CHAP. I. The cross of Christ set up in men and their dyings upon it; of the life which is lost and to be found; the father, mother, [...]nd bre­thren, husband, wife, and children, house, lands and all things therein to be forsaken for Christ, what they are, with the time when, and the manner how.

YOU that with Christ, and with those that are Christs, wil desire to live in the same spiritual freedom, fellowship,1 Co [...]. 1.1 [...] and communion of Saints in light, must by him be armed with the same spiritual mind of Christ and them, to know Christ crucified in you, and you to all things of flesh and this world besides God, and so with him to have peace, joy, and comfort, in all your desires, wayes,1 Pet. 4.1, 2. and actions, and with patience and delight to follow him, and to take up his cross daylie and carry it with you after him, suffering it to be placed in you, as the Lords stan­dard lifted up against the enemy, sin, the devil, and all [Page 2] iniquitie,Rev. [...], 1 [...] 1 [...] [...]7. which is a flood out of the devils mouth rush­ing out upon you to devour you, till Christ the wisdome and power of God (as the cross) be set up in you to over­come it for you, and restore you into perfect health and safety in the Lord Jesus,Heb. [...]. through the manifestation of his second comming without sin unto salvation in the perfecting of which work by the same cross, (walking through the paths of the Lords judgements, where the natural man is to give up the ghost with the loss of life) you are to abide upon this cross, not for a day a month, not a year, and in some things and not in o­thers, but in all things, all wayes, and continually, e­ver bearing about in you bodies the dying of the Lord Jesus (after the flesh) that the life also of Jesus (after the spirit) may be made manifest in your mortal bodies, and you in him to live without the knowled [...] of sin, and of the fear of death, hell and the devil; therefore you which live in the body and would know Christ cru [...]ified in you, [...] [...]are alwayes to be delivered unto death for Jesus sake, that the li [...] [...]lso of Jesus may be made manifest in you m [...]t [...] [...] and [...] sin [...]eath, hell and [...] man with all his corrup [...] de [...]d [...] of the fles [...] wisedom, interest, and knowl [...]g, and to plan [...] in you the new [...] which in Christ Jesus [...] [...]ousness [...] holin [...]s [...], and so [...] that in dying you [...] that life which y [...] [...] before the [...]a [...] of Adam, so [...] [...]eth judgement to destroy in man the kn [...] [...] by which came death and so by [...] again to a new life [...]ith [...] which he shall know himself [...] live [...] not unto himself, [...] and in dying and l [...]g [...] from which he shall never dye [Page 3] so saith Christ, [he that believes in me,Joh 5.15 16 though he were dead yet shall he live, and whosoever liveth and belie­veth in [...]e shal ne [...] dy [...] believe you this, saith Christ as sufficient [...] eternal salvati­on?

And the way to this [...] dye dayly till you be dead to all things but Go [...], to [...] only i [...] God; for as you dye the d [...]d of o [...]e life (which you must dye and [...]an­not live) to you liv [...] a [...]oth [...]r [...] whi [...]h is for ever [...]a [...]ing and can nev [...] dye, whereby C [...]ist himself is mag [...]fied, [...] set up, and ex [...]d in your b [...]y to be you [...] and you his, both in death & in life [...] to you in both, and you [...] in you [...] d [...]ath that you might o [...] tru [...]t [...] [...]fore this dying [...] [...]peaks of when he sa [...]t [...]. [...]I am [...] yet nevertheless I live, ye [...] [...] [...]ow, [...] lives mine, [...]al 2.1 [...], [...] and the life that [...] the faith of the son o [...] God [...] gave himself for me, and no [...] only [...] [...]u [...] [...]or a [...] men whatsoever, that [...] as he sh [...]l be manifest in them, may b [...] [...] with him [...] unto themselves [...] dyed for th [...], and now lives in [...]m [...] that w [...]ether they live o [...] dye [...], [...] who [...]s that was dead i [...] a­live [...].

A [...]d [...] Christ said unto you all tha [...] wo [...]d [...] any thing in your selves besides the [...]ord of for any o­th [...] but th [...] [...] that [...]f you will come after [...] you [...] de [...]y your [...] and take up [...]s cross [...]ay [...]y and [...], that you may be noth ng [...] your [...]l [...], know [...] any thing of [...] all by [...] joy [...] [Page 4] things of the Lord who is made all things unto you, that you haveing nothing, yet injoying all things, as injoying all things,Luk. 9.23.24. yet having nothing, [for he that wil seek to save his life shall lose it, and he that will lose his life for my sake shall find it] And now my brethren that you may dye to live, lose all to find all, you are command­ed by Christ to hang upon the cross of Christ till you are crucified with Christ, and become dead to all things, but Christ which is not an outward cross of any visible thing without you, no nor altogether outward affli­ctions, but it is Christ the wisdom of God, and Christ the power of God within you, and which you are to take up and hang upon to the slaying of all your own wisdome, and strength, righteousness, and life, and all things of man, and the world, and whatsoever is contrary to this cross, even Christ in you, which you are to take up and hang upon, even you and all that is yours, yea all of yours, even all is to be fastned to him and slain by him, in your bearing of him, [for put you on the Lord Jesus C [...]rist and make no provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof,1 Cor. 1.23, 24.] and we preach saith Paul, Christ crucified, to the Jews even a stumbling block, and unto the Grecians and them that perish in their own wis­dom and strength foolishnes [...], but unto them which are called both of the Jews and Grecians we preach Christ the wisedom of God, and Christ the power of God.

And upon this Cross of wisdom and power in God, did Christ himself in his life-time hang to be crucified to all worldly wisdom and honour, righteousness and glory which he found with men here below in the flesh, as a pattern for all men in the flesh to follow in all self-denial; leaving behind them all worldly honor, righteous­ness and Religion,1 Cor. 2.6. which standeth onely in the wisdome and strength of men, which cometh to nought, and [Page 5] which is all but as the fashion of the world which pas­seth away, and must all at last give up the ghost with Christ in the flesh on the cross; and without all or any part of this, you must come in Christ, who is onely able to teach you all things, and to make you and all things stand and be accepted with God.

And in this tryal in taking up of this cross,How to forsake Father and mo­ther &c. and fol­lowing Christ, you forsake father and mother, husband and wife, children and brethren, house and lands, and all for Christ to live with him, which is not meant car­nally but spiritually, and is not a forsaking your father and mother after the flesh, as some may carnally believe; but in this forsaking here meant, your knowledge of them is renewed, and your love towards them is encrea­sed; for your father whom you are to forsake is the de­vil that begets sin and wickedness in you,Rom. 8.44. and made all your knowledge and love amongst men to be devillish; so you and your mother, is the whore of Babylon, and lust of the flesh, the mother of whoredoms,Rev. 17.5. and abo­minations of the earth, in which sin is conceived and brought forth, and of whom you at first were begotten by the devil into the knowledge of good and evil.

And according to that knowledge you are to forsake all men and things whatsoever, and to know no man af­ter the flesh; no,2 Cor. 5.16. though you have known Christ after the flesh, yet henceforth (after he is manifest in the spi­rit within you) you are to know him no more so, but to know him and all men in the spirit, as in the Lord, where your knowledge towards all men is renewed, and you the more united to them, do the more love them.

But while you or any of you have known or do still know your father the devil, and your mother the whore of Babylon not to be desolate and forsaken by you, so long you have bin & still are by them matched and betrothed, [Page 6] united, and coupled, marrying, and giving in marri­age with the daug [...]ers of men, your own inventions and imaginations which are as harlots, and which as whores you make your spouses, Hos [...] 4.13. which ap­pearing fair and beautiful [...]o you, you are in love with them, and do go a whoreing a [...]ter t [...]em, and of whom you have begotten and brough [...] fo [...] strange children, children of whoredomes and of fornications, (after the image of your father the devil and of d [...] whore your mother) yea many opp [...]e [...]sive children nourishe [...] up within you and without you, [...] 5.7. which are [...] miseries of all sorts as angels of dark [...]s, by wh [...] you are fa [...]en from God to idolatry, and other chil [...]r [...]n you have which are seeming prof [...]ssed Religions and [...] holyn [...]ss and opinions of all so [...] whi [...]h yo [...] [...]ave brought f [...]rth as Angels of lig [...], [...] wh [...] you put the name of G [...]d and godlynes [...] upo [...] with your s [...]lves to make them and your s [...]lves accepted with men and ap­pear love [...]y unto them [...]ough th [...]y are but the [...]hildren of the devil, and also [...]arlots of [...]e who [...]e bringing forth, for men to go [...] whoring af er, a [...]d w [...]i [...]h the who [...]e and mother o [...] har [...]o [...] spirits up and k [...] [...]p a [...]ive for and at the side of her [...]band the devil, [...] and which is the Scarlet- [...]ou [...]er [...]d beast the w [...]ore fit [...] upon to de­ceive the nations, and to contrive for the devil, a king­dom of pride and covetousnes [...], the [...] and glory of [...] w [...]rld, which is all enmity wit [...] God, and but vanity and vexation of spirit, [...] and is all to perish in the [...]ing, [...]nd in which you your selves therein living are [...] of your fath [...]r the devil whose works you do, [...] and whose kingdom and all thin [...] [...]r [...]in you are to forsak [...] [...]r Christ and his ki [...]gdom [...] and [...]ll such mariages are all t [...] i [...] b [...] lost [...] f [...]k [...]n, a [...]d all the said chil [...]ren b [...]tween t [...]em [...] whether angels o [...] Light [Page 7] or angels of darkness, good and bad; all which men are to be slain with death,Rev. 2.23. and all men are to know that the Lord i [...] [...]e which searcheth the reins and tryeth the hearts, and giveth to every one of them according to [...]eir works.

And you are to marry and be married unto none but the Lord, not live with any but him,Hos [...]a 3.3 who himselfe loved you when you were in your sins, [...] 16 6 7 8 Hos [...] [...], 10, and be [...]ro [...]hed you and married you to himselfe in righteousness and in Judgement, in mercy and in loving kindness that you might know the Lord, and be for no other but him, but to forsake all, and follow him whethersoever he shall lead you, as you have him for an example, who himselfe forsook his Fa­ther and his Fathers house, his heaven, and his glory to come after you into sin, death and hell, to seek and to save you w [...]en you were los [...],Rom. 10.20.21, and to m [...]nifest his un­changeable love [...]o you when you rebelled [...]gainst him and went a who [...]i [...]g from him after other lovers, y [...] then did he lov [...] you, and therefore you are to forsake all oth [...]r lov [...]rs, and follow him,Cant. 14 who will lay his cross upon you, and thereby draw you; he will manifest him­selfe u [...]to you, and still remaine your husband, as it is wri [...]ten, [...]y [...] [...]s thy husband, the Lord of hosts is his [...] the whole earth shall he be called, I [...] 5 [...] and [...] besides the Lord or follow any but the Lo [...] [...] thing you do, you are guilty o [...] w [...]ore [...]m [...] [...]ow not the Lord.

[...],Of [...] you know not his dwel [...] r [...]hes of his glory, but you are building [...] your own to dwelin [...] [...] [...]rom them which [...] and the Lords house and [...] wast and is unknown to you, which [...] and g [...]apes of l [...]fe, and you say the time [Page 8] is not come that the Lords house should be built,Hag. 1, 2, 3, 4. or that his kingdom should be revealed or established among you till after a natural death; and because you know it not you resist the comming of it before, and will still dwell in your owne ceiled houses, your fet formes and opinions of religious wayes and worships, and the Lords house, way, worship, and religion, even Christ which you should have possest & injoy, lyeth waste among you, and is not inhabited by you; but when the Lord by ma­nifesting himself in you shal appear to build up the waste places and raise up the Tabernacle of David which is fallen down, and close up the breaches thereof as in the dayes of old,Amos 9. ii. and so cause the desolate heritages, even men and all things which hath been known of them to be without Christ,Zacha. 6.12, 13. to be inhabited by Christ, and shall manifest himselfe in them to be unto them their house, habitation and glory, then will men forsake their own houses, lands, and purchased fields which they have builded and planted, with all their houshold-stuff there­in being, and their goodly cedars therein growing, and shall not returne to take any thing with them, but shall leave all behind them and follow Christ, yea and though you may be upon the top of your houses in the highest of your profession and godlyness reaching even to Hea­ven, yet you must come down, and shall not take any thing with you,Luke 17.30, 31. neither shall these in the field return back to reap any profit of all their own labours which they have labored under the Sun in performing of duties and ordinances of religion wherein they thought them­selves rich without Christ; this all must be left, lost, and forsaken, and no more remembred in the knowledg of Christ and him crucified.

And would you now dye that you might live? then this is the way to see your selves and all things of your [Page 9] selves crucified with Christ, and to know him living in you to be unto you a father, and mother, and hus­band, and wife, and children, and brother, and sis­ter, and house, and lands, and life, and death,Rom. 8.32. and food, and rayment, and all things whatsoever else is in the world; you and all is Christs, and Christ and all is yours, and you and Christ with all things else is Gods, and you are not your own but as you are in him;i Cor. 3.2i, 22, 23 for you are bought with a price to be the Lords; and all that you are, you are in the Lord,1 Cor. 6.20, therefore glorifie God in your bodies, and in your spirits which is Gods, and know nothing in you but Christ, and him crucified; and whatsoever else you have known to be any thing or any profit or advantage to you besides the Lord, count it all lost for Christ, and with Paul count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledg of Jesus Christ our Lord; for when you suffer the loss of all,Phil. 3.7, 8. and count them but dung that you may win Christ; this is the fruits and effct of your hanging on the cross, and this with men is hard to do; the way is narrow and some there be that find it.

CHAP. II. How the cross [...]f Christ is accompanied with the crosses of the world, firey troyals and persecutions for the truth, the clouds of Christs coming, [...]nd t [...]e way of his people in which he leads them, and walks with them to save them, how and from what.

AND wheresoever this way of Christ crucified shall be manifest and found with any that with Christ have been hanging upon the cross of divine wisdom and power, to be thereby weaned from sin and the world with the loss of all their own wisedom, righteousness, [Page 10] and strength, there do the crosses of the world flow and come together as fellow-helpers and companions in assi­stance with the cross of Christ;1 Pet. 2.21. for even hereunto were ye called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an ex­ample to follow his steps.

And therefore you my brethren and fellow sufferers for the truth, you that have in any measure learned to embrace this cross of Christ for the saving of your souls, let it incourage you not to lay it down, but with pati­ence to lye down under it,Gal. 6, 17. and to bear it about in your bodies as the marks of the Lord Jesus till you be perfect­ed in him, and still to trust in God, and wait upon him, in whatsoever affliction he by men or any other means as a rod in his hand, shall afflict upon you to humble you to walk with him; and be not sorrowful nor troubled at any thing,Eph, 2.12. as those that are without hope, but rejoyce alwayes, and in all things, still praysing the Lord for his goodness, in laying his cross upon you to humble you and protect you in it, and who without respect of persons hath called you out of darkness into his marve­lous light, manifest by the Lord Jesus in the way of his judgements, by the spirit of judgement and by the spirit of burning, for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus, [...] Cor. 5.5. or God ma­nifest in flesh.

