THE SAINTS { PARA DICE:! OR, ' % The Fathers Teachings the only fatisfaftion to wait- X ing SOULES. J WHEREIN ' £ Many Experiences are Recorded, for the comfort of fuch as are un- *> derfpirituall BURNING. J The inward Teflimony U the Souls ftrengtb. ^ By Jerrard V/inflanly. *|»- J er - 3 l - 34- And they (hall teach no more every man 4*- his neighbour, and every man his brother, faying, ■*§*• Know the Lord: for they fill! all ktiorv me, from JT the leaf of them unto the greatefi of them, faith the X Lord • ^ I John 2o 27. But the anointing which ye have recei- ved of him,abideth in you : and ye need not that any man teach you : But, as the lame anointing teacheth you of all things, and if truth. & % LO NT) 0 N, % f Printed for G. Calvert, and are to be fold % at the black-iptead-Eagle at the 4* |: VVell end of Pd«/r. To my belovedfriends, wkofe fouls ; hunger after lincere Milk- bear friendsj , ^ ^ ecn miver [ a ^ ccn " i dition of ibeEartif MankindJ ic : I ^ over-fpread with a blacfcloud WA of darbrufs i and the knowledge °f Peking °f rigbtmjnefs bath WW)®/ been manifejled but in fame few [centered ones, which as they have had the firing in tbemjelves, jo they have been as lights in tbs darke world, and others have warlked in their light, and rejied content to drinkjf their jlreams, as if their declaration of truth had been the very Fountain it [elf. 1 my felf have [nown nothing but what I red- ved by tradition from the mouths & fen of others: Iworfbipped a God, but 1 neither kjiew who he was, nor where be Was, fo that l livedintjoe darke, being blinded by the imagination of my flefband by the imagination of fuel) as Jlandup to teach the people to [now the Lord, andyet have no knowledge of tbe'Lord tbemjelves, but as they have received by bearfay , from their To the Reader. Cbrift ; 1 prayed to a God, but 1 fnew not where be war, nor what he was, and jo walking by imagination, 1 worfiipped that devil!, and called him God ; by reafon whereof my comforts were often fhaken to pieces, and at lafl it was (hewed to me. That while 1 builded upon any words or writings of other men, or while 1 looked after a God without me, I did but build upon the [and, and as yet I knew not the Rock. And now know, friends, That this ignorant, unfettled condition is yours at this time, though I know, that the proud King (j left) that is inyou, will be ready t'ojfeal > within you, and tel!you, that you do know God, and Glorift, and be offended with me, became I fay you know him not. I do not write any thing, as to be a teacher of you, for I (now you have a teacher within your [elves (which is the Spirit J and when your fief) is made fubjed to him, he will teach you all things, and bring ad things to your remembrance, fo that yu (bad not need to run a(ter men for inflruclion, fay our eyes being opened, you (had fee the King of rigbtccufncffc fit upon the thorne within your (telves, judging and condemning the unrighteouf- Jteffe of the fi-.fi), filling your face with fbame, and your joul with horror, though no man fee, or be acquainted withyour actions or thoughts, but your fives, and jufiifying your righteous thoughts and aflions, and had you into ad wales of iruth.. And To the Reader. And this is the Spirit, or Father,*which a he made the Globe, and every creature ; fibe dwels in every creature, but fupremly in Man ; and be it is by whom every one lives, and moves, ; and hath his being ; perfeft man is the eye and \ face, that fees and declares the Father, and he : is perfeS when be is taken up into this fririt , \ and lives in the light of reafon ; and there is no I man or woman can fay that the Father doth not I dwell in him, for he is every where ; there is : not a creature in the compare of the creation, but l he is in that creature, but difobedient man knows : him not, and why ? Becaufeflefh is not fubjeft to I the fririt within it; his covetous flefh hath decei¬ ved him, for he either looby abroad for a God, and fo doth imagine and fancie a God to be in feme particular place of glory, beyond the skies, or fome where be kytows not, or in fame place of glory that cannot be kyiowne te!i the body be laid in the dufl. Or elfe if men do loo f for a God within them, according as the Record freaky. God is within you ; yet they are led by the motions and com - mands of King fl.fb within them, & not by Ring fririt ; and here they are at a Ioffe, not being able to. diftinguifh between flefh and fririt, by reafon that'covetoufneffe and (elf-will blinds their eyes. Truly friends, King flefh is Very covetous, felf-loving, and felflhonorring-, it likes them tb.at.fay as it faith, but it would impti - ■- A 3 fon, To the Reader. fon, hid and bang every one that differs from him-, he is full of heart-turning, either of open] envy, and bitter difemper, or elfe carries bim~\ feife inafmootk, quiet way of bypocrifte, min¬ ing in a (hero of truth, like an AngeU of light, but when he gets an ofpertune power, he turns to be a tyrant, againft the ,way of the ffirit. And fo all bis love was but for by-ends, to , fatisffe [elf in feme particular or other : But now the King of rigjneoufneffe witbinyou, is a meek^, j patient, and quiet ffirit, and full of love and j fjnccrity, kelnrnes up the proud and bafly fle(b,[ be loves truth, and hates a lie ; if the creature ] aUs umighteoujly, he checks andfbames him, if ] he ad rigbtoujly (according to the creation of a \ man) he fpeafs peace within, andfo makes the] man to walk ftncerely, andwarily. And when you come to know, feel, and fee that the ffirit of rigbteoufneffe governs your flefi, then you begin to [now your God, tofeareyour : God, to love your God, and to walke humbly before, your God, andfoto rejoyce in him •, and . therefore if you would have toe peace of God fas you call it) you muff kytow what God it is you' ferve, which is not a God without you, vifible ; among bodies, but the ffirit witbin you , invi -[ fible in every body to the eye of flejb, yet di- j fcernable to the eye of the ffirit ; and when fouls P arc made to have: community With that ffirit, (■ then they have Peace, and mi till then. ! To the Reader- For this let me tell you, that if you fuljeft your flefb to this mighty govtrnour, the jfirit of rigbte- cufnefje within your felves, he will bring you jzBfo community with the whole Globe, fo that in i time you fhall come fo kjiew as)ou are kjiown, 1 mid you fball not need to run after ethers, to I learn of them what God is, for as you are a \ perfect creation, every one of himfelf ; foyou ; fhall fee, and feel that this ffirit is the great \govemur in you, in rigbteoufneffe ; and when | joa come thus to \now the truth, the truth fhall ] mafe you free from the bondage ofeeveteous, and i proud flefb, the Serpent that bolds you under fla- | very all your lifetime. iVeO, as darhysejs bath | over ffread the Earth ( Mankind) fo now U the | time come, that krtowledg fball abound, and ! cover the earthC Mankinde) light begingsto arife, the ff irh begins to appear in flefb, he fpreads himfelf in bis fins and daughters, fi that as the Sun fbines from Eafl to Jfefl 3 fo fhall the appearingof this Son of rigbteoufneffe be ; be comes not now in comers, but openly ; the poor received the Goff el, (which is this ever- lafling ffiril') wife men in the flefb are made fools, fools & made wifi, fiholars are declared to be ignorant, the ignorant ones in mens learn¬ ing, become abundantly learned in the experi¬ ment all knowledge af Cbrifl. I do not writ to teach fl only declare wbatlkpow, you may teach me, for you have the fountaine of life To the Reader. life ‘in you as well as I, and therefore bt is cal -j led the Lord, because he rules not in one, but\ in every one through the globe, and fo we being' many, 'are knit together into one body, and are to be made all of one heart, and one minde, by that one [fir it that enlightens every man. 1 have yeelded to let tbefe few experiences come abroad ,. and partly unwilling 5 bccatife 1 fee more clearly into tbefe fecrets then before I writ them, which teaches me to rejoyce in ftlence, to fee the Father fo abundantly at worky and it fball ceafe Jfeedily for men to (land up as they do to teach one other, for every one [ball be taught of him, and I [ball be as ready to hear# tojfeaf, and to give as to . receive, and every one delighting to do as they :• would be done unto. f This is the King of right eoufnejfe that,(ball | reign in the earth, this is the jfirit that is now | pewring out upon fons and daughters ; though it i yet [eeme {mail it (hall [feedily increafe, and the " Father will not deffife that day of [male things: l proud fiefb[ball die, and reign King andgover- h newt in man no longer : they that have under- ; flanding (new what I fay, others may reproach, and be offended, but after they titve been tryed |- in the fire, which is the [firit, they will ac- | knowledge a truth herein, 'and be made to ffea\ r as a friend to truth. p Your friend, whofe peace, liberty and life, lies in § the fpiritthr governs within the Globe.' ' I Jerrard Winftanly. | But this hind of teaching and teachers muff vanijli : «'- 3 I -34 And though God hath fuffered them and yet a while willfuffer them; for he ftc^upon the throne, there¬ fore let them alone, and wait upon God- Seconly, Others fpake from their own experience, AH-4- 20 of what they have heard and.feen from God, and of vf 65.16 what great things God hath done for their fouls, and this is from God: And it is that miniftry of the Gofpel which God hath put into the hands of men, whereby God doth mightily manifeft himfelf; and if2ny man take up this trade of teaching, to get a living by(fcr preaching is now a dayes become a Jude 12. tra de ) an d fpeaks not from God by experience Zech. j2. what they fpeak j they are clouds without rain, 5 and fuch as meddle with holy things, that as yet they have nodiing to dowith all. But this teaching in Gods time muft vaniih too; for this moon light, that is, conveying knowledge to others by helps and meanes, is tobefwallowedupintothelightofthe fun, and God fhall become all in all, as itisfaid, ~ hn 2 ye fhall be all taught of God, and you need not that ' ‘ any man teach you; for the anointing which Saints ‘ ‘ receive from the Father doth teach them all things. And that prophefie of Jeremiah muft he fulfilled, Jer.^i.^That the time (ball come, that men (hall not teach jfa■ 54.13 one another, faying. Know the Lord, for all (ball know him (by Gods own teaching (from the leaf of Rev 21 tn!m t0 ^ e £ reite ^ > dnd when God and the lamb are 2 , ’ the light of the City, there (hall be no more need of the light of the fun nor of the moon- By the mentioning of fun and moon in this place, God fpeaks to the capacity of men, and points out the whole creation cf night and day, and that all creature-helps and meanes fhould t faile, though they were, or are as glorious helps as the created fun that gives light to the day, or as the created moon that gives light to ( 3 ) the night. And the time lhall come,nay,it is began, that God himfelf Will be the light of men, without creature helps, or iveanes. And fo Paul, feeing that the indwelling of God in man, is, and would be a glorious fun fhine light, faid, That knowledg 1 Cor. (or rather this v. ay of conveying verbal knowledge one to another) {hall ceafe, but love, which is God, endures for ever. But thirdly , The teachings of God fliall never // r . 54,^ ceafe : Gods reaching differs from men very much, lah-6.$$ for men fpeak words to the ear, but God works out the ferpenr, and works himfelf into a man, and fo gives words of a feeling experience to the heart, and caufes the man to fee light in Gods light; as thus, 1 have been proud, envious, and difrontent, and 1 have heard words from men againft thefe, yet in thofe dayes I thought 1 was good, and l knew not thofe evils3 but when God came, and wrought humility, love, arid contentednefs in me, he then taught me to fee, and know by experience what the ftrength of God in me is, which is humility, love, and patience, which hath thrown down the ftrength of the ferpenr, which was pride, envy, and difeon- tent: And this teaching of God I cannot forger, it lob.6.6$ flicks lively in me, though words of men are forgot¬ ten by me ; and thus God takes up the foule more and more into himfelf, and the foule finds much fweetnefs in feeling, feeing, and fenfible under- ftandingthe nature of God working, dwelling, and ruling in him; this is Gods reaching, in making men ' to know, and toenioy God, and this fhall conti- ■ nue ; for the foule lhall ever be learning what God ' is,and fhal be more and more fed wiih this teacing; and as the divine being, is infinite in alibis atrrb- bures, fo the teachings of God in a foule lhall be infinite? without end 3 for God will ftill be leading 'steefs,. • ■ ' . If 2 the 17 * the foak to know by experience the my ft eric of God more and more: this 1 (ay is G 0 D S teach¬ ing. And without Gods teachings in this kinde,all the loh.6- 45 teachings of men wil do no good,for hence it is that Jer. 51.34 there are fo many Hypocrites amongft profeffors, 1 Iobn 2 . r h ejr k now m u C h in the letter, as men teaches them; 1 7 ‘ but they know nothing in fpirimal power, which bbn 15. S j 5 t f, e wa y t h ac God teaches. And truly let me tel you if this power of God be wanting, you will feel an indinablenefs in you to give way to every evil a (Si¬ on, when a temptation thereunto is before you; for though a man know from the letter that injufticc coveteoufnefs, rafia anger, hardntfs of heart toward others, and undeannefs of the tiefh are evil; and that the wrath of God will break forth upon fuch as commit fuch Sc fuch evils. And though he know like- Sal.5 22 wife from the fecter, that Juftice Faith, Meekndfe, 2 fix. 2- and renderneffeoffpirir, holinefie and chafticie are 2 5, good, yet this very man will be ready, nay ftrongly drawne by the powers of his flefh to do the evil!, and refufe the good, unlefie the powers of God be eftablifhed in him, and be his keeper; As thus, The power of juftice delivering him from the power of injuftice; the power ofameekeandpatientfpirk delivering him from the power of pettifn froword- nefie; the power of chafticie delivering him from rhe power of undeannelfe : for this is the Anoint¬ ing, or that Son of God ruling, a Kingofrighte* oufnefle and peace within you, that fees you free. Aud truly when God is pleafed to fee yon free £$■ 3. 20 from the Serpenr, and to let yon fee and feel his di¬ vine power thus ruling in you, your heart and tongue cannot be filenc, but you will with life, delight, ijjd power be chearfnlly returning praifes to your heavenly Father, that hath made your na- Eure conformable tohisfon ]efus Child- Another thing let me tell you, and truly it Is to let you fee what danger you are in, if you only know the letter, and want the power of God, if you hear Pahl fptak,that Believers are not under tile ° Law of workes, but under the Law of love , and * if you hear the Saints of God fpeak ouc of experi¬ ence that Chrift hath fee them free, i Now obferve, 1 fay, you that only hear the letter, or outward report, and do apprehend, and can ! fpeak againe what you hear, you begin to think 1 your felves fomebody, l fpeak to you that think fi you are free, and yet are not: Here is afelfcoh- I 7 - ceit prefenrly arifes in you, for knowledge in the letter only pufts up, and this is one danger but this -is not all. For now this wife flefh will be yet prefuming,and ' will argue thus within thy heart, God hath fee us .. free from the Law of works, we (hall neither be condemned nor faved by that, for we are under 'grace that is the law of Chrift, and therefore faith ; the flefh, thou maift take thy pleafure, that which ; was fin formerly, while thou wait under the law of , works, is now no fin while thou art under the law ‘ of love : This is the temptation, and now thou aft upon tryall. : But if the Son fet thee free, he doth not only fet the free from the Law, but from the Serpent too; not only from Gods Law, of Do this and live, buc fiom the Serpents law of works too; for thy proud | flefh would be reconciled to God by his workings, but this is rhy bondage, and it fhali not. And if thy thoughts run, that thou art freed from Gods condemning Law or works, and yet findeft no power of God within, calling outtheftrong man, truly for the prefent the father of lies the fub- till ( 6 ; till flelh hath deceived tliee. This tickling delight cf thy fltfh, is the fume Serpent that tempted Adim \ if thou eat hereof, that is, if thou joy a hands, and take delight accord¬ ing to the whifperings thereoi, as r o he unjuft, fecretly to feek revenge, to be unclean, or adulte¬ rous, or the like, that prorate much pleafure, but cannot perform, for it will throw thee into the fire, that is under the lafhes of Gods law, which thou thought thou waft freed front- But if thou have fuch whifperings, and finde ftrength to rejeff them, thou wilt then fee by expe¬ rience, that the ftrength of God is ftronger then the flelh: I belive the dear.fervencs of God are much tempted for my own particular, 1 can hardly hear a fin named, hue 1 have been tempted t'oit} but I have found the teachings of God very ufefull, and the only power cf the Father at fuch times hath kept me from wicked aftions. Wei,if thou finde that the power of God in thee, which is ftneerity and truth treads the afpiringof injuftice in thee under foot} and the power of God, i , which is chaftirie, treads adulterous, unclean entice- _o/;r,.B,35 raen:5 un der foot - , and the power of God, which is love, treads envy and heart burning grudge under foot ; and the ftke ; This is the vvifdomeand posv- I 33'3 er of G~d, even that Son of iighteoufnefle that lets you free ', for this is the powetfuil oylerhat was poured upon the Head, Jefus Chrift, and runs downe to the loweft member. This power of God within thee, anfwers the whifperings cf that lyar the fleflt within thee, and re's thee, it is true, thou art not under the law of Rm. 6. '' 7 °fks to be condmned or faved by it, but thou art j,,. under the law of love and hoiineflfe- Thewifdome and power of God is thy keeper} is God unrighte¬ ous, ( 7 ) ous, i? God froward', is God envious, is God un¬ clean, or doth he take delight in ftrangeflefh, or in any c eature without himfelf, or doth he not de¬ light in himfelf, in whom there is all glory? Indeed friends, minde what I tell.you, The flefh alwayes delights in itsfelf, and in the enjoy- Heb-l-i ment of creatures •, but the power of God in thee al- ivayes glories, and delights in God, and tindes 1 Cor• I. reft in none bnt in God. 3 1 * I fpeake this, becaufe I know that this is the moft fubtil, molt enfnaring, and moft dangerous temptation of the profcffing flefh of any I know: And if God appear to be your ftrength at this time of tryal> you will then fay feelingly, and with a rejoycing thankfull heart, O the mighty God in¬ deed is myftrengih, I had been unjuft, theevifh, envious, proud,• given to all uncleannefle of the flefh, but ihe power of Gods truth, love, humility, and chaftirie hath calf this ftrong man armed out} In£eii« and now I fee what trurh is, what chaftirie is, 21. what love to enimies is, what tmeeriry is j this is the power of God, this is the anointing, this is the King of righteoufnefie that rules in earth, this is the Son that ha th fet me free, will keep me: every particular meafure of this fweet power of God are fo many particular Angels of light, or manifelta- tion of love fent from the father, to be my keeper: Well, I only mention this experience, that men may paize Gods teachings more then they have, and to be afraid of mens techings when Gods is wanting; for truly the moft glorious Preacher, or profeffor of literal gofpel, either are, or will prove the fubtileft hypocrites, if this power of God be not their ftrength and life, for without God we can do nothing, and by him we are able to do all things. Some ( 8 ) Some truths I fhall here write, which brought along with them much life and peace into my heart, when God fenc them downe into me, (or rather when he tooke me up inro them (and caufed me ro behold, and feed upon the glory of them : But l do not write to teach any one my words to be their knowledge, for whac I know, 1 fpeake, and leave ilok. i. u P°n the fpirit of the Reader, that if he fiinde 14. the fame workings of God in him, his joy may be confirmed by a witnefie, and fo fulfilled ; that more hands rtlay be lifted up together ro fet die Crowne upon our God, and that more mouths may iieo.5.13 be opened, to fing Alleluja, and prayfcs of honour to our Father, and to the Lamb for evermore. It is very poffible, that a man may attain to the literal knowledge of the Scriptures of the Prophets and Apofties, and may fpeak largly of the Hiftory thereof, and draw conclulions, and raifemany ufes for the prefenc fupporc of a troubled foul, or for the reftraining of lewd praCifes, or for the direc¬ tion of a civill converfation, and yet both they that fpeak, and they that hear, may be not only unacquainted with, but enimies to thac Spirit of truth, by which the Prophets and Apofties writ. For it is not the Apofties wrirings, but the 1 lab. 5. 