thee to follow him whither soever he goes no more to obey him for life as thou didst when thou wast without seeking him in Forms and Observations but now the love and life thou enjoyst in Christ Jesus constrains thee to deny thy self and take up thâ—… Corss daily and follow him Now art thou come into the beginning to live in the Lord guided by the powerful word of Faith the Light that shines in thy heart which is the Light of the City New Jerusalem to whom thou art come to worship the Father in Spirit and Truth and all that are come to walk in the Light of the City New Jerusalem are the true Israel of God that are taught of God to whom the New and Everlasting Covenant is made according to the Promise of the Lord This is the Covenant I will make with the House of Israel and with the House of Judah after those days saith the Lord I will put my Law in their inward Parts and write it in their hearts and I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a People And they shall teach no more every man his Neighbour nor every man his Brother saying Know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest of them I will be merciful unto their unrighteousness and their Sins and their Iniquities will I remember no more And in this City there is no need of the Sun neither of the Moon to shine in it which are borrowed lights outward dispensations and teachings of men for the glory of the Lord God doth lighten it and the Lamb is the Light thereof And the Nations of them that are saved shall walk in the Light of it and the Kings of the Earth bring their glory and honour unto it and there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth neither what soever worketh abomination or maketh a lye but they ever which are written in the Lamb's Book of Life And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day for there shall be no night there for the Lord God giveth them Light and they shall reign for ever and ever Hallelujah to the Highest To all revolted Souls who have departed from the Counsel of the Lord and are made drunk with the Wine of the wrath of the Fornication of the Whore bewitched with the Mother of Witch-craft to return unto spiritual Sodom and Egypt where our Lord is Crucified VVHoever thou art in whom the righteous Law of God Jesus Christ the Light in thee hath cryed through thy Earthly heart for Righteousness Judgment there thou didst stand arraigned before the Throne of the Lamb where the Book was opened in thee written therein all the deeds thou hast done in the body and the Sentence of Wrath and Judgment passed out of the mouth of the Lamb on thee for every idle word and all that thou hast done and in this thy condemned estate thou rannest to and fro to hide thee from the Wrath of the Lamb in reforming thy wayes and strictly observinâ—… that thou wast convinced of to be the will of God but what way soever thou turnedst in thine obedience towards God to get Life thither the flaming Sword turned that proceeded out of the mouth of the Lamb cut thee down and cast thee into Hell where thou layst weeping and wailing under the Wrath of God sealed down under his eternal Judgment for evermore for any help or power thou hadst in thy self until Jesus Christ manifested eternal Love and Mercy freely to thy poor lost condemned Soul and raised thee up to a lively hope and sealed thee up in the Covenant of Life with his own blood Now after the Witnesses have sealed up their Testimony the Beast which is thy will that ascends out of the bottomless pit of thy deceived heart which is deceitful and desperately wicked hath made war against the Witnesses Christ in thee and â—…ain them and they lie dead in the spiritual City of Sodom and Egypt where our Lord is crucified and thou art made drunk with the wine of the wrath of the Fornication of the Whore and bewitched with her witchcrafts who now tells thee whom he loves he loves to the end and to the pure all things are pure thou art no more under the Law but under Grace and all things are alike that when thou disobeyest the pure Law which once had power over thee and yet witnesseth against thee secretly crying in thy heart Use thy Liberty but not as an occasion to the Flesh that regardest not the Counsel of the Lord but hearkenest to the Mother of Harlots in thee and causeth thee to wrest the Scriptures to thy own Destruction and tells thee the Law hath no power over thee that thou art under Grace it is but the Law in thy Members that wars against thâ—… Law in thy mind the acting of the Humanity which acts in its place that the Grace of God may appear more gloriously God sees no sin in thee for it is no more thou but Sin that dwells in thee and the former misery thou wast in under the Wrath of God for the disobeying of the Righteous Law thou now treadst under thy feet and lies slain in spiritual Sodom and Egypt in thy heart yet not put in the grave but lies in thy sight and lets thee see the evil of thy doings and vexes and torments thy earthly and carnal heart in the midst of all thy joy but the Whore in thee tells thee that the former trouble thou wast in was through the ignorance of God but now thou are grown up to a higher stature in Christ to see nothing but Love in whatsoever thou dost now thou knowest nothing but to eat and to drink and to be merry for the Children of the Bride-Chamber cannot mourn while the Bridgroom is with them time was thou didst mourn but it was when the Bridegroom was not with thee but now the Winner is past and Summer come and singing of Birds is heard in thy Land and now wash thy face and anoint thy head with Oyl that thou appear no more before men as thou 〈◊〉 when thou wast a Pharisee Now to be a Friend to Publicans and Sinners and become all to all that thou mayest win some and whatever thou dost it is God that acts thee for thou art not stronger then he to resist him and if he would have it otherways how couldâ—… thou hinder it so it is as it must be and it cannot be other ways Thus the subtil Serpent windâ—… into the mind of man and causes him to wrest the Scriptures to his own destruction to draw back into Perdition Wo wo unto thee thou backslider in heart who chargest God who iâ—… Purity it self to be the Author of Sin and the Actor of thee in all thy silthy and unrighteous walking and hast turned the Grace of God into Wantonness takest liberty to sin because Grace
in mind I have no scornful eye I do not exercise my self in things that are too high When they never knew any change wrought in their minds and so causeth the People to lye And causing them to sing David's Prayers as O Lord rebuke me not in thy Wrath neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure for thine Arrows stick fast in me and thine hand presseth me sore for mine Iniquities are gone over mine head as an heavy Burden they are too heavy for me to bear my wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishness I am troubled I am bowed down greatly I go mourning all the day long And may be none of you in all that place can witness the condition and so blaspheme the Name of God who will be worshipped in Spirit and in Truth and this is the Rule given out from him if any be afflicted let him Pray if any be merry let him sing Psalms And there is none merry but the Ransomed of the Lord who return to Sion with joy and singing and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads they shall obtain joy and gladness and Sorrow and sighing shall flee away All People may search the Scriptures and see how you have been deceived by your Teachers who have caused you to seek your lost God in carnal dead observations which they have not any Scripture for all cease from them for the Lord complains of them The Loaders of my People causo them to err saith the Lord of Hosts and now are these Scriptures fulfilled in these men which the Apostle prophesied of This know also that in the last days perilous tiâ—…es shall come for men shall be lovers of their own selves covetous proud boasters blasphemers disobedient to parents unthankful unholy All People see are not your Teachers so Self-lovers before they come at you they must know what they must have covetous griping for much if you will not give them so much as they can have in another Place they will not come at you here is Self-love and Covetousness manifested without natural affection Truce-breakers false accusers Traytors heady high-minded lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God having a Form of godliness but denying the power thereof from such the Apostle exhorts to turn away All People