appointed places in the same In discharge of this Office will they rear up the Tabernacle as Moses in the very way of Israel's travelling into Canaan This will they do in their preparatory work by giving the angelical sights and views of Christ's Kingdom before its visible establishment by his own presence This in a like exactness as in the type where nothing was wanting as to the building or attendants thereof at its first rearing in the Wilderness Exod. 40. The form of the House or City with the several places of the members or attendants thereof was from the like angelical hand given Ezekiel and John as also all the Laws and Ordinances to be observed by the attendants in their several stations All this will they do as a preparing the way to their spiritual Lord's coming and fitting of the new World for such a descending of the holy City out of Heaven upon it as will be the visible setting up of Christ's spiritual Kingdom in it even by his visible coming with all his Saints according to Enoch's prophecy Jude 14. These are to take their places in his visible Kingdom as the inward or outward rows of attendants about his Throne This accordingly as they are found to be the seed of the Kingdom quicken'd and raised by the said preparatory dispensation into the first or second resurrection-life though yet remaining in the vile body For they are fitted on Christ's personal call of them to be immediately chang'd into their glorified bodies without death This by Christ's own sounding forth the trump of God 1 Thess 4. 16 17. 1 Cor. 15. 51 52. Then shall death be swallowed up into victory in all the members of Christ written in his new creature book of Life from everlasting This will be the happy conclusion of that preparatory day when Saints shall shine forth in more brightness than ever in any former-dispensation Yet will this day be but as night to the Sun-rise of Christ's personal presence But yet in the evening of this preparatory day it shall be light by the approach of that Sun that shall never go down more Zech. 14. 7. Then will the Angels do as the Angel that finish'd his wrastling-work with Jacob and found him on the utmost trial an heir of everlasting Salvation and as so secured by the weakning of his nature under the Cross When he had thus prepared him for the breaking forth of the new-creation day upon him he does in the same faithfulness to his master say to him let me go that the glorious day of my Lord may break forth whose appearing is my lawful discharge as to my preparatory service thereunto by his yet far greater light The holy Angels John saw at the twelve Gates of the new Jorusalem rejoyce with thanksgiving in their being imploy'd by Christ for the good of the elect seed of men in general yea and for those select spouses and peculiar heavenly friends of Christ heirs of a higher state of Salvation than themselves All of them while but in the childish natural state of Servants do need the instruction and conduct of these ministring Spirits for the safe bringing of them to the doors of the new-creation-City by communicating their visions thereof unto them They lead them to Christ the true door of that City who also is the immediate opener and giver of actual entrance thereunto As Guardians even to Christ's heavenly first-born-Church among other Saints while within their jurisdiction will they conduct them to the gates of the heavenly City and there deliver them up to Christ himself Till they enter the said City must they own their sights and views thereof to these most proper instruments used by Christ the holy Angels These chief rulers in and over the first-resurrection-state are the fittest co-workers with Christ in the preparatory setting up or shewing of his Kingdom to all Saints John in the whole vision given him of things to come the resurrection-life and glory in which Christ's visible kingdom is to be set up acknowledged all to be received from the good Angels under the number seven the figure all along Scripture of the new-creation or resurrection-state By a participation hereof do they take their principality or chief rule over the earthly glorified congregation of spiritual Israelites As testimony hereunto John saw those seven Angels implying the whole number of elect Angels standing before the Throne of the Lamb as partakers of his resurrection-life The like is signified by the sevenfold Trumpet given them by which fitly capacitated for the said work as Christ's chief Ministers to declare his resurrection-life and glory and so to give the joyful tydings of his spiritual coming and Kingdom to all the Earth All this honour is put upon them as a just recompence for their obedient quitting their own natural Land and Habitation their first-creation mutable earthly life and state and becoming the first faithful followers of their head into the true new-creation land of Promise From the moment in which made or found willing to make this exchange of life and principles was the vision of God through faith given them in the resurrection-state So may they properly be called Elders or chief over the good seed among Men who receive from their hand the same Manna of life in Christ themselves feed on They by their more penetrating sight and nature especially as exalted into the spiritual new-creation sight and vision of their head as admitted into personal union with the divinity in our glorified nature and sitting on his Throne and his Bride have bin and are signally useful to communicate the vision of both till the time for these heavenly Saints exaltation into the possession and enjoyment of the marriage bed Thus they shewed John the Lamb and his Bride or peculiar and most heavenly Saints in a subjected love unto both as inferiour to both yet having their joy compleated by a perfect love to both acknowledging themselves to be neither Bridegroom nor Bride but true friends and faithful Servants unto both This their admirable love to Christ and his most heavenly Saints is notably figured out in that of Jonathan to David David is a figure of the most heavenly Saint as made most compleatly after God's own heart Jonathan's true love to him figures out that of the elect Angel to the superiour heavenly Saint His love to David exceeding the love of Women properly describes the spiritual union of the good Angel with the most heavenly Saint as maintained by pure new-creation-principles in both Such love and union must needs greatly excel any love exerciscable in the natural or first-creation-spirit typed out by the Woman which Diotrophes-like covets a pre-eminency in its own name and glory Contrary hereunto new-creation-principles cause the angelical Jonathan's not only unchangeably to love the heavenly David-Saints but from that love to become freely serviceable with Jonathan to place such David's on the Throne in a state superiour to themselves and that as
time the spirit in them did signifie vvhen it testified before hand the suffering of Christ and glory that should follovv 1 Pet. 1. 11. And it vvas revealed to them that not unto themselves but us under the gospel-dispensation witnesses both of his comming in flesh and state of grace or resurrection-life which was to follow they did minister such things The Apostles and other Saints in the gospel-day received that spirit not before given Jo. 7. 39. by which the mystery of Godliness became opened even through Christs being manifested in flesh justified in spirit and in our nature exalted into heaven All this visibly accomplished in Christ's person is the sum and substance of the gospel-testimony The resurrection-state is now no longer a land of distances very far off but brought neer and set open in Christ's glorified humanity Hence is the gospel-dispensation much more spiritual then that of the Law the object of faith being now brought into sight though spiritual saints under both these dispensations found a like acceptation with God The elders and worthies under the Law vvere through their powerful faith pleasing to God Heb. 11. 39. as well as spiritual-saints under the gospel They obtained a good report by faith They willingly and cheerfully confessed themselves strangers on earth or as to their natural state and principle though not actually possessed of the spiritual and heavenly This better thing vvas kept in reserve as neither given to nor received by them in such manner as after Christs comming for the compleating of their blessedness and finishing of that faith he was authour of before But the whole seed of faith spiritual saints before and under Law and Gospel agree in their witness to Christ's resurrection-state as that new name and life vvherein alone any ever were or can be saved or receive the vision of the divine glory And though the gospel-ministration be more glorious then that of the Lavv as a ballance to this priviledg of saints under the gospel those under the Lavv vvere made the first-fruits unto Christ in his resurrection-state in our nature For to their imprisoned spirits shut up in the faith of what was to be revealed Christ appeared and in the first degree of his resurrection-life preached it to them or bestowed it on them rendring the state of those just spirits a paradise by entring among them in his resurrection-life and glory And after this he poured forth his glorified spirit on saints in the body which rendred them powerful experimental witnesses of his resurrection-life and new name Thus the whole generation of faith whether as prophetical messengers before Christs comming in flesh or declarers of him after come have all most harmoniously agreed in their testimony to the spiritual nature and visibility of Christ's kingdom here treated on And thus having seen the testimony of the divine nature itself and the infallible creature-testimony of Christ and his saints to this truth as a secondary general confirmation of it we may observe the various types and figures in Gods providential workings for strengthning his Peoples faith in this important truth Even before the fall every voice of God to man was to point out this spiritual State of Rest he was to look after But all this counsel of God was neglected by him Yet did God even after the fall and before the giving of the Law warn Noah of this his twofold great design to wit of taking down the old or first creation-World and setting up that new one in which to establish this visible kingdom of Christ As a token hereof vvas he commanded to build an Ark and by his obedience to God therein did he condemn that sinful World which wilfully neglected the voice of God therein But Noah by faith saw Christ in that resurrection or kingdom-state figured by the Ark as a spiritual Rock of safety to himself and whole spiritual seed from that destruction figured out by the floud which all Angels and men that obstinately fix themselves in the old World or first-creation state against God and the second bring upon themselves And this deluge or destruction of man-kind by water points out the far greater destruction by fire in that day of the Lord wherein he will destroy the very heavens and earth on purpose reserved for the exercise of Gods long-suffering For their abuse of all will ripen them for a final consumption by the fire of God's wrath 2 Pet. 3. 7. Then even amidst those flames will he most certainly set up that spiritual kingdom in which shall be a like visible protection and safty to his saints as Noahs litteral Ark was to him and his family The next remarkable type of this spiritual truth before the giving of the Law was Abrahams conquest of the four Kings as figuring out not only the corrupt but righteous principles of nature in men and Angels which as singly naturall are all in a combined interest against the spiritual seed of faith and Christ their head These are signified in Abrahams person and his followers And their victory was a type fthe compleat and final conquest our spiritual Lord Abraham with all his saints will obtain over all that come against them to oppose the setting up of his spiritual kingdom visibly in the world After this have we another signal figure hereof in Gods remarkable dealing with the Egyptians as his enemies on behalf of the Israelites his friends in his marvellous wayes of punishing the one and delivering the other by his own right hand and out-stretched arm Both were types of that irresistable power in which Christ in these last dayes of greatest bondage and oppression to his people will give them a more remarkable deliverance then ever In these last and worst of times will be a combination in religious and civil principles against them figured by the Egyptian powers and the Magicians by the latter counterfeiting and by the former persecuting the new-creation spirit and power they both hate which Christ is ready to break forth in and thereby to bestow on his spiritual Israelites an absolute deliverance out of all their litteral and mystical captivities And by the same power will he so judge and deal with his enemies of all sorts as never to suffer them to rise up more against him or his spiritual Israelites Moses his whole government with the sanctuary and other things in his ministration were speaking figures and significant voices of this universal kingdom of Christ No circumstance in the civil or religious constitution of that government but remarkably signified the present truth And by signal sounds of his providence under every dispensation has the Lord been declaring and setting this truth before the faith of his People The sanctuary or tabernacle was not to be fixed as in its resting-place till his People were possessed of their resting-place the typical Land of promise Next this was Solomon's Temple on various accounts a signal type of Christ and of what he was to do
