word in season in the needful time But now has the Lord appear'd to comfort the Mourners in Sion and to give Beauty for Ashes the Oyl of Joy for Mourning and the Garment of Praises for the spirit of Heaviness Isa 61.3 Therefore lift up your Heads ye mournful Travailers who have been weeping as Rachel for her Children and refused to be comforted because they were not Jer. 31.15 For the Comforter is now come even the Spirit of Truth which leads into all Truth all those that are willing to follow him who saith I am come that you might have Life and that you might have it more abundantly John 10.10 and he will lead you by a Way you know not where you shall not Err. Life from God the Fountain of Life and Glory is now come and is entered into the Witnesses the Graves are opened the Dead is raised and they that hear his heavenly Voice their Souls live unto him This is the new Birth which the Apostle speaks of on this wise My little Children of whom I travail in Birth again until Christ be formed in you Galat 4.19 Here the Apostle travailed for the bringing forth of that holy Birth which is conceived by the holy Ghost and is born of the Water and of the Spirit and is made a new Creature in Christ for sayes he If any man be in Christ he is a New Creature But Nichodemus a Ruler of the Jews who came unto Jesus by Night reasoned carnally on this manner How can a Man be born which is Old can he enter again into his Mother's Womb and be born How ignorant was this Teacher of Israel concerning the Work of Regeneration it was a sealed Book and a Mystery unto him as it is to many Wise Professors and Night walking Nichodemus's of this Age who though they pretend to high things yet stumble at that which should open their Understandings and give them a true Discerning betwixt that which is born of the Flesh and that which is born of the Spirit but are yet in the dark and their Understandings vailed by reason of Sin and Transgression which stands as a Partition Wall unremoved and the old man with his Deeds not put off nor the new man the second Adam put on which bears the heavenly Image and being gone astray and alienated from the Life of God in themselves they become not acquainted with that which should work a Change in their Hearts not withstanding all their Profession of God and Christ in Words whilst in their Works they deny him Now the birth of the flesh is known by its fruits which is Envy Wrath Murder and Persecution of that Birth that is born after the Spirit hath been so even from Righteous Abel to this very day for Cain who was the first that was born of a Woman envyed his Brother Abel and slew him because his Brother's Sacrifice was accepted and his rejected whose innocent Blood from the Ground on which it was spilt cryed in the Ears of the Lord for Vengence as doth the Blood of the Innocent People of God this day cry unto him who will render Judgment and Vegeance upon the Enemies of his Righteous Seed and People who have sacrificed unto and worshipped the Lord their God according to his Commands and the Requirings of his holy Spirit in their Hearts And Ishmael the Son of the Bond Woman who was born after the Flesh and is in Bondage with her Children he was a Mocker and Mocked Isaac who was the true Seed and Heir of the Promise so all those now who are of Abraham's Faith are of the true Seed and inherit the Blessing and Kingdom prepared for them before the Foundation of the World And again you may read how Esau the first birth who was a prophane man and sold his Birth-right for one Morsel of Meat he set himself against Jacob the second Birth who was of the true Seed and righteous Line unto which the Promise and Blessings did descend and appertain So here people may see how that after man had transgressed and forsaken the Lord he fell short of the Blessings of God and in that state the first birth which was of the Earth earthly and sensual was rejected with its Offerings and Sacrifice so it is the second birth which is after the Spirit that obtains the Blessing And Haman an Informer against Mordecai was of this corrupt seed birth of the flesh whose Off-spring as well as himself has been persecuting the Members of the true Church Seed of God for these many hundred years unto this very time and all about Religion Sacrifice and Worship so that our Persecutors who have been rending and tearing like Dogs and Bears and persecuting people for their Non-conformity and different Perswasions about Religion may see their Off spring and who was their Captain and General in this wicked Work whose Spirit is alive though his Body be dead and it will deceive them in the end And Wo and Misery will be the Portion of all such if not prevented by timely Repentance at unawares when 't will be too late to call unto the Hills and to the Mountains to fall upon them and cover them from the Presence of the Lord and to hide them from his dreadful Majesty and fierce Indignation which is kindled against all the Enemies of his chosen People who are unto him as the Apple of his Eye and no Way will be found to escape his terrible Judgments For such as every one sows such must they reap and they that sow to the flesh