The invisible things of God brought to light by the revelation of the eternal spirit who was an ey-witness of the wonders of the Lord in the beginning : wherein is declared the felicity of all things in the beginning and the sad estate of all things after the transgression ... / by Francis Howgill.

The work of the Lord declared, which was in the beginning, when the word was with God, and was the Fathers delight, and man made in the Image of God, and lived in the Lambs Power, and he was mans life, and this was before the trans∣gression of these declared, as God hath manifested them by his Spirit.

IN the beginning was the Word; and the Word was with God; and the Word was God; the same was in the be∣ginning before the foundation of the Earth was laid, or the Hills were framed, he was with the Fa∣ther, and was the Fathers delight, and he delighted in the Father, and the Father in him, then did the morn∣ing stars sing together, and the Son of

God shout for joy. In the beginning were the heavens created and the Pil∣lars theref set; & the earth was framed by the Power, and all things both in the Heaven and In the Earth were created by the Power, Gods Son; every Beast of the field, every fowl of the Heaven, and the decreed place for the Sea was broken up, and all things that moveth therein were created by the word and by the Power, and man was made by the Power, and in the Power, and he was the Image of God; as it is writ∣ten, In the Image of God crea∣ted he him, Male and Female crea∣ted he them, and he had dominion over all the works of his hands, over every beast of the field, which were created by the Power, over the Ser∣pent, among the rest, which was crea∣ted by the Power, and was good, as he was made in the Power; and by the wisdom they were all brought forth, and man made in that wisdom that brought them forth, who was better then them all, and was made par∣takers of the Power and of the Wis∣dom

more then them all, and by the wisdom called every thing as is was in its nature, so named he everything, and the dominion he had was in the Power over all things, over all the Creation of God, which was good, and the Earth, and all things that are therein, the tree of knowledge good, that stood in the garden also, but not for food▪ so these be the generations of the Heavens and the Earth, in the day when God created them they were all good, made and created by God, in the Power Eternal, which is good, unchangeably good, with∣out variation, and the unchange∣able Power, in which and by which they were made, moved in them all, and they all received vertue and Power from the Power, Gods Son; and the Power moved in them all, and shined through them all, and ran through them all; and they were all to abide in the Covenant, in which they were made, and not any to move or act without the Power, but only as the Power which was the life of them all moved them and acted

them, and so goodness possessed them all; for all was partakers of the goodness of God, and it was the life of them, and they were none of them to move nor stir, but as the life of men, the Power by which they were created, moved them, which was Gods Son: the Heavens and the Earth were finished, and all things that therein are, and they were all good; and this saying was true then, which was spoken by Christ the Power, many generations after, I in them, and thou in me, and all was perfect in one, the Father was in the Power, the Power was in the Fa∣ther, and all the Creatures in the Power: Now was the Father glorified; now was the Son glorified, now was man in Dominion, in Power, crowned with honour, Lord over all the works that God had made, in the Power; and now the whole Family both of Heaven and Earth bowed their knees to the Lamb, to the Power, and this was then fulfilled, at the Name of Jesus every knee shall bow, both of things in Heaven, and

things in Earth; and his Name was now the Word of God; and this was in the beginning, and the Word of God is the Power of God: and now both the Celestial bodies and terresterial bodies were all subject to the Power, and all the works of the Lords hands were finished, and he rested, and all, both things in Heaven and Earth rested in the power, and all kept holy-day and rejoyced.

Though the Heavens and the Earth were created, and all things wrought and finished, yet the world was not begun, that lay in wickedness, which the Devil is the God of, neither was the Power, which is Christ, the mystery hid, neither was the Lamb slain yet.

Now after all was made and crea∣ted, and were good, and blessed, and indued with power, life and vertue, according to the purpose of his hea∣venly will which is eternally pure, yet was not the lamb slain, nor the mystery hid, which is the power, w^ch is Christ; for what should slay him, or what should hide him? he that reads let him understand; this that I speak of, cannot be reached unto with that

Wisedome that stands in time, which was not in the beginning with God, that is shut out, but the wise in heart shall understand know∣ledge, and the prudent shall know what hath been in the beginning, and of his wonderful works in the dayes of old, and of the mystry which was before the world began, when the Lamb was in glory, the Son in glory, Christ in glory, the first born of every creature, and was born be∣fore the world began, he that hath an ear to hear let him hear; when all that God had made and brought forth by the word, by the Power, was blessed, and stood in the Power, then did the Lamb sit in his throne, then was he the delight of God, and God in him, and all that was made by him rejoyced in him, here was love, here was glory, here was purity, unity and a sweet harmo∣ny, joy, peace, love, eternal life, Gods power ran through all; All was good, Christ was not now hid, he shed himself abroad, and all things was partakers of his power in which they

were made, here was happinesse, bles∣sednesse, joy, dominion, everlasting and eternal felicity, innocency, purity and perfection, and man in it, God in it, the Lamb in it, man in it after his own image, the Mystery of godly∣nesse was not hid, there was nothing to hide it, or overshadow it, no vail, no covering, but righteousnesse was manifest, and was the covering of all, inocency, the cloathing of all, purity the robe of all, and life the dwelling place of all; and all the works of his hands rested with the Father, with the Lamb, with the Word, with the power, with Christ in glory, with the Father, in the etenall glory, whereby all was upheld, in purity, unity, har∣mony; answering the pure will of God, and man had power to answer the will of his Maker, which he re∣ceived from God the Father of life by the power in which he was made, and to abide in the will of God for ever, and herein he and all things in heaven and the whole family thereof, and all the holy host of God bowed to the lambs power, and he reigned, &

the Angels were subject to the first born of every creature, before the Angels or before any thing was made, he was; his age who can declare, or his ge∣neration? his age runs paralell with eternity, with immortality, and came from the eternal womb, & from the bosome of the Father, where he is, even where he was before the world began; he that reads let him under∣stand, now the power ruling in all, and over all, all was in peace, and was blessed.

Now the Angel stood in his power, moved in his power, and all the Cele∣stial bodies went in and out at his command, and moved not, nor stir∣red not, but when he moved; & this was then fulfilled, let all the Angels worship him, and so they did, reve∣renced him, were subject to him, sang and rejoyced in him, triumphed in in his power, and all the Holy Host moved at his command, and marched on in his strength to performe his will, & to accomplish his everlasting purpose, and to fulfill his eternal de∣cree, and gave glory to him who sate

upon the throne of righteousness, and judged in righteousnesse for ever, and ruled in righteousness for ever, there was joy in heaven, the Father re∣joyced, the Son rejoyced, the Angels rejoyced, the morning stars sang, the the Sons of God shouted for joy, the holy Host gave praise, and all praised in the firmament of his power, in which they stood, moved, walked, li∣ved, and accomplished the pure per∣petual & eternal decree of their maker, Moreover, the terrestrial bodies were all subject to him, he reigned in all, over all, moved all, gave Life to all, and was the Life of Adam, of the male, and the Female, and then was this fulfilled, even then, which was spoken in time, though by him who was before all time, who was the life of all things; I say he lived then, and because he lived, man lived also, for he was his Life; now Christ the power reigned over all, and all in the Lambs power were subject in a sweet harmo∣ny, answering the pure will of their Lord, their King that lived for ever, who was upon his throne in the hea∣vens,

and now his kingdom was over all, there was joy in heaven, there was peace on earth, the good will of God was done; In Earth as it was in hea∣ven. Oh beautiful, oh glorious, oh comly, oh admirable, oh incompre∣hensible was the glory, my tongue can not expresse, and time would faile me to declare the eternal exellency which God hath revealed by his spi∣rit, and that which I see is not Law∣ful now for me to utter; now was no mountaines nor hils to hide the my∣stery, but it shined upon all, in all, over all, and above all, was not hid; As I said there was now no hiding place that could or did overshadow the mystery of godlinesse, for the eyes of all things looked upon him, whether Celestial or Terrestrial, and all and every thing according to its kind re∣joyced in the Light of his counte∣nance, and of his power was glad, and gloried in him, for then there was not an other; he that can hear let him: Now the Earth rejoyced, and the floods clapped their hands; now the great deep smiled, & all things that was

therein, the springs thereof laughed which flowed forth as though they had issued out of a womb, now every thing that had breath & lived, pray∣sed the Lord; neither was there any thing but bowed and submitted to their Maker; and he Lord and King over all, yet in eternal glory: yet let the wise in heart understand, this was in the beginning, and though it was in the beginning, yet this was when the heavens and the Earth was created, and all things that therein are, even then the Lamb of God was alive, and the Son of God glorified with the Father, and man in happy∣nesse, and in pure perfection, without sin in Inocency: for nothing that was nocent or hurtful had yet appea∣red, neither was there any such thing in all that God had made.

Here the wise may learn, and they that have a good understanding may read the wisdome of God in a Mystery, and also see the darke sot∣tish doctrine of the blind Apostates, who have lost the power, and are keep∣ing people ignorant of the Mystery of God.

NOw this hath been a common doctrine, and received to be orthodox, and as they call it authen∣tick, that while we are in this life, there can not be an overcoming of all sins nor no expectation of it in this life; and their main ground hath been this, because we have natural bo∣dies.

Now I say, had not Adam a natu∣ral body when he was in purity and perfection, in innocency, in Paradise, in the garden, yet was this any hin∣derance to him to answer the will of his Creator? No; For as the soul, spi∣rit and body was moved by the power out of which power he was not to stir, then I say he had ability to perform the will of his maker in the body, for as he was created by the power in the inward man, that led about the natu∣ral & earthly or outward form accor∣ding to its will, which will was pure, and kept the body acting in its place in the power, for then I say all was good, for the Celestial power in

which he was made, moved the whole man according to its will, and while he stood in the power, he was in innocency, and purity, and without blemish, & in the power was his health and peace, and he knew no evil.

Ob. But some may say, what is this as to the confutation of the doctrine which hath been taught, as to the freedom from sin in this life?

Ans. This declares that there was such a thing in being, to wit, a na∣tural body, and an earthen vessel, and yet without sin, as he stood in the power; for the earthen vessel was good, as all the rest of Gods creation was in its place to serve the power, as the rest of Gods creatures did in the beginning, and who ever comes to know that state again, may come to glorifie God in soul, body and spirit, though in the body, in this taberna∣cle; but take their own phrase for the clearing of the thing, not to be freed from the committing of sin in this life, I say in the corruptable life, or the life of unrighteousness, which may be properly called death, there

is no freedome from sin, neither of soul or body or spirit, but who comes to know regeneration or the Life of men, in which Adam was created in the beginning, in that incorruptable Life, there is no transgression, and if he live in man, the body is dead be∣cause of sin, and I know none who have preached any other 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Life, who hath spoke by the spirit of God, in which freedome from all sin is ob∣tained, but onely the life of Christ, and whosoever comes to know the Lord from heaven, who ruled o∣ver all in the beginning, and was the life of all, and all moved in his Life, before the fall, whether they were things visible or invisible, & that same power or Life of Christ, the Lamb of God, who was alive then, if he live in man, & man come to be guided by his power, as in the beginning he li∣ving in man, the soul and body and spirit being quickned by his power, and raised from under the bondage of corruption, then death hath not power over man (but life) and be∣cause he lives in them, they live also,

their souls to praise him, and their bodies and the members thereof to be servants of righteousness, and so that unbelieving Doctrine of the world is turned into the pit, and truth is set above it.

Object. But further it will be objected, that our bodies are not like Adams, in innocency, we are in the fall, and therefore we say they hinder from being freed from all sin, and ever will, while up∣on Earth.

Ans. That the naked truth may appear to them that seek after true knowledge, I answer freely, that I grant that the soul lies in death, and the creature is subject to vanity, and the whole Creation groans in travel and in pain, and waits for the mani∣festation of the Son of God, and the Redemption of the body; and in this state is all mankind upon the face of the whole Earth in the first Adam, but he who is the second Adam, the Lord from Heaven, who was in the beginning, and is now what he was, and shall be for ever, I say, as man comes to believe in the Son who hath

life in himself, and he come to be re∣vealed in man, and man subject to his leading, he brings the soul out of death, to have union and com∣munion with himself, and restores the creature from his bondage, and and breakes the bond, and knocks that down which hath imbondaged, and so changes the body, I do not mean the form of the body, but the quality and nature thereof, for the form of Adams body was not changed, but the quality, and it was degenerated from its pure nature, wherein it glorified God, as he stood in the Power; so I say, Christ who is the life of men, the true light which lighteth every man that comes into the world, he changes all that fol∣low him into his own nature, and re∣stores the creature into his first estate again into purity, that like as the in∣ward man is renewed and restored by the power, and serves the Power, so the members of the body, is also yeelded servants unto righteousness, and they receive vertue and Power, from the power the Life, and so the

whole man comes out of condemna∣tion, to glorifie his maker; & the will of God is don in earth, as it is in heaven, and he saves to the utmost them that comes unto him; now if he save the soul and not the body, then he saves not to the utmost; But this is a high state, blessed are they who waites in the faith, to the end are happy, that they may see and know the re∣demption of their souls, and also the redemption of their body; For I de∣ny redemption in the grave, or in death, or after this life; for the holy men of God never mentions a clean∣sing from sin in the grave, nor after men be dead, for they that have ser∣ved sin in their life time, and served the devil as long as they live, and have yeelded their bodyes to be tem∣ples for uncleannesse while they live upon earth, eternal misery will be their portion, and not redemption; think on this you who are holding this forth for an article of your Faith in the world, among poor ig∣norant people, that they must not expect redemption from all sin in

this life, and so leads them on to Per∣petual misery, misery will be your end, and in the day of the Lord you shall witnesse this to be true; But to return to the beginning again, where there was no sorrow, but pure joy and peace, both in heaven and earth, but I goe hither and thither, as the spirit leads, and shall speak as it gives utterance, though but here a little and there a little, yet shall it be in truth and righteousnesse.

How peace, joy and delight possessed every thing that God had made, eve∣ry thing which he had formed glorified God their maker with one consent, in the beginning, before the world was framed, that lay in wickednesse.

NOw the Lord rejoyced in all the works of his hands which he had made, and rested, and all that he had made rested in the power, whe∣ther Celestial or Terrestrial, and re∣joyced in him, walked in him in the motion of the power, of the life, they

were happy, and partaked of the life that indures for ever, and happinesse immortal, and knew no evil, for there was none, there was no hell yet prepared, Tophet yet was not ordai∣ned, neither the Devil had yet any being at all, there was no wrath, no sorrow, no condemnation, no death, vexation, grief or perplexity, no pit of darkenesse, no Angel of the bot∣tomlesse pit, no shame, no tribulati∣on, no anguish nor paine, no misery; and in a word there was nothing that did destroy, but all in quietnesse, in peace, in life, in power, in wisdome, glorifying him which sat upon the Throne, the Lamb, who was living, and the life of the male and the fe∣male, and of every thing that God had made, by the power subsisted in the power, and in the motion there∣of was good, purely good; and here was the goodnesse of him who was eternally good, manifest in all, a∣bove all, and over all, God blessed for ever, even then the heavens re∣joyced, and the innumerable compa∣ny of Angels was hearty glad, and

all the holy host sang for joy, with a living voice, which none that stands in time ever yet heard, or can learn, then the earth and all things therein that moved & had life were in pure solace and mirth, and pleasant joy unspeak∣able, all knit together in unity and harmony in one consent, as one fami∣ly, and were one body, and there was health in the body, and it was pure and comly, and perfect, and pleasant to behold, crowned with Dignity, covered with righteousnesse, beauti∣fied with the comlinesse of the Lamb who was the life of all: and now man had right to the tree of Life, while he moved in the power, and went not our.

Oh happy state, oh beautiful state, oh admirable state, eternal felicity, oh glorious state, life it self, the life of all, and all in the life, moving in the power, and man right to the tree of Lif••, while he lived in the lambs pow¦er, had unity with his maker & with all the Creatures that God had made, & was in Gods pure dominion, and authority, and ruled all, over all

things that God had made, in Gods wisdome; thus in short was the state of all things in the beginning, as they were created, and brought forth, and these be the generation of the heaven and of the earth, and of all things that therein are, in the day when God created them, when the Father was glorified, when the Son was glorified, and when man was in glory and honour, and in dominion, created in the Image of God, and yet there was no evil; Time would fail to speak of the state of all things in the beginning as it was, and as it is revealed by the spirit of truth, but in that which I have declared, they who have a good understanding may take a glimps of the happy state of all things, as God hath revealed them by his spirit, which I never received of nor from man, but by the holy spi∣rit of God which was in the begin∣ing with God, which saw all this, and was an eye witnesse of this before the world, that lies in wickednesse, be∣gan; and he that hath an eare to hear, let him hear, and blessed is his ear.

How man lost his state and dominion and unity with God and all the crea∣tures, and how the Lambe came to be slain, and the world that lies in wickedness came to be formed, and founded, and how the curse came, and the wo upon the Serpent, which was blessed before, and upon man and wo∣man, and the ground that received the temptation, which was blessed before, in the motion of the Power, came to be cursed and how endles misery came in upon all, in the transgression, de∣clared to them who have a good un∣derstanding.

NOw the Serpent was more sub∣tle then all the Beasts of the field; for that was his nature in which he was created, and it was good in the motion of the Power, and therefore Christ said, be wise as Serpents, yet as harmless as Doves; and though the Serpent was wise and subtle, more then all the beasts of the field, till he acted and

moved without commandment; and out of the motion of the Power, he was not cursed; he that can receive it, let him. But he moved in the subtilty, and wisdom, out of the light, out of the Power, and went out of the truth; out of his place without com∣mandment or authority from the Power, and acted and spoke of him∣self out of the Power, and out of the truth, as it it written John 8. 44. when he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own, for he is a liar and the father of it; now he knew there was a law and command not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, for God had forbidden it; now he went out of the Power, without com∣mandment, of his own accord, with∣out motion; now he went and talk∣ed with the woman, and she was good before, being in the motion of the life and Power, she also looked out, and not in the Power, and reasoned with him out of Power, contrary to Commandment beyond the command, or be∣fore the Power, and said unto the

Serpent, we may eat of all, but the tree of knowledge of good and evil we may not eats least we die; this she knew, and the Serpent knew; now the tree of knowledge was good in the Powers motion, though not to live upon or for food, for it was not good for food, therefore God, the truth, the life, the Power, did forbid to taste of it, or to eat of that tree, but the Serpent out of the Power, and the woman out of the Power hearkened to him that was out of the truth, who turned the truth that God had spoken into a lie, she joyned to the tempter and hearkned unto him, and eat of the tree of knowledge without the Power, and she looking out, and the eye ran out from the life, from the Power, and was deceived, and did eat of the knowledge without the Power, with∣out the life; and she also tempted the man, and the temptation entered into a ground which was blessed before, and good, in the motion of the life, of the Power, but she having transgressed, contrary to the com∣mand,

& the man received it contra∣ry to the command, without the mo∣tion of the Power, or the life which all was to move in; he also going out of the power, received it in, and seed up∣on knowledge without the life, with∣out the power, out of the truth, he became one with the woman, one with the Serpent, who went out of truth, and abode not in it, and they all were disjoynted and cut off from the Life, and the power; and hear was the beginning of the father of lies, and of him who spoke of him∣self, out of the power, out of the truth, and his beginning is with∣out foundation, now he that is wise in heart, read his generati∣on, or who made him; now ap∣peared the Angel of the bottom∣less pit, and not before, and made war against the power, against the Lamb; and so the heart of man was turned away from obeying and feed∣ing upon the power, to obey and feed upon knowledge without the Life or power, and here was the first transgression out of the power, and the motion of the light which made

all things good, and so as this know∣ledge was fed upon and grew, man died unto the Life, unto the power, and wisdom, and dominion that he had over all that God had made, he lost, and so died unto the power, and lived upon knowledge without the power, and now became afraid of the power, because he was in the transgression of it; And thus the Serpent who was most subtle, went out of the truth, and acted in sin, and led into transgression; and so there became fear where was none, and shame where there was none, and nakedness where there was no na∣kedness before the power was died unto, which was their clothing in righteousness, and there was a hiding place sought by him, who before iniquity needed no hiding place, and this is the foundation and beginning of that seed in the trans∣gression, which shall call to the mountains to cover them, and to hide them from the wrath of the Lamb.

Oh how is man degenerated now,

and grown quite out of the pure qua∣lity, and kind, and nature in which he was made, now afraid of the power that made him, which before he had union with, & was his Life, and gave him dominion, and this fulfilled upon man, he was planted a noble vine, a holy, right seed, now become a degenerate plant of a strange vine; now when the Lord appeared and examined him, and man knew his fault that he had acted against the power, yet that which acted in trans∣gression would excuse, here is the fruit of the Devils work, transgresse, and then hide and excuse it, and so the woman put it off to the Serpent; he was the beginner of it, but if she had stood in the power, he would have had no place, nor his counsel; but they all went out of the light and Life, into the knowledge, without the Power and Life, and so the curse came upon all; Now the man cursed, and the ground for his sake, and the woman cursed, in sorrow to bring forth, and the Serpent cursed, the beginner of iniquity, cursed above all

the beasts of the field, to go upon his belly, and dust to be his meat for ever, and an enmity put between the seed of the woman and his seed for ever, and an eternal decree passed against him for ever; and he made war against the seed of the woman, which the Lord promised to bruise his head; now came the miserable estate in, that which led him into trans∣gression, grew, and he in it, and to be at unity with it, then came hard ness of heart, and then came the world to be founded in his heart, and he grew in the devouring beastly nature to follow the earthly imaginations of his heart, and became earthly, and fed upon that which the beasts of the field fed upon; And now the Lamb came to be slain, since the foundation of the world, now was man driven out from the tree of Life, and out of the garden, and could no way come there again, he had no right to it, the Lamb being slain, and he was cut off, to wit man, from him which before gave him peace, and from the Power in which he was made he was driven out from,

and the sword set, that go what way he could, he could not come into the Life again, the image of God lost, then the joyful day was lost, and re∣joycing in the Lord at an end, then the day of peace was finished, and perpetual misery and wo come in, then unity with the Lord of glory gone, and now shame and contempt came, and woful misery.

Now Hell was formed and the bo∣tomlesse Pit sprang up, and the Angel thereof ruled and advanced, and the Lamb slain; and now the Lake was prepared, and Tophet ordained, now came the day of angnish, of pain, of wo, sorrow▪ and misery, blackness and darkness, terror, horror, fear on e∣very side, and the day of great per∣plexity, Dominion lost, power lost, Authority lost, peace lost, joy lost, health lost, unity lost with God, and unity lost with every creature, and endless misery brought in Alas alas, what is become of him who was the Son of God? now become as the beasts that perish, now a vessel of wrath, a dishonourable vessel.

