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A54048 A question to the professors of Christianity, whether they have the true, living, powerful saving knowledge of Christ or no? with some queries concerning Christ, and his appearances, his taking upon him our flesh : as also concerning his flesh and blood, and our being formed thereof, and feeding thereon, and an incitation to professors seriously to consider, whether they or we fail, in the true acknowledgment and owning of the Christ which died at Jerusalem : likewise some propositions and considerations concerning the nature of church-worships and ordinances, since the death of the apostles, for the sake of simplicity, which hath been long held captive therein : with the sounding of bowels towards thee, O England : also a faithful guidance to the principle and path of truth, with some sensible experimental questions and answers from the tenth chapter of John / by Isaac Penington ... Penington, Isaac, 1616-1679. 1667 (1667) Wing P1184; ESTC R18236 42,725 54

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same Christ that took upon him the body of flesh and offered it without the Gates of Jerusalem Is there any more than one or is there any other than he Is Christ divided Is there one Christ within and another without He that knoweth the least measure of the thing doth he not know the thing in some measure And he that is in the least measure of the thing is he not in the thing He that knoweth the Son doth he not also know the Father And he that knoweth the Spirit doth he not also know the Son And he that is in the Spirit is he not in the Son For they are one Nature and Being A man may have notions of the one and not of the other but their Nature their Being their Life their Virtue is inseparable And as Christ said concerning the Father That he was in the Father and the Father in him and that he that saw him saw the Father So may it not be as truly affirmed in the true sence and understanding of Life concerning Christ That he is in the Spirit and the Spirit in him and that he that seeth the Spirit seeth him and that he that seeth him seeth the Spirit For he is the Spirit according to that Scripture 2 Cor. 3.17 Now the Lord is that Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is Liberty What to do Why to see and read within the Vail and to behold the glory of the Lord which is revealed there which they whom the Vail was over formerly or whom the Vail is over now have not liberty to do Here is confusion and impossibility to mans wisdom that Christ should be all one with the Spirit that Christ should send the Spirit in his Name and also himself be the Spirit whom he sends This is an hard saying who can bear it And yet this confusion to man is Gods Wisdom and pretious in their eye who are taught of him For it is one and the same Christ that was signified in Types and Shadows under the Law revealed in the fulness of time in that prepared Body and afterwards in Spirit Now after he was ascended he received the Spirit so as he had not received him before and so having received the Promise of the Father he so dispenseth the Spirit to his Brethren and Disciples as it had not been dispensed before Indeed he comforted and refreshed his People under the Law by his holy Spirit which was their instructer then Neh. 9.20 and taught them the things of God under Types Shadows and Resemblances When he came in the Body he chose out Disciples whom he taught the things of the Kingdom and was a Refresher and Comforter of them therein And was not this another Comforter than those had under the Law Had the Jews before ever any such Comforter as Christ was to his Disciples in his bodily presence Now when he ascends he receives the Spirit from the Father as the Father had promised him and having so received him he sends him to them for their Comforter And may not this justly be tearmed another Comforter then Christ was in his bodily presence And yet is it not also the same Spirit of Life that had been with them in that Body So that it is another in the way of Administration but the same in substance even the Word which was from the beginning the Spirit which was from everlasting and to everlasting there is no other Now as the Father sent the Son and yet was with and in the Son so the Son sending the Spirit he also is with and in the Spirit And as it is the Fathers Will that the same honour be given to the Son as is given to him so it is the Sons pleasure that the same honour be given to his Spirit as is given to him Yea as he that will worship the Father must worship in the Son must come to him in the Son must appear before him in the Son must reverence and kiss the Son so he that will come to Christ will worship him must come to him in the Spirit must bow to him in the Spirit Yea he that will know and worship Christ in his fulness in the majesty of his Glory Dominion and Power must learn to bow at the lowest appearance of his Light and Spirit even at the very feet of Jesus for that is the lowest part of the Body Quer. 15. Did not the Bridegroom go away as to his appearance in flesh that he might come again in Spirit Did not the Apostles who knew his appearance in flesh and his tabernacling among them know also afterwards his appearance in Spirit and his tabernacling in them And were not their hearts filled with joy unspeakable and full of glory because of the presence of the Bridegroom Did they not know the