and the Life But now here is one thing to be considered that I would have all People well to mind that is Christ being the Way the Truth and the Life to know what Way he is and how he is the Truth and the Life Now to confess to this is one thing and to come to be a Witness of it is another thing for mind Christ his mind in this thing is that he is man and womans Way to Heaven and the Truth that they must come to and be guided by and the Life that they must live in which is by Faith in the Son of God Now here lieth the matter to be considered whether or no thou art come to that state and condition that is to come to know Christ to be thy Way and whether thou art come to know the Truth as it is in Jesus and to live that Life which pleases God yea or nay which Life is in Christ Jesus this every one is to consider for till People come to be Witnesses of this in themselves 't is not a confessing to it or talking of it will do or stand them in any stead in the Day of Account when God comes to reckon with them For this the holy men of God did witness and said The Life which we now live is by the Faith of the Son of God Gal. 2.20 And John said that came to witness the work of God begun and carrying on in himself on this manner 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 this declare we unto you 1 John 1.1 And further the Apostle saith Christ wrought all their Works in them and for them which work was to root out Sin Now this they came to know and witness in themselves and not by report and hear-say of others this state the People of God came to in all Ages and Generations in a measure while they were here in this Life and did not think to have the work of Redemption done for them when they were dead as some now adayes think to have thinking to serve the Devil while they are here and that God will save them when they can sin no longer but mark this such as People sow such shall they reap and they that sow Sin and Wickedness must of the same Wages reap Corruption which Wages the Scripture saith is Death saying The Wages of Sin is Death and that to them for evermore but the Gift of God is Eternal Life Rom. 6.23 For this is a strange thing that a man should be a Servant to one man many Years and at last come to another for Wages for the same time this is Confusion and Madness and with this Cheat a great part of the World is cheated by both Priests and Professors in telling People that they cannot live without Sin and so they serve the Devil all their days and that God would accept with the reward of Peace of them when they can serve him no longer For inasmuch as they tell People they cannot leave off Sinning but must sin as long as they live it is the same thing as if they tell People they must serve the Devil all their dayes for there is no sin committed or brought forth in any but it is of the Devil 's begetting and bringing forth in People for he is the Father of all Sin in all people wheresoever or in whomsoever it is brought forth and therefore this unavoidably must follow that they that live and dye in Sin must live and dye Servants to the Devil if so every man must expect his Wages according to his Works Therefore I would have none deceive themselves for if the Devil must be served all your dayes him you must go to at last unavoidably whether you will believe it or no. And further take notice of this Christ is not the Way of the Wicked nor of Sinners neither are Sinners or they that plead for Sin come to the Truth nor to know it nor to live the Life of it which Life is out of Sin and not in Sin for that is a Life of the Devil for he is the Founder of all Sin and the Wages of Sin is Death and Damnation to all that live and dye in Sin These things are worthy to be considered before it be too late which will be when God's Spirit hath done striving with thee for without coming to know the Devil's Works destroyed in thee or that work begun by the Lord till thou comest to know this thou shalt never know the Truth making Free from Sin and that which makes Free from sin is Christ and till People come to know this Freedom from Sin begun they can never know Righteousness and without Righteousness none shall see God and without coming to see God none can go to Heaven till they come to be Freed from Sin none can be fitted for Heaven And the Scripture saith The Truth makes Free and the Truth is Christ Jesus and if this be to make Free it is to make Free from something and if it be not from Sin what is it that People must be Freed from I would know I do believe it is from Sin for I never heard of any thing that any was in Bondage to but Sin that hindereth People of Salvation and therefore Christ the Truth is come to make an end of it that Righteousness may reign in the room of Sin and these two things were never known to dwell together but one must be known to be pulling down before the other can be set up therefore it was said Light hath no fellowship with Darkness nor a Believer with an Infidel Here Christ is meant the Light and the Devil the Power of Darkness and these two War one against the other in People striving which shall rule and bear sway in Peoples Minds Hearts and Affections one of these two Spirits striveth to lead into all manner of Sin and Evil and the other striveth to lead into all manner of Righteousness and true Holiness both in things Spiritual and Temporal And here I will make a difference betwixt the manner of their working and striving in People and that in all People at one time or another and that all may be sensible of it if they will but if they will not in the day when God's good Spirit striveth with them they shall be brought one day to a Remembrance of it when they shall be unwilling and before they are aware when nothing but Death and Sorrow shall meet together and none to help them will be found Now to the matter and manner of these two Spirits striving the bad Spirit he in all People strives to keep their Minds altogether in Carnal and in Earthly things which is Death to the Soul The Scripture saith To be Carnally-minded is Death but to be Spiritually-minded is Life and Peace and this I do believe is
