or heaven that may be shaken Heb. 12. 26. Yea though they receive withall the baptism of gifts from this spirit of Christ and in that sence be made partakers of the holy Ghost yet they may prove at length to be but briars and thorns to this very spirit of Christ from whom they receive all and to those true believers in whom the very seed of this spirit is springing up as a well of living waters into everlasting life Ioh. 4. 14. The single Baptism of Gifts supernatural Ornaments and the tongue of Men and Angels all this amounts not to the Baptism with the holy Ghost and with fire Mat. 3. 11. The partaking of the holy Ghost in the single baptism of gifts without the very seed of spiritual eternal Life sown in the heart does not â—ar the visage of the natural man does not sacrifice and offer him up but more abundantly adorn beautifie and set him off Those that have the glory of their earthly man but thus higher advanced by supernatural gifts and accomplishments are liable to play the Idolaters against the glory that excels the Life hid with Christ in God and finally refusing the superior dispensation and those that own it return with the dog to the vomit upon the loss of what they have already received Ezek. 16. 1 15. 2 Pet. 2. 20 22. MORE in his MYSTERY holds that the Fall of the Angels came by their refusal of the divine Life and giving themselves wholly up to the animal and that satans kingdom of darkness extends to and comprehends all the inâ—â—rests and advantages of whatever Life excluding onely the Divine The same Author exhibits a new and unanswerable charge against Paganism that by whatever flights of wit the best of them all may seem to wipe off the imputations of Polytheism or Idolatry asserting themselves to be the adorers of one eternal Deity in his various manifestations yet they worshipped God in such appearances onely as related to and concerned but the animal Life 'T is to be feared this charge will reach a great way into Christianity abundance of the professors whereof are followers of Christ onely for loaves such cleansing gifts and ornaments as do but gratifie and advance their earthly first creation state Speak but a word of the cross and fire-baptism of the spirit that 's to come upon all this glory and goodliness of flesh in order to a more excellent birth and knowledge of Christ after the spirit in them you become an enemy presently if you tell them this truth Gal. 4. 16. If matters be well scann'd and weighed in the ballance of the sanctuary abundance of Religion and Professors will be found no currant and well tried Gold Rev. 3. 18. that will pass for the Kingdom of Heaven The Scripture latitude of the animal or natural man is comprehensive of all that is to be found in mans first-creation state and life in distinction from the spiritual new creation man The natural body or animal man is interpreted by the apostle to be of the same reach and significancy as the living soul of the first Adam at best as the spiritual body or man is comprehensive of that new-creature Life and perfection that 's recieved from the indwelling presence of the quickning spirit of the second Adam 1 Cor. 15. 44 46. Those Christians that are brought into communion with God but in the renewed activity of the natural body oâ— living soul of the first Adam taking the renewed old man for the new Restauration for Regeneration are apt to grow so conceited confident therein that they wil not lend an ear to the tydings of any superior dispensation and more excellent way Man in whatever possible refinement and glory of his first-creation state is yet but that natural man in whose mind there is so vast an asymmetry and incongruity to spiritual divine things the New Name the Life hid with Christ in God the Wisdom and Righteousness of God that shines forth in the New Creature that he knows not what to make of them 〈◊〉 are foolishness to him 1 Cor. 2. 14. Nothing less than the very seed of spiritual new-creature Life from Christ will find or make its way through all possible obstructions from within man or from without and prosper into that kingdome of grace and glory that cannot be shaken This will spring up in the soul and declare it self King take the Scepter and ruling power out of the hands of our first-creation spirit and principles and will safely steer our course direct our steps and enable us to work righteousness in the way everlasting Psal. 139. 24. Sensual Life generally rules at first in children When Reason springs up and begins to shew it self that takes or should take the Scepter curbes the insolencies and exorbitancies of the Sensual powers and governs the whole person If there be a seed of grace or spiritual Life sown in him when that springs up into exercise it will take the Scepter out of the hands of humane Reason and Wisdom and govern the whole person in the Divine Spiritual Reason and Wisdom of God The receivers of the spirit of Christ the seed of spiritual wisdom and divine Life are of two sorts either such as receive the single or such as receive the double portion thereof They that receive but the single will thereby be brought into the incorruptible form of the natural man which renders them fit associates for the elect angels to stand about the Throne as friends of the Bridegroom and the Bride They that receive the double portion of the spirit in the sense above expressed are the very Bride her self the Lambs wife that sits down upon the Throne with him in a more exalted state of Glory for ever The Mother of Zebedee's Children desired of Christ That her two sons might sit the one on his right hand and the other on his left in his Kingdom Mat. 20.21 There may seem to be a right and left hand scituation or state of glory for ever in the kingdom of Heaven The double portioned Saints are they that sit on the right hand the single on the left Christ tells her and her sons they know not what they ask if they would have either of these advancements on this side the Cross the grave the fire-baptism the strait gate that excludes flesh and blood all that is corruptible from the Kingdom of God Can ye saies he drink of the Cup I shall drink of and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with They answer We are able The single portion of the Spirit where it is received as a seed of new Life will not fail to perform that transforming fire-baptism in and upon the souls of men that will purifie them not onely from corruption the utmost extent of the inward water-baptisme and circumcision of the heart in the Letter but from corruptibility gradually fetching them up into the glory of the resurrection till their mortality be quite swallowed
of this life again when renewed it shall die 'T is a tree twice dead dead first in Adam then after a personal revival dead again by a wilful sinning after the similitude of Adams transgression knowingly refusing the same more excellent life and glory of the new creation that he did by preferring the lesser glory of the first thereunto and so is pluck'd up by the roots and burned Iude 12. 9. Angels and the soules of men are immortal as to being if we mean by immortal everlasting Angels will remain a flame of fire and man will consist of body soul and spirit all the essentials of their first-creation constitution for ever But what then is this their advantage would it not be a great gain to them to lose themselves by annihilation rather than be eternally miserable They are stripped of all righteousness glory comfort deprived of all communion with God and in their single meer naked beings exposed to everlasting punishment in the pouring forth of his fierce wrath and displeasure upon them Mat. 25.46 Does not Christ say of Iudas it had been good for him if he had never been born Mat. 26. 24. 'T is not proper to say that wicked men and angels when under the paines or in the state of eternal death eternal a parte post are immortal but everlasting unless it be proper to say immortal death 10. 'T is observable that which is said 1 Cor. 15. 46. First that which is natural and afterwards that which is spiritual This holds true of the different creature-capacity and form in head and members root and branches in Christ angels and meâ— The natural creature-form in Christ as a peculiar product or emanation from the second of the three that bear witness capacitating him for the creation of the first world and to exhibite the Image of the three that are one to the creatures natural understanding when made is to be considered by us in a priority to that spiritual and more exalted creature form brought forth in Christ by the peculiar operation of the third in the Trinity by which the natural form is baptized into its unchangable state of Life and Union with God By this twofold creature-form in Christ are the three that are one everlastingly exhibited to the view and enjoyment of men and angels in a suitableness to what ever capacity natural or spiritual This is the beatifical vision God gives of himself in Christ. Will any here or any where else in this discourse cry Tautologie 'T is answered once for all the same things are oft said in scripture by several persons yea by the same on several occasions and sometimes scarcely that as is to be seen in the Psalms and Proverbs c. 11. As t is said of the natural and spiritual form in Christ and his members first that which is natural then that which is spiritual so is it said of them in another scripture by way of allegory in Iacob and Esau The elder shall serve the younger Rom. 9. 12. The natural or elder creature-form is to be so handled by the spiritual or younger as to be through the fire-baptism transformed out of its changable capacity and captivated into everlasting subjection to and unchangable harmony with the spiritual This holds true in Christ and his members also The whole rank and order of angels and men that are about the Throne in their incorruptible natural form are as servants to the Bridegroom and Bride that sit upon it in the spiritual The natural form also of Christ and all those peculiar Saints that constitute his heavenly Bride is subject to the spiritual in the same persons 12. These two creature forms natural and spiritual in Christ and his members are resembled to us by the two olive trees candlesticks and two annointed ones that stand before the Lord of the whole earth This may appear by comparing Zech. 4. 11 14. where they are peculiarly applied to Christ with Revel 11.4 where the true Saints that receive this twofold oyl or spiritual anointing with the heavenly name or nature of Christ and thereby become the two Witnesses or Witnesses of his twofold creature-glory and perfection shining forth in their persons are also called the two olive-trees and candlesticks standing before the God of the whole earth 13. Those that are truly anointed with both or either of these names or formes of Christ natural or spiritual by the new and everlasting Covenant are such onely as can most properly be said to assemble or be gathered together in his Name that is in the power and exercise of the new name and nature of Christ communicated to them Mat. 18. 20. Such meetings Christ promises to be in the midst of engages to hear all their prayers and to grant all things whatsoever they ask Iohn 14. 13 14. How can it be otherwise for whatsoever they ask in that spiritual new-creature name in the desire of that new Spirit and Life in them that is born of the will of God Jam. 1. 18. must needs be according to God's will and saies the same Apostle 1 Iohn 5. 14 15. If we ask any thing in or according to his will he heareth us And if we know that he hear us whatsoever we ask we know we have the petitions that we desired of him Meeting in the name of Christ in the fellowship of the spirit in the communion of the holy Ghost Phil. 2. 1. 2 Cor. 13. 14. are all the same thing 14. Christ has excellent gifts to bestow upon the rebellious also Psal. 68. 18. upon a sort of People that for a while are in Covenant with him married to him and made comely through one sort of comeliness from him put upon them Ezek. 16. 14. They are his Children wholly a right seed children that will not lie branches of the true Vine who are yet liable to be turned into the degenerate Plant of a strange Vine unto him Jer. 2. 21. to rebel against and vex his holy spirit so that he may turn to be their enemy Esay 63. 8. 10. This sort of Saints or People of Christ who may again become no people Hos. 1. 9. make up his first-Covenant Spouse resembled by Hagar His Children they are but they stay in the place rest in that state of their first-creation Life and Glory with unwise Ephraim and the foolish Virgins whence the true Children that have the feed of the new and everlasting Covenant-Life in them do break forth into the wisdom glory and righteousness of the new-creation Hos. 13. 13. Those that thus stay in that place or state of Life that is neither God's nor the creatures true Rest will at length set themselves to vex and persecute the spirit of Christ in them that quit that place and state for the more excellent way the true Rest and so as downright enemies to Christ will make use of those very natural parts or spiritual gifts he has bestowed upon them to decry vilifie and persecute him in
up of Life It will make them of the same mind that was in Christ willing so to suffer in the flesh under the power of his spirit as to cease from sin or from that state that can return back into sin again 1 Pet. 4. 1. This incorruptible form atteinable onely by the fire-baptism performed upon the natural man at his best by the single portion of the spirit of Christ is called spiritual and denominates the whole person a spiritual man though yet in the mortal body in distinction from those who have but only the renewal of their first-creation form by the influence and gifts of the same spirit All that these receive is but the goodliness of flesh renewed adorned nature which is decried and blown upon by a second vice a superior dispensation and ministry of the same spirit as a perishing vanity after the first voice has done its work made a straight path for God in the desert by rectifying the rational powers in bewildred man Esay 40. 3 8. Our corruptible tabernacle is to be taken down This mantle this filthy garment this vile body flesh and blood at its best is to be chaned into the likeness of Christs glorious body his heavenly man by the mighty power and transforming operation of that spirit whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself Phil. 3. 21. We must put off the old man at best and put on the new which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness Ephes. 4. 22 24. Col. 3. 9 10. That Image of God received by the first-creation and all the wisdom glory and righteousness thereof is but shadow to what is to be received by the new creation 'T is but self-glory self-wisdom self-righteousness and when these are opposed to the wisdom righteousness and glory of God in the new creation they are Idols shadows preferred to substance the Law or ruling Principles of our first creation Life to grace and truth in the second Some few Results or Corollaries of what hath been said in this matter take as followeth 1. The Spirit of God the holy Ghost the divine Nature which the Scriptures do evidently assert and declare to be communicable to men exceeds not in its reach and significancy the natural and spiritual creature capacity in the person of the Mediator whereby individual angels and men are brought into an everlasting union with him in one or both as he is one with the Father Iohn 17. 22. 2. Where-ever the Seed of eternal Life is sowne by Christ's causing himself to be received in the single or double portion of his Spirit it will mar the visage or wisdom of man it will take him off from his way of working righteousness and worshipping God in the oldness of the letter of the first creation and enable him to perform all in a more excellent and acceptable way in the newness of the spirit of the second Paul in his own person gives us notice of this distinction which he stood in from those youthful flourishing professors that were reigning as Kings at the righteousness of the Law performable in their own spirit 1 Cor. 4. 8. 10. With such he said he durst not compare himself 2 Cor. 10. 12. who pleasing themselves and applauding one another in a way of mutual self-deceivings and commendations are not those whom the Lord commendeth as he rather desired to be vers 18. They have but the inward heart-circumcision in the letter of the first not in the spirit of the second creation whose praise is not of men as is implied Rom. 2. 29. 'T is worth observation that even in the ancient Hieroglyphical divinity of Egypt no service or worship of God was accounted acceptable and well-pleasing but what was performed by some divine power of God himself in them 3. There are two distinct sorts of everlastingly saved men such as receive the single and such as receive the double portion of the spirit Both pass under the fire-baptisme The former are exalted into association with the elect angels and have for the immediate and adaequate object of their fruition and converse God as shining forth to them in the incorruptible form of Christs natural Manhood The latter and more exalted sort of Saints are taken into association with the spiritual manhood in Christs person and have for the immediate and adaequate object of their fruition and converse God as shining forth to them in that highest and most exalted creature form in Christ's person And by and through these who do properly constitute the general assembly and Church of the first-born the spirits of just men and the holy angels even those principalities and powers in heavenly places do as at second hand receive that manifold wisdom of God that shines forth more immediately upon the Church Ephes. 3. 10. 4. The highest sort of these Saints are not Christ or God much less the lower Christ is the head root and parent to both these sorts of glorified men in his twofold creature capacity or manhood natural or spiritual And Christ as he is the purely divine form or image of the invisible God is head to both these creature-headships in his own person and God is the head of Christ considered as in his purely divine form 1 Cor 11. 3. 5. Christ in his creature-capacity is the maker redeemer and heir of all things in both worlds as all things were created by him so for him Col. 1. 16. Heb. 1. 2. and Rom. 11. 36. Of him through him and to him are all things 6. Men that in their first creation were made little lower than the Angels Psal. 8. 5. are in the second or new creation made equal to the elect angels and all those of the double portion are advanced quite over the heads of all the angels into an immediate association with Christ in his most exalted creature-capacity on the Throne of his glory even in that more excellent creature name than the angels have Heb. 1. 4. Behold then the heavenly order in the whole family of God First God himself the head of Christ and that as Christ is the Image of the invisible God very God Secondly Christ himself as thus considered in his capacity purely divine head to his twofold creature-headship the natural and spiritual man in his own person Thirdly Christ in his twofold creatureship as the immediate head to all spiritual and natural men and angels in his heavenly family his members his body mystical Fourthly Behold these also in their two grand distinctions of superiority and subordination spiritual and natural Fifthly There may seem also to be intimated in the Scriptures a gradual difference of capacity in the individuals of either of these two ranks of everlastingly glorified men Dan. 12. 3. and 1 Cor. 15. 41. There is one glory of the Sun another of the Moon and another glory of the Stars and one Star differeth from another Star in glory Variety of intellectual light or discerning is resembled in Scripture
by the variety of figurative light in the outward visible creation Christ is called The Sun of Righteousness Mal. 4. 2. Angels Stars Job 38. 7. And the Spirit of Man The candle of the Lord Prov. 20. 27. To wind up all then and secure our selves from the mistake of the German Divinity The servants that stand about the Throne are not the Bride that sits upon it The Bride is not the Bridegroom The Bridegrom himself in whatever creature-state he is married to men or angels by the new and everlasting Covenant is yet but as the Bride to himself in his purely divine form and as so yet he is not the Father but as the Bride of the God-head the express character or personallity of all the three as Image of the invisible God The Bride the Lambs Wife Angels or Men are all gathered up into one common Interest all do live in the beatifical Vision and enjoyment of God in Christ in their several intellectual distances ranks and capacities and may all be said to partake of the divine nature But more peculiarly next to the living creature that is under the God of Israel in personal union with God Ezek. 10. 20. the â—uperiour and more excellent sort of Saints are partakers thereof being actually brought forth in the highest kind of creature capacity that is next to the purely divine form See all summ'd up together Heb. 12. 22 24. Ye are come unto Mount Sion and unto the City of the living God the heavenly Ierusalem and to an innumerable company of Angels to the general Assembly and Church of the first-born which are written in heaven to God the Iudge of all and to the spirits of just Men made perfect and to Iesus the Mediator of the New Covenant Here we have a distinct expression of the heavenly Orders 1. An innumerable company of Angels and spirits of just Men made perfect 2. The general Assembly and Church of the first-born that have the double portâ—on of the Spirit 3. Iesus the Mediator of the new Covenant 4. God 〈◊〉 Iudge of all Will any now say What signifies this prolixe Discourse of Principles to the present undertake 'T is answered Much every way in case what hath been said be true and intelligibly expressed For it most exactly suits with what is engaged for in the Title Page He lived in the Spirit and walked in the Spirit Gal. 5. 25. 'T is this Life hid with Christ in God I principally intend the character of the Life of Faith which now with him is turn'd to sight being absent from the Body and at home with the Lord 2 Cor. 5. 6 7. This Life is no way explicable but by considering his Gospel Principles Doctrine and Way of Worshipping God in spirit and truth And what signifie all his publick and outward actings in Church or state but as issuing from and reducible to this his new-creature Life and the Principles thereof This discourse therefore is principally directed to Christian Readers who are furnished with the spiritual discerning of Faith which can take in the evidence and demonstration of things not seen to any other eye in man things eternal Heb. 11. 1. 2 Cor. 4. 18. This Pilgrim quitted the broad way that leads to destruction and took the narrow path that leadeth unto Life which few there be that find Mat. 7. 14. His lot was to be upon the earth while the Church was in her Wilderness condition in her sackcloth Briars and Thornes were with him all along he dwelt among Scorpions Ezek. 2. 6. Many archers shot at him they did shoot forth their arrows even bitter words they smote him with the tongue and at length with the hand but his Bow abode in strength his Armes were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Iacob Gen. 49. 23 24. His enemies encouraged themselves in an evil matter they communed of laying snares privily that they might shoot at him in secret their teeth were spears and arrows they did whet their tongue like a sword to wound him But God shall shoot at them with an arrow suddenly shall they be wounded Psal. 64. and 57. 4. He will whet his sword and ordain his arrows against the Persecutors Psal. 7. 12 13. But where may it appear that this sufferer was of the opinion that there are two distinct sorts of everlastingly saved men In his general Epistle to the Church of Christ upon earth which is like to be exposed to publick view before this Not long before his death I received express notice in a Letter concerning these two Witnesses of Christ both of them coming forth in the self-evidencing power and demonstration of the single or donble portion of his spirit He took rise for his conceptions herein from such irradiations of divine glory as he received in the contemplation of these following Scriptures with many others First Revel 11. 18. The Nations were angry thy wrath is come and â—he time wherein thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the Prophets and to the Saints and to them that fear thy Name small and great There is said he intended here by the holy Ghost a considerable difference between those called Christs servants the prophets and the rest that are named saints all being such as are said to fear God's Name great or small and are declared to be objects of Christs reward who hath one kind of reward for the prophet and another for righteous men saints just men made perfect These as faithful servants are to abide in the house for ever friends to the Bridegroom that rejoyce at hearing of his second voice which they have but at second hand through the Bride But those more excellent sort of servants the prophets that are the very Bride they have their peculiar priviledge above the other personally to possesse the Bridegroom as his Name is the WORD of God a Name Rev. 19. 12 13. which no man knows nor angel but he himself and they to whom the Son will reveal it In this sence is that to be understood which is testified by Christ himself Luk. 10 22. No man knowes who the Son is but the Father and who the Father is but the Son and he or they to whom the Son will reveal him This is the Name that Christ â—y inheritance hath obtained more excellent than the Angels the Name above every Name that at the manifestation thereof every knee should bow and tongue confess to the glory of God the Father After this Name it was Iacob was so inquisitive Gen. 32. 29. saying tell me I pray thee thy Name And he came afterwards to understand it was the face of God or sight of God face to face in his very similitude which it is not permitted in so ful and intimate a manner for every saint to have Upon this Iacob's name was changed to Israel and he became a Prince or chief prevailer with God and with Man Agreeable to this distinction does the Prophet Esay describe
