streames or of Euphrates the pleasant vallies turned into a parched wildernesse and all in order to a more higher fuller and excellenter glory this is prophesied of in the Scripture The Sunne shall bee turned into darknesse and the Moone into blood before that great and notable day of the Lord come that is not onely the Lord Jesus will be darknesse unto the world which I deny not but all that which was the glory and light of a Christian and high-way of communion with God his Sunne Moone and Starres shall be darkned c. before that notable day or that more excellent revelation of God in glory and 1 Pet. 3. 10. The heavens shall passe away with a great noise and the Element shall melt with fervent heat and the earth with the works that are therein shall be burnt up which is not onely at the last judgement but upon perticular administration which is figured out in the heavens earth and elements or those more or lesse glorious administrations and the fire shall try every mans work of what sort it is 1 Cor. 3. 13. 15. And as Christ crucified all that glorious administration in the flesh in which he was and it all dyed to a more glorious life so every Christian is to take up his crosse or to bring his highest and cheifest administrations to this crosse and to leave them all crucified to more higher excellenter discoveries and this is the knowledge of Christ crucified now many Christians who are sadded darkned and in much tribulation as to the administration they are under and in looking into the wildernesse seeing nothing but mount Sinai with blacknesse and darknes and tempest they take it for desertions and withdrawings of God when as indeed it is the presence of God darkning withering and consuming such administrations and the bringing in a more fuller and transcendent glory The next ministration will be the appearing of Christ in brightnesse and glory of Spirit destroying Antichrist with the spirit of his mouth and brightnes of his comming this shall be a glory without Sun or Moon or Star or any such low appearance as gift or ordinance but the Lord shall be there everlasting light and God the glory and light shall cover the earth as waters cover the Sea that is it shall not sparkle or be in bright beams as in a Gift or Ordinance but it shall slow out from the Lord swallowing up and overflowing all earthly administrations that expectation of him in externall administrations as Gifts or Ordinances c. is but to expect Christ in a fleshly way or appearance and not as he is in his own height spirit and glory in himselfe in his Saints their fulnesse and hope of glory Col. 1. 27. And therefore this is that which is to be expected an estate of spirit love meeknes self-denyall overcoming evill with good conquering by receiving in the wrath and enmity of the world into which estate God will gather up his people by times and degrees from all worldy and fleshly interests and ingagements wherein they shall be carried up into a more full injoyment of God and conformity to Christ in all his sufferings death and resurrection where God will be to all his sâ— glorified as broad rivers and streams where shall goe no Ship with sailes nor Gally with Ores And then it shall be as much apostacy in the Saints to go back to the first ministery of the Gospel times or first patterne which was the first discovery of that mystery hid from ages as would have been in them in the Apostles dayes to have gone back to the Jewish Tabernacle Temple and Priest-hood c. out of which God had departed as he also hath out of these late administrations Furnell 8. Letter Loving Cozen DEarly and much beloved there is some content in nature that you abide in the flesh with me and are yet an appearance of God upon the Earth for I confesse I have none so neere my heart as you of a fleshly beeing in the world therefore I have been affected with the kindnesse of the Lord that hath spared you that I might not have sorrow upon sorrow my sister being removed yet have I more sweet joy and content in understanding that you are in the fellowship of the Spirit growing forward through al the dark shadows of seeming glory into the substance which is reall glory for in that you say you see God is all and doth all I question not but you understand that all things below him are but shaddows of him yea Christ himself in his fleshly appearance was but a form of God which appeared to answer our distance from God for wee being departed from him by experiencing the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evill of which food I hope we have our fill now God condescending to redeem us from this by the way of Christ who was appointed of God to bring us unto God not to himself as he was Christ beeing but an appearance of God not the Father himself Therefore if we should sit down with Christ being come to him and proceed no further we are not brought by him to the Father And the will of God is that we be co-heires and joint heires together with him till we know that the Father and the Son are in one and we one with the Father as the Son For I believe that God even the Son of God doth dwell in us even the same that dwelt in Christ Jesus and I am waiting when that heavenly Image shall as plainly appear as the Image of the earthly hath appeared for we shal see his face and his name shall be upon our foreheads Deere Cozen since I received your letter I have seen you in a Vision and so was it represented to me that I understand that you have or shall bring forth the man Childe even Christ to open veiw for which you must die and be buried I mean you shall appear to some as one dead to truth and God and alive to errour and so you shall be as one dead and put into a grave of darknes and silence yet fear not for I have proved that the day of death is better then the day of Birth And that by death Christ brought to light life and immortality Remember also Christ was put to death in the flesh and was alive to God his flesh was as pure and honourable as even ours was yet by the eternall Spirit within it was offered a Spirituall Sacrifice to God whilest the dark apprehensions of men conclude that he suffered as a blasphemer therefore arm your self with the same minde always expecting we shall surely rise with him as we suffer together with him for indeed we are but one in life and death And he is the resurrection and the life even Christ in us who is rising in me and either is or will rise in you And when he doth appear we shall appear with him I pray you deare Cozen as often
it was unexpected by me onely the Lord would have it so and therfore all your care must serve the Lords designes to bring it to my hand when my husband was not in town doe not therefore look upon me but look to the Lord use me as kindly as Job did his servant reject not my cause for surely it is not mine I leave you to the Lord whom I desire rightly to guide you in this thing and am Your sincere loving Sister and servant from the greatest to the meanest of you T. P. Abington 26. March 1649. 26. Letter Deare Friend ENgagements from a true principle are not easily dislolved and while we hold the head we cannot let goe the members I have considered you in the union of life and truth from whence flow my unfeigned respects to you and wherein consists the true enjoyment of your self Vanity of vanity interposeth between God and us while we are below and vexeth our unquiet spirits seeking contentment in earthly relations we wander too and fro and return empty but when we close with the divine will our distractions are composed the commotions of our distempred hearts are all sweetly silenced Friend when you have in the spirit ascended farre above all heavens when you are above all even that God hath made and for a time also ordained you to use then may you and then will you be able to descend into the lowest parts of the earth and from thence again rise to the highest glory Then will you have a true sweet and comfortable use of the meanest condition in the world out of which you shall mount to the clearest enjoyment of the greatest happinesse and by a continuall intercourse between heaven and earth you will at last come to inherit the utmost large and full extent of the Lords dominions If you were confined to that heaven onely as it hath been received in the generall notion you would be streightned in your borders and be deprived of part of your portion and possession for the earth as well as the heaven is filled with the glory of God from which if you were excluded you must necessarily want that peice of your right whereof you were made an heiresse When the ladder of our eternall union is set between Heaven and Earth between the divine and humane nature then may we both ascend and descend one as freely as the other our heavenly state will not disdain our earthly nor our earthly hinder our heavenly the true Angelicall life hath sweet communion with God in both Trouble afflictions and crosses in the world will administer consolation and be all your servants helpers of your joy God will be all Union unto him cannot be divided the wings of the morning are not swift enough to outflie him the utmost parts of the earth the farthest distance of sense the broad Sea the greatest confusion of minde the wide wildernesse the most solitary sadnesse of heart cannot hide from his presence Nay if you goe downe into the Hell of horrour your Ioule shall not be left there his right hand of power and spirit of holinesse will raise you up againe I have endeavoured to discharge my respects to you in these short and sudden lines being now hindred from enlarging by the courtesie and visites of my friends My respects of love presented I am Your servant in Truth Aug. 20. 