A tryall of a Christian shewing that it is not the outward name of Christian that differs from a heathen, but the inward life and nature ... / by Alexander Parker.

To all who are hungring after the li∣ing bread, and hath not wherewith to satisfie themselves in their own houses, but are seeking without, and begging from others, and are spen∣ding their money for that which is not bread.

A word of love to invite them to come into my fa∣thers house, where they shall find full satifacti∣on: with a word of exhortation to all who are called to be Saints, by way of remembrance to stir up their pure minds.

AWake dear friends, the day of the Lord is daw∣ned, and the glorious day-light is breaking forth, arise out of your deep sleep, and stand up from the dead, that Christ may give you light, the night is far spent, and the day is at hand, put off there∣fore the deeds of darkness, and put on the armour of light; Wisdom cryes and calls unto you to come forth of dark∣ness and all unrighteousness. Oh give ear, and be obe∣dient and willing to give up all, and to follow the voice of Wisdom; this pure voice is near unto you, even in your secret Closet, secretly reproving you for your rebellion and hard-heartedness, and calls unto you for purity and up∣rightness: hearken diligently to this still voice; hear and your souls shall live: You have long been wandring astray,

and following the dead doctrines of men, and have been feeding upon the dry husks, and have spent your money for that which is not bread, and your labour, but are not satisfied; and you have rejected the counsel of God, and have rebelled against him, and would not turn at his re∣proof, though many times you had secret checks and re∣proofs by his light within you, but you have not been obedient, but have cast his Law behind your backs, and turned from his free grace and love into wantonness, and vain delights of this present world: Oh return home to your Fathers house, wander no longer in your dark ima∣ginations, but wait on the Lord in his fear, and you shall find satisfaction; take his yoke upon you, and learn of Christ meekness and lowliness of spirit, so shall you find rest unto your souls.

And all you my dearly beloved ones, to whom the Gos∣pel of peace hath been declared in the demonstration and power of the spirit, who in love and tenderness have re∣ceived the word of the Lord, my love is enlarged, and floweth forth freely unto you, and my prayers to my hea∣venly Father for you is, that you may all be preserved and kept by his mighty power through faith unto salva∣tion.

All you whose understandings are opened with the light of the Lord, and whose minds are turned from the darkness and false wayes and worships of the world, to the living God, him to worship in spirit and in truth. As every one hath received of the Lord, so every one wait and walk worthy of so high a calling whereunto the Lord hath called you; that as you are separated from the world outwardly (in a measure) so the separation may be made inwardly, that you may be in truth, what you seem to be in shew outwardly, otherwise in vain is all your profession, and all your meetings together, if you be not guided and led thereunto by the pure movings of the spirit of the Lord; for except your righteousness do ex∣ceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees, you cannot enter into

the Kingdom of God: Therefore all of you, in the pure fear of the Lord, try and examine your selves, and search your own hearts, and see what garments you have on, and how you do appear in the presence of the living God, in whose presence you now are, and nothing can be hid from the all-seeing eye, nor any thing cover you but pu∣rity, for the wo is to all them that are covered, and not with the spirit of the Lord; for now all coverings must be ripped open, and the Lord, the heart-searcher, will search all as with candles, and an outward shew or co∣vering with the Saints words, will not hide nor cover any of you, if the pure life of Christ be wanting: let none be therefore deceived with a vain hope, neither do you set up a false rest short of the true rest; for verily I say unto you, you had need to be watchful, and to walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise men in the Lord, for your adversary the devil, goes about like a roaring Lion, seeking whom he may devour, going about by all wayes and means to deceive the hearts of the simple and honest min∣ded ones; his work is to oppose the work of Christ, and he works in a mistery in the hearts of the children of dis∣obedience, working them into his Image and liknesse to do his lusts, and the creature is captivated, and the mem∣bers thereof, and becomes servant to the Devil, who rules as a Prince in the heart; and when he cannot keep peo∣ple in the common filth of the world, he will get into a form of godliness, and there keep people feeding upon the empty and dry husks, drawing near to God with their lips and mouths, when he keeps possession in their hearts, and draws away their affections after the lusts of the world, and glory of it, which fades away and comes to an end: And when by his wiles he cannot hide himself, nor keep people in the empty form, then he will transform him∣self as an Angel of light, and whatever the Saints of the most high do speak or practice, as they are moved by the power and spirit of the Lord dwelling in them, the sub∣til Serpent will get into the outward form, likeness, ge∣sture,

