in earth this is the Son that hath set me free will keep me free every particular measure of this sweet power of God are so many particular Angels of light or manifestations of love sent from the father to be my keeper Well I only mention this experience that men may prize Gods teachings more then they have and to be afraid of mens teachings when Gods is wanting for truly the most glorious Preacher or professor of literal gospel either are or will prove the subtilest hypocrites if this power of God be not their strength and life for without God we can do nothing and by him we are able to do all things Some truths I shall here write which brought along with them much life and peace into my heart when God sent them down into me or rather when he took me up into them and caused me to behold and feed upon the glory of them But I do not write to teach any one my words to be their knowledge for what I know I speak and leave it upon the spirit of the Reader that if he finde the same workings of God in him his joy may be confirmed by a witnesse and so fulfilled that more hands may be lifted up together to set the Crown upon our God and that more mouths may be opened to sing Alleluia and prayses of honour to our Father and to the Lamb for evermore It is very possible that a man may attain to the literal knowledge of the Scriptures of the Prophets and Apostles and may speak largely of the History thereof and draw conclusions and raise many uses for the present support of a troubled soul or for the restraining of lewd practises or for the direction of a civill conversation and yet both they that speake and they that hear may be not only unacquainted with but enemies to that Spirit of truth by which the Prophets and Apostles writ For it is not the Apostles writings but the spirit that dwelt in them that did inspire their hearts which gives life and peace to us all And therefore when the Prophets Jeremiah Ezekiel and Isaiah spake what they saw from God they spake thus saith the Lord out of experience of what they saw and felt and they were called true Prophets But when others rise up that spake their words and writings and so applying them to another age and generation of men saying Thus saith the Lord as the other did yet they were called false Prophets because they had seen nothing themselves from God but walked by the legs and saw by the eyes of the true Prophets for God doth not threaten death to every City in every age of the world as to Sodome and Gomorrah neither captivity to every people as he did to Israel under Nebuchadnezar in Babylon neither doth he promise victory and deliverance to every Army or people from enemies as he did to Israel in Jehosaphats time Now if any man speak and assure others of victory when God purposes destruction or speaks of destruction when God purposes a victory these men speak at random and though they speak the very words of the scriptures yet they speak not the minde of him that gives life or destroys and so having seene nothing from him they are to be reckoned among false Prophets that run before they be sent though their words be many and eloquent A man may know the scriptures as they are written yet a stranger yea an opposing enemie to the God of the Scriptures as the Jews were they knew the writings of Moses who writ of Iesus Christ yet they persecuted and killed Iesus Christ when he who was the great Prophet was come because they knew him not for if they had known him to have bin the great power and wisdom of God they would not have killed him And so many now a dayes do and may know the Scriptures of the Gospel and yet may and do persecute the spirit of the Gospel through ignorance and unbelief truly friends it is not the knowledge of the Scriptures only but the knowledge of the God of the Scripture as God is pleased to make known himself by his Almighty working to you that gives life and peace to you if you know or can speak of Scriptures and have seen nothing of God you are like Parats that speak the words of another as you have been taught by humane education But if the same anointing or power and wisdom of God dwell and rule in you as did appear in the Prophets and Apostles that writ then you can see into that mysterie of the Scripture which is God manifest in flesh and so can speak the minde of the Scriptures though you should never see hear nor reade the Scriptures from men If your peace and comfort in God should only remain with you while you are either hearing or reading Scriptures or while you have the society of such as can speak or discourse thereof and then finde again that your comfort and peace is gone when you are deprived by any occasion of that society of Saints truly let me tell you that though you prize and know the Scriptures yet there is a great strangnesse between you and the God of the Scriptures It hath been such a time with me and I see it is thus with others at this very day let them enjoy outward hearing reading and liberty in prayer and Saints communion and they are in peace and they live in heaven as they conceive and it is a sweet life but it is not The life for if the wisdom of God hedge up all those enjoyments with Thornes and leave these poor souls alone as it was Christs case all forsook him and fled and left him alone to stand in the midst of enemies why truly here is your tryall for God hath denyed you the opportunities of hearing reading praying Saints fellowship doth not your heart now look after those helps mourn in their absence If so as I know it is with you then where is your knowledge experience and your peace in and with God it shews plainly that at such a time we sucked refreshment from the creatures breasts but not from God Or further when you have all opportunities to hear to read to pray and to communicate with Saints in their society and yet if God deny you peace and life under all this enjoyment then you begin to mourn to see your barrennesse and condition like a fruitlesse Fig-tree or ruinous Wildernesse which is well it is thus with you God will have you lie here for a while under this bondage before he give you liberty and if it be thus with you as I know it is then where is your rest and peace in God for truly God will take up his people into such a height of glory that he will make them lie down in rest and peace in him when no visible help or means appear when there is
first creation which was the habitation where they were seated these are faln from their excellency and are become Devils or evill Angels or spirituall powers of darknesse I shall declare what I know by Angels that fell they were those glorious lights and sparks of glory shining Angels of light in their severall measures and degrees which God had placed in the humane nature Adam before his fall As his love of God delight in God Peace and rest in God humilitie before God obedience and selfe deniall before God and all such like these all lived in God for he was the Center from which they came and to which they reflected back again they being all alive within Adam and Adam being alive within them But when Adam hearkened to the whispering of that a spiring selfishnesse that was the serpent which twisted it self round about the tree Adam and every glorious light that was in that humane creation and when Adam or indeed any man or woman doth give way to self and eat of that fruit that is delight in self above the King of righteousnesse in man then those glorious Angels left God their habitation and took up their glory within the circle of humane deâ—â—ed flesh and so become enmity against God For now the mans love is turned from living in the King of righteousnesse to live in corrupted flesh it is become a selfe love and so envious against God his delight and his joy is become self delight he glories in himself which is his pride his obedience doth live in himselfe for he gives way to all the whisperings of the flesh and lusts within himself but disobeys the command of righteousnesse within him And further his sincerity is turned into hypocrisie and his imagination works strongly how to please the flesh in the motions of it not how to please the spirit of truth and holinesse And now those glorious sparkes which were Angels of light while they lived in God and reflected upon him are become Angels of darknesse or legions of devils murtherers or deceivers according to their many degrees and measures while they live in unrighteous flesh and reflect upon the disobedient creature to maintain and to honour the being of the flesh before the righteous God that governs in the flesh thus they are faln And these devils or deceivers for indeed pride covetousnesse and the imagination of proud flesh doth deceive every man they are reserved in chaines of darknesse c. These chains are the dispensations of Gods wrath through his righteous Law for upon every one and upon all of these faln Angels the righteous sparks or breathings forth of the righteous Law like a flame of fire turning every way meets with them bindes them keeps them in and restrains them within bonds so that God hath these powers of self-seeking flesh at his command they cannot appear nor act but by his leave Pride self-love envy hypocrisie subtilty cruelty cannot act but by his leave and when he doth suffer them to act then his righteous Law is presently made manifest following their heels like fire burning up the stubble For God never suffers these devils to appear either within a man or by some violent way to break forth of men for the hurt one of another but he makes use thereof to ruine and destroy that power of darkness even that poysonous power of covetous flesh