the Seed of the Serpent bruised the Seed of the Woman's Heel and yet the Serpent's Head was bruised in this thing See the Declaration of Jacob and Esau and there thou shalt see it more nearly and clearly made manifest unto thee for there thou may'st see the two Seeds Placed together in one fleshly Womb and there they strove which should first come forth to the Birth I know thou canst not but with me witness these two Seeds in thee striving which shall be brought forth now rough Esau came first forth in the Birth who became a Hunter and hunted up and down after Venison and became a rough hairy Man of whom it was said The Elder shall serve the Younger before they had been instrumental to do Good or Evil then after him Jacob was brought forth who by true Interpetation is a Supplanter who stayed at home with his Father who in Process of Time came to get both the Birth-right and the Blessing for the Blessing of Right belongeth to him for he was blessed in the Womb for in him the promised Seed sprung up who at last became a great People yet was he by Esau long kept out of the Birth right although that Esau had sold it to him and counted it a small thing even a thing of nought and sold it for a thing of small Value even for a Mess of Pottage which afterwards he would have sought the Blessing with Tears but could not attain it but the Power of Jacob daily increased so that he became a mighty people and the Dread and the Terror of the Lord was with him which caused the Heathen even the Stock of Esau even many times to fear and tremble and stand astonished at their Presence Yet nevertheless this fleshly Seed of Jacob which came out of his fleshly Loins came to be corrupted and the Seed of the Serpent came to bear Rule in many of them so that the Seed of God came to be oppressed in them which should have born Rule over the Seed of the Serpent in their earthly Bodies so that many times there was hardly one to be found in an Age or one in a Generation which came to witness the Serpent's Head to be bruised in him or that the Seed of God ruled in him in singleness and simplicity so that the Lord came as it were to be forgotten amongst the Sons and Daughters of Men but yet there was the Seed within which still breathed and groaned after God for which seed's sake the Lord hath long waited that he may be gracious unto the Sons and Daughters of Men otherwise he had long ago consumed them in his Fury and his fierce Wrath had broke forth upon them as it did upon SODOM and GOMORRAH and all the Cities of the Plains But he hath at all times raised up his own seed in some so that they have born their faithful Testimonies for him against the seed of the serpent and so by them came to give forth Laws and Statutes whereby the Children of Men may come to know his Mind and Will so that in the Performance of them they should liâ—e but they that disobey the same should dye the Death then all they which were of the Seed of Jacob after the Flesh said that whatsoever the Lord should command them they would perform but the Lord full well knew that there was not such an Heart in them which caused him to cry out Oh that there was such an Heart in this People to obey me then should their Peace break forth as the Morning and their Righteousness as the Sun at Noon-day but the Lord 's all-seeing Eye saw that there was the Seed of the Serpent still lodging amongst them and in them which soon afterwards shewed it self forth which caused the Lord's Wrath to break forth upon many of them even to their Destruction And although the Lord had wrought great Deliverances for them even in carrying them down into the Land of Egypt and causing them there to endure a hard time of Servitude and Bondage under the Hand of Pharaoh's hard Task-masters and raising up his own Seed to shew it self amongst them even to the redeeming them out of the Land of Bondage and from under their Egyptian Captivity even by many grievous Plagues and mighty Wonders which he shewed forth upon Pharaoh and his Egyptian Host and carried them through the Depths of the Red Sea as upon dry Land and destroyed Pharaoh and hâ—s Multitude who pursued after them and led them through the Desart Wilderness and caused Water to gush cut of the Rock to satisfie their thirsty Souls and fed them many Years with Manna in the Wilderness yet nevertheless for all this his large Love towards them this pure Seed of God was still oppressed in many of them by this Seed of the Serpent which caused the Lord to destroy many Thousands of them in the Wilderness before they came into the promised Land so that there was but a very small Number of them that came out of Egypt that entred into the Land of Rest even but Two Persons which were JOSHUA and CALEB for all the rest were destroyed because the Seed of God was oppressed In them even by the Seed of the Serpent which caused them To complain and To murmur and to depart from his Statutes and rebel against his Righteous Laws yet still the Seed of God cryed and groaned unto him under all this and his Ears are