are hot about the outward circumstances of worship time place and the like Christ reproves them in his answer to the woman of Samaria at Iacobs Well Neither in this Mountain nor at Ierusalem shall ye worship the Father but in spirit and truth Joh. 4. 23. Neither in this Form nor that but excluded out of all Synagogues has the true Church and Spouse of Christ been worshipping God this twelve hundred Years and upwards in her mourning persecuted wilderness-condition out of which she is shortly to appear and speak for her self By this Sufferers reckoning the time times and half a time or three years and a half are very near expired those forty two moneths and one thousand two hundred and sixty days prophetical for years all which do character and point out the same Epocha in Daniel and the Revelation for the Churches abode in the Wilderness from the time of her flight mentioned Rev. 12. 6. She will very shortly be called up out of the wilderness by the name of Shulamite which comes from the same word that Solomon and Salem do signifying Peace This true peaceable Pilgrim and Spouse of Christ that in her Life and Testimony hath been so disgustful to this world out of which she is chosen as to be reputed by all the Inhabitants of the earth a wrangling Heretick a Blasphemer and one that turns the World upside down will shortly come up out af her political grave or exclusion from all authority or allowance in Church and State into the exercise of true Christian Polity in both in association with the holy Angels who with the risen Witnesses will make up the two hosts before whom no opposite power of contradicting man wil be able to bear up See for this Cant. 6. 13. Return return O Shulamite return return that we may look upon thee What will ye see in the Shulamite as it were the company or dance of two Armies Mahanaim relating to Iacobs two hosts of Angels and Men when he was to meet Esau Gen. 32. 1 2. and importing the victory these two obtain over all their enemies as also their dance or triumphant rejoycing after the victory And all this yet amounts but to the preparatory work for the second coming of Christ by plucking up every thing that offends so as at last there may be nothing to hurt in all the holy mountain Mat. 13. 41. Esay 11. 9. But how shall the risen Witnesses handle their enemies when spirited and set upon their feet as a Nation born at once and in one day Esay 66. 8. Rev. 11. 11. 'T is answered fire shall proceed out of their mouth to devour any that would hurt them and in this manner must they be killed that is at the desire of the believing risen witnesses angels that are a flaming fire Psal. 104. 4. will destroy any men that oppose them Fire goes out of the saints mouth that is by prayer to God on which the angels are commissioned to do execution immediately and irresistibly without more ado Thus fire went out of Elias his mouth to devour the two Captains and their fifties Angels were the executioners 2 King 1. 9 12. Those acts of Elias were but Types and shadows of what will be done in the end of the world at the winding up of all dispensations towards the highest even the personal coming forth of Christ with all his New-Ierusalem Armies following him Rev. 19. 14. As to what will be performed by the risen Witnesses relation is had to Elias and to Moses Rev. 11. 6. Where 't is said They shall have power as Elias had to shut heaven that it rain not and to smite the earth with Plagues as often as they will as Moses did in Egypt It may appear what work one Angel can make with whole Armies of men a hundred fourescore and five thousand Assyrians were slain by an angel in one night in the Leagure before Ierusalem 2 King 19. 35. But to return from this Contemplaâ—ion of the true New-Ierusalem spirited Church and Spouse of Christ and what she will do when she comes out of the Wilderness consider we a little the general posture of all visible Churches even at this day as this Sufferer hath left it represented to us in writing There are many Churches in the World that make a profession of the Name of Christ under several Forms and Denominations according to the variety of Judgements and Interests of the Rulers Members thereof There is a Church called Catholick or Universal headed by the Pope who pretends to be Christs Vicar There are also National Churches heâ—ded either by a Civil Magistrate as the Church of England or by general Assemblies as the Church of Scotland hath been with other Reformed Churches There are also particular Independant Congregational Churches distinguishing themselves into variety of Sects and diversity of Judgements and Opinions as well about the way and order of the word of matters of worship and the service of God as in what they hold Fundamental in matters of Faith These all make up one Body as to the owning and upholding a Church in some outward visible Form who notwithstanding all their differences and protestings against one another do generally agree together in one mind as to the preferring of the Church in Name Shew and outward Order before what it is in Spirit and Truth as it is the real and living Body of Christ. Hence it is that the true Church indeed the very living real spiritual members of Christ's Body have been for many hundred years a dispersed captivated people under all worldly powers civil or Ecclesiastical and never been suffered to use or enjoy a freedom in their Communion together and the purity of God's Service and Worship but are upon one pretence or other restrained by Humane Lawes and suppressed as Hereticks Schismaticks Fanaticks and such as turn the World upside down while those that have the repute and credit to be the Church or Churches of Christ under some one of the Formes and outward Orders bâ—fore mentioned have the Powers of the World on their side and are contending one with another who shall be uppermost and give the Rule of Conformity in Doctrine Worship and Church Order to all the rest by Compulsion and Persecution But the dayes are now hâ—stening apace wherein the living Members of Christ's Body shall be made manifest in distinction from all those that have the Name to live but are dead Thus in brief you see his Judgement concerning the Church Concerning BAPTISM he writes thus THere are several Baptismes spoken of in the New Testament and the Doctrine concerning them hath been so dark and mysterious that there is little yet extant in the Writings of men concerning the same that carries with it satisfaction There are two general tearms under which all Baptismes mentioned in the New Testament seem to be comprehended that is to say Of Water and of the holy Ghost and Fire Water Baptism is twofold and
Sem here were the type as many Iewish Rabbins affirm those expressions without Father Mother Descent or beginning of dayes are not at all applicable to him but singly to Christ himself Sem was the most righteous Son of Noah a Teacher of righteousness as Noah was called therefore properly Melchizedeck that is King of righteousness and King of Salem that is Peace from the place he was chief Governour of afterwards called Ierusalem from Iireh and Salem the place where Peace shall be seen as type of the heavenly Ierusalem occasioned by Abraham's offering Isaac there on Mount Moriah where David saw the Angel by Araunah's threshing-floor and Solomon built the Temple Gen. 22. 14. 2 Sam. 24. 16 17. 2 Chron. 3. 1. Sem on the accounts mentioned might fitly be called King of righteousness and King of peace Heb. 7. 2. but much more fitly yet may Christ be so called in whom all the righteousness of the first Covenant and all the peace that 's to be found in the second kissed each other in the second and were the summe of his Ministery Psal. 85. 10. But to proceed shall I ask a bold question What else can the whole Scripture be as to the saving truths and doctrine thereof but an Allegory in case it be presumed to speak intelligibly to humane understanding The main things signified in Scripture are things spiritual and eternal things not seen 2 Cor. 4. 18. Heb. 11. 1. not at all immediately and in themselves discernable to meer humane understanding The natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God they are foolishness to him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2. 14. What then is to be done Either Christ in his own personal discourses as also by his Prophets Apostles and Evangelists must condescend to gratifie the capacities and understandings of men by representing spiritual and heavenly things to them through such natural earthly Mediums as are suitable and adaequate objects to humane understanding or else 't is as if nothing were said What is no wayes intelligibly spoken is as not spoken Spiritual things in their own naked essence and properties are uncapable of expression by a sound of words Words that are the meanes of humane converse even at their best and in the original language are but the proper signifiers of natural things Adam by giving Names to the Creatures Gen. 2. 19 20. discovered his compleat Philosophical prospect into and knowledge of them in their hidden qualities essences and properties which the dim fighted reason of fallen man hath since been a pittiful bungler at Solomon's Physicks and his book of Plants and the three sorts of Animals in air earth and water Birds Beasts and Fishes 1 King 4. 33. were it yet extant as some think it is in Presbyter Iohn's Library at Amyra would doubâ—less appear a great masterpiece in that kind transcending all the Wisdom and disquisitions of the learned Greeks Hebrew words were fitted to the things they signified There was a certain connexion between things and words All other words as they come less or more near to the Hebrew do more or less significantly represent the things meant by them The more any Language recedes from the Hebrew the more it is confounded by humane changes and additions the more obscure and difficult means are the words thereof for conveying the knowledge of things to us Homer and other Greek Poets and Philosophers set themselves therefore to Etymological learning by reducing the primitive words in other languages to their Hebrew roots and then the Derivatives to those Primitives This they laboured in as the most notable means conducible to the knowledge of things Then Chrysippus Demetrius and abundance of others writ Books of Etymologie Then the Latins receiving Learning as well as the Empire from the Greeks steer the same course in order to Etymological discipline as the choicest means to lead men into the knowledge of things Cato Varro and other antient and famous Latines writ many Volumns to this purpose Of later times on the same account did Iulius Caesar Scaliger compose a hundred and ten Books de Originibus Then Ioseph Scaliger Son of Iulius Lipsius Casaubon and many others steered the same course But when all comes to all were we reduced and advanced into the perfect knowledge and exercise of the Original Tongue what then All the words thereof at best are but the adaequate signifiers of natural first-creation things All these things and words too are but the types letters shadows resemblances rhetorical figures and significant expressions of spiritual heavenly new-creation things If this be true what can the main bulk of Scripture be but an Allegory Spiritual things expressed and signified by Natural and the words thereof from the beginning of Genesis to the end of the Revelation and that in the typical histories persons as well as in the sacrifices ceremonies and parables thereof What jejune and feeble Interpreters of Scripture then must they needs be that cannot Allegorize it nor therefore endure that others should The whole first Creation without humane words is a piece of dumbe but significant Rhetorick to express the second and things thereof The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handy work Psal. 19. The invisible things of God from the creation of the World are so intelligibly represented and expressed to humane understanding by the things that are made as to leave men without excuse for neglect of their duty towards God Rom. 1.20 Raymund de sabunde seems to have spoken notably towards the exposition of this creature Book As the first whole creation in general is letter shadow and expression of the second so more particularly is the first Adam in his primitive natural perfection type letter or figure of the second and of what he himself was capable to be made and in all probability was made by a new creation in the second Paradise Canaan the earthly Ierusalem Mount Sion c. all are Types Letters and significant Figures of the heavenly The three stories in Noah's Ark Gen. 6. 16. as also the three distinct places in Moses his Tabernacle and Solomons Temple the outward Court the Holy and then the most Holy Place or Holy of Holies as they are Types of Christ so of his followers too as to the three parts of their composition Body Soul and Spirit 1 Thes. 5. 23. Man is the Tabernacle of God the Temple of the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 6. 19. His Body is the outward Court what 's done in that is exposed to the common view of all His Soul is the holy place furnished with the lamps of the spirit excellent spiritual gifts for the raising and enlightening of humane understanding resembled by the seven lamps that stood over against the twelve shew-bread Cakes Exod. 25. which signified the light of the Law or ruling power of enlightened humane Understanding in which the twelve Tribes of Israel were to
walk who were shewed represented or propounded before God in the Temple over against the Candlestick but without the Holy of Holies Those twelve Cakes laid on the Table fresh every week were therefore called the bread of proposition and shew-bread But the Spirit of Man or rather the spiritual mind is to be the most holy place for God himself to dwell in This is the new-creature principle of marvellous light and eternal Life by which the Lamp or Candle of single humane Understanding is put out swallowed up and transformed into a better and more excellent the Light of the Sun The Lamp of Man's Understanding till transformed has nothing to do within the Veil The New-Ierusalem state of Life is so far from needing Man's intellectual Candle-light that angelical-star-light yea the sun-light of Christ's own natural perfection is out-shined there by the light of his Spiritual form which is sevenfold brighter There 's no need there of man's Candle or of the Light of the Sun or Moon for the glory of God lightens it and the Lamb is the light thereof Rev. 21.23 and 22. 5. What are in general all the Sacrifices and Ceremonies in the Old Testament but significant Types or Expressions of what we are to be or do in the New The Sacrifices Beeves Sheep and Goats taught and declared primarily the Sacrifice Christ was to make in his own person and secondarily also the sacrifices that all his true followers are to make in their persons that holy and acceptable sacrifice of our rational Life and powers thereof at best under the fire-baptism of God's spirit required Rom. 12. 1 2. that so we may be transformed and grow up into the spiritual powers of eternal Life hid with Christ in God as our true interest and grand concern without which we cannot be saved For persons Adam Enoch Noah Sem Abraham Isaac Iacob Ioseph Moses Ioshua Sampson Samuel David Solomon and many others were they not Types Letters or significant Figures of Christ Cain and Abel Ishmael and Isaac Iacob and Esau were Letters and Types of two Seeds or Births of Christ in Men one after the flesh for the cleansing them from the corruption of Nature another after the spirit which delivers them by degrees from corruptibility as before from corruption till mortality be swallowed up of Life Do not the Typical signifiers of Spiritual things in Moses and the Prophets hold on all along to the very end of the Revelation What 's the New Ierusalem character'd by at the very last but by the twelve precious stones in the High Priests Pectoral which also signified the twelve Tribes of Israel Are any so bruitish as to imagine that those glittering trifles of the East the Iasper Saphire Emrald Chrysoprase and the rest are litterally and really to be found in the heavenly Ierusalem Rev. 21 Does not Paul Allegorize the history of Abraham Sara Hagar Ishmael and Isaac as representing Christ the true Father of the faithful and as a twofold Husband to a first and second Covenant-Spouse which bring forth two sorts of Children one after the flesh another after the spirit The former of these Children arriving onely at the practical and experimental knowledge of and conformity with Christ in the flesh or in his fleshly changable manifestation persecutes the other the true Isaac the spiritual circumcision that 's born of Christ after the Spirit and brought into a likeness and conformity with him in his unchangable creature state Gal. 4. 22 31. Rom. 8. 1. Christ is that twofold Husband mentioned Rom. 7. 1 2 3. married first to a first-Covenant-Spouse then dies Unless that first Spouse be content to pass with him under the fire-baptism drink of his cup taste of his death in order to be brought into conformity with him therein she never meets with him or sees him more to her comfort Her Husband is dead but alive again and lives for ever more Rev. 1. 18. The Wife also must die with him or she cannot come to live with him for evermore 2 Tim. 2. 11. How die or to what To the Law or in the Ruling power of our own natural first-creation Spirit activity and principles however renewed or adorned that so we may come to live under grace the law of the spirit or spiritual eternal Life in the ruling activity and principles of that more excellent spirit we receive from Christ as a transcript of his heavenly manhood in us by the new creation This is that onely under the Government whereof Paul dares warrant us safe from sins ever recovering dominion again Rom. 6. 14. This is that state of Life onely in which as married to him that is risen from the dead we may bring forth fruit unto God in the newness of the Spirit of our new creation not in the oldness of the Letter of our first-creation Spirit as is signified Rom. 7. 4 5 6. The cleansed state of our first-creation Spirit amounts but to the renewed old man not the new but to the circumcision of the heart in the letter of the first-creation not by the spirit of the second whose praise is of Man not of God Rom. 2. 29. This makes but the concision that are of a diminutive narrow dogged snarling nature towards the true spiritual circumcision or circumcision of the heart in the Spirit whose praise is not of men but of God Phil. 3. 2 3. There may be a little dark interval in the passage the first wife of Christ adventures to make through death and the grave in order and with full assurance of hope to meet with him again in the better Life of the Resurrection But she will soon find her own again with usury the quitted and resigned activity and ruling authority of her own corruptible spirit which brings her into the true mystical grave and conformity with Christ in his death in the raised and advanced condition of the same spirit into harmony with and subjection to Christ in her superinduced incorruptible new-creation form and Life This is the mystical Resurrection the spiritual believer has real fellowship with Christ in even while yet in the mortal Body Such fellowship of Christs sufferings conformity with him in his death and power of his resurrection Paul lived in the experience and longed for the full accomplishment of Phil. 3. 10 11. This passage out of the Life of our first-creation spirit and form into that of the second being gradual and leisurely and the tempter laying all his engines of battery against those that are attempting this way and Christ for a little moment hiding his face or withdrawing that kind of comfortable presence he had afforded the soul in his first-marriage-union with her that after a little while he may with everlasting mercies have compassion upon her in the second these things considered 't is no wonder she sits for a little season as a disconsolate fruitless Widow But God bids her be of good cheer for more shall be the Children of the
