of man or as Scriptures written upon a Book without as so they neither enlighten sanctifie nor save being or coming in words sound or letter only but as they are preached and written by the spirit of the living God in the heart so they give life and blessedness being now become spirit and life in a man True knowledge of Christ what Joh. 6.63 The obedience of Christ in the flesh and his sufferings at Jerusalem if I know them only as acted and fulfilled in flesh without me as the flesh alone of Christ without the spirit profits me not Not as without or after the flesh But as within or after the spirit so this external knowledge of Christ being but a knowledge of him after the flesh wil not profit me to redemption or justification but if I know his obedience death and resurrection in that power and spirit which wrought in him and do know that the same power and spirit is in me and in all those that do believe then I come to have Eph. 1.19 and see and know the obedience and death of Christ as things within me having in me the same spirit which wrought them in Christ which spirit can make that which in Christ was wrought afar off to be near yea present within us and so I come to have the very power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings working in my flesh being made conformable unto his death Phil. 3.10 that is his death working death in my flesh after the same manner as death wrought in his flesh Thirdly God declared himself to be the omnipotent Creator by the Creation a work of Omnipotency to be Lord and King by acts of Dominion and Soveraignty Christ declared himself to be the son of God Rom. 1.4 by his resurrection from the dead a work of power so he declares himself to be spirit and life by crucifying flesh and abolishing death in Saints a work of the quickning spirit Now that whereby God or Christ declares or manifests himself to us to be what he is by and through that manifestation only he is to be truly seen and known of us to be what he is God or any glory or excellency of God is not known of the world God not known by a form of knowledge but by spirit in us but by the comings forth of glory and majestie into the world so neither the Father nor Christ are known of Saints but by the comings forth of the spirit into Saints so that God may be better tasted then known felt and enjoyed then conceived of for he passeth all knowledge and that is true spirituall knowledge of God and Christ which is not so much a conceiving of him in a form of knowledge or notion of the mind as when the Divine Nature it self is manifest felt and perceived in us Divine spiritual knowledge is not so much a work of the understanding as the thing it self known living in us And therefore in natural things the Understanding is active the Object or thing known passive because the Understanding is more noble then the Object but in spiritual things the Understanding is passive the Object active because the Object is more noble then the Understanding Man in knowing Creatures is active in knowing God is passive So I account that knowledge of God to have least of nature or man in it to be the purest highest and most spiritual knowledge wherein a mans mind is most resigned child-like and passive and God Christ or Spirit altogether active in him It is said therefore in one place After that ye knew God Gal. 4.9 or rather are known of God the Son only can reveal the Father the Spirit only can reveal the Son In thy light we shall see light the Light whereby we see God Grace Love the deep things of God is not the eye of man for that cannot see nor the ear for that cannot hear nor the heart reason or spirit of a man for that cannot conceive it but the Spirit himself dwelling in us is our eye our light whereby we search know discern and judge all things 1 Cor. 2.9 10 c. I read the Letter I hear the Word of Truth in the outward testimony that Christ is Lord that God is Father that the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts that we dwell in him and he in us but I cannot as a man call Christ Lord but by the spirit 1 Cor. 12.3 nor God Father but by the spirit Rom. 8.15 Nor can I say that the love of God is shed abroad in my heart but by the spirit given into me Rom. 5.5 Nor do I know that he dwels in me or I in him but hereby because he hath given me of his spirit 1 Ioh. 4.13 And so I come to know all these things and all Truth and all Gospel-mysteries which appertain to life and godliness by having the spirit dwelling in me that is 1 Ioh. 2.20 27. by having that dwelling in me which is the substance life activity fulness glory and power of all Truth and all Gospel-mysteries for the Spirit Father Son and Truth and our knowing of them are all one and where truth is there is the Spirit and where the Spirit is there is truth True knowledge of God is by God his dwelling in us Fourthly What then is true knowledge of God and true blessedness but to enjoy him whom we know and to have him to be in us in our soul what our soul is in and to our body and he is then truly known and apprehended by us when he is that in us and through us and over us what we know and apprehend him to be Joh. 8.32 and then we know Truth when the Truth sets us free that is as Truth in it self is liberty and largeness and blessedness and there are no bonds nor sorrow in it So we then come to know Truth to be so when it brings in its own liberty and blessedness into us setting us free from the bonds of sin and sorrows flesh and death And so Gospel-mysteries are then truly known of us when the substance glory and life of the heavenly things themselves are presented to us and revealed in us And as our truest knowing and seeing of a thing is the manifestation of the thing it self unto us as of Light which is best seen and perceived by its own beams piercing the eye so our truest knowing and perfectest seeing of God as Light Fulness Wisdom and Power is by the out-shining of the Light it self and Glory of God into us 1 Cor. 4.6 for we know not God as the everlasting Light unless we know him to be Light in Darkness Light in Heaven Light on Earth Light in all the World Light in us and through us Nor do we know him as perfect fulness if we know him as here and there in Christ and not in Saints but as in Heaven in Earth in us and