1649. Copiâ— haec mut at â—â— mutandis typis mandetur 27. Letter To I. I. DEARE and loving Friend whom I desire to own and to be one with in the fellowship of the Father and the Son in one eternall invisible and ever-ruling Spirit in and with which Spirit we are to walk live abide in after we are made one with it which is and must bee an inward true and invisible walking and according to an inward true and invisible rule and not after an outward and worldly manner as the worldlings doe For my Kingdome is not of this world saith Christ my Kingdome is not of observation and worldly rudiments for it is within you that consists not in any outward rule or practise all the true rules and directions of the Spirit is within it is visible the truth of all things is within the outward is not the truth but an Image of the truth therefore to walke in outward forms or ordinances is but to walke in an Image and not in the truth it selfe but to walke in the truth is to walke in the spirit and if in the spirit then in God for God is a spirit and hee is the truth of the spirit and he that will be one with God must bee one with him in the spirit and in truth as it is essentiall in God or else there can be no perfection and then no true walking with God to be one with God is to be nothing ones selfe and to walk with God is to walke out of ones selfe Enoch walked with God and was not for God tooke him he was not that is hee was not himselfe No man can walke with God while he is himselfe a man as man cannot be said to walke with God he may walke with man but not with God nothing can be said to walke with God but what is one in and with God and therefore must bee as God for none can walke with God but God No man hath seen the Father but the Sonne hee that ascended is the same that descended no man hath nor never shall see the Father but the Sonne Then none can be said to walke with God but Jesus Christ who is God And this walking is invisible that is a communion of spirit in man one man may have communion with another as man but none can have communion with God but God light cannot have communion with darknesse nor darknesse with light but light hath communion with it selfe Therefore that we are in the light let us walk as Children of the light and not as the Children of darknesse But you will say Doe wee not walke with God in Ordinances I answer that ordinances are not light truth nor spirit and therefore wee cannot walke with God in them wee cannot walke with God in any thing but in the light in the truth and in the spirit nor none can walke with God in these things but the divine spirit or inward man which is of God and one with God to walke with and in God is to walke in the truth and ordinances you cannot say are the truth no more then you can say the scripture is the truth but if you will make it truth you must make it God for there is but one truth and that is God One God and Father of all one Lord one Faith and one Baptisme and all but one God and one truth God as he is in the word Christ Jesus is the truth and if we have heard of him and been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus then shall wee say that the scripture is not truth but
him the life and blood of his Sonne and heire which now he had already in part performed 6. Therefore God who wel knew the mutability and inconstancy of flesh and blood that hee might at last come within his beloved and at one blow strike the match dead or rather put so much life into it as might secure it from all hazard of revocation and repenting He secretly winds and insinuates himselfe into her heart conveies his owne spirit into her inward parts makes her partaker of his own divine nature so that now they are not onely one flesh but one spirit Now there is but one heart and soul betwixt them God hath so gotten into her heart that he can boldly talke to her as to his wife and snee to him as to her husband Now she can say My well beloved is mine and I am his nothing is wanting to compleat this marriage but the spouses making her selfe ready Thus you see Gods graduall proceeding in this undertaking and how neare the businesse is brought to a finall conclusion And because there remaines now but a vaile or two more that keeps up a distance betwixt God and his Spouse which being removed the union would bee entire and absolute therefore he resolves forth with to break through these also and inasmuch as God or God-Man hath already uncloathed himselfe of naturall flesh of which the rending of the vaile of the Temple was a figure by suffering it to be crucified that hee might enter into spirit or return into the highest glory of the Father 7. So the Saints or misticall body in conformity unto Christ the head doe uncloath themselves of the rags of corrupt and sinfull flesh by suffering it to be crucified that the divine nature or image of God may shine forth in the humane till God discover his dwelling in the flesh of the Saints as he dwelt in the flesh of Christ and afterwards this flesh be taken up into spirit 8. In order whereunto God hath so farre advanced that he is pulling downe the partitions that remaine Hee is tearing the vaile not only of the naturall but of the misticall flesh of Christ or that whole administration of Christ consisting in formes and ordinances 9 Yea God is not onely taking downe this tabernacle of the misticall flesh of Christ but he is destroying the misticall or spirituall flesh of the Saints if I may so call it standing in their own righteousnesse that good perswasion they have had of themselves rais'd up and built upon their qualifications religious duties and performances The reading of this vaile will rend the heart and the caule of the liver of many Saints because most of their comfort hath sprung from this roote most of their evidence hath beene layd upon this foundation This must needes startle them to have their heaven their evidence for heaven thus shaken and this by comparing together Heb. 12. 26 27. and 2 Pet. 3 13. I conceive will bee the ultimate and finall accomplishment of that place in Haggai 2. chap. 6. I will shake the heauens and the earth and the sea and the dry land and I will shake all nations and the desire of all nations shall come This great work hath God begunne to take in hand To shake the old heaven and earth and to make new To destroy our own righteousnesse and instead thereof to bring forth Christ in spirit who is the Lord our righteousnesse and how does the devill rage and strive by his stratagems on all hands to make this child an abortive Without doubt God is removing out of fleshly administrations and calling upon his people to come up and serve him in that which is more spirituall God is withdrawing from formes that hee may draw his people after him into spirit and power Nor is this intended to take those off from formes that enjoy Gods presence in them but to give an account of those that walke not informes and to call those higher then formes from whom God is apparently departed in formes for there are divers degrees and measures of christians Some finde God it may be in every ordinance others finde him in none at all some enjoy his presence in one publique ordinance and not in another others God meets in their private duties but not in the publique Let every Saint abide in the station where God sets him till hee say unto him come up hither And why shouldst thou wonder at this Hath it not been the sad complaint of many serious christians for these many yeares that ordinances have been barren to them and themselves barren in the use of them What should the meaning of this bee but that God cals upon such to looke out for higher discoveries of himselfe then attend those old wayes This thing many poore soules have beene ignorant off and therefore have layne downe under the burden of greif and sorrow as if God had utterly forsaken them It is not denyed but that as there may bee the forme of godlinesse without the power so the forme and power may both stand together but there is a time when God will goe forth out of forme into power out of flesh into spirit out of formall and fleshly administrations into that which is more spirituall These formes or this misticall flesh of Christ have beene as Jonahs gourd under which the Saints have long reposed themselves enjoyed much sweet shelter and shadow and therefore cannot beare the parting with them neither in themselves nor others but now if God upon designe to carry up his people to more spirituallity hath prepared a worme at the root of this gourd purposely to kill and dry it up dost thou well to be angry Jonah Yes thou wilt say I doe well to bee angry to the death for some have not onely left off ordinances but preach them downe and speake contemptibly of them Answer Blame not all that have left them off for some may have done it upon a right ground As for those that speake contemptible of them I excuse them uot at all but this I say If there be a worme at their root and they must needes dye then as Calvin once said of the Ceremonies of old so say I of those Let them have an honourable buriall As the weake Saints yet under formes would not be despised by those above them so let them not be harsh accusers of those that see their liberty and stand fast in it This was the Apostles rule to preserve peace and love Rom. 14. betweene dissenting brethren For further satisfaction in this Poynt I referre theee to the 28. Letter Christ was three dayes in the grave and then rose out of it againe Christ hath beene in formes to some he is still to others he is risen out of formes Tell me wouldst thou have these seeke Christ in the Sepulchre in formes when they see he is risen and perhaps have been told by an Angel he is not here he is risen Be not weaker then the
and others Some search deeper and throw into this composition some graines of spirit and quintessences of a higher extract purified and sublimd into a nobler essence But tell mee is this mixture like to restore life to a dying and languishing Nation to a darke and formall Church Could wee get the rarest drugs the world affords Could we search the earth to its center and discover the occult qualities of all its minerals and wonders Can this reach the some and spirit of one man much lesse a whole kingdome What though some grains of spirit are in one composition is it not loaded with thick clay overcome by the predominancy of contrary qualities The distemper of this Nation springs from our living in another world then our own in a corrupted aire a contagious climate in vassalage and slavery to these bodies of flesh to this lower element of the world to the Prince of darknesse Men created in the Image of God have uncloath'd themselves of that glory and now wander in the shapes of Wolves and Beasts of prey having their soules and spirits sprung from Heaven they transforme themselves into the similitude of the elementary-creatures What are warres confusions and disorders but the actings forth this brutish spirit in tearing and devouring our fellow creatures Fightings and divisions spring from the jarring discordant qualities in the mindes of men who have lost the spirit of sweetness union and peace which breaths forth nothing but love joy and keeps the whole body in an harmonious unity Is this unity to be recovered by divisions T is true by such a division as this it is by seperating truth from errour light from darkness the purer from the grosser parts This is by a spirit of burning and by a power above the strength of man Who must be the reformers of the world who must build the Lord a Temple a glorious Temple both in Church and State Not those who are staind with bloud and act by a spirit of wrath and violence The Lord tels David 1 Chron. 22. 