A MESSAGE TO THE Philadelphian Society Whithersoever dispersed over the whole Earth Together with A CALL to the Several Gathered Churches among Protestants in this Nation of England By I. Lead Isa. 58. 20. Go ye forth of Babylon flee ye from the Chaldeans with a Voice of Singing declare ye tell this utter it even to the End of the Earth LONDON Printed and Sold by I. Bradford in Iewen-Street near Crowder's-Well 1696. THE EDITOR TO THE READER BLessed are the Poor in Spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven is not without the greatest Reason prefix'd in the Front of that Heavenly Doctrine which in the Greatness of the Majesty of Love is deliver'd to us by our Blessed Master from the Mountain of Holiness Wherefore the Opposite hereof is most True and there must certainly be a Wo unto those who are Rich in Spirit because theirs cannot be the Kingdom of Heaven But notwithstanding that a Poor Spirit is at this day so much Ridicul'd and is even Proverbially become a Reproach among those who call themselves Christians and Profess themselves the Disciples of IESVS who was so eminently Poor in his Spirit above all the Sons of Adam yet the Wisdom of God which runs counter to that of Man and Charges his Prudence with Folly will have that to be Honour'd which he has Dishonour'd and will have that to be Dishonour'd which he has most of all Honour'd and Prided himself in For that Poverty of Spirit which is the Scorn the Contempt and Offscouring of the World in the Day when God will bind up his Jewels will be made the Glory the Crown and the Kingdom to as many as shall have followed the Steps of their Master in the Regeneration We find that at this time the many Bodies and Societies of the so nominated Religions do all fall in with the Laodiceans saying We are Rich but the True and Faithful Witness may shortly let them see that they are Poor and will cause their Spiritual Merchants to cry out Alas alas in one hour so great Riches are come to nought And then shall the Poor Spirited Philadelphians that are now a despised Handful compared to the rest who have indeed but a little Strength and confess it be known to be the Children of the Kingdom having stood out the Hour of Temptation and kept the Living Word of God not denying his Name Power and Spirit nor taking or bearing it in Vain The true Poverty of spirit is the primary Qualification for reading as of the most Holy Scriptures so also of this little Treatise now given to the World from the Fountain of Love and Peace and is the very Foundation and Corner-stone of the New Creation upon which the most glorious Temple of God is to be built Whereas if we go to any of the Outward Professions that so much cry out the The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord we shall find them to be of the number of those who esteem themselves increased with spiritual Goods and to â—ave need of nothing This is the Foundation â—nd Corner-stone of Baâ—ylon and of the Conâ—uâ—ion of the Sects â—hich according to the â—entence of the Righteâ—us Iudge must be all â—â—umbled and moulder'd â—â—to pieces that so out â—f this Chaos a beautiâ—â—l Fabrick may arise â—â—ly joined together ceâ—â—ented and compacted â—â—y that which every part supplieth to the Building up or Edifying of it self in the Love And in order to this the Decree is gone forth the Account of which is given in both the Ensuing Messages from the Spirit and Word of Prophecy The Great Angel being now descended with his Measuring Line and having receiv'd a Commission not to leave one Stone â—pon another of any Temple which Man hath â—uilt is measuring out the foundation of the New Temple upon the Gates of which shall be written PHILADELPHIA To the raising up this Temple of the Holy Ghost all the living stones of fire which have been and are seperately prepared are Now called together by the Harmonious Sounds oâ— the seven Spirits of God â— Such as have only a Name to be alive but are dead may not hear these Sounds to call them yet as these shall grow louder it is not despaired but that even the Dead and those that stick most in the lifeless Sardian Constitution shall hear their Voice and be brought into this living glorious structure Yea O God let the Dead hear thy Voice Amen Let the Dead hear thy Voice Amen Hallelujah Let them hear thy sweet Sounds and come with Singing into thy Temple Amen Hallelu-IAH Let thy Voice break the Cedars of Lebanon and the Oaks of Bashan Let it shake the Wilderness and let every one in thy Temple hearing it speak of thy Glory Amen Hallelu-IAH Thou wilt give Strength unto thy People yea unto Philadelphia the Least amongst the Thousands of Iudah wilt thou give Strength Thou wilt Bless thy People with Peace yea even with the Peace of IERVSALEM wilt thou Bless them Hallelu-IAH The Proud wilt thou scatter in the Imaginations of their hearts thou wilt put down the Mighty from their Thrones and wilt exalt the Humble and the Meek yea thou shalt exalt