and how then should they be able to sow their Seed and bring forth sin Out of the evil heart proceeds all evil but out of that heart which is throughly Circumcised to love the Lord God wholly evil cannot proceed If Lust be not conceived it cannot bring forth Sin and where the Womb which conceived it is kept dry and barren it cannot conceive again And is not this the Promise of the Gospel That the Womb which was once barren shall be very fruitful and bear abundantly but the other grow feeble and be able to bear no more Oh that People had experience of Gods Power and did believe therein what should stand in the way of it It was Israels sin of old when they looked at their Enemies and saw their footing and strength in the Land which God had promised to Abrahams Seed for an Inheritance they could not believe that they should be overcome O take heed of the same unbelief now Concerning CHRIST Coming to the FATHER by him Receiving him walking in him not in the oldness of the Letter but in the newness of the Spirit and concerning reading the Scriptures aright I am the Way the Truth and the Life No man cometh unto the Father but by me saith Christ John 14.6 MAN in the corrupt degenerate estate is fallen from God hath lost his Image the holy heavenly Image of the Father of Spirits is driven out from his presence dwels in the Land of darkness and confusion under the Government of the Prince of the Power of the Air who rules in and hath power over all the Children of Disobedience Now this should be mans work even to return to the Father to come back out of the prodigal lost state to the Fathers house where there is sufficiency and fulness of true Bread and Water of Life to satisfie every hungry and thirsty Soul The Way whereby a man must come the Truth wherein he must be renewed and the Life wherewith a man must be quickned is Christ the Son of the Living God and he must know him as the Son of the Living God and feel him revealed in him and received by him and so walk in him the Way in him the Truth in him the Life if ever he come to the Father He must not rest in the description of things but feel and know receive and walk in the Thing which by the Spirit of the Lord hath been often formerly and is still described in what words and by what means the Spirit pleaseth But to receive all the descriptions of him that were formerly given forth or all the descriptions that are now given forth that will not do but the Soul that will live by him must receive him and feel the ingrafting into him the holy Root the living Word of Gods eternal Power and must feel this Word ingrafted into his heart so that there be a real becoming one in nature and Spirit with him And then he is truly in the Vine in the Olive-tree and partakes of the vertue and sap thereof he abiding therein and walking in the Spirit Life and power thereof Now hear a man walks not nor cannot walk in the oldness of the Letter but in the newness of the Spirit only Paul notwithstanding all his knowledge of the Scriptures walked but in the oldness of the Letter before Christ was revealed in him And those in the Apostles dayes who had got the form of godliness but turned from and denied the power they walked but in the oldness of the Letter Yea the Church of Sardis for the most part and the Church of Laodicea who had received the right order and ordinances and the true descriptions of things and though they were full and rich and wanted nothing they walked but according to the oldness of the Letter and not in the newness and power of the Spirit of Life But alas how far are many who pretend to Christ in this day from this state who never came so far as to walk in the oldness of the Letter from a true understanding thereof but have only learned and continued to walk in the oldness of their own apprehensions and conceivings upon the Letter Can these in this state possibly understand Truth or know the inward spiritual precious appearances thereof either in their own hearts or others Surely no. Why so Why this is the reason because the measure the appearances of Truth either in themselves or others by their own old apprehension and conceivings upon Scriptures concerning Truth which is not the proper measure of it Now all such are yet in darkness let them pretend what they will and grow never so high in knowlerg exercises and experiences after this manner and so the best zealousest and most knowing of them in this state are but blind leaders of the blind and thus going on shall most certainly fall into the Ditch of perdition O that men could feel that which makes rightly sensible and might lay it to heart For no man can confess Christ how then can he receive him and walk in him but by the holy Spirit And he that knoweth not the Spirit rightly knoweth not Christ rightly and he that doth not know him rightly doth not confess him rightly and none can know him rightly but by the revelation of the Father inwardly The mistery must be opened within or there is no true knowing The mistery of deceit is discovered within and the mistery of Life is discovered within also And though the heart of man in the unregenerate estate is deceitfull above all things and despeartely wicked and no man of himself can search or know it yet that is not the state of the true Jsraelites whom God hath cleansed and taught