he now tempts in man and therefore they cannot believe how the Tempter first tempted in man and cause him to fall it is as hard for such to believe it as it is for a Camel to go through the eye of a Needle They are of the number of those rich men that have not sold all that hath not parted with all and are become so poor as to have nothing to be nothing to will nothing that so they may enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but they are of the number that do still see themselves to be as Gods that is to have of their own to be of their own to do of their own to will of their own and are not yet come into that state of being become new Creatures they are not come into that state that God at first made all things of nothing nothing was before the Creation and nothing man must be of himself before God doth his great work of creating man his new Creature And when the woman saw the tree was good for food and that it was pleasant to the eye and a tree to be desired to make one wise she took of the fruit thereof and did eat and gave also unto her husband with her and he did eat I pray observe the words of the Scripture And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food at that very instant of time that she saw the Tree was good for food at that very instant of time it was pleasant to the eye and at that very time it was a tree to be desired to make one wise at that very instant of time she took of the fruit thereof and did eat and gave also unto her husband with her and he did eat Here was not a seeing of the Tree to be good for food at one time and then at a time after that it was pleasant to the eye and then at a time after that it was a Tree to be desired to make one wise and then at a time after that she took of the Fruit thereof and did eat and gave also to her Husband with her and he did eat No the Scripture doth not speak after that manner but the Scripture saith And when the woman saw the tree was good for food and that it was pleasant to the eye and a tree to be desired to make one wise All these are joyned and linked together as to the matter of time to be at once in the woman when was the one then was the other of them they are not separated and as they are not separated the one from the other as to the matter of time wherein they were done but all joyned and linked together so is not her taking of the Fruit thereof and eating of it and giving of it to her Husband with her and he did eat These are all joyned and linked together as to the matter of time wherein they were done when the woman saw that the tree was good for food and pleasant to the eye and to be desired to make one wise at the very same instant of time she took of the fruit thereof and did eat and gave also to her husband with her and he did eat The time when joyns them altogether to be done when the one was done then at that instant of time the other was done so joyned and linked together as to the matter of time when they were done as not separated the one from the other When the woman in the understanding and knowledge that she had saw a good in the Tree and such a good as that it was good for food for to that the Serpent in his temptation in time had brought her unto whereas in the beginning of the temptation in the understanding and knowledge that she had she saw the Tree not to be good for food nor yet the Fruit of it to be eaten but instead of being good for food she saw the eating of the Fruit thereof if I may so call it of a poysonous nature bringing death because God had said that in the day they eat thereof they should surely die But the Serpents temptation continuing in her at length it prevailed so far in her to bring her to make a wrong use of that understanding and knowledge that God had given to her For the end of Gods giving man that portion of understanding and knowledge it was that man should improve this his portion of knowledge in doing Gods will in yielding obedience to God But man mis-spent his portion and made use of it in disobeying God and goes out of the doing Gods will into the doing his own will the temptation having first prevailed in man to question the truth of what God had said that they should surely die in the day they eat of the forbidden fruit And then when the temptation had prevailed in man so far as to give credit to the lye that the subtile Serpent said Ye shall not surely die For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof then your eyes shall be opened and ye shall be as Gods knowing good and evil The temptation having thus prevailed in the woman this caused her in that understanding and knowledge that she then had after the temptation had so far prevailed in her and over her to look upon the Tree to be good and not onely to be good but to be good for food that which before when the temptation first entred into her by the understanding and knowledge that she then had she saw to be evil for food and of if I may so say a dangerous and poysonous nature bringing Death along with the eating of it and so she did not then yield to the Temptation but when the Temptation had prevailed in her and over her then it was that in that understanding and knowledge that she then had she saw the tree that once she saw to be evil to eat of to be good and not onely good but good for food the good she then saw in it was in doing what God had forbidden God had not forbidden the being of the Tree The tree of Life was in the midst of the garden and the tree of knowledge of good and evil so that the tree in it self was not evil the evil was in the eating of it the eating of it was that which God had forbidden and the temptation having prevailed in the woman to question the truth of what God had said and to give credit to the lye that the Serpent had said and when the Serpent by his temptation had prevailed thus far in the woman then he caused her in that understanding and knowledge that she then had to see a good in what God had forbidden which in it self was evil and the good that she saw was a good for food and therefore to be eaten Good food eaten by the outward body as instrumental it hath this in it that is it contents and satisfies the hunger or desire of the body it
