things contained in the Law of God And there is in man but two Natures the Nature of the Serpent and his seed and the Nature of the Womans seed and therefore if those Gentiles that had not Gods Law written without them did by Nature the things contained in Gods Law within them it must be by the nature of the seed of the Woman which is the Divine Nature Jesus the seed that is sown which is the Word the true light which as a seed is sown upon all the four sorts of grounds and lighteth every man that cometh into the World but it bringeth forth fruit in its own likeness in none of the grounds but the good ground which these Gentiles were of the number of for they having not the Law that is the written Law without them are a Law to themselves The seed sown in the good ground and in them bringing forth its own likeness made them in the Image of God made them a Law to themselves Jesus as a light that gave them the knowledge of Gods Law which in substance is this To do that God hath commanded and to leave undone what God hath forbidden he wrought obedience in them to Gods Law and this was the nature by which the Gentiles did the things contained in Gods Law and so they are a Law to themselves and so they shew the works of the Law written in their hearts these Gentiles by their obedience they shew not onely that the Law of God was written in their hearts but they shew the work of the Law of God that was written in their hearts they made the tree known to be good by the fruits which few of these of the Tribes of the Jews that were in the outward form of worship did do which had the written Law and Prophets read amongst them every Sabbath day their Consciences bearing them witness These Gentiles had a witness in them that they did the things contained in the Law of God that was the witness of God in their Consciences which is a most certain witness it witnesseth to nothing but what is true so that if any should have questioned them whether or no they did yield obedience to the Law of God in them and they had answered they did if they had not been believed they could have proved the truth of it by a very good witness the witness of God in their Consciences And their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another There was in the Gentiles not onely a taking notice of the actions done by them and the words spoken by them whether they were agreeable to the Law of God writ in their hearts but so much were they brought to an obedience to the Law of God in them and they thereby became such a Law to themselves as that they took notice in themselves of their very thoughts and according as they were if bad and evil then their Conscience the witness of God in them that accused them for their bad and evil thoughts There was that in them that did not onely judge and condemn them for evil works done by them or evil words spoken by them but they were accused for evil thoughts and there was that in them that justified them for doing the things that were good contained in Gods Law and for speaking what was good and it excused them in their thoughts that were good And these Gentiles were all Nations and Kinreds and People and Tongues excepting the Jews and Paul did plainly say that the Gentiles that did the things contained in the Law of God were the true Jews and had the true Circumcision And those Jews that had the written Law of God without them and did not keep the Law although circumcised without in the flesh their Circumcision by breaking the Law was made Uncircumcision to them and they were not the true Jews see from the 15. vers to the end of the Chapter And this Paul doth not speak of such Gentiles as should believe in Jesus after the preaching of an outward Jesus to them that was Crucified at Jerusalem but of those Gentiles that had never heard of that Jesus for in the 24th verse he tells the Jews that the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you as it is written He made use of the Scripture to prove what he had spoken to be true God put no difference between the Jew and the Gentiles having purified their hearts by Faith Acts 15. 9. The Centurion that came to Jesus to have his servant healed Matth. 8. he was a Gentile and was not of the outward form of worshipping God that the Jews were of and Jesus says of him to the Jews that followed him that he had not found so great faith no not in Israel as he he had found in that Gentile and farther tells them that many shall come from the East and West and shall sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven but the Children of the Kingdom shall be cast into utter darkness there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Mark many shall come from the East and from the West those many they must be Gentiles and such as were not counted the Children of the Kingdom of Heaven that is they were not counted the Children of the Kingdom of Heaven by the Jews which were in the outward form of worshipping God nor are they counted the Children of the Kingdom of Heaven by those that count themselves the Children of the Kingdom because they themselves are in the outward forms of worshipping of God and therefore they count themselves the Children of the Kingdom of Heaven as did the Jews because they were in the outward form of worshipping God they looked upon themselves as the onely Children of the Kingdom of Heaven and so Jesus calls them when he saith the Children of the Kingdom shall be cast out into utter darkness where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth None can think Jesus's meaning to be that the Children of the Kingdom that are the right heirs to it that they shall be cast out into utter darkness where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth No that cannot be for as they are Children of God so they are Heirs Heirs of God and joynt Heirs with Christ Rom. 3. 17. and it is the Fathers pleasure to give them the Kingdom Matth. 12. 32. These are not those that shall be cast out of the Kingdom but they that shall be cast out of the Kingdom are those that call themselves Children of God and so look upon themselves as the Children of the Kingdom because they are in an outward form of worshipping God in a way that God hath required to be worshipped in as to the outward form of worship as were the Jews but they did not do the things contained in the Law of God written in them they do not shew the works of the Law written in their hearts but boast and bear themselves up in an