to deny themselves daily but they have boldness before that God who hath searched them and removed from them the iniquities which he found therein Yea whoever witnesseth Christ revealed within shall find him revealed within for this very end to destroy the works of the Devil there and he is a powerfull Saviour of the Soul from sin and a powerfull Destroyer of the works of the Devil within Now concerning reading the Scriptures mind this It is said of the Jews that when they read Moses or in reading the Old Testament the vail was upon their heart which vail is done away in Christ 2 Cor. 3.14 15. O consider seriously is the vail done away from thee Dost thou read the Scriptures with the unvailed eye dost thou read in the Anointing in Christs Spirit in the pure heavenly Wisdom of the divine Birth It was promised of old that God would take away the face of the covering cast over all people and the vail spread over all Nations Dost thou witness this Promise fulfilled to thee dost thou know the difference between reading the Scriptures with the vail on thee and with the vail off Are the Scriptures opened and unlocked to thee by the key of David so that thou readest and understandest them in the Light
learned Christ would not that have been against Joel's Prophesie but Paul did not so for he cites the Law and saith as also saith the Law But the Priests are blind and cannot see what the Woman is that was not permitted under the Law nor under the Gospel to speak For the Law did not forbid Miriam and those Women that Prophesied and were Prophetesses Judg. 4.3 4 5 6. Luke 2.36 And was it not a Woman that was sent by Christ that first did preach his Resurrection to his Disciples they that would stop Christ from sending Women now who are witnesses of his Resurrection they be of another spirit and also they are of another spirit then Moses was of who said he would that all the Lord's People were Prophets and were all the Lords People Men and no Women amongst them it appears that Moses would not stop any either Male or Female among the Lords People but the Priests and many more are of another mind but that mind is not the mind of Christ and therefore we matter it not what it either leads to say or affirm seeing they will be wilfull And seeing it is written in the first Language of Greek out of which the English was translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word signifies both Man and Woman and in Latine hic haec homo which doth signifie both man and Woman and in John 1.1 9. where it is said The Word which was with God was the true Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world which word Man signifieth both Man and Woman and as it maketh no difference in the enlightening neither doth it in their speaking But that the simple may not be deceived by them many things have been and are written for their sakes more then for the sakes of such opposers who go after their own deceived heart and will not be warned and so the Lord lets many of them alone to whose righteous Judgments I leave them who will plead with them for what they have done against him who by their Sophistry and subtil Insinuations have turned aside the simple out of the way of Truth W. D. CONCERNING The SUM or SUBSTANCE OF OUR RELIGION Who are called QUAKERS And the Exercise Travels of our Spirits therein THIS is the Sum or Substance of our Religion to wit to feel and discern the two Seeds the Seed of Enmity the Seed of Love the Seed of the Flesh the Seed of the Spirit the Seed of Hagar the Seed of Sarah the Seed of the Egyptian womb the holy Seed of Israel and to feel the Judgments of God administred to the one of these till it be brought into bondage and death and the other raised up in the Love and mercy of the Lord to live in us and our Souls gathered into it to live to God in it Now when the Light of Gods holy Spirit breaketh in upon man and his quickning vertue is felt then life enters into that which was slain and there is a desire begotten in the heart to travel out of the Egyptian state into the good Land that the Soul which came from God might return back again to him out of the sinfull wandring miserable lost estate and might live and walk with him in the purity vertue and power of his own Life and Spirit But then the other birth strives for its life and Pharoaoh the King of Egypt takes part with his Egyptians against Israel and there is no help to the poor soul but as God pours out his Judgments upon that hard nature and spirit in man which is of the Birth of the Flesh and receives the influences and strength of its father which harden it against the true Seed And now what a condition is this poor Soul in the Light of Gods Spirit giveth it the sence of its state and the quicknings of Life make it sensible of its bondage there are also some desires and longings after deliverance but this doth but provoke the Enemy and the Soul being yet in his Territories and under his power he dealeth the more hardly with it increasing its burdens and oppressions daly And O the out-cries of the Soul in this state how is its spirit pained anguished and vexed within it so that it could almost many times chuse rather to lie still in Egypt then undergo the heavy burdens oppressions fears and dangers that it daily meets with in this state Yet there is a Secret