present state held forth to our weakness under earthly similitudes of Kingdom Inheritance Crown of Glory purchased Possession and in like manner we are called Kings and Heirs of the Kingdom prepared of the Father 2. The way wherethrough God would bring up man into this state as to glorifie man in himself was by first glorifying himself in man Ioh. 13.32 that God might glorifie man in Heaven in his own life and spirit and in the things above he would first glorifie himself in Earth in the flesh and death of man and in the things below God would first come down be seen and known and be all in man in this state of things below which is earthly weak and dying before man should come up be seen and known to have all in the state of things above which is Heavenly Divine and Everlasting God would first appear and tread upon and reign in our Land which is nothing but briars and thorns before we must tread upon and reign in his Land which flows with milk and honey the crucifyings wastings weaknesses and nothingness of man were as a cloathing wherewith God covered himself in Christ wherein God was Priest and King that he might cloath us upon with his eternal perfections and transcendent excellencies and in them make us Priests and Kings Man must first become a covering of weakness upon God for a short time that God might become a covering of glory upon man for ever the Eternal spirit came forth cloathed upon with the likeness of sinful flesh an uncomely despised form with death and the grave which were our old Egyptian vile habit that they being found upon him he might rent them all to pieces as a veil which was signified by his Grave-cloaths left behind him in the grave Luk. 24.12 and cloath us upon with the garments of Sion the righteousness of Saints his own Glory All this God brought to pass first in the man Christ who was moved and led to and fro as the Divine Nature acted and guided him Love in God from Eternity but cleared up to the world by Christ who was made as a weaned Child that in all things he suffered the will of God in his flesh Which Will I humbly conceive to be this God had loved mankind with an everlasting love but through sin bondage a condemning Law and death breaking into the world through one man this shut up and concealed these everlasting affections from us insomuch that we hid our selves from God as from one who burned with anger against us therefore that the loving Father might clear up his love unto us to be such a love as could not be changed he comes forth and visits and speaks with us in the Man Christ and in him slayes the Leviathan breaks the serpents head How it was done abolisheth sin death this world and all flesh and rides in triumph over all principalities and powers and enemies of mans glory and in him burns up with the fire of his love to man all partitions veils Law of commandments sin and whatsoever might seem to separate him and us asunder and after all takes us up into the chariot of his spirit and carries us away into his infinite Mansions of eternal Love and all this he did in the Man Christ in our sight Further bidding us that whatsoever we have seen him do in and upon Christ that we reckon it all done for us and in us and telling us that though he hath done all this in the person of Christ yet it is not for Christ but for man and that what we see or behold in Christ whether dyings in the flesh or glory in the Father that we bring all into our selves and possess in our selves the same dyings in the flesh that he did and the same glory of the Father that he does possess for as he came down not for himself but for us so he ascended and sat down in the Fathers bosom not for himself alone but for us so that whosoever would know what is laid up for Saints yea what is in Saints already though to most of them yet unknown let them look within the veil that is the flesh of Christ what he hath what is in him for all that spirit love and glory which is now in and upon Christ manifest revealed and enjoyed the same is already in Saints yet invisible and hid up in their faith and union and in this respect is Christ called the Head and Conduct of our salvation and our forerunner into the heavenly places and in like manner Saints are called heirs and fellow-heirs with Christ in the same kingdom and glory Thirdly Saints being fellow-heirs with Christ of God that is of the same Divine nature as he came to the inheritance after the same manner shall they come to it the steps he did tread Divine Nature as in Christ first veiled then manifest so is it in Saints they shall go in the same the Divine nature did not withdraw but as it were retired it self as to the perfect enjoyment of it from Christ until he had passed through the death of his flesh then the glory of the Divine nature with which he was glorified before the world was did break forth in him it was alwayes in him and now and then sent out some sharp glances through him for the convincing of the world and he alwayes enjoyed it in such an enjoyment as enabled him to fulfil the will of his Father on earth but the clearer and higher breakings forth of it in him was not until the dyings of his flesh were ended so it is and so shall it be in Saints they are heirs with Christ of the Divine nature wherewith they shall be glorified together with him and they are already Partakers of the Divine nature 2 Pet. 1.4 and are filled with all the fulness of God Eph. 3.19 but it is as it were retired and much under concealment from Saints until they have fulfilled the sufferings which are behind in their flesh and if now and then some unspeakable light and ravishing vision spring forth in a Saint yet it is but as in a glance or God passing by and tarrying not but the openings of this book and the manifestation of this inheritance whereof we are heirs with Christ that is of the spirit the Divine nature in us this is reserved for a while in the Fathers power until the revealing of the sons of God which will be Manifestation of the sons of God is the Divine Nature revealed in us when the Divine nature which is now in Christ openly in Saints covertly shall flow forth and be revealed in us then Saints shall be manifest to be what now indeed they are but in faith only not in manifestation truly and verily the sons of God that is when they shall appear with him in the same glory of the Divine nature and the glory of Christ the Son shall be the glory of all the sons
through and over and beyond all things most eminently in Christ and Saints These are a further account and reason of my faith joy and hope That the spirit himself in his own glorious power and Divine Nature dwels in Saints however as yet not acknowledged by many of themselves SECT XI THE last record to the spirits in being in Saints Tenth testimony to the spirit in Saints that I shall present is the sweet and heavenly testimony which is in Gal. 2.20 I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me Col. 3 4. When Christ who is our life shall appear The Divine life of Christ or the life of God in Christ is not the life of Christ alone as one single person but the life of Christs mystical body of Saints Christ and Saints have but one life the eternal spirit whereby he and they live in one All that Christ received was given to him not as single and alone but as Head of a spiritual Body and so his life and fulness is not the life and fulness of one but of many in one The Father revealed his fulness in Christ not that it should stop and be confined or restrained there that is in the flesh of Christ as one man but that through him it should proceed flow out and be poured forth upon all the Children And so as the Father in Christ is the life of Christ or he by whom Christ lives Joh. 6.57 so Christs in Saints is the life of Saints not the flesh of Christ but God manifest in his flesh or the Father in Christ by whom Saints live And so Christ is the way through which God comes down into Saints not in created influences or graces only but in the spring of influences in the fountain of graces in his own essential love nature and fulness filling them in a divine and incomprehensible manner even as the natural spirit or soul of man is in the head and not there only but diffused in and through all the members and is the life of all in which the members being many become