thy soul and behold and see how opposite thy fleshy wisdome is to any thing that is good or goodness what meanes those often resistings of the Spirit in thee O man Seest thou not how the whore deceives thee What conception bringing forth or appearance of God is there in thee but the wisdome of the flesh seeks to devour it by violent attempts oppositions therefore the text saith ver 17.6 That the whore was drunk with the bloud of the Saints and Martyres of Jesus How hath this mysticall whore the wisdome of the flesh martyred the appearances of Christ in thee so that indeed she is drunk with the bloud of many a sanctified motion of the Spirit in thee The wisdome â—f the flesh is that mysticall Saul that hunts sf ter the bloud of David which is the tender â—ppearance of God in the soul this it is that sucifieth the Lamb a fresh and puts him to oâ—â—n shame and all this is done by that blouâ—â— whore that harboureth in thy bosome The wisdome of the flesh is that bond-slave â—â—at alwaies presents wisdomes Children and the â—â—ildren of the free Woman which are the bringâ—â—gs forth of Jesus in thee In a word this is â—â—at great Red Dragon spoken of in Rev. 12.3 〈◊〉 who stands before the Woman which is a â—â—ristian under the panges of the new birth â—ady to be delivered of the blessed child Jesus whose hart God is begetting himself in 〈◊〉 own forme and Image this I say is that â—â—agon even the wisdone of the fiesh which is â—â—dy to devour the sweet Babe even Jesus with 〈◊〉 forme and feature in the soule and endeaâ—â—rs to make it an obhortive â—â—is is that misticall Heroad that seekes the ruâ—â—of the appearance of God in our flesh and â—s you see what the opposing nature of the â—ore is who for her bloudy opposition asnst the manifestations of God in his peo 〈◊〉 shall have blood to drinke when shee shall â—ound worthy â— We now proceed to the other qualificaâ—n of the Nature of this whore which is a High Proud Lofty asspiring Nature beinâ— manifested by two things 1. In that she will get into Gods TempleÌ„ 〈◊〉 Thes 2.4 2. In that she will therein exaâ— her self above all that is called God and shâ— will be a god to her self Behold O man aâ— it were in a glass the true Viseognime anâ— perfect Portrature of thy fleshly wisdome First then consider that thy heart is thaâ— Temple of God where this great Whore siteth therefore minde the Apostle 1. Cor. 3.16 Knoâ— yee not that yee are the Temple of God as also Châ—â— 6.19 Now thou being this Temple of Goâ— thy fleshly wisdome is that Antichrist thaâ— Whore that sits in thine hart thou art thâ—â— Beast that this Whore rides upon Rev. 17. 〈◊〉 for the Psalmist saith Psal 49.12 that Mâ— being in honour abideth not but is like the heast thâ— perisheth here mayest thou see O man the priâ— of the wisdome of the flesh that no plac wiâ—â— serve her but Gods Temple the hart of maâ— that God hath set apart for the praise of his glorâ— doth this Whore make her Beast by bringiâ—â— it to be subject to her dominion this Teâ—ple of God tobe that den of the every whiâ—â— God hath made for his own honour and diâ—nity Secondly the exalting Nature of the who is seen not only by her climing up into Goâ— Temple and so becomes that Lucifer that fell down to hell but also by her behaviour in Gods Temple She exalts her self above all that is called God She sits as God in Gods Temple in a place where She hath no right to Rule and governe Behold here O Christian another proper Emblem of the wisdome of the flesh in thee How doth this Whore this Misticall Babylon exalt her self above every appearance of God in thee in so much as her Tayle drawes the third part of the Stars of Heaven and casts them down to the Earth which is in me That Reason Will Affections and Judgement which are as the civill powers lights of the soule all these are drawn after this beast so that indeed Shee now is the Lady of the Kingdomes Jsa 47.7 nay ver 8. I am and there is non else besides mee this wisdome of the flesh is that which will not alow the Child Jesus any room in the Inne of thy heart but thrusts him into the Manger which is under the meanest thoughts poorest respects and lowest love of thy soule but in the mean time this whore her self takes the largest rooms and highest chambers that is She is most supreame in thy affections with the greatest love honour and respect that may bee thus doth this whore the wisdome of the flesh exalt her self as God yea and that in Gods Temple where She hath no right to rule and govern for the Apostle tels us that wee ar not our owne but are bought with a Price that is wee are to owne no Lord but hee that hath bought us to render no obedience or servitude to any but to that God who in our flesh hath Redeemed us according to the Commandement Thou shalt have none other gods butâ—e but self flesh and creature will bee God in Gods Kingdome which causeth God to take up a complaint against his people of old Have I beene a barren wilderness unto thee or a Land of darkness whersore then say my people we are Lords wee are Lords and we will come no more after thee Now the creature running astray from the Lord commits fornication with the great Whore the wisdome of the flesh attributing all Power Glory Salvation and happinesse to selfish wisdome and therefore Babylon saith on this wise Jsa 14.13 I will ascend into Heaven I will exalt my throne above the Stars of God which is when the wisdome of the flesh is exalted above the highest sphere of divine light in the soule nay ver 17. I will be like the most High Behold O man the aspiring exalting nature of thy carnall wisdome The wisdome of the Serpent would needs have Adam to be as God and to see by his own eyes and to walk by his own light which Serpent is nothing in the Mystery but the wisdome of the flesh carrying the soul above that centre that God hath seated it in causing thee to walke by her blaze and not in Gods light to see light to hate scorn and put a meane estimation upon any motion of God or goodnesse always thinking thy way the best and thy councell the safest and thus doth this Whore thy fleshly wisdome exalt her self above all that is called God in thee and sits as God in thy soule which is Gods Temple So much for answer to the first question namly what this great whore is Now thou having attained some spirituall discovery of this whore both by her Names and Nature it remains that we proceede in answer to the second question which is Namely How this Whore workes and what pretences Shee
