body fitly joyned together and compacted by that which every joynt supplieth according to the effectual working in the measure of every part maketh increase of the Body You see how it is said This Head this Foundation This Corner-stone hath an effectual Working in the Measure of every part for it is a living Stone a Stone which is Life and Spirit and so breathes Life in every part and member of the Body Whereby every Member also becomes a living Stone 1 Pet. 2. 5. A Temple of the Holy Ghost which is therein 1 Cor. 6. 19. So the holy Spirit of Christ dwels in the whole Body and in every Member and is not divided but is one in all and in every one Now mark further Christ is this Foundation as Peter confessed him Revealed not by Flesh and Blood but by his Father which is in Heaven Christ must be revealed by the Father before he become a Foundation this is that which buâ—…eth which edifieth the effectual working in every part the Revelation of the Arm of the Lord in mans heart This is that which diggeth deep beyond all the earth and sand and that which is Corruptible till it come to the Incorruptible The Word of God which abideth for ever and is able to carry the Building and bear it up against all the storms that can affault it Whosoever cometh to me saith Christ and heareth my sarings and doth them he is like a man that built an house and dâ—…gged deep and laid the Foundation on a Rock and this is himself Loâ—… now he saith He that builds on the true Foundation on the Rock he diggeth deep for it and he heareth Christ himself and not only heareth but doeth So he must dig deep beyond all words till he come to the Power wherein the Kingdom standeth 1 Cor. 4. 20. In Power and not in Words he must dig deep beyond all Words till he come to the eternal Word which Created the Heavens and the Earth and is the Foundation which upholds them and hereupon must this new Creaâ—…ion be builded for nothing else can carry the weight of it and as is touched already this Foundation must be revealed not by Flesh and Blood but by God himself or else it cannot be come into and so cannot be built upon No man cometh unto me sâ—…th Christ unless the Father draw him and he who hath heared and learned of the Father cometh to him John 9. 44. 45. See how this agreeth with that which Christ said to Peter Flesh and Blood hath not revealed this unto thee This Rock on which I will build my Church but my Father in Heaven it must be the Revelation of the Father which must give the knowledg of it The living knowledge the knowledge which is life eternal for this Foundation being Life its effectual working is to quicken that which is dead that it may become a Member and it draws to it self by the vertue and power of its life and by the drawings a feeling of the life which draws is begotten and this feeling is the true knowledge and hereby man comes to know infallibly the true Foundation he discerns it in the feeling and so he can distinguish it from that which is Corruptible and is not able to bear up the building And therefore now ye who have not come to the revelation of the Father and of his Son ye have not yet seen the Foundation and how can ye Build on it If ye have not heard Christs words from his own mouth and do them not and if ye have not digged deep beyond all Words yea and thoughts and comprehensions of the carnal Mind if ye have not digged so deep till ye come to the Power wherein the kingdom of God stands your building is but on the Sand and that Church whatsoever which is not builded on this Foundation Christ Jesus immediately revealed both in the whole Body and in every Member thereof is not the true Church but a Synagogue of Sathan a vile Harlot Mystery Babylon the Mother of Fornicators for the true Church is one in all ages past present and to come and it hath ever had one Foundation which is Jesus Christ the same yesterday and to day and for ever and there is one Body and one Spirit one hope one Lord one Faith one Baptism Ephes. 4. 4 5. Now what was this Foundation of the Church of God before ever Scripture was writ before Moses and the Prophets and Apostles which came after who wrot the Scriptures Was it not Jesus Christ the Word which was in the beginning had it any other Foundation and what gave them the knowledge of this Foundation and builded them upon it when they had no Scripture and whereupon was their faith founded by the hearing of what word did they come by their Faith seeing then the Scriptures was not writ it was even the Word which came from God himself and taught them immediately and many of them believed when they had no man to speak unto them The Word of the Lord came unto Abraham when he was in his own country saying unto him Get thee out from among thy kindred and from thy Fathers house out of thy country unto the Land that I will shew thee and there was no man brought this message to him for those among whom he lived were Idolaters but God spoke to him by his own immediate Word and he heard and believed and it was counted to him for Righteousness Thus ye may see how Abraham's Faith came by the hearing of the Word of God proceeding from his own mouth Now every Believer is the Seed of Abraham Gal. 3. 29. And this Faith is the same Faith with his for there is but one Faith and it hath the same Foundation the Word of God proceeding immediately from himself for no other Word is able to beget it but the same Word of power which begot the Faith of Abraham for Faith is the gift of God it is a Supernatural thing and therefore it must have a supernatural Cause it must stand in the power of God the Word of Power which was in the Beginning 1 Cor. 2. 5. For nothing else is able to bear the weight of 〈◊〉 and so Isaac and Iacob heard God and believed And the Word of the Lord came unto Moses and he believed And so many others we read of who heard God himself and now the 〈◊〉 being one in all and having one foundation it follows manifestly That every believer must hear the Word of the Lord which proceedeth out of his own Mouth on which alone that one Faith is builded And to this one Foundation Moses and all the Prophets and Apostles testified and bâ—…ar witness So did Jesus Christ himself in the daies of his Flesh. Let us begin with Moses after he had fully declared unto the Iews as he had received them from the Lord all the Laws pertaining to the first Covenant and have writ them in a book and had given them
