Epistle I. Concerning what Man was, and by Creation is, and how he fel; and also a word of the Divine Mysterie.

GOD which was, is, and for ever shal be, a be­ing in himself, hath been pleased to declare the same in Creation, of which Creation man is a chief part; but be­fore the Creation there was nothing but God, no appearances were brought forth out of the one, onely infinite, and entire [Page 2]being, who knows how harmoniously and sweetly with an entire love—and oneness we tumbled together with, in the womb of Eternity, when all things were in union with their Original Centre.

Now when God was to create the world, and all things therein, he had no other materials (or matter) to make it of, but his own being; therefore God is the Essence of all Essences, for all is generated or born, created and proceeded from him, and all things take their first beginning in God, as the Scripture witnesseth, saying, Through him, and in him are all things, and all things were created by him and for him, and by him all things consist.

Consider, That God is a Spirit that is in­comprehensible, and was before appearan­ces were brought forth, by or in his essen­tial Word, and hath neither beginning nor end, and his greatness and depth is all.

The whole Creation is but his unfolding of himself in his varieties, and his cloath­ing himself in the creature in their created estate; so that since this great fabrick of heaven and earth hath bin made to appear, God hath ever been hiding himself, hiding himself in his life, being motions and ope­rations, so that no eye can see him, or know [Page 3]what he does, or what he means, but that eye which is with him where he is.

This consider, That every spirit seeth no further then into its Mother (or Nature) out of which it hath its Original, and wher­in it standeth; for it is impossible for any spi­rit, below the spirit of God, in its own natural power, to look into another princi­ple, and behold it, except it be regenerated therein, or brought forth anew.

Heaven and Earth at their first coming forth were but a vail, behinde which God intended to hide himself, and did hide him­self, even from Adam, in his highest and purest estate; God indeed showed himself to Adam, as he appeared in the creature, as he shined through the vail, but hid him­self as he was in himself, so that Adam could in no wise reach to the true vision, but only to such an appearance as God pleased to dart forth of himself through the vail.

Now confider, when the breath of Lise was breathed into man, (or elementary birth) it was out of Gods first principle, then Man was a living soul in the heavenly Paradise, wherein there was a state of In­nocency, being the morning time of man, wherein was planted paradisical fruit, which the garden [Man] should bring forth, for [Page 4]God did make him a garden for his own delight to walk in, and that the creature should delight in him, and to acknowledge God to be his Maker, and his all, his life and only being, to whose command he was to subject himself, in all obedience, meek­ness, thankfulness, love, humility, and mer­cy, and so represent the glory of the Lord, and to be like him; if these things be in you, and abound, you shal not be unfruit­ful, therefore let these things be applied to every one of our hearts in particular, these prophesying times.

Again, observe this, that God foreknew that all created things are changeable, therefore God made a Law to man, for­bidding him of eating of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil, which is in the midst of the garden; for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely dye; and this is the Law and Covenant that I have made between me and thee, that hast a being in creation by me.

This consider, that man was made upright, but he being let stand did putrifie, — and so sought out many inventions, Eecles. 7.29. so that there aspited up in the midst of the garden (the heart of man) pride and covetousness, being not contnted with [Page 5]that estate that God had put him in by Creation, but did covet another estate, to exalt it self, to be more knowing than God had made him; which self-aspiring the creature delighted in, and so eating or satis­fying himself in his own fruit, broke the Law and Covenant, and died, according to the words of his Maker, and so fell from a pure estate to be rebellious, and to de­light in his own ways, so that the root of mans fall, as he is a creature, sprung in his heart, there lies the mystery of iniquity; therefore consider what is the forbidden fruit, which him that eateth thereof doth advance himself, and denies God, which is the creatures death, loss and shame, and ever since the fall of man, this selfish aspi­ring spirit of pride leads the humane nature to disobey God, and leads every man and woman captive at his will, and inslaves them in the prison of bondage and darkness, to walk in ways directly contrary to the God of Truth and Light, and yet many times perswades them that they do God good service: let a man read, hear, study, preach, pray, and perform actions of justice, yet if God be not merciful to the man, this pow­er of darkness will deceive him, making him conceit or think he pleaseth God, [Page 6]when the truth is, he serves but himself all that time, if the Spirit of God be not their counsellor and support, it is so ful of secret strong delusions, therefore this is cal­led the crooked Serpent, because it winds it self into every creature, and into every faculty, and twists it self about the Tree, (Mankind) so that the humane nature is defiled, and is a seat wherein the Beast and false Prophet sitteth, and therein predomi­nate, whereby Satans Kingdom is set up, and a worldlike power maintained, who serves by the brain for worldlike gain.