behold and see all these Scriptures are fulfilled in your Teachers they spake against Pride and live in it against Covetousness and live in it They teach by words to be naturally affectionate one towards another and they walk contrary causing poor People to pay to maintain them in Pride and high ranks in the Earth who can scarce get Bread for their bellies and clothes for their backs yet they force them to pay them being void of all natural affections and they are Truce-breakers breaking all Bonds and Covenants if they can get more money in another place Thus they shew forth to all the world that they are lovers of Pleasures more then lovers of God and have a form of Godliness in words but deny the Power thereof from such turn away for of this sort are they which creep into houses lead captive silly women laden with Sin divers lusts These Scriptures are fulfilled in your Teachers every one hath his particular house to creep into where none must come but themselves or whom they please which is contrary to the practice of Christ or any that he sent forthâ—…they went through the countries Towns Cities and Villages according as they were guided by the Spirit of God to declare what he gave them to spake and your Teachers lead silly woman captive laden with Sin and led away with divers Lusts ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the Truth Do not they tell you to look for Christ's coming in such observations as they set up which are nothing but the inventions of their brains for Christ tells you The Kingdom of God comes not with observations But is within you But many of them deny that the Light in your Consciences which makes manifest the evil of your hearts to be the Kingdom of God calling it the Light of a corrupt conscience so shut the Kingdom of Heaven against men and will neither enter in themselves to be guided by the pure Light of the Kingdom of Christ within them nor suffer them that are entering in to enter as the Scribes and Pharisees did Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses so do these men resist the Truth men of corrupt minds Reprobates concerning the Faith but they shall proceed no further for their folly shall be made manifest to all men as theirs also was and no man shall buy their Merchandize any more All you enslaved captives in the Kingdom of Babylon why will you lay out your money for that which is not bread and your labour for that which satisfies not hearken diligently unto Jesus Christ the Light that lets you see the evil of your hearts to be guided by it and you shall eat that which is good Encline your ears saith Christ and come unto me hear and your souls shall live and I will make an Everlasting Covenant with you even the sure Mercies of David Mind the Call of a powerful and tender Father in the Lord Jesus who calls Come forth of Babylon my People touch no unclean Thing and I will rceieve you and will be a Father unto you and ye shall be my Sons and Daughters saith the Lord God Almighty Friends prize your time slight not the Day of the Lord's Mercy foâ—… he waits to be gracious and saith I stretch forth my Arm all the Day long to a back-sliding and gain-saying People Every one mind your Conditions deal justly with your own Hearts fee what your Hearts have Fellowship with and guide your Minds for the Kingdom of Christ is within you it is not in Observations as your Teachers tell you for they deceive you therefore Christ forewarn'd us for looking forth at those which would come in the latter days that would say Lo here is Christ lo there is Christ as it is in these our days some say Lo here is Christ in the Presbyterian practise the Independants say He is there and the Anabaptists say Lo he is here But Friends mind what Christ saith unto you Believe them not look not forth the Kingdom of Christ is not in any of those nor in any other outward observations but be warned the Kingdom of Christ is in you and that is the Light that lets you see the evil of your hearts and Christ compares it to a grain of Mustard-seed the least of all Seeds and it grows up above all other Herbs and becomes a Tree that the Fowls of the Air lodge therein and he compares it to a little Leaven that a Woman took and hid in three measures of Meal and it leavened the whole lump These are Earthly parables and figures which Christ lays down speaking to the earthly and carnal heart of man that
the light Countenance of God fear thou not neither be thou discouraged because of the violent Assaults of the Enemy who seeks to draw thee into the carnal Reasonings of thy Spirit and in it to kindle a Fire to thy self and cause thee to walk in the Light of the Sparks that thou hast kindled and this hast thou at the Hand of the Lord in thy going from his Counsel lyest down in Sorrow few know thy great Distress but to the Lord it is known and to them that had and walked in the same Paths O thou beloved Babe who lyest in the deep Sence of the working of the Evil One in thy Mind and many times art ready to say Never was any like unto me neither any Sorrow like unto my Sorrow and in this languishing despairing Mournings of thy soul all things made bitter unto thee as the Waters of Marah thus art thou driven from all Comfort as a Child without a Father and a desolate Widdow without a Husband and as a Stranger that no Eye pitieth in thy Apprehension sometimes saying in thy Heart in the Heat of the Temptation and the Fire that thou hast kindled Oh that I had been any Creature but what I am or if it were the Will of the Lord that he would shorten my dayes that I might not be any longer on Earth to sin against him For in thy own Sence and Feeling thou walking in the Sparks thou hast kindled in carnal Reasonings thou deservest not any Thing but Wrath Horror Misery Distress on every side and great Languishings that thy days were shortned secretly crying out in thine Heart O'th at I were alone in the Wilderness or in any Cave or Den in the Earth that I might never ses nor hear any of the Sons of men any more but in the secret Retiredness even roar mourn out my days until 〈◊〉 dye O thou Royal Child of the Birth of the Morning of the pure eternal Day of the God of Israel hearken no longer to the Enemy who saith There hath none travelled where thou art nor none drunk of the Cup that thou art drinking he is a Lyar who goes about to destroy thy precious Soul In the Word of the Lord God I declare unto thee I drank the same Cup with my faithful Friends who are born of the Royal Seed every one in their Measures travelled in the same Path and have endur'd the same Temptations and walk'd in the Light of the same Sparks and laid down in Sorrow in the Sence of the same Misery as thou mournest under this Day no longer lend an Ear to the Enemy the Thoughts of thy Heart Arise arise in the Light of the Covenant stay thy Heart and the Lord will throw down the enemy of thy Peace destroy the carnal Reasonings of thy Mind put out the Fire that thou hast kindled and he will deliver thee out of the horrible Pit and set thy Feet upon the Rock of Ages and thou shalt tread down the Enemies of thy Soul in the sensible Feeling of the Love of the Father who will manifest himself to be a Father to the Fatherless in thee and an Husband to the Mournful Widow and a Comforter to the Immortal Babe that mourns in thee in the Uprightness of thy Heart to do the Will of the Living God So in the Power of his Might stay thine Heart and tread upon all Doubts Fears dispairing Thoughts Questionings Reasonings Musings Imaginations Consultings arise over them all in the Light of Christ he will lead thee into the Banqueting house of the Pleasure of our God where thou shalt sit down with me and all the redeemed of my Father who are born of the Immortal Seed and have pass'd through great Tribulations have wash'd our Garments and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb Therefore do we now stand before the Throne of God praising him Day and Night in his Holy Temple And this shall be the Portion of thy Cup if thou diligently hearken to the Counsel of the Lord which calleth thee to trust in him he will embrace thee in the Arms of his Love and thou shalt praise his Name forever God Almighty in his Light Life raise up thy Soul and establish thy Heart in his Counsel stedfastly to wait in his Power to lead thee in the Cross out of all Unbelief and cause thee to lie down at rest in Obedience to his Will where thou shalt drink the Cup of Salvation forever Farewel William Dewsbury
