been short of this work as they were in whom the Child was unborn when he went away in the flesh and they knew not what Spirits they were of until he came again to them in Spirit and was revealed in them then could they preach the Resurrection of the dead and the Souls Redemption and desired to know him no more after the flesh when once they had received him in Spirit but Preached Christ within the Hope of Glory who till then looked for an outward kingdom and glory until they had received his promise He that dwelleth with you shall be in you I will not leave you comfortless I will come unto you the world seeth me no more but ye see me and 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 And this was his promise whom they received whom the world seeth no more whose expectations are carnal neither can any see the Kingdom of Heaven but who are born of this Spirit and Heirs of this Life and he that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life but the wrath of God abides upon him whatever he may say he believes and none hath the Son but as they receive this Spirit and are led by this Spirit and born thereof And this I found also that this Son of God doth not appear in any within or without but as he conforms them to his own Image which he hath alwayes born in this world as saith the Scripture When he shall appear we shall be like him who shall change our vile bodies and make them like his glorious body from glory to glory by the same Spirit And herein we have boldness in the day of Judgement because as he is so are we in this present world and this is not obtained with thoughts of believing without but by a lively working Power which works out the earthly image and nature and conforms to the heavenly in that spiritual birth which is not of flesh and blood nor could flesh and blood ever discern it in whom it was but ever hated it in whom it hath appeared in all ages Which is of a shining nature where it is begotten of the Father and cannot be hid where it is formed but by his fruits gives light to the world contrary to the worlds wayes showing of his coming to Judgement against the deeds of darkness And this heavenly begetting of the Father is to be holden forth in that clear Image of the Father according to every several measure as he grows therein without mixture that all may see that he is not of this world who also takes them out of this world as he grows in any or they in him forth of the world they must go bearing his reproach that the Scriptures may be fulfilled they are not of this world even as I am not of this world and this is the worlds light and condemnation even his coming And so I find that Faith which joyns to the world where it is and doth not overcome the world is not the faith of Christ nor layes hold on the Power of Christ though Faith may believe the History of the Scriptures concerning Christ which faith sets not up the Kingdom of God in the heart and casts out the world there that faith saves not the Soul from the pollution of the world through lust and so is but a conceit of Salvation and not the Power of Salvation as saith the Scriptures Whosoever is born of God overcometh the world and this is the victory that overcometh the world even your Faith and the faith which works not thus is like a body without a spirit which is dead But the living Faith that stands in Christ Jesus that Spirit purifies the heart and Conscience and makes toward God in Christ the example in all good things overcoming what ever would let the appearance of Christ in his temple or hinder the bringing forth his vertues which is believed to be in him to the utmost of what ever he hath received of the Father for such believers who believes not in a lye but in the Truth and Power of God as it is in Christ Jesus and hath been declared in Scriptures not for a discourse but for an inheritance of life of whose fulness we all receive according to our Faith till his coming and we be compleat in him and he in us and so not come short of the Glory of God the end of our Faith and Conversation that to the world he may be manifest in life and power to be the same that ever he hath been though he have appeared in several forms in the flesh yet one in Spirit to make up a compleat body And therefore we find those who were of this Faith witnessed Christ present which the worlds faith could never receive under any form or profession but counted it blasphemy and that spirit the spirit of the Devil And so Isaiah witnessed this Child born to them that so believed in his time who was the mighty God the everlasting Father c. whose Name they knew to be Immanuel and this was before he appeared in that Temple at Jerusalem and Ezekiel was called the Son of man before that time also and Paul said he was revealed in him and spoke in him and wrought in him and in his flesh that which was behind of the afflictions of Christ was to be filled up for his bodies sake which is the Church and to whom he forgave any thing in his time he forgave it in the person of Christ and many more might be noted who confessed the same Christ in them present both before and after his time at Jerusalem which Testimony could never be received by the wisdom of the world in his Temples before nor then nor since to this day for the god of this world being King in the heart and having blinded the eye of the mind that should see his spiritual Glory through the light of the Gospel he perswades the world that he is either past or to come but never present and as many as are brought to confess him before men find it so at this day who are hated of all men for his Names sake that the Scriptures may be fulfilled and his Testimony finished And this Faith which confesseth him present is that which the world cannot bear nor receive who will preach him themselves at a distance what he was and will be but this faith cannot reach his coming at present in any measure to grow to his appearance now nor will this faith ever give an entrance into his Kingdom upon earth nor the holy rest nor is this the Faith of Christ that puts him thus afar off which fills with all the fulness of God And by what I have learned this is clear to me for ever without any more Controversie That the faith that admits of sin is not Christs Faith nor hath
