in man And the powers of the flesh which is the Serpent or curse shall be subdued under him and man-kind shall be made onely subject to this one Spirit which shall dwell bodily in every one as he dwelt bodily in the man Christ Jesus who was the Son of man Now as Moses declared That the Lamb Jesus Christ should be that great Prophet to whom every one should give ear delivered it in general termes leaving the particular discoveries of his new doctrine to the Lamb himself when he came and so did not go about to imagine matters that was above his circle and we see the Doctrine of Jesus Christ when he came far exceeded the Doctrine of Moses the one being the substance of the other and so moâ—â— spiritual makings forth then the other Even so the man Christ Jesus the great Prophet declared in general termes what should be in later times leaving it to every son and daughter to declare their particular experiences when the Spirit doth rise up in them and manifests himself to them For they that believe saith he out of their bellies shall flow rivers or plentifull discoveries of the water of life Therefore as Moses gave way to Christ for when Christ appeared in flesh Moses administration began to be silent and drew back and set Jesus Christ in the chair to be the great Prophet that should be the teacher in types after him And the ministration of these discoveries were to raign in the world their appointed times Even so the Lamb Christ Jesus or that single body gives way to the holy Ghost or spreading Spirit If I go not away the Comforter cannot come to you for he that dwels bodily in me is to spread himself in you that as the Father in me and I in him are one even so I in you and you in me may become one witâ— the Father And the testimony of the Apostles declares as much Though we have known Christ after the flesh in one single body yet now henceforth know we him no more so but we look after that mystery which hath been kept secret from ages and generations past which is Christ in you the hope of glory And therefore I must tell you that yet live in dipping in water and observation of Gospel-forms and types you live yet under the ministration of Jesus Christ after the flesh declaring the Lamb Christ to remain as yet in one single person But know you that as the ministration of Moses gave way to this so this ministration is to give way to the inward teachings of Christ and the spreading of the Spirit in sons and daughters which will more excellently declare the glory of the mystery The man Christ Jesus himself told the woman of Samaria Woman the time is coming that neither in Jerusalem nor in this mountain shall men worship the Father but they that worship him shall worship him in Spirit and in Truth for the Father seeks such to worship him By these words The Son of man declares that both outward forms customs and types of Moses worship under that ministration at Jerusalem likewise all forms and customs and types of this ministration of himself as the Lamb held forth at a distance to be our Mediatour should all cease and give way to the spirituall worship of the Father in the latter dayes or to the spreading of the Divine power in men the one Law of Righteousnesse being the teacher of all So that upon the rising up of Christ in sons and daughters which is his second comming the ministration of Christ in one single person is to be silent and draw back and set the spreading power of Righteousnesse and wisdom in the chair of whose Kingdom there shall be no end So as all things were gone out from the Spirit and were gone astray and corrupted The Spirit in this great mystery of truth being manifested in flesh burns up that drosse out of the Creation and draws in all things back again into himself and declares himself to be the alone wisdom and power of Righteousnesse that rules dwels that governs and preserves both in and over the whole Creation And now the Son delivers up the Kingdom unto the Father And he that is the spreading power not one single person become all in all in every person that is the one King of Righteousnesse in every one Here we may see what the dividing of time is which is the last period in which the Beast is to reignâ— for now every ministration pleads his priviledge till the Law of Righteousnesse drown up all in himself Moses yet pleads a priviledge in the practice of the Jews after the flesh The Son of man or Christ in one single person pleâ—ds a priviledge and not onely the true ministration of the Son of man according to the Apostles declaration But likewise many false forms customs and observations of Divine worship are raised up through a wrong understanding of those Scriptures all plead a priviledge And lastly the ministration of the Spirit forsaking all types and â—ormes worshipping the Father in the substance of truth This now pleads his priviledge as his due right by course So that you see here is the dividing of time But this last ministration is the sufferer for the present as being denied his right by the former that ought to give way And as the worshippers in Moses ministration envied and killed such as worshipped the Son of man the Lamb So now those that worship Christ at a distance in their severall Congregations and forms and are most zealous therein are in these dayes the most bitterest enemies to the ministration of Christ in Spirit and in truth But when this ministration of the Spirit spreads himself he will make the greatest separation that ever was For though Israels separation out of Egypt amazed the world and the separation of gathered Congregations out of Parish Churches so called did trouble the earth though it is no more but going out of one