6 fpirit that dwelt in them that did infpire their hearts, which gives life, and peace to us ail: And therefore when the Prophets, Jeremiah , E^ekjet, and ijauh fpake what they faw from God, they fpake; thus faith the Lord, out of experience of what they faw, and felt, and they were called true Prophets. But when others rife up, that fpake their words and writings, and fo applying them to another age, and generation .of men, faying, Thus faith the - Lord, as the other did, yet they were called falfe Picphsrs, becanfe they had feen nothing ihemfelves fronj (?) from Godj but walked by the legs, and faw by the eyes of the “true Prophets ; for God doth 110c threaten death to every City in every age of the world, as to Sodome and Gomorrah ; neither cap¬ tivity to every people, as he did to Ifrael; under Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon } neither doth he pro- 2 Chrok ., mife victory and deliverance to every Array or 20. 15,15, people from enemies, as he did to Ifraelin Jefofa- 17. pbatsume- , . . . Now if any man fpeak and allure others of vi&ory, Norn- 23-7 when God purpofes deftruftion, or fpeaks of diftru- tion, when God porpofes a vftory ; ,thefe men fpeak at random^ and though they fpeak the very words of the Icriptures, yet they fpeak not the minde of hint that gives life, or deftroys, andfo having feen nothing from him, they are to be reckoned among falfe Prophets, that run before they be fent, though their words be many and eloquent. • A man may know the Scriptures as they are writ- I 0 hn 5,45. ten, and yet be a ftranger, yea, an oppofmg enimie to the God of the Scriptures, as the jews were, they knew the writting of Mofes, who writ of Jefus iCor. 2.8, Chrift, and yet they perfecuted, and killed Jefus Chrift, when he who was the great Prophet was come, becaufe they knew him not 5 for if they had known him to have bin the great power and wif- dom of Gcd, they would not have killed him. And fo many now a dayes do, and may know the Scriptures of the Gofpel, and yer may and do .. perfecute the fpirit of the Gofpel through ignorance and unbelief i truly friends, it is not the know¬ ledge of the Scriprures only, but the knowledge of tile God of the Sctpture, as God is pleafed to make j known himfelf by his Almighty working in you,that gives life and peace to youjif you know,or an fpeak B of (jo) of Scriptures, and have feen nothing of God, you are like Parars, that fpeak the words ot an¬ other as you have been taught by humane educati¬ on- But if the fame anointing, or power and wifdome E{htf 3 - 5 * of God dwell and rule in you as did appear in die Prophets and A pottles that writ, then you can fee into that myfterie of the Scripture (which is God manifeft in flefh) and fo can fpeak the minde of the Scriptures, though you thould never fee, hear, nor read the Slip cures from men. If your*peace and comforc in God fhould only remain with you while you are either hearing, or reading Scriptures, or while you have the fociety of fuch as can fpeak or difcourfe thereof, and then finde again that your comfort and peace is gone, when you are deprived by any occafion ofthar fociety of Sabirs; truly let me tell you, that though you prize and know the Scriptures, yet there is a great ftrangnelfc between you and the God of the Scriptures. It hath been fuch a time with me, and I fee it is, thus with others at this very day •, let them enjoy outward hearing, reading, and liberty in prayer, and Saints communion, and they are in peace, and they live in heaven as they conceive,and it is a fweet life, but it is not The life; for if the wifdom of God hedge up all thofe enjoyments with Thornes, and leave thefe poor fouls alone, as ic was Chrifts cafe, all forfook him and flea, and left him alone to ftandintheniidftofenimies', why truly here is your tryall, for God hath den; ed you the opportuni- :its of hearing, readi. praying, and Saints fellow- fhip.j aud doth not your heart iro .v look after thofe helps, and mourn in their abfeace ? if fo, as I know ins with you, then where is your knowledge, ex- perieua, . . («*):,. perience, and-your peace in, and with God; ic/A-32.12. Ihews plainly that at fuch a time we fucked refrefh- wd 2 8.p. ment from the creatures breafts, but not from God. Or further, when you have all opportunities to hear, to read, to pray , and to communicate with Stints in their Societie, and yet if God denie you peace and life under all this enjoyment, then you begin to mourn, to fee your barrennefie and condi¬ tion , like a fruiclefie Fig-tree, or ruinous Wilder-* neffe; which is well it is thus with you, Godwin have you lie here for a while under this bondage j before lie give you liberty > and if it be thus with you, as I know it is, then were is your reft and peace in God ? for truly God will rake up his people into fych a height of glory, that he. will make them lie ■ down in reft and peace in him, when no vifible help ■ ; ; - or means appearwhen there is no Cows in the Stalls, nor blofiomes on the Vine, when no creature 17, ipeaks peace, but every creature is barren of giviHg refrelhment, then God will make his people to fuck life from him, who is the God of their fajvirion. Well, when 1 was under your bondage, my God, whoisthebeft teacher of erring fouls, let me fee that I refted firft upon outward helps and means,and fach as you call Ordinances, though I thoughc noc fo, but wjs offended at any that told me I lefted thereupon. And when God gave me thofe enjoyments, and yer denied me a heart to fuck fweerneffe from them, or rather withheld their fweemefle from my heart, then I was troubled to fee my barrennefie ; And if atanyrimeGodwaspleafedtolet a beam of light and peace fliine into me, and gave the enlargement of heart, then I thought my felf to know God', hut wlieifthis fun was clouded again,then ! was in bond¬ age again. .2 Well, (l2) Well, here God taught me that I knew him not, but that I knew his gifts, and the beams of his pre- fence that he fent down to refrefh my drooping fpi- rit, and that I refted in thofe beams, not in him that was the fun from whence thofe beams come 3 And this 1 know is your condition, who know tile Seri- . ptures it may be at your fingers-ends, as we fay, and that you are unacquainted as yet with the God of the Scripture. i;e not offended with this expref- fion, for it is a truth, and your fouls either do or will know It to be ttue. Job.$-$6. Eut when Gods time is to fet you at liberty from yotir bondage (for he works when he will, not when you will) then you (hall find this frame of fpirit in #<6.4.3: you, That if God denie you all outward means and helps, and Saints communion, yet you are content, and reft in him who is your portion, your teacher, and who you find, fee, and feel is prefent wi th you* And if you find an emptinefs,that you cannot un- Col. 1.15- derliand nor fpeak,yet you are content (though you * 5 * ' were not content formerly) and you reft in your Fa¬ thers will till he give you nnderftanding of fuch and fuch myfteries, or till he give you power to fpeak or 1 Cot . t. - anc j y 0U have as much peace to eye God, and to wait upon him, and reli in him , as if you were full ofaftings, or enjoyed much of the Saints com¬ munion 3 fo that you are taken oft from either glo¬ rying in the prefence, or mourning in the abfcnce of any creature help, or fruit. If you never fee the faces of the Saints, but live in prjfon, inawilder- nclfe, or in fome private place, yet you are at reft in God, you are farisfied in him, and you glory Lu\s 2i- onely in his prefence 3 and if he feem to withdraw 13, See. from you, by flaking his hand in giving difeoveries, you know he is your Father ftill, he doth not with¬ draw in anger, but in wifedom and love, .for your good, 03 ) good, that he may teach you more experiences, for that foul that God purpofes to give plencifull ex¬ periences unto, it is his will to caft that foul ofren, intoftraits; but yet you are content, and wait quietly in fpiric, till he fpeakand appear in power- fnll prefence, both in you, and to yon. Now in the midft of fhcfe Nationall hurly burlies, if you want riches, food, or clothing, if you want com¬ munion of good people, and fuch like creature-con¬ tentments, and yet for all that you can reftquiec in God, and be at peace in him, and you know he is your Father, and that it is his will to caft you in¬ to fuch ftrairs: Why now you are able to fay, That to reft and lie down in God alone, is the fweeteft . reft that ever you tafted of. CHAP. II. W E fee in thefe dayes the bottomlelfe pit is opened, and the myfterie of iniquitie is begun co be made manifeft to men ; That is.corrupt r flelh is laid open to the view of fuch as God mani- 2 . fefts his wifdom and power in; arid the fecret work¬ ings of this wife, but corrupt flefh appears very, plen¬ tifully by the fpreading forth of unbelief, hypocri- fie, envy, cruelty, flavtlh fear of men, and in . fiiame to own God and his wayes, and by violent and fubtil endeavouring to wear out the appearance of God in man , and to deftroy the mightie and the holy people i firlt by flanders, lies, and bad names, and then threatening, and likewife endeavouring to deftroy them all by the fword. By reafon whereof, fome through weaknelfeare troubled, and a flavilh fear doth pofiefle them, that the fincere hearted ones lhall fuffer much in thefe B 3 trouble-. rronble-fome times. Indeed I believe God may fuf- fer fome few of his Saints to endure wafting in their eftates, and may give ttp rile libertie and lives of their bodies into the hands of wicked men: Yea,but the number of Saints are limited , and the length of their fufferiugs are limited s all the Saints fhallnoc die , neither ihali the fufterings of foftie be ahvayes, for the devil muft ca(t but fome into prifon (hot all) Rtv.i.io and there (hall be tribulation but ten dayes, a little *r. while, not alwayes. And therefore you fee, while Pharaoh didonely oppreffe lfrael,God fullered Pha¬ raoh to live, but when his malice rife fo high ( or rather his fpirit fell fo low from Godward) as to de- ftroy all lfrael at the red Sea with open mouth, then Goiappeared to preferve his fon , even to deliver £ tad-14- lfrael, and drowned Pharaoh and all theHoftof 5 - th'ofe rifers in the red Sea > and when this ftorm was over, God fet lfrael in a condition of greater liber¬ tie and freedom, from the oppreflion of enemies P/il.83. then ever he was in before. And in King Davids 4 * time, when the uncircumcifed Nations endeavoured, to deftroy not onely here and there one, but began to ftrike at the root, and fought to deftroy all lfrael, that the name of lfrael might be had no more in re- memberance, then God arpeared for their prote- fiion. Even fo, while the myfterie of iniquitie, which rules iu the unbelievers of our dayes, have fought to wear out formerly fome of his Saints by High Com- miftion Courts, Stffions, Canon Laws, Whips, Prifons, and death, God let them alone, he had appointed fome of his Lambs and Sheep for fitch a daughter; as in the time of Martyrdom, not all, but fome were (lain, here and there one, and God fuller¬ ed it. But when malice, and the hypocritical! fubtil flefh ftrike (* 5 ) ftrilre at all; and not onely Mordecai, that tor¬ ments proud Hamm, muft die, but all Mmkwet friends and people- Nofc onely Chrift mu(r8re,buc Ltrjnm, or any that is Chrifts friend muft be put to death, and fuffer coo ; As in thefe dayes unbe¬ lief in men will deftroy all Gods people j it is the general! language of all the fcoffing fons of bondage, they will deftroy all the free born Iftacs, under thofe reprochfull names of Round-heads, Anaba- ptifts, Independents; nay, there were fome that were not afhamed to fay, that when theCountreys rife againft the Parliaments Army, they would de¬ ftroy men, women, and children of the Indepen¬ dent party, and root them all out- Alas poor crea¬ tures, God may fuffer you to do fomething in this kind, but you fhall find that God will hide his peo¬ ple under the fhadow of his wings, and when you have killed all, yet thofe that you would kill fhall be left alive- For as God made the Nations formerly to kill one another, while Ifrael looked’on, and were faved Judg. 7. from their malice: Even fo God can make an out- 19. fide-proftfling-iervice-book-man, to kill an outfide- ■ profefiing Presbyter, and Godtnay fuffer an outfide- profeflfing Presbyter, to kill an hypocritical! Inde¬ pendent , and fo make the feed of the Serpenc to • Iheath theirfwordsin onaanothers bowels, while his fincere hearted ones, fcattered abroad in the Kingdom, fhall ftand and look on, and be preferved, by Gods protefting care, from the danger- For you hot fpirited men, if you will believe Scripture, which you Idolize fo much, for you pre¬ fer thofe writings before the God of the Prophets and Apoftles; you fhall find that God told E^ekjsl, 33, That when Gog and Magog purpofed to deftroy Gods 14. People when they were at reft, and dwelt ac eafe, why faith God, when my people are at refl thou jhalp • B 4 nit tusi\noroit, but IwiI!fanllifie my felf upon thee, 0 GotUMore their eyes. AnPo let thefe hoc fpirtted people in thefe dayes do the worft they can, they fhall never deftroy all Keveh t. Gods people out of the Land, God will have his wlt- tielTes to rife up, that (hall torment thefe inhabitants of the earth,for though God fufier perfection,feoffs, reprochfull names and oppreflion, yet he will not MVr a final! rooting out ofhis Saints. For if the Nations of old could not root out lf- rtel after the ilefh, which were one fingle nation, vi¬ able among all the nations of the earth, though they did endeavour it; neither can you now, you hot fpi- rired people, root out all the Saints, much idle, you will find ic now the more difficult,for now the Saints do not live all in one Nation, but are fe'attered through all Nations, kindreds, tongues, and People", The appearance of God among them is not altoge¬ ther in out-ward formall worlhip, and Temple fer- vice, as it was to the Jews, vifible to the eye of the world. ' • Bur the appearance of God now, is in the Saints, l Job. a.l. t ^ ac they worfnip the Father in fpirit and truth, in i.ic. ^ a fe cret manner as the eye of the world cannot, 3 ' ' nor does not alwayes fee; And therefore though the tnyfterie of iniquitie feek to kill all, as thefe unbe¬ lievers that are the aftours thereof do fay they will, yet they cannot, becaufe they cannot know them i And when they have killed all as they think, if God fhould fuller them to aft their bloudy intents and words,yet in condufion ic will appear, that the ene¬ mies kill one another, and fpiritnall Ifrael will be preferved; Herod killed all the children about two Mcttb-2. years old. I, but the Child Jefuswhom he fought- j2, chiefly to kill, was gone, fent by God far out of He- rods reach ; and when it fhall appear in conclufion, that they have killed their own hypocritical! people, and and the fmcere hearted, whom they aymed at are efcaped, their vexation will increafe, and they will die with forrow- Therefore now judge if God be not the chief fnf- ferer, becaufe they will not leave God a f ed on earthyou Saints of God, be noc troubled to hear that your neighbours will plunder Jnd kill you, and root all i/r ad out of the land, they cannot do it, God will fighr for you againft them, the caufe is 2 Cbm- God?, not yours - , And in feeking your mine, they 20.15, &c. will pull their own mine fpeedily upon themfelves, Pharaoh thought to deftroy Ifrael , and his own de- ftruftion, which he thought leaft upon, was accom- plilhed. Be not troubled at thefe threatnings, but ftand (Till, wait with a quiet peaceable heart on God, and fee what a deliverance he will work fpr you j Allure Exod. 14." yoarfelves I fee God working a great deliverance 13. for you, your number fhall increafe, the number of bloody minded men fhall decreafe, therefore do you meet God by faith, and honour him, by own¬ ing him in the middeft of thefe (formes; the enjoy¬ ment of your riches, friends or bodily life doth noc make you happy , nor the lode of thefe cannot make you mlferable; if you have thefe, it is the enjoy¬ ment cf God within, that gives you a Tweet ufe of them without; if all be taken front you, ir is your Fathers will to fuft'er it, and he will be honoured by it, your opprefhons and fuftcrings will bring glory to him; And if you lofe your life, then your work is done, therefore ftand fiill with comfor, in the place and condition, God hath put yon in And fay, Father, do with my efface , my body, my,life,'what thou wilt, honour thy felf in me, and by me, and thy will be done. Now if once God hath brought your fpirit ro this frame, then God is glorified on your behalf, for now the glory of 1 Pet. 4. Chrift, the King of righteoufnefle hath fubdued the 13.14. Serpent r and isrevealed in you. But God is evil fpoken of, and doth fuller on their behalf that per* fecute- Now know you weak ones, that it is not you, but God, who is rhe greareft long fufterer in thefe times; it is not men, but the appearance of God in men, 2 Thef.2. "'h' c h the myfterie of iniquitie ftrives againlt, for do . '' you not fee how the fpirit of lies would root out the fpirit of truth , the fpitit of envy would root out Revel.12. 