Man-Child born and brought forth in Spirit as really as ever he was born and brought forth in flesh Yea did they not travel and help to bring him forth Were there not many in that day who could say concerning the spiritual and inward appearance of the Bridegroom We know that the Son of God the eternal Life the pure power and wisdom of the Father is come Did they not receive from him the understanding which he gives in and by his coming Yea were they not in him that is true even in Jesus Christ the Son who is the true God and Life eternal 1 John 5.20 Had they not received the Kingdom which could not be shaken And did they never see and converse with the King in the Kingdom Nay did not he walk in them and they in him and he sup with them and they with him eating and drinking together the Bread and Wine of the Kingdom fresh and new in the Kingdom O that ye could read in Spirit O that ye did receive that measure of life from Christ which the Father hath allotted you that ye might read therein but the Letter read out of the Spirit darkeneth and killeth Quer. 16. What is the Laver of Regeneration or the Water wherewith the Soul is washed and whereof a man is born again Is it outward or inward Is it the water which ran out of the side of the natural Body when it was pierced with a Spear or the water which springs from the Fountain of Life the water which floweth from the Spirit What are the waters which corrupt mud and defile the mind Are they outward waters And what are the waters which purifie and cleanse it Can they be of a lower nature then Spiritual What are the waters which answer the thirst of the Soul after Life after Purity after Salvation That refresh and glad the heart of him that drinketh thereof Are they not from the pure River clear as Chrystal which runs from the Throne And if the water which cleanseth and nourisheth the Soul be spiritual can the flesh and blood which falleth not short of the Water in its Virtues Properties and Operations be inferiour
mans nature nor to be attained by his Art They also know and hear the Voice of the Word nigh in the mouth and heart and follow the Law of his Spirit received from his mouth which none else but his Sheep do or can do for this is given by him and it is given by him only to his Sheep Quest 7. What doth Christ the Shepherd the eternal Word the Wisdom Life and Power of the Father do for his Sheep Answ He doth great things for them which utter who can but happy is he that feels and knows them He gives them a new Nature a new Spirit a new Heart a new Name which none knoweth but he that hath it for it is written on the white stone which none else receives nor none else can read but he that hath the eye which is of him what is written thereon He giveth them eternal Life he leadeth them into the postures of Life he giveth them to drink of the Waters of Life He patteth them forth out of the Prison-house out of the Chains and Fetters out of the Darkness out of the Bonds and from under the burthens of the Soul into the pure Light and liberty of the Spirit where they taste know and enjoy of his freedom and dwell with him and rest with him and lie down with him and rise up with him even in the same eternal Life Spirit and Power wherein his dwelling-place is And all this they enjoy safely hearkening to the Voice of the Shepherd and turning from the voice of the stranger which it is natural to them to do For being turned from man born of that which is immortal and keeping to that that ear which is there received will alone hearken to the Voice of him who is Immortal and the voice of the stranger who speaketh of himself is presently discerned and turned from by him that heareth with the true ear The Lord God who is the Spring and Fountain of all good inflame people with desires after the pure Life and holy Nature which is of and from Christ the Seed his Son and satisfie those desires which are singly and uprightly after him The Conclusion GLorious was the estate of the Church before the Apostacy for Purity of Doctrine for holy Order and Discipline for Love to God one to another and to all men even of Enemies for Faith in God for the Presence and Power of his Spirit among them insomuch as the unbeliever coming among them might find his heart and state reached to and be forced to confess and report that God was in them of a truth for singleness and uprightnesse of Heart meekness and innocency of Spirit and Conversation for zeal for God and his Truth suffering the spoiling of their Goods Imprisonments Stripes and many other wayes both from the Heathen and also from the professing Jews who had been the Church once O what shall I say concerning the beauty and loveliness of that State Ye that would know it O wait to feel it in that which giveth the true sence of it But over this glorious State came a dark thick corrupt night wherein the Kernel was lost and the Shell defaced wherein the House which had been swept and garnished became again recovered and possessed by the wicked spirit And how great hath this darkness been O what a kind of Church hath appeared in the World wherein the spirit of Enmity hath dwelt and acted in men under the Name of Christianity So that instead of loving and seeking the good of Enemies they are ready to rend and tear one another for every little difference and will be Lords over mens Faith requiring men to practise things in Religion before the Spirit of the Lord teacheth them so to do which the