False Worships which are but Elementary to be melted with fervent heat the Zeal of God is kindled against them and the old Earth by this cometh to be burnt up then cometh the New Earth which John saw wherein dwelleth Righteousness and in such there is known no more Sea for all people being from the Spirit of Truth are in their Minds as unstable as the Waters of the Sea tossed to and fro with every Wind of Doctrine and with every Tempest of the Enemy before they come to be setled by the Power of God but this stability being once known then people come to know a Stay to their Minds and come as the Scripture saith Isa 26.3 Phil. 4.7 to be kept in perfect Peace and to know that Peace which passeth the Understanding of this World which the Wisdom of this World comprehendeth not for they whose Minds are thus preserved the Wicked One toucheth them not 1 John 5.18 although he may come with many Snares and Temptations to insnare and draw aside yet while people are kept by the Spirit of God they are delivered from them all for it is no Sin to be tempted but to enter into the Temptation that is sin then People come to break their Peace with God when the Devil tempts them to do any Wickedness and they give way to it this is making shipwrack of Faith and a Good Conscience as by sad Experience some have done see the 1st Epistle to Timothy the 1st Chapter and the 19th Verse But the way to prevent this is to give way to Christ that he may bear Rule in thy Heart and Mind and that he may order thy Affections and Conversation and bear sway in thee then thou wilt come to know m that said John 14.17 He that is with you shall be in you And they that he spoke to knew his words fulfilled and so spoke by experience that which they were Eye-witnesses of and said that he wrought all their Works in them and for them And I hope there is none that are so mis-led in their Understandings as to say that Work was Sin but altogether to work out Sin for that is the Work which Christ came to do To put an end to Sin in People Dan. 9.24 and to finish Transgression in People and in the room of Sin to bring in Everlasting Righteousness in People for Sin is in People for there is none in the Beasts of the Field but in mankind for the Beasts of the Field keep their places as God created them and do no way displease God but mankind knows not his Owner as the poor Ox and Ass doth as the Prophet said The Ox knows his Owner and the Ass his Masters Crib but the People know not the Lord Isa 1.3 In the old Nature no Man nor Woman ever knew God but as they came to be changed and Born again and so to put on the New Man Christ Jesus the Old man being put off with his Deeds which is Sin then Christ is known as he said Lo said he 2 Cor. ch 6. ver 16. I will dwell in man and walk in man I will be their God and they shall be my People To know this is Eternal Life but God dwelleth not in Sinners but in them that are pure in Heart for 't is the pure in Heart that see God and so come to be acquainted with God here all People that are acquainted with God by this acquaintance come to know how it s with them as to their inward condition and how it stands with their inward man in the sight of God and by the guiding of Gods Spirit all things in man and woman are kept in good order and by this come to have Power over Sin and in such there is no need to cry out for want of Power for God gives Power to them that come to him by Jesus Christ who hath all Power in Heaven and in Earth in his Hand and God's love is Universal to all People and desires not the Destruction of any but rather they would turn from their Wickedness and live Here you may see according to the Scripture of Truth that it is Sin and Wickedness that is the cause of Death to the Soul for you may read in the holy Scriptures that God hath promised that whosoever will turn from their Wickedness and from their Abominations which they had committed and come to him In quity shall not be their Ruin such shall not Perish but have Life Everlasting these are terms of Salvation that God hath promised the Kingdom of Heaven upon that People may lay down their Heads in Peace when they are to go hence never to be seen more in this World And man must know Wickedness done away in this Life For as the Tree falleth to the North or to the South so it lieth and as Death leaveth People so Judgment will find them and there is no Repentance in the Grave nor calling the time once spent back again nor no Remission of Sin after this Life For no unclean thing shall enter the Kingdom of God And all Sin is Unclean in the sight of God and this is that which Christ is come to destroy that People may be Heirs to a Kingdom which is not of this World And this Paul witnessed when he said He had fought a good Fight he had finished his Course and had kept the Faith and henceforth there was laid up for him a Crown of Glory and not for him only but for all them that feared God and loved his Appearance 2 Tim. 7.8 And this appearance was and is against Sin in the Heart and Paul's fighting was against Sin and Wickedness with Spiritual Weapons which was