'he fpirit of love , the fpirit of hypocrifie would ^ root out the fpirit of finceritie, the fpirit of pride, ’ and felf honouring, would root out the fpirit of humilitie that honours God, the fpirit of felf-wijl would root out the fpirit of meeknefs and patience, that wairs upon the will of God, the fpirit of un¬ faithful rafhnefs and difconrent, would root out the fpirit of quiemefs, that is at reft in God/ the the fpi rit of greedy covetoufneffe, injuftice and op* t preffiou, would root out the fpirit of joftice and tendernefie that-dcpends upon God. And in one word, the myfterie of iniquitie Bead , worifh fpirit, or fiefh, having a time given him of God, to aft and (hew its wifdom and power, ftrives might and tnaine to root out all appearance of God out of mankind. But alas poor Serpent, thou muft die thy felf, Gods time is near expired that he gave thee, and he is rooting thee out of man-kind, and ferem.22. tonfumiegin the fire of his wrath; for he will be* i come the Lord our righteoufneffe, and dwell in flelhhimfelf; this is Gods myfterie, which he is in and about to make publickly manifeftamongft men. But as yet hypocrifie raignes, and would raign as Kings And fmcetitie, which is God, is laughed to fcorne. The national peace and libercie is pre¬ tended (that is, the catward (hew of love to God ) but 09 ) but fecretly moft men, both of high and low de- gree, intend either to inrifch themfelves with the Kingdomes moneys and mines , or eife by their fe- Cret underhand workiiig, endeavour to vent their malice upon the Kingdoms friends, even the Saints- And alas poor blind creature, you work your own ruine i take Lot our of Sodome , and the vengeance of Gods Law falls immediatly, therefore you weak ones that are troubled, take notice, That God is mod perfected, hated, and fought againft in thefe dayes, for th* plaine truth is, the myfterie of ini- quitie would not have the God of love to have any appearance in earth j So that God is the greaceft fnfterer. And therefore that truth which my foul moft drives at, is this which follows: that though God fuf- ftr mod , yec it is not againft his will, but with his Job 1.12. will; And that this fpirit of darkneffe, or myfterie Daa. 12. of iniquitie, that fights againft God, hath no power 7 * to aft like it fe!f, till God limit him that power, , and limit him a time to aft that power in. And here I (hall fhew in my experience, what I fee and know the Devil is} And what the power of the Devil is» and by what power lie workes. The Devil or father of lies, in the full body of him, is unrighteous flcfli, and the imaginations thereof. He is that Beelzebub that faramongthe Gen- 31 $» fons of God, that is, among the five fences or fpi- Job 1. 6 . ritual! lights, which God hath fet in the foulfor the imagination of llcfli will nor fubntic it feiftoGod, but is found a chief encmie againft him. And the pride of the flefh, envy, flavifh fear, diftmft , hyhocrific, carnall thoughts,felflove,and- the like, are particular Devils, that firft imices the Jaw. 1.14* foul, and afterwards brings him to trouble, and every one of thofe have pat ticular degrees, like le¬ gions of Devils, which holds the creatnre man, in bondage. While C*0 While a man en joyes his lulls, he hath a feeming peace within himfelf. But when the holy law ap¬ pears to difcover thofelurking Devils, then begins the creatures torment and llaverie > And this lets me fee what the enmitie of nature is between God and me- The enmitie in flcfb, it is thefpiritofenvy and darknefle, which is Gods oppofite, as darkneffe is oppolite to light, and heat oppofite to cold. And this works in the creature, man , to maintain its un¬ love II. clean being, inoppofitien to the Ifcing of God. 22. And while it hath its libertie, fmfull man is in peace- Bur when God pleafes that the declaration of righte- oofnefle fhall take hold upon that enmitie, it throws die finner prefently nnder forrows, and breakes his peace to pieces. And this is that which the Scrip¬ tures in my experience calls the Devil or murtherer; Even the enmitie that is in my nature againft God, Epbef- 2. which threw me under the flaihings of Gods rightc- i Jj id* ous law, which was enmitie againe me, and this I fhall endeavour to dear. CHAP. Ill* B Ut firft of all, what is the righteous Law here co be under flood ? I anfwer; It is not the words of the letcer, called the ten Commandments, and therein onely bound up: But it is the manifefta- Ife- 8. 20. tions of God in all, or any one of his Attributes, fhining forth upon, and in his creature, endeavour¬ ing by his fpirituall power to fwallow up all the mo¬ tions and imaginations of the flelh into God, And fo burning up, (by the fpirit of burning) all the drofs of the fldh, that the creature may appear pure gold- As thus, the manifeilation of Gods wifdome 2 C«r. 5.4 to the heart, is diieftly oppofite to the wifdpme of the (20 tfie flefh, and declares it to be folly , which inward difcoverie troubles and Iharnes the man > though none fee and know it but himfelf. The manifdta- tions.of Gods love, humilitie and truth , is directly oppofite to the carnall love > carnall humilitie, and unrighteoufneffe of the flefh- The chaftiuie and ho* linefle of God lets a man fee his nncleanneffe and hi- I Cor. 15. thy lull. Thefmcer'uieofGod, fhining forth up- 54. on the heart , difcovers its hypocrilie, and fo of all other manifeliations of God , being darted into the heart by the father", He declares the creature his weaknefie, and that every way he comes (hort of the glory of God, by reafon whereof the creature is fil¬ led with hoi ror and torment, which the eye of o- ther men fees not, but hands and admires- So then (here lies the myflerie, though to me it is an unfolded truth, for I freak what I know-) The Serpent or proud fltfb, in all the imaginations o( it, endeavours to maintain its corrupt feif, and to (wal¬ low up the Law of God , which is the pure fpirit- But the Law of God, which is thewifdbmeand. power of God , manifcfted in all the branches of it, to, and in the heart,'doth fwallow up the other in¬ to himfelf, and deftroyes and confumes all the powers of the flefh,and becomes the King of righte- Jtr. 23.5. oufncfTc, ruling and dwelling in flefh. Secondly, what is the power of the Devil, and by what power doth he work? Ianfwer: This is not a power diftinft from God , as 1 have thought, that the Devil is a middle power between God and R°m. 7 - 9 * me, but it is the power of my proud flefh, and the See. power of Gods holy Law, doling together, the one fighting againlt the other, and flew me, and held me under bondage, as thus j God bids the heart truft in him by inward whifpe- rings, the-heart not knowing God, lool^ after the creature, and thinks it cannot live without money, lands. lands, help of men and creatures i This is the De* vil that tempts. Well, the pure fpirit, or holy law within tells the heart, he muft be ftripped of all thefe, and truft providence for fubfiftence j the heart while it hath ufe and plenty of all thefe, faith, yes, I will truft God for everything- Yea, but when riches faile, friends frown, men withdraw help, and begin to fpeak evil, and to hate, and the heart fees ic muft truft in God, or ftarve, and yet it can¬ not , he hath no power, ilavifh fear and unbelief is fo ftrong in him, then ic begins to finck} And it reafons thus, I Cor. 4. 1 have no riches, no cerrain dwelling place, no 11. way to get a fubliftence, I am crofted in all, I have Mat-S-so. no cordiall friend, no fuccour from men ■, if any PfaL 41. kern to fuccour me, ic is for their own ends, and p. when they have got what they can from me , they leave me, and turn enemies; fo that the heart fees he is left alone, and in this low eftate, fear and Pfil.%2.2. diftruft^cwo ftrong Devils, buffets the poor creature, FfaL6p. 2 and farces his fpirit flat, for he fees nothing fulfil¬ led to him, he feeles no power from God, and his fpirit droops. So that here is depth of miferie in the hearrs appreheniion, it is hedged in with fol¬ lows on every fide. Let him look to men and creatures, and there is no help, all hath forfaken hint, and ftands aloof off'; let him look within hintfelf, and he fees nothing but ilavifh fear, and unbelief, qtieftioning the truth and power of God, how can fuch things be ? and fo beating him off from quiet clofing with God, buc labouring to make a breach between God and him- Hib.12,6. feif. Well, thy fpirit is fuil ofianguilhing, this is • a very low ebb, but thou art not forfaken of the fa¬ ther , though thy perf.vafion is much fnaken > the reafon of all is this, The pure Law of the fpirit is fetching and burning np the unbelief of thy flefh, {n) t'o make thee know God, and to make tfiee bright in the eyes of God and men hereafter. Now fpeak, if this be not true, you that have waded in , or through this hie, fome are wading in this fire, few have waded through it, all mult be burned herein, {fa. I2< (Si . mure or leife, before they lie down quietly in the lap of providence. Well,this is the power of darknefie and bondage, Col. i.ij. under which the Devil, or troubles within, doth buft’etyou- The power of my unrighteous flefh ftrives to maintain the kingly power in me, and the rigfreous Law, or the purefpirit fttives to maintain in his own righreous and kingly power in me, by rredding the other under foot; if proud flefh ftand, rhen the King of glory in me mnfi. be deftroyed,buc if he keep the field, and raign in me, then the head of my tioubles, which is the Serpent, muft be bruifed ) And this is the enmitie of natures between God and me, this is the Devil j and the power of this Devil, or enmitie, doth nor work without th? will, but according to the will of God, in killing the difobedient creature j when the ferpent in flefh kills, then the creature, man, dies from God : buc when the Law comes and kills, then the creature begins to live again to God- the flefh and darknefle within me, is the Devil, Rev.ll.p tliar is, the father of lies, that never fpoke truth* And the power of the perfeft law taking hold there¬ upon,, threw me under forrow , and fealed up my mifetie, and this is utrer darknefie, for my foul lived below the life aud nature of God in fin and difobe- dtence, and while that ftrong man kept the. houfe, I had peace, and I lived below the comforts and joyes of God, in forrows and miferie, under the fence of Gods wrath for that fin, and then my finfull peace was taken from me: And this is Hell, yea, and ex- rremteieof the power of darknefie- c*4) But this Devil is’not a middle power, diftinft from God, between God and the creature, and fo waits as a Gaoler to do his Office when die Judge condemns the tinner, as fomc fay, and as 1 thought j but it is the power of proud flefh, and the power of the pure fpirit mixing together s not as friends, 5 e/i,3.24. but enemies, oppofing each other, and fo killing the weaker party, the creature, and taking peace from him. And chough God fuller the Devil to aft, and gives him a power fometimes over the creature, E$ef. 2. yet God doth fuffer it, not to ruin his creature man, bur to ruin the Devil, to bruife that ferpents head, and to reconcile the creature to himfjelf, and fo to raife him up to enjoy the life of God, that 15 dead under the power of the Devil* This proud fleffi, or Devil, is ailed the wicked one, in his fcverall degrees, in man-kind, which is rhe ferpent, which bends his bow, and nukes ready his arrowes, that he may ffioot privily at him that is upright in heart, that is ,at the appearance of God in the heart of man, in every degree and meafure of it. This is that envious, unclean, and wicked man that gathers to himfelf, and that fcartiers fromCHriftj for let a man , in whom any meafure of this ferpent rules, preach, pray, bear rule, or do any thing, he gives not the honour to God , bur he gathers up the honour to himfelf, for he is full of felf feeking, and felf praife , and this it rhe wicked one, whether lie be Iicrleor big; And God is angry with this wicked one every day: And this lordly power of the fer¬ pent muft be killed, before the manifelfations of the fathers of love favour fweet to the creature* ^56.8.44. This is the father of lies, this is the tempter, this 2 Tfcef.2 4 is he that deceives the Nationsthis proud flefh that Rev. 17.5. would fit in Gods Temple, and be as God, is themy- Rev. 20. fterie Babylon, the mother of all abominations, this ?.io. is r 25 j is the fir!! mover to all enmitie againftGod, for it will noc own the Father, the King of glory- But now it is the righteous Law that makes this appear to be enmitie i for light difcovers darkneffe, and the fpirit of fire difcovers coldneflfc. Now the great myfterie of God is this, he will remove this great Hone or mountain that lies between him and his creature; for he will fwallow up his own difpenfa- tion of wrath, as the creature calls it, which is the l.aw of holinefl'e, p'Oving the creature a (inner, and fo calling him under forrow, which is fenfe of wrath, and he will fwallow up the enmity of out natures in- Ephefi 2. to love, even into himfelf, and fo to make of two , 15. one, when this mixed murderer is calf out of hea¬ ven. And this Devil, or murderer appears, fome times within a man , in troubling and filling the heart and flclh with forrows and mifery; and fometimes he ap¬ pears without: when the fpirit of proud tielh mo¬ ther men envies me, God may , and many times gives way that that fpirit of envie fhall go forth and profper, and enjoy his will p for if the envie, hy« P’ocrifie, and cruelty that breaths in others be afttd upon me, it is not the will of that envious fpirit for ■tiy ruine , but rhe will of God is done, in (tillering that fpirit to aft for its own 1 nine , and my healing: And rruiy 1 have a great ptrfw.tlion , that though God fuller this undean fpirir to run up and down, sad range in this Kingdom of Ergland, yet God will ileal England in conclufion , and caff this Devil or unclean fpirit into the lake of fire, and fo confume him. , • . ‘ There is one Scripture that gives great light into id this truth- The Devil , trouble:, or fpirit of dark- . uetfe in other men did envie Job , ( which indeed is hut the imagination of proud envious fltfh, for this is Beelzebub that devifes mifehief ) god told God s Q that if he would lay his hand upon him, lob would curfe him to his face, Imagination thought (arifmg from envy)that affiiftions would be a means to make a breach between God and lob , as thofe wicked nun did imagine in Wifdrn 2.-2 1< Well, God faid Amen to the rc quell of that evil fpirit, behold, faith God to the Devil, lob is in thy hand,even under that very power of temptation and fullering as thou wouldft have him to be under, onely touch not his life; fo that here is a power limited to Satan, or to the envy of tklh in other men againft lob , but this power is not Satans power properly, diftincf from God, bur it is the very power of God, which the God of wifdom hath given and limited co Satan, whereby God «ill honour himfelf, and fhame the Devil, and bruife his head hy lobs fufterings. The fpirit of envy imagines, that if lobs Cattle and goods (hould be taken away by robbery, ic would vex him , and make him fpeak evil of God, therefore defires that fuch a crofle might befall lob , and God faid Amen, I grant thee thy delire, let that beffllhim. The fpirit of envy imagines,that if Iobi houfe was burned, and his children killed, it would make him bLifphems God, & therefore defires that power', God faid Amen, I giant thee that power fo to do to him. The fpirit of envy imagines another mifehief, and would have lob filled with difeafes in his body, and would have his friends and kindred forfake him, and to be a bitter crofle to him j God faid Amen, let it be fo. Now rhefe evils are acred upon lob, as if the Devil did it by his power, diftinft from God, but no, it is by Gods power, limited to the Devil, at the Devils requeft ; noc fo much togratifie the devil, as by this means to bruife his head ; for God makes ufe of Sa¬ tans malice, in defiring thefe miferies to befall lob, ( *7 ) to do two things, firft to trie lob, and to make him the mere bright and faithfull to God, as he appeared afterward : And fecondiy to Ihame envy and the Devil by his own weapon; for fuch means as the De- » , vil did imagine would make hb to curfe God, God " ■ ufes the fame, and thereby made lob to worfhip ;* him more experimentally- The fpirit of pride, covetoufnefie, and envy de- • fired to fit in Gods Temple ( Man-kind ) and hoc onely in the whole bulk of Man-kind, but in that part which is rieereft and deareft to God, even the Spoufe ofChrilt, or cleft Citie, that thereby he might the more provoke God: Well, God faid Amen , and grants him a power to fit there, and to rule and tred the holy Citie under foot forty two Van- 1 ?. 2$, moneths, or for a time, times, and a half time •, and Rev.12.2. now the Devil raigns not by a power abfolute of his own,but by a limited power,and a limited time too given him from God- And truly all this time Satan hath made ufe of this power, and his malice hath appeared very vio¬ lent, and not onely the Saints, but God in the Saints efpecially hath fullered for his wifdom , his love , his patience , his faithfulnefle and truth hath been tempted and tried to purpofe : I, but tfie King of righreoufnefie is the fame , he alters not, and therefore in conduiion , when the righteous Law takes away this limited power which this Devil and wicked one defired and obtained, it will then ap¬ pear it did him no good, but proves his utter Ihame and ruine, and declares God to be the onely one in¬ finite being, to the eternal glory of his own name. And fo in thefe dayes, we fee and feel great trou¬ bles and temptations do compalfe men round, and it appears to the eye of man, as if envy, hypocrilie, pride, and felf will ruled as it would himfelf, and as if there were no power to reftrairj this Hood of un- G % god- godlinefle : I, but dear friends, know that all thii power of remprarion which you fee in the hand of malice aijd hypocrifie, it is not their own power, bn: Gods power,or the difpenfaciou cf vjfiblc wrath, which God had put into the hand of that evil fpirit for a time. It is not his own abfolutely , but ir is 23,3 limited power and time ;• and this fpeaks great comfort to the Saints, for God will bring good out of ail this; God, cur God and Father, hands and looks on, and the end of all this huily-burly will bring everlafting gloiy to the Father,“in and through his Saints, andevalafiing fhame and mine to the Devil. There’ore be not troubled yon Saints of the nioft Ifgh, though you be hated, reproched and per¬ fected , for if yon would fee Sarans head bruifed, yea mult nrft fuller your heel to be bruifed by his temptations; fo that reafon tells yen, that there is a neceflicie that the Devil fnould enjoy a limited time and power. Well, Godhimfelffilters moft in thefe rimes;' for though Satan get a power to rry and tempt the Saints, and to tt cubic the world , yet the envy of the tkfh principales,fti ikes at God ; for pride lights againft Vntmiiity , malice fights againft love, talfhoo.d figlrs againit fiucctity , ignorance fights againft know ledge ■> felf-v ill in fltfh tights againft the King cfgV.ry, the pure fpirit that dwells in llefh ; So that Gcc hitiilclf is the It ftsier: Eut that Satan, or fa¬ ther of lies fr.cots at, ar.d the Father fullers ir thus re be , and Emits him .1 j ower thus to fight againft him, that in corcluliui he may fend forth the brightnefs of his Law , ai d fciuife Sarans head by his twit weapons, and judge, and condemn him by the wads cl his own mouth, and works of his .jf. own hands, and (wallow up that fpirit of envy and dsrknefs into himfelf, the fpirit ol love which is the power ( 29 ) power of God , yea God himfelf, and fo takes him our of the way that troubles his Saints, that they Job r 21. may reft and lie down fweetly in him , and to have no troubler at all to trouble them, when this accu- fer is once caft out of Heaven- The Sainrs in ail their ..ffii&ions look upon the hand of God that fmites them , as Job did i but un¬ believers that live after the flelh, think it is the De¬ vils power, and not God: C H A P. Ill- N Ow this adverfe power, which men readily think is the devils power,diftinft from Gods,as though God had no hand in it, appears tome, to be the very power .of God in an immediate difpenfation ' of wrath upon the finner i and that which we call Devil, that tei rifles, is but the declaration of the ri¬ gour of the righteous Law of God, laying hold upon the corruption that is in the creature, which the tin¬ ner cannot look upon , and'live ', for if God look upon any creature through the righteous Law, which the ciearure, man , hath