Crooked PATHS Made STRAIT: OR, The ways of God made known to lost Sinners, or bewildered SAINTS. Wherein is represented the several conditions of a Christian in the Spirit, as he grows up out of weakness into strength, through death into life eternal. By ANNE YEMANS.  Isa. 40.3. 
The voice of him that cryeth in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord, make strait in the desert a high way for our God.  
LONDON, Printed for Giles Calvert at the black-spread Eagle at the West end of Paul's, 1648.   

To the READER.  
Gentle Reader,  
I Have done mine endeavour to set forth unto you in some measure the bondage that we have been in by sin, the Devil, and false Teachers, what wounds we have received by them: and all hath been, because we have not been able to discern the difference between the ways of God, and Anti-christ: And the more we strive & struggle in our own strength, the more we are wounded; while Jesus Christ doth appear to us to reveal some light of himself to us: and he is that Son of righteousness that will appear to us with healing in his wings, Mal. 4.2. He will reveal his love to us, and heal up all our wounds, and lead us in the way that we should walk, taking us by the hand, and leading us gently as we are able to go, and drawing us with the cords of love. Most of the children of God have been in this spiritual bondage: and those that have been in it, and are brought out of it, doth know in some measure how to comfort them that are in it: and the Lord doth make us many times instrumental under himself for th' comfort and edifying one of another: but it is Gol that doth make known all things to us, whether it be by means, or without, and we ought to give him all the honour; it is very dangerous to idolise the means, neither ought we to slight it, thougo it be by never so mean a person; For out of the mouth of babes will he be praised. And let not us undervalue any thing that is of God, whosoever it be spoken by; for God is no respecter of persons. I beseech you beloved let not this my labour seem odious to you, nor caus● you to slight i●, because it is written by a weak woman; nor for you to harbour any strange thoughts of me for the writing of it; for I have myself gon● through much spiritual bondage in several ways and finding many several turns and wind of Satan, how cunning he is in all his ways, an● transforming himself to an Angel of light, & labours our destruction in all things. And the Lord having brought me out of that bondage, into tha● spiritual freedom which is in Christ for all th● Saints: and I seeing many that are yet in spirit●● all bondage, and knows not what freedom there 〈◊〉 in Christ for them, it doth cause my bowels of affection to yern to them. Yet I should not presume 〈◊〉 set forth this in writing, but that I have been exceedingly moved by the Spirit of God to do i● that I could not be quiet till I had begun it. I ha●● done what I could before I did begin to do it to p●● those thoughts out of my mind, bringing as many objections against it as I could: but still the Spirit of God moved me more and more, with motives to stir me up to do it, and many promises for the enabling of me to do it, knocking all the objections in pieces that came against it: and this was one thing that was laid before me. When thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. And if thou lovest me, feed my Lambs, joh. 21.15. And another was, I am no respecter of persons. And also if we are the children of God, we must be led by the Spirit of God, to do what he would have us: but after I saw it was of God, I durst not refuse to do it; for obedience is better than sacrifice, 1 Sam. 15.22. For I plainly see how dearly God loveth all mankind, but especially his children, and those that are babes in Christ; how great his love to them is, yea even those that Christ is but newly conceived in. If there be but a desiring really after God, though there be yet no enjoyment of God, he will not quench smoking floxe: and his love is as great to those that are the lowest and weakest Saints, as to those that are the highest and strongest; only he makes his love known more to them than to those that are yet weak: and his making his love known to us, causeth us to grow strong in him: We all were weak at the first, but be strengthens us by degrees as he revealeth himself to us more and more, and so be will do to you: and when he doth reveal any thing to any, it is not only for them, bit that they should declare i● unto others, that t●ey may know what love Go● hath toward them, that our weak brethren ma● he strengthened, and the lambs of God (whic● are the young children of God) may be fed 〈◊〉 and the doing of this aright is exceeding pleasing to God. Here is one sign of our love to God: an● after we have found our Beloved, all our desire should be, that we should be led wholly by the Spirit of God to glorify him, and setting forth hi● praise, and not to fear the scandals & reproaches o● the world, which are like thorns springing u● by the Devil, labouring to choke the pur● truth of Christ: but I pass not what scandals o● reproaches I meet with all by this book settin● forth; for truth doth always find some great enemies, and the more, because it is written by a woman; for there are some always that do respect th● persons of people, having men's persons in admiration, Judas 16. My brethren, have not th● faith of our Lord Jesus Christ the Lord of gl●ry, with respect of persons, Ja. 2.1. And 〈◊〉 shall come to pass in the last days (saith God● I will pour of my spirit upon all fish, & you sons & your daughters shall prophesy, & you young men shall see visiions, and your old me shall dream dreams, and on my servant, an on my hand-maidens I will pour out in tho● days of my spirit, & they shall prophesy, Joel 2.28. Act. 2.17, 18. When the children of Israel murmured for flesh to eat, and Moses was not able to bear it, the Lord bid him gather seventy men of the Elders of the people: and the Lord take off ●he spirit that was upon Moses and put upon them, and when the spirit rested upon them, than they prophesied, and did not cease: and there was two ●f that seventy that went not out of the Host, and they also prophesied. Then there ran a young man and told Moses, and said, Eldad and Medad do prophecy in the host. And there was one answered and said, My Lord Moses forbidden them: but Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? Yea, would to God that all the Lords people were Prophets, and that the Lord would put his Spirit upon them, Num. 11. Here is the spirit taken off of Moses, which was a type of Christ, and then ●hey prophesied & ceased not. Truly friends, when the Lord doth put that Spirit of Christ upon us, than we shall speak forth the things of God; for we cannot but speak the things that we have seen, and ●eard, and enjoyed, and let none be found to despise the things of God. I have here set forth to you the way of God as plain as I am able, showing you the subtlety of the Devil in all his ways, and how like the ways of God many of his ways are: but the Spirit of God in us doeh discern the difference, and ●e will reveal himself in us by degrees, that as we are Saints, we shall see, know, & enjoy him, whom our soul loveth, and wait with patience while he● doth manifest himself to you. And I beseech you read this over with patience, and the Lord give you understanding. I have shown you the bondage that we have been led in in the first place: and then in the next place what Christ hath done for all, & how he is offered to all: And in the third place, what he hath done for his Children, and what they are in him & to him: and ye may see what difference there is between being led on in a legal way, and being led by the Spirit of God. I have begin in the lowest way as I could, showing you by degrees the mysteries of God for your better understanding. And if there be any thing in it that seems to you not to be truth, yet despise it not before you know whether it be or no; Neither would I have you embrace for a truth while it is made clear to you to be a truth: but wait upon God for him to reveal his mind to you: and if the Lord be pleased to crown my labour by his Spirit working with it, upon any of you, it will be my joy, for God to be glorified, and for you to be benefited. The which I shall hearty pray for, and remain  
Yours in the Lord. Anne Yemans.   

Crooked paths made STRAIT. OR, The ways of God made known to the weakest SAINTS.  

CHAP. I. The poor soul lying under the burden of sin, is wishing to be eased.  
WHen the Lord comes and manifests himself to us, that he hath sowed the seeds of himself in us, which is the good seed, spoken of in Mat. 13.3. Then immediately the Tares appear, which is sin and wickedness; then there is a crying out, Men and Brethren, what shall we do, Acts 3.38. and 19 16. Master, what good thing shall I do, th●● I may have eternal life: but while we are thinking of doing something for eternal life, the● comes Satan's enditements against us, an● lays our sins before us, and tells us what Rebels we have been against the King of Heaven and he brings the condemning power of th● Law before them: Cursed is every one that dot● not all things that is written in the Book; An● also in Deut. 28.12. And it shall come to pass●● if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice 〈◊〉 the Lord thy God, to observe and do all his Commandments which I command thee this day, tha● the Lord thy God will set thee on high above a 〈◊〉 Nations on the Earth: And all these blessing shall come on thee: and overtake thee, if tho● shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord th● God. Blessed shalt thou be in the City, and blessed in the field, etc. But thou finding that tho● hast not done it, than the the 15. and 1● verses of this Chapter, and so along: But 〈◊〉 shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unt● the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do a● his Commandments, that all these curses com● upon thee, and overtake thee; Cursed shalt th● be in the City, and cursed shalt thou be in t●● field. And so going along, threatening curs● for thy disobedience: and all places of Scripture that is suitable to this, is laid before thee and then thou being sore perplexed, to think how thou hast walked contrary to the mind of God, and that he is angry with thee for thy sins, and all the curses of God belong unto thee, and hell and damnation gapes for thee: then thou bethinkst thyself of the gracious call of Christ, Mat. 11.28. Come unto me all ye that labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Then thou bethinkest thyself to go to the Lord by repentance, that so thou mayst have rest; then these places of Scripture sets thee on repentance, Ezek. 18.21. But if the wicked will return from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. And vers. 30. Repent and turn yourselves from all your transgressions, so iniquity shall not be your ruin: and vers. 31. to the end of the chapter. Cast away from you all your transgressions whereby you have transgressed me, and make you a new heart, and a new spirit; For, why will you die O house of Israel? for I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth saith the Lord God; wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye. And Jer. ●. 12. Return thou backsliding Israel (saith the Lord) and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon ●ou; for I am merciful (saith the Lord,) and I will not keep anger for ever. And Jer. 4.1. If ●hou wilt return O Israel (saith the Lord) return unto me? and if thou wilt put away thy abominations out of my sight, then shalt thou not remove And vers. 14. O Jerusalem, wash thy heart fro● wickedness that thou mayst be saved; how long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee. Hos 14.10. O Israel return unto the Lord thy God for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity: And the● he saith, vers. 4. I will heal their back-sliding I will love them truly: for my anger is turned aw●● from them, Prov. 1.23. Turn you at my reproof Behold I will pour out my Spirit unto you, I wil● make known my words unto you. Isa. 1.16.13 Wash you, make you clean, put away the evil 〈◊〉 your do from before my eyes. Cease to do evil learn to do well, seek judgement, relieve th● oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widdom.  
So here you see there is a repentance calle● for, not only a repenting for the sins that i● past, but a returning from thy evil ways and doing that is pleasing in his sight. An● v●rs. 18. Come now, and let us reason together saith the Lord; when thou hast done this a●●gh● then there is free passage for thee to go to th● Lord, and he will reason with thee; Thouh● you● sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white 〈◊〉 snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall 〈◊〉 as wool. If ye be willing and obedient, ye sh●● eat the good of the Land: but if ye refuse and reb●● ye shall be devoured with the sword, for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. And so he goes along proffering mercy to them that are thus qualified, Psal. 147.3. He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds. Mal. 3.7. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of Hosts. Joel 2.12, 13. Therefore also now saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning, and rend your hearts and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great compassion, and repenteth him of the evil. Luke 13.3. But except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.  
And seeing the Lord calls upon thee for repentance, and proffers thee a pardon through thy obedience: thou art resolved to set thyself upon repentance and obedience.   

CHAP. II. How Satan comes with his Enditements against us by our works of the Law.  
When thou art thus resolved to set thyself to walk in the ways of God, thinking thyself to be in a good way now: then comes Satan and tells thee, 'tis true, the Lord is very merciful and gracious to them that truly repent: but thy repentance is not a true repentance, for thou art not sufficiently humbled for thy sins; for great sins must have great repentance, and many sins must have much repentance. Look upon David and Peter, whether thy repentance be like theirs; if it be, thou wilt be careful for fear of falling into the like sins again: but thou daily fallest into the same sins again, Mat. 7.21. Not every one that saith, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Heb. 6.4, 5, 6. For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gifts, and were made partakers of the holy Ghost: And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come; if they shall fall away, to renew them again to repentance, seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to open shame. Heb. 10.26, 27, 28, 29. For if we sinne wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice: but a certain fearful looking for of judgement and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses law, died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the Covenant wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy ●hing, and hath done despite unto the spirit of grace. 2 Pe●. 2.20, 21, 22. For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world, through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome; the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than after they have known it, to turn from the holy Commandment delivered unto them. But it happened to them, according to the true proverb, the dog is returned to his own vomit again, and the sow that was washed, to her wallowing in the mire.  
Thus thou seest how the Devil wounds thee with thy own righteousness; for there is a perfect righteousness required, and perfect obedience: but thou canst not find this in thee, therefore thou art sore troubled: but sometime thou hast got some power over thy sins, and art affected with the ways of God, that thou canst go on cheerfully in thy obedience to God, and pour forth thy soul to the Lord in prayer, and findest that thy prayers are heard, and thy petitions granted, and thy sins are pardoned: and now for present thou hast joy and comfort: and now thou art ready to say with David: I shall never be moved.  
Thus while thou art in duties and performances, thou hast joy and peace: but when thou art overcome again with the Devile temptation, and thy own corruptions, then immediately thou art cast down again, and ready to question that joy & peace thou hadst before, and say it was presumption.  
Thus thou seest, beloved, how thy comforts ebb and flow with thy performances.   

CHAP. III. H●w poor souls are wounded by false Teachers.  
When thou seest thyself in this sad condition, that thou art sore troubled on every side, for thou seest God angry with thee for thy sins, and he command thee to repent, and he will pardon thy sins: But thou sindest that thou canst not repent aright, therefore now thou canst not see thy sins pardoned: And the Lord requires obedience of thee, and sometimes thou canst not perform any obedience to him at all; for thou canst do nothing burr sin, than thou art sore troubled ●r that and other sins, thou canst perform obedience: but thou findest that it is not such a ●●rfect obedience as is required; therefore thou ●t sore troubled that thou canst not perform a right. Oh thinkest thou, what shall I do, ●m ignorant of the ways of God, and I do ●●t know what to do. I will go to some Ministers, and tell them what a sad condition I ●n in; They are learned men, and therefore ●●ey know the mind of God. They know how 〈◊〉 administer a word of comfort in season, ●d will tell me what I should do, that I ●ight find God, and walk in his ways, and ●●t be thus troubled; So thou goest and tellest ●●em thy sad condition, & askest them what ●urse they would counsel thee to take, Cant. 3. The watchmen that go about the City ●nd me, to whom I said, saw ye him whom my ●●le loveth. If you have seen him, you can ●●l how to describe him to me; If you have ●●ne him, you can tell me what he is, not ●ly in himself, but what he is in the Saints, ●●d to the Saints: and how excellent he is in ●his ways, and glorious in all works.  
I have heard excellent things of him: but if ●u have seen him, you can tell me more of ●●●m then another; therefore I pray tell me ti●gs of him; tell me where he is, and how I ●ll find him; tell me how you found him, that I may find him also; for he is my belo● he is he whom my soul loves above all thi● in the world. I count all things like drosse● dung to him. I am exceeding sick of love, and 〈◊〉 not rest till I have found him. Cant. 5.7. watchmen that went about the City found they smote me they wounded me.  
How did they wound her, but with 〈◊〉 doctrine, so do they thee; they tell thee, Law is a Schoolmaster to bring thee to Ch●● Gal. 3.24. They tell thee, the law saith, ●●sed are every one that continueth not in all th●● which are written in the book of the Law, to them, Gal. 3.10. Deut. 27.26. Exod. 20. 〈◊〉 the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting t●● niquity of the Fathers upon the children unto third and fourth generation of them that hate And the Lord hath too pure an eye to beh● iniquity; there is not any thing that is an● my to God, but the Devil and sin, 1 Job. He that committeth sin, is of the Devil; for Devil sinneth from the beginning. And as l●● as ye commit sin, the Devil is your Fat John 8.44. Ye are of your Father the De●● and the lusts of your father you will do; and thou art the servant to the Devil. Rom. 6. Know ye not, to whom ye yield yourselves serum to obey, his servants ye are to whom you obey: 〈◊〉 there of sin unto death, or of obedience unto ri●● ●esse. And vers. 20. When ye were the servants ●●n, ye were free from righteousness. Vers. 23. 〈◊〉 wages of sin is death. And if thou enter●e sin in thy heart, the Lord will not hear 〈◊〉 prayer. The Lord is the searcher of hearts, ●d he knows the wickedness of thy heart: ●d thou must give account for every idle ●ught; therefore you must search and exa●●e you throughly of all your sins, and 〈◊〉 truly humbled for every sin. But many, ●en God shows them their sins, it is too te●us to them, they cannot bear it, they ●uld fain have comfort administered to them: ●t we have no such warrant from God, till we 〈◊〉 you throughly humbled for your sins: we ●●st not daub you up with untempered mor●●, but do to you; as a skilful Surgeon doth ●a dangerous wound, search it to the quick: ●●d you must endanger it, if you mean to be ●red. For if we tell you of mercy before you ●e throughly humbled, this will heal your ●unds without, but they will rankle with●●●: and that is the reason your comforts so be and flow.  
We are Christ's Ambassadors, and we must ●e the message of Christ, which is the delivering the Doctrine of Christ; and ye shall find at we preached the Law, and Judgement, to ●ing them in to repent, Mat. 11.21, 22, 23, 24. Then he began to upbraid the City's wher● most of his mighty works were done, because 〈◊〉 repent not. Woe unto thee Chorazin, 〈◊〉 unto thee Bethsaida; for if the mighty wor● which have been done in you, had been done in T●● and Sidon, they would have repent long 〈◊〉 in sackcloth and ashes. But I say unto you, shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at day of judgement, than for you. And thou 〈◊〉 pernaum which art exalted unto heaven, sh● be brought down to hell. For if the mighty wor● which have been done in thee, had been done Sodom, it would have remained until this d●● But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerat for the land of Sodom in the day of judgement than for thee. Luke 13.3. Except ye repent, 〈◊〉 shall all likewise perish.  
And when you are thus throughly humble then there is mercy offered you, Mat. 11.2 Come unto me all ye that labour, and are heavy 〈◊〉 den, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke up you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lo●● in heart, and ye shall find rest for your souls; 〈◊〉 my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Jer. 2● 11, 12, 13. For I know the thoughts that I thi● towards you, saith the Lord; thoughts of peace a● not of evil, to give you an expected end. Th● shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray un● me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye sh●● ●●eke me, and find me, when ye shall search for ●e with all your heart. Jer. 33.8. And I will cause them from all their iniquity whereby they ●●ve sinned against me, and whereby they have ●ansgressed against me. Psalm. 103.8, 9 111. 〈◊〉, 13. The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow anger, and plenteous in mercy. He will not always chide, neither will he keep his anger for ●er. He hath not dealt with us after our sins, ●r rewarded us according to our iniquities. For 〈◊〉 the heaven is high above the earth, so great is ●s mercy to them that fear him. As fare as the ●ast is from the West, so far hath he removed our ●ansgressions from us. Like as a Father pitieth 〈◊〉 children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear ●im. And vers. 3. He forgiveth all thine iniquities, he healeth all thy diseases. Amo● 5.4. Thus saith the Lord unto the house of Israel, Seek 〈◊〉 me, and ye shall live. And many other places of Scripture to this purpose might be cited: ●ut these places are sufficient to show you what sad condition you are in, so long as you con●●nue in your sins: and how merciful the Lord 〈◊〉, if you return unto him with all your heart, ●nd be truly humbled, and walk in a new ourse of life. Exod. 20.6. Showing mercy unto ●housands of them that love me, and keep my Commandments.  
Thus they are able to lay open thy wounds, and make them bigger: and in stead of p●ring in the precious balsam of the Church Christ, which will cure thy wounds, t● power in brine to terrify thee, and they thee upon duties, and tell thee thou must thus and thus qualified before thou comme● Christ: but they will not, nor cannot thee how thou must come to be thus qualifi●● for they will tell thee, all thy righteousness i● filthy rags.  
When thou hearest these things, thou a●● great deal more troubled then ever thou wa● thou art now at thy wit's end, and even rea●● to despair; thou canst see nothing but sin: a●● if thou couldst repent, and walk in a n●●● course of life, than there was hopes of mer●● but thou findest thou canst not do it, therefore thou conciudest there is no mercy 〈◊〉 thee, therefore thou art sore troubled, a●● know'st not what to do. Thou seest the Lo●● angry with thee for thy sins, and thinkest th●● all the afflictions that comes upon thee, is 〈◊〉 judgement of the Lord for thy sins; the thinkest thyself to be a damned reproba●●● quite empty of all goodness, and expect●● daily some fearful judgement to fall up●● thee for thy sins. Oh thinkest thou, if 〈◊〉 wrath of God lay so heavy upon Christ, th● made him to cry out, My God, my God why b●●●● 〈◊〉 forsaken me: and he having no sin, Matth. 〈◊〉. 46. For if they do these things in a green 〈◊〉, what shall be done in a dry tree. Luke 23.  
And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where all the sinner and ungodly appear, 1 Pet. 4.18. ●en thou thinkest, I shall surely be damned; ●●en the Devil tempts thee to lay violent ●●nds on thyself, and many times thou art ●dy to do it: but that the Lord prevents it; ●●d the Ministers sees thee in such a despairing ●●ndition, they tell thee, thou must believe ●●at the Lord hath done these and these things 〈◊〉 thee: And if thou wilt lay hold on him by ●●th, he will give thee grace to walk in a ●●w course of life: and yet still they offer thee ●hrist upon condition, and thou art excee●●ngly terrified with hearing mercies, because ●ou dost not see they belong to thee, because ●ou canst not believe.  
Thus thou seest beloved, what a spiritual ●●ndage thou art in with sin and the Devil, ●●d false Teachers, like the children of Israel 〈◊〉 Egypt, what sore bon dage they were in 〈◊〉 temporal things, so art thou now in spiritual. And thou knowest not what to do: ●●●t cry unto the Lord as they did, and the ●ord sent them word that they should be ●●ought out of the Land of Egypt and that ●ondage, to serve him in another Land; so he will do by thee: thou art in such a spirit● bondage in this spiritual Egypt, that th●● canst not serve the Lord here, therefore 〈◊〉 Lord comes to bring thee out, which he d●● by declaring unto thee that this is not 〈◊〉 way of God: and he would not have 〈◊〉 walk in it, nor hear these false Teacher●ny more; for thou art more and more wo●ded by them. Oh thinkest thou to thyself will go hear them that they call Independent I see they grow exceedingly in grace, and h●●● abundance of joy, and walk very comfortably with God: and Paul bids us try all thin● So I will see whether they can tell me tidi●● of my Beloved. So when thou art thus a ●●●ing out of this spiritual Egypt, then con●spirtuall Pharaoh the Devil with his Army ●●ter thee of reproaches, and scandals, and stream displeasure of those that are of near ●●lation to thee, for thy going in these stran●● ways, as they say: calling thee Heretic and threatening thee, that if thou wilt not lea● off these ways, they will never do any th●● for thee: but will do thus and thus again thee: then thou art in abundance of slaw fears, and the red sea of persecution befo●● thee. If the Clergy could but get power 〈◊〉 the Magistrate, which they have done the good will to get it: in the mean timethey wpersecute you in words, and rail on you in heir pulpits, and call you Heretics, and say ●is pity you should live: you are the disturbers of the peace, and if they let you alone, ●ou will be the ruin of the Kingdom. And ●his they do against thee, because thou wilt ●ot hear them any more; for thou art so ●ounded with their Sermons, that thou canst ●●ot hear them any longer; Yet they tell thee ●hou must wait upon them, till the Lord make known his mind to them: and it is a question whether ever he will make known his mind ●o them or no, Mat. 23.13. But woe unto you ●cribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye shut up the Kingdom of heaven against men; for ye neither go ●●your self neither suffer ye them that are entering ●o go in. But they are blind leaders of the blind, ●nd both shall fall into the pits.  
Thus thou seest what a straight thou art in betwixt Pharoah's Army and the red Sea: and ●hou criest to the Lord as the children of Isra●● did: and what did Moses say which was a ●ype of Christ, Exod. 14.13, 14. Moses said ●nto the people; fear ye not, stand still, and see ●e salvation of the Lord, the Lord shall fight for ●●u, and you shall hold your peace.  
First, I shall show you, that yet thou hast ●ot seen the salvation of the Lord.  
Secondly, Thou must stand still, and thou shalt see the salvation of the Lord for thee.  
1. I will not deny, but that thou art 〈◊〉 child of God; for that good seed spoken of Mat. 13. is sown in thee, which seed is 〈◊〉 Word in vers. 19 of this Chapter, and 〈◊〉 Word is Christ. John 1. Which seed is Chri●●● Gal. 3.16. Know ye not that Christ is in you ●●cept you be reprobates: but I trust you shall kn●●● you are not reprobates, 2 Cor. 13. 5, 6. For G●●● hath made known to thee that this seed is thee; for thou findest that there is a new wo●● wrought in thee; for now thou hatest sint● and hast a desire after goodness: and it is th●● seed in thee which makes thee so. For wh●● thou wast in thy natural condition, th●● hadst not such inclination to good, thou●● sometimes thou art ready to deny this throu●● the Devil's temptation, and thy own corru●tions.  
But yet thou dost not know the true way Jesus Christ: The Son of righteousness not risen in thee to lighten thee in his truth as the truth is in Jesus. Christ saith, I am 〈◊〉 way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh the Father, but by me, John 14.6. And while the Lord doth come and lighten thee in 〈◊〉 ways, thou canst not find it out: but thou a in the dark: and one that is in the dark ca●● not do any thing well, and is ready to stu●● ●e at all things, and yet would feign do something.  
Thus thou goest along in thy own strength 〈◊〉 perform duties: but all thy duties and righousnesse is as filthy rags, and that the Devil ●ill tell thee: and he will overcome thee with is temptations for all thy righteousness. This not a sufficient armour to stand against him; 〈◊〉 will wound thee for all this. For except ●●ur righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the bribe's and Pharisees, you shall in no wise enter to the Kingdom of heaven. Which as yet thou dammest short of that righteousness of the bribe's and Pharisees, for they were wonderful strict in their ways; for they looked to be ●stified by the works of the Law. They did ●●t know any other way, therefore they walled in that way; they were in the dark, and 〈◊〉 they worked according. So it is with thee, ●ou lookest to be justified by the works of the ●●aw; for thou seest no other way, nor hast ●en taught any other way, although in words ●●th thou and they that taught thee are ready 〈◊〉 deny it.  
But do you not say, that except ye do thus ●●d thus, God will not do thus and thus for ●●ou. What is this, but to be justified by your ●●wne righteousness: but thou dost as the ●●ouse did in Cant. 3.1. By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loved, I sought him, b● I found him not.  
What was this night; but the time of h● dark condition? and what is darkness but want of light? And in this night on her be● what was this bed? A bed is to take their n● upon, which was her own performances a righteousness. But she sought him: but she c●●not find him upon her bed; for thy bed is t● short for thee to stretch thyself upon, & t● covering too narrow to wrap thyself witha● before the Lord had showed her the light his own self to lead her where she show find him. She looked for him upon her b●● of her own performances, but it is too sho●● to reach to heaven, and this covering of h● righteousness too narrow to cover her sewithal, her filthy nakedness will appear for that: But that no man is justified by the wo●●● of the Law in the fight of God, is evident, G●● 3.11. Behold, all ye that kindle a fire, that con●●●● pass yourselves about with sparks: walk in light of your fire, and in the sparks which ye ha●● kindled. This shall have ye of mine hand, ye sh●●● lie down in sorrow, Isa. 50.11.  
This fire that we kindle, is our righteornesse, these sparks are one and the same wi●● the fire. This shall ye have at my hand, ye shall down in sorrow.  
The children of God that have, and do walk in this dark condition, going on in a equal and pharisaical way, thinking to be jutified by their own righteousness; for they know no other way; for if they did, they would willingly embrace it. They lie down ●n abundance of sorrow, they have little comfort and joy: and when they have, 'tis quickly gone: and the more they struggle, the more they are entangled, like a bird in a net, and cannot tell which way to getout: but thou wilt say, though my righteousness will not justify me before God, yet I must perform duties to him because he commands me; for ●f there be a willing mind, it is accepted, for ●hat a man hath, and not for that he hath not. For where much is given, much is required: but where little is given, there is little required. So, if I do my good will God will accept it; for that which I cannot do, Christ will do for me.  
I answer, That either thou must be justified wholly by thy own righteousness, or whol●y by Christ's righteousness: for thou must not put them together: it is forbid to put linen and woollen together? It is Christ that doth all, and he will have all the glory: before the Son of righteousness is risen to thee through the clear truths of himself, thou canst not know it; for in thy sight we see light And while then we make broken Cesterns ourselves that will hold no water, and forsake the fountain of living water, as t●● Scribes and Pharisees did, which Christ u●braided them for, John 3.19. This is codemnation, that light is come into the world and men loved darkness rather than light: in t●● time of their ignorance, God winked at it: b● when he came himself to teach them in t●● true way, they despised him, and persecute him, and said he was a seducer of the people John 7.12. Thou art a Samaritan, and hast Devil. John 8.48. And he is mad, why be ye him: and said, he was a blasphemer. And m●ny other reproachful words against him a●● his Doctrine, and his Disciples; for whi●● things they were condemned. So, when th● light doth appear to thee, take heed th● dost not persecute it as they did: and no● can by their striving and struggling make th● Son to rise, and expel this darkness, an● give us the true light, till he please to do himself.  
Thus I have showed thee, that yet thou ha● not seen the salvation of the Lord? Now shall show you how you shall stand still and 〈◊〉 the salvation of the Lord. Thou hast tried a● the ways that thou knowest, and hast laboured exceedingly to find out the ways of God: out cannot find it out. We have toiled all the ●ight, and taken nothing, Luke 5.5.  
Before Christ came in appearance to them, ●heir labour was in vain, they could find nothing: But when Christ came to them, he bid them let down their nets into the Sea for a draught. When they had thus done, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes. And so it hath been with thee, thou hast toiled all the night, and hast taken nothing. But when Christ manifests himself to thee, to teach thee what to do, which he will do by his Spirit, in his time; then thou shalt receive multitudes of mercies, and exceeding riches of his ●ove and goodness, and the joy of it, and a countenance of it in the mean time, Isa. 50.10. Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the Name of the Lord, and stay upon his God. Isa. 49.23. And thou shalt know that I am the Lord: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me. Habak. 2.1, 2, 3. I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower: and will watch to see what the Lord will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved. And the Lord answered and said, writ the vision, and make it plain upon Tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appoint time: but in the end it shall speak and not lie Though it tarry, wait for it, because it will sure come, it will not tarry. Isa. 30.18. Blessed an● all they that wait for him. Prov. 20.22. Wa●● on the Lord, and he will save thee. Psal. 56.3▪ What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. And they that do wa●te upon the Lord, shall fin● that they have not lost their labour: but he will abundantly fulfil their desires. The Lor● will fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace for your strength is to sit still, Isa. 30.7.  
Thou hast laboured a great while in vain in thy own strength, & couldst not find God now sit still a while, Heb. 10.37. For yet a little while, and he that shall come, will come, and will not tarry. Thou must not be discontented because thou hast not thy desires granted when thou wouldst, John 7.6. My time is not yet come: but your time is always ready. Cant. 2.7. I charge you O ye daughters of Jerusalem, that ye stir not up, nor awake my Love till he please. The Lord's time is the best time. In the mean time, let your conversation be without covetousness, and be content with such things as you have. For he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee, Heb. 13.5. It is not only meant in coveting temporal things, but also spiritual: but thou wilt be ready to say, if I had such and such things as I want, and I were thus and thus, as such and such is, than I should be contented: but thou must be contented with such things as thou hast; for the Lord knows what is better for thee than thou dost, 1 Sam. 3.18. It is the Lord: let him do what seemeth him good. And, I will not leave thee, nor forsake thee. It is for thy good whatsoever he doth; if it had been most to his glory and thy good, he would have showed thee his loving kindness at the first, and not have wounded thee thus: and have led thee by his Spirit in a plain ready way, and have taken away all things that hath hindered thee: But when he doth show thee his love, thou wilt know how to prise it the better; thy happiness consists not in the actings of Christ, in the which it is but the streams: but in Christ which is the fountain: and these streams ebb and flow according to the wisdom of God. And so long as thou dost live upon these streams, thy comforts ebb and flow with the streams: but the Lord did not send these streams of his love to thee, that thou shouldst live upon them, and build thy comforts upon them: but he lets these streams of his love sometimes flow forth in thee, to keep thee from despairing: and at other times withdraws the sense and feeling of it, that thou shouldst not Idolise them: but look up higher, and see Chris● who is thy full happiness, and he unchangeable. I am God, I change not: therefore ye Sonn● of Jacob are not consumed.  
We have thought God to be changeable li●● ourselves; when we performed duties, he w●● well pleased with us: and when we fell into f●● he was angry with us: and when we ha●● thought God angry with us, we have kep● from him, and durst not go to him, Isa. 5● 7, 8, 9 Let The wicked forsake his way, and 〈◊〉 unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy up●● him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. F●● as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are always higher than your ways, and my thought than your thoughts.  
You must forsake your own thoughts 〈◊〉 God: you have thought him to be changeab●● like yourself, and his ways like yours: b●● you must do so no more. For his thought are thoughts of peace, and love, and good wi●● Jer. 31.3. I have loved thee with an everlasti● love. His love is unchangeable love; for wh● he loves, he loves to the end. Is God unchangeable? this is exceeding comfortable to the children of God; this will encourage them not 〈◊〉 be troubled, though they cannot perform duties always alike; sometimes we cannot pray, we want words to speak to God. But the Spirit helpeth our infirmities; for we know not what we should pray for as we ought. But the Spirit it self maketh intercessian for us with groans which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the Saints according to the will of God, Rom. 8.26, 27. What little cause haft thou to be troubled; though thou carest not, pray when the Spirit of God prays for thee to the Father, and Christ he hath prayed for thee, John 17. And he makes intercession for thee, 1 John 2.1. And it is impossible but that the prayers of Christ and the Spirit will be granted; for the Father will not deny Christ anything. And in Christ thou art very near and dear to him: and he is very tender and careful over thee, and will do any thing for thee which is for thy good. He will not keep bacl anything from thee which he sees is for his glory & thy good in his time: but thou must wait his time: and a waiting condition is a happy condition: And it is he that makes thee to wait. Isa. 40.29, 30, 31. He giveth power to the faint, and to them that have no might, he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall. But they that wait upon th● Lord shall renew their strength: they shall moun● up with wings as Eagles; they shall run and no● be weary, and they shall walk, and not faint.  
Thus I have showed you what it is to stan●● still.   

