in Thousands who are Witnesses of the Works of God's holy Spirit in some Degree or Measure viz. That it is in Christ God's Covenant in which we hope for Salvation and in no Covenant nor Work of Man's and in this Covenant we are made a good Savour unto God and one unto another And Acceptance with God is obtained no other way but by the one pure Offering without Spot or Blemish by the effectual Workings of the Eternal Spirit where the Blood of Christ is witnessed to be sufficient to purge Consciences of dead Works and so to serve God in the New and Living Way which he hath consecrated for us through the Vail his Flesh And therefore all who are thus Partakers of God's Works by the Revelation of God's Spirit being true Witnesses of the Blessing of God in this one Unspotted Offering we cannot but confess him before Men denying all imaginary Offerings in mens wills where their Garments are filled with Spots and Blemishes and their Consciences are defiled with dead Works of their own Inventions and Works the which having some outward Shew of Holiness may Recommend unto Man who lives in the same but not unto God and therefore Experience in the Works of God's blessed Spirit hath taught us to deny them And by this Christ of God the Mediator of the New Covenant we have Acceptance with God from whence the Knowledge of Salvation comes by the Remission of Offences and Sins and therefore we deny all false and vain Mediatorship of vain man in his vain VVorks of Conceivings Imaginations concerning this Mediator the which is really to be enjoyed and known by the effectual VVorkings of God's Eternal Spirit to the Consolation and Peace of Souls who partake thereof And through the blessed VVorks of this blessed Spirit of God the Deaf Ear comes to be opened to hear the Voice of the one true powerful Shepherd who alone doth feed the Sheep of his Pasture with that convenient and wholsome Food the which causeth Soundness of Heart and Mind and therein doth he take Care to preserve and keep his Sheep in a living Sense of his Love Fatherly Care who calls to his Sheep when the Lion the VVolf and the Bear appears and strengtheneth them who take Pleasure in hearkening and obeying his Voice So to the one Shepherd and one Fold Testimony is given unto whom all that are erred and strayed must return if ever they witness Deliverance from Evil and Preservation from Danger So we deny all false Shepherds whose VVorks of Darkness tend to the scattering people in their Minds and Understandings from the Sense of God's VVorks in Christ in reconciling lost Mankind and bringing them home unto himself the Substance of all of which the Law outward was but a Shadow of good things the which are injoyed in this one Shepherd and Bishop who takes Care and Oversight of Souls magnified and praised be his holy and glorious VVorks of Redemprion forever and ever And so to the Honour of this one blessed Physitian of Souls whose Works are certain and effectual the which has been tryed by many wounded Souls who could find no Cure without by the foolish and vain Physitians without who are meer Deceivers and Daubers up of people through their Inchantments and Sorceries by which they have made a long Prey of people through their fair Speeches getting their Money through meer Deceit and Flattery intruding into things they have no Knowledge of in which VVorks they are pufft up above the pure holy VVorks of God's blessed Spirit the Revelation of which they have denyed they in lew thereof have set up their own Imaginations and Conceivings in the Revelation of their Singular exalted Spirit the Flattery and Deceit of which having taken with people how are Nations corrupted by it and what Misery have these wicked VVorks brought into this Nation God having given signal Testimonies of Dislike unto them by Sword Plague Fire and Sword and by many Messengers whom he hath drawn near unto himself by his VVorks by the hands of them Messengers hath he sent VVarning upon VVarning and Exhortation upon Exhortation with tenders of his Blessed VVorks of Reconciliation upon just and equal terms of his Enemies repenting and turning unto him by turning from their Wickedness But what Entertainment these Servants of the Living God have found by these foolish Physitians who are meer Time-Servers for their own Ends whose Refuge is an Arm of Flesh to defend their wicked corrupt Works which have filled the Nations with their Defilements who by their Flatteries have drawn a Compliance from Magistrates to punish the Messengers and Servants of the Most High God for telling the Truth from a certain Knowledge of the Works of God's Spirit of Truth and therein testifying against the Works of Error and Darkness But the Sufferings that have been for this Love of God in and through them who have been Instruments in his hands may through search be known so Testimony is given against them who are in the Exaltation of Works without and denying