shall of the flesh reap Corruption but they that sow to the spirit shall of the spirit reap Life Everlasting Gal. 6.8 And if they who are and persist in Cain's nature and Esau's spirit seek a place of Repentance with Tears as they did they shall not find it but shall be like Cain who was a Fugative and a Vagabond in the Earth being driven out from the Presence of the Lord and said My Punishment is greater than I can bear Oh! that people would but consider what they are a doing and to whom they yield their Members Servants to obey and follow that Exhortation of the Apostle Rom. 6.13 Yield not your Members as Instruments of Unright cousness unto sin but yield your selves unto God for the Wages of Sin is Death but the Gift of God is Eternal Life Now this Gift of God is freely extended unto all Mankind in and by which he calls and excites to Purity and Holiness and to turn to him and forsake Sin which makes the Separation and to come out of Ungodliness and all Uncleanness The Call of the Lord has reached unto all but the Apostle saith Have they not all heard yes verily their sound went into all the Earth and their words to the end of the World Rom. 10.18 but all have not obeyed the Voice of the Lord. Oh! why will ye stand idle in the Market-place pleading for and contending about outward
himself saying I am the Resurrection and the Life he that believes in me though he were dead yet shall he live this is he to whom all the ends of the Earth are to look for Salvation he is the Shiloh the peaceable Saviour who is now come according to Jacob's Prophecy upon his dying Bed saying The Scepter shall not depart from Judah nor a Law-giver from between his Feet until Shiloh come and unto him shall the gathering of the People be Gen 49.10 which Scepter of Government is long since departed from Judah therefore Shiloh is come Now the spiritual Scepter is deliver'd unto him who without Respect of Persons is holding it forth unto all Nations Kindreds Tongues and People that his Government may be set up and his Scepter sway in their Hearts whose Kingdom is an Everlasting Kingdom and of his Dominion there shall be no End upon whose Shoulders the Government is set and the Nations of them that are saved must walk in the Light of the Lamb who is come to take away the sins of the world has brought a Remnant through their Belief in and Obedience unto the Light of Christ to the knowledge of his saving Power which brings out of the dead Forms to the living Substance which gives true Satisfaction to the Soul And such cannot but say unto and invite all who hunger and thirst after Righteousness To come and taste with us and see how good the Lord is for it is that which was from the Beginning which we have seen with our Eyes which we have looked upon and our Hands have handled of the Word of Life that we declare unto you that you also might have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ John 1.3 And the Spirit and the Bride saith Come and let him that heareth say Come and he that is athirst let him come and take of the Waters of Life freely Rev. 22.17 Oh! why will you spend your Money for that which is not Bread and your Labour for that which doth not satisfie your Souls who with the Prodigal have spent your Portion and are feeding upon the Husks in your Notional Self Performances and Imitations of true Religion Sacrifice and Worship But alas it is not the Profession Shew or Likeness of these things without the Possession of that Life and Power in which they are accepted of the Lord that will stand in stead in the needful time for 't is not a sight or shew of Food that will satisfie an hungry or travelling Man but Give me Bread sayes the hungry Soul or else I dye Oh! how doth my Spirit mourn for those who are seeking living Bread among the Husks where it s not to be found and are inquiring after their Souls Beloved and are running from one Watchman to another seeking the Footsteps of the Flock of his Companions and where he feeds them and causes them to lie down at noon day Come you that have been enquiring of the blind Watchmen of the Night I will tell you where we have found the Beloved of our Souls where you also must find him The Spouse of old sought him amongst the Watchmen yet found him not But sayes she when I had past a little from them then I found him whom my Soul loved Such was our inquiring Condition amongst the blind Watchmen of the Night who cryed Lo here and Lo there whose Trumpet gave an uncertain sound unto us and instead of Relief caused our Wounds to bleed afresh telling us Revelation was ceased and we must not expect God Christ in that inward and spiritual Appearance wherein he made known himself to his People in dayes past but we must apply our selves to this outward Ceremony and the other Ordinance c. and thus they smote us and wounded us But blessed be our God forever who turned us from them to the Light of Christ Jesus which gave us the knowledge of our Beloved and directed our Feet into the right Way even the Just Man's Path which is a shining Light and shines more and more unto the perfect day the Wayfaring Man though a Fool shall not err therein So it was by the