CHAP. IU.  
How Christ makes a way through the Red Sea o● his own blood which he hath shed for thy sins▪ for thee to pass out of the spiritual Land of Egypt, into the spiritual Land of Canaan.  
GOd made man in his own Image, Gen. 1 27. He being without sin, and in a glorious condition, and he knew God: and there was nothing to hinder his communion with God. He saw God as he was, and he had a clear enjoyment of him; for he saw God with a spiritual eye, and he was what God would have him to be, and willing to be at the disposing of God; then was no complaints made o● him: and God planted a garden, Gen. 2.8, 9 And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food: the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. The Lord placed Adam there, in the glorious place that was upon the earth, suitable to his condition; there was all things that his heart could wish or desire. Vers. 16, 17. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the Garden thou mayst freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day thou eatest of it, thou shalt surely die.  
The man and the woman were in a glorious condition, so long as they continued thus both in spiritual and temporal things. So their happiness was upon condition; for so long as they forbore eating of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, they continued in this happiness: but if they eat of it, thou should surely die. And the Devil envied man's happy condition: and he enters into the Serpent, and came to the woman, and said: Yea, hath God said, ye shall not eat of every tree of the Garden? And the Woman said unto the Serpent, we may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden. But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden God hath said, ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it lest ye die. And the Serpent said unto the woman, ye shall not surely die? For God doth know, that in the day ye eat thereof, than your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as Gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw, that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to ma●● one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and di● eat: and gave also to her husband with her, an● he did eat, Gen. 3.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.  
Here the Devil came, and accused God t● the Woman; hath God said ye shall not eat of every tree of the Garden? For God doth know● that in the day that ye eat thereof, than your eye shall be opened, and you shall be as Gods, knowing good and evil. As if he should say, if God di● love you, he would not have barred you fro● eating of the fruis of that tree: whereby yo●● should become as Gods to know good and evil. He had better have barred thee from all the other things in the garden, then from this? therefore his barring of thee from this thing whic● is so good for thee, may make thee question his love to thee in all other things. An● though he said, ye shall die it ye eat of it: ye● shall not surely die. God did not love you● and therefore he would not have you eat o● it: and faith, ye shall die if ye eat of it. But believe me I do tell ye the truth, and I speak● in love; you shall not die: but you shall be as God knowing good and evil. And who is it tha● would not be in that condition if they could▪ and this is the way to bring them to it: and i● is an easy way, and pleasant to eat of the frui● ●f a tree, that is a small matter, thou needst ●ot fear, that will do thee no harm. Thus ●he Devil first accuseth God to the woman, ●o make way for the tempting of her, that so ●e might the better prevail with her with his ●emptations: So she listened to him, and be●eved him what he said, and did eat of the ●●uit: and did give to her husband, and be eat ●●so.  
Thus they believed the Devil in all things, ●nd thought God to be their Enemy, and ●o be a liar in all things. Thus they forsook God, and made the Devil their God, in obeying him, and in doing this thing, they commit ●●l manner of sin: and we were in their loins ●nd sinned with them: and of all sins, God ●ost complains of Idolatry: and here was ●is sin in a high degree to forsake God, and ●ould not believe him nor obey him: but be●eved the Devil, and obeyed him who was ●ods enemy: and the eyes of them both were opened; they knew that they were noked. And verse.  
Their eyes were opened to see their miserable condition that they had brought themselves into. Before they eat of it, they knew ●othing but good: and they were not conten●d with this, but they would know evil too: ●●d the eating of this forbidden fruit brought ●●em to know nothing else but evil: so now they know good and evil. And this aggravated their misery, to know what a good condition than they were in, and now what a fearful condition they had brought themselves in to. And when the Lord came into the garde● and called to Adam, than they ran away an● hid themselves; after they had sinned, th● were afraid of God, that kept them from th● sweet communion of God, which, befor● they eat of that fruit, they did enjoy, and h● was their full happiness: but now they we● afraid he should see them: and they did wha● they could to hid themselves from him, b● yet he found them out. And he said unto t● man, hast thou eaten of the tree whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldst not eat? And t● man said, the woman whom thou gavest to 〈◊〉 with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did ea● Gen. 3.11, 12.  
Here the man doth what he can to excu●● himself, and laid the fault on the woman, 〈◊〉 was she that gave it me: and he blames Go● for giving the woman to him. It was the wo● man that thou gavest me, it was she that gave 〈◊〉 me. If thou hadst not given me the woma● I had not eaten it; for it was through h● means that I did it, & if thou hadst not give me her, I had not eaten it. And the Lord G●● said unto the woman, what is this that thou h● done? thou dost not know what a miserable condition thou hast brought upon yourselves and your posterity for ever. For by this thing doing, you have lost all your happiness, both spiritual and temporal: and procured all manner of spiritual and temporal judgements both here and hereafter. For in the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die. And the Woman said, the Serpent beguiled me: he told me that I should not die: but we should be as God, knowing good and evil, or else I had not eat it. So she excused herself, and laid the fault on the Serpent. And the Lord God said unto the Serpent, because thou hast done this, thou art cursed: and I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed: It shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel, Gen. 3.13, 14, 15.  
The Devil hath got an interest in all mankind: by their listening to him, and believing of him, and obeying him, they made him their God. And man, being in this fearful condition by the Devils getting an interest in him, is led by him to do what he would have him to do, and there is no remedy to be found by man: For in the day that thou eatest thereof, thou must die eternally. For the wages of sin is death, Rom. 6.23. The soul that sins, it shall die, Ezek. 18.4.  
There could be no way found out by ma● nor any thing in man that could make satisfaction for those sins that they had committed but God hath found out a way; he hath fou● out a sufficient ransom, to redeem thee fro● the wrath of God, and the cruelty of the D●vill and sin, and hell, which is the Sonne● God, which was to take flesh upon him, an● he was to be born of a woman: and he was 〈◊〉 make full satisfaction to his Father for all o● sins. And this is the feed of the woman th● would break the Serpent's head. Which seed● Christ, Gal. 3.16. And God was well please with mankind, looking upon them in Chri●● what he had undertaken for them: and in th● fullness of time he was to come and perform i● and it was already done in his account. An● this the Lord made known to Adam: but h● had not a clear knowledge of this: but it w● typified to him in sacrifices, Gen. 4.4. And 〈◊〉 made known these things to them in a dar● way by degrees, as was to his glory and the● good: and so all along the old Testament, 〈◊〉 was typified to them in sacrifices and ordinances, and ceremonies, still in a dark way, y●● a more clearer manifestation of him then b●fore: but all along it speaks of sacrifices: an● without, there w●● nothing to be done; Th● were to offe● Peace-offerings, Levit. 3. 〈◊〉 And if his Oblation be a sacrifice of Peace-offering, if he offer it of the herd, whether it be a male or female, he shall offer it without blemish before the Lord: And he shall lay his hand upon the head of his offering, and kill it at the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation: & Aaron's sons the Priests shall sprinkle the blood upon the Altar round about. This was their Peace-offering; it was to make their peace with God, which sacrifice was a type of Christ; for he was the true sacrifice that then was to make peace for mankind to his Father: and his blood was shed to sprinkle our hearts, or wash our hands from dead works to serve the living God. Therefore was the sacrifices commanded to put them in remembrance of Christ, which was the substance, and he which they typified: and for every sin almost there was to be sacrifices, as in Leu. 4. all along the Chap. there it speaks what must be offered, and how, for sins of ignorance. And ch. 6. there is a sacrifice to be offered for sins willingly. And c. 16. there is what is to be offered for the sins of the Priest, and how: and so along that book it speaks much of sacrifices for the sins of the people. Heb. 9.22. And almost all things are by the law purged with blood: and without shedding of blood is no remission. So Christ blood was the Red Sea that they did pass through to come out of their spiritual bondage which they had brought themselves in by obeying the Devil. And they saw him darkly through sacrifices, and ordinances, and ceremonies, which were but shadows of things to come: but the substance is Christ; and they were not to depend upon their sacrifices, but upon Christ.  
It pleased the Lord to lead them in this dark way, showing himself to them by degrees, as was most to his glory: yet there was more light showed to them then was revealed before them in the Prophets. There he shows himself clearly to them, what he would do for them, and what he was to them, and his exceeding great love to them: which in the fullness of time he did come and perform it.  
Thus they waited a long time, having but a little hope of him, still looking for his coming in the flesh, and desiring his coming, and yet willing to wait his time. And at the the last he did come, and finish all things, for the salvation of their souls, and made full satisfaction to his Father for all sins, and not for theirs only, but for the sins of the whole world; for all that was from Adam to the end of the world. Man had sinned, therefore man must suffer: and it must be one that was without sin; for one that had sin could not make satisfaction, neither could man as man, but it must be God in man, or else he could not make satisfaction to God: and it must be man too, or else he could not suffer: so he must be a middle person betwixt God and man, that must make satisfaction to God for man. So God sent his only Son out of his bosom to take our nature upon him: and he was able to make full satisfaction to his Father for all mankind at once. So the Lord hath laid on him the iniquities of us all, Isa. 53.6.  
God hath laid our sins upon Christ, and he was willing to take them: so our sins being laid upon Christ, he is become the debtor; and we are set at liberty: our sins are all laid upon Christ, so God requires the full debt to be paid alone by him: He hath nothing to say or do against us, because Christ hath undertaken to make full satisfaction to God for us: and he cannot nor will not require it of Christ and us too, 2 Cor. 5.18, 19, 21. All things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ. God was in Christ, reconcising the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. Isa. 53.4, 5. Surely he hath born our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with hi● stripes we are healed; so all along that chapter it speaks what Christ suffered for us. Hos. 13 14. I will ransom them from the power of th● grave, I will redeem them from death. O death I will be thy plagues, O grave I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eye● 1 Cor. 15.54, 55, 56, 57 Death is swallowe● up in victory? O death! where is thy sting? O grave where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin, an● the strength of sin is the Law; But thanks 〈◊〉 to God which giveth us the victory through o●● Lord Jesus Christ. In Hosea he saith, I will 〈◊〉 it: it is he alone that will do it: but now he● tell: you 'tis already done. Death is swallows up in victory: and this is the death that is spoken of in Gen. 2.17. And Christ hath gotte● victory over it for us: He is made perfect 〈◊〉 us through suffering: he was perfect in himself before, but not for us: but now he 〈◊〉 perfect for us. I shall show you how Chri●● was made perfect for us through suffering: 〈◊〉 was made perfect for us 3. ways:  
First, By the fulfilling of the whole La● for us.  
Secondly, By making full satisfaction f●● the sins of the world.  
Thirdly, He hath purchased of his Fath●● all things both spiritual and temporal for us. I shall show you of the two first, and let the other alone till afterwards.  
For the first, Christ hath fulfilled the whole Law for us. Man was commanded to do it: and there was a great curse lay upon him if he did not do it. Cursed is every one that doth not all things that are written in the book of the Law, Gal. 3.10. For whosoever shall keep the whole Law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all Jam. 2.10. And man, he could not do it: so Christ he comes and performs the whole law perfectly for us, Mat. 5.17. Think not that I am come to destroy the Law or the Prophets? I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot or tittle shall in no wise pass from the Law till all be fulfilled. And Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to every one that believeth: and he hath fulfilled every jot and tittle of the Law for us; for he did undertake to fulfil the whole Law for us, to purchase a perfect righteousness for us by his fulfilling the Law for us. It behoves us saith Christ, to fulfil all righteousness. And which of you can tax me of sin: so his righteousness is a perfect righteousness, there is not any imperfection in it, the Lord hath not any thing to say against it: and this is for us, Christ our righteousness, 1 Cor. 1.30. Ye are in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption. Thus Christ hath fulfilled the whole Law for us.  
Now I shall show you how Christ hath made full satisfaction to his Father for our sins: and that he did by suffering the whole wrath of God for the sins of the whole world. I have a baptism to be baptised withal, and how am I straightened till it be accomplished? which was his suffering. He was to drink off that bitter cup of the whole wrath of God, wrung out by the hand of God's vengeance, & to drink the dregs of it for our sins that was laid upon him. And now you shall see how Christ complains of this wrath of God that lay so heavy upon him, John 12.27. Now is my soul troubled, and what shall I say? Father save me from this hour? but for this cause came I unto this hour. Matth. 26.38. Then said Jesus unto them, my soul is very heavy, even unto the death. So he went and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt, And thus he prayed 3. times. Luke 22.44. And being in an agony, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. How unwilling was the humanity of Christ to suffer ●hat bitter death and passion that he was to ●ndergoe! for he put up strong groans and ●ries to him that was above, to save him: and 〈◊〉 that he prayed for, he was heard: yet he ●ust suffer, there was no remedy. Yet, saith Christ, nevertheless, not my will, but thy will be ●one. Father, glorify thy Name, John 12.28. He ●as willing to do or suffer any thing that his ●ather might be glorified: and his Father ●ould not be glorified, without he did suffer; ●or it was he alone that could glorify the Father, and he did do it, by making full satisfaction to his Father for all the sins of mankind, to redeem them from sin and wrath ●f God, and the condemning power of the ●aw, and Hell, and damnation. So Christ ●as willing to suffer any thing that his Father ●id lay upon him, for to glorify his Father, ●nd for the love that he had to mankind; ●or his love was so great to them, that he was willing to suffer any thing for their sake, that ●hey might be redeemed from that miserable condition that they had brought themselves ●nto: So, although the humanity of Christ was ●nwilling to suffer that which he was to suffer, ●et the glory of his Father, and his love to the world so prevailed with him, that he was willing to suffer: and said, If this cup may not departed except I drink it, thy will be done. And his prayer was heard of his Father, and 〈◊〉 request granted, though he must suffer; f●● his desire was, that his Father would glorify 〈◊〉 Name, John 12.28. Then came a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and 〈◊〉 glorify it again. Here was his request grant●● him: and he enabled him to bear that whi●● he laid upon him, Luke 22.43. And there 〈◊〉 peared an Angel from heaven unto him, strengthening him.  
Christ did not suffer as he was God, but 〈◊〉 he was man; for the Godhead could not s●●fer: And as he was man, he was weak, a●● had need to be strengthened, comforted, a●● up-held: and it was his Divinity that up-he●● his humanity. So he being thus strengthen●● he was put upon the suffering: so he was b●traid to be put to death by his Disciple, 〈◊〉 that was near to him, and pretended mu●● love to Christ. He was taught by Christ 〈◊〉 ways of God, and he taught others, yet 〈◊〉 betrayed Christ, for him to be put to deat● he betrayed him into the hands of wic●● men: and ye shall see how they misused h●● And the men that held Jesus, mocked him, 〈◊〉 smote him: And when they had blindfolded h●● they strooke him on the face: and asked him, say●●● who was it that smote thee? And many ot●●● things blasphemously spoke they against hi● ●uke 22.63, 64, 65. And Herod with his men ●f War set him at nought, and mocked him, and ●raied him in a gorgeous robe, Luke 23.11. Then ●ilate therefore took Jesus and scourged him, and ●he Soldiers plaited a crown of thorns, and put it ●n his head: and they put on him a purple robe, & ●aid, hail, King of the Jews. They smote him with their hands, John 19.1, 2, 3. Matth. 27. ●6.  
Thus they mocked him, and despitefully used him which came to save them: and it was because he said he was the Son of God, and was their King, to reign spiritually over them; therefore in contempt they put a crown of thorns upon his head. They did look for Christ to come to redeem them, and to reign over them: but they did not look for him to come in that manner to them as he did come, in the shape of a servant, but in great pomp, like an earthly King, and so to reign over them temporally. So when Christ did come, because he did not come according as they expected him to come, they hated him and despised him, and said, we will not have this man to reign over us: he hath no form nor comeliness: and when ye shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with griefs, and we hid as it were our from him. He was despised, and we esteems him not, Isa. 53.3.  
His comeliness and beauty did not consi●● in temporal things; If it had, than they wou●● have loved him: but Christ said, his Kingdo● was not of this world. The foxes have holes, a●● the birds have nests: but the Son of man hath n●● wherewithal to lay his head. But his Kingdom is a spiritual Kingdom, and they did no● know this Kingdom which he was King ove● but they looked with the eye of flesh, and tha● could not see Christ's Kingdom: so with 〈◊〉 fleshly eye they looked for a fleshly King t● reign over them in a fleshly way. And whe●● he was come, they saw him so mean in outward things over they expected: then the● said, this is not he, John 7.27. We know th●● man whence he is. But when Christ cometh no man knoweth whence he is. Is not this th● Carpenter's son? Is not this Jesus the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know, John 6.42. They slighted him, because they did not see him in that outward pomp as they expected: so they hated him, and persecuted him, and spit on him, and took the reed and smote him, Mat. 27.30. And when the chief Priests therefore and Officers saw him, they cried out, saying, crucify him, crucify him. Pilate said unto them, take ye him and crucify him, for I find no fault in him, John 19.6. They confessed there was no fault in him, yet they would put him to death: but all this was done upon Christ for our sins, they being laid upon him: and ●hey were the instruments that God had appointed to bring Christ to the Cross. It is necessary that offences come: but woe be to them by whom they do come.  
And till the time was come that was appointed of the Father, they could do nothing to him: and when the time did come, that he should suffer, they brought him to the Cross, and nailed him to it: but Christ laid down his life freely of himself, John 10.17, 18. Therefore doth my Father love me, because I ●ay down my life, that I might take it up again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself; I have power to lay it down, and I have ●ower to take it up again: this Commandment have I received of my Father.  
So now, the time of his suffering being come, he was willing to lay down his life for poor miserable fallen mankind, he being nailed upon the Cross: he endured sore pains in his body, and much more in his mind; for the whole wrath of God lay upon him for all our sins; for he was wounded for our transgressions both spiritual and temporal. A man may bear the infirmities of his body: but a wounded spirit who can bear. They that h●●● been wounded in spirit, can tell that it i● 〈◊〉 very sore thing, and heavy to be borne. H●● much more sorer and heavier was it up●● Christ, when he was wounded for all the f●● of all mankind? it made him to cry out: 〈◊〉 God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me, Mar. 1● 34. Is it nothing to you all ye that pass by? 〈◊〉 hold and see, if there be any sorrow like my sorr●● which is done unto me, wherewith the Lord h●● afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger, Lam. 〈◊〉 12. There was never affliction like this th●● was done unto Christ: his love was so gr●● to mankind, that there was not any thing t●● dear to him, but he was willing to forgot 〈◊〉 for their sakes: he shed his heartblood f●● their sakes; our sins could not be pardone●● without his blood being shed; for without bloodshedding there is no remission, Heb. 〈◊〉 12. And it is not possible that the blood ●●buls and goats should take away sins: whe●●fore when he cometh into the world, h● saith: Sacrifice and offering thou wouldst not but a body hast thou prepared me. In  offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, lo I come to do thy will, 〈◊〉 God. By the which will we are sanctif●●● through the offering of the body of Christ Jes●● once for all, Heb. 10.4, 5, 6, 7. It was not t●● sacrifice of beasts that could take away sin, or make satisfaction to God: therefore he prepared Christ, a body, and he was the only sacrifice that could and did make full satisfaction to God for the sins of the whole world, 1 ●et. 2.24. Who his own self bore our sins in ●is own body on the tree: that we being dead to ●●nne, should live unto righteousness, by whose ●●ipe● ye were healed. Titus 2.14. Who gave him●●lfe for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, ●●●alous of good works, Col. 1.14. In whom we ●ave redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins, Gal. 3.13. Christ hath redeemed ●●s from the curse of the Law, being made a curse ●or us. For it is written, cursed is every one that rangeth on a tree. So Christ was made perfect ●or us through suffering, John 19.28. After ●●is, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. ●nd vers. 30. He said, it is finished: and he how●● his head, and gave up the ghost.  
I have now shown you that the Father hath ●●id all our sins upon Christ, and he hath ●ade full satisfaction to the Father for them. All our sins being laid upon Christ, they are become his, they are not ours, but his. For ●e hath made him to be sin for us that knew no sin, ●hat we might be made the righteousness of God in him, 2 Cor. 5.21. And Christ redeemed us fr●● the curse of the law, being made a curse for 〈◊〉 How was Christ made sin and a curse for 〈◊〉 If a man be bound to pay another man's de●●●● he is become the debtor: and if the Creditor's follows the Law of him, he must pay the deb●●●● and he paying the debt, the other that ow● the debt is freed, there is nothing to be do●●● against him, because the other hath satisfi●● the Creditor.  
So our sins being laid upon Christ, an● he undertaking to pay a full satisfaction to 〈◊〉 Father for them, he is become the debtor, o● sins are his, and his Father looks upon h●● as the sinner: not that himself had sinned, 〈◊〉 bearing our sins: and as he became the si●ner for us, so he became a curse for us. F●● the Law saith, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the b●●● of the Law to do them, Gal. 3.10.  
So God hath required this debt of Christ 〈◊〉 be paid by him to the utmost farthing: and 〈◊〉 hath done it for us; there is nothing to b● done for the salvation of our souls, but all 〈◊〉 done already for us by the sufferings of Chri●● and God is fully satisfied and well plased This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, Mat. 3.17. And he is as well pleased wi●● us in his Son, as he is with his Son; a●● he hath no more to say against us for our sins than he hath against his Son. And God doth ●ove us with the same love that he hath loved Christ withal, John 17.23.   

