God-head or if not of what it is and by what is it nourished I answer to speak properly and after the proper language of men it is not a particle or portion of the Godhead as the outward body of â—…esh and blood is a particle of the great outward world for the God-head is not divisible nor discerptible unto particles being a most simple pure being void of all composition or division containing in himself all creaturely perfections in the greatest simplicity and eminency above what is conciveable unto creatures but it is of the heavenly spiritual and invisible substance and being that is the most glorious being and principle in which God as Father Soâ—… and holy Ghost doth dwell and tabernacle and shine forth in the most glorious brightness beauty sweetness majesty that the nobleâ—… of creatures in their highest supernatural elevation can reach unto behold him and haâ—… fellowship with him which iâ—… the holy of holies and the heaven of heavens or that third heavens in which Paul on earth saw and felt things inutterable and out of these heavens doth the seed of God come who giveth it from himself out of Heaven and soweth it in the heart of man and formâ—…h it by his own immediate arm and power according to his infinite wisdome and watereth it daily and hourly with influences from heaven which have of the virtue and breath of his own eternal life and spirit in them whereby this seed groweth up into a perfect substantial birth of oâ—… heavenly and incorruptible nature though till it come to its perfect formation it can suffer hurt so far as to be slain through man his joyning unto the contrary seed and birth which is Christ formed within the body of Christ his flesh and blood which cometh down from heaven and giveth life unto man unto that soul or mind of man which eateth it and feedeth upon it and it is called the body and flesh and blood of Christ because his eternal life and spirit dwelleth in it immediately and coâ—…ateth unto man the knowledge of the glory and beauty of himself only in and through this seed and birth which living substantial communication and knowledge of Christ and of the Father in him and of the holy spirit who proceedeth from both man only can receive as his mind cometh to put off the body of sin and to put on this seed and birth of God this new man this house and birth from Heaven in which he is a partaker of heavenly things by seeing hearing tasteing smeling and couching or feeling them and hath the enjoyment of God and â—…ellowship with him who is the Lord of Heaven and with the Angels and Saints who are the fellow Citizens of this City Ierusalem from above mount Zion the City of the living God unto which the Saints are come on which they stand in which they love and have fellowship and eat together of the feast of fat things and the Wine well refined in the kingdome of the Father is given unto them in an overflowing cup which things the natural man who is only cloathed with the natural birth and principle cannot reach to understand not so much as a blind man can understand colours or a deaf man sounds therefore he either denyeth them or formeth monstrous and false conceptions about them Hence it is that the School-men and national teachers deny that the Saints in these dayes have any intuitive knowledge of God and though they acknowledge that the spirit of God hath immediate operations and inâ—…uences of a supernatural kind in the saints yet they deny them to be objective manifestations that is to say that they can be known in themselves as immediately seen heard or felt by way of voice or visible inward appearance nor do they acknowledge that any of the Saints on earth now adays know God or his spirit or the things thereof in any other manner but that which is abstractive and not intuitive The intuitive knowledge is that whereby a man knoweth things in their own propâ—… forms qualities properties and idea's as when I know a man by leeing himself hearing his own voice when I know a land by seting it self and all the fine Cities fields and gardens to it smel of the sweet smeling flowers eat of the fruit and drink of the Vines which grow in it the abstract ve knowledge is only that which is but received from the borrowed 〈◊〉 and like which are ever far unlike forms properties qualities and idae's of things as when I only hear a report of these things by words of a mans mouth or read a discription of them in writs or draughts or figures or what I can conceive of them in my own mind not from themselves really presented unto me but from unlike likenesses of them even as unlike as the dead Image of a man's face is to his own living face or painted bread meat and drink is to that which is real and so according to this distinction they say all the knowledge of God which the Saints have on earth is but only abstractive that is to say abstracted and gathered from the words of others who heard and saw him face to face and from what they can conceive of him from their words recorded in scripture or from these Prints and footsteps of him in the Creation which is but a dark shadowing unsatisfactory knowledge we on the other hand from both our own blessed experience and the Scriptures testimony affirm that the Saints have an intuitive knowledge of God and his power and vertue spirit light and Life and the wondrous sweet and pretious workings and influences thereof so as too hear himself 〈◊〉 taste and see that he is good to feel him to smel and favour of his good oyntments according to these Scriptures following wherein the spiritual disceerning is held forth under the names of all the five sences as first of seeing Psal. 34. 8. 63. â—…2 106. 5. Isai. 29. 18. 33. 17. 52. 10. Matth 16. 28. Mat. 5. 8. Acts 2 17. Rev. 22. 4. II of hearing Psal. 51. 8. 81. 8. 85. 8. 143. 8. Luke 8 8. Rev 3. 6. 20. 22. Iohn 10. 3. 4 Heb. 3. 15. III. of tasteing Psal. 34. 8. 119 103 Prov. 24. 13. 14. Luke 14. 24. Heb. 6. 45. 1 Pet. 2. 3. IV. of smeling Cant. 1. 4. 2. 13. 4. 10 11. Hos. â—…4 6. V. of feeling and hanoling 〈◊〉 17. 27. Ephes. â—…4 19. Philip. 1. 9â—… the words in all knowledge and judgement should be translated in all knowledge and feeling for it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Iohn 〈◊〉 1. and 〈◊〉 5. 14. We read expresly of the fences which dâ—…rn between good and evil In like manner the things of God themselves are held forth in Scripture under the names of sensible things and which are most taking pleasant and refreshing unto the sences as light fire water oyl wine oyntment honey marrow and fatness bread flesh Manna and many other such like names