any share or possession in him that faith which is not holy came not from God and so cannot build up to God that is not saving Faith that doth not save from sins but is deceiving faith which deceives the Soul and suffers lust to defile it and destroy it and so brings it under Condemnation by believing lyes and so letting in sin upon the Soul by consent perswading that it cannot be otherwise and so gives the Devil victory and the world victory and the flesh victory and sin victory over the Soul which should give the Soul victory over all And what greater deceit can there be to the Soul then this is And therefore for ever that which I have seen and learned do I declare openly that this is the deceiving faith indeed rather unbelief then the Faith of Christ which makes way for the god of this world to reign and act in things contrary to the life of Christ in the Creature and the life of the Soul and that faith which gives way to the least sin is not the Faith of Christ whose work and comings is to destroy the works of the Devil and redeem the Soul from sin and the least measure of that Faith that stands in his life overcomes the world and sin in that measure and he that commits sin goes out of that Faith and acts against it And a lying faith I have found that to be which perswades the Soul of freedom from Condemnation but gives it not freedom from sin which is the cause of Condemnation and all shall witness this with me now or hereafter that where sin hath power there death hath power and the grave and hell and condemnation hath power also for these are the wages of sin then shall you say you were deceived who believed the contrary And may not such truly be said to be past feeling indeed who can commit sin and feel no Condemnation for it already And this is the effect of their false faith to harden themselves against the faithful witness of God in their own Conscience and the seared Conscience hath made ship wrack of the Faith Christ and the doctrine of Devils preaches the faith of Devils to give way to the works of the Devil which all sin is from the least to the greatest and he that pleads for it is a father to it and he that commits it a servant and may look for the wages thereof if he repent not notwithstanding he believe the contrary And many may feel this Truth at this day who have a long time believed with this faith deceiving their own souls day after day believing they shall not be condemned when they are condemned already in their own hearts and feel the weight of sin daily pressing their Souls and burthening the pure Conscience and the fear of death and sin keeps their Souls still in bondage and lyes upon them all their lives and yet they will force themselves to believe contrary to Holy Faith and a good Conscience that they are saved and redeemed and thus make ship wrack of saving Faith and a good Conscience by believing a lye contrary to their own daily feeling no other thing to encourage them therein but this perswasion which sutes well with such as take pleasure in unrighteousness which perswasion comes not of God but condemned by that of God in themselves and this is the state of many at this day though some there be whose Conscience are seared and feel not this witness living in them though their damnation slumbereth not though they have lost their Calling and Election also And this have I learned in Christ that there is a great difference both in effect and nature betwixt that Faith which is the gift of God and that faith which men make to themselves for that which is the gift of God is of his own nature clean pure and perfect as are all his gifts and so it works naturally the Work and Will of God in all who receive it freely and mix nothing with it to darken it or stop his working and by this Faith I am saved from sin and condemnation and begotten to the Father thereof in Christ Jesus which Faith is not of my self but is the gift of God to perfect holiness in the fight of God and what ever is done in this Faith is not sin and whatsoever is against this Faith or not of this Faith is sin and brings Condemnation and this Faith approves not of it And if I act nothing doubtingly nor against this holy Faith in this Faith I am justified in my own heart and my own Conscience kept clean and I approved in Gods sight and I have boldness through the obedience of Faith in the day of Judgement that it is not my own work but the righteousness of Faith which is in Christ Jesus and this effect hath saving working Faith and this is its Nature and Grace But another faith I have found which is not so in nature or effect being not freely received from above but is fained and hath its ground here below and its ends also The earthly man in his wisdom from the letter reason or comprehensions sets up an opinion or Image in his mind touching God or Christ or Religion Worship Doctrine or Manners or any