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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A54048	A question to the professors of Christianity, whether they have the true, living, powerful saving knowledge of Christ or no? with some queries concerning Christ, and his appearances, his taking upon him our flesh : as also concerning his flesh and blood, and our being formed thereof, and feeding thereon, and an incitation to professors seriously to consider, whether they or we fail, in the true acknowledgment and owning of the Christ which died at Jerusalem : likewise some propositions and considerations concerning the nature of church-worships and ordinances, since the death of the apostles, for the sake of simplicity, which hath been long held captive therein : with the sounding of bowels towards thee, O England : also a faithful guidance to the principle and path of truth, with some sensible experimental questions and answers from the tenth chapter of John / by Isaac Penington ...	Penington, Isaac, 1616-1679.	1667 (1667)	Wing P1184; ESTC R18236	42,725	54

Salvation that ever the Son had from him The Jews were to learn in Types Figures and Shadows till Christ came And after Christ came he also taught them in Resemblances and Similitudes of things and the Apostle wrote and spake much to persons as just coming out of that state in a language suited to that state But he that comes into the thing it self and is taught there by the Spirit after he is grown up and made capable he is taught plainly the nature of the Heavenly things and the words of the Apostles concerning the deep things of God which are mysterious to others are manifest plain to him Yea the Lord so teacheth him things as words cannot utter that is He so knoweth the Peace of God the Joy of his Spirit the Life and Power of the Lord Jesus Christ his Wisdom Righteousness and pure pretious way of sanctifying the heart the tender Mercy Faithfulness and rich love of the Father c. as he cannot utter to any man nay so as he never learned nor could learn from words about the thing but by the sense and experience of the thing it self the Lord in whom are the depths of life and who giveth the sense and understanding of the deep things of the Spirit opening them in him and manifesting them to him And indeed this is the right and excellent way of knowledge to come into the Union to come into the Thing it self to learn in the Union to see and know in the Thing This is the Way that the Lord teacheth all his Children in the new Covenant by inward Life by the pure Light within by the inward demonstration of his Spirit by the Power and Virtue of the Truth it self which it hath in him that is true And he that is in the Son hath some measure of this Life and he that hath not some measure of this Life is not in the Son but in a talk and wise knowledge of things after the flesh which will perish and he with it who abideth there For no man can be saved but by coming into the knowledge which is of a pure eternal living saving Nature Can an opinion which a man takes up concerning Christ from the Scriptures and casting himself thereupon save him for it is no more than an Opinion or Judgment unto a man unless he be in the life and power of the thing it self Then indeed it is Truth to him Knowledge in him right Knowledge otherwise it is but Knowledge falsly so called Knowledge which will not subdue his heart to Truth nor hath its seat there but in his head making him wise and able there to oppose Truth and so bringing him into a state of Condemnation Wrath and Misery beyond the Heathen and making him harder to be wrought upon by the Light and Power of Truth than the very Heathen Therefore consider your wayes O Professors of Christianity and do not despise the hand which is stretched forth to you in the love of God and in the motion and guidance of his Spirit who condescends to you exceedingly that he might reach to his own in you and scatter your Apprehensions Imaginations and Conceivings about the meanings of Scriptures which are as so many Chains of Death and Darkness upon you that ye might come to him in whom is Life and who gives life freely to all that come to him O observe what Barrs were in the way of the Scribes and Pharisees They would not come to him that they might have life nay indeed they could not as they stood There are greater Barrs in your way yea it is harder for many of you to come to him than it was for them My upright desire to the Lord for you is That he would remove the stumbling-blocks out of your way that he would batter and knock down the flesh in you that he would strip you of al your knowledge of Scriptures according to the flesh that ye might be made by him capable of knowing and receiving things according to the Spirit and then ye will know how to understand honour and make use of the Letter also but till then ye cannot but make use of it both against your own Souls