form into another not into the unitie of the one Spirit Yet this ministration of the Spirit now rising up by right of inheritance will take peace from the world much more for he hath begun and he will and shall go on to gather the scattered of Isreal together out of all Aegytian bondages and self-seeking oppressing government and out of all forms and customes of the Beast to worship the Father in spirit and truth being made to be all of one heart and one minde And this shall more and more appear as the earth grows up to be a common treasury for all Therefore let me tell you That all your enmity will not uphold your â—orms your imprisoning and reviving and making law to suppresse such as â—â—e contrary to you will never work your will but pull miseries and shame upon your selves as the zealous Scribes and Pharisees did in killing of Christ the Sonne of
either to kill that body it dwels in or some others that angers it But the Power of Christ the Law of Righteousnesse ruling within is not moved to any such rashnesse it is patient meek and loving and doth act righteously both to his own body and to others though they be his enemies CHAP. IV. ANd truly here lies the chiefest knowledge of a man to know these two powers which strives for government in him and to see and know them distinctly one from the other that he may be able to say This is the name and power of the flesh and this is the name and power of the Lord For these two powers are the two Adams in man-kind they are Iacob and Esau striving who shall rule in the Kingdom the flesh first Or these are the Son of the bond-woman viz. The powers of the flesh which is the serpent Devil or power of darknesse Or the Son of the free woman which is Christ the wisdom and power of Righteousnesse ruling in flesh and making it free from the others bondage And here I shall declare what I know the first Adam or son of bondage is And secondly What the second Adam or son of the free-woman is both which Powers I have seen and felt manifested in this body of my flesh First I shall shew how the first Adam in his time of rule hath suppressed and kept under the second man the anointing And then secondly how this second man in the time appointed of his rising doth kill and crucifie the first Adam daily with all his lusts and freeth me from that slavery The first Adam kils and crucifies Christ in me when I consent and make provision to satisfie my pride over humility covetousnesse over contentednesse envy over love lust before chasticy esteeming the power of an humble loving and righteous spirit towards the poorest creatute but a low and contemptible thing or the like Now Christ is crucified in me he rules not he acts not in a lively power but the first man of the flesh he governs the Kingdom my body in unrighteousnesse And Christ lies buried in this earthly tabernacle under those cursed powers in my enslaved body But then secondly When the fulnesse of time comes that it is the Fathers will that Christ the spirit of truth shal arise above the power of unrighteousnesse in me that is humility arises above pride love above envy a meek and quiet spirit above hasty rash anger chastity above unclean lusts and light above darknesse Now the second Adam Christ hath taken the Kingdom my body and rules in it He makes it a new heaven and a new earth wherein dwels Righteousnesse I shall explain these two Adams a little more First then The first Adam or man of the flesh branches himself forth into divers particulars to fetch peace into himself from objects without himself As for example covetousnesse is a branch of the flesh or first man that seeks after creature enjoyment or riches to have peace from them Pride looks abroad for honour Envy seeks the revenge of such as crosses his fleshy ends by reproch oppression or murder Unclean lusts seeks to embrace strange flesh Imagination flies abroad to devise wayes to satisfie the flesh in these desires Hypocrisie turns himself into divers shapes ye sometimes into an Angel of light a zealous Professour to compasse these ends And self-love which is ignorant of the universal power lies couching in the bottom sending those six several powers of darknesse abroad to fetch in peace to delight self that lies at home in the fleshy heart And all these powers make up but one perfect body of sin and death one Devil or one compleat power of darknesse or that whorish power called the Beast with seven heads And it is called the Beast because all those seven discoveries are of the flesh and flesh is no other but a beast and the wise flesh of man is said to be the beast the King of beasts that was to raign fourty two moâ—ths or for a time times and dividing of time and then he should be destroyed by the man of Righteousnesse Christ And truly upon every head there is ten horns that is there are many branchings forth of powers from every head to satisfie self which are Kings indeed And they are called ten horns every head encountering against the five senses of the left hand man and against the five senses of the right hand man of righteousnesse and so fights against every particular spreading forth of Christ So that these Kings are not to be restrained to the Kings of the Nations though that is true such powers are enemies to Christ and they must yield up their Kingdoms unto him and those that are angry against Christ are to be destroyed But these ten horns are Kingly powers of the flesh that rules within every man leading him captive under the body of the power of darknesse for there is not the branching forth of evil in any kind to delight self but it springs forth from one or other of those seven heads all joyning to honour and