Glory sometimes afar off, Now stepping in; OR, The great gospel-mystery OF THE SPIRIT, OR Divine Nature in Saints: Not in that Philosophical and humane sense, by effects and habits of Grace, but after a more Evangelical, Divine, and Mysterious manner of in-being. Opened, affirmed and cleared, and gloriously breaking forth through a cloud of subtle pervertings, carnal objections, and dreadful condemnings cast upon it; And closed up with an account of some principles, practices and ways which have sealed up this Mystery, and thereby held down the Saints in weakness, and shut up the world in darkness for so long a time. Administered through the hand of a Babe in the knowledge and fellowship of the Mystery of Christ in us. LONDON, Printed for Giles Calvert, and are to be sold at the black spread- Eagle at the West end of Paul's. 1653. GLORY sometimes afar off, Now stepping in. SECT. I. IT gins to appear plainly to all men, that light and darkness are the two great principles which have form and given life and being to all the true and false Religions, Opinions and Worships; the two great Powers which have ruled and acted in all the turn and overturning of Nations, States, and Interests; and the wombs of all the Apostasies and Reformation, Bondage and Liberty, Arbitrary and Regular ways which have been since the beginning of the world. It doth not so plainly appear, Job 38.19. but may be as truly affirmed what is said in one place, that Light hath a way where or whence it is, and darkness a place where it dwells; that is, all Scripture, Faith, Knowledge, Gifts, Administrations and Operations, which are so many pieces or sparkles of Light, do all come from an higher fullness, fountain and Sun of Light; and as Faith, Knowledge, and Gifts are to be accounted Light, only as they flow from the true Light, and have the true Light hid within them, so they are no more Light, if they fall short of God; in like manner all Spirits, Doctrines, Principles, and works of darkness, do all come out of some root or first Principle, which is the Serpent's head, the bruising whereof is the confusion of all the rest. God in Christ, and Christ in us, the two fountains of all Gospel-truths. Gospel-truths are many and various, but may all be reduced under two great and supreme truths, as the foundation, ground, and cause of all the Grace and Truth that is revealed and administered by the Gospel; they are either the Mystery of God manifest in the flesh of Christ, or the Mystery of Christ by Spirit dwelling in Saints; the first of these is the producing cause of redemption, justification, reconciliation, and of the whole work of Grace administered by Christ in his flesh; the other is the operating cause of Union, regeneration, sanctification, new creature, and of all the gifts of Grace administered by Christ, or Spirit in Saints. As all promises, truths and gifts of God in the Gospel, do come unto us out of one of these fountains of Grace: so our Knowledge and Faith of these many and various truths of the Gospel, do come from our Knowledge and Faith, in these two mysteries or fountains of Grace: truths are either supreme or subordinate, higher or lower; truths in the Cause, or truths in the Effect; as subordinate and lower truths have their rise, ground, cause, and reason, in their supreme and higher, so they cannot be fully believed nor understood, Gospel-truths best known in Christ. Christ best known in the Father. but in their supreme and higher truth or Cause: first, we see Christ more darkly and imperfectly; then through him we see the Father, and the love of the Father to be the only cause and reason of Christ's coming forth; then from thence we look back again, and see more clearly Christ, and his coming forth, and the work he came upon to be more and more precious and glorious; Christ is known but darkly at first, till the Divine mercies, out of which he came be seen in him; then both Christ and every work of Christ, his obedience and sufferings, life and death, are seen and known in more lengths and breadths, to be blessed and full of glory; the Promises are all in Christ: Christ is in the Father; Christ is greater than the promises; they cannot be known, nor enjoyed but in Christ; the Father is greater than Christ, he cannot be known nor enjoyed but in the Father: in like manner, the fountain and cause of all spiritual light, life, and sanctification in the Saints, is the Spirit dwelling in them; those Saints that know not this in-being of the Spirit himself in them, know little of that more glorious power, those more rare and spiritual gifts, and more Divine and ravishing enjoyments which some Saints are led forth into; the actings, state, calling, and fellowship of Saints, are not known nor discerned by the world, and very little discerned by most of themselves, because they know not the Spirit of Christ to be in them. So that if any were so spiritually knowing, and would undertake a work so high and desirable, as to make search into the Cause and Grounds of the little Light, and much darkness that hath been for so long a time in the world, and that in the days of the Gospel; I humbly judge (whatsoever other lesser reasons might be found) that the highest reason and cause of all the humane inventions, The cause of all the darkness that hath been, and yet is upon the world. and perverse dispute amongst all sorts of men; of all the carnal Doctrines and Gospel-worships of Antichrist, of all that Confusion of Law with Gospel, letter with Spirit, Jewish bondage with Christian Liberty, Paganish morality with Gospel-holiness, by our own Teachers; of all the legality, Childishness, and weakness of gifts and grace in Saints, fearing where no fear is, unstable where they should be as mount Zion, conflicting instead of conquering, in mournings and complain in stead of garments of praise, and a Spirit of joy; the greatest reason of all these, I judge would be found to be the darkness that hath been upon these two great fountains of all Gospel truths, (viz.) God manifest in the flesh of Christ, and Christ by Spirit dwelling in Saints, which as they are the great reasons of all other truths, so they are the Light and Key into all the truths and riches of grace in the Gospel. And for this cause I do here humbly offer what I have in my measure received from the Lord, of my understanding and knowledge of this mystery, which is Christ himself in us, as the Father is in Christ: which as my natural reason, and the dispute of flesh and blood could not see nor lead me into it, but resisted and gainsaid me in it; and that Spirit that is mightier than I, did by his own drawing, and strengthening hand upon me, raise me up above the reasonings of my flesh and this world, in the conceiving and declaring of it; so if any look into the things here presented, in the light of his own natural reason, tradition of men, or pre-resolved obstinacy of an unresigned mind, and judge against these things, let such a one know he cannot dootherwise; but these things cannot be judged of him, nor of any natural man: and as for those who are spiritual, if they be Fathers (not in years I mean, but in knowledge) they need not these things; I only commend these things to them, to give them occasion to instruct me and others more perfectly herein; if they be children, and are dying to all the proud reason and wisdom of Man, and do wait in Love and Peace for the day of the Lord, and the Life and Glory of Christ to break forth, and be all in them, they are they to whom I owe the Ministration of these things, that we may all sit at one table in our Lord Jesus, and eat all of the fat things of our Father, in our Father's Kingdom. SECT. II. IN the first place then the Spirits dwelling in us, as it is the earnest of our inheritance of glory, Eph. 1.14. 2 Cor. 5.5. and the first-fruits of that perfect heavenly state that shall spring forth in us: and therefore is of the same nature, Rom. 8.23. and one very kind with that glory whereof it is an earnest and first-fruits, so the unfathomableness, hiddenness, and consequently darkness, which is in the perfection and consummation of heavenly glory, as to our minds and understandings, is also found in some proportion upon the Spirits in-being in us, as being the beginning, inchoation, and first entry of after-glory into us. Upon this ground, I hope, I may not be hardly judged, if I declare myself straitened and unsatisfied in the inlargedst and fullest discovery of this Mystery presented by any, how excelling soever in the wisdom and knowledge of the truth: For as much as the wisest man, learnedst Assembly, Job 37.19.23. and 26.9.14. and 11.7, 8, 9 Eccles. 7, 24. 1 Cor. 13.12. and clearest Age that hath yet been, after they have pierced deepest, discovered highest into this, or any other gospel-mystery, have still infinite reason to say, how little, yea, nothing is that we know, to that we know not, yet to be known! And things being wisely laid together, the height and depth of all truth, the lowness and shortness of our knowledge of truth; the brightness and purity of truth, the darkness and dimness of our eyes to look upon it; these do show the clear reason and ground of those Scriptures, Hos. 6.3. Phil. 3.13, 14. Eph. 1.17, 18, 19 Heb 6 1. Joh. 16.12, 13. which I desire to have always present with me. As the child knows and calls him that begat him Father, from a seed or instinct, rather than from understanding; so I would be conceived in this to speak rather the sense, tastes, and breathe I have received of the thing, then from any perfect form or Idea of knowledge I can pretend unto. Now whereas the judgements of the Saints in this do agree in one, that the Spirit dwells in believers; the truth of this thing being no more, nor no other than the plain testimony and naked letter of Scriptures, and an experience felt and tasted in all Saints, cannot be gainstood, nor so much as stumbled at by any; but in what sense we are to conceive of it, or what manner of in-being it is, whether essential, formal, and immediate, as in the Man Christ; or only energetical, virtual, and by infusions of powers, habits, and created gifts of grace; as the mind of Scriptures is to some not so clear herein, so herein the Saints do divide in judgement one from another. Therefore I propound the thing which is differently judged of them by way of Question; What kind or manner of indwelling hath the Spirit in Believers? I humbly affirm, essential and personal; In-being of the Spirit in Saints, is essential and personal. I shall clear in what sense I so affirm: First, negatively; by ejecting the sense wherein I affirm not; I affirm not the essential presence of the Spirit to be more, as essential, in Saints, then in other creatures; the eternal Spirit is infinitely in Saints, infinitely in all creatures. I deny the essential presence of the Spirit to be no more eminently essential in Saints, then in other creatures; the Spirit is essential in all creatures; but more eminently essential in Saints. I deny this eminency of essential presence in Saints, above other men or creatures, to be only, or no more than an infusion of created gifts, habits, and powers of grace, and his acting of them, as is the sense generally declared. Secondly, positively; I own and believe the essential presence of the spirit in Saints, to be not only that essential presence general to all creatures, which gives them natural gifts, life, powers, and virtues after their kind; nor only in that half and limited, but commonly declared and received sense of presence in Saints, which is only by supernatural and Divine gifts of spiritual life, powers and actings; But over and above these, in that full, plain, and complete Gospel-sense, wherein the spirit communicates not gifts only; natural, as in all creatures; spiritual, as in Saints; but himself the Original any Fountain of all spiritual Life and Light; these may clear the sense of my judgement in this truth, and prevent any misunderstanding or perverting of it. The principles and grounds guiding, or rather drawing me into this more untrodden path of judgement, are the Scriptures of the Gospel which I shall propound, and in the light of the spirit open: First testimony to the Spirits in-being in us. 1 Cor. 15.45. The first man Adam was made a living soul, the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. The extent and sum of this Scripture may be gathered up, and conceived in the four conceptions following. First, Man is here declared to be brought forth by God, under a twofold state; A first and second, an earthly and heavenly, a lower and higher, a living soul, and a quickening spirit; the former state corrupts, decays, and dies: the latter lives for ever and cannot see death. Secondly, the first, earthly and lower state of Man consists in a perfection and full measure of light, The perfection of the first Man, what it is. holiness, and conformity to the whole will of God revealed under that present administration; no error clouding his understanding, no pravity tainting his will; knowledge, righteousness, and true holiness irradiating, filling and beautifying his whole Man; yet all these make up but an earthly, lower state of the first Adam made a living soul. Thirdly, the state of the second spiritual Man (which is the state of all in Christ) as being the second, heavenly, and higher state, must consist in the advancement unto, and participation of something more, and more excellent than the perfection of created gifts of light, holiness, and conformity; that being no more than the fullness and stature of the first Adam, in his earthly and lower state. Fourthly, that which constitutes, perfects, and denominates the first Adam, and all in him, is no more but a spark of light, a Divine breathing, a created inspiration, called a living soul; that which perfects, constitutes, and denominates the second Adam, and all in him, is the Fountain of light, the increated inspiration; therefore called a quickening spirit: Christ and Saints in him; wherein excelling Adam, and all natural men in him. The sum of all is, herein is the second Adam (which is Christ and all Saints in him) differing from, and excelling the first Man, (which is Adam and all natural men in him) that the first Man hath no more, but a communication of gifts; the second of the quickening spirit himself; This is the first testimony to this truth, that the spirit himself dwelleth in Saints. SECT. III. THE second testimony to this truth follows from Gal. The second testimony to the spirits in-being in us. 2.20. I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me. Rom. 8.13. If ye through the spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, etc. The Truth flowing from these Scriptures linked together, may be presented under the ensuing Conclusions. 