'*4::9'''^^ 'iitL:.m^i^f jif^: '^"^Wt^^SL^- (IfarneU mmaeraity SJtbrarg FROM THE BENNO LOEWY LIBRARY COLLECTED BY BENNO LOEWY 1854-1919 BEQUEATHED TO CORNELL UNIVERSITY OBNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY 3 1924 102 765 983 Cornell University Library The original of tliis book is in tine Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924102765983 SABBATH ol? REST. SonFs Progrefs in the Fork OF THg NEW-BIRTH. WITH Two Difcourfes of the Aurfioy never before Printed w«. The Journeys of the Children of Jfrael, as in their Names* and hiftorica] Paflages, they coraprife the great and griadual Work of I^egeneration: AND- ' A Treatife of extraordinary divine pifpenfitions, tinder the Jewifl) and Gofpel Adminiftrations. By Mr. Thomas Bromley. I i . : To which are added A Difcourfe on Miftakes concerning H^'tgion, EnthiU fiafm. Experiences &c. By IhwnuS Hartley Recftor of Winmck, ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ' ■ H I «! LONDON Printed. GIfrmantown Reprinted and ColdhyChriJiopherSoiper, Alfo fold by Sohmon FuJJeU and Jonatian Zane in HiLi^elpbia. 1759, Advertifement to the Reader. THE following Treatifes of Mr. Tho- mas Bromley:, except the firit. ( which was pubiilhed a fecond Time in 1692? with a Ihort Informa- tion to the Reader, which here follows) have hitherto been conceaPd in Manu- fcript ; and are now printed at the Re- ^queft of fome of his Friends, and feve- ral Others, who having read his Sah-^ bath of Reft, (which hath been translat- ed into the German and LoTv-Diitch^ de fired to perufe his other Writings, which has induced thofe that were intrufted \(^ith the Copies to commit them to the Prefs, for the Ufe and Edification of Many. m THE PUBLISHER TO THE READER. ChrijHan Reader I THE following pra£tical and experimenfal Treatife of the New - Birth, was written and publifli'd by the Author in his Youth, a- bout forty Years fince ; and having been long out of Print, and defired by Many, has put thofe who are entrufted with his Writings, to communicate it to the Publick a iecond Time, with fbme Al- terations and Amendments, by the Authors own Hand, to prevent any Occafion of Offence or Mif. take. And forafinuch as it hath pleafed the Lord, to take his Servant up into that Reji, whereof fo many Years ago he had given him fb ravifliing a Pifgah Sight, (as will in Part appear firom the fol- lowing Sheets) it has been the Defire of many of shis Friends (to whom his Memory is and everfhall be moft fvveet and precious) that this Difcourfa A a might iy The Fubli/her to the Readef. might be u/her'd in with a fhort Account concern- ing' him and feme of his laft Moments> till a fuller Relation of his holy Life be prepared for publick View, which is a Thing much defired by Many j to the End, that fo iaintlike and exemplary a Life might ferve for a Copy and Encouragement of the godly, and for the Reclaiming and Converting of the Wicked and profane in thefe Dregs of Time, wherein we have fo great a Scarcity of fuch Exam- ples, and in which true B^Ugion and the Fear of God feem to have left the Earth. But in the mean Time, till Some or Other undertake this Tafl<:, be pleafed Reader ^ to accept of thele fhort Hints, con- cerning the hijirmfmit, by whom our good God hi-s been pleafed to reach forth the following ■ Truths and Direftions, in the Way and Progrcfs to the flew Birth (that Land of Reil and Peace) unto thee, and all thofe, who have Ears to hear what the Spirit Jakh to the Chttrches. Mr. Tho?ms Bro?nley was bom at Upton upon Severn in Worchefier -jldirey of an ancient and ho- nourable Family, according to the Worlds Ac- cojant. ( But methinks in mentioning this, I fink below theSubjeQ: I amfpeaking of; for what*s this to One, who by his better Birth was a Son and Heir of (jod, and Coheir with the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, the holy and ever blefled 3^^^ ? ) He was in his younger Years religiously educat- ed, and after he had gone through the Lei&ming of the Schools, becgpe a Member oi All-Souls Col- lege in Oxford) where God was' pleafed to reveal hia The Publijher to the Reader. his Son in him, and to make great and glorious Difcoveries ofhimfelf unto him, fuch, as it maybe, fhould they be here related, Some would fcarcc be able to underftand or to bear. And from that Time forwards thtfriprei/ie Love having ravifh'dhis Heart with his all - ftirpaffing Beauty, became a Vail to his Eyes, keeping him from beholding Va- nity, or lufting after it ; and he began in Return of diis Ipecial divine GraceandFavour, wholly to dedi- cate himfelf to his Service from his Youth ; and parting with all, and denying himfelfj became a faithful Follower and Difciple of his great Lord and Mafter Jefiis, and a tme Minifter of the Gofpel, not of the Letter, ha of the Spirit, mie that needed ?iot to be ajhamedy rightly dividing the Word of Truth ' But having (poke a few Words of the Rifing of tb's bright Star-, I muft next lead you to it's Setting, paffing by it's whole Courfe ; he therefore having thus for many Years walked with God, the LORD was pleafed ( before he took him to himfelf) to exercife him with a long continued Weaknefs, which yet did not hinder Iiim from exercifing the Funftions of an Evangelical Preacher. About three Weeks before his Departure, he preach'd his lafl: Sermon from thefe Words, Acfs 14: 22. the latter Part of the Verfe : That we ?nufi through much Tri- bulation enter into the Kingdom of God ; from whence he took Occafion to difcourfe not only concerning the outward, but more efpecially concerning the ^eat inward fpiritual Sufferings avid Combats cfGods People. After this Sermon he ^ew fo weak,^ that he A 3 * could Vi The Puhhjber to the Reader. could not preach, and but feldom pray in the Fa- mily : Yet at fometimes when he Felt the Power of God upon him, he would have them call'd in- to his Chamber, and would pray with great Fer- vency and Strength of Voice, as if he had been in perfea Health. During this Time ( for his Setting was of one Piece with his Rijing and whok Comje ) he gave many holy Exhortations to thofe that came to vifit him, and would often lay : He could take De- light in 7iothing hut God, as having been dead to the World thefe many Years. He declar'd to a familiar Friend of his more than once : That except the Lord would be pleas' d toreftore hiin to fitch a degree of Health, that he ?night preach the Gofpel, andfo help to edify the Church of God, he had rather (ifhe might choofefor hifnfelf) die than live ; for he kneim whither hejjjould go, Viz. to God and Chrifi, and all the hleffed Angels, &e. But that he refigf'd. And would often lay : That he lived in the Will of God. He was oblerved to be much introverted and exercifed in mental Pra}'er, or Prayer of Silence ; and when he heard too much talk in his Chamberj he would lay : Befilent, be jllent ; for Silence and Stillnefs is bcft. He had one Evening ( being about ten Days before he died ) fuch a mighty Power of God upon him, as many Years ago he had experienced in the Company and Communion of his fpecialipi- ritual Friends, fo that having call'd fome dear Friends up to his Chajnber, he broke forth into iinging and praifing of God, to the great Joy, Com- fort andRefreihment of all that heard him j and fa likewife The Publijh&r to the Reader. vii likewife did about four or five Days before his De- ceafe. Sometime before this, he difcours'd to fome Friends of the Difficulty of Scilvatimy nvBch was '- mt to befecufd but by giving our Hearts wholly up to God, without any Referve whatfoever. And then, mentioned the great LJove he had to Souls, and de-, fire that they might not mifi ofSahatiofi ; and tefti- fied his zmiverfal Charity to all that fear'd God, of what Perfuafion or Divifion foever. The Day before he died, fome Friends being come fome Miles to vifit him, he with great Ear- neftnefe and Demonftration of Truth dilcours'd to them of God, of the Imfnanality of the Smil, the Ex- cellency of the holy Scriptures, and how much thofe who profefs to believe the Chriftian Doctrines, are bound to live a holy Life : And fo gave aJJjort, but powerfuU Exhaiitition to Holinef's, as the only Way to Happinefs, And then laid : / have- Peace of Con- Jcience, I have lived up to viy Light, and loved God above all Things. And at another Time he (aid to two intimate Friends : 1 have Peace of Confcience, I have walk'd with God, tho^ I have made no Noife - in the World. The feme Day he died ( which was on Eafter-^ Monday, April 13 th, 1691. ) he often cryed : Comet Lard Jefus ! Come quickly ! when ! Wheti ! And one Time he faid : My Lord ! My Rock ! And my Jirang Habitation ! Which Words came from him with great Power. The laft Words that ever he ^oke, were : Watch, watch ; whereupon he fell into a fweet Slumber for an Hour, and departed ; A 4 thus viii The Fumjner to we Kcaaer. thus truly falling afleep in Him, to whom, for whom and in whom he had lived, to whom be Glory and Vmfe for ever and ever. This was the End, Reader, of that precious Sainti who from the Light and Grace of God con- ferr'd upon him> pen'd the following Treatife ; concerning which I fhall not need to add any Thing further, feeing the following Advertijemeiit of the Author gives a full Account of the Deiign and Ufefiilnefs thereof The Faraphi'aje in Verfe Ufxon the 13 Chap, of the firft to the Corinthians, ( printed at the End of the Treatife ) being found amongfl: the Authors loofe Papers, was thought Ht to be publifh'd herewith, becaufe it expreffeth much of his Spirit and Temper. But I mufl: conclude after that I have inform'd the Reader, that the Author has feft feveral other excellent Ipiritual Difcourfes behind him, which if this be well received, are intended to be made publick for the Ufe of the Church in her prefent Wildemefi Condition. The great and glorious God, who hath given this Seed to the Sower, make it with all Fruitfulnefs to fpring up in the Hearts of All that are of good Will to the Rege- neration in Chriji Jeftis, Amen, AN A N ADVERTISEMENT FROM THE AUTHOR. To all that Ihall read this following Difcourfe. J Have wYitten this experimental Difcourfe of the Netf- Birth-, not for the Wife and Rich-, toho think tbeyfecy and enjcy enough, but for the Poor in Spirit-, who etjauiring the Way to Zion, arefenfible of their Defects-, and breath after a Supply. Letnom then come with Prejudice \ for that will give afalfe TinBure to the Eye of the Mind, and pre- vent the Sight of Truth, by a Prepojfejpon that 'tis JError. If any have attained, and enjoy as much, or more than is here exprejjed, let them blefs God for his Goodnefs, both to themf elves and me : If not, let them not be ajhamed to learn andpraBife more than they have already ;fori teach a wife Man, and he will be yec wifer. Prov. 9, 9. yind 'tis no diminishing ofEJieem, to grozp in true Knotpkdge, or Dif- paragetnent of Age, to gain ff'ifdom from thoje that are young ; becaufe true ff^fdom is the Gift ofGod^ who is no RefpeSier ofPerfons, heftomng his Gifts on whom hepleaf- 6th. But think not, J have here chalked out a Way fov eve- ry one to walk in; for I have only wrote my own Experi- ence : And I know there may be great f^riep in Gods Works tipon Soulsj fo that none are to he mtfmed to one A 5 ixaB as The Author to the Reader. exaS: Path '^ though aU are to he infoYined, that we mufl turn, and become as little Childrejt-, ami he wholly dead with Chriftjbefore'we can he as the Angels in the RefurreEiion-, de- lighting our f elves in the Light and Life of Eternity : There- fore the pevfeS Death jhoidd he aimed at hy all ; fornothing lefs can fit us for Glory: For-, bow can any IniperfeSiion enter there-, where is nothing hut PerfeSHon / or any Thing of Darkneji dwell with him-, who is Light, and in whom there is no Darkneji at all? ' Tis true: Many {from mif- taking that Principle-, of Gods being the Root of all Things) have endeavoured to reconcile Light and Davknefi-, Good and Evil-, Flejh and Spirit-, Chrifl and Belial ; andfo to laugh all Mortification and Self-denial out of the Church. But alas! IVhat have the PraBices and Notions of Such ended in-, but Sham-e and Confufion of Face? For they have fowed to the Wind^ and reaped the tVhirl-wind-, grafped at an imaginary Heaven and PerfeBion ; but have fallen like Lucifer into Hell and palpable Darknefi-, having like foolijh Fit gins fpent their Oyl-, and received Poyfon in their Lamps, andfo made themf elves unfit to meet and entertain the Bri- degroom. Others there are, who come forth infiich outward StriBnefi arid Severity, as they are ready to judge all that are not in their peculiar Mode atjd Form;., and for efufe Com- munion with Some, who have attained much further in the true Death and RcfurreBion [ and are more acquainted with the Renewal of Gods Image, and the State ofRefiora- tion~\ thaji themfelves. And there he many others, who though not owtiing the firft Sort, and niuch difgufting the lafi, yet give thewfehes too much to earthly Jndulge- ments, under the Notion (f chriftian Liberty, andfo make no realProgrefi in the Change oft heir Souls. Some of which are cheated withfalfe Notions of their being in Chrift ; and others of them with fublime Apprehenfions offalfe imagina- ry Deaths and ff^ays of Self denial, which they much feed upon, inftead of that Death and Croft, which Should work weir Spirits and Natures out of Flejh into the truefpiritu- al The Author to the Reader. al divine Image. There are another Sort, who are too much offended at Forms., and aU ufual Wa^s of enpyim and fpeaking of God, decrying them as Cheats and empty "AingSt though they be ufed never Jo fpiritually and advantageotyly to thofe that appear in them ; zphich is a great Miftake, flow- ing from Ignorance and the Want of a clear Sight, which could not fo confine the great and infinite Jehovah -within the Limits of no Forms, and exclude him from appearing and working in and through Forms ', being it is at bis own Pleafure, to fhew bimfe^ how, and in what he pleafeth. But laftly, a great Part of thofe that profeji Religion, are fuch who reft too much upon the fir ft JVork of Regeneration, and too much eye their fir ft Change, afterward running in a Circle of Duties and PerformanceSj without making that Progrefi and Growth towards PerfeBion, which the fre- quent Exhortations and 'Examples of the holy Scriptures call and incite us to. Now the Work of Regeneration, renew- ing both the IViU and Underftanding^ will bring thofe who perfrjere in it, to a clear Sight of the forementioned Mif- takes ; by which they wiU be able to difcern betwixt Light and Darknefi, ( Chaff and Wheat) and come to own the good Seed in all, and endeavour by walking according to the royal Law of Love and Charity, to cherifh it. Now this Liiw of Love is the Rule of PerfcEiion, being the Scope and End of a Chrtftians Progre/S, a true Conformity to which makes us like God, who is Love, and delights to imprefi his own eternal Chara&er of Love upon hisChildren, who are near- er to, or farther from PerfeBion, as they partake more or left of this effential Love, which is the Spirit and Life of Cbriftianity ; without which all Duties and Obfervances are hut as founding Brafi, and perifhing Shadows : In which all have their ti'ortb and Ufe. Prom the DiBates andlm- pulfes of this Law, I have written thisfmall Difcourfe, as believing it maybe inftrumental to undeceive Many, who are wandering in the Labyrinths of Error, yet feek the true Ifay\ and to confirm, firengthm anddweB Others, v>ho are The Author to the Reader. are making their Way throtigh the Crofi to the Crorvn of Life. And truly this SuhjeB is of great Concernment to ally becaufe all are capable of the New- Birth ; and none without it canever he happy. To miftake this Work, is very datv gerous, becaife it is the Pajfage to eternal Refl. The high- eji Heaven is fituate in the large Plains of Eternity ; yet the Way to it is very ?iarrorv : At the Entrance thejharp Sword of Circumcifion is placed ; on the left Hand there's a Gulf of Fire-, on the right Hand n deep Water ; at the End there ftands a Cherubin with a flamitig Sword-, whofe Office is to cut off the Reliques of all Corruption from the Soul ; Jo that the leajl Grain of Selfiflmefi or Plefh cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. The Spirit of Man is totally to he inhabited by Chrift : There's not one Weed to he kft there. We are to beftript of all the Riches of cor ' rupt Nature-, before we can pap through the laft Gate into the City. A naked Spirit quickly enters ; hence that of Chrift : Blefled are the Poor in Spirit ; for their's is the Kingdom of God. An empty Spirit God will fill : For God is Ijtve-, and delights ( through his Son ) tojcmmunicate of his own Fulnejs to all that can recefve it. Whe Soul can not be emptyed, but through Regeneration ; not filled, if not fir ft emptyed. We part with Darknejs-, Vanity and Luft ; JVe receive Light, Subftance and Love. A complete Ex- change brings complete Happinejl. How few are willing to fell all for Chrift ! How many DiftinBions are created by Reafon to avoid the Crofi and Death of Chrift J But it is very dangerous to take upfuch Principles-, that may indulge any Part of that which muft be deftrcyed. It may make usfall jhort of Heaven, when we expeSi to enter into it. 'lis far morefafe to be tooftri£i than too remifi : But the Mean is be ft j which ( I believe ) is herefotnewbat clear- ly dif covered. Farewell. The Way to the SABBATH OF REST. OR THE Souls Progrefs in the New -Birth. c H A p. I. I. What Regeneration is, cMjider'd in its Beginning, Progrefs and End. 2. Its Definition. ] . The Beginning of it, rmjiaken by Many for the complete New-Birth. 4. The Danger of this Mijiake. I. REgeneratiojt is abfblutely neceflary to Salvation, John 3, 3. Hence it greatly concerns us, to know its Nature and Operation ; how it is to be con- fideredj either in it's Initiation, Progrefs orCon- fummation. As it is taken for the ^^/««/«g of the Work, it implies that firft Change of the ^ul, when in gene- ral the Frame of the Will is fwayed to God and Heaven- ward. In it's ProgreJI, 'tis the Growth and Motion of the Soul, from the Image of the Earthly toward the Image of the Heavenly. In its End-, it is the Bring- ing forth of the perfect and complete Image of God in our Humanity, i Com 5, 49. When we attain this, we are complete in Chrift, wholly new born, 2 Cor. 5, 17. and made fit to fee and enjoy that eternal Kingdom, which hath been prepared for us from the Beginning of the World. 