is within you And therefore I must tell you the Priests of this generation Read all the Books in your Universities that tells you what hath been formerly and though by your natural parts with the help of such Studies you can make speeches of a day long yet you have no peace but your hearts still are as a barren wilderness and increase in sorrow till your eyes return into your selves and the Spirit come from on high to make you read in your own Book your heart wherein you shall find the Mystery of Iniquity the Man of Sin seated which is the fruits of the first Adam and till the Mystery of Godliness the second Adam Christ Jesus be revealed in you to destroy the works of the devil and make you righteous and restore you to life there is not neither can there be peace for there is no peace to the wicked saith my God and if I regard iniquity in my heart God will not hear me and he that liveth in sin the wrath of God abideth upon him So it is clear that the single-hearted ones who see the Mystery of Righteousness and are acquainted every one according to his measure with that Spirit of truth that is to be the Blessing of the whole earth and that enlightens all that come into the world although they are slightly regarded and trodden under foot of men of the world whom God filleth with his hid treasure that have every worldly thing their hearts can wish for that their eyes many times are ready to start out for fatness yet let them know for their sorrow and wo that out of this Sion which no man regards shall the Deliverer come for the light and life of Christ vvithin the heart discovers all Darkness and delivers Mankinde from Bondage and beside him there is no Saviour and what vvill become of those that are found fighters against God for they that persecute them persecute me saith Christ And therefore fear and tremble vvhoever rhou art for the wrath of the Lord smoaketh against thee and his jealousie burneth like fire if thou art found in a persecuting nature thy sin will bring destruction upon thee and there shall be no remedy Although judgement is not executed speedily against evil doers which causeth their hearts to be set in them to do evil yet the Lord will punish the hairy scalp of them that go on in their wickedness and when their sins are fully ripe then judgement shall come upon them to the utmost and there shall be no Remedy and therefore O Man who ever thou art great or small that fighteth or striveth against his little ones fear and tremble and cease from sinning any longer in that nature for fear the Lord may be a heaping up thy iniquities that he may bring wrath upon thee to the utmost and then there shall be no remedy for he repayeth them that hate him to their face to destroy them he will not be slack Deut. 7. 10 21. For the Lord thy God is amongst you a mighty God and terrible who is now rising in his might and power to destroy the man of sin and is rising like a mighty man refreshed after Wine and the seed of wickedness shall be destroyed by the brightness and glory of his coming for he alone that is the King of Righteousness will be exalted amongst you And therefore let all flesh stand still waiting in silence before him that they may see the Salvation of GOD. The second Epistle To all people whose souls panteth after God as the Hart panteth after the water-brooks NOW to him that ordereth his Conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God Hearken to the Word of the Lord and your souls shall live mind what power rules in you whether it be a particular confining selfish power which is of the devil or whether it be an universal spreading power that doth delight in the liberty of the Son for if the Son shall make you free then are you free indeed The selfish power vvhen it is crossed or shamed it grows distempered bitter spirited sometimes endeavouring to kill that bodie it dwels in and sometime some other that angers it but the power of Christ who is the giver forth of the Law of Righteousness ruling within is not moved to anger charity true love thinketh not evil but hopeth and endureth all things being meek and patient loving and acting righteously both to his own Body and to others though they be his Enemies following the Rule of Jesus Christ their King Do good to them that hate you and pray for them that despightfully use you that you may be children of your Father which is in heaven Let every man and woman know that there is but two Spirits a good and a bad there is but two wayes the straight and the narrow that leadeth to life eternal and few find it and the broad way that leadeth to destruction and many there be that go in that vvay there is but God and the devil Heaven and hell the way to happiness and the way to misery the way to life and the way to death even death eternal And the way to life is believing in the light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world And verily it doth concern every man to know in what state he is whether the spirit or the flesh beareth sway for the two powers before spoken of are the two Adams in mankinde they are Jacob and Esau son of the free-vvoman or son of bondage the first kills and crucifieth the Son of God but the second the Lord from heaven he maketh alive for Christ the Spirit of Truth doth arise above the power of evil and he takes the body and rules in it Isa 65. 17. he makes it a new heaven and a new earth vvhere in dwells righteousness Now that vvhich seeks after the enjoyment of Creatures to have peace in them doth but seek the living among the dead for all sin makes but one perfect body of the power of darkness the devil vvhich doth raign in every man till the man of righteousness Christ the stronger then he vvho is the Anointing comes and throws down his strong holds and divides the spoil and vvhen Christ this Word of life hath the possession that soul hath true peace in the salvation that cometh out of Sion for peace is not to be found in any other for he is the Prince of peace and the Captain of our salvation vvho hath perfected for ever all those that are sanctified by him and he ever liveth to make intercession for them for by his obedience many are made righteous Every one shall be called by my name for I created him for my glory formed him and made him I will bring forth the blinde people and they shall have eyes and the deaf and they shall have ears I even I am the Lord and besides me there is no Saviour Isai 43. 7 8 11. Because thou wast precious in my sight