Epist. II. Concerning our Restitution, Captivity, San­ctification, Ascension and Ʋnion.

BEginning with that in Eph. 1.9, 10. That in the dispensation of the fulness of time, he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth, even in him.

There is a time for all purposes that are decreed by the Father, to be fulfilled in their times and seasons; a day for to fall, a [Page 7]day to reign as Kings, one hour with the Beast in his fall, a day for to be sensible of his fall: a day to be senfible of the terrors and punishments by his fall, and a day to be sensible of his loss of Gods presence and communion with him, and a day to a­bide the trial of the fire, which shall search the heart, and try the reins of man: a day for all fleshly glory to fall before the pre­sence of the Lord: a day to mourn for these changes: a day for to go through the fiery trial, and to be refined again: and again, a day to behold the manifestation of God to be like Flames of Fire, to kin­dle every where, where it cometh; then shall the smoaking flax be set on fire, then will the Lord say unto the Sons of men, Arise and shine, for your light is come; then shall you arise from the dead, and Christ shal give you life, then am I come saith he, that you may have life, and that you may have it more abundantly, and you who were absent from me, shal return to your fathers house, like the prodigal, and be pre­sent with me where I am. And then you that seed upon husks, and were wanderers and strangers to the Land of Promise, the Land of the Living, thus being refined, Christ wil present you unblameable and [Page 8]unrebukable, without spot or blemish be­fore the Throne of God, and you shall bee unto him a sweet savor, a saerifice which he is well pleased with; then saith he, Come my own delight, come my own children, which are neer and dear unto mee, who issued out of my own bowels, which my womb brought forth, to the glory and praise of my own name, even so shall it be by my gathering those that are afar off, and those that are nigh, into my glory, then is the time come, that the Father wil glorifie us, that we may glorifie him, then shal we know the time that the Lord doth gather in his sewels, which shal shine most glori­ously in their Cabinets, then shal they who have the single eye, behold and see that Christ is come the second time without sin unto salvation, Heb. 9.28. Therefore Lift up your heads, O ye gates, even lift them up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of glory shal come in, Psalm 24.9. Consider, that Christ is the head of every Saint, and to be a Saint is to be sanctified and drawn up into union with Christ; for he that san­ctifieth, and they that are sanctified are all of one, Heb. 2.11. which makes them gates to shew forth his praise, and to exalt their head, then shal we know, that he that de­scended [Page 9]is the same also that asoended, and know this, that there is a descending, before there is an ascending, and that which doth descend must also ascend, so every thing shal return into its Centre, if you are spiritual you must ascend into the internal Court, and the heavens shal bee bowed down at the presence of the Lord, for the rising up of all Saints into union with him, when the day of remptation is upon all the world; for there is no approach, no converse, no sweet intercourse between God and the Creature, but in him, by him, and through him; and this consider, if you are not risen with Christ, ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God, and these things are hid from your eyes and present enjoyment likewise; therefore let every one examine his own heart, and consider what an estate he is in, whether it bee in darkness or in light, or whether the day of the Lord hath been upon thee, that thou art changed thereby from death to life, and so from glory to glory, and to be gathered out of all things below God whatsoever, that thou canst truly say, that Christ who is our life, has appeared, & we appear with him in glory, then thou art able to dwel wth consu­ming fire, & to live in dispensations, &a life a [Page 10]to appear where the Lord appears, and not to smite at thy poor brethren, who Christ died for.