and words, or whatsoever is used or practiced out∣wardly by the Saints and servants of the Lord: The de∣vil will lead his servants into the likness, and so get the words (as many do get the words of truth into their unrigh∣teous minds, and so contend for the truth with that mind that is out of the truth, and so glory in the words and outward appearance; and the boaster gets up to boast in other mens lines, and things above their measures, being enemies to the Cross of Christ, and servants of sin, and in the bondage of corruption) but into the light and life the devil cannot come nor enter: so in the light which is pure all wait, for the power and pure life of the Son of God to be manifest in you, that so from the light and life, fruits abundantly may be brought forth to the glory of God.

Stand upon your watch, and bring your deeds to the light, that so they may be proved and tryed whether or no they be wrought in God, for he that walks in the light is kept from stumbling. But all careless and slothful neg∣ligent ones, who run head-long (rashly) without conside∣ration or tryal of their deeds, are captivated and ensnared by the temptation of the devil, and so the light follows them, and is their condemnation, and so trouble and mi∣sery comes upon the wicked, and it is just, for he is the fool whose eyes be abroad, and whose tongue is at liber∣ty, and so the rod is prepared for the back of the sool: Therefore weigh your words in the just ballance, and be well advised before you act any thing, first try the motion, before you go on to action: for in all words and actions, whatsoever any one doth either act or speak, there is some thing within that moves before the action bee acted, or words be spoken, and whether it be good or evil, it comes from within, out of the heart, and as is the heart, so will the words and actions be; if the heart be evil, the words and actions will be evil; and if the heart be good and pure, the words and actions will be likewise good and pure. Now come all to the touch-stone, and

to the ground of all things, that you may know the ground of good things, and the ground of evil things; for as God is the Author of all good, so the Devil is the Author of all evil: and as God is a pure Spirit, and works in a mistery in the hearts of the children of obe∣dience, working them into his Image and likenesse to do his works, which are works of righteousnesse; so the devil is an unclean and a dark spirit, and works in a mistery in the hearts of the children of disobedience, working them into his Image and likenesse, to do his works, which are works of unrighteousnesse: And as the Author of good, and the Author of evil are con∣trary one to the other, and no fellowship betwixt them; so the workers and servants of each of these, are con∣trary one to the other, and no agreement amongst them, but a strong and an irreconcileable enmity; and so a great and strong battel: and this battel is begun in this Nation (and other parts) the great and mighty battel between the Prince of light, and the Prince of darkness, (between the raging Beast, and the meek and harmless Lamb.) Now there is none can serve those two Masters, neither can any be heirs of these two kingdoms, but every one becomes his servant to whom he yields himself servant to obey, whether of sin unto death, or of o∣bedience unto righteousness, according as the Scripture de∣clares. All who obey the motion of the Lord in light and spirit, as he moves in the pure heart, become servants to the Lord, and so his work is brought forth into the world, which are works of righteousness, as love, gen∣tleness, patience, long-suffering, meekness, temperance, brotherly-kindness, humility, soberness, godliness, do∣ing unto all as they would be done unto, and such like fruits of righteousness, which are a witnesse against the unrighteousnesse of the world; and so are justified by God in spirit, and created in Christ Jesus unto good works.