God-head or if not of what it is and by what is it nourished I answer to speak properly and after the proper language of men it is not a particle or portion of the Godhead as the outward body of â—…esh and blood is a particle of the great outward world for the God-head is not divisible nor discerptible unto particles being a most simple pure being void of all composition or division containing in himself all creaturely perfections in the greatest simplicity and eminency above what is conciveable unto creatures but it is of the heavenly spiritual and invisible substance and being that is the most glorious being and principle in which God as Father Soâ—… and holy Ghost doth dwell and tabernacle and shine forth in the most glorious brightness beauty sweetness majesty that the nobleâ—… of creatures in their highest supernatural elevation can reach unto behold him and haâ—… fellowship with him which iâ—… the holy of holies and the heaven of heavens or that third heavens in which Paul on earth saw and felt things inutterable and out of these heavens doth the seed of God come who giveth it from himself out of Heaven and soweth it in the heart of man and formâ—…h it by his own immediate arm and power according to his infinite wisdome and watereth it daily and hourly with influences from heaven which have of the virtue and breath of his own eternal life and spirit in them whereby this seed groweth up into a perfect substantial birth of oâ—… heavenly and incorruptible nature though till it come to its perfect formation it can suffer hurt so far as to be slain through man his joyning unto the contrary seed and birth which is Christ formed within the body of Christ his flesh and blood which cometh down from heaven and giveth life unto man unto that soul or mind of man which eateth it and feedeth upon it and it is called the body and flesh and blood of Christ because his eternal life and spirit dwelleth in it immediately and coâ—…ateth unto man the knowledge of the glory and beauty of himself only in and through this seed and birth which living substantial communication and knowledge of Christ and of the Father in him and of the holy spirit who proceedeth from both man only can receive as his mind cometh to put off the body of sin and to put on this seed and birth of God this new man this house and birth from Heaven in which he is a partaker of heavenly things by seeing hearing tasteing smeling and couching or feeling them and hath the enjoyment of God and â—…ellowship with him who is the Lord of Heaven and with the Angels and Saints who are the fellow Citizens of this City Ierusalem from above mount Zion the City of the living God unto which the Saints are come on which they stand in which they love and have fellowship and eat together of the feast of fat things and the Wine well refined in the kingdome of the Father is given unto them in an overflowing cup which things the natural man who is only cloathed with the natural birth and principle cannot reach to understand not so much as a blind man can understand colours or a deaf man sounds therefore he either denyeth them or formeth monstrous and false conceptions about them Hence it is that the School-men and national teachers deny that the Saints in these dayes have any intuitive knowledge of God and though they acknowledge that the spirit of God hath immediate operations and inâ—…uences of a supernatural kind in the saints yet they deny them to be objective manifestations that is to say that they can be known in themselves as immediately seen heard or felt by way of voice or visible inward appearance nor do they acknowledge that any of the Saints on earth now adays know God or his spirit or the things thereof in any other manner but that which is abstractive and not intuitive The intuitive knowledge is that whereby a man knoweth things in their own propâ—… forms qualities properties and idea's as when I know a man by leeing himself hearing his own voice when I know a land by seting it self and all the fine Cities fields and gardens to it smel of the sweet smeling flowers eat of the fruit and drink of the Vines which grow in it the abstract ve knowledge is only that which is but received from the borrowed 〈◊〉 and like which are ever far unlike forms properties qualities and idae's of things as when I only hear a report of these things by words of a mans mouth or read a discription of them in writs or draughts or figures or what I can conceive of them in my own mind not from themselves really presented unto me but from unlike likenesses of them even as unlike as the dead Image of a man's face is to his own living face or painted bread meat and drink is to that which is real and so according to this distinction they say all the knowledge of God which the Saints have on earth is but only abstractive that is to say abstracted and gathered from the words of others who heard and saw him face to face and from what they can conceive of him from their words recorded in scripture or from these Prints and footsteps of him in the Creation which is but a dark shadowing unsatisfactory knowledge we on the other hand from both our own blessed experience and the Scriptures testimony affirm that the Saints have an intuitive knowledge of God and his power and vertue spirit light and Life and the wondrous sweet and pretious workings and influences thereof so as too hear himself 〈◊〉 taste and see that he is good to feel him to smel and favour of his good oyntments according to these Scriptures following wherein the spiritual disceerning is held forth under the names of all the five sences as first of seeing Psal. 34. 8. 63. â—…2 106. 5. Isai. 29. 18. 33. 17. 52. 10. Matth 16. 28. Mat. 5. 8. Acts 2 17. Rev. 22. 4. II of hearing Psal. 51. 8. 81. 8. 85. 8. 143. 8. Luke 8 8. Rev 3. 6. 20. 22. Iohn 10. 3. 4 Heb. 3. 15. III. of tasteing Psal. 34. 8. 119 103 Prov. 24. 13. 14. Luke 14. 24. Heb. 6. 45. 1 Pet. 2. 3. IV. of smeling Cant. 1. 4. 2. 13. 4. 10 11. Hos. â—…4 6. V. of feeling and hanoling 〈◊〉 17. 27. Ephes. â—…4 19. Philip. 1. 9â—… the words in all knowledge and judgement should be translated in all knowledge and feeling for it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Iohn 〈◊〉 1. and 〈◊〉 5. 14. We read expresly of the fences which dâ—…rn between good and evil In like manner the things of God themselves are held forth in Scripture under the names of sensible things and which are most taking pleasant and refreshing unto the sences as light fire water oyl wine oyntment honey marrow and fatness bread flesh Manna and many other such like names
