THE Doctrine of Perfection VINDICATED By way of Answer to some objecting Reasons frequently used by them that plead for Sin in this life And that Freedom from Sin is to be attained in this life or never plainly shewed herein and how they that deny it are one with the false Prophets and Antichristian Seducers spoken of in the Scriptures With some Wholsome EXHORTATION given forth as the Spirit gave utterance tending to provoke all that make a profession of God to press on after the same Shewing plainly how it is agreeable with what is signified in the Scripture and the Light within both of which bears witness for the said Doctrine and against all Sin Something likewayes expressed concerning BREAD and WINE Also some wholsome DIRECTIONS to stir up young People to seek after their Creator in the dayes of their youth Written by one who breathes to God for the Redemption of the Seed that lies yet in the house of bondage bound by the Cords of Iniquity J. Whitehouse LONDON Printed for R. Wilson 1663. TO THE READERS FRIENDS THe eternal invisible Fountain of Wisdom Life Love and everlasting Mercy who is the Creator and Upholder of all things by the Word of his powerful Spirit who is God over all blessed for ever who when I was young and tender in years did beget a sincere desire in my soul which hath caused me even to this day secretly to seek after the knowledge of and acquaintance with him that I might know his Will and receive Power from him to do the same 's the which desires he in his endless Love to my poor breathing soul which hath no true peace nor satisfaction but in doing his Will and enjoying his Presence which is of more value to me than any outward thing yea than Life it self in this world hath far more abundantly satisfied than many now can or than I my self once could believe when I was in the darkness which comprehends not the Light of his Son which shines in the hearts of the sons and daughters of men letting them see the evil of their wayes which I testifie as one who hath made proof of the same is sufficient to give them the knowledge of God and to lead them into all Truth if they would but give up to follow the leadings of it by the leadings of which in my seeking estate have I been drawn from one sort of People to another still to associate my self with those who did most sincerely press on after God in a holy life being willing to run with the formost that I might obtain with them the prize which is to say in this life only a perfect freedom from all sin even to put off the old man with all his deeds which is sin and a putting on the new which is created after God in perfect and true Holiness which the Lord God hath given me by his Spirit to believe and see a possibility of attaining to in which only stands the certain assurance of the full Prize and the eternal Weight and Crown of Glory which in the Life to come is to be fully enjoyed the which this first is but as an Earnest of without which the true certainty of the second cannot be obtained And since I have received this Faith power thereby hath been given me far more than before when I rejected the Light of his Son by which only I witness it is received And now this Faith which is from above even the perfect gift of God I find to be the chiefest thing for the effecting and compleating of an holy life in man through the power of God in them which believe being received into the heart of obtaining a perfect life becomes as a root therein which is pure that causeth the branches to be holy and keeps the creature circumspect and sincere to God still minding what a holy Calling and Mark is set before it and so the Faith being sound and clean the fruits thereof are Holiness which becomes the House of the Lord God And verily whosoever comes to sup with him without this comely pure covering of Holiness they shall in no wayes enter with the Lamb into the Marriage-Chamber but be shut out the which I see this day to the burthening of my soul and grief of my spirit is abundantly wanting amongst most People professing God and Christ for they having not this purifying Faith count it Blasphemy and Error and so rest and believe in the contrary which is to say they must live in sin whilst in this life being taught so by their blind guides who could not themselves cease therefrom and so Prophaneness is gone forth from the Priests over all the Land as in the ancient dayes which giveth way to much loosness and sin the which if any in the Spirit of meekness and fear of God reprove them for then presently they flee to the Scripture and with the same spirit that leads them to sin rake together all the Saints failings to plead for sin term of life the which those things were never written for so that in stead of resisting the Devil in the pure Faith which stands in the Power of God rather gives place to him and pleads for their so doing so that the Devil hath not his Kingdom by force onely but by consent they having granted him a place in them while they have a place in this life which grieves the Spirit of God their Creator who alone should have the Rule and Government of their bodies souls and spirits which are his in the sense of which I am moved to write these following lines by way of Answer to some Questions or objecting Reasons which are frequently used by them that plead for sin and against the Doctrine of Perfection that if possible it may be a help to stir them up to the Witness of God in them that their Understandings by it may be opened who are not wilfully blind but rather through ignorance stand against the thing being beguiled by the