the first as that wherein this second sort of men that make up the earthly Jerusalem have all things in common with the first as to their being benefited by the dispensation of natural right and justice enjoying withall much more then all this amounts to even the comfortable warmth and life that is found in the day-light of Christs first appearance and by immediate and fruitful converse with him in the same which is far to be preferred before the night of the Gentile world The third and last form or administration of the Kingdom of Christ which is exercised over men is that whereby the true spiritual seed of Abraham according to Gods promise Gen. 22. 17. do possess the gates of their enemies and shall in their proper season be manifested to be the seed wherein all the Nations of the earth shall be blessed which is farther explained Dan. 7. 18. 22. where it is said that the Saints of the most high shall take the Kingdom and possess it for ever even for ever and ever in fellowship and society with Christ their Head sitting upon the Throne with him having a dominion glory and a Kingdom that shall never be destroyed The supreme Lords and Rulers then in this kingdom under Christ are the Saints or general assembly of the first-born whose names are written in heaven Children that Christ will make princes in all lands giving them the honour written to bind even Kings in chains and the Nobles in fetters of iron unto whom as unto the right heirs of salvation the elect Angels will be constant ministers and attendants in their charge and office of administing natural right and justice and executing vengeance on all the enemies of these Saints of the most High who come not to the attainment of this high glory and dignity suddenly or one before another but by a general gathering of them all together by their head first into one dead body with him as planted together in the likeness of his death or offering up in the flesh which is a needful preparation to the bearing and right managing the honour and preheminence of that Crown and dominion which they are called unto over all the works of Gods hands Secondly by their being gathered together unto him in one heavenly and glorified body as planted also in the likeness of his resurrection in the glory wherein he is set down at Gods right hand which is expected to be fulfilled at his return when we shall see him coming from heaven in like manner as he was seen to ascend up thither This third sort of Christs subjects are compared by himself Luke 8. unto the good ground on whom Christ the word and seed of life fell as into honest and good hearts that having heard the word keep it and bring forth fruit with patience having such a faith as is mentioned James 1. 3. that under manifold temptations approves and justifies itself to be found durable and saving in and by the fruit of patience which it works obtaining a free passage and course for the WORD OF CHRISTS PATIENCE in the soul till it hath had its perfect work and made the mind perfectly conformable with Christ in his death 1 Pet. 4. 1. to the making the believer perfect and entire wanting nothing and to be of the number of those that do overcome and are made pillars in the house of God never to go out more These are the true Heirs of salvation that as princes may be found walking on foot here in this world whilst servants are riding on horseback and are in faith and patience possessing their souls albeit they be killed all the day long and accounted as sheep for the slaughter Rom. 8. 36. slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they hold Rev. 6 9 10 11. unto whom white robes are given even garments washed in the blood of the Lamb in which patient posture they are appointed to wait and rest for a little season untill their fellow-servants also and brethren that should be killed as they were should be fufillled We find not only this third sort of Christs subjects mentioned and comprehended under that parable of the sower Luk. 8. but the second and first also very lively described to those that have ears te hear yea and Christ himself as the universal seeds-man the living WORD OF GOD who scatters the seed of his searching light and life into all hearts and consciences whatsoever enlightning every one that comes into the world and setting up that in them which is a discerner of their thoughts and of the intents of their hearts who therefore is held forth in that parable first as he sows his seed by the wayside or high waies interpreted by himself Mat. 22. 9. to be the visits and communications of light and life sowen by him among the Gentiles For so he saith when he would intimate Gods intention upon the Jews rejection of him to bring the Gentiles into the knowledge of himself Go ye therefore into the High waies or unto the Gentiles and as many as you shall find bid them unto the marriage shewing evidently that by the high-waies on which the seed fals he means the Gentiles as appears Luke 8. 