2. Regeneration then in it's full Latitude comprehends all three States, and may be thus defined : It is that transforming quichiing Work of Gods Spirit , which begins, tarries 07;, ana completes Gods Image in us. And ib it is taken The Way to the Sahbath of Reft. taKcn by Chrift, Matth. 19, 28. where he prfcmifeth twelve Thrones ro his twelve DifcipJes, as Rewards for their Faithfulnefs^in following him m u Palingenefia-, in the Regeneration ; where ir is exprefled by an emphati- cal Note, infinuating the Fulnefs and Complerenefs of it, as there meant. 3. But in the ordinary Acceptation amongft profefll ing Chriftians, 'tis ufed in the moft reftrained Senfe for the firft Change of the Soul, when the Bent of the Heart -begins to be habitually carried toward God in Chrift. And by what I have heard and feen from Moft I have converted with, I find too much Weight laid upon this firft Work, as though it were the complete New-Birth, and that which might give fufficient Ground of Com- fort, even to thofe who feel not the comfortable Growth of the inward Man towards Perfection . 4. Hence many reft upon their firft fiippofed Con- veriion, and have a- continual Eye to it, as a great Prop to their Souls, though they feel their Chariot - Wheels ftand ftill, yea, go backward, and are in much more Deadnefs and Drowfinefs of Spirit habitually, than when they firft enired into the Work of the New-Birth. But certainly, this is dangerous, £2^^. ig, 24. and may much deceive the Spirits of many, by making them more eye what they were, than what they are, or may be, by preffing toward the Mark of perfeft Union ; for it flops their Motion, and hinders their Afcent toward Heaven, and their conftant pra£tifing Conformity to the Death of Chrift ; by which Death only we pafs out of the Fall, are fitted for Glory, and at Length attain the Crown of Life. Rev. 2, 10. Oh ! then take Heed ofvefting theve-> Wljeve living Flejh brings deadly FeaVi And cafts the Soul on thatjharp Reedy . Which for a Cure will make tf bleed. Then The War} to the SaUath 0/ Reft. Then ftand not Jiill, nor turn thine Eye Backward unto Mortality ; But willed with Faith-, move apace F&rward in thy heavenly Race. . CHAP. II. I. Thi. firfl Work in Regeneration is ConviSion, 2. The Effelis of this ConviBion. 3. It drives the Soul to Chriji, and fo maket Way for the Revelation of himjelf to her. 4. The happy Frui^ of this Revelation. Aving briefly (hewed what I mean by Regenera- tion-, I Ihall now proceed ro it's a£lual Work, as it gradually diftovers it's ftlf in the Soul. I. The firft Appearance of it in the Heart is by (a) Conviftion, through which the Soul comes to fee its Corruption in the Darknefs of the Underftanding, the Vanity of Imagination, the Delufion of the Wil^ ( in embracing defiled carnal Objefts ) and the irregu- lar Motions of the Affe£tions, running Earthward, Eke fwift Torrents down a Precipice. In a "Word, the Light of God ftiining into the Soul, gives it a View of it'sfad (^) Apoftacy fi-om it's primitiv -Stite, when it was cre- ated in the Image of God \ whereas now it fees itfelf in the Image of the Serpent, befpattered with the Duft of the Earth, cloathed with polluted Rags, wrapt up in Darknefs and hellilh Confufion, ftained with the Poyfbn of Sin, centred in the Fire of Gods {c) Wrath, dwell- ing in the Valley pf the Shadow of Death, where De- vils are it's AfTociates and Companions, pleafing them- felves m the Pollutions Jjj^^tains of the Soul, as ^de- lighting to dwell in luch^jGraves of Corriipfiqn. ' a. Now when the Soul once beholds this, Oh how ^ « The Way to the Sabhath of iRefl. ^ ■■-—■■-- - ■ - - - I- it begins to be amazed' How it wonders at it's felf 1 What Tumults begin to be raifed in it J What Earth- quakes difcover themfeives! What a Monfter it appears to it's felf, when compared to the Righteoufnefi, Holi- neft and Purity of God, exprefled in the Image of his Law ! It fees, 'tis impoifible in this State ever to enjoy • God, or come near him ; for, mthout Holineji no Mail can fee the Lard. Hebr. 12, 14. Here it fees, 'tis eternally undone without the great Mercy and Compaffion of God, not being (/) able to anfwer the ftriclRequirings ot the Law, obliging to that which the Soul is not capa- ble to perform, through the Prefence and Strength of Corruption. 3. Here the Soul is driven toChrift, the only Medi- ator betwixt God and Man, who long waited for this Time, that fo he might difeover himielf, having long flood in the midft of it (g) unknown and unregarded'^ who upon the Melting ofthe Soul into Tears ofRepen- tance, upon the Renouncing Flefti and Blood with all corrupt Objects, and upon the Opening of the Will ( in the Thirft ^andDefire of Faith ) enters (/&) into the Heart, or rather Ihewshimfelf to be there, ^M3pp©fit^ Hell, by ftiedding abroad his holy Blood, to ^t»e»rf» the Fire of Gods Wrarh, and waui (0 i^he Soul from thofe fad Defilements it then lies under. 4. Here he quiets the Soul, gives the Wings of Faith to it, by which it flies above the Reach of delpairina Fears, and by little and little enters into Peace and Stil- nej(s, and ftirouds it's felf in fome Meafiire, from the a« wakened Storms of wrathful Terror. Now, fb far as the Soul can get by Faith into Chrift, fb far it finds Eafe, Refrefhment and Peace, and a CefTation from the Senfe of Guilt, with cheriftiing Belief of the prefent Pardon of Sin, as finding at fiich a Time no Stirring of the Will to that which had fb endanger'd it before, by it's poy- __««»___ — . fo nous ^ if)^^rxi,^i9p (2 ) J onv nssr ^b) Rev. j. ao, C O i Joli> i« 7^ The Way to the Sallatb of Reft. fbnous Iniinuations. Now therefore beginning to hate Evil as a Monfter, and to love Chrift as a Saviour, it feels the Effeds of Chrift's Mediation, by {atisfyirgGod's juftipQs flaking away the Enmity in the (^; Soul by the Blood of his Crofs, by the Meltings of Love which ic feels towards God, and fweet Refreftiments it receives from him. Now it comes to be (enfible how it hath re- I filled God's Love, Chrift's Mercy, the Spirits Motions; how it hath given the Devil Intereft in Chrift*s Taber= nacle, and (hut hirn out frohi his (m) own Poflellioil* Hence flo>y Tears of Love and Soul -melting Groans, witl,! the IVIournings of the Turtle : Now it iuibraces Jalhs, weeps over him whom it hath pierced, and is wounded the more, the kinder he feems in Returns of Love, in Regard he was before fo much difobliged by the Soul's Unkindne{s ; now the Soul wants Ways of expreiling Love, {n) overwhelmed with the Senfe of Goodnefs. In this State it could die ten thoufand Deaths, undergo any Thing in Requital to it's Saviour j all it's Motions and Exprellions tend to advance Chrift, so extol Him, and (o) predicate his unutterable Love, thinking nothing enough for Him, who thought not his own Life too much for it. . ■ ■ - -^ (A) Kom. J, lo. (,m) I Cor. 6, 2o. (?») Cant; 2, j; ^0) Caiu< i, 3. that the Soul would faithfully remain In this fweet Fvame-, until he comes again To waft her in his Chariot to that Tl:)rone) ff^jere God and Man are in full Union : ■ For Love doth pitch ifs true Pavilion there ^ f In other Places Love is mixt with F'eaft S CHAP lo The Way to the Salhath of Reft. CHAP III. li the State of the Soul under this Manifejiation of Chrt/l in her^ furthejr declared. 2. The Declining of this State. 3. The Rea" fans of it. 4, Means of Recovery from it. I. "w-^T-THen the Soul after it's Shakings attains thisSet- \\ / tlemcnt in Chrift's Love, freely ftreamingtb- Yt wards if, ufually 'tis much carried oUt in the Sight and Opening of free Grace, which for a Time ftrongly work upon it, and induce it to yield fuitable Returns, in conftant Obedience.' And this is commonly a Seafon of much Joy and Refrefhment ; the Soul feeling that fenfible Confolation, and divine Sweetrtefi, that caufes it to break forth into continual Praifes znA Hnlleliijahs to God. Now, as this flows from the lively Appreheniion of God's Love in Chrift, fo like- wife from the clear Sight of Chrift in us, and of that my- ftical tranfcendent Union betwixt him and the inward Man ; the Soul now beholding Him in the Ground and Centre of her own pure Humanity, ( thence darting forth the Rays of Love upon her, ) whom before fhe look'd upon, as at a Diftance, without her, as only fitt- ing at the right Hand of God in Heaven. Now whilft this Difpenfation lafts, the Soul is in a ( ^ ) perpetual Spring and a Kind of delightful Paradife, bathing and delighting it felf in the fweet {r) Fruition of Chrift's Love, who in this Time exprefleth much Kindnefs to it, and gives frequent Teftimonies of his divine Prefence. 2. But this Day feldom continues very long, and this Summer by little and little ufiially inclines toward an Autumn, in which the Flowers of fenfible Cofflforti and Love - Raptures begin a little to wither, and be- ipummingFledh again ftiews its Power in fecret (almdft infenfible ) Dullings of the Souls Affedlion, till by little and (s) Cant. 3> 4. II. I J. (r) Cancel, 2. Tbe fFay to the SaUath of Reft, li and little it comes to a fenfible ( j ) Deadne(s, which is the more tedious and burdenfom, the more the former Difpen&tion was pledfant and joyous. 3. Now what may be the Reafon of this Declining irt the Soul's Enjoyments, I (hall not poll tively determine; for ir may proceed from different Caufes in different Perfons : In Some it may flow fi-om the Want of ( / ) Watchfulnefs over their Hearts, through the atfeat Ele^ vations of free Grace, in which Time the Flem by lit- tle and little may collect Strength ; Gifts then being more eyed than Graces : It may alfb flow from the De- cay of the Souls lively Apprehenfions of God's Love, which it felt in freeing it from*the Poyfbn and Guilt of Sin, when it groaned fadly under them ; for fb long as theftrong («) Impreflions ofthat State remained, God's Mercy eminently difcovered, forced the Soul into fui- table Meltings at the Sight of it ; but thefe fbmewhac vanifhing in Time, the Efieils likewife might ceafe by little and little. It may alfb come from Want of pra£ti£- ing the Way of the Crofs, through our Mifapprehen- fions of being dead when we are not; or accidentally through the fenfible Overflowings of new Comfortsj Mvhich may carry the Soul out of that watchful Exercife of the Crofs, which at fiich a Time is nioft needful. 4. But whatever is the Caiife of it, the Soul ought fo enter into a ftriil Examination of it*s feilf, to lift every Corner of it's inward Chambers, arid to pray for a clear- er Light to view all fubtil Cortuptioris, that may gull it and hinder its Progrefs, and make it fet up aStaridard as though all were done. Oh ! 'tis dangerous flicking here, arid refling upon former Changes / for this rends to the Indulging of fpiritual Drowfinefs arid Scupidicyj and may bring the Soul in Danger of lofing {v) it s former Worksj by prefent Idlenefs and Relapfes: For . B 2 God I (/) Rev. J, I- (t] Rev.^, a. -(«) i Joh. 4, ij. ( ») sjoh. ver. jf. 12 The Way to the SaUath of Reli.' God looks not ar what we were, but what we are; our prefent State making us either capable ot God's outt flowing Love, or obnoxious to his chaftifing Jufticc, Jffo, awake duU Sotd / Hnnk not to he Excufed from thy prefent Lethargy By former Kindnefs-, when the force of Love Did pierce thy Hearty and made it upward move ; . Awake and pray-, that Chrift in thee may give New quickning to thy Dead) that it may live. t' i r ..■-.. , , . - . . . _ -■■■.■.. - .. - CHAP. IV. Many continue long under this Declenjion. 2 Confirmed by the Au- thor's Experience, 3 His Recovery fromit, by a clearer difcovery of the narrow way to Life. 4 The Soul afcends by retiring in- wards towards it's Center , defcends by movi/ig outwards. 5 The Soul's Progrefs defcribed. 6 Death the only Way to Life. Any Souls ftick long in this Condition, before they make a new advance towards Perfection, ufually much refle£ling upon their former Work of Cbnveriion, as the Chief Bafis of their Comforts : And though fometimes they look forward, and defire (bj) Growth, yet that Defire of Growth is fo weak that it terminates in it felf ihort of efFe£l:ual Ac- eomplilhment; and though, they fometimes begin, yet their Endeavours are (x) in their firft Bloflbming, and they rhemfelves caft back into wonted Deadneft, and fb they come to run in a Circle, without getting Ground of their Corruptions. 2. And I confeft, I was long detained in this State, without any clear evident Progrefs towards Eternity i And though I grew much in Knowledge and myftical Notions of the Life, Death, Refurreftion, and Afcexilion of Chrift, and of our Conformity ro his Example; yet ____^___ ^ noc - (,« j Ifaiah I, 19. (*JGal.5,7.- M' loe fray to the Sabbath of Kejt. not in the Power of his Crofs, and Death, working the fame in my Nature. ,3. But afterward I came to a clearer Sight of the Nar- row' Way which leads to Life eternal, and of the Neceifi- ty of our exaft {y ) Conformity to Chrift's Sufferings and Death, to bring us unto his Life, and Refurretlion : And that every Degree of Life muft come through a Degree of Death ,• and the New- man (s.) fpring up by the conti- nual Decay of the Old. And though I faw This before, yet not fo diftinclly and effectually, as now : Here like- wife I was more powerfully convinced of the {a) Strait- nefs of the Pilgrim's Path, which leads through theVi- fibie and Invifible Worlds, into the third Heaven : Every ,Step being to be made through Death and Refignation ; and that the Soul could not attain perfeft Blifs, but through a Death to (/>) all Things, which it came to love through the Fall. For as the Soul entred into Selfiftineft, fb it muft come out of it,calting away all that cloathing it is covered with, through Luft: And as it defcended from Paradife into the Spirit of the World, and the Kingdom of the Devil, fb it muft re-afcend out of the Spirit of the World, and the Kingdom of the Dragon, through the Root (f) of fallen Nature into the Bofbm of /ibraoam. Here I faw what a real Progrefs the Soul muft make from the External into the Internal, from thence in- to the Eternal : And as it defcended fb it muft afcend ; and as it fell by a gradual Change of the Will into Luft and Earthlinefs, fo it muft rife by {d) a gradual Renew- ing of the Soul, from Luft into Divine Love, Here I faw nothing without us could advantage, but as it was apply d, to make a real Change within. For (e) except ' we turn, and become as Children, we cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. It muft be by a Tranfmutation, and Metamorphofis of the Soul from the Image of the ' f , B_3 Earthly ['^ (_y) 3TJm.3, II. {z) Rom. g, 13. (,«) Matth. 7, jj. {b) Luke 14, ii-iO JPet. t, ai. id) iCoft 15.45. CO Matth. i8> j. 14 T^je Way to the Sahhatb of Reft. Earthly into that of the Heavenly. Nothing can afcend into Heaven, but that which came from Heaven, even the true(/) Image of God; the Earthly being prede- flinated to Deftru£lion : For Eai'th it is, and unto Earth , it muft returnl 4. Now the Motion of the Soul through the Gate of Des^thi tpwards LifeEterngl, is the Motion of a Spirit, which is to be looked upon as amending or defending, as it comes nearer or removes further fronn God the Center, as Bodies afcend or defcend in Relation to their Center, by their tending toward or fromward the Vifi- ble Heavens. Upward therefore to a Soul, is Inward ; Outward is Downward. The Center is the Higheft, the Circumference the loweft. God is in the Center, being mofl: Inward ; Matter in the Circumference, being moit Outward ; (g) yet God is in the Outward, as his Footftool, but in the moft Inward, as his Throne; filling both, though in both, not manifeft alike, In the In- moft, he ftiews himfelf wholly in the Love; in theOut^ moft, in Love and Wrath, Life and Death, Generation and Corruption: But in the inward dark World, alto.^ gether in Death, Darknefs, and Wrath ; as in the In, imoft, all in Light arid Life. 5 . Therefore our Progrefs is from the Outward through fhe Inward-, to the Jnmofl. The Outward is the Place of Good and Evil, and as to its corrupt State, the Kingdom of the Beaft. The Inward is two-fold, either the Dark or Light World, The Dark, is the Kingdom of the Dragon, the Center of Evil and Wrath : The Lioht World is the Paradifical Sphere, or that Garden of Eden, which is fituate alfo in its Mefopotamia, betwixt, the two great Rivers of Wrath and Love. The firft of , which is called {Revelation i^^ 20.) The Lake of Fire^ burning (.f) I exclude not the Soul nor the Refurreftion - Body, for lih£ ( vefted with this Image) fhaii arrive atlmipertality.andpoffefs^ iDe kyay to tm HMomfj vj Ke/r. 15 hurmngtpitb Brhnjione; the laftj Rev.ti. A pure River of Water of Life, clear as CbryJIal, mhich proceeds out of the Throne of God, and of the Lamb. The Inmoft,is the eternal San£hiary, or the true eternal Tabernacle of God, and that fpiritual Land of Peace, where Abraham Jfaac, arid ^acob, and all the glorified, departed Saints live and inhabit. 6. But none can ever reach This, but through the pier- fe^ Death ; and as we die daily, fo we rife nearer it. Death giving us a gradual paflage towards this Eternal Kingdom of Life. And is itfo, that Death muft waft us ore The Sea of Nature, to the Heavenly Shore? Tien bring thy Boat, blefl Death, that thou and I May fail together towards Eternity. Afweet Companion thou wilt be to me^ TiU I imbofonid am in Unity. CHAP. V. I The Soul feeing the NeceJJity of being made conformable to the Death ofChrifi, refolves upon a total Self denial. 2 The great Oppojition it meets with here'. 3 How the Soul overcomes that Oppejition. 4 An Exhortation to Love the Crofs. 