Oh unspeakable losse, forfeited all, Life and all, gone into, plunged into the deep pit of endlesse misery, driven from the presence of the Lord, from blessednesse, happinesse, into cursed∣nesse and misery, never to come to Life again, but through the losse of Life; man in honour, in dominion, partaker of eternal riches, and the durable riches, now turned out of all, and become vile in the sight of the Lord, and hath forfeited Life and all, eternal life, and he who was in perfect freedome, become a bondman, a slave to the Devil, and to noysome lusts; he who was Lord over all, now become a servant to all and every creature; he who was in dominion, in the power of God, now become base and vile; He who was the Image of God, now become the image of the Devil; he who was heir of life and felicity, now become inheritor of death and endlesse misery; he was partakers of the unchangeable love, now partaker of wrath; he that was in the covenant of life in which he had union with God, and all the Angles, and all the holy host of God,

now hath union with unclean spirits, which are cursed from the presence of the Lord for ever; he that had u∣nion with all Gods creatures, hath lost the union with all, being gone out of the power in which all was created, and moreover now in en∣mity to it, and joyned to him who hath the power of death, which is the Devil, and now drawes iniquity as with a Cart-rope, and vanity as with a cord, and he who was joyned to the Lord, and to the Lamb, now joy∣ned to the Dragon, who makes war against the Lamb; he that had union with the seed, the heir of all things, now hath union with the seed of the Serpent, the first borne of wicked∣ness, heir of condemnation and ever∣lasting vengeance, who is driven from the Lords presence, and curst for ever, and to be tormented from the pre∣sence of the Lord for ever.

Now the world set in the heart, and the heart gon out after earthly things, even things that perish, and now his life grew in that and after that which sadeth, his delight on transitory things, in lust, in pleasure and wanton∣nesse,

delighting in the flesh, hath for∣gotten God his maker, and now dishonours him, Oh let the heavens mourn, and let the earth be without joy, let•• hils lament, and the vallies be grieved, let gloominesse cover the face of the deep, let the floods be sor∣ry, and springs lament, let all thau moveable take up a lamentation, and let it be for a lamentation for ever, misery is spread over all, the earth is polluted, and defiled, and all is out of order, disjoynted from the Lord, and great confusion and perplexity is come upon all, and the whole cre∣ation grones and travels in pain, in grief and sorrow, and all is made subject to vanity, the oppressor bears Rule, the

Land mournes, the Lamb is slain,

the serpent and his seed rejoy∣ceth and triumphes, all is filled with violonce, the seed suffers, the Lord is is grieved, the Angels mourne, the proud and presumptions is now counted happy, and now the worker of iniquity set up to be a Ruler and a Law-giver now to man, and in man, who before had the Lord to be his

Law-giver, and his King; Oh wo∣ful change! oh sad state! oh deplora∣ble condition! gone from honour and glory, into perpetual misery and con∣tempt; and here all the whole Earth and all mankind may read them∣selves, as in a glasse, in what state they are in in the fall, in the first nature, in the disobedience; time would fail me to expresse the misery, and the sad e∣state of all mankind in the Curse, yea it is unexpressable, and undeclare••∣ble, and unfathomable, and incompre∣hensible; by the sons of men in the un∣belief, but God hath revealed to me by his spirit, that which is now spoke, and he shall beare me record that my witnesse is true; also that of God in every mans conscience, when the book of conscience shall be opened, and the secrets of, all hearts revealed, shall bear witnesse that this is true.

How sin entred, and death by sin into the world, and now man dead while he lives, and all is dead works that man brings forth, wherein the state of all the Sons of men may be seen, and their works in the fall.

NOw the serpent being more sub∣til then all the beasts of the field, in presumption of himselfe, moved without the power, and for∣med a thing without the power, and began his work, and brought a lye; being gone out of the truth, sin con∣ceived, and a lye conceived, ••e is the Father of it, and not the power; he spoke of himselfe, who was gone out of the light, motion or the powers acting, man also his eye being abroad out of the life and power, l••t in the temptation upon him; but if he had stood in the power, as God had or∣dained him and commanded him, and had not moved out of it, he would have seen when the serpent or any other thing had gone out of the power, and have still had dominion over it; and though it was evil in the serpent to tempt, who moved with∣out commandement from the Lord; yet if man had stood in the power, he had kept him out; and it had been

no sin to him, neither condemned should he have been; and so that blind doctrine of the world, and the teachers thereof is a lye, who have said and taught that, God ordai∣ned him to fall, and upon this ac∣count that so Christ might be revealed and that his Son might be honoured; for if man had not faln, say they, there had needed no Saviour.

This is ignorance and blindnesse; he created man in his Image to stand in the power, and ordered and com∣manded him so to do, and to glorifie him, who made him & to stand in the dominion over all the works of his hands: And this doth not make Christ uselesse, or of no use; yea he was of use before, and was his life, and the life of all things, and what if I say salva∣tion, the wise will understand; the unlearned will say, what needed their salvation, when there is no sin? yes, there needed salvation & preservation, in that state that he was made in, that he might be upholden in that state, and saved from any thing that might hurt him in that state, so as to weak¦en

him, that he might not have power to fulfill the will of God, and to glo∣rifie his maker.

Ob. But some may say he was not saved and preserved but was created and left to himselfe, to order himself whether he would stand or fall.

Ans. I say, whose was the fault, that he was not preserved, and saved in that state, was it in God? nay, and that he was left to himselfe, is also as false, and unlearned; he left him in the power, and in the dominion everlasting, and commanded him to stand there, and he was not to goe out of it, but to act in the motion of the word, and in the power by which he was made, which was Christ, who was glorified with the Father before the world began; I say according to Gods appointment and ordination, man was not left to himselfe, but to stand in the power and authority of the word, wherein man had power to fulfill the will of God, and keep all in order according to Gods ap∣pointment, but he going out of the power, contrary to Gods command,

giving heed to the woman, and the Serpent, who were gone out of the command before; I say he of his own accord going out, when the power commanded him not to harken to any such thing, but on the contrary for∣bad him, so let in a lye, and believed the woman, and the serpent, and so went from his preservation, and pro∣tection and salvation, & so was catch∣ed in the serpents snare, who abode not in the truth.

Ob. But then some may say he had a voluntary will to doe as he would, and was not that will good?

Ans. The will was good in it self, as it stood and went out in the lifes motion, but moving or acting con∣trary to the motion of the life, was not good; for that was out of Gods order, and appointment, for nothing in man or without man, of all that God had made, was to stir or act without commandments; now the Son was not honoured by mans faling, but both the Father and the Son was dishonoured, and now the Son or power was not revealed by

the fall, but vailed as from men, so the fogy mists of darknesse is scat∣tered, and the blind doctrines of the World layd waste.

Ob. Some will be ready to say, how dost thou say he was in dominion everla∣sting? then, how should he fall? that lasted but a while.

Ans. I say he was made by the word which abides for ever, and in it which was in the beginning with God, and was God; and Gods Son, and his dominion is an ever∣lasting dominion, and his Throne is established in righteousnesse for e∣ver and ever; and in it selfe it is what it was ever, and after the fall, retai∣ned the same power and authority in it selfe, and so will do for ever; mans power stood in it onely, out of it he had none, so going out of it, dy∣ed to it, and not any more power to do, or to will, or to order, or to rule any thing but by it: but he lost the feeling of it, and the guidance of it, the vertue of it, and life of it, and became dead to it, and alive in his heart and mind to an other power,

to wit, the power of deceit, and to the power of him which hath the power of death, which is the Devil; so God is clear, no fault in him, nor in the power, nor weaknesse in the domini∣on and authority which he had; but destruction meerly, wholly, and one∣ly of himself, and he is to bear the his own burthen.

Thus man receiving in the Devils conceptions, who was gone out of the truth, and became one with it, fee∣ding upon knowledge without the life (this was evil) thus sin entred, and death by sin; man cut off from the power, from life, from the dominion which he had in the power; now man, is dead while he lives, and in the day he eat he died; dead to the power, dead to the life, dead to good, dead to truth, dead to purity, dead to Righteousnesse, estranged and alie∣nated from it; the grave covers him, death hath prehemenence, and bears rule, and not life, and he gone into its nature, and loves it, and imbraces it.

Oh sad life! ah sad state! now

his life cursed which is death, he cursed, all his actions cursed, all his conception cursed, all his works cursed, labouring in sorrow, in tra∣vel, and pain, and grief, and sweat and perplexity; Now all may as in a line read the happy estate of man before the fall, the sad and deplo∣rable estate in the fall, which who can declare, or who can measure, or who can demonstrate the miserable estate of man dead in trepasses and sins? and life swallowed up of death, death and destruction lives, and man in it; and now in the grave God is not remembred, but forgotten.

Now the world set in the heart, and the Earth in the heart, the heart becomes earthly, and vain, thorns and bryers springs up and the Earth covers the slain; now death lives, and man lives in it, and one with the enmity and in enmity against God, who was before his life, man now in chains of darkness; when any thing moves Heaven-ward, the power of death drawes the mind down again to the pit into darkness; Now the

nature of all things in the earth set in the heart, Beasts, Rocks, Hills, Mountains, dogs, swine, and brutish creatures, and man becomes brutish and vain, they have all dominion over him, he a slave to all, all rules over him, and death grew; and dead works brought forth, he cannot now perform any thing whereby he can purchase the love of God, nor give a ransom for his soul, now the root of betterness grew, and the enmity, and man in lust, and when his lust is crost, or his will crost, then the en∣mity which liveth in him riseth, he would kill that, and destroy that, imprison that, and bring it into bondage, that the enmity might be Lord over all, and brings the inno∣cent into bondage; that which is nocent is set up, and the higher deceit growes in the heart, the more stir it makes and the greater destruction of that which crosses it; and here came in oppression, murder, cruelty, tyrany, prisoning, imbondaging, revenge, maliciousness, and envie, rage, sury, headiness, pride; this is all in the

curse, and springs up from the foun∣dation of the world in the heart, and so being given way unto and loved, grows in strength, and iniquity mul∣tiplies, and the beast growes, and the name great and numberless, the Serpents root spreads forth it self, and sprouts out in the Earth, and comes to grow great, and is admired; now the deeds of darkness and the works of darkness comes to be many, envy, murder, adultery, fornication, uncleanness, riotousness, sporting, covetousness, defrauding, cheating, maliciousness, theft, dissimulation, feinedness, hypocrisy, witchcraft, cursed-speaking, railing, reviling, filthy communication, unsavory speeches, wantonness, lightness, foo∣lish jeasting, idle talking, vain Bab∣bling, back-biting, swearing, lying, cursing, blasphemy, slandering, pride, arogancy, vain-boasting, contention, strife, emulation, mischief; these and many more are now the fruits of the degenerate plant, & dead works, and the works of darkness, in man who was once a noble plant, a holy right

seed, now the fruits of Sodom, and the grapes of Gomorah whom God de∣stroyed and overthrew, is brought forth, and the whole Earth is filled with violence, and these be the fruits that grow and are become great over all Nations, which are wrought by the Devil the father of lies; who spoke of himself, and works of him∣self, in the dark, in the night, out of the light, out of the day, who went out of the truth, and now worketh in all the children of diso∣bedience, who are out of the light, and out of the power; and here are all the sons of fallen Adam in the curse, under the wo and these be the works that are wrought and brought forth which hath stained the earth; and the father of them, and man in whom they are wrought, and the works themselves, is all for con∣demnation, never to be numbred among the Saints in light, nor a∣mong their works.

Self righteousness, deeds of darkness also, and dead works which though they be not counted as bad as the former, by them that act in them, yet they are to be condemned also; And man who acts them being in the fall.

CAin who was the first begotten in the fall, the similitude, like∣ness and image of Adam his Fa∣ther, who had transgressed and dis∣obeyed, and lost the power, and became dead to it; Cain I say his ex∣presse Image, out of the saith, out of the Power, he brought a sacrifice, and offered in the same nature he slew his brother with, and envied him (who was in the saith, and was ac∣cepted of the Lord through faith in the Power of God) I say in this na∣ture he offered and was not accepted, he was in the imitation, out of the life, out of the Power, in feinedness, and this was self, and not the Lord that moved him: The Jewes in the

Prophets time, who were in Cains nature, in envy and maliciousness, grinding the faces of the poor, and oppressing the needy and chopping them in pieces as flesh for the pot; they brought sacrifices, oblations, burnt-offerings, kept fasts, and Sab∣baths, and new Moons, and all these things, and lied, swore, and dealt falsly, and left no roome for the poor, and yet they said the Lord was among them; the Lord sent his servant the Prophet, to tell them the Lord was weary of them and of their oblations; why? they were out of the faith, out of the life, out of the Power, and deceit lodged in their heartts, covetousnese, envy, mur∣der, oppression and violence, as ravening wolves hunting for their prey; the Prophets prophesied for hire, their Priests bear rule by their means, and people was one with it, and liked it, and loved it should be so, the end of those things was misery, the Judgement of God came upon them, they were scattered a∣mong their enemies, their Prophets

slain, and for their sake Sion became as a plowed corn field, and Jerusalem a heap, and now he that offered an ox, was no more accepted, then if he slew a man, no more then if he blessed Chemosh, Ashteroth or Baal, all was sin, and to be condemned by the power out of which they were gone. The Scribes and Pharisees in Christs time, great worshippers, devout men, devout women; zealous men for Temple, Priests, tithes, days, Sabbaths, oblations, and were acting all those things that were commanded in or about the worship of God, yet Christ said unto his Disciplrs, except your righteousness exceed the righteous∣ness of the Scrihes and Pharisees ye cannot enter the Kingdom of God: they might have said (which at least they did in their hearts) this man says he is the Son of God, and yet saith and teacheth his Disciples, another righteousness, then is commanded in the Law, and moreover tells them, except their righteousnes exceed ours, they cannot enter into Gods King∣dom; where is there in all the earth

any better righteousness then ours? we do not as the heathen worship Idol-gods, we keep the Sabbaths, and purifie our selves and payes tithes, and keeps the Ordinances given by the Lord to Moses and our fathers; well these things they were doing, but they were but dead works, they were out of the faith out of the Power and had not Gods word abiding in their hearts, from which their Power and ability should have come to have an∣swered the will of God; here was self-righteousness although they did the outward things which were com∣manded of the Lord, yet they were dead works; their Temple left deso∣late, worship desolate, Jerusalem compassed about with armies, not one stone left upon another which was not to be thrown down, and they scattered among the heathen, their Priests slain, and their oblations ceased, plagues, Judgement prusuing whithersoever they went; did all those things save them from the wrath? all their works and dead wor∣ships & self-righteousness save them?

were they accepted? oh! nay, rejected, a seed of falshood a crooked gene∣ration an hypocritical generation: these things with many more, which I could instance, all shewing that man in the transgression of the life, of the power, whether he sinned, or wrought that which he might Judge was righteous, yet they were but dead works.

Ob. But some may say, what saist thou to this generation of Ministers, prea∣chers and Ordinances? we live in a Gospel time, and are under Gospel ordinances, and they teach that man is redeemed by Christ, from sins past, present and to come, and the ordinances that we practice now I hope you will not call them dead works.

Ans. I say the ministry in these na∣tions, made by mans will, and by the will of the flesh, and that are seeking their gaine from their quarter, and are suing men at Law, and throwing men in dungeons, and holes to the losse of some mens lives already, and hundreds have been and are like to be spoiled, onely to uphold their gree∣dy devouring nature who have rave∣ned,

and devoured like evening Wolves, some mens estates wholly, and some times taken ten fold the value, who ravens from place to place from one end of the Land to another, and into other Nations also, for fil∣thy lucre, or a greater benefit; I say they are in the fall, in the transgres∣sion, death rules in them, over them, and they are Ministers of death, and never brought any to God; but of them many other brethren who are in the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ hath borne a large testimony which any considerate, wise, prudent, and reasonable man may see them to be Ministers of death, demonstrated by many sound grounds and unanswe∣rable arguments, and the scripture of truth clearly bearing witnesse to the same; and so I refer the Reader to those things, and shall content my selfe at present in what I have said in this particular. Now as to the wor∣ship, or ordinances or practices them∣selves I come unto, and shall speak no otherwise of any thing, then God by his eternal light and spirit hath

made me understand in the true ground of things, else I know well how to be silent.

Now this I say to all sects, opini∣ons, and fellowships (though they be devided into many heads or socie∣ties) man acting or performing any thing of worship, ordinance, or any practice whatsoever which the scrip∣tures declares hath been or ever was, though they should doe it in the same manner, sutable in every circumstance to that which others did, till all or e∣very man come to believe in the power again, which man went from in the transgression, all that he doth is selfe-righteousnesse, and dead works, preaching dead, prayer dead, Baptisme dead, their communion dead, their conferences dead, their ex∣hortations dead, their fasts dead, their offerings like as if one had offered a dead beast under the law, or a lame Lamb, which had been abo∣mination; even so I say till man come to that which he hath lost in the transgression, till man find the power, the life, the light, the messiah,

and feel him in them, to work, move, lead, guid, and act, all will be ac∣counted with the Lord, selfe-righte∣ousnesse, dead works, dead fruit, and if all would examine and try, they might see the Nations almost spread over with dead men in Adam, and dead works abound, and coverings which God will rent, and lay all waste together, false rest, imitated formes, and representations without life, I say till men come into the power againe that Adam went from, and so died in that day, he cannot doe any thing well pleasing to God; and whosoever comes to that again, passeth every step through death, and denies himselfe and all selfe-actions, selfe-righteousnesse, and must come to be bare and naked again, even as he was before he came out, he and his wife were naked and were not a∣shamed; selfe-acting was not known; now self-will, self-worship, self-righ∣teousness; nay, they moved in the power righteousnesse was their covering, and as I said before, there was no shame, I might speak largely in this thing, and truly my tongue is the pen of a ready

writer, oh that all had an eare to hear that their souls might live, and that every one might be unbottomed, of his false rest, false and fained hope, and faith; and of his own ragged garment, and let goe his selfe-righteousnesse, and his dead works, and come to Christ the life of men again, that man hath run from, that so he might have life and peace.

Ob. But some would say that thou wouldst have all upside down, & unchristi∣an the Nations, and unchurch Churches, and throw down all our worship, and then what should we doe, all would be as hea∣thens, and turne into Athisme.

I say a time of fanning and ••ifting and trying is come, when nothing shall stand but that hath the image, stamp, and character of the living God upon it, and all that which hath been brought up, and raised up, since man hath been in the transgression, must be turned down into the pit again, and all that have got a name of Christian, and wants his life, to live among them and in them, shall be scattered as clouds with the East wind, and all

imitated worships, and will worship∣pers, and the fained faith, and the fai∣ned hope shall be confounded, and all will worships and worshippers will be overturned who are not come yet to the true light that lightens every man that comes into the World, and till man comes to the light, and tries his deeds and works by it, he never sees what he is doing, nor what he is working, nor what he works; and so all that man doth here in the unbe∣liefe, it is but sin, or selfe-righteous∣nesse which is brought forth by him who abode not in the truth, in the un∣belief; and so who be come to the power which was in the beginning, before sin entred, and death by sin, hath and doth measure all deeds and all works, & man that is in the losse, in the fall, & sees that a dead man cannot act a living work, nor bring forth li∣ving fruits unto God, nor living works of righteousnesse, being in the unrigh∣teousnesse, neither the fruits of faith being in the unbeliefe, neither the works of the day being in the night, neither the works of charity being in

the emnity; in a word, without Christ the power, the light, the life, which was glorified with the Father before the world began; I say (he said it himself who is the beginning of the creation, of God, the first born of every creature) he said, and his testimony will be found true, without me ye can do no∣thing, nothing that is wel-pleasing to the Lord, nothing that ever shall be acceptable; and here is the true state of all the Earth discovered, and all mankind drove out from God, mise∣rable, naked, hopelesse, helplesse, faithlesse, and so can doe nothing as to the glorifying of God his maker, or to the ordering of any thing in the creation to his glory, having lost his dominion and Gods wisdome, and this being considered seriously by all, and brought to the light in all, and their deeds tryed by it, would make the lofty bow, and the stout hearted fear, and the conceited sit down in solitarinesse, that they should so long deceive their own souls with a conceit of righteousnesse and redemption, when as death yet reignes in them, and over them, and not life eternall:

So the Devil is a distinct being from God, and his works are distinst, and his deeds, from the works of God, and neither he nor his works shall ever be numbred among the works of God, but he and they that obey him, and follow him who is out of the truth, they, their works (of what sort soever they may seem unto men to be, whose eyes the devil hath blinded) so I say all is to be condemned, and shut out from Gods presence for ever, and to be destroyed by him who is a consuming fire, and all the righteousnesse of man burned, as combustable stuff in un∣quenchable fire.

Pr. And by what hath been said, the principle of that ranting crew (who are become vaine in their imagina∣tions and foolish, their understand∣ings being darkned) are seen, and their principle overthrown.

As that light and darknesse is one, & good & evil one, and sin and righ∣teousnesse one, and truth and a lye one, and that God is all and doth all, and what ever is done is of God, and that there is no evil but to him that thinks

it so, and it is onely a false apprehen∣tion of things, and that there is no such thing as sin, & that sin is nothing: Unto all these things I might speak, but the understanding Reader may by what is before written, see each of these plainly declared, and the true ground of things laid down as the spirit gave utterance, and this shall at present suffice in this matter.

Ob. But some may object further, and say, will not reading the scriptures and conforming to the practise of the saints in the use of his ordinances, will not this make us accepted, and bring us out of the fall, and make us good christians?

Answ. No, while death hath do∣minion in man, and over man, and the vaile over the heart, man doth not understand the mystery of Gods kingdome, neither understands the scripture which was spoken from the spirit of truth, or any thing of truth as it is in Christ, for none understands the things of God, but by the spirit of God, so that every man that comes to have a good understanding, must come to know the pure spirit of God

in him to direct him, & informe him; (which spirit) was the original of the scripture; for the holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the holy Ghost; and without the Holy Ghost in some measure be known, ••nd that which is infallible, the sayings, the writings, the scriptures cannot be understood, & because of the want of this, all the Earth is run into heads, & sects, & opinions, & large treatises and volumes, & expositions have been writ∣ten, & yet differing one from another, and all from the spirit, and in all these particular sects, persecuting one another, & envying one another, and hating one another, and would compell others to believe what they believe in what they say, if they had but power; and for proof of this, it is most evident in the scripture of truth, and in latter ages since the Apostles, it hath been, and it is evidently seen, both among the Papists and Protest∣ants, and among all them that are cal∣led the reformed Churches; but all this is in the fall, and in the trans∣gression, and in the Apostacy, and is

an evident token, that they are all under the power of the beast, who makes War against the Lamb; so all compellation, and they that do com∣pell, are not worshippers of the Lamb, but of the beast which is to be de∣stroyed and cast into the lake.