12. where it is said that in this state the devil comes or may come and take away the Word out of their hearts lest they should believe and be saved that is before it come up to the birth of faith in them so much as of a temporary faith for oommon salvation which appertains to the second sort properly represented by the second and third the stony thorny groud much less a saving one being only a seed of light or work of Christ in the conscience teaching to feel after faith and salvation but not actually entring them into it and so is a most lively description of the subjects of Christ and hearers of the word under the first dispensation Now that which remains is to shew how the children of the first covenant and earthly Jerusalem under the Gospel are also held forth in this parable who are temporary believers arriving at and attaining through the power of the WORD a state of common salvation with those of the Church of Laodicea Rev. 3. who thereby became rich and increased with goods needing nothing being ignorant that they were miserable and poor and blind and naked in a condition that would abide trials no more then those represented by the stony and thorny ground who when they heard received the Word with joy and for a while believed but in time of temptation fell away as unable to resist and avoid the abuse of lawfull comforts and enjoyments vouchsafed unto them by God in the first convenant but ready every moment to over-charge their hearts with surfeiting drunkenness and good things of this world the sweet whereof was relished and esteemed by them in such excess as to work in them an undervalue and disrellish of Christ in his heavenly glory to
the gates of hell to prevail against the very elect themselves that are built on the Rock and are out of his reach to annoy in reference to the certainty of their salvation finding therefore little hopes or likelihood to frustrate them in that he makes it his business to render them of all men most miserable as to any hopes or enjoyments in this life wherein he finds latitude given him in the power allowed to him to bruise their heel Secondly he useth all the means-that lie in his power by subtilty or force so far as Gods permission gives way to him to assault the will and judgement of man how highly enlightned and how far quickned soever upon his single natural root in order to entice and draw him away from his subjection unto God in the natural service and worship that is due from him never leaving till he hath prevailed with and over him to provoke God so highly notwithstanding all his goodness patience and long-suffering to him extended through the blood of Christ as thereby to render himself unworthy of any further love or favour and to move God to swear in his wrath that he shall never enter into his REST. Under these two general heads we shall find as in a constant track throughout the whole Scripture the workings and counter-workings that are kept on foot and maintained between the MAN CHRIST JESUS who would have all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth and the MAN OF SIN and grand deceiver Satan who would have no man to be saved but all to be made children unto him who is the father of lyes The means used by Christ to produce renew and maintain the workings and operations of light and life from him in the hearts and consciences of fallen mankind is by setting on foot as hath been already shewed the threefold law and government given and erected by him at the beginning over all the sons of Adam upon the fall through the power and exercise whereof First he doth that to and in the hearts and consciences of the very heathen which fits and qualifies them to live answerable if the fault be not in themselves to the law and government they are under according to the measures of attainment which the meer natural man may have The like he doth unto the children of the first Covenant unto whom he is much more bountiful sutably to the state he farther leads them into And thirdly he exceeds what he doth to both these in the communications of himself unto the spiritual seed whom he suffers not to destroy themselves but takes a course to cross their own wils and desires when they are hearkning to the temptation of their own lust or Satan to draw them away This threefold conscience and spirit of man in the proper principles and operations of each of them whether they are to be found single or all of them together as in sweet harmony thus set up in the spiritual seed our purpose is to treat of and that as particularly and distinctly as we can to fall in with the experiences of all that may be therein concerned looking upon this as the best method we can take for the clear opening and stating the several dispensations of Christs three-fold government and Kingdom already entred upon And therefore we shall consider the principles and operations of each of these consciences either First as they are Christs own workmanship in and upon the heart and spirit of man as the beginning and foundation of those holy and righteous actings by him required under the dispensation whereinto each of them is brought by God or Secondly as they are the lawfull and righteous workings of the spirit of man enabled hereunto by free gift from Christ and in dependance upon him yet as the fruit and travel of his own proper judgement and will rectified in the use of those means prepared and laid before him by Christ to bring him to the right end of all motion which is the true REST whilst as yet he is under works and not under grace or Thirdly as they are the unlawfull and forbidden fruit of mans spirit qualified and enabled from Christ as before expressed when through his own lust he is enticed and through the subtilty of Satan he is ensnared so as lust when it hath thus conceived is the root of all evil operation bringing forth fruit unto death even death eternal in the end if the Lord upon the grounds of his new and everlasting Covenant do not pluck such souls out of this danger and lead them to such a state as contains in it a perfect security and freedom from the re-entry of sin with