advance the Beast The man of Righteousnesse Christ he is the second Adam and he spreads himself as far as the other to undermine him and to take the Kingdom that is the created flesh or the living earth man-kind out of that Devils hand For Christ is the spreading power of Righteousnesse and therefore he is called The anointing which was poured upon that humane body called by the name Iesus the Son of man and dwelt bodily there for a time but afterward was to spread in sons and daughters many bodies As the oyl upon Aarons head ranne down to the skirts of his garments if any one find rest and peace in this precious Alabaster which is the wisdome and power of the spirit he finds it not by looking upon him at a distance from him but by seeing and feeling that power ruling within the body of his flesh As thus contentednesse in all straits or poverty to live upon providence is this second Adam in thee killing thy discontented covetousnesse Humility and meeknesse is the same anointing which kils pride and loftines Love to enemies yea the law of love flowing forth to every creature is Christ in you which kils envy and rash anger Chastitie in the flesh kils uncleannesse wisdom that is pure and plain down right kils a subtil over-reaching Imagination Sincerity and singlenesse of heart the same anointing kils hypocrisie and love to others doing as a man would be done unto and so respecting the publick preservation of all creatures doth kill self-love And all these seven branchings forth of the pure spirit makes but one body Christ or one Almighty power or Mercie and Justice the holy breathing or Emanuel God in us And every one of these seven eyes or seven attributes of the Divine branches themselves forth into several horns of power to destroy the man of the flesh and to
the bottomlesse pit your very fleshly self you are deceived and you shall find that when this bottomlesse pit is opened to your view it will be a torment sufficient for from hence doth the curse spread and all that misery you are or may be capable of it is but the breakings forth of that stinking dunghill that is seated within you is that power of darkness that rules within the Creation your body If the power of Righteousnesse peace take possession and rule in you then you shall live in rest and be free from hell and sorrow death and bondage If the Lamb be the light of your heart all tears shall be wiped away and you shall be in peace But if the selfish power rule your heart then as you live now upon uncertainties in confusion and vexation so this manifestation of hell darknesse and sorrows shall multiply within you and when your body goes to the Earth you multiply the curse upon the Creation and so you enter into the body of the Serpent that must be burned and consumed by the power of the Lord Hell and the curse doth rule within câ—eated flesh in every family of the earth and will rule till the feed of Abraham the blessing of the Lord come and burn up that serpent and deliver the Creation from that burden And let me tell you That this seed This blessing of the Lord is rising up in every family that lives after the flesh Whether Parents brethren or sisters they do hate grudge and persecute those in whom the blessing begins to rise up and tramples upon them like dust but out of that dust of the earth man-kind shall the deliverer come that shall turn ungodlinesse from Jacob A few years now will discover more and then that prophecy shall be materially fulfilled Then ten men shall take hold of him that is a Jew saying we will go with you for we have heard that God is with you Zech. 8. 23. The heart of man is the place wherein heaven and hell for nature and kind are both to be seen that is when the Law of Righteousnesse rules there is Christ or the Kingdom of heaven within even the manifestations of the Father appears in glory to the sweet rest and peace of that soul But when the power of unrighteousnesse rules in the heart which is the Serpent Dragon or God of this world this is hell or kingdom of darknesse for first the man sees and feels himself in bondage to his lusts and to the powers of his flesh This is death and the curse that he lies under And then secondly The man sees himself under bondage of sorrows and torment and the increase of this sensiblenesse is will be an intolerable misery As it is said That the King of Righteousnes takes delight in nothing but what is within himself and what proceeds out of himself So the Heaven of an enlivened heart is not a local place of glory at a distance from him but the seeing and feeling the Father within dwelling and ruling there and to behold the glory of that power proceeding forth of himself to which he is made subject through which he walks righteously in the Creation and in which he rests in peace Even so the souls that are lost and ashamed in their work are not tormented by any terrour without them in any local place but their hell or place of torment is within themselves seeing and feeling themselves chained up in bondage to fears terrours â—â—rrows afrightments intolerable vexations and powers of lust and under all that cursed darknesse â—â—till the judgement of the great day And what misery or torment doth or shall appear â—â—â—m outward objects it is but the breakings forth of their own cursednesse that creates misery to himself and so goes forth to fetch in torment from without For he that hath a troubled conscience turns every thing into gall and worm-wood to terrifie himself thinking every bush to be a devil to torment him he saies he sees fearfull shapes without but they arise from the anguish of his tormenting conscience within for they be the shapes and apparitions