flesh of his flesh and Members of his body being born from above and begot into another Nature Life Spirit and Principle and therefore the World knoweth it not nor them the Members thereof for it knoweth its own and loveth them these who stand in the same Ground Spirit and Principle with it self but because they are noâ—… of World but of God therefore it knoweth them not but hateth and persecuteth them Iohn 1 31. And so the People and Children of God in all ages have been strangers unto the World and unknown to it They have been for Signs and for Wonders their Doctrine their Laws their Conversations hath alwaies been accounted strange and ridiculous and they have been reckoned Deceivers and Blasphemers and the true Prophets and Servants of God have been killed and stoned and put to many cruel Deaths see that Cloud of Witnesses Heb. 11. throughout and ver 37. They were stoned they were sawn asunder were tempted were â—…ayn by the sword they wandred about in sheep-skins and goat-skins being destitute afflicted tormented of whom the World was not worthy c. And so Jesus Christ himself being come in the flesh they knew him not and Crucified him as a Blasphemer and they Persecuted and killed his Disciples and followers under the Name of Deceivers and such as would turn the World up-side down as Deceivers and yet true as unknown and yet well known But now the Members of the true Church know one another being Children of the same Father and Mother Members of the same Body having one Mind Soul Spirit and Life in them all They cannot but know one another in that wherein their Unity stands and Fellowship and Communion one with another and this Unity of the Spirit is the Bond of Peace Ephes. 4. 3. And the Bond of Love whereby their hearts are knit together in Love unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding for the Love is a discerning thing He that Loveth God knoweth him and he that Loveth him that is begotten of God knoweth him also for the true Love and the true Knowledge goeth alwaies together and the one is the Ground and Foundation of the other for that which I have no true knowledge of I cannot Love and that which I Love I cannot but Know in some measure and that which I certainly Know not but doubtingly that I cannot perfectly Love for perfect Love casteth out fear and there is no fear in Love and so no doubting in Love for the fear comes from the doubting and all the Children of God are Sealed in their Fore-heads They have their Fathers Name written upon them the Name of my God and the Name of the City of my God Revel 〈◊〉 1. 2. compared with Revel 7. 3. Whereby they know one another to be the Children of â—…ome Father the Citizens of one City which is the New Ierusalem the Church of the First-born and this is most necessary for them that they know not one another and that not by conjecture but certainly for they being all followers of the Lamb together Warring the same Warfare in the same Cause and Testimony which is also unknown and hid to the World if they did not infallibly know one another they could not have that Peace and Unity and Concord one with another how could they discern the true Friend from the Enemy the secret Enemy the Deceiver which is the most dangerous Enemy and can come into all outwards and appearances wâ—…th Friends can put on the Sheeps cloathing and a form of Godliness but deny the Power and be an enemy to it a ravenous Wolf can speak fair yea and profess all the Words and Principles of Truth and come the whole length of all outwards as is said and yet be a rotten Hypocrite a lymn of Satan a braâ—… of Babylon void of all fear of God So how shall he be discerned See Mal. 3. 18. Where this is promised Then shall ye return and discern between the Righteous and the Wicked between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not and if this Discerning were not it could not otherwayes be but that the one half of the Children of God should War and Contend against one another and be as Babylons Builders the one half breaking down and the other half building up and confounding one another and hereby it may appear that these many Churches that have been set up in the Apostacy have not been true Churches nor begot into the true Nature Spirit and Principle of the Church by reason of their Warring one against another hatred variance strife emulation killing and putting to death one another and where ever any thing of this Spirit of strife hatred envy persecution enters it eats as a Canker and cuts off of the body that Member or Members whereinto it gets entrance and so going from the Unity the Peace the Love they become past feeling dead rotten Members and are to be cut off and denyed and now it being demonstrated that the Children of God Infallibly know one another and hereto I give my Testimony That there is such a thing among the Children of God an Infallible knowledge of one another which they have not of themselves but is the free gift of God and when he pleaseth he may shut them up and counsel some person or persons that they may not be known for a time so Saul or Paul was unknown for a time to the brethren it manifestly follows besides what is already said That this knowledge can alone proceed from the Revelation of Jesus Christ Immediately Manifesting one and another among themselves whereby they are as Epistles writ in one anothers hearts known and read of all Men all the Members of the same Body 2 Cor. 3. 2 3. For being Children of the Light in the Light they dwell and walk and have their fellowship and this makes them Manifest and herein they behold the beauty one of another and each Member envieth not at the beauty of its Neighbours Member but rejoyceth thereâ—… and they are comforted and refreshed one in another standing fast in one Spirit and have a fellow feeling with one another in Joy and Tribulation in Sufferings and Consolations and bear one anothers Burdens and so fullfil the Law of Christ. And did not the Light wherein is their habitation Reveal and make them Manifest They could not know one another certainly at all for it being above proved That without Revelation in the Light a Man cannot know himself then it is Manifest farr less can he know his Neighbour And seeing Babilons Children the Whores Brats as is said can come into all outward formes or appearances either of words or practices then there is no way possible how the Children of the true Mother can be known from the Children of the Whore or how the true Mother her self can be known from the Whore Mistery Babylon But by the Revelation of the Light and Life of Jesus Christ And this Whore Mistery Babylon by
an other of them but more especially the Teachers and Ministers and Bishops so called so stifly and furiously opposing it and the assertors and witnesses thereof to the stirring up of the Rulers and powers of the earth to persecute them with prisoning banishment and other cruel usages and spoyling of their goods and the people through the instigation of their Teachers who falsely in many things report us not only cruely mock and revile us but many of them fall a beating and buffeting of us for the truths fake and in love and compassion to their souls and in the fear and will of the Lord I am drawn to give my Testimony concerning this and to hold forth to the people the Truth and neâ—…y 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 demonstrating it in so far forth as words may be serviceable thereto according to the measure of knowledge I have received from the Lord concerning this thing That our persecutors such of them who through the ignorance that is in them oppose us being informed and convinced of this truth by the light of Christ which shineth in their consciences in the darkness which will not faâ—… to testifie and witness to the truth of my testimony herein may cease any further cruel using of us least they be found fighters against God and cause the innocent to suffer which the righteous judge of the world will not suffer to paâ—… unrevenged and for the sake of the poor people of this