For the Jews under the first Cove∣nant had the Scriptures the good and wholsome words of God, and the Prophets and read the Law and the Prophets, on the Sabbath dayes, and yet the vail was over their hearts, and and though they did perform many things commanded, yet they being erred from the spirit, did not under∣stand of what the Scripture spoke, nor know him nor his mind, to wit, Christ of whom the Scriptures spoke, neither were they accepted of God, but reproved and rejected by Christ himself, who said they erred, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God, doubtless they did know the words naturally and read them, but the spirits mind, in so speaking they knew not; and Jude reproves all such, and said what they knew, they knew

naturally as bruit beasts, and in that knowledg, they corrupted themselves, and therefore Peter well said▪ many things were hard to to be understood; which the unlearned wrested (they that were ignorant of the spirit of the Fa∣ther, and had not learned of God, who is a spirit) they I say perverted and wrested the good and wholsom words of the Scriptures, and were no more accepted of God, then if they had ne∣ver heard the words nor read them at all; and as for the Jewes conforming to the outward commands, when the vail was over their hearts, and their hearts uncircumcised, these things did not make them any whit more accept∣ed then the heathen, so the Christians since Christs time, in the Apostles days and after the Apostles days, who held the form of worship, and the form of godliness, and the outward part of worship, and holds and retains it in that part which is above the seed, and denies the power, this no more makes a Christian inward, then outward cir∣cumcision, made a Jew inward; neither any of these things do recommend any

unto God, but are covers made, & rests formed, from that part which is above the seed, & so man comes to be coun∣selled in those things, when alas he is miserable and naked, and hath not the righteous garment on which should make man accepted of the Father, through the beloved, Gods righteous∣ness.

How all men upon the earth, in the de∣generation, and in the fall, and in the transgression, have corrupted them∣selves, and have been idolaters in every administration; (being gone from the power) in which man had the ability, power, and wisdom to wor∣ship God aright, and honour the living God of heaven and earth.

IN the state and condition which man was created in, when he was the image of God, and lived in the Power of God in which he was crea∣ted; He in that Power (which was his life) had wisdom and understanding, and power, to worship the living God, and to glorifie his maker, the which thing I have treated on before, but be∣ing

gone from the power, and grew in knowledge without the power, his thoughts became vain, and his imagi∣nations vain, and his desires earthly, and corruptable, and so the creatures were worshipped in his heart, and not the Creator (the life of the crea∣tures) and he bowed to the creatures, and they had dominion over him, and that nature began to grow and multi∣ply in all the earth, and that seed, which was at enmity with God, and against the seed, which is Christ, and few there were that called upon the Name of the Lord in truth & righte∣ousness; although some, yet few, one in a Nation, or a few in an age, nay in many ages; and men multiplied in the earth, and wickedness mul∣tiplyed also, and idolatry, and the seed of the Serpent grew great; And God saw the wickedness of man that it was great in the earth, and that the thoughts and purposes, and imaginations of his heart were onely evil continually, Gen. 6. 5. and the earth was filled with violence and crueltie and oppression, and the living God forgotten, and

not worshipped, but on the contrary they followed the imaginations of their own hearts; and bowed down to every corruptable thing, and to every creature, and did not worship the Lord God in their hearts, till the Lord was grieved at the heart, and repented that he had made man; and this was before the flood, and after the flood, when the earth was a little multiplied, iniquity grew in the earth, and the cursed seed sprang from Hams stock; of whom was Nimrod the hunter (before the Lord) the be∣ginning of his Kingdom was Babel; of the which became great Idolaters, and of this seed came the Philistians who were uncircumcised, who were heathens, and the Jebusites, and Gar∣gasites, and the Canaanites and Hivites; and their generations were great in the earth, & they were great Idolaters; and committed Idolatry with stocks and stones, and with brick, having forgotten the Lord, they began to work exploits in the earth, and to build Cities; and Babel having for∣got the name of God, they would

have got a name in the earth, and builded a tower, whose top might have reached to heaven; but the Lord whom they had forgot scattered them, and this was the seed of evil doers whom God scattered and drove out of Canaan, who were great Idola∣ters and gave it to Abraham, who feared the Lord, and to Jacob, and to his seed to possesse.

And when transgression grew, he added a Law (the sence of Gods power and wisdom was so lost in man, and they so gone from his wis∣dom, that a Law was added after Is∣rael came out of Egypt) which was outward, and written in tables of of stone, wherein was the statutes and the commands, that they should one∣ly worship him, and that they should not make them Gods of gold and sil∣ver, neither the likeness of any thing in heaven or earth, yet nevertheless, that uncircumcised part which kept the seed in bondage, and that cor∣ruptable earthly nature that ruled in them, made gods like the heathen Egytians, and they made a Calf, and

bowed to the molten image, and for∣got God, and provoked him to anger, till many of them were consumed in his sore displeasure, and tempted him, and lusted, and eat and drank, and rose up to play; and committed whoredoms with the creatures, and abused them; and therefore the Lord sent his Prophets and rebuked them: they abused the gold and the silver, the stone and the wood, which were good creatures, but not to make gods of, nor images thereof, nor idols to draw away their minds from the Lord; but they in whom the seed was not made manifest, they worshipped dead things, and likenesses of things, which were not life it self; and so transgressed the Law, acting from that part, and living in that nature, which the Law was against (which was ad∣ded because of transgression) to limit the transgressor and to slay him, and to bruise that under, till the seed came up that fulfills the Law, but the seed of the Serpent had so much rule in them whom God had often delivered out of the hands of their enemies,

so that many perished, Corah, and many Princes, and many thousands of Israel, who followed their own in∣ventions and were cut off in Gods sore displeasure, being gone from that which was upright in which man was created, & followiug their imaginati∣ons, & out of that mind formed idols and images, and set them up, and an∣swered that part in themselves which transgressed the seed, & not that which doth overthrow all idols & the ground thereof; And after they were come to the Land that God had promised them, they were commanded not to worship idols, as the Canaanites did (that were Hams-stock) who was ac∣cursed, and set up cursed idols, yet, nevertheless breaking the Law which was to limit that part which had transgressed; that which was con∣trary to the Law, was set up in them∣selves, even the nature of the Canaa∣nites, Gentiles and heathen, and then they worshipped the heathens gods, or else formed gods and idols and images of their own, and worshipped Baal, Ashteroth and Chemosh, and the Sidonians gods, & every Nations gods,

and Images where they came, and so the Lord sent his true Prophets, who feared his name, and worshipped him, to declare against them, even the house of Israel a distinct people, from the heathen, great professors, Ezek. 14. 4. They set up idoles in their hearts, and put a stumbling block of iniquity before their face the Lord said he would answer them according to the multitude of their idoles, they be∣ing gone into vanity, they hearkned to the Idols that spake vanity. Zech. 10. 2. And baked bread and rosted flesh with wood, and of the same made a God, and they transgressed at Dan, at Bethel, at Gilgal, yea their Idols flood in their hearts, and they formed such without as was sutable to their hearts, as you may re••d through many ages & generations before the flood & after the flood in the wildernesse in Canaan, & in the Nations where they were scattered.

Hab. 2. 18, 19. What profiteth the gra∣ven Image, and the molten image and tea∣chers of lies, woe unto him that saith to the wood awake▪ to the dumb stone arise it shal teach, behold it is laid over with gold and

silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it, seek not to Bethel, nor enter into Gilgal, for Gilgall shall goe into cap∣tivity, and Bethel shall come to nought.

Furthermore, they corrupted them∣selves in those things which God had commanded, (which were commands in their time) & made Idols of those things which were but figures or sha∣dowes of good things to come, which they should have waited for, as the Brazen serpent, temple, offering, obla∣tions, Tythes, Priests, Sabbaths, new-Moons, solemn Feasts, Circumcision, Passeover, and all these things were given to be observed til the seed came (the end of all these things and of the Law for righteousnesse) but Christ the seed, the heire of all things, when he came (after many Prophets had decla∣red of him from Moses to Samuel, from Samuel till Iohn) they exalted those things above him, and neglected him who had life in himself, & would not come unto him that they might have had life, and then, their Temple, Priests, Sacrifice, oblations became Idols, and their practise Idolatry, and

so are in blindnesse to this day; and so in the daies of Christ, they held up those things, and were counselled in their works and observances, and days and times, and came not to believe in him in whom all daies ends in, and so continued in their large observati∣ons all along in the Apostles dayes, and did as they had done in the days of the Prophets, slew the Prophets that were sent of the Lord, and set drea∣mers, and such as prophecied for hire and divined for money, and said no evil should touch them, and they said the Law should not depart from the Priests mouth, nor vision cease from their prophets, but believed their lies and prophesied of wine and strong drink, and cryed peace to them that Gods controversy was against, and so persecuted the Apostels from City to City, and from place to place, till the the wrath of God came upon them, and Jerusalem compassed about with armies, and not one stone left upon another, and for their sakes Sion be∣came a plowed corne field, their Tem∣ple burnt, their Priests slain, their sa∣crifices

ceased, and their oblations at an end, and they scattered among the heathen, and they and all their I∣dols, and their worship blasted and cursed from God, and from being a Nation to this day, and thus hath the Lord brought shame and contempt upon all through all ages, who have worshipped the works of their own hands, or that hath holden up any fi∣gure, representation, and have set it up and exalted it above the life, and with it have opposed the power, the life in which all figures, Types, and re∣presentations ends in; And thus far I have passed through generations, and also through administrations, that all who have a desire of the true knowledge of God may see, that man in the degeneration being out of the Image of God, corrupts himselfe in all things, and makes idols of all things, being from the life in which man hath power onely to fulfill the righteous will of God.

But to descend & to come nearer to our age, because all that which is called christendome, will say this in nothing

unto them, because they hold not up the heathens Images nor the Jewish Idols, nor the Jewish Types and wor∣ship, and therefore they are no Idola∣ters; when John the Prophet came and preached repentance in the wil∣dernesse of Judea, which was a prepa∣rer of the way, he baptized in Jordan, and many believed and repented, and were baptized, and Christ also was baptized, and so was he circumcised and eate the passeover, and observed what was written, because he came to fulfill all righteousnesse, and also bad his Disciples hear them that sat in Moses seats for he was not yet sacrifi∣ced up, nor glorified; I say Iohn bap∣tized not in his own name, but bore witnesse unto Christ the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, who came after him and was prefer∣red before him, whom Iohn said should baptize them with the holy Ghost and with fire, and many of Iohns Di∣sciples followed Christ the true light, that lighteth every one that cometh into the world, and Iohn was not of∣fended at them for following of Christ

but rejoyced; take notice of this, you baptizers who are offended with them that followes Christ the light that lighteth every one that cometh into the world, and excommunicates them like the envyous Jewes, out of your assemblies, and saith they are deluded, and are so far from Iohns spirit, that instead of bearing your testimony to him, who is the (light) that you would bind them up, and council your disciples not to goe after him, the true light that lighteth every man (the Christ of God) I say to you, you are in the Idolatry, who prefer your wa∣ter before the (light) but Iohn bore witnesse to Christ the light, and said he was preferred before him, and some Imitaters and Idolaters say the baptisme of water is the door or entrance into the Church of God, when as Christ saith he is the door, none comes into the fold but by him, and none comes to the Father but by him, and he is the way, so who sets up an other entrance unto God, or into the foule or into the Church, which is the pillar and ground of

truth, sets up an Idol, and pre∣fers an Idol, above the life, and so are in the Idolatry; But let none mistake, that I say water is an Idol nay, it is a good creature of God, or that I say Iohns baptisme with water was an idol, nay he was in the power and spirit of Eliah, and his baptisme a figure of a good thing which was to come, which afterward was received by the diseiples, and Christs words made good unto them; Iohn indeed baptized you with water unto repen∣tance, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost, and with fire, not many daies hence, that was Christs baptisme. I am not Ignorant of the many and great contests in this age, that have been about these things, and I know many scriptures that speaks of baptism all which I have searched narrow∣ly with the measure of Gods spirit given unto me, into the true ground of things, & the true state of each admi∣nistration, and in this thing I am sa∣tisfied fully, that the baptisme with water was Iohns baptisme, and not Christs, and the baptisme of the spirit

is Christs, and not Iohns; I have no desire to wrangle or Jangle about words, or contest about shadowes, but that all may come to know him in whom all ministrations ends in, and there will be peace and satisfaction (to wit, in Christ)

But to say some thing to the main bassis, and foundation, which Priests, and Separatists builds much of their arguments upon, the last of Mat. and the last, Goe teach and baptize all Nations in the Name of the Father, Son, and holy Ghost; as for all the Priests about their baptising of Infants, here is no ground at all, for here is first teach and then baptize, and here's no infants neither, and so I know, what consequences hath been drawn from this by the unlearned in their imaginations, but them that hath the least measure of true light, will not take a consequence to build a founda∣tion on, for this is contrary to their own rule, they say the scripture is the Rule, then their consequence is not the Rule, and if the scriptures be the Rule, let all people of your parishes

know if you can by the Scripture shew when John or any Disciple of his or Christs, baptized infants and taught them Principles of Religion ••0. years after, but they are willingly ignorant that sees not you to be idolaters; and as to the Baptists separates, who builds upon this for their water ba∣ptisme, they are as groundles as the Priests, and all their Arguments are as invalled as the rest; for here is baptizing the Nations in the Name of the Father in the name of the Son, and of the holy Ghost, and any who are judicious or wise, and are in any mea∣sure of Gods pure wisdom, will not say that the Name of the Father is water, or the Son or holy Ghost is water; the name of God is I am, and a strong tower, and the Name of the Son is the word, and the word is the power, but this is not water; but fur∣ther they say the Disciples had re∣ceived the holy Ghost, and did baptize with water after, and they were Baptized with water after they had received the holy Ghost, & they bring divers Scriptures to prove this.

I shall not deny but Peter Baptized with water, and Paul two or three families, and thanks God he baptized no more, and said he had declared the whole counsel of God, and he makes not mention in all his Epistles that baptisme was any part of his com∣mand, neither in all his counsel to the Churches any where doth he exhort either Timothy or Titus or Apollo or any of the brethren to Baptize with water; but as for Peters Baptizing with water, I know no more command he had then Paul; as for the commission, which Matthew writes of, Mat. 28. and 19. and that Mark mentions, 16. 15. there is no water, and so its the Ba∣ptisme of John, I grant, and Christ bearing witness to John that he was a Prophet and did baptize many, and therefore he or they in honour to Johns Ministry might baptize some, as well as Paul did circumcise Titus, and and then in 1 Cor. 7. 19. said it was nothing, and again in another place, neither circumcision nor uncircum∣cision did avail, but a new creature, and because it was a figure which

people did not Idolize so much then, as they did circumcision, for the weak∣ness of the people, for a time; and the wise in heart may understand that when any representation or figure out∣ward was set up, it was not easily de∣nyed again, nor an easie thing to be laid down, when the thing, signified was come; for many of the Jews be∣lieved in Christ, and were said to be brethren, and yet they came from Jerusalem, and troubled the Church of Galatia, and would have brought them under the figure circumci∣sion again, and the Apostle, in Gal. 4. asks them, now when ye know God, why turn ye again to the beggarly Elements, [Circumcision] observing dayes, moneths, times and years; I would ask the moderate a question, whether water be not an Element, and pertains only to the Elementary part in man, which is to passe away and be dissolved when the seed is raised up whose nature is not elementary, but Celestial? I shall say no more to them at this present who are conten∣tions, who are so zealous for their

water upon so weak a ground, but take heed that while you are striving about your outward water, you neg∣lect not the washing of regeneration and the cleansing of the spirit; many have been baptized, but which of you hath received the holy Ghost? there is not one among you dare own or witness an infallible spirit, but ra∣ther counts it an error that any should speak, or witness, or look to enjoy any such thing in these dayes; well, I say unto you your day is a day of darkness and gloominess you live in, and thick darkness covers your tabernacle; for who ever have re∣ceived the holy Ghost or spirit of truth in any measure, are led by that which is infallible and not falli∣ble; and if you look not for this, you are no sons notwithstanding all your washing the outside; for as many as are the Sons of God are led by the Spirit of God, and this is witnessed praises to the Lord for ever; the Lord is unto his people an everlasting light, and this is the sum that water is owned to be a figure of the one ba∣ptism,

and was an Element, and per∣tained to that which is Elementary; but the Elements shall melt with fer∣vent heat and be dissolved in the day of the Lord, and then the seed comes up which is heir of the promise, which is nourished with the water of life, which is not an Element nor Elementary, but is Celestial, and springs up in them that believe unto everlasting life, and comes to be born of the water and the spirit, and enters into Gods Kingdom, dominion, power, life, wisdom, excellency and Eternal glory, happy is he that be∣lieves and abides in patience unto the end.

Now since the dayes of John, the Kingdom of God hath been Preach∣ed, and as many as were ordained to Eternal life believed, and many in the day when Christ was manifest in the flesh believed, unto whom he de∣clared the mind of the Father, and by him was the Father glorified, he ful∣filled the Law, and did many works and miracles by the power of the Father, and herein was the Father

glorified, and them that did believe in him, their faith was strengthened; and he opened the mystries of the Kingdom of God unto his Disciples, and bore witness and prophesied the destruction of Jerusalem, and of all their worship, and said, no more at Jerusalem nor at Samaria, but the time was coming when they that wor∣shipped the Father should worship him in spirit and truth, and declared against the Pharisees righteousness, and said to his Disciples, Except their righteousness did exceed the Phari∣sees they could not enter the King∣dom of God, and yet the Pharisees performed all the outward things commanded, but were in the idolatry, and did not believe in the life; Now he declared of his suffering many things, & also how he would go away, and how he would come again, and would not leave them comfortless, but these things were hard to be believed then, by his Disciples, and further he told them he must be betrayed, and suffer and rise again, and when the hour was come that he was betrayed,

when he was with his Disciples, even the same night he was betrayed, he took bread, and broke it, and blessed it, and said, take and eat, this is my body which is broken for you, this do in remembrance of me; and after he took the cup, and after he had Supped, saying, this is the cup of the New Testament in my blood, as often as you drink it; do it in remembrance of me, 1 Cor. 11. 23. 24. and Matthew, Mark, and Luke declares the same, and this was reall bread, and reall wine, which was a representation of that which was to be enjoyed in the spirit, and never intended for any further thing, but as a figure or a representation of the bread of life, and of the cup of blessing which after∣ward they came to be witnesses of, and as oft as they eat and drank, they did shew forth the Lords death till he came. Now this was practiced among the Disciples after he was risen from the dead and did converse with them at many times, and exhorted them and comforted them, and in∣structed them, and told them that

they should be witnesses of his name unto the ends of the earth; and gave them commandment to teach all Na∣tions and Baptize them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Ghost, and did promise to be with them to the end of the world, and told how the Comforter would come, and that the Father would send him in his Name; even the spirit of truth which was with them, and should be in them to be their teacher, leader and guide, and bring all things to their remembrance. Now that which he gave them as a figure, and to be a sign unto them, of the clearer manifestation of himself, which afterward came to be fulfilled, and they witnesses of it, who grew up in the pure invisible being, and did see the mystery, through the Re∣velation of the spirit, which did more clearly show unto them the mysteries within the vail; for as I said of water, it was a sign of a good thing to come, so the bread and the cup was also a sign of a good thing to come, as all outward figures were,

but they that did believe, and grew up in the faith, in the seed, Christ, they came to see the substance, in whom all figures ends in, and had communion with him, within the vail after he was ascended, where he was before; now the Apostle he spoke as to wise men, judge ye what I say, 1 Cor. 10. 15, 16. the cup of blessing, which we blesse, is it not the com∣munion of the blood of Christ? the bread which we break is it not the communion of the body of Christ and v. 17. for we being many are one bread, & one body, for we are all partakers of that one bread; mark all they that did believe, though they were ma∣ny, yet they were one bread & one body, and were all partakers of that one bread, which bread was the flesh of Christ, John 6. 48. I am the bread of life, and Joh. 6. 51. I am the living bread that came down from heaven; if any man eat of this bread he shall live for ever, and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world: Now I speak unto wise men, and let the wisdom of God (in them manifest) judge what I say, for where the body of Christ is witnessed, and the flesh of Christ known, they know that which all

the figures ends in, the Manna that God gave to Israel in the wilderness, they died that did eat thereof, which was as pure a type of the hidden Manna, as lively a type as bread out∣ward which was but a type of the of the flesh of Christ, and both they that did eats the Manna, and they that eat the bread outward and drank the cup outward are both dead, but he that eat the flesh of Christ and drinks the blood lives for ever; and he that eats the hidden Manna hath over∣come death and lives for ever, and feeds upon the bread of life, feeds up∣on Eternal life.

Now this is a mystery to the Papists, who are idolaters, who have sprung vp in the Apostacy, though they have Scriptures as it was to the Jewes, John 6. 52. who strove among them∣selves and said, how can this man give us his flesh ••o eat? and so the Papists, who strives about the flesh of Christ and his blood, and yet have the Scriptures, and they say its in the bread and in the wine, after conse∣cration, & so they worship the imagi∣nations

of their own hearts, not deser∣ning the Lords body, and have kil∣led thousands, and taken away the lives of thousands, because they would not confesse their idol to be of God.

And the protestants they are setting up the bread and the wine, and con∣tenting themselves therewith, and are making an idol of it, and comes not to discerne the body of Christ, but one saying he hath a carnall body, and another a fleshly body, another a my∣stical body, another sayes his body is devided from his members, and so speaks out of thick darknesse, their own imaginations, and hath not communion with the body of Christ, neither knowes the flesh of Christ, which is the bread of life, which is given for the life of the World, Iohn 6. 51.