for by his Word his immediate Word he does all things he speaks and it is done God made the Heavens and the Earth and this whole Fabrick of the Creation by his Word his immediate Word and he upholds all things thereby God said Let there be Light and there was Light Let there be a Firmament and there was a Firm ment Let the Waters be gathered together and they were Let the Earth bring forth Grass and it was so c. He spoke and it was done And he said Let us make Man in our own Image and it was so Gen 1. He had no other means but the word of his Mouth the word of his eternal Power which was in the beginning whereby all things were made and without it was nothing made And now does not Man in his being Created again unto good Works in his being formed again a new Creature depend upon the same immediate Word of Power which first Created him by this is man begotten again by the Word of God which liveth and abideth for ever and by this he liveth by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God so you may see it s the Scriptures testimony he does all things by his immediate Word the Word worketh in all things immediately which God ever made means are but ciphers without this means opperate but mediately but the Word immediately and this Word is Christ by whom all things are made and in whom they are upheld now here is the difference betwixt this noble piece of Workmanship Man Created a new in Christ Jesus the Word and the other parts of the visible Creation the Word is in him and opperates in them but that Word is not known felt tasted apprehended but God has given Man a knowledg thereof and herein is his glory beyond them he can feel the spring of his Life he can tast the good Word of God in which he liveth moveth and hath his being And he that knoweth not this Word of Life and heavenly Power and vertue in him is dead the corruptible earthly principle cannot apprehend it for it is spiritually discerned and then what differs he from a beast that perisheth but that he is the more miserable Argument 7. And hereby it is that man cometh to the knowledg of Sin and of Wrath and of the heavy displeasure of God because of it somewhat in his mind and conscience which awakeneth him as out of a dead sleep wherein possibly he has so many years seen the sorrows of death now begins to encompass him and the pangs of Hell takes hold on him and he is cast into a bed of torment and finds great troubles and sorrow the arrowes of the Almighty stick fast in him and he is distracted with the terrors of the Lord And the fearful sound of Judgment continually affrights him and what is it which worketh all this in man but the Word of the Lord immediately proceeding from himself God speaking in his Wrath and vexing him in his sare Displeasure As it is Psal. 21. And revealing his Wrath from Heaven against all his ungodlines and unrighteousness Rom. 1. 18. Is it not Christ to whom all Judgment is committed who thus judgeth him Is it not his Spirit which convinceth him of Sin and of Righteousness and of Judgment it is the Lord who bringeth to light when he comes to judg the hidden things of darkness and makes manifest the counsels of the Heart 1 Cor. 4. 5. And all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light and that judgeth them and reproveth the deeds of the evil doer John 3. 20. And worketh Condemnation in him this condemned Cain it condemned Saul it condemned Indas Whereby their punishment was unsupportable for them and now were it not God himself who spoke in them in his Wrath were it not his arm and finger that touched them and lay heavy upon them they could easily bear it they could be comforted against all their other troubles and anxieties could they get rid of this and fly from the fierce anger and wrathful countenance of God but where ever they goe his judgment follows them his witness in their consciences torments them the fire kindles which never goes out and the Worm that never dies gnaweth upon them this is the fiery flaming Sword which devoureth the adversary and cutteth down the man of Sin a fiery Law goeth out of the mouth of the Lord and burneth round about and by this Law is the knowledg of Sin whereof Paul speaks for before this Law came he was alive and secure in Sins his Legal righteousness touching the Law blameless it could not give him the knowledg of his Sin but when this Law came that gave him the knowledg of it and made it exceeding sinful and killed him Argument 8. And as it is God who speaking in man raiseth this storm in his Conscience he commandeth and raiseth the stormy wind as it is written which all the powers of Heaven and Earth could not do besides him Man could remain invincible as a brazen Wall against all their assaults could he be hid from the fierce wrath of God revealed against him in his conscience all the words of Scripture all the curses writ therein could not move him he hath oft heard them and made light of mem all I say as it is God alone who raiseth this storm and bringeth this trouble upon him so it is he alone who can calm and quiet it again he must say to the Wind and raging Waves of the Sea be still and they obey him and that which brings peace and calmness true calmness and stillness to a mans conscience when it is so vehemently troubled demonstrates it self to bear eternal Power for nothing else can do it when God speaks peace who can let it as it is written when he giveth quietness who can make trouble Job 34. and 29. And who can give it but he the Lord speaketh peace in his People he and he alone bindeth up the broken Heart and healeth the wounded in Spiritâ—… he sendeth his Word and healeâ—… the word that cometh from his own mouth which saith in the Soul fear not It is I be not affraid be of good comfort thy Sins are forgiven thee and faith in this word alone can only stay quiet and comfort the wearie distrest Soul faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God the word which proceedeth immediately from himself and faith laying hold on that Word which is full of Power All the words of the Scripture cannot do it when God ceases to speak himself to the Soul it refuseth to be comforted it may read and search and meditate upon the Scriptures but the wounded spirit remains the doubtings the tossings the terrours continue I appeal to any who ever knew any thing of the terrour of the Lord upon their Spirits if it be not so it would fain apply the promises it would fain suck comfort out of the Scripture words but
