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. XLI.

1 The vanity of believing in a God that hath no form. 2 And of them who say the Creator is an incomprehensible Spirit. 3 Or that there is no God but nature onely. 4 Or who say, that Gods Spirit, and their spirits, are but one spirit.

ANother sort of deceived men there are, that through strong de∣lusions from their natural comprehensions, have imagined a mighty spiritual appearance in themselves, from a bodiless God or Christ, that never was.

2 This sort of men are those, which from a cursed conceit do not onely despise a glorious God, in the person of a man, but they also talk of great signs and wonders, which they expect shall come to pass by inward voices, or visions, from their imaginary bodiless God, as beforesaid.

3 Moreover, being bewitcht to the purpose, though they pretend a great spiritual light in them, they can make a hard shift to fool themselves from the literal records, as to think that the Holy One of Israel had commissionated another high Priest, or King of the Jews, besides himself.

4 Though this counterfeit high Priest, or King of seven Nations, I mean John Tanee, pretends a natural glorious deliverance suddenly unto the Jews in many Nations.

5 Truly those that understand nothing above a Paradissical tem∣poral glory, are not to be blamed in the least, for their bountiful∣ness towards his perishing tenents, in reference to his Hierusalems conceits.

6 John Tanee thou maist remember about three years and six moneths past, I told thee of thy deceived condition, concerning thy carnal Jerusalem journey, with John Robins, also by an immediate voice from on high.

7 Furthermore, if thy high priesthood, kingship, and Jerusalem, temporal glory, do not vanish like smoak, as John Robins did, even when thou thinkest thy self most sure in the thing, then the Lord God sent not me to thee.

8 Again, when thou art ashamed and confounded in thy self from all thy lying voices, or visions, declared unto Saints and Ser∣pents, in the name of the great Jehovah, then thou shalt know with sorrow and shame enough, that it was the Lord that sent me unto thee, to declare thy fleshly error.

9 I do not say thou canst help it, it is through the permissive power of the Lord for some secret end, onely known to himself, that thou, or any man else, should break forth into such strange ap∣pearance of darkness, yet seeming glorious lights, when thou art found too light in the ballance of divine truth;

10 It is not thy natural, or all gorical whimses, that can blinde the elect, nor pacifie the judge of life and death within thee, and without thee.

11 Again, there is a third sort of deceived persons, which with great confidence have declared, that Christ should spiritually raign over the Nations in King Charles Seed; and of this sort one Arice Evans in Black-Friers, was lookt upon as a great Prophet by many of the Royal party.

12 Moreover, from this their foolish conceit, they had many pritty whimses, and dark sentences, to blinde mens apprehensions, like unto John Tanee and John Robbins; Which took much upon the spirits both of the subtile and simple also for a season.

13 Furthermore, their understandings being utterly dark, con∣cerning the spiritual or personal appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ in his glory.

14 It is usual for them concerning Charles the second, as to joyn Christ and him in one, calling him the white Pearl, that should

make the nations in a sweet harmony of divine unity, through his glorious ruling over them; also they said, that he should not attain to the throne of his Father by any carnal weapons, but he should be brought into this land, and set upon the Throne by an immediate power of the eternal Spirit of God himself.

15 Again, this carnal Cavalier Prophet pretended the know∣ledge of certain Scriptures by voices or visions, in reference to the raign of Charles the second; and John Tanee-like, sought to confirm it by natural observations:

16 And truly, I do not blame the people that were deceived by them, because they wanted a true distinction in themselves, be∣tweeen those things which are divine and humane.

17 Moreover, when all pretended high Priests, Prophets, or Apo∣stles in this land, are clearly discovered by an unerring light of life eternal, I make no question of the subtilty of their Serpentine spi∣rits to blinde their own eyes, and those that were deceived by them.

18 I know they can say, If they be deceived, the Lord hath decei∣ved them; or they can say, We had a mysterious language given us by Jehovah to confound all literal or notional appearances in this confused age, and men understood us in a carnal sence only;

19 Or if they have often fixed a time concerning things that should come to pass, and nothing comes of it, they can also say, As the Prophet Jonas understood not the Lords time and minde, con∣cerning the destruction of the Ninevites:

20 So likewise this thing in the way of our fleshly expectation, was hid from our eyes, but the mighty Jehovah in his season, will bring it to pass in a spiritual maner, beyond the comprehension of men or Angels.

21 Moreover, if none of these excuses will blinde their eyes, which expected wonderful things from them, then because they are not able to bear the shame of being found lyers in the name of the Lord, they will say, all men are lyars, or there is not a true Prophet upon the face of the earth;

22 Or else they will say, There is but onely one pure being, invisi∣bly ruling in the whole Creation, and this spiritual power manifesteth it self in various maners of seeming contradictions for the confounding of all mens understandings that would finde out its secrets; but in the end when it hath fooled men to the purpose, it will appear in a glorious harmony, to the content of all.

23 Furthermore for the blinding of their own eyes, and those of their own spirits, that they may both fall together in a deep ditch of eternal destruction, they will, or may say, If there be a Creator, he is an incomprehensible spirit, and all our spirits proceeded out of his spirit, and when our bodies dies, our spirits returns into his spi∣rit again.

24 From this cursed error they may or will say, That God can as soon destroy himself, as any soul that he hath made, with an eternal con∣demnation.

25 Moreover, if this grand fleshly deceit prove also but a broken Cistern, then as aforesaid, they may, or will say, there is no God but nature onely; your most wise men in nature know this to be truth, but they are compelled to nominate a God to the people, to keep the rude multitude in obedience to their governours and govern∣ment.