and conspire into one body So is the spirit of God in Christ the Head and thence and therethrough shed abroad not by infusions only as some distinct effects but by himself into all the members 1 Cor. 12.12 13. and is the life of all in and for which they being many become one spiritual body And if it be not so is not the union between the head and members of a body natural more real and substantial then the union of Christ and Saints or is not Christ the head of all things less to his Church then the head of an earthly Creature to its body and if Christ be in Saints by created workings only and not by spirit then all those figures allegories and parabolical similitudes of Vine and Branches Husband and Wife Head and Members chosen and expressed by the spirit in Scriptures to shadow out the union of Christ and Saints have much more in them then is in the mysterie or truth typed and shadowed by them If Christ himself be not in Saints no life in Saints Secondly if Christ himself be not in Saints there is no life in them graces separate from Christ are dead things faith love humility zeal if they have not Christ in spirit wrapped up in them are no more faith nor love then the body of man without the soul is a man Graces are to Christ what the chanel is to the river cut off the stream that runs in the chanel from the river and the chanel becomes as the parched land full of weeds and briars So graces are the passage through which Christ lets out himself if he shuts up they are dryed up and wither The graces of a moral man have glory and beauty in appearance but having nothing above man that is not having Christ living and flowing in them they are clouds without water wandring stars trees without fruit whited wals their faith is the dead faith of Pharisees their holiness the holiness of Hypocrites their beauty in the flesh is the beauty of Harlots graces without Christ in them leave a man dead his soul empty all his worship carnal until Christ awake and bring in himself in spirit and glory and then my soul makes me like the Chariots of Amminadab and my feet are become like Hinds feet and I shall tread upon all high places and nothing shall be able to hurt us because of the Anoynting which dwels in us Thirdly it is worthy of consideration whether the state of the new Creature in Christ be no more nor higher then the state of the first man in his pure Paradisical nature before the transgression if no more then the administration of light and glory from God upon Adam and Adams union with that light was as high and spiritual as is the light and union which by the Gospel is administred to a man in Christ and the first man who was made but a living soul had as much glory in him as the second man who is made a quickning spirit Second Adam and all in him wherein excelling the first Adam and all in him but if the new Creature does excell the first Adam then the preheminence must consist both in internals and externals that is in perfections within him and priviledges without him And this is manifest that the new Creature excels first in priviledge in that Adam was under a Law of works a Covenant that might be broken the new Creature is under a Law of grace a Covenant that cannot be broken a better and surer Covenant better in this that it was established upon better promises Heb. 8.6 This new and better Covenant is the excellency of a man in Christ above Adam under the old faulty Covenant as to external priviledge the better promises of this new and better Covenant are the excellency of the new Creature above Adam as to internals or perfections within him which promises are I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my judgements and do them Ezek. 36.27 Isa 59.21 Heb. 8.10 2 Cor. 3.6 The excellency and dignity of the new Covenant above the old is in that the old Covenant ministred the letter only and could not cause man to walk in righteousness the new Covenant ministers the spirit into Saints 〈◊〉 so causeth them to walk in righteousness and that the Covenant cannot be broken New Covenant ministers spirit into us therefore cannot be broken the Law the letter only therefore broken by all which it appears that the first man broke the Covenant he was under because it put not the spirit into him and also the new Covenant cannot be broken because it is the ministration of the spirit and puts it into Saints so that whosoever takes the spirit himself out of Saints either brings the Saints back again into the old Covenant or he makes the new Gospel-Covenant into which they are redeemed
Glory sometimes afar off Now stepping in OR The great Gospel-Mysterie OF THE SPIRIT OR Divine Nature in Saints Not in that Philosophical and humane sense by effects and habits of Grace but after a more Evangelical Divine and Mysterious manner of in-being Opened affirmed and cleared and gloriously breaking forth through a cloud of subtil pervertings carnal objections and dreadful condemnings cast upon it And closed up with an account of some principles practises and wayes which have sealed up this Mysterie and thereby held down the Saints in weakness and shut up the world in darkness for so long a time Administred through the hand of a Babe in the knowledge and fellowship of the Mysterie of Christ in us LONDON Printed for Giles Calvert and are to be sold at the black spread Eagle at the West end of Pauls 1653. GLORY sometimes afar off Now stepping in SECT I. IT begins to appear plainly to all men that light and darkness are the two great principles which have formed and given life and being to all the true and false Religions Opinions and Worships the two great Powers which have ruled and acted in all the turnings and overturning of Nations States and Interests and the wombs of all the Apostacies and Reformation Bondage and Liberty Arbitrary and Regular wayes which have been since the beginning of the world It doth not so plainly appear Job 38.19 but may be as truly affirmed what is said in one place that Light hath a way where or whence it is and darkness a place where it dwels that is all Scripture Faith Knowledge Gifts Administrations and Operations which are so many pieces or sparkles of Light do all come from an higher fulness fountain and Sun of Light and as Faith Knowledge and Gifts are to be accounted Light only as they flow from the true Light and have the true Light hid within them so they are no more Light if they fall short of God in like manner all Spirits Doctrines Principles and works of darkness do all come out of some root or first Principle which is the Serpents head the bruising whereof is the confusion of all the rest God in Christ and Christ in us the two fountains of all Gospel-truths Gospel-truths are many and various but may all be reduced under two great and supreme truths as the foundation ground and cause of all the Grace and Truth that is revealed and administred by the Gospel they are either the Mysterie of God manifest in the flesh of Christ or the Mysterie of Christ by Spirit dwelling in Saints the first of these is the producing cause of redemption justification reconciliation and of the whole work of Grace administred by Christ in his flesh the other is the operating cause of Union regeneration sanctification new creature and of all the gifts of Grace administred by Christ or