him foolishness and madness This is the Wiâ—…dom of God and the children thereof judged and condemned by man in his day And how can it be otherwise How can the wisdom of men but judge that as foolishness whose beauty and excellency is hid from its eye But this is because the wisdom of man is out of its place not subjected to the Wisdom of God but exalted above it therefore as a Curse unto it is it suffered to lift up it self in its conceitfulness against and so to persecute the pure Wisdom of God and the birth thereof that it might fall and be broken and snared and taken and its day deservedly come to an end and be shut up in the shadows and chambers of eternal darkness But what Ear of Man can hear this Surely none that is whole in the line of Man's wisdom reason and understanding but that alone which is bruised broken and in some measure dashed to pieces by the inroads of a divine Life and Nature This iâ—… the leading of that Life which hath broken it and in the shinings of the Light eternal upon it and into it may be enabled to take up the Cross to the natural part and to die that Death with Christ which preserves from the second Death with the misery thereof Happy is he who knows and hearkens to the Perswasions of God's Spirit who is born of God and taught to wait upon him and worship him in Spirit who receives his Religion from the Ligâ—… of Faith into the renewed Nature and Mind and not from the Reason of Man into the natural understanding which is easily corrupted and cannot be kept pure but alone by the indwelling of the Principle of Eternal Life in it For though such may suffer very deeply in this World from the men of this world as the Subjects and Servants to the Principle of Life have done in all Ages and Generations yet their Principle will bear them out in which God will appear to strengthen and refresh their spirits and carry them up above all their Sufferings in the Patience Meekness and Faith of the Lamb And keeping to their Principle they cannot be overcome but must either live or die Conquerors according to the will and good pleasure of Him who ordereth and disposeth of all things well and bringeth good out of every evil in despite of all the Powers of Darkness And he that overcometh whether by life or death in the Lamb's Spirit shall wear the Lambs Crown sit down in that perfect Rest in the Kingdom of the Father which will give the hearts of all his Children full Satisfaction In which assured hope Life stirring in our bosoms and quickning our hearts with Love unto our God and Zeal for his Truth we can freely give up all that is near and dear unto us in this World and lay down our heads in inward Peace â—…n the midst of the greatest outward Persecution and Trouble Even so O Lord thy Will be done concerning this Generation of thy People whom thou hast begotten to thy Self and brought forth by thy mighty Power to testifie to thy Truth in this present day Dispose of them as it pleaseth Thee and let not their Faith in thee nor thy Faithfulness to them fail but let them be a Praise to thy Name throughout all Generations and tendered by Thee as the First fruits of thine Appearance in the Glorious Light of the Everlasting Day after this great long thick and dark Night of Apostacy from the Life and Spirit of the Apostles hath so long ecclipsed and covered the brightness of thy Beauty from the fight of the Earth Isaac Pennington A Declaration to all the World of our Faith and what we Believe who are called QUAKERS Also what Ministers and Magistrates we own and what and whom we deny Concerning God Christ and the Spirit FIrst That there is only one true God who is a Spirit and his Presence filleth Heaven and Earth he is Eternal and Everlasting the Creator Preserver of all things that Heaven and Earth and all things therein by him were framed and brought forth and all things remain unto this day by his Power and whatsoeveâ—… he willeth in Heaven and Earth he brings to pass by his Word and Power And we believe That this God only is and ought to be feared loved obeyed and worshipped by all Creatures and no other thing besides him in Heaven and Earth and we believe that his Worship and Obedience and Care and Love is to be given in Spirit even iâ—… what his own Spirit moveth and leadeth his people unto And we believe his True Worship required and accepted of him is not by the tradition of men in outward observances or set days or places but he is worshipped only in Spirit and Truth without respect of times places or things and that none can worship him in righteousness but his Children who are born of his Spirit and are led and guided thereby And we believe that this God hath given his Son Christ Jesus into the World a free Gift unto the whole World and that every man that cometh into the World is lighted by him that every man may believe and be saved And we believe That he is given into the World and no Nation Country or People excepted but to all mankind he is given of God and hath enlightened them And every man through the world that believeth in and receiveth Christ who is the Wisdom and Power of the Father shall be saved with eternal Salvation And every one that believes not in him shall be damned and shall possess everlasting misery And we believe That Salvation Justification and Sanctification is only in Him wrought by him and no other for there is no other Name given under Heaven but him alone by which Salvation is and we believe all that receive him and believe in him are reconciled to God and are made alive to God to live to him in all things and do receive the forgiveness of Sins and are set free from all unrighteousness and from the body of Sin and Death and have the witness of the Spirit in them and the Spirit of the Father they have received and it witnesseth in them of the Father and of the Son and of the things that belong to their peace and it is the Earnest of the Inheritance and the Seal of the Promise of Eternal Life and by it are the deep things of God revealed to mankind and by it the Father and the Son dwell in the Saints and by it they have fellowship one with another and the Father Son and Spirit are one And this we faithfully believe Again concerning Christ we believe Thaâ—… he is one with the Father and was with the Father before the World was and what the Father worketh is by the Son for he is the Arm of Gods Salvation and the very Power and Wisdom of the Creator and was is and is to come without beginning or end And we
preach without a price who are not sanctified by the Word of God but plead for a continuance in sin while people walk upon the Earth Such as Minister from the Letter and not from the Spirit who cannot Preach except they have time to study and so by their industry povide themselves and are not provided of the Lord such a Mninistry is of works and not the Free Gift from God such cannot profit people but lead them captive in an empty and dead Form always hearing but never able to come to the true knowledge of God such called Ministers we do deny turn from them and testifie against them as the holy men of God fromerly did read Isa. 56. 10 11. Jer. 5. 31. Mic. 3. 11. 1 Cor. 1. 19 20 26 27 28 29. chap. 21. 11. Jer. 23. 15 61 17 22 30 31 32. Isa. 50. 10 11. Phil. 3. 18 19. Jude 11. John 8. 24. 1 Joh. 3. 8. 2 Tim. 3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8. Ezek. 34 Hos. 6. 9. Mat. 23. 1 Tim. 5. 6 10 11. 2 Tim. 3. 2 Pâ—…t 2. 2. Such Magistrates who rule for God who be men of Truth fearing God and bating covetoâ—…sness who execute true Justice and Judgment in the Earth without partiality not respecting the persons of the Rich nor despising the persons of the poor but in Tuth and Equity giving to every one his due and portion according to the Law of Equity who neither seek nor receive honour from men but seek the honour that comes from God only who are a terror to evil dâ—…ers but a praise to them that do well such Magistrates we own and in the Lord honour Exod. 18. 21. Deâ—…t 16. 18 19 20. Joh 5. 41 44. Rom. 13. 3 4. But such Magistrates who be proud and lofty who rule not for God but for themselves who love the praise of men and judge for Gifts and rewards and love money which is the root of all evil who respect the rich in their gay cloathing above the poor in vile raiment who seek and receive honour of men and if they be not honor'd with that which they seek for turn judgment backwards that Equity cannot enter such as be wrathful and malicious cannot rule for God such are encouragers of vice wickedness and turn their sword backward againsâ—… the Upright and Innocent who reprove sin in the gate such magistrates we do deny and testifie against for when the wicked bear rule the Righteous mourn and the Evil-doers rejoyce over them and mock and reproach them Isa. 1. 