A divine looking-glass, or, The third and last testament of Our Lord Jesus Christ whose personal residence is seated on his throne of eternal glory in another world : being the commission of the spirit, agreeing with, and explaining of the two former commissions of the law and Gospel, differing only in point of worship : set forth for the tryal of all sorts of supposed spiritual lights in the world, until the ever-lasting true Jesus, the onely high and mighty God, pesonally appear in the air with his saints and angels / by John Reeve and Lodowick Muggleton ...

CHAP. XXXVI.

1 Of the minde of the Spirit in the word Eating of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil. 2 No true interpretation of the Scriptures but by immediate inspira∣tion. 3 Reason not capable of the mysteries of God, 4 but Faith onely. 5 No devils but men and women. 6 No devil without man tempteth any, 7 but the seed or lust of his own spirit.

WHat is the mind of the spirit by that word, eating of the tree of knowledge of good and evil? from the light of life eternal, to this I answer; The most wise Creator called it eating, for several respects:

2 First you may be sure, that the Lord God called it eating, that neither men or Angels should know his secrets untill it was his di∣vine pleasure, that he might receive the praise and glory alone from all those that he should reveal them unto.

3 The spirit of God called it eating, because of the civility of that

speech; for the Scripture language is much like to a modest pure Virgin, who is loth to have her secret parts mentioned in the least, though they are as usefully in their kinde, and as honorable being undefiled as any part of the body;

4 And why are they honorable, because the onely Lord of all life and glory hath honored them himself by his blessed birth.

5 Moreover you know, if a spiritual or natural thing be pro∣pounded to the understanding of a man or woman, of which they have had no experience, their spirits feeds upon it, and considers the pleasure of it as much as possible may be, before they consent to taste of it with the whole man:

6 So likewise in the word eating, you may know that the mean∣ing of the Spirit of God was this, that the soul of Eve should be∣ware of harkning unto any other voice that was contrary unto that divine image, or voice of the Spirit of God within her, so that if she should hear the voice of a stranger, she should not give way in the least unto that voice, lest she should be overcome therewith.

7 Again, if the Spirit of God instead of saying unto Eve, thou shalt not eat thereof, should have said, thou shalt not spiritually, or na∣turally, lust after any God or Angel, but be content with what I have appointed for thee, then indeed there would have been no need of any interpretation upon the words, but as beforesaid, the wisdom of God saw it most fit to act otherwise.

8 Therefore what ever the learned men of this world dream of finding out the invisible things of eternity, by searching into the Scripture Records, and comparing them together, the divine Majesty hath locked up all the principal secrets of the Scriptures in his own spiritual breast, that he by any immediate inspiration may dispose of them into the spirits of elect men and Angels, most advantagi∣ous for his own glory and their consolation:

9 Therefore the sacred Scriptures runs not in the line of reason, but in the line of faith, inspiration or revelation, according to those sayings in the Hebrews and other Records;

10 By faith the divine work of creation, and wonderful mistery of redemption, was, and is known with the immortal eternal glory, and everlasting shame of mens persons in the end of the world.

11 But of the contrary, you shall never read in any place of Scri∣pture, that any man knew the things of eternal glory in the least, by any kinde of rational comprehension whatsoever.

12 I confess the natural reason of man is a very good hand∣maid, if it be well qualified with the spiritual dame of divine faith, for illustrating of the things of God unto weak comprehensions;

13 But as for truly understanding the invisible things of God by the highest reason that ever was in man or Angel, it is utterly im∣possible, as abundantly beforesaid:

14 Why? because though the spirit of reason were never so pure, yet you may know its nature is but desire onely after the knowledge of the divine nature of that spirit from whence it had its living being:

15 But of the contrary, spiritual truth or faith, being of the very divine nature of God himself, in what soul soever that heavenly seed is sown, it springeth up in that spirit with variety of glorious conso∣lations, in reference unto life eternal, by vertue of an intercourse with the eternal spirit from whence it came.

16 Moreover I confess, that a man that is endued with a Solomon-like gift of natural reason, may be able to comprehend all words, whether they are spoken in a good form, sense, or language, or no, and to be mighty in disputes about the glorious things of eternity.

17 But as for his real understanding whether there were any such eternal things or no, he hath no certain knowledge of that at all, but his bare thoughts onely, which equally weighed in that bal∣lance, it may be true, or it may be false, and all this is for want of an infalibility of truth it self.