Apostles did not For though they had from God the express knowledge of what was Truth and could certainly instruct and build men up therein yet they were not Lords over mens Faith but if men were otherwise minded then according to what they knew and taught they could wait and bear with them bidding them walk so far as they had attained and God in his due time would reveal the rest also O that men were come to this Spirit again Then they would be Christians indeed and then they might be known to be Christs Disciples by their loving the Brethren and fellow-Disciples But without this love mens Religion is but as a tinkling Cymbal making a noise and sound of somewhat but not having the true Nature or Virtue of Religion in it Now will it not be a glorious Day when the Spirit of the Lord cleanseth away this thick darkness and causeth the Light of his pure Truth to arise and appear again Why there is such a Day to be wherein the true Church which was reproached and driven into the Wilderness is to come out of the Wilderness again and her Witnesses stand on their feet again and her Seed to spring up in the Power of Life following the Lamb who marcheth on fighting with the Sword of the Spirit the words of his mouth conquering and to conquer thereby the corrupted Antichristian World even as he did at first the corrupt Heathenish World The Lord will purifie his Temple and cleanse the World by the Plagues of his Angels which he hath prepared making way for the beauty of his Truth and the Church of his gathering wherein he 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 Gospel-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 pittying 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 than 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 THE END
to it in nature and kind Quer. 17. Can outward blood cleanse the Conscience ye that are spiritual consider Can outward water wash the Soul clean Ye that have ever felt the blood of sprinkling from the Lord upon your Consciences and your Consciences cleansed thereby did ye ever feel it to be outward It is one thing what a man apprehends in the way of notion from the Letter concerning the things of God and another thing what a man feels in Spirit Quer. 18. Seeing the Apostle speaks of purifying the Heavenly things themselves Ebr. 9.23 It would seriously be inquired into and the Lord waited on to know what nature these Sacrifices must be of which cleanse the Heavenly things Whether they must not of necessity be Heavenly If so then whether was it the flesh and blood of the Vail or the flesh and blood within the Vail Whether was it the flesh and blood of the outward earthly Nature or the flesh and blood of the inward spiritual Nature Whether was it the flesh and blood which Christ took of the first Adams Nature or the flesh and blood of the second Adams Nature Quer. 19. What is that wherein they that are in the Spirit behold as in a Glass with open face the glory of the Lord Is it not Christ And how is Christ so Is it not as he is made manifest in Spirit Doth he know Christ aright or believe in him aright that knoweth him according to his bodily appearance that can relate and firmly believe what he did therein or he that knoweth and believeth in his Spirit and Power Henceforth know we no man after the flesh no not Christ saith the Apostle though we have known him so What meaneth that The same thing may be known several wayes outwardly inwardly according to the Flesh according to the Spirit Now if ye are of the Spirit live in the Spirit If ye live in the Spirit know in the Spirit the things of God after the Spirit as the Spirit reveals as that which is born of God receives and not as the wisdom understanding reason and flesh of man can receive And then ye will come into fellowship with Christ both in his death and resurrection and know indeed the resurrection both of the Life and of the Body which to know and be able to acknowledge in Jesus is very pretious Quer. 20. Hath not Christ made us Kings and Priests to God even his Father What is it that is the King and Priest in us And if we be Priests must we not have somewhat to offer What have we to offer And what makes our Sacrifices savoury and acceptable Is it not that of his Spirit that of his Life which is in them Is it not the Faith the Love the Obedience which are all of him wherein they are offered If we should give our bodies to be burned in the way of testifying to Truth without this would they be accepted If we give but a cup of cold water in this is it not accepted Now is the Life the Faith the Obedience of the Son the thing which is of value in us And was it not the same which was of value in him What did the Father require of the Son for satisfaction for Adams disobedience Was it not the obedience of the second Adam which weighed down the transgression and disobedience of the first Doth not this make all righteous who are of Him and found in his Nature as the transgression of the first made all unrighteous Rom. 5.19 Sacrifice and Offering thou wouldst not Lo I come to do thy Will O God He taketh away the first that he may establish the second By the which Will we are sanctified through the offering of the Body of Jesus Christ once for all Heb. 10.9 10. What can be plainer to that which hath Truths ear So by Truth manifested in the heart there is nothing denied of what is said concerning Christ in Scripture but every thing owned believed and received