And as godlinesse began to work, and the mystery thereof in the dayes of Christand the Apostles, wherein the Lord discovered much of his wisdom and power, & manifested his pure pre∣sence, & poured out his spirit plentiful∣ly upon, sons and daughters, & fulfilled

that which Joel ••prophesied of, Joel 2. 28. which came to be fulfilled after Christs ascention, Acts. 2. 17. and they received the holy Ghost, & spoke the wonderfull things of God as they were revealed by the spirit, which shed it selfe abroad among them that waited for it, so also the mystery of iniquity began to work even in that time, and as the Apostles laid the foun∣dation of truth, and declared the truth, Christ to be the foundation, even so the Mystery of iniquity did work, and a beginning or a foundation of error was laid by them, who were gone out of the truth, the false Prophets, decei∣vers, Anti-christs who were professors and preachers, but they were such as were covetous and greedy of filthy lucre, and made merchandize of souls for dishonest gaine, and denyed the power of God, Christ, and were ene∣mies to the Crosse, and gloried in the flesh, and spake swelling words of vanity, and did all live in the lust of the flesh, and were proud boasters, and denyed the Lord that bought them; for denying the power of God,

they did deny Christ, though in words they preached him, as this generation who are their off-springs doe out of strife & contention, as the Apostle writs, & they held the form of godlinesse but denyed the power, and they were they that once were convinced of the truth, and came into the forme of truth, but denyed the power of truth; but were in craft and deceit, and they subver∣ted whole houses from the faith, and led them back into the world, into un∣beliefe, in the Apostles dayes, and yet had a worship, and did worship, but not the power, not the life, and this began to worke, and wrought more cunningly, and subtilly in the latter times: And the Apostle Paul in many of his Epistles, Iohn and Peter and Jude, declares against them, and Paul pro∣phesied of them before his departure, of grievous Wolves, which should spring up, which should not spare to make havock of the flock of Christ; so the fall Apostles, deceivers, Antichrists, and deceitful workers, they went out then and did what they could to lead disciples after them into the world;

inwardly they were ravened from the spirit, and was gone from it into the earth, into the world, and served not the Lord Jesus Christ, but their own bellies, and the God of the world which is the Devil, and they went in∣to the world, and the world received them; and then they and their disci∣ples turned against the saints, and they held truth in words, and the form for a while, but it was in unrighteousness; and here was the beginners, and the beginning of the Apostats, and of the Apostacy; it was began in the Apo∣stles dayes by them that went out of the truth, out of the light, and were ravened from the spirit, and erred from the faith, and were enemies to the power of God, and these were the beginners and the layers of the foun∣dation, and then it grew, that root of wickedness faster then the truth; for the Jewes resisted, and the heathen resisted and the Apostates and false prophets resisted, and they that were Apostatized they resisted, and they caused many to stumble, to erre, to make ship-wrack of their faith, and so the world went after them, the World, the Nations,

the kindreds, the tongues, & the people went after Kings, Princes and poten∣tates of the earth, & in processe of time they had over run-all & killed the saints, the woman fled into the wildernesse, & the man child was caught up unto God; then all Nations who were gone from the Rock became as a sea, reeled to & fro, unstable, unsetled; what were they like to settle in the Sea? then a great beast arose with his seven heads and ten hornes, and the whore which had defiled the bed, and she sat upon the beast, and she reached out her cup of fornication to the nations, and all na∣tions was drunk with her cup, and then the beast made war, and the nations were drunk, and they lo∣ved the beast and received his marke, became cruel, and pushed at the saints (and followed him) and made war with them, and the whore, she drank the blood of the saints, and the Dra∣gon appeared, and with his tayle drew the third part of the stars after him to the Earth; the false Prophets they are the tayle of the Dragon who were

gone from the testimony of Jesus, the spirit of prophecy, and drew after it the third part of the stars from the fir∣mament of his power into the earth, Rev. 12. 4. The man child was caught up unto God, which was to rule all Nations with a rod of Iron, and the woman fled into the wildernesse, where God hath prepared a place for her, and then the Dragon went out and made war with the remnant of her seed, to wit, the womans seed.

And so out of the Sea arose the beast, out of Nations, kindreds, Tongues, and peoples, which are wa∣ters, and the Dragon gave power to the beast, and his seat, and great au∣thority, Rev. 13. 2. And all the world wondred after the beast, ver. 3. and ver 4. They worshipped the Dragon which gave power to the beast, and the beast likewise; and now the worl•• cryed (which wondred after the beast) who is able to make war with the beast? and ver. 6. he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blas∣pheme his name and Tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven, and he

made war with the saints, and did o∣vercome them, and all that dwelt up∣on the Earth worshipped him, whose names were not written in the Lambs book of life.

And the beast•• deceived the Nations and them that did dwell on the earth, and now kindreds, Tongues, and peo∣ples, and Nations, and all the world which wondred after him, they who had lost the image of God, now be∣came the image of the beast, that blas∣phemed God and his Tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven, and now the Kings of the earth that had drunk the Whores cup of fornication, and the Nations, Kindreds, and Tongues, and people, who were become the beasts image, now the image of the beast spoke, and caused as many as would not worship the beast and the image, should be killed; take notice of that, all who are called Christians, it was not Gods image, who compel∣led to worship or else be killed, but it was the beasts image, and whereso∣ever compultion and killing is exerci∣sed

and practised, they worship the beast.

Chap. 13. ver. 16. And he causeth all both small and great, rich and poor, bond and free to receive a marke in their forehead, or in their right hand, and none might buy or sell, but he which had the beasts marke or his name, or the num∣ber of his name; here was worship, but it was the beasts worship, and Idola∣trous worship, and the Dragons wor∣ship, who sought to destroy the man∣child, which all the Angels is to wor∣ship; all this worship is in the Aposta∣cy.

So let all take notice of this com∣pelling, causing, forcing, killing, and destroying about worship, all they that so do yet are worshipping the beast on which the Whore rides, and this is that generation who slew the Lamb, and they are of the World, and this is the Dragons brood, who sought to devour the man-child, and this is the Serpents seed, and a seed of false∣hood who made war with the rem∣nant of the seed of the woman through all ages unto this generation, and so all

that which is called Christen∣dome, is more or lesse under the beasts power, and hath his Image, e∣ven to this day; and yet some of them are professing the saints words, and imitating their actions, who were followers of the Lamb, and kept the faith; now this that Iohn saw as come in, did grow deceivers, anti-christs, false prophets, who were before & trou∣the Churches at Galatia Corinth, and made havock, brought in deceit and infected many, as Coloss. Pergamus, Rev. 3. Sardis & Laodicea; but now all Na∣tions were erred and gone from their maker, their husband, and did drink of the cup of the whore, and were adulterated from the life, faith, and power, and now worshipped the beast, and the whole world went after him, there was some of his adultery, whor∣dome and fornication in the Apo∣stles dayes, and some had drunken then, but now Nations, kindreds, Tongues, and people drunk the cup of fornication, and now Jesabel who slew the prophets, and drunk the blood of the saints, she reaches out

her cup; Kings, merchants, Noble men, great men, Nations, kinreds, Tongues, and people were made drunk, the man∣child sought to be devoured, flouds cast out after the woman, the saints blood drunk, the world worships the Dragon, and the beast and his great authority, and wonders after him; now Jesabel the whore, who made the nations drunk, she prophesies, all the Nations made drunk with her cup of fornica∣tion, and drinks in all her false doc∣trines, and devised fables, now she is as a Queen, now the Nations wor∣ships; after a beast arises, she gets up∣on him and rides, she and the beast becomes one, she drinks the blood of the saints, the beast makes war, com∣pells, kills, being of one mind with the whore; none to buy or sell but they that have his mark of his name, or at least some of the number of his name; and who were not defiled, were killed (or sought to be killed) this is since the apostles days; so now we have found the whore, her beginning in the Apostacy, having lost the faith and power that the Saints were in, we have found out

the rise of the beast in the Apostacy, since the Apostles, that all the World wondred after and worshipped.

Now Rome we have found thy foun∣dation, and the beginning of thy rise, and sees how thou art elevated, we have thee and all that sprang out of thy stock and root, betwixt this time and the Apostles, and we read beyond thee, though thou boast thy selfe of antiquity, and glory in thy counsels, and convocations, for thy proof we have sounded thy bottome, I have thee and all the Apostates sprang from thee betwixt me and the Apostles, the an∣ti-christs false-Prophets, deceivers, false Apostles, they began, they laid thy foundation, who went out from the Apostles, and denyed the crosse of Christ and the power of God, and the Apostle prophesied of their in∣crease, here thy visible members began to gather, and they went out into the World, and the World received them, according to Christs saying, out of the light, out of the power, out of the faith, out of the life that the holy men of God were in, being ravened

from the spirit, whored from the life, they went out in an outward dresse, had a shew, a form of godli∣ness, the Nations received the cup, the Kings of the earth, the Nobles and the mighty men, thou boasts of, they drank of thy cup and were inflamed with adultery after thee; and then the Nations over which the whoredoms spread, kindreds, Dominions, tongues Nations peoples and become fornica∣tors, all became as a sea, rolling, tossing, foming, raging, casting up mire and dirt, unstable reeling; then the Kings, the great men, thy Nobles who were Rulers over the people, being drunk with the Nations cup of fornication, they sprang up as a great Beast with so many heads and horns, and their teeth became as Lyons, their feet as Bears, and then thou began to ride in the Nations, and to sit as a Queen, then thou associated thy drunken forni∣cators together then thou began to usurp authority and then sit as Judge over the heritage of God and of the Saints, of the Apostles, and of them that kept the testimony of Jesus

then thou began to kill and destroy and suck the blood of the Saints, and to be drunk with it; and then thy Kings whom thou calls converts and Christians having drunken thy cup, they formed Lawes and made Lawes to guard thy whoredoms and adul∣tries and Idolatries, then they be∣came thy executioners, and what thou said was good, the Beast maintained, and what thou condemnedst by thy Counsels for heresie, they became executioners of; then came in com∣pelling to worship by the Beast that rose out of the Sea, and then thou cryed Hereticks and condemned the just, and then thou got a cover, thou wouldst not kil, but the beast must upon whom thou rides; then if there was any that kept their virginity and the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ which was in the Apostles dayes, then thou con∣demnedst them for Hereticks; then the Beast compelled, and caused to wor∣ship, but if they would not bow to his image, then thy Merchants cries up, they despise Governors and Rulers, when both thy Doctrine and thy Laws

is corrupt, then the Beast must kill, then he blaphemes the God of hea∣ven, and his Tabernacle; and then thou saith thou killest none, but the beast must (upon which thou rides) and shall have a whole Counsel to confirm it to be lawful; And now thou cals thy self the Catholike and Apostolical Church, and thy seat the Apostolical Chair, and the Rulers and leaders de∣fenders of the faith. Nay, we finde thee contrary to the primitive Church, and thy seat and Chair is raised up since, and thy bed of whoredoms made since, and the Kings and Rulers in thy Dominions are become de∣fenders of thy idolatries and whore∣doms, and are indeed the beast that makes War with the Saints, and hath prevailed, and truth overcome; but he is risen who is able to make war with the Beast, and to take the whore, and to burn her flesh with fire, for he is able to judge her; and thy Beasts wea∣pons and thine are carnal, but the Lambs and the Saints are spiritual, and so thy Doctrine and practice is quite another thing, patched ••uffe,

some brought in from the first Priest∣hood, some borrowed from the Jews, as thy Altars, thy vestments (that thy idolatrous Merchants wear when they celebrate thy great idol the Mass) and the rest borrowed fragments from the heathen, and the rest invented in the night of darkness, and all that you have is invented trumpery, as bad as the heathen; all your Crosses, Altars, Crucifixes, your Cells your Lent, your Fasts, your Feasts, your Hair-cloth; your Images, Pictures, your Relickes of dead mens bones, your Tythes, your offerings, oblations, ob∣ventions, your Tapers, Beads, your holy water, your Baptizing of In∣fants, your Purgatory, your Praying for the dead, your visiting of old Wals, and old Tombs, and rotten Sepulchres, your Pilgrimages, your Inquisition; all this is come up since the Apostles dayes, and thy conse∣crated bread and wine, which thou calls the body and blood of Christ, about which idol thou (and all that have drunken the cup of fornication,) and the Beast hath slain thousands of

men in your blood thirsty cruelty, and all your works you call meritorious they are all dead, & will be sentenced by the Lamb (who is risen,) to be self-righteousness; and so we have found out your visible Church had no being but since the Apostacy, since the Apo∣stles dayes, and you are erred both in Doctrine and practice, and all your Ordination of your Ministers, your Schools and Colledges is all in the will of man, all this is in the fall, in the transgression, and under the curse.

Object. Some of the Protestants or re∣formed Churches (so called) may say we like this well that you declare against po••••••y, we agree with you in that; but we have renounced the Whores cup, and have denyed all the powers of the Beast long since.

Answ. Although many of you Priests have denyed your mother, be∣cause some Kings and Rulers, or Dukes or Magistrates have cast off the yoke, and they protect you, and give you maintenance, yet we can∣not but remember you of your genea∣logy,

and decent, and your doctrine and practice shall prove it, and make it manifest, and that you take part with the Beast, and worships his image, and shall be evidenced, more and more, even before this genera∣tion passe away; are not you a stem sprung from the same root? doth not the fruits you bring forth evidence it, and practice, demonstrate it? if you grant that Rome is Apostized from the faith which the Apostles were in, and their practice (you must not deny your fathers) who made the Bishops, and ordained them; did not the Pope, who ordained you Ministers or priests, did not the Bishops, who set up your Mass-house, with all the Pictures and Crosses in and upon them, which you call your Church? who established Tythes, offerings, oblations, Easter reckonings, Midsumer dues, did not the Pope first,, and them that were subject to his power, who invented Schools and Colledges to fit you for the Ministry, and qualifie you for the Ministry, as you say, is not this set up in, and since the Apostacy began?

your set wages, your baptizing of In∣fants, your consecrated Bels, which the Pope hollowed or his emissaries? do not you preach up the letter for the word, & the letter for the Gospel? & are not you calling your bread & wine a Sacra∣ment? which word you have received from Rome, your Pulpets & your hour-glasses, your cushons, your black robes & long robes, fals-Prophet-like, your funeral for the dead like the Popes exe∣quies for the dead, your devouring wid∣dowes houses, and sueing men at the Lavv, your haling them to Courts & prisons, your taking avvay mens goods by force, three-fold, ten-fold; yea, is that which you claim, and from them that you work not for; neither dare you say this was the Apostles practice, or any of the primative churches; If you say yea, all that knowes the scripture or the least of God in them to guid them, or to open their understandings, they will see you nearly related to Rome, and to the Apostates, and decei∣vers, and fals Prophets of old, and that you are greatly inflamed with the Whores cup; and did not the holy

men of God speak as they were moved by the holy Ghost and divine inspi∣ration, & as the spirit of truth revealed it selfe in them? and do not you all head and taile deny any such thing to be now? and further concludes, that its a great errour to look for any such thing? then be convinced in your selves, you are Apostates and Aposta∣tized from that faith, and hope & spi∣rit that was in the primative times; and now reads old authors, it may be 20. or 30. books before you can get an hours discourse patched up to hold you dreaming till the glasse be run; & dare you be so impudent & confident as to say that you ••are not Apostates? and are you not followers of the beast, and have you not his mark, and bear you not his Image? do not you count that disorder which the Apostles and the Churches counted order? if any thing was revealed to him that stands by, let the first hold his peace? are not you apostatized from this order, & cries take him away, and yet you would be called Apostolicall? well, these things being true, and obvious enough to

behold, to any who knows any thing of God, I need not say much more in this thing, but all wise men will come out from among you, and out of Ba∣bylon the Mother of Harlots, which hath made you and your root and genea∣logy drunk with her fornication, and this is my call to seperate from her and you, that are in the apostacy; and waite to know the word which was in the beginning, and the Gospel which was Preached to Abraham, which endures for ever, whose joy∣ful sound is come forth in power and great glory, which will shake the foundation of your great City, even mystery Babylon, and not leave one stone upon another which shall not be thrown down; and then the holy men of God shall rejoyce, and the Saints of the most high shall sing, they that have been as sheep for the slaughter shall reign over the earth, and shall say, The Lord God omnipo∣tent Reigns, and let us rejoyce and be glad, and he hath taken to him∣self great power, and is coming to ga∣ther his Lambs out of your mouths,

and to feed in a pasture you never saw, which was manifest to the Saints in light, before you apostates sprang, and shall be again, when you and all your dark muddy traditions, and inventi∣ons, are gone down into the pit, where there is no remembrance.

Object. But it may be the pure re∣formed Church of Scotland, as it hath been called, and the old Episcopal and Prelatical Priests of England, who hath borrowed their images to set up here will be ready to say we have denyed, the whore and the beast, and the apostacy, and we have pure reformation, we have denyed Bishops which was made by the apostate the Pope, and now we have settled all things according to the Primitive Church.

Answ. There never did spring up any deceit since the Apostles or before, but it called it self, by the best name; as for the Priests of Scotland, their doctrine and practice is made mani∣fest, and their Reformation by their principles which I refer the Reader to, intituled the principles of the Priests of Scotland, their Reformation, and discipline is nearly related to the

Spanish Inqnisition; for their Doctrine, they say grace is not free, and faith is not without sin, and the Letter is the word of God, and that they are cursed that say there is a light within which will lead up to God; and as one said, although it meant Christ; and if any will not submit to their words, and conform to their practice and traditions, then they call a counsel together, as their forefathers at Trent, and pronounces him a heretick, and within this few years banished them, or else took their whole substance outward from them; and if any out of conscience could not submit unto their invented tradition, then if he ever came to have any converse with them again, be must have a penance before he could get an indulgence from them, like the Pope; and fur∣thermore, if any deny them because they are out of the doctrine of Christ, and are contrary to the Scripture, then, as I said, they excommunicate them, and charges all people neither to buy nor sell, nor eat nor drink with them, nor work for them; and so the beasts

power is exercised, compelling to come to their Mass-houses; and as for the denying the Bishops, then you have denyed your fathers that begat you, and ordained you, then, you have no Ordination; but may be you have cry∣••d so for setling your Gospel, you have got a Commitee to ordain you, or one company to lay hands on another, but when receive ye the holy Ghost? Oh that is an error in your Church, but are you not got into the old Cathedrals (so called) and into the Steeple-houses, and the old Masse-houses, and where you had, may be 20 pounds or fourty in the year, now you have gotten a hundred, it may be two; heres reformation indeed; well, we must needs remember you of your race and stock, the apostates since the Apostle dayes, and the former practices which is found among the old Protestants and Papists is among you, and you are still drunk with the whores cup, and are crying for Cains weapons to guard you; well, I say you art part of the dragons tail, that draws to the earth, and to the pit, which will

be the end of all idolaters and Apo∣states, except they come to repent.

And as for the Independants Churches, so called, you are a branch of the same root, you have declared against the Bishops and court Prelates, and said they were in error, and ma∣ny of you declared against them for pluralists, because they had too great benefits, and declared against Tythes, as to be Antichristian, and whoso re∣ceived Tithes, denyed Christ come in the flesh, who are wheeled about, and now takes them your selves, and creeps into the old Mass-houses, and hath taken that up which you condemned in others, and so have made your former testimony void, and all sober people sees your hypocrisie and deceit, who have gathered a company toge∣ther, which you call select people, or members of your Church, and you exclude the rest who have as good right to your Ordinance as you, for they professe Christ in words as you do; And yet you will receive their means, whom you judge not capable of your Ordinance; and your Church

will no more maintain you, then it would maintain them that you have denied in words, if you had not the beasts power to compel, your vineyard would starve you, your Gospel and your Preaching is one with the for∣mer, and the people is the same in nature they were before; you have got Bishops Lands, agmentations and Sty∣pends more large then your forefa∣thers had, for the most part, and sue men at the Law, and hales them before Judgement seats and takes away their goods whom you look upon to be in error; yet this stands as good with you as any Article of your faith, to force to compell, to sue, to hale into prison, to take away their goods, and get a Scripture for your cover, and say he that Preacheth the Gospel must live of the Gospel, and them that nei∣ther hear you, nor receives you, nei∣ther believes your Gospel; yet you conclude, its lawful to take their goods and if you cannot get them, hale the party into prison; are not you drinking still the whores cup? and do not you follow the Beast? and do not you own that Law to be just that

compels people to pay mony to you who denyes your Ministry, and are none of your sheep? and are not your Ordinances and worship imitated things from the Scripture, the Saints words, and yet out of their life and practice, are not you in the Apostacy? have you not your profession and con∣fession of faith, to make year after year as the Magistrate changes? doth not this evidence, that you are un∣stable and are yet in the waters upon which the whore sits, and scituated in Babylon, the Mother of Harlots, who yet makes you drunk, and that makes all the filth and vomit appear in the earth that stains the earth, and your idols corrupts the earth; and all seperates under what name soever, who have not denyed the ground of apostacy, but are in the apostacy, for all sects since the apostles days have taken up some part and left another, since the life hath been lost, and the power lost all hath been in idolatry, and the Protestants who have denied the Papists, yet they have not denyed them in the ground of their worship,

but hath retained some, part and hath kept some part of their worship; and all Sects sprung out of the Protestants, in them all there is some part re∣maining, for they have not denyed the ground of the worship set up in the apostacy the whores cup i•• drunk of, and the Dragon hath power which sought to destroy the man-childe, and made war with the remnant of the seed of the woman who was clothed with the Sun; you all stick yet in Babylon, and the best of you all, are but yet in the suburbs thereof.

For since the Apostles dayes their foundation hath been either traditions, Imitations, inventions of their own, or borrowed things from the Jewes in the first covenant, or at the best, the letter hath been the ground of their faith and their foundation, which they have twined and transla∣ted this way and that, according to the wit, and reason of every particular sect and opinion, and according to the understanding of their private spi∣rits; now all these buildings, and towers that men have builded up in

the Apostacy, they would fasten upon the writings of the holy men of God, and so hath raised an imagination of their own, and so would have the scripture prove what they say; and the writings of the Apostles, they all cal the Gospel; & the word of faith, & the light of the Gospel, & the foundation & the tryer of spirits, & the touchstone and say its the foundation of their faith and Religion; and so are all in the distraction one envying another, and persecuting one another about the words of truth, spoken from the spirit of truth, which cannot be understood again but by the same spirit; and so all them that have not the spirit of truth, are in the Apostacy, And all Sects Judgements and opinions that hath risen up since the Apostacy, from the faith that was once delivered to the saints, when the woman trave∣led and brought the man-child, which after, because of the Dragons power, fled into the wildernesse, and her child caught up unto God, all the faith and worship, that since is sprung up since the Whore hath sitten as a Queen in majesty, is all denyed, the ground

of their worship, Lawes, Traditions, Inventions, and all their invented practises, and formes and Images, and likenesses are denyed, and disowned, as to be the dresse and attire of the Whore which hath allured people through her inticing pretences and shewes of holinesse, when indeed all is but spiritual adultery, and this must be all turned under again, the Whores flesh burned, and her attire plucked off, and her nakednesse appear, and her shame to them that have committed fornication with her, and they shall be ashamed of themselves, and of her, and abhor themselves, and abhor her, and destroyed shall she be; and the Lambs wife shall be beautified, and come out of the secret places into open view, out of the solitary wildernesse, into the beautifull place that the Lord will bring her into, & the time, times, and halfe time is out, the thousand two-hundred and threscore dayes is at an end; and he bears witnesse of it who saw her ••fly away upon Eagles wings into the secret place, which was prepared for her, for these dayes and

times appointed, and I say he that knowes the counsell, of the most High (in this matter) can account the time, times, and a halfe, and the dayes, and what shall be after the days be expired which is at an end; blessed is he that sees, believes, and understands, he shall see that which yet hath not appeared, neither can it be believed by the most, though it were declared; but yet a little while and the Earth growes ripe, and an eare will be opened in many who cannot yet hear, and for a little while in this I shall be silent, and treasure up that which the spirit hath revealed, till the time be fully accomplished which God hath determined, and then his glory shall be revealed, and all the former things which have lived since the man of sin hath been exalted, shall all dye, & an utter consumption shall be of all the changeable Lawes made since the Apostacy, and the many changeable dresses of the whore, and attires in which she hath appea∣red, & Imaginary worships into which all have run since they were Apostati∣••ed from the faith; all this shall be dis∣anulled,

and come to an end, and be blasted for ever, the spirit of the Lord saith Amen.

