shew them his way and guide them in it which is a way of holiness mercy and truth and that they might alway fear and dread his great Name and terrible Majesty who is able to do whatsoever he will in the Heavens and in the Earth and that they might through his judgements come to be redeemed and reconciled unto him in Christ the everlasting Covenant of life and peace Therefore my dear Friends Wait you upon God and let him be your fear and your dread then will you not dread man or rather the furies of wilde Beasts or Serpents which is manifest in the sons of men neither let in the fear of death or any tryal whatsoever which tends to the vailing or weakning your tender life which you have felt and enjoyed in God but let the presence of the Mighty God of worm Jacob fill your hearts who is able to destroy both body and soul in hell and also to save to the uttermost all them that fear and obey him that you may feelingly and perfectly know and understand in the light of the Lord all things that comes to passe in your particulars then shall you be of a right and sound judgement concerning all men spirits and things in the general for none can truly know the Cause Ground or Root of a matter originally but who dwels in God the Root that bears him and all men the original of life and he that doth not know aright may easily or soon judge wrong Therefore it s the Saints onely amongst all the children of men that are able and can and must judge the world Mark who are sanctified by Christ Jesus yea such shall judge Angels who dwell in him to whom they all bow for he is judge of quick and dead and from him is no secret hid that shall not be manifest For he is come neer to judgement and is a swift witnesse against all unrighteousnesse and also his tender mercies and blessings are neer the upright-hearted which is to them as the former and latter rain but the rebellious dwell in a dry Land So be you all very still in your minds and not will or run but diligently heed the will and counsel of the motions of Gods good Spirit in you which is the onely Teacher of his people for he hath said My Spirit shall not alwayes strive with man and he is the true Physitian Shepherd and Overseer of the soul and will he not over-see and take care for the body the lesser by giving wisdom and discretion how to order all his creatures to his praise yea and this is witnessed among his babes blessed and praised for ever be his name which is their strong Tower and Safety Rock and Defence and they need not another who are come to dwell in the Holy City New Jerusalem that came down from God the quiet habitation whose walls are peace and gates praise and salvation here is no need of Candle Sun or Moon to give light but the Glory of God doth lighten it and the Lamb is the light thereof And hither is the Lord God of endless wisdom and compassions bringing his little ones that beleeve and trust alone in him who is becoming all in all in his faithful children this is the sum my Friends this is that we have waited for to which end the Lord hath long waited to be more and more manifesting his grace and wisdome unto us that we might come up hither by descending lower in our selves into him who is the root and off-spring what shall I say of him if it can be born I could say much in the infallible counsel of God that he is becoming the Father and Mother Feeder and Cloather Healer Guider and Governour yea all as I have said unto his dear Lambs who have long breathed and panted after him and cannot be fully satisfied till this is accomplished No borrowed light no Moon or Candle will suffice the Noble birth but the very glory of God and the marriage of the Lamb to whom it ascribes all having received all out of the bosome of the eternal treasury of the wisdom and compassions of the Allmighty And so here is a cry heard with a loud voyce from the Throne of God and the Lamb Cease from man cease from man in all things and come up hither ye travelling children and you shall be refreshed and satisfied it s I have heard your cryes and if men at any time have had compassion on you it was through my bowels which I put upon him to that end therefore look unto me and come I am the fountain of all goodness mercy and truth saith the Lord God and not any man for they are but as Cisterns which may break and then where wilt thou be for thy dayly nourishment and refreshment These were the two great evils committed in the dayes past viz They have forsaken me the Fountain of living waters and hewed them out cisterns broken Cisterns that could hold no water for which the Heavens were astonished and very desolate and afraid Is Israel a home-born slave read Jer. 2.11 12 13 14. and consider it perfectly for the latter dayes of considerations are come as much as if God had said Is Israel who once wrestled like a Prince and prevailed and had power with God and with man c. become so ignoble as to forsake me the Fountain and be satisfied now with Cisterns that will hold no water Oh! this was a horrible thing these were great evils the very Heavens were astonished at this Therefore my dear Friends let this saying sink deep into your hearts See that you