preparatory dispensation to make the whole Earth drunk therewith In these last days will this woman deck her self with more subtilty than ever in the attire of an Harlot signified by the Gold Silver and precious Stones with which then to be adorned And by riding on her humane Beast is held forth the willingness of evil men to serve the said mystical Woman or evil Angel in all her designs Both will be arrayed with the highest natural first-creation-excellencies transformed into the likeness of the second the forbidden linsy-woolsy garment presumptuously put on by both to commit all sorts of spiritual fornication and whoredom together against the true spiritual Lord and Husband of blessed Angels and Saints In stead of yeilding obedience to his command in parting with the fading life and glory of their fleshly natural state in exchange for his unchangeable new-creature spirit and life they retain and deck the former with the appearance thereof on purpose to give the utmost shock of opposition to it This will ripen them for that full Vial of Wrath that 's to be poured upon them as their just recompence In this preparatory day every sort of spiritual wickedness shall be found out and judged answerable to the measure of light received and sinned against All of them will be found such as from wilful enmity to Christ's new-creation-spirit have made themselves so drunk by taking in the wine of the first from the old Serpent as from thence to become drunk with the blood of the Saints and Martyrs of Jesus for owning his new name life and words thereof So do they make up Babylon in a mystery guilty of the deepest and most criminal spiritual idolatries and uncleanness little before taken notice of by spiritual Saints themselves who with John when by this angelical ministry made to see the twofold mysterious name of this Woman and Beast will be astonish'd and greatly wonder at so foul a spirit under such fair appearances For then will they see high blasphemies spiritual fornications and idolatries committed by evil Angels and Men in exact imitation of the chaste wedlock-union of Christ and his Saints This highest sort of mysterious wickedness the Devil has kept in reserve till these last days by the most exquisite counterfeitings of the heavenly resurrection-state of Christ and Saints This twofold work then the finding out and judging the most secret spiritual wickednesses of evil Angels and Men is to be the great business of the angelical ministry preparatory to our Lord's coming In the beginning of it shall they waken up and open the spiritual senses of Saints to see the mystical name and nature of the Woman and Beast and hereby fit them to be joyned with themselves before the end of their dispensation for the full detecting and judging the Whore and seat of the Beast When the new-creation-voice of Christ shall by blessed Angels and Saints be harmoniously sounded forth not only the secret spiritual evil of every one shall be found out but the wrath due to all guilty thereof signally poured forth upon them And hereby also will the just and irrevocable judgment of God be set up in the conscience of the Whore and universal Kingdom of the Beast This is signified by that fall of mystical Babylon which will be very great This fall will be effected by the powerful light of this preparatory day shining forth in blessed Angels and Saints to the laying flat all opposers with all their subtilties and disguises This by such an irresistable discovery of the inward mind of the Woman and Beast as to make their evil union appear without any shelter pretence or cover And so both therein will be found to make up the great mystical Babylon as incorporated together the hold of every unclean spirit and cage of every foul and hateful bird Rev. 18. 2. whatever fair and religious shews they have hitherto bin covered with The light of this preparatory dispensation will be also the mystical fire in and upon this Whore mystical Babylon by which she is to be burnt This fire will the Lord irresistibly kindle in and upon his implacable enemies so as to render their place or state perpetual desolations Hereby will be blasted all the fruits of their natural state at best after which their Souls have inordinately lusted so as wilfully to disdain the new-creation-state and spiritual fruits thereof So as their just punishment all those things of their natural state which in their day and season were good shall depart from them and they shall no longer find any pleasure in them Plagues and punishments shall come thick upon them to the full even spiritual death and famine as the unchangeable portion of all such offenders When God shall begin to deal thus with those mystical merchants of the Earth that have bin thus traffiquing in the mercinary principles of the Law set up by them in a known opposition to the Gospel will the said judgments be executed upon them But such as have a seed of true Saintship though they have bin involved in the same error for a season ignorantly as Paul once by the new-creation-voice of Christ sounded by Angels and ripen'd Saints will they be waken'd up into the exercise of spiritual senses and come out of the said mystical Babylon and so not partake of her Plagues They shall then stand for off from her in a holy admiration at their own deliverance and wonder to see her so great riches in a moment brought to nothing All this shall happen on the opening of the sealed up judgments for the evil Angels and their serpentine seed amongst Men their associates and attendants and the pouring forth of the Vial of wrath upon them which they have bin filling up by their wicked practices And hereupon will the Kingdom of the Beast be full of darkness For himself and subjects will be all discovered in their unchangeably black dark natures and principles as fixed in unchangeable enmity to God and his new-creation-spirit of light and truth So will they be able no longer to hide themselves or deceive others by their crafty sinful practices as before they have And this beginning judgment on them as a degree of God's unchangeable wrath will make them gnaw their Tongues for pain And though forced to see the punishment just will they retain an implacable enmity to the hand that once offered to do them good implied in their blaspheming the God of Heaven for their incureable spiritual sores and not in the least repenting of the evils that brought them The sixth Vial towards the compleating the just judgments of God on every part of the first-creation as set up against the second is poured on the great River Euphrates This with the consequents we find Rev. 16. 12 -16. This River in Scripture holds forth the first-creation-spirit as having had it s allotted season to be owned of God as beautiful in the right use thereof on a convincing sight therein given of the
the whole comprehensive single earthly generation and party of evil Angels and Men who will have nothing to pretend as to God's omitting any ways or means for the doing of them good In Israel's case he gives an account of the method of his proceedings with all his Creatures Angels and Men in reference to their everlasting happiness Esay 5. 4. All that set up for themselves in the first-creation-spirit against the second instead of good kindly fruits bring forth wild Grapes from a root of bitterness and known enmity to him In this do they practise all sorts of mystical uncleanness idolatry and fornication And as we have seen the ruine of the old World or first-creation as exalted against the second gradually carried on as to the judgments of God on the several parts thereof and at length upon the whole to their total and irreparable ruin in this preparatory dispensation and close thereof So are we to consider what 's done therein and by towards the building the new Christ will send his Angels for this with the great sound of their seven-fold Trumpet to gather together his Elect from the four Winds from one end of Heaven to the other Mat. 24. 31. This by powerfully wakning up the seed of spiritual life in all Nations Then will the Earth bring forth in one day and a Nation of spiritual Saints shall be born at once Esay 66. 8. and this marvellous wonder-working hand of the Lord which will so be made known towards his Servants will be attended with and made serviceable to the discovery of his indignation towards his Enemies ver 14. All the power and strength of the first-creation shall then like the Walls of Jerico fall without hands before the clear shining forth of the resurrection-power of Christ in his Angels and Saints causing the destruction of the old World and passing away of all the old things thereof as an immediate introduction to the building of the new the new Heavens and Earth to be set up by Christ's new-creation-workmanship wherein he will delight and rejoyce for ever ver 22. Isa 65. 17 -19. Come we then particularly to consider the second general part of the preparatory work the laying the Foundations of the new World or preparing the spiritual materials for the new-creation-building and kingdom of Christ In this second as well as first part of the work of this preparatory day will Christ make remarkable use of his Angels and ripen'd Saints fitly qualified in his spirit for the same This second part of the preparatory work seems necessarily to accompany the former For if this old World for the fleshly and spiritual defilements thereof must be destroyed by Fire mystical and literal as altogether unfit for Christ's presence there must be such a new Heaven and Earth built up as may be found faultless before him fit for his divine and new-creature residence as answering God's mind for the exercising of a visible rule and dominion of love over his Saints and Angels and also of good will over all mankind on the Earth In order to this will these preparatory builders Angels and Saints powerfully assert Christ's right to the visible universal rule and monarchy of this World And then secondly will they declare the great advantage of his assuming the same to all the inhabitants thereof Both these particulars shall in this fore-running dispensation be so clearly stated and asserted with such demonstration as to prevail on the whole new Earth not only to own Christ's right of ruling over them but to express their impatient desires for the same as their unexpressible benefit as well as his unquestionable right For hereby shall they be totally redeemed from the unreasonable bondage under the oppressive governments of this World and brought under the peaceable and righteous rule of Christ so as to perform universal obedience to him in the new-creation-principles of true love and freedom In order to this has Christ reserved a greater effusion of his Spirit in the latter rain thereof to be showred down in this preparatory dispensation to his second coming than the former in the primitive day amounted to The gradual operations of this shall cause all the Kingdoms of this new World to become the Lord's and his Christ's And every member and subject thereof shall receive his summons his Lord 's actual coming being now at hand By the powerful angelical ministry accompanied with the rain of Christ's risen spirit shall the true seed of the Kingdom be universally awaken'd and quicken'd up as a beginning to that full restitution of all things to be accomplish'd by Christ's own personal spiritual coming in his new-creation-temple of our glorified nature And herein will he be beheld before his visible presence on Earth on the opening the doors of that his Temple in Heaven by the powerful preaching of his everlasting-Gospel in the preparatory ministration so as to make the divine inhabitant thereof to be seen through Christ's creature-nature as with open face And this sight shall also have its powerful and peculiar effect on all the mystical members of Christ so as to change or transform them into a likeness to him in his new-creature-spirit as members of his heavenly or earthly-glorified body This great charge is committed to the spiritual and powerful preachers of his everlasting Gospel as in figure was shewed Ezekiel chap. 43. to give his mystical Israelit's a more clear view than ever of the exact form and fashion of the new-creature House and Temple of their great Lord and Head and that in such a manner as to shew them all the ascents and descents and every coming in and going out thereof with all the distinct Laws and Ordinances belonging to the same And this will beget in them a like admiration to that of the Queen of Sheba that came from the utmost corner of her natural Earth to behold the divine and new-creature glory of her spiritual King Solomon in the figure thereof When Saints shall see the divine King and the glory of his creature-House and Temple with the subjected ranks of his attendants in blessed harmony amongst themselves and universal obedience to him they will jointly ascribe all the glory of that order and their blessedness therein to the wisdom of their divine Lord and spiritual King Solomon the maker of those spiritual Laws in observing of which they shall live for ever in perfect blessedness and freedom The sight of this divine King and creature-Lord and of the everlasting blessedness of his Servants and Subjects is to be given in this preparatory dispensation This was exactly figured out in the setting up of the tabernacle or worldly Sanctuary before Israel's entring Ganaan the type of this visible spiritual Kingdom of Christ For in this preparatory day must be proved and fitted all sorts of materials needful to the setting up of Christ's visible Kingdom as then for Moses his Tabernacle And the means as there must be the free-will-offerings of the
People The natural man spirit life or state at best in the persons of Saints is their free-will-offerings figured by the Israelit's literal So by a happy transformation or translation into the spiritual life of Christ become their whole persons at length true lively Stones in his new-creation-Sanctuary figured by the literal 1 Pet. 2. 5. This comes to pass and this come they to by being with Paul obedient to the heavenly vision or discovery of Christ's spiritual heavenly life of truth for which made willing in this day of his power the powerful angelical preaching the everlasting Gospel to part with the but earthly natural fleshly life of their own spirit or nature even with the freedom and life of their own wills as their true free-will-offerings to God under the kindlings and in the same mystical fire Christ himself kindled on the spirit of our nature at best in his own very person To this will Saints be induced by the Angels preaching the everlasting Gospel-life of Christ to them presenting the riches and fulness of his new-creature-nature to the inward senses of his heavenly and earthly glorified spiritual Seed This will not only fill them with unspeakable joy but powerfully convince all unprejudiced reasonable men of the worship due to Christ from all Then shall the new-creature Temple in Christ figured by Solomon's the pattern for which was received from the true temple-spirit 1 Chron. 28. 12. be so open'd as not only to give a view of the divine inhabitant thereof to be worshipped but allow and warrant a free access and safe approach to the divine Majesty For Christ is both the house and builder thereof the presenter also of Saints Prayers unto God most high And for the said House sake will all be accepted according to promise even all persons and performances found to be done in the spirit of the House true Sanctuary-light and life Then shall the seed of the Kingdom be qualified in their awaken'd spiritual senses both to look into and read with delight and comfort the law of God's divine mind and will engraven in Christ's new-creature-nature or spirit of truth which is the living Book or word of God in and by which is given the vision of the divine glory for their everlasting blessedness and also the whole of his requirings from them in reference thereunto The powerful preaching or opening all this to them will in a high degree priviledg them both to see and do the whole will of God Now in order to such a Gospel-preaching as shall be the effectual means of bringing such great and glorious things to pass the preachers will be endowed with that universal new-creature-tongue and understanding which comprehends all other tongues and knowledg The confusion of languages at Babel as to the words of man's wisdom in his own spirit nature and way will be no obstruction to this universal Gospel-preaching to all Nations in the words of God's wisdom or true new-creature-spirit of prophecy A demonstration hereof was given by the said Spirit in the Apostles They could make themselves understood by people of various Languages Act. 2. 