Therefore my brethren think it not strange concern­ing fierie tryalls, [...] Pet. 1.12. persecutions, tribulations, and sufferings, as if some strange thing happened unto you; for they are companions with Christ on the cross, and they are the clouds in which he comes to manifest his glory on earth, and the way which he walked in himself before he entred into glory, wherein the Father made known himselfe unto him, and in which way he leads his dear­est Saints that know him, and are nearest in union with [Page 11] him for the tryal of their faith,1 Pet. 1.6, 7. which being tryed by fire might be found unto praise, and honour, and glory at the appearing of the Lord Jesus, as the Lords spirit with the Scriptures in all my sufferings for the truth to this day bears me witness, that bands, and afflictions,Acts 14 22. persecutions, and tryals, through which a soule enters into the kingdom of God, are very good, and in which much of God hath been manifest unto me, for that the Lord by the Angel of his presence was with me to sancti­fie it to me, and save me as he did his Prophets and peo­ple of old, and as he will do all throughout all generati­ons of the world; for in all their afflictions he was afflicted, Isa. 63, 9. and the Angel of his presence saved them, in his love, and in his mercy he redeemed them, and he bear them and carried them alwayes continually, which hath been witnessed by his Prophets of old from Adam unto this day, as I shall more particularly hereafter mention, that the coming of God to save his people from their enemies, the world, flesh, sin, and the devil, and to draw them out of many waters, death, hell, and damnation, hath been in the way of his judgements, in dark and thick clouds of the sky, as all can witness that ever saw him, and have known any deliverance by him, and that before he delivers them from any condition of hell, he comes him­selfe unto them in it; for at his presence, the earth and all hellish devilishness in men (out of which a soul is to be brought) trembles and shakes before him, and as stubble it is burnt by him; for so saith David of his coming to him, he bowed the heavens and came down,Isa. 64.1. Psa. 18.8, 9, 10, 17. and the mountains did melt at his presence, that is, he made all creature excellency and glory fall down be­fore him at his coming, and become as darkness unto him, he came flying upon the wings of the wind, as in the majesty and power of his spirit, which bloweth [Page 12] where it listeth,Isa. 40.6, 7, 8. as the breath of his mouth and as his spirit to wither and consume all flesh, and he made darkness his secret place that none but whom he pleated should behold him, and out of his nostrils went a smoak to darken all the light and glory of man, and a consum­ing fire went out of his mouth to burn up his enemies, and coals were kindled at it, that all his enemies became as ashes before him, and at the brightness of his presence his clouds passed, all troubles were ceased, his enemies were scattered, and his people delivered; it is the day of the Lord,Jer. 30, 7, 8, 9, 10 even the time of Jacobs trouble, but he shall be saved out of it, and restored into rest and peace where none shall make him afraid.

This is the manner of Gods coming to judgemrnt to re­deem man, every one in his order, as he shall be mani­fest to them, to lead and carry them through fiery tryals and dark waters,Isa. 43.16. but not without the Lords presence with them, purging them by it and saveing them in it, that the fire might not burn them, nor the waters over­flow them, but only that enmity which is for destructi­on within them; therefore he saith when thou passest through the waters I will be with thee; Isa. 43.1, 2, 3. and through the floods that they shall not overflow thee; when thou wvlkest through the fire thou shalt not be burnt; neither shall the flames kindle upon thee; for I the Lord thy God am with thee, and the Ho­ly one of Israel thy saviour that redeemed thee; and though for a time he gave Jacob to the spoile, & Israel to the rob­bers,Isa. 42.24. and though the land of them be filled with sin and iniquitie, yet he leaves them not, nor forsakes them, but continues his presence with them to redeem them, [...]or. 51.5. save and deliver them; and the robbers and destroyers of his people which came upon them to destroy them these will he destroy, spoil, and cast into the prison of their own shame, and after bring them to judgement; he [Page 13] will also afflict them and try them and thereby humble them that they might be saved, and all the wounds that the enemies of God people have made in them,Jer. 30.16, 17. he will also heal up, that they shall be no longer a prey to their enemies; and them that have been their enemies,Isa. 19.22. even Egypt and Assyria which God sometimes destroyed, them will he also save with Israel, and there shall be no more destruction of one another, nor of them by the Lord, but one heart and one mind will the Lord give them.

CHAP. III. Of the afflictions of Joseph, his being s [...]l [...] i [...]t [...] Egypt by his Bre­thren, his being falsly accused and mprisoned; how G [...] thereby exalted h m, and Judged [...]is Breth [...]en that sold him; how the same was with Christ and is with us to this day,

THIS did God by Israel and all the sons of Jacob in the afflictions of Joseph whom his brethren conspired against, hated, and sold into Egypt; Gen. 37.18, i9. and wherefore did they sell him but because they hated him? and they hated him because they thought Jacob their father did love him more then them;Gen. 37.3, 4, 5. and when Joseph had told unto them his dream whereby they understood that he should reign over them, they hated him so much the more, and sought his destruction though he were their Brother: and after they had sold him, and he like to find favour with him that bought him, he was sought unto day by day to be tempted by an Egyptian woman to lie with her, and because he refused and did not, she falsly accused him to her husband, saying that he would have done it, but she would not, and therefore by false accusation he was cast into prison, and had bands added [Page 14] unto his afflictions,Gen. 39. but the Lord was still with him and shewed him mercy that he found favour with God, and through great affliction God humbled him and brought him to honour, and afterwards his Brethren that sold him to be afflicted, them did God also afflict, judge, and humble before Joseph, and the saying of Joseph to his Brethren was brought to pass,Gen. 42.6, to 22. that he should reign o­ver them, and they be subjected to him, which was all for their good, that they were thus afflicted and did afflict their Brother, as was and Josephs afflictions for him after they had sold him, and yet it was not they that sold him, but the Lord by them sent him into Egypt before them to preserve life, and that in time of need he might preserve them,Gen. 45.3, 4, 5. and at last be made known unto them, for their joy and comfort in the Lord; so it was not us that sold Christ but the Lord by us crucified Christ with us, that he might preserve us and with comfort make known himselfe unto us: therefore the like affl [...]ctions of Joseph was with Christ, and are to this day with us; for we are all the sons of Jacob, and have all joyned toge­ther to sell our Brother Joseph, (even Christ) and one another for naught, that he should not reign over us, as to this day we do in persecuting the spirit of Jesus in his people; for whosoever we find among us to be best be­loved of God, find favour with men, and to whom God shall manifest most of spiritual wisdome and know­ledge to be preached and declared by any, to the exal­ting of Christ and abaseing of man, such will they with Cain slay, and with [...]seph Brethren sell for naught into a strange land, persecute him, banish him, or impri­son him, that he should not live with them, whereby the afflictions of Ioseph [...] are continued to this day, and with Iosephs Bret [...]ren they will say the [...] we shall see what will become of his dream, Ge [...]. 37.20. his principle and doctrine which [Page 15] he preached, which say they, under afflictions he may deny for his libertie, and so it will come to nothing; but as it happened to Iosephs Brethren, so will it happen to them; for the spiritual Abel even that Iesus the Lords a­noynted which was preached unto them, and persecu­ted by them, shall reign over them, and they shall submit unto him, and by him they shall be tryed, judged, and humbled, and made to acknowledge their sins, as Io­sephs brethren was by him; and with much joy and com­fort will he make known himselfe unto them, and they shall know him (even that Iesus) whom they persecu­ted, and shall be humbled for him;Zacha. 12.10. so he was their Savi­our and reigned with them; and that man which (for the spirits sake in him) they persecuted and sold, him would God preserve and keep in all his afflictions, as he did Ioseph and Christ, and through afflictions will God bring him to honour with himselfe, he will both humble him and save him.

And as the Father and Brethren of Joseph (after he was made known unto them) left their own Countrey to come and live with him in Aegypt, which was the chil­dren of Israels first going into Aegypt to live in a strange Land, which was not theirs: so the Father, Mother, and all the Brethren of Christ after the flesh, must with Abra­ham, Isaac, and Jacob leave their own countrey and fa­thers house, and come to live with Christ in a strange Land which they know not;Gen. 12.1, 2, 3. so did Joseph in his afflicti­ons when he was sent away by his Brethren, he nor they knew not of themselves whether they sent him:Deut. 8.2. Nei­ther did Israel when God led them forty yeers in the Wilderness, and fed them with Manna from heaven, which they knew not; but thus did God for the good of all I rael, that he might humble them and save them.

And therefore my Brethren, Friends and Enemies so [Page 16] called, may he with Joseph say to them by whom he hath suffered any of the afflictions of Joseph, It was not you that did it, but the Lord, who doth all things according to the counsel of his own will, and maketh all things work together for good to them that love God,Rom. 8.28. Gen. 58.19, 20, 21. Acts 4.27, 28. and will himself bring good out of the greatest evil, as he did in this against Joseph, and in that against Christ; and so in all things that is done for to glorifie himself: and thus will God make all things work together for the further­ance of truth, the destruction of its Enemies, the mani­festation of his glory, and the good of all people.

CHAP. IIII. How Pharoah and the Aegyptians, and all that with them to this day do betray and persecute, accuse, judge and condemn any for conscience towards God, are acted by the Devil, hardened and commanded to it by God; how with Cain, Judas, and the Devil, they are all Gods servants, doing their devillish, dark, and black work, and whose spirit in them shall with the Devil, Death, Hell, and false Prophet, and the Beast, which was and is not gone into perdition, be damned and dye the second death, when and how.

THE fall of Adam and slaying of Abel which was to this day in the persecution of any, that do both persecute and are persecuted, all is done by God and for God, and God doth it to glorifie himselfe by it; where­fore whatsoever God calls you unto, go out unto it, and not resist him in it; for no one shall proceed farther in any thing then God will; and therefore when Abraham went to slay his son Isaac, it was by the command of God, and God was with him in it, and Abrahams faith [Page 17] the more strengthened by it, and in time of persecution truth will the more increase, and therefore men shall the more persecute it, as the new Pharoah did the chil­dren when they began to multiply in Egypt; and God hardned Pharoahs heart that he should not let Israel go; Exod. 1.7, 8, 9, 10. Exod. 7.3, 4. but should afflict them so long in Egypt that they might the more increase, and at last come out by great judge­ments; and after he had let them go, he hardned the hearts of the Egyptians to persist in persecution against them, and to follow them through the red sea,Exod. 14.4.30.30. that he might himselfe get honour upon Pharoah and all his host, in their destruction and Israels deliverance; and before any deliverance can be of any to any, there must first be a bondage, or else there can be no deliverance, and no deliverance can be without judgement; and therefore God sent them into Egypt to be affl cted and imbondaged by Pharoah, and after that by his judgements brought them out with great substance; so all that Pharoah did against Is [...]ael God made to be for their good, and afterwards judged their enemies, and he doth it that all men might fear before him.

So in like manner God to make his power known up­on the enemies of his people to this day for his own ho­nour, his peoples good and the advancement of truth, doth somtimes deliver them up into the hands of their e­nemies, to be afflicted and imprisoned by them, and doth harden their hearts against them, as he did Pharoah a­gainst Israel [...], who will sometimes through policie to in­crease their bondage, deceitfully promise them libertie, yet are their hearts still hardned as Phaorahs was, not to let them go, but to lay more and more upon them by plotting new evils against them to more afflict them, as Pharoah did, and which by experience I my selfe have found from the like spirit of Pharoah in these dayes [Page 18] of persecution, as that which God ever did, and to this day doth, to manifest his power the greater in deliver­ing his people out of their enemies hands, and so bring them through the wilderness to try them, as the way of God unto salvation, and in which way all men are to stand still and see the salvation of God.

Num. 22.5, 6.And as did Pharoah to oppress Israel in Egypt when he feared they would grow to stronge for him, so Balaack King of the Moabites, when he saw Israel to multiply and be too many for him, he sent messengers to Balaam to come and curse the children of Israel, and God turned it all unto Israels good, for in-stead of cursing them God made him all together to bless them, then said Balam to Balaack, shewing Gods work in all things, how can I curse where God hath not cursed, and how can I detest where God hath not detested; thereore said he, if Ba­laack would give me his house full of Gold and Silver I can not pass the commandment of the Lord to do either good or bad of my own mind, Num. 24.12, 13. but as the Lord hath said, that shall I do, and the Lord is not a man that he should lye, nor the son of man that he should repent, Num. 23.19, 20, 21. but he hath said it and he will do it, and I have received a commandment to bless, for he hath blessed, and I cannot reverse it, and he seeth no iniquity in Jacob, nor transgression in Israel; but the Lord their God is with them, and the joyful shout of a King is a­mong them, and unless he bid I cannot curse them, and the lying spirit could not go into the Prophets of Ahab king of Israel unless [...]he Lord had sent him therefore when Shimei cursed David, 2 Chron. 1 [...].20, 21. he did it because the Lord had bid­den him, and David reproved those that gaine-said it, saying he curseth even because God hath bid him curse David; who dare then say wherefore hast thou done so, & behold saith he,2 Sam. 16.10, 11, 12. my Son which came out of my own bowels seeketh my life, and why should not he that cur­seth [Page 19] be let alone, for the Lord hath bidden him, it may be the Lord will look on mine afflictions, and do me good, for his cursing me this day, thus said David, and thus may we say, why should not these be let alone that revile, persecute, banish, or imprison us or any, see­ing they do it by the Lords command, which he lets a­lone for good to them that are persecuted; for without him they can do nothing; and David under judgement and the reproaches of men, seeing all that men did unto him to be of God, he said he was dumb and opened not his mouth because he knew the Lord did it;Psa. 39.9. and Christ as a lamb led to the slaughter, and as a sheep dumb be­fore the shearers, so he opened not his mouth against them knowing it to be the Lord that did it, therefore when he was reviled he reviled not againe, but committed himselfe to God that judgeth righteously, so neither Pharoah nor the Egyptians cauld do any thing against Is­rael except the Lord had hardnen their hearts to do it, neither could the devil touch Job in his person nor estate to afflict and punnish him without God had bidden him and gave him commission,Iob. 2.6. which God saw would be good unto Job, and therefore Job in all his afflictions accuseth none, neither devil, nor witches, nor any other in the loss of any thing,Iob. 1.21. but ascribeth all unto God who giveth and taketh at his pleasure, and did all that was done unto him to humble him: and after what a strange manner doth God sometimes act his people to make them a reproach and scorne of men, as he did David when he made him to uncover himselfe in the eyes of the hand maids of his servants,2 Sam. 6.20, 21, 22. and he said it was before the Lord, and that he would be yet more vile and base in his own sight and the sight of his maid-servants, of whom he said he should be had in honour;Isa. 20.2, 3. and so did the Lord do by Isaiah when he made him to walk naked and barefoot [Page 20] three years for a signe,Isa. 20.2, 3. Ezek. 4.12. chap. 5.1. and made Ezekiel to bake mens dung and eat it for a signe, and to shave the hair from off his head and face, and burn the third part for a signe, which was all by the Lords command, yet all such are counted as mad men by those that knew not the Lord, though they did it by his command; who saith it, and men must do it,Iob 1.21. Hose. 6.1. who witholdeth, giveth, and taketh, at his pleasure both men and things, even poverty and riches, health, wealth and sickness, prosperitie and ad­versitie, life and death, honour and shame, all is of God, and by God, and not of any other but God; who worketh and none shall hinder, commanding all things, even men and devils to serve him for good; and therefore the devil walking to and fro in the earth, seek­ing whom he may devour, may be said to be the servant of God, imployed about Gods work to try and prove his people by temptations and afflictions for good to them as he did Iob; and so saith Christ of the devil when he was led by the spirit (even God) into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil, he said unto him, [thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God,Mat. 4.17. [...]0. Acts 2.23. Acts 1.25. but thou shalt wor­ship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve;] and Iudas when he betrayed Christ, he did also the work of God, which was before appointed to be done, but the devil not knowing that what he did was of God, did therefore accuse himselfe, and after death went to his own place,Eccles. 12.7. the body to the earth from whence it came, and the soul to God that gave it, every thing to its place and center, light unto light, and darkness unto darkness, earth to earth, and the spirit to the spirit, e­very thing to its like, as it alwayes did, and ever will do, world withour end: and that which is the dark and devilish part, even the devil it selfe, which entred into Judas, whereby he became a devil, (tempting, and [Page 21] betraying, persecuting, and accusing any) is the same devil that enters into men at this day, where­by they become as devils one to another, and which re­maineth still with men of the same nature, doing the same devilish work of the devil in them to this day, who are some times made use of by God, as a rod and scourge in Gods hand to whip & scourge others whom God loves and chastizes for good to them to humble them,Psalm 17.9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14. which rod shall at last with the devil be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone to be burnt, as the Aegyptians were into the sea to be drowned.