And they are called chains of darkness in opposition to the Law of perfect love and liberty for while these Angels lived in God they had no restraint for love God and thou art at liberty thy whole soul is free and no bondage lieth upon thee But when thou lovest self and flesh then all thy powers run self-ward and then the flaming sword which is the righteous spirit of burning doth flame upon thee burns thee and restrains thee and holds thee under bondage But how long Till the Judgement of the great day that is till the power of Christ do make it appear to the mans clear knowledge that self and flesh is the devill and serpent and by his power of righteousness doth not only judge and condemn that serpent but casts him into the lake of fire and consumes him to nothing as if his power had never been and so sets the creature free according to the mysterie of God And here note that the restauration or salvation which is pointed at in the letter of the Scripture doth lie in the restoring of the creature Mankinde from the power of these Angels of darkness and Mankindes redemption lieth in the breaking of those chains of darkness asunder and so taking him into the life liberty and peace of the King of righteousness As thus Whereas in this present poysoned estate of Mankinde in which flesh glories it self as in self will delight and self-love subtile imagination and the like they do all work fleshward and selfward and the masculine powers that rule the soul appear to be envy hypocrisie pride anger self-seeking subtilty and such like And the spirit of truth who is the Father by whom the creation man doth live move and hath his beeing doth lie buried under that unrighteous fleshie power But now in the restored estate which the Father hath begun to work and which his people wait for compleatness of I say now All the powers of the soul as his love delight and peace c. run God-ward again and is centured in the Father again And those powers of the flesh as pride covetousness rash anger love of self and imagination working to advance all these which are as I said the Angels of darkness in man These are now in this day of judgement condemned and destroyed trod under foot and buried out of minde like a dead man without beeing And the Lord alone is exalted now in this day of restauration which is the day of his power This indeed is the mysterie of all King flesh and self is dis-throned and the King of righteousness in flesh hath begun to take the Kingdom and doth raign and will raign and his dominion shall spread and endure for ever and ever for though he take the Kingdom by strength out of King flesh his hand yet none shall ever be able to take it out of his hand again for of his Kingdom there shall be no end And seeing people are not yet taken off from looking upon other mens knowledge I shall mention this one Scripture which if people did feelingly understand the distemper of their spirits would presently be healed It is this Light is come into the world and men love darknesse rather then light because their deeds are evill The world is mankinde and every particular man and woman is a perfect creation of himself a perfect created world that if a particular branch of mankinde desire to know what the nature of other men and women are let him not look abroad but into his own heart and he shall see so that I
no Cows in the Stalls nor blossomes on the Vine when no creature speaks peace but every creature is barren of giving refreshment then God will make his people to suck life from him who is the God of their salvation Well when I was under your bondage my God who is the best teacher of erring souls let me see that I rested first upon outward helps and means and such as you call Ordinances though I thought not so but was offended at any that told me I rested thereupon And when God gave me those enjoyments and yet denyed me a heart to suck sweetnesse from them or rather withheld their sweetnesse from my heart then I was troubled to see my barrennesse And if at any time God was pleased to let a beam of light and peace shine into me and gave me enlargements of heart then I thought my self to know God but when this sun was clouded again then I was in bondage again Well here God taught me that I knew him not but that I knew his gifts and the beams of his presence that he sent down to refresh my drooping spirit and that I rested in those beams not in him that was the sun from whence those beams come And this I know is your condition who know the Scriptures it may be at your fingers ends as we say and that you are unacquainted as yet with the God of the Scriptures Be not offended with this expression for it is a truth and your souls either do or will know it to be true But when Gods time is to set you at liberty from your bondage for he works when he will not when you will then you shall finde this frame of spirit in you That if God deny you all outward means and helps and Saints communion yet you are content and rest in him who is your portion your teacher and who you finde see and feel is present with you And if you finde an emptiness that you cannot understand nor speak yet you are content though you were not content formerly and you rest in your Fathers will till he give you understanding of such and such mysteries or till he give you power to speak or act and you have as much peace to eye God and to wait upon him and rest in him as if you were full of actings or enjoyed much of the Saints communion so that you are taken off from either glorying in the presence or mourning in the absence of any creature-help or fruit If you never see the faces of the Saints but live in prison in a wildernesse or in some private place yet you are at rest in God you are satisfied in him and you glory only in his presence and if he seem to withdraw from you by slacking his hand in giving discoveries you know he is your Father still he doth not withdraw in anger but in wisdom and love for your good that he may teach you more experiences for that soul that God purposes to give plentifull experiences unto it is his will to cast that soul often into straits but yet you are content and wait quietly in spirit till he speak and appear in powerfull presence both in you and to you Now in the midst of these Nationall hurly burlies if you want riches food or clothing if you want communion of good people and such like creature-contentments and yet for all that you can rest quiet in God and be at peace in him and you know he is your Father and that it is his will to cast you into such straits Why now you are able to say That to rest and lie down in God alone is the sweetest rest that every you tasted of CHAP. II. WEE see in these dayes the bottomlesse pit is opened and the mysterie of iniquity is begun to be made manifest to men That is corrupt flesh is laid open to the view of such as God manifests his wisdom and power in and the secret workings of this wise but corrupt flesh appears very plentifully by the spreading forth of unbelief hypocrisie envy cruelty slavish fear of men and in shame to own God and his wayes and by violent and subtil endeavouring to wear out the appearance of God in man and to destroy the mighty and the holy people first by slanders lies and bad names and then threatening and likewise endeavouring to destroy them all by the sword By reason whereof some through weaknesse are troubled and a slavish fear doth possesse them that the sincere hearted ones shall suffer much in these troublesome times Indeed I believe God may suffer some few of his Saints to endure wasting in their estates and may give up the liberty and lives of their bodies into the hands of wicked men Yea but the number of Saints are limited and the length of their sufferings are limited all the Saints shall not die neither shall the sufferings of some be alwayes for the devill must cast but some into prison not all and there shall be tribulation but ten dayes a little while not alwayes And therefore you see while Pharaoh did only oppresse Israel God suffered Pharaoh to live but when his malice rise so high or rather his spirit fell so low from God-ward as to destroy all Israel at the red Sea with open mouth then God appeared to preserve his son even to deliver Israel and drowned Pharaoh and all the Host of those risers in the red Sea and when this storm was over God set Israel in a condition of greater liberty and freedom from the oppression of enemies then ever he was in before And in King Davids time when the uncircumcised Nations endeavoured to destroy not only here and there one but began to strike at the root and sought to destroy all Israel that the name of Israel might be had no more in remembrance then God appeared for their protection Even so while the mysterie of iniquity which rules in the unbelievers of our daies have sought to wear out formerly some of his Saints by High Commission Courts Sessions Canon Laws Whips Prisons and death God let them alone he had appointed some of his Lambs and Sheep for such a slaughter as in the time of Martyrdom not all but some were slain here and there one and God suffered it But when malice and the hypocriticall subtil flesh strike at all and not only one Mordecay that torments proud Hamon must die but all Mordecayes friends and people Not only Christ must die but Lazarus or any that is Christs friend must be put to death and suffer too As in these dayes unbelief in men will destroy all Gods people it is the generall language of all the scoffing sons of bondage they will destroy all the free born Isaacs under those reprochfull names of Round-heads Anabaptists Independents nay there were some that were not ashamed to say that when the Countries rise against the Parliaments Army they would destroy men women