and establish them and they shall be established as Pillars in thy Temple to go no more out Hallelu-JAH Let thy Right Hand do this O God of Glory and let thy Right Arm establish these Pillars in thy House Yea let the very stones of Babylon and even such as have been Pillars in the Temple of Maozim be sanctified and fitted for thy service Let eâ—en those that know not that they are wretched and miserable and poor be brought to Buy of thee the Gold of Ophir which is seven times tried in the Fire that they may be Rich Let those that know not that they are Blind be convinced and made to anoint their Eyes with thy Eye-salve that they may see and obtain the Blessing of the pure in Heart Let those that know not that they are naked having clothed themselves with their own devised Forms be undeceiv'd that they may not take that to be the Covering of thy Spirit which is but a Covering of Fig Leaves that so they may be perswaded to Buy of thee the White Raiment and the Immortal Robe of thy Flesh that the Shame of their Nakedness may not appear Let tyh Priests be clothed with Righteousness and let thy Holy Ones rejoice and sing having put thee on O Lord JESUS Yea let them sing aloud from from the Isles Amen Halleluâ—JAHâ— ADVERTISEMENT WHereas some Things have been Scandalouslyâ— set forth and Printed under the Name of this Authors to the Reproach of Truth and the Dishonour of that which is Holy it is thought fit for the putting a Stop to such Impostures and the Evil which might thence ensue to give a Catalogue of the Books which the Author hath hitherto Published THE Heavenly Cloud or the Ascension Ladder 4 to 1682. p. 40. The Revelation of Revelations an Essay
Consideration nothing can be more grateful to us O my Lord then to have that New and Living Way revealed through which we may come to know after what Manner and Pattern thy Worship now is to be and who also â—he Worshippers are that be required § 15. Now as to this Virgin Church the Lord did shew me how and after what manner it was to be Constituted with the Invalidity of all that which hath been in a Formal Imitation thereof As first in Answer to an Objection which I made How such a Pure Church could possibly be in such a Polluted Region Which was Answered thus While I was plunged into deep Introversion in my Spirit call to remembrance spake the Holy One Abraham the Faithful unto whom I appeared and consider how that he became the first Root of that Visible Church which was Peculiar of all the Earth unto me And farther this observe that the numerous Offspring hereof did proceed from that one Seed for so likewise it will be again God will send out One and Another that shall be after his own Heart who shall be ordained as the principal Pillars of this New Assembly And the mighty Spirit of a CYRVS will be absolutely Required both for the first laying the Foundation thereof and also for supporting it in its progress § 16. Now from hence it was revealed to me that Abraham and Sarah were a Type of that which should be produced and manifested in the last Age of the World according to all the Prophecies that run pointing still to the Glory of Mouâ—t Sion that hath always been expected to be revealed in every Age since Christ. Immediately after Christ's Ascension it was looked for and believed in when the Apostles gathered several Branches relating to such a Church to their Day But this was not fixed for Substance because Corrupted since and so in the Confusion of Babylon as it is at this Day the ruines of which are yet to be raised up and a perfect Temple-Body answerable to the Head-Power Which now the Holy Spirit hath given the true Model of in the Figure of Him who was the Beginning of the Israelitish Church whom God chose and called from out of his own People and from the Land of his Nativity Who in the Spirit of Faith obeyed all and every Requiring of God Upon such a Spirit as this was God will found this Virgin Church who shall be as the First-born out of Wisdom's Womb of which Sarah was a Type who by Faith conceived him of whom came the great Increase as to the making up of a Visible Church Amâ—â—g the Genealogy of which CHRIST was born after the Flesh in which Human Property he was Despised and though he came to his own yet was neither received nor owned by them But now in and from the Spirit of Faith there will be brought forth as from the Dead a New Off-spring and Virgin Generation altogether after the purifying natuâ—e of Faith unto whom CHRIST will Personally appear the second Time a Body being for that purpose thus prepared Him § 15. This I can say I have received from the LORD that this cannot be until such an holy seperated Congregation be found who have absolutely denyed and come out of the Old Birth and all of that Nature's Property into what is of the Spirit of Faith's Property and into Love's Nature Till then it is but a a fruitless expectation to believe the Lord will appear from Heaven before the Church the Bride be found