1. THE Soul having arrived (b far as to fee theNecelli- ty of a complete Death, and of a perfe£t Con- formity to the Crofs of Chrift; and discovering much Selfiflinefs which before it fa w not, as Mat- ter of this Death and Croft, begins afrefh the ferious Prafticeofthe Crofs, with great Earneflnefs and Refblu- tion of Spirit, to indulge (i) nothing that flands betwixt it and God. Now it enters upon a flri£l Enquiry into its own Heart, fearching its own Jerufalem with the *»CandIe of the Lord, that fb all Selmhnefs may be dxC- B 4 covered '■ iO Phil. 3, t^ J 6 7?)? Way to the Sahhath of Reft. _ • •mx ., ^^^\ . n m'm m M P I L III - ■■■■ " ' " '' ■ — I .11 ■ — I — — i.-i-i 'i.-r '.. I — n .- I ■ I ^li-.M I M U M. covered and extirpated ; and now it finds, that although i (before this Difpenfation) the chief Bent of the Will inclined habitually toward the Good, yet it was not ftrong enough to bear down that Oppofition of Fleth that hindred its conftant Afcent toward Heaven, and had therefore need of a new Alarm from thence to a- waken it, and raife it from that Bed of Drowfinefs, and arm it with Power and Ref^lurion to caft out the (^) Relicks of the Flefli, and Corruption, and defend its felf againft the Affault of the Devil, who having long poflened the unregenerate Part of the Heart, is loath' to quit his holdjleaft theSoulftiouldget wholly out of his Kingdom and Reach. a. At this Remove therefore, the Spirits of Darknefi (/ ) exceedingly oppofe & ufe all their Art and Strength, to betray and weaken the Souls Endeavours. Here then begins a new and great War in the Soul, between the Seed of the Woman and the Serpent. Michael and his Angels fight againfl: the Dragon and his Angels; Chrift and Anti Chrift ftrongly oppofe each other. The Wrath and Love bring forth their mighty wonders, being both ftirred and awakened afrefh in the Soul. g. But the Soul being nowlenfible of its prefent ftate, Snd feeing that there's no Safety whei-e the Devils have fiich Accefs and Influence, finks down into the Mercy and Love of God, and flies to the Crofs, imbracing and deliohting in it,' that fb the (?«) Blood of the Crofs may befhed into it, to cleanfe it throughout, and to takea- way thofe Stains, which are the Devil's Manfions, And here it clearly finds, there's no way of triumphing over the Prince of Death, but through Death ; fo (ji) it dies daily, to that the Evil One lives in, and lives to that which is Death to Sin, Jn this way, there may much Pifcouragement fbmetimes feize on the Soul, through' the Strength of Satan's working and the Reludtancy of , Flefh, . The Way to the Sdhath of ReJI. ' 17 J I - - -t ■■■■ . -■■> y — ' "- Flefti, and the Outward Man, which is loath to fiibjeft his Neck to the fiiarp Axe of Death. But this Bitternefs is recompenced with that Refrelhmeni the Soul finds iti its Conftancy of Self-denial, which is attended with ma- ny Glances ofdivine Comfort darting in upon the Soul to encourage it; and though it (hould, for a while, re- main in this Progrefs, which is bitter to the Flefti, with- out any fenfible Comfort (which may well be, through that great Oppolitioni the Dragon will make at this re- move of the Soul; ) yet when Patience Ikxh had its Work, and the Soul is come to be wrapt up in Conten- tation andPallivenefsjasto any Change of its Condition, and fo fitted for Enlargement, the fliowers of God's Love will feafbnably and fweetly defcend to the Strength and blefled Support of the Heart; fo that it will be forced to cry out, It is good that a Man JhouU both hope and quietly wait for the Salvation of the Lord: Lam. 8) 20. And what the Spirit fometimes now enjoys, fo (weerenfi the Croft that it cannot l^ut thus break forth : 4. Why Should the Soul refufe that Crofs That Gold returns inftead of Drofsf Why Should it fear that piercing Nail Which rends arvay the flejhly Pailf And gives a ProfpeSt of that Place, Which Ttme md Age cannot deface. B f CU£i?. n The Way to the Sabhath of Refl. CHAP,, VI. I, The SouPs Advance in Self-denial. 2 By feme Sight it hath of the inward fpiritual Body. 3 PVith its 5 inward Senfes and their Oh- jefts. 4 Which alt are not equally aware of. i; This Opening of the inward Senfes affords a great Support. 6 But is not attainable without a Vying to the darling commanding Luji. 7 The Soul praifetb God for Deliverance from this Yoke. I. BY this Time the Soul begins to delight in the Ha- bit of (/>) ftrong Self-denial, and watches dili- gently over its felf, to difcover whatever is to be Ilain uppn the Croft of God's pure Will : And now it begins to be alhamed of all Paflions andAfFefti- onsthat flow from the animal Man; and therefore much reftrains it, and keeps it in Subjeftion to the angelical ; which is according tb that Order, God himfelf fet at the Beginning. Now it likewife fees, how the animal mortal Part (with its Motions and Paflions) is too much imbraced by moft J few underfl:anding how it was in the Beginning, or how it is to be changed, and again, fiibje£led to the angelical Part, in the Children of the Refiirre£lion. 2. But the Soul having now fbme Sight and Enjoy- ment of the inward fpiritual Body, raifed from the Dead, is much aftiamed of the outward Body, which ftands in the Curfe un,der awakened Wrath ; {eeing what Temptation Spirits are expofed to, by Union with this, which fliould continually be under the Law of Mortifi- cation till its Change, lefl: through his earthly Inclina- tion it ftiould infe£l the Intelleft, and draw the immor- tal Soul into Defilement, which now dares not hearken to the Allurements of the fenfitive Spirit, which as tempting Eve, oft prefents the Apples of Mortality, as thofe which are pleafing to the Eye, and good for Food. 3. But through the Renewal of the ^iritual Body, with The Way to the Sabbath of Refl. 19 ■with its (*•) five Faculties or Powers, (anfwering to the five Senfes of the external Body ) the Objefts and Pleafiire of the outward begin to be forgot and to dif- pleafe, inftead of alluring and afFe£ling the Heart : For by the Exercife of the internal Senfes we fee (piritual Ob- jefls, as the infernal Light- World, Vifions of Angels, and Vifions of Reprefeniation. In this State we likewife hear the Songs, Voices and Harmony of Angels, with the Harpers upon Mount Ziow, who there continuially praife the Lord ,■ we finell the Perfumes of Chrift's Gar- ments, and are often entertained with paradifical O- dours ; we touch and feel the powerful Tinfture cff Chrift's Body, which many Times ftrongly afFefts the Heart with powerfial Delight : We alfo oft tafte the hea- venly Manna, and thofe Dews of Paradife which are fweeter than Honey to that Part, which receives them. 4. I could here more largely particularize the fevertfl Objects, Delights and Enjoyments of the inward fpiri?- tual Senfes; but becaufe there rtiay be great (j) Va- riety, according to the different Gifts and Capacitie's of feveral Perfons; and in Regard Some (for ought I know ) may pais far in the Progrefs of the New-Birth, without a particular Knowledge of thofe Enjoyments ^ I (hall not inftance in many Particulars, nor &.1 down my own (with fbme others) peculiar and various Ex- periences. f . Yet in general I cannot but affirm, that the Un- locking the Senfes of the inward Man is a great Privi- Jedge ; and that the Soul by it attains many great Sup- ports and Refrefhments to uphold it, and give it Incou- ragement to holdout to the End. For truly, this Com- munion it Ih^es in now, with the {t) Angels of God, and otlier divine Obje£ts, continually minds it of Hea- ven and Paradife, and exceedingly draws the Heart from all that is in the World, where Death and Corrup- ^ _^ tiQjji 1 ■. ■ 20 Tlje Way to the Sabbath of Reft. tipn is writ upon every Thing ; And the Dragon and Beaft bring forth their various W6nders : But in this State the Soul blefTeth God for that Conftancyhe afFordr ed under the Cro{s, and for that Death it hath under- gone, in Refignation to his Will, which hath proved a Paflage into this Life; in which the Soul beholds the Opening of a {ti) new World with its glorious Hofts, begins to feel the Sweetnefs of the angelical Life, and ■to fee what we fell from, bv Defending into the Spi- rit of Mortality and the feniitive Nature. 6. Now this State cannot be attained but by a Death to chat, which was the chief Ingagement of the Soul to the World, and the primary Chain that hindreditsgra-^ dual Afcenc towards God. And we may find there is fbmething in everyone, which is the (zp) So\x\s Deli- lah-, that maves its Locks and betrays its Strength ; and whilft this remains, it cannot efFeftually grow in the Love of God, and Conformity to Chrift's Death. But when -this fubtil Harlot comes to be difcovered and killed, the Soul flies apace, and very fwiftly to Eternity; for when this Wheel is taken away, the fmaller that depended on it, lofe their Strength, and fo ceafe with it ,' giving Freedom to the Soul, offending towards its true Center. 7.^ Which ( having regained this Liberty, and attained in fome Meafiire the Reftoration of the holy Powers of Sen&tion ) fings a Song of Praife to God, in this Manner : Bleft he that Power-, which hath that Idol broke) Which did [0 long deprefi me with her Toke / Bleft be that Hand which hath reftord to me An Eye, within this World a U-orld to fee / Where Angels and bleft Spirits freely movey As they are aSled by the Laws of Love ; Whence they a Viftt ( jf ) fometime deign to give To thofe imbodied Souls that purely live. CHAP. (»') 2 Kings 6,17. X'^ ) Heb,u,i. ,(») Qai. j;, j, 3. ;*i. The Way to the Sahhm af'^lefl. at CHAP VII. Ji - 1 The Sours Advantage in thejirait IVay of Rejignatien hvrejifl- ing unte Blood and Forjaking all. 2 The Members of the Body of Sin, that are to he Crucified. "^ NaturaUffcltions, how far exempt- ed from this Crucifixidn, 4 The chri/iian Marriage State defcriied and compared with the fmgle State. 5 The Comforts we meet with in the Way of entire Refignation and Renunciation. I. TH E Soul having now attained to the Death of that, which fo long hindered its Growth in the pure Life, (and to the Enjoyment of thofe {pi- ritual Objefts, which exceedingly refrefti and quicken the Heart, in the midft of all Difcoura^ements ) proceeds chearfully in the ftrait Way of Re%nation ; \y ) offering up its Sin Offering daily as a Sacrifice to the Father's Juftice. For now the daily Oblation is re- ftored in the holy Place, which muft continue till the Death of Sin, and the rending away the Vail of Flefh from before the moft Holy : Now therefore the circum- cifing Knife of God's Power conftantly cuts off the flefh- ly Parr, whicl^ is offered up in the Fire of Juftice, and confumed before the Lord. Now the Soul fees it muft refift to Blood, that is, to the («) Death of the Body of Sin, which is wholly to be feparated from the Spirit, with all its Members : For this is that falfe Covering it hath wrapped it felfin through the Fall, inflead of that naked Innocency in which there was no Uncomelinefs, and therefore (b) no Shame: Except therefore jhis Fore- fkin of the Flefh be cut off, the angelical Robe cannot be put on : And as that falls off, this is afTumed ; in- creafing as that decays: For, they cannot both rife and fall together ; for while the outward Man decays, the inward Man is renewed Day by Day. Here it clearly appears, we muft forfake all ,• otherwife we cannot be Chrifts (c) Difciples : All Objefts of our carnal Affefti- r ons, :1 U) Rev. .1,6. Qs^) Heb. 10, ao. {^a) Hcb. 134. (*) Gen. 3> 3^ (3) Luke 14, 33. " 42 The Way to the SaUatb of Refi. ons, all Complacency in fleihly Things ; all Self- Pro- priety in the will of Namre, which came in through the Fall> and the Soul's Departing from the univerfel Charity, ( the true Ground of heavenly Community ) into the particular Objefts of Self- Affe£tions, which as it hath been awakened by the Soul's Going out of God's Will, into its own ; Co it muft be crucified by Return- ing from k (elf into the pure eternal Will of God, which we can never attain, till we ( d) are dead to the AfFeftions of the fenficive Part. z. For, carnal Love, Joy, Hope, Fear, Defire, DiC- pleafure, are all the felfilh Motions of the natural Man)> the corrupt Members of the Body of Sin, together with earthly Pride, Covetoufnefs, Envy, Jealoufy, Emula- tion, Wrath, Strife, all which are the Leggs of the earth- ly Adam-, and therefore to be caft away and (e) de- ftroyed; and in their Fall the Will comes to be cruci- fied to all their Obje£ls, and fb to all {elfilh Propriety. Here we come to lofe our own Lives, to hate our fel- filh Motions, to be flain to all flelhly Things, the Will hath efpoufed inftead of God in Chrift. Here we begin to be truly poor, renouncing all (/) for Chrift in a re- fign'd Will and mortified AfFetlions, as alfo a mode- rate, charitable and fanftified Ufe of all temporal Things. And as to the C^fe of Propriety in earthly Eftates ; it is good to know and declare impartially the full and per- fedl Thing defign'd to be brought forth in the Church, that Chriftians of this Day may at lealt wilh and pray for it ,- tho' it feems indeed to be almoft imprafticable in the prefent degenerated State of the chriftian Church: Nor to be fet upon, without an Aid and concurrent Pow- er of the holy Ghoft, like that in Pentecost where no Man call'd any Thing that he had his own, but they had all Things in common. It is certain that CovetouC nefs in the Delire of the natural Man, hath been the i^ , Caufe (rf) eaJ 5, 24. CO Col. J. s. (/) Matth. ij, 27. Tie U^ay to the SaUatb of JReJl 23 Caufe of all thofe IngroffingsofLand and Money, which moftare involved in ; andChrift with hisDifcipleSjand his DKciples afterwards with their Followers, gave a Partem, and made a Beginning of the Renewal of the Law of Love, which regards our Neighbour or Brother as our felf. And the leaft we can do in this Point at this Day, muft be for thofe that have Eftates, to be as tho' they had them nor, and to ufe them as Stewards for God and Chrift, and alfo with Regard ro his Body or Members, being communicarive according to the Will of God, in the more enlarg'd and generous Proporti- ons of Wifdom, Goodnefs and Love. We are alfb in this to fee our prefenr Shorrnefs, and bemoan theLofs of rhe Spirit and Power of primirive Chriftianity ; and itand our (elves fb loofe and indifferent ro all Things, ihar if, or whenever God may pleafe to reiiore the pri- mitive Spirit, Power and Life ofChriftianity again, we^ may be in a Pofture prepar'd and ready to giye up all, and concur in rhe more perfeft Manner of fuch a blefT- ed Day, viz.' in a heavenly Community here on Earrh, which may imirare rhe holy Angels and glorified Sainrs above, who inherit rheir erernal Subftance, as rheir erer- nal Joys, wirhour any Self-Appropriarion in bleffedU- niry and Communiry. 3. Here we likewife die to, and forlake earthly (g) Relations, as a Part of that we call Ours : And though we are not to deftroy natural AfFeftion, nor to negleft the Performing of any due Obiigarion laid upon us by the Lavv of Narure, as it accords wirh rhe Will and Ju- ftice of God ,• yet we are to die ro all Cuch Propriety of Affeftion, as flows from corrupr Nature, and hinders the impartial Communication of our Love ro every one, according ro rhe perfect Example of our heavenly Fa- ther, who rakes in no fl[«ftily Refpefts, in rhe giving forrh of his Love to hisCrearures, which is our Pattern to " (^) iuL 14, 1?. 34 The Way to the Sabbath of Refl- to imitate,- for we are to be perfect, as our heavenly. Father is perfeft. 4. Here thofe that have Wives, are as though they^ had none, in Sanftification ot the Marriage -Bed, and Subordination of inferior Defires, by a iuperior Regard to Chrift, the Spoufe of the Church, whereof they are here appointed a holy Figure. Thus forbearing to ido- lize the Woman of the World, and returning to the true Mother and Spoufe of the Soul in Chrift Jefiis, viz.. the Virgin Sopbia,or the heavenly Wifdom, who is theun- ^otted Mirror of the eternal World, the firft and chief Spou(c of Christ, fee Rev. iz, 2. And they who can re- ceive it, follow the Example of Chrift, who lived and died in Virginity, as he was born of a Virgin : And this they do for the Kingdom of Heavens Sake, according to that Precept Matth. 19, 12. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it ; where Chrift fpeaks concerning the Abftaining from Marriage, and of thofe that made themfelves Eunuchs for the Kingdom of Heaven : Whence it is cleai*, that a greater Degree of Dying to, gnd Crucifying the Root, whence the Enjoyment in that State comes, is to fuch a real Mean to the greater Growth and Increafe of God's Kingdom in the Soul, which is to be prefented as a chafte Virgin to Chrift,, 2 Cor. II, 2. And St. Paul i Cor.n-) 31. 32.- 33. 34. 35- prefers the Virgins ftate far before the married ; - and therefore Verfe 7.'ftith : I would that all Men were as I am : Which certainly he fpake according to the true Light, found Judgment, and great Experience in the Work and Progrefs of Regeneration; 5. But in a Wotd, in this State before defcribed we come to {ee, that we our felves are not our Own, but the Lord's, and that we are to confecrate our Bodies, Souls and Spirits to him, and to refign up all we call ours to Him, whofe is the Kingdom, and the Power, and tlie Glory for ever. And truly our gradual Incorpora- tion Tfie fi^ay to the SaUatb of Reft. 2$ oon into the Body of Chrift, with the Enjoynrent o new Relations and Treafiires, which are {piritual and eternal, nniake it the more eafy to die to, and forfeke all eanhly Things, which i)eing of a lower Nature, fliew their Rife by their Fall ; for being of the Earth, they are earthly, and return to Earth, as utterly ( i ) incapable to enter with us into the Kingdom of Love. As we then leave the Spirit of the World, they leave us; and fb we arrive to a good Degree ofConqueftand Vic- tory over that (?)Beaft, which rules the whole World; which gives the Soul Occafion thus to expreft its felf in Praife. ♦ Bleft he that Power, by which the Beaft Is made toferve, and we releaft From that bafefervile Drudgery, U^ich hme miftake far Liberty. Sad liberty / that chains poor Soul f to Dud, And foils immortal Things with mortal Ruft^ CHAP. VIII. I The Souls Conqueft over Imagination. % Diflurbing the Reft of the inwMrd Man. ^ Means whereby this Conqueft is obtained, viz, Watchfulnefs andLxercife of the Crafs. 