4 11. In this universal new-creation-tongue will the angelical preachers raise the seed of first-born-Saints out of their Grave or crucified nature into such a heavenly spiritual life as will capacitate and qualify them to judg the highest elect angels as exalted into a life light and discerning above them Yet till then they receive instruction from spiritual Angels as their teachers and guardians Heb. 1. 14. The next service of Love these angelical preachers will perform is to the earthly seed of spiritual Saints to whom under Christ they are ever to be the instructing and nursing Parents having received from Christ the highest earthly glorified wisdom in the highest conjunction with yet subjection to the wisdom of the heavenly creature-spirit which is above it and them So will Angels be subjected rulers under Christ over his first-resurrection-Saints in a glorified earthly spiritual life Thirdly in their natural make distinct from both the former qualifications are the holy Angels fitted to preach the highest single natural wisdom to the rational righteous man in the largest and most extensive intuitive way of communication that principle in Man is capable of receiving These angelical Ministers will also declare the right use Men are to make of such instruction by growing out of this lowest degree of Christ's obedient Subjects that 's but a changeable state into an everlasting blessed state of spiritual life and true freedom the glorious liberty of the Sons of God And herein have we seen these spiritual builders or preachers fitly qualified to provide all sorts of materials for the visible Kingdom of Christ This by speaking the words of wisdom suited to every distinct principle and understanding in those of whom this Kingdom consists as an adaequate agreeable knowledg of God to all They will declare the good will of God for restoring to all in general the free and orderly exercise of their intellectual rational and sensual powers they were first created in But all this in order to their yeilding subjection to a spiritual state kept in reserve for them through which to be brought into such unchangeable union with Christ's new-creature-spirit as that is in with the divine The very divine Oracles and Laws of God's mind shall then as in Moses his time be committed to these spiritual Ministers who by their new-creation-tongue and universal knowledg will be capacitated for the declaring thereof They will be furnish'd with the very essentials of all right ministry and magistracy by which to lay the sure foundations of both as to spirituals and civils on which the visible Kingdom of Christ must be built Hereby will the everlasting benefit of the government in both become so evident as irresistibly to prevail not only with awaken'd spiritual Saints but enlightned and reformed natural Men for their full consenting to the same So without the least force or compulsion the Nations of this new World shall in an abundant manner flow in unto the Lord voluntarily yeilding a ready subjection to Christ's angelical preachers so as to shew the same not to proceed from fear but for conscience-sake And Christ shall have the whole glory of all For the holy Angels will declare it to be in the power of his spirit they do all and that it is his will alone is done by them in all their proparatory work This work will so influence the Nations of the new World as to cause the congregation of spiritual Israelites to bring themselves as free-will-offerings to Christ the spiritual materials and subjects of which his new-creation-Sanctuary and Kingdom is to consist So see we the high honour of these spiritual builders and preachers in this preparatory day Their feet will be beautiful and glorious in this angelical mount or ministration proclaiming the glad tydings of their Lord 's sudden coming to reign visibly in this World They will powerfully
THE REIGN OF CHRIST Unto which He hath had a Right from everlasting WHICH God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy Prophets since the World began Acts 3. 21. LONDON Printed in the Year â—â—â—â— The PREFACE NOAH a Preacher of the Righteousness of God and a walker with him therein gave signal Warning a hundred and twenty years together of the approaching judgment on all despisers thereof Gen. 6. 3 -9. Mat. 24. 38 39. 2 Pet. 2. 5. The neglect of his alarming ministry was so universal that the flood came and swept them all away save Noah's family of eight persons And so shall also the comming of the Son of Man be say's Christ Mat. 24. 37 -39. The like dark midnight-state shall the World be found in at Christ's second coming People will be generally given up to sensuality signified by eating drinking marrying and giving in marriage and so will also be found scoffing at any such thing as Christ's coming to reign on Earth 2 Pet. 3. 3 4. But the Spirit he will come in will prove a mystical Fire that will burn up and consume all the highest excellencies in the fleshly earthly changeable corruptible first-creation-nature of Man or Angel signified by all the Kingdoms of this World and glory of them Mat. 4. 8. This will be an amazing surprize and cause a consternation in all concerned therein beyond and above all conception or language by the understanding or tongue of natural Man or Angel Even when Christ is at the door ready to come forth about this terrible work in righteousness to judg and make war on all first-creation vanities will Men generally more than ever contradict and blaspheme the spiritual Watchman's warning thereof so that he with his Fellows shall be men wonder'd at reckon'd mad-men and the contemptiblest Fools in the whole World for believing or asserting any such thing Hence will that day of the Lord or the Lord coming forth in that judgment-day-light of his all-searching all-discovering all-trying new-creation Spirit be a general surprize to the World Sea and Land all inhabitants of the Earth and of the Sea in the but reformed or in the polluted spirit of nature He will come as a Thief with his irresistible light upon them in their midnight darkness never less expecting or more deriding any such doctrine or thing The temper of the World before the general destruction of it by Water is made by Christ himself a representing figure of the desperately rebellious condition and most evil circumstances it will be found in immediately before the near approaching destruction of it by Fire Abel Enoch and others doubtless though not all recorded did in the true new-creation spirit of prophecy warn the people of their day of their groundless security and self-flattery as to any approaching judgments Enoch before that destruction by Water prophesied the second destruction of it by Fire at Christ's second coming with the ten thousands of his Saints Jude ver 14 15. His being the seventh from Adam may seem not to be taken notice of without some concerning significancy It was the judgment of the more enlightned sort of Jews when in their flourish that the World would stand six thousand years a thousand years for a day answering the six days works of God in the first-creation and then Christ would come in the glory power and marvellous light of the new-creation to keep his seventh thousand years Sabbath-day wherein to proclaim a jubilee to the World and so a rest or cessation from all the works of man in his own work-a-day first-creation spirit life or activity Of the said six thousand years 5678 are past Whether that saying of Christ speaking of the great tribulation in these last days beyond all that ever was or will be that for the Elects sake those days shall be shortned may not import a period of Satan's reign and Man's day in this World before the sixth thousand year be fully expired is a question with some But what less can it signify The Jews appropriate that perswasion as to this World 's continuing six thousand years more peculiarly to Elias Elias complained he was left alone in his spiritual testimony as to any associates with him in the awaken'd exercise of the same spirit as also that his witness was universally rejected and person persecuted by those in power God's answer to him was he had seven thousand men in that Israel who had not bowed to Baal that is not wilfully and knowingly through self-love to their earthly life and state Satan's dwelling place rejected and hated the heavenly life of that new-creation spirit that is God's dwelling place for ever in which he will dwell amongst shine upon and own his true Sion-Saints as his People and himself their God for evermore Any that have come forth in the awaken'd exercise of the true new-creation spirit of prophecy grace and prayer everlasting righteousness and truth have experienc'd an almost universal contradiction and discountenance as Fools and mad Men. The Apostles and primitive gospel Christians when clothed with a wonder-working power under the former rain or first shower of the spirit from Christ's ascended humanity seem to have had the best on 't as to this yet how were even they yea the most eminent teachers among them hated and disturbed contradicted blasphemed and murdered I have laboured in vain I have spent my strength for nought and in vain says Esay in my prophetical ministry declaring the righteousness of God as the only true way of Salvation to Man This he concludes as relating to the next to no success he found amongst Men. But he found the Lord's approbation judgment and that his work found acceptance and he a reward there Esay 49. 4. So Paul if our ministry says he of himself and fellow-Gospel teachers prove through mens wilful neglect and hatred of it a savour of death unto death yet are we therein a sweet savour of Christ unto God 2 Cor. 2. 15 16. No big looks nor stout words of contradicting Enemies should appale or discourage God's Commission'd Messengers of Truth How were they mock'd misus'd and despised even in Jerusalem till there was no Remedy 2 Chron. 36. 16. God charg'd Ezekiel to discharge his Watchman's Office in speaking his Words to them Whether they would hear or obey or whether they would forbear that is rebel against and reject them So also does he command Jeremy to arise and speak his words to them and not be dismaied at their Faces lest says he I confound or break thee in pieces before them Jeremy Prophesied amongst the then only professing People of God in the whole World and yet had the whole Land against him the Kings Princes Priests and People of Judah But God made him in the strength of his true Spirit of Prophesie too hard for them all a defenced City an iron Pillar and brazen Walls against the whole Land Jer. 1. 17 18. Yet notwithstanding all this fencing and steeling him
to bear the shock of such an universal opposition and contempt we find him through the wrangling distemper of his oppressed natural man that 's the disputer of this World in the Saint himself at a sore loss and ready to make very strange Conclusions I am in derision daily every one mocks and reproaches me for speaking the Word of the Lord. Then I said I 'le speak no more in his Name But his Word in my heart was as a fire and I could nor forbear or hold from declaring it Jer. 20. 7 9. When his particular denunciations of desolating Judgments on Jerusalem were accomplished the Jews dispers'd and confounded he was still at the same pass tossed up and down from post to pillar under a universal contradiction As for the word thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the Lord say the Jews we will not hearken unto thee but do whatsoever goes forth of our own mouth follow the words of our own wisdom Jer. 44. 16 17. This they conclude upon come what will Desperate resolutions When Johanan the Son of Kareah and all the Captains of the remaining Forces left by Nebuchadnezzar and all the Jews from the least even to the greatest had besought Jeremy to seek the Lord on their behalf as to what course they should steer after the murder of Gedaliah whom the King of Babilon left to be their Governour he told them the Lord's message that if they stay'd in their own Land they should be safe if they went to Egypt for which he saw their inclination the very Sword of Nebuchadnezzar they causelesly fear'd at home should be sure to meet with them there Johanan the Son of Kareah and all the proud Men tell him he speaks falsly and that the Lord had not sent him to say go not into Egypt to sojourn there So they not only go but force him and Baruch along with them in flat contradiction to their own message And when there we have seen how obstinately they demean themselves against him and all his words All this have we Jer 42. 43. and 44 chapters At this rate are true witnesses of God handled all along this World Christ himself had in a manner a universal contradiction to his whole Gospel-ministry of the second covenant from the professing Jews with their Teachers Priests Scribes Pharisees c. in the first He came to his own people in the first who received him not but blasphem'd and murder'd him for the doctrine of the second though exactly consonant to their own Law and Prophets rightly understood and so became they no people of God at all in first or second What they had was taken from them for rebelliously refusing the great and true Salvation by him farther discovered and offered to them Christ's meek and quiet bearing such universal contradiction of mystical Sinners to his whole Gospel-ministry is set before his followers therein lest they be quite tired out and faint in their minds on like occasion Heb. 12. 3. Concerning the KINGDOM of GOD to vvhich Christ hath had a Right from Everlasting Testified by Saints in all Ages unto the visible Possession vvhereof the signal slaying of the Tvvo Witnesses and the raising them again by the angelical Preachers of the everlasting Gospel into an Association vvith themselves vvill be an immediate fore-running and preparatory Dispensation THERE is not any Truth more frequently foretold or positively asserted in the whole Scripture than the Second Comming of Christ to set up his visible Kingdom on Earth On his joyful appearance for this blessed Angels and Saints hopes have from the beginning been fixed as the season for such an Opening the Temple of God in Heaven as will render the Divine Inhabitant thereof visible on Earth This by first cleerly stating and declaring the infinite and absolute Soveraignty of Gods divine Essence above all And next unto this divine unity the high and superlative Prerogative of the first divine and creature-composition in the Mediatour's person Thirdly the great and peculiar Priviledges of the most heavenly Saints And lastly the just and immutable Rights and Advantages of blessed Angels and other glorified Saints above whatever was to be found in the natural first-creation state of either Hence the whole new-creation seed of Christ from a subjection to chang and vanity in their first-creation life and clothing have been secretly groaning and panting after that deliverance and freedom that 's to be brought to them by this second visible spirituall coming of our Lord Jesus from heaven to Reign on the earth And this will they more impatiently then ever desire and long after toward the end of the encreasing unreasonable Bondage under Satan's reign and Man's day This that the whole Creation groanes after and expects is the peculiar hope the certain and wel-grounded perswasion of spiritual Saints whose Faith becoms an undoubted evidence to things not seen to the natural understanding Rom. 8. 