subtilty of the Serpent as Eve in her innocency was who told her though she did eat of the forbidden fruit she should not surely dye and that is his lying voice at this day whether in Teachers or others that tells people though they live in some sin they shall be saved from the condemning power thereof So I shall proceed in order as before-mentioned as the Lord shall assist me by his Spirit with what else may be given me in thereby even as the Spirit shall give to express in what signification God shall please for the good of all that desire after him to whom this may come the which I commit to the Light in all Consciences to answer to the truth hereof desiring all that know me in the outward not to slight it because of the meanness of the outward vessel that wrote it but with care to weigh it over that God's Witness in you may answer for God hath made the poor in this world rich in
mixture into the Cup of his Indignation and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy Angels and of the Lamb of God who would have taken away their sin by his Light of Life but they would not believe therein Joh. 3.19 but loved the darkness rather because their deeds were evil but blessed are they that believe therein and follow it for it 's they only that die in the Lord and rest from their labour and their works do follow them saith the Spirit Revel 14.13 But now to the thing before-mentioned It 's plainly manifest that the Doctrine of Perfection is of God commanded by him and preached by his Son whom the Prophets prophesied should come to that end and witnessed by his Apostles and Ministers who have left in the Scriptures of Truth their Testimony concerning the same which as a Cloud of Witnesses doth testifie for and to the same far exceeding more than I have here mentioned By all which it appears that your Ministers are not of Christ notwithstanding all their wisdom and learning but contrary to him and his Ministers Isa 40.3 and the true Prophets who foretold of Him and the glory of his Day Therefore the conclusion must needs be They are of the false Prophets spirit and consequently of Antichrist wherefore I shall mention a little according to Scripture how they are one in this very thing with the false Prophets and Antichristian Seducers which were in the world in the Apostles days and which they prophesied should come in the latter days after their decease Now in the first place in the dayes of old God by the mouth of his Servants cryed against false Prophets and Priests who were from the greatest to the least all given to covetousness every one dealing falsly Jer. 23.14 17. Micah 3.5 13. Ezek. 10.11 12 13 14 15 16 in healing the hurt of the danghter of his People slightly crying peace to those that put into their mouth when there was no peace So they strengthned the hands of the wicked that they should not turn from their evil wayes but promised them life therein and so seduced the people and caused them to erre by their lyes and by their lightness one building a wall and another daubed it with untempered mortar which would not stand in the overflowing shower of the Wrath of God So in like manner your Teachers through covetousness and self-ends have spoken smoothly to you telling you of the Mercy of God 2 Pet. 2â— through which your sins should be forgiven you though you lived in them and with the Serpent's voice have said though you eat of the forbidden fruit which is sin yet ye shall not die so here in your unsound conditions even like a rotten wall they have daubed you with untempered mortar which will not stand you in any stead when the Lord by his pure Light in your Consciences comes to search you with Judgment then your daubing will not hide you from the Wrath of the Lamb no no then all their smooth words and untempered doctrine which they have invented to please you for self-ends telling you of Heaven what a happy glorious place it is wil all flie away from you and them also who have led you in blindness and have caused you to erre from the Voice of God to follow the voice of the Serpent who led man into sin and so blinded his mind that he might cause him never to find the way to God again which is a way of Holiness in which the unclean cannot walk So I say if you will not come out from amongst them and be separated from the unclean thing which is sin and own and receive the Light of Christ that it may search all your wounds and putrifying sores from the crown of your heads to the soals of your feet that so he may wash you thorowly and baptize you with fire and burn up all that is contrary to his pure Life in you I say except this you come to and witness with you blind guides you must fall into the ditch Now I shall come to speak a little of the Deceivers which Christ and the Apostles spoke of in their dayes First Christ said 1 Joh. 3.8 Beware of false Prophets which come unto you in sheeps clothing but inwardly are ravening wolves ye shall know them by their fruits Now we know that sin is a mark of the Devil or a fruit of an evil tree likewise Perfection is a mark of God for he is perfect and it 's the fruit of a good tree so they who are in sin and plead it for doctrine that they can never be out of it whilst in this life are the evil trees because they bring forth such fruit as this which a good tree cannot bring forth Also Paul said that the Spirit spake expresly that in the latter times some should depart from the Faith 1 Tim. 4.1 giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of Devils speaking lyes in hypocrisie having their consciences seared with a hot iron Now mark Is not