the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus which was not with Carnal weapons but Spiritual and mighty through God to the pulling down of the strong Holds of Sin and this was not known only by Paul and of the Apostles but by the Righteous in all Ages and Righteous Abel and Enoch and all the Righteous all along to this day they that were made Righteous it was by that Power by which the Apostles witnessed Righteousness which was the Power and Spirit of God and this is near to all that all may be led by it But some have said that It is not now as it was in the Apostles dayes Why is it not now as it was in the Apostles dayes what is changed that it is not now as it was then O say they we cannot do as they did and have Power as they had to live and to stand against Sin and to come to that Perfect State as they did To which I Query thus What was it that made them Righteous or gave them Power over Sin and Death And by what did they War against Sin was it not God that gave them Power over Sin and delivered them from the Evil of this World and what was it by which they did this if not by the Spiritual
true I have found it so by good Experience And this is the Devils end to keep Peoples Minds upon Earthly things that they may never mind Heavenly things but to spend away their precious time in this world till there be no more time that thereby they may lose the Treasure in Heaven that is laid up in Heaven for all those that will come to God upon his Terms which Terms are for People to Repent deny themselves to take up a Cross to their own Wills to love and fear God and to worship him in Spirit and Truth and I am sure that none can do this without the Spirit if it must be as the Scripture saith in the Spirit and in the Truth and I believe the Scripture is true and that Christ spoke true when he spoke these words and all priests and Professors are in Error and Blindness that deny these things but all them that love the Appearance of the Spirit of Christ Jesus which is the chief Terms of Salvation come to know Benefit thereby the manner of his appearing is in Peoples Minds against Sin and they that love that which the Spirit of God appeareth against and judgeth in their Minds they are yet hating of God let them profess what they will it is in vain but they that love those things which the Spirit of God in themselves appeareth for these be they that love his Appearance But in all Ages they that had got on a Covering which was not of God's Spirit these were ever the work for all Religions are false except that in Spirit and Truth and all these false Colours of Religion were ever invented by the Devil and this is one way that he in all Generations did work when he could no longer keep People in open Prophaneness then he invents new wayes for them to walk in and he will plead Scripture for it too and speak much of the holy men of God's Works too That in Ages past they were commanded to do which were good in their Day and Time to them that were obedient to it which were to last till Christ the Substance came or till the time of Reformation being but Shadows and Figures of the Substance which blessed be the Lord he is come and hath put an end to these things and hath set up a Worship in Spirit and Truth But the Spirit of the Devil he is alwayes a keeping busied about outward things and Lip-service that he may keep the Heart upon some visible thing and off from the inward and spiritual Worship and this is one way that he worketh in the Mystery of Iniquity alwayes when he can keep People no longer in open Prophaneness then to turn them into outward Duties as he calls them when God required no such thing at their Hands for it is first the Heart the Lord requireth saying My Son Prov. 23.26 give me thy Heart that is to set their Hearts on the Lord and to be led by his good Spirit in them then Family-Duties and other Duties are by God accepted they being done by the Guidance of Gods good Spirit for thou mayst read in the Scriptures of Truth which we own and have more esteem of them than any other Book in the World and they speak after this manner saying The Prayers of the Wicked are Abomination to the Lord but the Prayers of the Righteous avail much But the Manner of the Spirit of the Devil is to keep People from being Righteous that their Prayers may not be accepted and keeping in outward things that they may never know the inward Work of God which is to work out Sin and to bring in Everlasting Righteousness But he is keeping of them ever hearing and ever learning that they may never be able to come to the Knowledge of the Truth for he knows while they are hear kening to the Teaching of the blind Guides they can never come to the Knowledge of the Truth for the Devil knows till People come to be led and guided by the Spirit of Truth it is impossible that they can ever come to the Knowledge of the Truth here he keeps People seeking of the Living amongst the Dead and Life where no Life is And this is the manner of the working of the Enemy And this is the greatest Cheat that the Devil hath to cheat People of their Souls to turn People into one Outside Painted Religion or another and then perswade them all is well and most of them are willing to believe him it being in the Delightsome Tract of the World only differing in some Geremonies but the Religion in Spirit and Truth Light and Grace this the Professors cannot abide because it calls into a Narrow Way and to enter in at a strait Gate For the Enemy had rather or as lieve People got into some Tract or Form of Religion as not for then he can perswade them it is well with them and