Mourners in Sion the Lord waits on you to be gracious unto you and though he give you the Bread of Adversity now and the Water of Affliction yet shall not your Teachers be removed into Corners any more but your Eyes shall see your Teachers and your Ears shall hear a Voice behind you saying This is the way walk in it when you turn to the right Hand or the left therefore every one of you mind the Light which is of Jesus Christ in you that judgeth the Unrighteousness of your Hearts give up to be guided by the pure Light in you which is your Teacher the Counsel of Jesus Christ and it will bring Judgment forth unto Victory and whatever he makes manifest to you to be his Will Wait on the Lord in his Counsel and he will give you Power to obey and when you have obeyed his Will take heed of departing from the Counsel of the Lord which is the Light within you to hearken to the Counsel of your own Hearts which will draw your Minds to look back at your Obedience and the Experiences you have passed through so will the Beast which received a deadly Wound with the Sword the Righteous Law that goeth out of the Mouth of the Lamb in you his deadly Wound will be healed and sits a painted Beast above the Cross of Christ working lying Wonders in your Hearts imitating the Operation of the Power of God who is purifying his Sons and Daughters with the Spirit of Judgment and the Spirit of Burning and the Beast in you that tasted of the Power of God when he received his deadly Wound under the Justice of God now can imitate the same in Deceit and cause Fire to come down from Heâ—…en in the Sight of Men intimating the Operation of the Spirit of Burning and so deceives himself and all that dwell upon the Earth he is made manifest to all that dwell in the Heavenly Light in their Hearts All Friends mind youâ—…Watch for the Adversary the Devil goes about like a roaring Lyon seeking whom he may devour abide in the Counsel of the Lord which is the Light in you and you will discern between the Beast which is Antichrist in his lying Wonders and the Lamb Jesus Christ in the Operation of his Power so you will come to try the Spirits whether they be of God yea or nay all that are guided by the Beast have their Life in speaking and acting in outward Operations what they once experienced and what they comprehended to be Truth speaking that they enjoy not and are exalted in Pride the Heart returned into the Earth But thou that art guided by the Lamb the Light in thy Conscience the righteous Law cryes through thy earthly Heart and bringâ—… it to Judgment and thou canst find no Life in the Operation of the Power of God nor in thy Obedience but whilst the Presence of the Lord is with thee in it and when thou haâ—… done the Will of God in obeying what he hath made known unto thee thou seeâ—…t thy self to be an Unprofitable Servant and hast need of Patience that thou may est receive the Promise where thy Life is hid with Christ in God to save thee freely for his Names sake or else thou perishest and to carry thee on by his Mighty Power or else thou fallest so thou haft nothing to glory in but in the Lord And as they that are guided by the Beast which is Antichrist spake of the Truth a riddle to their own hearts not knowing the Power and Life of what they speak adding to the Word of the Lord and the Plagues Curse of God will be added unto them But thou art guided by the Lamb Jesus Christ thou knowest when the Word of the Lord is committed to thee If any have my Word saith the Lord let him speak my Word faithfully Is not my Word like a Fire saith the Lord and like an Hammer that breaketh the Rocks in Pieces Thou canst witness the Word of the Lord to be as a Fire and as a Hammer to break the Rocks in Pieces in thee and bring down all in thee in Subjection to itself and it alone rules in thee And thou that canst witness the Word of the Lord thus manifested in thee thou art a true Messenger of the Lord let not the Deceit stop thy Mouth for the Word of the Lord that calls thee to speak shall perfect his Work for which he is sent All Friends stand fast in the Counsel and Will of God be faithful in following the Lamb daily through the Cross and none be discouraged In Temptations be content look up to the Lord to keep you in the Hour of Temptations for it is no Sin to be tempted but to yield to the Tempter and when the Lord delivers you from the Power of the Tempter watch that your Will get not from under the Cross but sink down into the Love of God And every one be content in what the Lord hath made manifest to you and be faithful according to your Talents and more will be communicated to you And none look forth at others Conditions for if you do the Enemy will cause you to stumble and you will come to a Loss in your own Condition Wait patiently in the Counsel of the Lord the Light in you for he is making a short Work in the Earth that you that come into the Vineyard at the eleaventh Hour shall receive as much as they that came in at the