for time is coming that every one must be taught of God and this troubles him very much Well all these troubles and such like proceed from the shinings forth of the righteous law upon the proud heart and he cannot bear it because he seeks himselfe more then God the unbelief of the heart lives by sence upon the creature the law of God tels the heart he must trust God and not man and though all sence fayl him from men and creatures yet to waite upon God but this troubles him he cannot wait and if he do wait he questions whether he shall have such things he is bid to wait for and the poor heart lies under great tossings Again in his course of trading in the world if he ask sometimes too little or sometimes too much for his wares then he is troubled and do what he can his heart is troubled because he thinks he might have done better when business goes cross to his minde he is troubled whether it be fair weather or fowl if it be not just to his minde he is troubled Then appears pride covetousnesse frowardness uncleaness springing up in his heart and these trouble him if he cannot speak for God when others speak against him as he thinks then he is troubled if he do speak of the things of God then his heart tels him he is an hypocrite or self-lover and then he is trobled so that there arises not a thought in his heart but there is some fretting or trouble tyed to it And vvhat are all these and such like but even a legion of devils or troublers that holds the creature under bondage and torments him thus in hell day and night I call it a hell for it is a condition of darkness below the life comfort and peace of God All these are wrought in the soul by the righteous Law for the creature strives to be wise and the Law proves him a fool he would fain be righteous and the light of the Law shews him he is a wicked hypocrite he would fain have faith and holiness in him and the Law shews him he is an unbelieving sinner he would fain enjoy the peace of God and yet enjoy himself too the Law tels him he must deny himself and take up his cross daily if he would enjoy God he would fain be counted some body for wisdom faith prayer preaching the Law tels him all is as good as nothing because he goes forth in his own strength and the power of the father is absent And thus the Law is that flaming sword which turns every way upon the sinner and scorches the poor imprisoned soul in every thought of his heart burning up his pride and self-conceit so that the righteous Law raigns like a Tyrant in and over the poor prisoner and while the soul is thus tormented by the dispensation of wrath the envious spirit of darkness that rules in other men delights to see this poor creature thus under bondage and so casts jeers slanders reproaches and hard usage upon him Envy rejoyces in others misery even as Love rejoyceth in the liberty and life of others But poor soul know this that God is burning up thy dross and ere long vvill set thee at liberty and the fire of love that burns in thee will break forth to thy comfort and then he will give thee power to rejoyce over the Devill and to set thy feet upon his neck as a conquered slave even as he makes thee his slave now Then secondly This same imprisoned creature that lies under the Law being as yet not set free by the Son meets with many troubles without and these are but dispensations of wrath as the other was likewise as sicknesse frowns of friends hatred of men losses of his estate by fire water being cheated by false spirited men death of his cattle or many such like casualties whereby he becomes poor in the world and meets with many straits as hard language hungry belly to be despised imprisoned and abundance of such provocations in the vvorld And it may be meets with fearfull Apparisions in the night or day that terrifies him as it was Jobs case he was filled with terrors in the night sometimes these troubles lie within a mans spirit in griefs and sadpressures inward burnings of trouble and torment which no man is sensible of but himself and sometimes it breaks forth in bitter words and speeches through oppression of the spirit to the disturbance of others and this is called madness or distraction which grows upon a man when the pure Law doth cross his carnall imagination wilfull will pride covetous or lustfull desires then doth the distemper of his troubled spirit break out But when Christ comes and sets him free then he comes to see that whatsoever did befall him must befall him it was the will of the father for the burning up of his dross and pride of flesh and shall be made to say Father thy will be done and for ever yea infinitely for ever be thy name praised that thou hast given me such a heart to be content and submit in love and meekness to thee and to take every thing in love from thee this is thine own handiwork it was not thus formerly but thou hast drawn me through a nipping and pinching wilderness into this land of Canaan even to lie down in rest in thine own bosome praysed be thy name Yea but the poor troubled soul is offended at my words and thinks and saies this cannot be it is impossible that any man should have such a frame of spirit Alas poor man I have been as thou art but if thou canst believe in Gods love and power from the testimony of another thou wilt believe this for a truth But if thou cannot believe but yet remain troubled he that feels the sweetness of such a work of God knows it to be a truth wait upon God as thy fellow servant doth for his pure teaching and thou wilt finde him the same to thee as he is to another Paul writes of one that was in Christ before him and so though thou wade through flames of fire to imbrace God in thine armes thy comforts will be the sweeter thy experience the more and thou wilt greatly rejoyce in that thou hast been in so hot a fire when the father causes thee to lie down in his bosom the liberty in this rest is now so sweet to thee And truly friends let me tell you that which hath been often of late whispered into my spirit and I believe there is something in it that this wrath bitternesse and discontent that appeares generally in mens spirits in England one against another upon the breakings forth of the truths of God doth whisper in my spirit that the Father hath cast England into the fire and is purging the drosse from the gold that liberty is not far off and that the plentifull pouring out of the Anoynting even the spirit
actings breathings of your soules is within the center of the same spirit in which the man Jesus Christ lived acted and breathed If you live in the flesh that is if you be subject to the powers of the flesh within you then you believe in the flesh and bring forth the fruit of the flesh which is self-conceit covetousness envy pride hypocrisie and the like But if you live in Christ that is in that mighty and spirituall man of truth then you believe in him and bring forth the fruit of the spirit which is love joy peace humilitie obedience sincerity and the like If Jesus Christ that mighty King rule in you he will check and condemne every unrighteous thought as well as extravagant words and loose actions though no other man see and know your secret wickednesse but your selves and he will speake peace and Justifie you within when your flesh in any things is subject to him though you are hated slandered and mightily oppressed by the injustice of others But if King-flesh rule then you go on in secret and open wayes of unrighteousnesse with greediness and delight and have no checks within at all Now the strong man of sin keeps the house your bodies and every thing enjoyes a seeming peace within you But this is not the peace nor the liberty but a fore runner of great torment in the day of Judgment that is when the Judge the King of righteousness shall appeare to sit upon the throne within you judging and condemning this serpent or man of sin within you and so bruising his head that you who have been and are pisoners thereunto may live in the light peace of the father so set at liberty from bondage assure your selves you that glory in flesh you shall not go scot-free you shall be cast into the everlasting burnings as well as others and tryed in that fire as gold in the furnace And this fire is the father himself into whom when any creature fals he burns up the drosse in the creature which is the curse that came in through unrighteousnesse which is all the imaginary glory of the flesh and so makes man to appeare and stand bright before him you cannot burne away the drosse but the gold must suffer the heat of the fire the father cannot consume the serpent the man of sin out of my body but I that have been incorporated into that nature of the serpent must needs suffer paine this drosse and gold in man is so mixed together that nothing can separate them but the fiery orb which is the father himselfe that tries all things And here likewise lies a great delusion within mankinde you call the father your God and the word God is much in your mouths but here you deceive your selves for you know not the father to be your God nor Lord neither can you call him your God till you see and feele by experience that he rules and governs in you and that your proud and coveteous flesh stoopes and is made subject to him When the spirit within you doth command your flesh in rightousnesse and will not suffer frowardness covetousness pride hypocrisie and the like to arise and act but presently checks and condemns and shames you you can then speake in experience that the father who