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manded me to walk; because this is the way of the truth which thou hast appointed for my sanctification; as it is written,-By the which Will we are sanctified. For this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins, for ever sat down at the right hand of God; from henceforth waiting till his enemies be made his footstool. Hebrews x.

That is to say spiritually, This man did confess his sin, and did forsake his sin. For he had laboured to deliver his own soul, and this was his sin. For sin is the transgression of the Law; and the Law commanded him to sit still, and wait for the salvation of God. But when he did sit still, according to the Commandment, then he did forsake his sin. For from the beginning of the Gospel the Spirit said unto the creature whom he would deliver,-The Egyptians shall help in vain and to no purpose; therefore have I cried unto her, Their strength is to sit still, and to trust in the way of my mercy, according to my truth, for the salvation of their soul. Isaiah xxx. 7, and Psalm lii. 7, 8, 9.

For the Egyptians do spiritually mean, The powers which do hold the soul under the bondage of error concerning the Truth; and these spiritual powers are, The Vision and Judgment of man, after his own thoughts, by the Scriptures. These are the spiritual enemies of the soul of man. And the Spirit told his creature from the beginning of

the Commandment, (To sit still) that the Egyptians should help in vain and to no purpose.

Now although the Spirit had made manifest in his creature this very thing, by showing him that the Vision and Judgment of man by the Scriptures, in the letter, (which is the Scriptures after the thoughts of man) do only hold the soul in the bondage of error concerning God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.

Now I say, that after the Spirit had made manifest in his creature this great error of man; and had delivered him from it, by bringing him out of that spiritual bondage the first time, and so set him free. Yet this ignorant creature turns back again in his heart unto the same Egypt -the same spiritual bondage. Now the Spirit desired to show mercy, and to correct the creature by his gentle Voice, commanding not to go back again into Egypt. But the creature despised all the counsel of the gentle Spirit, and rejected all his good reproof; as it is written,They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. Proverbs i. 30, 31.

Now the First Covenant with his creature whom he will deliver, is called the Covenant of works, because under it the creature is left to his own power, to work in himself obedience to the Commandment. And a blessing is promised for

obedience unto the Commandment, and a curse for disobedience unto the Commandment. But the Second Covenant with his creature whom he will deliver, is called the Covenant of mercy; because under it the creature is under the power of the Spirit to work in him obedience unto the Commandment. And unto the sin of disobedience, which is still found to remain in the creature, in the pure sight of the Creator; unto that he is merciful: as it is written,-And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Hebrews viii. 12.

Now the Commandment under both the Covenants is the same-Under the Covenant of Works, as under the Covenant of Faith. And this is the Commandment-Sit still, and cease from thine own works to deliver thyself; and wait for my deliverance. And so the creature is left unto the power of his own spirit to work in himself obedience unto the Commandment; but he works in himself disobedience unto the Commandment, by doing the very thing which he is commanded not to do-And therefore he brings upon himself the Curse for his disobedience— And the Curse for disobedience is the rod of his wrath by which the creature is made obedient. Now all this is done in the Wisdom of God, that the creature might know that he has no power to work in himself obedience to the Will of God, according to the Commandment of God.

And if the creature has not the power to work in himself obedience to the Law of God; to Sit still, and wait for the Salvation of God,-How manifest then to the hearing of our faith that the creature hath no power to deliver his own soul from the darkness of error into the light of truth. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay; but by the law of faith. Romans iii. 27.

For had the creature power to work in himself obedience to the Commandment he might boast of his power.

But by the hearing of our faith, the creature of his mercy is caused to glory only in his weakness, as he is made ashamed of his power. For he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in thy weakness. Most gladly therefore will I glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ in me, may rest upon me, and be made manifest in his deliverance of me from all my infirmities. 2 Cor. xii. 9. That according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. 1 Cor. i. 3.

But the power of the creature is his shameFor his power is only to cast his own soul into the depths of darkness, without any power to bring his soul into the light, as it is written. Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be your shame, and the trust in the shadow of Egypt your confusion: for they were all ashamed of a

people that could not profit them, nor be an help nor profit, but a shame, and also a reproach. Isaiah xxx. 3, 5.

And they shall be afraid and ashamed of Ethiopia their expectation, and of Egypt their glory. And the inhabitant of this isle shall say in that day, Behold, such is our expectation, whither we flee for help to be delivered from the king of Assyria: and how shall we escape? Isaiah xxi. 5, 6.

Now the king of Assyria is Nebuchadnezzar, and the meaning of the name is this-A judg ment troubled by Visions from God in the spiritual night.

So the creature that is to be delivered from a troubled judgment concerning the Visions of God. seen in the spiritual night, would go to the strength of Pharaoh, which is Egypt and Ethiopia, to be delivered.

Now Pharaoh spiritually means the Destroyer of truth-and Egypt, that which troubles and oppresses; and Ethiopia means blackness or darkness.

That is to say-The destroyer of the truth is the spirit of the creature, that is to be delivered from error as the spiritual day appears to make manifest the spiritual things of God: but this creature in the spiritual night has strength or power, only to oppress and trouble his own judgment by his ignorance of the truth after his own

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