Nation â—…or indeed for want of the knowledge of the unsearchable riches of Christ who are as lost sheep going astray upon the barren mountains whether their shepherds have driven them in this cloudy dark day or rather night of thick Aegyptian darkness wherewith they are so blinded in their minds that they are past feeling of God his heavenly power and vertue the only true food of their souls the only true pasture and fold of rest their resting place which the most of them never knew and such who at any time have known any thing of it have forgotten it Oh what a letâ—…argie has overtaken them who have so long and so much professed the name of Jesus Christ among whom there have been some who in some measure sometime a day could feelingly and experimentally speak of what God had done in their souls what Christ had wrought in them could â—…ell of sweet hours of fellowship and communion with him his coming into their souls and supping with them and they with him his revealing the bid invisible in comprehensible inconceivable to the natural understanding glory of his love and shedding it abroad in their souls speaking in them words oâ—… lâ—…e words of power living words spirit and life inutterable impossible to be expressed speaking as never 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spoke or could speak could they have any satisfaction but in his presence his life giving countenance but in the voice of their beloved could it content them to hear man speak when their beloved spoke not was it not a burden unto them to hear or read what God had wrought in them but as the living voice of the beloved of their souls did accompany and witness afresh these things in them causing their hearts to burn and earn with in them he opening in them the Scriptures opening their understandings how did their hearts burn with coals of Love kindled at the fountain God who is love how did their hearts leap for joy at the sound of his voice how were there bowels moved in them when he spoke how did the handles of the lock drop with sweet smelling myrrhe when they rose up to open to their beloved how could they discern when he spoke It is the voice of my beloved could they say that speaketh unto me arise my beloved my fair one and come away Such and the like experiences as we read that the people of the Lord witnessed in the Scriptures so could some who have lived in this Nation and perhaps some yet living witness the same also and could have said A men to the truth of all these things but alas alas into what a dead sleep and letâ—…argie are they fallen which has so stupified and benummed them that they are become past feeling of these sweet experiences how has the thick darkness whereinto they are fallen and are sunk so choaked them and quite wiped out the true remembrance of these things they have so forgot them as if they had never known them and now they are turned with the sons of Belial to mock at these things calling them fancy delusion imagination melancholly some hypochondriack humor a spirit of witcherie and delusion and to persecute them who witness this blessed dispensation of life and glory though in a more steddy and fuller manner and measure and to 〈◊〉 the servants and Ministers thereof with the â—…me of deceivers and false Prophets oh oh how have ye fallen from heaven to earth how are ye sunk into the pit wherein there is no â—…ater how have ye lost your glory turned your glory into shame and followed after lying vanities how have ye suffered your selves to be â—…ulled a sleep in the whores lap with her bewitching vâ—… who hath cut your Locks wherein your strength lay 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is departed from you and the Philistines mock you having put out your eyes and you are become a hissing and reproach to day and yet ye will not cease to reproach you are spoiled your selves and yet ye will not cease to spoil the enemy is getting his will of you to the causing of you shrink from your cause ye have lost your ground ye have thought shame of your cause that which by you was called the cause of God the Covenant and oath of God the work and interest and concernment of Jesus Christ ye have left it at your heels and the most of you trampled on it and now ye fret and rage because ye are provoked to jealousie by a people that are no people poor and despiseable in this world but rich and honourable with God unto whom the Kingdom is given it is taken from you for that ye have not brought forth the fruits worthy of it and it is given unto them a Kingdom which is righteousness peace and joy in the holy Ghost and heavenly Kingdom that cannot be shaken wherein these despiseable ones stand in the Lambs power and reign in victory and dominion in the midst of their sufferings as Kings and Princes unto God over all the cruelty and persecution of their opposers and now ye are joyning issue with them against us whom ye looked upon and dealt with them as your enemies and called them the enemies of God limbs of Antichrist Antichristian ye have associated with them become one body and Church with them plead for their Ministry and Worship that at least if it be not so good as ye would desire yet its lawful and better then to want all and ye go and hear such men up and down the Land whom ye know to have dealt
perfidiously and treacherously for their filthy lucres sake and ye are generally convinced that they are but time servers wicked and bad ye are now openly and avowedly come to plead for a wicked ministry that such who are natural men and wicked may be Ministers of Christ and ought to be heard followed and maintained and such whom the Lord has sent forth to Minister in the power of his life and spirit ye call deluders Fanaticks and the like oh oh remember the day call to mind the time when your souls â—…oathed such Ministers and ye would travel many miles from one remote corner of the nation to another to hear a man who could speak lively to your souls in demonstration of the spirit and of power then there was in you a measure of pure discerning whereby ye could favour the man of God and distinguish the formal dry withered cold and dead preacher from the living and all his painted fine good words could not deceive you e had then a mouth a sence that could taste words as meat and such ye would follow and hear who could speak from and Minister of the power and spirit of life the Ministers of the Letter the dead formal preacher who could chant and talk the Scripture words and steal from other mens lines the good words made ready to their hand ye could not away with they were loathsome and burthensome unto you but now-having lost the discerning these ye can follow and maintain them And such who deny them ye call denyers of the Ministers of Christ a standing Ministry and yet when it was better with you then it is now ye denyed them and many a day cryed in good earnest of your souls to God that he would remove them and whip out of his house such buyers and sellers and purifie and purge the sons of Lev how cryed ye out and breathed to the Lord for a spiritual Ministry a Gospel Ministry a powerful Ministry and now when it s come and coming ye oppose it and bend your force to keep it down oh foolish people and unthankful do ye thus requite the Lord return return from whence ye are fallen repeâ—…rand