21 23. chap. 2. 11 12. John 6. 43. Mic. 3. 11. Jam. 2. 1 2 3 4 9. John 5. 44. Isa. 59. 13 14 15. Isa. 29. 21. Prov. 29. 2. Such as live in pride and pleasures and follow ungodly Lust and wicked practices deny God though in words they may profess him even so all such as do evil who follow Drunkenness Oathes Games vain Sports and Pleasures and such like ungodly actions do deny disgrace and greatly dishonour both Ministers and Magistrates though in words they may own them and bow the Hat and Knee and give flattering Titles unto them Tit. 1. 16. Psalm 15. Hosea 4. James 1. 25. Job 32. 21 22. To walk Soberly Righteously and doing Justly according as the Grace of God which brings Salvation doth teach and direct is a sweet savour to the Lord and a true owning and in thâ—… Lord honoring true Ministers and Magistates Micha 6. 8. Tit. 2. 11 12. Psal. 15. 17. Isa. 〈◊〉 15. Rom. 13. 3. But to walk loosly and prophanely doing wieked and unjust actions turning the Grace of God into Wantonness such are an ill savour to God and deny and dishonour true Ministers and Magistrates James 3. 14 15 16. Jude 4. Isa. 59. 2 3 c. True Honour doth not consist in bowing the Hat and Knee and such like things for that is the honour below which men seek and receive one of another which is in the unbelief but in the obedience of the Magistrates just Commands who are a Terror to wickedness but a praise to them that do well For the Law was not made for the Righteous who fear God and live uprightly but for the Lawless who are out of Gods Fear who live wickedly casting the Law of God behind their backs John 5. 44. Romans 13. 3 4. 1 Tiâ—… 1. 8 9 10. Psalm 50. 16 17. So this may certifie all whom this may come unto that we do not deny Ministers nor Magistrates who are made and ordained by God but honour them in the Lord let our Lives and Coversations and that of God in all your Consciences judge for if all were brought into our life the Magistrate should live at peace and so as the eyes of your understandings come to be opned with true Light you will see that those who live soberly and righteously do own and honour Ministers and Magistrates though they cannot for Conscince sake respect their persons nor give them flattering Titles as your Highness your Lordship your Worship and such like for such belong to God For Christ Jesus said I receive not honour from man and saith he How can you believe that receive honour one of another and seek not the honour that comes from God onlyâ—… Gal. 1. 11 12. Rom. 13. 1. Dut. 16. 18 19. John 1. 9. Jam. 2. 1 2 3 4 9. John 5. 44. Read with understanding prove all things hold fast that which is good 1 Thes. 5. 21. A. Parker To all that want Peace with God To the Sheep every where not brought home To the thirsty breathing Soul and to the Seed though in Caâ—…tivity among and in the midst of all Professorsâ—… Greetings of Love Mercy and Peace from God the Father of the Living WHere the Bowels are not shut up nor the Heart darkened and where that doth not bear rule which stoppeth the ear end closeth the eye and where Prejudice and Rebellion against the Light with the wisdom of the flesh through that knowledge which pusseth up hath not wholly caten up devoured got over and wholly overcome that tender Principle which once moved in the heart towards that Being of the living Substance there may my words take enterance and unto such who feel that which breathes to God and who are willing to be satisfied concerning the Living Truth of his Son and who would receive the Truth if they knew it and do yet more desire after the Power of God then all the temporal things that are seen and who are yet come no further than the reading of the Law the Priests Tythe's and that Religion that makes nothing perfect and who are come no further then the outward Baptisâ—… or Shadow or Figure or such things which are to be left behind Heâ—… 6. or who are come no further then the Supper or the Death and so not yet saved by his Life nor drunk of that which saveth is to cleanse from all that which separateth from God after whom and the incomes
of it remaineth unsatisfied in a restless longing desire to find receive feel and enjoy the thing it self which the words declare of and that which satâ—…fieth the true thirsting Soul comes clearly from God to the refreshing of the inward parts of man and filling of the empty barren hungrv Spirit which cannot be satisfied without God's indwellings and thus the Disciples were led along and at last in a foolish way to the great Professors they waited among them in Jerusalem and the Lord had regard unto them and sent his own Spirit unto them and then they were filled with the Holy Ghost And the secret invisible Hand of God whose Power was and is felt in my heart having out of the sight of Flesh and Blood in the hidden counsel of his secret Will led me by the vertue of the opreations and drawings thereof through those things which thereby I come to leave behind and to receive and feel that which now goeth before and is my Leader in whose Covenant of Life Eternal my Soul is now satisfied and so by good experience of the Lords Leadings and from an experimental knowledge sensible Feeling and present enjoyment of the incomes of the Spirit of Truth and Life which filleth the inward parts with the Holiness of it self and giveth Power to do the things required before of God even from the right and good understanding thereof is this written That where it meets with the like condition in a weary Travailer it may answer its own and be helpful to the weak and feeble that such may not give over pressing forwards nor faint in their long travel though many Mountains on which they did nourish themselves at formerly will not yield them Bread now yet that they may with me and the rest of the Followers and Friends of Câ—…ist past and present always continue following the Spirit as it leads until the inward man be filled therewith and so Power and Strength from God comes to be known and received in every particular For thus it is with Chirsts Followers now they are not satisfied until they are filled with that which they have heard of and their Souls thirsted after and so it was with them then and they were filled with what they wanted before and then from that which they were filled with they spoak forth and so they did teach the Nations and brought People under the Power of God and baptized them into that and dipt them into the Name of the Father and brought them under that which saveth from Sin and plunged them into the holy Spirit and as they teach'd they did this baptizing as they did teach and plunging them as their doctrine went forth into that which washeth and purifieth the Conscience from the filth and guilt of Sin of which the outward Baptism was a figure of this which saveth And so their Doctrine was from an inward Life and proceeded from that which was invisible and so reached to that which wanted life in the Hearers and so brought up the Power of God over them and them under it and into it for the Word is â—…nto and they were to bring people into the Name not Water and they were to bring or Baptize them into the Name as they did Teach Go ye and teach Baptizing into Baptizing is in the Present Tense when they did Teach and here the spiritual and Inward Baptism goes along with the Preaching of the Word of Life which is inward and brings Man into an inward enjoyment of God being baptized into his Name which is a Strong Tower which preserveth from the power of the Devil and we all who are brought into this and are come in here 〈◊〉 all by one Spirit baptized into one Body and so worship God in the Spirit having the heart sprinkled from an evil Conscience by the washing of Regeneration in the Ministration of the Gospel of Peace whereby there is a Drawing nigh to God being brought into his Name and a free access to the Throne of that Grace which saveth from and out of all filthiness of flesh and spirit Humphrey Smith The Discovery of mans Return to his first Estate by the Operation of the Power of God in the great work of Regeneration ALL Men and Women behold and see 〈◊〉 what estate you were created And God said Let us make Man in our Image God created Man in his own Image and in the Image of God created he him male and female created he them And the Lord took Man and put him in the Garden of Eden to dress and to keep it And the Lord God commanded the Man saying Of every Tree in the Garden thou