of his own caused flesh that is presented to him which comes not from any other but out of the bottomlesse pit the Serpents powr but rules and dwels within him and the sight of this is like the misery of tender flesh burning in the fire Let a man lie upon his sick bed and to the view or others the chamber is quiet yet he saith he seeth devils and flames and misery and torments Well this is but the rising up of his own unrighteous heart the flames of the bottomlesse it that appear to himself For certainly unrighteous flesh is hell the appearance or risings up of unâ—ighteous flesh to its own view is the torments of hell Pride lust envy covetousnesse hypocrisie self-love and the like being crossed by the spirit of Light are the particular devils that torment the soul in hell or in that dark condition Or if so be a man be tormented by visible bodies of fâ—ry and ugly shapes as he apprehends they be all the creatures of his own making and rods which the flesh hath made to whip and punish himself withall for a man suffers by no other but by the work of his own hands And as he hath acted envy venome and poison in strange wayes of oppression walking unrighteously in the Creation Even so when his soul comes to be judged he shall apprehend snakes scorpions toads devils in bodily shapes and flames of fire and direfull noises and pits of darknesse which are creatures of his own making or the shapes and fashion of those unrighteous turnings and windings and actings of his unrighâ—eous soul that now appear in their own colours to his own torment and this is â—ell For if the flesh be righteous within there is nothing without can trouble it When the bodies of men are laid in the grave we have a word That he is either in heaven or hell Now the senses of the body are not sensible of either such But now the power that ruled in that body righteously or unrighteously is fully manifested to it felt if the power of Righteousnesse did rule Now it enters into the Spirit the great Ocean of glory the Father himself If the power of unrighteousnesse did rule now it enters into the curse encreases the body of death corruption and enmity and becomes the bondage and Burden of the Creation that â—â—â—st be purged out by fire If there be a local place of hell as the Preachers say there is besides this I speak of time will make it manifest but as yet none ever came from the dead to tell men on earth and till then men ought to speak no more then they know wheâ— I speak I speak from what I have in some measure seen within me and as I have received from the Lord in clear light within my self But is not hell the execution of
or power one every where The sight of the King of Glory within lies not in the strength of memory calling to mind what a man hath read and heard being able by a humane capacity to joyn things together into a method through the power of free utterance to hold it forth before others as the fashion of Students are in their Sermon work which a plough man that was never bread in their Universities may do as much nay they do more in kind as experience shews us then they that take Tyshes to tell a story But the sight of the King within lies in the beholding of light arising up from an inward power of seeling experience filling the soul with the glory of the Law of Righteousnesse which doth not vanish like the taking in of words and comfort from the mouth of a hear say Preacher or strength of memory But it continues like the Sunne in the firmament shining forth from that established power of the divine within and the enlivened heart shall as soon be seperated from glorying in the Law of Righteousnesse that dwels in him then the heat and light of the Sunne can be seperated from the Sunne And truly let me tell you That as a man finds abundance of sweet peace in his heart when he is made to live in the Kingdome of heaven So the words hat this man speaks from this power within are very profitable to others are good seed wheresoever they are sown they will spring up and bring forth fruit for words spoken from the light of experience have a two-fold operation upon the heart of the hearers For first if I lie under straits and bondage in my spirit by reason of some inward and outward troubles but especially by reason of the enthraldome to my own lusts that over powers me so that I cannot do what I would Then the words of experience from the mouth of one that hath been in that condition and is passed thorow it sounds liberty and life to my weary soul I speak what I have felt in this particular Secondly If I delight in any way of the flesh as to seek peace in creatures abroad without me or to seek satisfaction to my envy self-will and lust and in the midst of this my folly I do occasionally hear the words of experience from some other declaring such actions and motions to be the powers of the flesh and devil and not of the spirit of righteousnesse Presently those words take peace from the earth that is from proud flesh and fill the whole soul with anger distemper grudging and torment And this is another operation that pure language produces which is a launcing of the dead flesh that the disease may be cured For this wounding is nor to the mine of the creature but it is a medicine sent from the Lord to heal him to take away the evil peace from the flesh that so the created part may lie down in rest and be at peace in Christ which cannot be moved For every comfort that is of the flesh shall be shaken and removed but Christ the one power of Righteousnesse and peace shall not be shaken nor moved but stand firm for ever And by this you may see the difference between the kingdom of the flesh and devil which must