CHAP. V Now Christ is offered freely to all mankind without any price or worthiness of their own.  
GOd was pleased to make Christ a sacrifice for the sins of the whole world, to reconcile ●he world unto himself, not imputing their sin's ●●to them, 2 Cor. 5.19. And God would have ●●e world to know what Christ hath done for ●●em: he would not have his love and mercy, ●nd great goodness to be hid from them, but 〈◊〉 be made known to them, that poor souls ●●at are wounded with sin, may look upon ●hrist that was crucified for their sins: and 〈◊〉 him see God as well pleased with them, as 〈◊〉 is with Christ. There is nothing now to ●nder God's love to us, he loves us freely. I ●ll heal their rebellions, I will love them freely, 〈◊〉 my anger is turned away from them, Hos. 14. 〈◊〉. Behold the days come (saith the Lord) that I ●ll make a new covenant with the house of Israel, 〈◊〉 with the house of Judah. Not according to the Covenant that I made with their fathers, wher● I took them by the hand to bring them out of th● land of Egypt: the which my Covenant they broke although I was an Husband unto them, saith th● Lord. But this shall be the Covenant that I wi●● make with the house of Israel: After those day● (saith the Lord) I will put my Law in their i● ward parts, and write it in their hearts, and will be their God, and they shall be my people. F●● I will forgive their iniquity, and will rememb●● their sins no more, Jer. 31.31, 32, 33, 34.  
That old covenant that he made with the● was a covenant of works: and that covenant they broke, they were not able to keep it: b● now God hath made a new covenant with 〈◊〉 in Christ, a better covenant than the other for God hath given Christ to us for a comnant, for him to undertake to make full satisfaction for our sins, and to be a Mediator betwixt God and us.  
There was nothing in us that moved Go●● to bestow his Son upon us to be crucified f●● us: but it was his free love. Herein is love, 〈◊〉 that we loved God, but that he loved us, and se●● his Son to be the propitiatin for our sins, 1 Joh● 4.10. Hereby perceive we the love of God, beca●● he laid down his life for us, 1 John 3.16. A●●● while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us, e● when we were dead in sins, Ephes. 2.5. For so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved, John 3.16, 17. For I came not to judge the world, but to save the world, John 12.47. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friend, John 15.13.  
That is the greatest love that friends can show one to another: but Christ hath loved us with a greater love; for while we were his enemies, he died for us to reconcile us to God, and to make us his friend; he takes occasion by our sins to show us merry. The Lord complains of the spiritual Idolatry of his people, in Hosea 2. which of all sins, that is partly the greatest, to forsake God, and cleave to Idols, and to give that to them that belongs only to God; for they made their Idols their God, & gave honour and glory to them: but the Lord saith; I will not give my honour to another, nor my glory to graven Images, Hos. 2.13, 14. She decked herself with her earrings and her jewels, and she followed her Lovers, and forgot me, saith the Lord. Therefore behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably to her, Hos. 11.7. My people are bend to rebellion against me: though they called them to the most High, yet none at all would exalt him. Yet this did not turn the love of the Lord from them; for in the 8. and 9 verses, he saith, How shall I give thee up Ephraim, how shall I delive thee, Israel? how shall I make thee as Admah! how shall I set thee as Zeboim? Mine heart is turned within me, my repentings are rolled together I will not execute the fierceness of my wrath, I will not return to destroy Ephraim; for I am God and not man, the holy One in the midst of thee, Ezek. 20.44. And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have respect unto you for my Names sake and not after your wicked ways, nor according to your corrupt works, O ye house of Israel, saith th●● Lord, Isa. 43.25. I, even I am he that putteth away thine iniquities for mine own sake, and wil● not remember thy sins, Isa. 44.22. I have put away thy transgressions like a cloud, and thy sinner as a mist: turn unto me, for I have redeemed thee, Jer. 33.8. And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me: & I will pardon all their iniquities whereby they have sinned against me, and whereby they have transgressed against me, Jer. 50.20. And in those days, and at that time, saith the Lord, the iniquities of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none, and for the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found; for I will be merciful unto them.  
Here is the free mercy of God, and riches of his love belonging to all mankind, that ever was, is, or shall be; there is not any one excluded from his love; for there is nothing can keep us from God but our sins, and that Christ hath died for, and hath made full satisfaction to his Father, and hath obtained of his Father a full pardon for all the sin of all mankind, although they be never so great, 1 Tim. 1.15. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. He was a persecuter, and a blasphemer, and an injurious person; ye (saith he) I obtained mercy. The Lord is no respecter of persons.  
He shed his dearest heartblood for all sinners, as well for the chief of sinners as any other; for without bloodshedding there can be no remission of any one sin, though never so small in our apprehension: but by the blood of Christ being shed for us, the greatest sins are pardoned as well as any. For the blood of Christ cleanseth us from all unrighteousness. And this gift of God in giving his Son, is a free gift of God, given to all, to redeem all from sin, hell, and the Devil, Hes. 13.9. O Israel one hath destroyed thee, but in me is thy help. The Devil having overcome man by his tempting the woman, and they yielding to him, we were all destroyed by the Devil: but in Christ is our help against him, Jer. 31.11. The Lor● hath redeemed Jacob, and ransomed him from the hand of him that was stronger than he.  
All mankind fell, by and in the fall of Adam, from that glorious condition that th●● were in before they sinned: So we all fell fro● that glorious condition with him, into a sta●● of condemnation, sin, and the wrath of Go● both spiritual and temporal, and hell an● damnation: and as we all fell in Adam, so we are all raised by, and in Christ, not to tha● condition that Adam fell from, but from tha● condition that he fell into: and as we all dye● in Adam, so we are all made alive in Chri●● Adam was a public person for mankind so was Christ; therefore he is called the secon● Adam. Therefore as by the offences of one, which was Adam, judgement came upon all men to c●● demnation; even so by the righteousness of ou● which is Christ, the free gift came upon all m●● unto justification of life. For as by one man's dis●● bedience many were made sinners: so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous, Rom. ●● 18, 19  
All were made sinners in Adam, so all a●● made righteous by Christ.  
Quest. How are all made righteous 〈◊〉 Christ?  
Answ. He being made a public person so all mankind: he undertook to make full satisfaction for our sins, which he did commit: so he redeemed us from that condemnation that came upon all the world by the fall of Adam: so that for those sins we shall never be condemned.  
He hath redeemed the whole world from the Devil and sin, to himself, that we should serve him in all love: so the Devil and sin cannot keep the world out of heaven, they can do us no harm; yea, those that are very great sins cannot: nothing but unbelief can keep us out. There was nothing that kept the children of Israel out of the Land of Canaan but unbelief. We see they could not enter in because of unbelief, Heb. 3.19. They had committed many sins, and those that were very great ones: and God complained of their sins in many places of Scripture, yet none of them kept them out of the Land of Canaan, which was a type of heaven, but only unbelief. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world: and men loved darkness rather than light, John 3.19.  
Christ hath obtained of his Father a full pardon for all the sins of the world, and a perfect righteousness, and heaven, and spiritual and temporal things, and it is kept in store for us in Christ; all the spiritual things are till we do really believe what Jesus Chri●● hath done for us in particular, and he woul● have his love made known to the world tha● they might believe: and then he will mak● known to them that their sins are pardoned and how great his love is to them, and wh●● he hath purchased for them, and what the● are in him. And although there remains s●● in the conversation, yet sin in the conscience is done away. The blood of Christ, which through the eternal spirit, offered himself without spo●● purge your consciences from dead works, to ser●● the living God, Heb. 9.14. And he speaking i● the 9th verse of this chapter, and verse 2. of th● 10th chapter of the sacrifices in the time of th● Law, there was offered gifts and sacrifices tha● could not make holy, concerning the conscience of him that did the service; for if it could would they not then have ceased to have bee● offered, because that that the offerers once purged, should have had no more sine in thei● conscience: but those sacrifices could not take away sin in the conscience, Heb. 9.24, 25, 26. For Christ is not entered into the holy places, ma●● with hands, which are the figures of the true; bu● into heaven itself, now to appear in the prese●● of God for us. Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high Priest entereth into the holy pl●●● every year with blood of others. For than must often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath be appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And it is he alone that can and will sanctify us in our conversation; Let us draw near with a true heart in assurance of faith, sprinkled in our hearts from an evil conscience, and washed in our bodies with pure water, Heb. 10.22. Christ shed both water and blood, John 19 ●4. His blood for to sprinkle our conscience from evil works, that so they shall not damn us, and water to purge and sanctify us in our conversation, that sin shall be mortified in us, and we shall walk in obedience to God. And this Christ hath done for all, and would have all know it, that they all might come to Christ and be saved. For be tasted death forevery man, Heb. 2.9. And be died for all, that they that live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him that died for them, and rose again, 2 Gor. 5.15.  
Christ not only died and was buried, but he also risen from the dead; which doth declare unto us, that he hath gotten the victory over the spiritual death for us; he triumphed over it for us. Death is swallowed up in victory? O death! where is thy sting? O grave! where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law; But thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Chris● 2 Cor. 15.54, 55, 56, 57  
So Christ hath done all things for thee, an● hath made way for to go to God by him. J●sus said, I am the way, the truth and the life, ●man cometh to the Father, but by me, John 1● 6. And now he makes a general proclamation for all to come unto him, and he will gi●● them life; for their life is hid in him: and they do not come unto him, they shall dye● their sins: and the Lord saith; As I live, I wi●● not the death of a sinner. Isa. 55.1, 2, 3. Ho, ev●●● one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and 〈◊〉 that hath no money: come ye, buy and eat, yea com● buy wine, and milk without money, and with●●● price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that whi●● is not bread? and your labour for that which sati●fieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and ea●● ye that which is good, and let your soul delight self in fatness. Incline your ear and come un●me hear, and your soul shall live, and I wi●● make aneverlasting Covenant with you, even t●● sure mercies of David.  
The waters that we are invited to come 〈◊〉 to, is Christ; he is the water of life, John 4. 1● And he calls all to come, without any worthnesse of their own; though they are never 〈◊〉 great sinners, let them come, let them not ke●● back because they are great sinners: but therefore let them come; for he died for their sins: ●nd if they come unto him, he will give them a ●ardon for their sins, their sins cannot be too great for him to pardon: and do not stay for qualification to come to Christ, for there is ●o qualification out of Christ: but come unto him, and he will qualify thee; there is no vessel so unclean, but the blood of Christ will cleanse ●t. And saith Christ, Those that come to me, I will ●●n no wise cast away: and that wine and milk is Christ, John 15.1. I am the Vine that brought forth those grapes that this wine came of, and he was pressed in the wine-pres of the wrath of God, for us to drink of the fruit of it. And as it is the nature of wine to comfort, strengthen, and refresh those that are ready to faint. So it is with this spiritual wine, Christ; whosoever hath tasted of him, it comforts him exceedingly: and when they are ready to faint through the sense of their sins, this wine refreshes them, and strengthens them against the Devil's temptations and their own sins: and this milk is to feed those that are babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat, for bitherto ye were not able to bear it, 1 Cor. 3.2. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness; for he is a babe, Heb. 5.13. So Christ is this milk that feeds those that are babes in him; he is their nourishment, and he revealeth his love to them by degrees: and 〈◊〉 are babes at the first, and grow by degrees be men in Christ, and he leads them according. Wherefore do ye spend money for that whi●● is not bread? you spend a great deal of cost pains to get a righteousness of your own, a●● so feed upon that: but that is not bread, th●● is but ashes, that will not nourish thee, b●● wildo thee more harm than good. Christ sait● He is the bread of life, John 6.48. This is 〈◊〉 bread which came down from heaven, that a m●● may eat of it and not die. I am the living bre●● which came down from heaven; if any man eat this bread be shall live for ever: and the bread th● I will give is my flesh, which I will give for t●● life of the world, vers. 50, 51. And this brea● he giveth to all freely. And this is that tha● will feed and nourish your souls; therefore feed upon this, and do not spend your labour in vain, thinking to get a righteousness of your own, which is not the righteousness of Jesus Christ, that thou mightst feed upon that, and be satisfied with it: but that cannot satisfy thee, if thou goest to feed upon it, 〈◊〉 will choke thee: but harken diligently to me, and eat that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in his fatness. What he hath don● for thee, and what he hath obtained for thee and come unto me; hear, and your soul shall live. So hear, that ye really believe what Christ hath done for you, and your soul shall live. And I will make an everlasting Covenant with you, ●ven the sure mercies of David. For this is the Covenant that I will make with them, After those days (saith the Lord) I will put my laws into their hearts, and I will be to them a God, and ●hey shall be to me a people. And they shall not ●each every man his brother, saying, know the Lord; for all shall know me from the least to the greatest. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness: and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more, Heb. 8.10, 11, 12.  
And it is a sure Covenant; for it was established upon better promises than the old Covenant was, and God is unchangeable. I am God, I change not, therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. And the Spirit and the Bride says ●ome: and let him that heareth, say come: and set him that is athirst, come: and whosoever will, let him take the water of life, freely, Rev. 22.17. Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath killed ●er beasts, she hath mingled her wine, she hath also furnished her table. She hath sent forth her Maidens, she cryeth upon the highest places of the City: Whose is simple, let him turn in hither: as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him: Come eat of my bread; and drink of the wine that I have mingled, Prov. 9.1, 2, 3, 4, 5.  
This wisdom is Christ, and it was he th● was killed for the sins of the world. This the fatted Calf that was killed, Luke 15. 2● And the Lamb slain from the beginning of t●● world. Matth. 22. Behold, I have prepared 〈◊〉 dinner, my oxen and fatlings are killed, and 〈◊〉 things are ready, come unto the marriage.  
It is Christ alone that hath prepared 〈◊〉 things for this spiritual marriage betwi●● himself and his people. There is nothing 〈◊〉 be done, but all things are already prepare for this spiritual feast; there is nothing f●● us to do, but to come and eat and drink freely of those things that are prepared for us And he sends forth his servants for to cry 〈◊〉 the highest places of the City: and to cry 〈◊〉 loud: Spare not, lift up their voice like a Tru●● pet, Isa. 58.1. That all may hear and come that those that are simple may learn true wisdom of him.   

CHAP. VI How we should come to Christ, and have th● things that he hath prepared for all.  
THere is no other way to come to Chri●●● but by believing what he hath done fo● them in particular, and to apply it to themselves. These things are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God: and ●hat in believing, ye might have life through his ●ame, John 20.31. He that believeth in the Son ●f God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God, hath made him a liar, because he ●elieved not the record that God witnessed of his ●on. And this is the record, that God hath given ●nto us eternal life: and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son, hath life: and he that hath ●ot the Son, hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe in the name of the Son of God, that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe in the name of the Son ●f God, 1 John 5.10, 11, 12, 13. For God so lo●ed the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, ●hat whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, ●ut have everlasting life, John 3.16. And this is ●ife eternal, that they know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent, John ●7. 3. Let not your hearts be troubled, ye believe ●n God, believe also in me, John 14.1. For I am ●ome a light into the world; whosoever believeth in ●●e shall not abide in darkness, Joh. 12.40. And ●his is the work of God, that ye believe in him whom he hath sent, John 6.29. He that believeth in me (as saith the Scripture) out of his belly shall flow rivers of water of life, John 7.38. He that believeth in me, hath everlasting life, Joh● 6.47. And Jesus said unto them, I am the bre● of life; he that cometh to me shall not hunger, 〈◊〉 he that believeth in me shall never thirst. A●● this is the will of him that sent me, that every 〈◊〉 which seethe the Son, and believeth in him, sho●● have everlasting life, and I will raise him up the last day, John 6.35.40.  
He that doth believe Christ, doth kno● Christ, and doth know the Father also; 〈◊〉 Christ and his Father are one: and he do●● know that Christ hath pardoned his sins, having made full satisfaction for them to his Father: and that God is as well pleased with hi● in his Son, as he is with his Son: and do● not only believe this, because it is in the Scripture, but because the Spirit of God witnesse● it to them by the enjoyment of it, though sometimes they have not the comfort of 〈◊〉 Believing and faith is all one: and we are justified by faith, and not by works, and therefore we conclude, that a man is justified by faith without the works of the Law, Rom. 3. 2● By the works of ehe law shall no flesh be justified 〈◊〉 his fight.  
For by the Law cometh the knowledge of sin, 〈◊〉 now is the righteousness of God made manifest without the Law, bearing witness of the Law an● the Prophets, to wit, the righteousness of God 〈◊〉 the faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all that believe: for there is no difference, for all have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God hath set forth to be a reconciliation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness by the forgiveness of the sins that are passed through the patience of God, Rom. 3.20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25. If Abraham were justified by works, he hath wherein to rejoice, but not with God; but what saith the Scripture, Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness: For the promise that he should be the heir of the world, was not given to Abraham or to his seed, through the Law, or his righteousness that he had obtained by the works of the Law, but through the righteousness of faith: for if they that are of the Law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise is made of no effect: for the law causeth wrath, because we cannot keep it, for where no Law is, there is no transgression, it is the Law that discovers sin unto us, Romans 7.7. therefore it is by faith, that it might come by grace, Rom. 3.23, 13, 14, 15.16. For by faith the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, The just shall live by faith, Rom. 1.17. Know that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we, I say, have believed in jesus Christ, that woe might be justified by the faith of Christ, and no● by ●he works of the Law, because that by the work● of the Law no flesh shall be justify, Galat. 2.16. If there had been a law given which could have given life, surely righteousness should have been b● the Law, but the Scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by the faith of jesus Christ should be given to them that believe; but before faith came, we were kept under the Law, an● shut up unto the faith which should afterwards 〈◊〉 revealed: wherefore the Law was our Schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, that we might be made righteous by faith, but that after faith is come, we 〈◊〉 no longer under a Schoolmaster, Galat. 3.21, 22, 23, 24, 25. Now the Law is not our School master to bring us to Christ, for Christ●come, and the Ministers ought to preach t● a●l people what Christ hath done for then that they might believe, and how can they belee●● in him of whom they have not heard? Rom. 1● 14. They must fi●st hear what he hath do●● for them before they can believe; and Chri●● hath commanded his Apostles and Discipl●● to preach the Gospel to all, Matth. 28. 1● and what is the Gospel but glad tidings 〈◊〉 peace and good things? Rom. 10.15. How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet him that declareth and publisheth peace, th● declareth good tidings, and publisheth sal●tion, saying to Zion, Thy God reigneth, Isai. 5● They are to publish and make known to all ●orts of people what Christ hath done for ●hem, how he hath made peace with God for ●hem, in taking upon him all their sins, and making full satisfaction for them, and hath wrought a perfect salvation for them, and 〈◊〉 perfect righteousness for them, and all things ●s already finished for them, john 19.30. and ●ll things are ready, come to the marriage, Matth. 22.4. that Christ hath made all ●hings ready for us, there is nothing to be ●one by us for our salvation, but for us to ●ome to him, and he will give us all things ●reely, and he will teach us all things, and ●ead us in the way that we should walk in, for 〈◊〉 am the Way (saith Christ) the Truth and the Life, no man cometh to the Father but by me, Iohn ●46. As soon as Christ was born there was an Angel came and declared to the Shepherds in ●he field, and said to them, Be not afraid, for ●●bold, I bring you glad tidings of great joy that ●hall be to all people, that is, that unto you is born 〈◊〉 Saviour, which is Christ the Lord, Luke 2.10, ●1. God sent his Angel to declare this to the shepherd's, that they should declare it to others. And this shows unto us, that those ●hat God hath made known his love unto, by ●heir enjoyment of it, they must make it known to others, that they also may be partakers of it, and the Angel fell a praising God, aying, Glory be to God in the high heavens, an● peace in earth, and good will towards men, at th● 14. verse.  
Christ being born into the world, was ●●ceeding to God's glory, and by his comi●● he hath made it known to us that he is glorified, and he hath made our peace with God and hath made known to us that he is at pea● with us, & what love and good will God had to us in Christ; and the Angel could do n● other but declare this, that all might kno● this and believe. And this is the Gospel th● Christ hath commanded should be preache● and his Apostles did preach it, and Paul saith there is a constraint laid on me, & woe be to 〈◊〉 if I preach not the Gospel. I am not ashamed● the Gospel of jesus Christ, for it is the power 〈◊〉 God to salvation to every one that believeth. T●● comes with power, and overcomes the chiefs sinners, as it did Paul, to hear of the love 〈◊〉 God to them, and what Christ hath done a●● suffered for them, and hath obtained a pardo● of his Father for them, and calls every one t● come to him and receive their pardon of hi● This will work more upon them, than 〈◊〉 preach the law and judgements to them, a● tell them that God is angry with them: th● drives them from Christ, and the messenger of Christ must do the message of Christ, and not any thing to drive them from Christ, but to set them on believing in Christ.  
So now ye may see, that the Law is not now our Schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, now Christ is come the law must not be preached to us, except it be to tell us how Christ hath fulfilled it for us; but to tell us that we must do thus and thus, or else God will not do thus and thus for us? what is this but to be justified by the works of the law, and in so doing they make God a liar, and take the honour from God, and give it to themselves: for we are wholly justified by faith alone, and not by works; and it is not our faith that justifies us, but it is the faith of Jesus Christ. Know that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, Galat. 2.16. and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, Gal. 2.20. By grace are ●e saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of Gad, not of works, lest any man should boast, Ephes. 2.8, 9 It is not our faith that can justify us; if it could, then should we boast▪ that we are justified by our faith, and ●o make our works the cause of our justification: but here Paul tells us, that by grace we are saved, that is, by the grace of Christ, for 〈◊〉 hath justified us freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in jesus Christ: so it 〈◊〉 alone by Christ that we are redeemed, saw and justified, and we come to believe this 〈◊〉 the faith of Christ: this faith is the eye to 〈◊〉 what Christ hath done for us, so through th● faith we are justified by Christ, and this is th● free gift of God, and is not any thing of o●● selves, our faith is imperfect, and therefore 〈◊〉 cannot justify us, I believe, Lord help my unbelief. So that our faith cannot justify us, b●cause there is unbelief in it, Lord help my 〈◊〉 belief; but the faith of Christ is perfect, a● that alone doth justify every one that hath and without this faith it is impossible to ple●● God, Heb. 11.6. and every thing which is 〈◊〉 of this faith, is sin, and Christ is the author's and finisher of this faith, Heb. 12.2. And all▪ long the 11. chapter of the Hebrews, the speaks what great things were done by t●● faith, and the Lord calls and invites all men come to him, and eat freely of this spirito● feast that he hath prepared for them; he 〈◊〉 vites them by the outward preaching of 〈◊〉 word, and inward move of his Spirit, P●● 1.20, 21, 22, 23. Wisdom crieth without, uttereth her voice in the streets, she crieth the chief place of concourse, in the openi● of the gates in the city, she uttereth her words, saying, How long ye simple ones will ye love simplicity, and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge? turn you at my reproof, behold I will pour our my Spirit unto you: I will make known my words unto you. Here is the outward call: and in Genesis 6.3. there is the inward, And the Lord said, My Spirit shall not always strive with man. So it doth appear that his Spirit doth strive with man to bring him to himself, john 12.32. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. Hosea 11.4. I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love, and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws, and I laid meat unto them. Thus ●hrist draws all both inward and outward, with the bonds of love, that he might take off that heavy yoke off their sins off them, and see them laid upon Christ, and see this spiritual meat which is laid before them, and they to feed on it, and do appeal to every one's conscience whether they do not find at one time or other, an inward moving by the Spirit of God, for to go unto God, and the Lord will receive them; and they have some glimpse of the love of God to them to invite them to go: and there is nothing can move us to go to God but the Spirit of God: therefore it is the Spirit of God that doth draw all   

CHAP. VII. None can truly repent till they go unto God, an● when they do go he will give them a true repentance.  
THere is not any that can truly repent 〈◊〉 their sins, till they do see in some measure the love of God to them: they may repent because their sins provoke God's ange● against them, and for fear of hell, and the judgements of God, and because they keep them out of heaven; but this is not a true repentance, a true repentance is such a repentance that they need not repent them of; bu● there requireth a repentance to repent of this repentance: but it is the love of God made known to them, that makes them to be humbled for their sins, because they offend so loving a God, and they were the cause that Christ was crucified, and therefore they hate their sins, because they are an enemy to God, and keeps them from the communion of God. O the love of God to thee constrains thee to love him again, and thou art ashamed of thy sins, and hatest them because God hates them; so it is the love of God to them that causeth true repentance. When Christ looked upon Peter, than he went out and wept bitterly, Luk. 22.61, 62. Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with Idols? Hos. 14.9. Ephraim was a great sinner, he worshipped Idols, yet when he saw the love of God to him, it so overcame him, that he cries out, Hot have I to do any more with Idols? though I have had to do with them, yet now I hate them, because God hates them. jerem. 31.18, 19 I have heard Ephraim lamenting thus, Thou hast corrected me, and I was chastised as an untamed Colt; convert thou me and I shall be converted▪ for thou art the Lord my God. Surely after that I converted, I repent, and after that I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh, I was ashamed, yea confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth, Ezek. 16.62, 63. And I will establish my covenant with thee, and thou shalt know that I am the Lord, that thou mayst remember and be ashamed, and never open thy mouth any mouth any more because of thy shame when I am pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord God▪ Thus the love of God draws all to repentance, and it prevails more with them to bring them to repentance, than to hear of the wrath of God, and judgements: and this repentance is a true repentance, to hate sin, and to be humbled for it, because it offends so loving a Go● and therefore to forsake them, though ne●● so near and dear to us: and be afraid of committing sin for fear of offending God. 〈◊〉 Joseph said, How can I do this, and sin againe God, Gen. 39.9.  
Object. If it be so that God doth draw 〈◊〉 men thus to himself, what is the reason th● all do not come unto him; for we see th● most keep from him, and live in sin and wickedness?  
Answ. The fault is in man. O man! thy●●struction is of thyself; For what co●● I have done to my Vineyard that I have 〈◊〉 done it, Isa. 5.4. And though they go a●● from Christ, yet he will not leave themselves he follows them, 1 Cor. 10.4. They did 〈◊〉 drink the same spiritual drink; for th● drank of that spiritual rock that follow●● them: and that roche was Christ.  
He follows them with his mercy and ●●ving kindness to draw them to him, but th● would not. Ye would not come unto me, th●● might have life. And, if ye believe not that I● he, ye shall die in your sins, John 8.24.  
There is nothing that condemns the wo●● but the rejecting and undervaluing of Je●● Christ, and continue so doing, and live and die so. He that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is condemnation that light is come into the world: and men loved darkness rather than light, John 3.18, 19  
Christ is the light to lighten every one that comes into the world: and he invites all to come unto him, and he will give them of his light that they might see to walk in his way, and he would direct them what to do, and lead them in the way to life eternal: but they continue, refusing and loving their own darkness better than the light or Jesus Christ, and hate him in his waves, and persecute him in his members, and make a mock of godliness, and think to get a righteousness of their own that shall carry them to heaven: and so they undervalue the righteousness of Christ, and tread under foot the Son of God, and count the blood of the Covenant wherewith he was sanctified, and unholy thing; they do not regard it, but slight it, and do not really believe him. And he that doth not believe the Son, shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him, John 3.36. He that believeth not God, hath made him a liar, because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son, 1 John 5.10. It is the free mercy and love of God tha● is offered to all: it is that that shall condem●●● all those that continue always in unbelief Christ came near Jerusalem, and wept o●● it, and said: O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that killest the Prophets and stonest them that are sent ●●to thee: how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood ●●der wings, and ye would not, Luke 13.34. Mat. 23.37. And in Mat. 23.31. there we may s●● what children these were that he would ha●● gathered to him. Ye be witness unto your selusi that ye are the children of them that killed the Prophets, and they commit the same sin as their Fathers did. In the 34. and 35. verse of this chapter; Behold, I send unto you Prophets, and wise men, and Scribes: and some of them ye● shall kill and crucify, and some of them shall ye● scourge in your Synagogues, and persecute the● from City to City. That upon you may come al●● the righteous blood shed upon the earth; from th● blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the Temple and the Altar.  
These are the children that Christ would have gathered to him, and his bowels of compassion yearns to them. He wept over them to think what a miserable condition they were in: and he would have preserved them from it, but they would not. And thus he offers himself still to all, even the chiefest of sinners, 2 Chron. 26.15, 16. And the Lord God of their Fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending, because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place. But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his Prophets; until the wrath of the Lord risen against his people, till there was no remedy. Prov. 1.24. to the 31. Because I have called, and ye refused, I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded. But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity, I will mock when your fear cometh. When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you: Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord. They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own deviecs.  
Thus he strives with them till there is no remedy, and then he giveth them over. And when they have thus hardened their own hearts that they refuse all instruction, and shut their eyes that they will not see; then God hardened their hearts as he did Pharaoh's, Exod. 10.1. and blind their eyes, Mat. 13.14, 15. By hearing ye shall hear, and not understand, and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive. For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are du●● of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and heart● with their ears, and should understand with their hearts, and should be converted, and I should he●● them. And therefore he spoke to them in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing, they might not understand, Luke 8.10. Isa. 6.9. Mark. 4.12. God hath given them th●● spirit of slumber; eyes that they should not see, an● ears that they should not hear, Rom. 11.8. S●● the fault is in the creature, and not in God; for this good seed is sown in all sorts of ground; in good ground, and in that which is stony, and that which is thorny, and by the way side: so it is sowed in all, and the fault is not in the seed; for the seed is all alike.  
That seed is the word of God, Luk. 8.11. which is sown in all mankind. He that was the unprofitable servant had received a talon of his Lord as well as the profitable servants. So God hath justified himself, and left the world without excuse, that they shall have nothing to say for themselves at the day of judgement: and this is that that will be their greater condemnation Those mine enemies that would not that I bold reign over them, bring them and slay them ●efore my face, Lu. 19.27. Not to have Christ seigne over them, is that which condemns ●hem.   

CHAP. VIII. How God doth compel those that are his children to come in to him.  
GOd hath chosen and elected some before the world began, to be the children of God in Christ, and to reveal himself unto ●hem, and to give unto them eternal life, ●aving predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according ●o the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of ●he glory of his grace, wherein he hath made ●s accepted in the beloved, Eph. 1.5, 6 According to the eternal purpose which he hath purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord, Ephes. 3.11. Who hath saved us and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the Gos●● 2 Tim. 1.9, 10.  
God did not see any thing in us where to love us, but he loves us in his Son fre●● for his Son's sake. Christ hath obtained 〈◊〉 things of his Father both in heaven and ear● for us, and there is not any thing that 〈◊〉 keep them from us, and at the time appointed of the Father, they shall be revealed to 〈◊〉 But the heir as long as he is a child, differeth 〈◊〉 thing from a servant, though he he Lord of 〈◊〉 Gal. 4.1. Before we be called with that ho●● call, which is that new work wrought in 〈◊〉 which is alone the work of the spirit, to 〈◊〉 borne again, not of corruptible seed, but of in●●ruptible, by the word of God which liveth and ●●bideth for ever, 1 Pet. 1.23. Except a man borne of water and of the spirit, he cannot e●● into the kingdom of God, John 3.5.  
Before we be thus called, we differ nothing from those that are but servants: but when 〈◊〉 are called by this new work wrought in●● which is the time appointed of the Father than he will make known to us what he ha●● prepared for us before the world began: & 〈◊〉 were heirs to it when we were dead in sins a● trespasses: but did not then make it known 〈◊〉 us: and to all these he will give eternal li●● I give unto them eternal life, and they shall ne●● perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father which gave them me is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand, John 10.28, 29. Fear not little flock, it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom. Thou hast given him power over them, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. And this is life eternal, that they might know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent, John 17.23. And it is he alone that doth bring us to the knowledge of himself. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man cometh to the Father but by me, John 14.6. I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee the way that thou shouldst go, Isa. 48.17. And thine ear shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk in it, Isa. 30.21.  
And these that are his children, he will overpower them with his Spirit, and make them come unto him. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, Psal. 110.3.  
We are unwilling by nature to come to God: but when he cometh with his power, he will make us willing to do what he would have us. Mat. 22. Go ye therefore out into the high ways, and as many as ye find compel them to come to the marriage.  
This was a spiritual compulsion; for no● hath the power to make them willing but t●● Spirit. The Magistrate doth compel to a●● outward conformity: but that cannot ma●● them willing: it is only the work of the spirit, and he will compel all his children 〈◊〉 come to this marriage, and make them willi●● to come.   

CHAP. IX. It is the Spirit alone in us that doth 〈◊〉 in all.  
PAul saith, I desire not to know any thing ●mong you, save Jesus Christ and him cra●●●ed, 1 Cor. 1.2. For by him, he being crucifi●● for us, he hath obtained all things for us: a●● we cannot know that Christ was crucified 〈◊〉 us, nor any thing what he hath done for 〈◊〉 but by the Spirit of God, we may believe ma●● things to be truth; because it is writ in th● Scripture, and because many say it is tru●● but this is but the hearing of the ear; & no● knows it to be truth by the hearing of the ea●● as the truth is in Jesus, but by the Spirit● God alone. For what man knoweth the things a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God, 1 Cor. 2.11.  
This spirit of man must be one with man, or else it cannot understand the things of man, as the thoughts, and mind, and will, and desires of man, which is one and the same with man: so the Spirit of God is one and the same with God, or else it could not know the things of God. But this spirit knows all things of God; For the Spirit searcheth all things, yea the deep things of God, 1 Cor. 1.10. And this Spirit God hath given unto us: Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God, that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. And vers. 12. of this Chap. God hath revealed ●hem to us by his Spirit. And vers. 10. So Christ hath done all things for us, and hath obtained all things for us, and we cannot know ●his without his Spirit: and therefore he hath and will give us his Spirit, that we may know ●t, and have the enjoyment of it. Man as man ●s not able to understand the things of God; because man is carnal, and the things of God ●re spiritual: and a carnal apprehension cannot apprehend spiritual things. The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned, 1 Cor. 2.14.  
As we are natural, we cannot know the things of the Spirit, we are not able to discern them. The eye of man hath not seen, nor th● ear of man heard; neither hath it entered into th● heart of man the things which God hath prepar●● for them that love him, 1 Cor. 2.9. All the excellencies of man cannot bring us to know an● thing of the mystery of God; for every man i● beast by his own knowledge, Jer. 10.14. Jer. 51▪ 17. I understood as a beast, saith David. How 〈◊〉 that? according to a carnal apprehension, an● a carnal imagination; for the highest & mo●● excellent thoughts that we as we are men 〈◊〉 have of God, is but according to our carnal imagination. All the wisdom of man is b●● foolishness with God, 1 Cor. 2.20. Therefore his wisdom cannot bring him to know th● things of God; nor humane learning cann●● do it; for then the Scribes and Pharisees, an● the high Priests and Elders would have know● Christ: but they said: Which of us hath be●●ved him at any time. And Paul had a great d●● of humane learning, yet that did not bri●● him to know God; for he was a persecuter 〈◊〉 the Church of God, Gal. 1.13. Yet none 〈◊〉 the Apostles had so much humane learning 〈◊〉 he; yet he did not come to know the mind 〈◊〉 God, & the things of God, by the teachings of man. Now I certify you, brethren, that the Gospel which was preached of me was not after man. For neither received I it of man, neither was I taught it but by the revelation of Jesus Christ, Gal. 1.11, 12. So it was by the Spirit of God revealed in him; that brought him to know the things of God. For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called. But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise: and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the mighty things. And vile things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen: yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are. That no flesh should glory in his presence, 1 Cor. 1.26, 27, 28, 29. God strips us of all the excellence of the flesh, lest we should think by any thing that is of us, brings us to the knowledge of God, and so we idolise it: but the excellence of man is but flesh, even the best of it, as all outward gifts without the Spirit of God, 1 Cor. 13.1, 2, 3. Though I speak with the tongues of men and Angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.  
And though I had the gift of prophecy, and knew all secrets, and all knowledge: yea, and if I had all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not love, I were nothing. And though I feed the poor with all my goods; and though I give my body that I be burned, and ho●● not love, it profiteth me nothing. All this without love, which is the Spirit; For God and th● Spirit is one, 1 John 5.7. God is love, 1 Joh ●. 8. All these excellent things without the Spiri● profieth me nothing. Why? because our happiness consists alone in God, and not in excellent cutward gifts without him, Paul ha● a great many before his conversion, yet h● looked upon them as the works of the flesh for he had not then the Spirit of God. Fo● we are the Circumcision which worship Go● in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, an● have no confidence in the flesh; Though I al● might have confidence in the flesh. If any ma● thinketh that he hath whereof he might t●● in the flesh; much more I: Circumcised th● eighth day of the kindred of Israel, of the tr●● of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews, by th● Law a Pharisee. Concerning zeal: I perse●ted the Church, touching the righteousness which is in the Law, I was unrebukeable. B● things that were vantage to me, the sam● counted loss for Christ's sake. Yea doubtless I think all but loss for the excellent knowled● sake of Christ Jesus my Lord. For wh●● I have counted all things loss, and dee 〈◊〉 them to be dung, that I might win Christ: and might be found in him; that is, not having mine own righteousness which is of the Law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, even the righteousness which is of God through faith, Phil. 3.3. to the 9 All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man is as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower falleth away: but the word of the Lord endureth for ever, 1 Pet 1.24, 25.  
This glory of the flesh which is compared to the flower of the grass, is the righteousness of man, the most excellent of man without the Spirit of God, as Paul had. Yet this must all fall away, it cannot stand before the righteousness of Jesus Christ: but the word of God endureth for ever. This word is Christ, and he and his righteousness endureth for ever, and when he and his righteousness appeareth in us, and to us: It will appear so glorious, and shine with such a burning heat, that it will whither the flower of our righteousness, and cause it to fall away, and be brought to nothing. It will appear so odious and filthy in our fight, that we shall be ashamed of it, as Paul was, and count it as dung and dross, the filchiest things as is: and so we shall be desirous to have this righteousness of ours destroyed by the glorious coming of Jesus Christ by g] DESC =" missing" EXTENT =" 1 span" Spirit into us. So none of the best of the excellencies of man can bring us to know any thi● of God in the mystery; it is alone the work 〈◊〉 the Spirit of God without any thing of us. T●● things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit 〈◊〉 God, 1 Cor. 2.11. And this Spirit searcheth 〈◊〉 things, yea, the deep things of God, vers. 10.  

