Therefore let me advise such to wait and repent if possible that this the sin of the thoughts of their hearts may be forgiven them for they are in the gall of bitterness and the bond of iniquity For I bear my testimony from the everlasting Spirit of the Lord Jesus that this which hath been declared is the truth of God and will become his povver unto Salvation unto every one that can lay hold upon him for they shall put on the nevv man vvhich after God is created in righteousness and true holiness vvhose conversation is in heaven from vvhence they look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ vvho shall change their vile bodies that they may be fashioned like unto his glorious body according to the vvorking vvhereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself for Christ by his appearance vvith the Spirit of his mouth vvill burn up all the cursed seed of bondage under vvhich his redeemed ones groane and vvhen that vvhich is the Serpents seed is cast forth then the heart is a fit Temple for the Father himself to dvvel in a garden vvherein he vvill take delight for the Lord vvill be alone exalted in this the great day of his povver vvherein Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dvvell safely and this is his Name whereby he shall be called The Lord our Righteousness Now the Priests of this Generation delude the People just like those spoken of Jer. 23. 14. I have seen in the Prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing they commit adultery and walk in lies they strengthen the hands of evil doers that none doth return out of his wickedness for the Lord feedeth them with Wormwood and giveth them Gall to drink for the Lord expresly saith They shall not profit his people for they speak a Divination of their own heart and not out of the mouth of the Lord and they tell the people if they walk after the imaginations of their own hearts no evil shall come upon them I have not sent these Prophets saith the Lord yet they run I have not spoken to them yet they prophesied but if they had stood in my counsel and had caused my people to hear my words then they should have turned them from their evil way and from the evil of their doings Am I a God at hand saith the Lord and not a God afar off can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him saith the Lord do not I fill heaven and earth saith the Lord how long shall this be in the hearts of the Prophets that prophesie lies yea they are Prophets of the deceipt of their own hearts which think to cause my people to forget my Name by the dreams which they tell every man to his Neighbour as their fathers have forgotten my Name for Baal Therefore am I against the Prophets saith the Lord that steal my word every one from his Neighbour therefore they shall not profit this people at all saith the Lord. Now let the Priests be tried do they know the voice of the Lord do they not deny and say Revelation is ceased and teach men cannot be freed from sin while they live and teach people to die in their sin and what will become of them then for as the Tree falleth so it lyeth and there is no repentance in the grave Well look to it woes will be your portion Jer. 23. 40. The Lord will bring an everlasting reproach upon you and a perpetual shame which shall not be forgotten And therefore let me seriously desire every one to wait patiently upon the Lord and to turn in to the light of their mindes that checketh for sin and evil for this is the true Teacher for that which giveth power over one sin will give power over all sin if the watch be carefully kept and strength from on high will be manifested to give power against all sin if the minde be turned to the Lord who will seek that which was lost and bring again that which was driven away and will bind up that which was broken and they shall be safe And thus shall they know that I the Lord their God am with them and that they are my people saith the Lord God for they know the Word of the Lord for ever settled in heaven and they make my Law their delight and will never forget my Precepts but will meditate on my Law day and night for Christ saveth his from their sins He it is that cometh out of Sion to turn ungodliness from Jacob and the time shall come that the Kingdoms of this world shall become the Kingdoms of the Lord Christ and he will lead the captivity captive and let the Prisoners of hope go free now they that hunger and thirst after Righteousness shall be filled and the poor receive the Gospel dayly Christ is drawing all men after him he is calling in the Isles and Nations of the world to come to this great Battle and blessed for ever are all those that fighteth under him and are his souldiers I give thee thanks O Father Lord of heaven and earth because thou hast hidden these things from the wise and learned and hast revealed them unto Babes for such have the anointing from the Anointed as you may see in 1 Joh. 2. 27. But that anointing which you received of him dwelleth in you and you need not that any man teach you but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things and it is true and is not lying and as it taught you ye shall abide in him and now little children abide in him if ye know that he is righteous know ye that he that doth righteousness is born of him For he that findeth rest and peace in this precious wisdom and power of the Spirit findeth it not by looking upon it at a distance but by seeing and feeling that power ruling in the Body of his flesh for that which makes true love flow forth to every creature is Christ in you the hope of glory who indeed is the Blessing of all nations and the Joy of the whole earth Therefore fear not O Servant Jacob neither be affraid O Israel for I will save thee and thou shalt dwell safely and shalt not follow me in Types and Figures in a formal customary way of worship which is zeal without knowledge for he that hath the anointing within seeth the Father in every thing Now he that speaketh from imagination or tradition and not from experience of what he seeth cannot tell another of his evil but such a one is a false Prophet and runneth before he is sent put forward by some secret lust and he never can bring to that which procureth peace for he knoweth it not because that which a man seeks for whereby he might have peace is within the heart not without The Word of life Christ the restoring Spirit is to be found within you even in-your mouths and in your hearts the Kingdom of heaven
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
made to be all of one heart and one mind and this shall more and more appear as the day approacheth which hath already dawned Therefore let me tell you that all your enmity will not uphold your forms your imprisoning and reviling and making Laws to suppress such as are contrary to you will never work your will but pull miseries and shame upon your selves as the zealous Scribes and Pharisees did in killing the just one Christ the Son of man Therefore be patient look up to him for teaching from whom every good and perfect gift cometh down even the Father of lights in whom there is no variableness nor shadow of turning who stands at the door and knocks and if any man will open he will come in and sup with him and the high and lofty one that inhabiteth eternity delighteth to dwell in the contrite ones that he may give life unto them for when the Law of righteousness ariseth up and maketh himself more manifest he will reconcile all and make every one to be of one heart and of one mind and no other power must be the restorer but this King of righteousness and peace for this is he that makes men do as they would be done unto and then envy and bitterness dies see Act. 4. 32. Isa 60. 16. Now when this King Jesus Emanuel God with us ariseth up in sons and daughters whereby the Scriptures are proved true Prophesies Promises Visions and Revelations the Teachers of this World deny the Testimony crying out Visions and revelations are ceased because they would have the people ever learning of them and giving their money to them for that which is not bread and profiteth not for they can teach no further then they have learned and they have learned no further then the declaration which the Scripture it self saith is but a dead Letter it is a mystery and Christ revealeth it by his Spirit and it is the Spirit that maketh known the deep and hidden things of God Now when any receiveth power from on high by believing in him and he maketh such to eat the good of the Land and they are forced to bear their Testimony to witness unto others as David did he had not hid his goodness within his breast but shewed even in the great Congregation what the Lord had done for his soul I say When any thus moved speaketh to the Priests of our days although Scripture warrants speaking one by one as it is made manifest to them by the Spirit and the first is to hold his peace yet they presently cry out A disturbance in their Steeple-house and hale them to prisons where many times the just ones of the Lord Jehovah die in the outward man by their hardships as in Colchester Gaol and other places in the Nation by the Priests means who possess the people with conceits and make them believe their lies that these people are self-conceited and it is Errour and Blasphemy they hold even just like those that when the Holy Ghost had filled the Apostles and all those that were with them they cried out mocked saying These men are filled with new wine because they knew not the voice of the Spirit for the natural man knoweth not the things of God they are spiritually discerned Well he is at hand and is a working for he that keepeth Israel neither slumbereth nor sleepeth and he will discover your shame and make your nakedness appear unto all men for wickedness shall slay the wicked though no mans hands be upon him The tender Lambs of Christ by the Wolves in sheeps clothing are destroyed but yet let the wolves know for their eternal woes that the Lambs are the blessed of the most high for the King of righteousness is in them for they are the field wherein the treasure hath lain hid all the dark and cloudy days of the Beasts Reign which is now almost expired they are Zion whom no man regards out of whom Salvation cometh for Jacob is in them who hath been long a servant to Esau and now is set free and he will glorifie himself both in them and for them to the shame of all wolfish Esaus that are of a destroying nature and the whole earth shall be filled by these with the knowledge of the Lord of whose Dominion and Power there shall be no end for the consolation of Israel doth draw neer to be made manifest to every ones particular therefore let all wait with patience for it on him that is almighty able to save for Jesus is able to save to the utmost all those that come unto God by him and for ever blessed are such for the Lord is their portion for it is the Law and power of righteousness which made Abraham forsake his Isaac his dearest Relations according to the flesh rather then to refuse the way of his God and by this he found peace so that this King of righteousness and Prince of peace that governed Abraham and is called blessed the blessing of all Nations for this shall save his people from their sins for he shall remove from the Curse and restore his from the bondage they groane under for Abraham sprang from him as a tree groweth from a seed that gave the tree its being the Law of righteousness and peace ruling and dwelling in any one is the seed of Abraham and the several branches of men and women in whom that power rests are children and of the family of Abraham for it was not the man of the flesh that was called Abraham but the Law of righteousness and truth and peace that did rule and govern in that body he was the Abraham for it is clear that before this righteous power was manifest in it it was Abram as you may read Gen. 17. 1. And when Abram was ninety years old and nine the Lord appeared unto Abram and said unto him I am the Almighty God walk before me and be thou perfit and I will make my Covenant between thee and me vers 5. Neither shall thy name be called any more Abram but thy name shall be called Abraham for a father of many Nations have I made thee And in Mat. 3. the Pharisees and Sadduces come to Johns Baptism as you may see ver 7. And he said unto them O generation of vipers who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come bring forth fruits meet for repentance think not to say within your selves We have Abraham for our father for God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham So it is plain that Jew or Gentile in whom the power of righteousness breaketh forth and ruleth are the children of Abraham Act. 10. 34. Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons but in every nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousness is accepted with him For as the visible body of Christ was not the anointing but the Spirit in that body was the Christ the spreading power of righteousness
sup with him Now there is a measure of the light of Christ in every one which is given to profit withal and when he cometh he destroyeth sin or taketh away sin for he came to destroy the works of the devil and he will consume and destroy all sin by the brightness of his power for he is stronger then the strong man that divideth the spoils and taketh from him whatsoever he trusteth in So that whatsoever estate a son or daughter is in it is still but Christ combating with his Enemies in that estate drawing all into himself and destroying all opposing powers that himself may remain to be the one alone Almighty power spread forth every where and so doing the will of the Father bruising the serpents head in them that believe that he alone who is the Divine may grow up flourish and remain and bring forth abundance of fruit in them when their created flesh is purged from bondage and made subject unto him in all things for they that are in Christ ought so to walk as Christ hath walked who did no evil neither was there guile found in his mouth so that every one speaking the truth in love may grow up into him in all things which is their head even Christ who is their Anointed and he shall subdue all their enemies under their feet Psal 100. 1. and his people shall be willing in the day of his power And the new heaven and the new earth mentioned Rev. 5. 13. wherein he who is King of Righteousness doth dwell and rule and they that are his redeemed ones shall see him in all his creatures and they shall all rejoyce in each other and all their joy in him shall be full This great Mystery Christ is begun to appear and Christ is arising and drawing all his into himself and he that hath part in the first Resurrection over him the second death shall have no power For there is no peace saith my God to the wicked there is no peace so long as deceipt lodgeth in the heart If I regard iniquity in my heart God will not hear me there can be no quiet nor true peace in man till the Kingdom of Darkness be conquered and the serpent be cast out and all his works and then such a heart is made a fit Temple for the holy Ghost to dwell bodily in for all Christs enemies must to the fire and when they are burnt up then he reignes in the soul for unto us a Child is born and unto us a Son is given and the Government shall be upon his shoulder and his name shall be called Wonderful Counsellour the mighty God the everlasting Father the Prince of Peace of the increase of his Government and Peace there shall be no end and those that wait or stay themselves on the Lord he keepeth such in perfect Peace For it is Righteousness that delivereth from Death even death eternal and therefore it concerneth every man and woman to wait that he may feel that power of righteousness the Lord subduing every lust in them bringing all into subjection that is contrary to him that Christ alone may Rule Open the gates and stand open ye everlasting doors that the King of glory may enter in which is Jesus who will cast out all sin that he may present his without spot unto the Father for the Lord hateth every hypocrite Isa 9. 17. and Christ saith Wo unto you Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites for wickedness burneth as a fire and through the wrath of the Lord of Hosts is the Land darkned and the people shall be as fewel of the fire no man shall spare his brother and all because of sin And Tophet is prepared of old even for the king it is prepared and the breath of the Lord as a river of brimstone kindleth it And therefore all you stout-hearted Magistrates that oppress and destroy his holy ones in this the day of the Lords power fear and tremble for he is coming to punish the stout heart of the King and all that do wickedly under him and he pronounceth wo unto all them that make or decree unrighteous decrees and that write grievousness and subscribe it to turn aside the needy from judgement and take away the right from the poor that widows may be their prey and that they may rob the fatherless What will you do in this the day of the Lords visitation which will bring desolation upon all oppressours for they shall be troden down as dirt in the streets Isa 10. 6. And all those that kill the Prophets and stone the just ones that are sent unto them to turn them from the evil of their doings Let them fear and tremble before him for fear he require at the hands of them the bloud of all the Prophets slain from the foundation of the World 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 in snaring the wicked in the works of his own hands for the Lord will break in pieces all unjust oppressing Magistrates like a Potters vessel Be wise now therefore O ye Kings be learned ye Judges of the earth serve the Lord in fear and rejoyce in trembling kiss the Son lest he be angry and ye perish in the way when his wrath shall suddenly burn then blessed are all they that trust in him For nothing but truth in the inward parts can stand before him and therefore every one wait till this King Jesus who is the Word and was in the beginning and all things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made for in him is life and the life is the light of men which is the true light that lightneth every man that cometh into the world and to all those that do receive this light in the love of it to them he gives power to â—ecome the sons of God even to such as believe on his Name which are born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh but of the will of God For it is plain the Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us Joh. 1. 14. the same was in the beginning vvith God of vvhose fulness vve have received grace for grace Now say the people of this World vvho lye in vvickedness for the vvhole World lyeth in vvickedness this Light vvill delude you it vvill deceive you Thou vain man what can deceive Antichrist what can deceive a Drunkard a Whoremonger an unclean Swearer Lyer Covetous man who is an Idolater are not these led by the Prince of Darkness that ruleth in the hearts of the children of disobedience Cannot all men see that they are in darkness and can the light of the World Christ Jesus can he delude them these are plainly lulled asleep by Satan in a carnal security and cry peace peace until sudden destruction cometh upon them as travail upon a woman with child and they shall not escape it