This consider, That all Nations are made of one blood, and have all life and breath by one God, Act. 7.26. yet this great lump being brought forth, though they are all the same, all of one blood, yet they are cut out into two parcels, Jews and Gen­tiles, and they are as distinct as may be, both in their ways, and in their God, in their Laws, Ordinances, desires, ends and hopes; the Jews must not be like the Gentiles in a­ny thing, the Gentiles will not be like the Jews in any thing; Oh how diverse and distinct, and contrary are they! but this distinction must not always last, for when Christ comes forth to give up that princi­ple of life in himself, and to slay it in them, whereby they have thus lived, the leaves and fruit of variety and distinction wil soon wither, and they will all return back into union and harmony again, then shall the earth diselose her blood, so Christ brings them both into one, and takes them both, with all their differences, into his own Bo­dy, and destroys all their differences, and offers up all that God dislikes in them, in his own Body on the Cross, and so sweetly [Page 11]heals up the differences between God and the Creatures by his intire love unto them.

Epist. III. Concerning seven dispensations, which hath, and shall be fulfilled in their end of time.

THe first dispensation was, when God gave the Law to Adam as soon as he had made him, as, In the day thou eatest, thou shalt die. Now this Law it was holy, just, and good, yet it was a killing word, (or the killing letter) for it took hold on Adams disobedience, and slew him, so all Flesh died, for all Flesh broke the Cove­nant in Adam, and so all Humane Flesh was cast under that dispensation of death; so every opposite estate wil seek to advance it self.

The second dispensation, is in the first Promise, or Manifestation of the Love of God to the creature, and the Curse to the Serpent, in these words, The seed of the woman shall bruise the Scrpents head, Gen. 3.15. & 22.18. and this continued from A­dam til Abraham.

[Page 12] Then the third dispensation or discovery of God is more clear, than the former, for unto Abraham he speaks more particularly, he doth not stil say in general terms, the seed of the woman,—but in thy seed Abra­ham (all Nations of the earth) shal bee blessed, and so points out more directly in what lineage and generation of Mankinde, God would first appear in, to bruise the Serpents head, and this dispensation con­tinued from Abraham to Moses, and they imbraced the promises.

The fourth dispensation is from Moses till God manifested himself in the Flesh, or till Jesus Christ was born of Mary, who was one of the house of David, and of the lineage of Abraham, and this dispensa­tion is more clear than the former, for God by Types, and Figures, and Ceremonies and Shadows, did manifest his love to his creatures, and his wrath to the Serpent, as we may understand, when God appears in Johns Baptism, or the Water Baptism, which did much type forth the Baptism of the Spirit by Fire and the Holy Ghost, which should refine and purifie them, and saith John I must decrease (or that administration I lived in) but he that cometh after me, which is Christ, shal increase, and shal [Page 13]baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and also God did manifestly set forth his love by the Prophets in that dispensation, for then was the shadow of the Law of Moses falling, and Gospel-Truths rising, whereby they should be the more ceasing from Man, whose breath is in his Nostrils; and so like­wise the love of God did much appear when the sacrifice was slain and offered, then God received an atonement, it being a type of Gods in-dwelling in the Flesh, or a shadow of Christ the Lamb, the substances of all those sacrifices,—and I pray you consider those things which are spoken allegorically concerning Achan, Josh. 7.26. where it ap­pears, that when Achan that troubled Israel was put to death in the valley of Achor, the fierceness of Gods wrath was turned away. And in Hosea, ch: 2. v: 14, 15. where he saith, I wil give the valley of A­cher for a door of hope, which was the place of Achans death; so when the Serpent who is our trouble, is subdued and killed in the valley of human flesh, then the dis­pensation of mods anger is turned away.

The fifth dispensation, is from the time that God was manifested in the flesh, in the person of Iesus Christ, to the time that he appeared in the flesh and person of his [Page 14]Saints; likewise this also is more clear then the former, for Iesus the annoynted, was the substance of all those types and sha­dows of the Mosaical Law, for now God doth manifestly appear to dwel in the flesh, and by a manifest being, to set the Creature free from bonbage, and by Immortal life to swallow mort I beings into himself.

