the heavens and the Earth was created and all things that therein are even then the Lamb of God was alive and the Son of God glorified with the Father and man in happynesse and in pure perfection without sin in Inocency for nothing that was nocent or hurtful had yet appeared neither was there any such thing in all that God had made Here the wise may learn and they that have a good understanding may read the wisdome of God in a Mystery and also see the darke sottish doctrine of the blind Apostates who have lost the power and are keeping people ignorant of the Mystery of God NOw this hath been a common doctrine and received to be orthodox and as they call it authentick that while we are in this life there can not be an overcoming of all sins nor no expectation of it in this life and their main ground hath been this because we have natural bodies Now I say had not Adam a natural body when he was in purity and perfection in innocency in Paradise in the garden yet was this any hinderance to him to answer the will of his Creator No For as the soul spirit and body was moved by the power out of which power he was not to stir then I say he had ability to perform the will of his maker in the body for as he was created by the power in the inward man that led about the natural earthly or outward form according to its will which will was pure and kept the body acting in its place in the power for then I say all was good for the Celestial power in which he was made moved the whole man according to its will and while he stood in the power he was in innocency and purity and without blemish in the power was his health and peace and he knew no evil Ob. But some may say what is this as to the confutation of the doctrine which hath been taught as to the freedom from sin in this life Ans. This declares that there was such a thing in being to wit a natural body and an earthen vessel and yet without sin as he stood in the power for the earthen vessel was good as all the rest of Gods creation was in its place to serve the power as the rest of Gods creatures did in the beginning and who ever comes to know that state again may come to glorifie God in soul body and spirit though in the body in this tabernacle but take their own phrase for the clearing of the thing not to be freed from the committing of sin in this life I say in the corruptable life or the life of unrighteousness which may be properly called death there is no freedome from sin neither of soul or body or spirit but who comes to know regeneration or the Life of men in which Adam was created in the beginning in that incorruptable Life there is no transgression and if he live in man the body is dead because of sin and I know none who have preached any other 〈◊〉 Life who hath spoke by the spirit of God in which freedome from all sin is obtained but onely the life of Christ and whosoever comes to know the Lord from heaven who ruled over all in the beginning and was the life of all and all moved in his Life before the fall whether they were things visible or invisible that same power or Life of Christ the Lamb of God who was alive then if he live in man man come to be guided by his power as in the beginning he living in man the soul and body and spirit being quickned by his power and raised from under the bondage of corruption then death hath not power over man but life and because he lives in them they live also their souls to praise him and their bodies and the members thereof to be servants of righteousness and so that unbelieving Doctrine of the world is turned into the pit and truth is set above it Object But further it will be objected that our bodies are not like Adams in innocency we are in the fall and therefore we say they hinder from being freed from all sin and ever will while upon Earth Ans. That the naked truth may appear to them that seek after true knowledge I answer freely that I grant that the soul lies in death and the creature is subject to vanity and the whole Creation groans in travel and in pain and waits for the manifestation of the Son of God and the Redemption of the body and in this state is all mankind upon the face of the whole Earth in the first Adam but he who is the second Adam the Lord from Heaven who was in the beginning and is now what he was and shall be for ever I say as man comes to believe in the Son who hath life in himself and he come to be revealed in man and man subject to his leading he brings the soul out of death to have union and communion with himself and restores the creature from his bondage and and breakes the bond and knocks that down which hath imbondaged and so changes the body I do not mean the form of the body but the quality and nature thereof for the form of Adams body was not changed but the quality and it was degenerated from its pure nature wherein it glorified God as he stood in the Power so I say Christ who is the life of men the true light which lighteth every man that comes into the world he changes all that follow him into his own nature and restores the creature into his first estate again into purity that like as the inward man is renewed and restored by the power and serves the Power so the members of the body is also yeelded servants unto righteousness and they receive vertue and Power from the power the Life and so the whole man comes out of condemnation to glorifie his maker the will of God is don in earth as it is in heaven and he saves to the utmost them that comes unto him now if he save the soul and not the body then he saves not to the utmost But this is a high state blessed are they who waites in the faith to the end are happy that they may see and know the redemption of their souls and also the redemption of their body For I deny redemption in the grave or in death or after this life for the holy men of God never mentions a cleansing from sin in the grave nor after men be dead for they that have served sin in their life time and served the devil as long as they live and have yeelded their bodyes to be temples for uncleannesse while they live upon earth eternal misery will be their portion and not redemption think on this you who are holding this forth for an article of your Faith in the world among poor ignorant people that they must not expect redemption
rest false and fained hope and faith and of his own ragged garment and let goe his selfe-righteousnesse and his dead works and come to Christ the life of men again that man hath run from that so he might have life and peace Ob. But some would say that thou wouldst have all upside down unchristian the Nations and unchurch Churches and throw down all our worship and then what should we doe all would be as heathens and turne into Athisme I say a time of fanning and â—ifting and trying is come when nothing shall stand but that hath the image stamp and character of the living God upon it and all that which hath been brought up and raised up since man hath been in the transgression must be turned down into the pit again and all that have got a name of Christian and wants his life to live among them and in them shall be scattered as clouds with the East wind and all imitated worships and will worshippers and the fained faith and the fained hope shall be confounded and all will worships and worshippers will be overturned who are not come yet to the true light that lightens every man that comes into the World and till man comes to the light and tries his deeds and works by it he never sees what he is doing nor what he is working nor what he works and so all that man doth here in the unbeliefe it is but sin or selfe-righteousnesse which is brought forth by him who abode not in the truth in the unbelief and so who be come to the power which was in the beginning before sin entred and death by sin hath and doth measure all deeds and all works man that is in the losse in the fall sees that a dead man cannot act a living work nor bring forth living fruits unto God nor living works of righteousnesse being in the unrighteousnesse