The axe laid to the root of the old corrupt-tree, and the spirit of deceit struck at in its nature from whence all the error from the life, among both papists and Protestants hath arisen, and by which it is nourished and fed at this day, in a distinction between the faith which is of man, and the faith which is of God ... / by ... Isaac Penington the younger.

AN Exhortation, relating to the workings of the mistery of Iniquity; and the mistery of godlinesse in this present age.

ALL people upon earth, who love your souls, and have any true secret pantings after God, look to the nature of your Spirits, and look to the nature of those things ye let into your minds; least ye take in death for life, error for truth, and so sow to your selves corruption, and rear up a fabricke in mistery. Babi∣lon, which will be turned into desolation and utter ruins, by the power of life from Sion.

Strong is the Spirit of deceit that is entred into the world, and glorious and very taking are his images and likenesses of truth, which will deceive all but the very elect, who were chosen from

the foundation of the world, and whose eyes are opened to see the foundation of life, which was before the foundation of the world.

It hath been an heavy dull time for many ages: There have only been witnesses hitherto raised against Antichrist, and he hath sound it an easie matter to knock them down, and keepe up his wayes of prophanenesse, and of formall superstitious kinds of de∣votion, up and down all the nations. But now it is a quick time, the Spirit of the Lord God hath arisen, the searching eye is open∣ed, the pursuit after the very Spirit of Antichrist is begun, yea very quick and fresh is the scent of that Spirit which hunteth the whore; and now she goes forward and backward, traverses her ground, changes her paint and colours often, shifts her garments continually, and uses all the art she can to save her life. Now the king of Babilon opens his treasury, brings forth all his likenesses, all his images, all his appearances; with some or other of them (if it be possible) to tempt the simple soul, and keep it satisfied therewith, in some of his chambers of darknesse and imagery, out of the life and power.

Therefore now be warned and look about you, and be not co∣sened with any of the wares of Babilon, where the marchandize and traffique is for souls, and where all the wares of deceit are, which are proper to cosen souls: but seeke for the nature of that thing, which the inward pantings of your heart at any time have been after; and waif for the opening of that eye, which can see, through all manner of paint, to that nature: and keep low in the life, simple and honest-hearted, and then gawdy appearances will not take with you; for they are only temptations to the aspiring part, which is lifted up above the pure, low, humble principle: and if that part were brought down, ye would be safe: but while that stands, ye will not be out of the danger of temptations. Now this know:

There is nothing whereof Sion is built, but the likenesse of it is in Babilon: and the likenesse is very taking, even more taking to that eye which is open in men, then the truth it selfe. The truth is a plain simple thing, it is not gawdy in appearance, its excellen∣cy lies in its nature▪ but the appearances of truth which Satan paints, are very gawdy, very glorious, seemingly very spirituall, very pure, very precious, very sweet; they, many times, even ra∣vish

that understainding and those affections, that are out of the life, Oh what shall I say! shall I speake a little of the wares of Babilon? where is there an ear which can hear me? yet he that opens my mouth, can open thine ear. Therefore set me speak a little plainly.

1. There are many glorious fals births in Babilon. There is no inheriting the Kingdome, but by being born againe. This do∣ctrine the king of Babilon preacheth: he is sain to do so, else the letter of the Scripture would overthrow his kingdome. Now therefore to keep from the true new birth, he hath his images of the new birth, his severall false births. A great while outward baptisme, and a formall knowledge was enough to make a man a christian: but now since that is discovered, and will not do, he brings forth better births; he hath inward changes of the minde (multitudes of them) fit for every one who is seeking after the life, to be tempted from the life with: and he tempts every one with a proper bait, with that which is taking to him in his present estate. What changes any kind of knowledge by vertue of the no∣tion (with the devills quickning power added to it) can pro∣duce in any man, the Devill can transform man into. Yea many are these changes: and he that doth not know the nature of the true birth, may easily be deceived with that which is just like the thing he looks for. A man looks for a new birth, for an inward change: he looks for a knowledge to change him: he shall have just the very likenesse of that which his heart desires, the lively likenese, the devill is ready at hand to furnish him with it: which way can the man, who never saw the true thing, espy the cheat?

2. There are many glorious desires in Babilon, many pantings, many breathings after that which this birth of Babilon takes to be life. The devil hath these wares, these images in his shop too. As he hath a false birth in imitation of the true, so he hath false breathings for his false birth. If his child could not seemingly breath towards God (as if he were a naturall child of God) he would soon be detected: therefore he inflames him with de∣sires of growth, with desires of enjoyment of that which he calls life, with seeming desires of serving and glorifying God: and here come in the prayers of the fleshly birth, which are many times carryed on with exceeding great earnestnesse of the fl••shly

part to which also the father of this birth given answers. And now which way can deceit be so much as suspected here? And yet here also the deceiver lodgeth, and herein he worketh, raising strong desires in that part wherein he dwels, that he may alla•• those pure desires, which otherwise would be arising from the life underneath, and which (notwithstanding all this) sometimes doe arise, especially when the soul is in anguish.