its prevailing power over them Through the right and distinct consideration of these principles and operations of conscience in the sons and daughters of men we may come to find our selves where we are and whose subjects whether Christs or the Devils and to what Kingdom or dispensation we belong in reference to the one or the other to the Kingdom of Christs marvellous light or to the power of Satans accursed darkness and upon what terms we stand in the one or the other whether in a wavering state consisting in a capacity and possibility of removal out of the one into the other or in a fixed determined state upon which it is impossible for any change to be brought either in a good sense or in a bad in which men are reserved and kept fast either in the bonds of perfect love light and freedom that casteth out fear as the elect or in chains of darkness and captivity unto the judgement of the great day as the non-elect who will be destroyed by the brightness of Christs coming when he shall appear the second time without sin to the salvation of his People And this we shall do if God permit as a service to these present times wherein like little children most are tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine by the slight of men and cunning craftiness whereby men and devils lie in wait to deceive and lead on the ignorant to the Chambers of death CHAP. XV. Shewing more particularly the bounds of that Rule and Government which is set up by Christ in the natural conscience together with the answer of a good conscience thereunto in those that are under this first dispensation IT is most evident by the Scriptures that amongst the nations who are said to be without law as distinguished from the Jews that were under the law there were found doers of the law by nature who shewed the work of the law written in their hearts their consciences bearing them witness and their thoughts mean while accusing or excusing one another Rom. 2. 14 15. Of such Peter speaketh Acts 10. 34 35. where he saith Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons but in every nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousness is accepted with him according as David
things sin only excepted which as the Law or holy commandment ministred by him is given them to keep without spot and unrebukeable unto his second appearance 1 Tim 6. 14. and as was typed out by the Manna is then no longer to be fed upon as singly ministred nor is to be gathered when this true Rest or Sabbath appears but melts away before the heat of this more glorious Sun and brighter day of Christs second appearance to them as having attained its end calling with the Angel Gen. 32. 26. to be let go and ceased from because of the day-break of Christs second coming and the sounding forth of the voice of God from that most excellent glory in which even this first ministry is also comprehended and fufilled This is Israel after the flesh whether considered as they were shadowed and typed forth by the fleshly seed of the Jews in general or as they were in truth the circumcision of Christ made without hands in time of the law or of the Gospel among Jews or Gentiles who as such are called Jer. 2. 21. wholly aright seed and Isa 5. a vineyard of Christs in a very fruitful hill fenced cleansed and planted with the choisest vine in expectation of their bearing good fruit and bringing forth right grapes but many of them in the end do bring forth sowr and wild grapes From these then thus considered are distinguished those under the Law that were only such outwardly their circumcision being only that which was outward in the flesh who having singly the form of knowledge according to the law contained in ordinances and outward observations knew not what it was to be a lew in spirit so much as in a conformity of inward perfection and life to Christ in his headship to the natural man These are described Ier. 32. 23. as those that walked not in Gods Law nor did any thing of all that God commanded them to do in the spirit and power of the commandment parallel unto whom are those in these daies under the Gospel who seem exceeding zealous of outward Ordinances and observations consisting in worldly rudiments as touch not tast not handle not which all are to perish with the using whilst they remain strangers and enemies in their minds by wicked works even to that life of natural righteousness that is required by the Law not being renewed in and by Christ as his seed and off-spring so much as after the flesh nor made true members of his living body as planted into a likeness and conformity with him in his natural perfection of fleshly life And as the inward fleshly Israelite differs thus from the outward so is he in eminency far above all that rectified and reformed state of nature effected by the ministry of Angels in and upon those who are not yet actually taken out of their first corrupt natural root the old Adam but stand yet related as members to that head notwithstanding all the change brought upon them by the first dispensation For such are not as yet truly feeding with Christ at his fleshly table nor eating and drinking in his personal presence whilst they go forth singly in the acting of what is natural right and just and have no other foundation for their peace with God or means of maintaining fellowship and communion with him but the righteous and good works which they do according to the light dispensed in that first ministry and government whereas the Israel that is after the flesh as renewed in the flesh of Christ and becoming children of the first covenant are receivers of Christ himself in his first appearance for the foundation of their converse with God and the means of maintaining their fellowship and communion with him In this respect they are said to have faith accompanied with a good conscience but such as may be lost and shipwracked 1 Tim. 1. 