22-25 Heb. 11. 1. They only have the first-fruits and earnest of this yet invisible Spiritual Life in which Christ will appear to all They have the tasts of the new Wine of his Spiritual Kingdom And hence do they greatly thirst after the full draughts thereof in his Kingdom They are therefore uncessant in Prayer to God and this in Obedience to and agreement with the command and will of Christ for the comming of this Kingdom as those Spiritual Watch-Men that in harmony with the Holy Angels cease not Day nor Night to cry unto God for the Personal comming of their Spiritual Lord to make his nevv Jerusalem a praise in the vvhole Earth Esay 62. 1 6 7. For this will compleat the adoption of Sons by the redemption of their body and manifestation of the Sons of God in a visibility of their spiritual life This will be a Jubile to the whole World How deeply then are Angels Saints and all Men concerned to be rightly informed and have their hope fixed in this Important thing the comming of their Spiritual King in his new-creation Glory to reign over them For therein will be comprehended all their distinct Interests and Advantages Peter by way of Prophecy speaking of this spiritual kingdom positively asserts it not to be of a Fabulous or controversible nature but grounded on clear Evidence and undoubted Demonstration For he had the honour of being an Eye-vvitness by faith of Christ as from the beginning living in his root clothed with Glory and Honour 2 Pet. 1. 16-18 And since his ascent in our nature have spiritual Saints been waiting for his descent therein God by setting him at his right hand therein has Endovved him vvith the Povver and Glory of his Fathers Throne to set up his visible kingdom on earth Jo. 5. 22 27. Act. 17. 31. All this seems implied in the voice Peter heard from the excellent glory saying This is my beloved Son in whom I am vvell pleased as having descended and finished the vvork given him to do in our earthly nature
by the compleat death thereof as to all changable first-creation life And ascended into the everlasting new-creature and divine life of God the Mediatour his Root and Father in which fitted for the visible rule of his spiritual kingdom on earth For this blessed thing are Saints out of or in the body all vvaiting as his Members Servants and blessed Retinue to enter with him into the actual possession of this Glorious Kingdom in the visibility of their before hidden Spiritual Life which will be the manifestation of the Sons of God The glad tydings of this second comming of Christ in his spiritual glory to Reign as that of his natural birth in order thereunto will be first signally given by his angelical Messengers as that which will most certainly bring Glory to God in the highest Heavens through a union of peace with his new Heavens and Earth or higher and lower ranks of Spiritual Saints together with undeniable marks of his good vvill to all Men in general that are under his happy government Luke 2. 14. All men that have not excluded themselves by a fixed enmity to this spiritual king shall have their Eyes so far opened at and by his appearing as to see and admire his long-suffring towards them and his restoring to them what at first they lost So will the whole new World joyn in unanimous praises to God through Christ their new-creation King And if this be so a distinct considering the spiritual nature as well as certain visibility of this kingdom will be requisite and this so much the more as the day of his second comming approaches and drawes neerer This growes more evident dayly from the general decay of all natural and moral goodness amongst men and the increase and abounding of all Iniquity litteral and mystical that as foretold will accomplish man's day and period this World Through the extream abounding of iniquity nothing of support or comfort will be left spiritual Saints or reasonable men but a rightly Informed Faith as to the certain approach of the Lord in his spiritual kingdom In the stedfast wel-grounded hope hereof are they called on by Christ to lift up their Heads as knovving his second appearance and consequently their full redemption dravvs nigh and will soon be accomplished For this great and most concerning thing and Truth have we a Cloud of Witnesses in Scripture even for the glorious Comming and Kingdom of our Lord as also an account of the distinct hands by which given divine and creaturely or both together God in his infinite divine Essence the Mediator in his conjunctive divine and creature-nature and the pure creature-spirit of Faith living in a succession of spiritual Saints from first to last do all agree in their Testimony to this Truth The Mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ Col. 2. 2. is all opened by Christ the Branch which Paul earnestly desires Saints may be filled vvith the rich and full assurance of And 1 Cor. 11. 2 3. treating of the same high and glorious Truths he layes down the original and fundamental Ordinances of Truth as he received them from Christ's own hand He declares it necessary for men to know That the Head of every Man is Christ and that the Head of the Woman is the Man and the Head of Christ God In these gradations of a three-fold-Headship he summ's up the essential Foundations of all Truth divine and creaturely to wit of God in his divine unity then of the Mediatour in his supream divine and creature-composition and then thirdly of Christ as Son and Branch the appointed means for rendring the said divine and creature-glories of God the Mediator visible to blessed Angels and Saints The highest of these Ordinances of Truth though last expressed is That the Head of Christ is God God the Mediatour in his conjunctive divine and creature-form of God confesses and ownes the single and uncompounded divine Essence as his absolute Head and Father This is the first and highest Ordinance of Truth Next unto this Christ is the head of every man that is Christ as Mediatour in the first and highest conjunction of divine and creature-nature is the immediate Head of himself as the first-born Creature and Resurrection-Lamb and consequently of every Angel and Man in both creations natural or spiritual And then as the third and last Ordinance of Truth is the Man Christ as Resurrection-Lamb in his spiritual new-creation Life Head of the Woman or Natural-state in Christ's person as brought into subjection to the new-creation Man and also of all his heavenly and earthly glorified Saints and Angels or Church Col. 1. 18. There is a like relation of Father and Son in the Mediatour's creature-nature Root and Branch as of the divine Father and Son in the divine nature And so is his Creature-nature throughout and on all accounts the supream creature-likeness of the infinite divinity 'T is the absolute and peculiar Prerogative of the divine nature not only to be the original of its own Being from Eternity or to be what it is without all begining but also of that purely divine Form and Image of it self in the Mediatour to whom God in the single divine Esence is Head and Father It is therefore said 1 Tim. 2. 5. There is one God in the divine Essence uncompounded with any creature-being and in distinction from God in this supream consideration One Mediatour betvveen God and Men mediating between and therefore consisting of two natures divine and creaturely A Mediatour is not of one but God is one To the Mediatour in this Composition is the single divine Essence Head And the divine nature or purely divine form of God which is one with the divine essence as the immediate former of his own creature-spirit from everlasting Prov. 8. 22 23. stands in a headship or superiority to that creature-spirit which is his own divine workmanship in his own person As the purely divine Son of God is he under a like impossibility with the Father of being immediately seen or known by any but the divine Being it self For in this divine relation of Father and Son are they fitted only for the fruition of each other And so the divine Son lay shut up in the bosom of the divine Father till the good will and mind of both was to build a creature-house for themselves which was the Root and former of all meer creature-beings in both Worlds Heb. 1. 2. This original Word or creature beginning vvas in God and vvith God and vvas God And by it vvere all other things made John 1. 1. 3. The distinction of divine and creature-nature in the Mediatour is intirely preserved in their personal Unity His creature-nature is called the Beginning His divine is without all beginning Again the infinite divine builder of the supream creature house for himself is above the house so built by him though taken into personal union with the divine Inhabitant thereof as is implied Heb. 3. 3 4.
the effect of John's baptism and ministry Act. 19. 1 5. Paul baptized them in the name of the Lord Jesus that is into a true acknowledgment and experience of his new-creation-life and Spirit So in that other institution the laying on of Hands ver 6. was the Holy Ghost actually given them On this such new Gospel-Believers immediately spake with new Tongues and prophesied So that other ordinance or institution for anointing the sick was practised by them with like success at that time The Elders of the Gospel-Church anointed such with the new name of Christ as the soveraign cure for spiritual and bodily diseases Jam. 5. 14 15. Those spiritual teaching apostolical-elders who were the highest Order in the new Gospel-Church by their powerful prayer of Faith in the name or spirit of Christ did actually cure the sick strengthen the weak hands and feeble knees of faulty spiritual-saints Thus have we seen the power and spirituality of the gospel-ministration beyond that of the Law by the actual dispensing of that Spirit which was only witnessed by faith under the Law But brought into sight under the Gospel Gospel-Saints then are thankfully to receive the convincing discoveries hereof by spiritual light and to shew themselves willing and ready on any terms to enter into the promised yea shew'd and offered new-creation-Land or state of Life by personal union with Christ in his heavenly or glorified earthly spirit which will prove such a state of blessedness the gates of hell all the powers of darkness can never prevail against or disanul But on the contrary such as evilly entreat Christ's mystical Spies the spiritual discoveries sights and tasts of his Resurrection-life given in conviction suited to their natural spirit so as wilfully to reject them and discover and betray them to the enemy the Devil joining with him to mock at and do despite thereunto God will swear in his wrath they shall never enter into his rest that new-creation-land or state of life by them finally refused and contemned The spiritual light as a spirit of prophecy given to them received and exercised by them for a season Saul's case by which they see the great advantage of accepting God's offered spirit of Grace on his declared terms shall depart from them and in the room thereof an evil angelical Spirit with the highest deceitful light shall enter into them And thence-forward will they express implacable enmity against the spiritual David's Christ and his Saints Thus the Gospel-ministration and light received as a temporary blessing and the Gospel-Life or eternal blessing thereof wilfully rejected that temporary blessing is turned into an everlasting curse and judgment on them Bare spiritual light then which makes a spiritualized natural understanding is no ground of a firm rejoycing though for a season they be enabled thereby to cast out Devils or obtain a victory over the corrupt spirit of nature brought into and instigated in Men by the Devil This Christ signified to the seventy disciples Luk. 10. 17 20. All spiritual light may be withdrawn if the life thereby shew'd and offered be hated and rejected And then the evil Angel or Spirit enters with its counterfeit imitation of the true Spirit of prophesy as into Saul which did presently excite in him an enraged malice against David because he saw the Lord was with him 1 Sam. 18. 10 12. Till then we experience a change of principle and life from natural to spiritual by which infallibly to see and know our names written in Heaven Christ's new-creature book of Life we have no firm ground of spiritual joy The unspeakable gift of the Spirit of truth itself is the full accomplishment of the promise to Saints under the Law Jeremy and other Saints were shewed the means and season for this Gospel-gift as the new thing and wonder to be done in the Earth of our fleshly nature in Christ's person It is expressed by a Womans compassing a Man Jer. 31. 22. This was fulfilled in letter by the Virgin 's compassing or containing in her the holy Thing begotten and conceived by the Holy Ghost or new-creature Spirit of Christ the builder of its own visible house in our nature But the mystical and principal meaning was the natural Spirit of Man figured by the Woman in Christ did compass or contain in it a holy seed of his new-creature-spirit of truth and by the death thereof brought forth the new-creation man-child which received its first visibility in and through the earth of our glorified nature in him This new man-child-spirit or principle of life till thus manifested lay as a mystery hid in God not discerned by Angel or Man but through Faith And so had it remained for ever had not the Son of Man in Heaven from everlasting prepared this natural capacity in himself for partaking of our fleshly nature and by the death and glorification thereof become the declarer of his own invisible man-child-Life and Spirit The natural Man of Christ that was to pass through a mystical child-bearing and death was the Woman and so in Saints shewed John Rev. 12. who was with Child and travelling in pain cried out to be delivered This was effected by such a pure subjection of Christ's natural to his spiritual man that he was pained and straitned till the fire-baptism had accomplish'd the death of the former on which the new-creation-life of the latter might shine forth in and through it And this did he in a publick capacity as the means to obtain a birth of new-creation-life for the whole spiritual seed of his heavenly and glorified earthly Family On their behalf John heard a sound of joy in Heaven for the victory thus obtain'd for them by Christ in our nature as the only means for their obtaining the same victory and blessedness with him Now is come Salvation and Strength ver 10. to the whole new-creature seed-royal by the death of that state in Christ the old Serpent is a Prince and Ruler in Thus did Christ handle our nature in himself as his Followers are to do in themselves and by such Death overcame all enemies This Christ did in our nature as a declaratory repetition of the first battel in Heaven fought by Michael and his Angels against the Dragon and his ver 7. Christ as a Resurrection-Lamb and his good Angels that with him quitted and exchanged their changeable first-creation-life for his unchangeable second beat the Devil and his Angels who did rebelliously set up for themselves in the first against God Christ and his Angels that obediently followed their head into the life of the second Ezek. 1. 20. 10. 11. This twofold Victory obtain'd by Christ in the resurrection-state of his invisible angelical nature before the foundation of the World and since in our glorified humane nature makes up the glad tidings of the Gospel-state of Christ in his conquering man-child-spirit the leading witnesses whereof were extraordinarily qualified by the first shower of it to become more than