the immediate blessed Works of God's holy Spirit in its Operations and Revelations of the Mind and Will of God unto wounded Souls within And further concerning these Blessed Works of God's Righteous Holy Spirit the which are attended with Peace unto which Way many have been turned and because some loiter and are sloathful and yet remain unconverted of the Old Man's corrupt Words and Deeds and therefore not fit to put on the New Man Christ Jesus and some who were in the Way do turn out of it again and some fall head-long down to Perdition Oh! what Occasion hath the Watchers for Evil taken at this and thereby set at nought God's Works in his Holy Righteous Spirit and them that abide therein making Conclusions in their dark imaginary Conceivings of the Works of God That he hath no such perfect Works now adayes but that all are fallible and changeable and so measure and weigh the things of God in their corrupt false Measure and Ballance which things are Abomination in the Sight of God So Testimony is given to God's blessed Works though many are so brittle that they will not abide them yet notwithstanding God's Works in and through his holy Spirit of Truth are Righteous Holy Perfect in every Degree and Measure and remains firm in Goodness and unchangeable there being no Spot nor Blemish in them the which praises him forever out of which none shall ever find Acceptance of him Mutter Peep Whine and Scold as long as you will your Works of Darkness must down which have corrupted the Nations which is the Cause of the great Judgments past in this Nation and the greater yet to come For the Sword of the Spirit the Word of God is gone out against wicked Workers and works and thus saith the Lord No Peace to the Wicked their Prayers are Abomination in my Sight So whatsoever your Professions and Coverings therein be of your Talkings and Imaginations
THE Blessed Works OF THE Light of God's Holy and BLESSED SPIRIT Exalted above the Works of Darkness With some Informations how to escape out of Sin and Iniquity and a clear Way discovered into the Truth With a short Testimony of the Cry of Babylons's Merchants by reason of the Day that is coming upon them Stephen Smith 2 Peter 3.12 13. Looking for and hasting unto the Coming of the Day of God wherein the Heavens being on Fire shall be dissolved and the Elements shall melt with fervent Heat nevertheless according to his Promise we look for new Heavens and new Earth wherein dwells Righteousness Printed in the Year 1673. THE Blessed Works OF THE Light of God's Holy and BLESSED SPIRIT Exalted above the Works of Darkness COme sit down together in a deep Silence out of all Fleshly Wisdom forgiving all Trespasses that he that sits upon his Throne who said behold I make all things new that he may forgive all your Trespasses and then wait for Acception into God's Pure Holy Covenant his Holy Law in the Mind that it may be writ in the Heart and they shall not teach every man his Neighbour and every Man his Brother saying know the Lord for all shall know me from the least to the greatest for I will be merciful to their Unrighteousness and their Sins and Iniquities will I remember no more a blessed day magnified be the Lord whose Works praise him forever and not good Words out of wicked Workers Mouthes so these mighty Works of the mighty God the which he is working and bringing to pass through his mighty Power are appointed that Mankind should live in the Enjoyment of them to the Praise and Honour of his Maker forever And that it may be distinguished between Evil Workers who have got the good Words and the good Works from whence all true and good and gratious Words came observe In one of the Collects appointed in the Book of Common Prayer it is thus written Almighty and Everlasting God which of thy tender Love towards Man hath sent our Saviour Jesus Christ to take upon him our Flesh and to suffer Death upon the Cross that all Man-kind should follow the Example of his great Humility mercifully grant that we both follow the Example of his Patience and be made Partakers of his Resurrection c. Now mind To pray for this that is common and used in the old World of Transgression where Iniquity and Sin is which separates from God and are out of his Blessed Works But to be in the Humility and Patience this is God's Work where his Will is done on Earth as it is in Heaven So that if People would but so far condiscend to the Will of God as to sit down in Coolness in a true Silence of all the Works of the fleshly Wisdom would they not agree with us who are in Scorn called Quakers in Judgment at least though it may be not in Practice viz. That Words without Effects are as Dreams and Chaff to the Wheat the Substance So he that hath a Dream let him tell his Dream but he that hath God's Word let him speak it What is the Chaff to the Wheat Is not my Word like a Fire saith the Lord and like a Hammer that breaketh the Rock in pieces Jer. 23. I