desolate Widow than of the first married Wife Esay 54. 1. And Christ gives that long and most solemn exhortation to his Disciples in the 14 15 16 and 17 Chapters of Iohn to this very purpose to establish and support their hearts in this passage so dark and dismal to flesh and blood into the Life and glory of the Resurrection Upon his fleshly departure and disappearance as their Bridegroom in that first way he knew they would have a little mourning season of it Mat. 9. 15. and therefore sets himself to comfort them before hand with the expectation of what was to follow You shall have another Comforter saies he meaning himself in the spirit and glory of the Resurrection I will not leave you comfortless Orphans and Windows I will come to you after a little while Ioâ— 14. 16 18. To the very same purpose is that Esay 54.7 8. For a small moment have I forsaken thee or withdrawn my self from thee as to my fleshly and first kind of manifestation to thee which looks like wrath but with great mercies and everlasting kindness will I gather thee up to my self in my second and more excellent glory and become thy husband in the new and everlasting Covenant saith the Lord thy Redeemer Both these Dispensations are on foot still Christ yet communicates himself to the souls of men in his fleshly way of manifestation bringing them into conformity with that holy state of his earthly manhood which makes the legal Christian first-covenant professor and Wife of Christ on this side the cross the grave the crown His withdrawing from them as to this appearance and the fruits of it is of the same import as his withdrawing from his disciples when he was actually personally in the flesh He was then litterally in the flesh in his own person but he was even then but mystically in the flesh as to the persons of his disciples as God manifested in their flesh so he is in all that thus experimentally know him but after the flesh now Their so being in Christ Jesus knowing of him and walking in him but after the flesh does not free or secure them from apostacy 2 Pet. 2.20,22 or condemnation Rom. 8. 1. but the knowing of him walking in him after the spirit as he is the new Covenant Bridegroom and better Comforter In this state they are married to him that is risen in the other to him only that was made flesh with whom they in that fleshly glory even from him received must be crucified How else can they be brought into conformity with him in his death It was holy flesh the natural man in its greatest purity that was offered up and slain in him This at the best then renewed by himself in us is also to be slain and offered up under and by the fire-baptism of the new-creature spirit or spirit of Christ that performes the new-creation work in man It must be the holy reformed natural state that must be offered as the true Christian sacrifice Rom. 12. 1. 2 By this means as we come to be married to Christ in the Resurrection so we come to be children of the Resurrection begotten by the force influence and benefit of Christ's Resurrection into a meetness of spirit to be married to him that is risen from the dead Luke 20. 36. 1 Pet. 1. 3. Such marriage there is even in the Resurrection Such a state of the resurrection there is while we are yet in this mortal body The spiritual man who lives in the spirit knoweâ— Christ in spirit and walks after the spirit Gal. 5. 25. Rom. 8. 1. is really and actually though but gradually in this mystical and best kind of Resurrection while yet in the earthly body The new creature he that lives the life and in the spirit of the new creation lives in the Resurrection The Resurrection of our Bodies after the death of them at last is not to be put in the ballance with the priviledges of this spiritual Resurrection while we are yet in the earthly body The spiritual new-creation Life we are risen into is eternal Life But millions of men will find their bodily rising to be but a Resurrection into eternal death and shame everlasting punishment and contempt Dan. 12. 2. Mat. 25. 46. But let 's take a little further view of Christ's first-Covenant Wife and Children what they may do and what may become of them They may play the harlot with that very beauty and comeliness that very first-creation kind of glory and perfect righteousnes of the Law that Christ has put upon them called God's comeliness and yet their own beauty because it beautifies and adorns but that selfish state of the first-creation Ezek. 16. 14 15. What comes of them for playing the harlot with this and opposing thereby the more excellent dispensation and glory that comes from the same Redeemer in his new-creation work They must be judged by Christ as those that shed blood and break wedlock are judged as Murtherers and Adulteresses vers 38. This they come to Not unlike to this is that Esay 63. 8 and 10. He said surely they are my People Children that will not lie so he was their Saviour But they rebelled and vexed his holy spirit therefore he turned to be their enemy and fought against them There are a People a Wife Children Members of Christ after the flesh that stand liable to forfeit all their priviledges and interest in him by apostacy and then Christ becomes their enemy As he delighted before to deliver and save them rejoyced over them to do them good and multiply them so now he will rejoyce over them to destroy them bring them to nought and root them out of the land he gave them Deut. 28. 63. If the transgression the apostacy be general so will the Judgement be too That which he hath built he will break down that which he hath planted he will pluck up even this whole land Jer. 45.4 This was the case between God and those religious Iews that lived and walked but in the wavering principles of the first-covenant They would be ever and anon starting aside like a deceitful Bow They were not of the right or new-covenant heart Their spirit was not stedfast with God and when they failed of their duty he let loose one enemy or another still upon them Then they remembred that God was their Rock and the high God their Redeemer Nevertheless they did but flatter him with their mouth and lied unto him with their tongues for their heart was not right with him neither were they stedfast in his Covenant or they were not in that new stedfast Covenant with him that is established in all things and sure And God will not be mocked he knows how to handle them All this over and over and much more is to be seen Psal. 78. 8. 35. 36. 37. and 57. verses c. And Ier. 3. 14. The same People in the same breath are reckoned
Nature the true end of all Government in humane Societies turn their own Reason out of Doors and so turn beasts for their Governours to ride on That the Iews Greeks and Romanes the wisest States in the world have over and over used this Liberty of Changing their Government as they saw occasion and that often with very good success is undeniable Were it unlawful for a State in any case to depose remove Kings what Titles have any Monarchs now upon earth to their Crowns that are descended of those who were elected into the room of such as the people deposed How bruitish then and destructive even to the Interest and Title of the present Kings that hesought to gratify and flatter is Belloy's Assertion That a Family once setled in the Crown though they prove never so wicked vitious and abominable yea though they go about to destroy the Common-wealth must yet be sacred to us and permitted to keep their Seat without any direction restraint or punishment from the Common-wealth but from God onely At this rate all the Carlees in France were Usurpers because Pepin the first of that Race came to the Crown upon the deposition of Childeric the Third and so wiped out the Merovees or Pharamonds Line The like is to be said of the Capevingiens who have now sate in the French Throne almost seven hundred years since the deposition of Charles of Lorain last of Pepins race into whose room Hugh Capet was elected by the People The same thing is to be seen in the Spanish Histories and where not Four Races of Kings have been there since the expulsion of the Romans The first was from the Goths The second from Don Pelago The third from Don Sancho Mayor The last from the House of Austria England has had more changes of this kind that both these neighbour Monarchies together in the same space of about twelve hundred years They all three got loose from the Romane Yoke so long ago This blessed Witness and Assertor of the Fundamental Rights Truths and Liberties of Christs Kingdom as also of the Common-wealth of England and that has sealed his Assertions in both kinds with his blood was not onely well skilled in setting the right bounds to civil and spiritual Power in the outward government of Worldly States but he did yet more clossly distinguish between natural whence civil springs and spiritual Power as to the inward regulation of particular persons You may take a glance into his larger Discourses on this Subject by a short glosse on the two Trees in Eden that of Life and that of the Knowledge of good and evil These two Trees were the first significant Types in and by which man was instructed in this doctrine which rightly divides the word of Truth Christ the living and Scriptures the written Word of God between the natural and spiritual man alotting unto each their proper portion and character One of these Adam might yea ought to have fed upon the Tree of Life the other not By the Devils suggestion to the Woman and hers to him he made a contrary choice He did eat of that he should not to the loss even of that he thought to gratify himself in his temporary Life of righteousness and communion with God and neglected to eat of the other and so of Christ in spirit the Antitype thereof for the feeding and building him up into eternal Life and true blessedness These two Trees were an Allegory of like significancy with Sarai and Hagar Isaac and Ishmael Old and New Testament or Covenant c. One of them signified the first Adam with his living Soul and freedom to good and evil the other the second Adam with his quickning spirit and freedom to good onely which he communicates and builds men up into the life and exercise of in fellowship with himself Adam chose to gratify his primitive natural constitution and freedom to good and evil which together with the things that feed it were typically stated and represented in the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil The new-creature Life and the glorious Liberty of the sons of God together with the things thereof not seen to man in the former capacity things eternal were typically stated and represented to Adams natural discerning in the tree of Life with instruction what was his concern to do or not to do as to that or the other But although these Types were given and expounded also by Christ unto Adam before hand yet was there room left after his fall for the exercise of a distinguishing dispensation of mercy towards him and his posterity from that of severity which was forthwith put in execution against the apostate angels excluding them from any possibility of ever entring into Gods Rest. This argues that the Angels who excel in strength and are higher than man had a clearer understanding in that point as to the requisiteness of a transition for themselves and for men out of the mutable state of life and righteousness received in their first creation into the unchangable Life and everlasting righteousness of the second Their fall therefore was more knowing wilful fatal and irrecoverable upon any tearms whatsoever That which Paul said of himself may be said of Adams first transgression comparatively with the first sin of the Angels that he did it ignorantly and so obtained mercy 1 Tim. 1. 13. But let man after renewed ad revived look to it for if after all this warning he sin again after the similitude of Adams transgression he becomes a Tree twice dead and will be pluckt up by the roots This second fall of man is as fatal and irrecoverable as the Angels first â— Adam's eating the forbidden fruit imported no less than a pleasing himself in the single Liberty Righteousnessâ— Life and Enjoyments of his first-creation state in preference to what was attainable for him in the second He preferred the creature or glory of man in the first to the glory of God that rests upon men for ever in the new-creation state He preferred the Law of works or the natural power of working righteousness set up in him by the first creation to the Law of Liberty Grace Faith that heavenly power of working righteousness that is set up in man by the new creation which can do all good and no evil so that against such there is no Law Gal. 5. 23. This is the glorious liberty of the sons of God Iam. 1. 25. and 2. 12. To prefer the lesser glory of the first creation the glory of man to the greater glory of the second the glory and righteousness of God is to worship serve and value the glory of the Creature more than that of the Creator who is blessed for ever Rom. 1. 25. They that prefer the lesser glory to the greater the righteousness and glory of man's first-creation to that of the second will prove hypocrites and persecute A hypocrite is not onely he that makes a shew of righteousness and
THE LIFE AND DEATH OF Sir Henry Vane K t. OR A short Narrative of the main Passages of his Earthly Pilgrimage Together with a true Account of his purely Christian Peaceable Spiritual GOSPEL-PRINCIPLES DOCTRINE LIFE and WAY of WORSHIPPING GOD for which he Suffered Contradiction and Reproach from all sorts of Sinners and at last a violent Death Iune 14. Anno 1662. To which is added His last EXHORTATION to his Children the day before his Death Printed in the Year 1662. The LIFE and DEATH of Sir HENRY VANE Knight Christian Readers PRepare your Faith The ensuing Narrative concerns a person who for his unweariedness in doing well and suffering ill together with the ground and spring of his deportment in both doth in very truth exceed the single reception of humane understanding He was partaker of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. 't is past the skill of humane nature to interpret him His attainments were too big for the tongue of Men and Angels Divine Life must have divine words words which the holy Ghost teacheth to give its own Character All other will be swallowed up of matter He had the New Name which no man knowes but he that hath it A Riddle therefore he was to man in his New Birth Nature Life Principles Ways Actions He was full of Faith and of the holy Ghost Who can expound Sampsons typical Riddle unless he plow with his Heifer The things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God and he that hath it 1 Cor. 2. Can any give a true account of things he hath neither heard nor seen Can any see or hear Spiritual things without Spiritual Senses or have such Senses without Spiritual Life the New Name He was but affected not to be Mystical He sighed after he longed for the manifestation of the Sons of God He desired godliness might put off its mystical dress lay aside its sackcloth that they that are all glorious within Psal. 45. might be so without too they who are the Sons of God might appear to be so 1 Iohn 3. 2. When the seventh Angel begins to sound Time shall be no longer to wit for godliness to be a mystery The mystery of God shall be finished Revel 10. 7. This Angel is ready to come forth Then Godliness will be manifest and triumphant While that is a Mystery Iniquity is so to during which he that will live godly must suffer Persecution 2 Tim. 3. 12. He that departs from evil maketh himself a prey and there is no Iudgement Isa. 59. 15. Men hear of the Divine Life in a disgustful sound of words that lie cross to their designs and hate it It disparages it discountenances the whole Scene of things seen speaking of them as of things that are not What can they think of this that see no other It judges condemns the World the God the Spirit the Religion of this World It spares not the very goodliness of flesh the wisdom the glory the righteousness of Man It declares all to be vanity that man puts value on yea man himself and that at his best estate altogether vanity a goodly flourishing but a corruptible vanishing thing The day Adam sinned he died Lost the life glory wisdom and righteousness he was created in and so his communion with God in such shadowie manifestations and resemblances of divine glory as were suited to the discerning and made up the happiness of that condition 'T is sad tydings to all those whose Life is but of the first-creation-strein lies in things seen to hear that all they have are or aime at is less than nothing and vanity Isa. 40. 17. Who can bear it Yet the design is honest and full of kindness 'T is to rid our hearts of things seen which are temporal and make room in them for things not seen eternal 2 Cor. 4. 18. While the Believers Life is hid with Christ in God and he speaks at this rate of all the visible glory and righteousness of man and much more yet against the shameful apostate and unrighteous state of Man what entertainment is he like to find There are two sorts of Princes in this World that are on horseback by turns he is against them both and goes on foot till his great master come upon his white Horse with his heavenly Armies on the like Rev. 19. 11 14. There are inward and outward Princes of this World Princes over themselves and Princes over others The former have their rational Powers restored into Dominion over their sensual whereby they become workers of righteousness in the renewed Spirit of a man Such Princes reigning as Kings 1 Cor. 4. 8. were some of the Priests Scribes Pharisees and professing Iewes who yea knew not and therefore crucified the Lord of glory 1 Cor. 2. 8. because both in his example and doctrine he gave forth the proper character and discovery of a more excellent way The latter sort of this Worlds Princes are such as do sit upon visible Thrones of Judicature furnished with Crowns Scepters and other pompous Badges of Soveraignty and Dominion over others These are often such as have no Dominion over themselves at all the basest of men Nebuchadnezzar himself the golden head of the four worldly Monarchies Dan. 2. 38. was so and accordingly handled followed not the light of his reason and therefore was turned to graze among the very beasts of the field Dan. 4. 32. The true spiritual watchman of God is to warn both these sorts of Princes and all others the righteous and the wicked the one that he turn not from his righteousness or rather that he seek the righteousness of God in the true regeneration which cannot be turned from The other that he turn from his wickedness and work righteousness Ezek. 18. and Chap. 33. Will men bear this Can he that is a man of a marred visage one in whom the glory wisdom and righteousness of man is daily passing away spoil'd and triumphed over by the cross and spirit of Christ give this twofold witness against these two sorts of Princes and their Nations called Revel 13. two Beasts in all their flourish and ornament of things seen and will they not stone him will they not be ready to tear him in pieces Divine Life together with the Wisdom and Words of it seems such foolishness and is so distastful to man that let the person of the true spiritual watchman be cloathed as David with the outward Pompe of Thrones and visible Scepters this shall not secure him from the ill word of the Judges or from appearing so contemptible as to become the song of drunkards Psal. 69. 12. 'T is the divine Life men chiefly hate and strike at all along from Cain downwards but can hit onely the humane the Woman that brings it forth The natural man of the Saint is persecuted into a desolate wilderness condition but his spiritual part the Man-child is caught up to God and secured from the persecuting Dragon Rev. 12. 5
came presently to a parting blow Yea this change and new steering of his course contracted enmity to him in his fathers house Mat. 10. 36 37. It was also suggested by the Bishops to the then King concerning him That the heir of a considerable family about his Majesty was grown into dislike of the Discipline and Ceremonies of the Church of England and that his Majesty might do well to take some course about him On this the then Bishop of London took him to task who seemed to handle him gently in the Conference but concluded harshly enough against him in the Close In fine seeing himself on â—ll hands in an evil case he resolved for New-England In order to this striking in with some Non-conformists which intended that way his honourable Birth long Hair and other Circumstances of his Person rendred his fellow-travellers jealous of him â—â— a Spye to betray their Liberty rather than any way like to advantage their design But he that they thought at first sight to have too little of Christ for their company did soon after appear to have two much for them For he had not been long in New-England but he ripened into more knowledge and experience of Christ than the Churches there could bear the Testimony of Even New-England could not bear all his words though there were no Kings Court or Kings Chappel Amos 7. 10 13. Then he returns for Old-England Shortly after the leading and preparatory passages to the Long Parliament and the late great publick changes drew on From the beginning of that Parliament he became such a drudge for his Countrey so willing on all accounts both in Person and Estate to spend and be spent in his chargable circumstances and unwearied endeavours for the publick Good and just Liberties of men as men as also for the advance of the Kingdom of Christ in these Nations as I know not any former age or story can parallel His Principles Light and Wisdom were such that he found the bare mention of his utmost aimes amongst his fellow labourers would in all probabillity so expose him to censure from all parties and sizes of understanding as would disable him for doing any thing at all He was therefore for small matters rather than nothing went hand in hand with them step by step their own pace as the light of the times would permit He was for quitting still the more gross disorders in Church and State corruptions in Courts of Judicature Popish and Superstitious formes in Religion and wayes of Worship for what he found more refined and tollerable But he ever refused to fix his soot or take up his rest in any Form Company or Way where he found the main bulke of Professors avowedly owning but such inward Principles of Life and Holiness as to him evidently lay short of the glory righteousness and life hid with Christ in God He was still for pressing towards the mark Phil. 3. 14. He was more for Things than Persons Spirit than Forms This carâ—iage of his all along in New-England and in Old exposed him as a mark for the arrow from almost all sorts of People rendring him a man of contention with the whole earth Yet was he all along a true Son of Peace a most industrious and blessed Peace-maker to the utmost of his power for the reconciling all sorts of Conscientious men whatever variety of Perswasion or Form he found them inâ— to one another and to Christ. He never affected any military employment He was in a litteral sense free from the blood of all men as well as in a spiritual by his faithful performance of the duty of a Watchman not shunning to declare unto all men the whole counsel of God Ezek. 18. and 33. and Acts 20. 27. They that call him a man of contention what would they have said of David He though a man after God's own heart had so abundantly shed blood in his great warrs that it was objected as a reason against him why he should not have the honour of building a house unto the Name of the Lord his God 1 Chron. 22. 7 c. Yea he left order with his son Solomon on his death-bed to take such course with Ioab and Shimei that their hoary heads might be brought down to the grave with blood 1 Kings 2. He was no humoursom conceited maintainer of any perverse or irrational opinions but a most quiet calme composed speaker forth of the words of Truth and soberness at all seasons upon all occasions and in all companies He was full of condescention and forbearance hating nothing more in his very natural temper than brangling and contention He would keep silence even from good though his sorrow was stirred by it and the fire-burned within while he was musing Psal. 39. 1 3. in case that either wicked or but short-sighted good men were before him that he perceived could not bear more spiritual and sublimated Truths Iohn 16. 12. He became all things to all men that he might by all meanes save some 1 Cor. 9. 22. His heart was of a right Scripture latitude stood fair and open for any good but no evil All sorts of conscientious inquirers after Truth found a friendly reception with him yea he was in a constant readiness to perform any warrantable civilities to all men Any thing that was good he owned and cherished in the honest moral Heathen legal Christian or spiritual Believer and so sought opportunity by honest insinuations to catch them with guile and lead them forward into more excellent Truths 2 Cor. 12. 16. But more particularly yet to undertake that general Reproach that was cast upon him to wit That he was a man of Contention from his Youth up where ever he came or had to do in New-England or in Old He was a true Believer that 's enough if ye knew all to set all the World against him He was not of the world and therefore hated by it Iohn 15. 18 19. He was partaker of God's holiness Heb. 12. 10. had eternal Life abiding in him stood possessed of the Wisdom and Words of that Life which the holy Ghost teacheth 1 Cor. 2. 13. and he could not but speak forth the things he had heard and seen Then there 's no dealing for him Rev. 13. 17. Divine Truth seems most frightful and contrary of all other to men puts all men to a gaze renders the witness-bearer thereof like Ieremiah a man of contention with the whole earth He needs no other occasion of controversie the meer and single declaration of this truth will do it Here 's the ground of the quarrel with him for this every one will curse him Ier. 15. 10. This was Paul's case even amongst the professing Churches of Christ converted by his Ministry that were yet but in their own Legal short-sighted-spirit they were ready to have pluck'd out their eyes and have given them to him while gratified by him in the first branch of his Ministry for renewal of