perswades them that they need not seek after any thing else and all this he doth that he may keep them from the true Worship in Spirit and Truth But those that are in open Prophaneness he cannot blind after this Manner for they know whosoever is Right they are Wrong and have no Cover for what they do therefore Christ said Publicans and Harlots should enter the Kingdom of Heaven before such as Profess Service to God and serve him not acceptably for no Service is acceptable but that in Spirit and Truth We unto them that are Covered and not with the Spirit of the Lord. And many more Wayes the Devil hath to keep People from answering the Requirings of God's Spirit but no Snare like to a False Cover of Religion Many there be that he hath other Baits for that matter nothing of any Religion some he keeps all their dayes their Minds and Hearts in Covetousness some in Pride some in Drunkenness some in Cozening and Cheating and many more Baits and Snares he hath to betray People of their Happiness with the Lord some the Devil perswades they shall never give an Account to God for what they do and so live like Ranters all their dayes And he tells them There is neither God nor Devil Hell nor Heaven and many are willing to believe it But have a care of this Perswasion for thou shalt know these things to be Lyes one day to the Sorrow of thy Soul when it will be too late for thee to consider if thou dost not Repent in time Others the Devil perswadeth that God hath created some to Salvation others to Damnation which is as great an Untruth as the other and a great many are willing to believe it supposing they are of those that are ordain'd to Salvation some others there be of that mind that are perswaded that if it be so they are of that Number which are born to Damnation and upon this Perswasion many grow Careless in their Conversations and run into all manner of Evil. This Perswasion is a just Road to
put in by the spirit of the Devil and whatsoever is put into any Man or Woman's Mind that is good right and just is done by the Spirit of the Lord for take notice of this all peoples Minds and Affections are swayed by one or the other of these two Spirits one turning into Wickedness the other into Righteousness this is true whether thou wilt believe it or no thou shalt be made to know it when it will be too late if thou art not aware A few words in answer to the fore-mentioned Reasonings and Objections against the Truth and Spiritual Worship As to the Strait Gate and Narrow Way it is strait to the Wicked it is pleasant to the Righteous and as to the many Wayes there are not many Wayes to Heaven but to Heaven there is but one Way and that is to come to answer God's Spirit in thee and to worship God in Spirit and in Truth And as to the being hated of all people this is no new thing for Christ and all the holy Men of God were ever Hated as thou mayst read in the Scriptures and Moses said He did esteem of the Repreaches that be under-went for Christ's sake to be greater Riches to him than all the Treasures in Egypt and though they were hated of Men yet they were beloved of God and all this while it is well enough And as to the Danger of Losing any thing for Christ's sake this was counted by the Righteous all Joy that they were not counted only worthy to Rain with Christ but also to Suffer with him and the Lord hath promised That whatsoever any Suffer for him they shall have Recompensed in this Life a hundred fold and in the World to come Life Everlasting without End And the Scripture saith They that will live Godly in Christ Jesus must suffer Persecutions And Christ told his Disciples The Servant was not greater than his Master if they persecuted him it was certain they would perseoute them And as to the Displeasing of Men it is impossible that people can please God and Ungodly Men and Peter and John bad people judge whether they had best Please God or Man And as concerning a Livelihood believe the Scripture First seek God's Kingdom and the Righteousness thereof and all other things shall be added to thee Matth. 6.33 And as for our Religion which is in Spirit and in Truth to be a New Upstart Religion this is a downright Slander for it was set up by Christ above sixteen hundred years ago and there is no other Way to Heaven but this though some there be that do profess it that do not walk in it this doth not alter the Case or make the thing not to be the same as it is professed for Judas did not alter the Case in that matter neither do any Traitors to the Truth now adayes And as to the False Religion it is true it hath been long standing the more is the Pity yet that doth not make because False Religions have been long standing that therefore it must ever remain this will not hold It is true ever since Wickedness hath been covered under a Cloak of Religion this hath been standing And as to the Church which some say cannot Err I answer that there is no Church or People but do Err except them that are led and guided by the Spirit of God and such are the only true Church and they that are led by this are led by that Spirit that never did nor can Err and till people come to this all go astray let them profess what they will And as to our Fore-Fathers how it was with them that I will leave to the Lord I will not judge of them that I never knew but this I do believe of them That some of them were Faithful to what they knew and that is it the Lord requires and doth accept of and as to them they are gone and I do believe some of them dyed in the true Faith which we do believe in and I do believe they are at Rest with the Lord and were of our Mind and