the Lord doth not send hear-say men to be labourers in his Vineyard but such as he first fills with his Divine power and then sends them to work in his Vineyard so that still it is but Christ in them that is the One that is sent of the Father for the Father sends none but his only beloved Son in whom he is well pleased who is the Law of Righteousness and Peace the spreading power that fills all in all And you shall finde you Priests that are so puft up and filled with pride and are cloathed with covetousness that ere it be long these poor despised ones of the world that have this Law written in their hearts are the true Labourers that are sent forth into the Vineyard and you that call your selves Divines and Labourers you are but Traitors to Christ and Enemies to his Spirit you have had warnings from time to time Many Prophets hath the Lord sent unto you and righteous men but you have stopped your ears and hardned your hearts at the voice of the Charmer charm he never so wisely but the greater will be your woes and sorrow for you are left without excuse you are the men that must have your mouths stopped not by a humane tyrannical hand of power as you have stopped the mouths of Gods holy and just Ones for that they abhor for the Lord himself whom you dishonour by your hypocrisie will stop your mouths with shame and sorrow when he makes you to see your selves in the state of Devils Deceivers Scribes and Pharisees Simon Magus Demas and Judas that are Traitors to the spirit and power of Righteousness which is in the Saints But if you say you do not assume the names of Divines as you write your selves under which description you are as bad as Diviners Sorcerers or Deceivers as Balaam was and as the maid that got her Master gain by Divination in Act. 16. 16. you hold forth letter for spirit make people believe your words of hear-say that it is the Testimony and experience of the spirit within you and you pick their Purses extreamly by this Sorcery and Divination So it appears plain that the word you call Divinity darkens knowledge you talk much of the Body of Divinity and of Anatomizing Divinity O fine Language but when it comes to trial it is but a husk All is not Gold that glisters there is no Kernel the words ye say are without life the spirit that gave forth the Scripture ye are strangers unto the natural man understands not the things of God they are spiritually discern'd the Spirit hath filled the hearts of those you despise You go on selling words for mony to the blinde people whom you have deceived and the Spirit is not at all in your service and your service stinks before the Lord your preachings prayings and all your Will-worships with all the people joyning with you is but an abomination in the sight of the Lord for you are the people that draw nigh to God with your lips but your hearts are far from him and are removed afar off Love Justice righteous actings doing injury to no man is not to be found among you neither clean hands and a pure heart for the alone peace of the heart lieth in seeing and feeling Christ the Divine power to rise up and rule within and every soul is in confusion bon-dage and sorrrow until he have true light and feeling thereof in himself as I have shewed and found by experience And surely this may command all mouths to be silent that speak from hear-say and yet saith Thus saith the Lord he lies he dishonoureth the Lord whoever he is that speaketh before the Lord hath revealed himself in him spoke to him and put words into his mouth he doth exceedingly wrong the souls of his hearers by deceiving them and so their lives their whole actions and their conversations are unprofitable to all men because they make them believe a Divination are Words of Knowledge spoke from a pure Testimony Surely if the Lord had not become the Teacher of his despised Ones they had been over-spread with Egyptian bon-dage and darkness as the Priests are by whom the earth is corrupted and over spread with thick darkness Well you have Prophecies and Promises in the Writings of the Prophets and Apostles wait upon the Lord till you see the fulfilling of them within your selves and leave off your much talk about words and syllables for by this multitude of waste discourse people are blinded that they neither minde the Ptophecies of Scriptures nor wait for the fulfilling of them in themselves for whatsoever is written is written for our instruction upon whom the ends of the world shall fall And verily I can truly say That so long as I was a blinde Professor a strict goer to Church as they call it and a hearer of Sermons and never questioned what the Priest said but believed as the learned Clergy the Church so called believed and still forgot all I heard though I must say The words they said were like a pleasant song in my ears whilst I heard them And this I know is the best condition of all your zealous Professors this is all they can get from you for you are in bondage and confusion and Ignorance is the Mother of your Devotion for your lives are in the flesh you do not savour the things that are of the Spirit and so you are not of God Whilst I was such a Professor I was counted by some Priests and others a good Christian and a godly Man though all that was in me was but zealous Ignorance and led me on in the heighth of the deceitful Nature But since it hath pleased the Father to reveal his Son in me and hath caused me to speak what I know from an inward principle of light and power of life within Now the same Priests and Professors whom they have deceived my former Acquaintance begin to be affraid of me and call me an erronious Man a dangerous man and look upon me as upon a man of another world and in that they are not mistaken for our Conversation is in heaven and our delight on earth is in the Saints and in those excellent Ones that excels in vertue For my part I can truly say from the goodness of the Lord who is worthy of everlasting praises to be acknowledged from me that am as a brand snatch'd out of the fire and kept from burning by the goodness and loving kindness of the Lord That my portion is fallen to me in a goodly heritage the Lord is my portion I have the Lord I have enough I look upon them with the eye of pity and love seeing them as yet to live under the spirit of Delusion and power of Darkness the god of this world having blinded their eyes that they cannot see the way to the Kingdom and therefore I think it my Duty to wait upon the great Restorer of all things
the sword imprisoned Peter Act. 12. 2 4. Paul stoned till they supposed he was dead Act. 14. 19. they had trials Heb. 11. 36. by mockings by bands and imprisonments by cruel scourgings they were stoned they were sawn asunder they were slain with the sword and all for faith for bearing Testimony for that which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world for Paul said That when Christ had revealed himself in him then he spake the word with boldness and went about turning people from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God that they might receive remission of sins which teacheth to follow peace with all men and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. Now the light maketh manifest the Mystery of Babylon the great the Mother of Harlots and abominations of the earth who hath made her self drunk with the bloud of the Martyrs of Jesus and Saints of the most High those that have the mark in their foreheads in which you are yet even in Babel in confusion and therefore fear and tremble before the Lord for who is able to dwell in everlasting burnings For the devil that deceived them shall be cast into the lake of fire mark that that deceived them nothing makes a man more like unto the devil the Prince of darkness then to be a deceiver of the Brethren and they shall all to perdition Rev. 17. 8. for they do mock now with the Lamb Jesus and they offend his little Ones O! it were better that a Milstone were hanged about their necks and they thrown into the sea then to offend one of those little Ones that put their trust in me But know this the Lamb shall overcome you for he is Lord of lords and King of kings and they that are with him are called and chosen and faithful and therefore rejoyce over her ye holy Ones for God hath avenged you on her and will avenge for true and righteous are his Judgements for he hath judged the great whore which did corrupt the earth with her fornication and hath and will avenge the blood of his servants at her hand for the dreadful and terrible day of the Lord is at hand in which no iniquity or deceipt can stand there is nothing but the pure holy and undefiled shall be able to enter for no unclean thing can enter the Kingdom of Heaven and it must be the oyl in a mans own vessel whereby the true light is maintained by which alone the Bridgegroom can be followed in to the marriage-chamber who is the true Vine and they that abide in him and he in them they bring forth much fruit and he is the Way that whosoever walketh in shall come to the Father he is that Rock that whosoever buildeth his house on it shall stand and no persecution storm or tempest shall shake although the mountains move into the midst of the sea my heart saith David shall not be troubled Why Because it standeth fixed fixed in the Lord the Lord keepeth such in perfect peace whose mindes are stayed in him there is nothing can disturb the peace of them whose mindes are turned in to the light Christ and hearken to his voice For my sheep saith Christ follow me they know my voice I am the true shepherd and they will not follow a stranger now you are come in not by Christ the Door but by the inventions and wills of wicked men like your selves who are out of the life and power of God and so cannot make Ministers for the carnal man knoweth not the things of God they are spiritually discerned read Act. 13 2. it is the holy Ghost that sends Ministers they must be anointed by the holy Child Jesus the Anointing before they can go teach this you may see Mar. 16. 15. after the Resurrection Go ye eleven disciples into all the world preach ye the Gospel to every creature he doth not say to the Scribes and Pharisees and High Priests Go ye nay they put him to death crucified him as you the Priests do now even murder the Just One in your own particulars and in every other that you can to whom Christ pronounced this wo Wo unto you Lawyers for you will not go to heaven your selves and those that would ye hinder O dumb Dogs Idol-shepherds that cry The Lord when the Lord never put into their mouthes but they prepare war against the Just when he cannot put into their mouths then they prepare war Take heed leave off seducing for everlasting woes will be your portion and this take notice that from the Lord you are warned to repent and turn in to the light in your consciences that checketh you for sin and evil for that is your true Teacher Emmanuel God with us and to this I bear my Testimony That it is true and they that believe in the light Christ Jesus in you that believe the hope of glory they shall finde him raising them from the death of sin to the life of grace and have part in the first Resurrection and over such the second death shall have no power for he is Jesus that redeemeth his from all iniquity who is the light of the world and the life of men the living Way the Resurrection and the Life the faithful and true Witness the First and the Last the Beginning and the End who was dead and is alive for evermore Now this Mystery is made known unto the Saints Col. 1. 27. even the mystery hid from ages and generations and is now unto his chosen ones made manifest which is Christ in them the hope of glory ver 28. Whom we preach warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus whereunto I labour striving according to his working which worketh in me mightly as ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk you in him rooted and built up in him for in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily and ye are compleat in him for you are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God who hath raised him from the dead therefore their bodies are of Christ and therefore they are not to be deceived by voluntary worships and beggarly rudiments which indeed have a shew of wisdom but it is to the man that is blinde and if the blind lead the blind they shall both fall into the ditch Now is the day of the Lords mighty power appearing and his people need not go to the Priests for help Jer. 31. 34. After those days saith the Lord God I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and will be their God and they shall be my people and they shall teach no more every man his neighbour and every man his brother saying Know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest of them for I will forgive their iniquities
this is all the Lord thy God requireth of thee To do justly love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God for Holiness becometh the House of the Lord for ever And Christ saith He that hath my commandments and keepeth them dwelleth in me and I in him And therefore do not think the Name or the Profession of a thing will serve the turn it is coming into the Life and Power of the thing that is expected from the Lord they that cry in that day We have eat and drunk in thy presence and thou hast taught in our streets all that will not do Depart from me saith Christ the reason why is shewed by him because they were Workers of iniquity So there is no priviledge for a people be they never so high in Gods favour yet if they sin against him they must know the wrath of God is against them for if a righteous man turn from his righteousness and do that which is evil he shall die for the evil and I will remember his righteousness saith the Lord no more The people of Israel were a peculiar people the Lord had manifested his love in abundance to them he fed them with Angels food and led them in the Wilderness that their cloaths waxed not old and he made the rock gush out waters and gave them Quails the lusts of their own hearts But they died in judgement whilst the meat was in their mouthes the wrath of God came down upon them and Gods Soul came to be angry with them even so much that the Lord said My soul shall be avenged on this Generation David a man after Gods own heart yet for sinning was forc'd to go with broken bones and his Ioines were filled with a sore Disease and he went groaning all the day long Moses for striking the Rock twice did not enter the Land of Canaan And therefore do not thou think whoever thou art and let thy profession be what it will for if thou sinnest against God thou must be punished by him And know this That the end of all teaching and speaking and writing is to be brought to doing The end of all saith Solomon is to fear God and keep his Commandments This is the whole Duty of Man And therefore be as thou seemest to be or seem to be as thou art For it is onely the pure in heart shall see God and the meek shall inherit the earth and dwell therein for ever The fifth Epistle To Roger Crabb and Francis Jennings John Porter Elizabeth Porter Stephen Powel Sarah Aldridge Anne Bunion To all those that are in the deceipt with him who stile themselves the Servants of the Lord onely with Judeth Edds and some few Others whose Names I cannot finde that they may see their durty Dregs and repent of their Abominations For the Wrath of God is revealed against all Deceipt and all Deceivers LAmentations Mourning and Wo is pronounced against all evil and he that soweth or she that soweth Dissention amongst Brethren is such a one as the Soul of the Lord abhorreth Now let not their looks dismay thee thou tender-hearted child or children of the most High for the Duty of Obedience which the Lord thy God requireth of thee is not in any other thing but in being obedient to the Commands of God as sin is made known unto thee by the light of the everlasting Spirit of Righteousness which is in thee and there is placed to make known sin and evil unto thee and is there placed in thy heart to raise thy immortal soul by the immortal seed of the word which is Christ in thee that thou mayst live unto him that hath called thee out of Darkness into his marvelous light that we might not henceforth live unto our selves but unto him and therefore living unto him is to be holy as he was holy and pure as he was pure and so the Life of the Saints is to be a Life of purity and it is the pure in heart that see him and so it is not as Roger Crabb surmiseth and William Smith and John Dunck and others in wearing hair or not hair for if they will believe the History of Josephus they may finde that Christ wore his Hair very long waving about his Shoulders and the Scriptures of Truth maketh mention that he wore it according to the manner of the Nazarites who had no Razor come upon their heads neither is it in dirty hands faces as they fondly do surmise but it lieth in the hidden man of the heart in a meek and quiet spirit which is a thing of God much set by neither is it in straw Hats or such fond conceits for they cannot be made without hands no more then woollen ones But the Reader may take notice that this people being departed from the living presence of the Lord God where Life and Peace and Rest is to be dwelt in they wander up and down seeking Rest and finde none for the Peace is not in eating or drinking but in Righteousness Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost It is not then in denying the lawful use of the creatures for the Apostle saith Whatsoever is sold in the shambles that eat making no scruple for conscience-sake So then it is clear that men may lawfully eat all creatures as well as herbs or what groweth naturally And every creature of God is good saith Paul and nothing ought to be refused if it be received with praise and thanks giving and it is not that saith Christ that goeth into the man that doth defile the man but that which cometh out For out of the heart saith Christ proceedeth adultery fornication murder and the like So it is the evil heart being corrupted that is the cause of the man being defiled and it is not the denying of meats wherein Religion stands for they may see that Christ fed five thousand men with five Loaves and two Fishes and commanded the Fragments to be taken up that nothing might be left and he turned water into wine if he had not allowed the use of it he would not have made it but it was to be drunk And Christ saith If any of you have a son shall ask bread will he give him a stone or if he shall ask a fish will he give him a serpent so he clearly owneth the eating of those creatures And if they or any led by their fond deceitful spirit that deny the Resurrection of the Body of Christ out of the grave let them read Luk. 26. vers 37. and so forward But they were terrified and affrighted and supposed that they had seen a spirit and he said unto them Why are you troubled and why do thoughts arise in your hearts Behold my hands and my feet that it is I my self handle me and see for a Spirit hath not flesh and bones as you see me have And when he had thus spoken he shewed them his hands and his feet And while they yet believed not for joy and
wondered he said unto them Have ye here any meat and they gave him a piece of broyled fish and a honey-comb and he took it and did eat before them and he said unto them These are the words which I spake unto you while I was yet with you that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and in the Prophets and in the Psalmes concerning me Then opened he their understandings that they might understand the Scriptures Act. 1. vers 9. and so forward And when he had spoken these things while they beheld he was taken up and a cloud received him out of their sight and while they looked stedfastly towards heaven as he went up behold two men stood by them in white apparel which said Ye men of Galilee why stand ye gazing up into heaven this same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as you have seen him go into heaven And these peoples Teacher Roger Crabb most blasphemously speaketh of a place where no Righteousness shall enter in without distinction and so he putteth no difference between the pretious and the vile and so most wickedly and perversly taketh upon him to speak of things he knoweth not for Christ the Righteousness of God who is righteous as God is righteous doth enter and sits on the Throne with clean Hands and his righteous Seed in all his true Babes and little Ones is raised that they feel his living presence in them constraining them to love and they feel his Arm of strength carrying them and guiding them in all their Wayes and they feel that Rock of Ages bruising the Head of the Serpent who is too powerful in Roger Crabb and his Followers and leads them captive to do his will For of whomsoever a man is overcome his servant he is of whom he is overcome whether it be of sin unto death or of obedience unto Righteousness And so dear friends I desire you to repent and turn and put away the evil of your doings Cease to do evil learn to do well hide the word of the Lord in your hearts that you may not sin against God and be content with this knowledge of the Lord to know what he requires of thee and to do it and that is this What doth the Lord thy God require of thee O man but To do justly to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy GOD The sixth Epistle To all Magistrates Judges Lawyers Commanders Souldiers and Priests that they may plainly see by the Scriptures of Truth what the Lord God requireth at their hands and they may see here as in a Glass how short they come of what is required of them and repent and turn from their wicked and abominable Ways that the Lord may have mercy upon them for this they may assure themselves The fierce and terrible day of the Lord is near at hand and none but the pure in heart shall be able to stand before him for nothing can dwell in his presence but purity for without Holiness none shall see him with Comfort I Shall direct the Reader to some Texts of Scripture that sets forth what Gifts a true Teacher ought to be qualified with See Gen. 17. 1. And when Abraham was ninety and nine years old the Lord appeared unto him and said Abraham I am the Almighty God walk before me and be thou perfect Gen. 18. 19. For I know him that he will command his children and his houshould after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do justice and judgement Heb. 11. 24. By faith Moses when he was come to years refused to be called the son of Pharaohs daughter chusing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season Vers 26. Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches then the treasures in Egypt for he had respect to the recompence of the reward By faith he forsook Egypt not fearing the wrath of the king for he endured as seeing him who is invisible Gen. 5. 22. And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methusala three hundred years And vers 24. And Enoch walked with God and he was not for God took him Exod. 4. 14. And the Lord said Is not Aaron the Levite thy Brother I know that he can speak well and he cometh forth to meet thee and when he seeth thee he will be glad in his heart Vers 15. And thou shalt speak unto him and put words in his mouth and I will be with thy mouth and with his mouth and will teach you what you shall do Vers 16. And he shall be thy spokes-man unto the people and he shall be even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth and thou shalt be to him instead of God Josh 1. 1. And the Lord spake to Joshua vers â— There shall not a man be able to stand before thee all the dayes of thy life as I was with Moses so will I be with thee I will not fail thee nor forsake thee Vers 6. Be strong and of a good courage for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land which I sware unto their Fathers to give them onely be thou strong and very couragious that thou mayest observe to do according to all the Law that Moses my servant hath commanded thee turn not from it to the right hand nor to the left that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest Vers 8. This Book of the Law shall not depart out of thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein day and night 1 Sam. 2. 10. The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces out of heaven shall he thunder upon them the Lord shall judge the ends of the earth he shall give strength unto his King and exalt the horns of his anointed Concerning David Psal 18. 20 21 22 23. The Lord rewarded me according to the cleanness of my hands according to my righteousness hath he recompenced me for I have kept the wayes of the Lord and have not wickedly departed from my God for all his judgements were before me and I did not put away his statutes from me I was also upright before him and I kept my self from my own iniquity Mark that from my own iniquity his delightful sin And vers 32. of the same Psalm It is God that girdeth me with strength and maketh my ways perfect Psal 37. 37. Mark the perfect man and behold the upright for the end of that man is peace Psal 119. 101. I have refrained my feet from every evil way Vers 113. I hate vain thoughts but thy Law do I love Vers 128. I hate every false way 1 King 3. 14. And if thou wilt walk in my ways to keep my statutes and my commandments as thy Father David did walk then will I lengthen thy dayes And Pro. 23. 26. My son give me thy heart and let thy eyes observe my ways 2