hope springing up in the heart from the true Seed which often encourageth it to trust him and wait upon him who hath visited in his pure ministration of Judgment For this is felt many times as the Soul is made truly sensible by the Lord that the Judgment is not to the Seed not to Israel but to Pharaoh and his Egyptians and by every stroke of Gods wrath upon them the Seed is eased and its deliverance working out And so at last when the Judment is finished in the Land of Egypt the strength of Pharaoh and his Egyptians broken their first-born slain out comes Israel out of the Dark Land out of the House of Bondage to travel towards its resting place Then the Paschal Lamb is known and fed on yea it is because of the Blood of the Lamb sprinkled upon the Door-posts that Israel is passed over and saved in the day of Egypts visitation O who can read this truly that hath not felt and been a living witness thereof But now when the seed is come out of Egypt there is not the end but rather the beginning of its Travels Pharaoh and his Egyptians with their Horses aâ—d Chariots may pursue again and even overtake and there may seem no way of escape or help to the Soul but only to stand still hope in the â—ord and wait to see his Salvation Then shall the Sea be divided which stopped Israels course and Pharaoh with his Egyptians the Enemies of the soul in this appearance of dreadful opprssieng power be destroyed and seen no more Yet in the willdernes in the passage through the entangelements to the holy Land there are many straits trials and sore Enemies to be met with who will strive by open force and also with enchantements to betray Israel yeâ— there is a part yet unbrought down yet unwrought out at which they will be striving to enter the mind And as Israel forgets his God walking out of his Counsel hearkning to that which his ear should be shut against and so joyning to the contrary Seed the Plagues the Judgments the Indignation and wo will be felt by him and many Carkases may fall there So that there may be a great outcry in the heart Who can stand before this holy Lord God shall we be consuming with dying yes there is somewhat must be consumed with dying Yea if a man came so far as to witness dominion and victory over his Souls Enemies the evil Seed brought into death in him and a possession and inheritance in the pure rest
from the inward work of the Power and Life of Christ in the heart which as so held cannot save any But whoever feels the Light and Life of Christ revealed in him and comes into union with God there-through he feels the work of Regeneration of Sanctification of Justification of Life and Redemption and so comes to reap benefit inwardly and to partake of the blessed fruits of all that Christ did outwardly Yea he that is thus one with Christ in the Spirit cannot exclude himself nor is excluded by God from the advantage of any thing nor every thing Christ did in that body of Flesh This indeed is the main thing to witness Salvation wrought out in the heart to witness the eternal Power and Arm of the Lord laying hold on the Soul to save it and not only laying hold on it to save it but to witness the working out and the effecting of the Salvation as really in the Substance as Israel of old did in the shadow For as they witnessed Moses and Joshua outwardly so the true Israelite the inward Israelite the spiritual Israelite is to witness that which is the Substance of these even the Son of God revealed inwardly Now they were not saved outwardly by a baâ—e outward believing that Moses and Joshua were sent of God to save them but by following them in faith and obedience to what from God they required So to the inward Israel Christ is given for a Leader and Commander who appears to the distressed embondaged Soul in Egypt brings out of Egypt and so leads on towards the good Land and into it Now as the Soul followes as the Soul believes in his Appearances and obeys his voice in the holy pure Covenant of Life so he works out the Redemption thereof But as unbelief and disobedience gets up and the heart is heardened at any time against his Voice and Counsel and the ear open to the temtaptions of the Enemy the Redemption thereby goes backward and the distress and captivity returns again This is witnessed known and experienced by ever true Traveller towards Sion Therefore the main thing requisite is to abide in the sence of the Redeemers Power as also in waiting for his motions and apperances and in the Faith and Obedince thereof For sin gathers strength and is brought forth by letting in and giving way to the motions thereof and so also Holiness and Righteousness is brought forth and getteth ground in the mind by harkening and giving up to the stirrings and movings of Gods holy Spirit Therefore it is of great necessity to every true Traveller to come to a right understanding and distinguishing of these and then that the heart be kept with all diligence because out of it are the issues both of life and and death And most happy is he who knows the issues of death stopped and the issues of Life opened and whose spirit is naked and open before the Lord for Life to spring up in him and issue forth through him at its pleasure O it is a precious state to witness Captivity led Captive by Life and the power of Life reigning over it And