do you first works turn to the Lord the fountain of living waters from whom ye have deeply revolted cease cease from the broken Cisterns ye have hewed out unto your selves drink no more at the pudled waters the dead waters which who so drinketh off dye they are dead because not freshly issuing and springing from the fountain of life if ye will return come and walk in the light of the Lord with us O house of Iacob O ye lost scattered sheep who have been driven from the fold of rest the sweet pleasant green pasture of your souls the still runing waters the pure sweet Christaline river of life that issueth fresh in living streams from the fountain it self Lo every one that thirsteth come unto the waters and drink wihout Money and price that your souls may live for of a truth the Lord God his opened unto us the fountain a vein of life a well-spring of life a well of living water hath he revealed in us who have believed in his light and hearkned to his voice which cryed in our hearts many a day saying in us turn ye turn ye why will ye die turn ye at my reproof and behold I will pour ouâ—… my spirit upon you this is the well of living water the gift of God which who so drinketh off will never any more drink or thirst to drink of these dead waters that is the good words uttered from a dead killing spirit the waters of the Whore on which she sits and holds forth this cup of fornications unto the inhabitants of the earth whereby they are made drunk bewitched and killed for her lips drops as an hony comb and her mouth is smoother then Oyl but her end the breath and spirit of her mouth from which the words proceed and which accompanies them is bitter as Wormwâ—…od and sharper then a two edged Sword to kill and destroy that of the Lords begetting and starving of it but to the edifying feeding and building up of the false birth Babilons brats which are not to live but to be starved and dye and happy are they who taketh them and dasheth them against the stones And now I say for your sake O ye my kiâ—…olk according to the flesh my little Sister who hath no breasts 〈◊〉 scattered sheep who have no pasture for your souls but that which feedeth death and maketh you live in the earthly corrupt principle which is the Serpents meat that if by any means I may provoke some of you and be serviceable as a mean in the Lords hand who am nothing of my self unto you that ye may return unto the Bishop and Shepherd of your Souls I am drawn in the tender love of God to write unto you concerning this principle to wit Jesus Christ revealed and revealing in man God and the things of his Kingdom even these veins and passages of liâ—… which runs through Paradise the City of God whâ—… streams make glad every inhabitant thereof who because of this can sit and sing God is our refuge we will not fear though the earth be removed and cast into the midst of the Sea God is known for a refuge in her palaces she is beautiful for Scituation the joy of the whole earth is and shall be Mount Sion on the sides of the North the City of the great King 〈◊〉 it must be he alone even this great King who must open an eye in you by the revelation of himself where by ye can behold thâ—… glorious Mountain of his Holiness on whâ—…ch his City Ierusalem from above is built where a feast of fat things full of marrow of wines on the Lees well refined is given to all who enter thereinto the vultures eye the eye of the natural understanding that eye which now seeth cannot see it and the path thereunto is short from all living in the natural earthly corrupt principle and it must be the Light of Christ that can only open the true eye to see this blessed path of Life which if ever ye know it must be known alone by Immediate Revelation and manifestation of Christ in you And it were a great step in its pâ—…ace for you to be convinced of this that it must be so And for this cause this is written to the simple hearted who are willing to see and loves to know the truth that ye being convinced by sound reason and it being demonstrated to you that there is such a thing among the Lords people and must be and that there is no other way to know God or the misteries of his Kindom but as this â—…ey of knowledge which your teachers take from you viz. Jesus Christ revealed in you opens them up then ye may be brought to wait for this glorious dispensation which many thousands can truly witness is come and I in my
for by his Word his immediate Word he does all things he speaks and it is done God made the Heavens and the Earth and this whole Fabrick of the Creation by his Word his immediate Word and he upholds all things thereby God said Let there be Light and there was Light Let there be a Firmament and there was a Firm ment Let the Waters be gathered together and they were Let the Earth bring forth Grass and it was so c. He spoke and it was done And he said Let us make Man in our own Image and it was so Gen 1. He had no other means but the word of his Mouth the word of his eternal Power which was in the beginning whereby all things were made and without it was nothing made And now does not Man in his being Created again unto good Works in his being formed again a new Creature depend upon the same immediate Word of Power which first Created him by this is man begotten again by the Word of God which liveth and abideth for ever and by this he liveth by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God so you may see it s the Scriptures testimony he does all things by his immediate Word the Word worketh in all things immediately which God ever made means are but ciphers without this means opperate but mediately but the Word immediately and this Word is Christ by whom all things are made and in whom they are upheld now here is the difference betwixt this noble piece of Workmanship Man Created a new in Christ Jesus the Word and the other parts of the visible Creation the Word is in him and opperates in them but that Word is not known felt tasted apprehended but God has given Man a knowledg thereof and herein is his glory beyond them he can feel the spring of his Life he can tast the good Word of God in which he liveth moveth and hath his being And he that knoweth not this Word of Life and heavenly Power and vertue in him is dead the corruptible earthly principle cannot apprehend it for it is spiritually discerned and then what differs he from a beast that perisheth but that he is the more miserable Argument 7. And hereby it is that man cometh to the knowledg of Sin and of Wrath and of the heavy displeasure of God because of it somewhat in his mind and conscience which awakeneth him as out of a dead sleep wherein possibly he has so many years seen the sorrows of death now begins to encompass him and the pangs of Hell takes hold on him and he is cast into a bed of torment and finds great troubles and sorrow the arrowes of the Almighty stick fast in him and he is distracted with the terrors of the Lord And the fearful sound of Judgment continually affrights him and what is it which worketh all this in man but the Word of the Lord immediately proceeding from himself God speaking in his Wrath and vexing him in his sare Displeasure As it is Psal. 21. And revealing his Wrath from Heaven against all his ungodlines and unrighteousness Rom. 1. 