is the mighty governour is your God and your Lord for the powers of your poysoned flesh are made suctject to him But so long as King-flesh raignes doth act pride envy covetousness hypocrisie unrighteousnesse within you then he that you call God is the devill that cursed serpent or poysoned flesh even the power of darkness is your God and you cannot say the father is your God for if you do you deceive your self you are subject to the devill you are not subject to the father He that looks for a God without himself and worships God at a distance he worships he knows not what but is led away and deceived by the imaginations of his own heart which is Belzebub the great Devill but he that looks for a God within himself and submits himselfe to the spirit of righteousnesse that shines within this man knows whom he worships for he is made subject to and hath communitie with that spirit that made all flesh that dwells in all flesh and in every creature within the globe And this is the law and the testimony even the law of the spirit of righteousnesse within and testimony of the spirit within a man when a man can say I see feel and know that my flesh is in part subject and is daily subjecting to the great power that dwels in the whole creation what I heare another man speak or write it is nothing to me till I finde the same experience within my self this is the law and testimony of Jesus and if any man speak not according to this rule it is because there is no knowledge in him not in the booke of scriptures which is another mans testimony and the testimony of others is known to be a truth by the testimony of the same spirit within your self and no other way whatsoever There is one scripture hath been often laid before me by others and I knew not the meaning of it if I went about to studie or imagine the meaning I was lost presently and trouble took hold upon me Well after I found the spirit of contentednesse to come with power and made me quiet within so that I said within my self let my father give me the knowledge of this or any other truth or deny me the knowledge of it his will be done I can know nothing till he teach me therefore I will lie down before him and wait with a quiet spirit upon him I say I was no sooner brought into this waiting frame of spirit not only this but divers other truths was and I can almost say daily is given into me from the father to the abundant satisfaction of my soul The scripture is this Mat. 8. 28. where the two men that were possessed with devills cryed out to Jesus Art thou come to destroy us before the time I deny not the history but that there were two men really filled and tormented with devils or distempers which is the curse in mankinde and that at the Command of Christ those troublers in them went into the heard of swine and the swine ran into the sea and perished there But now the matter in this history settles peace within my spirit as it is shewed unto me and that is this By the two possessed is pointed out to me First the earth mankinde by reason of his unrighteousnesse is filled with thornes and bryers that is with troublesome distempers of all sorts which are called devills or serpent or the curse of the earth or the wicked man that sowes tares in Gods vineyard mankinde so that here is mankinde or flesh full of troublers or devills distempering the creation for do but crosse
THE SAINTS PARADISE OR The Fathers Teaching the only satisfaction to waiting SOULS WHEREIN Many Experiences are Recorded for the comfort of such as are under spirituall BURNING The inward Testimony is the Souls strength By Jerrard Winstanley Jer. 31. 34. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour and every man his brother saying Know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least of them unto the greatest of them saith the Lord 1 John 2. 27. But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you and ye need not that any man teach you But as the same anointing teacheth you of all things and is truth London Printed for G. Calvert and are to be sold at the black-spred-Eagle at the West end of Pauls To my beloved friends whose souls hunger after sincere Milk Dear friends IT hath been the universall condition of the Earth Mankinde to be overspread with a black Cloud of darknesse and the knowledge of the King of righteousnesse hath been manifested but in some few scattered ones which as they haue had the spring in themselves so they have been as lights in the dark world and others have walked in their light and rested content to drink of their streams as if their declaration of truth had been the very Fountain it self I my self have known nothing but what I received by tradition from the mouths and pen of others I worshipped a God but I neither knew who he was nor where he was so that I lived in the dark being blinded by the imagination of my flesh and by the imagination of such as stand up to teach the people to know the Lord and yet have no knowledge of the Lord themselves but as they have received by hearsay from their books and other mens words I spoke of the name of God and Lord and Christ but I knew not this Lord God and Christ I prayed to a God but I knew not where he was nor what he was and so walking by imagination I worshipped that devill and called him God by reason whereof my comforts were often shaken to pieces and at last it was shewed to me That while I builded upon any words or writings of other men or while I looked after a God without me I did but build upon the sand and as yet I knew not the Rock And now know friends That this ignorant unsettled condition is yours at this time though I know that the proud King flesh that is in you will be ready to speak within you and tell you that you do know God and Christ and be offended with me because I say you know him not I do not write any thing as to be a teacher of you for I know you have a teacher within your selves which is the Spirit and when your â—â—esh is made subject to him he will teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance so that you shall not need to run after men for instruction for your eyes being opened you shall see the King of righteousnesse sit upon the throne within your selves judging and condemning the unrighteousnesse of the flesh filling your face with shame and your soul with horror though no man see or be acquainted with your actions or thoughts but your selves and justifying your righteous thoughts and actions and lead you into all wayes of truth And this is the Spirit or Father which as he made the Globe and every creature so he dwels in every creature but supreamly in Man and he it is by whom every one lives and moves and hath his being perfect man is the eye and face that sees and declares the Father and he is perfect when he is taken up into this spirit and lives in the light of reason and there is no man or woman can say that the Father doth not dwell in him for he is every where there is no a creature in the compasse of the creation but he is in that creature but disobedient man knows him not and why Because flesh is not subject to the spirit within it his covetous flesh hath deceived him for he either looks abroad for a God and so doth imagine and fancie a God to be in some particular place of glory beyond the skies or some where he knows not or in some place of glory that cannot be known till the body be laid in the dust Or else if men do look for a God within them according as the Record speaks God is within you yet they are led by the motions and commands of King flesh within them and not by King spirit and here they are at a losse not being able to distinguish between flesh and spirit by reason that covetousnesse and self-will blindes their eyes Truly friends King flesh is very covetous self-loving and self-honouring it likes them that say as it saith but it would imprison kill and hang every one that differs from him he is full of heart-burning either of open envy and bitter distemper or else carries himself in a smooth quiet way of hypocrisie walking in a shew of truth like an Angell of light but when he gets an opportune power he turns to be a tyrant against the way of the spirit And so all his love was but for by-ends to satisfie self in some particular or other But now the King of righteousnesse within you is a meek patient and quiet spirit and full of love and sincerity he burns up the proud and hasty flesh he loves truth and hates a lie if the creature acts unrighteously he checks and shames him if he act righteously according to the creation of a man he speaks peace within and so makes the man to walk sincerely and warily And when you come to know feel and see that the spirit of righteousness governs your flesh then you begin to know your God to fear your God to love your God and to walk humbly before your God and so to rejoyce in him and therefore if you would have the peace of God as you call it you must know what God it is you serve which is not a God without you visible among bodies but the spirit within you invisible in every body to the eye of flesh yet discernable to the eye of the spirit and when souls are made to have community with that spirit then they have peace and not till then For this let me tell you that if you subject your flesh to this mighty governour the spirit of righteousness within your selves he will bring you into community with the whole Globe so that in time you shall come to know as you are known and you shall not need to run after others to learn of them what God is for as you are a perfect creation every one of himself so you shall see and feel that this spirit is the great governour in you in righteousness and when you come thus to know the truth the truth shall make you free from the bondage of covetous and proud flesh