other thing and then looking upon the likeliness of it in the reasoning part gathers strength to believe it must needs be so and so forms a faith in himself And though this faith be not perfect when he hath formed it and made it with all his strength but many things in Scriptures and the practise of the Saints but especially that of God in his own Conscience will not sute with it yet the strong man being above in the strength of his Comprehension forceth a Faith against all these and causes all to bow under it so this faith brings not forth the birth of Christ nor his pure Image and Life neither in matter of Worship nor Manners but what he may imitate Christ and the Saints in worship and keep the world and escape the Cross and save his life and credit and glory there that he will conform to and glory in and for the rest he believes it concerns not him now in all things at this day so to walk as they did And as this Faith is not perfect in Worship so in Practice also for that evil he is not addicted to he condemns in all but that which is in his own heart and eye and brings him profit and pleasure that he will cover and believes it may stand with true belief at this day though formerly it could not And this is the Faith made after man and not after God and so serves in respect of Persons Times and Things but bows not all these for ever to worship in Spirit nor brings them under the foot of Jesus that Spirit but being earthly by nature hath earthly effects and God doth not own that with his Power nor goes forth with that which
into lacivious liberty And thus have I learned in the light of the world that in my turning towards him at his reproof when I knew him not and believing in his light whom I had not seen I found that Faith given which did declare the righteousness of God in him wherein he perfectly walked upon earth both in doing and suffering which being turned towards I found the propitiation that God had sent forth through faith in his blood to declare his righteousness for the remitting of my sins past that God might be just who could not have past by my sins past had he not accepted his sufferings nor I have had liberty from sin past to have followed him nor could I have been accepted therein but in the faith and hope of the same righteousness so God was full in justifying and his forbearance magnified towards me therein and in turning to this righteousness of his declared in the light of faith and hope my face was set towards Gods righteousness in Christ Jesus to be attained for life and salvation for time to come to walk in and so being turned towards God all my sins past was behind me and Gods righteousness before me and so from henceforth was I to be found in Gods righteousness walking in a measure of it and in the faith and hope of the fulness of Christ and attainment of God for mine inheritance And this great Redemption I found in Christ Jesus at that day was in such things as these following As first his calling of me with his light his holding forth to me his life and suffering which was so holy that I could not but confesse to them his turning me towards the same in hope thereof by believing his begetting a mind in me towards that same life and the increase of his light that way to lead me and the setting of me free from the wrath of God for all my sins of ignorance past which else had laid upon me as a weight or chain binding me that I could not have walked the way of his light c. But I do not say that if I turned to commit sin again that that sin was cast behind my back also I learned otherwise I found that sin then before my face greater then the rest and stood in my way to God and stopt me from following his light or growing in his life that I could no way escape it but by repenting of it and receiving the just sentence of condemnation in my self and bearing his indignation till he that wounded me for it healed me again which I never found but as I turned from the evil with my whole heart and accepted the punishment till the Advocate did arise to interced whose blood I had trampled on and whose precious life I had pierced and his holy Spirit grieved by turning away from his leadings Nor do I say that all my sins which formerly I had committed of which I had been convinced by the light of the world when I was in the world before I believed it to be sufficient that they was wholly taken away as my sins of ignorance was for this I found that God in this was just and merciful merciful in that he did not lay them all at once before me least they should have prest me down that I could not have followed the light nor gotten any strength but must needs have perished under them had he not spared And just I have found him also for as they were not committed all at once against the light of his Spirit so he hath at one time or other visited for them and laid them before me yet not all at once nor no way so heavy as those committed after I believed and gave up my self to follow the light and yet to an account he hath brought me for them And coming to feel the terrours of God I have learned to fear and love and have found the ground and rise and deceits of that Faith that believes Christ to have taken away the sins of believers past present and to come with which many at this day make merry over the witness of God and the just slain in them and that Scripture I have learned without a meaning if we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the Truth there remains no more sacrifice for sin but a certain fearful looking for of judgement and fiery indignation to