1. It is the Spirit alone that sees the thing of God.  
2. It is the Spirit that hears the things 〈◊〉 God.  
3. It is the Spirit alone that understands the things of God.  
4. It is the Spirit alone that can do th● works of God.  
5. It is the Spirit alone that makes us accepted with God.   
For the first, It is the Spirit of God alo●● that seethe the things of God. Mat. 6.22. Th● light of the body is the eye: If therefore thine eye 〈◊〉 single, thy whole body shall be full of light, Lu. 11. 3●● This single eye is the Spirit of God, and it se●● the things of God; for it cannot be the eye 〈◊〉 man, Matth. 6.23. But if thy eye be evil, th● whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness; how great 〈◊〉 that darkness?  
The eye is that whereby we see; the eye 〈◊〉 man cannot see any thing but that which i●● man: and all the things of man, even the best of them are but evil: and the eye of man that seethe the things of man, is one and the same with man. And therefore it must needs follow, that the eye of man is evil; for it sees nothing done but that which is evil. And if thy eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness.  
What is darkness but want of light: and the light is Jesus Christ. This is the condemnation that light is come into the world: and men loved darkness rather than light, John 3.19. And the light shined in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not, John 1.5. And that was the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not, John 1.9, 10.  
So as we are men we cannot know God, nor any thing of God. For if that light that is in us be darkness, how great is that darkness? If those most excellent performances of man, as man without the Spirit of God, as Paul did perform before his conversion, which is most likest light, be darkness, how great is that darkness that man is in? Man, as man cannot comprehend the light of Jesus Christ: none can do it, but that which is one and the same with him, which is the Spirit of God: and he ●s that single eye that sees all the things of God and Christ, for they are one: and Christ 〈◊〉 promised to send his Spirit unto us. But Comforter which is the holy Ghost, whom the they will send in my Name, he shall teach y●● things, and bring all things to your remember whatsoever I have said unto you, John 14. ● When the Comforter is come, whom I will send 〈◊〉 you from the father, even the spirit of truth o● proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify o● Joh 15.26. The spirit of truth whom the world 〈◊〉 not receive, because is seethe him not, neither kno●● him: but ye know him, for he dwelleth with and shall be in you, and he shall abide with for ever, John 14.16, 17.  
These words Christ spoke to his Disci●● when he was present with them in the sha● man, when he was to departed from the● that bodily shape, they were unwilling 〈◊〉 he should go away: but he tells them that expedient that he should go away. For if 〈◊〉 not away, the Comforter will not come: but depart, I will send him unto you, John 16. ●  
So when he departed from them in the ●●dy, he did send his Spirit to them: and only to them, but to all his children, to and of the world. He shall abide with you ●●ver; I will not leave you comfortless, I will to you, John 14.18.  
So he departed from them in flesh, and 〈◊〉 ●nto them in Spirit, and remaineth with his Church for ever, and is a greater Comforter ●o his Church in Spirit, than he was to his Disciples in his flesh when he was with them. ●o Christ hath given us his spirit freely, that we ●ay see the things that are freely given to us ●f God. So, in thy light, saith David, we see light. Though we, as we are men, cannot see the ●hings of God: but as we are Saints, and have ●he Spirit of God, so we come to see the things of God; for the Spirit of God in us seethe the ●hings of God: and so far as he revealeth the ●hings of God to us, so far we see them with his s; pirituall eye of himself. The Lord is my ●ight, Psalm 27.1. So in this light we see God who is light. For ye were sometime darkness, ●ut now are ye light in the Lord, Ephes. 5.8. For thou art my lamp, O Lord: and the Lord will ●ighten my darkness, 2 Sam. 22.29.  
So fare as God hath revealed himself to ●n, so fare we have seen him with the light of himself: And so fare as we have not seen him with the light of himself, so fare we are ●n darkness still: and so fare as he hath revealed himself to us, he teacheth us all things, and brings all things to our remembrance. For therefore he was sent unto us, to teach us to know what Christ hath done for us, and to know the things that are freely given to us of God, and to be our Comforter. There is 〈◊〉 Comforter like this; for he is always in 〈◊〉 and knows our trouble; there is not any thi● hid from him; for we have not an high Pr●●● which cannot be touched with the failing 〈◊〉 our infirmities: but was in all points temp●● like as we: and yet without sin, Heb. 4. 1● For in that he himself hath suffered being temple he is able to secure them that are tempted, H●● 2.18.  
Christ hath suffered in all manner of afflic●●●ons both spiritual and temporal; therefore his Spirit is a sufficient Comforter to comfort us in all our troubles with the love of himself and in upholding us in it, and to bring us 〈◊〉 of them when he sees it is for his glory and 〈◊〉 good. Thus the Spirit seethe the things 〈◊〉 God.  
For the 2d. It is the Spirit alone that hear● the things of God. He that hath an ear to hea● let him bear, Mat. 13.9. M●r. 4.9. He that ha●● an ear let him bear what the Spirit saith unto t●● Churches, Rev. 2.7.  
It must be such an ear as can hear what th● Spirit faith. It is only the Spirit that can he●● the Spirit speak, & that knows the languaged the Spirit, and none else: man may or can h●● what man speaketh: and of the mind of Go● as it is writ in Scripture: and to hear it in th● letter, as it is in the letter: but to hear it so as to understand, & know what it is in the truth of it, as the truth is in Jesus; none knows it but the Spirit of God, for it is spiritual. The word that I spoke unto you is Spirit and life: and this word is Christ. And the word was made flesh and dwelled among us: and we beheld his glory 〈◊〉 of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace & truth, Joh. 1.14. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, John 1.1. So this word is spiritual; for God is a Spirit, John 4.24. And none can hear this word but that which is one and the same with it: and therefore it is only the Spirit of God, which is one and the same with God, which hath that hearing ear, to hear what the Spirit saith: and this Spirit of God hears all the mind of God, yea all the secrets of God; He doth hear what things they are that God hath prepared for them that love him: and those things the ear of man, as man, cannot hear what they be; for they are spiritual and heavenly, glorious things: and man is carnal, and cannot hear them, so as to understand it. It is a strange language to him, he doth not know the meaning of it; therefore he hath declared all things to his Spirit, and hath given us his Spirit: and so this Spirit of God in us doth hear the Spirit speak: it speaks nothing but peace and love and mercy, and go●● will to us, and what he hath done for us, 〈◊〉 what he is in us, and to us, and what we are 〈◊〉 him, and to him, as we are Saints: and 〈◊〉 Spirit will declare it to us by degrees, that 〈◊〉 we are Saints we shall know them; for therefore the Spirit was sent to us, that thro●● him we may hear what God hath done for 〈◊〉  
Thus have I shown you in some meas●● that it is alone the Spirit of God that hear●● the things of God for us.  
For the 3d. It is the Spirit of God alo●● that understands the things of God; for m●●● as man cannot understand the things of Go● because they are spiritually discerned, 1 G●● 2.24. And man is altogether earnall. Mat. 1●. 13. They seeing, see not, and hearing, bear n●● neither do they understand, Isa. 6.9. Mark. 4. 1● John 12.40. Acts 28.26. How can they u●●derstand that which they can neither see n●● hear.  
When Christ told his Apostles that he m●● go to Jerusalem, and all things that are writ● by the Prophets concerning the Son of M●n f●● be accomplished. For he shall be delivered unto 〈◊〉 Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully 〈◊〉 treated, and spit on. And they shall scourge 〈◊〉 and put him to death, and the third day he sh●● rise again. And they understood none of thing, and this saying was hid from them, neither ●new they these things that were spoken, Luke 18. ●1, 32, 33, 34.  
They were the Apostles of Jesus Christ, and ●●e chose them among his Disciples, to go and stretch the Gospel to all the world; yet they, 〈◊〉 they were men, they understood not those ●●ings in the mystery what should be brought 〈◊〉 pass by those things. They could not choose 〈◊〉 know what those things meant outwardly, when he told them so plainly, what things ●e must suffer; for they could do no other but ●now those things outwardly: but those saying spiritual were kept from them, that they ●●derstood them not. For man as man cannot understand any thing but that which is of ●●n. For the things of God knows not man. He ●ay hear much with the ear, and speak much 〈◊〉 that which he hath heard, as the Eunuch ●●d; he read in the Prophet Isaiah, and Philip ●●ent to him, and heard him read: and he said ●●to him, Understandest thou what thou readest? 〈◊〉 he said, how can I, except some man guide me, 〈◊〉 8.30, 31. The heart of man is darkened, that 〈◊〉 cannot understand the things of God, Rom. 1. ●1. And that which is darkness, cannot com●●hend light: therefore the Eunuch said, how 〈◊〉 I understand. Can flesh understand the spi●●t? for they are contrary one to the other. For we have need of one to teach us: and it is o●● the Spirit of God that doth know: and therefore it is he alone that can teach us; for 〈◊〉 doth know all things of God, for he is 〈◊〉 with him, and is the very God, therefore 〈◊〉 knows all things. For he searcheth all things, 〈◊〉 the deep things of God, 1 Cor. 2.10. As m● hath an eye to see, and an ear to hear, and heart to understand, and other members sueable for man to see, and hear, and understand and perceive the things of man. So for 〈◊〉 weak capacity God is set forth to us in 〈◊〉 Scripture by those things, as an eye to see, b●●cause he sees all things. Neither is there 〈◊〉 creature that is not manifest in his sight, 〈◊〉 all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of 〈◊〉 with whom we have to do, Heb. 4.13. And▪ he is said to have an eye to see all our action and he also seethe all the things of God in 〈◊〉 truth of them, as the truth is in Jesus. A● therefore he is said to have an eye, because 〈◊〉 the eye we see: and so an ear to hear. W●● you are in trouble, call upon me, and I will he●● The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, & ● ears are open to their cry, Psal. 30.15. He hears all things, both the things of God wh●● are spiritual, and all things else: so he is sai● have an ear, because by the ear we hear▪ for our weak capacity God is said to hav● ear, because he heareth all things. And so he is said to have a heart; for with the heart we come to understand, think, know and believe the things of man. I know the thought that I have to you, saith the Lord; thoughts of peace, and love, and good will, Isa. 55.8. My thoughts are not as your thoughts. Psal. 139.17. How precious also are thy thoughts unto me O God, how great is the sum of them.  
So the Lord hath thoughts towards us: but we, as we are men, know them not: and he understands all the ways of man, and knows them, for he is the maker of man, therefore he must needs know all the ways of man, and he also knows all the things of himself: and none can know the things of God, but that which is one with God, and that is alone the Spirit of God: and he doth understand, and ●hinke, and know, and believe the things of God.  
For the first; he doth understand the things of God. He it is that doth understand the ●ruth of those things that he doth see & hear. There is a secret mystery in all the things of God, and it is all hidden from man: as man ●e doth not, nor cannot know any of them, ●or understand any thing of them: but the Spirit of God doth understand them all, even ●he most secret things of all, and all those excellent things that the Spirit of God doth se● and hear, and understand what the truth of it is; they are all purchased by Christ for th● children of God, and is all kept in store is Christ for us, to be revealed by this Spirit i● us and to us at the time appointed of the Father. So the Spirit of God being given to 〈◊〉 makes us Saints: so as we are men, we understand not any thing of God; yet as we an● Saints, and have the Spirit of God, this spiri● in us understands all the things of God: an● so by degrees reveals it in us, and to us; th●● as we are Saints, we understand the mind 〈◊〉 God, and those things that are laid up in sto●● for us: and this Spirit of God doth think the thoughts of God, it thinks all the excelled thoughts that God thinks; for it knows alone the thoughts of God, what he hath to hi● children in the purity of them. So though 〈◊〉 we are men, we cannot think the thought of God, nor any thing aright of God; ye● this spirit of God in us, knows all the thought of God to us, and it thinks those thoughts o● God that God would have. It thinks, and s● by degrees reveals in us as we are Saints, wha● the thoughts of God to us are, & this Spirit 〈◊〉 God knows all the things of God; he doth n●only understand what the meaning of th●●● things are that he sees and hears, but h●● knows them to be very truth, because he is one and the same in it; therefore man cannot know any thing of God. For as he is man, he is not one with God: and to know, is to be certain that it is so; and how can man be certain that that is truth that he can neither see nor hear, nor understand it to be so: But the Spirit of God is one with God; therefore he knows it to be truth; for he searcheth all things, and knows them all; yea the deep, and most secret things of God: & all is for the Saints. So the spirit in us knows all the things of God, though man as man is quite ignorant, and knows not any thing of the ways of God: so this Spirit brings us as we are Saints, to know the things of God in his time. Prov. 2.5, 6, 7. Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous.  
This Spirit doth bring us to know God; for we must first know God, before we can know the things of God: so the Spirit leadeth us in that way that brings us to know God, and that way is Christ Jesus; for through him we know God, and he brings us to the knowledge of Jesus Christ; which to know him, is to know the fullness of our happiness; for out of him God is an enemy to us: but in him, God is as well pleased with us as he is with Christ; for through him we have free passage to go to God: and Paul prizes the knowledge of Christ above all things in the world. Phil. 3.8. Yea, doubtless I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things: and do count them but dung that I might win Christ, and be found in him, For to know jesus Christ, is to know all things; for we cannot know him as he is: but we shall know what we are in him. Ephes. 1.17, 18. That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him. The eye of your understanding being enlightened, that we may know what is the hope of his calling, and what is the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints.  
The spirit in us knows all things, and he● believes all the things of God: and none can do it but he, because none knows the things of God but he, and those things that he doth see, and hear, and understand what they are, and knows them to be truth; therefore the Spirit believes them: and this faith is a perfect faith; he believes fully all things of God in every tittle; there is no imperfection in it; he believes all things that Christ hath done for us, and what he hath obtained for us.  
Thus the Spirit of God in us believes all the things of God for us: and without this faith we cannot be saved; for by this faith we are justified. This faith is that eye that sees all the things of God; for it sees all things that Christ hath done for us: and we, as we are men, we cannot believe the things of God, because they are spiritual, and we are carnal, and cannot know spiritual things, therefore we cannot believe them; for it is impossible to believe that which they do not know: but though we, as we are men and women, do not, nor cannot believe, yet the Spirit of God in us doth believe perfectly all the things of God for us. So as we are Saints, we believe the things of God through the Spirit of God. God would have man to be saved, and that he should come to the knowledge of his truth, and believe what Christ hath done for him, and lay hold on Christ by faith that he might be saved: but man cannot do it; therefore God sent his Spirit to us, that he should do it for us in us: so by this faith we are justified, for this is perfect: and we may have this spirit in us that doth believe God in Christ: and we, arwe are men, know it not; yet the spirit of God is always the same with God: and in his time he will make known in us and to us, a● we are Saints, that we have this saving justifying faith in u●●and make known in us by degrees what our pledges are in him.  
4thly. It is the Spirit of God alone that can do the works of God; man cannot do any thing that can please God; for all the worke● of man as man are evil continually. Even the best performances that he can perform, a●● those performances that Paul performed befor● his Conversion; For all that is not faith i● sin: and man as man hath not faith, therefore all his works are evil: and that which 〈◊〉 evil cannot please God: and the way of God is past man's finding out, John 6.28, 29. Wh●● shall we do, that we might work the works 〈◊〉 God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This 〈◊〉 the work of God, that ye believe in him whom 〈◊〉 hath sent.  
This is the work of God, and it is only the Spirit of God that can do it in man, so man. We do just as the Apostles did, whe●● they went a fishing, when Christ was abse● from them, they toiled and laboured all th● night to get fishes, and could get none. B●● when Christ came to them, he bid them 〈◊〉 down the net on the right side of the shipp●● and; e● shall find: and they were not now able 〈◊〉 draw the net for the multitude of fishes, John 2● 6. So we labour and toil ourselves in the night, that is, before the light of Jesus Christ appears to us, that we may see him present with us by his Spirit: we labour in our own way and strength to do those things that should please God: but we labour on the wrong side of the ship, all our labour is in vain, there is nothing to be gotten: but Christ coming to us by his Spirit, to tell us the net must be cast in on the right side, that is, in a spiritual way; for we have laboured in a carnal way, and could find nothing. And what is this net but that which catcheth something: so the Spirit of God, he cast in the net that way that God would have him for us: he doth the whole work of God, in believing Jesus Christ, and performing all obedience to him for us in us: and he makes known to us by degrees what the mind of God is: and so we find in us that he doth those things in us, that he doth reveal to us that we should do it: and as we are men, we cannot do it: so he doth it in us, making use of the members of man as instruments to perform the works of God: and he makes us willing to yield to him, for he over-powers us, and so God accepts of it: so the spirit casting in the net of right performances to God in us, he brings forth to us from God through Jesus Christ, such a multitude of several manifestations of the love of God to us in Christ Jesus, and showing us what we are in him, that we are not able to draw them forth; we cannot comprehend them as we are men: so for us to labour on the wrong side of the ship is in vain. Isa. 49.4. Then said I, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain; yet surely my judgement is with the Lord, and my work with my God, Deut. 32.4. He is the rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgement: a God of truth, and without iniquity, just and righteous is he.  
Thus the Spirit of God doth the works of God for us in us, and we have the comfort of it: and it is he alone that doth make us accepted with God. Wheresoever there is a manifest appearance of the Spirit of God in any one, there he purges and sanctifies that man or woman in their conversation, by his acting in them: and this Spirit of God seasons those actions that he acts in us, making use of our members: and our members being carnal and fleshly, the acting of the spirit through us cannot appear so pure and excellent as it is in itself; for it is clouded with the veil of our infirmities: but the Spirit seasons the acting that he acts through our flesh, and so he makes them accepted with God. This is the Altar that sanctifieth the offering; Christ is ●oth a King, a Priest, and a Prophet, and he ●ath made us so with him as we are Saints. He ●as a Priest to offer sacrifice for all: and this sacrifice that he did offer was his body: and ●he Altar that he did offer it on was his divini●y: and this Altar sanctifies the sacrifice, Mat. ●3. 19. So this Spirit of Christ which is one ●ith God in us, sanctifieth all those perfor●ances that he acts through us, they are offered all of them upon the Altar of his Divinity, ●nd so are accepted with God: so the Spirit ●akes us accepted with God.   

CHAP. X. ●he Spirit of God makes the way of God plain and easy to us.  
THe way of God is very hard for man to find out; it is a straight narrow way, that ●an as man cannot go in it; for all the ways 〈◊〉 man are crooked: and that which is croo●d cannot enter into a straight narrow place: 〈◊〉 man cannot find the way of God. When ●hrist came before he taught the people him●●●fe through his own person, he sent a forerunner to prepare the way before him. Malac. 3.1. Behold, I will send my messenger, and 〈◊〉 shall prepare the way before me: and the 〈◊〉 whom ye seek shall suddenly come into his Te●●●● even the messenger of the Covenant whom ye deli● in: behold he shall come saith the Lord of h●●  
This messenger was John Baptist, Mat. 3. ● For this is he that was spoken of by the Prophet 〈◊〉 saiah, saying: The voice of one crying in the 〈◊〉 dearness, prepare ye the way of the Lord, make 〈◊〉 paths straight, Isa. 40.3.  
The way and paths of the Lord are strei●●● in itself, and to the Spirit of God: but i● crooked to man, that man cannot find it 〈◊〉 So this messenger did prepare the way 〈◊〉 Christ: and how did he prepare the way 〈◊〉 by preaching the word of God, which 〈◊〉 Christ, that he was the Saviour, and w●● he would do to them; that he would bap● them with the holy Ghost and fire: and ●tels them that himself was not the Christ, J●● 1.20. lest the people should Idolise him. 〈◊〉 comes but to prepare the way for Christ; 〈◊〉 were not to continue there, but to look ●ther to Christ himself; for John was b●● prepare the way for him. John was filled 〈◊〉 the holy Ghost from his mother's womb, Luk. 1. ● and so he was sent to prepare the way, 〈◊〉 the people might know that Christ wa● Messiah: and when he should make kn●● himself to them, they should hear and believe him. Yet John as he was a man, he did not ●now whether Christ was the Messiah or no, Mat. 11.2, 3. Now when John had heard in the ●rison the works of Christ be sent two of his Disciples, And said unto him, art thou he that should come? or look we for another? Yet the holy Ghost in him did know, and did prepare the way for Christ, John 5.35. John was a burning and a shining light. That light of Jesus Christ that was made manifest by him, was the greatest light that ever was revealed before: it appeared very glorious, and it was to give light to others, and it burned up all that was contrary to it in the children of God, so fare as it was made manifest to them: and they rejoice in this light; for it was the greatest light that ever they saw; yet this light was but to prepare a way for a greater light: and then Christ did come, which was the light itself, which did exceed that light which did appear by John, though it was all one light; for it was all of the holy Ghost. John had it but in measure, but Christ had it all in the fullness of it, and he was without sin; therefore that light in him could not be eclipsed by any sin. He was the Son of God, and the fullness of the Godhead dwelled bodily in him: so this light of Jesus Christ appeared fuller, clearer, & more glorious than that of John: and that glory 〈◊〉 John gave place to the glory of Christ; fo●● out-shined that light that appeared so glorious by him. And john said, He must increst but I must decrease, Joh. 3.30.  
The glory of Jesus being revealed more a●● more in his Saints, doth cause all other glorious manifestations that they had before, whi●● is below this, though as excellent as th●● which was revealed by john, yet to decrease 〈◊〉 but the glory of Jesus Christ is always t●● same in itself, but is increased and ma●● known in us more and more: and that glor● of Christ appeared then so glorious to the●● that made them say, Never man spoke as th●● man doth, Joh 7.46.  
Those that did believe in him were so take● in admiration of him with hearing him, an● seeing those miracles that he wrought, th●● they were willing to forsake all to follow him: no● only outward things, but also their sins: and all those things that were so excellent and precious to them as their own righteousness and performances which they did look to ha●● been justified by: but now they were willing 〈◊〉 forsake all to follow him. Yet when Christ d●● come in the flesh, and revealed himself in a great deal more clearer and excellenter manner than he did by John; yet Christ came to prepare a way for a further manifestation of ●is own glory to them in a clearer and great deal more fuller and glorious manner. He ●ould have revealed himself to them in the ●ighest of his glory at once: but they were not able to bear it, therefore he revealed himself to them by degrees as they were able ●o bear it; for by the outward hearing and ●●●ing, and the Spirit working in them by de●rees, brought he them to believe and embrace that light that was revealed to them by Christ: So when they came in some measure ●o conceive, and understand, and believe that which he came to declare to them; for he spoke 〈◊〉 a plain and an easy way to them, that so ●●ey might understand him: so when he had wished all things for all, than he departed ●●om them, and sent the holy Ghost to them 〈◊〉 declare to them that glorious light of Jesus Christ in the purity of it, and what those ●●ings were that Christ taught them in the mystery in some measure: so the light of Jesus Christ was brought forth in a more glorious ●anner then ever before: so they were not to ●●est upon any one of those manifestations of ●●sus Christ, and say, I will stay here, and ●●ll not desire any further manifestation of Christ. But they were to walk in that light ●●y had, being contented with it, and waiting upon Christ for a more fuller and clea● manifestation of the light of him. So when 〈◊〉 doth come to us in Spirit, he sends his messeger before him to prepare the way before hi● which is some manifestations of his Spirit i● us, to show us some light of himself, and 〈◊〉 to make way for a further manifestation 〈◊〉 himself and his glory in us. Whatsoever wa● have received of God by his Spirit, mak● known the love of God to us, though in new so small a measure, and that but seldom; 〈◊〉 let us rejoice in God that doth reveal this 〈◊〉 to us; For this is but preparing a way to ●●veale himself in a more glorious way to 〈◊〉 for where he doth take possession, there he 〈◊〉 reign, and none can keep him from reigning and so walk in that light that thou hast, an● be as well contented with that thou hast received of God, as if thou hadst more; still waiting patiently for a further manifestation 〈◊〉 himself to thee; for he will do it by degree by his Spirit in his time in us: and ye shall s● in some measure that he prepares the way 〈◊〉 the Lord for us; for the way of the Lord is to●● hard for man to find out: but he findeth o● the way for us, jer. 10.23. I know that the w● of man is not in himself; it is not in man th● walketh, to direct his steps. It is only the Spi●● of God that can do it; for there are ma●● stumbling blocks to be taken out of the way, which is only the work of the Spirit to do; ●hen there will be a pleasant way to walk in.   