truly there is as real deliverance witnessed inwardly by those that wait upon the Lord and are faithfull to the leadings of his holy Spirit as ever there was by the Jews outwardly in their faithfull following Moses and Joshua and Christ is as truly an Healer of his People in this ministration of Life to them by his holy Spirit as ever he was an Healer of Persons out wardly in the dayes of his Fesh That with the other Miracles which he wrought then was but a shadow of what he would work and perform inwardly in the day of his Spirit and holy Power and shall he or can he to those that faithfully wait upon him fall short in the one of what he shadowed out in the other Nay surely it was the intent of his heart and he will not fail to perform it to save to the very utmost all that come to God by him and abide in his holy pure righteous living Covenant Here is the skill of Christianity to abide in him and here the living Virtue and pure Power is felt which overcometh all but nothing can overcome it but Victory Dominion Glory Majesty and Power is sung unto him who is King of Saints who reigns in righteousness and who establisheth Peace and Truth within his Borders A few words concerning the the Principle of Truth What it is How it may be discerned and how it may be purchased and possessed QUest 1. What is the Principle of Truth Answ It is the Light which reproves and makes sin manifest Whatsoever doth make manifest is Light Wherefore he saith Awake thou that sleepest arise from the dead c. Eph. 5.13.14 There is no other way of awaking out of sleep and arising from the the dead but by the Light which makes sin manifest And O how pretious is that Light Quest 2. How may the Principle of Truth be discerned Answ By its piercing quickning nature which discovereth it self in its appearances and operations For it appears and works not like mans reason or like motions of his mind which he takes into his understanding part but it appears and works livingly powerfully and effectually in the heart Mans reason is corrupt dark impure since the fall and in the hand and under the power of the wicked one It s nature is to hide and cover sin not to discover it Now the Light of the Law which discovers sin ariseth not hence Who can bring the clean pure light of the Law out of the unclean impure Reason of man The Light indeed may shine in the Darkness but it is no part of it but of another nature and descent It is from Gods Spirit and given to man in his love unto him to lead him out of his dark wayes and spirit into the pure Spirit and way of Holiness For the Light which discovers sin is all holy and pure like the Fountain from whence it comes Now a man that is acquainted both with Reason and with this Light he can distenguish the Nature and operations of both For there is a great difference between TRUTH held in the Reasoning part and TRUTH held in its own Principle It is very powerful in the one it effecteth little in the other In the pure quickenings of Life this distinction is perceived and also held Therefore our advice is to all men to retire from all mortality that they may come to feel the Spring of Life in themselves and something springing therefrom into them to quicken them and to wait to have their understandings opened and kept open by that that so they may receive retain and not again lose the capacity of understanding the things of Gods Kingdom Quest 3 How may this Principle Seed or Pearl be purchased and possessed Answ By dying to a mans own wisdom and will There is not another way For the Light is wholly contrary
will bring forth his Righteousness wherein his Power shall appear wherein his Presence shall be made manifest wherein that which shined before in the Primitive Church shall shine again in this new-reared Building of his insomuch as men shall be forced to say This is the Church of Christ indeed God is here of a truth This is the Gosple-Jerusalem indeed which is built upon the holy Hill of Sion in which Innocency Righteousnesse Truth Love Sweetnesse Peaceablenesse and the gentle Nature and Spirit of the Lamb lives and reigns and the Lord bless thee O Habitation of Justice and Mountain of Holiness Now of a truth this Work is begun The times of refreshment are come from the Presence of the Lord. The Lord hath heard from Heaven pitiying the cries of his Seed and hath visited their Souls causing the Light of Life even the pure Light of the everlasting Covenant to shine upon their Tabernacles But whoever would know these things and partake of them must come in at the Door by the Guidance of the Spirit through the Light which is with him And he that would enjoy the full Light even the shinings forth of the Sun at noon day must begin with its glimmerings even that in the heart which discovereth and draweth out of the corrupt state of the World towards the Father O hear and live Do not dispute about it but wait to feel it upon the feeling of it despising the shame and taking up and enduring the Cross and so bearing the reproach and sufferings of Christ in thy Age and Generation And as thou obeyest thou shalt know of its Doctrine but out of the pure Faith and Obedience there is no true sound deep-rooted knowledge but all of that kind must be parted with for the knowledge which is of the Faith and which is made manifest and increased in