things contained in the Law of God And there is in man but two Natures the Nature of the Serpent and his seed and the Nature of the Womans seed and therefore if those Gentiles that had not Gods Law written without them did by Nature the things contained in Gods Law within them it must be by the nature of the seed of the Woman which is the Divine Nature Jesus the seed that is sown which is the Word the true light which as a seed is sown upon all the four sorts of grounds and lighteth every man that cometh into the World but it bringeth forth fruit in its own likeness in none of the grounds but the good ground which these Gentiles were of the number of for they having not the Law that is the written Law without them are a Law to themselves The seed sown in the good ground and in them bringing forth its own likeness made them in the Image of God made them a Law to themselves Jesus as a light that gave them the knowledge of Gods Law which in substance is this To do that God hath commanded and to leave undone what God hath forbidden he wrought obedience in them to Gods Law and this was the nature by which the Gentiles did the things contained in Gods Law and so they are a Law to themselves and so they shew the works of the Law written in their hearts these Gentiles by their obedience they shew not onely that the Law of God was written in their hearts but they shew the work of the Law of God that was written in their hearts they made the tree known to be good by the fruits which few of these of the Tribes of the Jews that were in the outward form of worship did do which had the written Law and Prophets read amongst them every Sabbath day their Consciences bearing them witness These Gentiles had a witness in them that they did the things contained in the Law of God that was the witness of God in their Consciences which is a most certain witness it witnesseth to nothing but what is true so that if any should have questioned them whether or no they did yield obedience to the Law of God in them and they had answered they did if they had not been believed they could have proved the truth of it by a very good witness the witness of God in their Consciences And their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another There was in the Gentiles not onely a taking notice of the actions done by them and the words spoken by them whether they were agreeable to the Law of God writ in their hearts but so much were they brought to an obedience to the Law of God in them and they thereby became such a Law to themselves as that they took notice in themselves of their very thoughts and according as they were if bad and evil then their Conscience the witness of God in them that accused them for their bad and evil thoughts There was that in them that did not onely judge and condemn them for evil works done by them or evil words spoken by them but they were accused for evil thoughts and there was that in them that justified them for doing the things that were good contained in Gods Law and for speaking what was good and it excused them in their thoughts that were good And these Gentiles were all Nations and Kinreds and People and Tongues excepting the Jews and Paul did plainly say that the Gentiles that did the things contained in the Law of God were the true Jews and had the true Circumcision And those Jews that had the written Law of God without them and did not keep the Law although circumcised without in the flesh their Circumcision by breaking the Law was made Uncircumcision to them and they were not the true Jews see from the 15. vers to the end of the Chapter And this Paul doth not speak of such Gentiles as should believe in Jesus after the preaching of an outward Jesus to them that was Crucified at Jerusalem but of those Gentiles that had never heard of that Jesus for in the 24th verse he tells the Jews that the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you as it is written He made use of the Scripture to prove what he had spoken to be true God put no difference between the Jew and the Gentiles having purified their hearts by Faith Acts 15. 9. The Centurion that came to Jesus to have his servant healed Matth. 8. he was a Gentile and was not of the outward form of worshipping God that the Jews were of and Jesus says of him to the Jews that followed him that he had not found so great faith no not in Israel as he he had found in that Gentile and farther tells them that many shall come from the East and West and shall sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven but the Children of the Kingdom shall be cast into utter darkness there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Mark many shall come from the East and from the West those many they must be Gentiles and such as were not counted the Children of the Kingdom of Heaven that is they were not counted the Children of the Kingdom of Heaven by the Jews which were in the outward form of worshipping God nor are they counted the Children of the Kingdom of Heaven by those that count themselves the Children of the Kingdom because they themselves are in the outward forms of worshipping of God and therefore they count themselves the Children of the Kingdom of Heaven as did the Jews because they were in the outward form of worshipping God they looked upon themselves as the onely Children of the Kingdom of Heaven and so Jesus calls them when he saith the Children of the Kingdom shall be cast out into utter darkness where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth None can think Jesus's meaning to be that the Children of the Kingdom that are the right heirs to it that they shall be cast out into utter darkness where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth No that cannot be for as they are Children of God so they are Heirs Heirs of God and joynt Heirs with Christ Rom. 3. 17. and it is the Fathers pleasure to give them the Kingdom Matth. 12. 32. These are not those that shall be cast out of the Kingdom but they that shall be cast out of the Kingdom are those that call themselves Children of God and so look upon themselves as the Children of the Kingdom because they are in an outward form of worshipping God in a way that God hath required to be worshipped in as to the outward form of worship as were the Jews but they did not do the things contained in the Law of God written in them they do not shew the works of the Law written in their hearts but boast and bear themselves up in an