last trump for the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible and we shall be changed 2 Cor. 5. 10. For we must all appear before the Judgement-seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his Body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad 2 Pet. 3. 7. But the heavens and the earth which are now by the same word are kept in store reserved unto fire against the day of Judgement and perdition of ungodly men Vers 10. But the day of the Lord shall come as a thief in the night in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise and the Elements shall melt with fervent heat and the earth with the works that therein are shall be burnt up Ver. 12. Looking for and hasting to the coming of the day of God wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved and the Elements shall melt with fervent heat Mal. 4. 1. For behold the day cometh that shall burn as an Oven and all the proud yea and all that do wickedly shall be stubble and the day that cometh shall burn them up saith the Lord of hosts and shall leave them neither root nor branch I could instance many more places to clear it and to shew the Lords purpose in it to make his mighty power to appear and to shew to all that ever was his Justice in fulfilling his promise to his redeemed Ones and to lay all their sins upon the Prince of Darkness the Devil for tempting the new-born Babes of Christ and he not prevailing over them because greater is he that is in them then he that is in the world and sin must not go unpunished therefore Satan tempting and they not yeilding it is all treasured upon his accompt against that terrible day and if it were not for that day he should still remain and be a Deceiver of the Brethren and still range up and down the earth and do wickedness But his day of wrath is approaching and that day is it as you may see plainly in that Epistle of Jude vers 6. And the Angels which kept not their first estate but left their own habitation he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgement of the great day When this day is none knoweth but the Father who keepeth it to himself but thy particular and the men of this Generations day of Judgement is at hand and therefore it is good to live in judgement at all times for blessed is the man that feareth alwayes And verily it is a blessed state for a man to wait on the Lord at all times for blessed is he that waiteth on him and salvation is of the Lord and his blessing is upon his people And when the minde is stayed upon God then the heart judgeth down sin in the first rise of it and so it is blasted and laid upon the devils accompt that is the Tempter and the mind that is always staid upon the Lord waiting upon that pure seed of God in him judgeth down sin at all times and sin hath no entrance in that heart but it is by the power of Christ in him kept pure and clean and uncorrupt and holy as God is holy in all manner of conversation as it is written Be ye holy as I am holy and be ye perfect as your Father which is in heaven is perfect Now all those that allow themselves in any sin or lust of the flesh they cannot be of God neither can any sacrifice that man or woman doth be accepted If I regard iniquity in my heart God will not hear my prayer and the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination in the sight of the Lord God and the prayers of the wicked shall turn into sin And therefore cleanse your hands you sinners and purifie your hearts ye double-minded that when that day cometh you may be found in the number of those that shall have the Sun of Righteousness arise upon them with healing under his wings and they shall grow up as fat Calves for their Redemption draweth near And as for the wicked wo to them it shall go ill with them for the wicked shall be turned into Hell and all people that forget God For the Lord is known by the Judgements which he executeth when he snareth the wicked in the works of his own hands The seventh Epistle To all Magistrates and Persons in Power to consider what they do when they oppress the tender Lambs of Christs Fold For the great Day of the Lord is at hand and He will bring every word and work unto Judgement GOD said to Pharaoh by Moses Let my people go that they may serve me and if thou wilt not let them go I will shew my power and wonders upon thee I will pour out my plagues upon thee and thy people The Lord is coming to punish the stout-hearted Magistrates that oppress his babes and children and it is not he that cries Lord Lord that will be able to stand before him for he is coming with fire like a Refiners fire to purge the Dross from the good Metal and it is only he that doth the will of his Father which is in heaven that shall be able to lift up his head in that day for the Lord will be avenged of all his Enemies be they never so lofty for they are all alike to him God is no Respecter of persons but in every nation he that feareth him and worketh Righteousness is accepted with him and the Lord is a bringing forth his People with joy and his chosen Ones with gladness for he is become their Sun and Shield their Righteousness and Strength and their exceeding great Reward for his delight is in the upright on the earth and such he doth make to excel in Vertue and the Lord will overturn all false deceitful Powers that are not of his planting and he will root them up and leave them neither Root nor Branch and they shall feel the stroke of his Almighty Arm in this the day of his fierce wrath for it is coming upon the Hypocrites in Sion for the Marriage of the Lamb is come now is he coming in power and great glory and none but the pure in heart shall see him and they shall behold him as he is for the Lord is the God of Truth and an everlasting King at his anger the earth shall tremble and the nations cannot abide his wrath for he hath made the earth by his power and established the world by his wisdom and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion he causeth the clouds to ascend unto the ends from the earth And therefore every one come to know this great GOD that you may in him lie down in peace and finde rest unto your souls and know this That there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus that walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit for condemnation hath passed over