The sixth dispensation is from the time that God appeared in the flesh of the Saints, till the perfect gathering up of the Elect, which is the work of that dispensati­on —which is called a Referrection day, or a great day of Iudgment, for so long as the Iudge sits upon the Iudgment seat it is the day of Iudgment, which he doth in every dispensation, until the time of the Restitution of all things, both which are in heaven and which are on earth, even in Christ, Eph. 1.10. Rev 10.7. but in the dayes of the voice of the seventh Angel, when he shal begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath de­clared to his servants the Prophets, so Gor. i. 15.24. then cometh the end when he that is Christ shal have delivered up his Kingdom to God even the Father, com­pared with Acts 3.21: — and this also is more clear then the former, as God appear­ed [Page 15]in Christ who is the root of the creation, it was a sign of God the father appearing in the whole body; for saith Christ, I and the children that thou hast gave me for signes and wonders: and according to his promise by Joel, ch. 2. v. 28. I wil powre out my spirit upon all Flesh, &c. the Apostles also finding the same in them selves, bare witness to it, Acts 2.16.

And thus I give you a hint of the se­venth dispensation, when the Gospels de­claration shall be fulfilled, and we to be transformed and changed into the Heaven­ly Image whereby all things may be resto­red into the Indissolable band, into the u­nity and peace of God which passeth all understanding of man, and all wars to cease; for so long as dispensations last and we under them, we are at warts among our selves, and with God also in one sense, and a rechangable while we are under dis­pensations, and are to be changed from glory to glory, & as God doth in Scripture declare seven great dispensations, or dis­coveries of his counsel and will; each one clearer then other, yet in every one of these, God doth send forth several other dispensations by the hand of Angels, for the carrying on of the work, of that time [Page 16]and season, which are discoveries of his glory, for whatsoever comes from God is a spiritual power, and it may be said to be declared by angels, as when God ap­peared in discoveries to his peopel, an angel is said to appear unto them, as to Joseph in a dream, Zachariah in a vision; unto Araham and Lot it is said Angels appear­ed, and likewise he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his Elect from four winds, from one end of heaven to the other, Math. 24.30, 31. then shall all the holy seed be gathered in, and appear in its glory, then the tribes of the earth shal mourn, be­cause of the desolation of their Kingdom, —then I. is taken, and I. is left.

Epist. IV. A discovery of the Reign of the Beast of Baby­lons City, which hath made the nations drunk with wine of her fornication.

I Shall begid with that of Daniel, ch. 8. v. 23.24, 25. and in the later time of their Kingdome, when the transgressors [Page 17]are come to the full, a King of fierce coun­tenance, and understanding, dark sen­tences, and his power shal be mighty, but not by his own power, and he shal destroy wonderfully, and shal prosper and practise, and shall destroy the mighty, and the holy people, and through his policy also, he shal cause craft to prosper in his hand, and he shal magnifie himself in his heart, and by peace shal destroy many, he shal also stand up against the Prince of Princes, but he shal be broken down with­out hand.