Belief though not called by this new Nick-Name which the Devil in our Age hath invented for his Servants to put upon us as in all Ages the Devil had New Nick-Names for to disguise and deride Christ and his Followers and so he hath now And for your Ministers to know the Way there are none that know the Truth nor no true Ministers but them that come to be endewed with Power from on High which is known by Revelation and Inspiration which your Priests and Professors do deny therefore they cannot know the Truth while they are denying that which bringeth to the Knowledge of the Truth for the Scripture saith and I do believe they are true and they say though there is a Spirit in Man yet it is the Inspiration of the Almighty that gives an Understanding And as concerning Great Learning this is good in its place as men come to the true Understanding of it given to them by the Spirit of God for the Scripture is as a Mystery hid from the Wisdom of this World and it was never known that Outward Learning or Education of Men nor Great Learning did ever bring any man to the Knowledge of the Truth nor never was able to unsold the Mystery of Godliness to any man as for Instance there was Paul he was a great Learned Man and had great Parts and Education and counted himself beyond many of the Jews yet for all this he was ignorant of the true Knowledge of God till he came to it by the Revelation of the Son of God for that was and now is the thing alone that brought People to the Knowledge of that which is hid from the Wisdom of this World And as concerning Tradesmen and Plowmen knowing the Way read the Scriptures and there thou wilt find in all Ages it was such chiefly that came to the true Knowledge of the right Way of God for there were Peter and John that were Unlearned Men and many more beside them which were able Ministers of the Lord and where are there any great Learned Men now adayes that can compare with them but there are many now adayes that are come to the Knowledge of the Truth as they came to it by the Learning which they have learned of the Lord so do they preach whether they have outward Learning or not this makes not much matter in the things of God though Learning be very good in its place to them that make good use of it but if you observe the greatest Learned Men are commonly most ignorant of Christ's Kingdom therefore that is not the thing that makes people Righteous nor is it enough barely reading the Prophets Words and Works and Christ's Words and what he did and the Apostles Conditions how it was with them it is not enough to read these things unless people come to live the same Life that they did but it must be done by the Power of God and this is the Reason that there are so many ever reading and hearing and never able to come to the Knowledge of the Truth thinking by running into outward things they shall do well and never come to Christ that they may know Life Eternal which is to know God as the Scripture saith whom to know is Life Eternal A Day and a Time hath God given to all people that if they will in that Day and Time they may come to know God and by him to be cleansed of Sin which is the Cause of Death to their Souls And in this Day Christ would gather all People to himself as a Hen gathers her Chickens under her Wings but if people will not come to him in that Day and Time when he calleth to them they shall never know Freedom from the Bondage of Hell and Death A Lamentation may be taken up concerning all such that sin out their Day and the Night comes on them at unawares and there be none to help as Christ took up concerning Jerusalem when their Day was over he went and beheld it with much Sorrow and wept over it with much Pity saying on this wise O Jerusalem Jerusalem thou that killest the Prophets and stonest them that are sent to thee how often would I have gathered thee even as a Hen would have gathered her Chickens under her Wings and ye would not and further said he O that thou hadst known in this thy Day the things belonging to thy Peace but now they are hid from thine Eyes So it is with all people that sin out their Day as they did for the Lord striveth with all People as well as he strove with them to bring them to the Knowledge of the Things that belong to their Peace but still here they lie in Ignorance not yielding to the Motions of the Spirit of Christ although there be things laid up in store for them which do belong to their Peace yet in this Condition they are never worthy to know it because they believe not and they that are not faithful in a little never come to know much Thus will it be with all those that sin out their Day and will not answer God in the Time when he striveth with them So 't is good for all people to consider these things before it be too late that they may get Assurance of that which will stand by them and make choice of that which Mary did that Good Part which shall never be taken from them and herein people will come to finish their course with Joy and lay down their Heads in Peace when Dayes and Time shall be no more Thus far have I cleared my Conscience of that which lay upon me from the Lord to write in Love to all who desire to be in Favour with God that they may have Assurance of Acceptance with him for their Souls when their Bodies must be laid in their Graves So I rest with Love and Good Will towards all People desiring the Good and Prosperity of all in that Way which leadeth to that Kingdom which is not of this World who am known to many to be of that Mind and of that Desire by the Name of John Songhurst West Chiltington in Sussex in the 2d Moneth 1680. THE END