1. A Saint is both a dead and a living thing; as he came forth in the state and nature of old Adam, which is earthly, and after the flesh, and so stands up, and lives, and doth all in a spirit, mind and principle contrary to God, as a man under no government nor command of God, nor of any but his own will and fleshly lusts; and so is out of God in nature, selfishness, and flesh: As thus, he is dead, being crucified with Christ, who in the body of his flesh condemned the state, nature, law, will and works of old Adam in all his Saints, and abolished it in his death. Again, he is a living thing, as the heavenly and divine life of Christ is revealed in him: So that now it is no more he, man or creature, but Christ the son of God who lives, and acteth, and rules him whither and how he pleaseth. Sins crucified perfectly and at once to faith; imperfectly and gradually to sense. 1 Cor. 15.31. 2. Sins and the works of old Adam are crucified and slain two ways; in the head, and in the members; in Christ they were perfectly slain once, and for ever; in the flesh of Saints they are slain by a gradual mortification: He that said, I am dead with Christ, said also, I die daily; they are perfectly dead, as in faith having put off the flesh, and put on Christ; they have yet somewhat to kill, as in sense having flesh and a body of death to put off. This is clear from Col. 3.3, 5. Rom. 6.6, 12. 3. The same divine principle of life and righteousness which did slay and abolish sins and death in the flesh of Christ, doth slay and abolish sins and death in the flesh of Saints; head and members, vine and branches having but one life; as they live in and by one common principle, law or spirit of life, so they have one death; and that which slays the one, slays the other. But lest there may be obscurity or offence in words, I offer this explication of my sense upon those expressions of abolishing sins and death in the flesh of Christ, and in the flesh of Saints. 1. Hereunto doth agree the witness of the Apostle, Rom. 8.3. Eph. 2.15. 2. The son of God, or Christ manifest in flesh, must be considered to have put on a twofold state. Rom. 8.3. 1. As he descended and came forth in the form and likeness of sinful flesh, that is, in the name, nature, comprehension and reckoning of sinners; so he was reckoned both by the Father and himself, to have put upon him the spirit and life, mind and will, flesh and body of sinners; and so offered and resigned up his life, will and body as the life, will and body of sinners to the eternal will, to be delivered unto death. As we were in Christ under this state, Saints how perfectly crucified and freed from the guilt and filth of sin. so though in the life of flesh or sense we feel the body of sin yet to live in us, as if it were not dead and crucified: yet in the life of faith, or in a mystery, we reckon our natural man, life, flesh, sin, and the whole old Adam, root and branch, Rom. 6.4, 6, 11. to be indeed and perfectly dead and buried, Col. 2.11, 12. and abolished for ever out of the sight of God. The second state of Christ was, as he ascended and left the world in the reality and truth of a justified man. 1 Tim. 3.16. Heb. 7.26. Having taken up not his own single person only, but in his person our nature, the nature of all Saints into a sinless, justified and heavenly state of divine life and glory in union with the Father: So while in flesh, sense or old man we are and live in this world, Saints how raised up into a spotless state. we reckon ourselves in faith, mystery or new creature, to live no more in this world, but to be raised up together with him, and freed from sin in the filth as well as the guilt of it; Col. 2.12.20. Rom. 6.7. Eph. 2.6. Joh. 14.20. and to be set in the heavenly places, in a spotless, justified and heavenly state, in union with the Father in Christ Jesus: This digression holds forth my sense of abolishing sins in the flesh of Christ and Saints. 4. The Divine Nature dwelling in Christ was that principle which crucified our sins in his flesh, which I do with submission conceive is thus to be understood; That the Divine Nature in Christ crucified the spirit, life, understanding, The Divine Nature crucified our sins in Christ. reason, will and affections of the man Christ to itself; his reason as a man, was not the light of his created mind and spirit, but the Eternal Wisdom in him; his own will ceased and was not, but the Fathers will in him; he gave up his whole man, and therein our earthly man, which as in us was active, arbitrary, lordly and selfish, to be a mere passive thing unto the Divine Nature: so that the Eternal Wisdom and Will revealed and taught all, commanded and acted all in Chri●●; his created, humane wisdom, will and reason was strewed up of the eternal wisdom and will in him, as ●rop of the great Ocean. If then (as the third Conclusion depones) the same principle which abolished our sins in the flesh of Christ, The Divine Nature crucifies sin in Saints. doth crucify sin in us: then the Divine Nature, or the same spirit of Christ, doth mortify or crucify sin in us, by his dwelling and manifesting himself in us; and is daily abolishing our wisdom, reason, light, will and affections, by the nearer approachings and clearer revealings of the eternal wisdom, light, will and fullness in us, until Christ and Saints be made one complete, living, holy Temple for the everlasting and blessed God to dwell in: Upon this ground I must thankfully and gladly own and affirm, that the spirit himself dwells in Saints, and is daily subduing them by die to themselves, to the flesh and world, to be a Temple for the Divine Nature in his admirable and blessed Being to dwell in. SECT. iv The third testimony to the spirits in-being in Saints. ANother witness to this truth is from Gal. 4.6. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Heb. 2.14. Forasmuch then as Children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same. These Scriptures spiritually weighed together, do cast a mutual reflection each upon other, and send forth this high and blessed truth. Union of Christ and Saints is in substance. 1. That the union of Christ and Saints, stands in, or is by a mutual participation each of others substance, or substantial natures, and not only each of others qualifications or habits: And that this participation is twofold. Of Christ's partaking of the nature and flesh of Saints. One of Christ's partaking of the humane nature and flesh of Saints, marrying it, and taking it into union with his Divine Nature; and in it, as in the root, head and firstborn from the dead, sanctifying all Saints to be a Virgin, Spouse and Bride for himself, of whom he says in a figure, Thou shalt be called Hephzibah, Isal. 62.4. Psal. 132.14. for the Lord delighteth in thee; and here will I ●●ell, for I have desired it. And thus Christ and Saints are become one flesh, and one body, Ephes. 5.30, 31, 32. The other is of Saints partaking of the Divine Nature and Spirit of Christ, Of Saints partaking of the nature and spirit of Christ. Isai. 54.5. through faith taking it into union with their own nature, and in it receiving God their Maker, the Lord of Hosts, to be their Husband and everlasting Bridegroom, to dwell in them: Therefore it is said, He that is joined unto the Lord, is one spirit, 1 Cor. 6.17. 2. That the ground and reason of both these participations of Christ with Saints, and Saints with Christ, is one and the same in him and in them, viz. in Christ, who partook of the flesh of Children, because one of the Children; in Saints who partake of the spirit of the Son, because they are sons: Which relation of Christ to Saints, ☜ as it was truly and really perfected in that kindly and natural product of his clothing himself upon with our flesh the seed of Abraham, without which he had neither really been in himself, nor could have been truly manifest, nor declared to be our Brother, or one of the Children: so the relation of Saints to Christ being the same, and so of equal force and virtue, and so hath like effect and operation, is therefore truly and really perfected in that congenial and natural product of their clothing themselves upon with his spirit, the seed of God; without which Saints neither really are in themselves, nor can be truly manifest or declared to be the Brethren, or the Sons of God. I do therefore humbly affirm the Divine Subsistence of the spirit to dwell himself in Saints; and not only by infused qualifications or habits; and this partaking of the Divine Nature, to be that which only makes Saints truly to be, and principally denominates and declares them to be the Sons of God. SECT. V The fourth testimony to the spirit in Saints. THE fourth witness to this truth is from 1 Cor. 3.16. Know ye not that ye are the Temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? Eph. 2.21. In whom all the building, etc. groweth unto an holy Temple in the Lord. 1. All the Temples expressed and found in Scripture, are either Idol-Temples, 1 Chr. 10.10. 2 Chr. 36.7. jer. 50.2. Acts 19.26, 27. joh. 2.19, 21. Ezek. 41.1. which are three; the Temple of Dagon, the god of the Philistines; the Temple of Bel and Merodach, at Babylon; the Temple of the goddess Diana, at Ephesus in Asia: Or Temples for the true God; which are these; the Temple at Jerusalem made with hands; the Temple of Christ's body; the Temple of Saints, 1 Cor. 3.16. the Temple opened in Heaven, Rev. 11.19. the Temple revealed to Ezekiel in visions, Rev. 21.10. being the same with the Temple opened in Heaven; and is the new Jerusalem descending out of Heaven from God. The Temple at Jerusalem fulfilled in Christ and Saints. 2. The Temples of the true God carry this account in them; the Temple at Jerusalem was the type, held forth God dwelling in flesh, as the invisible mystery of the Gospel in a dead shadow, or external figure, as the visible rudiment; the shadow or rudiment was to cease, and the mystery to be truly fulfilled in him that was to come. The Temple of Christ's body, and Temple of Saints, or flesh of Christ and Saints, was the anti-type. The mystery of God dwelling in flesh, typed and prefigured in the first Temple, is truly fulfilled and brought forth in these second and third Temples: The Temple of Christ and Saints perfected in the last Temple opened in Heaven. But so, as in the flesh of Christ it is already manifest, revealed and consummate; but in the flesh of Saints it is as yet covered, obscure and inchoate. The Temple seen in vision by Ezekiel, and the Temple opened in Heaven, or the new Jerusalem, which are the last Temples, and both one, are the perfection and full growing up of the second and third Temples into one living holy Temple for the Lord; or the mystery of God manifest in the flesh, now in Saints, yet covered and inchoate, shall be in that last Temple revealed and consummate: so that the first Temple had or held forth the Mystery in shadow or letter; the second and third had it in spirit and truth, yet dark and covered as in Saints; the last Temple takes off the darkness and covering from off the third, and holds it forth revealed and consummate; the first had the Mystery but in shadow, and so darkest; the second and third had it in truth, and more clear; the last shall have it in perfection, and so in the brightness of the perfect day. Thirdly, the Idol-temples and true Temples do agree in this; those had in them their god, their oracle, and their graven image, to whom all the Nations flowed together, as to a god, Jer. 51.44. The true Temples have their Oracle, their Glory, the true Divine nature and spirit dwelling in them, without which they are not Temples, and so are common and unholy; the indwelling of the holy Spirit being that only, which makes them Temples, and sanctifies them to be an habitation for God: even as the body of Christ could not be called a Temple, but from the fullness of the Godhead dwelling in it; so the Saints are not, nor cannot be called Temples, but from the fullness of God filling them, and dwelling in them; Eph. 3.19. all which doth hold forth a clear account of this truth, as worthy of all acceptation, that the spirit or Divine nature itself dwells in Saints. SECT. VI A Further witness to this truth, is from 1 Cor. 6.17. But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. Ephes. 4.4. The fifth testimony to the spirit in Saints. There is one body and one spirit. First, members of the natural body being many, are but one body, because united together, and living in one common principle or spirit of life dwelling in them; so Christ and Saints, being many members, are but one mystical body, because united together, and living in one eternal spirit dwelling in them; Christ is to the soul, what the soul is to the body. the one being as real an union in spirit and Mystery, as the other is in nature and reason; yea and much more real, for what the natural spirit is to the body natural: that and far more is the Spirit of Christ to Saints, 1 Cor. 12.12, 13. Union of Christ and Saints by created inspirations, only brings forth two conclusions which destroy the reality of that union. First conclusion Secondly, he that brings down this union of Christ and Saints in one body by one spirit, to be no more than an union of the created inspirations and habits of one spirit, he must unavoidably affirm the conclusions following, both which do debase, weaken, and quite disannul the reality of the union between Christ and Saints, or Saints and Saints. First, that the highest principle of life in Saints, as one body, is some created gift, or habit of grace, or something below the spirit; for as in the natural body, so it is in the body spiritual, the highest principle of life is that only which unites many members into one body, and denominates them one body; so that if it be not the Spirit himself, but some infused habit, which unites Christ and Saints into one body, than that infused habit is the highest principle of life in Saints, as one body of Christ; which assertion, besides the irrationality of it, in making an habit or quality a principle of life, may be judged the highest wrong and dishonour that can be to the body of Christ; that the Body of bodies, the body of the Son of God, the Temple and City of Jehovah, the eternal Spouse of Christ, the Lamb's wife, the joy and praise of all the earth, that body which shall be comprehensive of such stupendious masses and eternal weight of glory, should have no higher, larger, no more substantial principle of life, than a bundle of created habits; how doth this strip the glorious body of Christ Mystical of its glory and perfection, and brings it into a condition below