me That it is the Word of Power even that Eternal Word which is Sealed in Heaven as it is ver 89. and which Created the Heavens and Earth and no less Power can quicken a dead fainting Soul or comfort a weary distressed Mind Alas What can Scripture Words do read of a Book or spoken from mans Mouth when this Eternal Omnipotent Word breathes not in the Heart when it speaks not can the Heart open to receive any Consolation Oh how does the Soul that has once felt living touches and breathings of this Word of Life faint for it how does it wait all the day long till it come how does it watch more than for the Morning And when it reads in the Words of Scripture concerning the sweet and lively opperation of this Word what it has wrought in others and remembers what it has wrought in it self and finds no moving or streaming forth of its Vertue how does it lament after the Lord till he send his Word aâ—…rest and heal and restore and quicken and comfort it to its full satisfaction and then was this Word even then present with it in its Languishing time begetting in it desires after a more full Manifestation and that this Word is that I am pleading for whereof David speaks so much can be the more easily demonstrated to such who are the more insensible of this Word what it is not being acquainted with its living vertue in themselves and therefore are apt to call it a fancy for that David was a Prophet a Man inspired of God to whom the Word of the Lord came immediately from his own mouth for this is generally acknowledged Now was not this a rich dispensation and a glorious Would not David prefer this Immediate Word to the Words writ in a Book either from himself or these before him and in Davids time there was but little of the Scriptures written and if he would prefer this Word immediately proceeding from the mouth of the Lord whereby he was Inspired and Prophecied and Prayed and sung Psalms to the words writ in a book which were but the effect of that Word of Prophecy or Inspiration in the Heart Then is it not clear that in these places above cited he understands this Word and this was the Word in the beginning the Word of Power of Truth of Righteousness of Faith of Life in his Heart which taught him the Laws Judgments Statutes Commandments Precepts Testimonies c. He so much mentions in that Psalm This quenched him this strengthened hâ—…m this comforted him this taught him and made him wiser than his Teachers this was a Rule unto him a Lamp unto his seet and a light to his Paths in this his steps were ordered ver 133. In this he Worshiped â—…e Prayed he sung Psalms and all his springs were in this it was life in his heart and sweet as hony in his Mouth and caused his lips drop as a hony Comb. And Solomon Davids Son how much doth he speak of this Word but under an other Name for it hath many names because it hath many vertues or properties some name pointing at one some at another he calls it Wisdom in his Books of the Proverbs and Eccles. and in the Song he calls it Love Beloved and by many other Names So Iohn Baptist calleth it the Light Iohn the Apostle the Anoynting the Light the Lâ—…mb the Witness and he is most frequently called in the Wrightings of the Evangelists and Apostles Jesus Christ and by whatever name or vertue signified whereby he was known to be a Saviour to all that believed in him whether Iew or Gentiles who enlightens every man that cometh into the World And to return to Solomon how fully and maniâ—…estly points he at this Principle and Foundation under the name of Wisdom and wisdom it is for Jesus Christ is the Wisdom and Power of God how does he bring it in under the designation of a Woman a Spouse a Wife of youth a Mother c. So powerful so earnestly so convincingly pleading with man and even with all men Prov. 1. 20. Wisdom crieth without she uttereth her voice in the streets she cryeth in the chief places of Concourse in the openings of the Gates in the City she uttereth her words or as it is in Iunius and Tremelius Translation more truly In every Ciâ—…y she speaketh her words for her sound is gone forth into all the Earth and her words unto the end of the World Rom. 10. 18 How long ye simple ones will ye love simplicity and scorners delight in scorning and Fools hate knowledg â—…urn you at my reproof behold I will powr out unto you my Spirit and make known my words unto you ver 22 23 and Prov. 8 3 4. She cryeth at the Gates at the entry of the City at the comming in at the dores unto you O men I call and my voice is to the Sons of Men or as it is in the Translation aforesaid I call upon you the Vulgar or the Commons of the Sons of Men She calleth upon all many are called but few hearken and obey and so it is that few are chosen And is not her crying in this place at the â—…ates in every City that is in every man at the coming in at the Doors the same with Jesus Christ his standing at the door the door of the heart saying Behold I stand at the door and knock if any man will open unto me Revel 3. 20 and hear my voice I will come into him and Supp with him c. Now what doth she promise to these that hearken to her and receives her instructions and lay hold thereon Prov. 2. 2 5. If thou incline thine ear unto Wisdom and apply thine heart to understanding c. Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledg of God And Prov. 1. 33. VVho so hearkneth unto me shall dwell safely and shall be quiet from fear of evil and ver 23. Turn you at my reproof behold I will pour out my spirit unto you and Prov. 3. 13. Happy is the man that findeth wisdom c. For her Merchandize is better than silver and the gain thereof than fine Gold She is more precious than Rubies and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her length of daies are in her right hand and in her left hand riches and honor her wayes are wayes of pleasantness and all her paths are peace she is a tree of Life to them that lay hold upon her and happy iâ—… every one that retaineth her and Prov. 3. 23. Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely and thy foot shall not stumble when thou liest down thou shalt not be afraid yea thou shalt lie down and thy sleep shall be sweet unto thee and Prov. 4. 6. Forsake her not and she shall preserve thee love her and she shall keep thee wisdom is the principal thing exalt hâ—…r and she shall promote thee she shall