in its proper place Quer. 21. Who is the Captain of our Salvation Who is it that girdeth himself with Might riding on conquering and to conquer all the Enemies of the Soul Is it not the Lamb Is it not Christ Is it not he whose Name is called the Word of God And yet how can it be he Is not he to sit at Gods right hand until his Enemies be made his footstool Quer. 22. What is the Water and Spirit whereof a man must be born again or he cannot see the Kingdom of God Is it Christs flesh and blood or no His flesh saw no corruption and incorruptible flesh and blood may enter the Kingdom though corruptible cannot Quer. 23. What did all the Types Vails and Shadows under the Law signifie Did they signifie another Vail Did they signifie or shadow out that which was outward or did they shadow out and signifie that inward Life Virtue and saving Power which was the substance of all Quer. 24. Is not the Substance the Life the Anointing called Christ wherever it is found Doth not the Name belong to the whole Body and every Member in the Body as well as to the Head Are they not all of one yea all one in the anointing Was not this the great desire of his heart to the Father that they all might be one even as the Father and Christ were one John 17.21 23. And so being one in the same Spirit one in the same Life one in the same divine Nature 2 Pet. 1.4 even partakers of Gods Holiness Heb. 12.10 Christ is not ashamed to call them Brethren Heb. 2.11 nor is the Apostle ashamed to give them the Name Christ together with him 2 Cor. 12.12 The Body is the same with the Head one and the same in Nature and doth not the Name belong to the Nature in the whole So that the Name is not given to the Vessel but to the Nature to the heavenly Treasure to that which is of him in the Vessel to that which the Lord from Heaven begets in his own Image and Likeness of his own Substance of his own Seed of his own Spirit and pure Life Quer. 25. What was that live Coal from the Altar whereby the Prophet Isaiah's iniquity was taken away and his sin purged Isa 6.6 7. Can any thing purge away sin but the Blood of Christ Quer. 26. What are the Leaves of the Tree of Life which are for the healing of the Nations Is not Christ the Tree of Life Is there any other Tree of Life besides him Is there any other Healer And what do these Leaves of the Tree of Life heal the Nations of Do they not heal them of their sins and of the sicknesses and distempers of their Souls because of their sins And have these Leaves any of the Blood of Christ in them or no Quer. 27. Is not Christ the true Vine the true Olive-Tree the living Vine the living Olive-Tree the spiritual Vine the spiritual Olive-Tree into which all
Salvation that ever the Son had from him The Jews were to learn in Types Figures and Shadows till Christ came And after Christ came he also taught them in Resemblances and Similitudes of things and the Apostle wrote and spake much to persons as just coming out of that state in a language suited to that state But he that comes into the thing it self and is taught there by the Spirit after he is grown up and made capable he is taught plainly the nature of the Heavenly things and the words of the Apostles concerning the deep things of God which are mysterious to others are manifest plain to him Yea the Lord so teacheth him things as words cannot utter that is He so knoweth the Peace of God the Joy of his Spirit the Life and Power of the Lord Jesus Christ his Wisdom Righteousness and pure pretious way of sanctifying the heart the tender Mercy Faithfulness and rich love of the Father c. as he cannot utter to any man nay so as he never learned nor could learn from words about the thing but by the sense and experience of the thing it self the Lord in whom are the depths of life and who giveth the sense and understanding of the deep things of the Spirit opening them in him and manifesting them to him And indeed this is the right and excellent way of knowledge to come into the Union to come into the Thing it self to learn in the Union to see and know in the Thing This is the Way that the Lord teacheth all his Children in the new Covenant by inward Life by the pure Light within by the inward demonstration of his Spirit by the Power and Virtue of the Truth it self which it hath in him that is true And he that is in the Son hath some measure of this Life and he that hath not some measure of this Life is not in the Son but in a talk and wise knowledge of things after the flesh which will perish and he with it who abideth there For no man can be saved but by coming into the knowledge which is of a pure eternal living saving Nature Can an opinion which a man takes up concerning Christ from the Scriptures and casting himself thereupon save him for it is no more than an Opinion or Judgment unto a man unless he be in the life and power of the thing it self Then indeed it is Truth to him Knowledge in him right Knowledge otherwise it is but Knowledge falsly so called Knowledge which will not subdue his heart to Truth nor hath its seat there but in his head making him wise and able there to oppose Truth and so bringing him into a state of Condemnation Wrath and Misery beyond the Heathen and making him harder to be wrought upon by the Light and Power of Truth than the very Heathen Therefore consider your wayes O Professors of Christianity and do not despise the hand which is stretched forth to you in the love of God and in the motion