the very natural body of a man, whose highest perfection of natural life consists in something more substantial and noble, than any such thing as a mere habit or quality? Second conclusion. Secondly, if the union of Saints with Christ in one body, be only by infused habits, than the Mysticalness and reality of the union comes to no more than a moral union; the union of man with God, no more than the union of man with man, or two lovers or friends; that is, of one heart, mind, or thought, in a moral conjunction; and so the riches of the glory of that Mystery, which was hid from Ages and Generations under the whole Law, and not made manifest until the days of the New Testament, which is, Christ is in us, are no more but that which hath been common, Col. 1.26, 27. and known amongst all men in Ages and Generations, Union of Christ in Saints, was a Mystery hid until the days of the Gospel. that is a moral union; wherefore this union of Christ and Saints, being a Mystery so full of glory, and hid from the Prophets and Fathers under the Law, must be something unseen, unknown to the world before; something more hi●h, Divine, and perfect then moral union, that having been well known unto the Saints before; and therefore it is Christ himself in Saints, that is, not only an heart, will, or mind, like to Christ in Saints, but Christ himself, his Divine nature and spirit in Saints; a Mystery so deep and glorious, that the Disciples of Christ understood it not all the while he was with them in the days of his flesh until some time after he was gone unto his Father, and in that day they should know that he was in the Father, and they in him, and he in them, Joh, 14.20. All which do give their witness to this glorious Mystery of truth, that the spirit himself dwells in Saints. SECT. VII. ANother convincing witness to the spirits in-being in Saints, is from Joh. 14.16, 17. I will pray the Father, The sixth testimony to the spirit in Saints. and he shall give you another Comforter, which shall be in you. Joh. 16.7. It is expedient for you that I go away; for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you, etc. God in Christ the great promise under the Law. First, two great promises have been made and revealed to the world; one by the Father under the Law, of sending the Messiah, or Emanuel, or God manifest in the flesh of Christ, whose coming forth in the flesh, should put an end and consummation to that administration of him under the Law; the other by Christ, of sending his spirit into the flesh of Saints, God in Saints the great promise under the Gospel. whose first coming forth should put an end to Christ's dwelling among us in the flesh, which accordingly came to pass; and his second approach, or coming forth, should finish the Mystery of God, or the witness of Christ, under the Letter and external administration of the Gospel, which yet is not come to pass, but is that we wait for, until it be revealed in us. Both these promises pass through the same states, conditions and changes. Secondly, both these promises may be observed in their several succeeding reasons, and proper day of their come forth, to have trodden the same path of Occurrences, and to have passed through the same states, conditions, and changes, each after other; They are as follows. The first promise, or God in flesh, and his threefold state. The first Promise, or God coming forth in flesh, had his appearance, disappearance, and reappearance; or had his time of witnessing, his time of being cut off from witnessing, his time of finishing or sealing his witness by his rising again, and ascending up into glory; in the first state or time God was in Christ, yet veiled and hid in his weak flesh, obscure estate, and uncomely form, from the wise and prudent Princes, Scribes, and Disputers of this world, but known and manifest to a few Babes, and despised one's; which state prepared him for his second state or time, wherein he was cut off, and for a little while removed from the living; as if God had left him, or were not in him; which captivity upon his flesh was light and joy to his enemies, but darkness of sorrow and fear to his Disciples, insomuch that they doubted whether the witness which he bore, while he was alive, that God was in him, whether it was so or no, Luke 24.11.21. out of this state he hastened into his third state or time, wherein he opened the vision, revealed the Mystery, and gave a signal demonstration of the truth of all he had spoken or done, and confirmed by spirit what he had affirmed by word; he made it clear, that God came down in flesh, by his going up to God in flesh; that all Power and Dominion both in heaven and earth was his, by going to his Father, sitting down with him in his throne, and being seen no more. The second Promise, or the spirits coming forth, and dwelling in the flesh of Saints, treads in the very same footsteps with the other; The second promise, or Christ in Saints, and his threefold state. and in like manner, hath his time of witnessing in Saints, his time of being slain, or cut off from witnessing in Saints; his time of rising again in Saints, and finishing his witness, by bringing forth in them the glory and beauty of the new Jerusalem, which shall put an end to the external Ordinances and Administrations of the Gospel; Revel. 21.22. in the first state or time the spirit was in Saints, yet veiled and covered under the low estate of earthen vessels, unlettered and simple fishermen, from the High, Noble, and Prudent ones of this world; but known and manifest to a few Churches and Saints of despised Gentiles: Joh. 14.20. This first time or state expired upon the falling away from the faith, and revealing of the Man of sin, 2 Thes. 2.3. Out of whose Throne and Kingdom of the bottomless pit, came forth that smoke of powers, signs, and lying wonders, as darkened the Day and Light of the Mystery of Christ in Saints, corrupted the pure Doctrine, carried faith, Christ, and the spirit into captivity, in spiritual Babylon; 2 Thess. 2.10. and there exalted itself as the Queen of Nations, holding forth her golden cup of fornications to all the Princes and Kings of the earth, whereby they were enticed to give their power unto her, and do use their sceptres and authorities, to suppress, persecute, and slay Christ, or the eternal spirit in Saints: this time or state now is, and is not yet expired: and as the Captivity which was upon the flesh of Christ in the grave, caused in his Disciples darkness, and mourning, and fear, that God was not in him; so the Captivity that now is upon the spirit of Christ in Saints, causeth all this darkness, and fear in Believers, that the spirit himself is not in them. The third state or time of the spirit in Saints shall open the vision, reveal the Mystery, consume that wicked, the Queen of Nations, demonstrate to Saints, and to all the world, that the spirit or Divine nature dwells in Saints, by revealing the Divine glory of Christ in them, Revel. 21.11.23. Isa. 60.1, 2. when he himself shall be admired in us, 2 Thess. 1.10. of all the world, Rev. 21.24. Isa. 60.9. Insomuch, that the Nations shall bow to the name and glory of God himself in Saints, Isa. 60.14. And if any will not serve the Lord in them, and them in the Lord, they shall perish, Isa. 60.12. This time or day of the spirit is yet to come, and is called the brightness of his coming or day of Christ, 2 Thess. 2.2.8. which day of Christ I would not have understood to be of the time of the end, when he shall have delivered up the Kingdom to God the Father, 1 Cor. 15.24.28. The day of Christ to come, is not the last end of all. Dan. 7.14. Revel. 1.7. and the Son himself be subject to the Father, and God all in all; but of the time when the Son of man shall be brought to the ancient of days, and come forth in the clouds of heaven, and shall receive Dominion, and Glory, and a Kingdom that all People, Nations, and Languages shall serve him; which will be when he comes forth out of the womb of the invisible light and love of God, and shall receiv as it were a visible inauguration and anointing upon his head, and shall come forth into the King's galleries of the clouds of heaven, and the high places over all the earth; Zach. 14.9. and all the Saints shall come forth with him, Zach. 14.9. 1 Cor. 15.23. and shall with him receive from the ancient of days, judgement, and authority; and the Kingdom, and Dominion, and greatness of the Kingdom under the whole heaven, Dan. 7.7, 8, 23, 24, 25, 26. Revel. 13.1, 5, 6, 7. Revel. 17.12, 13, 17. shall be given unto the Saints, Dan. 7.22.27. And this is the Kingdom that shall consume and destroy the fourth great kingdom, or Monarchy of the fourth beast, which is Mystery, Babylon; and shall redeem the Saints out of spiritual captivity, and drive away, and scatter all ignorant disputes, strife, erring spirits, different judge, and bitternesses of men, which are the smoke in the Temple, that the Lord cannot be seen, and a thick cloud to this day upon all, or most Saints, that they cannot read nor understand the Mystery of God written in their own hearts, which is Christ, the spirit, the Divine nature dwelling in them. Thirdly, Christ's promise to his Disciples of sending the Comforter, the spirit to dwell in them; as it had an higher and further end and sense, then that the spirit should be sent only to fill up the place, and supply the absence of Christ gone away to the Father; The sending of the Spirit upon Christ's withdrawing, an higher enjoyment than his presence with them in flesh, therefore more than in gifts and graces. so it calls for a deeper, and further interpretation. The coming forth of the spirit into Saints, and dwelling in them, is promised as a more high, rich, and perfect enjoyment, than the presence of Christ with them, in that present state of flesh unglorified, which appears in that he said, he must withdraw in flesh, to make way for his coming in spirit; wherein he did not only intent to put away their sorrows for his departure from them, but to fill them with joy and desires for his going away; because I have said these things, doth sorrow fill your heart? I tell you, though I myself should desire to continue with you, I should herein do you wrong; for it is expedient and better for you, not for me only, but for you, that I go away, then abide with you; because if I go, the Comforter will come; but if I go not away, he will not come; and so my stay will serve to nothing but to keep off and shut the door against a more perfect and divine enjoyment; as much as an enjoyment of me in spirit is more perfect and excellent than an enjoyment of me in flesh, joh. 16.6, 7. The sending therefore of this spirit, was somewhat an higher thing then only in gifts and graces; and it is yet more manifest, when Christ said, Joh. 16.22. I have many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now: Christ in Saints, a truth that could not be born in the day of Christ's presence in flesh What some of those things were which could not be born, he toucheth upon, Joh. 14.26. which words in a full sense are as if he had said, While I am with you in this state of flesh, if I should tell you, that as I am now, I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you, you would not believe me, nor bear such things; howbeit when the spirit is come unto you, he will reveal the truth unto you; and then in that day ye shall both know and believe it, that I am in you, and you in me; though now this knowledge of me being a knowing of me after the spirit, is too high for you, who yet know me only after the flesh, and so cannot conceive, while you see and know me only in and after the flesh, how I should be in you, or you in me, or I in my Father: Therefore the time being at hand appointed of my Father, that this carnal and low estate you are in shall pass away, and a more high and spiritual come forth; for this cause I must withdraw in flesh, that you may know and enjoy me in more glory and spirit; Christ's presence in flesh gives place to his presence in spirit. God glorifies himself in man, to glorify man in himself. for now you gaze upon my external form, and love, and know, and converse with me as a man without you: but than you shall know and converse with me as a spirit in you: And now you see me alone, as away from my Father; and you look upon yourselves, and I, and the Father, as separate and divided Being's; but than you shall know that my Father, and I, and you are one, and perfect in one; and that I am not alone, but I and my Father in me; and that you are not by yourselves, but I and the Father in you: Which though all this blessedness and union be already so in you and in me, yet you neither know it to be so, nor is it manifest that it is so; nor are you able to bear my words, should I tell you more of it: therefore I must withdraw, that he may come into you, who will let you see all this to be so, and more than I shall now tell you of, or you will believe. And now what is the sum of all? Are all these things the withdrawing of Christ in flesh, to make way for his appearance in spirit; his taking them off from desires to enjoy him in flesh, and drawing them up to desire his coming in spirit; his laying forth the unprofitableness and lowness of the one, and the expediency and glory of the other; his showing their enjoyment of him in flesh to be carnal, their knowledge and light carnal, Joh. 16.22. and many things, that is, the whole volume of the heavenly mysteries of the Father in Christ, of Christ in Saints, and Saints in Christ, was too high for them; And on the contrary, the enjoyment of him in spirit so high and clear, that they should know all mysteries, and all truth, which in the time of his presence in flesh they could not bear; I say again, are all these things no more? do they come to no more than the sending and dwelling of the spirit only in gifts and graces? Or rather do they not all make up this truth, and present it to us with open face, that Christ sends the Comforter, the Spirit himself, to dwell in Saints in his own Divine Nature? SECT. VIII. The seventh testimony to the spirit in Saints. A Further testimony to this truth, is from Rom. 8.17, 18, 19 And if Children, than heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ. 