Spirit in Saints As all promises truths and gifts of God in the Gospel do come unto us out of one of these fountains of Grace so our Knowledge and Faith of these many and various truths of the Gospel do come from our Knowledge and Faith in these two mysteries or fountains of Grace truths are either supreme or subordinate higher or lower truths in the Cause or truths in the Effect as subordinate and lower truths have their rise ground cause and reason in their supreme and higher so they cannot be fully believed nor understood Gospel-truths best known in Christ Christ best known in the Father but in their supreme and higher truth or Cause first we see Christ more darkly and imperfectly then through him we see the Father and the love of the Father to be the only cause and reason of Christs coming forth then from thence we look back again and see more clearly Christ and his coming forth and the work he came upon to be more and more precious and glorious Christ is known but darkly at first till the Divine mercies out of which he came be seen in him then both Christ and every work of Christ his obedience and sufferings life and death are seen and known in more lengths and breadths to be blessed and full of glory the Promises are all in Christ Christ is in the Father Christ is greater then the promises they cannot be known nor enjoyed but in Christ the Father is greater then Christ he cannot be known nor enjoyed but in the Father in like manner the fountain and cause of all spiritual light life and sanctification in the Saints is the Spirit dwelling in them those Saints that know not this in-being of the Spirit himself in them know little of that more glorious power those more rare and spiritual gifts and more Divine and ravishing enjoyments which some Saints are led forth into the actings state calling and fellowship of Saints are not known nor discerned by the world and very little discerned by most of themselves because they know not the Spirit of Christ to be in them So that if any were so spiritually knowing and would undertake a work so high and desirable as to make search into the Cause and Grounds of the little Light and much darkness that hath been for so long a time in the world and that in the dayes of the Gospel I humbly judge whatsoever other lesser reasons might be found that the highest reason and cause of all the humane inventions The cause of all the darkness that hath been and yet is upon the world and perverse disputings amongst all sorts of men of all the carnal Doctrines and Gospel-worships of Antichrist of all that Confusion of Law with Gospel letter with Spirit Jewish bondage with Christian Liberty Paganish morality with Gospel-holiness by our own Teachers of all the legality Childishness and weakness of gifts and grace in Saints fearing where no fear is unstable where they should be as mount Sion conflicting instead of conquering in mournings and complainings in stead of garments of praise and a Spirit of joy the greatest reason of all these I judge would be found to be the darkness that hath been upon these two great fountains of all Gospel truths viz. God manifest in the flesh of Christ and Christ by Spirit dwelling in Saints which as they are the great reasons of all other truths so they are the Light and Key into all the truths and riches of grace in the Gospel And for this cause I do here humbly offer what I have in my measure received from the Lord of my understanding and knowledge of this mysterie which is Christ himself in us as the Father is in Christ which as my natural reason and the disputings of flesh and blood could not see nor lead me into it but resisted and gain-said me in it and that Spirit that is mightier then I did by his own drawing and strengthening hand upon me raise me up above the reasonings of my flesh and this world in the conceiving and declaring of it so if any look into the
as an enjoyment of me in spirit is more perfect and excellent then an enjoyment of me in flesh Ioh. 16.6 7. The sending therefore of this spirit was somewhat an higher thing then only in gifts and graces and it is yet more manifest when Christ said Joh. 16.22 I have many things to say unto you but ye cannot bear them now Christ in Saints a truth that could not be born in the day of Christs presence in flesh What some of those things were which could not be born he toucheth upon Joh. 14.26 which words in a full sense are as if he had said While I am with you in this state of flesh if I should tell you that as I am now I am in my Father and you in me and I in you you would not believe me nor bear such things howbeit when the spirit is come unto you he will reveal the truth unto you and then in that day ye shall both know and believe it that I am in you and you in me though now this knowledge of me being a knowing of me after the spirit is too high for you who yet know me only after the flesh and so cannot conceive while you see and know me only in and after the flesh how I should be in you or you in me or I in my Father Therefore the time being at hand appointed of my Father that this carnal and low estate you are in shall pass away and a more high and spiritual come forth for this cause I must withdraw in flesh that you may know and enjoy me in more glory and spirit Christs presence in flesh gives place to his presence in spirit God glorifies himself in man to glorifie man in himself for now you gaze upon my external form and love and know and converse with me as a man without you but then you shall know and converse with me as a spirit in you And now you see me alone as away from my Father and you look upon your selves and I and the Father as separate and divided Beings but then you shall know that my Father and I and you are one and perfect in one and that I am not alone but I and my Father in me and that you are not by your selves but I and the Father in you Which though all this blessedness and union be already so in you and in me yet you neither know it to be so nor is it manifest that it is so nor are you able to bear my words should I tell you more of it therefore I must withdraw that he may come into you who will let you see all this to be so and more then I shall now tell you of or you will believe And now what is the sum of all Are all these things the withdrawing of Christ in flesh to make way for his appearance in spirit his taking them off from desires to enjoy him in flesh and drawing them up to desire his coming in spirit his laying forth the unprofitableness and lowness of the one and the expediency and glory of the other his shewing their enjoyment of him in flesh to be carnal their knowledge and light carnal Joh. 16.22 and many things that is the whole volume of the heavenly mysteries of the Father in Christ of Christ in Saints and Saints in Christ was too high for them And on the contrary the enjoyment of him in spirit so high and clear that they should know all mysteries and all truth which in the time of his presence in flesh they could not bear I say again are all these things no more do they come to no more then the sending and dwelling of the spirit only in gifts and graces Or rather do they not all make up this truth and present it to us with open face that Christ sends the Comforter the Spirit himself to dwell in Saints in his own Divine