the Serpent that held you under slavery all your life time Well as darkness hath overspread the Earth Mankinde so now is the time come that knowledge shall abound and cover the earth Mankinde light begins to arise the spirit begins to appear in flesh he spreads himself in his sons and daughters so that as the Sun shines from East to West so shall the appearing of this Son of righteousness he he comes not now in corners but openly the poor receive the Gospel which is this everlasting spirit wise men in the flesh are made fools fools are made wise scholars are declared to be ignorant the ignorant ones in mens learning become abundantly learned in the experimentall knowledge of Christ I do not write to teach I only declare what I know you may teach me for you have the fountain of life in you as well as I and therefore he is called the Lord because he rules not in one but in everyone through the globe and so we being many are knit together into one body are to be made all of one heart and one minde by that one spirit that enlightens every man I have yeelded to let these few experiences come abroad and partly unwilling because I see more clearly into these secrets then before I writ them which teaches me to rejoyce in silence to see the Father so abundantly at work and it shall cease speedily for men to stand up as they do to teach one another for every one shall be taught of him and I shall be as ready to hear as to speak and to give as to receive and every one delighting to do as they would be done unto This is the King of righteousness that shall raign in the earth this is the spirit that is now pouring out upon sons and daughters though it yet seem small it shall speedily increase and the Father will not despise that day of small things proud flesh shall die and raign King and governour in man no longer they that have understanding know what I say others may reproach and be offended but after they have been tryed in the fire which is the spirit they will acknowledge a truth herein and he made to speak as a friend to truth Your friend whose peace liberty and life lies in the spirit that governs within the Globe Jerrard Winstanley THE FATHERS TEACHING is the only satisfaction to WAITING SOVLS CHAP. I. THe teachings of men and the teachings of God are much different The former being but the light of the moon which shines not of it self but by the means and through the help of the sun The latter is the light of the sun that gives light to all not by means and helps from others but immediately from himself Mens teachings are two fold first when men speak to others what they have heard or read of the Scriptures or books of other mens writings and have seen nothing from God themselves And thus by natural industry study length of time in such an exercise or education from childehood many men Preach or teach others and think and so do others think of them that they are sent of God but Gods time is drawing neer that he will make it appear that these men do run before they be sent And that it is not the zeal of God which sets them to work but the desire and sweetness of a temporal living But this kinde of teaching and teachers must vanish And though God hath suffered them and yet awhile will suffer them for he sits upon the throne therefore let them alone and wait upon God Secondly Others speak from their own experience of what they have heard and seen from God and of what great things God hath done for their souls and this is from God And it is that ministry of the Gospel which God hath put into the hands of men whereby God doth mightily manifest himself and if any man take up this trade of teaching to get a living by for preaching is now adayes become a trade and speaks not from God by experience what they speak they are clouds without rain and such as meddle with holy things that as yet they have nothing to do withal But this teaching in Gods time must vanish too for this moon-light that is conveying knowledge to others by helps and means is to be swallowed up into the light of the sun and God shall become all in all as it is said ye shall be all taught of God and you need not that any man teach you for the anointing which the Saints receive from the Father doth teach them all things And that prophesie of Ieremiah must be fulfilled That the time shall come that men shall not teach one another saying Know the Lord for all shall know him by Gods own teaching from the least of them to the greatest And when God and the Lamb are the light of the City there shall be no more need of the light of the sun nor of the moon By the mentioning of sun and moon in this place God speaks to the capacity of men and points out the whole creation of night and day and that all creature-helps and means should fail though they were or are as glorious helps as the created sun that gives light to the day or as the created moon that gives light to the night And that the time shall come nay it is begun that God himself will be the light of men without creature-helps or means And so Paul seeing that the indwelling of God in man is and would be a glorious sun shine light said That knowledge or rather this way of conveying verbal knowledge one to another shall cease but love which is God endures for ever But thirdly The teachings of God shall never cease Gods teaching differs from men very much for men speak words to the ear but God works out the serpent and works himself into a man and so gives words of a feeling experience to the heart and causes the man to see light in Gods light as thus I have been proud envious and discontent and I have heard words from men against these yet in those dayes I thought I was good and I knew not those evils but when God came and wrought humility love and contentedness in me he then taught me to see and know by experience what the strength of God in me is which is humility love and patience which hath thrown down the strength of the serpent which was pride envy and discontent And this teaching of God I cannot forget it sticks lively in me though the â—…ords of men are forgotten by me and thus God takes up the soul more and more into himself and the soul findes much sweetness in feeling seeing and sensibly understanding the nature of God working dwelling and ruling in him this is Gods teaching in making men to know and to enjoy God this shall continue for the
underhand working endeavour to vent their malice upon the kingdomes friends even the Saints And alas poor blinde creature you work your own ruine take Lot out of Sodome and the vengeance of Gods Law fals immediatly therefore you weak ones that are troubled take notice That God is most persecuted hated and fought against in these dayes for the plaine truth is the mysterie of iniquity would not have the God of love to have any appearance in earth So that God is the greatest sufferer And therefore that truth which my soul most drives at is this which follows that though God suffer most yet it is not against his will but with his will And that this spirit of darknesse or mysterie of iniquity that fights against God hath no power to act like it self till God limit him that power and limit him a time to act that power in And here I shall shew in my experience what I see and know the Devill is And what the power of the Devill is and by what power he workes The Devill or father of lies in the full body of him is unrighteous flesh and the imaginations thereof He is that Belzebub that sat among the sonnes of God that is among the five sences or spirituall lights which God hath set in the soul for the imagination of flesh will not submit it self to God but is found a chiefe enemy against him And the pride of the flesh envy slavish feare distrust hypocrisie carnall thoughts selfe love and the like are particular Devils that first intices the soule and afterwards brings him to trouble and every one of those have particular degrees like legions of Devils which holds the creature man in bondage While a man enjoyes his lusts he hath a seeming peace within himself But when the holy law appears to discover those lurking Devils then begins the creatures torment and slaverie And this lets me see what the enmity of nature is between God and me The enmity in flesh it is the spirit of envy and darknesse which is Gods opposite as darknesse is opposite to light and heat opposite to cold And this workes in the creature man to maintaine its unclean beeing in opposition to the beeing of God And while it hath its liberty sinfull man is in peace But when God pleases that the declaration of righteousnesse shall take hold upon that enmity it throws the sinner presently under sorrowes and breakes his peace to pieces And this is that which the scriptures in my experience calls the Devil or murtherer Even the enmity that is in my nature against God which threw me under the flashings of Gods righteous law which was enmity against me and this I shall endeavour to clear CHAP. III. BUt first of all what is the righteous Law here to be understood I Answer It is not the words of the letter called the ten Commandements and therein only bound up But it is the manifestations of God in all or any one of his Attributes shining forth upon and in his creature endeavouring by his spirituall power to swallow up all the motions and imaginations of the flesh into God And so burning up by the spirit of burning all the dross of the flesh that the creature may appeare pure gold As thus the manifestation of Gods wisdom to the