1. That which the Father hath of old ordained and prepared for them whom he loves, is to glorify man in himself, that is, to raise him up into a state of the highest happiness and perfection that the Creature can be capable of, or that can be communicated from God to the Creature: which is for a man to possess the glory of God within him, so as the Eternal Fullness of the Divine Nature and Love doth manifest itself, and flow into him in such a divine manner of full glory and perfect brightness, All objects and appearances die out of us, as God appears in us. that all objects and appearances of other things, knowledge, thoughts and imaginations, are all done away, and swallowed up by the appearance of him who is all, even as the light of a dying spark is swallowed up of the burning flame, and the Lord alone is the only thing seen, felt and embraced by them; any sight or vision, taste or possessing below God himself, cannot stand with the glory laid up for us; because there the light of Eternity, or of the eternal Godhead, will open itself in us, through us, and over us, as the eyelids of the morning; and then he shall no longer be hid, for we shall see him as he is: It were not glory nor happiness, if there were any covering to obscure or hid God from us, that we could not see him surpassing, and gloriously reigning over all. And this seeing of God as he is, Seeing God as he is, how to be understood. which is the glory laid up for us, must not be conceived nor understood after an humane manner, or after the vain Philosophy of this world, to be a contemplation of God, as of some glorious appearance or show of him without us: but it is the Divine Nature itself dwelling in us, and filling our seings, tastings and know with nothing below, besides or less than himself; he will set his own glory in us, and love it in us, and us in it, and will always behold himself in us; not his image only, as something distinct, but himself; and so as he will be our joy, we shall be his joy; he will be our Husband, we shall be his beloved Spouse; he will give us nothing but himself, and we shall taste of nothing but himself; his love unto us is like a fire, it will burn up whatsoever hath ever separated between himself and us; we shall be so in one another, that he will be in us as a burning fire, and we shall be in him as a fire of love; his delights to Eternity will be spent upon us, and the great deep shall be opened unto us; and we shall be a Temple for God, and he will be a Temple for us: Such things as these are some of that glory which is laid up for them that love him; which is now in this present state held forth to our weakness under earthly similitudes of Kingdom, Inheritance, Crown of Glory, purchased Possession; and in like manner we are called Kings and Heirs of the Kingdom prepared of the Father. 2. The way wherethrough God would bring up man into this state, as to glorify man in himself, was by first glorifying himself in man, joh. 13.32. that God might glorify man in Heaven, in his own life and spirit, and in the things above, he would first glorify himself in Earth, in the flesh and death of man, and in the things below. God would first come down, be seen and known, and be all in man in this state of things below, which is earthly, weak and dying, before man should come up, be seen and known to have all in the state of things above, which is Heavenly, Divine and Everlasting: God would first appear, and tread upon, and reign in our Land, which is nothing but briers and thorns, before we must tread upon and reign in his Land which flows with milk and honey; the crucifyings, wastings, weaknesses and nothingness of man were as a clothing wherewith God covered himself in Christ, wherein God was Priest and King, that he might us upon with his eternal perfections, and transcendent excellencies, and in them make us Priests and Kings. Man must first become a covering of weakness upon God for a short time, that God might become a covering of glory upon man for ever; the Eternal spirit came forth clothed upon with the likeness of sinful flesh, an uncomely despised form, with death and the grave, which were our old Egyptian vile habit; that they being found upon him, he might rend them all to pieces as a veil; which was signified by his Grave-cloaths left behind him in the grave; Luk. 24.12. and cloth us upon with the garments of Zion, the righteousness of Saints, his own Glory: All this God brought to pass first in the man Christ, who was moved and led to and fro, as the Divine Nature acted and guided him; Love in God from Eternity, but cleared up to the world by Christ. who was made as a weaned Child, that in all things he suffered the will of God in his flesh: Which Will I humbly conceive to be this; God had loved mankind with an everlasting love; but through sin, bondage, a condemning Law; and death breaking into the world through one man: this shut up and concealed these everlasting affections from us, insomuch that we hide ourselves from God, as from one who burned with anger against us; therefore that the loving Father might clear up his love unto us, to be such a love as could not be changed, he comes forth, and visits, and speaks with us in the Man Christ, and in him slays the Leviathan, breaks the serpent's head, How it was done. abolisheth sin, death, this world, and all flesh; and rides in triumph over all principalities, and powers, and enemies of man's glory; and in him, burns up with the fire of his love to man, all partitions, veils, Law of commandments, sin, and whatsoever might seem to separate him and us asunder; and after all, takes us up into the chariot of his spirit, and carries us away into his infinite Mansions of eternal Love; and all this he did in the Man Christ in our sight: Further bidding us, that whatsoever we have seen him do, in and upon Christ, that we reckon it all done for us and in us; and telling us, that though he hath done all this in the person of Christ, yet it is not for Christ, but for man; and that what we see or behold in Christ, whether die in the flesh, or glory in the Father, that we bring all into ourselves, and possess in ourselves the same die in the flesh that he did, and the same glory of the Father that he does possess; for as he came down not for himself but for us, so he ascended and sat down in the Father's bosom, not for himself alone, but for us; so that whosoever would know what is laid up for Saints; yea, what is in Saints already, though to most of them yet unknown; let them look within the veil, that is the flesh of Christ what he hath, what is in him; for all that spirit, love and glory, which is now in and upon Christ manifest, revealed and enjoyed, the same is already in Saints, yet invisible, and hid up in their faith and union: and in this respect is Christ called the Head and Conduct of our salvation, and our forerunner into the heavenly places; and in like manner Saints are called heirs and fellow-heirs with Christ in the same kingdom and glory. Thirdly, Saints being fellow-heirs with Christ of God, that is of the same Divine nature, as he came to the inheritance, after the same manner shall they come to it; the steps he did tread, Divine Nature as in Christ first veiled, then manifest; so is it in Saints. they shall go in the same; the Divine nature did not withdraw, but as it were retired itself, as to the perfect enjoyment of it from Christ, until he had passed through the death of his flesh: then the glory of the Divine nature, with which he was glorified before the world was, did break forth in him; it was always in him, and now and then sent out some sharp glances through him, for the convincing of the world, and he always enjoyed it in such an enjoyment, as enabled him to fulfil the will of his Father on earth; but the clearer and higher break forth of it in him, was not until the die of his flesh were ended; so it is, and so shall it be in Saints; they are heirs with Christ of the Divine nature, wherewith they shall be glorified together with him, and they are already Partakers of the Divine nature, 2 Pet. 1.4. and are filled with all the fullness of God, Eph. 3.19. but it is as it were retired, and much under concealment from Saints, until they have fulfilled the sufferings which are behind in their flesh; and if now and then some unspeakable light and ravishing vision spring forth in a Saint; yet it is but as in a glance, or God passing by and tarrying not; but the openings of this book, and the manifestation of this inheritance, whereof we are heirs with Christ, that is of the spirit, the Divine nature in us; this is reserved for a while in the Father's power, until the revealing of the sons of God; which will be, Manifestation of the sons of God is the Divine Nature revealed in us. when the Divine nature, which is now in Christ openly, in Saints covertly, shall flow forth and be revealed in us; then Saints shall be manifest to be what now indeed they are, but in faith only, not in manifestation, truly and verily the sons of God; that is, when they shall appear with him in the same glory of the Divine nature; and the glory of Christ the Son shall be the glory of all the sons; 1 Cor. 15.28. one Father, one God all in all. From all which it is clear to him that loves to see the truth, not through the mists, veils or disguises of subtle chaffy distinctions, of science falsely so called, of glosses received by tradition, of prepossessed principles, rudiments or opinions; of bitterness, passion, rash prejudicacy, and overhasty censoriousness, but as a child wained from all these breasts, desires to see the truth in the simplicity, purity, and undefiledness of it; to him it is clear with no other arguments, than its own beams of light, that the same glory, or spirit, or Divine nature which is in Christ, is also in Saints; he being not heir alone, but they fellow-heirs with him. SECT. IX. A Further testimony to the truth of this Mystery is gathered from Ephes. 4.11, 12, 13. Eighth testimony to the spirit in Saints. And he gave some Apostles, etc. for the perfecting of Saints, etc. till we all come in the unity of the faith, etc. Col. 1.28. That we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus, which perfection is Christ in us, v. 27. Revel. 21.3. Behold the Tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, God himself shall be with them. First, Truth is, that Mystery that is to be made manifest, that of God that is to be revealed, Col. 2.2, 3. the deep things of God that are to be brought to light, Indwelling of God himself in man, is the end of all truth, and administrations of truth. called also the Mystery hid in God, the Mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; treasures of wisdom and knowledge: the end and perfection of which truth, and of all light, science, knowledge, administrations, spiritual gifts, and powers, is the revealing and indwelling of God himself in them. Secondly, the way and manner how this truth is brought forth into the world, is, through various ways of administration; through doctrine, divine worship, revelation, letter, and spiritual gifts; all which serve to administer truth, and things in heaven to men on earth; and as truth is brought forth at sundry times, in divers manners, in different degrees of light, and is sometimes more dark, shadowed, and legal; after more clear, naked, and Evangelical; so is the administration varied and changed from one degree of light to another. Thirdly, the spirit bringing forth truth through the administration, gives unto men light and knowledge, The end of spiritual gifts. spiritual gifts and powers (otherwise called illuminating and sanctifying graces) which are given to this end, that through them men may become changed, sanctified, and made capable to know, believe, glorify and own that light, and truth which is brought forth under that particular administration; and as the administration carries in it more or less light, grace, and holiness; so is the illumination and sanctification of Saints, under that administration differing in the measure of light, grace, and holiness. Measuring line of all administrations without, and gifts within, what it is. Fourthly, administrations do differ from, and exceed one another in glory, as they carry in them more or less of that highest end, whereunto they do subserve and administer, which is the completing of Saints to one, living, holy Temple for the Lord, and God himself dwelling in them; in like manner the Saints do exceed one another in light, love, and holiness, as their union and communion in and with God, and God in and with them, is in some more than others, more complete and perfected: the Ministry of the Prophets, had more glory than that of Moses; the Ministry of John more than the Prophets; he that is least in the kingdom of heaven more than all; one excelled another, as they had in them the nearer approachings, and clearer dawnings of the Day, and Sun of righteousness upon the world. The end of all administrations and gifts. Fifthly, so that the end of all administrations without us, and all spiritual gifts within us, is to bring the Lamb and the Bride together, the spirit and the Spouse into one; to perfect and finish up the Mystery which is already in Saints, yet hid, joh. 14.20. which is Christ in the Father, Saints in Christ, and Christ in Saints: the present time is a time wherein Christ is gone to the Father, hid in God, as it were at a distance from Saints, and therefore a time of darkness and of the shadows of the Night, 2 Pet. 1.19. stretched upon the world; administrations and letter without, and gifts of grace within, are as lesser lights or stars shining in this dark Night or world, until the Lord himself come into Saints and swallow them up; as an imperfect, lesser, and weaker glory is swallowed up of a greater and more perfect; or the Morningstar of the Sun: so that faith, hope, knowledge, prophecies, etc. can no more abide, when that which is perfect is come, than the stars can abide in the clearest day, 1 Cor. 13.8, 9, 10. These things thus considered, do contribute their illustration to the further clearing of this Truth, that the spirits indwelling in Saints which is now in them, and shall abide in them for ever, is somewhat higher than gifts and graces; for these must be done away; and if something higher, it can be no less than the spirit and God himself dwelling in them. SECT. X. THE spirits in-being in Saints is further manifestly held forth in 2 Cor. 13.5. Know you not your own selves, The ninth testimony to the spirit in Saints. how that jesus Christ is in you, except you be Reprobates? Rom. 8.9. Now if any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of his. First, no Creature, no good, God makes not happiness, sin makes not misery, unless within us. no not the highest good itself, which is God, doth make man or his soul endued with virtue, good or blessed, so long as it is without the soul: in like manner no sin, nor unbelief, nor spot defiles a man, or makes him reprobate or miserable, except it be within him; if there be no light in the eye, the body is darkness, though the light shine round about; the enjoyment of a thing is perfected