Nature SECT VIII The seventh testimony to the spirit in Saints A Further testimony to this truth is from Rom. 8.17 18 19. And if Children then heirs heirs of God and joynt-heirs with Christ 1. That which the Father hath of old ordained and prepared for them whom he loves is to glorifie man in himself that is to raise him up into a state of the highest happiness and perfection that the Creature can be capable of or that can be communicated from God to the Creature which is for a man to possess the glory of God within him so as the Eternal Fulness of the Divine Nature and Love doth manifest it self and flow into him in such a divine manner of full glory and perfect brightness All objects and appearances dye out of us as God appears in us that all objects and appearances of other things knowledge thoughts and imaginations are all done away and swallowed up by the appearance of him who is all even as the light of a dying spark is swallowed up of the burning flame and the Lord alone is the only thing seen felt and embraced by them any sight or vision taste or possessing below God himself cannot stand with the glory laid up for us because there the light of Eternity or of the eternal Godhead will open it self in us through us and over us as the eyelids of the morning and then he shall no longer be hid for we shall see him as he is It were not glory nor happiness if there were any covering to obscure or hide God from us that we could not see him surpassing and gloriously reigning over all And this seeing of God as he is Seeing God as he is how to be understood which is the glory laid up for us must not be conceived nor understood after an humane manner or after the vain Philosophy of this world to be a contemplation of God as of some glorious appearance or shew of him without us but it is the Divine Nature it self dwelling in us and filling our seeings tastings and knowings with nothing below besides or less then himself he will set his own glory in us and love it in us and us in it and will always behold himself in us not his image only as something distinct but himself and so as he will be our joy we shall be his joy he will be our Husband we shall be his beloved Spouse he will give us nothing but himself and we shall taste of nothing but himself his love unto us is like a fire it will burn up whatsoever hath ever separated between himself and us we shall be so in one another that he will be in us as a burning fire and we shall be in him as a fire of love his delights to Eternity will be spent upon us and the great deep shall be opened unto us and we shall be a Temple for God and he will be a Temple for us Such things as these are some of that glory which is laid up for them that love him which is now in this
that the flesh of Christ was capable of or was advanced unto was not to become God but to be glorified in God and God to be glorified in him Christ is both God and son of man both Lord and son of David 3. So God dwels in all Saints God in Saints yet Saints are not God but his Temple who being fitly joyned and compacted together do grow up into one living Temple for the Lord which is that beautiful Sion that Mountain of the House of the Lord the Lambs Wife that near City Jerusalem above that Tabernacle of God with men wherein God himself dwels and the Father and Lamb himself will be the light and glory in it and the Tree of Life and the pure River of the water of Life in the midst of her and the glory of God himself in her shall be joy and praise the terrour and astonishment of all Nations Thus God is in Saints and will glorifie himself in Saints yet they are not God even as he is in Christ yet the flesh of Christ is not God SECT XIV THE union of God and Man in Christ gives this honour to Christ to be called God Second reason against the spirit in Saints If Saints partake in this union to have God dwelling in them why do they not partake in the honour to be called God Answered 1. The flesh of Christ neither is called God nor is God but he is and is called the true God who was manifest in that flesh So that if it be asked who is Christ or what is his name he is Immanuel the Anoynted or God manifest in the flesh In like manner Saints are not God nor are called God but he who is in Saints is and is called the true God So that if it be asked who is a Saint or what is his name he is an inspired man an anoynted one or Christ or the spirit in man 2. Christ so perfectly denied himself of all that was man and resigned it up to the Divine Nature that of himself he did nothing but the Father did work all his works in him and by him The several actings motions and performings of Christ were not from the will of man but were the streams and flowings forth of the Eternal Fulness in him so that God became manifest through Christ the ways and works of Christ as through a Chrystal or transparent glass and therefore came it to pass that God alone was and did all in Christ because he would be known worshipped and approached unto only in Christ and no man should seek or find or come near unto any God but that God which is in Christ Under the Law God filled Heaven and Earth yet he would be known and worshipped only in the Temple at Jerusalem Under the Gospel he dwels in all Saints yet he is with open face beheld and will be worshipped as the true God only in his living Temple or Sanctuary the flesh of Christ so because we come to God and the Father by Christ and worship God in faith and hope through Christ and not through Saints therefore is Christ called God the Saints not SECT XV. Third reason against the spirit in Saints IF Saints partake with Christ in union with God so that the same Divine Nature which dwels in Christ dwels also in Saints then what preheminence hath Christ above Saints Much every way chiefly in these things Answered 1. That it pleased the Father by him to finish the transgression to make an end of sins to make reconciliation for iniquity and to bring in everlasting righteousness and to seal up the vision and prophesy of the Law and Prophets And that as through one man sin death and wrath entred into the world so he must be that son of man by whom God would put away sin abolish the flesh and death judge the Prince of this world spoyl and triumph over all the Principalities and Powers of darkness and vanquish all the Enemies of man out of the world again and so by him to reconcile all things to himself and in the fulness of time to gather together into one in him all things Dan. 9.25 Heb. 2.10 Col. 1.18 in Heaven and in Earth in him And in this work he hath the honour above Saints of being Messiah the Prince the High Priest and Captain of our salvation the beginning and first-born from the dead who was the Head of the Heasts of the living God and the only Instrument in the everlasting hand and arm of God to cut off the Dragons head to slay the Leviathan in the deeps in his death and drive all the enemies of man out of the world 2. All those things and all that Love that God hath prepared for them whom he loves he hath laid it up in Christ in the Eternal Fulness of the blessed Godhead and to him alone hath committed the administration of all things that the Father hath given unto him for us All things that the Father hath are ours but they are first Christs and given unto him