outward worshipping of God in these things that God hath outwardly required to be done in his worship and so call themselves the Children of God and of the Seed of Abraham These are they that shall be cast out of the Kingdom into utter darkness When those that make not the outward shew of worshipping of God but do the things contained in the Law of God written in their hearts and shew the works thereof written there they shall be taken into the Kingdom of Heaven and sit down there with Abraham Isaac and Jacob when those that think themselves Children of the Kingdom because of their outward form of worshipping shall be cast out although they say God is their Father and that they are of the seed of Abraham as did the Jews Jesus tells the Jews that believed on him John 3. who told Jesus that they were of Abrahams seed and that God was their Father and Jesus tells them that he knew that they were of Abraham's seed but they seek to kill him because his word had no place in them And when they told him Abraham was their Father Jesus says to them That if they were Abrahams Children they would do the works of Abraham but now ye seek to kill me a man that hath told you the truth which he heard of God this did not Abraham that is Abraham did not seek to kill him But notwithstanding they were such as believed on Jesus and told him they were Abrahams seed and that God was their Father and he tells them that he knew they were Abrahams seed yet because they went about to kill him for telling them the truth Jesus he tells them they were of their Father the Devil and the lust of your Father ye will do He was a murderer from the beginning and abode not in the truth because there is no truth in him These were they that looked upon themselves to be the Children of the Kingdom and to have a right to sit down in it with Abraham Isaac and Jacob because they were in an outward form of worship worshipping God in the outward worship that God had commanded and they called Abraham Father and that they were Abrahams seed And mark further the Scripture saith of them that they believed on Jesus and owned that they had one Father even God and yet these were cast out of the Kingdom of God into utter darkness Jesus telling them they were of their Father the Devil and where their Father was must they not be there also with him and if any can believe that the Devil is in the Kingdom of Heaven sitting there with Abraham Isaac and Jacob then they may believe that his Children are there also and his Children are those that are in the outward form of worshipping God although in an outward form that God hath required to be used in his worship and say that Abraham is their Father and that they are of the seed of Abraham and that they have but one Father even God and that they believe on Jesus as did those Jews and yet Jesus's Word had no place in them but they seek to kill Jesus as did those Jews for telling them the truth Mark they did not kill Jesus they did but seek to kill Jesus as do all those wherein Jesus is a light in them and does tell them the truth what it is that they should do in obedience to God but they will not do it and therefore Jesus word hath no place in them and so as much as in them lyeth they seek to kill Jesus for telling them the truth that is they seek to kill him in themselves in that they do not do the things contained in the Law of God written within them nor shew the works of the Law of God writ in their hearts as did the Gentiles that had not the Law of God written without them and yet they did the things contained in Gods Law and shew'd the work thereof written in their hearts I say if any man can believe the Devil is in the Kingdom of Heaven sitting with Abraham Isaac and Jacob then they may believe that his Children are in the Kingdom of Heaven with Abraham Isaac and Jacob. It is not the high thoughts and esteem that they have of themselves or that others have of them as if they were the Children of the Kingdom that can give then an entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven because they are in an outward form of worship and as to the outward in the doing of such things in it as God hath commanded and looking upon Abraham to be their Father and that they were of Abraham's seed and calling God Father and believing in his Son Jesus this cannot give them an entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven there being that in them that will not let Jesus words have any place in them and therefore they seek to kill Jesus for telling them the truth that is they seek to kill Jesus in them in that they do not yield obedience to God in what Jesus the light in them makes known to be Gods will for them to obey him in this makes them of their Father the Devil because they will do his lusts and if the Father be cast out sure the Children must be cast out with him The Gentile Centurion who was great as to the outward in that he could say to this man Go and he goeth and to another Come and he cometh and to his Servant Do this and he doth it yet he did not boast and bear up himself to come of the Line of Abraham nor to be of his seed nor did he call God his Father but was low and little mean and unworthy in his own esteem and did not think himself worthy that Jesus should come under his Roof And yet there was a greater Faith in this Gentile that was not in the outward form of worshipping God than Jesus had found in Israel that were in the outward form of worshipping God And he although not of the Line of Abraham nor in the outward worship of Israel yet he was one of them that should sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven when the Children of the Kingdom should be cast out into utter darkness with the Devil their Father whose lust they will do This is the state of man while in an outward form of worshiping of God and are not doing the things contained in Gods Law written in their hearts that is they yield not obedience to God in what Jesus as a Light in them makes known to be Gods will that they should obey God in but they will as much as in them lieth seek to put out that Light by their disobedience and so seek â—o kill Jesus in them for telling them the truth which Abraham the Father of the Faithful did not and so by their disobedience they make it appear they are not the Children of Abraham because they do not Abraham's works Abraham he obeyed God in