mine Elect in whom my Soul delighteth I have put my spirit upon him he shall bring forth Iudgment to the Gentiles c. He shall not fall nor be discouraged till he have set Iudgment in the Earth and the Isles shall wait for his Law ver 4. and Isa. 49. 6. I will also give thee for a Light to the Gentiles that thou mayst be my Salvation unto the ends of the Earth And ver 8. I will preserve thee and give thee for a Covenant of the people to establish the Earth to cause to inherit the desolate heritages c. And Isa 55. 4. Behold I have given him for a witness to the People a Leader and Commander to the People And Ieremiah the Prophet saith of him Ierem. 23. 5 6. Behold the dayes come saith the Lord that I will raise unto David a righteous branch and a King shall Reign and prosper and shall execute Iudgment and Iustice in the Earth in his daies Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely And this is his Name whereby he shall be called THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS And he said of him Ierem. 20. 9. His Word was in mine heart as a burning Fire shut up in my bones and I was weary with forbearing I could not stay And this was the Word which come unto all the true Prophets and instructed them with their Messages from the Mouth of the Lord Many other Passages might be brought testifying to this Principle out of the other Prophets Ezek. Dâ—… Hosea and the rest but I forbear And Iohn the Baptist testified of him saying That he came being sent of God for a Witness of the Light that all men there-through might believe he was not that Light but was sent to bear Witness of that Light that was the true Light which enlightens every Man that cometh into the World John 1. 6 7 8 9. And Christ himself in the dayes of his Flesh testified of himself saying I am the Light of the World he that followeth me shall not walk in Darkness but shall have the Light of Life John 8. 12. And this is the Condemnation that Light is come into the World and Men love darkness rather than light John 3. 19. and John 14. 6. I am the way the truth and the life And Iohn 11. 25. I am the Resurrection and the Life And Iohn 10. 9. I am the Door by me if any man enter in he shall be saved and go in and out and find Pasture And Iohn 15. 1. I am the Vine and my Father is the Husband-man c. And all these glorious things both he in the daies of his Flesh and the Prophets before that his appearance in that body of Flesh declared neither only nor Principally concerning his coming in the Flesh namely in that Vessel or Temple which appeared at Iesalem mainly and Principally concerning his spiritual appearance in his Saints after his being Crucified Risen and Ascended for till then the Son of Man was not glorified Phil. 7. 39. And though he was bodily present with his Disciples yet he told them they were to see greater things Phil. 1. 50 And he said the Kingdom of God was at hand and he taught them to pray for it and he said There be standing some among you which shall not taste of death till they see the Kingdom of God come with great power and glory whereby it is manifest that these things relate mainly to his coming again in spirit when it should be powred out according to these many Promisses concerning the same Recorded in the Prophets and as is said before he told them It was expedient he should go away that he might come again in a more glorious and comfortable appearance by the Revelation of his glorious Power in their hearts for his Kingdom was not of this World but an inward Kingdom and he said that it was within and pointed to this spiritual appearance by his Light in their hearts under many Parables and Figures which he calls the Kingdom of God Mat. 13. 18 19 c. He compareth it to seed sown in several sorts of Ground and he explaineth what he meaneth thereby calling it the word of the Kingdom That Kingdom which standeth not in Words but in the Word Eternal and this is the Word of the Kingdom which is sown in all sorts of Ground good and bad that is in every mans heart but the good only receiveth it and bringeth forth Fruit therein ver 3. He compareth it to a grain of Mustard-seed which being the least of all seeds yet groweth up unto a Tree and is the greatest among herbs hereby pointing at his appearance in Mans heart at first which is very insensible but as he is believed in becomes gradually greater and greate till the Kingdom come with power and great Glory which is also figured forth by the other Parable of Leven which a Woman took and hid in three measures of Meal and it Leaveneth the whole Again ver 44. He compareth it unto a Treasure hâ—…d in the Field the which when a Man hath found he hideth and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath and buyeth that Field whereby he understandeth his Light that shineth in the darkness of Mans Heart which hideth it from him and Earth in mans Heart is that Field Now though the darkness doth much to hide this noble Treasure yet this noble Pearl shineth forth through the Darkness and reaches to somewhat in Man which being touched by its Vertue and Power is made sensible and an eye opens in the sensible part which finds the Treasure and selleâ—…h all for it quitteth all the Light discovers to he evil that the Field may be redeemed and the Treasure possessed and this Treasure the Word of the Kingdom being full of Power worketh cut the Corruption out of the Field the fruitful Field becometh barren and then fatneth it and maketh it good ground good Earth this is the New-Earth and the Treasures or seed sown therein takes Root and becomes a branch or plant and it is the noble Plant of Renown That iâ—… Christ formed in the Soul Gal. 4. 19. And so the barren Wilderness becometh a fruitful Field and the fruit of the Earth becometh excellent Isa. 4. 2. For it is the fruit which springs out of the Earth and the Heavens open and poureth down Righteousness which watereth this noble Plant with its living streams Again he compareth it to a Merchant-man seeking goodly Pearls who finding one Pearl of great price went and sould all and bought it What is this Pearl but the Light Revel 21. 21. Compared with Iohn 10. 9. The twelve Gates are twelve Pearls and yet but one as the seven Spirits of God are one Spirit Again ver 47. He likeneth it unto a Net cast into the Sea which gathereth of every kind good and bad but the good are kept in the vessells and the bad cast away hereby is signified the Word of Gods Power the Light of