8. Thou hast shed blood aboundantly and hast made great wars thou shalt not build an house to my name because thou hast shed much blood upon the earth in my sight Is there no spirit and life in these words Was not David permitted to build the materiall Temple a darke shadow and type of the spirituall Was not he suffered in that age under those darke fleshly administrations which held forth no greater light and put no greater glory upon their spirits to subdue the world but by Sword and Bow by force and violence and is it probable that the sweet mild and gentle spirit of the Gospel should need the force and strength of men These doe well that it is in their hearts to reforme the world but they mistake the way they act in the strength of the wrath of God in the spirit of this world their poor earth will not conquer Hell and Devils their Sword and Gunnes will never change the natures of men No Solomon must build this Temple the Lord Jesus it must bee another spirit another generation another way These with David may fell the Cedars and hew the Stones of this earthly building Those ordain'd for this glorious worke their Swords must bee of another mettall to wound and heale againe to destroy the flesh and transforme it into spirit their spirits shall breath forth nothing but love and sweetnesse their Language shall be glory to God on high on earth peace good-will towards men they call not for fire from Heaven they cast not into Prisons and Dungeons they Plunder not nor destroy they are of other spirits more sweet more amiable forcing the world by a divine power of love to confesse they are overcome and vanquish'd All the Kingdomes of the Earth all the Glory of the Creatures all the Splendour Magnificence and Pompe of the world shall vanish as Smoake and acknowledge it selfe a poore shadow an empty nothing All that act in this spirit of violence and fury are a rod in the hand of God the Executioners of vengeance These are the Hornes of the Beasts that shall hate the Whore and make her desolate and naked and shall eat her flesh and burne her with fire in the cup shee hath filled these shall fill to her double these powre out the Vials of wrath upon the seat of the Beasts they are the Fowles of Heaven to eat the flesh of Kings and the flesh of Captaines and Great-ones of the earth they are to rend and teare the outward garment of the worlds glory they are an administration wherein God cloaths himself with fury indignation By this spirit of vengeance and wrath al the worlds tormeÌ„tors have bin acted this hath bin a work of Assirâ—ans and Babylonians Romans Turks and Sarazens they have overcoÌ„e the whole face of the earth with their Armies they have trampled the Nations under their feet and trod their God in the mire of the streets How doe many in this age glory in these triumphs set up their poor trophees their triumphant Pillars as if the strength were their owne and the glory their owne Had they the spirits of Christians they needed not the swords of men they are weake in the Spirit of the Gospell therefore they cloath themselves with the power of flesh and will enter into Canaan in the wrath of the Lord destroying and devouring not converting They glory in fleshly Conquests and Victoâ—ies having not power in the Spirit to conquer in the way of love union and peace with these Weapons the Apostles bid defiance to the whole world to Hell and Devils they advanced their Standards upon the proud wals of Rome it selfe This fleshly strength will prove weaknesse in this worke it will dye and vanish into ayre when it hath done the work the Lord hath appointed God makes one spirit and property of darknesse afflict and torment another the Nations of the world will destroy themselves every one by the Sword of his Brother The flesh of the Saints engag'd in these contests and worldly quarrels shall rend it selfe and helpe to rend the world But how are they Saints Such who have some glimmerings of the bright and morning-Starre who by throwing of the externall vaile of Antichristian darknesse fleshly forms servile dependency on the darke spirits of blind men I say having throwne of these fetters they have some liberty and having removâ—d these mists they see a light the faint reflections of a rising Sunne being let out of their cage of darknesse they fly and flutter and catch at every thing but apprehend little as it is in God but in the light of their own spirits mov'd by the call and drawing of the spirit of God and the concurrence of those beams of light scattered themselves every where these receive but glances and flashes and cover it with much darknesse confusion and ignorance yet being rais'd above their former state they think God speaks in them and
News from the New-JERUSALEM Sent by Letters from severall Parts relating some Hints and Observations of that Citty All conspiring in a Testimony that renders it exceeding Glorious Revel 21. 5. And hee that sate upon the throne said BEHOLD I MAKE ALL THINGS NEW LONDON Printed by G. D. for Giles Calvert at the signe of the Black-spread Eagle at the West end of Pauls 1649. To the Christian Reader and more especially to the Saints that wait upon God in the use of Formes Reader THou hast here presented to thy view a coppy of certain Letters written to private friends not at all intended for thy use But since it is their fate to fall into publick hands and since there are somethings in them well worth thy notice and observation A well-wisher of thine for thy good hath thought fit to usher them to thy hand by writing one letter unto thee the rather to engage thee by reading that which is thine own to take a survey of the whole parcell that therein thou mayest behold the breaking forth of God and the spirit that now breathes in many Saints which seems to prophesie and promise that God is about to doe some great and notable thing for his people according to their long expectations and as an answer to their prayers But although God be breaking forth upon the world in a greater degree of light and glory then former ages have seen yet thou art to know that we are as yet but in the twi-light we see onely the dawnings of an approaching day we are at the utmost but upon the borders and confines of this glory and therefore Reader in thy examination of doctrines and inquisition after truth two things would be carefully heeded First not to receive every thing for truth that comes abroad under that notion Nor secondly to reject every thing that is new to thee as errour Least thou take darknesse for light and light for darknes As thou wouldest avoid falling into the gulfe of errour on one hand so beware thou dash not against the rock Christ on the other for there may be a dangerous miscarriage on either side This is most certain that whensoever God the father of lights begets and brings forth any fresh discovery of light and truth in the world the Devill the father of lyes will transform himself into an Angel of light and will press upon the most conscientious * It is as least a very probable argument that truth is rising springing out of the earrh when errour and delusion walke abroad under pretence of comming downe from heaven Christians his falsities and delusions under such specious and plausible colours that will deceive if t' were possible the very elect And this he will doe diversly by working upon a different subject First in regard there is but a mixture of light and darknes in the most knowing Saints he will take advantage by the remainder of darknes in them to make them instruments to promote errour as well as truth and the seed of errour falling into the soyle of this dark principle may grow there for some time till the principle of light wholly overcome and expell this darknesse But secondly he doth more usually make use of forward formall professours and these he dare trust though they hold forth the truth for a time because he knows when they fall off and discover themselves they will raise the greatest scandall and bring the greatest odium upon the truth so that it s no safe rule to judge of persons by their doctrines nor of doctrines by the persons that brings them Therefore Reader thou feest what need thou hast to harken to the Apostles counsell Try the spirits whether they be of God least thou feed upon Scorpions and cast away the true bread least thou abide in darknesse and see not the brightnesse and glory of that day that is neer approaching Thou canst not be ignorant that the Scriptures as well the old testament as the new beare witnesse of a glorious day that shall shine forth in the last times when the light of the Moon shall be as the light of the Sun and the light of the Sunne as the light of seven dayes which as it shall be a glorious day so it shall be the joyfullest day that ever the Saints beheld for it shall bee their wedding day Then shall that voyce of acclamation be heard Let us be glad and rejoyce and give honour unto him for the marriage of the Lambe come and his wife hath made her selfe ready To make the Lambs wife ready hath beene the great work of God in the world How neare we are come to this time I shall not undertake to determine but much may be guessed by Gods preparations for the same for almost six thousand yeares and by his various appearances and graduall approaches unto his people from the beginning to this present time of which take this briefe experimentall Narrative Though the Lord our God be one Lord and hath said of himselfe I am alone and there is none besides me yet in another sense hee hath said That two are better then one and It is not good the man should bee alone therefore this One Onely-wise Being for the setting forth of his owne glory hath greatly delighted to multiply and bring forth himselfe in a world of variety and distinction that hee might againe gather up all things into himselfe in the most perfect and absolute union Or in a larger naration take it thus This one God hath branched and spread forth himselfe in this great Fabrick of heaven and earth furnished and garnished the same with infinite variety of his works and creatures and then made man the topp of this creation And for the speciall favour he bare unto man whom he had made after his own likenesse he bestowed upon him the dominion and Lordship of this lower world or of the whole earth and in the midst or chiefest place thereof planted a paradice or garden of pleasure and placed the man therein where hee conversed with his maker in the highest enjoyment of God in the creatures But God leaving open a posterne doore the man being deceived by the Serpent sinne entred into the world and drew after it at the heeles all sorts of misery confusion death and bondage and brought upon the whole creation ten thousand distempers and distractions fractions and divisions and especially upon man the cause hereof who now became nothing else but a perfect map of misery but God to heale and cure all this immediately threw open the broad gate of glory and sent forth his beloved Sonne that by his death and sufferings he might restore all things into a blessed estate redeeme the world out of bondage reduce all things to a sweete harmony and agreement reconcile all things to himselfe both in heaven and in earth and gather up all things thus scattered abroad into a perfect agreement and the nearest union with himselfe Col. 1. 20. And
