do appear in the presence of the living God in whose presence you now are and nothing can be hid from the all-seeing eye nor any thing cover you but purity for the wo is to all them that are covered and not with the spirit of the Lord for now all coverings must be ripped open and the Lord the heart-searcher will search all as with candles and an outward shew or covering with the Saints words will not hide nor cover any of you if the pure life of Christ be wanting let none be therefore deceived with a vain hope neither do you set up a false rest short of the true rest for verily I say unto you you had need to be watchful and to walk circumspectly not as fools but as wise men in the Lord for your adversary the devil goes about like a roaring Lion seeking whom he may devour going about by all wayes and means to deceive the hearts of the simple and honest minded ones his work is to oppose the work of Christ and he works in a mistery in the hearts of the children of disobedience working them into his Image and liknesse to do his lusts and the creature is captivated and the members thereof and becomes servant to the Devil who rules as a Prince in the heart and when he cannot keep people in the common filth of the world he will get into a form of godliness and there keep people feeding upon the empty and dry husks drawing near to God with their lips and mouths when he keeps possession in their hearts and draws away their affections after the lusts of the world and glory of it which fades away and comes to an end And when by his wiles he cannot hide himself nor keep people in the empty form then he will transform himself as an Angel of light and whatever the Saints of the most high do speak or practice as they are moved by the power and spirit of the Lord dwelling in them the subtil Serpent will get into the outward form likeness gesture and words or whatsoever is used or practiced outwardly by the Saints and servants of the Lord The devil will lead his servants into the likness and so get the words as many do get the words of truth into their unrighteous minds and so contend for the truth with that mind that is out of the truth and so glory in the words and outward appearance and the boaster gets up to boast in other mens lines and things above their measures being enemies to the Cross of Christ and servants of sin and in the bondage of corruption but into the light and life the devil cannot come nor enter so in the light which is pure all wait for the power and pure life of the Son of God to be manifest in you that so from the light and life fruits abundantly may be brought forth to the glory of God Stand upon your watch and bring your deeds to the light that so they may be proved and tryed whether or no they be wrought in God for he that walks in the light is kept from stumbling But all careless and slothful negligent ones who run head-long rashly without consideration or tryal of their deeds are captivated and ensnared by the temptation of the devil and so the light follows them and is their condemnation and so trouble and misery comes upon the wicked and it is just for he is the fool whose eyes be abroad and whose tongue is at liberty and so the rod is prepared for the back of the sool Therefore weigh your words in the just ballance and be well advised before you act any thing first try the motion before you go on to action for in all words and actions whatsoever any one doth either act or speak there is some thing within that moves before the action bee acted or words be spoken and whether it be good or evil it comes from within out of the heart and as is the heart so will the words and actions be if the heart be evil the words and actions will be evil and if the heart be good and pure the words and actions will be likewise good and pure Now come all to the touch-stone and to the ground of all things that you may know the ground of good things and the ground of evil things for as God is the Author of all good so the Devil is the Author of all evil and as God is a pure Spirit and works in a mistery in the hearts of the children of obedience working them into his Image and likenesse to do his works which are works of righteousnesse so the devil is an unclean and a dark spirit and works in a mistery in the hearts of the children of disobedience working them into his Image and likenesse to do his works which are works of unrighteousnesse And as the Author of good and the Author of evil are contrary one to the other and no fellowship betwixt them so the workers and servants of each of these are contrary one to the other and no agreement amongst them but a strong and an irreconcileable enmity and so a great and strong battel and this battel is begun in this Nation and other parts the great and mighty battel between the Prince of light and the Prince of darkness between the raging Beast and the meek and harmless Lamb. Now there is none can serve those two Masters neither can any be heirs of these two kingdoms but every one becomes his servant to whom he yields himself servant to obey whether of sin unto death or of obedience unto righteousness according as the Scripture declares All who obey the motion of the Lord in light and spirit as he moves in the pure heart become servants to the Lord and so his work is brought forth into the world which are works of righteousness as love gentleness patience long-suffering meekness temperance brotherly-kindness humility soberness godliness doing unto all as they would be done unto and such like fruits of righteousness which are a witnesse against the unrighteousnesse of the world and so are justified by God in spirit and created in Christ Jesus unto good works But all who yeeld to and obey the motion of the Devil in the dark as he moves in the dark heart by the spirit of darkness become servants to the Devil and so his work is brought forth into the world and fills the world with darkness and unrighteousness as pride and vain glory covetousness hatred malice strife and debate drunkenness whoredomes murders theft lying and swearing vain and profain talking tiranny cruelty and oppression persecution and such like ungodly wicked practises as the Land abounds with notwithstanding all their profession of God and Christ and high notions and large and fair pretences yet the fruits of wickedness in a high measure are daily growing and encreasing and all those evils and all other the abominations that are acted and done in the world they all proceed