mayest freely eat but of the Tree of knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat of it for in the day thou 〈◊〉 thereof thou shalt surely dye the death The Serpenâ—… was more subtil then any Bestâ—… of the Field which the Lord God had made he said unto the Woman Ye shall not surely dye for God doth know that in the day you eat thereof your eyes shall be opened and ye shall be as God knowing good and evil And when the Woman saw the Tree was good for food and that it was pleasant unto the eyes and a Tree to be desired to make one wise she took the fruit thereof and did eat and gave also to her husband with her and he did eat And the eyes of them both were opened and they knew that they were naked and they sewed Fig-leaves together and made them Aprons And they heard the Voice of the Lord God walking in the Garden in the cool of the day and Adam and his Wife hid themselves from the Presence of the Lord among the Trees of the Garden and the Lord God called unto Adam and said unto him Where art thou And he said I heard thy Voice in the Garden and was afraid and because I was naked I hid my self and he said Who told thee that thou wast naked hast thou eaten of the Tree whereof that I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat And the Man said The Woman whom thou gavest to be with me she gave me of the Tree and I did eat And the Lord God said unto the Woman What is this that thou hast done The Woman said The Serpent beguiled me and I did eat And the Lord God said unto the Serpent Because thou hast done this thou art cursed above all Cattel and above every Beast of the Field and upon thy belly shalt thou go and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life And I will put enmity betwixt thee and the Woman and betwixt thy seed and her Seed it shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heel And the Lord God said Behold this Man is become as one of us to know good and evil and now left he put forth his hand and take also of the Tree of Life and eat live forever Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the Garden
of Eden to till the Ground from whence he was taken and he drove out the man and placed at the East of the Garden of Eden Cherubims and a flaming Sword which turned every way to keep the way of the Tree of Life Every Man and Woman behold and see how you are fallen from the estate and condition you are created in you were created in the Image of God to delight alone in him but you are fallen in obeying the Counsel of the Serpent and are driven out from the Presence of God into the Earth and there your Minds are feeding upon the dust of the Earth created objects which will perish some delight in Father and Mother some in Wife and Children some in House and Lands some in Money and Gold some in Meats and Drinks some in Raiment what they shall put on some in Lusts and Pleasures in Wantonness in vain idle Communication foolish Jesting and Laughter which is madness and folly and some in Honour Preferment in this world wherein their hearts are lifted up in Pride and Exaltation above others whom they have Power over not considering how you are driven out from the Presence of the Lord wherein you were placed in the beginning and some there are that feed upon the letter of the Scripture which is death comprehending God and Christ in their wisdom from what the Saints of the most high God have spoaken forth from the Life they have injoyed in Christ Jesus which was in them the Hope of their glory and man in his serpentine wisdom steals the Saints words into his understanding and never knew the Life and Power thereof in himself and so speaks a divination of his own brain a ridle to his own heart and while he speaks to others himself is cast away Every man and Woman in particular deal justly with your own hearts and see where your hearts are and what they delight in For in some of these created objects you delight in and feed upon if you cannot witness your change by the Eternal and Powerfull Word of Truth for into the Earth you are driven from the Presence of God and these are the fruits which spring out of the Earth which are in your hearts Self-love Pride Covetousness Anger Revenge Hastiness Frowardness Back-biting Hard heartedness Cruelty Oppression Lust Uncleanness Drunkenness Impatiency and Unbelief you are fenced out from coming to the Tree of Life with Cherubims the flaming Sword which turns every way to keep the Tree of Life So every one see what you can witness of your return again unto God from whence you are separated by the disobedience and evil of your hearts see what is the ground of the hope of your calling by what Power you are acted in your obedience unto God whether by the power of the first Adam or by the power of the second for if thou upon the convincement of the evil of thy ways dost not wait in the Light which is in thy conscience that convinceth thee of the evil of thy doings for power from the Lord to guide thee forth of the evil which the Light discovers which would guide thee into the kingdom of God but thou runest out into the wisdom of the first Adam to seek the Kingdom of God in outwrad forms and observations according as thou comprehendest of the Saints practices and thou imitatest their practices in thy wisdom and though thou walkest never so strictly in these outward Forms thou art alive in the first Adam sewing fig-leaves together to cover thy nakedness a piece of new cloth in an old garment thou art putting new wine into old Bottles and art building up a Tower to get up to God in thy Heathonish and Babylonish Wisdom and confusion will come upon thee In the day when the Lord comes to look for fruit thou wilt be found a fruitless Tree that cumbers the Ground Cain with his offering up Sacrifice unto God in thy first Nature Esau seeking the Birt-righ with tears who shall never find it and all the fruit that is raised in thee is from Hagar the Bond-woman and thou hast thy end for thy self in all that thou dost which is thy hire which thou expectest in the end life for thy labour and obedience and regardest not the Glory of the Lord and his Fear is not before thine eyes Therefore every man and woman deal justly with your own hearts under what name or title soever thou art whether thou be a Teacher of others or a Professor of what thou comprehendest to be Truth from the Testimony the Saints gave forth from the Life and Power of Christ that was in them and thou expectest Life in thy outward Forms and observations and mindest not to be guided by that Light which is of Christ in thine own Conscience which Light guided the Saints that gave forth the Scriptures and while thou disobeyest that Light profess what thou wilt thou art in the fall first Adam is yet alive in thee Cain is not yet banished nor Esau reprobated nor the bond woman and her Son cast out which are all figures and types of the first Nature which is yet alive in thee and thy will is thy guide and thy heart is in the Earth notwithstanding all thy profession and thou art a painted beast made drunk with the wine of the wrath of the Whore which is thy Wisdom which comprehends that which thou never didest know manifest in it self and sits deckt a well-favouored Horlot above the Cross of Christ thou wilt be found a Thief and a Robber who comest not in by the Door Jesus Christ but climbest up some other way and thus far went the Scribes and Pharisees and the young man who had kept the Commandments from his youth but when he should have sold all for Christ he went away sorrowful And thus far went Paul when he persecuted Jesus Christ according to the Law he walked blameless and all thy strict walking to get life in observations according to the Letter is striving again to get to the Tree of Life by thy own Power who are fenced out with Cherubims and a flaming Sword which turns every way to keep the Tree of Life And if thou never sawest thy self fenced out from the presence of God notwithstanding all thy righteousness in observations thou art not come so near God as to see the flaming Sword which is placed to meet thee in every way thou turnest to get life in thy own Power and to cut thee down and kill thee that Christ may be thy life thou art alive in the first Adam and art in the death for Death reigns over all from Adam to Moses and Moses is until the Prophets and the Prophets till John and John until Christ and if thou canst not witness that thou art come to Moses profess what thou wilt thou hast not set thy face towards God nor one step in the strait and narrow way to Eternal Liâ—…e but art going the