heart is directly opposite to the wisdome of the flesh and declares it to be folly which inward discoverie troubles and shames the man though none see and know it but himselfe The manifestations of Gods love humilitie truth is directly opposite to the carnal love carnal humilitie unrighteousness of the flesh The chastitie and holinesse of God lets a man see his uncleannesse and filthy lust The sincerity of God shining forth upon the heart discovers its hypocrisie and so of all other manifestations of God being darted into the heart by the father He declares the creature his weaknesse and that every way he comes short of the glory of God by reason whereof the creature is filled with horror and torment which the eye of other men sees not but stands and admires So then here lies the mysterie though to me it is an unfolded truth for I speak what I know The Serpent or proud flesh in all the imaginations of it endeavours to maintain its corrupt self and to swallow up the Law of God which is the pure spirit But the Law of God which is the wisdome and power of God manifested in all the branches of it to and in the heart doth swallow up the other into himself and destroys and consumes all the powers of the flesh and becomes the King of righteousness ruling and dwelling in flesh Secondly what is the power of the Devill and by what power doth he work I answer This is not a power distinct from God as I have thought that the Devill is a middle power between God and me but it is the power of my proud flesh and the power of Gods holy Law closing together the one fighting against the other and so slew me and held me under bondage as thus God bids the heart trust in him by inward whisperings the heart not knowing God looks after the creature and thinks it cannot live without money lands help of men and creatures This is the Devill that tempts Well the pure spirit or holy law within tels the heart he must be stript of all these and trust providence for subsistence the heart while it hath use and plenty of all these saith yes I will trust God for every thing Yea but when riches fayle friends frowne men withdraw help and begin to speak evil and to hate and the heart sees it must trust in God or starve and yet it cannot he hath no power slavish feare and unbeliefe is so storng in him then it begins to sinck And it reasons thus I have no riches no certain dwelling place no way to get a subsistence I am crossed in all I have no cordiall friend no succour from men if any seem to succour me it is for their owne ends and when they have got what they can from me they leave me and turne enemies so that the heart sees he is left alone and in this low estate feare distrust two strong divels buffets the poor creature and squizes his spirit flat for he sees nothing fulfilled to him he feeles no power from God and his spirit droops So that here is depth of misery in the hearts apprehension it is hedged in with sorrows on every side Let him look to men and creatures and there is no help all hath forsaken him and stands aloofe off let him look within himselfe and he sees nothing but slavish feare and unbelief questioning the truth and power of God how can such things be and so beating him off from quiet closing with God but labouring to make a breach between God and himselfe Well thy spirit
stand without the spirit till God pull them into himself in his own time and season But that creature that is beginning to look in by desires and inquirings and precious delight towards God is in the way of entrance and when the spirit of burning is made manifest he shall then enter in and finde rest Well Adam is gone out of God and this flaming sword is set against him that he shall not enter in again but Adam sees not this mysterie because the love of self had blinded his eyes And Adam is hid from God among the trees and leaves of self-aspiring principles that rise up in him to which he gave consent to be a more knowing man then God had made him and he could not see God through these the love of selfe was so thick This teaches every one to waite upon the Father for pure teaching and to covet after no more knowledge then what is freely given them Now the Father is beginning to work a great mysterie and that is to pull Adam out of selfish flesh again and to plant him into the pure spirit and so to bring him into the most fruitfull garden of Eden But this God would not do presently but in length of time and Adam neither could nor should come back again to deny self and flesh and to acknowledge the Father his all in all till the Father was pleased to appoint a time when he would manifest himselfe in Adam And therefore for the present God hath set this flaming sword which turns every way to keep the way of the tree of life Adam must not come in to live in the pure spirit again till he be changed and his filthy garments taken from him by the fathers own hand and in the fathers own time Now I conceive and truly I finde in my own experience that this flaming sword is the enmity of natures spoken of wch is set in our hearts since the fall being a mixture of opposite natures so a frighting and killing the creature with terror So that let me go or come think or do or turne any way this enmity hath met with me terrifing and troubling of me for I could apprehend nothing from God but anger And so long as I looked upon God as an angry God I could not look upon him and live but was as a stranger to the peace and rest of God and I lay under bondage Now all afflictions crosses troubles straits that I met withall the of death or feare of dangers or feares that some Devill or spirit would take hold upon me if I were alone in any dark room or in the night I thought it was the Devill some third power between God and me that affrighted me But alas now I see it was but the dispensation of Gods wrath the shinings forth of the righteous law upon me which as fire scorched burned the enmity of my nature so became a torment to me though I saw it not and that flamed and flashed against me which way so ever I went So that this adverse power that troubles the creature is not a Devill distinct from God but it is the very power of Gods righteous law or dispensation of his wrath yea the spirit of burning which appeares very terrible by reason of the enmity of nature that is between God and the sinner for there is no agreement between God and the sinner for sinners are at a distance from God in place and comfort till there be a oneness wrought between God and them by the power of the anointing Christ And then this Devill vanishes the enmity dies the flaming sword is taken away and then the Father appeares in manifestations of love peace and oneness to the joy life liberty and peace of the creature which way soever he goes Then the creature looks not upon God as an angrie God but a God of love to him whatsoever befalls him Let him meet with afflictions crosses prison frownes of friends sickness death any thing still the poor redeemed soul can say this is the good will of my loving Father his will be done Now the bondage the enmity the flaming sword and Divell is taken away and the creatures taste and eat daily of the tree of life even live in God and God in them and here is liberty Now Adam is come into the garden again and finds rest in God and there is none to keep him out of this enioyment any longer The Apostle Paul cleares this when he speaks what Jesus Christ the Anoynting does for sinners saith he hath abolished in his flesh the enmity even the law of Commandments and so making peace and that he might reconcile both Jews and Gentiles to God in one body by the cross having slaine the enmity thereby So that now you see for what reason God set the flaming sword in Adam the living garden that this Enmity might appeare and work till the time and season of the Father came That the Anoynting Christ who is the wisdome and power of the Father did come and take it away and reconcile him and his offending creature so making peace by uniting them into one spirit of love throwing down all partition walls taking away the dispensation of wrath or Divell and murtherer and now shines in the bright beames of love in the soule Let God and man be made friends and you never here of a Divell to trouble or affright or kill any more therefore this Divell or adverse power is no other but the dispensation of wrath through the strictness of a righteous Law which the creature lies under by reason of disobedience and when the Anoynting hath made God and the creature meet in love each to other the enmity dies and the murthering Divell vanishes away and is cast into the lake of fire and so consumed and shall never affright or terrifie the creature any more Indeed while these enmities are in force there is great flashings one against the other and sometimes there is troubles within a man horror and trembling and secret burning and sometimes frightings and apparisions of wrath without a man but all these are but the effects of a righteous law occasioned through enmity of natures but I say when the Anoynting hath made a oneness so that God dwels and rules in man and man lives in God then all those frightings are taken away But is there no divel that tempted Christ or that opposes God yes it is the power of darkness or spirit of enmity that was the first fruit that sprang up from mankinde after he was made and which does yet dwel and rule in disobedient flesh untill Christ the power of God who is stronger come and cast him out For as those whisperings of flesh that rise up in Adam wich was the serpent that inticed him to disobey did move Adam with a tickling desire to be more wise and honourable then God at present had set him in to which Adam