continually open unto the Cryes thereof and for this Seed's Sake he raised up a People out of the Stock of JACOB even in the Wilderness which he caused to enter into the Land of Promise And whenas they stood faithful in his Laws and Statutes he destroyed their Enemies before them even in a wonderful and miraculous manner so that in process of time they came to have victory over all their Enemies and to sit down in the Land in Rest and Peace and the Lord made them a Dread and a Terror to all Nations round about them and they built strong Holds and great fenced Cities so that they became a mighty People as they stood faithful unto the Lord he made them as a Sign and as a Wonder unto all the Nations of the Earth so that his Fear and Dread fell upon many that had been Strangers to and alienated from him they were set as a City upon a Hill which could not be hid but still there was the Seed of the Serpent lodging in many of them for when they were brought to sit down in Rest and Ease the Seed of the Serpent came to rise in them and the pure Seed came to be oppressed and the pure Simplicity that came to be lost and they rebelled against the Lord transgressed against his pure Laws Statutes and they committed Whoredom even with the Heathen and then the Lord raised up his Seed in his Prophers and sent many of them unto them to fore-warn them of the Destruction that would
it whilest they remain in this earthly Tabernacle and then if the Lord raise up any to witness that he hath redeemed them from under the Power of Sin and so by his Power in them which is a Cross to the carnal will of man freed them from the Power of sin and Death then cry out those that live in all manner of sin and polutions these are Deluders take heed of being deceived when alas there is nothing reigning in them that they can be deceived of but sin and wickedness and so they cannot bear the hearing that they should be free from sin until the Lord cut off them and their sins together but they never consider that as the Tree falleth so it lieth and as Death leaves them so assuredly shall Judgment find them for in the Grave there is no Repentance neither can any unclean thing enter into God's Kingdom which consists of Purity Holiness and Righteousness Now the scriptures they declare that God is Light and if we walk in the Light and aâ—ide in the Light as he is in the Light then we have Fellowship one with another and the Blood of Chrâ—st cleanseth us from all Sin Now if thou comest into this LIGHT this will let thee see that there is something in thee that doth check reprove and cross thy own natural will and this is the Power of God in thee and would be unto Salvation if thou wouldst but obey it for it will crucifie thy old Nature and stand a Cross over thy own will and so keep it down that it might not rule in thee and so thy Soul will come to stand in the Power which is above the Power of sin and so come to be saved out of sin and out of Death which is the sting thereof And so as thou comest into the Light and therein standest with an Upright Heart the Light will make sin and the Power thereof manifest unto thee in all its Motions and will crucifie all that is of the first Nature and all that which ariseth from thy self and will judge out that Power daily which hath moved in thee and hath carried thee forth at all times to act contrary to the Mind and Will of God and hath caused thee to oppress the Seed which God hath placed in thee and so SION with the pure Seed of God in thee cometh to be redeemed through Judgment and her Converts come to bring forth a righteous Life and Conversation Now thou that readest understand The Life is more then Meat and the Body is more then Rayment and the pure Life is more then Knowledge for old Adam or the first Nature may eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and so by thâ—t may come to talk much of the Truth and what the Saints enjoyed in former Ages but cannot come into the Life thereof for he is driven out from the tree of Life into the earthly Imaginations without him and the ANGEL of the Lord with his flaming Sword even the Righteous Law is placed to keep the Way of the Tree of Life lest he put forth his Hand and take of the Fruit there of and eat and so live forever Now the first Nature is not to live forever but for an appointed time for that is the first Adam and his Life which standeth in sin and he hath transgressed the Righteous Law of God and so hath sinned and that Soul that sinneth must dye the Death and so death cometh to reign over all Mankind from Adam till Moses from the first Nature till the Seed of God in the creature moveth under the burden of Iniquity whereby it hath been pressed down as a Cart is pressed with sheaves and comes to stir up the Creature and draws him into some Consideration and brings him to understand his Condition that he is even a Captive under sin in the Land of Darkness even in spiritual Egypt and under many Lusts which are as so many hard Task-masters to him and that he is but a stranger and a