abounds and makest the coming of Christ who came to fulfill the Law to destroy it through the evil of thy heart that when the righteous Law cryes in thee for Purity and condemns thee for thy unrighteous walking then thou fleest to the free Grace in Christ to save thee from the power of the Law but thou shalt find the Law hath Power over the fleshly man as long as he lives and the fleshly man that now guides thee is under the Law until it be destroyed through Faith in Jesu Christ For he came not to destroy the Law but to fulfil it and the Saints witness it though thou wrest the words of Paul when he declared his condition before he came to the fulness of stature in Christ to thy own destruction I see a Law in my members warring against the Law of my mind bringing me into captivity to the Law of Sin which is in my members but he gave not up himself to be a Servant of â—…in as thou dost it was his Burthen that made him to cry O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this Body of Death And he waited in the Faith until he was freed Rom. 8. 2. For the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of Sin and Death that the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit He witnessed Christ come in him to fulfill the Law and so do all the Saints now according to their growth Some witness the Law fulfilled in them and others are waiting in the Faith patiently following the Lord daily through the Cross until the Law be fulfilled But thou art departed from the Counsel of the Lord thy God and causest his Name to be evil spoken of and hast made the Hearts of his people sad as they did that the Apostle speaks of For many walk of whom I have told you often and now tell you even weeping that they are Enemies to the Cross of Christ whose End is Destruction whose God is their Belly whose Glory is their Shame who mind Earthly things These Scriptures are fulfilled in thee which the Apostle mentions And while they promise them Liberty they themselves are the Servants of Corruption for of whom a man is overcome of the same is he brought into Bondage For if after they have escaped the Polution of the World through the Knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ they are again entangled therein and overcome the later End of them is worse with them than the Beginning For it had been better for them not to have known the way of Righteousness then after they have known it to turn from the Holy Commandment delivered unto them But it happened unto â—…hem according to the true Proverb the Dog is turned to his own vomit again the Sow that was washed to her wallowing in the Mire And thou mayest read what will be manifest to thee from the Lord For if we sin wilfully after we have received the Knowledge of the Truth there remains no more Sacrifice for Sin but a fearful looking for of Judgment and fâ—…erce Indignation which shall devour the Adversaries He that despised Moses Law dyed without Mercy how much sorer Punishment supposest thou shalt thou be thought worthy of who hast troden under foot the Son of God and hast counted the Blood of the Covenant wherewith thou wast Sanctified an unholy thing and hast done despight to the Spirit of Grace and we know him that hath said vengeance belongetâ—… unto me I will recoâ—…pence saith the Lord It is a feareful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God Remember from whence thou art fallen Repent and do thy first work in minding that Light of Jesus Christ in thee before whom thou once stoodst condemned for that thou now livest in Prize the time and give up to be guided by the Counsel of the Lord in thee the Light of thy Conscience that discovers every vain thought wait on the Power that is present with the Light and it will dash Babylons childern against the Stones which is Sin in its conception so will thy carnal mind be brought to the Cross daily and thy heart will be purged with the Spirit of Judgment and the Spirit of Burning Kiss the Son in obeying his Counsel the Light in thee lest thou perish in the way for if his Anger be kindled a little blessed are they that trust in him The Discovery of Mystery Babylon To all enslaved Captives in Babylons's Kingdom who are made drunk with the Wine of â—…he Wâ—…ath of her Fornications and bewitched through the multitude of her Inchantments FRiends Babylon is within you the Mother of Harlots is within you and she bewitcheth you through the abundance of her Sorceries and the Beast is within you that ariseth out of the bottomless Pit of the deceived heart which is deceitful and desperately wicked and the Beast which all the World wonders after is your wills that make war against the Lamb of God in you which is the Light that makes manifest the evil of your hearts and your wisdom is the great Whore that sits upon the Beast that ariseth out of the bottomless Pit of the deceitful heart and she finds out many deceitful inventions to preserve the beastly will alive having a golden Cup in her hand full of the abominations of the Earth and this Golden Cup is your outward professions glorious comprehensions and conceivements of God and Christ imitating what the Saints did in power according as they were moved by the operation of the Spirit of the Most High God and you imitate the Saints practice by your wisdom There is nothing but confusion in the Kingdom of Babylon So come you to be divided into so many particular Forms as Presbyterians Imdependants Anabaptists and divers others that are in outward worships painted over with glorious words and yet you whose wills guide you are painted Beasts bewitched with the Mother of Harlots notwithstanding all your outward professions and glorious observations they are but the golden Cup and within you are full of the Abominations of the Earth as Self-Love Covetousness â—…usts Uncleanness Frowardness Backbiting Slandering Hard-heartedness Cruelty and Oppression Grinding the Faces of the Poor Impatiency and Unbelief and the fear of the Lord is not before your eyes and thus you lie enslaved Captives in the Kingdom of Babylon refreshing your hearts in the Creature enjoyments which will perish some in Father and Mother some in Wife and Children some in House and Land some in Gold and Silver some in the Self Wisdom delighting in themselves some in Honour and Preferment in this World and when there is enjoyment of these visible creatures then there is content and when they are taken away there is trouble the mind alwayes Plotting Contriving and Acting every way to get of the creatures what the heart lusteth after and he that gets the
most is highest exalted so every one is exalted above another and there is nothing but Tyranny Cruelty and Oppression among you you sous and daughters of Babylon and in her was found the Blood of the Prophets and of the Saiuts and all that were slain upon the Earth The Merchants of Babylon are your Teachers who draw you from your Guide which is the pure Light of Christ in you to seek the Kingdom of God in observations without you contrary to the mind of Christ The Kingdom of God comes not with Observations neither shall they say Lo here or Lo there for behold the Kingdom of God is within you But these your Merchants have no Scripture for their Merchandize which they sell to you enslaved Captives for so many hundreds in the year and is paid in the Nation or elsewhere for these observations they tell you you must observe or else you cannot come to the Kingdom of Heaven though they are contrary to the Scriptures as are practised by them there is no Scripture that witnesseth their call to the Ministry by humane wisdom Not many great not many noble not many wise after the flesh There is no Scripture which testifies of any that Jesus Christ sent forth that made a bargain with the people for so much a year as thâ—…se do that profess themselves to be sent of Christ This is the call of the Ministers of Christ Paul an Apostle of Jesus Christ neither of man nor by man but by the Revelation of Jesus Christ I send you forth saith Jesus Christ as Lambs among Wolves Into what Town or City ye enter enquire who is worthy and if they receive you there abide eating such things as are set before you the Labourer is worthy of his meat freely ye have received freely minister Those whom Jesus Christ commits the Word of Eternal Life unto and calls them forth to declare it unto others the Love of Jesus Christ which is sealed up to their Souls through his own Blood constrains them to give up themselves to death in witnessing forth the eternal Life they enjoy in