19. and 5. 12. such a faith as in comparison with the faith that works by love and springs from the root of the Heavenly Adam is accounted as no faith at all Deut. 32. 20. but is rather to be esteemed the knowledge with which men are in danger of being puffed up 1 Cor. 8. 1. and such a receiving of the truth which as it may consist with so also may be without the love of it in the spirit and power thereof in which manner they receive it who afterward sin wilfully and so come to be denied any longer continuance of the benefit of Christs sacrifice for the expiation of their sins Heb. 10. 26. These with the stony ground receive the word with joy and are believers but when their faith comes to its trial Iam. 1. 2 3. they prove waverers and unstable such whose faith fails in the time of need wanting the incorruptible seed of the heavenly Adam to bear them up and make them durable Through this temporary faith they are admitted into Christs presence to eat and drink with him at his table and are enabled to do many wonderful works in his name and to make a very fair shew in the flesh and yet have no abiding city nor ever enter into the true Rest but only from the top of this Mount Pisga they may have a view and prospect into the true Land of promise the kingdom that cannot be moved that is in spirit and power appearing to them as a Land of distances very far off and may see its Lineaments and proportions though never be able to enter into the life and power of it as in like manner from the top-perfection of the first dispensation a survey may be taken of the earthly Jerusalem and of the glory of Christ according to the flesh without ever being actually translated into it or knowing of Christ in the life and power of his first appearance unto which many of those that go under the name of Quakers do seem to arrive CHAP. XVII Shewing the nature of that kingdom and Rule of Christ in the Saints which consists not in word and in the form of godliness only but in power and in the life of saving faith the first fruits whereof appear in those hearts that are made conformable to Christ in his death BY what we have laid down in the two foregoing chapters it plainly appears that Christ hath subjects and faithful walkers with him under both the former dispensations wherein he suffers the tares and the wheat the children of this world and the heaven-born sons of Zion to grow up together for a while without any discrimination being not yet come to the harvest that finishing work of his wherein he makes up his jewels Mal. 3. 17. setting apart his choise treasure unto himself and causing a manifest distinction and difference to shew it-self between the wicked and the righteous between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not between those that draw back whose soul God takes no pleasure in and those that go on to the saving of the soul Heb. 10. 38 39. We are
way of natural good works and well-doing pretending to keep up his natural lust and desire in the life exercise and power thereof as Saul did the best of the goods of the Amalekites and their King for Sacrifice to God And therefore the natural man in the Saint in all the powers and faculties thereof stands it out long against the workings of faith in him and fights hard upon this principle of self-preservation deriding with the brothers of Joseph that dreamer which the New-Covenant-Faith in the life language and obedience thereof appears to be to the judgement of flesh and blood when it perswades us to become weak with Christ to suffer our selves to be disarmed and despoyled of this first power and the free exercise thereof upon its single natural root as keeping up a covetousnesse in us that is Idolatry and the root of all evill and does assure us that Gods strength shall be made perfect in us through this weaknesse so as we may rejoyce and glory in such infirmities through which the strength of Christ shall come to be ever resting on us whereby at last we shall be made to take pleasure in these infirmities reproaches necessities persecutions and distresses for Christs sake which at first are grievous but in conclusion we find by experience that when we in our selves are thus most weak then are we in the Spirit of Christ made most strong In this weaknesse then which is brought upon the naturall man of the Saint in which he is made to bear about in his body the marks of the dying of the Lord Jesus consisting in infirmities reproaches necessities persecutions and distresses inward and outward doth the death of Christ work in the flesh of every Saint untill it be fully crucified brought downe into the grave and formed into one dead body with Christs natural man for ever disenabled and weakened from acting this selfish power or exercising this natural lust or desire though in a way of natural or legal good workings singly considered but to have them brought to their lawful rest in the grave of Christ as a Sabbath-keeping there their reasonable service and sacrifice acceptable unto God by Jesus Christ Whence it comes to passe that we no longer live but Christ lives in us and in and through this weaknesse brought upon us by the Crosse quickens us to a more excellent