and against Christ and his Truth And then for setting up a natural Principle we are further from that then ye are aware For we are as shy of this and jealous that it was a natural Principle as ye can be and started from it divers of us till the Lord by his eternal Power and demonstration of his Spirit reached our hearts and shewed us that it was the Seed of the Kingdom even the Root of all the Spiritual life that either we our selves formerly or ever any else received at any time and gave us the sight of the things of the Kingdom in it and at length wrought that in us and for us by it which never was wrought in us before and which can be wrought by nothing else but the power of the Spirit Now having certainly felt and known the thing in our own hearts and having also seen the Snares and Nets which the Enemy laies for you whereby he keeps you from the true Bread and from the Water and Wine of the Kingdom even as he kept us formerly How can we hold our peace but witness to you in the love and drawings of the Spirit of the Lord of the Truth Life and Power which we have felt in Jesus though ye become our Enemies therefore Nor do we this to bring you to another Opinion or outward Way that is not our end but that ye might feel the thing it self and know assuredly what is the Truth in that which never was deceived it self nor ever deceived any nor will suffer any to be deceived who are joyned to it and abide in it O why should ye wander in the dark Opinions and uncertainties of the night Why should ye not rather come to that wherein the light of the day springs and out of which it shines And can the natural man who hath his eyes be deceived about the light of the natural day Doth he not know the Light of the day both from the lights and also from the darkness of the night Ten thousand times more certain and inwardly satisfied is he who is born of the spiritual Day brought forth in the Light thereof and who spiritually sees lives and walks therein So that there is no doubt in him who is grown up into the thing but he hath the assurance of Faith which is far above the assurance of outward sense or reason and the assurance of understanding O blessed is he who hath an eye to see an ear to hear an heart to understand the things which God hath revealed by his Spirit in this our day the living Way which he hath now made manifest the principle of Life that he hath raised out of the Grave of Death But he that reproacheth and speaketh evil of this that will neither enter in himself nor suffer

A QUESTION TO THE Professors of CHRISTIANITY Whether they have the True Living Powerful saving Knowledge of Christ or no With some Queries concerning Christ and his appearances his taking upon him our flesh as also concerning his flesh and blood and our being formed thereof and feeding thereon And an Incitation to Professors seriously to consider whether they or we fail in the true acknowledgment and owning of the Christ which died at Jerusalem Likewise some Propositions and Considerations concerning the nature of Church-worships Ordinances since the death of the Apostles for the sake of the simplicity which hath been long held captive therein With the sounding of Bowels towards thee O England Also a faithful Guidance to the Principle and Path of Truth WITH Some sensible experimental Questions and Answers from the tenth Chapter of John By Isaac Penington Prisoner in Alisbury who by the Counsel of the Lord hath chosen rather to suffer Affliction with the despised People of God then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a se●son London Printed in the Year 1667. Reader By reason of the Authors absence from the Press these few faults have escaped which thou art desired thus to amend Page 12. line 29. reade For we were as shy P. 33. l. 21. r. gathered thither P. 36. l. 12. r. How while the Church P. 46. l. 19 r. effects not the thing now P. 50. l. 24. r. which who can utter THE PREFACE THis is life Eternal that they might know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent Whom did the Father send Did he not send the Son of his Love From whence did he send him Did he not send him out of his own Bosom Whither did he send him Did he not send him into the World to take upon him a Body and glorifie the Name of the Father doing his Will therein He laid down his Glory stripping himself of the form of God and appearing in habit as a man in their Raiment with their Garment upon him in which as a Servant the Seed the Heir of all served the Father And now his work being as good as done he looks back at the Glory which he had laid down for the Fathers sake looking up to the Father for the restoring of it to him again I have glorified thee on the Earth saith he I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do And now O Father glorifie thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the World was John 17.4 5. Now having sought and travelled from my