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
no and whether he have the evidence of the Spirit or no that he is born of it and knows a birth that sins not because the seed remaineth in him who is kept by the power that the evil one touches him not and kept in salvation and in saving health alive unto him who hath brought him forth to life to drink of the cup of blessing and of the cup of salvation which nourisheth and refresheth up unto eternal life them that continue in the Faith What the free grace of God is and unto whom it hath appeared and where all are to wait to receive it declared as it hath been revealed by the Spirit THe grace of God is pure is the free gift of God and it is perfect it is the appearance of Christ it is a beam of righteousness shining forth it is a measure of Gods strength and power issued out from himself and a proportion of his treasure vertue and sufficiency which comes to be shed abroad in all them that believe in it it s that through which God maketh known his will and teacheth his by it and reveals his saving health through it to them that are taught by it and through it them that believe in it are builded up in the truth and becomes a habitation for God no man doth any thing to purchase it none need say where may I get it or how may I know its teaching it s near thee it is in thee it hath appeared to all men it shews ungodliness in the heart of man by its pure brightness yea to all men it shews the motions unto sin and that which is not like God in motions words or actions it draweth the heart of man from them as with a cord it shews the lusts of the heart and mind the lust of the eye and the pride of life it never joyned to sin nothing can alter its purity or property as in it self it is always one and the same it is perfect and will be alwayes so it stands off and at a distance from that which is corruptable and imperfect and yet beholdeth it and although some that have turned to it be again turned from it and may turn it as in themselves into wantonness yet it keeps its purity and still reproves thy wantonness and will lay it before thee and will shew thee how thou hast abused the appearance of Christ and hath marred his countenance and his face reprove thee for it many have been the talkers of it in this professing age but knew not of what they spoke neither ever informed the mind of man where it was to be waited for neither how it might be known or how or what the operation of it was but have cryed up their own Imaginations we are justified by his free grace for all sins past present to come in this conceit thousands have been led into the pit of darknesse while out of thick darknesse they have cryed up we are justified by free grace in Christ while the free grace of Christ Gods gift which should have taught them they never heeded at all but got up into conceitednesse and carelesnesse and presumption out of the feare of God and pretending justification while they themselves were servants of sin and bond-slaves to corruption and this is the state of thousands at this day and they that have been publishers and preachers of free grace Now when the thing it self comes to be witnessed and declared what it is and as it is and where it is now they say it is not sufficient to teach any the knowledge of God but from all such foolish doaters and blind guides and ignorant shepherds is God bringing many sheep home which they have driven away they would kill them now that are fed and taught by the gift of God and says it s not sufficient and to make them to dislike their food and dislike their shepherd so would make them deaf and blind and then they may lead them into any desart and feed them among the swine who wallow in the mire in filthinesse and lust and pleasure and ungodlinesse and so beguil the sheep and scatter them from the fold and lead them from the true shepherd and from his appearance which is his grace and from the shepherds voice which is the word of his grace which is able to save the soul. Oh all you blind guides and you that call your selves Orthodox men and Ministers and all you that have been preaching free grace in words and now when God hath given them that have waited upon him an understanding to declare the thing it selfe that you have spoken of now you cry it is not a sufficient Teacher Now let me aske you a question if that which teacheth to deny ungodlinesse and shewes it be the grace of God and the gift of God then how say you it s not a sufficient teacher If it be not a sufficient teacher then why did the Apostles commit them and commend them to the word of his grace which was able to save their souls And whether is not that which is able to save the soul a sufficient teacher Answer ye wise men and ye literal Rabbies If that which shewes sin and temptation be not sufficient then declare you and let us see your skill in the mysteries of God but to return to them in whose minds there is a desire to be informed seeing then that Gods free grace which is his pure appearance hath so far manyfested it selfe or God through it shewes sin and teacheth from sin that which teacheth from sin is holy and that which leadeth from worldly lusts is pure and that which saves from sin is grace which is saving in it selfe and God hath so loved the world as that he hath sent his Son into the World he was and is the light of the world and hath shed abroad his grace and hath made it appear to all and all that waites upon it and comes to be taught by it feels its assurance so all is left without excuse therefore wait in that which hath appeared in thee that which shewes the lusts and thoughts and motions unto sin this is Gods gift Gods grace this is sufficient Though all men in the World say it is not sufficient yet this makes not my faith voyd neither thine who hath received it but thou hast the witness of thy faith in thy self which giveth pure and perfect feeling of the operation of the Spirit of the Lord and all is to wait within to hear him who condemns sin in the flesh within which by his grace shews man his transgression and insufficiency in himselfe and by the word of his grace saves all them that believe in it out of sin giveth dominion over sin and this comes to be revealed in the heart of man and there must it be waited for in that which is pure that it may be received and there the operation it comes to be known and its