neither the fruits of faith being in the unbeliefe neither the works of the day being in the night neither the works of charity being in the emnity in a word without Christ the power the light the life which was glorified with the Father before the world began I say he said it himself who is the beginning of the creation of God the first born of every creature he said and his testimony will be found true without me ye can do nothing nothing that is wel-pleasing to the Lord nothing that ever shall be acceptable and here is the true state of all the Earth discovered and all mankind drove out from God miserable naked hopelesse helplesse faithlesse and so can doe nothing as to the glorifying of God his maker or to the ordering of any thing in the creation to his glory having lost his dominion and Gods wisdome and this being considered seriously by all and brought to the light in all and their deeds tryed by it would make the lofty bow and the stout hearted fear and the conceited sit down in solitarinesse that they should so long deceive their own souls with a conceit of righteousnesse and redemption when as death yet reignes in them and over them and not life eternall So the Devil is a distinct being from God and his works are distinst and his deeds from the works of God and neither he nor his works shall ever be numbred among the works of God but he and they that obey him and follow him who is out of the truth they their works of what sort soever they may seem unto men to be whose eyes the devil hath blinded so I say all is to be condemned and shut out from Gods presence for ever and to be destroyed by him who is a consuming fire and all the righteousnesse of man burned as combustable stuff in unquenchable fire Pr. And by what hath been said the principle of that ranting crew who are become vaine in their imaginations and foolish their understandings being darkned are seen and their principle overthrown As that light and darknesse is one good evil one and sin and righteousnesse one and truth and a lye one and that God is all and doth all and what ever is done is of God and that there is no evil but to him that thinks it so and it is onely a false apprehention of things and that there is no such thing as sin that sin is nothing Unto all these things I might speak but the understanding Reader may by what is before written see each of these plainly declared and the true ground of things laid down as the spirit gave utterance and this shall at present suffice in this matter Ob. But some may object further and say will not reading the scriptures and conforming to the practise of the saints in the use of his ordinances will not this make us accepted and bring us out of the fall and make us good christians Answ. No while death hath dominion in man and over man and the vaile over the heart man doth not understand the mystery of Gods kingdome neither understands the scripture which was spoken from the spirit of truth or any thing of truth as it is in Christ for none understands the things of God but by the spirit of God so that every man that comes to have a good understanding must come to know the pure spirit of God in him to direct him informe him which spirit was the original of the scripture for the holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the holy Ghost and without the Holy Ghost in some measure be known â—nd that which is infallible the sayings the writings the scriptures cannot be understood because of the want of this all the Earth is run into heads sects opinions large treatises and volumes expositions have been written yet differing one from another and all from the spirit and in all these particular sects persecuting one another envying one another and hating one another and would compell others to believe what they believe in what they say if they had but power and for proof of this it is most evident in the scripture of truth and in latter ages since the Apostles it hath been and it is evidently seen both among the Papists and Protestants and among all them that are called the reformed Churches but all this is in the fall and in the transgression and in the Apostacy and is an evident token that they are all under the power of the beast who makes War against the Lamb so all compellation and they that do compell are not worshippers of the Lamb but of the beast which is to be destroyed and cast into the lake For the Jews under the first Covenant had the Scriptures the good and wholsome words of God and the Prophets and read the Law and the Prophets on the Sabbath dayes and yet the vail was over their hearts and and though they did perform many things commanded yet they being erred from the spirit did not understand
quenched but as there is a submission unto its pure operation it burnes up and destroyes that which hinders the growth of the seed it purgeth the heart of them that have confidence in it from all filthinesse both of flesh and spirit and worketh up the creature into its own frame and nature and fashions and makes and moulds all that are in the Faith into the Image of the Father and so the Fathers love comes to be shed abroad in the heart and as the wrath was revealed through the spirit and condemnation so now the peace of God comes to be enjoyed and his consolation shed abroad largly in which there is pure rejoicing for ever Vnto whom the Spirit of the Father bears witness and seals assurance of the Fathers love and of justification with God declared NOne hath the witness of Gods Spirit bearing witness to them nor in them who have not believed in the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world by whom alone life is begotten by the powerful operation of Christ in them that believe in him who is eternal light it self whose word is spirit and life by which the new Creature is framed formed in them that believe unto whom he maketh manifest his power for unto him who is the life of men is all power committed both in heaven and earth for nothing was made or created but by him neither is any turned from sin but by him and by his mighty power without him is death in him is life and the life is the light of men So that none but they that are born of the light and are begotten by him who is light can have the spirit of Christ who is light to bear witness unto them neither the assurance of the Fathers love for onely they that are born of the spirit and walk after the spirit are justified by the spirit of the Lord for the assurance of his love is not made manifest to his enemies but unto them that are born brought forth in his own image in his own likeness and nature which is pure and incorruptible without stain or defilement the holy seed which is heir of the promise who knows the living hope which purifies the heart and bringeth the answer of a good conscience unto them that feel and witness the washing of regeneration and have known in themselves the clean water poured forth upon them which hath taken away the stains and spots and blemishes and the defilements for where these are no washed out the heart cleansed from them that believed in wherein Gods all-sufficiency is felt and his power made manifest there cannot be assurance of the Fathers love in the heart nor in the soul neither doth the spirit of the Father bear witness unto such nor assure their justification but on the contrary where sin remains unsubdued and taken away the spirit of the Father condemneth the sin and the creature now is joyned to it and is become one with it for no sin is brought forth but there is a consent and an assenting to the instigation of the Devil although when a temptation ariseth either within or without there may be a resisting and a striving against it for a little but the heart not being kept close to the spirit the enemy often enters and so captivates the understanding then there is an agreement and a joyning to the adversary and so the spirit pronounceth the sentence of condemnation upon him who is joyned to the harlot and becomes one flesh and