this the doctrine of the Devil that though men live in sin they shall not be damned but shall escape the condemning power thereof did not the Devil himself preach this first Gen. 3.4 when he said Ye shall not surely dye though you eat of the forbidden tree and are not they who maintain this for truth those whose consciences are seared and hardned against the Voice of God even to speak lyes in hypocrisie against his Spirit which condemns sin in the flesh And also he further saith this 2 Tim. 3.1 2 c. Know that in the last dayes perilous times shall come for men shall be lovers of their own selves covetous boasters proud blasphemers false accusers without natural affection truce-breakers fierce despisers of those that are good heady traiterous high-minded lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God having a form of Godliness but denying the power thereof Now of this sort are they that creep into houses leading captive silly women laden with sin led away with divers lusts ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth Now it seems that these proud covetous high-minded men who were fierce despisers of those that are good had a form of Godliness like many now who deny the power thereof even as those did for the power of God or of Godliness makes all those that have it free from the power of the Devil whose power leads man captive at his will doing his work which is sin which all who have the form and not the power are servants to for he that commits sin is the servant of sin Joh. 8.34 and he that serves it the Devil is his master Rom. 6.16 for his servants ye are to whom ye obey and he that serves him cannot serve Christ nor is a Child of God for ye cannot serve God and mammon neither two masters saith
for ever except you turn at my reproof that I may pour out my self upon you to cleanse you from all pollutions of flesh and spirit and so bring you into a godly life in perfectness and true holiness before you go hence and be no more seen for as Death leaves you so will Judgment find you Isa 38.18 for in the grave there is no cleansing So whilst you have time take this for a warning for you will find no mercy with God after death if you reject me the Light whom my Father hath in his mercy sent into the dark world that all that receive me should be led out of sin and darkness into the Light of Everlasting Life If any ask for a proof of these words let them turn within and search the Book of Conscience and look truly therein and there they shall find it We hope we shall finde mercy hereafter World for God is a merciful God The mercy of God is not as many think it is Answ nor to be found where many hope for it which is to say in the life to come after death of the outward man but it is to be found in this life whilst thou hast a being in this earthly tabernacle or else all thy hope in thy dead mind will be in vain for except thou know a cleansing by the Light which is the mercy of God from sin when you shall come to receive a just recompence of reward for all your deeds done in the body Rev. 20 13. then shall your dead minds be awakened and the mercy which you have dreamed of therein be turned into fear wrath and anger wherein the Lord will reveal himself to take Vengeance upon all that knew him not to live in them and they to live in him whose Life raiseth out of Death and all dead works Revel 20.6 into the Life of Righteousness which is free from sin which is the first Resurrection of which whosoever partakes not the second Death will have power over Therefore more plainly to all understandings this I say is the mercy of the compassion at God to all mankind who have lost their spiritual life through falling into sin by which came death over all insomuch that man became more sensless than the Ox Isa 1.3 which knew his owner or the Ass which knew his Master's crib I say his mercy is to offer him Life freely in the Light of his Son which he had fully lost and of himself could in no wayes gain it again John 1.3 therefore God so loved the world that he sent his Son a Light into it in whom was and is Life whose Life is the Light of men shining in dark hearts to which they in taking heed and obeying it in its movings leadings and workings will thereby be led out of sin which it bears Testimony against to take up a Cross to the carnal mind and lusts of the flesh which in them is all enmity against God on which Cross the evil seed will be crucified and the enmity slain and so comes of twain one new man to be made in whom the Image and Life of God is restored again by the second Adam in whom all are made alive 1 Cor. 15.22 who receives him who is the quickening Spirit from that death which entred them by the first Adam who was an earthly man and so all that receive Christ the Light receive the Mercy of God and come to know the Seed of the Kingdom which is like a little leaven which as it comes to have its way to work and operate in the heart it makes all things new by working out the evil seed and killing the old man with his deeds and so makes a new lump Joh. 3.3 5. this is the work of Restoration in the washing of Regeneration through which the new birth is brought forth of which except a man be born he must not inherit the Kingdom of God So this is the Mercy of God Joh. 15.24 to give every one a measure of the Light of his Son to work this Work in and for them which they of themselves could not work which must be wrought in this life or never But yet I feel there are some in the world who are ready to say thus Oh this perfect life that we could attain it Object Oh how willing could we