Christ as it was it is The Love of Christ constrainetâ—… 〈◊〉 tâ—… preach the Gospel saith Paul But these your Merchants are they which have forsaken the right way and are gone astray following the way of Balaaâ—… the Son of Bâ—…sor who loved the wages of unrighteousness And as there is no Scripture for their Call to the Ministry by their human learning nor making bargains with the people for so much in the year So there is no Scripture for these observations they call Ordinances of God as they are Practised by them There is no Scripture that Christ or any that he sent forth did take a Child and sprinkle water on its Face and said in so doing They Baptized it into the Church of Christ Suffer little Children to come unto me saith Christ and forbid them not for such is the Kingdom of God whosoever shall not receive the Kingdom of God as a little Child shall not enter therein He sets the Child as a Type and a Figure to shew forth to every one that they must become as a little Child depending upon the will of God before they enter into the Kingdom of God He took them up into his Arms and put his Hands on them and blessed them but that he sprinkled water on their Faces and said He Baptized them into his Church there is no such Scripture Another observation your Teachers tell you you must observe is hearing these studied Sermons in taking a part of Scripture and adding to it their wisdom call it The Word of God which is contrary to the Scriptures but they say They have Christ for an Example There was delivered to him the Book of the Prophet I saiah when he had opened the Book â—…oe found where it was written The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he hath anointed me to Preach the Gospâ—…l unto the Poor he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted to Preach Deliverance to the Captives And recovering of the Sight of the blind and to set at liberty them that are bruised to Preach the acceptable year of the Lord And he closed the Book and sate down And he began to say unto them This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears And all bare him witness and wondered at the gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth He was the substance of the prophecy which was then fulfill'd in him This is no ground for any to take the Saints words and to add to them their wisdom and call that the Word of God The Prophet that hath a Dream let him tell a Dream he that hath my Word let him speak my Word faithfully What is the Chaff to the Wheat saith the Lord is not my Word like a fire and like a hammer saith the Lord that breaks the Rocks in pieces all to whom the Word of the Lord is committed can witness it to be as a fire within them and as an hammer that breaks the Rocks in pieces subjecting all in the heart under the Power of it self so it alone rules and guides him that he is what he speaks that if he had never seen any thing that the Saints have declared without him he had known what is manifest in him and he to whom the Word is thus made manifest is a true Minister of Christ who is called to speak the Word faithfully But these that call themselves your Teachers and make bargains with you for so much by the year they never witnessed the word of the Lord in them as a fire and like a hammer that breaketh the Rocks in pieces so they never had any thing to have spoken of the Lord but as they have stoln it from the Testimony of the Saints so they speak a divination of their own Brain a Riddle to their own Hearts and whilst they speak to others themselves are Cast-aways And the Lord testifies against them Behold I am against the Prophets saith the Lord that steal my Word every one from his Neighbour Behold I am against the Prophets saith the Lord that use their tongue and say He saith Behold I am against them that Prophesie false Droams saith the Lord and do tell them and cause my People to err by their Lyes and by their Lightness yet I sent them not nor commanded them therefore they shall not profit the People as all saith the Lord And this fruit is made manifest of the Ministry that hath been in England Another Observation your Teachers bid you observe which is contrary to Scripture as it is practised by them in singing of David's Psalms in meeter taking David's words who was a man after God's own heart and putting words into the mouthes of poor ignorant People to sing that which they never knew and so cause them to blaspheme the name of God saying Let us sing to the Praise and Glory of God as O Lord I am not puft
he might read his condition within Therefore despise not the day of small things but mind the Counsel of the Lord Jesus the little Light that shines in thy dark heart look upon the figures the parables The little Leaven which is hid in three measures of meal it changeth the whele lump into the nature of it self So the little Light that shines in thy dark Heart is the powerful Word of Faith which was in the Beginning by which all Things were created and without him was nothing made this Word is Life and the Life is the Light of Men and Light shines in Darkness and the Darkness comprehends it not This Light is the Word of Faith the Apostle exhorted to take heed unto Say not in thy Heart who shall ascend up to Heaven to fetch Christ down or down into the Deep to fetch him up the Word is nigh thee in thy Heart and in thy Mouth and this is the word of Faith which we preach the unctioâ—… of the Holy One given of the Father whereby we need not teach one another but as the Anointing teacheth us which is Truth and no Lye which is the sure Word of Prophecy whereunto 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 All People return within give up your selves freely to be guided by that Light that discovers to you the Evil of your Hearts and none be discourâ—…ged because you see an evil Heart but prize the Love of God that discovers it to you and whatever the Light makes manifest to you to be Evil Wait on the Lord for Power and he will give thee Power to obey and in being faithful in a little more will be communicated from the Lord so will the Righteous Law be set up in your Hearts that will cry through your Earthly and Carnal Hearts for Righteousness and Judgment and so will bring yâ—…u to an Account for every idle Word and all Deeds done in the Body Look up unto the Lâ—…rd against whom you have sinned and he will arm you with Power to what he lays upon you with Patience to undergo his Will until all the Powers of the Earth in you be faâ—…ished and slain under his Righteous Judgments then will Judgment be brought forth into Victory that you can no longer live without the loving-Kindness of your Father in Christ Jesus Now is the Parable fulfilled the little Grain of Mustard Seed grown up above all Herbs and the little Leaven hath leavened the whole Lump and the Prodigal starved forever if his Father receive him not freely into his House Thou that canst witness this Condition stand still in the Will of God he will raise up his Seed in thee to trust in his Name and to delight in the Eternal Covenant of Love and Life he hath made with thy Soul in the Lord Jesus Christ and will guide thee by the Word of his power in a Way thou knowest not forth of Babylon where thou wast an enslaved Captive under the Power of the filthy Beast which is thy Will and the Whore the Mother of Witchcrafts which is thy Wisdom which enthrall'd thee under the Powers of Darkness to satisfie the Lust of thy own Heart which led thee to Destruction up to Sion to live by Faith in the Lord Jesus which will purifie thy Heart and set thy Soul free from under the Powers of Darkness into the glorious Liberty of the Sons of God where thou shalt sing the Songs of Sion Hallelujahs and Praises for evermore unto the Lord God that sits upon the Throne and to the Lamb forever and ever W. D. To all enslaved hard-hearted and unbelieving Jews in this Nation and else-where who are made drunk with the Wisdom of the Whore and bewitched through the Abundance of her Sorceries to put the Day of the Lord afar off looking for Christ's coming in the Spirit as the hard-hearted unbelieving Jews in the letter did for his coming in the Flesh according to the Promise but they limitted the Holy One according to their carnal Wisdom expected his coming in great Pomp and Glory and when he came in that poor despised Way contrary to their Expectations they stumbled at him and would not own him to be their Saviour but rose up against him and put him to Death Mat. 27. I to Vers. 50. BEhold you hard hearted and unbelieving Jews do you not look for