they did eat together in singleness of heart as it is declared and testified in the Scriptures 1 Cor. 10.16 The cup of blessing which we bless is it not the communion of the blood of Christ the bread which we break is it not the Communion of the body of Christ for we being many are one bread and one body for we are all partakers of that one bread This bread and this cup are not carnal and visible but spiritual in invisible This bread is Christ for saith he I am the bread of life I am the living bread that came down from above John 6.35 John 6.51 he that eats of this bread shall live for ever and he shall never hunger and he that drinks of this cup shall never-thirst but it shall be in him a well of living water springing up unto eternal life John 4.14 Christ Jesus is called by several names in the Scriptures and they who have the names but not the substance are in confusion and devision and falls out about the names and so runs into the outward which are but the shadowes but knows not the life and substance 1 Cor. 2.14 John 6.35 John 8.12 He who is called the bread of life the same is called the Light of the World who doth enlighten every one that cometh into the World John 1.9 and every one loving and walking in the light so they come to walk in love and unity 1 John 1.7 and are all made partakers of that one light and so of that one bread which is the Saints life 1 Tim. 3.16 which is spiritual and a mistery hidden from the world and from all worldly wisdom Psal 25.15 but revealed to them that fear the Lord and is to them a living Ordinance ordained of God for the Salvation of their souls And as for the outward water it is but a figure of the living water within which washeth and cleanseth the heart which the outward water doth not Heb. 10.22 Ephes 4.5 Mat. 3.11 As for the one Baptism I own which is the Baptism of Christ with the holy Ghost and with fire which the water Baptism was but a figure of and in denying the outward water Baptism it is no breach of Christs Commands 1 Cor. 1.17 for I was not sent to Baptize but to preach the Gospel And all you who take upon you that power I demand of you who gave you commission to go and Baptize with outward water if you take your commission from the letter without a lively commission from Christ I deny your ground and your commission 1 Cor. 3.11 for it is not the letter of the Law of God that doth impower any one to execute the Law of God neither doth the letter of the Gospel impower any one to go and preach the Gospel though they be never so skilful and expert in the knowledge of the Scripture without power from on high to commission and impower them no more then the letter of the Law of England doth impower any one to be a justice of peace to execute the Law though many may buy the letter of the Law and may be expert and skilful Yet if the earthly powers do not give them commission they cannot act as a justice nor execute the Law if they should take upon them such a thing the powers of the earth would call them into question Even so all you who have taken upon you that power to baptize without commission from the Lord assure your selves you will be called into question and in the Name of my Lord and Master I do charge you to give an account who it was that gave you commission and cease speaking against others who keep the commands of God whom you cannot accuse justly for breach of the holy and pure substantial commands And likewise all other the Ordinances of Christ as praying and singing according as the spirit of God doth move to sing with understanding 1 Cor. 14 15. and to pray with understanding for as the Apostle saith Rom 8.26.27 1 Cor. 2.10 we know not what to pray for as we ought but the spirit helpeth our infirmities and makes intercession for us with sighs and groans that cannot be uttered for it is the spirit that makes manifest and searcheth out the deep and hidden things of God John 4.24 for as God is a spirit and will be worshipped in spirit so there is none knowes him nor worships him in spirit John 3.5 but those who are born of the spirit And so whatsoever the world or the enemies of Truth do say or speak of us Rom. 13.8 yet we can truly say in the presence of the Lord that we ow no man any thing but love 2 Cor. 6.4 to the 11. desiring the good of all people that all might come to the knowledge of the truth and for this end do we labour and travel under many heavy burthens through much reproaches and cruel mockings Mat. 5.11 12. stocks bonds and imprisonments every one giving their sensures of us and so we pass thorow many tryals but in all these things we can rejoyce knowing that it is and hath been the portion of the Lords chosen ones to be reviled and persecuted by the wicked generation they went through evil report and good report as deceivers and yet true and so in the Name and Power of the Lord do we go abroad as we are led by his spirit freely declaring unto others in tenderness of love unto their fouls what the Lord hath done for our souls and we do not go about to deceive any Acts 26.18 nor to draw any to our opinions but to turn them from deceit and deceivers and to gather them to the Lord that so the Lord may teach them according as he hath promised and according as it is written Isa 56.13 all the Children of the Lord shall be taught of the Lord. And though for our love we be envied and hated John 15.20 yet for Christ our Masters sake we can willingly bear it for the servant is not greater then his Masters for saith Christ as they have done unto me so will they do unto you and so it is no new thing but that which hath formerly been for the appearance of Christ was ever opposed especially by the professing people who had a form of godliness but were ignorant of the power as the Scriptures do bear testimony with me For in the time of the Law under that administration divers Statutes and Ordinances were given forth by Moses and while those things were practised and done in the integrity and simplicity of heart it was accepted of the Lord But when they turned from their integrity and uprightness of heart though they drew near to God with their lips and with their mouthes and multipled their offerings and sacrifices Yet it was abomination in the eyes of the Lord and the Lord sent his servants the Prophets to testifie