be to be rid of all sin if it be possible for we feel something in us crying as it were for deliverance which is grieved and burthened with the heavy load of sin and indeed notwithstanding all our Observations wherein we have been seeking life and peace yet are we unsatisfied and which way to be we know not Well my Friends Answ in the remembrance of you is my soul refreshed and what if I say I have been striving all this while that I might make a way to come plainly to your understandings to speak a little in the Bowels of Love that these good desires in you may be strengthened and the eye of your understandings opened to see the good day that is broken forth unto many who sate in darkness and under the shadow of death hoping for life and breathing for power to come up out of the pit where there is no water where their tongues clave to the roof of their mouthes in which their hearts were ready to faint and were almost giving up to conclude that there we must remain notwithstanding something breathed to come forth but being in bondage in the Prison-house the keeper thereof said its impossible and while we hearkened unto him we saw no hope of attaining our desires but turning away from him and standing a little still we heard a Voice that spake unto us comfortably Joh. 13. and with it was a Light that shone out of darkness by the which we saw marvellous things wherein our souls were greatly revived and as we hearkned diligently and gave up to the call of the same it brought us by a way that we thought not of out of the depth of the dungeon of death where we were held in bondage and slavery by the King of the bottomless pit who seemed so strong as if he could never be overcome but he that spake unto us in the Light Matth. 12.29 hath proved too strong for him for he hath broken the bars of brass by the might of his power and unlocked the doors of steel and by the Sword of his Spirit hath he cut our bands assunder even the chains wherewith we were held And therefore I as one that have been in the deep even in bondage under the prince of that world which lies in wickedness do hold forth and testifie unto you that a stronger than he is come Matth. 12.29 who is able to bind the strong-man and spoil all his goods and behold he is nigh unto you who breathes from deliverance from sin for it is he that hath begotten that desire in you and not only so but
taking every motion of evil in the conception and so destroyes it there before it be acted or consented to which every one that receives him in his Light which maketh all things manifest shall come to witness even a dying with him to the flesh from whence comes sin and then quickning by the Spirit with Christ unto Righteousness This is the first Resurrection to arise out of Sin into Perfection with Christ the which except a man be made a partaker of in this life the second death will have power over him So by all this it appears that Christ is the Minister of Perfection who preached it more clear and exacter than it was in the Law Matth. 5.28 who said if a man lust to do any thing he is guilty as if he did it which the Law without was too weak to find out and so became a strengthner of the Law which requireth Perfection and also for the effecting of this he gave gifts to his Apostles and Ministers some he made Prophets some Teachers and Evangelists others Pastors and the like for the finishing of the work which he had begun which was to perfect all the Members of his Body the Church that they might all come to the measure and stature and fulness of him who was perfect and is the perfecter of all that believe in him who is the Light that shines in darkness and these Apostles brought some Rom. 6.18 by turning them from darkness to this Light to witness freedom from sin and had their fruits unto holiness and the end everlasting life and also those who had not attained to this estate 1 Pet. 1.15 they did not tell them they never should in this life but exhorted them to go on to Perfection giving them many Commands to that end warning and teaching every man in all wisdom that they might present themselves perfect in Christ in whom there is no sin nor sinners for they that are in him are new created in Righteousness and true Holiness which is without sin and all things in them are of God being all made new by the Son of God who sits upon the Throne as a Refiners fire which consumes all the dross and takes away the tin and then sin must needs be done away for that 's of the Devil Now for this end did Paul strive and labour mightily Heb. 13.21 Jam. 1.4 both praying and desiring God to make them perfect in every good work And likewise James in the tryal of their Faith exhorted them to keep in the patience and let it have its perfect work that they might be perfect and entire wanting nothing Peter also in his exhortation wherein he stirs them up by way of remembrance to go on unto the end and not faint by the way neither to live in the fashions of the world nor lusts of the flesh but commands them to be holy in all manner of conversation as he that hath called them is holy 1 Pet. 1.16 The reason why saith he because it is written Be ye holy for I am holy Mark that He doth not say this Command is taken away neither too hard to be fulfilled To the same effect John the blessed Disciple to the little Children warned them not to deceive themselves by saying they had no sin before they were cleansed therefrom but that they should confess it to God then he would forgive it them and not only so 1 John 1.7 8 9. but if they walked in the Light as he is in the Light then