And all this time, that God is gathering together the Elect—he hath given a time, times and half a time, to the Serpent, which in these threefold shapes and a half, or in these three days and a half, he is called the Beast Ruling in the Whore, and this time is given him to make war, and to fight against the Prince of Princes and his Saints, and to overcome then, and to waste and destroy the holy People mightily, and this appointed time, is the year or season wher­in the Beast lives, and God gives all advan­tages to the Beast, as riches, ontward liber­ty,—worldy power, and generally human authority into his hand, whereby he reigns, and is the Idol. God of this world—and [Page 18]hath put no weapons into the hands of the Saints,—but the anoynting and sword of the Spirit of the Lord, to fight against the reproaches, slanders, opprssions, poverties, weaknsse, wickednesse, Prisons, and the multitude of temptations, which the Beast through her wit, malice, police, and pow­er, doth cast upon the Saints, like a flood of water to drowne, and destroy, and over come the worke of God, in his coming forth in the Spirit,—if it were possible, — likewise, the Serpent stirs up some whom he discerns to be seeming professors, outwardly religious, having a form of Godlinesse, but through hypocrisie, pride, and selfishness, deny the power, and disho­nor God, and discourage the tender Lambs of Christ, and cast an ill reproach upon the wayes of God; and hence it is, that Isarel of old were trampled upon—by the Gentiles in the Flesh that were not in Covenant with them, but were under the condemning law, who have trod under foot the blood of the new covenant, and hence it is, that the Beast must tread the holy City underfoot two & forty months, which signifieth his Reign is but for a short space of time, but now in these latter dayes, when the time, times and half, drawe [Page 19]to an end—then God sends forth several dispensations, and Angels, assisting to the sixth and great dispensation, wherein the Lords appearance wil blast all the glo­ry of the Beast, and Immaginary part of man; therefore ye that adorn your selves with Babylons painting, fair outsides of several colors, and dresses of Edoms die, be­hold the Lord is coming to execute Iudge­ment upon his adversaries and our oppres­sors, and to poure out Vials of wrath upon all the glory of the Beast, and to stain the pride of all flesh, whereby he curses all their glory by seaven degrees, by the voice of God, through Angels and Saints, soun­ding forth seaven Trumpets of glory to God one after another, which is perfection of glory to the Saints, or Church of the first borne,—which implies perfection, of ruin upon every particular of the Beast, blasting, cursing or the downefall of their Kingdom,—Oh! that all professors had a zeal of God according to knoledg, that they may not be like the wilde sigrree that Christ cursed, which was sul of leaves, but no fruit, for iniquity abounds, and the love of many, in whom the Ser­pent rules, waxeth cold, and extreme' bit­ter, and mad against the Saints, in whom [Page 20]the anoynted rules, so that they gnash their tongues with vexation of spirit, and the smoak of their torment ascends upward, and so they have no rest day nor night, who worship the Beast and his Image, and whosoever receiveth the Mark of his Name; and thus consider, while God suf­fers the Beast co Reign, it is called the day of the Beast, and God hath given him three dayes and a half, to tread the holy City underfoot, or the space of two and forty months, which is three shapes, three disco­veries of the Reign of the Beast, or three degrees and a half, of the Serpents Refor­mation, from bad to worse, from open pro­phaneness, to close hypocrisie; Rev. 17.4. therefore let error, sin, devil and darknesse come forth in their power, it is the wil of God they should do so, that it may appear to be more then what it is,—and that old Herode may be discovered which seeketh the life of the childe Iesus as soon as he is borne of any Virgin Spirit; also that Pha­raoh should rise unto his ful greatnesse,—that God may appear to be above, and to get himself honor upon him, for he wil be glorified by both, vessels of honor and vessels of dishonor; Antichrist is now get­ting up upon his last leggs, whose leggs are [Page 21]Iron, and feet clay: there is life no where but in his stump, which often has been lap't, but yet the root remaines alive which is not enough to quicken—through­ly in this his last Image and form in which he is coming forth like unto an Angel of light; but how soon was he thrown down in his last appearance and rising among us? even before he could bite, his teeth were broken; god smote him on the cheek-bone, before the thorns were growne hard to prick, the fire took hold of them, which fire is kindling the smoak sparkles, to burn downe the tall Cedars, and God is finish­ing the work apace and cutting it short in righteousnesse, even to the utter consump­tion and destruction of his enemies by the brightnesse of his coming; Jacob shall be a Fire, and Esau for stubble, God wil be a swift witnesse against this Sorcery, for so are all the dealings of natural men in things of god, and by terrible things wil he answer them: and this consider, that the foundation that some professors are laying, in several wayes or opinions shutted to their eyes, which wil appear to be the a­bomination of desolation spoken of by Danel the prophet, all the rising and puttings forth of Antichrist are faire and [Page 22]wel looking, but God doth pronounce the final Curse against it, which was a fruit that sprung up in the created being, and acted both inwardly and outwardly, but Gods design is to weed out the tares from the good of the corn, but the husbandmen think that by this husbandry, the wheat wil be pulled up with the tares, nay they think the wheat wil be destroyed, and the tares nourished, because they are unskilful of the work, but the Lord is now resolved that the wheat shal spread and flourish, and he wil come and sever the tares from the wheat, and throw out those husbandmen with them into the Fire, which beat his Servants and would have killed the Heir, therefore their vineyard shal be taken away and given to another people,—therefore let all Flesh be silent before the Lord, for he is raised up to make known his power for the proclaiming of Israels return, and the captivity of his people, Zach. 2.13. for the Lord wil build her again that hath been trodden down, and plant her in the mag­nificents beauty of beauties, in royal and adorative glory: O my beloved! my soul is ravished with the delightful delight, de­firing you may be gathered into union in the celestial centre, in the bosom of the Fa­ther.