How the woman that was cloathed with the Sun, and had the Crowne of twelve Stars upon her head, which did flie into the wildernesse, comes out againe after the great whore is judged, and her child that was caught up unto God, comes to appeare again.

NOw after the time, times, and halfe a time, and after the thou∣sand two hundred and threescore days she returns after the whore is judged, and the great City Babylon is fallen, which hath made the Nations drunk, and brought forth children in forni∣cation, who had drunk the blood of the Saints in the Apostacy after the Whore was judged; and the voice was heard in heaven, of much people that sang Halelujah, salvation, and glory, and honour, & power; Who witnessed to the righteousness of Gods judgement: And a voice came out of the Throne, saying,

praise our God all his servants, and ye that fear him both small and great, Rev. 19. 5. and verse the 6. And I heard as it were the voice of many waters, and as a great multitude, and as the voice of a mighty thunder, saying, Halelujah, for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth; the Whore is now judged, the mother of harlots condemned with all her in∣chantments, and sorceries.

Now the Lambs wife appears, who is the mother of the man-child which was caught up unto God, she that was cloathed with the Sun, with the glori∣ous everlasting Celestial light, she is both the mother and the wife, he that hath an eare let him hear; now Jerusa∣lem that is from above, (spiritually so called) who was the mother of all the Saints before the apostacy, she appears again, and comes to be the wife of the Lamb, and the city of the Saints, & the mother of them that are born from above; this shall be and is made manifest to some, but a numberlesse number shall see it, and the day ha∣stens greatly, and she is appearing a∣gain, and her solitary garments shall

be put off; and as she was beautifull (before the whore made the nations drunk) cloathed with the Sun, and had the Moon under her feet, and a Crown of twelve Stars upon her head (and though she became child-lesse, and also as a widow, and the remnant of her seed slain, and destroyed) so shall she appear again in glory and beauty as before, and shall be made ready, yea, my eye hath seen it; she is making her selfe ready as a bride for her husband, and unto her is granted, that she shall be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white, even arayed in the righteousnesse of the saints, which is not self-righteousnesse; the garments of the harlot and her lovers; but in the righteousnesse of Christ the Lamb, her husband and child also, and she shall now bring forth many more children, though her seed have been slain, yet a numberlesse number shall appear, and ten thousand thousand shall be brought forth by her, and glo∣ry in her, and reverence her, and re∣joyce in her for ever, and they shall be all clad in the same robe which the

husband the Lamb is cloathed with∣all, and the same, the Lambs wife, this woman is cloathed with all, and the same shall all the children be cloathed with all, the fine linen the righteousnesse of the Lamb which was dead and slaine since the foundation of the world, but now alive and lives for evermore; and here a heavenly fa∣mily appears now after the Apostacy, and this shall be seen by all that have an eye, that can see through & beyond the smoke of the pit, that have dark∣ned the ayre while the beast and Dra∣gon hath had power; but now hath her child appeared again, the man∣child hath appeared again, and he that was in the spirit on the Lords day saw whether he was taken up to the Throne of God, Revel. 12. ver. 5. and on the same Lords day he saw him after the woman was fled, and the remnant of her seed was made War with and flain in the earth, where the Dragon had power. He that was in the spirit saw him alive again after he was caught up; So he that is in the spirit, now on the Lords day

sees the same man-childe who was brought forth by by the woman who was to rule the Nations, but was caught up to the Throne of God be∣fore he came to R••le; and then the Dragon ruled the beasts and false prophet, the Whore the Mother of harlots sate as a Queen, and the wo∣man the mother of the heir fled into an obscure and a retired place, and was hid, times and dayes (as I said before) but as she appeared again in beauty, so the man-childe the heir he appears also in glory, Majesty and power, and John saw him, Revelations 19. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16.

And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse and he that sate upon him, was called faithful and true, and he doth Judge and make War in rigteous∣ness his eyes was as a flame of fire, on his head were many Crowns, and he had a name written that none knew but he bim∣self, and he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood and his name is called the word of God.

And now the womans seed is in∣creased again, after the Dragon and

the beasts War, and now they be∣come an Army, and follows the Lamb their leader who is anoynt∣ed with honour, glory, and Majesty and renown, strength, power, wis∣dom, joy and gladness above all his fellowes; yet his followers are an∣nointed too, and the seed of the woman the inhabitants of the City of the great King, they are clothed with the same garment and Armour, and rides on in power strength and Majesty after him, and they are clothed and shall be with the garment of their Mother, and the garment of their Captain their head; and as he rode on in innocency, so they ride on after him, and the woman was in heaven, that travelled, and the childe was born there, though he was to rule the Nations of the Earth; and so who so are of this womans seed which is born in the City of the great King Jerusalem unto which the Hebrewes were come, Heb 21. before the Apostacy, and before the woman fled, so now the same

City comes to be seen again, and the children are free born of their mo∣ther the Lambs wife, who is joyned to him, and is to be so for ever in the everlasting Covenant; so they being heavenly children, redeemed from the earth, from under the Dragons power, they follow the Lamb, the word, Gods power, Revel. 19. 14. And the armies which were in heaven followed him, upon white horses, clothed in fine linen white and clean, and out of his mouth goes a sharp sword and with it he shall smite the Nations; and now comes he to rule them with a rod of Iron, he was brought forth long before; but was caught up to God again, and the Dra∣gon, beast and whore, and false prophet ruled the Nations, and killed the Saints, but now he appears again after the Apostacy, and a great host with him, and the woman also and her children are many, and they all fol∣low the first-born; and now comes the wo to the dragon and Whore, beast and false prophets, and unclean spirits, and on them that worship devils, and now shall he tread the wine-press of the

wrath of God Almighty. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh written, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.

And now appears an Angel standing in the Sun which the woman•• was clothed with, and he cryed with a loud voyce, saying to all the fowls that flie in the midst of heaven, come and gather to the Sup∣per of the great day of God, and now must the flesh of the Kings and Cap∣tains, and Nobles, and flesh of mighty men who had drunk the Whores cup, now must drink of the wine of Gods wrath; and the Beast and the Kings of the earth, and their Armies gathered together to make War against him that sate on the white horse and his Army; and the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, and the remnant were slain (that took part with the beast by him that sate upon the horse and his Army; whose sword proceeded out of his mouth, and all the fowls were filled with their flesh) the Whore is burnt before, the beast, the false prophet and his Army now slain, and their flesh eaten by the fowls of heaven, and now

the blood comes forth to the horse bridles.

And now the Angel descends having the key of the bottomless pit from whence the old Dragon, the Serpent, the red Dragon, the Devil came; there is his beginning, there was he brought forth, and there he grew up, he that reads let him understand, out of the bottomless pit; for the Nations were never deceived till he appeared, and he appeared as I have said before, af∣ter the heaven and the earth was made, and all things therein (I say after) he was not before, he deceived Eve in the garden, now he is grown old, and so is truely called the old Dragon, grown into a body of deceit; well now must he be taken and bound and cast into the bottomless pit, from whence he came, that he deceive the Nations no more, Rev. 20. 1, 2. and all this War is in the bringing out of the Apostacy, and in order to the Lamb and the Saints everlasting Reign in heaven and over the earth for ever.

This I have seen, and my heart re∣joyceth, and my mouth shall praise the

Lord; & the woman I say is appearing, and she is cloathed with beautiful gar∣ments, and the holy child, the man-child, hath appeared, and is manifest again among the Saints, and in then; and the Lamb which hath been slain since the world began, is alive, & behold he lives for evermore; and now many are his followers, and an innumerable company shall ride on after him who is King of Kings; and now is God fulfilling that which Iohn saw in the Lords day, which should come to pass, the work is begun, he hath appeared, out of whose mouth proceeds the two edged sword which shall hew downe all the Dragons army, the beast and his followers, and though the cry be yet among many, who shall make war with the beast? and who shall speak a∣gainst his prophets? yet a little while and fear shall come, & their vaunts and boasts shall be turned into doubting, and dreadfull fear on every side, for Jacob shall be as a flame, and Esau and all his race shall be as Stubble, he that reads, let him understand the wisdome of God in a mystery, and the worke of

the Lord which shall shortly come to to passe.

The manifestation of Gods glory shall be as great after the Apostacy, as ever it was in any age, before the rise of antichrist, and the ministrations (into which them that follow the Lamb shall be brought) shall be as spiritual, holy, Celestial, and divine as ever was before; For the end of all our outward visible appearances shall come, which the whore hath decked her selfe with, and life it shall be known, in the body and God injoyed, and worship∣ed, glorified, and honoured in that which shall never alter, but abides for ever; and this shall be & is the last ministration that ever shall appear among the Sons of men.

We who are come out of the Apo∣stacy, knowes what was before, & sees what shal be after, the everlasting Gos∣ple of the Son of God shall be preach∣ed again to them that dwell on the Earth, the same that was preached to Abraham before either old or new Te∣stament was written; the latter, all sects since the apostacy call the gospel, and so greatly manifest their igno∣ance, for that were to make two Gos∣pels

to call the scriptures the Gospel, or that which is written, and they who so erre in their judgements, are yet among the smoke of the pit, & are yet under antichrists reigne, & are ignorant of him who is the saving health of the Nations; And the living, infalible, true, lasting, and everlasting spirit of the Father shall be poured out again, and many now witnesse it, and a numberlesse number shall witnesse it, and the time hastens; And the Lamb shall stand upon mount Sion, and ma∣ny who are redeemed from the earth and from among men which shall be the first fruits unto God, and to the Lamb, and they shall sit with him, and shall reigne with him, and have pow∣er over sin, temptation, and the Devil, Hell and the Lake, and this is to come to passe, and is coming to passe, and hastens greatly; and the voice out of heaven shall be heard as the voice of many waters, and the voice of har∣pers harping with their harps, and the new song shall be sung, the pure song of the Lamb shal be sung by all who are redeemed from the earth in every Na∣tion, kindred, Tongue and people,

who have heard, believed and received the joyful sound of the everlasting Gospel again, and now they shall fear God, and glorifie him, and honour him, even they who have feared the Beast, and glorified him in the Aposta∣cy, they shall deny his power, and own the Lambs power, and worship him that sits upon the throne of righteous∣nesse, who lives for ever and ever, and is eternal Life it selfe; the worship shall be now in spirit and truth, where the Dragon cannot come, neither the beast, Harlot, false prophet, nor anti∣christ, nor none of his followers can come, and here in the ministration shal be more glorious, after the Apo∣stacy then it was before; the worship stood before in many outward visible things, and representations, and out∣ward performances, and ordinances, & I manifestly say, the dragon, beast, whore, and false prophets and Apo∣states took up these things, and Nati∣ons and kindreds, and Tongues, and people who drunk of the whores cup, & all that were gone from their maker their husband, they have been and are

acting and performing, imitating like Jannes and Jambres; but since the daies of the Apostles, they corrupted these things, and hath made Idols of them, and painted themselves with them, and have got the sheeps cloathing; therefore now will the Lord appear and manifest his power, life and glory in away more invisible and pure, than before, and more divine, celestial and glorious, where never an hypocrite shal tread in the path; & so the restoration is a mystery that shall be after the A∣postacy, the glory is not to appear in externall things, for there the mother of harlots hath hid her selfe long, which hath made all Nations drunk; but the cloathing of the Lambs wife and of the bride shall be another thing then the attire of the harlot, for the spouse of the Lamb shall be arrayed, in the same attire, that the Lamb is cloathed withall, and with the same vestment, and the Taberna∣cle of God is to be with men, and he shall dwell in them, even the Lord that spirit, and shall walke in them, and they shall be his people, and God

himselfe shall be with them and in them, and sorrow shall be done away, and teares wiped away, and that done away which was the cause of sorrow; Rev. 21. 3. and 4. and there shall be no more death, nor crying, nor any more pain, for the former things are passed away, to wit, death which en∣tred in by sin, it shall be destroyed, and the earth out of which the second beast arose, and the sea out of which the first beast did arise & upon which the whore sate, and Hell, and the lake which was prepared, and raised up, when man was degenerated from the Lord, they shall be destroyed, and he also which hath the power of death which is the Devil, he shall be destroyed and his works, (the cause of scorne) and then they shall see the Lord face to face, even them that have but seen him darkly, as in a glasse, or as in a cloud, they shall see his pure living counte∣nance, which giveth life, and death, and Hell shall be cast into the Lake of fire, and whosoever is not found writ∣ten in the Lambs book of life must be cast into the fire.

Then the new heaven and earth shall be seen, and the heavenly City, which shall come down from God out of heaven; which no mortal eye shall behold, neither shalbe able to be∣hold, which hath twelve foundations, and twelve gates, and the glory of God shall be upon her, and her light shall be as a stone most precious, and as clear as cristall, yea all things visible are too short and not to be com∣pared to it; for in it their need neither Sun nor Moon to shine in it, for the glory of the Lord shall lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof, and all who shall be partakers of this glorious Ministration, shall walk in the light of the Lamb; there shall be no night, nor the least appearance of a cloud or darkness, but transparent brightness, and glory which shall be permanent, durable and everlasting; for the Lord God and the Lamb is the Temple of the City, in which the Saints shall worship him that sits upon the throne for evermore, and shall give unto him glory, and honour, and dominion, and eternal praise for evermore, who alone is worthy, who lives for ever in eternal

glory, and everlasting light and brightness for cvermore.

And his face shall be seen in whom all figures representations, & shadows ends in, and the pure river of water of life which is as clear as Christal, which proceeds out of the Throne of God and of the Lamb; and all who have kept the word of his patience shall drink thereof, and be nourished up in immortality and life everlasting for ever. And the tree of life that stands in the Paradice of God, them that have overcome shall eat thereof and live for ever; and the Nations, Kindreds, Tongues, people and Re∣gions, who have heard, believed and received the everlasting Gospel shall know his saving health; and the Throne of God and the Lamb shall be seen, and his servants shall serve him who is their Lord and King, who lives for ever, and they shall see his face, and his name shall be in their foreheads, and the Lord God shall give them light and shall be unto them an ever∣lasting light, and they shall reign with him for ever and ever, over the whore,

Beast, false prophet, Antichrists, decei∣vers, seducers, the pit, death, hell & the grave; & shall triumph in his strength over all the powers of darkness, and sing praises to him that abides for ever; these things are true and faithful, and shall be fulfilled, and the time is at hand, blessed are they that waite and watch, that they may discern the signs of the times, and the coming of the bride-groom, that they may enter into the chamber of rest, and into the Pa∣lace of eternal life, into the City of the great King to sit with him, and eat with him, and rejoyce with him in the glory Eternal, which was before the world began, & shall be when it shall be no more, the end hastens; he is bles∣sed that is come and coming to the end of it; for that which is immutable and Eternally glorious shall appear, the Lord hasten it, saith my spirit. Amen.

The day of the Lord and how it is seen.

THe Lord God of the whole earth, who lives for ever, even the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and Jacob, whose Throne is established

in righteousness for ever; who rideth upon the heavens, and shines forth in his eternal excellency, from the firmament of his power; he is mani∣festing himself in his power, as in the dayes of old, and revealing his righ∣teousness as in the years past, and pouring forth his spirit upon his sons and daughters, according to his pro∣mise, and they that believe, comes to be made partakers of the blessing of the everlasting Hills, even the Lord, who appeared at Sinai, unto Moses his servant in the bush, who rose up from mount Seir, and shined forth in his brightness from mount Paran, and came with ten thousands of his Saints, even he, from whose right hand went a fiery Law, so that the people could not behold his glory; the same is he who hath now appeared in this the day of his power, and is appearing, whose glory shall dazle the eyes of the world, whose brightness shall make dim all the worlds glory, and stain its wisdom, and shut it up in ut∣ter darkness, that it shall not appear to have any existance or being, and the

shadow of death shall flie away, and all the haughty and lofty Princes of this world shall be horribly afraid; the beasts shall go into their dens when the day appears, and the Lambs of the everlasting fold shall come forth and be fed in the fat valleys, where the springs of life compasseth about all the banks, and rejoyce in their shep∣herd, and shall say, The Lord is my shep∣herd; which many at this time doth admire and say, What hath the Lord wrought? who have seen his wonders in the dayes of old, and have seen his noble acts, which the fathers have told of, who are fallen asleep, and are at rest in the Lord: and now many is God bringing to see their witness to be true, and to have the same fulfilled in themselves; honour and praise un∣to him for ever, who is the stay and strength of all his people for ever. And the day of the Lord is broken, and the light hath appeared that ma∣nifesteth all things which are reprove∣able; and the day-star is risen in the hearts of many, and they are come to see that fulfilled in their hearts,

which Peter exhorted them to wait for, and to take heed unto the sure word of prophesie, until the day appeared, and did dawn in their hearts; which day when it appears, and to whom it ap∣pears, discovereth all things and ma∣keth all things manifest, as it is de∣clared by the Spirit of truth, in the Scripture of truth; and every mans work shall be tryed of what sort it is, and of what nature it is; and this day hath appeared to many, praises to the Lord, who have waited for it, and now they see every thing in its ground and rise, and every tree and fruit is seen according to its kind, whether good or bad, and every mans work is obvious to every one who are in the day, and upon whom the morn∣ing of righteousness hath appeared, and the Sun of righteousness hath shined upon, whereby that is seen in every one (by the light which is truly called day, by the Lord who causeth it to spring from on high) which is re∣proveable and condemnable, and also whatever is justifiable and unreprove∣able, is seen by the day of the Lord appearing in the heart.

The day of the Lord, what it is, and to whom it hath appeared, discovered, and how it is seen.

GOd is a spirit, his day is spiritual, and is seen with a spiritual eye, its pure light, pure brightness, the pure shining forth of the Lord in his glorious excellency, the pure shining forth of eternity, life putting forth it self in its brightness, holiness shed∣ing it self abroad in its glory, purity spreading it self in its immeasurable excellency, and can only be seen as it is in it self, by the children of the light that are born of it: there is a natural day there is a spiritual day; the natural day receives its brightness from the Sun, the spiritual day re∣ceives it brightness from the Son of righteousness, by whom its brought forth, without whom nothing was made, or is made, or brought forth, but by him who is the fountain of life; and as the natual day receives its clearness from the natural Sun,

and is discerned by the natural eye of a natural man; and all things natural are seen and discovered by and in the natural day, and are perspicuous and obvious to him that hath his natural sight; even so, from the Son of righ∣teousness, the Lord of glory, light and purity; the day of God receives its brightness, and is issued out from him by the rayes of his brightnes, and is discerned and seen only by the spi∣tual eye of the spiritual man, who is the image of the father brought forth in life, and in his own nature and quality; (that is to say) from God the Father of life, by Christ Jesus the life of men, the light of the world; and this is the birth which is born from above, wch is of the nature of the Father, and the Son, & of the day; & he only comes to behold this day, and discerns all things of the Fathers Kingdom by it, and likewise discerns all the hidden things of dishonesty, and the works of darknes which are brought forth by the Prince of darkness, who is shut up in eternal and utter darkness, which is his dwelling place for ever, which

is his residence, and shall be the resi∣dence of all the workers of iniquity that bear his image for ever.

Ob. But some may be ready to say, It is not yet appeared, and all things are not yet made manifest, and that day is not yet come, neither hath appeared in this age to any.

Ans. What if a man that is naturally blind say, that there is no light in the day, nor in the Sun, because he sees none; is therefore there no light in the day, nor in the Sun? And what if all things be alike unto him, day and night, so that he can distinguish no∣thing, doth this therefore make void their seeing, who do see with the na∣tural eyes, both the Sun and the day, and hinder them from distinguishing or discerning? And what if they who are spiritually blind, and are children of the night, say they see no∣thing, nor beholds nothing of the day of the Lord, or of the discovery of the things of God, or of his glorious ap∣pearence, which many witnesse; doth this therefore make their sight void, or the discovery of things void to

them who have seen into the things that be of Gods kingdome? the unbe∣liefe of some, doth not make the faith of them that do believe void, God forbid.

What the day of the Lord is, and what it will be to the wicked, delcared.

AS I have said, though the day of the Lord be pure light and brighnesse in it selfe, and mixeth not with the night, which is of a contra∣ry nature, because the Lord in the be∣ginning separated them, & set a decree which will last unto all perpetuity, and that which limited the bounds and circumference thereof now is the same: I say, though the day of the Lord be pure, and keeps its purity, and property, and nature, and is still one and the same in it selfe; (for nothing can alter its purity) yet it is a day of blacknesse and gloomynesse, and a no∣table terrible day unto the wicked, who hates its appearance, and hates the light, children of falsehood and

of deceit, whose deeds be evil, it makes them and their deeds manifest; there it is unto them, as it is written in a certain place, The eyes lids of the morning are unto them as the shadow of death; the appearance of the Lord af∣frightes them, and they would run from it as a theef that diggeth through a wall, and breaketh open a house in the night when deep sleep is upon men; but when the day appeares, that discovers his actions, he is affraid, be∣cause he will then, (if he staies there) be seen; and all that live wantonly upon earth, whose hearts are set to seek after wickednesse as for hid treasure; the day of the Lord will steal up∣on such as a theef, and will come as upon a theef, & they being children of the night, and bringing forth the fruits of darknesse contrary to the light, they will have their portion in utter dark∣nesse, and eternal vengeance will com∣compasse them as a wall, and fury as a fire that devoureth all the fewel, so shall the ungodly perish, and have their portions with hypocrites.