Chron. 34. And Josiah did that which was right in the sight of the Lord and walked in all the wayes of David his father and declined neither to the right hand nor to the left Ezra 7. 10. For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the Lord and to do it Vers 25 26. And thou Ezra after the wisdom of thy God that is in thy hand set Magistrates and Judges which may judge all the people all such as know the Laws of thy God beyond the river and teach ye them that know them not and whosoever will not do the Law of thy God and the law of the king let judgement be executed speedily upon him whether it be unto death or to banishment or to confiscation of goods or to imprisonment Neh. 1. 5. O Lord God of heaven the great and terrible God that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him keep his commandments Neh. 10. 29 They came to their Brethren their Nobles and entered into a curse and into an oath to walk in Gods Law which was given by Moses the servant of the Lord and to observe and do all the commandments of the Lord our God and his judgements and his statutes Job 1. 1. There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job and that man was perfect and upright and one that feared God and eschewed evil Isa 2. 3. Let us go up to the house of the God of Jacob and he will teach us of his ways and we will walk in his pathes for out of Sion shall go forth the Law and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem Sanctifie the Lord of hosts himself and let him be your fear and your dread Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose minde is stayed on thee because he trusteth in thee Trust ye in the Lord for ever for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength The wayes of the just is uprightness Thou most Upright dost weigh the pathes of the just yea in the ways of thy judgements O Lord have we waited for thee the desire of our soul is to thy Name and to the remembrance of thee Thus saith the Lord of hosts the God of Israel Amend your wayes and your doings Trust not in lying words saying The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord for if you throughly amend your wayes and your doings if you throughly execute judgement between a man and his neighbour if ye oppress not the stranger the fatherless and the widow and shed not innocent blood in this place neither walk after other gods to your hurt then will I cause you to dwell in this place in the land that I gave to your fathers for ever and for ever Behold ye trust in lying words that cannot profit will ye steal murder and commit adultery and swear falsly and burn incense to Baal and walk after other gods whom ye know not and come and stand before me in this house which is called by my Name and say We are delivered to do all these abominations But this thing commanded I them saying Obey my voice and I will be your God and you shall be my people and walk ye in all the wayes that I have commanded you that it may be well unto you Behold the dayes come saith the Lord that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch and a king shall reign and prosper and shall execute judgement and justice on the earth in his days Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely and this is his Name whereby he shall be called The Lord our Righteousness Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man that the righteous sin not and he doth not sin he shall surely live the soul that sinneth shall die but if a man be just and do that which is lawful and right and hath not eaten upon the mountains neither hath lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel neither hath defiled his neighbours wife neither hath come neer to menstruous women and hath not oppressed any but hath restored to the debtor his pledge hath spoiled none by violence hath given his bread to the hungry and hath covered the naked with a garment he that hath not given forth upon usury neither hath taken any increase that hath with-drawn his hand from iniquity hath executed true judgement between man and man hath walked in my statutes and kept my judgements to deal truly he is just he shall surely live saith the Lord God And they that be wise shall shine as the stars in the firmament for ever and ever and they that turn many to righteousness as the brightness of the firmament And in that day will I make a Covenant for them with the beasts of the field with the fowls of heaven and with the creeping things of the ground and I will break the bow and the sword and the battel out of the earth and will make them dwell safely and I will betroth thee unto my self in righteousness for ever yea I will betroth thee unto my self in righteousness and in judgement and in loving kindness and in mercy I will betroth thee unto my self in faithfulness and thou shalt know the Lord. The Lord also shall roar out of Sion and utter his voice from Jerusalem and the heavens and the earth shall shake but the Lord will be the hope of his people the strength of the children of Israel Then shall Jerusalem be holy and there shall no stranger pass through her any more For thus saith the Lord unto the house of Israel Seek ye me and ye shall live But upon mount Sion shall be deliverance and there shall be holiness and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy But I will sacrifice to thee with the voice of thanksgiving I will pay that that I have vowed salvation is of the Lord. Thus saith the Lord concerning the prophets that make my people err that bite with their teeth and cry peace and he that putteth not into their mouths they ever prepare war against him But truly I am full of power by the Spirit of the Lord and of judgement and of might to declare unto Jacob his transgressions and to Israel his sin Hear this ye heads of the house of Jacob and princes of the house of Israel that abhor all judgement and pervert all equity they build up Sion with blood and Jerusalem with iniquity the heads thereof judge for reward and the priests thereof teach for hire and the prophets thereof divine for money yet will they lean upon the Lord and say Is not the Lord amongst us no evil can come upon us Therefore shall Zion for your sakes be plowed as a Field and Jerusalem shall become heaps and the Mountains of the house as the high places of the Forests The Lord is of purer eyes then to behold evil and cannot behold
iniquity When the Lords appearance cometh upon the soul then he cuts away all Idols and they shall be no more remembred the appearance of the Lord giveth sight to the blind Christ Jesus enlightneth every man that cometh into the world and that is Christ the Son of the most High that checketh for evil in every one and that is the true Teacher Follow that it will bring thee out of all evil for it leadeth unto perfect peace Ye shall not say Lo here is Christ or lo he is there but the Word is nigh thee even in thy heart and in thy mouth and this true Teacher will keep thee from the very appearance of evil The Lord Jesus promised the Comforter should come after his departure and Peter received it for he being full of the Holy Ghost there was three thousand added by his Ministry at once and the Apostles when-they had prayed the place was shaken where they were assembled together and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and they spake the Word of God with boldness Now Christ is the Bread of Life And he that eateth the bread that I shall give him saith Christ shall never hunger and he that believeth in me saith Christ hath everlasting life and he that eateth the bread that I shall give him shall live for ever And those that are risen with Christ set their affections on the things above where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God and they do not minde earthly things for as they have born the Image of the earthly Adam which is sin unto death so they must bear the Image of the heavenly which is obedience unto righteousness the end whereof through his mercy that enableth them to bear it is everlasting life and salvation and he that is born of God sinneth not because he is born of God neither can he sin because he is born of God for he that committeth sin is of the devil Now consider these sayings and ponder them in your minds for where the Lord cometh his presence is very dreadful and terrible and he destroyeth all Graven Images and grindeth them to dust he maketh that heart deny himself and take up his Cross dayly and follow him When a stronger then the strong man armed cometh he destroyeth his strong holds and divideth the spoils and maketh the heart clean A new heart saith the Lord will I give thee and a new spirit will I put into thee and I will lead thee and be thy everlasting reward and strength to support thee for I dwell in the humble and delight to give life to my contrite ones for with the holy wilt thou be holy and with the contrite and pure will I be pure saith the Lord. Now by thy words thou shalt be justified and by thy words condemned Now this is from the true Lover of all your souls the seed of God in you that groaneth after the deliverance of it may come forth from the state of bondage and corruption and thraldom where it is kept that it may come to the glorious liberty of the Sons of God Almighty the most high who with continual praises with one heart and in oneness of spirit sing continual Praises and Hallelujahs to Him that liveth for ever and ever who alone is worthy of all everlasting praises from his own henceforth and for ever Now I shall shew the signs marks and characters of good Magistrates as the Lord giveth of them as I find in Scripture and by the manifestation of his Spirit within me I know it is the Lords desire that Judges and all Magistrates should be such as feareth the Lord and hateth covetousness and worketh Righteousness that judgement and justice may run down like a mighty stream and Rivers of waters Moses was a good Magistrate he executed the Law with Justice upon all without respect of persons or gifts or rewards according to the command of the Lord who was the Lawgiver For the Law came by Moses but Grace by Jesus Christ Deborah was a good Magistrate and the children of Israel came up to her for judgement and she judged Israel at that time and the Lord was with her and made her lead away the Captives and lead them into Captivity that oppressed his people for she was just before him and the Stars from Heaven fought in their courses for her against the enemies of truth and the river Kishon swept them away and the Land had rest forty years and the Lord caused the Mighty and the Nobles to be in subjection unto her and the Lord went before her and the earth trembled and the heavens dropped the clouds dropped water Gideon was a good Magistrate and the Angel of the Lord appeared unto him and said The Lord is with thee thou mighty man of valour go in this thy might and thou shalt save Israel And the Lord said unto him I will be with thee And the Lord said unto him Peace be unto thee thou shalt not dye and the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon and Gideon did as the Lord had commanded him And Gideon said That neither I nor my Son shall rule over you And the Land had rest forty years in the days of Gideon Solomon was a good Magistrate and God said unto him Because thou askedst this thing and hast not asked the life of thy enemies nor long life for thy self neither riches for thy self but hast asked for thy self understanding to discern Judgement behold I have done according to thy words lo I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart so that there was none like thee before thee neither after thee shall arise any like unto thee and I have given thee that which thou hast not asked both riches and honour so that there shall not be any like unto thee amongst the kings all thy dayes And Solomon said His meditation was stayed on the Lord all the day long and his meditation was of his goodness kept in the Lords fear And Solomonraigned over all Israel forty years Asa was a good Magistrate he was perfect before the Lord although the high places were not taken away in his time he reigned one and forty years and the people had much comfort by him made sore lamentation for his death for they by his appointment entered into a solemn League and Covenant That whosoever would not seek the Lord God of Israel should be put to death whether small or great whether man or woman and all Judah rejoyced at the oath for they had sworn with all their hearts and sought him with their whole desires and he was found of them and the Lord gave them rest round about And Asa reigned in peace seven and thirty years Hezekiah was a good Magistrate and he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord according to all that David his father had done and wrought that which was right and truth in the sight of the Lord according to all that David his father
if they do not speedily repent they must expect that the great God will pay their hypocrisie and deceitful dealings with indignation and wrath upon the heads of every one of them that doth or hath done evil and when the measure of their iniquities are full they must expect wrath from heaven to be poured down upon them and there shall be no Remedy For they may read that David although a man after Gods own heart yet because his hands were dipt in bloud the Lord would not let him build an house unto his Name Zach. 4. 6. Not by power but by my Spirit saith the Lord of hosts is this work to be done We read that Souldiers have been great enemies to Christ and his Kingdom Joh. 19. 23 24 32 34. the Souldiers armed with swords staves and spears were imployed to take Christ and apprehend him to bring him to Pilate they stripped him of his Garments and Robes and crowned him with Thorns they spit in his Face they buffeted him they gave him vinegar to drink they crucified him and cast lots for his garments they thrust a spear through his side they watched the Sepulcher for fear he should be taken away and after he was risen the chief Priests gave large money to the Souldiers to broach their lies that his Disciples came by night and stole him away while they slept The Souldiers stretched forth their hands to vex certain of the Church they killed James the Apostle with the sword they apprehended Peter and put him in prison where he was guarded day and night with four Quaternions of Souldiers to prevent an escape The Lord hath resolved that men of blood as is before shewed shall not build his house Christ is the King and Prince of Peace and his Subjects are the Subjects of Peace Christs Gospel is the Gospel of Peace his Apostles and Ministers the Embassadors of Peace and his Kingdom consists in Righteousness and Peace Now nothing is more directly opposite inconsistent and destructive to this Peace to the King Prince Gospel Embassadors and Kingdom of Peace then Armies Wars Souldiers and Arms are and therefore you may read that when Christ sent forth his Disciples to preach his Gospel and set up his Kingdom he did not chuse Captains of thousands and hundreds nor yet Souldiers and armed men but Fisher-men and others altogether averse from war and commanded them in express terms not to take gold silver nor brass in their purses nor scrip nor two coats nor yet staves much less Pistols Musquets Pikes Carbines Swords for Christ expresly meaneth that his Ministers must be no fighters no strikers strivers much less professed Warriers and their weapons must be the Spirit and their mouth the Word of God and they must fight onely against mens lusts and sins not against their persons It is prophesied by the holy men of old That men shall learn war no more but his people shall break their spears into pruning books and their swords into plough-shares for Nation shall not rise against Nation nor lift up the sword any more neither shall they learn war any more but live in peace And these things shall be fulfilled when Christs Kingdom cometh to be set up and they shall keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace And therefore let me admonish you all to leave off your dissembling tell people in plain terms you fight to get great Estates and kill men for mony and sad and miserable will be the end of you unless you repent and perform all those Ingagements Vows and Promises made at Triplo-Heath New-Market and other places where by your large Declarations Remonstrances professed by you that you aimed at nothing but the publick good you caused many honest hearts to joyn with you to the shedding of Blood And therefore speedily repent and turn to the Lord with fasting weeping and mourning and set your selves to do Justice in the earth for fear it speedily open her mouth and swallow you up as it did Corah Dathan and Abiram for assure your selves the Lord is coming against you in Judgement and he will be avenged on every one of you great and small And therefore if you expect to reign with Christ I say unto you once more Speedily repent and put away the evil of your doings and go way and sin no more by your deceitful wicked practices lest a worse thing come unto you And consider how often you have declared to put your helping hand and utmost endeavours to regulate the Laws that are so exceeding chargeable and burdensome to the people of this Nation that I have heard it credibly reported That according to calculation cast up by good Arithmeticians that say There is neer seven millions of mony spent yearly by the people of the Nation in Law and Equity and above one hundred thousand a year it cannot be less amongst Serjeants Bayliffs and such kind of needless Officers besides many persons murdered every year in and about Arrests and escaping from Serjeants that no Nation but England can parallel the like practices which is a shame to all that profess the knowledge of the Lord and makes the very Turks say in their common speech as I have been credibly informed when any doth them some great injury I think you will use me like a Christian O abominable shame that Turks must rise in Judgement and condemn the great Talkers of Religion in England and this heightens the spirits of Judges and makes them proud and not like their Predecessors that rode to Westminster upon Asses to shew their humility from Serjeants Inne and back again to Westminster and did not vaunt and lord it over the people as some have done of late years and gained great riches for themselves and their Favourites and Creatures it is to be feared not justly but evilly just like the Papist Priests in former times when most of those Laws now in being were made who gained in their times most part of the great situations and best Lands in this Nation by Combination Craft and Subtilty by lulling the people asleep in ignorance and blindness in their vain superstition pronouncing hell and damnation with bell book and candle to all that did not observe the same and thereby brought the people into a fond belief of them for since that fall those that is to say the Judges and their favorites have far out-run those Priests in gaining riches in an excessive manner by griping very many men And it is to be observed that many of them have come of poor and indigent Parentage yet have they climed up and leaped into most of the Lordly Titles and gainful places and Offices in the Nation and therein and thereby have domineered and tyrannized over and oppressed the honest people and gained the favour of fawning flattering and lascivious Courtiers by Rewards which they have usually given at their enterance which they have made up again out of others to their sorrows contrary to the