Childhood after the true knowledge of God and of his Christ and having been satisfied with nothing else that ever I could meet with and having at length through the tender mercy of the Lord and guidance of his Spirit met with this and been satisfied therewith finding it to be the eternal Life the true Food the living Power the pure Rest the Joy and Salvation of the Soul I cannot but testifie it to those that lay out their Money for that which is not Bread and their labour for that which satisfieth not We some of us at least laid out as much of our money as others who now despise us have done and as much of our labour And I may speak it in the fear of the Lord and in true sence without boasting some of us had as much of that which they feed on call bread as they have now Yet when the Lord brought us to the true Ballance we found it not to be bread nor able to give the Soul true satisfaction The bread was not that which we then called bread but that which we overlooked and wist not what it was But the eternal Life which was hid with the Father is manifested in the Son and made known to the Soul as the Son is manifested to it and revealed in it that is bread indeed that is meat which perisheth not but will endure when all litteral and outward knowledge of God and Christ fails and will fall short of satisfying that hunger of the Soul which is after the substance it self Now to draw mens minds to a sence of Truth to a sence of that which is the thing that they might know the Bread indeed that they might know the living Waters come to them and drink thereof and find Christ in them a Well of Water springing up to eternal Life therefore was it in my heart to give forth this Question and the ensuing Queries which he that rightly answers must know the thing and he that doth not know the thing by his inability to answer may find that he doth not and so may wait upon God that he may receive the knowledge of it and come to it for the eternal Life which it freely giveth The Jews were puzled with a literal knowledge of the Law and Prophets and about the Messiah to come according to their understanding of the Prophesies concerning him and so were kept from the true knowledge thereby Most sorts of those that now profess Christ are puzled about a knowledge concerning the outward Body flesh and blood of Christ according as they apprehend the Scriptures to speak and so the vail is over their hearts likewise and they cannot see the eternal Life and Substance no more than the Jews but by an outward litteral knowledge are kept back from the thing as the Jews were Now the breathing of my heart to the Lord is to take away the Vail from all hearts that sincerely desire after Truth and to open the true Eye in them that they may see the desire and beloved of their Souls and may be led by him into the true travel out of self towards the Kingdom yea into the very Land of the living where the food of Life is fed upon where the living Springs flow where are Vineyards which we planted not and dwelling places which we built not where the fruit of the Vine of Gods planting the Wine of the Kingdom is drunk of even new in the Kingdom with the Father and Son in the Spirit who are one and all there The Lord give a sence and understanding that the ear of the Needy the afflicted in Spirit the Mourners the Captives the bowed down may hear and may be drawn to touch that which hath the virtue in it and which effectually redeemeth those that wait upon it from all that boweth down and oppresseth A Question to the Professors of Christianity Whether they have the true living powerful saving Knowledge of Christ or no THE Question is not Whether they know what is said of him in the Scriptures but whether they know it savingly truly livingly powerfully Yea they may know what is said of him and yet not know him of whom those things are said As it was with the Scribes and Pharisees they knew what was said of Christ in the Law and Prophets but they knew not him himself when he appeared in that body of Flesh So men

the spiritually living are ingrafted As the Father is the Husbandman so is not the Son the Vine And hath not this spiritual this eternal Vine in it juice and sap of an eternal Nature and is not this sap its blood Quer. 28. Is there not a choice Vine to which the Foal and Asses Colt of the Seed of Judah is tyed and are not the Garments and Cloaths of the true Jews washed in the Wine and in the Blood of the Grapes of this Vine Gen. 49.11 Quer. 29. What is that which the earthly Nature slayes and what is the Blood which the earthly Nature shall disclose and the slain which it shall no more cover Quer. 30. What are the Robes which are washed and made white in the Blood of the Lamb and how are they washed and made white therein and what is the Blood of what Nature earthly or spiritual wherein they are washed and made white Quer. 31. What is it to have or how come we to have fellowship