Think on this all you railers, and

revilers of the light, and of the appea∣rance of God, and repent; For as the wild asse that snuffes up the wind, and they that seeks will not weary themselves with her, yet the time cometh when she may be found and taken; Even so all the ungodly, though they may run as a wild Asse, and traverse their way as a Dromedary; yet the moneth cometh, and the day cometh they will be over∣taken in the midst of security, and they shall not escape: And though the children of this world, and teachers of this world, and professors of this world, who professe the Scriptures, have prayed for the day of the Lord; yet when it comes, it will be as hot burning fire, as devouring fire, and they will fall as stubble, and as burnt-mountaines before it, and will not be able to abide; for as I said, whatsoe∣ver is reproveable, is manifested by the day, the light, which is eternal, in which God appears, and it shall appear even to the wicked, to the un∣godly, they shall be made manifest; that which is manifest, is not hid, but seen, and brought to light, and behol∣den:

So all you hirelings, who preach for hire, and you people that love to have it so, you shall not be hid; all gainsayers of the truth, you shall be found out, all shall be convinced of their ungodly deeds and hard spee∣ches, and that which makes your deeds manifest will be the day, and that will convince you; for even the wic∣ked shall see his appearance, although to condemnation, shame, & contempt, They shall see him whom they have pier∣ced: And know further, even in the wicked, God hath a witnesse, which is pure, which checketh often, though they heed it not, because the God of the world hath blinded their eyes; yet when Christ the life shall appear, he wil make that see in the wicked which they have put out, and the God of the world hath blinded; yet he by his power will open even the eyes of the wicked, and they shall see him and his coming in dread; and his pure appearance, which shal make them hor∣ribly afraid, & his day and appearance will be to their sorrow: Although they would not see, yet they shall be made to see, and to hear that

which they would not hear, when God sounds his Trumpet, to give warning to all, that the dead both small and great may arise, some unto everlasting Life, and some unto shame and everlast∣ing contempt. All that hath hated his appearance shall see, though they would not; Put not this far away, all deceitful workers, drunkards, Liars, swearers, whores, and whore-mongers Adulterers, Idolaters, who worship your own Imaginations; and all rai∣lers, mockers, and proud, wanton dis∣dainful people that live in wanton∣nesse and pleasure, time-servers, flatte∣rerers, men-pleasers, cursed speakers, vain talkers, foolish jesters, fierce dis∣pisers of those that are good, who are come out of the pollution that you wallow in; his appearance will be to their joy, but to your shame and e∣ternal misery, except you speedily repent.

What the day of the Lord is to the righ∣teous, and how he appeares to them, and whether any are to looke for it while in the body, resolved.

THe appearance of God which is eternal Life, in his day, in his immeasurable Light, a great joy and rejoycing to the righteous; for there they come to behold him who is unto his people an everlasting light; and in his light they come to see light; and in his day he reveals the secret mysteries of his kingdome in them, who sees his day appeare in their hearts, which maketh all things ma∣nifest, even the secrets of the Lord, and his hidden treasure, and his durable riches which never cankers nor rusts, but is fresh, and keeps its pure image and impression, and is still the same; by which all the righteous who have waited for Gods appearance, comes to see him and his riches, as it is writ∣ten, This is he we have waited for, let us rejoyce and be exceeding glad; why?

What, is he come you waited for? yea, come, and his reward is with him; and they that see him come, find content∣ment in him, and in his reward; and what is his reward? joy, gladnesse, peace of conscience, assurance of Gods Love sealed in their hearts by the pure Spirit of the Lord, the streams of life flowing forth continually from the great deep, which refreshes and keeps cool in the greatest extremity and heat of temptation; and this is enjoyed by them that have waited, and doe waite for it even in the body, they bear witnesse of him and of his coming; the disciples, what was their witnesse? The Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding: Of what? of God, of his day, of his ap∣pearance, of his power, of his wis∣dome, of his Kingdome, of hope, of faith, of assurance, of peace, of joy, of comfort and consolation: what in this Life? yea, a cloud of witnesses I might bring in former ages, and a cloud of witnesses I might bring in this age, blessed be the Lord; But my witnesse is nearer me,

that giveth me assurance, and is surer to me then all their witnesses, although they be all true; Abraham the Father of the faithful, and of the righteous, who believed God, and was accep∣ted, he saw Christs day, and was glad. Say, literal professors, that's by faith; yea, what else? He and all that ever saw Christ and his day, or the Father, they saw him by faith; By faith they saw him who was invisible. Isa. 12. 2. Behold God is my salvation, he also is become my salvation; what, dost thou enjoy it already? yea, he is become: And Simon who waited for the conso∣lation of Israel, Luke 2. 30 Now let thy servant depart in peace, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation. And this he said, who knew Gods comfort and consolation; as our sufferings for Christ doth abound, even our consola∣tion in Christ doth much more a∣bound; and they were made partakers of his Divine nature, and sat together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. For heaven is his throne, and they that are in him, and injoyeth him who is the power of God, and the wisdome

of God knowes peace, and rest, and salvation, both from guilt and act of sin; And the Apostle wrote to the Hebrews, After he had purged away our sins (speaking of the atonement) the everlasting high Priest, he sate down on the right hand on the Majesty on high. He saw beyond sin even him who had purged away sin; and this comes to be made mani∣fest unto them, and in them that be∣lieve, by the Spirit of Jesus, who is Christ the Lord, the arm that brings salvation, and is the Author of eternal salvation unto all them that believe, who begins it in his day, and perfecteth it in his day; for he works in the day, as he himself said, Hither∣to my father worketh, and I work; but the night cometh when none can work. So that he destroys the work of the De∣vil, which is his work in man; which they that are come to his day feels and sees the handy-work of God in themselves, and his own works praise him, for they onely can; and they that are not come to the day knows not Gods work in themselves; and they

who have not yet heeded that in them∣selves which manifesteth all things reproveable, neither that which doth reprove, they are not come to know the appearance, or the glimmering of light, or of the day yet in themselves, which the Saints witness in them, even all they that are sanctified.

Where the day of the Lord doth appear•• and how it cometh, and how it is to be looked for, declared.

THey that gaze abroad, whose eyes are abroad, cannot see his ap∣pearance, nor his day which appears. He that knoweth not wherein it con∣sists, knows not how to look for it, no more then the Jews who were Scri∣pture Professors, and learned men, knew wherein the kingdom of God did consist; Even no more do the lit∣teral professors, whose faith is founded on the Letter, and upon that which is visible, know what I say, First, all must know wherein it doth consist. It is eternal brightnes▪ shed abroad through all things, which pierceth through, and searcheth the secretest place, even

that which is invisible, and maketh manifest all things; and the nature of every thing, by the day of the Lord comes to be seen, and it appears in the heart; they were to wait for the day to dawn, and to break forth in their hearts, and to wait for its appearance there; and thats it which is to be waited for and upon; that which maketh evil manifest, and brings it to light, and declares against that which is contrary to its nature, and so the day cometh to dawn. Christ the covenant of light, Gods gift, who is sent and annointed of God to Preach, and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, & also the day of vengeance he pro∣claims in the heart; for he comes not to bring peace on earth, but a sword, and his sword is the sword of the Spi∣rit, it's that which divides and dis∣cerns the intent of the heart; and his day discovers the desperate wicked∣ness of the heart. And where he finds no faith in the heart, he kindles a fire in the earthly heart, and executeth his vengeance: And his day unto such is a day of great perplexity, their

spirits comes to be wounded, the heart comes to be made faint, and sorrow comes to fill their hearts, and trouble to be felt; and in this state are all in, who are unconverted; he findes no faith, no hope in the heart, therefore he comes and takes away peace. Ma∣ny hath talked of the day of the Lord, but when it comes to draw neer them, they will not abide it. Whatsoever makes manifest is light; Now the day makes all things in every one mani∣fest; and when deceit is seen, and wickedness brought to light, then they that have done evil cannot abide, but would run to any thing, rather then abide the day, or to see the Lord of life appear in his day to execute ven∣geance upon his enemies, and to de∣stroy his adversaries, and to kindle an unquenchable fire to consume all his enemies: And who hath not seen this yet in themselves, never hath seen the day of salvation, nor of gladness; and this made the Prophet cry out, Who may abide the day of his coming? And many have been eye-witnesses of the dreadful day of the Lord which

hath appeared, wherein all peace hath been hid from their eyes; and all that ever came to see the day of joy and gladness, first did know the terrour and terrible day of the Lord in them∣selves: Therefore said the Apostle. We knowing the terrour of the Lord, do per∣swade men. Now it cometh not with outward observation; lo here, or there: So the Pharisees looked the Kingdom should come, when Christ told them it was within them. So say I, if ever any do behold the bright shining forth of eternal life, they must wait in that which is•• pure of God, through which he will manifest his day, and his power in his day in them; & is thou keepest in thy minde to that which manifests unto thee evil, and shewes thee good, thou wilt see how it ap∣pears. Even as the light shineth from the East unto the West, so is the coming of the day of the Lord. And the eye which is spiritual sees it, and the power and the glory of the Lord comes to be seen in the day which is pure and spiritual in the heart; and the eye which is pure, doth behold

when it comes, where it comes, and how it comes, and it's hid from Vulter∣ous eyes, and from their eyes which are full of adultery, and cannot cease from sin. Now the day of the Lord cometh not where the carnal mind may imagine, nor when; Man will neither (according to the carnal desire of the carnal heart, neither according to the evil eye that looks out) can see it; but it is seen in Gods own light, and by the mea∣sure of Gods holy spirit. And the day of the Lord is a mystery, the spi∣rit of the Lord is the onely discoverer of it, None knows the things of God, but by the Spirit of God; and the day of the Lord and his bright shining forth in the heart of man, is one of the glori∣ous things of God, which onely the Spirit of God doth give the know∣ledge of to man, and in man, and not the letter, nor the Scripture; for the Jews had the letter, and they had nei∣ther heard Gods voice at any time, nei∣ther ever did see his shape, neither did they see the day of the Lord, nor the power; neither in a word, did see or perceive God or any of the mysteries

of Gods Kingdom at all, but dreamed, imagined, thought and conceived of things in their minds, their foolish hearts being darkned; for the further a man drawes from the Light, his heart comes to be more dark, and their un∣derstandings closed up, and shut up that they cannot behold the Lord, nei∣ther his glory, which is revealed only by Gods holy spirit, which spirit is near man, though he sees it not.

What the spirit of the Lord is, and how it comes to be received, which discovers the things of God.

THe spirit of the Lord is pure, ho∣ly, equal, purity it selfe, holi∣nesse it selfe, equity it selfe, and is one with the Father and the Son, The Father, the word and the Spirit are one, its Life, its pure power, pure strength, purity it self, which mixeth not, nei∣ther joyneth to any thing but what is of its own nature; its an immeasurable pure substance, its Life issued forth, an active living power, and is everlast∣ing; alters not, changes not, keeps its

holinesse, its purity for ever; it is un∣searchable, unfathomable, undeclara∣ble; words are all too short, too nar∣row to declare its excellency and glo∣ry, but onely as it makes it selfe out to them that believe, and opens it self, and sheds it self abroad in them that wait upon it; it is revealed in its own purity, manifest in its own power, and received in its own Light, felt in its own vertue, the living Father of Life himselfe is manifested by it, and ap∣peares in his power, majesty and ex∣cellency through it, to man and to the sons of men, to the righteous and un∣righteous, to godly and ungodly, to the upright, and to the deceitful, to the children of darknesse and to the children of Light; that which sear∣cheth the heart of man, and sees through all things, and maketh mani∣fest all things, even the hidden things of God, and the secret works of darknesse, and reproveth for all evil, all iniquity; that is the pure act of the spirit, which convinceth every man, and as the creature comes to join to it, it arises and shines forth more clearly, and

maketh it self known in its power and operation, its power comes to be felt, it checks and reproveth, judgeth and condemneth all actions which is done and past, and brings them to the crea∣tures remembrance; and as it is waited upon and hearkned unto, it sheds its selfe abroad in its own pure bright∣nesse, and bringeth all things to Light, even all the deeds of darknesse, and maketh manifest the intents of the mind, and manifesteth all things re∣proveable: Now as there is a waiting upon the pure appearance of it, and the minde be still quiet, and calm, the creature comes to feel and sensibly to know his own condition, and sees his minde is alive to other things and other lovers, and not to God, and so he sees himselfe dead to the things of Gods kingdome, and in the losse, and in the fall, and in the transgression; now this which shewes the vain moti∣ons and the vain thoughts, and check∣eth them, is an operation of the spirit; and purity comes to be felt working in the heart, and as it is loved & obey∣ed, it leadeth & converteth the heart

to the Lord, and draweth towards it self, out of unholinesse, and from un∣der the dark power, and brings that under, and so it arises in its strength as it is believed in and waited upon, and judges and condemns for all evils for it is the discoverer of the mind of the Lord to the sons of men; or the Father by it makes known his mind to, and in the creature, and doth discover the things that be eternal in their true property and nature (which onely they that have the spirit, and have re∣ceived it, and are brought out of the sensuality comes to discerne him who is invisible, and the things that be∣longs to everlasting happinesse, which is not seen by a natural eye, neither re∣ceived by the spirit of the world, who never received the things of God, nei∣ther the testimony of them, who were in the Life. Now all that comes to receive it (that is to say the spi∣rit of truth) must wait in that which is pure, unto which it joines; it joines not to the corrupt man, neither to the sensual heart, neither to the vile affec∣tions, neither to them whose eyes are

full of adultery, which cannot cease from sin; neither to the seed of false∣hood, neither to the corruptible birth, neither unto that which is born of the flesh, nor unto the will of the creature; yet notwithstanding, though it join not to these, yet it is near man, even the natural man; its manifestation or the shining forth of its brightnesse maketh all these things manifest be∣fore mentioned to be evil; and thus far the spirit of God hath appeared to the world and all mankind, to convince the world of sin, yet still it remaines in its own purity; and while the heart of any man is taken up with that, and joined unto that which the light reproves, (that is to say) the worker of iniquity; that man hath not received the spirit, neither is made possessor of it, nor injoyes it, but it stands off man, and from man at a distance, shewing the worker of ini∣quity and the works of darknesse, and manifesting to the creature in its light, and letting him see to whom he is joyned; for so far as a man denies himselfe in acting or joyning to that

which the manifestation of Gods spirit (shining forth in its own purity) in him reproveth; so he comes nearer, and comes to join in some measure to the spirit of holines, or the holy spirit, and to receive it, and to feel the power of God in some small measure, though but weakly working in him, to the purging out those things which the spirit lets him see is evil, which hath been reproved in him, and so in some measure feels in himself what to wait upon, and where to wait, and in what, even in that which gives every one a feeling of their own condition with∣in, and opens their understandings.

How the spirit of truth worketh and ope∣rateth in them who are convinced, and yet hath not obeyed it, shewed.

THough God who is a spirit hath appeared by his manifestation unto all, yet all have not received it; he that hates the light hath not re∣ceived it, The eye-lids of the morning are unto him as the shadow of death; that which manifesteth and bringeth to light all evil, the evil doer likes it

not, heeds it not, receives it not, but still is without God in the world, that lies in wickedness, and without the spirit, in death, and dead in trespasses and sins a sepulchre in which the just lies slain; in this state God is not remembred, there is no remembrance in the grave, nor no thanks in the pit, yet night shines in darkness, and a man unconverted, yet convinced, in that darkness, and that which convinceth him is the light; so light shines in darkness, in man, in the greatest dark∣ness; and this may convince all vain disputers, who say every one is not inlightened, neither that the spi∣rit of God hath appeared to all; good men have it, bad men its near them; they that bring forth the fruits of darkness, and bring forth the deeds of darkness, they are lighted, yea, they that are in darkness, and are darkness, the light shines in them, the Spirit of God shines there in dark∣ness, manifesteth their darkness, here man is darkness; the Ephesians were darkness, in the unconverted estate,

yet had light shining in them, Eph. 5. 8. the spirits manifestation they had, but were not led by it; once they were without God in the world, but after were turned unto it, ••it shewed them their darkness, and it leading their minds, they came to be made light in the Lord, who is that spirit, whose manifestation hath appeared to all, so all are without excuse, for he hath not left himself without witness; and they that have not Gods witness to be theirs, (that is to say) to possess it, they have no faith nor assurance in God at all, but that which should bring assurance of salvation unto them; it assures their condemnation, and also reveals sorrow. Now as every one is turned to the measure of Gods holy spirit, and keeps his mind into it, he comes to feel and to see its reproof, and so as the mind is kept still into it, it arises in its purity, and shines forth in the heart in more brightness, still checking man for dis∣obedience, still judging, and as it is listened unto, it appears in strength, and layes every mans heart open, and

lets him see how full of unrighteous∣ness he is, how full of imaginations he is, how his heart is full of vain & idle thoughts, and how lust aboundeth in the heart; this makes his trouble to increase and his sorrow to multiply, and this is alwayes present; none can run from it, but it follows him, and shall pursue every one to the pit who obey it not, and kindle his torment; and whatsoever the mind may run in∣to, to take pleasure for a moment, and the heart be exercised in, yet this measure of Gods Spirit is alwayes present to condemn it, and judge a man for it; so the strokes of the Al∣mighty is still heavy upon his back, being still in the disobedience of the spirit; it never bears witness unto any man in that state, but God through it still sounds the alarum of War, and terror in his heart; so that fear com∣passeth him about on every side, and though for moment, the cry may not be heard, and through disobedience it may seem as dead as unto him, yet if ever the mind be but still, and a man sober and calm, and ever mind what

he is doing, it appears again; and though a man may take up something, and perform something which is cal∣led religious, and pray in words, and read, and talk of the Scriptures, and may take up some carnal outward Ordinance, and there content himself for a time, yet still the witness of Gods holy Spirit, for that, shews him his hypocrisie, and that he seeks a cover to shelter himself under, that he may live in disobedience, & be at ease in the flesh, but all in vain, for there is no peace within, but the measure of Gods Spirit still shewes him that he serves sin, and follows his own will, and in this will brings forth a wor∣ship, and this is will-worship; nay, if a man practice all those things which others who were in the life performed, and were accepted, yet this will not satisfie, God hath no pleasure in this, no more then if one slew a man, or blessed an Idol, or kissed Baal, all is abomination to the Lord; and though a man may sin so far against the light of Christ in his own conscience, that the light be to him as though there

were no such thing, yet all this well not do; for the Lord will thunder from his holy pla•••• ••••ough thou have stopped thy ear as to him, and closed thy eyes, yet he will cause his terror to strike into thy heart, so that dread shall compass thee about as a wall, and thou shalt be afraid for that which thou shalt see & hear; & though the spi∣rit strives long, yet being still disobey∣ed, the long-suffering of God comes to an end concerning him that hath been unfaithful, and then his wrath is kin∣dled as fire, which shall burn to the lowest H••ll, into which all the re∣bellious and stif-necked shall be cast, and have their portion for ever among all the children of darknesse; therefore all who have been convinced long (& still are by Gods holy spirit) of the way of truth, and yet have not submit∣ted to the leading of the spirit; think on this (for its the Lords truth which I declare to you) or else eternal my∣sery will be your end.

And if thou still persist on af∣ter the imaginations of thine own heart, and in thy rebellious will, thou

quencheth the spirit and the motions thereof; & though it be life in it self, yet is as ded unto thee who art in the gain∣saying, & resisting that through which Gods eternal power is manifest in them that believe; & thou wilt grow insensi∣ble & past feeling, and become as sea∣red flesh, and be senslesse as to the things of God, and hardnesse of heart will come upon thee, and thou wilt be as a stone that cannot be melted, and woe will be unto such where the spirit of the Lord in them ceaseth to strive with them, having so long re∣belled against, and gain-sayd the pure drawings of it; that so the Lord is grie∣ved and wearied with their impeni∣tency, that he gives them up to their vile affections, and to follow the ima∣ginations of their own hearts (who re∣ceiveth not the truth in the love of it but in the enmyty, still remaines ob∣stinate) doing despite unto the spirit of grace, his long-suffering comes to an end, & his fierce wrath comes to be kindled against such, and that which would have led them out of the world, in true pure, and everlasting

peace, now becomes their tormentor▪ and they banished from his presence▪ and shut up in eternal misery, where the fire is kindled by the breath of the the Lord that burns for ever, the sen∣tence of condemnation being past upon them because they had pleasure in unrighteousnesse, and have sold themselves to do wickedly, and crucifying the ap∣pearance of God in themselves; which appearance though it live in the foun∣tain of Life, yet crucified by thee who art out of the Life, yet lives still for ever in it self, to be thy condemna∣tion eternally.

How the spirit of the Father worketh in, them who are turned to it, and have taken heed unto its manifestation, and are in some measure partakers of its power.

THere are differences of admini∣strations, But the same Lord; and there are diversity of gifts, but the same spirit; and there are diversities of operati∣ons, but the same God which worketh all in

all. Now the spirit of truth which is Life in it selfe, putteth forth its own pure act, not onely to convince and detect him that transgresseth its ap∣pearance, and to manifest evil which hath been committed by man; but also being turned unto, and waited in, it shews man when motions and temp∣tations unto sin ariseth; and as the creature is still, and waiteth in that which manifesteth and singly keeps in his mind to it. It sheds abroad its power, and vanquisheth and subdu∣eth those lusts which do arise, and condemns the ground from whence they do arise, and it purely draweth the mind after it, and secretly worketh & breatheth forth its pure life in him that waiteth in patience and in stil∣nesse, not heeding the vayn thoughts and imaginations that riseth in his heart; but rather heeds the manifesta∣tion of the spirit, at whose bright ap∣pearance all the vain desires comes to be extinguished & there comes to be a hunger begot within, to be made par∣takers of its purity and of its nature; For God through the operation of the

eternal Spirit lets forth his power, which turneth and changeth the heart, and cuts a sunder and divides be∣twixt a man and those lovers that he hath joyned unto, and makes a separa∣tion within, and carries a man further from those things which the measure of the spirit reproves, and this leads nearer to God: And so they that do believe in the measure of Gods spirit, comes to feel what repentance from dead works is, and the works and the worker is seen; and who it is that hath wrought, is manifest in the Light▪ and as there is a diligent waiting upon it; there is nothing that passeth through the mind, but it discerns, and gives a discerning to every particular heart, who singly and quietly waytes upon it. But yet after the spirit of truth in some measure be felt, and its living testymony in some thing; yet it may be a long time before there be a clear distingushment in the under∣standing; so that one cannot clearly discerne its moving from all other false motions and high Imaginations

which are above: And hence it is, that the hasty and froward mindes followes their own motions which leads them into deceit, and then the Questioner gets up, and then they question all that ever the spirit hath made manifest unto them before; a vail then is drawn over, and the enemy lodges in the vail, and in the dark∣nesse (which is entred) & then as soon as any hearkens within to that which is the uppermost▪ and doth abound, the enemy that lodgeth in that, presents motions as to obey this and that, and all is deceit. So therefore all is to keep back, that they may sensibly feel between the pure motions, and the drawing of the spirit, and the vaine thoughts that arise out of the earthly heart; and when any thing doth arise which the Light doth not bear wit∣nesse to, it's not to be followed nor heeded, but a quiet, still waiting that things may be cleared to the under∣standing; and for want of this many have run out, and have brought forth Satans work, and acted things for∣wardly

in their wils, and so have clean lost the true sense of that, which would guide their minds, and have followed the spirit of error, and have caused the pure spirit of the Lord to be evil spoken of; But as there is a keeping back, and a quiet waiting out of wil∣ling, or running and haste; it arises purely and stilly in the heart, and shi∣neth forth in brightnesse in the heart, so that it giveth perfect evidence and full Testimony of it selfe, that there will be no doubting nor questioning of its motion; for it will apparently shew forth it selfe in its own transparent brightnesse, with full assurance of its own will, and then after it be clearly seen, and its motion, then keep un∣der all reasoning, and keep out all que∣stioning, and give not way to tempta∣tion; and that which moves of the Lord of life, will carry thee through in its own operation and power to accomplish the will of God, and so thou wilt have peace (being obedient) and thy strength will be renewed; for as any are brought to submit unto the will of God, when it is known, and

comes to obey by vertue of its own power; that which is contrary unto Gods spirit in thee, comes to loose its strength, and to decay, and be weak∣ned; but as any disobeyes the pure motions of Gods holy Spirit after it be known, the enemy is strengthened, and that which is of the flesh nourished, and the spirit comes to be quenched, that which would give thee power, if thou submitedst unto it: But yet know this, the spirit in it self never loses its puri∣ty, neither can be quenched in its selfe, but will bear its pure witnesse against thee, and none shall be able to stop its reproof; Thus the diversity of its o∣peration comes to be known as its hearkned unto, obeyed, loved, and believed in; it puts forth its pure pow∣er, and gives strength, and seals peace to the obedient; but disobeyed and resisted, it condemns, judges, reproves and seales condemnation to the diso∣bedient, and yet there is no variation in it selfe, for it is alwayes one and the same.