devour the adversary though none know how but he that comes to it in the fulfilling and then shall be seen he that 's born of God sins not and he that believes is born of God but he that sins turns his back both on the Faith and birth that 's towards Christ and becomes adverse thereunto in his work what ever he sayes he believes and this I have found an everlasting truth what ever men believe or imagine that no longer then a man keeps his face towards the light of God no longer is his sins cast behind his back whether they be sins past present or to come but if he turn from Gods righteousness his own iniquities will rise and meet him both new and old and in vain doth such believe they are then blotted out of Gods sight whose oye shewes him his way in which he then walks and condemns him for it in his own heart Nor was the ground and root of sin-removed so soon as my mind was turned by the light from sin towards God but the motions thereof I found and the lust seeking to go forth to its objects to bring in to conceive sin again afresh That ground was but removed as I grew in Christ and he in me and as I came to learn him that was in the beginning before sin was who was learned in faithful following and serving of his Spirit in watching in Fastings in Prayers and in all spiritual wrestlings as I came to be led into with the light in which Warfare I came to see the hardship of him that will be a souldier of Christ Jesus and the baptisms into his death the slothful servant and the faithful and their reward and the Parables and figures of the Kingdom opened as that Spirit grew in me which interprets the Scriptures in the life and opens the sealed mysteries thereof in their season as they come to be fulfilled and so I came to the gift of the Scriptures by inspiration which onely profits to the perfecting of the man of God which the man of this world not having learned wrests to his own destruction getting the words of them in the earthly part before they be fulfilled in his heart through the Spirit and such receive them not by inspiration nor the gift of the Holy Ghost And in this journey I have seen the slothful servant overtaken with a fault which he had once cast behind him and never intended to joyn to again of which the diligent servant is kept free and I have seen the wages of each servant according to his diligence in that
Worship did they ever make a Law to whip strangers who asks them nought or to force people to swear against the conscience and many such things are now done which in the time of the Apostles the heathen came far short of which now is filling up all against him whose coming is ever as a stranger in the earth and what hedgings here is at this day to keep him out from his own is plainly to be seen and that he should not have liberty to seek up his lost ones in high-ways and hedges Markets and Steeple-houses how have you heightned your walls higher then your fore-fathers and what daubing is at this day against the way of God from which your own wayes cannot save you for the way of God is perfect and will endure to all Generations wherein the upright walks and sinners falls in opposition thereto But how should you know his way who denies his light within seeing they that rebell against the light never knew the pathes thereof you are they who have erred in your hearts and therefore have not known his wayes and how should you have peace or enter into his rest for you that denyes his light and resists his Spirit in your hearts must needs be offended at his coming in your streets so you have set your selves against him and he hath set himself against you as at this day and therefore it is not with you now as it is was when you were in the work of making him way to walk in tender consciences and you will find him arise more to cross your wayes as you seek to stop his way you have begun to walk contrary to him and he is beginning to walk contrary to you and unto you is he become an enemy so take heed what you do for till you return will he watch over you for evil and not for good and the more you trime your own ways to withstand his way the more will he discover the blood of the innocent in your skirts before the Son till all may see you are no Christians nor what you Professe but open enemies to God and his people your hands full of blood Wherefore be not rash you headie people you that are but looking for his coming in outward observations are witnesses against your selves that his way you have not yet learned though you have read of it yet you know it not and will you appoint him a way and call it his way and will he own it who comes a way you have not known nor can believe if you be told it it would be your wisdom to stand still every one and cease from your own wayes and wait in the light which onely gives the knowledge of him and his way which light shines in the heart as faith the Scriptures and the Kingdom of God is within you and he whom you oppose is a Spirit and comes a spiritual way to cut down spiritual wickedness so to the Spirit of light turn that you may see to prepare to meet him in his own way and not to set your way to oppose him that he should break you to pieces The living God glorified in his Temples the true worshippers that worship him in Spirit and in Truth NOw glory to God in Heaven and the thousands of his Saints doth confess him upon earth who bear his Name and testimony against the world who have still put his coming afar off who have not that which they professe in them but tell of great things which they have not who are without God in spirit