be shaken to pieces and fall And the kingdom of heaven or of God that endures for ever and is that Rock due cannot be moved CHAP. XV WHat do you mean by the kingdom devil or flesh I answer Covetousnesse the selfish power ruling in a man is the kingdome of darknesse in that man And as this power hath corrupted the Creation mankind so it rules or hath ruled in every single one more or lesse but is the curse And every one that hath lain under the bondage of this selfish power and is in any measure delivered he can from that experience declare what the power of darknesse is in whole mankind as I have shewed how secretly and closely this selfish power branches himself forth in every one till by the right of Reasons Law shining within he is discovered and cast out But what is it for a man to live in the kingdom of hell devil or darknesse I answer when a man takes delight in nothing but in satisfying of the lusts of his own heart when the way of the flesh is pleasing and the way of the spirit of Righteousnesse is a burden to him when he glories in himself and feeds with delight upon his covetousnesse pride envy lust self-will and in every thing that pleaseth flesh And if he can but overcome that power that checks or crosses his will O then this man is in his Kingdome he rejoyecs and is very well pleased but it is the kingdome of the flesh that must be shaken and removed This is no other but the glorying in that which is a mans shame What is the kingdom of Heaven or of Christ Answ. The Law of Righteousnesse and peace ruling and dwelling in mankind is the kingdom of heaven this is the universall power bearing rule treading the flesh-power under his feet What is it for a man to live in the kingdom of heaven Ans. When mankind or any single person is so made subject to the King of righteousnesse that all his delight is to walk according to that law towards every creature in the Creation through love to the Fathers honour that made al He glories in that law of righteousness which he finds seated in his heart finds content no where else and when the Spirit is honoured this man is in his kingdom he hath what he would have While the kingdom of darknesse rules in a man if he knows it not his sin is the lesse but when he comes to know the lusts of his flesh and delight therein in opposition to the righteous Law which he sees some light in also this makes the man exceeding sinfull for now he sins against the law of light shining in him and causing him to see himself Even so when the divine power rules in a man and he knows it nor as it may be in some measure this mans joy is but small for a man may act from the power of love and righteousnesse and yet not see nor know the excellency of that power which guides ◠him But when a man is made to see and know the law of love and righteousnesse within him and delights to act from that power of life and liberty which he seeth and feeleth seated in him Now this man is carried on with much joy and sweet calmness meeknesse and moderation and is full of glory This is the excellency of the work of Christ not onely to make flesh subject to rigeteousnesse but to know himself made subject to rejoyce in the sweet enjoyment of that prince of peace to make a man rejoyce to know the groun 〈◊〉 of his joy is unmovebale What do you mean by divine and divine power I anwer The divine
thus then saith the scoffer mens wives shall be common too or a man may have as many wives as he please I answer The Law of Righteousnesse and Reason saith no For when man was made he was made male and female one man and one woman conjoyned together by the law of love makes the Creation of humane flesh perfect in that particular Therefore a man shall forsake father and mother and cleave only to his wife for they twain are but one flesh Reason did not make one man and many women or one woman and many men to joyn together to make the Creation perfect but male and female in the singular number this is enough to encrease seed And he or she that requires more wives or more husbands then one walks contrary to the Law of Righteousnesse and shall bear their shame Though this immoderate lust after strange flesh rule in the bodies of men now while the first Adam is King yet it shall not be so when the second man rises to raign for then chastitie is one glory of the Kingdom But what if a man break that law of Righteousnes as many do under this fleshly government which is yet extant I answer He shall then become servant to others and be as a fool in Israel the wrath of the Lord shall be upon him and lose the priviledge of Sonship till the law of righteousnesse in him become his King And those that loses that priviledge shall know they have lost a blessing The proud covetous and unrighteous men ere many years wheel about will tell the world by their lamentation and torment what it is to lose the blessing of son-ship The manifestation of a righteous heart shall be known not by his words but by his actions for this multitude of talk and heaping up of words amongst professours shall die and cease this way of preaching shall cease and verbal worship shall cease and they that do worship the Father shall worship him by walking righteously in the Creation in the strenghth of the Law of Love and equity one to another And the time is now coming on that men shall not talk of righteousnesse but act righteousnesse And they that in these times will not observe this Rule to walk righteously in the Creation waiting quietly till Christ come to restore all things he shall have sorrows troubles and discontents of heart within vexing grudging rash passions he shall have no true peace but be filled with confusion and be