the Father loves the Son and hath given all things into his hand he loves Saints through and for the Son with the same love wherewith he loves the Son Joh. 17.26 and so he gives them the same glory in himself which he gave the Son yet by and for the Son Joh. 17.22 The Father as himself without Christ judgeth no man saveth no man does nothing in the world but hath committed all judgement to the Son and hath committed the authority of executing all judgement both of life and death unto the Son of man God doth all and all things are of God Joh. 5.22.27 yet so as by Christ nothing at all without him The glory fulness light and power of God comes forth upon Saints yet so as through the hands scepter and face of Jesus Christ And in this work he hath honour above Saints to be the Head of the Body the Church the fulness of grace and truth the Mediator of the New Testament the King upon the holy hill of Sion anoynted by the Father Therefore this preheminence and honour of Christ above Saints Preheminence of Christ above Saints destroyes not but confirms spirits in-being in Saints that he hath received the fulness of all the wisdom and power of God that all dominion power and authority is given into his hand and that not for himself alone for his own private and singular enjoyment but to be all administred and shed abroad upon the Saints for their enjoyment and everlasting happiness All this preheminence whereunto Christ is exalted above Saints and Angels and every other name doth instead of casting a cloud upon it bring clear light and reason for the further confirming us in the truth that Saints are partakers with Christ of the Divine Nature it self dwelling in them For as Christ received fulness glory and spirit immediatly from the Father so we receive of that very fulness glory and spirit
2 Cor. 5.21 that is holy and without all spot of sin in the sight of God to restrain it to the weakness and imperfection of humane Laws and Justice Further those Books do present unto me the Covenant of the Gospel under conditions to be performed by the Creature before the grace and riches of glory in the Covenant become his after the form and example of mans Covenant whereas the whole and every part of the Covenant is free and perfected by God alone first in forgiving sins and remembring iniquities no more and then in putting the spirit into them which brings forth in them faith love and obedience Again they bind up the free spirit of grace to one way that he reveals not the love of God and reconciliation by Christ to any but whom the Law hath first wounded and sore bruised into repentance and sorrow for sin after the custom and manner of men who forgive not the Offender until he ask pardon and confess his Offence thus binding up the everlasting kindnesses of the Lord to the narrow kindnesses of man whereas some are melted with Love as others are bruised by the Law Moreover they confine and restrain the office and power of prophesying or teaching to certain measures and attainments of humane wit and worldly wisdom the anoynting alone which teacheth all truth not giving a sufficiency of light and knowledge for the work of ministring without natural Learning without running for help to flesh and blood They invest the General-Church-Assembly of a Nation with a commanding and coercive Authority over the conscience in matters of faith and Divine worship which lie up as high as in the hands of the spirit they bring down into the hands and power of man herein proudly affecting or aemulating the image and greatness of the civil power they do command over the spirit as he doth over the bodies of men They affirm faith love humility patience temperance c. to be several habits principles or graces in a Saint whereas the Scripture affirms 1 Cor. 12.11 Gal. 5.22 they are not many but one and are but the different effects and actings of the same grace which is one in all and fruits of the same spirit who is one in all Lastly those Books do deny any other coming of Christ until the last Resurrection and so by this Doctrine shut out the Kingdom of the fifth Monarch the Son of God and Saints and the new Jerusalem out of the world and also hereby quenching all that light and glory which shall arise upon Sion Isa 60.1 and that spirit which shall be poured upon sons and daughters in the last days And thus in all these instances it is to be clearly seen that God hath been set at a great distance from Saints by these carnal misty and corrupt doctrines of men so that grace and truth the righteousness and spirit of Christ could not appear in their heights and bredths fulness and glory as near unto us and within us being described and as it were engraven after some similitude in nature and conceived and drawn out as here appears by the short measure and imperfect rule of natural Reason the boundless things of the spirit folded up within the limits and streits of Nature SECT XVIII The third veil which hath been upon the truth of the spirit in Saints THese Systems and Models of Divinity or Canons and Articles of Faith have been the pattern and platform of all the faith and worship the Judge of all differences and controversies the Touchstone of all opinions the Measure of all light and spiritual knowledge beyond which the spirit might not teach nor they profess the key of all Mysteries and the sum and substance of all Doctrines Interpretations and Expositions upon Scripture-truth caught or written in former times And thus the Church of Christ in those days being rather under the rudiments of men then the clearer teachings of the anoynting in them could not see in any other light then through the principles and traditions received from their Teachers Which principles as they had in them some light much smoke some Divine truth much carnal reason Reason of the low attainments of Saints in former times so they begat in the believers of those times like faith like knowledge like communion like spirit of bondage and of liberty of flâ—sh and of spirit so that their faith was more adherence which is coupled with some darkness of fear then assurance which is the clear sight of love scattering all fear their strength was the strength of Babes not of strong Men their Communion with God stood more in bitter complaints and beggings then in quiet faith joy and praises their knowledge and beholding of the glory of the Lord was by reflexion rather then through direct beams through the shadowy and imperfect illustrations of worldly similitudes and humane eloquence rather then the pure irradiations of the spirit in them And in present times and from hence doth proceed all that darkness which is yet in the temple of the Lord that dimness and legality in Teachers that unstableness and dulness in people ever Learning and never able at least to find the clear knowledge of the truth and all those carnal childish and confining apprehensions principles and practises wherein Saints do know and approach to God as a blessed Being indeed but as one without them and at a distance from them judging and likening the spiritual knowledge of God to the natural knowledge of a creature and that the fruition or enjoyment of God is in contemplation of his glory as without us that Saints are perfectly justified from the Law guilt and condemnation by the death of