3. There's false food in Babilon, false knowledge to feed this wrong nature with. There's knowledge falsely so called. There's severall appearances of all the truths in Sion. There's outward knowledge of the letter, and there's inward misticall knowledges and each of these have their warmth, and their freshnesse, and do nourish up this child, and cause it to grow. Yea what knowledge and experience; (which at first sprang from the true life) this spi∣rit makes a prey of, and daily brings into his Babilon, therewith to feed and fatten that which is born of him, and to cover the old deceitfull nature under, which is not slain thereby, but daily lives and moves and puts forth it selfe: this is certainly felt by that, which is made sensible in the life, but hard to be spoken, because the deceived heart is so grosse▪ and the ear so heavy Now here the painted whore, which hath dealt treacherously with the life, fits as a Queen, and saves, she shall see no sorrow: This knowledge is certain to her, these experiences, she hath had the feeling of, and knows they can never be shaken. But O thou Princesse of Babi∣lon, the Lord will strip the, the Lord will unbare thy inwards, & thine own eyes shall see they nakednesse, which shall be for a per∣petuall reproach among all the inhabitants of Sion: and then thy dark deceitfull spirit, shall have no more to say against those, who now see through thy covering to thy nature, in the light; and judge thee (not of themselves, nor in their own wills and un∣derstandings) but from the true power, and in the true guidance of the life, whose work it is to pursue, overtake and judge dea••h even to death. For all this knowledge, and all these experiences in thee (though thou seest it not, nor canst see it with that eye wherewith thou lookest to see) are held captive by that which transgressed and hath erred from the life, and are made use of to keep thy soul in bands: and as they are thus held, death and the curse must overtake them, or that life in thee, from which they first sprang, can possibly arise. Grasp not after the knowledge of this

in the understanding part, but wait for the sence of it from that life, which lyes slain underneath these, and by that part which exalt•• these.

4. There are false keys to open the several chambers of image∣ry in Babilon. This food man cannot gather of himselfe, it must be given to him: this knowledge man cannot get into by himself, but as this spirit leads him, and opens to him: for he hath the keys of death, and opens into the treasures of death. Now this hugely confirms a man in the deceit, without the least suspition of it. Why, saith he, I had not this knowledge from my selfe, I came not to it by mine own skill or understanding, but it was given me, it was opened to me: and it came in fresh, and warmed my heart, begetting sweet and pure disires in me, and hath made me eye the glory of God, and not my selfe. Ye••, it might come thus in the likenesse, and work the likenesse of this in thee; and yet it self not be truth, nor be able to work the truth of this to thee and this is proper to deceive thy very heart, and make thee a pleasant inhabitant of Babilon, and a joyfull worshiper of the Kingt thereof, whom through this deep deceit, and most subtle false appearances in thy heart, thou mistakest for the King of Sion.

5. This false spirit hath his false crosses, his selfe combats and fightings. The very Papists have not only their wooden and stone crosses, but they have also then wayes of self-deniall, their wayes of crossing the naturall part, of resignation to the divine will (as they call it) of fighting against corruption, &c. It is manifest, that a man must deny himselfe, or else he cannot be a Christi••n (his own will must not, cannot live, if he truly give himselfe up to Christ:) therefore that spirit, which lyeth lurking to deceive, hoth severall wayes of self denyall to teach (all which must have some hardnesse in them to the naturall part, or else they would not passe:) and these may produce great, and constant conflicting in the flesh, and yet the fleshly nature be still kept alive under all these conflicts and exercises of selfe deniall. He hath a circum∣cising knife, which cuts off a great deale, but alwayes spares the nature: and as long as the nature is speard, the Devil still hath that wherein he can dwell.

6. He hath his false love to God and man, and his false zeale for God Love and zeale are two distinguishing things. All men

conclude, that love determines a man to be a Christian, and so they take up some appearance or other of love, somewhat that satis∣fies themselves that their love is right, both to God and man. The very Papists, who are full of blood and cruelty, yet pretend to love: they have an image of love which contents them. But there are far higher images, even images of univer∣sall love and sweetnesse, which no eye can perceive, but that which knows the truth. And take one word from me, ye to whom it belongs: all ye that cry up universall love, from the sweet sense of its image, ye shall one day know, that one act of particular love from the true nature, exceeds this in its utmost extent.

7. He hath his false life. The devil hath not only a dead formall religion, but he hath a resemblance, and imitation of the quicknings of the Spirit. The devill puts his life into this image, where need requires. He hath not only a dead litterall know∣ledge, but he hath paintings of the life: he draws a thing to the life: he makes his dead image of truth, as like the living sub∣stance of truth, as possibly he can; insomuch as his images of life, at a distance, without being beheld in the true life, cannot but be taken for living. Now here is the depth of deceit, when the devils images of life in the heart, are taken for the living thin, for the life it selfe.