Deut. 32. 19 21. and Christ after him Mat. 9. 12 13. Cleansedness from the pollutions of the World corruption of Nature revival from their death in trespasses and sins hinders not but Satan may re-enter old sins recover dominion and so the members of that building on the sand that kingdom or heaven that may be shaken Heb. 12. 26 27. may come to be trees twice dead fit only to be plucked up by the roots cast into the fire and burned Iude 12. and Heb. 6. 8. 2 Pet. 2. 20 22. Mat. 7. 22 27. and Chap. 12. 43 45. Ezek. 16. 38. And as it is not the present freedom from natural pollution so neither is it the ornament of excellent gifts supernatural or infused humane learning much less natural parts and acquired humane learning the tongue of men and angels all dexterity of expressing â—heir conceptions either intuitively or by a sound of words incident to those two choicest ranks of treasures in their first-creation-capacity that can secure them from being but as sounding brass or tinckling cymbals 1 Cor. 12. 31. and 13. 1. Ezek. 16. 1 15. A great noise they may make a great repute they may have as the onely compleat interpreters of the Oracles of God yet all amounts but to an indistinct uncertain sound No man can tell thereby how to prepare himself to the battel 1 Cor. 14.7 8. and Ezek. 33. what weapons or what armour to provide They give no right character of those spiritual weapons mighty through God for the pulling down of strong holds in our selves and others 2. Cor. 10.4 or of that whole armour of God Ephes. 6. 11. wherein alone the true believer is able to wrestle it out not onely against flesh and blood but against Principalities Powers Rulers of the darkness of this world and spiritual wickedness in high places vers 12. The onely new-creature spirit in man that is greater than he that is in the world 1 Iohn 4. 4. is set at naught by those that warrant the first building secure is contradicted blasphemed called the devil The wisdom of God is by them tearmed the wisdom of the Serpent Did not matters go thus between Christ and the Master-builders in Religion amongst the Iews They reject the chief corner stone Psal. 118. 22. Mat. 21. 42. and how is their house like to stand it may indeed be emptied of filth swept cleansed garnished with excellent gifts and ornaments Mat. 12. 44. 2 Pet. 2. 20. 1 Cor. 12. 31. Ezek. 16. 9 13. Yet in all this flourish there may be a deep unsuspected ignorance or inadvertency of the more excellent way the way of love or state of divine Life wherein the stones of their building members of their Churches are capable to be brought forth by being broken and formed up anew into an unchangable harmony and indissoluble union of spirit with the Lord 1. Cor. 6. 17. If this be gain-said the onely spirit and spiritual harness that accommodates men for a successful contest with the devil and all the powers of darkness is wholly laid aside How then shall we fight the battels of the Lord when that very faith is decried as a diabolical fiction that is the onely principle of Life in men whereby to undertake resist conquer triumph over the devil and swallow up death it self into victory Let us no longer be flattered by our crafty over-reaching adversary into a security and satisfaction in such armour and weapons as he knowes he can strip us of at pleasure and re-enter The renewed spirit of man however accomplished and adorned with spiritual gifts the wisdom the righteousness of man are not the spirit the weapons the armour of God nor can secure any man from the most fatal and irrecoverable apostacy Many stars of the first magnitude as to all this glory and ornament have often been known to fall from this kind of Heaven or Kingdom of man's righteousness Besides all the sad instances in former ages for this have not the late years of Englands deliverance brought upon this stage of ours and exhibited to our view multitudes of teachers and professors who have notably shined forth in this glory wisdom and righteousness through the knowledge of Christ after the flesh accompanied with excellent gifts and yet through a spirit of enmity and contradiction a root of bitterness springing up in them Heb. 12. 15. against the more excellent way the Life of Faith the Cross of Christ the true Circumcision which worship God in the spirit Phil. 3. 3. have most evidently apostatized from and lost even that they had yea and have been the meanes of betraying the whole Nation afresh and rolling all back again into more insufferable bondage than ever We may say and hear this with weeping And moreover do we not yet daily experience an instability in such principles ornaments weapons armour Are not multitudes of professors at this pass still yea and nay off and on with God and so with sin and satan to And will it alwayes be so well Will these wavering Principles this unstable kind of life and righteousness if not quitted for a better be ever able to secure us from a final parting with God and entire closing with the devil as one spirit with him The unstable nature of man's first-creation at best must either ascend into a fixed union with Christ in spirit and so contract an everlasting disability to any thing which is evil 2 Cor. 13. 8. or else it will descend into a fixed union with the devil and thereby contract an everlasting inability to any thing that is good The first created freedom of man's will to good and evil the liberty of the sons of men however renewed again by Christ will be finally swallowed up either into a diabolical freedom to evil onely and not at all to good or into a divine freedom to good onely and not at all to evil which is the glorious liberty of the sons of God wherewith Christ makes those that receive him free indeed John 1. 12. and Chap 8. 36. Let us then put off the armour of man even of the renewed old man as David did Sauls and put on the whole armour of God the new man which after God is created in wisdom righteousness and true or everlasting holiness Ephes. 4. 24. Then the spiritual Goliah will certainly fall before us 'T is the divine new-creature-Life onely with spiritual weapons can over set all his power of darkness and detect all the crafty stratagems and methods of delusion to the last period of his mystery of iniquity Professors in the first-building flourishing in the wisdom glory and righteousness of the Law or of the ruling activity of renewed humane Nature and rectified rational Powers though received from Christ himself as no mean fruit or benefit of his death if they oppose contradict and blaspheme the true fighting conquering and reigning principle of divine Nature in the second they do thereby become worse than those foolish and contemptible
It were well therefore if all Controversies in Religion were reduced to this main Querie What is that Divine Nature Man is capable to partake of in the prevailing activity whereof he may be enabled to follow God fully resist the devil stedfastly and live in the certain assurance and clear evidence of eternal Life By the divine Nature which a chosen generation are made partakers of 2 Pet. 1.4 we are to understand the humane or creature-nature in Christ's person called divine by a communication of properties In this blessed Mediator between God and man it pleased the Father all fulness or perfection should dwell creaturely and divine Col. 1. 19. In him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily Col. 2. 9. In him also dwels all the fulness of the creature spiritually or in its most heavenly spiritual sublimated capacity and incorruptible form Christ that is perfect man is also perfect God very God of very God the very form or invisible image of God so some render Col. 1. 15. which seperately considered in distinction from all creature-nature in him is meerly and singly the object of God's own uncreated understanding absolutely uncommunicable invisible or undiscernable to any meer creature capacity natural or spiritual for ever The highest Nature or Principle of life in any person does by way of prerogative give the denomination and derive its title to the whole person and all that is in him when compleatly subjected to â—â—s ruling influence Thus all that is in Christ who is a person undisputably Divine is also called divine So where the Principle of new-creature Life or Life of Faith is sown by Christ in any man though it be but as a grain of mustard-seed Luk. 13. 18 19. it will spring up into such a prevailing exercise of its spiritual senses over all fleshly first-creation Life and principles in him that his whole person may thence be called a spiritual man David on this account was called a man after God's owne heart 1 Sam. 13. 14. though he had such a remainder of his fleshly nature yet about him as did lust and strive against the Life and operation of his spiritual form so as that after this choice Character of his person from God's own mouth it carried him by a kind of violence into some particular enormities more gross than many heathens were ever guilty of from their Cradles to their Graves in a longer life upon earth than Davidâ—ived â—ived But the solution to the above mentioned Querie requires at least a glance farther upwards into some brief contemplation of the Trinity from such proper language and expression as they are exhibited to us in by the holy Ghost 1 Iohn 5. 7. and Col. 1. 15. 19. In the former of these Scriptures it is written There are three that bear Record in Heaven the Father the Word and the holy Ghost and these three are one In the latter we find these three expressions concerning Christ Image of the invisible God First-born of every Creature and First-born from the dead From these two Scriptures duly compared and explicated we might doubtless receive very considerable information touching the mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ Col. 2. 2. In the former we find the three that bear Record In the latter the Record that is born by all the three the Witness or Testimony Image Name Glory manifestation or threefold personal appearance they give of themselves in Christ. In the former is exhibited to us God as the head of Christ in his threefold essential property or spring of operation In the latter is represented Christ as the express Character threefold glory or personal appearance of the three that are one brought forth by the operation of the said three essential properties in the Godhead And as the three in the first consideration are one God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ so are the three in the second consideration one Christ Image or personal appearance of God Father Word and Spirit that manifest themselves in Christ are one Christ that is the Father Son and holy Ghost in personal appearance Name or manifestation is also one God in Christ and Christ in God are all one pure uncompounded infinite eternal God blessed for ever God in Christ is not three persons as three distinct individual men are for so there would be three Gods but may more fitly be resembled to our capacity by a threefold personal appearance of one and the same man his personal appearance in the body to his fellow mortals his personal appearance in the spirit to angels when his body is laid down and his personal apperance in both together in the rarefied and incorruptible state of both meeting together in the Resurrection God then as head of Christ is three and yet one in an absolute impersonallity or invisibility God as giving forth a threefold personal appearance of himself in Christ is three persons yet so as that he may also be said to be one person Christ and the Father are one Iohn 17. 22. To say God the Father and Christ is in summe to say all that is to be said of God if the apostolical form of sound words may find place with us 1 Tim. 1. 2. 2 Tim. 1. 2. Tit. 1. 4. 2 Thes. 1. 1 2. and Chap. 2. 16. In the second Epistle of Iohn vers 3 and 9. It is said He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ hath both the Father and the Son And he that hath them hath all even Father Word and holy Ghost revealed in and by the Son No man hath seen God the Father at any time not ever can any otherwise than as declared by the onely begotten son which is in the bosom of the Father Joh. 1. 14. and 18. So Mat. 11. 27. No man knoweth the Father save the Son and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him God and the Mediator are so one that there 's no right receiving or owning them apart He that denieth the Son hath not the Father and he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also 1 Iohn 2. 22 23. Antichrist is a liar he denies the Father and the Son The true believing Christian receives and ownes both and both are one God ha's abundantly warn'd and prohibited all men in the Scriptures that they neither make nor take to themselves any single creature-formes as Images of him by or through which to worship him but onely such as he ha's given of himself in Christ before whom was no God formed or nothing formed of God neither shall there be after him Esay 43. 10. The Scriptures are plentiful in this testimony concerning God under these expressions God and Christ Father and Son God considered absolutely as in himself and God considered as the Mediator God our Saviour 1 Tim. 2. 3. The Head of Christ God the Father is three and one and in God the Son he appeares or shewes himself to be so I am in the Father and the
so also the Baptism of the holy Ghost There is a figurative outward Water Baptism and a real or inward In the first sense it is an Institution which doth appoint the outward man to be washed in Water thereby to signifie the proper effect and operation of that washing with Water by the Word which causes a renovation or restauration of man by his repentance from dead workes and return to the service of the living God in amendment of Life By this inward Baptism and real work of the Spirit on the hearts of men they are but cleansed from the filthiness and pollution of their corrupted Nature not regenerated and altered from their first make and constitution that is attended with instability and liableness to apostacy ` There is also a twofold outward Water Baptism mentioned 1. Iohn's Water Baptism which was the onely outward sign that accompanied his Ministry the Ordinance of that time and season to prepare the way for Christ's coming in the flesh and to signify the proper effect which his first appearance as God manifested in flesh was to have upon the hearts and natures of men consisting chiefly in these two particulars Repentance from dead Works and Amendment of Life 2. The second outward Water Baptism was that which Christ himself instituted and committed to his disciples in his Life time as the outward sign that was to accompany their first ministry when he employed them much in the same nature as Iohn was sending them before his face as labourers into the harvest to all places whither he himself afterwards intended to come Both these Administrations had their Known Administrators and were dispensations proper to that season they were ordained in to prepare the minds of People to receive Christ in his first appearance or coming in the flesh and the fruits flowing there-from in amendment of Life The inward or real Water Baptism consisting in the washing of man's nature by the Word unto Repentance and Amendment of Life is capable of being administred three wayes or by a threefold hand 1. By the Ministry Hand or Tongue of Men as by Iohn Baptist through the preaching of the written Word 2. By the Word as spoken by Angels whereby inward abilities and dispositions are wrought in the minds of men in some sort answerable to what is required by the Law of the first Covenant Thus the Law is given by the disposition of Angels 3. By the Word as spoken by the Son himself in his first appearance Heb. 1. 2. which is yet but the preparatory work to the Baptism of the holy Ghost and of Fire The Baptism of the holy Ghost is either a Baptism of Gifts onely or also of Fire 1. The first is that wherewith the earthly man is capable to be Baptized through the pouring out of the Gifts of the holy Ghost 2 The second is that whereby the natural or earthly man is Baptized into conformity with Christ in his death and is made to grow up into the incorruptible form of heavenly manhood Of these four Baptisms The two Water Baptisms have served their season and are gone off the Stage The single Baptism of Gifts or first Baptism of the holy Ghost hath been of late somewhat remarkable amongst us and the Baptism of the holy Ghost and of Fire is hastening upon us as a general dispensation wherein the Vision of God will be so plain that he that runs may read it The declining of the two Water Baptisms deprives not the Saints of these times of the true use of that Ordinance which is kept up in the third and comprehends all that is now useful in the other two in a more heavenly and Spiritual way leading us yet forward to the end they all aim at which is the very thing it self contained in the fourth and last Baptism that of Fire So much in brief of his Judgement as to Baptisms He was for Breaking of Bread in a way of Christian communion and any other useful Observations could he have found them practicable in the Primitive Apostolical purity spirit and way which what hopes he had of in any visible Form allowed by man while the true Church is in the Wilderness cannot be difficult to conjecture Such Meetings as he found to approach nearest to the Apostolical Order as to liberty of Prophesying one by one c. 1 Cor. 14. 31. he most approved and frequented Concerning the SABBATH HE accounted the Iewish Sabbath Ceremonious and Temporary ending upon the coming of the Son of man who was Lord of the Sabbath day Mat. 12. 8. And if he had thought that which is commonly observed in the room thereof to be rather a Magistratical Institution among Christians in imitation of the Iewish then that which hath any clear appointment in the Gospel the Apostle would not have him judged for it One man saies he esteems one day above another another esteemeth every day alike Let every man be fully perswaded in his own mind He that regardeth a day regardeth it unto the Lord and he that regardeth not the day to the Lord he doth not regard it Rom. 14. 5 6. This I can say he usually took the opportunity of spending more time in exercise and prayer in his family or other Christian Meetings on that day than on any other And will any yet say he was a Sabbath breaker If they do see what company we may find for him under that imputation Iohn 9. 16. The Pharisees said this man is not of God because he keepeth not the Sabbath day So Ioh. 5. 16. The Iewes did peâ—secute Iesus and sought to slay him for curing the impotent man at the Poole of Beâ—hesdaâ— and bidding him take up his bed and walk on the Sabbath day Yea with this they joyn another sad charge as they reckon that he had not onely broken the Sabbath but said also that God was his Father therefore they sought the more to kill him vers 18. And John 19. 7. They answer Pilate we have a Law and by our Law he ought to die because he made himself the Son of God What strange work do the Sons of Men make with the Sons of God with the spirit wisdom righteousness glory and kingdom of God It was the religious professing Iew that Crucified Christ and persecuted Paul where ever he came Pilate the Roman Magistrate would have acquitted Christ and Paul rather appeals to Caesar's Judgement seat than appear before the Iewish Consistory Act. 25. The true spiritual Sabbath is to be continually kept as it is charactered by Esay Chap. 58. 13. consisting in aâ—câ—ssation from the single activity thoughts words and ways of our spirit which is but letter and in the performance of all duty by power of the communicated spirit of the new creation springing up in us which alone is worshipping God in spirit and in truth after his own heart He was for taking all opportunities of assembling our selves together to instruct and exhort one another and so much