joyned unto strange flesh which is not the flesh of Christ the seed and that which hath joyned and consented to drink of the cup of fornication must drink of the cup of indignation and terrour and bear the stroke of Divine Justice and lie in patience under it till that be cut down which hath joyned to deceit before there can be the remission of the transgression or the Creature justified in the fight of God For sin is not blotted out of the book of Gods remembrance till it be turned from and repented of neither doth the creature stand clear in the sight of God when God judges in righteous judgement which the light in every ones conscience shall answer Now he that is born of God sins not for the seed of God remains in him which is life And as the creature joyns to that seed which is heir of the Kingdom and of the Crown immortal he comes to be made partaker of its vertue and operation which seed is Christ and by his power by which he limiteth the seed of the Serpent and weakens his strength in the creature as man cometh to believe in his strength unto whom all power is committed the covenant with Death is broken and that agreement that the creature hath made with death comes to be disannulled by the arm and power of the Lord and so the creature comes to be delivered from the bondage of corruption and the new man comes to live or the new creature which is born of God which sins not comes to be framed and fashioned in the image of the Father and the Fathers love is manifest unto him and in him and he hath the assurance in himself The Babe that is born from above of the Spirit which is from above of which he is born and brought forth of the just by the just he is justified by the just God and the just witness of the spirit sealeth this in him And he hath the record of his justification For there is three that bear record in the earth the water the blood and the spirit and he that is born of that which is pure in it self hath the witness of all these three in himself for they agree in one That which one beareth wit-witness to and for the other doth the same and the record and testimony and witness of all these three hath he that is born from above Moreover there are three that bear record in heaven the Father the Word and the spirit and these three are one So he that is born of the Father and begotten of the Father in Christ the seed through the Spirit he and he alone comes to feel the Fathers love made manifest in him and is justified in the sight of the Father and hath the record of all these witnesses before mentioned in himself so that he hath his assurance and evidence near him and in him the seal of the Father the seal of the Spirit And so when the adversary comes to tempt and to assault and would raise up doubts in the mind the evidence is near which puts him out of all doubt that he is in the love of God blessed for ever and happy are all they who have waited for these things have felt these things and are witnesses of these things for flesh and blood hath not revealed these things Now let every man who reads this prove himself and try himself whether he be in the faith or
THE INVISIBLE Things of GOD Brought to light by the REVELATION of the ETERNAL SPIRIT who was an ey-witness of the wonders of the Lord in the beginning Wherein is declared the Felicity of all things in the beginning and the sad estate of all things after the transgression How all the reformed Churches so called in Christendom are yet in the Apostacy The estate of the true Church before the Apostacy and her state in the Apostacy And the glory that shall appear after the Apostacy By one who believes God will shine out of Sion in perfect beauty again after the dark night of Apostacy called Francis Howgill The Light of the Moon shall be as the light of the Sun and the light of the Sun as Seven days And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people and the vail that is spread over all Nations Isai. 25 7. London Printed for Thomas Simmons at the Bull and Mouth near Aldersgate 1659. THE EPISTLE TO THE READER OR Readers TO the upright hearted Reader in all the Regions of the Earth wherein this may come who have walked in the thick fogs and mists which hath arisen out of the botomlesse pit which hath been raised up since the transgression which have dimmed your eyes hurt your sight so that you could not behold the pure Celestial being nor him that dwels in it whose presence gives Life nor any thing within the vail because the vail hath been spred over all Nations and it hath been so thick that it hath been hard for any to rent it and the night of Apostacy and darknesse hath been so long since the woman fled into the wildernesse and since the man-child which was born hath been caught up to God that few or none for this many ages past hath come to see the end of the night but hath mourned without hope and few or none hath seen or hath been able to discerne the time of the womans return out of the wildernesse again into which she fled and few or none hath seen to the end of the times after which shee should return and mens sight in the Apostacy hath been so dime and in the vexation that when the man-child which was caught up unto God would appear again few hath had faith to believe or sight to he hold him or an understanding to deserne of the times But praises be to the Lord God everlasting who hath opened is and opening the windowes of heaven and showring down his wisdome as a mighty rain his knowledge as the morning dew and an understanding is pouring forth as the water out of the bottles of heaven as the water spouts so that ages times things daies and years is measured and seen And him that was before all things is beholden by whom all things was made who hath been as in a far country all this long night of darknesse but the time is fully expired and now is he returning and his appearance is as a morning without clouds as clear as the Sun and as pure as Christal and now is he scattering the clouds fogs and mists as with the East wind his pure breath clears the air and by his arm which is mighty is he renting the vail of the covering according to his promise revealing himself in his naked glory that the solitary may rejoice and the feeble may be comforted and them that have erred may come to a good un-understanding what I have writ thou must read me onely in that which is invisible and eternal in thy self else I am sealed from thee my words are a riddle and although the the dreamers of this age in the apostacy say Imeditate revelation is ceased and not to be looked for yet I must needs bear my testimony against them all for what I have here written I neither received of man nor from man nor books nor other words but by the eternal spirit who saw these things and was an eye-witness of them and God through it hath revealed them in me and to me that I might beare my testimony of the hidden things of God which are eternal although I have made use of the scriptures and the saints words and cited some it is not for my sake but thine who reades that so every truth may be confirmed by 2. or 3. witnesses If thou wait to know and find the key of David who opens in what I have declared thou wilt see the state of things before the fall and after the fall how all men in the fall have corrupted themselves in all administrations thou wilt see the state of the Church before the apostacy in the apostacy and what shall be after the apostacy and if thou cannot reach into the things as they are declared judg them not before the day appeare in thy selfe for till then they will be obscure to thee but as it appeares in thee thou shalt bear me witnesse that these things are holy faithful and true and hath and shall be fulfilled in that which is immutable I bid thee farewel F H. The chief particulars or heads in the ensuiug discourse treated upon aud opened by the Spirit of the Lord who was an ey-witness unto these things 1. THe work of the Lord declared which was in the beginning when the word was with God and man in the image of God 2. Although the heavens and the Earth were created and all things therein finished yet the world was not begun that lay in wickednesse which the Devil is the God of neither was Christ the mystery hid nor the Lamb slain 3. The understanding may read the Wisdom of God in a mystery and also may see the sottish Doctrine of the apostates 4. An objection answered 5. Another objection answered 6. How peace joy and delight possessed every thing that God had made how every thing which he had formed glorified him with one consent in the beginning 7. How man lost his state and dominion and unity with God and all the creatures and how the Lamb came to be slain and the world that lay in wickedness came to be framed in man after the tempter entred how endless misery can in upon all after the transgression 8. How sin entred into the world and death by sin and how man is dead while he lives and all is dead works that he acteth and the state of all the sons of men and their works may be seen in the fall 9. 