But all who yeeld to and obey the motion of the De∣vil in the dark as he moves in the dark heart, by the spi∣rit of darkness, become servants to the Devil, and so his work is brought forth into the world, and fills the world with darkness and unrighteousness, as pride and vain glo∣ry, covetousness, hatred, malice, strife and debate, drun∣kenness, whoredomes, murders, theft, lying and swear∣ing, vain and profain talking tiranny, cruelty and op∣pression, persecution and such like ungodly wicked practises as the Land abounds with, notwithstanding all their profession of God and Christ, and high notions, and large and fair pretences, yet the fruits of wickedness in a high measure are daily growing and encreasing; and all those evils, and all other the abominations that are acted and done in the world, they all proceed out of the deceit∣ful and wicked heart; and the Devil he is the father and the Author of it and of all sin, and whosoever commits sin is of the Devil; and so out of the heart from the cursed ground it springs and arises; for lust after it hath concei∣ved, it bringeth forth sin, and sin when it is finished brings forth death; for the wages of sin is death. Therefore every one in particular mind the leadings and movings of the pure spirit of Light, for there is your strength near you; and if ye thorow the spirit do mortifie the deeds of the bo∣dy, then shall ye live and be made sensible of the work∣ings of God, destroying the Devils works, and defacing his image; and renewing in you a pure image like unto himself, and so the pure Truth ye will really be possessed of, that which the Lord doth love and desire, even Truth in the inward parts, and offer up a sacrifice in righteousness to the Lord, which is a broken heart and a contrite spirit, which ever was and is acceptable in the eyes of the pure God; for God is pure and loves righteousness, and to know him and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent is life eternal. Now to have a literal knowledge of him, and so to speak of him from the Scripture letter, and not from the spirit and power of God within; this is not a saving knowledge,

but puss up into pride, and soto reject and despise the cross of Christ; Such a knowledge had they who crucified the Son of God; and such a knowledge have many in our age, but are persecuting the appearance of Christ in his Saints. But this I say, none knows the Lord in Truth and Righteousness but as he is revealed and manifested by his spirit within: for the spirit searcheth all things, yea the deep and hidden things of God. So all turn in your minds, and wait upon the Lord in the Light of his spirit that into his house you may be led, there to feed upon the living bread, & soul-satisfying food (upon the hidden Man∣na) that which the world knowes not, but it is hid from them who be without, feeding amongst the swine upon the husks and empty shadowes: but through love and mercy is revealed unto us, by the spirit of our God, and freely imparted unto you, to invite you to come in to our Fathers house, that you may eat with us and be satisfied, and praise the Lord with us in the Land of the living for e∣ver and ever.

Oh my dearly beloved whom my soul longs and breaths after, whom in the truth, I dearly love, you are as a lively Epistle written in my heart, and I cannot forget you; go on in the Name and Power of the Lord, look not back, there is nothing behind you but death and darkness, for if any one draw back my soul shall have no pleasure in them; therefore press on towards the mark, for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus, let not the rage of the heathen daunt you, knowing that it is our portion from that wicked and untoward generation to be reproached and reviled: But blessed are ye when men revile you, and reproach you, and persecute you, and speak all manuer of e∣vil against you falsely for the Name of Christ, rejoyce and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in heaven, for so persecuted they the Prophets, and the holy Apostles which which were before you; for if you were of the world, then

would the world love you; but because Christ Jesus hath chosen you out of the world to be unto him a holy People, therefore do they (of the world who know not God) hate and revile you; but herein they are discovered and made manifest of what generation they are of, even of cursed Cains, who slew his brother, and where envy and rage is, they bear the mark of Cain, and so in this day of the Lord they are made manifest, for wherever persecution is, it is a mark of the beast, that makes war against the Lamb, and it is not the mark or token of a Christian, for the Nature of a Christian is to suffer, and not to persecute; therefore though ye suffer, and be reproached, yet be not discouraged, but put on the strength of God, the armour of righteousness whereby ye may all be kept safe, and the fiery darts of the wicked cannot pierce you.

Dwell in meekness, and love, and pure innocency, these are the Garments of the Lamb, which the world cannot stain, though they may cast dirt and filth upon you, by their lies and false slanders, yet your innocen∣cy and uprightness shall stand a witness against them, and so their mouths shall be stopped, and the witness of God in their own consciences shall testifie against them, and answer for you and for the Lords Truth which you profess, and make them to acknowledge (though against their wills) that God is in you of a Truth.