what Jesus the Light made known to him to be Gods will to obey him in And Jesus tells the Jews that if they were Abraham's Children they would do the works of Abraham that is yield obedience to God in what Jesus as a Light in them tells them the Truth is Gods will that they should obey him in And while men are out of this obedience let them be of what outward form of worshipping of God that they will and have never so high esteem of themselves and be as highly esteemed of by others as these Jews had yet they are Children of Wrath as well as others and so in that state as Children of Wrath they are cast out of the Kingdom of Heaven and are where their Father the Devil is Oh! but infinite infinite are the mercies of that unchangeable God as I have experienced who can say in some measure with Paul Ephes 2. who wherein in times past walked according to the course of this world according to the prince of the power of the air the spirit that worketh in the children of disobedience Among whom also we had our conversation in time past in the lust of our flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind and were by nature the children of wrath even as others Mark Among whom that is amongst those that had walked according to the course of this world according to the power of the Prince of the Air which is the Devil that worketh in the Children of disobedience among these we had our conversation in times past fulfilling the desires of our flesh and of the mind and were by nature Children of wrath even as others Although the Ephesians as they were Gentiles might not be in an outward form of worshipping God in those outward things that God had required to be worshipped in yet Paul was and of the highest sort or form of them as elsewhere he speaks of himself And yet see how Paul put himself to be equal with them that had been in no outward form of Worship although he himself had been high in that outward form of worshipping of God in those outward things that God had required to be worshipped in yet when he was in that height of outward Worship he owned himself to be one that walked according to the course of the world and according to the power of the Prince of the Air which is the Devil the Spirit which worketh in the Children of disobedience Among whom we had also our conversation Paul with the Ephesians had their conversations in time past in the lust of their flesh fulfilling the desires of their flesh and mind and were by nature Children of Wrath even as others Mark they were not onely Children of Wrath by nature that is by the nature of the Serpent who is the Prince of the Air who is the Devil who is the Spirit that worketh in the Children of disobedience but they were the Children of Wrath even as others that is just even alike there was no difference between their being Children of Wrath by nature and others being Children of Wrath by nature There is the same nature of being Children of Wrath in those that are high in an outward form of worshipping God as was Paul who as to his outward life as to men lived blameless and those that were in no outward form of worshipping God as were the Gentiles while they both have their conversations in the lust of the flesh fulfilling the desires of the mind pleasing themselves in what they do if they be in an outward form of Worship they please content and satisfie themselves in that outward form of Worship and therein they are fulfilling the lust of the flesh and the desires of their minds in eating of the forbidden Fruit as do those that were in no outward form of worshipping God as were the Gentiles who fulfilled the lust of the flesh and the desires of their minds in outward pleasures And so both those that fulfil the lust of the flesh and desire of the mind in outward forms of Worship or in outward pleasure they are those that are not suffering Jesus's Word to have any place in them and so they are seeking to kill Jesus in themselves for telling them the truth that he had of God But God who is rich in mercy for the great love wherewith he loved us even when we were dead in sins hath quickned us together with Christ by grace we are saved and have raised us up together and have made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus Mark they which having their Conversations in the lust of the flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and mind and thereby were by nature Children of Disobedience and so Children of Wrath Children of the Devil both those that were not in an outward form of worshipping of God as were these Gentiles the Ephesians and those that were in the highest of outward forms of worshipping of God as was Paul yet God who is rich in mercy can and does for his great love sake wherewith he loved them yea even when they are dead in sins quicken them together with Christ and so raise them up together as to make them sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus as you may see more to that purpose in the second Chapter of the Ephesians Jesus tells the woman of Samaria John 4. that the hour cometh when ye shall neither in this mountain nor yet at Jerusalem worship the Father But the hour cometh and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth for the Father seeketh such to worship him God is a spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth Jerusalem was the place that God had chosen to be worshipped in and so it represents the true outward form of worshipping God wherein God was worshipped according to his Command The Mountain of Samaria represents the false worshipping of God for although there might be something done there that God had required in his outward Worship to be done yet they mixing other things with it that God had not required to be done in his Worship and so it represents all false outward forms of Worship And Jesus tells the woman and would have her believe him mark that Jesus would have the woman belleve him that the hour cometh when neither in this mountain that is in the false outward forms of Worship nor at Jerusalem that is the true outward forms of Worship they should worship the Father But the hour cometh and now is mark that now is then at that time it was that the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth and that because the Father seeketh such to worship him God being a spirit they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth or else it is no worshipping of him where the Spirit and the Truth is wanting because whom God seeketh