But as it operateth upon different natures or objects unto which it joyns

to, or stands at adistance from, that is to say, the good ground it causeth to bring forth fruit unto God, and the cursed ground, out of which bryers & Thornes do arise, it kindles a fire in, that shall not quenched; but as there is a submission unto its pure operation, it burnes up and destroyes that which hinders the growth of the seed, & it pur∣geth the heart (of them that have confi∣dence in it) from all filthinesse both of flesh and spirit, and worketh up the creature into its own frame and na∣ture, and fashions, and makes, and moulds all that are in the Faith into the Image of the Father; and so the Fathers love comes to be shed abroad in the heart: and as the wrath was re∣vealed through the spirit and con∣demnation, so now the peace of God comes to be enjoyed, and his conso∣lation shed abroad largly, in which there is pure rejoicing for ever.

Vnto whom the Spirit of the Father bears witness, and seals assurance of the Fathers love, and of justification with God, declared.

NOne hath the witness of Gods Spirit bearing witness to them nor in them who have not believed in the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world, by whom alone life is begotten, by the powerful operation of Christ in them that be∣lieve in him who is eternal light it self, whose word is spirit and life, by which the new Creature is framed & formed in them that believe, unto whom he maketh manifest his power; for unto him who is the life of men is all power committed both in heaven and earth; for nothing was made or crea∣ted but by him, neither is any turned from sin but by him, and by his mighty power: without him is death, in him is life, and the life is the light of men: So that none but they that are born of the light, and are begotten by him

who is light, can have the spirit of Christ (who is light) to bear witness unto them, neither the assurance of the Fathers love; for onely they that are born of the spirit, and walk after the spirit, are justified by the spirit of the Lord; for the assurance of his love is not made manifest to his enemies, but unto them that are born & brought forth in his own image, in his own likeness and nature, which is pure and incorruptible without stain or defile∣ment, the holy seed which is heir of the promise, who knows the living hope which purifies the heart, and bringeth the answer of a good con∣science unto them that feel and wit∣ness the washing of regeneration, and have known in themselves the clean water poured forth upon them, which hath taken away the stains, and spots, and blemishes, and the defilements; for where these are no washed out, & the heart cleansed from them, & that be∣lieved in, wherein Gods all-sufficien∣cy is felt, and his power made mani∣fest, there cannot be assurance of the Fathers love in the heart, nor in the

soul; neither doth the spirit of the Father bear witness unto such, nor assure their justification; but on the contrary, where sin remains unsub∣dued, and taken away; the spirit of the Father condemneth the sin, and the creature now is joyned to it, and is become one with it; for no sin is brought forth, but there is a consent and an assenting to the instigation of the Devil, although when a tempta∣tion ariseth either within or without, there may be a resisting and a striving against it for a little; but the heart not being kept close to the spirit, the enemy often enters, and so captivates the understanding, then there is an agreement and a joyning to the ad∣versary, and so the spirit pronounceth the sentence of condemnation upon him who is joyned to the harlot, and becomes one flesh, and joyned unto strange flesh which is not the flesh of Christ the seed; and that which hath joyned and consented to drink of the cup of fornication, must drink of the cup of indignation and terrour, and bear the stroke of Divine Justice, and

lie in patience under it till that be cut down which hath joyned to deceit, before there can be the remission of the transgression, or the Creature justi∣fied in the fight of God: For sin is not blotted out of the book of Gods remembrance till it be turned from, and repented of, neither doth the crea∣ture stand clear in the sight of God, when God judges in righteous judge∣ment, which the light in every ones conscience shall answer, Now he that is born of God sins not, for the seed of God remains in him, which is life: And as the creature joyns to that seed which is heir of the Kingdom, and of the Crown immortal, he comes to be made partaker of its vertue and ope∣ration; which seed is Christ, and by his power by which he limiteth the seed of the Serpent, and weakens his strength in the creature, as man cometh to believe in his strength unto whom all power is committed, the covenant with Death is broken, and that agreement that the creature hath made with death comes to be disan∣nulled by the arm and power of the

Lord, and so the creature comes to be delivered from the bondage of cor∣ruption, and the new man comes to live, or the new creature which is born of God, which sins not, comes to be framed and fashioned in the image of the Father: and the Fathers love is manifest unto him and in him, and he hath the assurance in himself. The Babe that is born from above, of the Spirit which is from above, of which he is born and brought forth of the just, by the just he is justified, by the just God, and the just witness of the spirit seal∣eth this in him: And he hath the re∣cord of his justification; For there is three that bear record in the earth, the water, the blood, and the spirit; and he that is born of that which is pure in it self, hath the witness of all these three in himself, for they agree in one: That which one beareth wit∣witness to, and for, the other doth the same, and the record, and testi∣mony, and witness of all these three hath he that is born from above. Moreover, there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the

spirit, and these three are one. So he that is born of the Father, and begotten of the Father in Christ the seed through the Spirit, he and he alone comes to feel the Fathers love made manifest in him, and is justified in the sight of the Father, and hath the record of all these witnesses before mentioned in himself; so that he hath his assurance and evidence near him and in him, the seal of the Father, the seal of the Spirit: And so when the adversary comes to tempt and to assault, and would raise up doubts in the mind, the evidence is near, which puts him out of all doubt that he is in the love of God, & blessed for ever; and happy are all they who have waited for these things, have felt these things, and are witnesses of these things; for flesh and blood hath not revealed these things. Now let every man who reads, this prove himself, and try himself whe∣ther he be in the faith or no, and whe∣ther he have the evidence of the Spirit or no, that he is born of it, and knows a birth that sins not, because the seed remaineth in him; who is kept by the

power, that the evil one touches him not, and kept in salvation, and in sav∣ing health, alive unto him who hath brought him forth to life, to drink of the cup of blessing, and of the cup of salvation, which nourisheth and re∣fresheth up unto eternal life, them that continue in the Faith.

What the free grace of God is, and unto whom it hath appeared, and where all are to wait to receive it, declared, as it hath been revealed by the Spirit.

THe grace of God is pure, & is the free gift of God, and it is perfect, it is the appearance of Christ, it is a beam of righteousness shining forth, it is a measure of Gods strength and power, issued out from himself, and a proportion of his treasure, ver∣tue and sufficiency which comes to be shed abroad in all them that believe in it; its that through which God maketh known his will, and teacheth his by it, and reveals his saving health (through it) to them that are taught by it, and through it; them that believe in

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it, are builded up in the truth, and becomes a habitation for God; no man doth any thing to purchase it, none need say, where may I get it, or how may I know its teaching; its near thee, it is in thee, it hath appeared to all men it shews ungodliness in the heart of man, by its pure brightness; yea, to all men it shews the motions unto sin, and that which is not like God in motions, words or actions; it draweth the heart of man from them, as with a cord, it shews the lusts of the heart and mind, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life, it never joyned to sin, nothing can alter its purity or proper∣ty; as in it self, it is always one and the same, it is perfect, and will be alwayes so, it stands off, and at a distance from that which is corruptable and imper∣fect, and yet beholdeth it; and although some that have turned to it, be again turned from it, and may turn it as in themselves into wantonness, yet it keeps its purity, and still reproves thy wantonness, and will lay it before thee, and will shew thee how thou hast abused the appearance of Christ, and

hath marred his countenance and his face, & reprove thee for it; many have been the talkers of it in this professing age, but knew not of what they spoke, neither ever informed the mind of man where it was to be waited for, neither how it might be known, or how, or what the operation of it was, but have cryed up their own Imagina∣tions, we are justified by his free grace, for all sins past, present & to come, & in this conceit thousands have been led into the pit of darknesse, while out of thick darknesse they have cryed up, we are justified by free grace in Christ, while the free grace of Christ, Gods gift, which should have taught them, they never heeded at all, but got up into conceitednesse, and care∣lesnesse, and presumption, out of the feare of God, and pretending justi∣fication, while they themselves were servants of sin, and bond-slaves to corruption, and this is the state of thousands at this day, and they that have been publishers and preachers of free grace: Now when the thing it self comes to be witnessed and de∣clared

what it is, and as it is, and where it is; now they say it is not sufficient to teach any the knowledge of God; but from all such foolish doa∣ters and blind guides, and ignorant shepherds is God bringing many sheep home which they have driven a∣way, & they would kill them now, that are fed and taught by the gift of God, and says its not sufficient, and to make them to dislike their food, and dislike their shepherd; so would make them deaf and blind, and then they may lead them into any desart, and feed them among the swine who wallow in the mire, in filthinesse, and lust, and pleasure, and ungodlinesse, and so beguil the sheep, and scatter them from the fold, and lead them from the true shepherd, and from his appearance, which is his grace, and from the shepherds. voice, which is the word of his grace, which is able to save the soul. Oh all you blind guides, and you that call your selves Ortho∣dox men and Ministers! and all you that have been preaching free grace in words, and now when God hath

given them that have waited upon him an understanding to declare the thing it selfe that you have spo∣ken of, now you cry it is not a suffi∣cient Teacher. Now let me aske you a question, if that which teacheth to deny ungodlinesse, and shewes it, be the grace of God, and the gift of God, then how say you, its not a sufficient teacher? If it be not a sufficient teach∣er, then why did the Apostles commit them, and commend them to the word of his grace, which was able to save their souls? And whether is not that which is able to save the soul, a suffi∣cient teacher? Answer ye wise men, and ye literal Rabbies, If that which shewes sin and temptation be not suffi∣cient, then declare you, and let us see your skill in the mysteries of God: but to return to them, in whose minds there is a desire to be informed; seeing then that Gods free grace, which is his pure appearance, hath so far manyfest∣ed it selfe, or God through it shewes sin, and teacheth from sin, that which teacheth from sin is holy, and that which leadeth from worldly lusts

is pure, and that which saves from sin is grace, which is saving in it selfe, and God hath so loved the world, as that he hath sent his Son into the World; & he was and is the light of the world, and hath shed abroad his grace, and hath made it appear to all; and all that waites upon it, and comes to be taught by it, feels its assurance, so all is left without excuse; therefore wait in that which hath appeared in thee, that which shewes the lusts and thoughts and motions unto sin, this is Gods gift, Gods grace, this is suffici∣ent, Though all men in the World say it is not sufficient, yet this makes not my faith voyd, neither thine who hath received it; but thou hast the wit∣ness of thy faith in thy self, which giveth pure and perfect feeling of the operation of the Spirit of the Lord, and all is to wait within, to hear him who condemns sin in the flesh within, which by his grace shews man his transgression and insuffici∣ency in himselfe, and by the word of his grace saves all them that be∣lieve in it, out of sin, & giveth domi∣nion

over sin; and this comes to be revealed in the heart of man, and there must it be waited for, in that which is pure, that it may be received, and there the operation it comes to be known, and its vertue partaken of by all that do believe in it, and receive it, and are subjected to it, they see & feel Gods salvation revealed through it to their souls, and knowes where their strength lyes, not in selfe-acting, but in the free gift of God, the gift of righteousnesse, the righteous gift, by which justification cometh upon all that believe.

Whether all have received the grace of God or no, declared; and whether it be a sufficient teacher in it selfe, to wit, that grace that hath appeared to all, if it be received, demonstrated.

THis wise generation is below the wisdome of God, whose wisdome have confoun∣ded

peoples minds with distinctions; as that there is a Two-fold grace. First, that which they call common which they say hath appeared to all men.

Scondly that which they call spe∣cial, and saving, which hath onely appeared to the saints, and by giving heed to these distinctions in times past (many yeares ago.) I lost my selfe and my guid, and went from the appea∣rance of it in my selfe, to hearken to a thing at a distance from me, and hee∣ded not that at home, which was near, because it was called common and insufficient, & so suffered great losse; and therefore I am moved (by him, in whose sight I have found favour and mercy, and grace) to declare the truth as the Lord hath made it manifest un∣to me, and in me; that all who seek after the Lord may be informed, and know where to wait upon the Lord; for unto that grace that shewed me e∣vil and temptations unto evil, I was made to goe back unto, after many yeares profession (which they called common and insufficient) before ever I found the Lord, or felt his living

power again; For the first they ground upon the letter, as they judge, where it is said, He causeth the Sun to shine, and the raine to fall upon the just and the un∣just. And where it is said, in him we live, and move, and have our being health and strength, and an understanding in things natural, and by which men comes to see grosse sins and evils; but that which they call special, is that which the Saints are saved by, and are established in, in righteousnesse, and receive the remission of sins. Now he who hath caused the Sun to shine & the raine to fall, and giveth health, and strength, & nourishment to all things living that are visible, in the outward visible creation, and that discovereth grosse sins, and open evils to man; the same is he who is the life of the soul; the same is he that sanctifies, and pu∣rifies, and saveth them that believe, and its the same vertue and power that upholds the naturall man in his pure nature, that upholds the spiritual man, and by which he liveth unto God: It's the same grace, I do not say the same measure; for the same

vertue and power by which all things that are visible and living were made alive, and subsists in their station and covenant, and bound where they are set and placed; the same grace, strength power, and sufficiency upholdeth the heavenly bodies, and moveth and acteth in a higher sphear or de∣gree, and preserveth all that be∣lieve, and are quickned by him who is the power of God in heavenly places, and the same power and vertue that discovereth the dark places, and the hellish places, and the horrible pit; it's the same power, life, strength and vertue that leadeth all that believe in∣to the Land of the living, into the ho∣ly place, into the peaceable habitation into the holy mountain, into the hea∣venly Tabernacle made without hands: And in few words, he that discovers open sins, the same grace and the same purity, discovereth hidden and secret sins, (though the measure of its purity shine in one more then another, be∣cause them that are in the unbeliefe, the darknesse over-shadowes, and the mountains are high, and the vail is

thick, and the clouds are many, and the ayre dark, so that it's resplendency and brightnesse is not seen because of the vail which shadowes it, that it hath not much enterance) but in them that believe, and have received that grace, and is joyned to it, in which they be∣lieve, it renteth the vail, and maketh the shaddow to flie away, and scatters the clouds, and breatheth forth it self in purity, and makes the air clearer, so that its brightness shineth more purely forth to them, and in them, be∣cause the heart is more open to receive its vertues in, yet the same purity and vertue remains still, and the same grace keeps its purity and property in it self, and its power and sufficiency is alwayes the same, though it do not appear so to the creature: So this I say, and is my testimony of the grace of God which is the gift of God, which hath appeared in some measure more or less unto all men, and con∣vinceth and shewes gross and open evils, even the same grace by its ver∣tue and power, leadeth from the least or impurest thought, and shews the

secretest evils that lodgeth in the heart, unbelief, and also every temptation unto sin; and this shall be witnessed to be the truth by the whole earth in the day of the Lords appearing, and is now witnessed by all the children of Light who believe, with whom I have fellowship in the pure living suf∣ficient, perfect grace of God, which is Gods free gift, which in some measure hath appeared to all, whereby all are left without excuse: And here∣in is the wonderful love of God made manifest to all man-kinde; and all that turneth to his grace, will see he hath long waited to be gracious in his grace, which is near, that all man∣kind might be partakers of his bounty, love, mercy, favour, and free gift, by which justification cometh upon all that believe.

Therefore my bowels and heart is more open in this unto all, because many have erred for lack of know∣ledge, and have wandred aside, be∣cause they have not found a true guide. Therefore in dear love unto all upon the face of the Earth, where this may

come, I write and let out my bosome into this thing, that they may also be partakers with me of the free love of God, and the free grace of God, by which I am saved, and know the wall which is salvation, and the gates which are praise, which the Saints are com∣passed about with, and entered in at; and for the sake of such who thirst af∣ter God, and the knowledge him, I write for their information, and not to satisfie critical men, nor them who are in the Philosophy and vain deceit, who are swollen big in their fleshly understandings, & puffeth up in their earthly minds; for by such I desire not any testimony, neither acceptance.

But now to come to speak of that which many are doubting about, that is to say, the grace of God which bringeth salvation, which hath ap∣peared to all men, whether this be a sufficient Leader and Teacher of it self if it be received; but in order to the thing in hand, let all take notice of this, that when I speak of the suffi∣ciency of grace, and that it is a suf∣ficient Teacher: I do not speak of it

distinct from Christ, or of a thing separated from the power of God, but one with it, and him from whence it comes; for as he is salvation it self, so the grace of God is of the same nature, by which he manifests him∣self: and his salvation to them that believe, and also reveals his witness in them; for where the appearance and presence of Christ is manifest, there is his power and strength mani∣fest, either to condemnation or sal∣vation; and though his pure appea∣rance and presence is one in it self, yet them that have marred his counte∣nance, and pierced him; his presence alwayes hath been, and will be very dreadful and terrible; but unto them that believe, and have continued with him in his temptation, and have suf∣fered with him, and have longed for him; his appearance and presence will be amiable, beautiful, and love∣ly, sweet, pleasant, delightful, de∣sirable, glorious, and admirable; so that they who have seen it, have been melted into tears, and dissolved as in∣to water, because of his love and

beauty, who is the chief of ten thou∣sand. Oh! that all that long after him may wait for him in patience, in that wherein he will appear, they shall see him, whose sight will be a recom∣pence for all longing and thirsting, and desiring, and waiting; the sense of longing and thirsting will be taken away, when he that makes glad the heart appeareth, who lifteth up the light of his countenance, and maketh whole them whose hearts have been broken for him whom their souls loved; therefore all wait, and think not the time long: Keep in your minds to his grace, which is his ap∣pearance, and him you will feel, and see, and be satisfied, and say, This is he we have waited for, let us rejoyce and be exceeding glad; for now he is come, and his reward is with him, to give every one that wait upon him in purity full con∣tentment and satisfaction, where peace comes to be felt, and joy unspeable which is full of glory.

And though God, out of his ever∣lasting love unto the sons of men, hath followed man, and hath called him to

return, yet that nature which is above in man, which hath transgressed the life, doth alwayes resist the drawing of the Lord, and is not subject to the Law of God, neither to the grace of God which teacheth to deny all ungodli∣ness and worldly lusts; that hath beset and compassed the creature about as a thick cloud, & always maketh War a∣gainst the soul; that till there be a list∣ning unto that which sheweth ungod∣liness, (w^ch hath power in it self) none hath power neither dominion over that in themselves, which leads into the transgression: Therefore, though God who is salvation it self, hath let out himself so far, and hath appeared in his pure and perfect grace unto all men, yet all have not received grace; For, though the Lord proffer his gift intentionally, that the creature might receive it, and so have benefit, and partake of its living vertue and opera∣tion; yet while that hath preheminence in man, which is contrary to grace, that will never receive it, because it is con∣trary to the life of the corruptible, and takes its life away; and mortifies and

slayes the enmity; therefore all must be still and quiet, and wait in that which is pure of the Lord, that they may feel that raised up (which re∣ceiveth grace) above the corruptible thoughts and desires of the carnal mind; but many who talk of free grace, have put no difference betwixt the precious and the vile, but hath put them upon doing and working, who are in the enmity, and curse, and in death, and so hath brought forth dead works; notwithstanding all per∣formances, they being dead to the life of God, another acteth in them, even he which hath the power of Death, which is the Devil, and so have not known that which was precious in themselves, could not Minister unto that which was precious in others; but have been Ministers of Death, and have ministred to death, and so Death nourisheth it self in all them who are not yet come to the separation, to see betwixt the precious and the vile.

Now though all have not received grace so as to save them from the committing of sin, the fault is not in

God; Israel would have none of my coun∣sel they stopped their ears: Neither is the fault in the grace which hath appeared unto all men; Neither is it because of it's imbiscility & weaknes: but because it is not hearkned unto, and waited in, and obeyed, believed in & received: for this eternal truth which shal for ever stand, the least measure of the grace of God hath power in it self to save man from committing of that evil or sin which it shews man: And as it is received, the power comes more and more to be made manifest, where all that believes comes to be preserved out of evil.

Object. But some have said, and now say, there is common grace, and pre∣venting grace, and restraining grace, and saving grace; and the former, that hath appeared to all, but the latter hath ap∣peared to the Saints, and to the elect onely.