an other of them but more especially the Teachers and Ministers and Bishops so called so stifly and furiously opposing it and the assertors and witnesses thereof to the stirring up of the Rulers and powers of the earth to persecute them with prisoning banishment and other cruel usages and spoyling of their goods and the people through the instigation of their Teachers who falsely in many things report us not only cruely mock and revile us but many of them fall a beating and buffeting of us for the truths fake and in love and compassion to their souls and in the fear and will of the Lord I am drawn to give my Testimony concerning this and to hold forth to the people the Truth and neâ—…y 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 demonstrating it in so far forth as words may be serviceable thereto according to the measure of knowledge I have received from the Lord concerning this thing That our persecutors such of them who through the ignorance that is in them oppose us being informed and convinced of this truth by the light of Christ which shineth in their consciences in the darkness which will not faâ—… to testifie and witness to the truth of my testimony herein may cease any further cruel using of us least they be found fighters against God and cause the innocent to suffer which the righteous judge of the world will not suffer to paâ—… unrevenged and for the sake of the poor people of this Nation â—…or indeed for want of the knowledge of the unsearchable riches of Christ who are as lost sheep going astray upon the barren mountains whether their shepherds have driven them in this cloudy dark day or rather night of thick Aegyptian darkness wherewith they are so blinded in their minds that they are past feeling of God his heavenly power and vertue the only true food of their souls the only true pasture and fold of rest their resting place which the most of them never knew and such who at any time have known any thing of it have forgotten it Oh what a letâ—…argie has overtaken them who have so long and so much professed the name of Jesus Christ among whom there have been some who in some measure sometime a day could feelingly and experimentally speak of what God had done in their souls what Christ had wrought in them could â—…ell of sweet hours of fellowship and communion with him his coming into their souls and supping with them and they with him his revealing the bid invisible in comprehensible inconceivable to the natural understanding glory of his love and shedding it abroad in their souls speaking in them words oâ—… lâ—…e words of power living words spirit and life inutterable impossible to be expressed speaking as never 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spoke or could speak could they have any satisfaction but in his presence his life giving countenance but in the voice of their beloved could it content them to hear man speak when their beloved spoke not was it not a burden unto them to hear or read what God had wrought in them but as the living voice of the beloved of their souls did accompany and witness afresh these things in them causing their hearts to burn and earn with in them he opening in them the Scriptures opening their understandings how did their hearts burn with coals of Love kindled at the fountain God who is love how did their hearts leap for joy at the sound of his voice how were there bowels moved in them when he spoke how did the handles of the lock drop with sweet smelling myrrhe when they rose up to open to their beloved how could they discern when he spoke It is the voice of my beloved could they say that speaketh unto me arise my beloved my fair one and come away Such and the like experiences as we read that the people of the Lord witnessed in the Scriptures so could some who have lived in this Nation and perhaps some yet living witness the same also and could have said A men to the truth of all these things but alas alas into what a dead sleep and letâ—…argie are they fallen which has so stupified and benummed them that they are become past feeling of these sweet experiences how has the thick darkness whereinto they are fallen and are sunk so choaked them and quite wiped out the true remembrance of these things they have so forgot them as if they had never known them and now they are turned with the sons of Belial to mock at these things calling them fancy delusion imagination melancholly some hypochondriack humor a spirit of witcherie and delusion and to persecute them who witness this blessed dispensation of life and glory though in a more steddy and fuller manner and measure and to 〈◊〉 the servants and Ministers thereof with the â—…me of deceivers and false Prophets oh oh how have ye fallen from heaven to earth how are ye sunk into the pit wherein there is no â—…ater how have ye lost your glory turned your glory into shame and followed after lying vanities how have ye suffered your selves to be â—…ulled a sleep in the whores lap with her bewitching vâ—… who hath cut your Locks wherein your strength lay 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is departed from you and the Philistines mock you having put out your eyes and you are become a hissing and reproach to day and yet ye will not cease to reproach you are spoiled your selves and yet ye will not cease to spoil the enemy is getting his will of you to the causing of you shrink from your cause ye have lost your ground ye have thought shame of your cause that which by you was called the cause of God the Covenant and oath of God the work and interest and concernment of Jesus Christ ye have left it at your heels and the most of you trampled on it and now ye fret and rage because ye are provoked to jealousie by a people that are no people poor and despiseable in this world but rich and honourable with God unto whom the Kingdom is given it is taken from you for that ye have not brought forth the fruits worthy of it and it is given unto them a Kingdom which is righteousness peace and joy in the holy Ghost and heavenly Kingdom that cannot be shaken wherein these despiseable ones stand in the Lambs power and reign in victory and dominion in the midst of their sufferings as Kings and Princes unto God over all the cruelty and persecution of their opposers and now ye are joyning issue with them against us whom ye looked upon and dealt with them as your enemies and called them the enemies of God limbs of Antichrist Antichristian ye have associated with them become one body and Church with them plead for their Ministry and Worship that at least if it be not so good as ye would desire yet its lawful and better then to want all and ye go and hear such men up and down the Land whom ye know to have dealt