18. Is it not Christ to whom all Judgment is committed who thus judgeth him Is it not his Spirit which convinceth him of Sin and of Righteousness and of Judgment it is the Lord who bringeth to light when he comes to judg the hidden things of darkness and makes manifest the counsels of the Heart 1 Cor. 4. 5. And all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light and that judgeth them and reproveth the deeds of the evil doer John 3. 20. And worketh Condemnation in him this condemned Cain it condemned Saul it condemned Indas Whereby their punishment was unsupportable for them and now were it not God himself who spoke in them in his Wrath were it not his arm and finger that touched them and lay heavy upon them they could easily bear it they could be comforted against all their other troubles and anxieties could they get rid of this and fly from the fierce anger and wrathful countenance of God but where ever they goe his judgment follows them his witness in their consciences torments them the fire kindles which never goes out and the Worm that never dies gnaweth upon them this is the fiery flaming Sword which devoureth the adversary and cutteth down the man of Sin a fiery Law goeth out of the mouth of the Lord and burneth round about and by this Law is the knowledg of Sin whereof Paul speaks for before this Law came he was alive and secure in Sins his Legal righteousness touching the Law blameless it could not give him the knowledg of his Sin but when this Law came that gave him the knowledg of it and made it exceeding sinful and killed him Argument 8. And as it is God who speaking in man raiseth this storm in his Conscience he commandeth and raiseth the stormy wind as it is written which all the powers of Heaven and Earth could not do besides him Man could remain invincible as a brazen Wall against all their assaults could he be hid from the fierce wrath of God revealed against him in his conscience all the words of Scripture all the curses writ therein could not move him he hath oft heard them and made light of mem all I say as it is God alone who raiseth this storm and bringeth this trouble upon him so it is he alone who can calm and quiet it again he must say to the Wind and raging Waves of the Sea be still and they obey him and that which brings peace and calmness true calmness and stillness to a mans conscience when it is so vehemently troubled demonstrates it self to bear eternal Power for nothing else can do it when God speaks peace who can let it as it is written when he giveth quietness who can make trouble Job 34. and 29. And who can give it but he the Lord speaketh peace in his People he and he alone bindeth up the broken Heart and healeth the wounded in Spiritâ—… he sendeth his Word and healeâ—… the word that cometh from his own mouth which saith in the Soul fear not It is I be not affraid be of good comfort thy Sins are forgiven thee and faith in this word alone can only stay quiet and comfort the wearie distrest Soul faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God the word which proceedeth immediately from himself and faith laying hold on that Word which is full of Power All the words of the Scripture cannot do it when God ceases to speak himself to the Soul it refuseth to be comforted it may read and search and meditate upon the Scriptures but the wounded spirit remains the doubtings the tossings the terrours continue I appeal to any who ever knew any thing of the terrour of the Lord upon their Spirits if it be not so it would fain apply the promises it would fain suck comfort out of the Scripture words but
it cannot find it for the comfort is not in them but the Life from which they came and till it speak them afresh they are but as a sounding Brass and tinksing Cimbal a killing Letter it is only the words that Christ himself speaks that are Spirit and Life and they who see life in the Letter see the living among the dead for it declares of the Life but it is not therein but in him and why is it that so many Souls continue dead notwithstanding their hearing reading searching and meditating upon the Letter but because they come not to Christ himself to get life who will turn their Water into Wine unto them the oldness of the Letter into the newness of the Spirit and all that they call their applying their promises is but the work of their own imagination and sparkes of their own kindling which will cause them to lie down in sorrow till they come to know the great and precious Promises given unto them spoken unto them Immediately from the mouth of Jesus Christ In whom all the Promises are Yea and Amen Argument 9. And that there is somewhat in Man where there is any true renderness and simplicity which can be satisfied with nothing else but God himself seen heard felt tasted and with a knowledg which cometh from his own Mouth and the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation This manifestly demonstrateth there is such a thing to be attained and might be attained were not the poor Soul missed and turned aside from the true path where it is to be found Oh All ye simple tender hearted ones in whom there are any true breathings towards God at any time I appeal to that which breathes in you and it will answer me as for the dead form a withered Professor who is past feeling I have nothing to do with him here and he will be apt to laugh at this argument Do ye not find something in you which is not satisfied with all the knowledg ye have drank in from the Scriptures or the hearing of Man Preach upon them are ye contented with all this find ye rest herein is your thirst quenched with these Waters is your hunger satisfied or rather is it not so with you as when a man in his sleep dreameth that he eateth and drinketh and when he awaketh behold he is hungry and thirsty deal impartially with your selves and then let that which is simple and tender and ingenuous answer me and it will acknowledg it is so Is not there somewhat in you that sayes in your hearts ye are yet ignorant of God ye have not heard his Voice nor seen his shape at any time ye have not heard and learned of the Father and so ye are not come unto Christ feel ye not something in you which Laments after God and Mourns because of its distance from him and can have no joy or content because it wants the light of his Countenance And all your Scripture literal traditional knowledg and wisdom is a burthen unto this in you it can neither satisfie its hunger nor quench its thirst one crumb of Comfort from God himself would be better to you than it all a drop of living water out of the Eountain ye would prefer to it all for one glimpse of the glory and beauty of Jesus Christ ye would be content to count all your other knowledg loss and dung for the excellency of the knowledg of him thus in the immediate manifestation of himself this I am certain it is with many and so was it with my self and with many others who have much literal knowledg we have drunk in partly from our own reading and partly from mens speaking upon the Scriptures but there was somewhat that cryed unto the Lord in our Souls of his begetting for a better knowledg a knowledg that was Life and Peace and fruitful in the works of Righteousness and that other knowledg became a burthen to us and was as Death for we found it empty barren and unfruitful in the works of Righteousness and as