the Obedience which knowledge is of a far more excellent Kind and Nature Then that which thou art to part with for it The Lord guide thy Mind and stretch forth his Hand to help thee who from the least touch of a true Nature and Spirit desirest after the pure Truth and Way of eternal Life Amen This Testimony here held forth is faithful and true and I know the Witness of God in many hearts will answer to it and happy is he that maketh a right use of it For so doing his Soul will not fall short of the pure living Truth nor set up any thing else for Truth which is not Isaack Penington THE END John 10.1 2 Pet. 1.20 21. Jer. 23.28 John 1.1 Jer. 2.4 8. Ezek. 1.3 John 1.14 Rev. 19.13 Heb. 4.12 13 Luke 1.73 19.15 John 16.13 Rom. 18.14 Mat. 11.15 Mat. 13.11 Mat. 3.11 Ephes 4.5 6. Rom. 6.3 1 Cor. 12.13 2 Cor. 5 17. John 6.54 55 56 57. Acts 4.32 1 Cor. 10.16 1 Cor. 10 21. 1 Cor. 11.29 1 Cor. 2.14 1 John 3.17 Rom. 8.6 2 Tim. 3.5 1 Pet. 3.12 Jam. 5.5 6. Pro. 15.8 29. Ex. 40.12 13. Luke 1.3 Hab. 1.13 Mat. 12.34 Job 14.4 Gen. 3.15 2 Sam. 2.22 1 Sam. 5.22 Isa 1.13 14 15 16 17. Mark 16.25 Amos 3 7 8. Am 7.14 15. Gal. 1.11 12. 1 Cor. 1.17 18 19 c. Chap. 2. 2 Pet. 1.21 Act. 2.4 c. Acts 20.33 1 Thes 9.6 as in Act. Act. 24 5.6 Act. 22.22 Witness the Town of Cambridge the Wel-head Rom. 7.14 Rom. 4.15 Rom. 8.1 Gal. 5.23 Rom. 8.8 2 Sam. 23.3 Pro. 28.15 16. Pro. 25.28 Pro. 29.10 Isa 14.15 James 2.9 Hos 4.18 Hester 3. Dan. 1.3 Isa 23. Isa 5.27 28. Psal 82.1 3. Zeph. 3.3 Hos 4.18 Mar. 6.17 c Hest 3.8 Rom. 13.3 4. Exod. 4.10 11 12 13. Acts 9.5 6. 2 Thes 2.4 Jam. 4.1 2 3. 2 Cor. 5.16 17. Gal. 6.14 Col. 1.18 Mat. 20.25 26 27. 1 Cor. 12.12 13. Acts 4.32 Rom. 6.4 5. Rev. 19 Rom. 13.7 1 Kings 19.9 Am. 7.24 25 Deut. 32.3 Deut. 37.5 Mat. 13.55 56 57. Rom. 8.5 Phil. 2.9 10 11. Psal 149.8 Rev. 13. Rev. 14 5. Rev. 18.6 Mat. 20.25 Prov. 22.7 1 Cor. 9.19 Prov. 1.23 Prov. 16.4 Luke 16 10 20. Acts. 17.25 James 2.6 Esth 3. 2 Pet. 2.12 Jude 10. Gen. 1.27 Gen. 5.24 Lvke 4.18 Mat. 10.11 Rev. 21.27 1 Cor. 15.5 John 8.13
these are the Deceivers and false Prophets that shall come in the last times they deny the means and when any witness they have received an unction from the holy one and need not that any man teach them but as the anoynting teacheth them of all things then they cry out these are Seducers and Seduced and so here they deny the Covenant of God and the Promise of God and shew themselves to be the great Seducers that draw from the Anointing and finding their spirits contrary to the Scriptures we cannot but deny them Jer. 31.33 Heb 11.8 1 Joh. 2 20 27. They are such Teachers that say Revelations are ceased and deny Revelations and so deny the Son for no man knows the Father but he to whom the Son reveals him and no man knows the things of God but the Spirit of God and he to whom the Spirit reveals them and the Apostle said It pleased the Father to reveale his Son in him and so he that denies Revelations denies both the Father and the Son and the Spirit these are the Priests who talk of Religion and have gotten a form to trade with and have received things by traditon but are ignorant of God and of the Spirit by which all Saints were ever guided and therefore we deny them Mat. 11.27 1 Cor. 2.11 Gal. 1.16 Phil. 3.15 Therefore all people consider what you do and hold up and worship for the Worship is but one and the Word is but one and the Baptism is but one and the Church is but one and the Way is but one and the Light is but one and the Power is but one but they that are without have many Teachers many Ways many Opinions and Judgments and many Sects but we have but one Priest which is over the houshold of God and therefore are all of one heart and soul Moved of the Lord written from the Spirit of the Lord for the cleansing of the Land of all false Teachers Seducers and Deceivers and Witches who beguile the people and Inchanters and Diviners and Sorcerers and Hirelings and which is for the good of all people that fear the Lord and own Jesus Christ to be their Teacher From them whom the world scornfully calls Quakers but quaking and trembling we own else we should deny the Scriptures and the holy men of God but the Scriptures we own and the holy men of God Therefore we deny all them who deny quaking If you say these things are frivolous things which you have taught us then we have been taught frivolous things all this while but we find all these things frivolous things wind and air and therefore we deny them All people that read these things never come ye more at the Steeple-house nor pay your Priests more Tythes till they have answered them for if ye do ye uphold them in their Sins and must partake of their plagues Some PRINCIPLES of the Elect People of God scornfully called QUAKERS By G. F. A Salutation of Salvation to all People throughout the Christian World that they may Enter in by the Door which is Christ the Light by which Every man is enlightened that cometh into the World by Christ the Light which is the Way to God and the Door by which they must enter into the Father from the World from Darkness and Death and its Power into Covenant with God by Christ the Door And this is the Light by which ye see all the evil Actions which ye have evilly acted and all the ungodly works which ye have ungodlyly commited and all the ungodly thoughts which ye ungodlyly