perfidiously and treacherously for their filthy lucres sake and ye are generally convinced that they are but time servers wicked and bad ye are now openly and avowedly come to plead for a wicked ministry that such who are natural men and wicked may be Ministers of Christ and ought to be heard followed and maintained and such whom the Lord has sent forth to Minister in the power of his life and spirit ye call deluders Fanaticks and the like oh oh remember the day call to mind the time when your souls â—…oathed such Ministers and ye would travel many miles from one remote corner of the nation to another to hear a man who could speak lively to your souls in demonstration of the spirit and of power then there was in you a measure of pure discerning whereby ye could favour the man of God and distinguish the formal dry withered cold and dead preacher from the living and all his painted fine good words could not deceive you e had then a mouth a sence that could taste words as meat and such ye would follow and hear who could speak from and Minister of the power and spirit of life the Ministers of the Letter the dead formal preacher who could chant and talk the Scripture words and steal from other mens lines the good words made ready to their hand ye could not away with they were loathsome and burthensome unto you but now-having lost the discerning these ye can follow and maintain them And such who deny them ye call denyers of the Ministers of Christ a standing Ministry and yet when it was better with you then it is now ye denyed them and many a day cryed in good earnest of your souls to God that he would remove them and whip out of his house such buyers and sellers and purifie and purge the sons of Lev how cryed ye out and breathed to the Lord for a spiritual Ministry a Gospel Ministry a powerful Ministry and now when it s come and coming ye oppose it and bend your force to keep it down oh foolish people and unthankful do ye thus requite the Lord return return from whence ye are fallen repeâ—…rand do you first works turn to the Lord the fountain of living waters from whom ye have deeply revolted cease cease from the broken Cisterns ye have hewed out unto your selves drink no more at the pudled waters the dead waters which who so drinketh off dye they are dead because not freshly issuing and springing from the fountain of life if ye will return come and walk in the light of the Lord with us O house of Iacob O ye lost scattered sheep who have been driven from the fold of rest the sweet pleasant green pasture of your souls the still runing waters the pure sweet Christaline river of life that issueth fresh in living streams from the fountain it self Lo every one that thirsteth come unto the waters and drink wihout Money and price that your souls may live for of a truth the Lord God his opened unto us the fountain a vein of life a well-spring of life a well of living water hath he revealed in us who have believed in his light and hearkned to his voice which cryed in our hearts many a day saying in us turn ye turn ye why will ye die turn ye at my reproof and behold I will pour ouâ—… my spirit upon you this is the well of living water the gift of God which who so drinketh off will never any more drink or thirst to drink of these dead waters that is the good words uttered from a dead killing spirit the waters of the Whore on which she sits and holds forth this cup of fornications unto the inhabitants of the earth whereby they are made drunk bewitched and killed for her lips drops as an hony comb and her mouth is smoother then Oyl but her end the breath and spirit of her mouth from which the words proceed and which accompanies them is bitter as Wormwâ—…od and sharper then a two edged Sword to kill and destroy that of the Lords begetting and starving of it but to the edifying feeding and building up of the false birth Babilons brats which are not to live but to be starved and dye and happy are they who taketh them and dasheth them against the stones And now I say for your sake O ye my kiâ—…olk according to the flesh my little Sister who hath no breasts 〈◊〉 scattered sheep who have no pasture for your souls but that which feedeth death and maketh you live in the earthly corrupt principle which is the Serpents meat that if by any means I may provoke some of you and be serviceable as a mean in the Lords hand who am nothing of my self unto you that ye may return unto the Bishop and Shepherd of your Souls I am drawn in the tender love of God to write unto you concerning this principle to wit Jesus Christ revealed and revealing in man God and the things of his Kingdom even these veins and passages of liâ—… which runs through Paradise the City of God whâ—… streams make glad every inhabitant thereof who because of this can sit and sing God is our refuge we will not fear though the earth be removed and cast into the midst of the Sea God is known for a refuge in her palaces she is beautiful for Scituation the joy of the whole earth is and shall be Mount Sion on the sides of the North the City of the great King 〈◊〉 it must be he alone even this great King who must open an eye in you by the revelation of himself where by ye can behold thâ—… glorious Mountain of his Holiness on whâ—…ch his City Ierusalem from above is built where a feast of fat things full of marrow of wines on the Lees well refined is given to all who enter thereinto the vultures eye the eye of the natural understanding that eye which now seeth cannot see it and the path thereunto is short from all living in the natural earthly corrupt principle and it must be the Light of Christ that can only open the true eye to see this blessed path of Life which if ever ye know it must be known alone by Immediate Revelation and manifestation of Christ in you And it were a great step in its pâ—…ace for you to be convinced of this that it must be so And for this cause this is written to the simple hearted who are willing to see and loves to know the truth that ye being convinced by sound reason and it being demonstrated to you that there is such a thing among the Lords people and must be and that there is no other way to know God or the misteries of his Kindom but as this â—…ey of knowledge which your teachers take from you viz. Jesus Christ revealed in you opens them up then ye may be brought to wait for this glorious dispensation which many thousands can truly witness is come and I in my