alwayes in all things mind the Motions and Leadings of the Spirit of Truth for it is the true and perfect Guide sent of the Father to guide us into all Truth and to shew us things to come and he that follows any man by word or example and goes from this in himself hath committed a great evil even Idolatry and is gone from the hearkning and obeying this is the Witchcraft spoken of 1 Sam. 15.22 23. Gal. 3.1 This is not to be suffered to live or not to be lived in in all Israel Exod. 22.18 the Lord hath spoken it for worm Jacob who is now arising in the strength and pure wisdom of his God is no more a home-born slave to feed at Cisterns or live upon Husks or to be deceived with any likeness whatsoever but is filling himself at the living Fountain of the Riches Nobility at the right hand of the Majesty on high and so in vain is the snares laid in the sight of him that hath wings that sees them and is able to escape them for there is a Remnant that stands upon Mount Sion with the Lamb in the innocent life who are and can freely come to God the Judge of all be ript open and stand naked in the particular and such is the Lord God cloathing with white robes of his everlasting Righteousness which shall never
in thine own house And the sheep that was Lost brought home upon shoulders of the good Shepherd who laid down his life for their sakes And when the Lord withdrew his presence for a little moment was not thine heart troubled and couldst thou be satisfied till thou hadst found him again whom thy soul loved And when thou hadst found him didst thou not say in thine heart This is my beloved this is my friend I will hold him fast and not let him go untill he hath brought me into the house of her that bare him or into the Land of rest in which is peace joy comfort and satisfaction for evermore Didst not thou rejoyce when Moses came to Pharaoh King of Egypt the Land of Bondage and Darkness and Charged him to let thee go though it were but three dayes Journey into the Wilderness because of the heavy Burthens and sore Afflictions which thou enduredst under the oppressing Task-masters of the uncircumcised But didst thou think what would befall thee in the Wilderness the many holes and pits and turnings among the wild beasts in drought hunger and sore travell Yet how did the Lord allure thee and then many times spake comfortably unto thee And led thee by a right way though it seemed hard and strange unto the murmurer and to that spirit which would have made a Captain to return back into Egypt that Land of Darkness and Bondage on which the plagues were poured forth because of the oppression of his seed Therefore hear O Israel and consider who is a God like unto thy God or what man was able to do these things which the Lord hath done for thee by his own Arme which he stretched forth and revealed in the midst of thee who gave thee Precepts Commandements Statutes and Judgements to direct guide counsel instruct and strengthen thee in the way thou shouldest walk which is none other then that which first appeared for thy deliverance though its Name was then known no greater then I AM or the Light of Israel which did after become a flame and the holy One as a fire to consume and destroy his and thine enemies round about This is he who said I am God I change not therefore the sons of Jacob are not consumed This is thy God who commanded thee saying Thou shalt have no other Gods but me nor make forme or grave any likeness or Image to bow down unto For I the Lord thy God am a Jealous God and will visit the iniquity and sins of all them that transgresse against my Commandements Therefore take heed that thou bow not or give thine heart mind and affections unto any thing visible or invisible but to the Lord thy God alone whose Name is but one and changeth not even the Light which makes manifest all things and divides the Darkness from it and hath no fellowship with the unfruitfull workes and workers therein but doth reprove them though never so secret and will not hold him guiltlesse who taketh his name in vaine And all they who depart not from iniquity and whose tongues are not bridled ruled or subjected by the power of the Lord and who are not thereby guided in wisdome meekness and fear such take the Name of the Lord in vaine such are guilty and shall so appeare before God Angels and men For as I said the day hastens in which no shadow of death or secret dark place though as deep as hell or as high as the starres of heaven shall be able to hide the worker of wickedness under the fairest Covering The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Therefore again hear O Israel and repair with speed every man to his Tent and none look out but all feel and see the glory of the Lord God which is like devouring fire at thy Tent door burning up all that which is contrary to him that thou mayst be preserved in this day of the Lords Passeover who is not onely passing over but also through the very hearts reines and Consciences of the Children of men with his grounded Staffe yea even searching and trying to the ground and bottom of all foundations and buildings And he will fight with the contrary the dark