sojourner there and that the Lord hath promised him a land of rest and freedom but he knows not how to find it out until the Lord God shall raise up the great Prophet like unto Moses to lead him out of this Land of Darkness through the red Sea by his LIGHT or PILLAR of Fire which Light is Darkness unto the Egyptians even in their Day which Pillar of Fire is to guide the Creature through the long desert Wilderness into the land of rest and Moses is till the Prophets and the Prophets they declare that there shall a REDEEMER come out of Zion or the Seed of God within who shall reign in Peace and Righteousness over his own House which shall be raised up for he will make them a willing People and he will turn unto them the pure Language and they shall all call upon the Name of the Lord with one Consent and he will bring back again their Captivity and settle them in perfect Peace so that they may every man sit under his own Vine and under his own Fig-Tree and none shall make them afraid And the Prophets they are till John who is as the Voice of one crying in the Wilderness now the VOICE said Cry the Prophet answered what shall I cry That all Flesh is Grass and the Clory of man as the Flowers of the Field therefore prepare the Way of the Lord and make streight the crooked Paths and let the high lofty Mountains of Man's proud Will be laid low and let every Valley and low despised Place be raised that so the ransomed of the Lord may pass and John he baptizeth to Repentance and bringeth the Creature into a Sorrow and a Trouble because it cannot bring forth Fruit worthy of Repentance and he declares that he is not the Messias that is to come after him which is to be preferred before him whose Shoe-latchet he was not worthy to unloose but that he is sent to bear his Testimony of him and John he is till Christ and when he comes which is the true Messias and the true Redeemer of the promised Seed of Israel after the Spirit who is the second Adam and the true Prophet like unto Moses whom the Lord hath promised since the Dayes of old even this is he that shall come out of Sion and shall bring Deliverance unto that Seed in all the Sons and Daughters of Men that hath long groaned and that which Sion hath long travailed with and been in Pain to be delivered from under the Burden of Oppression and he will crucifie the old Nature even the first Adam who hath been the Oppressor and nail him to the Cross and so by the Cross to him â—nd to his corrupt Will will mortifie or kill his Deeds even by the Power of the Spirit which Power standeth in that which crosses the old Nature now the first Adam's Life that standeth in Sin and in Transgression and in Deceit and Guile which are all
come upon them if they still went on in their Rebellion against the Lord And as the Lord had set the House of Israel whilest they stood in his Statutes as a Sign and as a wonder unto the Nations round about them so now likewise he hath set his Prophets in whom his Seed is raised as Signs and Wonders to the House of Israel because they were become a rebellious People but many of the Prophets they murdered wherein the same Seed of the Serpent that was in Cain appeared and some they cast into Prison others they Banished so that they provoked the Holy One of Israel to Wrath so that he let loose the Heathens against them and suffered them to destroy their Land and to lay waste their fenced Cities and to carry them away Captives into strange Lands till he had humbled them and brought them low then when they were in Distress they called upon him cry'd unto him in the time of their Trouble and his Ears were open to them and then he many times by his Prophets came to reason with them and to lay open before them the many Deliverances which he at sundry times had wrought for them of the Largeness of his Love towards them yet how they had all along rebelled against him and turned his Righteous Law behind their Backs and not regarded his Reproofs but yet when he by Afflictions had brought down the Seed of the Serpent so that they came low in Heart and in Mind to be humbled towards him and to let the oppressed Seed in them to arise whose Sighs and Groans were to the Lord for whose Sake the Lord brought back again their Captivity and caused them to rest in their own Land in Peace and Safety and when he had ruled them many Years by Judges then they desired to have a KING even as all the Nations round about them had who were Strangers to God and in this they provoked the Holy One of Israel but yet for his own Seed's Sake he suffered all this and much more And gave them a King in his Wrath even Saul the Son of Kish and anoynted him with his own Spirit that he might have Understanding and Wisdom to rule and govern them that they might walk humbly in the Statutes of the Lord but he himself soon disobeyed the Voice of the Lord when he was sent to destroy the Amalekites that he should not spare old nor young but slay both Man and Woman Infant and Suckling Ox and Sheep Camel and Ass but see how the Seed of the Serpent