I do by the power of the Lord charge you all in the pre∣sence of the Lord (who profess the light) that you walk in the light, that every one may be in life and substance what you seem and profess your selves to be in words; that no hypocricy may be amongst you, nor deceit, nor feign∣ed love, nor seeming shew of feigned humility (for that is gross and wicked abomination in the eyes of the pure God) but that indeed and in truth your love may flow forth one towards another without dissimulation, for this is a true mark and token that you are the Lords chosen ones, for hereby shall all men know that you are fol∣lowers

of the Lord if ye love one another; for love is of God, and all who dwell in love they dwell in God, for God is love: Oh let this love constrain you to deney your selves freely and follow him, who by his love invites you to come and eat and drink free∣ly at his Table: Let not the love of the world, nor any other earthly enjoyment draw away your hearts and affections from the pure love of God, into the love of the visible and creaturely enjoyments, and so for a messe of pottage (Esau like) sell your birth-right for want of a small thing of self-denyal (chusing the pleasures of the World (as many do) rather then to suf∣fer with the people of God, despising and counting the Cross of Christ foolishness, and so) lose the Crown of glory. Oh let it not be so with any of you but take up the Cross willingly, and despise not the day of small things, but whatsoever the light of Christ doth shew you to be evil or vain, cast off and deny that evil and va∣nity, otherwise you cannot have true peace; for whilst the wild nature is at liberty, and the unruly affections and lusts, they war against the soul; therefore saith Christ, take my yoke upon you and learn of me, I am meek and lowly in spirit, and you shall find rest unto your souls. So the yoke of Christ being laid upon the wilde, it tames and brings down, and leavens the whole, and brings it into the nature of Christ, to meekness, and gentleness and lowliness of mind, and brokenness and tenderness of spirit, and so the fountain comes to be opened, and the pure streams flowes forth to water the City of the living God: Therefore hide not the enemies of your peace in your own bosoms, neither let any preju∣dice or evil thoughts lodge in your hearts, if you do, it will eat as a canker, untill the pure love be grown cold, and then comes a cloud of darkness, and hides the glory of the Son of Righteousness, that it doth not shine in its brightness; and the earth will grow thick and stop the passage, that the streams of love cannot run to water and

refresh the plants of God: therefore be faithful in follow∣ing the light, and yielding up to the pure obedience, to what the light makes manifest, though it be never so small or foolish to worldly wisdom, for that which stumbles at little things will never obey greater, and whilst you are disobedient to the light, after convincement of any fin, you not turning from that sin which the light of Christ makes manifest, and reproves for it, you are still in the same nature with the world, under the same con∣demnation, being condemned by the light in your own consciences.

Therefore every one be faithful according to your mea∣sures, and so in love and joy you will be kept in the uni∣ty of the spirit and bond of peace, and grow up in the vine as lively plants, and encrease in grace until we all come into the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man, even to the measure and stature of the fulness of Christ.

Take heed of reasoning and consulting withflesh and blood, for that betrayes the simplicity, for many have been convinced of the Truth, and tender and honest de∣sires, and a true love raised in them, by hearing of the sound or declaration of Truth, but not abiding in that love to wait in the Cross of Christ; but reasoning with flesh and blood, they have lost their tenderness and sim∣plicity, and those true desires are choaked, and the iniquity got up, and their love grown cold; and such though they may come to your meetings; Yet are dead, barren & emp∣ty, and possessed with a dull and sluggish drowfie spirit; when others are feeding and sitting in peace and rest un∣der their own vine, having oyl in their vessels, these care∣less ones are ready to starve, and are weary in waiting, when words are not ministred; I say unto all such, repent and fear the living God, and cause not the holy Name of our God to be blasphemed amongst the Heathen; return to your first love, and wait in patience until refreshment come into your souls from the presence of the Lord.