inshinings of his Light Grace in our Hearts that we received the Discovery and Knowledge of our Beloved who is become the chiefest of ten thousand unto a Remnant as he was to the Spouse of old He is the Door into the Sheepfold and the true Shepherd who laid down his Life for his Sheep and whoever enters into this heavenly Fold of Rest and Peace must enter in by his Light who is the Door for whoever climb up any other way are Thieves and Robbers and his Sheep hear his Voice and the Voice of a Stranger they will not follow because they can clearly distinguish between the true Shepherd and the false Shepherds who whilst people put into their Mouthes cry Peace Peace and when not fed prepare War against them witness the many grievous Sufferings of Innocent People in Body Estate how many nasty Goals have been crouded full by their Cruelty how many Wives have been made Widows and Children Fatherless whose Cryes have pierced the Heavens and whose Complaint has entred the Ears of the Lord by their unrighteousness inhuman dealings with God's people And how have these Idol Shepherds who have sought the Fleece and not regarded the Sheep like Wolves and Bears rended the Goods of such as could not put into their Mouthes the impartial Reader and every unbyass'd Mind can well inform But the great and powerful Shepherd the mighty God hath taken Cognizance of these things and will surely call them to account and reckon with them in a Day that is come coming upon them wherein they shall be more and more made manifest that they are not sent of God nor true Ministers of Christ because they abide not in his Doctrine who said Freely ye have received freely give and if any shall ask How we know them we need go no further then the words of Christ who said By their Fruits ye shall know them for they are such who seek their Gain from their Quarter who feed with the fat and clothe with the Wool and love the uppermost Rooms at Feasts and Greetings in the Market-place with divers other Marks whereby we know them to be such as ran and God never sent them and their Doctrine to be erroneous and unprofitable But the Sheep of Christ's Pasture are clothed with the Lamb-like Meek Quiet and Suffering Spirit of Jesus who makes his Followers conformable unto himself that in all things we may be found followers of him in his Light and Grace who hath other Sheep which are not of this Fold whom also he said should be brought in that they may hear his Voice and there shall be one Sheepfold and one Shepherd John 10.16 And for those Sheep who are not yet gathered into this Fold doth my Soul travail that
they with us might partake of the living Bread which comes down from Heaven I am that living Bread saith Christ that came down from Heaven My Flesh is Meat indeed and my Blood is Drink indeed whoever eats of the Bread and drinks of the Water that I give shall never hunger nor thirst any more Except ye eat my Flesh and drink my Blood ye have no Life in you This was an hard Saying to the professing Jews whose Eye was outward and carnal as it is with many this day who make a great talk of his Flesh and Blood But except you have Faith in his Name and by virtue of that Faith come to eat his Flesh and drink his Blood ye have no Life in you for sayes he who sais I am the Light Except ye believe that I am he ye shall dye in your Sins and whither I go ye cannot come so that it is Unbelief in his Light or Grace in people which disappoints them of the benefit of his Blood which cleanseth washes and sanctifies all those that believe in his Name and Power by which as they keep unto and abide in it they come to witness their Redeemer to live even Christ the Anointed of God the Everlasting Minister of the Sanctuary and of the true Tabernacle which God hath pitched and not Man he is become our High Priest and the Bishop of our Souls he is teaching his People himself and our Invitation unto all is that they may come and sit down under the Teachings of his Spirit and Grace in themselves For whatsoever may be known of God is manifest within and he hath shewn unto Man what is good that he should obey it and do it and the Apostle said Examine your selves prove your selves know ye not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates Now thou who hast had thine Eye outward hast bin running abroad and spent thy Portion with the Prodigal and hast not obtained an Establishment in that which is durable and satisfying the Soul Return return to thy Father's House and turn thy Mind inward to that which thou hast run from and hast been seeking without thee and thou wilt find virtue in it and the Efficacy of it to satisfie thy breathing Soul for remember the Parable of the Woman who sought her piece of Silver without her House but turning within lighting a Candle and sweeping her House she found it and for the Joy that she had found this Treasure invited her Neighbours to come and rejoyce with her Now the Candle of the Lord which is the Spirit of a Man is lighted and the Houses of many are swept and that which they have been seeking without they have found within them to the exceeding great Joy Gladness of their Hearts so that they could not but