arose in Saul and the Children of Israel and caus'd him to disobey the Commands of God by sparing Agag the King of the Amalekites alive and the best of the Sheep and of the Oxen and of the Fatlings and of the â—ambs and all that was Good and would not utterly destroy them but every thing that was vile and refuse that they destroyed utterly and so provoked the Spirit of the Lord which anoynted him King and the Lord repented that he had set up Saul King over Israel and he rent the Kingdom from him because his pure Seed came to be oppressed in him and so as he gave those People a King in his Wrath he took him from them in his Sore Displeasure But then he sent his Servant Samuel whom he anoynted to be a Prophet unto the House of Israel and sent him unto Saul to acquaint him that the Lord had rent the Kingdom from him and the Spirit of the Lord departed from him and with it his Honour but yet behold the Subtilty of the Serpent in him who would have tempted the Prophettohave honoured him before the People when that in him to which the Honour did duely belong was departed from him but herein the Serpent's Head in some Measure came to be bruised Then the Lord sent his Prophet to anoynt David King over Israel who was the Son of Jesse for said the Lord Behold I have found a man after my own Heart to reign over Israel to whom the Lord promised that out of his Loyns after the Flesh should come the MESSIAS that should rule over the spiritual Seed of Abraham and that there should not want one to sit upon the Throne of David henceforth even forever and that his Kingdom should be an Everlasting Kingdom and of his Dominion there should be no End and the Government should be upon his Shoulders this is the great Prophet that Moses foretold of to the Children of Israel that should come saying A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up from among your Brethren like unto me him shall you hear in all things and it shall come to pass that he that will not obey the Voice of this Prophet shall be cut off from amongst the People Now consider what this Moses was who declareth this unto Israel he was one whom the Lord preserved in the Court of Pharaoh in Egypt which was of the stock of Israel and by his Hand the Lord brought many Plagues upon the Land of Egypt and by him delivered the Seed of Israel out of their Captivity So likewise this Prophet that the Lord hath promised to raise up like unto him from amongst their Brethren even from within the midst of every man which shall bring JUDGMENTS and PLAGUES upon spiritual Egypt even the Land of Darkness bring Deliverance unto the spiritual Seed of Israel which now groans under the Burden of Oppression This Messiah even CHRIST all the Prophets pointed at him and prophesied of his Coming even in the one Body of Flesh for they prophesied That a Virgin should conceive and bear a Son and they should call his Name EMANUEL which by Interpretation is GOD WITH US and he promised To give him for a COVENANT unto the People and for a LIGHT unto the Gentiles that he might be his Salvation unto the End of the Earth and that he should put an End unto all Types and Ceremonies which then the Children of Israel observed were commanded so to do even by the Lord their God and had their Priests their Levites their Burnt-Offerings and Sacrifice their Heave-Offerings their Peace-Offerings their Shew-Bread their Passeovers their New-Moons their Sabbaths their Solemn-Assemblies their Temple and Altar with the Ark of the Testament but yet all These were but Shadows of things which were to come for the Substance was and is CHRIST for the Seed of God was yet for all this oppressed in them for they smote with the Fist of Wickedness and many times provoked the Lord to Wrath so that he destroyed many of them and they caused him to say that though the number of the Children of Israel were in number as the Sands on the Sea Shore yet should there be but a Remnant of them saved which Remnant was them in whom the pure Seed of God came to be raised up to bear Rule and so they came faithfully to believe in the Promises of God and so by Faith they
Wilderness even by a mighty hand and by his Arm of Strength which he now has stretcht forth unto you which Arm he is making bare even in the Sight of the Nations therefore go on and be valiant for Truth and lift up the weak Hands and strengthen the feeble Knees for now is he making himself known who will assemble her that halted and gather her that was scattered and bring back again that which was driven away even he that binds up the broken-hearted is come and coming who will satisfie the Thirsty Soul and speak comfortably unto all them that truly breath after the Eternal Peace and Welfare of Zion and the Redemption of the oppressed Seed which hath long breathed after Liberty therefore wait in the Patience in the Stilness and in the Coolness of your Spirits that you may come to feel that to arise daily in you which will dash down all Incumbrances who rebukes the Winds and stills the raging Seas at his Command