4. As alfo Faith andPer- feverance. 5 Other helps towards this Conqueft. 6 The Chief ejl whereof, a continual Senfe of the divine Prefence. 7 IntelleStion fuperior to Reafon, 8 Senfe of the divine Prefence is without Phantafms, 9 The Excellency of Intelleffion or intuitive KnoW" ledge. IP Reafon oft mifguides the Underftanding in fpirftual Afatters. 11 Jn Exhortation to feek the divine Light, I. THE Soul having arrived fb far in the Circum- ciijon of the Heart from the Body ofFlelh, and in the Renovation of the foiritual Image, cannot _^___ C but Q}) X Cor.i;, jp, (O Rev. %, 16. 17. * Though I hint at the myftical Senfe of thcBcaft in Rev, Ij. yet 1 (leny not the hiftorical, as it^hath been truly applyed to a Sue- cefioaofPerfons; in the HgnaJi/ lapfed pt Anticbiiftian Church. 26 Tk Way to the SMath of Refl: but have attained a sood Step in the Command over Imagination-, especially in the Death of it) to Com- placency in any corrupt fleftily Obje<3:, which now be-r comes too grofs for the renewed Mind to regard. But yet we (hall find the Tempter working much upon I- magination, fbmetimes taking Advantage of the ftrong Influences of the external Heavens; and if we are fo ftrong as to rejeft Thoughts which tempt to fpeculative Delight in Objeits, which our corrupt Nature for- merly imbraced, but now (being changed) abhorreth; we Ihall find the Evil One drawing us to clofe withj and entertain Thoughts not evil in themfelves, yet very evil to us, becaufe they prefent and feed the Soul with unprofitable Pi£tures, which fhould be alone entertain- ed with thefweet Meditation of Chrift'sLove, and the Way to be compleated in it. z. And I know many are exceedingly troubled with the Working of their Imaginations on inconfiderable trifling -Objects, -When as they dare not entertain any Thoughts grofly evil ; and where this State is grown into a long Habit, it will be difficult to come out of it, though a Soul be very fenfible of the Vanity of it, and long to be freed from it, as finding the Imagination in thefe Workings to be like the Witch of Endor-, raifing Vip the old Prophet Samuel-, or the inward Man, from the fleep of Silence and innocent Stillnefs, to be difqiji- eted with vain earthly Things, iSam. igj 15, 5. in this Cafe therefore, it concerns the Soul toftand cqnrinually upon its Watch, lefl: it be fometimes fnatcht away unawares, and ingaged in Vanity, before it fees where it is. Here the continual Exercife of the Crofs is very neeefTary, that by it we (k) cafl down Imagina, tions, and lead captive every Thought into the Obedi- ence of Chrill: ,' fo that the chief Work now is the Re- Cueing this move^blQ Sea into Subje^ion to. the illumi^ ' nate4 Tl}e U^(^ to the Sabbath of Rejl. 27 nated Underitanding : Thei-efdr6 the Soul prays and ftrives continually againft the Power of Imagination and Activity of Thoughts, which hinder t;he filent A^ngs of the Intelleft upon Eternity and fiipernatural Truths. 4. And here Faith and Per(everance are very need- ful : We need Faith to believe that by the Power and Strength of Chrift we may overcome thefe Imaginati- ons ; and Perfeverance, that we may not faint in the Way, and give over the continual Exercife of the Crols in Rejedhng, Beating down and ceafmg from thefe Mo- rions of the imaginary Faculty, till we come to be Con- querors and to command them; which is poflible through Chrifl:, who is come into our World, ■ to de- ftroy the Works of the Devil, and to rule till he hath mit all his Enemies under his Feet, of which thefe idle Thoughts are a Part. I 5 And as the Soul here ufes the PoMjer it Hath re- ceived from Chrift in checking, reje£ling and beating down all idle Thoughts, as a Mean to overcome them ; (b likewife it isoftExercifing of itsUnderftandingupon the eternal Love and free Grace of God, and in confi- dering the Myfteryof that (/) paradifical World, in which the Angels and Spirit-s of the Juft are. It mxich alfo reflects upon the Prefence of its Saviour, who hath promifed to be with us to the ( m ) End of the World, filling (a) all Things in his divine Nature ; for he oon- rinually ftands at the Door and knocks, fo that the Soul waits every Moment for the Fulfilling of that Promife of his coming into it, and flipping with it, Rev. 3, 20. And this conftant Attending upon God with the Eye of the Underftanding, proves a very effectual Mean to Deftroying of rhofe Imaginations, which come to en- tangle die Soul in unprofitable Diverfions. 6 In this Praftice the Underftanding oets fiich Power over the Imaginations, that it enjoys aimoft a continu- C z al ' C * ) ^^ 3' 30' Cm ) Match, ti, Zq. C">-Eph' 4» lo- "^ ig The Pf^*y to f^e SaUath of Rejl. al Sight or (o) Apprehenfion of God's Prefence ; an4 fees beyond the Working of Injaginatipn, by the {p) Eye of th^ Underltanding enlightried, and by little and little attains that Strength, that although we |hoviIdhave neceflary Qgcafion to take up our Thoughts in fope ex, ternal Employment, yet the Underftandinjg piereeth thorough it, and in the very Time of exerciUng its Rea- fon on that Particular, it hath ftrong and clear Apprcr henfions of the Prefence of God and the fpiritual World, 7. Which clearly lliews that Intelle£lion, or the true Afting of theUnderftanding, is fomevvhat beyond Rea, ion, which is not able to do two Things af ORC?, an4 all upon feveral Obje) EpheC I, i^. (})A(asi7, aj, (r}Qen, |,« ft)e U^ay to the Sabbath if Reft. 29 feito the imaginary {t) Spirir, which belongs to this World, and is too groft a Glafi to exprefs truly and cffentially, toiritual arid eternal Obje ....,,:__, C 3 ri gri it^ Eeclef. 7, iji (») i Qte, 2, 14. C * ) ]°^- 14» m^- 30 The '^ayto the Sabbath of Refl. ■. ■ — " ' -' ' " » ' ■*- tion too much a Work, in reprefenting their Excellen- cies, and pi£luring forth fiich a State of the Soul enrich- ed with them, which may yield too much imaginary Delight, atid draw the Spirit into the admiration of fine ^eafant (x) Pictures inftead of the true Subftance, Therefore we are llriftly to watch over the Phantafie, which may eafily err in this particular, and not without great Prejudices following upon it : F*or firft, by fucb Working of Imagination, we come to flacken the Ex- ercifeof the Crofs, both upon Imagination itsfelf, which (j) is continually to be reftrained, and as much as is polfible reducecl in Subjeftion to the illuminated Un- derftanding, and alfo upon the Relicks of the old Man in any other Faculty, which are always to be flain in their firflEuddings; and therefore to be ftriilly eyed i which cannot be,whirft Imagination isfobufyin it's Motions. The fecondis, that Complacency which the Soul may take,; by reprefenting it felf adorned with, and enjoy- ing the Gifts of Hearing, Seeing, Touching, Tafting and Smelling, in a fptritual Way, (with all the Beauty and Sweernefs of the Objects of thofe Faculties) both in it's felf fo priviledgedjand in the Obje£ts themfelves,'moft of which being but Streams, and not the Fountain it felf^ the Soul may be in Danger of taking too much De- light, and Co of being entangled in them. The third Inconvenience is, the obftru£ting that ftill Silence of the Soul, in which it (z) (Iiould be oft wrap- ped up, as a Mean to thofe extraordinary Effufions of Light and Power, which God many Times affords the. Soul in ir'spaffive quiet Waiting : Whereas this Labour of Imagination too much Iceeps the Sou! in Aftion, and fo in an Unfitneft for thofe divine Impreffions, which very reldom- come down^ but into a Spirit profoundly filent. Seeing then theremay be fo much Dangerin in- dulging Imagination, even in thefe pure Objefts, we _. ftiall (s) Ifaiaii i, 16. {y) 3 Cor. 10, 5.- (,«) Pfal. 46, He p^tr^to the Salhatb of Rejt. 31 fliall find it very requifite, oft to ceafe from all Ima- gination, and to a£l no Thought upon any Thing in the Heights above, or the Depths berow. I fay no Thought: Thoughts being but Images, which reach not the Eflenee of fpiniual Objects. But this Prailice excludes not that general, conftant, intelleftual Sight and Apprehen- (ion of God, which the Soul (thus far arrived) enjoys* Therefore I fjjeak not here to thofe who have not at- tained a continual, habitual Apprehenfion of the divine Prefence; for if they fhould ftriveto ceafe from theif good Thoughts, they might fell into a Kind of Stupidity, farworfe. But I here give Direftions to thofe who having attained conflant habitual Communion with God, prefe after Perfeftion in their conftant Progrefs through all Impediments, of which this Working of Imagination being one, we here give experimental Di- re£tions to overcome it. z. And certainly there is no better Way than the An* nihilarion of all Thoughts, and the Retiring frottl the Phantafie into the filent (a) Mind, which more fits the Soul for divine Irradiation and fpiritual Imbraces,' foi? the more quiet we af e, the lefs Refiftance we make againfl a fupernatural Impreffion, and the eafier we perceive the Beginnings of divine Attraftion, and fb yield our felves to it. And truly, when the Soul hath attained the Pow- er to throw its felf (as oft as it is meet) into the filent ftiper-imaginary State, (which mUfl be attained by the habitual conflani Pra^Hce of it) it Vvill then Cortie to internal (jb) Openings, and iritelle£lual Sights of the in- vifible Worlds, and many Times receive quickfiirigGlan- ces from the Eternity, with thofe ftrong Infiifions of Love, that bring the Soul many Times near to aRapture* And truly, the Enjoyment we have in this State, fully recompenceth all that Self-denial, we pa6 through to the Atiainment of it. C 4 3. Mere! - , , '- r r " ■ '- • " t f r -- ~ '* — J -^^^.^^— »- -t — ^^.^^,^^i_^^ i^ ~ ..■,. -.1..- ^fl) Kevi It iQi t#) Rev* 41 »• 32 715^ JFay to the Sahbath ofRefl. t • I I . I ■ I .1 1 I II ■ n ii K I. 3. Here then the fal(e(f) Prophet (which is irregular Imaginarion) comes to be conquered, being command- ed by the inward Mind, that now oft draws up the Soul into the Paradifical World, from the Motion of Phanta- fy and Imagination. And noxp the Soul doth bid AdieU, To Ph an lies Glafi,'caufe''tis not true. And to that Mirrour turns it's Eye, Where Ifnngs are viewdEjJentially: And there in Silence waits that State to knowy To which all former Difpenfation bow. U'ait on-, bleji Soul/ And know thispaffiyeLifey Will fend thee into Onenefs, from all Strife. 1 ifc.i n -. n .fc.. — .-1-ii. rf I I » I i, m. . I H I - , fa .., . , ■ [ .... u — ■ ■■ ' I I ■■.. ■■ ) il « > M il l CHAR X. 1 The canqueji over Imagination, and the animal or naturalMan,.dif' covers the Growthof the ImageofGod in the Soul. '7. From hence flow fpiritual Relations. 3 ^e Reafon of fpirttual Union and Sympathy, a. Enjoyments flowing from fpiritual Relations, ^Tht farther we are remov'd froh the animal Life, the more Univer- fal we become. 6 An Exhortation to quit our tiatural ^tatt,fer that which is Spiritual. 1, IMagination being now overcome, and the animal Mart mortified, the Soul cannot but clearly discover its Growth in the Image of God>and theRefurreftion of the angelical Man, which now evidently perceives its felf fprinsing op in a new Principle, above the Spi- rit of the (a) World, and its mixc Laws.* And here we come to own and receive jiew /delations, contrafted by ourProgreft in the New-Birth, and o^ir Tendency from the, Spirit of the World toward Eternity. f> And (c) kev. 16, 13. &i9,2a'. Though 1 here allude to the falfe Prophet fflentjon'd in the Apocalypfe ; yet 1 exclude not the external propheticfc Senfe of this or any other Part of the Rivelation, whicli is a propheticfc Hiftory of the ' Church to tiie End of the World. -(d)- iCor: 3,ju. Tie U^ay to the SaUath of Reft. j| .1 1 1> - i -I • i I ■ ■ III ""M 2. And as through the Aft of Generation we came to be invefted with ^thly Relations, fo by the Work of Regeneration wecometopoffefs thofe that are Spiritual. Here we come to honour Godj as our Father in th«t Spirit, (hot excluding any other of his beloved OneS) who have been inftrumental to beget us into the divine Image and Wifdom) and Jerufalem abovey as oUr true (e) Mother : And fo all otner Saints who have been be* gotten by the fime Power into the fame Nature, become our true Brothers and Sifters i all ftanding upon one Root, drawing one Nourifhment and knit together by if) one Spirit, which is the Inftruftor, Leader and Com^ foner of all. 3. But we fhall here find a nearev Union and Comma* Tiiofi amongft thofe, who have been by one particular Inftrument begotten into the Life of Chrift, having a peculiar Vein of fpiritual Enjoyment running through them ; which Others, who received not that particular Tincture, do not partake of. And had we lived in the Apoftles Times, welliould have (een this among the pri- mitive Chriftians; for certainly, they that were begotten by St. Paul, had a particular Endearment to him, and tO one another j and Co it may be faid of thofe that were con- verted by Apolloiy Cephas, and Others : Which is clear by that Scripture, i Cor. i, 12. t.very otte cf you faith : I am of Paul) and I of ^polios-, and I of Cephas. And though St. Paul blames them here for Contention, Emulation and Irregularity in their particular Affeftions to their foiri- tual Fathers; yet not fot a peculiar Ownment to tEo{?> who inftrumentally converted them ; for that is according to the Law of pure Juftice, feeing he that converts a Sin- ner, faves a Soul from Death, and covers a Multitude of Sins. Jam. 5, zo. And St. Paul himfelf in fome Places ipeaks of himfelf as a fpiritual Father, requiring of thofe he had begotten into the Faith, due Refpe£l, Obedience _ C 5 an^ 34 The I^ay to the Sahhath of Refl. __ !_ _ I ■ II ■ .■■ W .1 I I. I JT , ,. 1^ I - ■ ,1-1 I -T ^ .. y ^ and Love. But amongft thofe who are thus peculiarly united, we fliall fee feme more clofely knit in fpirituai Agreement ch^n Othersj and eflenced into one anothers Spirits,' as may appear by that great Union which Chrift had with St. John, and that particular AfFeilion he bare towards him, which was the Reafbn why St. John was called (by Way ofEminency and Diftinoiion from the Reft) The Difciple whom Jefus loved^ Now when we come to experience this, we ihall know the Meaning of that Scriptfire, where Bone is faid to come {h) to His Bom: Forasfbme Bones are locked one in another, and ibme Members grow immediately one out of another, though all m^ke up but one organical Body : So fome Spirits are nearer united in Ch rift's Body than others, and ftand closer joynted, and more intrinfically cotnpacled, but all make up but one fpirituai and myfti- cal Body. And this we (hall find to flow from the Har- mony and Agreement of Spirits and Natures, as they were fignatur d in the firft Moment of Exiftency : For Grace and the Workof Regeneration donotdeftroy our natural Signatures, only reaifie them by that Heavenly Principle, which reduceth all our Spirits into the higheft PerfeAionthey are capable of, by their primary Model and Frame. Hence it appears that they are more truly Brethren (even according to natural Nature, ) who thus agree, and correfpond in their Effences, than they that are ordinarily called fo, who are many Times very con- trary fignatur 'd. And the Reafonofthis Affertionis,in that, when our Natures come to their perfe£l Reftitude and Reftoration by Union with God ; this fecfet Pro- penfion and harmonious Clofing with thofe that are like* efTenced, remains ; whereas from meer natural Relation there nothing continues; thoiigh in thofe who are rela- ted, there may be this Agreement too : But meer Rela- tion is not the Caufe of it, but that fecret Law -ojMnflu- ence, (h) Ezetk- 37,7. The P}^ay to the Sabhath of Red. Jj " ■ ■ III I •> ence, which God hath eftablifhed to Signature fbme one Way, fbme another ; fbmein much Agreement an^Pro- ponion; others more differing, tho' all reprefenring fomething of that Variety, which is wrapt up in theU- nity of the eternal Nature. I could not but give an Hint of this, becauie it may open lome Things concerning Relations, which may lie dark to thofe who know noc the deepeft Ground and Root of them. 4. But I ihall proceed to the further Opening of thofe Enjoyments, which flow from Union with new Rela- tions, which come now to be very dear; becaufe the Ground of their Relation is fo pure and good, being (i) not ot Man, or the Will of Man, but of (Sod. Here we (hall experience the happy Effe£ls of our pure Union, which produces that Divine Love, that none can know> but thofe that enjoy it : But this will be ftrongelt, where there is moft Harmony and Agreement in Spi- rits and Natures ; becaufe the eternal Tinfture works up- on, «nd through every Thing according to it's Nature and Capacity: Hence we come to enjoy more from feme, than others; and fbme from us receive more thaa Others. Butthat brotherly Love and Friendihip, which now come to be renewed in Spirit, far tranfcend any En- joyments meerly natural: And whatfbever we parted with, in dying to all earthly AfFeftion and its Objefts, we regain in the Refiirreftion of our Spirits,in this pureLove, which isnorAfFe£lion,butfbmerhingabovfeit; not con- fifting in {uddenOut-flowiitgs andEruptions,but in a con* ftant iweet Inclination and fecret Propenfion of the Spi- rit, to thofe which are on^ with it, in the pureLife: And this Good-Willingnef s is fb great, that froin it the Soul could give ( ^)it's Life for if there were any (I) Thing dearer than Life] for it's Brother,- and choofe Sufferings, ro free Others from them. In this ftate there will be a fympathizing in Joy and Sorrow; and where the ^ Un ioQ |« The Way to tk Sdhaih of Rejl: I -11 I - 1 ■ ■ ■ ■■■■ , ■ - I ■'-' '.r ii r Union is eminently great, there may be fbme Knowledge of each others Conditions at a (?