what reason is there that a poor man taking a Frame at a rack rent and peradventure hiring money at use and spending all his time and pains for a whole year to maintain his charge which is his duty being up early and down late eating the bread of sorrow plowing and sowing and buying seed himself running the hazard of the loss of all his Cattle and for want of a good season peradventure may hardly have the seed he cast into the ground and after he hath reaped it at his own charge then for a lazy Priest a Non-Resident a Drunkard a Whoremaster a covetous Person ambitious arrogant proud vain lascivious swaggering swearing fighting lying unconfcionable antichristian ungodly Priest as many are such and some are filled with all Unrighteousness being Enemies to Christ and his chosen Ones persecuting the righteous Seed for such a one to come and take the Tenth of the poor mans Corn let any man judge whether this be reason when the poor man neither imploies him nor dare not hear him for fear if he should come to hear his Will-vvorship in his Idol-Temple he may justly fall into the condemnation of the Devil Thou sayest That Abraham paid Tythes to Melchisedec I answer That was before the Levitical Priesthood and Christ Jesus is made a Priest for ever after the Order of Melchisedec which was thus Melchisedec met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the Kings who brought him Bread and Wine and Abraham gave him the Tenth of the spoil what was this to the paying of Tythes yearly out of his own Estate Canst thou prove that Abraham did pay Tythes out of that And now the Levitical Priesthood is changed by Christ Jesus and therefore there is a change of the Law and now the Priesthood is not committed to the natural Off-spring of Levi or any other Tribe but to Christ Jesus the unchangable Priesthood whose Kingdom stands not in Figures and carnal Ordinances but in the substance For the time is come saith Christ that ye shall not worship the Father at Jerusalem nor in this mountain but the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth for he seeketh such to worship him Now since the destruction of the Temple at Jerusalem thou canst not read that ever God commanded another house to be built Thou sayest that Christ Jesus said Ye tythe Mint and Cummin these things ye ought not to leave undone Christ Jesus spake then to the Jews in the time when the Levitical Priesthood was not ended who were bound by the Law But when Christ was offered up he said It is finished Now do thou remember that he that addeth or diminisheth from the words of the Prophecies of this book his name shall be blotted out of the Book of Life and peruse thy Letter and see if thou hast not added Thou hast those Texts quoted No man muzleth the mouth of the Ox that treadeth out the corn and No man goeth a warfare at his own charge and He that plants a Vineyard eats the fruit thereof And herein it is agreed that the Ministers of Christ Jesus who are effectually called to his service and labour in the Word and Doctrine ought to be comfortably provided for that they go not a warfare at their own charge but this doth not require the world which lies waste as a wilderness and is not of the Vineyard should contribute for Christ saith Father I pray not for the world but for those that thou hast given me out of the world that they may be one as thou O Father art in me I in thee so that they may be made one in us therefore no reason that they that are of the world should be compelled to give of the substance of their labours to Christs Ministers for every man is sole owner of his own and he that violently or fraudulently dispossesseth him of any is a Thief and a Robber in the sight of God and good Men God abhorreth the sacrifice of the wicked and hath no need of his substance for the earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof and he will never forsake those that put their trust in him and The just man shall live by his own faith and If any man with-draw himself saith the Lord my soul shall have no pleasure in him and such as Christ sent forth he alwayes took care that they never wanted but they were always kept without being chargeable to any and they eat the fruits of their own Vineyards which they had planted not which other men had planted and by the Churches who were gathered out of the world were they maintained to preach the Gospel to the world who lay in wickedness unto whom they would not make the Gospel chargeable or burdensome which was their glory and their crown and this Example of the Apostles leaves every one free to give him that teacheth not binding any to the maintenance of those that have less need then the Giver And this discovers the hireling shepherds that teach for filthy lucre that fleece the Flock and not feed them that have a form of Godliness but deny the power thereof from such there is an express command to turn away who make merchandize of the Scriptures for the Lord saith They shall not profit my people for they are ever learning and never able to bring to the knowledge of the truth for he that knowetn not the life of Faith to witness it in his own particular how can he teach another Thou sayest That Peter converted three thousand souls at one Sermon and thereby it did appear he was a Minister of Christ the Lord effectually working with his Ministry upon the hearts of his hearers Now thou hast been a Teacher to the People of Crundal many years and name me but one man or woman that hath been converted by thy Ministry and if they can demonstrate unto me the work of Regeneration wrought upon them by thy Teaching then I will pay thee thy Demands And how canst thou plead thy self a Minister of the Gospel and sue for treble Damages for learned Judge Rolle said in Court That Tythes were not due and payable by the Law of the Land in a Case of Tythes on the Bench when he was chief Justice and when they were paid in the old Law the Levites the Fatherless the Widdows the Strangers were all to be provided for out of them and the Priests of England hath no such custome but consume them on their pride and lusts and wicked covetousness and the Disciples of Christ were commanded to go into all the world to preach the Gospel to every creature they were not to stay in a place and the signes that followed them that believed in their Doctrine in his Name they should cast out devils they shall speak with new tongues they shall take up serpents and if they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover Thou
sayest That Believers sold their possessions and laid them dovvn at the Apostles feet But they did distribute them as every man had need they did not purchase Lands and let the money to Usury and Extortion as the Priests of this Generation do Thou sayest that Paul informs of the qualities of a good Bishop to be a man blameless not given to filthy lucre and Christ saith Go not to Law with any man Now learn thou these Lessons and follow Righteousness Faith Love Peace with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart Thou directest me to that Text in Heb. 7. 8. And here men that die receive Tythes read the 11 verse of that Chapter If therefore perfection were by the Levitical Priesthood for under it the people received the Law what further need was there that another Priest should arise after the Order of Melchisedec for Christ came of another Tribe he sprang out of Judah who was not made after the law of a carnal commandment but after the power of an endlesslife and vers 25. Wherefore he is able also to save to the utmost them that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them And it shall come to passin the last dayes saith God I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh and your sons and daughters shall prophesie and your young men shall see visions and your old men shall dream dreams and on my servants and on my hand-maids I will pour out of my Spirit in those dayes and they shall prophesie And verily I do bear my Testimony that I do witness such a people now upon the earth whom the Lord hath revealed his secrets unto and doth powerfully work upon the hearts of thousands to the turning them from darkness unto light and from the power of Satan unto God that they do receive remission of sins and this I do witness in my own particular in great measure blessed yea for ever blessed be his holy and dreadful Name for he alone is worthy of everlasting Praises from his Own both now henceforth and for ever And woes everlasting woes will be the portion of all those that oppress his righteous Ones Now I finde that all men that will attain unto salvation must hear the Son of GOD for A Prophet saith Moses will the Lord your God raise up unto you in all things like unto me and him shall you hear and it shall come to pass that whosoever shall not hear him shall be cut off from amongst the people Now neither the Son of God nor none of his Disciples nor Apostles did ever take Tythes or ever command the paying of them and they were not persons ordained by the will of man but were anointed with the holy anointing and were by that Spirit that did anoint them commanded to feed the Flock of Christ over which the holy Ghost had made them Overseers And Christ himself saith That unless a man be born again he cannot enter into the Kingdom of heaven And this new Birth is a Death unto all sin and a Life unto all Righteousness and this every man must feel That it is as natural for him to serve the Law of God as it was formerly to serve the Law of sin And he is the true Teacher that is able by his own Experience to tell another how he hath passed from Death to Life for no unclean thing can enter the Kingdom for without are Covetous Lyers Adulterers Drunkards Extortioners and all evil Doers Now a true Teacher must hate the very appearance of evil he must hate vain thoughts and every false way We shall finde in Scripture that all the Teachers of Righteousness were such as were filled with the Spirit of the Lord and did not preach for filthy lucre or gain but of a ready minde and were not as the Priests of these times are that lie as Thieves and Robbers to murder in the way and sue for treble Damages and persecute the Son of God in all those that desire to live godly in him which they will feel one day that those that persecute them they persecute him and it were better that a milstone were hanged about his neck and he thrown into the sea then that he should offend one of those little Ones that put their trust in me saith Christ Now I finde that in the year 600. or soon after Gregory the First then Pope of Rome sent over Augustine the Monk into England by vvhom Ethelbert King of Kent was converted This Augustine vvas a Câ—…n Regular and after he had obtained his own Design he then preached up Tythes in England by the Popes appointment and at the same time taught the people that the pardon of sin might be merited by good Works In the year 786. two Legats were sent over from Pope Hadrian the First to Offa King of Mercland Alwolf King of Northumberland vvho made a Decree That the people of those two Kingdoms should pay Tythes King Athelstone about the year 930. King Edmond about the year 940. King Edgar about the year 970. King Etheldred 1010. King Knute about the year 1020. Edward the Confessor and others of the Saxon Kings by Order from the Pope made Laws for Tythes The Normans afterwards entering this Kingdome William the Conquerour Henry the First Henry the Second King Stephen and other Kings by the like Order from the Pope confirmed the said Laws for Tythes and yet notvvithstanding all these Laws yet vvas it left to the Ovvner to confer it vvhere he pleased vvhich vvas the cause of making so many rich Abbies and Monasteries in England and until the year 1200. or thereabouts every one gave their Tythes as they pleased vvhich made Pope Innocent the Third send his Decretal Epistle the Bishop of Canterbury commanding him to injoyn every man to pay his Tythes to those that ministred spiritual things to them which vvas inforced by Sentence of the Ecclesiastical Courts And this vvas the first beginning of Parochial Tythes in England and this after by the Parliament was thought reasonable and then established by a Law the King and People being all Papists Now all this will I prove and let any man that hath any fear of the Lord judge whether that the Rules and Practice of those Back-sliders who were in the dark night of Apostacy be fit to guide us who have again received the pure light as the Apostles of our Lord and Saviour and have received the Lord Jesus Christ and know how to walk in him for know ye not that Christ is in you unless you be reprobates and put you on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts â—…eof The ninth Epistle To all Priests that teach for Hire and divine for Money that call themselves Ministers of Christ and are not but are of the Synagogue of Satan that they may repent For the day of the Lord is at hand THe Arm and strength of the
AN ALARM To all Priests Judges Magistrates Souldiers and all People Inviting Them to Repentance and Amendment of Life For the great Day of the LORD is neer at Hand Blow ye the Trumpet in Sion and sound an Alarm in my holy Mountain let all the inhabitants of the land tremble for the day of the Lord cometh for it is nigh at hand Lift up thy voice like a Trumpet and shew Judah her transgressions and Israel her sins The substance of most of this Discourse was by several Revelations from the Spirit of the Lord given unto the Author to be proclaimed who is known unto many by the Name of Daniel Gotherson Wherein Tho. Danson a Priest in Sandwich is proved a Deceiver of SOULS LONDON Printed by James Cottrel dwelling on Addle-hill To the honest-hearted understanding READER who readeth without Prejudice READER LEt thy Heart be fixed upon the Lord and the Arm of his almighty strength in the supporting thee and teaching thee for it is Christ that openeth the Vnderstanding to understand the Scriptures and the great Mystery of Salvation lieth treasured up in Christ And if thou without prejudice in the cool of the day dost search and commune with thy own Heart and be still thou mayst find the true Bread that came down from Heaven that whosoever eateth thereof shall never dye and thou shalt plainly see all Deceivers unmasked and their Deceipt plainly and nakedly laid open with all Antichristian Practises used to this day and their Mystery of Iniquity unfolded unto all those that are not wilfully blind and desire to stupifie their sences But if thou wilt search in thy heart in meekness for the Light Christ thou shalt finde Eye-salve the Balm of Gilead the Blood of Christ that will cleanse thee from all sin for it will by thy Obedience bring thee to Mount Sion the City of the living God the Mount that cannot be touched for it is a spiritual Life that must be witnessed And Christ plainly sheweth that the Father seeketh such to worship him as worship him in the Spirit and in Truth And therefore lend thy Heart nay give it up into God that thou in thy own Vessel mayest have the Bread of Life for it must be the Oyl in a Man 's own Lamp that must convey him into the Bridegrooms Chamber to receive that Blessing Come you blessed of my Father saith Christ inherit the Kingdom prepared for you Enter thou good Servant into the joy of thy Lord He is that great Prophet that Moses spake of that whosoever would not hear should be cut off from amongst the people who is JESUS that saveth his people from their sins Whose great day of power hath appeared unto many and is appearing unto all and doth pull down their pride for The loftiness of men must be brought low and their haughtiness must be humbled for Christ teacheth all His to be meek and lowly that they may finde Rest unto their Souls for Blessed are the meek they shall inherit the earth And by hiding the Word Christ in thy heart thou shalt be kept as David was from sinning against God for those that hear the Voyce of Christ desire to be taught by Him as the truth is in Jesus they shall be guided by him to do the will of God in every thing and be led by the Spirit of God to do as they would be done unto and to walk in all things as Christ hath walked for they shall be filled with the Spirit of Righteousness that filleth all in all and they shall not need that any man shall teach them but as the Anointing which dwelleth in them teacheth them all things for they shall know their true Teacher Know you not that Christ is in you except you be Reprobates And so being taught by Christ they shall taste of his fulness and the Arm of his strength they shall all witness that will make them walk from strength to strength and Grace shall make them see God in Sion for Holiness becometh the House of the Lord for ever And by leading holy Lives they find their works to be wrought in God and themselves Branches springing from that Vine Christ and they come in by that true Door and they follow Christs Voice for he is their Shepherd and he leadeth them into pleasant Pastures where their Souls are refreshed with that which is sweeter then the Honey and the Honey-Comb and is better then thousands of Gold and Silver for it is the enjoyment of the Lord which is better then Life And therefore as thou tenderest thy salvation be like the wise man that fore-saw the evil and made his hiding place in his God for assure your selvs High and Low Rich and Poor Learned and Vnlearned Priests and People the great day of the Lords Wrath is near at Hand wherein the stout Ones of the earth shall tremble for all their words and works must come to judgment and none but those that have truth in the inward parts shall stand before him it is the unspotted Life the undefiled in their way the pure in heart will see him with comfort the clean heart is a fit Temple for the holy Ghost to dwell in and those that have part in the first Resurrection from the Death of Sin to the Life of Grace over such the second Death hath no power This Treatise is for your instruction to bring you to a sight of all that is past and present and to come And therefore seriously read without prejudice For it is the Advice of Him that thirsteth after the salvation of all men that they may come to the knowledge of the Truth that they may be saved For every one that shall finde a Benefit by Christ are such as have part in Him such as are baptized into Him and such are baptized into His Death and they are new creatures and old things are passed away all things are become new For in Christ Jesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor Uncircumcision but a new Creature And where the new Creature is there is the Vnity of the Spirit witnessed to be kept in the Bond of Peace The 22 of the 10. Month commonly called by the heathens December 1659. I am a true Lover of all whose Desires are after the living GOD who am called Daniel Gotherson A PREPARATIVE To the Ensuing Epistles 1. DEspise not Prophesie 1 Th 5 Trie all things firmly hold That that is sound and pure The rest thou may'st be bold As vanity and lewd Illusion for to hate But if thou judge too soon Thou wilt repent too late Be well assur'd 't is good Before thou do approve Be well assur'd 't is naught Before thou dare reprove Mean while I wish thee do As Abrams servant did As Paul in Macedon To preach when Christ him bid As the Beraeans whose Nobility is prais'd By Gods own holy pen These men their courage rais'd And utmost industrie To finde the certaintie When doubtful novelty They heard
which was to fill the earth with himself and his body but a house or Temple for the present work to redeem the lost man according to the promise The seed of the woman shall break the serpents head as also to throw down Moses Law and became the substance of his Lambs and Types and Sacrifice for that body was the Lamb that did fulfil the righteous will by his voluntary and free-will offering up of himself therefore Christ is called the spreading power because he fills all with himself and because this power did appear first to Abraham as we read of therefore is he called The father of the faithful for it was an everlasting Covenant that God made with him therefore every one that follows after him and treads in his steps being willing and obedient they shall eat the good of the land and they shall be called children of that seed of Abraham which seed is the blessing of all Nations and is the restorer of all his from bondage and although his just ones many times lie under oppression and hardship by the seed of the flesh and they are despised ones by them yet now the day is at hand that their glory shall arise and the reason is for the Almighty God is in them of a truth he will lead their captivity captive and set them down in peace for they are the City of the Lord new Jerusalem the place of his rest which shall be the praise of the whole earth for the Almighty King of righteousness is their Saviour and there is no other name under heaven whereby men can be saved but the name of Jesus and verily I bear my Testimony from him that he will be exalted in this the great day of his power for the Lord is a bringing mighty things to pass in this the day of his appearance and the hearts of his shall fear for to him saith the Lord will I look that trembleth at my word and therefore let all his redeemed ones wait patiently for the consolation of Israel for their King is coming and he will fill the earth with his glory and turn ungodliness from Jacob then shall Jacob rejoyce and Israel shall be glad For without controversie great is the mystery of godliness God was manifest in the flesh justified in the Spirit seen of Angels preached unto the Gentiles believed on in the world received up into glory And that his might not be deceived he saith In the latter times seducing spirits shall come and so cunningly carry themselves that if possible the very elect should be deceived and Paul 1 Tim. 4. 1 2 3 4. sheweth some of the principles of their deceit and thus he saith Now the Spirit speaketh expresly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith giving heed to the seducing spirits and doctrines of devils speaking lies in hypocrisie having their consciences seared with a hot-iron forbidding to marry and commanding to abstain from meats which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth for every creature of God is good and nothing to be refused if it be received with thanksgiving for it is sanctified by the Word of God and prayer And this Paul exhorts those that will manifest themselves good Ministers of Jesus Christ such who are nourished up in the words of Faith and good Doctrine that they should put the brethren in minde of these things and exercise themselves in godliness by which it appears that Paul reckoneth such as are before spoken of amongst Hymeneus and Philetus who concerning the truth have erred saying The Resurrection is past already and overthrow the faith of some nevertheless the Foundation of God standeth sure having this seal The Lord knoweth them that are His and let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity So that it is plain that every act of evil is a fruit of old Adam the flesh which hath nothing but envie lust pride drunkenness malice and all uncharitableness which the King of Righteousness Christ Jesus redeemeth his from and also maketh his righteous godly full of faith love patience meekness being without spot unrebukable for they are born again not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible by the word of God which liveth and abideth for ever which word is Christ in them the hope of glory For Moses truly said unto the Fathers A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren like unto me Him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you So that it is plain that the Lamb Christ Jesus was the substance of Moses and where the substance is shadows and Types doth cease and this method of divine Discovery doth finish the Mystery for the Lord doth take up all into Himself for he is in all and acts through all and all that power of Righteousness that appeareth in any is still but that power of the Lord which he hath promised to pour forth in the last dayes as you may see in the second of the Acts vers 17 18. And it shall come to pass in the last dayes saith God I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh and your sons and daughters shall prophesie and your young men shall see visions and your old men shall dream Dreams and on my servants and on my hand-maids will I pour out of my Spirit in those dayes and they shall prophesie So that every Branch shall be a Joynt or Member of the Mystical Body or several spreadings forth of the Vine being filled with that one Spirit Christ the anointing who filleth all with himself and so becomes the alone King of Righteousness that rules and governes all his ransomed ones Joh. 17. 23. I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them as thou hast loved me For I am the Lord and beside me there is no Saviour He is in every one of his little ones that are born again and how is declared Joh. 14. v. 15 16 17 18. If you love me keep my commandments and I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever even the Spirit of Truth whom the world cannot receive because it seeth him not neither knoweth him but ye know him for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you I will not leave you comfortless I will come to you Yet a little while and the world seeth me no more but ye see me because I live ye shall live also At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father and you in me and I in you He that hath my commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and manifest my self unto him if a man love me he will keep my