CHAP. XI. ●f the two seeds: Of the seed of the woman, and the seed of the Serpent.  
THe two seeds are a great stumbling-block in our way, to hinder us, while we come 〈◊〉 some measure to discern the difference a●ight betwixt them, which is the work of the spirit to do it: Our God revealing himself to 〈◊〉 is Children, and showing them the mystery ●f his ways in the truth of it in some measure. ●e makes them instrumental many times by ●is Spirit, to bring others to know the things ●f God: and therefore he reveals himself to ●ome in a greater measure, and in a more high●● and glorious manner, and enables them to speak to us those things that God hath made known to them, that others might know the ●●ings of God: it is not because God loves ●●em better than he doth them that he hath ●ot revealed himself too; for he is no respecter 〈◊〉 persons, for he loves all his children alike, ●ith the same love that he loves Christ withal: but he makes them instrumental for the go●● of others.  
When Christ was to suffer, he prayed to 〈◊〉 Father, john 12.28, 29, 30. Father glorify th● Name: Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify 〈◊〉 again. Then the people that stood by and hea●● it, said, that was a thunder; others said, an A●gel spoke to him. jesus answared, and said, T●●● voice came not because of me, but for your sak●●.  
So the manifestations of the love of G●● and the things of God made known to an● it is not only for their sake●, but also fo●●ther●: so if the Spirit of God work● by th●●●strument in them that hears, they have 〈◊〉 benefi● of it: But if the Spirit doth not wi●●● is us those things that are spoken to us, th● those things are truth, and belongs to us, th● instrument cannot work upon us: so let 〈◊〉 hear the instruments speak, but it is the Spirit alone that can witness. I shall in so●● measure show you the difference of the t●● seeds, and leave the success to God. Gen. ●. 15. I will also put enmity between thee and t●● woman, and between thy seed and her seed, 〈◊〉 shall break thy head, and thou shalt bruise 〈◊〉 heel.  
The seed of the woman was Christ, Gal▪ ● 16. and the seed of the Serpent was th●●●vill. And seed is to be sown, and the nature of seed is to bring forth that which is one and the same with it: There is the seed of God, which is one and the same with God, which is Christ; not as he was man, but as he is God. This is the good seed that is sown in all: and this seed which is spiritual being sown in us which is the Spirit of God in us, is the seed of God, and it is one with God: Now as a seed is but a small matter to the whole bulk: so the seed of God in us is but in a small measure to that fullness which is in God yet it is one with him, Mat. 13.30, 31. The Kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustardseed which a man taketh and soweth in his field, Which indeed is the least of all feeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs: and it 〈◊〉 a tree, so that the birds of heaven come and build in the branches thereof.  
This parable Christ spoke concerning th● seed of God sown in his children; that though they have this seed in a small measure: and that which they have may lie hid a great while in them, that they cannot perceiv: it, nor do not know whether they have it or no; ●et than God is making a way for a clear manifestation to us, that it doth begin to spring ●●rth in us, and he waters it daily with the streams of his own self, which is only that which doth make it grow, and the Son of righteousness shining upon it, makes it spring forth, and grow by degrees, and flourish in 〈◊〉 that it will appear very glorious, for it is the seed of God, and it is like God, and it is God▪ And this seed being sown in the children 〈◊〉 God, he makes it fruitful; there will b● fruits suitable in some measure to the seed in 〈◊〉 and more and more as this seed grows up in 〈◊〉▪ it will appear more glorious, and will bring forth fruits suitable to God, and overpower us, and bring our wills into subjection 〈◊〉 himself, that we shall be willing for him 〈◊〉 reign over us: and so fare as he reveale● himself to us with his power to overpower 〈◊〉▪ we are willing to be what he would have 〈◊〉▪ and do what he would have us do, so God accepts of it, and will reward us for it: so also there is the seed of the Serpent that 〈◊〉 sown in all mankind, by his overcoming Adam, and so getting an interest in him and for him in all mankind. And the seed of the Serpent which is the Devil (for it was he i● the Serpent that overcame Adam) is one an● the same with the Devil, and he is also a Spirit: and this seed of the Devil is sown by h●● in all, Mat. 13.24, 25. The kingdom of God 〈◊〉 like a man which sowed good seed in his field: B● while men slept, there came his enemy, and so●● tares among the Wheat, and went his way.  
God did sow nothing in Adam but that good seed of himself; there was no evil in him, he was made after the Image of God, for spiritual things; but the Devil being the enemy of God, he envied man's happy condition, he came and sowed that evil seed of himself in Adam and in all mankind, and his seed in us, is the same as he is: though it be small in itself, yet it being sown in us, it quickly takes root in us, and appears; for this comes naturally, and there is nothing to let and hinder it from growing in us, except the Lord doth blast it by a new work wrought in us, which comes not by nature: and the Devil doth water this seed of himself in us with the streams of his temptations, and causeth it to flourish and grow: and it is the seed of darkness, for there is no light in it; for Christ is the light, and out of him there is no light: and this is that which opposeth Christ, and is nothing: but the greatest darkness that is, for there is not any light in it: and he infusing daily more and more of his darkdesse into us, causeth the seed of himself to grow more and more by him: and this seed cannot be dead long: but it will quickly appear and spring forth, that it will be seen by others: and bring forth fruit suitable to the seed, and will grow by degrees to be a high tree in wickedness, and be full of evil fruit: and though it be the seed of the Devil in us that causeth us to bring forth fruit to himself, yet it is w● that must suffer for it; for he brings us to be willing to yield to him in all things, and to be at his command, and to do what he would have us to do: so his will becomes our will, and we are obedient to him, and delight in his works of darkness. This is the gross se●d of the Devil, and we see it grow up in a high degree in some, and would in a higher, but that the Lord restrains them: and it spring● forth in some measure in all.  
There are seven degrees to grow in perfection in God: so there is also to grow in evil, to be like the Devil in wickedness: and there is a coming to it by degrees; some attain to the first degree in God by the Spirit of God, and some to the second: and so go along by degrees, from one degree to another. Some attains to one degree, and some to another, by the revelation of the Spirit of God in us: so the Devil imitates God; for the wicked spirit working in us, and we yielding to it, and delighting in it, he brings us all from one degree to another; some attains to one degre●, and some to another, and so on to perfection in sin to our own destruction. For sin wh●● it is finished, brings forth death, Rom. 6.23. But the Lord restrains most people, that they do not grow to that degree of sin as they would else attain unto: and many attain●● but to the first degree, and lives a perfect moral life: & those that are the children of God, he blasts this seed of the Devil in them by the seed of himself sown in them. Christ by his death did break the head of the Serpent, the Devil, but not killed him: he paid a full price for all sins, and obtained things of his Father for all: so that sin cannot do us any harm if we have the faith of Jesus Christ in us; for this will make us hate sin; it cannot keep us out of heaven: so he broke the Devils bed; for the policy lies in the head: and it was the Devil's policy to tempt man that he might fall finally, and never rise again: and so to destroy for ever all mankind. For God did say to Adam, In the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt die the death, Gen. 2.17. And the Devil knew that there was no other way to destroy mankind but that: so being fallen, the Lord did not restore him to that condition that he was in at the first; being man was rebellious to God, he must have afflictions, he must live in sorrow and trouble here, for sin remains still in our conversations in ●ll degrees, while Christ by his Spirit in us doth sanctify us, and suppress sin in us by degrees; That sin shall not reign in our mort●● bodies, because we are not under the Law, which threatneth curses because we cannot keep it, but under grace, Rom. 6.15.  
But still there remains the seed of the Devil in us, and is as bad as ever it was in itself and it doth appear so in us, so fare as it i● not kept under by the seed of God: so hi● head is broke, his policy is brought to nought for it is not that can destroy any of mankind Numb 21.8, 9 And the Lord said unto Moses, make thee a fiery Serpent, and set it up for a sig● that as many as are bitten, may look upon it a● live, So Moses made a Serpent of brass, and s● it up for a sign: and when a Serpent had bitten man, than he looked to the Serpent of brass, a●● lived.  
This was a figure of Christ; for we w●● stung with the Serpent the Devil, and Chri●● was crucified upon a tree for all: and we are 〈◊〉 look up to him with the eye of faith, for he is that hath pulled out this sting: and look●● upon him, we see ourselves healed by him. 〈◊〉 hath not destroyed the Serpent, but he remai● still: but he cannot hurt the children of Go● for his sting is pulled out: and it is for wan● looking on Christ, that all are not cured: 〈◊〉 this seed of the Serpent in us which the e●●● sowed in us through our listening to him in Adam, is not destroyed wholly, but suppressed, as the Canaanites, and Amorites, and Moabites, and the rest of the Nations that kept possession of the Land of Canaan before the children of Israel went into that Land, and God gave them possession of it. But when the children of Israel had taken possession of the Land, their enemies were not wholly destroyed, but were suppressed that they could not do what they would against the children of Israel; they were kept there for the humbling of the children of Israel, and many times they risen up against the children of Israel to destroy them: and by this was made known the love, mercy, and power of God in delivering the children of Israel from their intention against them: and in destroying their enemies, though not all of them, yet suppressed them all, so as they could do the children of Israel no harm: and at all timer, when they had got strength again, and risen up against them, the Lord still kept them under, and destroyed them by degrees, yet still some did remain, but their power was taken from them that they could do them no harm. So it is with the seed of the Devil in us; it rises many times against us to destroy us, breaking forth into open sin in words and actions, being backed and moved to it with the Devil's temptation: but these enemies remain in ●●to humble us, and to show us the goodness 〈◊〉 God in suppressing them, and destroying th●● by degrees, and taking that power from th●● that they shall not hurt us: but ye they shall not be utterly destroyed; for if the Lord withdraws his Spirit from us, this seed will appear with as vile fruits in us as ever: and th● fruits that this seed brings forth in us, are all manner of sin and wickedness: and this is called the fruits of the flesh, Gal. 5.19. Rom. 1. What fruits had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashames? for the end of those things i● death, Rom. 6.21.  
This is the gross seed of the Devil, and the kernel of the flesh: but the Devil hath a mor● seeming purer seed which he doth sow in mankind also, that is like the seed of God: and man as he is man doth not know it from the seed of God; for the Devil it a spirit, and knows the things of God, and the ways of God, how they are make known to us: and he knows how to deceive us in those things. The Devil goeth about like a roaring Lion, seeking whom he may devour, 1 Pet. 5.8. If he can b●● devour us, he cares not how he doth it: If he sees that he cannot do it by the gross seed in us: if we hate that by some glimpse of the lo●● of the Lord made known to us, or by the ha●● that we see in it, or for some by respects, that we will not follow those gross ways of wickedness, he will not displease us; he hath all manner of ways to dissert us, and he will use that way as shall give us most content, whatsoever it be, so he can but rob God, and deceive 〈◊〉, he cares. If a gross way of wickedness will not content us, nor a sinful mortal life, not nothing, but to be religious, he will deceive 〈◊〉 in that? For Satan himself is transformed into an Angel of light, 2 Cor. 11.14. Into the likeness of it. He will appear in a glorious righteousness to us, like the righteousness of Jesus Christ, but is not: and this seed of the Devil is called the righteousness of man, which grows up in man to a high degree at the last: but there is 7. degrees to come to perfection in this: and some attain to one degree, and some to another. Here is a high degree of the Devil's policy, he tempted man, that so he might fall finally by it: but Christ redeemed us, and so he cannot have his will in that; for Christ hath done all things for us, & hath obtained a perfect righteousness for us: and 〈◊〉 saith, Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ●●ds of the earth; for I am God, and there is none ●●se, Isa. 44.22.  
Now seeing it is set forth so plainly to us, 〈◊〉 without the righteousness of Christ we shall not be saved, he comes and imitate the righteousness of Jesus Christ to us, and 〈◊〉 patches up a righteousness in us, and bring●● forth to us, and tells us it is the righteousne●●● of Jesus Christ, and without it we shall not 〈◊〉 saved: and he saith, look unto this, and 〈◊〉 ye saved. And it is manifest that he doth so●● this in all mankind, and it doth appear i● some measure or other in all; for those th● are very wicked persons can say, if I say prayers and the Creed, and go to Church & hea●● the mysteries, and receive the Sacrament, a●● read, and the like, I shall be saved: so th●● look to be saved by their own performance▪ But this is the first degree of the growth of th● seed in us: and it comes by degrees to a gre●● growth, as it did in the Scribes and Pharisees and in Paul before his conversion, they 〈◊〉 this righteousness: and howsoever God do●● make known his righteousness to us, the righteousness of the flesh will imitate it. We 〈◊〉 as those did that went to build a City & To●er, whose top may reach to heaven, Gen, 11. 〈◊〉 For we labour to get a righteousness of 〈◊〉 own performances that should reach to h●●ven, should carry us to heaven, looking 〈◊〉 be saved by it: and without it we think 〈◊〉 shall not be saved.  
When we hear that if we go on in our 〈◊〉 we cannot be saved: and if we will be saved, we must leave them off, and do thus and thus: ●hen we go about to do it in our own strength, and search ourselves, and to repent of our sins. And if we can be exceedingly humbled for our sins, and shed many tears, than we are at quiet, than we think our sins are pardoned, and God is well pleased with us, because we are thus humbled for them, and our sins are done away by Christ: But if we cannot shed many fears for our sins, and be much cast down for them; then we are much troubled because we cannot be no more troubled for our sins: & say, If I could be throughly humbled for my sins, than there were hopes of mercy for me: but now there is none, so long as my heart is thus hardened. And thus we think to be saved by our own righteousness: and no longer than we are performing duties, that we can have any peace of conscience: and when we are very strict in performing duties, than we have peace and joy, and this sets us eagerly on performances: and we look upon this, and see that we have as we think performed these duties aright in some measure, as prayer, and repenting, and hearing or reading, and the like. O than we rejoice in it, and think God accepts of it: and if our sins at any time overmaster us, than we labour exceedingly in our own strength to beat them down, and she● many tears to wash them away, according a the sin is in greatness. And when we ha●● got power over it, than we think God is we●● pleased with us for striving against our sinne● and labour to perform the whole Law, and often examining ourselves whether we keep it or no, and wherein we break it: and for those things wherein we feel in keeping it, w● shed many tears for it, and we think that pacifieth God: and now all our sins are done away by our repentance, and then that place o● Scripture comes in our mind. Behold, thou art made whole, go away and sin no more, lest 〈◊〉 worse thing befall thee.  
And this makes us more strict in performing the Law, and think to be justified by the strict performing of it. Thus thou goest from out degree of the righteousness of the flesh to another: and the higher degrees thou attainest unto, the more thou buildest thy comforts on it; For if thou neglectest prayer or other duties, at those times as thou usest to perform them, thou art much troubled for it, and hast not the comfort that thou hast when thou dost observe and perform them at the time as thou usest to do. What is this, but to build thy comfort upon thy performances? And this righteousness the Scribes and Pharises had in 〈◊〉 very high degree: but Christ told his Disciples, That except their righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, they should not enter into the kingdom of heaven. And this Paul had before his conversion. And the more the Lord makes known himself in a glorious manner in his own righteousness, the Devil will transform himself like unto it; that as we are men and women we cannot discern betwixt them: and this seed of the Devil which is our righteousness, is in all the children of God, even as the seed of God is in us: And this righteousness of ours is called flesh, and it is an enemy against God. The seed of God 〈◊〉 us is called Spirit: and the seed of the Devil 〈◊〉 us, both the gross seed, and that seeming glorious seed is called flesh, and there is a stri●ng and struggling in us betwixt them; for the ●eed of God works mildly, and by degrees in 〈◊〉, and receives the power from God, and readiness all the praise to God; it would not have ●ny thing ascribed to us in the least degree; It makes no haste, but is willing to stay the Lords ●easure, Isa. 28.16. He that believeth shall not ●●ke haste. And it is the Spirit in us that doth ●elieve, and he doth not make haste that is wil●ing to wait upon God, and stay his leisure, while he doth manifest himself in us in that ●ay that the Spirit doth desire it for us. Cant. 2.7. I charge you O daughters of Jerusalem, th●● ye stir not up, nor waken my beloved until h●● please.  
He mak● us wait patiently upon God, us●● the means, as prayer, hearing, and reading but not at all depend upon them, but to loo●● higher, and see God above it; yet he is ma●● times pleased to manifest himself to us 〈◊〉 his Spirit in the means, and our comfort consists only in him who is the fullness of o●● happiness, and not in the strength of our pe●formances: but the righteousness of man is 〈◊〉 enemy to this; it will not stay the Lords le● sure, but doth strive and struggle with G●● for that which it would have, and cannot be 〈◊〉 quiet while he hath it, and will not let Go● have the honour, but keep it to their selve● though God shall have it in words, but not deeds; for if we think to be saved by it, an● without it, we shall not be saved; do we no● ascribe the honour to ourselves, because w● perform that righteousness that we look be saved by? And this is a great policy of th● Devil to destroy all mankind; for he sa● that his first policy was brought to naught Than he seeks to destroy us by our own ri●●●teousnesse, making us believe that it is the ri●●●teousnesse of Christ; because without his ri●●●teousnesse we shall not be saved, and so ma●● ●s to depend upon it, and take the honour from God, and ascribe it to our performanas, and keeps us from desiring after the righ●ousnesse of Christ. And when as God saith, ●ooke unto me, and be ye saved from all the ends ●f the Earth. The Devil saith, Look unto this righteousness of the flesh, and see that ye have ●●at, and ye shall be saved; for without it ye shall ●●t be saved. And this he doth to rob God of is honour, and to keep all mankind out of ●eaven: and he works it so craftily in us, that ●●r, as we are men and women cannot perceive 〈◊〉, we cannot be brought to believe it; while God doth show us it by his Spirit, it is a very dangerous thing: and the higher we grow in 〈◊〉, the more dangerous it is; for there is nothing under the Devil, that is so great an enemy to God as our righteousness; It is Anti●rist in the mystery, it opposeth Christ in all ●s ways, and persecutes him in all his ways, ●nd exalteth itself in all his ways above Christ, ●●d will not have Christ to reign over us in his ●●y, nor he to save us, but that he would reign ●●r us in the Devil's way, and that should ●●e us. And so long as we live to this righte●●nesse of our own, we live to ourselves, and 〈◊〉 to Christ: and this seed is in all the children of God, and the seed of Christ is hidden it in us, like gold that is mixed among a great deal of dross, that it cannot appear so pa●● to us as it is in itself; yet that which is gold is without dross, and is excellent: even so, th●● seed of God in us is mixed with the seed of the Devil; yet that which is of God is perfect, pure; there is no dross in it: but it cannot appear so to to us by reason of that dross of o●● righteousness mixed with it: and so fare as there is any thing in us and to us that, is of Jesus Christ made known to us, though it be but in a small measure, it is real truth: but s● fare as it is not real pure truth, as the truth 〈◊〉 in Jesus; though it appear never so glorious that which hath not the truth in it, is of An●●christ, the seed of the Devil in us: but th●● which is real truth, so fare as it is truth, 〈◊〉 is of God, although it be mixed with fashood but this seed of the Devil which he sowed 〈◊〉 us through envy, to rob God of his honour and to destroy all mankind, shall never destroy the children of God; for Christ ha●● broken the head of the Devil's policy: but th● seed of the Devil shall not wholly be destroyed in us, but God will get himself honour u●on it by the discovering of it by the pure light and clear manifestation of the truth of Ch●● made known to us by the Spirit, revealing 〈◊〉 us what he is in us, and what we are in hi● By degrees he will make known his love to● and as he doth reveal himself to us in his own righteousness, the ways of Antichrist will be discovered, and his glory will outshine the glory of Anti-christ, and it shall appear gross darkness to it, and we shall be ashamed of it: and as the light of Jesus Christ appears by his Spirit in us; that seeming excellent glorious righteousness of our flesh (which is Anti-christ, in the mystery in us, which opposeth light, and is nothing but that which is contrary to it) shall be destroyed by the coming of Christ spiritually in us.  
These two seeds are typified out to us by Isaac and Ishmael, Gal. 4.22, 23. For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a free woman. But be that was born by the bondmaid was after the flesh: but he of the free woman was by promise. The son of the bondwoman, which was Ishmad, did cypifie Anti-christ in us; this comes by nature: and Isaac which was borne of the free woman, was a type of the seed of God in us, the Spirit of Christ which is borne in the new birth by promise, and not by nature. But as then, he that was borne after the flesh, pe●f●cuted him that was borne after the Spirit: even so it is now; nevertheless, what faith the Scripture; C●st ou● the bondwoman and her son; for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.  
The righteousness of man must not be purged, but c●st out; it persecutes Christ, it shall not be heir with Christ: and all the promise● of God is to this seed of God in us, and it is this that God loves so dearly, Gal. 3.16. N●w to Abraham and his seed were the promises made, He saith, not to the seeds, as speaking of many 〈◊〉 but unto thy seed, as of one, which is Christ.  
Abraham was a type of God, and Isaa● 〈◊〉 type of Christ: and the promises are promised to this seed. Gen 17.7, 8. I will establish my Covenant between me and thee, and thy seed after thee in their generations, for an everlasting Covenant, to be God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. And I will give thee, and thy seed af●●● thee, the Land wherein thou art a stranger; ev●● all the Land of Canaan for an everlasting possession: and I will be their God. And vers. 21. of this Chapter, he saith, My Covenant will I establish with Isaac. And vers. 19 And I will establish my Covenant with him, an everlasting Covenant, ●and with his seed after him.  
All the promises are to Christ and his se●● which is sown in the Saints, for that i● 〈◊〉 with Christ, and all the land of Canaan 〈◊〉 promised to him and his seed. The land of C●naan wa● a type of heaven: so heaven i● p●●mised to the seed of Christ with Christ: Christ obtained it of his Father for us by his suffering, Heb 5.9. And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him. Heb. 8.14. For by one offering, he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.  
All that Christ did do or suffer, was for man, he was made perfect for them: and the children of God hath the whole benefit of it: so they are made perfect in Christ; He is the author of eternal salvation unto all them; for they are the seed of Christ, not as they are men, but as they are Saints.   

CHAP. XII. How the seed of Christ is the Church of Christ, or the Spouse of Christ.  
CHrist hath purchased of his Father a chosen people to himself in his Father; he is a common salvation to all, but a special salvation to them, and them he will make known hi● love and mind unto by degrees. This seed of himself in them is the Church of Christ: and the Church of Christ is the body of Christ, Ephes. 1.23. Not as he was man, but 〈◊〉 he is God; he i● a Spirit, and the Church which is his body must be spiritual too, and suitable to Christ; for he is the head of the Church, Ephes. 5.23. So the seed of himself being sown in all the Saints, is the body, Eph. 5.23. Christ is the head of the Church, and the Saviour of the body, vers. 25, 26, 27. Christ loved the Church, and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it, with the washing of water, by the word, that be might present is to himself a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy, and wiihout blemish.  
That seed of Christ in us is perfect: and Christ came not to purge, sanctify, and wash it: but to wash us, as we are men and women, to purge away our sins by his blood, and to sanctify and wash us in our conversation by his Spirit in us. We have a near relation to Christ as he was man; for we are members of his body, of his fl●sh, and of his bones, Ephes. 5.30. He took our nature upon him, that he might obtain all things for us, as we are men: and he is the Saviour of our bodies, Ephes. 5.23. For our body is the temple of the holy Ghost, 1 Cor. 6.19. Know ye not that ye are the temple of God? and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If 〈◊〉 man defile the Temple of God, him shall God destroy. For the Temple of God is holy, which t●●ple ye are, 1 Cor. 3.16, 17. For ye are not yo● own, ye are bought with a price, 1 Cor. 6.20.  
He hath redeemed us to himself, that we should serve him in all love; he hath done all things for the glory of himself, and that we should have the benefit of it: and he doth purge his Temple for himself to dwell in: but as we are men there is no good in us, nor no inclination to good; we are but poor earthen vessels, yet he himself is pleased to dwell in us by his Spirit. For God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us, 2 Cor. 4.6, 7.  
So it is not our bodies that is the Church; for our bodies are not one with God, for it is but an earthen vessel for the Spirit of God to dwell in. But this Spirit being in all the children of God, makes one body. Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular, 1 Cor. 12.27. For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptised into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bound or free, and have been all made to drink in●● one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, because I am not the hand, I am not of the body: is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, because I 〈◊〉 not the eye, I am not of the body: is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were he●ring, where were the smelling? But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. And if they were all one members, where were the body? But now are they many members, yet but one body. And the eye ca●●● say to the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. N●● much more those members of the body which see● to be more feeble, are necessary. But all th●●● worketh by one and the self same Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will, 1 C●● 12.11. to the 22. But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift 〈◊〉 Christ. Wherefore he saith, When he ascended 〈◊〉 on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gif● unto men. He ascended up far above all heaume that he might fill all things. And he gave some apostles, and some Evangelists, and some Pastor's 〈◊〉 Teachers: For the perfecting of the Saints, for 〈◊〉 work of the Ministry, for the edifying of the bo●● of Christ, An● growing up into him in all thi●● which is the head, even Christ. From whom 〈◊〉 whole body is fitly joined together, and compacted, by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love, Ephes. 4.7, 8.10, 11, 12.15, 16.  
Christ is the head, and his Church the body, and every particular Saint is the members of it: and Christ which is the head, hath compact, and fitly joined this body together he being the head of it: the head is the principal of all, for that receives sustenance for the nourishment of the body, as a tree receiveth nourishment by the root; for the sap is in the root, and springs into the body, and so infuseth into the branches, and causeth them to bring forth fruit. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, & I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without me ye can do nothing, Joh. 15.5.  
Christ in all the Saints in the Vine, and every particular Saint are the branches: and Christ hath the fullness of the Godhead which is the root of all, and the Church is of the seed. Christ is the fullness of him that filleth all in all, Ephes. 1.23. He is the head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God, Col. 2.19. And he hath put all things under his feet: And gave him to be the head over all things, to the Church, which is his body, Ephes. 1.22, 23. So he supplieth the wants of the Saints with the infusing of the fullness of himself into them, working effectually in them, according to the measure that he infuseth in them in his wisdom: so though we have but the manifestation of himself in a small measure, let us not say, I am not of the body, because I have no more; for the body cannot be without the foot: but be● contented with that thou hast, still desiring, & waiting patiently for more: and those that are the weakest members in this spiritual body, the Church, hath as much honour with God, as the highest members, and are as glorious. Those members of the body which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: and tho●● members of the body which we think to be lest honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour: and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness; for our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked, that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have th● same care one for another. And whether o●● member suffer, all the members suffer with 〈◊〉 or one member be honoured, all the memb●●● rejoice with it, 1 Cor. 12.22. to the 26. And ●is Church is compared to a building, and 〈◊〉 called a spiritual building; whose builder and ●●ker is God. Ye are the Lords building: and ye ●e built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophet's, Jesus Christ himself being the chief ●●er stone. In whom all the building fitly fra●ed together, graweth unto an holy Temple in the 〈◊〉. In whom you also are builded together for 〈◊〉 hobitation of God through the Spirit, Eph. 2. ●●, 21, 22.  
The foundation of the Prophets and Apo●●es is Christ, and he is the cornerstone. Ye also as lively stones are built up a spiritual house, 〈◊〉 holy Priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifice, ●●ptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore it 〈◊〉 contained in the Scripture, Behold, I lay in ●●ion a chief cornerstone, elect and precious, and 〈◊〉 that believeth on him shall not be confounded, ●sa. 28.16. It is he that is the builder, and he ●uil●s his Church upon himself; he is the ●ooke: and he faith, Upon this rock will I build ●y Church. This is sure builded; Therefore who●●ver beareth these say of mine, and doth them, ●ill liken him unto a wife man, that built his ●●se upon a rock. And the rain descended, and 〈◊〉 ●●oods came, and the wind blew, and beat 〈◊〉 that house, and it fell not, for it was founded ●●on a rock, Mat. 7.24, 25. And he is the cornerstone that joins the building fast to●●●ther, and this cornerstone holds up the b●●●ding: and in the corner two meet together he gives the Jews and Gentiles to himself and the Spirit of himself in us is the stone th●● he builds withal through that word of G●● that was taught by the Prophets and Apost●●● and this Church and building is the Spous●● Christ, a garden enclosed, is my sister, my Spouse, spring shut up, a fountain sealed, Cant. 4. 1●▪  
There is the nearest relation betwixt G●●● and his Church as can be: and all his fullness of love, and all glory, and all happiness, for his Spouse: but yet it is shut and sealed th●● she cannot see it; yet it is shut up in her beleved for her, and he will come quickly. It sh●●● not be long before he will come, and break open this seal to thee, that art the Spouse● Christ. There is none can do it but he, a●● he will show thee that fullness of happiness th●● thou hast in him, and how it was thine wh●● thou wert an enemy to him, and he hath k●● it in store for thee, though thou knewest is no● O what sweet expressions of love he utter●● to her, that she might know his love: he ●al● her, my love, my dove, my fair one, Cant. 2. 1●▪ Thou art all fair my Love, and there is no sp●● 〈◊〉 thee. And, my Dove, my undefiled is bu● 〈◊〉 Cant. 6.9.  
Though some be grown in some measure ●●gh Saints, and some lies low, some have ●uch enjoyment of God, some little, and some ●one at all; yet they are all his Love, his Dove, ●is undefiled, and fair one. They all, but only thee, is his Spouse, he hath but one love for them all; he loves them all alike with an everlasting love, and none can keep them from him, she is his Wife? I have married thee to myself, Hosea 2.19, 20. I will marry thee unto 〈◊〉 for ever; yea, I will marry thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgement, and in mercy, and in compassion. I will marry thee unto me in faithfulness, and thou shalt know the Lord.  
The Lord hath married us unto himself before the foundation of the world; for he knew what should come to pass, but we do not know it; for it is shut up in Christ, and sealed, and in his time he comes and breaks open this seal to us by degrees, and opens himself to us, and she●s us that he is married to us; he is our husband, Jer. 31.32. and we are his Wife. Let us be glad, and rejoice, and give glory to him; for the matriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready, Revel. 19.7.  
O what comfort is this to every member of this Church that, Christ is thy husband, and thou art his wife. My wellbeloved is mine, and I am his, Cant. 2.16. There cannot be a nearer relation; for he being our husband, a●● things are ours in him; whether they be things present, or things to come: even all are yours, 〈◊〉 you are Christ's, and Christ is Gods, 1 Cor. 3.22, 23. And being married to Christ, God 〈◊〉 our Father, and the holy Ghost is our Comforter, and the Angels are our guard to attend us: And what can we desire more, but 〈◊〉 have the Seal broke open to see what we ha●● in him? and Christ is coming to do it. 〈◊〉 yet a very little while, and he that shall come, wi●● come, and will not tarry, Heb. 10.37. Behold, I come quickly, Revel. 3 11. And do thou wa●● patiently for his coming.   

CHAP. XIII. Christ is the Teacher and Governor of his Church.  
CHrist is a King, a Priest, and a Prophet. A King to reign over his Church spiritually: and a Priest, to offer spiritual sacrifice to his Father for his Church: and a Prophet, to teach them. He saith, My kingdom is not of this world. John 18.36. But he is an immortal, and an everlasting King, 1 Tim. 1.17. He 〈◊〉 a spiritual King, and it is a spiritual Kingdom that he reigns over: and the children ●f God are the heirs of this Kingdom. Fear ●t little flock, for it is your Father's will to give 〈◊〉 the Kingdom, Luke 12.32. And the kingdom of God is eternal life. Joh. 10.28. And 〈◊〉 give unto them eternal life, and they shall never ●●ish, neither shall any pluck them out of my band. And this is a hidden, glorious, and mystical ●●ing: But to you it is given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, Mat. 13.11. And the kingdom of God comes not with observations. Nei●●er shall 〈◊〉 say, lo here, on lo there: for behold, ●he kingdom of God is with in you, Lu. 17.20, 21. ●ry not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into hea●●n? That is to bring Christ from above. Or who ●●all descend into the deep? That is, to bring up Christ again from the dead. But what saith the Scripture? The word is near thee, even in thy ●●uth, and in thy heart, this is the word of faith ●hich we preach, Rom. 10.6, 7, 8. And this ●ord is Christ, John 1.14.  
What is heaven, but the fullness of all happiness? and that is God in Christ: and Christ ●●ing in us by his Spirit, then is the Kingdom ●f God in us: and so far as he reveals himself to us as he is, we see him as he is, and have the enjoyment of him: and so fare we live in ●im, and have out conversation in heaven, that is, in God. For the kingdom of God is not 〈◊〉 word, but in power, 1 Cor. 4.20. It conf●●● not in speaking of words: but so far as he reveals himself in us, he comes with power, enabling us to do that which is pleasing to hi●▪ and he reveals heaven to us here in some measure, by degrees in his time, as shall be to h●● glory and our comfort, and in a great a●● high measure in some: but we cannot have 〈◊〉 in such a measure as we shall have it hereafter when our bodies are dissolved; then we sh●●● be wholly in it, there shall be nothing to hi●der us: now here our bodies are weak, an● cannot contain him, and there is a veil b●fore us that we cannot see him clearly: an● Christ is the Governor of the Church. Isa. ●▪ 6, 7. For unto us a Child is borne, and unto 〈◊〉 a Son is given, and the government is upon 〈◊〉 shoulder, and he shall call his name Wonderfully Counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of peace. The increase of his government and peace shall have no end; he shall s●● upon the Throne of David, and upon his Kingdo● to order it, and to establish it with judgement 〈◊〉 with justice; from henceforth, even for ever; th● zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. H●● is our husband, and he reigns over us in lo● and so he governs us: and all his laws that 〈◊〉 doth set forth for us to observe, is to love him, ●●d so fare as he doth reveal himself to us, ●e can do no other: and he defends us against 〈◊〉 our spiritual enemies that rise up against 〈◊〉, and would devour us. And he hath made 〈◊〉 Kings with him, 1 Pet. 2.9. Revel. 5.10. 〈◊〉 reign with him for ever. And he is our ●●iest to offer up spiritual sacrifice to his Fa●●er for us upon that golden Altar of himself, 〈◊〉. 8.3. And he makes intercession continu●●ly to his Father for us. 1 John 1.12. My ●●es, these things writ I unto you, that ye sin 〈◊〉: and if any man sin, we have an Advocate ●●th the Father, Jesus Christ the just, and he is 〈◊〉 reconciliation for our sins: and not for ours on●● but also for the sins of the whole world. And ●●e hath made u● Priests with him as we are ●ints; for his Spirit in us offers up continual ●●rifice to God by Christ, of praises and thanksgiving: And he is our Prophet to teach 〈◊〉. We shall be all taught of God; he will teach 〈◊〉 so plainly by his Spirit, his own mind in ●●●h a plain way, that a wayfaring man though ●oole, cannot err therein.  
The Lord said, Writ the vision, and make it ●●●ne upon Tables, that he may run that readeth 〈◊〉, Hab. 2.2. After those days, saith the Lord, 〈◊〉 will put my law in their inward parts, and write 〈◊〉 their hearts, and I will be their God, and ●●ey shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man 〈◊〉 brother, saying, know the Lord; for they shal● know me, from the least of them, to the greatest them, Jer. 31.33, 34.  
The Lord will teach his children by his Sp●rit, in a more clearer manner than he ha● done: and so fare as he teacheth them, th● shall all know him, and he shall teach us 〈◊〉 profit. 1 Cor. 2.4, 5. My speech and my preach●● was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, 〈◊〉 in demonstration of the Spirit, and of power. T●● your faith, should not stand in the wisdom of 〈◊〉 but in the power of God. When the Lord d●●● teach us by his Spirit, that comes with powe● and over-powers us, and makes us willing 〈◊〉 do, and be what he would have us: so 〈◊〉 power is made known in us. That whi●● Christ teacheth us to know, is himself, Eph● 4.21. If so be that ye have heard him, and 〈◊〉 been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus; th●● we may know what he is in the Saints, and 〈◊〉 the Saints. Psal. 65.8. I will hear what God 〈◊〉 Lord will speak; for he will speak peace to his p●●ple, and to his Saints.  
All that Christ doth teach us, is to kno● himself: and Paul desired to know nothing 〈◊〉 but Christ, and him crucified. 1 Cor. 2.2. An● he speaks nothing, but what is in him for 〈◊〉 that all that is in him, he hath purchased 〈◊〉 us: and he hath purchased us unto himselfes and we are his Wife, and he will always dwell with us, and be in us, and always uphold us, and never leave us, nor forsake us.   