a slave to his lusts The Father now is rising up a people to himself out of the dust that is out of the lowest and despised sort of people that are counted the dust of the earth man-kind that are trod under foot In these and from these shall the Law of Righteousnesse break â—orth first for the poor they begin to receive the Gospel and plentifull discoveries of the Fathers love flows from them and the waters of the learned and great men of the world begins to dry up like the brooks in Summer When this restoration breaks forth in righteous action the curse then shall be removed from the Creation Fire Water Earth and Air And Christ the spreading forth of Righteousnesse shall be the onely Saviour that shall make Jacob to rejoyce and Israel to be glad There shall be no barrennesse in the earth or cattle for they shall bring forth fruit abundantly Unseasonable storms of weather shall cease for all the curse shall be removed from all and every creature shall rejoyce in Righteousnesse one in another throughout the whole Creation Thomas Dydimus that is the unbelief of your hearts cries out When will these things be not in our time I cannot believe such things till I see them Well lay aside your doubtfull questioning and let every one set himself to walk righteously in the Law of love one towards another and wait the Lords time this work is to be done upon flesh not by flesh The Lord will have none of your flesh wit policy or strength to setle this work for he alone will be honoured in this day of his power it must be his own handy work that must bring this restoration to passe yea and he will hasten this work as speedily as the Midianites Army was destroyed and Sodom and Gomorrah burned and as speedily and as unlooked for as plenty came into Samaâ—ia mens unbelief cannot hinder this work of Righteousnesse The Lord will do this work speedily Babylon shall fall in one hour Israel shall rise in one hour O when thiâ— righteous Law shall rule in every one there will be springings up of joy and peace and the blessing of the Lord shall rest every where The whole earth we see is corrupt and it cannot be purged by the hand of creatures for all creatures lies under the curse and groans to be delivered and the more they strive the more they entangle themselves in the mud therefore it must be the hand of the Lord alone that must do it None can remove the curse from fire water earth and air but the Almighty power himself And this work is called the Restoration of all things for all things groan and travel in pain under bondage waiting for this manifestation And seeing every creature that is burdened waits for the coming in of the blessing then surely no flesh can settle this work for all flesh is corrupt this work shall not be done by sword or weapon or wit of the flesh but by the power of the Lord killing covetousnesse and making man-kind generally to be of one heart and one mind But why hath not the Lord done this all this time that is past I answer Covetous wise arid lordly flesh would raign in the Kingdom man-kind first and would be counted the onely power to govern the Creation in an excellent order And the Lord gave this dominion into his hand bur withall told him that if he governed the Creation unrighteously he and all the Creation should die and fall under the curse Well the powers of the flesh Lord Esau was advanced and hath ruled with such self-seeking ends that he hath made all creatures weary of his government and the whole earth to stink and to groan under the burden of it longing to be delivered For first they that stand up to teach others they teach for gain and preach for hire and fils people with division and confusion through their pride and envy and they do this by the Authority of the governing power by which they have ingrossed the earth into their hands A man must not take a wife but the Priest must give her him If he have a child the Priest must give the name If any die the Priest must see it laid in the earth If any man want knowledge or comfort they teach him to go to the Priest for it and what is the end of all this but to get money if a man labour in the earth to eat his
Reason and the Prophets and Apostles writings be Judge the earth is the Lords it is not to be confined to particular interest None can say Their right is taken from them for let the rich work alone by themselves and let the poor work together by themselves the rich in their inclosures saying This is mnie The poor upon their Commons saying This is ours the earth and fruits are common And who can be offended at the poor for doing this None but covetous proud lazy pamper'd flesh that would have the poor stil to work for that devil particular interest to maintain his greatnesse that he may live at ease What doe we get by our labour in the earth but that we may eat bread and live together in love and community of righteousnesse This shall be the blessing of Israel But as Esau hath setled his Kingdome they that work live in straits They that live idle surfet with fulnesse and makes all places stink with unrighteous envious oppression Wel when the Lord cals forth Israel to live in tents which I believe wil be within a short time he wil protect them This Trumpet is stil sounding in me Work together Eat bread together declare this all abroad Suerly the Lord hath not revealed this in vain for I shal see the fruit of righteousnesse follow after it which wil be the beginning of the great day of veangence to the Oppessour that hath held the earth under the bondage of civil propriety ruling a Tyrant over others forcing the poor to work for hire But in the day of restoration of Israel is not to eat the bread of a