3. Objections answered about this particular 10. Self righteousness deeds of darkness also and dead works and are to be condemned also and man who acteth them in the fall 11. An objection answered as to the present state of the Ministry of the Nations their practice and their worship 12. An objection as to the Churches so called and their worship in the Nations 13. The dark and blind Doctrines of the Ranters denyed 14. An objection about reading the Scriptures and conforming to the outward practice of
tempted the man and the temptation entered into a ground which was blessed before and good in the motion of the life of the Power but she having transgressed contrary to the command the man received it contrary to the command without the motion of the Power or the life which all was to move in he also going out of the power received it in and seed upon knowledge without the life without the power out of the truth he became one with the woman one with the Serpent who went out of truth and abode not in it and they all were disjoynted and cut off from the Life and the power and hear was the beginning of the father of lies and of him who spoke of himself out of the power out of the truth and his beginning is without foundation now he that is wise in heart read his generation or who made him now appeared the Angel of the bottomless pit and not before and made war against the power against the Lamb and so the heart of man was turned away from obeying and feeding upon the power to obey and feed upon knowledge without the Life or power and here was the first transgression out of the power and the motion of the light which made all things good and so as this knowledge was fed upon and grew man died unto the Life unto the power and wisdom and dominion that he had over all that God had made he lost and so died unto the power and lived upon knowledge without the power and now became afraid of the power because he was in the transgression of it And thus the Serpent who was most subtle went out of the truth and acted in sin and led into transgression and so there became fear where was none and shame where there was none and nakedness where there was no nakedness before the power was died unto which was their clothing in righteousness and there was a hiding place sought by him who before iniquity needed no hiding place and this is the foundation and beginning of that seed in the transgression which shall call to the mountains to cover them and to hide them from the wrath of the Lamb. Oh how is man degenerated now and grown quite out of the pure quality and kind and nature in which he was made now afraid of the power that made him which before he had union with was his Life and gave him dominion and this fulfilled upon man he was planted a noble vine a holy right seed now become a degenerate plant of a strange vine now when the Lord appeared and examined him and man knew his fault that he had acted against the power yet that which acted in transgression would excuse here is the fruit of the Devils work transgresse and then hide and excuse it and so the woman put it off to the Serpent he was the beginner of it but if she had stood in the power he would have had no place nor his counsel but they all went out of the light and Life into the knowledge without the Power and Life and so the curse came upon all Now the man cursed and the ground for his sake and the woman cursed in sorrow to bring forth and the Serpent cursed the beginner of iniquity cursed above all the beasts of the field to go upon his belly and dust to be his meat for ever and an enmity put between the seed of the woman and his seed for ever and an eternal decree passed against him for ever and he made war against the seed of the woman which the Lord promised to bruise his head now came the miserable estate in that which led him into transgression grew and he in it and to be at unity with it then came hard ness of heart and then came the world to be founded in his heart and he grew in the devouring beastly nature to follow the earthly imaginations of his heart and became earthly and fed upon that which the beasts of the field fed upon And now the Lamb came to be slain since the foundation of the world now was man driven out from the tree of Life and out of the garden and could no way come there again he had no right to it the Lamb being slain and he was cut off to wit man from him which before gave him peace and from the Power in which he was made he was driven out from and the sword set that go what way he could he could not come into the Life again the image of God lost then the joyful day was lost and rejoycing in the Lord at an end then the day of peace was finished and perpetual misery and wo come in then unity with the Lord of glory gone and now shame and contempt came and woful misery Now Hell was formed and the botomlesse Pit sprang up and the Angel thereof ruled and advanced and the Lamb slain and now the Lake was prepared and Tophet ordained now came the day of angnish of pain of wo sorrow and misery blackness and darkness terror horror fear on every side and the day of great perplexity Dominion lost power lost Authority lost peace lost joy lost health lost unity lost with God and unity lost with every creature and endless misery brought in Alas alas what is become of him who was the Son of God now become as the beasts that perish now a vessel of wrath a dishonourable vessel Oh unspeakable losse forfeited all Life and all gone into plunged into the deep pit of endlesse misery driven from the presence of the Lord from blessednesse happinesse into cursednesse and misery never to come to Life again but through the losse of Life man in honour in dominion partaker of eternal riches and the durable riches now turned out of all and become vile in the sight of the Lord and hath forfeited Life and all eternal life and he who was in perfect freedome become a bondman a slave to the Devil and to noysome lusts he who was Lord over all now become a servant to all and every creature he who was in dominion in the power of God now become base and vile He who was the Image of God now become the image of the Devil he who was heir of life and felicity now become inheritor of death and endlesse misery he was partakers of the unchangeable love now partaker of wrath he that was in the covenant of life in which he had union with God and all the Angles and all the holy host of God now hath union with unclean spirits which are cursed from the presence of the Lord for ever he that had union with all Gods creatures hath lost the union with all being gone out of the power in which all was created and moreover now in enmity to it and joyned to him who hath the power of death which is the Devil and now drawes iniquity as with a Cart-rope and vanity as with a cord and he who was joyned