their fellowship should be with him and the Blood of Jesus Christ his Son should cleanse them from ALL Sin 1 Joh. 3.8 9 10. He then exhorts them not to be deceived by any man telling them he that doth Righteousness is righteous even as Christ is righteous and that he that hath the living true Faith in him purifies himself even as he is pure saying he that commits sin is of the Devil for he sinned from the beginning but he that is born of God sinneth not neither indeed can he because God's Seed remains in him which is Christ the Light which saves from sin And then he gives a mark to know the Children of God from the children of the Devil saying Whosoever doth not Righteousness is not of God but of the Devil as his words before signifie and also if a man sayes he knows Christ Mat. 5. last and keeps not his Commandments one of which is to be perfect he is a lyar and the truth is not in him for he that saith he abideth in him ought himself so to walk even as he walked For he that sinneth and abideth not in his Doctrine 2 Joh. 9. hath not God but denies and is denied of both the Father and the Son let him say and profess what he will Also the Spirit speaking to one of the Churches found fault because their works were not perfect before God Rev. 3.4 who is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity bidding them therefore to repent and be watchful because there was something wanting Wherefore the Spirit cryeth this day through me Awake awake ye sluggards arise arise ye careless ones who are at ease in sin and have taken up your rest in iniquity for the Son of Righteousness is risen and the Day of Holiness is dawned therefore God requireth all men to repentance and to bring forth fruits meet thereto for the night of ignorance whereat he winked is past and he is arisen in his mighty Power who will no longer be silent but will cry like a travelling woman who will not cease till the Birth is brought forth which is to establish Judgement and Righteousness in the Earth that he alone over all may be exalted therefore will he search the whole Earth with his pure candle of Light and will make the sinners in Sion afraid and fearfulness shall surprize the hypocrites and none shall abide before him who is a consuming fire nor dwell with everlasting burnings but he that walketh in Righteousness and speaketh uprightly Psa 15.1 2 3. and despiseth the gain of oppression and holdeth his hands from bribes his eyes from seeing of evil and his ears from hearing of blood it is he that shall dwell on high his place of defence shall be the Name of the Lord which is the Refuge of the Righteous his eyes shall see the King of Sion in his beauty and therefore let all people fear God and give glory to him for the hour of his Judgment is come wherein he will be avenged upon all the Inhabitants of the Earth who are made drunk with the Wine of Fornication in Babylon the Mystory of Iniquity which the Lord God in his Almightiness is arisen to destroy and therefore if any man follow the Beast which is that unclean nature which polluteth man or receives and keeps his Mark which is Sin the same shall drink of the Wine of the Wrath of God which is poured forth without
are of God then that which is of the Devil is done away So here perfection in part will not stand nor agree with this Doctrine for it is manifest if we are in Christ Jam. 1.4 then the intireness is known where nothing is wanting because all things are of God who is perfect but this work is not by self neither by man's own willing â—or running but of God that shews mercy Col. 1.27 1 Cor. 1.30 2 Cor. 4.7 which mercy is Christ the Light in all that receive him the hope of Glory who is made unto them wisdom and power to mortifie and justifie to kill and to make alive even to work all their works in them and for them which was the treasure that the Apostles had in their earthen vessels that the excellency of the Power might be of God and not of them the which work must be witnessed in this life for after the departure hence Heb. 3.7 8. there is no putting off the old man with his deeds Therefore while it is called to day harden not your hearts but arise and awake to Righteousness and hearken to that which knocks at the door of your hearts calling to repentance Rev. 3.20.21.27 for nothing that defiles or is defiled must enter with the Lamb into the Kingdom of Glory And if your heads lie down in sin and in it you end your race even so will your rest be in your old garments you will be found which the Lord who is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity hath no pleasure in neither will receive you unless your garments are made white in the blood of the Lamb which clenseth all who walk in his Light from sin which was witnessed by the Apostles who walked therein in this world which made them bold against the day of Judgment because as he was even so were they which is agreeable to Christ's own words who said He that is perfect shall be as his Master the which if you witness not before you go hence all your hopes of it hereafter wil be as a dream wherein a man thinks he is drinking but when he awakens lo he is dry Even so all your dreams of entring into Holiness with Christ or having his Righteousness imputed for yours whilst you have lived in unrighteousness will all pass away as a vision of the night or as a dream which cometh to nothing And for the further proof of this point in hand the Doctrine of Perfection Joh. 1.1 give ear a little to the Light of Christ the faithful and true Witness even the Word that was in the beginning before sin was brought forth