way of working with God and for God then ever we were acquainted with before to the fulfilling and establishing the righteousnesse required by the Law to the highest so that against these weakened Saints and poor broken-spirited children of God there is no Law but the death of Christ that thus works in them doth condemne sinne in the flesh and never leave till it quite abolish it there and bring in the everlasting righteousnesse of God in the roome of that righteousnesse of man which was but as a morning dew Thus we come to bear about in our body the dying of the Lord Jesus that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal or crucified flesh which work of mortification is unto the old Adam most bitter and grievous it being that which bruises him and puts him to grief beyond all that can be imagined and which therefore he fights against and resists to the last drop of blood till he can no longer stand upon his feet but doth fall down amongst the slaine in the blood of Christ whose rest is blessed thus dying with or in the Lord and his works follow him This is the third particular wherein our conformity to Christs death doth consist The fourth and last does respect the workings of faith as they maintaine the good part of this fight in the Saints and gaine the victory over the world and the fleshly seed and principles in them In the managing of which faith doth at first whilest the spiritual senses are not come into use nor strength undergo many a sore brunt and is hard put to it by the workings of unsubdued flesh and blood in them as in the renewed principles thereof they abide in their vigour and flourishing of youth under the first Covenant having through the power of the Law and life of Christs fleshly perfection brought forth in them overcome the wicked one and by the knowledge of Jesus Christ after the flesh cleane escaped the pollutions of the world respecting the filth of the flesh in the confidence and strength whereof these young ones in the experiences of the Gospel think nothing too hard for them to break through and get the mastery of and therefore despise the workings of faith and seed of the promise as a barren desolate widowhood in comparison of their flourishing youth and would be putting in for the inheritance as obteined by the perfection of the Law and Christs first appearance esteeming that to be the Kingdome that is to abide and continue the holy City whose Tabernacle must never be taken down But against all these fierce encounters from pure flesh and blood in the Saint armed with conquests over the wicked one and many fruitful evidences of Christs presence and communion as a Bridegroome and Husband according to the flesh faith armes the soul putting on it the whole armour of light and evidencing to it things unseene the hidden Manna the new name the Jerusalem that is above that which neither eye hath seene nor eare heard nor hath entred into the natural mans heart and conception with which it puts forward and advances bringing in that which is enduring substance an inheritance undefiled and which fades not away in opposition to a failing decaying corruptible Crowne and Rest which flesh and blood glories in And in this more excellent way of worshipping and serving God it comes forth and gains ground in the heart to the stopping the high careere that flesh and blood was in before to the utter silencing it at last and casting down its lofty imaginations and every high thing that exalts it self against the knowledge of God bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ Through this powerful operation of faith the youth of flesh and blood in the Saint is weakened and grey heirs now begin to appear here and there upon him in this his captivity to the obedience of faith which state is very honourable and is the qualification that renders Saints the true Elders in the Church of God who being old men in Christian experiences ought to be in great esteeme for the use and advantage they are of and the great benefit they may bring to true Church-fellowship and Christian Societie how despicable soever this frame of spirit be in the eyes of the worldly Church and of the youthful visible Churches of Saints flourishing with their fair shewes in the flesh whereby they are puffed up and have life working in them whilest death works in Paul the aged and such Elders in spiritual growth that walk as he walked yea these are full and rich and would
a threefold respect Magistracy may be brought into its lawfull exercise over men and where it is not so it is the sinne and abuse of those that exercise it and deteine it in unrighteousnesse contrary to the light within them which they live under and ought to be faithful unto Before we go farther then we are to acknowledge that Magistracy or Rule over men may be exercised amongst all Nations in general in a lawful and right manner suitable to their dispensation and light received and as such is as a weaker or stronger sort of Rule of and from Christ set up amongst them and ought not therefore so much as in its lowest dispensation in the righteous exercise thereof to be judged condemned or disobeyed byany as accounting it a part of the fourth Monarchy or seat of the beast since it is so only as considered and found in its corrupt use and fixed enmity against Christ and his Saints Againe by this also we may take notice that we are not to be in bondage to the Judicials of Moses as in the letter of them they conveyed the Lawes of Civil Government to the people of the Jewes since the spirit