and his worship in spirit such as Christ said worshipped they knew not what and such now worship they know not what who worship that they have not and professe him they possesse not without God in the world in whose heart there is not God who are not the Temples of the living God but to this day worship in Temples made with hands as those who resisted the Holy Ghost ever did and how should such be holy vessels holy men and women what should sanctifie where God is not and what should lead where the spirit is not but the blind eye that leads into the ditch and what is like to govern where God is not in his throne in the heart how can such but be filled with unrighteousness who retain not God in their knowledge so it is not strange to the children of light who with the eye of God are guided to see the whole world lie in wickedness and to see such things acted against God in his Temples now by such as are without God as ever was so the Scriptures are fulfilled as you may read And ye holy in heart rejoyce and lift up your heads towards the day of Redemption and own your generation here on earth that you may be gathered to the Fathers with that which comes from above and that spirit which perfects the just and casts out the unjust where are the dogs and Adulterers and such as know not God and where the hearts are gathered to the Fathers in God there the earth is blessed whose God is the Lord who have received the spirit from on high and are filled with the Holy Ghost As Stephen was who saw heaven open who was full of God whom the great Professors stoned who was full of wroth and yet said they looked for his coming from Scriptures yet like mad men run upon him and destroyed his Temple so he destroyed their Temple which they thought to uphold who resisted God the Holy Ghost because he had no place in them who could not receive the light of the world nor his word could find place in them but in such as they cast out it found place whose bodies were the Temple of the living God as he hath said I will dwell in them and walk in them and Enoch walked within with God in spirit and was not And Isaiah God had wrought all his works in him And Jeremy was full of the fury of the Lord And Ezekiel was the son of man And Daniel had the Spirit of the most High God the Spirit of light and understanding And Paul had the Son of god revealed in him the same that he Preached and said they that knew not Christ in them were reprobates he that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit And to David the Lord said thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee and David declared it and the Saints were begotten of God and partakers of the Divine nature and confessed the Father and the Son in them and that the Son of God was come and had given them an understanding which they that looked for him to come without understood not who beat him in their Synagogues and shamefully intreated him because they knew not the Father nor the Son but said he was to come And they that had the Son had Life and the rest was children of wrath filled with wrath and so the Father and the Son supt with such as
Jerusalem and that therein that vessel he bare the sins of the World and satisfied the wrath of God for sins past and overcame death hell and the grave and made way for the Seed to arise in all through the whole World who would believe in his light which then shined through him to all men wherein he might be seen to be the Way the Truth and the Life apparent openly triumphing over all that had passed above the Seed And much more might be said of him there finished all which I did believe according to Scripture which was as an opening of me to receive him from Heaven in the same spirit and power without which I could not have received the gift of that holy Spirit God having so purposed from the beginning that the Covenant of Eternal Life and power should be received no other way but by faith in him who in the fulness of time was there manifest in flesh for the taking away sins past and making a way for the Resurrection of life over all to save from sins for time to come The effect of which Faith when in the Light I first received it did turn my mind out of all my sins past and took my mind out of them and turned me towards God and holiness of life I then believed to attain in that faith and receive power therein to grow up in him to his fulness and stature which then I see no less Faith could save me then the perfect Faith of the Son God which before I had not received but then received with such gladnesse of heart that it set my face and delights out of all sin towards the perfection of Christ in which I then believed which was the Joy then set before me yet was not the work done and finished in me already though I having received the Faith and Hope of the Son of God and was turned from all my former sin and my own righteousness so that if I had departed this Body I had died in no less Faith then the Holy Faith of Christ Jesus and so being turned to his Spirit out of the works of the Flesh I was turned from my sin and so from condemnation yet was there a great work to do in me before I could witness freedom from the body of death and the root and ground of evil removed and the seed raised to reign and the soul brought into the holy City the resurrection of the dead and fellowship in the Father and the Son c. And that glorious liberty of the new Creature and all things to be of God in me as the scriptures do witness so this faith didnot work me into a conceit of my self glorying in knowledge and so to