and guidance of his Spirit who condescends to you exceedingly that he might reach to his own in you and scatter your Apprehensions Imaginations and Conceivings about the meanings of Scriptures which are as so many Chains of Death and Darkness upon you that ye might come to him in whom is Life and who gives life freely to all that come to him O observe what Barrs were in the way of the Scribes and Pharisees They would not come to him that they might have life nay indeed they could not as they stood There are greater Barrs in your way yea it is harder for many of you to come to him than it was for them My upright desire to the Lord for you is That he would remove the stumbling-blocks out of your way that he would batter and knock down the flesh in you that he would strip you of al your knowledge of Scriptures according to the flesh that ye might be made by him capable of knowing and receiving things according to the Spirit and then ye will know how to understand honour and make use of the Letter also but till then ye cannot but make use of it both against your own Souls and against Christ and his Truth And then for setting up a natural Principle we are further from that then ye are aware For we are as shy of this and jealous that it was a natural Principle as ye can be and started from it divers of us till the Lord by his eternal Power and demonstration of his Spirit reached our hearts and shewed us that it was the Seed of the Kingdom even the Root of all the Spiritual life that either we our selves formerly or ever any else received at any time and gave us the sight of the things of the Kingdom in it and at length wrought that in us and for us by it which never was wrought in us before and which can be wrought by nothing else but the power of the Spirit Now having certainly felt and known the thing in our own hearts and having also seen the Snares and Nets which the Enemy laies for you whereby he keeps you from the true Bread and from the Water and Wine of the Kingdom even as he kept us formerly How can we hold our peace but witness to you in the love and drawings of the Spirit of the Lord of the Truth Life and Power which we have felt in Jesus though ye become our Enemies therefore Nor do we this to bring you to another Opinion or outward Way that is not our end but that ye might feel the thing it self and know assuredly what is the Truth in that which never was deceived it self nor ever deceived any nor will suffer any to be deceived who are joyned to it and abide in it O why should ye wander in the dark Opinions and uncertainties of the night Why should ye not rather come to that wherein the light of the day springs and out of which it shines And can the natural man who hath his eyes be deceived about the light of the natural day Doth he not know the Light of the day both from the lights and also from the darkness of the night Ten thousand times more certain and inwardly satisfied is he who is born of the spiritual Day brought forth in the Light thereof and who spiritually sees lives and walks therein So that there is no doubt in him who is grown up into the thing but he hath the assurance of Faith which is far above the assurance of outward sense or reason and the assurance of understanding O blessed is he who hath an eye to see an ear to hear an heart to understand the things which God hath revealed by his Spirit in this our day the living Way which he hath now made manifest the principle of Life that he hath raised out of the Grave of Death But he that reproacheth and speaketh evil of this that will neither enter in himself nor suffer
others he is far from receiving the blessing or blessedness of this Seed but groweth up in the wrong nature and spirit the end whereof is to be burned with all that is in union with it and groweth up from it Therefore come out from that spirit come out of that dark mind and nature which never saw nor can see the Truth but setteth up Opinions and appearances of things instead of it and receive the Anointing which is given with and in the Seed which is raised in some and visited in many in this day of the Lords Love and tender Mercy to whom the Living the Sensible the Redeemed sing praises and on whom they wait for his further manifesting of his Power and Glory in them daily more and more Now Friends if ye will know aright or believe aright ye must know and believe in him who was with the Father before the World was who was the Saviour the Jesus the Christ from everlasting For what makes him so Is it not his Nature Is it not the power of Salvation in him His taking up a body made no alteration in him added nothing to him onely it was necessary that he should take it up to fulfil the Will in it and to offer it up a Sacrifice in his own Life and Spirit to the Father This we firmly believe and this also we cannot but say further That the Virtue the Value the Worth the Excellency of what was done by him in the Body was not of the Body but it was in him before time in time and will be after time and for ever Yea it is he to whom the Name Jesus and Christ did of right belong before he took up the Body and he only put forth in the Body the saving Virtue which he had before which belonged to the Nature to the Anointing in him whether ever he had saved any with it or no. And this Virtue this Life this Spirit this Nature of his is the Food the Righteousness the Garment of Life and Salvation which he through the death of the Body