am against the Prophet saith the Lord that steals my Word from his Neighbour who use their Tongues say he saith and prophesie false Dreams and tell them and cause people to Err by their Lyes and Lightness And so now in Coolness when the Works of the Enemy are down viz. Prejudice and Passion c. then by a little Work of God in its least Appearance by which Mankind is made sensible they may see by this small Distinction what it is that we who are in Scorn called Quakers stand for and against And when the Eye of your Understanding is opened to behold his Glorious Works whom you have pierced then will you love us whom so many have hated because of our Testimony of God's Works Do but see how you first hated the Light of God in your selves before that great Darkness came over you to hate us who are called Quakers because we are bowed unto Christ's Spirit the true Christians Spirit and therein have in some measure partaken of his Cup out of which some indeed have drunk very deep even to the following of his great Humility and Patience even to Death as in New-England Sufferings may be seen by those cruel imaginary Christians whose wicked Hands have been deep in the shedding of Innocent Blood And though through Ignorance the Sufferings of God's People hath been much in Old England yet they have not been in that desperate kind as there where out of doubt they are more drunk with the Whore's Cup of Sorceries Witchcraft then those of that kind are here in old England whose spirit is felt but that their Wings are cut so cannot fly at that rate which otherwise they would be at for now their Hands are tied how wonderfully do their Tongues go by which its plain they have no Bridle but are set on Fire of Hell Wondering Despising and Fretting against the Work of the Lord in this the Day of his Power though Thousands are raised by it to declare and publish the same in Words in Life and Conversation c. And now you Vain and Empty Professors and Notionists who are saying in your Dark and Imaginary Conceivings of things That if you had been in the Scribes and Pharisees dayes those learned Rabbies you would not have done so wickedly as to Crucifie the Just and call for his Blood to be upon your Heads But come hearken in the Cool Did not those Scribes and Pharisees say the like of their Fathers who Stoned and Killed the Prophets whom God sent in Love to them And were not they in a worse Practice though they spoak otherwayes And was not the Cause of their Blindness from resisting God's Works in his Spirit by which means they had no Revelation there of the things of God notwithstanding they had the Scriptures without which testified of him yet they being so Wicked to put out the Candle that should have lighted them in it they saw not the Substance spoken of in the Scriptures were more darkned judging by that Law that Christ was a Devil and a Deceiver and so ought to dye without any regard to his Innocent Holy Life and his great Humility and Patience But though they crucified him yet they could not so bury him but that he rise again and appeared in divers manners and after he was risen opened the Scriptures to his Followers who loved Him Therefore Professors of Works without who are not Possessors of God's Blessed Holy Works within What though you do say If you had been in your Fathers the Scribes and Pharisees dayes you would not have done as they did But come be patient a little the Works of Truth have a good Tendency though
they be bitter to the Guilty for the Present come I say look where you are by the Light you may see you must see by it at last it were better for you if you would let your Eye be opened now and see that offensive Eye pulled out which hath been offended at God's Works all this while So do not harden your Hearts in this Day of God's Power being manifest lest you be cut off from his Rest forever Come therefore you that are judging others that did wickedly in their Generation by resisting God's holy Spirit so had none of the Works of its Revelation come see now what Latitude your Works are under If you be in the same Liberty in the Flesh as they were in it s no matter what you say Come now to the Tryal What Experience have you of the Operation of God's Spirit How much of the Mind and Will of God hath it revealed to you Can you say Thus saith the Lord by the certain Knowledge of the Revelation of God's holy Spirit Or have you only talkt of it as the Jews did who said We have God for our Father when they were doing the Devil's Works Come do not stop your Ears Have you heard the Voice of God or seen his Shape or are you ignorant of it as they were who accused Christ as if he was bearing False Witness Nay come further Have you not said That Revelations are ceased and thereby shut up the Way to the Kingdom of God and from the Knowledge of his Righteousness by your wicked Works in going about to establish your own Righteousness and Works therein for term of