then anger and passion arises and so the old man is alive and the old garments are on these are the tokens and marks of a Heathen Therefore in the fear and name of the Lord I do exhort you to put off the old garments which defile you put off the old man with his deeds put away lying and swearing pride and vain pleasures drunkenness quarrelling whoredoms murders scoffing and jeering and such like deeds of darkness these are the filthy garments which defile you the old man which is to be put off otherwise you cannot enter into the kingdom of God and these garments must be put off before the new garments of righteousnesse be put on there must be a putting off the deeds of darkness before there be a putting on the armour of light for the new garments of righteousness must not be put upon the old garments of unrighteousnesse but first there must be a stripping off all the old coverings both of unrighteousness and self-righteousnesse for that righteousnesse is as filthy as the unrighteousness arising all from one ground and root and is both alike abomination to the Lord though many things may be acted and done amongst the formal professours which in themselves are good yet not being acted from a good ground it is evil The prayers of the wicked are abomination in the eyes of the Lord therefore cease to do evil that is the first thing to be done Let every one that nameth the Name of Jesus Christ depart from iniquity for indeed none else ought to name his Name but those who depart from iniquity for all that live in sin and filthinesse do name the Name of Christ in vain and are to depart from the presence of the Lord into the pit of darknesse therefore all and every one who seeks to be saved fear God for the fear of God is very pretious it is a fountain of life to depart from the snares of death and where it is placed in the heart it keeps clean the heart and the old deeds of darknesse are put off and all the old coverings and cloathings even to be naked as a child and then the cloathing of truth is put on and the pure treasure is put into the pure heart and these are Christians and are blessed as it is written Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God for the pure eye which is the light being in the head which is Christ God who is pure is seen and felt a God near at hand dwelling in the pure heart guiding and leading all his children out of the crooked wayes and snares of death into the pure way of life and peace to worship him in spirit and in truth according as his spirit which dwells in them doth teach them these are the children of God who are taught of God and serves him in truth and uprightness of heart singly and purely in the new life of righteousness these are Christians who have put off the old garments that is all the deeds of darkness and have put on the new garments the white robes that is truth and righteousness and they are cloathed with equity having put off the old man and put on the new man Christ Jesus and are one in him and like unto him in name and in nature the same love being shed abroad in their hearts and the same mind as was in Christ and the same spirit according as it is written love one another with the same love that I have loved you withal and let the same mind be in you as was in Christ Jesus and the same spirit for he that hath not the same spirit is none of his so these are Christians who are in Christ and if any be in Christ he is a new creature old things are passed away and behold all things are become new new heart new mind new love new life new words and new actions new name and new nature these are them who have come through the fire and have passed through many tribulations having denied themselves and the pomp and glory of the low world and have taken up the Cross and followed Christ through the sufferings and death whereby they are crucified to the world and worldly pride and pleasures and have learned of Christ meekness and humility and so are sent forth into the world to bear witness against the unrighteousness of the world and they are willing to bear and to suffer the reproach of the world knowing it is their portion from the world But all they who are professed Christians in England and other parts who have gotten the words of the true Christians and are guilded over with glorious words and makes a fair shew outwardly as though they were a a people that did delight in the Commandements of God yet the new life of a Christian is not brought forth amongst them as was in the followers of Christ but the old life of the Heathens is in them old heart old mind old love old life old words which are corrupt old actions old name and nature deceitful hearts full of filth and abomination pride and envy wrath malice lust and covetousness double minded feigned love corrupt life filthy communication wicked actions and so the old bottle poures forth the old wine and such things as these are acted and done amongst them which are called Christians which are an ill smell and an ill savour so that the name of a Christian is become abomination among the heathen such filthiness and such abominations are acted and done amongst the Professed Christians that causes the name of Christ to be blasphemed amongst the heathens Consider well all you who say you are Christians whether indeed these things be not so is not the old man alive in you and are not you doing and fulfilling the lusts of the Devil You who say you are Christs and layes claim to him as though he were your inheritance come and let us reason together and try what right you have to this inheritance You will say the heathens are without Christ and have no right to the promise of life and so say I yet he is given a light to the Gentiles but who are the Heathens you put them a far off into other nations as to the Turks and Pagans who have not the outward name of Christians But come near and try your selves and see if you be not found the heathens All who are in Christ are Christians and all who are out of Christ are Heathens of what Nation or countrey soever they be for he is not a Christian which is one outwardly neither is that the Baptism which is outward in the flesh with outward water but he is a Christian which is baptised into Christ by the spirit and power of Christ and so is one in Christ a new creature the heart being sprinkled from an evil conscience and the body washed with pure water and the pure life of Christ is brought forth which witnesseth against the unrighteous