purpose to raise up the two slain witnesses by quickning up the seed of the twofold new-creature-spirit of prophecy in them into a powerful and irresistible demonstration So the preparatory angelical ministration is to take place immediately on the death of the witnesses In this newness of Life shall their dead natural spirits be made stand on their feet in a proportionable obedience to the Spirit of Christ with their spiritual man And so shall they with Gideon the type Judg. 6. 7. become men of valour for destruction of enemies and salvation of friends All this in such an absolute subjection to Christ that the whole glory of the victory will be seen to be God's In this angelical day as was signified by the seperation twice made in Gideon's army shall be used only such spiritual Angels and Saints as are dignified with a spiritual skill for this war upon enemies On the first separation in Gideon's army returned two and twenty thousand from the war In the second test or trial only three hundred that lapped of the water putting their hand to their mouth and refusing to bow down upon their knees to any first-creation-reliefs but found singly in a true subjection to Christ these were to perform the war And each of them were to have a Trumpet with empty Pitchers and Lamps in the Pitchers These empty Pitchers fitly represent the compleat work of the Cross on the whole natural man of Christ's spiritual Gideonites So as wholly emptied of all first-creation-life and strength are they filled with the new-creation-spirit of power to perform the work of this preparatory day The new-creature lamp or spirit of Christ shall be set up in the empty Pitcher of their crucified natural man and unchanged body rendring their whole man a burning and shining Light And this lamp is the very weapon by which the work of the said day is to be done 'T is by the Sword of the Lord and his spiritual Gideonite's the new-creature-spirit of Christ in his Saints who are thereby in marriage-union with their spiritual Lord Joshua the victory is to be obtained Not by might not by power but by my spirit saith the Lord of Hosts as in the type Zech. 4. 6. No first-creation-strength or weapon shall be used in this War The spirit of the Lord will be the two-edged sword in their hands to execute vengeance on their combined enemies heathens and a first-covenant people Psal 2. 1 2. 149. 6 7. By this sword of the Lord and his Gideonites will Christ cause them to triumph over all enemies visible and invisible Men and Devils They shall break in pieces the serpentine head and whole party of first-creation-rebels against God and the second The Lord will then by his fiery sword plead with all Flesh Isa 66. 16. even with every false Spirit as included in that word Flesh For this purpose and work will he descend with his angelical host into the mystical valley of Jehosaphat on the raising of the dead carkases or dry bones of his twofold spiritual witnesses to make a true decision between his Friends and Foes Then shall the slain by this spiritual sword of the Lord in his Angels and Saints be many And this weapon shall be seen to be wholly directed by the will and command of Christ their Head and King whose powerful word will give the quick and terrible motion to those angelical Chariots in which Angels and Saints jointly commission'd by him shall drive furiously to carry on the swift execution of his will on enemies Of this ministration of Angels furnish'd with the sword or spirit of the Lord as join'd in commission with the two sorts of spiritual Saints and so making up a twofold band or army of Angels and Saints in this preparatory day is there a full account given Joel 2. First here is a command for blowing the spiritual Trumpet as the first infallible alarm to this work This is to be sounded by Angels as the appointed gatherers together of the elect seed among men to the said mystical battel And when these spiritual Warriers are provided with their offensive and defensive weapons the Angels will blow their spiritual Trumpet in Zion and sound their alarm in the holy Mountain for the joyful assembling the ripen'd seed of spiritual Saints into an association with themselves which will make all the inhabitants of the earth tremble These fore-running messengers of Christ in their new-creation-light and power shall come as horses and horsemen and the thundring sound of Chariots on the tops of the mountains riding in a commanding power over all visible and invisible strength leaping and rejoycing before their great Lord and Master as spiritual David's before the mystical Ark for his-new-creation-strength and life put into them For by the angelical flames of fire shall they devour the enemy as stubble They shall run like mighty men expert in this spiritual war so swift as none shall be able to flee or escape them in their most orderly march without breaking their ranks upon the old first-creation-World or City They will climb up upon the mystical Houses even the persons of enemies and enter in at the Windows like Theives By their all-searching new-creation-light will they ransack and search their enemies hearts so as to find out and detect all the deceitful works of unrighteousness in the mystical earthly Jerusalem And this work will make the hypocritical Sinners in Sion to fear and tremble as found wilful enemies to this spiritual army They will kindle a mystical Fire in their spirits that shall forever burn in them and this yet but preparatory to what is reserved by Christ's final sentence to be brought upon them which is near at hand When he comes he will utter his own voice before his Army as head of them Joel 2. 11. And the execution of the said voice will be very terrible to all opposers who shall be devoured by the fire that proceeds out of their mouths as found implacable enemies to the glad tydings of the Lord's approach That which is unspeakable joy to friends will be unexpressible terror and vexation to enemies This twofold differing reception and effect of Christ's second coming we find on the concluding sound of the seventh Trumpet of Christ's new-creation-voice on which he actually takes possession of all the visible and invisible Kingdoms of this World On this follow loud acclamations of spiritual Saints but anger vexation and madness in the enemies thereof Rev. 11. 15 18. The work then of the preparatory dispensation to Christ's coming is twofold To the joyful receivers of their everlasting Gospel will the holy Angels administer suitable recompences of Christ's love as true fearers of his name small or great single or double-portion'd heavenly or earthly spiritual Saints And the peculiar generation of Saints that are to be his two-fold witnesses slain for their faithful testimony as their particular recompence will be called up by the holy Angels into a fellowship
with them in their angelical ministration And by the powerful entrance of Christ's new-creature-life into them will they be raised as found by the angelical reapers the full ripe corn to be gathered up by them into that preparatory service with themselves Next these will they take care of that precious seed-wheat that lies hid under the earth of the natural spirit or at most appears but in its young and tender blade These spiritual Watchmen and preachers of that day are by Christ's command to take care of such The Angels that were to open the Seals and pour forth the vials of God's wrath on the Earth are required not to hurt the grass of the new Earth neither any green thing or tree not the seed or any the least beginnings of an ever-green spiritual life The spiritual seed however hid in the earth of the yet active natural spirit shall by their powerful preaching the everlasting Gospel be made wonderfully to spring up grow and prosper so that this holy seed from among all nations shall abundantly flow in unto them in those days of such a universal return out of all captivities as hath been the well-grounded hope and relieving expectation of Saints in all former ages From the redemption of the spiritual seed by the preparatory ministry of Angels will flow a full restitution to the whole Earth The Earth not yet brought to trial shall by the powerful preaching of the Angels become as the garden of Eden and by obedience thereunto be in measure restored to their first-creation-state in order to their experiencing a far greater mercy by Christ's personal presence if the fault be not their own when brought under such great and high advantages And having thus seen the first part of the work of this preparatory dispensation in reference to the good seed and innocent earth the second we shall find to be in reference to the evil seed who ' after all trial by wilfully rejecting the truth have shewed themselves the accursed earth John saw the same time apointed for a recompence of love to the one and wrath to the other These latter are the Nations that will be angry at Christ's second coming Yea by the preparatory dispensation thereunto will there be set up such a condemning testimony in the hearts of the incorrigibly wicked as will render even that a day of gloominess clouds and thick darkness to them Joel 2. 2. Even their restor'd natural state on which they have doted shall be so signally judg'd and blasted by the breath of the Lord in this his preparatory day set up in his Angels and risen witnesses that it shall be left behind them as a waste and desolate Wilderness with whom the Lord will have no more to do in any way of love or trial ver 3. This season is to put a period to the Serpent's active reign and Christ and his Saint's passive and to bring the seat of the Whore and Beast to judgment who will therefore be enraged more than ever against Christ and his Saints and Angels Then will they come forth in the most subtile imitations of Christ's preparatory angelical ministers For this will Satan prepare his evil angelical Chariots and take his fixed evil seed among men into a like association as Christ's blessed Angels and Saints so as exquisitely to counterfeit this preparatory ministration of Christ to the deceiving if possible the very Elect. He will cloath his false Apostles Prophets and Servants through his sinful transformations with an appearance of Christ's resurrection-Garments And so will he assume to himself the very creature-throne of Christ setting up himself in that glorified Temple in imitation of Christ's united divine and creature-natures shewing himself to be God 2 Thess 2. 4. This will the Devil by his inspired instruments set himself to do in these latter days counterfeiting the Spirit of Christ in himself and Saints as spiritual Magicians to fight against the spiritual Moses's of that day blessed Angels and Saints in the most subtile imitation of their spiritual and true wonder-working power This will Satan do to weaken the authority of their spiritual ministration from implacable hatred thereunto In this mystical way of opposing Christ and his work to be done by Angels and Saints will he and his party of Angels and Men be counterfeiting the signs and wonders wrought by the new-creation-power and spirit of Christ This will they do notwithstanding the signal judgments of God upon them as on the type Pharaoh and his Egyptians God's judgments then instead of working them into an obedience to his message were by them abused to the encreasing their wilful hatred of that hand and power they could not but confess just in smiting them Yet in height of contempt would they be imitating that new-creation-power by which they were convinced the wonders of that day were wrought All this was but a type of what the mystical Pharaoh and his Subjects will do in the preparatory day to Christ's second coming And for a season will they be permitted so to do to try and prove many Many that are spiritually wise will be found stumbling and falling hereby But being unwillingly mistaken their very mistake will be caused to tend to the purifying of their faith and also to the ripening of their enemies for destruction This was figured by the red Sea that became a total destruction to the enemy and salvation to Israel All this shall be more eminently seen in wilful hardners of their hearts against this powerful ministration of Angels On such wilful Sinners in that day will the said Angels pour forth the vials of Gods wrath sealed up from the beginning to this appointed season In whatever deceitful appearances such Sinners will be found out and punished under the distinct vials of wrath poured fourth upon them And they shall all be made to stand as convicted and condemned persons in their own consciences by the powerful light of this angelical ministry as Christ's inferiour court of judicature in order to receive an irreversible sentence of Death from the highest seat of judgment from which can be no appeal being set up in Christ's person by whom as soveraign Lord to be pronounced Yet shall not this sentence be finally executed upon them but on purpose suspended during the thousand years active reign of Christ in which they are to be so chained up as to be disabled to make the least resistance or give any interruption thereunto This powerful restraint as to the expressing their enmity against the peaceable reign of Christ and his Saints will much encrease their torment But let us now resume and come to a more particular and distinct consideration of all these things First What is meant by the Seales the opening thereof and pouring forth of the said Vials Secondly how and in what manner are they to be poured forth and upon whom Thirdly how far are the judgments thereof to reach visible or invisible in this preparatory dispensation