have thought and all the hard speaches and ungodly words which ye have spoken The Light wherewith Christ hath enlightened you is that which maketh manifest all that is contrary to it The same Light maketh manifest the Saviour from whence it comes and it maketh manifest that Christ is the Covenant of Light and Life by which you come to have peace with God The same Light maketh manifest to you if you love it that Christ is the Mediator between you and God The same Light maketh manifest that Christ is the Offering for your Sins and the Sins of the whole World The same Light doth manifest that Christ is the way the truth and the Life and the word of God by which all things were made and Created And the same Light manifests that Christ is the Wisdom of God and Power of God and Sanctification and Justification and Redemption To Sanctifie Justifie and Redeem from that which the Light manifests to be Evil and that which lets and keeps in the seperation from God And this Light is within by which all these things are seen and you that love this Light you will se all these things Love mentioned Christ the Mediator Christ the Way the Life the Wisdom the Sanctifier the Redeemer the Offering for your Sins and the Sins of the whole World In this Light ye will have his Testimony and so he that believes shall have the Testimony and Witness in himself and so ye all being enlightened with this Light receiving it you receive Christ then you do not receive Darkness nor the Prince of Darkness And as many of you as receive Christ he will give you power to become Sons of God mark ye shall have power by which you shall know Son-ship to stand against sin and evil and become the Sons of God Now if you hate this Light and go on in sin and in evil thoughts and evil words works and actions and do not come to the Light which reproves you but love Darkness rather then Light it will be Your condemnation And this is the Light which maketh manifest to every one of you what you have done spoke thought and acted amiss and reproves you for it and if you love the Light you love Christ and you love your Saviour Redeemer Sanctifier and Offering for Sin And you see him who puts an end to sin and destroyes the Devil who brought it in and his Works he that destroyeth and brings in everlasting Righteousness in you But as above mentioned if you hate this Light and go on in sin and evil it will be your condemnation This Light is with you in your Labours and in your Beds and when you are about your Business Trades and Occupations shewing to you all your words and all your thoughts works and actions Which Light if you love it will lead you from the Old into the New Life and from the Alienation and Degeneration from God his Life and Image And with this Light you will see Christ a King to Govern you who hath all Power in Heaven and in Earth given to him And with the Light you will see him a Prophet to open to you and a Priest to offer for you to the Father and in this Light you will see more Light the same shining in your hearts it will give you The knowledge of the Glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus your Saviour And
with the Light you will see the Kingdom of Heaven within which never gave consent to Sin and Evil like to a grain of Mustard-seed and to a Leaven which leaveneth into a New Lump And with the Light you will see the Field which is the World placed in your hearts where the Pearl is hid and with what you must dig to find the Pearl the Power of God and what you must sell for its sake to purchase the Field And waiting in this Light you will receive the Spirit of Truth the Comforter to to lead you into all Truth and to bring the Words which Christ hath spoken to your remembrance and it will shew you things to come and it shall receive of those which are Christs and give it unto you So loving the Light you love Christ and receiving it you receive Christ the first and the last For in the Light Christ is seen and handled his Voyce is heard and he is followed So in the Light you will see Christ to be your Teacher who saith Learn of me I am the Way the Truth and the Life by whom Life Eternal is given And you are brought again to Christ the Shepherd who draws you out of the Fall to God into his Image where the Green Pastures of Life are known and fed upon And no man commeth to the Father saith Christ but by me who enlighteneth every man that cometh into the World that by the Light all may believe And saith Christ Believe in the Light whilst ye have the Light that you may be Children of the Light So you being enlightned with the Light which if you believe in it you come to be Children of the Light and Heirs of Promise and Mercy and of the Power of a Life that hath no End And believing in the Light you pass from Death to Life from Darkness to Light and you come to know a Translation from Darkness to Light and from Satans Power to the Power of God and to know the begotten of God into his own Image by his Power as you have been degenerated from God and have lost his Image by the Prince of Darkness and so translated from the Image of God into the Image of Satan from the Power of Christ into the Power of Darkness so you must come to the Light that ye may have another Conversion from Satans Power to God from Darkness to Light to be renewed into the Image of