weak disciples who hearing their Lord was risen departed from the sepulchre after which it was not long that they heard hee was risen by some that had seen him nor long after that againe that he appeared unto them and raised up their faith which was sinking and ready to dye What dost thou meane poore Saint that with Mary lyest puling and weeping at the sepulchre when as thy Savionr is risen Why dost thou seeke the living among the dead Thou seest how many dispensations God hath passed through besides other intervening lesse remarkable appearances which have been omitted God was in the flesh of Ghrist but that having done its office he layed it aside God is entred upon a dispensation of spirit and cals upon his psouse to follow him but she is so fallen in love with this sute of old cloathes this garment of flesh that she is loath to lay it aside as if she meant to be married in it But tell me wouldst thou tye God alwayes to one dispensation or if thou caust not but that hee will advance higher till hee come to the highest wilt thou tarry behinde him and dwell alwayes in the same place Dost thou not know that the consummation of Gods marriage with thee is the compleating of thine owne happinesse And dost thou not see that God is gone before thee Dost thou not hear him calling thee come up hither If God be gone before why dost linger and laggar behinde Dost thou stand still and please thy selfe with beholding thy present attainments or dost thou look back and admire thy former good worke Remember what Paul saith was his practise forgetting those things that are behinde and reacoing forth to those things that are before I press towards the mark c. Call to mind also Peters admonition Looking for and hastening unto the comming of the day of God c. God forbid that thou shouldest limit the holy one of Israel that thou shouldest tye and binde down God to any form or administration longer then will serve his own designe And God forbid that thou shouldest stop and stay in a dispensation after thou findest he is departed from it God took up dispensations onely to serve a turn to bring about his designe of making his creature happy by its union with himself The finishing laying down of dispensations is the perfecting and finishing of the creatures happinesse and the introducing of that glorious day before hinted which will be by the arising of the Sunne of Righteousnesse not in one Horizon of the world onely but throughout the whol earth and heaven which day of the Lord as it should be to us the most desirable thing in the worle so it should seem to be at hand and to stand knocking at our doores by some glimpses of glory that appear already and particularly by those rayes and beams of light that stream forth in these ensuing letters In some of these Letters thou shalt hear the stammerings and lispings of children rather then a pure language or perfect speaking but let not that offend thee If thou art a Father of children a thousand to one thou art not so morose and austere but thou hast taken delight to hear thy children prattle though they spake but half words and broken sentences and why should it trouble thee to hear thy brethren the children of thine and their heavenly Father expresse themselves in such language as they are able Is is not said Out of the mouth of Babes and sucklings thou hast ordained strength or thou hast perfected praise In others of these Letters perhaps thou mayst meet with some things that may be paradoxes and hard sayings to thee which thou canst not beare but sit not in judgement to condemn this neither as if thou wouldest take upon thee to know all things suspend censure till thou hast a clearer light of which surely thou art not out of hope perhaps that day may not be far from thee wherein thou shalt speak and understand harder sayings and higher mysteries then thou shalt meet withall in these Letters Nor yet doe I undertake to justifie all that is written in them 'T is yet but the dawning of the day The clear est principle for ought I know hath a mixture of earth and darknesse in it The light is yet neyther cleare nor dark 't is neyther night nor day but in the evening time it shall be light Zach 14. 6 7. And then 't is possible an higher appearance in the same persons that wrote these Letters may judge some things in them to the fire as hey and stubble To conclude thou shalt find one letter among the rest written by a precious Soule walking in darknesse and having no light wrapt up and mantled in a black night of trouble and dejection of Spirit Let this Letter that may seem not to suit with his fellowes serve as sharpe sawce with sweet meat to give a better relish to the rest Doubtlesse the Lord hath a gracious designe upon this good soule and hath but withdrawn himself for a little moment that witheverlasting mercies he may imbrace it that he may discover himself unto this soule to be nothing but light and love and bring forth himself in this smoaking flack in an higher and brighter flame of light and glory in a more glorious appearance then ever And when God shall bring this to passe if thou please in the mean time to taste of his teares peradventure when he reaps his harvest thou mayest be made partaker of his joy Septemb. 24. 1649. A wel-wisher of thine and of the truth as it is in Jesus S. P. D. Errata PAge 20. line 16. dele of pag. 21. lin 16. for new read more pag. 23. lin 14. read with spiritvall p. 38. l. 10. r. consider l. 13. r. the creature l. 16. r. as with a creator l 17. r. as with a Father p. 40. l. 3. r. billowing l. 22. f. doth r. were p. 41. l. 1. r. a greater then whom p. 41. l. 17. f meanest r. nearest l. 24. r. was higher p. 42. l. 12. r. son p. 5â— l. 3. f. lo r. to p. 54. l. 5. r. the best p. 56. l. 19. and p. 57. l. 2. r. spirits p. 58. l. 26. r. swords p. 60. l. 10. r. overrunne p. 61. l. 22. r. not mov'd l. 24. r. scattering p. 62. l. 7. r. accompâ—niâ—s l. 22. r. having p. 63. l. 9. r. And this a. l. 18. r. who ripe for p. 66. l. 3. f. our r. one l. 14. r. is known p. 67. l. 3. r. raisers of l. 5. r. neare p. 91. l. 9. r. onenes p. 105. l. 18. r. not imagined p. 145. l. 28. r. externall p. 146. l. 19. f. sure r. free p. 149. l. 18. r. the box is in your heart p. 145. l. 6. r. this tabernacle p. 155. l. 24. f. torne r to me News from the New Jerusalem sent by Letters from severall Parts c. 1. Letter Deare Sir I Have received your loving Letter and
or judge of things without I am to judge of things within me Those things that I have tasted seen and handled I declare unto you for the dispensation of truth is upon me and I would not now speak any thing or doe any thing but as he speaks in me and does in me for it s no more I now but the Lord I indeed have been something in mans day and I desired to be and to speak but that day is past it s come into judgement weighed in the ballance of the Sanctuary and found too light The day of the Lord onely is now upon me and here I desire to be perfected But I will yet goe a little further and shew you the workings of God upon me and in me It was so that before God so wonderfully appeared to me I had exceeding working in my spirit and drawing to come up and serve the Lord in a more spirituall administration and scriptures were still opened to me in a new and strange way still tending to that spirituall enjoyment of God which then was in mine eye and now have At last there was an extraordinary expectation begotten in me and I waited for my establishment in the spirit though I did yet appear in the flesh but against this there were great fightings between the two powers both from within me and also from friends without yet there was in mee even in the darkest time a secret hope even beyond hope that I should enjoy it and my eye was unto him who hath now saved me but here I was brought to lye down in his will even without it and though I never should have felt it yet in this beliefe could I have laid down my life and have dyed That there was such a time appointed for the people of God and that they should surely have such a glory though they appeared and lived upon earth for the Lord hath said The tabernacle of God should be with men and he would raigne for ever and ever But the day before this glory came unto me I had this word very strongly set home upon me Wee shall not all sleep but be changed And truly as the time drew neer I had such strong workings of spirit that I could expect no other indeed and I did expect it and withall look't with what body I should come for I was thinking as I told you before that this outward form must be done away when God came to change us but when I saw it still remain and I so wonderfully beheld God I was taken with admiration yet did I still expect that sure it would anone goe a way for I thought it impossible that I should look constantly upon this glory and yet remain upon the earth for indeed though I expected much yet this sight was farre beyond my expectation Now I felt the fleshly part within me flie a way at his presence and Death and Hell were destroyed I heard sentence given against the enemy of all our peace and he ran a way I felt him cast out and in the morning I could sing a song over him For his head I found was turned into the waters yet still this outward body did not moulder a way At last it was given mee from him that shewed me these things to aske for indeed I was not able till it was given me and I asked and said O Lord God why have I flesh upon me and see thee in this glorious manner for Infinitenesse it self looked upon me and I looked upon it Can any man see thee I said and live It was answered me againe Thou art not alive I have slain thee No man indeed can see mee and live but as a man thou art dead and never shalt live more as a man but the sonne of God can see mee Thou shall live as the son of God and so thou shalt see me But I said O Lord Why am I not presently dissolved by this Infinite glory that now so openly beholds me Why have I flesh upon me in the appearance of it It was answered Thou hast brethren in the flesh therefore hast thou flesh upon thee because thou must carry them a testimony of what thou hast seen of me but look for no glory in the flesh but sufferings and perseeutions for thy glory lyes within all flesh and accordingly I accepted of it because it was the fathers will and for no other cause It was also manifested to me that while they were persecuting me I should be inwardly filled with the glory of God and triumph over all their cruelty though I might for this testimony suffer as Jesus Christ did upon the Cross I should bee willing in the will of God to see your face however this I am sure that when the Lord brings forth his own righteousnes upon you you cannot be silent to your own bowels and that indeed I am for I am not as to my own particular any longer but am fallen into the Church and there I see my self to have a most glorious resurrection I was afraid once indeed to loose my life but I never had so much glory as now I finde in the body Oh how true is that word Every one that will save his life shall loose it but he that looseth his life for my name sake shall find it The Lord of heaven and earth give men to see their glory in union and then they will never stand so much as they doe upon distinctions did they see their resurrection in the body and knew what this body is they could not so account of any particular appearances but they should see themselves alwayes alive and because he lives therefore they should live also for if they would cease to live in their own life they should be perfected and live in the life of God But the truth is the word Body stumbles them because they are not wholly yet brought off from looking upon things as they appear for hence hath flowen all our imaginary worship but when Christ is again formed in us then he and we by him shall not judge according to the hearing of the ear nor the sight of the eye but righteous judgement Therefore the filth of the daughter of Sion or all those evils and mistakes which now possesse us is said to be purged away by a spirit of judgment as well as by a spirit of burning For it must be first judged before it can be burned and truly I doe in som measure see what that Scripture speaks off After death comes judgement for I am sure that since I had this death and since my soule was separated from my body I have been judged for things done in the body that is while I lived in the body for I knew a time when I lived in this body and I know now what it is to live out of the body and yet appear in the body for that is the great mistake the body that appears to be is not the body The scripture