of the spoile some open Vices and Palpable prophannesse but Agag and the fattest of the Cattell the chief lusts of thy heart She will worke yet under that in the Mistery must be spared thus the Whore will conform her self to man nay if thou art brought by higher light to see that Godlyness doth not consist only in refraining from some open Vices and imbracing their contrary Vertues but there must be Religion as wel as Morallity looked after and therforenow thou art resolved to take upon thee some outward Profession of Christianity This whore will change her appearances to thee here also She will come forth to meet thee with her Peace Offering and her Vowes She will move with thee to Fasting Prayer and Humiliation provided that all this while thou attribute the glory of all to her self She will move as high as any outward Ordinance with thee and all this is lest thou shouldest ponder the Path of life Lest thou shouldest question this whore in her Wanton gesture and gaudy Attire She will behave her self more Religiously and Adorn her self more demurely that so hereby She may the more cunningly draw thy affections after her and thus poore seduced Man is Mistically mis-led by the flatteries of this whoreish Woman and in the mean time he thinkes he serves God this is a 4th pretence of the Mother of Harlots to move and change in all her appearances to thee that so by her conformity to thee in every respect She may yet keep thy affections intire to her self 5 It is the property of this strange Woman thy fleshly wisdome to render Christ to be at a distance from thee in all her fornications with thee If Man in all his adulteries from the Lord did but serioufly consider really understand that his first lover Christ Jesus is in him and seeth him in all his strayings from him and how he eates his bread secretly with the wisdome of the flesh surely he would bee ashamed of his folly and would not dare thus to commit Harlotry in the sight of his spirituall lover and this the wisdome of the flesh knowes right-well and therefore labours might and maine to render Christ at a distance from the creature that so the soul might not be affraid to commit fornication with her Therefore it is the Language of the whore Prov. 7.19.20 The good-man is not at whome he is gone into a far country and behold the Language of this Misticall Strumpet the wisdome of the flesh She wil perswade thee that thou mayest take alittle liberty to sin that thou mayest exalt self alittle in religious performances for God seeth thee not he is in Heaven and not in thy heart and thus Man being deluded by the flatteries of this Whore becomes that Foole who hath said in his hart there is no God that so he might Magnifie Diefie and Worship self in Gods stead Self and flesh will not owne the Manifestation of God in the Soul when the Lord lets forth the beames of his glory into the heart of man and doth as it were draw up the soul to a higher Centre by giving it some tast of the Powers of the World to come it is the worke of thy fleshly wisdome to extinguish this divine light in the soul and as it were to corrupt the Stomack and put the mouth out of tast that so it might not rellish or digest those divine dainties And notwithstanding those open appearances of Christ in thee yet the wisdome of the flesh will tell thee that the good man Christ Jesus is gone abroad he is at a distance from thee This Whore will be contented that thouth shouldest know any thing but Christ Jesus and him Crucified in thee She is willing that thouâ— shouldest know Christ Naturally but not spiritually Christ in the History but not in the Mystery Christ for thee but not Christ in thee it is possible for a man to know very much of the flesh of Christ to be acquainted with the History of Godlynesse to live under carnall Ordinances and fleshly dispensations to talke and dispute upon high Principles to be higher in the understanding of the Scriptures then others by the Head and shoulders with Saul and yet for all this he may in all these things commit Adultery with the whore all these things may be to him no more then the Sacrifices and the Vowes of this spirituall Whore the wisdome of the flesh he is not the true Professor therefore that can Read Heare Fast and Pray and Worship God in an outward dispensation but those are the true Circumcision that Worship God in the Spirit and rejoyce in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh He is not a Christian indeed that doth by the power of nature believe what is Naturally and Historically reported of Christ in the Scripture but he that by the power of the spirit beleeves all this History to be verified in him in the Mystery for there is a History and a Mystery of Christ the History is Christ for us the Mystery is Christ in us Col. 1.27 Now that Power of Nature which is implanted in man is sufficient for the giving credit to whatsoever Christ is or hath been for us but not for what Christ is in us this must be by a power equall with that which raised up Jesus from the dead Eph. 1 Thy fleshly wisdome will bee contented thou shouldest be acquainted with what Christ hath done for Thee but She will not endure to let Thee see him in Thee First She is willing to let Thee understand that Christ hath been made flesh for Thee but not that the word is made flesh in Thee that is that this God hath by his own power begotten himself and brought forth himself in his owne likenes in Thee that thou art this virgin that is over-shaddowed with power from on High and hast the immortall seed of God in Thee which Immortall Seed by its owne power brings forth it s owne selfe in thy soul by the puttings forth of the motions of the spirit in thee this thy fleshly wisdome will not let Thee behold the wisdome of the flesh in that Serpent Rev. 12.15 that casts out his flood after the Woman or a Christian in whome Christ is by the power of the Spirit borne and brought forth this flood in the Mysterie is nothing in me but the over-flowing of the wisdome of the flesh the inundations of finfull self and creature that flow into the heart of man this Spirituall Serpent hereby endevouring to drown and destroy both Christ and a Christian at once as it were both the Passive Mother and the Active Babe on a suddain such an enemy is the wisdome of the flesh to Christ in us This flood of iniquity these over-flowings of the wisdome of the flesh in us is that great River Euphrates that must be dried up that way may bee made for the King of the East Christ Jesus to ruinate great Babell in mans