«) t)ifl:atice,' which comes from their beiilg effenced in eath others Spirits knd Tinifturesj which is the Gaufe of this invifiblfe Sympa- thy. , 5. And they that ii^e in this neaf Union, feel a mlitttal indwelling in the piire Tirtdure and Life ( « ) of each other: And fb, the further we come oUt of the animal Nararcj the more univerfal wfe are, and neater both tO Heaven, and to One another in the Interrial; arid the fit- ter inftrumentally to convey the pUre Streams of the hea^ venly Life to each other, which no external Diftanc«i can hinder. For the Divine Tiricatire ( being flich a fpiri- tual Virtue, as Chrift imprinted into the Heart of the Dilciples with whom he talked after his Refurreftiort^ making their Hearts to him zpttbinthnilsabhtopiQrc^ through all Diflance, and reach thofe that are far aofent} becaufe it is not corporeal, nor fubje£l to the Laws ofc Place or Time. ' ^ Now this is known to fbme by Experience, who itl Abfence enjoy fueh Influences of Spirit and fecret In* finuations of foirinial Virtue from one another, that they cannot but value this Ipiritual Communion above all Enjoyments in the World,' which conipared toit,feeffl but lute the bafefl Metal to the purefl Gold. S. Then quit that ivretched ftate, immortdl SouU . f^iere pojifon'd Ghofi's in Flejh together r only /ind take thy Fli^t into that Mount of Lovei where New-born Spirits in bright Bodies niovet Andfport them/elves in that eternal 'Joyy Which totally excludes Lufts bafe alloy. Lufi's left below for thofe that Flejh defirei Love dwells on /jigh. Love fills the heaventl^ Q^iv'i. CHAt^ Cw) Col. 3, 5, C«) a Cor j, 3. The Way te the SaUath of Reft. .97 CHAP, XI. y Dcmger of Selfijbnefi from the Enjoyment ofthefe fiiritual Re~ tations. i And from Gifts of the Spirit. 3 liow to obviate thefe t)angers. 4 Tho' not without Diffcuhy, 5 And Confor- mity to the Death of Cbriji. I TH E LjOve which in this i|>irimal Union ( be, fore defcribed) we come to enjoy, is unexpreC. iibly refreihing, proving tQ be iweeter than the Hopey ox the Honev-Comb; and coniiriuany raifeth the Soul to the true Fountain of it, who beindf the true C^fe pf ^1} pure Unipq, both preferves and increafeth it. I. But the Soul now having a View> and Experience pf the Beauty and Sweetneft of the Spirits of other Chri* ftians, and of the Excellency of that Love which may be enpyed through them, may ( if it be not prevents ed by much Self-I)enial and Watchfulnefs ) mfFer ve- ry much Sel0)}3e^ to fpring up in a new Drefs : For here msy arife fpiritualCovetpufhefs, or a Defireofen- groffing Spirits to ones felf Here ipiritual Pride may alfo difcover iifelf in defiring much Efteem of ftich ; Envy Ukewife may ftart up againft thofe we fear may draw them fron^ us, or enjoy more Love from them than our {elves : And fo all other felfifh Affeftions may here croud in, in a refined Drefi. And as theCeJpiritUal J^vih may flow from the Sight of the Excellency and Suitablenels of the Spirits of other Chriftians. z So ^Ifb they may break in upon us from large and eminent Gifts of the Spirit, 2 Cor. 12, 7. For we fee- ing the Amiablenefs and Worth of thefe, may come immoderately to defire them > may fear to have them pclipfed; may refleft too much upon (p) our felvesitl ^he Enjoying of them; njay look too much after Emir pency in the U(e of them, and (in a Word) may take • ' to6 }8 The Way to the Sahhath of Reft. too much Complacency in the pleafanr Fruicion of rhem ; even to an Hindrance of our looking up to the Foun- t^n, as all iq ail. 3. If then the Soul be here entangled, (as it is ha^d totally to efcape) it muft fly ro the (/?) Croft, and lay the Aye to the Root of the Tree of Self,, that fo it may be hewn down and caft into the Fire ; and it muft pray for the Sword of Power, to circumcife and cut off this refined Selfiftinefs, as it did the grofler Part; and to take away this Propriety and Self-Ownment of all Spirits, Gifts and Graces. Here we muft come to offer up the very Good itfelf (as (r) Abraham did Ifaac) to God, the Fpimtain and Beftower. Here we muft die to the Coveqing of any Spirit, Grace, Vilion, Revelation, Rapture, or fenuble Comfort. Here we muft come to be nothing in all thefe; to enjoy them as though we enjoyed them not, and not to refleft upon our (elves on auy Account ; to rejoyce to fee Others (j) flourilli in the ftiches of thofe, and to have more Light, WiC- dom, Comfort and Honour, than our (elves; to be willing when we are rich in Gifts and Efteem of the Saints, (*) to part with them, if God fb pleafe, and to Jjang fb loofe from all Things below Gtod, as that no- thing may in the leaft hinder our Conformity to theDeath of Chrift, or our Rifmg again in the pure Life ofLove and Innocency. And truly, when we have known the Glory of thofe fpiritual Objefts, and have been rich in pofleffing them, we may find it exceedingly difficult wholly to give up, and to own no Propriety of Will in them, becoming nothing in the greateft Union of Spi-' jcits, Fruition of Gifts and fpiritual Honour; keeping a fweet innocent Spirit from Selfilhnefs in all thefe. 4. Now the Reafon of the Difficulty in being wholly freed from Self here, is the Excellency of the Objefts, jarjd the Sweetneft of their Enjoyments,' for their Na- ^_^_^ ; - ture *C/) Gal.6,14. (r) Gcn.33 3. (j) xCor.i3,3j. a6. (t) Phil, j, 8; The Way to the Sahlath of Reft. 59 - ~ . . ■■ ! I ■ i ll ture artd Effefts being very (uicable to the Soul) they have the ftronger Influence upon it, to clofe with tbetn in too much Delight and Adherency : Whence it may be more difficulr totally to give them up, than it was to leave outward grofs Things, which cbuld not be fo pleafing to the Nature of the Soul : And though fqme (who think they have pafled far in the New-]Birth) never experienced this; and may therefore look upon it ^s a Thing not much to be regarded ; yet let all ^ch know that the Reafbn may be, m that they never yet pafled clear out of the Spirit of the World, nor over- came their animal Nature by a complete CircumHIioS and Renunciation ,* and fo were not capable to receive any extraordinary Enjoyments of Vifions, Revelation^ In » {peakings, Propheiies, Unions of Spirits ; ^nd |)e- ing not come into the inward Wildernefs, where ihe Soul is fitted for ftich Things, and where thefe fpirimal Temptations arife to try it : Whereas being in the out- ward fenfitive Spirit and detained in Flefh and^ ^lood> as ^rael in Egypt, the inward fpirirual Faculties of Sen- fation lie looc'd up, and can have no Knowledge of thofe fpirifual Operations and Enjoyments. '^ ■ ■ 5. But they that are come fo far in the Workxjifthe New - Birth, as to be acquainted with, and to live to thefo Things, muft of Neceflity die to them, and come to be («) nothing in them, givipg up all to God, and forfaking the Propriety of their own Will. Now this is a Parting with our own Lives, and the Giving^up the Ghoft of refined Selfiflinefs, which ftrikes at the Root of Sin and Evil, and brings us to the Death of tbeCrofs, in Conformity to the Example of our Saviour's Pro- grefs, who was crucified bet vyixt two Thieves, One of which was loft, tho* the Other went with Him into Pa* radife; which we in the Myftery likewifo fulfil i For our Wills are cru«:ifi€dbeiwixt theoutward animal Man and the (»} aCor, 6, JO. 4P The Way to the Sabbath of Refl. the inward old Man, or finful Nature; the firft of which jn the Refiirreftion ftiall be received (after Purification) into Paradife,' but the laft muft be deftroyed andfwal- lowed up into the Fire of Wrath. The Sotfl which on the Qvofi thus freely dies, Becomes to God a pkajing Sacrifice-, Through that eternal Spirit and that Blood, ff^icFby meer Reafon are not mderfiood ; Nor by thofe Rabbies, who full -wife would be ; Though they know not the true Divinity. > ■ I ' ■ > ■ ■ ' -. — - ' - '- ' - - - — — — - • ■ ' - ' " CHAP. XII. V The Soul's Cenfarmity to ChriJI's Defient into Hell, a This Prin^ eiple of God's Wrath is fpread thro' the World. 3 Luke 8> 31. explain'd, 4 yifibles proceed from invijibles, 5. Hell, why eatl'd the Heart of the Earth. 6 Chrijl having pajl this Way, draws aU Men after Him- 7 We may feel the Aneuijh of Hell, without having pqft thro' it as Conqueror. 8 A Hymn ofPraifi for this Conqueft, U AFTER this Death upon the myftical Crofs, the Soul in Conformity to Chrift's Progrefs pafll eth through a State analogous to that of Chrift's Defcent into Hell, being that Principle, which ftands as a fmoaking Furnace before the Entrance of Paradife, into which none can pafs, but thofe that are dead with Chrift, and waftied froni the Pollutions of Flefh and Spirit by the Blood of the Lamb : For who- foever retain the Spots of Guilt, will be kept back by God's Wrath, which in this Principle burns like Fire, 2. This alfo is fpread (at leaft potentially, as to it's Root) through the whole World ; yetinvifible to the ©Wtward Eye. In this the Dragon and all evil Angelsj ^cl Spirits are; for ^ud.EpiJi. Vcr. 6. the Lord referves the The JVay to the Sahbath of Refi. 41 tbe fallen Angels in evetlafting Chains under Darknefi ; or as 2 Pet. 2, 4. bath caji them into Hell, and delivered them into Chaim of Darknefi-, to be teferved unto Judg- vient. N9VV though the fallen Angels are every where tempting the Saints, yet they are always in the Chains of this invifible Darknefi, which could not be, if thi« were not every where in this World ; whence Ephef. 6, 1 2. it is called, the Darknefi. of this florid t Of which the chief Devils are the Koffmokraatores or worldly Rulers. And although evil Spirits receive fomeRefrefhment by Mixing with the Souls of Men, which are cloathed with the animal fenfitive Nature, and live in the Spii'it of the World ; yet they are ftill in Chains under this Dark- nefs, as in their proper Center. And although it is faid Luke%-,'ii. 3. That the Devils, whofe Name was Legion, be- fbught Chrift, ( after they were caft out of the Man ) that he would not command them to go into the Deep, as though the Deep or bottoml^fs Pit had been at a Di- ftance from them : Yet the Meaning is, fiiat they might not wholly go out of the Spirit of the World, and out of Union with it, deeper into the Center of Darknefs and Wrath,* for in Union either with Men or Beads, who live in the Spirit of the World, they receive fbme Mitigation of their Torment, which they have not, when they are naked and uncloathed : Therefore their Gcnng into the Abyfs from Union with Spirits*of Men or Beafts is not as we depart from one Room into another, (which are disjoynedlDy outward Diflance) but a Sinking deep- f er from theCircumference toward the Center, from the outward to the inward, which we call the dark World and Heli: Which (according to the Sight and Experi- ence of fome deep myftical Men ) is made up of (piri- tual Sulphury Mercury and Stilt, ndt united and harmo- nized in C^/tQt Proportion, for then they- would be Pa« radife,* but as in Difcord and Difproportion working in P contrary 42 Tfie Way to the Sabbath of Refl. : . ; , nf contrary Motions through theAbfenceof that pureZ-at- famtcal Oil, which flowing from the Heart of God, makes Paradife (b delightful. 4. Now as all Things in this vilibJe World are com^ pounded ofthefe three material Principles, 5W//j/'«r, Mer- cury and Salt-, fo are the invifible Worlds in their.fpiri- mal Nature, from whence the vifible'World proceed- ed, and in which it is erefted ; for ( Hebr. 7, 3. ) /Af Thingi which are feen, rseve made, ( may eck phynomainohn ) hot of Things that do fippear, but confequendy out of Things invifible, as the Vulgar Latin hath it : Ut ex in- vifibiltbus vifihilia fierent ; and to the fame Senfe istheSy- riac Verfion. Bur to proceed, the dark World ( Rev. 9, a.) is called the Abyfs or Bottomlefs Pit; andwhofbever go down into this Sea, fees God's Wonders in the Deep, Pfalm 107, 24. for there is the great leviathan, (zp) the crooked Serpent, the Dragon, Ifa. 27, i. Out of whofe Mouth ( Job. 41, 19. 20. 21. ) gobttrningLamps-,^ Spark$ cf Fire leap out: Out of his Noftrils goeth Smoak, as oat ofafeething Cauldron: His Breath hndleth Coals-, and a Flame goeth out of his Mouth, v. 31. He maketh the Deep to boil Tike a Pot : He maketh the Sea like a Pot of Oint- ment. 34. He beholdeth all high Things: He is a King 0- ver all the Children of Pride-, which are the Principalities, Powers and (jpiritual WickednefTes of this dark World ; Many o<^ which in their dark Bodies bear the Forms of terrible Beafts, Rev 9, 3. 17. Imothis Region Chrift de- scended, after his Giving up of the Ghoft:upon the Crofs; for this is a dillincl Article of the ancient Creed, and dgreeswkb^(f?j'2,27. Thou wilt not leavemy Soulin Heli-, which was by the Pfalmilt prophetically fpoken of Chrift's Defcending into Hell, and of his Redemptiort from it,- and Ephef^^s'. 'tisfaid, thatbrfore he afcended, ' -^ he (w) 1 deny not but fome great Sea -Monfter is ( in the Letter ) here delcribed ; but that the Deyil is here alio alluded to, and intendeds is not only my Judgment, butof many of the' Ancients, as appears ckar iy V«. 34^ which is a Key to the Reft, The Way to the Sahhath of Refl. 45 he defcmdedinto the lomer Parts of the Earth \ which can not be meant of his outward Body, becaufe that lay in, or near the Surface of the Earth: Or as in MattL 12, 40. i72to the Ifeart of the Earth. Where there is a Paral- lel made betwixt Jonas and Chrift, the Type and the Antitype ; which cannot well corre4)ond, except Chrift dercended into the Sphere of the inward fpiritual Levi- athan-, as Jonas into the Belly of the outward : From whence (in Type of Chrift) he faid, Jonah 2, 2. Out of the Belly of Hell cryed /, and thou hear deft my Foke. 5. Now Hell or the dark World may be called the Heart of the Earth, i. In Allufion to that large Sphere or Lake of Fire, which according to des Cartes and fome learned Hermetick Philofophers, is feated in and about the Center of the Earth, adly. In that according to the eternal Gradation of Beings and Principles it maybeftid to be withirl, in the Middle or Center of it ; the Earth and all terreftrial Matter being more outward, in the Cir- cumference. And though Hell is called Matth.Si i2- To Skotos to exoteron, the utter or more outward Darknefs; yet that's {poken in Relation to Paradise and the eternal World,' qot in Reference to the Earth and this World. 6. Now Chrift having paffed through this Principle into Paradise, draws us all after Him, according to that Promife : U^hen lam lifted up, on the Crofi^ 1 jviti draw aU Men unto me. Now this isno.other Way, than that he went through himfelf; for there is but one Way into e- terlafting life and the Kingdom of Glory,- and that very narrow too, according to Chrift's Words Matth. 7, 14. . Strait is the Gate, ananarrozp oraffliBed ( tethlimmenay Hpdos ) is the Way that leads into Life, and few there U that find it. Even they only who deny themfclves and take up their Crofles, and follow Him, who is the Way, not only through this World, but even through Death and Hell alfo,* for, though in Conformity to his Pattern we come to be caft into Hell, which M^. 13, 50. is called D » th 44 The -Way to the Sahhath of Refi. the Furnace of Fire, ( typed forth hy Nebuchadnetafs fiery Furnace, into which tne three Children were caftj) y€t the Son of God walks there with us, keeping us from that Tornrent and Pain, which the Damned undergo ; and making us with him to triumph over Principalities and Powers, and to conquer them by the Blood of the everiafting Covenant; which quenching the Fire of Wrath, raifeth the Spirits of the Obedient out of this dark Grave, into the joys of Paradife. 7. But we muft know, that in our Pfogrefs we may many Times be caft into Terror and Anguifh ,• yea feel Hell awakened in us", and afterwards be delivered by fbme Influence of Chrift's Spirit, and Infufions of his Love, and yet befliort of this Reftirrection, andofpafC- ing through Hell as Conquerors; which can never be till we defcend thither without Guilt, in Child-like In- nocency, with the Candle of the Lord in our Hands, which is the Pillar of Fire, which alone can lead us through this Night into the Day of Paradife. To which State whoever attain, cannot but fing thus, in the Joy of their Spirits : 8. Te Morning- Stars-, ye Sons ofUghtf Rejoyce with 'jubilation : ^j ( a ) once ye did when that firft Nighi Was fcattefd by Creation. Behold the Prince of Night is throan into his proper Place : And he that caft the Dragon down-, Hath. ( b ") rais'd me hy his Or ace. And now I ft and above that Grave, Where Wrath entombed is ; And wait-) that rich Crown to receive, Whi-ch will be perfeSi Blifi. to Job- ? 8' C*) Ezefc. j7,i3,ij, CHAR The Way to the Sabbath of Rell. 4? CHAP. XIII. I Thf Sou! thro' the inward dark JVorld enters into the internal Paradife. 2. It's State in this angelical Garden. 3 It's Enjoy- ments here. 4. This State, the fifth Day in the new Creation. I. BY this-Time the Soul experiencerh the happy State of being freed from the Principle of Selfnefs, in Re- turning toGod from theSpirit of the World, & fees the real Progrefs it hath made, from the outward thro' the inward dark World into the internal Paradife, where Adam ILved before his Fall, and where Chrift con- verfed betwixt the TimeofhisRefurreftion and Afcen- fion. In this fpiritual Region, theCurfe is not manifeft, there being a perpetual Spring. Here are the Idea's of all viflble Bodies, in much Beauty and appearing Luftre. Here are thofe bright Clouds, which overmadowed Chrift on the Mount, and when he was received op in- to Heaven; in which he will defcend, (^) when he comes again to judge the Earth. 2. Now the Soul having attained to the State of this angelical Garden, knows what it is to turn and become as a (?) Child, and to attain a fecret and quiet Life of Innqcency and pure Love, free from thofe Paflions and evil AfFeftions it had formerly groaned under. And here it experienceth what it is to be born of (/) Water and the Spirit, as a necefTary Qualification to do the Will of God : And fees it's Conception in the Womb of WiC- dom, (which is our new Mother) who here diftills the Milk of the eternal Word, ( from the eternal World ) to feed and nourilh the Soul ; Whither it now travels, as fixing its fight upon that pure River ofWater of Life,' clear as Chryftal, {g ) proceeding out of the Throse of God, and of the Lamb. But now likewife the Soul lives the life of fpiritual Vegetation, and grows like a Wil- low by the Water-Courfes, or (*&) a Lilly in the Garden ■ Dj pf C'')Rev.i,7. C*>»Pet.3.a. (DJoh- J.5' C-2)K.