Epist: V. Concerning a further discovery of Antichrist in man, and of the Spirit of God in man, discovering that Antichrist what he is, and where he rules.

ANd every spirit that confesseth not, that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is not of God; and this is that spirit of Antichrist, whereof you have heard that it should come, and even now already is in the world, 1 Ioh. 4.3.

Who hath known the minde of God? the spiritual man, that cannot but confess, that Christ is come in the Flesh, by his u­nion that he hath with him in the spirit, and is enlightened by the Resurrection from the dead, whereby his works declare him that they are of the Father, not onely in word, but in power and demonstration of the Spirit, whereby they abound in all goodness; for so are the fruits of the Spirit, as love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, against such there is no Law, Gal. 5.23.

[Page 24] Now who are they that confesseth not that Christ is come in the Flesh? even they in whom the Spirit of Antichrft rules and is predominate in them, whereby they bring forth the fruits of wickednesse by their own Beastial reason; now who is an Antichrist? even he that denieth the Father and the Son, 1. John. 2, 22. and all that obey not the command of Christ, which doth bring us unto God; then Antichrist must be the unbeleeving Spirit, that cannot con­fesse Christ by the fruits of the Spirit of God, and by his mercies held forth in le­sus Christ unto him in his creaturely estate: this know, whilest thou art in this dark, ignorant, polluted, defild, estate, thou hast an Antichrist Devil, false Prophet within thee, as it doth appear by Peter, when Christ said unto him, Got the dehinde mee Satan, for thou savorest not the things of God, but of man; then look no more for Anti-Christ abroad or at Rome, but at home, and do not thrust it off from one unto another, and one country unto another Nation, when indeed it is Antichrist his trade to keep our eyes without, lest we should see his deceit within; Antichrist is also the whore that holds forth ber Golden Cup ful of abomination and filthinesse of her [Page 25]fornication, Rev. 17.4, which deceives the nations and wipes her mouth, and said I have done no wrong, when shee hath acted what shee can; therefore tremble, tremble, tremble, for the day of the Lord wil renounce the hidden things of disho­nesty, and the secrets of your hearts shal be laid open, and you shal be as stubble for the Fire in that day, then shal he shake every strong hold, and your fortified places, and your high towers; yea, he wil shake both heaven and earth, both inwardly and outwardly, so that there wil be no safety no where but in the Lord, for he shal bee the hiding place, until the indignation of the Lord be overpast, that those things which cannot be shaken (being himself) may remain, when he shal turn upside down, and overturn all things that are not according to truth, and strength, and know­ledg, wisdom and power of Christ Jesus; therefore weight diligently upon the Lord, that hou maist be found in him, not having thine own righteousnes, but the righteous­nes of Christ, even the Lord our righteous­nes; therfore behold there is a wild Figtree, that was a show of a goodly good tree afar off to dark eys, but to com close to the Fig­tree, & you my brethren after the flesh, wch vaunt your selvs in human learning & brain­wit, [Page 26]then like the Fgtree are ye, and are ful of beautious leaves (without) of expressions, but to come to the fruit, ye are carnal, and devillish in action; by the fruit ye shal know them, if you are able to distinguish of fruits, by the Spirit of God, which shal try the spirits and the works of man of what sort they are: Now there is but light and darkness in which man worketh in, either light or darkness, and this is the definition, God is light, and that light is love; now Man in that love is in light, and that onely light is Christ; now as God is light, the Devil is but darkness to that light, now in darkness is hatred, malice, envy, covetous­ness, and the root of all bitterness, which is the Devil; therefore you that would be holy, depart from these evils, for it is the highway of the righteous to depart from iniquity.

Epist. VI. Of an heavenly estate of things in the new Ierusalem, in man, and of the death of the Creature in an estate below God.