And all you dearly beloved ones, who keep your garments white and clean, you are as my own life, and dear unto me as the Apple of mine eye, with you I am present in the spirit of pure love, though in the body I be absent from you; Dear hearts, let my bowels be refreshed to hear of your faithfulness and growth in the truth, that the labour and travel of the Messengers of the Lord may not be in vain, but that we may rejoyce in our labours, and see the fruits springing up to the glory of God, this will be our joy and your comfort.

So all of you in patience wait until the work of the Lord be perfected in you, turn not to the right hand, nor to the left, but keep in the plain way that leads to life eternal; meet often together accordingly as you have been directed, and when you are met together, wait upon God in his pure fear, with the loins of your minds girt up, that his voice you may hear, and his counsel receive and stand in, so shall your meetings be for the better and not for the worse, and your strength renewed, though there be no sound of words spoken to your outward ears, yet coming once to taste of the sweetness of the love of God, you will find the union more pure, more dear and more neer then pen or tongue can declare; for if there be a sweetness and a refreshment to hear words (as I know there is, when they are spoken from the pure life and spirit of the Lord) then much more is there sweetness and more pure refreshment in the spirit of the Lord from whence the words do proceed, and all words and writings given forth from the spirit, are to bring to the spirits worship; this is the sum and the end of all the shadows and carnal ob∣servances, to know God, and to worship him in Spirit and in truth; according as it is written, for there is no man knowes the things of God but the spirit of God; so without the spirit guiding and teaching, all words and writings will but little avail, onely serve to add to the condemna∣tion of all those that are hearers, but are not doers of the Word of God.

Therefore every one retire your selves into your in∣ward habitations, and wait upon God in the manifestati∣on of his spirit as you have received, and as the pure spi∣rit of the Lord doth move in any of you, so be obedient either to act or speak: for the Word of the Lord is not limited, but if any one have the Word of the Lord, let him speak it faithfully; for you may all prophesie one by one, and if any thing be revealed to another that stands by, let the first hold his peace: quench not the spirit; for it is my desire that all the Lords people were Prophets; but let all flesh be si∣lent I charge you by the Lord, and none to speak before the Lord, for that is but as chaff, and what is the chaff to the wheat saith the Lord? is not my word as a fire, and as a hammer that breaks the rocks in pieces.

So all dear friends wait that the Word of the Lord you may feel within you, and tast of it, which is quick and powerful, and cuts down sin, and removes the earth, and breaks the hard heart, and purifies it, and purges the con∣science from dead works, and so the body is made a holy Temple for the Lord to dwell in; as it is written, I will dwell in them and walk in them, I will be their God, and they shall be my people: Wherefore (saith he) come forth and be ye separate, touch no unclean thing and I will receive you, and will be a father unto you, and ye shall be my Sons and daugh∣ters saith the Lord God Almighty. All mind the call of a loving Father, and be obedient to his voice, that you may be heirs of the promise, and have a right unto the tree of life, and live and reign with the Lord God and the Lamb, and sing the songs of deliverance praises and hale∣luja's for ever and ever.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you, and teach you to live soberly and righteously, and establish you in the truth, that your words and actions may be gracious and savory, proceeding from the grace of God, that you may have salt in your selves to savour withal, no more to be tossed to and fro with mens doctrines, but be built upon the rock of ages, even Jesus Christ the light of the World,

the same to day as yesterday, and shall continue the same for¦ever.

The peace of God which passeth understanding keep your hearts and minds up to God, in love and unity all to grow, that God may delight to do you good, and to dwell a∣mongst and his pure power to compass you about, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 keep you upright, and single-hearted.

This so large an Epistle with my own hand have I wri••¦ten unto you, because my love is enlarged toward you.

The Lord, God Almighty breath forth his spirit upon you, and guide you in his pure wisdom, that with chear∣fulness you may run the race set before you. Faint not 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the way; but be ye faithful unto death, and you shall have 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Crown of life.

Read this with a meek and sober spirit in the fear of the Lord, when in his name you are met together.

For friends in the Truth in the West parts of Eng∣land, or else where it may come.

Written from the movings of the Lord, as I was directed by his spirit, by your dear brother in the Lord, who is a Labourer in his Vineyard, Known to you by a nearer name then Alexander Parker