given to a faithful witness-bearing in his spirit of true freedom for which they have suffered all along Satan's reign This shall in its place be more fully spoken to And then will be declared God's most wise and holy grounds why the injuries done to the Souls under the Altar slain for the testimony of Jesus have lain so long unaccounted for Under this preparatory dispensation shall the murderers of Jesus and his spiritual Martyrs be punished according to their works All these judgments and mercies are to be opened by the seven new-creation Trumpets sounded by seven Angels on the opening of the seventh and last Seal Rev. 8. 1 2. On the sounding of these Trumpets the judgments sealed up for foes amongst the treasures of mercy for friends Deut. 32. 34 35. will be executed by the pouring forth of the seven Vials All this as the performance of God's promise on behalf of the two slain witnesses Rev. 11. for raising them up into an association with spiritual Angels for the powerful preaching of Christ's everlasting Gospel-life For this will they have power to shut and open the blessings and judgments of Heaven in perfect harmony with the spirit and will of Christ distributing both in love or wrath to the inhabitants of the whole World This is implied in the command given them over that mystical Fire by which the wrath of that day is to be executed and in their power also to give or withhold the heavenly rain of Christ's risen-Spirit and likewise for turning the Waters of the cleansed natural state as turned into enmity against the same into blood from the just wrath and displeasure of God By all ways literal and mystical will the sealed-up judgments of God be opened to smite the accursed Earth in such a successive pouring forth of wrath upon it figured by the plagues on Pharaoh and Egypt by the hands of Saints and Angels in this fore-running dispensation on this side the glorified body of Saints as was figured in Eliah subject to like passions with other Saints in the unchang'd body Jam. 5. 17. Saints in this dispensation will not only have power over the material Heaven so as by the spirit of true faith and prayer to withhold or give the rain thereof but in a like command with Elias to cause the angelical fire to come down on their Enemies for their destruction as he did on the Captains with their Fifties that came in opposition to the new-creature spirit of prophecy by the powerful workings whereof in him he was seen to be a man of God Wilful enmity to this spirit God will come forth in signal displeasure against Now if this power literally and spiritually was thus manifested in Eliah by a union of Faith only with Christ in his new-creature-spirit before the former Gospel-rain thereof Act. 2. what will be impossible to the power of it in Saints on the latter rain thereof for the ripening of Angels and Saints therein to a full harvest fitting them to do all things needful to make way for their Lord's second coming And having thus considered what is meant by the opening of the Seals and pouring forth of the Vials in the preparatory day to Christ's second coming by Angels and Saints we are next to enquire how and in what manner and measure they are then to be poured forth and upon whom For this it is observable that every Vial hath and that from the beginning bin suited to the more or less criminal nature of the several wilful Offences which now shall be laid open however before hid and sealed up This is implied by the distinct places or parts of the accursed first-creation-Earth each Vial is to be poured upon John hears a voice out of Christ's new-creation Temple into which the good Angels were first brought as the first faithful obedient followers of their Head Lord and Master thereinto They are sent out of this Temple with the seven-fold new-creation Trumpet given them by the Lamb for his service as ministring spirits and first sounders forth of this his new-creation-voice to his Saints who thereby become qualified with them to preach the everlasting Gospel of the Kingdom or declare the glad tydings of their Lord 's coming in the seven-fold glory of his resurrection-state to the whole Earth And not only so but they are also fitted to be joined with the holy Angels for pouring forth the Vials of God's wrath on the fixed inhabitants of the Earth who are enemies to his spiritual heavenly appearance and Kingdom Thus we find the first Vial poured forth upon the Earth Rev. 16. 2. the second on the Sea the third on the Rivers and Fountains of Water the fourth on the Sun the fifth on the seat of the Beast the sixth on the great River Euphrates the seventh on the Air. In these distinct vials and places are held forth the particular assigned judgments according to the sealed up wrath of God for every part of the sinful first-creation-Earth The first Vial is poured out upon the Earth not the corrupt but restored Earth repaired by Christ as to their loss by the fall of Adam and so capacitated to answer Christ's heavenly call He hath therein afforded them clear convictions of his new-creation-life for their everlasting blessedness But through wilful refusal of this and despite thereunto are they sound guilty of worshipping the Beast and receiving his mark which is the peculiar Sin for which punished They voluntarily pay that homage to the wicked Angel that 's due to God who hath by his own act made himself the mystical Beast here meant in his self-chosen earthly sensual spirit by a fixed unchangeable enmity to God and his heavenly creature-spirit rendred devilish The same fixed in by Man with its wisdom and all its first-creation excellencies is devilish also Jam. 3. 15. This renders a Man a Devil Christ called Judas so One of you is a Devil Joh. 6. 70. The changeably evil spirit of Man baptiz'd and transform'd by the unchangeably evil spirit of the Devil into unchangeable union with him in enmity to God renders man a Devil If baptiz'd into the unchangeably righteous spirit of Christ man becomes with Abraham the unchangeable friend lover and beloved of God The cleansed mystical house or enlightned righteous natural man receiving the evil angelical spirit is thereby fixed in enmity to God In this case Christ found and asserted the professing righteous Jews with their teachers to be Ye are of your Father the Devil so far were they from being the true spiritual seed and Children of Abraham or of God as they flattered and asserted themselves to be This end or last state is worse than their first in the corrupt nature as born dead in Sin but not unchangeably so as now they are Mat. 12. 43 -45. Joh. 8. 38 -44. Such incorrigible wilful Sinners against the Holy Ghost and its convincing spiritual light set up in their consciences will fall under the sad effects of the
pouring fourth of the first Vial of God's Wrath a noisome grievous sore answering those sad curses threatned Deut. 29. for wilful disobedience to God's Law when convinced of that state of everlasting righteousness and eternal life that is in the true spiritual and full comprehensive significancy of it shew'd and offered to them After such conviction and experience as by fleshly Israelites through spiritual light confessed Jos 24. as having been by the mighty hand of God brought out of Egypt or the corrupt spirit of nature and possessed of the refined state thereof figured by literal Canaan to turn after all this work of the true God in and upon them to strange Gods evil Angels and receive Satan's indeleble character and mark even his spirit of unchangeable enmity to God renders their disease incureable and remediless Their sin is unpardonable For a more excellent state of true life and everlasting blessedness was set before them wherein to serve and enjoy God for ever And after all their apostacy and turning from that spiritual light by which shewed it shall the said light be set up a fresh in them in wrath to be a witness for God and against themselves in their own consciences that everlasting condemnation to signal and endless punishment is but such recompence of their error and wilful disobedience as is meet and most just The second vial is poured on the Sea which import's the corrupt spirit of nature fixed in and so as a raging Sea continually foaming and casting up mire and filth Esay 57. 20. They give themselves up to vile affections with literal Sodom and God in judgment gives them up to take and run their course therein which brings them to the same just recompence of their error the vengeance of eternal fire Jude 7. In such a state and course of gross wickedness men cannot on any pretence look for peace with God after conviction as to the means for cleansing them from such filth of Flesh They love their gross darkness and bondage so as disdainfully to reject Christ's enlightning cleansing and restoring gifts The wrath poured on this Sea turns it into blood so that every living Soul that will not come out of that Sea-state becomes dead The horrid ugliness and deformity of this corrupt Spirit of nature will by the bright light of this preparatory day be so discovered as not to be able to stand before the same Their hearts with Nabal from the weight of their own guilt now convincingly set before them will sink and die within them The Plague by pouring forth the third Vial lights on the Rivers and Fountains of Water turning them into Blood These Rivers and Fountains of Water may fitly represent that cleansed earthly state and party of Men which have not yet received the spirit of the Devil as their unchangeable mark but are in God's way of trial brought to the test under the cross which requires the turning of that righteous natural state though received from Christ himself into blood by way of sacrifice in exchange for Christ's new-creation spirit and life in which to enjoy an unchangeable union with him as their spiritual Lord and Husband If now with Zipporah they cry out of Christ as a bloody Husband for requiring them to yeild to his spiritual Circumcision for cutting off even holy Flesh righteous nature and so absolutely reject him in his spiritual life the Vial of his just wrath will turn that very cleansed natural state into blood and death in a way of final judgment on them In the voice of the Angel that pours forth wrath on these Waters is included the voice of the convinced consciences of these Sinners against their own Souls acknowledging God righteous in thus judging them Rev. 16. 5. for their envious murmuring mind against his new-creature-spirit for which they have spilt the blood of his Saints and Prophets So are worthy to have blood given them to drink ver 6. The fourth Vial is poured forth upon the Sun with power given the Angel thereby to scorch men as with fire On this they blaspheme God and repent not to give him the glory The Sun here may fitly signify the utmost spiritual height attainable in first-creaton-life This received from Christ in a way of love and trial and then retained and used in a deceitful counterfeiting Christ's spiritual state thereby shewed and offered is such an unpardonable offence as deserves a scorching with unquenchable Fire by the kindling of God's wrath upon them And under this torment they discover their unchangeable enmity to God in blaspheming that new-creature name of Christ that has power over these Plagues not repenting to give him glory The like sad effect we find on the pouring forth of the fifth Vial on the seat of the beast rendring his Kingdom full of darkness They gnawed their Tongues for pain blasphemed God and repented not of their deeds By the seat of the beast must not be understood the corrupt principle of nature under the prevailing influence of the Devil carried into all manner of gross abominations filth of Flesh For in this seat or throne of rule is he discoverable by the common light of reason in all mankind The invisible place or seat of this evil angelical Beast is that heavenly place or appearance by which he practises all sorts of spiritual wickedness in and upon the most refined and hightned principles of nature as made serviceable to his most dangerous design against the new-creation-spirit of Christ In reference to this as a peculiar favour to John the Angel shews him this great wonder and mystery of iniquity on which the seat of this Beast is established together with the punishment thereof The new-creation-spirit in Angels and Saints can discover all these depths and devices of Satan For this was beloved John led into that mystical Wilderness where he was shewed that Whore or Woman that in a yet greater depth of deceit removed from the waters of cleansed nature to the scarlet-coloured beast decked with precious stones having a golden cup in her hand c. Rev. 17. 1 -7. This Whore on the scarlet Beast is the evil angelical nature transforming itself into the highest appearance of the spiritual resurrection-state in Angels and Men. The natural state in both is figured by the Woman as the spiritual new-creation-state by the Man which this Woman would personate with design to make the highest opposition thereunto In this posture do evil Angels and Men the Whore and Beast come in their distinct natures to practise their utmost wickedness against Christ and commit all sorts of spiritual whoredoms amongst themselves All this when this Whore comes to be judged in the pouring forth wrath on this seat of the Beast shall be found out and wicked Angels and Men thereby detected in their highest and most secret uncleannesses together The evil Angel will fill the golden cup of refined nature in men with his angelical excellencies and endeavour in Christ's