invite and perswade others through the constraining Virtue and Soul-satisfaction they had receiv'd from it to turn in to that inward Word of Power which is nigh in the Heart and is a sure Word of Prophecy unto which sayes the Apostle Peter ye do well to take heed as unto a Light shining in a dark place until the Day dawn and the Day Star arise in your Hearts 2 Pet. 1.19 Now we having taken heed unto this divine and heavenly Word in our Hearts we are come to see the arising of the Star of Jacob and to the bright and morning Star by which the blessed Day of God's great Salvation is known and experimentally witnessed by a Remnant Oh! how glorious is the appearance breaking forth of this heavenly Day in which the rising of the Son of Righteousness who is risen with Healing under his Wings many are come to behold how excellent is the Power Wisdom and Majesty of him who is greater than Solomon whose marvellous Order Magnificency and Splendor the Queen of Sheba from the uttermost parts of the Earth came to see who when she had heard and seen all that she desired yea to her Astonishment made this acknowledgment I believed not this Report until I had seen it with mine Eyes but lo the one half was not told me for thou hast more Wisdom and Prosperity than I have heard by Report 1 Kings 10.7 And many can now say that a Greater than Solomon is now come whose infinite Wisdom and Power whose excellent Glory and Majesty the Tongues of Men and Angels are incapable and insufficient to set forth who is filling his latter House with the Splendor of his own Glory for transcending and surpassing the Glory of the Outward Temple which was typical figurative of that which is not built with Hands and many Sons are coming from far and Daughters from the ends of the Earth to behold the Beauty and Comliness and Holy Order of the House of the God of Jacob which he is establishing atop of all the exalted Mountains and Professions without Possession and above all swelling Notions and Hills and Nations are flowing unto it according as the Lord spake by the Mouth of the Prophet Isa 2.2 Beautiful foâ—â—â—tuation is Mount Sion the Hill of God and it is now fulfilled in these latter days that many are come to say Let us go up to the Mountain of the Lord and to the House of the God of Jacob and he will teach us of his Wayes and we will walk in his Pathes These are the true Jews in Spirit the Circumcised in Heart Ear whose Praise is of God and not of men such are the true Worshippers who worship the Father in the Spirit and in the Truth which is that living true and standing Worship set up and established above sixteen hundred years ago by our Lord and Saviour in that blessed Conference held with the woman of Samaria at Jacob's Well who hearing of the Disputes various Opinions about the Place where men ought to worship said Woman believe me The Hour cometh when ye shall neither in this Mountain nor at Jerusalem worship the Father for the Hour cometh and now is that the true Worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and Truth and such is the Father seeking to worship him John 4.21 23. This Woman by this Converse with Christ being converted to the Faith in him went her way into the City and gave this Testimony of him Come see a Man says she that has told me all that ever I have done is not this the Christ And many of the Samaritans believ'd on him not only because of the saying of the Woman who told them That he had told her all that ever she had done but because of his own Word And we know say they that this is indeed the Christ Now these men were directed unto Christ by the Declaration or Preaching of a Woman who was not despised by them because of her Sex but they received her Invitation came to be made Believers in him who had told the Woman all that she had done and well were it for the People of this
Messengers with Blindness so that they could not find the Door to go into the House Gen. 19.11 even so we have seen in our day when the Lord hath sent forth his Messengers and Servants from City to City and from one Country to another to perswade and exhort people to cease from the Evil of their Wayes and to fear and obey the Lord that created them How hath the Wicked even Gog and Magog mustered up their Forces against us the Dragon and his Angels against Michael and his Angels but Michael our Prince shall have the Victory And we have seen the Lord to smite the Aegyptians as he did Pharaoh and his Host when they pursued the Israelies and would not let them go free out of Aegypt according to the Mind and Will of the Lord that they might Worship him how wonderfully did the Lord God appear for their Deliverance to the dividing the Waters of the great Deep that his chosen People might pass through and escape the Hands of their Enemies The Sen obeyed his Command and fled and Jordan was driven back c. Exod. 14.22 Psalm 114.3 and Pharaoh and his Host overturned in the midst of the Sea so that they saw the Aegyptians dead upon the Shore Then they sung the Song of high Praises to the Lord and the Songs of Deliverance to the God of Israel whose mighty Wonders they had seen in the Deep And many in this day can