Ans. Grace is Gods pure and per∣fect gift, and is but one thing; I speak not of quantity, but of quality; not of so much as that the fulness of grace hath appeared to all; but of a measure of that fulness which is in Christ the head, although I do not

divide the least measure from the ful∣ness in quality or nature, for it's one and the same; for that which shews a man he should not lie, nor swear, that is as pure according to it's latitude and proportion, as that which shews a man all that ever he hath done; and that same grace which leads a man from drunkenness and excess, is as pure, and of the same kind and na∣ture as that greater proportion which leadeth a man from all sin; I speak what I have seen from the Father, though the dark world cannot receive it: But people have been blinded and darkned with sounds and distinctions which men coyn and frame in their natural reason, and by their natural parts, which is out of the life, although I do not condemn natural parts, which are purely natural, if they keep their bounds and compass, that is to say, to the management of natural things of the visible creation; but the things of Gods kingdom are of another quality and nature, and cannot be reached un∣to by the natural; but as I said, men through distinctions and names hath

wracked peoples minds, & confound∣ed their understandings, and have led them into a thick wood, or a wil∣derness; so they know not where to get forth, neither what the thing is, of which one speaks, because not being spoken through the enticing words of mans wisdom, which darkens the coun∣sell of God. Now that which shews a man evil after it be committed, is the pure appearance of God: And that which shews a man the temptations when they arise, that is the same; now this they call common and that which preventeth a man, and keeps him back, that he lend not his heart, nor puts forth his hand to commit evil, but restrains a man from it, is not that saving out of evil, which stops the adversary in his way that he enter not; but preserveth the creature out of defilement, and saves him from it, is not this saving? is not this the same thing that the Apostle, who was well acquainted with the grace of God, and of it's operation, wrote of to Titus? That grace of God which brought salvation, which had

appeared, and doth now appear to all men, which taught self-denyal, them to deny wordly lusts, and also to live godlily, or like unto God in this present world, and now doth the same; is not this sufficient to believe in, and sufficient to save? Now I doe not say but there is a greater measure let out unto them that are converted unto God, then is to them that are convin∣ced of their evil by the same grace, yet still it is one and the self-same thing; one gift, yet a greater mea∣sure of one and the same pure vertue and power which is given to them that obeys the life, which is already made manifest by its appearance unto all.

Ob. But some will be ready to say that this is error, and that which is contrary to scripture, and to Orthodox teachers; that the grace which is saving, is near all men, and hath appeared to all men.

To that I answer; Though grace be saving in it selfe, even the grace that hath appeared to all men, and may truly be called saving grace; yet to them that believe not in it, neither are taught by it, it convinceth and

shews evil, and checks and judges for it; yet there is no variation nor change in the gift of God, but as it worketh upon different objects; for faith and unbelief are two different things, as light and darkness are different, and so the word of his grace is the savour of life unto life, (that is to say) unto them that believe, and is the savour of death unto death, unto them who are in the unbelief, who indeed are dead while they live; yet there is the same grace, and the same word of grace, yet here is different operations; so the Lord killeth and maketh alive, yet the same Lord; The spirit convinceth of sin, and reproveth for sin, and also consolates and comforts; Here is di∣versity of operations, yet the same spirit, which never alters.

Object. But further, some may say, If that it be saving grace, or at the least a degree, and a measure of saving grace that hath appeared to all men, then how is it that all are not saved by it?

Answ. Because I would all stum∣bling blocks were removed away, that the path might be made plain, that all

might come to believe in that which is Gods gift, in which there is power and sufficiency; Therefore I am constrained by the grace of God to declare of it, and to bear witness to it thus largely, which I know will be to the edificati∣on of all that hunger after righteous∣ness. All are not saved by it, because they believe not in it, neither are taught by it, yet its validity, power and vertue is nevertheless in it self, and though them that are careless, and heedless, say we feel no power nor sufficiency in it to save us from sin, yet this makes not void their confi∣dence who have received it, & knows its power which hath given them power, and also sufficiency to do the will of God; what though unbelievers who are in the alienation, say there is no beauty in Christ, neither form nor comliness; this makes not his glory void, who is the express Image of the Father, full of grace and truth; the Di∣sciples saw it, and bore record of him, who were in the faith, and the Phari∣sees said he had a Devil, who were in the unbelief; but in brief, this is

my testimony, that the grace of God, the perfect gift of God, which shewes ungodlinesse, and leads from ungod∣lynesse all that are taught by it, is a sufficient teacher of it selfe, I mean, as the power of Christ through it is made manifest unto all them that hearken to it; Paul •• Minister of the word of reconciliation, who was wrapt up into the third heaven where he saw things unutterable, came to be tem∣pt••••d and buffe••ted, with the messen∣ger of S••tan, and feare and doubting rose up in him, & he prayed unto God thrice, and this answer was given unto him, my grace is sufficient for thee; so this is evident to all understandings, who are opened by the Lord, that which shewed him the temptations, and Satans messengers, and Satans buf∣fetings, was sufficient to preserve him; and so is it for all who singly are kept to it and in it, sufficient to shew ungodlinesse because of its purity, and to lead from worldly lusts by its pow∣er, and to teach the will of God, and to live like unto God in this present world; and this testimony I beare of

it, and to it, even what I have felt, and tasted, and handled of its suffici∣ency, and vertue, and power of its o∣peration, for the confirmation of the same truth, which is believed by ma∣ny brethren, and also for the in∣formation of them that thirst after the Lord, & for the opposition of all the gainsayers and opposers of it; which testimony I commend to that of God in every man, which will witnesse me herein in the day of God, when all hearts are opened, and all falshoods & truth is made manifest, in the mean time shall rest in that which I have de∣clared of, in which there is pure and perfect peace.

A word to you wise men of this world, who are glorying in the sound of words, and worshipping outward appearances; to all wise and litter all professors, who think you are worshipping God aright, who think to search in to the deep things of God by your natural wisdom, learn∣ing, and parts and study.

GOd hath broken open the seals of the great deep, where the wonderful unutterable things of God is revealed, from whence eternal wis∣dom is flowing forth to his little ones whom he hath sanctified from the womb, and his power and glory is he shedding abroad, and making it to flow forth as though it issued out of a womb, by which power and wisdom you are all weighed, even by one who is swaddled about with righteousness, and girded up with the girdle of truth, you are all measured as with a span, and are all weighed as with a scale; all your parts, tongues, langua∣guages, interpretations, significations; wisdom, that is come to be enjoyed by them who have believed in the true Light that lighteth every man, which rounds you all as a heap, and measures you all as with a line, your breadth, length, height, and depth; your parts, Tongues, Languages, interpretations is but all natural; words are but empty

sounds, although there be many lan∣guages, and each have interpretation and a signification, they are all short to declare the life, the immeasurable being of eternal Life; you with all these are on heaps, disjoynted one from another; Your Rhetorick, Phy∣losophy, your framed and devised disputations, your Tongues, and the significations of all Tongues cannot know the mind of the spirit, neither knows the original of eternal salvati∣on by all these, and so not knowing the signification of the living eternal spirit in your selves; you invent, study, devise forms, and frames up things in your carnal minds, by the strength of your learned, studied, devised parts, and framed speeches, and hath filled the whole world with your dark mud∣dy conceptions, and hath led all out from seeking after the living wisdom of God, which is from above, which was before your Tongues and Lan∣guages was, and they have sucked in your conceptions and distinctions, and your devised fables, and your ima∣gined worship, that many have lost

the sence of any thing of God in them∣selves to guid them, and when you have come as far as you can in those things, and have divised in your minds (by the strength of those parts natural) you are farther from the knowledge then before; and all that hear you and sucketh in your concep∣tions and Imaginations into their hearts, they are further off Gods true knowledge, then they were the day in which they came out of their mo∣thers womb; it is a lamentation to see how people are gone out of the pure simplicity which is in Christ, into sub∣tilty and deceit stuffed up full, brim∣ful of that which must be all poured out as water, before they and you all come to the least measure of Gods true and saving knowledge. Oh! a dreadful day is coming upon many, & it lingers not, but will come swiftly as a theef upon you, who have taken away the key of knowledge, and gives people that which will not open, and tels them of a litteral carnal thing that must give them enterance; you and all they will be shut out together

among the uncircumcised as fools; though you count your selves wise men, your wisdom will perish, and your honour will be laid in the dust; the time hastens, it is the word of truth to you all.

And you literal professors, who have got the Scripture into your head, and into the carnal mind to talk on, and are run into so many heads, you are al∣most past numbring, and hath exalted so many horns; yet the number is read, the number of the heads of the beast, and the number of his name; you have taken up things, and are ex∣alting a visible shadowish practice, and neglecteth the life, and are ma∣king Idols of those things which were but a figure and representation, in their purest time; now you, like the Pharisees, are limiting the Lord, that if he will not appear unto you in those things that you have prescribed unto your selves, and fetched in from the letter, and go••ten it into the fleshly part, which is he••ped up as a moun∣tain in many of you so high, above Gods pure witness in you, and so

high above the appearance of God in you, that you have quite lost the sight of that in your selves, which should give you the knowledge of the living God, and make you sensible of his pure presence; I say, if he appear not in the way you would limit him to, in those things you would confine him in, you cannot receive him; the Lord open your understandings, that you may see your selves, and how frothy, vain, light, and wanton you are; one with the world in all things in the very ground, pretending liber∣ty in Christ, and priviledge in him, when you may see you are servants to corruptions, and to many noisome lusts that makes war. Again, what are all outward appearances any more but as a Curtain, or as a vail, and as a shadow, in respect of Christ, Gods righteousness within; but you are fil∣led too full of your apprehensions of his righteousness at a distance, that you have forgotten all at home, and your own conditions; for his righte∣ousness will not be a cloak for your self-righteousness and unrighteousnes,

and if Christ be not formed in you, Gods righteousness, and live in you, and act in you, and work his work in you, you are in the self-righteous∣ness, and a talk of imputation, will not save you while you are not in that capacity, and nature, and faith, unto whom his righteousness is imputed. Are you not weary with tumbling up and down among the earthly Hills, among which you have situated your selves? Do you not see your land grows barren, and your possessions dry, and your worship dead, heaven rains not on you, the bottles are stopped, the dew falls not on you; you wither dayly as a stick without sap? what, have you found that which will last unto perpetuity? oh! nay its rusted already, it's canc∣kered already, its moth-eaten already, it's fading, the glory is staining, the renown of all earthly things is fading, and all terrestrial appearances, though never so glorious, they are all to cease; a consumption is coming, blasting is near, there will be no more glory in these things, they will flie

away as a shadow when the Sun arises; your riches are wasting, when will ye seek after that which endures for ever? I pity you who have had breath∣ings after God, and hath sate down at ease in that which is not eternal. Be warned, return home, consider, see what corruption thou hast power over now, which had once power over thee. Dost thou rest in that faith, that thou shalt never be cleansed here? that faith is curst, it's reprobate, its rather properly unbelief; It's not the faith of Gods elect, by which they were sanctified, and overcame the wicked one in themselves by the power of Christ, who is able to save, and manifests his ability in all them that believe in the light which they are enlightned withall, through which he manifests himself to the creature, and makes known his power in the creature, to redeem the soul out of death, and to redeem the creature from under the bondage of corrupti∣on, to serve him in the free spirit of God, in which the sons are made free from sin, from the act and guilt, they

become the Temples of the holy Ghost: How far you are from this, consider, who are yet temples of uncleanness, and a habitation for many noisome lusts; repent and minde that which empties you of your thoughts and conceitedness, that you may know poverty of spirit, that the kingdom may come unto you, and be yours in possession, else you are ever∣lastingly miserable; & this is the true state of many of you, own it & repent, that if it be possible you may finde a door of mercy yet opened unto you & that you may enter in thereat; for it is not setting up, and conforming to a vi∣sible practice without, that will justifie you, while that which is in the trans∣gression, and hath transgressed the life, and hath disobeyed the light in your consciences is head in you, and above the pure, that will not recommend you unto God; neither can you have any access, or acceptation with God in that state, till you come out of the waters upon which the Whore sits, which is unstable and boisterous, and reels too and fro, and unsetled; which

is all to be dried up, and all the springs cut off that nourishes; and you must come to the Rock, before you know any thing that will endure, to build upon, which rock is Christ, who abides for ever; but you are all gone from that which should give the knowledge of him in your selves, and doth not retain him in your knowledg; neither that which gives the know∣ledge of him, the light of his Spirit which shines in your hearts, making manifest in your hearts, the intention of your hearts, when motions unto evil do arise; This must you all come to, before Gods salvation or re∣demption you come to know in your selves, or have the witness of Gods ho∣ly Spirit, without which there is nei∣ther seal nor evidence, nor assurance enjoyed or felt of the love of God. The time of restoring is come, and many are restored again into Gods Covenant, and are delivered out of the jaws of death, and feels him who is the healer of the Nations, and the restorer of the desolate places to dwell in: but first you must come to see

those places made desolate, wherein the wilde nature lodges, before you come to have a share in the restora∣tion: Come off these barren moun∣tains where you are feeding, to Christ the life of men, who hath lightned you, and wait in it, that you may feel his mind in your selves, and the significa∣tion of the Spirit of truth, from your own spirits, or else you will still erre for lack of knowledge, and perish for want of understanding, and so lay down your heads in sorrow.

The Kingdom of God, and of his Christ declared in some measure as it is re∣vealed, what it is, and where it is to to be waited for, and how it cometh to be revealed to them, and in them that believe; that all who are waiting for it, may know wherein it consists, and so receive the end of their hope, and the end of their expectation, and know the Dominion which hath no end.

THe Lord hath prepared his throne in the Heavens, and his King∣dom

ruleth over all; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and with∣out end. God is a Spirit, his King∣dom is spiritual, his habitation is suitable to his own nature; he is immortal, his Kingdom, is so; he is light, his dwelling place is so, a pure scituation in which there is no uncleanness, nor ever shall be: It's eternal dignity, it is an immutable being, that remaineth always in it's purity and pleasantness: Eternally glo∣rious, it consists in power, in righteous∣ness, in purity, in joy, in hope, in peace, in life, in vertue eternal: in quietness, its a quiet habitation, it is incompre∣hensible, unsearchable, and inde∣clareable; words are too short, they are but as sounds, as vails: It is unex∣pressible, in it is the treasure-house of wisdom, out of which all that be∣lieve in him, (who is the King of eternal and immortal glory) comes to receive of his wisdom, of his life, of his power, vertue, righteousness, and comes to enjoy him, who is the fulness that filleth all things, whether visible or invisible; whether terrestrial, or

coelestial; his power is over all, his dominion is over all, who is eternally blessedness it self, and felicity it self; who makes all that believe in him to partake of his kingdom, of his grace, of his power, of his dignity, of his dominion, and of his glory coelestial; but these things are hid from the world, who are not redeemed from the earth, neither never looks to be while they are in the body: Unto such I say, Gods kingdom you shall never see nor enjoy, while you are in that faith which is reprobate, but may be truly called unbelief, although you imagine a glory, and a kingdom in your earthly minds, and dream of a thing to come, suitable unto that wherein your glory now standeth; but that will all fail▪ and those imagi∣nations will be confounded, and dis∣solved into nothing, because they are centred in that which is out of the truth, Christ, and so are without ground or bottom, and are out of that which should give you the sight and knowledge of God in your selves and his kingdom.

Christ when he taught them that followed him, exhorted them, that first of all they might seek the kingdome of God, even while they were in the body, Mat. 6. & 36. The Pharisees were gazing abroad in their earthly knowledge, although they had the Scripture that declared of Gods king∣dome, yet they knew it not; and this generation is the same who are in the same nature, and in the same wisdome which is earthly and litteral, and they are imagining as the Jewes were, and are, loe here, and loe there, in this ob∣servation and the other, and look to see it there. Nay Christ said, The Kingdome of God is within you to the Pharisees: He bad them and others seek it first; what strange doctrine was this, might the Pharisees say; he saith, the kingdome of God is within us, and yet bids us seek it: Need we seek that which is in us, may professors say? Yea, it's like a pearl hid in the field; its like a grain of mustard-seed among many great seeds, which is not easily found; it's like a piece of silver lost in the house among much rubbish,

till that be swept away, thou wilt not find it; thou must dig deep, sweep clean, search narrowly before thou find it; although he did say to the Pharisees, The kingdom of God is within you, he did not say they were possessors of it, or that it was theirs; but to the Disciples whom he taught to pray in faith thy kingdome come, and they came to find it; that which they prayed for, that pearl, that groat, that grain of mustard-seed which it was like, and having found it, and believed in it, he saith unto them, Mat. 5. 3. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God. And in Luke 6. 20. And he lift up his eyes on his disciples and said, blessed be ye poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. They had seen it, and were possessors of it, it was theirs. And Christ said unto his disciples, There are some of you standing here that shal not taste of death till ye see the kingdom of God come in power. And his words were ful∣filled; they declared what they had felt and seen; and some of them said, The Kingdome of God is not in word but in power. And Paul to the Romans

writes, Rom. 4. 17. who was also made partakers of the same power and the same kingdome; he spoke his knowledge of it, and sayd. It's not meat nor drink, but righteousnesse and peace and joy in the holy Ghost. And the Colossi∣ons who had waited for it, and belie∣ved in that through which it was re∣vealed; the Apostle was in the same Faith, Coloss. 1. 12. & 13. Who hath made us meet partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light, who hath delivered us from the power of darknesse, and hath transformed us into the kingdome of his dear Son: And those things were seen in the body, and witnessed in the bo∣dy: And the Apostle to Hebrews saith, He that believes is entred into the rest. And this and all these things were fee∣led within by the seed immortal the birth immortal, and they that witness the birth immortal to live in them: One said, He hath made us joynt-heirs with Christ who is the King of eternal glory, and they were Joint-heires with him of the kingdome that fades not away, and all that ever comes to see the kingdome of God in the spirit,

which is spiritual, must wait in the spirit, and in its manifestation; that so God and his Kingdome, and the things of Gods Kingdome may be felt and seen and enjoyed in the spirit which is glorious.

Object. All this which thou hast spo∣ken may some say is the kingdome of grace; and that we hold there is a two-fold king∣dome, the one of grace here, the other of glory hereafter; which none comes to en∣joy glory, or any part of it in this life, or in the body.

Answ. People hath long been blin∣ded with confused distinctions about names; and being full of imaginary thoughts and conceptions, have brought forth foolish and unlearned distinctions; and that which God hath joyned together, they would se∣parate: grace is glorious, and glory is gratious; he that can receive it, let him; the kingdome of God, which was like a grain of mustard-seed, after∣wards it became a great tree; the tree in its strength, and glory, and height, is more glorious then when its in the seed, yet the seed and the tree is in

nature, and quality, and kind, one; if the kingdome be in dominion in purity, and power, and glory, is not here unity? yet a greater measure, yet still the dominion is one, the power one, the glory one, and the thing one wherein grace standeth and glory standeth, wherein the kingdome stan∣deth; grace is glorious, Eph. 1. 6, 7. Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children, and to the praife and glory of his grace wherein he hath made us ac∣cepted in the beloved. In the Fathers house there are many mansions, places in the kingdome of God, there are many heavenly places, and they that walked to the praise of his grace, came to sit also in heavenly places, Eph. 2 6. through grace, salvation, through grace glory comes to be revealed in the earth, Isa. 6. 3. The Ear••h is full of his glory; he that makes heaven and Earth glorious, is glory it selfe, from whence grace aud every degree of glo∣ly receives its being; the least measure of Gods strength and power is glori∣ous; and to be gloried in, in the Lord by all that have seen it; Things might

be declared which God hath revealed, which is not lawful for me now to ut∣ter; for as one star differs from another in glory, yet all glorious, even so is it with the children of the resurrection, who are quickned and made alive, and raised from the dead, and fashioned like unto his glorious body, partakers of the glory of God, of his kingdome of his power; the power is his, in which the kingdome stands, the kingdome his, wherein glory stands, the kingdom, power and glory stands all in him who is the glorious God, and the God of eternal glory, who is revealing his power, his kingdome, and grace, and his glory, unto all that patiently wait upon him, in that which yet is as a grain of mustard-seed; they will come to feel his presence, his power and glory revealed in their hearts, through the spirit, and injoy God in his king∣dome, in his power, and in his glory, and through faith shall see the weight of his glory, which God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ will reveal unto all that patiently wait for his appearance, and in his appearance.

Obj. But some will cry out, grievous blasphemy and error; what, I think you look for no other glory but in this Life, nor for no other Kingdome, but what you enjoy in this life; thus I know dark spirits reasons.

Answ. The Saints looked not af•• any other glory but that which stood in eternal life, and in the immortal Life, and in the incorruptable life, and the Country they sought after, was that which God was the maker and builder of, and they looked and wai∣ted to receive of his power in which the Kingdome standeth, and did in this life (I do not say the full weight of glory) and to know and injoy, and to be made partakers of his eternal dominion and authority, is that which all the Saints in measure wit∣nesse, and in due time came to injoy through faith; for by faith they saw him who was invisible, and the things of his kingdome, which is invisible, spiritual and eternal; but to speak of the carnal corruptable life in the flesh, who are dead while they live there, that life, neither the kingdome, nor

the power, nor the glory of God is re∣vealed to them, not till after the death of that life, and till after the death of him who hath the power of death, which is the Devil, which ruleth in the hearts of the children of disobedi∣ence, where all the mysteries of Gods kingdome is hid from their eyes, and ever shall while in that state; and so let the Serpent be blind, and they that have an eare to hear, blessed is that eare; for the kingdome of God is come nigh unto many, and the sal∣vation of God, and the power of Christ is seen by many, honour and praise unto him everlastingly, who is the onely Potentate that puts down all authority under his feet, that God may be all, in all, but first every one must come to feel the king∣dome which is as a little grain, in himselfe, and in it believe, before any can come to know the King∣dome, or wherein it consists, and after it be known in its measure, yet this is far short of glory in the fulness; so many may come to be partakers of the power in some measure, yet this is

far short of the eternal weight of glo∣ry; He that believes is entred into the rest, and made partakers of the hea∣venly gift, and of the heavenly power, and of the heavenly grace, which is glorious, and doth witness a heaven∣ly place in Christ Jesus, and yet many enemies to be subdued, and much of the heavenly habitation, which they see not, which comes to be revealed as there is an abiding in the faith, which stands in Gods power, in which the kingdom stands; the mysteries of God and of his kingdom comes in due time to be revealed, through death they come to be known, (that is to say) through the death of death; for Israel the true type, after they passed over Jordan, and had taken Jericho and Ai, and had made an entrance into the land, yet there was many enemies to be subdued, and much land and pos∣sessions, which they were not made partakers of long after, even so after there be of the true rest enjoyed and possessed, & an entrance made into it, yet there is many enemies to be sub∣dued, and much of the heavenly in∣heritance

to be enjoyed by them that stand in the power which giveth do∣minion over sin, the devil, hell and the grave, and they come to be made par∣takers of God, and so the enmity be∣ing slain, man comes to enjoy God who is eternal life, and comes to re∣ceive the crown immortal, which God the eternal power and strength giveth in due time, to them that wait in patience and in faith, through which the immortal inheritance comes to be revealed to all the children of light.

And so to conclude in few words, this I say unto all, who are longing after God, and waiting to feel his power, keep in your minds to the pure measure of Gods holy spirit, and therein wait to see his kingdom, and his dominion, and to be made par∣takers of it, which brings the world to an end; and will let you see to the end of it too, before it was, and him who is now glorified with the Father in the kindom of God, with the same glory he had with the Father before the world began, and who so comes to the end of the world, and to the be∣ginning

again, comes to see him and his glory, and the kingdom of glory which fades not away, which who so comes to enjoy, are eternally happy.

THE END.