third Hour and have laboured in the Heat of the Day All ye Children of the Lord lift up your Heads behold your King riding in Majesty and Power upon the wild Ass Colt which is your wild Nature subjecting it to himself that you may enter with him through the Gates of the city into the New Jerusalem where there enters nothing that worketh Abomination and maketh a Lye but what is written in the Lamb's Book of Life and there you shall dwell in the Banqueting House of the Lord forever feeding upon the Feast of fat Things rejoycing in the Eternal Love and Mercy of your Souls in the free Covenant of Life in the Blood of Christ who is the Lord of Lords and King of Kings God blessed forever who is riding on in Majesty and in Power conquering and to conquer all the Powers of Darkness in the Hearts of his Saints that they may reign as Kings upon the Earth to the Praise and Glory of our God who is taking unto him his Great Power to reign in his Saints for evermore to whom alorâ—… be all Honour Glory Power and Eternal Praises forever W. D. A Word of Consolation unto the Child of Light that yet sits in Darkness being deeply afflicted and wounded in Spirit through Ignorance of Salvation in the New Covenant in Christ Jesus the Light DEar Child of the Birth of the Immortal Seed which crieth over all the World and beyond all the Pleasure Pomp and Vanity therein for the Enjoyment of
believe That all the Prophets gave Testimony of him and that he was made manifest in Judea and Jerusalem and did the Work of the Father and was persecuted of the Jews and was crucified by his Enemies and that he was buried and rose again according to the Scriptures And we believe He is now ascended on high exalted at the right hand of the Father for evâ—… and that he is gloâ—…ified with the same gloâ—…y that he had before the world was and that even the same that came down from Heaven is ascended up to Heaven and the same that descended is he that ascended And we believe Even he that was dead is alive and lives for evermore and that he cometh and shall come again to judge the whole world with righteousness and all people with equity and shall give to every man according to his deeds at the day of Judgment when all shall arise to condemnation or justification he that hath done good shall receive Life and he that hath done evil everlasting Condemnation And we believe He is to be waited for in Spirit to be known after the Spirit as he was before the World was and that is the knowledge unto Eternal Life which all that believe in him do receive he subdues death destroys him that hath the power of it restoreth from Death to Life and quickeneth by his Spirit all that the Father hath given him and we believe such he justifieth and sanctifiâ—…th and such are taught of him but he condemns all that believe not and continue in unbelief and are not taught of him And this we faithfully believe And we believe That unto all People upon the face of the whole Earth is a time and day of Visitation given that they may return and be saved by Jesus Christ who is given of the Father to call the worst of men to repentance and the most ungodly of sinners are convinced by him of their ungodly deeds that they may believe and be converted and saved And we believe Herein is the love of God manifested to all mankind and that none wert shut out by him before they were born into the world but unto all men is a visitation given and they that perish it is because they do not believe in Christ and Destruction is of a mans self but Salvation is of God through believing in his Son who takes away sin and reneweth into his ownImage that they may become Heirs with him And we believe That there is a Crown of eternal Glory and an Inheritance of eternal Life to be enjoy'd for evermore by all that believe are chosen of God and that there is an everlasting Misery and Destruction to be possessed by all that believe not but continue in the state of Reprobation and are not changed from the ways of sin and death but walk after the ways of their own hearts lusts fulfilling the will of the flesh in the evil of this world and follow not Christ the Light of the world that they may be saved and we believe upon all such the Wrath of God abides and that they have no part in the Inheritance of God And we believe That it is only he that is born again of the Spirit and that walks after the Spirit who is changed from Death unto Life and who is redeemed out of the world and all its ways such only must inherit the Kingdom of God and they only have right thereunto and none besides even they that are washed and cleans'd from all unrighteousness by the Blood of Jesus by which their sins are remitted for his Blood cleanseth them from all Unrighteousness and Sin yea all such that walk and abide in the Light which Jesus Christ hath enlightned the World withal And we believe That the Saints upon Earth may receive forgiveness of Sins and may be perfectly freed from the body of sin death and in