Christ but not from the spot and stain of sin so as to be perfectly holy in the sight of God by the pure and spotless righteousness of Christ that believers after every falling into sin are brought again under the Law until repenting whereas the spirit sayes Rom. 6.14 Rom. 8.15 ye are no more under the Law but under grace that Christ is here or there in this form of fellowship order of gathering and way of worship and not in any other these and many other low and dark Principles formerly were and still are as a veil upon the face of truth and upon the hearts of most Saints not so thick a veil as to hide all Light knowledge and grace from them yet so thick as to hide deeper Mysteries higher communion a greater glory of light and love from them the summe of all is Attainments of most in former and in present times what Gospel-truths are either for regeneration into the faith and such are some true discoveries of free love and righteousness by Christ c. or they are for edification from faith to faith and such are deeper discoveries nearer union sweeter and choicer embraces richer understanding of more heavenly Mysteries as of Saints presented perfect in Christ Jesus Col. 1.28 of Christ
to himself he put beauty and comliness upon her which stood in gifts and graces and powers purity of administrations forms and fellowships and these were as so many ornaments and jewels which he gave to her as to an espoused virgin or wife of youth and now while her glory and beauty was but fresh and new upon her she is carried away into captivity under the yoke and power of Mystical Babel thus the Church was figured under the Law by Israel in Egypt and Babylon by Jacob serving Laban by the heir of all in the house of servants by the free-womans barrenness despised by the fruitful bond-woman and as the wisdom of the Father appointed that this state of Sions captivity should be the time of Sions widdow-hood so he gave her light spirit communion and other qualifications as suited with that desolate state that is dark servile and carnal principles carnal in respect of more spiritual under this state the heavens were covered with a cloud the world lay as forsaken of God and given into the hands of blind guides cruel shepherds and beasts of prey all the earth dry and no dew upon it no voice of God no vision no lightning from God to amuse aw or awake the world all things all men all the world were as if no God no Lord no Redeemer only there was a silent whispering of the spirit in Saints some few beams of true light some seed and life of God lay hid in their faith God in tender love gave them so much as preserved them in life but for any high choice or sublime discoveries of more spirit and glory such he reserved for her next and better state as knowing them not proper to a state of widowhood wherein the worship and communion of Saints was most in bitter complaints conflicting weak faith strengthning of graces little in visions and high enjoyments of God This is the state that not long since was Second step or change The second change of state upon the Church is her coming forth out of this spiritual captivity This comes to pass when Jesus Christ ariseth as it were from sleep and stirs up himself in the faith and spirits of Saints and opens the Book of the vision of God and pours out a vial of light upon the Kingdom of the man of sin which stains and confounds all his humane Inventions Pharisaical justification and fair fleshly shews wherewith the Saints were enticed and cals up the Saints into more Evangelical ways principles and worships As thus The Church was figured under the Law by Israels coming out of Egypt and the house of Jacob from the land of Babylon by the free-woman having in her womb a son of promise by one coming out of the wilderness leaning upon her beloved In this second state God administers more grace brings forth some better things raiseth up into clearer light into a more excellent refined potent spirit puts upon them a new habit and takes off the old and cloaths them with change of raiment finer faith sweeter spirits clearer rays of light and other qualifications as do agree unto and sente with this their better state Now the Heavens begin to be opened the shadows long stretched upon all the earth do fly away the Kingdom of God begins now to appear on Earth as well as in Heaven the Skyes drop down righteousness the Earth springs forth and buds The spirit says come the Spouse says come and all that hear say come Lord Jesus come quickly Now the Lord reveals deeper secrets deeper counsels nearer embraces imparts things that could not be born before old things are forgotten all things begin to be new the Church is now upon her way to Sion Whilst she dwelt with the Daughter of Babylon that Mother of Whoredoms her strength then was to sit still now she is come forth she sits still no more every step she treads is on towards the heavenly land into more light more faith more glory and this seems to be the present state of the Church in our day and in this generation Wherein I conceive the present estate of Saints is such as answers that holy figure under the Law of the Cluster of Grapes brought out of Canaan into the Camp of Israel and of Moses seeing the Land at some distance from Mount Pisgah so the Saints in this day are at some distance from the Land of the Sabbath yet are come within view of it and so near unto the borders of it as to pluck some Grapes from the Tree of Life and to look into the lengths and bredths of it our Fathers saw the day afar off but we see it nearer they saw heavenly things much in images letter and teachings without we begin to see them by their springing forth within us all their faith knowledge of Mysteries understanding of Scriptures opinions of Light did but represent Christ his righteousness and spirit at a distance as without them yet there was a substance a seed in all which was the blessing the faith knowledge and spirit which God is now putting into Saints presents things more at hand in union and within us yet there are things more excellent then these reserved for the third state of the Church this second state is the state that now is The third is to come Third step or change and it is a state wherein the Lord himself comes into his Temple and consumes quite out of it the Mysterie of Iniquity by the brightness of his appearing in it and gathers together on an heap all humane Inventions curious Arts the wisdom and disputings of this world wheresoever he finds them in Sion or Babel in the Temple of God or Synagogue of Antichrist in the faith and worships of Saints or in the blind Idolatries of the world he burns them all up as hay and stubble and scatters them out of the earth as chaff before the wind and now the faith knowledge and gifts of the two former states do pass away as being proper for Saints in weakness at a distance seeing and knowing love righteousness and spirit afar off and love and union perfecteth finisheth and swalloweth up all Communion of Saints with Christ in gifts and graces is now changed into communion with him in spirit it is so now but will then appear to all though denied of many Ordinances Temples Teachings Governments which all held forth a prospect of Heaven and Glory without us shall now give place when he comes himself into us who is the end of all Law and Gospel-ministrations So what the first state saw afar off through thick veils weak faith carnal rudiments conflicting graces the second sees to be at the dore through purer faith increases of spirit clearer beams from the East opening of prophesies and promises the third shall see feel taste handle and enjoy within them and this is the Kings Daughter coming into the Kings Chamber in garments of wrought gold All things are now in motion the