heart and thus you see briefly how the wisdome of the flesh is an enemy to Christ borne in us 2. She cannot endure to let us see the dying of this Christ in us although wee are the very Persons that Crucifieth the Lambe a fresh and put him to open shame yet She will perswade us otherwise and thus poore self-seduced man Crucifies his Saviour every day afresh and yet is so deluded by him-selfe that he seeth it not Consider then O man that thou art this Spirituall Jerusalem where Christ is slaine thou art that Judge that condemnest Christ in the motions of his Spirit lettest Barabhas or thy base lusts goe uncontrouled all the faculties of thy soul and the powers of the inner-man mis-led by the wisdome of the flesh are as it were the voice of the People Crucifie him Crucifie him thy sins are those speares that Pierce Christ in spirit in thee and thus O man thou art the dayly Crosse of thy Saviour and how happy shouldest thou bee if thou did'st discerne all this that so thou mightest looke upon him whom thou now piercest and mourn for thy iniquity but the designe of this whore thy fleshly wisdome is to darken thy eye from beholding of this She will rather tell thee that the good man is not at home Christ is not in thee in his Sufferings And thus poore man mis-led by the Whore becomes that deceitfull Pilate that washeth his hands of the blood of this innocent Spirit whom it hath dispitefully Crucified But Secondly Christ may be said to dye in a Christian another way which also this whore cannot endure we should see and behold and that is when Christ dyes in flesh to us and in us for some times Christ lives in fleshly appearances of him self in a Christian some Christians the highest discovery of Christ that they have attained unto is fleshly formes and fleshly Ordinances thus many a christian enjoyes Christ as really and as comfortably as the Disciples did the Naturall flesh of Christ now Christ he would needs dye depart goe away from his disciples in the flesh that so hee might come in a higher and more glorious dispensation to them even so oft-times Christ doth likewise dye in a christian to all outward and fleshly dispensations and this death the wisdome of the flesh cannot endure that the soul should discerne how often doth God goe out of all low appearances to a Christian Insomuch that a poor Christian many times can finde no Christ in his forms no comfort in ordinances no joy in duties and performances but with Mary stands weeping at the Sepulchre or those dead dispensations where Christ is buried and can see no appearance of Jesus in them but all this while it seeks the living amongst the dead thus Christ dies in a Christian to all fleshly appearances many times And truly looke what sorrow fell upon the spirits of the poore disciples for the departure of their Lord in the flesh from them the like sorrow and griefe falls upon that Christian from whom Christ is departed in all outward dispensations Christ compares that present estate and condition of the disciples to a Woman in Travell Joh. 16.21 22. and yee now therefore have forrow saith Christ Behold O Christian the lively Image of our condition when Christ crucifies his own flesh to us in all those outward dispensations wherein formerly wee have injoyed God Happily heretofore we have seen much of God in our outward formall fellowships one with another in fleshly Ordinances as Baptisme of water and breaking of bread but now happily Christ is crucified in all these things to us and wee finde nothing but dead flesh there nothing that can administer any spirituall comfort in any of these things see nothing but forme bare Flesh bare Water bare Bread and Wine in so much that wee now confesse that our highest attainments of the knowledge of Christ hath been but a knowledge after the flesh now here lyes Christ crucified to all these things the soul dead to its wonted discoveries Now the designe of thy Fleshly wisdome is to darken this death of Christ in Thee Shee cannot endure that the Soul should move out of its fleshly discoveries for She loves the outward order and fleshly decency of all these things and therefore She 'l tell Thee that Christ must be found here or no where and thus keep the Soul in bondage to her self in so much that the poore creature goes again and againe to his outward worship and yet findes no living Christ there nor is possessed with any more comfort in them then proceeds from the power of the flesh wheras indeed the Soul should bee willing to waite in this dead condition for the returne of the Spirit to lye empty and bare at the gate of mercy out of all those formall dispensations from whence Christ is departed waiting for the Comforter and therefore my councell is to all those who see Christ dead to all such carnall and fleshly dispensations in them Christian wait upon the Lord and thou shalt renew thy strength Christ must have his time to lye in the grave hidden from thee in all his appearances to thee but this know he will see thee againe in a more Spirituall discovery of himself it is but a while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry and will take thee up into himselfe above these Types and Figures hee will bee thy Water and Bread and Wine to thee hee will bring thee to the injoyment of the Substance and thou shalt no more live upon the Shadow thou shalt live upon the kernell and not alwaies bee cracking upon the shell For if wee be dead with Christ wee shall allso live together with him but be sure in the meane time that thou beware of the Whore least She by her appearances to thee in all outward Worships make Thee believe that Christ is living in all those things wherein he is dead and buried And thus in briefe you see that this Strumpet the wisdome of the flesh is an enemy to the discovery of Christ in us And now me-thinks by this time wee may see who is the great Anti-Christ that John speaks of in his first Epist 4. Chap. 3. ver That every spirit that believes not or denies Christ come in the flesh is Anti-Christ and what is it now that denies Christ come in the flesh If thou wold'st know Christian what this Anti-christ is and where She lyes thou needest not goe far to discover it thou needest not go to Rome Canterbury or Westminster but thou mayest finde that Antichrist in Thee denying Jesus to be come in thy flesh Oh all ye that would faine shew your selves professed enemies to this Antichrist that man of sin who seekes to destroy Roote and Branch all those in whom you conceive there are the appearances of him Returne Returne O man into thy own Bosome and there behold him lying secretly in thy owne