in oneness with the thing; God is Light, Love and Blessedness: yet as he is withomt me, or separate from me, so I neither see his Light, taste his Love, nor am blessed with his blessedness: but as he is within me, and is known, loved, felt and perceived by me; darkness within makes darkness without; the whole earth is full of his glory; yet most men see not this glory in the earth without, because they see not his glory within them: the glory of nature men can behold, because they have the eye of Nature, Eccl. 3.11. or the light of Reason planted in them: but the glory of God in nature they cannot see, because they have not the light of God, the spirit dwelling in them. Secondly, Gospel-truths, as they are Doctrines preached by the voice of man, or as Scriptures written upon a Book without; as so, they neither enlighten, sanctify nor save, being or coming in words, sound or letter only; but as they are preached and written by the spirit of the living God in the heart, so they give life and blessedness, being now become spirit and life in a man. True knowledge of Christ, what. Joh. 6.63. The obedience of Christ in the flesh, and his sufferings at Jerusalem, if I know them only as acted and fulfilled in flesh without me; as the flesh alone of Christ without the spirit profits me not, Not as without or after the flesh: But as within or after the spirit. so this external knowledge of Christ being but a knowledge of him after the flesh, will not profit me to redemption or justification: but if I know his obedience, death and resurrection in that power and spirit which wrought in him, and do know that the same power and spirit is in me, and in all those that do believe; then I come to have, Eph. 1.19. and see, and know the obedience and death of Christ as things within me, having in me the same spirit which wrought them in Christ; which spirit can make that which in Christ was wrought afar off, to be near, yea present within us; and so I come to have the very power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings working in my flesh, being made conformable unto his death, Phil. 3.10. that is, his death working death in my flesh after the same manner as death wrought in his flesh. Thirdly, God declared himself to be the omnipotent Creator, by the Creation, a work of Omnipotency; to be Lord and King, by acts of Dominion and Sovereignty; Christ declared himself to be the son of God, Rom. 1.4. by his resurrection from the dead, a work of power: so he declares himself to be spirit and life, by crucifying flesh, and abolishing death in Saints; a work of the quickening spirit. Now that whereby God or Christ declares or manifests himself to us to be what he is, by and through that manifestation only he is to be truly seen and known of us to be what he is: God, or any glory or excellency of God, is not known of the world, God not known by a form of knowledge, but by spirit in us. but by the come forth of glory and majesty into the world: so neither the Father nor Christ are known of Saints, but by the come forth of the spirit into Saints; so that God may be better tasted then known, felt and enjoyed then conceived of, for he passeth all knowledge; and that is true spiritual knowledge of God and Christ, which is not so much a conceiving of him in a form of knowledge, or notion of the mind, as when the Divine Nature itself is manifest, felt and perceived in us. Divine spiritual knowledge is not so much a work of the understanding, as the thing itself known living in us. And therefore in natural things the Understanding is active; the Object, or thing known, passive; because the Understanding is more noble than the Object: but in spiritual things the Understanding is passive, the Object active, because the Object is more noble than the Understanding: Man in knowing Creatures is active, in knowing God is passive. So I account that knowledge of God to have least of nature or man in it, to be the purest, highest and most spiritual knowledge, wherein a man's mind is most resigned, childlike and passive; and God, Christ or Spirit altogether active in him. It is said therefore in one place, After that ye knew God, Gal. 4.9. or rather are known of God; the Son only can reveal the Father, the Spirit only can reveal the Son; In thy light we shall see light; the Light whereby we see God, Grace, Love, the deep things of God, is not the eye of man, for that cannot see; nor the ear, for that cannot hear; nor the heart, reason or spirit of a man, for that cannot conceive it: but the Spirit himself dwelling in us is our eye, our light, whereby we search, know, discern and judge all things, 1 Cor. 2.9, 10, etc. I read the Letter, I hear the Word of Truth in the outward testimony, that Christ is Lord, that God is Father, that the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts; that we dwell in him, and he in us: but I cannot as a man call Christ Lord, but by the spirit, 1 Cor. 12.3. nor God Father, but by the spirit, Rom. 8.15. Nor can I say, that the love of God is shed abroad in my heart, but by the spirit given into me, Rom. 5.5. Nor do I know that he dwells in me, or I in him, but hereby, because he hath given me of his spirit, 1 joh. 4.13. And so I come to know all these things, and all Truth, and all Gospel-mysteries which appertain to life and godliness, by having the spirit dwelling in me; that is, 1 joh. 2.20, 27. by having that dwelling in me, which is the substance, life, activity, fullness, glory and power of all Truth, and all Gospel-mysteries; for the Spirit, Father, Son and Truth, and our knowing of them, are all one; and where truth is, there is the Spirit; and where the Spirit is, there is truth. True knowledge of God is by God his dwelling in us. Fourthly, What then is true knowledge of God, and true blessedness, but to enjoy him whom we know, and to have him to be in us, in our soul, what our soul is in and to our body? and he is then truly known and apprehended by us, when he is that in us, and through us, and over us, what we know and apprehend him to be; Joh. 8.32. and then we know Truth, when the Truth sets us free; that is, as Truth in itself is liberty, and largeness, and blessedness; and there are no bonds nor sorrow in it: So we then come to know Truth to be so, when it brings in its own liberty and blessedness into us, setting us free from the bonds of sin and sorrows, flesh and death: And so Gospel-mysteries are then truly known of us, when the substance, glory and life of the heavenly things themselves are presented to us, and revealed in us. And as our truest knowing and seeing of a thing, is the manifestation of the thing itself unto us; as of Light, which is best seen and perceived by its own beams piercing the eye; so our truest knowing, and perfectest seeing of God, as Light, Fullness, Wisdom and Power, is by the outshining of the Light itself, and Glory of God into us, 1 Cor. 4.6. for we know not God as the everlasting Light, unless we know him to be Light in Darkness, Light in Heaven, Light on Earth, Light in all the World, Light in us and through us: Nor do we know him as perfect fullness, if we know him as here and there, in Christ and not in Saints: but as in Heaven, in Earth, in us, and through, and over and beyond all things, most eminently in Christ and Saints. These are a further account and reason of my faith, joy and hope, That the spirit himself in his own glorious power and Divine Nature dwells in Saints, however as yet not acknowledged by many of themselves. SECT. XI. THE last record to the spirits in being in Saints, Tenth testimony to the spirit in Saints. that I shall present, is the sweet and heavenly testimony which is in Gal. 2.20. I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. Col. 3, 4. When Christ who is our life shall appear. The Divine life of Christ, or the life of God in Christ, is not the life of Christ alone as one single person, but the life of Christ's mystical body of Saints, Christ and Saints have but one life, the eternal spirit. whereby he and they live in one: All that Christ received was given to him, not as single and alone, but as Head of a spiritual Body; and so his life and fullness is not the life and fullness of one, but of many in one. The Father revealed his fullness in Christ, not that it should stop and be confined or restrained there, that is, in the flesh of Christ as one man; but that through him it should proceed, flow out and be poured forth upon all the Children: And so as the Father in Christ is the life of Christ, or he by whom Christ lives; Joh. 6.57. so Christ's in Saints is the life of Saints; not the flesh of Christ, but God manifest in his flesh, or the Father in Christ, by whom Saints live: And so Christ is the way through which God comes down into Saints, not in created influences or graces only, but in the spring of influences, in the fountain of graces; in his own essential love, nature and fullness, filling them in a divine and incomprehensible manner; even as the natural spirit or soul of man is in the head, and not there only, but diffused in and through all the members, and is the life of all; in which the members being many, become and conspire into one body: So is the spirit of God in Christ the Head, and thence and therethrough shed abroad, not by infusions only, as some distinct effects, but by himself into all the members, 1 Cor. 12.12, 13. and is the life of all, in and for which they being many become one spiritual body: And if it be not so, is not the union between the head and members of a body natural more real and substantial than the union of Christ and Saints? or is not Christ the head of all things less to his Church then the head of an earthly Creature to its body? and if Christ be in Saints by created workings only, and not by spirit, than all those figures, allegories, and parabolical similitudes of Vine and Branches, Husband and Wife, Head and Members, chosen and expressed by the spirit in Scriptures to shadow out the union of Christ and Saints, have much more in them then is in the mystery or truth typed and shadowed by them. If Christ himself be not in Saints, no life in Saints. Secondly, if Christ himself be not in Saints, there is no life in them; graces separate from Christ are dead things; faith, love, humility, zeal, if they have not Christ in spirit wrapped up in them, are no more faith nor love, than the body of man without the soul is a man: Graces are to Christ what the channel is to the river; cut off the stream that runs in the channel from the river, and the channel becomes as the parched land, full of weeds and briers: So graces are the passage through which Christ lets out himself; if he shuts up, they are dried up and whither: The graces of a moral man have glory and beauty in appearance; but having nothing above man, that is, not having Christ living and flowing in them, they are clouds without water, wand'ring stars, trees without fruit, whited walls; their faith is the dead faith of Pharisees; their holiness the holiness of Hypocrites; their beauty in the flesh is the beauty of Harlots; graces without Christ in them, leave a man dead, his soul empty, all his worship carnal, until Christ awake, and bring in himself in spirit and glory; and then my soul makes me like the Chariots of Amminadab, and my feet are become like Hinds feet, and I shall tread upon all high places, and nothing shall be able to hurt us, because of the Anointing which dwells in us. Thirdly, it is worthy of consideration, whether the state of the new Creature in Christ be no more nor higher than the state of the first man in his pure Paradisical nature, before the transgression; if no more, than the administration of light and glory from God upon Adam, and Adam's union with that light, was as high and spiritual as is the light and union which by the Gospel is administered to a man in Christ; and the first man who was made but a living soul, had as much glory in him as the second man who is made a quickening spirit: Second Adam and all in him, wherein excelling the first Adam, and all in him. but if the new Creature does excel the first Adam, than the pre-eminence must consist both in internals and externals, that is, in perfections within him, and privileges without him: And this is manifest that the new Creature excels first in privilege, in that Adam was under a Law of works, a Covenant that might be broken; the new Creature is under a Law of grace, a Covenant that cannot be broken, a better and surer Covenant; better in this, that it was established upon better promises, Heb. 8.6. This new and better Covenant is the excellency of a man in Christ above Adam under the old faulty Covenant, as to external privilege: the better promises of this new and better Covenant, are the excellency of the new Creature above Adam, as to internals or perfections within him; which promises are, I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my judgements, and do them, Ezek. 36.27. Isa. 59.21. Heb. 8.10. 