with Christ in his death and to suffer and be crucified with him Is it by having our natural Bodies crucified on the same Cross of Wood or some such like one as his Body was crucified on or by having the fleshly Nature crucified subdued and worn out of our Souls Minds Spirits c. by the Power of the Spirit Rom. 8.13 Now if the flesh we are to put off be of such a nature and kind to wit inwardly and spiritually corrupt must not the flesh of Christ which we are to put on instead thereof be of as deep inward and spiritual a Nature What is the flesh whereof we are to be uncloathed before we can be cloathed with Christ Is it outward or bodily And what is Christs flesh we are to put on is that any more outward or bodily then that which we are to put off Quer. 32. Is not the flesh and blood which they that have eternal Life feed on and which nourisheth them up to Life eternal they continuing to feed thereon and not feeding afterwards on strange flesh and strange blood I say is not this flesh and blood Spirit and Life For that is it which profiteth John 6.63 Is it not the flesh and blood of the Word Was not the Word made flesh and did not the Word who was made flesh dwell and appear in a Tabernacle of flesh and cause the Glory of his own divine Flesh to shine through that earthly flesh O read and consider that ye who have stumbled and murmured against the Truth may stumble or murmur no more but now at length receive the pure and pretious Doctrine thereof and so come to witness the fulfilling of that Promise Isa 29.18 v. 24. and praise him who giveth understanding Quer. 33. Is not the true Church flesh of Christs flesh and bone of his bone Is not the false or Antichristian Church flesh of Antichrists flesh and bone of Antichrists bone What is the flesh of the spiritual Whore which is to be stripped naked and burnt with fire Shall ever the Church which is of Christs flesh be stripped naked and burnt with fire Nay doth not his flesh make able to abide the devouring fire and to dwell with the everlasting burnings Quer. 34. What is the pure Milk of the VVord which is milked out to the Babes from the pure Breast and what is the Breast from which it is milked out is it of the flesh of Christ or no Quer. 35. Are not the wicked of the seed and flesh of the Serpent Is not that the Body of flesh of sin of death which is to be put off And are not they who are renewed in spirit of the Seed and Flesh of Christ is not that the Body or Garment of Holiness of Righteousness of Life which is to be put on Quer. 36. Is it not as necessary that the eternal VVord be made flesh inwardly that so the Children may feed on him as it was for him to take on him an outward body of flesh to suffer and die for them and to fulfil all Righteousness both of the Law of the Letter and of the Law of the Spirit in Quer. 37. Is there not that which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt and do not they which dwell there instead of eating Christs Flesh and drinking his Blood put his flesh to pain crucifying it in and to themselves trampling under foot the Son of God and counting the Blood of the Covenant an unholy thing Read the Figure Did not outward Israel suffer in outward Egypt Did not just Lot suffer in Sodom Doth not the spiritual Seed suffer in and by spiritual Egypt Doth not the Flesh of the Holy and just One suffer in and by spiritual Sodom Quer. 38. What is that which the Gentile-Christians who are not Jews inward circumcised in heart and spirit who know not the inward Temple the place of the true Jews worship where they worship the Father in Spirit and Truth but only worship in the outward Court which God hath cast off and left out of his measure Rev. 11.2 I say What is that Holy City which these Gentiles tread under foot forty two months Is it the Church which is of the Flesh and Bones of Christ or no He that knoweth the substance the Seed of the Kingdom the Birth of the Spirit knoweth the Flesh and Blood which is of the Seed And this Flesh is Flesh indeed this Blood is Blood indeed even the Flesh and Blood of the Seeds Nature but the other was but the Flesh and Blood of our Nature which he honoured in taking upon him in which he did the Will in which he offered up the acceptable Sacrifice but yet did not give the honour from his own Flesh and Blood to it For the Flesh and Blood of our Nature was not his own naturally but only as he pleased to take it upon him and make it his But that whereof he formeth us and which he giveth us to eat and drink is the Flesh and Blood of his own Nature And this was it wherein was the Virtue and wherein is the Virtue Life and Power for ever Happy O happy is he who is of it who is taken out of and formed of him as Eve was of Adam and so becomes Flesh of his Flesh and Bone of his Bone Then will he know the Mystery of Life feed on the thing it self and not stumble about appearances and expressions as those that are out of and from the thing it self do through the darkness of their mind and because of their ignorance of the thing spoken of in the Scriptures An Incitation to Professors seriously to consider Whether they or we fail in the true acknowledgment and owning of the Christ which died at Jerusalem WE who are commonly called Quakers being a People whom the Lord hath gathered out of the wandrings out of the many Professions out of the several scattered estates and conditions wherein his Eye pittied us and his love found us out into a