Christ may be perfect and without Sin and may have Victory over all Temptations by Faith in Jesus Christ And we believe Every Saint that is call'd of God ought to press after Perfection and to overcome the Devil and all his Temptations upon Earth and we believe they that faithfully wait for it shall obtain it and shall be presented without sin in the Image of the Father and such walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit and are in Covenant with God and their Sins are blotted out and remembred no more for they cease to commit sin being born of the Seed of God And we believe the Goâ—…pel of Christ is the Power of God unto Salvation and that it ought to be preached freely unto all People Christ to be held forth to all Mankind by the Ministry sent of him And we believe this Ministry is receiv'd by the gift of the holy Ghost and all they that receive it are lawfully called to the Ministry and they may preach the Gospel of Christ freely as they have received it freely and this Ministry is not of man but of God and is made powerful to the converting of sinners and to the bringing of People to God and to the knowledge of his ways And we do not believe that any man is a Minister of Christ without the gift of the holy Ghost or that the Gospel can be received by natural Larning or Education And we believe such as preach for hire and have hire for preaching are not the lawfully called Ministers of the Gospel of Christ such as are proud and high-minded and covetous men who do not profit the people at all such as have run and never were sent of Christ who calls by his Spirit into the Work of the Ministry and as every one hath received the Gift of that Spirit so he may administer to others Concerning Rulers and Governors we believe That there ought to be Rulers and Governors in every Nation City Country or Town and they ought to be such men as fear God and hate every evil way who will judge for God and not for man and will judge Righteously Equally and Justly and will give true and sound Judgment unto all men without bribery or respect of Persons not regarding the Rich above the Poor but being a Praise unto all that do well a terror to all evil doers having knowledge in the pure Law of God and themselves continually exercised therein And we believe That every Law of man ought to be grounded upon the Law of God pure Reason and Equity being the Foundation thereof that Gods witness in every man may answer to it and the Law ought to be known unto all People before Transgression be charged or punished in any man And we believe That every Transgression ought to be punished according to its nature that the punishment exceed not the greatness of the Transgression neither ought Transgressors to escape unpunished neither ought any upon false suspicion or jealousies be caused to suffer without the Testiâ—…ony of true men or the
of his Love immortal whosoever truely desireth and is willing to receive the Power of his Life and come into Covenant with the Lord Such may lend me an ear a little and you are them who may receive some benefit hereby for behold I write in plainness of the things of God my heart being enlarged with abundance of his Peace in which ther 's good-will towards men that you might come to draw near to the Witness the Testimony whereof is within the Vail which Vail is over the heart 2 Cor. 3. 15. and is not done away but as you come to be in him who is given for a Witness Isaiah 55. 4. by believing in the Light John 12. 36. and so to have the Witness in you 1 John 5. 10 and you to be in it and that you may come to participate of God's indwellings and feel the Oyl which will last forever threrefore I proceed thus How can I but look back a little with an eye of pitty over those who yet are where once I was when the Darkness was over the Earth and the cloud of Errorscompassed me as well as others surely I cannot now be unmindful of them that are yet lost as not to have compassion upon the Out-Casts of Israel or to conceal from them these things of so great concernment but rather as the Lord of my Life hath opened to me I will reach forth my hand towards the weak and utter my voice to the Prisoner of hope and shew unto the Meek in the Earth how the invisible God hath led his Seed and is leading his Remnant through and out of the variety of things unto the One thing it self from whence the various Things Gifts and Ministrations do come Now that which is chiefly in my heart to writ for the Seeds sake is First Something Concerning the Ministration of Moses when he was upon the Earth Secondly Concerning the Ministration of Christ whilst he was upon Earth Thirdly and chiefly Concerning the Ministration of the Spirit First Concerning Moses's Ministration when he was upon Earth which was to last till Shilo same or until the time of Reformation As concerning Moses's Ministration to wit the Law Condemnation or Death with the Priests Offering and worldly Sanctuary and an outward Tabernacle and