thus ready to receive him Now the approaching Day is near in which He is moving his Fiery Wheels for the finishing of that Mystery the Foundation of which was first laid in Human Property who doth not reveal this great thing by his Spirit that so some one or other may in a sweet sense and Spiritual Emulation hereof be the First-born of Wisdom if possible For a Mother there must be of this Virgin Church that will appear without Evil upon the Mount of Holiness whose Increase will be as great as what did spring out of the Loins of Abraham § 16. That Prophecy is yet to be fulfilled and accomplished which the Beloved Iohn saw Rev. 7. where the Twelve Tribes were first to be sealed before the Angels could hurt or destroy the Earth And as it is written the Number out of eveâ—y Tribe was Twelve Thousand which summed up makes up the Hundred and Forty Four Thousand who with the Lamb shall stand upon the Mount of Sion Now from hence let all be convinced that as yet there is not to be found such a Church as beareth those Characters that are expressed for Sealing Therefore it is time to awake out of this dead sleep and to see where we are in all that fair Appearance in which Church-Forms and Fellowships do yet abide The Lord hath several times both by Vision and Voice shewn me all to be as an empty fruitless Vine much void of the Spirit and Water and Blood of Life And now again hath he set before me such Golden Candlesticks as he himself will walk in the midst of And I have heard this Cry saying Where shall I find Spirits that will go out of the Land of Pollution and walk with God perfectly as did my Faithful Abraham who never stuck at any thing required of him therefore he became Great and Mighty because he believed before he possessed From the same Spirit therefore of Faith Truth and Purity shall the New Covenant be established for an holy Priestly Convocation as the First Covenant was with him according to the Figurative Ceremony of things So where the same Spirit shall spring again they shall substantially bring their Priestly Offerings into the very Holy of Holies because the Mediation is now doing away § 17. O the great Blessing without all controversie that will be doubled upon them who shall put to their Hands to cut the first Stone out of this Mountain-Rock for the Foundation building of this unblemished Church which will be upon a daily Increase till that it come up unto Wisdom's Number Seven who hath built her Temple upon so many Pillars and calleth aloud for every one to come and enter into it And thrice great will be the Blessing of him who is chosen from the Womb to raise up this Temple and to be made such a siâ—gular Instrument in the Hand of his God A mighty Standard will be lifted up to which the Dove Spirits will flock apace and shelter themselves under it The Priestly Trumpets are now going forth to summon in the Children of the Captivity under this glorious Standard of the Great God and Saviour which shall be pitched in the Valley of Decâ—sion Many things further in order hereunto were shewed me and not without great matter of Encouragement unto any such who find their Hearts bent thereunto § 18. Then was it made known unto me that where this united Spirit of Faith and Love did find a fixed Birth in any
terrible in Crystalline Purity whereby we may display the Banners of IEHOVAH as the Sealing Character of the Virgin-Church § 24. Upon all the foregoing enforcing Arguments of the Anointing Power this Word was renewed Happy art thou who is like unto thee before whom a Fiery Law shall go forth which shall not be after Mount Sinai Inscription that could never abolish Sin but this contrariwise shall open as a Spirit-flash of Lightning that shall judge and try burn and consume every rising Motion that from the First Birth of the Earthly Man hath been Therefore observe and cherish this Burning Spring into which suffer all and every part to be plunged thoroughly For this will give witness for it self to be the Tri-Une Baptism § 25. Then was it further revealed that this Fiery Law would be the Fixation of the Vrim and Thummim Which was opened unto me to be a divine sight from a Fire-piercing Eye that could have a deep inward search into the secret things of the Deity and could Prophecy therefrom in a clear Ground as knowing whâ—t is couched in the first Originality bringing forth therefrom according to the Counsel and Pleasure of the Most High Things New and Old even according to the Love-driving of this Fiery Law which is the high binding Law that will most naturally and essentially from all Mount-Sion Inhabitants and from the pure Philadelphian Race of all the Redeemed Holy Ones that are brought out of Babylon to stand upon this Virgin Mount go forth § 26. For it was expressed that this Law was before Sin entred and it should thence again enkindle it self and obliterate in a known Number what the Law of Sin hath defaced of the pure Image And it was also shewn that this Vrim