who is the only begotten of the Father who begets all his Children into Love for God is Love and that which is begot of him in all Hearts is Love and Tenderness unto all men but especially one towards another Therefore dear Friends beware of that Spirit which would arise in you to cause evil Surmisings one of another or that would open an evil Eye to look forth at one anothers Weakness and of that Spirit that would cause any secret Rejoycing thereat though it be never so hidden but beware and bring it to the Bar of Judgment before it gets any Head or Strength in you that so it may be condemned before it go any further And beware of that Spirit that shall arise to cause a Deadness or a Barrenness in you as to the things of God would carry you back to feed upon that which you have formerly enjoyed and that would cause you to give way to a secret Envy which will be Ready to arise in you against them who in honest Simplicity walk in the true Obedience to the Measure of God made manifest in them because when they feed in the Banqueting House of their Father you may perhaps find Barrenness and Emptiness for the present I say beware of that Spirit for it is he that causeth the Barrenness and the want therefore wait in that which discovers him and makes him known and come unto true Obedience thereunto and you shall see him and all that would arise to oppose it self against the pure seed of God in you cast into utter darkness from whence it arises for the Prince of Darkness with all his Legions is not able to stand in the Presence of God of his Christ who is the Light of the World and hath enlightned you with a measure of himself which if you faithfully obey and follow you will feel a living Zeal to arise in your Hearts for the Lord and for his Truth and likewise an utter Enmity against all the Deeds of Darkness both in your selves and likewise in all others and you will feel that to arise in you which truly breaths after the Good and Welfare of all the Sons Daughters of men and you will come to suffer with the Seed of God which is oppressed both in your selves and aâ—l the Sons and Daughters of Adam and blessed are all they that come to witness this in Truth and in Reallity and that are fâ—ithful to that little thing that makes this known unto them for verely they shall be made Rulers over much Therefore dear Friends you that are newly begotten into the eternal Truth of God for your Sakes is this declared by him who hath by the good Hand of God been carried through these things and hath seen much of the Strength and Subtilty of the Enemy who like a roaring Lyon goes about seeking whom he may devour therefore stand in the Light and in the Cross even that which crosseth the carnal Mind and in that there is Power against all his Assaults and wait in Stilness at all times that so you may come to hear the Voice of the Lord and to obey and follow it for Obedience is better then Sacrifice and that is it which the Lord requires of you and without that you shall not eat of the good of the land even the promised land of Rest and Peace which the Lord is now bringing his People into where they shall feed in fat Pastures even by the Springs of living Water under the Shadow of the Tree of Life whose Fruit is pleasant to the Taste and whose Leaves are for the Healing of the Nations in which Land is Peace and Pleasantness and Joy and Gladness of Heart where the redeemed of the Lord walk and lie down in Rest and perfect Peace where no vultrous Eye can come and where the Devourer cannot enter where the Abominations which make desolate cannot stand The Gates of which land have long been the gates of the Enemy but now is the time appointed come the true spiritual Seed of Abraham is risen in many and doth possess the Gates of their Enemies and many are they that are entred in through the Gates to this Land of Rest and Redemption Praises to the Lord God forever and for evermore Aâ—d mâ—ny are they that are yet entring and to enter therefore be couragious and faint not for the Promise is unto all in whom tho Seed is in any measure made manifest which Seed shall possess the gates of his Enemies and though the Enemy hath long stood in the Gate and stopped the passage and though it may yet stop in many the passage through which the Seed should come forth out of Bondage Oppression yet mind not the Enemy but mind him who has promised will perform even that the Seed of Abraham shall possess the Gates of its Enemies which Seed is Christ in the Male and in the Female I say mind not that which brings in the Incumbrances but mind that which lets you see them and stills and quiets all again For Friends the Battail which is to be fought in every one of you is hard and the Enemy is strong and mighty therefore come forth even forth of the Polutions to the Help of the Lord against the mighty for Cursed is he that comes not forth to the Help of the Lord against the mighty therefore stand forth with your loyns girded about with Truth and put on the Breast plate of Faith and the Helmet of Salvation for a mighty work hath the Lord God to do in the Earth Instruments in whose Hand many of you may be if you are willing and obedient and can with content take up the Cross dayly which crosseth the carnal and despise the Shame then shall you be partakers of the Joy which is set before you which Joy dashes all the Glory of the World and makes it appear as a thing of nought for the Sake of which Joy many dear hearts have despised the Shame and Contempt of