soul there is the Antichrist that denies every manifestation of God in thy flesh this is the Whore that Thou daily commit'st Fornication with all this is the Babilon whose Down-fall will bee joyous to the Saints this is the Heretick and the Schismatique this it is that makes Rents and divisions amongst us and therfore we ought every one of us to desire God to subdue the wisdome of the flesh in us and to waite upon the Lord untill he comes to shew us the Judgement of the Spirituall Whore this Antichrist in us and not so much desire the down-fall of either Pope Presbiter or Independant or any other State whatsoever but to desire the ruin of this Mysticall Babylon which is the Mother of all our Harlotry from the Lord And so much shall suffice for Answer to the Second question which is Namly how the Whore workes and what Pretences She deludes the soule by Wee proceed now in order to a third question Namly 3. How the Soul comes to attaine to a sight of her In which wee shall first propose the way that God doth usually take to discover this Whore to a Christian 2 When the Soul seeth her How and in what manner it apprehends her First for the way that a Soule comes to attaine a sight of her by If then thou would'st know the way how a Christian comes to a spirituall sight of Flesh and Selfe know that God must deale with Thee as hee did with John Rev. 17. When God would shew John the Judgement of the great Whore and give him a discovery of the whore hee takes him ver 3. and carrieth him away in the spirit into the Wildernesse and then saith John I saw a Woman c. First then know that thou canst never behold self aright till God take thee up or catry thee away in the spirit the spirituall man saith the Apostle seeth all things discovers all things and Judgeth all things so much as the Lord spirituallizeth a Christian so much he sees into himself and discernes and beholds this Mysticall whore the wisdome of the flesh in himself and now he judgeth and estemes of her as that whore that Adultress with whom he hath in all his waies and Worships adulterated from the Lord Therefore the Apostle saith that the spirit searcheth all things 2 Epist Cor. 1. Chap. So long as the soul lyeth under the vaile of the flesh so long selfe is undiscovered to him for while the creature lyes wrapt up in the Mantle of nature it is in a spirituall slumber or sleep and lyes as one passive under the workings of the wisdome of the flesh rock't a sleep in the cradle of fleshly security But now when God speakes by the small and still voyce yet powerfull utterance of the Spirit in a Christian Come up hither when God takes a Soul up beyonde self and creature in so much that now the creature sees all but vanity below Christ now I say the creature comes to some discovery of himself but never before That man that will view the breadth and length of a City at once must not alwaies be walking about in the streets but he must essay to get up to the top of some mountaine that lyes above it and so the City shall be discovered to him with its breadth and length even so it is with the spirituall Babell which is in thee Oh man even the wisdome of the flesh thou must bee taken above it ere thou canst truly and really discover it 2 Thou must be carryed away in the spirit carried quite away from all Power Policy Strength Motion and Action of the creature 3 The place whither thou must bee carried that is into a Wildernesse which is into a lost condition to sin and self never doth the soule attain to a reall sight of the flesh till the Lord by his Spirit doth as it were loose the soule to it self when the creature comes to bee at a loss in it self in all its fleshly performances not knowing where to have recourse but sees that his narrow fleshly heart is so wide a wildernesse that he is lost in the many turnings and windings thereof now the creature comes to behold his Spirituall Adulteryes now he sees into what a lost condition he is fallen how the whore al this while in all his duties worships formes and disciplines hath stolne his heart from the Lord his first lover and tender Husband Paul was carried away by the spirit into this Wildernesse Colos 3. ver 7 8 9. he professeth ver 7. That what things were gaine to him he counted loss for Christ yea doubtlesse saith he ver 8. and I count all things but loss for the excellency of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things do count them but dung that I may winne Christ Paul never knew himself nor creature excellency aright till God shewed him the excellency of the knowledge of Christ and when hee comes to see the worth of Christ then he see himself in a wildernesse and in this wildernesse or lost condition hee spies the vanity of all that was flesh below Christ so that now when God carryes away a soul in the spirit and loses it as it were to its self and le ts loose the beames of his owne glory upon it ravisheth the heart with his own beauty catcheth him up as it were into the third Heavens and sheweth such divine excellency as it never yet apprehended the soul by the clear aspect of this beatificall vision of God begins now to see the vanity and deformity of it selfe and is as it were in as great amazement of spirit as the man doubtles was who was borne blind from the womb and yet now comes to see the Sun or as one that hath been shut up in a dark Dungeon and now comes to walke in the light even thus it is with poor man in the highest glory and excellency of the flesh when God sends forth the beames of that Sun of righteousnesse upon poor Man how dark he beholds himselfe to be as he stands in relation to all fleshly excellency when God shewes him the worth value and excellency of himselfe in a Christ what loss dung and drosse doth a Christian esteeme those things to be though formerly never so glorious and excellent and therefore Paul now no longer desires to be found in his own excellency or in himselfe but saith he ver 9. That I may be found in him not having my owne righteousnesse which is by the Law but that which is by the faith of the Son of God the sight of Christs excellency it doth so fully discover self and flesh to the Christian as that now he loaths the scarlet colour the glorious atire of the Whore even all its golden performances her guilded vowes and sacrifices O all yee poor souls who are apt to place your glory in any thing below Christ and to hang your righteousnesse upon your Prayers