gone aftray from, he can- pot live. But when the Law of Love hath (wallowed that Law of works that required perft&ion from the creature, then the brightnefie and power 'of that love fhining upon the heart, and changing the man in to the ftme nature and gloty , makes him able to behold God, and live t vea, and to live joyfnll too, both in him, and before him ; But let me not digrefs too far. The adverfe power fpoken of, is the very difpen¬ fation of the wrath of God upon finners, and there is one Scripture doth countenance this; which is this, fo he drove out the man , and placed at the Crt'H.2.24. Eaft of the Garden of Eden, Cherubinis, and a C 3 flaming sFft-2.2. o°) flaming fword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life- By rree of life is meant God himfelf, in whom Adam dwelt ■, And Adam himfelf was that living Garden in whom God delighted ; But fince Adam began to delight in himfelf, he went out of God , and God fet this flaming fword to flalh againft Adam, that fo he might come into God again, and rafte, and eat , and delight himfelf in that tree of life, till it was the good pleafure of God to take him in again. And fo all tinners ftand without the fpirit, till God pull them into himfelf, in his own time and feafon j But that creature that is beginning to look in, by defires, and inquirings, and pre¬ cious delight towards God , is in the way of entr¬ ance , and when the fpirit of burning is made mani- feft, he (hall then enter in , and find reft. Well, Adam is gone out of God, and this flaming fword is fet againft him , that he fhall not enter in again i but Adam fees not this myfterie , becaufe the love of felf had blinded his eyes; And Adam is hid from God among the trees and leaves of felf a- fpiring principles that rife up in him, to which, he gave confent, to be a more knowing man then God had made him, and he could not fee God through thefe, the love of felf was fo thick: This teaches every one to wait upon the Father for pure teaching, and to covet after no more knowledge, then what is freely given them. Now the Father is beginning to work a great my¬ fterie , and that is, to pull Adam out of felfilh-flelh again, and to plant him into the pure fpirit, and (o to bring him into the moft fruitfull Gardtn pf Eden. But this God would not do prefently, but in length of time s and Adam neither could, nor fhouldcome back again to deny felf and fiefh', and to acknow¬ ledge the Father his all in all, rill the Father was pleafed ro appoint a time when he would manifeft him- (30 himfelfin Adam. And therefore for the prefent > God hath fct this flaming fword which turnes every way , to keep the way of the tree of life; Adam muff not come in, to live in the pure fpirit again, till he be changed , and his filthy garments taken Zach^^ from him by the fathers own hand , and in the fa¬ thers own time. Now I conceive, and truly I find in my own ex¬ perience, that this flaming fword is the enirity of natures, fpoken of, which is fet in our hearts flnce the fall, being a mixture of oppofite natures, and • fo a frightning.and killing thecrearurewith terrour; So that let me go or come, think or do, or tnrne any way , this enmity hath met with me , terrifying , and troubling of me j for 1 could apprehend no¬ thing from God but anger; And fo long as I looked upon God as an angry God, I could not look upon him and live, but was a flranger to the peace and reft of God, and I lay under bondage Now all affliftions, crofies, troubles, ftraits that I met withall, and fears of death,or fear of dangers, or feares that fome Devil, or fpirit would take hold upon me, if I were alone in any dark' room , or in the night. I thought it was the Devil, fome third power between God and me, that affrighted me j But alas, now I fee it was but the difpenfation of Gods wrath, the fhinings forth of the righceons Law upon me, which, as fire, (torched and burned the en¬ mity of my nature, and fo became a tormenr to me, though Ifawic not, and that flamed, and flatbed againft me , which way fo ever I went; So that this adverfe power that troubles the creature , is not a Devil diftinft from God, but it is the very power of Gods righteous Law , or difpenfation of his wrath, yea, the fpirit of burning, which appears very terri¬ ble , by reafon of the enmity of nature that is be- Epbef. 2. tween God and the (inner,for there is no agreement 14,15. C 4 . between between God and the Irnner, for fiiiners are at a dl* fiance from God in place and comfort, till there be 3 onencfie wrought between God and them, by the power of the anointing, Chrift. And then this De¬ vil vanifhes, the enmity dies, the flaming fword is taken away, and then the Father appears in mani- fefiations of love, peace and ontnefs to the joy, hie, liberty and peace of the creature, which way foever he goes. Then the creature looks not upon God as an angry God, but a God of love to him,whatfoevcr befalls him. - Let him meet with afflictions , crones , prifons, frownes of friends, ftekneffe, death, anything, ftiil the i cor redeemed foul can fay, this is the geed will of my loving Father, his will be done- Now the bondage, the enmity , the flaming (word, and Devii is taken away ; and the creatures take and cat daily of the tree cf life, even live in God , and God in rhem j and here is liberty. Now Adam is come into the Garden again, and finds reft in God, and there is none to keep him out of this enjoy¬ ment any longer • Tiro Apohle Paul deares this, when he fpeaks whatjefus Chrift the Anoinring does for Tinners, faith, he hath abolifhed in his flelh the enmity, even the Law of Commandments, and fo making peace , aud that he might reconcile both jews and Gentiles to God, in one body, by the erode, having flaine the ■ enmity thereby. So that now you fee., for what reafon God fet the flaming fword in Adam, the living Garden ; that this enmity might appear, and work, till the time and feafon of the Father came; That the Anointing, Chrift, who is the wifdom and power of the Fa¬ ther, did come and take it away, and reconcile him , a-'d his offending creature , fo making peace by muting them into one fpirit of love f f33) throwiug. down all partition walls, taking away the difpenfation of wrath, or Devil and murtherei', and now fhines in the bright beames of love in the foul. ^ Let God and man be made friends, and you ne¬ ver here of a Devil to trouble, or aflvight, or kill any more 3 therefore this Devil, or adverlepower, is no other, but tile Difpenfation of wrath, rhrough the 2 Cor. 3, ftriftneffe of a righteous Law, which the creature 6 . See. lies under by reafon ofdifobtdience 3 and when the Anointing hath made God and the creature meet in Jove each to other, the enmity dies, and the mur- thering Devil vanilhes away, and is caff into the lake Revel.Zo* of fire, and fo confirmed, and fhall never affright, or 15. terrific the creature any more. Indeed, while thefe enmities are in force, there is great flafhings one againft the other, and/ome- times there is troubles within a man , horrour and trcmbling,and fecret burning 3 and fometimes frigh- tings, and apparitions of wrath without a man 3 but allthefearebuctheefteftsofa righteous Law, oc- cafioned through enmity of natures, but 1 fay, when the Anointing hatfPmadea onenefs, fo that God dwells, and rules in man j and man lives in God 3 then all thofe frightings are taken away. Eut is there ho Devil that tempted Chrift ? or tf) 3 t oppofes God ? yes', it is the power of darknefs, or fpirir of enmitv,that was the liift fruit that fprang up from man-kind after he was made, and which does yet dwell and rule in difobedient iiefb 3 untill Chrift, the power of God, who is ftronger,come and caft him out. For as thofe whifperings of flefh , that.rife up in Adam, which was the ferptnt that inticed him to dif- 'obey 3 did move Adam with a trickling defire to be more wife and honourable then God at prefent had fet him in, to which Adam gave confirm, and fo . eat 04 ) «e of the Wee of knowledge ofgood and evil* even his own fe If and imagination- The fame whifperings of flelh appeared in the hu¬ mane nature Jefus Chrift: for he was thereby in¬ deed to diflike that condition his father had put him in \ for firft he was moved to murmur againft the father, as rhough his father were carekfie of his Mittb-d- f° n > in letting him faft fourty dayes, and fourty . nights j and fo the flelh would have had Chrift to have waited no longer on his father, but to com¬ mand thofe ftones to become bread- But Chrift re- jefted that inticemenr. Then the flelh begins to move him :o prefame upon his fathers protettion, that is, to caft him- felf down from the pinade of the Temple,upon this conceit, that he was the fon of God, this is an un- reafotfable attempt, even meere confufion , as all thewifdom of the flelh is. But Chrift rtjefts this likewife. Then the flelh intices him to Covetoufnefs, and vain glory, after the things of the world » and told him, thar if he would ceafowaiting upon the fa¬ thers providence, and. follow the imaginations of the flelh, all the glory of the world fr-ould be his; for the imagination of the flelh thinks it can com- paffe any thing by its own wit and policy. But Chrift rejefts this likewife; and becaufe he was the fon, he delighted to obey, and to wait upon his father, and was content with his condition his fa¬ ther had put him in; fo that here was whifperings of unbelief, whifperings of pride, and whifperings of covetoufnefie , and vain glory, all which are the fruits of the flelh. Bur Jefus Chrift gave no confent thereunto, as Mm the firft man did, bueftili kept clofe ro his father, and finned not > fo that here was the Devil, the motions and imaginations of the flelh, the father ? (35) of lies that tempted Adam, and flew him j And here was the fame DeviLthat tempted Chrift, for he did partake of flefh , ; ®id was tempted in all things like nnto us; But Chrift flew him, and caft him out of heaven, humane flefh, and therefore this Anointing, Eph- 1.14. is faid to be the earneft of our Inheritance , thac as this power of God did dwell in ]efus, and trod the Devil, the father of lies, the flefhly imagination under his feet, fo thac he killed him that killed Adam , and us in him > even fo the fame power in the fathers times and feafons will bruife the fame Serpents head in every fon and daughter of Adam , and tread them under his feet i n them. But till fuch time as Chrift hath finifhed this great • myftery, there is, and will be troublers in this flefh, Gen.3.24. our bodies; for the ri lings ftp of a mans own conciv pifcence will trouble him , and the flaming fword, the difpenfations of the righteous Law, laying hold thereupon, will affright and terrifie the enflaved creature, and raife mountains of miferie againft bimj and fo from hence comes all thofe horronrs within a man, and all thofe alterations, and hurly burlies in the world, upon mens eftates, families, and per- fons, as we fee befell Job, which Ioffes and miferies to Job , were the breakings forth of a righteous Law upon lob , tempered by the wifdome of God, not for lobs hurt, or the Devils good , but for lobs li¬ berty and peace with God, and for the Devils uttef fhame and diftruftion. Well, in all your troubles, I could wifh you could look upon the hand of God that faiites, and hot npon the Devil at a diftance from God, as 1 have done, and i know you do; for when God is pleafed to open your eyes, as to fee that it is he that fmites, affrights, torments, fhakes Kingdoms, families, eftates and perfons,through the power of his righte¬ ous Law, which all flefh have gone aft ray from, and which C 3O which the power of darknefle, even the imagination of your proud riefh ftill flafhes againft.1 fay,if the fa¬ ther pleafe to let yon fee this, tijpn that which you ■ call devil will appear to be in you,nnd his power will appear to your light, and you will fee that by the power of the Anointing, the law of love ( and by no otheq power) you will and mint be fee free from tile the Devil in fhort time. For firft, the Father doth quicken and awake you , and then he takes away the flaming fword, and caufes the creature that was loft, to come into him,and to tafte,and ear of him,who is the tree of life,& fo to wait upon him,&iive for ever. The Apoftle Paul faith, it is the letter that kils, but the Spirit gives lifethat is, ! hc ftriftnefle of a righteous Law being broken by the creature, it kils. the creature ; for this is the flaming fword that turns every wav upon rhe thoughts, words and aftious of the (inner,prefen ting nothing but wrath, mifery and death in the inward fight of the mind- But now the Spirit, the Law of love, this quickens,and unites the Father and his creature again, and makts them one: Thir Spirit doth burn up, and call awav ihe tiefh, and that enmity, and it carts the difpenfation of wrath out of Gods hand, and fo removes that enmi¬ ty likewife. And now Gnd appears not in anger, as an enemy, and his Declarations are not in terms of killing , and bruifmg, and making rhe creature grone under mi- • fer y>/ffngh:hingsand death: But he appears in manifeltanons of love, peace and fatherly onenefs :/.i2. Now all the clouds and ftorms are blown over, and the love of the father (bines bright and hoc upon the fou-, making it fruitfull in love, joy and peace, in hyrr.d.’ty, obedience and delighr in God, now the troub'er, or Devil j$ call our, and goes; and 1 here is a oneneffc of life, peace, liberty and joy between God and his creaure. Well, this may be a burthen to ( 3>0 to fome , to hear me thus fpeak, but to you that the fon hath givefh liberty to, 1 am confident it will drop a precious favour into your fpiric. CHAP. IV. A Poor foul that lies under bondage, before the father fets him free, is troubled in a twofold fence i both which are the fruits or eftefts of the righteous law, which hath firft Plain the creature,by 2 taking advantage of difobedience, and then holds him under die bondage of that death, till the Law of love fwaliow up the murtherer, and fet the creature free. Firff, the poor enflavcd creature is tofied with many troubles within his own fpiric, which no man fees but himfelf, fnch as thefe ; fometimes he can¬ not pray, then he is troubled', and when he doth pray, he either mifplaces his words, or he hath been too long,or too fhorr, or fome felfpraifing thoughts a: ife, and then lie is troubled ; he cannot under¬ hand , nor fpeak what is in his heart, and when he finds himfelf able to fpeak, then memory fades him, and then he is troubled! when people do not re- gard him for his pl eaching and praying , then be is troubled ; when ethers tell him that he nmft ceafe praying and preaching, and feif afling, and wait upon the Father for his pure teachiug, tor time is coming that every one nmft be taught of God, and this troubles him very much- Well, all thefe trou¬ bles, and fuch like, proceed from the (killings forth of the righteous Law upon the prdud heart, and he cannot bear it, becaufe he Peeks himfelf more then Gcd ; the unbelief of the heart lives by fence upon the creature ) the Law of God cels' Cor.$- 4i the heart , he rauft truft God , and not man , and though all fence fade him frommien and crea¬ tures , yet to wait upon God, but this troubles him, he cannot wait, and if he do wait, he que- ftions whether fie (hall have fuch things, he is bid to wait for; and the poor hearc lies under great tof- fings. _ Again, in his courfe of trading in the world, If i he afjj fometimes too little, or fometimes too much for his wares, then he is troubled, and do what he can, his heart is troubled, becaufe he thinks he might have done better; when bufinefs goes erode to his mind, he is troubled; whether it be fair wea¬ ther or fowl, if it be not juft to his mind, he is troubled. Then appears pride, covetoufnefle, frowardnefle, uncleaonefie fpringing in his heart, and thefe trouble him; if he cannot fpeak for God, \’.hen others fpeak againfthim,as he thinks, then he is troubled; if he do fpeak of the things of God, then his heart tels him he is an hypocrite , or felf-lover', and then he is troubled', fo that there arifes not a thought in his heart, but there is fome fretting, or trouble tied to it. - And what are all thefe, and fuch like , but even a legion of Devils, or rroub’ers, that holds the crea¬ ture under bondage, and torments hint thus in hell day and night- I call it a hell, for it is a condition of darknefs, below the life, comfort, and peace of God: All thefe are wrought in the foul by the righteous Law; for the creatures ftrives to be wife, and the Law proves him a fool; he would faine be righteous, and the light of the Law (hewes him he is a wicked hypocrite; he would fain have faith and hoiinefie in him, and the Law (hewes him, he is an unbelieving (inner; he would fain enjoy the peace of God, and yet enjoy himfelftoo, the Law tels him, he muft deny himfelf, and Take up hiscrofle daily if he would enjoy God; he would fain be counted fome body for wifdom, faith, prayer, preaching, the Law tels him, all ir as good as no¬ thing, becaufe he goes forth in his own ftrength, and the power of the father is abfent. And thus the Law is that flaming fword, which turns every way upon the fmner, and fcorches the poor imprifoned foul in every thought of his heart, burning up his pride and (elf-conceit j fo that the Luke 4.1% righteous Law raigns like a Tyrant in, and over the Efa. 61. poor prifoner; and while the foul is thus tormen- 1, 2, ted by the difpenfation of wra'h, the envious fpirit of darknefle that rules in other men, delights to fee this poor crearure thus under bondage, and fo cafts jeers, danders, reproches, and hard ufageupon him: Envy rejoyces in others milery , even as Love rejoy- ceth in the liberty and life of otheis- But poor foul, know this, rhat God is burning tip thy drofie, and ere long will fet thee at liberty, and the fire of love that bui ns in thee, will break forth to thy comfort, and then he will give thee power to 'rejoyce over the Devil, and to fet thy feet upon his neck as a Htb-i.ip * a conquered Have, even as he makes thee his Have now. Then fecondly , This fame imprifoned creature that lies under [he Law, being as yet not fet free by the Son, meets with many troubles without, and thefe are but difpenfarions of wrath , as the other was likewife , as licknelfe, frowns of friends, hatred of men, Mesofhis eftate by fire, water, beitig cheated by falfe fpirited men, death of his cattle, or many fuch like cafualties, whereby he becomes poor .in the World, and meets with many ftraits, as hard language, hungry belly, to be defpifed, imprifoned, and abundance of fuch provocations in the world- And it may be meets with fearful! Apparifiions i n ( 4 °) the night or day, that terrifies him; as it was fobs cafe, he was filled with terrours in the night; fome- rimes thefe troubles lie within a mans fpirir in griefs, and fad prclfures, and inward burnings of Troubleaud torment, which no man is fenlibieof but himfelf, and fomerimts itbrcaks forth in bic- ter words and fpeechcs, through opprellion of the fpirir, to the disturbance of others, and this railed roadnefle. or diltraftion, which grows upon a man, when the pure Law doth crolfe his carnall imagina¬ tion, wilfull pride, covetous, or luftfull delires, then doth the diftemper of his troubled fpirir break our. But when Chrilt comes and fees him free, then he comes to fee, that whatfoever did befall him, mtift Zar^ii. befall hint, it was the will of the father, for the i-.Stc, ' burning up of his drofs, and pride of flefh, and (hall * / ” * be nude to fay, Father, thy will be done, and for ever, yea, infinitely for ever be thy name praifed, that thou halt given me fuch a heart to be content, and fubrr.it in love and meekneffe to thee, and to take every riling in love from thee, this is chine own handy-woik, it was no: thus formerly, but thou haft drawn me through a nipping and pinching wilder- Heb.