daily Offerings for Sin and Store-houses for the Levites Strangers Fatherless Widdows having the Ark of the Testimony within the Vail and the Mercy Seat cóvered and the Golden Pot and the People to seek the Law at the Priests mouth whereby their knowledge is preserved and many profit much thereby and come day by day and year by year unto that which they esteem a place of Holy Worship and Ordinances of God And notwithstanding the Priests of Moses'â—… Law were made by the Law of God yet that Pâ—…iesthood changeth and the Law changeth and the very glory of all this passeth away for this did once seem glorious unto me and many more which only disâ—…overed sin though it made nothing perfect and with much delight was the reading of the Law and the Prophets hearkened unto and the daily Confession of Sin but the Vail is over the heart whilst Moses is Preached and Sacrifices Morning and Evening with the long Prayers which the Comers thereunto were not at all thereby made perfect as pertaining to the Conscience though it had a Shadow of good things to come yet the glory thereof comes to be done away Then how much more will the very glory of the most glorious appearance of that Ministry perish and be done away which cometh short of this and hath not so much as the image of this which was a Shadow O weak beggarly things that are found among those Priest now and their Followers who come short of Moses's Ministry for he directed them to Christ the Substance so his Ministration come to be done away as Christ comes to be received for Moses did not seek to uphold his Priests or Law or Tythes or any thing else when Christ should come who is the end of the Law but did write of him and notwithstanding his Ministry Priests he said He that would not hearken unto him should be cut off and said The Lord will raise up mark the Words raise up The Lord shall raise up a Prophet and when the Prophet was come he said I am the Light and I am meek and low in heart and this is to be raised up which is meek for to them that sate in Darkness Light hath sprung up And the Soul that hearkneth not to the Prophet which springs up shall be cut off for Truth springeth up out of the Earth and Christ is the Truth and he said I am the Light which is the Horn of Salvation that God raised up to be a Light to lighten the Gentiles and is the Salvation of Israel and so the soul is to hearken to that which God raised up and that it is which condemns Sin under it who is like unto Moses whose Ministry discovers Sin and so Moses directed unto Christ who puts away the Sin Paul said of the glory of Moses's Ministration that it was no glory in respect of the glory of the Ministration of the Spirit and the gloriouâ—… Ministry of the Spirit was received after he who had a body prepared had suffered the crucifying of his body and the Prophets searched diligently to see the glory that was to be after the Sufferings of Christ 1 Pâ—…t 1. 10 11. But the thing intended that Moses when he was upon the Earth directed unto Christ and gave commandment that they should hearken unto him who said I am the Light and this is one Tittle of the Law that the Light be hearkened unto who is the end of the Law and the Substance and he that offendeth herein is guilty of all and this is that in which all the large Ministrations of Moses are included that Christ the Light the true Prophet be hearkened unto and obeyed that by hearing and obeying his voice or the word in the heart they might come from under the Law and the Priests and that which waxeth old unto the Life and Obedience of him who abideth a Priest forever even the Lord of that glory which lasteth for evermore Secondly Concerning CHRIST and his Ministration when he was upon Earth and his Work which he finished And when he cometh which Moses commandeth to hearken unto even Christ the true Prophet the Light of the World the Living Minister the end of the Law who had a body prepared to do the Will of the Father which was in him the Man CHRIST JESUS he saith Follow me and he took up his Cross and passed through the Death and the Vail and so being made perfect through Sufferings attained that glory which he had with the Father before he had a body which body was prepared to do the Father's Will whose Will was that all men should be saved therefore Christ tasted death for every man and