become a Teacher of others what I had conceived below the life but it led me down into the obedience of the Spirit of Light to wait therein for the Resurrection of Life and I came to see in that Light that the motions of sin did still work from the old ground and root and that must be removed by the power of Christ working in spirit and my obedience and watchfulness therein was required and that without obedience to this faith I could not come to perfect victory over the enmity nor the glorious liberty of the Sons of God for though this faith had turned my heart towards Christ and given me hope to attain him yet I had not then learned him nor was he yet formed in me so was I led in the Light of Christ to see what I had of this treasure in the earthen vessel which I found to be in me very little and that Seed the least of all Seeds so I became little in that eye which told me the Truth though I had been high in my own thoughts formerly And so to the Word of the beginning of Christ I was led or the first Principle of the Doctrine of Christ that with that which teacheth Christ I might learn Christ in every measure of him as I grew therein so was I brought to know him that was made under the Law and to the foundation of repentance from dead works and to Doctrines of Baptisms and to Eternal Judgement Then came I in Truth and Life to see what they were doing whom the Apostles exhorted to work out their own Salvation with fear and trembling after they had fully believed what Christ had done for them at Jerusalem in that vessel and many other Scriptures did he open to me as I learned him which before to me was a Mistery while I learned them in meanings without the Life of Christ which then was opened by the Revelation of Christ Jesus as they came to be fulfilled in me being led by the same Spirit in that work of Faith then came I to see that I through the Law must be redeemed from the Law and that my redemption from it must not be by making it void but by fulfilling of it and till then it had power over me and sin took occasion by it to strengthen it self in me but as I came to grow in the Spirit and Power of Christ I was in him brought through it it in him fulfilled and I dead to it as it came to be fulfilled and the words of Christ I found true I came not to break the Law but to fulfil it and it is easier for Heaven Earth to pass away then one jot of the Law to pass away tell it be fulfilled and I needed not a meaning to that Scripture but a fulfilling thereof in Christ Jesus And the School-master that brings to Christ I learned Christ formed the heir under Tutors before I knew the liberty of the Son of God or perfect freedom and then I saw the Scriptures could not be broken nor wrested but it must be learned in the life of it to Salvation which the unlearned wrest to their own destruction by meanings without life and that it was of no private interpretation but this one Spirit must open it all in the fulfilling thereof and this Faith in Christ Jesus onely was able to make wise unto Salvation of Eternal Life And then came I clearly to see Christ Jesus set before me in all things that I was to go through in that faith which I had first received and that the attaining of him was the hope of glory and no hope without him and this hope was as an Anchor in all hardships and temptations which was not a few I was led through but all was counted little while I stood in this Faith for the hope that was in me to win Christ And I clearly saw that now with standing my first faith in what he had done at Jerusalem yet if I did not continue therein to follow the same spirit in obedience thereto believing therein in all its leadings hoping to attain to Christ Jesus the end of that Faith in daily growing towards his Stature and fulnesse but had turned aside or set down short of the leadings
the Lord of his glory deny Christ in his Kingly office and set up another in his place And herein true wisdom may see that in so doing we resist not that power which is ordained of God nor the person but that spirit we testifie against by sufferings under which God never annointed for a Saviour holding forth the annointing as we have received for a witness against him in the spirit of meekness confessing our King in whom we receive power to suffer so to us he is come and by the gift of the Holy Ghost we can say he is Lord therefore to us there is but one Lord though there be many so called whether in heaven or in earth yet have we but one in all both in heaven and earth and him we know where ever he is by the gift of the Holy Ghost and to him in spirit we confesse and bow and the fruits of his spirit are manifest with the light of the world testifying against all the works of darkness in all the children of his Kingdom And to us he is born who is from above the holy Child wonderful in Councel and strength whose heavenly power and vertue takes our affections from all earthly objects and worship whose name is Immanuel and it is written in our hearts and shed abroad into the world in our lives and Christ Jesus is the end of our conversation him alone to put on above all to Preach by walking in him as we have received of that lively image of holiness and Truth the annointed of God and so we confesse him before men who is the right Heir in what vessel soever he appears and the prayers we give to God where this treasure is found in the earthen vessel and the hope of all our glory is Christ within and the increase of his Government is Christ within of which there is no end and with that spirit is all righteousness established