vertue partaken of by all that do believe in it and receive it and are subjected to it they see feel Gods salvation revealed through it to their souls and knowes where their strength lyes not in selfe-acting but in the free gift of God the gift of righteousnesse the righteous gift by which justification cometh upon all that believe Whether all have received the grace of God or no declared and whether it be a sufficient teacher in it selfe to wit that grace that hath appeared to all if it be received demonstrated THis wise generation is below the wisdome of God whose wisdome have confounded peoples minds with distinctions as that there is a Two-fold grace First that which they call common which they say hath appeared to all men Scondly that which they call special and saving which hath onely appeared to the saints and by giving heed to these distinctions in times past many yeares ago I lost my selfe and my guid and went from the appearance of it in my selfe to hearken to a thing at a distance from me and heeded not that at home which was near because it was called common and insufficient so suffered great losse and therefore I am moved by him in whose sight I have found favour and mercy and grace to declare the truth as the Lord hath made it manifest unto me and in me that all who seek after the Lord may be informed and know where to wait upon the Lord for unto that grace that shewed me evil and temptations unto evil I was made to goe back unto after many yeares profession which they called common and insufficient before ever I found the Lord or felt his living power again For the first they ground upon the letter as they judge where it is said He causeth the Sun to shine and the raine to fall upon the just and the unjust And where it is said in him we live and move and have our being health and strength and an understanding in things natural and by which men comes to see grosse sins and evils but that which they call special is that which the Saints are saved by and are established in in righteousnesse and receive the remission of sins Now he who hath caused the Sun to shine the raine to fall and giveth health and strength nourishment to all things living that are visible in the outward visible creation and that discovereth grosse sins and open evils to man the same is he who is the life of the soul the same is he that sanctifies and purifies and saveth them that believe and its the same vertue and power that upholds the naturall man in his pure nature that upholds the spiritual man and by which he liveth unto God It 's the same grace I do not say the same measure for the same vertue and power by which all things that are visible and living were made alive and subsists in their station and covenant and bound where they are set and placed the same grace strength power and sufficiency upholdeth the heavenly bodies and moveth and acteth in a higher sphear or degree and preserveth all that believe and are quickned by him who is the power of God in heavenly places and the same power and vertue that discovereth the dark places and the hellish places and the horrible pit it 's the same power life strength and vertue that leadeth all that believe into the Land of the living into the holy place into the peaceable habitation into the holy mountain into the heavenly Tabernacle made without hands And in few words he that discovers open sins the same grace and the same purity discovereth hidden and secret sins though the measure of its purity shine in one more then another because them that are in the unbeliefe the darknesse over-shadowes and the mountains are high and the vail is thick and the clouds are many and the ayre dark so that it's resplendency and brightnesse is not seen because of the vail which shadowes it that it hath not much enterance but in them that believe and have received that grace and is joyned to it in which they believe it renteth the vail and maketh the shaddow to flie away and scatters the clouds and breatheth forth it self in purity and makes the air clearer so that its brightness shineth more purely forth to them and in them because the heart is more open to receive its vertues in yet the same purity and vertue remains still and the same grace keeps its purity and property in it self and its power and sufficiency is alwayes the same though it do not appear so to the creature So this I say and is my testimony of the grace of God which is the gift of God which hath appeared in some measure more or less unto all men and convinceth and shewes gross and open evils even the same grace by its vertue and power leadeth from the least or impurest thought and shews the secretest evils that lodgeth in the heart unbelief and also every temptation unto sin and this shall be witnessed to be the truth by the whole earth in the day of the Lords appearing and is now witnessed by all the children of Light who believe with whom I have fellowship in the pure living sufficient perfect grace of God which is Gods free gift which in some measure hath appeared to all whereby all are left without excuse And herein is the wonderful love of God made manifest to all man-kinde and all that turneth to his grace will see he hath long waited to be gracious in his grace which is near that all mankind might be partakers of his bounty love mercy favour and free gift by which justification cometh upon all that believe Therefore my bowels and heart is more open in this unto all because many have erred for lack of knowledge and have wandred aside because they have not found a true guide Therefore in dear love unto all upon the face of the Earth where this may come I write and let out my bosome into this thing that they may also be partakers with me of the free love of God and the free grace of God by which I am saved and know the wall which is salvation and the gates which are praise which the Saints are compassed about with and entered in at and for the sake of such who thirst after God and the knowledge him I write for their information and not to satisfie critical men nor them who are in the Philosophy and vain deceit who are swollen big in their fleshly understandings puffeth up in their earthly minds for by such I desire not any testimony neither acceptance But now to come to speak of that which many are doubting about that is to say the grace of God which bringeth salvation which hath appeared to all men whether this be a sufficient Leader and Teacher of it self if it be received but in order to the thing in hand let all take notice