4. Is the Nature of the moft piercing Reason that is, any Thing elfe but meer Defire? Moreover,

5. Where any Defire abideth, is there not a Want of fomething defired? And where any Thing is wanting, can that Spirit be fully fatisfied in itself? Again,

6. Seeing the pure Spirits of the mighty Angels are but rational, and the most excellenteft Reason that is, but meer Defire, and Defire a Want of inward Satisfaction; and where fuch Satisfaction is wanting in itself, there can be no true Peace enjoyed, or Continuance one Moment in its present Purity.

7. What fpiritual Power is there in the most piercing Reafon that can be ?

8. Is it any Thing else but a meer Defire that it might be Partakers with the glorious Purity of that Spirit that gave its fenfible Being?

9.

Hath it any Power at all to defire after Wisdom, Love, or any Kind of divine Excellency in the leaft from its own rational Nature? If this be Truth, which no fpiritual or fober rational Man can deny, are not thofe Men under deep Darknefs which fay, The divine Nature of God himself is pure Reafon only?

10. If the most pureft Reafon in its own Nature be nothing elfe but unfatisfactory Defire; is it poffible think you, that Spirit should have one Thought or Motion of Reason inherent in his Nature, whofe divine Vertues are all tranfcendent Satiffaction in itself? Again,

11. Some Men may fay unto me, Could the divine Majefty create a rational living Spirit, and yet have none of that Life or rational Nature living in himself?

12. You may remember I have written upon this Point already in the Creation of Angels; yet, for a further convincing or confounding of that Luciferian Reasoning in the learned Men of this World, against the infinite Power, Wisdom, or Glory of the Creator, I fhall fpeak fomewhat from the Lord Jefus in answer to this curious Quere.

13. First, You may know that all Things are poffible and very eafy for an infinite Spirit to bring to pafs, when his Glory moves him to do it.

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14. Secondly,'

14. Secondly, You may also know, that tho' the eternal Spirit be infinite, yet it hath no Power to do any Thing at all, except his Glory moves him to it, or against its own Glory.

15. I confefs it is not only contrary to Reason, but far above all Reafon's Reach, truly to understand the Mysteries of the Creation, or Redemption of the mighty Jehovah, or everliving Jesus.

16. What is the Height or Depth of the pureft rational Comprehenfion in Men or Angels, concerning the glorious Things of Eternity? Is it any Thing elfe but either Strength of Memory, or Excellency of Speech, or Swiftness of Understanding, in comprehending all Words whatsoever, whether they are uttered according to Acutenefs of Senfe or no? But for a true Understanding of thofe heavenly Things fignified by those divine Words, it knoweth nothing at all in the least.

17. You know it is written, With thee is a Well of Life, and in thy Light fhall we fee Light. Here you fee that David did not attribute the Sight of that Light of the Well of Life unto his rational Comprehenfion, but unto the divine Light which he received from the Well of Life eternal :

18. So likewife you may understand, that the holy Angels themfelves do not comprehend that infpired Light of Life in them by their own rational Purity, but by vertue of the glorious Incomes themselves, proceeding from the divine Nature of the eternal Spirit.

19. So that you that are spiritual may clearly fee, that neither Men nor Angels are capable to comprehend divine Truths by any rational Comprehenfion whatsoever :

20. But only by vertue of divine Words or Motions received from the Spirit of an infinite Majefty of all glorious Truths which are eternal.

21. If the Divine Majefty could not, by the Power of his Word fpeaking, into fome Subftance diftinct from him, as well create fenfible and infenfible living Beings of Variety of Natures, contrary to his own heavenly Nature, as produce fenfible Beings of his own divine Nature, how could he poffibly then be infinite?

22. If the moft High God fhould have inherent in his own Spirit fomewhat of every Nature that he hath created, how

could

could he then be all Variety of nothing but infinite Purity in himfelf?

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23. Or how could there be any spiritual Creator at all, but rishing Nature only, as over-wife Men blindly imagine? Again, 24. I would gladly have you that are fpiritual-minded, to understand this divine Secret, though every Thing that have Life had its Original from the Creator, yet all Spirits, whofe Natures are oppofite to the divine Glory, were without him, and not within him, and fo were eternally diftinct from his moft pure Spirit.

25. So that from Eternity he perfectly forefaw all thofe Spirits alive in their own Elements, though they were nothing but senselefs confufed Matter in themselves; and when his divine Pleafure moved him to make them appear into diftinct living Beings, you may know, that it was none of his divine Nature, but a powerful Word only, commanding thofe Spirits to come forth out of fecret Death or Darkness, and manifeft themfelves according to their feveral Properties, into distinct living Beings, in the vifible Sight of themfelves, and elect Men and Angels, as Manifeftations of his eternal Decree.