And therefore all men persecuting, plotting, and de­vising evil devices against others to accuse them, are no better then the devil in that devilish nature, which God sometimes sets a worke to do his dark and black work, and to discover themselves in the tryal of others for their own shame and destruction, in that state after convinced by God, and so they are the servants of God, as Judas and the devil was, to do that worke of God as the devil and Judas did, and who with the devil must at last come to judgement before Christ,Rom 2.15, 16. where their own consciences shall accuse them of the evil they have done against Christ, and by him they shall be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where all their abominations and devil­ish actings of one man against another, and against God shall be destroyed, and themselves saved, yet as by fire, and that in them which was devilish and made them so long to be devilish,i Cor. 3.15. Jam. 3.15, 16. is the devil in them that so long de­stroyed them, and kept them from knowing their peace with God; and this devil and sin the devouring lyon of man-kind is that which is onely for destruction in mens salvation and coming unto God, and he is that beast which is the fourth and which was and is not, and shall go into perdition: and whose power or little horne that came [Page 22] up last rageing most, haveing a mouth and eyes like a man, is he that continued speaking and acting great things against the Saints of the most high in their com­ing to their kingdom, and with which beast or beastial power acting in men to take the kingdom from the saints, the kings & rulers of the earth as enemies to Christ and his kingdom,Rev. 14.9, 10 do receive power and authority with, and from the beast, to act one hour with the beast, and by him they do reign over the people of all Nations,Rev. 17.11, 12, 13, 14. and with him they shall suffer and go into perdition together, and they give their power and authority to the beast and prince of darkness that ru [...]e [...] in the children of disobedi­ence, yeelding themselves his servants and sons, as the god and father which they worship and fall down be­fore;Rom. 6.16. For his servants ye are to whom ye obey, whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto life; and yeelding to the Beast, they with him, who with Gog and Magog do joyn in battle together, to make war against the Saints of the Most High, until Christ the Lamb of God and Prince of Light by his innocent life and light in the Saints, shall overcome the Beast, or beastial power by the bright fie­ry appearing of his presence amongst them in the Saints, and shall give the victory to the Saints;Rev. 15.2, 3. and until Christ and the ancient of days shall sit in judgement upon the white throne of innocency,Rev. 20.11, 12 Deut. 7.9, 10, 11, 19, 20, 21, 22. light and life in God, from whose face the heaven and the earth, and all things there­in of mans inventions shal flye away, and before whom all books shal then be opened, and every mans consci­ence shal bear witness either for or against himselfe, and their thought the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;Rom. 2.16, 17. for then do God appear to judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to his Gospel, and then doth he give the Kingdom to the Saints of the Most High to possess it, even to them that know themselves in [Page 23] him and he in them, and then will the beast, devil, and sin, even Gog and Magog; warred against the Saints, in the time of their deliverance from sin and resurrection from death by Christ, (as the Aegyptians did against Israel in Israels coming out of Aegypt) be quickly slain and devoured with fire from Heaven, as the Aegyptians were by water drowned in the red-sea, and that body of sin and death the old man which is the body of the beast in which he appears to live and act, shall be destroyed and given to the burning fire in the lake which quench­eth not, where the devil, death, hell,Rev. 20.8, 9, 10, 14. and the false Prophet is to be damned to a perpetual end for ever and ever, which is the second death, and these men with whom the beast and prince of darkness have so acted and ruled,Rev. 12.12. shall themselves go in his destruction (who will then be in great wrath in them because he knows his time is short with them) be shut out from the injoyment of love and peace in God, and have punnishment greater then they bear, but the Heavens shall laugh, and they that dwell in them shall rejoyce, and be at peace and rest in the Lord.

CHAP. V. A definition of the righteous and the wicked as two parts of three in man to be destroyed, and how the third part neither righteous nor wicked is brought through the fire and saved; with a distinction of Dives and Lazaras [...]nd their conditions in life and death, and of the dog licking Lazaras, [...]a [...]es.

ANd into this consumnig fire where Gog and Magog is destroyed for persecuting the Saints; thither [Page 24] went Adam after he eat the forbidden fruit,Gen. 4.13. and Cain after he had slew his brother Abel, where Cain said, my punishment is greater then I can bear; and where rich Di­ves, whose kingdom is of this world, and that to this day despises Lazarus, Iames 3.15. is tormented in the flame of a burning conscience, being that dark black devilish part which is earthy, sensual, and devilish, opposing, hating, and loathing that part which is light, bright, and Heaven­ly,Gen. 18.23. Iob 9.22. Isa. 64.6. and who is both the righteous and the wicked with men that must be destroyed; for both the righteousness and wickedness of men is all as filthiness, and so shall perish together; for as they are one in pollution so they shall be one in destruction, so was Dives with all his glo­ry, he and that destroyed together.

But to more explain this, Dives is the pharisaical principle of righteousness under a law dispensation, where sin is manifest representing of men in the state of unbelief, and which so far as any man liveth in it, he is as Dives was, righteous and wicked, for in opposition to his own wickedness he forms to himselfe a righteous­ness, in which he is proud and lusty, rich and mighty, boasting himselfe in himselfe against the poor publican, as Dives did against Lazarus; yet this publican shall en­ter into Heaven before the proud Pharisee,Matt. 21.31. so shall La­zarus without Dives, even as humillity without pride; and then Lazarus is the gospel principle of righteousness under a gospel dispensation, representing all men in the state of believing, w^ch so far as any man liveth in it, he is as Lazarus was, poor and humble, meek and lowly, even as a poor despised publican, having no righteousness of his own, but is cloathed with poor beggerly rayment to the worlds view that wear it not, and waiting to be cloathed with change of rayment from Heaven, and justified on­ly in the righteousness of Christ.

Againe this Dives the righteous and the wicked in a mistery is two parts of three in the whole creation with man that cannot stand in the presence of Gods consum [...]ng fire to be tryed and saved, but is for destruction to be damned and cast into hell to be burned, for two parts therein shall be cut off and dye, but the third part shall remaine and be brought through the fire as refined silver and as tryed gold;Zach. 13.9. this third part is poor Lazarus tryed and punished for salvation, having all his own works good and bad burned, but himselfe saved; for none of the third part can be lost, being of God, having past the tryal through the fire and overcome the righteous and the wicked that warred against it, and could not escape the fire; for they that are both righteous and wicked seeing righteousness and sin of their own, do persecute the innocent that sees and know nothing of their own, which the righteous and the wicked, even Gog and Ma­gog incampeth about to destroy and thereby destroyeth it selfe, yet is the inocent sanctified nature of men, that is neither righteous nor wicked, exalted with Christ into the throne of God into Abrahams bosom where no evil of sin nor sorrow can come neer it to hurt it, and where there is no curse but the eternal blessedness of God.

And so this third part which comes forth refined and not consumed is poor Lazarus that lay at Dives gate full of soares at the gate of this world without the glory of this world and worldly comforts, but as a poor despised wretch whose soares the dogs came and licked,Luk. 16.19, 20 21. delight­ing and refreshing themselves with them, and by it heal­ed them, that is, men of a dogish, sourly malicious na­ture and spirit, without the spirit of God in the outward court or form of religion are as dogs,Rev. 22.15. Psa. 22.16. where they so long trod undet foot the Holy City; for without are dogs &c. [Page 26] and dogs saith David have compassed me, the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me, they have pierced my hands and my feet.

And these dogs (or men) reviling, reproaching, and persecuting any in whom the life of God lives, (which is not in the form and glory of the world) is their barking, biting, snapping and snarling at them to devour them, and that life of God in them, in which they as dogs lick­ing their sores, do delight and refresh themselves, glory­ing also in the infirmities and afflictions of others, which they inflict upon them for the lifes sake in them, for which they do not love them; as the dogs that licks Lavarus his sores, they loved not the person of Lazarus, nor his sitting at Dives his gate begging for food, w^ch they thought be­longed unto them, they being of that house or family; but they delighted in his sores, and refreshed themselves with them; so do men that persecute other, hate and despise them, because they are not of them they love them not, nor that salvation should come by their way, for that they think belongs only unto them, & comes only in their way, who account themselves of the House and Church of God walking in forms of Religion, and will deny o­thers of the same benefit of salvation that are not of the church and way as they are, and so will despise and persecute them, and they will delight and rejoyce in their persecution, infirmities and afflictions, as one mans re­joycing in anothers sufferings, which rejoycing is with dogs a licking of their sores, and by this are their sores healed, and they accepted that take it patiently as Laza­rus did; for they that are persecuted for the truth, are the more strengthned and confirmed in the truth, and the truth is the more increased by it; for saith Paul, these things which have come unto me in my sufferings,Phil. 1.12, 13, 14. bonds, and imprisonments, have proved all to the furtherance of the gospel, and all things shal work for good to them [Page 27] that love God, and that are so despised and persecuted of the world; and this is the third part which passes through the fire to be tried, purified and saved.

Yet this third part which is of God tryed and refined to be saved (to wit, Lazarus which Dives despised,Rev. 12.3, 4, 5. or the man child born, which the Dragon persecuted) is carri­ed above mens malice, and the afflictions of this world into Abraham's bosome, as into rest and peace with God, being of the same nature of God.

And this third part is also the same with the third dis­pensation, Heaven and glory of God manifest in flesh, the other two being vanished, not able to appear in the presence of this third, which is also the third day or light of body the son of righteousness, the light and glory of all lights (even Christ) wherein the knowledge of God is pure unto men, living without the knowledge of good and evil; and in which state nothing appears impure nor imperfect to those that live there; but as the Prophet Zacharie saith,Zach. 14.20, 21. Every pot and pitcher (as the worst of things so called by men) is in the Lords house all holiness unto him that is holy, and as golden bowles before the Altar of God (even Christ) filled with the holy oyle and annoynting spirit of Jesus by which all things is sanctified to him that knows the Lord;Tit. 1.15. for to the pure all things are pure.

And the more of that purity and pure life of God there is manifest in any one man, the more tryalls and persecutions he must pass through and undergo for the same, by the impure, in whom the pure is not manifest; and the more purer any one is, the better able he is to in­dure to the end of what he for the pure's sake shall have inflicted upon him; for none but the pure (according as it is manifested in all ages to this day) is tryed and per­secuted by that which is still beneath it, and cannot attain [Page 28] it, as Dives who was in hell could not come to Lazarus who was in heaven,Luke 16.23, 24 yet (as it is written) they were both within a corporeal sight and hearing one of another, but the one could not be comforted, and the other could not be tormented; for their spirits in their several con­ditions were at a vast distance one to the other, but their bodies might come together, as to this day they do, but not to have communion together one with another, nor in any one thing, for there is no communion between light and darkness, Christ and Belial; but the one is ta­ken and the other is left; one denyed himself and the o­ther could not.

And therefore it is not any local hell and heaven (as some men suppose) that Dives and Lazarus was in, but the different states of men under the Law, and under the Gospel, under wrath and love, at the left and right hand of God by which hell and heaven is signified to them, e­ven one living in the presence of God, as of love, and lo­ving his appearance; and the other living in the presence of God, as of wrath, and hating his appearance, being not able to stand before him; for nothing but what is of God born again by God, shall stand before God, and have peace in God; for to every thing els God is as hell, yea a tormenter, even a consuming fire to destroy it; and every thing from its centre, and out of its element, is as in hell, where it cannot live to abide, and have rest; as the fish out of the Sea; the worms out of the earth, the birds out of the ayr, and the soul out of God can­not; therefore saith Cain, I am gone out from thy presence, and my punishment is greater then I can bear; Gen. 4.13, 14. so for the body of man which is but earth, and as a worm, to bee any where else then in or on the earth, though in heaven, it were as in hell; therefore every thing to its centre for rest, and the souls of all men into God, which that they [Page 29] are when men see God in them giving rest and peace to them, and themselves to be in God as Lazarus did, but Dives did not in that state; and therein the one is com­forted, and the other is tormented, yet were they bro­thers, and both the sons of God; but the flames of a wounded conscience (of the one) who can indure the bitter burning of it! so the joyes of a healed saved con­science (in the other) how sweet is it! and both these manifest in flesh under the law and gospel-dispensation, where the discontent and torment of one mans consci­ence, wounded by the Law, is manifest; and the joy and comfort of anothers healed by the gospel, and both li­ving together on the earth in the body, and having the glory of this world, and the other the same; but Dives dyed, and was buried.

First, his death was the coming of the Law to him to revive sin in him, whereby sin was made exceeding sinful, and thereby slew him as it did Paul, and as is the death of all, after which comes judgement; before which Paul (as Dives) was rich and righteous in himself,Rom. 7.9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14. till the Law was set home to him and revived sin in him, and so slew him, after which the gospel came and gave life unto him; But Dives also was buried, and in hell tormented; hee was with David laid into the lowermost pit in darkness,Psal. 88.6, 7. in the deep, where the wrath of God lay hard upon him that he could not come forth, where he was scorched with fire, and burned his tongue for pain under the four and five vial, and which David he cryed out,Luk. 16.23 24. Father Abraham have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am torment­ed in this flame, as David said, Wilt thou shew wonders in the grave, where thy fierce wrath goeth over me,Psa. 88.12.16. Psa. 43.2, 3. and thy terrors have cut me off; Why dost thou cut me off? Why go I mourning because of the oppression and the [Page 30] enemy;Psa. 51.8.12. send [Lazarus] thy light and thy truth, let them lead me, let them bring me unto thy holy hill: make me to hear joy and gladness, that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce; restore unto me the joy of thy salvation, and uphold me with thy free spirit: so is the cryings of a wounded soul that looketh up unto God for mercy, as is said Dives did, who was also a son of God as Lazarus was, for he called Abraham father, and Abraham called Dives his son; and so is every un­believer the son of God, though so long he bringeth forth fruit to himself, and not unto God, and thereby destroys himself;Rom. 11.32. yet in God is his help, and the help of every unbeliever; for he hath concluded all under sin and un­belief, that he might have mercy upon all; and there­fore Dives said, Father Abraham have mercy on me.

Now Lazarus he dyed, that is, he dyed unto sin, and lived unto righteousness, and was not buried as Dives was,Rom. 6.11. but was carryed by the angels into Abrahams bosom; he was dead in Christ as every believer is while he lives, by whom he was crucified and slain to sin and the worlds glory,2 Cor. 1.9, 10. having received in himself the sentence of death, that he should not trust in himself but in God which rai­seth the dead, and delivered him from so great a death from which he had not delivered Dives; and all thus dead in Christ, riseth first with Christ into the life of Christ, which is the first resurrection; but the rest of the dead (to wit, they of Dives, the righteous and the wicked that are so in themselves, and do worship the Beast and his Image and follow the whore) they rise not till they are so become dead in Christ from sin and the world, which yet they live in, & are dead from Christ buryed in the grave of destruction, [...]ev. 14.9, i0, 11. where is weeping and gnash­ing of teeth, and where the worm dyeth not, and the fire is not quenched to all that are in it; but blessed are [Page 31] ehe dead which dye in the Lord,Rev. 14.15. from the whore and her worship from henceforth, yea saith the spirit, that they may rest from their labours and their works do follow them, for dying and rising in Christ they do enter into rest with Christ, resting from all their own works, as God did from his, who also have received in themselves the sentence of death, that they should not trust in them­selves, but in God that raiseth the dead, and delivered them from so great a death which others lye groaning under; and so by the angels or ministring spirits of Christ in them, are carryed out of themselves into Abrahams bo­som, swallowed up into the life of God, free from the wrath and curse, as believers, still living in the body, ha­ving Christ their life manifest in their mortal flesh,2 Cor. 4, 11. Matt. 5.8, 9. by which their consciences are at peace and rest with Christ in God, as the pure in heart which is blessed with God, receiving, possessing, and injoying the reward of their works of humility, meekness and love, which is rest for evermore, and unto whom the impure and unbeliever cannot come, nor be blessed with the same spiritual bles­sing of Christ in them, but do (with Dives the righte­ous and the wicked) still hate and persecute them that are blessed above them, and like roaring Lyons they will go about seeking to devour them till the Lyon of the tribe of Judah meets them (as he did Paul) and destroys in them the righteous and the wicked,Acts 9.3, 4, 5. the Pharisee and all his works, the good and the evil knowledge with men, turning their evil into good; their darkness into light; their death into life, and their hatred into love, and so translate them out of the kingdome of the evil and of darkness, into the Kingdom of light and the Lord Je­sus.