^ 1 . nei’e, into this land o\Can.i.-.n , even to lie down in reft in thine own bofom , pi ailed be thy name. Yea, but the poor troubled, foul is offended at my words, and thinks, and fives, tills cannot be, it is impotfible that any man fhould have loch a frame of fpi and fo, tliough thou wade through flames of fire, to imbrace God in thine armes, thy comforis will be the Tweeter, thy experience the more, and thon wile greatly rejoyce , in that thou haft been in fo hot a tire, when the father caufes thee to lie down in his hofom, the liberty in this reft is now fo fweet to thee. And truly friends, let the tell you; that which huh been often of late whifpered into my fpirit,and I believe there is fomething in it; that this wrath , bitterntfte ; and difcontent that appears generally in mens fpirits in England , one againit another, upon the breakings forth of the truths of God, doth whif- per in my fpirit, that the Father hath caft England into the fire, and is purging the droffe from the gold, Jeremy thatliberry is not far off, and that the plentifully, pouring out of the Anointing, even the fpirit of love , trurh , and oneneffe is near at hand ; and that- * England, Scotland and Ireland , fo fet at liberty from the bondage of the ferpent within > and the difpen- fation of wrath without, {ball be the tenth part of theCitie Babylon that fliall fall off firft, andbow down at the feet of the Anointing, which is the wif- dom and power of God , that rules in flefh , as Efay Efa. do. prophelied, but whether God will tnanifeft fo great 14. a work in this kingdom j or no at this time , his will be done j but this I know, much may be fa'd of the workings of Gods power in this kind in particular mens experience,and as the father enlarges his hand, this manifeftation of his love will fpread. there is no more hopes of a bitter (forming fpi- rir'to be brought into God, as this Kingdom is ge- Rev-2i-%< nerally full of, then of a fmooth, clot, fawning, hy- Rev.22- j pocriticall, felf feeking, fearfullfpirit, that playesof 15. all fides, for felf ends fake- God received perfec¬ ting and bitter fpirited Paul to mercy > when as he t (40 let hypocriticall, felf-feeking Simon Magus go by, as it were not counting him worth the minding. Ail that! fhall fay, is thisyou Saints of God,that tafte liow lVeet the love of the father is, bear pa- AH. 1. tiently with hot fpirits, God doth bear with them, for he furfers more then you, he is called the great Efi. fM. long Merer, and when Gods love begins to. lliine forth upon them, he can, and it may be will make fome of them to out ftrip you in experience of his love, good will and power, and fo till them abun¬ dantly with the fpirit of joy. But fome do objeft againft what I have fpoken, and fay, are not thofe Angels which fell, Devils di- liinft horn Gcd, as man is dihinft from God ; as Jude $• Jude fpeaks; And the Angels which kept not their tirlt efface, but left their own habitation, he hath re¬ fereed in chaines of darknelfe, unto the Judgement of the great day. f To anfwcr this: Firff I (hall note ; that as hea¬ ven is fee before us in a two-fold glory j fo are An- gels. 1 Cor. 3. As tiifr, every particular Saint is a true heaven, or xy, place oi glorynot onelybtcaufe the Father dweis in h ; m, but becaufe he dwels in the Fathei liktwife, as thus; the Father delights in him, and nianifelis himleif to this his fon, and his foil by the clear light, and feeling of this nianifeffation» is filled with joy and glory in his Father; fo that here is a mutual id- low fl’ip of joy , and onenefs of love between them. And this is Gods Kingdom, even for tlefh to be fil¬ led with Gods glory, and indwelliug j refence in love, and this is heaven in a leffer fence. Secondly, the whole Citie Sion is true heaven, or . a place or the Fathers glory , which is but the perfe¬ ction of the former joy, for as the father dwells ami rules as a King of rigbteoufnefie and love, in otic Saint, fo he dwells in all , and all of them dwell in hint; » ( 43 ) Mm; as he enjoyes them for his delight,fo they en- i Cor. i. joy him for their delight. 3 r. And as ail, and every one of them fees, enjoyes, and glories in the Father, fo they fee, enjoy and glory one in another, every one knowing, feeing, and fweetly rejoycing in the unity, and owenefs of 1 Cor. 12, each others fpirit, it being the fpirit of the father, St¬ udy, the father himfelf, who is the fpirit chat tills all fyh. 4. 6 . in ally and knits them together into one body,trea- ding down all opprefling powers of the flefh for e- ver,under their feet; and this is heaven in the largeft fence, which every particular fon and daughter of the father lhall enjoy hereafter, though they are now fcattered abroad among the Sodomites of this unrigh¬ teous world, that vexes their precious fouls from day 10 day- And as heaven, I fay, is fet before us in this two¬ fold glory, fo the Angels are fee before us in a two¬ fold glory Iikevvife. For firft, the particular fparks of glory,or heaven¬ ly principles in man, which the father hath fee as * lights, to make known himfelf in his Saints} as love, humility, lincerity, content, and reft in God, and liich like, rhefe are Angels, and Angels of glory too; becaufe they are fparks of glory ifiued our of the fa¬ ther,into earthen veffel 3 ,and makes them to become the falc of the ear h, and light of the world. Then fecondly, Men that are wholly taken up into God, are called Angels, fuch as have all their fenfes fpirirually exercifedin the father, that can fee, hear, nfte, fmell, and handle the excellent and glorious adier; anctfo Jefus CI11 ift being a man fo raken up into the father, for he was a man fully anointed, the Godhead dwelt bodily in him; he was called an Angel the Arch-Angel, and Angel of his prefence, Col. 2. * for he was the glorious fparke and light of the fa¬ te'* Da And And when men frail be, and are fo taken up Into • God, thev are called Angels, and Angels of heaven too ; becaufe the father dwells, and glories in them, and they live , dwell, and glory in the Father, and thefe dre the Angels, v. hich the father fends to do his will. As fiift, the feverall meafures of his fpirirare fparks of his glory as love, joy , humility, fince* rity and peace in God, and fuch like; thefe are par¬ ticular Angels, which the Father fends down into humane flelh, to keep it in all his wayes, that it nny not defperately blafpheme God , and fodafli again!! the rock j and fuch Angels as thefe every fon and daughter of the father doth enjoy,more or lelfe; and if it were not for thefe, temptations would piefent- . 3 y overcome them , but thefe are fpiriruall powers from God,that keep them upright in all their wayes, ana which r.ukts them differ from the world- And then, for men rim are wholly raken up into God, as Mofes , and as Chrift was , they are minifters or Angels, which the Father fends forth to fpeak, and do his will before , and in the world; therefoie ler the world in thefe dayes Iearip meeknefie, and wifdom, and lay allde their envy, k ft in the day of 54$. account they be found beating and killing fuch as, the father fends in his name- | Ear iso-.'- to anfwer to the objection : We are toj note, that Angels ip this latter fence, which are men] taken op into God, and made perfeft, can never fall from God,and fo become Devils and enemies againft God ; 'for this is the work of redemption, which is unchangablc, and the Father dwells and rules in them, and hath bruited the ferpents head in them, never to revive again in them ; and they likewife live, and dwell in God, whofe power treads all ene¬ mies under their feet. And they have the fparks of glory, or Angels of light ( 45 ) light within them; which are the feverall meafures of the fathers fpiric poured into them , which re- maines for ever; and chey themfelves are Angels of light, fent from the father,to do his will here in this low condition of weak flefh. * Etic now Angels in the former fence, which are divine fparks of glory, planted in humane nature, in its firft creation , which was the habitation where they were feared 5 thefe are fallen from their ex¬ cellency, and are become Devils, or evil Angels, or fpirituall powers ofdarkneffe. I fhall deciare^vhac I know by Angels that fell j they were thofe glori¬ ous lights, and fparks of glory, fhining Angels of light, in their feverall meafures and degrees, which God had placed-in the humane nature, Adam, before his fall. As his love of God, delight- in God , Peace and reft in God, humility before God, obedience and felf denial before God, and all fuch like : thefe all lived in God, for he was the Center from which they came, and to which they reflefted hack again, they being all alive within Adam, and Adam being alive within them. liuc when Adam hearkened to the whifpering of that afpring felfiflineffe, that was the ferpenr, which twilled it felf r$und about the tree, Adam, and every glorious light that was in that humane creation ; and when Adam ( aajndecd any man or woman ) doth give way to ftlfflmd eat of that fruit, rhat is, delight in felf, above the King of righteoufneffe in man, then thofe glorious Angels left God their habitation, and took up their glory within the circle of humane defiled flefh, and fo become enmity againft God.- For now the mans love is turned from living in the King of righceoulnei?e,to live in corrupted llefii, it is become a felf love, and fo enviousagair.il God, Ifa. $$.14, his delight and his joy is become felf delight, he glories in himfelf, which is his pride 3 his obedience D 3 ctorh doth live in himfelf, for he gives way to all the whifperings of the flefh, and lulls within himfelf j but difobeyes the command ofrighteoufnefie within him. And further, his finceriry is turned into hy- pocrifie, and his imagination works ftrongly, how to • pleafe the flefh, in the morions of it, not hew to pleafe the fpirit of truth 3nd holinefie. And now thofe glorious fparks which were An¬ gels of light, while they lived in God, and rcffefttd upon him , arc become Angels of darkneffe, or k- giofc of devils, murtherers, or deceivers, according to their many degrees and meafures, while they live in unrighteous flefh, and refleft upon the difobe- dient creature, to maintain and to honour the being of the flefh, before the righteous God that governs in the flefh i thus they are fallen. And thefe Devils or deceivers ( for indeed pride, covetoufnefie, and the imagination of proud flefn doth deceive every man)they are refervedin chaines of darknelfe, &c. Thefe chains are the difpenfations of Gods wrath through his righteous Law j for upon every one,and upon all of thefe fain Angels, the righteous fparks, or breathings forth of the righteous Law, like a flam of fire, turning every way, meets v^th them, binds them, keeps them in, and rellrams them within • 5--4- bonds j fothat God hath thefe triers of fclf-feek- ing flefh at his command y they jphot appeal, nor j aft, but by his leave. Pride, felf-Iove, envy, hypocrifie, fnbtilty, cruel¬ ty, cannot aft, but by his leave ; and when he doth fufter them to aft, then his righteous Law is prefeiit- ly made manifeft,following their heels like fire burn¬ ing up the (bubble. For God never fuffers thefe Devils to appear, ei¬ ther within a man , or by feme violent way to break forth of men for the hurr one of another j but he makes ( 47 ) makes ufe thereof to ruin and deftroy that power of darknefle, even that poyfonous power of covetous tkfh- And they are called chains of darknefle, in oppo- fition to the Law of perfeft love and liberty ■, for while thefe Angels lived in God, they had no re- lfraint, for love God, and thou art at liberty, thy whole foul is free, and no bondage lieth upon thee. But when thou loveft felf and flefh, then all thy powers run feif-ward, and then the flaming fword, which is the righteous fpirit of burning, doth tlame upon thee, burns thee,and retrains thee , and holds thee under bondage : But how long ? Till the Judgement ol the great day, that is, till the power of Chrift do make it appear to the mans clear knowledge, that felf and fidh is the Devil and Ardftlp. ferpent, and by his power of righteoufnefle, doth 15. not onely judge and condemn that ferpent, but calls hint into the lake of fire, and confumes him to no¬ thing, as if his power had never beeh; and fo the creature is free, according to the myftery of God- And here nore, that thereftauration , or falvation which is pointed at in the letter of the Scripture, doth lie in the reftoring of the creature, Man kind, from the power of thefe Angels of darknefle; and Man-kindes redemption lieth in the breaking of thofe chains of darknefle afunder, and fo taking him into the life, liberty and peace of the King of righteoufnefle. As thns, Whereas in this prefent poyfoned eftate of Man¬ kind, in which flefh glories it felf, as in felf will, de¬ light, and felf-love, fubtile imagination,and the like, they do all work flelh-ward, and felf-ward; and the mafculine powers that rule the foul, appear to be en¬ vy, hopocrilie, pride 1 anger, felf-feeking, fubrilty, and fuch like. And the fpirit of truth, who is the p.om.1 -1 Father, by wlpom the creation, man,doth live,move, D 4 and ( 4 «) and ba f h hisbeing, doth lie buried under th.it un¬ righteous flefhly power. But now in the reftored eftate which the Father hath begun to work, and which his people wait for compkatnefs of. 1 fay now, All the powers of the foul, as his love, delight and peace, ^rc. run God- ward again, and is centured in the Father again- ' And rhofe powers of fhe tldh, as pride, covetouf- nelfe, rafh anger, love of l’elf,and imagination work¬ ing to advance all thefe,which are, as i faid, the An¬ gels of darkneffe in man: Thefe are now in this day of judgement condemned and deftroyed, trod under foor, and buried out cf mind like a dead man, with¬ out being', And the Lord alone is exalted now in this day of reftauration, which is the day of his power. _ This indeed is the myftery of all, King, flefh and urn- j. J 5. ftlfisdis- throned, and the King of righreoufnelTe in flefh hath begun to rake tire Kingdom, and doth raign, and will raign, and his Dominion fball fpread, and endure for ever and everfor though he take Dan.' 7< rhe kingdom by ftrength out of King flefh his hand, if. yet none fhall ever be able to take it out of his hand again, for of his Kingdom there fhall be no end- And feeing people are not yet taken off from looking upon other mens knowledge, I fhall men¬ tion this one Scripture, which if people did feeling¬ ly underftand, the diftemper of their fpirits would prefently be healed- It is this, Light is ante into the world, and men kie darkneffe rather then light, becaufe their deeds are edl- The world is man-kind, and every particular man and woman is a perfect creation of himfelf, a perfed 1 Joh. 2- created world that if a particular branch of man¬ ic. kind dt fire to know wfyt the nature of other men and UsO snd women are , let him not lock abroad, bnt into his own heart, and he fhall fee: fo that I fay, man is the world) a perfeft creation, from whofe poyfon- ed tlelh proceeds the luft of the eye, the iuft of the tlelh, and the ptide of life 3 thefe are not of the. Father. . , Now light if come it. to th'n world 3 that is, the fpi- rit of l ight underftandirg hath taken up his dwelling 2 y. in this flelh 3 and from hence man is called a rea- ,p. fonable crcarure, which is a name given to no o- j 0 jj. ij { tiler creature but man, becaufe the fpirit of reafon 25. appears, adding in him, which if men did fubmir themfelves unto, they would aft righteoufnefie con¬ tinually 3 and fo man would become Lord of all o- ther creatures in righreoufnefle. I, But men love darknejfe rather then light', men here fpoken of, are the evil mafculine powers of created man in his poyfoned eftare, as man-pride, nianrcovetoufnelfe, man-hypccrife, man-felf-love, and King imagination, that rules over all; and in all thefe 3 and this, or thefe, is the wicked man, fpoken of in Scripture, thefe I fay, are called men , becaufe « they rule over the created tlelh, which is the femi¬ nine part, and leads ic captive in unrighreoufneile, and will not fuller it to obey the King of righreouf- nefle, which is called confciencc liktwife in the • creation, man. For 1 fay, every particular man and woman is a perfeft creation, or a world of him,or her felf: And tliofe powers are the men that iiveaud raign in that poyfoned , created world, for thefe will not fubmic to righteoufnefie 3 and what is the reafon ? Why., becaufe their deeds are evil: Indeed co- Job. 1 / 7. veroufnefie is an evil nun, and pride and envy aie evil men, and all the reft of their imaginary compa¬ nions in the fetal, they are evil men, yea the n icked man, and all their aftions are evil like themfelves, and ( 5 °) and they will not fubmit themfelves to righteouf- nelTe. That mighty man of truth, whofe dwelling is in tlefh likewife, he dwells in heaven and hell, that is, he dwells in cieanfed flefh his Saints, where he is 'feen and known ; he dwells in uncleanfed flefh , the vile Ones of the earth, where he is unknown, and un- feen by them ; though he, as he is the righteous judge, doth check and condemn them, yet they ifmo- her his fmicings within thftnfelves, and will not ■ fubmit; for which difobedience fake,their fpirits are filled with honour and bitternefie, and they roar in hell. Speak thou wretched man, if thou haft not j found terrible affrighting; and torments within thy felf, when thou halt refufed to aft the righteous mo- i tion of confcience within , who indeed is the King of glory, though thou arc ignoranc of him , and fubmirceft thy felf to the King-flefh in all the beaftly aftingsofic. Well thefe mafeuline powers of the poyfoned flefh fraud it out againft the King of glory,till he call them into the lake of fire, into his own fpirit, by which they are tried, and being found but chaffe, and not able to endure, are burned, ar.d confumed ; to nothing in the flam. No man or woman needs to be troubled at this, for let every man cleanfe himfelf of thefe wicked inafculine powers that rule in him > and there will fpeedily be a harmony of love in the great creation, even among all creatures. There f ore let no man look withouc himfelf, and j fay, other men will not obey this light that is come into man kind; hot let him look into his own heart, and he fhall find that the powers of his heart are thofe very men of the world, that will not fub- mi: to that light of reafon that is come in¬ to it. ' * 2 Chin. But it is laid, that God fent his Angel, and cut gft (sO by him all the mighty men of valour in the Ad¬ rians Army, therefore Angels are a mighty power between God and man, and diiYmftfrom both. Anfwer, Angels in this fence'are powers fent by commifiion from God to do a particular work. As (lift, Good Angels are fent, and thefe are inward difcoveries of God to, or within a foul, fuch as was fent to Iacob to awake him ', fot thefe manifeftations of the Fathers power within, do make the creature, man, watchfnll, either to forefee and prevent a dan¬ ger , or elfe to fupport the dropping foul in trouble, thrbugh the hope or exptStation of fome blefling,or deliverance, which was inwardly fpoken to thehearr, and this the Father dotli in a two-fold fence. Sometimes fpeaking inwardly,as to Eliah ,the An¬ gel of the Lord touched him, and bid him arife, and i King ip. eat: this was a fpeaking co Eliahs heart, either by 5. voice, vition, dream, or revelation. And fometimes by the voice of a materiall man, handing before them, as the Angel brought the glad tidings to Sampfon , the two Angels that came to . Abraham and Lot; thefe were materiall men, taken up into the fpirit of the Father, and fenr by him to do fuch a work, and their vanifhing away, as the in¬ terpretation is, it is no other but their departure from Sampfon , Abraham and Lot , when they had done the work, they were fent about. But now according to the Objection, fuch Angels as are fent to deftroy, are called evil Angels, ac¬ cording to the creatures capacity, becaufe they are minifters of fuch things as the creatures call evil, though in themfelves, as being fent fiom God , and in the execution of their commiflion, they are good; .hut I fay , they are called bad, becaufe their work is of a different nature to them that are called good AngelsSatan, that efiviens Angel did the will kb 1,10, of God, in troubling lob , tor the cud of that trou- n. ble O) b!e was good to him, his lift dayes being his beft dayes. And thefe evil Angels are three-fold- Firft/uch as are fent into the foul , when the julticeofGod goes forth upon a man , and ftrikes him with blind- nefTe ofmind, and heardneiTe of heart, as he finote from- 9 ■ Pharaoh ; and thefe are ftrong powers of darkneffe, i7. that holds the creature in chains of bondage- Secondly, when he fends the fword, peftilence , and famin or the like, and gives them commiffion to ; wafte and to deftroy a rebellious people, thefe, ate Gods Angels, pr mighty powers, to which he hath i given a commiffion to go forth, and to perform fuch a work, and this you (hall fee in Scripture; that which was calied the deftroying Angel in one verfe , is called the peffilence in this neKt verfe I Chren. 