most is highest exalted so every one is exalted above another and there is nothing but Tyranny Cruelty and Oppression among you you sous and daughters of Babylon and in her was found the Blood of the Prophets and of the Saiuts and all that were slain upon the Earth The Merchants of Babylon are your Teachers who draw you from your Guide which is the pure Light of Christ in you to seek the Kingdom of God in observations without you contrary to the mind of Christ The Kingdom of God comes not with Observations neither shall they say Lo here or Lo there for behold the Kingdom of God is within you But these your Merchants have no Scripture for their Merchandize which they sell to you enslaved Captives for so many hundreds in the year and is paid in the Nation or elsewhere for these observations they tell you you must observe or else you cannot come to the Kingdom of Heaven though they are contrary to the Scriptures as are practised by them there is no Scripture that witnesseth their call to the Ministry by humane wisdom Not many great not many noble not many wise after the flesh There is no Scripture which testifies of any that Jesus Christ sent forth that made a bargain with the people for so much a year as thâ—…se do that profess themselves to be sent of Christ This is the call of the Ministers of Christ Paul an Apostle of Jesus Christ neither of man nor by man but by the Revelation of Jesus Christ I send you forth saith Jesus Christ as Lambs among Wolves Into what Town or City ye enter enquire who is worthy and if they receive you there abide eating such things as are set before you the Labourer is worthy of his meat freely ye have received freely minister Those whom Jesus Christ commits the Word of Eternal Life unto and calls them forth to declare it unto others the Love of Jesus Christ which is sealed up to their Souls through his own Blood constrains them to give up themselves to death in witnessing forth the eternal Life they enjoy in Christ as it was it is The Love of Christ constrainetâ—… 〈◊〉 tâ—… preach the Gospel saith Paul But these your Merchants are they which have forsaken the right way and are gone astray following the way of Balaaâ—… the Son of Bâ—…sor who loved the wages of unrighteousness And as there is no Scripture for their Call to the Ministry by their human learning nor making bargains with the people for so much in the year So there is no Scripture for these observations they call Ordinances of God as they are Practised by them There is no Scripture that Christ or any that he sent forth did take a Child and sprinkle water on its Face and said in so doing They Baptized it into the Church of Christ Suffer little Children to come unto me saith Christ and forbid them not for such is the Kingdom of God whosoever shall not receive the Kingdom of God as a little Child shall not enter therein He sets the Child as a Type and a Figure to shew forth to every one that they must become as a little Child depending upon the will of God before they enter into the Kingdom of God He took them up into his Arms and put his Hands on them and blessed them but that he sprinkled water on their Faces and said He Baptized them into his Church there is no such Scripture Another observation your Teachers tell you you must observe is hearing these studied Sermons in taking a part of Scripture and adding to it their wisdom call it The Word of God which is contrary to the Scriptures but they say They have Christ for an Example There was delivered to him the Book of the Prophet I saiah when he had opened the Book â—…oe found where it was written The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he hath anointed me to Preach the Gospâ—…l unto the Poor he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted to Preach Deliverance to the Captives And recovering of the Sight of the blind and to set at liberty them that are bruised to Preach the acceptable year of the Lord And he closed the Book and sate down And he began to say unto them This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears And all bare him witness and wondered at the gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth He was the substance of the prophecy which was then fulfill'd in him This is no ground for any to take the Saints words and to add to them their wisdom and call that the Word of God The Prophet that hath a Dream let him tell a Dream he that hath my Word let him speak my Word faithfully What is the Chaff to the Wheat saith the Lord is not my Word like a fire and like a hammer saith the Lord that breaks the Rocks in pieces all to whom the Word of the Lord is committed can witness it to be as a fire within them and as an hammer that breaks the Rocks in pieces subjecting all in the heart under the Power of it self so it alone rules and guides him that he is what he speaks that if he had never seen any thing that the Saints have declared without him he had known what is manifest in him and he to whom the Word is thus made manifest is a true Minister of Christ who is called to speak the Word faithfully But these that call themselves your Teachers and make bargains with you for so much by the year they never witnessed the word of the Lord in them as a fire and like a hammer that breaketh the Rocks in pieces so they never had any thing to have spoken of the Lord but as they have stoln it from the Testimony of the Saints so they speak a divination of their own Brain a Riddle to their own Hearts and whilst they speak to others themselves are Cast-aways And the Lord testifies against them Behold I am against the Prophets saith the Lord