mountaines the false foundations and deceitfull Coverings with Battles of shakings of totterings of stripings and rentings yea the vaile shall be rent from the top to the bottom though it be in the very Temple it self that they that have lyen in their graves may arise and come forth and that he might appeare before the eyes of all to be the Son of God in whom is no guile who humbled himself to the death of the Crosse and through it came to Triumph over principalities and powers and spiritual wickedness in high places This is thy Captain O Israel therefore think not of another nor make another nor forme any likeness of him or of any thing in heaven or in earth for there is not another whom thou art to worship follow or subject unto but him alone at whose presence the vails rent and the dead arise and at whose Birth and coming the heavenly hoast sing for Joy but the Tribes of the earth mourne he that hath an ear to hear let him hear who is now come with power and great glory in the Clouds of heaven not of the earth to reward every man equally according to his workes and words without respect of persons For he is a righteous and just God he is not as a man that he should change alter or vary from what he was in the beginning who by his power is able to raise up Children unto Abraham at this day of them that have lyen among the pots Therefore let your eyes look toward his holy place whence he ariseth to silence all flesh before him and cease from man whose breath is in his nostrills and is as a worme and dust before him And know this that thy God who raised thee to be a people above all the Families of the Earth and hath given thee great dominion that if thou shalt exalt thy self and say This thou hast done and the other thou hast done and secretly take the honour and glory to thy self and listest thine heare up out of the uprightness and integrity before him and shall slight his mercies and not walke humbly in his sight but forget his wonderfull workes and to ascribe the glory 〈◊〉 unto his Name That he then is able to rent the Kingdome from thee and give thee a beasts heart and drive thee out to seed with Oxen even among the beasts of the field And this God will manifest on such as he hath divers times amongst the sons of men That all flesh may feare and tremble before him and bow at his Name which must and shall be exalted above every Name and ascribe acknowledgments of mercy righteousness power and glory unto him for evermore For this is the same God that set a Print upon Jobs heels and marked all his steps whose
judge all things as God judgeth in his infallible righteous judgement and not before or without him who is Lord and Head over all to his Church Friends I preach the Crosse unto the world and to the nature spirit and wayes of it without respect of persons in the sense of what God is doing and will shortly bring to passe that no flesh may glory in his presence And this I say to you all within the Camp of Israel who are of the mixt multitude that came out of Egypt and yet love the Garlick and the flesh-pots thereof that love the earth and sticks in the earth and saves self alive hides from sufferings for feare of losing the earth or your reputation among men you follow not the Lamb of God in whom is no guile who humbled himself to the death of the Crosse for the Joy that was set before him who made himself of no reputation and had not whereon to lay his head who set his face like a flint because of truth and righteousness against all unrighteousness hypocrisie and wickedness whatsoever without respect to the persons of any possessions or places of any For which end he was born and for which end his followers are born who feel him born within them even to witness for the truth and to stand up upon the Earth and plead for it and suffer patiently for the Testimony which they hold till the Spirit of life from God arise in the Consciences of ungodly and wicked men to plead his own Cause with them You I say who are of that spirit of self-saving you have and shall have your reward as the Pharisees had as the mixt multitude had and as the murmuring Israelites had God gave them their hearts lusts seeing they desired it but sent leanness into their souls This is your state therefore take heed and be awakened and retire back to the foundation of God out of the earth for the Lord will crosse you and vex you by rolling the earth out of its place and will abase your reputation and bring you into shame and contempt til you know that the Most high ruleth amongst men and governeth in the Kingdomes and Authorities amongst men and people who is higher then they whose the Earth is and the fulness of it and not yours you must give an account to him how you have ordered it and used and improved it to the praise and exaltation of his Name and the help of the true woman For the earth and heavens are hers and the Childs which she brings forth to govern the Nations and you are but as wormes and Grashoppers in Gods sight who can crush you and tread down the high places of the earth in a moment and rebuke and break in pieces the strong Nations in a moment and this is the Lord God of heaven a doing