is but when Christ cometh no man knoweth whence he is He is not holy strict and zealous according to the Law say others but a loose person a man gluttonous and a Wine-bibber a friend of Publicans and sinners one who teacheth not his Disciples to fast and pray as the Pharisees did theirs and John who was generally looked upon as a Prophet did his but justifieth them in plucking the ears of Corn on the Sabbath Day and so thereby rather incouraging them to break it then strictly to observe and keep it according to Gods Law He is a Blasphemer say some speaks most horrid blasphemy making himself equal with God He reproacheth the most strict and zealous men that we have even our Teachers and Interpreters of the Law and Prophets calling them Hypocrites painted Sepulchres blind Guides c. and pronounceth Wo upon Wo against them And those that are the Children of Abraham he calls the Children of the Devil and saith He that committeth sin is the Servant of sin But if the Son meaning himself make you free ye shall be free indeed And if we will have life in us we must believe in him and eat his flesh and drink his blood Did ever Moses or any of the Prophets teach such Doctrine Again he saith If a man keep my saying he shall never see death whereas Abraham and the Prophets who believed God and kept his sayings are all dead This made them even conclude he had a Devil John 8.52 So how could they understand him when he said He was the good Shepherd and the Door c. and that all that ever came before him were Thieves and Robbers Would they not look upon this as witnessing of himself and endeavouring to set up himself And when he said Verily verily before Abraham was I am Were they not ready to stone him for speaking a false and impossible thing as it seemed to them he manifestly being not yet fifty years old But suppose it to be true that he was before Abraham how then could he be the Messiah who was to come of Abraham and out of the loyns of David according to the Scriptures And then for his Miracles having beforehand concluded that he was a bad Man a Sinner a breaker of the Sabbath a Blasphemer a deceiver of the People c. How easie was it for them to harden themselves against them and to infer that he wrought not these things by the power of God but by the aid and assistance of the Devil to overthrow the Laws and Ordinances of Moses and to set up himself and his new Doctrine by Indeed many and some seemingly strong and unanswerable were the exceptions which the wisdom and understanding in them which was out of the Life and Power of Truth formed against Christ whereby they justified themselves in their refusal of him who was Sealed and sent of the Father and so excluded themselves the Kingdom and the Righteousness thereof This is past and they can condemn them now who themselves are acting over again the same thing in spirit It pleaseth the Lord thus to suffer things to be still so to give forth the dispensations of his Life as they alone that are in some measure of his Life can discern them And the same spirit under a new guise still opposeth Truth in its present appearance and dispensation and stirreth men up to flight and blaspheme that holy Name and Power which they that believe in are saved and sanctified by Well what shall I say to you O that ye could discern Spirits O that ye could see what spirit ye are of and whom ye serve in opposing the present dispensation of Life O that ye could see how ye read Scriptures out of that which wrote them and bend them against that which wrote them making your selves wise and strong in a wrong Wisdom and Knowledge against the Lord and against his Christ whom he hath set upon his holy Hill of Sion and who appeareth there though ye see it not For Sion is not now literal or after the flesh the Day is come the Shadows are gone But Sion is the holy Hill of God in Spirit upon which the Heavenly Jerusalem is built which is revealed come down and coming down from Heaven and many of the Heavenly Citizens dwell there already and more are coming thither to dwell for even from the East West North and South shall the gathering be to sit with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom which cannot be shaken which Kingdom was received by the Christians formerly before the Apostacy and is now received again blessed be his Name who lives and reigns in Power over all the spirits of darkness and deceit maintaining his