gave consent and so eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evill even his own selfe and imagination The same whisperings of flesh appeared in the humane nature Jesus Christ for he was thereby inticed to dislike that condion his father had put him in for first he was moved to murmur against the father as though his father were carelesse of his son in letting him fast forty dayes and forty nights and so the flesh would have had Christ to have waited no longer on his father but to Command those stones to become bread But Christ rejected that inticement Then the flesh begins to move him to presume upon his fathers protection that is to cast himselfe down from the pinacle of the Temple upon this conceit that he was the son of God this is an unreasonable attempt even mere confusion as all the wisdome of the flesh is But Christ rejects this likewise Then the flesh intices him to Convetousness and vaine glory after the things of the world and told him that if he would cease waiting upon the fathers providence and follow the imaginations of the flesh all the glory of the world should be his for the imagination of the flesh thinks it can compasse any thing by its own wit and policy But Christ rejects this likewise and because he was the son he delighted to obey and to wait upon his father and was content with his condition his father had put him in so that here was whisperings of unbelief whisperings of pride and whisperings of covetousness and vaine glory all which are the fruits of the flesh But Jesus Christ gave no consent thereunto as Adam the first man did but stil kept close to his father sinned not so that here was the divell the motions and imaginations of the flesh the father of lies that tempted Adam and slew him And here was the same divell that tempted Christ for he did partake of flesh and was tempted in all things like unto us But Christ slew him and cast him out of heaven humane flesh and therefore this Anoynting is said to be the earnest of our Inheritance that as this power of God did dwell in Jesus and trod the divell the father of lies the fleshy imagination under his feet so that he killed him that killed Adam and us in him even so the same power in the fathers times and seasons will bruise the same Serpents head in every son and daughter of Adam and tread them under his feet in them But till such time as Christ hath finished this great mysterie there is will be troublers in this flesh our bodies for the risings up of a mans own concupiscence will trouble him and the flaming sword the dispensations of the righteous law laying hold thereupon will affright and terrifie the enslaved creature and raise mountains of miserie against him and so from hence comes all those horrors within a man and all those alterations and hurly burlies in the world upon mens estates families and persons as we see befell Iob which losses and miseries to Iob were the breakings forth of a righteous law upon Iob tempered by the wisdome of God not for Iobs hurt or the Devills good but for Iobs liberty and peace with God and for the devils utter shame and distruction Well in all your troubles I could wish you could look upon the hand of God that smites and not upon the Devill at a distance from God as I have done and I know you do for when God is pleased to open your eyes as to see that it is he that smites affrights torments shakes kingdoms families estates persons through the power of his righteous law which all flesh have gone astray from and which the power of darkness even the imagination of your proud flesh stil flashes against I say if the father please to let you see this then that which you call devill will appeare to be in you his power wil appear to your sight you will see that by the power of the Anointing the law of love and by no other power you will must be set free from the devil in short time For first the Father doth quicken and awake you and then he takes away the flaming sword causes the creature that was lost to come into him and to taste and eat of him who is the tree of life and so to wait upon him and live for ever The Apostle Paul saith it is the letter that kils but the Spirit gives life that is the strictnesse of a righteous Law being broken by the creature it kils the creature for this is the flaming sword that turns every way upon the thoughts words and actions of the sinner presenting nothing but wrath misery and death in the inward sight of the minde But now the Spirit the Law of love this quickens and unites the Father and his creature again and makes them one This Spirit doth burn up and cast away the flesh and that enmity and it casts the dispensation of wrath out of Gods hand and so removes that enmity likewise And now God appears not in anger as an enemy and his Declarations are not in terms of killing and bruising and making the creature grone under misery affrightings and death But he appears in manifestations of love peace and fatherly oneness Now all the clouds and storms are blown over and the love of the father shines bright and hot upon the soul making it fruitfull in love joy and peace in humility obedience and delight in God now the troubler or devill is cast out and goes and there is a onenesse of life peace liberty and joy between God and his creature Wel this may be a burthen to some to heare me thus speak but to you that the son hath given liberty to I am confident it will drop a pretious favour into your spirit CHAP. IV. A poor soule that lies under bondage before the father sets him free is troubled in a two-fold sence both which are the fruits or effects of the righteous law which hath first slaine the creature by taking advantage of disobedience and then holds him under the bondage of that death till the law of love swallow up the murtherer and set the creature free First the poor enslaved creature is tossed with many troubles within his own spirit which no man sees but himselfe such as these sometimes he cannot pray then he is troubled when he doth pray he either misplaces his words or he hath been too long or too short or some self-praysing thoughts arise and then he is troubled he cannot understand nor speak what is in his heart and when he findes himself able to speake then memory fayles him and then he is troubled when people do not regard him for his preaching and praying then he is troubled when others tell him that he must cease praying and preaching and self-acting and wait upon the Father for his pure teaching
scriptures to burne up thy drosse to consume the curse out of thee to refine thee and make thee pure gold that is to make thee live in and after the spirit and to pull thee out of the flesh In which and after which thou livest By what hath been spoken I question not but the father will let light shine into the spirits of his servants that they may see what the devill or murtherer is which is the serpent sin or curse dwelling within a man or the power of deceived flesh imbittered and made a stinging Scorpion by the law of righteousnesss The sting of sin is death and the strength of sin is the Law Now there is none that can free the creature from this compound murtherer or from these two band-dogs but Jesus Christ who is not a single man at a distance from you but who is the wisdome and power of the father who spirits the whole creation dwelling and ruling King of righteousnesse in your very flesh And he it is that comes and puls off these fierce devouring powers heals the creature that they were fastened upon and sets him free And how doth he doe that Why first he destroyes the curse that is in man and puls away that selfishness that was in him which made him to prefer the flesh above the spirit and so delivers the sinner from his envy covetousnesse discontent pride hypocrisie and makes him patient humble content under Gods hand makes him to love to delight and to glory only in God and so makes the creature to advance God above all and to set the crown of glory upon his head And now that devouring band-dog sin or curse is pulled off And then secondly when sin or serpent is thus pulled off and the creature man is made one with the father and reconciled in nature and spirit to him then the other band-dog wrath or offended law which was the strength of sin in working the creatures miserie hath nothing left to fasten upon But being a righteous law now becomes the creatures friend since the creature by Christ is made one with the righteous father and thus Christ who is the wisdome and power of God hath set the sinner free And if the son make us free we are free indeed But what is to be understood by this power of God Why truly I conceive this by the power of God is not a power without us only as it was in the man Christ Jesus when he suffered death in his own single person and thereby conquered hell and death and overcame the devil and cast the accuser out of heaven that is out of flesh that the father might dwell bodily in flesh and tread the curse under mans feet But the same Anointing or power in-dwelling and ruling whithin us and thus the power of love in man is the power of God in man and this sets us free from envy the power of patience and of a meeke spirit in man is the power of God in man and sets us free from discontent the power of humilitie in us is the power of God in us and sets us free from pride the power of peace joy and sweet resting of heart in God is the power of God in us which sets us free from sorrows and inward bondage of minde And thus the power life and peace of the father ruling as God a mighty governor in us