the more as we see the day approaching Heb. 10. 25. Looking for and hasting unto the comming of that day of God wherein the Heavens will be dissolved and the Elements will melt with fervent heat 2 Pet. 3. 12. He was such a right spirited Latitudinarian as Paul was 1 Cor. 9. 20. became all things to all men that by all means he might save some He was against the exercise of a coercive Magistratical power in Religion and Worship and for the single Rule Power and Authority that Christ himself claimes as his peculiar prerogative in and over the hearts and consciences of all men How grosly inconcinnous must it needs appear even to the common reason of all mankind that such as take upon them to be Magistrates and Rulers whether the People will or no as it often falls out yea or though freely chosen should give the Rule to all others Consciences in point of Religion when they many times have no Religion at all in themselves nor any other Conscience but a dead or feared one hardened in the most brutish vilenesses that the basest of men can be guilty of But if the Magistrate do plausibly pretend to something of Religion what a changâ—ble thing will Religion be at this rate as â—ickle as the Magistrates Judgement at least as his person for the next Ruler may be of another perswasion as this Nation hath experienced off and on between Popery and the Protestant profession in Hen. 8. Ed. 6. and the two Queens Mary and Elizabeth Concerning PREACHING and PRAYER FIrst I ask are all Preaching and Praying amongst those that call themselves Christians Ordinances and Institutions of Christ Then the Popist Mass and Jesuites and Friers Sermons are his Ordinances The Ordinances of Christ are to be distinguished from all counterfeit imitations of them by the spirit and way of performance and by the matter that 's delivered as carrying its own evidence in the Consciences of the hearers to be the very truth of God 1 Cor. 14. 25. 2 Cor. 4. 2. and 5. 11. Satan will be found at last to have had the greatest hand in all such Ordinances Praying Preaching and what ever else that for spirit manner and matter are performed in a way of enmity and contradiction to the true spiritual believer and his more excellent way The usual practise of this Sufferer was to spend an hour or two every evening with his Family or any other that were Providentially there and as much both morning and evening on the first day He was of that truly bounteous princely communicative spirit noted in the Spouse Cant. 7. 1. Rich in good works ready to distribute willing to communicate 1 Tim. 6. 18. â—to make manifest the savour of the knowledge of Christ that himself had deep and large experience of in every place 2 Cor. 2. 14. His gravity purity and chastness of spirit was very exemplary He held out in the midest of all the late Apostacies and Changes He was stedfast and unmovable alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord and his labour was not in vainâ— as he well knew 1 Cor. â—5 51. So assiduous was he in continual searching of the Scriptures waiting upon the Lord in Faith and Prayer for more full discoveries of his mind therein that it was faid of him Put him where you will if he may have but a Bible he is well enough as Iansen of whom the Iansenists in France reckoned himself with Austin But what can be said for his Allegorizing the Scriptures Here 's another Branch of this Sufferers Charge from men wherein he shares with the learned Origen The Charge against Allegorists usually runs at this rate That by Allegorizing the Scriptures they carry them quite out of their native significancy and intendment wresting and forcing all to their own purpose and conceit and so frame Divinity Romances what Conclusions and Bodies of discourse they please To this miscarriage men of the most â—oaring curious and searching capacities are reputed most liable Jesuite masked Papist no title is thought bad enough for such men by their ignorant adversaries in their blind zeal We have but fragments of Origen that famous Allegorizer and diligent Searcher of the Scriptures and those translated out of Greek into Latin and handed to us by his enemies so that it may seem dubious when we read the small remains of his thousands of Books whether we read the genuine Issues of his Contemplation or the spurious Interpolations of some other man 'T is agreed on all hands by friends and foes that he was a person of more than ordinary tallness in Understanding and that he did fairly offer at a more pertinent disquisition into the whole bulk of intelligibles Divine or Philosophical than was usual And how was he handled what said they of him That he was a temeratious daring Fanatick quitting the plain truths of Scripture and bewildring himself and followers in diabolical Phantasms being perverted through his great learning on which account he was oft persecuted and dragg'd along the streets Concerning Allegories and Allegorizing the Scriptures VVHen one thing is said as Type Letter or significant Figure through which another farther and more excellent thing is meant and to be understood that is an Allegory which he that expounds must Allegorize Whether then there be not as much need of Allegorizing the Scriptures as of understanding them or whether there be any other possible way of interpreting them so as to discover the whole counsel of God therein detect Satans whole mystery of iniquity and render men wise unto Salvation shall appear by and by There are two sorts of Allegories in Scripture perfect and mixt Perfect are purely allusory when all the expressions are naturally suited to the person or thing first spoken of but much more accurately to some more excellent person or thing that is to be understood thereby An Allegory mixt or but partly allusory is when some one of the expressions onely are applicable to the type some inferiour person or thing and some onely to the antitype quite over-reaching and leaving behinde them the natural of historical shadow and pitching singly and expresly on the spiritual and mystical substance the more excellent person or thing that is to be understood Of this sort we find many Allegories in Scripture where Christ is typified and represented by other persons who when they are spoken of in that capacity and intendment some of the expressions outpace the shadow and are not at all applicable save meerly and singly to the very person of the Messiah Thus amongst others Melchizedeck who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the Kings Chederlaomer and the rest is said to be without Father Mother or descent having neither beginning of dayes nor end of Life but made like unto the Son of God a Priest for ever or of the everlasting Order Heb. 7. 1 3. This points us back to Psal. 110. 4. and that yet more backward to Gen. 14. 17. If
both the Children and Wife of Christ though back-slider Turn again O back-sliding Children saith the Lord for I am married to you The Children that are born but of that changeable seed of the first-creation in Christ hate and persecute them that are born after the spirit or of the incorruptible seed of Christ in spirit as he is head of the new-creation in which he becomes that word or image of God that lives and abides in them for ever and then they backslide and lose what they have in the first-covenant Mat. 13. 12. 1 Pet. 1. 23 25. Esay 40. 6 8. These two Seeds Births Children as they are typified by Ishmael and Isaac Gal. 4. so by Cain and Abel Esau and Iacob and other pairs of brothers Aaron and Moses rather typify the natural and spiritual Saint in the glory of the Resurrection in the new and everlasting Covenant as above described But Cain and Abel c. signifie the fleshly or first-Covenant worshipper of the one party and both the spiritual new-covenant worshippers whether of the single or double portion on the other Cain and Abel c. may be Allegorized into this spiritual significancy and reach as mystically indigitating and presenting to us the distinction of the fleshly and spiritual Worshipper the reformed natural and the transformed or spiritual man the first and second Covenant Saint The elder often turns malignant envies hates persecutes the younger he after the flesh him after the spirit They may with good warrant also be Allegorized into a narrower compass yet as typifying the natural and spiritual man flesh and spirit in the same individual Saint that is born of Christ after the spirit and yet not quite rid of flesh which will be lusting against the spirit in him that is his sin as the spirit also will be lusting against that flesh which is his duty Gal. 5. 17. Not onely corrupt nature filthy flesh but renewed nature holy Flesh goodliness of flesh that that was born of Christ after the flesh will be envying and lusting against striving and contesting with that in man that is born of the same Christ after the spirit Iohn 3. 6. What struggle they for what 's the matter that enlightened reason and the marvellous light of Faith the renewed old man and the new nature and grace can't agree They have the same Father Christ they tumble in the same womb the soul of man This is it they struggle like Iacob and Esau in the same womb in the same person for the dominion the Scepter The question in debate between them is who shall be king The renewed enlightened natural mind which yet is but flesh though holy flesh thinks it self fit to rule and give Law to the whole person would keep all under the dominion of the Law of the first creation The spirit of the new creation claims all this as its right though the latter and younger birth as reason also had been to sense yet the true heir of the crown and the elder must serve or become subject to this younger The renewed first-creation spirit and state of life glory and freedom in man finally refusing resisting and persecuting the more excellent new creature Life spirit and glorious liberty of the sons of God in the second amounts to no less than the sin unto death the sin against the Holy Ghost or Christ in Spirit This same mystery is typified and by no other way but Allegorizing is to be fetched out of the history of Hagar and Sarai Hagar has the start of Sarai at fruitfulness she is first with Child Sarai is yet barren But sing O barren saies Christ in this sense that didst not bear more shall be thy Children greater thy fruitfulnsss at last God swore to Abraham upon his offering up Isaac and not with-holding his onely Son that blessing he would bless him and multiply his seed as the stars of Heaven and as the sand on the Sea-shore and that in his seed should all the Nations of the earth be blessed Gen. 22. 16 18. and Gen. 15. 3 6. This promise relates to Isaac not Ishmael and to Sarai not Hagar and to Abraham not Abram Ab-ram signifies high Father This was all the name he had while he had but Ishmael onely Gen. 16. but when Isaac the promised Seed is coming the syllable Ha or letter H being the first syllable or letter of Hamon a multitude is added to Abram and Sarai so he is called Abraham Gen. 17. 5. she Sarah v. 15. Abraham by this addition signifies high Father of a multitude of nations and for Sarah as type of the New-Ierusalem Spouse of Christ see her numberless Children her Isaac's Rev. 7. 4 9. We find here first â— hundred forty four thousand sealed ones that are the peculiar Bride and spouse of Christ resembled by Sarah and then a numberless multitude of the lower rank of everlastingly glorified men that stand about the Throne Children of the Bride-chamber and friends of the Bridegroom and the Bride But le ts review that Allegory first in History then Mystery Sarai gives her maid Hagar to Abram to be his wife Gen. 16. 3. Hagar conceives and presently the fruitful servant despises her barren mistresse vers 4. Sarai complaines of her to Abram Abram bids her handle her as she pleased Sarai deales hardly with her and she flies for 't vers 5 6. The Angel of the Lord finds her and advises her to return and submit her self under her Mistresses hands v. 9 Here 's the History Deny Allegorizing and there will be no Mystery in it and then what an insignificant story may this seem Did not all these things happen for ensamples were they not written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the World are come 1 Cor. 10. 11. Is not all Scripture given by inspiration of God for doctrine reproof correction instruction in righteousness 2 Tim. 3. 16. What doctrine reproof or instruction can we receive to any purpose from this and abundance of like Scriptures if Allegorical interpretation be carped at and exploded and insipid litteral glosses owned and adhered unto as the onely sence reach and intendment thereof With your leave then let us try by the Allegorizing engine our spiritual discerning if we have it to give birth to the mystical sence and rich significancy which this history carries in the womb of it As soon as Hagar saw she had conceived the next news we hear is her Mistress is despised in her eyes Behold here the proper Character of the first-covenant wife of Christ. She is warm flourishing prosperous and fruitful in a way of outward Ordinances and also in working Righteousness in the goodliness of Flesh in a wisdom glory and comeliness that Christ himself hath wrought in her and put upon her She is wise strong and honourable in Christ and makes no scruple but this will alwayes hold thinks her mountain so strong that she shall never be moved On this account the true new-covenant
spouse of Christ the right new-spirited Saint is despised and slighted as a weak foolish contemptible thing no body at Ordinances and righteousness in her way which she experiences to be the way of Christ finding the fruits of his presence in it Thus was it between Paul with others and some of the Corinthian Church Both were married to and interested in Christ but by different Covenants We are fooles saies he for Christ's sake ye are wise in Christ. We are weak ye strong Ye honourable we despised 1 Cor. 4. 10. and 2 Cor. 10. 12. We dare not make our selves of the number or compare our selves with such as commend and compare themselves with one another of the same principles and perswasions and so applaud themselves in one another by their mutual self-deceivings The true spiritual Elder Paul the aged he is in body with this flourishing youthful warm legal-spirited generation The main business he has to say for himself is a Life hid with Christ in God and worshipping God in spirit and truth This they reckon as nothing but discourse fiction foolishness But be it known those that with Paul are weak foolish and despised for Christ are better than such as he there implicitly reproves and taxes with folly that yet he acknowledges were wise strong and honourable in Christ. Such foolish weak despised ones of Christ as Paul was are they that will quite confound the wise the mighty the honourable The things that are not shall bring to nought the things that are and no flesh with all its ornament righteousness and wisdom shall enter into Christ's kingdom or glory in his presence 1 Cor. 1. 27 29. And as the spiritual saint is thus handled by the fleshly so is the spirit or spiritual part in the same saint dealt with by the fleshly Holy flesh the renewed natural mind will be despising the feeblness of the spiritual while weak and low and jusling it out of the Throne as to its interesting it self as the ruling Principle at working righteousness and worshiping God Having thus in Hagar taken notice of the malapert proud insulting carriage of the first-covenant Wife or Spirit in different saints or in the same against the right spirit of the second through confidence in the works of the Law or works performed in the ruling activity of their own renewed mind let us proceed to other branches and observables in the said Allegory before us Abram as a type of Christ delivers up Hagar into Sarai's hand Sarai dealt hardly with her so she should Hagar fled 't was her sin What signified Sarai's hard dealing with her Persecution No the Spirit of Christ the fire-baptism the strait gate that will not suffer flesh and blood to enter into the kingdom of God this it signified Hagar's flight then imports the declining and refusal of all these The legal spirited professor confident in the works of the Law will endure none of these things They are all a sad story a hard saying to him His usual way of waving them if urged and hard put to 't is to call them Blasphemy and the Witnesses thereof Blasphemers and on he goes very secure in his doatage But say or think man what he will this is Christ's way he gives up the fleshly worshipper and the fleshly part in the true spiritual worshipper to the spiritual to be humbled and abased broken and subdued hardly dealt with crucified slain and offered up in sacrifice under the power of the Cross of Christ or fire-baptism of his spirit typified by Sarai There 's no entring into the kingdom but we must pass thorow this fire this tribulation this bruising of the inmost part of the natural man his very spirit and rational powers whatever ever becomes of his outward as to persecution from the world Hagar despised Sarai Ishmael mocked Isaac Gen. 21. 9. this was persecution Usually those that are taken out of the world or worldly first-creation constitution and frame of spirit within them by the fire-baptism do so differ even from the professing part of the world in their very religion or union with God by another Covenant and in their more excellent way of worshipping God in spirit and truth not letter and form that they seldom or never scape the external branch of the cross and baptism of blood through the rage enmity of man against this new-creature marvellous light and life that is springing up in those whom God is transforming into another nature But let men take it how they will the cross the fire-baptism we must come to within us first or last or we cannot be saved The fleshly worshipper either yields to this fiery doctrine ministry and way or resists or flies If He get the magistrates sword on his side as if Hagar could have got Abram to side with her against Sarai then he 'l make the messenger of such tydings fly Sarai must fly or suffer under Hagar Men decry it for heresie blasphemy and persecute him that talkes at such a rate Thus Christ himself was served by the zealous legally religious Iew. 'T was the religious professing party of the Iewes that crucified Christ and would take no answer hear no reason or argument from Pilate the Heathen Magistrate to the contrary But if the sowre Legalist neither will yeild nor can bruiâ—ishsly resist this hard doctrine by outward force or persecution then he takes Hagars course flies it And what then He every where decries this spiritual doctrine of the cross and fire-baptism for heretical dangerous and seductive wishing all to beware how they meddle with such books converse with such persons or listen to such dangerous suggestions While toleration lasted I have experimented this to be the too general frame of spirit amongst professors in this nation who have evidently chosen rather to venture a persecution of their own doctrine and persons than endure this and the assertors thereof Here 's the mystery of Hagars flight The Angel of the Lord advises her to return and submit her self to her Mistris In her all these timerous fugitive envious legal-spirited Christians that are leavened with the leaven of the Pharisees are admonished to entertain better thoughts of the New-Ierusalem Spouse resembled by Sarai and submit themselves to her doctrine and more excellent way to the cross the fire-baptism the spirit of Christ the covenant of grace Sarai This is the doctrine the reproof the correction the instruction on in everlasting righteousness which that History that Allegory is pregnant with Christ with both his Covenant Spouses and Children are allegorically expressed by Husband and Wife Father and Children Head and Members with the like Such expressions are interpretable into mystery by a due considering the duties and offices of such Relations in the letter And as Christ himself so Paul and others are in way of Allegory called Fathers of such as by them are begotten to Christ through the Gospel 1 Cor. 4. 15. and vers 17. he calls Timothy his