pure Life and Truth in the hearts of his Children in despite of them all But why should ye thus err in Heart from the pure Truth Why should ye not open to him that knocks in his holy Power and in the demonstrations of his Spirit to your Consciences Why should a subtile device of the deceiver be let in and hugged by you to cause you to thrust him back from your hearts who is the Word of eternal Life and with whom are the words of eternal Life The Lord God discover the deep deceits of the Enemy to you whereby he captivateth your hearts and understandings that it may not be alwayes said of you as it was of the Jews He came unto his own and his own received him not But to as many as received him he gave power in the day of his flesh and he giveth much more power to them that receive him in Spirit in the Day of his Spirit to become Sons of God And because they are Sons he poureth out abundantly of his Spirit upon them And he that hath the Spirit hath the Son and he that hath the Son hath Life But he that hath not the Son but blasphemeth the appearance and light of his Spirit hath not life but is yet in that Wisdom and Knowledge which is death and which keeps him dead Now the Lord of his tender Mercy make you sensible of and pardon your opposing and resisting his Truth and also cause the Light of Life to shine in your hearts quickening and guiding you thereby out of the Land of Death and Darkness into the holy Land of Life that all that sincerely breath after Truth may through the faithful travel come to sit down dwell and feed together in it in the one Power in the one Life in the one holy Spirit where is pure Rest and Peace perfect Joy and Satisfaction for evermore Amen Some QUERIES concerning Christ and his Appearances his taking upon him our flesh As also concerning his flesh and blood and our being formed thereof and feeding thereon Query 1. VVHether there was not a necessity of Christs taking upon him our flesh for the redemption of those that had sinned and the satisfaction of the justice offended Quer. 2. Whether the Father did not accordingly prepare a

and all fleshly reasonings into the Spirit of Life and examine there both your inward and outward buildings that your loss be not great and your anguish unutterable in the Day of the Lord when all those buildings which are raised and preserved in the pure Life and Power shall shine in the beauty and glory of Gods Spirit and the greatest glory of flesh and fleshly buildings fade and wither The Sounding of Bowels towards thee O ENGLAND EArly in the morning on the 26th day of the sixth month 1666. this in the freshness and quick sense of Life sprang up in my heart again and again O England England England how good had it been for thee that thou hadst known and walked in the way of Peace There is a way of Peace for Persons and Nations to know and walk in but every Person and Nation doth not know and walk in this way but rather in the way of trouble Quest What is the way of Peace Answ It is the way of the pure Wisdom the way of the Light and guidance of God's Spirit from whom the Creature came and by whom alone it can be rightly ordered He that waiteth on him for Counsel he that subjecteth to and walketh in his Counsel he walketh in the way of Peace Quest What is the way of Trouble Answ The way of a mans own Wisdom and Counsel For a Man or Nation to do that which is right in their own eyes This is the way of Man whereby he thinks to establish himself and put an end to his Troubles but he errs therein as in the end he still finds to his Woe Now O England consider Hast thou had the guidance of God Hath the Light which hath guided thy steps been lighted by him or by his and thy Souls Enemy For there is a Spirit of a contrary nature to God near Man which he suddenly taketh counsel of when his heart is not acquainted with nor receiveth counsel of the Lord. And this Counsellor is the destroyer both of Persons and Nations leading them in wayes of ruine and subversion under an appearance of being the properwayes of Peace and Settlement It is true of Nations as well as Persons that what they sow that shall they also reap God measureth out their time unto them and when that is over his time of judging and pleading with them comes And woe is then unto them who have acted in their own wills and wisdoms out of the pure Counsel and fear of the Lord wherein they should have stood and been guided It is a day of trouble and distress The weight of the iniquity of this Nation begins to be felt upon it O let every one search and bow before the Lord under his righteous Judgements that there may be no going on in that which bringeth and will increase the judgement but a turning towards that which interceeds and opens the springs of Mercy Two things lie heavy on this Nation to wit a running on in Transgressions of several kinds against the Lord forgetting his tender Mercies with the dayes of former distress and an