better thing and state by God provided for and offered to them In order to this they find that by obedience to the law of the Cross God in love requires from them that that River be dryed up Whoever refuse to submit to the dispensation that is to do this the same thing will be done by the same hand in displeasure pouring out this Vial of wrath which will blast and dry up the most flourishing streams of this great River that must universally be dried away and brought into a state of mystical death in all Men good and bad In a more remarkable manner than ever before is this to be the work of the preparatory dispensation to make way for the coming of the spiritual Kings of the East Christ and his choice Saints to raign on the Earth Rev. 5. 10. The glorious Sun of everlasting righteousness will fill the whole Earth with his bright rays and beams when he personally shines forth Then all in the first creation that shall not willingly disappear as to their own fading life and glory which is the due homage to his greater and everlasting shall have Vials of wrath poured on them so as signally to blast and dry up all their life and fruits And if when they see and feel this as God's just dealing with the first-creation-state they do in a wilful enmity to the light of the day keep up the same still as their place of rest and safety then shall all their strength and labour therein come to nothing All their sowing in and to the flesh shall afford them no other fruit to reap but corruption Their most beautiful Garments wrought and woven in that spirit shall not warm or secure them The most curious webs spun and made up therein shall by the light of this day be discovered insufficient to cover them Their best works are iniquity Esay 56. 6. The changeable nature of work principle and worker will be manifested The strength therefore and vigour of all will be then more signally dried up than ever before And then shall God's twofold great design be evident for taking down the first-creation-building and setting up the second in a visibility The former is called Man's House the latter Gods On what pretence soever then any shall in that day presume to build or establish their own house in opposition to God's they will be blasted and disappointed At that time Angel or Man that shall lay anew the foundation of the old building that 's then to be pull'd down and laid wast will find themselves under the curse threatned on the rebuilders of demolished Jerico and be totally frustrated as to their vain attempt and rebellious design as they at Babel for setting up the first-creation-principle in a towring and gigantick height to war against God and the second or Heaven itself God will command the Heaven to with-hold its dew and the Earth her fruits suspending and withdrawing the first-covenant-presence and fructifying influence of Christ as a fleshly Bridegroom formerly for a season afforded them By the new-creation-voice of Christ all the first World and glory thereof shall be as declared dealt with as grass and all its fruits blasted and withered by the spirit of the Lord Esay 40. 6 7. Their holy Flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their Feet their Eyes in their holes and Tongues in their Mouth Zech. 14. 12. All this shews the vanity and misery of Man as endeavouring to keep up the whole or any part of his make in single first-creation-life which is but a fading flower at best For if not obediently surrendred and chang'd for what is spiritual and unchangeable the sentence of death passed on it in all will be executed in final displeasure on the wilful resisters thereof And when this Euphrates is dried up in wrath So as no longer to cover the deceitful workings of Angel or Man in the form against the power of godliness and righteousness of God John saw three unclean spirits like Frogs come out of the mouths of the Dragon Beast and false Prophet that is evil Angels and Men that are of their party in worldly States and Churches shall then be seen and known in those shapes and births in which they have till then lain hid by a sinful transforming of themselves into the likeness of Christ and his Apostles Prophets and Saints By the light of this day will they be detected and so lose all their former credit and authority Therefore though still working false Miracles or lying wonders in a spirit of falshood to deceive they shall prevail only on such Men as are ready to be made unchangeable in their evil minds whom the Devil will then gather together even the Kings and chief inhabitants of his wicked earth against the great day of God Almighty or of Christ's personal presence And herein will he be permitted till by Christ's own sentence sent into a chained up-state or place But in all this have we seen the opening of the Seals and pouring forth of the Vials only in their invisible operations for laying open all sorts of natural principles and the secret hypocrisy and enmity that is the old leaven which hath sowred and corrupted the whole lump of man's natural being The hidden works of dishonesty and darkness herein wrought shall now be discovered and proclaimed as if done on the house top visible to all And all this yet is but a fore-running report to the full punishment from Christ's own presence to be inflicted on such incorrigible Sinners This report will smite them with raging madness The visible effects of the Seals and Vials open'd and pour'd forth will shew how far this preparatory day is to extend in its influence on the material parts of this World As the destruction of the former World was a requisite punishment of the Inhabitants by Water will the super-abounding iniquity of this expose it to an universal destruction by Fire 2 Pet. 3. 6 7. The water-destruction pointed out the Sin of that day under that dispensation an abuse of the restor'd natural state as rather turn'd into pollution then rightly used as a passage into the spiritual So what God gave as a blessing to them they turned into a judgment So the water-punishment declared the nature of their Sin The present World is guilty of the same wilful abuse of renewed natural principles and also spiritual enlightning gifts by which the state of true life and salvation is now brought so near through our ascended nature in Christ's person as to give remarkable tasts thereof Heb. 6. 4 5. even to the natural principle Yet it is too generally refused or at least not diligently hearkened unto and heeded in this present age The nature of this sort of wilful offences fits the invisible parts of this World for a spiritual everlasting burning of wrath And as the compleating of this punishment must this World pass through such a material burning as will become the certain
distruction of it Of this twofold burning for spiritual as well as literal Sodomy all defilement and unclean practices in Spirit as well as Body which the World in this last time will be more filled with than ever and so ripen'd for judgment we find the Sin and Punishment of literal Sodom a presaging type The sin and punishment in this last and most Sodomitish age of the World is pointed out Jude 7. Angels for mystical Sodomy in an unclean spiritual union together and literal Sodomites as also mystical among Men going after strange evil angelical Spirits as false Christ's and Gods as well as strange flesh suffered the twofold vengeance of eternal Fire or were made to feel the twofold operations of it outward and inward for a total and everlasting destruction of them So will the Fire on this Sodomitish world abounding in all sorts of iniquity spiritual and fleshly be inwardly kindled in every guilty conscience and seconded with an outward burning up of the corrupt World with the sinful fashions and constitutions of it civil or religious melting down and causing all to pass away as also the material parts thereof For the Vials in this dispensation of wrath are not only to be poured on the Earth Sea and Rivers c. mystically but also literally understood This will cause the Heaven and Earth in every consideration thereof as singly natural and of the first-creation sort to melt and pass away as not able any longer in the corrupt or righteous spirit and principles thereof to bear up or stand before the bright light and burning of this preparatory day of the Lord. The evil policies and practices with the forms of religious fashions of the first-creation Heaven or first-covenant Churches will render both fit fuel for the Fire of this day So every part of this old-creation Sodom shall be destroyed But before this as in the type will true Saints with Lot be secured by angelical hands as of the great family of Christ's heavenly or earthly glorified members The Angels that have the command of this twofold Fire in its inward and cutward operations shall in dispersing it fulfil the commands of Christ The seventh Angel pours out his Vial upon or into the Air Rev. 16. 17. Air is the first-creation-spirit in all the parts and branches thereof whereby the Devil from first to last has come forth in his several shapes and various ways to fight against the new-creation-spirit of Christ This Air as by him corrupted through his practice of all sorts of wickedness by word spirit and letter comes now in the comprehensive principle thereof to receive its appointed and prepared just and righteous judgment pronounced and poured forth by the seventh Angel Christ himself as head of Angels in his unvailed new-creation life and Spirit On this comes a loud and powerful voice from the heavenly temple and throne even the glorious new-creation-building the house and throne in and on which the Mediator's divinity dwells and sits In our exalted nature in which immediate head to Angels and Saints will he sound forth the very mind of his infinite divinity and new-creature temple as in personal union with both And from this eminent heighth will he pour forth this Vial of final wrath on the whole first-creation air or spirit or Angels and Men as fixed therein in unchangeable enmity to God and the second In the said almighty divine and irresistibly mighty new-creature-authority and power he says it is done Rev. 16. 17. that is the destruction of all his unchangeable enemies is finished This is implied in the effects and dreadful consequents of this voice upon them voices thunders lightnings and a great earthquake such as never was before seen or felt This is the voice that will once more shake not the Earth only but also Heaven Heb. 12. 26 27. so as to shake all earthly foundations and the most spiritualliz'd heavenly buildings set thereon This voice and the judgment therein pronounced and executed will leave nothing remaining of beauty and glory that 's but of a single changeable earthly nature The voice of Christ in and by the ministry of Angels in giving the Law declar'd its heavenly authority then by shaking the Earth But this concluding gospel-voice will discover and shake all first-creation-life in the most spiritual dress and counterfeit imitation of the second it can appear or come forth in irresistibly demonstrating the perishable nature thereof By this voice all counterfeit heavenly spiritual buildings whose foundations are found earthly and mutable will be tumbled down and the sandy foundation discovered Ezek. 13. 14. All disguises put upon earthly principles by the sinful transforming art skil and subtilty of Satan shall be taken off by this voice of Christ importing the clear naked manifestation of new-creation light and life in his own person For then will be voices thunders lightnings and such an universal Earthquake as will utterly over-turn all things that are but of a mutable nature and can be shaken however firm they have appeared to Men that those things that cannot be shaken even the rocky new-creation-building or spirit of Christ and things thereof may take place come into publick view and remain for ever The voice and appearance of Christ in this invincible new Jerusalem-spirit will be certain and everlasting destruction to all that fight against it Zech. 14. 12. This voice will rent asunder every part of the first-creation building however subtly and artificially set up by the workmanship of the Devil As the marvellous and amazing effects of the pouring forth of this seventh and concluding Vial of wrath on the said Air or first-creation-spirit kept up in enmity to God and the second by evil Angels and Men will it be taken to task and dealt with root and branch to the not only shaking but utter ruine and downfal of the whole Fabrick with all its sinful transformations into a counterfeit spirituality by which they have endeavoured to fortify and strengthen themselves to make the greatest and highest opposition against the new-creation-life and the second coming and Kingdom of Christ therein For this the three parts of the great City Babylon the Dragon Beast and false Prophet the Devil or whole evil angelical nature with humane worldly magistracies and ministries his serpentine seed amongst men these are by the just judgment of God divided or put into unspeakable confusion and discordancy through the terrible thundrings of Christ's new-creation voice and presence upon them all So are they made to bear a share in executing his judgments upon one another as all found in unchangeable enmity to him This was figured by Moab Ammon and mount Seir or Edomit's destroying each other in the valley of Jehoshaphat 2 Chron. 20. 22 -25. Thus the whole mystical Babylon will fall flat as the walls of Jerico under the weight of their just condemnation receiving the cup of the Wine of the fierceness of God's wrath Rev. 16. 19. This Babylon is
indissoluble bond of love for ever In it shall be no more curse For nothing of the enmity of the mystical first-creation Heaven and Earth Angels or Men shall be found in Christ's new Earth the lower part of his Kingdom or meanest of his spiritual Subjects This was also typed by Canaan and the literal Tabernacle there erected as God's resting place Hence John saw that Sea representing the first-creation-Spirit as fallen into universal enmity pass away as forc'd to give place to the new Heaven and Earth or two-fold Principles of Christ's new creature-Spirit on which the new Jerusalem is built In this City John also saw the Throne of God and of the Lamb who in the shining forth of his divine and creature-name in personal union is the light thereof to all the Inhabitants the whole heavenly and earthly glorified family of Christ the train or blessed retinue shew'd John belonging to and standing with the Lamb on mount Sion even the Church of the first-born and whole assembly of Saints and Angels that are perfect Spirits waiting to be establish'd in their place of attendance about his spiritual Temple that 's to be open'd by the setting up of his visible Kingdom on Earth Then the most inferiour spiritual Subjects in it shall be cloathed in long white Robes and have palms in their hands garments of immutable righteousness and palms of victory as redeemed from the changeableness and bondage of the first creation Spirit of nature and translated into new creation-principles of true freedom in which to perform an everlasting service of love to Christ in their respective places about his Throne and Temple The vision of all this was given John An Angel open'd to his faith the door of the mystical Temple of Christ's glorified humanity in which he beheld a Throne and as Stephen God the Mediator sitting and Jesus his Son and Branch in our glorified nature standing at his right hand as having in that soveraign exaltation committed to him his Father 's whole rule and authority under him as in personal union with him sitting on the same Throne And round about this Throne John saw twenty four seats and thereon sitting twenty four Elders clothed with long white robes and having crowns of Gold upon their heads Rev. 4. 