beloved Son so 1 Tim. 1. 2. 2 Tim. 1. 2. and 2. 1. They are also called Pastors Mothers and Nurses to both the Seeds or Children of Christ in their kind 1 Thes. 2. 7 and 11. Gal. 4. 19. In another respect every true believer as he becomes the Child so is the Mother of Christ as with pangs and throw's towards the new birth to the loss and at last death of the single activity of his fleshly mind and heart Christ in spirit be formed and brought forth in him by him Then comes the Life of Faith the true reigning New-Ierusalem Principle in which reason has its resurrection the kingdom of heaven within him He ownes Christ in his heavenly headship as his Lord and King expressed Cant. 3. 11. by setting the Crown upon his head owning a willing subjection to the Law of the Spirit of Life in this day of espousal to him which is a day of gladness to Christ good men and angels Luk. 15. 10. The believer is the wise Virgin who becomes at same time the Mother and Spouse of Christ brings forth her own Lord and King in Spirit as the Virgin Mary brought him forth in Flesh. In the very day that Christ is thus brought forth in and by the believer they are espoused together by the new and everlasting Covenant The believer owns Christ as Head Husband and King Upon this Christ rejoyces Angels rejoyce the Believeâ— himself rejoyces with joy unspeakable and full of glory 'T is a solemn thanksgiving day a day of gladness of the heart unto them all Thus in a various sence is Christ Father and Son of the Spiritual believer and the believer the Mother and Child of Christ. Christ is Head Lord King Husband Brother Son Fellow-heir to believers They are Body Subjects Wife Children Members Fellow-heirs to him All these expressions are Allegorical borrowed from natural Relations to signify spiritual Mysteries of love union and converse between Christ and his Church One thing is said and a farther more excellent thing meant The Apostle having spoken of the duties of Husbands and Wives towards one another winds up all into this as his main intendment the spiritual marriage-union between Christ and his Church This saies he is a great mystery or mystically signifies a far greater thing concerning Christ and his Church Ephes. â— 22 23. The Revelation in a manner all along is a description of heavenly things by such earthly Mediums such Allegorical types and expressions as are borrowed out of Moses Pentateuch in the Tabernacle and Temple-worship And of Christ himself t is said that without a parable a similitude an allegory he spake not unto the people Mat. 13. 34. Mark 4. 34. Must not he then that truly expounds those parables allegorize them But how must he do it Parable in the Hebrew is a word that signifies sharpness as proceeding from a sharp wit and needing the like to interpret it That sharp wit must be no less than spiritual discerning and that strong and well exercised too or Scripture Riddles will be too hard for it One or two more of these let us take notice of Sampsons typical Riddle together with the Philistines exposition does yet want an exposition Out of Christ the strong Lion of the tribe of Iudah as the eater or sacrificer of the natural man in himself and us by the fire-baptism comes the choicest meat the sweetest hony-comb of all that that feeds and brings us into a conformity with him in his death and resurrection Christ ha's left his own interpretation of the parable of the Sower and Seed of the Tares and the like upon record in Scripture and yet who understands them how much do men yet need an exposition of those very expositions Paul tells us Hagar and Sarai are an Allegory two Covenants Gal. 4. 24. Then he mystically expounds Ishmael and Isaac into two 〈◊〉 of Christ the true antitypical Father of the faithful in both Covenants He declares moreover that he that 's born of this Father but after the flesh will persecute him that 's born of the same Father after the spirit Even so it is now vers 29. Notwithstanding this Allegorizing exposition given by Paul how little does the self-confident legal Christian hold himself concerned in the character of him that is born after the flesh How verily does he conceit himself to be the other that 's born after the Spirit Hereupon he justâ—es out the spiritual man indeed for a Fanatick wrangler a fool a mad man a blasphemer any thing that he lists to call him Hos. 9. 7. At last he comes to this downright willful resolution as Esau against Iacob and as the professing religious Iewes against Christ in the very same case Come this is the heir let 's kill him and the inheritance shall be ours They imagine this vain thing even to take the kingdom of Heaven by force from the right owner But if this eager-spirited generation would but give themselves leisure to consider thisâ— the like Scriptures they might see that they that are charactered here by him that 's born after the flesh are a holy seed of Christ that have Covenant interest in him and actual communion with him They are Children of Hagar or the first Covenant One would wonder how they should miss this But they shuffle it oft upon the Iews that were under the ceremonious dispensation of the Law and so rid their hands of it Is there no legal Christian then is there no danger of the leaven of the Pharisees under the outward dispensasation of the Gospel Yes say they but that lies onely at their door who depend upon their own personal operations for their acceptance and communion with God not on the imputed righteousness of the Redeemer I interrogate When Paul describes his Pharisaical state he tells us he was touching that righteousness which is in the Law blameless Could this be unless by the comeliness of God put upon him or perfect righteousness of that kind from Christ imputed to him Ezek. 16. 14. Was he a legal Iew was he any more than a moral Heathen else But if what is above said will not help to rectify this mistake I shall be somewhat hopeless of being instrumental to your relief in this point 'T is sad to see the self-pleasing interpretations of this and the like Scriptures all along the Bible so universal and unscrupled amongst all sorts of Professors an epidemical mistake How to lift them out of the mire of these their own self-bewildring imaginations who knowes but Christ Flesh and the carnal mind that 's enmity to God Rom. 8. 7. must never be of any larger compass or farther significancy with them than corrupt polluted debauched degenerate nature dead in trespasses and sins or at best but the moral heathen with some glimmering revivals and sparklings of rational Light and Life But as for their part they are in Christ they experience actual communion with God and once in Christ for ever
man that is of the new-creation frame Their glory wisdom righteousness are but shadows of his and to be done away Their goodness is but a morning cloud and as the early dew it goeth away Hos. 6.4 Their wisdom is comparatively but foolishness and their lesser shadowy glory of the Law or ruling powers of their first-creation state is to be done away as no glory by reason of the glory that excelleth in the spiritual man 2 Cor. 3. 10. Every man at his best estate renewed enlightened gifted man is altogether vanity He was so in his first-creation he is so in his greatest renewal Nothing below the new-creature the spiritual man is exempted from this title in Scripture Vanity is of larger extent than sin Any thing that will vanish that is corruptible and perishable is vanity The whole first-creation is vanity and was sowne in corruption that is was a corruptible not a corrupt thing Angels and Men the choicest flowers in it have withered and corrupted their way before God and so lost that life of communion with God wherein they were created The natural body that 's interpreted to be the first Adam at best with his living soul 1 Cor. 15. 44 45. is but the vile body or inferiour first-creation state of man that is to be transformed into the likeness of Christ's glorious body in the new-creation Phil. 3. 21. How too generally and universally are professors in all variety of form judgement and way lodg'd in a kind of invincible conceitedness that the revival of first-creation principles and life in them towards a conformity with Adam in innocency or Christ in the flesh is the only attainment beyond which they are not concerned to look All this is but the natural or vile body Yet how strangly are men captivated to this day under this embondaging and incorrigible dotage Every thing that they are have see or desire while in this case can be no other than vanity Their wisdom glory righteousness all are vanity vanishing things Men that are vanity love vanity ouâ—ward visible vanities that gratify sense inward vanities that gratify reason Man's reason is vanity How oft have we heard and seen mens reason to vanish before their bodies All the inmost thoughts of mans heart all the more overly imaginations of his fancy all the reasonings and desires springing from both are vanity There is nothing man is or does till he come within the sphere of the spiritual world the new creation but it 's vanity Outward visible Thrones Crownes Scepters great Revenews and all possible flourishing accommodations of bodily life amounts but to the more glittering splendid sort of bruitish vanities and often fall to the share of beasts the vilest most bruitish men Rational parts together with their advance and ornament by acquired and infused humane Learning Arts Sciences excellent Gifts the tongue of Men and Angels these are far choicer and more eligible things than the above mentioned Lordly circumstances of bodily or bruitish Life and yet these all fall within the compass and sphere of vanities vanishing things as sounding brass and tinckling Cymbals Nothing below the very seed of spiritual new-creation Life gets out of the sphere of vanity Those that have all possible outward and inward gallantry too of the natural man or vile body are exhibited to us as to their duration and continuance under the allegory or parable of a green bay tree They may be in great power spreading themselves like a green bay tree but they soon pass away and are not we may seek them while we will their place can no more be â—ound What a stage of the choicer sort of vanities glory righteousness wisdom of man excellent gifts high illuminations dexterity of expression tongues of men and angels has England been these twenty years We have seen a praying Ministry Parliament Army going forth in a way of Righteousness in Covenant with God and no weapon that was formed against them could prosper No Army no Counsel could stand before them All opposition proved a feeble infatuated thing What is all come to They were not stedfast in the Covenant they started aside like a deceitful Bow Their righteousness vanished â—â— a morning cloud an early dew and the bodies of the chief Leaders in that Ministry Parliament and Army are in their graves All is vanished save a few faithful chast-spirited men who for being true to their trust stedfast in their Covenant and undertake have been and are daily delivered up â—s Lambs for the slaughter by their apostatized friends What a Scene of vanities and shadows is this earth at best how little worth minding Things seen things temporal are the things that are not Things eternal things not seen are the onely things that are Man thinks quite otherwise That matters not Did we truly know our selves we might the more easily be perswaded in another sence not to know our selves If we knew but the vanity of our whole first-creation state the goodliness thereof comparatively with what we are capable to be made in the second we would not know our own souls no though we were perfect yet would we despise our life Iob 9.21 All the wisdom righteousness thoughts reasonings imaginations and desires thereof are vanity Did we thorowly know this we would be content to resign all not think our own thoughts speak our own words do our own works find our own pleasures and so enter into the true mystical Sabbath and rest of God in the new creation If we lose the temporary life and righteousness of our first-creation we shall find it again with usury in the eternal Life and everlasting righteousness of the second If not we shall lose it for ever in the eternal or second death If we lose our litteral shadowy Life and Image of God received in the first creation we shall find it again with usury in the mystical substance spirit and truth of the second Then let the letter and figure of Scripture be interpreted into spirit and truth we shall know what to make of it not before Could man be content to be baffled out of himself allegorized out of his first-creation shadow into spirit and truth he would be content Scripture should be so allegorized too out of its letter and shadow into spirit and truth The true allegorizing interpreter of the Scriptures does and must expound them into things not seen things eternal into a sence quite out of the reach and discerning of all the sense and reason in mankind Spiritual things things eternal are discernable onely to the eye of faith the spiritual discerning the hearing ear He only that hath this ear will hear what the spirit saith unto the Churches Heb. 11. 1. Rev. 2. 29. 1 Cor. 2. 14. Men then do seem concerned in this point for the allegorical sence of Scripture leaves them quite at a loss If they will not therefore be content to lose their sense and reason with a full assurance and stedfast perswasion
harmony I shall exhibite to you in a paper of Verses composed by a learned Gentleman and sent him Iulâ— 3. 1652. VANE young in years but in sage counsel old Then whom a better Senatour ner'e held The helme of Rome when Gowns not Arms repell'd The fierce Epeiroâ— and the African bold Whether to settle 〈…〉 to unfold The drift of hollow states hard to be spell'd Then to advise how war may best upheld Move by her two main Nerves Iron and Gold In all her Equipage besides to know Both spiritual power and civil what each meanes What sâ—vers each them hast learn't which few have done The bounds of either Sword to thee we owe Therefore on thy firm hand Religion leanes In peace and reckons thee her eldest Son In the former part of these verses notice is taken of a kind of angelical intuitiveness and sagacity he was furnished with for spying out and unridling the subdolous intentions of hollow-hearted States however disguised with colourable pretexts of Friendship This rendred him a choice Senator an honourable Counsellour for publick safety The Widow of Tekoah said to David My Lord is wise according to the wisdom of an Angel of God to know all things that are in the earth 2 Sam. 14. 20. Will you say this was a flattering hyperbole What think you of that in Amos Surely the Lord will do nothing but he revealeth his secrets unto his servants the Prophets Amos 3. 7. The king of Syria took counsel saying In such and such a place shall be my Camp against Israel Elisha sends to the King of Israel saying Beware thou pass not such a place and the King of Israel sent to the place the Seer of God warned him of and saved himself there not once nor twice 2 Kin. 6. 8 10. On this the King of Syria suspects that some about him discover his projects to the King of Israel No my Lord O King saies one Elisha the Prophet that is in Israel tells the King of Israel the words thou speakest in thy bed-chamber vers 11 12. Hereupon the King sends a great Army of Syrians to apprehend the Prophet They come to Dothan where he is But by the assistance of an angelical host in the Mount he baffles out all their Forces as before their Counsels and secures Israel from their Incursions for the bands of Syria came no more into the Land of Israel vers 13 23. So Ezekiel when in Caldea was present in spirit at the City Council of five and twenty at Ierusalem took exact notice of their Deportment Debates and Resolves in direct contradiction to God's messages by the Prophets himself Ieremy and others and what befel them thereupon He saw Pelatiah the Chair-man or some chief member of the Council fall down dead Ezek. 11. 1 13. A Statesman of such a spirit that can at whatever distance know the Debates and Resolves of the enemy as if he sate in Council with them might advise and contrive things with best advantage to his Countrey without such a company of chargeable wast-pipes of Spials at home or Correspondents abroad as is usual But was this deceased Statesman a Prophet All Futurities are treasured up in God but does every one that sees God see these The Schoolmen acknowledge that all the most contingent and voluntary actings of the Creatures with all future events whatsoever have bin eternally present to God's intuition whose understanding is infinite Psal. 147. 5. They hold him also to be Speculum voluntarium a voluntary Mirror so as not all that see him see future events or the present actings of their fellow creatures at a distance but onely such angels and men unto whom he is pleased to make a particular discovery thereof for the managing of his designes in the World Let this be granted yet whoever is partaker of the divine nature or spirit of Christ though but in the single portion thereof lives undeniably in a spirit and discerning superior to what is to be found in any first-creation nature whatsoever humane or angelical He that lives in this spirit knows not onely this or that man by personal converse but humane nature mankind what it amounts to how â—'â—will act where it will be next He comprehends it knowes the most curious and otherwise imperceptible motions of every wheele in it Many believed in Christ but he knew what kind of Faith they had a temporary one that onely that cast out the devil and made them men again wash'd their humane nature not baptized them into the divine He would not therefore trust them for he knew all men he knew what was in man Iohn 2. 23 25. He knew they had but the faith that might draw back to perdition which soon after appeared for when he came closse to them in the testimony of spiritual or eternal Life which is the free gift of the Father issuing out of his discriminating love these disciples went back and walked no more with him Iob. 6. 65 66. The true Divine is a man of another a more excellent spirit than other men with Caleb Daniel and Christ himself He sees the whole frame course and way of man in Sanctuary Light weighs him in the ballance of the Sanctuary knows what he will do and what will become of him notwithstanding any present flourishes He knows he has but a slippery standing will be brought into desolation in a moment and utterly consumed with terrors Psal. 73. 17 19. The person here treated of was with Noah a preacher of righteousness with Abraham one that did command his Children and houshold after him that they should keep the way of the Lord. His Life and Doctrine seemed to carry much of demonstration in them that he was one of the peculiar Favourites of Heaven had that double portion which prepares and qualifies men to sit down in due season with Christ upon the Throne in a superiority to the elect Angels the singular prerogative and reward of Christ's Servants the Prophets beyond what falls to their share who yet are his true Saints and everlastingly saved People that fear his name Rev. 11. 18. This Prophet or Seer of God in the midst of the greatest successes in the late war when the Churches Parliament and Army reckoned their work done thought their mountain so strong that they should never be moved said the bitterness of death and persecution is over and that nothing remained but with those self-confident Corinthians to be reigning as Kings 1 Cor. 4. 8. he discovered himself to be of another Spirit with Paul He could not reign with them When they thus mused and spake We shall sit as a Queen we shall know no more sorrow he would be continually foretelling the overflowing of the finet mystical Babylon by the most grosly idolatious Babylon and the slaying of the true Witnesses of Christ between them both as the consequent of such inundation Has not he had his share in the accomplishment of his own prediction Have not
The World was no longer worthy of him He is therefore gone from the earth But his Person and righteous Testimony shall be â—ad in everlasting remembrance Psal. 112. 6. His eye was fixed upon a better Countrey the Saints everlasting Rest. There the wicked cease from troubling and the weary are at rest Those that have been made Prisoners and out-casts in this world as the off-scouring of all things shall rest together there They shall no more hear the voice of the oppressor Job 3. 17 18. The present enjoyments and blessedness of this deceased Saint do set him clear out of the reach of his enemies malice or my pen. He steaddily sees and unchangeably enjoyes what Paul before quite rid of his mortal body had but the transient view of in a short rapture when caught up to the third heaven 1 Cor. 12. or into that vision of God in Christ that is exhibited to the double-portioned Saint that sits on the Throne with Christ. 'T is the favourable presence of God in Christ onely that makes heaven to angels or men God's threefold various presence with his Church in and through Christ makes the three heavens That presence that is afforded in the adaequate intelligible form to the highest life and discerning of the double-portioned Saint the Bride the Lambs Wife makes the third heaven That which is given forth in the adaequate intelligible form to the elect Angels and Spirits of just men made perfect as the sutable immediate object of their discerning makes the second heaven That presence of God together with the fruits of it that in Christ is afforded to Saints on earth makes the first They have their conversation in this first heaven Phil. 3.20 or lowest kind of presence and converse of Christ in spirit They do live in the exercise of that spiritual seed and those principles which when fully awakened in the resurrection will render them fit inhabitants of the second and third heavens Paul in the short glance he had of that most excellent glory of God in Christ that is intelligible or discernable to the most exalted sort of Saints tells us he heard unspeakable words or saw unspeakable things which it is not lawful or possible for a man to utter Here then I must take off my hand and leave you to make the best you can of it in silence and wonder Thus have I cast in my small mite towards the vindication of the Person Doctrine and Way of this choice anointed one of the Lord and faithful assertor of his Countries Liberties unto Death from the groundless aspersions causeless hatred misprisions and injuries that have fallen to his share in this world There are two sorts of enemies who in the rage and vain imaginations of their hearts have reproached blasphemed assaulted affronted resisted and persecuted Christ in him They are both deciphered Psal. 2. 1. under the titles of Heathen and People I have a word of two to divide between them and speak to each of them apart My first word is to a People of God who in whatever variety of form perswasion or way have all of them with one consent separated from Rome as justly loathing and nauseating her most gross visible Idolatries and abominations They have also separated from the dry impertinent formality of a meer outward profession of Protestantisme under a superstitious Episcopacy These they have separated from on the left hand it was their duty so to do But they have also separated from or rather cast out the spiritual Believer and true heir of the everlasting Kingdom on the right hand This is their great sin that has brought a prophane heathenish superstitious idolatrous Interest over their heads again and run all a-ground They have demonstrated themselves to be of that spirit that Paul reproved in some of the Corinthian Church that would be reigning as Kings in the but renewed principles of humane nature and righteousness of man 1 Cor. 4. 8. When therefore this true heir sounded his trumpet in his RETIRED MEDITATIONS and proclaimed another sort of Saints men of another spirit other principles and a more excellent way of life to be the onely true heirs of the Kingdom and possessed of the true reigning Principle they could not bear it They have chosen rather to give the Scepter back again into any hand then the true heir of the heavenly Kingdom should wield it I mean not a Person onely but a People a People prepared for the Lord. Whoever you be that have thus demeaned your selves and sinned away twenty years Mercies and Deliverancies whatever your Judgment Form or Way be as to this or that particular Doctrine or Ordinance if you yet lodge but in the renewed old Adam state of life or first-creation spirit and principles as you have seen them above-charactered to you it is I direct this word You that are in some good measure and degree inwardly cleansed from the pollutions of this world the corruption of nature give me leave to tell you you may be thus wash'd and baptized by the word of truth into a practical experimental knowledge of Christ after the flesh and conformity with him as he was â—ound in the flesh born of a woman made under the Law for your sanctification Let me tell you further you may be made comely through his comeliness or righteousness of that sort put upon you or imputed to you for your justification You may over and above all this be adorned with many jewels and bracelets excellent gifts and the tongue of men and angels and yet fall short of the glory and righteousness of God in the new and everlasting Covenant and so may prove to be at last but sounding brass or tinkling cymbals Ez. 16. 11 12. 1 Cor. 12. 31. 13. 1. All your sanctified justified beautified and adorned state in which you flourished was but the rectified adorned first-covenant natural man and you took all to be spiritual new-covenant Life and ornament This is one of the saddest mistakes mortal men are subject to and is like to cost them dearest Their disappointment is fatal and irrecoverable Their work is exceeding dangerous in kicking against the pricks persecuting of Christ in the true spiritual believer But their case is noâ—remediless as they may see in Paul till they knowingly and malitiously say Come this is the heir let 's kill him and the inheritance shall be ours There are those from amongst these Legal spirited professors both Pastors and People that have had their share in betraying this just man in blaspheming his Principles and Doctrine in casting reproaches upon him while living and pleasing themselves to think that they are now well rid of him his Doctrine and Way by his Death Deceive not your selves His testimony has received a more signal ratification by his Death then in all his Life He warn'd you of many things In reference to one of his warning-pieces as to the making clean riddance of Antichrist from amongst us I shall ask