it increased it increased our sorrow and the Lord in his great mercy heard that which cryed and breathed in us the living knowledg and opened the Ear to hear and the Eye to see and broke down the partition-wall and rended the Vails which with-held from us the Light of his Countenance and the streamings forth of his Life in the light into our Souls and it was God that begot that desire in us of a more immediate fellowship and communion with him in the Light of his life and he would never have begot it had the thing desired been impossible to be attained and till we come to the accomplishment and fulfilling of our desire even the sweet fellowship of him in the Revelation of his Light we have not rest peace nor content nor shall any ever have it whereby it appears that the one is as necessary to a Christian as the other and he that believes hath entered into his rest Argument 10. Iesus Christ Revealed in Man is the foundation of the true Church and of every Member thereof in particular and therefore if the true Church remain this must remain also This is that which Christ Jesus taught himself in the daies of his Flesh. Mat. 16. 16 17 18. Asking Peter who he was To whom he answered Thou art Christ the Son of the living God Then said he Blessed art thou Simon Barjons for Flesh and Blood hath not Ravealed it unto thee but my Father which is in Heaven And I say also unto thee that thou art Peter and upon this Rock I will build my Church and the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it Now this Rock on which he said he would build his Church is not the Man or vessel Peter himself as the Papists foolishly plead But the Rock was himself Isa. 28. 16. Behold I lay in Sion for a Foundation a Stone a tryed Stone a precious Corner Stone a sure Foundation And said Paul 1 Cor. 3. 11. Other Foundation can no man lay than that which is laid which is Iesus Christ See further those Scriptures Dan. 2. 3 4. Mat. 21. 42. 1 Pet. 2. 4. Ephes. 2. 20. So from these Scriptures it is manifest That Christ himself is the Foundation and not one nor all the Apostles they are not the Foundation they are but a part of the building And Christ is their Foundation the Foundation of the Prophets and Apostles as 't is Ephes. 2. 20 He himself is the chief corner Stone or as it is in Beza's Translation the undermost corner-Stone He is the undermost Stone of all the building and he is the corner-Stone that which knits every Stone or part of the building together being the Foundation Stone in every Member That is every Believer they have all immediate access unto this Stone To whom comming saies Peter As unto a living Stone 1 Pet. 2. 4. and Ephes. 4. 15 16. He is the Head in all From whom the whole
mine Elect in whom my Soul delighteth I have put my spirit upon him he shall bring forth Iudgment to the Gentiles c. He shall not fall nor be discouraged till he have set Iudgment in the Earth and the Isles shall wait for his Law ver 4. and Isa. 49. 6. I will also give thee for a Light to the Gentiles that thou mayst be my Salvation unto the ends of the Earth And ver 8. I will preserve thee and give thee for a Covenant of the people to establish the Earth to cause to inherit the desolate heritages c. And Isa 55. 4. Behold I have given him for a witness to the People a Leader and Commander to the People And Ieremiah the Prophet saith of him Ierem. 23. 5 6. 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 Iudgment and Iustice in the Earth in his daies Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely And this is his Name whereby he shall be called THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS And he said of him Ierem. 20. 9. His Word was in mine heart as a burning Fire shut up in my bones and I was weary with forbearing I could not stay And this was the Word which come unto all the true Prophets and instructed them with their Messages from the Mouth of the Lord Many other Passages might be brought testifying to this Principle out of the other Prophets Ezek. Dâ—… Hosea and the rest but I forbear And Iohn the Baptist testified of him saying That he came being sent of God for a Witness of the Light that all men there-through might believe he was not that Light but was sent to bear Witness of that Light that was the true Light which enlightens every Man that cometh into the World John 1. 6 7 8 9. And Christ himself in the dayes of his Flesh testified of himself saying I am the Light of the World he that followeth me shall not walk in Darkness but shall have the Light of Life John 8. 12. And this is the Condemnation that Light is come into the World and Men love darkness rather than light John 3. 19. and John 14. 6. I am the way the truth and the life And Iohn 11. 25. I am the Resurrection and the Life And Iohn 10. 9. I am the Door by me if any man enter in he shall be saved and go in and out and find Pasture And Iohn 15. 1. I am the Vine and my Father is the Husband-man c. And all these glorious things both he in the daies of his Flesh and the Prophets before that his appearance in that body of Flesh declared neither only nor Principally concerning his coming in the Flesh namely in that Vessel or Temple which appeared at Iesalem mainly and Principally concerning his spiritual appearance in his Saints after his being Crucified Risen and Ascended for till then the Son of Man was not glorified Phil. 7. 39. And though he was bodily present with his Disciples yet he told them they were to see greater things Phil. 1. 50 And he said the Kingdom of God was at hand and he taught them to pray for it and he said There be standing some among you which shall not taste of death till they see the Kingdom of God come with great power and glory whereby it is manifest that these things relate mainly to his coming again in spirit when it should be powred out according to these many Promisses concerning the same Recorded in the Prophets and as is said before he told them It was expedient he should go away that he might come again in a more glorious and comfortable appearance by the Revelation of his glorious Power in their hearts for his Kingdom was not of this World but an inward Kingdom and he said that it was within and pointed to this spiritual appearance by his Light in their hearts under many Parables and Figures which he calls the Kingdom of God Mat. 13. 18 19 c. He compareth it to seed sown in several sorts of Ground and he explaineth what he meaneth thereby calling it the word of the Kingdom That Kingdom which standeth not in Words but in the Word Eternal and this is the Word of the Kingdom which is sown in all sorts of Ground good and bad that is in every mans heart but the good only receiveth it and bringeth forth Fruit therein ver 3. He compareth it to a grain of Mustard-seed which being the least of all seeds yet groweth up unto a Tree and is the greatest among herbs hereby pointing at his appearance in Mans heart at first which is very insensible but as he is believed in becomes gradually greater and greate till the Kingdom come with power and great Glory which is also figured forth by the other Parable of Leven which a Woman took and hid in three measures of Meal and it Leaveneth the whole Again ver 44. He compareth it unto a Treasure hâ—…d in the Field the which when a Man hath found he hideth and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath and buyeth that Field whereby he understandeth his Light that shineth in the darkness of Mans Heart which hideth it from him and Earth in mans Heart is that Field Now though the darkness doth much to hide this noble Treasure yet this noble Pearl shineth forth through the Darkness and reaches to somewhat in Man which being touched by its Vertue and Power is made sensible and an eye opens in the sensible part which finds the Treasure and selleâ—…h all for it quitteth all the Light discovers to he evil that the Field may be redeemed and the Treasure possessed and this Treasure the Word of the Kingdom being full of Power worketh cut the Corruption out of the Field the fruitful Field becometh barren and then fatneth it and maketh it good ground good Earth this is the New-Earth and the Treasures or seed sown therein takes Root and becomes a branch or plant and it is the noble Plant of Renown That iâ—… Christ formed in the Soul Gal. 4. 