word and my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him And Rom. 8. 9. Now if any man hath not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his for as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are Sons of God vers 14. Ephes 1. 17 18 19 20 21 22 23. Paul speaking to them concerning their faith in the Lord Jesus as he had heard and their love unto all Saints he ceased not to give thanks for them making mention of them in his prayers that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of glory may give unto them the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him the eyes of their understandings being enlightned that they may know what is the hope of his calling and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to usward who believe according to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places far above all principalities and power and might and dominion and every name that is named not onely in this world but also in that which is to come and hath put all things under his feet and gave him to be the head over all things to the Church which is his Body the fulness of him that filleth all in all Which Mystery was made known to Paul by Revelation and he expresly saith That this Mystery in Christ was not made known unto the sons of men in other ages as it is now revealed unto his Apostles and Prophets which is made known by the Spirit and that is that the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs and of the same Body and partakers of his promise in Christ and to this end he prayeth for them that they may be strengthened in the inner man by the riches of his glory with might by his Spirit that Christ may dwell in their hearts by Faith that they may be filled with all the fulness of God and may grow up into him in all things which is the head even Christ Jesus in them the hope of glory which cleanseth all his from all filthiness that they may perfect holiness in his fear for they that have learned Christ and been taught by him as the Truth is in Jesus they put off all uncleanness and lasciviousness they put off the old man with his deeds which is lying deceipt lust evil speaking they must not be angry neither give place to the devil nor his Temptations against which they must keep a continual watch that they may not fall they must let no rotten nor corrupt communication proceed out of their mouths but that which is good to the use of edifying that it may minister grace to the hearers and all bitterness wrath anger and evil speaking and clamour must be put away with all malice drunkenness and fornication filthiness and foolish jesting And that which maketh manifest sin is the light in every one for all things are reproved and made manifest by the light for whatsoever doth make manifest is light and therefore awake thou that sleepest and stand up from the dead and Christ shall give thee light and wait on the Lord to be filled with his Spirit for we are members of his Body of his flesh and of his bones that you may be strong in the Lord and the power of his might that puting on the whole Armour of God they may be able to stand against the wises of Sathan for they are not onely to wrestle against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers against the Rulers of the darkness of this world against spiritual wickednesses in high places and therefore they must have their loins girt about with truth and having on the brest-plate of Righteousness the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God that enlightneth every one that cometh into the world Christ in you the hope of glory for they that are Christs crucifie the flesh with the affections and lusts and he maketh his walk as he hath walked to be holy as he is holy and pure as he is pure to count all things but loss and dung that they may win Christ for whom they suffer the loss of all things that they may know him and the power of his Resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable to his death that they may attain unto the Resurrection of the dead forgetting those things that are behinde and reaching after those things that are before that they may attain unto perfection having their conversations in heaven from whence they look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ who shall change their vile bodies that they may be fashioned according to his glorious body according to that working whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself and therefore they are careful for nothing but in every thing by prayer and thanksgiving and supplication their Requests are made known unto God and those things that are true just pure and of good report peaceable and lovely bowels of compassion kindness humbleness of minde meekness long-suffering charity that whatsoever they do in word or deed they may and ought to do all in the name of Jesus Christ giving thanks to God the Father by him this is the fruits the Saints are clothed with which doth demonstrate their new birth which gift is from above from the Father of spirits from whom they receive power to become the sons of God by believing in his Name Behold the days come saith the Lord that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch and a King shall reign and prosper and shall execute judgement and justice in the earth In his dayes Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely and this is his Name whereby he shall be called THE LORD OVR RIGHTEOVSNESS For he is that mighty King that shall be established upon the holy Hill of Sion that is he shall be the onely King unto whom every man and woman must be subject for He shall Reign for ever and ever But here may an Objection arise We see the power of darkness reigns in most men and women and they are guided by the god of this world who ruleth in the hearts of the children of disobedience for the Mystery of Iniquity doth work in them with all deceivableness in unrighteousness in them that perish to whom the Lord sendeth strong delusions that they should believe lies that they all might be damned that would not receive the truth in the love of it but took pleasure mark this in unrighteousness so it is sin is the cause of all misery I answer That all men by nature are children of wrath but God who is rich in mercie giveth unto all a tender of grace for he stands at the door and knocketh if any man open he will come in and
to see the Divine Power in ones self ruling dwelling and living within which if it doth that Body wherein it dwells shall be wholly subject in all its actions to the Law of Righteousness They that know what the power of Love and the Law of Righteousness is they know the truth of what is here verified they that live in the light they see the Lord abroad and at home they see him in other creatures and they see him in themselves patiently submitting to his will in all things that it may be done on earth as it is in heaven so that there is a sweet composed agreement between the disposing hand of God without and his power within He that thus seeth the Lord the Antient of dayes the one Almighty power doth mightily honour him when nothing can be done abroad either in adversity or in prosperity but the divine power that rules in the heart consents rejoyces and doth not grudge And now the Lord is one and his Name one and his power one every where The sight of the King of Glory within lies not in the strength of Memory calling to minde what a man hath read and heard being able by a humane capacity to joyn things together into a method and through the power of free utterance to hold it forth to others as the fashion of Students in their Sermon-work is which a plough-man that never was bred in the Universities may do as much nay they do more in some kind as experience teaches But the sight of the King of glory within lies in the beholding of light arising up from an inward power of feeling experience filling the soul with the glory of the Law of Righteousness which doth not vanish like the taking in of words and comfort from the mouth of a hear-say-Priest who doth speak by the strength of his memory but it doth continue like the Sun in the Firmament shining forth from that established power of the Divine within and the inlivened heart shall sooner be separated from glorying in the Law of Righteousness that dwells in him then the light and heat of the Sun can be separated from the Sun and truly let me tell you that as a man finds abundance of sweet peace in his heart when he is made to live in the Kingdom of Heaven so the words that this man speaks from this power within are very profitable to others and is good seed wheresoever it is sown that will spring up and bring forth fruit for vvords spoken from the light of experience have a two-fold operation upon the hearts of the hearers for first if I lie under straits and bondage in my spirit by reason of some inward and outward troubles by reason of the enthraldom to my ovvn lusts that overpowers me so that I cannot do what I would then the words of experience from anothers mouth that hath been in the same condition and is passed thorow it sounds liberty and life to my weary soul I speak what I have felt in this particular Secondly If I delight in any way of the flesh as to seek peace in Creatures abroad vvithout me or to seek satisfaction to my self-vvill and lust in the midst of this I do occasionally hear the vvords of experience from others declaring such actions and motions to be the powers of the flesh and devil and not of the spirit of Righteousness presently these vvords take peace from the earth that is from proud flesh and fills the vvhole soul vvith anger distemper gradging and torment and this is another operation that pure Language produceth vvhich is a launcing of the dead flesh that the disease may be cured for this wounding is not to the ruine of the creature but it is a Medicine sent from the Lord to heal him to take away the evil peace from the flesh that so the created part may lie down in rest and be at peace in Christ which cannot be moved for every comfort that is of the flesh shall be shaken and removed but Christ the one povver of Righteousness and Peace shall not be shaken nor moved but stand firm for ever Now by this may you see the Kingdom of the flesh and devil vvhich must be shaken to pieces and fall and the Kingdom of Heaven or of God that endures for ever and is that Rock that cannot be removed For every one that hath lain under the bondage of selfish power and is delivered he can from that experience declare vvhat the power of darkness is in vvhole mankind Now some may say What is it for a man to live in the Kingdom of Hell Devil or Darkness I answer When a man takes delight in nothing but satisfying of the lusts of his own heart vvhen the vvay of the flesh is pleasing and the vvay of the spirit of Righteousness is a burden to him vvhen he glories in himself and feeds vvith delight upon his Covetousness Pride Envie Lust Self-vvill and in all other Evil that doth satisfie his devillish appetite and if he can but overcome that power that checketh his will or crosseth his carnal delights then this man is in his Kingdom he rejoyceth and is well pleased But yet know thou vain Man that this is yet but the Kingdom of the flesh that must be shaken and this earth must be removed for this is glorying in a mans shame What is the Kingdom of Heaven or of Christ The Law of Righteousness and Peace ruling and dwelling in mankinde is the Kingdom of Heaven for this is the universal power bearing rule and therefore treadeth the selfish power under his feet for all his delight is in the Law of the Lord and in that Law he doth exercise himself both day and night Now vvhere the heart is thus established vvith grace there is perfect peace and that which is perfect peace is the Kingdom of Heaven within you yea it is the White stone with the new name written in it that none know it but them that have it What is it for a man to live in the Kingdom of Heaven within you When a man is come to that condition by believing in the light that he is brought over the works of darkness and is made subject in every thing to the King of Righteousness Jesus Christ and all his delight is to walk according to his Law in every thing his Crown and Glory being in that Law of Righteousness which he findes seated in his heart and findes content no where else and when the Spirit is honoured this man is in his Kingdom he hath vvhat he would have for vvhen a man is made to see and know the Law of Love and Righteousness within him and delights to act from that power of life and liberty which he seeth feeleth seated in him now this man is carried on with much joy sweet calmness meekness and moderation and is full of glory this is the excellencie of the work of Christ not onely to make flesh subject to
world so called by some they now slight and despise and trample under their feet men guided by the Spirit of the Lord pressing upon the powers of the earth to make Laws to hold them under bondage and that lay-Lay-people Tradesmen and such as are not bred in Schools may have no liberty to speak or write of the Spirit And why so Because out of these despised ones of the world doth the Spirit rise up more and more to clearer light making them to speak from experience and every fresh discovery of the Father shines more glorious then the old till at last the creature is made to see the Father face to face in his own light But now the Scholars that come to speak from the strength of what they have stole from others being not filled with the Holy Ghost which maketh Ministers they have no inward Testimony of their own to uphold their Trade but by a customary practise they uphold their Trade thus by holding fast the old letter getting their livings by telling the people the meanings of those Tradesmens Words and Writings But alas they mightily deceive them and corrupt their Meanings by their multitudes of false Expositions and Interpretations for no man knows the meaning of the Spirit of GOD but he that hath the Spirit and if the Father sends forth any of these Tradesmen to declare their Testimony which is in them as in these dayes he sends forth many and these true labourers shall increase maugre the Malice of Men Devils and all those false aspersions cast upon them calling them new Lights Factious erronious Blasphemers and the like shall not hurt them for it is but that the Scriptures may be fulfilled they shall say or speak all manner of evil falsly against them for my sake and they that kill them shall think they do God good service in it even as those that killed the Just One crying Crucifie him crucifie Him but all will be to no purpose for the work is of the Lord and it shall stand The counsels of the Lord taketh place in every age and his word is stablished in Heaven and when all things else shall come to nothing then not one jot or tittle of this shall fail Wicked men and Deceivers had best give over for it is hard for them to kick against the pricks or strive against the stream For the Lord Jehovah at whose voice the mountains quake the hills tremble that telleth all the Stars and calleth them all by their names and saith to the proud waves of the Seas Thus far shall ye go and no farther that keepeth the devils in chains against that great and terrible day when all men shall be judged for the things done in their flesh that divided the seas for his children to pass over and drowned his enemies in the same waters I say this God is too great for Man to contest with But what is the reason that the Preachers of this world so called by many are so bitter against truth in the inward parts in words they speak much for it Because the light of truth that springs up out of this earth which the Scholars tread under feet will shine so clear as it will put out the candle of these wicked learned Deceivers Now the people are not to look for any teaching but from the great Prophet Jesus Christ and are not to acknowledge any other Ruler but such as are guided by him this King of peace who plants the Law of Righteousness in the hearts The hear-say Teachers would have the people look up to them for teaching and verily I must bear my Testimony that the more I look'd upon any man for teaching the more I was wrapt into bondage and confusion and therefore all the upshot and end of the Priests is onely to hinder Christ from rising and to keep Jacob under that he may be a servant unto the man of flesh So it is plain that all that is done in the world about hear-say Priests and their settled Forms of Worship is no other but the spreadings forth of the Thorn-bush the fleshly man to hinder the worship of the Father in spirit and in truth and all these strict and zealous Preachers so called and Professors of other mens Words and writings and Upholders of Forms and Customs are no other but the Scribes Pharisees and Judas that still pursues Christ in enmity And this is the reason why many are so ignorant and cold spirited in the acknowledgement of the Father because the night-Vine or Branches of the Thorn-bush are so mighty great and thick that they hide the light and heat of the Sun of Righteousness from it this is the man of sin the Mystery of Iniquity that lets and must let till he be taken out of the Way Indeed this Thorn-bush doth so prick that none dare meddle with it but those that are well clothed with Christ such as have put on the whole Armour of God This Thorn-bush or night-Vine grows in the cold time of the night while the Sun of Righteousness is under the clouds and the fruit it brings forth is unpleasant as pride covetousness envy self-love hypocrisie confusion bondage and all misery under the power of darkness and all that oppress the holy just Ones they act from this night-Vine and are children of the night and of darkness Now from hence it doth appear what proud men the Clergy are that call themselves Divines when their light is but a candle stolen from the Apostles and Prophets writings it is not their own Light it is but hear-say in them who cannot in their own particulars witness the things they do declare or hold forth unto others and therefore their pride and covetousness doth plainly declare them to be false Christs and false Prophets and that they are but Branches of the Thorn-bush that are full of sharp pricks in regard they endeavour to uphold a forced maintenance from the people whether they will or no and force the people to be silent to hear them preach hear-say what Austin Gregory and the Fathers have said and none must gainsay what they affirm although never so false upon pain of 5 l. or lye in the common Goal and be bound to their good Behaviour and are like to be crushed in their Estates by the power of many wicked Magistrates if they oppose these hear-say Priests that say and unsay for they know not what they say but say to darken peoples knowledge more and more O sad Anti-christian Laws against the plain Scripture which alloweth prophesying or speaking one by one as the Spirit giveth or maketh manifest and the first shall hold his peace doth not the shame of those Laws and their Makers almost appear unto all men If it do not it will do very suddenly assure your selves you Priests you must fall and be turned out as Judas Simon Magus and the Scribes and Pharisees that are the greatest Enemies to Christ the spreading power of Righteousness for