hireling in no kind he is neither to give hire nor take hire Did the light of Reason make the earth for some men to ingrosse up into bags and barns that others might be opprest with poverty Did the light of Reason make this law that if one man have not such abundance of the earth as to give to others he borrowed of that he that did lend should imprison the other and starve his body in a close room Did the light of Reason make this law that some part of man-kinde should kil and hang another part of man-kinde that could not walk in their steps Surely Reason was not the God chat made that law for this is to make one part of the Creation alwaies to be quarrelling against another part which is mighty dishonour to our Maker But covetousnesse that murdering God of the world was that Law-maker And that is the God or ruling power which all men that claim a particular interest in the earth do worship For the Earth is the Lords that is the spreading power of righteousnes not the Inheritance of covetous proud flesh that dies If any man can say that he makes Corn or Cattle he may say That is mine But if the Lord make these for the use of his Creation suerly then the earth was made by the Lord to be a common Treasury for all not a particular Treasury for some If any man can say he can give life then he hath power to take away life But if the power of life and death be only in the hand of the Lord then surely he is a murderer of the Creation that takes away the life of his fellow Creature man by any law whatsoever For all laws that are made by any man to take away the life of man is the upholder of the curse But what if some steal or whore or become idle and wil not work but live upon others labours as rich men do that cal the land theirs I answer If any manifest such a Achanish or Serpents power as to endeavour to bring in the curse againe upon the Creation he shal not be imprisoned hanged or killed for that is the worke of the Midianites to kil one another to preserve themselves and self-interest But the punishment of such shal be this he shal be set to work and have land oppointed him to work upon and none shal help him he shal have a mark set upon him al this time that every ones eie may be upon him as upon a fool in Israel he shal be a servant to every one til such time as the spirit in him make him know himself to be equal to others in the Creation If any do steal what wil they do with it None shal buy or sel and al the while that every one shal have meat and drink and cloaths what need have they to steal Their stealing shal get them nothing but to lose the benefit of Sonship And that is to be set alone to eat his own bread none having communion with him For every one shal know the Law and every one shal obey the Law for it shal be writ in every ones heart and every one that is subject to Reasons law shal enjoy the benefit of Sonship And that is in respect of outward community to work together and eat bread together and by so doing lift up the creation from the bondage of self interest or particular propriety of mine and thine which is the Devil and Satan even the God of this world that hath blinded the eies of covetous proud flesh and hath bound them up in chains of darknesse The universal spirit of righteousnesse hath been slain by covetous proud flesh this 1649 years ago But now that spirit begins to arise againe from the dead and the same Beast seeks to hinder his rising or else watches to kil the Manchild after he is brought forth Covetous proud flesh wil kil a Tyrant but hold fast the same Tyrannie and slaverie over others in his own hand he wil kil the Traitor but liks wel the Treason when he may be honoured or lifted up by it Look upon the mountaines and little hils of the earth and see if these prickling thorns and briars the bitter curse does not grow there Truly Tyrannie is Tyrannie in one as wel as in another in a poor man lifted up by his valour as in a rich man lifted up by his lands And where Tyrannie sits he is an enemy to Christ the spreading spirit of righteousnesse He wil use the bare name Christ that he may the more secretly persecute and kil his power Tyrannie is a subtile proud and envious Beast his nature is selfish and ful of murder he promises fair things for the publique but all must be made to center within self or self interest not the universal libertie Wel to be short Let every one know if they wait upon their Maker they wil know That the universal power of righteous Communitie as I have declared is Canaan the land of rest and libertie which flows with milk and honey with abundance of joy and peace in our Maker and one in another But the condition of the world that upholds civill interests of mine and thine Is Egypt the house of bondage and truly Pharoahs task-masters are very many both Teachers and Rulers Therefore thus
revenge of the pride lust envy covetousnesse which ruled within the flesh and casts that Serpent and Dragon out of Heaven That is out of that part of the Creation and makes a man to cry out upon himself and to hate and abhor his cursed lusts which lead him captive He makes a man to look abroad with the eie of pitty and compassion to fellow-Creatures but to look with the eie of hatred and loathing upon the Serpent his unclean lusts desiring nothing so much as the death of the body of sin within So that the law of righteousnesse may reigne in peace in his soul O thou cursed envy cursed rash anger cursed uncleannesse O cursed Devil cursed Father of lies that will not suffer Christ to rise up and reign O thou enemy of all rightousnesse thou wicked one thou curse thou power of darknesse thou fleshly power thou shalt be destroyed and subdued under