afflicting others whom he loves and hath led and is leading out of transgression O that these things might come to an end that the anger of the Lord might cease and the wayes of his Judgements and pleading with this Nation be stopped for who can stand before him when he riseth up in controversie against them There is but one eye which can rightly see the Hand and Judgments of the Lord yea it pleaseth the Lord so to manage them that only the eye which is of him may see them Man must be taken in his Wisdom and caught in the snare of his own understanding He that will see the Things of God the Wayes of God the Counsels of God the Love and Sweetness of God yea the very Judgments of God must receive from him the eye that seeth them O that men might feel after and come into that wherein they might be pittied and spared by their Maker Man must bow that which is of God in man which hath long lain under oppression must be exalted It is the day of his Power and he will reign in it O happy they that bow to his Scepter and kiss the shinings of his Light even in the sharpest rebukes of it in their hearts that they may turn from and travel out of the darkness where is death destruction and misery even in all the counsels and wayes of it and come into unity with that which is pure and live Written in Alisb Prison 27. of 6th month 66. A faithful Guidance to the Principle and Path of Truth wherein eternal Life is witnessed by those who are born thereof and walk therein THere must be somewhat let down from God into a mans heart to change his heart and redeem it to God or he cannot be saved He must receive a Seed be born of a new and incorruptible Seed or he cannot be renewed from his corrupt nature and state He must be born of Water and Gods Spirit or he cannot enter into Gods Kingdom Now this is the true Religion namely to experience and be subject to that Power which redeems to God which breaks the power of the wicked one in the heart first casting him out and then taking possession of the Vessel and filling it with the holy Treasure Quest But how may a man meet with such a thing as this Answ The Scripture which giveth a faithful Testimony concerning the Truth saith Christ the Word of Faith which the Apostles preached is nigh Insomuch as a man need not say Who shall go up or down to fetch it but what saith it The Word is nigh thee in thy mouth and in thy heart This is that which reconciles to God cutting down and slaying the enmity by the Power of the Cross and bringing up the Seed This is the Adversary in the way of the sinner which he that maketh peace with shall be remitted all his trespasses past and find power and strength against sin for the time to come as he is gathered into and brought forth in his pure Life and Nature Quest But how shall I know and receive this Answ That in the heart which is contrary to sin which discovereth sin which witnesseth against sin and is drawing the mind from it furnishing those with a new and holy ability who wait upon the Lord in it that that is the thing though in never so little a Seed or low measure Now he that minds this harkens to this turns from what this in its pure unerring Light shews to be evil follows in the will strength and ability which is of this what this shews to be good he receives it and waiting upon it and becoming daily subject to it shall grow up in it increase in the knowledge of it and acquaintance with it and receive of it daily more and more And thus the man whose way was vile whose heart was naught formed in wickedness filled with

Moses told that before to wit by the Word nigh in the mouth and heart There is somewhat near man even in his mouth which divides his words one from another shewing him at sometimes and would do it oftner if he heeded it which are bad words and which are good words What is that that doth this The same thing also is in his heart as a discerner of the thoughts and intents thereof shewing him when there is a good thought desire or intention in his mind and when there is a bad or wicked one What is this O that men knew what it is O that they could fear the Lord and become subject to it and they should know what it is Every man that will be sanctified and inherit Gods Kingdom must be born of the Will of God He must deny his own Will as Christ did Not my Will said he Father but thine be done that must be crucified He must suffer in the flesh die to the flesh and live in and to the holy Nature and Spirit of God Now thus a man comes to be born of the pure Will to wit by hearing the Word nigh in the mouth and heart and becoming subject to it This cuts down his own will day by day and brings up the Will and Nature of God in him through which he is changed and sanctified and becometh a new Creature For the old Creature is made up of the old understanding and will but the new Creature is made up of the new Wherewithall shall a young man cleanse his way By taking heed according to