desire is to do the vvill of his Father vvhich his soul continually breathes after vvhich is the living God that made heaven and earth and it is his meat and drink to do his vvill on earth and I am sure this is the desire of his soul and that he is a true Minister of Jesus Christ I do bear Testimony unto it the witness of God in me being raised by his Ministry and for those false aspersions cast upon him of his receiving a Pension from the Pope I know his soul abhorreth any such thing and that he is as great a hater of the Pope and his vvayes as any man in England is and I knovv he hath no such need nor ever vvill have For they that seek the Kingdom of God and the Righteousness thereof all other things shall he administred unto them and I do verily think that there is not a man in England more able to confute Errour and Heresie then Samuel Fisher is And verily Tho. Danson did exceedingly vvrest the Scriptures giving his dark and blinde meanings of them at that Meeting in Sandwich for he said We were not justified by that Christ that was in us he said No no twice to it for he owned two Christs one vvithout the Saints and another within them But this he became ashamed of and disowned in the Meeting and then he owned but one Christ in the Saints and in Heaven as there is but one God though he be in heaven yet is he with him that is poor and of a contrite heart and trembleth at his word Yet still he could not clear himself from his former assertion in his denying Justification by the Righteousness of Christ within for he might as well have said That Christ and his Righteousness was divided inasmuch as he owned Christ in the Saints but not his Righteousness which justified and all his Discourse and Drift was to have men justified in their sins and to be sinners all their lives as one that justifieth the wicked Prov. 7. 15. Isa 26. 12. God hath wrought all our works in us saith the Prophet Rom. 4. 5 9. saith the Apostle Abrahams faith was counted to him for Righteousness and this Priest is a bolsterer of men up in their sins and sows pillows under their arms as I may so say in comparison for he calleth them worthy that are his hearers that loveth flattering and fained Titles and the fawnings of men which is deceipt when none ought to have the Title of Worthy but those that truly set their faces toward Sion and seek it with their whole hearts and desire to have the King of Righteousness and Prince of Peace to guide them and rule them in all their actions and works that they may witness them to be all wrought in GOD. Now this person Tho. Danson all his teachings tendeth to a Justification of Christ without us and not to a Justification wrought by Christ within us and so his hearers can never attain to that perfect peace that the Scripture speaks of which is thus written That he that stayes himself upon the Lord he keepeth such in perfect peace and there is no peace to be found out of a man the peace is within the Heart the Gospel Christ Jesus the enlivening Word is within the soul and he is the pure Word Power and Wisdom of the Father who is the onely Reconciler unto God who is made manifest for the same purpose to break down the partition-vvall which separates the soul from God to bring the soul into its proper place centre into Unity Fellowship withGod who is Light in whom there is no Darkness and so by abiding in this living Word Christ and he abiding in you the creatures are brought to serve the ever living God in newness of life and in the Spirit and so Christ will and doth work their work in them and for them to their everlasting salvation and so the first fruits of the Spirit maketh them alive unto God and according to Christs words He that believeth in him hath everlasting life and he shall never come into condemnation but shall pass from death unto life for Christ alone is the onely Saviour and there is no name under heaven given unto men whereby they can be saved but by the Name of Jesus And this Gospel Christ is a free gift of God it is not to be bought for mony as Tho. Danson falsly surmiseth for he must know that there is a necessity laid upon those that are the true Teachers of the Gospel and woes is to be upon them if they do not teach freely and be instant in season and out of season for Christ saith to them As ye have freely received so freely give and so having received from the Lord that which they do deliver unto the Saints they speak from a pure Principle of Life and Power that reacheth the witness of God in their Hearers and they live themselves in the Life and Power of what they speak and so by their good examples are a good savour unto all men that they have to do withal and so they bring people into the pure and perfect image of Christ and the unity of Faith which brings them to the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure and the stature and the fulness of Christ and they say We that are dead unto sin how can we live any longer therein and such are in the number of such as the Apostle said We preach wisdom amongst those that be perfect not the wisdom of the world but the wisdom and power of God which is pure and peaceable Therefore it is good and righteous to let the people know the false Teachers and those that call themselves Ministers of Christ and are not but are of the Synagogues of Satan And the true Prophets of the Lord alwayes did stir the peoples memory up with these Deceivers Isaiah cried against such Hirelings as seeked gain from their Quarters Isa 56. Jeremiah cried against such as taught for hire and divined for mony Jer. 5. Christ himself cried against such as were called of men Master stood praying in the Synagogues and had the chiefest places in the Assemblies Mat. 23. the Apostle Jude declared against such as went in the way of Cain in envie and such as went after the ways of Balaam for gifts and rewards Jud. 11. Peter declared against such as through fained words and covetousness made Merchandize of the people 2 Pet. 1. 5. these and such-like practices manifests the false Teachers for they that have not the Spirit of the Lord Jesus dwelling bodily in them leading them into all the fruits of Holiness and Righteousness making them perfect in Christ unless they be such they are no Ministers of Christ let their pretences be what they will For they that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof and they that live in the Spirit shall not fulfill the lusts