And these two parts, Righteousness and sin, good and evil, so known by men (which is to be destroyed) every [Page 32] man for a time (while he believes not) known to be more or less in him, the one opposing the other, which is the righteousness of man against the sin of man, & do both joyne together against the third part of man, which is refined and draw out from the other to be pure in Christ; and by the pure, even Christ, is the righteous and the wick­ed purged forth and destroyed together; for works of gold and works of dross, the best and worst of man is all but vanitie,1 Cor. 5.12, 13. and must be destroyed; for as the wicked part which is sin, is compared to bryars, and thorns, wood hey, and stubble; so the other part, which is the righte­ous so called, is compared to gold and precious stone, and all but as one Dives; even the two parts of three, righte­ousness and wickedness, which must be burnt up, & man therein shall suffer loss;Gen. 18.23. Job. 9.22. Eccle. 3.16, 17. for God will destroy both the righte­ous and the wicked, which is of man; but man himself, or that third part which is of God shall be saved, and which is neither righteous nor wicked in it self, but is pure, holy, meek and humble, as Adam was before his fall, and now again regenerated from the knowledge of good and e­vil, to be like Christ risen into the state of the second A­dam, more perfect then the first, as in the state of rest and salvation, where man is saved and made perfect in God, yet so as by fire, and where there is neither truth nor error, light nor darkness, day nor night appearing distinct, but in the evening it shall be light, or that which before was darkness shall now be made light,Isa. 42.16. even the crooked straight, and the rough plain, as all but one day and one light,Zach. 14.6, 6, 8, 9. one way, and one kingdom of the Lord known unto men, and in which there is but one king, and his Name one over all the earth, and all other kings and kingdoms good and bad so known, are destroyed and at an end to its goodness and its badness out of Christ; and at the sounding of the seventh angel is al becom the king­doms [Page 33] of the Lords and of his Christs, whose name is but one, and there is none besides him.

CHAP. VI. That the more purer, innocent, and faithful men are in the truth, the more do men plot and devise evil of them to destroy them, as a­gainst the Lord Prophets, Christ and his Apostles; how God by his presence with them delivers them as he did Israel, the three Children, Daniel, Jonah ond Jeremiah, and destroyed their ene­mies.

AND he that with this one, even with this pure and perfect one shall know most of this King and King­dom, to declare it, and most purely live in it, he must suf­fer the greater by men and with Christ, he shall drink of the cup of Christ,Matt. 20.25. Luke. 12.50. and be baptized with the baptism of Christs sufferings, under which Christ himself groan­ed till it was accomplished, and brought through the fire, and seven times tryed in the presence of Gods bur­nings, he is most certainly humbled and exalted with Christ in the spirit, to sit in the Throne of his Father; & so long as he lives in the flesh, manifesting and decla­ring to the world the glory of Christs Kingdom, which he knows and is possessed of,Iob. 16.33. he must so long expect to have tribulation in the world answerable to the peace and consolation he hath with Christ in God, and in which tribulation and affliction of fiery tryals and persecutions by men, his peace and consolation shall not cease to be with him; for his God in whom he liveth and trusteth,Isa. 63. will continue it by the angel of his presence, being in all his afllictions afflicted with him, to protect, save, and deliver him, that no evil shall come unto him; for when thou passest through the fire I will be with thee (saith [Page 34] the Lord) and in the midst thereof I will redeem thee,Isa. 43.2. that no evil shall come unto thee.

And this abiding, of God with his people, to rule and reign in them, is that which saves them and all men in their sufferings for the truth, even as it did all the Lords Prophets and people in all their afflictions throughout all generations to this day, witnessed in the three chil­dren of Israel that had been taken captives, Shadrach, Meschech, and Abednego, who at the wrath of the King Nebuchadnezzar for their faithfulnss in God, and not falling down to worship the Image which Nebuchadnez­zar the King had set up, were cast bound into the midst of the hot fiery Furnance, heat seven times hotter then it was wont to be heat,Dan. 3.13, [...]4. & they had no hurt of the Fire, for the son of God whom they worshipped in truth & righte­ousness, & trusted that he would deliver them, walked in the midst of the Fire with them, and saved them, and these men which cast them in were burnt with the flames of that Fire which they had kindled for to burn others, according as it is written, The wicked have drawn out the Sword, and have bent their Bow to cast down the poor and nee­dy, Psa. 37.14, 15. and to slay such as be of an upright conversation, their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their Bows shall be broken, and the Fire that they have made for others shall kindle upon themselves, as it did upon those which cast them into the Fornace; insomuch that the King and those that saw the deliverance of the three children, and the great power of God, were astonished and convinced at the Protection of them, to see them thus delivered by the God in whom they trusted, who is a God alwaies at hand, ready to help, the helpless from those that would devour them; and this hath been the protecti­on that Gods people hath found at this day, though great persecutious hath been against them, wherein many [Page 35] hath suffered much, & not so much as was the desire of their enemies they should, as many can witness that have seen the malicious proceedings at them, but the Lord resttrained them.

The like we have in Daniel, another witness for the Lord, who was Innocent & Faithful, one of the Children of the Captivity of Iudah, in whom the spirit of VVis­dome & understanding was most excellent,Dan. 5.12, 13. in opening Divine mysteries; & because for his VVisdome, he was preferred by the King, the Rulers, & Governors, over wnom Daniel was set, sought an occasion against Daniel to destroy him, but (said they) we shall find no fault a­gainst him except it be concerning the Law of his God, & so they consulted together how they might make a Law on purpose to betray him, as all men at this day have don to betray those whom God hath most honoured & indu'd w^th the understanding of divine mystries, to betray them, they will make Lawes & Statutes of things concerning God, which shall be sin & blasphemy for them that shall act it, or speak it, to bring them into bondage for it, as all the Rulers, Officers, Govenors, and Councellors took councell against Daniel; for they prevailed with the King to seal a writing,Dan. 6.4, 5, 6, 7 that whosoever should aske any thing of God or man for thirty dayes time, and not of the King, should be cast into the Lyons den; now Daniel notwith­standing prayed and praysed his God as he use to doe, and these men assembling against Daniel, watched him, and as he was worshiping came upon him and brought him to the King for breaking their Law;Ver. 14. then was the King sorrie that he had made such a law, for he loved Danel, and then sought to deliver him out of their hands, but they pressed the King so much, that he yeelded to them, and they cast Daniel into the den of Lyons, and shut him in amongst them, and on the morrow the King [Page 36] came unto the den & said, O Daniel Servant of the living God, is not he able to deliver thee from the Lyons, then said Daniel O King live for ever; my god hath sent his Angel, and he have shut the Lyons mouthes that they have not hurt me, for my innocency was found out be­fore God, and against thee have I done no hurt, and then was the King glad, that he had no wrong, and command­ed Daniel to be taken out of the den, & he had no hurt be­cause he believed in his God, & then the King command­ed all that were against Daniel both they and their fami­lies to be cast into the den among the Lyons where they had before cast Daniel, and the Lyons tore them in pie­ces; for they believed not in the God of Daniel; and then did K. Darius write unto all people, nations, & Languages in the world to worship & honor the God of Daniel; for said the King, he is the living God, and remaineth for e­ver, and his Kingdom is everlasting, who dilvered Daniel from the mouthes of the Lyons; and so say I that this is my God, and hath hitherto delivered me from those that would have devoured me. Thus was Daniel also saved in his affliction, and his enemies were destroyed, and the Lord his God was the more honoured, and his kingdome the more increased, as is to this day in the affliction of his people,Isa. 63.6. who in all their afflictions is him­selfe afflicted with them, and the Angel of his presence saves them, and will cast off none that trust in him, and come to him by Jesus; nor is he ever wanting with any that know him & wait upon him, but wil deliver them out of all their troubles, which they shall suffer for his cause, and which he for his honours sake (in delivering of them) will bring upon them.Iohah. chab. 1.2 And it was not without the Lord that Jonah was in the ship, and that for him being in it, the ship was tossed, and the people therein troubled with fear: and Jonah by them cast into the sea, & he to be three days & [Page 37] three nights in the VVhales belley preserved alive, and at the Lords command was by the fish cast out to dry land in safety; so was Jeremiah, Ier. 38, 34, 39.11.12. &c. who for declaring the word of the Lord was by the King Zedekiah left to the cruelty of the Princes, who cast Jeremiah into the dungeon con­trary to the Kings knowledge; but Jeremiah for trusting in the Lord was in the destruction of Jerusalem delivered, and the Princes that cast him in were destroyed by the Caldeans, so all that in their troubles shall trust in God that he will deliver them, they shall in the worst of trou­bles be preserved and safely restored into rest and peace with the Lord, and not that any thing shall be done, without the Lord: Christ himself, though by the hands of men, yet by the Lord was he delivered up unto men to be slain, and by him was he with Ionah raysed the third day to life againe, and all the prophets and apostles of Christ who were most clearest in the knowledge of the truth of Christ were persecuted and put to death for their Judgements, and were not without the Lords company with them in it, neither was any thing don unto them without him; and he was with them in all their sufferings that they should not feare nor deny him, nor that which they knew of him, but still hold fast their in­tegrity and faithfulness in the truth before him, to live and dye in his cause, and will not worship the Beast nor his Image,Rev. 15.15. so shal al whom the lord hath set a work [& not man] to contend against the Beast & his Image, thogh they suffer much by men that have the Image of the beast up­on them, and the glory of the whore about them, yet they shal deny to own them:Psal. 110.3. for in the day of his power they shall be a willing people for the Lord, willing to receive his message and declare it, willing to be persecuted, and to suffer for it, this honour have all his Saints.

CHAP. VII. How by persecution truth is increased, and the more advanced; and they that suffer for it, to the terror of them that persecute it; that truth is rewarded and witnessed by sufferings: how the reward of suffrings is a crown of glory manifest in men, and when.

ANd suffering for the truth is the ready way to ad­vance it, & when men are most humbled for the truth then are they in the way to be most exalted: with the truth, and these things (saith Paul) which have come unto me in my sufferings, Bands & Imprisomments have proved all to the furtherance of the Gosple,Phil. 1.12, 13, 14. & for the discovery of truths enemies; & by my bonds saith he, other brethren have been the more incouraged to preach the truth and suffer for the truth, and in the time of persecu­tions the saints that were scattered went every where preaching the word,Act. 8 3, 4. and the more men sought to stop and prevent them, the more did they increase and were incouraged, and the truth was the more confirmed a­mongst them, as it is to this day where persecutions are manifest, and whosoever it is that do persecute another for his Judgement, he doth manifest himselfe to be igno­rant of God and the truth, and lives not in the truth but in the lye which is enmitie to it, yet will the truth advance it selfe above it and the more for being persecuted: And did men know before hand, that what they persecute is thereby advanced, and themselves thereby abased, and they would not so much act against themselves, and the truth which they know not, but God will have it so, for the wrath of man shall turne to his prayse, and the remainder thereof will he restrain,Psa. 76.10. and will suffer no­thing to be done, but what he will gloryfie himselfe by; and therefore when the kingdoms of the world are most [Page 39] divided one against another,1 Thess. 5.1.2. then the kingdome of God cometh in, as a thief in the night upon them, and that which men in their dayes set themselves most against, that wil God in his day most exalt.

And therefore you my brethren, that would in all things love the appearing of the Lord Jesus, then meet him in his comming though it be to kill and crucifie you, and though Clouds of thick darknesse be round about him that you see him not for the present, yet know that it is but for a moment he hides himselfe, and that he will a­gaine break through these cloulds, and shine Gloriously upon you to the inlightning of your soules, for though sorrow hath continued for a night yet joy cometh in the morning, and therefore though persecutions and tribula­tions may be amoung you to try you, and out of which the Lord will redeem you,Isa. 41.10. yet let not your hearts be troubled, and be not afraid of men nor of their reviling; for though they may band themselvs together against you, and the Lords anointed in you, to break the cords and bands of love and unity amongst you, yet their devices shall not prosper but the Lord will have them in derision,Psa. 2. and will break them in peices like a pottors ves­sel, and will set his own anointed (even Christ) upon his Throne, who shall be great amongst you, and you with him shall rejoyce together: for he that sits in the Heavens shall laugh: and the Lord his King shall raine in the midst of you for evermore; and the work began among you will he perfect,Psa. 35.1, 8. and will turn all the evil devices of men that have invented evil against you with­out cause to devoure you, upon their own heads, and shame and confusion shall befall them in the end: but the more is your glory as is their shame; for they shall be the Lords displeasure against them, and they shall be vexed, for the evil that they have done against you, [Page 40] and could not have their purposes fulfilled upon any of you, and in the midst of all your peace and joy in the Lord shall be manifest in you; For though in the world you have tribulation, yet in Christ you shall have peace; and be of good cheer, Ioh. 16.33. for Christ hath overcome the world. And if you will bee possessors of the truth, you must bee armed with patience in the Lord to suffer reproach and tryalls for the truth,1 Pet. 4 1. and with all willingnesse and obe­dience of mind thereunto, you must yeeld your selves as a living sacrifice ready to be offered up with Christ on the cross, though the outward sufferings with many of you may not be afflicted upon you,Rom. 12.1.2. but being made willing in the minde, your willingnesse and free submission therunto shall be accepted even the will for the deed, concerning which God will try you if you will deny him or no,Heb. 11.17 Ge. 22.12.10.11.12. as he did Abraham, when he made him offer up his onely son Isaac to be slaine, but he did not slay him; for being made willing it was accepted of God with him, as if it had been done by him, and the will for the deed with some shall suffice,1 Tim. 6.12, 13. and they shall with others that do suffer, reap the same fruit, for some onely shall suffer outwardly as witnesses for the rest, as did Christ for us who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good profession, yet with him we reap the same fruit,1 Pet. 2.21. witnessing with him the same profession, and whose steps some in the out­ward sufferings must follow him, as his apostle did, even those whom the Lord shall chuse, and whom he will make able, with himselfe and the apostles to beare witnesse with him unto his suffrings, for the true life we live as the same which he said should come to passe, and doth and will come to pass, till the man of sin in any shall be no more, as in all ages some in whom the life hath been most manifest and most purely have lived it, have suffered in bearing witness to the life of [...]od accor­ding as it hath been manifest under any dispensation that [Page 33] truth is alwayes witnessed by sufferings going with it, and following after it, according to the Scriptures, as a reward given to it,2 Thes. 1.4, 5. and a fellow helper and companion for it; for he that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer per­secution and persecutions, and tribulations is a mainfe­station of Gods righteous Judgements whereby a soul is counted worthy of the kingdom of God for which he also suffers. And as sufferings is a reward of truth and godlyness, and a companion for it, joyned with it unto those that injoy it and know it to live in it; so the reward of sufferings is a crown of glory, all witnessing one another; for ought not Christ who is the truth, first to suffer, and then to enter into his glory; and saith Paul who sought with Beasts at Ephasus, I have fought a good fight; I have finished my course, 1 Tim. 4.7, 8. I have kept the faith. Hence forth is laid up for me a Crown of Glory, as the price of my race which I have won, and which is brought unto me at the revelation of Jesus Christ and to all that love his appearing; and he to comfort us in afflictions saith,2 Thess. 1.7. you who are troubled rest with us in the same spirit: waiting for the same crown as a recom­pence of reward, for all your troubles, when the Lord Je­sus shall be revealed from heaven, with his mighty An­gels powerfully appearing and manifesting himselfe for your good in the Lord; but to take vengeance on all that that trouble you, and that know not God, and obey not the gospel of the Lord Jesus, but do persecute it, they shal suffer the vengeance of eternal fire (God himselfe) whose wrath is revealed from Heaven against all ungodlynesse and Unrighteousnesse of men that hold the TRUTH in unrighteousness, Rom. 1.18. and shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and the glory of his power when he shall come to be gloryfied in his saints, and admired in all that do believe,2 Thes. 1. Heb. 12.2. and that have with patienec indured the cross, and despised the shame, these shall have joy and glory with God, when these [Page 42] that trouble them shall have sorrow and anguish of spi­rit, and so much the more for beholding the others joy and confidence in the Lord which they so much have per­secuted, (For thinkest thou O man that Judgest another, that thou shalt escape the Judgements of God?Rom. 2.3, 4, 5, 6. no thou that hardnest thy heart against another, treasureth up wrath unto thy selfe against the day of wrath) which must certainly come upon thee; for God will reward every man according to his works, for with what Judge­ment ye Judge,Mat. 7.2. ye shall be Judged; and with what mea­sure ye meet, it shall be measured to you againe; where­fore howle and lament, [...]e. 3.1. &c. [...]oel. 1.5. &c. and be ashamed, thou man of the Devil that persecutest and Judgest another, for when the Lords Judgements are upon thee, it will be a day of terror unto thee, till by Judgement the enemy, sin and the devil within thee shall be cast out from thee, as from those whom thou persecutest. And you that with Christ have been Judged by men, and have been made partakers of Christs sufferings, rejoyce ye, that when his Glory shal appeare ye may be glad with exceeding joy and account that the long sufferings of God is salvation,1 Pet. 4.13.14. and that if ye be rayled against for the name of Christ happie are ye; for the spirit of God and of glory resteth upon you: and on their part that speak evil of you God is evil spoken of by them, but on your part he is gloryfied: and therefore blessed are ye when men shall hate you and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil sayings against you, for the son of mans sake: and shal seperate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evill, why reioyce in that day, and leap for joy, for behold your reward is great in heaven,Luke. 6.222, 3. for so did their fathers unto the prophets, but he that indures unto the end shall be saved.