fastings mournings or any outward Ordinances alas how far are you mis-taken who when the Lord comes to carry you away in the Spirit to see all your glory in Christ your righteousnesse in him you will then see the odiousnesse of every thing below Christ which thou hast wondered after thou wilt then desire that God might find thee in this Wildernesse quite out of selfe that there may not be any hoofe of the Beast in thee but that thou may'st wholy be incorporated into Christ in whom thou now seest thy glory to consist And thus you see what the way is that God useth to discover self or this Whore the wisdome of the flesh to the soul Secondly Let us consider how and in what manner the Soul beholds this Whore A poor creature whom the Lord hath carried away or taken up into the Spirit that now lives walks in the Spirit he sees and beholds himselfe not as he was wont to doe formerly happily thou wast wont to see a glory and excellency in things that were below God but now on the contrary how loathsome is every thing that comes short of the divine excellency of Christ happily heretofore thou hast seen some worth in thy prayers and in thy teares some esteemablenesse in thy duties and performances some glory in thine own righteousnes but now thou seest all these things which before were counted gaine to be but losse unto thee thou beholdest all thy own righteousnes to be but as a Menstrous cloath and as a filthy ragge happily heretofore thou boastest of thy pedigree with Paul of the Tribe of Benjamin and of the stock of Israel that thou art descended from such a reformed Church from such visible dispensations so that as touching all legall worships outward formes and Ordinances thou may'st be nominated a Pharisee but now thou seest the lownesse and weaknesse of these fleshly things wherein thou hast formerly boasted now thou rejoycest that thou hast attained to the knowledge of that Christ which is the end or substance of all these fleshly things unto thee so that now thou hast no confidence in the flesh any longer but art become one of the true circumcision that worships God in the Spirit and rejoyceth in Christ Jesus in a word this spirituallized Christian seeth all below Christ to be but the garment of this spirituall Strumpet that she useth to appear in to deceive him he now sees the Whore and her various pretences and how she hath formerly deceived him in her severall dresses he sees her not only in her gaudy attire but in the height of her modesty even in her religious garment so that now he seeth how the wisdome of the flesh makes use of all outward worship formes and Ordinances to deceive the heart of the simple Finally this Spirituall Man hath the same discovery of his whorish wisdome as John had Rev. 17 from the 3 to the 7. ver 1. John he saw the Woman sitting upon a scarlet coloured Beast truly when God carries thee away in the Spirit thou wilt behold thy selfe to be the Beast that this Mysticall whore the wisdom of the flesh doth thus vassallize man in his fallen condition from God as it were Satans Pack-horse to act all his designs of wickednesse This Beast had seaven heads and ten hornes these seven heads and ten hornes are seven Mountaines and ten Kings the Scripture saith which in me are nothing but those powers of man which God hath indued him withall as Reason Will Affection Vuderstanding and the like and all these ver 13. doe with one consent give and ascribe their power to the Beast or poor beastialized man and this Beast man imployes all these with their power to make war against the Lamb Christ Jesus ver 14. so here is a discovery of poor mis-led Man sighting the battell of the Whore his fleshly wisdome all this doth the Christian apprehend in himself when the Lord carries him away in the Spirit of his glory 2. John saw the Woman ver 4. arraied in purple and scarlet colour deck with Gold Pearles and precious Stones Truly Christian when the Lord takes away this falce glassie eye of flesh from thee and endues thee with Spirituall eye-sight from himself thou shalt see this whore thy fleshly wisdome in all this her glory and excellency in Thee for all these Golden Pearles and precious Stones Scarlet colours are but the trimmings of the whore that She usually puts on and cloathes her self with all when She comes out to meet the Sons of men that so hereby She might with the more facillity dazle the eyes infatuate and bewitch the sences of her Spirituall lovers but now when God takes up a Soul into Spirit then flesh is as it were unclothed to the creature and now the Soul lookes not at her glorious shewes which formerly hath bewitched his heart but he sees and knowes that under that Golden habit there walks this subtile Harlot under this Speckled Skin there is a Venomous Viperous Serpentine Carkcas the man whom God hath Spirituallized when the wisdome of the flesh appeares in him in her glory clad with excellency and adorned with all her beautifull Robes yet all this while he sees her Naked and bare the spirit teacheth him to looke inwardly and not altogether outwardly and this is such a Mystery that the poore carnall heart cannot discerne because he lookes fleshly and carnally and hath not yet received this Spirituall eye-sight from above 3. But then John saw the Woman having a golden Cup in her hand full of abominations and filthynes of her Fornications Now that Soul which God wrapes up in that spirit of glory he beholds this whore in him and sees how She hath deluded him by her golden Cup to tast of the wine of her Fornications for this Golden Cup in the whores hand is in the Mysterie of it the Guilded pretences and Golden appearances of the wisdome of the flesh in which pretences there is contained the wickendesse of her abomination and filthynesse of her fornication A man catched up and carried by the spirit to walke in the light of Christ and to live in the purity of God sees him-self as it were now awakened out of the drunken sleep of the Whore newly Risen out of the defiled Bed of the flesh from the spirituall Vomits Swinish abominations and Beastly uncleannesse that hee before wallowed in 4. Againe John saw ver 5. what was written upon the Womans Fore-head Truly untill such time as the Lord takes a Soul up into spirit though the wisdome of the flesh appeare openly to him though She shewes her very Fore-head yet hee cannot discerne her in her appearances but now when God hath caught the Soul into spirit and carried him away in the spirit then he sees the whore in her apparitions he beholds Mysterie in the Forehead or palpable workings of the whore Mystery in all her specious pretences and notwithstanding all her shewes of Glory yet he