to the Lord and to the Lamb now joyned to the Dragon who makes war against the Lamb he that had union with the seed the heir of all things now hath union with the seed of the Serpent the first borne of wickedness heir of condemnation and everlasting vengeance who is driven from the Lords presence and curst for ever and to be tormented from the presence of the Lord for ever Now the world set in the heart and the heart gon out after earthly things even things that perish and now his life grew in that and after that which sadeth his delight on transitory things in lust in pleasure and wantonnesse delighting in the flesh hath forgotten God his maker and now dishonours him Oh let the heavens mourn and let the earth be without joy letâ— hils lament and the vallies be grieved let gloominesse cover the face of the deep let the floods be sorry and springs lament let all thau moveable take up a lamentation and let it be for a lamentation for ever misery is spread over all the earth is polluted and defiled and all is out of order disjoynted from the Lord and great confusion and perplexity is come upon all and the whole creation grones and travels in pain in grief and sorrow and all is made subject to vanity the oppressor bears Rule the Land mournes the Lamb is slain the serpent and his seed rejoyceth and triumphes all is filled with violonce the seed suffers the Lord is is grieved the Angels mourne the proud and presumptions is now counted happy and now the worker of iniquity set up to be a Ruler and a Law-giver now to man and in man who before had the Lord to be his Law-giver and his King Oh woful change oh sad state oh deplorable condition gone from honour and glory into perpetual misery and contempt and here all the whole Earth and all mankind may read themselves as in a glasse in what state they are in in the fall in the first nature in the disobedience time would fail me to expresse the misery and the sad estate of all mankind in the Curse yea it is unexpressable and undeclareâ—ble and unfathomable and incomprehensible by the sons of men in the unbelief but God hath revealed to me by his spirit that which is now spoke and he shall beare me record that my witnesse is true also that of God in every mans conscience when the book of conscience shall be opened and the secrets of all hearts revealed shall bear witnesse that this is true How sin entred and death by sin into the world and now man dead while he lives and all is dead works that man brings forth wherein the state of all the Sons of men may be seen and their works in the fall NOw the serpent being more subtil then all the beasts of the field in presumption of himselfe moved without the power and formed a thing without the power and began his work and brought a lye being gone out of the truth sin conceived and a lye conceived â—e is the Father of it and not the power he spoke of himselfe who was gone out of the light motion or the powers acting man also his eye being abroad out of the life and power lâ—t in the temptation upon him but if he had stood in the power as God had ordained him and commanded him and had not moved out of it he would have seen when the serpent or any other thing had gone out of the power and have still had dominion over it and though it was evil in the serpent to tempt who moved without commandement from the Lord yet if man had stood in the power he had kept him out and it had been no sin to him neither condemned should he have been and so that blind doctrine of the world and the teachers thereof is a lye who have said and taught that God ordained him to fall and upon this account that so Christ might be revealed and that his Son might be honoured for if man had not faln say they there had needed no Saviour This is ignorance and blindnesse he created man in his Image to stand in the power and ordered and commanded him so to do and to glorifie him who made him to stand in the dominion over all the works of his hands And this doth not make Christ uselesse or of no use yea he was of use before and was his life and the life of all things and what if I say salvation the wise will understand the unlearned will say what needed their salvation when there is no sin yes there needed salvation preservation in that state that he was made in that he might be upholden in that state and saved from any thing that might hurt him in that state so as to weaken him that he might not have power to fulfill the will of God and to glorifie his maker Ob. But some may say he was not saved and preserved but was created and left to himselfe to order himself whether he would stand or fall Ans. I say whose was the fault that he was not preserved and saved in that state was it in God nay and that he was left to himselfe is also as false and unlearned he left him in the power and in the dominion everlasting and commanded him to stand there and he was not to goe out of it but to act in the motion of the word and in the power by which he was made which was Christ who was glorified with the Father before the world began I say according to Gods appointment and ordination man was not left to himselfe but to stand in the power and authority of the word wherein man had power to fulfill the will of God and keep all in order according to Gods appointment but he going out of the power contrary to Gods command giving heed to the woman and the Serpent who were gone out of the command before I say he of his own accord going out when the power commanded him not to harken to any such thing but on the contrary forbad him so let in a lye and believed the woman and the serpent and so went from his preservation and protection and salvation so was catched in the serpents snare who abode not in the truth Ob. But then some may say he had a voluntary will to doe as he would and was not that will good Ans. The will was good in it self as it stood and went out in the lifes motion but moving or acting contrary to the motion of the life was not good for that was out of Gods order and appointment for nothing in man or without man of all that God had made was to stir or act without commandments now the Son was not honoured by mans faling but both the Father and the Son was dishonoured and now the Son or power was not revealed by the fall but vailed as from men so the fogy mists of darknesse is scattered
and the blind doctrines of the World layd waste Ob. Some will be ready to say how dost thou say he was in dominion everlasting then how should he fall that lasted but a while Ans. I say he was made by the word which abides for ever and in it which was in the beginning with God and was God and Gods Son and his dominion is an everlasting dominion and his Throne is established in righteousnesse for ever and ever and in it selfe it is what it was ever and after the fall retained the same power and authority in it selfe and so will do for ever mans power stood in it onely out of it he had none so going out of it dyed to it and not any more power to do or to will or to order or to rule any thing but by it but he lost the feeling of it and the guidance of it the vertue of it and life of it and became dead to it and alive in his heart and mind to an other power to wit the power of deceit and to the power of him which hath the power of death which is the Devil so God is clear no fault in him nor in the power nor weaknesse in the dominion and authority which he had but destruction meerly wholly and onely of himself and he is to bear the his own burthen Thus man receiving in the Devils conceptions who was gone out of the truth and became one with it feeding upon knowledge without the life this was evil thus sin entred and death by sin man cut off from the power from life from the dominion which he had in the power now man is dead while he lives and in the day he eat he died dead to the power dead to the life dead to good dead to truth dead to purity dead to Righteousnesse estranged and alienated from it the grave covers him death hath prehemenence and bears rule and not life and he gone into its nature and loves it and imbraces it Oh sad life ah sad state now his life cursed which is death he cursed all his actions cursed all his