«v.32,t.^ (fc)Hof..i4.J. 46 The JVay to the Sabbath of Reft. of the Lord, being continually r'efreQied with the Dews of the eternal Heavens, and quickned by the Beams of the Sun of Righteoufnefs, and cherifhed with the en- livening jGales of the Holy Spirit. All that are in this State, are like the harmlefs Flowers in a fruitful Garden, fpringing from the ftme Ground, yet differing in Co- lour, Virtue, Smell, and Growth, according to their fe- veral Natures, and Times of Planting; yet all icrving to exprefs the Power, Love and Wiwom of their Cre- ator, without any Strife or Contention for Eminency, Place or Eileem, being all fatisfyed with what God af- fords them, and their different Capacities fit them for. 3. O what a fweet Harmony is here! What a beau- tiful Confent in exprefling the Goodnefi of the great Creator of all Things ! How far are Spirits here from envying the different Beauties and Ornaments one of another! How fweedy do they incline to mutual love and Agreement! As being the Branches of one pure Root, as enjoying the fame Kind of Nourifbment, and receiving Life from the fame (i) quickening Spirit ! How is all Wrath and Contention here forgot! How amiable do Spirits now begin to grow in the Eyes of Chrift, by their innocent ChildifnnefsJ And truly in this Difpenfation, we come to be cloathed with Humili- ty, wrap'd up in Meeknefs; expreiling nothing but the blefled Effefts of Heaven upon Earth; here we are full of Love -meltings towards Chrift, who baptifeth us in the fbft Water of fpiritual Meeknefs ; which overforeads the Soul, not fuffering any of the Fire of Paflion to fpring up. In this State the Soul is very watchful, over every Motion in the outward and inward Man, fearing to ftep down again into Nature, where before it had fo much Trouble and (/) Bitterneft; whereas now it is in a fweet pleafantReft, lying upon the Bed oflnnocency, fblacing it felfin the fweet (m) Embraces of it's Saviour, , who CO X Cor. 12, ij. CO Hebr. la, ij. C") Cant, i, fi. • ■ » Tie W0^ to the Sahbath of Refi. 47 who. now begins to fhew himfelf very clearly, and to afford almoft continual Refrejhments : In a Word, this is a Life of Stillnefs, Silence, and fpirirual Simplicity ; in which the Soul turning it's Eyes from Nature, looks direftly forward to ( « ) Eternity, and ftrongly breaths after it's Arrival there. 4. And here we come to .know the Work of the fifth Day in our new Creation, anfwering the fifth of thofe (even Spirits, which are the Eyes of the Lamb of God, Revel. 5, 6. JfHanmny doth in this Fifth arife, U'hat wiU it he, rvhen thou doft fabhatize. In that laft Day-, where all Variety Concenters in a per feci Unity ! Then ^and thou f aft-, poor Soul I and keep thy Growid-t Till with eternal Love thoujhalt he crown d. Take Heed of Luft which (o) unlock' d Adam's EyeSj And caft him to the Earth from Paradife. CHAP. XIV. 1 The Blejfednefs of this State further difcover^d, 2. jfs it refiores the internal Faculties of fplritualSenfation. 3 A Caution not to fet up our Rejl in thefe Enjoyments. I WHEN the Soul is arrived to this Baptifin of Meeknefs and innocent Love, and hath ex- perienced the comfortable Diftillations of the heavenly Dew to it's very great Profit and Growth, it comes to be much confirmed and eftablifhed in this Principle, and finds the Effects of it's prefent Sta- tion to be very bleffed, in Comparifbn of what it was, when it flood in the Fire of awakened Nature : And now feems, as one that hath paffed through a hot fiery Region into a moderate cool Air, where gentle Gales of Wind D 4 breath 48 The Way to the Sabbath of Refi. breath upon ir, and refrediing Dews entertain it, and cool- ing (/?) Waters are afforded to take away the Senfe of Thirit. And now it perceives the Happinefs ofthofewho have made their Way by Death through irregular and difcgrding Nature, into that fpiritual State, where there is Joy, 'Peace, (^) Reft and Harmony. This Condition then brings with ir a greater Death (r) to the World and all worldly Things, a total Difreliftiing of all Things corrupt and impure, though more refined ; and fo as it is deadned to the \A^orld and Selfiftinefs, it (j) lives the more ro God and all Qoodnefs, and finds it's Will more ftrongly drawn ro Chrift and Eternity. 2. And thisDifpenfation into which theSoul nowen- ters, is a State of much (?) Life and Quickning, and o{ much pleafing Enjoyment from the Objefts of the inter- nal Senfes, renewed and reftored by the Spirit of God ; for here the («) internal Faculties of fpiritual Senfation are more opened, and give a greater Enjoyment ofthe firft angelical (zp) Life which was inParadife : And We attain rheUfe and Reftoration of thefe Faculties through our Growth in Regeneration, and as a Priviledge pur- chafed for us by Chrift : So that all Saints (hall partake . of them, either here or in Heaven, according as their At- lainitientsare. In this State, our internal (x) Eye is more unlockedi to behold the paradifical World, with thofe lu- minous Objefts and Inhabitants that are in ir: Here we feefiich bright Clouds, as theDifciples Mattb.xj-, 5.{aw on the Mount, and atChrift's Afenfion, when he was taken up into Heaven, {^ABs 1,9.) in which he will likewife defcend again, Matth. 24, 30. Here alfo we fee the An- gels of Godafcendinganddefcending,as Jacd9 ziBethelt Gen 22 f 12. In this State alfo our in'wavd Ear is fweetly entertained with angelical Harmony, hearing the fweec (j) Harpers upon Mount Sion, and the Voices of thofe - _^ , that (p) Pfal. 4(5. 4. (51) Hebr. 4, j, (r) Gal, 6, 14. (O 1 Pet- 4. •■ ' (O X John 3, 14. Ca) Htbr^5, \\, (w) i John iri. (*) aKingr The U^ay to the Sabbath of Reft. 4^ — — . — '■ — S^ , i( , thai fing the Song o( Mofes and the Lamb, and of ihofe that cry Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Rev. 19, 1.3,4.^. with many other Voices out of the eternal World, Rev. 4, i . Moreover our internal Feeling is almoft continually en- tertained with the ftrong Conta£tions of the Word of Life, wTiich {bmetimes difcover themfelves by thrill- ing Motions throughout the whole Man; but moft com- monly by ftrong Infufions of the pure burning Tinfture of Jefusinto the Heart, Lnk.2^, 32. In this State likewife we okfinell the hot Perfumes of Paradife, and are pierced through vrith moft delightful Odours, which in- nife themfelves into the Tinaure of the Heart, create Delight, and give a plain Feeling and Senfe of the Pre- fence of Paradife, ana that invifible light World, where", there is no Curfe nor Corruption. And in a Word, here we /e^^ upon the heavenly Manna, Angel's Food, which is living Bread', that quickens, enlivens, and corroborates^ the Soul ; and we oft tajie very fvveet Dews, diffufing' themfelves with much Pleafiire, into that internal Senfe of Tafte, which lies within the Organ of the Tongue. Thus all the fpiritual Faculties of Senfation, are in this' Difpenfation more opened, and more freely entertain- ed with their peculiar Obje£ls. 3. But yet we are not to reft in thefe Enjoyment^, nor to go to build Tabernacles with them ; but to look fbrwarcl, and to prefs after perfeft Union with the di- vine Nature in the eternal World : Where is our true Sabbath of Reft, in the Vifion of God, and theperfeft' Fruition of his Love for ever, i Thejf. 4, 17. Heh.4^ 5I The Pleafures which in this State we enjoy, - ^Are only known to thsfe that do obey ; For J Souls that do imbibe Sin's Poyfon herC) Have neither Eyes to fee, nor Ears to hear Thofef acred ObjeSls of divine Senfation, Which are the PUafures of the new Crmtien : Man's lapfed Senfe and Reafon know them not, • They are the liftle Children^ sf acred- Jjof. GHAP.^ JO , The Way to the Sabbath of Reli. CHAP. XV. ~~ I The SouPs. Enjoyments in its Approaches to the eternal World. 3 By its Growth in Love to God. . 3 Its Fellow- Members. 4 And all Men.- BY this Time the Soul begins to draw near the e- ternal World, in its fixed Station and habitual Enjoyment, lying under the Showers of Love, which deicend from the Heart of God and the Bofbm of Sophia : Here the bleffed Tin£ture of Jefiis coming fo powerfully, as though it Itreamed from his glorified Humanity, flows into the Soul like a River of Oyl mixed with Fire, which affords that unutterable Delight, which cannot be conceived by thofe that know it not experimentally. 2. Here Chrift faith : Drink, yea, drink abundantly, O Beloved J And fills large Cups of Love, heavenly Lovetopoure into the Soul; Co that it fometime^ comes to be {b)Jick of Love-, not knowing how to carry it's felf through the abundant Showers that fall upon it : For Chrift many Times toucheth the Soul with a pierc- ing Beam of Love, which by this is fijddenly drawn to a quick Return ; and this gives freer Paffage tor a new Impreflion, which more excidng the Powers of the Soul to a new Imbrace, opens the Way more for the King ofGlory to enter, with that Power and unutterable Force of divine Love, that the Soul becomes filled, {wallo\yed up, and tranfported into a Kind of Rapture, not being able to exprefs thofe Pleafures, Gufts, Imbraces, Love- Extafies, which then are piercing through it, nor fiiffi- cient Praifes and Hallelujahs to the great King of Saints, who beftows fiich royal Tokens of Love upon it. 3. And as in this State, there is fiichholy Commerce in pure Love, betwixt God and the Soul, fo there is be- twixt the ^oul and (f ) other Saints; who cannot but ' wonderfiilly X*) Cant, a, s- (c ) ?fal. 16, j. The Way to the Sahbathof Repft 51 wonderfully own and love one another, and delight ia thatLikeneft of God, which they fee in each other, and blefs him for thofe living Powers of Grace and Love, that are communicated in the Worfhip of God, by which they exceedingly refrefh each others Spirits. Now this mutual Love chiefly flows from a ( d) Sight and Senfe of Onenefs, which exceedingly enforceth this great Clofl ing and Outflowing of Spirit, to delight, comfort and refrefh one another. And here is. that Strengh of Love, that We could give our (e) Lives for the Brethren, and endure much AfRiftion to free them from Sufferings : Here we bear one another's Burdens, and fb fulfil the royal Law of Love ; for we can keep nothing as our own, but what we heartily communicate and make our Bre- thren Partakers of, becaufe they are Part of our felves: Here we come to practice that heavenly Law of loving our Neighbours as our Selves, and of doing God's Wifl onEarth, as ir is done in Heaven ; for which End Man and the vifible World were brought forth : For the Breaking forth of Sin and Wrath was not according to God's molt pure and holy Will, which is good, and tends to Sal- vation and Bleffing, and the Keeping of his Creatures in that primitive Harmony,in which they came out of God's Hands, as fitted to glorify Him through mutual Love, and regular Obedience. And this is the End of Chrifl's Coming into the World of Man's Nature, "even to re- ftore it from theDifcord of Sin and Wrath, to the Har- mony of pure Love and Righteoufnefs. 4. Therefore 'tis a happy State to have attained this Habit of Love before defcribed, which will not termi- nate within the Sphere of our Neighbours and Brethren, but in fomeMeafure flow out to all; caufingus to breath after, endeavour and pray (/) for their Change: for it is the Nature of true Love to communicate it felf, and to delight in propagating it's own heavenly Image, that fb ^ many iA^ Joh. 17, 2|. (e) a Cox. 12, 1$. C/^ iXim. 2» v f 2 The rFay to the SaUath of Refl. many may come to partake of Bills dcHappinefs through it. And in this Enjoyment, if we find any that know and poflefe but little, yet third much after God, O how will our Hearts burn within us] How ready fhall we be to employ our Talents for their Good, and to difcover that Way, which leads through Nature into the King- dom of the Love J What Labour and Pains could we take> to be inftrumental in changing and quickning them, and • in bringing them through the Crofs to our own State of Happinefs ! So that this Di^enfation abounds much in Love, both to God and our Neighbour, fitting theSoul forAfcenfion into Eternity, there to fee and know with Satisfaction and Delight thofe Wonders, which the holy Angels and glorified Saints, are continually view- ing with Joy and Admiration. Bleft is that Soul which is arrived here-) Where quickning Love cafts out de'^Sting Fear^ And gives tlmt fraeet Compofure to the Mindy That it lies paffive to that holy Wind, Which blowing from the higheft Paradije, Invites the Soul to come andfabhatife In that bright Day-) where the Arch - Angels fing Sweet HaUelu'^ahs to our Chriji, their Ki?2g. _____ Being the Conclujion to the Reft. 1 By the forefnid Preparations the Soul is fitted for the Opening of the eternal PForld. z This Remove not attainable^ hut by an En- tire Refignation of our Wills. 3 The Soul's Afcent .an EffeSl of the divine Power. 4 Wonders difcover' d in this Afcent. 5 The . _. ' the ~ Fruit of thefe Difcoveries 6 The Difference of the Openings of Eternity in the Heart, from thofe in the Head. I. TH E Soul being brought thus far in the Heart- work by the Power of Jefiis, through thePraftice oftheCrofs in Self-denial and Refignation, lives ' in habitual fpringtngs up of the Love in the Cen- tre The Way to the Sahhnth of Reft. $3 tre of it's Spirit, where the Work is near finiftied ; the Will being conftantly drawn toward the Heart ofGod,inthc Chariot of Love. And in this State the Soul is complete- ly fitted for Afcenfion, and the Opening of the etern^ World, which is Part of the Head -Work; for in that the fpiritual Eye is feated, which is capable to fee and know the Wonders of Eternity. 2. And though fbme in a Rapture may be taken up in- to that World, long before the Work in rheir Hearts, Wills, and AfFeftions is finished,- yet fiich muft after- ward go through the Work in Nature, of re£lifying all their Properties, and of bringing their Wilis into Death, and pure Refignation, that fothey maybe fitted for the Birth of the Love. Whence it's clear that this State of Regeneration, attained in the Will through the Death, is far more confiderable, and nearer Perfection than the higheft Rapture without fiich a fof egoing Work ; and the Afcenfion, after this Work of Regeneration in the Heart, is more weighty, and more tending to Perfeftioij, than any Rapture of Tranfportation before, can be; becaufe by fuch a Work the Will is wrought up into a conftant Union with Chrift, which by Afeennon is more confirmed and eftablilhed, the Heart through that, being more raifed above (^)all mortal corraptible Ob- je£ts, and more I'educed into a paflivefilent Waiting for the Opening of the eternal Temple-, whence the infalli- ble Voice proceeds, and where the great High - Prieft fparkles with the mofl bright Beams of divine Glory. 3. But the Manner of the Soul's Aflending from the Internal to the Eternal World, is very remarkable and wonderful. lt(h) cannot of its felf move one Degree upward : That ^me Hand of Power which carried it downward, to fee the Wonders of God in the Depths, mufl carry it upward to fee his Wonders in the high Places above. So that in this, the Soul is meerly paflive ,' ' The (f) Col. J, I. C*)Joh. IS, i. " "^ f 4 T^e ^ay to tk Sabhath of Reft. "• — r- % '■ ■■ ■ — -— " The Spirit of Chrift being the Agent, which def cending with an over-fhadbvving Virtue upon it, wraps (i; ic • up fwiftly, and in a ftrong Force (by which the foul's Afts are for a while fiifpended ) tranflates it, as it were, in a ftraight Line from the inward toward the Inmoft. 4. InthisTranflation or Afcenfion, what Wonders are feen and felt, I /hall not particularly exprefs : But in ge- neral, this I muft declare, that there is an unutterable Power transfufing the Soul in this Afcent, which firft comes into the Womb of the invifible Worlds, (out of ' which they iffiie) in which it finds an uriiverfal Silence or Stilnefe ; and above which it difcovers a great Glo- ry, inhabited by glorified Spirits who there live in per- petual Harmony and Joy, finging Hallelujahs to the Lamb of God,' and continually waiting upon the in- fallible Voice proceeding from the Throne of God. To be taken into this, is a further Degree of Afcenfion, be-, ing the fecond Manfion in the eternal World ; where \k) Myriads of Angels attend thofe Commands, which come out of the moft holy Place, which is the laft and higheft Manfion in that World, answering to Love^ as the fecond to life, and the firft to Z,/g/^?, correfponding with the threefold Manifeftation of Father, Son, and Holy Ghofl, But to fpeak much of the two lafl, requires greater Experience than yet I have enjoyed. Neither is it expedient to defcribe the firfl, nor thofe Wonders which are in it, in Regard of thatBlindnefs and general Enmity, which is in Men's Hearts againil the deep My- fteries of God in invifible Nature. 5. But after Afcenfion into the firft, the Soul becomes io much indued with the Senfe and Apprehenfion of thofe fpiritual Myfi:eries, it was there acquainted with ; and hath fiich a clear View of the outward World and of the Mifefy that moft there lye in, that it cannot but weep over the greateflPart of Men, as Chrifl: did over Jerufalem^ COaCqr.is, «. (fc)Rev. «. 