4. By these are charactered the highest rulers under Christ himself to be by him set up in his Kingdom They are second resurrection-Saints who are the first row of attendants and encompassers of the Tabernacle and Throne sitting on their distinct seats according to their Services The highest seat for the highest of these is beheld in a subjected distance not only from the true Moses the Mediatour but from the true Aaron Jesus in our glorified nature the supreme high-Priest and Parent of his highest priestly Sons that are a select number out of the second resurrection Saints peculiarly qualified for his marriage-bed by a twofold resurrection-garment earthly glorified and heavenly as also by a double portion of the glorified earthly and heavenly spirit of their Lord implied in the distinct kinds of holiness as well as differing measures by which the high Priests are distinguish'd from other Levites These highest priestly Saints seem peculiarly represented by the twenty four Elders who with the younger brothers in the single portion of the second resurrection-state make up the first row of attendants about the Throne or Tabernacle To all these John saw given over and above the white raiment of the earthly glorified congregation members of the first resurrection crowns of Gold that is either a double or single portion of Christ's heavenly or second resurrection-life or spirit And before this Throne thus set up in the third Heaven encompassed with Spiritual Priests and serving Levites John saw a Sea of Glass clear as Christal and round about the Throne four beasts full of Eyes before and behind One like a Lion another like a Calf a third a Man a fourth an Eagle By these angelical rational and sensual faces or likenesses may be represented the whole number in the first-resurrection-state consisting of angelical Princes or chief rulers and of subordinate rational rulers and obeyers For in this first-resurrection-state as well as second are mystical Stars or spiritual Saints differing from one another in glory yet all with the whole earthly congregation of spiritual Israelites Christ's new Earth make up but the second or outward row of attendants about the spiritual Throne or Tabernacle And the clear cristal-Sea typed out by the Court of the Tabernacle dividing and distinguishing the first and second resurrection-attendants through its transparent nature causing them to behold each other and in all their various distances to behold the Throne itself may fitly represent the glorified humanity of Christ This is the blessed and proper medium by which himself and his first-born-Church do converse with Angels and Saints in the first resurrection-state who though without the Tabernacle Court or cristal Sea before the Throne yet through the union of these two distinct spiritual states and principles in Christ do all with unspeakable joy behold the Throne of God the Lamb and also Bride the Lamb's Wife And so do all live in an absolute unchangeable obedience to Christ and perfect union of love with his peculiar spouse and their elder-brother-Saints This appears by the blessed harmony of these first and second resurrection-Saints attending at several distances about the Throne signified by twenty four Elders and four Beasts all falling down together before the Throne of God and the Lamb in an unanimous discharge of the duty of their respective places crying day and night Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almighty which was is and is to come These two distinct communities of Saints and Angels ascribe everlasting Glory Honour and Power to God and the Lamb who created all things as their due praise for their immortal and glorified beings The last circumstance in the parallel between the literal and mystical Sanctuary or new Jerusalem City is this No fleshly defiled persons were to enter the former no fleshly or spiritually defiled the latter The touching a dead Soul is in mystery and truth such a touching the first-creation-spirit and life of nature through enmity to God become a dead unclean thing as imports a love to and union therewith This touch renders men unclean on which they are to be cast out of the spiritual Camp and Kingdom of Christ Such mystical Dogs Sorcerers Whoremongers Murderers and Lyars as from wilful hatred to Christ's new-creature-spirit of truth chuse their own spirit of lyes and falshood are for ever to be excluded out of Christ's new-Jerusalem City or Kingdom In this twofold work of leading men to Christ the true door of entrance and keeping out all that climb up some other way will Christ use his Angels typed by the twelve Princes of the Tribes They then as the literal Princes must number the true subjects of Christ's spiritual Kingdom for his service in order to take their
faithful in their service to Christ therein Thus through a union of love between Angels and heavenly Saints are the Angels under Christ instrumental to the bringing the whole Church of first-born David's into those places in Christ's Kingdom wherein to be for ever far superiour to themselves And till seated there do they exercise the utmost of their power to protect the said Davids from the malice of their invsible enemies Devils typed out by Jonathan's faithful informing David of all Saul's mischeivous and malicious intendments discovered towards him and protecting him from them While these Princes or most heavenly Seed of Saints are in their unchanged bodies walking on foot on the Earth or in the single earthly spirit and mind this foot or earthly principle is kept by them from any such wilful dashing against or stumbling at the mystical stone Christ's new-creature-spirit as excludes from the true rest therein only attainable In a like practice with Jonathan in letter they discover all the secret and subtile contrivances of mystical Saul's malice against these spiritual Davids that they may escape him They thus protect them from the evil Angel and on the other hand inform them of Christ's spiritual Kingdom by communicating their visions thereof In both these distinct works of love to Saints will they appear more visibly than ever in their dispensation immediately preparatory to Christ's second coming And herein as owned by Christ so ought they by Saints Rev. 22. 16. I Jesus have sent mine Angel to testify these things to the Churches the things of the new Jerusalem-Kingdom of Christ which will suddenly be made visible and not only so but to testify of me also that I am the bright morning-Star or in my exalted humanity head of these angelical Stars in that resurrection-glory wherein they shall shine forth in their preparatory morning-ministration so as to be signally owned by me in their faithful service to me This is implied ver 6. These sayings are faithful and true For the Lord God of his holy Prophets hath sent his Angel to give them the fore-running sights of things that as to publick and general manifestation are yet to come but now at hand and therefore no longer to be sealed up but open'd by Angels to them in Christ's preparatory day And so also are the sealed up judgments by them then to be opened and visibly poured forth upon the enemies of his approach and Kingdom This honour have the blessed Angels even of being chief instruments in setting up the Kingdom of Christ by communicating their sights thereof to Saints belonging to the upper or lower new Jerusalem or spiritual Kingdom in their distinct relations thereunto as the heavenly or but earthly glorified seed And this ought by them both and all to be thankfully acknowledged When the Angel shew'd John the Lamb and his Bride clothed with her wedding robe her Husband 's heavenly spirit he fell at the Angel's feet to worship him But the Angel said see thou do it not for though in this dispensation I am above thee yet am I but thy fellow-Servant under our great Master to minister to thee who wilt in conclusion be exalted far above me And then also must we both as holding of Jesus our head in the true new-creation spirit of prophecy worship God alone The heavenly seed of Saints that receive the first revelations or visions of the glory of Christ's Kingdom from Angels will be found to have an interest superiour to theirs therein when they take their places about the exalted Throne of Christ set up in the third Heaven Then will the Angels give up their guardianship over them as no longer needing it being exalted above them Yea then will the Angels of God rejoyce to receive instruction from them to whom they before gave it Then shall the marvellous and manifold wisdom of God appear in causing the Church of his first-born-Saints when exalted into their heavenly places to make a suitable return to the good Angels for all their faithful service of love to them in communicating their higher visions of God in such measure as they are capable of receiving than ever yet was attained by them They will under Christ reveal to them that manifold-grace of God that 's the blessed portion of second-resurrection-Saints received by them immediately from Christ and from him by them let down and revealed to Angels Thus makes he his blessed creatures Angels and Saints in the beauty and harmony of his dispensations towards them useful to one another and so to remain for ever in their higher and lower places and offices in Christ's body-mystical as is figuratively signified 1 Cor. 12. 21. Many who in their single unchang'd humanity Angels are the teachers of will be in a superiority to all Angels and in that sence said to judg even the holy Angels as in a higher sort of spiritual life and light judgment or discerning then they and so fit instructers of them 〈…〉 God to them as Christ's highest and chief Ministers These will make known to Christ's Angels and glorified earthly members the fellowship of that mystery which comparatively to the revelation as yet given thereof hath bin till then hid in God They shall fully reveal the whole mystery of divine and creature-fellowship in God the Mediatour from everlasting to everlasting and so the manifold divine and creature wisdom if God to their inferiour-fellow-creaturs which is in the compleat fulness thereof their continual vision and food But though when the first-born heavenly Church take their seats in glory Angels cease from the exercise of rule over them yet do they remain as door-keepers to the said heavenly City and Society They were placed from the beginning as Christ's spiritual Watchmen over this tree of Life or whole spiritual state And in the faithful discharge of that office have ever since with their flaming Swords or angelical weapons bin made use of by way of defence and service to the said state for directing the holy Seed to the right door of the blessed City and for the keeping any spiritually profane persons from entring thereat They are ready with their angelical flames to destroy all such And when the good seed even the first-born Church are all entred and have taken their places in a superiority to them will they still for ever hold the same place and station as door-keepers in the nearest relation to the said first-born Church To be such a door-keeper to the second-resurrection-state David saw was to be preferred above the highest glorified Saints in the first as nearest to the heavenly Citizens or first encompassers of the Throne Also under Christ and his heavenly Saints are the holy Angels Princes or chief Rulers in and over the first-resurrection-state the outward row of encompassers and therein to remain for ever And as now we have seen the good Angels business in the preparatory dispensation we may observe the approbation they will receive from their great Lord and
these remarkable dealings of God in order to these wonderful designs taken notice of not only by the World in general but the professing party amongst whom must be found as to seed the wise-Virgin-spirit Even such also are slumbring and sleeping in this dark day and in such a remarkable calm of security as is a most certain prefage of a storm And if this be the temper of God's friends a spiritual seed what can be expected from incorrigible enemies on such a wonderful commotion and shaking of their power but a coming forth in their utmost strength and highest expressions of rage and malice to maintain themselves against that power the very light of the day convinces them will undermine and destroy them and all their worldly interests literal and mystical But to spiritual Saints awaken'd and found alive this dispensation that is so amazing and confounding to others as to make their Hearts fail for fear of what is coming upon the Earth becomes a cherishing food causing them to lift up their heads though involv'd in God's outward chastisement of the World as having a common share therein They are supported and owned by God as Friends to whom he communicates the secret of his designs in all He shews them he is therein pleading their cause in destroying his and their enemies and securing his beloved Lots mystically and also litterally so far as is for his glory and their good Though therefore the Figtree their natural Spirit blossom not nor fruit be in the Vine or true and choice plants of the Kingdom though the labour of the Olive fail and there be no meat in the Field no stock in the fold or herd in the stalls Hab. 3. 17. that is though there be a mystical as well as litteral Famine by the total drying up of all Food to the natural mind as well as body yet to the powerful faith of spiritual Saints is it a time of rejoycing in their spiritual Lord invisibly communicating his hidden and incorruptible Manna to them which is a Bread of Life not only to their spiritual but natural Man also which lives not by that Bread which is the single food of the natural Spirit but such as the living Word of God is and gives unto the whole Man of his Saints for ever Mat. 4. 4. And then shall their natural man as with Hinds feet walk upon the high places of this first-creation-world in a conquering and victorious spirit over them Saints will find themselves more and more established in their spiritual faith and expectation of Christ's visible Kingdom by those very ways and means concerning which the fleshly mind or natural spirit at best as well as the profane world do with with the Samaritan Lord judg impossible to bring about such a design The true Believer is so far from thinking God's arm shortned or hand weakned on this withdrawing all sort of visible help from them as thereby to be quickned up into the expectation of those angelical powers Christ hath in reserve to work their deliverance by Nothing to them seems lacking but such a powerful exercise of their precious faith as may give them a patient waiting upon God for the performance and that with great advantage of whatever he hath promised as to the actual setting up of Christ's kingdom and rule of love over them Then will our blessed Lord arise out of his holy new-creature Temple and in his spiritual glory or second appearance take a visible possession of that universal power and authority which was always his right from the foundation of the World He will bow and open those Heavens in which all this while retained Act. 3. 21. He will descend and actually let down that new-Jerusalem-glory out of the said Heaven which is the proper clothing provided by himself for his heavenly and earthly-glorified Saints For when the preparatory work is compleated the King himself will suddenly appear Even so come Lord Jesus and all thy Saints with thee come quickly Amen FINIS