And this blessed reward of salvation for suffering for [Page 43] the truth to be manifest in this mortall flesh,2 Cor. 4.10. 10 and his prophets and apostles had, for they received it and bear witness to it, and all that since have suffred with them doe bear the same testimony, and unto which my self, with many others at this day, shall set my seal, who have hitherto suffered for the truth which I first received,1 Cor. 8.5.6. that there is but one God and father of all who is above all, through all, and in all,Eph. 4.6. and one Lord Jesus Christ manifesting this unto men by the spirit of himselfe, and his own presence dwelling in them, by whose presence manifesting this unto me to be declared by me, I have also been inabled, and with patience made to indure to this day, even to the end of what for the truth have yet been inflicted upon me, and in which I had my reward being therein satisfied and contented; and haveing a perfect assurance of Gods uncangeable love in Christ Jesus towards me, never to be taken from me, nor I to be seperated from that by principalities, nor powers,Rom. 8.34, 35, 39. things present nor things to come, heighth nor depth, nor any other creature whatsoever, though I have been perse­cuted, despised and reiected, and as one counted for the slaughter; yet in all these things Christ hath been a conquerer for me, and hath kept me that I have not de­nyed him, who himselfe all along hath been my re­ward, even my portion, my lot, and eternal inheritance in his kingdome of eternal Glory,1 Pet. 5.10. unto which he hath cal­ed me by Jesus Christ, and unto which after ye have suffered awhile he will also call you, make you perfect, strengthen, settle and establish you. And is not this a reward, yea & a double reward, as the apostle saith, that the sufferings of this life are not to be compared with the Glory that shall follow, and there is no man saith Christ that have denyed himselfe of the Glory of this world for the glory of God, but he shall have a thousand fold in [Page 36] the world to come, wherein God appears without sin un­to salvation, and whosoever hath followed Christ in the steps of regeneration in the state of grace,Mat. 9.28, 29. shall sitt with him upon twelve thrones, Judgeing the twelve Tribes of Israel, even the throne where Christ sitteth and overcometh all things,Rev. 3.21. shall he sit that overcometh the world with Christ, and with him his glory shall be dou­bled from the throne of grace as of twelve degrees of the 12 apostles, to the Throne of glory of the four and twenty Elders clothed in white rayment from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot,Rev. 4.4. and shall wear on their heads crowns of gold which they shall ascribe to him that sits on the throne with them,Ver. 14, 15. and gave it to them, as still being his, though with them, and unto whom all Honour, glory and Power of all things belongeth, for God is judge of all the earth.

This is the perfect state, the throne of God, and fulness of glory, where Christ his prophets and apostles, and Saints, and all that are in Christ, do with him sit and and reigne together with God on the same throne of his glory, rejoycing and singing Halaluiahs unto him for ever and ever, and where is heard by them to sing and praise the Lord, all creatures both which are in Heaven and which are on earth, and under the earth, and in the sea and all that are in them, saying, Praise and Honour and glory,Rev. 5.13. and Power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for evermore. And all men of the same Lamb like nature of Christ, have the same honour and glory with him as due belonging to them.

CHAP. VIII. How the way to find our life is to lose it, that no man is to know a­ny thing of himself, but to be innocent in knowing his own innocecy and righteousness: also what the true knowledge of God is: who hath it, and how its obtained.

ANd Paul to comfort and incourage us in the way of suffrings to this Throne of glory, wherein to lose our lives that we may find it, and so to know God aright, he bids us look unto Iesus the author and finsher of our faith, who himselfe by malitious men,Heb. 12.2.3. as he was a man himself in the flesh, suffered such reproaches, whipings, scourgings and revileings of men, and yet for the joy that was set before him indured the cross, and despised the shame, and set him down at the right hand of the throne of God, which he that overcometh and indureth to the end shall inherit with him, and Christ was made perfect through sufferings; so shall all that will be made perfect as he is perfect;Luk. 24.26. for ought not he first to suffer and then to enter into his glory, and if thou wilt be perfect, saith he, thou must sell all that thou hast, and take up thy cross and follow me,Mat. 19.21. and be content with joy to suffer the spoyling of your goods, your own wis­dome and knowledge, your righteousness and your glo­ry, knowing in your selves how that you have in Heaven a better and a more during substance,Heb. 10.33, 34 and therefore in knowing this you will not regard the sufferings of this life: but wil know that after you have received the light & knowledge of the truth in any measure, you must come under persecutions and afflictions for it, and be made a gazing stock and a reproach unto men by the Lord for your Good,1 Cor. 4.9. that you maybe humbled & emptied of all that you call your own, and be exalted and filled of all that is Christ, and so with him to lose your life, that [Page 46] you may find it, even all that you lived to in the world and thought your selves happie besides Christ, must you lose and sufer to come to Iudgement, for he that will seek to save his life shall lose it, but he that will lose his life for Christ, the same shall find it, wherefore as Pe­ter saith, humble your selves yea in the Lord under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you.

And these are the steps of Christ and his apostles and prophets,1 Pet. 5.6, 7. which you are to follow, in losing and finding, in being humbled and exalted, and with them to bear the same testimony to the same truth, to see the fulness of Christ, and the emptiness of your selves, and all things that are beneath him, and with the prophets and apostles of Christ suffer a reproof of the Lord when you shall in the behalf of your selves contend for any of our own innocency, integrity and uprightness, and seek to justifie your selves in any thing of your selves, or in vindication of your selves, to boast and declare unto men as Samuel did,1 Sam. 12.3. saying, Whose oxe have I taken, or whom have I done any wrong unto? or whom have I hurt? or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blinde mine eyes therewith, and I will restore it to you; But in this though a man be never so just (as a man ought to be in all his actions, wayes, and works notwithstanding) yet he is not to boast himself of that,2 Cor. [...].30. nor to glory in it, nor yet to know it, no not in any thing of his owne righte­ousness, but onely in his own infirmities, lest hee should be proud of it, and contend with God for it more then for righteousness in God, as sometimes David, Job, and others did, for which God reproved them, and brought them to judgement, and so saved them; but though a man were never so innocent, just and righteous before [Page 47] men after the righteousness of the Law, yet as a man he is not to know himself so, but to account all loss for Christ, and to know none but him;Gal. 6.3. for if a man thinke himself somthing when he is nothing, he deceiveth him­self; and the greatest perfection of innocency, wisdom, & righteousness of God with man, is for man to be innocent in the knowledge of himselfe,1 Cor. 4.4. or any thing which hee knows, he knows besides God, and to know that he knows nothing of himself, nor by himself, as Paul did not, and then doth he know most of God, because mans weakness is Gods strength, and his ignorance is Gods wisdome; for he that knows he knows any thing, (which is the greatest desire of man to do,1 Cor. 8.1, 2, 3 to know something of him­self) he knoweth nothing in righteousness as hee ought to know, but is proud in what he thinks he knows, be­cause he knoweth it with distinction to something which he knoweth not, and all that a man knows of any thing without knowing all things, is but his owne thoughted knowledge, which a man is to be crucified unto, and to know that God who is onely to be known, is hee onely that knows all things, and that no man hath ever seen nor known him but onely God himself in the Son hath known and seen himself in the Father, and he that with God in the Sonship of God knoweth God, he knows that the knowledge of all things is in God, and that there is none other to know any thing but God who knoweth all things as he knows himselfe, and then cannot hate or despise any thing which he so knows, and till man know it a god and good, he knows it not as he ought.

And God which is a spirit can be high and lowe, rich and poor, strong and weak, full and empty, the best and worst, one and all where he please, and when he please, without contradiction in himself; For the Spirit blow­eth where and when it listeth, as the winde, to save and [Page 40] to destroy, to gather together, and scatter abroad; and this Spirit is the Spirit of Truth which Christ saith we shal receive of him, to bring all things to our remembrance, whereby we may know all things, even him in the state, of the new birth, which no man knows but the Spirit it selfe:1 Ioh. 2.20. And John saith, That having the annoynting of the Holy One we shall know all things, and hee that hath Christ hath all things, even Christ who is all of the Father, and then cannot but know it in him, and wee need not that any man teach us,1 Iohn 2.27. bur as the annoynting which wee have received of him, and is in us, teacheth us all things and is truth and is no lye, and even as we be taught by him so we shall abide in him.

And he that by the Spirit of God is taught all things, to know all things in the Spirit, hee by God is taught God, and knoweth God, and can then know no other be­sides God, nor after any other manner but as God, and so with him is in charity with all men, and then knows that he knoweth nothing of himself that he should boast in nor be proud of,1 Cor. 13.4, 5, 6, 7, 8. neither vaunt himself above, for hee knows both the highest and the lowest, and God in them all, which makes them all one unto him as unto God, even unity in variety, and variety in unity, as all one God, and so knows nothing better nor worse then him­self, nor any thing better nor worse then the other; for he sees the sin of all to be ended, and also his owne righ­teousness, which is the same with his sins to bee ended from having any thing of good in it more then unto men, and therefore cannot boast in, nor be proud of any thing of his own, which is not to tarry with him, but to perish in the using; and so not in one thing more then another of humane things, and where contrarities of things are not known; there pride and boasting in one thing above another cannot be, but in that state a man [Page 41] is most like unto God, as Adam was before his fall, wherein he knows no distinction; and Adam fell not till he sought to know his own innocency, and the state i [...] which he stood, which God sorbad him to know; for thereby did Adam come to the knowledge of good and evil, to know righteousness and sin, joy and sorrow in himself; and hee that with Adam shall see any good in himself in opposition to an evil, he glorieth in that good so often as he doth it, and when he doth it not, he fears and is offended as Adam was, when in truth there is none good but one, even God, nor none that doth good but one, even him who knoweth no evil; and therefore nei­ther feares nor is offended.

And no man but the Lord onely, who is himselfe the God and the innocent, the Iustness, Vprightness, and the righteousness, that can know it, and who is not, nei­ther can be proud, lofty,1 Cor. 13. nor high-minded in the know­ledg of any thing, because he knows nothing more, nor no­thing less then himselfe, and all knowledge of all things is himselfe; therefore the greatest perfection of mans knowledg is to know that he knows nothing till he know­eth God who is no one thing distinct, but all things in one, as his greatest exaltation is when he is most humbled, and that knowledg by which a man doth not know God even as he is known of God,1 Cor. 13.10, 11, 12. is no true knowledge but must pass away as that which is perfect doth appear; and the true knowledge of god is to know the height and dep [...]h of all things, m to be the same which he knows, even to ascend to the highest & descend to the lowest in one & the same love to all, and so to know God in love once and ever, even where and in every thing both high and low without confinement to any thing with the like love to all things; this is the knowledge that shall stand, and all other knowledge shall pass away.

And that these men whom God hath set a part and chosen to know and declare him as he is in himselfe, mightst know none but God, and in their knowing him, mightst be humbled and exalted with God, to know God even as God knows them, he makes them to beare his CROSS; Hee smote them with the rod of men to try them, that they may witness of his li­ving in them,Num. 23.21. though against all the ways of men, and he will lay his Judgements upon them to make them the more like himselfe,Zeph. 3.15. to live without knowing sin or evil even upon the most righteous person in the world as the first that shall have it and come unto it,1 Pet. 4.17. [for Judgement must begin at the house of God] and did begin with Christ as the first in Adam, whose image which Adam lost was renewed by Judgments, and who is the first fruit of men unto God, and whose righteous Judgments none shall escape, though by men unjustly executed; no, Christ in the flesh as a man could not escape them, that no flesh might glory in his presence,1 Cor. 1.17, 18, 19. nor that any one should think better of himselfe then of others, nor that others should think better of any then they ought, which is too frequent with men to do, for the gifts they see in them, and for which many are made to suffer, for they esteem that others have of them, though they are most humble in themselues, and therefore it is not safe for men to be too popular and eminent among men in the account of men, for any ipiritual wisdom & know­ledg they have of God; for then it is iust with God to pull them down; even all that men sets up or idolize for any gift that God hath given to them, but the grea­ter the gift of God is in them, and the more they know of him, the more for that gift are they to be humbled both before God & men, to give a good example of humi­litie unto men, and have the less honour from men, as the way with Christ to exalt them.

CHAP. IX. How all men are alike to God, to whom light and darkness is all one: that no man is better nor worse then another, and how; what it is to be both best and worst in one person, to be punished and exal­ted, and the way unto it; how we are to serve one another, and of the st [...]te of Christ, as God and man; and how with him we are to love all men.