saith It s sown a naturall but raised a spirituall body and men not knowing what to make of this spirituall body conceive it to be so many distinct personall appearances as have deceased since the world first began but the Lord in his time will shew them what this spirituall body is and then they will better judge of it but I am sure we without them or they without us are not perfect for though I have seen all these things accomplished upon me in this particular body yet I see that it is but as in a figure which hath reference to the whole therefore am I weak with them that are weak and stong with those that are strong and my glory lyes still in the body Never do I look for perfection more in one particular appearance but to be perfect in the whole I am no more my own but every ones and every one is mine Dear Soul the Lord of all our mercy supply and keep you safe under all those storms which are now breaking in upon us I humbly and heartily thank you for your sweet counsell in looking for tryall it is that which my heavenly father hath warned me to look for I leave you to his bowels and bosome in whom I rest I am Your endeared friend to serve God in you 4. Letter Dear Soule MY heart salutes thee and every budding forth of God in the divine mystery Oh my spirit sits inthron'd and glories in the top of every being and though all the buildings in the world shake I shal not come down to save any of the furniture of this darke Fabrick All images are with me my dearest though set in a frame of weaknesse c. The eye of eternity hath enclos'd them all and though its twinklings fold them up in night and though the back-parts of God obscures this earth and is a veile between it and the high-noone of the God-head yet this is but a shadow wherein Divinity hides it selfe which shall fly away and disappeare with the outward dresse of this Creation When all deformed Shapes Vizards and Pictures shall suffer losse then the present blacknesse which is the habitation of Dogs and Devils shall bee chas'd into outward darknesse but the comlinesse which all this while hath lyen disguised under that beggerly appearance and loathsome outwardnesse shall spring forth in a glorious ray of that bright morning Starre which shall visit us from on high bringing glad tydings upon its Angel-wing of life and immortal lity That the sweet Emmanuel born in the village of our own natures I am commanded to speake thus much unto thee my Dear breathing though my spirit rejoyceth to finde-thee already reeling with new wine bathing in that brimfull unction which yet cannot runne over its boundlesse circle and shall overflow all the world besides They shall all know God and all be cloathed with the divine person of Christ The water of life shall spring up in you all and every Creature heald of its disease when righteousnesse shall spring forth of the earth and the heavens shall hear the voyce of the earth and drop down fatnesse upon them The Tree of Life shall have its root within us sprouting forth through its quiet Sap into its glorious figure and life a Branch a Leafe thereof reducing every parcell of Corruption and cloathing that upon with spirit and immortallity which before was muffled up in sinne and wrath in paine and darknesse My dearest I am taken off in haste and have onely leysure to blesse thee for thy last which administred so much glory to my spirit live still happily my dear selfe in the ripe Navell of Divinity and let me see thee every moment in the divine Principle of glory whither the Lord Jesus is risen before and hath call'd up himselfe out of the flesh of F. M. Salvation-Bulwarks in the eternall Sabbath with out the number of a man 5. Letter Mine in the Lord THE present disposings of God towards me are very sweet and precious my soule being subdued daily to the Lords will in all things I see daily that the Fathers designes is to sweeten all conditions to me by the beames of his owne presence Truly in the Lord their 's nothing comes amisse to me but I am able to welcome every dispose of providence death sorrow and misery in the Lord are so familiar to me that I know not how to bee without them my soule longs after affliction because now the sting of misery is gone and it is my delight to play with it I thinke I should starve with hunger but that my own wants daily supply me sweet soule God is teaching me to see light in darknesse good in evill to eat upon the eater and receive sweetnesse from the strong to behold a happy harmony in all contrarieties I shall shortly bee with you now I am not from you but rest in thy bosome The Lord that spirit in the flesh 6. Letter Sweet and pure Spirit IN divine progresse I continually meet thee with a heart drawn out I alwayes salute thee I can be no where doe nothing but thou art still with mee In thy life I live in thy light I see by thy power I stand I am nothing but in thee and thou the same without mee my fulnesse is thy treasure and thy treasure is my fulnesse all that I have I receive from thee and yet what thou givest me is nothing but my own and so was from eternity I was with thee from the beginning and thy beginning was in my eternity I was with thee when thou didst inhabite darknesse thy darknesse was my secret place my secret place was thy darknes when the curs enmity of the old creation lay upon me thy power upheld me this power was mine own for it was no robbery for me to be equall with thee my form vailed thy glory yet it was my glory and thy form Thus thou for me and I in thee have borne the sinne and curse of of the old world born it I say into a land of forgetfulnesse which have forgotten and forgiven all transgression and thus in a reconciled and sweet union thou remainest my fulnesse and I rest thy happinesse Though in the flesh I subscribe my selfe distant by the name of From the Head-quarters of Divine Majesty this last Lords-day in the year of Jubile 7. Letter Dear Friend SOme glimmerings presented to the children of love clothed with darknesse bewildernessed in their spirits passing through the fiery tryall or crucifyings of flesh or things of the first Creation unto the the Canaan of rest or to a more higher fuller and excellent glory First considering the severall dispensations of the eternall God how hee hath severall wayes and in divers manners made out himselfe to a creature as Genesis Chap. I. and 2. the law or righteousnesse of the first creation in which God had communion with man and man with God yet rather with a Creator then with a Father and
as conveniently you may let me hear from you I would not burden you 9. Letter Deare Sister WITH the rest of my fellow heires in the Son-ship in this unity of Truth and Love I salute you I thanke you for appointing a freind to relate to mee your estate in the things of God of whom I received information to much content having for a long time before had great desire to understand your condition and am now fully satisfied in it as for the dealings of the Lord with me I am free to give you some account I am indeed in the judgement of those to whom the day of judgement is not yet come accounted and termed an Heretique but in the light and truth of God a Co-heire with Christ being annointed with the same oyle of gladnesse which is indeed joy to the spirit and as marrow to the bones and a perpetual light of truth in certainty and power and in such fulnesse already that he beares witnesse to himselfe in others that it is hee and fulnesse of wisdome and might to answer all the occasions that he is pleased to present himselfe to me and magnify himselfe in mee as for the Scripture it is much unsealed and I have sweet sellowâ—sip in that one spirit that throdgbout all ages declared the Father the Son as for the ministry of Angels I know it having for a long time beene under it but of late have had knowing understanding of it and fellowship with understanding among them truly my deare companions our God that saveth us is perfect and so is his salvation which when we shall be by him circumcised in heart which is the taking away the fleshly vaile and the face of the covering that is spread over all Nations Isaiah 25. then shall wee see and with joy possesse together that it is the same strong one that prepareth us and júdgeth darknesse I speake not this as if darknesse were contrary to this mighty God for in his light it is that hee is at unity with all the workes of wonder which hee brings forth darknesse is not so to him for the darknesse lo him is as cleare as the noon-day that is hee seeth as fully and posseth as contentedly his will in the darknesse as in the light and when wee are taken into that eternall light we shall see our God is as rich and wonderfull in the deeps of darknesse as in the clearest light for in the unity of the spirit it is easily discerned that God is one in all though different in comming forth for as in a garden the severall colours of flowers make the most glorious appearance even so light and darknesse are the two generall treasures of the Almighty in both which hee is infinite and wonderfull and as hee pleaseth to take us into either of these so it is to make himselfe known in his unsearchable greatnesse as in Isay he sayth Hee will give unto us the hidden treasures of darknesse and Malachi sayth that the Sunne of Righteousnesse shall arise upon us Both which Scriptures import to me that God himselfe in his apperance to us is both the treasures of darknesse and the Sunne of Righteousnesse and it is all one to me whether hee take me with him into the heights above or into the depths beneath for wee are ever together and I possesse the fulfilling of that Scripture which sayth where I am there shall my Servant bee so that when God my excellency will appeare in the externall creation which is a thick vail and the invisible one much hid in it yet I have sweet discerning of