God and this is felt within and as you feel this within you will know the Word of God within in your hearts which is the Word of Faith which the Apostles preached to the Romans which they were to hear obey and do And that is the Word which seperates the pretious from the vile your pretious thoughts affections motions and words from your vile So the Word is in your Hearts and Mouthes to obey it and to do it And it is quick and powerful sharper than a two-edged Sword And you shall not need to say Who shall bring it from Heaven or who shall fetch it from beneath But it is in the Heart and Mouth and this is the Word of Faith which the Apostles preached And the same Word is called a Hammer a Sword and a Fire to beat down to cut down and to burn up whatsoever is contrary to it So it is the same Word which sanctifieth and purifieth and reconcileth to God as beats down and cuts down that which is contrary to God and which seperates betwixt you and God So you may hear obey and do the Word for it is with you in all places and in all your occasions dividing good thoughts from bad good words and motions from bad For if all Christendom would hear and obey the Word in their Hearts which is pure and lives and remaines and endures for ever by which they would come to be born again of the Immortal Seed this Word would keep them from evil Actions and Words which are spoken and acted by them And so by the Word every one should be taught and should know the engrafted Word which is able to save the Soul which beats down and cuts down and burns up that which wars against it and keeps the Soul from the enjoyment of God And so in this Word they should know the annointing in themselves to teach them so that they should not need any man to teach them but as the same annointing teacheth them which teacheth Truth in all things And in this Light and Word which is in the heart they should know the New Covenant of God the Law written in the heart and put in their mindes by which they should not have need to say one to another Know the Lord for all should know him from the least even to the greatest And those are true Christians who come to witness this as thousands in England do witness it in this his Day among whom the pretious Pearl is found and the Field is bought among whom the Law of the Spirit of Life sets free from the Law of Sin and Death Who witness the Ages to come of which the Apostle spoke In which the kindness and exceeding riches of the Grace of God should be manifested again which the Lord in the Primitive Times made manifest amongst the Apostles who sat together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus In which places thousands are now come to sit Glory be to him for ever I. Concerning WORSHIP The Promise of Redemption is from that State in which Adam and Eve their Sons and Daughters are in the Fall driven from God into a State in which they were before they were driven from God to the Church in God Now they that sit down in a State driven from God are People far off from the Church in God Our Worship is in Spirit and in Truth in which the Devil abode not but is out of it who is the Author of strife and unrighteousness amongst People which Truth maketh the Devil to bow and cringe yea and destroys him and it is the Spirit that mortifies sin which makes the Separation from God Now we say that if all Christendom had worshipped God in Spirit and in Truth they had all been in Him out of which the Devil is and had been in the holy Mountain and had felt the Spirit ruling them in their own particulars and had felt the Spirit of Truth guiding and teaching them in them in their own hearts II. Concerning the CHURCH Our Church is in God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which he Redeems with his own blood without spot or wrinkle or deformity or any such thing which blood we feel in our Hearts purging us from all sin with which blood we feel our Consciences cleansed from dead works to serve the Living God So this blood is witnessed in us and the excellency thereof by which we come to know the price of Redemption III. Concerning the WAY We say that Christ is Our Way which is Light which enlighteneth you and
of Life yet if that part be not kept in the death if there be not a praying and watching to the Preserver of Israel in the pure fear and humility the Enemy will be sowing to the Flesh again he will be getting some of his corrupt Seed into the heart again if the Soul do but sleep and become negligent and so corruption will take root again and the contrary Birth grow up again and the Foxes break into the Vineyard and spoil the tender grapes So that this is our Religion to witness the two Seeds with the Power of the Lord bringing down the one and bringing up the other and then to witness and experience daily the same Power keeping the one in Death and the other in Life by the holy ministration of Gods pure living Covenant And so to know God in this Covenant in this Covenant which lives gives Life and Keeps in Life and to walk with God and worship and serve him therein even in his Son in the Light of his Son in the Life of his Son in the vertue and ability which flows from his Son into our Spirits this is our Religion which the Lord our God in his tender mercy hath bestowed upon us And indeed we find this to be a pure