sees She is indeed in truth Babylon the great the great confused Whore which breeds all that confusion of spirit in a Christian all that commotion disturbance and out-cryes that are in the heart of man all those heavie sad and disconsolate thoughts that man is possesed with all all that disorder that many a time is in the soul every hard thought of God every dispairing Imagination all the gnawings of conscience in the Creature so that I say hee now sees her to be that great Babel or confused Whore who is the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth 5. But then lastly John saw the Woman drunke with the bloud of the Saints and Martyrs of Jesus Truly this is the very phisiognome Portraiture of the whore to a Christian that is carriepaway in the Spirit hee now comes to behold her a drunken bloud-thirsty Whore he now seeth how the whore hath martyred the bringings forth of Christ slain and crucified that Man Jesus afresh he sees how the Whore is drunk with the bloud of the Lamb in him In a word the Saint truly spirituallized beholds self and flesh to be the most hatefull detestable loathsome thing in the world to him looke how loathsome and injurous a mans vomit is to his stomack even so loathsome is self to that Christian from whose stomack God hath fetched up all the corrupt flesh by bringing the soule to be love-sick of Christ with the operative Pils of his blessed Spirit O how hatefull now is the golden Cup sweet Wine of the whore to a spirituallized man in so much that he now loathes and abhors himself in dust and ashes nay indeed he begins now to wonder at himselfe in his own shame and folly as the Text saith ver 5. that when John saw the Whore he wondered with great admiration truly the same is the condition of every Christian who by the carryings away of the spirit comes to a spirituall sight of this whore the wisdome of the flesh he now wonders that hee should bee drawne to commit folly by so filthy a Harlot hee now wonders that such a bulk of filthynesse such a Mountain of wickednesse and spring of bitternesse should be in him and he never till now able to discerne it he now wonders that ever the lenity and Mercy of God should so long beare with him in all his Adulteries with this swinish whore he now wonders that God at last hath brought him to such a sight and disocvery he admires to see where he is and where hee was that God hath brought him from flesh to live in spirit from darknesse into his marvellous light from the wayes of sorow to that high way the Lord Jesus And thus you see briefly how and in what manner the Soul beholdes this Mysticall Whore the wisdome of the flesh And so much shall suffice for the third question Namely how the creature comes to attaine to the sight of her Wee proceed now in order to the fourth question which is Namely When and how She shall be destroyed Now in brief to Answer to this and so draw to a conclusion of the matter I thus reply Ans If then O man thou desirest to know how and when this spirituall Whore shall be destroyed It shall be done in the day and by the coming and appearance of Jesus in Thee this day is the last day and this coming is the second coming of Jesus Now as concerning this last day know this O man that it s nothing for thee to reade the History of the last day in Scripture and there to see what shall be done in that day that God will glorifie himself in the Saints and bee admired in all them that believe that then God will throughly purge his floore and the Saints shall be like him for they shall see him as he is Now I say it is nothing to know this in the History except wee know it in the Mysterie of it Thou art therefore to expect Jesus to come to Judgment in Thee and the end of the world to bee in Thee thou art to waite for the return of this Jesus in spirit which shall come to thee as he did to John and shew Thee the Judgement of the great Whore in Thee for there is nothing that shall happen or fall out to thee in relation to the day of Judgement which shall not bee verified in thee in this life though it may bee not in the same manifestative measure or fulness as it shall be hereafter As first One sign of this last day is that there shall be wars and rumors of warres Nation shall rise against Nation Kingdome against Kingdome now here Christian thou mayest behold the last day to be at hand here is God and Magog at battell with the Lamb what is it that makes all that envy variance strife sedition emulation in the world but the second or spiritual appearance of Je us in his People the comming of Christ in his Saints is not to bring peace but a sword amongst us I confidently say that this last day this spirituall appearance of Christ in men and women is the very originall of all these commotions that are amongst us insomuch that now here is the Father hating the appearance of Christ in the Son and the Son likewise in the Father the Mother in the Daughter the Daughter in the Mother one Brother sheathing the sword in the bowels of another because the last Day dawnes and the Star of glory is risen more in one then in another her 's Cain killing Abel because his sacrifice is accepted of the Lord and the other is not I tell thee Christian the more the whore will bestir her self shee will not only raise outward but inward warre against thee which inward insurrection and rebellion is a symptome that the day of Judgement is at hand in thee John tells us Revel 17 14. That the kings of the earrh shall make war against the Lambe which Kings in the mystery are but the Kingly governing powers of thy Soul which are assembled together in thee to this Spirituall battell of Gog and Magog to gage warre against the innocent Lamb Christ Jesus in Spirit but the Lamb shall over come them for he is King of Kings and Lord of Lords all the power and policy of the flesh shall at last yield their power to Christ and shall consent to the just Judgement of the whore thy fleshly wisdome but till this strong man the flesh be cast out by that stronger then he Christ Jesus there will be nothing but war and confusion in thee so that indeed now the Serpent is come down with great rage in thee knowing that he hath but a short time the more nigh the comming of Christ is the more this Serpent spits out his venome this Antichrist this whore will the more earnestly bestirre her selfe knowing that it is but a short time to her judgement St. John tells us Revel