him and fellowship with him there and when hee takes me into the deeps of darknes God my glory is with me and we either see us one or lie down in one and when hee will ascend into the highest Heavens he carrieth me up along with him What is all this but the manifestation that his dwelling place is large and deepe and that hee himselfe is the one infinitenesse The fulnesse that filleth all in all things 10. Letter Sir I Received yours which brings mee the state of affaires then in agitation between the Parliament and Army you send mee what they best approve of and what they dare not owne No wonder if some good men are upon this dilemma many I know are almost broken betweene those principles they call of Reason and those of God the first acknowledging man to be compounded of two natures earth and heaven light and darknesse breake the actions into severall streames as if of two and not one person It is our misery and the sadnesse of our spirits that we are held in these chaines of earth and darknesse that wee are fetterd in these prisons of mortality and are not free in all things to act like our selves as sprung from a divine Principle as born of a nobler seed and putting forth the strength and power of the divine nature in actions purely and simply spirituall But if this light shineâ— not upon our spirits in its Meridian-glory let us wait till the Sunne riseth let us not walke in the paths of darknesse according to the principle and spirit of this world There is glorious light in the east already the Mountaine tops beginne to discover it When I looke upon the world and survay the actions of men when I consider the interests and principles of the most the fleshly toylings and struglings of the spirits of the worlds reformers I cannot but see much weaknesse and darknesse generating poore and spiritlesse designes which rend and teare and never bind up the breaches of a Kingdome 'T is true the body politicke as you write was desperately sicke and a desperate disease must have a desperate cure but consider the nature of the disease and then judge of the meanes to cure it All the properties of hell and darknes all the superfluities of folly and vanity all the mists of errour and superstition had formd themselves into a body of corruption and so assaulted and possessed the vitall parts both of Church and State seizing the heart and spirits of government and religion the soule of both were fled there remained little but a poore carkass a painted image a spiritless form without any motion but artificiall and violent But tell me what is the Physick to cure this Lethargy Parliament and People Church and State Soul and Body were languishing with this sickness A spirit of reformation begins to worke The faint breathings of the spirit of life puts some upon indeavours to undertake the cure some according to the spirit that acted them mixt ingredients earthly and carnall ignorant Empiricks who knew not the nature of the disease or cure others ransacke the bowels of nature and reason study the practises and prescriptions of the old Heroe's of the world the Heathen Conquerers and reformers of Nations and yet never rise so high either in magnanimity or greatnesse of spirit to doe good in their generations and command themselves
their knowledge is the knowledge of the spirit The good seem to give God the glory and to make him their strength in Battle and considering how gloriously they have conquered are strongly perswaded that the mighty power of God accompanied them and where God assists and gives victory it must bee for good for the good of mankinde and the world and therefore they will improve their victories to attain that high end Thus they make their progresse if God assists in acts of blood by force and fightings he doth the same in acts of force and violence upon the corrupt Governours of the World who are running back into Aegypt leaning upon the Pillars of the World setting up their empty guilded Idols corrupt forms and dark administrations as the utmost end of all their endeavours as the price of all the blood shed in the Kingdomes Thus being perswaded of the presence of the Lord and have in their own spirits some height and strength to good some will and desire to doe good to the world they continue their begun motion measuring the whole by themselves the spirits of others by their own and so think their whole body of assistants fitly qualified for the government of a Kingdome Never considering what a spirit of darknesse pride vain-glory Ambition dwels and acts amongst them and how weak meer naturall spirits are being raised from the dust to sit upon a throne and to bear the temptations of Power Honour and worldly glory Consider actions purely and simply according to their nature and the dispensations of the Gospel This is a violent unnaturall fleshly way for the reforming of the world the small stone must bee hewen out without hands This is the winde rending and tearing the rocks before the soft and still voice was heard This is the fire and Earth-quake to burn and shake this earthly fabrick the corrupt world and its glory Thus the Parliament have been executioners of vengeance upon the Kings party who for judgement a fire of wrath kindled in the bowels of the Kingdom setting the properities of darknesse at enmity amongst themselves A darke and formall Clergie against a more dark and formall formality and hypocisie against loosenesse and profanesse restrained civilty against riot and luxury The Ministers preach war and the sword and fire from heaven discovering their own weaknesse unable to act in the strength of God therefore they cry up the Cause of Religion the Covenant the Ordinances these though under more light then the other yet they stir up the spirits of men to afflict and torment their persecutors King Prelats Malignants and to take away their revenues and honours Far be it from me to blast the least appearance of God amongst them or to spread a cloud upon those faint glimmerings which shin'd in their spirits It was their darknesse their flesh that made them thus excentrick they acted in the spirit of the world and of nature their light was lightnings from Mount Sinai not the glorious light of the Spirit In this way they will be like the billowes and waves of the Sea one tossing and driving forward the other till they dash themselves against the rocks The Parliament and their Armies have broken the Cavaliers the Presbytery Episcopacy the Independents have restrained the power of Presbytery for their pride and coveteousnes giving them of the Cup they gave others to drink If the Independents corrupt there are those sprung out of their own bowels prepared for their executioners these if they aspire too high will be Levell'd themselves by their great Idoll the People or their principles will raise a spirit dwelling in the confused rabble and multitude to break and tear all to pieces to bring all into a huddle and confusion without order law or government Thus the fury of the Lord breaks forth like a burning fire against all corruption in the powers of the world against tyranny and oppression in all its formes and shapes though its Woolvish spirit is cloathed with innocency and gentlenesse the outward form will not change the nature Monarchy Aristocracie Democracie will be much at one unlesse the breath of life from heaven quicken their dead liveless carkasses I fear in our contests we have too much mixed earth with heaven we have gone a dark nâ—trodden obscure path therefore the Lord may justly withdraw that spirit of justice and righteousnes which hath accompanied and acted even more worldly States and Republikes They acted in the flesh we pretend to a higher principle we speak of spirit and power and divine light their motions were naturall according to their natures being of the earth earthly ours irregular excentrick unnaturall being we think our selves heavenly live in the aire of the Gospel in the light of the Spirit which points us out a more glorious way therefore it is but just with God if when we sow the winde we reap the whirl-winde But what will be the end of all when wee have prov'd our own strength to be weaknesse when our overturning shall succeed another that glorious power shall manifest it whose right it is alone to reign when we have passed through a wildernesse the Lord will bring us into the Land of rest so long breathed after and desired the Lord will bring order out of confusion light out of darknesse peace out of war and troubles This will as surely be as the spring now succeeds the winter the day the night who the Lord may make most glorious in this work known alone to himselfe It magnifies his power and goodnesse if he breaths life in those dead bones which we trample upon if he quickens those which we have reprobated and rejected as wither'd branches and vile excrements He can make the first last and the last first he can bring down the proud spirit of a Nebuchadnezzar and force him to glorifie the God of Heaven In the mean time let every man keep his own station let the people of God shine like themselves that it may appear they are sent into the world to do good to the world to reflect the image and glory of God Those that are magistrates let them put forth the spirits of Christians let their actions bee convincing let not the world justly brand them for corrupt unjust self-advancers and raisers their families rather then restorers of the ruines of a kingdome if the floods of darknesse roars against them and a deluge of confusion overflows if the flames of division breake out again let them be confident they are above the danger in another Region where no cloud can reach them no confusion disturb them and if their earthlyes here their bodies of dust yet they shall dwell securely in these burnings and be at peace in the middest of these flames Thus Sir I have given you my thoughts of the times My earnest desire is that things may prove otherwise then I write in relation to those now in power the Lord if it be his will make their