you a Question Do you imagine that you have banished Antichrist out of your coasts your Churches by excluding the Romish beast the heathenish part of the Antichristian Church Iewel Reynolds and Whitaker against Hâ—râ—iâ—g Hart and Bellarmine as also other famous and learned Wâ—â—â—â—â— of the Protestant interest White Mede and many more have from the Quiver of common reason and humane Writers drawn out and shot such arrows at that Beast that her wounds are incurable by any other Engine save the Sword and Belluine force What will you say if the very Protestant Churches in what ever variety of Judgement as to this or that particular so far forth as they have mistaken the One thing necessary the great fundamental Point or different foundation of the two Houses Christ mentions one on the sand the other on the rock Mat. 7. and have rested and gloried wholly in the lesser glory of renewed adorned man that 's to be done away should at length prove the Mystical Babylon however confidently they have passed for the true heavenly Spouse and People of Christ Under this conceit of your being the true everlasting Spouse of Christ how confident have you been that the Kings of the earth should joyn interest with you and espouse your quarrel in order to pull down and tâ—ar in pieces the beastly Idolatrous Antichrist of Rome What a cross blow would it be to your expectations in this kind what a sad and amazing disappointment if it should fall the other way If the Kings of the earth in the most bruitish degenerate state of wordly Monarchy should strike in with Rome against you and accomplish that prophesie upon you as the genuine intendment thereof Revel 17. 16. Shall I ask you another Question with some tendency towards a disquisition into this Riddle Do or can you imagine the Popish party and Religion in the posture it has stood these many hundred years can in her Spirit Doctrine and Principles be that glittering Strumpet which for inward Ornament holiness and exceeding likeness to the true heavenly Spouse of Christ did so dazle Iohns eyes in Patmos amidst all his ravishing Visions of God as that he wondred with great admiration to hear her tearmed by the Angel MYSTERY BABYLON the GREAT the MOTHER OF HARLOTS and ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH Rev. 17. 5 6. MEDE and many others have evidently and undeniable demonstrated that Popery is the very sink of all the old Gentile Theologie of Daemon Gods in their worshipping and praying to Angels and the souls of deceased men Some great Authors or Patrons and advancers of their most ridiculous Idolatries they have formally canonized for Saints and do pray to their departed Souls as Heroe's a rank of Demi-Gods inferiour to Angels If any were more notoriously vile in their idolatries more eminently serviceable in the propagating advancing thereof so more useful to Demetrius his subordinate Shrine-makers and Image-mongers Act. 19. they have been advanced in their Apotheoses after the manner of old heathenish Rome into the very order of Daemons or Angels and so their prayers to them as well as to fallen Angels come properly under the title of Daemonolatry or worshipping of Devils Yea the most superstitious abominations and gross bodily whoredoms that ever were found scatteredly up and down in any the most bruitish heathen States since the world began are pack'd up all together in the Papacy They may set up a Pantheon a Temple for the Catholick or universal Worship of all the old heathen Gods in all Nations as old Rome did Here 's their Catholick Religion They fall down to Stocks and worship Stones graven and molten Images the works of their own hands They are sadly derided for it with the rest of their old brother-heathens by God himself at large Esay 44. They take a piece of wood with part whereof they rost their meat and warm their hands and the residue they make a God Horace a heathen Poet scoffs at the same folly bringing in an Image that applauds it self for its good hap that when it was a rude mishapen piece of wood the Carpenter was thinking to put it to some inferiour use but all upon a suddain it came into his head to make it a God Yea the very Turks abhor the Popish Imagery and Image-worship as more against the Common light of Reason than any thing they have in their Mahumetane Moseh's or Parish Meeting-places If Iohn then should have wondred to hear that such a heathenish Church as the Romane now is and has long bin when represented to him in the Spirit Principles and gross Idolatries thereof should be called the Whore of Babylon might not all the world wonder at Iohn for his paines He might indeed in such a case have wondred the other way that that should at all be called Mystical Babylon as having so much creditable resemblance of the true Spouse of Christ as to pass for it There is no such thing as gross whoredom of body or soul in Religion or Conversation in the whole World if it be not in the apostate Romane Church in a transcendent manner 'T is certainly then some clearer finer-spirited Church which Iohn wondred should be called The Mother of Abominations some such Church as he was ready to think if Christ hath any such thing as a chaste Spouse upon earth that will keep close to him and never apostatize this is she Thus Samuel said of Eliab Iesse's eldest son Surely the Lords anointed is before him 1 Sam. 16. 6. 'T is answered there The Lord seeth not as man seeth vers 7. That that man admires and praises God regardes not and that which man regards not is of highest esteem with God Paul was no body with those that were wise and honourable in Christ as to the glory of man by him renewed in or put upon them but mean while was he whom the Lord commended 1 Cor. 4. 10. 2 Cor. 10. 12. 18. But to help open your eyes you see Popery is such a mass of gross Idolatries and commonly discernable Abominations that the very present Magistracy whom you are apt it may be to have some hard thoughts of would seem so resolute against it as to make it criminous for any to blemish their repute with such slanderous imputations as if they had the least intendment that way If you chance to object How comes it to pass then that all the more refined sorts of Christian Meetings are disturbed killed imprisoned hurried up and down from post to pillar grossly abused and injured before their Iudgement seats and the Mass onely quiet and what is next it the dry impertinent publick Assemblies under Episcopacy If you say further what mean they to force those Oathes upon us that were originally intended for the keeping of Papists quiet Why may we not expect England should shortly be made a Shambles when some moderate Papists themselves bolt out something that 's hatching which they reckon too black for them to
act a part in and so quit their ground before hand If you ask me such questions as these I shall referre you for an answer to those whom it concerns If you further expostulate and say though we may not say Popery is intended may we not think so when we see all this What must we do with our eyes then No great matter what become of such eyes as could not see all this before hand Some Cassandra's amongst you did but the credulous multitude thought otherwise and carried it Presbyterians and Tradesmen thought to have made a fairer game of it then it proves I am neither But I know Trading is dead and Presbyterianisme seems to be somewhat near giving up the Ghost scarce a stone is like to be left upon a stone in our mystical earthly Ierusalem or Church-formes any more than once in the litteral City and Temple I 'le tell you my mind in short I reckon the Romish party but the tail of that second Beast that had hornes like the Lamb Rev. 13. 11. if any part thereof at all It may rather seem to be the head or most flourishing appearance of the first the heathenish Romane Monarchy guilded over with nothing but the meer Name and Title of Christianity And so all those Kings of the earth that side and strike in therewith are together with this palpable Romish strumpet but of the same nature and mettal with the old heathen Monarchy of Rome resembled by the iron part of the feet and toes of Nehuchadnezzars Prophetical Image as the elder heathen Rome was resembled by the iron legs Dan. 2. 33. The clay represents mystical Babylon or that softened reformed Church-state of such a People in Covenant with God as may again become no People These two parties shall labour to mingle together and cleave one to another in order to keep out the true spiritual worshipper who has been in the Wilderness above this twelve hundred years excluded out of both their Synagogues and is now upon a return into power But these two parties resembled by iron and clay though they assay to mix and cleave together can't hold so long and when they clash guess which is like to have the worst on 't iron or clay From amongst you O professors have there been that have sate with those now returned into power as at one table to consult and contrive now you may both rid your hands and the world of the spiritual worshipper and true heir The hearts of the Kings or chief Leaders amongst you both have been set to speak lies and do mischief to him because he has been the rebuker of you both Dan. 11. 27. of the one for not looking after a more excellent state of righteousness of the other for abiding in a state of downright wickedness as an enemy to all righteousness Paul in all the glory and righteousness of man was the most enraged persecutor of the spirit and righteousness of God in the true saints the world had in it yet had in him the seed of that very spiritual life he persecuted though unawakened unexercised till Christ met with him in the way to Damascus so may some may many of you I wish all had You once made full account you had for ever shaken hands with Popery and prophaness so as never more to enter again into any correspondence with either Has not your blind zeal and enmity against the spiritual believer and his Testimony so far transported you as to make you forfeit all your former discretion and resolution and adventure the shaking hands again with both in a kind of amity like Herod and Pilate to work jointly what prejudice you can to the true heir of the heavenly kingdom are not you the two distinct branches of Antichrists Kingdom resembled by the iron and clay that though you would never so fain yet cannot mix or piece up together so as to hold long but will clash and destroy one another and so make way by the most wise providence of God for the coming of the true heir over both your heads Dan. 2. 43 44. Are you not almost ready to go to work for the accomplishing of what this deceased Patriot has foretold you of in his MEDITATIONS about the clash of the two branches of Antichrists kingdom the finer and courser parts of Babylon See else But who hath believed his report or regarded it They onely to whom the arm of the Lord hath been revealed How too generally is that Testimony of his disregarded that of any I know extant next the Scriptures gives the fairest aim to England truly to understand its case and the state of the controversie between God and it and what the true ground is that all its most successfully acquired Liberty should be ready to be compleatly swallowed up again into downright heathenish Idolatry and prophaness Where 's the man that wil suffer his understanding to be questioned as any way faulty that he gives no entertainment to a right report of these matters All the heavy load must be cast upon the relator as but cloudily or not at all making out what he speaks of or that the matter of his message is at bottom no better then Popery yea it has been called masked Popery and publickly set at defiance by a frequented Teacher in our Reformed Congregations as that which is far less to be tollerated by the Magistrate then the open bare-fac'd Idolatries of Rome What work does the blind ignorant zeal of the legalist make with the spiritual mans Testimony What stupenduously false deductions and conclusions do they form from it and then decry it The sun rising is not so far distant from its fall as this deceased believers Testimony and Doctrine is from Popery Fire is not more contrary to Water then his Doctrine to theirs 'T is amazing to me to think which way such imaginations should come into their crowns He has plainly declared to you how matters stand had you the hearing ear or seeing eye You either wonder at or despise it if you go on at such work you will perish too This 't wil certainly come to Act. 13. 41. Through this one fatal mistake about the spiritual man and his Doctrine the most accomplished person for Englands deliverance from devils and men hath been by you betrayed and delivered up into the hands of the Gentiles to be so handled as you have seen But their case that crucified Christ himself was not remediless till on a fair and plain declaration how matters stood they did resolutely and peremptorily persist in their error contradicting and blaspheming Then Paul waxed bold and resolute on the other hand seeing saies he that you put this word or warning away from you thereby judging your selves unworthy of everlasting life â—o we turn to the Gentiles Act. 13. 45 46. The foundation of all Controversy with the spiritual believer the ground of all the contradicting and blaspheming his Testimony meets with what is it This.
The natural man perceiveth not the things of God because they are spiritually discerned Spiritual things are not at all the suitable intelligible objects to the natural understanding But will self-confident man ever suffer this to becom the Question Whether the fault lye in him that he perceives not what is said by the spiritual watchman By no meanes specially if this natural man be renewed cleansed enlightened adorned with excellent gifts and the tongue of men and angels so that he is in one kind wise and strong and honourable in Christ a Prince at working righteousness reigning as a King 1 Cor. 4. 8. You may sooner remove a mountain then get this man so accomplished and qualified once to suffer his understanding and reception of things to be scrupled or questioned as insufficient for these things Then there 's no remedy but if the spiritual believers Testimony be not received the fault must be laid at his door That he daringly asserts many things but clears nothing proves nothing Thus the Pharisees serv'd Christ. Are we blind also Do you think that if you talk'd any thing that has Sence Reason or Scripture in it for its evidence we could not see what 't is you drive at John 9. 40. Let 's consider whether these learned self-confidents with the rest of the Iewish Rabbies were blind or no as to the true reach and significancy of those very Oracles they were generally reputed the onely Interpreters of in Moses and the Prophets Paul being set down in the Iewish Synagogue at Antioch in Pisidia upon intimation from the Rulers thereof to speak a word of exhortation a thing not admitted in our Synagogues insists upon this very point They saies he that dwell at Ierusalem and their Rulers because they knew not Christ nor yet the voices of the Prophets which were read every Sabbath day they have fulfilled them in condemning him And though they found no cause of death in him yet desired they Pilate that he should be slain Act. 13. 27 28. They are said therefore to have done it ignorantly The Princes of this World that is the Iewish Priests Scribes Pharisees c. that were Princes in understanding and at working the righteousness of the Law they yet knew not Christ for had they known him they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory 1 Cor. 2.8 'T was well for them their murdering of him was capable of such an interpretation for this keeps the door yet open for salvation through Christ crucified to be preach'd even to them that crucified him Men and brethren children of the stock of Abraham to you is the word of this salvation sent Act. 13. 26. What a marvellous thing may it seem that the very learned Rulers and onely reputed expounders of the Law and the Prophets should crucifie Christ and in all the circumstances of their proceedings with him fulfil all that was foretold of him in Moses and the Prophets and yet not know all along what they were doing They thought and so our Rabbies think they understand the Scriptures but did they or do we What though men have been reputed famous expounders of the letter of Gospel thirty or forty years together may not they yet be ignorant of Christ in spirit or the Spiritual man and all his concerns and so with great confidence cry him down for a Blasphemer and persecute him No doubt Is not Christ in Spirit and in the approaches of his second coming as like to be decried blasphemed and persecuted by the onely reputed expounders of the Gospel as Christ in the flesh was by the onely reputed expounders of the Law His second coming both in his Saints the true spiritual believer and in his own person is as fairly foretold in the New Testament in reference to his reign as his first coming in the flesh was foretold in the old Testament in reference to his Sufferings And of the two men will be more short of guessing right at the predictions that concern his second coming then those that concerned his first It lies more remote by far in all the circumstances and things of it from humane understanding then the first did Christ makes this dealing of God with men the ground and matter of a solemn thanksgiving to his Father I thank thee O Father Lord of heaven and earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes Mat. 11.25 And 1 Cor. 1. 26. Not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called See the self-confident reasonings of the Iewes against the reception of Christ or his Doctrine The Officers that went to apprehend Christ are astonished at his doctrine and durst not lay hands on him What say the Priests and Pharisees that sent them have ye not brought him Oh say they never man spake like this man Then answered the Pharisees are ye also deceived Have any of the Rulers or Pharisees believed on him But this people that knoweth not the Law are cursed He onely deludes a company of poor fishermen and the silly credulous multitude that know nothing Here is their Verdict of Christ. Why should his true followers expect other from the learned Rabbies and onely reputed expositours of Scripture in any succeeding generation amongst whom their lot is cast This is the way of man God's way and his reasonings are quite contrary The poor onely those that are emptied of all their Laodicean riches and self-confidences they are the fitly disposed persons to receive the gospel in God's esteem These are they he puts value on That passage in Acts 13. about the Iews crucifying Christ and not being aware what was the matter though the very Scriptures which they were reckoned the only interpreters of that the world had in it foretold and charactered the birth progress and death of him in all the circumstances thereof I say the serious weighing of this one would think should encline men amidst all the repute they have and please themselves with as to the interpreting of the Scriptures to reflect upon and call themselves in question whether they do yet know any thing at all of them as they ought to know If not then all the question they put to the spiritual believer is still How do you prove it how do you make out this from Scripture They 'l not admit the least scruple but that they can discern it if it be proved They will not suffer it to be questioned whether they have the hearing ear and seeing eye to discern what the spiritual man sayes to the Churches Men that have not this eye and ear and yet reckon they have and will not be beaten out of it the true believer were almost as good speak to stones as them These old foolish kings at knowledge and righteousness in first-covenant principles they will not endure to be admonished or told any thing of new-covenant light and righteousness Eccles. 4. 13. Let a skilful Mathematician