Thummim were only to be appropriated to the Priests of the Melcbizedeck Order that is to such whose Descent is not to be counted or recorded in the Genealogy of the Creation which is under the Lapse but from the Restauration and the Birth which is from the Olive-Root that is ever more consecrated to put on this Breast-plate as the Signal Character of this Holy Function and Heavenly Calling as it was given me to know from the Lord. The Properties of which extend â—o all Clearness of Sight and Soundness of Judgment All which will make for the praise of Him who shall for us this Translâ—tion effect bringing us into the Membership of this most holy Virgin Church and Priesthood § 27. As I was further considering the Refining Work as being the present Business which the Spirit provokes to in order to those greater Things to be revealed and entred upon the Word again thus opened it selfâ— The LORD whose Hand is lifted up sweareth in Truth and Righteousness that from Abraham's Line according to the Spirit there shall arise a most holy Priesthood indeed that must assume the high Prerogative of Priestly Soveraignity which hitherto in this Principle hath never in manifestation bear since the days of the Apostacy It will begin with the Wise and Perfect in Heart from such the Scepter of Dominion shall never depar◠§ 28. Much from the Lord did at the same time â—ill my Temple to utter forth as Four of us were met together to rehearse by way of Prophecy what an approaching time is drawing near When this Word more particularly was given to me That God was coming from Teman and the Holy One from Mount Paran to revive the Work and to make known where the hiding of his Power hath been For a Fiery Law shall proceed out of his Mouth by which he will try all Nâ—tions and divide as under the Everlasting Mountains and make them bow before him § 29. While my Spirit was Exercised upon these Great Things there came before me two Pillars of Fire which at present I only understood to be applicable to our selves who were met together as if signifying that such Pillars as were as burning Lights did become the Temple of God and ought there to be for fixation But the Night following the Lord opened it further unto me and shewed me that they did signifie a more Publick Matter to wit some Eminent Spirits these Two Pillars should be by whom an Entrance or pass would be made into the Secret and Seperated â—â—nctuary where they were to and fixed to give entrance inâ—o such-like seperated Spirits as â—â—emselves who as Flames of â—â—re might minister in the Holy Courts in their Priestly Power § 30. O hereby all this do I â—ee that the Lord is putting all â—hings in order that he may â—ave a true Temple-Body all of light paved with Fire-Sâ—ones of Love For the support of which House or Body he will send forth until he himself shall appear in Person such Pillars â—hat shall be tried as Gold and powerful as the Fire as being so made meet for the Master's use I do see in Wisdom's Glass that the Divine Powers in the Heavens are at Work hereunto very swiftly § 31. As I was still further attentive to hear and see whâ—â— what would be presented beyonâ— the Veil in relation to the Reâ—fiâ—ing Work which is to preâ—pare and make way for the Maâ—nifestation of this Holy Church I did see a round Glass like a Globe and at fiâ—st sight it waâ— all full of Matter that was likâ— putrified Blood black and iâ— coloured Then saw I the Globâ— turned with the Vent downward and it was all discharged of thaâ— corrupt matter Then arose a Spring that filled it again as with Water whâ—ch emptied it self out again And I beheld the Figure of a Heart with an Engraving thereupon within the Globeâ— And I marvelled how it came there and no sight of any Person to put it in and all this was acted as without any visible Hand Further there arose a Golden Liquor in the Globe and â—â—e Heart â—luttered up and down 〈◊〉 it and shined as Gold This â—as a wonderful Presentation â—â—to which my Spirit enquired â—â—d I heard a Voice sound This â—ews what the Oracle will be â—â—at is filled only with the clear â—nd true Uâ—ction there will be rising Spring with all floating â—oy Consider oh my Soul â—hat Wisdom may open for a â—urther Instruction herefrom â—or deep is the Globe of Wonders A Revelation upon the Vision of the Glassy Globe Which was â—hewn me to be the signification of the Oracle in which the New Heart shall be conceived upon which God doth engrave his own Name which from the Foundation of Wisdom and Spring of all Knowledge and deep Understanding do flow § 32. Now it was testified and thus opened unto me that some were Elected for to be fixed Oracles who are to be clarified for this purpose with pure Water from the Glasfy Sea Whos 's Operation should be all forceable to work out the impure Matter of the Bloody Issue which is the Spring of Sin that only can be fully cleansed with this Water-Baptism from the rising Scum of putrified Nature Which once