the World and have willingly undergone many grievous Afflictions and have undauntedly triumphed over Death and Hell even to the Amazement of all their Enemies therefore blessed and happy are all you that are called forth to suffer for the Name of the Lord and of his Truth in which Truth is Freedom and the Name of the Lord is a strong Tower to which you may fly in time of Distress and you are safe from the Enemy and from all his Strength Oppositions and though he may exercise his Tyranny upon your outward man yet that is a thing of small value for that must to its Dust again from whence it came yet that it cannot touch without the Permision of him who is the Keeper of Israel who never slumbers nor sleeps But you have a Life which is hid with God in Christ which will remain when all mortal things shall turn to the Dust its Mother which Life cannot be touched nor injured by no invitred Heart nor cruel Hand therefore fear not man nor the Sons of men nay I know you that are come into the true Fear of the Lord you cannot fear man for Fearfulness that shall surprize the Hypocrite and Astonishment the double-hearted when they that fear the Lord shall be as bold as Lyons Therefore if Sufferings present unto thee my dear Friend whoever thou art that readest they will be as precious Jewels unto thee and thou wilt come to be as Gold which is purified in the Fire and as thy Sufferings do abound upon thy outward Body so likewise shall Peace and Tranquility flow in upon thee as Rivers of Living Water whereby thy Soul will come to be refreshed abundantly yea thou knowest that Pen cannot express nor Tongue declare the Endless Joy and Felicity which at all times accompanies those â—hat are faithful Words are too short â—o declare it yet nevertheless for the Sake of them that languish and hunger after the living Bread wherewith all that are faithful are satisfied and fed abundantly I say for the Sake of him that is hungry not yet â—ully satisfied is this written that he may go on and not faint in his Travail for blessed art thou that hungers â—nd thirsts after Righteousness for â—f thou wilt wait and abide in the Paâ—ience thou shalt be satisfied for in our Father's House is Bread enough where all his Children are fed at his Table in the Banqueting-House of Peace therefore wait and be still and commune with thy Heart and go not forth to look that abroad which cannot be found any where but at home in thy own Heart and though at present thou mayst see a Day of Distress and a Night of Sorrow wherein Judgment may come to be laid to the Line and Righteousness to the Plummet yet stand still wait on the Lord and in the Way of his Judgments so shalt thou witness Zion even the Seed of God within thee to come to be redeemed through it and Baâ—ylon with all her Brats come to be thrown down and dashed in pieces by it for now he that dasheth in Pieces is come upon our Walls and entred into our Borders even the Lord who is now risen to enter into Judgment with all Flesh and to purifie and to clense the Sons and Daughters of Men from all their Polutions and to let them see the Filth of the Fornication of Babylon's Whore which hath long reigned in the Hearts of the Children of Men and hath caused all the Creation to groan under her Oppression now is the Lord risen to rent her Covering and to lay open her shame and Nakedness that all that are not wilfully blind may see the Filth of her Polutions and come out from her lest they be Partakers of her Plagues which shall suddenly come upon her that so the Lord may clense them and purifie them and make them fit Temples for himself to dwell in for that is the Work which the Lord is going to perform and his mighty Arm shall bring it to pass for he will work and who shall hinder it and he will dash all the Pot-sherds to pieces that oppose themselves against him for who art thou that settest Bryars and Thorns in Battle against me saith the Lord Shall not I pass through and burn them up Yea verely Friend this have our Eyes seen and our Ears have heard how the Lord hath torn the Powers of the Earth in pieces and hath brought all their Contrivances to nought who have sought after their own Glory and not the Glory of Him who have sate at rest and ease and have not partaken of the Day of Jacob's Trouble but have sought their own Interest and not the Interest of the Lord nor the Liberty of his People but have suffered the Innocent to lie under the Hands of grievous Oppressors even the greedy Hirelings and the dumb Idol Shepherds who have long made Prey upon the Lord's Heritage and have scattered the