and original patterne of those very Judicials is set up by Christ in men through his resurrection from the dead to enable them unto a righteous ruling over men in the fear of the Lord by the pouring out of his Spirit upon all flesh and thereby qualifying them unto that office as wel as to all other Christian duties performable by the renewed natural man So as it would be a returning back againe unto Moses contrary to his owne charge Acts 7. if we should bind up our selves to his Judicials For Moses himself saith A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you like unto me him shall ye hear in all that he shall say unto you as well for the enabling of you to the right discharge of Magistratical duties as the rest of that work which the Christian is to be conversant in according to his command So that instead of going thus backward we are to go forward and to be still enquiring and learning out more of Christs mind in this great work as by steps and degrees he leads us thereunto through the influencings of his Spirit in a way of righteousnesse and by the daily renewed outgoings of his providence And doubtlesse if Moses Judicials are thus to be left behind as they that have lost their force and obligation no humane ordinances or positive Lawes must expect to be perpetual and exempt from change and removal if the Lord please by a visible hand of his owne in judgement and righteousnesse to fold them up as old garments and change them as vestures of the worlds old fashion to make way for the new heaven and new earth that Christ is bringing into their roome whose abolishing and taking away in such a case is their improvement perfection and establishment according to the Primitive and best Constitution of Government This being by way of preparation and introduction laid down we shall now proceed to shew more particularly wherein Magistracy as to the purity of its constitution and righteousnesse of its exercise doth consist Magistracy then is the Rule which God hath ordained to be exercised over the outward man by man himself qualified thereunto to act in righteousnesse and in the fear of the Lord in discharge of this his high and great trust and so is an office meerly respecting Rule and Government over men in their outward concernes which is capable to be rightly used or not according as the persons entrusted therewith are qualified and do exercise the same the office of it self being good and the end for which it is set up being according to Gods Ordinance and institution for the ministring of punishment to them that do ill and encouragement and protection to them that do well And men may lawfully arrive and attaine unto this office and dignity either in an ordinary way through the endeavours and free choice of men or extraordinarily by the immediate call of God himself to the exercise thereof making those that are to obey willingly subject in that day of his power For the office it self it is as we have shewed in Gods institution a Rule that is set up over the outward man in righteousnesse and in the fear of the Lord obliging the persons intrusted with this power to put forth righteousnesse in all their actings that appertaine to their publick charge in the judgements and statutes given for the right ordering and regulating of humane societies in the outward converse of men one towards another and in the common protection safety and defence which by them is to be provided with reference to those that are under their charge And as in this the principles of natural justice and right in their highest improvement are to be their Rule so the fear of the Lord should oblige them in an humble dependency upon him and trembling posture of mind before him to be watchful in not suffering any thing to be done by them that may carry in it hinderance or opposition to the breaking in of higher discoveries upon them as to the very exercise of the Magistratical office in the purity and perfection wherein it is promised to be brought forth in the last dayes by Christ himselfe unto which they should alwayes have willing and ready minds to make way and to submit Upon such grounds Magistracy may be preserved in its lawful use and exercise as a faithful servant waiting for the coming of his Lord and the persons exercising that authority are to be accounted as the Ministers of God to us for our good of whom we are to be afraid if we do evil and whom we are not to fear if we do well because they are to be a terrour only to evil works and a praise to the good In which respect the Apostle sayes true Christians must needs be subject as having an obligation leadin them thereunto not only for wrath but for conscience sake Rom 13. 5. The power that appertains to this office is all the strength that man is capable of being formed into either in a way of counsel or force to prevent and resist all assaults that may encounter the same in way of disturbance or opposition to the end that righteousnesse in the outward converse of men may run and be in Authority and Rule against all contradiction thereunto from the malice of Devils or men And therefore we are not to conceive as most are apt to do that man in his innocent state and sinlesse nature stood in no need of this office of Magistracy for it is not only useful to restraine from unrighteousnesse and disorder occasioned by sin and the fall but also to conserve and maintaine men in the good order and right disposition of things wherein by their creation they were placed in a preventing way unto the disorder and danger that lust