die the death or the evil and bury the same according to the word of the Lord and so shall he by means of following the life in his like behaviour or (z) Ro. 6. a Phil 3. b death of the Cross become planted into the same good life who suffereth the death of the Cross by the evil 19. Out of which dying of the death or of the evil which death hath brought the death unto the life and hath had the dominion over the same the life riseth up again and cometh gloriously in Lordly manner against all his enemies 20. Even thus now through the rising up or resurrection of the upright life out of the second birth from the death the man also is raised up (a) Ro. 6. a from the death or born again out of the death for that he might live and not dye any more 21. Upon which resurrection of the dead according to the Scripture all Believers of the life do likewise hope and long thereafter for the life shall swallow up (b) Eze. 13. 1 Cor. 15. the death in victory in all his Believers which be incorporated or planted into him and so bring his enemy under him according to the Promises 22. For all what is not the true life that is against the true life and whatsoever is against the true life that is the death and the enmity unto the true life is also an enimy unto God and to the Lamb which enmity is minded neither according to the true being or nature of God nor of the Lamb nor yet according to the upright righteousness of the true life which true being of God and of the Lamb together with the upright righteousness of the true life ye may behold in the endless (c) Apo. 5.20 b book of the Lamb which is full of writing both without and within written with the finger of God and it is the everlasting life whereon we do witness The eighteenth Chapter THen when as thou O thou precious man hast looked into both these Natures Books and writings inwardly according to the spirit namely the straying being of the wicked world and the good being of God from eternity which good being is the (a) Apo. 20 21. b book of the Lamb written by the God of life besides the which the straying being which destroyeth through the lusts of error is come in place and written by the Devil the Father of death So judge then with the truth which of them it is that ought to have the superiority or preheminence in us for the od of life vouchsafeth unto us nothing else but all God life love and peace 2. Therefore let us be agreeably minded with the same good being of God and Love the good being for wherefore do ye receive and take unto you the destruction and why will ye in perditional manner perish
them will be their God and (x) Apo. 21. a wipe away all tears from their eyes and will put away (y) Isa 61. a their contempt from them they shall also serve the strange nations no more but only the Lord their God 14. They have doubtless been constrained a long time to suffer with the Lamb for the wickedness and ignorances cause of the people but now (z) Baruch 5. b doth the Lord bring them again with joy that they may rejoyce them in the holy Israel even as it beseemeth the children of light to do who do rejoyce them only in their God 15. This verily is the blessing which was published and affirmed unto all generations of the earth according to the Promises for that they might be all saved through the Love of God the Father which blessing and salvation they do all now obtain if they do believe the word of truth and stand good of will and humble them under the Love and her service The one and twentieth Chapter BEhold and consider ye dearly beloved both these forms natures or beings which are here figured or set forth unto you before your eyes even according to the life namely the (a) Isa 1 a Apo. 9.12.13 a. murderly seed of the high-minded beast or the names of the people that are her members which do raign in the perditionable world which is full of blood-guiltyness of the innocents and also the names of the people of Israel or house of Love the high commendable seed of the (b) Apo. 7. a. b 14 15 19. a benignity or loving kindness of the Lamb the which hath even hitherto (c) Apo. 6 b. kept and born the patience with the Lamb because of the wicked 2. Verily the house of Israel or the commonalty of the Love the elected Saints of God do follow after Christ their King even (d) Ro. 6. a. c unto their death and also to the life for they do in like manner bear the cross of the Lamb and therein keep the word of his patience They likewise even according to the obedience of the Lamb do shew a faithful obedience (e) Phil. 2 a till unto the death namely unto the death of the Cross whereby to obtain the dominion with the Lamb over the sin death hell condemnation and the world to the end they might in like manner through the Lamb and the death of his cross keep the victory against (f) 1 Cor. 15. f all their enemies 3. With which Saints of the lovely and upright being the (g) Isa 60 61 62. 