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Much more might I write, but speaking Face to Face, (if it may be) is far more profitable: Farewell.

JOHN REEVE, the true Prophet, of the only true Perfonal God, the Lord Jefus Chrift upon the Throne of immortal Glory in the bigbeft Heavens.

An EPISTLE of JOHN
Friend, written in May,

Shewing,

REEVE to a

1657.

HAT Elect Angels are diftinct from him who visibly

beheld him Face to Face; and what that reprobate Serpent-Angel was in his Creation, which by the fecret Council and unfearchable Wisdom of God, fell from his created Glory like Lightning from the invisible Heaven above, to this visible Earth beneath; and through his fuperfeeming God like Counsel, he overcame innocent Eve; and The yielding unto him, he wholly entred into her Womb, and naturally changed himself into her Seed, and fo became the first-born Son of the Devil, and afterwards a cursed Cain, and the Father of all thofe Cananitish Reprobate Angels, spoken of in the visible Records of the Scriptures; Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and flew bis Brother, the ift of John, the 3d Chapter, and 18th Verfe. And the Tares are the Children of the wicked one, Math. 13th Chapter, and the 18th Verfe. Alfo in what Condition Adam was created in, and how he came to fall from his created Eftate, and what that Sin was that Eve and he were guilty of, and how Sin came first in their pure created Natures.

Again, what that heavenly Glory is and where it is, that God's Elect Wheat, which are the Seed of Adam, and not of Cain fhall poffefs when time shall be no more, and what that fhameful Eternal Death is, and where it is reserved for the Seed of Cain, and not of Adam, who are either a Spirit given

up

up to perfecution of Men's Confciences, or elfe they are left in Darkness to condemn the Things of Eternity, because they cannot comprehend them for want of a true distinguishing Spirit, which is a Gift of the Holy Ghoft, unto him which is immediately fent by the Lord of Glory, that he may be diftinguished by the new born of God, from all thofe counterfeit or deceived Preachers or Speakers in the World, who are apt and ready to judge Men in Darkness, if they fo berly ask them needful Questions concerning things of Eternity, the understanding of those glorious Excellencies, which is the Saints Inheritance, being utterly hid from them, because they went before they were fent.

Friend and Brother in the Eternal Truth,

By this infallible Demonstration, you may know a Man that hath not a Commiffion from the true God, to preach and fpeak unto the People.

If a fearching Speaker or Writer, deliver any thing unto thofe People that joyn with him, then for fear of his Weaknefs or Ignorance being discovered, he will counsel the Hearers to ftick close to the Ordinances in the Word of God, or to hearken to them, or to that in their Confciences, and to beware of falfe Chrift's and false Prophets, and fuch like borrowing Scriptures Languages, to prevent the People of ever hearing the Glorious and dreadful Things of Eternity from the everliving God, revealed both by Voice of Words without, and Inspiration within, unto his two last despised true Meffengers.

Thus it is clear, they have not the true Spirit of Paul in them, who gave the true Saints Liberty to try all Things or Opinions of Men, (for that was his Meaning) but to bold faft to that which was good.

Again, that Speaker or Preacher to People, whether publick or private, that declares against all Appearances that are contrary to his Way, discovers himself to a difcerning Spirit not to be of the Lord, unless he can demonftrate a Spiritual Commiffion received by Voice from Heaven, from the Mouth of the Lord Jefus Chrift, fo that no Man can difprove him, though few from a true Understanding received him.

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Again,

Again, he that preaches or teaches only of a God or Chrift in Men's Confciences, doth he not queftion the Scripture Records concerning the Resurrection and Afcenfion of the glorious Body of the Lord Jefus Chrift, who through Faith in his invaluable Bloodshedding, the Confciences of the Elect being fprinkled, are purified from the Power of all Unrightoufnefs of Flesh and Spirit, and fo doth he not question the Refurrection of Mankind after Death.

Again, if after Death there be no bodily Refurrection for the Spirit to poffefs an immortal God like Glory, or to fuffer an eternal Devil-like Shame, according to their Deeds done in their Bodies; is it not one of the vaineft Babblings under Heaven, for Men to talk of a God or Christ, or of Righteousness, or Purity, or Mercy, or pure Love without Envy, or of any Spiritual Excellency whatsoever, unless it be for Gain or Glory amongst Men.