the Kingdom of God upon earth and Eternal life And where this is not seen chosen and followed there men rule in their own wills and where mens persons and riches is respected in chusing such there the same is respected in judgement by such and the Law of God is perverted and the sword of Justice which should defend the cause of the innocent is laid by and the fist of wickeduess lift up against that which is tender of God in every conscience and when this rules the righteous Seed mourns in secret but wickedness reigns openly And this is and ever was the state of the Kingdom of God and the Kingdoms of the Gentiles the one rules in the Spirit of Holiness and the other exercise Lordship in their own wills chosen and set up not by the Holy Ghost as you may read in the Scriptures concerning Israels common wealth who when they wanted the ruling of this spirit they sold themselves under their enemies but when this was their Judge they had a Saviour chosen after the spirit not after the flesh what ever was the vessel the Spirit was their Saviour Moses was a poor wandring Shepheard yet in this Spirit a God to Pharaoh and Saviour of Israel Samuel a poor man who received no reward for judgement and when they went about to chuse another after the manner of other Nations they rejected God who then gave them a King in his wrath David a poor man not chosen by the outward appearance as man looks but by the heart by the direction of the Spirit he was the Shepherd of Israel and his seed of the same Election hath the everlasting Kingdom of promise to all generations Elisha a plowman yet by that Spirit was he the Chariots of Israel and horsmen thereof Deborah a woman yet a Judge deliverer to Israel And too long would it be to instance in all ages how he hath set up his throne and saved his people in this Election not of wisdom riches or worldly glory but the poor of this world rich in Faith heirs of the Kingdom of promise which you say you look for but cannot see nor receive while you chuse after the flesh as the world hath ever done who still have bent all their wisdom and Religion to keep the Heir out of his Kingdom whom they have been looking for after the flesh but not believing in the light to give them a fight through the vail to him that is born of the Spirit have resisted the Holy One and chosen the murtherer as did your fathers so do you alwayes resist the Holy Ghost and as it was so it is that which is born of the flesh is flesh and chuses after the flesh and worships after the flesh for it can see no further it cannot see the Kingdom of God and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit and chuses after the spirit and worships in spirit and these are contrary Kingdoms and he that 's born after the flesh persecutes him that 's born after the spirit ever did and ever will do for the Scripture cannot be broken which hath so said and is now fulfilled And now you that are called Christians you read and Preach of this King Christ Jesus and his Kingdom what a One he ever hath been in his appearance upon Earth by whom he hath been received and by whom rejected and after what manner he hath ever suffered and by what power he hath reigned in all ages and this you will confesse in words but will you now receive him to reign in you Or can you own his appearance where it is set up in others and not be offended therewith is that eye open that knows him or can you delight in him who was never like the world in his walkings was not he ever poor as to this world and therefore rejected of the rich and learned lowly and rejected of Princes and them that was high was not his work ever to change shadows and forms and Religious traditions set up in mens minds above the life of Truth and leadings of the spirit and to set up spiritual worship and obedience in its place And therefore by the builders ever rejected and condemned and his new work was ever foolishness to the wise wherefore he bare the reproach thereof with patience was he not ever meek and innocent and harmless in his conversation towards all men as a Lamb indeed seperate from sinners in life yet seeking them to save out of sin with the dayly giving up his life c So he was and so he hath ever appeared on earth now can you receive you King as he was you that wait for him Or do you think he is changed Is he now become proud and lofty in flesh after the world cruel and covetous and hard-hearted subtle and crafty to deceive the simpie strong and violent to trample on the helpless doth the glory of his Scepter now stand in meats and drinks and fine apparel or great earthly possessions doth he now come to take up his abode and
condemnation Have you not heard of the love of the Father to the world who sends his Son to lay down his Life therein for a light to the world that whosoever believeth therein might not be condemned can you read and confess this life laid down in the Prophets in Christ in the Apostles in the Martyrs and in all in whom this righteous blood hath been shed from Abel to your time and can you not say they were blind Priest and People who could not see this innocent sufferer in his several appearances And what will you say of your selves seeing the same testimony is before your eyes but not received was ever his sufferings so increased in so little a time and for such little foolish things as your selves calls them which though they seem little yet much innocent blood hath been shed and this life is laid down dayly in many And why should you count that so little which your brethren count dearer then their precious life Is