2 Pet. 3. b now coming or new world shall also be inhabited in a perfect delight of God in all Love in (h) Eph. 4 a unity of peace and in upright righteousness and holyness which God esteemeth of But the ungodly shall perish or weare away out of the Land of the living for that the Land may be inhabited in rest and peace and with triumph and joy for evermore to the laud and praise of the glory of God according to the Promises 4. Therefore O all ye people look now into both these forms natures and beings and choose either the one or the other of them whom ye will incline unto whether it be (i) Deut. 30. Ier. 21. a Eccles 15. the death or the life the Devil or God the old wicked world or the new upright world and then cleave only to the same to the end that ye may sever your selves accordingly and so express thereby with whom ye do hold or stand agreeably minded or what ye do love (k) 3 Kin. 18. and halt no longer on both sides 5. If therefore you will incline or cleave to the Lamb or that ye look into or esteem his being to become a godly being then love the same with a single and humble heart standing submitted to rhe Love and so depart out of the death into the life put your trust in God in your proceeding on to the same life (l) Ioh. 5. c Rom. 6.8 b and stand firm in the hope of your salvation 6. But if ye be yet young or weak and unable for to live in the good or if ye be yet over-mastered by the evil against your will for God is both reasonable and courteous and if the man be of a good will then doth God require no more but that the man will still remain stedfast in the same good will for unto such a good willing man doth he (m) Phil. 1.2 b bring his power and strength for that the man should with the same obtain through Faith and that in a suffering manner the righteousness against the sin 7. Therefore possess your souls with (n) Luk. 21. c patience rest believing and continue in the hope and ye shall assuredly in the patience evidently perceive that the evil waxeth weak and that your soul shall be sound or whole 8. Shew or let it alwayes appear what ye love namely the good or the evil for look what one hunteth after that he catcheth and whatsoever one loveth of that he is willing to hear some speech or tydings and he is desirous also to be with the same for no man would willingly be separated from his best beloved therefore judge your own selves now and look rightly into your selves according to the truth to note what ye love and with what ye would willingly be and have your fellowship namely (o) Psal 8. b with the good being of God or with the pernitious and naughty Being of the wicked and deceitful world 9. If now therefore ye love and stand inclined unto the good being (p) Psa 34.13 d Amos 5 b then forsake the evil or ungodly being and separate your selves quite and clean with all your will (q) Isa 52. 2 Cor. 6. Apo. 18. from the evil or iniquity departing out of the same from day to day and be patient in the hope till that all the ungodly being do go under and perish or consume to nothing in you 10. This is our Cross which (s) Math. 10. d. 16. c Luk 9.14 we ought daily to take up in the belief And so in that manner to follow after the vertue of the godlyness Also to love the wisdom and the Information and not reject the chastisement (t) Prov. 3 b Heb. 12. a or correction of the Lord that meeteth with us the whilest our hearts are yet captivated with the sin and (u) Eph. 4. b blindness 11. Behold even such according as of meer Love we have testified herein is the right way to the God of life and to his righteousness from the which (x) Psal 14. Sap. 5. Rom. 2. b the man is departed and estranged In which way the man being in his estranging from his God is by (y) Eph. 2. a Gods grace called and bidden to come again unto his God through the belief or confidence in God touching the salvation to the end he should according
whereby to know thee as a true God which liveth everlastingly 21. For thou O God art a God that lovest the very best of the fruits of the field and (b) Exod. 13.34 Le. 1 2 3. Deut. 12.14 hast a delight unto the fat of the Sheep and Lambs as it is a burnt-offering unto thee of a sweet Savour upon thy (c) Psal 43. Isa 56. holy Altar in thy Tabernacle of thy dwelling which thou hast chosen unto thy self (d) 2 Par. 6. a. 7. b in thy holy City Jerusalem 22. But thou (e) Isa 57.65 despisest all oblations offered in Forrein Lands as likewise all God-services upon their mountains and upon all their hills and high-places 23. Thou also rejectest (f) Amos 5. all songs of praise used under their trees and under all their green eaves 24. Thou abhorrest all presumptuous arrogancy of the flesh they do all displease thee which seek thee through their own doings to the end to be at one with thee and yet have no regard unto thy Promises 25. Their God-service is (g) Isa 16.43 Amos 5. Hos 5.6 an abomination unto thee their self-Sanctification although the flesh appeaseth it self therewith doth altogether stink before thee 26. Unto their Sabboths Holy-dayes or self-made rest-dayes thou hast no desire or liking 27. Their prayer also cometh not before thine ears (h) Prov. 11 Isa 1.59 Mich 3 4 Esd 3. as