The eternal Spirit and alone everlasting Father, which effentially reigneth in the glorified body of our Lord Jefus Chrift his eternal Son, and fpiritually, and motionally, or virtually liveth or reigneth in elect Men and Angels, bear Record between me and you for Everlasting, or World without end, whether this Witneffing be not fent unto you, and all the Elect that shall view it principally for the re-eftablifhing of your tender Spirit, upon that fpiritual Rock of all Ages, the Lord Jefus God and Man, in one diftinct Perfon Glorified and everlaftingly Honoured, with all Variety of Spiritual new Songs and Praises, from his Redeemed or Elect Men or Angels, when all Time or Times is fwallowed up into Eternity or Eternities.

JOHN REEVE.

Another

Another EPISTLE of JOHN REEVE'S

SIR,

YOU

OUR Replication to mine doth but still harp upon the fame Matter as your former, and yet you fuppofe you have given fuch Arguments as may quite filence my former Affertions, were that there are no Spirits without Bodies, but fuch as mere Shadows and that God is not a bodilefs Spirit, but hath and ever had Form, Substance, and Shape, and that is no other but the Form of a Man.

This is Contradicted by you, and so you affirm thefe Particulars following.

ift, You take at thofe my Words which faid, that if a Spirit have no Body or Shape, then it is no more then a meer Shadow: This you deny, by saying, that a Shadow is only privative, but a Spirit, fay you, is poffitive.

2dly, You further fay, that there is fuch immaterial Subftances, which have a feparate Exiftence from fuch grofs Bodies which we have about us; witnefs fay you the Soul of Man, which is immaterial, and lives after the Body is dead, which is, fay you, confirmed by Paul, 2 Tim. i. 10. which faith, that the Gospel brings Life and Immortality to Light.

3dly, This Doctrine, fay you, was known by the Light of Nature to the Heathen Philofophers, and hath fince been confirmed by Scripture of the New Teftament to us, and fo conclude it no ways repugnant to right Reafon.

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4thly, You charge me with quoting the Scripture falfly, when I faid, that Chrift reply'd to the young Man, faying, That no Man was good but one, which was God; therefore fay you it is falfe that the Scripture faith, that God is a Man.

To

To each of these take this particular Anfwer, 1. If your Spirit have neither Shape nor Subftance, it is but a Shadow and no more than what the Egyptians Sorcerers produced before Pharaoh, what Mofes brought up were real Substances, but their's no other but Shadows, but therefore a Spirit without Substance is not pofitive; for that which is privative canhave no Being without a pofitive, because that which is pofitive hath a Being or Substance: Now he that will not admit God to have a diftinct Being of himself, his God that he worships is nothing but a Shadow.

2dly, Where you fpeak of Spirits being immaterial Subftances; if they be immaterial, how are they Substances, and what Existence can they have, and how can a Soul be immortal in a mortal Body; it is faid, the Soul that Sins, it fhall die; yet you, it is immortal and cannot die, and would prove it in 2 Tim. i. 10. when as that Place fhews plainly, that it was Christ's Death and Refurrection which brought Life and Immortality to Light; fo that if there be not a Refurrection, then can there be no immortal Life.

Therefore it is, that the Scriptures doth affirm, that there can be no Salvation without a Refurrection, so that if the Dead fhould not rife, then were all Faith vain, and God the God of the Dead (seeing Death is not abolish'd) and not of the Living; fo that there is no Spirit that can fubfift or have any Existence without a Body, either Spiritual or Natural.

Again, doth not the Gospel bring Life aad Immortality to Light, and is this Life and Immortality brought to Light without a Body, but it will have a Spiritual Body fuitable to that mortal Spirit made immortal. And doth not the Scripture affirm, that it shall have a Body like unto God's own glorious Body, and yet you fay, God hath no Body, and a Soul hath no Body.

Do you not read alfo, that Chrift had a Body, and that it was after the exprefs Image of his Father's Perfon: Would you trace fubftantial Truth into an Allegory, and fay Righteouf nefs, Knowledge, and Holiness is the Image of God, and yet must have no Body to act forth itfelf in. When God faid, be ye

boly,

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