c. And when that which is perfect is come that which is in part shall bee done away God hath hitherto as Joseph did by his brethren spoken to us by an interpreter because hee would act at more distance but when grace and love can contain no longer God will as Joseph did command all to goe forth and cry out I am hee and show himselfe in uncovered clearnesse this administration God hath entred upon already in some of his people and they beginne to get a glimpse of the face of God and are acquainted with immediate actings in their owne hearts I thinke the last meanes that God will make use of will be such as the creature will be glad to be free from I meane persecution reproach poverty c and possibly somewhat more terrible and contrary to wise and proud flesh then all this for as for these means of preaching praying gathering wherein the creature can be active and hououred and serve God and it selfe and goe halfe with him as I may say in point of honour the creature will with a great deale of reluctancy bee drawne from them for truly there 's much credit comes into us by such things and usually those who openly hate us doe inwardly honour us for them besides the secret confidence and comfort that our selves and friends have in them But when God shall administer under such meanes as we shall be more passive in and such as will sift us to the very soule and spirit and let us know all that is in our hearts such as will cause â—s to be suspected of our selves sleighted by others forsaken of our freinds and such too as have not onely beene one flesh but one spirit with us when religion shall come to that passe that he that will professe Christ must professe poverty disgrace c. then we shall be glad to be freed from the meanes and to have God be all in all for in this way that Saints are in for present they are so rich and abounding as I doe not wonder they are offended that God will strip the creature naked and bee all himselfe Verily its a terrible thing for one that hath thriven in the things of God and grown rich in reputation to be administred in such a way as Professors themselves will thinke him an Apostate an Atheist and those that are more charitable a deluded or a mad man well God in himself will make amends for God in the severest dispensations And there is that man-child ere long to be brought forth in us in spirit and truth which wee have hitherto been delivered of in flesh and darke appearances and when he comes the wildernesse and solitary place shall be glad for him or as Esay in another place Wee shall returne to Sion with Songs and everlasting joy upon our heads and John carries it further yet 1 John 3. 2. When hee shall appeare wee shall be like him for wee shall know him as hee is Your loving c. 13. Letter Sir I Lately received three Letters from you and some Books for which I thank you As for Mr. Sedgewicks book I am not to tell you at present what I think of it God will doe great things by himself the Army and all that they settle must be destroyed without hands the Spirit will blow upon all flesh and yet they are to settle because drawn out so to do and their setting up is Gods work as well as his throwing down he doth the one by the creature the other by himself I think the intentions of the Army are in their kinde so righteous as man will not be able to dissolve them but because all flesh is grâ—sse it must wither God will be great to the ends of the earth and every thing shall be restored into the glorious liberty of the Sons of God the heavens shall no longer conâ—â—â—â— him The earth shall be fild with knowledge of God the earth shall bee sanctified by the Word by the manifestation of God upon it things shall not be morally but spiritually restored the Serpent shall be shut out of Paradise the Tree of Life shall grow on both sides the River Publicans and Sinners shall rejoyce the wise and prudent shall mourn all the beasts of the field shall rejoyce and feed on the Tree of Life the Serpent shall be glutted with dust judgement shall dwell in the wildernesse the high-way shall be holinesse there shall bee no more sin for there shall bee no more self and no more curse but the fruit of the earth shall be beautifull and comely for death and hell shall be cast into the lake of fire Thou art righteous oh Lord which art which wast and shall bee because thou hast judged thus Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoyce Let the Sea roare and the fulnes thereof for he commeth for he commeth to judge the earth he shall judge the world with righteousnes and the people with truth Yours in the Lord. 14. Letter Sir YOURS came to my hands when your friends were with mee who all of them in much freedome injoy your bondage till he that hath the Keyes of the bottomlesse Pit shall release you It s good being in Hell sometimes for variety and to be in the Sea to see the wonders of God in the deep I have beene lately my selfe in the bottome of it where I found a Pearle that 's richer then the earth and I doubt not but providence will prepare you a table in the wildernesse too It hath been the Lot of all of us to be where you are and I thinke some of us stay behinde on purpose to beare you company The bright day must bee brought in by the darkest night and the voyce at midnight will be the Bridegroome is come Since the flesh must dye it were well it were killed at once yet since the execution is so terrible its mercy we dye by degrees dye daily and if we did not dye too so as to perceive that we dye it would doe us no good however it is best you should be dispensed as you are because God will have it as it is whose will is the rule of goodnesse and not our understanding I conceive the reason why you have not heard from those your friends all this time is because they were not at home they were absent from the Lord sure it will not be alwayes thus but so long as there is any thing of earth in us there will bee Eclipses and absence when wee are caught up into the ayre we shall be ever with the Lord. Yours in the Lord. 15. Letter Loving Sister MY Love remembred to you and to the rest of my Sisters hoping that you are in good health as I am at this present These lines are for to certifie you concerning the present dealings of God with me He hath been pleased to make known much of himself and doth make me claim my ownes with himself saying That all things are of
Saints I leave you and goe to my Father surely whether I goe you know and the way you know think it not strange cone rning this my fiery tryall by death and sepâ—â—ation from you for loe the time commeth in which we shall be no more seperated but as we are one so shall we ever be inseperable from our own beloved Holy holy holy is the Lord God of Sabbath a holy rest a Sabbath of eternall rest am I gone to celebrate Oh yee holy Saints the voyce of my Beloved behold he comes leaping upon the Hils and skipping upon the Mountaines Loe he comes and that quickly he comes and now quickly am I gone of all Beloveds none is like to mine the melodious voyce sings sweetly in mine eare even of Angels themselves but that new Song of love the sweet lovely Song of Saints gloriously glorified with their Beloved is harmonious indeed What shall I now say of these things I cannot now fully apprehend them as it is but am now comprehended of them therefore lye I downe and rest with this perswasion and full conclusion sealed by the witnesse of the Spirit unto my Soule that what my Beloved is so shall I be and where bee is thither am I gone Then deare Sisters and precious Saints make haste and tarry not that are here on earth in imperfection so that now in heaven in perfection we may live and for ever enjoy Joyes unspeakable and full of glory Farewell deare Saints farewell farewell though I now leave you and goe away from you yet I shall see you againe and when I see you so I rejoyce eternally together with you in this life I have beene yours and here together with you and surely death disjoynts not our Spirits though our Bodies therefore in another life shall we be as members so Saints glorified in our glorious Jesus and with him who is our delight in whom you are to whom you are to whom I goe and with whom wee shall remaine Priests and Kings to our God Deare Saints I rest and the God of rest be with your spirits for ever and when you see this think on him who was here your fellow Disciple but now Your glorified Brother WILLIAM LANGHAM 25. Letter The Coppy of a Letter as it was sent from Mrs. T. P. in behalfe of Mrs. E. P. To a Congregation of Saints in London under the forme of Baptisme DEAR brethren in the bowels of love and meeknesse I kindly salute you wishing you an encrease of all faithfulnesse and true knowledge in the mystery of Christ The cause of my present writing is to acquaint you that providence hath lately brought a letter to my hand directed to my husband concerning one Mrs. P. once a member with you which woman say you for scandalous evils was cast out Now it being some yeares since it was done I humbly desire a little to reason with you about the grounds why this still remains upon your spirits seeing Christ saith forgive yee one another as I forgive you and God is said to remember our sinnes no more this therefore is a note of forgivenesse not to remember and sure we should shew our selves children of our heavenly father But further I desire before the Lord that you examine your owne hearts in this thing what your end is in it if it be that you thinke she is not worthy to have a livelihood amongst men then why doe you not either by the Civill Law if that will take hold of the offence or by some other way if nothing will satisfie you but her blood take some present course that may put an end to this great difference but if you thinke this bee too grosse or more then the offence requires then I beseech you for the Lords sake to consider your owne actings in this thing whether you doe not as much as in you lies carry on the same designe though more closly from the eyes of the world which sure before the Lord can appear no other but the hunting after her life nay is it not more then to take off one single life at once for which is greater cruelty for a Tyrant to take a mans life at once or by degrees and then your selves be judges whether your proceedings towards her be not a killing all the day long for you cannot bee ignorant that she hath no livelihood amongst men but what she earnes by her hands and your defaming her in this manner cannot in an ordinary way but deprive her of that and so at last bring her blood upon you If you say you acquaint none but the Saints with it it is evident to the contrary for your open publishing it in the Counsell of Warre caused the world to take notice of it and yet your spirits rest not here truly deare friends as the evill spirit wrought in her one way when she was with you so consider whether the fame spirit doe not highly worke in you at this time another way the Lord give you understanding in all things But if her life be not that which you aim at then is it those divine discoveries of life and light which God makes out to the world by her if it be so then you are to know that hee is too strong you strive withall but about this I would a little quere first whether doe you think that because such evils were manifest in her when with you therefore it is impossible now that any good should bee brought forth by her doe you not hope to grow better and better But secondly is it not Gods usuall way to manifest himselfe there highest where in time past he was by the evill spirit kept lowest yea doth hee not suffer himselfe for this very end many times thus to die in appearance and to leave a soule to it selfe that it may see what it is in it selfe and learne to die to it selfe that so hee may have the more glorious resurrection in that soule I beseech you for the Lords sake to consider these things As for her outward person I conceive she cares as little for it as you can therefore you may take your fill of trampling on it but I beseech you bee carefull how you medle with the spirit that breaths in her for surely brethren I know not what spirit manifested it selfe in her while with you I am sure and I speake nothing but the truth that I have found a most divine spirit in her as farre as I could discerne and that which comes to the spirit and life of things and in this me thinks you should rejoyce for truly I have heard many professors and seene many professions but to my knowledge I never heard one come so neare the power as shee does I doe not speake this as being affected with any person party or opinion I blesse my God I am now in his strength delivered from that though some have falsly affirmed my being deluded by her but I am confident I can say with Paul