18 Therefore though the divine things of the eternal Majesty be nothing else but spiritual purity of infallible truth in themselves, yet unto that rational wise man, they are nothing but non-sensical blasphemy, or lying tales, till his reason is confounded in him by a true and heavenly faith.

19 Again, if there should be any evil Angels or Devils living in the air, and a Devil amongst them called Belzebub, the Prince of Devils, what need any man trouble himself with the least fear of eternal death, whatsoever wickedness is committed by him, because if a man is tempted to evil by any Devil, but what is in his own nature onely, that evil spirit is to be eternally damned, and the man to be set free:

20 Nay moreover, if sin or evil issued not from mans unclean reason, or lying imagination within him, is it possible think you, that any man should be so tormented, as some men are, with an in∣ward

burning through a secret fear of eternal sufferings, rising in them from the guilt of former evils, committed against the light of conscience?

21 Furthermore, seeing all men which live after the flesh must die or perish, and that mans own lust is that imaginary Devil, from whence proceeds all sin or evil, without controversie though men or Angels should gain-say it, there are now no other evil Spirits, An∣gels, or Devils, but unmerciful men and women onely.

22 Again, if envy, pride, covetousness, hypocrisie, lust, and such like, be the Devil in man, are not men and women those Devils that are under the power of those evils, I would fain know from the learned men of this world, whether there are any other evil Angels, or Devils, besides mankinde, that lust after women, or silver, or ho∣nor, or revenge, or any kinde of evil whatsoever.

23 Truly if those supposed wise men which talk so much 〈◊〉〈◊〉 subtilty of the Prince of the air that rules in the children of disobe∣dience, could possibly know that their own imaginary reason was that evil spirit, or Prince of all their airy disputes concerning God, Angels, Devils, Heaven, Hell, eternal glory, or shame to come, which they know not of according to truth:

24 Then in stead of their rejoycing in the approbation of many men, in relation unto their natural gifts, their own spirits would im∣mediately become the principle of all those howling groaning Ser∣pent Devils, spoken of in holy Writ, even in the sight of elect men and Angels in this mortal life.

25 Again, is it not against all spiritual or rational sence, that any Man, Angel, or Devil, should suffer eternal damnation for the sins of another, or for anothers tempting him to sin or evil?

26 Moreover, doth it not stand to very good sence, that that creature that is left to himself to be tempted unto sin or evil, and overcome thereby, and remains under the power of it to his lives end, should eternally suffer at the great day for his own sins, and not for anothers iniquity?

27 Wherefore is it not now one of the vainest things in the world for any man to think, that there is any other evil Spirit, Angel, or Devil, that tempts him to any motion, imagination, thought, desire, word, or action of rebellion against God, or man, but that lying proud envious Devil, living in his whole man as beforesaid?

28 Therefore let no man that professeth spiritual light, or life in

him, for very shame say, that God can be tempted, or tempt any man unto sin, or evil, neither let him say, that any evil Spirit, An∣gel, or Devil, in the air, or earth, or in the water, or in the fire, tempts him to commit any sin or evil, but that air, watery, fiery, fleshly Devil, dwelling onely in his own body;

29 I say, let him know that that is the Prince of the air, which through the abscenting vertue of the Holy Spirit, begets those le∣gions of Devils, or lusts, in the soul of man;

30 And it is the true light of the Lord Jesus Christ in all his new born ones that crushes those Cockatrice Egs, before they become Serpent Devils, to sting the whole man with fears of eternal death:

31 Those Devils which by the powerful word of the Lord Jesus were cast out of Mary Magdelen, or any other creature, spoken of in holy Writ, were onely all maner of filthy diseases, or fiery distem∣pers in man, that hurried him about any desperate wickedness what∣soever, oftentimes increasing so powerfully, that it did not onely occasion him to rend his own body, and break iron chains;

32 But also he is ready to tear any one in pieces, until the Lord of glory shine into his distempered soul with that golden grace of true faith, through which that imaginary Devil is chained up, whereby all his fleshly goods were spoiled of ever having power in him as formerly, and being now in his right minde at the glorious feet of the true Jesus, through his own pure light leading him into heavenly raptures, in reference unto his eternal glory at his visible appearing in the Clouds with all his mighty Angels.