until he manifest or raise in them the manifestation of the measure of that light that he hath placed in their souls and given them to profit withal and then that ruling in them will makes us become one again and then we shall not be divided any more O dear Friends despise not this Word wait on the Lord for teachings you neither will nor can have rest in your souls until he speak in you peace For those that stay themselves on him are kept in perfect peace And follow your Forms as much and as fast as you can in the strictest way you can possible and it will not bring you peace nay it will bring you to a loss and you shall be more and more wrapt into Confusion and sorrow of Heart I speak what I have found and therefore let not any deceive themselves But when once the heart is made subject to Christ the Law of Righteousness looking up to him for instruction waiting with a meek and quiet spirit till he appear in you then you shall have peace then you shall know the truth and those that are made free by the Son they are free indeed For they shall hunger no more neither thirst any more for the Lamb which is in the midst of the Throne shall govern them and shall lead them to the lively Fountain of water and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes The third Epistle To all Those that teach for Hire and divine for Money that they may lay their Hands on their Hearts and consider the evil of their doings and cease to do Evil and learn to do well For the terrible Day of the Lord is at hand And who can dwell in everlasting Burnings VErily I must bear my Testimony from the Spirit of the Lord Jesus which is everlasting That you the Priests of England are all blinde Guides and have your right eyes put out and I shall prove you Deceivers of the people and woes everlasting will be your portions if you proceed and therefore in tender love to your souls I send this unto you without consulting with flesh and blood Consider this you that are wandring Stars That when Christ appeared in flesh Moses Administration began to be silent and drew back and set Jesus Christ in the chair to be the great Prophet that should be the Teacher in Types after him and the Ministration of these Discoveries were to reign in the world their appointed time Even so the Lamb Christ Jesus or that single Body gives way to the Holy Ghost which is the spreading Spirit Joh. 16. 7. Joh. 17. 21. If I go not away saith Christ the Comforter cannot come to you for he that dwells bodily in me is to spread himself in you that as the Father in me and I in him are one even so I in you and you in me may become one with the Father And the Testimony of the Apostles declare as much 2 Cor. 5. 16. Col. 1. 27. Though we have known Christ after the flesh yet now henceforth know we him no more but we look after the Mystery which hath been kept secret from Ages and Generations past which is Christ in you the hope of Glory And therefore all your merchandizing in Gospel Forms as you call them and Types declare you the Priests of England to be yet under the Ministration of Christ after the flesh declaring the Lamb Jesus to remain yet in one single person But know you That as the Ministration of Moses gave way to this so this Ministration is to give way to the inward teachings of Christ and the spreading of the Spirit in sons and daughters which doth more excellently declare the glory of the Mystery and this you call A Dumb Idol for all those that patiently wait in silence upon the Lord do wait for the manifestation of the measure of the Spirit of God to be poured down upon them to make them profit withal for they that are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God The Man Christ Jesus told the Woman of Samaria Woman the time is coming and now is that neither in Jerusalem nor in this Mountain shall men worship the Father but they that worship him shall worship him in spirit and in truth for the Father seeketh such to worship him Now you shew your Ignorance of Scriptures and that you have not the Key of David that openeth and no man shutteth and shutteth and no man openeth but like those that made silver Shrines for Diana cryed her up for a great goddess because their Living was got by it but their deceipt was plainly seen to all whose eyes were opened Now you deny the Teacher within that shall not be moved into a corner For the word is nigh thee even in thy heart and in thy mouth and you need not tell the people Lo here is Christ or Lo he is there for there is in every one a measure of the light of Christ which is given them to profit withal and if they follow that light it will bring them out of every evil way for it is that pure thing in man that never did consent to sin nor never will but doth check and reprove for evil thoughts and vain lusts and desires which this light judgeth down for Christ hath thus enlightned every man that cometh into the world now till the measure of this light is manifested in you so as totally to destroy the works of the Devil for to that end Christ came even to destroy sin I bear my Testimony from the Lords Spirit You are strangers from the Covenant of Grace and Aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel and are without God in the world and how are you fit to teach another that know not your own Guide that is the Lord from heaven for know you not that the Kingdom of heaven is within you you Disciples you little Ones that are born again not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible the word that abideth for ever Christ in you the hope of glory for know you not that Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates so your deceipt is to drive a Trade in the world to deceive souls to keep people from knowing the true Teacher for if they should once know one within them to lead them whither they in their corrrupt wills would not go and should give way to obey that holy Voice for it is the Voice of Christ then they would not give their money for that which profiteth not and that which is not bread for Christ saith He that eateth the bread that I shall give him shall live for ever for my flesh is meat indeed and he that believeth in me out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water Now you do esteem men contrary minded as Hereticks the Just One Christ was accused for a perverter of the people by the Jews Luk. 23. 14. Stephen was stoned for blasphemy Act. 7 59. Herod killed James the brother of John with
saith the Lord and remember their sins no more Thus saith the Lord which giveth the Sun for a light by day and the ordinances of the Moon and Stars for a light by night which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar the Lord of Hosts is his name Now is it fit to hearken to your preaching as you call it by Arguments and expositions putting a meaning upon other mens words as you Priests do telling stories by hear-say of what you have read out of the works of those it is like as much out of the power and life of God as your selves whereas none of you know by experience for if you did you durst not sue for treble damages but with Zacheus make restitution to those ye have robbed it is plain you are merchandizers of the Scriptures and drive a Trade with your Traditions and imaginations of your own brains and woes will be your portion if you proceed for you plainly preach to others to get a living by it and this makes you all children of the curse for it is plainly seen that Money covetousness is your God Well you must all be slighted your preaching stinks before the Father and he will draw his people out of your confusion and leave you naked and bare and your shame shall be made manifest to all men For indeed I bear my Testimony from the Lord That you are a most wicked Generation of men for you are teaching people busying their heads what hath been done in the time of Moses and the Prophets and Apostles times and in the Son of Mans time in the flesh Jesus the Anointed but you do not nor cannot teach them because you are strangers to it to wait upon the Lord to find light from the spirit of Righteousness which is to arise from the measure of the light of Christ in every one and his power in and upon the heart Now all the Learning and Arts in the world is but to speak methodically of what hath been what is and conjecture what shall be all which is uncertain Now he that speaks within as we have felt as we have tasted as we have handled so we deliver unto you I say these must know what they say and know who they worship and whereas some of you call silent meetings a dumb Idol when the people of the Lord are waiting on him for the fulfilling of those Prophecies promised unto them You shew your blindness for it is and shall be the portion of the sons and daughters of the Lord to wait in silence with their eyes looking upwards waiting to be taught onely by Christ the great Prophet before whom all flesh shall be made silent And therefore cease your teachings and your prayers as you call them for they are an abomination to the Lord until you finde this true Teacher Christ in you opening your hearts to hear his voice for whoever doth speak and not declare the Lord in a pure Language that is from himself shall bear his shame whoever he be For the time is come that none shall need anything to teach him the way to Sion but an humble quiet heart to wait on the Lord till he manifest himself unto them for the Lord is a great King and worthy to be waited upon and his Testimony within fills the soul with joy and singing such joy as the world knoweth not of and such joy as men and devils cannot take from them by which his holy Ones have experience of his goodness that he is the Rose of Sharon the choicest among the sons altogether lovely whose love is better then wine his fruits are sweet unto the taste whose voyce is sweet and his countenance altogether comely and the souls of his beloved ones delighteth in him and by this experience of him he gives power unto them to speak forth those experiences unto others and then they speak to the rejoycing of one another and to the praise of Him that declares Himself in them And therefore thou whoever thou art that speakest thy imaginations studies of thy own brain thoughts and makes thy self a Teacher of others and the voice of the Lord hath not appeared to thee and the anointing from the holy Spirit hath not come down upon thee thou shalt be judged for thy unrighteousness because thou seekest to honor flesh for thou dost not honour the Lord for the anointing that cometh to teach all things creates new heaven and new earth wherein dwelleth Righteousness for they shall be filled with the fulness of Christ who is the spreading power that filleth all in all every Member of his Body being a star shining forth of him or rather a body in and out of whom he shines for he is the power that fills all Rom. 8. 23. We that have the first fruits of the Spirit even we groan within our selves waiting for the adoption to wit the redemption of our bodies and the Spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered and he that searcheth the heart knoweth what the minde of the Spirit is because he maketh intercession for the Saints according to the will of God For he makes all new by himself and for himself and this is called the holy breathing which Christ said the Comforter shall come who shall abide with you for ever Know ye not that ye are the Temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you 1 Cor. 3. 16. Now the fleshly part first Adam seeks peace life and glory to himself from creatures and things that are without him as first he seeks content and peace from wife children friends riches places of dominion over others but that peace that is built upon such hay or stubble shall come to nothing and the Foundations shall fall 1 Cor. 3. 12 13. Secondly the fleshly first Adam that is from the earth earthly seeks content and peace from sermons prayers studies books Church-fellowship and from outward forms and customs in their forms of worship but that peace that is built upon this foundation will fall and come to nothing likewise Rom. 9. 31. But Israel which followed after the Law of Righteousness hath not attained to the Law of Righteousness for they sought it not by faith but as it were by the works of the Law the reason they stumbled at that stumbling Stone which the Builders refused but now is become the corner-Stone the Rock of Ages as it is written Behold I lay in Sion a stumbling stone and a Rock of offence and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed The Word is nigh thee even in thy heart and in thy mouth that is the word of faith which we preach Rom. 10. 8. Isa 28. 9. those that are weaned from the milk and drawn from the brest he teacheth knowledge and maketh to understand doctrine Now wo unto those that have made lies their refuge and under falshood have hid themselves every one wondring after the Beast and worshipping the golden Image
the inventions of their own hands who are deceived by her Witchcrafts her Gog and Magog who are in number like the sand of the sea But what will be their end they must be destroyed by fire and therefore follow not a multitude to do evil And the devil that deceived them shall be cast into the lake of fire where the Beast and false Prophets are who shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever O stand amazed all Deceivers of his people for the time will come that he will require the blood of his people at your hands and what will become of you when the dreadful and terrible GOD appears in Judgement you will then desire the hills to fall upon you to hide you from his presence then those that have Christ in them who hath filled them with everlasting rest and glory shall lift up their heads for their Redemption draweth neer and he that shall be your Judge is become their Saviour for the Father judgeth no man but hath committed all Judgement unto the Son And they that live in the Son have the Light of Life abiding in them And so in him they walk from strength to strength until they appear before GOD in Sion The fourth Epistle To all the Hypocrites in Sion desiring them that they would return that the Lord may heal their Back-slidings For the Wrath of the living God is revealed from heaven against all Vnrighteousness And Woes will be upon them even Woes eternal that take upon them the Profession of Religion in any Form to be a Cloak to their Sin and Vnrighteousness THere is no man saith Christ that putteth his hand to the Plough and looketh back that is apt for the kingdom of God Now doth not most Professors look back do they do the works God or are they not doing the works of the devil is not wrath anger backbiting whispering deceiving over-reaching in their bargains killing is not these fruits to be found amongst all Professors and therefore it is high time for them to repent that they may do their first works for the time once was that they had Zeal and Love and Gentleness and Temperance and were in the Moderation a little kept but now they are come into the persecuting nature into the destroying nature the devouring nature the dogs nature and are out of the Lambs nature for the fruits of Faith are Love Goodness Gentleness Meekness Temperance Brotherly kindness Charity Bowels of compassion Holiness and Righteousness Against such saith Paul there is no Law For they that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts And now amongst those tender Lambs of Christ those Babes that are born again those Plants of the Lords right Hand Trees of his own planting that are full of sap the Cedars of Lebanon I mean those that are by the wicked of the earth the men of this world in scorn called Quakers amongst these is crept in wicked Deceivers ungodly men and ungodly Women even as Judas crept in amongst the Apostles such who think that gain is godliness such who follow Christ for the Loaves such as think they can serve two Masters God and Mammon Christ and Riches Christ and Lusts Christ and the World Christ and Antichrist such who teach that Doctrine of Devils that Paul speaketh of denying to marry and to abstain from meats such who turn the Grace of God in them into wantonness Truce breakers Breakers of Covenants pretending they were married in their carnal estate and they were never moved of the Lord and therefore they may leave their husbands and leave their wives and that spirit these are guided by is of Satan and so will lead them to take others as their blind Ignis fatuus leads them for by nothing but Imagination Lust and Fancie are such led And such leads away silly women that are captivated by Satan laden with divers lusts and pleasures that are alwayes learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth Others are led to neglect their Families and Relations to neglect their Children contrary to that Doctrine of Paul that saith A man is worse then an Infidel that doth not provide for his Family meaning his outward Family For let every man wait on his calling and God hath appointed that the creation shall be managed that man may be Lord of all the creatures and Christ saith It is a more happier thing to give then to receive and the Apostle commandeth to lay up that there may be a distribution amongst the Saints and how can he lay up that is idle and runs to and fro wasting his time in idleness and consuming his pretious time whilst his wife and children wants at home and so this spirit rents and tears the affections of men from their wives and women from their husbands and children from their parents and this that brings into a dis-uniting is not the Spirit of the Lord for the Spirit of the Lord brings into Union for it shall convince the whole world at last that they shall be all of one heart and of one spirit and the one alone spirit of Righteousness shall fill all in all And this cannot be that spirit that rents and makes divisions but this spirit of Righteousness teacheth the man to know his own wife and love her as Christ did the Church and it teacheth the woman to know and love her own husband and the man and woman so taught live like Turtle Doves And so the unbelieving woman cometh to be sanctified by the believing man the unbelieving man by the believing woman and here the good vertuous Wife cometh to be found that Solomon speaketh of whose price is above pearls and she doth him good and not evil all his days and is not as the wicked woman that is termed by him a whorish woman that is rottenness to her husbands bones And Others there are that are very loose in their carriage and deny the Resurrection of the Body contrary to the Doctrine of the Apostle saying The Resurrection is past already and such was in his time that had overthrown the faith of some now these people are in distraction and the Spirit of the Lord leades into Unity Love and Peace and out of all disturbance and the Lord is the portion of his people for ever and they that stay themselves upon God are kept in perfect peace and the Spirit of God is infallible they that are guided by that cannot erre and these do erre not knowing the Scriptures and so are led into the distraction which causeth disturbance and this is by the cunningness of Satan who lieth in wait to deceive and this simple people are led captive by him to do his will at his pleasure And therefore dear Friends take heed how you hear and whom you hear and be not blinded by those that lie cunningly in wait to deceive you for all that is to be known of God is made manifest in man and