And as we cannot think better of one man then another as they are in Christ and by him represented to the father spotless and blameless, he having dyed for all men,Eph. 5.27. Col. 1.28. so we cannot think worse of one man then another, as they are out of Christ, for all are sinners and there is none ri­ghteous no not one, and therefore we should not esteem of one above another,i Tim. 5.21. either better or worse in Christ or without Christ, knowing that all (except as to the ma­nifestation of Christ in them) are all alike unto God who seeth not as man seeth,Psa. 38.12. for to him light and darkness is all one, and the difference that is, is unto men them­selves, or those that shal make the diffrence, & not unto God, nor unto those that know God, but unto those that know him not, and shall say unto others, stand by thy self, come not near me, for I am more holyer then thou; but these are a smoke in my nose,Isa. 65.5. and a fire that burns all the day saith the Lord, and these are the proud pharisees, the painted sepulchers that make a seperati­on, and despise their brethren, who are of the same flesh and blood, for of one blood hath he made all nati­ons of men,Acts 17.26. 2 Pet. 1.4. and of the same divine nature with Christ in God, and that whatsoever good is manifest among them, God is that good; and whatsover is evil is the devil; and god makes all good, & the devil makes all evil, and all men being of the nature of god & man, both divine & hu­man, [Page 44] may conclude themselves to be in one sense as good as the best, and in another sense as bad as the worst, for all men naturally and as men, are vanitie and a lye, and in the best of human actions walk as in a vaine shadow, and as Christ is so are all men in this world, and also before the father in him;1 Iohn 4.17 for all as men represents him with men, and are as men in this world, so he being in the presence of god for us all,Heb. 9.24. represents all men with god, with whom they are the same in him. But lest any either in them­selves or others should through the pride of nature and glory of this world bee exalted and puffed up above measure to glory in any outward appearance,1 Cor. 8.12. 1 Cor. 4, 5. and to rhink of themselves above what they ought, as the best & not as the worst, and cannot descend to the lowest as wel as ascend to the highest; God that he might honour them with himself,2 Cor. 12.6, 7, 8, 9. gives them a thorn in the flesh, sends satan to buffet them, and the serpent to bite them, and to let them know that they are but men in the flesh, that they might not glory in themselves, nor that others should glory in them, and so to become as the devil set up in the roome of God; wherefore that they may know them­selves as men to be but flesh, and in all things submit to the will of [...]od, God will keep them down, he will cor­rect and reprove them, to humble and exalt them, as he did Adam and the first fathers, and the Prophets, Christ and his Apostles; for Christ as a man with us was sub­iect to the like infirmities,Mat. 4.1. Heb. 2.18. [...]h. 4.15. & was led into the wildernes to be tempted of the devil, and was in all poynts tempted as we are, (yet without sin) and as a man he would have refused Gods Judgements, and have put them off from him, when he said, father if it be possible let this cup pass from me, and when he went forth and wept, fearing the punishment of death, but God made him willing to submit to his will, as he doth us by laying his cross upon [Page 45] us, and as he did Job, Paul, and others to humble them and keep them neare unto himselfe,Iob. 42. that they might not goe beyond their bounds, nor put any confidence in flesh, nor to think of themselves above what they ought, but to know that his grace is sufficient for them,Rom. i2.3. and that if they will trust in any thing to trust in God, and be ex­alted in any thing to be exalted in God, who will both humble and exalt them, that he that gloryes in any thing should glory only in the Lord,Rom. 12.4, 5. and so in one another as being all members one of another, and but one body in Christ.

But we see in men that have the best gifts so far as any thing of flesh or the glory of flesh is in them, how inci­dent they are to be exalted in flesh, and to glory in out­ward appearance, and receive honour from men, and how readie flesh in men is to give human exaltation and honour to men, and to glory in men for those gifts of God for which they should glory in God as the author and finisher of them all, whether temporal or spiritu­al, which say they, so we doe, for when we honour any form, person or thing, it is God in them that we honor; but I say, Then honor it not in outward appearance, by the outward motion of the body; for that relates to the outward and not to the inward, and is no honouring of god but the devil; for God who is the heart, minde and spirit (without being defiled) is honoured with the same; and so saith God, give me thy heart; and saith David, thou hast taught me all obedience within,Psa. 51.6.10. and to know truth in the inward parts, and within is thy Law written; for the Kings daughter is all glorious within,Psa. 45.13. and all outward glory is but the world, flesh, sin, and the devil, which va­nisheth away and is no more known, as the inward doth appeare; for all flesh is grass, the grass withers,Isa. 40.7. the flower fadeth, because the spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it, surely the people are grass.

And that you may honour God spiritally and in­wardly by saith, and not by sight, looke unto Jesus the author and finisher of that inward & spiritual glory within you, who onely it is in you that can honor God and you with God: and who as he was a man, yet refu­sed the honour and glory of the world, neither as a man would he take any thing to him that belongeth to God as a spirit, for call not me good (saith he) for there is none good but one even God:Mat. 19.17. and call no man master on earth, for one is your master even Christ which is in Hea­ven: and he that will be great among you let him become your servant: and yet those that knew him to be the son of God, and for the gifts he had, and miracles that he did, how would they honor his outward person; yet he forbideth them not though he did not command them; for when he was riding to Jerusalem though upon an ass which shewed the humilitie of him, yet how did the peo­ple then adore him and cry him up, even his very person, Hosanna, Hosanna unto him, pulling off their garment and casting down under him, cutting down branches & strewed the way before him,Mat. 21.7, 8, 9. with so much myrth and re­joycing, that the Priests & Rulers of the people who were more for the honor of men to honor them, then for ho­noring God, hated him so much the more, and were the more incensed against him, saying, crucifie him, cru­cifie him, that the more som loved him the more othes hated him, especialy those men that knew they should lose their honor by him, and by them did he suffer, for said they in conspiracie against him if we let him thus a­lone all beople will pelieve on him and will follow him,Ioh. 11, 47, 48. and we shall lose our kingdom, place and nation, which is the same with men to this day, who for feare of loseing this worlds honour will conspire together in per­secution against those that walk most nearest unto the [Page 47] way of Christ for the honour of God) yet Christ desired not their kingdome nor their honour,Iohn 18.36. neither do these that believe in Christ, for my kingdom (saith he) is not of this world, if it were then would my servants fight that I should not be delivered unto the Iews, but my kingdom is not of this world, and Christ would not receive ho­nor from men, as a man, but the honor which came of his father only, but if men would ascribe that to him which he as a man desired of them, what was that to him? he was notwithstanding humble in himselfe, and reproved those that were not, and that did either give or take ho­nour one of another, as men, shewing that all honour, power, and glory in Heaven and on earth, and all things therein belonged only unto God, whose glory fills Heaven and earth, and that all men should honor him. And as with Christ, so with the Apostles or Christ for when they preached the Gospel how did the people admire them and adore them, saying,Acts 14.11. Gods are come down amongst us in the likeness of men, and so they would have honored them and offer sacrifice unto them,Gal. 4.15. yea & some in love to them, could have pluck't forth their own eyes & have given them, but the Apostles would not be so honoured by them, but rebuked them, saying,Acts 10.2 [...] 26. Why do you do these things? for we are men even subject to the like passions and infirmities as you are, and we do preach unto you that you should turn from Idols and from things sacrificed unto them, and turn unto the live­ing God,Acts 14.15, 1. which made Heaven and earth and all things manifest in your selves.

And when the Angel came and preached unto Iohn the revelation of Iesus Christ for Iohn to reveal unto men, then Iohn immediatly fel down at the feet of the angel to wor­ship him; but the angel reprovd him, saying, See thou do it not; for I am thy fellow servant, & one of thy brethren, w^ch [Page 48] have the testimony of Jesus,Rev. 19 10. ch. 22.8, 9. worship God, for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy] so should all men that carry the Lords message to any, they should not regard men nor be regarded by men above what is written,1 Cor. 4.6. but reprove those that shall have their persons in admiration, or honour them with the honour which belongeth only unto GOD, who himselfe will honour his messengers with the honour of himselfe, as he did Christ, which is greater honour then that of men, yet thus are men oftentimes carried beyond themselves, be­ing on a suddain filled with the joy of the Lord in the me­ssage received, and are ready to honour and admire the messenger for the message sake, which is but a servant and one of his fellow brethren, yea even a fellow crea­ture, and so said Moses concerning Christ or God mani­fest in flesh: A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up among you of your brethren,Acts 7.37. yea of yourd own flesh & blood who shall be a brother of you, and servant to you to teach you all things; therefore him shall you hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you,Iohn 14.17.26 for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you, and whose voice as it spoke in him, so shall it speak in you, and that voice of him only you are to hear which shall bring all things to your remembrance and say within you, this is the way walk in it, and he bids us to cease from men, and look only at Jesus, manifest in our mortall flesh, and & to receive a Prophet in the name of a Prophet which is as a messenger or servant bearing only (as unto men) the message of Jesus,Isa. 2.22. Mat. 10.41. and we should have a Prophets re­ward, which God only giveth and not men, and learn of me saith Christ, who am the Lords Prophet and mes­senger unto you,Mat. ii.29. for I am humble, meek, and lowly, and you shall have rest to your souls, and so humble should all the Lords prophets be, and also they that receive them.

And when men are most humbled, then are they most ex­alted; wherefore exalt not one another without the Lord, but wait all to be exalted and lifted up in the Lord, who only is able to make you stand; and know you this, that all men in the world are but one flesh & blood,Acts 17.26. made up into one body as members therein to one serve ano­ther without respect of persons,1 Cor. 12.26, 27. and that if one member suffer, all suffer with it, and if one be had in honor, all rejoice with it, and all are the body of Christ, and mem­bers in particular, and therefore should not seek to be one above another, nor to be regarded one more then a­nother, but though he were a Prince to rule and govern o­thers, yet he should be but a servant for God unto o­thers, doing sevice to his nation; to feed and keep them in pecae and safetie, as God in Christ is unto his creation,Luk. 22.24, 25, 26, 27. even a servant that came not to be ministred unto, but to minister, not to be served or to have any thing done for him that needed nothing by those that had nothing, but to serve and doe for others that could not serve nor doe any thing for themselves,Psa. 50. i2. & as one that had all power & obedience in himself, so to serve & do for himself, who as a Prince of righteousness will not be exalted above his sebiects, but as a servant will humble himselfe into the condition of the lowest, which is his greatest honour, and by which as he humbled himself with them, so he;Iohn 4. 17. will exalt them with him, for as he is, so are they in this world, and though he were God in the form of God, yet he made himselfe of no reputation, but took on him the form of a servant, yea he was in all things made like unto his brethren in the flesh,Phil. 2.6, 7, 8, 9. & he humbled and be­came obedient unto death, even unto the death of the cross, after which he was againe exalted to God in the highest, but not without his people, for they were exal­ted with him, the head and the members together [...]s one body; For I (saith he) if I be lifted up will dr [...]w all [Page 50] men unto me,Ioh. 12.31. that where I am they may be also; and I am no where alone saith Christ, but all that God hath given me are with me,Isa. 26.19. and together with my dead body, and as my dead body shall they arise, saith Christ, when I arise with them, and with him he hath raised up together and made us sit together in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus,Eph. 2.6. Chap. 5.30. as all members of his body, of his flesh and of his bones, that cannot be seperated from him to live without him, but with him to have the same honour and glory that himselfe hath, which in due time shall be manifest in all men;1 Tim. 2.6. therefore he saith, father gloryfie thou me with thy selfe, with the glory which I had with thee before the world was,Iohn 17.5, 22, 23. 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 we all may be made perfect in one.

And Christ being both God and man one in another, he was the best and worst together, even the highest and the lowest; the strongest [...]nd the weakest; the richest and the poorest, the fullest and the emptiest; all in one per­fect one, who as he was in the form of God was equal with God,Eph. 4.9, 10. so being in the form of men was equal with men, for he that ascended far above all Heavens to re­ceive gifts to fill all things, is the same, he that descended into the lower parts of the earth, that both Heaven and earth might bee filled with his fulnesse, and then what is there in the world that may be said to be either high or low, rich or poor, strong or weak, light or dark, full or empty, best or worst, either of good report or evil report with men (sin excepted) that he fils not, is notin, & in union with, as himself, without respect to time, place, person or thing, it being all given to him; why hee fills all and is in all, and in union with all, and will lose nothing but the son of perdition of all, and all is in him, though [Page 51] all knows not its union with him, yet in him all live, move and have their beeing,Acts i7.28. Iob 12.10. and in his hands are the soul of every living thing and the breath of all mankind, and all things was made for him, and by him, and with­out him was not any thing made that is made,Col. 1.15, 16, i7 there­fore is there nothing contrary to him, but whether it be high or low, good or bad, as unto men, yet unto him it is all alike and is all like himself, even God, as in the creation it was made by him, and so he still knows it, owns it, and is in union with it, and when once it ap­peared unto man by the wisdome and knowledge of man to be out of that state, and to be both good and bad unto him; then that men might know all things as it is in Iesus, Christ appeard with man in that state where­in it appeared bad to make it good again, as at the first, and so to restore man and all things into a union toge­ther with Christ in God, where every man that hath Christ doth behold himselfe and all things, and possesse himself and all things even in God, who is all and all in all. And he that hath not Christ, but doth still live in his own will, doth not so behold it, but still looketh upon it as himself is wicked & abominable, ful of all contradi­ction & destruction,Isa. 57, 20, 2 [...]. & so remains himself without peace in God; for there is no peace to the wicked, no nor to the righteous that are righteous and good in them selves, and that have not the knowledge of God in Christ.

But to he that hath Christ, and that with Christ his Prophets and Apostles, hath thus suffered, been thus humbled to be thus exalted, may with them rejoyce that ever he saw the day wherein he drank the cup of af­fliction,Col. 1.14. and eat the bread of adversitie to fill up the measure of Christs sufferings, for which he now eats the bread of life, and drinks the water of life, and [Page 52] may with David say, It was good for me that I was afflict­ed; for thereby I was taught divine precepts, and with Christ learned all obedience to submit to the wil of God in all things, saying, Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven; that let my condition be what it wil, I wil learn therein to be content and alwayes rejoyce in the Lords Judgements that divides between flesh and spirit;Isa. 27.9. that saves man and destroys sin and all enmity against God and his peoples peace; for this is the fruit of the Lords Judgments to take away sin.

And now with God in Christ I wil delight my self with the worst of men as wel as with the best, and with him I will be merciful, loving and pitiful unto them, as the despised and rejected of men, (by men) yea though he were a Prelate or Cavaliere so called, Publican or sin­ner scorn'd and despis'd by the proud Pharisee that is wise and righteous in himself; yet the other waiting for mercy, he is rather justified, and more easier sa­ved then the Pharisee that seperates himself, though he were a Presbyterian, Independant, Anabaptist, &c. that glories in his profession, righteousness and religi­on, [...]sa. 65 9. and wil say unto others, Stand off, come not neer to me, I am more holier then thou, and so cast them­out of their favour as reprobate ignorant persons; why this proud boasting (saith the Lord) is a stink in my no­strils, and a fire that burneth all the day, which I cannot approve of, but they must come to Judgement with it, and lose it before they can be saved, and they that have erred in Spirit shal come to understanding, [...]sa. 29.24. 1 Cor. i.30. and they that murmure shal learn doctrine, even to be wise and learned in Christ who is head unto them, their wisdom and righteousness, Justification, Sanctification and Re­demption; for Christ is all and in all.

CHAP. X. Of Gods appearing in Judgment in man, against all things of man and this world; that all outward duties, worship and obedience by men prosessed, is a lye, without the inward work of truth within; how according to the inward work is the outward pra­ctice, that the more by Christ any man is refined, purged and saved within in his conscience, the more by men is he falsly ac­cused, judged and condemned without in his practice.