or spirit in Saints Col. 1.27 of shadows flying away and the breaking of the day c. Cant. 2.17 The first sort of truths belong to children and were all the light and knowledge former dayes attained unto and they saw God and Christ but as it were at a distance and they tasted of the spirit and were refreshed and made glad with him yet they knew not that that spirit and fulness which they felt and tasted was within them that more spiritual and deeper knowledge God hid from them Attainments of a few in present times what because they could not then bear it the other truths belong to them of riper age and as yet they are the light and understanding but of some known and enjoyed only by a few of the wiser children in Sion who have been children and have spoken and done as children but now are putting away childish things and the righteousness grace and salvation which sometimes they only knew and kissed as without them they watch that they may embrace and see it spring forth within them SECT XIX The fourth veil which hath been upon the truth of the spirit in Saints THe Ecclesiastical or Church-state through the favour fear or superstitious zeal of Princes hath been oftentimes promoted to great worldly honour and hath encreased and grown up unto the greatness power and glory of a kingdom and hath twisted and intermingled its power with the power of the Civil state and so became a National Church Civil and Church-state twisted together have veiled up truth and sometimes hath inlarged it self by Royal Edicts Imperial decrees Forces of armies as upon wings over many Nations and hath become a Catholick or Oecumenical Church These great Churches whether National over one Nation only or Catholick over the whole world looking liker Babel then Temples for the Lord it may be observed of them when they came to this greatness they fell in love with their own Image and worldly greatness and that they might establish and confirm the same for ever they call together the wisest and learnedst Doctors of every Countrey or Nation these gathered up truth under such forms of Profession and worship and doctrines of faith as would preserve them in their lordly preheminence over the people and keep the people in blind subjection under them and these they declared and sent abroad as their Decrees Laws and Ordinances to be the Rule of faith National Church-state hath kept light of truth out of the world and conscience pattern of all worships and the measuring line of the Sanctuary and that the union of Saints liberty of worship highest degree of holiness the door to the power of Ministring should be in conformity unto their commandments as the doctrines of Christ in these things was the interest power and practise of a National or Catholick Church-state in times past Now the people of those times and under that government were of three sorts One was of them who delighted to see the Church come forth in this carnal glory and domination that they might be great in her Greatness such magnified her National constitution as most invincible and secure from heretical innovation affirmed her authority sacred and indispensable her decrees and Laws unquestionable and watched against more spiritual worships and worshippers and so all the teachings and writings of these men were no better then Idolatrous and Antichristian admiring of a Babel-church-state Another sort was of Saints and true Believers yet having no further light then the reformation of doctrines and worships established and commanded by that present Church-power they were under they magnified the Church in its National supremacy were zealous for all her rules and prescribed forms as the highest discoveries and only wayes of God did not seek for nor think that there was any other further or more excellent truths to be found out then was prescribed by the Churches these were in the faith yet having their eyes with the carnal glory outward greatness and worldly wisdom of a National Church they opposed present reformation principles against further reformation and knowledge lesser light against greater light and so through their ignorant and inordinate zeal it came to passe that Saints themselves gave their helping hand to the man of sin the Antichrist in suppressing and keeping down all springings and risings of more glorious truth into the world The last sort was of Saints yet such as had passed from under that administration of impurer principles and doctrines established by the National Church and gone on towards more perfection of light and knowledge such could not come back from spirit to flesh nor return again from liberty to bondage they could not bless an Idol nor defile the bed of Christ their conscience by prostituting it to a stranger the commands and force of a National Church or Synodical Council the Church not bearing the light of these Saints nor the word of their Testimony nor their separating themselves from her obedience suppressed their light restrained their liberty and excommunicated their persons and after all gave up their bodies to the Iron-rod of worldly powers to be corrected with chastisements and instructed with sufferings and thus the wisdom of the wise Disposer of all things saw it good that the powers both of Church and State should for many ages down to these last times joyn and unite themselves into one interest force and counsel against the entrance growth and spreading of deeper Mysteries of clearer Gospel-glory into the world SECT XX. The fifth veil upon the truth of the spirit in Saints THe Church of Christ under the New Testament hath her several states vicissitudes and changes through which she passeth to come to the Land of Promise and under every state hath been given unto her spirit light and nourishment necessary for The Church passeth through three eminent changes of state to Sion and becoming her under that present state there are times wherein the Temple of God or Church of Christ is under curtains then her tent is set up and took down and removed from place to place Three eminent changes of state she hath and is to passe through which are as so many outer courts leading her to the Kings Pallace or as lodging-places provided to receive the Kings daughter before she be brought in to the King The first step or change The first step or change of state was when the Lord took down his spiritual Temple and sent it into caprivity under spiritual Babylon that she should be there for a time times and half a time or 1260 dayes which came to passe when the Mysterie of iniquity entered into the Temple of the Lord and many did fall away from the pure faith and truth as it is in Jesus in the morning or first times of the Gospel the Lord Jesus did by his own and the Ministry of his Apostles espouse many from amongst Jews and Gentiles as a chast virgin