had done and wrought that which was right in the sight of the Lord and he did it with all his heart in seeking the Commandments of his God and prospered in the work Josiah was a good Magistrate and he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord and walked in the wayes of David his father and did not decline from the right hand nor the left and the people sorely lamented his death for all Judah mourned for him and Jerusalem and Jeremiah lamented his death and he reigned one and thirty years And Paul saith of a good Bishop that he must be no striker blameless the steward of the Lord not soon angry not given to filthy lucre nor wine but a lover of hospitality a lover of good men sober just holy temperate holding fast the faithful word and he sheweth the reason That he may be able by sound doctrine to convince gain-sayers he exhorts that prayers and supplications may be made for kings and all in authority to what end he sheweth to this end That we may live peaceable lives in all godliness and honesty for this is good and acceptable in God our Saviour and he saith The Magistrate beareth not the sword sor nought It is for the punishment of evil doers and for the praise of them that do well Now that Magistrate whose heart is not touched with the true fear of the Lord and that seed of true faith that is as small as a grain of mustard-seed hath got the pre-eminence and is chief in his soul and Christ Jesus is set up in his soul in him on the throne that he hath the whole heart and the whole man is in his dominion that can truly say by bearing Testimony to the witness of God in him That to him to live is Christ and to die is gain unless the Magistrate be such he is not Christs Magistrate for those that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts and no drunkard whoremaster swearer proud ambitious self-seeker lover of pleasures more then lover of God having a form of Godliness but denying the power thereof no such can be said to be of God and so are not to have that double honour which is due to Magistrates that do truly rule in his fear And this discovers plainly how short those Judges and Justices come of being godly Magistrates that suffer and consent to the imprisoning of just and righteous ones whom the Lord esteemeth as the Apple of his eye and those that touch them to their hurt will one day find it that the Lord esteemeth them as his Jewels and yet how is the Goals filled with them through the Nation and some have perished to death because they cannot consent for conscience-sake to pay Tythes seeing them to be a great and abominable Oppression I could wish that Judges and all Magistrates would regard their Oathes to do equal Administration of Justice to every man alike to have no mans Cause in respect of person but rightly to judge for the Poor as well as the Rich and let the merits of the Cause carry it minding the words of Jehosaphat for he said to the Judges Take heed what you do for ye judge not for man but for the Lord wherefore let the fear of the Lord be upon you for there is no iniquity with the Lord our God nor taking of Gifts And let them that are contrary minded remember the ends of Empson and Dudly and mind the proceedings of Henry the Third in the five and thirtieth year of his reigne against Henry de Bath one of the Judges then And the sixteenth year of Edward the First there being a great complaint of the ill Administration of Justice by the Judges whereupon the then Parliament upon due examination and proofs of their Bribery and Extortion together with their injustice done to the people were fined to pay to the King as followeth Ralph Hengham chief Justice of the Upper Bench 7000 Marks John Lineton chief Justice of the Lower Bench 3000 Marks William Brompton Justice 6000 Marks Solomon Rochester 4000 Marks Thomas Lodington 2000 Marks Walter Hopton 2000 Marks Richard Boyland 4000 Marks William Sham 3000 Marks Robert Litbury Master of the Rolls 1000 Marks Roger Liester 1000 Marks Henry Bray Escheter and Judge for the Jews 1000 Marks Adam Streton chief Baron of the Exchequer was fined 34000 Marks and Thomas Wayland being found the greatest Delinquent for Bribery and Extortion and being of the greatest substance had all his Estate real and personal taken from him to the Kings use and this great Act of Justice was highly pleasing to the people and broughâ— much honour to the King as well as Treasure into his Coffers And one Bellknap and Trisillian being both chief Justices were executed for injustice In the year forty one Articles were exhibited against John Bramston chief Justice Robert Barkly Francis Crawly Humphry Davenport Richard Weston Thomas Trevor being Justices of both the Benches and Barons of the Exchequer and as I take it they were degraded for injustice done the people It is said of that great Tyrant Nero That he could not indure an unjust Judge for one being convicted before him for injustice he caused him to be flea'd alive and his skin to be nailed to the Judgement-Seat that whoever came on that Seat might have that act of Justice fresh in his memory Thou art inexcusable O man whoever thou art that judgest another for wherein thou judgest another thou condemnest thy self if thou dost the same things and thinkest thou to escape the judgement of Cod Now it were a good thing for the people of England that the chief Magistrates with their Council would erect a Court of Justice where every man by their Proclamation might once every quarter of a year appeal to the said Court for relief against any injury done them by Judges Justices or any Officers of the Commonwealth in private or in publick done to their detriment This would be a high Act of Justice from the Counsellors Magistrates or Rulers who should preserve Justice in the Land and it would be very satisfactory to all the people and this would make men follow the Command of Christ in time To do unto all men as they would have all men do unto them By all these Texts of Scripture before-rehearsed it is plainly shewed by the holy Ghost the marks of true Teachers and false the marks of hireling shepherds and such as fleece the Flock and such as are of Christ and are truly Ministers of Christ and have the Spirit of Christ God having revealed himself in them they do minister food in due season and they do feed the Flock of Christ over which the holy Ghost hath made them Overseers and they do turn people unto God unto the light that is single that knoweth the deep and hidden things of God for the Father that dwelleth in them sheweth them all things and they have the first Fruits of the Spirit
and God is in them of a truth and they and the Father are one and they do abide in the Vine and in him they bring forth much Fruit to the glory of God the Father and these Fruits of the holy Ghost are to be found dwelling in them as Love Joy Meekness Patience Temperance Brotherly Kindness Bowels of Mercy Humbleness of Minde Holiness and Righteousness And the false Teachers appear plainly by their Fruits to be the Priests that do receive Tythes for they seek gain from their Quarters they fleece the Flock and do not feed them they speak a Divination of their own brain they are in the number of those that steal the word from their neighbour and cry The Lord saith when the Lord never spake unto them they do not at all profit the people for they that were unclean are unclean they that were filthy are filthy still and Drunkards are Drunkards still they are not sent of God for if they were they would have turned people from the evil of their doings and they should have learned to do well By their fruits Christ saith they shall be known for men do not gather figs of thorns nor grapes of thistles but every good tree bringeth forth good fruit and by their covetous filthy lives they destroy the hearty professions of their hearers who are much led by example and practice of their Teachers and herein they are partakers of other mens sins and so must partake with them of their plagues and the blind doth lead the blind and they must fall into the ditch for they that cannot witness in their own particulars that the Spirit of the Lord in them is raised and hath the whole seat of the soul in his dominion and power and the seed of God is raised in him and there is a continual watch kept to destroy sin in its first motion and so it is not yeilded to but is laid all upon the Tempter unless a man be brought to this he is not a fit person to teach others for Christ commandeth his Disciples to be perfect as their Father which is in heaven is perfect and to be holy in all manner of conversation for without holiness no man shall see the Lord and he that is in Christ ought so to walk as Christ hath walked who did no sin neither was there guile found in him I am sure the Priests dare not say they are in Christ or that he hath revealed himself in them or that the holy Ghost is come down upon them if these effects were wrought in them they durst not sue the just and righteous for treble Damages and make such spoil and havock of their Estates as they do throughout the Nation taking from some eight times as much as is the Due according to their own Demands O sad Generation of men that dare say the Lords Prayer as they say Forgive us our Trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us and yet it is like the next day sueth for treble Damage for a pretended Trespass done before he saith the Petition Do they think the Lord God who hath an all-seeing eye doth not know their hypocrisie and will repay their deceit upon their own heads yea be assured all of you he will Do you follow the Rule that Christ commandeth To do unto all men as you would that all men should do unto you Do you expect a day wherein God shall judge the secrets of all men by Jesus Christ and when every man shall give an accompt for the things done in his bodie And do ye think that these actions before-rehearsed will stand and bear weight in that day O fear and tremble for whatsoever a man soweth that shall he assuredly reap he that soweth to his flesh shall of that reap corruption but he that soweth to the spirit shall of that reap life everlasting for they that are led by the Spirit of God they are the sons of God and they that are led by their wills and lusts whose servants are they the Apostle tells you That of whomsoever a man is overcome his servant he is whether it be of sin unto death or of obedience unto righteousness And therefore awake thou that sleepest and stand up from the dead and Christ shall give thee light and be not drunk with wine wherein is excess but be ye filled with the Spirit and look to see that Scripture fulfilled in you that ye are covetors of spiritual things and all other Scriptures also for they are written for our Instruction upon whom the ends of the world shall fall and leave off the woolvish nature the dogs nature the lyons nature and the destroying nature and put on the Lambs nature be tender hearted one to another and if any man have a quarrel against another forgive it even as God for Christs sake forgiveth thee if thou unfainedly repent and turn from the evil of thy doings then the Lord will blot out all thy transgressions and he will remember thy sins no more O turn ye turn ye for why will ye die ye house of Israel And therefore let all now take up the sore lamentation and teturn unto him that they may be saved for Jesus is able to save to the utmost all those that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them and they that do forsake lying vanities and cleave unto him blessed yea for ever blessed are they for they that have part in this first Resurrection from the death of sin unto the life of Grace over such the second death shall have no power but they shall reign as Lords and kings for ever and ever and the high praises of God shall be found in their mouthes and they shall be all cloathed with white the white Robes of his Righteousness and follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth and he will lead them unto the lively Fountains and wipe away all tears from their eyes and they shall sing praises and hallelujahs unto him for ever and ever for he hath found them worthy and hath given them to be with his Father that they may behold his glory and see him as he is for none of Christs prayers shall fail He saith Father I will that those whom thou hast given me may be with me where I am that they may behold my glory that as thou O Father art in me and I in thee so that they may be made one in Vs Joh. 17. 23 24. And they have all this benefit here that if they abide in Christ and his Word abide in them let them ask what they will and it shall be done unto them And herein is my Father glorified saith Christ that you bear much fruit Joh. 15. 7 8. These things have I spoken unto you that my joy might remain in you and that your joy might be full saith Christ Now as for all others let them be in what form of Worship soever if they be out of the Life and Power of
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
of the flesh and they that are risen with Christ seek the things that are above where Christ sitteth at the right hand of the Throne of God and they do not mind earthly things And therefore all dear Friends mind the pure love of the eternal God the loving Father unto you all to manifest his living pure way of Truth Life and Salvation unto you which is treasured up in Christ who is in you that believe the hope of glory and therefore lay hold upon him and highly prize this the day of your visitation which the Father hath given you all in tender love to your souls which the Lord desires the salvation of for the Lord saith As I live saith the Lord I desire not the death of a sinner but that he may turn from his wickedness and live and God would have none to perish but that all might come to the knowledge of the truth that they might be saved And what is the Reason when men have the measure of the manifestation of the true light of Christ in them which is given them to profit withal that they are not saved The Reason is Because they will not part with their Lusts their darling sins for they love Darkness more then Light because their Deeds are evil and they will not come unto the light that they may have their deeds made manifest and Thy condemnation is of thy self O Israel and Christ saith I stand at the door and knock if any man will open I will come in and sup with him and he with me O Jerusalem Jerusalem that killest the Prophets and stonest those that are sent unto thee how often would I have gathered thee together as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings and ye would not So thy rebellious sinful nature leadeth thee to thy everlasting destruction because thou takest pleasure in unrighteousness and sin and thou slightest the pure wayes of the living God and countest the blood of the Covenant an unholy thing and thou dost despite unto the Spirit of Grace And therefore now search and try your wayes and turn to the Lord and put away the evil of your doings and learn to do well and the Lord will heal all your back-slidings and will love you freely and remember your sins past no more if you from this day go away and sin no more But if you go on in sin know That although judgement is not speedily executed against evil doers yet the Lord will punish assuredly the hairy scalp of him that goeth on in his sins and wickednesses and when the measure of thy iniquities are fully ripe then Judgement shall come upon thee to the utmost and there shall be no Remedy and none shall be able to deliver thee in the day of the Lords wrath And therefore stand in aw and sin not lest a worse thing come upon thee then yet hath done And therefore confess thy sins unto the Lord and he is faithful and just to forgive thee thy sins But woe be unto him that covereth his sin and hideth his Transgressions for he shall not prosper Therefore high and low rich and poor learned and unlearned turn unto the Lord and harden not your hearts and let the great ones know That the Almighty God is coming against them and he will plead with them by fire and by the sword and the ungodly shall be as chaff before the wind as stubble before the fire for the day of the Lord shall burn as an Oven and the day shall burn up all that do wickedly for the Lord God will not be mocked but he will be avenged on his enemies and all the unbelieving and unrighteous generation of men both Priests and People shall feel the stroke of his almighty Arm of Power if they do not speedily repent and turn unto him and leave off their wicked deceitful wayes and their doings that are not good for they are wallowing in their own wayes and their hearts are running a whoring after their own inventions And therefore return unto the Lord and learn Righteousness now at the last before you die for as the Tree falleth so it lieth and there is no Repentance in the grave whither thou goest and as death leaveth Judgement findeth for this I say as Paul doth That according to the way that most men call heresie so worship I the God of my Fathers believing all things which are written in the Law and the Prophets and that there shall be a resurrection both of the just and the unjust a resurrection of the dead and herein do I exercise my self to have alwayes a conscience void of offence towards God and towards man Act. 1. 10 11. And while they looked stedfastly towards heaven as he went up behold two men stood by them in white apparel which also said Ye men of Galilee why stand yee gazing up into heaven this same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven Act. 2. 20. The Sun shall be turned into darkness and the Moon into blood before that great and notable day of the Lord come 1 Thes 4. 15 16 17. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord That we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them that are asleep for the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of the Arch-Angel and with the trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 1 Thes 5. But ye brethren are not in darkness that that day should overtake you as a thief 2 Thes 7 8. And to you which are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power when he shall come to be glorified in his Saints and to be admired in all them that believe As Paul reasoned with Felix Act. 24. 25. of Judgement Felix trembled and said Go thy way I will call for thee when I have a convenient season 1 Cor. 15. If after the manner of men saith Paul I have fought with beasts at Ephesus what advantageth it me if the dead rise not 1 Cor. 15. 43. It is raised in power by the mighty power of him that is Almighty that said Let there be light and it was so and laid the Foundations of the earth by the word of his power can destroy it in the very twinkling of an eye by the word of his power 1 Cor. 15. 52. In a moment in the twinkling of an eye at the
Lord God is found and felt in the hearts of all his chosen ones and they feel themselves branches springing forth of the Tree of Life and in him that is in Christ by abiding in him and his living Word abiding in them they bring forth much fruit and they walk from strength to strength and from faith to faith until they appear before God in Sion and they do turn people from darkness unto light and from the power of Satan unto God that they do receive remission of sins and an inheritance amongst those that are sanctified and as they have felt and handled and tasted of the good Word of Eternal Life so they do deliver it unto others freely they have received and freely do they give according to the command of Christ their Law-giver and they have received the Unction the anoynting from the Holy One which doth abide in them and teacheth them all things and they have the first fruits of the Spirit which doth make them alive unto God And they do go into the dark corners of the world as they are moved by the Holy Ghost to preach freely the everlasting Gospel of Salvation glad tydings to all people whose feet are beautiful and they do it upon this account that a necessity doth lie upon them and woes will be upon them if they do it not if they do the work of the Lord negligently and they are ready to sacrifice their lives and to seal the truth of their Ministry with their blood that they may finish their work with Joy and inward Consolation which is full of power and great glory and their Conversations are without Covetousness they seek not their ovvn but the things of Jesus the salvation of all men that they may live the life of holiness as they have been servants unto sin so that they may novv come to be made free from sin and have their lives in holiness and righteousness the end whereof is everlasting life for the gift of grace is free and so many as receive him to them he gives power to become the Sons of God even to all those that do believe in his name and their conversations are in heaven and they do not minde earthly things and they do the works of the Spirit vvhich doth make them alive unto God for as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God and they are as Lights in the midst of a perverse and crooked Generation and they are holy harmless vvithout spot and blemish vvaiting vvith Oyl in their own Lamps for the coming of the Lord that they may enter into his Joy and receive the end of their faith which is the salvation of their souls The true Ministers of Christ they were filled with the Holy Ghost before they went forth as Paul saith when Christ had revealed himself in him then he spake the word with boldness and many of the Priests say That Judas had a Commission as well as the rest of the Apostles because Christ sent them forth and said As you go preach and say The Kingdom of God is at hand vvhich Kingdom was the pouring down of the Spirit of Righteousness vvhich he promised that the holy Ghost should come down and abide with them for ever and lead them into all truth But there is not one Text that ever I could find that they did go forth until the lot fell upon Matthias in the room of Judas and he was numbered amongst the twelve It is said That the seventy returned and said Behold Lord the devils are subject unto us So at the best those Priests that pleads for Judas doth but derive their Office from him for he was a Deceiver at the best and so are all they that have not received the holy Ghost for the Apostles were to feed the Flock of Christ over which the holy Ghost hath made them Overseers and the Priests of this Generation are they not proud covetous arrogant ambitious self-lovers lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God having a form of Godliness but denying the power thereof Where is the man or the woman that hath been at any time snatcht out of the paws of Satan and out of the snares of hell by their Ministry as it is called Where is the fruits of the holy Ghost to be found amongst their hearers which is Love Joy Meekness Temperance Brothetly kindeness Bowels of Compassion enduring all things Temperance Righteousness and holy in all manner of conversation Is not the fruits of their hearers clean contrary are they not wrath anger malice murder robbery plunder a neater word for Thieves Swearing Adultery Fornication and all uncharitableness scoffing despising those that are good heady high-minded disobedient to parents unnatural truce-breakers Covenant-breakers And by this it appears that they neither have the call of Christs Ministers for if the Lord had sent them they should have turned people from the evil of their doings and they should have learned to do well neither have they the maintenance of Christs Ministers nor the fruits of Christs Ministers for Christs Ministers they were commanded to take nothing with them neither money nor staff nor scrip and they were to enquire who was worthy and there enter and there eat such things as was set before them and that was their maintenance not to force people and take away their Goods three times as much as was or could be demanded And the fruits of Christs Ministers Peter converted three thousand at once and many thousands now blessed be the holy Name of the ever-living GOD are escaped out of the snare of the hunter by the sounding forth of the everlasting Gospel of salvation from his true Ministers who are despised and scornfully called by the seed of evil doers Quakers whose Doctrine is To turn people to the light within them which doth bring them out of Rebellion and the disobedient nature which the light doth reprove and condemn and they that do draw from the teachings of Christ within such the Light Christ doth shew to be seducers 1 Joh. 2. 26 27. and this light doth bring into the holy life and into the pure worship of God in the Spirit And therefore I do dearly exhort you from the Lord to come out of all your false Churches your false ways and from your proud deceitful Priests and come to Christ the true Pastor and Bishop of your souls and so you shall come to the Church that is in God 1 Thes 1. 1. Heb. 12. 22 23. whose Overseers are made by the holy Ghost And so dear Friends I do dearly exhort you to take heed to that which is pure of God in your consciences and obey it and make that your Teacher for that calls for a pure conversation 1 Pet. 1. 13 14 15 16. and let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and so you shall all come to be baptized into Christ and so put him on by one Spirit and come