26. Wherefore you know, in the forming of the Man Adam it is recorded that God faid, Let us make Man in our Image; but you never read or heard that any other Creatures were made in the Image or Likeness of God befides them.

27. You know it is written, that Chrift took not on him the Nature of Angels, but the Seed of Abraham. And why did not the Creator take on him the Nature of Angels, but the Seed of Abraham? You that are fpiritual may know, it was because the one was created or renewed into his own Image or spiritual Likenefs, and the other was in his Nature quite contrary to the divine Majefty.

28. If the Angels Spirits had been of the divine Nature, how could it be faid that Chrift took not on him the angelical Nature.

29. But it may be objected, that thofe Words were spoken in Relation to Chrift's fleshly Part. To that I answer: Was not Chrift both God and Man in one Perfon? And was not his divine Spirit and natural Flesh one bodily Effence, after his Godhead was tranfmuted into pure Manhood?

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30. Though the unchangeable Glory of the Creator was wholly tranfmuted into a Body of Flefh, Blood and Bone, that finful Mortals might behold their God Face to Face, and live ;

31. Yet you may know that the Nature of his Spirit, in Refpect of its divine Purity, neither was, nor poffibly could be changed, but only his Infinitenefs was laid down in Flefh for a Seafon, for the fulfilling of Scripture Prophefies. Again,

32. If Chrift took not on him that angelical Nature of pure Reason, what then, think you, will become of all rational wife Men, which understand nothing but what is visible unto the Eyes of carnal Flesh?

33. If the eternal Spirit of the Creator hath no angelical Reafon in his divine Nature, fome Men may fay unto me, How will you anfwer that Scripture, where the Creator faith unto the Jews, Come, let us reafon together?

34. As to that, you may know, when that Scripture was fpoken, that the Lord did not talk with the Nation of the Jews in his own Perfon, but in the Perfons of his true Prophets, which were fent to convince thofe ftony-hearted Jews, by declaring the glorious God and his fpiritual Truths unto them, in the Ballance of their own Reason. Again,

35. You know it is written that the Ifraelitish Jews cried out, Let not God speak to us any more, least we die; and it was granted unto them, that he would not speak unto them any more in his own Perfon, as they defired; therefore you may know, that the Lord's reafoning with the Jews was only by his Prophets, which were rational Men, like unto themselves.

36. If the Creator himself feemeth to reason with any Man, is it any other Ways but to confound the Wisdom of unclean Reason in Man, by Way of Query, and fuch like, as Christ, the only God, often did to the Jews, in the Days of his Flesh?

37. You know it is written, that Chrift wept over Jerusa lem, and the Jewish Nation, faying, How often would I have gathered you together, as a Hen gathereth ber Chickens under ber Wings, and ye would not: Behold, as he was a Man, he wept over the Unbelief of their bloody-minded Spirits, but as

he

he was a God, he rejoiced at their Damnation, in relation untɔ his eternal Decree.

38. Is not this answerable unto thofe Sayings of his, where he calleth them Serpents, and Generation of Vipers, and Chil dren of the Devil? and how fouid ye 'fcape the Damnation of Hell and fuch like. Again,

39. Concerning thofe Words, ye would not, you that are fpiritual may know, that the divine Will or Pleasure of God in his Prophets did fpiritually contend with the carnal Spirits of the legal Jews, anfwerable unto their curfed Imagination, of having Power in their own rational Wills to do whatsoever he fhould command them.

40. If the Nature of the most pureft Reason be nothing but unfatisfactory Weakness, fome Men may fay unto me, why then doth the Scriptures call them Chrift's mighty Angels? From the true Light of Life eternal, to this I answer by a Comparison; If Men are chofen by the greatest Monarch in the World for his Society, that they may be always ready to obey his Will in whatsoever he fhall command them, when they have received a Commiffion from his own Mouth, to execute Vengeance upon Rebels, their Towns, Cities, or Caftles, in his Dominions, you know they appear mighty or dreadful unto all his People, as the King himself that fent them:

41. So likewife you may know it is not in Reference unto the Purity of the Angels Natures, that they are called mighty Angels, but because they were created, not only to stand in the perfonal Prefence of an infinite Majefty, to behold his bright burning Glory Face to Face, but also to be ready to receive Commiffions from him, to execute Vengeance upon the Perfons, Goods, Towns, or Caftles, of Canaanitish Rebels, that are left to defpife his fpiritual Government, or glorious Truths, declared through the Mouths of his chofen Meffen. gers.

42. Again, though thofe Men that ftand in the Prefence of the World's Monarch, are looked upon as the most mighty Nobles on this Earth, yet you know that the Sight of them is not very dreadful to behold, until Men know they have received a Commiffion of Life and Death from their mighty Lord and Master.