Christ coming in the Spirit according to his Promise as they did for his coming in the Flesh but you limit the Holy One as they did expecting Christ to come in Power and Glory according to your own Fancies and so put the Day of the Lord afar off you in rejecting and despiâ—…ng the counsel of Jesus Christ the pure Light in your Conscienees which lets you see every evil Thought Word and Action and cryes behind you This is the Way walk in it but you disobey the Light and hearken to the Counsel of your Hearts as the Jews in the Letter did who put Christ to Death and so you slay the witnesses in Spiritual Sodom and Egypt in your Hearts where our Lord is crucified in not regarding the Counsel of Christ which is that Light that shines in your dark Hearts which knocks at the Door according to his Word I stand at the Door and knock if any Man hear my Voice and open the Door I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me Oh! thou enslaved Soul under the Power of Babylon in thee come forth mind the Light in thee which is the sure Word of Prophecy whereunto you 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 stand not out against this secret Counsel of Christ in you leâ—… you perish in your Gain sayings for if his Anger be kindled a little blessed are all they that trust in him All give up give up freely to be guided by the Counsel of the Lord the Light in you believing in his Power that is present with the light he will lead you daily through the Cross in the stâ—…aight Way of his Sufferings and Death where the Old Man will be put off with hiâ—… Deeds and so you shall have right to the Tree of Life and shall enter with him through the Gates into the City New Jerâ—…salem where you shall have Communion with the Father and the Son and an Inheritance with those that are sanctified in Christ Jesus and shall reign as Kings upon the Earth to the Praise Glory of the Riches of the Grace of our Heavenly Father to whom alone be all Power Dominion Honour and Glory forever and ever W. D. A Word from the Lord to all that are waiting on the Lord in Sion and to those that are weeping and are seeking the Lord their God asking the Way to Sion with their Faces thitherwards FEar not ye
Mourners in Sion the Lord waits on you to be gracious unto you and though he give you the Bread of Adversity now and the Water of Affliction yet shall not your Teachers be removed into Corners any more but your Eyes shall see your Teachers and your Ears shall hear a Voice behind you saying This is the way walk in it when you turn to the right Hand or the left therefore every one of you mind the Light which is of Jesus Christ in you that judgeth the Unrighteousness of your Hearts give up to be guided by the pure Light in you which is your Teacher the Counsel of Jesus Christ and it will bring Judgment forth unto Victory and whatever he makes manifest to you to be his Will Wait on the Lord in his Counsel and he will give you Power to obey and when you have obeyed his Will take heed of departing from the Counsel of the Lord which is the Light within you to hearken to the Counsel of your own Hearts which will draw your Minds to look back at your Obedience and the Experiences you have passed through so will the Beast which received a deadly Wound with the Sword the Righteous Law that goeth out of the Mouth of the Lamb in you his deadly Wound will be healed and sits a painted Beast above the Cross of Christ working lying Wonders in your Hearts imitating the Operation of the Power of God who is purifying his Sons and Daughters with the Spirit of Judgment and the Spirit of Burning and the Beast in you that tasted of the Power of God when he received his deadly Wound under the Justice of God now can imitate the same in Deceit and cause Fire to come down from Heâ—…en in the Sight of Men intimating the Operation of the Spirit of Burning and so deceives himself and all that dwell upon the Earth he is made manifest to all that dwell in the Heavenly Light in their Hearts All Friends mind youâ—…Watch for the Adversary the Devil goes about like a roaring Lyon seeking whom he may devour abide in the Counsel of the Lord which is the Light in you and you will discern between the Beast which is Antichrist in his lying Wonders and the Lamb Jesus Christ in the Operation of his Power so you will come to try the Spirits whether they be of God yea or nay all that are guided by the Beast have their Life in speaking and acting in outward Operations what they once experienced and what they comprehended to be Truth speaking that they enjoy not and are exalted in Pride the Heart returned into the Earth But thou that art guided by the Lamb the Light in thy Conscience the righteous Law cryes through thy earthly Heart and bringâ—… it to Judgment and thou canst find no Life in the Operation of the Power of God nor in thy Obedience but whilst the Presence of the Lord is with thee in it and when thou haâ—… done the Will of God in obeying what he hath made known unto thee thou seeâ—…t thy self to be an Unprofitable Servant and hast need of Patience that thou may est receive the Promise where thy Life is hid with Christ in God to save thee freely for his Names sake or else thou perishest and to carry thee on by his Mighty Power or else thou fallest so thou haft nothing to glory in but in the Lord And as they that are guided by the Beast which is Antichrist spake of the Truth a riddle to their own hearts not knowing the Power and Life of what they speak adding to the Word of the Lord and the Plagues Curse of God will be added unto them But thou art guided by the Lamb Jesus Christ thou knowest when the Word of the Lord is committed to thee If any have my Word saith the Lord let him speak my Word faithfully Is not my Word like a Fire saith the Lord and like an Hammer that breaketh the Rocks in Pieces Thou canst witness the Word of the Lord to be as a Fire and as a Hammer to break the Rocks in Pieces in thee and bring down all in thee in Subjection to itself and it alone rules in thee And thou that canst witness the Word of the Lord thus manifested in thee thou art a true Messenger of the Lord let not the Deceit stop thy Mouth for the Word of the Lord that calls thee to speak shall perfect his Work for which he is sent All Friends stand fast in the Counsel and Will of God be faithful in following the Lamb daily through the Cross and none be discouraged In Temptations be content look up to the Lord to keep you in the Hour of Temptations for it is no Sin to be tempted but to yield to the Tempter and when the Lord delivers you from the Power of the Tempter watch that your Will get not from under the Cross but sink down into the Love of God And every one be content in what the Lord hath made manifest to you and be faithful according to your Talents and more will be communicated to you And none look forth at others Conditions for if you do the Enemy will cause you to stumble and you will come to a Loss in your own Condition Wait patiently in the Counsel of the Lord the Light in you for he is making a short Work in the Earth that you that come into the Vineyard at the eleaventh Hour shall receive as much as they that came in at the third Hour and have laboured in the Heat of the Day All ye Children of the Lord lift up your Heads behold your King riding in Majesty and Power upon the wild Ass Colt which is your wild Nature subjecting it to himself that you may enter with him through the Gates of the city into the New Jerusalem where there enters nothing that worketh Abomination and maketh a Lye but what is written in the Lamb's Book of Life and there you shall dwell in the Banqueting House of the Lord forever feeding upon the Feast of fat Things rejoycing in the Eternal Love and Mercy of your Souls in the free Covenant of Life in the Blood of Christ who is the Lord of Lords and King of Kings God blessed forever who is riding on in Majesty and in Power conquering and to conquer all the Powers of Darkness in the Hearts of his Saints that they may reign as Kings upon the Earth to the Praise and Glory of our God who is taking unto him his Great Power to reign in his Saints for evermore to whom alorâ—… be all Honour Glory Power and Eternal Praises forever W. D. A Word of Consolation unto the Child of Light that yet sits in Darkness being deeply afflicted and wounded in Spirit through Ignorance of Salvation in the New Covenant in Christ Jesus the Light DEar Child of the Birth of the Immortal Seed which crieth over all the World and beyond all the Pleasure Pomp and Vanity therein for the Enjoyment of