2 Cor. 3.6. The excellency and dignity of the new Covenant above the old, is, in that the old Covenant ministered the letter only, and could not cause man to walk in righteousness; the new Covenant ministers the spirit into Saints, 〈◊〉 so causeth them to walk in righteousness, and that the Covenant cannot be broken: New Covenant ministers spirit into us, therefore cannot be broken; the Law the letter only, therefore broken. by all which it appears, that the first man broke the Covenant he was under, because it put not the spirit into him; and also the new Covenant cannot be broken, because it is the ministration of the spirit, and puts it into Saints: so that whosoever takes the spirit himself out of Saints, either brings the Saints back again into the old Covenant, or he makes the new Gospel-Covenant into which they are redeemed, to be the ministration, not of the spirit, but of the letter only: And as the glory of the new Covenant above the old is in this, 2 Cor. 3.7,8. that it is the ministration of the spirit, the Law but of the letter only; so the new Creature hath in him more glory and perfection than the first man, in this, that the spirit himself is put into him; created gifts only, which might be depraved and lost, were all that was put into the first Adam: And this shall finish and close up this cloud of witnesses, which do all give testimony, and set their seal unto this Truth; not in the sense of any carnal distinction, whereunto it is by the infirmity of the Saints unwarily, by the disputers and wisdom of this world wrongfully perverted: but in the simple and Gospel-sense of the plain and sound words wherein it is expressed, That the spirit of Christ, which is the Divine Nature, dwells in Saints, though covered and yet undiscerned by most of them. SECT. XII. THE indwelling of the spirit in Saints in this simple and plain sense, carries in it a nearness and union between God and the Creature, so mysterious, high and inconceivable to flesh and blood, that the man of sin, who sees by no higher light than Nature, and therefore not able to judge of spiritual things, lest of all of the highest of spiritual things, God dwelling in Saints, and Saints in God, is not able to bear it, that is, this union; the truth that is in it being a light so clear, that it takes off the veil, discovers the mystery of iniquity which 〈◊〉 at veil, stains and shames the pride and glory of his Kingdom, and utterly strips, shakes and undoes all flesh: Spirit himself in Saints, why so sentenced and excommunicated out of the world. Wherefore that he may quench a light so glorious, and keep all the world under the cloud of thick, spiritual darkness, and the yoke of bondage unto humane inventions, commandments of men, will-worships, pharisaical, legal righteousness, which are the arm and glory of his Kingdom, and horn of his power; he judgeth, sentenceth and excommunicates it out of the world under the most odious notions and imputations of blasphemy, damnable doctrine, This truth why so dreaded of Saints. making the Creature God, equal with Christ; and under these black and abominable disguises that which is the beauty of all Gospel-truths is so deformed, that it looks terrible and dreadful unto most Saints, being but weak, and Children in the faith and knowledge of the mystery; insomuch that we are ready to say of it, It is a spirit; and to fly from it, though it be the nearer approachings of our dear Saviour: Wherefore for the sake of such, that they may see out of obscurity, and the cause of Truth, that it may shine out of darkness, and scatter all those veils and lying imputations that have made it dreadful to all men: I shall inquire into the strongest reasons that I know to be against this Truth, and I hope, give some account, that they are false accusations, and lying words against the Truth; at the best but shadows of Reason, to blind the eyes of the weak from seeing their own liberty and glory. SECT. XIII. THEY are these which follow: If the Spirit or Divine Nature itself dwells in Saints, First counter-reason against the spirit in us. than every Saint is God, and so to be worshipped as God: even as the Divine Nature dwelling in Christ, he is therefore God, and so is and aught to be worshipped as God. Answer Of this Argument some may say, The show of thy countenance is like lightning, and by thy clear beams of reason thou hast at once scattered all that hath been said: But of these things I do humbly conceive, 1. That the in being of God in Saints does not make them become God, no more than the in-being of God in other Creatures makes them God; his glory fills both Heaven and Earth; he only knows and comprehends himself fully and perfectly; the lengths, depths and bredths of this stupendious Being cannot be seen or comprehended by the Creature: Therefore he comes forth in the Creation, as it were clothed upon with a garment; the whole world is but as his vesture or raiment, that shall be changed; and he that is Eternal Light, Love and Wisdom, cloaths himself with it, as within an house or tabernacle wherein he will dwell for a time; that through it, as through a little Orb or Globe, he may let out some pieces and portions of the external excellencies of his incomprehensible Godhead; he stretcheth forth the Heavens as a Curtain, and spreadeth out the Earth as a Tent to dwell in, and the depths are his Pavilion; and thus all Nature is filled with the glory and majesty of the Lord, and he is in it and through it; yet is not the world God, but he that is in the world is God; and the world of Nature is no more but the place of the soles of his feet, or his lower Tabernacle wherein he sets his dwelling place for a time, until he awake, and make all things new, and come forth in that higher glory which the old Heavens and Earth shall be too narrow to receive, too short to contain. 2. The in-being of God, or the Divine Nature, made not the man Christ, or the flesh of Christ become God; God and man became one in a mutual indwelling, enjoyment and embracement each of other in Christ, yet continued infinitely distinct in Nature, and several in being one from the other: God came forth in Nature, or the things that are made, and dwells in it as in an house or Tabernacle that waxeth old, and shall be taken down; and therefore he shines forth in it in fewer beams, and at a greater distance, and so more darkly; yet so, as that the invisible things of him, even the Eternal Power and Godhead, may be clearly seen and understood of all the world, as a testimony to leave them without excuse: so God came forth in Christ, God in Christ, yet the man Christ is not God, but Christ is God. and dwells in him, but as in a living, higher and eternal Tabernacle; and therefore he shines forth in him in many beams of everlasting mercies, grace and reconciling love, and in much more nearness, and so more clearly; yet so, as known and manifest only to Saints: Therefore to this end was Christ born, and came into the world, that he might be a Mercy-seat, a Throne of grace, and a living Mansion for the fullness and glory of God to dwell in; and through him to come near, reveal himself, and commune with us; and in and by him to do all our works of obedience, death and life for us: So that the will and mind of Christ as man, became wholly passive and self-resigned; and the mind and will of the Divine Nature altogether active, to enlighten, teach, command and do all in him: The highest honour and happiness that the flesh of Christ was capable of, or was advanced unto, was not to become God, but to be glorified in God, and God to be glorified in him: Christ is both God and son of man, both Lord and son of David. 3. So God dwells in all Saints, God in Saints; yet Saints are not God, but his Temple. who being fitly joined and compacted together, do grow up into one living Temple for the Lord, which is that beautiful Zion, that Mountain of the House of the Lord, the Lamb's Wife, that near City Jerusalem above, that Tabernacle of God with men, wherein God himself dwells; and the Father and Lamb himself will be the light and glory in it, and the Tree of Life, and the pure River of the water of Life in the midst of her, and the glory of God himself in her shall be joy and praise, the terror and astonishment of all Nations. Thus God is in Saints, and will glorify himself in Saints, yet they are not God; even as he is in Christ, yet the flesh of Christ is not God. SECT. XIV. THE union of God and Man in Christ gives this honour to Christ to be called God: Second reason against the spirit in Saints. If Saints partake in this union to have God dwelling in them, why do they not partake in the honour to be called God? Answered. 1. The flesh of Christ neither is called God, nor is God, but he is and is called the true God, who was manifest in that flesh: So that if it be asked, who is Christ? or what is his name? he is Immanuel, the Anointed, or God manifest in the flesh: In like manner Saints are not God, nor are called God; but he who is in Saints, is and is called the true God: So that if it be asked, who is a Saint? or what is his name? he is an inspired man, an anointed one, or Christ or the spirit in man. 2. Christ so perfectly denied himself of all that was man, and resigned it up to the Divine Nature, that of himself he did nothing, but the Father did work all his works in him and by him; The several actings, motions and performings of Christ were not from the will of man, but were the streams and flow forth of the Eternal Fullness in him; so that God became manifest through Christ, the ways and works of Christ as through a Crystal or transparent glass; and therefore came it to pass, that God alone was and did all in Christ, because he would be known, worshipped and approached unto only in Christ; and no man should seek, or find, or come near unto any God, but that God which is in Christ. Under the Law God filled Heaven and Earth, yet he would be known and worshipped only in the Temple at Jerusalem. Under the Gospel he dwells in all Saints, yet he is with open face beheld, and will be worshipped as the true God only in his living Temple or Sanctuary, the flesh of Christ; so because we come to God and the Father by Christ, and worship God in faith and hope through Christ, and not through Saints; therefore is Christ called God, the Saints not. SECT. XV. Third reason against the spirit in Saints. IF Saints partake with Christ in union with God, so that the same Divine Nature which dwells in Christ dwells also in Saints; then what pre-eminence hath Christ above Saints? Much every way; chief in these things. Answered. 1. That it pleased the Father by him to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy of the Law and Prophets; And that as through one man, sin, death and wrath entered into the world, so he must be that son of man by whom God would put away sin, abolish the flesh and death, judge the Prince of this world, spoil and triumph over all the Principalities and Powers of darkness, and vanquish all the Enemies of man out of the world again; and so by him to reconcile all things to himself, and in the fullness of time to gather together into one in him all things, Dan. 9.25. Heb. 2.10. Col. 1.18. in Heaven and in Earth, in him. And in this work he hath the honour above Saints, of being Messiah, the Prince, the High Priest and Captain of our salvation, the beginning and firstborn from the dead, who was the Head of the Hests of the living God, and the only Instrument in the everlasting hand and arm of God, to cut off the Dragon's head, to slay the Leviathan in the deeps in his death, and drive all the enemies of man out of the world. 2. All those things, and all that Love that God hath prepared for them whom he loves, he hath laid it up in Christ, in the Eternal Fullness of the blessed Godhead, and to him alone hath committed the administration of all things that the Father hath given unto him for us: All things that the Father hath, are ours; but they are first Christ's, and given unto him; the Father loves the Son, and hath given all things into his hand; he loves Saints through and for the Son, with the same love wherewith he loves the Son, Joh. 17.26. and so he gives them the same glory in himself which he gave the Son, yet by and for the Son, Joh. 17.22. The Father as himself without Christ judgeth no man, saveth no man, does nothing in the world, but hath committed all judgement to the Son, and hath committed the authority of executing all judgement both of life and death unto the Son of man: God doth all, and all things are of God; Joh. 5.22.27. yet so as by Christ, nothing at all without him: The glory, fullness, light and power of God comes forth upon Saints; yet so, as through the hands, sceptre and face of Jesus Christ. And in this work he hath honour above Saints, to be the Head of the Body the Church, the fullness of grace and truth, the Mediator of the New Testament, the King upon the holy hill of Zion, anointed by the Father. Therefore this pre-eminence and honour of Christ above Saints, Pre-eminence of Christ above Saints destroys not, but confirms spirits in-being in Saints. that he hath received the fullness of all the wisdom and power of God; that all dominion, power and authority is given into his hand; and that not for himself alone, for his own private and singular enjoyment, but to be all administered and shed abroad upon the Saints for their enjoyment and everlasting happiness: All this pre-eminence whereunto Christ is exalted above Saints and Angels, and every other name, doth instead of casting a cloud upon it, bring clear light and reason for the further confirming us in the truth, that Saints are partakers with Christ of the Divine Nature, itself dwelling in them: For as Christ received fullness, glory and spirit immediately from the Father, so we receive of that very fullness, glory and spirit from Christ; Christ is one with God through the spirit of the Father, Saints are one with God through the spirit of Christ; 1 Tim. 3.16. Rom. 15.7. Joh. 17.22. Christ was received up into the glory of God by the Father, Saints are received into that glory of God by Christ: God dwells in Christ gloriously, in a first, higher and clearer manifestation; God dwells in Saints as truly and verily, but covertly, and as yet in a second, lower and darker manifestation, through Christ in a spirit dwelling in them; yet daily leading them up into more and more glory by clearer revealings of himself in us, until he fully appear, having done away all veils from off his face; then shall we be like him, that is, we shall then be filled with the glory he is filled with, for we shall see him as he is; that is, the same glory which is in him, shall come forth in us, 1 Joh. 3.2. and we shall see him by having that which dwells in him manifest in us. Thus in all things hath Christ the pre-eminence over Saints, and yet Saints are partakers with Christ of the same Divine Nature and spirit dwelling in them. SECT. XVI. The fourth reason against the spirit in us. OUR Fathers nor our Father's Fathers knew not, nor understood not this Mystery; how could the union of Christ and Saints, being a Mystery of so high and Divine a nature, be hid and shut up from them through so many ages and generations, if there be such a union as Christ himself by Spirit or Divine Nature dwelling in Saints? Answered. I shall close up my testimony to this Truth with an account of some things which I judge have shut up the world for so long a time under the darkness and unbelief of the great gospel-mystery. The first veil which hath been upon the truth of spirit in Saints. 1. Besides the holy and unsearchable reasons in the secret counsel and will of God; the Mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ, or of God the Father in Christ, being but darkly and weakly seen and apprehended by them who have been Fathers and Lights in their day in former times, hath also much darkened, if not quite hid out of sight, this Mystery of God, or Christ dwelling in Saints: For as the union of God and Man in the person of Christ, is the cause or fountain from whence flows the union of God or Christ in Saints; so the true knowledge of the union of God and Man in Christ, Union of God and Christ darkened, darkens the union of Christ and Saints. is the key for the true understanding of the union of Christ and Saints. Now the Guides and Leaders of the Church in former times, looking upon this great Mystery, as upon all other Gospel-mysteries, in a faith mingled with the unbelief, ignorance and humane Philosophy of those times; they have conceived God and the Man Christ to be one in an hypostatical union, or a personal union, so and in such manner, as that the Man Christ, as Man, hath no personality at all, that is, hath no proper personal subsistence of Person, but only of Nature; under which dark and involved description, favouring more of Metaphysical subtlety, then of the simplicity of Christ, they locked up the true state and nature of the union of God and Christ, and so commended it to the world, and by Tradition through succeeding generations down to our present times, to be such an union as the Saints could not be partakers with him in the same union; whereas the account that the spirit gives in the Gospel of this union, is plain and simple, and full of glory; 2 Cor. 5.19. Col. 2.9. 