8. He hath his false liberty. There is a glorious liberty in the Gospell: there is perfect freedome in the service of the life: there is liberty in the power of the life over all the creatures. God made all things for man, and he denies him nothing, he being in subjection to him in the life, and using all in the domi∣nion of the life. Now the devil paints a liberty like this, yea a liberty that seems greater then this, even a liberty wherein the fleshly part (whose very nature is eternally shut out of the nature of true liberty) hath scope; which liberty is not sur∣rounded, nor cannot be surrounded by the power of life, as this is: and in this painted liberty, that spirit which painted it lives, which: paint the true liberty takes off, slaying that which calls it liberty, and gathering in the name of liberty from this false appearance, to that which is liberty indeed. And by the way, he that can read this, let him: The perfection of the true liberty lies in the per∣fection of bonds, in the perfect binding down of that which is

out of the life: for the true liberty, is the liberty of the life, and of nothing else: and when all that is contrary to the life, is perfectly bound down, then the life hath its ful scope, without the least con∣troul of the fleshly pa••t: and when the life lives, then that which is joyned to the life lives also.

Now here's the mistery of iniquity, here's the inward Kingdom of darknesse, here's the glory of Babilon! Here's he that contends for the Kingdome, for the inheritance! Here the son of the bond∣woman (thus dressed, thus furnished, thus filled within and with∣out) will have it go for granted that he is the right heir: and yet all this while wants the nature of that which is to inherit, and cannot possibly receive that nature into himselfe, but only such images afore mentioned. And if in tender love to his soule, from a clear sight of this thing, we warn him, and bid him look about, he cries doe not judge. He really thinks he is right in the main, and he seemes willing to refer it to the day of tryal. Ah poor hearts! the eye is opened which can see. That which hath judged the deceit in us, can also judge the deceit in thee. Cannot the spi∣rituall eye see things in its kind? to what end hath God given it? Canst 〈◊〉〈◊〉 see and judge naturall things in the naturall part? So can they see and judge spirituall things who are in the light, and who live in the life: yea we shall continue judging thee in the ••e••••, and in the humility, till God open that in thee which can s••••l to our judgement.

Object. How difficult doe you make the way to life, if not ut∣terly impossible? If all this be true, who can be saved?

Answ. The way to life is very difficult, yea and impossible to that part in man, which is so busie in willing and running to∣wards life: but it is as easie on the other hand, to that which the father begetteth, raiseth up, & leadeth. The wayfairing man though a fool shall not erre. The wisest and richest Merchant in Babilon, connot set one step in it: the least child in Sion cannot erre there. Therefore know that in thy selfe, to which it is so hard; and know that which God hath given to thee, which will make it easie.

Thou hast a living talent given thee by God, let not thine eye be drawn from that; but joyn to that: keep there, and thou art safe: and that will open thine eye to see all deceits, just in the very season and hour of temptation. For thou must expect to meet

with all these temptations, as thy growth makes thee capable of receiving them. And as they come, the true eye being kept open, they will be seen: and being seen, they will easily be avoided in the power of life, for in vain the net is spread in sight of the bird. Therefore that thou mayst be safe.

1. Know the light, the eternall light of life, the little glimmer∣ings and shinings of it in thy soul. This comes from the rock, to lead thee to the rock: and if thou follow it, it will fix thee upon the rock where thou canst not be shaken.

2. Keep in the light, keep within the the hedge, step not out of thine own, keep out of the circumference of the spirit of de∣ceit, the power of whose witchery and sorcery extends all over the regions of darknesse.

3. Love simplicity, love the nakednesse of life, stand single in the honesty of the heart, out of the intricate subtle reasonings, and wise consultings about things: for by these means the serpent comes to twine about and deceive thy soul: but in the simplicity of the movings of life, in the light, lies the power, the strength, the safety.

4. Lye very low continually, even at the foot of the lowest breathing and appearances of the light. Take heed of being above that wherein thy life lyes: for the wisdome, the power the strength, yea the great glory lyes in the humility: and thou must never be exalted, thou must never come out of the humility, but find and enjoy the honour and glory of the life in the humility.

5. Mind the reproofs of the light, for that will still be setting thee to rights. That will still be bringing down that which would get up above, and there lyes the preservation. Oh the chastnings of the light, the sweet chastenings of the love by the light! These are healing stripes. This brings down the exalter, and that in thee which loves to be exalted, and to be seeking the honour of the spirituall riches, before the humility is perfected.

Thus in love to souls, have I powred out my soul before the Lord, and held forth gentle leadings, even to the most stubborn and stiffe-necked.

THE END.