TO come close to the matter: In a word, it is this hel is called death, or a conditon below life, and this is twofold, either a death far below the nature of God, or a death of sorrows, which is a condition far below the comforts and en­joyments of God; now every man and woman as they are branches of Adam in the fall, they have no purity in themselves, and therefore in a hel far below the life and nature of God, and likewise they are unavoydably subject to the sorrows of that death, and have no power to deliver them­selves out of that bondage, for God is on­ly our Redeemer and Deliverer, therefore he sent his Son not to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved, Joh. 3.17. Therefore it followeth clear, that if men were capable of so much mercy, being Gods creatures, as to be deli­vered [Page 28]from the guilt of Sin and of Death, which is one part of Hel, or a condition below life eternal, then wil they be capable to be delivered through the mercy of the same God, from the sorrowes and pains that followeth sin, both which God in his time wil deliver his Creation from,

Secondly, the heavenly estate is to live unto God with the life of Christ in the knowledg thereof of his power; and to know God to be his all in all,—to love his Enemies, to do good to them that hate you, and persecute you, to be all in love, to injoy God in time of trouble, or at all times, and to be with him in Spirit where he is; this is an Heavenly estate, to see the invisible appear in the visible, and to swal­low it up in it self, in love—as Enech that walked with God and was not, but there is such a way for Saints to go, before they come to injoy their Kingdome, or to enter into their glory, as followeth, as Iesus Christ hath shewed us, in that which is called the Lords Supper and Baptism, that no Flesh wil indure it, as wil appear, First, from those words of Christ in Mat. 20.19.20.21. for when he was defired by the mother of Zebedees children, that her two sons might sit the one at his right hand [Page 29]and the other at his left, in his kingdome, his answer was, You know not what you ask; for, saith he, Are ye able to drink of the Cup that I shal drink of, and to be Baptised with the Baptisme what Jam Baptised withall? As if he should say, the way that leads to my kindome, is a Crucifying way, even from the beginning, to the end, as it was with me, who was persecuted, from my birth to my death: it is a way sprinkled with blood, and burning with Fire, very sharp and bitter, and no sweetnesse in it; for many storms and tempests wil arise and fall upon your travel to Canaan, you must be crowned with thorts, and you must be tempted with the Serpent, buffeted with Satan, and persecuted with Herod, and how are you able to endure this? saith they, we are able; then saith Christ again, you stall indeed drink of the Cup that J drink of, and be baptised with the baptisme that J am baptised with, but to sit on my right hand, and on my left is not mine to give, but it shall be given to chem for whom it is prepa­red of my Father: which is as much as to say, you must suffer the losse of all things below, or besides me, and the way which I have gone you shall go, the death which I have suffered, you shall in some measure [Page 30]suffer, and then having gon the way, and suffered the death, you wil say, Father Glo­rifie thy Son, that thy Son may Glorifie thee, then wil he give you a crown of life, which is laid up for you in the kingdom of hea­ven, and as Paul saith, J have run the race, and obtained the price in Jesus Christ, J have finished my cross, henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of glory, even the Lord; and Christ himself saith, that for the glory which was set before him, he indured the crosse, and despised the shame, drunk his cup and received his Baptisme, and after entred into his glory: And thus he went before us as a pattern, or an example for us, but when we have ob­tained the Kingdom, and received the Crown, the kingdom being delivered up to the father, we are not,—Christ is all,—unto God the onely one, for we then are not our owne, but we are Christs, and Christ is Gods, and so an union betwixt Christ and us, and an union betwixt God and Christ into one,—entire and alone essence, then is the Kingdome deliverd up unto God by Christ, and then God the Father is as he was, that is, all in all—and out of that all—all came forth,—and into that all—shall all be through Christ, (who is the strength of God) be reduced [Page 31]into God, and yet a visible appearance — through the invisible, and in him to appe­ar; this is one glimps of the mystery of the Divine Deity operative, acting through it self in the illustration of it self,—which is wisdoms work and the Spirits teaching; therefore, let all flesh be silent before tke Lord, for it is not he that heareth my words, Saith Christ, but he that doth my will, he it is that is my disciple, blessed for ever in the name of the Father.

Epist. VII. Concerning a word of exhortation to Christi­ans to support the bruised Reed, that the smoaking flax may be set on fire in these Gospel-times.