living and undefiled Religion before God daily witnessing his acceptance of it in and through his Son whose Name is here known and confessed worshipped and honoured according to the very heart of the Father This may be further illustrated and perhaps made more manifest to some by a Scripture or two The Flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the Flesh and these are contrary one to the other saith the Apostle Gal. 5.17 Here are the two Seeds the Seed of the Serpent the Seed of the woman whose striving and fight is in man when God awakens the Soul the one whereof hath a nature a desire or lust contrary to the other Now as the one of these prevails in any heart so the other goes down As the one gains Life and Power so the other is brought into Death and Captivity so that this is it every one is to wait for after they once come to the sensible knowledge and experience of these two to feel the Flesh brought down the lusts of it denied the Judgments of the Lord administred to it that so the other may come up to live thrive and prevail in the Soul and so the Soul witness Salvation and Redemption under its shadow Thus Sion is Redeemed with Judgment and her Converts with Righteousness Isa 1.27 What is Sion Is it not the holy Hill of God whereon his Son is set King to reign whereon the holy City is to be built and God to be worshipped in Spirit What condition is Sion in when God visits her to redeem her Is she not laid wast desolate lying in the dust as Psal 102.13 14. Well how will God redeem her Zion shall be redeemed with Judgement and her Converts with Righteousness By bringing Judgements upon that which keeps her under upon her Enemies the contrary Seed God redeems her and by bringing forth Righteousness the righteous Life and Spirit of his own Son in those whose minds are turned to her whose faces are set Sion-ward thus God redeems her Converts Yes yes it is truly felt and witnessed The living Righteousness of Christ revealed in the heart and having power there sets free from all unrighteousness which was there before And then when the unrighteous one is cast out and the righteous one is revealed and the Soul united to him and receives virtue and power from him then he becomes a Servant of Righteousness and doth not commit sin but doth righteousness And he that doth righteousness is righteous even as he is righteous 1 John 3.7 For how can it be otherwise when the righteous Life is revealed and brought up into dominion in him How can the same righteous Spirit and Life revealed in the members as was in the head but live and act after the same manner in the members as it did in the head O that men were turned to that which would give them the certain knowledge and sensible experience of this Now this is exceeding comfortable and precious to them that are in the true travel towards it much more to them that enjoy it This is the sum of all even to know and experience what is to be brought down into death and kept in death what to be brought up out of the grave to live to God and reign in his dominion and what to be kept in subjection and obedience to him who is to reign Now to experience it thus done in the heart the Flesh brought down the Seed of Life raised and the Soul subject to the pure heavenly Power whose right it is to reign in the heart in and by the Seed this is a blessed state indeed for here the work is done here the Throne of God is exalted and his King reigns in righteousness and peace and all his Enemies are under his feet and this Soul this true Israelite this redeemed one may wear the white Robe and serve God in righteousness and holiness without fear of his Enemies keeping in and to the Covenant which ministers Life and Power abundantly all the dayes of his life For that was to be the outward state of the outward Israel keeping to God in the outward Covenant and it is to be the inward state of the inward Israel keeping to God in the inward Covenant which is a pure Covenant of life and Peace of all inward and spiritual blessings and mercies in Christ wherewith the Souls are blessed that are obedient to God and walk humbly with him in this Covenant And I beseech you to consider O tender people who are grieved because of sin and corruption in your hearts and would fain witness victory and dominion over it in the Name and Strength of the Lord Jesus Christ whom did that prophesie of Zachary Luke 1.71 72 74 75. concern what was that holy Covenant who were to be so redeemed who were the Israel that was to inherit this promise All the Promises are yea and amen in Christ to the Israel of God Why should not the Israel of God hope to enjoy this even so to be acquainted with Gods holy Spirit and to wait upon him that they may witness it granted to them that they being delivered out of the hands of their Enemies might serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him whose eyes are piercing and behold no iniquity all the dayes of their lives Surely they who witness that promise mentioned Isa 35.8 fulfilled to them cannot fall short of this And truly the Children of the New Covenant can never come throughly to live to God till they witness the inward Circumcision of the Heart so as to love the Lord with all the Heart and Soul Deut. 30.6 Now where it is so the Devil or Lust can find no place of entrance