and being established in us which indeed is the Anointing spoken of or the Lord our righteousnesse that rules in us is that power of God or that Christ that sets us free from sin and death for this is Christ in you which is the hope of glory or the earnest of the future inheritance And truly these and such like powers of God within a man are those Glorious Angels in their severall measures which the Father hath sent to guard his children and to keep them in all their wayes that they dash not their foot against the rock even God himself For Love Humility Patience Meeknesse Joy and a sweet resting of heart in GOD makes the creature submit cheerfully to God in every condition Let a Son of the Father meet with Losses Straights and Oppressious in the world and his heart presently answers Thy will be done Father thou knowest I want necessaries thou knowest what those necessaries for me are my heart waits upon thee let times be peace or war let weather be fair or fowl still the poor believing soul saith All this is good because it is the will and pleasure of my Father who will have it to be thus And thus the power of the Spirit who is the King of righteousnesse within every man treads down flesh and sets the creature free from Hell Death and Devill And the wisdom of the Father is in all this likewise for he doth this in wisdom to make himself known and that his creature being delivered by such a strong hand may out of a feeling experience own him and magnifie his name Well if you cast your eyes abroad among the sons and daughters of men you shall see very few that are saved and very few in whom Christ dwels And now the son of man comes to save he findes no faith in earth he findes righteousnesse ruling in no man but King flesh ruling in every one But this is comfort to the earth The son of righteousnesse is comming and hath begun to heal the earth he is treading down the powers of the flesh and he goes on mightily conquering and taking up sons and daughters out of their imaginary earth under which they have lien buried to enjoy the Father and to live in the onenesse of that spirit that made all things so that ere long the sweet song that is sung in private shall be sung publickly upon the house tops Rejoyce for the Lord God omnipotent raigns Yea when this mighty power Christ is lifted up he will draw all men after him that is when he is exalted and known to be the only spirit that dwels in the creation and that knits every creature into the one spirit himself then is the time which indeed is beginning in these dayes that he will draw all men after him So that every one shall see themselves in a losse and shall enquire the way to Sion even to this spirit the dwelling place of rest they shall see that books are nothing mens words and teachings studies and imaginary thoughts and conjectures are nothing but the Lord alone even this spirit is all in all and shall be exalted honored and lifted up by all in this day of his power And how is the spirit lifted up Why truely when the flesh is subject to the spirit And how is that VVhy thus First to know that this spirit which is called God or Father or Lord is Reason for though men esteem this word Reason to bee too mean a name to set forth the Father by yet it is the highest name
that can be given him For it is Reason that made all things and it is Reason that governs the whole Creation and if flesh were but subject thereunto that is to the spirit of Reason within himself it would never act unrighteousnesse for if rash froward and mad anger rise up in a man and makes him walk according to the hasty violence of that Devill now he is said truly to be an unreasonable man or a man that is not subject to Reason But if Reason be King in a man then he moderates the man both within and without so that he may be truly said to be a reasonable man or a man subject to reason and so a profitable man amongst his fellow creatures For let reason rule the man and he dares not trespasse against his fellow creature but will do as he would be done unto For Reason tels him is thy neighbour hungry and naked to day do thou feed him and cloath him it may be thy case to morrow and then he will be ready to helpe thee VVhen the Curse in flesh moves a man to oppresse or deceive his neighbour or to take away his rights and liberties to beat or abuse him in any kinde reason moderates this wicked flesh and speaks within Wouldest thou be dealt so by thy self Wouldest thou have another to come and take away thy Goods thy Liberties thy Life No said the flesh that I would not Then saith Reason Do as thou wouldest be done unto and hereby the envious and covetous and proud flesh is killed and the man is made very Moderate And this spirit of Reason is not without a man but within every man he needs not run after others to tell him or teach him for this spirit is his maker he dwels in him and if the flesh were subject to him he should finde daily teaching thereform though he were alone and saw the face of no man And truly let me tell you That you cannot say the spirit is your God till you feel and see by experience that the spirit doth govern your flesh for if Envy be your Lord that rules your flesh if Pride and Covetousnesse rule your flesh then is Envy Covetousnesse or Pride your God If you fear men so greatly that you dare not do righteously for fear of angering men then slavish fear is your God If rash anger govern your flesh then is anger your God If Uncleannesse rule in you that is your God Therefore deceive not your selves but let reason work within you and examine and see what your flesh is subject to for whatsoever doth govern in you that is your God If the curse in the flesh govern you then the devill is your God and you are servants to him for the curse is the devill But if your flesh be subject to the spirit within it which is Reason and which made the flesh then is the Father your God and you may lawfully call him your God for you know now what you speak and that your words are words of experience but if you act contrary to reason you act like a beast and not like a man according to his creation for by his creation he is made Lord of all creatures and therefore the spirit dwels supreamly in him but when he follows the way of the flesh then he acts like a beast below the creation of a man and so hath lost the honor of his creation CHAP. VI THere be three Scriptures that were brought to me and the light that shined forth gave much strength to my soul I shall only mention them and then conclude The first is Rev. 9. 4 And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the green grasse of the earth neither any green thing neither any tree but only those men that have not the seal of God upon their fore-heads and these were not to be killed neither but that they should be tormented five moneths by those Locusts that came out of the smoke that rise up out of the bottomlesse pit that was now opened or made manifest what it is By green grasse and trees that were not to be hurt were shewed to me to be the tender sons and daughters that Christ hath newly called out of the earth to grow up towards him And likewise the tender plants of divine life that Christ had planted in that tender earth As love branching out into hungering and thirsting after righteousnesse and this tender green grasse nor the earth whereupon is grows is not hurt for in the midest of any trouble whatsoever the breathings of love after the father in hungering and thirsting after him is still kept alive in the tender soule And why must not these be hurt Why because these have the seal of the spirit upon them as tender plants as such as are dear unto him I but pride envy covetousnesse hypocrisie and the earth upon which these and such like weeds grow are to be tormented and why because they have not the seal of the spirit upon their foreheads and they are to be tormented five moneths before such time as these weeds be burned up and that poysoned earth become fruitfull for good seed I but these are called men not sinfull qualities that are to be tormented it is true but a man is called according to his qualitie and manners take a proud covetous or envious man and crosse any of these wicked qualities and you torment the man For when envy raignes in a man if it be crost the whole man is crost and if pride or selfe will raigne in a man and be crost the man is tormented so that the quality declares the man and the man is declared what he is by his quality And therefore in the second Scripture Rev. 20. 15. It is said Whosoever was not written in the Lambs book of life was cast into the lake of fire By Lambs book of life is shewed to me to be his very divine nature and spirit wherein Love Humility Patience Peace and such like are written and these shall enter into life and the men in whom this Spirit rules shall enter into heaven and live in the Father For these fruits of the Spirit prove a man to be a son of light and every son of light is known by these qualities that was engraven in the Lambs Nature or Spirit But whatsoever was not written in the Lambs book as Envy Pride Covetousnesse Self-will and the like these shall be cast into the lake of fire the spirit of burning to be consumed and the men in whom these cursed powers rule shall be tormented while that drosse is in burning up and vexed day and night and are restlesse and cannot be quiet but fretts and are troubled continually Therefore whatsoever is not written in the Lambs nature shall never live in rest in the father but envy pride covetousnesse self-will and the like were not written in the Lambs booke or Spirit for he was full of love and