19. And so the barren Wilderness becometh a fruitful Field and the fruit of the Earth becometh excellent Isa. 4. 2. For it is the fruit which springs out of the Earth and the Heavens open and poureth down Righteousness which watereth this noble Plant with its living streams Again he compareth it to a Merchant-man seeking goodly Pearls who finding one Pearl of great price went and sould all and bought it What is this Pearl but the Light Revel 21. 21. Compared with Iohn 10. 9. The twelve Gates are twelve Pearls and yet but one as the seven Spirits of God are one Spirit Again ver 47. He likeneth it unto a Net cast into the Sea which gathereth of every kind good and bad but the good are kept in the vessells and the bad cast away hereby is signified the Word of Gods Power the Light of
come in as a flood the Spirit of the Lord sets up a standard and bullwark against him and O what a sweet blessed and comfortable condition is this to know every Motion that moves in the Soul to have Judgment so set up the pure Judgment from the Lord in the heart which passes an infallible sentence upon every thought and inclination shewing its Nature and stamping as it were upon the face a Superscription shewing whose it is This is the spiritual Man which judges all things and is judged of no man he is a Child of the day and walks in the Light where is no occasion of stumbling and he knoweth whither he goeth and whom he serveth and whose work he doth and this man doth all in Faith from a full unshaken perswasion that he is allowed and approved of God in what he does and so he serves God in all things and glorifies him in his Body and in his Spirit which are the Lords and till Man return to this state which was the pure state of his first Creation he shall never have true Peace or Content or Joy or Rest but find Judgment from the Lord pursuing him if he be not past feeling and this was my own condition in a day O how did I lament before the Lord because of the thick Darkness wherein I was so choaked that I had no manifest or infallible feeling of that which is my life to day the blessed Spirit of God and when many things moved in me and thoughts come in upon my mind how was I ground as betwixt two Mill-stones with doubts on the one hand lest they were of God and fears on the other to the contrary and I had no certainty of either and so what ever I did I was Condemned and full well I knew the truth of that Scripture He that doubteth is Damned and I never came to the full and manifest Perswasion what Spirit or Principle moved in me till I came to a cessation of all my own works in the self will and then in the stillness I learned the Judgment of God concerning every thing in me and in that day I cryed out and questioned in my heart saying Is such a thing possible at this day for I had no doubt but the Prophets and Apostles and Saints of old have it for me to know that Spirit that moveth in me to have a feeling or sensation of it which would put me out of doubt as when I taste Wine or Water or Vinegar I discern each of them Manifestly and has no doubt concerning them and by the Lords merciful Providence and his good hand that led me in a way I knew not I met with a People who told me there was such a blessed Dispensation and they were brought into it in their measures and they said to me God was to be known and his holy blessed Spirit by a sensation or feeling which begot a ravishing unspeakable Joy sweetness and delight in the Soul such as I never conceived of neither could it enter into my heart till it were Revealed into the and as I keeped to that which judged me gradually it raised up a pure sense and discerning in me and begot a birth of Life in me which could feel its Spring or Principle And this is man's happiness and till he come hither he is in Darkness and walks he knows not whither and works he knows not whose work it is or whom he serves for now these thoughts motions or inclinations of the mind being so secret what can judge them but the Word of God alone that Eternal Word of Power Jesus Christ before whom all things are naked and bare which is quick and powerful and sharper than a Two-edged-Sword to devide betwixt the Soul and Spirit and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart all Scripture words come short here infinitely short for the Devil can and oft doth Transform himself into the likeness of an Angel of Light and puts on the sheeps cloathing the good words Scripture words he can suggest them and teach man to spin out many subtil notions interpretations about them which things also may be true upon the matter being known and received from and retained in the false spirit is but an Idol and not the Truth Again there are many things which a man does which themselves considered may be done or not done and so they being considered meerly in themselves are neither good or evil and become only so according to the Principle which moves in mens hearts thereto good because from the Spirit of God Man is moved thereto and evil because from the wrong Spirit Man is moved to do them and so it comes oft to pass that two Men doing the same things upon the matter or speaking the ame words suppose the giving of almes or speaking of some swords by way of exhortation or prayer or the like the one may be justified of God doing the same from the movings of his Spirit the other Condemned doing them from the wrong Spirit or Principle and yet doth so far go playing together as Scripture words can go with them and here the words fall short to judge them both useing the words or things in themselves allowable by them but now the one doing in the Faith which gives the feeling of the Principle of God which moves him is accepted and the other doing but in the form and immitation and from the wrong Spirit and Principle is rejected and his service abomination before God And if one would say These inward secret Motions may be judged by their fruits which afterwards outwardly appear I answer That is too late and the enemy may proceed so great a length before the fruits outwardly appear as to have wholly captivated Man into his snares so as he cannot get rid and then he will readily teach him to Justifie the Fruit also But though they were seen to be evil it is too late according to the wise saying of the Poet Principiis obsta sere Medicina paratur Cum mala per longas invaluere moras Resist all evills how soon they begin When they have grown too late comes Medicine Evil is to be resisted in its first appearance the Serpent is to be crushed in the Egg And how shall it be resisted if it be not manifestly known And hereby it may further appear how absolutely necessary it is for man to know the guidance of the Lord Immediately by the Revelation of his Light and Spirit to order him in the stepps of his conversation for it is not in man to direct his stepps and he is in all his waies to acknowledg the Lord and to be found in his will in all things doing all in his name that is in his Power in the leadings of his holy Spirit to walk after that in all things else he cannot do all in Faith having in all he doth either the express Commandment of the Lord thereanent or at least his approbation