that all people may fear and obey him And these things are coming to passe and will be accomplished by him that respecteth not the persons of men but will reward every one according to his wayes And my friends Judgement hath begun at the house of God but greater things then many have yet seen are approaching for a short work will the Lord make on the earth for his oppressed Seeds sake for his great Name sake amongst you and in the world therefore expect you not great and finall destruction to come upon the wicked without untill the Temple is neerer built For I tell you nay you must first be faithfull followers of the Lamb if you would see your Conquest over the Beast Dragon Whore and false Prophet the Antichrists without you must first see it and your victory over the world and the spirit of it through faith and patience within for this way it cometh to passe that no flesh should glory but be abased even to the dust from whence it came And this have I seen in Gods secret Counsell even how he will accomplish his great work among his people and how he will destroy his and their enemies with a finall destruction even like a whirlewinde when once it ariseth Therefore my friends Gird up the loines of your minds watch and be sober and waite alwayes upon God and feel your hope to the end and be not hasty but remember the dayes of Noah how the Lord was long-suffering till the Ark was finished then came the Floud upon the world of the ungodly And thus is the son of man come and his long-suffering to us-ward who obey his voyce is salvation Let him that readeth understand For as it was in the dayes of Noah even so is it now at the coming of the son of man blessed is the eye that seeth and the heart that understandeth and keeps out of that eating and drinking marrying and giving in marriage building and planting there spoken of For much that is joyned together must be separated and scattered and much that is builded and planted must be thrown down and plucked up by the roots and the earth must be burnt up and the Elements melt with fervent heat For hot will be the day in which all the ungodly shall become as ashes under the soles of the feet of the Saints of the Most high and in which the sons of Levi shall be purged and purified as fine Gold which day is but as it were begun amongst many but it draweth neere and hasteneth greatly Therefore blessed is that wise servant that is alwayes ready waiting for his Lord and who is giving his fellow-servants meane in due season and do not eare and drink with the drunken nor smite his fellow-servants for on such the day will come unawares and in an houre they think not of And this hath the Lord God Almighty proclaimed which shall sound a certain sound throughout all the Tribes of Israel and to the ends of the Earth Amen So this I have written in obedience to the Lord that I might be clear of their blood whom it chiefly concernes and concerning whom it came into my heart from God to lay these things before you For I have desired of the Lord to direct me aright in all things according to his will and I labour to keep my Conscience voyd of offence toward him and all men and I travell and pray to God that I may finish my Course with Joy and give up my account dayly and at the last with joy and not with griefe And this God knoweth is the hearty desire of my breathing soul unto his Throne for you all that with one minde and heart we may all press forward in the same way which is the steps and path of the just one that leads more and more unto perfection out of the imperfection out of the earth out of the darkness and the old leavens into Paradise where man was made a living soul in the image and likeness of his Maker where the Dominion is known and the Blessings enjoyed which makes rich and the pleasures at his right Hand which
wax old glory unto him in the highest who hath wrought all our works in us and for us Amen So remember the Spirit of truth is thy proper Leader O Israel in all things concerning soul and body at all times places and occasions and not any other Nay though an Angel see thou do it not for they are but ministring spirits sent forth for them that are heires of salvation and are fellow-servants with them who are led by the Spirit of truth and are not to be worshipped or followed any further then is agreeable to the leadings of Gods Spirit in thy own heart for unto him thou must give an account and not unto Angels or men Now I do not hereby limit the Lord nor his people from exercising their pure faith in any thing concerning their state either inward or outward And as for the things before mentioned concerning the health or weakness of the outward man I do know that there are natural and accidental causes of weakness sickness or distempers which are incident even to Gods dear Children while in these earthen Tabernacles for which naturall things may be applyed in the leadings of the life and wisdome of God by which they were created I say my intent is not neither am I joyned to such a spirit as to impose or limit the motion of Gods Spirit in any thing whatsoever but onely to limit the contrary even the hasty minde and spirit and that