eternity. This proves the truth of these Scriptures, where it is written, My kingdom is not of this world; and of this saying, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom; and of that saying, in my Father's house, or kingdom, are many mansions; and of that saying, for thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever; and of that saying, the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ: this world was the heavens above: and of that saying, nevertheless we look for a new heaven and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness; and of that saying, he hath made us kings and priests unto God, and we shall reign with him upon the earth. This is that glorious new heaven and new earth, in the presence of God, above or beyond the stars: but -blind carnal hypocrites imagine that God's reigning with his elect ones will be upon this bloody earth, because they have no spiritual eyes, to see or know that new heaven or new earth, above or beyond the stars, where nothing but pure righteousness reigneth in glory for everlasting, or world without end. Amen.

CHAP. V.

Of the creating that reprobate Angel Serpent that beguiled Eve, and became a Man.

AGAIN, concerning that serpent beforesaid, so called of the Lord for his subtilty; I declare by revelation from the Holy Spirit, that God created his spiritual person more glorious than the persons of all the holy angels that are in the presence of God in hea

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ven, because this mighty angel, by the wisdom and secret counsel of God, was to be as a God, to bring forth his seed, or generation of wise, and prudent, subtil serpent-men and women, to oppose the Creator, and his innocent seed or generation, of simple, plain-hearted men and women, that are of the spirit of faith and pure love, with all other heavenly virtues; for the nature or spirit of God is faith and love, and all other divine virtues, infinitely living in his glorious person; the which faith is all power of righteous actings, naturally flowing from his pure spirit, as from a pure overflowing fountain of living waters: but on the contrary, the nature or spirit of this God-like angel, and all the rest of the holy angels in their creation, were pure reason, from whence naturally flows no good at all, but what comes into them continually by revelation from that pure spirit of faith, in the person of God their Creator; and this is that spiritual manna that keeps the holy angels, natures, or spirits, pure in the presence of God; for it is the nature of that pure reason in the holy angels continually to desire the knowledge of that spirit of wisdom in the Creator that made them, and the overflowings of that new wisdom in the spirit of the Creator by the decree of God; it is that spiritual food that keeps the holy angels pure in their glory, or else not one of them could stand upright in the presence of God, not one moment, but they would all become serpent-devils, and fall down into this earth, as that great angel did presently after the Lord withheld the revelation of his glorious wisdom from him; then this angel, for want of his spiritual food of revelation, that kept his spirit in obedience to his Creator, presently his spirit began proudly to imagine and think high and lofty thoughts concerning his own person, and great wisdom of spirit

within him; wherefore secretly he was lifted up in his spirit to disdain the persons and wisdom of all the holy angels, in comparison of the glory both of his person and wisdom; pride being began in him, Lucifer-like he soared higher in his pride, for he thought both his person and wisdom to be as glorious, if not more glorious, than the person and wisdom of the Creator; wherefore, he being very proud of his own wisdom, he imagined that if he had been the Creator, he would by a word speaking have created angels, and all other creatures, without earth or water, as God made all things of, for his proud spirit thought he could by a word speaking have created all creatures of nothing at all; therefore he counted his wisdom rather greater, and of a more higher nature, to have formed all things for a greater glory to himself, if he had been the Creator, than the Creator's wisdom in the things or creatures formed by him: so imagining his wisdom above the Creator's, he thought himself more fit to reign over the holy angels, and all other creatures, than the Creator, he being wise in his own conceit, became an absolute fool; for out of nothing comes nothing, and out of nothing comes no form, or nothing can be formed; for to create or make a living form or creature out of senseless matter or substance, of earth or water, by a word speaking, of what nature or form the creator pleaseth, whether contrary to his own nature and form, or of his own nature and form, this is the power and wisdom of my Creator, the Lord Jesus; for he, by his infinite glorious wisdom, by a word speaking, did create all living creatures in the two creations, or worlds, of unsensible earth and water, that was without his person, from all eternity, in his presence with him, because his eternal glorious person, you know, must

have a place of residence; therefore reason itself cannot deny the eternity of earth and waters, and the person of the Creator; let it imagine never so much, nor never so long: Again, as beforesaid, when the time of this proud and lofty angel's glory was, by the decree of the Creator, expired in the heavens above, to the exceeding joy of all the holy angels, unto whom the Lord revealed his exceeding pride, the Lord then cast down this angelical wise serpent into the earth; therefore it is written, Woe be to the inhabiters of earth, for the devil is come down amongst you. This angel that was cast into the earth, is that devil beforesaid, and his nature or spirit of pride and envy, and all other wickedness, being changed, his names or titles are changed, according to the uncleanness of his nature, and now, instead of the name of an angel of light, he is called an angel of darkness, as in Jude; yea, he is called a serpent, a dragon, a devil, Satan, or an unclean spirit, or that wicked one, suitable to his cursed nature; but the Lord changed not the form or person of this reprobate lost angel at all, but his names or titles only, as beforesaid, according to his nature.

Again, I declare by revelation from the holy spirit, that serpent spoken of in the scripture, that tempted the virgin-wife Eve, he was a spiritual body, in the form of his person like unto a man; yea, I say from the Lord, that this angel-serpent was more amiable or glorious in the form of his person, to the outward appearence of Eve's eyes, than the person of the man Adam was; wherefore, by the prerogative power, and secret wisdom and counsel of God, to bring forth his glorious design, it was the outward comeliness of the serpent's person, and his seeming wise and glorious God-like counsel, by the decree of God,

became a snare, to deceive and overcome the innocent Virgin-wife Eve, as many poor innocent virgins in these days are deceived and overcome by the outward comeliness of men's persons, through their serpent counsels and cursed temptations; wherefore it is written, the woman was deceived, and not the man. Again, I declare by revelation from the Holy Spirit, that when this angel-serpent, by his seeming wise God-like counsel, had overcome innocent Eve, as beforesaid, the very person of this spiritual serpent reprobate angel entered into the body or womb of innocent Eve, and there he died, or was changed from his spirituality, and immediately he quickened in her pure undefiled seed, or nature, all serpentine lust of all natural uncleanness; wherefore, she being now naked from her former pure created virginity, presently she is full of natural lust after her innocent husband, that had no desire to a woman at all; therefore it is written, and she gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat; then were they both naked, from that pure spiritual life of their virgin creation of God-like content within their own spirits, and in the room thereof they are both full of all natural lusts whatsoever, they being both defiled with the spirit of the serpent-angel of unclean reason and wicked imagination; and this was that cursed effect of their becoming as Gods, knowing both good and evil, until they were both born again by the spirit of faith, to the full assurance of a more glorious inheritance than that which was lost through the eternal love of God to his lost image. Again, I declare from the Lord Jesus, that that Čain that was the first-born of Eve, he was the very seed or spirit of that reprobate serpent-angel in the body of Eve, and the first-born child or son of the devil, and so he became,