Christ's feet whom thou fightest against The greatest combate is within a man when the King sits upon the Throne judging unrighteous flesh and bruising that Serpents head And though this be trouble and torment for a time to the Creature yet Christ at last will sit down in him who is Prince of peace and King of righteousnesse The created flesh of man is the Beast the King of Beasts the same principles as are in other Creatures are in humane flesh The difference between man and other beasts is this The flesh of man is made an understanding Soul capable to know Reason and to walk in his light Other beasts cannot Now the wise flesh is meerly selfish he seeks himself in every thing he doth and would be a Lord and Ruler not only over the Beasts of the field but over creatures of his own kind whom his Maker made equall to himself and so strives to fetch in all other Creatures to advance his content though it be to the losse and misery of other men This is the Beast Lord Esau the wise and covetous self-seeking flesh that hath sold his birth-right and blessing to Jacob for the pleasure of unrighteousnesse a small time And now he must be turned out and deliver all up to Jacob and he is extreamly vext and will not yield quier possession but stand out stifly till he be cast out by the universall power of Reasons law Now the rule and dominion of Jacob doth not bring losse and misery to any his law is so established in love that the whole Creation finds peace under it sorrow and tears beggary and oppression shall be done away and the blessing of the Lord Jacob shall fill the earth So then we see that the great battell of God Almighty is between thi selfish power the Beast and fleshy man and the universall power Christ the man of righteousnesse for the flesh would be wiser then its Maker for though his Maker would have the whole Creation and every creature to enjoy the benefit of their Creation and no live free from straits comfortably Yet the wise and converous flesh seeks to live free in honour and quiet in himself makes laws to imprison kill and waste every one that will not conforme to his selfish Government Now the Father wil destroy the Beast in the open field by fair play and hath given him all advantages as may be for he hath given the Beast thedominion and himself is a Servant under his dominion and will undermine the wise and covetous Beast by righteous sufferings and action as a Servant And the Father encounters with the Beast or Dragon in a three-fold posture of war As First by the Sacrifices under the Law the Spirit thereby declared the destruction of the Beast and the Spirit lay hid under those types and shadows fighting against the Beast and the wise flesh in those daies sought against his Maker This is a distance of Cannon shot Secondly In the prison of Jesus Christ the Lamb the Father fought against the Beast and killed him for the Dragon was cast out of that Heaven or Creation in whom the Father dwelt bodily for that flesh was wholly made subject to the Spitit this was at a closer distance closing in the Front But the wise flesh hath many strong holds even the multitudes of men and women which he fortifies against the Spirit And therefore in the third posture which is now begun the Father encounters and wil encounter with the Beast every where that is with the wise but covetous unrighteous flesh in every son and daughter and so bruise that Serpents head in the whole body of his Army And before he hath done he wil fire all the strong-holds of this murder so that he shall not have a place to keep garrison in for the Father will subdue the whole bulk of man-kind and make all that living earth subject to him self and all with holy breathing This is the spreading of the Anointing This is the glory of the Elect One glorious things are spoken of thee O though City of God This holy breathing is the Kingdom of Heaven within you when he rules within you and the Kingdom of Heaven without you likewise when you see the same glory rule in others in which you rejoyce And this is the last encounter the Father wil have with the Dragon This is the great day of Judgment judging and condemning and putting the Serpent to death every where This is the day of Christ power in which he wil subdue all his enemies under his feet deliver up the Kingdom to his Father Therefore marvel not to see the people turn from one way of worship to another for the Father is driving this people through al the waies and forms and customs and reformation and governments of the Beast to weary them out in all that so they may find rest for the soles of their feet no where in no outward form of worship til they come to lye down in him forsaking all forms to worship the Father in spirit and trurh that is to walk righteously in the Creation And this restlesnesse of people running from one form and custome to another meeting with confusion and curse every where is no other but the dividing of time the half day or image of the Beast which is the last period of his time Then faith the Angel It is done time to the Beast shal be no more And while it is thus poor Creatures they are in bondage within for they know not what to do the way to Sion is not yet cleare and they are filled with sighings and secret mournings to see themselves in confussion and losses to stick in the mire but cannot come out This is inward slaverie under which they lie Then poor Creatures they are under an outward bondage under the hand of Tyrant flesh that rules the Kingdom and that divises the several fleshy forms and waies of government to which if any refuse to conform then they must be imprisoned reproached or tortured by punishments in what kind