11. The Way to the Sahlath of Reft. 55 ' ." ■■ •' '• ja '■ j^erufalem, as feeing them exceeding ignorant ot Eterni- ty, and fo of their own everlafting Happinefs ; and in- volved in the Spirit of the outward World, where the Prince of the World holds them captive, and makes them Enemies to t^ie Kingdom of Love, in which there is no ■ Enmity, Covetoufheft, Luft nor Deceit, nor any fuch Things as thofe are,* which in the World are moft court- ed and admired. After this alfo the Soul begins to dis- cover the evil Properties and Habits of Men's Spirits, very much portrayed in their Faces, difcovering in their very Afpe£ls and Signatures thofe beftial and devilifh PaC lions, by which they are fwayed and captivated within ; fb'that the Eye many Times afFe£ls the Heart with Grief, in viewing the fad Eftate of Souls eftranged from the Life of Innocency, and pure Virginity, and imprifbned in the dark Chains of corrupt Flefh and Blood, Here likewife the Soul is exceeding palfiv«, and much compre- hende^l in deep abftraft Silence, by which it much en- joys unutterable Pleafijres, and Gufts from the inward Ground of Eternity, having much Senfe of the Nearne6 of that Kingdom, where the angelical Thrones fing Hal- lelujahs, and fport themselves in the innocent Delights of their eternal Spheres and luminous Manfions. And as the Soul pafleth from the firft Manfion tow^d the fe- cond and third, Jefus (tn) o( Nazaretb (in*his glorified Humanity) begins to give great Demonftrations.of his Prefence, and to vifit the inward Man with frequent and very great Impreifions; fo that it cannot doubt but that he is fometimes perfonally prefent, infufirigtheTinfture of his glorified Body into the Heart, which is fweeter than Honey, and burns like Oil and Fire mixed together. And truly thisDifpenfarion is exceeding comfortable and very weighty ; for the Difcovery of Chrift's Prefence fometimes f\vallows up the Soul into un^eakable Joy, being transfufed with the Breath of his Mouth, which is mofl • ^ — — 'n il (m^ Ads 32> 7. 10. I8> John lifi 31^' ..J5 7he Way to the Sablath of Reft. moft odoriferous f»and quickened by the Touch of his Body, which is moft delightful ,• and pierced through with the Sound of his Voice, which is moft harmonious and powerful i caufing the Soul deeply to admire the Grace of God, and to cry out with S4. Thomas : Afjl Lord and my God / In this DifpenfationyVhrift fhews very powerfully, the Neceffity of his Mediation-) as God -Man ; and that ivhatever ipe receive:, is through Him-, whoftandmg in the deepeft Union with the Father-, conveys all Light, Life and Love from himf elf into us-, who at the Lime of the Re~ ftitiition of all Things, A£ls. 3,21. will again breath the Imly Ghoft on his chopn Feffels, of which thofe in the primitive Time received but thefirft Fruits. He alfo reveals in /his State, how the Myftery of Iniquity (even the Spirit of Antichrift) works in moft Sects of Chriftians; carrying them either to deny or flight the great Myftery of hi* mediatory Office : Or by Mifconceptions to cry up his Blood and Merits, to the Prejudice of Mortification, Self-denial, and the Imitating of his moft innocent Life, as our Pattern to walk by in this World. 6. Moreover in this Difpenfation, the^ Soul enjoys very great Openings of Eternity in the Heart, which are different from Openings in the Head, where the inward Senfes of hearing and feeing are relidentj for whatever in a divine Sight (Eternity Opening in the Head) we clearly and diftinftly view and behold, the fame (in a Heart-Opening) we really feel andhandlein afpiritual Way ; for in it We come experimentally to know and perceive the Motions and adminiftring Influences of An- gels: The Virtue and Efficacy of Chrift's univerfal atjd particular Body : The Harmony, Love and Enjoyments of the Spirits of juft Men made perfect, with much of the Glory and Majefty of that Kmgdom prepared for us from the Beginning of the World, into, which none can OTter but thofe, who have (?z) forfaken all for Chrift, and ~C«) Luke 14) ; 3- ^ ftii f^ay to the Sdhath of Rejl. f ^ ■I Ml I II I I > '*" ■ i II and devefted themfelves of all the Veftments of Cor- ruption, and have put on the Robe of Innocency, which is the Gaiment of trlie Virginity, iti Which they VVill not be aftiaraed to ftand before the Son of Man, in his Kingdom. Toen he ye tvife immoYtat Sparks ofF'iri, Andftri'Je to get you Garments of pure Light } In which you may from mortal Dregs retire Into that Glory-, where's no Spot of Night. do but weigh howfwiftly Time goes by-, And how all earthly Pleafures rife and fall { AsfoOfi as they a Being have, they die, And nothing can their hajiy Joy recall. But when the outward Garment is withdrawrt) Eternity prejents its conftant Face, In -which all AElions clearly will be JhSwn,. fFhich ever have been wrmght in Time's ^ort Racit Butfuch alone can there pyfeffed be Of Happinefi, that have been born again : Others will feel the Fangs of Mifery, Who in their Wills Corruption ftill retain. Then die to Sin, while on the Earth you live; So after Death, true Life you jhall receive. A Brief ESSAY in Verfe, Upon the 13 th Chapter of Corin* thianSj the Firlt. TtiO' i with Eloquence fliould veffed bd Above the Pitch of meer Humanity ; So as in Tongues with Angels foi: to Vief^ Yet all is nothing without C&tfr/V)/; Like founding BrafS;^ oi- the ( And hidden Wifdom be unvaild to me; So that in Knowledge equal I become To the great Soul of wile King Solomon j Yea, tho' by Faith vaft Hills I could remove> Yet all is nothing without perfe£l Love. J. Tho' all my Goods in Alms I (hould beftow, And fo great Zeal for my Religion ftiow, As to confent my Flefti in Fiames (hould burn, Rather-than from my dear Opinion turn : Yet thence no Profit to my Soul can rife, Except to Love, it felf s a Sacrifice. 4. This Love by it's true Charafters may be Diilinguiih'd from pretended Charity ; It perfeveres in Patience and is kind. Then, when to try ir, all Things feem combin'd. Envies black Tindure it didnever know, Nor Oftentation in it's Actions tbow. It is not puft up, but will kifs the Duft, To help thoCe Souls, which in it's Goodnefs truft. 5. Comely to all it (elf it doth exprefs, Through Condefcenfion feeking for to blefs. No SeU-Love ever did it's Actions ftain. It ftoops to fuffer, to make Others reign. No (b) Bitternefs did ever in it rife From the worfl: Actings of it's Enemies ; But ftill it rhinks the Befl, is not fevere Sin to impute, but rather all would clear. 6. All Falfttood and Injuftice diftant are. As from it's Joys, fo from it's fpotlefe Sphere : But Truth in Heart, Word, Works, are it's I^elighf ; A pk-afifg (*) The Greek iniports> 'tis never prgyoked into high Paffion or imbktereA • 7he lyar) to the Saht/ath of Refi. f9 M l -f r-i ^ . . i . - I ii n -■ I I II I ■■ 1 : A pleafing Objeft to a Virgin Sight* 7. it (f ) covers all that Malice would reveal i It pardonsj and would fain all Breaches heali It doth believe all that may Crimes excufe, Except meer Evidence makes it refufe. And tho' Things at the prefent may feeni bad^ It hopes at Length they will be better madCi Thus it endureth all Things, waits to fee, Through the long Patience, a full Viftory 1 8. Which Love will gain ; for it can never die* But muft oUt-laft the Gfft of Prophecy : Yea, and of Languages ; for they muft ceafej And give Way to united Bleflednefs : When all our twilight Knowledge will expire In the bright Beams of it's eternal Fire. 5. Knowledge and Prophecy are but in Part* But Love's that Eflence which muft fill the Hearf* * By that imperfeft Gifts abfbrbt muft bej But that ends well that dies in Charity. 10. Children like Children feafbn, think and l|>eakj Their intellectual A£tings are but weak ; But when to manly Age we do arrive, No longer then in childifti Things we live 3 So wh6n our Hopes in Love confummate arSj Imperfeft Lights and Gifts will difappear. 11. For litde here but Images we fee, And Pi£lures of effential Verity ; i Eternal Truths in Riddles do appear, Much is obfcure, but very liirie clear. Yet when the perfect Love wa (hall poflefS) ^ ^ E z With lc^ln the Engli/h : It beareth nli Thinss i but according to the Greek it Inay be l/etter rendered: Itcovers or hides aU Things. Elfc the laft Words ifthe Veiie and thefe import the yery famei. 3. This €t The 'Journeys of the ChiUren of IfraeT. This Eldad and Medad feem'd alfo to be exemplary in Modefty, or Humility, another important Quality ©f aRuler ; for this appears the Caufe of their not com- ing openly to the Tabernacle with the Reft, as efteem- ing themfelves unworthy of {uch Honour. The Refem- blance of this at leaft, was in Said-, when on a like, but greater Occafion, he hid himfelf amongftthe Stuff, i Sam. lO, 12. Now were chriftian Nations bleft with fiich Rulers, that were exemplary and reftmbled him ( who (tiles him- felf the Prince of the Kings of the Earth ) as well in Good- nefe, Juftice and Humility, as they do in their Autho- rity, we might expeft a Proportion of the fame Spirit poured forth upon them, which was here upon Eldad and Medad, with the Reft of the Seventy ; which would caufe them ro befb far from fuppreffifig Prophecy, that they would exercife themfelves: Which Priviledge no good Man ought to envy them, but rather for it the more to receive and honour them, as remembring Mo' fes's Anfwer to zealous Jofhua, who would have had him reftrain Eldad and Medad from Prophecy ; to whom he replyed : Envieft thou them for my Sake? IVould to God! AU the Lord's People were Prophets-, and that the Lord iDould put his Spirit upon them, Numb, ii, 29. The 3d Scripture is the 14 Verfe of Deut. z. Rife ye tip, take your journey and pafi over the River Arnon t Behold I have given, into thy Hand, Sihon the Amorite King o/"Hefhbon, and his Land; begin to poffefi it, and contend mth him in Battle. The literal Senfe is manifeft, the fpiritual or moral is this : All that profeft themfelves Travellers towards the fpiritual Canaan, are here excit- ed, to rife our of any falfe and imperfeft Reft in the Way, and to advance towards Perfe£tion ; particularly to pafs over Arnon, that is the abiding or continual Curfe, which ftands in Power and Force, againttall that have but the Forna of Godlinefs without the Life ; for iuch TJie Journeys of the CMcIren of Ifi-aef. £9 foch being in no true Work of Faith, Repentance and Converlion, are under the Law, and therefore under the Curfe, Gal. 3, 10. But this Exhortation chiefly concerns rhofe, who are in the real Beginning and Procefs of the new Birth, that they /hould arife and fhake themfelves from the Duft^ proceed forwards and endeavour wholly to get through Arnon-, that continued Curfe, which in fore Chaftile- ments for Sin, may fometimes touch them, fee the s (Oor II, 3©. Rev. ig, 4. To fuch God faith : Behold or confider ! Ihavegiveri into your Hand Sihon-, that is the Defivoyer, (viz.) Sa~ tan himfelf ; The Amorite-, that is, The bitter Envious One-, that bittef Spirit ; King ofHejhl/on, that is, of Reafou cr Reafoning; that falfeReafoning, which begets Enmity and Bitternefs in the Hearts of God's People, One againft Another ; For this Reafbn or Wifdom deftendeth not from dihove, hut is earthly-, fenfual and devilijh. Jam. j, 14. i J« This malignant Spirit, the Prince of the Power of the Air, we are to refift, and to contend with him in Bat- tle, that he may not infe£l our Reafon with Principles of Strife and bitter Zeal ; but rather that we may begin to pofleft, gradually to inherit our own Cogitations and Reafon, and fo wreft them out of his Hand, who hath by Craft and Ufurpation, fubjefted them to his Power and Influence ; and in this Contention againft the Old Serpent, the Deftroyer, to recover our Reafbn and in- telleftual Faculties out of his Dominion, that we may fey with the Apoftle : The ff^eapons of our Warfare art not carnaU but mighty through God., to the Pulling down offtrong Holds, eafting down Imaginations or ReafoningSy and every Thing that exalts it f elf againfi the Knowledge cf God-, and brining into Captivity every Thought-, to the Obedience ofChrifi, 2 Cor. 10, 4. 5. The 4th Scripture is Part of the 41 Ver. of the loth l>£^ojh. And joibHafmote tbem from Kadefh Barneai even yo The Journeyi of the Children of Ifrael. even to Azza : Tbem, th^t is the Canaanites, who repre- fent the {everal Habits or Kinds of Sin, as Jojhua figures Chrift, (as I (hall hereafter fhew) who coming to de- ftroy the Works of the Devil, mortifies* and cuts off our Sin from Kade^ Bavnea-, that is, the Holineli of the utt* ftahle Child-, or the unftable Holinefi of the Child, even unto Az.za, Strength and Confirmation. Chrift proceeds in cir- eumcifing our Hearts, in fijbduing and deftroying our Iniquities, from our weak Child's State in the Regene^ ration, (iri which we are yet but unftable in Holinefs) even to Strength and Confirmednefs of Obedience, to A%za^ to the State of young Men in the New - Birth ,• concerning whom, John exprefleth himfelf thus : Ihave tpritten unto you-, young Men ', becaufe ye are ftrongi and the U^ord of God ahideth in you, and ye have overcome the U^icked One-, i Joh. 2, 14. The 5th isjofliua i$, Ver. fo. Accordingtothe Word of the Imdy they gave him the City which he ajked, even Timnath Serah, which he huilt and dwelt therein : This City after it was thus repair d by J'ofhua, is called Jud. 2,9. 7I/BK/7?i5-//^r«, by Inverfion of the Letters. The Myftery of which is this : Timnath -Serah fignifying, The Image of Superfluity or Corruption, reprefents hu- man Nature, the Souls of Men corrupted by Sin, la* bouring under the Superfluit)'^ of vain Thoughts, earth- ly Paflions and Defires; yet Jofhua, that is Refits, afk'9 us, tho' defiled, of the Father for his Pofliemon : Ajk, and I will give thee the Heathen /or thy Inheritance, and the uttermoft Parts of the Elartb for thy Poffeffion. IVhen he pajfed by-, and f aw us polluted in our Blood, He f aid un- to us: Live. Timnath-Serah, after it vvas by j^ojhua re- pair'dand builr, was called Timnath - Heres, that is, the Image of the San; fb Chrift by renewing and rebuilding us, and fo fitting us for his own Abode, renders" us con- form to his orvn Image, Rom. 85 29. who himfelf is the Light off he World, the SunofRighteo^nefi, by Refle^onfrom whom Tie Jcwme^s of the Childven of Iftael. jf ■.'« ■■ ■ " ■ — - 1 ' . ■ whom, we alfb that werefometimes Darkneji,hec fires and irregular Appetites, which fomenting Strife and Divifion in the Church, are to be mortified and cur off by Gideons Sword, that is, by the Circmncifion of Chriji; for as St. '^ames faith to the Jem, Jam. 4, i. From whence proceed fVars or Fightings, (or Contention) come they not hence even of your Lufts, that war in your Mem" hers / Which therefore are not to be indulged, but cut off, as Oreb and Zeeb were by Gideon. Who alfo flew Zehah and Zahnunnah-, Kings o? Midi' • ■ for Sin and rhe crucified Jelus, uftially irradiates the Souli and rransfufeth it with the Senfe of divine Love, moft free Grace, and infinite Goodnefs ; fb that the Soul un- der Kenan-, the State of Mourning, may comfort it (k\£ with a fecure Expeftaiion of Mahalaleel, the State ofdi- vine Lis^t anJ Praife, ready to fijcceed, according to that of the Pfalmift t f^'hy art thou cafl down my Soul, and jvhyart thou difquieted in me? Hope thou in God ; for I (hall yet praife Him for the Help ( or Salvations ) of his Countenance. Pf. 42, '5. The fixth is ^ered, or Jared, that is, defcending, ruling in which there are two Things confiderable, i ft. Chrift's flirfherDefcentinto us, after his reviving Appearance in us,' that is, his deeper Ingrefs into the Heart, to poffefs it's Properties, and rule there, increafing his glorious Do- tninion in great Sweetnefs, Meeknefs, Love, Humility and Righteoufnefs. zdjy. Our humbling our felves in' the Senfe of his abundant Goodnefs, and by that Attain- ing to be Co far exalted, as to reign with him over Self and Sin: Which is to begin tojhare with Chrifl in his Th-oncy Rev. 3, 21. And to enjoy that Empire inwardly which in a more external Senfe ("as to worfriip) isafcribT ed to Jitdah, Hofea 11, 12. Judah yet ruleth with God^ or cum Deo fortiy with the ftrong God, as Tremellius ren- ders if. The feventh is Enoch, that is; i. InjiruSled or inJiruB- ing 2. Dedtcattm or dedicated. The fir ft Signification implies thatDifpenfation, when being our felves taught of God, from divine Charity and the ftrong Impulfes of the Holy Ghoft, we take all Opportunities of inftru£t- ing Others in the Myfteries of the New -Birth: This is the ftrong Man's State in Chrift; for not arriving at which, when they had been fo long converted, St. Paul reproves the Hebrews Chap, f, 12. IVhen forthe Time ye mditto he Teachers, gfff.See ABs i8,2 we are impowered daiJy xo fiibjnit to ir. i. Our becoming wholly conform} at leaft internally to the Crucifixion of Tefus, wh^n we fgem to he ft'vkkmi fmitten ofGadi a% fie was Y(pHted ; ( Ifa. 53,4.) yet all this jn nieer Love, that the jBody of Sin being deflrc^ed^ and the Vail of Flelh rent, we might afcend into deeper Union with the De^ ity, as knowing that having been planted together in thf Likeneji of his Deathy ipe jhall he ^Ijd in the ukeneji of hit i^en^rre^iion-, Rom; 6, f. The tenth and laft is Noah, that ig, Meft', or Confolatiotft This imports the third Difpenfation» fnat of the Spirit, flfter the J^abours of Regeneration and full Conformity to Cbrirt's Death; for Lctmech faid of Noah, Gen. f , 29, This fame jhall comfort us; fo faith our Saviour : / wiU pyay the Fat her y and he Jhall fend you another Comforter ^ that be inay abide with you for ever-, even the Spirit of Tyuth^ John 14, i^. ij. Now this Spirit fhall comfort us, ( as It was faid of Noah) or make us to reft (as in the Sep- tuagent) from our Work, and the Toil of our Hands, t)y making internal aqd external Obedience eafy, by fliedding abroad the Lpve of God into oyr Hearts ; that poble principle which, is there difFufed by the Spirit, Ram- It ^- Which will alfo comfort tis-, cojicexning the Qround which the Imd hath curfed ;■ For if the Spirit of him-, that raifed up Cbriftfyom the Dead^ dwell in us ; He that raifed up Qhrififrom the Dead-, Jhall alfo quiclien out pmrtal ^od^eh by his Spirit that dw.ell?th in us-, R^i 8, u, 3q thsf ViviiicatiQn and Tr^nfmutarion oftheterr^ftrial Body isafcribed to the Spirit, by which therefore Chrif^ will effe^ this great Work, expreffed in other Terms, P^iA 3, 21. W^ho Jhall (hange our vile Bodies, andfajhion thm like to his glorioiis Body-, according to the f^orkingy (or internal Working, energian) ;phmby-he is able to fiMie fdi Things to himfilf Thus we f?e'thefe ten Names, which in meer Read-^ ing Q^ tbem ^mmi be very pkafani w aoyi mv pvofi- The Journey t iff the Children of Ifrael. St iliill H i y iilw " I ■ I I I I " i I il l 1 , I ^mmmntmmw n I !