Love to the lost

Concerning the Fall of Man.

IN the beginning God made all things good, so did he Man, whom then he made in his own Image, and placed in him his own Wis∣dome and Power, whereby he was compleatly furnished with Do∣minion, Power, and Authority, over the Works of Gods hands, knowing the nature and use of each Creature, by what God had placed in him of Himself; who in that state was the Son of God, whose seed was in himself. God also made the Tree of Life in the mid'st of the Garden, and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, and both of these was good in their place; but the Tree of Knowledge, not good for food: Therefore did he that made it forewarn of it, as the thing wherein death was placed, as in the other Tree, was Life: And herein was the Blessing and the Curse placed; the Life and the Death; the Obedience and the Disobedience, Election and Reprobation: And this was good for man in their place, whilst man stood in his place, guided by that which placed him in the good, and fore-warned him of the knowledge, and gave him power against it, whilst he stood in that Wil, which had set all these things in their place, which Will was free for God, and from sinne; and the will of God, and the will of Man was one, and so at unity with all the Cre∣ation▪ But when man looked out into the other, where he ruled who abids not in the Truth, wherein the disobedience was received in, of that which was contrary to the will of God to feed upon, then he joyned to that which was contrary, wherein the weakenesse was, and the death, darknesse, and blindnesse, as to the things of God; and that which freely

he had received of God: And grew subtil within himself, and wise to do evil, so that he had lost the will that was free, to wait upon God in his wisdome and counsel, freely to be cared for by him, and so from the up∣rightnesse and innocency, and pure wisdome and spiritual power, which God had placed in his heart, he fell, and into the self-inventions which he had chosen in the contrary will; and so entring into the forbidden thing became accursed, lost the measure of God, his honour and likenesse, in which he stood above the Creation, and so became bruitish in his Un∣derstanding; and, as to the things of God, as the Beast that perish, for the Seed he had lost, wherein the Election, the Wisdome, the Authority, and all haopinesse, present and eternal, did consist, and so became led by a∣nother Seed, wherein God had placed emptinesse of himself, which he had raised up for dishonour: And here it is that man hath lost his domi∣nion over the Devil, by letting him in, which otherwise had never power further then to proffer; which now being got in with a shew of God and godlinesse into the Temple of God, the principle part in man; and man having joyned in one with him now is become his Captive, in whom he makes havock, beguiling him of the life of simplicity and godlinesse, and perverting his ways, as to the end for which man was made; yea, all the mercies that God gives to that Creature, he being above, and Ruler in the heart, are turned to the Lust that is Carnal and Self-ended; and to that Lust and Self-ended things the man becomes a Servant; yea, hath so lost his dominion, as he is brought to serve the Creature, over which he ••as Ruler▪ Hence it is, that some become servants, and are captivated; some with Covetousnesse; some with Pride; some with Lust; and many o∣ther several things, which are become Lords in the heart of man, where∣by he is hurried with all eagernesse out of all moderation, hunting after vanity and folly; yea, what vain toyes and foolish trifles hath led away the heart of man from the pure wisdom of his God, till he scarce knows any end of running after changable things, gluttony and excesse in dyet yet not satisfied, foolery in apparel, without all stay or stop, being whol∣ly fallen from that which is unchangable, the true satisfaction and ho∣nour; and the further man goes in this state, the more emptinesse and darknesse comes in upon himself; and being fallen under the earthly principle, he is covered with thick darknesse, so that the mind of God he knows not, nor his woful state he sees not, the God of this world having blinded the eye, which should show him his misery; and the ear being stopt, which should hear the voyce of the souls shepheard, whereby he should be quickned, his eye and ear being led out to Carnall things, and there captivated, so that the voyce of the Spirit he knowes not. And so being become heart-blind, cannot receive the way in Spirit, and whatsoever is spoken to man in this state, in love to the soul which lies in death, the Serpent being above upon the earth, catcheth the thing into the Imaginations; and the Creature being led to consult with him there in the flesh, he beguils the Creature of the simplicity, and keeps the

Creature so in Self, that he regards not the Seed of God which is fallen under all this death and darknesse; and so long as the Creature will but hearken to him, and his lying promises, he will lead him from one thing to another, in things without; but never to see that from whence he is faln. Therefore, to all in this state, Christ and all his Ministers preached repentance, that all might turn their minds from these dead works to the living God, who is a Spirit known in Spirit, and so worshipped, whose Kingdom is within, and whose light is in the midst of all this darknesse▪ though the darknesse comprehend it not; but as many as repen•••• of their following this way of self-wisdom and knowledge, and come to stand still, to such he shows his Salvation, and his Kingdome near at hand▪ which the Serpent, whilst they follow him, doth put afar off: And as the mind is staid to wait for the Kingdome of God in Spirit, the god of the world comes to be denied and resisted; And as the mind is staid in the light from hearkning to the earthly: So that Seed which lies in Death, comes to hear the voyce of the Sonne of God, and to receive life and strength from the Word, whereby it is raised out of the grave, and appears above the earth, to receive from the Father the dew of heaven whereby it is nourished and refreshed; and as man beholds the Seed growing, so he comes to see the new Creation, and what he lost in the Fall, and so is restored by the power of the Word in the Son of God, into his Domini∣on, power, and purity, made able to resist the Devil; to chuse the thing that is good, and delight in it, as before he delighted in the contrary: so comes man to be reconciled to his Maker, in the Eternal Unity beyond what is to be expressed; The wisdome and power received from above, whereby the heart is set free from Corruption, and made able to escape the pollutions of the world, and to run the pure ways with delight, which is the glorious liberty of the Sons of God, the resurrection from the dead, and the entrance into the everlasting rest.

And now all you who find your selves fallen from your Dominon, that measure of God which he placed in man, from which he received power and wisdome over the evill one; and now find your selves led Captive with the evil one, into the ways of Death, Sinne, and Evill: so that Cor∣ruption hath got dominion in you, and over you; never look to be resto∣red by that which leads out, for that which acts in the flesh is onely evill, and will but lead you from Mountain to Hill, and so keep you doing without in self, without life and power, healing your selves in false per∣swasions, which will not stand in stead in the evil day, nor reconcile to God to be accepted in any thing you do; for that is the first man with his righteousnesse. But to that from which you are fallen must you look, & return into that from which you are gone out, that by the light thats in the midst of all this darknes and death, you may be led in again by the blood of the Cross, through the fire and sword, into the Garden of God

where he plants and feeds, into which the old man, with his will and works, cannot enter, nor he whose Leader is any visible thing; for by the Spirit from whence man is fallen and gone out, by the same must he be led in again; and that seed which man hath sinned against, must make the atonement, to which the Promise is, which is free, and sets all free as they were born thereof: So that which leads out into the Knowledge, is the Fall; but that which leads into the Simplicity of Life, which is ma∣nifest in the Spirit, and not in the Knowledge of the first man, that leads to the Resurrection of Life; for it is the hidden wisdome, that God or∣dained before the world unto glory: So to the hidden man of the heart must you look to find it, which is not Corruptible.