life of the Heathen and the pure law of equity is set up to do to all as they would be done unto according to the doctrine of Christ and all who walk according to this light though they bear the name of Heathens yet their heathenism who keep the Law of equity doing unto all as they would be done unto their heathenism shall condemn those who profess Christ in words and are called Christians but do not act according to the Law of equity but cast the Law of God behind their backs such are shut out from the promise of life and have no right unto Christ who act contrary to him such are heathens of what countrey or nation soever they be who live in sin and fulfil the desires of the flesh they cannot please God for they who live after the flesh are not subject to the Law of righteousness but are heathens living in rage and malice pride and vain-glory lightness and wantonness scâ—ffing and jearing reviling and persecuting lying and swearing drunkenness whoredomes murders and such like these are the marks of the heathens and all such are shut out of the kingdom of God and have no share with the Christians in the inheritance which is everlasting for there is no promise to the wicked but wo is their portion for ever So the true Christians have right to to the inheritance Christ Jesus but the heathens have no right unto the promise until they come forth and repent and be turned from darkness unto light and from the Power of Satanunto God they that are Christians are in Christ and are Christs bought and purchased by his bloud and they that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts but they that are heathens are out of Christ in the world not bought and redeemed from sin but are satisfying and fulfilling the lusts of the flesh so in the name of God I do exhort every one that doth read this to try your selves with the Light of Christ in you whether you be in the faith or no or true Christians and be not deceived with a vain hope contenting your selves with the bare name when the life and nature is wanting for though you may profess all the Scriptures and can talk much of God and Christ without you yet all this doth not make you true Christians unless the word of God and the life of Christ be manifest in you as it was in them that gave forth the scriptures for the scriptures do declare of a generation that were great professours and as zealouss for God and the Ordinances of God as you can be for Christ and his ordinances as you profess yet they were blind in understanding and had not true discerning but did oppose Christ Jesus the Son of God I speak of the Jewes and that generation of scribes and Pharisees who profest a Christ to come but when he was come because he came not in pomp glory according to their expectation but in a low despised manner they called him a blasphemer and cryed out crucifie him and this was the cause of their blindness they had not the word of God abideing in them so the vail was over their eyes Christ cryed wo unto them calling them blind guids whited walls painted sepulchres and the like so I say unto you all your outside profession your going to hear Sermons and the like this you may do many years as I know you have done and be never the better but grow worse and worse ever learning laden with sin and led away with divers lusts but never able to come to the true knowledge of God for none ever knows God in truth and righteousness but as he is known by the working of his spirit within whereby he destroys the works of the Devil in the heart and creates a new heart and a new mind according to his own will and renews his own Image of righteousness and true holinesse and so man is made Gods workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works and so his members are servants of righteousness and the work of God is brought forth into the world by his servants and children whereby he is glorified in them and wisdom is justified of her children But all those of what name soever they are called whether Jews Gentiles or Christians though they may professe much outwardly and be counted godly and religious yet if their hearts be not upright to God and purified by the Word of God abiding in them they cannot serve nor worship God in truth for if iniquity do lodge in the heart and be regarded God will not hear the prayers of such nor accept of their sacrifices for it is not every one that sayes Lord Lord that shall enter into the Kingdom of God but such as do the will of God such shall know of his doctrine and such are they that are built upon the rock of ages and such do glorifie God by their godly and upright lives and so are Gods workmanship and bears Gods Image of love and meeknesse patience and long suffering and the like But thou and all you that are in rage and envy you are the devils workmanship and bears his Image drunkards swearers lyars scoffers scorners light and wanton ones you are the devils workmanship and he begot you and is your father and you bear his Image and not the Image of God All you high and lofty ones you proud Pharisaical professors you proud and covetous ones God never begat you but the God of the world the Prince of the air he rules in you and carries you up into pride and vain glory and all you ungodly ones under what name soever you be you are not in the way of God but in the way of the wicked one and your end will be misery The righteous God of heaven and earth doth not desire the death of any of you but that you might turn from your wickedness and live for this end he hath given his dear Son a light into the world who doth enlighten you wherby many times you are made sensible of your lost conditions how that you are aliens and strangers from the covenant of promise and you have been many times reproved in secret for your sins and iniquities and called and invited to come forth of your sins But have you not been rebellious and stiff-necked and resisted the councel of God and would none of his instructions But you have chosen your own wayes and you have delighted in your own abominations and so not minding the goodness and long suffering of God which leadeth to repentance all that hearken to his voice but you after your hardness and impenitent hearts are treasuring up unto your selves wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgements of God who will render unto every one according to his deeds done in the body whether they be good or evil To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for honour