there any thing makes it so but the tenderness of the one and hardness of the other But say you they are guilty of their own blood to suffer for such foolish things but who is their executioners do not you suffer fools dayly they shall witness against you that there is something in it more then folly have you not read that God chuseth the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and base despised things to bring to nought things that are and weak things to confound the mighty and can you read and Preach this and not see it fulfilled nor understand without a meaning then take heed how you call that foolish which God hath chosen to lay down his life in for a witness against the murtherer in the wise men of the world will you call that foolishness whereby the mysteries of God comes to be manifest and that which he hath chosen to declare himself in openly in his Temples and his worship his service and his suffering long in meekness and the Devil in his Temples with his servants his pride his rashness and cruelty and to lay each open to the simplest heart by their fruits which have been long covered with words but now every one that knowes a Wolfe from a Lamb may see and cannot be deceived will you call this little which discovers so great a depth of deceit so closely hid and opens the painted Sepulchres and searches the heart of the deceitful laying it open to your selves and others which else you could not have known nor believed if you were told it could many of you have believed the prince of pride had ruled in you til you see him act you in cruelty on your brethren because they cannot worship you or could you have believed that the murtherer had been there till you proceed to cast into prisons your brethren keep them there till death for these little things And these things some suffer under you for a witness and the rest are spared though that spirit would have none to live that the Scriptures may be fulfilled Satan shal cast some of you into prison c. And are not these things manifestly laid open to your selves and all that are not willingly blind and also the contrary Spirit of Christ Jesus where these things are patiently endured And will you call this foolishness which thus leaves all the world without excuse and prepares all for righteous Judgement many had little thought these little things should have opened such great secrets or this folly have confounded such wisdom when a subtle spirit hath been some years getting knowledge and words and Religion to make himself fair without that others may believe him to be a suffering Saint and one of these little things arises in his way which discover him to be a devouring Wolfe in a moment may not the wise then truely say the weakness of God is greater then the wisdom of men and God hath chosen foolish things to confound the wise And now the Scripture is fulfilled to your face whether you seeing can perceive or no and the rock of offence is laid and the stone of stumbling though he be refused And he is come whom we have looked for in the thousands of his Saints and the head over his Church and his body he is preparing dayly that the Fathers will may be done in Earth and that he may take vengeance of them that know him not nor will receive his testimony who will not believe his light that now shineth but take pleasure in unrighteousness though he be come after their own Preaching and many are his witnesses at his day glory to his brightness and let the Son arise and Reign for ever in whom alone the Scriptures are now fulfilling and the builders reject him and the wicked make prey upon him where he turns from iniquity and the spoiling of goods is suffered joyfully and the havock is made of the Church and he is taken from prison and from Judgement and the reproach of many he bears and the back is given to the smiter and he that sues at the Law for the coat may take the Cloak also he that would have the Hat take the head and body also without resisting and prayers and tears is shed for them that hate and despitefully use him and goods are taken away and not asked again this is our beloved and this is his voice and his sheep knows it and follows him and thus it is written of him and thus it is now read and glory to him that liveth and Reigneth for ever who was and is and is come TO THE RANTERS WO unto you Ranters of all sorts the day of your torment approacheth your cup is almost full your time draws near an end you are fed you are grown full for the slaughter your swelling is reached up to Heaven and the burthen of the Innocent Just one in you cries on high above all people you have dealth evil with the Lord and treacherously betrayed the tender proffer of his Spirit you have murthered the babe in the womb and he hath not resisted but intreated How many gentle reproofs hath he visited you with And with what Love and Faithfulnesse hath he followed you from one of your evils to another calling to you in secret in season and out of season before the act of your wickednesse in the act of it and after you have done it If by any means he might have overtaken you and prevented your ruine and won you again that he might have done you good and saved you from the paths of the Destroyer all wch is written where it cannot be rooted out against the day of vengeance although you have done what you can to stop the mouth of Gods witnesse in you and to stifle the Just least he should reprove you or give you light in your dark by-paths wherein you have walked towards the Lord as wilde Colts and fed Horses refusing his teachings or corrections