21 J2, t§,^. Or thirdly, when wicked people are ruled by King envy, King covetoufneffe, or King pride, that ; unclean Ipirit that rules in the children of difobe- ! dience; and when thefe have a liberty given to | them, to go on and profper without reftraint; now they are mighty powers, or Angels fent by God, ei- j ther to wafte and deffroy, or clfe to be a terrible : warning to a fleepie people , to awake them, as the Efa- ic. King of Aforia was fent to do a work in that kind , that is, to whip the Nations, but ro brighten Ifuel. And when his work was done , then he himfelf was defiant ed by another power or Angel which God fen' to take Jiim eft'* for his cruell and unrigh- | teous a&iugs; iike that of Gideons Army , when If- rael began to obey the Lord j then the Lord fent an Angel, which was no other but a mighty fpirit of fear and confuflon of mind among the Midianitis, Ifrae's enemies whiefy made them to rleftroy one j another, while ’fr.al had the liberty to look oa- j CHAP- < 53 ) CHAP. V. L Et tfce Powers, Goveroours and Armies of the Land learn toworfhip the Lord in righteoufnefs, left while rhe Lord Irath made them Angels to de- ftroy feme, and ro warne others j the Lord do give one a Commiflion to others, to deftroyand confound them, and lb bring about his work by an¬ other power. For afiine your felves, you Kingly^ Parliamenrarie, and Army power, and know this, that all unrighteous powers and actions muff be de- ftroyed; the Father is about the work, and his hand will not flack; this work is, and will be going on more powerfull then ever, till it be finifhed, that all Jer. 2g.’ enemies to Chrift be made his fooc-ftool, and he <5. alone exalted, who is King of righreoufnefie. For now Jehus Chrift is upon his riling from the dead , and will rule King of righreoufnefte in flefh: And though King-fiefh iii every man and woman hath for many years paft denied him , and lifted up himlelf againll: him; yet now is the time come that lie will lift up himfelf, and tread the powers of the flefh under his feet. And friends, do not miftake the refurreftion of Chrift ? you expefthe Hull come in one fmgle per- Matth& 4 * fon, as he did when he came to fuffer, and die, and 27. thereby to anfwer the types of Mafes Law ; let me tel! you, if you look for him under the notion of .t > one fmgle man after the flefh, to be your Saviour, V" you (hall never, never t.ifte Ovation by him. But know, that the mighty power that dwell t in that humane fleih, that was called by the name (]e- fus Chrift) he was tile man, the mighty man of ftrength; the flefh was as the woman to the man, or the box that carried that precious ointment in it; & this man is fat down at the right hand of the Father, that that is, he is the ftrength of the Father, whereby he deftroyes King-fleih, and he firs in the hightft hea¬ vens, that is, in thofe Saints that are taken up the higheft into the Father , and lives in him ^reading the curfe under fooc. And as the body of his flefli in his Afcenfion » fo called, went out of the Apoliles tight, in a cloud of the Skies, fo fnall the fame mighty man rife up out of the earth, that is, from under the eatthy imagina¬ tions and lufts of the fons of men ; for man-kind is the earth that containes him buried, and out of this earth he is to arife, and appear in the clouds, that is, as he begins to Ihew himfelf in a man or a woman, the flefhly powers in thofe enflaved fouls will, and do rife up to darken the light of that fun as long as he can, rill he, the flefli, who is the wicked mail, or the curfed thing that dwells within ( man-kind ) be taken away. Ca/.My. And therefore if you expect, or look for the re- 2 Cor • 15. fnrreftion of Jefus Chrift, yon muft know, thar the 1 6. fpirit within theflefh is the Jefus Chrift, and you ' muft fee, fed and know from himfelf his own refur- reftion wirhin you, if you expect life and peace by him. For he is the life of the work!, that is, of every particular fon and daughter of the Father, who are every one of them a perfect created world of tliem- felves, and need nor to feek abroad after other crea; tures for teaching , for every one hath the light of the Father within himfelf, which is the mighty man, Chrift Jefus. And he is now riling and fpreading himfelf in John 1.9. thefe his fons and daughters, and fo riling from one 1 Cor. 12. to many perfons , till he enlighten the whole crea¬ ks!. tion (rran-kind) in every branch of it, and cover this earth with knowledge, as the waters cover the feu. ( 55 ) And this is the lightning that (liall fpread from Eaft to Weft ; this is the kingdom of heaven with¬ in you, dwelling and ruling in your fiefh: therefore learn to know Jefus Chrilt,as the Father knows him; that is, not after the liefh; but know, that the fpirit within the fiefh, is that mighty man (Jefus Chrift) and the flefh rakes its name from that mighty man of rruth that dwells within it; he within governs the ftefh, he within laid down the flelli, 'when he was laid to die ; he within is the wifdom and power of God , he within is to arife , not at a diftance from men, but will rife up in men,and manifeft himfelf to be the light and life of e«eiy man and woman that is faved by hint- • For a meek fpirit hears the name ( Jefus) and a man filled with the power of God, or a man taken up into God, to become one in fpirit within; bears the name ( Chrift) and therefore you are not faved by believing, there was fuch a man, that lived and died ac Jerufalem , for though you believe there was fuch a man, vet that is notfaving faith to you,till you feel the power of a meek fpirit come into you, and raign King , and tread all ycur envy , frowardneffe, and bitterntfle of fpii ir under foor; and till you feel and fee the power of rile righteous fpirit come into you, and raign King , treading all unrighteouf- nefle of the fiefh whatever, under foor, mak¬ ing a conquered (lave of that wicked man in the fiefh- And fo changing your vile bodies, and making them like his glorious body; that is, making the bo dies of your flelli fubjeef to the fpirit of the Father within ir, as the body of the fiefh of Jefus Chrift was fubjeft to the fpirit, his Father, that dwelt within him in all things. So that you do not look for a God now,as former¬ ly you did, to be a place of glory beyond the Sun, Moon Luke if. Heb.p. 14. Jet- 2?.$- fiom. 8 p. Phi!. 3. 21 . Mattb-stii 3 9- ( 5<0 Moon and Stars, ncr imagine a Divine being you know not tvhere, by you fee him ruling within you; and not onely in you, but you fee and know him to be the fpiricand power that dwells in every man and woman; yea, in every creature , according to his orbe, within the globe of the Creation. So that now you fee, and fed,and tafte the fweer- ■ nefle of the fpitit ruling in yoar tielh, who is the Lord and King of glory in the whole creation , and: you have community with him who is the Father cf! all things- Now you are inlighrened , now you are i ilaved, and rife higher and higher into life and peace, | as this manifeftation of the Father increafes, and fpreads within ydfc. I Cor . j / -1 And this is it, to be faved by Jefus Chrift, for 1 5. that mighty man or fpirit hath taken up his habita¬ tion within your body, and your body is his body, arid now his fpirit is your fpirit , andfo you are be¬ come one with him, and with the Fatherand this is the faith of Chrift, when yon r tielh is fubjeft to tile fpiric cf righreoufnefie, as the flefli of Chrift was; and this is to believe in Chrift, when the actings and P , breathings of your foul is within the center of the pD' 4 ' 3 ■ f 3me fpj r ; r ,in which the man Jefus Chrift lived, afted and breathed. If you live in the flelh, that is, if you be fubjefr to the powers of the tidh within yon, then you believe in the fiefh , and bring forth the fruit of the flelh, which is felf-conceit, covercufnelTe, envy, pride, hy¬ pocrite, and the like. Bnc if you live in Chrift, that is, in that mighty and fpiritual rran of truth, then you believe in him; and bring forth the fruit of the fpirit, which is love, joy, peace, humility , obedience', fincerity , and the like: IfJefusClirift thacmighty King rule in you, he will check, and condemn every unrighteous thought, as well as extravagant words , and Ioofe a- . ftionsj . < 57 ) iSions, though no other man fee and know yonr l’e* cret wickednelfe but your felves ■> and he will fpeak peace, and juftifie you within, when your flefh in any thing is fubjeft to him, though you are hated, (landered, and mightily opprtlfed by the injuftice of others. • But if King-flelh rule, then you go on in fecreE and open wayes of unrigliteoufnefie withgreedinefs and delight, and have no checks within at all: Now the ftrong man of fin keeps the houfe, your bodies?, and every thing cnjoyes a feeming peace within you : But this is not the peace, ncr the liberty, buc a fore-runner of great torment in the day of Judge¬ ment that is, when the Judge, the King of fighre- oufnefs (hall appear to fit upon the throne within ' you, judging and condemning thisferpenc, dr man of fin within you, and fo bmiliug his head, rhat yon •who have been, arid are prifoners thereunto, may 1 live in the light and peace of the Father, and fo" fee at liberty from bondage, and allure your (elves, you that glory in flefh, you lliali not go fcot-free, you (ball be caff into the everlafting burnings as well as others, and tryed in due fire, as gold in the fur- And this fire is the Father himfelf, into whom, if e [, when any creature lulls, he burns up the drotfe in the 25, creature, which is the curfe that carnein through unrighreoufneffe, which is all the imaginary glory of the tied), and fo makes nun to appear and Hand bright before him ; you cannot burn away the drolTe , but the gold muff differ the heat of the file, the Father cannot confume the ferpenr, the man of fin, out of my body , but 1 that have been incorpo¬ rated into that nature of the ferpent, mult need; dif¬ fer pain •, this droffe and gold in man is fo mixed together, that nothing can fcpaiare their, but the fiery orb, whichfis the Father himfelf, chat tries ?)( .things, |E " • : • And 7=6 2.42. And } lcre liker.’ife lies a great delulion within mankind ; you call the father your God, and the word God is much in your mouths; bur here you deceive your felvct ; for yon know not the father to be your God, norLoid, neither can you call him i your God,:iJl you fee and feel by experience that he rules and governs in you,.& that your proud and co- vetnu- tlelh ftoopes, and'is nude fubjeft to him. E 2. 2. Vk ’hen the fpirit within you doth command vour *" ' flefn in rishroufnelie, and will not fuller froward- uelTc, coveronfnelle, pride, hypocrilie, and the like, to arilc and aft, hut prell-nriv checks and con- -dcnins. and Ihames yon, yon can then fpeakein experience, that the iarher ; who is the mighty go- ■ vernour, is your God, and your Lord, for the po- wei s of your poyfoned He h are made fubjeft to' him. Eut lo long as Kiijg-titfh raigns,S: dorh aft pride* envy , coverouihcife, hypocrilie, unrighrcoufndfe, • within yen", then he that you cnllGod, is rhe Devil, that curled fcrpenr,or pnyfoncd.iie'li) even the pow¬ er of cUrki’.cffe is your God j and you cannot fay the father is your God, for if you do, you deceive your ft If, vou are fubjeft to the devil!, you are not fub- Je-a to tne father. He that look:- for a God without himfeif.and wor- Ifx. E.2o. a;j diltancc, he wotfnips he knows not v i ex t \, nd t ceivc-d by the imagina¬ tions of h : s own heart, which is Bcl^bub the great De'. i d i but he tha: looks for a God within himtelf, and lul'iiiirs himlclf to the fpirit of righreoufnefs rhat ihines within; this man knows whom he woiibipf, -■ I for he is made fubjeft to, and hath communiue with rhat fprrit that made all hell), than dwells in all fiellij and in everv creature wirhin the globe- 7.7.23 0. And this is the law and the reftimony, even the law of rhe fpirit of righreoufnelTe within and tefti- mony of the fpirit within a mari,wfien a mail can fay. (6o) By the two pofiefled, is pointed out to me, Fitftj the earth ( mankind) by reafon of his umighteouf nefle is tilled wirh thorns and bryers, that is> with troublefonie difxempers of all forts, which are called Devil;, Or ferpenrs, or the curfe of the earth , or the wicked man that fowes tares in Gods vine yaid (man kind) fo that here is man-kind, or fielh full of troublers, or Devils diflernpc ring the creation ; for do but crofie the imagination of the flefh, and the man grows more or lelfe diffracted. This is pointed at by one of the two that were pofiefled. ! Secondly, the righteous Law of God , even rhe j fpirit which i: full of love, righreoufnclie and peace j in it felf, is enforced.daily to be checking, con-i detuning, and burning up that power of darKnefie, or Devils in the flefh ; to this end, that the fielh may be brought i:iro a onenefie with the Father,and be made fubjeft to the fpirit thar made it, and that dwells in it, though the imaginary powers of the flefh have trod down the fpirit, and would not fuffer him to appear and raign for many years pail; 1, but now the fullnefs of time is come for the fpiritual ap¬ pearance of Chrift, and the fpii it, who is the Lord «or righreoufnefe, is beginning to tread proud and covetous tlcfh under his feer,and will take the King* dom, and raign himfeif in man, yea in every man and woman, though they be as branches of the earth, yet'they are every one a perfeft creation of them¬ selves , and the fpirit of the Father dwells fupremely in every man, as in the whole globe. So tint confidering that man-kind ( though un- righteoiifncffc) hath been corrupted, and hands in need of a reftauration before he can fee the father dwell fupremely in him; and that the fpirit mult be the clranfer and rurger of this poyfoned earth, for he is the everlafiing fire tbattryes all things, and that feparates die drofie from the gold ; and this fpi- j fib (<50 rit, or Father, is pure reafon, which the unreafon- ablenefle of the flelh cannot hand before, but falls prefendy; as chaffe cannot endure the flames of lire. It appears plain, that the righteous Law, the fpi- Ifa. 2 .io. ric, which though it be full of peace initfelf; yet having fo powerful an enemy as thejpevil in flelh, that daily lights againft him, he cannot be at reft, but is at work continually, though it be a work wherein he takes delight. As the fire never ceafej burning, fo long as there is fuel! to work upon: fo that the fpiric of burning may be faid to be full of troubles, in rtfpeft of the great and varietie of his work, for he is to deal with every man and woman in the creation of man-kind , when I fpeak after the manner of men ) for while two parties fight to ma- fter one another, there is a declaration of troubles on both fides, to the beholders i and yet the fpiric is not full of troubles, becaufe he kills and deftroyes the Devil with delight, and works the reltauration of man-kind with abundance of love and cheerfulndfe. And this .fpirit is pointed out to me, to be the other man pofftfTed : for the Scripture is to me but the declaration of a hiftoricall truth, pointing our. this higher myfterie. And as the corrupt power in fle-fh delights to be afting, and fliewing it felf, fo the holy Lasv, (which is nor the letter of the Scriptures) but the fpirit, which is the Law of righteoufnefie, delights to be , afting and fliewing himfelf, in deftroying that fikhy power, or Devil. And as it is a torment to a man to be crolfed of his humour or will, fo it is herefpoke after the man- Jeremy I. ner of men: As to be a torment to the Devil in 33. man-kind , as indeed it is, to be quite deftroyed s and as it were a torment to the righteous Law, as it is nor, but his delight to be taken oif his woikof burning and confuming the Devil. For fp 2) For as it is the Devils heaven to be afiing mi- liahrecufnefle, fo it is the heaven to the Law of the fp'srir to be flaming againft, and burning up the Devil. Now the creature man looks upon thefe two as they fight one againft the other within his heart and flefh, as a murthcrerofhim , for hereby his eaitlilv peace is Killed, fo, that, - Art thou come' to' derttoy us befoie the time, is a voice--jffoceeding from the diltempered man, but it dojfeypically point out .the voice cLthis ccmfound^mcthercsja-inan')for when Chrifx who is the migh^ndw'ells bodily in his own houfe,iheflefn ofmankinde, then all fightings within, and rrotiblers in theflelh fhall ceafe,and there fliall be perfect peace jbur two ene¬ mies ths feek the death one of the other,are both • to be parted, therefore thedevill he would notbe taken off vesing theflelh,becaufehe would be King sn the rielli: And the fpirit of righteoufnefie would not be taken off) till he hath quite fubdued the de¬ vil! under his feet, and made flefh fubjctS to him, which fliall and muff. be accomplifhcd at the reftau- ration of all things- And thtrefote there being much work ro be done in man-kind,as well as in thefe two particular men i j and the work of the devil will nor ceafe fo long as he 5 ijath any power hi flefh and the work of the fpirit f wil no: ceafe, til this Serpents head be quire bruifed, [ and rhe flelh of the whole creation(mankind)be \ . made fubjeft to the fpirit,theLord that madt it: tiler* i fore this voice Art thou conte to deflroy us before [ the rhiic,declares,iiutChrift is the anointing,or powr 1 of the father, that fliall end this quatrell,& that fhall 1 eftablilh perfeff peace in every man as a branch,and | in the whole creation it felt", (man-kind) when the 1 time t -f tfte father is come, that the myftcrie of the I great goveruour, God, is Sniffled. I So (* 3 ) I So that this hiftorie of the two men poflefied with devills, which Chi'ift jefus made quiet, doth declare the great w&rlc of the anointing indie latter r'ayes, when he fhall have finithed his work, and deliver up the Kingdeme to the father, that is, he will tfta- blilli love, and peace, and one neffe between man- kinde and