Rom. 10 8. which in the Scripture is called the Word nigh in the heart and in the mouth which Paul preached Joh. 15.26 and the Spirit of Truth which convinceth the world of sin which is infallible and cannot change nor err but keeps its unity with God of whose nature it is Behold I bear a Testimony against all sin saith the Light whatever is reproved is made manifest by me and in righteous Judgment I seal the Condemnation upon every soul of man that doth evil for I never consented to any sin since the day that man transgressed against me in the beginning but have kept my Unity with my Father in purity though man fell yet not me I spare no sin great nor small but by me it is condemned all neither speak I peace to any therein telling them they shall be saved from the Wrath to come though they live in some sin though man's ear which should have heard my Voice hath been stopped by the Devil and his eye kept blind by the god of the world so that he hath not known my Voice nor seen my Shape and though I have knockt at the door of his heart yet he would not open to me but loved the voice of the Serpent better who hath taught many to teach this for Truth That he must have some part in their hearts as long as they live on the earth and yet notwithstanding they shall be saved but behold they shall find it a lie and I will make them to know it was never spoken by me in the day when I shall judge the secrets of all hearts when none shall be able to stop my Mouth nor hinder my Voice Then will I kindle a Fire that shall never go out and quicken a Worm which shall gnaw eternally then shall they remember how I shewed them the evil of their wayes and set their sins in order before them but they would not hearken unto me neither regard reproof but stopped their hears at my Voice and closed their eye-lids at the shining of my Light John 3.19 20. loving the darkness rather because their deeds are evil therefore the wages of sin shall be their portion in the pit of death for ever Wherefore thus saith the Light that shines in darkness Come all ye workers of iniquity and stand in your ranks together and let me reason with you a little O ye Murderers and envious ones ye Thieves and covetous of other mens goods ye Swearers Lyars and false-witness-bearers Cozeners Cheaters and users of any dissimulation whatsoever with all you proud lustful ones and all you Gamesters and vain boasters Singers and rejoycers in that which your own vain minds have invented and all foolish jesters and speakers of idle words whatsoever even all from the greatest sinners to the least Do not I the Light in all your Consciences reprove and condemn you for all these things as well the least as the greatest Did I ever give you leave to live in any of these things but contrariwise have I often wooed and entreated you to come out of them telling and shewing you plainly if you lived in any of these things you should never inherit the Kingdom of God And also O you Professors who have had a form of Godliness but not the holy power thereof who in an outward show have made many Prayers with other outside shews of Holiness while your hearts were full of Iniquity and the in-side all Deceit have not I the Light often smitten you for these things Mat. 7.20 21 22 23. shewing you that the Lord looked not at the outward appearance but only requireth the heart and though you may say you have prophesied in my Name yea and cast out Devils with many wonderful works yet will I profess I never knew you unless you receive me that I may cleanse you from all iniquity Wherefore cleanse your hands ye Publicans and purifie your hearts ye Pharisees for so long as you are in sin neither of you are justified by me Deny me in any of these things before-mentioned if you can for which if I condemn you think you to find mercy with my Father Nay Joh. 5.22 nay my Father and I are both one and he hath committed all Judgment unto me and that you will find one day to your utter condemnation
say unto you Come up higher out of these things and you shall see greater than these as saith the Spirit Oh then rest not in the lesser lest by so doing you miss of the greater for the Glory of all Glories is appearing and that which you think to be the greatest light unto you shall become but meer darkness in comparison of the marvelous Light that shall yet appear in the day that is already dawned Oh therefore prepare prepare to meet the Bridegroom for the Marriage of the Lamb draws nigh yet none but those who have on the pure Wedding-Garment shall enter with him into the Bride-Chamber neither taste of the Supper of the Lamb. Having had some experience of the Loving-kindness of God and of his dealings with me from my Childhood to this day it is moved in my soul to give forth a Testimony of the same for the good of all who in the dayes of their youth seek and desire after him IN the dayes of my Childhood I was brought up with my Parents after the manner as other Children were but not in much strictness or restraint from evil vanities that Children are prone to by them they being after the manner of other worldly people given to the fashions and vanities thereof and such like things themselves but had my liberty in many things even as I would but yet notwithstanding God in his endless love to my soul shewed me the evil of my wayes words and actions and begot a desire in me after himself and opened my understanding and shewed me much of the vanity and ignorance of the Teachers and Professors of the world insomuch that I was fully satisfied that the Teachers of the world were not the Ministers of