the tumultuous confusions and insurrections of the workers of iniquity against them they have a steady composure and un-interrupted serenity of mind through an unshaken submission to acquiescence in and conformity to the will of God in all occurrences In the greatest storms the sharpest and most fiery â—ryals that can befal them when they see the flames of man's wrath the floods of Belial or wicked men devouring on all hands and overwhelming all considerations or appearances of true outward peace equity or order they have the inward peace and joy unspeakable and glorious which such strangers cannot intermeddle with or interrupt A perfect calmness and serenity both in spirit and outward deportment may be the Believers portion and ornament in such a season and such circumstances when the vilest of men are exalted and the wicked walk on every side When the world is in the most injurious career against the Saints then doth Christ more intimately imbrace them and more abundantly manifest to their Faith the riches and glory of the world to come Vse 2. for your instruction These things I leave with you as the words of one in my place and circumstances that ought to have weight with you that are young and liable to be misled Learn hence to put value upon the priviledge of believing Saints Be the daughters and children of Abraham and Sarah in all modest chaste and holy conversation Quit the broad way and beaten Road that leadeth to Destruction and be for the narrow path that leadeth unto Life the way everlasting Psal. 139. 24. Let not your care be spent in outward adorning but in adorning the hidden or inner man of your hearts with that which is not corruptible Get the ornament of a meâ—k and quiet spirit which in the sight of God is of great price With all your getting get divine wisdom and understanding Prov. 4. 7. Be as circumspect and cuâ—ious as you can in these heavenly ornaments watching alwayes to cast and keep out every thing that defiles that you may possess your vessels in sanctification and honour as becomes the temples of the holy Ghost glorifying God with your bodies and with your spirits which are his After this manner holy women that trusted in God did in old time adorn themselves whose daughters ye are so long as ye do well and you will find no need to be afraid with any amazement For keeping alwayes by this means a good conscience void of offence towards God and towards man when men shall speak evil of you as of evil doers the shame shall be their own It will appear 't is only your chaste and good conversation in Christ they persecute and accuse you for This is the ground of all their malice and reproaches Christ hath chosen you out of the world be ye followers of him out of it in the peculiar distinguishing spirit and conversation of pilgrims and strangers But then know the inhabitants of the earth will hate you Let this common lot and portion of Believers from this world be expected by you and rendred familiar to you that when you come indeed more eminently under the experiences of it you may not look upon it as any new strange or unusual thing that happens to you above all other Believers But when such things come to pass rejoyce in as much as ye are made partakers of Christs sufferings that when his glory shall be revealed ye may be glad also with exceeding joy If ye be reproached for the Name of Christ if ye suffer for Righteousness sake happy are ye for the Spirit of Glory and of God resteth upon you Be ye not therefore afraid of their terrour neither be you troubled but sanctifie the Lord God in your hearts by your stedfastness and boldness It may be ready to startle you to see a Believer thus handled as you see me now to end his mortal dayes by the hands of violence though not without the free and willing surrender of his Life in compliance with the divine hand and determinate cousel of God herein This is the way which the Lord himself the great Captain of our Salvation went before us in Let not this way of the Lord be evil spoken of by you Let not the least prejudice or thought arise in your hearts against it on this occasion but rather let it serve for the increase and strengthning of your Faith as it ought Vse 3. That which hath been said and observed concerning Abraham as to God's taking such peculiar notice of him and making such peculiar discoveries of his secrets to him should serve to instruct inform and mind us of the great benefits and glorious advantages attainable for us by abiding and increasing in the spirit and faith of our father Abraham It will meet with glorious Returns from God The Spirit of Glory will rest upon such as do thus improve the example of Abraham The secrets of the Lord are with them that fear him The Angels of the Lord encamp round about them and deliver them yet not alwayes from a violent death by the hands of men Christ himself would not imploy the Angels in this service though he could have had more than twelve legions of them for his rescue at his desire The followers of Christ then are not altogether delivered from death but from the fear the sting the power of death and so are made to conquer and triumph over death it self and him that hath the power of death by dying as Christ did who was thus heard in what he feared Heb. 5. 7. Live then in the Spirit and walk in the Spirit and Faith of our Father Abraham Listen to the Experiences of your Father in this dying hour and season of darkness who can and doth here give a good report of that heavenly and better Country he is now going to the more free and full enjoyment of In the midst of these his dark circumstances his enjoyments and refreshings from the presence of the Lord do more abound than ever I can truly say that as my tribulations for Christ have risen higher and abounded my Consolations have abounded much more My Imprisonment and hard usage from men hath driven me nearer to God and more alienated and disentangled my mind from the snares and cumbrances of this mortal life You have no cause to be ashamed of my Chain or no fear being brought into the like circumstances I now am in so it be on as good an occasiâ—n for the Name and Cause of Christ and for his Righteousness sake Let this word abide with you whatever befalls you Resolve to fuller any thing from men rather than sin against God yea rejoyce and be exceeding glad when you find it given to you on the behalf of Christ not only to believe in him but to suffer for his Name Stand fast in one spirit with one mind striving together for the Faith of the Gospel and be in nothing terrified by your adversaries but go on in your
course of well-doing without any amazement Sufferings for well-doing patiently born are acceptable with God A quiet rejoycing deportment in sufferings will be to your adversaries an evident token of their Perdition but to you of Salvation and that of God To him that thus overcometh in the Faith and Spirit of Christ the true Abraham he will give to sit with him on his Throne and to inherit all things Let the like Spirit of Faith be in you that was in Abraham and you will never rest till you come into his bosom You will be but pilgrims and strangers here Your eye your heart and expectations will be upon that better Country Such a frame of mind and heart God is so well pleased with that he will not fail to make more rich and full discoveries of himself to you daily for the building and gathering of you up nearer and closer unto himself till he be the whole desire of your soul the only desirable who is altogether lovely Text. I know Abraham sayes God that he will command his Children and houshold c. Obs. 3. Observe hence That it is the duty of every believing Father not only to teach his Children and Family for the keeping them in a good conversation while he is present with them but to leave instructions with them and charge them after him that they may know how to deport themselves both in their inward and outward man when he is gone Thus it was with Abraham He instructed or catechized them as the Original imports laid the foundation for a future growth and progress in the same Faith with him whereby they also might be enabled to communicate it and so lay the like foundation in others and build up one another in the same most holy Faith which charge is also implyed and supposed to have been insisted on and with all earnestness pressed upon them as being unspeakably most carefull and concerned in the propâ—gating of his believing Seed to the worlds end Thus Abraham also as others in like case will have his great personal advantage by the bountiful communicating and instilling the spiritual and heavenly Doctrine of the Gospel into the hearts of as many as he can spreading abroad amongst others the precious savour of that grace of God that he had so plentifully been enriched with and tasted of in his own experiences all-along This heavenly Life and marvellous Light of the Faith of the Son of God is of that nature that the more it is diffused by way of communication unto others the more it encreases in the Dispenser thereof redounding to his advantage as well as theirs that receive it The fruit of his doings Ier. 17. 10. spring up from such foundations of Holiness as by his instruction were ministerially laid The works that naturally flow from that Doctrine follow them after they are gone hence Rev. 14.13 The Church in the Canticles chap. 7. 1. is described by him that best knew her temper to be of this noble princely communicative disposition Freely ye have received freely give sayes Christ and by giving they receive more abundance The fruit of such labours will be reckoned on their account This is a great encouragement for men to abound in the work of the Lord forasmuch as they know that their labour is not in vain in the Lord 1 Cor. 15. 58. Let it be your constant care then to multiply such fruits as may abound to both our accounts in pursuance and imitation of that Faith which by word and deed ye have heard and seen in me all the time that God hath pleased to continue me with you It will be both yours and my great gain if you be careful to glorifie your heavenly Father answerably to the many seasonable instructions directed to you in the Word of the Lord by my Ministry This was Abraham's faith way life and practice who being dead yet speaketh to the whole Family of Faith throughout the whole world unto this day While he was present with his Family he taught them in word and deed by what he said in his Ministry and by what he did in all other holy coversation and godliness First by the things he did as a pattern of Faith Holiness and Sobriety in his conversation and then by what he said in giving daily instructions to them to follow his steps walk honestly as in the day in the Spirit worthy of God by the same Rule they observed him to walk For they ought so to walk even as he walked abiding in his words 1 Joh. 2.6 Thus Abraham's Family had his pattern and instruction in the Faith of God's Elect for their direction while he was conversant amongst them Secondly He gave forth command and instructed them in the Name of the Lord that when he their believing Father should be gone from them into a more exalted state of life to them invisible and undiscernable â—â— to any further personal converse with him in his former way they should be as carefull still as ever to walk in the steps of his Faith bringing forth the fruits thereof unto holiness if not more than ever before while he was with them Christ himself the most true and absolute Father of the Faithful took this course a little before his death gave that large and most admirably significant Instruction to his Disciples recorded in the 13 15 16 and 17. Chapters of Iohn to strengthen and establish their hearts in the present Truth they had been taught and were possessed of whatever hatred persecution or cross blows they should meet with from the world as also to beget in them anâ— assured expectation of his Return to them in a more excellent way of converse than ever they yet experienced On this account he told them that how sad and troubled soever they may be through mistake of his departure and of the sharp and bitter way of it it was expedient even for them as well as for himself that he should go away forasmuch as he would then return to them in a more excellent estate a better Comforter a better Counsellor that would tell them more excellent things things they could not yet bear to the fulfilling of their joy Use. Let me then direct unto you a word of Exhortation by the example of Abraham and Christ himself in my present circumstances in the near approach of my dissolution and parting with you Be not disheartned in the way of the Lord be not discouraged in the way I have gone before you in and am yet going drawing near now to the finishing of my course with joy The God of Heaven hath set his seal to it in my heart that it is the very way of Truth the choicest and best way you can go the way that not only will have the most comfortable close by ending in everlasting joy but that hath also the most solid foundation of inward rejâ—ycing all-along attending it even in this world Though there be sorrow and death to the flesh
in this way there is life and joy in the Spirit The Believer the true spiritual Circumcision rejoyces in Christ Jesus having no confidence in the flâ—sh nor mastering much how iâ— goes with that So he may win Christ and know him in the power of his Resurrection he is willing also to know him in the fellowship of his Sufferings and in being made conformable unto his death There is no other way to the eternal Crown If we suffer with him who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good Confession 1 Tim. 6. 13. we shall also reign with him if we deny Him and his â—ause before men through fear of them that can but kill the body and have no more that they can do he that can destroy both body and soul in Hell will deâ—â— us before the Angels of God Whatever frightful appearance the present tribulations may have this remains sure Light â—â— sown for the Righteous and gladness for the upright in heart My harvest is at hand the season for me to reap the good fruit of the incorruptible seed of eternal life that hath been sown in me many years ago by the good hand of the Lord. I have so much already of that fruit as makes me set very light by the present tribulations that are but for a moment and are not to be compared with the glory that follows I have sown in tears and am now going to reap in joy where all tears shall be wiped away for ever There shall be no more sorrow crying or hearing the voice of the oppressor I charge you therefore be ye followers of me as I am a follower of Christ. Walk in that Faith ye have seen me to walk in and be not dismayed Observe what I now say to you and the Lord will bless you yea you shall be encouraged and commended by him as a choice pattern of obedience unto others like the sons of Ionadab the son of Rechab who were commended for performing the words of their father that he commanded them and were therein propounded as an imitable pattern to the men of Iudah and inhabitants of Ierusalem who did most perversly refuse to obey the Commands of God himself in the Messages he sent to them by the ministry of the Prophets Encline your ear therefore and hearken unto me now in this parâ—ing Instruction Listen to my command and obey the words I speak to you in the Name of the Lord. I charge you to walk in the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ and that with all steadiness and constancy as not in the least discouraged by what you see now to befal me and other his servants and followers in this evil day The servant is not greater than the Lord. He went this way and hath warned us that through much persecution and tribulation we must strive to enter into the Kingdom of God Walk then in the Spirit and Faith of Abraham in that immutable frame of spirit that feeds upon that which is incorruptible whereby you will be nourished up into eternal life and carried on through all difficulties and oppositions to the compleat full and certain saving of your souls Be bold confident stedfast and undaunted herein though bryaâ—s and thorns be with you and you dwell among Scorpions Be not afraid of their big words or stout looks though they be a 〈◊〉 house Ezek. 2. not 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of God before their eyes and therefore lifting up themselves 〈…〉 against the Lord of Heaven and practising to destroy the People of the Most High till the Antient of dayes come and set them upon their feet at which time Judgement shall be given to the Saints of the most High and they must possess the Kingdom Who are you then if you live and abide in the Faith of Abraham that you should be afraid of a man that shall die and be made as grâ—â—â— Isa. 51. 12. All the Nations of the World are less than nothing before Him in whom is your help Isa. 40. 17. Stay your selves then upon God in the greatest outward confusions or alterations of Government or Governours that possibly can befall though the Earth be removed and the Mountains be carried into the midst of the Sea Be of good courage take to you the whole Armour of God fight the Battels of the Lord the good fight of Faith and he will make you more than Conquerors Let these dying words of your Father never be forgotten Be strong in the Faith of Abraham He that now speakâ— to you hath for many years proved and tryed what this amounts unto he sees great cause to recommend it to you upon that Experience he hath had of the support and relief it carries with it in all occurrences as also how bold stedfast and comfortable it renders the possessors thereof against all possible affronts contradictions and oppositions of sinners When you can no longer enjoy the bodily or visible Presence of your Father with you live more in the Faith of your Father that he that is my heavenly Father may discover himself more and more to be yours also as you shew your selves more to be his Children which will highly concern you that through the more plentiful commâ—â—â—â— of his grace and spirit amongst you and in you you may be more strengthened with his might and glorious power in your inward man unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness and be able to stand it out in this evil day This is the last opportunity I am like to have of this kind The Lord set my words home upon your hearts Be glad and rejoyce thus to be minded of your duty and charged by meâ— And what greateâ— cause of rejoycing can your Father have than that his Children walk in the Truth See then that you alwayes keep your Consciences void of offence towards God and towards men Hate and decline every unrighteous way and whatever is contrary to the Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ. Put one another in mind of these things that your Father thus minds you all of in this his last Charge and Instruction which he leaves with you Provoke one another unto love and good worke Exhort one another so much the more as you see the day approaching Shew forth your Faith in the workings of it by which you may glorifie your Father which is in Heaven Those that believe in God will be careful to maintain good works Tit. 3. 8. Consider what manner of persons it concerns you to be in all holy Conversation and godliness seeing that all these thingsâ— that now are and which ye see are very shortly to be dissolved sooner it may be than you can yet believe even the Heavens and Earth that now are the whole outward face of things in Church and State the world throughout 2 Pet. 3.7.11,12 Live then as those that wait for their masters coming for the new heaven and new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness Live in the pure Spirit of this tried Faith of
Abraham largely experienced by your Father and by him now recommended unto you Keep the way of the Lord to do justice and judgement that he may fulfil unto you all the rich and precious promises of the Gospel belonging to Abraham and his believing seed the seed of Promise that are found walking in his wayes Observ. 4. Fourthly and lastly observe That it is a duty incumbent on believing parents to mind their children and houshold of walking in the faith and keeping in the way of the Lord doing that which is just and right So also is it the duty of children to obey such charge and be found so living and walking in the spirit and way of the Lord as they expect the blessings of Gods Covenant with Abraham to be made good unto them But here this Query may be offered How did Abraham walk and 〈◊〉 The answer is In a Family-way 't was Family-worship There were in his time no formed Churches or Societies of a larger kind made up of divers families embodying themselves and walking in communion together That which he was capable to do he did He catechized and instructed his Relations spreading abroad amongst them the savour of the tithes of that Grace which through mercy he was partaker of This was the state of the true Church then as to its outward form If larger visible Societies and collective Bodies or Churches of Saints be now interrupted this Family-way of Religion and Worship may be kept up and so things return to their primitive way again as in the dayes of Abraham To this Ioshua professes he will have recourse when the purity of publick Worship fails Iosh. 24. 15. If saith he it seem evil to you to serve the Lord if you be for other goâ—â— or other wayes of worship than God requires I will quit your publick societies as for me and my house we will serve the Lord. Use 1. My word of exhortation then to you is When publick worship is to be had in purity without defiling of your Consciences use and frequent that But if that bedenied or is not to be found frequent private and family worship yea however it be as to the publick let these be kept on foot with all diligence Be found still in the way of the Lord own that where ere you see it and joyn in it as the Lord shall please to open the way for you and give opportunity Whatever you do be not conformed to this world in the spirit way principles affections no nor religion thereof Quit those worshippers that are confident in a spirit and way that is liable to apostacy calling that heresie which is the only true way of worshipping the God of our Fathers Amidst the great variety of Churches and ways of Worship that this world abounds with be not by any means induced or forced to observe and become subject to the ordinances of man in things pertaining unto God Give unto God the things that are Gods Give also unto Caesar the things that are his If he unlawfully require more you may lawfully refuse to obey him let him take his course wherein any 〈◊〉 proudly God will be above them If one Church say Christâ— another Lo there and the trumpet that 's blown in both give but an uncertain sound look up to Christ himself with the Spouse in the Canticles and say O thou whom our souls do love tell us where thou feedest and makest thy flock to rest at noon under the scorching heat of mans persecuting wrath He will discover to you the false Babylonish spirit that lurks in such Churches and Teachers as to the deceiving of themselves and others are but transformed into the likeness of the Apostles and Churches of Christ 2 Cor. 11. And he will by his Spirit if rightly sought to and waited on infallibly direct you to the true shepherds tents those spiritual pastors and assemblies that walk in the footsteps of his ancient flock even in the faith spirit and way of Abraham Isaac Iacob and their families who are now in the kingdom of God and in the way doctrine and spirit of the Evangelists and Apostlcs And as I would have you to quit all false Churches and reject the Babylonish spirit whatever curious dress insinuating appearance or refined form she shines forth in so much more yet would I have you to loath and depart from all manner of prophaness and common debauchery whatever countenance or encouragement it may have round about you in the Land of your nativity Do but keep in the Way live and walk in the Faith and Spirit of Abraham and all is done This your Father hath found joy and comfort in upon very large and plentiful experiences but most remarkably in his Prison-state As troubles and straits from without have encreased upon me I have been more enlarged within The more I have been shut up on earth and from earthly Relations and enjoyments the more have the Heavens opened upon me and let down to me the larger sights and tasts of the glory and enjoyments of the world to come Vse 2. Lastly I charge you as the utmost desire of my soul to God on your behalf be obedient to the Lord walk humbly with him and keep close to him Let your heart be right with him Be stedfast in his Covenant not turning aside like a deceitful Boâ— Be not off and on with him yea and nay but in Christ yea only and then all the Promises of God in Christ to you will be Yea and Amen to the glory of God the Father Then if any of you lack Wisdom or particular direction in any difficult circumstances ask it of God who giveth liberally and upbraideth not and it shall be given you But then ask in Faith the stedfast Faith of Abraham nothing wavering for he that wavereth must not think or expect to receive any thing of the Lord Iames 1. 5. 7. Christ hath assured you that whatsoever you shall ask in his Name he will do it and the Father will do it Ioh. 14. 13 14. and chap. 15. 16. that is whatsoever ye shall ask in the power and exercise of a living saving Faith or of the heavenly Anointing and new Name of Christ in and upon you it shall be done unto you For whatsoever ye thus ask will be asked by you in the will of God that ye are begotten of Jam. 1. 18. or according to the will of your heavenly Father And this we know that whatsoever we ask according to his will he heareth us 1 John 5. 14 15. Yea though ye be but young and weak in this Faith and in the expression of it if as new-born babes ye do but truly desire the sincere milk of the Word and brokenly stammer and lisp forth such desires to God ye will find acceptance with and answer from him not only according to but abundantly above all that you are able to ask or think No Mother can have so tender a regard to the cry of