is the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the World so he made known to me what was Gods will that I should do and what was Gods will that I should not do and also made known in me the unchangeableness of Gods love towards me and so he begot a love in me again to God and so he wrought a willingness in me to do what God hath made known to me to be his will that I should do and hath wrought a willingness in me to leave undone what God would not have me to do and I have known him as he is the true light to be the Word of God which is the seed sown upon all the four grounds which is all men as he is the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the World and I have known the nature of all the four grounds in me and how the light the word the seed hath been sown in me in the nature of all the four grounds and so have I known and experienced how the seed hath been sown in those that never heard of that outward name Jesus born of the Virgin Mary and Crucified at Jerusalem and how they have been saved from sin which is done by the light of the Divine Nature the Word the Seed sown in them causing them to be the good ground It is the word of God which is the power of God that changes the heart and makes it the good ground the same word by which all things were made and thereby causes them to do the things contained in Gods Law writ in their hearts and are become a Law to themselves and have the witness of God in their Consciences accusing them or else excusing them as we have that have heard of that Jesus born of the Virgin Mary and Crucified at Jerusalem And by the doing the things contained in Gods Law and thereby shew the works of Gods Law written in our hearts it is by that that they and we wash our Robes in the Blood of the Lamb that is in the life of Jesus and make them white in his Blood in the innocent life that he lives in us not that we live but he lives in us and worketh in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure and when the will of man is so given up into the will of God for God to be all to will and do all in man as it pleaseth him then mans will is restored to be what it was when God made man in his own Image And God saw every thing that he had made and beheld it was very good Gen. 1. 31. All things that God made was very good and God saw them to be very good and God set his mark of behold upon them to be very good that man might see and behold them to be very good as they were what he had made and gave the being to that is all that God had made was very good as a measure of his being was and is in them whereby they are preserved and upheld and so were and are very good as God that made them is good and is in them Before time was God was and was All in All before subtile Serpent Satan Tempter or Devil was and so God is to be All in All again See 1 Cor. 15. 21 vers to 29 vers For since by man came death by man came also the resurrection of the dead For as in Adam all die even so mark that even so in Christ shall all be made alive But every man in his own order Christ the first fruits afterwards they that are Christs at his coming Then cometh the end when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God even the father when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power For he must reign till he hath put all his enemies under his feet The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death For he hath put all things under his feet but when he saith all things are put under him it is manifested he is excepted which did put all things under him And when all things shall be subdued unto him then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him that God may be all in all When this shall come to pass where then will be the subtile Serpent Satan Tempter or Devil Do they not rule Have they not authority and power Are they not his enemies Where will be subtile Serpent Satan Tempter or Devil when Jesus shall have put down all rule all authority and power for he must reign till he hath put all his enemies under his feet and the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death which is that the subtile Serpent Satan Tempter Devil sin was the cause of death and gave death its being where will they all be then when all Jesus's enemies shall be thus subdued unto him and he as a Son shall be subject to the Father that hath put all things under him that that God who before time was may be all in all That which may be known of God is manifested in men for God hath shewed it unto them for the invisible things of him from the Creation of the World are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternal power and Godhead so that they are without excuse Rom. 1. 19 20. By this Scripture it plainly appears that God by his true Light in man that lighteth every man that cometh into the World doth make known in men that which may be known of him Those things that were invisible of him and not known before the Creation he hath made known from the Creation of the World and they are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternal power and Godhead Gods eternal power and Godhead which was before the Creation God by his true Light Jesus hath in men made so much of it known unto them as may be known of God being clearly seen and understood by the things that are made God hath shewed it unto them so that all men are without excuse They cannot plead ignorance that God hath not made known himself unto them or that they have not known so much of God as that they might be saved for that which may be known of God is manifested is made known in them for God hath shewed it unto them even his eternal power and Godhead And what is there more to be known of God than is in his eternal power and Godhead In that he hath made known his eternal power and Godhead to all men God hath thereby shewn his love to all men John 3. 16. vers to the 21 vers That God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever believed in him should not perish but have everlasting life whosoever God makes no exception For God sent his Son not to condemn the world but that the world through him might