conception cursed all his works cursed labouring in sorrow in travel and pain and grief and sweat and perplexity Now all may as in a line read the happy estate of man before the fall the sad and deplorable estate in the fall which who can declare or who can measure or who can demonstrate the miserable estate of man dead in trepasses and sins and life swallowed up of death death and destruction lives and man in it and now in the grave God is not remembred but forgotten Now the world set in the heart and the Earth in the heart the heart becomes earthly and vain thorns and bryers springs up and the Earth covers the slain now death lives and man lives in it and one with the enmity and in enmity against God who was before his life man now in chains of darkness when any thing moves Heaven-ward the power of death drawes the mind down again to the pit into darkness Now the nature of all things in the earth set in the heart Beasts Rocks Hills Mountains dogs swine and brutish creatures and man becomes brutish and vain they have all dominion over him he a slave to all all rules over him and death grew and dead works brought forth he cannot now perform any thing whereby he can purchase the love of God nor give a ransom for his soul now the root of betterness grew and the enmity and man in lust and when his lust is crost or his will crost then the enmity which liveth in him riseth he would kill that and destroy that imprison that and bring it into bondage that the enmity might be Lord over all and brings the innocent into bondage that which is nocent is set up and the higher deceit growes in the heart the more stir it makes and the greater destruction of that which crosses it and here came in oppression murder cruelty tyrany prisoning imbondaging revenge maliciousness and envie rage sury headiness pride this is all in the curse and springs up from the foundation of the world in the heart and so being given way unto and loved grows in strength and iniquity multiplies and the beast growes and the name great and numberless the Serpents root spreads forth it self and sprouts out in the Earth and comes to grow great and is admired now the deeds of darkness and the works of darkness comes to be many envy murder adultery fornication uncleanness riotousness sporting covetousness defrauding cheating maliciousness theft dissimulation feinedness hypocrisy witchcraft cursed-speaking railing reviling filthy communication unsavory speeches wantonness lightness foolish jeasting idle talking vain Babbling back-biting swearing lying cursing blasphemy slandering pride arogancy vain-boasting contention strife emulation mischief these and many more are now the fruits of the degenerate plant dead works and the works of darkness in man who was once a noble plant a holy right seed now the fruits of Sodom and the grapes of Gomorah whom God destroyed and overthrew is brought forth and the whole Earth is filled with violence and these be the fruits that grow and are become great over all Nations which are wrought by the Devil the father of lies who spoke of himself and works of himself in the dark in the night out of the light out of the day who went out of the truth and now worketh in all the children of disobedience who are out of the light and out of the power and here are all the sons of fallen Adam in the curse under the wo and these be the works that are wrought and brought forth which hath stained the earth and the father of them and man in whom they are wrought and the works themselves is all for condemnation never to be numbred among the Saints in light nor among their works Self righteousness deeds of darkness also and dead works which though they be not counted as bad as the former by them that act in them yet they are to be condemned also And man who acts them being in the fall CAin who was the first begotten in the fall the similitude likeness and image of Adam his Father who had transgressed and disobeyed and lost the power and became dead to it Cain I say his expresse Image out of the saith out of the Power he brought a sacrifice and offered in the same nature he slew his brother with and envied him who was in the saith and was accepted of the Lord through faith in the Power of God I say in this nature he offered and was not accepted he was in the imitation out of the life out of the Power in feinedness and this was self and not the Lord that moved him The Jewes in the Prophets time who were in Cains nature in envy and maliciousness grinding the faces of the poor and oppressing the needy and chopping them in pieces as flesh for the pot they brought sacrifices oblations
purity in him reproveth so he comes nearer and comes to join in some measure to the spirit of holines or the holy spirit and to receive it and to feel the power of God in some small measure though but weakly working in him to the purging out those things which the spirit lets him see is evil which hath been reproved in him and so in some measure feels in himself what to wait upon and where to wait and in what even in that which gives every one a feeling of their own condition within and opens their understandings How the spirit of truth worketh and operateth in them who are convinced and yet hath not obeyed it shewed THough God who is a spirit hath appeared by his manifestation unto all yet all have not received it he that hates the light hath not received it The eye-lids of the morning are unto him as the shadow of death that which manifesteth and bringeth to light all evil the evil doer likes it not heeds it not receives it not but still is without God in the world that lies in wickedness and without the spirit in death and dead in trespasses and sins a sepulchre in which the just lies slain in this state God is not remembred there is no remembrance in the grave nor no thanks in the pit yet night shines in darkness and a man unconverted yet convinced in that darkness and that which convinceth him is the light so light shines in darkness in man in the greatest darkness and this may convince all vain disputers who say every one is not inlightened neither that the spirit of God hath appeared to all good men have it bad men it s near them they that bring forth the fruits of darkness and bring forth the deeds of darkness they are lighted yea they that are in darkness and are darkness the light shines in them the Spirit of God shines there in darkness manifesteth their darkness here man is darkness the Ephesians were darkness in the unconverted estate yet had light shining in them Eph. 5. 8. the spirits manifestation they had but were not led by it once they were without God in the world but after were turned unto it â—it shewed them their darkness and it leading their minds they came to be made light in the Lord who is that spirit whose manifestation hath appeared to all so all are without excuse for he hath not left himself without witness and they that have not Gods witness to be theirs that is to say to possess it they have no faith nor assurance in God at all but that which should bring assurance of salvation unto them it assures their condemnation and also reveals sorrow Now as every one is turned to the measure of Gods holy spirit and keeps his mind into it he comes to feel and to see its reproof and so as the mind is kept still into it it arises in its purity and shines forth in the heart in more brightness still checking man for disobedience still judging and as it is listened unto it appears in strength and layes every mans heart open and lets him see how full of unrighteousness he is how full of imaginations he is how his heart is full of vain idle thoughts and how lust aboundeth in the heart this makes his trouble to increase and his sorrow to multiply and this is alwayes present none can run from it but it follows him and shall pursue every one to the pit who obey it not and kindle his torment and whatsoever the mind may run into to take pleasure for a moment and the heart be exercised in yet this measure of Gods Spirit