Oldalképek
PDF
ePub

in wretched defpair. Hence arifes the neceflity of an habitual constant tri-union in the exercise of the caufal faculties final, medial and fruitive; in order to health and happiness.

1

In the moral clafs, knowledge muft be generat ed of good inclination-regiminal, and thereby conftitute wisdom in its exercise fubfervient and conformable to goodness: and power-regiminal muft proceed from both, in the habitual exercife of it conformable both to goodness and wisdom.

In the united exercise of all the three claffes: the vital muft freely give the fupreme dominion to the moral, and the middle place to the caufal.

THE natural order of obtaining this perfect fyftematic exercise of all the faculties together in conftant virtuous union; is, by progreffive steps forming habits, in the manner of exercife, according to divine appointment. This process confifts of seven steps.

THE foundation is laid in fuch a continued exercile of the three moral faculties, as gives them a confirm'd habitual tri-union. Thence the process goes on to a like manner of acquiring a confirm'd habitual tri-union in the exercise of the three caufal or legiflative faculties. Thence, in order, to the tri-union of the three vital or executive to the union of the moral with the caufal, or legiflative with loyalty (i. e. legal virtue); of the moral with the vital, or loyalty. with executive virtue of the caufal with the vital, or legislative with executive virtue; and Iaftly to the confummative tri-union of moral, caufal, and vital, or loyal, legiflative, and execu tive virtue. This is the general procefs to Perfection

D 2

fection defcrib'd in holy fcripture hiftorically, legiflatively and prophetically, as to the fyftem of creation and providence regarding man. Where,

by laying the foundation in moral-virtue, it has the præeminence in ftrength and dignity, as being the older habit and the caufal has the middle place and the vital tri-union or executive virtue the third and laft place in ftrength and dominiYet all fubfift in one fubftantial undivided mind and therein conftitute living-goodness wife and powerful, living-wifdom good and powerful, living-power good and wife; original and eternal in God, deriv'd of God in fucceffive duration in the beatified creature.

on.

The following Paraphrafe and Comparison of the Apofiles and Nicene Creeds are also thought needful, to illuftrate and establish what is affirm'd concerning them in p. 9. & 10. of the foregoing Difcourfe.

[ocr errors]

The APOSTLES-CREED Paraphras'd.

I

Believe [as a foundation for fuitable practice in my Catechumen-ftate of outward works in the porch of the temple or fpiritual building, i. c. as a member of the vifible church in God [all-perfect fount of free-federal-dominion] the Father almighty [fupreme generator and regene rator of the divine-life in all his obedient people; fo as to conftitute them his freely-imitative fons, in the ftate of the Faithful, where they thall be drawn by the cords of love in the invifible-churchmembership, paternal on the part of God, filial on the part of his church (private in the breaft or heart of every true chriftian, publick in the invifible fociety of all the true members of Chrift's myftical-body) being no longer in bondage to

out

outward co-ercive rewards and punishments forc ing an unwilling compliance with the divine will' or the laws of God. Here perfect love cafteth out fear I John iv. 18]; maker of heaven and 2. earth [. e. the whole vifible creation] and in 3. Jefus Chrift his only Son our Lord [whom we are to obey with abfolute fubmiffion; as being the vifible and only perfect exemplar of the divine-life and regeneration-procefs neceffary for its acquifition, and therefore alone capable to give us full inftruction as our spiritual phyfician], who was conceived by the Holy-ghoft [as to the generation of his incarnate-life, being the 2d Adam. In like manner was the 1ft Adam made? Godlike by the operation of the holy spirit of God: Gen. i. 2-27], born of the virgin Mary [who knew none other operator; with whom Shet did co-operate in the incarnation of Chrift, bringing Him forth and nurfing His incarnate-life, by ufing powers receiv'd of the fame holy fpirit, who had imprægnated Her; and who alfo imprægnates every chriftian foul and every chriftian church with divine gifts and graces, that, like Her, chaftely adheres to him alone]; fuffered un- 40 der Pontius Pilate [thereby giving us an example, to become perfect thro' fufferings; Heb. ii. 10], was crucified, dead and buried, He defcended into Hell [or Hades, i. e. the invifible ftate of fouls feparated from their vifible bodies or incarnationftate: thereby teaching his followers, that all the croffes and adverfities they meet with in this life, even death it self and the burial of the finful body, are neceffary in order to falvation: for, flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, neither can corruption inherit incorruption, 1 Cor. xv. ro] The 3d day He rofe again from the 9. dead, He afcended into heaven, and fitteth at the right hand of God the Father almighty [all