not onely to say lightly and carelesly as many do I would I had not sinned and broken Gods Commands and God forgive me for it but there is in them an inward repentance an inward sorrow and grief which goes so far as that there is a desire in them that they may not commit sin again and an earnest praying to God that they may not commit sin again and a doing of many things to prevent or to be kept from the doing or the committing the sin again which they have before committed And yet in all this the subtile Serpents self or mans will prevails much as I have experienced That man may repent that he hath sinned in doing what he knew to be a breaking of Gods Command and may be sorrowful for it and mourn for it and earnestly pray that he may do so no more and use much means to be kept from sinning and yet all this time hath a love to the sin but for fear that he hath of the punishment and the willingness that he hath to escape the punishment causeth the repentance and sorrow and mourning that he hath for sinning and to escape the punishment that sets him upon doings as praying fasting and other religious Duties that he thinks may be a means to keep him from being overcome by the Devils temptations and to do such things as he thinks God will be pleased with and for this his so doing of these things he thinks to find acceptance with God And all this may be done for a self-end and in their own will and is onely to escape the punishment which if they could escape the punishment the doing the things that God hath forbidden would be no trouble to them but very pleasing and to be desired And in this state many are deceived and think themselves in a good condition because they cannot now sin as once they could when they had little trouble in their Consciences for their sins but now if they sin trouble sorrow and grief does attend them for their sins and there is praying to God for forgiveness and it may be private days of fasting to be kept that they may be kept from sinning and it may be for private sins such sins as none but God and their Conscience can accuse them of and the best that they know of outward forms of Religion is set up and strictly practised by them and an outward blameless life is got up in them to what they once lived in and they are counted of others to be one of those that are the Children of God and Heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven and they look upon themselves to be one of that number And yet all this time the root of sin that is the love of sin remains in them as live as ever it was and so long as the love of any sin remains alive in them what they do in obedience to God is done because they are afraid of Gods Justice for their sin and while there remains in them a fear of Gods Justice for sin they have no true love to God while they are afraid of God There is no fear in love perfect love casteth out fear 1 John 4. 18. Their repentings sorrows griefs mournings prayings fastings and all other their religious performances while done for the escaping or for the preventing Gods Justice to fall upon them because of their sins that they have committed That which carries them forth to the doing and performing of those repentings sorrows griefs mournings prayings fastings and all other their religious performances it is self it is for a self-end to escape or prevent Gods Justice falling on them for their sins and therefore it is that they will do them And so they are deceived in all their doings by the subtilty of self in them doing their own wills in them and are of the Serpâ—nts Tribe of whom none are sealed for the servants of God These they have known the beginning of John preaching in the Wilderness in them that is when their hearts were as a Wilderness wherein every unclean Beast fed and found an abiding-place every unclean Lust found wherewithal to feed upon and to abide in Before man disobeyed God in eating of the Tree that God had forbidden him to eat of mans heart was like a garden a place of Gods delight and brought forth pleasing Fruit unto God the Plants therein were of Gods planting no Thorns nor Thistles were therein nor no wild nor unclean Beast was found there but after man had disobeyed God in eating of the Tree that God had forbidden him to eat of then mans heart instead of being like a garden wherein God was pleased it became like a Wilderness a place displeasing to God a place wherein God was offended a place bringing forth Thorns and Thistles such Plants of disobedience sprung up in the heart of man as was not of Gods planting nor pleasing to God And then mans heart became like a Wilderness a place of every unclean and beastly Lust to harbour feed and abide in And here in this wilderness of the heart many have heard the voice of John the Forerunner of Jesus preaching Repentance and they having heard his voice and have repented and have come to John's Baptism that is an outward washing of water a making clean of the outside and so they have been John's Disciples they have known a cutting of the Branches of sin that is a repenting and forsaking such sins and evils as are generally accounted as sin and evil Yea they may have gone further and have cut down the body of sin that is they have not onely repented â—nd forsaken such sins and evils as are done outwardly that man can accuse them of but have repented and forsaken such sins done within them that none can accuse them of but God and their Consciences and yet they have not come so far as to hear and obey the end of John's preaching in them that is that the Ax is laid to the root of the Tree of sin and the root from whence sin sprung is love that is the love that is in mans heart to sin the love to the sin that is first in mans heart before it cometh forth into action There was first in the woman a seeing of the Tree to be good for food and pleasing to the eye and a desire to it this was first in her before she took of the fruit thereof and eat of it There is first in the heart of man a love to sin before there is a going forth to the committing of it and this love is the root from whence sin in the action sprung And the end of John's preaching was to lay the Ax to the root of the Tree sin which bringeth not forth good fruit to hew it down and cast it into the fire to be consumed that is to cast the love and desire to sin that is in the heart of man to cast that into the fire to be consumed that gave