not onely to say lightly and carelesly as many do I would I had not sinned and broken Gods Commands and God forgive me for it but there is in them an inward repentance an inward sorrow and grief which goes so far as that there is a desire in them that they may not commit sin again and an earnest praying to God that they may not commit sin again and a doing of many things to prevent or to be kept from the doing or the committing the sin again which they have before committed And yet in all this the subtile Serpents self or mans will prevails much as I have experienced That man may repent that he hath sinned in doing what he knew to be a breaking of Gods Command and may be sorrowful for it and mourn for it and earnestly pray that he may do so no more and use much means to be kept from sinning and yet all this time hath a love to the sin but for fear that he hath of the punishment and the willingness that he hath to escape the punishment causeth the repentance and sorrow and mourning that he hath for sinning and to escape the punishment that sets him upon doings as praying fasting and other religious Duties that he thinks may be a means to keep him from being overcome by the Devils temptations and to do such things as he thinks God will be pleased with and for this his so doing of these things he thinks to find acceptance with God And all this may be done for a self-end and in their own will and is onely to escape the punishment which if they could escape the punishment the doing the things that God hath forbidden would be no trouble to them but very pleasing and to be desired And in this state many are deceived and think themselves in a good condition because they cannot now sin as once they could when they had little trouble in their Consciences for their sins but now if they sin trouble sorrow and grief does attend them for their sins and there is praying to God for forgiveness and it may be private days of fasting to be kept that they may be kept from sinning and it may be for private sins such sins as none but God and their Conscience can accuse them of and the best that they know of outward forms of Religion is set up and strictly practised by them and an outward blameless life is got up in them to what they once lived in and they are counted of others to be one of those that are the Children of God and Heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven and they look upon themselves to be one of that number And yet all this time the root of sin that is the love of sin remains in them as live as ever it was and so long as the love of any sin remains alive in them what they do in obedience to God is done because they are afraid of Gods Justice for their sin and while there remains in them a fear of Gods Justice for sin they have no true love to God while they are afraid of God There is no fear in love perfect love casteth out fear 1 John 4. 18. Their repentings sorrows griefs mournings prayings fastings and all other their religious performances while done for the escaping or for the preventing Gods Justice to fall upon them because of their sins that they have committed That which carries them forth to the doing and performing of those repentings sorrows griefs mournings prayings fastings and all other their religious performances it is self it is for a self-end to escape or prevent Gods Justice falling on them for their sins and therefore it is that they will do them And so they are deceived in all their doings by the subtilty of self in them doing their own wills in them and are of the Serpâ—nts Tribe of whom none are sealed for the servants of God These they have known the beginning of John preaching in the Wilderness in them that is when their hearts were as a Wilderness wherein every unclean Beast fed and found an abiding-place every unclean Lust found wherewithal to feed upon and to abide in Before man disobeyed God in eating of the Tree that God had forbidden him to eat of mans heart was like a garden a place of Gods delight and brought forth pleasing Fruit unto God the Plants therein were of Gods planting no Thorns nor Thistles were therein nor no wild nor unclean Beast was found there but after man had disobeyed God in eating of the Tree that God had forbidden him to eat of then mans heart instead of being like a garden wherein God was pleased it became like a Wilderness a place displeasing to God a place wherein God was offended a place bringing forth Thorns and Thistles such Plants of disobedience sprung up in the heart of man as was not of Gods planting nor pleasing to God And then mans heart became like a Wilderness a place of every unclean and beastly Lust to harbour feed and abide in And here in this wilderness of the heart many have heard the voice of John the Forerunner of Jesus preaching Repentance and they having heard his voice and have repented and have come to John's Baptism that is an outward washing of water a making clean of the outside and so they have been John's Disciples they have known a cutting of the Branches of sin that is a repenting and forsaking such sins and evils as are generally accounted as sin and evil Yea they may have gone further and have cut down the body of sin that is they have not onely repented â—nd forsaken such sins and evils as are done outwardly that man can accuse them of but have repented and forsaken such sins done within them that none can accuse them of but God and their Consciences and yet they have not come so far as to hear and obey the end of John's preaching in them that is that the Ax is laid to the root of the Tree of sin and the root from whence sin sprung is love that is the love that is in mans heart to sin the love to the sin that is first in mans heart before it cometh forth into action There was first in the woman a seeing of the Tree to be good for food and pleasing to the eye and a desire to it this was first in her before she took of the fruit thereof and eat of it There is first in the heart of man a love to sin before there is a going forth to the committing of it and this love is the root from whence sin in the action sprung And the end of John's preaching was to lay the Ax to the root of the Tree sin which bringeth not forth good fruit to hew it down and cast it into the fire to be consumed that is to cast the love and desire to sin that is in the heart of man to cast that into the fire to be consumed that gave