O How good a thing it is for Christians to walk close with God in that dispen­sation wherein he appeareth unto them in; for no one can truly serve God out of that dispensation wherein he appeareth unto them; therefore then to walk up to what they know, and to judg others that are not under the same, though there be several di­spensations or administrations, yet the same Lord, though they may be severally acted, yet all by one spirit, if they be sincere and upright in heart, and of a meek and quiet [Page 32]spirit, who dwels in love, otherwise they are but the world; a Saint is known by one of the same spirit, and disowned by the world, for they love their own, and the proof of a Saint is to show his strength in time of need, that is, to own all things that is of God, and to bear with the weak bre­thren, and to cherish that in them which is to be cherished, and to offer up that to the fire which is to be burnt: But how prone is man to be judging and condemning! Man hath an eye and light in his day, and he cannot forbear passing his judgment there upon things or persons: the natural man wil be judging natural things, and the spiritual man wil be judging spiritual things, men wil be judging men, Christians wil be judging Christians, yea both wil be judging: there is a day of man, and the day of God, man is judging in his day, if there be not so much light as to make the day of the Lord appear in man, it is but mans day and so the worthlesness of his judgment appears in Pauls account for saith he, it is with me avery small thing that I should be judged of you, or of mans judgment; man cannot be more forward to judg me, then I am to slight him in that ac­tion, for mans judgment is too shallow to judg in spiritual things: judg not (saith Christ) and he himself forbear judging: I [Page 33]judg no man, Iob 8, 15. though if he had judged, his judgment had been true, vers. 16. yet being not his time to judg, though he was judg, he could for bear his sentence, until the proper season of it, therfore saith Paul, judg nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who wil both bring to light the hid­den things of darkuess, and wil make mani­fest the counsels of the heart, therefore, saith Paul, With me it is a very small thing that J should be judged of you or of mans judgment, yea I judg not mine own self, 1 Cor. 4.3. Who art thou that indgest another mans servant to his own master? he standeth or falleth: or wherein thou iudgest another, thou condemnest thy self, it belongs to the Lord to be iudg, for thou, O man, hast no more right to iudg thy fellow servant, then he has to iudg thee: therfore iudg nothing be­fore the time in the things of God, for he has kept his own light for his own day, which shall lay open the secrets of every mans heat: therefore he that is under one discovery, let him not iudg another that is under another discovery, and let not them who serve God in dispensations, iudg them in whom he wil be served above dispensati­ons, and so to limit and confine God how or where he shall appear, or be served: but [Page 34]as every one hath received of the gift of God, so let them minister the same as good stewards of his manifold grace, 1 Pet. 4.10. therfore note it is a gift which cannot be purchased by mo­ny as human learning is, which servs but for external things, and cannot look into the internal, as can the gift which is given, even the spirit of truth, which needeth not to be supported by human learning, for it is sup­ported by he that gives; but human lear­ning is made a cloak to cover ignorance and hypocrifie, and to deceive the simple, but when it is grown to the ful heighth, it shal fal, and then great Babylon shal fal, and her mourners shal be many: Therefore I pray you set no greater a price of it, then what it is worth, for when God called for Preach­ers he called Fishermen, as was Peter, and Shepheards as was Moses and David, and Herdsmen, as Amos, and Elisha a Plowman, Christ himself was call'd a Carpenter, Paul a Tentmaker, but he could speak Tongues be­ing brought up at the feet of Gamaliel: but for althat, he was a persecutor of the church before his conversion, therefore let not one sort of people have any preiudice against a­nother, for God wil cal whom he pleaseth, and wil be honored where he pleaseth, and can take of al sorts som to manifest his glory; [Page 35]therfore be waiting upon God, and ceasing from man, whose breath is in his nostrils, & so fulfil the commands of Christ, see that you love one another, love al men, even your enemies, do good to them that hate you, & the God of love wil cover you when the storme shal fal upon the wicked: O beloved! did you but know how lovely you are be­ing in love, for love sheweth the deformity in all that is not in love,—but it is not seen but by loves own eye, what an oneness there is in your selves being in love, & what an oneness in multiplicities being in love, which wil set the smoaking Flax on a bright Flame, & wil kindle every little spark where it comes; Love is that which ties all the Bre­thren in a knot, God is love, and he that dwelleth in that love dwelleth in God, and God in him; Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of Judg­ment, because as he is, so are we in this world. 1 Joh. 4.16.17.