12.7 That when the woman had brought forth her man childe which was to rule all Nations with a rodde of Iron the woman upon the birth of this man childe fled into the wildernesse and when the woman was in the wildernesse then saies John I saw war in Heaven Michael and his angels fought against the Dragon and the Dragon fought his angels and what 's all this to me truely Christian me thinks this warre in Heaven is a sure symptom of the day of Judgement the end of this world in us when God hath by his owne power brought forth this man Jesus in us and hath given him power to rule and raigne in this woman or weake passive Christian the Soule presently upon the birth or bringing forth of Jesus in it is imediatly in a wildernesse or lost in it selfe and lyes as one amazed at this sudden worke of the Lord and in this bewildred condition of the creature Sathan he gages warre upon it shoots his fiery darts at it pursues the woman with Herod and seekes to devoure both Christ with the christian also now therefore christian know that thy Soul is this Heaven where this great battel is fought thou being in a lost bewildred estate as not knowing which way to escape the woundings of Sathan and the fiery darts of the wicked but standest as a sencelesse lifelesse marke for thy spirituall enemies to shoot at but Michael thy spirituall Prince Christ Jesus hee fights for thee against that Dragon that whore that antichrist that labours to devoure thee so that thou art that poor passive that lyes stone still whilest the Serpent stings thee and the Dragon exercises his cruelty upon thee till at last this Michael our Prince Christ Jesus hath by his own power and strength cast out and so routed this Dragon this old Serpent vers 9. That now his place is no more found in Heaven or in thy soul and thus maiest thou see Christ Judging the Whore this Serpent in thee insomuch that now this loud voyce is uttered from Heaven or the Soul of a Saint as in vers 10. Now is come salvation and strength and the kingdome of our God and the power of his Christ whereas before nothing but the dreadfull voyce of hel wrath anger fury and judgement nothing but warrs and rumours of warrs heard in thy soul yet now the day is come Christ is come to Judgement in us and hath condemned the whore in us now the voyce of salvation is heard in thee whereas before thou apprehendest God as David did sometimes to have shot the arrowes of his wrath at thee and to have battered thy soul in peeces by the thundering Cannon of his wrath yet now thou seest there is a cessation of these tumults in thee and thou now seest that sweet messenger of God the eternall Spirit drawing neere towards thee with its white Flagge of peace joy comfort and salvation bringing comfort unto thee by telling thee thy warfare is accomplished thy iniquity is pardoned and thon hast received double at the Lords hands for all thy sins and then further now strength is come also which is another part of the voyce from Heaven alas how feeble and how weake faint and unable was the Soul before the spiritual resurrection of it for the birth of this Child Jesus in it is the regeneration or new birth of a Christian the wildernesse the woman fled into is that mortified dead lost estate of a Christian the Grave where the Soul is buried to every living action and the overcomming or conquering of the Dragon or the spirituall serpent the wisdome of the flesh is the resurrection of a Saint or that spirituall day of Judgement of the whore in us Now as Jesus raised up himselfe by the power of the Father from out of the bowels of the earth so by the strength and power of this Jesus who is the resurrection and the life a Christian rises out of this dead condition and so her mortall putting on immortality and corruption putting on incorruption here is death swallowed up in victory The Christian now as he hath formerly been planted with Christ in the likenesse of his death so likewise now in the likenesse of his resurrection it bears now no longer the image of the first dead Adam but is risen in the likenesse of Christ out of earth and flesh which formerly he was involved and buryed in and by his rising againe overcomes the Dragon by the blood of the Lamb kills the great Goliah the wisdome of the flesh and this is all by the strength of that Strong man Christ Jesus who is entred into his temple or the heart of man and silences all these earthly rumors and commotions in him and so is the second part of the voyce from Heaven fulfilled Now is come not only salvation but strength And then Thirdly The Kingdome of God that 's come also and the power of his Christ our Saviour taught his Disciples whil'st hee was in the flesh and knew him only after the flesh I say he taught them to pray thy Kingdome come so that the Kingdome of Christ in that sence was not yet come to the Disciples even so it is with every poore Christian that hath attained to no more knowledge then the flesh of Christ can teach them that do not know Christ any other waies then by the beholding of his fleshly substance as Christians doe in all outward and fleshly ordinances that see no more nor know no more of Christ then Bread Water and Wine and outward formes and order can teach them the Kingdome of God is not come to them yet while the Woman was in the Wildernesse the Kingdome of God was not come in her but when She by the strength of God was Risen and had overcome by the bloud of the Lambe then She cryed now the Kingdome of God is come the Woman was fed in the wildernesse ver 6. in our low and lost estate God he feeds us with milke because the Kingdome of God Christ in the measure of the Spirit is not yet come to inable us to beare stronger meates in the wildernesse or weake condition of Saints God feeds them with manna but when he brings them into Canaan he then compasseth them about with the flowings of Milke and Honie this Canaan is Christ the true Rest of a Christian the Kingdome of the Father in the Saints who drawes up the Soul from these low dispensations by degrees as it were till he hath seated it in himself brings the Soul out of the fleshly knowledge of himself into spirituall discoveryes of his Excellency so that now the Soule prayes no more in the imbecillity of the flesh thy Kingdome come seekes no longer in fleshly Formes and Ordinances for the kingdome for it is already in them and they live in the injoyment of it Now is come Salvation and strength and the Kingdome of God and the power of his Christ the Dragon and his Angels they