CHAP. XIIII. God is very tender and careful over those that are but babes in him, and leads them as they are able to go.  
I Having done mine endeavour to show you the right meaning of some things in some measure, which we are ready to stumble at: and now there will be a plain way to walk in. Christ himself doth lead us gently, as we are able to go, teaching us by degrees: and he is very careful of those that are but babes in him: those that the seed of himself doth but newly appear in them, and that but in a small measure, Isa. 40.10. Behold, the Lord God will come with power, and his arm shall rule for him: Behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. He shall feed his flock like a Shepherd, be shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young. Christ compareth his Church to a flock of sheep, Ezek. 34.31. And ye my flock, the flock of my pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord God. And vers. 15. He saith, I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord God. And Christ said unto Peter; lovest thou me, feed my sheep. And again he said, lovest thou me, feed my lambs, John 21.15, 16.  
In a sheepfold there is sheep and lambs, and them that are with young, and Christ is the Shepherd over them all, and feeds them all with that good pasture which is himself. I shall first show you how gently he leads them that are with young; that is, those that hath the seed of the spirit of Christ but conceived in them, & that but in a small measure, that it doth not appear whether there is any thing or no, neither by thee nor others; which is the first degree of the growth of his seed in us, which are some desirings after God; The Lord will feed and nourish these motions in us: The Lord will not quench the smoking flax, Isa. 42.3. If there be any desiring after him, though it be in the smallest measure as can be, and it lies smoking in us, and doth not burn; yet there is fire in it, or else it would not smoke. God is called fire, Heb. 12.29. And this desiring after God, is the Spirit of God in us; for there is nothing that can really desire after God but that which is one with him; therefore it is a spiritual fire, and he will not quench these motions in us, though they are but small: and though they are like sparks of fire in us, he lays them together, and blows them with the wind of his Spirit, and kindles this fire of himself in us, that it shall flame forth in a visible appearance to us and others. It may lie hid a while, being covered with the filthiness of our flesh, sin and wickedness; or with the glory of our flesh, our righteousness: and both these are great enemies to him, and so lie in us as if it were dead: but the Lord will quicken it, and it shall flourish: And though Christ is but conceived in us, and these desires after him increaseth more & more: so in the womb of our desires after him, he grows more and more: and yet we do not find that this child Jesus is brought forth in us by his Spirit, so that we can perceive it by the enjoyment of those comforts that we expect to have in him by the manifestation of himself in us when we are thus big with young: and this child is come to the birth, and there wants nothing but strength to bring it forth. The Lord is then our leader, and the Lord doth comfort us in telling us by some inward motions of his Spirit, that the manifestation of himself shall be brought forth to us in his time, and he doth up-hold us in the mean time: but we are much troubled, while Christ is brought forth to us, that we may see him, and rejoice in him Isa. 26.17, 18. Like as a woman with child that draweth near the time of her delivery, is in pain, and cryeth out in her pangs; so have we been in thy sight, O Lord. We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were brought forth wind. We cannot bring forth this child Jesus in our own strength; for all our strength is as a blast of wind: and the more we strive in our own strength, the more pain we are in: and the nearer he is to be brought forth to us, the more spiritual pain we have of wounds in conscience, and troubles of mind: but when the child Jesus is brought forth in us, than we forget that pain, for joy that Christ Jesus is brought forth to us, and all our pain and trouble is swallowed up in the enjoyment of him: and the longer it is before we have the enjoyment of it, the more we shall prise it when we have it. Therefore be not discouraged, whosoever thou art, or whatsoever thou art, that hast not Christ yet brought forth in the; for this seed lies hid before it appear: and though there is but small appearance of it in us yet, than it grows in us, and makes way for a manifestation of himself to us. And when this spiritual child Jesus is brought forth in us, which he calls his lambs: and he carries them in his bosom; they are near and dear unto him. We are not only in his bosom, but he carries us about with him: we cannot go, we are so weak that we can neither stand nor go; one that is new borne, and therefore we have yet no strength: We are most careful and tender of our children when they are young ones, and feed them accordingly: and the younger they are, the more tender we are of them, which doth set forth in some measure the love of God to those that are babes in him. Our love is imperfect, but his love to us is perfect; he cannot forget us, we lie in his bosom, yea, in the very heart of Christ, Cant. 8.6. Set ●ee as a seal upon thy heart, as a seal upon thy arm. This was the request of the Spouse to Christ; she was then as a seal upon his heart, though she saw it not: but Christ puts it in her mind to ask, that he might make it known to her, that she was as a seal upon his heart; that she was as near and dear to him as she can be, for she is upon his heart and arm; the heart to love her, and his arm to defend her; he can do no other, but love his Church, and every particular member of it, for it is one with him, for the Spirit of Christ in us is one with Christ. He prayeth to his Father, That they all may be one, as thou Father art in me, and 〈◊〉 in thee; that they also may be one in us, Joh. 17.21. That is, that we might see ourselves one in him, for than we were one in him: but we cannot know it, while he comes and shows us it, John 17.24. Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me; for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.  
His love is so great to us, that he must have us with him wheresoever he is: so he carrieth us in his bosom, & upon his heart: and he is gone into heaven, and we are there with him though we see it not: and we are glorified with him. And the glory which thou hast given me, I have given them: that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one: and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them as tho● hast loved me, John 17.22, 23.  
There is not any thing that Christ think too dear or too good for us; he bestows al●● his excellent things upon us; he loves us 〈◊〉 dearly, he cannot keep them from us. His lov● to us passeth the love of women to their chil●dren, yea, the greatest love that they can be●● to them, Isa. 49.15, 16. Can a woman forg●●●ber sucking child, that she should not have 〈◊〉 passion on the son of her womb? yea, they 〈◊〉 forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I ha●● graven thee upon the palms of my hands: and thy ways are continually before me.  
He would have us to take notice of his love? Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; he hath done it, and we must behold it, and take good notice of it; it is done already, it is not to be done by us: but God saith, I have done it: And there is not any thing in us that can hinder his love to us. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee. These are expressions of God to us, that we are set upon his heart, and arm, and hand, is to show us how near we are to him, and he would have us to know it; therefore he comes himself and declares it to us by his Spirit. Fear not, for I am with thee: be not afraid, for I am thy God, Isa. 41.10.  
Man naturally is afraid of God, and it is because of our sins: and ever since Adam fell, we have been afraid of him; some afraid of his anger, and some afraid of punishment, Gen. 3.9, 10. And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, where art thou? And be said, I heard thy voice in the garden: and I was afraid, because I was naked: and I hid myself.  
The righteousness of God which Adam had before his fall, did  him, he saw no nakedness, he was not ashamed of the nakedness of his body, that was nothing; he could see nothing but what was of God, and he was clothed with him: and there was a sweet communion between God and him; he was not afraid of God, and there was no cause of fearing any thing else; for all things below God, were under Adam, & they had no power to do him any harm. But after Adam fell, his falling stripped him of the righteousness of God, and so he became naked, and then he was afraid of God: And thus by nature we are naked, and are afraid of God: and it is our nakedness that causeth our fear, and makes us afraid of every thing below God, as well as of God: and there is not any covering that can cover our nakedness, and so take away the cause of our fear; for Adam did what he could to hid his nakedness, Gen. 3 7. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked: and they sewed fig-leaves together, and made themselves aprons. They saw but some part of their nakedness: and so far as they saw it, they made a covering to hid it, and it was of the leaves of a figtree, fair great leaves, and that tree grew in the Garden of Eden where Adam was put: and that was the best covering they could get; yet they were afraid, and hid themselves from God, for all that covering.  
This Garden of Eden was a type of the church of God, which is the Spouse of Christ, ●●●t. 4.12. & 15. and chap. 5.1. & 6.2. And this Garden, in the midst of it, is the tree ●life, which is Christ. Rev. 2.7. To him that ●●reommeth, will I give to eat of the tree of life ●●ich is in the midst of the Paradise of God. Joel 〈◊〉 27. And ye shall know that I am in the midst Israel, and that I am the Lord your God, and ●e else: and my people shall never be ashamed. ●●d he is that water of life that runneth in the ●idst of the garden, Revel. 22.1. Whosoever penketh of the water that I shall give him, shall ●●er thirst. But the water that I shall give him, ●●ll be in him a well of water springing up into e●lasting life, John 4.14. Jesus stood, and cry●●, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto 〈◊〉, and drink. He that believeth on me (as the scripture saith) out of his belly shall flow rivers of ●●ing water, John 7.37, 38. And this is that ●●e of life, that whosoever eats thereof, they ●all live for ever. And this the Saints feed up●●: but Adam did not eat of this. And out of 〈◊〉 ground made the Lord God to grow every tree 〈◊〉 is pleasant to the sight, and good for food, ●●en. 2.9.  
So in the garden the Church of God, out 〈◊〉 the ground of the love of God (for he is the ●ound of all our happiness) he causeth to grow every tree that is pleasant to the e●● and good for food, which is a comforta●● enjoyment of all temporal things: and goodness hath a promise of all things in this 〈◊〉 for temporal things, so far as it is for Go● glory, and for our good, and for things come, which is spiritual: but the trees of 〈◊〉 ward mercies do grow by the high way● 〈◊〉 all sorts of people to eat of as well as the children of God. But this is but by the way, 〈◊〉 show you that we have the enjoyment of o●● ward things by the enjoyment of spiritual: 〈◊〉 in the garden of God, so fare as Christ 〈◊〉peareth in it, it brings forth good fruits s●●ble to him; for he is a Spirit, and the fr●● that grow in this garden are spiritual, and have not this fruit by nature; for except 〈◊〉 are in the Vine, we cannot bring forth fr●● suitable to God: and we by nature are nake● and we seeing ourselves naked, and know● there is no appearing before God: so we ta●● of the broadest and fairest leaves of the show godliness that we can get, and sew them handsomely together as we can, and co●● that part that we see naked: but there is a g●● deal of our nakedness that we do not 〈◊〉 and that we cannot cover; yet God sees our nakedness, both that as we cover, & 〈◊〉 as we do not cover. When God doth app●●● 〈◊〉, we are afraid of his seeing us, for all this ●●●ing: but now Christ hath clothed us ●●th his righteousness, Mat. 6.32. And this righteousness is perfect: and it doth exceed ●●e righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees: ●●d that white raiment that thou mayst be clo●●ed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear, Revel. 3.18. And to her was granted, ●●t she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and ●●ite. For the fine linen is the righteousness 〈◊〉 the Saints, Rev. 19.8. And white robes were ●en to every one of them, Ru. 6.11. And being ●●athed with this robe, we have no cause to ●●e afraid; we have free access to go to God 〈◊〉 Christ; all our sins that we have committed, hath been against God, and Christ hath satisfied his Father for them all: and therefore ●●e justifieth us, and hath nothing to say against us. Who shall lay any thing to the charge 〈◊〉 Gods elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he ●●at condemneth us? It is Christ that died, yea, ●●ther that is risen again, who is at the right hand ●f God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who ●●all separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or nakedness, 〈◊〉 famine, or peril, or sword? Nay, in all these ●hings we are more than Conquerors, through ●●im that loved us. For I am persuaded, that nei●●er death, nor life nor Angels, nor Principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to com●● Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature▪ shall be able to separate us from the love of G●● which is in Christ Jesus our Lord, Rom. 8.33, 34▪ 35, 37, 38, 39  
There is not any that can separate us fro● God in Christ; our sins cannot do it. I, eve●● I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for 〈◊〉 own sake, and will not remember thy sins, Isa. 43.25. Thou art my servant, O Israel, thou shalt 〈◊〉 be forgotten of me. I have blotted out as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and as a cloud thy sins return unto me, for I have redeemed thee, Isa. 44.21, 22. Fear not: For I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name, thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be● with thee; and through rive●●, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, th●● shalt not be burnt: neither shall the flame kindl● upon thee. For I am the Lord thy God, the holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: Since thou hast been● precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, & I have loved thee: Fear not, for I am with thee▪ Isa. 43.1, 2, 3, 4, 5. I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed; for the Lord dwelleth i● Zion, Joel 3.21. Fear not, rejoice and be glad, for the Lord will do great things, Joel 2.21. Behold, I will bring it health and cure: and I will cure them, and will reveal unto them abundance 〈◊〉 peace and truth, Jerem. 33.6. I have seen his ●●es, and will heal him: I will lead him also, ●●d restore comforts unto him, Isa. 57.18. And 〈◊〉 will sow her unto me in the earth, and I will ●●e mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy, 〈◊〉 I will say to them which were not my people: 〈◊〉 art my people: and they shall say, thou art my 〈◊〉, Hos. 2.23.  
It is the Lord that hath done all things for 〈◊〉, and in his time he doth make it known to 〈◊〉, that we may know his love to us, and so to ●ake us love him: and the Devil doth what ●e can to accuse God to us, and tells us God 〈◊〉 angry with us, to keep us from him; For if 〈◊〉 can but persuade us to keep from God, he ●●es not: and he thinks that is the way; for ●●e knows that if Christ comes to reign in us ●●ce, his kingdom in us shall not stand. So 〈◊〉 doth what he can to deceive us by his false ●●les; for this is the Tale-bearer that doth ●hat he can to part that friendship that is between God and us. He is the false witness that ●eaketh lies, and him that soweth discord a●●ng brethren, Prov. 6.19. Lay not wait (O ●●ked man) against the dwelling of the righte●●: spoil not his resting place, Prov. 24.15. God 〈◊〉 that resting place, Heb. 3.18.  
There remaineth therefore a resting place 〈◊〉 the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own-wake● Heb. 4.9, 10. And so fare as God doth m●nifest himself in us, we dwell in this resti●● place: and the Devil doth what he can 〈◊〉 hinder us of it by telling us false tales: but li●●en not to him; for he is a deceiver, and a ly●● from the beginning. When he speaketh a lie, 〈◊〉 speaketh of his own; for he is a liar, and the F●ther of it, John 8.44. And if he doth tell th● that God is angry, and thou must do thus a●● thus, to pacify him through thy obedience though he brings Scripture for what he sait● as he did to Christ, Matth. 4. yet believe hi● not. Yea, if any one deliver any other doctrine to us than that doctrine of Christ whic● is the setting forth of the love of God to us, 〈◊〉 fare as it is not of God, it is of the Devil● and he is accursed. And the Lord doth co●● with power to destroy the works of the Devil● 1 John 3.8.  
Thou art not only set upon his heart fo● him to love thee, but upon his arm to defen● thee against thy spiritual enemies, the Devi●● and his Army, which is sin and wickedness and our own righteousness which doth persecute this seed of God in us, and hath do● the uttermost of his power to destroy it quite and this kingdom of heaven hath suffered violence by the Devil: and this seed of God i● 〈◊〉 hath been kept under, and as it were impri●●d by the Devil, and himself hath reigned 〈◊〉 with tyranny and cruelty; that maketh ●o put up many prayers, and tears, and 〈◊〉 and groans to God for him to deliver us: 〈◊〉 these prayers, sighs and groans of these cozeners, hath entered into the ears of the ●●d, Exod. 3.7, 8. Then the Lord said, I have ●●ly seen the trouble of my people which are in Ae●●, and have heard their cry, because of their ●●ke-masters: for I know their sorrows, There●● I am come down to deliver them. And our ●●ow is greater than theirs; for theirs was a caporal bondage, but ours is spiritual. Behold 〈◊〉 Lord God will come with strong hand, and his 〈◊〉 shall rule for him: Behold, his reward is with 〈◊〉, and his work before him, Isa. 40.10. But 〈◊〉 Israel art my servant, Jacob whom I have 〈◊〉, the seed of Abraham my friend. Thou ●●m I have taken from the ends of the earth, & ●●ed thee from the chief men thereof, and said 〈◊〉 thee, Thou art my servant, I have chosen thee, 〈◊〉 not cast thee away. Fear thou not, for I am 〈◊〉 thee: be not dismayed, for I am thy God; I 〈◊〉 strengthen thee, yea, I will uphold thee with 〈◊〉 right hand of my righteousness. Behold, all 〈◊〉 that were incensed against thee shall be ashame and confounded; they shall be as nothing, and 〈◊〉 that strive with thee shall perish. Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even the● that contended with thee; they that war againe thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of naught For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right han● saying unto thee, Fear not, I will help thee. Fe●● not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel, I w●● help thee, saith the Lord, and thy Redeemer, t●● holy One of Israel, Isa. 41.8. to the 14. The Sp●rit of the Lord is upon me, therefore hath the L●●● anointed me, he hath sent me to preach good tiding unto the poor, to bind up the broken hearted, 〈◊〉 preach liberty to the captives: and to them th● are bound, the opening of the prison, Isa. 61.1.  
The fullness of the Spirit of God is upo● Christ, and he is sent to set us at liberty: an● it is he alone that can, and doth it. It is he th●● hath broken the head of the Serpent, and 〈◊〉 is the Serpent that hath bruised his heel, whic● is the low and weak member of Christ: an● it is he that doth come and break open these ●ron bars and gates of this prison that the D●vill hath kept us in withal; as the Jews la●● hands on the Apostles, and put them in th● common prison: But the Angel of the Lord 〈◊〉 night opened the prison doors, and brought the● forth, Acts 5.18, 19 So this prison that th● Devil keeps us in, is a common prison; for 〈◊〉 keeps all mankind in this prison of himself but there is two rooms in this prison, the on● ●or those that are godly: and that room of the ●rison that he keeps them most in is their own righteousness, and that is the common prison for them: and the other room in that prison is for all sorts of people that are not god●y. When the Jews had put Christ to death, ●nd when he was buried, they laid a great ●one at the door of the Sepulchre where Christ ●as laid: and they sealed the stone lest he ●●ould rise again, Mar. 15.46. Mat. 27.66. ●et all this could not keep Christ from ri●●g; for there came an Angel and rolled away ●he stone, Mat. 28.2, 3, 4. And behold, there 〈◊〉 a great earthquake, for the Angel of the Lord ●●scended from heaven, and came and rolled back 〈◊〉 stone from the door, and sat upon it. And his contenance was like lightning, and his raiment 〈◊〉 white as snow. And for fear of him the keeper's ●ere astonished, and became as dead men. They ●●d what they could, after they had killed ●hrist, to keep him from rising again; they ●●id a great stone at the door of his Sepulchre, ●●d sealed it to make it fast, and set men to ●atch it; yet all this could not keep Christ ●●om rising: So the Devil doth by Christ spiritually now; for as then he was crucified by his ●●ne peculiar people, not as they were Saints; ●●n so now the Devil doth stir us up as he 〈◊〉 them, to persecute and crucify Christ spiritually by the living to our righteousness; for so fare as we live to our righteousness, we embrace that, and make much of it: but if the righteousness of Jesus Christ appeareth, being it is not like ours; if we see it appear in others, we think because it is not like ours, it is false, and we rail against it, and hate it, and do● what we can to beat it down, and persecute it to the death: and if it doth not lie in ou● power to do what we would against it, we● are very sorry that we cannot do what we would: & we are so impudent bold, that we d● say, that we do not hate your person, bu● your opinions, and it is that which we hate, and do what we can to beat it down, and thus we crucify him in others. And if he manifest himself to us in a sweet, precious, mild● way, speaking peace to us, we will not giv● ear to it, but think it is delusion, because i● comes not like our righteousness, so we beat● it down: And if he maketh known any thing to us of his ways, that is contrary to our way● to what we have been taught, and our righteousness hath led us too, we come against i● with all the whole army of our righteousness to stand in battle against him, not only t● keep him out, that is, from revealing himself and further in us, but also in killing him in u● so fare as we see him in us: and our desire i● ●hat he may be wholly destroyed; as we are ●●en, and are led by our righteousness: and ●●ing set a work by the Devil, thus we cruci●●e Christ: and the Sepulchre that he is buri●● in, is our righteousness and never any was ●●ried there but Christ; for all things of man ●●th appear, but Christ alone lies hidden: ●●d so fare as we live to our righteousness, ●hrist lies as it were dead and buried in us, & 〈◊〉 do what we can to keep him from rising; ●●e roll the greatest stone we can get against 〈◊〉 door of this Sepulchre: we set the greatest ●●position as we can against it, and seal it, ●●d make it sure (as we think) and set a watch ●●er it, which is our righteousness; yet all ●is cannot keep Christ from rising: but the ●●gel will come and roll away this stone, and 〈◊〉 upon it, and make way for Christ to rise, ●●ich is some manifestation of the Spirit of ●od in us in a clear way, appearing very glo●●us, and coming with power, that we are 〈◊〉 able to resist: and he rolls away the stone 〈◊〉 oppositions, and makes a way for a clear ●●ifestation that Christ is risen in us, but he ●●h not appear presently to us as he is risen, 〈◊〉 we shall see this messenger sit upon this ●●e of our oppositions, triumphing over 〈◊〉: and the watchman, our righteousness, 〈◊〉 as if it were astonished & amazed to see the appearance of this messenger in a glorious manner in us, which we could not imagine of be fore we see it; it causeth a great earthquake in us, and striketh our righteousness dead: and Christ being risen, he comes with power in us by his messenger, with some manifestations of his Spirit, to make way for a further manifestation of himself, and his arm shall bring forth salvation in us; he hath lain as it were dead and buried in us, and his salvation hath not appeared to us: but now he will come and destroy that which hath hindered us from seeing Christ and his salvation. For his time being come to arise out of this grave, and destroy his enemies, he will appear to us to do as Samson did, when he was bound with seven green cords (which is perfection of bonds) by Delilah his wife: and he broke the cords as the thread of tow is broken when it feeleth the fire. And then sh●e took new ropes, and bound him therewith, that so the Philistines might destroy him him: but he was so strong that they could not overcome him except he were bound: and there lay his enemies in wait to destroy him when they saw him bound: but he broke the ropes from his arms like a thread, Jud. 16.9. & 12. So doth Christ; there is not any thing can bind him or hinder him from rising, when his time is come. Christ is called a fire, ●ev. 1.14. Heb. 12.29. It is the nature of fire to burn and consume all things that are not one with it: so doth Christ, to burn up that which hindereth us from seeing him, and keepeth us from that sweet enjoyment of him, which 〈◊〉 our sins, and our righteousness: so he comes with flames of fire to render vengeance on that 〈◊〉 us, which knows not, but is an enemy to God, and kept us from God: but now Christ ●ill destroy these spiritual enemies; he will wallow them up in the victory of himself, and ●urn up the dross in us that keeps us from see●●g that pure gold: so fare as he doth manifest himself in us, he discovereth which is dross ●nd which is gold; for in thy light we see light▪ ●or we cannot discern of ourselves, which is ●old, which is the righteousness of Christ, ●nd which is dross, which is our righteousness: but so fare as Christ doth discover this ●●osse to us, he burns it up. Christ is the foundation whereon this spiritual building is built, ●●d all the building must be one and the same ●ith the foundation. Now if any man build upon ●is foundation, gold, silver, precious siones, wood, ●●y, stubble: Every man's works shall be made manifest; for the day shall declare it, because it shall be ●●ealed by fire, and the fire shall try every man's ●●rke of what sort it is. If any man's works a●●de which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's works shall be burnt, be● shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved, ye● so as by fire, 1 Cor 3.11, 12, 13, 14, 15.  
When the day doth appear, than it begins to be light, and that light maketh manifest al● things, and this is Christ: and he being like fire, he tries all the works of man; yea thos● works that are most excellent, that appear● as glorious as gold and silver & precious stone● they must be tried: and all that is not purely of Jesus Christ, and wrought by his Spiri● shall be burnt up by him, as well as hay an● stubble, which is sin and wickedness, Psalm 50.3. Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence; a fire sh●ll devour before him, and it sha● be very tempestuous round about him. That the● our enemies shall not be able to stand against him: but he will destroy them by his coming so fare as he reveals himself in us; for the● his enemies in us are now risen up against hi●● to destroy him, Isa. 9.5. For every battle of t●● Warrior is with confused noise, and garments roweled in blood: but this shall be with burning an● fuel of fire.  
All the battles that the Devil comes against Christ withal to overcome him, is with confusion, confuting, and contradicting him that if we were but able to discern and ta●● notice of his weapons that he comes to destr●●● Christ withal, would destroy himself: but ●ll the Devils weapons are broken in pieces, ●nd is fuel for this fire, which is Christ, and ●e will burn them up by degrees, as he reveals himself in us: and thus he will destroy our spiritual enemies for us, Mica 7.8, 9, Rejoice ●●t against me, O mine enemy, When I fall I shall rise, when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a ●ight unto me. I will bear the indignation of the ●ord, because I have sinned against him, until he ●●ead my cause, and execute judgement for me: he ●ill bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold ●●is righteousness. Then she that is mine enemy ●hall see it, and shame shall cover her which said ●nto me, Where is the Lord thy God? mine eyes ●hall behold her, now shall she be trodden down as the mire of the streets.  
The Church of God is called a woman, Rev. 12.1. and Anti-christ is called a wom●n, Revel. 17.3. And when the Lord brings us forth to the light, than we shall see his righteousness; then our adversary Anti-christ in the history, and that is she that doth outwardly oppose Christ: and in the mystery, which is our righteousness, Christ will tread her under his foot. Thus his arm shall save us from our enemies, and destroy them; for he is very tender over us that are his Spouse and beloved one: And although we are a great while oppressed with the Devil, yet at the last Christ will come and make known to us how he hath overcome him for us, Isa. 27.1, 2, 3. In that day the Lord with his sore and great and strong sword, shall punish Leviathan the piercing Serpent, even Leviathan that crooked Serpent, and he shall slay the dragon that is in the Sea. In that day sing ye unto her; A vineyard of red wine. I the Lord do keep it: I will water it every moment: lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day. Which vine-yard is the Church of God, and he keeps it as well in the night; that is, in our dark condition, Hosea. 11.3. I taught Ephraim also to go, taking them by the arms, but they knew not that I healed them: And I have led them, but they knew it not. And so he keeps it in that dark condition as well as in the day, when he manifests himself to us: so he will open our eyes as we are Saints, that we shall see the things that belongs to our peace. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, Isa. 35.5. And the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness, Isa. 29.18.  
So far as he revealeth himself to us we shall clearly see him: and what he is to us, when he opens our eyes: and we shall also hear him speak peace to us; For the deaf ears shall be unstopped, Isa. 35.5. And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of that book, Isa. 29.18. This ●ooke is that which is spoken of in Revel. 5. ●nd I saw in the right band of him that sat on the ●hrone a book written within, and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a strong Angel proclaiming with a loud voice; Who is wor●●y to open the book, and to lose the seals thereof. And no man in heaven nor earth, neither under the ●arth was able to open the book, neither to look ●hereon.  
Then the lion of the Tribe of Judah, which ●as a Lamb that had been slain; he was found ●orthy to open the book, and to break o●en the seals. And he came and took the book ●●t of the right hand of him that sat upon the Throne.  
This book is the mind of God: as in a book a man may write his mind at large, being of a great volume: so for our weak capacity, the mind of God is as it were writ in a book, being written within, but on the backside sealed with seven seals, that we cannot what is written in it. The vision is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed up, which they deliver to one that cannot read, saying, Read this, I pray thee; and he saith, I ●●nnot, for it is sealed. And the book is given to him that cannot read, saying, Read this I pray thee; and he shall say, I cannot read, Isa. 29.11, 12. And the same book was sent to Ezekiel, Ezek. 2.9, 10. Behold, a hand was sent to me, & lo a roll of a book was therein. And he spread i● before me, and there was written therein, lamentations, mourning, and woe. Isa. 8.16. Bind up the testimony, seal up the law among my Disciples.  
A testimony is, when a man dyeth, he writeth down to whom he would have his estate disposed, when and how: so in this book o● God, is written the whole mind of God, what he hath given us, and when it shall be revealed to us: and how yet it is bound up and sealed: and none is found worthy to open the book, and lose the seal. He that sat upon the Throne is God the Father, and the book that was in his hand, was the whole love and mind of God to all mankind in Christ Jesus. And the seven seals doth set forth to us, that the whole mind and love of God is alone known to himself, and quite shut up, and as it were sealed fast from us; that as we are men and women, we cannot know any thing that is written therein. In this book there is written all things what Christ hath done for all, and what for his Church in particular; what he hath obtained for us, and what we are in him; what he hath made us to the Father in him, and what he is in us: And it is Christ alone that hath obtained of his Father ●o open this book, and to lose the seals; for ●e was the Lamb that was slain for all: and ●y his death he hath obtained power of his ●ather to open the book, and make known ●o us his whole mind. There are seven seals ●o be broke open, and he doth not break o●en all the seals at once, but by degrees: and as he breaks open a seal, he saith, Come and ●●e, Rev. 6.1. That is, we must see ourselves in Christ, before we can see any thing of the mind of God made known to us: and he it is that doth make known to us that we are in him: and the first seal that he breaks open to us, are some manifestations of his love to us: and by degrees he breaks open the seals to us, he doth make known his love and mind to us more and more, in a more fuller, clearer, and glorious manner; every seal breaking open, are new manifestations; every seal more glorious, clearer & fuller than the other that was broke open before. And in this book is written lamentation, mourning, and woe to Antichrist, for her destruction and ruin is come more and more. As Christ breaks open the seals and reveals himself to us, he gives us that hearing ear, his Spirit, that we may hear those things which he hath unsealed to us. The Lord God hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away bacl. He wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned, Isa. 50.4, 5. Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions harken to thy voice, cause me to hear it, Cant. 8.13. And when we come to hear the love of God to us, than we shall see this messenger of the Spirit of God casting the stumbling blocks out of the way, and making known to us in some measure the great love of the Lord to us, and so making way for a further manifestation of himself to us in a fuller, higher, and more glorious manner; for as the seals are broke open, so is Anti christ more and more discovered, and destroyed, by the bright coming of Jesus Christ; for there is a sevenfold purifying of this seed of God in us, from the seed of the Devil, before it can appear to us in the purity of it: and that is as the seals are broke open to us, and he appears very glorious at the breaking open of any of the seals; much more glorious will he appear to us, when all the seals are broke open, when we shall perfectly, fully and clearly see and know Christ as he is to us; for when they are all broke open, then there the perfection of Christ is made known to us, for seven is perfection.   