AND now against all knowledge, wisdome and strength, righteousness and glory of men that is not in Christ, nor of Christ, 1 Cor. 1.17, 18. nor grounded upon Christ in spirit and truth, wil God come forth unto to Judgment, and wil destroy it by the foolish and base things of the world, and he wil plead with men for his own wis­dome and strength, righteousness and glory, which he wil not have given to any other god but to himself, that none should have the glory of any thing but himselfe, nor men to glory in any besides himselfe; and he will make all men to know that by fire and by sword will he plead with all flesh, good and bad,Esa. 66.16. and whatsoever is not found in him shal be slain by him, even all the works and imaginations of men, that men might know the Lord without knowing any thing else; therefore will he come against all things of flesh, form and formality, your keeping of Sabboths, and calling of Assemblies, wherein you seek your selves and not the Lord, which is all but the riches of Aegypt, and shal with you come to Judgement, as having no part in Christ, nor being any thing of his Kingdome;Iohn 18.36. for my kingdom (saith he) is not of this world, nor of the things of this world which pe­rish and come to nought; it is not meat and drink, kil­ling of oxen and slaying of sheep, nor the offering up [Page 54] of swines flesh for a sacrifice to the Lord that hee ac­cepts of;Isa 66 3, 4. for the best of things which men offer up, are no better when they are offered up by men and not by Christ, and when Christ himselfe is not the offering, but that which God accepts of is Christ, the offerer and the offering,Heb. 10.12. who is peace and reconciliation for all men, & whose Kingdom is righteousness, 1 Cor 5 19. Rom. 14.17. Luk. 17.20. peace and joy in the Holy Ghost, and which saith Christ is within you, and stands not in outward observations of dayes, times, persons, nor things in the Religions of men which shal all perish in the using,Col. 2.22. and is nothing, nor shal be nothing with God; but Christ the first and the last is all and shal bee all; For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision availeth any thing, Gal. 6.15. but a new creature; nothing outwardly, but all inwardly in the spirit, minde and heart, even circum­cision within, baptisme within, breaking bread and drinking wine within, which is bread of life, and wa­ter of life to every soul that knoweth it within, even preaching, praying, reading, hearing, seeking the Lord, and communion of Saints,Esa. 26.9 which are all works of grace, are all within; the keeping of Sabboths (which is a Christians rest from the workes of the Law,Esa. 58.13. no more doing his own wayes, nor seeking his own wil) is Christ within, who is himselfe all these, and is the Teacher, Keeper and Performer of them all within us,Esa. 54.13. that gives peace unto us, for of our selves we can do nothing; But thou O Lord wilt ordain peace, Esa. 26 12. for thou hast wrought all our works for us; and with whomsoever all these things are not seen to be done and performed by Christ within in the heart, there is not, neither can bee any thing of good done by any;Rom. 10.8, 9, 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth of the heart confession is made unto salvation; for from the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh; and from the grace of God within [Page 55] are the works of grace manifest without; which grace within is to believe in God and see an end of sin, and to have peace, joy and comfort in God, and with men here on earth, doing to all men as they would that all men should do unto them, forsaking swearing, lying, chea­ting, cozening, drunkenness, murder and adultery, and the abomination of pride and covetousness which is most frequently used with the greatest Professors of Religion, who are the greatest persecutors of others, and all for want of the inward teachings and workings of God within them, for the inward sends forth the outward.

And therefore you that would be holy without and righteous without, to do good outwardly, must first be so within, for till then you know not what the outward is, nor how to discern what is good nor what is evil, to doe the one and leave the other undone, therefore saith the Prophets, Apostles & all Saints, every one for himself, (Lord create in me a new heart, and renew my spirit within me) give unto me the mind of Christ within,Psa. 51.6, 7, 8, 10. clense and purge me within of all my secret faults, then shall I offer upon thy alter, even Christ, the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, and pay my vows where it is due; then shal I sing halalujahs even the Lord Omnipo­tent reigneth, and not as the righteous Scribes and Pha­risees with all outward professors of our times that would reign themselves insteed of Christ, and that stand to make cleane of themselves the out-side of the cup and pltatter, but remain stil within ful of all extorti­on and excess, and who like unto whited walls and painted Sepulchres would appear beautifull without,Mat. 23.25, 26, 27, [...]8. righteous unto men, and who may have escaped some of the grosser pollution of the world, but within full of uncleannesse and hyphocrisie, and therefore as I know I [Page 56] shall declare, that all outside religions only in the form and the knowledge of the Scripture only in the letter, is but as an outside garment by most men put on to cover a rotten deceitfull inside, and by which they would ap­pear unto men to be more holyer then others, but this is no holyness of God nor of Christ, but the seed of the serpent which abideth in the lye and not in the truth; therfore except your righteousness exceed this, you can in no wise enter into Heaven nor learn how to act pure­ly towards men without, wherefore thou blind Pharisee saith Christ, clense first that which is within the cup and the pltter that the outward may be cleane also.

And this clensing of men cannot be done but by Christ, and not by him, but by him in judgements mani­fest in men; therefore in the way of thy Judgements have we waited for thee O Lord, saith the prophet, and the de­sire of our soul is only to thy name & the remembrance of thee; for when thy Judgements are in the earth, then the inhabi­tants of the world shall learn righteousness; Esa. 26.7, 8, 9. and in this cleansing work of teaching man, Christ sits upon his throne of Justice, Judgment and Mercy in man to search and try man, even as a refiner and purifier of gold and silver,Mal 3.1.2. Esa. 4 4 who by the spirit of Judgement and of burning do wash and purge away all mans filthiness, and the more the judgements of Christ are manifest within, the greater upon that person will the Judge­ments and afflictions of men be manifest without, a­gainst him, and against that way of God in him which is Christ the hope of glory, because it calls him from the wayes of men without which is of Antichrist, and men in their wayes do allwayes appose God in his way, and when Christ by his Judgements shall undoe man within of all that is a mans own, and make all these [Page 57] in him become Christs own, then shall men by their Judgements undoe him without (with men that and a­mongst men) to render him odious to men, and he shall not be against it nor resist it, but the power of the in­ward shall make him willing and able t [...] beare and in­dure with cheerfulnesse the outward;Psa. 110.3 in which work of Judgement Christ will not leave him nor forsake him, but will restore peace and comforth unto him; to all which proceedings of Christ within men, and of men, without men, from the time of Christ manifest in me to this day I bear witnesse; that as God from the day of my first conversion to the truth, hath increased the manifestation of his sonn in me, so hath men in opposi­on to that increased their persecution against me.

CHAP. XI. Nothing which opposes God can stand against him, how he will pull down and get above Towers, Churches, worships, religions, and all things of men that is not in Christ; also to whom the Lords Judgements are a day of joy and delight, and to whom they are a day of darkness and trouble, to trust in God under them is a sure re­fuge of the good that comes by them, and when.

ANd now you all that would know the Lord & your own salvation, wait for this day of God wherein he comes to call you from your owne (and for his owne from you) and to destoy yours, yea all of yours that you call your own without him, receive him in it, oppose it not, nor think it strange but bid it welcom when it comes, though it be to your outward sufferings and to the loss of your lives, honor and credit, goods and good names amongst men and all things on this side God, even [Page 58] the perfection of all human excellencie, wisdom, righte­ousnesse & religion, nothing of which can stand with you nor is to be pleaded by you when God comes forth a­gainst it to Judgement, but you are to see an end of all perfection of things below God, and then are you most perfect and pure in God and Christ, and have the great­est peace in your selves, when with Christ you are be­come in your own eyes and before men most poor, vile and imperfect and impure as man, & see nothing good of your own to defend you nor make you accepted with men; for the best of man is not able to stand when God appeareth, but best and worst all must go when God calls for it who will leave nothing; but when God comes his work is before him and his reward is with him, even to bring down man and exalt himselfe above and upon all the Hills and Mountains of men that are high and lifted up by men to save themselvs from his wrath & Judgments which must come upon them and upon every high tower and strong walls of Churches and Church fellowship set by men to worship God in and by,Esa. 2.11. and upon all the sheeps of Tarshish & all the pleasant pictures of outward reformed ordinances and observations of men in these Churches and Church wayes which appear outwardly beautyfull unto men,Esa. 23.13, 14. all shall be abased and laid waste, brought down and consumed,Esa. 24.10. yea every Church and house way and worship of mans building shall be broken down and shut up that no man may come in, & the Lord alone with his way, church and worship shall be exalted in men, in the day of the great slaughter when the towers shall fall,Esa. 30.15, 16. or the highest part of any church or profession of church way and spirituall no­tionists, and if the Towers fall then the church will be broken and the people therein will be scattared even [Page 59] the sheepheard and his sheep, and their worship and ser­vice therein will be at an end, and then will Christ him­selfe appear in a greater glory to bind up the breach of his people, and will himselfe come and gather them to­gether to his fold, & wil teach them himself of his ways, & he wil be unto them their high Tower, church & wor­ship and all things the rein; for the glory of the former is passed away and they shal not need to teach one a­nother nor assemble themselves to any but the Lord, who himself wil gather them & be exalted in the midst of them, and wil [...] be righteousness unto them;Esa. 60.4.5. and then will all their own bravery and costlie apparels of out­ward rigteousness be all taken from them, as t [...]r scrip­ture expresses, even their vailes and glasses, their fine lenen and [...]oods which the Preists have used to wear, and all the righteousness of men as the fine lenen and fleshpots of Egypt with men perfumed and made sweet unto t [...]m [...]lv [...]s shall be as fi [...]thy rags, and upon their fleshpots there shall be a stinke, and instead of a girdle a rent, instead of pride humilitie,Esa. 3.8. to the end. and upon all outward comlyness and beauty shall become a baldness and mourning, for the Lord will s [...]rip himselfe of all out­ward coverings that men have put upon him to appeare w^th a fair outside unto men, & the vail spred over all na­tions shall cease, and he will make bare his holy arme in the eyes of all nations and wil bring in his own ever­lasting righteousness which shall not cease, and in which there shall be no outward form nor comlyness whereby men should desire it,Esa. 53.2. but rather hate and ab­hor it, but within even to them that injoy it and have past through his Judgements for it, shall it be all glorious, pleasant and delightfull.

And therfore you people all rejoyce in that day of the L^da Judgements when it comes upon you, as it will perticu­lerly come to every one of you in hi order to manifes [...] in you the glory of God even Jesus Christ for the con­sumation of your own glory with the men of the world, which no doubt som of you with Christ in the flesh have already found, who had nothing of this worlds glory left him, but was crucified to it all, that the purpose of God in his day, might be manifest upon all flesh, to stain the pride of all Glory, [...]sa. 23.9. to bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth: which is a work much ma­nifested at this day by and upon the people called quak­ers even to be under the Lords Judgements striping of all worldly honour and glory waiting for Christ in the spirit, and who will be unto you as a day of the Lords in­dignation against sin and enmitie, & all the works of the devil, but with his love towards you to try you, to humble you and to save you, and it wil be to the rich & mighty a day of wrath, [...]ph. 1.14, 15. a day of trouble and heaviness; a day of destruction and desolation; a day of obscurity and darkness, a day of clouds and blackness, especialy to them J say that have made flesh their arme, that are in their own eyes strong, wise and learned in themselves, righteous and holy in themselves and not in Christ, I say to such it wil be a day of terror & great tribulation, and though they shal run to the rokes and to the moun­taines and cry unto them, saying, fall on us and hide us from the wrath of the Lamb, [...]ev. 4.15, 16, 17. and him that sits on the Throne, for the great day of his wrath is come and who can stand; yet those rocks and mountaines shall not save them nor hide them, as the trees of the garden could not hide Adam when he fled to hide himselfe from God, after he had sinned; therfore should all men in al afflicti­on [Page 61] and tribulation fly onely unto God and to nothing else of man nor the world, for God onely is the refuge of his peoble and the rock that shall stand, and it is not greatness and mightyness, pride and loftiness, righte­ousness nor holyness of men when you fly unto it that can save you from the fear of wrath; for that is all below God and hath no part in him; but rather fly to the va­lies even the things that are not and is counted the low­est with men,1 Cor. 1. that shall confound the things of men that are highest with men even to God himselfe which with men is humility, meekness and lowlyness, for there doth he dwel to give rest and peace in the day of trouble; and there wil he hide them from the wrath of their ene­mies in the day of his Judgements;Zeph, 2.1, 2, 3. wherefore with Christ descend and sink ye down out of your selves into a nothingness of all creaturely glory, even to the low­est of humanitie, and your descension wil be with Christ your ascension into the highest of divinitie, which will be unto you the last of Gods judgements and a day of joy and delight.

And then when the Lord shal have finished his Judgments upon you, and perfected his work in you (by taking [...] your own things from you) as doubtless with many hee hath already done, who have denyed all for Christ, then wil he return unto you a pure language, e­ven the language of Canaan, and no longer of Aegypt, and you shal cal only on the name of the Lord, and rest only on him for salvation, and not on your owne works, wayes and worships any more; and you shal all agree together in one minde to serve the Lord with one consent, and in one Lord Iesus without any feare; for God who is but one, cannot be worshipped but by one, and in one way, even Christ, who is the way, the truth and the light, and in him they that wait upon God, [Page 62] shal renew their strength, and they shal run and not be wea­ry, Iohn 14.6. Esa. 40.31. they shal walk and not faint, and shal do no iniquity nor speak any evil, neither shal any deceitfulness bee found in their mouths, nor yet in their hearts, for they shal be purged of all uncleanness, and bee fed with the Lord, and shal lye down with the Lord in safety, and none shal make them afraid that walk in Christ; but they shal rejoyce and be glad; for it is the Lords day wherein he wil have taken away their Judgements, and cast out their enemies, Sin, Death, Hel and the Devil, and all fe r, and the King of Israe, even the Lord of Hosts, shal be in the midst of them, and they shal not see evil any more,Zeph. 3 13. to the end. neither shal they any more live in fear of any thing, nor yet sorrow any more; but sorrow and sighing shal flie away, and they sha [...] rejoy [...]e always with joy unspeakable and ful of glory,Rev. 21.34. and the Lord himself wil be seen amongst them to dwel with them, and delight in them, and rejoyce [...]ver them with Joy, and wil turn back their captivity, even before their own eyes, and they shal see it, and know that the Lord who hath done it, is for ever with them in it; For the tabernacle of God is with men, and he wil dwel with them, and they shal be his people, and God himselfe shal be with them and be their God.

CHAP. XII. Incouragements to wait with p tience under the Lords Judgements, and not to oppose them; Of the works of the Lord Jesus what they are, and how we bear them about in our bodies, and when.

ANd now seeing that so much good is wrought in men by the Lords judgments spiritual and tem­poral, though acted unjustly by men, as the rod that afflicts them outwardly, yet let no man seek by any outward means (or lawes of men) to put them [Page 63] by, for it is the Lords way, though it is incident with all men so to do, that know not the Lord with them in it, who would seek to escape the Iudgment thereof to save their own honor and credit with men, and to a­void the punishment of the flesh, as did David, Iob, yea Christ and his Apostles, who had the same infirmities of the flesh as we have, when Christ said, Lord if it be possible let this cup pass from me, and sought means to a­void it, for indeed no afflictions with any seems joyous for the present, though afterwards it yeelds a peaceable reward of righteousness to all that are exercised there­in as it did to Christ himself, who after he had suffer­ed entred into glory with his Father, so shal all that with Christ overcome and indure to the end, yet this glorious reward of righteousnesse with men may som­times be hid under afflictions, as the Sun when the clouds are before it, that men may not for the present see the end of God in it, nor the good that is to be brought unto them by it, till the clouds are passed and their Judg­ments ended, as before you have heard, for clouds and darknesse is round about him, Psa. 18. as about the Sun when you see it not, yet the darknesse of these clouds wil he expell by the brightnesse of his comming, and by his light he wil shine gloriously through them, even upon him who with the eye of faith shall see Christ comming to him, and he will therein cheer and comfort him, incourage and support him, from the evil that men have invented against him, as the spirit of the Lord with my spirit bear witness unto me, which concerning my selfe in all my sufferings and persecutions for the truth to this day,1 Pet. 2 21. unto which I was cald by the Lord he hath done for me that bonds and afflictions through which a soul enters into the kingdome of God have been good unto mee,Acts 14.22. [Page 64] it being sanctified unto me by his spirit, by which I was comforted and the Angel of his presence with me in it, by which I was saved, concerning which I with Paul can speak the truth in Christ and lye not, and which ano­ther for me cannot know but for themselves that hath seen it, for to him that overcometh it is hidden Manna, and a white stone, and in it a new name written which no man knows but he that hath it. Rev. 2.17.