glory in that administration I grant it and that it yet is to some yea many and they doe well to waite for glory there where they finde it appearing to them I call off none frâ—m ordinances I judge not those that professe themselves called off I know not where abouts I am surenot in vision but sometimes I hope in dreames the old mans state and so under the spirit The last thing you mention is your seruples about Ordinances which are torâ— as an hedge of thornes set by the Lord in your way to turn you backe again from those things which we have more or lesse idollized and set up in his place I have performed your desire and you may looke upon me as Lazarus quickened but bound hand and foot with grave cloaths what life and liberty I have it must be to serve the Saints and therefore account me ever ready to serve you August 18. 1649. Letter 29. Dear and much esteemed MY Father hath unbosomed such a glory to me since I saw you last that I cannot but admire at it it was as I was walking alone the power of my Father was seen in an exceeding glory so that I could not tell how to contain it my veile was too narrow to receive it I have had many discoveries of glory since and have been in many fires and burnt very sweetly and consum'd very joyfull I desire to live as well in Hell as in Heaven and the greater Hell the greater Heaven I rejoyce exceedingly in the everlasting burnings one breath of my Father makes both Heaven and Hell but this is that my Father hath written in my heart that everlasting deliverance is at hand but first the Lord will cover the Earth with darknesse and with grosse darknesse the people and such black clouds of darknes will our Father cloath himself with that none but those that see with the eye of the Lord shall be able to see him in the thick darknes The smoak of the Beast ascends out of the bottomlesse pit and wrath from the Almighty is upon her and I cannot but rejoyce and sing Hallelujah Hallelujah all praise be given to him that sits on the thron for ever and when you see these things done then lift up your heads the day of your redemption is at hand I see them performed I see them finished and brought forth into power and I rejoyce in the work of the Lord. I see the restored estate of our bringing forth with mighty power that wee shall see all things good that the Saints shall know no evill for my part I know no evill I see all things good I know nothing but good in all the world the Lord doth all things well whether in Earth or in Heaven and that that hath swallowed us up we are now swallowing it up I am swallowing Death Hell and the Grave up that now I am able to play with Satan He is but a Reed in my hands I have been really cloathed upon and mortality swallowed up into life and when this glory comes forth it will judge the world and silence them our glory is their torment and our Heaven is their Hell Thus I have given you an account of the present discoveries of my Father and rest in your heart â— Clem. FINIS A New Song 1. I Am that I am All that you heare and see I was now is and so shall bee All to Eternitie 2. Good is the Word the Word is Good God and the Word are one The rule is true and even so All that you look upon 3. This Word is Good this Good is God This Good is all you see If otherwise I should it owne Where would the freedome be 4. Now herein is the freedome just Thus knowing light to see That all is Good this all is God This Good hath made us free 5. Then entertein this freedome just In pure love for to bee Which pure love is the perfect Good Vnto Eternitie
all this by carrying on a marriage betwixt himselfe and his creature man And so the Lord of heaven and earth in a condescension to the creatures weaknesse becomes a suter to the lowest and vilest earth which he hath transacted by certain steps and gradations upon this account This now unhappy creature man through the enmity of his mind arising from the guilt of his disobedience looking upon God as an enemy saith unto him Depart from me I desire not the knowledge of thy wayes But God being resolved not to loose his creature because hee had set his heart upon him with an intent to marry him to himselfe and knowing that man in his apostate condition was not able to dwell with devouring fire and everlasting burnings saw it needfull to set up certaine vailes and partitions betwixt himselfe and his creature that hee might treat with him at a distance and break downe those partitions one after another and so make nearer and nearer approaches towards his beloved as hee should enure her and traine her up by degrees to more strength and maturity Now the steps and stages by which God makes towards his beloved are those severall transactions or dispensations wherein God from the beginning and from time to time hath appeared unto her by which as by certain medium's under and below himself he hath administred to gain the affections of this coy creature To this purpose in every address he makes towards her he appears clad in a new suit of apparrell such as he knew would best suit with every age and measure of her stature 1. Gods first setting forth in this expedition you have upon record in the beginning of Genesis The seed of the woman shall breake the Serpents head Here God keepes himselfe at a great distance as if he would but barely propound his businesse or onely publish his intention abroad to the world as if he would as yet be rather heard then seene and heard only to whisper and murmure out his mind in soft and inarticulate sounds rather then in expresse and distinct voyce and language yet hereby he gaines a faint weake implicite consent for by this were the Patriarcks saved This was the first dispensation 2. The next step God takes is a journey to Mount Sinai where he appointed a solemne meeting to treat with his beloved Here God keepes himselfe still at a great distance and is faine to make use of Moses a friend to both parties as a meet Mediator betweene them Here God drew up an agreement of his own hand writing digested into ten Articles offered it to the consideration of his beloved and was afterwards consented to by each party but poore man or poore woman rather was so scared and affrighted with Gods attendants of thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud the voyce of a trumpet exceeding loud and smoake and fire and an earthquake that the consent on the womans part proceeded rather from feare then from any great love This was indeed an hard and harsh dispensation but such as divine wisdome had appointed and as suited with his designe 3. After this God kept his beloved company fourty yeares in the wildernesse in a pillar of cloud and a pillar of fire And the more to allure her in this wildernesse he pitcht a tent and within that for better accommodation he built a tarbernacle to treat further with his beloved Here God appointed more solemne and frequent meetings that his beloved might get some further knowledge of him In this tabernacle God shewed his beloved an imperfect dim shadow of his own image or picture that so she might be able to make some guesse of his person and comely proportion but a clearer view of himselfe as yet he gave her not in regard of her tender sight which could not behold majesty therefore God held forth himselfe unto her in certaine darke shaddowie representatations as sacrifices ceremonies c. 4. The next journey God undertakes was to Mount Sion where hee gave his beloved a prooffe and experiment of his fidelity in giving her a rest and settled habitation in a land flâ—wing with milk and hony after her long tedious travail according to an ancient promise made to her ancestours and that hee might acquaint her yet more with himselfe and put the greater state upon his negotiation he built here for his beloved a magnificent and beautifull pallace In this pallace God presented unto his beloved a perfect shadow of his owne image that she might be able to make soÌ„e better judgment of his person feature stature Here God also appeared to his beloved in the same kinde of representatons as before but these more irradiated and illuminated by a neerer approach of his glorious and divine presence And while God kept his residence in this pallace the more to draw on the affections of his beloved he would sometimes knock at her chamber doore and other whiles looke through the lettice upon her but his naked presence was an object yet too strong for her sight 5. After this God to move the more effectually in his suite and a little to stirre the affections and move the bowels of his beloved Hee gets on himselfe a sute of her owne apparell cloathes himselfe with her owne flesh takes upon himselfe her own nature and comming thus neare her caught her by guile Now the partition wall that stood betwixt them is broken downe the thick vaile of ceremonies is rent assâ—nder the old representatives are laid aside as of no longer use Now was unfolded part of the great mistery of godlinesse God manifest in the flesh of Emmanuell or God with us Here God presents unto his beloved the lively picture the expresse image and character of his own person as great Princes when they fetch them wives from remote and forraigne parts are wont to woe by their Agents and Ambassadours and to represent themselves to their Ladies by their own pictures Hereupon his beloved gives her consent and now both parties are agreed But between all these woing passages and expressions of love on Gods part O how many hard hearted denyals How many uncivill repulses How many unmannerly revoltings and startings back How much uncertainty and inconstancy falsenesse and persidiousnesse doth God meet withall on the womans part Never did the wild Asses Colt that is brought forth and bred in the wildernesse discover so much peevishnesse and perversenesse Insomuch that God who was resolved to gaine her by faire meanes or by fowle was saine to chastise her with 430 yeares bondage in Aegypt to nurture her by leading her about forty yeares in a vast howling wildernesse and for her fornications and whoredomes after all this to imprison manacle and fetter her by seaventy yeares captivity in Babylon But notwithstanding all this Gods affection being still the same he held fast his purpose and resolution to prosecute his sute to the utmost and to make this untoward woman a meet helpe for himselfe though it should cost