Lord's Flock in the dark and cloudy Day and caused them to wander upon the Barren Mountains who have long fed themselves with the Fat and clothed themselves with the Wool and have sate at Rest and Ease and have cryed peace whilst men could put into their Mouthes but now them that cannot feed them any longer they even prepare War against them whereby they become a Prey unto them so that the whole Land groans under that Oppression more then any other and the Righteous suffer and no man layeth it to Heart and for this Cause hath the Lord rebuked strong Nations and he will still rebuke all them that shall set themselves against him and against his People Therefore dear Friends wait still on the Lord who is the Strength of Sion and the Redeemer of the Seed of Jacob who hath already for your sakes even for his Seed's sake which he hath raised in you overthrown all that have exalted themselves against him and against his Anointed even Kings Princes Protectors and Parliaments I say the Lord hath overthrown and dashed them in pieces as Potters Vessels because they relieved not the Oppressed nor pleaded the Cause of the Innocent therefore hath swift Destruction overtaken them as an Armed Man and there was none to deliver And for your sakes O ye Sons and Daughters of Sion hath the Lord brought these things to pass that the Nations may know that his Dread and Presence is with you and at all times is amongst you for by you will he make himself known unto this crooked and perverse Generation and they shall confess that God of a truth is in you and amongst you And though his Appearance unto Proud Flesh is without Form or Comliness yet you know him to be as a Lilly among Thorns who is the Beloved of your Souls and the fairest among Ten Thousand who is declaring his strange Acts his wonderful Works in you that which hath been hidden from Ages and Generations past he is now making known even in and through you
whom he hath ordained to sound forth his Mighty Day in the Ears of all Flesh that so all may awake out of the Dust and come to Judgment for now is he risen and arising in all Hearts who sits upon the Throne from before whose Face both the Heavens and the Earth shall flee away and their place shall be no more found And this is he that has long been waited for by many a tender Heart and longing Soul but now is he come and coming and behold his Reward is with him therefore blessed are they that patiently wait for the Day of his Appearance who will wipe away tears from all Faces and Sorrow and Sighing shall be no more then shall all Tyranny and Oppression be destroyed and then shall Peace be establisht in the Earth and Love and Unity among Men even thus shall it be when Sion's King shall come to Reign in Glory for then the Beast and the False Prophet which have long ruled the Nations and deceived those that have dwelt in the Earth and compelled people to worship and bow down to their Abominations and to receive the Mark of the Beast in their Right Hands or in thâ—ir Foreheads even the Mark of Sin and Transgression that Monstrous Beast whose Mark hath long been upon the Nations without which Mark no man hath bought or sold for these many Generations and they that would not receive that Mark came to be slain But now Praises be unto the Lord he hath brought forth many who cannot worship Man's Proud Will that Monstrous Beast neither can they receive his Mark any longer for their Father's Name is written in their Foreheads and they are come forth of great Tribulation and their Garments are washed white in the Blood of the Lamb and these follow the Lamb of God who is now come to take away the Sins of the World whither soever he goeth even Christ Jesus who is the Light of the World who hath enlightned every one that is come into the World with a measure of his true Light Therefore dear Friends you that are obedient to the Light and own it to be your Rule and Guide you are they whom the Lord hath chosen to place his Name in for whose sakes the Lord is now risen to plead with Egypt's King and all his Host and though they now harden their Hearts as an Adamant and bend their Brows as Brass stiffen their Necks as an Iron Sinnew yet will the Lord God bring them low even unto the Dust in this his great Day wherein his Jealousie is broken forth against all Flesh because they have corrupted their Wayes and have not turned at his Reproof but have cast his Judgments behind their Backs and turned his Grace that hath appeared unto thâ—m into Wantonness and trampled the Blood of the Covenant under their Feet but as it was in the dayes of old so will it be now in this latter Generation when Iniquity was at the height and Oppression did most abound in Egypt upon the Hebrews who was the Fleshly Seed of Abraham then did the Lord arise to plead their Cause who brought Judgments and Plagues upon the Land of Egypt and destroyed Pharaoh Egypt's King with all the First-born and all his Mighty Host so likewise Sodom when Iniquities were at the very height and their Sins did greatly abound then