to the People which he caused the Levites to keep and lay up in the side of the Ark see Deut. 31. 24 25 26 He falls a declaring concerning the New Covenant Deut. 30. from 11 ver to ver 16. This Commandment saith he which I Commanded thee this day is not hidden from thee neither is it far of It is not in Heaven that thou shouldest say Who shall go up for us into Heaven and bring it unto us that we may hear it and do it Neither is it beyond Sea that thou shouldest say who shall go over the Sea for us and bring it unto us that we may hear it and do it But the Word is very nigh unto thee in my 〈◊〉 and in thine Heart that thou mayest do it Now that Moses in these Words points at the New-Covenant is manifest because first he points them to this Word and Commandment not writ in tables of Stone or in the book of the Law But to it in the heart The Word is very nigh thee sayes he in thy Heart This is that which more fully declared Ierem. 31. 32. For then the New-Covenant dispensation came to be more manifestly revealed but in Moses time was more hid and obscure for the Vail hung before his face Secondly 'T is maaifest also from Rom. 10. 5 6 7 8 9. When Paul according to the wisdom given him maketh a full and ample Interpretation upon Moses Words shewing how that Moses described both in the fore-cited place the Old Covenant and the New Which Paul calleth the Righteousness of the Law and the righteousness of Faith ver 5. for sayes he Moses descrybeth the righteousness which is of the Law that the Man which doeth these things shall live by them But the Righteousness which is of Faith saith he speaketh on this wise Say not in thy heart who shall ascend into Heaven that is to bring Christ down from above or who shall descend into the Deep that is to bring up Christ again from the Dead But what saith it the Word is â—…gh thee in thy Mouth and in thy Heart that is the Word of Faith saith he which we Preach c. In which word it is clear he points at that spoken by Moses Deut. 30. 12 13. c And he calls them the words of the Righteousness of Faith and that Word Moses poynted the Iews too in their heart he calls it the Word of Faith and it is clear he understands it of Christ for he addeth by way of Interpretation to Moses words speaking from the same Spirit Say not in thy heart who shall Ascend into Heaven that is saith he to bring Christ down from above and this is it which Paul pleadeth so much for in the Epistles Rom. Gal. shewing that there is no Justification by Moses's Law to wit that writ in the book of the Law and delivered to the Levites nor that writ in the Tables of Stone which he calls the Righteousness of the Law but by the Righteousness of Faith the word of Faith which is the New-Covenant Faith in Jesus Christ the word in the heart And elsewhere he saith If there had been a Law which could have given Life then Righteousness had been thereby but now by this Word in the Heart Life is given and therefore is Righteousness thereby for it is â—…he Word of Life living and Powerful c. And Moses pointed at the same Jesus Christ before Deut. 18. 18. 19. where he calleth him a Prophet c. And the Iews and People of Israel who lived in Moses's time and were saved it was through Faith in this Word in this Prophet raised up in them in their hearts not at a distance but nigh the Word is nigh in thy Heart And this is Christ in them the hope of Glory the Mistery hid from eyes and Generations but was ever made manifest in his Saints but in the latter daies more clearly Christ in all that believe the hope of Glory and so from what is said It is Manifest that Moses pointed at this Foundation which is one in all ages of the Church which was not the Words writ in Tables of Stone or Books of the Law but the Word of Faith whereby comes the Righteousness of Faith and the believing Iews in Moses's time made not a Church different from that in the time of the Apostles and down-wards all are one Church and under one Covenant and were saved by one Faith in one Lord and Redeemer though the dispensations did differ in many Circumstances and these who succeeded had more full and large discoveries of the Mistery yet in substance they all agreed and were all one upon the matter This being so weighty and it lying before me so clearly and it being so useful to demonstrate so far as words may be serviceable therein the matter in hand I have been driven to insist the more largely upon it and now to descend to David and the Prophets and Apostles whereas I might instance many hundred places in the book of the Psalmes I shall only point at the 119 Psal. And desire the Reader in the fear of the Lord to ponder and weigh what is therein declared concerning this Foundation and fundamental Principle to witt the Word and what word is it he speaks so much and so frequently of here and else where when he sayes ver 11. Thy word have I hid in my Heart and ver 16. I will not forget thy Word and ver 25. Quicken thou me by or according to thy Word and ver 28. Strengthen me according to thy Word and ver 42. I trust in thy Word and ver 43. He calls it the Word of Truth and ver 50. Thy Word hath quickned me and ver 81 82. I hope in thy Word mine eyes fail for thy Word when wilt thou comfort me and ver 89. For ever O Lord thy Word is setled in Heaven and ver 105. Thy Word is a Lamp unto my Feet and a Light unto my Path. and ver 123. Mine eyes fail for thy Salvation and for the Word of thy righteousness and ver 133. Order my Steps in thy Word and ver 140. Thy word is very pure therefore thy servant loveth it and ver 160. Thy Word is true from the Beginning and ver 162. I rejoyce at thy Words as one that findeth great spoil and ver 169. Give me understanding according to thy Word Let that which is noble and ingenuous in any one answer me what Word this is whether it be the Letter of the Scriptures writ in a Book or that Word of Faith Paul and Moses long before spoke off the Word in the heart That it is not the Letter of the Scripture or any outward Word or Words whatsoever as the national Teachers give poor people to believe may be very clear to that in any man which ever had experience of any opperation of God on his Heart any Life quickning or Comfort from the Lord That which has found this will answer