1 Tim. 3.16. God was in Christ reconciling the world; The fullness of the Godhead dwells in him bodily; My Father that dwells in me doth these works; God was manifest in flesh: and such as doth bring this union down to Saints, Joh. 14.20. and joins them in the fellowship and community of the same union with Christ; At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you; That they all may be one in us, as thou Father art in me, and I in thee; that they all may be one in us, as thou Father art in me, Joh. 17.21.23. and I in thee; I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one. And that the world may know that God hath loved Saints as he loved Christ, the glory which the Father gave to Christ, which was union with God, the same glory Christ gives to Saints, that they may be one with the Father, as he and the Father are one, Joh. 17.22, 23. And upon this very account that Christ hath union, glory and spirit, and all the riches of Divine fullness; not for himself alone, but to extend and shed forth the same upon Saints, is he, as I humbly judge, called the root of David, the true Vine, the second Adam, the firstborn amongst many Brethren. And now which of these Accounts does most clear the union of God and Christ: that of the Schools, or this of the Scriptures; and whether of these does darken and abolish, and whether of these does clear and establish the union of Christ and Saints, let all that are spiritual and meek in heart discern and judge. SECT. XVII. Second veil which hath been upon the truth of spirit in Saints. SEcondly, The framing and composing the whole knowledge of God, Speculative and Practical, otherwise called the Systeme and Body of Divinity, according to the pattern of Natural Reason; thus moulding and fashioning the spirit and things of the spirit into the perishing models and narrow platforms of Nature; this hath been another seal to seal up the Mystery of the spirit in us. In those Books I find God and the Attributes of God first discussed and opened in a poor, natural way, before Christ be named; whereas God never did any thing either in making the world, or redeeming of sinners without the Son: Nor can God, nor any thing of God be clearly seen and known, but first through the knowledge of the Son. The greatest truths how corrupted and perverted formerly, and as yet. I find in those writings the justification of sinners by Jesus Christ, to be an absolution only from the guilt, condemnation and punishment of sin, but not from the filth and spot of sin, after the way and manner of earthly Judicatures, who do pardon or remit the guilty person upon a price or ransom, from the guilt and punishment of his offence, though he be in mind and heart as much as before; this is to bring down the glorious and free grace of God in imputing our sins to Christ, and his righteousness unto us, to the low and imperfect administrations of Justice amongst men, & to restrain the Omnipotent virtue and power of the righteousness of Christ, which is able to make us become the righteousness of God in him, 2 Cor. 5.21. that is, holy, and without all spot of sin in the sight of God, to restrain it to the weakness and imperfection of humane Laws and Justice. Further, those Books do present unto me the Covenant of the Gospel under conditions to be performed by the Creature before the grace and riches of glory in the Covenant become his, after the form and example of man's Covenant; whereas the whole and every part of the Covenant is free and perfected by God alone; first in forgiving sins, and remembering iniquities no more; and then in putting the spirit into them, which brings forth in them faith, love and obedience. Again, they bind up the free spirit of grace to one way, that he reveals not the love of God, and reconciliation by Christ to any but whom the Law hath first wounded and sore bruised into repentance and sorrow for sin; after the custom and manner of men, who forgive not the Offender until he ask pardon, and confess his Offence: thus binding up the everlasting kindnesses of the Lord to the narrow kindnesses of man, whereas some are melted with Love, as others are bruised by the Law. Moreover, they confine and restrain the office and power of prophesying or teaching, to certain measures and attainments of humane wit, and worldly wisdom; the anointing alone which teacheth all truth, not giving a sufficiency of light and knowledge for the work of ministering without natural Learning, without running for help to flesh and blood. They invest the General-Church-Assembly of a Nation with a commanding and coercive Authority over the conscience in matters of faith and Divine worship, which lie up as high as in the hands of the spirit, they bring down into the hands and power of man; herein proudly affecting or emulating the image and greatness of the civil power, they do command over the spirit, as he doth over the bodies of men. They affirm faith, love, humility, patience, temperance, etc. to be several habits, principles or graces in a Saint; whereas the Scripture affirms, 1 Cor. 12.11. Gal. 5.22. they are not many, but one, and are but the different effects and actings of the same grace which is one in all; and fruits of the same spirit, who is one in all. Lastly, those Books do deny any other coming of Christ until the last Resurrection, and so by this Doctrine shut out the Kingdom of the fifth Monarch, the Son of God, and Saints, and the new Jerusalem out of the world; and also hereby quenching all that light and glory which shall arise upon Zion, Isa. 60.1. and that spirit which shall be poured upon sons and daughters in the last days. And thus in all these instances it is to be clearly seen, that God hath been set at a great distance from Saints by these carnal, misty and corrupt doctrines of men; so that grace and truth, the righteousness and spirit of Christ, could not appear in their heights and bredths, fullness and glory, as near unto us and within us; being described, and as it were engraven after some similitude in nature, and conceived and drawn out (as here appears) by the short measure and imperfect rule of natural Reason; the boundless things of the spirit folded up within the limits and streits of Nature. SECT. XVIII. The third veil which hath been upon the truth of the spirit in Saints THese Systems and Models of Divinity, or Canons and Articles of Faith, have been the pattern and platform of all the faith and worship, the Judge of all differences and controversies, the Touchstone of all opinions, the Measure of all light and spiritual knowledge, beyond which the spirit might not teach, nor they profess; the key of all Mysteries, and the sum and substance of all Doctrines, Interpretations and Expositions upon Scripture-truth caught or written in former times. And thus the Church of Christ in those days, being rather under the rudiments of men, than the clearer teachings of the anointing in them, could not see in any other light then through the principles and traditions received from their Teachers: Which principles, as they had in them some light, much smoke; some Divine truth, much carnal reason; Reason of the low attainments of Saints in former times. so they begat in the believers of those times like faith, like knowledge, like communion, like spirit of bondage and of liberty, of fl●sh and of spirit: so that their faith was more adherence) which is coupled with some darkness of fear) than assurance which is the clear sight of love scattering all fear; their strength was the strength of Babes, not of strong Men; their Communion with God stood more in bitter complaints and beggings, then in quiet faith, joy, and praises; their knowledge and beholding of the glory of the Lord was by reflection, rather than through direct beams; through the shadowy and imperfect illustrations of worldly similitudes, and humane eloquence, rather than the pure irradiations of the spirit in them; And in present times. and from hence doth proceed all that darkness, which is yet in the temple of the Lord, that dimness and legality in Teachers, that unstableness and dulness in people, ever Learning, and never able at least to find the clear knowledge of the truth; and all those carnal, childish, and confining apprehensions, principles and practices, wherein Saints do know and approach to God as a blessed Being indeed, but as one without them, and at a distance from them; judging and likening the spiritual knowledge of God, to the natural knowledge of a creature; and that the fruition, or enjoyment of God, is in contemplation of his glory as without us; that Saints are perfectly justified from the Law, guilt, and condemnation, by the death of Christ, but not from the spot and slain of sin; so as to be perfectly holy in the sight of God, by the pure and spotless righteousness of Christ; that believers after every falling into sin, are brought again under the Law until repenting, whereas the spirit says, Rom. 6.14. Rom. 8.15. ye are no more under the Law, but under grace; that Christ is here or there, in this form of fellowship, order of gathering, and way of worship, and not in any other; these and many other low and dark Principles formerly were, and still are as a veil upon the face of truth, and upon the hearts of most Saints; not so thick a veil, as to hid all Light, knowledge, and grace from them: yet so thick, as to hid deeper Mysteries, higher communion, a greater glory of light and love from them; the sum of all is, Attainments of most in former and in present times, what. Gospel-truths are either for regeneration into the faith, and such are some true discoveries of free love and righteousness by Christ, etc. or they are for edification from faith to faith, and such are deeper discoveries, nearer union, sweeter and choicer embraces, richer understanding of more heavenly Mysteries, as of Saints presented perfect in Christ Jesus, Col. 1.28, of Christ or spirit in Saints, Col. 1.27. of shadows flying away, and the breaking of the day, etc. Cant. 2.17. The first sort of truths belong to children, and were all the light and knowledge former days attained unto, and they saw God and Christ but as it were at a distance, and they tasted of the spirit, and were refreshed and made glad with him; yet they knew not that that spirit and fullness which they felt, and tasted, was within them; that more spiritual and deeper knowledge God hid from them, Attainments of a few in present times, what. because they could not then bear it; the other truths belong to them of riper age, and as yet they are the light and understanding but of some; known and enjoyed only by a few of the wiser children in Zion, who have been children, and have spoken and done as children, but now are putting away childish things; and the righteousness, grace, and salvation, which sometimes they only knew and kissed, as without them, they watch that they may embrace and see it spring forth within them. SECT. XIX. The fourth veil which hath been upon the truth of the spirit in Saints THe Ecclesiastical or Church-state through the favour, fear, or superstitious zeal of Princes hath been oftentimes promoted to great worldly honour, and hath increased and grown up unto the greatness, power, and glory of a kingdom, and hath twisted and intermingled its power with the power of the Civil state, and so became a National Church; Civil and Church-state twisted together have veiled up truth. and sometimes hath enlarged itself by Royal Edicts, Imperial decrees, Forces of armies, as upon wings, over many Nations, and hath become a Catholic, or Ecumenical Church: These great Churches, whether National, over one Nation only, or Catholic, over the whole world, looking liker Babel, than Temples for the Lord; it may be observed of them, when they came to this greatness, they fell in love with their own Image and worldly greatness; and that they might establish and confirm the same for ever, they call together the wisest and learnedst Doctors of every Country or Nation; these gathered up truth under such forms of Profession and worship, and doctrines of faith, as would preserve them in their lordly pre-eminence over the people, and keep the people in blind subjection under them, and these they declared and sent abroad, as their Decrees, Laws, and Ordinances, to be the Rule of faith, National Church-state hath kept light of truth out of the world. and conscience, pattern of all worships, and the measuring line of the Sanctuary; and that the union of Saints, liberty of worship, highest degree of holiness, the door to the power of Ministering should be in conformity unto their commandments as the doctrines of Christ; in these things was the interest, power and practise of a National or Catholic Church-state in times past. Now the people of those times, and under that government, were of three sorts; One was of them who delighted to see the Church come forth in this carnal glory and domination, that they might be great in her Greatness; such magnified her National constitution, as most invincible and secure from heretical innovation, affirmed her authority sacred and indispensable, her decrees and Laws unquestionable, and watched against more spiritual worships and worshippers; and so all the teachings and writings of these men, were no better then Idolatrous and Antichristian, admiring of a Babel-church-state. Another sort was of Saints and true Believers, yet having no further light than the reformation of doctrines, and worships established, and commanded by that present Church-power they were under; they magnified the Church in its National supremacy, were zealous for all her rules and prescribed forms, as the highest discoveries, and only ways of God; did not seek for, nor think that there was any other further or more excellent truths to be found out, then was prescribed by the Churches; these were in the faith; yet having