made and prepared a living way for the Soul to come to to feed on and be cloathed with I can hardly stop speaking of these things for your sakes that through my words or the words of whom the Lord shall please ye might come to feel that which is able to give you the holy understanding and might come to the true sence and experience of the Truth it self and might see who hath blinded you and how he hath blinded you and fed you with Husks and dry food instead of that which hath the true living Sap in it But while ye see and judge in that which is wrong ye must needs judge amiss both of your selves and others and also of the Truth it self and of the words spoken either formerly or now concerning it whereby ye expose and bring your selves under the righteous Judgment of the Truth it self even of the Son and the Light of his Day which hath power from the Father to judge all false appearances deceits and deceivers A POST-SCRIPT to the Professors of Christianity IT hath pleased the Lord as he manifested his Christ gloriously before the Apostacy so to manifest him so again For he was not only born in the flesh of the Virgin Mary but he was also born in the Spirit of the Woman cloathed with the Sun which had the Moon under her feet and on her head a Crown of twelve Stars She also brought forth the Man-Child who was to Rule all Nations with a Rod of Iron Rev. 12. Now of this appearance and return of the Lord Jesus Christ and his fresh bringing forth of his Life and Power in his Body the Church there are many Witnesses who have seen felt and tasted thereof with the Eyes and Sences which are of God and of the new Birth And of this in the Love and good Will of God and from the drawings and requirings of his Spirit they bear witness to others that they also might come to see the glory and brightness of his Day and rejoyce therein For indeed it is a glorious Day inwardly in Spirit to those that are quickened and gathered to the living Shepheard and Bishop of the Soul by the eternal Arm of his Power And happy is the Eye that sees the things that they see and the Ear that hears what they hear and the Heart that understands the things which God hath revealed in and unto them by his Spirit Glorious was the appearance of Christ in flesh but there were blocks in the way of the Jews that they could not know own believe and receive him And glorious is the administration of his life in Spirit in this day of his Power but there are also blocks lying in the way of them to whom it is sent which cause them to stumble at it and keep them both from letting it into them and also from giving up to it But blessed was he who was not offended in Christ then and blessed is he who is not offended at him now For he that is offended at him who is Life and gives Life stumbling at the present way of dispensation which God hath chosen to give it out by how shall he live This is the cause that so many poor hearts lie mourning and grovelling on the earth groaning because of their sins fearing because of the strength of the Enemy and the corruptions of their own hearts which are continually ready to betray them into his hands because they know not him who hath stretched out his Arm and is come in his Power to deliver but are prejudiced against the way wherein he hath and doth deliver Yea they know not his Voice who calls Come unto me I am the Resurrection and the Life He that believeth in me shall receive my strength and though he were never so weak shall become as David and though never so unclean shall find the Waters which spring from my Well to cleanse him and nourish him to Life everlasting How tenderly did Christ visit the Jews in the dayes of his flesh How powerfully and in the true Authority of God did he preach among them What mighty Works did he shew and yet they could not believe Why so The Enemy had entred them with his temptations had got somewhat into their minds of a contrary nature to keep out thereby the sense knowledge and acknowledgment of him So that when their hearts were even overcome with his Power and sweet precious Doctrine and ready to yeeld that this was he this was Christ indeed then the Enemy raised up some Argument or other to prejudice them against him that he might thereby beat them off and drive them back again from owning or receiving him This man is not of God say some for he keepeth not the Sabbath He cannot be a Prophet say others because he is of Galilee out of which no Prophet ariseth He cannot be Christ saith a third sort because we know whence he
and all fleshly reasonings into the Spirit of Life and examine there both your inward and outward buildings that your loss be not great and your anguish unutterable in the Day of the Lord when all those buildings which are raised and preserved in the pure Life and Power shall shine in the beauty and glory of Gods Spirit and the greatest glory of flesh and fleshly buildings fade and wither The Sounding of Bowels towards thee O ENGLAND EArly in the morning on the 26th day of the sixth month 1666. this in the freshness and quick sense of Life sprang up in my heart again and again O England England England how good had it been for thee that thou hadst known and walked in the way of Peace There is a way of Peace for Persons and Nations to know and walk in but every Person and Nation doth not know and walk in this way but rather in the way of trouble Quest What is the way of Peace Answ It is the way of the pure Wisdom the