life Come you that have set up the Law and Covenant without above the Law and Covenant within are not these your own Works and have not they made you as blind as your Fathers the Scribes and Pharisees that you can neither see nor hear but in your blind Zeal are persecuting Christ's near Relations who follow him in their Generation even by the Drawings of his Father's Spirit unto his Humility and Patience who is the Way in whom God's Will was done And did not Christ give Testimony of his Relations his Mother his Brothers and Sisters who did his Father's Will And is not this to be done on Earth And is it not the Will of God that we should speak the Truth at all times and that we should be led and guided by the Spirit of Truth into all Truth is there any Sin in the Guide And is not this Christ of God the same Auointing or Teacher as he was in the beginning of the World Was not he before Abraham was And is not he the same yesterday to day and forever as he was in the beginning who was David's Lord and the Holy Men's Lord in all Ages And is not he the Covenant by which all must come unto God Was he not given for a Covenant and a Light to enlighten people and to be their Salvation to lead and command his People And must not his Sheep hear his Voice And is not he the same that he was in the beginning And is not this the Precious and Tryed Stone which the wise Builders building without are confounded and stumble at even the highest Notionists in the fleshly Wisdom in their highest Conceivings about the Holy Men's Words Come examine your selves and see whether Christ be not in you except you be Reprobates You Unbelievers how hath the Godd of the World led you about and blinded you that you cannot see the Light of this Glorious Gospel Come see the Cause Have you not been making Provision for the Flesh in the first place and answering the Lusts thereof after the Glory of the old World of Sin and Iniquity Hath not Respect of Persons been in your Eye and Filthy Lucre and Praise of Men and Greeting in Market-Places Have you not preacht and prayed in your own Wills and run for Gifts and Rewards in your own Wills And is not all this Honour to be had below And have you not sought it before the Honour of God's Work in your Hearts And is not this the Cause of your Ignorance of God's Kingdom and his Righteousness Christ and his Relations his Mother Sisters and Brethren who are sanctified and blest by the Will of God where it is done in Truth and Righteousness and where that is done do not such only confirm in Truth and Reallity all God's blessed and holy Works without in all Generations So do not envy and hate the People called Quakers for maintaining the Works of God's holy Spirit within them for there are many of them have been as high Talkers of the Works of God in holy Men without as you are but found not such Salvation as to venture Souls and Bodies and Estates till we came to cease from our own Labours in our own Willings and Runnings and so our Hearts were bowed unto God's holy Will in the deep Silence of all Fleshly Reasonings and Consultations So by the Works of God's holy and blessed Spirit the Way of God came to be made manifest in us the which is a Pure Holy Undefiled Way Christ the same yesterday to day and forever as he was in the beginning without Guile without Sin no Iniquity is in him he that is the Hope of Glory the great Mystery made manifest in us Gentiles who in former times when without the Knowledge of him in the World had Lords many and Masters many and feigned Faiths and Beliefs concerning him many and divers But when we were given up clearly to seek the Kingdom of God without any reserve of making Provision for the Flesh then the New Jerusalem God's Building came down from above the Mother of all the Faithful wherein no Evil can be conceived whose Children in her are made free from the Law of Sin and Death and this blessed City hath no need of the Sun neither of the Moon to shine in it for the Glory of God doth lighten it and the Lamb is the Light thereof This blessed Habitation is prepared for God's People who love the Light of his Appearance and delight to do his Will So away with all False Accusations from all you False Accusers of the People called Quakers who say We expect to be Saved by a Righteousness of our own and by Works of our own If it were so as you falsely and vainly do say then might we not keep in the Broad Way with you Hypocrites who are gotten above the daily Cross and so led about by the Thief above the Door where you Foxes who are cunning in Hunting about after others Works have Holes enough to creep and cring into to keep you in the Glory of the World of Sin and Iniquity where you have had a long Trade in your Imaginations conceiving God's Works in his blessed Instruments without you whose Lines you have long made your boast of so your Lyes are upon your own Heads For this I testifie and the Testimony is the same