thy Word saith David What Word was that Was it the Word of the old Covenant or the Word nigh in the mouth and heart And Thy Word saith he is a Lanthorn to my Feet and a light to my Path. What Word was that the Word of the first Covenant or the Word of the second The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the Soul What Law is that The Testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the simple What Testimony is that The Statutes of the Lord are right rejoycing the heart What Statutes are they were not the Statutes of the old Covenant heavy and burthensome The Commandment of the Lord is pure enlightning the eyes What Commandment is that Yea what is that which is sweeter than the Honey the Honey-comb which overcomes with its sweetness O that men could read O that men could see the thing which is pure and maketh pure which is righteous and maketh righteous After men have seen the thing there is a great way to travel to it but how far are they off who do not so much as see it but are in the darkness and prejudices of that Nature and Spirit which is contrary to it Now if the Lord in his tender mercy and love to thy Soul bring thee to a sense of this thing thou beginnest to feel this precious searching Word discovering any evil to thee either in thy heart or wayes O do not dispute do not reason against it but bless the discoverer bow to the Son become obedient immediately faithfully following the Lamb therein lest he remove his Light from thee and suffer darkness and the disputing wisdom to overtake thee Christ is not of the World and he leads out of the World Out of its vanities wayes customs fashions c. A man cannot serve Christ and the World Can any man be born of the Father be begotten by him out of the Spirit of the World and yet live in that walk in that which is not of the Father but of the World which came from the worldly part is of the worldly part nourisheth and pleaseth the worldly part in man but pleaseth not the Father Can that man who is not of the World but of the Father do any thing that upholdeth the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes or the pride of life either in himself or others Doth not the Spirit of the Lord where it is hearkened to draw out of these and out of all things which are of these Therefore consider well what it will cost and how hard it is to follow Christ that thou who desirest to be the Lords mayest receive help and strength from him to be faithful that in his strength thou mayest overcome all that stands between thee and Life that so thou mayest receive the Crown and inherit the Kingdom which is prepared for and given to the Faithful who labour and fight not in vain but gain ground and conquer yea at length become more then conquerors through the Mercy Love Might and Power of the Lord. Some sensible experimental Questions and Answers from the tenth Chapter of John Question 1. WHO is the good Shepherd of the Sheep Answ The Wisdom Life and Power of the Father which dwelleth in and is manifest through the Son is the Shepherd He that is the Truth the Way and the Life he also is the Shepherd and Bishop of the Soul Quest 2. Who are the Sheep Answ They that are born of this Wisdom gathered by this Life turned to this Power they are the Sheep They who are changed by him into his Nature they are of him Sheep of him the Shepherd Lambs of him the Lamb Doves of him the Dove Quest 3. Which is the Fold of the Sheep Answ The Wisdom Life and Power of the Father even the same that is the Shepherd The Fathers Hand wherewith he covers them wherein he incloseth them that is the Fold For it is the Power Wisdom and Life of the Father which gathereth the Sheep and he gathereth them into his Power into his Wisdom into his Life and that is a Wall or Fold about them Object Is not the Church the Fold Answ This in the Church or the Church in this is the Fold but not out of this For there is no safety or preservation among any sort or gathering of people but as they stand and abide in this And standing and abiding in this they have Authority and Power from the chief Bishop of the Soul but none out of this Quest 4. Who is the Door Answ The Shepherd is the Door also who lets into the Fold and shuts out at his pleasure and none can rightly enter but by him Quest 5. What are they that run before the Power or farther than the Power leads and guides them Answ They are Thieves and Robbers and they may destroy the life and freshness in those that are not watchful but they cannot help to save or build up because they themselves are out of that come out of that and act out of that which alone can do it Quest 6. How may the Sheep be discerned from the Goats and from such also as put on the Sheeps cloathing but yet are not sheep in Nature and Spirit Answ By their Lamb-like Nature by the meekness and innocency in them which is of the Lamb which none can have but they that are of him for it is not to be found in