Christ and that they did people little good which caused me that I never followed them so as to expect benefit from them and I marvelled that those who could reade the Scriptures and seemed to be wise would ever follow them Such things as these were stirring and working in me from eight or nine years of age until eleven or twelve about which time the People called Baptists appeared in this my native place and Country which is Tipton in Staffordshire whose Doctrine and outward Form which I only look'd at I found to be more in imitation according to the Scriptures than the other Teachers and therefore did I go amongst them and owned them more than any and after some years time my understanding was very much opened so that I became wiser than all my acquainted Play-fellows in Religious matters and could not freely act such things as others did though I was many times overcome with them but the Lord followed me with his Witness so that I had no peace in any evil words or actions insomuch that many times in the very acting of vain foolish things something would smite me into heaviness and grief though I was never given to that which the world calls gross sin but only childish vanities as playing with lads foolish jesting and idle talk singing of songs and such like things as other untoward lads are given to which scarce any one would reprove me for for the best sort of people about me were guilty of many such things who seemed to be wise men yet notwithstanding I could have no peace in them though something would tell me I was young and need not matter such things so early but might let them alone til I was a man and then I should have more knowledge in godly matters and it would be well enough to grow civil and circumspect then yet for all this I could not get over the Witness of God but it shewed me that this was the Serpent's voice that would draw me from remembring my Creator in the dayes of my youth And so in the exercise of these things my soul was often revived with true desires after God who I little thought was so nigh me as he was and many times I made Vows in spirit that if he would pass by my sins past I would never do as I had before But alas in my own power I could not perform them and I was ignorant of the Power and Spirit of God and though we in these dayes had nothing but he Scriptures to help our minds in such things for the Teachers concluded that all Revelations and imediate Teachings by the Spirit of God as in the dayes of old were ceased the which made me many times sorrowfull saying Oh that I had been alive in those dayes when the Lord taught his People by his Spirit And when my spirit was exercised in such things I was many times drawn to go into some secret place to be alone and there could I freely make my moan to God according to the meaning of my mind with strong desires and tears sometimes praying in words as God gave me utterance which I knew he would not despise but was more accepted with him than all the fine words or forms of mens inventions and this I can truely say I never in all my dayes prayed in hypocrisie to be seen of men neither ever did learn any form of prayer to rest in it for I knew that was deceit but from the smcerity of my heart I ever did it and in these things I many times felt even a sweet communion with God and many times in my waiting upon God and pondring of things concerning him some things would open in me signifying that a glorious day was nigh at hand which I should live to see and that I should bear a Testimony for God therein but when I went to reason in my self how it should be fulfilled I being unlearned neither should be brought up to learning outwardly but little my Parents being but mean in the outward then I darkned my self by these reasonings and could not see how it should be but when I remembred that all things were possible with God then was I made to see that those reasonings came from flesh and blood and were to be denied but many times the enemy of my soul overcame me and brought me to much vanity which I knew to be evil yet though I knew it and had a desire against it yet was I carried away into it then when I retired in my mind to God something would tell me that I had sinned against my own knowledge and God would not accept me and so would have cast me into dispair as if I should never be forgiven Then this thing would be brought into my remembrance by the Spirit 〈◊〉 God That his Blessing was to those that hungred and thirsted after Righteousness and they should be satisfied which greatly revived my soul for I could truly say notwithstanding all my sins that I was one of those hungerers and for all the doubting desperations that the Devil could cast into me yet I felt something in me that as it were could rely upon God as being of his nature and still cryed after him in which I felt some