all may come to be guided by the Counsell of God out of ignorance and doubtfulness into clearness and a perfect knowledge of their own state as it is in Gods sight and of the vertuousness of the power of the resurrection of the holy Seed in themselves and not be led in blindness and unsensibleness in which state is the error and mistakes and wherein people are destroyed for lack of true and sound knowledge and here they have many things applyed and are apt so to do even naturall and visible things for spirituall and invisible causes I do not mean an invisible distemper meerly of the outward man which may proceed from a visible or naturall cause But when God by his Spirit strives with man in him and smites on his Conscience by reason of sin or some disobedience or other through which the Lord beholds guilt and cannot but punish which causeth even the countenance to change and brings judgement upon the very creature because thereof I say this shall never be removed in the ground by any outward or visible thing the Lord hath spoken it For it is striving against the Creator and the good end of his gentle chastisements with the creatures which he hath created for his praise and to be used in his counsell and wisdome by which they were all created and have their being so this ignorant wilfull impatient spirit which cannot trust God this is to be limited and bound down by the dread and power of the Lord that the innocent Seed which can trust in him which hath long suffered under oppression may arise in whose resurrection and life is the healing and blessing of the Nations that are saved which are for ever to walk in the light of the Lamb. So let all be subject to him that gives life and breath and all things and be not hasty when any trouble or distemper comes to be delivered or to get ease from under it till thou in patience hast seen the mind of God therein and be delivered by him that comes out of Sion to turn away ungodliness from Jacob blessed is the eye that sees and the heart that understands and contrives not any thing in the will but as led and guided by the Shepherd of Israel who will not suffer his Lambs to lack any good thing for their body nor soul which in his wisdome he sees meet for them And that which is not subject is the carnall mind in which the enmity lodgeth the death trouble and condemnation here the Lyons lack and suffer hunger but the meek shall increase their joy in the Lord and they that wait upon him shall run and not be weary and walk and not faint And know this for infallible truth that whosoever useth or applieth the creatures of God even naturall things which are good in themselves and places to a condition not suitable even when God smites upon the Conscience for any disobedience or wickedness by which as I have said the outward man comes also to suffer being partaker with the spirit that transgressed that this state is parallel to that mentioned Isaiah 22.12 13 14. When God called for fasting weeping and mourning behold slaying of oxen and killing of sheep c. which was iniquity that should not be purged till they dye Therefore dear friends think on these things which are but as a touch of what might be spoken but a word to the wise is sufficient and waite upon the Lord alone to be guided in all things and do nothing hastily out of his fear and counsell which onely is known understood and stood in in the still and quiet waiting in the retiredness of mind and spirit staid upon him out of all your own willings and contrivings or runnings in the sinking down and subjectedness to his holy will alone that he might be all in you all and you as nothing before him but vessels of his honour praise and glory to whom be it given over all Amen No Babe in Israel to study for the attaining the Lawes of men to make their defence c. AND my dear friends who have no knowledge in the Lawes of men or Nations which are in the fall and are in such things ignorant as children this is my advise unto you from my God and your God do not now study or strive to attain the knowledge thereof in any case to make your defence when you are brought before Rulers and Governours or their Judgement-seats for the Name sake of Christ Jesus for if you do it will prove like Sauls Armour which David the Seed cannot go out to war with unless you have the knowledge of such things already as a servant to use in the dominion and pure wisdome of God for this I have found who am also ignorant of such things as a babe That the Innocent Seed of Jacob need none to plead its cause but God alone who giveth strength and wisdome in the same hour Therefore my dear and tender Friends Look not out from your own measures received of the grace of God which is sufficient neither consult with flesh and blood by reasonings disputings or premeditations but stand single and innocent eying the Honour and Glory of God in his pure fear and true humility for in this alone is the Victory Wisdome and Blessings obtained and God will not give it to another for the Battel is the Lords and we are to stand still in the Seed to see his salvation and then keeping low this will glorifie its Father alone as the Father hath