way of the Light and guidance of God's Spirit from whom the Creature came and by whom alone it can be rightly ordered He that waiteth on him for Counsel he that subjecteth to and walketh in his Counsel he walketh in the way of Peace Quest What is the way of Trouble Answ The way of a mans own Wisdom and Counsel For a Man or Nation to do that which is right in their own eyes This is the way of Man whereby he thinks to establish himself and put an end to his Troubles but he errs therein as in the end he still finds to his Woe Now O England consider Hast thou had the guidance of God Hath the Light which hath guided thy steps been lighted by him or by his and thy Souls Enemy For there is a Spirit of a contrary nature to God near Man which he suddenly taketh counsel of when his heart is not acquainted with nor receiveth counsel of the Lord. And this Counsellor is the destroyer both of Persons and Nations leading them in wayes of ruine and subversion under an appearance of being the properwayes of Peace and Settlement It is true of Nations as well as Persons that what they sow that shall they also reap God measureth out their time unto them and when that is over his time of judging and pleading with them comes And woe is then unto them who have acted in their own wills and wisdoms out of the pure Counsel and fear of the Lord wherein they should have stood and been guided It is a day of trouble and distress The weight of the iniquity of this Nation begins to be felt upon it O let every one search and bow before the Lord under his righteous Judgements that there may be no going on in that which bringeth and will increase the judgement but a turning towards that which interceeds and opens the springs of Mercy Two things lie heavy on this Nation to wit a running on in Transgressions of several kinds against the Lord forgetting his tender Mercies with the dayes of former distress and an afflicting others whom he loves and hath led and is leading out of transgression O that these things might come to an end that the anger of the Lord might cease and the wayes of his Judgements and pleading with this Nation be stopped for who can stand before him when he riseth up in controversie against them There is but one eye which can rightly see the Hand and Judgments of the Lord yea it pleaseth the Lord so to manage them that only the eye which is of him may see them Man must be taken in his Wisdom and caught in the snare of his own understanding He that will see the Things of God the Wayes of God the Counsels of God the Love and Sweetness of God yea the very Judgments of God must receive from him the eye that seeth them O that men might feel after and come into that wherein they might be pittied and spared by their Maker Man must bow that which is of God in man which hath long lain under oppression must be exalted It is the day of his Power and he will reign in it O happy they that bow to his Scepter and kiss the shinings of his Light even in the sharpest rebukes of it in their hearts that they may turn from and travel out of the darkness where is death destruction and misery even in all the counsels and wayes of it and come into unity with that which is pure and live Written in Alisb Prison 27. of 6th month 66. A faithful Guidance to the Principle and Path of Truth wherein eternal Life is witnessed by those who are born thereof and walk therein THere must be somewhat let down from God into a mans heart to change his heart and redeem it to God or he cannot be saved He must receive a Seed be born of a new and incorruptible Seed or he cannot be renewed from his corrupt nature and state He must be born of Water and Gods Spirit or he cannot enter into Gods Kingdom Now this is the true Religion namely to experience and be subject to that Power which redeems to God which breaks the power of the wicked one in the heart first casting him out and then taking possession of the Vessel and filling it with the holy Treasure Quest But how may a man meet with such a thing as this Answ The Scripture which giveth a faithful Testimony concerning the Truth saith Christ the Word of Faith which the Apostles preached is nigh Insomuch as a man need not say Who shall go up or down to fetch it but what saith it The Word is nigh thee in thy mouth and in thy heart This is that which reconciles to God cutting down and slaying the enmity by the Power of the Cross and bringing up the Seed This is the Adversary in the way of the sinner which he that maketh peace with shall be remitted all his trespasses past and find power and strength against sin for the time to come as he is gathered into and brought forth in his pure Life and Nature Quest But how shall I know and receive this Answ That in the heart which is contrary to sin which discovereth sin which witnesseth against sin and is drawing the mind from it furnishing those with a new and holy ability who wait upon the Lord in it that that is the thing though in never so little a Seed or low measure Now he that minds this harkens to this turns from what this in its pure unerring Light shews to be evil follows in the will strength and ability which is of this what this shews to be good he receives it and waiting upon it and becoming daily subject to it shall grow up in it increase in the knowledge of it and acquaintance with it and receive of it daily more and more And thus the man whose way was vile whose heart was naught formed in wickedness filled with