26 Knowing if they should confess a Creator besides nature, all their pretended divine voices, or visions, would appear but meer fleshly lies.

27 Therefore for strengthning themselves in their Atheistical er∣ror to prevent discovery, they may, or will say, there is no world but this onely, and this world had never any beginning, nor will never have any ending, men may talk of a Creator, and a day of judgement for sil∣ver and honor, or to keep children or fools in awe, but wise men knows as aforesaid, that one generation passeth away, and another cometh in its room, and so it will be for everlasting.

28 Thus you that are truly spiritual do, or may know, that the spirit of every man naturally, is so cursedly proud, that rather then men should finde him a lyar in the name of the Lord of Hosts, even against his own rational light, he is apt to say, there is no other God, or shame, or world to come, but the Elements of air, water, earth, and fire, of this perishing world, though these and such like sandy foundations, are the pillars of cursed Cananites; yet I know that you blessed ones have not so learned Christ.

29 The fourth and last sort of deceived men, are so far from ac∣knowledging Christs personal raign with his Saints in any kinde whatsoever, that they blasphemously affirm they are all Gods or Christs themselves:

30 These are those, which say, that God is a Spirit, and that his Spirit, and their spirits, are but one spirit onely.

31 Moreover, to strongthen themselves in this their Serpentine Sophistry, they can tell you from the Records, that Christ is the head of his Church, and his Saints are his body.

32 Also this sort of men pretend such a union with the divine Majesty, that they do not onely attribute to themselves his Holy Names or Titles, but Lucifer-like, they will tell the simple and fearful soul, that they are set down in the Throne of Glory with Christ already.

33 Furthermore, though this sort of Saints in their own account are all Kings, Priests, and Prophets unto God, yet if you should ask them a sober question concerning any spiritual thing after death, they are so dead drunk with their notional witchcrafts, that they count all men in darkness that see not themselves in the throne of immortal glory already, as aforesaid.

34 Again, they also seem to be full of Hymns, or Spiritual songs, in reference to the present glory they enjoy with the eternal Spirit, when the Lord knoweth they acknowledge no divine Majesty, or God at all, but those imaginary Siren songs, and their own natural blinde-born spirits, from whence they proceeded.

35 This sort of seeming glorious Saints, do imagine their spirits so divine, that they think it impossible it should ever see death, but they like unto children or fools, conceit their bodies turn to dust for ever, but their souls ascend into an unknown spiritual glory.

36 Therefore if a man speaks of a personal God, or a personal glory in a life to come, they will tell him he troubles himself above a simple carnal God and Glory that is not;

37 But if he knew what it was to be possessed with divine light, life, or glory in his own soul, as they do, he would no more trouble himself in the least, concerning a God or glory to come at a di∣stance.

38 There are some among these of a more purer sort, which speak many sweet truths, and according to their light they live in them, onely poor hearts as yet they are ignorant of the fountain of glory, from whence their spiritual streams proceed.

39 Moreover, though they cannot close with a personal God, and personal glory of the elect in another durable world, and a personal shame of Reprobates in this world to all eternity, yet the secret love of God preserves their merciful spirits from that error of the wicked, I mean from despising things that are hid from them.

40 Therefore I make no question but in due season, they shall be revealed to them unto their everlasting joy and glory in the highest heavens, as aforesaid.

41 Furthermore, though these elect vessels at present understand no other God but what is within them, yet they are afraid to call themselves God, or Christ, or Creator, or the like, lest there should be a divine Majesty to own those titles himself.

42 Again, all those simple hearted souls, which are appointed to eternal glory, are not so rivetted in their present light, but if a more clear manifestation appear, their spirits are both ready and willing to embrace it;

43 But of the contrary, all cursed Cananites are fully resolved to remain where they are, though never so glorious a light should appear.

44 Moreover, those that are the blessed of the Lord, are very tender of condemning any men, of what appearance or opinion so∣ever, if they see never so little of the pure light of life eternal ap∣pearing in them;

45 But of the contrary, the unmerciful reprobate condemns all men as in a bottomless pit that are contrary unto his fleshly opinion

46 Furthermore, the blessed of the Lord are made willing to yield all spiritual obedience unto the unknown God, till they know him, and shew mercy unto all, though he perish, this is a Job-like spirit, who said, though thou kill me, yet will I trust in thee:

47 But of the contrary, the hypocritical Cananites love to make a glittering shew before men, but as for any inward purity of spirit towards God, and mercy unto all men, they are so far from any such principle, that they count it a delusion in them that enjoy it.

48 Many of the blessed of the Lord do know, that all the desires of men or Angels, cannot prevail with the divine Majesty, to per∣swade him to set the se••l of his love upon any mans person, until he is graciously moved unto it of his own pleasure, according to those sayings of Holy Writ, I am found of them that sought me not, and before they call, I will answer, when they were in their blood I said unto them, live; and of that notable saying in the 15. Chapter of the Prophet Jeremiah, Then said the Lord unto me, though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet mine affection could not be toward this people, cast them out of my sight, and let them depart.

49 But of the contrary, the formal Hypocrite is so dark in this

divine secret, that he thinks himself the blessed of the Lord for his much babling, and counts those men cursed that are not of the same minde with him.

50 My beloved spiritual friends, though I have branched these men into four several heads, yet in the main they are all of one spi∣rit; my meaning is this, they are all ignorant of the glorious God being in the person of a man.