Prov. 22. 7 16 22 52. the 22. 8. Jer. 15. 10. Ezek. 18. 13. and 22. 12. Mat. 5. 42. 7. 12. Luk. 6. 30 34 35. and this lay upon me to acquaint all people with from the Lord that they do injury to no man for gain to themselves but every one do as they would be done unto as they would that men should do unto them for the great day of the Lords wrath is at hand and all shall be judged according to the things done in their Bodies whether they be good or evil and all evil doers sin lyeth at their doors and the flaming sword of the Lord of hosts doth hang over their heads And therefore my desire yea my souls desire unto all is That they would keep their mindes out of fading visible perishing things for none but such have their hearts upon the invisible God who is a Spirit and none but spiritual worshippers do serve him or honour him even such the Father seeketh to worship him that worship him in the Spirit and in Truth and such feel their lives to be in God and they live by Faith which Faith is the Faith of Gods Elect for they that so come to live dayly do they feel the flowings in of comfort from the well-spring of Life and they grow like Trees that are planted by the Rivers of VVaters that do bring forth Fruit in due season whose Leaf shall not fade and whatsoever they do it shall prosper and the Lord refresheth their souls with fatness and giveth them the bread of life that they eat and live for ever and they drink of that water that they never thirst and they taste of that heavenly Rock which is Christ and they are the tender Lambs of Christ and the Lord God doth esteem of them as his Jewels and they that touch them touch the Apple of Gods Eye For they are they that do overcome the world and they shall be cloathed in white and they shall follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth and sing songs of Triumph Glory Glory everlasting Glory and Hallelujahs be given to him that is Lord of lords and King of kings that is the God that giveth his people light and in his light they see the everlasting Light which maketh them live for evermore in his presence where there is the fulness of joy and at whose right hand are pleasures for evermore The eleventh Epistle To all Those whose souls panteth after the living God as the Hart panteth after the Water-Brooks DEar Hearts my dearly beloved in the light and love of God for whom my soul travelleth in birth that I might see Christ formed in you that you might walk worthy of the Lord unto all well-pleasing being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God strengthned with all might according to his glorious power unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness giving thanks to the Father who hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light who hath delivered us from the power of darkness and hath translated us into the Kingdom of his dear Son in whom we have redemption through his blood even the forgiveness of sins who is the image of the invisible God the first born of every creature for it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell And so dear Hearts as you wait in him out of all visible things wherein your life hath formerly been nourished and upheld you shall by Christ witness a new birth and a new nature and the life of God will be felt and witnessed which doth redeem the soul out of sin and of inquity and doth reach the seed of God which is pure and of his fulness of whom we receive grace for grace and so the pure innocent seed of the Lord springeth up in you that you become fruitful Branches and bring forth much fruit unto the Lord and so every one in their several measure answer the Lords expectation who is this day seeking for fruits amongst his people and all dead fruitless Trees must have the Ax laid to the root of them that they may be hewed down and cast into the fire for the Lord hath chosen forth of the world unto himself a people to wait in his counsel and light that they may serve him in Righteousness and obey him in Truth And therefore dear Hearts be diligent and watchful that in the strength of God you may be continually armed against the old devouring Enemy Satan who goeth about like a roaring Lyon and all his War is against the tender Lambs of Christs fold that he may make Rents and Divisions amongst them but you are commanded to resist him being stedfast in the Faith always to let your works and labour to abound in the Lord for as much as you knovv your labour is not in vain in the Lord and this know that Satan will do what he may or possibly can against you he had sought to winnow Peter as Wheat was winnowed in a sieve he tempted Christ but there was no ground for him to enter in him And those that are renewed in the spirit of their mindes in Christ they pluck up and plow up the fallow ground of their hearts they pluck up sin by the roots they remove the ground that there is no room to receive the devils temptations although he strives to the utmost of his power to keep the seed of God in bondage which seed is Gods Elect and Precious and he will redeem it out of captivity and thraldome for it is the Resurrection and the holy Birth the Beloved the incorruptible that destroyes Satans kingdom and therefore love it and nourish it and cherish it and let it have the whole dominion in you and it will totally put out Satan and you shall tread him under your feet for where the seed of God doth reign there Satan is subjected and so in the light of God you will finde strength and power and dominion over the Enemie and over all his sleights and deceits As you stand in the light which is the power of God the Enemy will find no place to enter and his strength will be abated and decreased and then you will by degrees find your bodies fit Temples for the holy Ghost to dwell in and the strength of the Lord God of Life and Glory will dayly be renewed unto you and in his strength you shall walk until you appear before him in Sion and you shall obtain victory over the Enemy of your souls and know the glorious liberty of the Sons of God and so come to have a portion and an inheritance with the Babes of Christ even an everlasting inheritance reserved in heaven for you in that Kingdom which hath no end and even such glory as no eye hath seen nor ear hath heard nor tongue is able to express which God hath laid up for them that love him What hath not eye seen what hath not ear
at the door of your hearts knocking let him in remember what Christ said to Jerusalem Jerusalem O Jerusalem thou that killest the Prophets and stonest them that are sent unto thee how often would I have gathered you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings and ye would not But her calamity came of a sudden and so let her be an Example for you speedily to repent and put away the evil of your doings cease to do evil and learn to do well for fear the wrath of the Lord destroy you for the time was when all the Kings of the earth would not have believed that the Adversary should have entered the gates of Jerusalem and all the inhabitants of the world would not have believed that the Enemy should have entered the gates of Jerusalem for the sins of her Prophets and of her Priests which were full of iniquity as the Priests of England are who have shed the blood of the Just in the midst of her And therefore wo wo to thee O England if thou dost not speedily repent and put away the evil of thy doings for the Lord desireth not the death of a sinner but that he may live Therefore turn ye turn ye for why will you die O house of Israel And come to be within the promise of the Elect of God for the Lord loveth his saints and he preserveth the faithful and mercy shall embrace them on every side For he is nigh to them that are of a broken heart and he saveth them that are of a contrite spirit therefore blessed are the people whose God is the Lord the people who he hath chosen for his own inheritance for the eye of the Lord is over them to preserve them and to keep them in all their wayes and to preserve them in famine and thousands shall fall before them and the plague shall not come neer them for the destroying Angels shall pass over their heads Therefore all dear hearts fear the living GOD who is a God of power and he is dreadful to all the workers of iniquity but a God of love and joy and consolation to all those that fear him and that delight in his Commandments to do them Therefore fear the living God and wait upon him that you may finde pure wisdom flow in upon you from on high For every good and perfect gift cometh down from above from the Father of lights who doth powerfully manifest himself unto his Babes and Children and doth flow from heaven with fresh discoveries of his love unto his belved Ones that they can say feelingly Their beloved is their and they are his and he draws them by the cords of everlasting love that they are refreshed at the well-spring of life And therefore return return forsake your idol-shepherds and embrace Christ which is the Light for he is the true Shepherd and Bishop of your souls in whom the sure mercies of David are enjoyed and the glory of Israel is witnessed even the free Covenant of light in which the true Prophets did stand who is the Rock of Ages and is the Light of the World and is perfect Righteousness and they that are in him are righte us by his Righteousness for he hath for ever perfected all those that are sanctified and he commandeth his to be holy as he is holy and pure as he is pure and Be ye perfect saith Christ as your Father which is in heaven is perfect and the Cross of Christ is the mighty power of God unto salvation unto every one that believeth And by this saith Christ shall you appear to be my Disciples by taking up the cross dayly and following me and Gods witness in every man will shew him the Cross of Christ what it is for that will shew all those that are faithful to it what is the will of God in every thing for it is that pure Thing of God in man that never did consent to sin nor never will but shews man all that ever he did and so we may say with the woman Come see a man that hath told me all that ever I have done Is not this the Christ said she And so dear Hearts this is your true Teacher Emmanuel God with us and the Lord is a strong Towet the Righteous fly unto it and are safe and they are hid in that invisible life which is in God and they know the life of God and they walk in his dayly presence and the arm of his strength is revealed dayly unto them which bringeth salvation And therefore come off from all your Idol shepherds and from all your false Forms of worship unto the Lord who is bringing his people off from the barren Mountains where they have fed upon husks and chaff and he is become their â—…cher himself and he will feed them with the finest of the Wheat and they shall drink of the well-spring of Life and never thirst again and they shall finde that one day in his Courts is better then a thousand elsewhere Now the Priests must know That an old Mass-house is not the Courts of God for the Church of Christ is the Pillar and Ground of Truth and as many as were baptized were baptized into Christ and They that are in Christ are new creatures old things are passed away all things are become new and Your Bodies are the Temples of the holy Ghost and him that defiles the Temple of God him will God destroy And so dear Friends and Brethren and Sisters and Fathers and all You that do fear the Lord Take heed how you hear and take heed whom you hear for I do see dangerous seducers and deceivers abroad in the world besides the Priests even such as the Apostle Peter speaketh of that even would beguile the saints out of their simplicity if they could even as the serpent beguiled Eve such as have eyes full of adultery beguiling unstable souls hearts exercised with covetous practises having forsaken the right way and gone astray following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor which loved the wages of unrighteousness these are wells without water clouds that are carried with a tempest to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever For when they speak great swelling words in the Name of the Lord they allure through the lusts of the flesh through much wantonness those who were clean escaped from them who live in Errour while they promise them Liberty 〈…〉 themselves are the servants of corruption for of whom 〈…〉 overcome of the same is he brought in bondage for 〈…〉 they have escaped the pollutions of the world through 〈…〉 knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ they are 〈…〉 intangled therein and over-come the latter end is 〈…〉 with them then the beginning For it had been better 〈…〉 yhem not to have known the way of righteousness then after 〈…〉 have know it to turn from the holy commandment deli 〈…〉 ed unto them but it is happened unto them according to 〈…〉 true Proverb 〈…〉 dog is turned to his own vomit againâ—◠〈…〉 sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire And amongst the 〈…〉 other so called that saith he was born in Holland â—…t he is the dangerousest person that ever I read of or heard of next unto that grand Apostate Spira and I fear he had more Brethren I shall do my endeavour to finde them out and then publish them to the world that all men may take notice of them And my Advice now unto you from the Loâ—… is That you all dear Hearts wait low in the counsel of the LORD GOD and when you have got into the simplicity of Christ stay in it and abide in it and wait in the power and strength of GOD that you may be kept out of the wiles and suggestions of the roaring Enemy who stirreth up Enemies without and Enemies within and all to keep your Crown from you Put on therefore dearly beloved in the Lord the whole armour of God that you may be more then Conquerours through Christ that loveth you even as Paul was and learn the wisdom which is from above which is pure peaceable gentle easie to be intreated full of mercy and good fruits be humble meek lowly be broken-hearred be contrite-spirited let patience possess your souls For ye were as sheep going astray but ye are now returned to the Saviour and Bishop of your souls Christ Jesus Unto his keeping I commit you To whom be given everlasting Praises Honour and all holy Hallelujahs to Him that liveth for ever and for evermore world without end The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with all Those that set Their Faces toward Sion and seek it with their Soâ—… sire To which my Soul saith AMEN FINIS Deut. 13. Chap. 18. 2 Pet. 2. Baal
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
and I loved thee therefore will I give men for thee and people for thy sake This people have I formed for my self they shall shew forth my praise And all the seed of the Serpent shall be destroyed and the power of darkness is that cursed ground that is for burning vvhich the Lord of life and glory vvill trample upon for he came into the world to destroy the works of the devil and all things shall be subdued by his power and he vvill put all things under his feet and then when all things are brought under by this Prince of peace then the soul sits down in peace in him who is the King of righteousness vvho will make all that living earth subject to himself and fill all with holy breathings Glorious things are spoken of him for he is the City of God and this holy breathing is the kingdom of heaven within you when he rules within you and the kingdom of heaven without you likewise when you see the same glory rule in others in vvhich you rejoyce For in the day of Christs power he vvill subdue all his enemies under his feet and deliver up the kingdom to his Father Therefore let not any one marvel to see the people turning from one way of Worship to another for the Father is driving his people thorow all the Ways and Forms and Customs and Reformations and Governments of the Beast to weary them out in all that so they may not find rest for the soles of their feet in any outward form of Worship nor in any thing until they come to lie down in him forsaking all Forms to worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth that is to walk uprightly being holy in all manner of Conversation for it is written Be ye holy as I am holy and pass the time of your sojourning here in his fear knowing that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold from your vain conversations in time past but with the pretious blood of Christ Jesus as a Lamb slain from the foundation of the world And until Christ reigneth as Lord and King the soul is restless running from post to pillar as I may so call it from one Worship and Form to another meeting nothing but confusion and the curse in every thing he doth so poor creatures are in bondage within for they know not what to do the way to Sion is not yet clear and they are filled with sighings and secret mournings to see themselves in confusion and loss to stick in the mire but cannot get out this is inward slavery which they groan under being under the hand of the Tyrant flesh that rules the Kingdom and devises the several fleshly Forms and Ways of Government to which if any refuse to conform then he thinks fit to punish them with imprisonment or shameful reproach any way he can invent so that many weak spirits are brought under and are in awe either by fear or shame and thus Jacoh hath been kept very low but he must arise To see the Divine Power in Creature-Objects is sweet but to see him ruling in the heart is sweeter for the Spouse had seen Christ or else she could never have called him her Beloved and mourned in his absence Now all things yea all things must be but loss dung and Dogs meat that we may be found in him having the Law of Righteousness and Peace ruling and dwelling in our hearts being refreshed with those sweet smelling Spices the discovery of the Fathers Love within which is the Word of God This is sweeter then the Honey and the Honey-Comb for this is to see him neer at hand even within the heart ruling and resting there This is the Kingdom of Heaven within you this the City of Refuge that will not fail a man this is the Rock of Defence and Offence this is the Power that makes a man as bold as a Lyon that in the greatest streights findeth peace and rest like Paul can sing at midnight although in chains under the hardship of persecution by Tyrants for he felt peace and was at rest yea such peace as the world knows not of let come what will come this man knows it is the will of his Father it shall be so and he feels a quiet peace compass his heart so that he seeth and feeleth peace within and rejoyceth in the excellencie of it he seeth love and patience within and rejoyceth in that sweet Oyntment that doth cast a delightful savour all his soul over Now if this man should be forsaken of all his outward Friends imprisoned banished all men deny to deal with him because they count him a man of strange Opinions and Blasphemies calling him all reproachful names as they shall say all manner of evil falsly against the new-born Babes and they shall kill them and think they do God good service in it Yet the Saints are in God he lives in them and they in him and he will have his holy Ones whom he draws up to worship himself in spirit and in truth to be silent slow to speech for a season yet quick-sighted Eagle eyed though they be silent they are not sottish as the world judgeth and falsly surmiseth of them but they shall all see and behold with the single eye and judge others righteously and they shall not be judged of any man And let the ignorant Professors of the world be ashamed for condemnation will fall upon them and fear shall surprize the hypocrites for the righteous actings and patient silence of those that are drawn up to wait on the Lord shall be the great shame and confusion of face upon them the wise flesh that would be an Angel of light is full of words but dead to the Law of Righteousness the Saints must dye to waste words but be made alive to righteousness walking uprightly to all things in all well-pleasing in the sight of God their heavenly Father for the man of the flesh is altogether for preaching praying as he calls it observations of Forms and Customs and knows not how to worship if these be taken away he hath no peace if this be gone But the man that is in his natural condition that is not born again this mans prayer shall turn into sin and all that ever he doth is an Abomination in the sight of God and he that hath his eyes in his head as Solomon saith the wiseman hath he beholds all these his performances to be out of the life and power of Christ and death is in all that ever he doth let his specious fair pretences be what they will if the inward Power be wanting no Sacrifice can be accepted therefore the clean heart God accepteth therefore the just man is continually meditating the Law of his God is in his heart therefore his footsteps shall not slide The godly man turns his eye inward to see the Law of Righteousness guiding and ruling his body and this is the excellent sight