sing a Melodious Song of High Praises to the God of their Salvation upon the Banks of Sion and upon the Walls of Jerusalem in the deep Sense of his many great Preservations and Miraculous Diliverances which we have known since we were a People by the saving Arm of his Power unto which we ascribe all the Honour and Glory of his own Works who is God over all worthy to be Magnified and in the highest Praised forever and evermore And as we have stood in his Counsel when with Tribulations and Temptations on every hand we have been surrounded and beset as the Israelites were whe nthe Sea was before them and the Aegyptians pursuing after them and Hills and Mountains on every hand yet standing still and in Patience waiting upon the Lord we have seen the great Salvation of God manifested in our greatest Straits and his Strength in our Weakness And although we be but poor and despicable Instruments as in the Eyes and Esteem of the Wise and Prudent of this World yet is the Wisdom of this World Foolishness with God and he is making choice of the Despised and Contemptible things of this World to Confound the Wisdom of the Wise and to bring to Naught the Understanding of the Prudent that no Flesh may glory in his Presence before whom every tall Cedar and sturdy Oak must how and all Shrubs must be rooted up not by Sword nor by Spear or any Carnal Weapon but by the Word of God's Power which is quick and powerful sharper than any two-edged Sword which Word also is as a Fire and an Hammer to cut down burn up and beat in pieces all the Ungodliness of Wicked men that stands in Opposition to Him whose right it is to Reign in the Kingdoms of Men. And we have seen the Uncircumcised Philistims to fall Heaps upon Heaps as they did by the hand of Sampson who had no better Instrument of War than the Jaw-bone of an Ass which in outward appearance was very Contemptible yet standing in that living Faith which gives Victory the Conquest is known And this is that Word of Faith which the Apostles preached by which the Just live to God and is much more pretious than Gold that perisheth One Grain of it if no bigger than a Grain of Mustard-Seed is sufficient to enable for an Encounter against the potent Enemy of the Soul Although he come like a roaring Lyon seeking his prey in this Faith there is safety for the Righteous by which the holy men of God stood and were upheld when they fought the good Fight of Faith and by which the Noble Warriors and Antients of Israel obtained a Good Report and did many Valient Acts and got Victory by and through it by the stopping the Mouthes of Lyons quenching the Violence of Fire escaping the Edge of the Sword out of Weakness were made Strong And by this Faith Women received their Dead raised to Life again c. Heb. 11.34 35. And others were Tortured not accepting Deliverance that they might obtain a better Resurrection And it was by Virtue of this Living Faith that David whilst a Stripling and a Keeper of his Father's Sheep went forth against and Encountred with Goliah of Gath that Great Gyant and Uncircumcised Philistim who had defied the Armies of the Living God and insulted over them because of his Greatness and Strength at which Saul was Discouraged But says little David Let no mans Heart fail because of him Thy Servant will go and fight with this Philistim Now when Saul seemed to Discourage him David answered and said unto Saul Thy Servant kept his Father's Sheep and there came a Lyon and likewise a Bear and took a Sheep out of the Flock and I went out and rescued the Lamb and slew the Lyon and the Bear And this Vncircumcised Philistim shall be as one of them because he railed on the Host of the Living God Moreover he said The Lord that delivered me out of the Paw of the Lyon and out of the Paw of the Bear he will deliver me out of the Hand of this Philistin So David went out against him not with Saul's Armour For sayes he I cannot go with these for I am not accustomed with his Staff and his Sling and Five SMOOTH Stones taken out of a Brook and when the Philistim saw David come he Disdained him being but a Boy and for the Meanness of his Instrument of War and said Am I a Dog that thou comest to me with a Staff with other Disdainful and Approbious Language But David answered Thou comest to me with a Sword and with a Spear and a Shield But I come unto thee in the Name of the Lord of Hosts the God of the Armies of Israel whom thou hast defied This Day will the Lord deliver thee in to mine Hands c. 1 Sam. Chapter 17. Read throughout So David slew this great Gyant with a Sling and a smooth Stone out of his Pag which was but a mean Instrument yet being handled in the Faith and Power of God prevailed and gave Israel Victory over their Enemies Oh! how precious is this Faith whereby the Righteous obtain Victory over both Inward and Outward Enemies from Generation to Generation This is that Faith which cometh by Hearing and Hearing by the Word of God which Word is nigh thee even in thy Heart and in thy Mouth Rom. 10.8 And is the same Word unto which Moses recommended and directed the Children of Israel and earnestly pressed them to the keeping of the Commandment and the Word in the