CHAP. XV. How the LORD leads his people by faith.  
THe Lord doth show his people that which yet they have not the enjoyment of, and 〈◊〉 is in a high and glorious manner: and they ●●e not able to express what it is: but by faith 〈◊〉 some measure they see what it is that they ●●all enjoy: and in the mean while they walk 〈◊〉 faith, and not by fight, Heb. 11.1. Now faith 〈◊〉 the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of ●●ings not seen. And so by faith we must wait patiently for a further manifestation of himself ●n us, in a more glorious and clearer manner. ●or if we hope for that we see not; then do we with patience wait for it, Rom. 8.15. We must not ●e like Thomas, believe no more than we see, or ●njoy? but Christ said, Blessed are they that ●ive not seen, and yet believe, John 20.29. A●raham desired to see my day, and he saw it, and ●as glad. He saw by faith the glorious days of Christ; the mysteries of the kingdom of God ●ath been hidden from us: but now he will ●ake them manifest to his Saints, to whom God would make known what is the riches of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you the hope of glory, Col. 1.26, 27.  
Christ manifested in the flesh is a great mystery; his first coming was in flesh, visible to all, that all might see him. Then he went away as concerning his flesh, and came in Spirit to us. I will not leave you comfortless, but I will come unto you, John 14.18. And he saith, I send my Spirit unto you, John 16.7. If any man love me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him: and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him, John 14.23. So Christ will not only come unto us, but he is in us already, and he will make it manifest that he is come in our flesh by his Spirit; for he and his Spirit are all one: and where Christ is, there is the Father. Know ye not that the Father is in the Son, and the Son in the Father. And at that time ye shall know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you, John 14.20. For Christ is the head, and is one with the Father, and the whole Church of God is the body, which is the Spirit of God in all the Saints: and he is always in us, and with us. Christ in us the hope of glory; we by faith see Christ in us, and know that he is the glory, and wait patiently upon him while he is pleased to manifest his glory in us: So by faith we believe, and hope for that which we have not yet the enjoyment ●f. Though we have Christ, who is the fullness of all happiness; yet we do not see him 〈◊〉 us, till he is pleased to manifest himself to 〈◊〉, and show us his glory. And this faith of ●elieving what we shall enjoy, is a very glorious condition, and we have abundance of joy ●●d comfort in it; for the promise to us of the enjoyment of himself, is sealed to us, we are ●re of it; there is not any thing that can hin●●r him from manifesting himself to us, Eph. ●. 13, 14. After that ye heard the word of truth, ●●e Gospel of your salvation: in whom also after ●hat ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit 〈◊〉 promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance, ●●till the redemption of the purchased possession, ●●to the praise of his glory.  
So the Lord revealing to us by his Spirit, ●●at there is an inheritance purchased by ●hrist for us, which is himself; that is the ●●eatest inheritance that can be: and this Spi●●● doth seal it to us, till the time is come, that ●●mselfe will give us possession of that inheritance that he hath redeemed and purchased ●●r us for the praise of his glory. So while we ●ave but an earnest given us of this inheritance, ●eing we know it is sure, we are exceedingly comforted, and carried above all slavish fears ●nd troubles, and above all things that we see below Christ: and many the Lord leads a great while by faith before he gives them a full possession of himself.   

CHAP. XVI. Not for any to despise, nor undervalue, nor persecute one another.  
IT is a very dangerous thing to embrace and close with that we hear, before we know whether it be truth or no; for it is not sufficient for us to believe a thing to be truth, because another saith it is truth. For us to build upon this is a sandy-foundation, & we cannot build sure upon it; though the things that we hear be truth, yet except we know them to be truth, by the Spirits teaching us, or witnessing to us by sufficient grounds set forth in the Scripture, that those things are truth that we hear; it is very dangerous to build upon it, and it is impossible but this building will fall; for this foundation will not, nor cannot hold it up: and if it come to the trial, it will fall, to the great dishonour of God, and the scandalling of Religion: and it is as dangerous to despise, hate, or persecute any thing that we hear, though it doth not seem to us to be truth; for saith Paul. After that way that ye call heresy, so ●orship I the God of my Fathers. Though it appears to you to be heresy, yet it may be re●●ll truth; therefore do not hate it, nor persecute it; for Paul thought before his conversion ●hat it was heresy, and persecuted it, Acts 9 ●2. And Saul yet breathing out threaten and ●aughter against the Disciples of the Lord, went ●●to the high Priest, and desired of him letters to ●amascus to the Synagogue; that if he found any 〈◊〉 this way, whether they were men or women, he ●ight bring them bound unto Jerusalem. And ●he journeyed, he came near to Damascus: and ●●ddenly there shined round about him a light from ●●aven, and he fell to the earth, and heard a voice, ●●ying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou 〈◊〉? And he said, who art thou, Lord? And the ●ord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is ●●●d for thee to kick against the pricks, vers. 3, 4, ●. Paul was then one that was very strict in all 〈◊〉 ways, and walked very blameless as concerning the performing of the Law: and he ●ought that all that was not as he was, were heretics, and he persecuted them to the ●ath: but the Lord said unto him, Why perse●●test thou me? I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. 〈◊〉 He persecuted Christ in his members. Inas●●eth as you have done it unto one of the least of ●●se my brethren, ye have done it to me, Mat. 25.40. Take heed how you persecute any, though you think they are heretics, and therefore persecute them as Paul did: and indeed there was never any persecution, but it went under the name of punishing Heretics, and do i● by a show of godliness, as Paul did: but it i● hard for you to kick against pricks; for it i● God that ye kick against, and he is stronger than you, and will overcome you at the last and he is like pricks, it will pierce yourselves for not any weapon that is forged against hi● Saints shall prosper: but shall return backe● and destroy their enemies; like as those me● were that took up Shadrach, Mesbech, and Abednego, and cast them into the fiery fornan at the King's command, because they woul● not worship their false gods. They made th● furnace exceeding hot, because it should destroy the three men that were cast into it: b●● the flame of the fire slew those men that ca● them in: and Shadrach, Mesbech, and Abedego walked in the midst of the fire, and neither they nor their  were burned, nor 〈◊〉 much as smell of fire, Dan. 3.  
Therefore whosoever thou art that pers●cutest any, take heed what thou dost; for the last God will destroy thee whosoever th● art, except thou comest to be converted and they whom thou dost persecute shall be 〈◊〉 livered out of thy hands, if it be to the glory 〈◊〉 God, and their good: but if God hath gi●●n you so much power as to put them to ●●ath, the greatest harm that you can do them 〈◊〉 but to bring them to their full happiness: ●●d that harm that you think to do against ●●●m, you do against yourselves; for while 〈◊〉 persecute them, they are at peace and qui●●, and have abundance of the enjoyment of ●●od, and enabled to bear exceedingly what●●ever is laid upon them; for whatsoever is ●●nting outwardly, the Lord supplieth inwardly by his Spirit, and he conveyeth him●●●fe to them in that way, that all the enemy's 〈◊〉 the world, nor all the Devils in hell, are 〈◊〉 able to hinder them from the enjoyment him: but while you persecute them, you ●●●not be quiet in your mind, but are troubled ●●●d cannot have peace, like Saul, that perse●●●●d David. The Spirit of the Lord departed 〈◊〉 Saul, and an evil Spirit from the Lord trou●●●d him, 1 Sam. 16.14. And this Spirit cau●● him to persecute David: and wheresoever 〈◊〉 Spirit is, it causeth persecutions; for it is 〈◊〉 Ishmael that persecuted Isaac.  
Object. But ought we not to punish open ●●etiques and blasphemers? for if we do 〈◊〉 punish them, they may seduce abundance people, and bring them into their blaspe●us ways.  
Answ. All the way that ought to be used, is the preaching of the Word, which is the sword of God. For the word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is 〈◊〉 discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart Heb. 4.12. And in Revel. 1.16. speaking there of Christ, it saith, Out of his mouth wen● a sharp two-edged sword (which is the Gospel. And it is the power of God to salvation, Rom. 1●. 16. And I saw another Angel fly in the midde● of heaven, having the everlasting Gospel to preac● to them that dwell on the Earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, fear God, and give glory to him for the hour of his judgement is come: and worship him that made heaven and earth, and the Sea, an● the fountains of waters. And there followed another Angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is faller that great City, because she made all Nation drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. Rev. 14.6, 7, 8.  
Ye may see how powerful the preaching 〈◊〉 the Gospel is to the destroying of errors. Th●● is the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word God, Ephes. 6.17. which is powerful to the be●ting down of all strong holds of Satan. And it sharper than any two-edged sword, and will destroy this great City Anti-christ, and 〈◊〉 it down to the ground; for this will ●nt ●●nder all the joints whereby it is joined together, and the very soul, and spirit, and ●●arrow of it, whereby it doth live, even the ●●y life of it shall be destroyed by the pressing of the Gospel; for this doth find out the ●●undation of the building of Anti-christ, and ●●ll it down, and the building will fall of it ●●fe: and we are commanded to use this way, ●●d the Apostles did use this way, and no o●●er, and they found it very beneficial; for by they were brought out of their errors: and ●●re was daily abundance added to the ●●urch such as should be saved. False doctrine ●●th not so much power to build up errors, 〈◊〉 the Gospel of Jesus Christ hath power to ●●roy them, if it be rightly preached: and if 〈◊〉 go any other way to work in beating ●●ne errors, it will not do it, though you ●●●secute them to the death, it will make it ●●ead the more, and make them that you per●●●te the more zealous for it.  
I beseech you beloved take heed of these two ●●●gs of closing to all that we hear, and building upon it before God makes it truth to us ●his Spirit, and of hating and persecuting 〈◊〉 which is not truth to you; for it may be ●●●th, though God hath not made it known to you, therefore hate it not, nor persecute it, lest you are found to persecute God. Judge not before the time, but leave all to God; fo● to him we stand or fall, for that which is no● of God shall fall at the last. But whatsoev●● you hear, desire the Lord to teach you by h●● Spirit, whether it be truth or no, and wai●● upon God, using the means as hearing a●● reading, and the like: but not depend upon 〈◊〉 but see God above it, while he doth please reveal himself to you, and show you what truth: and whensoever he doth any time ma●● known any thing to you to be truth by sufficient grounds according to the word, thou●●● it be never so sudden; that embrace, and ●●tertaine, and rejoice at any manifestation the love of God to you. Despise not the day small things? and though you see others so●● higher in the enjoyments of God, and in 〈◊〉 ways of God, than you, yet be not troub●● at it, nor do not envy their condition, 〈◊〉 he is the same to you as he is to them, thou●● you see it not; for the Lord saith, he will fa●● Christ as a nail in a sure place, and he shall be a glorious throne to his father's house. And shall hang upon him all the glory of his father's h●● the offspring and the issue, all vessels of ●●quantity: from the vessels of cups, even to all vessels of flagons, Isa. 22.23, 24. They all 〈◊〉 upon Christ, even the small cups, which are ●e lowest Saints, as well as the flagons, which ●e high. On all the vessels in the house of the ●ord, is a glorious one, for it is Christ that ●akes them so: and be not troubled, because ●ou seest many several opinions in the world, ●or God is not limited to any one of them; ●●r God hath, and will reveal his whole mind ●o his Church: but every particular one knows ●ut in part, and opinions are but the shells: ●t us not strive for them; for we cannot live ●pon them; if we have the kernel it is sufficient, which is Christ, for he is the substance, ●nd all things else are but shells to him: and let 〈◊〉 be willing for him to lead us by his Spirit, ●nd he will lead us in the right way: and they ●hat are grown high Saints, and have abundance of enjoyment, let them not despise nor undervalue those that are low. There is all ●anner of growth of Saints among us: and I ●peak to all sorts of you, do not undervalue those ●hat are not as you are, for we are all brethren 〈◊〉 Christ, and so we are to esteem one another, if there by any appearance of godliness; ●●●r my dove my undefiled is but one, Cant. 6.9.  
Give no just occasion to any to scandal religion; become low to those that are low, yet speaking the truth: but in such a way as they may plainly understand; you do not speak of high mystical things to those that are very low, except ye speak them forth in a very clear manner; for being they cannot understand it, they conclude it is heresy: so by it religion comes to be scandalised: but this meat is too strong for babes, they must be fed with milk as Paul did, 1 Cor. 3.2. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat; for hitherto ye were not able to bear it. Heb. 5.13, 14. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil .. So by degrees feed them as they are able to bear it, and do not dishearten any, though they are never so low; for consider that once ye were low yourselves, therefore bear with their weakness and infirmities. And beloved, let not us make a rent or schism in this body, the Church of Christ; let not the Presbytery despise those that they call Independents; nor the Independents despise the Presbytery: and those that are neither of them, let them not despise either of them; for those that are the children of God, what form soever they are in, there is the seed of God in them, though it be covered with a great deal of dross, that the seed of God doth little appear; yet that which is of God is pure wheresoever it is, though Anti-christ appeareth more in ●hem than Christ, and seduceth them, and ●hey cannot see it, while Christ doth break o●en his seals to us: and as he breaks open a ●●al to us, than we come to see more light, then ●e see what gross ways of Anti-christ we have ●een in; then we come out of that form into ●nother, that more seeming glorious form ●han the other that we were in before: but An●i-christ will reign in us in this form as well as in the other that we were in, appearing more glorious to us than he did before: and when the Lord comes and breaks open another seal to us, and brings us up higher to himself, and ●hews us more light than we saw before; then we see what a dark way we were in before; then we come out of that form into another form more glorious than the other, even the most purest and glorious form that we can find in all the Scripture.  
Thus the Lord brings us from one thing to another; from Papacy to Presbytery, from Presbytery to Independency, and the Lord is in every one of these forms to his people while he brings them out of it: and Satan also doth transform himself to an Angel of light, and will be in that form to you; for now you are out of an Anti-christian way, and think yourselves safe: but you may hug and embrace Anti-christ in the mystery, when you hate him, & speak against him in the history: and the more glorious form you are in, the more secure you think yourselves; and are ready to say, let us here build Tabernacles. And beloved, we make goodly Images to ourselves; the more glorious our form is, the more glorious images we make: and the more liker God, the more dangerous; for that which is not purely of God, so far as it is not of God, it is of Anti-christ, and we make an image of it, and that which is like Christ; for Anti-christ doth appear in us like Christ, we do not know him from Christ; therefore let not any of us despise each other, or undervalue one another, for Anti-christ doth tyrannize over us all, some in one way, and some in another, and he it is that causeth us to despise and undervalue one another; for that which is of God is loving and kind to all, and meek and mild, and causeth us to forgive one another, and forbear one another, and overcome one another with love. When Christ comes and breaks open another seal to you, than you will see that yet you are in the dark; for that light which now you have, is a great light to that which you saw before: but it is but darkness to that light which shall appear to you: and then he will show you that a great deal of that in you which you thought was spirit, will appear to be but flesh, which is of Anti-christ.   

CHAP. XVII. How God brings his Church into the wilderness.  
THere is a spiritual wilderness that Christ brings his Saints into, before he giveth them a full possession of Canaan, that is, that glorious inheritance, which is Christ. A wilderness is a barren place; he will strip us of all our excellent things, so far as it is not purely of himself; he will come with the Northwind, and nip, and deaden, and blast all our most excellent performances, that we shall have nothing to trust to, but see ourselves in a barren condition like a wilderness. The church of God hath been in the wilderness ever since Anti-christ began to reign: and Anti-christ is that which is like Christ, yet opposeth Christ, and it began in the Apostles days; for no sooner is there any thing of Christ made known, but the Devil will transform himself as like it as may be, and labour to set up his way in us, and opposeth the way of Jesus Christ. For every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is not of God: and this is that spirit of Anti-christ whereof you have heard, that it should come, and even now already it is in the world, 1 John 4.3. Little children it is the last time: and as ye have heard that Anti-christ shall come; even now there are many Anti-christs, whereby we know that it is the last times, 1 John 2.18. That which doth deny Christ any other ways in the history, or in the mystery, in what manner soever it be, so fare as we hold any thing that is not the pure truth of Christ, so fare as it is not truth it is of Anti-christ, though it appear never so glorious: and it is said that there are many Anti-christs, because he appeareth in many ways to us: but he did not reign in the Apostles time so as he hath done since; for the Gospel was then purely preached: but Christ told his Disciples what things should come to pass, Mat. 24.15. When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the Prophet, stand in the holy place? whoso readeth, let him understand.  
When the Lord openeth our eyes, that we see it before us, and in us, than we come to read and understand, that the abomination of Anti-christ being set up, makes the truth of Jesus Christ desolate; for that light that shined in the Apostles days hath been quite put out, and the Church hath been led in a very dark way; for the mind of God hath been sealed up with seven seals: and all the time that the book is sealed up, the Church is in the wilderness, and there she hath a place prepared of God, and there she should be fed a thousand, two hundred and threescore days, Rev. 1.26. And this was the time of the two Witnesses prophesying. And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand, two hundred, and threescore days clothed in sackcloth, Rev. 11.3.  
God hath some always to speak forth his pure truth in some measure: and they that speak forth the things of Christ, are the witnesses of Christ, and they prophesy in sacke-cloath; which sign of sorrow and mourning when there is but little manifestation of Jesus Christ, than we are kept under by Anti-christ, both outward and inward, and then is the time of mourning. Can the children of the bride-chamber fast while the Bridegroom is with them? but when the Bridegroom is taken from them, in those days shall they fast. And when they fasted, they used to be clothed in sackcloth, which doth appear that the time of the Church being in the wilderness, having then but small appearance of the Bridegroom to them, than is the time of fasting and mourning, yet God doth feed and preserve her from all those devouring beasts that are in the wilderness: and there are seven degrees of coming out of this wilderness, and the Lord doth first show us that we are in the wilderness, before he doth make it known to us that he hath brought us out of it; he will show us our barrenness by stripping us quite naked of all our goodly things, that we shall have nothing to trust too, then will he reveal himself in us, and appear to be all in all in us, and then he will appear very glorious, Hosea. 2.14. I will bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her. There is first a dying to the flesh, before there is appearing to live in the Spirit; for while our first husband, (the law or flesh) is alive, we live unto him: but if he be dead by the life of Christ appearing in us, than we are free to marry to another, which is to Christ, Rom. 7.4. Ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God, Col. 3.3. We are dead to the flesh by the power of the death of Christ; for Christ died for the destruction, I do not mean our bodies, but that which is of Anti-christ in us: and our life is hid with Christ in God; for our life is in the life of Christ. I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life that I now live in the flesh (which is in the body) I live by the faith of the Son of God, Gal. 2.20. But in the beginning of this verse, he saith, I am crucified with Christ, Gal. 6.14. God forbidden that I should glory in any thing save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. So we are crucified to all things that is below Christ, 2 Cor. 5.16, 17. Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh; yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet ●ow henceforth know we him so no more. Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new creature; ●lde things are passed away, behold all things are become new.  
We must not know Christ any longer after our fleshly apprehension; for all our old imaginations of Christ must pass away by the new manifestations of Christ in us, Rom. 8.10, 11. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin: but the Spirit is life, because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you: he that raised up Christ from the dead, shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.  
Here is a dying to the flesh, and then living to thee Spirit; It is aPpointed for man once to die. And after death, comes the judgement, as all things is, and shall be fulfilled outwardly in the history; so all things shall be fulfilled spiritually in us in the mystery. Christ is risen in us, and is come to spiritual judgement, and doth raise up his Spirit in us, that hath lain as it were dead in us: and the flesh (which is Antichrist) shall stand before God, and be judged and condemned by him, Col. 3.4. When Christ who is our life shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory: and we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is, 1 John 3.2. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection, on such the second death hath no power, Revel. 20.6.  
This is the first resurrection, and the Lord is set in his judgement-seate to destroy Antichrist. And then shall that wicked one be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the Spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him whose coming is after the working of Satan, with all power, and signs, and lying wonders, 2 Thes. 2.8, 9  
Satan is said to sit in heavenly places, because he transformeth himself to the likeness of God, and so deceiveth us, making us believe he is God, and so we worship him, thinking he is God. How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, Son of the Morning? how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the Nations? For thou hast said in thy heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my Throne above the Stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the Congregation in the sides of the North. I will ascend above the height of the clouds, I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell so the sides of the pit. They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake Kingdoms? That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the Cities thereof, that opened not the ●house of his prisoners? Hell from beneath is moved for thee, to meet thee at thy coming: thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols. The worms are spread under thee, and the worms cover thee, Isa. 14.9. to the 17. And there came one of the seven Angels which had the seven Vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither, I will show thee the judgement of the great Whore that sit●eth upon many waters: With whom the Kings of the Earth have committed fornication, and the Inhabiters of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. So he carried me away in the Spirit into the Wilderness, and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet-coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten bornes. And the woman was arrayed in purple, & scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls, having a golden cup in her handful of abominations, and filthiness of her fornication. And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the Saints, and with the blood of the Martyrs of Jesus, Revel. 17. All nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, Rev. 18.3. Here is a discovering of Anti-christ before she is judged, condemned, and destroyed: and when the time is come for the discovering of her to us, than he shows us her by a high and glorious revelation of himself; for there is not any thing that can discover Anti-christ to us, but the Spirit of God.  
When the Lord doth come to show us any thing of himself in the mystery, he saith, come up hither, and I will show you the things that must be hereafter: and immediately I was in the Spirit, Rev. 4.1. Rev. 1.10. Rev. 17.1. Rev. 21.9. There is no seeing of any thing of God in the truth of it, but by the revelation of the Spirit of God, and he carrieth us as we are Saints up into himself: and the higher he carrieth us, the more he shows us of the mystery of himself; for as he openeth the seals in making known any thing of himself to us, he saith, Come up hither, Rev. 4.12. After this I looked, and behold, a door was open in heaven: and the first voice which I heard, was as it were of a trumpet talking with me, which said, Come up hither, and I will show thee things that must be hereafter. And immediately I was in the Spirit, and behold, a Throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the Throne. And being in the Spirit he comes to see it; then after he hath shown himself to us, he shows us Anti-christ, which is called the great Whore, because we all commit spiritual fornication with her: and here is a carrying us up higher in the Spirit to see her. And there came one of the seven Angels which had the seven Vials, and talked with me, and saying unto me, Come hither, I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her: & I will show unto thee the judgement of the great Whore, Rev. 17.17. And then after he hath showed us the mystery of the Whore, and her destruction, than he shows us the marriage of the Church to Christ in the mystery, & in his glory. And there came unto me one of the seven Angels, which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will show thee the Bride, the Lambs wise. And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and shown me that great City, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God, Rev. 21.9, 10, 11.  
So we are carried up higher and hiher into God by the Spirit of God, revealing the things of God in us: and when the Spirit of God doth show us God sitting upon his Throne in his glory, in such a measure as we are enabled to see him; then he shows us Anti-christ in his glory, or the Whore in her glory; for it is one and the same, as Christ and his Church is, Christ being the head, and his Church the body: so Anti-christ, which is the Devil, transformed to an Angel of light, is the head, 2 Cor 11.14. and his seed in us all is the body, which is called the Whore, and she doth appear very glorious. And the woman was arrayed in purple, and scarlet-colour, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls, Rev. 17.4. like the church of God, the Lamb's wife: and without the Spirit of God doth show us the difference betwixt her and the Church of God, we do not know her from the Church of God, for she is in the wilderness where the Church of God is, Rev. 17.3. So he carried me in the Spirit into the wilderness, and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet-coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads, and ten horns. By seeing the beast that she sitteth upon, which doth bear her up, and this beast doth ascend out of the bottomless pit, Revel. 11.7. We come to know her from the Church of God. And there appeared a great wouder in heaven, a woman clothed with the Sun, and the Moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve Stars. And she being with child, crying, travelling in birth, and pained to be delived.  
This woman is the Church of God, and is said lo be in heaven, that is, in Christ; for he is the perfect heaven: and she is clothed with Christ, which is the Son of righteousness, and all things that are below him, is under her feet. And she hath a crown of twelve stars, the glory of Christ, that did appear by that Doctrine that was taught by the twelve Apostles of Christ; for the Preachers of the Gospel are called stars, Rev. 1.20. She hath the glory of Christ, and is cloached with him, and he is with her, and in her, yet she saw it not; he had not manifested himself to her. She was as it were with child with him, and in great pain, desiring to have him brought forth to her, that she mighe see him as he is, and have the enjoyment of him: and no sooner did this woman appear, but there appeared another wonder in heaven. And behold, a great red Dragon, having seven heads, and ten bornes, and seven crowns upon his head, and he stood before the Woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was delivered.  
Thus Anti-christ labours to devour Christ as soon as he is brought forth in us, appearing to us like unto Christ. And there was war in heaven, Michael and his Angels sought against the Dragon, and the Dragon sought, and his Angels, and prevailed not, neither was their places found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old Serpent, called the Devil and Satan, which deceives the whole world, he was cast out into the earth, and his Angels were cast out with him.  
Here is the Devil made known to us how he is in heavenly places, fight against Christ: but Christ hath overcome him, and cast him out of his heavenly shape, that he shall not be able to overcome us. He is called a red Dragon, and a scarlet-coloured beast, because he persecutes and destroys the Church of God: and this Beast is spoken of in many places of the Revelations: and the woman that sits upon it is the glory and seeming excellency of Antichrist; and she also is clothed with scarlet-colour, which is persecution. Though she be clothed in the most glorious manner as can be, with gold, and precious stones, and pearls, like the glory of Christ, yet this is but to deceive us. And she hath in her hand a golden cup full of abominations, and filthiness of her fornication. Being she appears so glorious to us, like unto Christ: and the cup that she giveth us to drink of appeareth so pure and glorious, which maketh us not to question it, but think that it is the cup of salvation: So we drink of her abhominationr, and commit spiritual fornication with her: and she sitteth upon all people, & multitudes, and tongues, and nations, Rev. 17. She domineereth over us all, and she is carried on swiftly in her abominations upon the back of the Beast which was full of names of blasphemy, which blasphemeth the name of God, and ways of God. And he hath seven heads, perfection of wisdom; he knows all the ways of God, and he transformeth himself to the likentsse of them all: And he hath ten horns to persecute withal, and he makes use of them so fare as God suffereth him: and he hath all ways to decive us in appearing like a Lamb to us, having two horns like a Lamb, but speaking like a Dragon, Rev. 13.11. and also appearing like Prophets in us, Revel. 16.13, 14. And I saw three unclean spirits, like frogs, coming out of the mouth of the Dragon, and out of the mouth of the Beast, and out of the mouth of the false Prophet. For they are the spirit of Devils, working miracles. And the Lord doth make the ways of Anti-christ appear, laying them clearly open by the appearance of himself in us: and as he breaks open the seals to us, there are great earthquakes, Heb. 12.26, 27. Yet once more, I shake not only the earth, but also heaven. And this word (yet once more) signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken, may remain.  
The Lord when he appeareth in us, doth not only make the earth quake at his presence, which is all things that doth appear to us to be below God, whatsoever it be: but also heavenly things, all glorious things which are of Anti-christ, which is like heaven, and doth appear to us to be heaven: but this shall be shaken by the appearing of Jesus Christ in us: and those things that cannot be shaken, which are of Jesus Christ, they shall remain: but all things that are not of him shall fall, and shall appear to us to be but earth, or flesh, as bad as the kilel of the flesh, gross sin and wickedness; I do not mean the flesh of our bodies, nor this earth that we dwell upon: but there are two kinds of seeds of the Devil in us; that gross seed which bringeth forth sin in us, is called earth; the first man was of the earth, earthly; as is the earthly, such are they that are earthly. That which is not of God, is said to be of Satan, which is called earth: and so fare as we have this earthly seed appearing in us, so far we are of the earth, earthly; then there is that seeming glorious seed of himself in us, which is our righteousness, and that seems to be like the ways of God, and therefore it is called heaven: but it is but of the earth, and is earthly; this is called the first man; the second man is Christ, and he is heavenly, 1 Cor. 15. The first man is of the earth, earthly, the second man is the Lord from hea●en; as is the earthly, such are they that are earthly: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly: and as we have borne the image of the earthly, we shall also bear the ●mage of the heavenly. Now this I say, brethren, ●hat flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom ●f God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. That which is of Satan which is called ●lesh, and blood, and earth, and corruption, ●hall not inherit the Kingdom of God; for this ishmael shall not be heir with Isaac: so at the appearing of God in us there will be a great earthquake, when the mountain of the Lord (which is Christ) comes to be established atop of the mountains of Anti-christ; For thou ●ast said in thy heart, I will ascend into heaven, 〈◊〉 will exalt my throne above the Stars of God: I will sit upon the mount of the Congregation. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be ●ike the most High, Isa. 14.13, 14. The voice ●f my beloved, behold he cometh leaping upon the ●ountains, and skipping upon the hills, Cant. 2.8. Whether the hills or mountains, though they ●e never so high, that is not of himself, whatsoever it be in us, whether high or great sins, ●r our righteousness, he will tread them all under his feet, and triumph over them all: and this mount makes the whole earth filen● before him both outward and inward, and make them quake, Revel. 6.12, 13, 14. And 〈◊〉 beheld when he had opened the sixth; seal, and lo●● there was a great earthquake, and the Sun became black as a sacke-cloath of hair, and th● Moon became as blood. And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a figtree casteth he● untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the Heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together, and every mountain and Island were moved out of their places Mat. 24.29. Immediately after those day's shal● the Sun be darkened, and the Moon shall not giv● her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, & the powers of heaven shall be shall be shaken. And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man is heaven; and then shall all the Tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds with power and great glory.  
Here is speaking of Christ's coming to judgement: The coming of Christ to judgement is both outward and inward; spiritually in the mystery: and at the opening of the sixtoes seal here is the first resurrection; for after th● Sun is darkened, and the Moon not give he● light, then shall Christ appear in his glory i● us; he is come to this spiritual judgement i● us, and by his glorious appearance he makes the Sun to appear as black as a sackcloth of hair, and the Moon to be like blood: But while the first Heaven is departed away, his glory doth not appear in us; for the first heaven hinders us from seeing the glory of Christ; the Sun is that whereby we see, for that is light itself, and giveth light to us, and by that light that we receceive from the Sun, we see the Sun: and that light that the Moon hath, she receiveth it from the Sun; it is the same light infused into the Moon, but it doth not appear so glorious as the Sun; for the Sun is the fullness of light, and the Moon partakes of it all, but is not able to contain it all, but is filled with the light and glory of it: and the stars have that light that they shine withal from the Sun, and is the same with the Moon, and they give a bright, clear, and glorious light, yet not so full and great a light as the Moon doth; for they are not able to contain it: and this typifieth out to us Christ and his Church, and every particular Saint; for Christ is the Sun, and the Church the Moon, and the Saints the Stars. Now where the Church of God is, there is also the church of Anti-christ, and the light that she hath is infused after the same manner, and all in us: and both these lie together, that as we are men and women, we do not know one light from the other: but when Christ doth appear to us in his pure light, than the light of the sun of Anti-christ in us will appear as black as sackcloth of hair, and that moon, the Church of Anti-christ, will appear like blood, being a bloody persecuter of the Church of God: and the stars of Anti-christ will also fall; for being that sun is darkened whereby the stars receiveth their light, they must fall: and that heavenly and glorious appearance of Anti-christ shall departed as a scroll when it is rolled together. And then every mountain and Island shall be moved out of their places; for now is the day of the Lord come to render vengeance on all things in us that knows not God. Now is the time of the destruction of Anti-christ come, and he is not able to stand against it; for by the manifestation of the appearance of Jesus Christ, revealing himself in his glory by his Spirit, doth destroy Anti-christ; for by the preaching of the Gospel this City Babylon doth fall. When the Spirit of God doth teach us to know what the Gospel of Christ is to us, and in us, this doth come with power, and doth overthrow Anti-christ in us: and the outward preaching of the Word alone will not do it, but the spirit working with it doth do it: and the Lord is well pleased to make use of the outward preaching of the word to work upon us by his Spirit commonly: but he is not bound to one way; he works upon us by his Spirit with means, or without means, or against means, yet it is one spirit that doth work upon us suitable to the Word, he would not have us under value the outward preaching of the Gospel, nor yet idolise it, Revel. 8.1, 2. And after these things I saw another Angel come down from heaven, having great power, & the earth was lightened with his glory. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, & is become the habitation of Devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. All manner of unclean things hath lodged in her, but we did not see it, but now the Lord will show us it. Reward her even as she hath rewarded you, double unto her double according to her works; In the cup which she hath filled, fill to her double. How much she hath glorified herself. and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her. For she saith in her heart, I sit a Queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow; therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine. And she shall he utterly burnt with fire, for strong is the Lord God that judgeth her, Revel. 18.6, 7, 8. He doth double the cup of his wrath and indignation against her, and doth destroy her, and burn her up with the fire of himself; we cannot do it, but he is strong and able to do● it, and doth do it for us: and the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find● them no more at all, Rev. 18.14. And a mighty Angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the Sea, saying, thus with violence shall that great City Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all. And the voice o● harpers, and musicians, & of pipers and trumpeters shall be heard no more at all in thee: and n● Crafts-man of whatsoever Craft shall be found no more in thee, and the found of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee. And the light of 〈◊〉 candle shall shine no more at all in thee, and th● voice of the Bridegroom and of the Bride shall be heard no more at all in thee; for thy Merchants were the great men of the Earth; for by thy forceries were all Nations deceived. And in her to 〈◊〉 found the blood of Prophets, and of Saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth, Rev. 18.21, 22, 23, 24.  
Here is an utter destruction of her, and this is that veil that keepeth us from seeing the glory of Christ; for he that keepeth from him is a veil; or if we see him but darkly, it is because the vail is not quite done away. There was a vail before the Tabernacle, which is called the holiest of all; In which Tabernacle were all the glorious and excellent things, Heb. 〈◊〉 .3, 4. And thou shalt make a veil of blue, & purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen of tunning work: with Cherubims shall it be made. And thou shalt hang it upon four pillars of Shi●tim ●ood, overlaid with gold; their books shall be of ●old upon the sockets of silver. And thou shalt ●ong up the veil under the tacks, that thou mayst ●ring in thither within the veil, the Ark of the Testimony: And the vail shall divide unto you between the holy places, and the most holy, Exod. ●6. 31, 32, 33, 34.  
There was three places in this Tabernacle; first, the Priests went always into the first Tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God: ●ut into the second went the High Priest alone ●nce every year; not without blood, which ●e offered for himself, and for the errors of ●he people. The holy Ghost thus signifying, ●hat the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, Heb. 9.6, 7, 8. For that glorious veil ●oth hid it quite from us, Luke 23.45. The Sun was darkened, and the veil of the Temple was ●●nt in the midst. Mat. 27.51. And behold, the veil of the Temple was rend in ta'en from the top to ●he bottom, and the earth did quake, and the ●ockes rend. Christ by his death did rend the vail that doth keep us from the seeing of him. Moses after he had seen, and talked with God, he appeared so glorious, that the people could not look upon him, and then he put a vail over his face. Moses was a type of Christ, and he had a veil over him, that they could not see him, which were types and shadows: and through that veil they saw Christ darkly, 2 Cor. 3.11, 12, 13, 14. Seeing we have such hope we use great plainness of speech. And not as Moses which put a veil over his face, that the children of Israel could not steadfastly look to the end of that which is abolished? But their minds were blinded; for until this day remaineth the same veil untaken away in the reading of the old Testament, which veil is done away in Christ. But even unto this day when Moses is read, the veil is upon their hearts. Nevertheless, when it shall turn to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away. Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. When the Lord doth open the seals to us, and comes with power in us by his Spirit, than he turns us to himself, and shows us by degrees that this veil that hinders us from seeing him, is taken away by him, and so by degrees we shall see him as he is; and then we shall see what bondage we were in to sin and Satan, and our own selves, and how we are set at liberty by Christ, John 8.36. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. Isa. 25.7.8. And destroy in this mountain in the face of the covering cast over all people, and the veil that is spread over all Nations. He will swallow death in victory, 1 Cor. 15.54. This death, and this veil is one and the same; for both of them keeps us from seeing life, which is Christ: For while we live to ourselves, and to our righteousness, so far we are dead to Christ. Now as he manifests himself in us, he swallows up this death, and we shall see ourselves live in his life, and dead to that life that we did live to ourselves. Thus the Lord will strip us of all our excellent things, bringing us into the wilderness, and showing us that all our works are burnt up, so far as they are of us: but that which is of God in us, is not burnt up, but is purged from our dross, and will appear very glorious, and will make us silent; for we shall have nothing to boast of, but confess that it is Christ in us which is that glory; then we shall ●e that he is no respecter of persons; for whatsoever he be, whether he be a strict Jew, as the Jews were very strict, as ye may see by Paul before his conversion. Or a Gentile, one that makes no show of godliness, but lives very loosey, as those Gentiles did which are spoken of ●n Rom. 1. yet when Christ reveals himself to them, they shall find that his love is the same to them, as to them that have been most strictest. When the Lord of the Vine-yard sent labourers into his Vine-yard, he sent some at the first hour, and some at the third hour, and some at the sixth hour, & some at the eleventh hour: and when he came to pay them, he began with him that went in last, and he had as much given him as he that went in first, Mat. 20. Those that are but young Saints, that have been but lately brought into Christ, the Lord doth many times reveal himself in a very glorious manner to them, before he doth to them that have laboured in the Lord's Vineyard a great while, and have had the seed of God appearing in them a great while, Mat. 29.30. But many that are first shall be last, and the last shall be first, That we may know that God is no respecter of persons; for we are all one body, and his love is as great to one member, as to another, Ephes. 4.4, 5, 6. There is one body and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling. One Lord, one faith, one Baptism. One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all, Col. 3.11. Christ is all, and in all the Saints.   