And now that you may with Christ indure to the end for this new name which is a pearl of great price, and a name above every name that is named amongst men, be you perswaded by the spirit of the Lord within you, to watch for the comming of the Lord to give it to you, and be ye armed with the same mind and patience in the Lord to suffer with Christ in the flesh,1 Pet. 1.4. for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin, and so be ye ready prepared in all things to meet the Lord, both in his birth, death, resurrection, and ascension, and to embrace him in the worst condition as well as in the best, as well to suffer with him as to regin with him, to dye with him, as to live with him, and to be reviled and reproached, scoffed and mocked, deri­ded and falsly accused by men more vile then the earth, Christ was, and his prophets and Apostles were, so were all his Saints, and so must all that will live godly in Christ Jesus,Isa. 64 6. and not after the godliness of men, which is filthyness with the Lord, Ye filthy rags saith the Pro­phet, and by the Lord shal be cast out; therefore be ye armed with the saints patience in tribulations, that vvith Christ you may beare his reproach without the campe of your own righteousness and religion,Heb. 13.12.13. as he did with­out the gate of the honour and glory of the world, and with him be willing to dye to all things of men, and [Page 65] with him to live to all things of God,Gal. 6.17. and so with Paul ever bear about in your body the marks of the Lord Iesus, both in dying and in living, in dying the unjust persecu­tions, mockings, revilings and scourgings of men, groan­ings, sighings and mournings in the suffering of the flesh as did Christ, whose visage was more ma6rr'd then any mans, Esa. 52.14. and his person more desormed then the sons of men, and who in his pangs cryed out, My God, my God, why hast thou for­saken me? These are the dying marks of Christ which you are to bear about in your body for the truths sake, and the living marks is peace, comfort and consolation, joy of heart, content of minde, quietness of conscience, and a soul at rest in the Lord, full of all humility, meek­ness and love; these are the living marks of Iesus which you are to bear about in your bodies,1 Cor. 4.6, 7, 8, 9, 10.11. that while you live delivered unto death for Iesus sake, so the life also of Iesus shal be manifest in your mortal flesh, yea in these your mortal bodies, when with Christ you have been crucified to see an end of sin.

CHAP. XIII. How men of the greatest light witnessing to truth under Judgments, do suffer most unjustly by false accusations with the loss of all things below God; that not all, but some m [...]n as witnesses shall suffer for the rest af one life; how some professing the same life, for fear of suffering will deny them that suffer for them rather then suffer with them as the Disciples of Christ did.

CHrist and his Prophets and Apostles for conscience towards God, suffered uniustly,1 Pet. 2.19, 20, 21. and dyed uniust­ly by the hands of men, though it was just with God that they should suffer, yea and to suffer by men unjust­ly, as being not guilty of the crimes for which they were accused; but false witnesses did arise, Psa. 31.11. and laid many things to their charge which they knew not, as my self (with many [Page 66] others at this day) can witness hath been also laid a­gainst us by false witnesses since we with them have born witness to the Truth, in which notwithstanding I abun­dantly rejoyce, and my joy in this is fulfilled, that the Lord Iesus for conscience towards God hath joyned me with himself in his worst condition to suffer with him, and in his best condition to reign with him, yea and to suffer unjustly by men as he hath done before me, and now in this my sufferings to suffer with me, els my peace in it would not have been so great, nor I so cheer­fully to have past it through, that I cannot but rejoyce that he hath made me willing and able with cheerful­ness to bear his cross after him, and that in it he hath so far honoured me as to have all manner of evil said of me falsly for his Names sake, as a blasphemer, a seducer, and what not by those that knew me not, and which by the world and them that know not God, may be count­ed a shame and dishonor; yet to me and all that know the Lord, it is a crown of honor & rejoycing through him who hath been my example and pattern, & by whom I have been made to endure the cross and despise the shame, who himself for the honor which is of God, re­garded not the honor of men, but suffered it all to be laid in the dust, and himself to be reckoned with the worst of men, yea & with Christ we have many more Examples, to wit, his Prophets and Apostles who counted it their greatest honor to suffer unjustly by men in the Lords cause, 1 Cor. 4.9, 12, 13. and for his sake to be made as the Filth of the world, and the off-scouring of all things, know it to be their portion, lot and inheritance with men which with Christ & for Christ they must receive by the hands of men that know not the Lord, nor the people the Lords inhe­ritance; for had they known Christ they would not [...]ave crucified him nor a [...]y that lived his life; but because [Page 67] they knovv not Christ nor the life of him vvhich any live, therefore they rise up against it and condemn it.

And God wil have those that suffer for him and his cause, to suffer unjustly by men, that they may the more hate the ways of men to declare against them; and know that there is nothing just amongst men, nor none that is good, no not one; and so hee wil wean them from the milk, and draw them from the brest of all fleshly confidence and human excellencies below him­selfe, that they may depart from all things but God,Isa. 28.9. and love none but him in the world whom they are to know above all things, and no more to contend for the wisdom, knowledge and excellency of men, nor any thing of moral righteousness to glory in, but though you may be as righteous as others, and have as much as any to boast your selves in, yet rather then you shall keep it to be thought the more righteous for it, and ex­alted by it, to glory in it, God will take it from you, though by false accusation; for you shal be accused by men of the things you are not gulilty, that you may bee tryed and brought to Iudgment, and know that there is no respect of persons with God, nor none that doth righteousness but him, that no flesh might glory in his presence,1 Cor. i, 2, [...] and that he that standeth might not stand in the wisdome of men but of God, and glory onely in the Lord.

Now every single person of one and the same life, may not all suffer alike in outward bonds and afflictions, nor be alike accused, but only that life they live with Christ in God; for the same life which many men live and injoys, may be but in some accused and suffer, even in them where it is most manifest and injoyed, and where it most appears in opposition to the world, and he that is most perfect before God, as Christ,Job 2, 3, 4, [...]. Iob and David [Page 68] was, even against it in them, and in such as against Christ the manchilde,Rev. 4.12, 5. wil the Dragon most vomit up his ma­lice, and act it (men) with endeavours to devour it in all men that live it, and that with Christ do inherit it, of whom they said, Come this is the heir let us kill him that the inheritance may be ours, but shal not be able to over­come the life, as they always sought to do against Christ, but could not prevail to destroy the life, though by Herod and the Iewes he was persecuted to death, that they which lived the same life might deny it and fly from it, as many in these times have done, when some of their own judgment have suffred, which they seemed to own before, and as did some of Christs own Disciples, they owned him & followed him while he [...]ad his liberty & was in prosperity amongst them; but it was for the loaves and the warm themselves at his Fire; Iohn 6.65, 66, 67. Mark. 14.67, 68. but when he was accu­sed and in custody likely to suffer (being as he was betrayed by a Disciple that followed him) then his Disciples denyed him, saying I know not the man; and because he in his preach­ing to them said, that no man could come to him except it be given unto him of the Father, they left him & walked no more with him, because with him they were unwil­ling to suffer; yet he continued faithful unto death in maintaining his spiritual life, which they could not pre­vaile against; for though they destroyed his body, yet his life they could not, but it was the more manifest (as it is to this Day) And some one person or other in [...]ll A­ges, & under all Dispensations whom God shal most en­lighten & make able & willing, him shal suffer for the rest (to try & prove the rest of the same life) to vin­dicate and maintain it.

And though Christ as a man in the flesh had tempta­tions & tribulations as wel as others, yet they that tru­ly loved him stil continued their love to him, and hee [Page 69] gave unto them a Kingdome:Luk. 22.28, 29 so all of the same life of Christ that have truly injoyed beyond a bare profession, shal partici­pate with them that suffer for it, as the Disciples of Christ did in the sufferings of him, and as the Saints of old did in the suffe­rings of the Apostles, they stil owned them, the like which hath been to this day amongst men of all judgements, which anie that have suffered for conscience tovvards God, as the truth hath been manifest in all ages, so shal we of one life one for an­other bear a part in the same sufferings of him that shal suffer for us, to witness the life of God manifest in us, that he is God, and there is none besides him, which sufferings some must al­waies expect to have that so witness him;Isa. 43.10, 11. for God never left himself without witnesses, neither wil.

CHAP. XIIII. That the true sufferer will God [...]nable with joy to bear his burthen to follow Christ and deny himselfe, to trust in God and rejoyce in all things, how with Christ he is humbled to the lowest with men and e [...]alted to the highest with [...]od, as the fruit and effect of Gods Judgements, & the state of perfection.

ANd therefore whosoever God shall appoint to stand in this lot of outward sufferings by men for the truth, as many hath done to this day, him will God inable with strength and patience to undergoe it and passe t [...]rough it to the end, though with the losse of a life, and all that have been accounted neare and dear unto him, which must freely be offered up, and sacri­ficed as an onely son Jsaac, when the Lord shall cal for it, and he shall not stand to plead with God for any thing of his own goodnesse to justifie himselfe or to save himselfe from the asper­sions and reproaches falsly cast upon him, as many of the Lords Prophets and Saints have indevoured to do, when they have been falsly accused for which the Lord reproved and pleaded a­gainst them, but without contending for to save any thing, that must be sacrificed mantaining and vindicating of the truth, he whom God will have to do it, must freely submit to the yoke of Christ, and to bear the burden of Christ, which God will have put upon him, as upon Christ, and whom he will make able to bear it, as he did Christ, and therefore saith Christ take [Page 70] my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am humble, lowly and meek, & you shall find rest for your souls, Mat. ii.29.30. for my yoke is easie and my burden is light, and Christ will lay no more upon any then they shall be able to bear, and he will lead them in a way that they shall be a­ble to go, and that in following him they lose themselves their own wisdome and glory, yet they shall find Christ, therefore saith he, deny y ur selves come and follow me and you shall have trea­sure in Heaven, and there is no man that hath forsaken himselfe and the glory of this world for Christ, but he hath the glory of God, even the father given to him by Christ; wherefore va­lue not your honour with men to receive honour with God, which is greater riches, and account it your greatest happiness when by men you are tryed and falsly accused and that God hath chosen you to bear witnesse of the truth through suffrings, and when men through hatred to you (for the lifes sake in you which they persecute) shal seperate you from their company and shall revile you,Luk. 6.21, 22, 23, 24, 35, 26. and cast out your name as evil for the son of mans sake, why rejoyce in that day and be glad; for behold your reward is great in Heaven, for so did their fathers unto the Prophets; but woe be to them that are rich and wise and full in themselves, as being with child with the wisdome of this world, and shall delight therein, for they shall weep and lament when that day of Christ shall come upon them, and then they seeking to save their own lives, which is enmitie in the life of God, they lose that life even Christ, by which they live in peace with God and so the saying of Christ is made good, that it is hard for a rich man to enter into heaven; and the righteous are hardly saved, or it is with much ado, because the righteous man while he thinks he is righteous in himself, he wil contend for his righteousness, and count it his greatest happiness to save it, and therefore he will contend against that life which is manifest to destroy it, & which wil at last come upon him as a thief in the night, and take it from him; and such a one so contending shal have wo, when he that can freely part with all for Christ, shal have peace; and therefore saith Christ, In me you shal have peace, in the world you shal have tribulation, John i6.33. but be of good cheer I have overcome the world.

And such a one who with Christ hath overcome the world, he is a conqueror over his own life, & can with Christ lay down his life and take it up again at his pleasure, he can descend to the [Page 71] lowest and ascend to the highest; he can become the worst and the best without contradiction between them; he knows how to be ful, and how to be emptie, how to be bound and how to be free, and have peace in all things; and then though tribula­tions, bonds & imprisonments come, yet is it all the way of God to him, & he sees in the midst of Gods judgments, mercie with God appearing to save him & resrore peace & com ort to him, and God himself to be his refuge, that though the earth be mo­ved round about him,Psa 46.1, 2, 3. and the mountains fal into the midst of the sea and be drowned, yet wil he not fear, and though the waters (to wit, people, Nations & tongues, and the glorie of this world on which the Whore sitteth and men glory in it) do roar & be troubled, & the powers of the earth shake and fal with the swel­ling thereof, yet wil he not fear, but rather rejoyce; for when the refuge of men and the world fall, then wil God be a refuge and strength, and a very present help in time of trouble to all that wait upon him; and they with David wil then say, The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, Psa. 18.1. my God and m strength in whom I wil trust my buckler and the horn of m [...] salvation and my high tower which shal stand and not fal; and mercy hath God built up for ev r, as the throne on which he wil sit in judgment with man to do justice judgment and mercie,Psa. 139. i. 14. which shal all come to­gether with God unto judgment as unseperable companions to be all given unto man, in which man is taught three things, For when ods Judgements are on the earth, Isa [...]. 26.8, 9. M [...]c. 6 6, 7, 8, 9. then wil the Inhabitants of the earth learn ri [...]hteousness; that is, for man not to come be­fore God with any thing of his own, but to do justly, to have mercy, and to vvalk humbly vvith God; to come before the Lord in the Lord, and in no other but the Lord.

And this is that vvhich all the Lords people are taught by judg­ments to be just and merciful, humble meek and lovvly as Christ vvas; vvho learned obedience by the things which he suffered, & who thereby teaches him who know him, to follow his steps,Job. 42.3, 4, 5, 6. to lay down himself and all things of himself into dust and ashes as a Worm & no Man, yea as a scorn of men, acknowledging the just judgments uf the Lord upon him, and all things of him that is not of God, as the way to save him humble him & bring him home unto him by the cross of the Lord Jesus; and whosoeuer is in any measure brought home to God (or a bringing) that he know any thing of God as he ought to know, then the more he [Page 72] knows of God & of the things concerning the Kingdom of God, the less shal he know of men & of the things of this world which is enmity with God, & know also that when men are most purest with God knowing their purity all in him, then shal they be most vilest with men in the account of them that know not God, and so see their own emptiness & vileness as men without God, and that the best with God is always accounted the worst with men, yea despised & rejected of men as Christ was, & that when they themselves shal see his purity and their own purity to be in him, they must needs see that all things out of him is impure, & that the best of mans righteousness is but filthiness, & extendeth not unto God in any degree,Esa. 64 6. Psa. 16 2. but to be destroyed by him, who hath the fulness of all righteousness sufficient to save all men in him­self, & that none but him in all the World is or can be righteous without him;Ier. 33.16. for he is called the Lord our righteousness, who makes all men righteous in his righteousnes, & accepted in his ac­ceptableness, and that there is none that doth good but him who is the only good of all, and with whom nothing is evil, polluted, nor unclean, nor with any that know him, & see their whole life to be in him,Zeph. 3.1 [...], 14. Dan. 9.24. which that all men do who in Christ can see their judgments to be ended, and their works to be finished, & Christ their righteousness to be revealed & exalted in them, and that by him have received the end of their faith, even the salvation of their souls, even they and only they can live the life of Christ, and do the Works of Christ, and in humility can descend with him into the lowest state of men to have communion with them, & with him ascend into the highest state of God to have communion with God, and so enjoy both God & man together in each state, as the ful accomplishment of the work of God with man through the Lord Jesus, who in the day of his power to them manifest, makes them willing and able with Christ, to lay their lives down, and take them up again;1 Pet. 1.9. Psa. 1 [...]0.3. Ioh. 10.17, 18. to be all with all in all states vvhatsoe­ver vvith delight and pleasure; this is perfection and the day of salvation; and this vvith men hath been more or less manifest from Adam to this day, as I shal further manifest in the next from Scripture the dealings of God vvith particular Persons, Kings and Prophets, vvhose life and actions are therein record­ed, and written for our learning.