did the Lord's Wrath suddenly break forth upon them as soon as Just Lot was put forth from amongst them even in Flames of Fire from Heaven and devoured them so likewise dear Friends you that sigh and cry for the Abominations that are done in the midst of the Earth let not your Hearts faint for behold he that is clothed in Linnen fine and white which is the Righteousness of him that sanctifieth and of them that are sanctified for he that sanctifieth and them that are sanctified are all one He is gone forth to seal and to set a Mark on all your Foreheads that sigh and that cry at the Abominations which are committed by him that makes desolate that sitteth where he ought not and after he hath sealed you all even unto Redemption then shall them that have the charge over the Earth draw near every one with his Slaughter Weapon in his Hand and shall follow after him that has sealed you shall smite and shall not spare neither shall their Eye take pity but they shall utterly slay Old Young both Maid little Children and Women but you upon whom the Mark is they shall not come near him that readeth let him understand for the Lord is risen and he will smite the Earth with a great Slaughter and all Flesh shall know that he is the Lord and that he ruleth over the Kingdoms of men and he will utterly destroy that Nature that hath oppressed his pure Seed in you and in all the Sons and Daughters of Men and his own Seed shall come forth to serve him in Righteousness and true Holiness and though the Whore the Beast and the False Prophet have long born rule over the Heritage of the Lord yet now is the time drawing near when they shall be taken and bound and cast into the Lake which is prepared for them even for that Nature which would not have the Lord nor his Christ to reign over them under that may all the Enemies of the Lord be justly included and that is it which ruleth in the rebellious Sons and Daughters of Men which carrieth them forth into Pride Envy and High-mindedness one towards another and into Disobedience to the Lord and his pure Commands and this is it which the Lord is risen to destroy and not the Creatures for Christ came not to destroy Men's Lives but to save them therefore where-ever thou readest any thing of Destruction it is not meant the Destruction of the Creature or of his Natural Life but the Destruction of that Life in the Creature which rebelleth against the Lord which Life may truly be called Death for if that be followed by the Creature it will be the Death of the Immortal Soul and this is him which the Lord is risen to destroy and not the Creatures therefore saith Christ Jesus O Death I will be thy Death O Grave I will be thy Destruction So Friends this is the Enemy that you are to wait with Patience to see it destroyed in your own Particulars first and then aftewards that you may see it destroyed in others in the general and blessed happy are all you who have witnessed the Dead raised which hath long lain in the Grave under the Chains of Death and can now truly witness your Part in the first Resurrection and that you are truly risen with Christ the Seed for over you the second Death shall have no Power And you Friends that are as yet brought but in part to the Knowledge of these things be still and quiet in your Minds and beware of feeding upon Knowledge which is out of the Life for Knowledge will puff up but it is Grace that edifies therefore wait in the pure Patience that you may feel the Life to stir in you for that is the True Bread that comes down from Heaven which Bread is the Soul's Food for the Soul cannot be satisfied with Knowledge for to Know the Truth and the Things of God and not to live in them therein standeth the Condemnation Therefore dear Friends to whose Hands this may come wait that you may feel the Life which will bring forth the Travails of your Souls and then Knowledge will be encreased and Truth will abound and Eternal Peace and Happiness will attend you wheresoever you go and the Dread and Authority of the Lord will be with you at all Times Seasons as it has been a Dread and a Terror to that Nature in you which rebelled against the Lord whilst you were in the Polutions so likewise if you are faithful the Lord will make you a Dread and a Terror to all Evil-doers wheresoever you come they will be afraid of your Faces and afraid to trasngress against the Lord in your hearing and these things I know that many Thousands can witness to be Truth and all that are faithful shall witness the same and see it accomplished in the Lord 's due time unto whom be Eternal Praises and Dominion given by all that fear him for that he has brought this his wonderful Work to pass and hath revealed his Secrets even to Babes and to such as fear his Name Given forth by one which hath long mourned in Sion and is a Sufferer with the Seed who waiteth for the Redemption of all Creatures from under the Band of Corruption that they may all be brought unto the Glorious Liberty of the Sons of God known to many by the Name of Richard Moore THE END