■ table, except to very^reflefting Perfons ; yet afford a delightful and moft ufeTul Epitome of the great Work of Regeneration. The Difpenfation of the Father being comprized in the four firfl, ending in KenanyMiyitrnm^: As Mofes reprefenting the fame, left Ifrael in y4lfel -Shit^ tint-, the Sorrow for Scourgei ; fw the Larv is our ShooU Mafter unto Chrift. Gal. 3, 24. The next reprefent tho Sort's Difpenfation and end in Lantech, that is, Smiting and ^i7i»g, importing our full Conformity to the Death of Chrift. That of the Spirit, is exhibited in that one Name of Noah ; which being the Crown and Comple- ment of the Work, carried on in the two former Difpen- fations, (and infallibly following them in all that were made conformable to Chrifl's Death ) needeth not fb di- ftinft a Reprefentation by various Names, as the two former : For if we have hen planted together, in the Like- Wfi ofChriJi's Death, wejhal! be alfo in the Likenefi of hit JtefurreSlion. And if our Perfeverance thro' the internal Baptifm of the Farher and Son be fecured, that of the Spirit mufl fiicceed by a neceffary Connexion. There- fore faith our Saviour, Joh. 14, 15. If ye love me, keep my Commandments, arid I will pray the Father, and he jhall fend you another Comforter, that he may abide xpithyoufof fver. And tho' this Promife particularly refpefts the Gift of the Holy Ghofl, which was in that Age, in an extraordinary Manner effufed upon Believers, many of which were not prepared, by having paffed thro' the two former Difpenfations; yet it ftiewerh the Order of the Spirit's Difpenfarion, that of efFe£hialunfelfi(hLove: Jn that 'tis faid : ^ye love me, keep my Commandments ; and I will pray the [lather, ^c. Where Perfeverance un- der Obedience to the fame, that genuine Obedience, that followeth from Love, is made a Mean to the then Difciples, of receiving the Bleffing of the Comforter j as Perfeverance under the Baptifm of the Father, and Gontinuance under the Paptifm of Ghrift's Sufferings, F f are gj The Jonrneys &f the Children qflfrael ■ II I — ^ I r .. . I I are neceffary Means, and a Preparation for theDifpen- farion orBapcifm of the Spirit, our Immerflon into the Love of God ; which with it brings Reft and eternal Confolation : For in that Difpenfation Chrift will rvrite upon us the Name of God, and the Name of the City ofGody which is new jerufalem : That is, He mli make us Par- takers of the divine Nature, and of the divine Body-, which is the Tabernacle of God-, called our Houfe which is from Heaven. 3 Cor. y, 2. With which our Souls being cloth- ed, and into which fully entred, we fhall morefecurely fail into the eternal World, that fpiritual Land of Peace, than they in NoaFs Ark, thro' the boyfterous Waves, to the Mountains of Ararat, where the Ark retted. Gen. g, 4. But to draw towards a Conclufion ; one great Reafbn of my Endeavouring to evince a moral and myftical Senfe, in the proper Names and hiftorical Paffages of thofe Scriptures, I (hall in the fubfequent Difcourfe re-* ifleft upon ; I fay one chief Reafbn is, to unfold and il- luftrate the diftinft Work of Regeneration, our gradual Palling thro* the Work of the Trinity, in our Souls .; that threefold Baptifm before mentioned, which we muft all witnefe, e're we can arrive at our ultimate Perfection, the Refurre£tion- State. The Confufion that many are Under, in their Apprehenfions about this great Work, taufeth their Sticking in the firft Budding and Appear- ance of it, and occauons Others to grow dead, and fall into dangerous Relapfes, for Want orcontinued Watch- folnefs, and a true Underftanding of the Neceflity of forgetting thoje Things that are behind, and ftretching /i^ ter thofe Things that are before, if by any Means, to attain the RefurreSlion of the Dead, Phil. 3, 1 1. 13. Which Con- tention of our Soulj for the great Prize, St. Paul being under, propofeth himfelf as a Pattern to Others in lay- ing : Let as many as be perfeEl, be thus minded, Verfe i j". And Ver. 17. after: Brethren! Be Followers together of nu-, find mark them which walkfo, as ye have us for an Example. The Journeys of the Children of Ifttef, fl^ - - ■ — " ■• ' " . I ' .,, Example. The fame Apoftle coppares our Progrcifs in Regeneration to a Race, i Cor.9, 24. 25". Know ye not that they that run in a Race-, run all ; but one receiveth the Prize. ^ So run that ye may obtain. And every Man that ftrivetb for the Majiery, is temperate in all Things', now they do it, to obtain a corruptible Crown, but We an in- corruptible. Here St. Paul manifeftly alludes tothcGre- eian Games and Exercifes, ( with which the Corinthians were well acquainted, the Ifimiban being celebrated a- mongft them ) and fb excites them by refleiling on the exacl and ftri£l Preparations and moft earneft Conten- tion of the Racers or Combatants:, to acquire a fading or leafy Crown ; to be much more concerned, and more ftrenuoufly to labour in their chriltian Race, that they might arrive at ton Stephanon aphtharton, an unfading or incorruptible Crown ; for as the utmoft Endeavours fblute or final Perfeftion is not meant ; for as fo that, he had before faid, Ver. ij. Not as the' Iweire already pef* feB : But Perfe^lnefs in the Way, real Sincerity, which confifts in following God with our whole Heart; prefT- ing towards Perfediion without Referve, according to the Meafiire of Grace received, as St. Paul did, to which he animates others in faying : Let as many as be perfeBj he thus minded- In this Senfe the Hebrew Words, Tarn and Tafnini) are oft ufed, as when 'tis faid of Jacob, that he was a plain Man dwelHng in Tents. In the Hebrew 'tis Jam-, a perfe£l Man, ( fo rendred in that Place by the interli- neary and Cbaldee Verfions ) that is, he had an honeft fincere Heart to God and Man, In this Senfe is Tamint taken, Pfal. 119, i- Bleffed are the undefiled in tha JVay. in the Margent 'tis ; The PerfeSl or Sincere ; which cer- tainly comprehends all that ferve God without Referve, that live up to their Light in real Sincerity, whatever Difpenfiition they are in : For in the fime Place they are defcribed, to be fuch asfeek God with the zvhoie Heartf md have RefpeEl to all his Commandments. In this Senfe J^raeVs Encamping at Etham-, reprefents Souls arrived at a State of veal Integrity-) dejigning with all their Might to comply with God's fytU, and labour after PerfeBion ; as a Mean to which, they ferioufly turn into the inward Work comprifed in Etham-, as it fignifieth metaphorical- ly in a (econd Senfe, a Plow -jhare, or their Plow-Share } importing a morally fpiritual Introverjian to cultivate our Souls, (which as to their unregenerate Part are asaWil- dernefs ) that they may not bear the Thorns and Bryari of earthly Lufts and Paffions-, but bring forth Fruit to Godf according to the Prophet's Admonition, Hofea 10, 12. Sow to your felves in Pighteoufneji, reap in Mercy, break np your fallow Ground; for it is Time tofeektheLord-, till be come and rain Righteoufnefi upon you. This Introverting[^ to cultivate and drefe our own Hearts, will make us true Laboaceit The Journeyi of the Children of Ifrael. 85 Labourers in God's Vineyard or Huibandry, as St. Paul {)hra{eth it, i Car. 3,9. Teare God's Hufbandry., or Til- age, as in the Margent ; in the Greek The-uu Georgiony a comprehenfive Word, which may imply, that we are God's Vineyard, and Tillage alfb. In which Work pro- ceeding, as in a -true Mean to that great End, Perfe£ti- on, we fhall befitted for the internal Guidance andPro- teftion of ovlv Immanuel, repreTcnted by the Pillar of' Cloud, and Pillar of Fire, which are firft mentioned in this Station, as appearing to conduft and obumbrate ^ rael, Exod.i^y 21. From which Symbols of divine Prefence the Ifraelitei enjoyed ift.Direftion intheirWay. adly.Proteftion from their Enemies, Exod. 14, 19. and alfo from the fcorch- ingBeamsof the Sun^Pfal. i©5, 39. And 3dly. Encour- agement and mental Support from fiich evident Signs of God's Prefence. By which wq are taught, that in fol- lowing God fully, and fincerely endeavouring after Perfeftion, we (hall find Chrift made to us, ift. Wifdom and Light to guide and fliew us the right Way, '^obtt^ g, iz. idly. A Defence and Prote£tion, to Ihield us from our (piritual Enemies, and all unfiipportable Tryals. ^.32,2. 3dly. A conftant Spring of true, that is, divine tfomfort and Refrelhment. yobn 14, 16. i/erfe 7ch. j^emovmgjrom Etham, they turned agara to Pi H AC H I ROTH. The fourth Journey, Which Imports : The Mouth ofLihertier, this wase- ventually i. A Place of Liberty ^ and efcape from purfa^ »i!g Pharaoh, thro' fignal Mercies, z Of ^eat Danger and Difficulties to the Ifraelites, had they heenleft to themfehes, whence that of the Lord, Exod. 14, 3- Pharaoh mil fay of the Children of Ifirael, they are intangle/l in the Land; which is {poken in Reference to their Encamping in this Place, KsX' a. Tfee Myftery of which is this : Pi HacUroth '■ ' Q fignifying,^ 90 The Jotirneys of the Children of Ifirael. £gnifying5 the Month of Liherties-, imports i. Tljnt true Liberty from the Cjaptivity and Snares of Sin and Satan-, zpbich lee attain hy turning ferioii/ly into the intei^nal fVork efthe NeiD- Birth-, in watching over our Hearts, and Jiving up to our Light in all Integrity. 2. That under Liberty we are in Danger ofRelapfing-, ( efpecially fbme ) by miftakingly reflecting upon free Grace, and our real Participation of it, bringing us fo far ; thro' which, Sa- tan hath impofed upon many, diverting them to a falfe Reft and Security, after the Beginnings of a true Work: But this is a dangerous State ; for as Pi Hachiroth was fituate before Baal-Zephon, fois the State of faHe Liber- ty, in Satan's Territories, who is the great Baal-Zephon, the Lord of Hiding and Watching qgainft the Church of God : For 'ds he that conceals himfelf, under the Form of an Angel of Light, 2 Cor. 11, 14. but is internally that roaring Lyon, which goeth about-, feeking whom he may devour-, i Pet. f, 8. 'Tis fiirther faid : They pitched before Migdol-, which fignifieth, a Tower-, Greatnefi-, Mag?iifi- cence ; infinuating, our Temptations fromthe State of Glo- ry-, and Honours of this World-, which we muft renounce to follow Chiift, who was thus tempted in the VVilder- nefs ; but refufing the Temptation, becarne viftorious, andfo a fignal Pattern to all his Followers. Mat. 4, 8-- lo. Verfe 8 th. From Pi Hachiroth they paffed through the Sea to M A R a h. The fifth Journey. Their Paffing thro' the Sea, fpeaks to us the Baptifm «f Sufferings, the more to Wean us from the Pomp and Pleafiares of this World ; for 'tis faid of the IfraeliteSy they were all baptized tmto Mo&s in the Sea, that is, made Difciples to the divine light thro' Tryals and Afflitli- ons : But Ifrael being here miraculouQy delivered, and the Egyptians fignally overthrown, fpeaks as Blefling, from the more fevere AttribuEcs of God, to his Chil- dren j Tie Journeys of the CbiUren 0/ Ifrael 9t dren; fo Deftru£tion from them, upon his and their E- nemies, which caufed that great Triumph and divine Song, Exod. I f , I. -- 20. But as in the defert State fuch Joys feldom laft long ; fo this Mirth was foon changed into Mourning : For from the Sea they after three Days came to Marab, that is, Bitternefi-, fo called from it's Waters, Exod, 15, 23. lively Emblems of new and great AffliBions^ rffhicb in our internal Work frequently pUom ftich tranjportjng Joys, as Ifrael was under on the Bank of the Sea, feeing their Enemies dead, tbemfelves living and fafe. Thefe Waters of Marab are to prove to us, to re- duce us to Refignation and true Contentaiion ; which when we attain, we poflefi what was figured by the J^ood which GodSi^ezped Mofes, a7td be caft into the ff^aters, If which they were made fweet and potable, Exod. 15, zf. So will great AfHi£tions be rendred to us, when we can heartily, acquiefce in God's Will, as believing it beft; that great Leflbn, which St. Paul thro' Labour and Pa- tience had fo happily learned. Phil. 4, II. 13. Ver. 9th. They removed from Marah, and came to E L I M. , The fixth Journey, After God's proving them at Marah, they came to Elim, viz. Powers, Strengths, God's ftrong Angels. Ma- rah was a bitter, this a pleafant Station, a Place of Re^ viving and Strenghtening ; for they that wait on the LorJt Jhall renew their Strength. 1(3.40,31. They fhallbeaf- fifted by the Angels. 'Tis laid. Gen. 32,1* Jacob went on his tVay, and the /ingels of God met him. So we -pro- ceeding in the ftrait Way, in conftant Self-denial, Ihall have Prote£lion from, and may have Perception of the ;holy Angels : For, are they not all miniftring Spirits, fent forth to minifter for them, who jhall be Heirs of Salvation? Heb. I, 14. The chief of which, the prelidential Angels thatgovern liie World under God, might be reprefented G 2 by 53 The Journeys of the Children o/Ifrael. .by the feventy Palm- Trees, which was the Number of the Sna/jedrm orfevenry Elders, and of theTeventyZJ^ ciples, which Chrift fent forth hy two and two before his Face. Luke lo, i. Both which Numbers might be pat- rern'd. and calculated according to the Order of the an- gelical Governme*it : The jf-ews generally believing, that Things beneath are Reprefentative of Things above^ and that there are feventy Ano'els attending the Throne of Glory, fet and made Prefidents over fhe Nations ; as may be feen in RMi Menachem on Gen. 46. In this Place alfo were twelve Fountains of Water, lignifying, Refref[)ments derived from the Holy Ghoft to the whoh Church, reprefented hy the twelve Tribes oflfrael ; as alfb the inftrumental Conveyance of thofe Streams of Light, Life and Comfort, thro' the twelve Apoftles of our Lord and Saviour, whofe pure Doftrine and choice Exam- ples, do much aflift the chriftian Travellers, thgfe holy Pilgrims, in their Journey towards the good Land'i as thefe twelve Fountains did the Jfraelites in their Way to Canaan. Verfe tenth. Removing from Elim, they encarhped iy the R E t> Sea. The fcventh Journey. Here they encamp by that Sea, thro' which before ihey liad paifed : To fhew, that we being apt to forget both the fignal Judgments, and Mercies of Heaven ; have therefore need of Providences to make us remind them; both to humble and encourage us, in refle£ling upon, and prefentially contemplating the Itupendous Efiefts, both of the fevere and benigne Attributes of God : That fb we may duly revere and praife him, Who divided the Red -Sea into Parts ; for his Mercy endurethfor ever, Pfl 136, 13. This is here called in the Septuagint the Red- Sea,as alfb Exod. 13, ig. A^s. 7,31. In a Figure repre- fenting the Blood of Cbrift; »n . . . ,1 ^ ■ pointed and numbred out by God for them : In Si- gnification of which, 'tis (aid : He gave them of the Corn cf Heavetii Man did eat Angels Food. Pfal.783 sf. Ver. 1 2 th. From Sin they removed to D o p H k a h. The jth Journey. Dophkah fignifies, knocking as at a Boor-, Cant, y, 2. And hints to us, Gods Importunity ( by fuch fignal Mercies as the raining Manna) to enter deeper into our Hearts, that Chrift (God-Man) may dwell in our Hearts by Faith; of whom, as he is the Bread of Life, Manna or Man, (as 'tis in the Hebrero) was a real Figure, i Cor. JO, 3. 4. Rev.Ztij. 'Tis alfo he that ftith, Rev.'^, zd. Behold I Jiand at the Door and knock-, that fo he may come in, and we atlengrhbe filled with alltheFulnefs of God, Eph. 3, 19. Dophkah may alfo fignifie, our Knocking, byearneft Prayer, & Interceffion to improve Gods IV^er- cies, to perfevere under Tryals, and to be bleft with future good Things; according to that of our Saviour: /ifk-, ofjd it Shall he given you: Seek, andyefhallJjnd.-ICnock, and it jhall he opened unto you. Who confirm'd this Command with his own Example, In the Days of his Flejhy offering up Prayer and Supplication, xvithfirongCry- ings and Tears, unto him that was able tofave him, and was heard in that he fear" d, or from his Fear, that is, deli- vered from it, as it may be xendved, If eb. j, 7. Ver. 1 3th. Departing from Dophkah, they encamped in A L u s H. The loth Journey. r Thefe two laft Journeys are not exprefly mentioned in the preceding tliftory, but ftem implyed, Fxod. 17, i, •^/kA' (from Lu^h) fignifying Kneading, Leavning, mix- ing tFater aitd Leaven with Meal\ reprefttiteth Go^t Kingdom within us, which, Mat. 13,33. is compared to Lsuvm kid in tkm Meafmsi of Me^l) W tk a?hak k The Jourjteys of the ChiUren 0/ Ifrael. 9f : - . i — leavened. After earneft Interceffion (figured by Dopb- kah) the Kingdom of Heaven begins (in y4lujh)ti frefh to ftiT in us, and to attracl us into the Interior, in Still- neft to obferve, how the Dew of the living Word infu- feth itfelf, and the Leaven of the Kingdom changethus fecretly and gradually into it's Nature. This is a thriv- ing Difpenfation, when we begin to live more at Home, that is within, and diligently to remark the tranfinuting Operations of that Kingdom in us, which confifteth not in Word^ hut in Power. Ver. 14th. Departing from kln^-^they encamp in R E P H I D I M. The nth Journey. The defert State is very mutable ; from Ah^ they arrive at Jlepbidim, the Reraiflion or Weakning of Hands, and alfb the Healing and Strengthning of Hands : Wliich contrary Significations were both fulfilled here. For I. The People had no Water to drink, as 'tis ex- preft,i?er. 14. and&o^. 17. i. which difcouraged them, and in a moral Senfe (b weakened them, that they did murmur, chide; and were ready to ftone Mofes and Aaron\ which reprefents the Soul under Impatience, tempted tp turn from the light of Life, by the total Withdrawment of all fenfible Confolation. But divine Goodnefs fb far condefcended, as to come down upon the Rock in Horeh, (that is in Drowth, Waftnefs or De- fblation, ) and thence afford them Water for their Re- frefliment, £:ro^. 17, 6. whence their Hands were again ftfengthned, their Hearts revived, their Faith renewed. The ^iritual Senfe 6f which, as to us, the Apoftle de- scribes, I Cor. 10, 4. They drank of that fpiritual Rock that followed them-) and that Rock was Chrift. When wc are in exti;eam infernal Drowth and Defolation, ready to queflion whether God be good to us, (however he is in HimfeK or toothers;) then Chrifl the Rock of our Salvatioh,inthe apointed Moment) opens in us a Stream G 4