acceptance with God and of his mercy to my soul and I saw it was the evil one which led me into sin that would have me to believe I should not be accepted with God because of my transgressions which I had not gotten power over for to will it was then present with me but how to perform I had not found for though the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ the Light was nigh unto me which now I know makes me free from the Law of sin and death yet I knew it not then but now I know that the Lord was then at work in me begetting desires in my heart after him that so I might be made willing to receive the manifestation of his Son in me with joy which when he had prepared my soul he then revealed in me by which my heart was made glad and even overcome with the love of God and his great Mercies towards me But yet to go back a little while I was ignorant of the glorious Manifestation of God and went to the Baptists Meetings until there was some of the People called Quakers came into this Country who preached up the Light within and the like by whom some of the Baptists were convinced and then the rest of them who were Speakers made it their great business to preach down and against the Light within and so I was thereby hindred with evil Reports of them which then were many very much cast against that People though I had never heard them at all but as concerning those who preached so much against that inward Light wo and alas for them for they are greatly fallen into the Darkness and are become even as sottish as other people and have lost their Zeal which they had for that which they then thought to be Truth for whose sakes I have many times been grieved for I can testifie that there was a good desire once in them which drawed them in some measure as I may say towards Canaan but alas the way proved strait and the mind being alive which lusted after the flesh-pots they are again turned into the darkness of Egypt And notwithstanding all that these men could say for their own way or against others yer I saw plainly neither they nor I were as we should be but I was still unsatisfied because I had a Law in my members that warred against the Law of my mind which led me captive into sin which I could not overcome neither could I believe I ever should though I had a desire against it And so after all these things it was ordered that I must go down to Bristol upon some outward occasion about which time I was seventeen or eighteen years old and it happened that I was to stay there some time in which I did abide at a place where there was a Woman who owned the People called Quakers and she shewed me some of their Books and though I could reade but badly yet I perceived that they were not such a People as I thought they had and so my mind was turned out of enmity against them into love insomuch that I had a desire to hear them so I went to their Meetings several times but could hear no words but in beholding of them I was convinced that they were a People to whom God had manifested more than any People that ever I had seen but how I knew not but at last on a First-day I was much moved in my spirit above other times to go to their Meeting and unknown to me before I came there was a man whose name in the flesh is John Story in whom God had raised his Witness and opened his Understanding to bear a Testimony for him who when I heard speak the Spirit of Life opened my understanding to receive his words which were made serviceable to me at that time for the informing of my mind in the true Way of God which I had been long seeking after the which I gladly received and willingly turned from the Darkness joyning to the Light which I found to be as a man that told me all that ever I had done and not onely so but condemned all sin in me shewing what was good and what was evil condemning me for joyning with the evil And so the ministration of Condemnation I came to witness which was very glorious in its time wherein the just Judgements of the Lord took hold of that which drew me into sin in which Judgments the true Seed greatly rejoyced because its Redemption drew nigh and the Lord was arisen to plead with its Enemy by Fire and Sword which had held it in bondage which I was daily led to take up a Cross to by which the carnal mind which warreth against the spiritual was crucified in me daily and I daily died to the world and the vanities thereof and so my mind came to be redeemed unto God who with the finger of his Spirit wrote his Law in my heart which as I became obedient to it made me free from the Law of sin and gave me victory over it daily so was that in me quickned which delighted only to do the Will of God and to walk in his Way which I testifie is a pleasant path and very delightsom surpassing all the delights and vanities of the world which satisfies not the soul but burdens the pure Seed of God which I witness is set free through Judgements and that there is no way to Life but through Death for fallen man no way to true Joy but through Trouble no way to Canaan but through the Red Sea and the Wilderness no way to enter the Kingdom but through many Tribulations So the Lord by the Spirit of burning hath made that in me which was as a fruitful field to become as a Forest and that which was as a Forest to be as a fruitful field Yea the Lord hath made the parched to be as a pool and the dry-land springs of water and hath visited poor Lazarus with mercy and love but the rich Glutton hath he fed with Judgement and Esau the wild hunter the first birth hath he brought down to serve Jacob the younger who hath obtained the Blessing and hard-hearted Pharoah hath he plagued but Israel the Seed hath he blessed whom he hath led by the pillar of fire which was a light unto him by which he walked out of the darkness of Egypt from under the bondage of Pharoah whom he hath destroyed in the bottom of the Sea Therefore doth the Seed rejoyce and sing with high praises to its King who by the power of his strong hand hath broken the snare and band and set its feet at liberty that it might walk in the way to Canaan the blessed Land in this God's glorious day wherein the Sun is risen in glory bright which hath expell'd the darkness of the cloudy night and hath melted the frost and snow away which covered the tender plant in the gloomy day Wherefore now being come