that it pleaseth thee any whit at all For it is all filthy before thee if they seek thee without thy Promises For they seek not thee O God but themselves and how to please themselves 28. Their waies that they walk lead not unto thee But they run apace towards Hell and have a lust unto error 29. There is nothing among them but manly fear and snaring of the heart with captivated consciences according to the old custom of the vain heathen which O God knew not thy wayes but upon their own wisdom and self-made wayes they (i) Isa 3. b are proud and very bold 30. Therefore is not likewise (k) Isa 59. b the right knowledge of their sin among them as to account the same for sin that they might turn them unto thee because they know not O God of thy peace nor understand rightly any thing thereof 31. Thy rebuke and chastionable information have they not rightly felt neither also rightly taken heed to the same nor yet understood what thou intendest therein and requirest therewith therefore doubtless the right fear of God is not before their eyes like as the fear of men is for to please them O God plant thy (l) Psal 40. Isa 51. Jer. 31. d Law in their hearts as a Glass or a clear light unto their inwardness then shall they rightly know their sin (m) Rom. 7. d how or in what manner she is sin to the end that sin may make up her self and shew in what form she is the fruits of death or the deadly being the which she estrangteh the man from the living God-head for that the sin thereby may be consumed (n) 1 Co. 15. f for thy Law is an encountring or enveighing power against the sin and then shall they know and understand whom they ought to fear and cleave unto 33. For when as thy Law O God groweth up in us in our earthly and weak man-hood and requireth thy righteousness of us then are we burthened and grieved wherethrough we grow to discern our fall from thee and the (o) Psal 51. a great abundance of our sins and that likewise it is all sin wherein we are conceived wherein we have lived 34. Yea that which in times past we supposed to be good is now found to be meer wickedness and sin by reason whereof our souls become humbled before thee for to obtain mercy from thee out of thy abundant grace Even then also do we confess what we are according to our earthly manhood namely (p) Gen. 2. b Eccl. 10 17. b dust earth and ashes and that we of our selves being without the effect or estate of thy Love are altogether (q) Ps 14.53 a Rom 3. b ignorant and lying and utterly estranged from thy righteousness And so with lowly hearts by reason of the depth of our necessity or extremity for the sins cause we become then O God rightly turned unto thee whereby through the drawing or allurement of thy Love to come again unto thee 35. By means of which humiliation or abasing of our selves we through thy grace and mercy become endowed by thee with the most holy belief through the which we be then likewise baptized or washed in the (r) Rom 6 Gal. 3. Col 2. death of Christ and do stand firm in the hope to the obtaining of the health of our souls and so through the belief ministred under the obedience of thy Love we become made (s) Rom. 8. a. free from the Law of sin and death by the spirit of thy Law which maketh alive in Jesus Christ 36. Oh how far is the man departed and estranged from the upright knowledge of this wisdom of God 37. O God that my heart might rent open it self and might cry unto thee with a forcible courage And that thou wouldest hearken to my voice and wouldest vouchsafe to look down towards us with thy merciful eyes and take compassion of our misery deformity and fall and over the blindness of our errors and wouldest in chastionable manner draw us unto thee that we might rightly convert or come again and live in thee For we are doubtless fallen estranged and strayed very deep and far from thee and thy Christ we have mingled our selves with the strangers and walked in many errors 38. O God let us in every part see into our (t) Iob 13. Psa 14. Isa 59. transgressing and make known unto us the lyingness of our hearts against thee 39. For many do say It is very good whereas doubtless it is meer evil And they say moreover out of the blindness and ignorance of their hearts Behold (u) Ier. 8 a Math. 24. b here is the holy Scripture we have the right or the truth the being of God and the holy Ghost And also the mind and sense of the wisdom for to understand the same we have the true belief in Christ and are the Lords people O God they speak lyes before thine ears and understand not the counsel of thy wisdom but are children of the fall or transgression among whom there is neither being of God nature of thy love nor belief of thy Christ but only a vain and false boasting whereby they seduce both themselves and others more for they oppress the little ones and the poor and resist thy holy service of Love therefore one may easily find many masters and vaunters but very few servants and yet (x) 1 Cor. 4. b many fewer Fathers in the Office of the Love 40. Oh that many of them saw their vain wisdom