the Ipirir of righreoufne-fie that made it and the fame anointing will deftroy all his enmity that is between the flefh and fpirit, by reafon of the curfejhat is in the flefh, which is to be burned up that fo peace may be made. By the fwine in 'the Hiltory, are pointed out to to me, to be men thac live upon the earth, in the imaginary delights and glory of ir;which is a life be¬ low God as the life of a fwine fnudling up his food from ’ among the tilth of the earth, is below the life cf a man: And this fwine runs down the hill, that is,thefe earthly minded men run lower and lower from God, who is called Sms hillin hunting after covetoufnelfe, felf love, temporal glory, flcfhly ima¬ ginations, and thoughts. Tliefe, l fay, run downwards, further and further from the life of the fpirit j they do not run up the hill of felf denial,& love of rignteoufnefs,where God dwels. Now Gods dwelling is not in any locall place above the skies, as men fancie, and fay God ' dwels above the heavens, Eut lie is faid to dwell above, in refpeft of the flefhes wifdom and powenas thus, Gods wifdom is a* hove the wifdom of rhe flefh, Gods peace & life is a ■ hove the peace and life of the flefh y for covetouf- nelfe, pride, luft,and envy feeds below,and licks the duft of the earth under bondage & diftcmpertBut the love, faith humility, and righteoufnefife of the fpirit lives above,in liberty, freedom,aud perfeft peace. And God is faid to live above the heavens, that is, the fpirit that is the life and peace of all things E 4 - which (< 4 ) which is reafmi, is inccrnorehenfible, fiefh cannot comprehend the largencfie of ir; nay, rhe Saints rhemfelvtb, which are' the heavcss that live above, cannor contain him, nor find out the hcigih, depth, length, and breadth oi that pme ipiiw; therefore he is (aid not cnely ro live above the eai thy , and ima¬ ginary minded men, but above the heavens likewife; fpiritual! men that live in the fpirir, and v.hofe fiefh is fubjeft to rhe fpirir, thefe are not able to reach the incomprehenfibienefie of him. And lo l.e is (aid to be above ail, to live in the heavens, the Saints, yea, and to live above the heavens in wifdora and power, yea, and to tread the earth under his feet, for the wifdom of rhe earth or fielh is foolilh- neffe, nor worrhy the name of wifdom , when it Hands before rhe fpirir. The fwine ran into the waters and perillied there. By waters, are pointed ouc ro me the wifdom of poyfoned fielh , which is branched forth into efta- biihed Doftrines ot the fielh, into former, cuftoms, and governments of the fiefh, which deceived men conform unto for fear, and fhamf of others. And fo the Dndrine and; radifes of dome,being altogether afrer rhe fielh , is called rhe fea of Rome , and fome- times multitudes of people that are deceived by rhe • fiefh , and follow afrer the wifdom and luft thereof,, are called feas, #r great waters, for thefe indeed are the waters whereupon rhe Whore, the difloyal fielh fits, and makes war again If the fpirit in them. ’ Now fwinilh men, that John calls the inhabitants ^ . of the eatth, that live in the fiefh, not in the fpirir unel.iS. of rhe Father, they are drowned, and they perifh in S> 4 j & c - this fea, into which they are run, that is, they live in this fea which the fiefn hath made, glorying and de¬ lighting in that fea, and in thofe waters,as a filh doth in he material! wafer, his proper element; they are feparated frem the life of God , and are dead ro him. (< 8 ) jiim. Sue it is Paid , Sufer ut to go into th$ pine, &c. The meaning given to me is this, that all the di- ftempers that trouble the creature, nun, is hereby Revel 12. declared, rhat they Aral 1 be call out of man-kind p, 10. fthe pure creation,) into the very body of the fer- pent, which is King-flefh, a fwinilh nature , a herd of fwinelor all the branches of it arc like fo many filthy fwinefnudling upon the earth, as covecoufnefs hurdles upon the eatth, pride licks the duftof the earth, envy Jives in the filth ol the earth, hypocrifie and (elf-conceit, with the imaginary glory of the firih, do tumble, and dwell, and live in the mire of the earth, iliac is, delight in nothing but the filth of nun-kind, like fo many fwine as they are, they do not delight in God, they are enmity again!) him- And this corrupt power of daikneffe, and fwinifh nature fball run into the fea, and confufion of his own invention , and imagination , and perilh toge¬ ther, while as man-kind, by the power of the anoin¬ ting fhall fit down in peace in the father, the Lord our righreoufnefie. And where it is faid, Chrift fuftcred them to go, rt points out this, that though King-fjeih rule with power in man-kind, yet he is but Meted fo to do for a time by the King of Tighreotifnelfe; and this ! furferance is for his definition, and mans deliver¬ ance from the bondage of the tleflifor the two men jj'ere made quiet by Jefus Chrift , while the fwine perifbed in the fea ; that is, the creation, man, and the righteous Law, the fpirit, fwtetly embraces each other, while the filthy powers, andwifdom of the flefli do perifli in the fea of his own invention-, forms, cuftomts, governments, and imaginary glory. So that the Devilis not 3 third power between God and man, but he is the cur fe in flefn5 and the ■ power ( 66 ) power of utter darkncfie is this, when the Father fliiues forth in man, and lets him fee his curfe, and fo begins to condemn , and burn up the curfe; now the poor creature not knowing the myfte- rieof the Father, dieth prefently under fcrrow, beholding no way of comfort, but mifery on every fide; for the fpirit of brighrrieffe hath fo befet the power of darkneffe within a man , that the poor heart fees there is no poffibilicy of peace and com¬ fort , till one fide be fubdued, or a reconciliation be made. By this means, which is a means, or work of the fpirit within, not any outward means of preaching, fcc. the Father kils, and deftroyes the powers of difobedient flefh, and at length made the created flefh to fubmit to him , and live before him. And for proof of this, I will appeal to the ex¬ perience of any of you that have been fenfible of \ out bondage, through the combate that hath been between flefh and fpirit in you, whether you have looked upon your troubles, as infiifted upon you by the Devil, and adverfe power between God and you, or have not rather beheld the anger of God upon •* you through the bright-lhining Law of righteouf- nefie in you, fhaming, condemning,and tormenting of you for difobediences fake. It may be the thought of the Law of God hath not been in your mind, but the fenfe of anger and iCsr. 15. wrath hath lien upon your fpirit ; and whence 55. comes that wrath, but from the (hining of the Law of the fpirit within you ? and wherefore through this Law ? but becaufe the principles of the flefh in you feek to advance felf above the fpirit, or at leaft to be eqtaall with him- And fo long as the powers of fuch afpiring , felf- fteking lu'fts,aud fin rules wi;h'in yoti,fo long will the power of the Law, in clifpenfations of wrath and anger, (<$ 7 ) anger; in your apprehenfion, rule in you, and over Cel 1.12; you i (o that this compound murtherer is of a migh¬ ty power, and may be well called a power of dailc- lieffe, for it holds you under dai kneffe and death, and you live far below both the comforts and life of God: As foon as difobedipittlefhappearsagainft Heb-2.1 $, thelawofthe fpirit jn you, thefpiricappears pre- fently againfl the powers of thellefh in you, and fo holds you in fear oF death all ypnr life time. for indeed your difobedient tlefh, which rules 2 Cor.4.4. powerfully in all the brandies of it, which you take Ephef.i.z* pleafure in, as in pride, covetoufnelfe, unclean- ndTe,envy, felf conceipt, hypcctiiie, in their feverall meafures, till they rife up to a number of a legion of Devils: v ou think this is your liberty, to have your filthy wils fatislied herein, and alas, this is your bond¬ age, atid it is that Devil that was a liar from the be¬ ginning , that never gavf true peace to bis children, though he promifed much; he carries you away from God by his flrong delations, to believe his lies- And this power of darknefie in you caffs you un¬ der a more powerful! bondage of the Law of the fpi¬ ric within you, yea, in utter darknefie, wherein you flick faft, as in mire and clay, or, as in a deep pit, and cannot get out, it throws you under wrath, and makes God appear angry, which is the gre3teft darknefie the poor creature can lie under: Wlrac greater darknefie can rherc be, then for a man never to fee’ ncr feel the light, heat, nor warmth of the fun, but ahvayes to live in fome dungeon, where the fun never appears. A meek and humble fpirit fights againfl thy rafh- nefie,& fdf-conceir; and fecret envy,& grudging op- pofes the appearance of love; covetoufnefs and bond¬ age fights againft freedom,and liberty of fpirit; and chaftitie fights againft undc-ar,nefie ; the Law of , rigbteonfnefie fights againft unrighteoufirefie of the flefft. So C«) So that if at any time thy heart begins to dcvife any unrighteoufneffe within thy lelf, the Law of the fpirit of truth breakes forth in thee, and lets thee fee it, and.condemns, and flumes rhee for ir, and thy whole foul is tilled " i h diftemper and hon our; And if at any time the power of unclean del'll begins to break forth in thee, the Law of chafritie appears, and (hews thee thy filrhinefle, and condemns rhee for it, but gives thee no Itiength for tile prefenta- gainft thy luft,fo char the power of thy unclean flefh, luffing after folly, is flrong in thee; and the power of the law of chaftitie (hewing thee that Abomina¬ tion, is ffrong in thee likewife, which fills thee with torment. And if at any time unrighteous thoughts and pur¬ ports rife up in thee, or unrighteous aftions pro¬ ceed out of thy hands, and thou delight therein j yet when the Law of the fpirir.ef truth appears in thee, and (hews thee thy abominable praftice, thy delight in the flefh dies /peace is taken from rhee , and thy fpirit is filled with trouble. I could inftance in eve¬ ry power of the fielh in this kind- ; And now prefently thou concluded,That the De¬ vil, which thou thinkfr is a third power, didinft be¬ tween God and thee, comes and torments thee. But no : for it is the very power of the fpirit, which is pure reafon, which governs the whole globe in riphteoufneffe, that (hews thee thy vrickednelfe, and. the lighr thereof difeovers thy aarknefs, and fills thee with lhameand torments For if the fpirit (hine upon thy fikhinefte, and trouble rhee, it is not barely to trouble, buc to burn up thy lulls, and to make rhee bright, is the Fathers end; but while thou lied between rhefe two powers, that thy peace is gone, all feeling of life is taken way, and thou lied under darknefie, yea utter datk- aefle j for thou feed no light of peace of any fide- If thou follow the powers of thy flefh j as thy un« fleamoefle, uni ighreoufuefle, envy, frowardnefle » pride, hypocrille, and the like, thou hereby acknow¬ ledged that the flefh is God, for thou maintained the being of that wicked man, as though he were the onely one being, that dwells in the globe; but if the bather of all things, which is reafon, be the only one being, that gave being to a)], and that keeps all in peace; then certainly, while thou followed the way of King-flefh , thou walked unreafonably, for-' thou fettelt up another King which makes divifton, i Con 12, which the creation knowes nor, and thou denied the 13. King.of rigltteoufncfie, which unites the whole body of the creation into a onenefie of fpirit. Thac fpirit that knits all creatures together in peace and fweer communion of love, and meeknefs, mud needs be King: And this doth reafon, who is the eflentiall Father; but that power that makes one creature a tyrant over another; nay, divides the creature man within himfelf,-and fo pulls the crea¬ tion in pieces, breaking the bonds of peaceable love, and filling the creature with torment, arid diftra- ftion , mud needs be a Devil, or troubles and this doth thac curfe, that is in the flefh, and therefore no King, but a mtn therer,a deceiver,a devil, the ferpenc rhat mud be killed, and the wicked man , that mud be taken out of the way. Now fuch a condition of bondage doth this com¬ pound power calf you under; you are abfent from the liberty, peace and life of heaven, and you lie tumbling in hell and darknefle, to be incorporated into the power of the wicked one, and to aft from his unclean principles, is the flefh and blond thac dial! never enter heaven ; never enjoy union and peace with the fpirit of righteouliiefl'e; for light and darknefle can never live together. This is the bond- vrcnun and her fori, that dial! never be heir,nor live (7°) in the houfe with the free woman, And whatfoever is of this nature,or under this bondage,lels or morej doth not taiie of heaven, which is perfect peace, for that which is bondage cannot be faid to be liberry. But for your comfort, poor enflaved foufes ; , o Chriltj the wifdom and power of the Father is come to open the prifon doors, to pull you up out of the • i’ 12, earth of covetoufiicfle, and lelfimagination, under which you ha/e been, and are buried and will fee yon even as a come of wheat that lies buried under clods of earth, till the warme cherilhing, meeke and loving fpirit in the earth caufe it to fprout, and fpring, and Ihoot out, and fo bring forth fruit. like himfelf a great abundance; therefore wait patient¬ ly, till you be able to ling Alkhk, and to fay, The Lord God omnipotent raigneth, and allure your feives the vilion will nor Itay long, for when your Ilefh is made mbject to the fpirit,he will fpeak peace to you and in you. Since unrighteoufnefie was afted in humane flefh againlt his maker, every ion and daughter of that difobedien: flefh is likea man,upon whom two fierce band dogs hath laid hold, tearing, and pulling ro pieces: And thefe rwo are nrft, rhe curfe or (in in iielh, which is called rhe ferpenc, the father of lies, the wicked man, rhe devil). The fecond is rhe appearance of t the righteous law, dwelling in that flefh likewife ; as a feed buried under the weight of that curfed earth , and his ap¬ pearance is fo terrible to the difobedienc Iielh, that it deftroys at his appearing all the joy and peace tfeereofand is called the feverity of the Law. So that hrlt the curfe,or fin,this hath fattened upon the man,and puls him from owning rhe fpirit,and fo makes created ilefh to rebell againlt his maker. And then the fatherfwhich the curfe in the flefh hath defpiftdimaintains his own prerogative in man,, . and 1 (7 0 and deftroys & kils tluc rebellion,by reafon whereof the creature, man, is filled with Torment. And this aft of the fpirit is called the declaration 2 Cor. 3, > of wrath, dr -he Law, or the letter that kils yfor in- 6, 7. deed the dilobedient man fees, and feels nothing ibut wrath on every fide. For let the creature look within himfelf, he fees Lind feels no peacefor the appearance of the fpirit: of rightcoulneffc is like the offended Law of a King, that l'peaks death to the offender which way foever he mm himfelf 5 tfafhes like the flaming fword every way, and fo rakes peace from that particular | earth- j And if he look abroad, the fame declaration of f wrath follows, the eye of the (Inner, and flames 1 our fire in every place, even as the father is pleafed vifibly to appear in outward manifefrarions of ju- ftice, to the .terrifying of the difobedienr, that he may know himfelf, and his -works, that they ‘ have been unrighteous- As in Ioffes, fad accidents, death of friends, or cattell, cafaulties by fire, water, unfeaforiable wea¬ ther, or the like, and fo taking an outward peace from the earth that is, from divers branches of difobedient earth, men and women, making them to lit'down in forrSw. And poor tinners, when they feel, and fee fuch . inward and outward mifery, they cry out, Oh, this is the devil! that troubles them ! And fo look upon the Devi 11 as a third powerfnll beeing, diltinft between God them, working their mifery. Alas poor (inners, this is the devil indeed, a great fen-3. 54 : troubler, but not fuch a devil as yon fancie 3 for this Devill, or murtherer, that takes away your peace is within you, it is your fin, and the curfe of your tlefh, upon which the fury of the King of righteoufneffe hath feifed anb taken fait hold ; and now expeft no peace peace in earth, that is, in your fle(h, till there be peace in heaven, that is, till your tlelh be made fob- jeft to the fpirit, ar.d the Father and you become one- For fruly let me tell you,and you (hall find it true, That as the curfe, or difobedienc tlelh in you doth rife up in rebellion againlt the fpirit, by faffing, lu¬ ting, felf-lovingl defpifing, exprefiion of bitcernefie and difeontent agai.ift the way of the fpirit, and fo feeking to advance your felves,or your tiefhly lulling above the fpirit- Even fo the Law of the fpirit will appear, and the flafhings of this darning foord will fpicad the more, to advance the fpirit, even the King of glory’, and fo will hedge in your way.ard crefle you at every turn¬ ing : And truly , if you fee the fury of tile Lord to appear more hot and fierce then formerly, then fay, and lay tru!y,That the breakings out of tin and curfe is more violent ip thefe dayes then formerly : And it mud be fo. For now the borrcnilefle pi c is opened, that is, The curfe, or ferpent in humane tlelh is let loofe, to aft, and (hew it it if in his own likenclfe, and it makes himfeli maniieft to be the power of darknefs, the father of lies, the aumie cf the Father, and the Whore, the Bead and mother cf Ml abominations. And the four evd Angels, that is, Subtiltv.Hypo- crifie, Envy and Cruelty , backed and ftrengthened with all the power cf Hell , or Curfe , are let loofe, thac is, the il rength ot thefe are maniieft, and aft powerfully in theie dayes y and aiTure yourfelves that the difpenUcions ofwrath do,and mud increafe to the view of crea uses more then formerly. Eat tilde fad apparitions of inward and outward wrath will not lift long, the time Ihortens apace,add the work of the Father haftens apace i for righre- yjfhcfc and peace hath begun to take the Kingdom,’ ’ .and ajic! to raigrij whofe dominion fhall have no end, When your eyes are opened, you fhall Tee that ic is the righteous Law, .or rule of truth that thwarts, and erodes the finfull and curfed principle^ that mlt-j and that hill would rule a King in yoifr del'll. And this Law works fometimes withii^ccudemn- ing a man within his own confidence , wirhbut any outward means, bur the light of the fpirit within rifes up, and declares the darknede of the curfe with¬ in the defh ; and' fometimes it condemns the man within himfelf through the light or hearing of other mens words andaftfons without, nay , the very acti¬ ons of other creatures are made to be whips to tor* ment him. Sometimes thou haft had vain glorious imagina¬ tions riling np within thee , puffing up thy mind with big thoughts of thy fdf, as if thou wert fame great body for thy learning, riches, parrs , prayers, fallings, preachings, to whom every man muft give refpetf. , Thou haft thoughts ofcoveroufnefie, of injuftice, of unpleanneffe, and thinkeft thou mayeft take thy. pleafure herein, and if any difrover thy lewdnefle in thefe abominations, which thou feeft no evil in., prefendy thou haft thoughts of revenge arifej in thee, ro make fuch and fuch know what they do to erode thee in that thou fayeft and doeft- Aiid thereupon purfucs thy resolution to get a power to put thy envious- thoughts (which thou hinkeff'is Zeal) into execution , but thou doft noc loit, and why? becauferhe opportunities cf rhe rarth will not give thee power: Well, all this is the welling, up of the cutfe within thee, which rhon hinkeft is tftejpirit of holinefle; a Itrongdelu- But within a flrormme after, rhy confcietice (of jarfipr the ijpfri r> jbppns to trouble ( 74 ) 1 fils thy face with fhame, and thy heart with aking diftemper; becaufe thou that' arc a profeffour of a meek and loving fpirit, which is true godlineffe, ihould have fuch exalting thoughts in thee againft thy fellow creatnre, and confeiu unto them. Or it my be fome others’ may caft out jeers a- gainft thy very thonghts, yet not knowing thy heart, .and thereby thy diftempers multiplie, and peace va- Hilheth from thy proud lifted up heart j and now thou concludeft, that this is the Devil that firit j . put ill thoughts into thee, and now troubles thee | for them. * , . , It is true, it is the Devil indeed, but not luch Devil as thou thinkeft of; for firlf, the Father of lies, thy unclean fltfh, that was he that indeed thee to envy j and now the righteous Law of the fpirit within thee, fhews thee thy evil, and lhames, and troubles thy mind, and throws thee under vexation and forrow of fpirit, andkills all thy comforts, ana dalhes all thy contentednelfe to pieces. And no man knowes of thefe inward forrows, but thy own heart", this is the Law and the teftimony, even the perfeft rule of holinefs that appears in thee, and to thee, and hedges in the way of the fleth with thorns 9 and throws thee under bondage j this is the murtherer which thou calleft the Devil j he is a mur- therer indeed of the curfe, though thou , who ate dead under the curfe, maift be made alive in the fpf rit, and live in the Father of peace. And fometimes the Law works without, and o- pens themouthes of others, to fpeak againft thy ielt* conceit,in preaching, praying, or carnall ule ot Scriptures, ’.nd againft thy covetoufneffe and pride, that makes thee life up thy felf above thy fellow crea¬ tures j and thou thinkft this is the Devil that tempts theetoforfakeGodandgoodnefs. Alas friend,it is the righteous Law that crones thy ■ flefn, ( 75 ) flefhy Hypocrifie, and that fends thefe meffengers as difpenfers of wrath to thee, to make thee not to look after the letter, but the fpirit of the Seriptures, to burn up thy drofle, to confume the curfe out of thee: to refine thee, and make thee pure gold; thac is, to make thee live in, and after the fpirit and to pull thee out of the flcfh ; In which, and after which thou Jiveft- By what hath been fpoken , I queftion not but the Father will let light fhine into the fpirits of his fervaiits, that they may fee what the Devil or cnur- therer is; which is the ferpenc, fin, or curfe, dwel¬ ling within a man, or the power of deceived flefh im- bittered, and made a Hinging Scorpion by the Law of righteoufnefs. The fling of [in it death , and the i Car. iy. ft length offin it the Law- Now there is none that can free the creature from this compound murtherer', or from thefe two band- dogs, but (Jefus Chrift ) who is notafinglemanat Jer.23.Si adiftance from you; bnt who is the wifdom and/o/).8,3& power of the Father, who fpirits the whole crea¬ tion, dwelling and ruling King of righteoufnefie in your very flefh. And he it is that comes and puls off thefe fierce devouring powers, and heals the creature thac they were faftened upon, and fees him free. And how doth he do that? Why, firft he de- ftroyes the curfe thac is in man , and puls away thac felfiflineffe that was in him, which made him to pre¬ fer the flefh above the fpirit, and fo delivefs the (in¬ ner from his envy, covecoufneffe, difeontent, pride, hypocrifie; and makes him patient, humbie, contenr under Gods hand; makes him co love, to delight, and to glory onely in God, and fo makes the crea" ture to advance God above all, and to fee the crown of glory upon his head. And now that devouring band-dog fm, or curfe, is pulled off. F 2 And (70 And then fecondly, when fin or ferpent is thus i C?r. I<. pulled oli, and the creature man is made one witfy 5 £• the-Father, and reconciled in nature and fpirit to him ; then the other bandog wrath, or offended Law, which was the ftrength of fin, in working the creatures raifery , hath nothing left to fallen upon; Eut being a righteous Law, now becomes the crea¬ tures friend,fince the creature by Chrift is made one with the righteous Father; and thus Chrift , who is the wifdomand power of God , hath fet the finner free; And if the fort make w fee , we ate fee in¬ deed. J',ut what is to be underlfocd by this Power of Gcd? why, truly I conceive this, by the power of God, is not a power without us onely , as it was in the man Chrift jefus, when he fuffered death in his own fingle perfon, and thereby conquered hell and death, andoyercame the Devil, and call the accufcr out of heaven; that is, out of fltlh, that the Fa¬ ther might dwell bodily in flelh, and tread the curfe under matt- feet- x Job- 2. Eut the fame Anointing, or power in-dwelling, 20, &c- and ruling within us, and thus the power of love in man , is the power of God in man; and this fets us free from envy; the power of patience, and of a meek fpirit in man, is the power of God in man, and fets us free from difeontent; the power of hu¬ mility in ns, is the power of God in us, and fets us free from pride; the power of peace, joy, and fweec refiing of heart it) God, is the power of God in us, which fets us free from forrows, and inward bondage of mind. And thus the power, life,and peace of the Father, Jerem -25 • ruling as God, a mighty govemour in us, and being 5, 6- eltablifbed in us, which indeed is the Anointing If a ah 60. fpoken of, or the Lord our righceoufnefle, that rules 1 c, 11, &c- in us, k that power of God (or that Chrift) that fets us ( 77 ) us free from fin, and death j for this isChrift in you> which is ;fie hope cf glory, or theearneft of the fu¬ ture inheritance. And truly thefe, and fuch like powers of God Col. 1.27. within a man, are thofe glorious Angels, in their feverall meafures, which the Father hath fenr to guard his children, and to keep them in all their wayes, that they dalh not their foot again ft the rock, even God himfelf. For Love, Humility , Patience, Meeknefle, Joy , andafweet reftingof heart in GOD, makes the crearure fubmit cheerfully to God in every condi¬ tion. Let a Son of the Father meet with Lodes, Straights and Oppreffions in the world, and his heart prefently anfwets, Thy wifi be done Father, thou knoweft 1 want neceflaries, thou knoweli what thofe neceftaries for me are, my heart wai ts upon thee, let times be peace or war, let weather be fair or fowl, ftili the poor believing foul faith, All this is good , becaufe it is the will and pleafure of my Father,who will have it to be thus. And thus the power oi the Spirit,who is the King of righteoufneffe within every man , treads down flefh, and fets the creature free from Hell, Death and Devil. And the wifdom of the Father is in all this like- wife , for he doth this in wifdom , to make himfelf known,and that his creature being delivered by fuch a ftrong hand, may, out of a feeling experience,own him, and magnifie his name. Well, if you caft your eyes abroad among the fons and daughters of men, you Hull fee very few that are faved, and.very few in whom Chrif) d«’i IIs j And now the foh of-man comes to fave, he findes. no faith in earth, he findes righteoufneffe 1 uling in no man, but King-fiefh ruling in every one- But this is comfortto the earth,Thrfon ofrighre- F 3 oufneffe ( 78 ) oufneffe is commirig, and hath begun to heal the earth,, lie is treading down the powers of the flefh, and he goes on mightily , conquering , and taking up Tons and daughters out of their imaginary earth, under which they have lien buried) to enjoy the Fa¬ ther, and to live in the oneneffe of that fpirit that made all things, fo that ere long, the fweet fong rhat is fung in privare, fhall be fung publickly up¬ on the houl'e tops: Rejoyce, for the Lord God o- mnipotent raigns- Yea, when this mighty power, Chrift, is lifted up, he will draw all men after him , that is, when he is exalted,and known to be the onely fpirit that dwels in the creation, and that knits every creature into the one fpirit, himfelf ,*then is the time ( which in¬ deed is beginning in thefe dayes) that he will draw all men after him. So that every one fhall fee themfelves in a lode , aud fhall enquire the way to Sion, even to this fpirit, the dwelling place of relt; they fhall fee that books are nothing, mens word and Teachings, fludies, and imaginary thoughts and conjeftures are nothing, but the Lord alone, even this fpirit, is all in all, and fhall be exalted, honoured, and lifted up by all in this day of his power. And how is the fpirit lifred up ? Why truly, when the tlcfb is fubjeft ro the fpirit. And how is that? Why tbu;, Firft, to know that this fpirit which is ailed God, or Father, or Lord, is Reafon: for though men eflecm this word Reafon to be too mean a name to fer forth the Father by, yet it is the higheft name that can be given him. For ir is Reafon that made all things, and it is Reafon cha r governs the whole Creation, and if flefh we r c but fubjeft thereunto , that is, to the fpirit of Reafon wirhin himfelf, ir would never, aft un- lighreoufndle} for if rafh, froward, and mad angfer ( 79 ) rife up in a man , and makes him walk according to the hafty violence of that Devil, now he is faid truly to be an unreafonable man, or a man that is not fub- jeft to Reafon. But if Reafon be King in a man, then he moderates the man both within and without, fo that he may be truly faid to be a reafonable man, or a man fubjeft to reafon, and fo a profitable man amongft his fellow creatures. For let Reafon rule the man , and he dares not trefpaffc againft his fellow creature, but will do as he would be done unto; For Reafon tels him , is thy neighbour hungry, and naked to day, do thou feed him, andcloarhhim, it may be thy cafe to Matiha'y morrow, and then he will- be ready to help 35. thee- When the Curfe in flefli moves a man to op- preffe or deceive his neighbour, or to takeaway his rights, and liberties, to beat, or abufe him in any. t kind, reafon moderates this wicked tkfh , and fpeaks within , Wouldeft thou be dealt fo by thy felf ? Wouldeft thou have auother to come and take away thy Goods, thy Liberties, thy Life! No, faith theflefh, thac [ would not: Then faith Reafon, Do as thou wouldeft be done unto > and heieby the envious, and covetous, and pioudflefli is killed, and the man is made very Moderate* And this fpi- rit of Reafon is not Without a man, but within eve- 1 Job. 2. man, he needs not run after others, to rell.hint, 27. or teach him, for this fpirit is his maker, he dwtls in him, and if the flelh were fubjeft to him , he ftonld find daily -teaching thereform, though he were alone, and faw the face of mb man. 'And truly let me tell you, That you cannot fay the;fpirit is your God , till you fed 1 and fee by experience that the fpirit doth govern your tltftr, for if Envy be your Lord that rules ycur utlh, it F 4 - Pride fi ide and Covetoufnefle rule your flefh , then is En¬ vy, Covetoufnefle, or Pride your God : If you feifr n-.en fo greatly , that you dare not do righteoufly for fear of angering men, then flavifh fear is your God i If rath anger govern your flefh , then is anger your God: If Uncleannefl'c rule iii you, that is your God: Therefore, deceive not yourfelves, bur let reafon woik wirhin yon , and examine, and fee what your flefh is fubjeft to j for wharfoever doth govern in t.vj.d.i 6 you, that is your God : If the curfe in the flefh go¬ vern you, then the Devil is your God, and you are fervauts*to him, for the curfe is the Devil: But if your flefh be fubjeft to the fpirit within it, which is Reafon, and which made the flefh, then is the Father your God, and you may lawfully call him your Godj for you know now what you fpeak , and thac your ‘ words are words of experience ; but if you aft con¬ nary to reafon, you aft like a beaft, and not like a man, according to his creation; for by his crea¬ tion he is made Lord of all creatures, and therefore the fpirit dwels fupreamly in him; but when he fol¬ lows the way of the flefh, then he afts like a beaft, below the creation of a man, and fo hath loft the honour of his creation. C H‘A P. VI. 'T’Here be three Scriptures that were brought to JL me, and the light that fhined forth , gave much fttcngrh to my foul. I (hall onely mention them 5 and then conclude. The flrft is Rev. 94. And it was commanded them , that they fan Id not Rev, $. 4 . hurt the green grajfe of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree , but onety thofemen that have not the fed of God upon their fore-heads', and thefe were not to be killed neither, but that they Jbould be tormented five moneths by thofe Locufis that came out . of the- fmoke that rife up out of the bettomlejfe pit , that , was now opened, or made manifefi what it if . By green grafle, and trees that were not to he hnrt, were fhtwed to me to be the tender Tons and daughters that Chrift hath newly Called out of the earth, to'grow up towards him ; And likewifethe tender plants of divine life, that Chrift had planted in that tender earth. As love branching out into hungering and thirft- ing after righteoufndfe i and this tender green grafle, nor the earth whereupon it grows, is not hurt •, for in the middeft of any trouble whatfoever,’ the breathings of love after the Father, in hungering and thirfting after him, isftill kept alive in the ten* der foule. And why nnift not thefe be hurt ? Why ? becaufe thefe have the feal of the fpi rit upon them, as tender' plants, as fuch as are dear unto him. I, but pride, envy, covetoufnefle, hypocritie, and the earth upon which thefe, and fuch like weeds grow, are to be tormentedand why ? becaufe they have not the feal of thefpiric upon their fore-heads, and they are to be tormented five moneths, before fuch time as thefe weeds be burped up,and that poy-' foned earth, become fmitfull for good feed- 1, but thefe are called meo, not ftnfull qualities that are to be tormented > ir is true, but a man is called ' (80 called according to his qualicie ant) manners ; take a proud) covetous, or envious man j andcroffe any of thefe wicked qualities, and you torment the man. For when Envy raigns in a man, if it be croft, die whole man is croft; and if pride, or felf-will raign in a man, and be croft, the man is tormen¬ ted; fo that quality declares the man; and the man is declared what he is by his quality. And therefore in thefecond Scripture, Rev. 20. 16. Icisfaid, Rev.zo. Whofiever wist not written in the Lambs bookof 1 j. life, was cafi into the kkf of fire. By Lambs book,of life} isfhewed to be his very Divine nature and fpiric, wherein Love, Humility, Patience, Peace, and/uch like are writen, and thefe fnall enter into life, and the men in whom this Spirit rules fhall enter into heaven, and live in the Father. For thefe fruits of the Spirit prove a man to be a fon of light, and every fon of light is known by thefe qualities that was engraven in the Lambs Nature, or Spirit. . Buc whatfoever was not written in the Lambs book, as Envy, Pride, Covetoufneffe , Self-will, and the like, thefe fhall be caft into the lake of lire, the Spirit of burning, to be confumed, and the men in whom thefe curfed powers rule, fhall be tormented, while that droffe is in burning up, and vexed day and night, and are reftkfie, and can- nor be quiet, but frets, and are troubled conti¬ nually. Therefore whatfoever is not written in the lPr t.2. Lambs nature, (hall never live in reft in the Fa-. 22, See. ther; but Envy', Pride, CovetoufnelTe, Seif-will, • and and the like, were not written in the iambs book, or Spirit, for he was full of love, and patience, £rc. Therefore thofe' lhall never live in the Father, and never fit down in reft in the fpirit i but the fpiric • - will ftill be burning them, as chaffe in the fire, till they be confumed. Another, thing obferve, that whatfoever did ap¬ pears to dwell in the Lamb, is, nor lhall never be tormented, as love, patience, Humility, contented- nefle, thefe are never tormented, though I have 1 Cor -‘ l $? thought many times, that love,being croft grows an- 7 * j . gry. But I fee by experience it is improper, for love cannot be angry, it beareth all things. And as we fee in our Lord Chrift, in whom love, patience , humility, contentedneffe, did dwell and rule i he was never tormented, nor troubled with any fretting Or difquiet fit- For truly I fpeak what I have and do find, itisonelytheflelbandferpenc that is troubled and tormented, and the more.a man is vexed and fretted, the more ftrength of fleih dweisand roles in him- But when the fpirit of the . Lamb is fent into the heart, he fwallows up that fro- ward power of the fleih, and faves the man from diftemper, as I faid before- The third Scripture I lhall mention, is that old pulling Scripture, that hath tormented many a foul, which is this: Matt b. 12. 31. He that ftnt again ft the holy Ghoft, jhall not be for¬ given in thif world, nor in the world to come- By fin here, is lhewed to me, to be the ferpent, or the curfe in the fleih; branching himfelf forth in¬ to pride Covetoufnefle, Envy, Uncleannefie, Self- will, Hypccrifie, and all fuch like j and this ferpeht dwels ( 84 ) dwell in the flefh of every fon and daughter oM- ism, (ince the fall: except the man Gnrift Jefusj forthongh this ferpent tempted him ,and ftrived to .rale in him, as he overcame and ruled in the firft gei.2.14. Adsm, yet Chrift'trod him under foot, and caft him out of heaven: that is, out of humane flelh, that ?et/. 12. paj-c 0 f the creation, in whom the Father dwelt *>■' bodily. And by holy Ghoft here, it is (hewed to me, to. . «... be the Anointing, or the Spirit ruling in flefh, ei- 1700.41/ t j, er intheflelhofChrift, or in the flelh of his 2 * 3 * Saints. Now the ferpent or curfe, which is called the power of darknefle", this is the fin againft the holy Ghoft i for the Father made the humane flelh to be his houfe to dwell in ■, And this ferpent took pof- Cuk? IX. feffion, and fights againft thefpirir, and will not fuf- 22. fer him to appear in flelh at all. Therefore faith the Father, this fm or curfe (ball never be pardoned; that is, the Father will never re¬ concile that wicked one to him; the Father and the 315. ferpent will never become one, but will alwayes be . fighting, till the ferpents head be bruifedfor this is that wicked one that the Father is angry with ever 5 he is not limply angry with his creature, but with this (in or curfe in the creature, with which the creature hath made a covenant, and become one with it, and fo fights againft his maker. I, but the Father will bruife this head of Rebel¬ lion, and confume this fin in the fire, that fo he may reconcile his creature to himfelf i but I fay the fin or curfe lhall never be reconciled - , the Father will ever be a confuming fire to that, and will be ever taking peace from that earth that gives this wicked one entertainment. f For the fpirit will be ftill bruifing the head of this fin, till he hath deftroyed ir, and redeemed his crea¬ ture ture from the power and bondage of it j and it is true, every man is guilty of this fin againft the fpirit} and though the Father will never make this fin one with himfelf, yet he will make his creature man one with him, when this curfe is fwallowed up of life* And why will he not pardon this fin ? bccaufe it was not written in the Lambs book, or nature, but is that power of darknefle that makes war againft the Lamb, and will not have the fpirit to dwell in fldh > but would caft him out. Therefore the fpirit will caft him out, though he were a ftronger power theo he is. And fo for this time I will conclude. FINIS .