that steal my Word every one from his Neighbour Behold I am against the Prophets saith the Lord that use their tongue and say He saith Behold I am against them that Prophesie false Droams saith the Lord and do tell them and cause my People to err by their Lyes and by their Lightness yet I sent them not nor commanded them therefore they shall not profit the People as all saith the Lord And this fruit is made manifest of the Ministry that hath been in England Another Observation your Teachers bid you observe which is contrary to Scripture as it is practised by them in singing of David's Psalms in meeter taking David's words who was a man after God's own heart and putting words into the mouthes of poor ignorant People to sing that which they never knew and so cause them to blaspheme the name of God saying Let us sing to the Praise and Glory of God as O Lord I am not puft
the light Countenance of God fear thou not neither be thou discouraged because of the violent Assaults of the Enemy who seeks to draw thee into the carnal Reasonings of thy Spirit and in it to kindle a Fire to thy self and cause thee to walk in the Light of the Sparks that thou hast kindled and this hast thou at the Hand of the Lord in thy going from his Counsel lyest down in Sorrow few know thy great Distress but to the Lord it is known and to them that had and walked in the same Paths O thou beloved Babe who lyest in the deep Sence of the working of the Evil One in thy Mind and many times art ready to say Never was any like unto me neither any Sorrow like unto my Sorrow and in this languishing despairing Mournings of thy soul all things made bitter unto thee as the Waters of Marah thus art thou driven from all Comfort as a Child without a Father and a desolate Widdow without a Husband and as a Stranger that no Eye pitieth in thy Apprehension sometimes saying in thy Heart in the Heat of the Temptation and the Fire that thou hast kindled Oh that I had been any Creature but what I am or if it were the Will of the Lord that he would shorten my dayes that I might not be any longer on Earth to sin against him For in thy own Sence and Feeling thou walking in the Sparks thou hast kindled in carnal Reasonings thou deservest not any Thing but Wrath Horror Misery Distress on every side and great Languishings that thy days were shortned secretly crying out in thine Heart O'th at I were alone in the Wilderness or in any Cave or Den in the Earth that I might never ses nor hear any of the Sons of men any more but in the secret Retiredness even roar mourn out my days until 〈◊〉 dye O thou Royal Child of the Birth of the Morning of the pure eternal Day of the God of Israel hearken no longer to the Enemy who saith There hath none travelled where thou art nor none drunk of the Cup that thou art drinking he is a Lyar who goes about to destroy thy precious Soul In the Word of the Lord God I declare unto thee I drank the same Cup with my faithful Friends who are born of the Royal Seed every one in their Measures travelled in the same Path and have endur'd the same Temptations and walk'd in the Light of the same Sparks and laid down in Sorrow in the Sence of the same Misery as thou mournest under this Day no longer lend an Ear to the Enemy the Thoughts of thy Heart Arise arise in the Light of the Covenant stay thy Heart and the Lord will throw down the enemy of thy Peace destroy the carnal Reasonings of thy Mind put out the Fire that thou hast kindled and he will deliver thee out of the horrible Pit and set thy Feet upon the Rock of Ages and thou shalt tread down the Enemies of thy Soul in the sensible Feeling of the Love of the Father who will manifest himself to be a Father to the Fatherless in thee and an Husband to the Mournful Widow and a Comforter to the Immortal Babe that mourns in thee in the Uprightness of thy Heart to do the Will of the Living God So in the Power of his Might stay thine Heart and tread upon all Doubts Fears dispairing Thoughts Questionings Reasonings Musings Imaginations Consultings arise over them all in the Light of Christ he will lead thee into the Banqueting house of the Pleasure of our God where thou shalt sit down with me and all the redeemed of my Father who are born of the Immortal Seed and have pass'd through great Tribulations have wash'd our Garments and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb Therefore do we now stand before the Throne of God praising him Day and Night in his Holy Temple And this shall be the Portion of thy Cup if thou diligently hearken to the Counsel of the Lord which calleth thee to trust in him he will embrace thee in the Arms of his Love and thou shalt praise his Name forever God Almighty in his Light Life raise up thy Soul and establish thy Heart in his Counsel stedfastly to wait in his Power to lead thee in the Cross out of all Unbelief and cause thee to lie down at rest in Obedience to his Will where thou shalt drink the Cup of Salvation forever Farewel William Dewsbury