the new light of God manifested in them O Christian I tell thee thou art a thrice happy man whom the Lord hath made the Lamb a light unto thee this Lamb light is an innocent light a righteous light a pure light a discovering light it is this light that discovers the hidden and obscure whore unto thee it is the light of Christ that uncovers and strips the whore starke naked before thee of all her glory and excellency so that now thou beholdest her out of her purple and scarlet colour even in her very nakednesse and shame And thus you see how Christ in his day in a Christian does first of all discover the whore to him But Secondly in this last day or Sun rising of Christ in a Christian it is the worke of Christ to destroy as well as to discover this whore in us as it is the property of light to destroy darknesse so it is the property of Christ to destroy antichrist in the day of his appearance it will be the worke of Christ by his comming in thee to roote out that spirit of antichrist head and tayle root and branch insomuch that there shall not be left one hoof of the beast in thee when John saw the Angell come downe from heaven endued with great power Revel 18.1 Who inlightned the earth with his glory immediatly he heard this voyce Babylon is fallen is fallen and is become the habitation of divels the hould of every foule spirit and a cage of every uncleane and hatefull bird all which teacheth me thus much that when that Angell of the everlasting lasting covenant Christ Jesus is by the Father sent down into the hearts of his Saints who comes by the power of his Spirit and enlightens the earth or earthly man with his glory when the earth is filled with the knowledge of the Lord when the glory of this Sun comes to enlighten and beautifie our earthy hearts then is the time of Babylons downfall now is the season of the whores destruction now is the Saints time of Halelujah now rejoyce over her thou Heaven and all the holy Apostles and Prophets for God hath avenged you on her vers 20. The Prophet Malachy tells us chap. 4. That the day comes that shall burne as an Oven this day is Christ Jesus who indeed shall so baptize us with the holy Ghost and Fire as that he shall consume and burne up waste and destroy all the appearances of the Whore the wisdome of the flesh and therefore the same prophet tells us Chap. 3.34 That he shall sit as a Refiners fire and as Fullers Soape and he shall purifie the Sons of Levi that they may offer to the Lord an offering in righteousnesse this day must burne in us this Jesus must be a refiners fire to us before we shal see the downefall of mysticall Babylon the worke that Christ hath to doe in us is to destroy mortallity and to cloath us with immortality to destroy this corruption and to cloath us with the incorruptible righteousnesse of himselfe After the downfall of the whore Revel 19. John tells us vers 8. That there was granted to the Lambs wife that she should be arrayed in fine linnen cleare and white c. In which I observe first the love of Christ to the Soul Christ did first of all by his blood and passion purchase the Soul to himselfe to the end that she should be a constant Spouse unto him but she hath adulterized from her husband committed harlotry from her first lover and hath taken part with antichrist against him upon which adultery the jealousie of the Lord arises in himselfe and as jealousie is said to be the rage of a man so the Lord as I may say in the rage of this jealousie comes and destroyes this antichrist kils sin in the Christian sheaths the sword of the spirit in the bowels of this spiritual antichrist breakes the head of this serpent in us but yet notwithstanding entertaines this adulterized creature into his love and favour does yet once more espouse her to himselfe by a fresh act and manifestation of love and favour you may see an embleme of this love in Hos 3.1 where God commands the Prophet to go with a message of love to the woman that had played the harlot with him Goe yet love a woman beloved of her friend yet an adultresse though she an adultresse yet I am her friend though she an harlot yet I send love greetings towards her though she hath been unconstant towards me yet I will owne her to be my wife my Spouse my beloved and therefore the text saies that it was granted to the Lambs wife that shee should bee arrayed in linnen clean white which likewise dictates to me 2. In the Second place the purity that this day of burning Christ Jesus in Spirit works in the heart of his People he doth not only take from it the garment spotted with the flesh but likewise Cloathes it with the shinning Robe of righteousnesse he doth not only empty a Soul of its owne corruption but likewise fills it with his glory beautifies it with his own adornings O Faire beautifull amiable creature whose beauty and excellency consists in Christ that divine centre of briâ—htnesse and glory this will send a Saint to the depth of admiration behold what manner of love hath the Father bestowed upon us that we should be called the Sons of God that God should thus by the power of the Spirit consume all this dross and coruption in us and bring us by that divine light to see our vnion with the Father in the Son and to see the glory of our Adoption in Jesus and to behold our selves in the flesh of our elder Brother at the Right-hand of the Father this is mercy past discerning and worth admiration Thus will God in the power of his Spirit Judge this spirituall Whore in us and ease us of the vassallage and servitude we were in to our owne selves thus shall the brats of this spirituall Babylon the wisdome of the flesh be destroyed by that happy man Christ Jesus God saith Jsa 17.12 concerning this destruction of Babylon That hee will make a man more precious then fine Gold or the Golden wedge of Opher this man is Christ who in the day of his power and in the confounding of this Spirituall Babell in us shall be made unto us more precious then the highest creature excellency never till now will the Saints come to value and to prize Christ till they see what he doth in them Now how beautifull upon the mountains are the feete of them that bring glad tidings of good things that publisheth Salvation that saith unto Zion thy God raineth Thy Messenger upon the Mountaines is Christ Jesus who comes Leaping over the mountaines and skiping over the hils of difficulty that lies in the way and appeares in glory to his Spouse or beloved Christian and declares the message of glad tidings to him