vifibly

vifibly to chofen incarnate witneffes (Mat. xxviij. Mar. xvi. Luk. xxiv. John xx. 21, Acts i, 1-11 vii. 55, 56—60); that his followers may be af fur'd, by fufficient teftimony, of the perpetuity of his fupreme dominion next under God the 6. Father]; from thence He fhall come to judge the quick and the dead [allo vifibly; Acts i. 11. Rev.i.7.Mat. xxiv.3-30, 31,-42. 1 Thefiv.16.] 7. I believe in the Holy-ghoft [as the operator in the Godlike regimen of the vifible Chriftianchurch] [ Cor. xii. 1-3-13, &c. xiii]; 8. the holy Catholick-church [vifible, united in regiminal co-operation by powers receiv'd of the 9. Holy-gholt]; the communion of faints [in mutual communication of all vifible good-offices and temporal fuperfluities to each other, as need re10. quireth, in vifible-church-membership]; the forgivennefs of fins [against each other mutually as God, for Chrift's fake, forgives the fins of every true penitent in the vifible-church, reftoring him to Church-membership] [Mat. vi, 1211.15]; the refurrection of the body [vifibly, in the vifible Church; as Chrift rofe vifibly. I Cor. 15]; 12. and the life everlafting [in that refurrection-body immortal, fpiritual, powerful,incorruptible, 1 Cor. xv. 42. 45. Rev.xx.6.] Amen [faith the faithful and true witness, Chrift Himself, Rev. iii. 14].

I

The NICENE-CREED Paraphras'd.

Believe [in order to fuitable practice in the ftate of the Faithful; which, by faithful fpiritual works building up the Holy-place or middle-ftate in the fpiritual temple or inward Kingdom of God (i. e. the invifible church within), goes on conquering and to conquer its fpiritual enemies. Rev. vi. 2. xix. 8-11-14] in t. God [fontal one only felf-exiftent all-perfect free

ruler]

ruler] the Father-almighty [the one only fupreme generator and regenerator of the divinelife in all his obedient people; fo as, &c. as in the Apostles-creed paraphras'd above], maker 2. of heaven and earth [both this vifible world inhabited by man, with its atmosphæric heaven; and the invifible political or fpiritual heaven and earth also belonging to mankind generated or regenerated Godlike, i. e. the legislative and executive fyftems in political-life; the caufal and viral fyftems in private-life. For the legal fyftem or legal tri-union in publick politicallife, and the moral-fyftem in private-life; was that part of the divine life deriv'd of God as Father-Almighty], and of all things vifible and invifible [. e. creator and fupreme ruler of all other beings, whether material or immaterial, active or paffive, free or enflav'd, upright or lapfed thro' abuse of liberty] [hence this creed is throughout to be understood of the invifible life and church-ftate, as well as of the visible].

[ocr errors]

AND in one Lord [abfolute ruler over his fervants, or abfolute mafter over his difciples] Jefus Chrift [anointed with fulness of fpiritual gifts and graces of the Holy-fpirit in his human-nature, to qualify him for being vifible Saviour of the world vifible, and invifible or inward Saviour of the invifible-world], the only begotten Son of God [as to his invifible divine-nature manifefted to the invifible world, thro' the eye of the mind or understanding, by his doing the works of his Father, fuch divine-works as none other man ever did. John i. 8. xv. 24. x. 25. ix. 32, 33. xiv. 11], begotten of his Father before all worlds [A, i. e. divine difpenfations gene rative or regenerative of the divine-life in the creatures, Heb. i. 1, 2, &c.] [Mat. xxii. 44],

God

« ElőzőTovább »