feeling in his Spirit the Lord giving him liberty and how far short do the Scriptures fall to tell a man what he is to do in all the circumstances and emergencies of Providences which fall out in his life time no rational man but seeth a World full of Books could not contain rules and directions to a man in all things which yet are all to be done in Faith the Foundation whereof is the Word of God and his Revealed Will and if one should plead that general rules of Scripture and examples may serve the turn who see not they cannot but fall short there being no rule immaginary so generall concerning things in themselves indifferent but suffer thousands of exceptions and examples also yea and many times these things which in the general look as duty when the particular comes to be weighed in the ballance of Righteous Judgment it is Sin As for instance Parents are to be obeyed but now what if they command that which God forbids then they are to be denied therein and many times the case is so doubtful whether the thing commanded be against or with the command of the Lord one sayes it is and seeks to Justifie it by Scriptures another sayes it is not and condemns it from Scriptures and what can be a touch-stone in such cases but the Light of Christ which makes all Manifest and many have seen this how general rules the best of them all as they lye in words fail to determine particulars as in that and the like Fus suum est cuique tribuendum every man is to have what is proper or belonging to him and yet this suffers many exceptions as if a Mad-man would demand his own knife from another that has it to cut his own Throat it is to be denied and oft times the case in the particular cloathed with such and such circumstances is exceeding doubtful when the general is clear and therefore they make a vertue they call Epieikeia in Greek and to this they give the Office of Modifying and Judging in such cases how far the general rule of equity is to be kept to or receded from in such cases as requires exception as for instance mans right must yield to Gods right and the right of particulars must yield to the right in general and this is the work of that vertue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as they terme it to define the true midst or miâ—…di â—…ity betwixt the two extreams and the many circumstances which falls in betwixt them to touch the Center in â—…is large circumstance and what can do this but the very Wisdom of God which would lead man through all these intricacies according to its promise Prov. 6. 22. above mentioned And what a blessed Priviledg do they cut themselves short of who â—…enies such a thing can be expected as the immediate leadings of the Lord teaching man and giving him counsel in the wearie affaires and circumstances of his Life and instructing him in the Will of his God and calling him to what ever place calling or imployment he betakes himself too as the Lord who is his Judge is Chastly waited upon and we can set too our Seal to it that we have found it so And without this it is impossiâ—…le to please God and now having shewed the deceipt of the enemy in this thing whereby they are betrayed into an opinion That the Principle which moves in man or gives him his knowledge cannot be known in its own immediate Manifestation I proceed further to demonstrate that it s to be known and that the true ear or eye which Gods spirit opens in mans Soul as it is Spiritual Heavenly and of an incorruptible Nature so is its object and therefore the objective Revelation immediately from the Spirit of God is as necessary as the subjective I am constrained to use their terms and find freedom so to do for their sake and so whereas they say there is no object to be revealed but that which is already revealed in Scripture and is evident and clear enough in it self and requires onely one opened ear or eye to discover it is utterly false we look not saith Paul on things that are seen but at things which are not seen for the things which are seen are Temporal but the things which are not seen are Eternal 2 Cor. 4. 18. Now observe what he makes the object of a Christians sight knowledg or discerning not words but things and how far short words fall of the things is above manifested next he makes this object not things temporal things visible that falls under the preception of the carnal eye or ear or whatever is of this corruptible World now though the things reported of in Scripture be eternal yet the words of the Scripture as they can be read or heard with the eye or ear of flesh are not eternal for nothing they can perceive is such now again see how far the Apostle shuts forth words or the best of conceptions or thoughts or speculations of Mans heart or whatever can be perceived that way from being the object of this eye or sence of the Lords begetting in man 1 Cor. 2. 9. Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard neither hath it entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him Now all the words of the Scripture the eye hath seen or may see the ear hear and they may enter into the heart of man to conceive the words and form many conceptions on them but the things have never entred which the Scriptures report off into his heart it is true he may form one image or likeness of them in his mind as if I should form a likeness of such a Man or Countrey I never saw but only heard off this were not the true representation no more is that it s but an Idol and Revelations 2. 17. To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden Manna and will give him a white Stone and in the stone a new Name written which no man knoweth but he that receives it Lo here is the object of his knowledge that overcometh and none knew this object but he The hidden Manna the white Stone and the new name and what is this object but the Son of the Fathers Love Jesus Christ himself not only revealing but revealed in the Soul not only causing a man to know but being himself known The eternal Life it self manifested He is this hidden Manna this white Stone in which the Name is written and now is not a sight of him manifested seen heard handled more than all words is not this one object revealed which onely himself can reveal Oh what an indignity do ye to Christ and to that holy pure chaste birth of his begetting in man who deny that any more of the glory of Christ is to be known but what letters of Sylables or sounds in the Air can contain they give indeed a true report of him