Baptist and feared him knowing that he was a just and holy man and he heard him gladly and did many things yet because John reproved him for his beloved sin he put him into prison and afterwards cut off his head Mark 6. This is to be read within in the mystery Simon who by his Sorcery had bewitched the People being looked upon as the great power of God he believed Philip preaching and was baptized and continued with Philip wondring and beholding the miracles and signs that were done and offered to part with his money if for it he might have had the power of disposing the Holy Ghost yet his heart was not right in the sight of God but he was in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity Acts 8. This also may be read within in the mystery These both were under Johns dispensations the one of Preaching and the other of Water-Baptism and both in an outward yielding obedience to God Hymenia and Alexander they went further they put away Faith and a good Conscience which they could not have done if they had not first had Faith and a good Conscience and were gone so far as to make shipwrack of Faith and yet there was a hope of recovery of these 1 Tim. 1. 19 20. But it is impossible for those who were once enlightned and have tasted of the heavenly gift and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost and have tasted of the good word of God and the powers of the world to come if they shall fall away to renew them again unto repentance seeing they crucifie to themselves the Son of God afresh and put him to an open shame Heb. 6. 4 5 6. Here is a going a great way in the ways of God and a being in a high state and yet a possibility of falling when they are gone so far and are in that high state but if then they do fall it is impossible for them to be renewed again by Repentance and therefore what great need hath all to have a care and not to desire the forbidden Fruit that is to desire to know more of God than a desire to yield obedience to God in what they know of him and also to keep low and to have a low esteem of themselves in and under all the enjoyments of God and his manifestations or making known of himself in them and unto them and not to look upon any part of what they enjoy of Gods making known himself in them or unto them as their own but to look upon all their enjoyments as the Free Gift of God and given to them to be as an Help-meet for the life of the Son of God in them for the bringing them into the Image or likeness of the heavenly Adam I know no subtile Serpent no Satan no Tempter no Devil without me and therefore I can say nothing of a substile Serpent a Satan a Tempter or a Devil without me Those who do know a subtile Serpent a Satan a Tempter or a Devil without them they may declare their knowledge of that subtile Serpent of that Satan of that Tempter or of that Devil that they know without them and what works or actions they have known done by that subtile Serpent that Satan that Tempter oâ— Devil without them As I have declared my knowledge of the subtile Serpent the Satan the Tempter or the Devil within me their works or actions I would not be mistaken I do not say there is no more to be known of the Devil than what I have known of his works and actions within me that is as he is a subtile Serpent a Satan a Tempter or a Devil that is as much as to say he is all whatsoever it is in man that opposeth God and the work of God in man that is the Devil I know no more of him that is I have no experimental knowledge of him but onely as he opposeth God and the work of God in man But I read of other works actions or manifestations of the Devil in Scripture as that of Witches Wizzards familiar Spirits Divinations Inchantments which I know nothing of but onely as I read of them in the Scripture and of those possessed with Devils in the time that Jesus Christ lived in the Humane Nature upon the Earth as the man that came to him to have the Devil cast out of his child which did sometimes cast him into the fire and into the water and rent and tore him at the time of his casting out that he left him as if he had been dead And the man possessed with Devils that chains and fetters could not hold him cutting himself with stones and kept in tombs and had many Devils entred into him but of these I know nothing of experimentally but as something of the inward work of the Devil in man may be compared to these outward works or actions of the Devil but as to the outward works themselves I am altogether ignorant of them I onely know them as I read of them in the Scripture but having no experimental knowledge of them causes me to say I know no other subtile Serpent Satan Tempter or Devil but what I have found of his works and actions within me and I leave it to others that know the other works and actions of the Devil as without doubt some there be that now do know some of them to declare if they please what they know of them I know and do believe that evil men have evil Spirits or evil Angels that do attend upon them their works or actions I have seen of those evil Spirits or evil Angels within me but I never saw any of those evil Spirits or Angels without me and I also know and believe that good men as God hath again made them good by bringing forth his begotten Son Jesus in them they have good Spirits or good Angels attending upon them their works or actions I have seen of those good Spirits or Angels within me but I never saw any of those good Spirits or Angels without me I think that to be my duty that John said was his and others their practice in his time 1 John 1. 1 2 3. That which was from the beginning which we have heard which we have seen with our eyes which we have looked upon and our hands have handled of the word of life for the life was manifest and we have seen it and bear witness and shew unto you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested unto us that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you that ye also may have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ I have read what the subtile Serpent said to the woman and what answer she gave the Serpent and how she yielded to the Temptation and I have read how the Sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord and Satan came also among them