CHAP. XVIII. How glorious the glory of Christ will appear in his Church, when he bringeth them out of the Wilderness.  
When Christ hath stripped his Church off of all her goodly things, than she hath nothing to trust too, but on Christ. Isa. 2. Then the lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the baughtinesse of men shall be bowed down, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. For the day of the Lord of Hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up: and he shall be brought low, and the Idols he shall utterly abolish. And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the ●aves of the Earth, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his Majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth. In that a man shall cast his Idols of silver, and his Idols of god, (which they made every one for himself to worship) to the Moles and to the Bats. Hosea 14.8. Ephraim ●●all say, what have I to do any more with Idols? Isa. 31.7. For in that day every man shall ●ast away his Idols of silver, and his Idols of gold, which your own hands have made, for a sin.  
When this day of the Lord is come to us, than we shall be willing to cast them away, because the Lord shows us the odiousness of them by the glory of himself revealed in us: but before this day is come to us, we had rather part from any thing than part from them. But when he comes to give a full possession of himself, than we are willing to part from all thing that are not of himself: but he doth not reveal all his glory to us at once, but revealeth himself to us by degrees, as we are able to bear and contain him: And as he shows himself to us, so he shows us Antichrist and his destruction; for the more incomes we have of Christ, the more of self and Satan doth appear to us, and is destroyed more and more by this fire of Christ. For he doth baptise us with the holy Ghost and fire, Mat. 5. Acts 2. Who among us shall dwell with devouring fire? who amongst us shall dwell with everlasting burn, Isa. 33.14.  
This fire of the Spirit of God never goes out, but is always burning up that in us that is contrary to itself, that there may be all the dross burned up: And this fire is in Zion, and his furnace in Jerusalem, Isa. 31.9. which is the Church of God. Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness leaning upon her Beloved? Cant. 8.5.  
The Spouse of Christ see● all other things fail her, and she leaneth now wholly upon her Beloved; she is of herself like a barren wilderness: but now he will cause the fui●ts of his Spirit to appear, to grow and flourish in her.  
The Wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as a rose. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing; the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of our God, Isa. 35.12. The Spirit shall be poured upon us from on high, and the Wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a Forest. Then judgement shall dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness remain in the fruitful field. And the work of righteousness shall be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness, and assurance for ever. And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places, and none shall make her afraid, Isa. 32.15, 16, 17, 18.  
Now is the time come, for us to see that the marriage day is come, when he doth come and manifest himself in us in a glorious way, to tell us what he is to us, and in us, and what we are in him, and to him, when he thus comes to us; that day is the marriage day to us. Rev. 19.7, 8, 9 Let us be glad, rejoice and give honour to him, for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his Wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white; for the fine linen is the righteousness of Saints.  
And he said unto me, write, blessed are they that are called to the marrioge supper of the Lamb. And he said unto me, These are the true say of God, Rev. 20.9, 10, 11. And there came unto me one of the seven Angels, and talked with me, and said unto me, Come hither, and I will show thee the Bride, the Lamb's Wife. And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and shown me that great City, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. And her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a Jasper stone, clear as crystal.  
The Bride of Christ is the Church of God, and it is descended out of Heaven from God, for it is one with him; for it is the Spirit of God in all the children of God, that is this body, the Church. The Bride and this descendeth from God into us, yet it is not parted from him, but is in him, and this is clothed with the glory of God. This is that righteousness of the Saints, and her light is the light of Christ, and that light is the clearest, and purest, and most precious and glorious light that can be. I will appear glorious in thee, Isa. 49.3.  
Awake, awake, put on thy Strength O Zion, put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy City, for henceforth there shall no more come into thee; the uncircumcised and the unclean. Shake thyself from the dust, arise and sit down, O Jerusalem, lose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion, Isa. 52.1, 2.  
She was in a sleepy, drowsy condition, so long as she sat in the dust of that earth of Anti-christ, and was a captive in his band? But now our Beloved is come, he calls unto us to awake, and to put on strength. The Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27.1. Psalm 28.7. He hath clothed us with his strength: And this is that beautiful garment.  
Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For behold, the darkenesss shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee, Isa. 60.1, 2. And the glory that thou hast given me, I have given them, John 17.22.  
The Spouse of Christ being clothed with the glory of Christ, she is all glorious. The King's daughter is all glorious within. We are the King of heaven's daughters, for we are married to Christ, and God the Father is our Father, and we are all glorious within.  
It is the Spirit of God in us that is so glorious, and this is a spiritual glory, it cannot be seen outwardly by others; they may hear us speak forth something of this glory in us, but none sees it nor knows it, but those that have it, Revel. 2.17. To him that overcommeth will I give to eat of the hidden Manna: and I will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth, saving him that hath it.  
This Manna is Christ, and he is hid from the world, but as we are Saints, we see it, and feed upon it; for it is that which we live by, and this stone is Christ, 1 Pet. 2.6. And this is a very precious stone: and here is a new name written in this stone, that none doth know it but he that hath it. And that which is written in it is the manifestation of the exceeding riches of the love and mercy of God, and all his glory and excellency which he hath given us as we are Saints.  
Christ doth set forth the beauty and comeliness, and glory of his Church, having his beauty, and comeliness, and glory on her, Cant. 4. Cant. 7. Thou hast ravished my heart my Sister, my Spouse, thou hast ravished my heart with one of thy eyes, with one chain of thy neck. How fair is thy love, my Sister, my Spouse, how much better is thy love than wine, and the smell of thy ointments, than all spices. Thy lips (O my Love) drop as the honeycomb; honey and milk are under thy tongue, and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon.  
This ointment that our Beloved is so taken with the smell of, is the anointing of the holy Ghost, 1 John 2.27. The anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you all things, and is truth, and is no lie: and even as he hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.  
The Priests and Kings used to be anointed with oil, and it was a type of Christ; he was that King and Priest that was anointed with the holy Ghost. Psalm 45.6, 7. Thy throne (O God) is for ever and ever; the sceptre of thy kingdom is ascepter of righteousness. Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness, because God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.  
And this is like that precious ointment upon the head, that runneth upon the beard, even unto Aaron's beard, which wet down on the border of his garments, Psal. 133.2.  
This ointment of the Spirit of God is all of it poured upon this Priest, Christ, which is the head of the Church, and it runs off from him down upon all the Saints: and this ointment of the Spirit of God makes our garments smell so sweet, which is that Wedding garment, Mat. 22.12. which is the righteousness of the Saints, Revel. 19.8. And being filled with this Spirit, causeth our lips to speak, or drop forth sweet, heavenly, glorious things, more sweeter to the soul, than the honey and honeycomb is to the pallet. The Spouse of Christ is exceeding glorious in every respect; being in Christ, she is perfect in him. I in them, and they in me, that they may be made perfect in one, John 17.23. That they all may be one, as thou Father art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us, John 17.21. Put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness, Coloss. 3.14. which is Christ: And where he is, there is perfection, Col. 1.27, 28. To whom God would ●ake known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in ●ou, the hope of glory: Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.  
We are perfect in Christ as we are Saints, and are the Church of God; for this Spirit of Christ in us is perfect: but as we are men and women we are not perfect; for we are natural and not spiritual: and as we are natural, we cannot discern the things of God, neither can we do them, 1 Cor. 2.14. But it is this Spirit of God in us that doth all: and if he withdraw his Spirit from us, we shall run into all sin, if he doth not restrain us; for our bodies are the same as they were, before the Spirit of God appeared in us: and by his reigning in us he suppresseth, destroyeth, and burneth up by degrees as he revealeth himself in us, all things that are contrary to him: and he brings our wills into subjection to his, for we are led by his Spirit: and being filled with his Spirit, we are made drunk as it were with it: and being overcome, and wholly swallowed up in it, we are what the Spirit would have us to be, and think, speak, and do what it would have us We are no longer our own, but Gods, and his will is become ours, and our will is to do● his will, and is become his: so we are now no longer twain, but one: and all our delight is wholly in him, and all his delight is wholly in us; for it is the manifestation of his love to us that causeth us to love him, and the more we see him, the more we shall love him: and we cannot see him, but we shall be like him, for we shall see ourselves the same in him; for as he is, so shall we be in this world as we are Saints: & the seeing of him by his Spirit, doth cleanse us in our conversations: So fare as we have seen him, we shall be like him in our conversations, for we shall hate all sin: and so fare as we live in God, we shall have neither will nor power to do any thing that is contrary to him, so fare as he revealeth himself in us: and that is by degrees, enlarging our vessels, and filling us with himself, as we are able to bear him: and when he reigns in us, we also reign with him over all things in us that is contrary to himself, and this is the time of Satan's being bound, Rev. 20. For Babylon in us being fallen, whereby Satan hath overcome us: and Christ himself having taken possession in us, he binds Satan that he cannot ●o what he would against us; yet many times God doth let out the link of Satan's chain: ●nd so far as he hath power given him to go, ●e doth wind every way into us & will by his acting in us eclipse the glory of God: but he ●●all not overcome us; this shall be for the glo●y of God, and for an humbling to us, and ●●aking us to see that all things that are good, ●re of God: and how weak we are, and rea●y to fall if he withdraws himself: but he ●ill draw bacl this chain of Satan, and his ●lory shall appear more glorious in us, and ●his perfection of Christ shall be revealed more ●nd more in us, and we shall see ourselves ●ore and more like him, 2 Cor. 3.18. But we all ●ith open face beholding a● in a glass the glory of ●he Lord, are changed into the same image from ●lory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.  
And this Church of God is called a garden, ●here all manner of choice fruit grow, which 〈◊〉 the fruit of his Spirit in us, and he doth water ●t and make it fruitful, and keeps it night and ●ay, and is as a wall and bulworke about it, ●o keep out all our enemies: and the greatest canonshot as can be shot by the Devil against us, this bulwark will defend us against 〈◊〉; for it cannot pierce it, nor do us any harm.   

CHAP. XIX. Christ being come into his garden, doth feast his Spouse, and his Spouse is feasted with him.  
THe Spouse of Christ hath been as a garden enclosed, a spring shut up, and fountain sealed up, that she hath not appeared what she is: but she hath been hidden in Christ: And now he saith, I am come into my Garden, my Sister, my Spouse, Cant. 5.1. He was ever in his Garden, feasting himself, though we saw it not, but now he makes it known to us that he is come in his glory to marry us to himself, and to sit down together at this heavenly Table, and eat of those spiritual dainties that he hath prepared for us, and to rejoice together, and to remain always together: and the first thing that he doth, when he is come into us that are his Saints (for that is his Garden) he calls unto us, Cant. 2. My beloved spoke, and said unto me, Rise up my Love, my fair one, and come away. For lo the winter is past, the rain is over, and gone, the flowers appear on the earth, ●he time of the singing of birds is come, and the ●oyce of the Turtle is heard in our Land. The fig●ee putteth forth her green figs, and the vines ●ith the tender grape give a good smell. Arise my ●●ve, my fair one, and come away. O my dove, ●hou art in the cloven of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs: let me see thy countenance, let ●●e hear thy voice, for sweet is thy voice, and thy ●●untenance is comely.  
She lay in the clefts of that rock Christ Je●us: and when she was in the clefts, she could ●ot see the full glory of that rock wherein she ●ay: But there she was hid while the storms of ●he winter were passed, that is: Before Jesus Christ hath manifested his love and goodness ●o us: and when this sun appeareth but low 〈◊〉 us, than there is much darkness and gloominess in us, and much coldness, and then ●e storms of Satan ariseth against us: but now ●ee is risen in his glory with a burning heat, ●●d laid the storms of Satan, and hath burnt ●●p all that hath hindered us from seeing him: ●●d now he bids us come away; for he tells us ●●e winter is past, that which hindered us is ●one; now the spring, Christ Jesus is come, ●●d his voice, which is that pure Turtle, is ●eard in our Land, that is, in us, and he cau●th all that is of himself in us to appear and grow fruitful and flourish, though they be but young and tender at the spring, at the first appearing of Christ's manifesting himself in us, yet they give a good smell, and our beloved takes a great delight in them, and he calls twice to her to come away that he might behold her, for she is very comely and beautiful, and glorious; for she is one with him, & she is attired in the glorious robes of Christ, and all his rich ornaments are upon her, and his crown of glory. And when he looks upon her, he is ravished with her; that is, he is overcome with the sight of her, all his love runneth forth to her. There is not any two lovers upon earth that their love can be so great as the love of Christ and his Spouse is one to the other: and she is called forth to behold him, Cant. 3.11. Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and behold King Solomon with the Crown wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his spousal, and in the day of the gladness of his heart.  
Christ is compared to King Solomon, because he had the most glory of any King upon the earth: and in the day of Christ's Espousal, doth his glory appear to us, and the gladness of his heart, and all is for joy of his marriage to us, and it is his joy for us to behold it: and she beholding her beloved in his glory, and seeing his love to her, she is also ravished and wholly overcome, and swallowed up in him, in seeing him to be her beloved. My beloved is mine, and I am his, he feedeth among the lilies, Cant. 3.16. Christ compareth his Spouse to lilies. As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters, Cant. 2.2.  
The lily is counted the most glorious thing that grows in the field, Mat. 6.28, 29. Consider the lilies of the field how they grow, they toil not, neither do they spin? and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  
This field is all the world, and the Saints are these lilies, and the other are but thorns. Both those that are of the world which is not of Jesus Christ, and also that which is in us, which is not of Christ, are like thorns to keep these lilies from growing, and do what they can to choke this seed of God in us, which are these lilies, Mat. 13.7. And she compareth her Beloved to an appletree. As the appletree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste, Cant. 2.3. He is a tree of life which beareth twelve manner of fruits, and yieldeth her fruit every month, Revel. 22.2. And here is all pleasant fruit upon it, and is never barren: and the fruit of this appletree we feed upon: and whosoever hath tasted of this fruit, doth know that it is very pleasant: and after we have tasted of it, nothing else will content us to feed upon but that, and this tree is a shadow and refuge against all storms and tempests, and here we fit quietly feeding upon him: but he brings us further, and leads us into his banqueting-house that he might feed us with all his dainties, for they are all prepared for us, Cant. 2.4, 5, 6. He brought me to the banqueting-house, and his banner over me was love. Stay me with flagons, and comfort me with apples, for I am sick of love. His left hand is under my head, and his right hand doth embrace me. When he doth feed us with his heavenly dainties, and embraceth us with the arm of his love, we are not able to contain ourselves; we are so ravished with him, that we are even sick with love: but he stais us even when we are sick for the enjoyment of him, before he doth appear so glorious in us; then he stays us with the flagons of the wine of his Spirit: and of those apples, some manifestations of himself in us, to stay and up-hold us. And when he is come in that glorious manner in us, which we have so longed for, to give us a a possession of himself, and to remain in us for ever. He doth appear in us so sweets, precious and glorious, that we are not able to contain it; the enjoyment of him fills us so with joy, that it makes us sick, being we cannot contain it: but he doth up-hold us while he doth embrace us, enlarging our vessel, and so filling us. I am my beloved's, and his desire is to me. Come my beloved, let us go forth into the field: let us lodge in the villages. Let us get up early to the vine-yard, let us see if the vine flourish, whether the tender grapes appear, and the pomegranates bud forth, there will I give thee my loves. The man drakes give a smell, and at our gates are all manner of pleasant fruits, new and old, which I have laid up for thee, O my beloved! Cant. 7.10, 11, 12, 13. All his desire is to us, and to go with him to see how the fruits of the Spirit of God doth flourish in us, which are his vine-yard or garden. He is not contented to feast himself in us, but for us to go with him, and he to feast us, for his whole delight is ●n us. Father, I will that they also which thou hast given me, be with me where I am, that they may bebold my glory, John 17.24. For all those excellent things that is in him, is for us his beloved, whether old or new manifestations of his glory in us, and all that is in us is for him; like the rivers that comes from the Sea, and runs to the Sea again: so Christ doth fill us with himself: and all these streams of himself in us doth wholly flow forth to him; We are willing for him to have all the honour, glory, and praise; we are so deeply in love with him, that we think nothing too dear for him. All that is ours is for him; yea, our lives, if he call for them; we are sorry that we cannot express our love to him as we would; for our bodies are a prison to us: but all our love is wholly run forth to him, and his love is the like to us. Here is perfect love that casteth out fear, 1 John 4.18. This is the love that is as strong as death, and it is like fire which hath a most vehement flame. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: If a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would be utterly condemned, Cant. 8.6, 7. And our love is made known in a great high measure one to the other. Our beloved is altogether lovely, & more to be desired than all the things in the world. His mouth is most sweet: and let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth, for his love is better than wine.  
Out of the mouth cometh the full expression of that love of Christ that is in his heart to us, and by his kissing us, which is a very high expression of his love to us. My beloved it gone down into his garden: to the beds of spices, ●o feed in the garden, and to gather lilies. I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine: be feedeth among ●he lilies, Cant. 6.2, 3. I am come into my garden, my sister, my Spouse: I have gathered my myrrh with my spice, I have eaten my honeycomb with my ●oney, I have drunk my wine with my milk. Eat O friends? drink ye, drink abundantly, O beloved. Here he doth feast himself with the ●weet fruits of his Spirit in us; that is compared to all precious fruits which grow upon ●his tree of life, Christ in us. He saith, I will ●oe up to the palmtree, I will take hold of the ●oughes thereof: now also thy breasts shall be as clu●ters of the vine, and the smell of thy nose like apples. And the roof of thy mouth like the best wine, for ●y beloved, that goeth down sweetly, causing the ●ips of those that are asleep, to speak, Cant. 7.8, ●. Here doth Christ set forth what excellent ●ruits here is in this garden, which he doth gather, and feeds upon it. Her breasts shall be as ●he clusters of the vine: and that vine is Christ, ●ohn 15. and that is the breast that she is nourished by. And the roof of thy mouth is like the ●est wine. Out of our mouths is uttered ●orth the praise, glory, and excellency of our beloved, and this wine is for our beloved, and ●e drinks of it: and this wine is the fruit of this ●ine, Christ; and whosoever he giveth this ●ine too, to drink of it, it goeth down very sweetly, and causeth the lips of them that are asleep to speak: before Christ appeareth in us we are asleep as the Spouse was, Cant. 5.2. in a dead an drowsy condition: but now we shall be roused up, and speak forth the praise of our beloved, Cant. 8.2. I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine, of the juice of the pomegranates. This is the fruit that groweth in this garden, and it is for our beloved to feast himself upon: and he saith, I have eaten & drank, and do take great delight in this feast, because thou art with me: and do you eat and drink abundantly with me; for it is my delight to have you feasted, for they are prepared for you: and this feast is our love feast; for it is our marriage feast, and it is my love that you are to feed upon: and do not spare, but eat and drink abundantly of it, and be drunk with it, for there is more love yet behind than you can see, and it is all for you, and this love will make you fruitful; for by the love of God to us, we bring forth fruits to God. This will make us that we shall be neither barren nor unfruitful; here is the Church of God in the glory of Christ, and married to Christ, and is one with God in Christ, and fits in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, Ephes. 2.6. And is feasted with Christ Jesus, and he is feasted with her, and she appeareth glorious in his glory.   

CHAP. XX. A new Song sung unto God.  
WHen we come to see what God hath done for us in Christ Jesus, how he hath destroyed this Babylon in us, and hath bound Satan, and swallowed up the veil that hindered us from seeing him: and we come to see him, and see what we are in him, and how we are married to him. There will be much joy and rejoicing for the destruction of our spiritual enemy, & for joy of the marriage of the Lamb and the Saints. The finger of God will play upon the wel-stringed instrument of music, (which is the Spirit of God in us) playing heavenly tunes, and new songs that we never sung before. For first, there is a rejoicing for the manifestation of the love of God to us in Christ. He hath made us Kings & Priests to God and his Father, and we shall reign with him for ever. And I heard a great voice out of heaven, saying; Behold, the Tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain, for the former things are passed away, Rev. 21.3, 4. The cause of our crying and mourning either for spiritual, or for outward things, is because we do not clearly see God what he is to us, and that all that he doth to us is in love: and that he will have his own time to bring to pass his own will in his own way, both spiritual and temporal, for the glory! of his Name, and for our good; when we come to be really sensible of this, than we shall see that we have no cause of mourning; then shall our tears be wiped from our eyes. Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her all ye that love her; rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her, Isa. 66.10. For behold I create new heavens, and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. But be you glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for behold I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, & her people a joy. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people, and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying, Isa. 65.17, 18, 19 And the Lord will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the Nations: and I will direct their work in truth, & I will make 〈◊〉 everlasting Covenant with them. And their seed shall he known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people: All that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which the Lord hath blessed. I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God: for be hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a Bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, & as a Bride adorneth herself with jewels: everlasting joy shall be unto them, Isa. 61. As there are new manifestations of God in us: so there will be new songs of joy and rejoicing in the lord And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps. And they sang as it were a new song before the Throne, and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty, and four thousand which were redeemed from the earth, Rev. 14.2, 3. And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire, and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. And they sung the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are thy ways, thou King of Saints. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy Name? for thou only art holy: for all Nations shall come and worship before thee, for thy judgements are made manifest, Revel. 15.2, 3, 4. This sea of glass is Christ, and none can stand upon him but the Saints; for it is too slippery for any other to stand upon it, for they will fall: and this fire that is mingled with this glass will burn them up: but here the Saints stand with joy, singing a new song, and rejoicing in the Lord exceedingly; the joy is beyond expression, none can know it, but they that have the enjoyment of it, to see and know that Christ hath overcome and destroyed all our spiritual enemies in us, for he hath thrown down Babylon in us.  
And after these things, I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying: Allelujah, salvation, and glory, and honour, and power be unto the Lord our God: For true and righteous are his judgements, for he hath judged the great Whore which did corrupt the Earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. And again they said Allelujah, and her smoke risen up for ever and ever. And the four and twenty Elders, and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat upon the Throne, saying, Amen, Allelujah. And a voice came out of the Thron●, saying, Praise our God all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Allelujah; for the Lord God o●●●●potent reigneth, Revel. 19 The four and twenty Elders are thought to be the Prophets and Apostles; for by them was the mind of God made known: and these four beasts ye shall find spoken of in the first of Ezek. Rev. 4. which was moved by the Spirit of God, and was continually praising God. And this heaven where there is such a noise of joy and rejoicing and praising God, is the Church of God, here is the singing of birds, Cant. 2.12. Because the voice of this Turtle, our beloved Bridegroom, our sweet Saviour Jesus Christ, his sweet voice of love and peace to us, and joy and rejoicing in us is heard by us, and we see all things that hath hindered us from seeing him, is destroyed by him; for these earthen pitchers of Antichrist in us, wherein the lamps of the light and glory of God lieth hid. These pitchers being broke by Christ, than the glory of God appeareth, Judges 7. And then the trumpets will sound forth the praises of God; our tongues shall be as a trumpet, being blown by the Spirit of God, to sound forth the praises of our God: and this sound shall be heard throughout the whole world; for the Lord will come in his time, and reign in all his Saints throughout the whole world, and throughout the whole world shall this trumpet be sounded, and it will cause a great earthquake; for all things that are not of God, shall be exceeding afraid and troubled; for as the Saints joy increaseth more and more by Christ manifesting himself in us; so shall the sorrow of those that are not the children of God increase more & more. Rejoice ye heavens, & ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth, & of the sea, for the Devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time, Rev. 12.12. For the light of these lamps, and the sound of these trumpets doth terrify our spiritual enemies, and causeth them to fly: and let us do as the four and twenty Elders did, fall down at the feet of Christ. And when those beasts gave glory, and honour, and thanks to him that sat on the Throne, who liveth for ever and ever, The four and twenty Elders fell down before him that sat on the Throne, and worshipped him that liveth for ever & ever: and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, and honour, and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created, Rev. 4.9, 10, 11. These Elders that God had revealed himself unto in such a high and glorious way, and made them instruments to make his mind known to all people, & crowned them with his crown of glory; these cast their Crowns at the feet of God, for it was he in Christ that did make known his mind by them: and as he deserveth all the honour and praise, so let us be willing for him to have all the honour; for we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us, 2 Cor. 4.7. It is he that doth all in us, and let him have all; for it is the glory of the Saints for Christ to have all the glory, and for us to be abased and cast down as low as may be at the feet of Christ, and for him alone to be exalted in us. There is one seal more to be broke open; for this is the sixth seal, and the first resurrection, and now is Satan bound: but he must be again let lose for a little season, Revel. 20. He shall have power given him of God, and will transform himself to the likeness of this glory to deceive us: but he shall never have his will of the Saints; for when he thinks to deceive us in this way, the Lord breaks open the seventh seal; then is the whole mystery of God made known, and then shall the seventh trumpet of perfection of joy and rejoicing sound forth the praises of God in the days of the seventh Angel, when he shall begin to blow the Trumpet, even the mystery of God shall be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the Prophets, Rev. 10.7. And now we see but in part, and know but in part, and so we have an enjoyment of God but in part: but when that which is perfect is come, that which is in part shall be done away: and now we see him but darkly, but then we shall see him face to face, and behold him as he is in his full glory: and when we come to have this seal broke open to us, than we shall know when the time is for the breaking of it open, and how it is, & what it is that we shall enjoy: and in the mean time let us not be inquisitive to know when it shall be, or how it shall be; for we shall not know till then, and then we shall know whether it be here while we live in this world, or hereafter, when all things are dissolved: but let us leave that to God, and to him commit ourselves, rejoicing always in the Lord. To whom be all honour, praise and glory given, both now, and for evermore, Amen.   
FINIS.