is alwayes present to condemn it and judge a man for it so the strokes of the Almighty is still heavy upon his back being still in the disobedience of the spirit it never bears witness unto any man in that state but God through it still sounds the alarum of War and terror in his heart so that fear compasseth him about on every side and though for moment the cry may not be heard and through disobedience it may seem as dead as unto him yet if ever the mind be but still and a man sober and calm and ever mind what he is doing it appears again and though a man may take up something and perform something which is called religious and pray in words and read and talk of the Scriptures and may take up some carnal outward Ordinance and there content himself for a time yet still the witness of Gods holy Spirit for that shews him his hypocrisie and that he seeks a cover to shelter himself under that he may live in disobedience be at ease in the flesh but all in vain for there is no peace within but the measure of Gods Spirit still shewes him that he serves sin and follows his own will and in this will brings forth a worship and this is will-worship nay if a man practice all those things which others who were in the life performed and were accepted yet this will not satisfie God hath no pleasure in this no more then if one slew a man or blessed an Idol or kissed Baal all is abomination to the Lord and though a man may sin so far against the light of Christ in his own conscience that the light be to him as though there were no such thing yet all this well not do for the Lord will thunder from his holy plaâ—â—â—â—ough thou have stopped thy ear as to him and closed thy eyes yet he will cause his terror to strike into thy heart so that dread shall compass thee about as a wall and thou shalt be afraid for that which thou shalt see hear though the spirit strives long yet being still disobeyed the long-suffering of God comes to an end concerning him that hath been unfaithful and then his wrath is kindled as fire which shall burn to the lowest Hâ—ll into which all the rebellious and stif-necked shall be cast and have their portion for ever among all the children of darknesse therefore all who have been convinced long still are by Gods holy spirit of the way of truth and yet have not submitted to the leading of the spirit think on this for its the Lords truth which I declare to you or else eternal mysery will be your end And if thou still persist on after the imaginations of thine own heart and in thy rebellious will thou quencheth the spirit and the motions thereof though it be life in it self yet is as ded unto thee who art in the gainsaying resisting that through which Gods eternal power is manifest in them that believe thou wilt grow insensible past feeling and become as seared flesh and be senslesse as to the things of God and hardnesse of heart will come upon thee and thou wilt be as a stone that cannot be melted and woe will be unto such where the spirit of the Lord in them ceaseth
that which shews a man the temptations when they arise that is the same now this they call common and that which preventeth a man and keeps him back that he lend not his heart nor puts forth his hand to commit evil but restrains a man from it is not that saving out of evil which stops the adversary in his way that he enter not but preserveth the creature out of defilement and saves him from it is not this saving is not this the same thing that the Apostle who was well acquainted with the grace of God and of it's operation wrote of to Titus That grace of God which brought salvation which had appeared and doth now appear to all men which taught self-denyal them to deny wordly lusts and also to live godlily or like unto God in this present world and now doth the same is not this sufficient to believe in and sufficient to save Now I doe not say but there is a greater measure let out unto them that are converted unto God then is to them that are convinced of their evil by the same grace yet still it is one and the self-same thing one gift yet a greater measure of one and the same pure vertue and power which is given to them that obeys the life which is already made manifest by its appearance unto all Ob. But some will be ready to say that this is error and that which is contrary to scripture and to Orthodox teachers that the grace which is saving is near all men and hath appeared to all men To that I answer Though grace be saving in it selfe even the grace that hath appeared to all men and may truly be called saving grace yet to them that believe not in it neither are taught by it it convinceth and shews evil and checks and judges for it yet there is no variation nor change in the gift of God but as it worketh upon different objects for faith and unbelief are two different things as light and darkness are different and so the word of his grace is the savour of life unto life that is to say unto them that believe and is the savour of death unto death unto them who are in the unbelief who indeed are dead while they live yet there is the same grace and the same word of grace yet here is different operations so the Lord killeth and maketh alive yet the same Lord The spirit convinceth of sin and reproveth for sin and also consolates and comforts Here is diversity of operations yet the same spirit which never alters Object But further some may say If that it be saving grace or at the least a degree and a measure of saving grace that hath appeared to all men then how is it that all are not saved by it Answ. Because I would all stumbling blocks were removed away that the path might be made plain that all might come to believe in that which is Gods gift in which there is power and sufficiency Therefore I am constrained by the grace of God to declare of it and to bear witness to it thus largely which I know will be to the edification of all that hunger after righteousness All are not saved by it because they believe not in it neither are taught by it yet its validity power and vertue is nevertheless in it self and though them that are careless and heedless say we feel no power nor sufficiency in it to save us from sin yet this makes not void their confidence who have received it knows its power which hath given them power and also sufficiency to do the will of God what though unbelievers who are in the alienation say there is no beauty in Christ neither form nor comliness this makes not his glory void who is the express Image of the Father full of grace and truth the Disciples saw it and bore record of him who were in the faith and the Pharisees said he had a Devil who were in the unbelief but in brief this is my testimony that the grace of God the perfect gift of God which shewes ungodlinesse and leads from ungodlynesse all that are taught by it is a sufficient teacher of it selfe I mean as the power of Christ through it is made manifest unto all them that hearken to it Paul â— Minister of the word of reconciliation who was wrapt up into the third heaven where he saw things unutterable came to be temptâ—â—d and buffeâ—ted with the messenger of Sâ—tan and feare and doubting rose up in him he prayed unto God thrice and this answer was given unto him my grace is sufficient for thee so this is evident to all understandings who are opened by the Lord that which shewed him the temptations and Satans messengers and Satans buffetings was sufficient to preserve him and so is it for all who singly are kept to it and in it sufficient to shew ungodlinesse because of its purity and to lead from worldly lusts by its power and to teach the will of God and to live like unto God in this present world and this testimony I beare of it and to it even what I have felt and tasted and handled of its sufficiency and vertue and power of its operation for the confirmation of the same truth which is believed by many brethren and also for the information of them that thirst after the Lord for the opposition of all the gainsayers and opposers of it