their eyes with the carnal glory, outward greatness; and worldly wisdom of a National Church, they opposed present reformation, principles against further reformation and knowledge, lesser light against greater light; and so through their ignorant and inordinate zeal it came to pass, that Saints themselves gave their helping hand to the man of sin, the Antichrist, in suppressing and keeping down all springings and rise of more glorious truth into the world. The last sort was of Saints, yet such as had passed from under that administration of impurer principles and doctrines established by the National Church, and gone on towards more perfection of light and knowledge; such could not come back from spirit to flesh, nor return again from liberty to bondage; they could not bless an Idol, nor defile the bed of Christ their conscience, by prostituting it to a stranger, the commands and force of a National Church or Synodical Council; the Church not bearing the light of these Saints, nor the word of their Testimony, nor their separating themselves from her obedience, suppressed their light, restrained their liberty, and excommunicated their persons, and after all, gave up their bodies to the Iron-rod of worldly powers, to be corrected with chastisements, and instructed with sufferings; and thus the wisdom of the wise Disposer of all things saw it good, that the powers both of Church and State should for many ages down to these last times, join and unite themselves into one interest, force, and counsel, against the entrance, growth, and spreading of deeper Mysteries of clearer Gospel-glory into the world. SECT. XX. The fifth veil upon the truth of the spirit in Saints. THe Church of Christ under the New Testament hath her several states, vicissitudes and changes, through which she passeth to come to the Land of Promise; and under every state hath been given unto her, spirit, light and nourishment necessary for, The Church passeth through three eminent changes of state to Zion. and becoming her under that present state, there are times wherein the Temple of God; or Church of Christ is under curtains, than her tent is set up and took down, and removed from place to place: Three eminent changes of state she hath and is to pass through, which are as so many outer courts leading her to the King's Palace, or as lodging-places provided to receive the King's daughter before she be brought in to the King: The first step or change. The first step or change of state was, when the Lord took down his spiritual Temple, and sent it into caprivity, under spiritual Babylon, that she should be there for a time, times, and half a time, or 1260 days, which came to pass, when the Mystery of iniquity entered into the Temple of the Lord, and many did fall away from the pure faith and truth, as it is in Jesus; in the morning or first times of the Gospel, the Lord Jesus did by his own, and the Ministry of his Apostles, espouse many from amongst Jews and Gentiles, as a chaste virgin to himself; he put beauty and comeliness upon her, which stood in gifts and graces, and powers, purity of administrations, forms, and fellowships; and these were as so many ornaments and jewels, which he gave to her, as to an espoused virgin, or wife of youth; and now while her glory and beauty was but fresh and new upon her, she is carried away into captivity, under the yoke and power of Mystical Babel; thus the Church was figured under the Law, by Israel in Egypt and Babylon; by Jacob serving Laban, by the heir of all in the house of servants, by the free-woman's barrenness, despised by the fruitful bondwoman; and as the wisdom of the Father appointed that this state of Zions captivity, should be the time of Zions widowhood, so he gave her light, spirit, communion and other qualifications, as suited with that desolate state, that is dark, servile, and carnal principles; carnal in respect of more spiritual; under this state the heavens were covered with a cloud, the world lay as forsaken of God, and given into the hands of blind guides, cruel shepherds, and beasts of prey; all the earth dry, and no dew upon it; no voice of God, no vision, no lightning from God to amuse, awe, or awake the world; all things, all men, all the world were as if no God, no Lord, no Redeemer; only there was a silent whispering of the spirit in Saints, some few beams of true light, some seed and life of God lay hid in their faith; God in tender love gave them so much as preserved them in life; but for any high, choice, or sublime discoveries of more spirit and glory, such he reserved for her next and better state, as knowing them not proper to a state of widowhood, wherein the worship and communion of Saints was most in bitter complaints, conflicting, weak faith, strengthening of graces, little in visions and high enjoyments of God: This is the state that not long since was. Second step or change. The second change of state upon the Church, is her coming forth out of this spiritual captivity: This comes to pass when Jesus Christ ariseth as it were from sleep, and stirs up himself in the faith and spirits of Saints, and opens the Book of the vision of God, and pours out a vial of light upon the Kingdom of the man of sin, which stains and confounds all his humane Inventions, Pharisaical justification, and fair fleshly shows wherewith the Saints were enticed; and calls up the Saints into more Evangelical ways, principles and worships. As thus, The Church was figured under the Law by Israel's coming out of Egypt, and the house of Jacob from the land of Babylon; by the freewoman having in her womb a son of promise; by one coming out of the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved. In this second state God administers more grace, brings forth some better things, raiseth up into clearer light, into a more excellent, refined, potent spirit, puts upon them a new habit, and takes off the old, and them with change of raiment, finer faith, sweeter spirits, clearer rays of light, and other qualifications as do agree unto, and sent with this their better state. Now the Heavens begin to be opened, the shadows long stretched upon all the earth do fly away; the Kingdom of God gins now to appear on Earth as well as in Heaven; the Skies drop down righteousness, the Earth springs forth and buds; The spirit says, come; the Spouse says, come; and all that hear, say, come Lord Jesus, come quickly. Now the Lord reveals deeper secrets, deeper counsels, nearer embraces, imparts things that could not be born before; old things are forgotten, all things begin to be new; the Church is now upon her way to Zion: Whilst she dwelled with the Daughter of Babylon, that Mother of Whoredoms, her strength then was to sit still; now she is come forth, she sits still no more; every step she treads is on towards the heavenly land, into more light, more faith, more glory; and this seems to be the present state of the Church in our day, and in this generation: Wherein I conceive the present estate of Saints is such as answers that holy figure under the Law, of the Cluster of Grapes brought out of Canaan into the Camp of Israel; and of Moses seeing the Land at some distance from Mount Pisgah: so the Saints in this day are at some distance from the Land of the Sabbath, yet are come within view of it, and so near unto the borders of it as to pluck some Grapes from the Tree of Life, and to look into the lengths and bredths of it; our Fathers saw the day afar off, but we see it nearer; they saw heavenly things much in images, letter and teachings without; we begin to see them by their springing forth within us; all their faith, knowledge of Mysteries, understanding of Scriptures, opinions of Light, did but represent Christ, his righteousness and spirit at a distance, as without them: yet there was a substance, a seed in all, which was the blessing; the faith, knowledge and spirit which God is now putting into Saints, presents things more at hand in union and within us; yet there are things more excellent than these reserved for the third state of the Church; this second state is the state that now is. The third is to come, Third step or change. and it is a state wherein the Lord himself comes into his Temple, and consumes quite out of it the Mystery of Iniquity by the brightness of his appearing in it, and gathers together on an heap all humane Inventions, curious Arts, the wisdom and dispute of this world wheresoever he finds them; in Zion, or Babel; in the Temple of God, or Synagogue of Antichrist; in the faith and worships of Saints, or in the blind Idolatries of the world; he burns them all up as hay and stubble, and scatters them out of the earth as chaff before the wind; and now the faith, knowledge and gifts of the two former states do pass away, as being proper for Saints in weakness, at a distance; seeing and knowing love, righteousness and spirit afar off, and love and union perfecteth, finisheth and swalloweth up all; Communion of Saints with Christ in gifts and graces, is now changed into communion with him in spirit; it is so now, but will then appear to all, though denied of many; Ordinances, Temples, Teachings, Governments, which all held forth a prospect of Heaven and Glory without us, shall now give place, when he comes himself into us, who is the end of all Law and Gospel-ministrations. So what the first state saw afar off, through thick veils, weak faith, carnal rudiments, conflicting graces, the second sees to be at the door, through purer faith, increases of spirit, clearer beams from the East, opening of prophecies and promises; the third shall see, feel, taste, handle and enjoy within them; and this is the King's Daughter coming into the King's Chamber in garments of wrought gold. All things are now in motion, the Lord is in motion to Zion; Knowledge, light, discerning, which are but beams from the Lord, are in motion from less to more glory and perfection, as the Lord approacheth and draws nigh. External administrations, governments, worships and interests, whether Civil or Spiritual, Divine or Antichristian, are all in motion from more to less, from something to nothing, as he who is the end and putting away of them all steps on. Princes are flying into holes; Antichrist running from form to form, from Temple to Temple, out of common ways into more refined ways, out of gross waterbaptism into reformed waterbaptism, out of that into spirit-baptism, and so is running on towards this last. Sense is withdrawing up into Reason, Reason into Faith, Faith into enjoyment of God dwelling in Man, Spirit in Saints, and the life of God revealed in us. This concludes the account and reasons of the darkness that hath been so long upon the Church of Christ; wherein as other Mysteries, so this great gospel-mystery hath been hid from us; that is, That the Spirit or Divine Nature of Christ itself dwells in Saints. FINIS. One word to the Reader. FRIEND, WHAT I have here presented will find acceptance, or unpleasedness with thee, according as thou art: If it seem dreadful to thee, 'tis not because it is so, but because thou knowest it not as it is. The life that acts all the world is twofold, either true, or false; one is rooted in the Truth and Being of God, and is something above and beyond the highest reach of Reason, the purest form of knowledge, the most raised and spiritual gifts; all these being but of this Creation which must cease and perish away: The false life is rooted in the invention and flesh of man; yet form and appearance comes forth habited like the true life, with fair shows in the flesh, outward holiness, goodly words, concerning zeal, for forms of godliness, for the letter of Scripture, for conformity to a rule without, none like unto it, none had in more admiration of their undiscerning and carnal Disciples: yet all this may have no more but flesh in it, that is, the spirit of a man only elevated and drawn up through the sharpness and vigour of his own reason, and the letter of the Scriptures, into no more but the dead image of spiritual things, that is, into the knowledge, profession and worship of God in a natural way. What thou hast here read, presents thee with that which is the true difference and note of distinction, whereby this twofold life is distinguished and known one from the other; and whereby the life, state and profession of some Professors stands separate and divided from others, as far as spirit is above flesh, or the life of Christ above the life of Reason. Knowledge, gifts, a form of godliness, reformation of many things, the life of a Saint, is not in these; these are things external and obvious to the generation of this world; a Saints life is a secret, hidden and inaccessible thing, that natural reason and all the wisdom of this world cannot find it out, nor come where it is; it is something more than word, letter or knowledge; better believed and felt, then reasoned out or expressed. Therefore before thou givest judgement upon what hath been here offered, I do entreat thee call in for thy direction the rule of Christ; judge not according to appearance, but judge righteous judgement; wherein thou art minded of a twofold Judge; one that judgeth of persons, of things, of the truth of God, and of the God of truth, according to appearance, or after the flesh, that is, after the sight of his eyes, or after the hearing of his ears, Isa. 11.3. that is, in thy judging or respecting of these, and all spiritual things, set not up as Judge, either thy present frame of spirit, or the light of thy learned reason; for so thou judgest after the sight of thine eyes: Neither let the Traditions of thy Fathers, the cry of many Pastors, the Learning of the Schools, nor the Doctrines and Commandments of men, have authority to judge for thee in these things; for so thou judgest after the hearing of thine ears; but look upon, weigh and try every spirit, work and doctrine here or abroad, according to the truth as it is in Jesus: And whatsoever hath been said of Old Man and New Man, of crucifying to the flesh, of justification in Christ, of living to God, of union with Christ, or in-being of spirit, etc. let these or any other things first have a fair trial, how far they are rooted in God, how far not; how much he is all in them, or how much he is denied by them either in his Nature or his Grace; and then judge them, and me for their sake, to be true or false, precious or vile accordingly. And as for myself, if these things were only opinion, or result of my own spirit, than they were mine or man's, and I should reserve them to myself: but being given unto me, and withdrawn at the pleasure of an higher hand, I do only serve to administer them to whosoever they are appointed for. THOMAS HIGGENSON. FINIS.