which testimony I commend to that of God in every man which will witnesse me herein in the day of God when all hearts are opened and all falshoods truth is made manifest in the mean time shall rest in that which I have declared of in which there is pure and perfect peace A word to you wise men of this world who are glorying in the sound of words and worshipping outward appearances to all wise and litter all professors who think you are worshipping God aright who think to search in to the deep things of God by your natural wisdom learning and parts and study GOd hath broken open the seals of the great deep where the wonderful unutterable things of God is revealed from whence eternal wisdom is flowing forth to his little ones whom he hath sanctified from the womb and his power and glory is he shedding abroad and making it to flow forth as though it issued out of a womb by which power and wisdom you are all weighed even by one who is swaddled about with righteousness and girded up with the girdle of truth you are all measured as with a span and are all weighed as with a scale all your parts tongues languaguages interpretations significations wisdom that is come to be enjoyed by them who have believed in the true Light that lighteth every man which rounds you all as a heap and measures you all as with a line your breadth length height and depth your parts Tongues Languages interpretations is but all natural words are but empty
sounds although there be many languages and each have interpretation and a signification they are all short to declare the life the immeasurable being of eternal Life you with all these are on heaps disjoynted one from another Your Rhetorick Phylosophy your framed and devised disputations your Tongues and the significations of all Tongues cannot know the mind of the spirit neither knows the original of eternal salvation by all these and so not knowing the signification of the living eternal spirit in your selves you invent study devise forms and frames up things in your carnal minds by the strength of your learned studied devised parts and framed speeches and hath filled the whole world with your dark muddy conceptions and hath led all out from seeking after the living wisdom of God which is from above which was before your Tongues and Languages was and they have sucked in your conceptions and distinctions and your devised fables and your imagined worship that many have lost the sence of any thing of God in themselves to guid them and when you have come as far as you can in those things and have divised in your minds by the strength of those parts natural you are farther from the knowledge then before and all that hear you and sucketh in your conceptions and Imaginations into their hearts they are further off Gods true knowledge then they were the day in which they came out of their mothers womb it is a lamentation to see how people are gone out of the pure simplicity which is in Christ into subtilty and deceit stuffed up full brimful of that which must be all poured out as water before they and you all come to the least measure of Gods true and saving knowledge Oh! a dreadful day is coming upon many it lingers not but will come swiftly as a theef upon you who have taken away the key of knowledge and gives people that which will not open and tels them of a litteral carnal thing that must give them enterance you and all they will be shut out together among the uncircumcised as fools though you count your selves wise men your wisdom will perish and your honour will be laid in the dust the time hastens it is the word of truth to you all And you literal professors who have got the Scripture into your head and into the carnal mind to talk on and are run into so many heads you are almost past numbring and hath exalted so many horns yet the number is read the number of the heads of the beast and the number of his name you have taken up things and are exalting a visible shadowish practice and neglecteth the life and are making Idols of those things which were but a figure and representation in their purest time now you like the Pharisees are limiting the Lord that if he will not appear unto you in those things that you have prescribed unto your selves and fetched in from the letter and goâ—ten it into the fleshly part which is heâ—ped up as a mountain in many of you so high above Gods pure witness in you and so high above the appearance of God in you that you have quite lost the sight of that in your selves which should give you the knowledge of the living God and make you sensible of his pure presence I say if he appear not in the way you would limit him to in those things you would confine him in you cannot receive him the Lord open your understandings that you may see your selves and how frothy vain light and wanton you are one with the world in all things in the very ground pretending liberty in Christ and priviledge in him when you may see you are servants to corruptions and to many noisome lusts that makes war Again what are all outward appearances any more but as a Curtain or as a vail and as a shadow in respect of Christ Gods righteousness within but you are filled too full of your apprehensions of his righteousness at a distance that you have forgotten all at home and your own conditions for his righteousness will not be a cloak for your self-righteousness and unrighteousnes and if Christ be not formed in you Gods righteousness and live in you and act in you and work his work in you you are in the self-righteousness and a talk of imputation will not save you while you are not in that capacity and nature and faith unto whom his righteousness is imputed Are you not weary with tumbling up and down among the earthly Hills among which you have situated your selves Do you not see your land grows barren and your possessions dry and your worship dead heaven rains not on you the bottles are stopped the dew falls not on you you wither dayly as a stick without sap what have you found that which will last unto perpetuity oh nay it s rusted already it 's canckered already its moth-eaten already it 's fading the glory is staining the renown of all earthly things is fading and all terrestrial appearances though never so glorious they are all to cease a consumption is coming blasting is near there will be no more glory in these things they will flie away as a shadow when the Sun arises your riches are wasting when will ye seek after that which endures for ever I pity you who have had breathings after God and hath sate down at ease in that which is not eternal Be warned return home consider see what corruption thou hast power over now which had once power over thee Dost thou rest in that faith that thou shalt never be cleansed here that faith is curst it 's reprobate it s rather properly unbelief It 's not the faith of Gods elect by which they were sanctified and overcame the wicked one in themselves by the power of Christ who is able to save and manifests his ability in all them that believe in the light which they are enlightned withall through which he manifests himself to the creature and makes known his power in the creature to redeem the soul out of death and to redeem the creature from under the bondage of corruption to serve him in the free spirit of God in which the sons are made free from sin from the act and guilt they become the Temples of the holy Ghost How far you are from this consider who are yet temples of uncleanness and a habitation for many noisome lusts repent and minde that which empties you of your thoughts and conceitedness that you may know poverty of spirit that the kingdom may come unto you and be yours in possession else you are everlastingly miserable this is the true state of many of you own it repent that if it be possible you may finde a door of mercy yet opened unto you that you may enter in thereat for it is not setting up and conforming to a visible practice without that will justifie you while that which is in the transgression and